The Lost Roomby ParakaloChaptersGreedDeanDoormanTrain TicketsGreedThe Laws of the Fluxx of Time and Space Read Thusly: The Law of Conservation of Objects: An Object is always replaced with a new Object in the event the original Object is destroyed. The Law of Single-State Objectivity: An Object cannot be destroyed or Reset. The Law of Universal Attraction of Objects: For the purpose of Reunification, every Object is always drawn to each other Object. The Transitive and Inductive Law of Objects: Objects Fluxx in the presence of other Objects. The Law of the Derivative of Objects: The Room is not an Object. ~~~~ Autumn sat on her bed and thought. She walked through the previous hour slowly, to see if she could figure out what exactly happened. She remembered being in Grandpa's study, seeing a torn and tattered piece of paper on the table, and then, after reading it, Grandpa grounded her. She didn't even understand what the paper said. Objects? Reunification? Fluxx? What did it mean? Why did Grandpa panic like he did? She visualized the odd collection of circles and lines in her mind. Whatever it meant, Grandpa obviously didn't want her to dwell on it. A knock on the door stirred her from her musings. "Yes?" "May I come in?" It was Grandpa Burgundy's soft voice. "Yes, Grandpa." A tattered red pony entered, glasses hanging from the end of his nose. Grandpa always had difficulty staying clean when he was working. He sat next to her on the bed. "I'm sorry I freaked out back there, Autumn." He put a hoof around his chestnut daughter. "I... I was afraid." "Afraid of what. Grandpa?" "That's not important. The important thing is that you forget what you saw and we never speak of it again." "I don't understand. What did I read?" Burgundy looked away, trying to place his words carefully. "Something that has to do with my studies. Something very important, and very dangerous. Promise me you'll keep what you read to yourself and speak of it to nopony." Autumn didn't understand, but she knew it was important to him. "...I promise, Grandpa." "That's my girl." A silence followed that made Autumn uncomfortable. "Will you show me the magic trick again?" "Again? Whatever for?" Autumn grinned a toothy grin. "It always makes me laugh," She giggled. "Alright, alright," Burgundy looked around the room, "Do you have something to catch the bottle with?" ~~~~ "Autumn? Autumn!" A furious whisper next to her stirred Autumn from her daydream. She looked around to find that everypony in the lecture hall was staring at her, including the professor. A stick was pointed rigid at a problem on the board. Autumn had to squint it seemed so far away. "Because energy is conserved, and based on the force of gravity and the coefficient of friction on the surface of the slope, the cube would move at..." Autumn crunched some numbers in her head, "...about one-hundred sixty-five newtons to the right." Professor Ruby sighed, looking at her ornate physics problem. "That is... correct. A prompter response next time, if you please, Miss Fairbreeze." A rush of murmuring fell over the room as Professor Ruby continued her lecture on the laws of conservation of mass and energy. The cyan pegasus next to Autumn leaned close. "Ugh... How did you get that? I couldn't figure it out, and you took one look at it and you got it." Autumn grinned at her friend. "Maybe if you did your homework every once in a while, Starshine, it might be a little easier." "And miss Thunderclap's competitions? Not on your life, Autumn." They giggled amongst themselves, chatting quietly like the rest of the class. "What are your plans after class? Prissy and Cream wanted to go out for cake at that new shop down the lane." "Sounds like fun. I was going to the library after class to study. though." Starshine's facial expression at this was something Autumn knew very well. "You should try getting outside more often, Autumn. You're gonna start looking like a Diamond Dog if you hole up in that cave any longer." "Ouch. I have some work I need to do though. You go ahead without me." Starshine flumped back against her seat. "It's not healthy, Autumn. You should be like regular mares your age." "Since when is learning unhealthy? And if I was any more like you, I would never get any work done." It was on that note that class concluded. The class filed out the door, Starshine and Autumn bringing up the rear. "If you kept head out of the clouds, you might go places," Autumn heard Professor Ruby call to them as they filed out. "I think you need a little..." Autumn spun on her hooves and followed Starhine backwards out the door, "...imagination, Professor." "Undoubtedly." Autumn bumped into a pony behind her and she flipped around to find an imposing beige pony with a simple black bowler hat. A comb hung in the air with a faint grey aura holding it in place. "Sorry!" Autumn scrambled out of the way and out the door, scooping up Starshine who whooped and rolled on the floor, laughing. Professor Ruby, whose face never really seemed to show any emotion but flat disapproval, appeared unamused. "Henry." "Professor." He walked into the room slowly, taking the whole scene in, as if to memorize it. "You'll excuse me if I don't take off my coat." "Of course," Professor Ruby turned from him, moving a number of erasers to erase the board. "You must know why I am here?" He peered at the notes on her desk before they whisked into an expanding file in a drawer. "If you are looking for the Object map, I told you in my letter I'm still looking." The unicorn named Henry shook his head. "Tut tut, Ruby, I would hope you'd think I wouldn't come all the way out here to 'The Canterlot College of