Lunar Rebirthby MadMaxtheBlackChaptersPrologue: NightfallPart I: The Foal and the MonsterPart I: Lunar TidesPart I: In the Dark of the NightPart I: Lonely is the NightPart I: Cloudy NightPart I: The Night is Darkest...Part II: Summer Sun CelebrationPart II: The Shadow Thief, part 1Part II: The Shadow Thief, part 2Part II: Dream of the MoonPart II: The Sun and the Moon, part 1Part II: The Sun and the Moon, part 2Part III: Per Noctem Ad LucemPart III: The Heart and the MoonPrologue: Nightfall—1000 years prior Celestia staggered to her hooves, hissing in pain as she put weight on her twisted ankle. Blood dripped from her muzzle, marring her white coat, which was covered in the grime of battle. A large gash ran down the side of her head, causing one of her eyes to be forced shut. Around her, the earth was scarred and blackened. Debris from the southern tower littered the ground, looking more like broken tombstones in the gloom of night than actual pieces of architect; a grim reminder of the battle that had been fought there not minutes ago. The once magnificent tower was now reduced to nothing more than a rocky foundation, a few wooden beams rising into the air, the ends of which were smoking slightly. Part of the tower had collapsed upon the outer rampart, demolishing part of the Everfree Forest as well, leaving uprooted trees lying here and there, their branches destroyed. Celestia groaned as she took a step forward, her cracked ribs grinding together. The battle had been long and fierce; her home was in ruins, and her body was covered in numerous injuries sustained during her fight. Her once monstrous reserve of magic had been reduced to barely that of a foal’s. Her usually majestic mane now hung limply across her gouge-covered back in long, pink strands. She was in pain, she was exhausted, but she was triumphant! Standing on trembling legs, the Solar Princess turned her one good eye towards the moon, her vision unfocused slightly due to fatigue. The moon hung low in the sky, illuminating the ruined castle in harsh moonlight. Upon its pale face, standing out in stark contrast against the small, celestial body, was the dark imprint of the head of a mare: Nightmare Moon, sealed within the surface of the moon. A fitting end for the vile temptress. The great and terrible mistress of the dark, now sealed, helpless, within the moon, forced to look down upon the very lands she had tried to conquer. The creature, Nightmare Moon—Darkness Reincarnated—had attacked the Everfree Castle in a hope to claim all of Equestria for herself. Waiting until Celestia's sun had set for the day, the Nightmare had attacked when the Solar Princess had been the most vulnerable. Celestia had been on her way to the bathhouse, eager for a relaxing dip within the heated pool after a long day at court, when the alarm had been sounded. She barely had time to turn before the Nightmare was upon her, spells flying down the hallway, destroying all that they touched. Celestia had managed to erect a shield in time to defend herself. Her faithful maid, however, was not so lucky. Celestia hadn't had any time to mourn the loss of her old friend before she was forced to retaliate against the Nightmare. Despite the initial surprise of the sudden attack, Celestia had managed to hold her own against the Darkness, even pushing Nightmare Moon from the castle and into the open. While she fought against the Mare of Darkness, the Royal Guards had fought against Nightmare's forces: evil demons spawned within the very pits of Tartarus itself. Celestia wasn’t sure how many of her loyal guards had given their lives in her name this night, but she was certain that they had been victorious in their defense of the Keep. Even now, with the loss of their leader, the demons were retreating back from whence they came. By the sounds in the distance, Celestia knew that the fighting had all but finished, and her soldiers were now searching the wreckage for wounded. She allowed a small smile to touch her split lip, as her thoughts turned to her little ponies. Despite any injuries that her guards may have received during the fight, she was sure—no, positive—that they would be combing the ruined castle, ignoring their own pain and discomfort as they helped any and all of those still trapped inside. Celestia could remember a certain incident back when Discord had been defeated. Her then Captain of the Guard, Glimmering Shield, had suffered severe injuries during the battle against the Mad God’s chaotic forces. Despite having four broken ribs, a cracked horn, dislocated hip, and broken leg, Glimmering Shield had spent five hours pulling the wounded from the battlefield before Celestia had caught wind of her Captain’s injuries. Celestia had had to stun Glimmering Shield in order to get her to accept medical attention, and she was forced to strap the unicorn to her bed in order to prevent her from leaving during her recovery. Glimmering Shield had thankfully survived, but was forced to walk with a permanent limp due to her delay in seeking medical attention. When later asked by a younger guard if she regretted her actions that day, Glimmering had simply replied that she “only regretted that the Solar Princess had learned about her injuries before she could have saved more lives”. After that confession, Celestia had noticed a startling increase in the loyalty and dedication of the guards, each seemingly trying to best Glimmering's devotion to the Crown and her fellow guards. Even after all these years, her guards still retained that same level of commitment. She would have to make sure that they received medical attention, even if she had to order them to leave off searching the castle herself. But that was for later. Tearing her gaze away from the moon, Celestia glanced down at the six gems slowly orbiting her battered body. They glinted in the darkness with inner power, illuminating her surroundings in a warm, inviting light. Each gem seemed to pulse with magical power, each one ready to be called upon again if need be. Integrity, Celestia thought as each gem slowly passed in front of her in turn. Hospitality, Devotion, Kindness, Jollity, Magic. The Elements of Harmony. Powerful artifacts delivered to her sister and her by the Tree of Harmony itself in order to combat Discord, they had been kept in stasis since the Mad God's downfall. Hoping to live in peace, the Royal Sisters had prayed that they would never need to use the Elements again. Unfortunately, fate had other plans and Celestia was forced to call upon them once again in order to imprison the Nightmare within her lunar gulag. Wielding the Elements alone had been taxing upon Celestia's body and mind, but in the end the Solar Princess was happy with the outcome. Even now, after having used most of the energy the Elements had stored up over the years, Celestia could still feel the magical power flowing from the gems, washing over her body and soothing some of her pains. Such power, such magical reserves, and she had barely been able to defeat the Nightmare. Celestia was just glad that Nightmare’s pride had dictated that she fight Celestia alone. It looks like Luna was right, Celestia thought as the gems continued to circle her. The Elements were enough to seal the Nightmare away—LUNA!” Celestia’s eye widened as her mind processed what she had just thought. Rearing back with a loud, panicked whinny, the Solar Princess took off across the grounds, the Elements following faithfully behind. Her twisted ankle was ignored in her haste, the pain temporarily forgotten. Her wings, rendered useless by the Nightmare, flapped weakly by her sides as she ran, leaving a trail of bloodied white feathers behind her. Reaching the rampart, Celestia leapt through a large hole in the wall caused by a rampaging demon. Her hooves pounded against the blood-soaked ground as she landed, her injured ankle nearly causing her leg to buckle under her weight. She quickly skirted around the fallen bodies of ponies and demons alike, careful as to not have her hooves become tangled in the mangled corpses of the dead. Foam formed around her lips as Celestia panted, her sides heaving. She galloped down the path to the castle’s main gates, the debris from the Keep scattered upon the ground in front of her, blocking the route. Relentlessly, Celestia forced her way through, shoving and pushing her body through the blockage. The sharpened edges of the rock and brick cut into her flesh, but she was oblivious to the pain in her desperation. Finally making her way to the Keep, Celestia forced her way through the main entrance way, the large golden doors cracked and soot-covered. The archway above the entrance had collapsed, large stone blocks strewn around the entrance hall. Shards of colored glass littered the floor, remnants of the large stained glass windows that lined the hall. Rushing along on numbed hooves, Celestia gasped for breath, sucking in great lungfuls of air. The Elements of Harmony, still faithfully circling her, provided her with enough light to see by. She nearly stumbled as her hooves slid against the glass shards, but managed to stay upright. Her ankle twinged in pain, but Celestia didn’t care. There, at the far end of the battle-damaged hall, was her destination: the throne room. The massive golden doors were askew, dangling upon their hinges, their surface dented and scarred. A large crack ran down one of the doors, nearly splitting it in two. As she neared the battered doors, the Solar Princess could not help the strangled cry that escaped her lips, “LUNA!” Pushing the very last of her magic down the length of her horn, Celestia blasted the throne room doors open, staggering through the archway as they thudded to the floor on either side of her. The floor reverberated beneath her hooves, the loud noise echoing around the large room, but she ignored it. “LUNA!” Celestia cried again, glancing around frantically at the debris, her stomach slowly rising into her throat. The ebony throne upon the raised steps lay in a heap of rubble, the golden throne beside it left untouched. Moonlight streamed through a large hole in the ceiling, the stars twinkling mockingly at the Solar Princess as her despair grew steadily. Please, please don’t let us be too late! “Luna,” Celestia sobbed as she cast around for any signs of the Lunar Princess. Choking back tears, she staggered through the rubble, continuing to search desperately. The longer she looked, the more and more her heart sunk in her chest. “Please, Luna,” Celestia whispered, blinking back tears. “Thou hast to be here somewhere!” A low groan caused Celestia’s head to whip around, and she winced as her neck cracked. Scrambling over a large chunk of the ceiling, Celestia made to leap down the other side but froze, her one good eye opening wide in horror. Her mouth opened, her lower jaw quivering as Celestia’s heart broke. There, on the other side of the pile of debris, was Luna, the Nocturnal Ruler. Her body was in a pitiful state, her wings bent, the bones broken in several places. She was lying in a pool of her own blood, her chest rising and falling with each ragged breath she took. Her legs were spread at awkward angles, white bone sticking out against her dark coat. Her mane was limp, the blue hair dyed dark with blood. Her horn had been shattered, the jagged appendage sparking uselessly. It was painfully clear that the once proud ruler’s body was broken: her life slowly ebbing from its shattered shell. “No, no, no, no,” Celestia whimpered as she clattered down the pile of wreckage. At the sound of her voice, Luna’s ears perked up. Groaning, the broken princess tried to lift her head, but whinnied in pain as it fell back to the ground. As Celestia reached Luna’s body, she collapsed to her knees beside her, tears flowing from both her open and closed eyes. The Elements’ orbit widened slightly in order to encompass both alicorns. As if sensing the other mare’s presence, Luna’s eyes cracked up, the once bright, cyan orbs fogged over. Gazing up at Celestia, the Lunar Princess cracked a smile, her white teeth stained with blood. “...’lo Tia,” she mumbled, her voice hoarse. “Luna,” Celestia whispered, taking care to not let her tears land upon the broken mare’s wounds. “Thou looks terrible.” The minute the words left her mouth, Celestia winced, raising a hoof to her mouth. More tears sprung to her eyes as she realized what she had just said. Luna just laughed, although it sounded more like a pained wheeze. Blood specs flew from her mouth, and her laughter soon turned to a heaving cough. “Tis true,” she croaked. “Thy ceiling dost not make a good cushion for us to land upon. Though, we canst see from here that thou hast vanquished the Nightmare and sealed her upon our very moon.” Luna tried to laugh again, but stopped as her breath rattled in her throat. “Stay thine merriment,” Celestia commanded, her face etched with worry. “Our healers shall soon be here, and shall make thee well again.” “Nay,” Luna rasped, her expression sobering. “We fear that this be the end for us, my fere.” “No,” Celestia sobbed, shaking her head desperately. “We pray thee, dost not leave us here, alone.” Luna just gazed up apologetically at the mare above her, a pained expression on her face. “We are sorry, Tia, but hitherto shalt we go, but no further.” And that was when the floodgates opened, and all of the Solar Princess’s pain and sorrow came rushing forth. Celestia let out a mewling cry, lowering her head as tears flowed down her cheeks. She closed her eye in an attempt to regain control of her emotions. However, her cries only increased when she reopened it and saw the broken alicorn before her. “Please,” she begged. “Please, there must be something—anything—that we canst do in order to save thee.” Movement beside her caught Celestia’s eyes, and she turned her head. Her eye lit up when she saw the ever-circling gems. “The Elements,” she cried, laughing shakily as hope rose in her chest. “We canst use them to heal thee, my fere! They hast sealed the Nightmare within thine moon, and they still hast power to spare! Thou shalt be well again, and shall continue to live, to be with us! We shall—” Celestia ceased her rambling as Luna placed her trembling hoof upon the Solar Princess’s. Smiling sadly, she shook her head. “It would be all for naught,” she rasped. “Tia, there is naught thee canst do now.” Swallowing, Celestia looked down at Luna’s hoof, her lips trembling. With a soft whinny, Celestia grasped Luna’s hoof in her own and gently raised it to her face. Nuzzling the hoof, Celestia quietly cried, her tears matting Luna’s dark fetlocks. “It’s all our fault,” she whispered as she continued to nuzzle the hoof. “It’s all our fault that this hast happen.” “Do not blame thyself,” Luna rasped, raising her head slightly to glare at Celestia. “It is no fault of your own. We chose to stand against the Nightmare with thee, and now we reap that which we hath wrought.” Groaning, Luna lowered her head again, the pool of blood rippling slightly as she laid it back upon the ground. “The life is leaving us, my fere. We shall not be with thee for much longer.” Celestia opened her mouth to say something, but Luna stopped her with a flick of her ear. “Nay, prithee, let us speak. We don’t have much energy left within our broken body.” Celestia paused, but nodded her head, continuing to lovingly nuzzle the dark hoof in her grasp. This caused a small smile to touch Luna’s lips. Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, the Lunar Princess winced as her broken ribs shifted. More blood flowed from her nostrils and mouth, her breaths coming in short, ragged bursts as her lungs slowly filled with blood. Opening her eyes again, Luna glanced up at Celestia with dimmed eyes. “Fear not, Tia dear, for this is not our end. Watch for the mare, of darkened coat and deadened eyes. When she doth stands beside thee, so too shall we once more.” As Luna spoke, her voice cracking in pain, the Elements glowed brightly, a burst of energy erupting from them for a split second before they fell silent, content to continue to circle the pair of alicorns. As her eyes began to close, Luna squeezed Celestia’s hoof weakly in her own. “Be at peace, Tia. May your days be calm, and your sun stay strong. May our memory ease your pain, and may your sorrows be brief. Know naught of heartache, nor fear, nor gloom.” Luna’s voice grew softer as she spoke, the light slowly leaving her eyes. “I love you,” she croaked, tears welling up in her dim, cyan eyes. “I’ll miss you…” Luna moved her jaw, attempting to say something more, but she only managed to release one last ragged breath before her eyes closed, and the life left her battered body. The Elements dimmed slightly, silently mourning for the loss of the princess. When the hoof in her grasp went limp, Celestia glance up, looking tearfully at the dark alicorn. “Luna?” she whimpered, rubbing Luna’s hoof against her cheek. “Luna?” Reaching out a trembling hoof, Celestia placed it upon Luna’s cheek. The Lunar Princess’s face was still, a peaceful smile upon her lips. Tears streamed down the Solar Princess’s cheeks as she absentmindedly stroke Luna’s face with her hoof. “Luna,” she whispered, her voice cracking. “Luna, wake up. Thou hast to wake up. Luna… please, thou can’t leave me.” Dropping Luna’s hoof, Celestia lifted her head, glancing around the throne room frantically, desperately. “HELP!” she screamed, her voice echoing around the ruined room. “SOMEPONY! ANYPONY! PLEASE… h-help!” As her voice continued to echo around the room, mocking the distraught princess, Celestia turned her gaze back to her fallen companion, lifting a hoof to her lips. Violent sobs racked her body, her good eye now puffy and red. Her heart thudded in her chest, feeling as though it had split in two. This couldn’t be happening, this wasn’t happening. It had to be a nightmare. She had fallen asleep during court, and would wake any second now, and find that Luna was still alive and happy. She would trot up to Celestia, that mischievous glint in her brilliant cyan eyes signifying that she had another prank in store for the Solar Princess. Celestia’s body continued to tremble violently as she looked down at Luna’s body, trying desperately to convince herself that this wasn’t real. Shutting her eye tight, Celestia gritted her teeth, trying to fight back her pain and despair. Opening her eye again, Celestia stared down at Luna silently, her expression blank. Suddenly, her heart shattered, pain and sorrow flooding her very soul at the loss of her nocturnal counterpart. Clenching her eyes shut, Celestia threw her head back and screamed, the force of her misery shaking the very foundations of the ruined castle. Everypony within a mile of the castle heard the princess’s cry; everypony felt her pain, and everypony wept with her. Celestia continued to weep, even as the moon set, plunging the world into darkness. Without their mistress to control them, the stars began to wink out of existence, leaving behind an empty void of blackness. The night became devoid of light, the gloom only illuminated by the fires that still raged around the broken castle. The sun did not rise that morning, nor the morning after, leaving the ponies of Equestria to mourn the loss of their princess within the darkness of her night. The Sun would not rise for several days as it mourned the loss of its Moon, just like its earthly counterpart below. LUNAR REBIRTH ~ ~ ~ ~ by MadMaxtheBlack ~ ~ ~ ~ One dark night, nearly a millennium later, four frightened ponies slid silently through the frozen waters of Saddle Lake, heading for Canterlot. To their left, along the shores of the lake, they could spy a small snow-covered village, the lights from the homes illuminating the starless night. Carefully, the ferrymare, a brown earth pony, drew her oar through the water, pushing the boat along. Standing in the stern of the boat, she glanced around nervously, her face hidden behind her cloak. In the bow of the boat, two cloaked unicorns and a pegasus huddled, trying to remain unseen. One of the unicorns, a mare with a sky blue coat, clutched a small bundle to her chest, shielding it from the winter chill. Beside her, her stallion—a dark violet unicorn—held her close, almost protectively. The pegasus was in the very front of the boat, using his hooves to push wayward pieces of ice from their path. Above the group, a full moon shone down proudly, providing them with enough light to see by. “We’ll have to run the boat aground on the far side of the lake,” the ferrymare whispered to her companions as the far shore of Saddle Lake came into view. “We can then proceed to Canterlot on hoof.” “We paid you to take us directly to Canterlot,” the unicorn stallion hissed. “Unless one of you unicorns can lift my boat up a waterfall, we have to walk to our destination,” the ferrymare growled, her eyes narrowing. “Will you both be quiet?” the pegasus snapped, turning to look back at them. “We’ll be spotted!” The group fell silent, all expect the bundle in the unicorn mare’s grasp, which immediately started to wail. Frantically, the mare cooing softly to the bundle, rocking it in her hooves. “Hush, little one,” she pleaded, glancing up at the ferrymare, who was giving her a dirty look. The unicorn stallion leaned over and began to whisper sweet nothings into the bundle, which immediately stopped crying. “This is more than I agreed to,” the ferrymare grumbled, her oar cutting through the still waters. “Just get us to Canterlot,” the unicorn stallion sighed, looking up from the bundle. “You’ll get the rest of your pay, and we’ll be out of your mane.” With that, the boat fell silent. A few minutes later, the boat’s bottom scraped against the lakebed as the ferrymare pushed them ashore. Using her oar to vault herself onto the snowy shore, the earth pony turned and motioned to the others with her hoof. “Quickly, before somepony sees—” “It’s rather cold for you to be out this time of night, isn’t it?” The ferrymare whipped around with a loud squeak as two-dozen Royal Guards emerged from the blackness, their golden armor glinting in the moonlight as they all leveled spears at the four travelers. Instinctively, the unicorn stallion moved in front of his mare, shielding her from the wall of spears. As the guards slowly herded the four ponies together, the sound of snow crunching beneath hooves filled the air, and a dark, looming shape appeared out of the blackness. The eyes of all four travelers widened in horror as they looked up at the massive unicorn that materialized before them. “Archduke Black Spark,” the ferrymare moaned in despair, her ears splaying backwards as her heart dropped out of her chest. The Archduke cut an intimidating figure in the moonlight. Standing nearly a head taller than all others present, the white unicorn stared down at the trembling ponies with disdain, his lip pulled back in a silent sneer. His slick, black mane hung down the side of his face, a black and red striped chaperon hat placed above his horn. Tearing his blue eyes from the four travelers, the Archduke glanced over at one of the guards. “Take these... gypsies to the palace dungeons immediately, along with the rest of the trash,” he ordered, his baritone voice loud and clear. The guard saluted before pulling out a pair of iron shackles from his saddlebags. Moving forward, the guard quickly began to shackle the travelers, binding the wings of the pegasus and the horn of the unicorn stallion. As he did that, another guard approached the beached boat and began to pour oil over it. Stepping back, she picked up a lit torch and tossed it into the oil-soaked boat. Instantly, it went up in flames, the burning inferno casting a flickering light around the area. As the guard approached the unicorn mare, he pause, staring at the bundle in her hooves. “What have you got there?” he growled, pointing at the bundle. The mare instinctively cradled the object closer to her chest, protecting it from view. “It seems we have a thief on our hooves as well,” Archduke Black Spark growled. He snorted as he glared at the mare, his breath escaping in a torrent of mist from his nostrils. The mare stared up at him, silently pleading for mercy. Black Spark cocked his head to the side, his cold eyes narrowing. “Take it from her.” The guard moved to do so, but at the Archduke’s words, the mare took off down the beach, sprinting for her life, the bundle held in her magic. Her companions yelled after her, urging her to escape, to flee and find shelter. “After her, you imbeciles,” Black Spark roared, pointing at the fleeing mare. “Don’t let her get away!” Half a dozen guards surged forward and gave chase, following the mare's tracks in the snow. Ahead of them, her cloak flapping wildly as she ran, the mare bounded through the snow. The bundle, hovering beside her head, squirmed and kicked, a loud, keening wail coming from its folds. Chancing a quick glance back behind her, the mare’s eyes widened and she whinnied in fear as she saw the guards closing in on her. Turning her head back around, she put on an extra burst of speed, trying to get some distance between herself and her pursuers. Suddenly, the frozen lake beside her began to shrink, the shores closing in on each other as they became the mouth of a river. An old wooden bridge materialized out of the darkness, connecting the two sides of the river together. Without a second thought, the mare thundered across the bridge, disturbing the snow that was resting on the wooden railings in the processes. The clatter of hooves behind her told her that the guards were still on her tail. Foam began to collect around the corners of the mare’s mouth as she gasped for air, her eyes darting here and there in a desperate search for a hiding place. The village in the distance slowly grew nearer as she made a beeline for the shelter the buildings provided. Reaching the edge of the village, the mare dashed over fences and through yards, trying to lose her pursuers. Quickly ducking down a dark alleyway, she vaulted over a spiked iron fence. As she landed on the other side, her back hoof hit a patch of ice hidden beneath the blanket of snow. Her leg immediately shot out from under her and she fell, hard, on her side. The pain that flared up in her barrel and in her hoof caused the mare’s magic to flicker out. The bundle tumbled through the air, landing in a snowdrift with a soft thump. Instantly, the bundle fell silent, its wails ceasing. Shakily, the mare staggered to her hooves, wincing as she placed weight upon her back hoof. Glancing around, she searched for her bundle. “No, no, no, no,” she whimpered, tears forming in her eyes as the wind pulled at her cloak. She tried to take a few steps forward, but collapsed with a pained whinny as her hoof failed to support her weight. Lifting her head, the mare looked around helplessly. “Selena,” she cried, trying to push herself back up, onto her hooves. “Selena!” Unable to get her hooves underneath her, the unicorn mare just lay there, sobbing into the snow. With a clatter of hooves and armor, the guards that were chasing her descended upon the prone mare. Shackles were immediately clasped to her hooves and she howled in pain as they forced her injured hoof into place. One of the guards glanced around, a small frown touching her otherwise emotionless face. “Sir,” she said, turning to look at her superior. “The package isn’t here.” “She must have ditched it in some back alleyway while she was running,” the officer growled, glaring down at the bound mare. She just laid there, her eyes closed as her tears slowly froze upon her face. “Just forget it. We’ve got her, and that’s all that matters.” The guard turned and motioned to the rest of the guards. “Get her up and march her back to the Archduke. She and the others are in for a nice long stay in Canterlot’s dungeons.” The mare sobbed broken heartedly as she was hauled to her hooves. Forcefully, the guards marched her back through the streets, ignoring her pained whimpers as she was forced to put pressure upon her twisted hoof. As they headed back towards the lake, the mare cast one last desperate glance over her shoulders, her eyes scanning the snow for any sign of the bundle. As she was led out of sight, the mare couldn’t help the long, mewling cry that tore itself from her throat, and as she was marched to her doom, she couldn’t stop the tears that flowed down her cheeks. “SELENA!” ~ ~ ~ ~ > > < < ~ ~ ~ ~ The village was silent, everypony asleep in their warm beds, the embers of dying fires crackling in the fireplace, warming the home against the winter chill. None seemed to have been roused but the sound of the scuffle outside. The full moon shone down upon the village, illuminating the quiet little town from its position high in the starless sky. It had watched as the four ponies had slowly cut across the half-frozen lake, trying to be as silent as possible. It had sensed fear in their movements—fear of being discovered—but it also had sensed hope. It had watched as the ponies clad in gold had surrounded the first four, trapping them along the shore of the lake. The fear that the trapped ponies had for the large white pony was not lost upon the moon, and it felt sorrow for them. It had watched as the smaller unicorn mare had run, trying to escape her fate. She had been strong-willed, her spirit full of motherly love and kindness. It had even watched as the chase came to a sudden end, the mare beaten and broken, lead in chains back to the waiting caravan. But something was wrong, the moon was sure of it. The burden the mare had been carrying—protecting, even—was not with her when she had been captured. It had vanished. The moon searched the snow-covered ground far below it. After several minutes, the moon cheered silently to itself. It had found the small bundle of cloth, embedded in a deep snowdrift. However, the golden-clad ponies apparently could not see it. They were leaving, leaving the bundle all alone and lost within its snowy bed. This would not do, thought the moon as its light grew steadily brighter. This would simply not do at all… ~ ~ ~ ~ > > < < ~ ~ ~ ~ Warm Care groaned. He groaned for several reasons. He groaned because of his old age, his stiff joints, his arthritis, the lumpy mattress beneath him. All of those were reasons to cause him to groan, but they were not the main reasons for his groaning now. No, the main reason he groaned was that the moonlight streaming through his window had awoken him in the wee hours of the morning. “Blasted moon,” he grumbled, though a small smile touched his lips. “You couldn’t even let me sleep tonight, could you? You just had to wake me so that I could witness your beauty.” Pushing his old withered body from the bed, the dark gray earth pony winced as his hooves touched the cold floor. The fire in the fireplace, located on the far side of his room, had long since been reduced to embers, and the winter chill was slowly sneaking in. Slowly, he made his way out of his bedroom, making sure to close the door quietly behind him. Walking down the hall, he carefully descended the old, rickety steps at the far end. Walking past several closed doors, Warm Care soon entered the main entrance hall for the building. Slipping through a side door, the old stallion entered the kitchen. After a few minutes, he reemerged, a steaming mug of hot chocolate accompanying him on his journey. Reentering the main hall, Warm Care made his way towards the front door. Sliding the rusted bolt back, the old pony swung the creaky door slowly open. A blast of cold air immediately blew inside, causing Warm Care to shiver. Ignoring the cold, the old earth pony stepped out into the night air, breathing deeply. “Never in my long life has this sight ever grown old,” he sighed as he gazed happily up at the moon. It glowed brightly against the pure black backdrop of the night sky, the dark mare imprinted upon its surface looking down upon him. Sipping from his steaming mug, Warm Care stood in the road, enjoying the view the moon provided, despite the cold. This was one of his few guilty pleasures. Whenever he couldn’t sleep—or was woken before the sun had risen—he would always make himself something warm to drink and stand outside, basking in the light of the moon. After a few minutes, having finished his hot beverage, Warm Care turned to head back inside. As he did so, the wind died down to barely a breeze, an eerie calm falling across the village. Warm Care paused, his old, fur-filled ears perking up as a faint sound suddenly made its presence known. It was soft, barely noticeable, but Warm Care was able to hear it nonetheless. The wailing cry of a foal was being carried upon the wind. “Now, who could be out at this time of night,” Warm Care asked. “Besides me, of course,” he added with a soft chuckle. Placing his empty mug upon the front step, Warm Care turned and made his way slowly out into the snow. Using his old ears as best he could, Warm Care tried to determine the directions the cries were coming from. “Hello?” he cried out into the night. “Is there anypony out there? Do you need help?” As the crying grew louder, Warm Care glanced around, searching for any signs of a pony out and about in the winter cold. There was nothing but snow, however, to his searching eye. Suddenly, the old stallion stumbled slightly. Glancing down, he saw the snow in front of him was trampled, packed down in some places and disturbed in others. Tracks in the snow led off into the distance, heading for the lake. It looked like a group of ponies had passed through recently. The wailing suddenly started up again, and Warm Care jumped at the noise. Glancing around, the old stallion’s brow creased in confusion as he saw the crying was coming from a nearby snowdrift. Carefully approaching the pile, Warm Care brushed a hoof through the snow, revealing a bundle of cloth. Gently picking up the squirming bundle, Warm Care peeled back a layer of cloth, revealing what the bundle held. His old heart immediately melted and he placed a hoof over his mouth, his ears splaying backwards. What kind of pony would abandon such a young, beautiful thing like this? he thought as he gazed down at the small foal in his grasp. The poor thing is practically frozen solid. Holding the freezing foal closer to his chest, Warm Care smiled softly as the young thing wiggled weakly, trying to get closer to this new source of warmth. The foal—a filly, by the looks of it—had a dark blue coat, nearly black in color. Locks of dark blue hair framed a small horn on top of her head. As Warm Care continued to hold her, the filly continued to wail weakly, her eyes shut tight in distress. “Shhh, it’s okay, little one,” the old earth pony cooed softly. “I’ve got you. Everything’s going to be fine.” At the sound of his voice, the filly stopped crying. Sniffling, she slowly opened her eyes. Warm Care jerked his head back, inhaling sharply at the sight of the filly’s eyes. Twin milky-blue orbs stared up at him, unseeing. The irises almost blended perfectly with the whites of the filly's eyes. It was painfully clear to Warm Care that the filly in his hooves was completely blind. Bile rose in the stallion’s throat as he gazed down at the filly. How could anypony abandon a foal like this, especially one that was blind? Did her parents just not want her? Was she just tossed aside, unloved, by parents that could not be bothered with a handicapped foal? Warm Care shook his head slowly, unconsciously holding the filly closer to his chest. It didn’t matter now. He had found her, and he was going to take care of her. Looking back down at the blind filly, Warm Care blinked in surprise as something else caught his eye. There, wrapped loosely around the filly’s neck, was a light blue collar. A closer look showed that black letters had been stitched into the fabric. A smile slowly spread across Warm Care’s muzzle as he read the words. “Hello, Selena,” he whispered to the filly. At the sound of her name, the filly cooed happily. This just caused Warm Care to chuckle. “Come on, let’s get your body warmed up and something tasty in your belly, little one.” Turning, Warm Care carefully made his way back down the road, shielding the filly from the cold. Walking up the steps to his home, Warm Care gingerly picked up his mug in his teeth. Pushing open the door, the stallion made to enter the old building, but paused for a moment. Glancing back over his shoulder, the old pony shot the glowing moon a quick look, laughing softly to himself. With that, he entered the building and closed the door behind him, blocking out the winter chill. The force of the closing door caused the sign above the door to swing slowly back and forth, disturbing the snow that rested upon it. As the white cover fell to the earth, the writing on the sign was revealed once more. ~PONYVILLE ORPHANAGE~ As the sign slowly stopped swinging, the village slowly returned to its undisturbed state, its inhabitants asleep in their warm beds. High above, the moon continued to glow softly, almost smiling down on the small town of Ponyville. Part I: The Foal and the MonsterPlacing the bundled-up filly carefully onto the bed, Warm Care shuffled over to the door of his bedroom and shut it with a soft click. Keeping the lights off, the old stallion then made his way over to the fireplace, quickly stoking the embers with a poker. Tossing a couple of logs onto the glowing coals, he soon had the fire crackling merrily again. Happy with the size of the flames, as well as the warmth now spreading through the room, Warm Care turned his attention to the small bundle now resting atop his bed. “Alright, little one,” he cooed softly to the filly encased within the bundle. “Let’s get you out of there.” Grasping the damp cloth—wet from the snow—in his hooves, the old stallion gently began to peel layer after layer off of the bundle, slowly revealing the dark foal underneath. He would then tossed the blankets over towards the hearth, where they laid in a pile in front of the fire. The filly, Selena if the decorative collar was anything to go by, was oddly quiet during the whole ordeal. As Warm Care unwrapped her like a present, she just stared up at the ceiling, her blank eyes seeing nothing. Every so often, her ear would twitch. After nearly half a minute, Warm Care had reached the final layer of cloth. Peeling it off of the filly, the old stallion then tossed the damp fabric over with the others, now drying in front of the fire. Turning to look back at the exposed filly, Warm Care froze, his eyes widening in shock at what he saw. He rubbed his eyes carefully, trying to make sure that the old orbs weren’t failing him. Upon double-checking, he found that his eyes were truthful. There, upon the dark fur of the filly’s tiny flank, was a cutie mark. Warm Care stared at the small filly, speechless. This was unheard of. By the size of the filly, the old stallion would wager that she was only a couple of weeks old. No foal that age could possibly have a cutie mark. Not only did they not have time to figure out what their special talent was, but the residual magic within their bodies hadn’t yet stabilized enough to allow a cutie mark to form. Yet, there it was, clear as day. Warm Care eyed the filly’s cutie mark, cocking his head to the side. Leaning in, he gripped the filly’s back leg gently in his hooves, moving the limb slightly to get a better look at the symbol upon her flank. If this sudden attention bothered the foal, she didn’t show it. The cutie mark was tiny—one of the smallest Warm Care had ever seen—but that was to be expected given the filly’s size. The cutie mark itself was like nothing the old stallion had seen before, even upon grown ponies. Across the filly’s flank an inky black splotch spread out, looking like somepony had spilled a bottle of ink upon the filly. In stark contrast against the blackness, a white crescent moon sat, emblazoned, in the middle of the dark blob of fur. It practically sparkling in the gloom. Warm Care leaned back, rubbing the side of his head with a hoof as he continued to stare at the filly. For the most part, the filly appeared content to just lie there, staring up at the ceiling and blinking occasional. Every so often, a shiver would run through her body, her fur still slightly damp from her time spent in the snow pile. Eventually, Warm Care’s mind came to a conclusion about what he was seeing. “It’s painted on,” he said to himself, laughing softly as he shook his head. “That must be it. Her parents, for whatever reason, painted a fake cutie mark on her before abandoning her in the snow.” How could he have ever be so silly as to believe that a newborn could possibly possess a cutie mark? That very notion was impossible, and Warm Care had to resist smacking his head with a hoof. “I’ll be back in a second, little one,” the old stallion said softly to the filly, heading towards the door of his bedroom. “We’ve got to get something to wash that paint off.” Leaving his bedroom door open a crack, Warm Care returned a few seconds later with a small basin of warm water and a washcloth. “Why anypony would go through the trouble of painting a cutie mark upon you before leaving you out in the cold, I’m not entirely sure,” he said as he placed the basin upon his nightstand. “But we’ll get it off of you here in a second.” The filly squirmed and whined in discomfort as Warm Care picked her up, but she soon grew still as the stallion dipped the washcloth into the basin and then pressed the wet fabric against her coat. She cooed happily as the warmth from the wet cloth slowly seeped into her body. A soft smile touched the old stallion lips as he rubbed the filly’s flank gently, attempting to wash the paint out of her fur. After a few minutes of scrubbing, however, all Warm Care managed to do was get the filly’s fur wet. The cutie mark was still there, and wasn’t the least bit faded. If anything, the moon now seemed to twinkle more as water beaded up upon it. Placing a hoof upon his muzzle, Warm Care scrunched up his face as he eyed the filly. As the ministrations from the warm washcloth stopped, she began to wiggle around on the bed, whimpering slightly in distress. Absentmindedly, Warm Care placed the washcloth over the filly’s chest. She immediately giggled before wrapping her forelegs around the wet fabric. Placing a corner into her mouth, she began to suckle it as one would their mother’s teat. As soft slurping noises filled the room, Warm Care rubbed his tired eyes with a hoof. Glancing at the clock on the mantle above the fireplace, the caretaker saw that it was nearing three in the morning. “I’m going to wager that I won’t be getting any sleep,” he said, turning back to stare at the filly. As though sensing his eyes upon her, the young filly smiled around the washcloth in her mouth, continuing her sucking. “Don’t look so smug,” Warm Care said teasingly as he reached out and gently poked the filly in the side. “It’s because of you I’m not going to be able to sleep.” The filly wiggled around happily, giggling slightly at the old stallion’s touch. Laughing softly at the filly, Warm Care’s smile slowly turned into a troubled frowned as his eyes drifted once more to the filly’s supposed cutie mark. “First thing in the morning, we’re going to the hospital to get that looked at,” he muttered as he fought off a yawn. “And to make sure you’re healthy.” A low gurgle filled the air and, as one, bother Warm Care and the filly looked down at her stomach. The old stallion chuckled again as the filly cocked her head to the side, the confusion clear on her face. “But first, let’s see if we can find you some milk.” ~ ~ ~ ~ > > < < ~ ~ ~ ~ Lowering her ophthalmoscope, Nurse Blue Cross frowned slightly as she looked down at the small unicorn filly in front of her. The foal was lying prone upon the paper-covered table, staring blankly up at the ceiling with a tired look on her face. As the nurse watched, the filly suddenly yawned, squeaking slightly as her pink tongue poked out of her mouth in a cute manner. Repressing the urge to coo at the sight, Blue Cross leaned back in her chair, placing the device in her hoof onto a small instrument tray located beside the examination table. Sighing, she closed her eyes briefly before opening them again and turning her attention to the other pony in the room. Seated uncomfortably in the small chair in the corner of the room, Warm Care was quite content to simply let the nurse work in silence. As the nurse examined the filly he had brought in, the old stallion fought to keep his tired eyes open. True to his prediction, Warm Care hadn’t gotten any more sleep the previous night. As soon as the sun had risen he had asked his assistant, Merriweather, to look after the other foals while he took Selena to the hospital. Luckily, Ponyville General was practically deserted due to the early hour, and a nurse was immediately available to assist. Suddenly finding himself under Blue Cross’s gaze, Warm Care sat up a bit straighter, his ears perking up as he shook the sleep from his mind. “And you said you found her in a snowbank in the middle of the night?” the nurse asked as she rubbed her muzzle absentmindedly. Pulling a pen out of her mane, she quickly jotted a few notes down onto a nearby clipboard. “That is correct,” Warm Care replied calmly, nodding his head. Blue Cross’s ear twitched in response, and her frowned deepened. “And there was nopony else nearby?” she continued, still rubbing her muzzle with her free hoof. “Where there any signs that somepony had been out and about?” “There was a patch of snow near where I found her that looked like it had been disturbed,” Warm Care said slowly. “But it looked old. Possibly two hours or more, if I had to guess.” Blue Cross’s eyes widened, and her hoof dropped from her muzzle in shock. “You’re telling me this filly was out in the snow for two hours by herself?” she asked, nearly shouting in her outrage. Warm Care jumped slightly, his ears splaying back at the noise. The filly on the table flinched as well, scrunching up her face in discomfort. “I-I believe so, yes,” Warm Care stuttered, unsure of what the mare was getting at. “It’s a wonder she didn’t get hypothermia!” Blue Cross cried, looking over at the filly with an incredulous look on her face. “She can’t be more than two weeks old. Any foal that old can’t survive long out in the cold without something keeping them warm!” “There were a bunch of blankets wrapped around her,” Warm Care began before frowning. “Although, they were pretty damp when I took them off.” “The fact that the blankets were damp even adds to the impossibility of the situation,” Blue Cross said, running a hoof through her blue mane. “It’s a miracle she’s even alive.” Turning, Blue Cross stared at the dark-coated filly, lost in thought. The filly, Selena, was starting to squirm, not enjoying the feel of the hard, steel table beneath her. She whined slightly, trying to roll over onto her side. Reaching out a hoof, Blue Cross halted the filly’s movement. As the nurse lifted the filly gently into the air, Warm Care spoke up, “Well, that was the main reason I brought her here this morning. To make sure that there wasn’t any lasting damage done by the cold.” “Well, I can tell you right now that if you hadn’t informed me that she had been left out in the snow, I wouldn’t have known,” Blue Cross admitted, bouncing the filly gently in her hooves to keep her from crying. It was apparently working, because as she bounced up and down, the foal’s foggy eyes slowly closed as she began to nod off. “Besides being slightly underweight, there is nothing wrong with her as far as I could find,” Blue Cross continued. “She’s a perfectly healthy filly, even if she is rather small. Her horn is firm and developed correctly, her bones are in perfect condition, and judging by the way she was sucking on her blanket when you arrived, I’d say she’s more than willing to nurse. “That being said,” Blue Cross said as she placed the now-sleeping foal back onto the table. “There is one thing that I cannot figure out, and that is her blindness. By my reckoning, her eyes should be working perfectly. I could find nothing during my examination that might shed light on why she is blind. Short of using invasive magical scans, I have no explanation as to why she can’t see.” “Couldn’t it be genetics?” Warm Care asked, cocking his head to the side. Blue Cross grimaced, biting her lip before sighing. “It could be, but I wouldn’t bet on it. Natural blindness is rare in newborn foals. Even then, there is usually an underlying reason, like a detached retina or moon blindness, and even the latter is pushing it. However, there is nothing wrong with her eyes. If it weren’t for the fact that they are cloudy and her pupils don’t respond to light, I’d say she should have perfect vision.” “Is there anything you can do for her?” Warm Care asked, giving the sleeping filly a sad look. “Such a young thing shouldn’t go through life with a handicap like that.” “Short of ripping her eyes out and giving her new ones, no,” Blue Cross said dryly. “She’ll be blind for the rest of her life.” “I see.” A thick tension fell over the room as both ponies fell silent, each left to their own thoughts. Warm Care was thinking about what he was going to do after he got the filly home. Selena, he chided himself. Her name is Selena. Warm Care knew that he would be more than happy to look after the lost filly, but there was a thought—a secret hope—that kept nagging at the back of his mind. What if the whole ordeal was simply a major accident, and her parents were out there right now, searching desperately for their foal? Could he really just decided to take her in when there was still a chance that she might be able to be reunited with her family? Nodding his head slightly, Warm Care decided that after they finished with their appointment here at the hospital, he would head over to town hall and file a missing foal report with the mayor. If her parents were indeed looking for her, he would do his part and help them find her. If they weren’t… well, he was already looking after a dozen foals of various ages. Another one couldn’t hurt. “There was actually something that I was curious about,” Blue Cross said suddenly, breaking Warm Care’s train of thought. Leaning forward with a small frown on her face, the nurse gently grabbed a hold of the filly’s hind leg, twisting it slightly. As she twisted the limb, the filly rolled slowly onto her side, revealing her cutie mark-clad haunch. “Why did you paint a cutie mark on her flank?” Blue Cross asked, motioning to the mark. She gave Warm Care a blank stare, one of her eyebrows raising slightly. “That was another thing I was going to bring up, actually,” the old stallion said, closing his eyes and rubbing them with a hoof. “That cutie mark was there when I found her, and it isn’t painted on. It’s legitimate.” Blue Cross snorted, shaking her head in amusement. “That’s impossible,” she huffed. “Foals can’t get cutie marks until they’re around four years old.” “I didn’t believe it either when I first saw it, but it’s true.” Warm Care said, leaning back in his small chair. “You can check if you’d like.” Blue Cross slowly turned back to the filly, rubbing her muzzle slowly, lost in thought. “If what you say is true,” she said eventually, her voice soft. “Then I might know why you found her out in the snow in the first place.” Warm Care sat up quickly, his tiredness instantly forgotten as he gave the nurse his full attention. “There’s an old superstition that dates back to the time of Discord that might explain it,” Blue Cross began. “Back then, due to Discord’s tricks, it was important for parents, or other family members, to see a foal get their cutie mark. If the cutie mark suddenly appeared without anypony besides the foal witnessing it, it was thought that the foal had made a deal with Discord in order to gain their cutie mark early.” “What does that have to do with her?” Warm Care asked, motioning towards Selena, who was still asleep, thank the goddess. “While the superstition is old, the idea behind it still remains,” Blue Cross explained, wincing slightly. “Even now we still hold cute-ceañera as proof that the filly or colt got their cutie mark legitimately.” “I thought we held them in order to congratulate the foal on getting their mark,” Warm Care said with a frown. “That might be true nowadays,” Blue Cross said with a nod. “But way back when cute-ceañera were held so that the parents could show the community that their foal’s cutie mark had been earned, not given. If a foal hadn’t had a cute-ceañera, but had a cutie mark, they were more often than not exiled from the village, along with their parents.” “That’s barbaric!” Warm Care cried indignantly. “That’s the way things were back then,” Blue Cross said with a shrug. “And if what you say is true, and her cutie mark is legit, then we’re probably looking at a modern day version of that. This is only speculation, of course, but I would wager that when her parents saw she had a cutie mark at such a young age, they immediately assumed—wrongly, mind you—that dark magic was involved. What we have here is the result of their decision.” Warm Care looked at the filly the nurse was motioning to, a look of horror on his face. “What pony in their right mind would abandon their foal just because they had a cutie mark?” Blue Cross just shrugged, puffing out her cheeks slightly. “I don’t know,” she said with a heavy sigh. “I’m just thankful you came along when you did. If you hadn’t woken up and decided to go for a moonlit stroll, she would have been dead come morning.” Warm Care opened his mouth to agree, but was interrupted by a loud, shrill whine. The filly had awoken during their talk and was now crying, her tiny face scrunched up in discomfort. During a lull in the cries, a low gurgle came from the filly’s stomach. “Aw, it looks like somepony is hungry,” Blue Cross cooed as she picked up the squirming foal. Standing up, the nurse trotted quickly to the door and opened it. Poking her head out, she called down the hall, “Redheart, could you come here a moment?” A few seconds later a young mare appeared at the door, her pink mane done up in a bun. She had a bounce in her step and an eager look in her sparkling blue eyes. “Please take this filly down to the maternity ward and give her to the wet nurse on duty for a feeding. After that, please find my sister and tell her to gather up a New Parent Package and bring it back here,” Blue Cross instructed the intern, carefully handing Redheart the crying filly. “Take filly to wet nurse then find Blue Shield,” Redheart repeated with a nod. “Got it.” Turning, the pink-maned mare hurried off down the hall, talking quietly to the filly in her grip. As Warm Care watched them go, he felt a sudden hollowness fall over his chest. Rubbing his breast with a hoof, the old stallion turned slowly back to look at Blue Cross. The nurse was giving him a curious look, tapping her chin with a hoof as she hummed softly. “I take it you’re going to be looking after the foal?” she asked. “I was going to take her to town hall and have some missing foal posters made. If nopony answers, then I was thinking of taking her in, yes.” “Well,” Blue Cross said with a chuckle, “you’re probably the best pony to take care of an abandoned filly. We’ll give you some supplies for taking care of her, some formula, and some other things.” “Anything I need to know about taking care of her?” Warm Care asked, still rubbing his chest with a hoof, the hollow feeling still present. “Have you ever taken care of newborns before?” “Yes,” Warm Care nodded. “I’ve had to take care young foals in the past.” “It should be the same thing for her,” Blue Cross said, picking up her clipboard and quickly scratching down some notes. “However, there will be some differences due to her blindness. Her hearing will be better than that of an average foal’s. Instead of calming down at the sight of you, you’ll probably find that she will calm down at the sound of your voice. Her sense of smell will probably be increased as well, meaning you’ll have to be careful around her. Scents that are strong or overpowering will probably make her sick. “Also, she probably won’t be as explorative as other foals. Without her sight, she won’t be as curious, but that’s not to say that she won’t wander around at all.” “I’m guessing that if she does wander, I should watch her closely?” Warm Care asked with a chuckle. Blue Cross nodded, tearing off a page from the clipboard and handing it to the old stallion. “Yes. While foals can get into trouble easily, it will be more so with her. She can’t see stairs, walls, furniture, or anything else that might hurt her. You’ll have to make sure that she remains safe.” “Well, that shouldn’t be too hard—” The door to the room opened suddenly, causing Warm Care and Blue Cross to looked over at it in confusion. A frazzled looking mare with a powder blue coat stuck her head in and looked around, her mint green mane starting to fray slightly. “Tenderheart, what’s the matter?” Blue Cross asked, alarmed at her fellow nurse’s appearance. “Blue Cross, you’ve got to come quickly,” the other nurse said, her voice shrill. “Something’s happening in the maternity ward, and we don’t know what to do!” Blue Cross was instantly on her hooves and out the door, Warm Care close behind her. As the trio rushed down the hall, Warm Care became aware of a series of loud, shrill cries filling the air. The noise grew louder as they neared the maternity ward. Turning a corner, the trio slowed to a trot in confusion. It seemed like all of the foals within the ward were crying, their combined wails echoing around the rooms to create an almost deafening din. Redheart was standing in front of the hospital’s nursery, her ears pressed tight against her head in discomfort, Selena still in her grasp. Running up to the intern, Blue Cross scrunched up her face in pain as she shouted to be heard above the screams, “What the buck did you do?!” “I-I don’t know!” Redheart cried. “I was just walking by when they started freaking out!” “Why would they start doing that?” Warm Care shouted, placing his hooves over his ears. “I don’t know,” Redheart confessed loudly. “But that’s not the weirdest part!” “There’s something weirder than this?” Blue Cross yelled, giving the mare an incredulous look. Without answering, Redheart simply held up the dark-coated filly in her hooves. Warm Care blinked, his confusion growing at what he saw. Despite the chaos around her, Selena was now perfectly calm. She blinked her foggy eyes slowly, her tail flicking back and forth lazily. “What the—” Blue Cross said, her eyes widening in shock. As the two ponies stared at the filly in the intern’s hooves, she just stared off into space, her eyes unseeing. Her ears twitched as the other foals continued to cry. Sighing heavily, Blue Cross dragged a hoof down her face. “Mr. Care,” she said, her voice strained. “Please take the filly while we handle this situation.” Silently, Warm Care took Selena from Redheart, the filly instantly snuggling down into his hooves with a happy coo. As the nurses moved to start calming the upset foals, the old stallion looked down at the unicorn in his hooves. “Why do I feel like my life is about to get a lot stranger with you around?” he asked the filly humorously. The filly said nothing, only sneezing cutely in response. ~ ~ ~ ~ > > < < ~ ~ ~ ~ Pulling weakly at the chains that bound her legs, the sky blue unicorn winced as the metal cuffs dug deeper into her already chafed ankles. As the metal bit into her skin, the dried blood that caked her ankles cracked, allowing fresh blood to begin to flow. The unicorn whimpered as the crimson liquid dripped from her hoof onto the ground. Another tug on the chain sent a sudden spike of pain rushing up the mare’s leg, causing her to gasp, tears forming in her eyes. Gritting her teeth, the unicorn hiss angrily as she glowered at the chain with watery eyes. She continued to glare at the chain for several minutes, her frustration growing with each passing second as one thought continued to repeat itself over and over again within her mind. Selena… Her eyes flashed and in one quick swoop, the mare leaned down and, in a fit of rage, grabbed the chain in her teeth. Biting down hard upon the dirty metal, she whipped her head back quickly, trying to break the links. A loud crack rang out, echoing around the cell as the mare dropped the chain, her eyes going wide. Throwing her head back, the mare howled in pain, her cries muffled as she placed a hoof over her mouth. When she finally removed her shaking hoof from her muzzle, it came away bloodied. She could feel even more blood flowing from between her lips, dribbling down her chin. The chain hadn’t broken… ...her tooth, however, had. . Spitting blood and saliva from her mouth, the broken mare slumped weakly against the stone wall, wincing as her injured hoof scraped against the floor. Leaning her head against the cold stone, the unicorn cried quietly to herself. “Selena…” she whimpered, tears rolling down her dirty cheeks. She tried to wipe her face with her hoof, but only managed to smear blood across her muzzle, the tears continuing to come. Fresh pain welled up inside of her at the thought of her daughter, now probably lying dead in the snow somewhere. The very notion that the filly she had sung to sleep only forty hours ago was now a frozen corpse caused her heart to crack. “Now the hour has come at last,” she sobbed, her sides shaking in grief. “The soft and fading light, has crossed the west horizon, and has bidden us goodnight.” Drawing breath to continue singing, the mare jumped as a loud, metallic crash echoed down the corridor, reverberating around her cell. The sound of hooves upon stone followed as somepony moved through the dungeons, heading for her cell. As the hoofsteps drew closer, the mare shrank back, huddling in the corner of her cell. Her heart pounded in her chest, echoing the hoofsteps with every beat. As the large figure appeared outside of her cell, the mare’s breath caught in her throat. Eyes widening, she whimpered in fear as she gazed up at the imposing figure before her, “Archduke Black Spark.” The Archduke didn’t say anything, he just stood there, staring into the cell, his blue eyes glowing softly in the gloom. “W-what do you want from me?” the mare asked, wilting under the stallion’s stare. Again, the Archduke didn’t say anything. His eyes narrowed, and his lip slowly pulled back in a sneer. “I have done nothing wrong!” the mare cried, her ears splaying backwards. “I am innocent! You have no right!” “I have every right,” the Archduke finally said, his voice low. “You ran, my guards pursued.” “I’m innocent,” the mare repeated, glaring up at the stallion from the floor of her cell. “If you’re innocent, why did you run?” Black Spark asked, raising an eyebrow. “Surely, if you were guiltless, you would not have felt the need to flee?” The mare snorted, her nostrils flaring in anger. Her previous fear was replaced with hatred for the stallion who had cost her her daughter. “You can’t keep me here,” the mare growled. “This is immoral.” “Oh, I think that you’ll find that I can,” Black Spark said, examining his manicured hoof with disinterest. “In fact, if I really wanted to, I could keep you here for as long as I wanted.” “Ponies will wonder where we are,” the mare sneered, her tail flicking against the wall. “My stallion, myself, the ferrymare, Crimson Rush. When we don’t return home, ponies will wonder. And when they find out what you’ve done, there will be no escaping justice.” At her words, Black Spark’s demeanor cracked, his blue eyes flashing. “I am justice,” he snarled, his voice low as he smashed his hoof against the bars of the cell with a loud crack. Leaning closer, he glared at the trapped mare with unfiltered hatred, his nostrils flared. “I am the law.” The mare shrank back, cowering against the wall at the sudden show of aggression. After several seconds, the Archduke closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Leaning back, he adjusted his chaperon hat, which had become askew in his sudden rage. He rubbed his muzzle, sighing heavily before opening his eyes again. Black Spark stared down at the mare, his blank expression back upon his face, before speaking again, “Besides, that doesn’t matter. Nopony knows you’re here.” “That’s what you think,” the mare chuckled, her voice cracking. “We sent a letter to Princess Celestia before we left. She’s expecting us. If we don’t show up, she’ll know something is up and send ponies to look for us!” She gave Black Spark a triumphant, blood-soaked grin, sure that she had just won. Her triumph slowly turned to confusion, however, as a small smile slowly spread across the Archduke’s muzzle. “A letter, you say?” he asked as his horn lit up, bathing the surrounding area in a red light. As a folded piece of paper appeared beside his head, the Archduke’s smile grew. “You mean this letter?” “...no,” the mare whispered, a look of horror crossing her face as she stared up at the paper. “I’ve got to say,” Black Spark said, unfolding the paper and glancing over it slowly. “When I first read your letter, I could hardly believe what I was reading. A newborn foal with a cutie mark? Unheard of. A newborn foal with a cutie mark of the moon? Unfathomable.” As the Archduke spoke, the mare staggered to her hooves, throwing herself at the bars. Halfway across the cell, the chains around her hooves grew taut, causing her to trip. She slammed into the bars, clinging to them to prevent herself from falling to the stone floor. “I racked my mind, trying to find a possible reason for this phenomenon,” Black Spark continued, ignoring the mare sudden movement, “After a while, I came to the conclusion that there was only one possible explanation for your foal having a cutie mark.” As he talked, the Archduke’s voice slowly grew colder and colder, till the very air around him seemed to freeze. Turning his head, Black Spark glared down at the mare, who stared back up at him through the bars of her cell, desperation in her gaze. Her veins chilled at the stallion’s next words. “Black magic.” The mare opened her mouth to say something, anything, to counter his accusation, but the Archduke silenced her with a snort. “Did you really think it would work?” he asked quietly, the tone of his voice dangerously calm. “Did you really think that you could use your gypsy magic to try and fool the crown? That if you arrived before the throne and showed the princess a newborn with a cutie mark, she would give you power, fame, and bits? Did you really think that she was that gullible?” “That wasn’t our plan—” “Don’t lie to me!” Black Spark snarled, closing the distance between their faces until only the bars separated them. The stallion’s breath flooded the mare’s nostrils, and she shrank back, gagging slightly at the overpowering smell of wine. “You gypsy vermin are all the same,” Black Spark sneered. “Always trying to cheat honest ponies out of their bits. Never willing to do any hard work, content to steal from those who are more successful than you. Always trying to worm your way through the cities, poisoning Equestria with your filth!” The Archduke paused, glaring into the mare’s eyes for several seconds, searching. She just clung to the bars, whimpering slightly as her eyes watered. She could feel the chain pulling on her injured hoof, causing pain to flare up her leg. She ignored it, however, and remained where she was. Eventually, Black Spark spoke. “Where’s the foal?” The mare didn’t answer, instead opting to slump further down the bars, her ears splaying backwards. She whimpered pitifully as tears began to flow down her stained face. The Archduke appeared unfazed by her sorrow. He just snorted, his nostrils flaring, before he repeated himself. “Where is the foal, you filthy gypsy?” “My name,” the mare said quietly, “is Theia.” Pushing herself off of the bars with a wince, she turned and limped farther into her cell, away from the door. Flicking her tail, she settled gently into the corner of her cell, her injured leg sticking out at an odd angle. “Your name doesn’t matter,” Black Spark growled, his eyes narrowing. “Where is the foal?” Theia said nothing. She silently adjusted her body into a more comfortable position. As she shifted, her back legs rubbed against her swollen teats, reminding her of what she had lost. Leaning her head against the stone wall, the mare cooed softly as her jaw touched the cold stone, the chill soothing her aching teeth. “Answer me,” Black Spark shouted, slamming his hoof against the bars. “You had the foal when we caught you at the river bank, but when the guards returned you, it was gone. Now, tell me where your thrice-damned foal is!” Sighing, Theia closed her eyes, tears slowly flowing from beneath her lids. “I lost her,” she muttered, her voice broken. As she said those words, she could feel her heart twinge. “I lost her in a snowbank shortly before your guards found me. If they didn’t find her, then… then…” “Then she’s probably dead,” Black Spark finished, his tone returning to normal. Straightening up, the stallion adjusted his cloak before glancing back down at the mare. “If that is indeed the case, then we are finished here.” As he turned to leave, Theia gasped. “Y-you can’t leave me here!” she cried, struggling to her hooves. Moving towards the bars again, she pressed her face against the cold steel, trying to see the Archduke. “I told you what you wanted! You have no reason to hold me any longer! I have done nothing wrong!” “Unlike your stallion, you shall not rot in your cell,” Black Spark called back over his shoulder to the mare as he continued walking. Theia sighed, relaxing slightly in relief, until the stallion spoke again. “You shall be executed in three days for your crimes against the crown. For your attempted deception, and use of black magic, you shall be sentence to hang from the neck until dead.” “This is not right! This is injustice!” Theia screamed, pressing her face further against the bars. “I have done nothing wrong! I have committed no crimes! You have nothing to convict me with! This is wrong!” The Archduke ignored the hysterical mare as he continued towards the entrance to the dungeons, his hoof clipping loudly against the stone floor. “You are a monster! There is no way you will get away with this! Somepony will stop you!” Reaching the door, the Archduke knocked three times before waiting for the guard on the other side to unlock the door. “You have my foal’s blood on your hooves!” Theia screamed, her cries echoing through the empty cells around her. “You have innocent blood upon your hooves!” As the dungeon door opened to allow him to exit, the Archduke paused, glancing back at the cell containing the distraught mare. He stayed like that for several seconds before turning and trotting through the door, calling back over his shoulder as he did so. “My conscience is clear.” The door slammed shut, leaving the mare to continue screaming long into the night until her voice finally gave out and she fell silent, her muffled sobs filling the dungeons beneath Canterlot. Part I: Lunar TidesWarm Care was roused from his dreamless sleep by the crying of a foal. He remained in his bed for a few more seconds before his tired mind finally registered what it was he was hearing. Groaning, the old stallion pulled himself from the warmth of his bed and staggered from the room, his old bones creaking loudly. Shuffling sleepily down the chilly hall towards the source of the cries, Warm Care glanced out of a passing frost-covered window. The sun was barely starting to peak above the horizon, casting the world in a deep orange hue. Stifling a yawn, the elderly stallion continued his slow journey down the hall, following the sound of crying. Reaching the door to the nursery, Warm Care pushed it open with a grunt. Rubbing the sleep from his eyes with a hoof, he entered and turned his attention to the only occupant of the room. “Selena, what’s the matter?” he muttered, running a hoof through his short mane as he approached the bed the filly was in. Leaning against the edge of the cradle, Warm Care glanced down at the distressed filly. At the sound of Warm Care’s voice, Selena’s cries grew louder, and she held out her hooves, begging to be picked up. Tears streamed down her cheeks as her sightless eyes darted back and forth. Her tail lashed against the bars of the crib in agitation, her ears pressed firmly against her head. Sighing heavily, Warm Care reached down and picked the sobbing filly up. She instantly latched onto his neck, burying her head into his shoulder as she continued to cry. “It’s okay,” Warm Care cooed, shushing the upset foal. “It’s okay.” Bouncing the filly gently in his hooves, the old stallion continued to murmur quietly, trying to ease the filly’s distress. “What’s the matter? You hungry?” he asked her as he trotted slowly over to a small fridge in the corner of the room. Cracking it open, Warm Care removed one of the bottles of milk provided to him by the hospital. However, when he tried to place the tip of the nipple in the filly’s mouth, she balked, turning her head away. “Come on,” Warm Care insisted gently, holding the bottle in front of Selena’s face. “Let’s get something into that stomach of yours.” Selena just turned her head again, refusing to suckle. Sighing, Warm Care placed the bottle back in the fridge before closing the door with a soft click. Unsure of what else to do, Warm Care slowly walked around the room, humming softly to the filly in his hooves as he rocked her. After a few minutes, the old caretaker's limbs were growing tired, and he was forced to return the still-crying filly to her bed. As he trotted towards the crib, the door to the nursery swung open and in walked two ponies: Merriweather, Warm Care’s assistant, and a little, pink pegasus filly. Both were rubbing their eyes, yawning as they blinked owlishly at Warm Care. “Whaz d’ matter?” Merriweather slurred, stretching her wings with an audible pop. Her long, orange mane was completely disheveled in a bad case of bedhead, her bangs hanging down low in front of her eyes. “I’m not sure,” Warm Care replied, pulling Selena off of his neck with some difficulty, before placing her back down in her bed. She squirmed around, tears still flowing down her face from her sightless eyes. She kicked her hind legs, pushing her blankets into a scrunched up pile at the bottom of her crib. Glancing at his assistant, Warm Care stifled another yawn before he spoke, “Merri, I hate to ask this of you so early in the morning, but can you do me a big favor?” “Watchya need?” she muttered, still half-asleep. “Fly down to the hospital and see if you can find Nurse Blue Cross and bring her back here. Hopefully she’s on staff at the moment.” “Why? Is something wrong?” Merriweather asked, her eyes widening in worry, all tiredness temporarily forgotten. Warm Care shook his head, frowning slightly. “I don’t believe so, but I’d rather err on the side of caution.” Nodding her head in understanding, Merriweather let out another long yawn. Turning, the light gray pegasus trotted out of the room, murmuring softly to herself as she closed the door behind her. The small pink filly stayed behind, however, and slowly approached the crib. Sitting down beside Warm Care, she placed her hooves over her ears in an attempt to shut out the sound of Selena’s cries. “What’s wrong with her?!” she asked loudly, looking up at Warm Care in confusion. “I don’t know,” the old caretaker said, rocking the cradle back and forth gently. “I’m fairly sure she got plenty of sleep last night, so I don’t think she’s crying because she’s tired.” Frowning, the filly spread her miniature wings and jumped up, grabbing at the edge of the crib. Scrabbling with her back hooves, she pulled herself up with a grunt, and glanced down at the dark-coated foal within. “Maybe she’s hungry,” she said, her face scrunched up in thought. “I’m afraid not, Honey Ray,” Warm Care said, shaking his head slowly. “I tried to feed her before you and Merriweather showed up, but she refused to eat. Besides, she had a full two bottles of milk last night before bed, so I think she’s fine for a while. No, there's something else bothering her.” A small smile touched the old caretaker’s lips as he watched the pink pegasus stare down at Selena, clearly lost in thought. She sucked on her bottom lip, her ear twitching occasionally as her young mind tried to figure the problem out. “Maybe her tummy hurts?” Honey Ray said, cocking her head to the side. “While that is a possibility, she hasn't shown any real signs of having an upset stomach,” Warm Care said, glancing down at the still crying foal as he chewed on the inside of his cheek. “I burped her successfully last night after her feeding, and she hasn't spit up anything. So once again, probably not the issue.” “Full diaper?” Honey Ray asked, glancing up at Warm Care, her ears splaying backwards again. “Doesn't appear to be the case,” the elderly stallion chuckled, motioning to Selena’s dry—and clearly empty—diaper. Honey Ray fell silent, turning to stare once more at the crying foal in the cradle. Selena continued to wail, squirming around in distress. After a few minutes, Honey Ray lowered her head and sighed. “I got nuthin’,” she grunted, releasing her grip on the edge of the crib and falling to the floor. Her tiny wings spread, slowing her descent. Warm Care couldn't help but laugh at the defeated look on the young filly’s face. “Thank you for trying, Honey Ray,” he said, patting the pegasus on the head. “I appreciate your concern, but we’ll just have to wait until Nurse Blue Cross gets here. Hopefully she’ll know what’s wrong.” The pegasus nodded before sitting down beside Warm Care. As she got comfortable, she placed her hooves back over her ears. Warm Care had just settled down beside her when the door to the nursery swung open again, allowing a light-red unicorn filly to enter. Her black mane and tail were a tangled mess, strands sticking out at odd angles with knots mixed in. Warm Care winced as he thought about the amount of stress the filly was going to have when she tried to comb it later. “What’s No-Eyes crying about this time?” she grumbled, angrily rubbing the sleep from her eyes with a hoof. “It’s too early to deal with this.” Warm Care frowned at the filly’s words, giving her a disappointed look. She was one of the orphanage’s older residents, and knew about his ‘no bullying’ rule. That didn't seem to stop her from calling Selena names whenever she saw her. “I really wish you wouldn't call her that, Rose,” the old caretaker said, shaking his head. “Why not? It’s not like she can understand me,” the filly, Rose, said as she moved to stand next to crib. She stared down at the crying fill, a sour look on her face. “That doesn't mean you get to call her names,” Warm Care scolded. "Yes, she's blind, but that doesn't give you the right to insult her. Please refrain from doing so in the future." “Whatever,” Rose yawned, placing a hoof over her mouth. “Rose,” Warm Care said, a hint of warning in his voice. The unicorn flinched, hanging her head. Just like his name suggested, Warm Care was an exceptionally caring pony. There wasn't much that would get his temper up. Bullying just so happened to be one of those things and most foals learned quickly that you did not bully other ponies while in Warm Care's presence. Keyword: presence. “Sorry, Warmy,” Rose muttered, her tail flicking slightly. “I just haven’t been sleeping very well these past few nights.” Warm Care’s gaze turned sympathetic as he watched the filly yawn again. “Nightmares?” he asked softly, his words barely heard over the sounds of Selena’s cries. Wordlessly, Rose nodded her head, staring at the floor. “Unfortunately, you aren't the only one,” Warm Care said, staring off into the distance with a small frown on his face. “It seems like half the orphanage has been suffering from them recently.” Beside him, Honey Ray nodded her head, her hooves still over her ears. “Well, I wished they'd stop,” Rose grumbled. "I'm barely getting any sleep at night as it is with this one crying all the time." She glanced back at Selena, giving the filly an annoyed look. “Try to not let them bother you too much,” Warm Care said with a soft smile. “They’re just nightmares, after all. They can’t hurt you.” “Easier said than done,” Rose muttered under her breath, stifling another yawn. "You aren't the one watching your parents fall into the river again and again." Rose's face suddenly fell, her ears drooping. “Tell you what,” Warm Care said quickly, trying to change the subject. “How about you head down to the kitchen and get breakfast ready for everypony, okay? You can even get the doughnuts off of the top shelf.” Rose’s eye lit up, and she nodded her head eagerly before rushing from the room, leaving the door open behind her. Off in the distance, Warm Care could just make out low groans as the other residents of the orphanage slowly began to stir, awaken by Selena’s cries. Chuckling softly, he turned to the small filly sitting beside him. “Honey Ray, would you be a dear and close the door?” Silently, the filly nodded and—removing her makeshift earplugs—got to her hooves. Trotting towards the door, she proceeded to attempt to close it, but was stopped by a hoof wedging itself between the door and its frame. Yelping in surprise, Honey Ray jumped back as the door swung open again. A confused Nurse Blue Cross stood in the doorway, blinking down at the startled filly in front of her. She had her signature nurse cap on atop her tied-back mane. A pair of white saddlebags sat across her back, a red cross emblazoned upon the sides. She was slightly out of breath, indicating that she had hurried over from the hospital. “O-oh, I'm sorry!” Honey Ray squeaked, shying back. “I d-didn't mean to do that. I-I was just trying to—” “It's quite alright,” Blue Cross reassured, cutting Honey Ray's panic short. Looking down at her hoof, she chuckled softly. “I just wasn't expecting to have to fight to get to my patient.” Honey Ray's ears splayed backwards and a small blush appeared on her cheeks. She shuffled her hooves, refusing to look up. “Don't worry, hun,” Blue Cross laughed, ruffling the filly's mane as she walked into the room. “No harm done.” Turning her attention to Warm Care, the nurse adopted a more professional air. “Ms. Merriweather said you were having issues with Selena. What appears to be the problem?” “I'm not sure,” Warm Care said, groaning slightly as he got to his hooves, his stiff limbs creaking. “She started crying earlier this morning, and we haven't been able to get her to stop. I tried feeding her, but she refused to eat.” “You realize when I said the hospital was willing to help you out, I didn't mean like this,” Blue Cross said, giving the old stallion a deadpan look. “I thought you said you had past experience with foals. Just because she wakes you in the early hours of the morning, doesn't mean somethings wrong. It's typical of a foal her age to wake you up several times during the night.” “I know that,” Warm Care said, returning the nurse's stare, “and I do have past experience caring for infants. I know very well that getting a good night sleep is a godsend. I can assure you that this is different. Normally I wouldn't have called on you for something like this, but see as she's been at it for—“ Warm Care paused to glance at a nearby clock “—nearly an hour now, and we can't figure out what's wrong, I thought it would be best to contact the hospital.” Nurse Blue Cross blinked, her brow furrowing. “She's been crying non-stop for an hour?” she asked, glancing down at the sobbing filly in the crib. “Has she had anything to drink in that time frame?” “No,” replied Warm Care, shaking his head. “I've tried to, but she has refused to eat anything at all.” “That's not good,” Blue Cross tsked, leaning over the crib to get a better look at the distressed foal. “If she isn't already, she could be bordering on dehydration.” Reaching back into her saddlebags, she pulled out a pair of black-rimmed glasses. Perching them on the tip of her muzzle, Blue Cross reached down and gently grabbed the side of Selena's head with a hoof. The minute the she felt the older mare's touch, Selena's cries grew louder and she latched onto the hoof, nuzzling her head against it fervently. Blue Cross's brow creased further at the action, and she hummed thoughtfully as she tilted Selena's head from side to side, studying it. “No fever, no signs of injury,” she said, sucking on the inside of her cheek. She tugged her hoof gently, trying to get Selena to let go, but the young filly just tightened her grip, hanging on desperately. “Shows an increased desire for physical contact, yet doesn't relax when it's given.” Leaning back, Blue Cross continued to stare into the crib for several more seconds before turning to look at Warm Care. “Has she had any trouble keeping food down?” “Nope,” Warm Care replied with a small chuckle. “If anything, she an avid eater. Easily empties the bottle with no trouble.” “A healthy appetite is a good sign. Any blood in her stool, or trouble going to the bathroom at all? Excessive urination?” Blue Cross asked, gently rubbing the side of Selena's head with her hoof. “No, everything appears to be normal.” Allowing Selena to keep a hold of her hoof, Blue Cross reached up and removed her glasses. Chewing on one of the earpieces, the nurse sighed heavily as she stared off into the distance, a contemplative look on her face. After a few minutes, Warm Care spoke up. “Do you have any idea what's wrong?” he asked, worry etched into his wizened face. Slowly, Blue Cross shook her head, frowning. “No," she admitted finally. "I normally would suggest night terrors, but the fact that she hasn't calmed down yet is strange, especially if you've been here with her.” She glanced back down at Selena, who was still rubbing her head against Blue Cross's hoof, causing her fetlocks to become damp with tears. “Short of taking her back to the hospital and running some scans, I can't give you a definitive answer based off what I'm—" Suddenly, with a loud yelp, Blue Cross yanked her hoof from Selena's grasp and jumped away from the cradle as though it was on fire. Shaking her hoof—which was smoking slightly—in front of her, the nurse gazed back at the crib with a mixture of alarm and worry. "...what the buck?" she breathed, nursing her singed hoof. “Are you alright?” Warm Care asked, moving to help the shocked nurse. However, the concern on his face was replaced with confusion when he caught sight of what was happening in the confines of crib. Blue sparks were crackling up and down Selena's horn, jumping off of the appendage like a sparkler. Magic flashed around the tip of her horn, the light blue cloud forming and dispersing in rapid succession. Her dull, faded eyes were beginning to glow with a faint white light. The moon on her flank seemed to spark was well, the glow around it brightening and dimming quickly. Steam seemed to waft from her limbs as her crying increased in volume. “What's going on?” Warm Care asked, having to shout to be heard over the wailing. “I don't know,” Blue Cross yelled, scrunching up her face at the noise, “but we've got to—“ Whatever she was going to suggest was lost as Selena let out one last massive scream before her eyes flashed pure white. The sparking around her horn ceased for a split-second before a massive eruption of magic flared forth, spreading out for the tip in a wave of pure energy. The force of the blast shook the walls and ceiling, rattling the windows and causing picture frames to fall from their pegs. As the wave of magic passed through Warm Care's body, he felt an immediate, jarring pain in his neck and chest, almost as if something was constricting his airway. For a second he choked, unable to breath, but as soon as it had come, the pressure ceased, leaving Warm Care gasping for breath. A quick glance over at Blue Cross showed that she had experienced something similar. Her hoof was pressed against her chest, her eyes wide in fright. Her nurse's cap had slipped from her head and had fallen to the floor. A sudden pressure against his hind legs caused Warm Care to flinch. Glancing down, he saw Honey Ray had taken shelter beneath him, her head buried in her hooves. She was trembling horribly, her little wings clamped tightly against her sides in a shielding manner. Glancing back up, Warm Care licked his lips as he eyed the smoking crib in front of him. Selena lay in the middle of the blackened blankets, blinking dazedly up at the ceiling. Small sparks continued to leap from her horn, but with less intensity than before. Tears still streamed down her face, but her wails had ceased. Silence fell over the room, both adults staring at the smoking foal in wonder. The faint sound of startled ponies could be heard coming from the other side of the orphanage, along with clatter of plates and pounding of hooves. After several seconds, Warm Care slowly released the breath he didn't even know he was holding. “...what was that?” he asked tentatively, glancing over at Blue Cross. The shocked nurse just slowly shook her head, her mouth agape. “I don't know,” she said, her voice faint, a slight tremor to it. “It looked like a magical surge, but... it was all wrong. The buildup of magic didn't stay within the body, it dispersed quickly through the horn. Plus, there was no attempt at using magic beforehoof, it just happened suddenly and without warning. That's not even counting the fact that a foal of her age shouldn't even have that much magic to begin with.” “Well, whatever happened, it seems to have calm her down,” Warm Care observed, walking forward guardedly, lest whatever had happened happened again. As he moved, Honey Ray scrambled quickly, trying to stay beneath the old stallion. The old caretaker eyed Selena, his gaze full of concern and curiosity. The dark-coated unicorn just laid there, hiccupping occasionally as tears slowly continued to roll down her face. Her bottom lips trembled and she whimpered softly as her sightless eyes stared up at the ceiling. “Well,” Blue Cross said, laughing shakily as she bent down to pick up her glasses and nurse's cap. “That's one heck of a way to wake up in the morning. Plus, it gave us some insight into why she was possibly abandoned. If this type of thing happens on a regular basis for her, it probably added to the reasons her parents left her in the snow." Warm Care shot the chuckling nurse an affronted look. “We don't know for sure that her parents abandoned her yet,” he huffed, reaching a hoof into the crib. As he gently rubbed Selena's cheek, she leaned into his hoof, wrapping her forelegs around it like one would a teddy bear. Warm Care noted dimly that despite the smoking, burnt blankets around her, Selena's body was surprising cold. Reaching down to the small rack beneath the crib, the elderly stallion pulled out a spare blanket and draped it over the filly. “Has anypony answered the missing foal reports?” Blue Cross asked, raising an eyebrow. Warm Care's ears splayed backwards. “No, but—“ “Then I'm pretty sure that nopony will,” the nurse sighed, placing her cap back on her head. Folding her glasses, she slipped them back into her saddlebags. “Just let it go, Care. Focus instead on caring for her. She needs love and comfort, and if anypony can give it to her, it's you.” Adjusting the straps to her bags, Blue Cross cast one last look at Selena before turning and trotting towards the door. “Wait,” Warm Care called after her, causing the mare to pause. “What do I do about this?” He asked, motioning towards Selena with a free hoof. “Well, as you said, whatever it was seems to have stopped and she seems to have calmed down. I would suggest trying to get her to feed again in order to replace the fluids lost through her crying. Try to get her rehydrated again, but don't overdo it.” “What about that whole magical-explosion thingy?” Warm Care asked, an eyebrow raised. "We're just going to ignore that?" “As I said before, I have no idea what that was, but it seems to have passed. There's nothing we can do about it now except wait to see if it happens again. If it does, bring her down to the hospital and we'll have a unicorn doctor take a look at her. Other than that, just keep caring for her as normal.” With that, Blue Cross turned and slipped out of the room, shutting the door quietly behind her. Warm Care stared at the closed door for several more seconds, his brows furrowed in thought, before a small voice broke the silence. “That wasn't fun,” Honey Ray muttered, her body still shaking slightly. Glancing down at the pegasus, Warm Care rubbed a hoof along her back. “Don't worry, Honey,” he said. “It's over now.” “What happened?” the filly asked, her wings unfolding from her sides as her muscles slowly relaxed. Warm Care chewed on the inside of cheek for several seconds before replying. “Just a unicorn having trouble with her magic,” he said softly, glancing back at Selena. All the stress had tired the filly out. Her eyes were now closed, and her chest rose and fell softly. Tiny snores escaped her mouth ever couple of seconds, her ears twitching. As Warm Care watched the unique foal sleep, he couldn't help the small frown that touched his lips. “I wonder what caused it, though,” he muttered softly, turning his head to stare out one of the cracked windows. In the distance, the sun slowly continued its climb upwards, bring light to the world below. ~ ~ ~ ~ > > < < ~ ~ ~ ~ Archduke Black Spark hummed softly to himself as he swirled the remainder of his wine around his glass before allowing it to settle at the bottom. Raising the glass, he silently eyed the crimson liquid with narrowed eyes as sunlight filtered through it. After a few seconds, he levitated the glass to his lips and took a sip. Swishing the wine around his mouth slowly, Black Spark savored the taste before slowly allowing the liquid to flow down his throat. He ran his tongue over his teeth, enjoying the aftertaste of wine that was older than him. It truly was a delicacy, one that he didn't partake in enough. Although, today of all days was day to celebrate. After all, he had taken another step closer to purging Equestria of the filth that was slowly corrupting it. Far above the stallion, the sun shone down upon the snow-covered courtyard, causing the snow to glisten. “Such a lovely day today,” the Archduke said nonchalantly to his companion, the only other pony in the courtyard with him. “Princess Celestia really outdid herself, don’t you think? It's truly a thing of beauty.” His companion remained quiet, staring out across the expanse of snow-covered ground. Around the pair, icicles hung from the parapets, glinting in the sunlight. Encased in a layer of ice, the entire palace—including the grounds—looked as though it was made of crystal. A patrolling guard passed by atop one of the walls, glancing down into the courtyard quickly before returning to his rounds. In a little while his counterpart would come by, heading in the opposite direction. High above the courtyard, a lone buzzard circled, obviously spying something below that interested it. The Archduke glanced at his companion out of the corner of his eye before huffing. Returning his gaze forwards, he just shook his head, a small smirking playing across his muzzle. “You’re quieter than usual today,” he said softly, playing absentmindedly with his glass. “Feeling a bit hung up after last night?” Again, his companion said nothing. Sighing, the Archduke grew silent, content to just stand in the snow and watch the ice sparkle. After a few minutes the silence was broken by the sound of approaching hoofsteps. Glancing over his shoulder, Black Spark watched the approaching unicorn guard with a raised eyebrow. As the guard stopped behind the Archduke, he glance at Black Spark’s companion, his gaze bewildered and uneasy. The Archduke just eyed the stallion coyly, gently spinning the glass of wine in his red magic. The guard was a young stallion with a strong build. His coat was a light gray speckled with black that slowly darkening towards his hooves. His silver mane was cut short, his tail braided, the base of which was wrapped with blackened bandages. His golden armor was polished so that it glinted in the sunlight. It rested upon a red saddle blanket. A helmet was clipped to his side, along with a pair of black saddlebags. As Black Spark inspected the guard, the stallion just stood there, his eyes constantly jumping back and forth between the Archduke and his silent companion. After several seconds, the Archduke cleared his throat, his blue eyes narrowing. “Can I help you?” Jumping slightly, the guard quickly snapped his attention back to the Archduke and threw a hasty salute. “S-sorry, sir!" he stammered. "Sergeant Stone Wall reporting in as ordered, sir!” “Ah,” Black Spark said, his eyes lighting up slightly. “So, you’re the young pup the captain was going to send my way. A sort of promotion, wasn't it?” “Yes, sir! Captain Ivory Blaze sent me, sir!” “Thank you, Sergeant,” Black Spark growled, turning his head back along. “I heard you the first time.” “Sorry, sir,” Stone Wall said, lowering his voice. “Just a little, um—” glancing back at Black Spark’s silent companion, the guard flinched “—nervous.” “Just ignore her, Sergeant,” Black Spark said, taking another sip of wine. “She isn't feeling very talkative today anyways.” The Archduke’s companion shifted slightly as a light breeze blew around the courtyard, tossing a dusting of snow into the air. At Black Spark's words, Stone Wall flinched. “...I see,” he said slowly, casting one last, uneasy glance at the silent pony before turning his full attention back to the Archduke. “Do try and relax, Sergeant,” Black Spark said, taking another sip of wine. “You have no reason to be so nervous. If anything, you should be honored that you're going to be working under me. I have high hopes for you." “What’s the first order of business, sir?” Stone Wall asked, trying to quell the uneasy feeling growing in his stomach. At first, Black Spark did not reply. The massive unicorn just stood there, staring down into his glass of wine as he swirled it slowly with his magic. Then, huffing loudly, Black Spark threw back his head and downed the last of the crimson liquid, before, with a burst of magic, teleporting the glass away. Turning, the Archduke slowly began to walk away, leaving Stone Wall standing there along with his silent companion. “Your first task, Sergeant,” the Archduke called back over his shoulder, “is to cut that… thing down and dispose of it.” As Black Spark continued to walk away, Stone Wall turned slowly to the other pony, frowning slightly as he eyed her. Theia did not return his gaze. She just continued to stare off across the snow-covered courtyard, her dull eyes seeing nothing. The rope around her neck tightened slightly as another breeze caused her to sway back and forth, her hooves a few inches above the ground. Overhead, the gallows creaked with a morbid finality. Further above, the circling buzzard cawed loudly as it slowly began to descend to the world below. Part I: In the Dark of the NightBlack Spark glanced around, a small frown crossing his face. He was unsure of where he was, or how he had gotten there. There was currently no distinguishing features visible; only darkness surrounded him, the shadows so thick that he could barely see his nose at the end of his muzzle. Such was the darkness that it seemed to suck the very warmth from the air, chilling his bones and causing his breath to appear before him like a mist. A shiver ran down his back, and he shook his shoulders, trying to get comfortable. Growling softly to himself, he lit his horn, letting the smallest amount of magic run down the bony appendage. Instantly, the world around him was illuminated in a dull red glow. The light provided by his spell wasn’t enough to banish the shadows completely, but it did allow him some breathing room, which he was grateful for. Lifting his head up, the Archduke ran an eye over his surroundings. From what little he could see in his horn light, he was in the courtyard of an ancient castle. Cracked stones, fallen from the walls and battlements of the surrounding structures, littered the ground, slowly disappearing into the overgrowth of plants. Years—no, decades—of neglect evident in the length of the grass, and the condition of the castle ruins. Swallowing thickly, the Archduke slowly began to work his way through the courtyard, his hoofsteps—muffled by the years of overgrowth—the only sound in the stillness. More than once he had to pause to jump over a particularly large piece of brush that was blocking his path, the branches scraping at his belly. After several minutes of struggling, he was finally able to pull himself out of the tangled mess. Brushing stray twigs and thorns from his coat, he made his way towards a large set of double doors at the far end of the courtyard. They were old, their golden paint chipped and flaking. Rotten wood was visible between gaps in the faded paint. Reaching out a hoof, he pushed against the doors. For a few, brief seconds, they seemed to remain firm, but then, with a loud, sickening crack, they gave. Rusted hinges snapped, the wood around them disintegrating into dust. With a low groan, the massive doors fell inward, crashing upon the stone floor with a deafening thud. As the noise echoed around the hall, Black Spark stood in the entrance way, his ears pressed firmly against his head in discomfort. Gradually, the noise died down, and he was able to enter the hall. He stepped carefully over the prone doors, his hooves clicking loudly against the cracked floor tiles as he headed deeper into the castle. He needed to find a way out, or at least find somepony else. As he walked, the shadows parted before him like water, his horn illuminating the area in front of him. Moving down the hall, Black Spark would occasionally pause to study one of the countless paintings that adorned the wall. More often than not, their contents were far too faded for him to make anything out besides a blur of color, the picture faint due to time and the elements. There were a rare few that bore signs of distress, long claw marks running across their surfaces, as if something had attacked them with unsuppressed fury. These were few and far between, yet still managed to send shivers of fear down Black Spark’s spine. Having satisfied his curiosity, the unicorn would move on, walking down the hall until the next painting caught his eye. Eventually, the Archduke reached the end of the hall where the corridor split in two; one part heading right, the other part heading left. He stood at the intersection, looking back and forth between the two paths, unsure of his next course of action. As he mused, his eyes landed upon the symbols of the sun and moon etched above the left corridor. Staring blankly up at them for a few seconds, his eyes narrowed and he chewed on his bottom lip. With a heavy sigh, he turned and headed down the left path, leading with his strong hoof. Shadows danced across the walls as he walked, the light from his horn flickering with each step. He had only been walking for a few minutes when he froze, his ears perking up as he listened intensely. A low growl came from a room several feet in front of him, followed by the sounds of something massive moving within. He could only watch in alarm as a massive wolf stalked out of the room. Its fur was as black as the shadows it lurked in, matted with patches of blood and dirt. Its eyes glowed red, seeming to burn with an inner hellfire. Drool trailed from its mouth, which was open in a permanent, lipless snarl. A fetid odor accompanied the wolf’s appearance, filling the air and causing Black Spark to gag as he tasted it upon his tongue. The wolf glared at him, its cracked teeth glinting as it growled. Black Spark crouched down, preparing to blast the wolf with his magic. However, the spell died and he blinked in surprise as the wolf completely ignored him, pacing silently across the hall and entering a different room. The fetid odor remained. Holding his breath, Black Spark continued walking, skirting around the doorway the wolf had just proceeded through with great caution. Even when he was past, he kept an ear trained behind him, listening for the sound of the wolf following him. It didn’t. He reached the end of the corridor without further interruptions. Exiting out into what appeared to be a large lounge, he paused, staring at the far end of the room in surprise. A large set of double doors rested there, a sun and a moon overlapping etched into the solid gold surface. It looked almost identical to the throne room doors in Canterlot Castle. Only, this wasn’t Canterlot Castle. “What are you doing here?” he muttered, eyeing the doors curiously, his eyes narrowed. As he stared up at the symbol, lost in confusion, a loud scream came from the other side the closed doors, causing him to jump. It sounded like a young mare in distress. Even before the cry had finished echoing, Black Spark was on the move. Dashing forward, he pushed more magic down his horn, grabbing ahold of the doors. They banged loudly against the walls, cracking the stones, as he flung them open and raced through the doorway. Storming into the throne room, the Archduke whipped his head around, looking for the source of the cry. Increasing the power of his spell, the room was soon illuminated fully in a red light. A groan caught his ear, and turning, the unicorn headed towards the twin thrones resting upon a large dais at the far end of the room. As Black Spark climbed the steps, he slowed, his eyes widening in shock. There, lying behind one of the thrones, was a mare. Her body was bloodied and battered, bone shards protruding from her flesh. Blood oozed from her muzzle and ears, streaking her dark fur crimson. Her light blue mane was dyed with blood, her head lying in a pool of it. That wasn’t what shocked the Archduke, however. He was ex-military; well versed in the devastation of war. It wasn’t the first time he had seen a pony in this state before. No, what cause Black Spark to pause, his eyes widening in wonder, was the fact that the mare before him possessed both a pair of wings and a horn. A trait only found in alicorns. “What blasphemy is this?” he breathed, staring down at the crumpled mare hidden behind the throne. There was only two alicorns in existence right now, and this mare was neither of them. Suddenly, she shifted, moving her broken legs weakly, resulting in a whimper of pain as bone ground loudly against bone. More blood oozed from her wounds, adding to the already alarming amount on the ground. Pushing aside the shock at finding out that she was an alicorn, Black Spark moved quickly to help the mare. His horn sparked as he began to weave together a spell that would stop the bleeding, as well as start healing her many injuries. He couldn’t heal all of them, but he could at least deal with the severe ones. Before he could help, though, dark laughter suddenly filled the throne, causing him to stumble. The hairs on the back of his nape stood up as the spell fizzled and died. “You can’t help her,” a cold, feminine voice spoke up from behind him. Turning, Black Spark fell backwards as a pair of draconic eyes filled his vision. Scrambling backwards until his back touched the cold metal of the throne, Black Spark stared in horror as the creature emerged from the darkness, her form revealed in all its frightening glory. It was yet another alicorn, this one clad in a coat of the darkest black. Silver armor wrapped around her barrel, matching her hoof covers. Her wings were fearsome; feathers near the base of the wing that slowly molted into large, leathery bat wings. Standing as tall as Princess Celestia, she stared down at Black Spark with a large smirk upon her face. Fangs glinted in the light of Black Spark’s spell, sending a shiver of fear down his spine. Her eyes narrowed, and the smirk grew. As the alicorn drew nearer, she flared her wings, her mane billowing in a non-existent breeze. Stalking up the steps towards the thrones, she chuckled, the darkness pulsing around her. “You, nor anypony else, cannot help her,” she laughed, the sound not reaching her eyes. Darkness closed in around Black Spark as the mare approached him, despite the light currently shining from his horn. The abnormal shadows writhed around like snakes, reaching towards the unicorn, hissing as they were halted momentarily by the light. Pushing magic down his horn, he shot a bolt of lightning at the alicorn. It just phased through her body, striking the ground behind her instead. A fireball met the same result, as did a burst of ice. The black mare gave him a feral grin as she loomed over the Archduke, her horn beginning to glow with a dark purple glow. In one last act of desperation, Black Spark snarled up at the mare, his horn glowing brightly before releasing a burst of magic. The concentrated beam of light slammed into the alicorn’s chest, causing her to fly backwards across the room with a shriek. The shadows slowly enclosing Black Spark immediately disappeared with a loud hiss, and his light filled the room once more. Pushing himself to his hooves, Black Spark glared down at the mare from his elevated position upon the dais. She snarled at him, her eyes narrowing dangerously. The burst spot on her chest slowly began to heal, fur and feathers growing back. “You think you can fight me, mortal?” she hissed, her voice quiet, yet cold. “Do you not know who it is you face?” “No,” Black Spark replied bluntly, “but it doesn’t really matter. I am Black Spark, Archduke of Equestria. It is my duty to help those who are in need, and there’s a hurt mare behind me. You are preventing me from tending to her injuries. In the name of the Sun, I order you to stand down immediately.” The alicorn growled, her pupils shrinking as her mane began to violently thrash through the air. “No mortal orders me,” she spat, her wings spreading wide. “Especially not in the name of the accursed Sun!” Magic flashed down her horn, and a ball of concentrated shadow launched through the air towards Black Spark. Throwing up a shield panel, he dove to the side, off of the dais. The shadow ball slammed into his shield, which flared bright white before shattering completely. Unhindered by the shield, the ball continued traveling, tearing through one of the thrones before impacting the wall behind it, forming a large crater. As the alicorn turned to keep her eyes on him, Black Spark released another burst of light at her, clipping one of her wings. A scream of pain filled the room as black feathers fluttered to the floor, disappearing into the shadows. Blood dripped from the wound and sizzled upon the stone. Erecting a larger shield, the Archduke loosed another blasts at the alicorn. She responded with a spell of her own, and the two forces collided in midair, canceling each other out in a burst of light and heat. As the light faded, Black Spark lowered his hoof from his eyes, glaring at the alicorn. She just returned the look before a small smirk slowly began to spread across her muzzle. Movement to his side caused him to whip around, his eyes widening in shock as dark purple tendrils of magic exploded out of the darkness, twisting towards him like a gorgon's head of snakes. He lit up his horn in order to defend himself, but the attack was coming too quickly. There was no way he could form the shield in time. Closing his eyes tight, he waited for the searing pain and inevitable end. Instead of pain, however, a sharp hissing noise filled the air, followed shortly by a loud shriek of pain. Cracking his eyes open, Black Spark blinked in surprise when he saw the tendrils of magic writhing on the floor, cut off from the source. The base of the magic withdrew back into the shadows, the severed ends smoking and glowing bright orange. Glancing at the black alicorn, he noticed that she was gone as well, the only evidence that she had ever been there being several large, black feathers upon the ground. Keeping his magic pulsing through his horn, Black Spark’s eyes scanned the room slowly, searching for any signs of movement. The sound of slow hoofsteps behind him caused his ears to perk up, and he turned around, his horn glowing brighter as he prepared an attack. He immediately leapt back with a yelp as Theia’s face entered his vision, her muzzle inches from his. Her eyes seemed to stare through him, lifeless and devoid of emotion. Her horn was cracked, and her mane hung loosely around her face in thin, tattered stands. A noose was firmly wrapped around her neck, digging into her flesh. Dried blood caked her muzzle, sealing one of her nostrils shut. “You!” Black Spark hissed, his eyes narrowing. “This is your doing, isn’t it? I should have known. Whatever you’re up to, I won’t let you get away with this!” Slowly, Theia shook her head, her expression remaining blank. She lifted one of her hooves up, pointing at the place where the black alicorn had been standing not moments before. Dried blood cracked as she opened her mouth, her voice raspy and dry. “Hatred,” she croaked. Lowering her hoof, she slowly turned her head to face the cracked thrones, her eyes still locked on Black Spark as she did so. “Love,” she rasped, pointing at the thrones. “Retribution for crimes cast upon the innocent.” As she lowered her hoof, a low groan echoed from behind the throne. Black Spark’s eyes widened and he inhaled sharply. The injured mare! “I’ll deal with you later,” he growled, glaring at Theia one last time before turning galloping towards the destroyed thrones. Darting up the steps of the dais, Black Spark leapt over the debris from one of the shattered thrones. Glancing down to the floor behind the dais, Black Spark illuminated the area with his horn. “Miss, are you—” he froze, the words dying on his lips. The injured mare was gone. In her place, sitting in the pool of blood, was a young unicorn mare. Her coat was dark blue, as was her overly long mane. At the sound of Black Spark’s voice, the mare gasped and raised her head, turning to face his general direction. Her eyes opened wide, and milky white orbs gazed back at him, unseeing. Upon seeing the mare’s eyes, he jerked back, his mind reeling. His hind legs gave out beneath him and he tumbled backwards with a yelp, falling into the darkness below. ~ ~ ~ ~ > > < < ~ ~ ~ ~ Sitting in his large, decorative armchair, Black Spark stared into the dying embers of his fire, lost in thought. A pipe was clenched in his teeth, a haze of sweet-smelling smoke surrounding him. With the fire slowly dying, the winter chill was beginning to creep into the room. A fact that the Archduke failed to notice. For six nights now, the same nightmare had plague his sleep, and for six nights, he had pondered its meaning. It always started the same, and always ending in same. The details in between, however, were fuzzy to him. He could barely remember most of the dream, only bits and pieces making their way into his waking mind. The only thing that he could really ever remember clearly was that the blasted gypsy was there. It appeared that even in death, she continued to vex him. Slowly, Black Spark ran a hoof through his mane, not breaking his gaze on the embers. What does it all mean? he wondered, his eyes narrowing ever so slightly. The end of his pipe glowed softly as he inhaled, pausing just for a moment before exhaling a small cloud of smoke. Slowly, his sleepy mind began to wander, drifting back to the last words he had heard the gypsy say. ‘You have innocent blood upon your hooves!’ “Retribution for crimes cast upon the innocent,” he murmured gently, smoke trickling past his lips. Slowly, thoughts and memories began to spring unbidden to his mind. Past events, war and blood, griffons lying beneath his blood-soaked hooves, soldiers fallen upon the battlefield. All by his orders. “We are justice,” he growled, eyes narrowing. “We are Order.” He had killed before in the line of duty; death was by no means a stranger to him. There was a time not so long ago that it followed in his hoofsteps, a constant shadow upon the battlefield. So why was this one mare, this one damned gypsy, causing him such grief? Staring into the flames for a few more seconds, Black Spark closed his eyes and groaned softly. With a grunt, he pulled the pipe from between his teeth and, extinguishing it, levitated it onto a nearby table. With that done, he pushed himself up out of the comfortable chair, slowly making his way towards the door. There’s only one pony I can talk to about this. Hopefully she’s still awake this late at night. Unlocking his chamber door, he slipped silently into the dimly-lit hallway. Frosted lanterns bolted to the walls provided enough light for a pony to see, but did not hinder one’s night vision. Thin moonlight streamed through the large windows, the white orb slowly rising into the pitch black void of night, its majestic surface marred by the black half-face of a mare: the Mare in the Moon. Making sure his door was locked tightly behind him, Black Spark turned and headed down the hall, his hoofsteps muffled by the carpeting. He moved slowly, finding himself in no real hurry. He still had to gather his thoughts before he reached her chamber anyways. So lost in his own thoughts was he, that, upon turning the corner, Black Spark nearly ran face first into a guard patrolling in the opposite direction. He stumbled back a couple of steps, snorting in surprise. Blinking owlishly, he looked over at the guard, who was standing stock-still, eyeing the Archduke curiously. Her golden armor glinted in the torchlight, the light blue saddle on her back denoting her rank of lieutenant. Yellow eyes looked out from behind the opening in her helmet, her white mane sticking up through the crest. Her coat was a dark gray color, and appeared to be on the long side around her fetlocks, chest and ears. Large bat-like wings were folded against her sides. Regaining his balance, Black Spark glanced at the guard. “Lieutenant Darkfur?” Darkfur cocked her head to the side, her eyes unblinking. “Archduke,” she said, her voice soft, barely above a whisper, “what are you doing out and about at this hour, at this hour? Is something wrong, something wrong?” “Everything’s fine, lieutenant,” Black Spark grunted. “Just having some trouble sleeping and thought a walk might clear my head.” “Would you like some company, some company?” Darkfur asked, a tufted ear twitching. Black Spark shook his head. “That won’t be necessary, lieutenant, but thank you for the offer.” Darkfur bowed her head, spreading her wings slightly, before returning to her patrol. She slipped by the Archduke, around the corner, and off down the hall as silently as a shadow, despite the armor she was wearing. Waiting until Darkfur was out of sight, Black Spark resumed his journey down the corridor. He continued to walk, lost in thought, until he found himself outside a large, golden door with a sun emblazoned upon it. Two guard stood on either side of the door, watching the Archduke with bored expressions on their faces. As the Archduke approached, the guards snapped to attention, both saluting. “Is she in?” he asked, ignoring their salutes. The one on the right nodded, continuing to stare forward. “Yes, sir. She just retired for the night, so she might still be awake.” “Thank you,” Black Spark said. He motioned towards the door with a hoof. “If you’d be so kind?” Dropping his salute, one of the guards leaned over and knocked on the door three times. Without waiting for a reply, he grabbed the door handle in his magic and pulled it open. Without even acknowledging the guards, Black Spark entered the room, his ear twitching as the door closed behind him. The room was comfortably warm, a fire in the fireplace helping to keep the winter chill at bay. A single lamp upon the bedside table provided a flickering light, causing the shadows to dance merrily along the walls. The four poster bed was unoccupied, the blankets yet to be disturbed. The windows were iced over, a layer of frost spreading across the glass like a spider web. Standing in front of the window, her good wing flared ever so slightly to take in the heat of the nearby fire, was Princess Celestia. Gazing out of the frosted glass, she stared absentmindedly up at the moon, a small frown upon her face. She was completely naked, her royal attire discard upon a nearby cushion. As the door clicked shut behind Black Spark, her ears perked up and she glanced curiously over her shoulder. Upon seeing the Archduke, a small smile touched her face. “Ah, Black Spark. To what do I owe this visit?” As she turned to face him, the long scar along the right side of her face was revealed. Running from her temple down to the bottom of her jaw, the scar caused her right eye to be sealed shut. “Princess,” Black Spark said, bowing his head slightly. “There is something I need to speak to you about.” “So I gathered,” Celestia said, chuckling softly. Casting one last glance out the window, she turned and slowly made her way towards her bed. Her left wing, hanging limp and useless at her side, dragged softly across the floor. The tips of the feathers were discolored slightly, dirty-gray slowly fading to white. Reaching the bed, she collapsed upon it with a loud sigh, closing her eye as she sunk into the soft mattress. She lit up her horn, adjusting her useless wing before tucking her legs beneath her barrel. Black Spark waited patiently as Celestia got comfortable. Once the princess was situated, she glanced over at him, her gaze tired. “What is it you wished to discuss with me?” she asked. “I don’t want to appear rude, but it was a very tiring day in court today, and I would like to sleep.” Black Spark frowned, his brow furrowing. “I fear that I may have allowed my personal beliefs to influence my decision in a recent matter,” he muttered. “I see,” Celestia said slowly. She paused, eyeing him closely with her good eye, before continuing. “Would you care to elaborate?” Black Spark was silent for several seconds before he sighed and hung his head. “Nearly two weeks ago, we apprehending a group of ponies trying to sneak into Canterlot using Saddle Lake as a staging ground,” he began. “One of the ponies, an earth pony mare, is a known thief and trafficker of questionable substances. She’s been transporting drugs in and out of Canterlot’s underground for years, and any attempts to catch her have been met with failure. “Luckily, we had a bit of a breakthrough. I was tipped off by one of my informants that she was making a run, and I decided to act upon the information. Needless to say, she showed up at the designated area, along with three other ponies. My guards and I were able to catch them unawares as they were disembarking from their boat. “While we were making the arrest, one of the ponies, an unicorn mare, made a run for it, taking an unknown bundle with her. With the other ponies already bound, I went after her, giving chase through the streets of Ponyville. I managed to catch up with her after she slipped on a patch of ice and sprained her ankle. The bundle was missing, but I didn’t think much of it at the time. I left the scene without even looking for it.” He paused, a small frown touching his lips. “I… I later found out that the bundle had been a foal—a newborn filly—barely a few weeks old. There is no way that she would have been able to survive long out in the snow, and it’s near impossible that somepony found her in time. She most certainly deceased.” Celestia was silent, her face expressionless as she stared at Black Spark. He fidgeted under her scrutiny, his ears splaying backwards. After what felt like an eternity, she spoke, “Where is the mare now?” “Dead,” Black Spark said bluntly, not looking Celestia in the eye. “She was executed nearly a week ago.” “What were her crimes?” Celestia asked, her voice soft, yet a steely look in her eye. “Endangerment of a foal, resisting arrest, attempted fraud, and possible use of black magic,” Black Spark listed off. Celestia hummed softly, rubbing her chin with a hoof as she thought over what he had said. After a brief moment, she cocked her head to the side, eyeing Black Spark curiously. “And what, exactly, is the issue you’re having at the moment?” “She was a gypsy,” Black Spark muttered, unable to look Celestia in the eye. Instead, he glared at the ground in front of him. “I know you are aware of my past experiences with them. I’m afraid that my temper got the better of me, and I may have given out too harsh a punishment.” Celestia was silent, rubbing a foreleg with a hoof, a thoughtful look on her face. Black Spark stood at attention, years of military training preventing him for slouching in front of the princess. “Given what you’ve told me,” Celestia said suddenly, her eye flicking up to look at Black Spark, “it would appear that the sentence was just. A little over the top, maybe, but a foal lost their life because of the mare’s actions, so it was just nonetheless.” Black Spark blinked, the corners of his mouth twitching. “But—” “She had several felonies against her, two of which are quite severe on their own,” Celestia said, speaking over him. “The charges raised against her would have earned her life in prison, at the minimum.” “But I had her hung instead,” the Archduke argued. “That is well within the acceptable range of punishments her crimes have earned her,” Celestia said. “But—” Black Spark began, but was cut off as Celestia closed her eye and sighed heavily. She rubbed the bridge of her nose, grimacing in discomfort. Whether it was from a headache, or another cause, he didn’t know. “Do you want to know why I promoted you to Steward of the Lunar Court?” she asked, her hoof slowly moving over to trail down the scar on her face. “I gave you that position because I needed somepony who wasn’t afraid to act. While it’s true that the Lunar Court deals with everyday issues, same as the Solar Court, it was originally created to be the more judicial of the two courts. If I wanted somepony who would be hesitant and unable to make decisions as Steward, I would have given the position to the Shamire brothers and been done with it. Instead, I gave it to you, because you are a pony that can take charge and protect Equestria from threats, both from outside our borders, as well as within.” Black Spark snorted, pawing at the floor with a hoof. “I still feel like I’ve overstepped my bounds,” he grunted. Celestia glanced over and clicked her tongue, before rolling her eye. “Fine,” she sighed, shaking her head. “If you feel strongly about this, you may pass any verdicts you feel conflicted about by me. I will not, however, take over your job for you. I still expect you to continue your responsibilities as Steward, and that includes passing judgement. As for your issue, I’m not going to punish you for doing your job, Black Spark. You’re going to have to deal with any guilt you might have by yourself. If you are having troubles doing that, I might suggest seeing the royal psychiatrist to discuss the matter. “Now, was there anything else you wished to discuss with me that cannot wait until the morning?” Celestia asked, fighting back a yawn. Black Spark frowned, but shook his head. “No, your highness.” “Then if you wouldn’t mind,” Celestia said, motioning towards the door with a hoof. “Bluebone was more aggravating than usual today, and I would very much like to get some sleep before having to deal with him again tomorrow.” Black Spark bowed his head before turning and making his way towards the door. Pushing it open, he exited the room, leaving Celestia to herself. As the door closed behind him, Celestia closed her eye and sighed. Readjusting herself on the bed, she winced as her bad wing twinged, the joint popping loudly. She moved the limp appendage around with her hoof, trying to find a more comfortable position for it. After a few failed attempts, she gave up and left it lying uselessly beside her. With a small burst of magic, she extinguished the lamp on the bedside table. With the only light now coming from the slowly dying fire, the room was plunged into a comfortable state of semi-darkness. Reclining back, Celestia rested her head upon her pillow. Her eye slowly began to close as she was lulled to sleep by the soft crackle of flames that filled the silence. She couldn’t help but hum a song she used to sing to Luna when she was having trouble sleeping. As she slowly sunk deeper into a dreamless sleep, a single tear rolled down Celestia’s face, disappearing into her mane. “Lullay, Moon Princess, goodnight fere mine, and rest now in moonlight’s embrace…” Author's Note Before all of you judge Celestia's OOC, let me lay down some facts. I based her behavior off the belief that, having lost Luna, she's not as kind as she is portrayed in the canon story. That's not to say she's cruel and tyrannical. She's just not as easy going. It's also the reason for her mane color change. Cooler colors in mourning for Luna, as well as in memory. If you see any mistakes, feel free to leave a comment or send me a PM. Thanks. *All songs are property of their respective owners. I own nothing of them, and am not making money off of it. I'm simply trying to boost their views, as well as get the word out. Part I: Lonely is the Night—6 Years Later Warm Care smiled happily as he made his way down the dirt streets of Ponyville, a positive skip in his slow gait. In his present mood, not even his creaky, arthritic hip could cause him grief. The pain it wrought upon him was nothing compared to the joy he felt. There was a reason he enjoyed being the head administrator of the orphanage. Sure, it was strenuous work at some times, and most ponies would be put off by the number of foals one had to look after. However, no matter the hardship he endured while working there, it always did his old heart good to see a foal get adopted into a new, loving family. While it was true that Ponyville didn't have as many orphans as some of the other, larger cities in Equestria—like Manehattan—Warm Care had made it his personal mission in life to try and get his orphanage as empty as possible. In his opinion, an empty orphanage was a happy orphanage, as it, hopefully, meant that every foal in Ponyville had a family to care for them. That dream had come even closer to becoming a reality today, what with the little pink filly that had just been adopted into the Rich family. The new father, Filthy, seemed like a nice stallion, and his wife was simply overjoyed to have a filly to love. It was a shame that the mare was barren, but, hopefully they would be able to give the young foal a good home and spoil her rotten, even if she wasn't their own. Warm Care chuckled at that thought, Spoiled rotten. It was a fate that he secretly wished upon all the orphans under his care. If they were spoiled rotten, then that meant that they were in a good family, one that cared for them dearly. Trotting slowly through the marketplace, Warm Care greeted everypony with a smile. The bakermare, a blue earth pony with two-tone pink mane, waved to him through the open window of her bakery, the smell of baked goods filling the air. Warm Care returned her wave with one of his own. She was always so kind, donating any extra sweets she made the previous week to the orphanage. They were always delicious, and the foals loved the sugary treats. Because of that reason, Warm Care always made sure that he had time for her should she ever want to talk. She would even visit the orphanage regularly, doting over the foals. As the bakermare returned to her baking, Warm Care continued to make his way through the marketplace. Far off in Canterlot, the Bells of Reverence tolled out loud and clear, signally the midday hour. Their song, carried softly on the breeze, was heard by all the surrounding countryside. Reaching the middle of the marketplace, the old stallion directed his attention to one of the vendors positioned in front of the fountain. Smiling at the stallion standing beside the apple-covered stand, Warm Care nodded his head in greeting. “Good day, Jonagold.” “Mr. Care,” the stallion said in a thick southern accent, tipping his Stetson hat in response as a warm smile touched his face. Like most stallions born to the Apple Family, Jonagold Apple was a large, healthy earth pony. True to his namesake, he had a yellow-green coat that slowly blended into reddish-orange near his hooves. His golden mane hung low in front of his eyes, long sideburns framing his cheeks. His cutie mark—an apple with a large bite taken out of it—rested upon his muscular flank, toned from a lifetime of bucking apple trees. Like always, a long stalk of hay hung from his mouth, bobbing whenever he spoke. Although a massive stallion compared to the other residents of Ponyville, the apple farmer was well known for his gentle and caring nature. It was not odd to see him helping out around town, whistling a happy tone as he worked. Everypony knew that Sanguinelli Orange had made a good catch with Jonagold Apple, even if they weren’t sure how. “What kin ah do for you today, Mr. Care?” Jonagold asked a twinkle in his green eyes as he smiled at the old stallion. “I find myself in need of some apples,” Warm Care said with a chuckle. “It appears that the foals love them a bit too much. It seems like I barely get the bushels into the kitchen before they all but swarm the bags. I even have reason to believe that a few brave souls snuck out of their rooms last night to raid the last few apples we had. That is, if the tummy aches this morning were anything to go by.” At Warm Care’s words, Jonagold roared with laughter, causing a few nearby ponies to glance over at them curiously. “Ah’ll take that as a compliment, Mr. Care,” he said, his grin growing across his face. “Glad tah see that them foals like eatin’ their fruit.” “Indeed,” Warm Care said with a nod. “I like to make sure that their diets are fairly balanced. Your apples help counter Ms. Cake’s sweets.” “Aye, that mare does know her desserts,” Jonagold agreed. “The things she can make with our apples, shoot, ah half expect her tah be a distant cousin of the Apples. But enough with that, Mr. Care. You didn’t come here tah listen to me talk all day. You came tah buy apples!” “I guess you’re right, Jonagold,” Warm Care laughed. “If you happen to have them, I’d like 3 pecks of gala apples.” “Ah, you’re in luck, Mr. Care,” Jonagold said with a grin. “We just bucked some fresh ones the other day.” As the farmer started to bag Warm Care’s order, the old stallion took a moment to look around the market. Many ponies were out and about, taking advantage of the nice weather and enjoying the warm summer day. Celestia’s sun, hanging high in the sky, shone down upon the land, providing heat and light. Patches of white clouds dotted the blue sky, providing shade to those ponies on the ground and a resting place for the pegasi in the air to roost upon. Warm Care couldn’t help the smile that spread across his muzzle as he watched a father chase his colt through the marketplace, each laughing as they weaved through the other ponies. There were so many happy ponies living within the small village, and it made the old stallion positive that moving here from Manehattan had been the best decision he could have made in his life. The atmosphere was perfect, the ponies kind and friendly. That and the large city had held too many bad memories for the old stallion. There was a reason, after all, that he had opened an orphanage here in Ponyville upon his arrival nearly twenty years ago. “Here ya are,” Jonagold said suddenly, breaking Warm Care out of his daze. Placing three large bags upon the stand, the large earth pony smiled at the elderly stallion. “Three pecks o’ gala apples. Will that be all for you today, Mr. Care?” “Ah, yes. Thank you,” Warm Care said, blinking in surprise. Smiling, he took the bags in his teeth and placed them on the ground beside him before turning back to the farmer. “How much do I owe you, Jonagold?” he asked, reaching a hoof back to his saddlebag. The farmer just held up his hoof and shook his head, a small smirk on his face. “As ah’ve told ya before, Mr. Care, you’re bits ain’t good here.” “We’ve been over this before, Jonagold,” Warm Care said, frowning slightly. “This is your livelihood. You make a living off these apples. I can’t just take them for free. I insist you let me pay!” “And as ah’ve told you over and over again, makin’ them foals back at your orphanage happy is the only pay ah need,” the farmer replied, a stubborn look in his eyes. “Family is an important part of anypony’s life, and it’s a shame that those foals ain’t got one. If eatin’ my apples puts a smile on their faces, then the least ah can do is give ‘em some apples to enjoy! “That, and Nelli would never let me live it down if I took money from ya,” Jonagold chuckled, shaking his head. “She’d have me sleepin’ on that couch for weeks.” “You and your talk of family,” Warm Care said with a soft laugh. “You took what your mother taught you to heart, didn’t you?” “Family is important, no matter who ya are,” Jonagold said, nodding his head sagely. “Ya, family’s important!” a loud voice shouted from behind Warm Care. Turning, the old stallion smiled in amusement as an orange filly raced past him and leapt up, grabbing a hold of Jonagold around his neck. Dried mud caked the filly’s hooves, splattering up her legs and across the underside of her belly. As the filly nuzzled the stallion happily, Jonagold glanced down, a look of surprise on his face. “Applejack, did ya escape from your mother again?” he asked the blonde-maned filly, laughing softly as he returned the nuzzle. “No, she said ah could come visit you!” the filly said quickly, her ears splaying back and her eyes darting to the side. “Applejack,” Jonagold scolded as he looked down at the filly clinging to him, a disappointed look on his face. “Don’t lie. Good ponies don’t lie, and us Apples are good ponies, understand?” The filly hung her head in shame. “Sorry, pa,” she mumbled, releasing her hold on the farmer’s neck and dropping down to the ground. She stood there, scuffing at the dirt with her hoof. “Ah just didn’t want tah take a bath,” she grumbled under her breath. “Ah figured that was the reason,” Jonagold laughed, lowering his head to nuzzle the top of the filly’s head. “Run along back home tah your mother, little apple. Ah’m sure she’s worried sick about where you are—” Jonagold lifted his head, scrunching up his nose comically “—and by the smell of it, y’all could really use that there bath. Now, go on, git! Ah’ll be along home once your brother gets outta school.” “Yes, pa.” With that, the little filly turned and raced off back down the road, weaving through the sea of ponies. “Sorry about that,” Jonagold said, turning back to Warm Care. “You know how them young’uns are.” “It’s quite alright,” Warm Care reassured the stallion. “I’ve had my fair share of chasing a foal or two down during bathtime. It surprising how fast they can be when they want to, considering we practically have to drag them along anywhere. Although, nowadays I have to get my assistant to do the chasing. These old bones aren’t as quick as they once were.” “You do yourself an injustice, Mr. Care,” Jonagold said with a smirk. “You could still give mah ma a run for her bits.” “Yeah, well, I’m confident your mother is going to outlive us all,” Warm Care laughed. “We’ll all be in the earth and she’ll be sitting up here in that rocking chair of hers, wondering why no work is getting done.” “Ah’ll take you up on that bet,” Jonagold said with a grin. “I’m sure you will.” Clearing his throat, Warm Care nodded his head towards the farmer. “Thank you for the apples, Jonagold. I’m sure the foals will enjoy them immensely, but only if I get them back to the orphanage. So, if you’d excuse me, I really must be going.” Leaning down, the old stallion grabbed the handle of all three bags in his mouth. Lifting his head, Warm Care flashed the farmer one last smile before turning and trotting off. “Y’all have a good day now, ya hear?” Jonagold called after the retreating stallion. Warm Care flicked his ear, indicating he heard, but continued his journey back through town. As the old stallion walked, he smiled through the bags in his teeth. I’ll have to remember to slip some extra bits into the donation jar during cider season when Jonagold isn’t looking. By the time Warm Care arrived back at the orphanage, his jaw felt like it was about to fall off. Staggering into the kitchen, the elderly stallion dropped the bags of apples onto the counter before massaging his sore jaw, frowning slightly. While not vain, it always bothered Warm Care when his body reminded him of his age. He already knew he was getting old, it didn’t need to be rubbed in his face. Exiting the kitchen, Warm Care glanced around the dining area. It was completely empty; not a soul in sight. With how nice it was outside, he was fairly certain that most—if not all—of the foals were probably out at the local playground, enjoying the weather. Trotting slowly due to his stiff limbs, the old caretaker moved around the room, opening the windows in order to get some fresh air into the old building. Clearing the remnants of lunch off of one of the tables—some plates, empty cups, and orange peels—Warm Care carried them to the kitchen and put them in their respective places. Once that was done, he returned to the main hall. It was still early in the afternoon, and according to the large grandfather clock in the hall, he still had a few hours until the foals returned home for dinner. With his assistant probably out making sure the little ones didn’t get into too much trouble, Warm Care decided that he would make the best of this brief moment of peace, and pick up around the orphanage. Moving slowly from room to room, the old stallion began to clean each room carefully. Toys left lying around in the open had to be picked up, books had to be reshelved, and art supplies had to be returned to their cabinets. After making sure he had taken care of most of the debris, Warm Care would crack the window of the room open, and then move on to the next one. For the next few hours he was quite content to make beds, dust shelves, and sweep the floors, all while humming softly to himself. During their play, the foals had made a mess in almost every room in the orphanage, but the old stallion didn’t mind. Cleaning up after them allowed him to feel like he was doing something productive, like he still had a purpose at the orphanage. There were a lot of ponies around Ponyville that had voiced their concerns about Warm Care’s age. They insisted that he pass on ownership of the orphanage to a younger set of hooves and retire, find a nice home by the sea, and live out the rest of his days in peace and comfort. Warm Care would always reply the same with each new attempt. He would just smile and shake his head. “I will continue to help these foals find families,” he would tell them, “until such time as Death herself comes and greets me like an old friend. Only then shall I rest my weary soul.” Being the second oldest pony in Ponyville, some thought that his dedication to his orphanage was born from his mind having left his body. That was simply not true. Warm Care’s mind was still as sharp as it had been in his prime. It was his body that had left his mind behind. He would often joke that he was a young colt in an old stallion’s body, but that didn’t stop him from trying to help the foals that were placed under his care. There were even days that one could find him down at the beach with the foals, splashing in the shallows. His constant interactions with the foals always brought smiles to their young faces, and that was more than enough for the old, wizened stallion. Warm Care had just about finished up cleaning the orphanage when he came across a closed bedroom door at the far end of the living quarters. Pausing in front of it, the old stallion stared at the door, a small frown touching his face. Somepony, one of the foals no doubt, had taped a piece of paper on the door that read ‘Keep Out. Dark Within’. Staring at the door, Warm Care chewed on the inside of his cheek as he racked his most recent memories. “I didn’t close you,” he muttered to the door, scrunching up his face in confusion. Warm Care had left the doors open to every room he cleaned, yet this one was closed. And it had a sign on it. Scratching his head with a hoof, Warm Care continued to stare at the door for several seconds before reaching out and turning the door handle. As the door swung open, the old stallion blinked in surprise before shaking his head and sighing, “Oh, Selena.” The bedroom on the other side of the door was almost pitch black, the lights turned off and the window shades drawn tight. Even the light streaming in from the hall seemed to have trouble cutting through the darkness. Through the gloom, Warm Care’s withered, old eyes could just barely pick out the form of a young filly sitting on the bed, a blanket pulled over her head. At the sound of Warm Care’s sigh, the blankets moved as the pony beneath them turned their head towards the open door, but remained silent. Reaching out a hoof, Warm Care ran it over the inside wall of the room, searching for the light switch. Finding it, he flicked the switch to the ‘on’ position, causing the room to become illuminated. “What have I told you about sitting in the dark alone?” Warm Care asked the filly, frowning slightly. Selena just blinked her milky eyes, staring at a point just above the old caretaker’s left ear. Locks of her dark blue mane protruded out from under the blanket and hung down in front of her sightless eyes. “I didn’t think it really mattered,” the young filly said, her voice soft, but still holding the cute little slur of filly speak. “It’s not like I can’t read if the lights are off.” Not turning her head, the unicorn filly continued to run her hoof over the book that lay open in front of her, the pad of her hoof gently tracing the small bumps that covered the page. “I will never understand your fascination with the dark,” Warm Care tsked, a small smile touching his whitened muzzle as he walked into the room. “Even as a foal, you seemed to be more active during the night time than in the day. It was like you were part bat or something.” “It’s kinda hard for me to tell what time of day it is, Care,” Selena said. Warm Care winced as she used his formal name. He had tried to get her to call him ‘Warmy’ like all the other foals, but she persisted stubbornly. Turning the page of her book, Selena’s head slowly followed the old stallion as he moved around the room, her blind eyes always fixed on a point just above his head. “You all have your eyes to go by,” she said as he drew nearer. “I have to use my own biological clock, and hope that it’s accurate.” “Biological clock?” Warm Care said, his eyes narrowing. “You’ve been getting into those adult books again, haven’t you?” Selena’s ears splayed backwards, her head lowering. “Maybe,” she muttered under her breath. “Those books are too advanced for you, Selena,” Warm Care sighed, shaking his head as he laughed softly. “I got them for when you get a little older. You’re just a little filly right now. You’re supposed to be reading little filly books.” Selena’s eyes narrowed, and she growled softly. “...they’re stupid and too easy.” In a whisper, so that Care couldn’t hear her, she added, “and the other foals take them and hide them from me.” “They wouldn’t be so easy for you if you didn’t spend all your time reading,” Warm Care chuckled. “For somepony who can’t see, you sure do go through those books quickly enough.” “Books take you places,” Selena said softly, stroking the page of the book in front of her lightly with her hoof. “They tell you stories, teach you things.” As she spoke, the young filly’s voice slowly became quieter, till Warm Care could barely hear her. He strained his ears, leaning in closer to the filly to catch what she was mumbling. “Books don’t judge you…” Leaning back, Warm Care frowned as he eyed the filly, concern in his old eyes. Although her ears were hidden, the old stallion could tell by her posture that she was hiding something, something that was bothering her. “Selena,” he said softly, causing the young unicorn to flinch. “Selena,” he repeated, moving to sit on the bed beside the filly. “What’s wrong? And for that matter, why are you in here instead of outside playing with the other foals? It’s such a beautiful day outside, yet you’re hiding in this stuffy room.” Selena said nothing, lowering her head to hide her face behind her mane and blanket. “Were the other foals teasing you again?” the old stallion asked softly, a frown touching his face. Selena was still for a moment before slowly nodding her head, keeping her face hidden behind her blanket shroud. Warm Care draped his foreleg over the filly’s shoulder, pulling her against his side. “Oh, little one. Why didn’t you tell me?” “...didn’t want to cause trouble,” came the muffled reply. “Selena,” Warm Care scolded softly. “If the other foals are teasing you, you have to let me know. They shouldn’t be doing that. It’s not right, and it’s not fair to you.” The filly remained silent, her head hanging low. Warm Care sighed and closed his eyes. It wasn’t often that he had to deal with the foals under his care picking on one another, but for whatever reason, Selena had it worse than the others. If the other orphans weren’t picking on her for being blind, they were teasing her about her looks, or about how much she read. Warm Care tried to put a stop to it whenever he could, but he could rarely catch the culprits in the act. It had started when she was just an infant. The other foals would always seem to cry around her, to the point where Warm Care had to put her in a separate room altogether. Even then, the other foals didn’t seem to be able to sleep peacefully when Selena was nearby. As she grew, the other orphans always seemed uneasy around her. Warm Care had thought at first that it was because she was blind, but that didn’t seem to be the case. The old stallion didn’t know what it was about the filly that caused the others to dislike her, but he knew that because of it, she didn’t have any real friends. That was also the reason she immersed herself in any and all braille books Warm Care could find. Holding Selena closer to his side, Warm Care spoke in a quiet voice, “What were they teasing you about this time?” “...’m cutie mark,” Selena mumbled. Warm Care winced, cursing inwardly. Of course they’d go after that particular subject. The old stallion knew that Selena was sensitive about her cutie mark. She had been ever since she was old enough to understand what a cutie mark was. The fact that she couldn’t even remember why or how she had gotten hers was more than enough for the other foals to torment her. Especially considering her cutie mark tended to glow in dark areas. Reaching down slowly, Warm Care lifted the blankets that surrounded Selena’s body slightly, revealing her flank. There, glowing softly beneath the sheets, the crescent moon shone back at him. The old stallion stared at it for several seconds before lowering the edge of the blanket back down. “And what were they saying about your cutie mark?” he asked her softly. “That fillies my age shouldn’t have their cutie marks yet, and since I couldn’t even tell them how I got it, they said it had to be fake.” “Well,” Warm Care began, rubbing the young unicorn’s head through the blanket. “I’m not entirely sure what your cutie mark represents about you. For all we know, you’re going to be a great moonwatcher when you grow up.” “But, I can’t see—” “But I can tell you this,” Warm Care said forcibly, interrupting the filly. “That cutie mark of yours is one-hundred percent real, and don’t let anypony tell you otherwise.” “But—” “No buts,” Warm Care said, standing up from the bed. “I can guarantee that that cutie mark of yours is the real deal. That’s your cutie mark, and you’re stuck with it. Truthfully, it’s one of the more unique cutie marks I’ve ever seen. That by itself should make you proud. It’s not some silly cutie mark like a flower or an hourglass. Nopony has a cutie mark of a moon—a glowing moon, in fact—on their flank, except for you!” “...don’t even know what it really looks like,” Selena grumbled as she lowered her book back to the bed. “Probably looks stupid.” “Don’t let a couple of bullies get to you,” Warm Care said with a smile. “That’s how they win. Just smile and ignore them. There are still other foals out there willing to be your friend. All you have to do is find and talk with them. You do that, and you’ll have friends who like you for who you are in no time!” Selena cocked her head to the side, her nose scrunching up in a cute manner. “Are you sure? I’ve tried talking with the others, but no pony wants to be friends with me. They just tend to avoid me.” Warm Care opened his mouth to reply, but the sound of the front door opening, and the stampede of little hooves, interrupted him. Glancing out at the hallway, Warm Care shook his head and sighed. “Looks like I have to go get dinner ready,” he chuckled, turning back to the young filly on the bed. “We’ll continue this talk later, okay?” Selena nodded her head, returning to running her hoof across the page of her book with a small sigh. As Warm Care left the room and headed down the hall, Selena lifted her head, turning it so that her milky eyes were staring at the open door. She kept her sightless gaze on the door for several seconds before moving it back to the book in front of her. She slowly emerged herself back into the fantasy world it provided. After a few minutes, the sound of approaching hoofsteps caused her ears to perk up. The steps were light, too soft to be Care or Merriweather’s. That had to mean that it was one of the other orphans. Keeping her head down, Selena cocked an ear, listening closely to the noise coming from the hall. Soon enough, the hoofsteps came to a stop just outside of the room. Selena’s ears twitched once as a low sigh came from whoever was standing there. She winced, recognizing the owner right away from the noise. There was only one filly in the orphanage that sighed like that. “H-hi, Honeysuckle,” Selena called out lamely, turning her head towards the door ever so slightly. She winced again as she remembered that most of the orphans hated the fact that she could tell who they were based off their breathing. It unsettled them and made them dislike her more. Sure enough, the presence she identified as Honeysuckle huffed loudly. Standing in the doorway, an annoyed look on her face, was a young filly. She was roughly the same age as Selena, but due to her earth pony blood, stood nearly a head taller than the unicorn. Her coat was a shocking yellow, contrasted by a short, black mane. She glared at Selena, who, even though she was blind, could still feel the venom behind the stare. Swallowing thickly, Selena folded her ears against her head. “Do… do you need something?” she asked, her voice cracking slightly. “Yeah,” Honeysuckle said bluntly, causing Selena to cringe beneath her blanks. “Um… w-what do you—” “Warmy said to come down for dinner,” Honeysuckle interrupted, her eyes narrowing. “So, get moving, No-Eyes.” With that, she turned and, with a flick of her tail, walked off down the hall, leaving Selena to herself. Selena frowned, listening to the retreating sound of the filly’s hoofsteps. Her throat felt a little tight, and she was having trouble swallowing. Blinking her sightless eyes, she lowered her head. “Finding friends. Yeah, right,” the dark filly muttered under her breath. “I don’t need friends.” She returned to brushing her hoof against the page of the book, feeling the tiny bumps that made up the words. She knew dinner was ready, she could faintly smell the aroma drifting down the hall from the kitchen. It smelled like Merriweather had made her special cream of broccoli soup. Selena’s stomach growled, but she ignored it. She’d rather sneak down to the kitchens later to pick through the scraps than eat by herself while the others flicked pieces of food at her. Maybe if she was lucky, Care would bring her food to her again. She wouldn’t have to leave the comfort of her room if that happened. At least, until she had to go to the bathroom. She always tried to hold it until the others were asleep. That way she wouldn’t bump into any of them on her way to and from the bathroom. Of course, there was always the rare instances when she’d bump into another orphan in the darkened halls. They would be going to get a drink of water at the same time that she was wandering. She always tried to hide when that happened, but her glowing cutie mark always gave her away. Yes, when it came right down to it, her room was the best place for her to be. Where it was just her and her books. Her books of fairy tales and fables, where the princess was always rescued, and everypony always got a happy ending. As Selena continued to ‘read’, her hoof started to come across damp spots on the dried page. She paused, blinking in confusion before continuing on, ignoring the spots. After several seconds, a soft dripping sound reached her ears. Lifting a hoof slowly to her face, Selena gasped softly as she realized her cheeks were wet. Tears flowed from her eyes, running down her face until they dripped off of her chin onto the page below. Lowering her hoof, the young filly let the tears flow, unwilling to stop them. “...nopony is ever going to like me,” she sniffled, the tears coming on stronger now. Reaching up, she pulled her blankets down further over her head, hiding herself from the harsh light shining from the fixture hanging from the ceiling. Unlike the darkness, the light couldn’t hide her. Everyone could see her for what she was: a blind freak. She could hear the other foals, laughing and shouting at one another as they headed towards the dining room. The sound of their joy tugged at her heart, causing her to cry harder. Slowly, the shadows of the room seemed to grow, inching closer and closer to the filly, hidden beneath her blankets sanctuary. “...nopony will ever love me.” Part I: Cloudy NightWarm Care trotted slowly up the dirt road, heading deeper into the orchard. He couldn't help the smile that touched his lips as he gazed around at the rows and rows of apple trees. They were in bloom, pink blossoms covering the foliage. Every so often, a gentle breeze would stir the branches, causing some of the petals to flutter to the ground. The dirt path was covered in them, and Warm Care took a little childish pleasure kicking up the discarded blossoms. Rounding a bend in the road, Warm Care perked up as he spied a farm house off in the distance. He wasn't near enough to make out any details, his failing eyesight seeing to that. Nonetheless, it was his destination, and he made his way down the path towards it. His old joints creaked as he walked, protesting on the long walk. It was a fifteen minute hike from the edge of town to the farm, and his old bones were beginning to feel it. Warm Care had just about reached the farmhouse when he stopped, something off to the side catching his eye. There, a hundred or so yards off of the path, was a large burnt patch of earth. Ash and charred pieces of wood were scattered across the blackened ground, the only remains of the building that had once stood there. The grass around the destroyed area was dry and dead. The smile had left Warm Care's face as he gazed at the burnt remains. He sighed, his ears pressing against his head as he lowered his head slightly. Casting one last look at the ruins, Care turned and approached the farm house, his good mood dampened. Climbing the steps to the wooden porch, Warm Care rested for a brief moment before raising a hoof and knocking on the front door. Once that was done, he took a step back and waited. After a few seconds, the sound of growing hoofsteps reached Warm Care's ears. The door swung open on rusted hinges, revealing a young mare with an orange coat. Her blonde mane hung in front of her eyes and cascaded gently down her shoulders from beneath an aging stetson hat. Freckles covered her muzzle, as well as a splash of yellow fur. A trio of oranges rested upon her flank, several green leaves poking out from between the fruit. Upon seeing Warm Care, the mare's eyes lit up, and a soft smile touched her lips and she leaned against the door frame. “Hello, Care. How are you doing?” she asked. Her voice was soft, and held a hint of a Manehattan accent to it. Unlike her husband, who commanded an air of strength about him, Sanguinelli Orange was best described as motherly. Where Jonagold had been firm, she was graceful. Although, she had an inner fire to her that allowed her to keep up with her husband. It had been this inner fire that had kept them together all these years. When they had first gotten together, many had thought that the relationship would never work. A mare from Manehattan and a stallion from Ponyville? It would never survive. She would be running back, crying, to her parents within a fortnight. However, Sanguinelli had proven she had what it took, and within a year she had Jonagold wrapped snugly around her hoof. She wasn't as prissy as the ponies of Ponyville had originally thought. She had showed that she was more than willing to get down and dirty, and more often than naught she could be found out in the orchard with her husband, tending to their apple trees. She helped raise barns, cared for the crops, and pulled her weight during harvest season. Warm Care returned her smile, inclining his head in greetings. “Hello, Sanguinelli. I'm doing quite well, thanks for asking.” His shoulder took that exact moment to pop loudly, and he winced. Sanguinelli covered her mouth with a hoof, stifling her laughter. “Although, my body tends to disagree occasionally,” Warm Care continued, chuckling weakly. “I can see that,” Sanguinelli said, lowering her hoof. Her smile waned slightly, and she gave Warm Care a curious look. “What are you doing this far out of town, Care? Not that I don't like talking with you,” she added quickly, “but, if you're looking to buy some apples, it would be easier on you to visit Macintosh at the stall in town. Especially at your age.” “I'm not that old,” Care muttered, pouting. Sighing heavily, he became serious. “I've actually come to check on how you and your family is doing.” The smile left Sanguinelli's face, replaced instead by a pained look. “We... we're doing okay,” she said softly, lowering her gaze. Her ears splayed backwards, and she grimaced. “We're not doing great, but we're getting by.” She trailed off, her eyes glazing over. They slowly drifted over towards the charred earth in the distance, and she swallowed thickly. “Nelli,” Warm Care said softly, snapping her out of her daze. He gave her a tender look, shaking his head. “You don't need to be strong. Not for me.” Sanguinelli swallowed again, tears beginning to well up in her eyes. “It's hard, sometimes,” she whispered, “knowing that he's gone for good. There are times I wake up in the morning and half-expect him to be in the kitchen, burning another failed attempt at breakfast. Occasionally, if it gets too quiet, I can swear I can almost hear him calling for me.” She chuckled weakly, rubbing at her eyes with a hoof. “That darn nickname of his. You know, the first time he called me that, I almost gave him a black eye. I was getting out of the shower and he just happened to walk in on me. He shouted out 'Whoa, Nelli!' and that was that. “It took me years to accept it. Did you know that?” she asked, glancing up at Warm Care. “I was brought up with the belief that the name makes the pony. I am Sanguinelli, and that's how I should introduce myself. My parents were positively shocked when they came to visit and Jonagold referred to me as Nelli. I thought they both were going to die of a heart attack, or a stroke.” As she spoke, Sanguinelli's hoof slowly went to the hat on her head, and she tugged on it absentmindedly, almost in a comforting manner. Warm Care allowed her to talk, a sad smile on his face as he listened to her ramblings. She was hurting; the whole town was, at the loss of one of the ponies that had made it home. Jonagold Apple had been well known and liked, and his death had hit Ponyville hard. When young Macintosh had come sprinting into town, hollering about a fire in the barn, nearly everypony had answered the call for help. Pegasi gathered rainclouds and raced towards the farm, while earth ponies and unicorns sprinted along the ground. It was all for naught, however, and the barn had burned to the ground in a blazing inferno, taking Jonagold with it. That had been nearly a month ago, and yet it still threw Warm Care off to not see the charismatic stallion standing behind the apple stand in town, a lazy smile upon his face. “His scent finally faded from the bed sheets days ago,” Sanguinelli said in a near whimper, tears slowly beginning to roll down her face. Warm Care pulled her into a hug, which she returned desperately. He murmured gently into her ear as he rubbed her back with a hoof. She buried her head into his shoulder, and began to cry in earnest. “I... I miss him s-so much,” she sobbed, clinging to Care like a drowning mare would a life preserver. “It's... it's j-just not the same here without him. It's not home anymore. It's just a house. I try to be strong for Macintosh and Applejack, b-but... I can't. I just want my husband back!” The pair stayed that way for several minutes, Sanguinelli cry into Warm Care's shoulder as he did his best to comfort her. Eventually, the tears tampered out as Sanguinelli regained her composure. Pulling away from Care, she rubbed at her eyes, sniffling loudly. “S-sorry, about that,” she muttered weakly. Warm Care shook his head. “Don't be. Your tears show just how much you loved him,” he said softly, pulling a handkerchief out of his saddlebags and passing it to her. She thanked him as she took it, dabbing at her eyes before using it blow her nose. Once she was done, she folded it carefully before handing it back to Care. “How are the others holding up?” he asked as he tucked the handkerchief back into his bags. Sanguinelli just laughed weakly. “You know Abigail,” she said. “She tries to put on a brave face, declining any help that anypony offers, yet I've caught her up late at night, looking through the family album. Macintosh has barely said a word since. I have to try so hard just to get a 'yes' or 'no' out of him. He just buries himself in his chores.” “And young Miss Applejack?” Warm Care asked, cocking his head to the side. “I haven't seen her around town recently. Is she doing alright?” “She's in Manehattan, staying with my sister and her husband,” Sanguinelli said. “She said she wanted to get away from it all. I think looking at the burnt remains of the barn everyday on her way to and from school took its toll on her. As did the nightmares.” “Does she plan on staying up there?” Warm Care asked. Sanguinelli sighed, glancing sideways. “I don't know,” she said, biting her lip. “I'm sure she'll come home eventually,” Warm Care said, giving her a small smile. “Just give her some time to adjust and come to terms with what's happened. She was close to Jonagold, after all.” “Those two were joined at the hip, I swear,” Sanguinelli laughed weakly, her eyes beginning to water again. “They were always running around together, causing such a ruckus that I could barely hear myself think at times. Now, however, with both of them gone, it's uncomfortably quiet. “Although, it won't be that way for long,” she said, a genuine smile spreading across her muzzle, despite the tears. When Warm Care gave her a questioning look, she placed a hoof on her stomach. Warm Care's eyes widened when he saw that her belly was distended slightly. “You're expecting?” he asked, ears perking up. When Sanguinelli nodded, a warm smile touched his lips. “Congratulations!” “Thank you,” Sanguinelli said, rubbing her stomach tenderly. “I found out a couple of days after... well, after the incident. Hopefully the foal will be able to help ease some of the pain.” “Do you know what you'll be having?” Warm Care asked, trying to stir the conversation into a happier topic. Sanguinelli shook her head. “It'll be an earth pony, that much we know. Other than that, I'm not sure if it'll be a filly or a colt.” “So, you won't have a name picked out already then, I take it?” Warm Care asked in a teasing tone of voice, smirking slightly. This earned a laugh from Sanguinelli. “You know me too well, Care,” she said. “Yes, I already have a name picked out. Appleseed if it's a colt, Applebloom for a filly.” “Well, I hope that everything goes perfectly for you,” Warm Care said. “Celestia knows, you deserve it after what you've been through.” “Thanks, Care, that means a lot,” Sanguinelli said, smiling. “So far, everything appears to be fine. The foal is healthy, and there doesn't appear to be any complications. There is only one issue though,” she said, her smile fading slightly. “The doctors were concerned about my heart. I'm sure you're aware, but I don't have the strongest of hearts. I told them, though, that I've survived two foals and the death of my husband, I can sure as sugar survive another foal!” “Well, good luck, Nelli,” Warm Care said, “and if you ever need anyone to talk to, I’m always free. Don’t be afraid to stop in.” “I will,” Sanguinelli said, smiling weakly. “Thanks again for checking in on us, Care.” “Any time, Nelli. Give Abigail my regards.” Giving her one last hug, Warm Care turned and began the long journey back towards town. Sanguinelli watched him go, a sad smile on her face. Slowly, her eyes drifted back to the charred remains of the barn, and her smile turned into a pained frown. Reaching up a hoof, she tugged the hat lower over her face, before turning and heading back into the farm house, closing the door behind her. ~ ~ ~ ~ > > < < ~ ~ ~ ~ Selena’s ears swiveled around her head quickly. She crouched defensively, her tail tucked between her legs. Her shoulder was sore, but that was to be expected after the kick she had received. Ignoring the pain the best she could, she tried to locate her attacker, but the ambient noises from the outside threw her off. The birds chirping, the wind through the trees, the cries and shouts of the other foals filled her ears, blinding her to anything else. Heart thundering away in her chest, she sank lower to the ground, trying to make herself as small as possible. She knew that the other foals had surrounded her in a large circle; their cries were coming from all around her, chanting the same thing. She was really regretting this now. What was she thinking, starting a fight with another filly outside of the orphanage? She was in unfamiliar territory. If they had been inside, it would have been a different matter, but right now she didn’t have a clue where anything was. She should have just stayed in her room, then none of this would be happening. Her ears perked up, swiveling to the right as they picked up a faint sound beneath the masking noise. She was too slow to react, however, and pain lanced up her side as she felt a pair of hooves connect to her barrel. Tumbling to the side, she yelped in pain. The foals’ cries grew louder, and they cheered happily. “What’s wrong, No-Eyes?” her attacker taunted. “Couldn’t see that coming?” Selena staggered to her feet, her side already bruising. “Come on, Honeysuckle, this isn’t funny,” she whimpered, trying to locate the filly. However, she had already disappeared back into the background noise, leaving Selena with no idea where she was. Even when Honeysuckle spoke, she couldn’t pick out her location. “I disagree,” Honeysuckle laughed. “This is hilarious!” Selena was struck again, this time from the other side. Her legs crumbled beneath her and she dropped to the ground like a rock. Spitting dirt and grass from her mouth, she struggled to regain her footing. Disoriented, she turned slowly in a circle, trying desperately to get her bearings. “What’s the matter, No-Eyes? Not used to being outside of your cave?” Selena whipped around, swinging her hoof out blindly. However, she hit nothing, and laughter filled the air. “Aw, can’t hit what you can’t see?” Tears slowly began to well up in Selena’s sightless eyes. “Why are you doing this?” she cried. “Me?!” Honeysuckle squawked. “You were the one who started the fight, No-Eyes!” Another blow to the side caused Selena to stagger again. Lashing out quickly with her hind leg, she was rewarded this time by a loud yelp as she struck something. However, her pleasure was short lived as she quickly received a blow to the back of her head. “That hurt, No-Eyes,” Honeysuckle whined as Selena rubbed the back of her head. She could already feel a lump growing beneath the mane. Why do they have to be so mean? she whimpered as the group of foals gave another cheer. I haven’t done anything to them. Why do they hate me? She was so caught up in her own sorrow that she didn’t hear Honeysuckle running at her. The only warning she received was the sound of a hoof whistling through the air it impacted the side of her muzzle, sending her to the ground for the umpteenth time. The taste of copper immediately filled her mouth as she felt a warm liquid begin to run down the back of her throat. It oozed from her nostrils, staining her lips and teeth with the foul tasting substance. Tears began to stream down her face as her nose throbbed in pain. A cheer went up from the surrounding foals, and she could her Honeysuckle laughing. As Selena pushed herself to her hooves, the world around her went eerily quiet. The chirp of birds, the laughter of foals, it all fell away to silence. Her mind was surprisingly calm, her inner turmoil dispersed. Not complete silence, though. She could still hear Honeysuckle. Months of trying to avoid her had allowed Selena to memorize the unique sound of the filly’s breathing. Selena’s ears swiveled around, locating Honeysuckle’s position. With a snarl, she launched herself through the air, hooves outstretched. She collided with Honeysuckle and wrapped her hooves around the larger filly. With a yelp, the pair toppled over onto the ground, with Selena on top. Before Honeysuckle had a chance to recover, Selena began hit her again and again and again, tears streaming down her face. She felt Honeysuckle squirm beneath her, throwing up her forehooves to try and protect herself, but Selena continued her assault regardless. She finally had her. She was going to teach Honeysuckle not to make fun of her. She was going to teach her a lesson, and nothing was going to stop her. Not the Honeysuckle, not the other foals. Not even— “SELENA!” Selena was snapped out of her daze as somepony grabbed her by the scruff of the neck and yanked her off of Honeysuckle. She yelped, struggling to free herself from the grip as it lifted her into the air. Her struggling ceased, however, when pony holding her spoke. “What in the name of Celestia do you think you’re doing?!” Warm Care asked, his tone of voice causing her ears to press against her head. He was usually very laid back. She had never heard him sound this upset before. Hanging limply in his grasp, she tucked her tail firmly between her legs. From somewhere below her on the ground, she heard Honeysuckle groaning, her cries sounding nasally. “Merriweather, if you would be so kind as to see to Honeysuckle’s injuries, I need to have a word with Selena,” Warm Care said. Selena’s ear twitched once as she heard hoofsteps draw near, followed by the gentle murmur of Merriweather whispering to Honeysuckle. Honeysuckle moaned, muttering something back, and Merriweather cooed sympathetically. Selena squeaked in surprise as she shifted slightly and a set of teeth clamped down on the scruff of her neck. She felt a slight vibration run through her body as Warm Care grunted around her fur. Swinging as he turned his head, Selena could only whimper softly as he carried her back towards the orphanage. She could hear the foals part to allow Care through, muttering softly to themselves as he passed. Their whispering just caused her to scowl. That’s all they ever did around her: laugh or whisper. Her sulking grew worse as Care paraded her around. Though she couldn’t see them, she could feel the eyes of everypony on her as they passed. Luckily, they weren’t that far from the orphanage, so she didn’t have to deal with it for long. As Care carried her up the front steps of the building, she felt him pause at the front door. She frown, confused. Why wasn’t Care opening the door and going in? It wasn’t locked; the front door was always open during the day, in case one of the foals wanted to go inside for any reason. It wasn’t until he began to shift from hoof to hoof did Selena realize what the problem was. With a sigh, she reached out and felt along the door in front of her until she found the handle. Giving it a twist, she pushed the door open for Care, who couldn’t do it without tipping forward, due to her added weight. He grunted something that could have been thanks before walking through the door, kicking it closed behind him. “Care, I can walk from here,” Selena muttered. Warm Care just snorted, keeping the filly clamped in his teeth. This just caused her to sigh as he carried her down the hall. Since her room was at the very end of the hall, it was bit of a walk to get there. The door was luckily left ajar, allowing Care to push it open with little trouble. Walking in, he deposited Selena onto the disheveled bed before reaching for the light switch. Selena sat upright as Care searched for the switch, pulling her blankets over her head in a familiar, protective manner. She burrowed herself deeper into the embrace of her sheets until only her face was visible. Finally locating the light switch, Warm Care switched it on, allowing light to fill the room. Selena flinched back, blinking once in surprise before settling back down. Turning to face the filly, Warm Care sighed heavily, rubbing at his grizzled muzzle with a hoof. “Selena, I’m disappointed in you,” he finally said. Selena lowered her head, her bangs falling in front of her lifeless eyes, yet she remained quiet. This just caused Warm Care to frown, his brow furrowing. “I know you can’t see it, but you hurt Honeysuckle real bad. I think you may have even broken her nose, as well as cracked some teeth. She’s probably going to have to go to the hospital. Is that what you wanted to do?” he asked, trying to sound cross. Yet, inside, he was shocked. Earth ponies—like Honeysuckle—were typically, on average, taller than pegasi and unicorns. They were sturdier as well. Built tougher, their strength was nearly double that of the other pony races when in their prime. Yet, Selena, a unicorn runt, was able to not only overpower Honeysuckle, but left her with several severe injuries, including a broken muzzle. Selena sniffed once, frowning as she realized that one of her nostrils was sealed shut with dried blood. Lifting a hoof to her nose, she rubbed it gently, only to yelp in pain a second later. Her muzzle was still tender. Warm Care blinked in surprise at Selena’s actions before a look of concern crossed his face. Reaching into his saddlebags, which he hadn't had a chance to remove yet, he pulled a clean handkerchief out. He approached Selena, damping the cloth with his tongue before dabbing at her nose. She recoiled, but recovered quickly. Saying nothing, she allowed him to clean her, but refused to acknowledge him further. “You know fighting is against the rules, Selena,” Warm Care said, softly this time, while he cleaned around her nostril. “Why’d you do it?” “It wasn't my fault,” Selena huffed, pulling her head out of Care’s grasp and looking away. “From what I heard, you were the one that started the fight,” Care said, gently pulling her head back around so he could finish cleaning her muzzle. “Yeah, well… she was picking on me again,” Selena muttered, pouting. Despite the blood, and the serious trouble she was in, Warm Care couldn't help but smile softly at the sight. To him, she was so cute, even when she was upset. “I told you, don’t let them get to you, hun. That’s how they win,” he tsked, double checking to make sure that he had gotten all of the blood. Satisfied with his work, he placed the stained handkerchief on the bedside table. “It was different this time, Care,” Selena murmured, her ears splaying backwards beneath the blanket. “How so?” he asked, cocking his head to the side. Selena swallowed thickly, staring at a point just to the right of his shoulder. Her eyes were beginning to water, and she tried to blink back the tears. “Honeysuckle came into my room and told me that there was a couple here that wanted to see me,” she said, her voice trembling slightly. “She led me outside, but there was nopony there. I tried to go back inside, but she disoriented me. Then, she and the others just laughed at me as I wandered around, trying to find my way back. It was when she tried to trip me that I hit her, and then she just attacked me! And the other foals just stood there, cheering her on!” Tears flowed freely down her face now, matting the fur on her cheeks. Warm Care frowned and pulled Selena into a hug, rubbing the filly’s back beneath the blanket. “I’m sorry, hun. I didn't know,” he said. “I’ll have a long talk with Honeysuckle about this, and get her to apologize—Oof!” Warm Care fell backwards on the bed as Selena shoved him away. “No!” she shouted, her face scrunching up in anger. “No more apologies, no more talks! It doesn't work, Care!” “Selena—” “No, it doesn't work, Care. Why can’t you see that?” she cried. “No matter what you do, what you say, they just continue to tease me behind your back! They hide my books from me, put bugs in my food, tie string across the hall to trip me, and move furniture around to confuse me. “It’s not fair!” she screamed, hitting the mattress with her hooves. “What did I ever do to them? What did I do to deserve this?!” Selena, enough,” Warm Care said, reaching out a hoof towards the distressed filly. “Just calm down—” “Don’t touch me!” she shriek, lashing out blindly. Her hoof struck the side of Warm Care’s face with a loud crack. Immediately, he fell backwards off of the bed. Lying on the floor in a daze, a loud ringing filled Care’s ears. He could feel blood beginning to trickle down his cheek from a small cut on his face. Selena just sat, frozen on the bed, her hoof outstretched. Her eyes were wide in shock, and she opened and closed her mouth wordlessly. Slowly, her brain processed what had just happened. I… I just hit Care. Hoof trembling, she lowered it quickly to the mattress, backing up until her flank bumped into the wall. From his spot on the ground, Warm Care groaned. I just hit Care! Panic setting in, Selena began to hyperventilate. She had just struck the only pony to ever show her any kindness. He was only trying to help, and she had hit him. I’m a bad pony. There was no way that she wouldn't be punished for this. Warm Care would hate her now, there was no way he wouldn't. And if he hated her too, then that meant that there wouldn't be a single pony in the orphanage that still liked her. There was only one thing she could do now, her panic-stricken mind concluded. She had to run, get away before bad things happened to her. If she left fast enough, she could escape before Care caught her. Thrashing about, she struggled to extract herself from within her blankets. Sheets that had once held comfort were now hindering her escape. Finally managing to free herself from the bedspread, she kicked it aside before launching herself off of the bed. She landed on the floor with a thud, staggering slightly. Moving quickly, she pressed her shoulder against the wall of her room, using it to guide herself to the open door. Once she had located the opening, she dashed out of the room. “Selena, wait!” Warm Care cried from her room, but she ignored him, hurrying down the hall. He just wanted her to come back so he could punish her. She couldn't go back. Not now, not ever. Using the wall of the hallway to guide her, she counted the bedroom doors as they rushed past. Heart hammering in her chest, breaths coming in short gasps, she had to get out. From behind her, she could hear Care calling to her, begging her to come back. The sound of hoofsteps told her that he was back on his hooves. His old bones prevented him from running, however, and she was able to put some distance between them. Reaching the main hall, she slipped on the rug, but managed to recover. She could hear Care coming down the hall after her, and she whimpered. With desperation born of panic, she began to feel along the wall, trying to locate the front door. In her frenzied state, she was unable to correctly remember its position within the room. In her hurry, she knocked over a coat rack and several chairs before managing to find the door. Flinging it open, she sprinted out the door and down the steps just as Care entered the entrance hall. She took off down the road, unsure of where she was going. If memory served, this path would take her towards the market. At this point though, she didn't care where it took her, as long as it was away from the orphanage. Away from the foals. Away from the pain. ~ ~ ~ ~ > > < < ~ ~ ~ ~ Warm Care sagged against the door frame, breathing heavily. He could only watch as Selena raced down the road, weaving slightly from side-to-side as she attempted to avoid crashing into anything she couldn't see. It didn't work, though, as multiple times she tripped upon a rock or root that protruded from the ground. He winced as she reached the end of the lane, and immediately crashed into a picket fence. She staggered backwards, temporarily dazed by the collision. Recovering, she tentatively ran a hoof over the wooden posts. Upon realizing what it was she had hit, she quickly put the fence to use, using it as a makeshift guide. Running along the fence line, she was quickly lost to view, disappearing between the buildings. Warm Care watched her go, lifting a hoof to his cheek. Tentatively, he touched the cut Selena had given him, wincing as the contact caused it to sting. A flutter of wings caused him to glance up. Merriweather landed beside him, a bewildered look on her face. “What happened?” she asked, glancing towards the path Selena had just disappeared down. I’m… I’m not entirely sure,” Warm Care muttered, blinking dazedly. Shaking his head, he pointed a hoof down the road. “Could you possibly go after her and see if you can catch her?” “I’ll see what I can do.” With that, Merriweather took to the air, soaring off to search for the fleeing filly. ~ ~ ~ ~ > > < < ~ ~ ~ ~ Celestia sighed heavily as the throne room doors closed behind the last of the petitioners. Slipping a hoof out of its golden shoe-cover, she rubbed at her scar, trying to alleviate her growing headache. Thankfully, it wasn’t as bad as the headache she got when dealing with the nobles. It was on those days that her brain felt like it was trying to burst out of her skull and escape. The sound of movement beside her caused her to open her eye. Standing beside the throne, a tray with a large bottle and several small glasses held in her magic, was her aide, Raven. She smiled, levitating the tray higher as she offered its contents to the Solar Princess. Celestia gave Raven a blank look before her eye drifted to the bottle. “Raven,” she said slowly, her voice devoid of emotion. Slowly, a small smile spread across her muzzle, “I don’t pay you enough.” Grasping the full bottle of Fireweed Whiskey in her magic, Celestia lifted it off of the tray and over to herself. “You say that every time I bring you a pick-me-up,” Raven snickered. Removing the cork with her teeth, Celestia placed the bottle to her lips and took a large gulp. It burned going down, but had a pleasant aftertaste and left her feeling a little better. Taking another, more chastised sip, she placed the bottle back on the tray. “What’s next on the agenda, Raven?” she asked. “Well,” Raven hummed, levitating a scroll in front of her and unrolling it. “You finished with the petitioners early, so you now have a half hour break before the entrance exams start.” Celestia perked up. “Oh, I do enjoy those. Do you have a list of participants?” “As I matter of fact, I made one this morning,” Raven chirped, handing Celestia a small piece of paper. Running her eye over it, Celestia hummed softly. Twinkleshine Fireburst Shining Star Twilight Sparkle ~~Beatrix Lulamoon~~ Dropped out Bright Eyes Starlight Glimmer Frosted Glass Moondancer “Hmmm, a smaller number than usual, but it should still make for an interesting afternoon,” Celestia said idly, handing the list back to Raven. “That it should,” agreed Raven, proffering the bottle of Fireweed Whiskey to Celestia, but she just shook her head, smiling softly. “No more, thank you. But, if you would be so kind, please distribute some to the guards in the room,” she said, standing up from the throne. Wincing, she adjusted the special harness that was designed to keep her bad wing folded firmly against her side. While usually comfortable, if worn for a long period of time, the wires started to dig into her flesh. Raven cocked her head to the side, giving her a confused look. “Ma’am?” “They were put through the same trauma as I was, only they had to stand there and say nothing all day,” Celestia said, smirking. “I think that’s earned them all a drink, no?” The guards posted around the room shifted, their ears perking up. “I’ll do that,” Raven chuckled, causing several of the nearby guards to smile. As she moved about to distribute the drink, Celestia descended the steps leading up to her throne. Crossing the room, she headed towards one of the side doors. “Remember,” Raven called after her, “the entrance exams start in half an hour!” Celestia flicked her ear once to indicate that she had heard, before pushing the doors open and exiting the throne room. Part I: The Night is Darkest...Thunder rumbled overhead as dark storm clouds loomed over Ponyville, rain deluging the small village. It fell to earth in large drops that almost hurt when they hit the skin. Howling wind tore through the town, throwing small pieces of trash and debris into the air. Lightning forked across the sky, jumping from cloud to cloud in a deadly dance of electricity. Every so often, a bolt would strike the field just on the outskirts of town, singing the grass. Water was beginning to pool in large puddles that were slowly growing bigger, almost threatening to begin flooding the low-lying areas. The weather team had really gone all out with the storm, almost to the point where it was getting out of control. Ponies huddled in their warm houses, watching the storm outside, or just snuggling up with their family to wait it out. Nopony was crazy enough to be outside in this weather. Nopony, but Warm Care. Staggering down the street, his eyes squinting against the pouring rain, Warm Care pulled his raincoat tighter around himself. Despite the protection, he was soaked to the bone, his fur plastered to his body. His mane hung in front of his eyes, blinding him as it clung wetly to his head. Snorting, he blew water out of his nostrils before shouting, “Selena!” The wind tore the words from his lips, taking his breath with it. Blinking water from his eyes, he tried again, struggling to be heard over the noise of the storm. “Selena!” No reply came, or if it did, his old ears couldn’t pick it up. Warm Care cursed softly under his breath, rubbing at his eyes futilely with the back of a hoof. He couldn’t see anything; the combination of wind and rain making it so he could barely make out his muzzle in front of his face. Wiping his eyes again with his hoof, he continued on his way, determined to find Selena. It had been three days since the filly had run away. Three long days with no sign of her. Care had asked around town, hoping that somepony had picked her up, or had at least seen her. However, the answer was always the same: nopony knew where she was. Of course, nopony but Care seemed to care that she was missing. After all, she was just another orphan, no real something to be concerned about. She didn’t have any parents that were missing her, nor did she have any family wanting to get her back. Most ponies just gave him an apologetic smile before returning to their day. However, there was occasionally one or two ponies that told him that they’d keep an eye out for the wayward foal. The local bakermare was one such pony, going as far as to leave a plateful of food on her front step each night, just in case Selena was out wandering around and stumbled upon it. Hopefully she was still somewhere in town. Care didn’t want to think what could happen to her if she had accidentally ambled into the Everfree Forest. Even Whitetail Woods would be bad for the blind filly. She had barely even ventured into Ponyville, let alone outside the town. If she was to enter one of those forests, there would be no way she would be able to get out without some help. No, she had to be in town. She just had to be— KRAC-BOOOOM! Care yelped, jumping in surprise as thunder roared above, catching him unawares. As he landed, his hoof splashed into a puddle, causing cold water to soak his underbelly. Groaning in discomfort, he sighed heavily before shaking himself like a dog. Water droplets flew everywhere as he tried to shake himself dry, only to become wet again an instant later. High overhead, thunder rumbled again, almost as if it was laughing at him. Trying to ignore how cold he was getting, Warm Care stepped out of the puddle and continued his slow progress down the street. He had only taken a couple of steps, when a large, steel pole suddenly appeared in front of his face. Care balked, scrambling to avoid smashing his face into the metal. Blinking, he placed a hoof on the pole, glancing upwards through squinted eyes. It took him a second to see what he had almost run into through the rain, but when he did, he groaned. He had almost run straight into the street sign for Orchard Street. He was on the opposite side of town as the orphanage, and still no sign of Selena. He was practically at the edge of town, the only thing further down the road being an abandoned cottage by a small stream. He knew she wouldn't be there; it had been boarded up for years now with no way in short of breaking apart the wood. Something a young filly certainly couldn't do. “Great,” he muttered, lowering his gaze. Glancing around, he tried to make out the surrounding area, but the rain made that near impossible. Struggling to see through the curtain of rain, Care couldn't help but laugh weakly. Despite her hatred for being blind, Selena had an advantage over him right now. She had learned to move around without her eyes; he hadn't. Turning, he slowly began to make his way back towards the heart of town. “Selena!” he called out again, his voice slowly becoming hoarse. “Selena, are you there? Selena, where are you?” Again, no reply came, and Care sighed heavily, hanging his head. He didn't know why she had run away to begin with. He usually never punished her, and when he needed to, it was more often than not just a simple timeout in her room; something that she always seemed willing to do. This time was different, however. She had been terrified of him, and it hurt inside to see that. Why had she felt the need to be scared of him? Skirting around a large puddle, Care found himself in the marketplace. The stalls had been packed up for the day, the owners back home, out of the storm. Some of them still had their awnings down, and he immediately took shelter under the closest one. Finally someplace relatively dry, he reached up a hoof to wipe his mane from his eyes, only to stop when he saw it was covered in mud. Lowering it back to the ground, he shook his head instead. Care stared out from beneath the awning, watching the cascade of water flow down the canvas top. A flash of lightning illuminated the marketplace for a brief second before a loud rumble was heard. It sounded like the storm wasn't even close to blowing itself out yet. Snorting, Care steeled himself to go back out into the rain. However, before he could, a figure darted through the curtain of water beside him. He jumped with a yelp, only to calm down when he saw the familiar face of Merriweather. She was soaked, her orange mane clinging to her face, her eyes peeking out from between the wet strands. Her coat was disheveled by the wind, the feathers of her wings and chest ruffled. Raindrops rolled off of the waterproof feathers in torrents. Shaking her head, Merriweather sprayed water everywhere. Normally, Care would have been annoyed by this, but seeing as he was already soaked to the bone, he ignored it. “There you are,” she said, ruffling her wings to try and organize her feathers. “I've been looking for you for nearly an hour! What’d you do, head over old Cornsbee’s place?” “Practically,” Warm Care grunted, shifting on his hooves. His legs were beginning to become really stiff now, and he knew he was going to be horribly sore in the morning. However, it would all be worth it if he could just find Selena. “I was at Orchard Street before I turned around.” “Anything?” Merriweather asked, giving him a tense look. He shook his head. “No, I could find hide nor hair of her anywhere. The rain is making it impossible.” He glanced over at her, chewing on his tongue. “I’m assuming that you didn't find her either, right?” When she nodded, he lowered his head and sighed. “I figured as much.” Merriweather placed her wing across his back, wincing as the sensitive underside brushed against the cold water on his rain jacket. “Come on, Care. It’s time to go back home. You've been out in the rain for almost four hours now. You’re going to catch pneumonia if you aren't careful.” “I can’t,” he said, shaking his head. “I have to find her.” Merriweather frowned. “Care, it’s been three days and nopony has seen her. We don’t even know if she’s still in town.” “She is,” Care said. “She wouldn't go anywhere unfamiliar. She’s somewhere in Ponyville. I know it.” Merriweather sighed, resisting the urge to roll her eyes. Retracting her wing, she shook it to get off the excess water before folding it against her side. “You aren't going to do anypony any good by continuing to search for her, Care,” she said softly. “We've filed the report with the guards. If they find her, they’ll bring her back. There’s nothing more we can do. Now, come back to the orphanage. The other foals are beginning to worry about you. Honey Ray was up until one in the morning last night waiting for you to return.” Care’s ears splayed backwards, and he looked away. “I know,” he murmured guiltily, “but I have to find her, Merriweather. She ran away because of me, and even though I don’t know why, I still have to apologize to her.” “Care…” Merriweather began, but was cut off as he continued speaking. “You didn't see how scared she was, Merri. She was terrified of me, and I have no idea why! It’s like she thought I was going to hit her or something! I don’t know what I did to cause her to think that was a possibility, but I have to make it right.” “I think it wasn't just you, Care, but a combination of things,” Merriweather said. “The poor dear’s been bullied since she was old enough to understand what the other foals were saying. It was just a matter of time before something like this happened. Just give it a couple of days, and she’ll be back, safe and sound.” “That’s not good enough!” Care snorted, stomping his hoof. “She’s out there right now, in this storm, alone, probably hungry, scared. I have to find her, Merri. I just have to!” “Did you ever think that she doesn't want to be found?” Merriweather asked softly, giving Care a calm look. He blinked, cocking his head tilting to the side. “What?” “Did you ever think that she doesn't want to be found?” she repeated. “You know how hard it is to find the foals in the orphanage when they don’t want to be found. You’re looking for a foal in Ponyville. I’m telling you, just give her a couple of days, and she’ll be back. Either that, or somepony will find her. “There’s only so many places a foal can hide,” she added, giving him a small smile. Care sighed, hanging his head in defeat. “Fine,” he murmured, “I’ll head back. However, tomorrow when the storm breaks, I’m going back to look for her.” Merriweather nodded. “That’s fine, just don’t forget you have other foals to look after as well.” Flaring her wings, she danced in place before, with a lunge, she darted back off into the storm. Care stood there, staring out at the rain. Reaching up, he adjusted his rain jacket, pulling it tighter around himself. Above him, thunder rumbled, causing the ground beneath his hooves to tremble slightly. Lightning filled the sky, the bolts spreading out like the branches of a tree. Casting one last glance around the deserted market, Warm Care sighed before following after Merriweather, his head hung low. ~ ~ ~ ~ > > < < ~ ~ ~ ~ Selena huddled down near the back of her makeshift shelter: a large cardboard box tipped on its side. She shivered as the wind continued to howl outside. It pulled what little warmth there was inside the box out through the various holes and slits in the sides. The top sagged horribly, so saturated with water that it dripped through and feel to the floor below. Shivering again, she pulled her tail tighter around herself, trying to gain a small amount of warmth from the worn hairs. Her ear flicked as the rain continued to pound upon the top of her shelter. She wasn't exactly sure where she was at the moment, having lost track of her position in her mad dash to escape the storm. She had been near the old library earlier. At least, she thought it was the library. It was a tree with a door, so it had to be the library. Having been there a couple of times with Care to pick out new books, she had a general idea of where it was in town, as well as the surrounding buildings. She had originally been trying to get inside of the library. It was empty during the night, so it would have been the perfect place to hide and rest. It was also near enough to the marketplace that she could search for food in the stalls. However, the door had been locked tight, and none of the windows would open. She had been contemplating using a stone to break one of the back windows when the storm hit. Seeking cover, she had raced through the marketplace as quickly as she could without bumping into anything, and took shelter in an alleyway between two buildings. From the smell of it, one of them was the flower shop. Rubbing at her eyes with a hoof, Selena sniffled quietly. Her fur was soaked and, while it was drying, it was also stealing the warmth from her coat. She felt horrible, and though she couldn't see it, she looked so as well. Her mane was disheveled and tattered, her tail in a similar state, stray strands of hair stuck out at odd angles. Snuggling down deeper into her tail, a small frown touched her lips as her stomach growled softly. She hadn't had anything to eat in a while. In fact, the last thing she had was a couple of apples she had, miraculously, stolen yesterday from the apple stall when the owner wasn't looking. She wasn't completely sure how she got away with it, but she hadn't really cared. It was food, and those apples had been delicious. Back at the orphanage, she usually never got any of the apples Care brought back with him. The other foals would take all of them and eat them before she got there. Either that, or they would leave the bad apples for her. She remembered biting into a worm once, much to the other foals’ enjoyment. But now, there had been no foals to take her apples from her, and she had been able to enjoy them. And enjoyed them she did. At least, until fifteen minutes later when she finished off the last of them. She hadn't dared to leave her hiding spot to find more food, not wanting to bump into somepony who would take her back to the orphanage. So, she remained hidden under the porch until night fell, and then she ventured forth cautiously. It was strange, really. She almost moved around better at night than during the day. KRAC-BOOOOM! Selena flinched back, her ears pressing against the top of her head as thunder roared across the sky. Whimpering softly, she buried her face into her tail, closing her sightless eyes tight. While she wasn't afraid of thunder, she didn't like how loud it was. It hurt her ears. Another burst of thunder, and she covered her ears with her hooves, gritting her teeth. Almost as soon as the thunder died down, her stomach growled in response, louder this time, causing her to sigh. Maybe she should have stayed in the orphanage. “No,” she muttered under her breath, her face scrunching up. With her eyes still closed, she shook her head, the hair of her tail tickling her nose. “No, no, no.” She couldn't have stayed there, and she couldn't go back now. If Care wasn't mad at her for hitting him, then he’d be angry with her for running away. No, there was no way she could go back to the orphanage now. Care would punish her, the other foals would tease her for running away, and she would just be miserable again. More miserable than you are now? she asked herself. She paused, thinking about it. After several seconds, she nodded her head. I’d rather be out here and away from them, than back there in that place. Snorting, she curled up into a tighter ball. Her ear twitched to the beat of the dripping water, the noise slowly lulling her to sleep. She was relaxed enough now that the next clap of thunder barely caused her ear to twitch. Somewhere in the back of her mind, an unknown yet familiar voice sung softly to her. “Now the hour has come at last, the soft and fading light, has crossed the west horizon and has bidden us goodnight…” Yawning, she slowly drifted off into a dreamless sleep. Not knowing that she was in for a rude awakening when Ms. Cake stepped outside to take out her garbage. But that was several hours away, and for now, she rested. ~ ~ ~ ~ > > END OF PART I < < ~ ~ ~ ~ Part II: Summer Sun Celebration—Present Day Celestia smiled as she watched her ponies partake in their merriment from afar. The streets of Ponyville were alive with activity, ponies running to and fro, laughing happily as they celebrated. Balloons of various sizes floated through the air; some carried by foals, others carried by the wind. Pegasi zipped through the skies above the town, showering the ponies beneath them with confetti and streamers. Sugarcube Corner had opened its doors and was now giving away free treats to anypony willing to come inside. Various goodies, most based off of the sun, were displayed around the store. The Summer Sun Celebration was now in full swing, the sun having just recently taken its rightful place in the sky. Strolling along the dirt path, Celestia moved at a steady pace towards the town, accompanied by six mares. Six special mares. She had been nervous when Nightmare Moon had returned. Well, nervous had been putting it lightly. Trapped outside of Ponyville by the Mare of Darkness’s force field, she had only been able to watch as the Nightmare had terrified her little ponies. Celestia had had a lot riding on her faithful student’s shoulders, and, despite her initial reluctance, Twilight had performed beautiful alongside her new friends. They had managed to uncover the Elements of Harmony with the old castle, defeat Nightmare Moon, and send her back into the Abyssal Darkness of Tartarus. With the Nightmare gone, her barrier had fallen and Celestia had managed to once again set hoof in Ponyville. She had immediately rushed to her student’s side, full of praise and relief. Her smile growing, Celestia watched as Twilight now galloped along ahead of her, laughing and chatting with her friends. The sight warmed Celestia’s heart. An introvert by nature, Twilight had rarely socialized with anypony unless it had something to do with her lessons. But now, as she joked around with her friends, she looked happier than Celestia had ever seen her before. Like a missing piece had filled her heart. As they headed down the path towards Ponyville, away from the Everfree Forest, Twilight glanced back at Celestia, a large smile on her face. Sunlight glinted off of the tiara perched on top of her head, the six-point gem glowing with warm light. Upon seeing the Princess watching her, Twilight blushed and quickly returned to her conversation with Applejack. Such innocence, Celestia thought, chuckling softly to herself. Never change, Twilight. As the group entered the town, ponies began to cheer and stomp their hooves, tales of the mares’ heroics having already reached them. The sea of ponies parted, allowing Celestia and the Element bearers to pass through towards the town square. A familiar figure pushed its way through the crowd, and Spike, Twilight’s assistant, emerged from the throng of ponies. Running forward, the baby dragon threw himself at Twilight, wrapping his arms around her in a hug that she happily returned. The group was swarmed by cheering ponies, flowers thrown from the crowd landing by their hooves. Two pegasi fillies emerged from the crowd, flying up to Celestia. She blinked in surprise, but smiled warmly at them when she saw the necklace of flowers held in their hooves. Lowering her head, she allowed them to slip the flower arrangement over her head and around her neck. Raising her head back up, she gave both fillies a quick peck on the forehead, causing both of them to blush. She couldn’t help chuckling to herself as the foals gave her twin smiles before rushing back to their parents. Adjusting the flowers so that they sat more comfortably around her neck, she glanced around at the sea of faces. Her gaze met joyful expressions, happy dispositions abound. The new Element Bearers were enjoying their well-deserved recognition, with the exception of the new Kindness bearer. She tried to hide beneath her mane, clearly uncomfortable with all the attention she was receiving. They still had their Elements around their necks, the golden metal glinting in the sunlight. Celestia made a mental note to acquire them for safe keeping. It wasn’t that she didn’t trust the mares, but if a thief managed to steal just one of the necklaces, then the Elements would be useless. Besides, she didn’t know of any need for them within the foreseeable future. Why burden the girls with them if they were not needed? Glancing over at Twilight, she paused upon seeing the dejected look on the young unicorn’s face. Confused at her sudden change in mood, Celestia trotted slowly over, concern in her eye. “Why so glum, my faithful student?” she asked softly. Twilight glanced up, giving her a confused look. “Are you not happy that your quest is now complete, and you can return to your studies in Canterlot?” “That’s just it,” Twilight sighed, lowering her head. Her eyes quickly flicked to the side before returning to her hooves. Blinking, Celestia glanced over to see what Twilight had been looking at. A small smirk touched her lips when she saw Twilight’s new friends standing there, watching the pair curiously. Celestia returned her attention back to Twilight as she continued speaking. “Just when I learned how wonderful it is to have friends, I have to leave them.” Oh, Twilight, she thought with a smirk. You’ve learned far more than I thought you would, and I must say, I am very proud of you. Casting one last look at the other Element bearers, all of whom now had sad looks of their own, having just realized their new friend was going to leave them, Celestia smirk turned into a genuine smile. “Spike,” she said, straightening up. “Take a note please.” As the baby dragon held up a piece of parchment and quill, Twilight gave the Princess a confused look. Ignoring her, Celestia continued. “I, Princess Celestia, hereby decree that the unicorn, Twilight Sparkle, shall take on a new mission for Equestria. She must continue to study the magic of friendship. She must report to me her findings from her new home in Ponyville.” By the time she had finished speaking, Twilight had a large smile on her face, as did all of her friends. They quickly mobbed Twilight, pulling her into a group hug as they laughed. Celestia watched, her smile growing at the sight. They truly are destined to be friends, she noted. Not even together for a day, and already they’ve become so close with one another. “Oh, thank you, Princess Celestia,” Twilight said from the middle of the pony pile. “I’ll study harder than ever before!” “I’m sure you will, my faithful student,” Celestia said as the crowd around them cheered loudly. “Make me proud.” With that, she stepped back, allowing Twilight’s friends to have her full attention. Making her way towards the town’s fountain, she stared up at the stone mare perched upon the pedestal. Water flowed gently from her mouth and eyes, splashing into the pool below. As she watched the water, Celestia sighed softly It’s finally over, Luna, she thought, her smile becoming melancholy. They have managed to do what I could not all those years ago. The Nightmare is gone, and you can rest in peace. Slowly, her gaze drifted from the fountain to the ponies around her. I wonder, Luna, would you be happy with all I’ve done? Would you smile at what Equestria has become? Her musing was interrupted by the sound of a throat being cleared beside her. Glancing around, she hummed softly. “Well, hello, Black Spark. How are you doing today?” “Splendidly,” the Archduke replied, his face expressionless. This earned a chuckle from her. “I’ve just come from the hospital. The guards that were struck by lightning have awoken, and should be released within an hour or so. Their wounds are minor, just a couple of burns and scrapes from their fall.” “Were there any other injuries caused by Nightmare Moon?” Celestia asked, her face blank. Black Spark shook his head. “A couple of scrapes and bruises from ponies running into each other, but other than that, no. We were extremely lucky.” “Yes, we were,” Celestia agreed, rubbing at her scar. “It could have been worse.” The Archduke opened his mouth to say something, but was interrupted by a pink blur zipping up to him. Staggering backwards in alarm, he snorted as he stared at the pink pony in front of him. She had the biggest smile on her face, her mane and tail looking more like cotton candy than hair. Despite the fact she was an earth pony, she barely came up to his chin. She was bouncing in place—practically in his face—and it took him a second to realize she was speaking. “...isn’t this exciting? I mean, all this fun stuff happening, Twilight gets to stay in town, and we all get a new friend! Are you excited, because I’m excited! I’ve never been so excited, well except for the time when I went—” A red magical aura surrounded her muzzle, forcing it closed with an audible ‘click’. She stopped bouncing, cocking her head to the side as she looked at Black Spark with large, curious eyes. “Stop talking,” he grunted, his eyes narrowing. A look of disgust crossed his face before it returned to normal. The mare began to mumble something, but he just increased his magic, causing her to become silent again with a wince, her nostrils flaring. “Stop,” he ordered, before releasing her muzzle from his magic. As the mare rubbed at her jaw, another voice came from above, “Hey! What do you think you’re doing to Pinkie!?” Glancing up, Black Spark blinked at the pegasus that was hovering above him; a cerulean mare with rainbow mane. She was glaring at him, an angry look on her face. “Well?” she asked, nostrils flaring. “What do you think you’re doing!?” “Asking her to be quiet,” he replied, his voice neutral. “Nicely,” he added. Other ponies were beginning to gather around, their faces curious. An orange earth pony mare wearing a worn-out stetson on her head moved to stand beneath the pegasus, a small frown on her face. Adjusting his chaperon hat, Black Spark cracked his neck before glancing at Celestia. “I’m going to check around town, make sure nothing is amiss.” “That won’t be necessary,” Celestia said. “All this work is making you too tense. Relax a bit, Black Spark. It’s a celebration, after all.” The pink mare suddenly gasped loudly, her eyes widening. In an instant, she was clinging to the Archduke’s leg, looking up at him with big, pleading eyes. “Y-you… you’re not leaving the party, are you?” she asked, her eyes beginning to water. “Why would you want to do that?” Black Spark stood stock still, his face impassive. Slowly, he turned his head, glancing down at the mare. “Let go of my hoof, gypsy,” he growled, his eyes flashing dangerously. The mare’s ears splayed backwards, and she swallowed loudly before releasing her grip on his hoof and slinking back. Lifting his hoof, Black Spark flexed it once before placing it back on the ground. With an angry snort, he turned and stalked off, disappearing into the crowd. Rainbow watched him go, a scowl on her face. “What’s his problem?” she huffed, crossing her forelegs over her chest. “Where does he get off talking to Pinkie like that? I ought to find him, and teach him a lesson!” “Whoa, there, sugarcube,” Applejack said, grabbing ahold of Rainbow’s tail and pulling her to earth. “Let’s not do anythin’ we might regret.” “You’ll have to forgive Black Spark,” Celestia sighed. “He can be rather stuck-up at times.” Twilight nodded silently in agreement. “Brutish is more like it,” Rarity tsked, shaking her head. “Calling Pinkie something as crass as that. Pinkie, dear, are you alright?” Celestia glanced down at Pinkie, who was staring after the Archduke, a bemused look on her face. Cocking her head to the side, she asked, “How did he know?” “Pardon?” Rarity asked, blinking in confusion. “How did he know that my Granny Pie was a gypsy?” “He almost has a sixth sense when it comes to it,” Twilight replied, her face scrunching up. “It’s rather creepy, actually.” “He has his quirks,” Celestia admitted. She was silent for several seconds before glancing down at Pinkie. “Come, Ms. Pie,” she said, giving her a warm smile. “I do believe we still have more of this wonderful party to experience.” ~ ~ ~ ~ > > < < ~ ~ ~ ~ Selena grimaced, her ears pressing tight against her head. The loud cheering of ponies was beginning to hurt her sensitive ears. Not only was this annoying, it greatly reduced her ability to navigate around town. Now she’d have to rely on her memory, as well as her sense of touch. Not undoable, but not her favorite means of getting around. Her stomach growled, causing her to sigh. She wasn’t exactly sure what time it was—the morning seemed to have been delayed for some reason or another—but her stomach was telling her it was about lunch time. Time to go scavenging for something to eat. Pushing herself up off of the unfolded cardboard box she was using as a resting place, she moved towards the entrance of the alley she was staying in. She brushed her tail against the wall as she walked, using it to guide herself along. Sunlight streamed into the opening between buildings, and she blinked at the sudden increase in light. Warmth spread across her face as she slipped out into the sun. Perking her ears, she concentrated, trying to hear through the sea of noise. Most of the cheering appeared to be coming from near the town square. Making a mental note to avoid that area for the time being, she turned and angled herself towards the marketplace instead. Whatever was going on in town seemed to be big, so hopefully enough ponies were distracted that she could get a decent meal without being spotted. Again. Lighting up her horn, she created a small, magical field in front of her, moving it back and forth as she walked. It was a technique she had picked up that allowed her to avoid bumping into things that may be in front of her. If the magical field came in contact with anything, she would sense it, and would be able to adjust her path accordingly. It was very useful in helping her to avoid tripping on rocks and twigs. It was also one of the only things she could do with her horn. It took her a little longer to reach the marketplace than it normally would, as there appeared to be more ponies out than usual. As she walked, she tried to pick up on what was going on, but she couldn’t understand anything with the amount of voices talking at once. Even to her expert hearing, it sounded like gibberish. Entering the marketplace, she was pleased to find that the cheering had died down to the point where she didn’t have to hold her ears against her head. From the sounds around her, she picked up that there was quite a few ponies in the marketplace, but the usual sounds of business and purchasing was absent. Instead, excited conversation filled the air. Excellent, Selena thought, tuning out the lively chatter. Hopefully they’ll all be too distracted talking to one another to notice me. Walking as nonchalantly as possible, she made her way slowly around the marketplace, counting out the steps in her head. 1, 2, 3, bench, 1, 2, 3, light post, 1, 2, 3… Skirting around the edge of the library, she headed towards one of her favorite stalls: the apple stand. It was rare that she would get an opportunity to swipe an apple or two, as there was usually a large crowd around the stall. They were such a rare treat for her that she had taken to eating the entire thing, seeds and all, just to savor as much of it as possible. It looked like today wasn’t going to be one of those days, either. When she finally managed to get to the stall, it was closed. Making sure to keep her ears perked for any approaching hoofsteps, she quickly ran her hoof over the wooden stall, searching for any leftover apples. She huffed, her ears splaying backwards when she found nothing. As she chewed on the inside of her cheek, trying to figure out her next plan, her nose twitched, picking up a faint scent. Nostrils flaring, she lifted her head, sniffing tentatively. It was food alright, she just couldn’t identify what it was yet. It didn’t matter though; food was food, and her stomach took that moment to remind her that she hadn’t eaten in a while. Allowing her nose to guide her, she picked her way carefully through the stalls of the marketplace. She paused several times when a group of ponies would draw near, waiting until they had passed by before moving again. With the wind and other scents in the air, she was almost led astray several times, only years of practice keeping her on track. Soon enough, she came across the stall that smelled strongly of the scent she had been tracking. Her ears twitched, picking up the surrounding noises. From the sounds of it, there was a pony—a stallion—tending to the stall. He appeared to be talking to a group of ponies, probably his friends. Good, hopefully they keep him distracted, she thought to herself. Slinking around behind the stall, she pressed herself up against the wooden planks. There was no change in the conversation, so she knew she hadn’t been spotted. Tentatively reaching a hoof up, she felt around the top of the stand, searching for what was located there. It bumped into something hard and she grabbed it, quickly ducking back behind the stall. Rolling the object around in her hooves, Selena studied it closely with the frog of her hoof. A frown touched her face as she realized what it was: a pear. She was at the pear stand. “Great,” she grumbled under her breath, glaring blindly at the fruit in her hooves. Sighing, she hung her head before reaching back up for another pear. She might not like them, but she didn’t want to be out during the day for very long, so she’d just grab a couple now, and go scavenging again when night fell. Hopefully all the activity around town meant a party was going on. There was always a ton of leftovers after the town’s random parties. She was reaching up for a third one when there came an angry cry from behind her. Before she could react, somepony grabbed her tail firmly. With a startled yelp, she was pulled out from behind the stand, the pears she had already grabbed falling to the ground and wobbling away. Scrabbling to get away, she froze when an angry voice spoke up from above her. “What do you think you’re doing?” Her ears splayed backwards in alarm at the voice. It was the stallion whose stall she was stealing from. This was bad. It wasn’t that nopony had ever caught her stealing before, but it was usually when she was running away. However, this stallion had her firmly by the tail. “I said, what do you think you’re doing?” he repeated, yanking hard on her tail. She yelped in pain as she was dragged back. The conversation around the marketplace had tapered off, and Selena had the sneaking suspicion that they were all looking to see what the commotion was. Her heart rate increased as she began to panic. She did not like being the center of attention. She needed to get away right now! She felt her tail being yanked on again, and bit back a cry. Digging her hooves into the ground, she struggled to get away, but the stallion’s grip was too strong. “Oh, no,” he growled. “You aren’t going anywhere, you little thief.” Her ears picked up a sudden whistling noise seconds before pain flared across her flank. She toppled over with a squeal, her rump remaining in the air due to her tail. Kicking her back legs, she tried to hit the stallion in order to get him to release her. She met only air, and her panic grew. If there was nopony within kicking distance, that could only mean one thing: her tail was being held by magic. No, not a unicorn! What’s a unicorn doing tending to a fruit stand!? “You think you can just steal and get away with it?” the stallion said loudly, anger in his voice. “I’ll teach you!” A hoof suddenly connected to Selena’s muzzle with a loud crack. Almost immediately, she felt blood beginning to flow, dribbling from her nostrils. Desperately, she lit up her horn, trying to create a barrier to protect herself. However, she couldn’t concentrate enough to form it, her fear causing the spell to flicker and die. The stallion’s hoof came down again, this time on her chest. The air left her lungs in a ‘whoosh’, leaving her gasping for breath. Around her, she could hear the other ponies muttering and whispering together, yet nopony seemed willing to step in to help her. They just watched as the stallion kicked her again, this time in the side. She whimpered, trying her best to roll into a ball with her trapped tail keeping her flank in place. Another kick, this time to the gut, left her wheezing for breath. The blood from her nose was now slowly beginning to ooze into her mouth, and she coughed as it tickled the back of her throat. She was bracing herself for the next blow when a shout suddenly rang out through the marketplace. “Rare Find, stop! It’s Black Spark!” ~ ~ ~ ~ > > < < ~ ~ ~ ~ Black Spark stood at the entrance of the marketplace, staring at the growing crowd of ponies around one of the stalls. His eyes narrowed as he caught sight of a stallion kicking something on the ground, obscured by the hooves of the watching ponies. A pained yelp suddenly reached his ears, and his eyes widened. A brawl? Here? For what reason? Ponyville was one of the friendlier towns in Equestria. Moving quickly, Black Spark stalked forward, making his way towards the crowd, his lip pulled back in a snarl. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw several of the local guards approaching as well, their armor glinting in the sunlight. As he neared, a mare in the back of the group perked up, her ears swiveling around at his hoofsteps. She glanced over her shoulder curiously, only for her pupils to shrink when she caught sight of him approaching. Turning, she shouted in a panicked voice, “Rare Find, stop! It’s Black Spark!” Immediately, the sound of fighting stopped, and ponies began to scramble to allow him through, trying to look as innocent as possible in the process. Several even bowed their heads as he neared, trying to look contrite. This just caused him to snort, his temper growing. Thus, the rats scatter, fleeing their sinking ship. As he reached the middle of the crowd, Black Spark spied two ponies: a unicorn stallion with a brown coat and white mane, and a unicorn mare, dark blue coat and mane. The stallion was standing up straight, trying his hardest to look braver than he was. He had a determined look on his face that was countered by his trembling knees. Adjusting the straining saddlebags on his back, he gave Black Spark a weak smile. Ignoring him, the Archduke turned his attention to the mare instead. She looked horrible, her mane and tail a horrid mass of knots and tangles. Her coat was covered in dirt and grime, her hooves chipped. A ragged, holey cloak covered her back and flank, hiding her cutie mark from view. She was hunched over, her mane hanging in front of her face. Drops of blood fell from her hidden muzzle, falling to the ground below in slow, even drips. He studied the mare carefully, his brow furrowing. She looked strangely familiar, but he couldn’t place where he had seen her before. Maybe during his last visit to this backwater town? Eyeing the scene before him, Black Spark snorted, his brow furrowing. “Is there a witness to this?” he growled, looking around at the crowd. Nopony moved for several seconds before a mare stepped forward, trembling slightly. Motioning the mare forward, he pointed to one of the local guards. “Give them your testimony.” As the mare moved to do so, the Archduke turned his attention back towards the pair around whom this whole incident revolved. “Well, look at this fine collection that crawled from underneath the stones,” he said, his voice cold. The stallion’s smile faded, his ears splaying back. The mare said nothing, just kept her head lowered, ears pressed against her head. She trembled slightly, her body tense beneath the cloak. More blood dripped from her nose, pooling on the ground below. The stallion licked his lips, swallowing thickly. “It’s… it’s good that you’re here, s-sir,” he stammered out. He seemed to grow more confident as he spoke, pointing a hoof at the cowering mare. “I caught this filth stealing from one of the stalls!” The mare’s ear twitched, and her head lifted slightly, just enough so that Black Spark was able to see a frown upon her face. He dimly noted that she appeared to have a split lip. “I demand that you arrest her immediately!” the stallion continued, stomping a hoof. All of his bravado fled and he shrunk back when the Archduke glared at him, his ice blue eyes narrowed. “I won’t be doing anything until we’ve settled what has happened here,” he growled. “B-but, I just told you,” the stallion said, in a whining tone, Black Spark noted with disdain. “She was trying to steal some pears, and I stopped her!” “Did you need to use excessive force to do so? From where I’m standing, she looks far worse off than you,” the Archduke responded, his eyes narrowing, “and it’s funny. I don’t hear her saying anything.” Turning to look at the mare, he asked, his tone soft, “Ma’am, do you have anything to say about this?” The mare was still for a few seconds before gingerly shaking her head, not looking up. The stallion snorted, a triumphant smile on his face. “You see?” he sneered gleefully, pointing a hoof at the mare. “Nothing to say! She’s clearly guilty!” As he lifted his hoof, his saddlebags shifted to the side. A loud ripping noise filled the air before the bottom of the bags split wide open, dumping the contents everywhere. A small, metal box fell to the ground with a clattering, drawing everypony’s attention to it. Silence fell over the marketplace as everypony stared at the box, before a mare stepped forward. She glared at the stallion, her nostrils flaring. “Hey, that’s my lockbox!” The stallion froze, halfway between bending down to pick up the box. His eyes widened, ears splaying back as he gave the mare a weak smile. “I… I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said, his voice rising in pitch slightly. “This is mine.” “Then why does it have my cutie mark on it?” the mare growled, taking a step forward. Sure enough, when Black Spark looked, the lockbox had the mare’s cutie mark on the sides: a trio of carrots grouped together. By now the stallion was sweating profusely, his eyes darting across the crowd around him. His gaze was met by angry faces, ponies muttering amongst themselves as they glared at him. Tail tucked between his legs, he chuckled weakly before suddenly bolting towards a gap in the crowd. He only managed to make it about halfway before his body was surrounded by a red aura, and he was lifted bodily into the air. As he struggled uselessly, Black Spark stalked closer, a snarl on his face. “So,” he growled, his voice so cold you could practically see his breath, “that’s you game, is it? Loot while other ponies are celebrating, then accuse an innocent mare in order to get the blame placed on her instead? I’ve got to say, that’s a new one for me.” “N-no, you don’t understand!” the stallion yelped. “She really did—” The Archduke’s magic surrounded his muzzle and forced it shut, cutting off his cries. “That’s enough out of you,” he growled. “I know what you are. A liar, and a thief. I know your kind and your trade.” He paused, taking a deep breath before continuing in a calmer voice. “You have the right to remain silent. I suggest you take it.” Relaxing his expression, Black Spark turned to the mare, that faintest of smiles touching his lips. “By your witness, ma’am, I’ll see this stallion is made to pay—” He blinked in surprise, his mouth clicking shut. The mare was gone, the spot she had been sitting now empty. The only indication that she had ever been there was a small pool of drying blood. Lifting his gaze, the Archduke looked around at the surrounding ponies. “Where did she go?” Everypony else seemed to be thinking the same thing, the crowd glancing around in confusion. Several pegasi took flight, glancing around to see if they could spot her from the air. A voice called out from the back of the crowd, “Good luck catching her. Nopony’s been able to for years!” A murmur of agreement ran through the gathered ponies, several nodding their heads in agreement. Glancing around the market one last time, Black Spark turned to one of the guards. “Head to the hospital,” he ordered. “Hopefully she was smart enough to go there to get her injuries treated. If you find her, allow her to finish getting looked at, then escort her to the guard station to get her information. Got it?” The guard saluted before hurrying off. Turning to another guard—a unicorn—he motioned towards the stallion still struggling mutely in his magic. “Take this filth back to the station and put him in holding. Process him as you see fit. This will remain local.” The guard nodded before lighting up her horn, her blue magic overriding his red. As the guard escorted the thief to the station, Black Spark glanced down at the patch of blood one last time. He eyed the crimson liquid with a look of distaste. Innocent blood has been spilt, and he couldn’t help her because she had fled. Why had she run, though? he mused. She was innocent, she why would she feel the need to flee? And why was she so familiar? He could have sworn that he had seen her before, but just couldn’t remember where. The memory was fuzzy, just out of reach. Like a long forgotten dream, slowly slipping away. Snorting, the Archduke shook his head to clear his mind. It didn’t matter. The guard he had sent to check the hospital would surely find her. Only an insane pony wouldn’t get their injuries looked at. The guard would find her and justice would be served. Lifting his head, Black Spark glanced around at the surrounding ponies. They were just milling about, trying to look disinterested, but he knew better. They were occasionally glancing at him out of the corner of their eyes, waiting for the next exciting event to happen. Bunch of pests, he growled, glaring at them. “Everypony about your business,” he barked, causing them all to jump. “Clear this garbage off the streets!” The crowd dispersed quickly, not wanting to risk the Archduke’s ire. Watching them leave, Black Spark stood there for a few seconds, just listening to the sounds around him, before turning with a sigh and heading back towards town hall. ~ ~ ~ ~ > > < < ~ ~ ~ ~ Selena pressed herself against the wall of the building, her heart pounding in her ears. Her chest hurt, her face hurt, and she could still feel blood slowly dripping from her muzzle. Several of her teeth were loose, and she was pretty sure that several more were chipped. She had snuck away from the crowd when the stranger that had stopped the beatings had been yelling at Rare Find. How she had managed to get through the sea of ponies without anypony noticing her, she didn’t know, but she didn’t care. She had somehow managed to get away, and that was all that mattered to her. Lifting a trembling hoof, she touched her muzzle gingerly, wincing when pain flared up. It hurt badly, and she wasn’t sure if it was broken or not. She whimpered softly as she lowered her hoof, her ears pressing against the back of her head. She was in pain, bleeding, and bruised, and to make matters worse, she had lost her stolen food when the stallion had attacked her. She was injured, and had nothing to show for her efforts. Her stomach took that exact moment to growl loudly, reminding her that she hadn’t eaten in a while. Sighing, she pushed herself off of the wall of the building, wincing as she put pressure on her bruised leg. She limped along the alleyway, bumping into trash bins and dumpsters as she tried to make her way through. She paused as she reached the end of the alley. Perking her ears, she listened for any indication of where she was. The chatter of ponies filled the air, as did the soft sound of splashing water. Her ears flicked as she picked up the faintest sound of a clock ticking far above her. Closing her useless eyes and hanging her head, she groaned. Somehow, she had managed to make her escape right into the town square, the one place that she had been trying to avoid. “Okay,” she sighed, taking a deep breath. She winced as her nostrils flared, bringing a fresh wave of pain. “Okay, this is fine. I’m at the clock tower. The bakery is on the other side. If I can just get over there, I can see if I can scavenge some food.” The local bakery, Sugarcube Corner if she remembered correctly from her eavesdropping, was always a good source of food. There always seemed to be random treats lying around unattended. Sometimes, if she was sleeping in the alley beside it, she would wake to find a box of cupcakes sitting on top of the box she was hiding in. Why they would throw out a whole bunch of perfectly good cupcakes, she didn’t know, but it didn’t really matter; their loss was her gain. The cupcakes would usually last her a good three days, if she could control herself. Lighting up her horn, she recreated the small, magical field in front of her. She waited until it sounded like nopony was around her before she crept out of alley. Keeping herself low to the ground, she slunk along, trying to make herself as small as possible. 1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, bench, 1, 2, 3, 4... Keeping track of her steps, she tried to keep up her mental map. If she was right, then the fountain should be right about— thunk Her hoof struck the side of the fountain as she nearly ran face first into the stone. Pausing just long enough to reorient herself, she crept around the fountain, her shoulder pressed against the cool stone. 1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3— “Nuh-uh, there is no way that Applejack can eat more cupcakes than me!” Selena froze, her body stiffening as a loud, raspy voice spoke up from close by. Probably from about fifteen feet away, and from the sound of wingbeats, she’d say the pony was airborne. She silently cursed, her ears pressing against her head. How had she not heard the pegasus before she had gotten this close? Her injuries must have been affecting her worse than she thought. Holding her breath, she sunk lower to the ground, silently praying that she would remain unseen. “Is that a challenge, sugarcube?” another, accented voice spoke up, causing Selena to wince. They were too close. There was no way they wouldn’t spot her! “You bet it is!” came the reply, accompanied by a rush of air as the pegasus flew off. The sound of hoofsteps followed as the other pony left as well. Selena waited a few seconds before moving again. Swallowing thickly, she began to inch along, trying to reconstruct her mental map. “Come on, girls. Is this really necessary?” a third voice suddenly spoke up. “Oh, lighten up, Twilight! It’s a party!” a hyperactive fourth cheered. Selena attempted to ignore them, trying to remember where the bakery was in relation to the fountain. Did she have three more steps to take, or did she need to turn to the right? Swiveling her ears around, she attempted to detect any sounds that would help her determine the building’s location. “Indeed, my faithful student,” a fifth voice said. This one caused Selena to freeze completely, her eyes widening in shock. Her heart rate quickened, and she began to hyperventilate. It sounded like the speaker was right on top of her, practically standing on her. She had to get out of there and find a place to hide. She needed to escape. However, something about the voice caused her to remain frozen in place. It was soft, yet regal, with a hint of power and warmth behind it. The kind of voice she imagined a mother would use. Selena frowned, her brow furrowing. The voice sounded oddly familiar, even though she knew that she had never heard it before. The name of the speaker was there, just out of reach, like a dream upon awakening. She tried to reach for it, but it just faded faster the harder she pushed. ...Tia? She was snapped out of her daze by the sound of the voice speaking up again. “Ah, Black Spark, there you are. Did you find anything on your walk?” Eyes widening in alarm, Selena suddenly regained control over her body. Throwing caution to the wind, she bolted, angling herself in the direction she believed, and hoped, the bakery was in. She could hear the stallion from before—the one that had saved her—say something, but she didn’t catch the words. Several times she almost tripped over something in the road, only to be saved at the last minute by her magic. The scent of baked goods filled her nose, and, flaring her nostrils, she adjusted her path towards the smell. She nearly crashed into another pony, wincing as they yelped loudly in her ear as she ran past. “What in tarnation!?” Putting on an extra burst of speed, she ran until she almost smashed into the side of the bakery, saved only by the magic in front of her alerting her at the last second. Using the wall to guide her, she quickly ducked into the side alley. It was only when she was safely within the shadow of the bakery that she relaxed. Trying to catch her breath, she searched around for the alleyway with her hooves. When she stumbled across a decent-sized box, she breathed a sigh of relief. It was just big enough to for her to hide inside. The faint scent coming from within told her that it was probably used to ship cooking supplies to the bakery, the faintest hint of strawberries and cream reaching her nose. Pulling the box over to a nearby dumpster, she placed the opening towards the metal siding before squeezing inside. Now, the only way somepony would see her was if they looked through the crack between the dumpster and the box. It was a surefire way for her to get some sleep during the day without somepony stumbling across her. Curling into a tight ball, Selena rested her chin upon her hind leg, using her ragged tail as a blanket. Her nose was still throbbing slightly, and she still hurt all over. The aroma of strawberries wasn’t doing anything for her hunger, her stomach growling softly. Hunkering down, she tried to get comfortable. She would sleep now, and try to find something to eat come evening time. Hopefully all the activity would have died down by then, and she would be able to scavenge in peace. She prayed that there was a party in town right now, because that meant that there was a higher chance of her getting something to eat. Otherwise, it might just be grass for dinner. Again. For the twelfth time this month. She hated grass; it tasted horrible and always sat like a rock in her stomach. But you had to do what you had to do to survive. Pushing her pain aside, Selena snuggled down inside of the box. She could still hear the activity going on in the square, although she had long since grown used to the noise, so it didn’t bother her. Yawning softly, she closed her eyes and slipped slowly into an uneasy sleep. ~ ~ ~ ~ > > < < ~ ~ ~ ~ As evening slowly descended upon Ponyville, the day’s festivities gradually came to an end. The town looked thoroughly used; the streets covered in ribbons and confetti. Trash bins were overflowing with garbage and half-eaten food. Ponies chatted softly with one another as they slowly made their way back to their homes, several staying behind to help pick up. Foals, tuckered out from a long day of playing, rested upon the backs of their parents. Smiles could be found on most faces, the majority of the town having enjoyed the celebration immensely. Even though Princess Celestia had had to return to Canterlot around mid-afternoon, the party had continued without her. And what a party it had been. Twilight could safely say that she had never experienced a Summer Sun Celebration like this one back in Canterlot. Trotting down the road with an asleep Spike on her back, she smiled as she chatted with her new friends. “Ugh... I think I ate too much,” Rainbow complained, hovering so low that her hooves were scraping along the ground. “I told you it wasn’t a good idea,” Rarity huffed. “I mean, really. Twenty-three cupcakes? It’s a wonder you weren’t sick.” Both Rainbow and Applejack groaned loudly. Their stomachs were distended, each having tried to out eat the other. The end result was a tie, and a twin case of stomach aches. “That wasn’t very smart,” Twilight said, glancing over her shoulder. “You probably just consumed a whole week’s worth of calories. Even though you both have rigorous jobs, you still need to watch what you eat. If you eat too much, your metabolism won’t be able to handle it all.” “What’s that supposed to mean?” Rainbow asked, her eyes narrowing. “I think she just called you fat!” Pinkie giggled, hopping along. Rainbow glared at Twilight, whose eyes widened in alarm. “Did you just call me—” she began, only to pause and glance over at Pinkie, a confused look crossing her face. “Pinkie, why do you have three cupcakes on your back?” The others paused as well, glancing at the party mare. Rainbow was right, Pinkie had three cupcakes perched upon her back. Somehow, they remained stationary even as she was bouncing along. “I’m actually curious about that myself, darling,” Rarity said. “You’ve been holding onto those cupcakes for a while now. Are you saving them for later?” “Nope!” Pinkie chirped happily. “They aren’t for me!” “Who are they for?” Twilight asked, giving the cupcakes a curious look. They had dark blue frosting around the outside with white frosting in the middle. Light blue sprinkles covered the top. “Pinkie, did you custom make these? I don’t remember seeing them on the buffet table.” “Yepperoni!” Pinkie said, bouncing in place. “I made them special!” “Really?” Twilight said, blinking in surprise. “Who are they for, if you don’t mind me asking?” Pinkie stopped bouncing, her smile diminishing slightly. “Somepony special who could use a pick-me-up.” Part II: The Shadow Thief, part 1Twilight hummed softly as she moved around the kitchen, perusing the cupboards. Opening one of the cabinets, she frown when she found it nearly empty. She closed the cabinet door gently, a thoughtful look on her face. Her ear twitched once before she called back over her shoulder, “Spike, do you want anything from the market? I need to go shopping.” A cry of affirmation came from upstairs, followed by the muffled sound of the patter of feet. Twilight smiled, shaking her head as she laughed softly to herself. Levitating a pad of paper and a quill over to herself, she began to scratch out a grocery list, muttering softly to herself as she did so. “Eggs, apples, probably could use some more milk…” Trailing off, she glanced around the kitchen, trying to see if there was anything she might be missing. The sound of footsteps behind her announced another presence, and, turning, she gave her assistant a warm smile. “Good morning, Spike. Do you have something for the list?” she asked, holding up the pad of paper. Spike nodded his head, slightly out of breath. “Yes! Can you get some sapphires from Rarity?” he asked, giving her a hopeful look. “I don’t know,” Twilight said, eyeing him. “You’ve been eating a lot of junk food since we moved here.” It was true, his diet had become increasingly unhealthy in the two weeks since they moved to Ponyville. Most ponies in the small town, having never seen a baby dragon before, were more than happy to give him any extra treats they had lying around. There was something they found fascinating about watching him eat that Twilight just couldn’t see. This meant that Spike had gained a couple of pounds around the middle, and Twilight was forced to try and get him eating right again. In order to keep him from getting worse, she had removed most of the snack food from the library, and Spike was no longer allowed to ride on her back around town. He had to walk beside her and work of the extra calories. Twilight couldn’t blame him though. There was something about the food in Ponyville that made it taste better than the food in Canterlot. It was fresher, and left her feeling more satisfied for longer. The fact that the majority of the residents in Ponyville were earth ponies probably had something to do with it. It would be an interesting topic of study, Twilight thought, her brow furrowing. Food prepared by earth ponies compared to food prepared by unicorns and pegasi. I wonder if there are any health benefits? Pinkie and Applejack are the best cooks out of our friends, while Rainbow, Rarity, and I can’t cook to save our lives… but, Fluttershy is able to prepare food for her animals. Could it be part of her special talent though? Applejack and Pinkie’s cutie marks are food related, so… is it just earth ponies are more likely to get food-related cutie marks? I might need a wider sample size. I could get a hold of the local census and take a look, maybe even the national one as well. I wonder if Princess Celestia will allow me to— She was brought out of her musing by Spike tugging on her leg. Shaking her head, she blinked before glancing down at the dragon and giving him a sheepish smile. “I’m sorry, Spike, I was miles away,” she apologized. “What did you say?” “I could tell,” Spike said, crossing his arms. “You were getting that look on your face again. Anyways, I was offer to clean the library in exchange if you would get some sapphires.” “Aren’t you already supposed to clean the library?” Twilight asked, narrowing her eyes playfully. “Why should I reward you for something that you should be doing regardless?” She had to bite her lip in order to stop herself giggling at the look of dismay that crossed Spike’s face. “Please, Twilight,” he pleaded, clasping his claws together and dropping onto his knees in a dramatic fashion. “I haven’t had any gems in over a day. I can hardly remember what they taste like!” “You’ve been hanging out around Rarity too much,” Twilight said, the corners of her lips twitching upwards as she tried to hold back her smile. “I’ll think about it, okay?” she added, already making a mental note to see if Rarity had any spare gems lying around. When Spike’s eyes lit up, she finally broke down and chuckled, shaking her head. “Don’t get your hopes up. I said I’d think about it.” “Thanks, Twilight,” he said, hugging her foreleg. “You’re the best!” Still smiling, Twilight leaned down and nuzzled the top of Spike’s head. His scales tugged at her fur, and she winced as they pulled some hair out. That didn’t stop her, though. Having lived with Spike for most of her life, she had grown accustomed to the feeling. She would gladly bear a little discomfort in order to show him that she loved him. After a few seconds, he released her leg and scampered off. Twilight watched him go, the smile remaining on her face even as he disappeared through the doorway. When she was sure he was gone, she turned back to the pad of paper, and, with a quick flick of the quill, jotted down ‘sapphires’ at the bottom of her list. “I spoil you too much, Spike,” she said, laughing softly as she shook her head. Glancing around, she double checked to see if she was forgetting anything. Not seeing anything overly important, she tore the list out of the pad, placing the paper and quill back on the table. Rolling up the list, she trotted into the main room of the library. Mentally mapping out her route and what stall she would hit first, Twilight grabbed her saddlebags out from behind the receptionist’s desk. Checking to make sure her bits were still inside, she then buckled the bags across her back. She paused to readjust the straps to a snugger fit before slipping the list into the right bag. As she put a hoof on the door, she took a moment to glance at the weather schedule posted on the wall beside it. Clear skies were planned till this evening, with a thunderstorm planned for overnight. I won’t have to worry about that, Twilight mused. I’ll be back home long before the storm arrives. “Spike, I’ll be back in a bit,” she called up the stairs, receiving a muffled shout down as a response. Humming happily to herself, she pushed the front door open and stepped out into the sun. ~ ~ ~ ~ > > < < ~ ~ ~ ~ Sitting silently in the entrance to the alleyway, Selena listened closely to the world around her. Laughter and the chatter of ponies filled the air as the residents of Ponyville went about their day. Tucked back in the shadow of the buildings, she kept her head lowered, but her ears perked. Every so often, they would twitch as she focused on the sounds of the marketplace, trying to take in as much information as possible. The faint smell of baked goods caused her nostrils to flare as she inhaled the pleasant aroma. Blueberry muffins fresh from the oven, banana bread with chocolate chips, honey glazed donuts. The mouth-watering scents were enough to make her stomach growl loudly, and Selena whined in annoyance. Several days had passed since she had last managed to find any real food to eat, and she was starting to get desperate. Last night, as hunger clawed at her belly, she had broken down and nibbled on some grass she had found in a nearby park. The bitter substance did nothing to sate her hunger. Instead, it had just given her terrible stomach pains, horrible gas, and she had awoken in the morning with a horrid aftertaste in her mouth that still refused to dissipate. She grimaced, shivering as she absentmindedly ran her tongue over her teeth. Hopefully she’d be able to get something decent to eat today, if not to get the taste of grass out of her mouth, then to get something into her stomach. The last thing she had had to eat was a soggy dandelion sandwich that had been left out on one of the patio tables of a restaurant. She had nabbed it quickly while the whole town had been in an uproar over something to do with a “Gala”. Despite being thoroughly soaked, it had still helped ease her hunger a little. It hadn’t been pleasant, though. Nothing like some of the cupcakes she would occasionally pilfer from around Sugarcube Corner, or—Maker forbid—an apple from the apple stand. A rare, delicious treat whenever she could get her hooves on one or two. At the memory of the appley goodness, her stomach growled again, louder than before. Selena huffed softly, gritting her teeth in frustration. Why was food so hard to come by? It hadn’t been like this back at the orphanage... No! Selena snorted, quickly stomping down that particular line of thought before it could grow too much. She had put that behind her. It didn’t matter what it had been like back at the orphanage; she was better off by herself than back there. She didn’t even know if the orphanage was still standing, having not wandered towards that part of town in years. Instead, she preferred to stay near the marketplace and her source of food. Speaking of which… Selena’s ears twitched and perked up as she suddenly caught some snippets of a far off conversation. “...to say, those carrots look amazing, Carrot Top,” a mare said, her voice nearly swallowed up by the ambient noise of the marketplace. “Thanks!” came the giggly reply. “I put a lot of love into them. They’re some of the best I’ve ever grown!” “And it shows. It really does. But if they are high quality, why are you selling them for so low?” “I’ve got to get rid of them, so I’m selling them in bulk for cheap,” came the reply from the mare now identified as Carrot Top. “Need to clear out some space in storage for the corn and wheat. Gotta get ready for when Applejack starts to make her cider and whiskey. Hopefully I’ll have some left over so Mrs. Cake can make some of her delicious carrot cake. “Anyways, you want to buy some...” Letting the conversation fade from her attention, Selena smiled to herself. Whenever somepony sold anything in bulk, it usually meant that they had a surplus of said product. A surplus mean that it would be easier to steal some without anypony noticing. “Looks like it’s carrots today,” she muttered under her breath, an ear flicking against her head. It wasn’t as good as apples, but it would do to fill her aching stomach. “If I can get some, that is,” she added with a grunt as she stood. Immediately, the feeling of pins and needles rushed up her legs, and she winced, giving them a quick shake to get the blood flowing again. Once she had recovered the feeling in her limbs, she pulled the hood of her tattered cloak over her head, hiding her face from view. Moving slowly, she approached the opening of the alleyway, listening intently to see if anypony was nearby. Upon hearing nothing within her immediate vicinity, she pulled her cloak tighter around herself and, with a heavy sigh, stepped out from the shadows and into the sun. Moving as silently as possible, she crept through the crowded marketplace like a shadow. ~ ~ ~ ~ > > < < ~ ~ ~ ~ Twilight hummed softly to herself as she made her way through the packed marketplace. Or, as packed as it could be for a small town like Ponyville. Having grown up in Canterlot, she could easily say that, compared to Canterlot’s central market, Ponyville’s wasn’t that bad. There were times in Canterlot that you were shoulder-to-shoulder, trying to push your way towards the shop you needed to visit. In Ponyville, the worst they had was having to wait behind four or five ponies before you could be served. It was actually a nice change of pace; it didn’t take her all day to get her shopping done. Stopping next to the fountain in the middle of the marketplace, Twilight decided to take a quick breather. She had so far managed to get most of the items on her list. As she rested, she pulled said list out of her saddlebag and consulted it, all the while muttering to herself. “Let’s see. I’ve got the eggs, apples─too bad Applejack wasn’t feeling to well, I would’ve liked to talk to her─milk, some candied cherries as a treat for later.” Running an eye down the list, she hummed as she reached the item at the bottom. “Sapphires for Spike,” she muttered, a small smile touching her muzzle. “Hopefully Rarity isn’t too busy today. I would hate to disturb her.” Double-checking the list one last time to make sure she had gotten everything else, Twilight slipped it back into her bag before turning to head towards the Carousel Boutique. She had only taken a couple of steps when she paused suddenly, something strange catching her eye. She frowned as she watched the cloaked pony creep out from a nearby alleyway, keeping low to the ground. The cloak was old and tattered, cover the pony’s entire body, with only their hooves and the tip of their tail visible. The hood was pulled up over the pony’s head, hiding their face from view. As the cloaked pony crept along, Twilight couldn’t help but notice that they moved with a slight limp, favoring their back right leg. She wasn’t sure what it was about this pony that caught her eye, but something just felt… off about them. And it wasn’t the fact that she was wearing a cloak on a beautiful summer day. Moving around the fountain to try and get a better look at this mysterious pony, Twilight blinked in surprise. They had disappeared! She had only taken her eyes off of them for a brief second, and now they were gone. Just like that. Alarmed, Twilight whipped her head back and forth, searching for any sign of the cloaked pony. How could she lose a cloaked pony in this crowd? They should be standing out like a sore hoof! Casting a quick detection spell, Twilight’s bewilderment grew. No teleportation spells had been used within her vicinity, nor any disguise spells either. It was like the pony had just disappeared into thin air. I’m not going crazy, am I? Twilight thought, frantically scanning the crowd. I mean, I’ve had trouble with hallucinations in the past, but I was very stressed at the time! I feel perfectly fine and rested. What’s going on?! Taking several deep breaths to calm herself, she continued to look for the pony. After nearly a minute with no sight of them, Twilight was just about to give up searching when the cloaked pony suddenly materialized from within the shadow of a nearby stand, causing her to leap backwards in surprise. She barely suppressed a shriek of surprise What the—!? She watched in astonishment as the pony moved slowly through the marketplace, slinking from shadow to shadow. Now that she was able to get a closer look, she could see that the pony didn’t so much vanish, but rather blend in almost perfectly with the shadows. In fact, if Twilight wasn’t looking right at them, it would have looked like the pony had just disappeared into nothing. Glancing around at the crowd, Twilight’s ears splayed sideways in confusion. Nopony else seemed to notice the cloaked pony, or if they did, they didn’t spare them a second glance. It was almost like the pony didn’t exist. Twilight frowned, her brow furrowing as she watched the pony, keeping a close eye on them. There was no way what she was seeing was possible. The pony’s cloak was brown, yet it was blending in with the shadows as if it was the purest black. There were several spells that would allow temporary invisibility, but they were very, very advanced. So advanced that even she couldn’t use them without help from Princess Celestia. And none of them worked in a manner similar to what she was seeing. She had never heard of any form of spell that would allow a pony to simply disappear into shadow. Starting to build a mental list of possible answers for what she was seeing, Twilight watched curiously as the pony slowly crept up to the carrot stand... ~ ~ ~ ~ > > < < ~ ~ ~ ~ Having reached her destination, Selena leaned against the side of the stand, trying to make herself as inconspicuous as possible. She had managed to make it to the carrot stall without any major issues, having only tripped over a large pebble once. Feeling comfortable that nopony had spotted her yet, she perked her ears and began to listen closely to the noise around her. She could hear the owner of the stall talking from somewhere in front of the stand. Most ponies liked to interact with their customers and would come out from behind the stall to talk to them. This was occasionally an advantage, as they would be too distracted to notice some of their product go missing, especially if the customer was a good friend of theirs. However, unfortunately for Selena, this wasn’t going to be one of those times. As she reached up to grab a couple of carrots, she heard the voice of Carrot Top cry out loudly, “Hey! What do you think you’re doing?” At the shout, Selena’s body tensed and she gave an involuntary whimper. Oh shit, not again! Dropping her hoof back to the ground, she prepared to run, already trying to map out her current position in her mental map of Ponyville. Before she could do anything though, a new voice spoke up from right beside her, causing her to jump in shock. She hadn’t even heard anypony approaching from that side! “There you are! I’ve been looking for you,” the voice said. It was oddly familiar, but Selena couldn’t put a name with it. It was a new voice, one that she had been hearing more often. Probably somepony who just recently moved to Ponyville. It was clearly female, and had a bit of an accent that she couldn’t place, almost sounding stuffy or stuck-up, like the mare in question didn’t know how to talk to strangers. Suddenly, Selena felt somepony throw a foreleg over her shoulders and wrap around her neck. She flinched, expecting a blow which never came. Instead the new pony just tightened their grip on her slightly, preventing her from breaking free. A warm body pressed against hers as the voice continued, “I’m glad I caught you just in time. I’ve decided that I don’t need any carrots today, so just leave those. I’ve gotten everything else, though, so we should be good to go.” Beneath her hood, Selena’s ear flicked in confusion. Had this new pony mistaken her for somepony else? “W-what?” she muttered out loud as she tried to pull herself free. This earned her another squeeze, as well as a swat on the rump by the pony’s tail. “Play along,” the pony hissed in her ear through gritted teeth. It appeared that Carrot Top shared in Selena’s confusion. “Um, Twilight? Do you know this mare?” “Of course I know her,” the new pony said, and Selena could hear the eye roll in the tone of her voice. “She’s helping me with my shopping. Spike was feeling under the weather so I got her to help me instead! Now, I don’t mean to be rude, but we’re on a bit of a tight schedule, so if you’d excuse me, Carrot Top.” With that, the new pony, Twilight, tugged on Selena, pulling her along. Not expecting the sudden movement, Selena nearly face-planted. Only the mare’s grip around her neck stopped her from tipping over. “Come on,” Twilight chirped, oblivious to Selena nearly falling over. “I have your bits back at the library. Thank you so much for the help.” Still confused as to what was going on, Selena followed blindly, allowing the new mare to drag her along. She could feel the eyes of the entire marketplace upon her, and she wanted nothing more to slink away into a nearby alley and hide. However, the mare’s next words stopped her cold. “You’re going to follow me, or I’ll take you straight to the guards, no questions asked,” she hissed in Selena’s ear. The blood in Selena’s veins nearly froze, and she swallowed loudly. She had had a couple of run-ins with the local guards in the past, and it wasn’t something she wanted to experience again. She had luckily managed to escape them every single time, but if this mare took her directly to the guardhouse, that wouldn’t be an option. The thought of being handed over to the guards was enough incentive for Selena, and she fell in step behind the mare, her ears pointed forward as she tried to keep track of the mare’s hoofsteps. She hadn’t been following the mare long when she suddenly came to a stop, Selena nearly crashing into her backside. The sound of a door being unlocked reached Selena’s ears before the mare said in a firm tone, “Come on in.” Hooves on wood told her that the mare had already entered the home. Sliding her hoof along the ground slowly, Selena searched for the doorstep. Upon finding it, she hesitated, but at the sound of the mare clearing her throat, Selena steeled herself and stepped carefully over the threshold and inside the building. The door promptly slammed shut behind her, causing her to jump and her ears to press against her head in pain. Despite not being able to see her surrounding, she was feeling a little claustrophobic. She hadn’t been in a building since she lived in the orphanage, and she didn’t like the fact that she didn’t know the layout of the house. If worse came to worse, she had no escape route. “I need to put my groceries away,” the mare spoke up, snapping Selena back to the present. Her hoofsteps grew softer as she walked away from the door and deeper into the house. “You stay right there, and don’t try and leave yet. We have stuff to discuss.” Hearing the mare leave the room, Selena swallowed before tentatively sitting down where she was. Beneath her cloak, her tail flicked once before wrapping around her body. She found some comfort from the act, but her body was still tense, her heart practically beating in her throat. There was a brief moment of silence before the sound of cupboards being open came from the next room. She half considered making a break for it, but decided against it. In all the excitement, she hadn’t been able to keep up her mental map of the area. She had no clue where she was at the moment, thus had no idea of where to go for safety. Perking her ears, she listened intently for any indications of where she was exactly. She could just barely make out the muffled sound of the marketplace, so she was somewhere nearby. That calmed her just a little. The smell of parchment and wood filled her nostrils as she sniffed tentatively. There was also a musty scent in the air as well. After about a minute, the sound of approaching hoofsteps reached her ears and Selena tensed as the mare walked back into the room. “There, now that’s done,” she said. “Now to deal with…” The mare stopped walking, her voice trailing off. Confused, Selena lifted her head slightly, ears perked. There was a brief second of silence before the mare spoke again, the confusion clear in her voice, “Why are you sitting by the door?” Blinking her blind eyes, Selena scrunched up her muzzle. “You said to stay here.” The mare huffed at that. “I meant stay in the room,” she said, and her tone caused Selena to lower her head in shame. “I didn’t mean don’t move at all. You’re allowed to come in and get comfortable.” “R-right, sorry,” Selena murmured, getting to her hooves. She took a step forward, before pausing. “Um, where are we?” she asked. “That is, if you don’t mind me asking.” She winced, silently kicking herself. This mare had caught her stealing. For all she knew, she was now inside of the guard house, getting ready to be arrested. Although, why would a guard be out grocery shopping while on duty? she mused silently to herself. And I didn’t hear any armor for that matter. “We’re in the library, of course,” the mare scoffed, almost laughing. “I would have thought all of the books would have been a clear indication.” “Y-yeah, books,” Selena said, laughing weakly. The library… There were many times within the past years that she had wanted to be inside of this building, perusing through the braille section. But now that she finally was inside, she wanted out. Badly. “Please, have a seat on the couch,” the mare said as she moved across the room. Assuming that she was heading to the couch as well, Selena made to follow the mare, only to run straight into a low table. She tripped, nearly falling over, but managed to save herself at the last second. Immediately she blushed as she felt the mare’s stare upon her. Damn it. “How could you not see that there?” the mare asked incredulously. “I realize that it’s sitting a little low, but still.” “S-sorry,” Selena whimpered, her cheeks growing hotter with shame. “I’m just… nervous.” Add in unfamiliar territory, she added mentally. “There’s no need to be nervous,” the mare said. “I’m not going to call the guards. Yet,” she added under her breath, but Selena’s hearing was still able to pick it up. That just caused her tense even more. Somehow managing to find her way to the couch without further incident, Selena sat down upon it gingerly, sitting on the edge of the cushion. She mentally noted in which direction the door was located, just in case she need to make a mad dash for freedom. It wouldn’t have been the first time. Selena bit her bottom lip, her heart suddenly aching as she thought back to her last encounter with Care back at the orphanage. However, before she could get further distracted by the memory, the mare cleared her throat before speaking. “I guess first things first. I’m Twilight Sparkle. I run the Golden Oak Library.” The mare paused, and it took Selena a second to realize that she was waiting for her to speak. “Oh! I’m, um… m-my name is Selena,” she said, stuttering slightly, playing with the hem of her cloak. “Would you like some tea, Selena?” Twilight asked. Selena’s ears picked up the quiet chime of a unicorn using magic, and she sagged. If this mare was a unicorn, there was way that she would be able to get to the door before being caught again; her magic was too weak to successful fight back. Resigned to her fate, Selena leaned back on the couch and pulled her cloak tighter around herself. “No, thank you,” she sighed. “You know, you can take the cloak off, if you’d like,” the mare, Twilight, said as she prepared her own tea, the spoon ‘clink’ing softly against the cup. “Actually, I’d feel better with it on, thanks” Selena muttered, lowering her head. She heard the mare─Twilight, she reminded herself─shift slightly in her seat. “Suit yourself,” she said before taking a sip of tea. Selena heard her shift again before she continued, “Do you want to tell me what was going on back there in the marketplace?” “I… I was looking to buy some carrots,” Selena lied quickly, her right ear twitching beneath her hood. “Really?” Twilight deadpanned. There was a loud ‘clink’ as she set her teacup down. “It didn’t look like you were going to buy them.” Selena fidgeted, feeling Twilight’s eyes boring into her. She bit her lip, but stayed silent. Twilight sighed loudly. “Look, you can either talk to me, or you can talk to the guards,” she huffed, before her tone became softer. “I’m not trying to get you in trouble, Selena. I’m just trying to figure out what’s going on and offer any help that I can.” In the pause that followed, Selena remained silent. “You weren’t really going to buy them, were you, Selena?” Twilight said quietly. Selena whimpered pitifully. “Why?” Twilight asked, not unkindly. It sounded like she was generally curious and concerned. Truthfully, Selena was confused. This was the first time somepony wasn’t shouting at her for trying to steal something. She was so befuddled by this that she answered before she could stop herself. “I was hungry.” As soon as the words left her mouth, she winced, mentally kicking herself for the slip. Remember, you don’t know her so don’t give her anything to use against you! “So why not just buy the carrots, then?” Twilight asked, the confusion clear in her voice. “They aren’t that many bits. In fact, they were on sale as well, if I remember correctly. Surely you could have spared the bits?” Selena resisted the urge to roll her eyes. “I don’t exactly have that many bits to be spending on stuff.” She paused, before adding under her breath, “More like no bits at all.” “Really?” Twilight asked, sounding suspicious. “What do you do for a living?” “I don’t really have a job,” Selena muttered, ears pressing against her head. She heard Twilight tsk softly. “Well, why not?” “It’s… complicated,” Selena said softly, tapping her hooves together anxiously. “I… I don’t want to talk about it.” Twilight was silent after that, and Selena fidgeted nervously. She didn’t like the silence, as it was difficult to tell what the mare was thinking. Eventually, just as Selena was about to try and break the silence, Twilight spoke again. “I’m sorry I brought it up, Selena,” she said, and Selena was surprised to hear genuine concern in her voice. “I won’t press the issue, but if you’re having troubles, please don’t be afraid to tell me. I’d be more than happy to help in anyway I can.” Selena blinked in surprise at that before her brow furrowed. “Why?” she snapped, suddenly wary. “What would you want in return?” “N-nothing,” Twilight stuttered, clearly caught off guard. “Why would you think I wanted something?” “Nopony is willing to give something for nothing,” Selena growled, her sightless eyes narrowing as she turned her head in Twilight’s general direction. “But I don’t want anything from you,” Twilight assured quickly, trying to calm her down. “I just want to help, honest!” Selena continued to glare in her direction for a few more seconds before sighing, her expression softening. “I don’t need your help,” she muttered, lowering her head again. “Okay,” Twilight said softly, “but just so you know, the offer still stands. The library is always open to you.” Silence descended upon the room as both mares just sat there. Unsure of how to continue the conversation, Twilight opted to take a sip of tea instead, her slurp sounding unnaturally loud in the stillness. After several more tense minutes of silence, Twilight awkwardly cleared her throat. “Do… do you mind if I ask a few more questions?” ~ ~ ~ ~ > > < < ~ ~ ~ ~ For the next few hours Twilight continued to ask the cloaked mare questions, trying to find out as much about her as possible. She was dying to find out how the mare was able to practically vanish into the shadows, but with how tense Selena looked, Twilight felt it best to not asking her about it just yet. Instead, she started out by asking simple questions. “Where do you live?”, “How long have you been in Ponyville?”, “What do you do for fun?”