Science and Mathematics'", he said this with a demeaning tone that made Professor Ruby even more sour, "For nothing less than an Object itself." The erasers paused on the board, and for a brief moment Ruby's face showed more than plain distaste. "If there was an Object here, we would have known long ago." Ruby continued packing up. "Would we?" Henry moved uncomfortably close to the Professor. "My sources tell me that's not entirely true." The erasers fell to the floor with a poof of chalk dust. "What are you talking about? I keep nothing from the Order. I know the rules, I know what happens." "Good." Henry nodded. A quill came from his pocket, rotating lazily in midair. Ruby stopped dead at the sight of it. Her eyes darted back and forth, as if a snake had slithered onto her desk and coiled to strike in front of her. "Everything has a price that we pay, Ruby." Henry paced slowly, the quill keeping up with him as he moved about the room. "I know you of all people know this, but you should know that if there is an Object here, if you have been keeping secrets from us... from me..." The quill slowly moved to the desk, point down, "I hope you would know," The quill began moving slowly across the desk, the faintest of scratch noises could be heard as it ruined the finish on the mahogany finish. Ruby began to sweat. Her face turned pink, beads becoming a steady flow of salt and fluid from her pores. "P-please," Ruby did her best to maintain her composure. Her outfit drenched with sweat, she fell to her knees. Her skin became a shade of red, and then scarlet. She gasped for breath as the quill scratched the desk faster. Writhing on the floor, she trembled and gasped for air. Tears ran from her eyes and blood began to trickle from her nostrils. She desperately tried to mouth words, but all that came out was small squeaks and whimpers. "I hope you would know that you are the price we would pay to acquire such an item." And with that, the Quill stopped, returned to Henry's breast pocket, and he disappeared from the room, leaving Ruby on the floor, wracked with pain and fear. ~~~~ "I'm telling you, he came out of nowhere!" Autumn tried to justify herself to Starshine as they laughed their way down the hall. "Of course he did," She wiped tears from her eyes. "It was you and me! Where did he come from?" "How should I know? You careened into him, not me." Autumn rolled her eyes and turned to head to the library. "See ya, Starshine." "Bye, Autumn! Don't study yourself to death!" Autumn shook her head and laughed to herself as she trotted up the steps to the ornate library. Moving from muscle memory, she made an immediate left and headed upstairs for the private studies. Three doors down the hall and on the right, a shiny placard read "Fairbreeze" in big letters, and it was here Autumn used a key from her bag to enter. No matter the time of day or the occasion, Autumn was always most comfortable in her grandfather's private study. It was her privilege to make use of the stock of Grandpa's closest books and the knowledge therein, and although she was an earth-pony, it was this knowledge passed down from the late Dean Burgundy Fairbreeze that got her here, and she didn't take that for granted for a second. She set her bag down in front a glass display case filled with pictures and relics from her grandfather's accomplishments. She made sure to stop and say "Hello" to his bust, which sat next to it with the most serious face she had ever seen her grandfather make. It was actually quite funny, and she laughed at it often. She relaxed into a cushy arm chair, and cracked open a textbook. She had every intention of falling asleep in this peace and quiet, so she needed it to look like there was a point where she was interested in "Pre-Pony Civilizations". Autumn wandered the halls of linoleum and ceiling tiles. The sounds of chatter and slamming lockers could be heard around her, but she didn't register any of it. The news she heard from her principal just hours before was to thank for that. At one thirty-four that afternoon, he was hospitalized for a stroke. He had died before he reached the hospital, research notes still clutched in his hand. She couldn't even say goodbye. The one cornerstone she had to stand on had crumbled and she was alone in the world again. She--- Autumn awoke to find a second book on her lap. She looked down at it, a green and gold book that simply said Greed on the spine. She groggily looked around the room, but found no home for this lost literature. She shook her head in an attempt to stir from her half-slumber. The book, sliding off of her lap, revealed a note tucked inside: When she saw her name on the top of the note, Autumn picked it up and attempted to read it. The hoof-printing was atrocious. Half of it didn't make any sense. Got away with the what? The room was what? And where is the ink pot? Putting down the note on a coffee table next to the chair, she picked up the book titled Greed and opened it. Carved into the pages was a nook of sorts, where a familiar ink bottle rested within Greed's confines. It was the ink bottle that Grandpa would do his magic trick with. All she had to do was turn it upside down, take off the lid, and before her very eyes, the Ink Bottle began to float in the air. It moved up and up, beginning to pick up speed. Thinking quickly, Autumn stood on two hooves on the chair and leapt for it, lid still in hand. She managed to catch it and fell to the floor, making quite a thump. Brushing herself off, she eyed the bottle in her hooves curiously. What secrets did it contain? Surely it must be magic, the way it shoots off without warning. Perhaps it was