. With each new question, however, Selena continued to give vague answers, or just refused to answer altogether. As frustrated as she was by the lack of answers, Twilight didn’t want to push the mare too much. It was clear that she had fallen upon some hard times recently, and the last thing Twilight wanted to do was add undue stress. As they talked, Twilight took the time to study the mare. She couldn’t make out much beneath the cloak, and Selena kept her hood up, hiding her face from view. Only the tip of her muzzle was visible, or her hooves whenever she played with the hem of her cloak. She was a unicorn though, of that Twilight was sure. Whenever she lowered her head, there was a slight bulge in the hood where a horn would be. As questions kept coming, Selena appeared to slowly become more and more tense. Everything came to a head when Twilight asked, “So, Selena. What’s your cutie mark?” The question caused Selena to inhale sharply, her sightless eyes widening beneath the hood. “I-I think it’s time for me to get going,” she stammered, standing up quickly. Twilight blinked in surprise at the suddenness of the statement. Glancing at the cloak on the mantle above the fireplace, her eyes widened in shock. Oh goodness. Is it really that time already? She needs to get home before the storm hits. “Oh, I’m terribly sorry,” Twilight said, standing up as well. “It seems that time got away from me!” “It’s fine,” Selena said, giving a half-hearted smile. She inched closer to the door, her tail tucked firmly between her legs. “I’ll… I’ll just be going now.” Twilight watched with a frown as Selena slunk to the door. Despite the fact that she had been unable to learn much about the mare, she still felt bad for her. It was clear, to Twilight at least, that she was going through a rough time in her life and─even though she had a feeling that Selena would never admit it─she needed a friend. Truthfully, she kind of reminded Twilight of herself back before she came to Ponyville: reclusive and withdrawn. She may have been new to this whole social thing, but Twilight could clearly see that Selena hadn’t been comfortable around her. She wouldn’t even look at Twilight at all during their conversation; she just glanced in her general direction. Twilight was pulled out of her thoughts by the clock on the mantle beginning to chime out the hour. The noise caused Selena to flinch. Upon realizing what had startled her, she sighed heavily before continuing towards the door. She’s worse than Fluttershy, Twilight mused, rubbing her chin with a hoof. If only there was something that I could do to… help... Twilight froze, her ears perking up as an idea slowly began to form in her head; an idea of how to help Selena. A large smile spread across her face and she cried out loudly, “That’s it!” Her sudden outburst caused Selena to jump into the air with a yelp. Upon landing, she let out a low whimper. “Sorry,” Twilight apologized, covering her mouth with a hoof. Her cheeks heated up with embarrassment. “I just remembered. My friends and I are planning a picnic in a couple of days. How would you like to join us?” This caused Selena to pause, her hoof already on the door handle. She glanced back at Twilight, and, although most of her face was still hidden, Twilight could just barely make out a confused frown on her muzzle. “W-what?” “Would you like to join me and my friends for a picnic?” Twilight repeated, giving her a warm smile. “It’s suppose to be a nice day and we figured we’d do something fun together.” “And you want me to come along?” Selena asked, sounding like she couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Beneath the hood, unseen by Twilight, her sightless eyes narrowed. “Why?” Twilight blinked at the question. “Well, I figured it would give us another chance to hangout and get to know one another better,” she answered truthfully. Selena was silent for several seconds before asking, “What about your other friends? Surely they wouldn’t like you bringing along a complete stranger.” “Oh, they won’t mind,” Twilight said, waving a hoof airily. “In fact, if you’d like, I can introduce you to them. Besides, I’m positive they’d like to meet my new friend.” At the word ‘friend’, Selena inhaled sharply, her heart skipping a beat. Her body locked up, and her useless pupils shrunk to mere pinpricks. She momentarily forgot to breathe. “F-friend?” she whispered, swallowing thickly. Her ears pressed against her head as her mind started to race. Friend? She called me her friend!? But… but we just met today. She knows nothing about me! For Maker’s sake, she caught me trying to steal food. Nopony wants to be associated with a thief. Why does she want to be my friend? What’s she playing at? She’s… she’s just trying to get me to lower my guard. That has to be it. And then, when I’m not expecting it, she’ll call the Guard on me. ...but what if she’s telling the truth and she really wants to be friends? I know nothing about being friends with anypony! At the orphanage, all the foals avoided me, and living on the streets doesn’t give you many opportunities to make friends. What am I supposed to do? How am I supposed to act!? Unaware of the turmoil going on inside of Selena’s mind, Twilight just gave her another smile and nodded. “Yes, friend,” she said, snapping Selena out of her panicked daze. “I’d like to be friends, if that’s okay with you.” Selena just stood there, hoof on the door and her mouth opening and closing wordlessly. Her mind was in chaos, and her heart was pounding away in her chest. Swallowing again, she became aware of the fact that her throat was suddenly very dry. She opened her mouth to say something─anything─but all that came out was a stammered, “I… I… I…” A frown touched Twilight’s lips and she gave Selena a concerned look. “You don’t have to answer right now,” she said quickly, trying to calm down the clearly overwhelmed mare, “but if you’re up for it, just come to the library this Friday around noon. We’re all meeting here before heading to the park.” Barely hearing what was being said and with the world slowly falling apart around her, Selena just nodded her head dumbly. With her mind in a turmoil and her paranoia running rampant, she had to get out of the library soon, or she was going to lose it. “I’ll… I’ll do that,” she wheezed, her voice cracking slightly. Not giving Twilight any time to respond, Selena quickly pulled the door to the library open and stepped outside. A large part of her half-expected a bunch of guards to be waiting for her outside. There weren't any, however. In fact, from the sounds of it, there were barely anypony left in the marketplace either. Too agitated to really make anything of that little bit of information, Selena quickly hurried off in the general direction of Sugarcube Corner. She needed comfort and a place to hide. Her head was beginning to pound, and she could feel a migraine coming on. A whisper, so soft that she couldn’t make out what it said, echoed through the deep recesses of her mind. “Prithee, why wouldst thou want to be friends with us? Doest we not frighten thee?” Gritting her teeth, Selena scampered off down the road blindly, nearly tripping several times as she raced towards her only sanctuary in the world: her rundown cardboard box. ~ ~ ~ ~ > > < < ~ ~ ~ ~ Standing in the doorway, Twilight watched Selena hurry off down the road. Far above, dark storm clouds rolled and rumbled, the promised storm raring to go. Lightning forked across the sky, followed swiftly by a loud crack of thunder. Twilight winced, her ears pressing against her head. She felt awful that she had kept Selena to the point where she had to race home, but she had lost track of time. Despite the fact she had learned very little about the mare, it was still nice to talk with her, even if it was overall a one-sided conversation. She had been a little wary of Selena at first, unsure what to think about the cloaked mare she had witnessed trying to steal food in the marketplace. She wasn’t sure what had stopped her from taking her straight to the guards, but in the end she was glad she didn’t. As the cloaked form of Selena disappeared in the distance, Twilight rubbed her chin thoughtfully. A flicker of doubt crossed her mind, causing her to frown. What if Selena’s timid behavior was all an act, something to make Twilight pity her instead of turn her in. She could have just let a criminal run free without so much as a warning. No, Twilight thought, shaking her head. Nopony’s that good of an actor. If she wasn’t sure before, she was now. Selena wasn’t a criminal; she was a lone, tired mare who just needed a shoulder to lean on. A friend to help her and support her. And Twilight was more than happy to be her friend, if Selena would allow it. “Besides,” she added as she closed the door with a ‘click’. Outside, rain slowly started to fall, the deluge slowly increasing until it pounded away on the windows. “If worse comes to worse, I’ll just go to the guards. It shouldn’t be too hard to track her down again.” Moving deeper into the library, Twilight listened to the sound of the storm outside. “I do hope that Selena made it home safely,” she said as she moved towards the stairs. Spike was probably upstairs, either napping or reading one of his comic books. From the looks of it, he had managed to finish his chores for the day, and Twilight winced as she realized she had never gotten around to stopping by Rarity’s to get his sapphires. “I’ll just have to pick them up tomorrow after the storm lets up,” Twilight muttered to herself as she climbed the stairs. “I’m sure he’ll understand. After all, it was for a good reason.” Her mind drifted back to Selena, and a large smile slowly spread across her face. “Eeeee, I can’t wait for Friday,” she squealed quietly, nearly bouncing with joy and falling down the stairs. She was going to be able to introduce Selena to her friends, and hopefully find some friends for Selena in return. Oh, she couldn’t wait. After all, if she could help Selena make a friend or two, that would make a great friendship report for Princess Celestia. ~ ~ ~ ~ > > < < ~ ~ ~ ~ The storm slammed into Ponyville like a freight train. The residents huddled inside, sleeping out the storm. Foals, too scared to sleep by themselves, huddled beneath the sheets of their parents’ bed. The skies were dark, and lightning illuminated the town in flashes of brilliant light and ear-shattering crashes. Rain rushed down in sheets, reducing the visibility to barely a few feet and thoroughly soaking everything. Water pooled in low areas, slowly flooding the waterlogged town. Luckily, Sugarcube Corner had been built on high ground. Curled up in a tight ball, the sleeping form of Selena huddled in the far corner of her box. She slumbered uneasily, her dreams filled with demonic guards and laughing mares. Several tattered, moth-eaten blankets covered her body, trying and failing to keep her warm. The rain continued to pound against the roof of the box. The soaked material was beginning to sag, water starting to seep through and dripping upon the semi-dry floor below. A puddle was gradually beginning to creep its way towards the sleeping mare. Lightning flashed across the sky again, followed swiftly by a crash of thunder that seemed to shake the very ground. Selena shifted restlessly, whimpering in her sleep. As the echoing rumbles ceased, the side door of Sugarcube Corner suddenly cracked open and a pink head poked itself outside. Mane instantly plastered to her face, Pinkie glanced around, squinting to try and see through the torrent of water. Upon seeing the soaked box sitting next the dumpster, she pulled her head back inside before pushing the door open fully. She stepped outside, instantly becoming drenched by the torrential downpour. The cold water beat upon her pelt, stealing the warmth from her body. She shivered, but steeled herself. Comfort would come later; right now there was work to be done. Pushing aside her discomfort, Pinkie stepped further outside into the rain, a determined glint in her eyes and a rolled-up umbrella clenched firmly between her teeth. She approached the cardboard box, her hooves sinking into the mud with each step. Reaching the box with some difficulty, she leaned down and peeked inside, one bright blue eye glancing curiously around the interior. Upon seeing the prone form of Selena, she withdrew her head. Keeping the umbrella clenched in her teeth, Pinkie proceeded to clamber up on top of the dumpster, her hooves slipping and sliding on the slick metal. It took her a few seconds to find her footing, but once she did, she stood up on her hind legs and, taking the umbrella from her mouth, slipped the handle into a custom-made holder that was bolted into the brick wall. Double-checking to make sure the umbrella was secure, she then opened it with a flick of her hoof. Immediately, the rain falling down upon the cardboard box ceased, blocked by the umbrella above it. Leaning forward quickly to catch the dry towel that tumbled out of the now-opened umbrella, Pinkie got down off of the dumpster. She made sure that the towel stayed under the cover of the umbrella at all times, keeping it dry against the rain. Peeking into the box again, she watched Selena sleep for a few seconds before, as gently and deftly as she could, she reached inside and began to use the towel to dry up as much excess water as possible. As she worked, she kept a close eye on Selena. When she suddenly shifted, Pinkie froze. Selena rolled over in her sleep, a soft snort coming from her as she snuggled deeper beneath her worn out blankets. Pinkie was still for a few more seconds before continuing her work. Once she was finished drying as much as the cardboard box’s floor as possible, Pinkie wrapped the rag around her hoof. Reaching a hoof into her sopping mane, she pulled out a plastic container which had a cupcake inside. It was a regular chocolate cupcake with dark frosting and red sprinkles. Three cherries rested on top of the frosting. Cracking open the lid, Pinkie carefully placed the cupcake beside Selena’s sleeping form; not close enough that she’d roll over it in her sleep, yet near enough that she should notice it in the morning. Placing the now-empty container back into her mane, Pinkie withdrew her head. She glanced upwards towards the umbrella, double-checking again to make sure that it wasn’t going anywhere. Rain pounded down upon the umbrella’s fabric, running off the sides in miniature rivers. However, no water reached the cardboard box that contained the sleeping Selena. Pinkie smiled, pleased with her work. With that, she turned and quickly made her way back to the side door from which she had emerged before. Getting out of the rain, she glanced back over her shoulder at the box beside the dumpster, and the umbrella above. She made a mental note to grab the umbrella tomorrow once the rain stopped before closing the door. The storm continued to rage, rain beating down upon the fabric of the umbrella. Lightning ripped across the sky once more, thunder roaring after it. Within her box, Selena shifted beneath the blankets, her sleep becoming more restful as the nightmares ceased. Her breathing become steady and her muscles relaxed. She continued to slumber on, unaware of what had transpired around her. Part II: The Shadow Thief, part 2“This is a bad idea,” Selena muttered to herself, pulling her tattered cloak tighter around her body. Even though the sun was shining and it was a warm summer day, she still felt a slight chill run down her spine. Friday had come too soon for Selena. She had barely gotten any sleep for the past three days, fretting over what was about to happen. So caught up in her inner turmoil was she, that she had forgotten to look for food. Something her stomach was not pleased with. Unfortunately, that made Twilight’s offer even more tempting—even though it was too good to be true—and so here she was, currently standing outside of the library, debating whether or not she should knock upon the door. There was no way that it was as simple as Twilight had made it out to be. Show up at the library and get free food? There was a catch. There was always a catch. In Selena’s experience, nothing got you nothing; everything—even food—had a price you needed to pay in the end. She was just waiting for the other shoe to drop. It wouldn’t be the first time something like this had happened to her. Nearly a year ago, a mare had approached her when she had been relaxing in her cardboard box one afternoon. The mare had expressed concern that Selena was sleeping out in the alleyway, and had offered to give her a room for the night. Naively, Selena had accepted. The mare had been true to her word, and Selena had been given a bed for the night. What the mare hadn’t mentioned was the fact that Selena was going to be sharing the bed. With a stallion. Needless to say, upon feeling the stallion start to grope her, Selena had made a run for it, breaking the stallion’s muzzle in the process. She had moved her cardboard box to the location she was at now, and hadn’t left it for four days. Even then, she scavenged only at night and didn’t stray far from box for the next couple of months. Now, another mare was offering her help again, and here she was, falling for it... again. First she catches me trying to steal some food. Then she forces me to follow her home and asks me a bunch of random questions. Once that’s was over, she then invites me to come with her and her friends on a picnic, Selena mused, shifting back and forth on her hooves. It doesn’t make any sense! What’s she planning? She has to be planning something! Her instincts—the same ones that had kept her alive for the past ten years—were now screaming at her to run, to get away from the library and the mare inside. To get away from her false promises and offers. There was something about the situation that felt wrong; the whole thing stunk of deception, and her gut was telling her that she shouldn’t go through with it. It was too good to be true. However, despite how much she wanted to run away, her hooves wouldn’t budge. No matter how much she urged them to move, or how much she willed herself to turn and run, she remained rooted to the spot right outside of the library. A tight feeling in her chest—the same feeling that had kept her up for several nights—caused her to feel lightheaded, and she took a shaky breath. It had taken Selena awhile to finally work out what the feeling was. She faintly remembered it from her time in the orphanage. It had been the feeling of longing. A longing for a friend, for somepony to want her, and to care for her. A longing to matter to somepony. A longing to not be alone any more. Slowly, as soft as a spring breeze, a small ember of hope flickered to life deep within her chest: hope that Twilight’s offer had been truly been genuine. A friend… an actual friend. Swallowing thickly, Selena raised a shaky hoof and knocked weakly upon the door. The faint sound on the other side ceased instantly, and Selena felt a momentary spike of panic before pushing it down. She had come this far, might as well go a little further. If worse came to worse, she’d just make a run for it. She had done it before, she could do it again. Her ear twitched once as the muffled ‘clop’ of hoof grew steadily louder before the door handle turned with a soft ‘click’, and the door swung open. Selena braced herself for whatever was about to happen. “Selena, you came!” Twilight cried, and even though Selena couldn’t see her face, the smile was clearly audible in Twilight’s voice. The response hadn’t been one that Selena had been expecting, and she blinked before scrunching up her face in confusion. She’s… happy to see me? “I was hoping you’d join us,” Twilight continued, oblivious to Selena’s bewilderment, “and here you are! You’re a little early, though.” “S-sorry,” Selena stuttered, her ears folding back beneath her hood. She had no way to tell what time it was, and it hadn’t even crossed her mind that Twilight might not have wanted her to show up before the designated time. Had she screwed up already? “I… I didn’t know the—” she paused, biting her lip before quickly correcting “—I lost track of the time.” “That’s fine. It happens to me too, on occasion,” Twilight said, waving her hoof nonchalantly. “I can leave and come back later if you want,” Selena offered, taking a tentative step back. “Oh, no. You don’t have to do that,” Twilight chirped. Moving to one side, she motioned for Selena to enter. “You can just wait inside until everypony else shows up. They should be arriving shortly, and then we’ll head off to the picnic.” Moving carefully, Selena was able to maneuver herself through the library door without bumping or tripping over anything. As she passed by Twilight, she caught a whiff of the faint fragrance of lilacs. For some reason, the scent calmed her nerves slightly. “I… I didn’t bring any food with me, sorry,” Selena muttered as she walked further into the library. Subconsciously, she began to map out the layout of the room, her horn glowing softly beneath the hood. In the well-lit room, it was almost impossible to see that she was casting. “That’s alright,” Twilight chirped happily, closing the door behind her with a ‘click’. She gave Selena a warm smile that went unnoticed by the blind mare. “You didn’t have to bring anything. I did kind of spring this on you at the last minute.” When Selena didn’t return the smile, Twilight trailed off, her ears splaying off to the side. An awkward silence fell over the library after that as Selena moved her head back and forth, taking in the sounds of the library. She noted dimly that there was some faint vibrations coming from somewhere beneath her hooves. Probably from a basement of some sort, she figured, glancing blindly at the floor. The sound of hoofsteps beside her drew Selena out of her observation, and she turned her head to listen as Twilight walked past. “You can take your cloak off, if you’d like,” Twilight said. “It’s supposed to be a nice day, and you might get a little warm with it on.” “I’d rather not,” Selena said stiffly, subconsciously pulling it tighter around herself. Twilight paused before shrugging her shoulders. “Suit yourself.” She moved towards the coffee table, on which she was partway through assembling a picnic basket. Various sandwiches wrapped in paper were laid out on the table, and Twilight began to carefully pick them up and place them neatly in the basket, organizing them by size. “I hope I have something you’ll like,” Twilight said to Selena as she continued to work on filling the basket. “I completely forgot to ask you what you liked during our last meeting, so I made sure to make a wide variety of sandwiches.” “Are they all edible?” Selena asked, her head turned to the side as she listened to Twilight work. Twilight paused, giving her a confused look over her shoulder. “Yes?” she said, the word sounding more like a question. “I mean, my cooking skills aren’t that bad. I’m pretty sure I can make edible sandwiches.” “Then they’re good enough for me,” Selena muttered. This earned her another confused look from Twilight, but right as she opened her mouth to ask what Selena meant, there came a knock at the door. “Hey, Twilight. You in there, sugarcube?” a voice called from the other side. Selena’s ears twitched, and her brow furrowed slightly. The voice sounded slightly stuffed, as if the owner was getting over a cold. Still, there was no mistake that familiar twang. There was only one family that spoke like that around here. “Yeah, egghead. You in there or what?” A second voice spoke up, this one raspy sounding. Selena’s ear flicked again. Like the first voice, the second one was familiar, but she couldn’t identify the owner. Twilight, however, recognized the speakers immediately and perked up, a smile spreading across her face. “Yes, I am. I’m just finishing up getting ready,” she called out to the ponies on the other side of the door. “You girls can come in, if you want. The door’s unlocked.” There was a ‘click’, and Selena’s ear twitched as the door swung open. One pair of hooves entered the building, confusing her slightly until she heard the soft sound of wingbeats; one of the new arrivals was a pegasus. “Hello, Rainbow. Applejack, are you feeling better?” Twilight asked as she walked past Selena to greet her friends. “Better than Ah was,” the first visitor replied with a sniffle. “Wish mah dang nose would clear up, though.” Not wanting to get in between Twilight and her guests, Selena turned her attention to the food Twilight had been packing. Tentatively, she leaned down and sniffed at one of the sandwiches. She could smell some daisies and green peppers, as well as what could be tomatoes. Her stomach growled at the scent as her mouth began to water. Fooooood… Maybe, just maybe, this might work out for the best after all. “Hey, Twilight...” the second, raspy voice said before suddenly trailing off. The pause that followed caused Selena to lift her head in confusion, tilting it slightly to face the direction the voice had come from. Silence filled the library for a brief moment before... “YOU!” The shout caused Selena to flinch, her sightless eyes widening in shock as she took a step back from the food-covered coffee table. Was I not supposed to— The sound of flapping wings filled the air, and, before she had any time to react, something slammed into her side hard. The wind was knocked out of her in an instant, and she toppled sideways onto the floor. She struggled, only to squeal loudly when a hoof suddenly smashed into the side of her face with a loud ‘crack’. “Rainbow!” she heard Twilight shriek from somewhere close by, but the ringing in her head was making it hard to pinpoint the exact direction. Another blow—this time to her muzzle—caused her head to whip back. Instantly, blood began to flow from her nostrils. A metallic taste filled her mouth, causing her to gag. Through the pain, the disorientation, and the ringing in her ears, Selena was barely able to think, let alone react. I should have known! she thought as she lifted her hooves to defend herself. Twilight tricked me! She lured me here just for this! Berating herself for her own foolishness, Selena attempted to stave off the coming blows, shielding herself as best she could with her forehooves. However, before any more hits could land, her attacker was forcibly pulled off of her with a yelp. Taking advantage of the lull, Selena scrambled dazedly to her hooves. Her horn sputtered before lighting up as she tried to map out the room for a quick escape. There were three ponies in the room with her: Twilight plus two others. One—the pegasus—was currently sprawled out on the floor a few feet away. The other one was an earth pony who was standing crouched by the door, guarding it. A nearby window was open, and that immediately became her escape route. However, before she could move a muscle, the pegasus was back on her hooves and flying straight at her. Selena cried out, raising a hoof to protect herself from the incoming attack, but the blow never came. A magical barrier suddenly descended around her, trapping her within a dome of magic. The pegasus smashed into the barrier with an angry shout, and began to hammer away at it. “Rainbow, what the hay!?” she heard Twilight cry, her voice shrill. Even muffled by the magical barrier, Selena could still hear the anger in it. “What’s the matter with you? Why did you attack her?” “Why the hay are you defending her?” the raspy voice demanded as the pegasus stopped beating on the dome of magic. “She’s had this coming for a long time now! She deserves this!” “What are you talking about?” Twilight asked with a snort, her anger giving away slightly to confusion. As the pair argued, Selena pressed a hoof experimentally against the barrier, testing its strength. It flexed slightly, but other than that, it proved to be sturdy. There was no way she was getting through the barrier, but there was no way the pegasus was getting in. A gilded cage, really. Protected from the outside world, but trapped within. Lowering her hoof, Selena coughed, only to grimace as the coppery taste of blood filled her mouth. Reluctantly, she spat it out on the floor, hoping that Twilight was too distracted to notice the action. Heart racing, the sound thumping away in her ears, she quickly turned her attention to figuring a way out of her current situation. ~ ~ ~ ~ > > < < ~ ~ ~ ~ “Come on, Twilight, drop the barrier,” Rainbow snarled, kicking the magical dome. It flared as her hoof struck it, only to return to its rosy color. Rainbow huffed before kicking it again. “I’m gonna pound her into the ground.” “I think not!” Twilight cried, glaring at her friend. “I am not lowering the barrier until somepony explains what is going on.” Her horn glowed brighter as she increased the barrier’s thickness another inch or so. Rainbow blinked, before her brow furrowed. She aimed another kick at the barrier, only to think better of it and lower her leg instead. “Ah’m with Rainbow on this,” Applejack grunted, rubbing her muzzle with a hoof. She sniffed before continuing. “This filly needs a good thumpin’. Ah’ve lost some bits because of her.” “What do you mean? What did she do?” Twilight asked, not taking her eyes off of Rainbow, who was glaring at the trapped form of Selena with unbridled fury. The look scared Twilight slightly, although she wouldn’t admit it. In the short time she had come to know her friends, she had never seen Rainbow look this angry before. Whatever Selena had done, it must have been bad. Twilight glanced sideways at Selena, eyeing the cloaked mare with a frown. She needed more evidence before she passed judgement on the mare. The barrier remained strong. Applejack sighed. “Twi, Ah know that you’re new tah Ponyville and all, but—” “She’s the Shadow Thief!” Rainbow snarled, banging on the magical dome with her hooves. The sudden barrage caused Selena to jerk back, and she pressed herself against the far side of the shield with a whimper. “‘S-Shadow Thief’? She… steals ponies’ shadows?” Twilight repeated, her annoyed look shift to one of confusion, and she glanced at Selena again. As she watched, blood dripped from the tip of Selena’s muzzle and landed on the floor, joining the growing number of bloody splotches on the wooden surface. “No, she doesn’t,” Applejack said, rolling her eyes. “She’s just called that because tryin’ tah catch her is like tryin’ tah catch a shadow. She damn near impossible to catch.” “Yeah,” Rainbow grunted, “she’s been stealing from the shops and stands around Ponyville for, like, years. Nopony has been able to catch her, because she just runs and disappears into the side streets.” Striking the barrier one last time before stopping, she floated backwards and crossed her forelegs over her chest, proceeding to glare at Selena. Applejack moved to stand beside her, nodding grimly. She was glaring at Selena as well, although with less intensity as Rainbow. “She’s been stealing for years?” Twilight asked, her eyes narrowing. When she had first caught Selena stealing, she had thought it was because she had fallen on hard times, but if what her friends were telling her was true, Selena had been stealing for far too long for it to be financial. “She’s gotten a couple o’ apples off of me as well,” Applejack continued. “Also stole an entire bushel when Applebloom was runnin’ the stand. Ah was about ready to yell at her too, until Ah saw this varmint slinkin’ off with the basket on her back.” “But now you’ve actually caught her,” Rainbow said, a large smirk spreading across her face. “We finally turn her over to the guards. This is awesome!” “No!” Selena shouted suddenly, stumbling forward and placing her forehooves on the barrier. “It’ll serve you right, thief!” Rainbow shouted back. “Shouldn’t have tried to sneak into the library and steal our food!” “She didn’t sneak in,” Twilight said, giving Selena a calculating look. Rainbow’s smirk vanished as her face went blank. “What?” “She didn’t sneak in,” Twilight repeated. “I invited her. I met her in the marketplace several days ago and brought her back here. We talked for a couple of hours, and I invited her to come to our picnic.” “Egghead,” Rainbow groaned, covering her eyes with her hooves. “I know you’re new to this whole “making friends” thing, but you don’t invite thieves to picnics. You call the guards on them!” “Nopony is calling any guards until I—” Twilight began, only to be interrupted as the front door swung open again. In walked the rest of their friends, Rarity leading with Fluttershy trailing behind. Pinkie bounced along, a large smile on her face. “Sorry for being late, darling,” Rarity said before rolling her eyes. “Pinkie Pie just had to stop for—” They never found out what Pinkie had to stop for, because at that exact moment Rarity froze, a look of horror on her face. A shrill gasp escaped her lips before she pointed at Selena and shrieked, “What is that horrid, wretched thing!?” “Shady!” Pinkie gasped loudly before her smile grew. “I didn’t know you were going to be coming as well!” “O-oh… oh my,” Fluttershy gasped as she stared wide-eyed at the blood stains on the floor beneath Selena. The library immediately descended into chaos as everyone started talking over each other. “Horrid! Disgusting! A crime against fashion!” “Now I can figure out what your favorite cupcake is!” “Oh, you poor dear!” “Need to teach her a lesson about stealing!” “It needs to be burned at once!” “I’ve been guessing, trying to figure out based on how quickly it disappears—” “I think there’s a first-aid kit around here somewhere.” “—totally not cool!” “The holes! The frayed edges! The color! Ugh!” “—it’s really been hit or miss, though. But now I can ask you!” “Um, e-excuse me, Twilight, but where do you keep the first-aid kit… i-if you don’t mind me asking?” “—go get the guards!” “Quiet!” screamed Twilight, her voice echoing around the room, causing everyone to wince. Trapped within the barrier, Selena clasped her hooves to her ears and gasped in pain as the shout was amplified by the magical dome. Once the room had fallen silent, Twilight glared around at her friends. “Thank you. Now, if we could all be civilized for a few minutes, there are some things I want to get sorted out.” Pausing for a moment to take a breath, she then turned to look at Rainbow and Applejack. “Now, first things first. You two said that she’s a thief, and that she’s been stealing from the stalls around Ponyville for several years, correct?” “More like a decade, but yes,” Applejack grunted, causing Rarity to gasp. Fluttershy just inched closer to the barrier, a piece of cloth held in her mouth. “Yeah!” Rainbow added loudly, flaring her wings. “She’s nothing but a—” Twilight’s horn glowed, and with a ‘click’, Rainbow’s mouth closed and was held shut by a rosy aura. “A simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’ will suffice, Dash,” Twilight chastised, causing the pegasus to glare at her. Ignoring the glare, Twilight turned to Pinkie next. The party pony was staring at Selena, bouncing on her hooves with a large smile on her face. “And how do you know her, Pinkie?” she asked. “That’s easy, silly,” Pinkie chirped. “Shady lives out behind Sugarcube Corner!” “Wait, ya know where she lives?” Applejack asked as Rainbow’s eyes widened and she waved her hooves around in the air. “Well, duh!” Pinkie scoffed, rolling her eyes. “I know where everypony lives! I mean, if I didn’t, that wouldn’t be very good. I wouldn’t be able to continue leaving cupcakes around for her, would I?” “Wait… that was you?” Selena asked softly, her voice muffled by the shield. “Why didn’t ya tell the guards were she was then?” Applejack snorted, her eyes narrowing. “They have posters up all over town askin’ fer information about her!” “B-but Shady’s not a bad pony,” Pinkie whimpered, her ears splaying back. “She just needs a friend.” Applejack slapped a hoof to her forehead, groaning in annoyance. “Pinkie, she’s been stealin’ mah products—” “We can discuss that more later,” Twilight interrupted loudly. Upon seeing Applejack glare at her, she sighed, her ears folding against her head. “Look, Applejack. I realize that it’s your livelihood we’re talking about, but I want to get all the information first, okay?” Applejack snorted loudly, only to suddenly dissolve into a coughing fit. After a few seconds, she nodded her head and rasped, “Alright, Twi. Ah trust ya.” “Thanks, Applejack,” Twilight said, giving her friend a soft smile. However, he smile quickly disappeared and was replaced with a serious look as she turned her attention to Selena. Eyeing her through the rosy barrier, she took several steps forward before beginning to talk. “Selena?” she began, causing Selena to perk up and lift her head. When she glanced in Twilight’s general direction, she continued. “Is it true that you’ve been stealing food from the stands in the marketplace?” Selena was silent for a while, fidgeting nervously with her hooves, before giving Twilight a shaky nod. “Y-yes… yes I have,” she squeaked, her voice barely above a whisper, “but—” “You see?!” Rainbow shouted, finally managing to pry her mouth open. “She admits it! She’s—” Another rosy cloud covered her mouth, silencing her again. Twilight glared over her shoulder at Rainbow before returning her attention to Selena. “You were saying?” she asked, her voice gentle. “I… I have been s-stealing,” Selena repeated, stumbling over the words. She paused, swallowing thickly as she tried to remain calm. However, her heart was threatening to burst from her chest. She was surrounded, capture by six ponies that she knew little about. Oh, I knew this was a bad idea. Selena, you stupid, stupid pony. Taking a deep, rattling breath, she continued, “Yes, I’ve been stealing, but I-I only did it in order to eat.” “Ya could try, I don’t know, payin’ fer ya food,” Applejack deadpanned, causing Selena to flinch. “I don’t have any bits,” she whimpered, lowering her head until the hood covered all of her face. “What was that?” Twilight asked, leaning forward with her ears perked. “I… I don’t exactly have any bits,” Selena said, louder than before. Even so, Twilight could barely hear her through the barrier. “Then ya get a job like the rest of us!” Applejack snorted, stomping her hoof. “Doing what?” Selena asked, turning her head slightly in Applejack’s direction. “Nopony’s going to hire me.” “Why’s that?” Twilight asked, trying to keep her tone as calm and gentle as possible, something she learned from watching Princess Celestia dealing with upset dignitaries. If she could make Selena feel as comfortable as possible, she was more likely to cooperate. Pinkie was being surprisingly well behaved, simply bouncing up and down on the spot with a smile on her muzzle. Rarity was eyeing Selena’s cloak with unconcealed contempt, and Fluttershy was practically pushed up against the barrier, the cloth still held lightly in her mouth. The only ponies she had to worry about was Rainbow and Applejack. Hopefully she could keep their tempers in check long enough to get Selena feeling more comfortable. However, despite Twilight’s gentle tone of voice, the question seemed to cause Selena to lower herself closer to the floor. She seemed to be trying to hide all her body beneath the ratty old cloak. “I-I…. never went to school…” she groaned, trailing off towards the end. “But, that’s impossible. Princess Celestia created the Compulsory Education Act nearly eight-hundred years ago, and it clearly states that all foals must attend primary school,” Twilight said, her brow furrowing as she frowned. “Failure of a parent or guardian to do so is punishable by law.” “Yeah, well… I didn’t,” Selena huffed. Beneath her cloak, she wrapped her tail around her body in a protective manner. “Well, what’s your cutie mark, then?” Applejack asked. “Surely that could tell ya what you’re good at?” “No!” screamed Selena, her head whipping up. “Nopony’s looking at my cutie mark!” She scrambled backwards until her flank pressed up against the far wall of the barrier. Gathering her cloak in her hooves, she pulled it tight around her. In doing so, one of her forelegs was revealed for a brief moment before she managed to hide it back under her cloak. However, she wasn’t quick enough for it to escape Twilight’s eyes. “Whoa, easy girl,” Applejack said, taking a step back. “Ah didn’t mean anythin’ by it.” “Nopony’s looking at my cutie mark,” Selena repeated, her entire body trembling. With a pained grunt, Rainbow was finally able to pry her jaws open for a second time. Quickly fluttering over to the barrier, she sneered through the rosy aura at Selena. “Trying to hide your cutie mark, huh? Why? What are you trying to hide? Huh? Huh?! I bet it’s—” “Selena, is there something you’re not telling us?” Twilight asked, interrupting Rainbow for the third time, to which Dash just threw her hooves in the air and let out a frustrated growl. Twilight ignored her, continuing to stare at Selena. Her eyes narrowed as she studied the trapped mare closely. Selena stiffened before slowly turning her head in Twilight’s direction. She licked her lips before swallowing visibly. “I… I don’t know what y-you’re talking about,” she squeaked out. Twilight’s eyes just narrowed more. “Can you show me your foreleg, then?” she asked. “In fact, could you just talk off your cloak so that we can get a proper look at you?” “And so that we can burn that hideous thing,” Rarity hissed under her breath. Twilight watched as a frown crossed Selena’s muzzle, and she somehow pulled the cloak tighter around herself. “The cloak stays on,” she said. Her voice was surprisingly firm, none of the previous timidness present. Blinking in surprise, a frown crossed Twilight’s muzzle. “Look, Selena. I’m trying to see both sides of the story here. What you’re doing is wrong, but I’m trying to give you the benefit of the doubt here and say that you had a good reason for doing it. However, you have to help me out and meet me halfway.” When Selena didn’t budge, Twilight sighed. “How about this? If you take off the cloak, I’ll lower the barrier. Deal?” Selena’s frown deepened, but her grip on the cloak loosened slightly, causing a small smile to flicker across Twilight’s muzzle; she could tell that Selena was giving it some thought. Lowering her head, Selena fidgeted slightly, playing with the hem of the cloak. She continued this for a while in silence before glancing up. “Why?” she whimpered. “Pardon?” Twilight asked, blinking. “Why?” Selena mewled. “Why are you doing this? Why do you care so much?” “Because that’s what ponies do?” Twilight replied uncertainly. “They help one another.” “No, they don’t!” Selena cried loud enough to cause Fluttershy to jump back away from the barrier in fright. “They don’t help. They never help. Ponies just lie, and cheat, and hurt. They take from you even when you don’t have anything left to give, and then kick you while you’re down. The only time somepony helps somepony else is when they want something, so what do you want?!” By the end of her tirade, tears were dripping down Selena’s face and falling to the bloodstained floor below. The room was silent as everyone stared at her. Pinkie was no longer bouncing, her smile faded. Fluttershy had backed off, moving to stand by Rarity, whose glare had softened into a look of confusion. Even Applejack looked unsure of herself, nervously shifting from hoof to hoof. The only pony that held their look of anger was Rainbow. Twilight glanced over at her friends, but when all she received was a shrug from them, she returned her attention to Selena. Ears splayed back, she took a step forward, only to pause as she realized she didn’t know how to handle the situation. Licking her lips, Twilight sighed heavily. “Because, I’m your friend… and I want to help.” Selena froze, the hem of the cloak falling from her grasp. “F-friend?” she asked weakly, her voice cracking halfway through the word. “Yes,” Twilight replied gently, a warm smile on her face. “A couple of days ago when we first met, I offered to be your friend. That offer still stands.” “B-but why?” Selena choked, tears still falling from her face. “A-after everything you just heard…” “Because you look like you need a friend,” Twilight said, “and that’s what Princess Celestia sent me here to do. Make friends. If I can help you out by doing so, that’s even better.” Selena fell silent again, chewing on her bottom lip. Her indecisiveness was clear, and Twilight sighed heavily. “Here,” she said softly, the magic around her horn fading. A moment later, the barrier around Selena winked out of existence. Rainbow’s wings twitched when the barrier fell, but a withering glare from Twilight kept her from pouncing. Fluttershy twitched as well, but kept her distance. She hid behind Rarity, a mixture of worry and nervousness crossing her face. Having had her flank pushed up against the dome of magic, Selena staggered backwards when it vanished. She managed to get her hooves back under her in time, and stood there, her legs splayed apart slightly. A look of disbelief crossed her face, which made Twilight laugh softly. “There, I’ve lowered the barrier,” she said, giving Selena a small smile. When Selena’s head moved to the side, Twilight glanced over her shoulder. Her eyes widened when she saw the open window that Selena was obviously eyeing. “Please,” she said quickly, turning back to face Selena, “don’t run. I just want to help, I swear!” Selena flinched at the loudness of Twilight’s voice before relaxing a miniscule amount. She licked her lips before speaking. “So… I just need to take off my cloak?” she asked, her voice hoarse. “For the moment, yes,” Twilight replied trying to keep her tone as friendly as possible. She didn’t want Selena bolting, not after they had gotten this far. “I just want to see what you look like. After that, we can sit down and discuss this like civilized ponies.” She put extra emphasis on the last part, glaring over her shoulder at Rainbow. Rainbow snorted and crossed her forelegs over her chest, retuning the glare. She muttered something under her breath that sounded like an insult, but Twilight couldn’t hear what she had said. Selena swallowed again, steeling herself. She took a shaky breath before nodding her head weakly. “A-alright. I’ll… I’ll do it.” Trying to keep her breathing steady, she slowly lifted a hoof and unfastened the clasp of her cloak. She fumbled briefly with the clasp before managing to open it. Shrugging her shoulders, she allowed the cloak to slip off of her back and onto the floor. As the cloak dropped from Selena’s withers, Twilight’s eyes widened and her mouth dropped open in shock and horror. Around her, similar reactions could be seen on her friends’ faces as well. Rarity covered her mouth with a hoof, stifling a gasp. Pinkie’s mane immediately lost its usual volume, now hanging limply around her shoulders. Rainbow, forgetting to keep herself aloft, landed on her flank with a ‘thump’. Applejack looked horrified. Fluttershy looked close to being ill. Unable to form any coherent thoughts at the moment, Twilight could only stare at Selena with horrified fascination, unable to look away. Her coat—which looked like it could have been a lovely shade of dark blue—was covered in a thick layer of grime and dirt. She was caked with so much dust and debris that Twilight couldn’t even see her cutie mark. Her body was thin, horribly thin to the point that it could not, in any way, be healthy. Her ribs were clearly visible through her patchy coat, as were her spine and hip bones. There was barely any fat anywhere on her. To Twilight, it was more than clear now that Selena hadn’t been exaggerating. She wasn’t stealing for pleasure: she was stealing to survive. The horror didn’t end there. Cuts and scrapes covered her emaciated body, several of them obviously infected. Her long mane—a darker shade of blue than her coat—hung about her face in a tattered and disheveled mess. A horn poked from between her bangs, the appendage cracked and chipped. Her muzzle was slightly crooked, and looked like it had been broken in the past. Fresh bruises and cuts adorned the side of her face where Rainbow had attacked her earlier. Out of the corner of her eye, Twilight could see said pegasus eyeing the injuries with an uneasy—almost guilty—expression. And lastly, there was her eyes; Twin milky-blue orbs that stood out in stark contrast with the dark colors of her coat and mane. Twilight had only seen eyes like that once before in her life, and she knew instantly what it meant. Unable to stop herself, she blurted out, “You’re blind?!” As soon as the words had left her mouth, Twilight mentally kicked herself. Of course Selena was blind. It was painfully obvious now that she thought about it. The way she had never looked directly at anypony when talking. How she seemed to always stumble along, unsure of where to put her hooves. Even those moments of silence where only her ears moved under the hood. Looking back now, Twilight couldn’t believe that she hadn’t noticed before. One of her grandparents was blind; she should have recognized the signs immediately. At Twilight’s words, Selena blinked, and her ears swiveled around to point in Twilight’s direction. An uneasy look crossed her face, and Twilight could see her body tense slightly. Her tail tucked itself between her hind legs in a defensive manner. “Um… y-yes,” she stuttered out, her voice cracking slightly. Twilight’s eyes widened again. Missing teeth were clearly visible when Selena spoke. What has this poor mare been through? Applejack grunted, the look of uneasiness leaving her face as her eyes narrowed. “Wait, so you’re blind and still able tah steal from mah cart?” At Selena’s nod, Applejack chewed on the inside of her cheek for a few seconds before sighing. “As much as Ah don’t want tah admit it, that’s downright impressive right there.” This caused Rainbow to give her a disgruntled look. “What?” Applejack asked. “Look, Ah’m not saying that she’s forgiven. Ah’m just sayin’ that Ah’m impressed she can steal from mah cart and get away even though she can’t see!” “You’re making me sound better than I am,” Selena muttered, wilting slightly as she felt everyone’s gazes land on her. “I… I don’t exactly have the best track record.” “Ah’d say,” Applejack said, her hard look softening slightly. “Ya look like a small breeze would blow ya away. Ah can see why ya been stealin’. Might have tah have granny make ya up somethin’ to eat.” “Applejack!” Rainbow finally cried, giving her friend an incredulous look. “She’s a thief! You don’t help ponies like that!” “Rainbow, ya idjit, look at her!” Applejack snorted, pointing a hoof at Selena, who shifted uncomfortable at the attention. “Thief or not, that’s not healthy! Nopony would intentionally allow themselves tah starve like this. Ah’m not sayin’ that Ah forgive her, but Ah’m not going to condemn her! My pa didn’t raise me like that!” Rainbow snorted, but lowered her head and backed down. Twilight opened her mouth to agree with Applejack’s point, but before she could, Pinkie whimpered loudly. “If I had known you were this hungry, I would have left more cupcakes and muffins lying around,” she said, giving Selena a sad look. “Pinkie, I know you meant well, but she doesn’t need sweets,” Twilight chided. “That could end up making her very sick in her present state.” When Pinkie lowered her head, looking for all the world like a kicked puppy, Twilight sighed. Moving over, she gave her friend a hug. “Don’t be sad, Pinkie. I know you meant well.” Shifting nervously from hoof to hoof, Selena swallowed thickly. “Um… w-what—” However, before she could as her question, Rarity finally managed to find her voice. “Oh my stars, darling!” she cried, causing Selena to jump. “Your coat! Your coiffure! It’s simply dreadful! It’s… it’s... I’ve never… seen… oh my…” Unable to express what she was thinking in words, Rarity could only stare at Selena, aghast. Lifting up a hoof, she began to fan herself. “Her coat?” Fluttershy yelped. She looked at Rarity, her eyes beginning to water. “What about her body?” Opening her wings, she quickly fluttered over to Selena, causing the blind mare to flinch back in surprise. An alarmed look crossed her face but vanished into a look of confusion as Fluttershy began to tenderly exam several of her wounds. “Oh dear, these don’t look good,” Fluttershy whimpered as she inspected a large scratch on the side of Selena’s barrel. “Several of these are heavily infected! They need to be cleaned and cared for. You need medical attention right away!” Turning her head, she called over her shoulder to Twilight. “Where do you keep the first-aid kit?” Selena’s eyes widened and she stumbled backwards, flailing her hooves. “T-that’s quite alright! I’m fine—” “I agree. She needs medical attention,” Twilight said quickly, cutting Selena off, “but the medical kit won’t do any good with how severe those wounds are.” A determined look flashed across Twilight’s eyes. Her horn lit up and she lifted Selena’s cloak, draping it over the blind mare’s body. “What the—” Selena yelped as the hood fell over her head. She scrambled backwards, managing to get herself more tangled within the holes and tears of the material. As Selena struggled to free herself from the confines of the cloak, Twilight moved beside her and began to gently, yet firmly, push her towards the door. “We have to get you to the hospital,” Twilight grunted. When Selena didn’t budge, she used more force. “I don’t need to go to the hospital,” Selena protested, her voice muffled by the cloak. “I’m telling you, I’m fine!” “Yeah, and Ah’m an alicorn princess,” Applejack snorted, moving to help Twilight nudge Selena along. “T-this is unnecessary!” Selena cried. She tried to dig her chipped hooves into the floor, but she was unable to get any traction. In a last-ditch effort to escape, she shouted out, “I’ll call the guards!” “No ya won’t,” Applejack grunted. “Come on, girl. We’re, oof… trying tah help ya.” “This is getting ridiculous,” Twilight grumbled. Stopping her attempt to get Selena to the door, she stepped back and lit up her horn. A rosy glow surrounded Selena and, with a yelp, she was lifted off her hooves and into the air. Having the pony she was trying to shove suddenly gone, Applejack stumbled and face-planted on the ground. Selena immediately began to freak out. “Put me down, put me down, put me down!” she squealed, flailing her hooves around. “I can’t feel… I think I’m going to be sick… which way is down?!” Ignoring Selena’s cries, Twilight trotted quickly to the door, Selena floating effortlessly behind her. “There! Much more efficient,” Twilight said, nodding twice. Opening the door, she slipped outside, levitating Selena along with her. The others just gave each other bemused looks before following after Twilight. Part II: Dream of the MoonPeeking through the ophthalmoscope, Blue Cross peered first at one golden eye, then the next. The pupils shrunk underneath the light, and Dinky squirmed. Blue Cross cooed softly, holding the filly’s head steady with a hoof. She repeated this process several times before lowering the device and leaning back. “Well, everything looks good,” she said, giving Dinky a warm smile. The small filly blinked her watering eyes before rubbing them with her hooves. Her muzzle scrunched up in a cute manner, causing Blue Cross to laugh softly. Beside the examination table, Ditzy smiled weakly, her wings fluttering by her sides. She shifted from one hoof to another before timidly asking, “So, does she...?” Unable to finish the question, she trailed off. Biting her bottom lip nervously, she glanced away, one of her eyes staring at the floor while the other looked at the far wall. Blue Cross offered her a reassuring smile. “Still no signs of strabismus, Ms. Hooves,” she assured. “Her eyes are perfect.” At those words, a large smile broke out across Ditzy’s face. She squealed happily before grabbing Dinky up in a huge hug and nuzzling her cheek enthusiastically. “Mom~!” The filly whined, trying to wiggle her way free. This just encouraged Ditzy to snuggle her more. Blue Cross watched the display of affection with a smile. Placing the ophthalmoscope down on the counter, she picked up a clipboard that held all of Dinky’s medical information. She ran a quick eye over it, humming softly to herself as she reviewed the info. “Everything else looks fine as well,” she said. Ditzy paused and glanced up, her ears perked. “Her height is fine,” Blue Cross continued, running a hoof slowly down the chart. “She’s a little small for her age, but that’s fine. She’ll start growing more in a few years when she starts to go through puberty, so nothing to worry about there. Her weight is also fine, but do keep an eye on what she’s eating. She’s a little overweight, but it’s not in the unhealthy range yet.” Holding Dinky out at leg’s length, Ditzy gave her daughter the stink eye, narrowing her bad eye and glaring at her daughter in faux disappointment. Dinky squirmed in her mother’s grasp before smiling sheepishly. “I can’t help it! Muffins are delicious!” Ditzy continued glaring at her daughter before her expression softened and she sighed. “Well, at least I raised you to have good taste.” “Well, there are worse things she could be snacking on,” Blue Cross said with a nod. “Luckily, summer has just started. Just make sure she stays active, and I’m sure she’ll be fine.” “That won’t be too hard,” Ditzy assured as she placed Dinky back on the examination table. “She’s already a very active filly.” “Yeah!” Dinky chirped, nodding her head enthusiastically. “Pinchy and I already have plans next week! There’s an old creek on the edge of White Tail Woods, and we’re going to go hunting for breezies!” “Just make sure you’re safe,” Blue Cross told her as Ditzy nodded in agreement. “I don’t want to see you confined to a hospital bed due to a twisted hoof, especially with all the wonderful weather that’s planned.” “Don’t worry, I’ll be careful!” Dinky promised, trying to look serious. However, she only ended up looking adorable, and Blue Cross chuckled softly. This is why I like working with foals, she thought as she looked back down at the clipboard. Running her eyes over it one last time, she placed it aside before turning to face Ditzy. “There is one more thing I have to discuss with you before you’re free to go.” Upon seeing a nervous look flash across Ditzy’s face, she shook her head and offered a warm smile. “It’s nothing serious, I promise. While giving Dinky her check-up, I noticed that her horn started to spark when I was examining it.” “What does that mean?” Ditzy asked, her wings twitching slightly. “Is she getting sick? I know there are some magical diseases out there that affect unicorns, but—” “Ms. Hooves, relax,” Blue Cross interrupted. Out of the corner of her eye she saw that Dinky was beginning to look nervous as well, glancing back and forth between Blue Cross and her mother. “Dinky is fine. The sparking just means that her magic is beginning to manifest.” Ditzy stared at her blankly for a few seconds before a smile quickly spread across her face. “My muffin’s magic is coming in?” Beside her, Dinky squealed happily and began to bounce up and down upon the table. Blue Cross nodded, smiling at the filly’s antics. “Indeed it is. I’d estimate that within a few weeks, she should be able to control it. However,” she continued, holding up a hoof, “there are some things you should now. During this period she’ll be more prone to getting magical surges. Despite how they look, they are completely harmless. Don’t be worried if she does get a surge. It’s just her body’s way of relieving itself of excess magic. Also don’t be worried if she doesn’t have one. Quite a few unicorns go through adolescence without surging.” “Is there something I should do if she does surge,” Ditzy asked. “If she does surge, make sure she rests for a few minutes before resuming her usual activities. She might also experience some headaches, but those are rare and quickly go away. A glass of water might help as well.” “That seems simple enough,” Ditzy said with a nod, brushing her wing against Dinky’s back. “It is,” Blue Cross said with a nod. “Also, if at any time you have a question, please don’t be afraid to stop by and ask. Any of the nurses will be able to help.” “Thank you very much,” Dtizy said as she helped Dinky off of the table. “Yeah, thanks!” Dinky chirped happily before trotting quickly to the door. Jumping up on to her hind legs, she reached up and struggled to reach the door handle for a few seconds before managing to grab it. The door had barely begun to swing open before she was out of the room and down the hall, the sound of her hoofsteps fading quickly. “Sorry about that,” Ditzy said to Blue Cross. “She’s meeting her friends at the park this afternoon, and was a little upset when she found out her doctor’s appointment was scheduled at the same time. She wanted me to cancel the appointment so she wouldn’t be late.” “It’s fine” Blue Cross laughed. “Most foals are always eager to leave as soon as possible, especially when they have vaccinations due.” Reaching into a nearby container, she pulled out a red lollipop and handed it to Ditzy. “Although, I’ve never had one leave so fast that they forgot their treat.” “I’ll make sure she gets it,” Ditzy said, taking the sucker and slipping it beneath her wing. She gave Blue Cross one last smile before turning and following her filly out the door. After making sure the room was properly cleaned, Blue Cross picked the clipboard up and exited the room, closing the door behind her. Holding it carefully in her mouth, she trotted down the hall to the nurse’s station. As she approached the desk, an identical-looking mare glanced up and gave her a smile. “How’d it go?” Blue Shield asked. She was a near-perfect copy to her sister, except for the horn growing from her forehead. “Same as always,” Blue Cross said as she handed her sister the clipboard. “Although, be prepared for to see Dinky in the future.” “Why, is she planning some trouble this summer?” Blue Shield asked with a smirk. “Well, yes, but that’s not the reason,” Blue Cross said with a laugh. “Her magic is beginning to manifest, and you know how protective Ditzy is of her.” “Ah, I see.” Picking up a pen in her magic, Blue Shield grabbed a nearby piece of paper. “I’ll leave a note for the doctor telling him to expect some surge-related appointments.” “You do that,” Blue Cross signed. Leaning against the desk, she groaned softly. “I’m exhausted. Thank Celestia that was my last patient. Now I can get started on my weeklong vacation. I’m going to become one with my sofa. I think I hit the break room for a few minutes and see if there are any leftover doughnuts before heading back home.” “Oh no you don’t. You have another appointment to take care of,” Blue Shield said with a snicker. Blue Cross blinked in confusion before crinkling her muzzle. “What? No. I’m pretty sure that Dinky was my last patient for the day. It was Dinky then Vacation. I should know, I double-checked the schedule three times this morning.” “You’re right. She was your last patient. Was. Not anymore. Something came up,” Blue Shield corrected, sliding a clipboard with a blank form across the desk to her sister. “Isn’t there somepony else that can do it?” Blue Cross asked, glaring down at the clipboard as though it had just insulted her. “Nope, sorry sis. Redheart is busy, and Tenderhoof isn’t in yet. This is all yours.” “Well, can you at least tell me who it is?” Blue Cross asked, reluctantly picking up the clipboard. Hopefully it’s another foal. That would make it worth it. “Nope, sorry,” Blue Shield said with a shake of her head. “All I know is that it’s a mare. I didn’t even get a proper look at her when she passed through, as she was wearing this awful-looking cloak. It was full of holes and stunk something awful.” Blue Cross sighed and lowered her head. Great, not a foal then. “Anything else?” “Yeah,” Blue Shield said with a frown. “She had six mares escort her in, one of which was the Princess’s student. She seemed rather reluctant, but they were insisting that she be looked at.” “Strange,” Blue Cross hummed. “I guess I’ll go take a look at her then. What room are they in?” “369,” Blue Shield replied bluntly as she returned to her paperwork. Blue Cross grunted as she placed the clipboard gently in her mouth. Turning, she trotted off the hall, trying to keep the annoyance of this last minute appointment from souring her mood too much. She usually didn’t mind tending to patients, but with her getting on in years, she didn’t have as much energy as she used to. With the whole Nightmare Moon fiasco followed by a small outbreak of summer flu, she was starting to run low on energy. She desperately needed this vacation. Okay, Blue. Just get through this one last patient and then you have a whole week off, Blue Cross thought to herself as she reached the room. She could hear muffled whispers coming from the other side of the door. Taking a deep breath through her nose, she knocked before—without waiting for a response—she pushed the door open and entered. As she entered, she tried her best to smile around the clipboard in her mouth. Using a hind leg to close the door, she turned to face the occupants of the room. She recognized five of the mares right away; working as a nurse in a small town like Ponyville meant that you learned who everypony was fairly quickly, and it didn’t take a genius to realize who the lavender unicorn was. After all, Blue Cross had been present at the Summer Sun Celebration. Running her eyes over the group of mares, Blue Cross turned her attention to the seventh mare who was currently sitting upon the examination table only to freeze, her eyes widening in horror. The clipboard slipped from her mouth and clattered loudly upon the floor, immediately drawing attention to herself. At the sound, the mare on the table flinched, her ears pressing against her head. “Now, I know this looks bad,” Twilight began, giving Blue Cross an uneasy smile, “but there’s a reason, I swear!” Blue Cross ignored her, focusing instead on the sight before her. The mare on the table looked horrible. Cuts and scratches adorned her pelt, several of them infected. She was covered from horn to hoof in dirt, her body horribly emaciated. Blue Cross had never seen a pony in such a sorry state before. However, what really drew her attention were the mare’s eyes. They were milky-blue and filmed over, the mare’s gaze staring at some point just over Blue Cross’s shoulder. Despite not having seen those eyes in nearly a decade, Blue Cross recognized them instantly. Taking a shaky step forward, Blue Cross swallowed thickly before breathing, “Selena?” The mare on the table jerk, her head whipping up as her ears perked. Twilight froze, her eyes widening as she stared at Blue Cross in shock. “You know who she is? H-how?” “Of course I know who she is. I was her nurse when she lived in the orphanage,” Blue Cross said, not taking her eyes off of Selena. She still couldn’t believe what she was seeing. Selena was alive and currently sitting in front of her. Granted, she looked like a skeleton, but she was still alive. Warm Care is going to be overjoyed. At the mention of the orphanage, Selena’s ears splayed backwards and she shrunk lower on the examination table. “Orphanage?” Twilight asked, clearly becoming flustered. She opened and closed her mouth several times, but no words came out. Blue Cross gave her a confused look before tsking. “Do you know who she is?” “Not really,” Twilight confessed sheepishly. “I only met her a few days ago in the marketplace.” Sighing heavily, Blue Cross rubbed her temple with a hoof; she could feel a headache coming on. After a few seconds, Twilight cleared her throat. “Uh, if you don’t mind, could you… um,” she trailed off before motioning towards Selena with a hoof. Blue Cross sighed again before picking up the discard clipboard and placing it on the countertop. Climbing on top of the stool, she scooted closer to Selena and began her examination. Selena jumped slightly as Blue Cross grabbed her head in her hooves. The nurse was gentle, moving her head first one way then another. Pulling back Selena’s lip, she winced when she saw the missing teeth. “Oh, honey, what happened to you?” she asked softly. “You’re a little worse for wear then the last time I saw you.” “Life happened,” Selena muttered, staring blankly ahead. After a few seconds, Blue Cross released Selena’s head and picked up a nearby stethoscope. “This will be cold,” she warned before placing it against Selena’s chest. Selena inhaled sharply, but surprisingly didn’t shy away. Blue Cross winced as she ran the stethoscope over Selena’s chest, the metal bumping against her ribs. She listened intently to her heart for a few seconds before moving on to her lungs. As Blue Cross worked, the others hung out awkwardly in the background. Everyone was watching the proceedings with mute interest, except for Rainbow who was lying on the window sill, sunbathing in the afternoon light streaming through the open window. Twilight shifted from hoof to hoof, her eyes darting back and forth between Selena and Blue Cross. When the nurse finally lowered the stethoscope, she couldn’t contain her curiosity any longer. “So, how do you know her?” she asked. “You said something about an orphanage?” Blue Cross paused in her examination, glancing over her shoulder at Twilight. “I’m not exactly sure I should be talking to you about it. You’ve already admitted that you don’t really know who she is.” “Look, I realize you might be a little wary of us, but we’re just trying to help,” Twilight huffed. “We could have just as easily taken her to the guards instead.” Behind Rarity, Fluttershy whimpered softly. Blue Cross stared at Twilight for several seconds before sighing. “Selena here used to live in Ponyville Orphanage when she was a foal,” she said as she returned to examining Selena. “She was found in a snow drift one night by the head of the orphanage, who immediately took her in. The next morning he brought her in to make sure she was healthy, and that’s when I first met her. I was her personal nurse for the next few years.” “You said ‘used to live’. What happened?” Twilight asked. “I’m assuming she didn’t get adopted.” Selena whimpered, lowering her head as her ears splayed back. “Hard to get adopted when you’re a damaged foal,” Blue Cross said, rubbing Selena’s shoulder sympathetically. “Nopony wants a blind foal.” “That’s horrible,” Fluttershy said, peeking out from behind Rarity. “So, if she didn’t get adopted, what happened?” Twilight pushed on, oblivious to Selena’s discomfort. “Nopony’s quite sure, actually,” Blue Cross said, giving Selena a pointed look that was lost on the blind mare. “About ten years ago, Selena got into a fight with one of the other foals, then just up and ran away.” “No point staying there if none of the other foals liked me and nopony was going to adopt me,” Selena muttered, her ears pressed firmly against her head. “So you ran away and became a thief?” Twilight asked, giving Selena a deadpanned look, which was once again lost on the blind mare. “I was young. What do you want from me?” Selena huffed. Twilight opened her mouth to respond, but was interrupted by Applejack, who spoke up suddenly. “Y’all know Warm Care?” she asked, giving Selena a curious look. Selena blinked once before nodding hesitantly. “Yeah, he was the head of the orphanage. He practically raised me. H-how… how do you know him?” “He helped mah family out when mah ma passed away givin’ birth tah mah younger sister,” Applejack said softly. “Before that though, he was a good friend of the family. Used tah stop by the stall and talk tah mah pa almost every day. Ah remember one day, before ma died, he came tah the farm and ask Big Mac and Ah tah help him look for a lost filly. We helped him search for a while, but we never did find her.” Applejack pushed back her hat, eyeing Selena closely. “Didn’t connect ya tah that until just now.” “Warm Care went looking for me?” Selena asked breathlessly. Blue Cross snorted. “Of course he did, you silly filly. He cared deeply for you, and spent a good three weeks looking before Merriweather forced him to stop. Even then, he still kept an eye out for you whenever he went into town. Nowadays, however, he’s confined to the orphanage. His old age is catching up with him.” Selena was silent, her ears hanging limp against her head and her expression downcast. “Anyways,” Blue Cross said loudly, leaning back on the stool and fixing Selena with a professional glare that only nurses could give, “you, my dear, are in horrible condition. You have angular stomatitis around your mouth, plus your gums are inflamed and show signs of recent bleeding. Your remaining teeth show signs of enamel mottling. Your fur is slowly falling out, and your skin is loose and wrinkled beneath your coat. Your hooves are horribly cracked, your muscles are almost non-existent, and your abdomen is slightly distended. All-in-all, you are severely malnourished.” “I thought we already knew that,” Rainbow huffed from her spot on the window sill. Ignoring the snarky comment, Blue Cross continued. “Selena, when was the last time you ate?” “Um…” Selena hummed, tapping her chipped hooves together nervously, “I… I had a dandelion sandwich I found on a restaurant’s patio. It was a little soggy, due to rain, but it was still edible.” At her words, a nonplussed look crossed Twilight’s face. “That doesn’t answer my question,” Blue Cross said gently. “When was the last time you ate?” Selena squirmed on the table for a few seconds before sighing. “I found the sandwich seven days ago,” she mumbled. “What?!” Blue Cross yelped. “You haven’t eaten in a week?!” “I had some grass a couple of days ago,” Selena replied weakly. “You ate grass?!” Rarity shriek, a look of horror crossing her face. She placed a hoof on her forehead before swooning. “Bet that gave you the runs,” Blue Cross snorted, shaking her head. She picked up the clipboard and began to write on it. “So, you’ve only eaten a sandwich and some grass in the past week?” “I had some cupcakes I found lying around too,” Selena offered. At this, everyone turned to look at Pinkie Pie, who just squealed and bounced up and down happily. “Grass and cupcakes?” Blue Cross asked. “That’s not healthy, even for a pony that isn’t starving to death. Please tell me that isn’t all you eat.” “Well, no,” Selena said, playing absentmindedly with her tail. “I usually eat whatever I can, um… acquire from the marketplace.” Rainbow snorted loudly. “Such as?” Blue Cross asked. “Can you give me some examples of food you eat?” Selena scrunched up her face as she racked her brain. “Um, carrots, pears, anything I can find in the dumpster outside the bakery—” Rarity whimpered from her spot on the floor “—and any cupcakes I find lying around. I sometimes get lucky and swipe some food during a party.” “Anything else?” Blue Cross asked as she wrote down the food Selena listed off. “Apples,” Selena said, sighing wistfully. There was a pause in the scratching of the pen as Blue Cross glanced up, looking between Selena and Applejack. In fact, most of the room’s inhabitants were now staring at Applejack, who had a dumbfounded look plastered on her face. “Apples?” Blue Cross asked slowly. Selena nodded enthusiastically. “Apples. Delicious, delicious apples. I rarely can get them, but when I do, it’s… it’s amazing! They’re just so juicy and crisp. You bite into them and there’s an explosion of flavor in your mouth. I try not to eat them too fast and savor each bite, but sometimes I can’t help it. I usually end up eating the core as well. They’re just so… so… Mmmmm!” Selena’s tongue lolled from her mouth as a dopey expression crossed her face. Drool slowly gathered at the tip of her tongue. An uncomfortable silence fell over the room as everyone just stood there, trying to avoid eye contact with one another. By the time Selena stopped talking, a deep blush had settled over Applejack’s cheeks, and she coughed weakly. “G-glad tah know ya enjoy them.” Selena blanched, a look of horror crossing her face. “I… I forgot that they were your apples,” she squeaked. “I’m so sorry for taking them without paying, it’s just… just…” “That’s okay,” Applejack said weakly, rubbing the back of her head. “Ah feel better knowin’ that ya liked them at least.” “Like is an understatement,” Selena sighed. “Warm Care used to bring a few bushels back to the orphanage occasionally, but the other foals would always take all of them before I got any. I was usually forced to dig through the trash for the cores if I wanted some.” “Well, shoot. Now that really makes me want tah get granny tah cook ya up some food,” Applejack said, a large smile spreading across her face. “It ain’t everyday ya meet a pony that loves apples that much.” Selena opened her mouth to reply, but was cut off by Blue Cross. “We’re getting off topic here,” the nurse huffed. “I think it’s safe to say that you are severely malnourished. We need to start getting some more meat on your bones right away, before your condition gets worse.” “Oh, oh!” Pinkie cried, bouncing up and down while waving her hoof in the air. “I could make her a bunch of stuff to eat!” “Sorry, Pinks, but Ah don’t think that sweets are the best thing for her right now,” Applejack said. She turned to face Blue Cross, giving the nurse a smile. “If’n y’all need some good food however, Ah’d be more than happy tah provide it.” Blue Cross shook her head. “That’s very generous of you given the circumstances, Applejack, but unfortunately that’s a no-go. With how severe her malnutrition is, her intestines may not be able to absorb adequate nutrients from food. We need to start her off with some intravenous feeding and work our way up from there.” Finishing up with whatever she was writing on the clipboard, she stood up and turned to face Selena. “”Congratulations, Selena,” she said as she pushed the emergency call button to signal a doctor. “You are hereby checked in to Ponyville General.” “What?!” Selena yelped, nearly slipping off the table. Blue Cross caught her before she could fall, and gently pushed her back. “No, no, no,” Selena said, shaking her head. “I don’t need to… I can’t… I don’t have any money.” “That’s okay. I can cover the medical costs,” Twilight chirped. “Being the personal student of Princess Celestia has its perks.” Selena turned her head in Twilight’s general direction, her mouth opening and closing wordlessly. “Excellent. It’s settled then,” Blue Cross said, keeping her hoof firmly pressed against Selena’s chest. “You don’t have to do this,” Selena mewled. “Selena, hun, you need help,” Blue Cross said just as the door opened. A doctor stuck his head in and looked around. His eyes widened upon seeing Selena and he quickly withdrew his head. A few seconds later the door swung fully open and the doctor returned, followed by a nurse pushing a gurney. Ignoring Selena’s weak protests, they lifted her off of the examination table and onto the gurney before wheeling her quickly out of the room. Turning to face the remaining mares, Blue Cross gave them a tired smile. “Thank you for bringing her in.” “It was the least we could do,” Twilight said with a nod. She paused, glancing towards the door as she nibbled on her bottom lip. “Can we, ah…” “You’ll be free to visit her once we get her settled into her room,” Blue Cross said. “Feel free to wait in the visitor’s lounge in the meantime. Now, if you’d excuse me.” With that she picked up the clipboard in her teeth and exited the room. Trotting down the hall to the nurse station, Blue Cross sighed around the clipboard. Looks like I’m going to be holding off on that vacation after all. ~ ~ ~ ~ > > < < ~ ~ ~ ~ As she sunk lower in the warm water, Selena couldn’t help the happy murmur that escaped her lips. She rested her head against the lip of the tub, her eyes closed and a soft smile on her face. Her right foreleg dangled over the edge of the tub, an IV tucked in crook of her leg leading up to a dangling bag of fluids. Rarity and Fluttershy sat beside the tub, tending to Selena’s mane and tail. Rarity was focusing on running a brush through her disheveled mane, working the knots and tangles out of the hair. Fluttershy did the same with her tail, which was draped over the edge of the tub. The last few hours had been a flurry of activity. The doctors had poked and prodded her, given her several injections, weighed her, and taken a few blood samples. They had then taken some x-rays, where she was forced to wear an uncomfortable and heavy vest. After all of that had been finished, she had been placed in a soft bed and wheeled into a room that smelled faintly of disinfectant. She had barely gotten situated in the room when a nurse had entered and immediately drawn her a bath. Selena had been reluctant at first, but after dipping a hoof into the warm, soapy water, she had caved. With the help of two nurses, Selena had scrubbed herself down as best as she could, cleaning her wounds and washing the dirt from her coat, mane, and tail. The tub had to be emptied and refilled three times due to the amount of dust and grime baked into her fur. After she had been properly cleaned, the tub had been refilled for a fourth time, and she was allowed to soak in the warm water. That was about the time that Twilight, Rarity, and Fluttershy had ventured into the room. Twilight had explained that the others had to leave for various reasons: Applejack to pick her sister up from school, Pinkie to go help the Cakes, and Rainbow because… well, Twilight hadn’t said why Rainbow had left, but Selena could hazard a guess. Letting out another soft groan, Selena settled further into the tub until only her muzzle was above the surface. The water felt good on her cuts and scrapes, and she could feel her muscles slowly relaxing. The gentle tugging on her mane and tail also helped. “I must say, darling, your mane is such a lovely shade of blue,” Rarity said as she worked another knot out of Selena’s hair. “I have a dress that I’m working on that would match it perfectly.” Selena mumbled something beneath the water, causing bubbles to form around her head. Fluttershy giggled. “Oh, I bet that water feels good on your injuries, doesn’t it? The nurse did say that they looked a lot better once cleaned.” “It feels good to just be clean again,” Selena sighed, lifting her muzzle out of the water. “I can’t remember the last time I was able to wash with soap, let alone bathe.” “And you certainly do look better, darling,” Rarity commented. Finishing up with Selena’s mane, she slipped the brush bag into her saddlebags as she eyed Selena’s body. “Although I do believe that your mane and tail could use a good trim, as could your fetlocks. You’ll have to let me schedule an appointment at the spa once all this is over. We’ll get you looking like a proper mare again. Wouldn’t you say, Twilight?” Upon hearing her name, Twilight, who had been staring at the floor, lost in thought, started slightly. Blinking, she glanced up and gave Rarity a confused look. “Huh?” “Are you okay, Twilight?” Rarity asked, giving her a concerned look. “You seem very distracted.” “I-I’m fine, Rarity, really. I’m just thinking about something,” Twilight said, giving her friend a weak smile. Selena sighed, rolling her head around on the lip of the tub until she was facing Twilight’s general direction. “I’m sorry, Twilight. I just don’t want to talk about my cutie mark.” “But it’s so unique!” Twilight whined. “I mean, just look at it. It’s glowing! I’ve never seen or heard of a cutie mark doing that before! I can’t sense a spell or enchantment either, and the hairs themselves seem to be glowing. It’s amazing!” “It’s also one of the reason I got bullied at the orphanage,” Selena muttered before sinking back into the water. Twilight’s ears splayed backwards, and she winced. “Oh, darling, that’s horrible,” Rarity gasped, placing a hoof over her mouth. “Why would anypony make fun of such a beautiful cutie mark?” “...don’t want to talk about it,” Selena mumbled before submerging her muzzle again. Rarity nodded her head. “Certainly, darling, but I do hope that you aren’t ashamed of it. It really is beautiful. The way it glimmers underwater...” She trailed off, staring into the tub. Standing up, Twilight trotted slowly over the tub, her head hung low. “I’m sorry for bringing it up, Selena,” she said softly. Selena’s ears perked up, but other than that she remained motionless in the water. “I wasn’t thinking about your feelings, and I didn’t mean to bring up bad memories.” Selena raised her head, snorting softly as she blew water from her nostrils. “It’s okay,” she said. “I understand it’s strange. I’ve been told that all my life.” “Not strange, darling. Beautiful,” Rarity chided. “...not beautiful,” Selena grumbled, blowing bubbles in the water. “It most certainly is,” Rarity said firmly, a stern look cross her face. “There is nothing wrong with it. Isn’t that right, Fluttershy?” “O-oh yes. It’s very pretty,” Fluttershy said softly, still brushing Selena’s tail. The sensation was oddly calming, and Selena felt herself beginning to grow tired. “Well, regardless, I am sorry for bringing it up,” Twilight said, causing Selena’s ear to twitch. “I should have realized you didn’t want to talk about by your reaction earlier in the library when Applejack asked about it.” “I told you, it’s fine, Twilight,” Selena said, stifling a yawn. The warm water, combined with Fluttershy’ gentle tugs on her tail, were making her more relaxed than she had been in ages. “I’ll take that as my cue to leave,” Twilight said, smiling softly. “Twilight, darling, you don’t have to kick yourself out for a simple misunderstanding,” Rarity said, giving her friend a concerned look. Twilight shook her head, giving Rarity a small smile. “I should be getting back to the library anyways. There is something I have to do. Plus, Spike is probably beginning to wonder where I am. I’ll try and visit tomorrow, if that’s okay with you, Selena?” she asked, glancing over at the mare in question. Selena half-heartedly lifted her hoof and waved it about, letting out a low grunt. Twilight giggles, shaking her head. “I’ll take that as a yes.” She stood and began to move towards the door, but was stopped when Rarity put a hoof on her shoulder. “Twilight, before you go, there’s something I want to ask you about,” Rarity said softly. As the two mares conversed, Selena sunk deeper into the water and sighed. She yawned again, suddenly feeling very tired. The gentle murmur of voices, combined with Fluttershy’s loving caresses of her tail, was not helping the matter, and within a few seconds, Selena quietly slipped off to sleep. ~ ~ ~ ~ > > < < ~ ~ ~ ~ Silence. It was all around her, consuming, smothering. Selena frowned, her ears swiveling around in a vain attempt to find any noise whatsoever. However, she was met with only silence. No birds chirping, no distant murmur of ponies in the marketplace. Even the sound of the wind was absent. Shifting on her hooves, her ears twitched as the sound of rocks sliding beneath her hooves could be heard. The sound didn’t last long before quickly fading into the deafening silence. Suddenly feeling very alone, Selena swallowed audibly and tucked her tail between her legs. She didn’t like this, it was too quiet. There wasn’t any sound anywhere, and that was her main source of information. Deprived of her vision, she had to make due with her other senses. Now, in this silent environment, she felt, ironically, blind. Picking up a hoof, she ran her frog along the ground, trying to get a feel of the surface she was standing on. The ground was soft but dry, and her hoof sunk into the earth several centimeters as she put pressure on it. Frowning, she then lifted the hoof to her muzzle and sniffed it tentatively. She immediately sneezed as dust filled her nostrils. Despite the loudness of the sneeze, no echo could be heard. Trying to keep calm, Selena lit up her horn as she cast a quick spell to map the surrounding area. The image that came back was confusing. The ground was rocky, small potholes and clumps of dust and gravel covering the relatively flat surface. A large circular crater was located a few meters away. Its walls were nearly three feet high, preventing Selena from “seeing” within. Behind her, just on the edge of her spell’s range, the ground began to slope upwards. There was no trees, no grass, no buildings, and no sign of any other ponies. There was just her, and the silence. As her spell slowly died, Selena’s ears pressed against the back of her head. Fear was slowly growing in her chest. “H-hello?” she called out hesitantly. The words died instantly, almost like they were swallowed up in a void. Swallowing thickly, she tried again, a little bit louder than before. “Hello? Is there anypony there?” Just like before, her words faded into nothingness. For a few seconds, nothing happened. Then, suddenly, there came a low rumble in the distance and the ground beneath her hooves began to vibrate gently. Energy seemed to course through the ground, the very surface thrumming with power. Selena yelped in surprise, jumping slightly as warmth began to creep up her legs. It felt like spiders were crawling over her, and she couldn’t help but shiver at the sensation. As the warmth slowly spread throughout her body, she found herself calming, much to her surprise. The fear that had once been growing within her quickly vanished, replaced instead by a feeling of peace. She felt almost as if she belong here, her previous trepidation gone. The silence didn’t feel as oppressive, and the environment didn’t feel as cold. The ground shook again, a low hum filling the air. It was almost like a deep, echoing laugh, and Selena felt the corners of her lips beginning to twitch upwards. She closed her eyes and began to hum along, swaying her head in time with the thrumming. “Yti nrete ruo noh caorc nesera dohw?” a voice suddenly whispered behind her, the words smooth as silk. Selena’s eyes shot open and she yelped loudly before spinning around. In her haste, her hind legs got tangled together, and she yelped again as she toppled to the ground. Unfortunately, this resulted in her getting a muzzle full of dust, and she immediately dissolved into a sneezing fit. Eyes watering as she continued to sneeze, Selena tried to scrambled to her hooves, but couldn’t seem to get her legs underneath her again. After a few seconds, a soft tsk came from in front of her, and Selena was suddenly lifted in the air and placed gently back on her hooves. Feathers brushed along her face gingerly, removing the dust. Once she had been cleaned, the feathers withdrew. Blinking the tears from her eyes, Selena perked her ears, listening intently. There was no noise, not even the sound of anypony breathing but her. Even the thrumming of the ground had fallen silent. Still, she sensed a presence in front of her, as well as the uncomfortable feeling of a pair of eyes studying her. Lighting up her horn, she tentatively casted her mapping spell. The being in front of her shifted slightly as Selena’s magic washed over them. Selena’s sightless eyes widened in shock as she took in the form in front of her. It was definitely a pony, a mare if the body shape was anything to go by. The figure was tall, Selena’s head only coming up to her neck. A horn jutted from her forehead, and a pair of large wings were spread by her side. There appeared to be a kind of energy around her head and dock that wafted out behind her in lazy fluctuations. The figure was facing her, so Selena assumed that it was studying her. She swallowed weakly before speaking. “Um… h-hello?” The figure said nothing, but cocked her head to the side. “W-who are you?” Selena pressed on, her voice trembling slightly. “Where are we?” Again, the figure didn’t answer. Sweating now due to the stress of maintaining her spell, Selena whimpered before the spell finally spluttered and died. However, before the image had a chance to fade, a fresh flow of magic seeped into her, and the spell flared to life again. Selena blinked in surprise before glancing towards the figure again. “En oeltti, lre hevo lllit se wai Tllet,” the mare whispered before bowing her head slightly. Selena blinked again before frowning. “Um… what?” The figure just chuckled before leaning down and nuzzling the top of Selena’s head. “That doesn’t answer my question,” Selena grumbled. This just caused the figure to laugh again. Warm air washed across Selena’s ear, causing it to twitch. She gave Selena one last nuzzle—kissing the base of her horn—before withdrawing. Selena took a step back as well, eyeing the mare as best she could with the spell. She had never seen somepony as tall as the mare before, nor having both wings and a horn. Said wings fluttered by the figure’s sides, and a few feathers fluttered to the ground. As she watched, the figure tilted her head to the side and chuckled softly, obviously amused by Selena’s scanning. However, her laughter ended abruptly as her head whipped up to stare at something behind Selena. Her wings flared wide, and she reared up on her hind legs. She squawked once before turning and fleeing. Suddenly, a loud, shrill screeching noise filled the air, causing Selena to clamp her hooves over her ears in pain. Whirling around, she tried to find the source of the noise, only to freeze in fear at what she saw. A large, billowing mass of something was charging towards her, consuming all in its path. Before she had time to react, it was upon her. Darkness tore at her body like winds of a hurricane, the vile screeching becoming an ear-splitting shriek. She tried to scream, but her cries were lost in the maelstrom of noise. From out of the storm of darkness, a head emerged. A horn jutted from its forehead, and its mouth was filled with sharpened fangs. The head snarled and lunged forward, sinking its teeth into Selena’s neck. A frigid cold spread quickly across her body as she —was slowly pulled into the darkness— With a shriek, Selena awoke. Heart pounding in her chest, she flailed around blindly, sending bathwater flying everywhere. Fluttershy yelped and jumped back, her eyes wide with shock. A burning sensation suddenly tore up Selena’s leg as the IV was ripped from her vein. In full panic mood, she struggled quickly to get out of the tub, the once warm water now cold. “What in the—” Rarity cried, moving forward to calm the startled mare. However, before she could help, the tub tipped under Selena’s weight, and with a cry, Selena and a tub of water cascaded upon the floor. ~ ~ ~ ~ > > < < ~ ~ ~ ~ Sitting at her desk, Twilight stared at the blank scroll in front of her, thinking. The only light in the room came from a flickering candle beside her, the flame causing the shadows to dance around the room. Night had fallen, and the black sky was accented by the moon slowly beginning to peak over the Everfree Forest. Gentle snores came from Spike, who lay asleep in his basket. Dipping a quill into a nearby ink bottle, Twilight paused, mulled over the day’s events before placing the ink-covered tip down onto the scroll. Dear Princess Celestia, My friends and I all learned an important lesson this week, something more sobering than usual. It’s not so much a friendship report, as it is a lesson of life. Today we learned that the world is not as black and white as we originally thought. There are some measures of gray in between, and sometimes it’s easy to forget that some ponies aren’t as fortunate as others. That sometimes good ponies must do bad things in order to survive from day to day. And just because somepony does something you view as wrong, you shouldn’t be afraid to offer them help and understanding, because sometimes all that pony really needs is a friend. Twilight paused, the scratching of her quill dying down as she reread the letter, making sure she had worded it to the best of her ability. Satisfied with the content, she dipped the quill back into the inkwell before continuing with her letter. That being said, I have happier news to report. I made a new friend today. Her name is Selena, and she is very withdrawn and shy, almost to the point of making Fluttershy look sociable. She’s not doing particularly well at the moment, and my friends and I had to convince her to go to the hospital, where she is currently staying at the moment. I plan on visiting her tomorrow to try and help cheer her up. I do look forward to spending time with her. She is a very unique pony. After all, it’s not every day you meet a blind pony that can survive on their own for nearly a decade, especially at such a young age. There is one thing I want to ask you about, though. It’s concerning Selena’s cutie mark. Have you ever heard of a pony’s cutie mark glowing on its own? I only ask because Selena’s mark—a crescent moon—seems to emit its own light. She seems rather uncomfortable when it is brought up, seeing as she was bullied about it as a foal, so I figure I’d ask you if you knew anything about the phenomenon. Your faithful student, Twilight Sparkle Part II: The Sun and the Moon, part 1The soft ‘clip-clop’ of hooves filled the air as Celestia made her way down the hallway. She limped along slowly, favoring her back leg as she traversed through the halls of the palace. There were faint black rings beneath her eyes, and her mane and tail wafted behind her sluggishly, reflecting her mood. She had just returned a few hours ago from a diplomatic trip to the Griffon Empire. The Griffon Empress had wished to discuss trading arrangements with Equestria, and while the discussion had started out good, it had quickly dissolved when the Empress’s brother—an imbecilic oaf of a griffon—had taken insult to something Celestia had said in passing. Upon voicing this perceived slight and demanding that she apologize immediately, he had grown angry when she refused. This had then led to three days of heated debate, in which nothing had gotten accomplished and Celestia’s guards had nearly come to blow with the griffon soldiers. It had all come to head when the Empress, disgusted by her brother’s behavior, had him thrown bodily from the room. Celestia closed her eye and sighed heavily, trying to keep her throbbing headache from getting any worse. There was still much she had to do today. She had only just arrived back in Canterlot, and yet she still had Solar Court to deal with. An eight-hour session with the nobles, and she already had a migraine growing within her skull. It was not going to be a good day, especially if Blueblood was present. Rounding the corner, she perked up upon seeing a pair of guards standing outside the throne room doors. They saluted as she approached, and she nodded softly to them, a weak smile on her face. “Good morning,” she said, trying to keep the weariness from her voice. “You two are here early, I see. I thought I asked Captain Blaze to inform the guards, but it seems that it slipped her mind. Court was delayed due to the recent trip to the Griffon Empire. It doesn’t start for another twenty minutes.” The guards glanced at one another, a look of unease passing between the two. “Ma’am, court is already in session,” the guard on the right said. Celestia gave the guard a blank look. “What?” “Solar Court is currently in session. It started at its usual time, and all nobles are present and accounted for,” the guard repeated, a brief look of nervousness flashing across his face before it returned to its usual stoic expression. “Impossible,” Celestia said, feeling the muscles along her scar spasm. She tried to keep her expression impassive, but her lips twitched as she ground her teeth together. “The Solar Court does not start until I am present. All the nobles know this. By whose authority has court started?” “Archduke Black Spark, ma’am,” the other guard replied, still saluting. “He figured you’d be tense from your visit with the griffons, so he took over Solar Court for the day.” Celestia paused, her eye widening slightly in surprise. “Did he now?” she hummed, the corners of her mouth beginning to twitch upwards as her previous ire slowly dissipated. Her ears perked as the faint murmur of voices finally reached her attention, and she stared at the throne room doors for a few seconds before a large smile split her face. “Well, this is certainly unexpected, although not unwelcome. I’ll have to remember to thank him later, as well as stand in for him during Lunar Court. Now, if you’d both excuse me, I need to go unwind.” The guards saluted again before Celestia turned and head off down the corridor towards her own private quarters, a newfound spring in her step. This was a pleasant surprise, and she could feel her headache slowly lessening. The tension in her muscles seemed to fade the further she got from the throne room and the nobles within. She had a date with the hot springs. Walking up the main flight of stairs, Celestia headed towards her personal quarters. As she neared the top, she happened upon a unicorn guard that was out of uniform. The mare was sitting on a window sill near the top of the stairs, her hind legs dangling off the ledge. She had a dark grayish-blue coat, while her mane was dark gray with a lighter gray streak through it. Her left foreleg was missing, and bandages were wrapped around the shoulder. A toothpick hung from her lip, held in place by the thinnest layer of moisture. As Celestia drew nearer, the mare glanced up. Her expression remained passive as she watched Celestia climb the stairs. Upon reaching the mare, Celestia paused. “Sergeant Black Night.” “Princess,” Black Night replied, her voice gruff. She chewed on her toothpick as she eyed Celestia, a bored expression on her face. “How are we doing today, sergeant?” Celestia asked. “Horrible. You still haven’t done anything about all of these stairs.” “What is wrong with them?” Celestia asked, giving the stairs a faux look of concern. “They appear to be in good condition to me.” “You also have four working legs,” Black Night grunted, moving the toothpick from one corner of her mouth to another. “I don’t see why you just can’t enchant them to move on their own. Keep me from having to walk up and down them.” “But if I did that, all the guards would become lazy and fat. Stairs are a good source of exercise.” “Exercise my flank,” Black Night huffed. “Exactly!” Celestia chirped. Black Night gave her a bemused look, her eyes narrowing slightly. “If they are bothering you so much, you could always have one of the pegasi guards carry you up them,” Celestia said with a smirk. “I’m sure if you asked Sergeant Stone Wall nicely he’d help you.” Black Night’s eyes narrowed even more. “I’d rather eat a parasprite.” “I’ll be sure to tell the good sergeant,” Celestia chuckled as she continued up the stairs, well aware of the fact that Black Night was sticking her tongue out at her. She always found the ornery mare’s behavior to be a nice change of pace compared to the brown-nosing she was used to. She had only been walking for several minutes when she reached the private wing of the palace. Rounding the corner, she paused, blinking in surprise at what she saw. Raven was standing beside the doors to the hot spring, a small smile on her face and a tray with a bottle of Fireweed Whiskey in her magic. Celestia stared blankly at her aid for a moment before laughing softly. “Raven, you’re spoiling me again.” “I spoke with the guards that were with you in the Griffon Empire. If what they are saying is true, then you could use a good spoiling,” Raven replied, a mischievous twinkle in her eye. “Isn’t it a bit early to be drinking, Raven?” Celestia asked as she trotted slowly up to the waiting mare. “It’s not even noon yet.” Raven snorted, rolling her eyes. “That hasn’t stopped you before.” Smirking, Celestia grabbed the bottle in her own magic, and, popping the corking, took a long swig of the golden liquid inside. It burned going down, but left a wonderful aftertaste in her mouth. Taking another gulp, she smacked her lips before glancing down at Raven. “Is there anything that needs my immediate attention?” “Nope,” Raven said, shaking her head. “Black Spark is taking care of the Solar Court, and I’ve taken care of the tax forms the Department of Agriculture wanted you to look at. The rest of the day is yours.” “That’s all I needed to hear,” Celestia said. Turning her attention to the door, she pushed it open and made to enter, only to pause and glance back down at Raven. “You should take the rest of the day off as well, Raven. Barring something major happening, we’ll have a busy day ahead of us tomorrow.” “Thank you, ma’am,” Raven smiled, cocking her head to the side. “I just need to finish up one more thing, and then I’ll do just that.” Smiling down at her aid, Celestia nodded once before turning and making her way into the hot springs. The door closed behind her, but not before Raven called through, “Don’t fall asleep in there… again!” Celestia smirked to herself before moving further into the room. Unlike the rest of the rooms within the palace, this one was designed to imitate a natural spring. It was dimly lit, the only light coming from several candles cradled within holes carved into the walls, which were made from moss-covered cave walls. Water trickled softly down a backsplash of rocks, spilling down into a large basin of water. Steam wafted lazily across the water’s surface, filling the air with a comfortable humidity. Taking a slow breath, Celestia closed her eye before sighing deeply. She quickly removed her breastplate and crown, placing them haphazardly on a rubber mat beside the door; her golden shoe covers soon followed. Lighting up her horn, she carefully removed the wire that held her left wing in place. The lame wing fell to her side almost as soon as the brace had been removed, and Celestia groaned happily. With the bottle of Fireweed Whiskey still hovering close by, Celestia moved eagerly towards the pool of water. She waded the first couple of feet in before she flung herself forward with a splash. Ripples expanded outward as she sunk deeper into the basin. It was relatively large, the water coming up to her chin at the deepest part. However, she opted to stay near the shallow end this time. Drifting lazily along, she cooed happily as the heated water began to work at her muscles, relaxing them and easing the tension from her body. After a few minutes of paddling along, she maneuvered herself over to an underwater plateau located in the center of the basin. She settled down upon the flat surface, making herself comfortable. Her bad wing floated on the water beside her, the feathers spread out across the surface, a few loose ones drifting away. Taking another long sip of Fireweed Whiskey, she took a deep breath… and then relaxed. “Ahhh,” she sighed, “I really needed this. Good drink, warm water, relaxing atmosphere. This couldn’t be more perfect at the moment.” Just as she finished speaking, a low hiss filled the air. Opening her eye, Celestia watched as a thick haze of smoke suddenly swirled up in front of her. It consolidated into a gout of green fire before a scroll appeared with a soft ‘pop’. Lighting up her horn, she caught the scroll before it landed in the water in front of her. “Hmmm, it appears that I might have spoken too soon,” she hummed, eyeing the scroll with some amusement. “Let’s see what you’ve learned now, my faithful student.” A smile crossed Celestia’s face as, with a lazy flick of magic, she unfurled the scroll and began to read. The first few sentences caused her smile to fade slightly, but it returned as she reached the end of the first paragraph. “An interesting observation, Twilight. What have you and your friends been up to?” she murmured, taking a sip of Fireweed as she continued reading. Happiness crossed her face as she reached the part about her student making a new friend, only to be quickly replaced by concern at learning that this ‘Selena’ was in the hospital, although Twilight was strangely quiet about the reason why. Skimming the next few lines, she raised the bottle of Fireweed to her lips and took a generous swig, only to nearly choke on it when she suddenly inhaled sharply. Coughing loudly, she stared wide-eyed at the letter in front of her, not daring to believe what she had just read. She lifted the scroll to her eye, double-checking that she had read it correctly. Sure enough, there it was, written in Twilight’s immaculate hornwriting. After all, it’s not every day you meet a blind pony that can survive on their own for nearly a decade, especially at such a young age. A blind pony. Blind. I-it… It can’t be, can it? Heart pounding in her ear, Celestia stared at that one word for several long seconds before closing her eye and releasing a shaky breath. No, she was getting excited over nothing. There were plenty of blind ponies out there. Just because Twilight made friends with one didn’t mean that she was the pony Celestia was looking—neigh, praying for. She had spent many fruitless centuries searching with no results. Why should now be any different? Silently scolding herself for needlessly getting her hopes up, Celestia took a large gulp from the bottle before returning to Twilight’s letter. With a hooded eye and a more somber mood, she skimmed the rest of the scroll, only to freeze, her eye widening until it threatened to pop from her head. Inside her chest, her heart skipped a beat. The world around her seemed to disappear as she stared down at the last paragraph of the letter, which contained a brief description of Selena’s cutie mark. As vague as the description was, it contained the three words that Celestia could hardly believe she was reading. A shining crescent moon. The bottle of Fireweed Whiskey shattered suddenly, sending the remaining liquid cascading into the water below. Celestia’s horn glowed white as she tapped into her vast reserve of magic. Almost immediately, she latched onto Twilight’s magical signature—as faint as it was—all the way down in Ponyville. There was a loud crack and a blinding flash, and Celestia vanished from the room in an explosion of water and magic. ~ ~ ~ ~ > > < < ~ ~ ~ ~ —Earlier Various items flew around Twilight’s head as she mindlessly worked. Books that had been returned yesterday while she was out were placed back on the shelves in their proper place after she made sure to mark them as ‘returned’ in the log book. Scrolls and quills were gathered, some placed on the shelves above her desk for later while the rest were placed inside of her saddlebags, which were draped over the back of the couch. She cleaned as she worked, dusting shelves and sweeping the floor. Usually Spike would take care of such tasks, as they were part of his chores. However, in her current state, Twilight was too distracted to realize what she was doing. She may have been in the library, but her thoughts were at the hospital with Selena. I hope she’s alright, Twilight mused as a book floated past her head. Nurse Blue Cross had said she would be fine, but Selena’s condition still concerned Twilight. She had never seen a pony as thin as Selena had been. She had been nothing but skin and bones, to the point that she had almost looked like a walking skeleton. During her time in Canterlot, Twilight had heard of models starving themselves in order to get the figure they wanted, but this was so much worse. It was unintentional, horrible, and, Twilight had realized late last night, possibly fatal. A normal, healthy pony could survive for several weeks without food, but how long had Selena been starving? How long had she been without food? If Twilight hadn’t intervened in the marketplace, if Selena had decided to not show up for the picnic. How long would it have been before she starved to death? Twilight shuddered, the scrolls in front of her wavering slightly before her magic recovered. No, best not to think of that now, she chided herself. That was all in the past. Selena was at the hospital, being treated right now. She was getting better, and Twilight would help her once she got out. She already had plans to clear out the guest room and have Selena stay with her until she could get back on her hooves. She got enough stipends from Celestia to support her and Selena comfortable for the next couple of months. If, by then, Selena hadn’t managed to find employment, Twilight could always ask Celestia for personal assistance. Given Selena’s disability, she was sure that Celestia would agree to increase Twilight stipends to help out. She was sure Celestia would understand. The sudden chiming of a clock drew Twilight from her thoughts with a start. Blinking, she glanced up at the clock above her fireplace, only for her eyes to widen in shock. It was nearly noon! Visitation started at ten! She was running late! She was tardy! “Ohmygosh!” Twilight shouted as she began to gallop around the room. “Ohmygosh! Ohmygosh! Ohmygosh!” Her horn flared brighter and the room dissolved into a veritable hurricane of objects as she finished her tasks. Books flew around the room, slipping gently into their proper places on the shelves. The broom and dustpan quickly dumped their contents into the nearest trash can before zipping into the supply closet. Stuffing the last few items into her saddlebags, she quickly threw them across her back and tightened the straps. Twilight was halfway to the door when she remembered one last thing she needed to finish. Dashing to her desk, she pulled out the letter she had written for Celestia last night and placed it on the coffee table. “Spike, there’s a letter for Celestia on the table! Please send it as soon as you can,” she shouted up the stairs. A low grumble echoed down the stairs, causing her to scrunch up her face in annoyance. “Spike!” “I got it!” he shouted from upstairs. “Letter, table, Celestia. Got it.” He trailed off, and the faint sound of bedsheets being shuffled about reached Twilight’s ears. “...last time I let him sleep in,” she muttered under her breath. Turning, she quickly approached the front door, calling back loudly over her shoulder as she went. “Don’t forget, Spike, or no gems for two weeks!” Not waiting for an answer, she flipped the sign on the door to ‘closed’ before exiting the library. Unlike the previous day, the weather was overcast. Dark-gray clouds hung low in the sky, threatening the population below with the possibility of an early start to the rainstorm that was planned for the late evening. Despite the fact it was currently summer, a chilly wind blew through the town, sapping the warmth from any ponies unlucky enough to be out-and-about at the moment. However, most of Ponyville's population was indoors, seeking shelter from the weird weather in the bars and restaurants that dotted Ponyville's outskirts. Trotting along as quickly as she could without becoming winded, Twilight hurried through the deserted streets. It was just over a ten minute walk from the library to hospital, and by the time she arrived, she was shivering. “What pony in their right mind would plan weather like this during the summer?” Twilight muttered to herself as the hospital doors closed behind her. A warm rush of air washed over her, chasing away the chill and causing her to hum happily. Shaking her shoulders to clear the last of the cold away, she moved further into the waiting area. “I have half a mind to write to the Weather Factory about this,” she continued under her breath. “Not only is this kind of cold not appropriate for this time of year, but it could cause damage to the farmers' crops if they're not careful. Somepony up there is clearly not thinking clearly. Maybe I'll talk to Rainbow about this after—“ The sound of a throat being cleared caused Twilight to pause her tirade. Glancing around, she blushed when she saw Nurse Blue Cross standing there, an amused smirk on her face. “I'm sorry. Am I interrupting something?” she asked, causing Twilight's blush to deepen. “N-no, I was just talking to myself,” she stuttered, before slapping a hoof to her forehead. “I mean, I was talking out loud. No, what I meant was thinking out loud. Never mind! How's Selena?” she asked, an overly large smile crossing her face as an eye twitched. “About the same as yesterday,” Blue Cross replied, “although we found some... complications in the stool sample we took. Or what little we could get.” “Complications?” Twilight asked worriedly. Blue Cross sighed. “From what we could determine from the small sample we were able to get last night, she has several parasites living inside of her at the moment.” “You can get rid of them though, can't you?” Twilight asked. “I remember reading that there was medicine that could be taken to help kill the parasites.” “Normally, yes, they're easily treated when caught quickly enough,” Blue Cross said with a nod. “However, we aren't sure how long she's been infested. From the amount of eggs in her system though, we'd hazard it's been a while. There's probably quite a few in her intestines at the moment.” “So, there's nothing you can do?” Twilight asked dejectedly, her ears splaying backwards. Blue Cross winced. “I never said that. We started giving her the medicine last night in her IV. The parasites should be dead within a few weeks, or at least most of them should.” “So what's the complications?” Twilight asked, cocking her head to the side in confusion. “They have to come out of her at some point,” Blue Cross explained, “and when they do, it isn't going to be pretty or comfortable. Especially for her.” Twilight stared at her blankly for a few seconds before her face took on a green hue. “I see,” she said, her ears pressing firmly against her head. “Well, that... unpleasant situation aside, are there any other complications that have come up?” “It's only been one night, Ms. Sparkle,” Blue Cross tsk, a smirk shifting across her muzzle. When Twilight lowered her head, a blush touching her cheeks, Blue Cross laughed softly. “Don't worry. We're keeping a close eye on her. If anything comes up, we'll take care of it. I'm happy to see that you care about her though.” “Of course I care about her!” Twilight said a little too loudly. “We're friends, after all. Why wouldn't I be concerned that she's in the hospital?” “'Friends'?” Blue Cross echoed. She gave Twilight a careful look before a small smile touched her lips. “The only friends that Selena had growing up were the books that Warm Care could find that were in braille. Most foals were too busy making fun of her to actually be her friend.” She trailed off, continuing to give Twilight a weird look for a few more seconds before shaking her head. Turning, she trotted off towards the nurse station, but not before calling over her shoulder to Twilight. “She's in the same room as last night. I just finished changing her IV bags. Everypony else is already here. You appear to be the last one to arrive.” Twilight gave the retreating mare a confused look before her eyes widened suddenly. “I'm the last one?” she yelped. “Rainbow Dash beat me here!?” Not waiting for an answer, Twilight hurried off down the hall, half running-half walking as she went, making sure to abide the 'no running in the hall' signs that were posted around the hospital. They were probably there for a good reason, and the last thing Twilight needed to do was end up in the hospital as well. It would be hard to help Selena if she had a twisted hoof or broken leg. Pausing in front of the last door on the right, she took a deep breath and straightened out her saddlebags before pushing the door open. The others glanced up as she entered, and she gave them all a sheepish grin. “Sorry I’m late,” she said. “I’m afraid I lost track of the time.” “That’s quite alright, darling,” Rarity replied softly, her voice barely above a whisper. “It happens to me too, on occasion. Especially when I get a large order. It’s understandable.” Beside her, Fluttershy nodded her head and gave Twilight a small smile. “It’s not like anything’s happening anyway,” Rainbow crumbled from her spot on the window sill. She had her forelegs crossed, and a scowl plastered on her face. Giving her friend a curious look, Twilight’s gaze slowly drifted over to the bed that contained Selena. Her eyes widened when she saw that Selena’s eyes were closed and her breathing even. “She’s still asleep?” she asked in disbelief, making sure to keep her voice low. “It’s half past noon!” “The nurse said that she was having trouble sleeping last night,” Rarity explained softly. “'Trouble sleeping?'” “She claimed that the bed was too soft and she couldn’t get comfortable,” Rarity sighed. “However, when Blue Cross came in to check on her, she said that Selena had been whimpering in her sleep.” “Nightmares?” Twilight asked, giving Selena a concerned look. Rarity shook her head. “She wouldn’t say. Nightmares or sleeping arrangements aside, she was positively exhausted when we showed up, and she fell asleep maybe five minutes into our visit.” Making her way to the only remaining empty seat, Twilight eyed Selena. Now that she had been washed, her coat was clearly visible, the dark blue fur standing out in high contrast against the light-colored sheets on the bed. Though Rarity had combed her mane last night, it had become tangled again sometime in the night and strands now surrounded her head in a tangled mess of hair. Several bandages covered her legs and barrel, hiding her more severe cuts and scrapes. An IV ran from the crook of her right leg up to a dangling bag of fluids. All-in-all, she looked like a different pony than the one they had brought in yesterday just from the bath alone. Placing her saddlebags down beside the chair, Twilight took a seat before glancing around at her friends, only to notice that one was missing. “Where’s Applejack?” “Back on the farm, darling,” Rarity answered. “I passed her on my way here this morning. She apologizes for not being able to make it but apparently her brother injured himself yesterday while she was here with us, and now she’s trying to figure out how to take care of the harvest without him. She said that she might come visit this evening if she has time.” “I hope she doesn’t plan on doing it all by herself,” Twilight mused, rubbing her chin with a hoof. “Why not? Applejack’s a strong mare. I’m sure she could handle it,” Rainbow said, blowing a strand of mane from her face. “That much work isn’t good for a pony, Rainbow,” Twilight tsked. “Yeah, all work and no play isn’t good for ponies!” Pinkie chirped, bouncing up and down in her chair. “I’m in agreement with Twilight on this one,” Rarity said, humming softly. “While it is true that Applejack is a hard worker, I do hope that she remembers her limits. I’d hate for her to bite off more than she could chew. “Silly Rarity,” Pinkie giggled, covering her mouth with her hooves, “Applejack doesn’t eat the apples, she sells them. She can’t eat all those apples!” This caused Rarity to roll her eyes. “Oh, har har, Pinkie.” Before anything else could be said, Selena shifted slightly, causing everyone to pause and look at her. She mumbled something under her breath, a small frown crossing her face, before she snuggled deeper into the mattress and fell still again. “O-oh dear. If it’s not too much trouble, could you be a little quieter?” Fluttershy murmured, hiding partially behind her mane. “She needs plenty of rest to heal, and if she’s having trouble sleeping then we shouldn’t interrupt what little she gets.” “I wonder what she’s having nightmares about,” Twilight muttered as she glanced over at Selena. ~ ~ ~ ~ > > < < ~ ~ ~ ~ Selena tried to move, but found that she couldn’t. Her limbs were bound, and every time she pulled against the restraints, the soft clink of chains filled the air. There was even one attached to a steel collar around her neck, preventing her from moving her head about. Huffing softly, she lit up her horn and cast her mapping spell. The pulse of magic flowed through the room, allowing her to ‘see’ where she was. The room was small, the ceiling barely a half-a-foot above her; the same was true with the walls. Holes were drilled into the walls near the floor, each one evenly spaced with the others. Taut chains ran from her bound limbs to welded hooks jammed into the walls, ceiling, and floor. They held her in place, preventing her from moving so much as an inch in any direction except for the chain connected to her collar, which was bolted to the floor and allowed her to only lower her head. The room had a musty smell to it, almost like there was a thin layer of mildew over everything. As her mapping spell died, Selena huffed again. “H-hello?” she called out, her voice wavering slightly. Her ears pressed against her head as the close walls amplified the sound. “I-is there anypony there? What’s going on? Hello?” No answer came, and silence quickly fell over the room. Swallowing thickly, Selena took a deep breath of the musty air and tried to calm her thundering heart. Magic danced down her horn as she strained to cast the mapping spell again in order to search for a door. However, she was unable to locate one within her field of ‘vision’. That meant that the door was either behind her, or one didn’t exist. As soon as the thought entered her brain, Selena scoffed. Of course a door exists. How else would I get in here? As the mapping spell faded, she turned her attention to the collar around her neck—or more specifically, the chain connected to the collar. Lowering her head, she blinked in surprise when she didn’t feel the chain loosen. Instead, it remained taut and a series of clicking noises filled the air. Pausing long enough to cast the mapping spell one more time, Selena ‘watched’ as she continued to lower her head towards the floor. The chain disappeared steadily into a small slot in the floor from which the clicking noise was coming from. Unable to use her hooves to touch the device, Selena nosed it with the tip of her muzzle instead. She grimaced as the musty odor grew stronger, and her muzzle was suddenly covered in a thin layer of mildew from off the floor. Still, she continued to rub her nose against the metal, trying to get a feel of what was there. Her brows furrowed slightly as she picked up a faint vibration coming from somewhere below. A gurgling noise reached her ears, causing her to pause her examination. The sound was faint but growing steadily louder, and sounded like it was coming from all around her. The vibration in the floor grew stronger too. Curious as to what was happening, Selena gathered up her dwindling reserves of magic and tried casting the mapping spell again, only to wince as pain flared up in her head. She tried once more, only to meet with the same result. It looked like she wasn’t going to be able to rely on the spell anymore. Quietly cursing her luck, Selena leaned down and—bending her neck at an awkward angle—pressed an ear to the floor. She strained to pick up something that might clue her into what was going on, but she couldn’t hear anything over the rumble of machinery. As she pulled her ear from the floor, the gurgling sound dissolved into a low trickle, the noise echoing around the room ominously. The noise continued for several seconds until Selena realized with a start that her hooves were getting wet. Lowering her nose, she tentatively touched the ground, only for her eyes to widen in alarm. A thin layer of water now covered the floor of the room, and it was growing at a steady rate. With the water rising, Selena quickly lifted her head, only to choke when the chain suddenly snagged on something. Gritting her teeth, she pulled against the chain but it wouldn’t budge. She strained and heaved, but was unable to lift her head more than half a foot off the ground. With the water level now passing her fetlocks, she could feel her heart pounding in her chest. Eyes wide with panic, she began to try and channel magic through her horn—although no spells came to mind that could help her—only for her to gasp in pain as the magic fizzled out. She jerked and tugged at the collar, but the chain held fast—unyielding. So caught up in trying to lift her head, Selena temporarily forgot about the rising water level until the tip of her nose was suddenly submerged in water. Snorting in alarm, she instinctively pulled her head back, only for the chain to jerk taut again. No, no, no, no, no! She tried desperately to twist her head to the side—trying to keep her nose above the growing water level—but the collar kept her head forcibly pointed towards the floor. She could only stand there, all her working senses running on overdrive as she felt the water slowly creeping up her muzzle. Opening her mouth to try one last cry for help, she only succeeded in gagging as she got a mouthful of foul-tasting water. Bubbles erupted around her muzzle as she sputtered and coughed. She barely had time to take a shaky breath before her nostrils were submerged beneath the water. Desperately holding on to her last lungful of air, Selena struggled frantically against her bonds, trying to get free. The collar cut into her skin, the wound stinging as the water enveloped her head and neck. Her lungs were starting to ache, and the more she struggled, the worse the sensation became. Regardless, she continued to fight against the chain, trying to get her head above the water. Air was just inches—inches—above her, and if she could just get her head up—get another lungful of much-needed oxygen. Gritting her teeth, she strained against the collar until her neck began to creak and pop. A low groan reverberated through the water before, with a muffled ‘crack’ the chain snapped in two. Whipping her head up, Selena searched desperately for the shrinking pocket of air, only to realize with growing horror that the entire room was now flooded, the water level having reached the ceiling. Her lungs burning, her mind darkening, Selena fought furiously against the chains around her, but was unable to move all but her head. In a last ditch effort to get free, she pushed as much magic as she could down her horn while ignoring the sudden spike of pain the drove into the back of her skull. Her horn lit up for a brief second before it exploded into the surrounding water in a shower of bone shards. A soundless scream escaped Selena’s lips as her concentration was broken, and in an explosion of bubbles, water rushed down her mouth and into her lungs. ~ ~ ~ ~ > > < < ~ ~ ~ ~ Selena awoke with a start, her sightless eyes snapping open. Her heart was pounding in her throat and ears, and her entire body was covered in a thin layer of sweat. Breaths coming in quick gasps, she tried to sit up, only to wince in pain. Lifting a trembling hoof to her muzzle, she paused when she felt something tug on her leg. Brow furrowing, she felt along the crook of her leg until she found a needle stuck in her vein. As confusion and panic began to well up inside of her, she slowly became aware that she was resting on something uncomfortably soft. Her senses immediately went on high alert as Selena realized that she wasn’t in her cardboard box. A faint chemical scent hung in the air, and she could hear the gentle murmur of voices from somewhere close by. She didn’t remember what had happened or where she was, but something was very clear: she wasn’t alone in the room. Starting to hyperventilate, she was about to dissolve into a panic attack when a familiar voice spoke up from nearby, causing her to freeze. “Oh, look, she’s awake.” That sounded like… Twilight? Instantly, the memories of what had transpired yesterday flooded her mind, and she slumped against the pillow behind her. “T-Twilight?” she asked, her voice coming out in a dry croak. There was the sound of something shifting of to her right before the voice spoke again. “I’m here,” Twilight said softly. “Are you okay?” Taking a deep breath, Selena closed her useless eyes and tried to calm her thunder heart. Her hooves were shaking horribly, and she grabbed the bedsheets in an attempt to steady them. Relief welled up in her chest, replacing the fear that had been there moments ago. Yesterday's events hadn't been a dream. Twilight had brought her to the hospital, and she was now being looked after. She was fine, she was safe, she was being looked after. Repeating that in her head, Selena took several deep breaths as her heart rate slowly returned to normal. Realizing the Twilight had asked her something, she shook her head before replying. "I'm... I'm fine.” “Are you sure?” Twilight asked, her tone uncertain. “You looked like you were having a nightmare.” “I-I'm fine, really,” Selena stuttered, running a hoof through her disheveled mane. Her mind drifted back to the nightmare, and her brow furrowed slightly. A shiver ran up her spine as she recalled the feeling of water flooding her lungs. Despite the fact that it had been a dream, it had felt real at the time. The shiver had apparently been visible, because another voice spoke up from the same direction as Twilight's. “Are you sure you're alright, darling? You look a little tense.” It took Selena a few seconds to remember who the voice belong to, but when she did, she sighed before sinking deeper into the pillow. “I'm fine, Rarity. The bed was just a little... uncomfortable,” she said weakly. Licking her dry lips, she began to tentatively feel around the bedside table with a hoof. The sound of hoofsteps reached her ears, and few seconds later Twilight spoke up from beside her. “What are you looking for?” “Water,” she rasped, still searching. “Oh, oh, I'll go get it!” a loud, cheery voice shouted, causing Selena to jump. The door slammed, and silence fell over the room again. “Um, w-who else is here?” Selena asked, her ears splaying back against her head. “Well, there's me,” Twilight said. “Rarity and Fluttershy are sitting in the corner. Pinkie just ran to get you some water. Oh, and Rainbow is on the window sill, glaring at you as per usual.” The last sentence seemed to have some heat behind it, and a low 'harrumph' came from the direction of the window. Selena was almost positive that somepony was glaring at somepony else. Trying to ignore the awkward feeling, she racked her brain for a second before asking. “Where's, um... Applejack?” “She had some work to do on the farm, but she might be coming to visit later in the day,” Rarity answered. “Oh, I see,” Selena muttered before falling silent. Her thoughts drifted to the ponies around her, the first ponies to show her any real kindness in nearly a decade. One of them had even expressed the desire to be her friend. The first friend she had ever had. Selena blinked once before a small frown worked its way onto her muzzle. “Um, Twilight?” she asked hesitantly, her voice barely above a whisper. “Yes?” came the reply after a brief pause. Selena tapped her hooves together nervously. “Um... t-this might sound a little weird, but, um... I... I don't know what you, uh... look like.” “Well, no duh!” the voice near the window scoffed, causing Selena to flinch. “You're blind! How are you supposed to know what she looks like?” “Rainbow! Don't be rude!” Rarity snapped. A low grumbling came from the window sill before she continued. “You were saying, Selena?” Selena swallowed thickly. “Um, I-I don't know what you look like, so I... I was wondering if I might... um... might be allowed to...” Unable to finish the request, she just held up her hooves and weakly waved them about. “Ah, I see,” Twilight said with a soft laugh. “You want to 'see' what I look like.” Selena flinched as her hooves were suddenly pulled forward, only to blink in surprise when Twilight placed them on either side of her head. Most ponies didn't realize that in order to get a good mental picture of them, Selena needed to feel their face. The mapping spell was good for figuring out the general size and shape of nearby objects and ponies, but it never gave her a detailed look at the individual. For that, she needed her hooves. “Go ahead,” Twilight said softly, and Selena could feel her smile. Selena began to run her hooves tentatively over Twilight's face, taking in her features. Carefully tracing Twilight's face with her frog, she took in the information and began to paint a mental picture of what Twilight looked like. Her cheeks were full, a comfortable layer of fat resting beneath the skin implying that she probably wasn't the most active pony out there. Her muzzle was a little shorter than Selena had expected, and she felt along the tip of her nose until Twilight giggled softly into her hoof, causing her to blush. “Sorry,” she murmured before moving on. She carefully moved her hooves over Twilight's closed eyes, moving up to her forehead. The bangs of her mane were straight and well-cared for. Her horn was longer than Selena's, the spirals well cared for and the tip filed to a nice, rounded point. Selena didn't linger long on the horn, however, as Twilight was beginning to squirm slightly due to the attention. Quickly running her hoof over Twilight's face one last time before putting it all to memory, Selena withdrew her hooves and sighed. “Thank you,” she murmured, a weak smile touching her lips. “It was my pleasure,” Twilight said. “So, what do you think?” “You... you're a little chubbier than I thought you'd be,” Selena muttered, grimacing at the sudden intake of breath. A choking sound came from the window sill, and it took Selena a second to realize that somepony was trying to hold in their laughter. Her ears pressed against the top of her head. “But,” she continued quickly, “your horn is impressive and I really like your mane.” Her cheeks heated up, and she lowered her head as the snickering grew worse. “T-thanks,” Twilight said weakly, sounding flustered. Selena opened her mouth to say something that might make the awkward situation better, but before she could speak the door burst open with a loud 'bang'. “I got the water!” Pinkie cheered. “Who's thirsty—“ All the unicorns in the room grunted at the same time as a large magical pressure suddenly fell upon the room. The very air seemed to crackle with electricity as the pressure grew worse and worse. A low thrum reverberated around them, causing the very floor to vibrate. Selena clasped her head in her hooves, groaning in pain. Her head felt like it was in a vice, all of her sinuses feeling like they were stuffed full. Sparks flew from her horn as the magical pressure grew and grew until it reached its breaking point. With a loud 'crack', the world seemed to fold in upon itself before erupting outward. ZZZZZZZZZZZZ—KRACKOOM!!! A large wave of magic passed over Selena, causing the hair of her coat to stand up on end and all her limbs to feel like they had fallen asleep. Magic crackled around the room, filling the air with the smell of burning ozone. The sound of loud panting filled the air, and Selena became aware of an overbearing presence within the room. Heart rating rising, Selena quickly cast her mapping spell, only to freeze when it picked up a large form that she was sure hadn't been there a few seconds ago. The figure stood nearly twice as tall as a normal pony, and possessed both wings and a horn. Energy flickered around the figure's neck and dock, the power being emitted from it causing her spell to fizzle and pop. Wincing in pain, Selena was forced to let the spell die out, but not before something deep within her stirred. “...Tia!” ~ ~ ~ ~ > > < < ~ ~ ~ ~ Twilight stood there, mouth agape at the sight before her. Around her, her friends had similar expressions on their faces. Rainbow had fallen off of the window sill and was now lying on her back with her flank in the air. Twilight blinked before rubbing her eyes with a hoof, thinking that she must be seeing things. However, upon looking again, the sight hadn't changed: Princess Celestia was standing in the center of the room. She was completely bare, her usual royal attire missing. Her fur was soaked, water dripping down her body and wings and onto the floor, where it was forming a large puddle at her bare hooves. Her lame wing hung by her side, the dull feathers dangling inches from the floor. She was breathing heavily, her chest heaving as she took in great lungfuls of air. Her horn was smoking, golden sparks dancing up and down the length, causing the water located there to evaporate with tiny hisses. Her single magenta eye was wide, the whites of it showing as her gaze darted around the room. Her entire body was tense, her muscles quivering visibly. The sight caused worry to begin to slowly worm its way through Twilight's shock. She had never seen Celestia this tense before, not even when negotiating with the dragons. Opening and closing her mouth wordlessly, Twilight swallowed thickly before finally finding her voice. “P-Princess Celestia?” she breathed. If Celestia heard her, she didn’t show it. Her gaze was locked firmly on the occupant of the hospital bed, her pupil constricted to a mere pinprick. A look of disbelief was plastered to the Solar Princess’s face, as a growing look of something else. Taking a shaky step forward, Celestia breathed out one word. “...Luna?” Part II: The Sun and the Moon, part 2“...Luna?” Celestia breathed, taking a shaky step forward. Her heart was pounding in her chest far faster than it had in years—no, centuries. She could feel her breath catching in her throat as she took another uncertain step forward. Can it be… can it possibly be… after all this time? The mare on the bed’s ear twitched, and her look of discomfort turned to one of confusion. Celestia watched her silently mouth the name before allowing her gaze to drift slowly upwards to the mare’s eyes. Nothing but twin orbs of milky-blue, they seemed to glow softly against the darker colors of her coat and mane. The mare stared forward blankly, unseeing of the world around her. It was just as Twilight’s letter had stated. The mare was blind. ‘Watch for the mare, of darkened coat and deadened eyes’. Ignoring the ponies around her—some of whom were just now snapping out of their stunned state and hastily dipping into low bows—Celestia walked forward. Each step was slow and uncertain, almost as if she was afraid that the mare might disappear if she moved too quickly. The room was silent save for her bare hooves clicking against the tiled floor. Click Click Click The mare’s ears flicked with each step Celestia took, her eyes darting back and forth nervously. A small glimmer of magic flowed up the mare’s horn and she tensed up, her head turning in Celestia’s direction. As she drew nearer to the hospital bed, Celestia found herself growing more and more nervous. All the tension that had been worked out of her body during her relaxing dip in the heated pool not a few minutes ago came back in full force, causing the muscles in her neck to stiffen to the point of being painfully. She found herself not wanting to approach the mare, but at the same time being drawn to her. Her legs were beginning to shake, and she silently prayed with each new step that brought her closer and closer to the truth. Click Please… Click Please… let it be… Click Please let it be her… Upon reaching the edge of the bed, Celestia paused. A lump had worked itself into her throat, and she found that she was having difficulty swallowing. Her mouth was suddenly dry, drier than it had been in ages. She had never been this nervous before, not even when dealing with the Lord of Dragons during their first ever attempt at diplomacy. She stared down at the mare before her, a hurricane of emotions running rampant inside of her. Nervousness. Sadness. Hope. Joy. Reluctance. Remorse. Longing. Hope. Uncertainty. Anger. Hope. Hope. Hope! This was happening, right? She wasn’t dreaming? She wasn’t going to wake up in a few seconds—alone in her bed—and have to live with the pain again, was she? She had dealt with enough of that in the decades that followed Luna’s death. There would be times where she had dreamt that she had found the mare that Luna had been talking about, while other times she had dreamt that the Nightmare had never attacked and Luna was still alive and well. She would see the familiar twinkle in her eyes, the mischievous smirk that had always come right before one of her pranks. She would hold Luna close, only to wake up and remember that it wasn’t real… she wasn’t there... Those were the dreams that hurt the most. However, this mare in front of her wasn’t Luna. Celestia had never seen this mare before in her life, so this couldn’t be a dream, right? “P-Princess Celestia?” Blinking, Celestia was pulled out of her daze by a familiar voice speaking up from behind her. She glanced over her shoulder to see Twilight standing there with a nervous look on her face. Her student’s eyes darted between her and Selena before coming to a rest on Celestia. “Are you… Is everything alright?” Twilight asked, her ears splaying backwards. “I’m… I’m not sure, my faithful student,” Celestia muttered, her brow furrowing before she slowly turned back to face the blind mare. “But I’m about to find out,” she added under her breath. She lit up her horn and grabbed the blankets in her magic, causing the mare to jump. Giving them a gentle—yet firm—tug, she pulled the sheets up slightly, just barely exposing the mare’s flank. Celestia’s eyes widened and she was certain her ancient heart stopped beating for several seconds. T-that mark! There, spread out across the mare’s flank, was an inky splotch of black fur. And there, emblazoned in the center of the dark blob, was a white crescent moon. The hair that made up the moon seemed to glow in the darkness beneath the blanket, glinting and glimmering like diamonds. It was a cutie mark that Celestia had seen once before ages ago, and one that she thought she would never see again. Releasing her hold on the blanket and allowing it to fall back across the mare’s body, Celestia stared at her wide-eyed. She slowly took her lip between her teeth before suddenly biting down on it hard enough to draw blood. Immediately pain flared up and she inhaled sharply. Even as a faint coppery taste filled her mouth and her lip throbbed, joy welled up in her chest. A large smile spread across her muzzle. Pain, she had felt pain. This wasn’t a dream. And if this wasn’t a dream, then that meant... Moving faster than anyone in the room could perceive, Celestia grabbed a hold of the mare and pulled her bodily from the bed and into a bone-crushing hug. “I can’t believe it,” she murmured, her good wing flaring wide before enveloping the mare, causing her to practically disappear behind a wall of white feathers. “You’re here. You’re here. You’re here!” Jaws around the room dropped for a second time as Celestia leaned down and happily nuzzled the top of Selena’s head, tears streaming down her cheeks. Selena struggled weakly against Celestia grip, trying to break free, but the alicorn was too strong. Rubbing her nose through the Selena’s mane, Celestia kept nuzzling her, all while cooing and whimpering happily. “Oh, I never thought this day would come! I had just about given up… b-but you’re here now, and that’s all that matters. You certainly took your time about it though… but then again, I don’t even know how you… maybe it just took a lot of time and energy?” Tearing her gaze from the sight of the Princess fawning over Selena, Twilight glanced at her friends. They were sitting on the floor, their eyes wide. Rarity looked close to fainting, while Rainbow had a look of disbelief on her face. The only one who didn’t seem to be shocked was Pinkie, who was still standing in the doorway, watching the scene before her with a confused look on her face. Licking her lips, Twilight looked back to Celestia, only to open and close her mouth wordlessly as her brain tried to restart itself. During her time as the Princess’s personal student, she had never seen her act like this. She had always seemed reserved, almost sad on occasion, but this… this was different. Princess Celestia was acting like a foal on Hearth’s Warming Eve who had just received a new teddy bear. Finally finding her voice, Twilight cleared her throat. “Um, P-Princess Celestia?” “Yes, that must be it!” Celestia continued, oblivious of her student’s attempts to get her attention. “It just took you a while to figure out how to come back! Although I would have thought you’d make it a bit more obvious when you finally did. Do you know how many ponies there are in Equestria? And you wanted me to track down one? Really? One?!” “Princess Celestia?” “I mean, I did it. It took a while, but I was able to do it. After each birth, the hospitals sent the information to Canterlot. It was mostly for census purposes and keeping track of the different houses, but I used them to search for you. Yet, you still seemed to manage to sneak by it seems. You always did like your pranks—” “Princess!” Pulled out of her ramblings, Celestia blinked before lifting her head, leaving a very frazzled-looking Selena to gasp for air. Glancing over at her student, she stared at Twilight as though just noticing her for the first time. “Twilight?” Her eye slowly drifted over the rest of the inhabitants of the room before snapping back to Twilight, whose mane was beginning to fray slightly. Her eye widened slightly before she tried to compose herself. Clearing her throat, she gave Twilight a weak smile. “Twilight, my faithful student. How are you doing today? You seem a bit flustered.” “What?” Twilight gasped, giving Celestia a bewildered look. “But, you… her… what?” She motions towards Selena. She was still held firmly held in Celestia’s grasp, had her ears pressed firmly against her head, and looked like she would rather be anywhere else but where she currently was. Unable to express herself through words at the moment, Twilight just waved her hoof back and forth in an attempt to express what she was feeling. “Twilight, are you alright?” Celestia asked, a concerned look crossing her face. An awkward silence fell over the room, Celestia shifting slightly as everyone continued to stare at her with open mouths. Finally, it was Pinkie Pie that broke the silence. “Whoa,” she breathed, her eyes wide. “What was that about?” Sniffing loudly, Celestia glanced at Pinkie before turning her gaze back to Twilight. “I… I guess I have some explaining to do,” she said in a surprisingly weary tone. Pausing for a brief moment to collect her thoughts, she opened her mouth to begin, only to be interrupted by a muffled voice coming from behind her wing. “Um… c-can you please put me back in the bed first?” Selena asked, pushing her head through Celestia’s feathers. Celestia blinked in surprise before glancing down at Selena, a hurt look crossing her face for but a moment before she managed to conceal it. Swallowing thickly, she licked her lips before sighing. “Very well,” she said tersely. Opening her wing, her horn lit up and she gently lifted Selena into the air with her magic. Maneuvering her over to the bed, she pulled the blankets back and quickly wrapped Selena in them. As Selena settled back onto the bed, the corners of Celestia’s lips twitched upwards. Lifting a hoof, she moved to fluff the pillow Selena was propped up against, but in her hurry to do so, she managed to get her leg tangled in the cables and wires attached to Selena’s chest. “Oops,” Celestia murmured, her brow furrowing. She retracted her hoof, only to accidently unplug one of the wires from the machine positioned next to Selena’s bed. Selena winced at the sudden ripping sensation as the wires were pulled from her barrel. Celestia stared down at the loose wires, a bemused look on her face. “Of all the…” she breathed, only to pause, her ears perking up as the faint sound of ponies scrambling about came from down the hall. The door to the room was practically ripped off its hinges as three ponies suddenly burst in, causing the inhabitants to jump at the noise. Celestia’s horn flared as she instinctively prepared to protect not only herself, but her subjects. Two identically nurses—save for one had a horn and one did not—stood in the doorway. Blue Cross had the straps to a large trauma kit clamped in her mouth, while Blue Shield held a pair of defibrillators aloft in her magic. Applejack stood behind the sisters, peering cautiously into the room. Upon seeing a naked Celestia sitting next to Selena’s bed, all three ponies’ eyes widened, their panicked looks turning to confusion. “Uh…” Applejack began, eyes darting around the room. “What did ah miss?” ~ ~ ~ ~ > > < < ~ ~ ~ ~ It took a few minutes for everyone to settle down again, and for Blue Cross to reattach the wires to Selena’s chest, thus stopping the alarm. Everyone gathered around the bed to wait as the nurses checked over Selena just to make sure everything was fine. Celestia sat beside the head of the bed, her one eye darting back and forth as she watched the nurses work with intense scrutiny. Her brow was furrowed, a muted look of concern on her face. Blue Cross and Blue Shield worked stoically under the princess’s gaze, showing no outward signs of nervousness or worry. They placed the wire back on the shaved parts of Selena’s belly, double-checked to make sure that none of her IV’s were pulled out, and did a quick check of her vitals before—with a quick bow to Celestia—they exited the room. Silence fell over the room as the door closed behind the nurses, all eyes looking nervously at Celestia. She sat there, staring blankly at the floor as her mane fluctuate slowly behind her. Eventually, Twilight worked up enough courage to speak. “Um, Princess…?” “Tell me, Twilight. How much do you know of the creature that is Nightmare Moon?” Celestia asked suddenly, her gaze still locked on the floor. “Oh, oh!” Pinkie gasped, bouncing up and down, and waving a hoof in the air. “You mean Queen Meenie?! Wasn’t she the pony that wanted to ruin the Summer Sun Celebration? We were all like ‘Yay! It’s time to party!’ and she was all like ‘No, it’s time to scream!’ and then there was lightning and wind and terror! She’s nothing but a big, fat party pooper!” “Pinkie!” Twilight chided. Turning back to face Celestia, she closed her eyes and cleared her throat. A small smile touched Celestia’s face as she watched her student slip into ‘scholar mode’. It might have caused the professors at Canterlot University to cringe, but Celestia just found it adorable. “Nightmare Moon is… I mean, was… is—” Twilight winced before giving Celestia a curious look, to which the Princess nodded “—is one of the four Demon Lords of Tartarus. Not much is known about her, due to her being a denizen of Tartarus, but it is believed that she rules the lower levels, which are frozen over by the frenzied beating of her wings. She was also known in the olden days by other names, such as Darkness Reincarnated or the Mare of Darkness. She used to pray upon ponies fears and hatred, using those negative emotions to gain more power and strength.” “That is correct,” Celestia nodded, closing her eye, “but how much do you know about her impact on Equestrian history?” Twilight’s ears splayed back against her head. “Well, um, t-there used to be two Princesses that ruled together and created harmony throughout all of Equestria. One was you, who raised the sun at dawn. The other was your sister, Princess Luna, who would raise the moon to begin each night. That’s where the Solar and Lunar courts come from. The two of you ruled Equestria together; you ruling during the day while Princess Luna ruled during the night.” Celestia nodded, and Twilight continued, her voice growing stronger. “Then, one thousand years ago, Nightmare Moon launched an attack on Castle of the Two Sisters. She was attempting to usurp you in order to plunge Equestria into eternal darkness. A fight broke out between her forces and the castle guards, leading to the destruction of the castle itself, as well as the surrounding area. “Many ponies were injured during the initial attack, including Princess Luna, leaving you to fight Nightmare Moon by yourself. After a fierce battle, you used the Elements of Harmony to defeat the Nightmare and banished her in the moon.” Twilight paused, opening and closing her mouth a couple of times. She took a deep breath before continuing. “Unfortunately, Princess Luna passed away shortly after due to her injuries, leaving you to take responsibility for both the sun and moon. Nightmare Moon remained sealed in the moon until recently, when she escaped. We then banished her back to Tartarus with the Elements of Harmony.” As Twilight finished speaking, an awkward tension fell over the room. Twilight winced inwardly. It was one thing to learn about Princess Luna the Fallen in school; the sad story had always caused Twilight some discomfort, knowing that Princess Celestia had suffered such a major loss. It was another thing though to have to tell Celestia herself about the night her sister died. Selena shifted faintly on the bed, a look of discomfort on her face. Lifting a hoof, she gingerly rubbed her forehead only to wince in pain. Her horn sparked once. Celestia remained silent, her eye closed. After a long pause, it cracked open and she glanced around. “Anypony else have something to add?” she asked. Her tone was soft and warm, and Twilight felt herself beginning to relax. Behind her, her friends shook their heads in answer. Celestia nodded her head slowly, a small smile flitting across her muzzle. “Right as usual, my faithful student,” she murmured. “I do believe you got most of that information from…?” “From Equestria: A History, by Birchwood Scrolls,” Twilight finished, nodding happily. “It was one of the first books I got when I became your student. I still have it, although it’s not in the best condition. I’ve been meaning to rebind it.” “Of course,” Celestia hummed, nodding. “It’s a very informative book. It took Birchwood decades to write it, and she double and triple checked all her sources before she even thought about adding information to the book. Very detailed and very accurate. That is, if my memory is still what it used to be. However, you were wrong about one little detail.” The smile slipped from Twilight’s face and she stared up at Celestia with wide eyes. “W-what? Wrong?! But, I-I...” “However, it’s not your fault,” Celestia continued gently. “There is one part of the tale that Birchwood got wrong. I can’t really blame her for it though, seeing as she never came to me for the information. If enough people are wrong about something, it can be easily mistaken for the truth. You see, Luna, despite what many ponies believe, was not my sister.” “She wasn’t?!” Twilight yelped. Around her, her friends’ eyes widened in shock. “No,” Celestia said with a soft laugh. “I’m not sure how that particular part of the story came to life, but by the time I learned of it, it was too late for me to correct the mistake easily. Even the name for our castle in the Everfree is incorrect. It was originally called the Castle of the Two Alicorns, but as the rumor spread around that Luna was my sister, so too did the name of our castle change within the history books. However, I am being truthful when I tell you that Luna wasn’t my sister. “She was my mate.” “Your mate?!” “Yes,” Celestia said sadly, nodding again. “My mate—my lover, my fere, my companion. She was all of that and more. She was my heart, and I was hers. It appears that many mistook our love as that of sisters, especially considering none knew what happened behind locked doors. Many would try to court me, or Luna, on occasion, but we’d turn them down. After all, there was a reason why we never took any suitors: we were already taken.” A stunned silence crept around the room, everyone gaping at Celestia. Twilight was sputtering softly, her eyes wide and pupils mere pinpricks. She couldn’t believe her ears. This was something that would change the very history books she loved so much, and the Princess had just told them it as if she was talking about the weather. The only pony that seemed unaffected by the revelation was Selena, who had a confused look on her face. “N-not to sound insensitive to your loss or anything,” she said, “but what does this have to do with you nearly crushing me to death when you first saw me?” “Ah, yes. That,” Celestia said weakly. She suddenly looked nervous. “It is true that Luna was grievously injured and died from said injuries. However, before she passed, I was able to speak with her briefly.” “What did she say?” Selena asked, her sightless eyes narrowing. Her ear twitched before swiveling around to point at the Princess. Celestia smiled softly. “‘Fear not, Tia dear, for this is not our end. Watch for the mare, of darkened coat and deadened eyes. When she doth stands beside thee, so too shall we once more.’” Silence fell over the room, only to be broken after a few seconds by Selena. “‘Deadened eyes’?” she breathed, scrunching up her muzzle. “What does that mean?” “Back in the old days, a blind pony was often described as having deadened eyes,” Twilight muttered, glancing curiously at Selena. “Eyes that were dead and useless.” Selena balked. “W-wait, so you think she was talking about me!?” “Well,” Celestia said slowly, drawing the word out, “not only do you match the description of the pony she was talking about, but you also look very similar to Luna in appearance as well.” “B-but… I… you… I’m not—” “Not to mention,” Celestia continued with a faint smile, “you have her cutie mark.” Selena froze, her body stiffening. “Don’t talk about my cutie mark,” she snarled. The others flinched back at the sudden ferocity in her voice, but Celestia remained unfazed. “A black inky cloud, adorn by a crescent moon?” she murmured softly, lifting up the edge of Selena’s blanket. “The moon glows softly in dim light?” Before she could lift the blanket fully, Selena grabbed it and pushed it back down with a scowl. “Don’t. Talk about. My cutie mark,” she growled, “and my name is Selena, not Luna.” Celestia watched her, a frown working its way across her muzzle before she suddenly perked up. “Very well, if you need more proof that I’m right, I’ll give it to you.” Her horn lit up suddenly, causing everyone but Selena to have to cover their eyes at the intensity. There was a low sucking noise, followed by a soft ‘pop’. As the light faded, a small metallic ball—barely larger than a walnut—fell into Selena’s blanket-covered lap. “There we go,” Celestia hummed, smiling down at the ball. “W-what… what is it?” Twilight asked, staring at the metal in awe. It was midnight black, but whenever she moved her head, glimmers of different colors raced across its surface. “It…” Celestia began before pausing and casting a quick glance at Selena, a smirk growing on her face. “Well, I’ll get to that in a second. First though, Twilight, if you would be so kind, could you pick it up in your magic for me?” Twilight blinked in surprise before glancing between the Princess and the weird ball of metal in Selena’s lap. It seemed easy enough. The ball wasn’t that big; she had certainly dealt with training weights that were far bigger than it. That, and the fact that it wasn’t currently crushing Selena beneath its weight meant that it couldn’t be that heavy. Nodding once, Twilight lit up her horn and grabbed the ball in her magic. Or at least tried to, for the minute her magic touched the ball, it seemed to slide effortlessly off the metal. “What in the…?” She stared at the ball in confusion. Celestia titled her head to the side, causing Twilight’s ears to splay back. Her teacher was watching. Now was not the time to mess up. Scrunching up her face, she tried again, only to be met with the same result. She tried for a third time, same thing. No matter how hard she tried, she just couldn’t grab the metal in her magic. “I don’t…” she muttered before glaring at the offending ball. “It’s like trying to grab ice with numb hooves!” Aware that not only was Celestia watching her, but her friends as well, she began to push more magic down her horn. However, before she could attempt to grab the ball again, Celestia held up a hoof. Twilight immediately cancelled the spell, the magic around her horn flickering and dying. “I’m sorry, Princess,” she said, lowering her head. “I… I don’t know why I…” “It’s quite alright, Twilight,” Celestia said, her tone warm. “You did nothing wrong.” “But, I…” “I’ll explain in a minute, I promise,” Celestia said before turning to Selena. “Now then, Selena. Would you kindly try and pick up the ball?” Selena blinked her sightless eyes once before reaching down and picking the ball up in her hooves. It was surprisingly light, and she wondered for a second if it was hollow. Celestia laughed softly. “I meant with your magic.” Selena dropped the ball back into her lap before turning her head in Celestia’s general direction. “What makes you think I can do that?” she asked, mouth agape. “You are a unicorn, are you not?” Celestia asked, an amused smirk crossing her face. Selena balked. “Y-yeah, but I… I…” She trailed off, muttering something under her breath as she tapped her forehooves together. “What was that, hun?” Celestia asked, perking her ears. “I’m… I’m not very good with magic,” Selena mumbled. “I left the orphanage before my magic really had a chance to develop, so Warm Care never got a chance to find me a tutor. I can only do a few spells, and even those I can’t do that well.” “Can you use levitation?” Celestia asked, a concerned look crossing her face. Selena blinked several times. “W-well, yeah, but…” “Then levitate the ball,” Celestia said, motioning towards the metal orb. “B-but Twilight is your student and she can’t do it,” Selena protested, waving a hoof in Twilight’s general direction, causing her to blush at the sudden attention. “If she can’t do it, what makes you think I can?! I mean, it’s not—” She fell silent as Celestia placed a hoof gently against her lips. “Please,” Celestia said softly, the small smile still present on her face, “just try.” Selena stared blankly ahead for a few more seconds before sighing. Her horn began to glow with a soft cobalt blue light, and a similarly-colored aura surrounding the metal ball. Expecting to be unable to lift the sphere, Selena was startled when it instantly lifted into the air. She nearly tossed it into the ceiling before correcting herself. Unlike Twilight’s attempts, Selena’s magic didn’t falter and held the ball firmly within her magical grab. She blinked in surprise and confusion as she felt the ball hovering in front of her face, wrapped in her aura. She even reached out with a hoof to confirm what her magic was telling her. The ball was suspended in the air, held aloft by her magic. But, that doesn’t make any sense, she thought to herself, scrunching up her nose. If Twilight couldn’t lift it, why can I? Surely she’s more competent with magic than I am. As Selena’s mind continued to try and figure what was going on, the others were staring. Not at her, but at something that—unfortunately for Selena—she was unable to see. The minute she had lifted the metal ball in her magic, Twilight had opened her mouth to protest. However, the words had died on her lips before she had a chance to speak them, and her jaw fell open in shock. A similar look was plastered on her friends’ faces as well as they glanced around the room. The metal ball had come alive. Light flickering across its surface, twisting and turning as though there was a flame trapped within the orb. The light being thrown off from the ball caused little dots of light to dance across the walls and ceilings, reminding Twilight of when Pinkie Pie had broken out her disco ball. The beads of light seemed to twinkle, pulsing with an unknown energy. Pulling her eyes from the breathtaking sight, Twilight glanced up at Princess Celestia. Celestia was gazing around at the dancing lights with delight, but Twilight could also just make out the hints of pain and longing in her gaze. “Oh,” she breathed weakly, her lips trembling. “Oh, stars. It’s been too long since I’ve seen these. I almost forgot how beautiful you were, my little friends.” “Um, Princess?” Jumping slightly, Celestia looked at Twilight as if she had forgotten the younger mare was there. “W-what…” Twilight began, only to pause and lick her lips before continuing. “What’s going on? What is that orb?” “Wha… oh, I’m sorry, Twilight,” Celestia said, giving her an apologetic smile. “I got distracted. Forgive me.” Clearing her throat, she took a moment to compose herself before continuing. She pointed at the ball of metal still suspended in Selena’s magic. “What Lu—I mean, what Selena here is currently holding is a metal called deusium. It’s extremely rare, and happens to have several unique properties.” “Such as?” Twilight asked, and Celestia resisted the urge to laugh when she saw that Twilight had summoned a scroll and was currently taking notes. “Well, for one,” she said, “the metal’s color is unique to the eyes of the beholder.” The scratching of Twilight’s quill paused, and she glanced up, giving the Princess a bewildered look. “What?” “Ms. Rarity,” Celestia said loudly, turning to face her. “What color is the ball?” Rarity blinked, startled that the Princess had called on her. “Well, um… it’s the most beautiful shade of lavender I’ve ever seen, with veins of white running through it. I was actually going to ask about it before Twilight spoke up, your highness.” “What?” Rainbow yelped, giving Rarity an incredulous look. “What are you talking about? It’s totally blue!” “Red fer me,” Applejack voiced. “Pink!” Pinkie said, bouncing on her hooves. “Wait, no! Yellow! No, orange! No, white! No, pink again!” “Um… green,” Fluttershy murmured, peeking out from behind her mane. “I can’t see,” Selena deadpanned. “What color do you see, Twilight?” Pinkie chirped, giving her friend a large grin. Twilight blinked, glancing between all her friends, who were now looking at her. Her ears folding back against her head. “Oh, um… it’s… it’s kind of a black, but there are flashes of rainbow occasionally.” For a fleeting moment, Twilight thought she saw a gleam of something like triumph and pride flash across Celestia’s eyes. The next second it was gone, and Twilight was sure she had imagined it because Celestia just looked tired but happy. “Yes,” she said with a nod. “Different ponies see different colors when looking upon the orb. We are unsure of why this happens—” her eye darted to the side for a split second “—but it’s one of the attributes that makes deusium unique.” “So, why is Selena able to pick it up in her magic but I’m not,” Twilight asked, a twinge of jealousy seeping into her tone before she could stop it. “That’s the second trait that makes deusium so special,” Celestia said. “Much like nullstone, deusium’s properties make it so that it neutralizes most magic. If a pegasus was to pick it up and attempt to fly with it, they’d find themselves unable to lift off the ground. A unicorn would find themselves unable to lift it in their magic, or even use magic in general if they were touching the metal. Earth ponies would lose their connection to the earth.” Everyone was now giving the small sphere of metal nervous looks, Applejack even inching away from it cautiously. “Wait,” Twilight said, her face scrunching up. “If unicorns’ magic won’t affect it, why is Selena able to pick it up?” “That, my faithful student,” Celestia said as her smile grew, “is the right question. You see, deusium is immune to all forms of magic. All forms, except for one.” Reaching up, she tapped her horn with a hoof. “Alicorn magic,” she said. Silence fell over the room as everyone stared at Selena, who looked like she had just been slapped in the face. Her magic flickered before dying out, sending the ball of deusium tumbling to the blankets below. “So, the only way Selena could have levitated the metal…” Twilight began slowly. “Is if she was using alicorn magic,” Celestia finished with a nod. “But she’s a unicorn,” Rarity said, uncertainly. “A unicorn with a glowing cutie mark of a moon,” Celestia said smugly. “With deadened eyes and darkened coat.” A dark look crossed Selena’s face. “You tricked me,” she muttered. “Whether I tricked you or not is irrelevant,” Celestia said in a gentle tone. “You have Luna’s cutie mark, you match her description, and, if those weren’t evidence enough, you also have her magic inside you. You are Luna reborn.” “My name,” Selena growled, “is Selena.” Twilight glanced back and forth between Selena and Celestia nervously, her ears folding back against her head. Clearing her throat, she tried to catch Celestia’s attention. “S-so, um… you said that this deusium is rare. How rare are we talking about exactly?” “Extremely,” Celestia said, giving Selena a tired look. “Selena here currently has half of the deusium in Equestria,” she added, pointing to the metal sphere in Selena’s lap. As Twilight scribbled away on her scroll, Rainbow perked up. “Wait a minute,” she said, eyes narrowing. “This stuff is rare, right?” “Yes,” Celestia said with a nod, giving Rainbow a curious look. “So that means it’s valuable, right?” Rainbow continued. Her eyes darted back and forth between Selena and the small sphere of metal. “Naturally,” Celestia hummed. “That little bit on the bed is probably worth equal to, or slightly more than, all the gold in the National Treasury.” The minute the words left her lips, Rainbow was in the air. Faster than anyone could react, she flew over to the bed. This action caused Selena to yelp loudly in surprise at the sudden presence in front of her, and she flinched back, expecting to be hit. All Rainbow did though was quickly grab the ball of deusium. The minute her hooves touched the metal, her wings stopped working. They stiffened then went limp, causing her to drop out of the air with a startled cry. She flopped on the edge of the bed before toppling over onto the floor, knocking the bedside table over in the process. The ball of deusium clattered to the floor and rolled off. “Rainbow!” Twilight yelped, eyes wide. “What are you doing?!” “Getting the very valuable thing away from the thief!” Rainbow groaned from her place on the floor. “Rainbow Dash!” Rarity gasped, giving her a shocked look. “How… Why would you say such a thing?” “What?” Rainbow huffed, getting to her hooves. “She is!” “Dash, she’s in no condition tah stand, let alone run off with it,” Applejack said with a glare. “And secondly, do ya really think she’s gonna try that with the Princess in the room with her?” “I don’t know how a thief thinks!” “Rainbow, stop it,” Rarity said, glaring at her as well. “Sorry for trying to stop her from getting her hooves on something extremely valuable,” Rainbow huffed, crossing her forelegs. “All ya’ve done is make a mess of the place,” Applejack snorted, righting the side table and trying to gather up the fallen items. “And you’ve lost the deusium as well,” Twilight said, looking frantically under the bed for the dropped metal. “The Princess just finished telling us about how rare and valuable it is, and you’ve lost it! Who knows where it—” The sudden roar of flames cut Twilight off, causing her to hit her head on the underside of the bed as she jumped. Sitting up and rubbing the small lump on the back of her head, she stared in awe at Celestia, who had the deusium suspended in her magic. The sphere was wreathed in fire, the flames cracking and billowing like the interior of a furnace. The size of the inferno was such that the flames licked at the ceiling. The walls became tinged in an orange glow, embers dancing around the room in a chaotic symphony of fire and light. However, as Twilight continued to stare at the sight in wonder (and a little bit fear), she realized that she felt no heat coming from the fire. Just as suddenly as the flames arrived, they disappeared. The deusium fell from Celestia magic and landed in her outstretched hoof. “No harm, no foul,” she said gently as she eyed the metal. “Although I am curious as to what all that was about.” Her gaze drifted over to Selena, whose ears were pressed firmly against her head. She looked like she was trying to sink into the mattress and disappear. A brief look of concern flashed across Celestia face before she was able to mask it. Rainbow opened her mouth, only to have it click shut again as it was surrounded in a rosy aura. Twilight shot her a quick glare before turning her attention to the Princess. She gave Celestia a strained smile. “Well, um… you see, Selena’s not doing particularly well at the moment.” “Yes, you said something like that in your letter,” Celestia said. “Well,” Twilight said, wincing. She glanced at Selena before continuing. “She, um… she doesn’t have a lot of bits… so she has to, um… scavenge for food occasionally.” “It’s okay, Twilight,” Selena sighed, closing her eyes. “You don’t need to hide the fact. I steal in order to eat.” Twilight winced again, and her eyes flicked up to look at Celestia’s face. Celestia’s brow was furrowed and she had a troubled look on her face, but her gaze wasn’t on Selena, but rather the IV bag hanging next to the bed. Her eye narrowed as she read the label, only for her entire body to freeze a second later. Her eye widened again before swiveling around to stare at Selena in growing horror. Before Twilight had a chance to speak, Celestia’s horn lit up and the blankets that had been covering Selena’s body were ripped off the bed, leaving her bare. Celestia could only stare at Selena’s emaciated in shock. “Why are you so malnourished?!” she finally managed to ask, her voice rising slightly. Selena turned her head in Celestia’s general direction and gave her a bemused look. “You didn’t notice this before?” she asked. “You pulled me out of the bed and nearly smothered me in a hug, not to mention pulled the wires off my chest, and yet you didn’t notice how thin I was?” “I was a little… distracted at those particular moments,” Celestia said weakly. “Don’t change the subject though. Why are you nothing but skin and bones?!” “Well, I didn’t really have bits for food,” Selena snarked, an ear twitching. “When you have no food, you tend to get… thin.” “B-but… has… has nopony ever offered to help you? To feed you?” Celestia asked, ears splaying backwards. “You still just a foal! Surely there was somepony…” “Well…” Selena said slowly, chewing on her lip. “There was Pinkie, who left me cupcakes occasionally, but other than that, I was on my own.” She trailed off, a frown crossing her face. She didn’t really want to talk about this right now. However, she felt that it wasn’t over yet. Sure enough, Celestia pressed on. “Just one? Out of all the ponies in Ponyville, only one helped you?” she asked, causing the others in the room to shift uncomfortably. “Actually,” Selena said, blinking. “Twilight caught me once, and well… you can see what came of that.” Celestia’s gaze darted over to Twilight, who was giving Selena a warm smile. Her brow furrowed before her horn sudden lit up with a bright golden light. A scroll and quill materialized in front of her. Taking the quill nimbly in her magic, Celestia wrote out a quick message before rolling the scroll up. Bring the scroll up to her lips, Celestia took a deep breath through her nostrils. Her cheeks bulged slightly, and she pursed her lips before suddenly blowing a stream of amber fire upon the scroll. The flames consumed the parchment, which became a cloud of smoke. It hovered in the air for but a second before being swept out through the gaps in the window. “Um, Princess, was that for Spike?” Twilight asked as she watched the disappearing smoke. “No, it wasn’t,” Celestia answered simply. “Then what…” Twilight began, only to trail off, a look of confusion on her face. Celestia glanced down and gave her a small smile. Unfurling a wing, she wrapped it around Twilight and pulled her close, nuzzling the top of her head affectionately. “It’s nothing to worry about, my faithful student,” she said. “I’m just calling a friend.” ~ ~ ~ ~ > > < < ~ ~ ~ ~ Black Spark sighed softly to himself as he rubbed his temples with a hoof. Day court had just ended, and the last of the nobles were trickling out of the throne room, murmuring softly to themselves. The guards that were positioned around the room slumped slightly in their positions, a look of relief crossing their faces. Black Spark couldn’t blame them; the nobles had been especially obnoxious today. Especially Lady Grayscale and her plethora of complaints. It seemed that since Celestia wasn’t present, the nobles decided that they could get away with more than they usually would around Black Spark. Unfortunately for them, Celestia was the more understanding of the two. Slumping back in his chair, the Archduke sighed again. He could feel a headache growing in the back of his head. Suddenly Celestia’s appreciation for a tall, stiff drink after court made more sense. Night court was never this draining. Taking a few seconds to compose himself, Black Spark motioned to the guards. “You are dismissed. Thank you for your service.” With a clatter of armor, the guards immediately relaxed and began to disperse, some heading towards the mess hall for some food, while others made their way towards the showers. Black Spark was just beginning to consider turning in for the evening when movement near the front of the throne room caught his eye. As the dismissed guards exited through the doors, an armor-clad figure slipped through. Her golden armor glinted softly in the light of the setting sun streaming through the throne room windows as she made her way towards the dais. “You look tired, sir, look tired, sir,” Darkfur murmured as she drew nearer. Even with her armor on, she moved silently, making barely a whisper of noise. “I keep forgetting how… pleasant day court can be,” the Archduke growled. “It amazes me that the princess is still sane.” “After all these years, she’s used to it, used to it,” Darkfur chuckled, her yellow eyes glinting with mirth. She chirped shrilly several times before cocking her head to the side. “I’m assuming that there is no night court tonight, night court tonight?” “Not unless the princess has called for it,” Black Spark said. Darkfur shook her head. “Haven’t heard from her all day, her all day.” “Probably relaxing after what happened with the griffons.” “Possibly, possibly.” “I’m sorry if this comes off as rude, lieutenant, but is there a reason you’re here?” Black Spark asked with a groan. Darkfur shrugged her shoulders. “Night court has been cancelled, has been cancelled.” A smirk crossed her face. “Need new orders, need new orders.” “Well,” Black Spark tsked, “unless something big comes up, I do believe that means you have the rest of the night off—” Both ponies turned their heads abruptly as one of the side doors creaked open. There was a brief pause before Raven stuck her head in and glanced around. Spying the two ponies standing on the throne dais, she bit her lip before opening the door further and entering. “By chance have either one of you seen Princess Celestia recently?” she asked. Black Spark and Darkfur glanced at each other briefly before turning back to Raven. “No,” they answered together. “She isn’t in her chambers?” Black Spark asked. Raven shook her head. “No. The last I saw her was when she was entering the hot springs. I just checked them. Her attire and shoe covers are there, but there’s no sign of her.” “Did you check the kitchens?” “Yes,” Raven deadpanned. “I checked there right after I checked the wine cellars. No sign of her, and nopony’s seen her.” “Did you—” “I know how to do my job, Spark,” Raven huffed. “I’ve checked her usual spots. The kitchens, the wine cellars, the gardens, the library. I even checked the statue gardens, creepy as they are. She wasn’t at any of those locations.” “No need to get flustered, to get flustered,” Darkfur said softly. “The princess can take care of herself, care of herself. She doesn’t need to tell us every time she wanders off, she wanders off.” “Then what would you suggest?” Raven asked, raising an eyebrow. Darkfur opened her mouth to reply, but was interrupted by a cloud of smoke suddenly appearing above the three ponies. It hovered there for but a second until a tongue of amber flames erupted for, and a single scroll fell upon the ground. Giving the other two a smug smirk, Darkfur motioned towards the scroll with a hoof. “Yeah, yeah,” Black Spark growled as he picked the scroll up with his magic. “Laugh it up, fuzzball.” “You see, Celestia can get a hold of us if she needs to, she needs to,” Darkfur murmured, turning to look at Raven. “No need to worry, need to worry.” “I guess,” Raven said skeptically as Black Spark unrolled the scroll. “It’s just… it doesn’t feel like something she’d do, just up and leave like that. Even if she goes for a midnight stroll, she always tells somepony.” Ignoring the two others, Black Spark turned his attention instead to the scroll. There was no royal seal, but he instantly recognized Celestia’s spidery hornwriting. The letter itself was brief, barely a few sentences. In Ponyville hospital. Bring Royal Healers ASAP. Keep low profile. “So, what did she say?” Raven asked as Black Spark lowered the scroll. She blinked at the look on the Archduke’s face, and her ears splayed back. “Black Spark? What… what is it?” Black Spark didn’t answer. He just stared forward, his eyes narrowing. The Princess had just requested that the Royal Healers be brought to Ponyville immediately. The only reason that Celestia would have need of the Royal Healers would be if she had been injured. Something had happened in Ponyville. Hoofing the scroll to Darkfur, the Archduke made a beeline for the door. He called back over his shoulder as he went. “Lieutenant, grab the Royal Healers and meet me down by the landing zones. I’ll get us a pair of chariots. Do not make a scene!” Darkfur glanced over the message briefly before nodding. “Right away.” Her normally soft voice was suddenly cold, the signature repeating quirk she had temporarily forgotten. She took wing and flew off in a blur of gray and gold, taking the scroll with her. Raven stood in the now empty throne room, a bewildered look on her face. “What the hay just happened?” ~ ~ ~ ~ > > < < ~ ~ ~ ~ Celestia hummed softly to herself as she nudged the sun towards the horizon. The celestial orb sank lower and lower in the sky, dutifully complying with its mistress’s commands. Next, she pushed the moon gently, setting it on its course for the night. While it was true that she could move the sun and the moon, they typically followed their own paths across the sky. The two celestial objects only needed an occasional nudge here or tug there in order to keep them in place. The only times she manually moved them through the skies above Equestria was during the Summer Sun Celebration. Double-checking to make sure that the sun and moon were on their respective paths, Celestia opened her eye and returned her attention to the world around her. Ponies were scattered about the room, talking quietly with one another in gently murmurs. Twilight and Rarity were discussing something in low voices, the particular topic lost to Celestia’s ears. Pinkie, Rainbow, and Applejack had taken over the second bed and were now playing cards, although there appeared to be some confusion as to the game. Rainbow and Applejack were clearly playing Poker, while Pinkie appeared to be playing Go Fish, and was somehow winning. Unwilling to try and figure out the logic behind the card game, Celestia’s eye drifted over to the other bed. Fluttershy had acquired a brush from somewhere and was now brushing Selena’s tail, gently working the knots and tangles out of it. And that lead her gaze to Selena. The young mare was propped up against the headboard of her hospital bed. Even though her eyes were closed, Celestia could tell she was awake. She just laid there, breathing softly as Fluttershy continued to brush her tail. Every so often Selena’s ear would twitch and swivel around in the direction of a particularly loud noise or voice. A small frown crossed Celestia’s muzzle as she eyed Selena. She had yet to pull the blanket back over herself, and her body was exposed for the world to see. Her malnourished body. In her many years, Celestia had seen many forms of hardship. She had walked the streets of many war ravaged cities during the civil war of the Griffon Empire. She had headed the relief efforts for the devastated homes and land of Zebrica after they had been hit by a massive tsunami. She had seen the aftermath of horrific famines and plagues that reduced the Minotaurian Empire to nothing more than a series of nomadic tribes and wanderers. She had seen all of this and more, so it had taken her but a single glance to realize the nature of Selena’s IV bag. The cocktail of medicine, minerals, and vitamins was designed to replace the nutrients Selena’s body desperately needed, as well as attempt to improve her appetite so that she would be more willing to eat. However, she was unable to do so. Her body was currently unable to properly process food. To give her solid foods now would do more harm than good, something one of the nurses had to remind Pinkie several times. Celestia’s eye drifted over to a cart resting in the corner of the room, currently covered in dirty dishes and empty platters. The rambunctious party mare had acquired the cart from the cafeteria a few hours ago, bring enough food with her for everypony, including Selena. Luckily, one of the nurses had been changing out Selena’s IV bag at the time, and had managed to stop Pinkie from giving her food. Although, considering that Selena’s mouth had been practically watering at the smell, they didn’t have to worry about her appetite. “Could probably do with a diet high in protein and calories,” Celestia muttered under her breath. “Get some more meat on her bones, as it were. Poor thing looks like a skeleton. Lots of milk… maybe orange juice too. Some granola as well, that should help. I’ll need to see about—” Her train of thought was interrupted by the feeling of somepony pinging her magical signature; something that only a rare few of ponies could actually do. Ears perking, Celestia sent a ping of her own, only to smile as the presence revealed itself and its inquiry. They arrived faster than I expected, Celestia mused as she sent the room number. She glanced at the clock hanging on the far wall, only to wince. Or maybe not. The hands of the clock informed her that the hour was later than what she had assumed, and they were currently overstepping their bounds, as visiting hours had ended a while ago. She was pretty sure the only reason the nurses hadn’t broken down the door and kicked them out yet was because of who was currently in the room. One did not simply kick royalty out of a building. At least, not without bringing some backup. Glancing around at the other ponies in the room again, a contemplative look crossed Celestia’s face. While her presence explained the hospital staffs’ behavior, why were Twilight’s friends still here? Not that she minded their company; they were rather unique ponies even without the fact of being Element Bearers. However, surely they had their own lives and loved ones to get back to. Twilight was understandable: she would stay faithfully by Celestia’s side until either dismissed or Celestia left. The others had no such devotion. She was pretty sure Applejack had a farm to look after, and Rainbow Dash was a member of the local weather team, was she not? Both jobs usually meant getting up early in order to get most of the day’s work done on time. Yet they remained here, with their friends. She opened her mouth to voice her question, only for everyone’s attention to suddenly be directed at the door, the sound of multiple voices growing louder on the other side. One of the voices was female, and clearly did not sound happy. “Excuse me, what do you think you’re doing? You can’t be here at the moment!” “Oops,” Celestia muttered under her breath, her ears splaying back. “Didn’t think about that.” “Is that Nurse Blue Cross?” Applejack asked, scrunching up her muzzle. “What’s she shoutin’ about?” A second voice spoke up, this one masculine and deep. While the words were lost to the listeners within the room, the annoyed tone was clearly discernible. The sound of hoofsteps were growing slowly louder, and it sounded as though a veritable herd of ponies were making their way down the hall. Blue Cross let out a bark-like laugh. “I don’t care who you are. This is a hospital, and as such, since the doctor is not here at the moment, I am in charge,” she shot back. The masculine voice started to say something, but was cut off. “Visiting hours are over. They ended a while ago. Patients are trying to rest, and the last thing they need is you disturbing them. Whatever your business is, it can wait until morning!” “Ain’t nopony gonna be able to sleep with that level of noise,” Rainbow grumbled, looking at the cards in her hooves. “I agree,” Rarity huffed. “She’s making more noise than anypony else at the moment.” She batted her mane absentmindedly. “I mean, really. I can see where Nurse Redheart learned it from. It’s a wonder that all the foals seem to like her.” “Now, that’s a bit unfair,” Applejack said. “Blue Cross can be soft-spoken when she wants tah. Ah’ve never seen her yell at a foal.” Rarity hummed softly. “I suppose…” A third voice, soft and feminine, made itself known. Whatever was said caused Blue Cross to sputter, her previous bravado failing. “I… but, uh… you see…” The new voice pressed on, and Blue Cross fell silent as the sound of hooves came to a stop right outside the door. “Alright, fine,” Blue Cross sighed after a few seconds, “but so help me, if this proves to be detrimental to my patient’s health, I don’t care who you are, I’ll throw you out on your sorry flank.” “What’s going on?” Twilight asked, directing the question to nobody in particular. “I don’t know, but that sure sounds like a lot of ponies,” Pinkie Pie commented, cocking her head to the side as she stared wide-eyed at the door. “Nine,” Selena grunted, drawing Celestia’s gaze almost instantly. “Nine what?” Twilight asked, glancing at Selena as well, a look of confusion on her face. “There are nine ponies out there... unless some of them are flying,” Selena said a little louder, although still keeping her voice low. Her ears splayed back. “At least two are wearing armor, maybe more. It was hard to tell when they were talking, and now they’re standing still.” “Sugarcube, are ya tellin’ us ya could hear all that through the door?” Applejack asked, giving her an incredulous look. Upon Selena nodding, she let out a low whistle. “Well Ah'll be… that’s some mighty impressive hearin’ ya got there, hun.” “That tends to happen when one of the sense is hindered,” Twilight said, giving Selena a curious look. “The other senses grow stronger to compensate, although they usually aren’t that much more noticeable. You have very good ears, Selena.” “Yippee for me,” Selena deadpanned. Blinking, Twilight began to say something, but was cut off as the door handle began to jiggle. The door swung open, and a veritable convoy of ponies walked in: Black Spark, followed by four guards, two healers, with Nurse Blue Cross and Nurse Redheart bringing up the rear, a look of annoyance on both of their faces. The large, imposing figure of Black Spark was easily distinguishable at the head of the group. His blue eyes darted around the room, taking in everything with expertly concealed emotions. Beside him followed a dark-coated pegasus in golden armor, but instead of feathered wings, she bore a pair of leathery, bat-like wings. She looked around the room as well, a sleepy expression on her face. However, her yellow eyes had a hidden glint to them that made any pony she looked at shiver. Of the three remaining guards, two of them looked like generic guard ponies. They were both decked out in Royal Guard armor, their heads encased in their signature golden helmets. The third guard was different. Unlike the other two, who were unicorns, this one was a pegasus. His helmet was missing, and his silver mane cut short. His coat was light gray speckled with black that slowly grew darker towards his hooves. Blackened bandages were wrapped around his base of his braided tail. A red saddle rested on the back of his armor, contrasting with the light blue ones that were normally present. He followed dutifully behind Black Spark, almost like a living shadow. Behind the wall of armored ponies, two unicorn mares followed. They were dressed in the white robes of the Royal Healers, and each bore a full pair of saddlebags on their backs. Selena winced as the new ponies entered, her ears pressing against her head in an attempt to muffle the new noise. “Sorry about this intrusion,” Blue Cross growled as she and Redheart pushed their way through the guards. “We tried to stop them, but they were rather persistent.” “This is a matter of the Crown,” Black Spark huffed. “It does not concern you, and you have no authority over us.” “It was the Crown that charged us with tending to the sick and injured ponies that pass through our doors,” Blue Cross shot back, “which is rather hard to do with you barging in when they’re trying to rest!” Black Spark opened his mouth to give a rebuttal, but was cut off by as a loud gasp came from the corner of the room. Pinkie stood there, a hoof pointed at Black Spark as a large smile slowly spread across her face. “Hey, Grumpy McGrumperson! You’re back!” she cried, bouncing up and down in place. Black Spark glared at her, one of his eyes twitching. The two guards moved to stand on either side of the door, their armor clanking as they moved. The Healers were now standing next to Celestia, conversing with her in worried tones. The pegasus guard was trying to appraise Applejack and Rainbow, both whom bore annoyed looks on their faces. The guard just looked unsure of what to do. Fluttershy was now talking with the batpony with a surprising air of familiarity. Unable to follow what was going on anymore, Twilight turned her attention to Selena instead, only to do a double take upon seeing the look of pain on her face. She had her hooves over her ears, her sightless eyes darting back and forth. Her heart monitor was beginning to go wild as her heart rate increased. “Selena, are you alright?” Twilight asked worriedly. Selena just whimpered. “Too much noise. I… I can’t see, c-can’t map. Too many ponies. Too much noise. Make it stop, make it stop, make it stop!” “ENOUGH!” The room shook from the force of the shout, causing everyone to fall silent and Selena gave a sigh of relief. The only sound that could be heard was the frantic beeping of Selena’s heart monitor as all eyes turned to Celestia. “Thank you,” she said, clearing her throat, “but it was getting rather hard to think.” Turning to face Black Spark, she smile softly. “You arrived far faster than I thought you would. Your punctuality continues to impress me, my friend. Although the nurse here is right,” she said, motioning towards Blue Cross. “While within the walls of this hospital, we must abide by their rules. The last thing we want is a patient’s health to decline due to our actions.” Blue Cross shot the Archduke a smug smile. Ignoring her, Black Spark inclined his head to Celestia. “Forgive the zealousness, but your letter indicated that speed was of the utmost importance.” “Did it now?” Celestia hummed softly. “Yes,” Black Spark sighed. “Although how you somehow managed to get hurt is beyond me.” “What are you talking about? I am not injured.” Black Spark gave her a blank look. “I assure you, my friend, I am perfectly fine,” Celestia said. For emphasis, she lifted her good wing and exposed her side, displaying the unmarred flesh beneath it. Her coat was slightly matted from improperly drying, but other than that, the wall of white fur was perfect and bare. Folding her wing again, Celestia stared at the Archduke in confusion. “Why would you assume that I was hurt?” “The letter you sent,” Black Spark said. “It said that you were in need of medical attention.” “I never said I needed medical attention. What I said was to bring the Royal Healers, which you have.” “So you don’t need medical attention?” “Of course not,” Celestia said with a soft laugh. “You should know by now that I am more than capable of taking care of myself.” For some reason, the batpony suddenly had a smug smile on her face. Black Spark just looked annoyed. “Princess, I know you have a thing for pranks, although for the life of me I’ll never know why,” Black Spark said slowly, closing his eyes. “Mostly they are harmless. Making your teacup bottomless whenever somepony is trying to pour your tea. Putting a doughnut on your horn and walking around until somepony mentions it, then acting like you don’t know what they are talking about.” Beside him, the batpony nodded her head, a faint, knowing smile on her face. “So then why,” Black Spark continued, opening his eyes and glaring at Celestia, “did you decided that you were going to vanish for several hours, without telling anypony where you were going I might add, only to then send a brief letter requesting the Royal Healers be brought to Ponyville hospital if you didn’t actually need them?” “I should think that I am allowed to go where I want without having to alert the entire castle where I was going,” Celestia said with a pout. “And as for the Royal Healers, you know as well as I that they are called whenever a member of the Crown is in need of their services.” “But you don’t need them though.” “You’re right. I don’t need them,” Celestia said with a nod. Black Spark huffed. “Then this was just a huge waste of our—” “She does,” Celestia said, motioning with a hoof. As all eyes turned to look at her, Selena, who had previously been staring blankly off to the side, perked up. Turning her head, she blinked her sightless eyes as she became aware of a dozen or so gazes staring at her. Suddenly finding herself under such scrutiny, she shrank down, trying to make herself as small as possible. Black Spark’s face took on a perplexed look, his brow furrowing as he stared at Selena. Eventually, he turned back to Celestia. “And who is this exactly?” he asked. “Her name is Selena,” Celestia said, giving the aforementioned mare a warm smile, “and as of right now, she is the new Lunar Princess.” Deafening silence filled the room as everyone excluding Celestia froze. Mouths were gaping and eyes were wide as everyone’s gazes were split between staring at Selena or Celestia in shock and disbelief. Black Spark stared blankly up at Celestia. “What?” “What?!” Twilight and her friends cried, each with a look of shocked confusion on their faces, even Pinkie. Blue Cross closed her eyes and groaned. “You have got to be kidding me.” “What!?” Selena yelped, her voice cracking. Outside, the newly risen moon flared once before shining just a little bit brighter. The moonlight seemed to pulse, almost as if it was laughing. Against the pitch black backdrop it radiated, glowing happily as it observed the happenings of the world beneath it. ~ ~ ~ ~ > > END OF PART II < < ~ ~ ~ ~ Part III: Per Noctem Ad LucemCelestia closed the door to the medical ward gently behind her, so as to not disturb the activity currently going on within. Not that the Royal Healers would have been distracted by such noise, as professional as they were. Still, she felt that they deserved some consideration. She sighed heavily before glancing up, her good eye landing on Black Spark, who was standing patiently in the shadows on the opposite side of the torch-lit hall. Upon being noticed, the Archduke cocked an eyebrow. “Well?” “She’s settled in, for the most part at least,” Celestia said softly before turning and beginning to walk slowly down the hall. Her gilded shoes clicked loudly against the marble, the noise echoing in the silence. As Black Spark fell in line beside her, she continued. “It took a while, but the Healers are now currently taking a look at her. They should be able to see if there are any big issues and have them fixed up shortly. While I do trust the doctors and nurses in Ponyville, I’ll feel much better having a second opinion on the matter at hoof, especially from my own personal doctors.” “And the mare?” “Tired and a little stressed, but she should feel better tomorrow after a good night’s rest,” Celestia murmured. “She just needs sleep at the moment.” “Well, that’s to be expected,” the Archduke hummed. Celestia gave him a sideways look. “What do you mean? Black Spark scoffed. “I mean, considering all that she’s been through the past couple of hours. It was a lot to take in, and in a short amount of time too. That can be stressful for anypony, let alone a young mare such as herself. You’re lucky she didn’t pass out at some point.” “Oh, come now. It wasn’t that bad—” “You declared her the next Lunar Princess and then, without any explanation to her, or the surrounding ponies, had us pull her out of the hospital to be brought back here to Canterlot, despite her protesting against it I might add.” “We have better doctors here,” Celestia defended. “She’ll be cared for better, and have easier access to medication.” “That may be, but according to the Healers, she had a non-stop panic attack the minute the chariot lifted off which lasted the entire ride back. It nearly resulted in her falling out of the carriage at one point.” “W-well, that’s—” “Not to mention they reported that she was sick three times due to motion-sickness,” Black Spark interrupted. “And the last time she threw up, there was apparently blood in the bile.” “All the more reason for the Royal Healers to take a look at her,” Celestia sniffed. “Princess—” “I want her cared for, Black Spark, and I want her cared for here,” Celestia said. “Here in Canterlot, she has access to better care and treatment than if she stayed down in Ponyville. We have the best of the best here already looking after me, and I would feel much better knowing that they are looking after her as well.” “While I’m sure the medical staff in Ponyville General are competent in their job,” she continued as they rounded a corner. “I have more faith in my own Royal Healers. I am sorry for her rough transition, I truly am, but it was necessary to move her back to the palace in order for her recovery to go more smoothly.” “And the fact that the ride here probably did more harm than good due to the stress?” Black Spark asked, cocking an eyebrow. “She was a lot paler when she arrived here than when she left Ponyville.” “I’ll have one of the Healers give her some sedative,” Celestia said, nibbling on her bottom lip. “That should help her relax, and allow her to sleep better as well.” Black Spark snorted softly. “Drugging her is not a solution, and you know it.” “It’s better than leaving her awake and stressed. I’m trying to help her, and until the Healers can give her a full physical, this is the best way I know how.” “You’re going through an awful lot of trouble for somepony you didn’t know existed less than twenty-four hours ago,” Black Spark said. Celestia halted suddenly, yet Black Spark kept walking for a few more paces before noticing. Stopping, he turned and glanced back at her. The Princess stared down at him, her gaze becoming steely and her voice firm. Even her hair began to fan out more, taking on a more flame-like appearance. “I believe we discussed this on the ride over, Black Spark, and I will not speak of it any further. You have expressed your concerns, yes, but my decision remains the same. End of discussion.” Black Spark lifted his hoof in a placating gesture. “I’m well aware of that, Princess,” he said calmly despite the temperature slowly beginning to rise, “and I will stand firmly behind you in your judgment and decision, as I always have. However, surely you must realize that that won’t be the case with everypony. You know as well as I that none of the nobles will be pleased about this.” “They never are unless it benefits them in some way,” Celestia snorted, her hair calming as a smile spread across her muzzle. The temperature returned to normal as she began walking again. “However, they will not complain.” “What makes you so sure?” “It was I that claimed this land from Discord, Black Spark, not them,” Celestia said as they rounded the corner, “and it is I who has defended it throughout the centuries. Alone. Without me, Equestria would have fallen long ago. Without me, this land would be in chaos. As such, if I say that Selena is the new Lunar Princess, then it is so, and any noble that fights it shall soon find that power is a privilege, not a birthright like they so naively believe.” “They still aren’t going to like it,” Black Spark said airily. “Just let them try and dispute it,” Celestia smirked. “Unlike these pompous, arrogant nobles nowadays, who are only where they are due to power and greed, Selena is a Princess by blood. She has Luna’s blood flowing through her veins, which makes her more qualified than any of those sniveling, ‘purebred’ cowards.” She paused, before a warmer smile came to her face. “I take that back. There are a few that might stand beside her. A few that have stood the test of time. Did you know, Black Spark, that house Blueblood and house Sparkle are the only original noble houses left? The rest rose to where they are now due to their money or their connections.” “And what does that have to do with the current situation?” Black Spark asked, bemused. “Simply that if the nobles can’t handle this new development, then they are more than welcome to give up their position and not come back. I’m certain there are several charities that would love to have some donations sent their way,” Celestia hummed. “In fact, I might do that anyways. The nobles are getting paid a ridiculous amount to just sit around and complain about meaningless things. It’s about time that money goes to good cause. Maybe a few orphanages as well.” The pair came to a stop at the bottom of the main staircase. It was silent in the massive hall, nopony in sight. The faint sound of clanking metal drifted in through an open window, indicating that some of the guards were already awake in the early hours of the morning and were beginning to make their way to the mess hall. After a few seconds of silence, the Archduke sighed. “So this is it then,” he said softly. “You appear to have everything under control and planned for, so I guess this is where we part ways. It was fun, Princess, and I do wish you the best of luck in the days to come. You’re going to need it when it comes to the nobles.” Twisting her head about, Celestia gave the smaller unicorn a confused look. “Whatever are you talking about?” “You just found a new Lunar Princess,” Black Spark chuckled. “That means my job as steward of the Lunar Court is over. I’m out of a job, it seems. Strange… I never thought that would happen in my lifetime. I’m must admit, I’m not entirely sure what to do with myself now.” Humming to himself, he cocked his head to the side. “Maybe I’ll find a nice, quiet place out in the country to retire too. Get a break from all the complaining nobles and noise of the city. Write a book or something… what?” His musing was cut short by Celestia’s gentle giggle. “My dear Black Spark,” she said with a smile. “You most certainly aren’t out of a job just yet, my friend, so put those plans of retirement aside for now. The book will have to wait.” Black Spark blinked. “But…” “While it is true that Selena is the new Lunar Princess, and thus is now technically in charge of Lunar Court, your expertise are still needed here,” Celestia hummed. “She’s not quite ready to take the throne just yet. You’ll still be in charge of the court, especially while she’s recovering.” “So this my ninety day termination warning instead?” “Hardly,” Celestia said, rolling her eye. “Oh, don’t give me that look, Spark. Even when she does finally take the throne, she’s going to need your help. Help getting the hang of things, as well as help with the nobles. You can toughen her skin for her, and teach her the ways of the job.” She chuckled, her eye twinkling softly. “And in turn, she might just be the thing you need in order to pull that abnormally large branch out of your plot.” Black Spark gave the princess an unamused look before rolling his eyes as well and bowing his head. “If that is what you wish, your majesty.” “It is,” Celestia said, sticking out her tongue. “Oh, don’t be so stuffy, Black Spark. This will be good for you, and her. You’ll see. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I must go find Captain Blaze. There are a few things we must discuss before I can go make myself presentable for Solar Court.” Turning, she started up the steps. After only climbing a few however, she turned and glanced back. “Oh, and Black Spark?” “Hmmm?” “Tell nopony about her yet. She’s to remain a secret until I myself say so.” With that, Celestia resumed climbing, leaving the Archduke to his thoughts. ~ ~ ~ ~ > > < < ~ ~ ~ ~ “So, my hoof’s totally stuck in there, right? I’m freaking out, the diamond dog’s now having a seizure or something, and I still got half a pie left to go!” the guard finished before stuffing a forkful of scrambled eggs into his mouth. Across the table from him, two other guards were howling with laughter, banging their hooves on the table. This drew some confused looks from the surrounding ponies, but most just shrugged it off before returning to their own meals. The mess hall around them was almost full. Guards milled about, chatting with one another or simply getting something to eat before their shift started. The morning meals were always the busiest. The night shift was just getting over, while the day shift was getting ready to start. You could usually tell who had been on duty during the night as they were disheveled, some of the guards even halfway out of their uniforms. Messed up manes and tired eyes were the final touch, most of them looking close to passing out. In contrast to these poor souls, the guards just getting up were bright eyed, and their armor was polished and fitted properly. Despite being seen as stoic by the general public, the Royal Guard was more relaxed than most ponies knew. Several tables had guards that were playing cards, betting anything from bits to double-shifts with each other as they gambled away. Every so often a flask would appear, being passed around the group before disappearing again. And some of the more adventurous guards had even taken after their Princess, and developed a bit of a troublemaking streak. It was not uncommon for an unaware guard to become the target of a prank or two, especially if there was an officer scheduled to make the rounds for the day. Helmets would disappear, armor would become tinted pink, and several unfortunate souls would find themselves the next victim of hair-growing spells. Still, most of the time the atmosphere in mess hall was relaxed and calm. A place the guards could come to escape from the stress of the day. “That gets funnier each time you tell it,” one of the laughing guards gasped, wiping a tear from his eye. He sat up, his loose armor clinking slightly as he reached for his goblet. The symbol on the collar of his undervest marked him as a private. “Yeah,” his companion—also a private—agreed, “but you never did tell us how you got out of there, Briarheart. It couldn’t have been easy.” “Well, it wasn’t easy, I’ll tell you that,” Briarheart said from around his mouthful of eggs. He swallowed and pointed his fork at his friends. “After I managed to get out of the shack it took me almost three hours to lose the diamond dog, and I ended up twisting my ankle in the process. Luckily, my squad was able to pick me up before the dog came back with reinforcements, or I’d be SOL.” “Yeah, yeah… keep talking shit, private,” a guard further down the table called out. The insignia on his collar marked him as a sergeant. His uniform was disheveled and he had dark bags under his eyes. “I know for a fact your sergeant had to pull the dog off of you and save your sorry flank. Maybe that’ll teach you to think before you speak next time, especially to a bitch in heat.” Briarheart puffed out his cheeks, giving the speaker a dirty look but remaining quiet. His friends snickered before returning to their food. “Aw, let the colt have his fun,” an older mare called out from the next table over. Her uniform was neat and tidy, and she had a light-blue armored saddle resting on her back. “We all have a few stories we like to embellish a little. Let the colt be. There’s no harm in it.” “Yeah, until it goes to your head,” came the reply. A murmur went around the table, several guards nodding their heads in agreement, while others just snorted and rolled their eyes. The mare didn’t lose her smile. “I’ll remember that the next time you’re telling one of the newbies about your night with the three mare over in Baltimare,” she said, cocking an eyebrow at the speaker. This caused the sergeant to sputter and blush, and he lowered his head, focusing on his breakfast. Briarheart gave the mare a thankful smile, but didn’t return to his story. Instead, he focused on finishing up his breakfast so that he could get to his post on time. A sentiment shared by the other guards, and the conversations around the hall trailed off as they focused on their food. Several of the faster eaters got up and discarded their empty plates before leaving the hall. The lull in conversation lasted until the main door suddenly swung open, and a new pony limped in. Instantly, she became the focus of most of the hall. As she made her way through the mess hall, one of the younger guards called out. “Hey, tripod! You’re late! What’s wrong? Stairs hold you up again?” Black Night paused and glared at the speaker, her lips pulling back in a sneer. “Actually I’m late because of your marefriend,” she growled. “You really need to start satisfying her more, Short Stack. I know you have a small dick and all, but I can’t keep doing it for you. My tongues gone raw again.” Laughter exploded from the table, and Short Stack gaped at her, wide-eyed. Ignoring him, Black Night continued on her way, limping along on three legs. Reaching her intended target—a table in the far back corner of the room—Black Night pulled out an empty chair and sat down. As she did so, one of the guards on the other side of the table slid a full plate over to her. “Thanks, Backdraft,” Black Night muttered sleepily, earning her a nod and a soft smile from the red unicorn. Closing her eyes, she took a bite of her hash browns, chewing slowly. After a moment she swallowed and opened her eyes again. “Here,” the auburn pegasus next to Backdraft said, pushing over a mug of coffee. “This should help wake you up, Nighty.” “Thanks, Breeze,” Black Night murmured. “No problem,” the pegasus said, closing her eyes and smiling, her head tilting slightly to the side. “I know double-shifts are hard, especially when you’re used to sleeping during the day. You’re going to need all the help you can get in order to survive.” “Yeah,” Black Night growled. “Next time I decided to bet shifts with Surprise, hit me, okay?” Breeze and Backdraft both nodded, and Black Night returned to her breakfast. “So,” she grunted after a couple of minutes, “anything exciting happen last night?” She took another bite of food. “I mean besides standing around and staring at walls.” Backdraft shook her head. “Not really,” Breeze said. Nursing her own cup of steaming coffee, she took a sip before continuing. “It was rather quiet, actually. Black Spark cancelled Lunar Court, so there wasn’t really anything to do. It was a nice change of pace. Usually I have to stand there and listen to the nobles whine and complain about stupid things. ‘I’m Emerald Gel, and I don’t like having to look at ponies poorer than I am’. Ugh… makes me want to hit them sometimes.” Black Night nodded absentmindedly before perking up, pausing mid-bite. She gave the pegasus a confused look. “Wait… why did Hardflank cancel Lunar Court? He’s never done that before, like, ever. Even when he’s sick.” “Supposedly it was because he covered Solar Court for the Princess,” Breeze hummed. She took another sip of coffee before her eyes narrowed. “Although I think something else was going on as well.” Beside her, Backdraft nodded vigorously. “Like?” Black Night asked, one of her eyebrows raising slightly. “Well, you heard that the Princess arrived back from her trip to the Griffon Empire in the morning, right?” Breeze asked. When Black Night nodded, she continued. “Well, normally if Black Spark covers Solar Court, the Princess just takes over Lunar Court, then calls for a day of rest, right? So where was she then?” Breeze paused, causing Black Night to roll her eyes and motion with a hoof for the pegasus to continue. “That’s just it!” Breeze continued. “She disappeared shortly after returning, and nopony saw hide nor hair of her for the rest of the day. Supposedly it was because she was relaxing after a hard negotiation with the griffons, but she just drops off the radar completely. Not even Raven knew where she was. Then I heard from Steel that Black Spark left Canterlot in the evening with the Royal Healers, and they appeared to be in a hurry.” Black Night’s eyes narrowed. “The Healers you say? Where were they headed?” “Not sure,” Breeze said, sitting back in her chair, “but I do know that I saw them returning very early in the morning, with the Princess in tow, although they appeared to be trying to be stealthy about their approach.” “There’s nothing strange about them not wanting to be seen,” Black Night huffed. “Especially if the Princess was injured. Remember when the tabloids caught the Princess out flying without her regalia? They had a field day about some unknown lover she was seeing. The last thing we need is them getting ahold of a picture of her covered in blood. The press would have a stroke over it.” “But that’s just it,” Breeze frowned. “She had no visible injuries. Looked perfectly fine. No blood, no broken limbs, no nothing!” “Maybe she was sick?” Black Night offered. “Maybe… but I highly doubt it,” Breeze muttered, rubbing her neck. “Besides, she hasn’t gotten sick in decades. Not even a cold or a sniffle. No, something fishy’s going on here. They’re hiding something, I just know it.” “Well, whatever it is, it’s none of our business,” Black Night said as she finished off the last few bites of her eggs and turned her attention to her hash browns. “The Princess is allowed her secrets, the same as anypony else. She already has the press poking around, she doesn’t need her own guards as well.” “I know, I know… geez,” Breeze sighed. She ran her hoof around the edge of her coffee mug, pouting slightly. “I’m just curious is all. It’s not every day something mysterious happens around this place. It’s usually all routine and boring. Forgive me for getting excited about the prospect of something new happening.” Black Night opened her mouth to say something else, but was cut off by a sudden eerie silence that fell over the room. The trio looked at each other in confusion before glancing around. Every other guard had stopped whatever they had been doing and were now facing the entrance to the mess hall, ears perked. Glancing over her shoulders, Black Night’s eyes widened in shock. A unicorn in purple and gold armor had pushed open the doors and was now standing in the doorway. Her gray eyes slowly drifted over the assembled guards, an unreadable expression on her face. Despite the fact she barely came up to some of their chests, most of the guards seemed to shrink back beneath her intense gaze. With good reason too. Captain Ivory Blaze was not a pony you wanted to mess with, even on a good day. She was friendly enough when out of uniform, but when that armor was on, she was no nonsense. Many an unfortunate guard had learned that the hard way. Many toothbrushes would never be the same. The silence in the hall continued for a few more tense seconds before one of the guards suddenly blurted out, “Captain in the mess hall!” As one, everyone stood and saluted. “As you were,” Ivory Blaze said, her voice calm as she stepped into the mess hall. After a brief moment of hesitation, most of the guards returned to their seats, although a few remained standing. “I am here,” she continued as she stopped in the middle of the room, “to inform you all of some impending changes that will be happening within the Guard in the upcoming weeks. It affects most, if not all of you, although only a select few will truly face the consequences of said changes.” Worried looks began to spread throughout the room, causing Ivory to smirk. “Now, I know what you all are thinking, and no. Nopony’s getting laid off, let go, or fired in any way. We are not downsizing. In fact, we’re actually expanding.” Worried looks morphed to confused, several of the guards glancing at each other with mystified expressions. Expanding? How could the Guard possibly be expanding? “I just finished talking with the Princess,” Ivory continued as hush conversations broke out. “Due to recent events, she feels this change is appropriate, as well as necessary. While I can’t go into detail about said events at the moment, I can tell you that I agree with her decision.” Black Night glanced sideways at Breeze, who was giving her a knowing smirk. Rolling her eyes, Black turned her attention back to Ivory, who was waiting for the silence to fall again. “More information will be available to all as the situation develops,” she continued when everyone had finally stopped talking. “However, I’ve been informed that I can tell you all one thing for sure. “The Lunar Guard is being reinstated, effective immediately.” Anything else Ivory had been going to say after that was lost in the sudden explosion of voices and guards jumping to their hooves. Excitement rippled through the ranks like wildfire, all decorum forgotten as ponies shouted back and forth to one another. Several even raced out of the hall, eager to find their friends who were currently on shift in order to spread the word. Through all the chaos, Ivory just stood there, a small smirk on her face. She couldn’t really blame them for their excitement. Every pony in the guard was practically raised on tales of the legendary Lunar Guard. They had been the pinnacle of Equestria’s militaristic might up until their disbandment after the death of Princess Luna. Catching movement out of the corner of her eye, Ivory turned and watched as a thestral suddenly took to the air. Flying to a nearby window, he pried it open before launching himself outside. It took a brief moment for him to reorient himself, but when he did, he streaked off to the east at high speeds. Ivory’s eyebrow rose. Interesting. Should tell the Princess to expect some visitors soon. As the ponies around her chatted and gossiped energetically, Black Night turned back to her friends. “Well, I’ll hand it to ya, Breeze. Looks like something was going on after all. Lunar Guard, huh? Somepony should go inform Darkfur.” “Oh, this is so awesome!” Breeze giggled, bouncing in her seat and clapping her hooves together. “I thought something was up, but I would never have guess it was something like this! Oh, there hasn’t been Lunar Guard in one thousand years!” “E-excuse me,” a nearby pony spoke up, “but I thought we already had a Lunar Guard.” “Nope,” Black said with a shake of her head. “The Lunar Guard hasn’t existed since we had a Princess in charge of the Lunar Court.” The pony frowned. “But… I thought there were guards active at night.” “You must be new here, right?” Breeze asked, giving the mare a warm smile when she nodded nervously. “That’s fine. To answer your question, yes we do have guards that are active at night, but they aren’t Lunar Guards. They just cover the night shifts. The Lunar Guard were a different branch of the Guard, separate from the Royal Guard, or Solar Guard as they were called a millennium ago. They operated differently, and even had completely different armor.” “There’s even a rumor that they were originally made up entirely of batponies,” Black Night added as she took a sip of coffee. “It was said that Princess Luna felt a kind of kinship with them, as both of them were more nocturnal than diurnal.” “I wonder what happened to cause the Princess to decide to reinstate it,” Breeze hummed. “Well, whatever it was, life certainly got a lot more interesting around here,” Black Night grunted as she returned to her breakfast. Part III: The Heart and the MoonJerking awake, Selena barely had enough time to turn her head before a vile, foul-tasting liquid spewed from between her lips and into the bucket placed beside the bed. She retched again, more of the substance escaping her mouth to splatter into the bucket below. At least, she hoped she had managed to get it in the bucket. A few dry heaves later and she was finally able to catch her breath. Leaning back against the uncomfortably soft pillow, she groaned weakly. Her stomach gurgled loudly, and she placed a hoof on it in an attempt to try and settle the upset organ. It didn’t work. It had been like this since the chariot flight over to… wherever she was now. Despite being blind, she didn’t do well with heights as there was no easy way for her to tell how far she was off the ground. It also messed with her sense of direction, leaving her dazed, confused, and disoriented. Not a good place to be for a blind pony. The nurses… Healers… whatever they were calling themselves had given her some medicine that was supposed to calm her stomach as well as help her sleep. It didn’t really help though, as she’d been waking up on an hourly basis in order for her stomach to void itself of whatever bile had managed to fill it up since the last time she vomited. This had happened several times as she drifted in and out of sleep, and now she wasn’t entirely sure what time it was. Morning, Afternoon, Evening? She wasn’t sure, but at the moment she didn’t really care. She just wanted her stomach to start behaving. Eyes still closed, she ran a tongue over her teeth only to grimace at the horrible taste. “I haven’t had anything to eat,” she muttered. “Why am I throwing up? What am I throwing up?” Her stomach gurgled in response, and she fought back the urge to heave again. Remembering what one of the nurses had told her earlier, she felt around the edge of the bed with a hoof until she finally managed to find the call nurse button. She pushed the button before letting her hoof fall back across her stomach. She didn’t have to wait long before the sound of approaching hooves reached her ears. The door swung open, allowing the pony to enter. “Ms. Selena. You’re awake again,” a feminine voice said. The hooves moved around her bed. “Are we feeling any better yet—ah, I see that’s a negative. Pity. That medicine should be working. I wonder why…” The voice trailed off as the faint sound of magic filled the room. Selena’s ear twitched as the bucket was lifted into the air. “Oops, it appears some missed the bucket,” the voice said. “‘m sorry,” Selena mumbled weakly. “Oh? Oh, no. Don’t apologize, dear,” the voice said, sympathy creeping into her tone. “It’s not your fault, and it’s certainly no trouble to clean up either.” There came another tinkle of magic, and sound of something liquid hitting the bottom of the bucket. “There! Already taken care of. Now just hold on one second while I take care of this.” The hooves retreated, followed by the sound of running water coming from nearby. Selena’s ears flicked before swiveling around, trying to pinpoint the source. A toilet flushed before the hooves returned. “There we are!” the nurse chirped, placing the bucket back down beside the bed. “How about we give you a bit more medicine.” Selena felt the IV in her leg twitch slightly as the nurse tugged on it, and after a few seconds a cool sensation flowed into her veins. “There! Now, while we wait to see if it decides to work this time, I’m going to ask you a few questions, okay?” Selena nodded weakly before pausing. Eyes still closed, she tilted her head in the direction of the voice. “Um, I’m… I’m sorry, but what’s your name?” “Oh… oh my goodness,” the voice gasped. “Forgive me, I completely forgot. My name is Silverheart, and I’m one of the Royal Healers that’s been assigned to you.” “Silverheart,” Selena muttered, an ear twitching as she put the name and voice into her memory. “Alright,” Silverheart said as Selena tried to memorize the new information. “I’m just going to ask you a few questions, and you answer to the best of your ability, okay? Okay. First question, are you experience any pain or discomfort anywhere?” “‘m stomach,” Selena muttered. “Your stomach?” Silverheart hummed, and Selena picked up the faint sound of a quill scratching on paper. “Is it a sharp pain, and throbbing pain, or just a dull ache?” “Dull ache.” “I see. Well, that’s typically normal for somepony who’s been throwing up a lot.” More quill scratching. “Alright, now, do you mind if I touch you? Nothing intrusive, I promise.” Selena’s brow furrowed slightly, but she gave a small nod. The blankets were pulled back, exposing her body to the cold air of the room. She shivered, having not realized how chilly she was until right now. A few seconds later, a clothed hoof touched her stomach, causing her to flinch. “Do you have any pain here?” Silverheart asked, giving a gentle push. “N-no,” Selena stuttered. “Good. How about here?” Silverheart asked, moving her hoof to the other side of Selena’s stomach and pushing again. “No? Good. How about here? No? Good! And her—” Selena yipped, her sightless eyes widening as pain flared up in her stomach. The hoof quickly retreated. “Oh, sorry, hun,” Silverheart hissed. “Thankfully, it looks like it’s just muscle pain for the moment. Just keep an eye on it and if it gets worse, let me or one of the other Healers know. Now, I just have a few more questions then I’ll let you try to get some more sleep, okay?” The rest of the exam went fairly smoothly. Selena gave short answered, accompanied by a nod or shake of her head. There were several questions that she couldn’t answer, most having to do with her medical history, or more specifically, the medication the nurses at Ponyville General had given her. She had apologized, but Silverheart had assured her that that wasn’t a problem and she’d just send a request for information to the head nurse in Ponyville. Throughout the questions Silverheart kept her tone warm and friendly, and Selena soon found herself warming up to the Healer. She wouldn’t touch her unless Selena gave permission, and when she did, Silverheart was extremely gentle. Eventually Silverheart finished with her questions. “There, that should do it!” she chirped, scratching out one last note. Selena’s ear twitched at the sound of wood on wood, and a small vibration ran through her bed from the foot of it. “I’ll just leave this here for the other Healers, and that concludes our little examination. Now, I need to go attend to other things, but is there anything you need before I go? Blankets? Pillows?” Selena began to shake her head, only for her stomach to suddenly gurgle loudly. An uncomfortable pressure suddenly made itself known, and she crossed her hind legs with a whimper. “Ah, yes,” Silverheart said, a hint of mirth in her voice. “I was wondering when you might… those IVs can go right through you sometimes. Okay then. Come on, hun. Let’s get you to the bathroom.” After some maneuvering from Selena, which put more pressure on her stomach and caused her to whimper, she finally managed to get out of the bed. Swaying slightly, she took several shaky steps before her legs went out from under her. Luckily, Silverheart was there to catch her, and allowed Selena to lean on for support. “Easy, hun. No need to rush. The bathroom isn’t going anywhere.” “The liquid in my bladder is though,” Selena whimpered, the pressure in her lower stomach growing. “Oh, don’t worry, dear,” Silverheart tittered. “We can clean up any accident you have. Just take it easy and work on getting better. We Healers will handle the rest.” Selena frowned, her ears splaying back. While that was kind of Silverheart to say, she still didn’t want to have an accident. Clenching her hind legs together tighter, she allowed the Healer to steady her. She stared to walk forward, but was stopped by a gentle hoof on her shoulder. “Just one second,” Silverheart said, followed by the chime of magic. There was a small tug on Selena’s IV, and something clipped onto the back of her hospital gown. As she shifted, the object did as well, and she realized that it was her IV bag. “There,” Silverheart chirped. “All set to go.” With that, the she helped Selena across the room and into the adjacent bathroom. A few minutes later, Silverheart lead a mortified Selena back to her bed. “Oh, come on. It wasn’t that bad, was it?” Silverheart asked with some amusement. “I don’t want to talk about it,” Selena muttered, her face flushed red. Silverheart giggled, but she dropped the subject and helped Selena to get back in the bed. As she got situated, the door creaked open, causing Selena’s ear to flick. Silverheart gasped. “Nightingale? What are you doing here? I thought you were on vacation.” “I was, until the Princess called me back,” came the reply. The new mare’s voice was raspy, likely from age, but held a kind warmth to it. There was also a slight squeak underneath her words. Ears flicking, Selena turned her head in the mare’s direction. “A little troublesome, of course, but when she explained the situation, I was more than happy to return.” “I bet,” Silverheart said with a chuckle. Selena shifted uncomfortably on the bed. “Oh, I’m sorry,” Silverheart gasped. “Forgive me. Selena, this is Nightingale. She’s the Head of the Healers, and she’ll be helping get you better again.” “Um, h-hello,” Selena stuttered out nervously. “Hello, Moonborn,” the one called Nightingale said as she moved further into the room. “No need to be nervous. I don’t bite. I’m just here to check on your condition, and see how you’re doing.” The sound of scraping wood came from the foot of the bed as Nightingale picked up the clipboard. There was a brief moment of silence before she cooed softly. “Oh dear. Throwing up at regular intervals. It seems your stomach is not pleased with what’s going on.” “Medication doesn’t appear to be working very well,” Silverheart added. “So I see,” Nightingale hummed. “Put her on Ondansetron next and see if that helps.” She put the clipboard back before moving around to the side of the bed. “Alright, let’s just take a peek at how you’re doing. Silverheart, if you could remove her bandages while I do a quick check on her horn.” There came the sound of magic, and the various bandages on Selena’s body began to loosen. As they did so, something leathery but stiff touched her face, causing her to jump. Reaching up, she ran a hoof curiously over the weird appendage. This caused Nightingale to let out a small, bark-like laugh. “That’s my wing, Moonborn.” Selena jerked her hoof back. “Y-your wing? But…” “Yes, my wing,” Nightingale hummed. “I’m a thestral, a batpony. Think of it as a night-themed version of a pegasus. Bat wings and such. Now, hold still. I need to see how your horn is doing.” Again, the leathery appendage grabbed her face, gently moving her head to the side. The feeling of breath on her horn sent shivers down her spine. After a few seconds, Nightingale released her head. “Everything looks good,” she said. “The cracks are healing nicely, and there aren’t any foreign objects lodged in them. They should heal up within a week or so. Now, let’s take a look at your other injuries.” Selena flinched as Nightingale’s wings suddenly touched her chest. The movement caused Nightingale to hiss, pulling her wings back quickly. “I’m sorry. I didn’t hurt you, did I?” she asked, concern in her voice. Selena shook her head, her ears splaying back. “N-no, I’m just not used to not hearing ponies moving around. You, uh… startled me.” “Huh, can’t say I’ve ever had that complaint before,” Nightingale hummed. “I’ll try to remember to make more noise in the future, okay?” Selena nodded, and Nightingale’s wings returned to her chest as the batpony checked over her wounds. She held back a giggle as the tips of the wings danced across her skin, making her squirm slightly. Her ears twitched as the Healer moved, her hooves clopping on the floor with more force as she examined Selena’s cuts and scrapes. After a few minutes of this, Selena spoke up. “Um, y-you don’t have to make noise,” she said weakly. “Just, uh… let me know when you’re moving. Like, talk with me, I guess? I mean, you don’t have to, but I just thought I’d… well...” Nightingale paused before a soft chuckle came from her direction. “As you wish.” After a few more minutes, Nightingale finally retracted her wings and stepped back. “Everything looks good,” she said happily, and the corner of Selena’s lips twitched upwards as she noted the tiny squeak in the batpony’s voice again. “The cuts are healing nicely, and from the looks of them, the infection is all but cleared up. Some of them will scar, but your coat should cover them when it starts to grow back in. All-in-all, everything looks decent enough. We’ll just let Silverheart here bandage you back up before letting you rest some more.” The chime of magic filled the air again, and Selena relaxed as she felt fresh bandages being wrapped around her body and legs. As this was happening, she picked up the faint sound of hooves heading for the door. “Rest well, Moonborn,” Nightingale called out before the door clicked shut behind her. “Why does she call me that?” Selena asked Silverheart as the Healer finished with her bandages. “I’m not entirely sure,” Silverheart replied. “It’s the first time I’ve ever heard her call somepony it though. It’s probably a thestral thing. You’d have to ask her or another thestral about it.” Selena nodded, her brow furrowed in thought. “Welp, that should do it,” Silverheart said. “Unless you need anything else, I’ll let you get back to your rest.” She started to move towards the door, but stopped when Selena called out. “Oh, wait. Um… could you tell me what time it is? My internal clock is kinda… thrown off at the moment.” “Certainly, dear,” Silverheart laughed. “It’s about a half past eleven in the morning.” Selena nodded faintly, and Silverheart exited the room, closing the door gently behind her. Still lost in her thoughts, Selena shifted about on the bed, trying to get comfortable. That was proving to be difficult, as she wasn’t used to the softness of the mattress. Settling down as best she could, she closed her eyes and tried to drift back to sleep. ~ ~ ~ ~ > > < < ~ ~ ~ ~ The rest of the day passed by excruciatingly slow for Selena. She tried to get some sleep, but ended up just tossing and turning for a good couple of hours, unable to get comfortable. The only comfort she had was that her stomach had calmed down once they had put her on the new medication, and she had finally stopped vomiting up bile. Her stomach still gurgled regularly, but she wasn’t heaving every hour or so. She did get some visitors as the day went on, a few more Healers popping in to check on her and introduce themselves. She tried to memorize each name and voice, but none of them had stuck around as long as Silverheart and Nightingale had. Although one of them had been nice enough to bring her a heated blanket when she had noticed that Selena was shivering. It was about evening time (or at least, she assumed it was evening if Silverheart had given her the correct time) when Selena finally decided that she couldn’t take it anymore. “I need to get out of this bed,” she grumbled to herself. Throwing back the blankets, she crawled to the edge of the bed and rolled out. Unlike last time, she was actually able to stand on her own, albeit it was on shaky legs. She took a couple of steps, only to hiss in pain at a sudden pitching sensation in her crook of her leg. Grumbling under her breath, she lit up her horn and tentatively reached out for the IV bag. It took her a moment to find it, but when she did, she lifted it from the hook and tried to attach it to the back of her hospital gown like Silverheart had done earlier. It took her a few tries to get it right, and when it was finally attached, she made her way to the door. Opening it a crack, Selena stuck her head out and perked her ears. When only silence greeted her, she cast a quick mapping spell to get a feel for the place. It was a hallway, the left side leading to a dead end and what appeared to be a window? Yes, it felt like a window. There was glass and wood. Definitely a window. The right side ran several hundred feet before splitting in two. That looks like the best place to start, Selena mused. Alright, let’s see what we can find. With that, she slipped out of the room and off down the hall, trying to be as quiet as possible. The first few forks were easy enough, Selena making sure to take the right path so that she could easily find her way back. Then she had hit a couple of staircases, including a large one that seemed to wrap around itself and head back the way she had come. She tried to keep an accurate mental map, but it became harder and harder as she continued to explore. There were dead ends, and roundabouts, and double backs, and parallel corridors, and even side corridors that lead to other corridors which she wasn’t sure if she had explored yet or not. As she continued to wander through the halls, she realized with growing trepidation the truth of the matter. She was lost. She attempted to backtrack, only to find herself in a dead end. “B-but,” she muttered, running a hoof over the wall in front of her, “I thought I had to take a left at the stairs, right? O-or was it down the stairs and then to the left? Oh… buck.” Unsure of how to get back to her room, she wander down the halls, trying to find something that was familiar. However, this wasn’t Ponyville, and she had no references to help her, resulting in her only getting more and more lost, and more and more frustrated. “Who designs a building this big?” she growled under her breath as she hit another dead end. “I bet I’d still get lost even if I could see! This is stupid.” Unable to fathom how anyone would successfully navigate the corridors, Selena stopped trying to figure out where she was and started to try and find somepony who could help her. However, the halls were oddly devoid of life. Where is everyone? Selena wondered with growing worry as she cast another mapping spell, searching for any signs of movement. Her ears were perked, listening intently for any noise. All she could hear was the sound of her own hooves on the marble floor, and the pounding of her heart in her chest. This is ridiculous! After half an hour and not coming across anyone, Selena could feel her panic growing. Pausing in the middle of a corridor, she took several deep breaths and tried to hold of a growing panic attack. Yes, she was currently lost inside a huge building and had no clue where anything was, but one of the Healers would notice she was missing when they came to check on her, right? Then they’d send somepony to find her, right? So, she’d just have to wait until then. There was only one problem though. Her legs were beginning to go numb, and she was having trouble staying on her hooves. Maybe I could just lie down on the floor, she pondered humorlessly. Rest a little until somepony finds me. I’ve slept in worse places. She half entertained the idea, but decided against it. While uncomfortable, her legs weren’t the real cause of her discomfort. No, the thing that was really bothering her was the quiet. The complete and utter silence that seemed to fill the halls. She never had to deal with this back in Ponyville. There was always some form of noise happening around her. During the day ponies walked around the marketplace, chatting with one another or shouting out their wares to potential customers. The stores had music playing on their loudspeakers. Foals could always be heard in the afternoon and evening, running about and laughing as they played with one another. Even at night there was never complete silence, what with the gentle sound of families talking with one another drifting out open windows. And should everyone else be asleep, there was the chirping of crickets and other insects, and the occasional hoot of owls flying by overhead. There was always something happening around her to let her know that, even as she hid in the shadows, she was never truly alone. But here, within these halls, there was nothing. No sound, no noise. Not even a bird chirping in the distance. She was truly, and utterly, alone— “Excuse me, can I help you?” Selena shriek, backpedaling wildly as a voice suddenly spoke up right in front of her. Tripping over her own hind legs, she collapsed to the ground in a tangle of legs. The IV bag came loose and slid across the floor, causing pain to flare up in her leg as the needle shifted. A gasp came from above her. “Oh! Oh, I’m so sorry. I-I didn’t mean to scare you like that.” Selena said nothing, opting to just lay there, breathing heavily as her heart tried to escape through her ribs. Where the buck did she come from?! I didn’t even hear her approach! “Oh goodness! Are you alright?” the mare asked worriedly. “H-here, let me help you up.” “I’m fine,” Selena choked out, even as the mare moved to help her stand. A wing draped over her back, keeping her steady as she got her hooves under her again. “You j-just… you just startled me is all. I’m fine.” “How did I possibly startle you?” the mare asked. “I thought you saw me coming. You were looking right at me. I just assumed you were waiting for me to speak.” Though the voice was inquisitive, Selena noted that it wasn’t unkind. Simply curious. She blinked, turning her head in the mare’s general direction. “I’m blind,” she deadpanned. This caused the mare to gasp again. “Really? B-but, you were staring right at me! I… I thought...” She trailed off, and Selena suddenly got the distinct impression of something being waved in front of her face. “Um, w-what are you doing?” Selena asked. “You are blind,” the mare breathed softly. She then gasped for a third time before becoming excited. “Oh! But then that means that you’re the one Auntie was talking about earlier! I was actually just on my way to visit you.” Selena blinked. “Y-you were?” “Of course! It’s not every day that, well… something like this happens!” the mare cried. “I would have been there sooner, I swear, but I had to take care of some personal stuff that ended up taking longer than expected. It seems you got a little restless though,” she giggled. “Yeah,” Selena said, rubbing her leg nervously. “Um, sorry about that, but I just had to get out of that bed.” “Oh, I completely understand!” the mare said. “I broke my leg one time and was stuck in one of those beds for over two weeks. I went stir crazy within a few days and just had to sneak out. They found me in the gardens three hours later,” she tittered. “Auntie gave me such a scolding.” “R-right,” Selena said, laughing weakly. She swallowed before shifting awkwardly on her hooves. “Um, n-not to be rude or anything, but, um… who are you?” The mare gasped again, causing Selena’s ears to flick. “Oh, where are my manners? I completely forgot to introduce myself. I’m… well, you can just call me Cadance, okay? It’s easier that way.” “Selena,” Selena replied, even as she put Cadance’s voice into her memory. It won’t be that hard; there was a certain bubbliness to Cadance’s voice that she had never heard before. In fact, she kind of liked it. It almost made her want to smile. “Selena, huh,” Cadance hummed. “Selena. Seh-lean-Ah. I like it. It’s a very pretty name.” “Pretty?” Selena muttered, her cheeks flushing slightly. “Yeah, nothing at all like, well, that doesn’t matter,” Cadance said. “Say, Selena. Since you’re already up and about, why don’t we go pay Auntie a visit? I’m sure she’d like that, especially after being in court all day.” “Oh, um… actually, I should probably get back to the hospital room,” Selena said shyly. “The Healers are probably wondering where I am. I don’t want to cause any trouble for anypony.” “Oh, don’t worry about that,” Cadance chirped. “I’m sure they won’t mind. Besides, you’re with me, so they shouldn’t give you too much grief.” Upon seeing Selena was still unconvinced, she added, “Tell you what. Let’s go visit Auntie, and then I’ll take you back to the medical wing and sort everything out with the Healers. Would that be okay?” “W-well, I… you see, I don’t...” Selena stammered out before sighing. “I… I guess that would be okay.” “Excellent!” Cadance squee’d. “Let’s get going. Oh, wait. Here, let me get that for you.” Selena jerked back as the sound of magic being used filled the air. She felt a slight tug on her leg as the IV shifted about before the bag was suddenly clipped to the back of her shirt again. “There we are,” Cadance chirped. “Good to go.” “W-wait… what?” Selena stuttered, mouth opening and closing. “But I thought… I thought you were a pegasus!” “Huh? Oh, nope. I’m an alicorn.” “You have both wings and a horn?!” “Yup,” Cadance said, her words shortly followed by the sound of flapping wings. “I’m an alicorn, just like Auntie.” “‘Auntie’?” Selena breathed before her eyes suddenly widened. “Wait, you don’t mean the Princess, d-do you?” “Of course,” Cadance giggled. “Who else? Now come on! I’m sure Auntie Celestia’s had a rough day and seeing you will most likely make it better.” “But I don’t even know which way to—GAH!” A wing draped over her shoulder before Cadance began to gently—yet firmly—nudge her down the hall. She stumbled, but quickly regained her footing. When it was clear that Cadance wasn’t taking no for an answer, Selena resolved her fate. Soon enough the pair was walking side-by-side as they made their ways through the halls. Cadance had let up on pushing her and was now simply walking with one wing outstretched, constantly touching Selena as she guided the blind mare through the labyrinth of corridors. “How do you know where you’re going?” Selena grumbled out, not even bothering to keep a mental map going. Her memory wasn’t good enough to keep up with all the twists and turns. After a few minutes of walking, they began to encounter other ponies again. At first Selena wasn’t sure what they were doing, but that mystery was solved quickly as the scent of cleaning supplies hit her nose. They were maids, cleaning the castle. Her ears flicked as they passed the cleaning staff, picking up the faint whisper of conversations. She couldn’t hear what was being said, but she could tell the tone of the conversation: curious, with hints of excitement here and there. The maids were chittering quietly to each other, and Selena grew uneasy, well aware that several of them were staring at her. Cadance didn’t seem to notice the attention, or simply didn’t care, as she keep chatting animatedly with Selena about things that Selena didn’t even try to understand. The conversation just went in one ear and out the other. Still Cadance prattled on. Selena breathed a sigh of relief when they eventually reached their destination: the private dining hall, Cadance had called it. While Cadance was certainly working on making Selena feel more relaxed, the alicorn was a talker, something that Selena was not. She preferred quiet, with a faint murmur of noise in the background. “Here we are!” Cadance chirped, snapping Selena out of her musings. Her ears flicked as the sound of magic reached them, followed by the scraping of a door opening. And then it happened. The wall of smells hit her nose like a freight train. Fresh baked bread, cheeses, carrots, milk, soups of various flavors, flowers, hay, spices, and apples—delicious, mouth-watering apples. All these smells and more flooded Selena’s nostrils in an instant, causing her stomach to growl, despite its earlier upset. She had to swallow in order to stop herself from drooling. Beside her, Cadance giggled and a wing nudged her side, pushing her along. Absently, she stepped forward in a daze, entering the room of glorious smells with her head held high, nostrils flaring. “Good evening, Auntie!” Cadance chirped as she followed Selena inside. “Ah, Cadance, there you are,” a weary voice said from further in the room. “I was wondering if you’d be joining me this evening.” “Sorry I’m late,” Cadance said. “I lost track of time. Oh, I also brought a friend!” “Hmmm?” the tired voice hummed. “A friend? I didn’t realize that they were visiting. Who is… it…?” The voice trailed off, causing Selena to blink in confusion. There was a few seconds of silence before a sudden gasp echoed around the room. “Oh… oh no!” The sound of clattering hooves filled the air, and before Selena could react, she was suddenly pulled into a firm, feathery embrace. There was only one pony she knew of that was big enough to smother her with their wings: Princess Celestia. “What is with you and trying to kill me?” Selena muttered under her breath. Struggling weakly, she tried to maneuver herself to get a breath of fresh air. She received a lungful of hair and feathers for her troubles. “Auntie, what—?” Cadance began, sounding confused, but was cut off by a panicking Celestia. “No, nonononono!” The chest Selena was pushed up against vibrated with each word. “No! What are you doing walking around? You should still be in bed! You need to rest if you want to get better! No, no this will never do!” Selena grunted. “I don’t see what the big deal is—” The sound of magic cut her off. Suddenly, the world seemed to implode in upon itself, causing Selena’s stomach to lurch horribly. Up became down, down became up, and in the swirling motion of nothingnes she lost all indication of direction. Up, down, left, right; it all meant nothing at the moment, and as such, Selena’s senses were truly and completely destroyed. The explosion of sound that soon followed didn’t help either. Panicked voices assaulted her ears, the loud squawks and shouts causing her to grimace in pain. The word was spinning, her head was pounding, and her already upset stomach was not happy with what was going on, and as such, decided to voice its objections in the only way it knew possible. Selena promptly threw up on the large pony that was holding her within their wings. This just caused the voices to grow more panicked. She was pulled suddenly from Celestia’s grasp, despite the Princess’s very vocal protests. Still unsure of where she was or which way was up, Selena had no chance to recover before she was suddenly poked, prodded, the needle in her leg was removed only to be replaced with a new one, her heart was listened to, her mouth was pulled open, and something that tasted like wood got rather intimate with her tonsils. Her stomach lurched again, and she vomited around whatever they had stuck in her mouth. The panicked atmosphere grew worse. As she was jostled about, more ponies tending to her than was truly necessary, Selena couldn’t help the growing feeling of annoyance that began to well up in her chest. Damn them, she growled inwardly. Damn them all to Tartarus. Author's Note If you're trying to help someone against their will... is it really considered helping them anymore?