time to get some more professional help with this. If anyone could identify this Ink Pot, it would definitely be the new dean. She has always been considered Equestria's lead in magic and magic-related studies. Putting the Ink Pot and Greed, with the note still inside, carefully in her bag, she stopped at the bust of her grandfather before heading out the door. "Is this what you've been studying, Grandpa?" The serious face gazed back at her, unmoving. Packed and composed, Autumn moved for the door. She opened it to find who she thought was Professor Ruby there waiting for her. Her eyes were wild, darting about the hallway like she was cornered on all sides. Her mane was literally all about her in scraggly, wet clumps. She was in a different dress than the one she was in maybe two hours ago. She was heaving, out of breath, and smelt like a gym bag. "Professor?" She had certainly caught Autumn off-guard. "Autumn..." she hissed the word in between gasps for air. She looked terrible. "How... are you?" "I should ask you the same thing. Are you alright?" "Never better," She tried to straighten out and regain her composure, "I see you enjoy using your Grandfather's study." "Yes..." He willed it to her. It was where she felt closest to him. "Would it be alright... if I came in?" She smiled, and that gave Autumn a worse feeling than her appearance. "Actually, I was just leaving. I think it might be best if you went to the infirmary. You don't look so good." "I'm... fine." She scooted closer. She was sweating profusely and was quite pink. "You're burning up. Maybe some other time." She turned to lock the door with her key, and suddenly Ruby pressed her up against the door, covering her with sweat and uncomfortable, unnatural body heat. "Pleeeeeeease," She whispered in her ear, "I insissst." "You're hurting me, Professor, let me go." She tried to resist, but her thin frame was no match for the fully grown mare. "You don't know the powers at work here, Autumn, there are forces beyond yours or my control that sssseek to desssstroy usssss." Autumn panicked. She gave a hoof a stomp, connecting with the top of Ruby's. Using Ruby's flinch to her advantage, Autumn managed to squeeze herself out of her grip, galloping for her life. "You don't want to go down this well!" Screeched Ruby, who had collapsed on the floor. "You can never come out of it! Believe me, you'll regret it, like your Grandfather did!" At the mention of Grandpa, Autumn paused only for a moment before fleeing into the quickening darkness. ~~~~ "Crazy." Starshine sat on her bed across from Autumn's, disbelief on her face. "I don't know what to do. I can tell you I'm certainly not going back to physics class tomorrow." "Well, what was your plan before Professor Ruby... attacked you?" "I was going to go see the dean and show her the Ink Pot." Starshine nodded at the idea. "I'm going with you." "What? Why?" Autumn was legitimately concerned for her friend's safety. "You and me, we're a team, Autumn. As your step-sister, and the older one no doubt, I will make it my solemn duty that you make it through this." "I don't know if you are legally my step-sister, Starshine." "Well, foster-sister then. Regardless, we're friends, and I want to help." She picked up a pillow, primed to throw it at her. "Okay, okay, you've persuaded me." Autumn waved her off and yawned a big yawn. She picked up the Ink Pot, and began to let it go, catching it in her hoof to put the lid back on. "That thing gives me the creeps." Starshine got under covers and rolled over to look at Autumn, "It seems like it might be kind of at the root of this problem." Autumn thought about what she said. "I... I don't know how I feel about it. This was Grandpa's after all. He was all I had." Autumn set it down on the dresser, getting one last look at the photograph on her side of the dresser. The last time she saw Burgundy. "Goodnight, Grandpa." She shut off the light. "Goodnight, Starshine." "Goodnight, Autumn." After a pause, Autumn heard the clack of a picture frame in the darkness. "Goodnight, Thunderclap." DeanAbove everything else, Henry hated the wallpaper. As he strolled the dark hallways of Admissions and Records, Henry could hold nothing else in more irritation, in more distaste. That horrible brown color... it made his head hurt to stare at it too long. Luckily, somepony at this school was organized, and finding files was rather straightforward. He scanned the alphabetized file cabinets in the glow of his horn. "Fa... Fa... Ah! Here we are..." Using his magic, Henry gave the steel drawer a tug. Much to his increasing displeasure, the drawer resisted, taking the whole file cabinet with it, screeching a few inches toward him with a horrible din. Henry sighed, shaking his head. "I'm really not in the mood for this." He quickly scanned the pitch-dark room to ensure he was still alone. Pulling a pair of polished scissors from his inside jacket pocket, he suspended them in the air, where they lolled about slowly. Suddenly, they fixed on the cabinet drawer, like a divining rod to water. Giving one last look around, Henry gave the Scissors a turn. The file cabinet groaned in resistance, but was no match the force that wrenched the drawer not only all the way out, but off of its track, across the hall, crashing into the file cabinet behind Henry, and onto the floor, spewing papers and folders in every which direction. Henry did his best to compose himself. Above hall, he mustn't panic. Out of all of his Items, the Scissors always seemed to be the most... erratic. He could never seem to get the force right on his turns. He'd always rotate something much too hard or much to soft. It