Prologue: Nightfall—1000 years prior Celestia staggered to her hooves, hissing in pain as she put weight on her twisted ankle. Blood dripped from her muzzle, marring her white coat, which was covered in the grime of battle. A large gash ran down the side of her head, causing one of her eyes to be forced shut. Around her, the earth was scarred and blackened. Debris from the southern tower littered the ground, looking more like broken tombstones in the gloom of night than actual pieces of architect; a grim reminder of the battle that had been fought there not minutes ago. The once magnificent tower was now reduced to nothing more than a rocky foundation, a few wooden beams rising into the air, the ends of which were smoking slightly. Part of the tower had collapsed upon the outer rampart, demolishing part of the Everfree Forest as well, leaving uprooted trees lying here and there, their branches destroyed. Celestia groaned as she took a step forward, her cracked ribs grinding together. The battle had been long and fierce; her home was in ruins, and her body was covered in numerous injuries sustained during her fight. Her once monstrous reserve of magic had been reduced to barely that of a foal’s. Her usually majestic mane now hung limply across her gouge-covered back in long, pink strands. She was in pain, she was exhausted, but she was triumphant! Standing on trembling legs, the Solar Princess turned her one good eye towards the moon, her vision unfocused slightly due to fatigue. The moon hung low in the sky, illuminating the ruined castle in harsh moonlight. Upon its pale face, standing out in stark contrast against the small, celestial body, was the dark imprint of the head of a mare: Nightmare Moon, sealed within the surface of the moon. A fitting end for the vile temptress. The great and terrible mistress of the dark, now sealed, helpless, within the moon, forced to look down upon the very lands she had tried to conquer. The creature, Nightmare Moon—Darkness Reincarnated—had attacked the Everfree Castle in a hope to claim all of Equestria for herself. Waiting until Celestia's sun had set for the day, the Nightmare had attacked when the Solar Princess had been the most vulnerable. Celestia had been on her way to the bathhouse, eager for a relaxing dip within the heated pool after a long day at court, when the alarm had been sounded. She barely had time to turn before the Nightmare was upon her, spells flying down the hallway, destroying all that they touched. Celestia had managed to erect a shield in time to defend herself. Her faithful maid, however, was not so lucky. Celestia hadn't had any time to mourn the loss of her old friend before she was forced to retaliate against the Nightmare. Despite the initial surprise of the sudden attack, Celestia had managed to hold her own against the Darkness, even pushing Nightmare Moon from the castle and into the open. While she fought against the Mare of Darkness, the Royal Guards had fought against Nightmare's forces: evil demons spawned within the very pits of Tartarus itself. Celestia wasn’t sure how many of her loyal guards had given their lives in her name this night, but she was certain that they had been victorious in their defense of the Keep. Even now, with the loss of their leader, the demons were retreating back from whence they came. By the sounds in the distance, Celestia knew that the fighting had all but finished, and her soldiers were now searching the wreckage for wounded. She allowed a small smile to touch her split lip, as her thoughts turned to her little ponies. Despite any injuries that her guards may have received during the fight, she was sure—no, positive—that they would be combing the ruined castle, ignoring their own pain and discomfort as they helped any and all of those still trapped inside. Celestia could remember a certain incident back when Discord had been defeated. Her then Captain of the Guard, Glimmering Shield, had suffered severe injuries during the battle against the Mad God’s chaotic forces. Despite having four broken ribs, a cracked horn, dislocated hip, and broken leg, Glimmering Shield had spent five hours pulling the wounded from the battlefield before Celestia had caught wind of her Captain’s injuries. Celestia had had to stun Glimmering Shield in order to get her to accept medical attention, and she was forced to strap the unicorn to her bed in order to prevent her from leaving during her recovery. Glimmering Shield had thankfully survived, but was forced to walk with a permanent limp due to her delay in seeking medical attention. When later asked by a younger guard if she regretted her actions that day, Glimmering had simply replied that she “only regretted that the Solar Princess had learned about her injuries before she could have saved more lives”. After that confession, Celestia had noticed a startling increase in the loyalty and dedication of the guards, each seemingly trying to best Glimmering's devotion to the Crown and her fellow guards. Even after all these years, her guards still retained that same level of commitment. She would have to make sure that they received medical attention, even if she had to order them to leave off searching the castle herself. But that was for later. Tearing her gaze away from the moon, Celestia glanced down at the six gems slowly orbiting her battered body. They glinted in the darkness with inner power, illuminating her surroundings in a warm, inviting light. Each gem seemed to pulse with magical power, each one ready to be called upon again if need be. Integrity, Celestia thought as each gem slowly passed in front of her in turn. Hospitality, Devotion, Kindness, Jollity, Magic. The Elements of Harmony. Powerful artifacts delivered to her sister and her by the Tree of Harmony itself in order to combat Discord, they had been kept in stasis since the Mad God's downfall. Hoping to live in peace, the Royal Sisters had prayed that they would never need to use the Elements again. Unfortunately, fate had other plans and Celestia was forced to call upon them once again in order to imprison the Nightmare within her lunar gulag. Wielding the Elements alone had been taxing upon Celestia's body and mind, but in the end the Solar Princess was happy with the outcome. Even now, after having used most of the energy the Elements had stored up over the years, Celestia could still feel the magical power flowing from the gems, washing over her body and soothing some of her pains. Such power, such magical reserves, and she had barely been able to defeat the Nightmare. Celestia was just glad that Nightmare’s pride had dictated that she fight Celestia alone. It looks like Luna was right, Celestia thought as the gems continued to circle her. The Elements were enough to seal the Nightmare away—LUNA!” Celestia’s eye widened as her mind processed what she had just thought. Rearing back with a loud, panicked whinny, the Solar Princess took off across the grounds, the Elements following faithfully behind. Her twisted ankle was ignored in her haste, the pain temporarily forgotten. Her wings, rendered useless by the Nightmare, flapped weakly by her sides as she ran, leaving a trail of bloodied white feathers behind her. Reaching the rampart, Celestia leapt through a large hole in the wall caused by a rampaging demon. Her hooves pounded against the blood-soaked ground as she landed, her injured ankle nearly causing her leg to buckle under her weight. She quickly skirted around the fallen bodies of ponies and demons alike, careful as to not have her hooves become tangled in the mangled corpses of the dead. Foam formed around her lips as Celestia panted, her sides heaving. She galloped down the path to the castle’s main gates, the debris from the Keep scattered upon the ground in front of her, blocking the route. Relentlessly, Celestia forced her way through, shoving and pushing her body through the blockage. The sharpened edges of the rock and brick cut into her flesh, but she was oblivious to the pain in her desperation. Finally making her way to the Keep, Celestia forced her way through the main entrance way, the large golden doors cracked and soot-covered. The archway above the entrance had collapsed, large stone blocks strewn around the entrance hall. Shards of colored glass littered the floor, remnants of the large stained glass windows that lined the hall. Rushing along on numbed hooves, Celestia gasped for breath, sucking in great lungfuls of air. The Elements of Harmony, still faithfully circling her, provided her with enough light to see by. She nearly stumbled as her hooves slid against the glass shards, but managed to stay upright. Her ankle twinged in pain, but Celestia didn’t care. There, at the far end of the battle-damaged hall, was her destination: the throne room. The massive golden doors were askew, dangling upon their hinges, their surface dented and scarred. A large crack ran down one of the doors, nearly splitting it in two. As she neared the battered doors, the Solar Princess could not help the strangled cry that escaped her lips, “LUNA!” Pushing the very last of her magic down the length of her horn, Celestia blasted the throne room doors open, staggering through the archway as they thudded to the floor on either side of her. The floor reverberated beneath her hooves, the loud noise echoing around the large room, but she ignored it. “LUNA!” Celestia cried again, glancing around frantically at the debris, her stomach slowly rising into her throat. The ebony throne upon the raised steps lay in a heap of rubble, the golden throne beside it left untouched. Moonlight streamed through a large hole in the ceiling, the stars twinkling mockingly at the Solar Princess as her despair grew steadily. Please, please don’t let us be too late! “Luna,” Celestia sobbed as she cast around for any signs of the Lunar Princess. Choking back tears, she staggered through the rubble, continuing to search desperately. The longer she looked, the more and more her heart sunk in her chest. “Please, Luna,” Celestia whispered, blinking back tears. “Thou hast to be here somewhere!” A low groan caused Celestia’s head to whip around, and she winced as her neck cracked. Scrambling over a large chunk of the ceiling, Celestia made to leap down the other side but froze, her one good eye opening wide in horror. Her mouth opened, her lower jaw quivering as Celestia’s heart broke. There, on the other side of the pile of debris, was Luna, the Nocturnal Ruler. Her body was in a pitiful state, her wings bent, the bones broken in several places. She was lying in a pool of her own blood, her chest rising and falling with each ragged breath she took. Her legs were spread at awkward angles, white bone sticking out against her dark coat. Her mane was limp, the blue hair dyed dark with blood. Her horn had been shattered, the jagged appendage sparking uselessly. It was painfully clear that the once proud ruler’s body was broken: her life slowly ebbing from its shattered shell. “No, no, no, no,” Celestia whimpered as she clattered down the pile of wreckage. At the sound of her voice, Luna’s ears perked up. Groaning, the broken princess tried to lift her head, but whinnied in pain as it fell back to the ground. As Celestia reached Luna’s body, she collapsed to her knees beside her, tears flowing from both her open and closed eyes. The Elements’ orbit widened slightly in order to encompass both alicorns. As if sensing the other mare’s presence, Luna’s eyes cracked up, the once bright, cyan orbs fogged over. Gazing up at Celestia, the Lunar Princess cracked a smile, her white teeth stained with blood. “...’lo Tia,” she mumbled, her voice hoarse. “Luna,” Celestia whispered, taking care to not let her tears land upon the broken mare’s wounds. “Thou looks terrible.” The minute the words left her mouth, Celestia winced, raising a hoof to her mouth. More tears sprung to her eyes as she realized what she had just said. Luna just laughed, although it sounded more like a pained wheeze. Blood specs flew from her mouth, and her laughter soon turned to a heaving cough. “Tis true,” she croaked. “Thy ceiling dost not make a good cushion for us to land upon. Though, we canst see from here that thou hast vanquished the Nightmare and sealed her upon our very moon.” Luna tried to laugh again, but stopped as her breath rattled in her throat. “Stay thine merriment,” Celestia commanded, her face etched with worry. “Our healers shall soon be here, and shall make thee well again.” “Nay,” Luna rasped, her expression sobering. “We fear that this be the end for us, my fere.” “No,” Celestia sobbed, shaking her head desperately. “We pray thee, dost not leave us here, alone.” Luna just gazed up apologetically at the mare above her, a pained expression on her face. “We are sorry, Tia, but hitherto shalt we go, but no further.” And that was when the floodgates opened, and all of the Solar Princess’s pain and sorrow came rushing forth. Celestia let out a mewling cry, lowering her head as tears flowed down her cheeks. She closed her eye in an attempt to regain control of her emotions. However, her cries only increased when she reopened it and saw the broken alicorn before her. “Please,” she begged. “Please, there must be something—anything—that we canst do in order to save thee.” Movement beside her caught Celestia’s eyes, and she turned her head. Her eye lit up when she saw the ever-circling gems. “The Elements,” she cried, laughing shakily as hope rose in her chest. “We canst use them to heal thee, my fere! They hast sealed the Nightmare within thine moon, and they still hast power to spare! Thou shalt be well again, and shall continue to live, to be with us! We shall—” Celestia ceased her rambling as Luna placed her trembling hoof upon the Solar Princess’s. Smiling sadly, she shook her head. “It would be all for naught,” she rasped. “Tia, there is naught thee canst do now.” Swallowing, Celestia looked down at Luna’s hoof, her lips trembling. With a soft whinny, Celestia grasped Luna’s hoof in her own and gently raised it to her face. Nuzzling the hoof, Celestia quietly cried, her tears matting Luna’s dark fetlocks. “It’s all our fault,” she whispered as she continued to nuzzle the hoof. “It’s all our fault that this hast happen.” “Do not blame thyself,” Luna rasped, raising her head slightly to glare at Celestia. “It is no fault of your own. We chose to stand against the Nightmare with thee, and now we reap that which we hath wrought.” Groaning, Luna lowered her head again, the pool of blood rippling slightly as she laid it back upon the ground. “The life is leaving us, my fere. We shall not be with thee for much longer.” Celestia opened her mouth to say something, but Luna stopped her with a flick of her ear. “Nay, prithee, let us speak. We don’t have much energy left within our broken body.” Celestia paused, but nodded her head, continuing to lovingly nuzzle the dark hoof in her grasp. This caused a small smile to touch Luna’s lips. Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, the Lunar Princess winced as her broken ribs shifted. More blood flowed from her nostrils and mouth, her breaths coming in short, ragged bursts as her lungs slowly filled with blood. Opening her eyes again, Luna glanced up at Celestia with dimmed eyes. “Fear not, Tia dear, for this is not our end. Watch for the mare, of darkened coat and deadened eyes. When she doth stands beside thee, so too shall we once more.” As Luna spoke, her voice cracking in pain, the Elements glowed brightly, a burst of energy erupting from them for a split second before they fell silent, content to continue to circle the pair of alicorns. As her eyes began to close, Luna squeezed Celestia’s hoof weakly in her own. “Be at peace, Tia. May your days be calm, and your sun stay strong. May our memory ease your pain, and may your sorrows be brief. Know naught of heartache, nor fear, nor gloom.” Luna’s voice grew softer as she spoke, the light slowly leaving her eyes. “I love you,” she croaked, tears welling up in her dim, cyan eyes. “I’ll miss you…” Luna moved her jaw, attempting to say something more, but she only managed to release one last ragged breath before her eyes closed, and the life left her battered body. The Elements dimmed slightly, silently mourning for the loss of the princess. When the hoof in her grasp went limp, Celestia glance up, looking tearfully at the dark alicorn. “Luna?” she whimpered, rubbing Luna’s hoof against her cheek. “Luna?” Reaching out a trembling hoof, Celestia placed it upon Luna’s cheek. The Lunar Princess’s face was still, a peaceful smile upon her lips. Tears streamed down the Solar Princess’s cheeks as she absentmindedly stroke Luna’s face with her hoof. “Luna,” she whispered, her voice cracking. “Luna, wake up. Thou hast to wake up. Luna… please, thou can’t leave me.” Dropping Luna’s hoof, Celestia lifted her head, glancing around the throne room frantically, desperately. “HELP!” she screamed, her voice echoing around the ruined room. “SOMEPONY! ANYPONY! PLEASE… h-help!” As her voice continued to echo around the room, mocking the distraught princess, Celestia turned her gaze back to her fallen companion, lifting a hoof to her lips. Violent sobs racked her body, her good eye now puffy and red. Her heart thudded in her chest, feeling as though it had split in two. This couldn’t be happening, this wasn’t happening. It had to be a nightmare. She had fallen asleep during court, and would wake any second now, and find that Luna was still alive and happy. She would trot up to Celestia, that mischievous glint in her brilliant cyan eyes signifying that she had another prank in store for the Solar Princess. Celestia’s body continued to tremble violently as she looked down at Luna’s body, trying desperately to convince herself that this wasn’t real. Shutting her eye tight, Celestia gritted her teeth, trying to fight back her pain and despair. Opening her eye again, Celestia stared down at Luna silently, her expression blank. Suddenly, her heart shattered, pain and sorrow flooding her very soul at the loss of her nocturnal counterpart. Clenching her eyes shut, Celestia threw her head back and screamed, the force of her misery shaking the very foundations of the ruined castle. Everypony within a mile of the castle heard the princess’s cry; everypony felt her pain, and everypony wept with her. Celestia continued to weep, even as the moon set, plunging the world into darkness. Without their mistress to control them, the stars began to wink out of existence, leaving behind an empty void of blackness. The night became devoid of light, the gloom only illuminated by the fires that still raged around the broken castle. The sun did not rise that morning, nor the morning after, leaving the ponies of Equestria to mourn the loss of their princess within the darkness of her night. The Sun would not rise for several days as it mourned the loss of its Moon, just like its earthly counterpart below. LUNAR REBIRTH ~ ~ ~ ~ by MadMaxtheBlack ~ ~ ~ ~ One dark night, nearly a millennium later, four frightened ponies slid silently through the frozen waters of Saddle Lake, heading for Canterlot. To their left, along the shores of the lake, they could spy a small snow-covered village, the lights from the homes illuminating the starless night. Carefully, the ferrymare, a brown earth pony, drew her oar through the water, pushing the boat along. Standing in the stern of the boat, she glanced around nervously, her face hidden behind her cloak. In the bow of the boat, two cloaked unicorns and a pegasus huddled, trying to remain unseen. One of the unicorns, a mare with a sky blue coat, clutched a small bundle to her chest, shielding it from the winter chill. Beside her, her stallion—a dark violet unicorn—held her close, almost protectively. The pegasus was in the very front of the boat, using his hooves to push wayward pieces of ice from their path. Above the group, a full moon shone down proudly, providing them with enough light to see by. “We’ll have to run the boat aground on the far side of the lake,” the ferrymare whispered to her companions as the far shore of Saddle Lake came into view. “We can then proceed to Canterlot on hoof.” “We paid you to take us directly to Canterlot,” the unicorn stallion hissed. “Unless one of you unicorns can lift my boat up a waterfall, we have to walk to our destination,” the ferrymare growled, her eyes narrowing. “Will you both be quiet?” the pegasus snapped, turning to look back at them. “We’ll be spotted!” The group fell silent, all expect the bundle in the unicorn mare’s grasp, which immediately started to wail. Frantically, the mare cooing softly to the bundle, rocking it in her hooves. “Hush, little one,” she pleaded, glancing up at the ferrymare, who was giving her a dirty look. The unicorn stallion leaned over and began to whisper sweet nothings into the bundle, which immediately stopped crying. “This is more than I agreed to,” the ferrymare grumbled, her oar cutting through the still waters. “Just get us to Canterlot,” the unicorn stallion sighed, looking up from the bundle. “You’ll get the rest of your pay, and we’ll be out of your mane.” With that, the boat fell silent. A few minutes later, the boat’s bottom scraped against the lakebed as the ferrymare pushed them ashore. Using her oar to vault herself onto the snowy shore, the earth pony turned and motioned to the others with her hoof. “Quickly, before somepony sees—” “It’s rather cold for you to be out this time of night, isn’t it?” The ferrymare whipped around with a loud squeak as two-dozen Royal Guards emerged from the blackness, their golden armor glinting in the moonlight as they all leveled spears at the four travelers. Instinctively, the unicorn stallion moved in front of his mare, shielding her from the wall of spears. As the guards slowly herded the four ponies together, the sound of snow crunching beneath hooves filled the air, and a dark, looming shape appeared out of the blackness. The eyes of all four travelers widened in horror as they looked up at the massive unicorn that materialized before them. “Archduke Black Spark,” the ferrymare moaned in despair, her ears splaying backwards as her heart dropped out of her chest. The Archduke cut an intimidating figure in the moonlight. Standing nearly a head taller than all others present, the white unicorn stared down at the trembling ponies with disdain, his lip pulled back in a silent sneer. His slick, black mane hung down the side of his face, a black and red striped chaperon hat placed above his horn. Tearing his blue eyes from the four travelers, the Archduke glanced over at one of the guards. “Take these... gypsies to the palace dungeons immediately, along with the rest of the trash,” he ordered, his baritone voice loud and clear. The guard saluted before pulling out a pair of iron shackles from his saddlebags. Moving forward, the guard quickly began to shackle the travelers, binding the wings of the pegasus and the horn of the unicorn stallion. As he did that, another guard approached the beached boat and began to pour oil over it. Stepping back, she picked up a lit torch and tossed it into the oil-soaked boat. Instantly, it went up in flames, the burning inferno casting a flickering light around the area. As the guard approached the unicorn mare, he pause, staring at the bundle in her hooves. “What have you got there?” he growled, pointing at the bundle. The mare instinctively cradled the object closer to her chest, protecting it from view. “It seems we have a thief on our hooves as well,” Archduke Black Spark growled. He snorted as he glared at the mare, his breath escaping in a torrent of mist from his nostrils. The mare stared up at him, silently pleading for mercy. Black Spark cocked his head to the side, his cold eyes narrowing. “Take it from her.” The guard moved to do so, but at the Archduke’s words, the mare took off down the beach, sprinting for her life, the bundle held in her magic. Her companions yelled after her, urging her to escape, to flee and find shelter. “After her, you imbeciles,” Black Spark roared, pointing at the fleeing mare. “Don’t let her get away!” Half a dozen guards surged forward and gave chase, following the mare's tracks in the snow. Ahead of them, her cloak flapping wildly as she ran, the mare bounded through the snow. The bundle, hovering beside her head, squirmed and kicked, a loud, keening wail coming from its folds. Chancing a quick glance back behind her, the mare’s eyes widened and she whinnied in fear as she saw the guards closing in on her. Turning her head back around, she put on an extra burst of speed, trying to get some distance between herself and her pursuers. Suddenly, the frozen lake beside her began to shrink, the shores closing in on each other as they became the mouth of a river. An old wooden bridge materialized out of the darkness, connecting the two sides of the river together. Without a second thought, the mare thundered across the bridge, disturbing the snow that was resting on the wooden railings in the processes. The clatter of hooves behind her told her that the guards were still on her tail. Foam began to collect around the corners of the mare’s mouth as she gasped for air, her eyes darting here and there in a desperate search for a hiding place. The village in the distance slowly grew nearer as she made a beeline for the shelter the buildings provided. Reaching the edge of the village, the mare dashed over fences and through yards, trying to lose her pursuers. Quickly ducking down a dark alleyway, she vaulted over a spiked iron fence. As she landed on the other side, her back hoof hit a patch of ice hidden beneath the blanket of snow. Her leg immediately shot out from under her and she fell, hard, on her side. The pain that flared up in her barrel and in her hoof caused the mare’s magic to flicker out. The bundle tumbled through the air, landing in a snowdrift with a soft thump. Instantly, the bundle fell silent, its wails ceasing. Shakily, the mare staggered to her hooves, wincing as she placed weight upon her back hoof. Glancing around, she searched for her bundle. “No, no, no, no,” she whimpered, tears forming in her eyes as the wind pulled at her cloak. She tried to take a few steps forward, but collapsed with a pained whinny as her hoof failed to support her weight. Lifting her head, the mare looked around helplessly. “Selena,” she cried, trying to push herself back up, onto her hooves. “Selena!” Unable to get her hooves underneath her, the unicorn mare just lay there, sobbing into the snow. With a clatter of hooves and armor, the guards that were chasing her descended upon the prone mare. Shackles were immediately clasped to her hooves and she howled in pain as they forced her injured hoof into place. One of the guards glanced around, a small frown touching her otherwise emotionless face. “Sir,” she said, turning to look at her superior. “The package isn’t here.” “She must have ditched it in some back alleyway while she was running,” the officer growled, glaring down at the bound mare. She just laid there, her eyes closed as her tears slowly froze upon her face. “Just forget it. We’ve got her, and that’s all that matters.” The guard turned and motioned to the rest of the guards. “Get her up and march her back to the Archduke. She and the others are in for a nice long stay in Canterlot’s dungeons.” The mare sobbed broken heartedly as she was hauled to her hooves. Forcefully, the guards marched her back through the streets, ignoring her pained whimpers as she was forced to put pressure upon her twisted hoof. As they headed back towards the lake, the mare cast one last desperate glance over her shoulders, her eyes scanning the snow for any sign of the bundle. As she was led out of sight, the mare couldn’t help the long, mewling cry that tore itself from her throat, and as she was marched to her doom, she couldn’t stop the tears that flowed down her cheeks. “SELENA!” ~ ~ ~ ~ > > < < ~ ~ ~ ~ The village was silent, everypony asleep in their warm beds, the embers of dying fires crackling in the fireplace, warming the home against the winter chill. None seemed to have been roused but the sound of the scuffle outside. The full moon shone down upon the village, illuminating the quiet little town from its position high in the starless sky. It had watched as the four ponies had slowly cut across the half-frozen lake, trying to be as silent as possible. It had sensed fear in their movements—fear of being discovered—but it also had sensed hope. It had watched as the ponies clad in gold had surrounded the first four, trapping them along the shore of the lake. The fear that the trapped ponies had for the large white pony was not lost upon the moon, and it felt sorrow for them. It had watched as the smaller unicorn mare had run, trying to escape her fate. She had been strong-willed, her spirit full of motherly love and kindness. It had even watched as the chase came to a sudden end, the mare beaten and broken, lead in chains back to the waiting caravan. But something was wrong, the moon was sure of it. The burden the mare had been carrying—protecting, even—was not with her when she had been captured. It had vanished. The moon searched the snow-covered ground far below it. After several minutes, the moon cheered silently to itself. It had found the small bundle of cloth, embedded in a deep snowdrift. However, the golden-clad ponies apparently could not see it. They were leaving, leaving the bundle all alone and lost within its snowy bed. This would not do, thought the moon as its light grew steadily brighter. This would simply not do at all… ~ ~ ~ ~ > > < < ~ ~ ~ ~ Warm Care groaned. He groaned for several reasons. He groaned because of his old age, his stiff joints, his arthritis, the lumpy mattress beneath him. All of those were reasons to cause him to groan, but they were not the main reasons for his groaning now. No, the main reason he groaned was that the moonlight streaming through his window had awoken him in the wee hours of the morning. “Blasted moon,” he grumbled, though a small smile touched his lips. “You couldn’t even let me sleep tonight, could you? You just had to wake me so that I could witness your beauty.” Pushing his old withered body from the bed, the dark gray earth pony winced as his hooves touched the cold floor. The fire in the fireplace, located on the far side of his room, had long since been reduced to embers, and the winter chill was slowly sneaking in. Slowly, he made his way out of his bedroom, making sure to close the door quietly behind him. Walking down the hall, he carefully descended the old, rickety steps at the far end. Walking past several closed doors, Warm Care soon entered the main entrance hall for the building. Slipping through a side door, the old stallion entered the kitchen. After a few minutes, he reemerged, a steaming mug of hot chocolate accompanying him on his journey. Reentering the main hall, Warm Care made his way towards the front door. Sliding the rusted bolt back, the old pony swung the creaky door slowly open. A blast of cold air immediately blew inside, causing Warm Care to shiver. Ignoring the cold, the old earth pony stepped out into the night air, breathing deeply. “Never in my long life has this sight ever grown old,” he sighed as he gazed happily up at the moon. It glowed brightly against the pure black backdrop of the night sky, the dark mare imprinted upon its surface looking down upon him. Sipping from his steaming mug, Warm Care stood in the road, enjoying the view the moon provided, despite the cold. This was one of his few guilty pleasures. Whenever he couldn’t sleep—or was woken before the sun had risen—he would always make himself something warm to drink and stand outside, basking in the light of the moon. After a few minutes, having finished his hot beverage, Warm Care turned to head back inside. As he did so, the wind died down to barely a breeze, an eerie calm falling across the village. Warm Care paused, his old, fur-filled ears perking up as a faint sound suddenly made its presence known. It was soft, barely noticeable, but Warm Care was able to hear it nonetheless. The wailing cry of a foal was being carried upon the wind. “Now, who could be out at this time of night,” Warm Care asked. “Besides me, of course,” he added with a soft chuckle. Placing his empty mug upon the front step, Warm Care turned and made his way slowly out into the snow. Using his old ears as best he could, Warm Care tried to determine the directions the cries were coming from. “Hello?” he cried out into the night. “Is there anypony out there? Do you need help?” As the crying grew louder, Warm Care glanced around, searching for any signs of a pony out and about in the winter cold. There was nothing but snow, however, to his searching eye. Suddenly, the old stallion stumbled slightly. Glancing down, he saw the snow in front of him was trampled, packed down in some places and disturbed in others. Tracks in the snow led off into the distance, heading for the lake. It looked like a group of ponies had passed through recently. The wailing suddenly started up again, and Warm Care jumped at the noise. Glancing around, the old stallion’s brow creased in confusion as he saw the crying was coming from a nearby snowdrift. Carefully approaching the pile, Warm Care brushed a hoof through the snow, revealing a bundle of cloth. Gently picking up the squirming bundle, Warm Care peeled back a layer of cloth, revealing what the bundle held. His old heart immediately melted and he placed a hoof over his mouth, his ears splaying backwards. What kind of pony would abandon such a young, beautiful thing like this? he thought as he gazed down at the small foal in his grasp. The poor thing is practically frozen solid. Holding the freezing foal closer to his chest, Warm Care smiled softly as the young thing wiggled weakly, trying to get closer to this new source of warmth. The foal—a filly, by the looks of it—had a dark blue coat, nearly black in color. Locks of dark blue hair framed a small horn on top of her head. As Warm Care continued to hold her, the filly continued to wail weakly, her eyes shut tight in distress. “Shhh, it’s okay, little one,” the old earth pony cooed softly. “I’ve got you. Everything’s going to be fine.” At the sound of his voice, the filly stopped crying. Sniffling, she slowly opened her eyes. Warm Care jerked his head back, inhaling sharply at the sight of the filly’s eyes. Twin milky-blue orbs stared up at him, unseeing. The irises almost blended perfectly with the whites of the filly's eyes. It was painfully clear to Warm Care that the filly in his hooves was completely blind. Bile rose in the stallion’s throat as he gazed down at the filly. How could anypony abandon a foal like this, especially one that was blind? Did her parents just not want her? Was she just tossed aside, unloved, by parents that could not be bothered with a handicapped foal? Warm Care shook his head slowly, unconsciously holding the filly closer to his chest. It didn’t matter now. He had found her, and he was going to take care of her. Looking back down at the blind filly, Warm Care blinked in surprise as something else caught his eye. There, wrapped loosely around the filly’s neck, was a light blue collar. A closer look showed that black letters had been stitched into the fabric. A smile slowly spread across Warm Care’s muzzle as he read the words. “Hello, Selena,” he whispered to the filly. At the sound of her name, the filly cooed happily. This just caused Warm Care to chuckle. “Come on, let’s get your body warmed up and something tasty in your belly, little one.” Turning, Warm Care carefully made his way back down the road, shielding the filly from the cold. Walking up the steps to his home, Warm Care gingerly picked up his mug in his teeth. Pushing open the door, the stallion made to enter the old building, but paused for a moment. Glancing back over his shoulder, the old pony shot the glowing moon a quick look, laughing softly to himself. With that, he entered the building and closed the door behind him, blocking out the winter chill. The force of the closing door caused the sign above the door to swing slowly back and forth, disturbing the snow that rested upon it. As the white cover fell to the earth, the writing on the sign was revealed once more. ~PONYVILLE ORPHANAGE~ As the sign slowly stopped swinging, the village slowly returned to its undisturbed state, its inhabitants asleep in their warm beds. High above, the moon continued to glow softly, almost smiling down on the small town of Ponyville.
Part I: The Foal and the MonsterPlacing the bundled-up filly carefully onto the bed, Warm Care shuffled over to the door of his bedroom and shut it with a soft click. Keeping the lights off, the old stallion then made his way over to the fireplace, quickly stoking the embers with a poker. Tossing a couple of logs onto the glowing coals, he soon had the fire crackling merrily again. Happy with the size of the flames, as well as the warmth now spreading through the room, Warm Care turned his attention to the small bundle now resting atop his bed. “Alright, little one,” he cooed softly to the filly encased within the bundle. “Let’s get you out of there.” Grasping the damp cloth—wet from the snow—in his hooves, the old stallion gently began to peel layer after layer off of the bundle, slowly revealing the dark foal underneath. He would then tossed the blankets over towards the hearth, where they laid in a pile in front of the fire. The filly, Selena if the decorative collar was anything to go by, was oddly quiet during the whole ordeal. As Warm Care unwrapped her like a present, she just stared up at the ceiling, her blank eyes seeing nothing. Every so often, her ear would twitch. After nearly half a minute, Warm Care had reached the final layer of cloth. Peeling it off of the filly, the old stallion then tossed the damp fabric over with the others, now drying in front of the fire. Turning to look back at the exposed filly, Warm Care froze, his eyes widening in shock at what he saw. He rubbed his eyes carefully, trying to make sure that the old orbs weren’t failing him. Upon double-checking, he found that his eyes were truthful. There, upon the dark fur of the filly’s tiny flank, was a cutie mark. Warm Care stared at the small filly, speechless. This was unheard of. By the size of the filly, the old stallion would wager that she was only a couple of weeks old. No foal that age could possibly have a cutie mark. Not only did they not have time to figure out what their special talent was, but the residual magic within their bodies hadn’t yet stabilized enough to allow a cutie mark to form. Yet, there it was, clear as day. Warm Care eyed the filly’s cutie mark, cocking his head to the side. Leaning in, he gripped the filly’s back leg gently in his hooves, moving the limb slightly to get a better look at the symbol upon her flank. If this sudden attention bothered the foal, she didn’t show it. The cutie mark was tiny—one of the smallest Warm Care had ever seen—but that was to be expected given the filly’s size. The cutie mark itself was like nothing the old stallion had seen before, even upon grown ponies. Across the filly’s flank an inky black splotch spread out, looking like somepony had spilled a bottle of ink upon the filly. In stark contrast against the blackness, a white crescent moon sat, emblazoned, in the middle of the dark blob of fur. It practically sparkling in the gloom. Warm Care leaned back, rubbing the side of his head with a hoof as he continued to stare at the filly. For the most part, the filly appeared content to just lie there, staring up at the ceiling and blinking occasional. Every so often, a shiver would run through her body, her fur still slightly damp from her time spent in the snow pile. Eventually, Warm Care’s mind came to a conclusion about what he was seeing. “It’s painted on,” he said to himself, laughing softly as he shook his head. “That must be it. Her parents, for whatever reason, painted a fake cutie mark on her before abandoning her in the snow.” How could he have ever be so silly as to believe that a newborn could possibly possess a cutie mark? That very notion was impossible, and Warm Care had to resist smacking his head with a hoof. “I’ll be back in a second, little one,” the old stallion said softly to the filly, heading towards the door of his bedroom. “We’ve got to get something to wash that paint off.” Leaving his bedroom door open a crack, Warm Care returned a few seconds later with a small basin of warm water and a washcloth. “Why anypony would go through the trouble of painting a cutie mark upon you before leaving you out in the cold, I’m not entirely sure,” he said as he placed the basin upon his nightstand. “But we’ll get it off of you here in a second.” The filly squirmed and whined in discomfort as Warm Care picked her up, but she soon grew still as the stallion dipped the washcloth into the basin and then pressed the wet fabric against her coat. She cooed happily as the warmth from the wet cloth slowly seeped into her body. A soft smile touched the old stallion lips as he rubbed the filly’s flank gently, attempting to wash the paint out of her fur. After a few minutes of scrubbing, however, all Warm Care managed to do was get the filly’s fur wet. The cutie mark was still there, and wasn’t the least bit faded. If anything, the moon now seemed to twinkle more as water beaded up upon it. Placing a hoof upon his muzzle, Warm Care scrunched up his face as he eyed the filly. As the ministrations from the warm washcloth stopped, she began to wiggle around on the bed, whimpering slightly in distress. Absentmindedly, Warm Care placed the washcloth over the filly’s chest. She immediately giggled before wrapping her forelegs around the wet fabric. Placing a corner into her mouth, she began to suckle it as one would their mother’s teat. As soft slurping noises filled the room, Warm Care rubbed his tired eyes with a hoof. Glancing at the clock on the mantle above the fireplace, the caretaker saw that it was nearing three in the morning. “I’m going to wager that I won’t be getting any sleep,” he said, turning back to stare at the filly. As though sensing his eyes upon her, the young filly smiled around the washcloth in her mouth, continuing her sucking. “Don’t look so smug,” Warm Care said teasingly as he reached out and gently poked the filly in the side. “It’s because of you I’m not going to be able to sleep.” The filly wiggled around happily, giggling slightly at the old stallion’s touch. Laughing softly at the filly, Warm Care’s smile slowly turned into a troubled frowned as his eyes drifted once more to the filly’s supposed cutie mark. “First thing in the morning, we’re going to the hospital to get that looked at,” he muttered as he fought off a yawn. “And to make sure you’re healthy.” A low gurgle filled the air and, as one, bother Warm Care and the filly looked down at her stomach. The old stallion chuckled again as the filly cocked her head to the side, the confusion clear on her face. “But first, let’s see if we can find you some milk.” ~ ~ ~ ~ > > < < ~ ~ ~ ~ Lowering her ophthalmoscope, Nurse Blue Cross frowned slightly as she looked down at the small unicorn filly in front of her. The foal was lying prone upon the paper-covered table, staring blankly up at the ceiling with a tired look on her face. As the nurse watched, the filly suddenly yawned, squeaking slightly as her pink tongue poked out of her mouth in a cute manner. Repressing the urge to coo at the sight, Blue Cross leaned back in her chair, placing the device in her hoof onto a small instrument tray located beside the examination table. Sighing, she closed her eyes briefly before opening them again and turning her attention to the other pony in the room. Seated uncomfortably in the small chair in the corner of the room, Warm Care was quite content to simply let the nurse work in silence. As the nurse examined the filly he had brought in, the old stallion fought to keep his tired eyes open. True to his prediction, Warm Care hadn’t gotten any more sleep the previous night. As soon as the sun had risen he had asked his assistant, Merriweather, to look after the other foals while he took Selena to the hospital. Luckily, Ponyville General was practically deserted due to the early hour, and a nurse was immediately available to assist. Suddenly finding himself under Blue Cross’s gaze, Warm Care sat up a bit straighter, his ears perking up as he shook the sleep from his mind. “And you said you found her in a snowbank in the middle of the night?” the nurse asked as she rubbed her muzzle absentmindedly. Pulling a pen out of her mane, she quickly jotted a few notes down onto a nearby clipboard. “That is correct,” Warm Care replied calmly, nodding his head. Blue Cross’s ear twitched in response, and her frowned deepened. “And there was nopony else nearby?” she continued, still rubbing her muzzle with her free hoof. “Where there any signs that somepony had been out and about?” “There was a patch of snow near where I found her that looked like it had been disturbed,” Warm Care said slowly. “But it looked old. Possibly two hours or more, if I had to guess.” Blue Cross’s eyes widened, and her hoof dropped from her muzzle in shock. “You’re telling me this filly was out in the snow for two hours by herself?” she asked, nearly shouting in her outrage. Warm Care jumped slightly, his ears splaying back at the noise. The filly on the table flinched as well, scrunching up her face in discomfort. “I-I believe so, yes,” Warm Care stuttered, unsure of what the mare was getting at. “It’s a wonder she didn’t get hypothermia!” Blue Cross cried, looking over at the filly with an incredulous look on her face. “She can’t be more than two weeks old. Any foal that old can’t survive long out in the cold without something keeping them warm!” “There were a bunch of blankets wrapped around her,” Warm Care began before frowning. “Although, they were pretty damp when I took them off.” “The fact that the blankets were damp even adds to the impossibility of the situation,” Blue Cross said, running a hoof through her blue mane. “It’s a miracle she’s even alive.” Turning, Blue Cross stared at the dark-coated filly, lost in thought. The filly, Selena, was starting to squirm, not enjoying the feel of the hard, steel table beneath her. She whined slightly, trying to roll over onto her side. Reaching out a hoof, Blue Cross halted the filly’s movement. As the nurse lifted the filly gently into the air, Warm Care spoke up, “Well, that was the main reason I brought her here this morning. To make sure that there wasn’t any lasting damage done by the cold.” “Well, I can tell you right now that if you hadn’t informed me that she had been left out in the snow, I wouldn’t have known,” Blue Cross admitted, bouncing the filly gently in her hooves to keep her from crying. It was apparently working, because as she bounced up and down, the foal’s foggy eyes slowly closed as she began to nod off. “Besides being slightly underweight, there is nothing wrong with her as far as I could find,” Blue Cross continued. “She’s a perfectly healthy filly, even if she is rather small. Her horn is firm and developed correctly, her bones are in perfect condition, and judging by the way she was sucking on her blanket when you arrived, I’d say she’s more than willing to nurse. “That being said,” Blue Cross said as she placed the now-sleeping foal back onto the table. “There is one thing that I cannot figure out, and that is her blindness. By my reckoning, her eyes should be working perfectly. I could find nothing during my examination that might shed light on why she is blind. Short of using invasive magical scans, I have no explanation as to why she can’t see.” “Couldn’t it be genetics?” Warm Care asked, cocking his head to the side. Blue Cross grimaced, biting her lip before sighing. “It could be, but I wouldn’t bet on it. Natural blindness is rare in newborn foals. Even then, there is usually an underlying reason, like a detached retina or moon blindness, and even the latter is pushing it. However, there is nothing wrong with her eyes. If it weren’t for the fact that they are cloudy and her pupils don’t respond to light, I’d say she should have perfect vision.” “Is there anything you can do for her?” Warm Care asked, giving the sleeping filly a sad look. “Such a young thing shouldn’t go through life with a handicap like that.” “Short of ripping her eyes out and giving her new ones, no,” Blue Cross said dryly. “She’ll be blind for the rest of her life.” “I see.” A thick tension fell over the room as both ponies fell silent, each left to their own thoughts. Warm Care was thinking about what he was going to do after he got the filly home. Selena, he chided himself. Her name is Selena. Warm Care knew that he would be more than happy to look after the lost filly, but there was a thought—a secret hope—that kept nagging at the back of his mind. What if the whole ordeal was simply a major accident, and her parents were out there right now, searching desperately for their foal? Could he really just decided to take her in when there was still a chance that she might be able to be reunited with her family? Nodding his head slightly, Warm Care decided that after they finished with their appointment here at the hospital, he would head over to town hall and file a missing foal report with the mayor. If her parents were indeed looking for her, he would do his part and help them find her. If they weren’t… well, he was already looking after a dozen foals of various ages. Another one couldn’t hurt. “There was actually something that I was curious about,” Blue Cross said suddenly, breaking Warm Care’s train of thought. Leaning forward with a small frown on her face, the nurse gently grabbed a hold of the filly’s hind leg, twisting it slightly. As she twisted the limb, the filly rolled slowly onto her side, revealing her cutie mark-clad haunch. “Why did you paint a cutie mark on her flank?” Blue Cross asked, motioning to the mark. She gave Warm Care a blank stare, one of her eyebrows raising slightly. “That was another thing I was going to bring up, actually,” the old stallion said, closing his eyes and rubbing them with a hoof. “That cutie mark was there when I found her, and it isn’t painted on. It’s legitimate.” Blue Cross snorted, shaking her head in amusement. “That’s impossible,” she huffed. “Foals can’t get cutie marks until they’re around four years old.” “I didn’t believe it either when I first saw it, but it’s true.” Warm Care said, leaning back in his small chair. “You can check if you’d like.” Blue Cross slowly turned back to the filly, rubbing her muzzle slowly, lost in thought. “If what you say is true,” she said eventually, her voice soft. “Then I might know why you found her out in the snow in the first place.” Warm Care sat up quickly, his tiredness instantly forgotten as he gave the nurse his full attention. “There’s an old superstition that dates back to the time of Discord that might explain it,” Blue Cross began. “Back then, due to Discord’s tricks, it was important for parents, or other family members, to see a foal get their cutie mark. If the cutie mark suddenly appeared without anypony besides the foal witnessing it, it was thought that the foal had made a deal with Discord in order to gain their cutie mark early.” “What does that have to do with her?” Warm Care asked, motioning towards Selena, who was still asleep, thank the goddess. “While the superstition is old, the idea behind it still remains,” Blue Cross explained, wincing slightly. “Even now we still hold cute-ceañera as proof that the filly or colt got their cutie mark legitimately.” “I thought we held them in order to congratulate the foal on getting their mark,” Warm Care said with a frown. “That might be true nowadays,” Blue Cross said with a nod. “But way back when cute-ceañera were held so that the parents could show the community that their foal’s cutie mark had been earned, not given. If a foal hadn’t had a cute-ceañera, but had a cutie mark, they were more often than not exiled from the village, along with their parents.” “That’s barbaric!” Warm Care cried indignantly. “That’s the way things were back then,” Blue Cross said with a shrug. “And if what you say is true, and her cutie mark is legit, then we’re probably looking at a modern day version of that. This is only speculation, of course, but I would wager that when her parents saw she had a cutie mark at such a young age, they immediately assumed—wrongly, mind you—that dark magic was involved. What we have here is the result of their decision.” Warm Care looked at the filly the nurse was motioning to, a look of horror on his face. “What pony in their right mind would abandon their foal just because they had a cutie mark?” Blue Cross just shrugged, puffing out her cheeks slightly. “I don’t know,” she said with a heavy sigh. “I’m just thankful you came along when you did. If you hadn’t woken up and decided to go for a moonlit stroll, she would have been dead come morning.” Warm Care opened his mouth to agree, but was interrupted by a loud, shrill whine. The filly had awoken during their talk and was now crying, her tiny face scrunched up in discomfort. During a lull in the cries, a low gurgle came from the filly’s stomach. “Aw, it looks like somepony is hungry,” Blue Cross cooed as she picked up the squirming foal. Standing up, the nurse trotted quickly to the door and opened it. Poking her head out, she called down the hall, “Redheart, could you come here a moment?” A few seconds later a young mare appeared at the door, her pink mane done up in a bun. She had a bounce in her step and an eager look in her sparkling blue eyes. “Please take this filly down to the maternity ward and give her to the wet nurse on duty for a feeding. After that, please find my sister and tell her to gather up a New Parent Package and bring it back here,” Blue Cross instructed the intern, carefully handing Redheart the crying filly. “Take filly to wet nurse then find Blue Shield,” Redheart repeated with a nod. “Got it.” Turning, the pink-maned mare hurried off down the hall, talking quietly to the filly in her grip. As Warm Care watched them go, he felt a sudden hollowness fall over his chest. Rubbing his breast with a hoof, the old stallion turned slowly back to look at Blue Cross. The nurse was giving him a curious look, tapping her chin with a hoof as she hummed softly. “I take it you’re going to be looking after the foal?” she asked. “I was going to take her to town hall and have some missing foal posters made. If nopony answers, then I was thinking of taking her in, yes.” “Well,” Blue Cross said with a chuckle, “you’re probably the best pony to take care of an abandoned filly. We’ll give you some supplies for taking care of her, some formula, and some other things.” “Anything I need to know about taking care of her?” Warm Care asked, still rubbing his chest with a hoof, the hollow feeling still present. “Have you ever taken care of newborns before?” “Yes,” Warm Care nodded. “I’ve had to take care young foals in the past.” “It should be the same thing for her,” Blue Cross said, picking up her clipboard and quickly scratching down some notes. “However, there will be some differences due to her blindness. Her hearing will be better than that of an average foal’s. Instead of calming down at the sight of you, you’ll probably find that she will calm down at the sound of your voice. Her sense of smell will probably be increased as well, meaning you’ll have to be careful around her. Scents that are strong or overpowering will probably make her sick. “Also, she probably won’t be as explorative as other foals. Without her sight, she won’t be as curious, but that’s not to say that she won’t wander around at all.” “I’m guessing that if she does wander, I should watch her closely?” Warm Care asked with a chuckle. Blue Cross nodded, tearing off a page from the clipboard and handing it to the old stallion. “Yes. While foals can get into trouble easily, it will be more so with her. She can’t see stairs, walls, furniture, or anything else that might hurt her. You’ll have to make sure that she remains safe.” “Well, that shouldn’t be too hard—” The door to the room opened suddenly, causing Warm Care and Blue Cross to looked over at it in confusion. A frazzled looking mare with a powder blue coat stuck her head in and looked around, her mint green mane starting to fray slightly. “Tenderheart, what’s the matter?” Blue Cross asked, alarmed at her fellow nurse’s appearance. “Blue Cross, you’ve got to come quickly,” the other nurse said, her voice shrill. “Something’s happening in the maternity ward, and we don’t know what to do!” Blue Cross was instantly on her hooves and out the door, Warm Care close behind her. As the trio rushed down the hall, Warm Care became aware of a series of loud, shrill cries filling the air. The noise grew louder as they neared the maternity ward. Turning a corner, the trio slowed to a trot in confusion. It seemed like all of the foals within the ward were crying, their combined wails echoing around the rooms to create an almost deafening din. Redheart was standing in front of the hospital’s nursery, her ears pressed tight against her head in discomfort, Selena still in her grasp. Running up to the intern, Blue Cross scrunched up her face in pain as she shouted to be heard above the screams, “What the buck did you do?!” “I-I don’t know!” Redheart cried. “I was just walking by when they started freaking out!” “Why would they start doing that?” Warm Care shouted, placing his hooves over his ears. “I don’t know,” Redheart confessed loudly. “But that’s not the weirdest part!” “There’s something weirder than this?” Blue Cross yelled, giving the mare an incredulous look. Without answering, Redheart simply held up the dark-coated filly in her hooves. Warm Care blinked, his confusion growing at what he saw. Despite the chaos around her, Selena was now perfectly calm. She blinked her foggy eyes slowly, her tail flicking back and forth lazily. “What the—” Blue Cross said, her eyes widening in shock. As the two ponies stared at the filly in the intern’s hooves, she just stared off into space, her eyes unseeing. Her ears twitched as the other foals continued to cry. Sighing heavily, Blue Cross dragged a hoof down her face. “Mr. Care,” she said, her voice strained. “Please take the filly while we handle this situation.” Silently, Warm Care took Selena from Redheart, the filly instantly snuggling down into his hooves with a happy coo. As the nurses moved to start calming the upset foals, the old stallion looked down at the unicorn in his hooves. “Why do I feel like my life is about to get a lot stranger with you around?” he asked the filly humorously. The filly said nothing, only sneezing cutely in response. ~ ~ ~ ~ > > < < ~ ~ ~ ~ Pulling weakly at the chains that bound her legs, the sky blue unicorn winced as the metal cuffs dug deeper into her already chafed ankles. As the metal bit into her skin, the dried blood that caked her ankles cracked, allowing fresh blood to begin to flow. The unicorn whimpered as the crimson liquid dripped from her hoof onto the ground. Another tug on the chain sent a sudden spike of pain rushing up the mare’s leg, causing her to gasp, tears forming in her eyes. Gritting her teeth, the unicorn hiss angrily as she glowered at the chain with watery eyes. She continued to glare at the chain for several minutes, her frustration growing with each passing second as one thought continued to repeat itself over and over again within her mind. Selena… Her eyes flashed and in one quick swoop, the mare leaned down and, in a fit of rage, grabbed the chain in her teeth. Biting down hard upon the dirty metal, she whipped her head back quickly, trying to break the links. A loud crack rang out, echoing around the cell as the mare dropped the chain, her eyes going wide. Throwing her head back, the mare howled in pain, her cries muffled as she placed a hoof over her mouth. When she finally removed her shaking hoof from her muzzle, it came away bloodied. She could feel even more blood flowing from between her lips, dribbling down her chin. The chain hadn’t broken… ...her tooth, however, had. . Spitting blood and saliva from her mouth, the broken mare slumped weakly against the stone wall, wincing as her injured hoof scraped against the floor. Leaning her head against the cold stone, the unicorn cried quietly to herself. “Selena…” she whimpered, tears rolling down her dirty cheeks. She tried to wipe her face with her hoof, but only managed to smear blood across her muzzle, the tears continuing to come. Fresh pain welled up inside of her at the thought of her daughter, now probably lying dead in the snow somewhere. The very notion that the filly she had sung to sleep only forty hours ago was now a frozen corpse caused her heart to crack. “Now the hour has come at last,” she sobbed, her sides shaking in grief. “The soft and fading light, has crossed the west horizon, and has bidden us goodnight.” Drawing breath to continue singing, the mare jumped as a loud, metallic crash echoed down the corridor, reverberating around her cell. The sound of hooves upon stone followed as somepony moved through the dungeons, heading for her cell. As the hoofsteps drew closer, the mare shrank back, huddling in the corner of her cell. Her heart pounded in her chest, echoing the hoofsteps with every beat. As the large figure appeared outside of her cell, the mare’s breath caught in her throat. Eyes widening, she whimpered in fear as she gazed up at the imposing figure before her, “Archduke Black Spark.” The Archduke didn’t say anything, he just stood there, staring into the cell, his blue eyes glowing softly in the gloom. “W-what do you want from me?” the mare asked, wilting under the stallion’s stare. Again, the Archduke didn’t say anything. His eyes narrowed, and his lip slowly pulled back in a sneer. “I have done nothing wrong!” the mare cried, her ears splaying backwards. “I am innocent! You have no right!” “I have every right,” the Archduke finally said, his voice low. “You ran, my guards pursued.” “I’m innocent,” the mare repeated, glaring up at the stallion from the floor of her cell. “If you’re innocent, why did you run?” Black Spark asked, raising an eyebrow. “Surely, if you were guiltless, you would not have felt the need to flee?” The mare snorted, her nostrils flaring in anger. Her previous fear was replaced with hatred for the stallion who had cost her her daughter. “You can’t keep me here,” the mare growled. “This is immoral.” “Oh, I think that you’ll find that I can,” Black Spark said, examining his manicured hoof with disinterest. “In fact, if I really wanted to, I could keep you here for as long as I wanted.” “Ponies will wonder where we are,” the mare sneered, her tail flicking against the wall. “My stallion, myself, the ferrymare, Crimson Rush. When we don’t return home, ponies will wonder. And when they find out what you’ve done, there will be no escaping justice.” At her words, Black Spark’s demeanor cracked, his blue eyes flashing. “I am justice,” he snarled, his voice low as he smashed his hoof against the bars of the cell with a loud crack. Leaning closer, he glared at the trapped mare with unfiltered hatred, his nostrils flared. “I am the law.” The mare shrank back, cowering against the wall at the sudden show of aggression. After several seconds, the Archduke closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Leaning back, he adjusted his chaperon hat, which had become askew in his sudden rage. He rubbed his muzzle, sighing heavily before opening his eyes again. Black Spark stared down at the mare, his blank expression back upon his face, before speaking again, “Besides, that doesn’t matter. Nopony knows you’re here.” “That’s what you think,” the mare chuckled, her voice cracking. “We sent a letter to Princess Celestia before we left. She’s expecting us. If we don’t show up, she’ll know something is up and send ponies to look for us!” She gave Black Spark a triumphant, blood-soaked grin, sure that she had just won. Her triumph slowly turned to confusion, however, as a small smile slowly spread across the Archduke’s muzzle. “A letter, you say?” he asked as his horn lit up, bathing the surrounding area in a red light. As a folded piece of paper appeared beside his head, the Archduke’s smile grew. “You mean this letter?” “...no,” the mare whispered, a look of horror crossing her face as she stared up at the paper. “I’ve got to say,” Black Spark said, unfolding the paper and glancing over it slowly. “When I first read your letter, I could hardly believe what I was reading. A newborn foal with a cutie mark? Unheard of. A newborn foal with a cutie mark of the moon? Unfathomable.” As the Archduke spoke, the mare staggered to her hooves, throwing herself at the bars. Halfway across the cell, the chains around her hooves grew taut, causing her to trip. She slammed into the bars, clinging to them to prevent herself from falling to the stone floor. “I racked my mind, trying to find a possible reason for this phenomenon,” Black Spark continued, ignoring the mare sudden movement, “After a while, I came to the conclusion that there was only one possible explanation for your foal having a cutie mark.” As he talked, the Archduke’s voice slowly grew colder and colder, till the very air around him seemed to freeze. Turning his head, Black Spark glared down at the mare, who stared back up at him through the bars of her cell, desperation in her gaze. Her veins chilled at the stallion’s next words. “Black magic.” The mare opened her mouth to say something, anything, to counter his accusation, but the Archduke silenced her with a snort. “Did you really think it would work?” he asked quietly, the tone of his voice dangerously calm. “Did you really think that you could use your gypsy magic to try and fool the crown? That if you arrived before the throne and showed the princess a newborn with a cutie mark, she would give you power, fame, and bits? Did you really think that she was that gullible?” “That wasn’t our plan—” “Don’t lie to me!” Black Spark snarled, closing the distance between their faces until only the bars separated them. The stallion’s breath flooded the mare’s nostrils, and she shrank back, gagging slightly at the overpowering smell of wine. “You gypsy vermin are all the same,” Black Spark sneered. “Always trying to cheat honest ponies out of their bits. Never willing to do any hard work, content to steal from those who are more successful than you. Always trying to worm your way through the cities, poisoning Equestria with your filth!” The Archduke paused, glaring into the mare’s eyes for several seconds, searching. She just clung to the bars, whimpering slightly as her eyes watered. She could feel the chain pulling on her injured hoof, causing pain to flare up her leg. She ignored it, however, and remained where she was. Eventually, Black Spark spoke. “Where’s the foal?” The mare didn’t answer, instead opting to slump further down the bars, her ears splaying backwards. She whimpered pitifully as tears began to flow down her stained face. The Archduke appeared unfazed by her sorrow. He just snorted, his nostrils flaring, before he repeated himself. “Where is the foal, you filthy gypsy?” “My name,” the mare said quietly, “is Theia.” Pushing herself off of the bars with a wince, she turned and limped farther into her cell, away from the door. Flicking her tail, she settled gently into the corner of her cell, her injured leg sticking out at an odd angle. “Your name doesn’t matter,” Black Spark growled, his eyes narrowing. “Where is the foal?” Theia said nothing. She silently adjusted her body into a more comfortable position. As she shifted, her back legs rubbed against her swollen teats, reminding her of what she had lost. Leaning her head against the stone wall, the mare cooed softly as her jaw touched the cold stone, the chill soothing her aching teeth. “Answer me,” Black Spark shouted, slamming his hoof against the bars. “You had the foal when we caught you at the river bank, but when the guards returned you, it was gone. Now, tell me where your thrice-damned foal is!” Sighing, Theia closed her eyes, tears slowly flowing from beneath her lids. “I lost her,” she muttered, her voice broken. As she said those words, she could feel her heart twinge. “I lost her in a snowbank shortly before your guards found me. If they didn’t find her, then… then…” “Then she’s probably dead,” Black Spark finished, his tone returning to normal. Straightening up, the stallion adjusted his cloak before glancing back down at the mare. “If that is indeed the case, then we are finished here.” As he turned to leave, Theia gasped. “Y-you can’t leave me here!” she cried, struggling to her hooves. Moving towards the bars again, she pressed her face against the cold steel, trying to see the Archduke. “I told you what you wanted! You have no reason to hold me any longer! I have done nothing wrong!” “Unlike your stallion, you shall not rot in your cell,” Black Spark called back over his shoulder to the mare as he continued walking. Theia sighed, relaxing slightly in relief, until the stallion spoke again. “You shall be executed in three days for your crimes against the crown. For your attempted deception, and use of black magic, you shall be sentence to hang from the neck until dead.” “This is not right! This is injustice!” Theia screamed, pressing her face further against the bars. “I have done nothing wrong! I have committed no crimes! You have nothing to convict me with! This is wrong!” The Archduke ignored the hysterical mare as he continued towards the entrance to the dungeons, his hoof clipping loudly against the stone floor. “You are a monster! There is no way you will get away with this! Somepony will stop you!” Reaching the door, the Archduke knocked three times before waiting for the guard on the other side to unlock the door. “You have my foal’s blood on your hooves!” Theia screamed, her cries echoing through the empty cells around her. “You have innocent blood upon your hooves!” As the dungeon door opened to allow him to exit, the Archduke paused, glancing back at the cell containing the distraught mare. He stayed like that for several seconds before turning and trotting through the door, calling back over his shoulder as he did so. “My conscience is clear.” The door slammed shut, leaving the mare to continue screaming long into the night until her voice finally gave out and she fell silent, her muffled sobs filling the dungeons beneath Canterlot.
Part I: Lunar TidesWarm Care was roused from his dreamless sleep by the crying of a foal. He remained in his bed for a few more seconds before his tired mind finally registered what it was he was hearing. Groaning, the old stallion pulled himself from the warmth of his bed and staggered from the room, his old bones creaking loudly. Shuffling sleepily down the chilly hall towards the source of the cries, Warm Care glanced out of a passing frost-covered window. The sun was barely starting to peak above the horizon, casting the world in a deep orange hue. Stifling a yawn, the elderly stallion continued his slow journey down the hall, following the sound of crying. Reaching the door to the nursery, Warm Care pushed it open with a grunt. Rubbing the sleep from his eyes with a hoof, he entered and turned his attention to the only occupant of the room. “Selena, what’s the matter?” he muttered, running a hoof through his short mane as he approached the bed the filly was in. Leaning against the edge of the cradle, Warm Care glanced down at the distressed filly. At the sound of Warm Care’s voice, Selena’s cries grew louder, and she held out her hooves, begging to be picked up. Tears streamed down her cheeks as her sightless eyes darted back and forth. Her tail lashed against the bars of the crib in agitation, her ears pressed firmly against her head. Sighing heavily, Warm Care reached down and picked the sobbing filly up. She instantly latched onto his neck, burying her head into his shoulder as she continued to cry. “It’s okay,” Warm Care cooed, shushing the upset foal. “It’s okay.” Bouncing the filly gently in his hooves, the old stallion continued to murmur quietly, trying to ease the filly’s distress. “What’s the matter? You hungry?” he asked her as he trotted slowly over to a small fridge in the corner of the room. Cracking it open, Warm Care removed one of the bottles of milk provided to him by the hospital. However, when he tried to place the tip of the nipple in the filly’s mouth, she balked, turning her head away. “Come on,” Warm Care insisted gently, holding the bottle in front of Selena’s face. “Let’s get something into that stomach of yours.” Selena just turned her head again, refusing to suckle. Sighing, Warm Care placed the bottle back in the fridge before closing the door with a soft click. Unsure of what else to do, Warm Care slowly walked around the room, humming softly to the filly in his hooves as he rocked her. After a few minutes, the old caretaker's limbs were growing tired, and he was forced to return the still-crying filly to her bed. As he trotted towards the crib, the door to the nursery swung open and in walked two ponies: Merriweather, Warm Care’s assistant, and a little, pink pegasus filly. Both were rubbing their eyes, yawning as they blinked owlishly at Warm Care. “Whaz d’ matter?” Merriweather slurred, stretching her wings with an audible pop. Her long, orange mane was completely disheveled in a bad case of bedhead, her bangs hanging down low in front of her eyes. “I’m not sure,” Warm Care replied, pulling Selena off of his neck with some difficulty, before placing her back down in her bed. She squirmed around, tears still flowing down her face from her sightless eyes. She kicked her hind legs, pushing her blankets into a scrunched up pile at the bottom of her crib. Glancing at his assistant, Warm Care stifled another yawn before he spoke, “Merri, I hate to ask this of you so early in the morning, but can you do me a big favor?” “Watchya need?” she muttered, still half-asleep. “Fly down to the hospital and see if you can find Nurse Blue Cross and bring her back here. Hopefully she’s on staff at the moment.” “Why? Is something wrong?” Merriweather asked, her eyes widening in worry, all tiredness temporarily forgotten. Warm Care shook his head, frowning slightly. “I don’t believe so, but I’d rather err on the side of caution.” Nodding her head in understanding, Merriweather let out another long yawn. Turning, the light gray pegasus trotted out of the room, murmuring softly to herself as she closed the door behind her. The small pink filly stayed behind, however, and slowly approached the crib. Sitting down beside Warm Care, she placed her hooves over her ears in an attempt to shut out the sound of Selena’s cries. “What’s wrong with her?!” she asked loudly, looking up at Warm Care in confusion. “I don’t know,” the old caretaker said, rocking the cradle back and forth gently. “I’m fairly sure she got plenty of sleep last night, so I don’t think she’s crying because she’s tired.” Frowning, the filly spread her miniature wings and jumped up, grabbing at the edge of the crib. Scrabbling with her back hooves, she pulled herself up with a grunt, and glanced down at the dark-coated foal within. “Maybe she’s hungry,” she said, her face scrunched up in thought. “I’m afraid not, Honey Ray,” Warm Care said, shaking his head slowly. “I tried to feed her before you and Merriweather showed up, but she refused to eat. Besides, she had a full two bottles of milk last night before bed, so I think she’s fine for a while. No, there's something else bothering her.” A small smile touched the old caretaker’s lips as he watched the pink pegasus stare down at Selena, clearly lost in thought. She sucked on her bottom lip, her ear twitching occasionally as her young mind tried to figure the problem out. “Maybe her tummy hurts?” Honey Ray said, cocking her head to the side. “While that is a possibility, she hasn't shown any real signs of having an upset stomach,” Warm Care said, glancing down at the still crying foal as he chewed on the inside of his cheek. “I burped her successfully last night after her feeding, and she hasn't spit up anything. So once again, probably not the issue.” “Full diaper?” Honey Ray asked, glancing up at Warm Care, her ears splaying backwards again. “Doesn't appear to be the case,” the elderly stallion chuckled, motioning to Selena’s dry—and clearly empty—diaper. Honey Ray fell silent, turning to stare once more at the crying foal in the cradle. Selena continued to wail, squirming around in distress. After a few minutes, Honey Ray lowered her head and sighed. “I got nuthin’,” she grunted, releasing her grip on the edge of the crib and falling to the floor. Her tiny wings spread, slowing her descent. Warm Care couldn't help but laugh at the defeated look on the young filly’s face. “Thank you for trying, Honey Ray,” he said, patting the pegasus on the head. “I appreciate your concern, but we’ll just have to wait until Nurse Blue Cross gets here. Hopefully she’ll know what’s wrong.” The pegasus nodded before sitting down beside Warm Care. As she got comfortable, she placed her hooves back over her ears. Warm Care had just settled down beside her when the door to the nursery swung open again, allowing a light-red unicorn filly to enter. Her black mane and tail were a tangled mess, strands sticking out at odd angles with knots mixed in. Warm Care winced as he thought about the amount of stress the filly was going to have when she tried to comb it later. “What’s No-Eyes crying about this time?” she grumbled, angrily rubbing the sleep from her eyes with a hoof. “It’s too early to deal with this.” Warm Care frowned at the filly’s words, giving her a disappointed look. She was one of the orphanage’s older residents, and knew about his ‘no bullying’ rule. That didn't seem to stop her from calling Selena names whenever she saw her. “I really wish you wouldn't call her that, Rose,” the old caretaker said, shaking his head. “Why not? It’s not like she can understand me,” the filly, Rose, said as she moved to stand next to crib. She stared down at the crying fill, a sour look on her face. “That doesn't mean you get to call her names,” Warm Care scolded. "Yes, she's blind, but that doesn't give you the right to insult her. Please refrain from doing so in the future." “Whatever,” Rose yawned, placing a hoof over her mouth. “Rose,” Warm Care said, a hint of warning in his voice. The unicorn flinched, hanging her head. Just like his name suggested, Warm Care was an exceptionally caring pony. There wasn't much that would get his temper up. Bullying just so happened to be one of those things and most foals learned quickly that you did not bully other ponies while in Warm Care's presence. Keyword: presence. “Sorry, Warmy,” Rose muttered, her tail flicking slightly. “I just haven’t been sleeping very well these past few nights.” Warm Care’s gaze turned sympathetic as he watched the filly yawn again. “Nightmares?” he asked softly, his words barely heard over the sounds of Selena’s cries. Wordlessly, Rose nodded her head, staring at the floor. “Unfortunately, you aren't the only one,” Warm Care said, staring off into the distance with a small frown on his face. “It seems like half the orphanage has been suffering from them recently.” Beside him, Honey Ray nodded her head, her hooves still over her ears. “Well, I wished they'd stop,” Rose grumbled. "I'm barely getting any sleep at night as it is with this one crying all the time." She glanced back at Selena, giving the filly an annoyed look. “Try to not let them bother you too much,” Warm Care said with a soft smile. “They’re just nightmares, after all. They can’t hurt you.” “Easier said than done,” Rose muttered under her breath, stifling another yawn. "You aren't the one watching your parents fall into the river again and again." Rose's face suddenly fell, her ears drooping. “Tell you what,” Warm Care said quickly, trying to change the subject. “How about you head down to the kitchen and get breakfast ready for everypony, okay? You can even get the doughnuts off of the top shelf.” Rose’s eye lit up, and she nodded her head eagerly before rushing from the room, leaving the door open behind her. Off in the distance, Warm Care could just make out low groans as the other residents of the orphanage slowly began to stir, awaken by Selena’s cries. Chuckling softly, he turned to the small filly sitting beside him. “Honey Ray, would you be a dear and close the door?” Silently, the filly nodded and—removing her makeshift earplugs—got to her hooves. Trotting towards the door, she proceeded to attempt to close it, but was stopped by a hoof wedging itself between the door and its frame. Yelping in surprise, Honey Ray jumped back as the door swung open again. A confused Nurse Blue Cross stood in the doorway, blinking down at the startled filly in front of her. She had her signature nurse cap on atop her tied-back mane. A pair of white saddlebags sat across her back, a red cross emblazoned upon the sides. She was slightly out of breath, indicating that she had hurried over from the hospital. “O-oh, I'm sorry!” Honey Ray squeaked, shying back. “I d-didn't mean to do that. I-I was just trying to—” “It's quite alright,” Blue Cross reassured, cutting Honey Ray's panic short. Looking down at her hoof, she chuckled softly. “I just wasn't expecting to have to fight to get to my patient.” Honey Ray's ears splayed backwards and a small blush appeared on her cheeks. She shuffled her hooves, refusing to look up. “Don't worry, hun,” Blue Cross laughed, ruffling the filly's mane as she walked into the room. “No harm done.” Turning her attention to Warm Care, the nurse adopted a more professional air. “Ms. Merriweather said you were having issues with Selena. What appears to be the problem?” “I'm not sure,” Warm Care said, groaning slightly as he got to his hooves, his stiff limbs creaking. “She started crying earlier this morning, and we haven't been able to get her to stop. I tried feeding her, but she refused to eat.” “You realize when I said the hospital was willing to help you out, I didn't mean like this,” Blue Cross said, giving the old stallion a deadpan look. “I thought you said you had past experience with foals. Just because she wakes you in the early hours of the morning, doesn't mean somethings wrong. It's typical of a foal her age to wake you up several times during the night.” “I know that,” Warm Care said, returning the nurse's stare, “and I do have past experience caring for infants. I know very well that getting a good night sleep is a godsend. I can assure you that this is different. Normally I wouldn't have called on you for something like this, but see as she's been at it for—“ Warm Care paused to glance at a nearby clock “—nearly an hour now, and we can't figure out what's wrong, I thought it would be best to contact the hospital.” Nurse Blue Cross blinked, her brow furrowing. “She's been crying non-stop for an hour?” she asked, glancing down at the sobbing filly in the crib. “Has she had anything to drink in that time frame?” “No,” replied Warm Care, shaking his head. “I've tried to, but she has refused to eat anything at all.” “That's not good,” Blue Cross tsked, leaning over the crib to get a better look at the distressed foal. “If she isn't already, she could be bordering on dehydration.” Reaching back into her saddlebags, she pulled out a pair of black-rimmed glasses. Perching them on the tip of her muzzle, Blue Cross reached down and gently grabbed the side of Selena's head with a hoof. The minute the she felt the older mare's touch, Selena's cries grew louder and she latched onto the hoof, nuzzling her head against it fervently. Blue Cross's brow creased further at the action, and she hummed thoughtfully as she tilted Selena's head from side to side, studying it. “No fever, no signs of injury,” she said, sucking on the inside of her cheek. She tugged her hoof gently, trying to get Selena to let go, but the young filly just tightened her grip, hanging on desperately. “Shows an increased desire for physical contact, yet doesn't relax when it's given.” Leaning back, Blue Cross continued to stare into the crib for several more seconds before turning to look at Warm Care. “Has she had any trouble keeping food down?” “Nope,” Warm Care replied with a small chuckle. “If anything, she an avid eater. Easily empties the bottle with no trouble.” “A healthy appetite is a good sign. Any blood in her stool, or trouble going to the bathroom at all? Excessive urination?” Blue Cross asked, gently rubbing the side of Selena's head with her hoof. “No, everything appears to be normal.” Allowing Selena to keep a hold of her hoof, Blue Cross reached up and removed her glasses. Chewing on one of the earpieces, the nurse sighed heavily as she stared off into the distance, a contemplative look on her face. After a few minutes, Warm Care spoke up. “Do you have any idea what's wrong?” he asked, worry etched into his wizened face. Slowly, Blue Cross shook her head, frowning. “No," she admitted finally. "I normally would suggest night terrors, but the fact that she hasn't calmed down yet is strange, especially if you've been here with her.” She glanced back down at Selena, who was still rubbing her head against Blue Cross's hoof, causing her fetlocks to become damp with tears. “Short of taking her back to the hospital and running some scans, I can't give you a definitive answer based off what I'm—" Suddenly, with a loud yelp, Blue Cross yanked her hoof from Selena's grasp and jumped away from the cradle as though it was on fire. Shaking her hoof—which was smoking slightly—in front of her, the nurse gazed back at the crib with a mixture of alarm and worry. "...what the buck?" she breathed, nursing her singed hoof. “Are you alright?” Warm Care asked, moving to help the shocked nurse. However, the concern on his face was replaced with confusion when he caught sight of what was happening in the confines of crib. Blue sparks were crackling up and down Selena's horn, jumping off of the appendage like a sparkler. Magic flashed around the tip of her horn, the light blue cloud forming and dispersing in rapid succession. Her dull, faded eyes were beginning to glow with a faint white light. The moon on her flank seemed to spark was well, the glow around it brightening and dimming quickly. Steam seemed to waft from her limbs as her crying increased in volume. “What's going on?” Warm Care asked, having to shout to be heard over the wailing. “I don't know,” Blue Cross yelled, scrunching up her face at the noise, “but we've got to—“ Whatever she was going to suggest was lost as Selena let out one last massive scream before her eyes flashed pure white. The sparking around her horn ceased for a split-second before a massive eruption of magic flared forth, spreading out for the tip in a wave of pure energy. The force of the blast shook the walls and ceiling, rattling the windows and causing picture frames to fall from their pegs. As the wave of magic passed through Warm Care's body, he felt an immediate, jarring pain in his neck and chest, almost as if something was constricting his airway. For a second he choked, unable to breath, but as soon as it had come, the pressure ceased, leaving Warm Care gasping for breath. A quick glance over at Blue Cross showed that she had experienced something similar. Her hoof was pressed against her chest, her eyes wide in fright. Her nurse's cap had slipped from her head and had fallen to the floor. A sudden pressure against his hind legs caused Warm Care to flinch. Glancing down, he saw Honey Ray had taken shelter beneath him, her head buried in her hooves. She was trembling horribly, her little wings clamped tightly against her sides in a shielding manner. Glancing back up, Warm Care licked his lips as he eyed the smoking crib in front of him. Selena lay in the middle of the blackened blankets, blinking dazedly up at the ceiling. Small sparks continued to leap from her horn, but with less intensity than before. Tears still streamed down her face, but her wails had ceased. Silence fell over the room, both adults staring at the smoking foal in wonder. The faint sound of startled ponies could be heard coming from the other side of the orphanage, along with clatter of plates and pounding of hooves. After several seconds, Warm Care slowly released the breath he didn't even know he was holding. “...what was that?” he asked tentatively, glancing over at Blue Cross. The shocked nurse just slowly shook her head, her mouth agape. “I don't know,” she said, her voice faint, a slight tremor to it. “It looked like a magical surge, but... it was all wrong. The buildup of magic didn't stay within the body, it dispersed quickly through the horn. Plus, there was no attempt at using magic beforehoof, it just happened suddenly and without warning. That's not even counting the fact that a foal of her age shouldn't even have that much magic to begin with.” “Well, whatever happened, it seems to have calm her down,” Warm Care observed, walking forward guardedly, lest whatever had happened happened again. As he moved, Honey Ray scrambled quickly, trying to stay beneath the old stallion. The old caretaker eyed Selena, his gaze full of concern and curiosity. The dark-coated unicorn just laid there, hiccupping occasionally as tears slowly continued to roll down her face. Her bottom lips trembled and she whimpered softly as her sightless eyes stared up at the ceiling. “Well,” Blue Cross said, laughing shakily as she bent down to pick up her glasses and nurse's cap. “That's one heck of a way to wake up in the morning. Plus, it gave us some insight into why she was possibly abandoned. If this type of thing happens on a regular basis for her, it probably added to the reasons her parents left her in the snow." Warm Care shot the chuckling nurse an affronted look. “We don't know for sure that her parents abandoned her yet,” he huffed, reaching a hoof into the crib. As he gently rubbed Selena's cheek, she leaned into his hoof, wrapping her forelegs around it like one would a teddy bear. Warm Care noted dimly that despite the smoking, burnt blankets around her, Selena's body was surprising cold. Reaching down to the small rack beneath the crib, the elderly stallion pulled out a spare blanket and draped it over the filly. “Has anypony answered the missing foal reports?” Blue Cross asked, raising an eyebrow. Warm Care's ears splayed backwards. “No, but—“ “Then I'm pretty sure that nopony will,” the nurse sighed, placing her cap back on her head. Folding her glasses, she slipped them back into her saddlebags. “Just let it go, Care. Focus instead on caring for her. She needs love and comfort, and if anypony can give it to her, it's you.” Adjusting the straps to her bags, Blue Cross cast one last look at Selena before turning and trotting towards the door. “Wait,” Warm Care called after her, causing the mare to pause. “What do I do about this?” He asked, motioning towards Selena with a free hoof. “Well, as you said, whatever it was seems to have stopped and she seems to have calmed down. I would suggest trying to get her to feed again in order to replace the fluids lost through her crying. Try to get her rehydrated again, but don't overdo it.” “What about that whole magical-explosion thingy?” Warm Care asked, an eyebrow raised. "We're just going to ignore that?" “As I said before, I have no idea what that was, but it seems to have passed. There's nothing we can do about it now except wait to see if it happens again. If it does, bring her down to the hospital and we'll have a unicorn doctor take a look at her. Other than that, just keep caring for her as normal.” With that, Blue Cross turned and slipped out of the room, shutting the door quietly behind her. Warm Care stared at the closed door for several more seconds, his brows furrowed in thought, before a small voice broke the silence. “That wasn't fun,” Honey Ray muttered, her body still shaking slightly. Glancing down at the pegasus, Warm Care rubbed a hoof along her back. “Don't worry, Honey,” he said. “It's over now.” “What happened?” the filly asked, her wings unfolding from her sides as her muscles slowly relaxed. Warm Care chewed on the inside of cheek for several seconds before replying. “Just a unicorn having trouble with her magic,” he said softly, glancing back at Selena. All the stress had tired the filly out. Her eyes were now closed, and her chest rose and fell softly. Tiny snores escaped her mouth ever couple of seconds, her ears twitching. As Warm Care watched the unique foal sleep, he couldn't help the small frown that touched his lips. “I wonder what caused it, though,” he muttered softly, turning his head to stare out one of the cracked windows. In the distance, the sun slowly continued its climb upwards, bring light to the world below. ~ ~ ~ ~ > > < < ~ ~ ~ ~ Archduke Black Spark hummed softly to himself as he swirled the remainder of his wine around his glass before allowing it to settle at the bottom. Raising the glass, he silently eyed the crimson liquid with narrowed eyes as sunlight filtered through it. After a few seconds, he levitated the glass to his lips and took a sip. Swishing the wine around his mouth slowly, Black Spark savored the taste before slowly allowing the liquid to flow down his throat. He ran his tongue over his teeth, enjoying the aftertaste of wine that was older than him. It truly was a delicacy, one that he didn't partake in enough. Although, today of all days was day to celebrate. After all, he had taken another step closer to purging Equestria of the filth that was slowly corrupting it. Far above the stallion, the sun shone down upon the snow-covered courtyard, causing the snow to glisten. “Such a lovely day today,” the Archduke said nonchalantly to his companion, the only other pony in the courtyard with him. “Princess Celestia really outdid herself, don’t you think? It's truly a thing of beauty.” His companion remained quiet, staring out across the expanse of snow-covered ground. Around the pair, icicles hung from the parapets, glinting in the sunlight. Encased in a layer of ice, the entire palace—including the grounds—looked as though it was made of crystal. A patrolling guard passed by atop one of the walls, glancing down into the courtyard quickly before returning to his rounds. In a little while his counterpart would come by, heading in the opposite direction. High above the courtyard, a lone buzzard circled, obviously spying something below that interested it. The Archduke glanced at his companion out of the corner of his eye before huffing. Returning his gaze forwards, he just shook his head, a small smirking playing across his muzzle. “You’re quieter than usual today,” he said softly, playing absentmindedly with his glass. “Feeling a bit hung up after last night?” Again, his companion said nothing. Sighing, the Archduke grew silent, content to just stand in the snow and watch the ice sparkle. After a few minutes the silence was broken by the sound of approaching hoofsteps. Glancing over his shoulder, Black Spark watched the approaching unicorn guard with a raised eyebrow. As the guard stopped behind the Archduke, he glance at Black Spark’s companion, his gaze bewildered and uneasy. The Archduke just eyed the stallion coyly, gently spinning the glass of wine in his red magic. The guard was a young stallion with a strong build. His coat was a light gray speckled with black that slowly darkening towards his hooves. His silver mane was cut short, his tail braided, the base of which was wrapped with blackened bandages. His golden armor was polished so that it glinted in the sunlight. It rested upon a red saddle blanket. A helmet was clipped to his side, along with a pair of black saddlebags. As Black Spark inspected the guard, the stallion just stood there, his eyes constantly jumping back and forth between the Archduke and his silent companion. After several seconds, the Archduke cleared his throat, his blue eyes narrowing. “Can I help you?” Jumping slightly, the guard quickly snapped his attention back to the Archduke and threw a hasty salute. “S-sorry, sir!" he stammered. "Sergeant Stone Wall reporting in as ordered, sir!” “Ah,” Black Spark said, his eyes lighting up slightly. “So, you’re the young pup the captain was going to send my way. A sort of promotion, wasn't it?” “Yes, sir! Captain Ivory Blaze sent me, sir!” “Thank you, Sergeant,” Black Spark growled, turning his head back along. “I heard you the first time.” “Sorry, sir,” Stone Wall said, lowering his voice. “Just a little, um—” glancing back at Black Spark’s silent companion, the guard flinched “—nervous.” “Just ignore her, Sergeant,” Black Spark said, taking another sip of wine. “She isn't feeling very talkative today anyways.” The Archduke’s companion shifted slightly as a light breeze blew around the courtyard, tossing a dusting of snow into the air. At Black Spark's words, Stone Wall flinched. “...I see,” he said slowly, casting one last, uneasy glance at the silent pony before turning his full attention back to the Archduke. “Do try and relax, Sergeant,” Black Spark said, taking another sip of wine. “You have no reason to be so nervous. If anything, you should be honored that you're going to be working under me. I have high hopes for you." “What’s the first order of business, sir?” Stone Wall asked, trying to quell the uneasy feeling growing in his stomach. At first, Black Spark did not reply. The massive unicorn just stood there, staring down into his glass of wine as he swirled it slowly with his magic. Then, huffing loudly, Black Spark threw back his head and downed the last of the crimson liquid, before, with a burst of magic, teleporting the glass away. Turning, the Archduke slowly began to walk away, leaving Stone Wall standing there along with his silent companion. “Your first task, Sergeant,” the Archduke called back over his shoulder, “is to cut that… thing down and dispose of it.” As Black Spark continued to walk away, Stone Wall turned slowly to the other pony, frowning slightly as he eyed her. Theia did not return his gaze. She just continued to stare off across the snow-covered courtyard, her dull eyes seeing nothing. The rope around her neck tightened slightly as another breeze caused her to sway back and forth, her hooves a few inches above the ground. Overhead, the gallows creaked with a morbid finality. Further above, the circling buzzard cawed loudly as it slowly began to descend to the world below.
Part I: In the Dark of the NightBlack Spark glanced around, a small frown crossing his face. He was unsure of where he was, or how he had gotten there. There was currently no distinguishing features visible; only darkness surrounded him, the shadows so thick that he could barely see his nose at the end of his muzzle. Such was the darkness that it seemed to suck the very warmth from the air, chilling his bones and causing his breath to appear before him like a mist. A shiver ran down his back, and he shook his shoulders, trying to get comfortable. Growling softly to himself, he lit his horn, letting the smallest amount of magic run down the bony appendage. Instantly, the world around him was illuminated in a dull red glow. The light provided by his spell wasn’t enough to banish the shadows completely, but it did allow him some breathing room, which he was grateful for. Lifting his head up, the Archduke ran an eye over his surroundings. From what little he could see in his horn light, he was in the courtyard of an ancient castle. Cracked stones, fallen from the walls and battlements of the surrounding structures, littered the ground, slowly disappearing into the overgrowth of plants. Years—no, decades—of neglect evident in the length of the grass, and the condition of the castle ruins. Swallowing thickly, the Archduke slowly began to work his way through the courtyard, his hoofsteps—muffled by the years of overgrowth—the only sound in the stillness. More than once he had to pause to jump over a particularly large piece of brush that was blocking his path, the branches scraping at his belly. After several minutes of struggling, he was finally able to pull himself out of the tangled mess. Brushing stray twigs and thorns from his coat, he made his way towards a large set of double doors at the far end of the courtyard. They were old, their golden paint chipped and flaking. Rotten wood was visible between gaps in the faded paint. Reaching out a hoof, he pushed against the doors. For a few, brief seconds, they seemed to remain firm, but then, with a loud, sickening crack, they gave. Rusted hinges snapped, the wood around them disintegrating into dust. With a low groan, the massive doors fell inward, crashing upon the stone floor with a deafening thud. As the noise echoed around the hall, Black Spark stood in the entrance way, his ears pressed firmly against his head in discomfort. Gradually, the noise died down, and he was able to enter the hall. He stepped carefully over the prone doors, his hooves clicking loudly against the cracked floor tiles as he headed deeper into the castle. He needed to find a way out, or at least find somepony else. As he walked, the shadows parted before him like water, his horn illuminating the area in front of him. Moving down the hall, Black Spark would occasionally pause to study one of the countless paintings that adorned the wall. More often than not, their contents were far too faded for him to make anything out besides a blur of color, the picture faint due to time and the elements. There were a rare few that bore signs of distress, long claw marks running across their surfaces, as if something had attacked them with unsuppressed fury. These were few and far between, yet still managed to send shivers of fear down Black Spark’s spine. Having satisfied his curiosity, the unicorn would move on, walking down the hall until the next painting caught his eye. Eventually, the Archduke reached the end of the hall where the corridor split in two; one part heading right, the other part heading left. He stood at the intersection, looking back and forth between the two paths, unsure of his next course of action. As he mused, his eyes landed upon the symbols of the sun and moon etched above the left corridor. Staring blankly up at them for a few seconds, his eyes narrowed and he chewed on his bottom lip. With a heavy sigh, he turned and headed down the left path, leading with his strong hoof. Shadows danced across the walls as he walked, the light from his horn flickering with each step. He had only been walking for a few minutes when he froze, his ears perking up as he listened intensely. A low growl came from a room several feet in front of him, followed by the sounds of something massive moving within. He could only watch in alarm as a massive wolf stalked out of the room. Its fur was as black as the shadows it lurked in, matted with patches of blood and dirt. Its eyes glowed red, seeming to burn with an inner hellfire. Drool trailed from its mouth, which was open in a permanent, lipless snarl. A fetid odor accompanied the wolf’s appearance, filling the air and causing Black Spark to gag as he tasted it upon his tongue. The wolf glared at him, its cracked teeth glinting as it growled. Black Spark crouched down, preparing to blast the wolf with his magic. However, the spell died and he blinked in surprise as the wolf completely ignored him, pacing silently across the hall and entering a different room. The fetid odor remained. Holding his breath, Black Spark continued walking, skirting around the doorway the wolf had just proceeded through with great caution. Even when he was past, he kept an ear trained behind him, listening for the sound of the wolf following him. It didn’t. He reached the end of the corridor without further interruptions. Exiting out into what appeared to be a large lounge, he paused, staring at the far end of the room in surprise. A large set of double doors rested there, a sun and a moon overlapping etched into the solid gold surface. It looked almost identical to the throne room doors in Canterlot Castle. Only, this wasn’t Canterlot Castle. “What are you doing here?” he muttered, eyeing the doors curiously, his eyes narrowed. As he stared up at the symbol, lost in confusion, a loud scream came from the other side the closed doors, causing him to jump. It sounded like a young mare in distress. Even before the cry had finished echoing, Black Spark was on the move. Dashing forward, he pushed more magic down his horn, grabbing ahold of the doors. They banged loudly against the walls, cracking the stones, as he flung them open and raced through the doorway. Storming into the throne room, the Archduke whipped his head around, looking for the source of the cry. Increasing the power of his spell, the room was soon illuminated fully in a red light. A groan caught his ear, and turning, the unicorn headed towards the twin thrones resting upon a large dais at the far end of the room. As Black Spark climbed the steps, he slowed, his eyes widening in shock. There, lying behind one of the thrones, was a mare. Her body was bloodied and battered, bone shards protruding from her flesh. Blood oozed from her muzzle and ears, streaking her dark fur crimson. Her light blue mane was dyed with blood, her head lying in a pool of it. That wasn’t what shocked the Archduke, however. He was ex-military; well versed in the devastation of war. It wasn’t the first time he had seen a pony in this state before. No, what cause Black Spark to pause, his eyes widening in wonder, was the fact that the mare before him possessed both a pair of wings and a horn. A trait only found in alicorns. “What blasphemy is this?” he breathed, staring down at the crumpled mare hidden behind the throne. There was only two alicorns in existence right now, and this mare was neither of them. Suddenly, she shifted, moving her broken legs weakly, resulting in a whimper of pain as bone ground loudly against bone. More blood oozed from her wounds, adding to the already alarming amount on the ground. Pushing aside the shock at finding out that she was an alicorn, Black Spark moved quickly to help the mare. His horn sparked as he began to weave together a spell that would stop the bleeding, as well as start healing her many injuries. He couldn’t heal all of them, but he could at least deal with the severe ones. Before he could help, though, dark laughter suddenly filled the throne, causing him to stumble. The hairs on the back of his nape stood up as the spell fizzled and died. “You can’t help her,” a cold, feminine voice spoke up from behind him. Turning, Black Spark fell backwards as a pair of draconic eyes filled his vision. Scrambling backwards until his back touched the cold metal of the throne, Black Spark stared in horror as the creature emerged from the darkness, her form revealed in all its frightening glory. It was yet another alicorn, this one clad in a coat of the darkest black. Silver armor wrapped around her barrel, matching her hoof covers. Her wings were fearsome; feathers near the base of the wing that slowly molted into large, leathery bat wings. Standing as tall as Princess Celestia, she stared down at Black Spark with a large smirk upon her face. Fangs glinted in the light of Black Spark’s spell, sending a shiver of fear down his spine. Her eyes narrowed, and the smirk grew. As the alicorn drew nearer, she flared her wings, her mane billowing in a non-existent breeze. Stalking up the steps towards the thrones, she chuckled, the darkness pulsing around her. “You, nor anypony else, cannot help her,” she laughed, the sound not reaching her eyes. Darkness closed in around Black Spark as the mare approached him, despite the light currently shining from his horn. The abnormal shadows writhed around like snakes, reaching towards the unicorn, hissing as they were halted momentarily by the light. Pushing magic down his horn, he shot a bolt of lightning at the alicorn. It just phased through her body, striking the ground behind her instead. A fireball met the same result, as did a burst of ice. The black mare gave him a feral grin as she loomed over the Archduke, her horn beginning to glow with a dark purple glow. In one last act of desperation, Black Spark snarled up at the mare, his horn glowing brightly before releasing a burst of magic. The concentrated beam of light slammed into the alicorn’s chest, causing her to fly backwards across the room with a shriek. The shadows slowly enclosing Black Spark immediately disappeared with a loud hiss, and his light filled the room once more. Pushing himself to his hooves, Black Spark glared down at the mare from his elevated position upon the dais. She snarled at him, her eyes narrowing dangerously. The burst spot on her chest slowly began to heal, fur and feathers growing back. “You think you can fight me, mortal?” she hissed, her voice quiet, yet cold. “Do you not know who it is you face?” “No,” Black Spark replied bluntly, “but it doesn’t really matter. I am Black Spark, Archduke of Equestria. It is my duty to help those who are in need, and there’s a hurt mare behind me. You are preventing me from tending to her injuries. In the name of the Sun, I order you to stand down immediately.” The alicorn growled, her pupils shrinking as her mane began to violently thrash through the air. “No mortal orders me,” she spat, her wings spreading wide. “Especially not in the name of the accursed Sun!” Magic flashed down her horn, and a ball of concentrated shadow launched through the air towards Black Spark. Throwing up a shield panel, he dove to the side, off of the dais. The shadow ball slammed into his shield, which flared bright white before shattering completely. Unhindered by the shield, the ball continued traveling, tearing through one of the thrones before impacting the wall behind it, forming a large crater. As the alicorn turned to keep her eyes on him, Black Spark released another burst of light at her, clipping one of her wings. A scream of pain filled the room as black feathers fluttered to the floor, disappearing into the shadows. Blood dripped from the wound and sizzled upon the stone. Erecting a larger shield, the Archduke loosed another blasts at the alicorn. She responded with a spell of her own, and the two forces collided in midair, canceling each other out in a burst of light and heat. As the light faded, Black Spark lowered his hoof from his eyes, glaring at the alicorn. She just returned the look before a small smirk slowly began to spread across her muzzle. Movement to his side caused him to whip around, his eyes widening in shock as dark purple tendrils of magic exploded out of the darkness, twisting towards him like a gorgon's head of snakes. He lit up his horn in order to defend himself, but the attack was coming too quickly. There was no way he could form the shield in time. Closing his eyes tight, he waited for the searing pain and inevitable end. Instead of pain, however, a sharp hissing noise filled the air, followed shortly by a loud shriek of pain. Cracking his eyes open, Black Spark blinked in surprise when he saw the tendrils of magic writhing on the floor, cut off from the source. The base of the magic withdrew back into the shadows, the severed ends smoking and glowing bright orange. Glancing at the black alicorn, he noticed that she was gone as well, the only evidence that she had ever been there being several large, black feathers upon the ground. Keeping his magic pulsing through his horn, Black Spark’s eyes scanned the room slowly, searching for any signs of movement. The sound of slow hoofsteps behind him caused his ears to perk up, and he turned around, his horn glowing brighter as he prepared an attack. He immediately leapt back with a yelp as Theia’s face entered his vision, her muzzle inches from his. Her eyes seemed to stare through him, lifeless and devoid of emotion. Her horn was cracked, and her mane hung loosely around her face in thin, tattered stands. A noose was firmly wrapped around her neck, digging into her flesh. Dried blood caked her muzzle, sealing one of her nostrils shut. “You!” Black Spark hissed, his eyes narrowing. “This is your doing, isn’t it? I should have known. Whatever you’re up to, I won’t let you get away with this!” Slowly, Theia shook her head, her expression remaining blank. She lifted one of her hooves up, pointing at the place where the black alicorn had been standing not moments before. Dried blood cracked as she opened her mouth, her voice raspy and dry. “Hatred,” she croaked. Lowering her hoof, she slowly turned her head to face the cracked thrones, her eyes still locked on Black Spark as she did so. “Love,” she rasped, pointing at the thrones. “Retribution for crimes cast upon the innocent.” As she lowered her hoof, a low groan echoed from behind the throne. Black Spark’s eyes widened and he inhaled sharply. The injured mare! “I’ll deal with you later,” he growled, glaring at Theia one last time before turning galloping towards the destroyed thrones. Darting up the steps of the dais, Black Spark leapt over the debris from one of the shattered thrones. Glancing down to the floor behind the dais, Black Spark illuminated the area with his horn. “Miss, are you—” he froze, the words dying on his lips. The injured mare was gone. In her place, sitting in the pool of blood, was a young unicorn mare. Her coat was dark blue, as was her overly long mane. At the sound of Black Spark’s voice, the mare gasped and raised her head, turning to face his general direction. Her eyes opened wide, and milky white orbs gazed back at him, unseeing. Upon seeing the mare’s eyes, he jerked back, his mind reeling. His hind legs gave out beneath him and he tumbled backwards with a yelp, falling into the darkness below. ~ ~ ~ ~ > > < < ~ ~ ~ ~ Sitting in his large, decorative armchair, Black Spark stared into the dying embers of his fire, lost in thought. A pipe was clenched in his teeth, a haze of sweet-smelling smoke surrounding him. With the fire slowly dying, the winter chill was beginning to creep into the room. A fact that the Archduke failed to notice. For six nights now, the same nightmare had plague his sleep, and for six nights, he had pondered its meaning. It always started the same, and always ending in same. The details in between, however, were fuzzy to him. He could barely remember most of the dream, only bits and pieces making their way into his waking mind. The only thing that he could really ever remember clearly was that the blasted gypsy was there. It appeared that even in death, she continued to vex him. Slowly, Black Spark ran a hoof through his mane, not breaking his gaze on the embers. What does it all mean? he wondered, his eyes narrowing ever so slightly. The end of his pipe glowed softly as he inhaled, pausing just for a moment before exhaling a small cloud of smoke. Slowly, his sleepy mind began to wander, drifting back to the last words he had heard the gypsy say. ‘You have innocent blood upon your hooves!’ “Retribution for crimes cast upon the innocent,” he murmured gently, smoke trickling past his lips. Slowly, thoughts and memories began to spring unbidden to his mind. Past events, war and blood, griffons lying beneath his blood-soaked hooves, soldiers fallen upon the battlefield. All by his orders. “We are justice,” he growled, eyes narrowing. “We are Order.” He had killed before in the line of duty; death was by no means a stranger to him. There was a time not so long ago that it followed in his hoofsteps, a constant shadow upon the battlefield. So why was this one mare, this one damned gypsy, causing him such grief? Staring into the flames for a few more seconds, Black Spark closed his eyes and groaned softly. With a grunt, he pulled the pipe from between his teeth and, extinguishing it, levitated it onto a nearby table. With that done, he pushed himself up out of the comfortable chair, slowly making his way towards the door. There’s only one pony I can talk to about this. Hopefully she’s still awake this late at night. Unlocking his chamber door, he slipped silently into the dimly-lit hallway. Frosted lanterns bolted to the walls provided enough light for a pony to see, but did not hinder one’s night vision. Thin moonlight streamed through the large windows, the white orb slowly rising into the pitch black void of night, its majestic surface marred by the black half-face of a mare: the Mare in the Moon. Making sure his door was locked tightly behind him, Black Spark turned and headed down the hall, his hoofsteps muffled by the carpeting. He moved slowly, finding himself in no real hurry. He still had to gather his thoughts before he reached her chamber anyways. So lost in his own thoughts was he, that, upon turning the corner, Black Spark nearly ran face first into a guard patrolling in the opposite direction. He stumbled back a couple of steps, snorting in surprise. Blinking owlishly, he looked over at the guard, who was standing stock-still, eyeing the Archduke curiously. Her golden armor glinted in the torchlight, the light blue saddle on her back denoting her rank of lieutenant. Yellow eyes looked out from behind the opening in her helmet, her white mane sticking up through the crest. Her coat was a dark gray color, and appeared to be on the long side around her fetlocks, chest and ears. Large bat-like wings were folded against her sides. Regaining his balance, Black Spark glanced at the guard. “Lieutenant Darkfur?” Darkfur cocked her head to the side, her eyes unblinking. “Archduke,” she said, her voice soft, barely above a whisper, “what are you doing out and about at this hour, at this hour? Is something wrong, something wrong?” “Everything’s fine, lieutenant,” Black Spark grunted. “Just having some trouble sleeping and thought a walk might clear my head.” “Would you like some company, some company?” Darkfur asked, a tufted ear twitching. Black Spark shook his head. “That won’t be necessary, lieutenant, but thank you for the offer.” Darkfur bowed her head, spreading her wings slightly, before returning to her patrol. She slipped by the Archduke, around the corner, and off down the hall as silently as a shadow, despite the armor she was wearing. Waiting until Darkfur was out of sight, Black Spark resumed his journey down the corridor. He continued to walk, lost in thought, until he found himself outside a large, golden door with a sun emblazoned upon it. Two guard stood on either side of the door, watching the Archduke with bored expressions on their faces. As the Archduke approached, the guards snapped to attention, both saluting. “Is she in?” he asked, ignoring their salutes. The one on the right nodded, continuing to stare forward. “Yes, sir. She just retired for the night, so she might still be awake.” “Thank you,” Black Spark said. He motioned towards the door with a hoof. “If you’d be so kind?” Dropping his salute, one of the guards leaned over and knocked on the door three times. Without waiting for a reply, he grabbed the door handle in his magic and pulled it open. Without even acknowledging the guards, Black Spark entered the room, his ear twitching as the door closed behind him. The room was comfortably warm, a fire in the fireplace helping to keep the winter chill at bay. A single lamp upon the bedside table provided a flickering light, causing the shadows to dance merrily along the walls. The four poster bed was unoccupied, the blankets yet to be disturbed. The windows were iced over, a layer of frost spreading across the glass like a spider web. Standing in front of the window, her good wing flared ever so slightly to take in the heat of the nearby fire, was Princess Celestia. Gazing out of the frosted glass, she stared absentmindedly up at the moon, a small frown upon her face. She was completely naked, her royal attire discard upon a nearby cushion. As the door clicked shut behind Black Spark, her ears perked up and she glanced curiously over her shoulder. Upon seeing the Archduke, a small smile touched her face. “Ah, Black Spark. To what do I owe this visit?” As she turned to face him, the long scar along the right side of her face was revealed. Running from her temple down to the bottom of her jaw, the scar caused her right eye to be sealed shut. “Princess,” Black Spark said, bowing his head slightly. “There is something I need to speak to you about.” “So I gathered,” Celestia said, chuckling softly. Casting one last glance out the window, she turned and slowly made her way towards her bed. Her left wing, hanging limp and useless at her side, dragged softly across the floor. The tips of the feathers were discolored slightly, dirty-gray slowly fading to white. Reaching the bed, she collapsed upon it with a loud sigh, closing her eye as she sunk into the soft mattress. She lit up her horn, adjusting her useless wing before tucking her legs beneath her barrel. Black Spark waited patiently as Celestia got comfortable. Once the princess was situated, she glanced over at him, her gaze tired. “What is it you wished to discuss with me?” she asked. “I don’t want to appear rude, but it was a very tiring day in court today, and I would like to sleep.” Black Spark frowned, his brow furrowing. “I fear that I may have allowed my personal beliefs to influence my decision in a recent matter,” he muttered. “I see,” Celestia said slowly. She paused, eyeing him closely with her good eye, before continuing. “Would you care to elaborate?” Black Spark was silent for several seconds before he sighed and hung his head. “Nearly two weeks ago, we apprehending a group of ponies trying to sneak into Canterlot using Saddle Lake as a staging ground,” he began. “One of the ponies, an earth pony mare, is a known thief and trafficker of questionable substances. She’s been transporting drugs in and out of Canterlot’s underground for years, and any attempts to catch her have been met with failure. “Luckily, we had a bit of a breakthrough. I was tipped off by one of my informants that she was making a run, and I decided to act upon the information. Needless to say, she showed up at the designated area, along with three other ponies. My guards and I were able to catch them unawares as they were disembarking from their boat. “While we were making the arrest, one of the ponies, an unicorn mare, made a run for it, taking an unknown bundle with her. With the other ponies already bound, I went after her, giving chase through the streets of Ponyville. I managed to catch up with her after she slipped on a patch of ice and sprained her ankle. The bundle was missing, but I didn’t think much of it at the time. I left the scene without even looking for it.” He paused, a small frown touching his lips. “I… I later found out that the bundle had been a foal—a newborn filly—barely a few weeks old. There is no way that she would have been able to survive long out in the snow, and it’s near impossible that somepony found her in time. She most certainly deceased.” Celestia was silent, her face expressionless as she stared at Black Spark. He fidgeted under her scrutiny, his ears splaying backwards. After what felt like an eternity, she spoke, “Where is the mare now?” “Dead,” Black Spark said bluntly, not looking Celestia in the eye. “She was executed nearly a week ago.” “What were her crimes?” Celestia asked, her voice soft, yet a steely look in her eye. “Endangerment of a foal, resisting arrest, attempted fraud, and possible use of black magic,” Black Spark listed off. Celestia hummed softly, rubbing her chin with a hoof as she thought over what he had said. After a brief moment, she cocked her head to the side, eyeing Black Spark curiously. “And what, exactly, is the issue you’re having at the moment?” “She was a gypsy,” Black Spark muttered, unable to look Celestia in the eye. Instead, he glared at the ground in front of him. “I know you are aware of my past experiences with them. I’m afraid that my temper got the better of me, and I may have given out too harsh a punishment.” Celestia was silent, rubbing a foreleg with a hoof, a thoughtful look on her face. Black Spark stood at attention, years of military training preventing him for slouching in front of the princess. “Given what you’ve told me,” Celestia said suddenly, her eye flicking up to look at Black Spark, “it would appear that the sentence was just. A little over the top, maybe, but a foal lost their life because of the mare’s actions, so it was just nonetheless.” Black Spark blinked, the corners of his mouth twitching. “But—” “She had several felonies against her, two of which are quite severe on their own,” Celestia said, speaking over him. “The charges raised against her would have earned her life in prison, at the minimum.” “But I had her hung instead,” the Archduke argued. “That is well within the acceptable range of punishments her crimes have earned her,” Celestia said. “But—” Black Spark began, but was cut off as Celestia closed her eye and sighed heavily. She rubbed the bridge of her nose, grimacing in discomfort. Whether it was from a headache, or another cause, he didn’t know. “Do you want to know why I promoted you to Steward of the Lunar Court?” she asked, her hoof slowly moving over to trail down the scar on her face. “I gave you that position because I needed somepony who wasn’t afraid to act. While it’s true that the Lunar Court deals with everyday issues, same as the Solar Court, it was originally created to be the more judicial of the two courts. If I wanted somepony who would be hesitant and unable to make decisions as Steward, I would have given the position to the Shamire brothers and been done with it. Instead, I gave it to you, because you are a pony that can take charge and protect Equestria from threats, both from outside our borders, as well as within.” Black Spark snorted, pawing at the floor with a hoof. “I still feel like I’ve overstepped my bounds,” he grunted. Celestia glanced over and clicked her tongue, before rolling her eye. “Fine,” she sighed, shaking her head. “If you feel strongly about this, you may pass any verdicts you feel conflicted about by me. I will not, however, take over your job for you. I still expect you to continue your responsibilities as Steward, and that includes passing judgement. As for your issue, I’m not going to punish you for doing your job, Black Spark. You’re going to have to deal with any guilt you might have by yourself. If you are having troubles doing that, I might suggest seeing the royal psychiatrist to discuss the matter. “Now, was there anything else you wished to discuss with me that cannot wait until the morning?” Celestia asked, fighting back a yawn. Black Spark frowned, but shook his head. “No, your highness.” “Then if you wouldn’t mind,” Celestia said, motioning towards the door with a hoof. “Bluebone was more aggravating than usual today, and I would very much like to get some sleep before having to deal with him again tomorrow.” Black Spark bowed his head before turning and making his way towards the door. Pushing it open, he exited the room, leaving Celestia to herself. As the door closed behind him, Celestia closed her eye and sighed. Readjusting herself on the bed, she winced as her bad wing twinged, the joint popping loudly. She moved the limp appendage around with her hoof, trying to find a more comfortable position for it. After a few failed attempts, she gave up and left it lying uselessly beside her. With a small burst of magic, she extinguished the lamp on the bedside table. With the only light now coming from the slowly dying fire, the room was plunged into a comfortable state of semi-darkness. Reclining back, Celestia rested her head upon her pillow. Her eye slowly began to close as she was lulled to sleep by the soft crackle of flames that filled the silence. She couldn’t help but hum a song she used to sing to Luna when she was having trouble sleeping. As she slowly sunk deeper into a dreamless sleep, a single tear rolled down Celestia’s face, disappearing into her mane. “Lullay, Moon Princess, goodnight fere mine, and rest now in moonlight’s embrace…” Author's Note Before all of you judge Celestia's OOC, let me lay down some facts. I based her behavior off the belief that, having lost Luna, she's not as kind as she is portrayed in the canon story. That's not to say she's cruel and tyrannical. She's just not as easy going. It's also the reason for her mane color change. Cooler colors in mourning for Luna, as well as in memory. If you see any mistakes, feel free to leave a comment or send me a PM. Thanks. *All songs are property of their respective owners. I own nothing of them, and am not making money off of it. I'm simply trying to boost their views, as well as get the word out.