was impossible. As he sifted through the remains file cabinet drawer, Henry saw a light flood in from the door across the room. That would be security. Pocketing a collection of files from the drawer on the floor, he sneakily made his way toward the collection of security ponies unlocking the door. Flattening against the wall, he kept out of their flashlight beams as they swarmed the room. "Check everything, boys." The head security pegasus stood in the doorway confidently, his badge gleaming in the moonlight from outside. "There's only one way out of here, and that's through me." Fishing a comb out of the breast pocket, Henry ran it through his mane silently. As he squeezed past the head security pony, he deeply wished he could move objects around while the Comb was in effect. Being able to stop time was one thing, but being able to stop time and be unable to change anything was something much less. He counted the time he had left in his head, preparing himself around the corner. Unfortunately, he was unable to stay himself enough for the jerk of time resuming. Staggering and almost falling, Henry swore under his breath at the motion sickness the Comb caused. You can accomplish hardly anything with suave when--- "Somepony there?" The the security pegasus turned around, fanning the grounds with his flashlight beam, but Henry was long gone, making his wobbly escape into the night. ~~~~ "Professor Ruby wasn't in class today." Starshine informed her friends over lunch. They sat in the cafeteria on a patio on the second floor, overlooking throngs of collegiate ponies and their lunches. Reliving the experience in her mind, Autumn's salad was much less appetizing after remembering the events that transpired yesterday. She ate slowly, saying nothing. "Good." Prissy nodded in approval, setting down her chef salad, "Maybe she got sick. I didn't want to take that Algebra test anyways." Cream nodded eagerly. "Something dreadful," Cream spoke through spoonfuls of sweet parfait, "She was such a bat, Starshine." "I know, right?" The three of them shared a laugh, which ended awkwardly when they found Autumn staring at her food, looking ill. Feeling she'd rather be alone, Autumn stood abruptly, taking her tray with her. "Wait!" Cream called out to her, concern on her face. Autumn turned to look at her beige companion. "Can I have your pineapple, Autumn?" Autumn waved a hoof in agreement, and Cream whisked the bowl over, sticking a whole wedge in her mouth in the process. Dumping three quarters of her salad in the trash, Autumn headed for the library. "How you don't get cavities is beyond me, Cream," Prissy shook her head. Exasperated, Starshine agreed. "Your sweet tooth is monstrous! You eat more sugar," Cream gestured to the pineapple, unable to defend herself with her mouth full, "...Natural or otherwise, than the three of us put together." Cream attempted to speak, and her two companions squealed with disgust as pineapple juice spewed from her mouth rather than intelligible speech. Cream swallowed hard, "It's a weakness. Ever since I was little, I've just loved sweet---" She stopped mid-sentence and stared as the jousting team strolled through the crowd on the first floor with their lunches. Thunderclap, at the center of the group, led the pack of pegasi to a far table. "On the subject of sweet things," Cream grinned and elbowed Starshine, who gaped in Thunderclap's wake, saying nothing. "Star... Star!" Prissy tapped her hoof on the table, snapping Starshine out of her trance. "Good gracious, girl." "One of these days," Cream waved a piece of pineapple on a fork in front of Starshine, "I am getting you to talk to that pegasus." Prissy laughed at this. "You remember the last time we tried that? She went belly-up before she could say anything!" Starshine turned pink with embarrassment as the memories came flooding back to her. "You swore to me we'd never speak of this again." She sighed, watching Thunderclap take a large mouthful of his chili-cheese hay fries. "There she goes again..." Prissy shook her head, at a loss. For a time, all they heard was Cream finishing Autumn's pineapple, and moving on to a tall vanilla-chocolate swirl shake. "Autumn seems... more distant than usual." Prissy tried to make conversation after a silence. "A super space case." Cream agreed through her shake. Starshine turned back to her friends. "What do you mean?" "Don't get me wrong," Prissy put a hoof to her chin in thought, "Autumn is fun when... if... she speaks, but I'm concerned about her, Starshine." "We're all she's got," Cream added, paying more attention to the ice cream in the bottom of the glass than the conversation at hand. "I don't know what is..." Starshine looked at her two friends, lost in thought as well, "I can't tell sometimes, because she only talks to me. But even then, ever since she found that Ink Pot..." The other two stopped, curious. "Ink Pot?" Not wanting to get them involved, Starshine waved it off. "It belonged to her Grandfather." An "Oh..." was shared between Cream and Prissy. "She was the Dean's granddaughter, right?" Cream, satisfied with the emptiness of the glass, turned to the conversation at hand, "Didn't she live with him and stuff?" Starshine nodded solemnly. "Her parents died when she was very little. He raised her. He was the world to her." "That's so sad..." Prissy heaved a sigh. "But she's got us now, right? Ever since your parents took her in and adopted her. Right, Star?" Cream tried to brighten up the mood. "She only ever talks to her teachers and Starshine, though. And even that has been lessening." "I know, I know..." Starshine wasn't happy about it, either. Above all, she wanted to include Autumn with her friends. She knew Autumn could be a normal pony if she could only open up to others. "We need to find a way to connect with her..." "A way to engage her in our interests or us in her interests..." Prissy liked the sound of that idea. "Let's do it!" A hoof-bump was shared amongst the three of them, and lunch disbanded. ~~~~ Child, your superiors are there as a resource. Autumn sat in the waiting room for the dean's office, book bag clutched tightly to her brisket. Just because you don't know where to start doesn't mean somepony else doesn't. Autumn never really had an opportunity to meet the pony that replaced her grandfather. She was told that the new dean was a nice enough mare, but it didn't make her not nervous. I will always be here to guide you, Autumn. "Miss Fairbreeze?" The receptionist looked up from her book as a clock buzzed on her desk. "The dean will see you now." Shaky and afraid, Autumn moved slowly for the large oak door, an unfamiliar gold placard screwed tightly into it. She remembered when they asked if she wanted Burgundy's placard, and as much as she did, she couldn't think of a good place for it. "Come in," A voice from inside called as the door opened. It shut behind her as she shuffled in, taking a seat in a large chair. In design, it was exactly like the one in her study, but still felt foreign to her. The new dean had changed so much of her grandfather's office. It made her uncomfortable. She couldn't take her eyes off of the gold name plate on the desk, which used to have her grandfather's name on it. Now, it read "Dean Twilight Sparkle". "Are you comfortable?" The lavender pegasus felt uneasy with how nervous Autumn Fairbreeze seemed. Was she intimidating? Autumn relinquished a small nod. Twilight sighed and shook her head. This mare reminded her of a friend she knew. Rising from behind her desk, she moved next to the hazelnut pony, softening her voice. "Why don't you tell me what's bothering you? You seemed quite concerned in your letter." Autumn relaxed at the tone in this new dean's voice. She went into her bag and revealed the Ink Pot, showing it to Twilight. "I... I was wondering if you could tell me what this is." Twilight laughed at this. "That's an inkwell, silly." She floated the Ink Pot off of Autumn's hoof toward her, "I have hundreds... of..." The deans face changed as she held the odd bottle with her magic. She peered at it quizzically. "Wait... what?" "What is it?" "This... doesn't feel... right..." Twilight Sparkle had difficulty explaining what exactly it felt like. It didn't quite feel like it was the Ink Pot itself, but it wasn't an aura coming off of it, either. It was almost as if the Ink Pot itself was... incorrect, or somehow connected to something she knew was wrong or disorganized. It gave her an unsettling feeling in her stomach to reach out to it with her magic. Bringing it close, she lifted the lid from the Ink Pot and almost lost it in her surprise when it pushed against her magic. She shut the lid quickly, "It moves?" Twilight asked, exasperated. "It moves away from the lid when the lid is off. The farther the lid is from the Ink Pot, the faster it moves." "Astounding..." Twilight Sparkle examined it scrupulously while Autumn spoke. "I was wondering if you could tell me what kind of magic it was." At this, Twilight stopped. She stared at Autumn. "That's the thing," Twilight set the Ink Pot on her desk and let it slide around as she moved the lid from side to side, "This isn't magic." This confused Autumn. "How is that possible?" Twilight looked at her, a grin growing on her face at the growing mystery. She said something she knew she hadn't said in years. "I don't know," She shook her head, putting the lid on the Ink Pot, "I don't know, Miss Fairbreeze. Where did you find it?" "It belonged to my grandpa." Autumn looked away. "I see. He was a great pony, Autumn. He taught me many things, as I'm sure he taught you as well." Autumn nodded, growing to like Dean Twilight Sparkle. Anyone that was a friend of Burgundy was a friend of hers. "I take it you are the one using his private study, then?" Autumn nodded. "Most of my favorite reading is in that study. Take good care of it," Twilight smiled to her, and Autumn smiled back. "I think Grandpa was studying this when... he died." Autumn nodded, recollecting what little she knew of her grandfather's research, "He referred to it as an Object. I think there are more than that one, though." Twilight's eyes grew wide at this. "There are more? Do they all move like this one?" Autumn shrugged. "I don't know, all I know is what I've seen from Grandpa's research. There are Rules." "Rules?" "Rules that Grandpa defined about the Objects. He called it 'The Laws in the Fluxx of Time and Space,' if memory serves." "That's odd. I've read all of Burgundy's publications, but I've never heard of that one." "I don't think he published it," Autumn continued, "When I saw them, he made me swear not to tell anypony about it." Twilight nodded. "I appreciate you telling me this. Do you have any other Objects?" "Well, I have this book." Autumn fished in her bag for Greed, which she hoofed to Twilight Sparkle. "I don't know if it is an Object or not, but it kind of... came to me when I found out what the Ink Pot does." "It... came to you?" Twilight opened Greed and observed the large hole carved in the pages. She had a look like there was a dead animal inside when she saw it. "It was like that when I got it," Autumn added quickly. Twilight lifted the book with her magic, staring at it. After a while, she set it down. "This book is an Object." Twilight confirmed. "Really? How