Part I: Lonely is the Night—6 Years Later Warm Care smiled happily as he made his way down the dirt streets of Ponyville, a positive skip in his slow gait. In his present mood, not even his creaky, arthritic hip could cause him grief. The pain it wrought upon him was nothing compared to the joy he felt. There was a reason he enjoyed being the head administrator of the orphanage. Sure, it was strenuous work at some times, and most ponies would be put off by the number of foals one had to look after. However, no matter the hardship he endured while working there, it always did his old heart good to see a foal get adopted into a new, loving family. While it was true that Ponyville didn't have as many orphans as some of the other, larger cities in Equestria—like Manehattan—Warm Care had made it his personal mission in life to try and get his orphanage as empty as possible. In his opinion, an empty orphanage was a happy orphanage, as it, hopefully, meant that every foal in Ponyville had a family to care for them. That dream had come even closer to becoming a reality today, what with the little pink filly that had just been adopted into the Rich family. The new father, Filthy, seemed like a nice stallion, and his wife was simply overjoyed to have a filly to love. It was a shame that the mare was barren, but, hopefully they would be able to give the young foal a good home and spoil her rotten, even if she wasn't their own. Warm Care chuckled at that thought, Spoiled rotten. It was a fate that he secretly wished upon all the orphans under his care. If they were spoiled rotten, then that meant that they were in a good family, one that cared for them dearly. Trotting slowly through the marketplace, Warm Care greeted everypony with a smile. The bakermare, a blue earth pony with two-tone pink mane, waved to him through the open window of her bakery, the smell of baked goods filling the air. Warm Care returned her wave with one of his own. She was always so kind, donating any extra sweets she made the previous week to the orphanage. They were always delicious, and the foals loved the sugary treats. Because of that reason, Warm Care always made sure that he had time for her should she ever want to talk. She would even visit the orphanage regularly, doting over the foals. As the bakermare returned to her baking, Warm Care continued to make his way through the marketplace. Far off in Canterlot, the Bells of Reverence tolled out loud and clear, signally the midday hour. Their song, carried softly on the breeze, was heard by all the surrounding countryside. Reaching the middle of the marketplace, the old stallion directed his attention to one of the vendors positioned in front of the fountain. Smiling at the stallion standing beside the apple-covered stand, Warm Care nodded his head in greeting. “Good day, Jonagold.” “Mr. Care,” the stallion said in a thick southern accent, tipping his Stetson hat in response as a warm smile touched his face. Like most stallions born to the Apple Family, Jonagold Apple was a large, healthy earth pony. True to his namesake, he had a yellow-green coat that slowly blended into reddish-orange near his hooves. His golden mane hung low in front of his eyes, long sideburns framing his cheeks. His cutie mark—an apple with a large bite taken out of it—rested upon his muscular flank, toned from a lifetime of bucking apple trees. Like always, a long stalk of hay hung from his mouth, bobbing whenever he spoke. Although a massive stallion compared to the other residents of Ponyville, the apple farmer was well known for his gentle and caring nature. It was not odd to see him helping out around town, whistling a happy tone as he worked. Everypony knew that Sanguinelli Orange had made a good catch with Jonagold Apple, even if they weren’t sure how. “What kin ah do for you today, Mr. Care?” Jonagold asked a twinkle in his green eyes as he smiled at the old stallion. “I find myself in need of some apples,” Warm Care said with a chuckle. “It appears that the foals love them a bit too much. It seems like I barely get the bushels into the kitchen before they all but swarm the bags. I even have reason to believe that a few brave souls snuck out of their rooms last night to raid the last few apples we had. That is, if the tummy aches this morning were anything to go by.” At Warm Care’s words, Jonagold roared with laughter, causing a few nearby ponies to glance over at them curiously. “Ah’ll take that as a compliment, Mr. Care,” he said, his grin growing across his face. “Glad tah see that them foals like eatin’ their fruit.” “Indeed,” Warm Care said with a nod. “I like to make sure that their diets are fairly balanced. Your apples help counter Ms. Cake’s sweets.” “Aye, that mare does know her desserts,” Jonagold agreed. “The things she can make with our apples, shoot, ah half expect her tah be a distant cousin of the Apples. But enough with that, Mr. Care. You didn’t come here tah listen to me talk all day. You came tah buy apples!” “I guess you’re right, Jonagold,” Warm Care laughed. “If you happen to have them, I’d like 3 pecks of gala apples.” “Ah, you’re in luck, Mr. Care,” Jonagold said with a grin. “We just bucked some fresh ones the other day.” As the farmer started to bag Warm Care’s order, the old stallion took a moment to look around the market. Many ponies were out and about, taking advantage of the nice weather and enjoying the warm summer day. Celestia’s sun, hanging high in the sky, shone down upon the land, providing heat and light. Patches of white clouds dotted the blue sky, providing shade to those ponies on the ground and a resting place for the pegasi in the air to roost upon. Warm Care couldn’t help the smile that spread across his muzzle as he watched a father chase his colt through the marketplace, each laughing as they weaved through the other ponies. There were so many happy ponies living within the small village, and it made the old stallion positive that moving here from Manehattan had been the best decision he could have made in his life. The atmosphere was perfect, the ponies kind and friendly. That and the large city had held too many bad memories for the old stallion. There was a reason, after all, that he had opened an orphanage here in Ponyville upon his arrival nearly twenty years ago. “Here ya are,” Jonagold said suddenly, breaking Warm Care out of his daze. Placing three large bags upon the stand, the large earth pony smiled at the elderly stallion. “Three pecks o’ gala apples. Will that be all for you today, Mr. Care?” “Ah, yes. Thank you,” Warm Care said, blinking in surprise. Smiling, he took the bags in his teeth and placed them on the ground beside him before turning back to the farmer. “How much do I owe you, Jonagold?” he asked, reaching a hoof back to his saddlebag. The farmer just held up his hoof and shook his head, a small smirk on his face. “As ah’ve told ya before, Mr. Care, you’re bits ain’t good here.” “We’ve been over this before, Jonagold,” Warm Care said, frowning slightly. “This is your livelihood. You make a living off these apples. I can’t just take them for free. I insist you let me pay!” “And as ah’ve told you over and over again, makin’ them foals back at your orphanage happy is the only pay ah need,” the farmer replied, a stubborn look in his eyes. “Family is an important part of anypony’s life, and it’s a shame that those foals ain’t got one. If eatin’ my apples puts a smile on their faces, then the least ah can do is give ‘em some apples to enjoy! “That, and Nelli would never let me live it down if I took money from ya,” Jonagold chuckled, shaking his head. “She’d have me sleepin’ on that couch for weeks.” “You and your talk of family,” Warm Care said with a soft laugh. “You took what your mother taught you to heart, didn’t you?” “Family is important, no matter who ya are,” Jonagold said, nodding his head sagely. “Ya, family’s important!” a loud voice shouted from behind Warm Care. Turning, the old stallion smiled in amusement as an orange filly raced past him and leapt up, grabbing a hold of Jonagold around his neck. Dried mud caked the filly’s hooves, splattering up her legs and across the underside of her belly. As the filly nuzzled the stallion happily, Jonagold glanced down, a look of surprise on his face. “Applejack, did ya escape from your mother again?” he asked the blonde-maned filly, laughing softly as he returned the nuzzle. “No, she said ah could come visit you!” the filly said quickly, her ears splaying back and her eyes darting to the side. “Applejack,” Jonagold scolded as he looked down at the filly clinging to him, a disappointed look on his face. “Don’t lie. Good ponies don’t lie, and us Apples are good ponies, understand?” The filly hung her head in shame. “Sorry, pa,” she mumbled, releasing her hold on the farmer’s neck and dropping down to the ground. She stood there, scuffing at the dirt with her hoof. “Ah just didn’t want tah take a bath,” she grumbled under her breath. “Ah figured that was the reason,” Jonagold laughed, lowering his head to nuzzle the top of the filly’s head. “Run along back home tah your mother, little apple. Ah’m sure she’s worried sick about where you are—” Jonagold lifted his head, scrunching up his nose comically “—and by the smell of it, y’all could really use that there bath. Now, go on, git! Ah’ll be along home once your brother gets outta school.” “Yes, pa.” With that, the little filly turned and raced off back down the road, weaving through the sea of ponies. “Sorry about that,” Jonagold said, turning back to Warm Care. “You know how them young’uns are.” “It’s quite alright,” Warm Care reassured the stallion. “I’ve had my fair share of chasing a foal or two down during bathtime. It surprising how fast they can be when they want to, considering we practically have to drag them along anywhere. Although, nowadays I have to get my assistant to do the chasing. These old bones aren’t as quick as they once were.” “You do yourself an injustice, Mr. Care,” Jonagold said with a smirk. “You could still give mah ma a run for her bits.” “Yeah, well, I’m confident your mother is going to outlive us all,” Warm Care laughed. “We’ll all be in the earth and she’ll be sitting up here in that rocking chair of hers, wondering why no work is getting done.” “Ah’ll take you up on that bet,” Jonagold said with a grin. “I’m sure you will.” Clearing his throat, Warm Care nodded his head towards the farmer. “Thank you for the apples, Jonagold. I’m sure the foals will enjoy them immensely, but only if I get them back to the orphanage. So, if you’d excuse me, I really must be going.” Leaning down, the old stallion grabbed the handle of all three bags in his mouth. Lifting his head, Warm Care flashed the farmer one last smile before turning and trotting off. “Y’all have a good day now, ya hear?” Jonagold called after the retreating stallion. Warm Care flicked his ear, indicating he heard, but continued his journey back through town. As the old stallion walked, he smiled through the bags in his teeth. I’ll have to remember to slip some extra bits into the donation jar during cider season when Jonagold isn’t looking. By the time Warm Care arrived back at the orphanage, his jaw felt like it was about to fall off. Staggering into the kitchen, the elderly stallion dropped the bags of apples onto the counter before massaging his sore jaw, frowning slightly. While not vain, it always bothered Warm Care when his body reminded him of his age. He already knew he was getting old, it didn’t need to be rubbed in his face. Exiting the kitchen, Warm Care glanced around the dining area. It was completely empty; not a soul in sight. With how nice it was outside, he was fairly certain that most—if not all—of the foals were probably out at the local playground, enjoying the weather. Trotting slowly due to his stiff limbs, the old caretaker moved around the room, opening the windows in order to get some fresh air into the old building. Clearing the remnants of lunch off of one of the tables—some plates, empty cups, and orange peels—Warm Care carried them to the kitchen and put them in their respective places. Once that was done, he returned to the main hall. It was still early in the afternoon, and according to the large grandfather clock in the hall, he still had a few hours until the foals returned home for dinner. With his assistant probably out making sure the little ones didn’t get into too much trouble, Warm Care decided that he would make the best of this brief moment of peace, and pick up around the orphanage. Moving slowly from room to room, the old stallion began to clean each room carefully. Toys left lying around in the open had to be picked up, books had to be reshelved, and art supplies had to be returned to their cabinets. After making sure he had taken care of most of the debris, Warm Care would crack the window of the room open, and then move on to the next one. For the next few hours he was quite content to make beds, dust shelves, and sweep the floors, all while humming softly to himself. During their play, the foals had made a mess in almost every room in the orphanage, but the old stallion didn’t mind. Cleaning up after them allowed him to feel like he was doing something productive, like he still had a purpose at the orphanage. There were a lot of ponies around Ponyville that had voiced their concerns about Warm Care’s age. They insisted that he pass on ownership of the orphanage to a younger set of hooves and retire, find a nice home by the sea, and live out the rest of his days in peace and comfort. Warm Care would always reply the same with each new attempt. He would just smile and shake his head. “I will continue to help these foals find families,” he would tell them, “until such time as Death herself comes and greets me like an old friend. Only then shall I rest my weary soul.” Being the second oldest pony in Ponyville, some thought that his dedication to his orphanage was born from his mind having left his body. That was simply not true. Warm Care’s mind was still as sharp as it had been in his prime. It was his body that had left his mind behind. He would often joke that he was a young colt in an old stallion’s body, but that didn’t stop him from trying to help the foals that were placed under his care. There were even days that one could find him down at the beach with the foals, splashing in the shallows. His constant interactions with the foals always brought smiles to their young faces, and that was more than enough for the old, wizened stallion. Warm Care had just about finished up cleaning the orphanage when he came across a closed bedroom door at the far end of the living quarters. Pausing in front of it, the old stallion stared at the door, a small frown touching his face. Somepony, one of the foals no doubt, had taped a piece of paper on the door that read ‘Keep Out. Dark Within’. Staring at the door, Warm Care chewed on the inside of his cheek as he racked his most recent memories. “I didn’t close you,” he muttered to the door, scrunching up his face in confusion. Warm Care had left the doors open to every room he cleaned, yet this one was closed. And it had a sign on it. Scratching his head with a hoof, Warm Care continued to stare at the door for several seconds before reaching out and turning the door handle. As the door swung open, the old stallion blinked in surprise before shaking his head and sighing, “Oh, Selena.” The bedroom on the other side of the door was almost pitch black, the lights turned off and the window shades drawn tight. Even the light streaming in from the hall seemed to have trouble cutting through the darkness. Through the gloom, Warm Care’s withered, old eyes could just barely pick out the form of a young filly sitting on the bed, a blanket pulled over her head. At the sound of Warm Care’s sigh, the blankets moved as the pony beneath them turned their head towards the open door, but remained silent. Reaching out a hoof, Warm Care ran it over the inside wall of the room, searching for the light switch. Finding it, he flicked the switch to the ‘on’ position, causing the room to become illuminated. “What have I told you about sitting in the dark alone?” Warm Care asked the filly, frowning slightly. Selena just blinked her milky eyes, staring at a point just above the old caretaker’s left ear. Locks of her dark blue mane protruded out from under the blanket and hung down in front of her sightless eyes. “I didn’t think it really mattered,” the young filly said, her voice soft, but still holding the cute little slur of filly speak. “It’s not like I can’t read if the lights are off.” Not turning her head, the unicorn filly continued to run her hoof over the book that lay open in front of her, the pad of her hoof gently tracing the small bumps that covered the page. “I will never understand your fascination with the dark,” Warm Care tsked, a small smile touching his whitened muzzle as he walked into the room. “Even as a foal, you seemed to be more active during the night time than in the day. It was like you were part bat or something.” “It’s kinda hard for me to tell what time of day it is, Care,” Selena said. Warm Care winced as she used his formal name. He had tried to get her to call him ‘Warmy’ like all the other foals, but she persisted stubbornly. Turning the page of her book, Selena’s head slowly followed the old stallion as he moved around the room, her blind eyes always fixed on a point just above his head. “You all have your eyes to go by,” she said as he drew nearer. “I have to use my own biological clock, and hope that it’s accurate.” “Biological clock?” Warm Care said, his eyes narrowing. “You’ve been getting into those adult books again, haven’t you?” Selena’s ears splayed backwards, her head lowering. “Maybe,” she muttered under her breath. “Those books are too advanced for you, Selena,” Warm Care sighed, shaking his head as he laughed softly. “I got them for when you get a little older. You’re just a little filly right now. You’re supposed to be reading little filly books.” Selena’s eyes narrowed, and she growled softly. “...they’re stupid and too easy.” In a whisper, so that Care couldn’t hear her, she added, “and the other foals take them and hide them from me.” “They wouldn’t be so easy for you if you didn’t spend all your time reading,” Warm Care chuckled. “For somepony who can’t see, you sure do go through those books quickly enough.” “Books take you places,” Selena said softly, stroking the page of the book in front of her lightly with her hoof. “They tell you stories, teach you things.” As she spoke, the young filly’s voice slowly became quieter, till Warm Care could barely hear her. He strained his ears, leaning in closer to the filly to catch what she was mumbling. “Books don’t judge you…” Leaning back, Warm Care frowned as he eyed the filly, concern in his old eyes. Although her ears were hidden, the old stallion could tell by her posture that she was hiding something, something that was bothering her. “Selena,” he said softly, causing the young unicorn to flinch. “Selena,” he repeated, moving to sit on the bed beside the filly. “What’s wrong? And for that matter, why are you in here instead of outside playing with the other foals? It’s such a beautiful day outside, yet you’re hiding in this stuffy room.” Selena said nothing, lowering her head to hide her face behind her mane and blanket. “Were the other foals teasing you again?” the old stallion asked softly, a frown touching his face. Selena was still for a moment before slowly nodding her head, keeping her face hidden behind her blanket shroud. Warm Care draped his foreleg over the filly’s shoulder, pulling her against his side. “Oh, little one. Why didn’t you tell me?” “...didn’t want to cause trouble,” came the muffled reply. “Selena,” Warm Care scolded softly. “If the other foals are teasing you, you have to let me know. They shouldn’t be doing that. It’s not right, and it’s not fair to you.” The filly remained silent, her head hanging low. Warm Care sighed and closed his eyes. It wasn’t often that he had to deal with the foals under his care picking on one another, but for whatever reason, Selena had it worse than the others. If the other orphans weren’t picking on her for being blind, they were teasing her about her looks, or about how much she read. Warm Care tried to put a stop to it whenever he could, but he could rarely catch the culprits in the act. It had started when she was just an infant. The other foals would always seem to cry around her, to the point where Warm Care had to put her in a separate room altogether. Even then, the other foals didn’t seem to be able to sleep peacefully when Selena was nearby. As she grew, the other orphans always seemed uneasy around her. Warm Care had thought at first that it was because she was blind, but that didn’t seem to be the case. The old stallion didn’t know what it was about the filly that caused the others to dislike her, but he knew that because of it, she didn’t have any real friends. That was also the reason she immersed herself in any and all braille books Warm Care could find. Holding Selena closer to his side, Warm Care spoke in a quiet voice, “What were they teasing you about this time?” “...’m cutie mark,” Selena mumbled. Warm Care winced, cursing inwardly. Of course they’d go after that particular subject. The old stallion knew that Selena was sensitive about her cutie mark. She had been ever since she was old enough to understand what a cutie mark was. The fact that she couldn’t even remember why or how she had gotten hers was more than enough for the other foals to torment her. Especially considering her cutie mark tended to glow in dark areas. Reaching down slowly, Warm Care lifted the blankets that surrounded Selena’s body slightly, revealing her flank. There, glowing softly beneath the sheets, the crescent moon shone back at him. The old stallion stared at it for several seconds before lowering the edge of the blanket back down. “And what were they saying about your cutie mark?” he asked her softly. “That fillies my age shouldn’t have their cutie marks yet, and since I couldn’t even tell them how I got it, they said it had to be fake.” “Well,” Warm Care began, rubbing the young unicorn’s head through the blanket. “I’m not entirely sure what your cutie mark represents about you. For all we know, you’re going to be a great moonwatcher when you grow up.” “But, I can’t see—” “But I can tell you this,” Warm Care said forcibly, interrupting the filly. “That cutie mark of yours is one-hundred percent real, and don’t let anypony tell you otherwise.” “But—” “No buts,” Warm Care said, standing up from the bed. “I can guarantee that that cutie mark of yours is the real deal. That’s your cutie mark, and you’re stuck with it. Truthfully, it’s one of the more unique cutie marks I’ve ever seen. That by itself should make you proud. It’s not some silly cutie mark like a flower or an hourglass. Nopony has a cutie mark of a moon—a glowing moon, in fact—on their flank, except for you!” “...don’t even know what it really looks like,” Selena grumbled as she lowered her book back to the bed. “Probably looks stupid.” “Don’t let a couple of bullies get to you,” Warm Care said with a smile. “That’s how they win. Just smile and ignore them. There are still other foals out there willing to be your friend. All you have to do is find and talk with them. You do that, and you’ll have friends who like you for who you are in no time!” Selena cocked her head to the side, her nose scrunching up in a cute manner. “Are you sure? I’ve tried talking with the others, but no pony wants to be friends with me. They just tend to avoid me.” Warm Care opened his mouth to reply, but the sound of the front door opening, and the stampede of little hooves, interrupted him. Glancing out at the hallway, Warm Care shook his head and sighed. “Looks like I have to go get dinner ready,” he chuckled, turning back to the young filly on the bed. “We’ll continue this talk later, okay?” Selena nodded her head, returning to running her hoof across the page of her book with a small sigh. As Warm Care left the room and headed down the hall, Selena lifted her head, turning it so that her milky eyes were staring at the open door. She kept her sightless gaze on the door for several seconds before moving it back to the book in front of her. She slowly emerged herself back into the fantasy world it provided. After a few minutes, the sound of approaching hoofsteps caused her ears to perk up. The steps were light, too soft to be Care or Merriweather’s. That had to mean that it was one of the other orphans. Keeping her head down, Selena cocked an ear, listening closely to the noise coming from the hall. Soon enough, the hoofsteps came to a stop just outside of the room. Selena’s ears twitched once as a low sigh came from whoever was standing there. She winced, recognizing the owner right away from the noise. There was only one filly in the orphanage that sighed like that. “H-hi, Honeysuckle,” Selena called out lamely, turning her head towards the door ever so slightly. She winced again as she remembered that most of the orphans hated the fact that she could tell who they were based off their breathing. It unsettled them and made them dislike her more. Sure enough, the presence she identified as Honeysuckle huffed loudly. Standing in the doorway, an annoyed look on her face, was a young filly. She was roughly the same age as Selena, but due to her earth pony blood, stood nearly a head taller than the unicorn. Her coat was a shocking yellow, contrasted by a short, black mane. She glared at Selena, who, even though she was blind, could still feel the venom behind the stare. Swallowing thickly, Selena folded her ears against her head. “Do… do you need something?” she asked, her voice cracking slightly. “Yeah,” Honeysuckle said bluntly, causing Selena to cringe beneath her blanks. “Um… w-what do you—” “Warmy said to come down for dinner,” Honeysuckle interrupted, her eyes narrowing. “So, get moving, No-Eyes.” With that, she turned and, with a flick of her tail, walked off down the hall, leaving Selena to herself. Selena frowned, listening to the retreating sound of the filly’s hoofsteps. Her throat felt a little tight, and she was having trouble swallowing. Blinking her sightless eyes, she lowered her head. “Finding friends. Yeah, right,” the dark filly muttered under her breath. “I don’t need friends.” She returned to brushing her hoof against the page of the book, feeling the tiny bumps that made up the words. She knew dinner was ready, she could faintly smell the aroma drifting down the hall from the kitchen. It smelled like Merriweather had made her special cream of broccoli soup. Selena’s stomach growled, but she ignored it. She’d rather sneak down to the kitchens later to pick through the scraps than eat by herself while the others flicked pieces of food at her. Maybe if she was lucky, Care would bring her food to her again. She wouldn’t have to leave the comfort of her room if that happened. At least, until she had to go to the bathroom. She always tried to hold it until the others were asleep. That way she wouldn’t bump into any of them on her way to and from the bathroom. Of course, there was always the rare instances when she’d bump into another orphan in the darkened halls. They would be going to get a drink of water at the same time that she was wandering. She always tried to hide when that happened, but her glowing cutie mark always gave her away. Yes, when it came right down to it, her room was the best place for her to be. Where it was just her and her books. Her books of fairy tales and fables, where the princess was always rescued, and everypony always got a happy ending. As Selena continued to ‘read’, her hoof started to come across damp spots on the dried page. She paused, blinking in confusion before continuing on, ignoring the spots. After several seconds, a soft dripping sound reached her ears. Lifting a hoof slowly to her face, Selena gasped softly as she realized her cheeks were wet. Tears flowed from her eyes, running down her face until they dripped off of her chin onto the page below. Lowering her hoof, the young filly let the tears flow, unwilling to stop them. “...nopony is ever going to like me,” she sniffled, the tears coming on stronger now. Reaching up, she pulled her blankets down further over her head, hiding herself from the harsh light shining from the fixture hanging from the ceiling. Unlike the darkness, the light couldn’t hide her. Everyone could see her for what she was: a blind freak. She could hear the other foals, laughing and shouting at one another as they headed towards the dining room. The sound of their joy tugged at her heart, causing her to cry harder. Slowly, the shadows of the room seemed to grow, inching closer and closer to the filly, hidden beneath her blankets sanctuary. “...nopony will ever love me.”
Part I: Cloudy NightWarm Care trotted slowly up the dirt road, heading deeper into the orchard. He couldn't help the smile that touched his lips as he gazed around at the rows and rows of apple trees. They were in bloom, pink blossoms covering the foliage. Every so often, a gentle breeze would stir the branches, causing some of the petals to flutter to the ground. The dirt path was covered in them, and Warm Care took a little childish pleasure kicking up the discarded blossoms. Rounding a bend in the road, Warm Care perked up as he spied a farm house off in the distance. He wasn't near enough to make out any details, his failing eyesight seeing to that. Nonetheless, it was his destination, and he made his way down the path towards it. His old joints creaked as he walked, protesting on the long walk. It was a fifteen minute hike from the edge of town to the farm, and his old bones were beginning to feel it. Warm Care had just about reached the farmhouse when he stopped, something off to the side catching his eye. There, a hundred or so yards off of the path, was a large burnt patch of earth. Ash and charred pieces of wood were scattered across the blackened ground, the only remains of the building that had once stood there. The grass around the destroyed area was dry and dead. The smile had left Warm Care's face as he gazed at the burnt remains. He sighed, his ears pressing against his head as he lowered his head slightly. Casting one last look at the ruins, Care turned and approached the farm house, his good mood dampened. Climbing the steps to the wooden porch, Warm Care rested for a brief moment before raising a hoof and knocking on the front door. Once that was done, he took a step back and waited. After a few seconds, the sound of growing hoofsteps reached Warm Care's ears. The door swung open on rusted hinges, revealing a young mare with an orange coat. Her blonde mane hung in front of her eyes and cascaded gently down her shoulders from beneath an aging stetson hat. Freckles covered her muzzle, as well as a splash of yellow fur. A trio of oranges rested upon her flank, several green leaves poking out from between the fruit. Upon seeing Warm Care, the mare's eyes lit up, and a soft smile touched her lips and she leaned against the door frame. “Hello, Care. How are you doing?” she asked. Her voice was soft, and held a hint of a Manehattan accent to it. Unlike her husband, who commanded an air of strength about him, Sanguinelli Orange was best described as motherly. Where Jonagold had been firm, she was graceful. Although, she had an inner fire to her that allowed her to keep up with her husband. It had been this inner fire that had kept them together all these years. When they had first gotten together, many had thought that the relationship would never work. A mare from Manehattan and a stallion from Ponyville? It would never survive. She would be running back, crying, to her parents within a fortnight. However, Sanguinelli had proven she had what it took, and within a year she had Jonagold wrapped snugly around her hoof. She wasn't as prissy as the ponies of Ponyville had originally thought. She had showed that she was more than willing to get down and dirty, and more often than naught she could be found out in the orchard with her husband, tending to their apple trees. She helped raise barns, cared for the crops, and pulled her weight during harvest season. Warm Care returned her smile, inclining his head in greetings. “Hello, Sanguinelli. I'm doing quite well, thanks for asking.” His shoulder took that exact moment to pop loudly, and he winced. Sanguinelli covered her mouth with a hoof, stifling her laughter. “Although, my body tends to disagree occasionally,” Warm Care continued, chuckling weakly. “I can see that,” Sanguinelli said, lowering her hoof. Her smile waned slightly, and she gave Warm Care a curious look. “What are you doing this far out of town, Care? Not that I don't like talking with you,” she added quickly, “but, if you're looking to buy some apples, it would be easier on you to visit Macintosh at the stall in town. Especially at your age.” “I'm not that old,” Care muttered, pouting. Sighing heavily, he became serious. “I've actually come to check on how you and your family is doing.” The smile left Sanguinelli's face, replaced instead by a pained look. “We... we're doing okay,” she said softly, lowering her gaze. Her ears splayed backwards, and she grimaced. “We're not doing great, but we're getting by.” She trailed off, her eyes glazing over. They slowly drifted over towards the charred earth in the distance, and she swallowed thickly. “Nelli,” Warm Care said softly, snapping her out of her daze. He gave her a tender look, shaking his head. “You don't need to be strong. Not for me.” Sanguinelli swallowed again, tears beginning to well up in her eyes. “It's hard, sometimes,” she whispered, “knowing that he's gone for good. There are times I wake up in the morning and half-expect him to be in the kitchen, burning another failed attempt at breakfast. Occasionally, if it gets too quiet, I can swear I can almost hear him calling for me.” She chuckled weakly, rubbing at her eyes with a hoof. “That darn nickname of his. You know, the first time he called me that, I almost gave him a black eye. I was getting out of the shower and he just happened to walk in on me. He shouted out 'Whoa, Nelli!' and that was that. “It took me years to accept it. Did you know that?” she asked, glancing up at Warm Care. “I was brought up with the belief that the name makes the pony. I am Sanguinelli, and that's how I should introduce myself. My parents were positively shocked when they came to visit and Jonagold referred to me as Nelli. I thought they both were going to die of a heart attack, or a stroke.” As she spoke, Sanguinelli's hoof slowly went to the hat on her head, and she tugged on it absentmindedly, almost in a comforting manner. Warm Care allowed her to talk, a sad smile on his face as he listened to her ramblings. She was hurting; the whole town was, at the loss of one of the ponies that had made it home. Jonagold Apple had been well known and liked, and his death had hit Ponyville hard. When young Macintosh had come sprinting into town, hollering about a fire in the barn, nearly everypony had answered the call for help. Pegasi gathered rainclouds and raced towards the farm, while earth ponies and unicorns sprinted along the ground. It was all for naught, however, and the barn had burned to the ground in a blazing inferno, taking Jonagold with it. That had been nearly a month ago, and yet it still threw Warm Care off to not see the charismatic stallion standing behind the apple stand in town, a lazy smile upon his face. “His scent finally faded from the bed sheets days ago,” Sanguinelli said in a near whimper, tears slowly beginning to roll down her face. Warm Care pulled her into a hug, which she returned desperately. He murmured gently into her ear as he rubbed her back with a hoof. She buried her head into his shoulder, and began to cry in earnest. “I... I miss him s-so much,” she sobbed, clinging to Care like a drowning mare would a life preserver. “It's... it's j-just not the same here without him. It's not home anymore. It's just a house. I try to be strong for Macintosh and Applejack, b-but... I can't. I just want my husband back!” The pair stayed that way for several minutes, Sanguinelli cry into Warm Care's shoulder as he did his best to comfort her. Eventually, the tears tampered out as Sanguinelli regained her composure. Pulling away from Care, she rubbed at her eyes, sniffling loudly. “S-sorry, about that,” she muttered weakly. Warm Care shook his head. “Don't be. Your tears show just how much you loved him,” he said softly, pulling a handkerchief out of his saddlebags and passing it to her. She thanked him as she took it, dabbing at her eyes before using it blow her nose. Once she was done, she folded it carefully before handing it back to Care. “How are the others holding up?” he asked as he tucked the handkerchief back into his bags. Sanguinelli just laughed weakly. “You know Abigail,” she said. “She tries to put on a brave face, declining any help that anypony offers, yet I've caught her up late at night, looking through the family album. Macintosh has barely said a word since. I have to try so hard just to get a 'yes' or 'no' out of him. He just buries himself in his chores.” “And young Miss Applejack?” Warm Care asked, cocking his head to the side. “I haven't seen her around town recently. Is she doing alright?” “She's in Manehattan, staying with my sister and her husband,” Sanguinelli said. “She said she wanted to get away from it all. I think looking at the burnt remains of the barn everyday on her way to and from school took its toll on her. As did the nightmares.” “Does she plan on staying up there?” Warm Care asked. Sanguinelli sighed, glancing sideways. “I don't know,” she said, biting her lip. “I'm sure she'll come home eventually,” Warm Care said, giving her a small smile. “Just give her some time to adjust and come to terms with what's happened. She was close to Jonagold, after all.” “Those two were joined at the hip, I swear,” Sanguinelli laughed weakly, her eyes beginning to water again. “They were always running around together, causing such a ruckus that I could barely hear myself think at times. Now, however, with both of them gone, it's uncomfortably quiet. “Although, it won't be that way for long,” she said, a genuine smile spreading across her muzzle, despite the tears. When Warm Care gave her a questioning look, she placed a hoof on her stomach. Warm Care's eyes widened when he saw that her belly was distended slightly. “You're expecting?” he asked, ears perking up. When Sanguinelli nodded, a warm smile touched his lips. “Congratulations!” “Thank you,” Sanguinelli said, rubbing her stomach tenderly. “I found out a couple of days after... well, after the incident. Hopefully the foal will be able to help ease some of the pain.” “Do you know what you'll be having?” Warm Care asked, trying to stir the conversation into a happier topic. Sanguinelli shook her head. “It'll be an earth pony, that much we know. Other than that, I'm not sure if it'll be a filly or a colt.” “So, you won't have a name picked out already then, I take it?” Warm Care asked in a teasing tone of voice, smirking slightly. This earned a laugh from Sanguinelli. “You know me too well, Care,” she said. “Yes, I already have a name picked out. Appleseed if it's a colt, Applebloom for a filly.” “Well, I hope that everything goes perfectly for you,” Warm Care said. “Celestia knows, you deserve it after what you've been through.” “Thanks, Care, that means a lot,” Sanguinelli said, smiling. “So far, everything appears to be fine. The foal is healthy, and there doesn't appear to be any complications. There is only one issue though,” she said, her smile fading slightly. “The doctors were concerned about my heart. I'm sure you're aware, but I don't have the strongest of hearts. I told them, though, that I've survived two foals and the death of my husband, I can sure as sugar survive another foal!” “Well, good luck, Nelli,” Warm Care said, “and if you ever need anyone to talk to, I’m always free. Don’t be afraid to stop in.” “I will,” Sanguinelli said, smiling weakly. “Thanks again for checking in on us, Care.” “Any time, Nelli. Give Abigail my regards.” Giving her one last hug, Warm Care turned and began the long journey back towards town. Sanguinelli watched him go, a sad smile on her face. Slowly, her eyes drifted back to the charred remains of the barn, and her smile turned into a pained frown. Reaching up a hoof, she tugged the hat lower over her face, before turning and heading back into the farm house, closing the door behind her. ~ ~ ~ ~ > > < < ~ ~ ~ ~ Selena’s ears swiveled around her head quickly. She crouched defensively, her tail tucked between her legs. Her shoulder was sore, but that was to be expected after the kick she had received. Ignoring the pain the best she could, she tried to locate her attacker, but the ambient noises from the outside threw her off. The birds chirping, the wind through the trees, the cries and shouts of the other foals filled her ears, blinding her to anything else. Heart thundering away in her chest, she sank lower to the ground, trying to make herself as small as possible. She knew that the other foals had surrounded her in a large circle; their cries were coming from all around her, chanting the same thing. She was really regretting this now. What was she thinking, starting a fight with another filly outside of the orphanage? She was in unfamiliar territory. If they had been inside, it would have been a different matter, but right now she didn’t have a clue where anything was. She should have just stayed in her room, then none of this would be happening. Her ears perked up, swiveling to the right as they picked up a faint sound beneath the masking noise. She was too slow to react, however, and pain lanced up her side as she felt a pair of hooves connect to her barrel. Tumbling to the side, she yelped in pain. The foals’ cries grew louder, and they cheered happily. “What’s wrong, No-Eyes?” her attacker taunted. “Couldn’t see that coming?” Selena staggered to her feet, her side already bruising. “Come on, Honeysuckle, this isn’t funny,” she whimpered, trying to locate the filly. However, she had already disappeared back into the background noise, leaving Selena with no idea where she was. Even when Honeysuckle spoke, she couldn’t pick out her location. “I disagree,” Honeysuckle laughed. “This is hilarious!” Selena was struck again, this time from the other side. Her legs crumbled beneath her and she dropped to the ground like a rock. Spitting dirt and grass from her mouth, she struggled to regain her footing. Disoriented, she turned slowly in a circle, trying desperately to get her bearings. “What’s the matter, No-Eyes? Not used to being outside of your cave?” Selena whipped around, swinging her hoof out blindly. However, she hit nothing, and laughter filled the air. “Aw, can’t hit what you can’t see?” Tears slowly began to well up in Selena’s sightless eyes. “Why are you doing this?” she cried. “Me?!” Honeysuckle squawked. “You were the one who started the fight, No-Eyes!” Another blow to the side caused Selena to stagger again. Lashing out quickly with her hind leg, she was rewarded this time by a loud yelp as she struck something. However, her pleasure was short lived as she quickly received a blow to the back of her head. “That hurt, No-Eyes,” Honeysuckle whined as Selena rubbed the back of her head. She could already feel a lump growing beneath the mane. Why do they have to be so mean? she whimpered as the group of foals gave another cheer. I haven’t done anything to them. Why do they hate me? She was so caught up in her own sorrow that she didn’t hear Honeysuckle running at her. The only warning she received was the sound of a hoof whistling through the air it impacted the side of her muzzle, sending her to the ground for the umpteenth time. The taste of copper immediately filled her mouth as she felt a warm liquid begin to run down the back of her throat. It oozed from her nostrils, staining her lips and teeth with the foul tasting substance. Tears began to stream down her face as her nose throbbed in pain. A cheer went up from the surrounding foals, and she could her Honeysuckle laughing. As Selena pushed herself to her hooves, the world around her went eerily quiet. The chirp of birds, the laughter of foals, it all fell away to silence. Her mind was surprisingly calm, her inner turmoil dispersed. Not complete silence, though. She could still hear Honeysuckle. Months of trying to avoid her had allowed Selena to memorize the unique sound of the filly’s breathing. Selena’s ears swiveled around, locating Honeysuckle’s position. With a snarl, she launched herself through the air, hooves outstretched. She collided with Honeysuckle and wrapped her hooves around the larger filly. With a yelp, the pair toppled over onto the ground, with Selena on top. Before Honeysuckle had a chance to recover, Selena began hit her again and again and again, tears streaming down her face. She felt Honeysuckle squirm beneath her, throwing up her forehooves to try and protect herself, but Selena continued her assault regardless. She finally had her. She was going to teach Honeysuckle not to make fun of her. She was going to teach her a lesson, and nothing was going to stop her. Not the Honeysuckle, not the other foals. Not even— “SELENA!” Selena was snapped out of her daze as somepony grabbed her by the scruff of the neck and yanked her off of Honeysuckle. She yelped, struggling to free herself from the grip as it lifted her into the air. Her struggling ceased, however, when pony holding her spoke. “What in the name of Celestia do you think you’re doing?!” Warm Care asked, his tone of voice causing her ears to press against her head. He was usually very laid back. She had never heard him sound this upset before. Hanging limply in his grasp, she tucked her tail firmly between her legs. From somewhere below her on the ground, she heard Honeysuckle groaning, her cries sounding nasally. “Merriweather, if you would be so kind as to see to Honeysuckle’s injuries, I need to have a word with Selena,” Warm Care said. Selena’s ear twitched once as she heard hoofsteps draw near, followed by the gentle murmur of Merriweather whispering to Honeysuckle. Honeysuckle moaned, muttering something back, and Merriweather cooed sympathetically. Selena squeaked in surprise as she shifted slightly and a set of teeth clamped down on the scruff of her neck. She felt a slight vibration run through her body as Warm Care grunted around her fur. Swinging as he turned his head, Selena could only whimper softly as he carried her back towards the orphanage. She could hear the foals part to allow Care through, muttering softly to themselves as he passed. Their whispering just caused her to scowl. That’s all they ever did around her: laugh or whisper. Her sulking grew worse as Care paraded her around. Though she couldn’t see them, she could feel the eyes of everypony on her as they passed. Luckily, they weren’t that far from the orphanage, so she didn’t have to deal with it for long. As Care carried her up the front steps of the building, she felt him pause at the front door. She frown, confused. Why wasn’t Care opening the door and going in? It wasn’t locked; the front door was always open during the day, in case one of the foals wanted to go inside for any reason. It wasn’t until he began to shift from hoof to hoof did Selena realize what the problem was. With a sigh, she reached out and felt along the door in front of her until she found the handle. Giving it a twist, she pushed the door open for Care, who couldn’t do it without tipping forward, due to her added weight. He grunted something that could have been thanks before walking through the door, kicking it closed behind him. “Care, I can walk from here,” Selena muttered. Warm Care just snorted, keeping the filly clamped in his teeth. This just caused her to sigh as he carried her down the hall. Since her room was at the very end of the hall, it was bit of a walk to get there. The door was luckily left ajar, allowing Care to push it open with little trouble. Walking in, he deposited Selena onto the disheveled bed before reaching for the light switch. Selena sat upright as Care searched for the switch, pulling her blankets over her head in a familiar, protective manner. She burrowed herself deeper into the embrace of her sheets until only her face was visible. Finally locating the light switch, Warm Care switched it on, allowing light to fill the room. Selena flinched back, blinking once in surprise before settling back down. Turning to face the filly, Warm Care sighed heavily, rubbing at his grizzled muzzle with a hoof. “Selena, I’m disappointed in you,” he finally said. Selena lowered her head, her bangs falling in front of her lifeless eyes, yet she remained quiet. This just caused Warm Care to frown, his brow furrowing. “I know you can’t see it, but you hurt Honeysuckle real bad. I think you may have even broken her nose, as well as cracked some teeth. She’s probably going to have to go to the hospital. Is that what you wanted to do?” he asked, trying to sound cross. Yet, inside, he was shocked. Earth ponies—like Honeysuckle—were typically, on average, taller than pegasi and unicorns. They were sturdier as well. Built tougher, their strength was nearly double that of the other pony races when in their prime. Yet, Selena, a unicorn runt, was able to not only overpower Honeysuckle, but left her with several severe injuries, including a broken muzzle. Selena sniffed once, frowning as she realized that one of her nostrils was sealed shut with dried blood. Lifting a hoof to her nose, she rubbed it gently, only to yelp in pain a second later. Her muzzle was still tender. Warm Care blinked in surprise at Selena’s actions before a look of concern crossed his face. Reaching into his saddlebags, which he hadn't had a chance to remove yet, he pulled a clean handkerchief out. He approached Selena, damping the cloth with his tongue before dabbing at her nose. She recoiled, but recovered quickly. Saying nothing, she allowed him to clean her, but refused to acknowledge him further. “You know fighting is against the rules, Selena,” Warm Care said, softly this time, while he cleaned around her nostril. “Why’d you do it?” “It wasn't my fault,” Selena huffed, pulling her head out of Care’s grasp and looking away. “From what I heard, you were the one that started the fight,” Care said, gently pulling her head back around so he could finish cleaning her muzzle. “Yeah, well… she was picking on me again,” Selena muttered, pouting. Despite the blood, and the serious trouble she was in, Warm Care couldn't help but smile softly at the sight. To him, she was so cute, even when she was upset. “I told you, don’t let them get to you, hun. That’s how they win,” he tsked, double checking to make sure that he had gotten all of the blood. Satisfied with his work, he placed the stained handkerchief on the bedside table. “It was different this time, Care,” Selena murmured, her ears splaying backwards beneath the blanket. “How so?” he asked, cocking his head to the side. Selena swallowed thickly, staring at a point just to the right of his shoulder. Her eyes were beginning to water, and she tried to blink back the tears. “Honeysuckle came into my room and told me that there was a couple here that wanted to see me,” she said, her voice trembling slightly. “She led me outside, but there was nopony there. I tried to go back inside, but she disoriented me. Then, she and the others just laughed at me as I wandered around, trying to find my way back. It was when she tried to trip me that I hit her, and then she just attacked me! And the other foals just stood there, cheering her on!” Tears flowed freely down her face now, matting the fur on her cheeks. Warm Care frowned and pulled Selena into a hug, rubbing the filly’s back beneath the blanket. “I’m sorry, hun. I didn't know,” he said. “I’ll have a long talk with Honeysuckle about this, and get her to apologize—Oof!” Warm Care fell backwards on the bed as Selena shoved him away. “No!” she shouted, her face scrunching up in anger. “No more apologies, no more talks! It doesn't work, Care!” “Selena—” “No, it doesn't work, Care. Why can’t you see that?” she cried. “No matter what you do, what you say, they just continue to tease me behind your back! They hide my books from me, put bugs in my food, tie string across the hall to trip me, and move furniture around to confuse me. “It’s not fair!” she screamed, hitting the mattress with her hooves. “What did I ever do to them? What did I do to deserve this?!” Selena, enough,” Warm Care said, reaching out a hoof towards the distressed filly. “Just calm down—” “Don’t touch me!” she shriek, lashing out blindly. Her hoof struck the side of Warm Care’s face with a loud crack. Immediately, he fell backwards off of the bed. Lying on the floor in a daze, a loud ringing filled Care’s ears. He could feel blood beginning to trickle down his cheek from a small cut on his face. Selena just sat, frozen on the bed, her hoof outstretched. Her eyes were wide in shock, and she opened and closed her mouth wordlessly. Slowly, her brain processed what had just happened. I… I just hit Care. Hoof trembling, she lowered it quickly to the mattress, backing up until her flank bumped into the wall. From his spot on the ground, Warm Care groaned. I just hit Care! Panic setting in, Selena began to hyperventilate. She had just struck the only pony to ever show her any kindness. He was only trying to help, and she had hit him. I’m a bad pony. There was no way that she wouldn't be punished for this. Warm Care would hate her now, there was no way he wouldn't. And if he hated her too, then that meant that there wouldn't be a single pony in the orphanage that still liked her. There was only one thing she could do now, her panic-stricken mind concluded. She had to run, get away before bad things happened to her. If she left fast enough, she could escape before Care caught her. Thrashing about, she struggled to extract herself from within her blankets. Sheets that had once held comfort were now hindering her escape. Finally managing to free herself from the bedspread, she kicked it aside before launching herself off of the bed. She landed on the floor with a thud, staggering slightly. Moving quickly, she pressed her shoulder against the wall of her room, using it to guide herself to the open door. Once she had located the opening, she dashed out of the room. “Selena, wait!” Warm Care cried from her room, but she ignored him, hurrying down the hall. He just wanted her to come back so he could punish her. She couldn't go back. Not now, not ever. Using the wall of the hallway to guide her, she counted the bedroom doors as they rushed past. Heart hammering in her chest, breaths coming in short gasps, she had to get out. From behind her, she could hear Care calling to her, begging her to come back. The sound of hoofsteps told her that he was back on his hooves. His old bones prevented him from running, however, and she was able to put some distance between them. Reaching the main hall, she slipped on the rug, but managed to recover. She could hear Care coming down the hall after her, and she whimpered. With desperation born of panic, she began to feel along the wall, trying to locate the front door. In her frenzied state, she was unable to correctly remember its position within the room. In her hurry, she knocked over a coat rack and several chairs before managing to find the door. Flinging it open, she sprinted out the door and down the steps just as Care entered the entrance hall. She took off down the road, unsure of where she was going. If memory served, this path would take her towards the market. At this point though, she didn't care where it took her, as long as it was away from the orphanage. Away from the foals. Away from the pain. ~ ~ ~ ~ > > < < ~ ~ ~ ~ Warm Care sagged against the door frame, breathing heavily. He could only watch as Selena raced down the road, weaving slightly from side-to-side as she attempted to avoid crashing into anything she couldn't see. It didn't work, though, as multiple times she tripped upon a rock or root that protruded from the ground. He winced as she reached the end of the lane, and immediately crashed into a picket fence. She staggered backwards, temporarily dazed by the collision. Recovering, she tentatively ran a hoof over the wooden posts. Upon realizing what it was she had hit, she quickly put the fence to use, using it as a makeshift guide. Running along the fence line, she was quickly lost to view, disappearing between the buildings. Warm Care watched her go, lifting a hoof to his cheek. Tentatively, he touched the cut Selena had given him, wincing as the contact caused it to sting. A flutter of wings caused him to glance up. Merriweather landed beside him, a bewildered look on her face. “What happened?” she asked, glancing towards the path Selena had just disappeared down. I’m… I’m not entirely sure,” Warm Care muttered, blinking dazedly. Shaking his head, he pointed a hoof down the road. “Could you possibly go after her and see if you can catch her?” “I’ll see what I can do.” With that, Merriweather took to the air, soaring off to search for the fleeing filly. ~ ~ ~ ~ > > < < ~ ~ ~ ~ Celestia sighed heavily as the throne room doors closed behind the last of the petitioners. Slipping a hoof out of its golden shoe-cover, she rubbed at her scar, trying to alleviate her growing headache. Thankfully, it wasn’t as bad as the headache she got when dealing with the nobles. It was on those days that her brain felt like it was trying to burst out of her skull and escape. The sound of movement beside her caused her to open her eye. Standing beside the throne, a tray with a large bottle and several small glasses held in her magic, was her aide, Raven. She smiled, levitating the tray higher as she offered its contents to the Solar Princess. Celestia gave Raven a blank look before her eye drifted to the bottle. “Raven,” she said slowly, her voice devoid of emotion. Slowly, a small smile spread across her muzzle, “I don’t pay you enough.” Grasping the full bottle of Fireweed Whiskey in her magic, Celestia lifted it off of the tray and over to herself. “You say that every time I bring you a pick-me-up,” Raven snickered. Removing the cork with her teeth, Celestia placed the bottle to her lips and took a large gulp. It burned going down, but had a pleasant aftertaste and left her feeling a little better. Taking another, more chastised sip, she placed the bottle back on the tray. “What’s next on the agenda, Raven?” she asked. “Well,” Raven hummed, levitating a scroll in front of her and unrolling it. “You finished with the petitioners early, so you now have a half hour break before the entrance exams start.” Celestia perked up. “Oh, I do enjoy those. Do you have a list of participants?” “As I matter of fact, I made one this morning,” Raven chirped, handing Celestia a small piece of paper. Running her eye over it, Celestia hummed softly. Twinkleshine Fireburst Shining Star Twilight Sparkle ~~Beatrix Lulamoon~~ Dropped out Bright Eyes Starlight Glimmer Frosted Glass Moondancer “Hmmm, a smaller number than usual, but it should still make for an interesting afternoon,” Celestia said idly, handing the list back to Raven. “That it should,” agreed Raven, proffering the bottle of Fireweed Whiskey to Celestia, but she just shook her head, smiling softly. “No more, thank you. But, if you would be so kind, please distribute some to the guards in the room,” she said, standing up from the throne. Wincing, she adjusted the special harness that was designed to keep her bad wing folded firmly against her side. While usually comfortable, if worn for a long period of time, the wires started to dig into her flesh. Raven cocked her head to the side, giving her a confused look. “Ma’am?” “They were put through the same trauma as I was, only they had to stand there and say nothing all day,” Celestia said, smirking. “I think that’s earned them all a drink, no?” The guards posted around the room shifted, their ears perking up. “I’ll do that,” Raven chuckled, causing several of the nearby guards to smile. As she moved about to distribute the drink, Celestia descended the steps leading up to her throne. Crossing the room, she headed towards one of the side doors. “Remember,” Raven called after her, “the entrance exams start in half an hour!” Celestia flicked her ear once to indicate that she had heard, before pushing the doors open and exiting the throne room.
Part I: The Night is Darkest...Thunder rumbled overhead as dark storm clouds loomed over Ponyville, rain deluging the small village. It fell to earth in large drops that almost hurt when they hit the skin. Howling wind tore through the town, throwing small pieces of trash and debris into the air. Lightning forked across the sky, jumping from cloud to cloud in a deadly dance of electricity. Every so often, a bolt would strike the field just on the outskirts of town, singing the grass. Water was beginning to pool in large puddles that were slowly growing bigger, almost threatening to begin flooding the low-lying areas. The weather team had really gone all out with the storm, almost to the point where it was getting out of control. Ponies huddled in their warm houses, watching the storm outside, or just snuggling up with their family to wait it out. Nopony was crazy enough to be outside in this weather. Nopony, but Warm Care. Staggering down the street, his eyes squinting against the pouring rain, Warm Care pulled his raincoat tighter around himself. Despite the protection, he was soaked to the bone, his fur plastered to his body. His mane hung in front of his eyes, blinding him as it clung wetly to his head. Snorting, he blew water out of his nostrils before shouting, “Selena!” The wind tore the words from his lips, taking his breath with it. Blinking water from his eyes, he tried again, struggling to be heard over the noise of the storm. “Selena!” No reply came, or if it did, his old ears couldn’t pick it up. Warm Care cursed softly under his breath, rubbing at his eyes futilely with the back of a hoof. He couldn’t see anything; the combination of wind and rain making it so he could barely make out his muzzle in front of his face. Wiping his eyes again with his hoof, he continued on his way, determined to find Selena. It had been three days since the filly had run away. Three long days with no sign of her. Care had asked around town, hoping that somepony had picked her up, or had at least seen her. However, the answer was always the same: nopony knew where she was. Of course, nopony but Care seemed to care that she was missing. After all, she was just another orphan, no real something to be concerned about. She didn’t have any parents that were missing her, nor did she have any family wanting to get her back. Most ponies just gave him an apologetic smile before returning to their day. However, there was occasionally one or two ponies that told him that they’d keep an eye out for the wayward foal. The local bakermare was one such pony, going as far as to leave a plateful of food on her front step each night, just in case Selena was out wandering around and stumbled upon it. Hopefully she was still somewhere in town. Care didn’t want to think what could happen to her if she had accidentally ambled into the Everfree Forest. Even Whitetail Woods would be bad for the blind filly. She had barely even ventured into Ponyville, let alone outside the town. If she was to enter one of those forests, there would be no way she would be able to get out without some help. No, she had to be in town. She just had to be— KRAC-BOOOOM! Care yelped, jumping in surprise as thunder roared above, catching him unawares. As he landed, his hoof splashed into a puddle, causing cold water to soak his underbelly. Groaning in discomfort, he sighed heavily before shaking himself like a dog. Water droplets flew everywhere as he tried to shake himself dry, only to become wet again an instant later. High overhead, thunder rumbled again, almost as if it was laughing at him. Trying to ignore how cold he was getting, Warm Care stepped out of the puddle and continued his slow progress down the street. He had only taken a couple of steps, when a large, steel pole suddenly appeared in front of his face. Care balked, scrambling to avoid smashing his face into the metal. Blinking, he placed a hoof on the pole, glancing upwards through squinted eyes. It took him a second to see what he had almost run into through the rain, but when he did, he groaned. He had almost run straight into the street sign for Orchard Street. He was on the opposite side of town as the orphanage, and still no sign of Selena. He was practically at the edge of town, the only thing further down the road being an abandoned cottage by a small stream. He knew she wouldn't be there; it had been boarded up for years now with no way in short of breaking apart the wood. Something a young filly certainly couldn't do. “Great,” he muttered, lowering his gaze. Glancing around, he tried to make out the surrounding area, but the rain made that near impossible. Struggling to see through the curtain of rain, Care couldn't help but laugh weakly. Despite her hatred for being blind, Selena had an advantage over him right now. She had learned to move around without her eyes; he hadn't. Turning, he slowly began to make his way back towards the heart of town. “Selena!” he called out again, his voice slowly becoming hoarse. “Selena, are you there? Selena, where are you?” Again, no reply came, and Care sighed heavily, hanging his head. He didn't know why she had run away to begin with. He usually never punished her, and when he needed to, it was more often than not just a simple timeout in her room; something that she always seemed willing to do. This time was different, however. She had been terrified of him, and it hurt inside to see that. Why had she felt the need to be scared of him? Skirting around a large puddle, Care found himself in the marketplace. The stalls had been packed up for the day, the owners back home, out of the storm. Some of them still had their awnings down, and he immediately took shelter under the closest one. Finally someplace relatively dry, he reached up a hoof to wipe his mane from his eyes, only to stop when he saw it was covered in mud. Lowering it back to the ground, he shook his head instead. Care stared out from beneath the awning, watching the cascade of water flow down the canvas top. A flash of lightning illuminated the marketplace for a brief second before a loud rumble was heard. It sounded like the storm wasn't even close to blowing itself out yet. Snorting, Care steeled himself to go back out into the rain. However, before he could, a figure darted through the curtain of water beside him. He jumped with a yelp, only to calm down when he saw the familiar face of Merriweather. She was soaked, her orange mane clinging to her face, her eyes peeking out from between the wet strands. Her coat was disheveled by the wind, the feathers of her wings and chest ruffled. Raindrops rolled off of the waterproof feathers in torrents. Shaking her head, Merriweather sprayed water everywhere. Normally, Care would have been annoyed by this, but seeing as he was already soaked to the bone, he ignored it. “There you are,” she said, ruffling her wings to try and organize her feathers. “I've been looking for you for nearly an hour! What’d you do, head over old Cornsbee’s place?” “Practically,” Warm Care grunted, shifting on his hooves. His legs were beginning to become really stiff now, and he knew he was going to be horribly sore in the morning. However, it would all be worth it if he could just find Selena. “I was at Orchard Street before I turned around.” “Anything?” Merriweather asked, giving him a tense look. He shook his head. “No, I could find hide nor hair of her anywhere. The rain is making it impossible.” He glanced over at her, chewing on his tongue. “I’m assuming that you didn't find her either, right?” When she nodded, he lowered his head and sighed. “I figured as much.” Merriweather placed her wing across his back, wincing as the sensitive underside brushed against the cold water on his rain jacket. “Come on, Care. It’s time to go back home. You've been out in the rain for almost four hours now. You’re going to catch pneumonia if you aren't careful.” “I can’t,” he said, shaking his head. “I have to find her.” Merriweather frowned. “Care, it’s been three days and nopony has seen her. We don’t even know if she’s still in town.” “She is,” Care said. “She wouldn't go anywhere unfamiliar. She’s somewhere in Ponyville. I know it.” Merriweather sighed, resisting the urge to roll her eyes. Retracting her wing, she shook it to get off the excess water before folding it against her side. “You aren't going to do anypony any good by continuing to search for her, Care,” she said softly. “We've filed the report with the guards. If they find her, they’ll bring her back. There’s nothing more we can do. Now, come back to the orphanage. The other foals are beginning to worry about you. Honey Ray was up until one in the morning last night waiting for you to return.” Care’s ears splayed backwards, and he looked away. “I know,” he murmured guiltily, “but I have to find her, Merriweather. She ran away because of me, and even though I don’t know why, I still have to apologize to her.” “Care…” Merriweather began, but was cut off as he continued speaking. “You didn't see how scared she was, Merri. She was terrified of me, and I have no idea why! It’s like she thought I was going to hit her or something! I don’t know what I did to cause her to think that was a possibility, but I have to make it right.” “I think it wasn't just you, Care, but a combination of things,” Merriweather said. “The poor dear’s been bullied since she was old enough to understand what the other foals were saying. It was just a matter of time before something like this happened. Just give it a couple of days, and she’ll be back, safe and sound.” “That’s not good enough!” Care snorted, stomping his hoof. “She’s out there right now, in this storm, alone, probably hungry, scared. I have to find her, Merri. I just have to!” “Did you ever think that she doesn't want to be found?” Merriweather asked softly, giving Care a calm look. He blinked, cocking his head tilting to the side. “What?” “Did you ever think that she doesn't want to be found?” she repeated. “You know how hard it is to find the foals in the orphanage when they don’t want to be found. You’re looking for a foal in Ponyville. I’m telling you, just give her a couple of days, and she’ll be back. Either that, or somepony will find her. “There’s only so many places a foal can hide,” she added, giving him a small smile. Care sighed, hanging his head in defeat. “Fine,” he murmured, “I’ll head back. However, tomorrow when the storm breaks, I’m going back to look for her.” Merriweather nodded. “That’s fine, just don’t forget you have other foals to look after as well.” Flaring her wings, she danced in place before, with a lunge, she darted back off into the storm. Care stood there, staring out at the rain. Reaching up, he adjusted his rain jacket, pulling it tighter around himself. Above him, thunder rumbled, causing the ground beneath his hooves to tremble slightly. Lightning filled the sky, the bolts spreading out like the branches of a tree. Casting one last glance around the deserted market, Warm Care sighed before following after Merriweather, his head hung low. ~ ~ ~ ~ > > < < ~ ~ ~ ~ Selena huddled down near the back of her makeshift shelter: a large cardboard box tipped on its side. She shivered as the wind continued to howl outside. It pulled what little warmth there was inside the box out through the various holes and slits in the sides. The top sagged horribly, so saturated with water that it dripped through and feel to the floor below. Shivering again, she pulled her tail tighter around herself, trying to gain a small amount of warmth from the worn hairs. Her ear flicked as the rain continued to pound upon the top of her shelter. She wasn't exactly sure where she was at the moment, having lost track of her position in her mad dash to escape the storm. She had been near the old library earlier. At least, she thought it was the library. It was a tree with a door, so it had to be the library. Having been there a couple of times with Care to pick out new books, she had a general idea of where it was in town, as well as the surrounding buildings. She had originally been trying to get inside of the library. It was empty during the night, so it would have been the perfect place to hide and rest. It was also near enough to the marketplace that she could search for food in the stalls. However, the door had been locked tight, and none of the windows would open. She had been contemplating using a stone to break one of the back windows when the storm hit. Seeking cover, she had raced through the marketplace as quickly as she could without bumping into anything, and took shelter in an alleyway between two buildings. From the smell of it, one of them was the flower shop. Rubbing at her eyes with a hoof, Selena sniffled quietly. Her fur was soaked and, while it was drying, it was also stealing the warmth from her coat. She felt horrible, and though she couldn't see it, she looked so as well. Her mane was disheveled and tattered, her tail in a similar state, stray strands of hair stuck out at odd angles. Snuggling down deeper into her tail, a small frown touched her lips as her stomach growled softly. She hadn't had anything to eat in a while. In fact, the last thing she had was a couple of apples she had, miraculously, stolen yesterday from the apple stall when the owner wasn't looking. She wasn't completely sure how she got away with it, but she hadn't really cared. It was food, and those apples had been delicious. Back at the orphanage, she usually never got any of the apples Care brought back with him. The other foals would take all of them and eat them before she got there. Either that, or they would leave the bad apples for her. She remembered biting into a worm once, much to the other foals’ enjoyment. But now, there had been no foals to take her apples from her, and she had been able to enjoy them. And enjoyed them she did. At least, until fifteen minutes later when she finished off the last of them. She hadn't dared to leave her hiding spot to find more food, not wanting to bump into somepony who would take her back to the orphanage. So, she remained hidden under the porch until night fell, and then she ventured forth cautiously. It was strange, really. She almost moved around better at night than during the day. KRAC-BOOOOM! Selena flinched back, her ears pressing against the top of her head as thunder roared across the sky. Whimpering softly, she buried her face into her tail, closing her sightless eyes tight. While she wasn't afraid of thunder, she didn't like how loud it was. It hurt her ears. Another burst of thunder, and she covered her ears with her hooves, gritting her teeth. Almost as soon as the thunder died down, her stomach growled in response, louder this time, causing her to sigh. Maybe she should have stayed in the orphanage. “No,” she muttered under her breath, her face scrunching up. With her eyes still closed, she shook her head, the hair of her tail tickling her nose. “No, no, no.” She couldn't have stayed there, and she couldn't go back now. If Care wasn't mad at her for hitting him, then he’d be angry with her for running away. No, there was no way she could go back to the orphanage now. Care would punish her, the other foals would tease her for running away, and she would just be miserable again. More miserable than you are now? she asked herself. She paused, thinking about it. After several seconds, she nodded her head. I’d rather be out here and away from them, than back there in that place. Snorting, she curled up into a tighter ball. Her ear twitched to the beat of the dripping water, the noise slowly lulling her to sleep. She was relaxed enough now that the next clap of thunder barely caused her ear to twitch. Somewhere in the back of her mind, an unknown yet familiar voice sung softly to her. “Now the hour has come at last, the soft and fading light, has crossed the west horizon and has bidden us goodnight…” Yawning, she slowly drifted off into a dreamless sleep. Not knowing that she was in for a rude awakening when Ms. Cake stepped outside to take out her garbage. But that was several hours away, and for now, she rested. ~ ~ ~ ~ > > END OF PART I < < ~ ~ ~ ~
Part II: Summer Sun Celebration—Present Day Celestia smiled as she watched her ponies partake in their merriment from afar. The streets of Ponyville were alive with activity, ponies running to and fro, laughing happily as they celebrated. Balloons of various sizes floated through the air; some carried by foals, others carried by the wind. Pegasi zipped through the skies above the town, showering the ponies beneath them with confetti and streamers. Sugarcube Corner had opened its doors and was now giving away free treats to anypony willing to come inside. Various goodies, most based off of the sun, were displayed around the store. The Summer Sun Celebration was now in full swing, the sun having just recently taken its rightful place in the sky. Strolling along the dirt path, Celestia moved at a steady pace towards the town, accompanied by six mares. Six special mares. She had been nervous when Nightmare Moon had returned. Well, nervous had been putting it lightly. Trapped outside of Ponyville by the Mare of Darkness’s force field, she had only been able to watch as the Nightmare had terrified her little ponies. Celestia had had a lot riding on her faithful student’s shoulders, and, despite her initial reluctance, Twilight had performed beautiful alongside her new friends. They had managed to uncover the Elements of Harmony with the old castle, defeat Nightmare Moon, and send her back into the Abyssal Darkness of Tartarus. With the Nightmare gone, her barrier had fallen and Celestia had managed to once again set hoof in Ponyville. She had immediately rushed to her student’s side, full of praise and relief. Her smile growing, Celestia watched as Twilight now galloped along ahead of her, laughing and chatting with her friends. The sight warmed Celestia’s heart. An introvert by nature, Twilight had rarely socialized with anypony unless it had something to do with her lessons. But now, as she joked around with her friends, she looked happier than Celestia had ever seen her before. Like a missing piece had filled her heart. As they headed down the path towards Ponyville, away from the Everfree Forest, Twilight glanced back at Celestia, a large smile on her face. Sunlight glinted off of the tiara perched on top of her head, the six-point gem glowing with warm light. Upon seeing the Princess watching her, Twilight blushed and quickly returned to her conversation with Applejack. Such innocence, Celestia thought, chuckling softly to herself. Never change, Twilight. As the group entered the town, ponies began to cheer and stomp their hooves, tales of the mares’ heroics having already reached them. The sea of ponies parted, allowing Celestia and the Element bearers to pass through towards the town square. A familiar figure pushed its way through the crowd, and Spike, Twilight’s assistant, emerged from the throng of ponies. Running forward, the baby dragon threw himself at Twilight, wrapping his arms around her in a hug that she happily returned. The group was swarmed by cheering ponies, flowers thrown from the crowd landing by their hooves. Two pegasi fillies emerged from the crowd, flying up to Celestia. She blinked in surprise, but smiled warmly at them when she saw the necklace of flowers held in their hooves. Lowering her head, she allowed them to slip the flower arrangement over her head and around her neck. Raising her head back up, she gave both fillies a quick peck on the forehead, causing both of them to blush. She couldn’t help chuckling to herself as the foals gave her twin smiles before rushing back to their parents. Adjusting the flowers so that they sat more comfortably around her neck, she glanced around at the sea of faces. Her gaze met joyful expressions, happy dispositions abound. The new Element Bearers were enjoying their well-deserved recognition, with the exception of the new Kindness bearer. She tried to hide beneath her mane, clearly uncomfortable with all the attention she was receiving. They still had their Elements around their necks, the golden metal glinting in the sunlight. Celestia made a mental note to acquire them for safe keeping. It wasn’t that she didn’t trust the mares, but if a thief managed to steal just one of the necklaces, then the Elements would be useless. Besides, she didn’t know of any need for them within the foreseeable future. Why burden the girls with them if they were not needed? Glancing over at Twilight, she paused upon seeing the dejected look on the young unicorn’s face. Confused at her sudden change in mood, Celestia trotted slowly over, concern in her eye. “Why so glum, my faithful student?” she asked softly. Twilight glanced up, giving her a confused look. “Are you not happy that your quest is now complete, and you can return to your studies in Canterlot?” “That’s just it,” Twilight sighed, lowering her head. Her eyes quickly flicked to the side before returning to her hooves. Blinking, Celestia glanced over to see what Twilight had been looking at. A small smirk touched her lips when she saw Twilight’s new friends standing there, watching the pair curiously. Celestia returned her attention back to Twilight as she continued speaking. “Just when I learned how wonderful it is to have friends, I have to leave them.” Oh, Twilight, she thought with a smirk. You’ve learned far more than I thought you would, and I must say, I am very proud of you. Casting one last look at the other Element bearers, all of whom now had sad looks of their own, having just realized their new friend was going to leave them, Celestia smirk turned into a genuine smile. “Spike,” she said, straightening up. “Take a note please.” As the baby dragon held up a piece of parchment and quill, Twilight gave the Princess a confused look. Ignoring her, Celestia continued. “I, Princess Celestia, hereby decree that the unicorn, Twilight Sparkle, shall take on a new mission for Equestria. She must continue to study the magic of friendship. She must report to me her findings from her new home in Ponyville.” By the time she had finished speaking, Twilight had a large smile on her face, as did all of her friends. They quickly mobbed Twilight, pulling her into a group hug as they laughed. Celestia watched, her smile growing at the sight. They truly are destined to be friends, she noted. Not even together for a day, and already they’ve become so close with one another. “Oh, thank you, Princess Celestia,” Twilight said from the middle of the pony pile. “I’ll study harder than ever before!” “I’m sure you will, my faithful student,” Celestia said as the crowd around them cheered loudly. “Make me proud.” With that, she stepped back, allowing Twilight’s friends to have her full attention. Making her way towards the town’s fountain, she stared up at the stone mare perched upon the pedestal. Water flowed gently from her mouth and eyes, splashing into the pool below. As she watched the water, Celestia sighed softly It’s finally over, Luna, she thought, her smile becoming melancholy. They have managed to do what I could not all those years ago. The Nightmare is gone, and you can rest in peace. Slowly, her gaze drifted from the fountain to the ponies around her. I wonder, Luna, would you be happy with all I’ve done? Would you smile at what Equestria has become? Her musing was interrupted by the sound of a throat being cleared beside her. Glancing around, she hummed softly. “Well, hello, Black Spark. How are you doing today?” “Splendidly,” the Archduke replied, his face expressionless. This earned a chuckle from her. “I’ve just come from the hospital. The guards that were struck by lightning have awoken, and should be released within an hour or so. Their wounds are minor, just a couple of burns and scrapes from their fall.” “Were there any other injuries caused by Nightmare Moon?” Celestia asked, her face blank. Black Spark shook his head. “A couple of scrapes and bruises from ponies running into each other, but other than that, no. We were extremely lucky.” “Yes, we were,” Celestia agreed, rubbing at her scar. “It could have been worse.” The Archduke opened his mouth to say something, but was interrupted by a pink blur zipping up to him. Staggering backwards in alarm, he snorted as he stared at the pink pony in front of him. She had the biggest smile on her face, her mane and tail looking more like cotton candy than hair. Despite the fact she was an earth pony, she barely came up to his chin. She was bouncing in place—practically in his face—and it took him a second to realize she was speaking. “...isn’t this exciting? I mean, all this fun stuff happening, Twilight gets to stay in town, and we all get a new friend! Are you excited, because I’m excited! I’ve never been so excited, well except for the time when I went—” A red magical aura surrounded her muzzle, forcing it closed with an audible ‘click’. She stopped bouncing, cocking her head to the side as she looked at Black Spark with large, curious eyes. “Stop talking,” he grunted, his eyes narrowing. A look of disgust crossed his face before it returned to normal. The mare began to mumble something, but he just increased his magic, causing her to become silent again with a wince, her nostrils flaring. “Stop,” he ordered, before releasing her muzzle from his magic. As the mare rubbed at her jaw, another voice came from above, “Hey! What do you think you’re doing to Pinkie!?” Glancing up, Black Spark blinked at the pegasus that was hovering above him; a cerulean mare with rainbow mane. She was glaring at him, an angry look on her face. “Well?” she asked, nostrils flaring. “What do you think you’re doing!?” “Asking her to be quiet,” he replied, his voice neutral. “Nicely,” he added. Other ponies were beginning to gather around, their faces curious. An orange earth pony mare wearing a worn-out stetson on her head moved to stand beneath the pegasus, a small frown on her face. Adjusting his chaperon hat, Black Spark cracked his neck before glancing at Celestia. “I’m going to check around town, make sure nothing is amiss.” “That won’t be necessary,” Celestia said. “All this work is making you too tense. Relax a bit, Black Spark. It’s a celebration, after all.” The pink mare suddenly gasped loudly, her eyes widening. In an instant, she was clinging to the Archduke’s leg, looking up at him with big, pleading eyes. “Y-you… you’re not leaving the party, are you?” she asked, her eyes beginning to water. “Why would you want to do that?” Black Spark stood stock still, his face impassive. Slowly, he turned his head, glancing down at the mare. “Let go of my hoof, gypsy,” he growled, his eyes flashing dangerously. The mare’s ears splayed backwards, and she swallowed loudly before releasing her grip on his hoof and slinking back. Lifting his hoof, Black Spark flexed it once before placing it back on the ground. With an angry snort, he turned and stalked off, disappearing into the crowd. Rainbow watched him go, a scowl on her face. “What’s his problem?” she huffed, crossing her forelegs over her chest. “Where does he get off talking to Pinkie like that? I ought to find him, and teach him a lesson!” “Whoa, there, sugarcube,” Applejack said, grabbing ahold of Rainbow’s tail and pulling her to earth. “Let’s not do anythin’ we might regret.” “You’ll have to forgive Black Spark,” Celestia sighed. “He can be rather stuck-up at times.” Twilight nodded silently in agreement. “Brutish is more like it,” Rarity tsked, shaking her head. “Calling Pinkie something as crass as that. Pinkie, dear, are you alright?” Celestia glanced down at Pinkie, who was staring after the Archduke, a bemused look on her face. Cocking her head to the side, she asked, “How did he know?” “Pardon?” Rarity asked, blinking in confusion. “How did he know that my Granny Pie was a gypsy?” “He almost has a sixth sense when it comes to it,” Twilight replied, her face scrunching up. “It’s rather creepy, actually.” “He has his quirks,” Celestia admitted. She was silent for several seconds before glancing down at Pinkie. “Come, Ms. Pie,” she said, giving her a warm smile. “I do believe we still have more of this wonderful party to experience.” ~ ~ ~ ~ > > < < ~ ~ ~ ~ Selena grimaced, her ears pressing tight against her head. The loud cheering of ponies was beginning to hurt her sensitive ears. Not only was this annoying, it greatly reduced her ability to navigate around town. Now she’d have to rely on her memory, as well as her sense of touch. Not undoable, but not her favorite means of getting around. Her stomach growled, causing her to sigh. She wasn’t exactly sure what time it was—the morning seemed to have been delayed for some reason or another—but her stomach was telling her it was about lunch time. Time to go scavenging for something to eat. Pushing herself up off of the unfolded cardboard box she was using as a resting place, she moved towards the entrance of the alley she was staying in. She brushed her tail against the wall as she walked, using it to guide herself along. Sunlight streamed into the opening between buildings, and she blinked at the sudden increase in light. Warmth spread across her face as she slipped out into the sun. Perking her ears, she concentrated, trying to hear through the sea of noise. Most of the cheering appeared to be coming from near the town square. Making a mental note to avoid that area for the time being, she turned and angled herself towards the marketplace instead. Whatever was going on in town seemed to be big, so hopefully enough ponies were distracted that she could get a decent meal without being spotted. Again. Lighting up her horn, she created a small, magical field in front of her, moving it back and forth as she walked. It was a technique she had picked up that allowed her to avoid bumping into things that may be in front of her. If the magical field came in contact with anything, she would sense it, and would be able to adjust her path accordingly. It was very useful in helping her to avoid tripping on rocks and twigs. It was also one of the only things she could do with her horn. It took her a little longer to reach the marketplace than it normally would, as there appeared to be more ponies out than usual. As she walked, she tried to pick up on what was going on, but she couldn’t understand anything with the amount of voices talking at once. Even to her expert hearing, it sounded like gibberish. Entering the marketplace, she was pleased to find that the cheering had died down to the point where she didn’t have to hold her ears against her head. From the sounds around her, she picked up that there was quite a few ponies in the marketplace, but the usual sounds of business and purchasing was absent. Instead, excited conversation filled the air. Excellent, Selena thought, tuning out the lively chatter. Hopefully they’ll all be too distracted talking to one another to notice me. Walking as nonchalantly as possible, she made her way slowly around the marketplace, counting out the steps in her head. 1, 2, 3, bench, 1, 2, 3, light post, 1, 2, 3… Skirting around the edge of the library, she headed towards one of her favorite stalls: the apple stand. It was rare that she would get an opportunity to swipe an apple or two, as there was usually a large crowd around the stall. They were such a rare treat for her that she had taken to eating the entire thing, seeds and all, just to savor as much of it as possible. It looked like today wasn’t going to be one of those days, either. When she finally managed to get to the stall, it was closed. Making sure to keep her ears perked for any approaching hoofsteps, she quickly ran her hoof over the wooden stall, searching for any leftover apples. She huffed, her ears splaying backwards when she found nothing. As she chewed on the inside of her cheek, trying to figure out her next plan, her nose twitched, picking up a faint scent. Nostrils flaring, she lifted her head, sniffing tentatively. It was food alright, she just couldn’t identify what it was yet. It didn’t matter though; food was food, and her stomach took that moment to remind her that she hadn’t eaten in a while. Allowing her nose to guide her, she picked her way carefully through the stalls of the marketplace. She paused several times when a group of ponies would draw near, waiting until they had passed by before moving again. With the wind and other scents in the air, she was almost led astray several times, only years of practice keeping her on track. Soon enough, she came across the stall that smelled strongly of the scent she had been tracking. Her ears twitched, picking up the surrounding noises. From the sounds of it, there was a pony—a stallion—tending to the stall. He appeared to be talking to a group of ponies, probably his friends. Good, hopefully they keep him distracted, she thought to herself. Slinking around behind the stall, she pressed herself up against the wooden planks. There was no change in the conversation, so she knew she hadn’t been spotted. Tentatively reaching a hoof up, she felt around the top of the stand, searching for what was located there. It bumped into something hard and she grabbed it, quickly ducking back behind the stall. Rolling the object around in her hooves, Selena studied it closely with the frog of her hoof. A frown touched her face as she realized what it was: a pear. She was at the pear stand. “Great,” she grumbled under her breath, glaring blindly at the fruit in her hooves. Sighing, she hung her head before reaching back up for another pear. She might not like them, but she didn’t want to be out during the day for very long, so she’d just grab a couple now, and go scavenging again when night fell. Hopefully all the activity around town meant a party was going on. There was always a ton of leftovers after the town’s random parties. She was reaching up for a third one when there came an angry cry from behind her. Before she could react, somepony grabbed her tail firmly. With a startled yelp, she was pulled out from behind the stand, the pears she had already grabbed falling to the ground and wobbling away. Scrabbling to get away, she froze when an angry voice spoke up from above her. “What do you think you’re doing?” Her ears splayed backwards in alarm at the voice. It was the stallion whose stall she was stealing from. This was bad. It wasn’t that nopony had ever caught her stealing before, but it was usually when she was running away. However, this stallion had her firmly by the tail. “I said, what do you think you’re doing?” he repeated, yanking hard on her tail. She yelped in pain as she was dragged back. The conversation around the marketplace had tapered off, and Selena had the sneaking suspicion that they were all looking to see what the commotion was. Her heart rate increased as she began to panic. She did not like being the center of attention. She needed to get away right now! She felt her tail being yanked on again, and bit back a cry. Digging her hooves into the ground, she struggled to get away, but the stallion’s grip was too strong. “Oh, no,” he growled. “You aren’t going anywhere, you little thief.” Her ears picked up a sudden whistling noise seconds before pain flared across her flank. She toppled over with a squeal, her rump remaining in the air due to her tail. Kicking her back legs, she tried to hit the stallion in order to get him to release her. She met only air, and her panic grew. If there was nopony within kicking distance, that could only mean one thing: her tail was being held by magic. No, not a unicorn! What’s a unicorn doing tending to a fruit stand!? “You think you can just steal and get away with it?” the stallion said loudly, anger in his voice. “I’ll teach you!” A hoof suddenly connected to Selena’s muzzle with a loud crack. Almost immediately, she felt blood beginning to flow, dribbling from her nostrils. Desperately, she lit up her horn, trying to create a barrier to protect herself. However, she couldn’t concentrate enough to form it, her fear causing the spell to flicker and die. The stallion’s hoof came down again, this time on her chest. The air left her lungs in a ‘whoosh’, leaving her gasping for breath. Around her, she could hear the other ponies muttering and whispering together, yet nopony seemed willing to step in to help her. They just watched as the stallion kicked her again, this time in the side. She whimpered, trying her best to roll into a ball with her trapped tail keeping her flank in place. Another kick, this time to the gut, left her wheezing for breath. The blood from her nose was now slowly beginning to ooze into her mouth, and she coughed as it tickled the back of her throat. She was bracing herself for the next blow when a shout suddenly rang out through the marketplace. “Rare Find, stop! It’s Black Spark!” ~ ~ ~ ~ > > < < ~ ~ ~ ~ Black Spark stood at the entrance of the marketplace, staring at the growing crowd of ponies around one of the stalls. His eyes narrowed as he caught sight of a stallion kicking something on the ground, obscured by the hooves of the watching ponies. A pained yelp suddenly reached his ears, and his eyes widened. A brawl? Here? For what reason? Ponyville was one of the friendlier towns in Equestria. Moving quickly, Black Spark stalked forward, making his way towards the crowd, his lip pulled back in a snarl. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw several of the local guards approaching as well, their armor glinting in the sunlight. As he neared, a mare in the back of the group perked up, her ears swiveling around at his hoofsteps. She glanced over her shoulder curiously, only for her pupils to shrink when she caught sight of him approaching. Turning, she shouted in a panicked voice, “Rare Find, stop! It’s Black Spark!” Immediately, the sound of fighting stopped, and ponies began to scramble to allow him through, trying to look as innocent as possible in the process. Several even bowed their heads as he neared, trying to look contrite. This just caused him to snort, his temper growing. Thus, the rats scatter, fleeing their sinking ship. As he reached the middle of the crowd, Black Spark spied two ponies: a unicorn stallion with a brown coat and white mane, and a unicorn mare, dark blue coat and mane. The stallion was standing up straight, trying his hardest to look braver than he was. He had a determined look on his face that was countered by his trembling knees. Adjusting the straining saddlebags on his back, he gave Black Spark a weak smile. Ignoring him, the Archduke turned his attention to the mare instead. She looked horrible, her mane and tail a horrid mass of knots and tangles. Her coat was covered in dirt and grime, her hooves chipped. A ragged, holey cloak covered her back and flank, hiding her cutie mark from view. She was hunched over, her mane hanging in front of her face. Drops of blood fell from her hidden muzzle, falling to the ground below in slow, even drips. He studied the mare carefully, his brow furrowing. She looked strangely familiar, but he couldn’t place where he had seen her before. Maybe during his last visit to this backwater town? Eyeing the scene before him, Black Spark snorted, his brow furrowing. “Is there a witness to this?” he growled, looking around at the crowd. Nopony moved for several seconds before a mare stepped forward, trembling slightly. Motioning the mare forward, he pointed to one of the local guards. “Give them your testimony.” As the mare moved to do so, the Archduke turned his attention back towards the pair around whom this whole incident revolved. “Well, look at this fine collection that crawled from underneath the stones,” he said, his voice cold. The stallion’s smile faded, his ears splaying back. The mare said nothing, just kept her head lowered, ears pressed against her head. She trembled slightly, her body tense beneath the cloak. More blood dripped from her nose, pooling on the ground below. The stallion licked his lips, swallowing thickly. “It’s… it’s good that you’re here, s-sir,” he stammered out. He seemed to grow more confident as he spoke, pointing a hoof at the cowering mare. “I caught this filth stealing from one of the stalls!” The mare’s ear twitched, and her head lifted slightly, just enough so that Black Spark was able to see a frown upon her face. He dimly noted that she appeared to have a split lip. “I demand that you arrest her immediately!” the stallion continued, stomping a hoof. All of his bravado fled and he shrunk back when the Archduke glared at him, his ice blue eyes narrowed. “I won’t be doing anything until we’ve settled what has happened here,” he growled. “B-but, I just told you,” the stallion said, in a whining tone, Black Spark noted with disdain. “She was trying to steal some pears, and I stopped her!” “Did you need to use excessive force to do so? From where I’m standing, she looks far worse off than you,” the Archduke responded, his eyes narrowing, “and it’s funny. I don’t hear her saying anything.” Turning to look at the mare, he asked, his tone soft, “Ma’am, do you have anything to say about this?” The mare was still for a few seconds before gingerly shaking her head, not looking up. The stallion snorted, a triumphant smile on his face. “You see?” he sneered gleefully, pointing a hoof at the mare. “Nothing to say! She’s clearly guilty!” As he lifted his hoof, his saddlebags shifted to the side. A loud ripping noise filled the air before the bottom of the bags split wide open, dumping the contents everywhere. A small, metal box fell to the ground with a clattering, drawing everypony’s attention to it. Silence fell over the marketplace as everypony stared at the box, before a mare stepped forward. She glared at the stallion, her nostrils flaring. “Hey, that’s my lockbox!” The stallion froze, halfway between bending down to pick up the box. His eyes widened, ears splaying back as he gave the mare a weak smile. “I… I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said, his voice rising in pitch slightly. “This is mine.” “Then why does it have my cutie mark on it?” the mare growled, taking a step forward. Sure enough, when Black Spark looked, the lockbox had the mare’s cutie mark on the sides: a trio of carrots grouped together. By now the stallion was sweating profusely, his eyes darting across the crowd around him. His gaze was met by angry faces, ponies muttering amongst themselves as they glared at him. Tail tucked between his legs, he chuckled weakly before suddenly bolting towards a gap in the crowd. He only managed to make it about halfway before his body was surrounded by a red aura, and he was lifted bodily into the air. As he struggled uselessly, Black Spark stalked closer, a snarl on his face. “So,” he growled, his voice so cold you could practically see his breath, “that’s you game, is it? Loot while other ponies are celebrating, then accuse an innocent mare in order to get the blame placed on her instead? I’ve got to say, that’s a new one for me.” “N-no, you don’t understand!” the stallion yelped. “She really did—” The Archduke’s magic surrounded his muzzle and forced it shut, cutting off his cries. “That’s enough out of you,” he growled. “I know what you are. A liar, and a thief. I know your kind and your trade.” He paused, taking a deep breath before continuing in a calmer voice. “You have the right to remain silent. I suggest you take it.” Relaxing his expression, Black Spark turned to the mare, that faintest of smiles touching his lips. “By your witness, ma’am, I’ll see this stallion is made to pay—” He blinked in surprise, his mouth clicking shut. The mare was gone, the spot she had been sitting now empty. The only indication that she had ever been there was a small pool of drying blood. Lifting his gaze, the Archduke looked around at the surrounding ponies. “Where did she go?” Everypony else seemed to be thinking the same thing, the crowd glancing around in confusion. Several pegasi took flight, glancing around to see if they could spot her from the air. A voice called out from the back of the crowd, “Good luck catching her. Nopony’s been able to for years!” A murmur of agreement ran through the gathered ponies, several nodding their heads in agreement. Glancing around the market one last time, Black Spark turned to one of the guards. “Head to the hospital,” he ordered. “Hopefully she was smart enough to go there to get her injuries treated. If you find her, allow her to finish getting looked at, then escort her to the guard station to get her information. Got it?” The guard saluted before hurrying off. Turning to another guard—a unicorn—he motioned towards the stallion still struggling mutely in his magic. “Take this filth back to the station and put him in holding. Process him as you see fit. This will remain local.” The guard nodded before lighting up her horn, her blue magic overriding his red. As the guard escorted the thief to the station, Black Spark glanced down at the patch of blood one last time. He eyed the crimson liquid with a look of distaste. Innocent blood has been spilt, and he couldn’t help her because she had fled. Why had she run, though? he mused. She was innocent, she why would she feel the need to flee? And why was she so familiar? He could have sworn that he had seen her before, but just couldn’t remember where. The memory was fuzzy, just out of reach. Like a long forgotten dream, slowly slipping away. Snorting, the Archduke shook his head to clear his mind. It didn’t matter. The guard he had sent to check the hospital would surely find her. Only an insane pony wouldn’t get their injuries looked at. The guard would find her and justice would be served. Lifting his head, Black Spark glanced around at the surrounding ponies. They were just milling about, trying to look disinterested, but he knew better. They were occasionally glancing at him out of the corner of their eyes, waiting for the next exciting event to happen. Bunch of pests, he growled, glaring at them. “Everypony about your business,” he barked, causing them all to jump. “Clear this garbage off the streets!” The crowd dispersed quickly, not wanting to risk the Archduke’s ire. Watching them leave, Black Spark stood there for a few seconds, just listening to the sounds around him, before turning with a sigh and heading back towards town hall. ~ ~ ~ ~ > > < < ~ ~ ~ ~ Selena pressed herself against the wall of the building, her heart pounding in her ears. Her chest hurt, her face hurt, and she could still feel blood slowly dripping from her muzzle. Several of her teeth were loose, and she was pretty sure that several more were chipped. She had snuck away from the crowd when the stranger that had stopped the beatings had been yelling at Rare Find. How she had managed to get through the sea of ponies without anypony noticing her, she didn’t know, but she didn’t care. She had somehow managed to get away, and that was all that mattered to her. Lifting a trembling hoof, she touched her muzzle gingerly, wincing when pain flared up. It hurt badly, and she wasn’t sure if it was broken or not. She whimpered softly as she lowered her hoof, her ears pressing against the back of her head. She was in pain, bleeding, and bruised, and to make matters worse, she had lost her stolen food when the stallion had attacked her. She was injured, and had nothing to show for her efforts. Her stomach took that exact moment to growl loudly, reminding her that she hadn’t eaten in a while. Sighing, she pushed herself off of the wall of the building, wincing as she put pressure on her bruised leg. She limped along the alleyway, bumping into trash bins and dumpsters as she tried to make her way through. She paused as she reached the end of the alley. Perking her ears, she listened for any indication of where she was. The chatter of ponies filled the air, as did the soft sound of splashing water. Her ears flicked as she picked up the faintest sound of a clock ticking far above her. Closing her useless eyes and hanging her head, she groaned. Somehow, she had managed to make her escape right into the town square, the one place that she had been trying to avoid. “Okay,” she sighed, taking a deep breath. She winced as her nostrils flared, bringing a fresh wave of pain. “Okay, this is fine. I’m at the clock tower. The bakery is on the other side. If I can just get over there, I can see if I can scavenge some food.” The local bakery, Sugarcube Corner if she remembered correctly from her eavesdropping, was always a good source of food. There always seemed to be random treats lying around unattended. Sometimes, if she was sleeping in the alley beside it, she would wake to find a box of cupcakes sitting on top of the box she was hiding in. Why they would throw out a whole bunch of perfectly good cupcakes, she didn’t know, but it didn’t really matter; their loss was her gain. The cupcakes would usually last her a good three days, if she could control herself. Lighting up her horn, she recreated the small, magical field in front of her. She waited until it sounded like nopony was around her before she crept out of alley. Keeping herself low to the ground, she slunk along, trying to make herself as small as possible. 1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, bench, 1, 2, 3, 4... Keeping track of her steps, she tried to keep up her mental map. If she was right, then the fountain should be right about— thunk Her hoof struck the side of the fountain as she nearly ran face first into the stone. Pausing just long enough to reorient herself, she crept around the fountain, her shoulder pressed against the cool stone. 1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3— “Nuh-uh, there is no way that Applejack can eat more cupcakes than me!” Selena froze, her body stiffening as a loud, raspy voice spoke up from close by. Probably from about fifteen feet away, and from the sound of wingbeats, she’d say the pony was airborne. She silently cursed, her ears pressing against her head. How had she not heard the pegasus before she had gotten this close? Her injuries must have been affecting her worse than she thought. Holding her breath, she sunk lower to the ground, silently praying that she would remain unseen. “Is that a challenge, sugarcube?” another, accented voice spoke up, causing Selena to wince. They were too close. There was no way they wouldn’t spot her! “You bet it is!” came the reply, accompanied by a rush of air as the pegasus flew off. The sound of hoofsteps followed as the other pony left as well. Selena waited a few seconds before moving again. Swallowing thickly, she began to inch along, trying to reconstruct her mental map. “Come on, girls. Is this really necessary?” a third voice suddenly spoke up. “Oh, lighten up, Twilight! It’s a party!” a hyperactive fourth cheered. Selena attempted to ignore them, trying to remember where the bakery was in relation to the fountain. Did she have three more steps to take, or did she need to turn to the right? Swiveling her ears around, she attempted to detect any sounds that would help her determine the building’s location. “Indeed, my faithful student,” a fifth voice said. This one caused Selena to freeze completely, her eyes widening in shock. Her heart rate quickened, and she began to hyperventilate. It sounded like the speaker was right on top of her, practically standing on her. She had to get out of there and find a place to hide. She needed to escape. However, something about the voice caused her to remain frozen in place. It was soft, yet regal, with a hint of power and warmth behind it. The kind of voice she imagined a mother would use. Selena frowned, her brow furrowing. The voice sounded oddly familiar, even though she knew that she had never heard it before. The name of the speaker was there, just out of reach, like a dream upon awakening. She tried to reach for it, but it just faded faster the harder she pushed. ...Tia? She was snapped out of her daze by the sound of the voice speaking up again. “Ah, Black Spark, there you are. Did you find anything on your walk?” Eyes widening in alarm, Selena suddenly regained control over her body. Throwing caution to the wind, she bolted, angling herself in the direction she believed, and hoped, the bakery was in. She could hear the stallion from before—the one that had saved her—say something, but she didn’t catch the words. Several times she almost tripped over something in the road, only to be saved at the last minute by her magic. The scent of baked goods filled her nose, and, flaring her nostrils, she adjusted her path towards the smell. She nearly crashed into another pony, wincing as they yelped loudly in her ear as she ran past. “What in tarnation!?” Putting on an extra burst of speed, she ran until she almost smashed into the side of the bakery, saved only by the magic in front of her alerting her at the last second. Using the wall to guide her, she quickly ducked into the side alley. It was only when she was safely within the shadow of the bakery that she relaxed. Trying to catch her breath, she searched around for the alleyway with her hooves. When she stumbled across a decent-sized box, she breathed a sigh of relief. It was just big enough to for her to hide inside. The faint scent coming from within told her that it was probably used to ship cooking supplies to the bakery, the faintest hint of strawberries and cream reaching her nose. Pulling the box over to a nearby dumpster, she placed the opening towards the metal siding before squeezing inside. Now, the only way somepony would see her was if they looked through the crack between the dumpster and the box. It was a surefire way for her to get some sleep during the day without somepony stumbling across her. Curling into a tight ball, Selena rested her chin upon her hind leg, using her ragged tail as a blanket. Her nose was still throbbing slightly, and she still hurt all over. The aroma of strawberries wasn’t doing anything for her hunger, her stomach growling softly. Hunkering down, she tried to get comfortable. She would sleep now, and try to find something to eat come evening time. Hopefully all the activity would have died down by then, and she would be able to scavenge in peace. She prayed that there was a party in town right now, because that meant that there was a higher chance of her getting something to eat. Otherwise, it might just be grass for dinner. Again. For the twelfth time this month. She hated grass; it tasted horrible and always sat like a rock in her stomach. But you had to do what you had to do to survive. Pushing her pain aside, Selena snuggled down inside of the box. She could still hear the activity going on in the square, although she had long since grown used to the noise, so it didn’t bother her. Yawning softly, she closed her eyes and slipped slowly into an uneasy sleep. ~ ~ ~ ~ > > < < ~ ~ ~ ~ As evening slowly descended upon Ponyville, the day’s festivities gradually came to an end. The town looked thoroughly used; the streets covered in ribbons and confetti. Trash bins were overflowing with garbage and half-eaten food. Ponies chatted softly with one another as they slowly made their way back to their homes, several staying behind to help pick up. Foals, tuckered out from a long day of playing, rested upon the backs of their parents. Smiles could be found on most faces, the majority of the town having enjoyed the celebration immensely. Even though Princess Celestia had had to return to Canterlot around mid-afternoon, the party had continued without her. And what a party it had been. Twilight could safely say that she had never experienced a Summer Sun Celebration like this one back in Canterlot. Trotting down the road with an asleep Spike on her back, she smiled as she chatted with her new friends. “Ugh... I think I ate too much,” Rainbow complained, hovering so low that her hooves were scraping along the ground. “I told you it wasn’t a good idea,” Rarity huffed. “I mean, really. Twenty-three cupcakes? It’s a wonder you weren’t sick.” Both Rainbow and Applejack groaned loudly. Their stomachs were distended, each having tried to out eat the other. The end result was a tie, and a twin case of stomach aches. “That wasn’t very smart,” Twilight said, glancing over her shoulder. “You probably just consumed a whole week’s worth of calories. Even though you both have rigorous jobs, you still need to watch what you eat. If you eat too much, your metabolism won’t be able to handle it all.” “What’s that supposed to mean?” Rainbow asked, her eyes narrowing. “I think she just called you fat!” Pinkie giggled, hopping along. Rainbow glared at Twilight, whose eyes widened in alarm. “Did you just call me—” she began, only to pause and glance over at Pinkie, a confused look crossing her face. “Pinkie, why do you have three cupcakes on your back?” The others paused as well, glancing at the party mare. Rainbow was right, Pinkie had three cupcakes perched upon her back. Somehow, they remained stationary even as she was bouncing along. “I’m actually curious about that myself, darling,” Rarity said. “You’ve been holding onto those cupcakes for a while now. Are you saving them for later?” “Nope!” Pinkie chirped happily. “They aren’t for me!” “Who are they for?” Twilight asked, giving the cupcakes a curious look. They had dark blue frosting around the outside with white frosting in the middle. Light blue sprinkles covered the top. “Pinkie, did you custom make these? I don’t remember seeing them on the buffet table.” “Yepperoni!” Pinkie said, bouncing in place. “I made them special!” “Really?” Twilight said, blinking in surprise. “Who are they for, if you don’t mind me asking?” Pinkie stopped bouncing, her smile diminishing slightly. “Somepony special who could use a pick-me-up.”