can you tell?" "It... feels the same as the Ink Pot when I pick it up with my magic." "Feels?" Autumn didn't understand. "Magic is an extension of your own consciousness," Twilight explained, "It is shaped and affected by your own emotions and controlled by your mind. When you affect a living thing with your magic, your conscious mind touches theirs." "Are..." This made Autumn more confused, "Are you suggesting the Ink Pot and the book are alive?" "No..." Twilight placed her words carefully as she attempted to explain it, "But it feels... similar. When I touched the Ink Pot and..." She read the cover of Greed, "Greed with my conscious mind, I felt a connection, like with a conscious mind, but it felt... different. It was... an unsettling feeling." That was the best way Twilight Sparkle could describe it. Autumn nodded, unsure if she understood, but glad for an explanation nonetheless. "I can't think of an easy way to ask this," Twilight wasn't sure about Autumn's response to this, "But can I hold onto these? Until we can learn more about them?" Autumn was afraid she'd ask that. "I... I want the Ink Pot, It was my Grandpa's. It was very important to him, and as such, it is important to me. You are welcome to Greed, though." Twilight appreciated her generosity and returned the Ink Pot to her. A clock on Twilight's desk buzzed suddenly, and Twilight sighed. "I would love to discuss this more with you, Autumn, but I have more students to see. I will study this tonight, and we will talk more tomorrow." Autumn smiled at her and stood to leave. ~~~~ "I told you seeing the dean would be a good idea," Starshine was particularly proud of herself as they got ready for bed that evening. "Yeah..." Autumn was already in bed, the Ink Pot on her desk, "She seems... nice." "I wouldn't know." Starshine flumped down on top of her covers, staring at the ceiling. She turned to look at her foster sister. "That boy followed us home again." Autumn raised an eyebrow. "Boy?" Starshine nodded. "That white pegasus from history class. What was his name?" Autumn never really payed attention in history class. "I don't know. What does it matter?" "Ugh... what was his name? I can't remember." "Why is it important, Starshine?" She looked at her and grinned, blue orbs glinting in the dim light. "I think he likes you." Autumn was taken aback. "Huh? What makes you think that?" "Cream was telling me he was asking about you." Autumn heaved a sigh. That frizzy-haired ball of trouble kind of got on her nerves sometimes. "I've... never thought about it. I don't even know who you're talking about." "The white, thin one? I think he tried out for the joust team, but he's a little scrawny." "See, that doesn't narrow it down for me." Starshine laughed in the low-light. "Relax, Autumn. We'll check him out tomorrow." "...Do we have to?" Autumn switched off the light, hoping that would get Starshine to drop the topic. "Well sure." It didn't. "You can never leave a colt hanging. Especially if he's interested enough to follow you home." "How do you know he isn't following you home? You're the bubbly attractive one." Starshine laughed again. "Cream said he asked about you. And besides, I'm taken." "By a colt that doesn't know you exist?" That got Starshine to be quiet. "...All right, I'll make you a deal." Starshine wouldn't let it go. "If you talk to him tomorrow, I'll talk to Thunderclap." "...Why is this such a big deal?" "Because." Starshine was determined to find a way to get Autumn to open up and be herself around other ponies, "You gotta. You might like him." "I seriously doubt that. He sounds creepy." Starshine yawned, "You gotta..." "...Fine." DoormanAutumn searched long and hard for anything to add to her list of things duller than the cultures of the Mane Dynasty as she watched a clock tick second by second, counting every single millimeter she inched toward her book bag and out of class. So far, she had two things: the professor teaching the subject, a prehistoric pony in his own right who smelled strongly of must and plastic, and counting the holes in the ceiling tiles. At least after two tiles, she had found an equation that allowed her to calculate an exact number, which was done in the free space beneath her short list. Although it wasn't making "Pre-Pony Civilizations 103" any more interesting, it was something to take her mind off of everything she had learned a few hours earlier. She began making a list of all the things more interesting than the Mane Dynasty to pass the time instead. Autumn didn't know what it was, but it always seemed like English and History had the magical properties of putting her to sleep. Mathematics and Applied Science were interesting, engaging, and most importantly, dynamic. History was completely static. There was no new perspective, no interesting way to look at a fundamental law that turned everything on its head. How anypony could get through it was beyond her. Fighting back a yawn, Autumn stretched, looking around the cramped classroom. There were all of sixteen ponies in the class, not including herself. Six colts, nine mares, and a pony she wasn't entirely sure about. The black leather and exposed, muscular chest inclined her to believe the pony was male, but the piercings, eye and face makeup, and purse inclined her to believe otherwise. Overall, it was a toss-up. If only someone would--- "Miss Fairbreeze?" The ancient colt leading the class had finally gotten her attention. "Yes?" Autumn did her best to be polite, sitting straighter in her desk. "Can you recall the cash crop from last week's lecture that shaped the trade routes with Indo-Giddyap and the Sirish Islands?" Autumn hadn't the foggiest, and to be frank, could hardly care either way. "Surely it is in your notes?" He gestured to the papers on her desk, Autumn unsure if he could see their contents or not. "They appear quite thorough." "Um..." Autumn searched her mind for any strands of information she could recall from any lecture period. "... Was it..." "Textiles," came a voice from the back, "Particularly the dyes used in the dark colors of robe and hat material." "Excellent." The professor nodded, creaking back to the board, "Couldn't have put it better myself." Autumn flinched as class resumed. She had a sinking feeling she knew all too well who had spoken up to save her. She dared not turn around, because she knew all too well that he'd be watching her. The scrawny pegasus in the back of the room, third seat from the west wall. Starshine had informed her that his name was Leo, a transfer from a private liberal arts college. Just thinking about how much information she knew about him made her flesh crawl. What really prickled her skin though, was how much exactly he knew about her. Cream, personable and helpful as she was, answered any and all questions he had about her when he approached her. No doubt he knew literally everything about her, and was going to confront her with some kind of "common ground" nonsense. The scene playing out in her mind made Autumn queasy. What would she say? Starshine wasn't here to bail her out of this one; she was foraging alone. What if he attacked her like Professor Ruby, some darker intention in mind? She couldn't bear to think about it. No doubt it was a fluke she was able to escape her professor, but an agile colt, one who felt confident enough in his own physical prowess to try out for the jousting team no less, would surely overpower her. How would she get away? He could fly. All she had was her brains and her book bag. That was it! Her book bag! That's what she would do. If he came within five feet of her, she'd let him have it, right in the face. Starshine would feel terrible about forcing her to fend for herself, and Autumn would assure her that she didn't need some boy stalking her about the school. It was foal-proof. Primed now for a sprint for her life, Autumn prepared herself to leap from her desk for the door once the second moved its last few ticks. With a leap that cleared almost half of the small classroom, she raced for the door as soon as the shrillness of the bell reached her ears. Pumping harder than she ever had before, she huffed and puffed down the hall, taking a left, down the stairs, racing past Starshine as she opened her locker, spraying the contents of Starshine's open bag all over the hall. Frustrated and exasperated, Starshine shouted at her in Autumn's wake. "You have to make real friends eventually!" Heaving a sigh, she began to collect her things from the floor. Leo, slowing from his trot at the disarray, stopped to assist her. "She'll have to get over this melodrama eventually," Starshine said to Leo, looking up at him. "She's being ridiculous. I have no idea where this is coming from." "It's okay," Leo tried to give his most charming smile, "I can take a guess." Locking the door of her private study behind her, Autumn heaved and huffed as she retreated back into her Grandpa's chair. The serious bust of her grandfather seemed almost disappointed. "What?" She responded to its look, irritated. The pale eyes stared, unblinking. Have you even met this lad? "I don't care. He's creepy." Autumn hadn't even considered that she was conversing with the inanimate bust of her deceased grandfather. The pale eyes stared, unblinking. A friend or two couldn't hurt. "Quite the contrary. You weren't there. They can hurt quite a bit." The pale eyes stared, unblinking. Friendship is important, Autumn. "I don't need ponies around me. 'The greatest tool is knowledge'? Remember that? Friends hold you back." The pale eyes stared, unblinking. I think you are holding you back. "I know what ponies are like. I know what they do! Books don't hurt you, or take your money, or stab you in the back, or pin you to walls!" She was shouting now. The pale eyes stared, unblinking. Do you not know how to make friends? "You weren't there! You don't know! It was horrible!" Memories of the boarding school before her foster home brought stinging tears to her eyes. Writing furiously, the door barricaded with a tipped chest of drawers, Autumn raced through her books as she scribbled on an entrance exam. She stopped only once, at a pounding on the door. A masculine filly cooed through the shut door. "Come on out, Autumn, we know you're in there." Tears spattered the exam as she did her best to stay as silent as possible. "You have a lot of homework to do. We have essays do tomorrow, after all." Autumn cringed at the bruises speckling her back and face. Their stinging and stabbing reminders from hours before was motivation enough to get out of this hell-hole. "Autumn Fairbreeze! Open this door this instant!" A much older voice rang through the door. This one made Autumn freeze with fear. "We're afraid, Ms. Bucksly. She's been in there for hours." "Thank you, girls, you may leave. Autumn Fairbreeze, I will call the fireponies if you don't open this door this instant!" "I don't want that. I don't want friends, I don't want to meet colts my age or go anywhere or do anything!" She sobbed into the chair, tired of running from Leo and tired of running from everything. The pale eyes stared, unblinking. "Why did you leave me, Grandpa? Why?" Leo listened, leaning on the door until he had heard enough. I guessed wrong. Moving up from his position, he passed soundlessly across the hall