Part II: The Shadow Thief, part 1Twilight hummed softly as she moved around the kitchen, perusing the cupboards. Opening one of the cabinets, she frown when she found it nearly empty. She closed the cabinet door gently, a thoughtful look on her face. Her ear twitched once before she called back over her shoulder, “Spike, do you want anything from the market? I need to go shopping.” A cry of affirmation came from upstairs, followed by the muffled sound of the patter of feet. Twilight smiled, shaking her head as she laughed softly to herself. Levitating a pad of paper and a quill over to herself, she began to scratch out a grocery list, muttering softly to herself as she did so. “Eggs, apples, probably could use some more milk…” Trailing off, she glanced around the kitchen, trying to see if there was anything she might be missing. The sound of footsteps behind her announced another presence, and, turning, she gave her assistant a warm smile. “Good morning, Spike. Do you have something for the list?” she asked, holding up the pad of paper. Spike nodded his head, slightly out of breath. “Yes! Can you get some sapphires from Rarity?” he asked, giving her a hopeful look. “I don’t know,” Twilight said, eyeing him. “You’ve been eating a lot of junk food since we moved here.” It was true, his diet had become increasingly unhealthy in the two weeks since they moved to Ponyville. Most ponies in the small town, having never seen a baby dragon before, were more than happy to give him any extra treats they had lying around. There was something they found fascinating about watching him eat that Twilight just couldn’t see. This meant that Spike had gained a couple of pounds around the middle, and Twilight was forced to try and get him eating right again. In order to keep him from getting worse, she had removed most of the snack food from the library, and Spike was no longer allowed to ride on her back around town. He had to walk beside her and work of the extra calories. Twilight couldn’t blame him though. There was something about the food in Ponyville that made it taste better than the food in Canterlot. It was fresher, and left her feeling more satisfied for longer. The fact that the majority of the residents in Ponyville were earth ponies probably had something to do with it. It would be an interesting topic of study, Twilight thought, her brow furrowing. Food prepared by earth ponies compared to food prepared by unicorns and pegasi. I wonder if there are any health benefits? Pinkie and Applejack are the best cooks out of our friends, while Rainbow, Rarity, and I can’t cook to save our lives… but, Fluttershy is able to prepare food for her animals. Could it be part of her special talent though? Applejack and Pinkie’s cutie marks are food related, so… is it just earth ponies are more likely to get food-related cutie marks? I might need a wider sample size. I could get a hold of the local census and take a look, maybe even the national one as well. I wonder if Princess Celestia will allow me to— She was brought out of her musing by Spike tugging on her leg. Shaking her head, she blinked before glancing down at the dragon and giving him a sheepish smile. “I’m sorry, Spike, I was miles away,” she apologized. “What did you say?” “I could tell,” Spike said, crossing his arms. “You were getting that look on your face again. Anyways, I was offer to clean the library in exchange if you would get some sapphires.” “Aren’t you already supposed to clean the library?” Twilight asked, narrowing her eyes playfully. “Why should I reward you for something that you should be doing regardless?” She had to bite her lip in order to stop herself giggling at the look of dismay that crossed Spike’s face. “Please, Twilight,” he pleaded, clasping his claws together and dropping onto his knees in a dramatic fashion. “I haven’t had any gems in over a day. I can hardly remember what they taste like!” “You’ve been hanging out around Rarity too much,” Twilight said, the corners of her lips twitching upwards as she tried to hold back her smile. “I’ll think about it, okay?” she added, already making a mental note to see if Rarity had any spare gems lying around. When Spike’s eyes lit up, she finally broke down and chuckled, shaking her head. “Don’t get your hopes up. I said I’d think about it.” “Thanks, Twilight,” he said, hugging her foreleg. “You’re the best!” Still smiling, Twilight leaned down and nuzzled the top of Spike’s head. His scales tugged at her fur, and she winced as they pulled some hair out. That didn’t stop her, though. Having lived with Spike for most of her life, she had grown accustomed to the feeling. She would gladly bear a little discomfort in order to show him that she loved him. After a few seconds, he released her leg and scampered off. Twilight watched him go, the smile remaining on her face even as he disappeared through the doorway. When she was sure he was gone, she turned back to the pad of paper, and, with a quick flick of the quill, jotted down ‘sapphires’ at the bottom of her list. “I spoil you too much, Spike,” she said, laughing softly as she shook her head. Glancing around, she double checked to see if she was forgetting anything. Not seeing anything overly important, she tore the list out of the pad, placing the paper and quill back on the table. Rolling up the list, she trotted into the main room of the library. Mentally mapping out her route and what stall she would hit first, Twilight grabbed her saddlebags out from behind the receptionist’s desk. Checking to make sure her bits were still inside, she then buckled the bags across her back. She paused to readjust the straps to a snugger fit before slipping the list into the right bag. As she put a hoof on the door, she took a moment to glance at the weather schedule posted on the wall beside it. Clear skies were planned till this evening, with a thunderstorm planned for overnight. I won’t have to worry about that, Twilight mused. I’ll be back home long before the storm arrives. “Spike, I’ll be back in a bit,” she called up the stairs, receiving a muffled shout down as a response. Humming happily to herself, she pushed the front door open and stepped out into the sun. ~ ~ ~ ~ > > < < ~ ~ ~ ~ Sitting silently in the entrance to the alleyway, Selena listened closely to the world around her. Laughter and the chatter of ponies filled the air as the residents of Ponyville went about their day. Tucked back in the shadow of the buildings, she kept her head lowered, but her ears perked. Every so often, they would twitch as she focused on the sounds of the marketplace, trying to take in as much information as possible. The faint smell of baked goods caused her nostrils to flare as she inhaled the pleasant aroma. Blueberry muffins fresh from the oven, banana bread with chocolate chips, honey glazed donuts. The mouth-watering scents were enough to make her stomach growl loudly, and Selena whined in annoyance. Several days had passed since she had last managed to find any real food to eat, and she was starting to get desperate. Last night, as hunger clawed at her belly, she had broken down and nibbled on some grass she had found in a nearby park. The bitter substance did nothing to sate her hunger. Instead, it had just given her terrible stomach pains, horrible gas, and she had awoken in the morning with a horrid aftertaste in her mouth that still refused to dissipate. She grimaced, shivering as she absentmindedly ran her tongue over her teeth. Hopefully she’d be able to get something decent to eat today, if not to get the taste of grass out of her mouth, then to get something into her stomach. The last thing she had had to eat was a soggy dandelion sandwich that had been left out on one of the patio tables of a restaurant. She had nabbed it quickly while the whole town had been in an uproar over something to do with a “Gala”. Despite being thoroughly soaked, it had still helped ease her hunger a little. It hadn’t been pleasant, though. Nothing like some of the cupcakes she would occasionally pilfer from around Sugarcube Corner, or—Maker forbid—an apple from the apple stand. A rare, delicious treat whenever she could get her hooves on one or two. At the memory of the appley goodness, her stomach growled again, louder than before. Selena huffed softly, gritting her teeth in frustration. Why was food so hard to come by? It hadn’t been like this back at the orphanage... No! Selena snorted, quickly stomping down that particular line of thought before it could grow too much. She had put that behind her. It didn’t matter what it had been like back at the orphanage; she was better off by herself than back there. She didn’t even know if the orphanage was still standing, having not wandered towards that part of town in years. Instead, she preferred to stay near the marketplace and her source of food. Speaking of which… Selena’s ears twitched and perked up as she suddenly caught some snippets of a far off conversation. “...to say, those carrots look amazing, Carrot Top,” a mare said, her voice nearly swallowed up by the ambient noise of the marketplace. “Thanks!” came the giggly reply. “I put a lot of love into them. They’re some of the best I’ve ever grown!” “And it shows. It really does. But if they are high quality, why are you selling them for so low?” “I’ve got to get rid of them, so I’m selling them in bulk for cheap,” came the reply from the mare now identified as Carrot Top. “Need to clear out some space in storage for the corn and wheat. Gotta get ready for when Applejack starts to make her cider and whiskey. Hopefully I’ll have some left over so Mrs. Cake can make some of her delicious carrot cake. “Anyways, you want to buy some...” Letting the conversation fade from her attention, Selena smiled to herself. Whenever somepony sold anything in bulk, it usually meant that they had a surplus of said product. A surplus mean that it would be easier to steal some without anypony noticing. “Looks like it’s carrots today,” she muttered under her breath, an ear flicking against her head. It wasn’t as good as apples, but it would do to fill her aching stomach. “If I can get some, that is,” she added with a grunt as she stood. Immediately, the feeling of pins and needles rushed up her legs, and she winced, giving them a quick shake to get the blood flowing again. Once she had recovered the feeling in her limbs, she pulled the hood of her tattered cloak over her head, hiding her face from view. Moving slowly, she approached the opening of the alleyway, listening intently to see if anypony was nearby. Upon hearing nothing within her immediate vicinity, she pulled her cloak tighter around herself and, with a heavy sigh, stepped out from the shadows and into the sun. Moving as silently as possible, she crept through the crowded marketplace like a shadow. ~ ~ ~ ~ > > < < ~ ~ ~ ~ Twilight hummed softly to herself as she made her way through the packed marketplace. Or, as packed as it could be for a small town like Ponyville. Having grown up in Canterlot, she could easily say that, compared to Canterlot’s central market, Ponyville’s wasn’t that bad. There were times in Canterlot that you were shoulder-to-shoulder, trying to push your way towards the shop you needed to visit. In Ponyville, the worst they had was having to wait behind four or five ponies before you could be served. It was actually a nice change of pace; it didn’t take her all day to get her shopping done. Stopping next to the fountain in the middle of the marketplace, Twilight decided to take a quick breather. She had so far managed to get most of the items on her list. As she rested, she pulled said list out of her saddlebag and consulted it, all the while muttering to herself. “Let’s see. I’ve got the eggs, apples─too bad Applejack wasn’t feeling to well, I would’ve liked to talk to her─milk, some candied cherries as a treat for later.” Running an eye down the list, she hummed as she reached the item at the bottom. “Sapphires for Spike,” she muttered, a small smile touching her muzzle. “Hopefully Rarity isn’t too busy today. I would hate to disturb her.” Double-checking the list one last time to make sure she had gotten everything else, Twilight slipped it back into her bag before turning to head towards the Carousel Boutique. She had only taken a couple of steps when she paused suddenly, something strange catching her eye. She frowned as she watched the cloaked pony creep out from a nearby alleyway, keeping low to the ground. The cloak was old and tattered, cover the pony’s entire body, with only their hooves and the tip of their tail visible. The hood was pulled up over the pony’s head, hiding their face from view. As the cloaked pony crept along, Twilight couldn’t help but notice that they moved with a slight limp, favoring their back right leg. She wasn’t sure what it was about this pony that caught her eye, but something just felt… off about them. And it wasn’t the fact that she was wearing a cloak on a beautiful summer day. Moving around the fountain to try and get a better look at this mysterious pony, Twilight blinked in surprise. They had disappeared! She had only taken her eyes off of them for a brief second, and now they were gone. Just like that. Alarmed, Twilight whipped her head back and forth, searching for any sign of the cloaked pony. How could she lose a cloaked pony in this crowd? They should be standing out like a sore hoof! Casting a quick detection spell, Twilight’s bewilderment grew. No teleportation spells had been used within her vicinity, nor any disguise spells either. It was like the pony had just disappeared into thin air. I’m not going crazy, am I? Twilight thought, frantically scanning the crowd. I mean, I’ve had trouble with hallucinations in the past, but I was very stressed at the time! I feel perfectly fine and rested. What’s going on?! Taking several deep breaths to calm herself, she continued to look for the pony. After nearly a minute with no sight of them, Twilight was just about to give up searching when the cloaked pony suddenly materialized from within the shadow of a nearby stand, causing her to leap backwards in surprise. She barely suppressed a shriek of surprise What the—!? She watched in astonishment as the pony moved slowly through the marketplace, slinking from shadow to shadow. Now that she was able to get a closer look, she could see that the pony didn’t so much vanish, but rather blend in almost perfectly with the shadows. In fact, if Twilight wasn’t looking right at them, it would have looked like the pony had just disappeared into nothing. Glancing around at the crowd, Twilight’s ears splayed sideways in confusion. Nopony else seemed to notice the cloaked pony, or if they did, they didn’t spare them a second glance. It was almost like the pony didn’t exist. Twilight frowned, her brow furrowing as she watched the pony, keeping a close eye on them. There was no way what she was seeing was possible. The pony’s cloak was brown, yet it was blending in with the shadows as if it was the purest black. There were several spells that would allow temporary invisibility, but they were very, very advanced. So advanced that even she couldn’t use them without help from Princess Celestia. And none of them worked in a manner similar to what she was seeing. She had never heard of any form of spell that would allow a pony to simply disappear into shadow. Starting to build a mental list of possible answers for what she was seeing, Twilight watched curiously as the pony slowly crept up to the carrot stand... ~ ~ ~ ~ > > < < ~ ~ ~ ~ Having reached her destination, Selena leaned against the side of the stand, trying to make herself as inconspicuous as possible. She had managed to make it to the carrot stall without any major issues, having only tripped over a large pebble once. Feeling comfortable that nopony had spotted her yet, she perked her ears and began to listen closely to the noise around her. She could hear the owner of the stall talking from somewhere in front of the stand. Most ponies liked to interact with their customers and would come out from behind the stall to talk to them. This was occasionally an advantage, as they would be too distracted to notice some of their product go missing, especially if the customer was a good friend of theirs. However, unfortunately for Selena, this wasn’t going to be one of those times. As she reached up to grab a couple of carrots, she heard the voice of Carrot Top cry out loudly, “Hey! What do you think you’re doing?” At the shout, Selena’s body tensed and she gave an involuntary whimper. Oh shit, not again! Dropping her hoof back to the ground, she prepared to run, already trying to map out her current position in her mental map of Ponyville. Before she could do anything though, a new voice spoke up from right beside her, causing her to jump in shock. She hadn’t even heard anypony approaching from that side! “There you are! I’ve been looking for you,” the voice said. It was oddly familiar, but Selena couldn’t put a name with it. It was a new voice, one that she had been hearing more often. Probably somepony who just recently moved to Ponyville. It was clearly female, and had a bit of an accent that she couldn’t place, almost sounding stuffy or stuck-up, like the mare in question didn’t know how to talk to strangers. Suddenly, Selena felt somepony throw a foreleg over her shoulders and wrap around her neck. She flinched, expecting a blow which never came. Instead the new pony just tightened their grip on her slightly, preventing her from breaking free. A warm body pressed against hers as the voice continued, “I’m glad I caught you just in time. I’ve decided that I don’t need any carrots today, so just leave those. I’ve gotten everything else, though, so we should be good to go.” Beneath her hood, Selena’s ear flicked in confusion. Had this new pony mistaken her for somepony else? “W-what?” she muttered out loud as she tried to pull herself free. This earned her another squeeze, as well as a swat on the rump by the pony’s tail. “Play along,” the pony hissed in her ear through gritted teeth. It appeared that Carrot Top shared in Selena’s confusion. “Um, Twilight? Do you know this mare?” “Of course I know her,” the new pony said, and Selena could hear the eye roll in the tone of her voice. “She’s helping me with my shopping. Spike was feeling under the weather so I got her to help me instead! Now, I don’t mean to be rude, but we’re on a bit of a tight schedule, so if you’d excuse me, Carrot Top.” With that, the new pony, Twilight, tugged on Selena, pulling her along. Not expecting the sudden movement, Selena nearly face-planted. Only the mare’s grip around her neck stopped her from tipping over. “Come on,” Twilight chirped, oblivious to Selena nearly falling over. “I have your bits back at the library. Thank you so much for the help.” Still confused as to what was going on, Selena followed blindly, allowing the new mare to drag her along. She could feel the eyes of the entire marketplace upon her, and she wanted nothing more to slink away into a nearby alley and hide. However, the mare’s next words stopped her cold. “You’re going to follow me, or I’ll take you straight to the guards, no questions asked,” she hissed in Selena’s ear. The blood in Selena’s veins nearly froze, and she swallowed loudly. She had had a couple of run-ins with the local guards in the past, and it wasn’t something she wanted to experience again. She had luckily managed to escape them every single time, but if this mare took her directly to the guardhouse, that wouldn’t be an option. The thought of being handed over to the guards was enough incentive for Selena, and she fell in step behind the mare, her ears pointed forward as she tried to keep track of the mare’s hoofsteps. She hadn’t been following the mare long when she suddenly came to a stop, Selena nearly crashing into her backside. The sound of a door being unlocked reached Selena’s ears before the mare said in a firm tone, “Come on in.” Hooves on wood told her that the mare had already entered the home. Sliding her hoof along the ground slowly, Selena searched for the doorstep. Upon finding it, she hesitated, but at the sound of the mare clearing her throat, Selena steeled herself and stepped carefully over the threshold and inside the building. The door promptly slammed shut behind her, causing her to jump and her ears to press against her head in pain. Despite not being able to see her surrounding, she was feeling a little claustrophobic. She hadn’t been in a building since she lived in the orphanage, and she didn’t like the fact that she didn’t know the layout of the house. If worse came to worse, she had no escape route. “I need to put my groceries away,” the mare spoke up, snapping Selena back to the present. Her hoofsteps grew softer as she walked away from the door and deeper into the house. “You stay right there, and don’t try and leave yet. We have stuff to discuss.” Hearing the mare leave the room, Selena swallowed before tentatively sitting down where she was. Beneath her cloak, her tail flicked once before wrapping around her body. She found some comfort from the act, but her body was still tense, her heart practically beating in her throat. There was a brief moment of silence before the sound of cupboards being open came from the next room. She half considered making a break for it, but decided against it. In all the excitement, she hadn’t been able to keep up her mental map of the area. She had no clue where she was at the moment, thus had no idea of where to go for safety. Perking her ears, she listened intently for any indications of where she was exactly. She could just barely make out the muffled sound of the marketplace, so she was somewhere nearby. That calmed her just a little. The smell of parchment and wood filled her nostrils as she sniffed tentatively. There was also a musty scent in the air as well. After about a minute, the sound of approaching hoofsteps reached her ears and Selena tensed as the mare walked back into the room. “There, now that’s done,” she said. “Now to deal with…” The mare stopped walking, her voice trailing off. Confused, Selena lifted her head slightly, ears perked. There was a brief second of silence before the mare spoke again, the confusion clear in her voice, “Why are you sitting by the door?” Blinking her blind eyes, Selena scrunched up her muzzle. “You said to stay here.” The mare huffed at that. “I meant stay in the room,” she said, and her tone caused Selena to lower her head in shame. “I didn’t mean don’t move at all. You’re allowed to come in and get comfortable.” “R-right, sorry,” Selena murmured, getting to her hooves. She took a step forward, before pausing. “Um, where are we?” she asked. “That is, if you don’t mind me asking.” She winced, silently kicking herself. This mare had caught her stealing. For all she knew, she was now inside of the guard house, getting ready to be arrested. Although, why would a guard be out grocery shopping while on duty? she mused silently to herself. And I didn’t hear any armor for that matter. “We’re in the library, of course,” the mare scoffed, almost laughing. “I would have thought all of the books would have been a clear indication.” “Y-yeah, books,” Selena said, laughing weakly. The library… There were many times within the past years that she had wanted to be inside of this building, perusing through the braille section. But now that she finally was inside, she wanted out. Badly. “Please, have a seat on the couch,” the mare said as she moved across the room. Assuming that she was heading to the couch as well, Selena made to follow the mare, only to run straight into a low table. She tripped, nearly falling over, but managed to save herself at the last second. Immediately she blushed as she felt the mare’s stare upon her. Damn it. “How could you not see that there?” the mare asked incredulously. “I realize that it’s sitting a little low, but still.” “S-sorry,” Selena whimpered, her cheeks growing hotter with shame. “I’m just… nervous.” Add in unfamiliar territory, she added mentally. “There’s no need to be nervous,” the mare said. “I’m not going to call the guards. Yet,” she added under her breath, but Selena’s hearing was still able to pick it up. That just caused her tense even more. Somehow managing to find her way to the couch without further incident, Selena sat down upon it gingerly, sitting on the edge of the cushion. She mentally noted in which direction the door was located, just in case she need to make a mad dash for freedom. It wouldn’t have been the first time. Selena bit her bottom lip, her heart suddenly aching as she thought back to her last encounter with Care back at the orphanage. However, before she could get further distracted by the memory, the mare cleared her throat before speaking. “I guess first things first. I’m Twilight Sparkle. I run the Golden Oak Library.” The mare paused, and it took Selena a second to realize that she was waiting for her to speak. “Oh! I’m, um… m-my name is Selena,” she said, stuttering slightly, playing with the hem of her cloak. “Would you like some tea, Selena?” Twilight asked. Selena’s ears picked up the quiet chime of a unicorn using magic, and she sagged. If this mare was a unicorn, there was way that she would be able to get to the door before being caught again; her magic was too weak to successful fight back. Resigned to her fate, Selena leaned back on the couch and pulled her cloak tighter around herself. “No, thank you,” she sighed. “You know, you can take the cloak off, if you’d like,” the mare, Twilight, said as she prepared her own tea, the spoon ‘clink’ing softly against the cup. “Actually, I’d feel better with it on, thanks” Selena muttered, lowering her head. She heard the mare─Twilight, she reminded herself─shift slightly in her seat. “Suit yourself,” she said before taking a sip of tea. Selena heard her shift again before she continued, “Do you want to tell me what was going on back there in the marketplace?” “I… I was looking to buy some carrots,” Selena lied quickly, her right ear twitching beneath her hood. “Really?” Twilight deadpanned. There was a loud ‘clink’ as she set her teacup down. “It didn’t look like you were going to buy them.” Selena fidgeted, feeling Twilight’s eyes boring into her. She bit her lip, but stayed silent. Twilight sighed loudly. “Look, you can either talk to me, or you can talk to the guards,” she huffed, before her tone became softer. “I’m not trying to get you in trouble, Selena. I’m just trying to figure out what’s going on and offer any help that I can.” In the pause that followed, Selena remained silent. “You weren’t really going to buy them, were you, Selena?” Twilight said quietly. Selena whimpered pitifully. “Why?” Twilight asked, not unkindly. It sounded like she was generally curious and concerned. Truthfully, Selena was confused. This was the first time somepony wasn’t shouting at her for trying to steal something. She was so befuddled by this that she answered before she could stop herself. “I was hungry.” As soon as the words left her mouth, she winced, mentally kicking herself for the slip. Remember, you don’t know her so don’t give her anything to use against you! “So why not just buy the carrots, then?” Twilight asked, the confusion clear in her voice. “They aren’t that many bits. In fact, they were on sale as well, if I remember correctly. Surely you could have spared the bits?” Selena resisted the urge to roll her eyes. “I don’t exactly have that many bits to be spending on stuff.” She paused, before adding under her breath, “More like no bits at all.” “Really?” Twilight asked, sounding suspicious. “What do you do for a living?” “I don’t really have a job,” Selena muttered, ears pressing against her head. She heard Twilight tsk softly. “Well, why not?” “It’s… complicated,” Selena said softly, tapping her hooves together anxiously. “I… I don’t want to talk about it.” Twilight was silent after that, and Selena fidgeted nervously. She didn’t like the silence, as it was difficult to tell what the mare was thinking. Eventually, just as Selena was about to try and break the silence, Twilight spoke again. “I’m sorry I brought it up, Selena,” she said, and Selena was surprised to hear genuine concern in her voice. “I won’t press the issue, but if you’re having troubles, please don’t be afraid to tell me. I’d be more than happy to help in anyway I can.” Selena blinked in surprise at that before her brow furrowed. “Why?” she snapped, suddenly wary. “What would you want in return?” “N-nothing,” Twilight stuttered, clearly caught off guard. “Why would you think I wanted something?” “Nopony is willing to give something for nothing,” Selena growled, her sightless eyes narrowing as she turned her head in Twilight’s general direction. “But I don’t want anything from you,” Twilight assured quickly, trying to calm her down. “I just want to help, honest!” Selena continued to glare in her direction for a few more seconds before sighing, her expression softening. “I don’t need your help,” she muttered, lowering her head again. “Okay,” Twilight said softly, “but just so you know, the offer still stands. The library is always open to you.” Silence descended upon the room as both mares just sat there. Unsure of how to continue the conversation, Twilight opted to take a sip of tea instead, her slurp sounding unnaturally loud in the stillness. After several more tense minutes of silence, Twilight awkwardly cleared her throat. “Do… do you mind if I ask a few more questions?” ~ ~ ~ ~ > > < < ~ ~ ~ ~ For the next few hours Twilight continued to ask the cloaked mare questions, trying to find out as much about her as possible. She was dying to find out how the mare was able to practically vanish into the shadows, but with how tense Selena looked, Twilight felt it best to not asking her about it just yet. Instead, she started out by asking simple questions. “Where do you live?”, “How long have you been in Ponyville?”, “What do you do for fun?”. With each new question, however, Selena continued to give vague answers, or just refused to answer altogether. As frustrated as she was by the lack of answers, Twilight didn’t want to push the mare too much. It was clear that she had fallen upon some hard times recently, and the last thing Twilight wanted to do was add undue stress. As they talked, Twilight took the time to study the mare. She couldn’t make out much beneath the cloak, and Selena kept her hood up, hiding her face from view. Only the tip of her muzzle was visible, or her hooves whenever she played with the hem of her cloak. She was a unicorn though, of that Twilight was sure. Whenever she lowered her head, there was a slight bulge in the hood where a horn would be. As questions kept coming, Selena appeared to slowly become more and more tense. Everything came to a head when Twilight asked, “So, Selena. What’s your cutie mark?” The question caused Selena to inhale sharply, her sightless eyes widening beneath the hood. “I-I think it’s time for me to get going,” she stammered, standing up quickly. Twilight blinked in surprise at the suddenness of the statement. Glancing at the cloak on the mantle above the fireplace, her eyes widened in shock. Oh goodness. Is it really that time already? She needs to get home before the storm hits. “Oh, I’m terribly sorry,” Twilight said, standing up as well. “It seems that time got away from me!” “It’s fine,” Selena said, giving a half-hearted smile. She inched closer to the door, her tail tucked firmly between her legs. “I’ll… I’ll just be going now.” Twilight watched with a frown as Selena slunk to the door. Despite the fact that she had been unable to learn much about the mare, she still felt bad for her. It was clear, to Twilight at least, that she was going through a rough time in her life and─even though she had a feeling that Selena would never admit it─she needed a friend. Truthfully, she kind of reminded Twilight of herself back before she came to Ponyville: reclusive and withdrawn. She may have been new to this whole social thing, but Twilight could clearly see that Selena hadn’t been comfortable around her. She wouldn’t even look at Twilight at all during their conversation; she just glanced in her general direction. Twilight was pulled out of her thoughts by the clock on the mantle beginning to chime out the hour. The noise caused Selena to flinch. Upon realizing what had startled her, she sighed heavily before continuing towards the door. She’s worse than Fluttershy, Twilight mused, rubbing her chin with a hoof. If only there was something that I could do to… help... Twilight froze, her ears perking up as an idea slowly began to form in her head; an idea of how to help Selena. A large smile spread across her face and she cried out loudly, “That’s it!” Her sudden outburst caused Selena to jump into the air with a yelp. Upon landing, she let out a low whimper. “Sorry,” Twilight apologized, covering her mouth with a hoof. Her cheeks heated up with embarrassment. “I just remembered. My friends and I are planning a picnic in a couple of days. How would you like to join us?” This caused Selena to pause, her hoof already on the door handle. She glanced back at Twilight, and, although most of her face was still hidden, Twilight could just barely make out a confused frown on her muzzle. “W-what?” “Would you like to join me and my friends for a picnic?” Twilight repeated, giving her a warm smile. “It’s suppose to be a nice day and we figured we’d do something fun together.” “And you want me to come along?” Selena asked, sounding like she couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Beneath the hood, unseen by Twilight, her sightless eyes narrowed. “Why?” Twilight blinked at the question. “Well, I figured it would give us another chance to hangout and get to know one another better,” she answered truthfully. Selena was silent for several seconds before asking, “What about your other friends? Surely they wouldn’t like you bringing along a complete stranger.” “Oh, they won’t mind,” Twilight said, waving a hoof airily. “In fact, if you’d like, I can introduce you to them. Besides, I’m positive they’d like to meet my new friend.” At the word ‘friend’, Selena inhaled sharply, her heart skipping a beat. Her body locked up, and her useless pupils shrunk to mere pinpricks. She momentarily forgot to breathe. “F-friend?” she whispered, swallowing thickly. Her ears pressed against her head as her mind started to race. Friend? She called me her friend!? But… but we just met today. She knows nothing about me! For Maker’s sake, she caught me trying to steal food. Nopony wants to be associated with a thief. Why does she want to be my friend? What’s she playing at? She’s… she’s just trying to get me to lower my guard. That has to be it. And then, when I’m not expecting it, she’ll call the Guard on me. ...but what if she’s telling the truth and she really wants to be friends? I know nothing about being friends with anypony! At the orphanage, all the foals avoided me, and living on the streets doesn’t give you many opportunities to make friends. What am I supposed to do? How am I supposed to act!? Unaware of the turmoil going on inside of Selena’s mind, Twilight just gave her another smile and nodded. “Yes, friend,” she said, snapping Selena out of her panicked daze. “I’d like to be friends, if that’s okay with you.” Selena just stood there, hoof on the door and her mouth opening and closing wordlessly. Her mind was in chaos, and her heart was pounding away in her chest. Swallowing again, she became aware of the fact that her throat was suddenly very dry. She opened her mouth to say something─anything─but all that came out was a stammered, “I… I… I…” A frown touched Twilight’s lips and she gave Selena a concerned look. “You don’t have to answer right now,” she said quickly, trying to calm down the clearly overwhelmed mare, “but if you’re up for it, just come to the library this Friday around noon. We’re all meeting here before heading to the park.” Barely hearing what was being said and with the world slowly falling apart around her, Selena just nodded her head dumbly. With her mind in a turmoil and her paranoia running rampant, she had to get out of the library soon, or she was going to lose it. “I’ll… I’ll do that,” she wheezed, her voice cracking slightly. Not giving Twilight any time to respond, Selena quickly pulled the door to the library open and stepped outside. A large part of her half-expected a bunch of guards to be waiting for her outside. There weren't any, however. In fact, from the sounds of it, there were barely anypony left in the marketplace either. Too agitated to really make anything of that little bit of information, Selena quickly hurried off in the general direction of Sugarcube Corner. She needed comfort and a place to hide. Her head was beginning to pound, and she could feel a migraine coming on. A whisper, so soft that she couldn’t make out what it said, echoed through the deep recesses of her mind. “Prithee, why wouldst thou want to be friends with us? Doest we not frighten thee?” Gritting her teeth, Selena scampered off down the road blindly, nearly tripping several times as she raced towards her only sanctuary in the world: her rundown cardboard box. ~ ~ ~ ~ > > < < ~ ~ ~ ~ Standing in the doorway, Twilight watched Selena hurry off down the road. Far above, dark storm clouds rolled and rumbled, the promised storm raring to go. Lightning forked across the sky, followed swiftly by a loud crack of thunder. Twilight winced, her ears pressing against her head. She felt awful that she had kept Selena to the point where she had to race home, but she had lost track of time. Despite the fact she had learned very little about the mare, it was still nice to talk with her, even if it was overall a one-sided conversation. She had been a little wary of Selena at first, unsure what to think about the cloaked mare she had witnessed trying to steal food in the marketplace. She wasn’t sure what had stopped her from taking her straight to the guards, but in the end she was glad she didn’t. As the cloaked form of Selena disappeared in the distance, Twilight rubbed her chin thoughtfully. A flicker of doubt crossed her mind, causing her to frown. What if Selena’s timid behavior was all an act, something to make Twilight pity her instead of turn her in. She could have just let a criminal run free without so much as a warning. No, Twilight thought, shaking her head. Nopony’s that good of an actor. If she wasn’t sure before, she was now. Selena wasn’t a criminal; she was a lone, tired mare who just needed a shoulder to lean on. A friend to help her and support her. And Twilight was more than happy to be her friend, if Selena would allow it. “Besides,” she added as she closed the door with a ‘click’. Outside, rain slowly started to fall, the deluge slowly increasing until it pounded away on the windows. “If worse comes to worse, I’ll just go to the guards. It shouldn’t be too hard to track her down again.” Moving deeper into the library, Twilight listened to the sound of the storm outside. “I do hope that Selena made it home safely,” she said as she moved towards the stairs. Spike was probably upstairs, either napping or reading one of his comic books. From the looks of it, he had managed to finish his chores for the day, and Twilight winced as she realized she had never gotten around to stopping by Rarity’s to get his sapphires. “I’ll just have to pick them up tomorrow after the storm lets up,” Twilight muttered to herself as she climbed the stairs. “I’m sure he’ll understand. After all, it was for a good reason.” Her mind drifted back to Selena, and a large smile slowly spread across her face. “Eeeee, I can’t wait for Friday,” she squealed quietly, nearly bouncing with joy and falling down the stairs. She was going to be able to introduce Selena to her friends, and hopefully find some friends for Selena in return. Oh, she couldn’t wait. After all, if she could help Selena make a friend or two, that would make a great friendship report for Princess Celestia. ~ ~ ~ ~ > > < < ~ ~ ~ ~ The storm slammed into Ponyville like a freight train. The residents huddled inside, sleeping out the storm. Foals, too scared to sleep by themselves, huddled beneath the sheets of their parents’ bed. The skies were dark, and lightning illuminated the town in flashes of brilliant light and ear-shattering crashes. Rain rushed down in sheets, reducing the visibility to barely a few feet and thoroughly soaking everything. Water pooled in low areas, slowly flooding the waterlogged town. Luckily, Sugarcube Corner had been built on high ground. Curled up in a tight ball, the sleeping form of Selena huddled in the far corner of her box. She slumbered uneasily, her dreams filled with demonic guards and laughing mares. Several tattered, moth-eaten blankets covered her body, trying and failing to keep her warm. The rain continued to pound against the roof of the box. The soaked material was beginning to sag, water starting to seep through and dripping upon the semi-dry floor below. A puddle was gradually beginning to creep its way towards the sleeping mare. Lightning flashed across the sky again, followed swiftly by a crash of thunder that seemed to shake the very ground. Selena shifted restlessly, whimpering in her sleep. As the echoing rumbles ceased, the side door of Sugarcube Corner suddenly cracked open and a pink head poked itself outside. Mane instantly plastered to her face, Pinkie glanced around, squinting to try and see through the torrent of water. Upon seeing the soaked box sitting next the dumpster, she pulled her head back inside before pushing the door open fully. She stepped outside, instantly becoming drenched by the torrential downpour. The cold water beat upon her pelt, stealing the warmth from her body. She shivered, but steeled herself. Comfort would come later; right now there was work to be done. Pushing aside her discomfort, Pinkie stepped further outside into the rain, a determined glint in her eyes and a rolled-up umbrella clenched firmly between her teeth. She approached the cardboard box, her hooves sinking into the mud with each step. Reaching the box with some difficulty, she leaned down and peeked inside, one bright blue eye glancing curiously around the interior. Upon seeing the prone form of Selena, she withdrew her head. Keeping the umbrella clenched in her teeth, Pinkie proceeded to clamber up on top of the dumpster, her hooves slipping and sliding on the slick metal. It took her a few seconds to find her footing, but once she did, she stood up on her hind legs and, taking the umbrella from her mouth, slipped the handle into a custom-made holder that was bolted into the brick wall. Double-checking to make sure the umbrella was secure, she then opened it with a flick of her hoof. Immediately, the rain falling down upon the cardboard box ceased, blocked by the umbrella above it. Leaning forward quickly to catch the dry towel that tumbled out of the now-opened umbrella, Pinkie got down off of the dumpster. She made sure that the towel stayed under the cover of the umbrella at all times, keeping it dry against the rain. Peeking into the box again, she watched Selena sleep for a few seconds before, as gently and deftly as she could, she reached inside and began to use the towel to dry up as much excess water as possible. As she worked, she kept a close eye on Selena. When she suddenly shifted, Pinkie froze. Selena rolled over in her sleep, a soft snort coming from her as she snuggled deeper beneath her worn out blankets. Pinkie was still for a few more seconds before continuing her work. Once she was finished drying as much as the cardboard box’s floor as possible, Pinkie wrapped the rag around her hoof. Reaching a hoof into her sopping mane, she pulled out a plastic container which had a cupcake inside. It was a regular chocolate cupcake with dark frosting and red sprinkles. Three cherries rested on top of the frosting. Cracking open the lid, Pinkie carefully placed the cupcake beside Selena’s sleeping form; not close enough that she’d roll over it in her sleep, yet near enough that she should notice it in the morning. Placing the now-empty container back into her mane, Pinkie withdrew her head. She glanced upwards towards the umbrella, double-checking again to make sure that it wasn’t going anywhere. Rain pounded down upon the umbrella’s fabric, running off the sides in miniature rivers. However, no water reached the cardboard box that contained the sleeping Selena. Pinkie smiled, pleased with her work. With that, she turned and quickly made her way back to the side door from which she had emerged before. Getting out of the rain, she glanced back over her shoulder at the box beside the dumpster, and the umbrella above. She made a mental note to grab the umbrella tomorrow once the rain stopped before closing the door. The storm continued to rage, rain beating down upon the fabric of the umbrella. Lightning ripped across the sky once more, thunder roaring after it. Within her box, Selena shifted beneath the blankets, her sleep becoming more restful as the nightmares ceased. Her breathing become steady and her muscles relaxed. She continued to slumber on, unaware of what had transpired around her.
Part II: The Shadow Thief, part 2“This is a bad idea,” Selena muttered to herself, pulling her tattered cloak tighter around her body. Even though the sun was shining and it was a warm summer day, she still felt a slight chill run down her spine. Friday had come too soon for Selena. She had barely gotten any sleep for the past three days, fretting over what was about to happen. So caught up in her inner turmoil was she, that she had forgotten to look for food. Something her stomach was not pleased with. Unfortunately, that made Twilight’s offer even more tempting—even though it was too good to be true—and so here she was, currently standing outside of the library, debating whether or not she should knock upon the door. There was no way that it was as simple as Twilight had made it out to be. Show up at the library and get free food? There was a catch. There was always a catch. In Selena’s experience, nothing got you nothing; everything—even food—had a price you needed to pay in the end. She was just waiting for the other shoe to drop. It wouldn’t be the first time something like this had happened to her. Nearly a year ago, a mare had approached her when she had been relaxing in her cardboard box one afternoon. The mare had expressed concern that Selena was sleeping out in the alleyway, and had offered to give her a room for the night. Naively, Selena had accepted. The mare had been true to her word, and Selena had been given a bed for the night. What the mare hadn’t mentioned was the fact that Selena was going to be sharing the bed. With a stallion. Needless to say, upon feeling the stallion start to grope her, Selena had made a run for it, breaking the stallion’s muzzle in the process. She had moved her cardboard box to the location she was at now, and hadn’t left it for four days. Even then, she scavenged only at night and didn’t stray far from box for the next couple of months. Now, another mare was offering her help again, and here she was, falling for it... again. First she catches me trying to steal some food. Then she forces me to follow her home and asks me a bunch of random questions. Once that’s was over, she then invites me to come with her and her friends on a picnic, Selena mused, shifting back and forth on her hooves. It doesn’t make any sense! What’s she planning? She has to be planning something! Her instincts—the same ones that had kept her alive for the past ten years—were now screaming at her to run, to get away from the library and the mare inside. To get away from her false promises and offers. There was something about the situation that felt wrong; the whole thing stunk of deception, and her gut was telling her that she shouldn’t go through with it. It was too good to be true. However, despite how much she wanted to run away, her hooves wouldn’t budge. No matter how much she urged them to move, or how much she willed herself to turn and run, she remained rooted to the spot right outside of the library. A tight feeling in her chest—the same feeling that had kept her up for several nights—caused her to feel lightheaded, and she took a shaky breath. It had taken Selena awhile to finally work out what the feeling was. She faintly remembered it from her time in the orphanage. It had been the feeling of longing. A longing for a friend, for somepony to want her, and to care for her. A longing to matter to somepony. A longing to not be alone any more. Slowly, as soft as a spring breeze, a small ember of hope flickered to life deep within her chest: hope that Twilight’s offer had been truly been genuine. A friend… an actual friend. Swallowing thickly, Selena raised a shaky hoof and knocked weakly upon the door. The faint sound on the other side ceased instantly, and Selena felt a momentary spike of panic before pushing it down. She had come this far, might as well go a little further. If worse came to worse, she’d just make a run for it. She had done it before, she could do it again. Her ear twitched once as the muffled ‘clop’ of hoof grew steadily louder before the door handle turned with a soft ‘click’, and the door swung open. Selena braced herself for whatever was about to happen. “Selena, you came!” Twilight cried, and even though Selena couldn’t see her face, the smile was clearly audible in Twilight’s voice. The response hadn’t been one that Selena had been expecting, and she blinked before scrunching up her face in confusion. She’s… happy to see me? “I was hoping you’d join us,” Twilight continued, oblivious to Selena’s bewilderment, “and here you are! You’re a little early, though.” “S-sorry,” Selena stuttered, her ears folding back beneath her hood. She had no way to tell what time it was, and it hadn’t even crossed her mind that Twilight might not have wanted her to show up before the designated time. Had she screwed up already? “I… I didn’t know the—” she paused, biting her lip before quickly correcting “—I lost track of the time.” “That’s fine. It happens to me too, on occasion,” Twilight said, waving her hoof nonchalantly. “I can leave and come back later if you want,” Selena offered, taking a tentative step back. “Oh, no. You don’t have to do that,” Twilight chirped. Moving to one side, she motioned for Selena to enter. “You can just wait inside until everypony else shows up. They should be arriving shortly, and then we’ll head off to the picnic.” Moving carefully, Selena was able to maneuver herself through the library door without bumping or tripping over anything. As she passed by Twilight, she caught a whiff of the faint fragrance of lilacs. For some reason, the scent calmed her nerves slightly. “I… I didn’t bring any food with me, sorry,” Selena muttered as she walked further into the library. Subconsciously, she began to map out the layout of the room, her horn glowing softly beneath the hood. In the well-lit room, it was almost impossible to see that she was casting. “That’s alright,” Twilight chirped happily, closing the door behind her with a ‘click’. She gave Selena a warm smile that went unnoticed by the blind mare. “You didn’t have to bring anything. I did kind of spring this on you at the last minute.” When Selena didn’t return the smile, Twilight trailed off, her ears splaying off to the side. An awkward silence fell over the library after that as Selena moved her head back and forth, taking in the sounds of the library. She noted dimly that there was some faint vibrations coming from somewhere beneath her hooves. Probably from a basement of some sort, she figured, glancing blindly at the floor. The sound of hoofsteps beside her drew Selena out of her observation, and she turned her head to listen as Twilight walked past. “You can take your cloak off, if you’d like,” Twilight said. “It’s supposed to be a nice day, and you might get a little warm with it on.” “I’d rather not,” Selena said stiffly, subconsciously pulling it tighter around herself. Twilight paused before shrugging her shoulders. “Suit yourself.” She moved towards the coffee table, on which she was partway through assembling a picnic basket. Various sandwiches wrapped in paper were laid out on the table, and Twilight began to carefully pick them up and place them neatly in the basket, organizing them by size. “I hope I have something you’ll like,” Twilight said to Selena as she continued to work on filling the basket. “I completely forgot to ask you what you liked during our last meeting, so I made sure to make a wide variety of sandwiches.” “Are they all edible?” Selena asked, her head turned to the side as she listened to Twilight work. Twilight paused, giving her a confused look over her shoulder. “Yes?” she said, the word sounding more like a question. “I mean, my cooking skills aren’t that bad. I’m pretty sure I can make edible sandwiches.” “Then they’re good enough for me,” Selena muttered. This earned her another confused look from Twilight, but right as she opened her mouth to ask what Selena meant, there came a knock at the door. “Hey, Twilight. You in there, sugarcube?” a voice called from the other side. Selena’s ears twitched, and her brow furrowed slightly. The voice sounded slightly stuffed, as if the owner was getting over a cold. Still, there was no mistake that familiar twang. There was only one family that spoke like that around here. “Yeah, egghead. You in there or what?” A second voice spoke up, this one raspy sounding. Selena’s ear flicked again. Like the first voice, the second one was familiar, but she couldn’t identify the owner. Twilight, however, recognized the speakers immediately and perked up, a smile spreading across her face. “Yes, I am. I’m just finishing up getting ready,” she called out to the ponies on the other side of the door. “You girls can come in, if you want. The door’s unlocked.” There was a ‘click’, and Selena’s ear twitched as the door swung open. One pair of hooves entered the building, confusing her slightly until she heard the soft sound of wingbeats; one of the new arrivals was a pegasus. “Hello, Rainbow. Applejack, are you feeling better?” Twilight asked as she walked past Selena to greet her friends. “Better than Ah was,” the first visitor replied with a sniffle. “Wish mah dang nose would clear up, though.” Not wanting to get in between Twilight and her guests, Selena turned her attention to the food Twilight had been packing. Tentatively, she leaned down and sniffed at one of the sandwiches. She could smell some daisies and green peppers, as well as what could be tomatoes. Her stomach growled at the scent as her mouth began to water. Fooooood… Maybe, just maybe, this might work out for the best after all. “Hey, Twilight...” the second, raspy voice said before suddenly trailing off. The pause that followed caused Selena to lift her head in confusion, tilting it slightly to face the direction the voice had come from. Silence filled the library for a brief moment before... “YOU!” The shout caused Selena to flinch, her sightless eyes widening in shock as she took a step back from the food-covered coffee table. Was I not supposed to— The sound of flapping wings filled the air, and, before she had any time to react, something slammed into her side hard. The wind was knocked out of her in an instant, and she toppled sideways onto the floor. She struggled, only to squeal loudly when a hoof suddenly smashed into the side of her face with a loud ‘crack’. “Rainbow!” she heard Twilight shriek from somewhere close by, but the ringing in her head was making it hard to pinpoint the exact direction. Another blow—this time to her muzzle—caused her head to whip back. Instantly, blood began to flow from her nostrils. A metallic taste filled her mouth, causing her to gag. Through the pain, the disorientation, and the ringing in her ears, Selena was barely able to think, let alone react. I should have known! she thought as she lifted her hooves to defend herself. Twilight tricked me! She lured me here just for this! Berating herself for her own foolishness, Selena attempted to stave off the coming blows, shielding herself as best she could with her forehooves. However, before any more hits could land, her attacker was forcibly pulled off of her with a yelp. Taking advantage of the lull, Selena scrambled dazedly to her hooves. Her horn sputtered before lighting up as she tried to map out the room for a quick escape. There were three ponies in the room with her: Twilight plus two others. One—the pegasus—was currently sprawled out on the floor a few feet away. The other one was an earth pony who was standing crouched by the door, guarding it. A nearby window was open, and that immediately became her escape route. However, before she could move a muscle, the pegasus was back on her hooves and flying straight at her. Selena cried out, raising a hoof to protect herself from the incoming attack, but the blow never came. A magical barrier suddenly descended around her, trapping her within a dome of magic. The pegasus smashed into the barrier with an angry shout, and began to hammer away at it. “Rainbow, what the hay!?” she heard Twilight cry, her voice shrill. Even muffled by the magical barrier, Selena could still hear the anger in it. “What’s the matter with you? Why did you attack her?” “Why the hay are you defending her?” the raspy voice demanded as the pegasus stopped beating on the dome of magic. “She’s had this coming for a long time now! She deserves this!” “What are you talking about?” Twilight asked with a snort, her anger giving away slightly to confusion. As the pair argued, Selena pressed a hoof experimentally against the barrier, testing its strength. It flexed slightly, but other than that, it proved to be sturdy. There was no way she was getting through the barrier, but there was no way the pegasus was getting in. A gilded cage, really. Protected from the outside world, but trapped within. Lowering her hoof, Selena coughed, only to grimace as the coppery taste of blood filled her mouth. Reluctantly, she spat it out on the floor, hoping that Twilight was too distracted to notice the action. Heart racing, the sound thumping away in her ears, she quickly turned her attention to figuring a way out of her current situation. ~ ~ ~ ~ > > < < ~ ~ ~ ~ “Come on, Twilight, drop the barrier,” Rainbow snarled, kicking the magical dome. It flared as her hoof struck it, only to return to its rosy color. Rainbow huffed before kicking it again. “I’m gonna pound her into the ground.” “I think not!” Twilight cried, glaring at her friend. “I am not lowering the barrier until somepony explains what is going on.” Her horn glowed brighter as she increased the barrier’s thickness another inch or so. Rainbow blinked, before her brow furrowed. She aimed another kick at the barrier, only to think better of it and lower her leg instead. “Ah’m with Rainbow on this,” Applejack grunted, rubbing her muzzle with a hoof. She sniffed before continuing. “This filly needs a good thumpin’. Ah’ve lost some bits because of her.” “What do you mean? What did she do?” Twilight asked, not taking her eyes off of Rainbow, who was glaring at the trapped form of Selena with unbridled fury. The look scared Twilight slightly, although she wouldn’t admit it. In the short time she had come to know her friends, she had never seen Rainbow look this angry before. Whatever Selena had done, it must have been bad. Twilight glanced sideways at Selena, eyeing the cloaked mare with a frown. She needed more evidence before she passed judgement on the mare. The barrier remained strong. Applejack sighed. “Twi, Ah know that you’re new tah Ponyville and all, but—” “She’s the Shadow Thief!” Rainbow snarled, banging on the magical dome with her hooves. The sudden barrage caused Selena to jerk back, and she pressed herself against the far side of the shield with a whimper. “‘S-Shadow Thief’? She… steals ponies’ shadows?” Twilight repeated, her annoyed look shift to one of confusion, and she glanced at Selena again. As she watched, blood dripped from the tip of Selena’s muzzle and landed on the floor, joining the growing number of bloody splotches on the wooden surface. “No, she doesn’t,” Applejack said, rolling her eyes. “She’s just called that because tryin’ tah catch her is like tryin’ tah catch a shadow. She damn near impossible to catch.” “Yeah,” Rainbow grunted, “she’s been stealing from the shops and stands around Ponyville for, like, years. Nopony has been able to catch her, because she just runs and disappears into the side streets.” Striking the barrier one last time before stopping, she floated backwards and crossed her forelegs over her chest, proceeding to glare at Selena. Applejack moved to stand beside her, nodding grimly. She was glaring at Selena as well, although with less intensity as Rainbow. “She’s been stealing for years?” Twilight asked, her eyes narrowing. When she had first caught Selena stealing, she had thought it was because she had fallen on hard times, but if what her friends were telling her was true, Selena had been stealing for far too long for it to be financial. “She’s gotten a couple o’ apples off of me as well,” Applejack continued. “Also stole an entire bushel when Applebloom was runnin’ the stand. Ah was about ready to yell at her too, until Ah saw this varmint slinkin’ off with the basket on her back.” “But now you’ve actually caught her,” Rainbow said, a large smirk spreading across her face. “We finally turn her over to the guards. This is awesome!” “No!” Selena shouted suddenly, stumbling forward and placing her forehooves on the barrier. “It’ll serve you right, thief!” Rainbow shouted back. “Shouldn’t have tried to sneak into the library and steal our food!” “She didn’t sneak in,” Twilight said, giving Selena a calculating look. Rainbow’s smirk vanished as her face went blank. “What?” “She didn’t sneak in,” Twilight repeated. “I invited her. I met her in the marketplace several days ago and brought her back here. We talked for a couple of hours, and I invited her to come to our picnic.” “Egghead,” Rainbow groaned, covering her eyes with her hooves. “I know you’re new to this whole “making friends” thing, but you don’t invite thieves to picnics. You call the guards on them!” “Nopony is calling any guards until I—” Twilight began, only to be interrupted as the front door swung open again. In walked the rest of their friends, Rarity leading with Fluttershy trailing behind. Pinkie bounced along, a large smile on her face. “Sorry for being late, darling,” Rarity said before rolling her eyes. “Pinkie Pie just had to stop for—” They never found out what Pinkie had to stop for, because at that exact moment Rarity froze, a look of horror on her face. A shrill gasp escaped her lips before she pointed at Selena and shrieked, “What is that horrid, wretched thing!?” “Shady!” Pinkie gasped loudly before her smile grew. “I didn’t know you were going to be coming as well!” “O-oh… oh my,” Fluttershy gasped as she stared wide-eyed at the blood stains on the floor beneath Selena. The library immediately descended into chaos as everyone started talking over each other. “Horrid! Disgusting! A crime against fashion!” “Now I can figure out what your favorite cupcake is!” “Oh, you poor dear!” “Need to teach her a lesson about stealing!” “It needs to be burned at once!” “I’ve been guessing, trying to figure out based on how quickly it disappears—” “I think there’s a first-aid kit around here somewhere.” “—totally not cool!” “The holes! The frayed edges! The color! Ugh!” “—it’s really been hit or miss, though. But now I can ask you!” “Um, e-excuse me, Twilight, but where do you keep the first-aid kit… i-if you don’t mind me asking?” “—go get the guards!” “Quiet!” screamed Twilight, her voice echoing around the room, causing everyone to wince. Trapped within the barrier, Selena clasped her hooves to her ears and gasped in pain as the shout was amplified by the magical dome. Once the room had fallen silent, Twilight glared around at her friends. “Thank you. Now, if we could all be civilized for a few minutes, there are some things I want to get sorted out.” Pausing for a moment to take a breath, she then turned to look at Rainbow and Applejack. “Now, first things first. You two said that she’s a thief, and that she’s been stealing from the stalls around Ponyville for several years, correct?” “More like a decade, but yes,” Applejack grunted, causing Rarity to gasp. Fluttershy just inched closer to the barrier, a piece of cloth held in her mouth. “Yeah!” Rainbow added loudly, flaring her wings. “She’s nothing but a—” Twilight’s horn glowed, and with a ‘click’, Rainbow’s mouth closed and was held shut by a rosy aura. “A simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’ will suffice, Dash,” Twilight chastised, causing the pegasus to glare at her. Ignoring the glare, Twilight turned to Pinkie next. The party pony was staring at Selena, bouncing on her hooves with a large smile on her face. “And how do you know her, Pinkie?” she asked. “That’s easy, silly,” Pinkie chirped. “Shady lives out behind Sugarcube Corner!” “Wait, ya know where she lives?” Applejack asked as Rainbow’s eyes widened and she waved her hooves around in the air. “Well, duh!” Pinkie scoffed, rolling her eyes. “I know where everypony lives! I mean, if I didn’t, that wouldn’t be very good. I wouldn’t be able to continue leaving cupcakes around for her, would I?” “Wait… that was you?” Selena asked softly, her voice muffled by the shield. “Why didn’t ya tell the guards were she was then?” Applejack snorted, her eyes narrowing. “They have posters up all over town askin’ fer information about her!” “B-but Shady’s not a bad pony,” Pinkie whimpered, her ears splaying back. “She just needs a friend.” Applejack slapped a hoof to her forehead, groaning in annoyance. “Pinkie, she’s been stealin’ mah products—” “We can discuss that more later,” Twilight interrupted loudly. Upon seeing Applejack glare at her, she sighed, her ears folding against her head. “Look, Applejack. I realize that it’s your livelihood we’re talking about, but I want to get all the information first, okay?” Applejack snorted loudly, only to suddenly dissolve into a coughing fit. After a few seconds, she nodded her head and rasped, “Alright, Twi. Ah trust ya.” “Thanks, Applejack,” Twilight said, giving her friend a soft smile. However, he smile quickly disappeared and was replaced with a serious look as she turned her attention to Selena. Eyeing her through the rosy barrier, she took several steps forward before beginning to talk. “Selena?” she began, causing Selena to perk up and lift her head. When she glanced in Twilight’s general direction, she continued. “Is it true that you’ve been stealing food from the stands in the marketplace?” Selena was silent for a while, fidgeting nervously with her hooves, before giving Twilight a shaky nod. “Y-yes… yes I have,” she squeaked, her voice barely above a whisper, “but—” “You see?!” Rainbow shouted, finally managing to pry her mouth open. “She admits it! She’s—” Another rosy cloud covered her mouth, silencing her again. Twilight glared over her shoulder at Rainbow before returning her attention to Selena. “You were saying?” she asked, her voice gentle. “I… I have been s-stealing,” Selena repeated, stumbling over the words. She paused, swallowing thickly as she tried to remain calm. However, her heart was threatening to burst from her chest. She was surrounded, capture by six ponies that she knew little about. Oh, I knew this was a bad idea. Selena, you stupid, stupid pony. Taking a deep, rattling breath, she continued, “Yes, I’ve been stealing, but I-I only did it in order to eat.” “Ya could try, I don’t know, payin’ fer ya food,” Applejack deadpanned, causing Selena to flinch. “I don’t have any bits,” she whimpered, lowering her head until the hood covered all of her face. “What was that?” Twilight asked, leaning forward with her ears perked. “I… I don’t exactly have any bits,” Selena said, louder than before. Even so, Twilight could barely hear her through the barrier. “Then ya get a job like the rest of us!” Applejack snorted, stomping her hoof. “Doing what?” Selena asked, turning her head slightly in Applejack’s direction. “Nopony’s going to hire me.” “Why’s that?” Twilight asked, trying to keep her tone as calm and gentle as possible, something she learned from watching Princess Celestia dealing with upset dignitaries. If she could make Selena feel as comfortable as possible, she was more likely to cooperate. Pinkie was being surprisingly well behaved, simply bouncing up and down on the spot with a smile on her muzzle. Rarity was eyeing Selena’s cloak with unconcealed contempt, and Fluttershy was practically pushed up against the barrier, the cloth still held lightly in her mouth. The only ponies she had to worry about was Rainbow and Applejack. Hopefully she could keep their tempers in check long enough to get Selena feeling more comfortable. However, despite Twilight’s gentle tone of voice, the question seemed to cause Selena to lower herself closer to the floor. She seemed to be trying to hide all her body beneath the ratty old cloak. “I-I…. never went to school…” she groaned, trailing off towards the end. “But, that’s impossible. Princess Celestia created the Compulsory Education Act nearly eight-hundred years ago, and it clearly states that all foals must attend primary school,” Twilight said, her brow furrowing as she frowned. “Failure of a parent or guardian to do so is punishable by law.” “Yeah, well… I didn’t,” Selena huffed. Beneath her cloak, she wrapped her tail around her body in a protective manner. “Well, what’s your cutie mark, then?” Applejack asked. “Surely that could tell ya what you’re good at?” “No!” screamed Selena, her head whipping up. “Nopony’s looking at my cutie mark!” She scrambled backwards until her flank pressed up against the far wall of the barrier. Gathering her cloak in her hooves, she pulled it tight around her. In doing so, one of her forelegs was revealed for a brief moment before she managed to hide it back under her cloak. However, she wasn’t quick enough for it to escape Twilight’s eyes. “Whoa, easy girl,” Applejack said, taking a step back. “Ah didn’t mean anythin’ by it.” “Nopony’s looking at my cutie mark,” Selena repeated, her entire body trembling. With a pained grunt, Rainbow was finally able to pry her jaws open for a second time. Quickly fluttering over to the barrier, she sneered through the rosy aura at Selena. “Trying to hide your cutie mark, huh? Why? What are you trying to hide? Huh? Huh?! I bet it’s—” “Selena, is there something you’re not telling us?” Twilight asked, interrupting Rainbow for the third time, to which Dash just threw her hooves in the air and let out a frustrated growl. Twilight ignored her, continuing to stare at Selena. Her eyes narrowed as she studied the trapped mare closely. Selena stiffened before slowly turning her head in Twilight’s direction. She licked her lips before swallowing visibly. “I… I don’t know what y-you’re talking about,” she squeaked out. Twilight’s eyes just narrowed more. “Can you show me your foreleg, then?” she asked. “In fact, could you just talk off your cloak so that we can get a proper look at you?” “And so that we can burn that hideous thing,” Rarity hissed under her breath. Twilight watched as a frown crossed Selena’s muzzle, and she somehow pulled the cloak tighter around herself. “The cloak stays on,” she said. Her voice was surprisingly firm, none of the previous timidness present. Blinking in surprise, a frown crossed Twilight’s muzzle. “Look, Selena. I’m trying to see both sides of the story here. What you’re doing is wrong, but I’m trying to give you the benefit of the doubt here and say that you had a good reason for doing it. However, you have to help me out and meet me halfway.” When Selena didn’t budge, Twilight sighed. “How about this? If you take off the cloak, I’ll lower the barrier. Deal?” Selena’s frown deepened, but her grip on the cloak loosened slightly, causing a small smile to flicker across Twilight’s muzzle; she could tell that Selena was giving it some thought. Lowering her head, Selena fidgeted slightly, playing with the hem of the cloak. She continued this for a while in silence before glancing up. “Why?” she whimpered. “Pardon?” Twilight asked, blinking. “Why?” Selena mewled. “Why are you doing this? Why do you care so much?” “Because that’s what ponies do?” Twilight replied uncertainly. “They help one another.” “No, they don’t!” Selena cried loud enough to cause Fluttershy to jump back away from the barrier in fright. “They don’t help. They never help. Ponies just lie, and cheat, and hurt. They take from you even when you don’t have anything left to give, and then kick you while you’re down. The only time somepony helps somepony else is when they want something, so what do you want?!” By the end of her tirade, tears were dripping down Selena’s face and falling to the bloodstained floor below. The room was silent as everyone stared at her. Pinkie was no longer bouncing, her smile faded. Fluttershy had backed off, moving to stand by Rarity, whose glare had softened into a look of confusion. Even Applejack looked unsure of herself, nervously shifting from hoof to hoof. The only pony that held their look of anger was Rainbow. Twilight glanced over at her friends, but when all she received was a shrug from them, she returned her attention to Selena. Ears splayed back, she took a step forward, only to pause as she realized she didn’t know how to handle the situation. Licking her lips, Twilight sighed heavily. “Because, I’m your friend… and I want to help.” Selena froze, the hem of the cloak falling from her grasp. “F-friend?” she asked weakly, her voice cracking halfway through the word. “Yes,” Twilight replied gently, a warm smile on her face. “A couple of days ago when we first met, I offered to be your friend. That offer still stands.” “B-but why?” Selena choked, tears still falling from her face. “A-after everything you just heard…” “Because you look like you need a friend,” Twilight said, “and that’s what Princess Celestia sent me here to do. Make friends. If I can help you out by doing so, that’s even better.” Selena fell silent again, chewing on her bottom lip. Her indecisiveness was clear, and Twilight sighed heavily. “Here,” she said softly, the magic around her horn fading. A moment later, the barrier around Selena winked out of existence. Rainbow’s wings twitched when the barrier fell, but a withering glare from Twilight kept her from pouncing. Fluttershy twitched as well, but kept her distance. She hid behind Rarity, a mixture of worry and nervousness crossing her face. Having had her flank pushed up against the dome of magic, Selena staggered backwards when it vanished. She managed to get her hooves back under her in time, and stood there, her legs splayed apart slightly. A look of disbelief crossed her face, which made Twilight laugh softly. “There, I’ve lowered the barrier,” she said, giving Selena a small smile. When Selena’s head moved to the side, Twilight glanced over her shoulder. Her eyes widened when she saw the open window that Selena was obviously eyeing. “Please,” she said quickly, turning back to face Selena, “don’t run. I just want to help, I swear!” Selena flinched at the loudness of Twilight’s voice before relaxing a miniscule amount. She licked her lips before speaking. “So… I just need to take off my cloak?” she asked, her voice hoarse. “For the moment, yes,” Twilight replied trying to keep her tone as friendly as possible. She didn’t want Selena bolting, not after they had gotten this far. “I just want to see what you look like. After that, we can sit down and discuss this like civilized ponies.” She put extra emphasis on the last part, glaring over her shoulder at Rainbow. Rainbow snorted and crossed her forelegs over her chest, retuning the glare. She muttered something under her breath that sounded like an insult, but Twilight couldn’t hear what she had said. Selena swallowed again, steeling herself. She took a shaky breath before nodding her head weakly. “A-alright. I’ll… I’ll do it.” Trying to keep her breathing steady, she slowly lifted a hoof and unfastened the clasp of her cloak. She fumbled briefly with the clasp before managing to open it. Shrugging her shoulders, she allowed the cloak to slip off of her back and onto the floor. As the cloak dropped from Selena’s withers, Twilight’s eyes widened and her mouth dropped open in shock and horror. Around her, similar reactions could be seen on her friends’ faces as well. Rarity covered her mouth with a hoof, stifling a gasp. Pinkie’s mane immediately lost its usual volume, now hanging limply around her shoulders. Rainbow, forgetting to keep herself aloft, landed on her flank with a ‘thump’. Applejack looked horrified. Fluttershy looked close to being ill. Unable to form any coherent thoughts at the moment, Twilight could only stare at Selena with horrified fascination, unable to look away. Her coat—which looked like it could have been a lovely shade of dark blue—was covered in a thick layer of grime and dirt. She was caked with so much dust and debris that Twilight couldn’t even see her cutie mark. Her body was thin, horribly thin to the point that it could not, in any way, be healthy. Her ribs were clearly visible through her patchy coat, as were her spine and hip bones. There was barely any fat anywhere on her. To Twilight, it was more than clear now that Selena hadn’t been exaggerating. She wasn’t stealing for pleasure: she was stealing to survive. The horror didn’t end there. Cuts and scrapes covered her emaciated body, several of them obviously infected. Her long mane—a darker shade of blue than her coat—hung about her face in a tattered and disheveled mess. A horn poked from between her bangs, the appendage cracked and chipped. Her muzzle was slightly crooked, and looked like it had been broken in the past. Fresh bruises and cuts adorned the side of her face where Rainbow had attacked her earlier. Out of the corner of her eye, Twilight could see said pegasus eyeing the injuries with an uneasy—almost guilty—expression. And lastly, there was her eyes; Twin milky-blue orbs that stood out in stark contrast with the dark colors of her coat and mane. Twilight had only seen eyes like that once before in her life, and she knew instantly what it meant. Unable to stop herself, she blurted out, “You’re blind?!” As soon as the words had left her mouth, Twilight mentally kicked herself. Of course Selena was blind. It was painfully obvious now that she thought about it. The way she had never looked directly at anypony when talking. How she seemed to always stumble along, unsure of where to put her hooves. Even those moments of silence where only her ears moved under the hood. Looking back now, Twilight couldn’t believe that she hadn’t noticed before. One of her grandparents was blind; she should have recognized the signs immediately. At Twilight’s words, Selena blinked, and her ears swiveled around to point in Twilight’s direction. An uneasy look crossed her face, and Twilight could see her body tense slightly. Her tail tucked itself between her hind legs in a defensive manner. “Um… y-yes,” she stuttered out, her voice cracking slightly. Twilight’s eyes widened again. Missing teeth were clearly visible when Selena spoke. What has this poor mare been through? Applejack grunted, the look of uneasiness leaving her face as her eyes narrowed. “Wait, so you’re blind and still able tah steal from mah cart?” At Selena’s nod, Applejack chewed on the inside of her cheek for a few seconds before sighing. “As much as Ah don’t want tah admit it, that’s downright impressive right there.” This caused Rainbow to give her a disgruntled look. “What?” Applejack asked. “Look, Ah’m not saying that she’s forgiven. Ah’m just sayin’ that Ah’m impressed she can steal from mah cart and get away even though she can’t see!” “You’re making me sound better than I am,” Selena muttered, wilting slightly as she felt everyone’s gazes land on her. “I… I don’t exactly have the best track record.” “Ah’d say,” Applejack said, her hard look softening slightly. “Ya look like a small breeze would blow ya away. Ah can see why ya been stealin’. Might have tah have granny make ya up somethin’ to eat.” “Applejack!” Rainbow finally cried, giving her friend an incredulous look. “She’s a thief! You don’t help ponies like that!” “Rainbow, ya idjit, look at her!” Applejack snorted, pointing a hoof at Selena, who shifted uncomfortable at the attention. “Thief or not, that’s not healthy! Nopony would intentionally allow themselves tah starve like this. Ah’m not sayin’ that Ah forgive her, but Ah’m not going to condemn her! My pa didn’t raise me like that!” Rainbow snorted, but lowered her head and backed down. Twilight opened her mouth to agree with Applejack’s point, but before she could, Pinkie whimpered loudly. “If I had known you were this hungry, I would have left more cupcakes and muffins lying around,” she said, giving Selena a sad look. “Pinkie, I know you meant well, but she doesn’t need sweets,” Twilight chided. “That could end up making her very sick in her present state.” When Pinkie lowered her head, looking for all the world like a kicked puppy, Twilight sighed. Moving over, she gave her friend a hug. “Don’t be sad, Pinkie. I know you meant well.” Shifting nervously from hoof to hoof, Selena swallowed thickly. “Um… w-what—” However, before she could as her question, Rarity finally managed to find her voice. “Oh my stars, darling!” she cried, causing Selena to jump. “Your coat! Your coiffure! It’s simply dreadful! It’s… it’s... I’ve never… seen… oh my…” Unable to express what she was thinking in words, Rarity could only stare at Selena, aghast. Lifting up a hoof, she began to fan herself. “Her coat?” Fluttershy yelped. She looked at Rarity, her eyes beginning to water. “What about her body?” Opening her wings, she quickly fluttered over to Selena, causing the blind mare to flinch back in surprise. An alarmed look crossed her face but vanished into a look of confusion as Fluttershy began to tenderly exam several of her wounds. “Oh dear, these don’t look good,” Fluttershy whimpered as she inspected a large scratch on the side of Selena’s barrel. “Several of these are heavily infected! They need to be cleaned and cared for. You need medical attention right away!” Turning her head, she called over her shoulder to Twilight. “Where do you keep the first-aid kit?” Selena’s eyes widened and she stumbled backwards, flailing her hooves. “T-that’s quite alright! I’m fine—” “I agree. She needs medical attention,” Twilight said quickly, cutting Selena off, “but the medical kit won’t do any good with how severe those wounds are.” A determined look flashed across Twilight’s eyes. Her horn lit up and she lifted Selena’s cloak, draping it over the blind mare’s body. “What the—” Selena yelped as the hood fell over her head. She scrambled backwards, managing to get herself more tangled within the holes and tears of the material. As Selena struggled to free herself from the confines of the cloak, Twilight moved beside her and began to gently, yet firmly, push her towards the door. “We have to get you to the hospital,” Twilight grunted. When Selena didn’t budge, she used more force. “I don’t need to go to the hospital,” Selena protested, her voice muffled by the cloak. “I’m telling you, I’m fine!” “Yeah, and Ah’m an alicorn princess,” Applejack snorted, moving to help Twilight nudge Selena along. “T-this is unnecessary!” Selena cried. She tried to dig her chipped hooves into the floor, but she was unable to get any traction. In a last-ditch effort to escape, she shouted out, “I’ll call the guards!” “No ya won’t,” Applejack grunted. “Come on, girl. We’re, oof… trying tah help ya.” “This is getting ridiculous,” Twilight grumbled. Stopping her attempt to get Selena to the door, she stepped back and lit up her horn. A rosy glow surrounded Selena and, with a yelp, she was lifted off her hooves and into the air. Having the pony she was trying to shove suddenly gone, Applejack stumbled and face-planted on the ground. Selena immediately began to freak out. “Put me down, put me down, put me down!” she squealed, flailing her hooves around. “I can’t feel… I think I’m going to be sick… which way is down?!” Ignoring Selena’s cries, Twilight trotted quickly to the door, Selena floating effortlessly behind her. “There! Much more efficient,” Twilight said, nodding twice. Opening the door, she slipped outside, levitating Selena along with her. The others just gave each other bemused looks before following after Twilight.
Part II: Dream of the MoonPeeking through the ophthalmoscope, Blue Cross peered first at one golden eye, then the next. The pupils shrunk underneath the light, and Dinky squirmed. Blue Cross cooed softly, holding the filly’s head steady with a hoof. She repeated this process several times before lowering the device and leaning back. “Well, everything looks good,” she said, giving Dinky a warm smile. The small filly blinked her watering eyes before rubbing them with her hooves. Her muzzle scrunched up in a cute manner, causing Blue Cross to laugh softly. Beside the examination table, Ditzy smiled weakly, her wings fluttering by her sides. She shifted from one hoof to another before timidly asking, “So, does she...?” Unable to finish the question, she trailed off. Biting her bottom lip nervously, she glanced away, one of her eyes staring at the floor while the other looked at the far wall. Blue Cross offered her a reassuring smile. “Still no signs of strabismus, Ms. Hooves,” she assured. “Her eyes are perfect.” At those words, a large smile broke out across Ditzy’s face. She squealed happily before grabbing Dinky up in a huge hug and nuzzling her cheek enthusiastically. “Mom~!” The filly whined, trying to wiggle her way free. This just encouraged Ditzy to snuggle her more. Blue Cross watched the display of affection with a smile. Placing the ophthalmoscope down on the counter, she picked up a clipboard that held all of Dinky’s medical information. She ran a quick eye over it, humming softly to herself as she reviewed the info. “Everything else looks fine as well,” she said. Ditzy paused and glanced up, her ears perked. “Her height is fine,” Blue Cross continued, running a hoof slowly down the chart. “She’s a little small for her age, but that’s fine. She’ll start growing more in a few years when she starts to go through puberty, so nothing to worry about there. Her weight is also fine, but do keep an eye on what she’s eating. She’s a little overweight, but it’s not in the unhealthy range yet.” Holding Dinky out at leg’s length, Ditzy gave her daughter the stink eye, narrowing her bad eye and glaring at her daughter in faux disappointment. Dinky squirmed in her mother’s grasp before smiling sheepishly. “I can’t help it! Muffins are delicious!” Ditzy continued glaring at her daughter before her expression softened and she sighed. “Well, at least I raised you to have good taste.” “Well, there are worse things she could be snacking on,” Blue Cross said with a nod. “Luckily, summer has just started. Just make sure she stays active, and I’m sure she’ll be fine.” “That won’t be too hard,” Ditzy assured as she placed Dinky back on the examination table. “She’s already a very active filly.” “Yeah!” Dinky chirped, nodding her head enthusiastically. “Pinchy and I already have plans next week! There’s an old creek on the edge of White Tail Woods, and we’re going to go hunting for breezies!” “Just make sure you’re safe,” Blue Cross told her as Ditzy nodded in agreement. “I don’t want to see you confined to a hospital bed due to a twisted hoof, especially with all the wonderful weather that’s planned.” “Don’t worry, I’ll be careful!” Dinky promised, trying to look serious. However, she only ended up looking adorable, and Blue Cross chuckled softly. This is why I like working with foals, she thought as she looked back down at the clipboard. Running her eyes over it one last time, she placed it aside before turning to face Ditzy. “There is one more thing I have to discuss with you before you’re free to go.” Upon seeing a nervous look flash across Ditzy’s face, she shook her head and offered a warm smile. “It’s nothing serious, I promise. While giving Dinky her check-up, I noticed that her horn started to spark when I was examining it.” “What does that mean?” Ditzy asked, her wings twitching slightly. “Is she getting sick? I know there are some magical diseases out there that affect unicorns, but—” “Ms. Hooves, relax,” Blue Cross interrupted. Out of the corner of her eye she saw that Dinky was beginning to look nervous as well, glancing back and forth between Blue Cross and her mother. “Dinky is fine. The sparking just means that her magic is beginning to manifest.” Ditzy stared at her blankly for a few seconds before a smile quickly spread across her face. “My muffin’s magic is coming in?” Beside her, Dinky squealed happily and began to bounce up and down upon the table. Blue Cross nodded, smiling at the filly’s antics. “Indeed it is. I’d estimate that within a few weeks, she should be able to control it. However,” she continued, holding up a hoof, “there are some things you should now. During this period she’ll be more prone to getting magical surges. Despite how they look, they are completely harmless. Don’t be worried if she does get a surge. It’s just her body’s way of relieving itself of excess magic. Also don’t be worried if she doesn’t have one. Quite a few unicorns go through adolescence without surging.” “Is there something I should do if she does surge,” Ditzy asked. “If she does surge, make sure she rests for a few minutes before resuming her usual activities. She might also experience some headaches, but those are rare and quickly go away. A glass of water might help as well.” “That seems simple enough,” Ditzy said with a nod, brushing her wing against Dinky’s back. “It is,” Blue Cross said with a nod. “Also, if at any time you have a question, please don’t be afraid to stop by and ask. Any of the nurses will be able to help.” “Thank you very much,” Dtizy said as she helped Dinky off of the table. “Yeah, thanks!” Dinky chirped happily before trotting quickly to the door. Jumping up on to her hind legs, she reached up and struggled to reach the door handle for a few seconds before managing to grab it. The door had barely begun to swing open before she was out of the room and down the hall, the sound of her hoofsteps fading quickly. “Sorry about that,” Ditzy said to Blue Cross. “She’s meeting her friends at the park this afternoon, and was a little upset when she found out her doctor’s appointment was scheduled at the same time. She wanted me to cancel the appointment so she wouldn’t be late.” “It’s fine” Blue Cross laughed. “Most foals are always eager to leave as soon as possible, especially when they have vaccinations due.” Reaching into a nearby container, she pulled out a red lollipop and handed it to Ditzy. “Although, I’ve never had one leave so fast that they forgot their treat.” “I’ll make sure she gets it,” Ditzy said, taking the sucker and slipping it beneath her wing. She gave Blue Cross one last smile before turning and following her filly out the door. After making sure the room was properly cleaned, Blue Cross picked the clipboard up and exited the room, closing the door behind her. Holding it carefully in her mouth, she trotted down the hall to the nurse’s station. As she approached the desk, an identical-looking mare glanced up and gave her a smile. “How’d it go?” Blue Shield asked. She was a near-perfect copy to her sister, except for the horn growing from her forehead. “Same as always,” Blue Cross said as she handed her sister the clipboard. “Although, be prepared for to see Dinky in the future.” “Why, is she planning some trouble this summer?” Blue Shield asked with a smirk. “Well, yes, but that’s not the reason,” Blue Cross said with a laugh. “Her magic is beginning to manifest, and you know how protective Ditzy is of her.” “Ah, I see.” Picking up a pen in her magic, Blue Shield grabbed a nearby piece of paper. “I’ll leave a note for the doctor telling him to expect some surge-related appointments.” “You do that,” Blue Cross signed. Leaning against the desk, she groaned softly. “I’m exhausted. Thank Celestia that was my last patient. Now I can get started on my weeklong vacation. I’m going to become one with my sofa. I think I hit the break room for a few minutes and see if there are any leftover doughnuts before heading back home.” “Oh no you don’t. You have another appointment to take care of,” Blue Shield said with a snicker. Blue Cross blinked in confusion before crinkling her muzzle. “What? No. I’m pretty sure that Dinky was my last patient for the day. It was Dinky then Vacation. I should know, I double-checked the schedule three times this morning.” “You’re right. She was your last patient. Was. Not anymore. Something came up,” Blue Shield corrected, sliding a clipboard with a blank form across the desk to her sister. “Isn’t there somepony else that can do it?” Blue Cross asked, glaring down at the clipboard as though it had just insulted her. “Nope, sorry sis. Redheart is busy, and Tenderhoof isn’t in yet. This is all yours.” “Well, can you at least tell me who it is?” Blue Cross asked, reluctantly picking up the clipboard. Hopefully it’s another foal. That would make it worth it. “Nope, sorry,” Blue Shield said with a shake of her head. “All I know is that it’s a mare. I didn’t even get a proper look at her when she passed through, as she was wearing this awful-looking cloak. It was full of holes and stunk something awful.” Blue Cross sighed and lowered her head. Great, not a foal then. “Anything else?” “Yeah,” Blue Shield said with a frown. “She had six mares escort her in, one of which was the Princess’s student. She seemed rather reluctant, but they were insisting that she be looked at.” “Strange,” Blue Cross hummed. “I guess I’ll go take a look at her then. What room are they in?” “369,” Blue Shield replied bluntly as she returned to her paperwork. Blue Cross grunted as she placed the clipboard gently in her mouth. Turning, she trotted off the hall, trying to keep the annoyance of this last minute appointment from souring her mood too much. She usually didn’t mind tending to patients, but with her getting on in years, she didn’t have as much energy as she used to. With the whole Nightmare Moon fiasco followed by a small outbreak of summer flu, she was starting to run low on energy. She desperately needed this vacation. Okay, Blue. Just get through this one last patient and then you have a whole week off, Blue Cross thought to herself as she reached the room. She could hear muffled whispers coming from the other side of the door. Taking a deep breath through her nose, she knocked before—without waiting for a response—she pushed the door open and entered. As she entered, she tried her best to smile around the clipboard in her mouth. Using a hind leg to close the door, she turned to face the occupants of the room. She recognized five of the mares right away; working as a nurse in a small town like Ponyville meant that you learned who everypony was fairly quickly, and it didn’t take a genius to realize who the lavender unicorn was. After all, Blue Cross had been present at the Summer Sun Celebration. Running her eyes over the group of mares, Blue Cross turned her attention to the seventh mare who was currently sitting upon the examination table only to freeze, her eyes widening in horror. The clipboard slipped from her mouth and clattered loudly upon the floor, immediately drawing attention to herself. At the sound, the mare on the table flinched, her ears pressing against her head. “Now, I know this looks bad,” Twilight began, giving Blue Cross an uneasy smile, “but there’s a reason, I swear!” Blue Cross ignored her, focusing instead on the sight before her. The mare on the table looked horrible. Cuts and scratches adorned her pelt, several of them infected. She was covered from horn to hoof in dirt, her body horribly emaciated. Blue Cross had never seen a pony in such a sorry state before. However, what really drew her attention were the mare’s eyes. They were milky-blue and filmed over, the mare’s gaze staring at some point just over Blue Cross’s shoulder. Despite not having seen those eyes in nearly a decade, Blue Cross recognized them instantly. Taking a shaky step forward, Blue Cross swallowed thickly before breathing, “Selena?” The mare on the table jerk, her head whipping up as her ears perked. Twilight froze, her eyes widening as she stared at Blue Cross in shock. “You know who she is? H-how?” “Of course I know who she is. I was her nurse when she lived in the orphanage,” Blue Cross said, not taking her eyes off of Selena. She still couldn’t believe what she was seeing. Selena was alive and currently sitting in front of her. Granted, she looked like a skeleton, but she was still alive. Warm Care is going to be overjoyed. At the mention of the orphanage, Selena’s ears splayed backwards and she shrunk lower on the examination table. “Orphanage?” Twilight asked, clearly becoming flustered. She opened and closed her mouth several times, but no words came out. Blue Cross gave her a confused look before tsking. “Do you know who she is?” “Not really,” Twilight confessed sheepishly. “I only met her a few days ago in the marketplace.” Sighing heavily, Blue Cross rubbed her temple with a hoof; she could feel a headache coming on. After a few seconds, Twilight cleared her throat. “Uh, if you don’t mind, could you… um,” she trailed off before motioning towards Selena with a hoof. Blue Cross sighed again before picking up the discard clipboard and placing it on the countertop. Climbing on top of the stool, she scooted closer to Selena and began her examination. Selena jumped slightly as Blue Cross grabbed her head in her hooves. The nurse was gentle, moving her head first one way then another. Pulling back Selena’s lip, she winced when she saw the missing teeth. “Oh, honey, what happened to you?” she asked softly. “You’re a little worse for wear then the last time I saw you.” “Life happened,” Selena muttered, staring blankly ahead. After a few seconds, Blue Cross released Selena’s head and picked up a nearby stethoscope. “This will be cold,” she warned before placing it against Selena’s chest. Selena inhaled sharply, but surprisingly didn’t shy away. Blue Cross winced as she ran the stethoscope over Selena’s chest, the metal bumping against her ribs. She listened intently to her heart for a few seconds before moving on to her lungs. As Blue Cross worked, the others hung out awkwardly in the background. Everyone was watching the proceedings with mute interest, except for Rainbow who was lying on the window sill, sunbathing in the afternoon light streaming through the open window. Twilight shifted from hoof to hoof, her eyes darting back and forth between Selena and Blue Cross. When the nurse finally lowered the stethoscope, she couldn’t contain her curiosity any longer. “So, how do you know her?” she asked. “You said something about an orphanage?” Blue Cross paused in her examination, glancing over her shoulder at Twilight. “I’m not exactly sure I should be talking to you about it. You’ve already admitted that you don’t really know who she is.” “Look, I realize you might be a little wary of us, but we’re just trying to help,” Twilight huffed. “We could have just as easily taken her to the guards instead.” Behind Rarity, Fluttershy whimpered softly. Blue Cross stared at Twilight for several seconds before sighing. “Selena here used to live in Ponyville Orphanage when she was a foal,” she said as she returned to examining Selena. “She was found in a snow drift one night by the head of the orphanage, who immediately took her in. The next morning he brought her in to make sure she was healthy, and that’s when I first met her. I was her personal nurse for the next few years.” “You said ‘used to live’. What happened?” Twilight asked. “I’m assuming she didn’t get adopted.” Selena whimpered, lowering her head as her ears splayed back. “Hard to get adopted when you’re a damaged foal,” Blue Cross said, rubbing Selena’s shoulder sympathetically. “Nopony wants a blind foal.” “That’s horrible,” Fluttershy said, peeking out from behind Rarity. “So, if she didn’t get adopted, what happened?” Twilight pushed on, oblivious to Selena’s discomfort. “Nopony’s quite sure, actually,” Blue Cross said, giving Selena a pointed look that was lost on the blind mare. “About ten years ago, Selena got into a fight with one of the other foals, then just up and ran away.” “No point staying there if none of the other foals liked me and nopony was going to adopt me,” Selena muttered, her ears pressed firmly against her head. “So you ran away and became a thief?” Twilight asked, giving Selena a deadpanned look, which was once again lost on the blind mare. “I was young. What do you want from me?” Selena huffed. Twilight opened her mouth to respond, but was interrupted by Applejack, who spoke up suddenly. “Y’all know Warm Care?” she asked, giving Selena a curious look. Selena blinked once before nodding hesitantly. “Yeah, he was the head of the orphanage. He practically raised me. H-how… how do you know him?” “He helped mah family out when mah ma passed away givin’ birth tah mah younger sister,” Applejack said softly. “Before that though, he was a good friend of the family. Used tah stop by the stall and talk tah mah pa almost every day. Ah remember one day, before ma died, he came tah the farm and ask Big Mac and Ah tah help him look for a lost filly. We helped him search for a while, but we never did find her.” Applejack pushed back her hat, eyeing Selena closely. “Didn’t connect ya tah that until just now.” “Warm Care went looking for me?” Selena asked breathlessly. Blue Cross snorted. “Of course he did, you silly filly. He cared deeply for you, and spent a good three weeks looking before Merriweather forced him to stop. Even then, he still kept an eye out for you whenever he went into town. Nowadays, however, he’s confined to the orphanage. His old age is catching up with him.” Selena was silent, her ears hanging limp against her head and her expression downcast. “Anyways,” Blue Cross said loudly, leaning back on the stool and fixing Selena with a professional glare that only nurses could give, “you, my dear, are in horrible condition. You have angular stomatitis around your mouth, plus your gums are inflamed and show signs of recent bleeding. Your remaining teeth show signs of enamel mottling. Your fur is slowly falling out, and your skin is loose and wrinkled beneath your coat. Your hooves are horribly cracked, your muscles are almost non-existent, and your abdomen is slightly distended. All-in-all, you are severely malnourished.” “I thought we already knew that,” Rainbow huffed from her spot on the window sill. Ignoring the snarky comment, Blue Cross continued. “Selena, when was the last time you ate?” “Um…” Selena hummed, tapping her chipped hooves together nervously, “I… I had a dandelion sandwich I found on a restaurant’s patio. It was a little soggy, due to rain, but it was still edible.” At her words, a nonplussed look crossed Twilight’s face. “That doesn’t answer my question,” Blue Cross said gently. “When was the last time you ate?” Selena squirmed on the table for a few seconds before sighing. “I found the sandwich seven days ago,” she mumbled. “What?!” Blue Cross yelped. “You haven’t eaten in a week?!” “I had some grass a couple of days ago,” Selena replied weakly. “You ate grass?!” Rarity shriek, a look of horror crossing her face. She placed a hoof on her forehead before swooning. “Bet that gave you the runs,” Blue Cross snorted, shaking her head. She picked up the clipboard and began to write on it. “So, you’ve only eaten a sandwich and some grass in the past week?” “I had some cupcakes I found lying around too,” Selena offered. At this, everyone turned to look at Pinkie Pie, who just squealed and bounced up and down happily. “Grass and cupcakes?” Blue Cross asked. “That’s not healthy, even for a pony that isn’t starving to death. Please tell me that isn’t all you eat.” “Well, no,” Selena said, playing absentmindedly with her tail. “I usually eat whatever I can, um… acquire from the marketplace.” Rainbow snorted loudly. “Such as?” Blue Cross asked. “Can you give me some examples of food you eat?” Selena scrunched up her face as she racked her brain. “Um, carrots, pears, anything I can find in the dumpster outside the bakery—” Rarity whimpered from her spot on the floor “—and any cupcakes I find lying around. I sometimes get lucky and swipe some food during a party.” “Anything else?” Blue Cross asked as she wrote down the food Selena listed off. “Apples,” Selena said, sighing wistfully. There was a pause in the scratching of the pen as Blue Cross glanced up, looking between Selena and Applejack. In fact, most of the room’s inhabitants were now staring at Applejack, who had a dumbfounded look plastered on her face. “Apples?” Blue Cross asked slowly. Selena nodded enthusiastically. “Apples. Delicious, delicious apples. I rarely can get them, but when I do, it’s… it’s amazing! They’re just so juicy and crisp. You bite into them and there’s an explosion of flavor in your mouth. I try not to eat them too fast and savor each bite, but sometimes I can’t help it. I usually end up eating the core as well. They’re just so… so… Mmmmm!” Selena’s tongue lolled from her mouth as a dopey expression crossed her face. Drool slowly gathered at the tip of her tongue. An uncomfortable silence fell over the room as everyone just stood there, trying to avoid eye contact with one another. By the time Selena stopped talking, a deep blush had settled over Applejack’s cheeks, and she coughed weakly. “G-glad tah know ya enjoy them.” Selena blanched, a look of horror crossing her face. “I… I forgot that they were your apples,” she squeaked. “I’m so sorry for taking them without paying, it’s just… just…” “That’s okay,” Applejack said weakly, rubbing the back of her head. “Ah feel better knowin’ that ya liked them at least.” “Like is an understatement,” Selena sighed. “Warm Care used to bring a few bushels back to the orphanage occasionally, but the other foals would always take all of them before I got any. I was usually forced to dig through the trash for the cores if I wanted some.” “Well, shoot. Now that really makes me want tah get granny tah cook ya up some food,” Applejack said, a large smile spreading across her face. “It ain’t everyday ya meet a pony that loves apples that much.” Selena opened her mouth to reply, but was cut off by Blue Cross. “We’re getting off topic here,” the nurse huffed. “I think it’s safe to say that you are severely malnourished. We need to start getting some more meat on your bones right away, before your condition gets worse.” “Oh, oh!” Pinkie cried, bouncing up and down while waving her hoof in the air. “I could make her a bunch of stuff to eat!” “Sorry, Pinks, but Ah don’t think that sweets are the best thing for her right now,” Applejack said. She turned to face Blue Cross, giving the nurse a smile. “If’n y’all need some good food however, Ah’d be more than happy tah provide it.” Blue Cross shook her head. “That’s very generous of you given the circumstances, Applejack, but unfortunately that’s a no-go. With how severe her malnutrition is, her intestines may not be able to absorb adequate nutrients from food. We need to start her off with some intravenous feeding and work our way up from there.” Finishing up with whatever she was writing on the clipboard, she stood up and turned to face Selena. “”Congratulations, Selena,” she said as she pushed the emergency call button to signal a doctor. “You are hereby checked in to Ponyville General.” “What?!” Selena yelped, nearly slipping off the table. Blue Cross caught her before she could fall, and gently pushed her back. “No, no, no,” Selena said, shaking her head. “I don’t need to… I can’t… I don’t have any money.” “That’s okay. I can cover the medical costs,” Twilight chirped. “Being the personal student of Princess Celestia has its perks.” Selena turned her head in Twilight’s general direction, her mouth opening and closing wordlessly. “Excellent. It’s settled then,” Blue Cross said, keeping her hoof firmly pressed against Selena’s chest. “You don’t have to do this,” Selena mewled. “Selena, hun, you need help,” Blue Cross said just as the door opened. A doctor stuck his head in and looked around. His eyes widened upon seeing Selena and he quickly withdrew his head. A few seconds later the door swung fully open and the doctor returned, followed by a nurse pushing a gurney. Ignoring Selena’s weak protests, they lifted her off of the examination table and onto the gurney before wheeling her quickly out of the room. Turning to face the remaining mares, Blue Cross gave them a tired smile. “Thank you for bringing her in.” “It was the least we could do,” Twilight said with a nod. She paused, glancing towards the door as she nibbled on her bottom lip. “Can we, ah…” “You’ll be free to visit her once we get her settled into her room,” Blue Cross said. “Feel free to wait in the visitor’s lounge in the meantime. Now, if you’d excuse me.” With that she picked up the clipboard in her teeth and exited the room. Trotting down the hall to the nurse station, Blue Cross sighed around the clipboard. Looks like I’m going to be holding off on that vacation after all. ~ ~ ~ ~ > > < < ~ ~ ~ ~ As she sunk lower in the warm water, Selena couldn’t help the happy murmur that escaped her lips. She rested her head against the lip of the tub, her eyes closed and a soft smile on her face. Her right foreleg dangled over the edge of the tub, an IV tucked in crook of her leg leading up to a dangling bag of fluids. Rarity and Fluttershy sat beside the tub, tending to Selena’s mane and tail. Rarity was focusing on running a brush through her disheveled mane, working the knots and tangles out of the hair. Fluttershy did the same with her tail, which was draped over the edge of the tub. The last few hours had been a flurry of activity. The doctors had poked and prodded her, given her several injections, weighed her, and taken a few blood samples. They had then taken some x-rays, where she was forced to wear an uncomfortable and heavy vest. After all of that had been finished, she had been placed in a soft bed and wheeled into a room that smelled faintly of disinfectant. She had barely gotten situated in the room when a nurse had entered and immediately drawn her a bath. Selena had been reluctant at first, but after dipping a hoof into the warm, soapy water, she had caved. With the help of two nurses, Selena had scrubbed herself down as best as she could, cleaning her wounds and washing the dirt from her coat, mane, and tail. The tub had to be emptied and refilled three times due to the amount of dust and grime baked into her fur. After she had been properly cleaned, the tub had been refilled for a fourth time, and she was allowed to soak in the warm water. That was about the time that Twilight, Rarity, and Fluttershy had ventured into the room. Twilight had explained that the others had to leave for various reasons: Applejack to pick her sister up from school, Pinkie to go help the Cakes, and Rainbow because… well, Twilight hadn’t said why Rainbow had left, but Selena could hazard a guess. Letting out another soft groan, Selena settled further into the tub until only her muzzle was above the surface. The water felt good on her cuts and scrapes, and she could feel her muscles slowly relaxing. The gentle tugging on her mane and tail also helped. “I must say, darling, your mane is such a lovely shade of blue,” Rarity said as she worked another knot out of Selena’s hair. “I have a dress that I’m working on that would match it perfectly.” Selena mumbled something beneath the water, causing bubbles to form around her head. Fluttershy giggled. “Oh, I bet that water feels good on your injuries, doesn’t it? The nurse did say that they looked a lot better once cleaned.” “It feels good to just be clean again,” Selena sighed, lifting her muzzle out of the water. “I can’t remember the last time I was able to wash with soap, let alone bathe.” “And you certainly do look better, darling,” Rarity commented. Finishing up with Selena’s mane, she slipped the brush bag into her saddlebags as she eyed Selena’s body. “Although I do believe that your mane and tail could use a good trim, as could your fetlocks. You’ll have to let me schedule an appointment at the spa once all this is over. We’ll get you looking like a proper mare again. Wouldn’t you say, Twilight?” Upon hearing her name, Twilight, who had been staring at the floor, lost in thought, started slightly. Blinking, she glanced up and gave Rarity a confused look. “Huh?” “Are you okay, Twilight?” Rarity asked, giving her a concerned look. “You seem very distracted.” “I-I’m fine, Rarity, really. I’m just thinking about something,” Twilight said, giving her friend a weak smile. Selena sighed, rolling her head around on the lip of the tub until she was facing Twilight’s general direction. “I’m sorry, Twilight. I just don’t want to talk about my cutie mark.” “But it’s so unique!” Twilight whined. “I mean, just look at it. It’s glowing! I’ve never seen or heard of a cutie mark doing that before! I can’t sense a spell or enchantment either, and the hairs themselves seem to be glowing. It’s amazing!” “It’s also one of the reason I got bullied at the orphanage,” Selena muttered before sinking back into the water. Twilight’s ears splayed backwards, and she winced. “Oh, darling, that’s horrible,” Rarity gasped, placing a hoof over her mouth. “Why would anypony make fun of such a beautiful cutie mark?” “...don’t want to talk about it,” Selena mumbled before submerging her muzzle again. Rarity nodded her head. “Certainly, darling, but I do hope that you aren’t ashamed of it. It really is beautiful. The way it glimmers underwater...” She trailed off, staring into the tub. Standing up, Twilight trotted slowly over the tub, her head hung low. “I’m sorry for bringing it up, Selena,” she said softly. Selena’s ears perked up, but other than that she remained motionless in the water. “I wasn’t thinking about your feelings, and I didn’t mean to bring up bad memories.” Selena raised her head, snorting softly as she blew water from her nostrils. “It’s okay,” she said. “I understand it’s strange. I’ve been told that all my life.” “Not strange, darling. Beautiful,” Rarity chided. “...not beautiful,” Selena grumbled, blowing bubbles in the water. “It most certainly is,” Rarity said firmly, a stern look cross her face. “There is nothing wrong with it. Isn’t that right, Fluttershy?” “O-oh yes. It’s very pretty,” Fluttershy said softly, still brushing Selena’s tail. The sensation was oddly calming, and Selena felt herself beginning to grow tired. “Well, regardless, I am sorry for bringing it up,” Twilight said, causing Selena’s ear to twitch. “I should have realized you didn’t want to talk about by your reaction earlier in the library when Applejack asked about it.” “I told you, it’s fine, Twilight,” Selena said, stifling a yawn. The warm water, combined with Fluttershy’ gentle tugs on her tail, were making her more relaxed than she had been in ages. “I’ll take that as my cue to leave,” Twilight said, smiling softly. “Twilight, darling, you don’t have to kick yourself out for a simple misunderstanding,” Rarity said, giving her friend a concerned look. Twilight shook her head, giving Rarity a small smile. “I should be getting back to the library anyways. There is something I have to do. Plus, Spike is probably beginning to wonder where I am. I’ll try and visit tomorrow, if that’s okay with you, Selena?” she asked, glancing over at the mare in question. Selena half-heartedly lifted her hoof and waved it about, letting out a low grunt. Twilight giggles, shaking her head. “I’ll take that as a yes.” She stood and began to move towards the door, but was stopped when Rarity put a hoof on her shoulder. “Twilight, before you go, there’s something I want to ask you about,” Rarity said softly. As the two mares conversed, Selena sunk deeper into the water and sighed. She yawned again, suddenly feeling very tired. The gentle murmur of voices, combined with Fluttershy’s loving caresses of her tail, was not helping the matter, and within a few seconds, Selena quietly slipped off to sleep. ~ ~ ~ ~ > > < < ~ ~ ~ ~ Silence. It was all around her, consuming, smothering. Selena frowned, her ears swiveling around in a vain attempt to find any noise whatsoever. However, she was met with only silence. No birds chirping, no distant murmur of ponies in the marketplace. Even the sound of the wind was absent. Shifting on her hooves, her ears twitched as the sound of rocks sliding beneath her hooves could be heard. The sound didn’t last long before quickly fading into the deafening silence. Suddenly feeling very alone, Selena swallowed audibly and tucked her tail between her legs. She didn’t like this, it was too quiet. There wasn’t any sound anywhere, and that was her main source of information. Deprived of her vision, she had to make due with her other senses. Now, in this silent environment, she felt, ironically, blind. Picking up a hoof, she ran her frog along the ground, trying to get a feel of the surface she was standing on. The ground was soft but dry, and her hoof sunk into the earth several centimeters as she put pressure on it. Frowning, she then lifted the hoof to her muzzle and sniffed it tentatively. She immediately sneezed as dust filled her nostrils. Despite the loudness of the sneeze, no echo could be heard. Trying to keep calm, Selena lit up her horn as she cast a quick spell to map the surrounding area. The image that came back was confusing. The ground was rocky, small potholes and clumps of dust and gravel covering the relatively flat surface. A large circular crater was located a few meters away. Its walls were nearly three feet high, preventing Selena from “seeing” within. Behind her, just on the edge of her spell’s range, the ground began to slope upwards. There was no trees, no grass, no buildings, and no sign of any other ponies. There was just her, and the silence. As her spell slowly died, Selena’s ears pressed against the back of her head. Fear was slowly growing in her chest. “H-hello?” she called out hesitantly. The words died instantly, almost like they were swallowed up in a void. Swallowing thickly, she tried again, a little bit louder than before. “Hello? Is there anypony there?” Just like before, her words faded into nothingness. For a few seconds, nothing happened. Then, suddenly, there came a low rumble in the distance and the ground beneath her hooves began to vibrate gently. Energy seemed to course through the ground, the very surface thrumming with power. Selena yelped in surprise, jumping slightly as warmth began to creep up her legs. It felt like spiders were crawling over her, and she couldn’t help but shiver at the sensation. As the warmth slowly spread throughout her body, she found herself calming, much to her surprise. The fear that had once been growing within her quickly vanished, replaced instead by a feeling of peace. She felt almost as if she belong here, her previous trepidation gone. The silence didn’t feel as oppressive, and the environment didn’t feel as cold. The ground shook again, a low hum filling the air. It was almost like a deep, echoing laugh, and Selena felt the corners of her lips beginning to twitch upwards. She closed her eyes and began to hum along, swaying her head in time with the thrumming. “Yti nrete ruo noh caorc nesera dohw?” a voice suddenly whispered behind her, the words smooth as silk. Selena’s eyes shot open and she yelped loudly before spinning around. In her haste, her hind legs got tangled together, and she yelped again as she toppled to the ground. Unfortunately, this resulted in her getting a muzzle full of dust, and she immediately dissolved into a sneezing fit. Eyes watering as she continued to sneeze, Selena tried to scrambled to her hooves, but couldn’t seem to get her legs underneath her again. After a few seconds, a soft tsk came from in front of her, and Selena was suddenly lifted in the air and placed gently back on her hooves. Feathers brushed along her face gingerly, removing the dust. Once she had been cleaned, the feathers withdrew. Blinking the tears from her eyes, Selena perked her ears, listening intently. There was no noise, not even the sound of anypony breathing but her. Even the thrumming of the ground had fallen silent. Still, she sensed a presence in front of her, as well as the uncomfortable feeling of a pair of eyes studying her. Lighting up her horn, she tentatively casted her mapping spell. The being in front of her shifted slightly as Selena’s magic washed over them. Selena’s sightless eyes widened in shock as she took in the form in front of her. It was definitely a pony, a mare if the body shape was anything to go by. The figure was tall, Selena’s head only coming up to her neck. A horn jutted from her forehead, and a pair of large wings were spread by her side. There appeared to be a kind of energy around her head and dock that wafted out behind her in lazy fluctuations. The figure was facing her, so Selena assumed that it was studying her. She swallowed weakly before speaking. “Um… h-hello?” The figure said nothing, but cocked her head to the side. “W-who are you?” Selena pressed on, her voice trembling slightly. “Where are we?” Again, the figure didn’t answer. Sweating now due to the stress of maintaining her spell, Selena whimpered before the spell finally spluttered and died. However, before the image had a chance to fade, a fresh flow of magic seeped into her, and the spell flared to life again. Selena blinked in surprise before glancing towards the figure again. “En oeltti, lre hevo lllit se wai Tllet,” the mare whispered before bowing her head slightly. Selena blinked again before frowning. “Um… what?” The figure just chuckled before leaning down and nuzzling the top of Selena’s head. “That doesn’t answer my question,” Selena grumbled. This just caused the figure to laugh again. Warm air washed across Selena’s ear, causing it to twitch. She gave Selena one last nuzzle—kissing the base of her horn—before withdrawing. Selena took a step back as well, eyeing the mare as best she could with the spell. She had never seen somepony as tall as the mare before, nor having both wings and a horn. Said wings fluttered by the figure’s sides, and a few feathers fluttered to the ground. As she watched, the figure tilted her head to the side and chuckled softly, obviously amused by Selena’s scanning. However, her laughter ended abruptly as her head whipped up to stare at something behind Selena. Her wings flared wide, and she reared up on her hind legs. She squawked once before turning and fleeing. Suddenly, a loud, shrill screeching noise filled the air, causing Selena to clamp her hooves over her ears in pain. Whirling around, she tried to find the source of the noise, only to freeze in fear at what she saw. A large, billowing mass of something was charging towards her, consuming all in its path. Before she had time to react, it was upon her. Darkness tore at her body like winds of a hurricane, the vile screeching becoming an ear-splitting shriek. She tried to scream, but her cries were lost in the maelstrom of noise. From out of the storm of darkness, a head emerged. A horn jutted from its forehead, and its mouth was filled with sharpened fangs. The head snarled and lunged forward, sinking its teeth into Selena’s neck. A frigid cold spread quickly across her body as she —was slowly pulled into the darkness— With a shriek, Selena awoke. Heart pounding in her chest, she flailed around blindly, sending bathwater flying everywhere. Fluttershy yelped and jumped back, her eyes wide with shock. A burning sensation suddenly tore up Selena’s leg as the IV was ripped from her vein. In full panic mood, she struggled quickly to get out of the tub, the once warm water now cold. “What in the—” Rarity cried, moving forward to calm the startled mare. However, before she could help, the tub tipped under Selena’s weight, and with a cry, Selena and a tub of water cascaded upon the floor. ~ ~ ~ ~ > > < < ~ ~ ~ ~ Sitting at her desk, Twilight stared at the blank scroll in front of her, thinking. The only light in the room came from a flickering candle beside her, the flame causing the shadows to dance around the room. Night had fallen, and the black sky was accented by the moon slowly beginning to peak over the Everfree Forest. Gentle snores came from Spike, who lay asleep in his basket. Dipping a quill into a nearby ink bottle, Twilight paused, mulled over the day’s events before placing the ink-covered tip down onto the scroll. Dear Princess Celestia, My friends and I all learned an important lesson this week, something more sobering than usual. It’s not so much a friendship report, as it is a lesson of life. Today we learned that the world is not as black and white as we originally thought. There are some measures of gray in between, and sometimes it’s easy to forget that some ponies aren’t as fortunate as others. That sometimes good ponies must do bad things in order to survive from day to day. And just because somepony does something you view as wrong, you shouldn’t be afraid to offer them help and understanding, because sometimes all that pony really needs is a friend. Twilight paused, the scratching of her quill dying down as she reread the letter, making sure she had worded it to the best of her ability. Satisfied with the content, she dipped the quill back into the inkwell before continuing with her letter. That being said, I have happier news to report. I made a new friend today. Her name is Selena, and she is very withdrawn and shy, almost to the point of making Fluttershy look sociable. She’s not doing particularly well at the moment, and my friends and I had to convince her to go to the hospital, where she is currently staying at the moment. I plan on visiting her tomorrow to try and help cheer her up. I do look forward to spending time with her. She is a very unique pony. After all, it’s not every day you meet a blind pony that can survive on their own for nearly a decade, especially at such a young age. There is one thing I want to ask you about, though. It’s concerning Selena’s cutie mark. Have you ever heard of a pony’s cutie mark glowing on its own? I only ask because Selena’s mark—a crescent moon—seems to emit its own light. She seems rather uncomfortable when it is brought up, seeing as she was bullied about it as a foal, so I figure I’d ask you if you knew anything about the phenomenon. Your faithful student, Twilight Sparkle
Part II: The Sun and the Moon, part 1The soft ‘clip-clop’ of hooves filled the air as Celestia made her way down the hallway. She limped along slowly, favoring her back leg as she traversed through the halls of the palace. There were faint black rings beneath her eyes, and her mane and tail wafted behind her sluggishly, reflecting her mood. She had just returned a few hours ago from a diplomatic trip to the Griffon Empire. The Griffon Empress had wished to discuss trading arrangements with Equestria, and while the discussion had started out good, it had quickly dissolved when the Empress’s brother—an imbecilic oaf of a griffon—had taken insult to something Celestia had said in passing. Upon voicing this perceived slight and demanding that she apologize immediately, he had grown angry when she refused. This had then led to three days of heated debate, in which nothing had gotten accomplished and Celestia’s guards had nearly come to blow with the griffon soldiers. It had all come to head when the Empress, disgusted by her brother’s behavior, had him thrown bodily from the room. Celestia closed her eye and sighed heavily, trying to keep her throbbing headache from getting any worse. There was still much she had to do today. She had only just arrived back in Canterlot, and yet she still had Solar Court to deal with. An eight-hour session with the nobles, and she already had a migraine growing within her skull. It was not going to be a good day, especially if Blueblood was present. Rounding the corner, she perked up upon seeing a pair of guards standing outside the throne room doors. They saluted as she approached, and she nodded softly to them, a weak smile on her face. “Good morning,” she said, trying to keep the weariness from her voice. “You two are here early, I see. I thought I asked Captain Blaze to inform the guards, but it seems that it slipped her mind. Court was delayed due to the recent trip to the Griffon Empire. It doesn’t start for another twenty minutes.” The guards glanced at one another, a look of unease passing between the two. “Ma’am, court is already in session,” the guard on the right said. Celestia gave the guard a blank look. “What?” “Solar Court is currently in session. It started at its usual time, and all nobles are present and accounted for,” the guard repeated, a brief look of nervousness flashing across his face before it returned to its usual stoic expression. “Impossible,” Celestia said, feeling the muscles along her scar spasm. She tried to keep her expression impassive, but her lips twitched as she ground her teeth together. “The Solar Court does not start until I am present. All the nobles know this. By whose authority has court started?” “Archduke Black Spark, ma’am,” the other guard replied, still saluting. “He figured you’d be tense from your visit with the griffons, so he took over Solar Court for the day.” Celestia paused, her eye widening slightly in surprise. “Did he now?” she hummed, the corners of her mouth beginning to twitch upwards as her previous ire slowly dissipated. Her ears perked as the faint murmur of voices finally reached her attention, and she stared at the throne room doors for a few seconds before a large smile split her face. “Well, this is certainly unexpected, although not unwelcome. I’ll have to remember to thank him later, as well as stand in for him during Lunar Court. Now, if you’d both excuse me, I need to go unwind.” The guards saluted again before Celestia turned and head off down the corridor towards her own private quarters, a newfound spring in her step. This was a pleasant surprise, and she could feel her headache slowly lessening. The tension in her muscles seemed to fade the further she got from the throne room and the nobles within. She had a date with the hot springs. Walking up the main flight of stairs, Celestia headed towards her personal quarters. As she neared the top, she happened upon a unicorn guard that was out of uniform. The mare was sitting on a window sill near the top of the stairs, her hind legs dangling off the ledge. She had a dark grayish-blue coat, while her mane was dark gray with a lighter gray streak through it. Her left foreleg was missing, and bandages were wrapped around the shoulder. A toothpick hung from her lip, held in place by the thinnest layer of moisture. As Celestia drew nearer, the mare glanced up. Her expression remained passive as she watched Celestia climb the stairs. Upon reaching the mare, Celestia paused. “Sergeant Black Night.” “Princess,” Black Night replied, her voice gruff. She chewed on her toothpick as she eyed Celestia, a bored expression on her face. “How are we doing today, sergeant?” Celestia asked. “Horrible. You still haven’t done anything about all of these stairs.” “What is wrong with them?” Celestia asked, giving the stairs a faux look of concern. “They appear to be in good condition to me.” “You also have four working legs,” Black Night grunted, moving the toothpick from one corner of her mouth to another. “I don’t see why you just can’t enchant them to move on their own. Keep me from having to walk up and down them.” “But if I did that, all the guards would become lazy and fat. Stairs are a good source of exercise.” “Exercise my flank,” Black Night huffed. “Exactly!” Celestia chirped. Black Night gave her a bemused look, her eyes narrowing slightly. “If they are bothering you so much, you could always have one of the pegasi guards carry you up them,” Celestia said with a smirk. “I’m sure if you asked Sergeant Stone Wall nicely he’d help you.” Black Night’s eyes narrowed even more. “I’d rather eat a parasprite.” “I’ll be sure to tell the good sergeant,” Celestia chuckled as she continued up the stairs, well aware of the fact that Black Night was sticking her tongue out at her. She always found the ornery mare’s behavior to be a nice change of pace compared to the brown-nosing she was used to. She had only been walking for several minutes when she reached the private wing of the palace. Rounding the corner, she paused, blinking in surprise at what she saw. Raven was standing beside the doors to the hot spring, a small smile on her face and a tray with a bottle of Fireweed Whiskey in her magic. Celestia stared blankly at her aid for a moment before laughing softly. “Raven, you’re spoiling me again.” “I spoke with the guards that were with you in the Griffon Empire. If what they are saying is true, then you could use a good spoiling,” Raven replied, a mischievous twinkle in her eye. “Isn’t it a bit early to be drinking, Raven?” Celestia asked as she trotted slowly up to the waiting mare. “It’s not even noon yet.” Raven snorted, rolling her eyes. “That hasn’t stopped you before.” Smirking, Celestia grabbed the bottle in her own magic, and, popping the corking, took a long swig of the golden liquid inside. It burned going down, but left a wonderful aftertaste in her mouth. Taking another gulp, she smacked her lips before glancing down at Raven. “Is there anything that needs my immediate attention?” “Nope,” Raven said, shaking her head. “Black Spark is taking care of the Solar Court, and I’ve taken care of the tax forms the Department of Agriculture wanted you to look at. The rest of the day is yours.” “That’s all I needed to hear,” Celestia said. Turning her attention to the door, she pushed it open and made to enter, only to pause and glance back down at Raven. “You should take the rest of the day off as well, Raven. Barring something major happening, we’ll have a busy day ahead of us tomorrow.” “Thank you, ma’am,” Raven smiled, cocking her head to the side. “I just need to finish up one more thing, and then I’ll do just that.” Smiling down at her aid, Celestia nodded once before turning and making her way into the hot springs. The door closed behind her, but not before Raven called through, “Don’t fall asleep in there… again!” Celestia smirked to herself before moving further into the room. Unlike the rest of the rooms within the palace, this one was designed to imitate a natural spring. It was dimly lit, the only light coming from several candles cradled within holes carved into the walls, which were made from moss-covered cave walls. Water trickled softly down a backsplash of rocks, spilling down into a large basin of water. Steam wafted lazily across the water’s surface, filling the air with a comfortable humidity. Taking a slow breath, Celestia closed her eye before sighing deeply. She quickly removed her breastplate and crown, placing them haphazardly on a rubber mat beside the door; her golden shoe covers soon followed. Lighting up her horn, she carefully removed the wire that held her left wing in place. The lame wing fell to her side almost as soon as the brace had been removed, and Celestia groaned happily. With the bottle of Fireweed Whiskey still hovering close by, Celestia moved eagerly towards the pool of water. She waded the first couple of feet in before she flung herself forward with a splash. Ripples expanded outward as she sunk deeper into the basin. It was relatively large, the water coming up to her chin at the deepest part. However, she opted to stay near the shallow end this time. Drifting lazily along, she cooed happily as the heated water began to work at her muscles, relaxing them and easing the tension from her body. After a few minutes of paddling along, she maneuvered herself over to an underwater plateau located in the center of the basin. She settled down upon the flat surface, making herself comfortable. Her bad wing floated on the water beside her, the feathers spread out across the surface, a few loose ones drifting away. Taking another long sip of Fireweed Whiskey, she took a deep breath… and then relaxed. “Ahhh,” she sighed, “I really needed this. Good drink, warm water, relaxing atmosphere. This couldn’t be more perfect at the moment.” Just as she finished speaking, a low hiss filled the air. Opening her eye, Celestia watched as a thick haze of smoke suddenly swirled up in front of her. It consolidated into a gout of green fire before a scroll appeared with a soft ‘pop’. Lighting up her horn, she caught the scroll before it landed in the water in front of her. “Hmmm, it appears that I might have spoken too soon,” she hummed, eyeing the scroll with some amusement. “Let’s see what you’ve learned now, my faithful student.” A smile crossed Celestia’s face as, with a lazy flick of magic, she unfurled the scroll and began to read. The first few sentences caused her smile to fade slightly, but it returned as she reached the end of the first paragraph. “An interesting observation, Twilight. What have you and your friends been up to?” she murmured, taking a sip of Fireweed as she continued reading. Happiness crossed her face as she reached the part about her student making a new friend, only to be quickly replaced by concern at learning that this ‘Selena’ was in the hospital, although Twilight was strangely quiet about the reason why. Skimming the next few lines, she raised the bottle of Fireweed to her lips and took a generous swig, only to nearly choke on it when she suddenly inhaled sharply. Coughing loudly, she stared wide-eyed at the letter in front of her, not daring to believe what she had just read. She lifted the scroll to her eye, double-checking that she had read it correctly. Sure enough, there it was, written in Twilight’s immaculate hornwriting. After all, it’s not every day you meet a blind pony that can survive on their own for nearly a decade, especially at such a young age. A blind pony. Blind. I-it… It can’t be, can it? Heart pounding in her ear, Celestia stared at that one word for several long seconds before closing her eye and releasing a shaky breath. No, she was getting excited over nothing. There were plenty of blind ponies out there. Just because Twilight made friends with one didn’t mean that she was the pony Celestia was looking—neigh, praying for. She had spent many fruitless centuries searching with no results. Why should now be any different? Silently scolding herself for needlessly getting her hopes up, Celestia took a large gulp from the bottle before returning to Twilight’s letter. With a hooded eye and a more somber mood, she skimmed the rest of the scroll, only to freeze, her eye widening until it threatened to pop from her head. Inside her chest, her heart skipped a beat. The world around her seemed to disappear as she stared down at the last paragraph of the letter, which contained a brief description of Selena’s cutie mark. As vague as the description was, it contained the three words that Celestia could hardly believe she was reading. A shining crescent moon. The bottle of Fireweed Whiskey shattered suddenly, sending the remaining liquid cascading into the water below. Celestia’s horn glowed white as she tapped into her vast reserve of magic. Almost immediately, she latched onto Twilight’s magical signature—as faint as it was—all the way down in Ponyville. There was a loud crack and a blinding flash, and Celestia vanished from the room in an explosion of water and magic. ~ ~ ~ ~ > > < < ~ ~ ~ ~ —Earlier Various items flew around Twilight’s head as she mindlessly worked. Books that had been returned yesterday while she was out were placed back on the shelves in their proper place after she made sure to mark them as ‘returned’ in the log book. Scrolls and quills were gathered, some placed on the shelves above her desk for later while the rest were placed inside of her saddlebags, which were draped over the back of the couch. She cleaned as she worked, dusting shelves and sweeping the floor. Usually Spike would take care of such tasks, as they were part of his chores. However, in her current state, Twilight was too distracted to realize what she was doing. She may have been in the library, but her thoughts were at the hospital with Selena. I hope she’s alright, Twilight mused as a book floated past her head. Nurse Blue Cross had said she would be fine, but Selena’s condition still concerned Twilight. She had never seen a pony as thin as Selena had been. She had been nothing but skin and bones, to the point that she had almost looked like a walking skeleton. During her time in Canterlot, Twilight had heard of models starving themselves in order to get the figure they wanted, but this was so much worse. It was unintentional, horrible, and, Twilight had realized late last night, possibly fatal. A normal, healthy pony could survive for several weeks without food, but how long had Selena been starving? How long had she been without food? If Twilight hadn’t intervened in the marketplace, if Selena had decided to not show up for the picnic. How long would it have been before she starved to death? Twilight shuddered, the scrolls in front of her wavering slightly before her magic recovered. No, best not to think of that now, she chided herself. That was all in the past. Selena was at the hospital, being treated right now. She was getting better, and Twilight would help her once she got out. She already had plans to clear out the guest room and have Selena stay with her until she could get back on her hooves. She got enough stipends from Celestia to support her and Selena comfortable for the next couple of months. If, by then, Selena hadn’t managed to find employment, Twilight could always ask Celestia for personal assistance. Given Selena’s disability, she was sure that Celestia would agree to increase Twilight stipends to help out. She was sure Celestia would understand. The sudden chiming of a clock drew Twilight from her thoughts with a start. Blinking, she glanced up at the clock above her fireplace, only for her eyes to widen in shock. It was nearly noon! Visitation started at ten! She was running late! She was tardy! “Ohmygosh!” Twilight shouted as she began to gallop around the room. “Ohmygosh! Ohmygosh! Ohmygosh!” Her horn flared brighter and the room dissolved into a veritable hurricane of objects as she finished her tasks. Books flew around the room, slipping gently into their proper places on the shelves. The broom and dustpan quickly dumped their contents into the nearest trash can before zipping into the supply closet. Stuffing the last few items into her saddlebags, she quickly threw them across her back and tightened the straps. Twilight was halfway to the door when she remembered one last thing she needed to finish. Dashing to her desk, she pulled out the letter she had written for Celestia last night and placed it on the coffee table. “Spike, there’s a letter for Celestia on the table! Please send it as soon as you can,” she shouted up the stairs. A low grumble echoed down the stairs, causing her to scrunch up her face in annoyance. “Spike!” “I got it!” he shouted from upstairs. “Letter, table, Celestia. Got it.” He trailed off, and the faint sound of bedsheets being shuffled about reached Twilight’s ears. “...last time I let him sleep in,” she muttered under her breath. Turning, she quickly approached the front door, calling back loudly over her shoulder as she went. “Don’t forget, Spike, or no gems for two weeks!” Not waiting for an answer, she flipped the sign on the door to ‘closed’ before exiting the library. Unlike the previous day, the weather was overcast. Dark-gray clouds hung low in the sky, threatening the population below with the possibility of an early start to the rainstorm that was planned for the late evening. Despite the fact it was currently summer, a chilly wind blew through the town, sapping the warmth from any ponies unlucky enough to be out-and-about at the moment. However, most of Ponyville's population was indoors, seeking shelter from the weird weather in the bars and restaurants that dotted Ponyville's outskirts. Trotting along as quickly as she could without becoming winded, Twilight hurried through the deserted streets. It was just over a ten minute walk from the library to hospital, and by the time she arrived, she was shivering. “What pony in their right mind would plan weather like this during the summer?” Twilight muttered to herself as the hospital doors closed behind her. A warm rush of air washed over her, chasing away the chill and causing her to hum happily. Shaking her shoulders to clear the last of the cold away, she moved further into the waiting area. “I have half a mind to write to the Weather Factory about this,” she continued under her breath. “Not only is this kind of cold not appropriate for this time of year, but it could cause damage to the farmers' crops if they're not careful. Somepony up there is clearly not thinking clearly. Maybe I'll talk to Rainbow about this after—“ The sound of a throat being cleared caused Twilight to pause her tirade. Glancing around, she blushed when she saw Nurse Blue Cross standing there, an amused smirk on her face. “I'm sorry. Am I interrupting something?” she asked, causing Twilight's blush to deepen. “N-no, I was just talking to myself,” she stuttered, before slapping a hoof to her forehead. “I mean, I was talking out loud. No, what I meant was thinking out loud. Never mind! How's Selena?” she asked, an overly large smile crossing her face as an eye twitched. “About the same as yesterday,” Blue Cross replied, “although we found some... complications in the stool sample we took. Or what little we could get.” “Complications?” Twilight asked worriedly. Blue Cross sighed. “From what we could determine from the small sample we were able to get last night, she has several parasites living inside of her at the moment.” “You can get rid of them though, can't you?” Twilight asked. “I remember reading that there was medicine that could be taken to help kill the parasites.” “Normally, yes, they're easily treated when caught quickly enough,” Blue Cross said with a nod. “However, we aren't sure how long she's been infested. From the amount of eggs in her system though, we'd hazard it's been a while. There's probably quite a few in her intestines at the moment.” “So, there's nothing you can do?” Twilight asked dejectedly, her ears splaying backwards. Blue Cross winced. “I never said that. We started giving her the medicine last night in her IV. The parasites should be dead within a few weeks, or at least most of them should.” “So what's the complications?” Twilight asked, cocking her head to the side in confusion. “They have to come out of her at some point,” Blue Cross explained, “and when they do, it isn't going to be pretty or comfortable. Especially for her.” Twilight stared at her blankly for a few seconds before her face took on a green hue. “I see,” she said, her ears pressing firmly against her head. “Well, that... unpleasant situation aside, are there any other complications that have come up?” “It's only been one night, Ms. Sparkle,” Blue Cross tsk, a smirk shifting across her muzzle. When Twilight lowered her head, a blush touching her cheeks, Blue Cross laughed softly. “Don't worry. We're keeping a close eye on her. If anything comes up, we'll take care of it. I'm happy to see that you care about her though.” “Of course I care about her!” Twilight said a little too loudly. “We're friends, after all. Why wouldn't I be concerned that she's in the hospital?” “'Friends'?” Blue Cross echoed. She gave Twilight a careful look before a small smile touched her lips. “The only friends that Selena had growing up were the books that Warm Care could find that were in braille. Most foals were too busy making fun of her to actually be her friend.” She trailed off, continuing to give Twilight a weird look for a few more seconds before shaking her head. Turning, she trotted off towards the nurse station, but not before calling over her shoulder to Twilight. “She's in the same room as last night. I just finished changing her IV bags. Everypony else is already here. You appear to be the last one to arrive.” Twilight gave the retreating mare a confused look before her eyes widened suddenly. “I'm the last one?” she yelped. “Rainbow Dash beat me here!?” Not waiting for an answer, Twilight hurried off down the hall, half running-half walking as she went, making sure to abide the 'no running in the hall' signs that were posted around the hospital. They were probably there for a good reason, and the last thing Twilight needed to do was end up in the hospital as well. It would be hard to help Selena if she had a twisted hoof or broken leg. Pausing in front of the last door on the right, she took a deep breath and straightened out her saddlebags before pushing the door open. The others glanced up as she entered, and she gave them all a sheepish grin. “Sorry I’m late,” she said. “I’m afraid I lost track of the time.” “That’s quite alright, darling,” Rarity replied softly, her voice barely above a whisper. “It happens to me too, on occasion. Especially when I get a large order. It’s understandable.” Beside her, Fluttershy nodded her head and gave Twilight a small smile. “It’s not like anything’s happening anyway,” Rainbow crumbled from her spot on the window sill. She had her forelegs crossed, and a scowl plastered on her face. Giving her friend a curious look, Twilight’s gaze slowly drifted over to the bed that contained Selena. Her eyes widened when she saw that Selena’s eyes were closed and her breathing even. “She’s still asleep?” she asked in disbelief, making sure to keep her voice low. “It’s half past noon!” “The nurse said that she was having trouble sleeping last night,” Rarity explained softly. “'Trouble sleeping?'” “She claimed that the bed was too soft and she couldn’t get comfortable,” Rarity sighed. “However, when Blue Cross came in to check on her, she said that Selena had been whimpering in her sleep.” “Nightmares?” Twilight asked, giving Selena a concerned look. Rarity shook her head. “She wouldn’t say. Nightmares or sleeping arrangements aside, she was positively exhausted when we showed up, and she fell asleep maybe five minutes into our visit.” Making her way to the only remaining empty seat, Twilight eyed Selena. Now that she had been washed, her coat was clearly visible, the dark blue fur standing out in high contrast against the light-colored sheets on the bed. Though Rarity had combed her mane last night, it had become tangled again sometime in the night and strands now surrounded her head in a tangled mess of hair. Several bandages covered her legs and barrel, hiding her more severe cuts and scrapes. An IV ran from the crook of her right leg up to a dangling bag of fluids. All-in-all, she looked like a different pony than the one they had brought in yesterday just from the bath alone. Placing her saddlebags down beside the chair, Twilight took a seat before glancing around at her friends, only to notice that one was missing. “Where’s Applejack?” “Back on the farm, darling,” Rarity answered. “I passed her on my way here this morning. She apologizes for not being able to make it but apparently her brother injured himself yesterday while she was here with us, and now she’s trying to figure out how to take care of the harvest without him. She said that she might come visit this evening if she has time.” “I hope she doesn’t plan on doing it all by herself,” Twilight mused, rubbing her chin with a hoof. “Why not? Applejack’s a strong mare. I’m sure she could handle it,” Rainbow said, blowing a strand of mane from her face. “That much work isn’t good for a pony, Rainbow,” Twilight tsked. “Yeah, all work and no play isn’t good for ponies!” Pinkie chirped, bouncing up and down in her chair. “I’m in agreement with Twilight on this one,” Rarity said, humming softly. “While it is true that Applejack is a hard worker, I do hope that she remembers her limits. I’d hate for her to bite off more than she could chew. “Silly Rarity,” Pinkie giggled, covering her mouth with her hooves, “Applejack doesn’t eat the apples, she sells them. She can’t eat all those apples!” This caused Rarity to roll her eyes. “Oh, har har, Pinkie.” Before anything else could be said, Selena shifted slightly, causing everyone to pause and look at her. She mumbled something under her breath, a small frown crossing her face, before she snuggled deeper into the mattress and fell still again. “O-oh dear. If it’s not too much trouble, could you be a little quieter?” Fluttershy murmured, hiding partially behind her mane. “She needs plenty of rest to heal, and if she’s having trouble sleeping then we shouldn’t interrupt what little she gets.” “I wonder what she’s having nightmares about,” Twilight muttered as she glanced over at Selena. ~ ~ ~ ~ > > < < ~ ~ ~ ~ Selena tried to move, but found that she couldn’t. Her limbs were bound, and every time she pulled against the restraints, the soft clink of chains filled the air. There was even one attached to a steel collar around her neck, preventing her from moving her head about. Huffing softly, she lit up her horn and cast her mapping spell. The pulse of magic flowed through the room, allowing her to ‘see’ where she was. The room was small, the ceiling barely a half-a-foot above her; the same was true with the walls. Holes were drilled into the walls near the floor, each one evenly spaced with the others. Taut chains ran from her bound limbs to welded hooks jammed into the walls, ceiling, and floor. They held her in place, preventing her from moving so much as an inch in any direction except for the chain connected to her collar, which was bolted to the floor and allowed her to only lower her head. The room had a musty smell to it, almost like there was a thin layer of mildew over everything. As her mapping spell died, Selena huffed again. “H-hello?” she called out, her voice wavering slightly. Her ears pressed against her head as the close walls amplified the sound. “I-is there anypony there? What’s going on? Hello?” No answer came, and silence quickly fell over the room. Swallowing thickly, Selena took a deep breath of the musty air and tried to calm her thundering heart. Magic danced down her horn as she strained to cast the mapping spell again in order to search for a door. However, she was unable to locate one within her field of ‘vision’. That meant that the door was either behind her, or one didn’t exist. As soon as the thought entered her brain, Selena scoffed. Of course a door exists. How else would I get in here? As the mapping spell faded, she turned her attention to the collar around her neck—or more specifically, the chain connected to the collar. Lowering her head, she blinked in surprise when she didn’t feel the chain loosen. Instead, it remained taut and a series of clicking noises filled the air. Pausing long enough to cast the mapping spell one more time, Selena ‘watched’ as she continued to lower her head towards the floor. The chain disappeared steadily into a small slot in the floor from which the clicking noise was coming from. Unable to use her hooves to touch the device, Selena nosed it with the tip of her muzzle instead. She grimaced as the musty odor grew stronger, and her muzzle was suddenly covered in a thin layer of mildew from off the floor. Still, she continued to rub her nose against the metal, trying to get a feel of what was there. Her brows furrowed slightly as she picked up a faint vibration coming from somewhere below. A gurgling noise reached her ears, causing her to pause her examination. The sound was faint but growing steadily louder, and sounded like it was coming from all around her. The vibration in the floor grew stronger too. Curious as to what was happening, Selena gathered up her dwindling reserves of magic and tried casting the mapping spell again, only to wince as pain flared up in her head. She tried once more, only to meet with the same result. It looked like she wasn’t going to be able to rely on the spell anymore. Quietly cursing her luck, Selena leaned down and—bending her neck at an awkward angle—pressed an ear to the floor. She strained to pick up something that might clue her into what was going on, but she couldn’t hear anything over the rumble of machinery. As she pulled her ear from the floor, the gurgling sound dissolved into a low trickle, the noise echoing around the room ominously. The noise continued for several seconds until Selena realized with a start that her hooves were getting wet. Lowering her nose, she tentatively touched the ground, only for her eyes to widen in alarm. A thin layer of water now covered the floor of the room, and it was growing at a steady rate. With the water rising, Selena quickly lifted her head, only to choke when the chain suddenly snagged on something. Gritting her teeth, she pulled against the chain but it wouldn’t budge. She strained and heaved, but was unable to lift her head more than half a foot off the ground. With the water level now passing her fetlocks, she could feel her heart pounding in her chest. Eyes wide with panic, she began to try and channel magic through her horn—although no spells came to mind that could help her—only for her to gasp in pain as the magic fizzled out. She jerked and tugged at the collar, but the chain held fast—unyielding. So caught up in trying to lift her head, Selena temporarily forgot about the rising water level until the tip of her nose was suddenly submerged in water. Snorting in alarm, she instinctively pulled her head back, only for the chain to jerk taut again. No, no, no, no, no! She tried desperately to twist her head to the side—trying to keep her nose above the growing water level—but the collar kept her head forcibly pointed towards the floor. She could only stand there, all her working senses running on overdrive as she felt the water slowly creeping up her muzzle. Opening her mouth to try one last cry for help, she only succeeded in gagging as she got a mouthful of foul-tasting water. Bubbles erupted around her muzzle as she sputtered and coughed. She barely had time to take a shaky breath before her nostrils were submerged beneath the water. Desperately holding on to her last lungful of air, Selena struggled frantically against her bonds, trying to get free. The collar cut into her skin, the wound stinging as the water enveloped her head and neck. Her lungs were starting to ache, and the more she struggled, the worse the sensation became. Regardless, she continued to fight against the chain, trying to get her head above the water. Air was just inches—inches—above her, and if she could just get her head up—get another lungful of much-needed oxygen. Gritting her teeth, she strained against the collar until her neck began to creak and pop. A low groan reverberated through the water before, with a muffled ‘crack’ the chain snapped in two. Whipping her head up, Selena searched desperately for the shrinking pocket of air, only to realize with growing horror that the entire room was now flooded, the water level having reached the ceiling. Her lungs burning, her mind darkening, Selena fought furiously against the chains around her, but was unable to move all but her head. In a last ditch effort to get free, she pushed as much magic as she could down her horn while ignoring the sudden spike of pain the drove into the back of her skull. Her horn lit up for a brief second before it exploded into the surrounding water in a shower of bone shards. A soundless scream escaped Selena’s lips as her concentration was broken, and in an explosion of bubbles, water rushed down her mouth and into her lungs. ~ ~ ~ ~ > > < < ~ ~ ~ ~ Selena awoke with a start, her sightless eyes snapping open. Her heart was pounding in her throat and ears, and her entire body was covered in a thin layer of sweat. Breaths coming in quick gasps, she tried to sit up, only to wince in pain. Lifting a trembling hoof to her muzzle, she paused when she felt something tug on her leg. Brow furrowing, she felt along the crook of her leg until she found a needle stuck in her vein. As confusion and panic began to well up inside of her, she slowly became aware that she was resting on something uncomfortably soft. Her senses immediately went on high alert as Selena realized that she wasn’t in her cardboard box. A faint chemical scent hung in the air, and she could hear the gentle murmur of voices from somewhere close by. She didn’t remember what had happened or where she was, but something was very clear: she wasn’t alone in the room. Starting to hyperventilate, she was about to dissolve into a panic attack when a familiar voice spoke up from nearby, causing her to freeze. “Oh, look, she’s awake.” That sounded like… Twilight? Instantly, the memories of what had transpired yesterday flooded her mind, and she slumped against the pillow behind her. “T-Twilight?” she asked, her voice coming out in a dry croak. There was the sound of something shifting of to her right before the voice spoke again. “I’m here,” Twilight said softly. “Are you okay?” Taking a deep breath, Selena closed her useless eyes and tried to calm her thunder heart. Her hooves were shaking horribly, and she grabbed the bedsheets in an attempt to steady them. Relief welled up in her chest, replacing the fear that had been there moments ago. Yesterday's events hadn't been a dream. Twilight had brought her to the hospital, and she was now being looked after. She was fine, she was safe, she was being looked after. Repeating that in her head, Selena took several deep breaths as her heart rate slowly returned to normal. Realizing the Twilight had asked her something, she shook her head before replying. "I'm... I'm fine.” “Are you sure?” Twilight asked, her tone uncertain. “You looked like you were having a nightmare.” “I-I'm fine, really,” Selena stuttered, running a hoof through her disheveled mane. Her mind drifted back to the nightmare, and her brow furrowed slightly. A shiver ran up her spine as she recalled the feeling of water flooding her lungs. Despite the fact that it had been a dream, it had felt real at the time. The shiver had apparently been visible, because another voice spoke up from the same direction as Twilight's. “Are you sure you're alright, darling? You look a little tense.” It took Selena a few seconds to remember who the voice belong to, but when she did, she sighed before sinking deeper into the pillow. “I'm fine, Rarity. The bed was just a little... uncomfortable,” she said weakly. Licking her dry lips, she began to tentatively feel around the bedside table with a hoof. The sound of hoofsteps reached her ears, and few seconds later Twilight spoke up from beside her. “What are you looking for?” “Water,” she rasped, still searching. “Oh, oh, I'll go get it!” a loud, cheery voice shouted, causing Selena to jump. The door slammed, and silence fell over the room again. “Um, w-who else is here?” Selena asked, her ears splaying back against her head. “Well, there's me,” Twilight said. “Rarity and Fluttershy are sitting in the corner. Pinkie just ran to get you some water. Oh, and Rainbow is on the window sill, glaring at you as per usual.” The last sentence seemed to have some heat behind it, and a low 'harrumph' came from the direction of the window. Selena was almost positive that somepony was glaring at somepony else. Trying to ignore the awkward feeling, she racked her brain for a second before asking. “Where's, um... Applejack?” “She had some work to do on the farm, but she might be coming to visit later in the day,” Rarity answered. “Oh, I see,” Selena muttered before falling silent. Her thoughts drifted to the ponies around her, the first ponies to show her any real kindness in nearly a decade. One of them had even expressed the desire to be her friend. The first friend she had ever had. Selena blinked once before a small frown worked its way onto her muzzle. “Um, Twilight?” she asked hesitantly, her voice barely above a whisper. “Yes?” came the reply after a brief pause. Selena tapped her hooves together nervously. “Um... t-this might sound a little weird, but, um... I... I don't know what you, uh... look like.” “Well, no duh!” the voice near the window scoffed, causing Selena to flinch. “You're blind! How are you supposed to know what she looks like?” “Rainbow! Don't be rude!” Rarity snapped. A low grumbling came from the window sill before she continued. “You were saying, Selena?” Selena swallowed thickly. “Um, I-I don't know what you look like, so I... I was wondering if I might... um... might be allowed to...” Unable to finish the request, she just held up her hooves and weakly waved them about. “Ah, I see,” Twilight said with a soft laugh. “You want to 'see' what I look like.” Selena flinched as her hooves were suddenly pulled forward, only to blink in surprise when Twilight placed them on either side of her head. Most ponies didn't realize that in order to get a good mental picture of them, Selena needed to feel their face. The mapping spell was good for figuring out the general size and shape of nearby objects and ponies, but it never gave her a detailed look at the individual. For that, she needed her hooves. “Go ahead,” Twilight said softly, and Selena could feel her smile. Selena began to run her hooves tentatively over Twilight's face, taking in her features. Carefully tracing Twilight's face with her frog, she took in the information and began to paint a mental picture of what Twilight looked like. Her cheeks were full, a comfortable layer of fat resting beneath the skin implying that she probably wasn't the most active pony out there. Her muzzle was a little shorter than Selena had expected, and she felt along the tip of her nose until Twilight giggled softly into her hoof, causing her to blush. “Sorry,” she murmured before moving on. She carefully moved her hooves over Twilight's closed eyes, moving up to her forehead. The bangs of her mane were straight and well-cared for. Her horn was longer than Selena's, the spirals well cared for and the tip filed to a nice, rounded point. Selena didn't linger long on the horn, however, as Twilight was beginning to squirm slightly due to the attention. Quickly running her hoof over Twilight's face one last time before putting it all to memory, Selena withdrew her hooves and sighed. “Thank you,” she murmured, a weak smile touching her lips. “It was my pleasure,” Twilight said. “So, what do you think?” “You... you're a little chubbier than I thought you'd be,” Selena muttered, grimacing at the sudden intake of breath. A choking sound came from the window sill, and it took Selena a second to realize that somepony was trying to hold in their laughter. Her ears pressed against the top of her head. “But,” she continued quickly, “your horn is impressive and I really like your mane.” Her cheeks heated up, and she lowered her head as the snickering grew worse. “T-thanks,” Twilight said weakly, sounding flustered. Selena opened her mouth to say something that might make the awkward situation better, but before she could speak the door burst open with a loud 'bang'. “I got the water!” Pinkie cheered. “Who's thirsty—“ All the unicorns in the room grunted at the same time as a large magical pressure suddenly fell upon the room. The very air seemed to crackle with electricity as the pressure grew worse and worse. A low thrum reverberated around them, causing the very floor to vibrate. Selena clasped her head in her hooves, groaning in pain. Her head felt like it was in a vice, all of her sinuses feeling like they were stuffed full. Sparks flew from her horn as the magical pressure grew and grew until it reached its breaking point. With a loud 'crack', the world seemed to fold in upon itself before erupting outward. ZZZZZZZZZZZZ—KRACKOOM!!! A large wave of magic passed over Selena, causing the hair of her coat to stand up on end and all her limbs to feel like they had fallen asleep. Magic crackled around the room, filling the air with the smell of burning ozone. The sound of loud panting filled the air, and Selena became aware of an overbearing presence within the room. Heart rating rising, Selena quickly cast her mapping spell, only to freeze when it picked up a large form that she was sure hadn't been there a few seconds ago. The figure stood nearly twice as tall as a normal pony, and possessed both wings and a horn. Energy flickered around the figure's neck and dock, the power being emitted from it causing her spell to fizzle and pop. Wincing in pain, Selena was forced to let the spell die out, but not before something deep within her stirred. “...Tia!” ~ ~ ~ ~ > > < < ~ ~ ~ ~ Twilight stood there, mouth agape at the sight before her. Around her, her friends had similar expressions on their faces. Rainbow had fallen off of the window sill and was now lying on her back with her flank in the air. Twilight blinked before rubbing her eyes with a hoof, thinking that she must be seeing things. However, upon looking again, the sight hadn't changed: Princess Celestia was standing in the center of the room. She was completely bare, her usual royal attire missing. Her fur was soaked, water dripping down her body and wings and onto the floor, where it was forming a large puddle at her bare hooves. Her lame wing hung by her side, the dull feathers dangling inches from the floor. She was breathing heavily, her chest heaving as she took in great lungfuls of air. Her horn was smoking, golden sparks dancing up and down the length, causing the water located there to evaporate with tiny hisses. Her single magenta eye was wide, the whites of it showing as her gaze darted around the room. Her entire body was tense, her muscles quivering visibly. The sight caused worry to begin to slowly worm its way through Twilight's shock. She had never seen Celestia this tense before, not even when negotiating with the dragons. Opening and closing her mouth wordlessly, Twilight swallowed thickly before finally finding her voice. “P-Princess Celestia?” she breathed. If Celestia heard her, she didn’t show it. Her gaze was locked firmly on the occupant of the hospital bed, her pupil constricted to a mere pinprick. A look of disbelief was plastered to the Solar Princess’s face, as a growing look of something else. Taking a shaky step forward, Celestia breathed out one word. “...Luna?”
Part II: The Sun and the Moon, part 2“...Luna?” Celestia breathed, taking a shaky step forward. Her heart was pounding in her chest far faster than it had in years—no, centuries. She could feel her breath catching in her throat as she took another uncertain step forward. Can it be… can it possibly be… after all this time? The mare on the bed’s ear twitched, and her look of discomfort turned to one of confusion. Celestia watched her silently mouth the name before allowing her gaze to drift slowly upwards to the mare’s eyes. Nothing but twin orbs of milky-blue, they seemed to glow softly against the darker colors of her coat and mane. The mare stared forward blankly, unseeing of the world around her. It was just as Twilight’s letter had stated. The mare was blind. ‘Watch for the mare, of darkened coat and deadened eyes’. Ignoring the ponies around her—some of whom were just now snapping out of their stunned state and hastily dipping into low bows—Celestia walked forward. Each step was slow and uncertain, almost as if she was afraid that the mare might disappear if she moved too quickly. The room was silent save for her bare hooves clicking against the tiled floor. Click Click Click The mare’s ears flicked with each step Celestia took, her eyes darting back and forth nervously. A small glimmer of magic flowed up the mare’s horn and she tensed up, her head turning in Celestia’s direction. As she drew nearer to the hospital bed, Celestia found herself growing more and more nervous. All the tension that had been worked out of her body during her relaxing dip in the heated pool not a few minutes ago came back in full force, causing the muscles in her neck to stiffen to the point of being painfully. She found herself not wanting to approach the mare, but at the same time being drawn to her. Her legs were beginning to shake, and she silently prayed with each new step that brought her closer and closer to the truth. Click Please… Click Please… let it be… Click Please let it be her… Upon reaching the edge of the bed, Celestia paused. A lump had worked itself into her throat, and she found that she was having difficulty swallowing. Her mouth was suddenly dry, drier than it had been in ages. She had never been this nervous before, not even when dealing with the Lord of Dragons during their first ever attempt at diplomacy. She stared down at the mare before her, a hurricane of emotions running rampant inside of her. Nervousness. Sadness. Hope. Joy. Reluctance. Remorse. Longing. Hope. Uncertainty. Anger. Hope. Hope. Hope! This was happening, right? She wasn’t dreaming? She wasn’t going to wake up in a few seconds—alone in her bed—and have to live with the pain again, was she? She had dealt with enough of that in the decades that followed Luna’s death. There would be times where she had dreamt that she had found the mare that Luna had been talking about, while other times she had dreamt that the Nightmare had never attacked and Luna was still alive and well. She would see the familiar twinkle in her eyes, the mischievous smirk that had always come right before one of her pranks. She would hold Luna close, only to wake up and remember that it wasn’t real… she wasn’t there... Those were the dreams that hurt the most. However, this mare in front of her wasn’t Luna. Celestia had never seen this mare before in her life, so this couldn’t be a dream, right? “P-Princess Celestia?” Blinking, Celestia was pulled out of her daze by a familiar voice speaking up from behind her. She glanced over her shoulder to see Twilight standing there with a nervous look on her face. Her student’s eyes darted between her and Selena before coming to a rest on Celestia. “Are you… Is everything alright?” Twilight asked, her ears splaying backwards. “I’m… I’m not sure, my faithful student,” Celestia muttered, her brow furrowing before she slowly turned back to face the blind mare. “But I’m about to find out,” she added under her breath. She lit up her horn and grabbed the blankets in her magic, causing the mare to jump. Giving them a gentle—yet firm—tug, she pulled the sheets up slightly, just barely exposing the mare’s flank. Celestia’s eyes widened and she was certain her ancient heart stopped beating for several seconds. T-that mark! There, spread out across the mare’s flank, was an inky splotch of black fur. And there, emblazoned in the center of the dark blob, was a white crescent moon. The hair that made up the moon seemed to glow in the darkness beneath the blanket, glinting and glimmering like diamonds. It was a cutie mark that Celestia had seen once before ages ago, and one that she thought she would never see again. Releasing her hold on the blanket and allowing it to fall back across the mare’s body, Celestia stared at her wide-eyed. She slowly took her lip between her teeth before suddenly biting down on it hard enough to draw blood. Immediately pain flared up and she inhaled sharply. Even as a faint coppery taste filled her mouth and her lip throbbed, joy welled up in her chest. A large smile spread across her muzzle. Pain, she had felt pain. This wasn’t a dream. And if this wasn’t a dream, then that meant... Moving faster than anyone in the room could perceive, Celestia grabbed a hold of the mare and pulled her bodily from the bed and into a bone-crushing hug. “I can’t believe it,” she murmured, her good wing flaring wide before enveloping the mare, causing her to practically disappear behind a wall of white feathers. “You’re here. You’re here. You’re here!” Jaws around the room dropped for a second time as Celestia leaned down and happily nuzzled the top of Selena’s head, tears streaming down her cheeks. Selena struggled weakly against Celestia grip, trying to break free, but the alicorn was too strong. Rubbing her nose through the Selena’s mane, Celestia kept nuzzling her, all while cooing and whimpering happily. “Oh, I never thought this day would come! I had just about given up… b-but you’re here now, and that’s all that matters. You certainly took your time about it though… but then again, I don’t even know how you… maybe it just took a lot of time and energy?” Tearing her gaze from the sight of the Princess fawning over Selena, Twilight glanced at her friends. They were sitting on the floor, their eyes wide. Rarity looked close to fainting, while Rainbow had a look of disbelief on her face. The only one who didn’t seem to be shocked was Pinkie, who was still standing in the doorway, watching the scene before her with a confused look on her face. Licking her lips, Twilight looked back to Celestia, only to open and close her mouth wordlessly as her brain tried to restart itself. During her time as the Princess’s personal student, she had never seen her act like this. She had always seemed reserved, almost sad on occasion, but this… this was different. Princess Celestia was acting like a foal on Hearth’s Warming Eve who had just received a new teddy bear. Finally finding her voice, Twilight cleared her throat. “Um, P-Princess Celestia?” “Yes, that must be it!” Celestia continued, oblivious of her student’s attempts to get her attention. “It just took you a while to figure out how to come back! Although I would have thought you’d make it a bit more obvious when you finally did. Do you know how many ponies there are in Equestria? And you wanted me to track down one? Really? One?!” “Princess Celestia?” “I mean, I did it. It took a while, but I was able to do it. After each birth, the hospitals sent the information to Canterlot. It was mostly for census purposes and keeping track of the different houses, but I used them to search for you. Yet, you still seemed to manage to sneak by it seems. You always did like your pranks—” “Princess!” Pulled out of her ramblings, Celestia blinked before lifting her head, leaving a very frazzled-looking Selena to gasp for air. Glancing over at her student, she stared at Twilight as though just noticing her for the first time. “Twilight?” Her eye slowly drifted over the rest of the inhabitants of the room before snapping back to Twilight, whose mane was beginning to fray slightly. Her eye widened slightly before she tried to compose herself. Clearing her throat, she gave Twilight a weak smile. “Twilight, my faithful student. How are you doing today? You seem a bit flustered.” “What?” Twilight gasped, giving Celestia a bewildered look. “But, you… her… what?” She motions towards Selena. She was still held firmly held in Celestia’s grasp, had her ears pressed firmly against her head, and looked like she would rather be anywhere else but where she currently was. Unable to express herself through words at the moment, Twilight just waved her hoof back and forth in an attempt to express what she was feeling. “Twilight, are you alright?” Celestia asked, a concerned look crossing her face. An awkward silence fell over the room, Celestia shifting slightly as everyone continued to stare at her with open mouths. Finally, it was Pinkie Pie that broke the silence. “Whoa,” she breathed, her eyes wide. “What was that about?” Sniffing loudly, Celestia glanced at Pinkie before turning her gaze back to Twilight. “I… I guess I have some explaining to do,” she said in a surprisingly weary tone. Pausing for a brief moment to collect her thoughts, she opened her mouth to begin, only to be interrupted by a muffled voice coming from behind her wing. “Um… c-can you please put me back in the bed first?” Selena asked, pushing her head through Celestia’s feathers. Celestia blinked in surprise before glancing down at Selena, a hurt look crossing her face for but a moment before she managed to conceal it. Swallowing thickly, she licked her lips before sighing. “Very well,” she said tersely. Opening her wing, her horn lit up and she gently lifted Selena into the air with her magic. Maneuvering her over to the bed, she pulled the blankets back and quickly wrapped Selena in them. As Selena settled back onto the bed, the corners of Celestia’s lips twitched upwards. Lifting a hoof, she moved to fluff the pillow Selena was propped up against, but in her hurry to do so, she managed to get her leg tangled in the cables and wires attached to Selena’s chest. “Oops,” Celestia murmured, her brow furrowing. She retracted her hoof, only to accidently unplug one of the wires from the machine positioned next to Selena’s bed. Selena winced at the sudden ripping sensation as the wires were pulled from her barrel. Celestia stared down at the loose wires, a bemused look on her face. “Of all the…” she breathed, only to pause, her ears perking up as the faint sound of ponies scrambling about came from down the hall. The door to the room was practically ripped off its hinges as three ponies suddenly burst in, causing the inhabitants to jump at the noise. Celestia’s horn flared as she instinctively prepared to protect not only herself, but her subjects. Two identically nurses—save for one had a horn and one did not—stood in the doorway. Blue Cross had the straps to a large trauma kit clamped in her mouth, while Blue Shield held a pair of defibrillators aloft in her magic. Applejack stood behind the sisters, peering cautiously into the room. Upon seeing a naked Celestia sitting next to Selena’s bed, all three ponies’ eyes widened, their panicked looks turning to confusion. “Uh…” Applejack began, eyes darting around the room. “What did ah miss?” ~ ~ ~ ~ > > < < ~ ~ ~ ~ It took a few minutes for everyone to settle down again, and for Blue Cross to reattach the wires to Selena’s chest, thus stopping the alarm. Everyone gathered around the bed to wait as the nurses checked over Selena just to make sure everything was fine. Celestia sat beside the head of the bed, her one eye darting back and forth as she watched the nurses work with intense scrutiny. Her brow was furrowed, a muted look of concern on her face. Blue Cross and Blue Shield worked stoically under the princess’s gaze, showing no outward signs of nervousness or worry. They placed the wire back on the shaved parts of Selena’s belly, double-checked to make sure that none of her IV’s were pulled out, and did a quick check of her vitals before—with a quick bow to Celestia—they exited the room. Silence fell over the room as the door closed behind the nurses, all eyes looking nervously at Celestia. She sat there, staring blankly at the floor as her mane fluctuate slowly behind her. Eventually, Twilight worked up enough courage to speak. “Um, Princess…?” “Tell me, Twilight. How much do you know of the creature that is Nightmare Moon?” Celestia asked suddenly, her gaze still locked on the floor. “Oh, oh!” Pinkie gasped, bouncing up and down, and waving a hoof in the air. “You mean Queen Meenie?! Wasn’t she the pony that wanted to ruin the Summer Sun Celebration? We were all like ‘Yay! It’s time to party!’ and she was all like ‘No, it’s time to scream!’ and then there was lightning and wind and terror! She’s nothing but a big, fat party pooper!” “Pinkie!” Twilight chided. Turning back to face Celestia, she closed her eyes and cleared her throat. A small smile touched Celestia’s face as she watched her student slip into ‘scholar mode’. It might have caused the professors at Canterlot University to cringe, but Celestia just found it adorable. “Nightmare Moon is… I mean, was… is—” Twilight winced before giving Celestia a curious look, to which the Princess nodded “—is one of the four Demon Lords of Tartarus. Not much is known about her, due to her being a denizen of Tartarus, but it is believed that she rules the lower levels, which are frozen over by the frenzied beating of her wings. She was also known in the olden days by other names, such as Darkness Reincarnated or the Mare of Darkness. She used to pray upon ponies fears and hatred, using those negative emotions to gain more power and strength.” “That is correct,” Celestia nodded, closing her eye, “but how much do you know about her impact on Equestrian history?” Twilight’s ears splayed back against her head. “Well, um, t-there used to be two Princesses that ruled together and created harmony throughout all of Equestria. One was you, who raised the sun at dawn. The other was your sister, Princess Luna, who would raise the moon to begin each night. That’s where the Solar and Lunar courts come from. The two of you ruled Equestria together; you ruling during the day while Princess Luna ruled during the night.” Celestia nodded, and Twilight continued, her voice growing stronger. “Then, one thousand years ago, Nightmare Moon launched an attack on Castle of the Two Sisters. She was attempting to usurp you in order to plunge Equestria into eternal darkness. A fight broke out between her forces and the castle guards, leading to the destruction of the castle itself, as well as the surrounding area. “Many ponies were injured during the initial attack, including Princess Luna, leaving you to fight Nightmare Moon by yourself. After a fierce battle, you used the Elements of Harmony to defeat the Nightmare and banished her in the moon.” Twilight paused, opening and closing her mouth a couple of times. She took a deep breath before continuing. “Unfortunately, Princess Luna passed away shortly after due to her injuries, leaving you to take responsibility for both the sun and moon. Nightmare Moon remained sealed in the moon until recently, when she escaped. We then banished her back to Tartarus with the Elements of Harmony.” As Twilight finished speaking, an awkward tension fell over the room. Twilight winced inwardly. It was one thing to learn about Princess Luna the Fallen in school; the sad story had always caused Twilight some discomfort, knowing that Princess Celestia had suffered such a major loss. It was another thing though to have to tell Celestia herself about the night her sister died. Selena shifted faintly on the bed, a look of discomfort on her face. Lifting a hoof, she gingerly rubbed her forehead only to wince in pain. Her horn sparked once. Celestia remained silent, her eye closed. After a long pause, it cracked open and she glanced around. “Anypony else have something to add?” she asked. Her tone was soft and warm, and Twilight felt herself beginning to relax. Behind her, her friends shook their heads in answer. Celestia nodded her head slowly, a small smile flitting across her muzzle. “Right as usual, my faithful student,” she murmured. “I do believe you got most of that information from…?” “From Equestria: A History, by Birchwood Scrolls,” Twilight finished, nodding happily. “It was one of the first books I got when I became your student. I still have it, although it’s not in the best condition. I’ve been meaning to rebind it.” “Of course,” Celestia hummed, nodding. “It’s a very informative book. It took Birchwood decades to write it, and she double and triple checked all her sources before she even thought about adding information to the book. Very detailed and very accurate. That is, if my memory is still what it used to be. However, you were wrong about one little detail.” The smile slipped from Twilight’s face and she stared up at Celestia with wide eyes. “W-what? Wrong?! But, I-I...” “However, it’s not your fault,” Celestia continued gently. “There is one part of the tale that Birchwood got wrong. I can’t really blame her for it though, seeing as she never came to me for the information. If enough people are wrong about something, it can be easily mistaken for the truth. You see, Luna, despite what many ponies believe, was not my sister.” “She wasn’t?!” Twilight yelped. Around her, her friends’ eyes widened in shock. “No,” Celestia said with a soft laugh. “I’m not sure how that particular part of the story came to life, but by the time I learned of it, it was too late for me to correct the mistake easily. Even the name for our castle in the Everfree is incorrect. It was originally called the Castle of the Two Alicorns, but as the rumor spread around that Luna was my sister, so too did the name of our castle change within the history books. However, I am being truthful when I tell you that Luna wasn’t my sister. “She was my mate.” “Your mate?!” “Yes,” Celestia said sadly, nodding again. “My mate—my lover, my fere, my companion. She was all of that and more. She was my heart, and I was hers. It appears that many mistook our love as that of sisters, especially considering none knew what happened behind locked doors. Many would try to court me, or Luna, on occasion, but we’d turn them down. After all, there was a reason why we never took any suitors: we were already taken.” A stunned silence crept around the room, everyone gaping at Celestia. Twilight was sputtering softly, her eyes wide and pupils mere pinpricks. She couldn’t believe her ears. This was something that would change the very history books she loved so much, and the Princess had just told them it as if she was talking about the weather. The only pony that seemed unaffected by the revelation was Selena, who had a confused look on her face. “N-not to sound insensitive to your loss or anything,” she said, “but what does this have to do with you nearly crushing me to death when you first saw me?” “Ah, yes. That,” Celestia said weakly. She suddenly looked nervous. “It is true that Luna was grievously injured and died from said injuries. However, before she passed, I was able to speak with her briefly.” “What did she say?” Selena asked, her sightless eyes narrowing. Her ear twitched before swiveling around to point at the Princess. Celestia smiled softly. “‘Fear not, Tia dear, for this is not our end. Watch for the mare, of darkened coat and deadened eyes. When she doth stands beside thee, so too shall we once more.’” Silence fell over the room, only to be broken after a few seconds by Selena. “‘Deadened eyes’?” she breathed, scrunching up her muzzle. “What does that mean?” “Back in the old days, a blind pony was often described as having deadened eyes,” Twilight muttered, glancing curiously at Selena. “Eyes that were dead and useless.” Selena balked. “W-wait, so you think she was talking about me!?” “Well,” Celestia said slowly, drawing the word out, “not only do you match the description of the pony she was talking about, but you also look very similar to Luna in appearance as well.” “B-but… I… you… I’m not—” “Not to mention,” Celestia continued with a faint smile, “you have her cutie mark.” Selena froze, her body stiffening. “Don’t talk about my cutie mark,” she snarled. The others flinched back at the sudden ferocity in her voice, but Celestia remained unfazed. “A black inky cloud, adorn by a crescent moon?” she murmured softly, lifting up the edge of Selena’s blanket. “The moon glows softly in dim light?” Before she could lift the blanket fully, Selena grabbed it and pushed it back down with a scowl. “Don’t. Talk about. My cutie mark,” she growled, “and my name is Selena, not Luna.” Celestia watched her, a frown working its way across her muzzle before she suddenly perked up. “Very well, if you need more proof that I’m right, I’ll give it to you.” Her horn lit up suddenly, causing everyone but Selena to have to cover their eyes at the intensity. There was a low sucking noise, followed by a soft ‘pop’. As the light faded, a small metallic ball—barely larger than a walnut—fell into Selena’s blanket-covered lap. “There we go,” Celestia hummed, smiling down at the ball. “W-what… what is it?” Twilight asked, staring at the metal in awe. It was midnight black, but whenever she moved her head, glimmers of different colors raced across its surface. “It…” Celestia began before pausing and casting a quick glance at Selena, a smirk growing on her face. “Well, I’ll get to that in a second. First though, Twilight, if you would be so kind, could you pick it up in your magic for me?” Twilight blinked in surprise before glancing between the Princess and the weird ball of metal in Selena’s lap. It seemed easy enough. The ball wasn’t that big; she had certainly dealt with training weights that were far bigger than it. That, and the fact that it wasn’t currently crushing Selena beneath its weight meant that it couldn’t be that heavy. Nodding once, Twilight lit up her horn and grabbed the ball in her magic. Or at least tried to, for the minute her magic touched the ball, it seemed to slide effortlessly off the metal. “What in the…?” She stared at the ball in confusion. Celestia titled her head to the side, causing Twilight’s ears to splay back. Her teacher was watching. Now was not the time to mess up. Scrunching up her face, she tried again, only to be met with the same result. She tried for a third time, same thing. No matter how hard she tried, she just couldn’t grab the metal in her magic. “I don’t…” she muttered before glaring at the offending ball. “It’s like trying to grab ice with numb hooves!” Aware that not only was Celestia watching her, but her friends as well, she began to push more magic down her horn. However, before she could attempt to grab the ball again, Celestia held up a hoof. Twilight immediately cancelled the spell, the magic around her horn flickering and dying. “I’m sorry, Princess,” she said, lowering her head. “I… I don’t know why I…” “It’s quite alright, Twilight,” Celestia said, her tone warm. “You did nothing wrong.” “But, I…” “I’ll explain in a minute, I promise,” Celestia said before turning to Selena. “Now then, Selena. Would you kindly try and pick up the ball?” Selena blinked her sightless eyes once before reaching down and picking the ball up in her hooves. It was surprisingly light, and she wondered for a second if it was hollow. Celestia laughed softly. “I meant with your magic.” Selena dropped the ball back into her lap before turning her head in Celestia’s general direction. “What makes you think I can do that?” she asked, mouth agape. “You are a unicorn, are you not?” Celestia asked, an amused smirk crossing her face. Selena balked. “Y-yeah, but I… I…” She trailed off, muttering something under her breath as she tapped her forehooves together. “What was that, hun?” Celestia asked, perking her ears. “I’m… I’m not very good with magic,” Selena mumbled. “I left the orphanage before my magic really had a chance to develop, so Warm Care never got a chance to find me a tutor. I can only do a few spells, and even those I can’t do that well.” “Can you use levitation?” Celestia asked, a concerned look crossing her face. Selena blinked several times. “W-well, yeah, but…” “Then levitate the ball,” Celestia said, motioning towards the metal orb. “B-but Twilight is your student and she can’t do it,” Selena protested, waving a hoof in Twilight’s general direction, causing her to blush at the sudden attention. “If she can’t do it, what makes you think I can?! I mean, it’s not—” She fell silent as Celestia placed a hoof gently against her lips. “Please,” Celestia said softly, the small smile still present on her face, “just try.” Selena stared blankly ahead for a few more seconds before sighing. Her horn began to glow with a soft cobalt blue light, and a similarly-colored aura surrounding the metal ball. Expecting to be unable to lift the sphere, Selena was startled when it instantly lifted into the air. She nearly tossed it into the ceiling before correcting herself. Unlike Twilight’s attempts, Selena’s magic didn’t falter and held the ball firmly within her magical grab. She blinked in surprise and confusion as she felt the ball hovering in front of her face, wrapped in her aura. She even reached out with a hoof to confirm what her magic was telling her. The ball was suspended in the air, held aloft by her magic. But, that doesn’t make any sense, she thought to herself, scrunching up her nose. If Twilight couldn’t lift it, why can I? Surely she’s more competent with magic than I am. As Selena’s mind continued to try and figure what was going on, the others were staring. Not at her, but at something that—unfortunately for Selena—she was unable to see. The minute she had lifted the metal ball in her magic, Twilight had opened her mouth to protest. However, the words had died on her lips before she had a chance to speak them, and her jaw fell open in shock. A similar look was plastered on her friends’ faces as well as they glanced around the room. The metal ball had come alive. Light flickering across its surface, twisting and turning as though there was a flame trapped within the orb. The light being thrown off from the ball caused little dots of light to dance across the walls and ceilings, reminding Twilight of when Pinkie Pie had broken out her disco ball. The beads of light seemed to twinkle, pulsing with an unknown energy. Pulling her eyes from the breathtaking sight, Twilight glanced up at Princess Celestia. Celestia was gazing around at the dancing lights with delight, but Twilight could also just make out the hints of pain and longing in her gaze. “Oh,” she breathed weakly, her lips trembling. “Oh, stars. It’s been too long since I’ve seen these. I almost forgot how beautiful you were, my little friends.” “Um, Princess?” Jumping slightly, Celestia looked at Twilight as if she had forgotten the younger mare was there. “W-what…” Twilight began, only to pause and lick her lips before continuing. “What’s going on? What is that orb?” “Wha… oh, I’m sorry, Twilight,” Celestia said, giving her an apologetic smile. “I got distracted. Forgive me.” Clearing her throat, she took a moment to compose herself before continuing. She pointed at the ball of metal still suspended in Selena’s magic. “What Lu—I mean, what Selena here is currently holding is a metal called deusium. It’s extremely rare, and happens to have several unique properties.” “Such as?” Twilight asked, and Celestia resisted the urge to laugh when she saw that Twilight had summoned a scroll and was currently taking notes. “Well, for one,” she said, “the metal’s color is unique to the eyes of the beholder.” The scratching of Twilight’s quill paused, and she glanced up, giving the Princess a bewildered look. “What?” “Ms. Rarity,” Celestia said loudly, turning to face her. “What color is the ball?” Rarity blinked, startled that the Princess had called on her. “Well, um… it’s the most beautiful shade of lavender I’ve ever seen, with veins of white running through it. I was actually going to ask about it before Twilight spoke up, your highness.” “What?” Rainbow yelped, giving Rarity an incredulous look. “What are you talking about? It’s totally blue!” “Red fer me,” Applejack voiced. “Pink!” Pinkie said, bouncing on her hooves. “Wait, no! Yellow! No, orange! No, white! No, pink again!” “Um… green,” Fluttershy murmured, peeking out from behind her mane. “I can’t see,” Selena deadpanned. “What color do you see, Twilight?” Pinkie chirped, giving her friend a large grin. Twilight blinked, glancing between all her friends, who were now looking at her. Her ears folding back against her head. “Oh, um… it’s… it’s kind of a black, but there are flashes of rainbow occasionally.” For a fleeting moment, Twilight thought she saw a gleam of something like triumph and pride flash across Celestia’s eyes. The next second it was gone, and Twilight was sure she had imagined it because Celestia just looked tired but happy. “Yes,” she said with a nod. “Different ponies see different colors when looking upon the orb. We are unsure of why this happens—” her eye darted to the side for a split second “—but it’s one of the attributes that makes deusium unique.” “So, why is Selena able to pick it up in her magic but I’m not,” Twilight asked, a twinge of jealousy seeping into her tone before she could stop it. “That’s the second trait that makes deusium so special,” Celestia said. “Much like nullstone, deusium’s properties make it so that it neutralizes most magic. If a pegasus was to pick it up and attempt to fly with it, they’d find themselves unable to lift off the ground. A unicorn would find themselves unable to lift it in their magic, or even use magic in general if they were touching the metal. Earth ponies would lose their connection to the earth.” Everyone was now giving the small sphere of metal nervous looks, Applejack even inching away from it cautiously. “Wait,” Twilight said, her face scrunching up. “If unicorns’ magic won’t affect it, why is Selena able to pick it up?” “That, my faithful student,” Celestia said as her smile grew, “is the right question. You see, deusium is immune to all forms of magic. All forms, except for one.” Reaching up, she tapped her horn with a hoof. “Alicorn magic,” she said. Silence fell over the room as everyone stared at Selena, who looked like she had just been slapped in the face. Her magic flickered before dying out, sending the ball of deusium tumbling to the blankets below. “So, the only way Selena could have levitated the metal…” Twilight began slowly. “Is if she was using alicorn magic,” Celestia finished with a nod. “But she’s a unicorn,” Rarity said, uncertainly. “A unicorn with a glowing cutie mark of a moon,” Celestia said smugly. “With deadened eyes and darkened coat.” A dark look crossed Selena’s face. “You tricked me,” she muttered. “Whether I tricked you or not is irrelevant,” Celestia said in a gentle tone. “You have Luna’s cutie mark, you match her description, and, if those weren’t evidence enough, you also have her magic inside you. You are Luna reborn.” “My name,” Selena growled, “is Selena.” Twilight glanced back and forth between Selena and Celestia nervously, her ears folding back against her head. Clearing her throat, she tried to catch Celestia’s attention. “S-so, um… you said that this deusium is rare. How rare are we talking about exactly?” “Extremely,” Celestia said, giving Selena a tired look. “Selena here currently has half of the deusium in Equestria,” she added, pointing to the metal sphere in Selena’s lap. As Twilight scribbled away on her scroll, Rainbow perked up. “Wait a minute,” she said, eyes narrowing. “This stuff is rare, right?” “Yes,” Celestia said with a nod, giving Rainbow a curious look. “So that means it’s valuable, right?” Rainbow continued. Her eyes darted back and forth between Selena and the small sphere of metal. “Naturally,” Celestia hummed. “That little bit on the bed is probably worth equal to, or slightly more than, all the gold in the National Treasury.” The minute the words left her lips, Rainbow was in the air. Faster than anyone could react, she flew over to the bed. This action caused Selena to yelp loudly in surprise at the sudden presence in front of her, and she flinched back, expecting to be hit. All Rainbow did though was quickly grab the ball of deusium. The minute her hooves touched the metal, her wings stopped working. They stiffened then went limp, causing her to drop out of the air with a startled cry. She flopped on the edge of the bed before toppling over onto the floor, knocking the bedside table over in the process. The ball of deusium clattered to the floor and rolled off. “Rainbow!” Twilight yelped, eyes wide. “What are you doing?!” “Getting the very valuable thing away from the thief!” Rainbow groaned from her place on the floor. “Rainbow Dash!” Rarity gasped, giving her a shocked look. “How… Why would you say such a thing?” “What?” Rainbow huffed, getting to her hooves. “She is!” “Dash, she’s in no condition tah stand, let alone run off with it,” Applejack said with a glare. “And secondly, do ya really think she’s gonna try that with the Princess in the room with her?” “I don’t know how a thief thinks!” “Rainbow, stop it,” Rarity said, glaring at her as well. “Sorry for trying to stop her from getting her hooves on something extremely valuable,” Rainbow huffed, crossing her forelegs. “All ya’ve done is make a mess of the place,” Applejack snorted, righting the side table and trying to gather up the fallen items. “And you’ve lost the deusium as well,” Twilight said, looking frantically under the bed for the dropped metal. “The Princess just finished telling us about how rare and valuable it is, and you’ve lost it! Who knows where it—” The sudden roar of flames cut Twilight off, causing her to hit her head on the underside of the bed as she jumped. Sitting up and rubbing the small lump on the back of her head, she stared in awe at Celestia, who had the deusium suspended in her magic. The sphere was wreathed in fire, the flames cracking and billowing like the interior of a furnace. The size of the inferno was such that the flames licked at the ceiling. The walls became tinged in an orange glow, embers dancing around the room in a chaotic symphony of fire and light. However, as Twilight continued to stare at the sight in wonder (and a little bit fear), she realized that she felt no heat coming from the fire. Just as suddenly as the flames arrived, they disappeared. The deusium fell from Celestia magic and landed in her outstretched hoof. “No harm, no foul,” she said gently as she eyed the metal. “Although I am curious as to what all that was about.” Her gaze drifted over to Selena, whose ears were pressed firmly against her head. She looked like she was trying to sink into the mattress and disappear. A brief look of concern flashed across Celestia face before she was able to mask it. Rainbow opened her mouth, only to have it click shut again as it was surrounded in a rosy aura. Twilight shot her a quick glare before turning her attention to the Princess. She gave Celestia a strained smile. “Well, um… you see, Selena’s not doing particularly well at the moment.” “Yes, you said something like that in your letter,” Celestia said. “Well,” Twilight said, wincing. She glanced at Selena before continuing. “She, um… she doesn’t have a lot of bits… so she has to, um… scavenge for food occasionally.” “It’s okay, Twilight,” Selena sighed, closing her eyes. “You don’t need to hide the fact. I steal in order to eat.” Twilight winced again, and her eyes flicked up to look at Celestia’s face. Celestia’s brow was furrowed and she had a troubled look on her face, but her gaze wasn’t on Selena, but rather the IV bag hanging next to the bed. Her eye narrowed as she read the label, only for her entire body to freeze a second later. Her eye widened again before swiveling around to stare at Selena in growing horror. Before Twilight had a chance to speak, Celestia’s horn lit up and the blankets that had been covering Selena’s body were ripped off the bed, leaving her bare. Celestia could only stare at Selena’s emaciated in shock. “Why are you so malnourished?!” she finally managed to ask, her voice rising slightly. Selena turned her head in Celestia’s general direction and gave her a bemused look. “You didn’t notice this before?” she asked. “You pulled me out of the bed and nearly smothered me in a hug, not to mention pulled the wires off my chest, and yet you didn’t notice how thin I was?” “I was a little… distracted at those particular moments,” Celestia said weakly. “Don’t change the subject though. Why are you nothing but skin and bones?!” “Well, I didn’t really have bits for food,” Selena snarked, an ear twitching. “When you have no food, you tend to get… thin.” “B-but… has… has nopony ever offered to help you? To feed you?” Celestia asked, ears splaying backwards. “You still just a foal! Surely there was somepony…” “Well…” Selena said slowly, chewing on her lip. “There was Pinkie, who left me cupcakes occasionally, but other than that, I was on my own.” She trailed off, a frown crossing her face. She didn’t really want to talk about this right now. However, she felt that it wasn’t over yet. Sure enough, Celestia pressed on. “Just one? Out of all the ponies in Ponyville, only one helped you?” she asked, causing the others in the room to shift uncomfortably. “Actually,” Selena said, blinking. “Twilight caught me once, and well… you can see what came of that.” Celestia’s gaze darted over to Twilight, who was giving Selena a warm smile. Her brow furrowed before her horn sudden lit up with a bright golden light. A scroll and quill materialized in front of her. Taking the quill nimbly in her magic, Celestia wrote out a quick message before rolling the scroll up. Bring the scroll up to her lips, Celestia took a deep breath through her nostrils. Her cheeks bulged slightly, and she pursed her lips before suddenly blowing a stream of amber fire upon the scroll. The flames consumed the parchment, which became a cloud of smoke. It hovered in the air for but a second before being swept out through the gaps in the window. “Um, Princess, was that for Spike?” Twilight asked as she watched the disappearing smoke. “No, it wasn’t,” Celestia answered simply. “Then what…” Twilight began, only to trail off, a look of confusion on her face. Celestia glanced down and gave her a small smile. Unfurling a wing, she wrapped it around Twilight and pulled her close, nuzzling the top of her head affectionately. “It’s nothing to worry about, my faithful student,” she said. “I’m just calling a friend.” ~ ~ ~ ~ > > < < ~ ~ ~ ~ Black Spark sighed softly to himself as he rubbed his temples with a hoof. Day court had just ended, and the last of the nobles were trickling out of the throne room, murmuring softly to themselves. The guards that were positioned around the room slumped slightly in their positions, a look of relief crossing their faces. Black Spark couldn’t blame them; the nobles had been especially obnoxious today. Especially Lady Grayscale and her plethora of complaints. It seemed that since Celestia wasn’t present, the nobles decided that they could get away with more than they usually would around Black Spark. Unfortunately for them, Celestia was the more understanding of the two. Slumping back in his chair, the Archduke sighed again. He could feel a headache growing in the back of his head. Suddenly Celestia’s appreciation for a tall, stiff drink after court made more sense. Night court was never this draining. Taking a few seconds to compose himself, Black Spark motioned to the guards. “You are dismissed. Thank you for your service.” With a clatter of armor, the guards immediately relaxed and began to disperse, some heading towards the mess hall for some food, while others made their way towards the showers. Black Spark was just beginning to consider turning in for the evening when movement near the front of the throne room caught his eye. As the dismissed guards exited through the doors, an armor-clad figure slipped through. Her golden armor glinted softly in the light of the setting sun streaming through the throne room windows as she made her way towards the dais. “You look tired, sir, look tired, sir,” Darkfur murmured as she drew nearer. Even with her armor on, she moved silently, making barely a whisper of noise. “I keep forgetting how… pleasant day court can be,” the Archduke growled. “It amazes me that the princess is still sane.” “After all these years, she’s used to it, used to it,” Darkfur chuckled, her yellow eyes glinting with mirth. She chirped shrilly several times before cocking her head to the side. “I’m assuming that there is no night court tonight, night court tonight?” “Not unless the princess has called for it,” Black Spark said. Darkfur shook her head. “Haven’t heard from her all day, her all day.” “Probably relaxing after what happened with the griffons.” “Possibly, possibly.” “I’m sorry if this comes off as rude, lieutenant, but is there a reason you’re here?” Black Spark asked with a groan. Darkfur shrugged her shoulders. “Night court has been cancelled, has been cancelled.” A smirk crossed her face. “Need new orders, need new orders.” “Well,” Black Spark tsked, “unless something big comes up, I do believe that means you have the rest of the night off—” Both ponies turned their heads abruptly as one of the side doors creaked open. There was a brief pause before Raven stuck her head in and glanced around. Spying the two ponies standing on the throne dais, she bit her lip before opening the door further and entering. “By chance have either one of you seen Princess Celestia recently?” she asked. Black Spark and Darkfur glanced at each other briefly before turning back to Raven. “No,” they answered together. “She isn’t in her chambers?” Black Spark asked. Raven shook her head. “No. The last I saw her was when she was entering the hot springs. I just checked them. Her attire and shoe covers are there, but there’s no sign of her.” “Did you check the kitchens?” “Yes,” Raven deadpanned. “I checked there right after I checked the wine cellars. No sign of her, and nopony’s seen her.” “Did you—” “I know how to do my job, Spark,” Raven huffed. “I’ve checked her usual spots. The kitchens, the wine cellars, the gardens, the library. I even checked the statue gardens, creepy as they are. She wasn’t at any of those locations.” “No need to get flustered, to get flustered,” Darkfur said softly. “The princess can take care of herself, care of herself. She doesn’t need to tell us every time she wanders off, she wanders off.” “Then what would you suggest?” Raven asked, raising an eyebrow. Darkfur opened her mouth to reply, but was interrupted by a cloud of smoke suddenly appearing above the three ponies. It hovered there for but a second until a tongue of amber flames erupted for, and a single scroll fell upon the ground. Giving the other two a smug smirk, Darkfur motioned towards the scroll with a hoof. “Yeah, yeah,” Black Spark growled as he picked the scroll up with his magic. “Laugh it up, fuzzball.” “You see, Celestia can get a hold of us if she needs to, she needs to,” Darkfur murmured, turning to look at Raven. “No need to worry, need to worry.” “I guess,” Raven said skeptically as Black Spark unrolled the scroll. “It’s just… it doesn’t feel like something she’d do, just up and leave like that. Even if she goes for a midnight stroll, she always tells somepony.” Ignoring the two others, Black Spark turned his attention instead to the scroll. There was no royal seal, but he instantly recognized Celestia’s spidery hornwriting. The letter itself was brief, barely a few sentences. In Ponyville hospital. Bring Royal Healers ASAP. Keep low profile. “So, what did she say?” Raven asked as Black Spark lowered the scroll. She blinked at the look on the Archduke’s face, and her ears splayed back. “Black Spark? What… what is it?” Black Spark didn’t answer. He just stared forward, his eyes narrowing. The Princess had just requested that the Royal Healers be brought to Ponyville immediately. The only reason that Celestia would have need of the Royal Healers would be if she had been injured. Something had happened in Ponyville. Hoofing the scroll to Darkfur, the Archduke made a beeline for the door. He called back over his shoulder as he went. “Lieutenant, grab the Royal Healers and meet me down by the landing zones. I’ll get us a pair of chariots. Do not make a scene!” Darkfur glanced over the message briefly before nodding. “Right away.” Her normally soft voice was suddenly cold, the signature repeating quirk she had temporarily forgotten. She took wing and flew off in a blur of gray and gold, taking the scroll with her. Raven stood in the now empty throne room, a bewildered look on her face. “What the hay just happened?” ~ ~ ~ ~ > > < < ~ ~ ~ ~ Celestia hummed softly to herself as she nudged the sun towards the horizon. The celestial orb sank lower and lower in the sky, dutifully complying with its mistress’s commands. Next, she pushed the moon gently, setting it on its course for the night. While it was true that she could move the sun and the moon, they typically followed their own paths across the sky. The two celestial objects only needed an occasional nudge here or tug there in order to keep them in place. The only times she manually moved them through the skies above Equestria was during the Summer Sun Celebration. Double-checking to make sure that the sun and moon were on their respective paths, Celestia opened her eye and returned her attention to the world around her. Ponies were scattered about the room, talking quietly with one another in gently murmurs. Twilight and Rarity were discussing something in low voices, the particular topic lost to Celestia’s ears. Pinkie, Rainbow, and Applejack had taken over the second bed and were now playing cards, although there appeared to be some confusion as to the game. Rainbow and Applejack were clearly playing Poker, while Pinkie appeared to be playing Go Fish, and was somehow winning. Unwilling to try and figure out the logic behind the card game, Celestia’s eye drifted over to the other bed. Fluttershy had acquired a brush from somewhere and was now brushing Selena’s tail, gently working the knots and tangles out of it. And that lead her gaze to Selena. The young mare was propped up against the headboard of her hospital bed. Even though her eyes were closed, Celestia could tell she was awake. She just laid there, breathing softly as Fluttershy continued to brush her tail. Every so often Selena’s ear would twitch and swivel around in the direction of a particularly loud noise or voice. A small frown crossed Celestia’s muzzle as she eyed Selena. She had yet to pull the blanket back over herself, and her body was exposed for the world to see. Her malnourished body. In her many years, Celestia had seen many forms of hardship. She had walked the streets of many war ravaged cities during the civil war of the Griffon Empire. She had headed the relief efforts for the devastated homes and land of Zebrica after they had been hit by a massive tsunami. She had seen the aftermath of horrific famines and plagues that reduced the Minotaurian Empire to nothing more than a series of nomadic tribes and wanderers. She had seen all of this and more, so it had taken her but a single glance to realize the nature of Selena’s IV bag. The cocktail of medicine, minerals, and vitamins was designed to replace the nutrients Selena’s body desperately needed, as well as attempt to improve her appetite so that she would be more willing to eat. However, she was unable to do so. Her body was currently unable to properly process food. To give her solid foods now would do more harm than good, something one of the nurses had to remind Pinkie several times. Celestia’s eye drifted over to a cart resting in the corner of the room, currently covered in dirty dishes and empty platters. The rambunctious party mare had acquired the cart from the cafeteria a few hours ago, bring enough food with her for everypony, including Selena. Luckily, one of the nurses had been changing out Selena’s IV bag at the time, and had managed to stop Pinkie from giving her food. Although, considering that Selena’s mouth had been practically watering at the smell, they didn’t have to worry about her appetite. “Could probably do with a diet high in protein and calories,” Celestia muttered under her breath. “Get some more meat on her bones, as it were. Poor thing looks like a skeleton. Lots of milk… maybe orange juice too. Some granola as well, that should help. I’ll need to see about—” Her train of thought was interrupted by the feeling of somepony pinging her magical signature; something that only a rare few of ponies could actually do. Ears perking, Celestia sent a ping of her own, only to smile as the presence revealed itself and its inquiry. They arrived faster than I expected, Celestia mused as she sent the room number. She glanced at the clock hanging on the far wall, only to wince. Or maybe not. The hands of the clock informed her that the hour was later than what she had assumed, and they were currently overstepping their bounds, as visiting hours had ended a while ago. She was pretty sure the only reason the nurses hadn’t broken down the door and kicked them out yet was because of who was currently in the room. One did not simply kick royalty out of a building. At least, not without bringing some backup. Glancing around at the other ponies in the room again, a contemplative look crossed Celestia’s face. While her presence explained the hospital staffs’ behavior, why were Twilight’s friends still here? Not that she minded their company; they were rather unique ponies even without the fact of being Element Bearers. However, surely they had their own lives and loved ones to get back to. Twilight was understandable: she would stay faithfully by Celestia’s side until either dismissed or Celestia left. The others had no such devotion. She was pretty sure Applejack had a farm to look after, and Rainbow Dash was a member of the local weather team, was she not? Both jobs usually meant getting up early in order to get most of the day’s work done on time. Yet they remained here, with their friends. She opened her mouth to voice her question, only for everyone’s attention to suddenly be directed at the door, the sound of multiple voices growing louder on the other side. One of the voices was female, and clearly did not sound happy. “Excuse me, what do you think you’re doing? You can’t be here at the moment!” “Oops,” Celestia muttered under her breath, her ears splaying back. “Didn’t think about that.” “Is that Nurse Blue Cross?” Applejack asked, scrunching up her muzzle. “What’s she shoutin’ about?” A second voice spoke up, this one masculine and deep. While the words were lost to the listeners within the room, the annoyed tone was clearly discernible. The sound of hoofsteps were growing slowly louder, and it sounded as though a veritable herd of ponies were making their way down the hall. Blue Cross let out a bark-like laugh. “I don’t care who you are. This is a hospital, and as such, since the doctor is not here at the moment, I am in charge,” she shot back. The masculine voice started to say something, but was cut off. “Visiting hours are over. They ended a while ago. Patients are trying to rest, and the last thing they need is you disturbing them. Whatever your business is, it can wait until morning!” “Ain’t nopony gonna be able to sleep with that level of noise,” Rainbow grumbled, looking at the cards in her hooves. “I agree,” Rarity huffed. “She’s making more noise than anypony else at the moment.” She batted her mane absentmindedly. “I mean, really. I can see where Nurse Redheart learned it from. It’s a wonder that all the foals seem to like her.” “Now, that’s a bit unfair,” Applejack said. “Blue Cross can be soft-spoken when she wants tah. Ah’ve never seen her yell at a foal.” Rarity hummed softly. “I suppose…” A third voice, soft and feminine, made itself known. Whatever was said caused Blue Cross to sputter, her previous bravado failing. “I… but, uh… you see…” The new voice pressed on, and Blue Cross fell silent as the sound of hooves came to a stop right outside the door. “Alright, fine,” Blue Cross sighed after a few seconds, “but so help me, if this proves to be detrimental to my patient’s health, I don’t care who you are, I’ll throw you out on your sorry flank.” “What’s going on?” Twilight asked, directing the question to nobody in particular. “I don’t know, but that sure sounds like a lot of ponies,” Pinkie Pie commented, cocking her head to the side as she stared wide-eyed at the door. “Nine,” Selena grunted, drawing Celestia’s gaze almost instantly. “Nine what?” Twilight asked, glancing at Selena as well, a look of confusion on her face. “There are nine ponies out there... unless some of them are flying,” Selena said a little louder, although still keeping her voice low. Her ears splayed back. “At least two are wearing armor, maybe more. It was hard to tell when they were talking, and now they’re standing still.” “Sugarcube, are ya tellin’ us ya could hear all that through the door?” Applejack asked, giving her an incredulous look. Upon Selena nodding, she let out a low whistle. “Well Ah'll be… that’s some mighty impressive hearin’ ya got there, hun.” “That tends to happen when one of the sense is hindered,” Twilight said, giving Selena a curious look. “The other senses grow stronger to compensate, although they usually aren’t that much more noticeable. You have very good ears, Selena.” “Yippee for me,” Selena deadpanned. Blinking, Twilight began to say something, but was cut off as the door handle began to jiggle. The door swung open, and a veritable convoy of ponies walked in: Black Spark, followed by four guards, two healers, with Nurse Blue Cross and Nurse Redheart bringing up the rear, a look of annoyance on both of their faces. The large, imposing figure of Black Spark was easily distinguishable at the head of the group. His blue eyes darted around the room, taking in everything with expertly concealed emotions. Beside him followed a dark-coated pegasus in golden armor, but instead of feathered wings, she bore a pair of leathery, bat-like wings. She looked around the room as well, a sleepy expression on her face. However, her yellow eyes had a hidden glint to them that made any pony she looked at shiver. Of the three remaining guards, two of them looked like generic guard ponies. They were both decked out in Royal Guard armor, their heads encased in their signature golden helmets. The third guard was different. Unlike the other two, who were unicorns, this one was a pegasus. His helmet was missing, and his silver mane cut short. His coat was light gray speckled with black that slowly grew darker towards his hooves. Blackened bandages were wrapped around his base of his braided tail. A red saddle rested on the back of his armor, contrasting with the light blue ones that were normally present. He followed dutifully behind Black Spark, almost like a living shadow. Behind the wall of armored ponies, two unicorn mares followed. They were dressed in the white robes of the Royal Healers, and each bore a full pair of saddlebags on their backs. Selena winced as the new ponies entered, her ears pressing against her head in an attempt to muffle the new noise. “Sorry about this intrusion,” Blue Cross growled as she and Redheart pushed their way through the guards. “We tried to stop them, but they were rather persistent.” “This is a matter of the Crown,” Black Spark huffed. “It does not concern you, and you have no authority over us.” “It was the Crown that charged us with tending to the sick and injured ponies that pass through our doors,” Blue Cross shot back, “which is rather hard to do with you barging in when they’re trying to rest!” Black Spark opened his mouth to give a rebuttal, but was cut off by as a loud gasp came from the corner of the room. Pinkie stood there, a hoof pointed at Black Spark as a large smile slowly spread across her face. “Hey, Grumpy McGrumperson! You’re back!” she cried, bouncing up and down in place. Black Spark glared at her, one of his eyes twitching. The two guards moved to stand on either side of the door, their armor clanking as they moved. The Healers were now standing next to Celestia, conversing with her in worried tones. The pegasus guard was trying to appraise Applejack and Rainbow, both whom bore annoyed looks on their faces. The guard just looked unsure of what to do. Fluttershy was now talking with the batpony with a surprising air of familiarity. Unable to follow what was going on anymore, Twilight turned her attention to Selena instead, only to do a double take upon seeing the look of pain on her face. She had her hooves over her ears, her sightless eyes darting back and forth. Her heart monitor was beginning to go wild as her heart rate increased. “Selena, are you alright?” Twilight asked worriedly. Selena just whimpered. “Too much noise. I… I can’t see, c-can’t map. Too many ponies. Too much noise. Make it stop, make it stop, make it stop!” “ENOUGH!” The room shook from the force of the shout, causing everyone to fall silent and Selena gave a sigh of relief. The only sound that could be heard was the frantic beeping of Selena’s heart monitor as all eyes turned to Celestia. “Thank you,” she said, clearing her throat, “but it was getting rather hard to think.” Turning to face Black Spark, she smile softly. “You arrived far faster than I thought you would. Your punctuality continues to impress me, my friend. Although the nurse here is right,” she said, motioning towards Blue Cross. “While within the walls of this hospital, we must abide by their rules. The last thing we want is a patient’s health to decline due to our actions.” Blue Cross shot the Archduke a smug smile. Ignoring her, Black Spark inclined his head to Celestia. “Forgive the zealousness, but your letter indicated that speed was of the utmost importance.” “Did it now?” Celestia hummed softly. “Yes,” Black Spark sighed. “Although how you somehow managed to get hurt is beyond me.” “What are you talking about? I am not injured.” Black Spark gave her a blank look. “I assure you, my friend, I am perfectly fine,” Celestia said. For emphasis, she lifted her good wing and exposed her side, displaying the unmarred flesh beneath it. Her coat was slightly matted from improperly drying, but other than that, the wall of white fur was perfect and bare. Folding her wing again, Celestia stared at the Archduke in confusion. “Why would you assume that I was hurt?” “The letter you sent,” Black Spark said. “It said that you were in need of medical attention.” “I never said I needed medical attention. What I said was to bring the Royal Healers, which you have.” “So you don’t need medical attention?” “Of course not,” Celestia said with a soft laugh. “You should know by now that I am more than capable of taking care of myself.” For some reason, the batpony suddenly had a smug smile on her face. Black Spark just looked annoyed. “Princess, I know you have a thing for pranks, although for the life of me I’ll never know why,” Black Spark said slowly, closing his eyes. “Mostly they are harmless. Making your teacup bottomless whenever somepony is trying to pour your tea. Putting a doughnut on your horn and walking around until somepony mentions it, then acting like you don’t know what they are talking about.” Beside him, the batpony nodded her head, a faint, knowing smile on her face. “So then why,” Black Spark continued, opening his eyes and glaring at Celestia, “did you decided that you were going to vanish for several hours, without telling anypony where you were going I might add, only to then send a brief letter requesting the Royal Healers be brought to Ponyville hospital if you didn’t actually need them?” “I should think that I am allowed to go where I want without having to alert the entire castle where I was going,” Celestia said with a pout. “And as for the Royal Healers, you know as well as I that they are called whenever a member of the Crown is in need of their services.” “But you don’t need them though.” “You’re right. I don’t need them,” Celestia said with a nod. Black Spark huffed. “Then this was just a huge waste of our—” “She does,” Celestia said, motioning with a hoof. As all eyes turned to look at her, Selena, who had previously been staring blankly off to the side, perked up. Turning her head, she blinked her sightless eyes as she became aware of a dozen or so gazes staring at her. Suddenly finding herself under such scrutiny, she shrank down, trying to make herself as small as possible. Black Spark’s face took on a perplexed look, his brow furrowing as he stared at Selena. Eventually, he turned back to Celestia. “And who is this exactly?” he asked. “Her name is Selena,” Celestia said, giving the aforementioned mare a warm smile, “and as of right now, she is the new Lunar Princess.” Deafening silence filled the room as everyone excluding Celestia froze. Mouths were gaping and eyes were wide as everyone’s gazes were split between staring at Selena or Celestia in shock and disbelief. Black Spark stared blankly up at Celestia. “What?” “What?!” Twilight and her friends cried, each with a look of shocked confusion on their faces, even Pinkie. Blue Cross closed her eyes and groaned. “You have got to be kidding me.” “What!?” Selena yelped, her voice cracking. Outside, the newly risen moon flared once before shining just a little bit brighter. The moonlight seemed to pulse, almost as if it was laughing. Against the pitch black backdrop it radiated, glowing happily as it observed the happenings of the world beneath it. ~ ~ ~ ~ > > END OF PART II < < ~ ~ ~ ~
Part III: Per Noctem Ad LucemCelestia closed the door to the medical ward gently behind her, so as to not disturb the activity currently going on within. Not that the Royal Healers would have been distracted by such noise, as professional as they were. Still, she felt that they deserved some consideration. She sighed heavily before glancing up, her good eye landing on Black Spark, who was standing patiently in the shadows on the opposite side of the torch-lit hall. Upon being noticed, the Archduke cocked an eyebrow. “Well?” “She’s settled in, for the most part at least,” Celestia said softly before turning and beginning to walk slowly down the hall. Her gilded shoes clicked loudly against the marble, the noise echoing in the silence. As Black Spark fell in line beside her, she continued. “It took a while, but the Healers are now currently taking a look at her. They should be able to see if there are any big issues and have them fixed up shortly. While I do trust the doctors and nurses in Ponyville, I’ll feel much better having a second opinion on the matter at hoof, especially from my own personal doctors.” “And the mare?” “Tired and a little stressed, but she should feel better tomorrow after a good night’s rest,” Celestia murmured. “She just needs sleep at the moment.” “Well, that’s to be expected,” the Archduke hummed. Celestia gave him a sideways look. “What do you mean? Black Spark scoffed. “I mean, considering all that she’s been through the past couple of hours. It was a lot to take in, and in a short amount of time too. That can be stressful for anypony, let alone a young mare such as herself. You’re lucky she didn’t pass out at some point.” “Oh, come now. It wasn’t that bad—” “You declared her the next Lunar Princess and then, without any explanation to her, or the surrounding ponies, had us pull her out of the hospital to be brought back here to Canterlot, despite her protesting against it I might add.” “We have better doctors here,” Celestia defended. “She’ll be cared for better, and have easier access to medication.” “That may be, but according to the Healers, she had a non-stop panic attack the minute the chariot lifted off which lasted the entire ride back. It nearly resulted in her falling out of the carriage at one point.” “W-well, that’s—” “Not to mention they reported that she was sick three times due to motion-sickness,” Black Spark interrupted. “And the last time she threw up, there was apparently blood in the bile.” “All the more reason for the Royal Healers to take a look at her,” Celestia sniffed. “Princess—” “I want her cared for, Black Spark, and I want her cared for here,” Celestia said. “Here in Canterlot, she has access to better care and treatment than if she stayed down in Ponyville. We have the best of the best here already looking after me, and I would feel much better knowing that they are looking after her as well.” “While I’m sure the medical staff in Ponyville General are competent in their job,” she continued as they rounded a corner. “I have more faith in my own Royal Healers. I am sorry for her rough transition, I truly am, but it was necessary to move her back to the palace in order for her recovery to go more smoothly.” “And the fact that the ride here probably did more harm than good due to the stress?” Black Spark asked, cocking an eyebrow. “She was a lot paler when she arrived here than when she left Ponyville.” “I’ll have one of the Healers give her some sedative,” Celestia said, nibbling on her bottom lip. “That should help her relax, and allow her to sleep better as well.” Black Spark snorted softly. “Drugging her is not a solution, and you know it.” “It’s better than leaving her awake and stressed. I’m trying to help her, and until the Healers can give her a full physical, this is the best way I know how.” “You’re going through an awful lot of trouble for somepony you didn’t know existed less than twenty-four hours ago,” Black Spark said. Celestia halted suddenly, yet Black Spark kept walking for a few more paces before noticing. Stopping, he turned and glanced back at her. The Princess stared down at him, her gaze becoming steely and her voice firm. Even her hair began to fan out more, taking on a more flame-like appearance. “I believe we discussed this on the ride over, Black Spark, and I will not speak of it any further. You have expressed your concerns, yes, but my decision remains the same. End of discussion.” Black Spark lifted his hoof in a placating gesture. “I’m well aware of that, Princess,” he said calmly despite the temperature slowly beginning to rise, “and I will stand firmly behind you in your judgment and decision, as I always have. However, surely you must realize that that won’t be the case with everypony. You know as well as I that none of the nobles will be pleased about this.” “They never are unless it benefits them in some way,” Celestia snorted, her hair calming as a smile spread across her muzzle. The temperature returned to normal as she began walking again. “However, they will not complain.” “What makes you so sure?” “It was I that claimed this land from Discord, Black Spark, not them,” Celestia said as they rounded the corner, “and it is I who has defended it throughout the centuries. Alone. Without me, Equestria would have fallen long ago. Without me, this land would be in chaos. As such, if I say that Selena is the new Lunar Princess, then it is so, and any noble that fights it shall soon find that power is a privilege, not a birthright like they so naively believe.” “They still aren’t going to like it,” Black Spark said airily. “Just let them try and dispute it,” Celestia smirked. “Unlike these pompous, arrogant nobles nowadays, who are only where they are due to power and greed, Selena is a Princess by blood. She has Luna’s blood flowing through her veins, which makes her more qualified than any of those sniveling, ‘purebred’ cowards.” She paused, before a warmer smile came to her face. “I take that back. There are a few that might stand beside her. A few that have stood the test of time. Did you know, Black Spark, that house Blueblood and house Sparkle are the only original noble houses left? The rest rose to where they are now due to their money or their connections.” “And what does that have to do with the current situation?” Black Spark asked, bemused. “Simply that if the nobles can’t handle this new development, then they are more than welcome to give up their position and not come back. I’m certain there are several charities that would love to have some donations sent their way,” Celestia hummed. “In fact, I might do that anyways. The nobles are getting paid a ridiculous amount to just sit around and complain about meaningless things. It’s about time that money goes to good cause. Maybe a few orphanages as well.” The pair came to a stop at the bottom of the main staircase. It was silent in the massive hall, nopony in sight. The faint sound of clanking metal drifted in through an open window, indicating that some of the guards were already awake in the early hours of the morning and were beginning to make their way to the mess hall. After a few seconds of silence, the Archduke sighed. “So this is it then,” he said softly. “You appear to have everything under control and planned for, so I guess this is where we part ways. It was fun, Princess, and I do wish you the best of luck in the days to come. You’re going to need it when it comes to the nobles.” Twisting her head about, Celestia gave the smaller unicorn a confused look. “Whatever are you talking about?” “You just found a new Lunar Princess,” Black Spark chuckled. “That means my job as steward of the Lunar Court is over. I’m out of a job, it seems. Strange… I never thought that would happen in my lifetime. I’m must admit, I’m not entirely sure what to do with myself now.” Humming to himself, he cocked his head to the side. “Maybe I’ll find a nice, quiet place out in the country to retire too. Get a break from all the complaining nobles and noise of the city. Write a book or something… what?” His musing was cut short by Celestia’s gentle giggle. “My dear Black Spark,” she said with a smile. “You most certainly aren’t out of a job just yet, my friend, so put those plans of retirement aside for now. The book will have to wait.” Black Spark blinked. “But…” “While it is true that Selena is the new Lunar Princess, and thus is now technically in charge of Lunar Court, your expertise are still needed here,” Celestia hummed. “She’s not quite ready to take the throne just yet. You’ll still be in charge of the court, especially while she’s recovering.” “So this my ninety day termination warning instead?” “Hardly,” Celestia said, rolling her eye. “Oh, don’t give me that look, Spark. Even when she does finally take the throne, she’s going to need your help. Help getting the hang of things, as well as help with the nobles. You can toughen her skin for her, and teach her the ways of the job.” She chuckled, her eye twinkling softly. “And in turn, she might just be the thing you need in order to pull that abnormally large branch out of your plot.” Black Spark gave the princess an unamused look before rolling his eyes as well and bowing his head. “If that is what you wish, your majesty.” “It is,” Celestia said, sticking out her tongue. “Oh, don’t be so stuffy, Black Spark. This will be good for you, and her. You’ll see. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I must go find Captain Blaze. There are a few things we must discuss before I can go make myself presentable for Solar Court.” Turning, she started up the steps. After only climbing a few however, she turned and glanced back. “Oh, and Black Spark?” “Hmmm?” “Tell nopony about her yet. She’s to remain a secret until I myself say so.” With that, Celestia resumed climbing, leaving the Archduke to his thoughts. ~ ~ ~ ~ > > < < ~ ~ ~ ~ “So, my hoof’s totally stuck in there, right? I’m freaking out, the diamond dog’s now having a seizure or something, and I still got half a pie left to go!” the guard finished before stuffing a forkful of scrambled eggs into his mouth. Across the table from him, two other guards were howling with laughter, banging their hooves on the table. This drew some confused looks from the surrounding ponies, but most just shrugged it off before returning to their own meals. The mess hall around them was almost full. Guards milled about, chatting with one another or simply getting something to eat before their shift started. The morning meals were always the busiest. The night shift was just getting over, while the day shift was getting ready to start. You could usually tell who had been on duty during the night as they were disheveled, some of the guards even halfway out of their uniforms. Messed up manes and tired eyes were the final touch, most of them looking close to passing out. In contrast to these poor souls, the guards just getting up were bright eyed, and their armor was polished and fitted properly. Despite being seen as stoic by the general public, the Royal Guard was more relaxed than most ponies knew. Several tables had guards that were playing cards, betting anything from bits to double-shifts with each other as they gambled away. Every so often a flask would appear, being passed around the group before disappearing again. And some of the more adventurous guards had even taken after their Princess, and developed a bit of a troublemaking streak. It was not uncommon for an unaware guard to become the target of a prank or two, especially if there was an officer scheduled to make the rounds for the day. Helmets would disappear, armor would become tinted pink, and several unfortunate souls would find themselves the next victim of hair-growing spells. Still, most of the time the atmosphere in mess hall was relaxed and calm. A place the guards could come to escape from the stress of the day. “That gets funnier each time you tell it,” one of the laughing guards gasped, wiping a tear from his eye. He sat up, his loose armor clinking slightly as he reached for his goblet. The symbol on the collar of his undervest marked him as a private. “Yeah,” his companion—also a private—agreed, “but you never did tell us how you got out of there, Briarheart. It couldn’t have been easy.” “Well, it wasn’t easy, I’ll tell you that,” Briarheart said from around his mouthful of eggs. He swallowed and pointed his fork at his friends. “After I managed to get out of the shack it took me almost three hours to lose the diamond dog, and I ended up twisting my ankle in the process. Luckily, my squad was able to pick me up before the dog came back with reinforcements, or I’d be SOL.” “Yeah, yeah… keep talking shit, private,” a guard further down the table called out. The insignia on his collar marked him as a sergeant. His uniform was disheveled and he had dark bags under his eyes. “I know for a fact your sergeant had to pull the dog off of you and save your sorry flank. Maybe that’ll teach you to think before you speak next time, especially to a bitch in heat.” Briarheart puffed out his cheeks, giving the speaker a dirty look but remaining quiet. His friends snickered before returning to their food. “Aw, let the colt have his fun,” an older mare called out from the next table over. Her uniform was neat and tidy, and she had a light-blue armored saddle resting on her back. “We all have a few stories we like to embellish a little. Let the colt be. There’s no harm in it.” “Yeah, until it goes to your head,” came the reply. A murmur went around the table, several guards nodding their heads in agreement, while others just snorted and rolled their eyes. The mare didn’t lose her smile. “I’ll remember that the next time you’re telling one of the newbies about your night with the three mare over in Baltimare,” she said, cocking an eyebrow at the speaker. This caused the sergeant to sputter and blush, and he lowered his head, focusing on his breakfast. Briarheart gave the mare a thankful smile, but didn’t return to his story. Instead, he focused on finishing up his breakfast so that he could get to his post on time. A sentiment shared by the other guards, and the conversations around the hall trailed off as they focused on their food. Several of the faster eaters got up and discarded their empty plates before leaving the hall. The lull in conversation lasted until the main door suddenly swung open, and a new pony limped in. Instantly, she became the focus of most of the hall. As she made her way through the mess hall, one of the younger guards called out. “Hey, tripod! You’re late! What’s wrong? Stairs hold you up again?” Black Night paused and glared at the speaker, her lips pulling back in a sneer. “Actually I’m late because of your marefriend,” she growled. “You really need to start satisfying her more, Short Stack. I know you have a small dick and all, but I can’t keep doing it for you. My tongues gone raw again.” Laughter exploded from the table, and Short Stack gaped at her, wide-eyed. Ignoring him, Black Night continued on her way, limping along on three legs. Reaching her intended target—a table in the far back corner of the room—Black Night pulled out an empty chair and sat down. As she did so, one of the guards on the other side of the table slid a full plate over to her. “Thanks, Backdraft,” Black Night muttered sleepily, earning her a nod and a soft smile from the red unicorn. Closing her eyes, she took a bite of her hash browns, chewing slowly. After a moment she swallowed and opened her eyes again. “Here,” the auburn pegasus next to Backdraft said, pushing over a mug of coffee. “This should help wake you up, Nighty.” “Thanks, Breeze,” Black Night murmured. “No problem,” the pegasus said, closing her eyes and smiling, her head tilting slightly to the side. “I know double-shifts are hard, especially when you’re used to sleeping during the day. You’re going to need all the help you can get in order to survive.” “Yeah,” Black Night growled. “Next time I decided to bet shifts with Surprise, hit me, okay?” Breeze and Backdraft both nodded, and Black Night returned to her breakfast. “So,” she grunted after a couple of minutes, “anything exciting happen last night?” She took another bite of food. “I mean besides standing around and staring at walls.” Backdraft shook her head. “Not really,” Breeze said. Nursing her own cup of steaming coffee, she took a sip before continuing. “It was rather quiet, actually. Black Spark cancelled Lunar Court, so there wasn’t really anything to do. It was a nice change of pace. Usually I have to stand there and listen to the nobles whine and complain about stupid things. ‘I’m Emerald Gel, and I don’t like having to look at ponies poorer than I am’. Ugh… makes me want to hit them sometimes.” Black Night nodded absentmindedly before perking up, pausing mid-bite. She gave the pegasus a confused look. “Wait… why did Hardflank cancel Lunar Court? He’s never done that before, like, ever. Even when he’s sick.” “Supposedly it was because he covered Solar Court for the Princess,” Breeze hummed. She took another sip of coffee before her eyes narrowed. “Although I think something else was going on as well.” Beside her, Backdraft nodded vigorously. “Like?” Black Night asked, one of her eyebrows raising slightly. “Well, you heard that the Princess arrived back from her trip to the Griffon Empire in the morning, right?” Breeze asked. When Black Night nodded, she continued. “Well, normally if Black Spark covers Solar Court, the Princess just takes over Lunar Court, then calls for a day of rest, right? So where was she then?” Breeze paused, causing Black Night to roll her eyes and motion with a hoof for the pegasus to continue. “That’s just it!” Breeze continued. “She disappeared shortly after returning, and nopony saw hide nor hair of her for the rest of the day. Supposedly it was because she was relaxing after a hard negotiation with the griffons, but she just drops off the radar completely. Not even Raven knew where she was. Then I heard from Steel that Black Spark left Canterlot in the evening with the Royal Healers, and they appeared to be in a hurry.” Black Night’s eyes narrowed. “The Healers you say? Where were they headed?” “Not sure,” Breeze said, sitting back in her chair, “but I do know that I saw them returning very early in the morning, with the Princess in tow, although they appeared to be trying to be stealthy about their approach.” “There’s nothing strange about them not wanting to be seen,” Black Night huffed. “Especially if the Princess was injured. Remember when the tabloids caught the Princess out flying without her regalia? They had a field day about some unknown lover she was seeing. The last thing we need is them getting ahold of a picture of her covered in blood. The press would have a stroke over it.” “But that’s just it,” Breeze frowned. “She had no visible injuries. Looked perfectly fine. No blood, no broken limbs, no nothing!” “Maybe she was sick?” Black Night offered. “Maybe… but I highly doubt it,” Breeze muttered, rubbing her neck. “Besides, she hasn’t gotten sick in decades. Not even a cold or a sniffle. No, something fishy’s going on here. They’re hiding something, I just know it.” “Well, whatever it is, it’s none of our business,” Black Night said as she finished off the last few bites of her eggs and turned her attention to her hash browns. “The Princess is allowed her secrets, the same as anypony else. She already has the press poking around, she doesn’t need her own guards as well.” “I know, I know… geez,” Breeze sighed. She ran her hoof around the edge of her coffee mug, pouting slightly. “I’m just curious is all. It’s not every day something mysterious happens around this place. It’s usually all routine and boring. Forgive me for getting excited about the prospect of something new happening.” Black Night opened her mouth to say something else, but was cut off by a sudden eerie silence that fell over the room. The trio looked at each other in confusion before glancing around. Every other guard had stopped whatever they had been doing and were now facing the entrance to the mess hall, ears perked. Glancing over her shoulders, Black Night’s eyes widened in shock. A unicorn in purple and gold armor had pushed open the doors and was now standing in the doorway. Her gray eyes slowly drifted over the assembled guards, an unreadable expression on her face. Despite the fact she barely came up to some of their chests, most of the guards seemed to shrink back beneath her intense gaze. With good reason too. Captain Ivory Blaze was not a pony you wanted to mess with, even on a good day. She was friendly enough when out of uniform, but when that armor was on, she was no nonsense. Many an unfortunate guard had learned that the hard way. Many toothbrushes would never be the same. The silence in the hall continued for a few more tense seconds before one of the guards suddenly blurted out, “Captain in the mess hall!” As one, everyone stood and saluted. “As you were,” Ivory Blaze said, her voice calm as she stepped into the mess hall. After a brief moment of hesitation, most of the guards returned to their seats, although a few remained standing. “I am here,” she continued as she stopped in the middle of the room, “to inform you all of some impending changes that will be happening within the Guard in the upcoming weeks. It affects most, if not all of you, although only a select few will truly face the consequences of said changes.” Worried looks began to spread throughout the room, causing Ivory to smirk. “Now, I know what you all are thinking, and no. Nopony’s getting laid off, let go, or fired in any way. We are not downsizing. In fact, we’re actually expanding.” Worried looks morphed to confused, several of the guards glancing at each other with mystified expressions. Expanding? How could the Guard possibly be expanding? “I just finished talking with the Princess,” Ivory continued as hush conversations broke out. “Due to recent events, she feels this change is appropriate, as well as necessary. While I can’t go into detail about said events at the moment, I can tell you that I agree with her decision.” Black Night glanced sideways at Breeze, who was giving her a knowing smirk. Rolling her eyes, Black turned her attention back to Ivory, who was waiting for the silence to fall again. “More information will be available to all as the situation develops,” she continued when everyone had finally stopped talking. “However, I’ve been informed that I can tell you all one thing for sure. “The Lunar Guard is being reinstated, effective immediately.” Anything else Ivory had been going to say after that was lost in the sudden explosion of voices and guards jumping to their hooves. Excitement rippled through the ranks like wildfire, all decorum forgotten as ponies shouted back and forth to one another. Several even raced out of the hall, eager to find their friends who were currently on shift in order to spread the word. Through all the chaos, Ivory just stood there, a small smirk on her face. She couldn’t really blame them for their excitement. Every pony in the guard was practically raised on tales of the legendary Lunar Guard. They had been the pinnacle of Equestria’s militaristic might up until their disbandment after the death of Princess Luna. Catching movement out of the corner of her eye, Ivory turned and watched as a thestral suddenly took to the air. Flying to a nearby window, he pried it open before launching himself outside. It took a brief moment for him to reorient himself, but when he did, he streaked off to the east at high speeds. Ivory’s eyebrow rose. Interesting. Should tell the Princess to expect some visitors soon. As the ponies around her chatted and gossiped energetically, Black Night turned back to her friends. “Well, I’ll hand it to ya, Breeze. Looks like something was going on after all. Lunar Guard, huh? Somepony should go inform Darkfur.” “Oh, this is so awesome!” Breeze giggled, bouncing in her seat and clapping her hooves together. “I thought something was up, but I would never have guess it was something like this! Oh, there hasn’t been Lunar Guard in one thousand years!” “E-excuse me,” a nearby pony spoke up, “but I thought we already had a Lunar Guard.” “Nope,” Black said with a shake of her head. “The Lunar Guard hasn’t existed since we had a Princess in charge of the Lunar Court.” The pony frowned. “But… I thought there were guards active at night.” “You must be new here, right?” Breeze asked, giving the mare a warm smile when she nodded nervously. “That’s fine. To answer your question, yes we do have guards that are active at night, but they aren’t Lunar Guards. They just cover the night shifts. The Lunar Guard were a different branch of the Guard, separate from the Royal Guard, or Solar Guard as they were called a millennium ago. They operated differently, and even had completely different armor.” “There’s even a rumor that they were originally made up entirely of batponies,” Black Night added as she took a sip of coffee. “It was said that Princess Luna felt a kind of kinship with them, as both of them were more nocturnal than diurnal.” “I wonder what happened to cause the Princess to decide to reinstate it,” Breeze hummed. “Well, whatever it was, life certainly got a lot more interesting around here,” Black Night grunted as she returned to her breakfast.
Part III: The Heart and the MoonJerking awake, Selena barely had enough time to turn her head before a vile, foul-tasting liquid spewed from between her lips and into the bucket placed beside the bed. She retched again, more of the substance escaping her mouth to splatter into the bucket below. At least, she hoped she had managed to get it in the bucket. A few dry heaves later and she was finally able to catch her breath. Leaning back against the uncomfortably soft pillow, she groaned weakly. Her stomach gurgled loudly, and she placed a hoof on it in an attempt to try and settle the upset organ. It didn’t work. It had been like this since the chariot flight over to… wherever she was now. Despite being blind, she didn’t do well with heights as there was no easy way for her to tell how far she was off the ground. It also messed with her sense of direction, leaving her dazed, confused, and disoriented. Not a good place to be for a blind pony. The nurses… Healers… whatever they were calling themselves had given her some medicine that was supposed to calm her stomach as well as help her sleep. It didn’t really help though, as she’d been waking up on an hourly basis in order for her stomach to void itself of whatever bile had managed to fill it up since the last time she vomited. This had happened several times as she drifted in and out of sleep, and now she wasn’t entirely sure what time it was. Morning, Afternoon, Evening? She wasn’t sure, but at the moment she didn’t really care. She just wanted her stomach to start behaving. Eyes still closed, she ran a tongue over her teeth only to grimace at the horrible taste. “I haven’t had anything to eat,” she muttered. “Why am I throwing up? What am I throwing up?” Her stomach gurgled in response, and she fought back the urge to heave again. Remembering what one of the nurses had told her earlier, she felt around the edge of the bed with a hoof until she finally managed to find the call nurse button. She pushed the button before letting her hoof fall back across her stomach. She didn’t have to wait long before the sound of approaching hooves reached her ears. The door swung open, allowing the pony to enter. “Ms. Selena. You’re awake again,” a feminine voice said. The hooves moved around her bed. “Are we feeling any better yet—ah, I see that’s a negative. Pity. That medicine should be working. I wonder why…” The voice trailed off as the faint sound of magic filled the room. Selena’s ear twitched as the bucket was lifted into the air. “Oops, it appears some missed the bucket,” the voice said. “‘m sorry,” Selena mumbled weakly. “Oh? Oh, no. Don’t apologize, dear,” the voice said, sympathy creeping into her tone. “It’s not your fault, and it’s certainly no trouble to clean up either.” There came another tinkle of magic, and sound of something liquid hitting the bottom of the bucket. “There! Already taken care of. Now just hold on one second while I take care of this.” The hooves retreated, followed by the sound of running water coming from nearby. Selena’s ears flicked before swiveling around, trying to pinpoint the source. A toilet flushed before the hooves returned. “There we are!” the nurse chirped, placing the bucket back down beside the bed. “How about we give you a bit more medicine.” Selena felt the IV in her leg twitch slightly as the nurse tugged on it, and after a few seconds a cool sensation flowed into her veins. “There! Now, while we wait to see if it decides to work this time, I’m going to ask you a few questions, okay?” Selena nodded weakly before pausing. Eyes still closed, she tilted her head in the direction of the voice. “Um, I’m… I’m sorry, but what’s your name?” “Oh… oh my goodness,” the voice gasped. “Forgive me, I completely forgot. My name is Silverheart, and I’m one of the Royal Healers that’s been assigned to you.” “Silverheart,” Selena muttered, an ear twitching as she put the name and voice into her memory. “Alright,” Silverheart said as Selena tried to memorize the new information. “I’m just going to ask you a few questions, and you answer to the best of your ability, okay? Okay. First question, are you experience any pain or discomfort anywhere?” “‘m stomach,” Selena muttered. “Your stomach?” Silverheart hummed, and Selena picked up the faint sound of a quill scratching on paper. “Is it a sharp pain, and throbbing pain, or just a dull ache?” “Dull ache.” “I see. Well, that’s typically normal for somepony who’s been throwing up a lot.” More quill scratching. “Alright, now, do you mind if I touch you? Nothing intrusive, I promise.” Selena’s brow furrowed slightly, but she gave a small nod. The blankets were pulled back, exposing her body to the cold air of the room. She shivered, having not realized how chilly she was until right now. A few seconds later, a clothed hoof touched her stomach, causing her to flinch. “Do you have any pain here?” Silverheart asked, giving a gentle push. “N-no,” Selena stuttered. “Good. How about here?” Silverheart asked, moving her hoof to the other side of Selena’s stomach and pushing again. “No? Good. How about here? No? Good! And her—” Selena yipped, her sightless eyes widening as pain flared up in her stomach. The hoof quickly retreated. “Oh, sorry, hun,” Silverheart hissed. “Thankfully, it looks like it’s just muscle pain for the moment. Just keep an eye on it and if it gets worse, let me or one of the other Healers know. Now, I just have a few more questions then I’ll let you try to get some more sleep, okay?” The rest of the exam went fairly smoothly. Selena gave short answered, accompanied by a nod or shake of her head. There were several questions that she couldn’t answer, most having to do with her medical history, or more specifically, the medication the nurses at Ponyville General had given her. She had apologized, but Silverheart had assured her that that wasn’t a problem and she’d just send a request for information to the head nurse in Ponyville. Throughout the questions Silverheart kept her tone warm and friendly, and Selena soon found herself warming up to the Healer. She wouldn’t touch her unless Selena gave permission, and when she did, Silverheart was extremely gentle. Eventually Silverheart finished with her questions. “There, that should do it!” she chirped, scratching out one last note. Selena’s ear twitched at the sound of wood on wood, and a small vibration ran through her bed from the foot of it. “I’ll just leave this here for the other Healers, and that concludes our little examination. Now, I need to go attend to other things, but is there anything you need before I go? Blankets? Pillows?” Selena began to shake her head, only for her stomach to suddenly gurgle loudly. An uncomfortable pressure suddenly made itself known, and she crossed her hind legs with a whimper. “Ah, yes,” Silverheart said, a hint of mirth in her voice. “I was wondering when you might… those IVs can go right through you sometimes. Okay then. Come on, hun. Let’s get you to the bathroom.” After some maneuvering from Selena, which put more pressure on her stomach and caused her to whimper, she finally managed to get out of the bed. Swaying slightly, she took several shaky steps before her legs went out from under her. Luckily, Silverheart was there to catch her, and allowed Selena to lean on for support. “Easy, hun. No need to rush. The bathroom isn’t going anywhere.” “The liquid in my bladder is though,” Selena whimpered, the pressure in her lower stomach growing. “Oh, don’t worry, dear,” Silverheart tittered. “We can clean up any accident you have. Just take it easy and work on getting better. We Healers will handle the rest.” Selena frowned, her ears splaying back. While that was kind of Silverheart to say, she still didn’t want to have an accident. Clenching her hind legs together tighter, she allowed the Healer to steady her. She stared to walk forward, but was stopped by a gentle hoof on her shoulder. “Just one second,” Silverheart said, followed by the chime of magic. There was a small tug on Selena’s IV, and something clipped onto the back of her hospital gown. As she shifted, the object did as well, and she realized that it was her IV bag. “There,” Silverheart chirped. “All set to go.” With that, the she helped Selena across the room and into the adjacent bathroom. A few minutes later, Silverheart lead a mortified Selena back to her bed. “Oh, come on. It wasn’t that bad, was it?” Silverheart asked with some amusement. “I don’t want to talk about it,” Selena muttered, her face flushed red. Silverheart giggled, but she dropped the subject and helped Selena to get back in the bed. As she got situated, the door creaked open, causing Selena’s ear to flick. Silverheart gasped. “Nightingale? What are you doing here? I thought you were on vacation.” “I was, until the Princess called me back,” came the reply. The new mare’s voice was raspy, likely from age, but held a kind warmth to it. There was also a slight squeak underneath her words. Ears flicking, Selena turned her head in the mare’s direction. “A little troublesome, of course, but when she explained the situation, I was more than happy to return.” “I bet,” Silverheart said with a chuckle. Selena shifted uncomfortably on the bed. “Oh, I’m sorry,” Silverheart gasped. “Forgive me. Selena, this is Nightingale. She’s the Head of the Healers, and she’ll be helping get you better again.” “Um, h-hello,” Selena stuttered out nervously. “Hello, Moonborn,” the one called Nightingale said as she moved further into the room. “No need to be nervous. I don’t bite. I’m just here to check on your condition, and see how you’re doing.” The sound of scraping wood came from the foot of the bed as Nightingale picked up the clipboard. There was a brief moment of silence before she cooed softly. “Oh dear. Throwing up at regular intervals. It seems your stomach is not pleased with what’s going on.” “Medication doesn’t appear to be working very well,” Silverheart added. “So I see,” Nightingale hummed. “Put her on Ondansetron next and see if that helps.” She put the clipboard back before moving around to the side of the bed. “Alright, let’s just take a peek at how you’re doing. Silverheart, if you could remove her bandages while I do a quick check on her horn.” There came the sound of magic, and the various bandages on Selena’s body began to loosen. As they did so, something leathery but stiff touched her face, causing her to jump. Reaching up, she ran a hoof curiously over the weird appendage. This caused Nightingale to let out a small, bark-like laugh. “That’s my wing, Moonborn.” Selena jerked her hoof back. “Y-your wing? But…” “Yes, my wing,” Nightingale hummed. “I’m a thestral, a batpony. Think of it as a night-themed version of a pegasus. Bat wings and such. Now, hold still. I need to see how your horn is doing.” Again, the leathery appendage grabbed her face, gently moving her head to the side. The feeling of breath on her horn sent shivers down her spine. After a few seconds, Nightingale released her head. “Everything looks good,” she said. “The cracks are healing nicely, and there aren’t any foreign objects lodged in them. They should heal up within a week or so. Now, let’s take a look at your other injuries.” Selena flinched as Nightingale’s wings suddenly touched her chest. The movement caused Nightingale to hiss, pulling her wings back quickly. “I’m sorry. I didn’t hurt you, did I?” she asked, concern in her voice. Selena shook her head, her ears splaying back. “N-no, I’m just not used to not hearing ponies moving around. You, uh… startled me.” “Huh, can’t say I’ve ever had that complaint before,” Nightingale hummed. “I’ll try to remember to make more noise in the future, okay?” Selena nodded, and Nightingale’s wings returned to her chest as the batpony checked over her wounds. She held back a giggle as the tips of the wings danced across her skin, making her squirm slightly. Her ears twitched as the Healer moved, her hooves clopping on the floor with more force as she examined Selena’s cuts and scrapes. After a few minutes of this, Selena spoke up. “Um, y-you don’t have to make noise,” she said weakly. “Just, uh… let me know when you’re moving. Like, talk with me, I guess? I mean, you don’t have to, but I just thought I’d… well...” Nightingale paused before a soft chuckle came from her direction. “As you wish.” After a few more minutes, Nightingale finally retracted her wings and stepped back. “Everything looks good,” she said happily, and the corner of Selena’s lips twitched upwards as she noted the tiny squeak in the batpony’s voice again. “The cuts are healing nicely, and from the looks of them, the infection is all but cleared up. Some of them will scar, but your coat should cover them when it starts to grow back in. All-in-all, everything looks decent enough. We’ll just let Silverheart here bandage you back up before letting you rest some more.” The chime of magic filled the air again, and Selena relaxed as she felt fresh bandages being wrapped around her body and legs. As this was happening, she picked up the faint sound of hooves heading for the door. “Rest well, Moonborn,” Nightingale called out before the door clicked shut behind her. “Why does she call me that?” Selena asked Silverheart as the Healer finished with her bandages. “I’m not entirely sure,” Silverheart replied. “It’s the first time I’ve ever heard her call somepony it though. It’s probably a thestral thing. You’d have to ask her or another thestral about it.” Selena nodded, her brow furrowed in thought. “Welp, that should do it,” Silverheart said. “Unless you need anything else, I’ll let you get back to your rest.” She started to move towards the door, but stopped when Selena called out. “Oh, wait. Um… could you tell me what time it is? My internal clock is kinda… thrown off at the moment.” “Certainly, dear,” Silverheart laughed. “It’s about a half past eleven in the morning.” Selena nodded faintly, and Silverheart exited the room, closing the door gently behind her. Still lost in her thoughts, Selena shifted about on the bed, trying to get comfortable. That was proving to be difficult, as she wasn’t used to the softness of the mattress. Settling down as best she could, she closed her eyes and tried to drift back to sleep. ~ ~ ~ ~ > > < < ~ ~ ~ ~ The rest of the day passed by excruciatingly slow for Selena. She tried to get some sleep, but ended up just tossing and turning for a good couple of hours, unable to get comfortable. The only comfort she had was that her stomach had calmed down once they had put her on the new medication, and she had finally stopped vomiting up bile. Her stomach still gurgled regularly, but she wasn’t heaving every hour or so. She did get some visitors as the day went on, a few more Healers popping in to check on her and introduce themselves. She tried to memorize each name and voice, but none of them had stuck around as long as Silverheart and Nightingale had. Although one of them had been nice enough to bring her a heated blanket when she had noticed that Selena was shivering. It was about evening time (or at least, she assumed it was evening if Silverheart had given her the correct time) when Selena finally decided that she couldn’t take it anymore. “I need to get out of this bed,” she grumbled to herself. Throwing back the blankets, she crawled to the edge of the bed and rolled out. Unlike last time, she was actually able to stand on her own, albeit it was on shaky legs. She took a couple of steps, only to hiss in pain at a sudden pitching sensation in her crook of her leg. Grumbling under her breath, she lit up her horn and tentatively reached out for the IV bag. It took her a moment to find it, but when she did, she lifted it from the hook and tried to attach it to the back of her hospital gown like Silverheart had done earlier. It took her a few tries to get it right, and when it was finally attached, she made her way to the door. Opening it a crack, Selena stuck her head out and perked her ears. When only silence greeted her, she cast a quick mapping spell to get a feel for the place. It was a hallway, the left side leading to a dead end and what appeared to be a window? Yes, it felt like a window. There was glass and wood. Definitely a window. The right side ran several hundred feet before splitting in two. That looks like the best place to start, Selena mused. Alright, let’s see what we can find. With that, she slipped out of the room and off down the hall, trying to be as quiet as possible. The first few forks were easy enough, Selena making sure to take the right path so that she could easily find her way back. Then she had hit a couple of staircases, including a large one that seemed to wrap around itself and head back the way she had come. She tried to keep an accurate mental map, but it became harder and harder as she continued to explore. There were dead ends, and roundabouts, and double backs, and parallel corridors, and even side corridors that lead to other corridors which she wasn’t sure if she had explored yet or not. As she continued to wander through the halls, she realized with growing trepidation the truth of the matter. She was lost. She attempted to backtrack, only to find herself in a dead end. “B-but,” she muttered, running a hoof over the wall in front of her, “I thought I had to take a left at the stairs, right? O-or was it down the stairs and then to the left? Oh… buck.” Unsure of how to get back to her room, she wander down the halls, trying to find something that was familiar. However, this wasn’t Ponyville, and she had no references to help her, resulting in her only getting more and more lost, and more and more frustrated. “Who designs a building this big?” she growled under her breath as she hit another dead end. “I bet I’d still get lost even if I could see! This is stupid.” Unable to fathom how anyone would successfully navigate the corridors, Selena stopped trying to figure out where she was and started to try and find somepony who could help her. However, the halls were oddly devoid of life. Where is everyone? Selena wondered with growing worry as she cast another mapping spell, searching for any signs of movement. Her ears were perked, listening intently for any noise. All she could hear was the sound of her own hooves on the marble floor, and the pounding of her heart in her chest. This is ridiculous! After half an hour and not coming across anyone, Selena could feel her panic growing. Pausing in the middle of a corridor, she took several deep breaths and tried to hold of a growing panic attack. Yes, she was currently lost inside a huge building and had no clue where anything was, but one of the Healers would notice she was missing when they came to check on her, right? Then they’d send somepony to find her, right? So, she’d just have to wait until then. There was only one problem though. Her legs were beginning to go numb, and she was having trouble staying on her hooves. Maybe I could just lie down on the floor, she pondered humorlessly. Rest a little until somepony finds me. I’ve slept in worse places. She half entertained the idea, but decided against it. While uncomfortable, her legs weren’t the real cause of her discomfort. No, the thing that was really bothering her was the quiet. The complete and utter silence that seemed to fill the halls. She never had to deal with this back in Ponyville. There was always some form of noise happening around her. During the day ponies walked around the marketplace, chatting with one another or shouting out their wares to potential customers. The stores had music playing on their loudspeakers. Foals could always be heard in the afternoon and evening, running about and laughing as they played with one another. Even at night there was never complete silence, what with the gentle sound of families talking with one another drifting out open windows. And should everyone else be asleep, there was the chirping of crickets and other insects, and the occasional hoot of owls flying by overhead. There was always something happening around her to let her know that, even as she hid in the shadows, she was never truly alone. But here, within these halls, there was nothing. No sound, no noise. Not even a bird chirping in the distance. She was truly, and utterly, alone— “Excuse me, can I help you?” Selena shriek, backpedaling wildly as a voice suddenly spoke up right in front of her. Tripping over her own hind legs, she collapsed to the ground in a tangle of legs. The IV bag came loose and slid across the floor, causing pain to flare up in her leg as the needle shifted. A gasp came from above her. “Oh! Oh, I’m so sorry. I-I didn’t mean to scare you like that.” Selena said nothing, opting to just lay there, breathing heavily as her heart tried to escape through her ribs. Where the buck did she come from?! I didn’t even hear her approach! “Oh goodness! Are you alright?” the mare asked worriedly. “H-here, let me help you up.” “I’m fine,” Selena choked out, even as the mare moved to help her stand. A wing draped over her back, keeping her steady as she got her hooves under her again. “You j-just… you just startled me is all. I’m fine.” “How did I possibly startle you?” the mare asked. “I thought you saw me coming. You were looking right at me. I just assumed you were waiting for me to speak.” Though the voice was inquisitive, Selena noted that it wasn’t unkind. Simply curious. She blinked, turning her head in the mare’s general direction. “I’m blind,” she deadpanned. This caused the mare to gasp again. “Really? B-but, you were staring right at me! I… I thought...” She trailed off, and Selena suddenly got the distinct impression of something being waved in front of her face. “Um, w-what are you doing?” Selena asked. “You are blind,” the mare breathed softly. She then gasped for a third time before becoming excited. “Oh! But then that means that you’re the one Auntie was talking about earlier! I was actually just on my way to visit you.” Selena blinked. “Y-you were?” “Of course! It’s not every day that, well… something like this happens!” the mare cried. “I would have been there sooner, I swear, but I had to take care of some personal stuff that ended up taking longer than expected. It seems you got a little restless though,” she giggled. “Yeah,” Selena said, rubbing her leg nervously. “Um, sorry about that, but I just had to get out of that bed.” “Oh, I completely understand!” the mare said. “I broke my leg one time and was stuck in one of those beds for over two weeks. I went stir crazy within a few days and just had to sneak out. They found me in the gardens three hours later,” she tittered. “Auntie gave me such a scolding.” “R-right,” Selena said, laughing weakly. She swallowed before shifting awkwardly on her hooves. “Um, n-not to be rude or anything, but, um… who are you?” The mare gasped again, causing Selena’s ears to flick. “Oh, where are my manners? I completely forgot to introduce myself. I’m… well, you can just call me Cadance, okay? It’s easier that way.” “Selena,” Selena replied, even as she put Cadance’s voice into her memory. It won’t be that hard; there was a certain bubbliness to Cadance’s voice that she had never heard before. In fact, she kind of liked it. It almost made her want to smile. “Selena, huh,” Cadance hummed. “Selena. Seh-lean-Ah. I like it. It’s a very pretty name.” “Pretty?” Selena muttered, her cheeks flushing slightly. “Yeah, nothing at all like, well, that doesn’t matter,” Cadance said. “Say, Selena. Since you’re already up and about, why don’t we go pay Auntie a visit? I’m sure she’d like that, especially after being in court all day.” “Oh, um… actually, I should probably get back to the hospital room,” Selena said shyly. “The Healers are probably wondering where I am. I don’t want to cause any trouble for anypony.” “Oh, don’t worry about that,” Cadance chirped. “I’m sure they won’t mind. Besides, you’re with me, so they shouldn’t give you too much grief.” Upon seeing Selena was still unconvinced, she added, “Tell you what. Let’s go visit Auntie, and then I’ll take you back to the medical wing and sort everything out with the Healers. Would that be okay?” “W-well, I… you see, I don’t...” Selena stammered out before sighing. “I… I guess that would be okay.” “Excellent!” Cadance squee’d. “Let’s get going. Oh, wait. Here, let me get that for you.” Selena jerked back as the sound of magic being used filled the air. She felt a slight tug on her leg as the IV shifted about before the bag was suddenly clipped to the back of her shirt again. “There we are,” Cadance chirped. “Good to go.” “W-wait… what?” Selena stuttered, mouth opening and closing. “But I thought… I thought you were a pegasus!” “Huh? Oh, nope. I’m an alicorn.” “You have both wings and a horn?!” “Yup,” Cadance said, her words shortly followed by the sound of flapping wings. “I’m an alicorn, just like Auntie.” “‘Auntie’?” Selena breathed before her eyes suddenly widened. “Wait, you don’t mean the Princess, d-do you?” “Of course,” Cadance giggled. “Who else? Now come on! I’m sure Auntie Celestia’s had a rough day and seeing you will most likely make it better.” “But I don’t even know which way to—GAH!” A wing draped over her shoulder before Cadance began to gently—yet firmly—nudge her down the hall. She stumbled, but quickly regained her footing. When it was clear that Cadance wasn’t taking no for an answer, Selena resolved her fate. Soon enough the pair was walking side-by-side as they made their ways through the halls. Cadance had let up on pushing her and was now simply walking with one wing outstretched, constantly touching Selena as she guided the blind mare through the labyrinth of corridors. “How do you know where you’re going?” Selena grumbled out, not even bothering to keep a mental map going. Her memory wasn’t good enough to keep up with all the twists and turns. After a few minutes of walking, they began to encounter other ponies again. At first Selena wasn’t sure what they were doing, but that mystery was solved quickly as the scent of cleaning supplies hit her nose. They were maids, cleaning the castle. Her ears flicked as they passed the cleaning staff, picking up the faint whisper of conversations. She couldn’t hear what was being said, but she could tell the tone of the conversation: curious, with hints of excitement here and there. The maids were chittering quietly to each other, and Selena grew uneasy, well aware that several of them were staring at her. Cadance didn’t seem to notice the attention, or simply didn’t care, as she keep chatting animatedly with Selena about things that Selena didn’t even try to understand. The conversation just went in one ear and out the other. Still Cadance prattled on. Selena breathed a sigh of relief when they eventually reached their destination: the private dining hall, Cadance had called it. While Cadance was certainly working on making Selena feel more relaxed, the alicorn was a talker, something that Selena was not. She preferred quiet, with a faint murmur of noise in the background. “Here we are!” Cadance chirped, snapping Selena out of her musings. Her ears flicked as the sound of magic reached them, followed by the scraping of a door opening. And then it happened. The wall of smells hit her nose like a freight train. Fresh baked bread, cheeses, carrots, milk, soups of various flavors, flowers, hay, spices, and apples—delicious, mouth-watering apples. All these smells and more flooded Selena’s nostrils in an instant, causing her stomach to growl, despite its earlier upset. She had to swallow in order to stop herself from drooling. Beside her, Cadance giggled and a wing nudged her side, pushing her along. Absently, she stepped forward in a daze, entering the room of glorious smells with her head held high, nostrils flaring. “Good evening, Auntie!” Cadance chirped as she followed Selena inside. “Ah, Cadance, there you are,” a weary voice said from further in the room. “I was wondering if you’d be joining me this evening.” “Sorry I’m late,” Cadance said. “I lost track of time. Oh, I also brought a friend!” “Hmmm?” the tired voice hummed. “A friend? I didn’t realize that they were visiting. Who is… it…?” The voice trailed off, causing Selena to blink in confusion. There was a few seconds of silence before a sudden gasp echoed around the room. “Oh… oh no!” The sound of clattering hooves filled the air, and before Selena could react, she was suddenly pulled into a firm, feathery embrace. There was only one pony she knew of that was big enough to smother her with their wings: Princess Celestia. “What is with you and trying to kill me?” Selena muttered under her breath. Struggling weakly, she tried to maneuver herself to get a breath of fresh air. She received a lungful of hair and feathers for her troubles. “Auntie, what—?” Cadance began, sounding confused, but was cut off by a panicking Celestia. “No, nonononono!” The chest Selena was pushed up against vibrated with each word. “No! What are you doing walking around? You should still be in bed! You need to rest if you want to get better! No, no this will never do!” Selena grunted. “I don’t see what the big deal is—” The sound of magic cut her off. Suddenly, the world seemed to implode in upon itself, causing Selena’s stomach to lurch horribly. Up became down, down became up, and in the swirling motion of nothingnes she lost all indication of direction. Up, down, left, right; it all meant nothing at the moment, and as such, Selena’s senses were truly and completely destroyed. The explosion of sound that soon followed didn’t help either. Panicked voices assaulted her ears, the loud squawks and shouts causing her to grimace in pain. The word was spinning, her head was pounding, and her already upset stomach was not happy with what was going on, and as such, decided to voice its objections in the only way it knew possible. Selena promptly threw up on the large pony that was holding her within their wings. This just caused the voices to grow more panicked. She was pulled suddenly from Celestia’s grasp, despite the Princess’s very vocal protests. Still unsure of where she was or which way was up, Selena had no chance to recover before she was suddenly poked, prodded, the needle in her leg was removed only to be replaced with a new one, her heart was listened to, her mouth was pulled open, and something that tasted like wood got rather intimate with her tonsils. Her stomach lurched again, and she vomited around whatever they had stuck in her mouth. The panicked atmosphere grew worse. As she was jostled about, more ponies tending to her than was truly necessary, Selena couldn’t help the growing feeling of annoyance that began to well up in her chest. Damn them, she growled inwardly. Damn them all to Tartarus. Author's Note If you're trying to help someone against their will... is it really considered helping them anymore?