to another private study. Taking a large metal key from his bag, he stuck it into the hole, it moving past the tumblers soundlessly. The tag on the end of the key tapped against the door as he turned the key clockwise. Suddenly and without a sound, a white light framed the door, glowing out from behind it and around the frame. Leo, already accustomed to this phenomenon, swung the door inwards and shut it quietly behind him, the light evaporating into the dimly lit hall. Autumn awoke, stiff and uncomfortable from her position in the large chair. She pulled her face from the cushion, which was stained from what she assumed was her tears. Looking up at the clock, she heaved a sigh to find it was almost eight o'clock at night. She needed to be home in a half an hour. Stretching and collecting her things, she moved for the door. Giving her neck one last crack, she shut the door behind her as quietly as possible as to not disturb the colt reading at the table next to the door. It was only after moving twenty or so feet that she stopped dead in her tracks, realizing who it was that put his book away, and stood to greet her. "Can we talk for a bit?" "No." Autumn, too tired to run, moved with a purpose, ignoring anything that came from Leo's mouth. "Can I show you something then?" "No." "Why don't you stop and list---" "No." He sighed, turning to his right and moving through a locked door using his Key. On Autumn's left, a door to her chemistry professor's study opened, and Leo stepped out of it, Key in hand. "Now listen to---" "No." He turned and went back through the door into the room. A few seconds later, a door directly to Autumn's right opened, Leo stepping out of it, attempting to get her attention with the same degree of failure. This process continued until Autumn's march was halted by Leo, who came out of the door leading out of the "Quiet Study Chambers" into the literal library. "Let me pass." Autumn was angry and didn't want to listen to anything Leo had to say. "Fine." Leo turned to the side and let her pass into the door he opened with his Key. Autumn moved past him, stopping when she found the library she spent most of her time in was replaced by an empty room. She turned, her facial expression quickly changing. She barged past Leo back out into the hallway and found that she had, in fact, gone the right way and that the door Leo stood by was, in fact, the door to the main antechamber of the library. "Will you listen to me now?" Leo moved into The Room and looked back at her. "What did you do with the library?" Autumn couldn't wrap her head around it. "Nothing. Will you come inside and let me talk to you?" "Only if you let me go home. Immediately afterward. Five minutes." "Five minutes it is, then." Cautiously, Autumn moved through the door, framed with light, and Leo quietly shut it behind her. The Room was rather large and empty, aside from an old bed and a pair of chairs. Dust clung in odd rectangles to the floor where Autumn assumed furniture used to rest. A large window covered most of the east wall, overlooking a glade of trees and a babbling brook. The sun sat outside this window at some hour after noon. "I don't get it." Autumn looked around while Leo brought the two chairs closer together, "Why is it so empty? And why did you make it look like mid-afternoon outside?" Leo looked at her like it was a silly pair of questions. "They took everything. And I didn't make the room look this way; this is just the time when The Event happened." "Who's they? And what event? You aren't making any sense." Leo paused at this, sitting on the chair in front of Autumn. "Wait... you don't know? Like you don't know anything?" "Anything about what?" Leo chuckled to himself at this. "You really don't know? You are Burgundy's flesh and blood and you know nothing?" "No! I don't know anything! Grandpa told me nothing and didn't want me involved in his research. I know nothing at all!" "Okay, okay, I'm sorry. I just figured... since you have the Ink Pot and all, you might have had some sort of plan or something." "Nope. This was just very important to Grandpa. That's why I have it." "Okay..." Leo put a hoof over his eyes and gestured to the chair, "We better start from the beginning. Have a seat." Unsure of how exactly she was to get out of this bizarre place without hearing him out, Autumn sat in the uncomfortable wooden chair. "What you have there... that Ink Pot, I mean... it's an Object." Autumn nodded. "I know that already. But what does that mean?" "All of the Objects belong in this Room. This is The Room where all of the Objects come from." "Why take them? What good does a moving Ink Pot do you?" Autumn was surprised to find that the Ink Pot was completely motionless when she removed the lid in an attempt to give a visual example. "Objects don't work in The Room." Leo didn't share in her surprise. "This is where they belong." "Belong? What do you mean? How did The Objects or whatever get their properties. I've been to the dean about it, and she said it wasn't magic." "You told the dean? What did you tell her?" This was big news, apparently. "I don't know... she had more to tell me than I had to tell her. Why? How about you start making sense." Leo nodded, looking out the window. "Alright, alright. I'll start from the beginning. This room, if you haven't already noticed, it's not normal, see? This room isn't actually part of reality at all." "What? Then how are we in it, right now?" "Nobody knows for sure how exactly this happened or how exactly it works. It's all theoretical." "We are in a theoretical room that doesn't exist." Autumn said flatly in disbelief. "Believe what you want, I'm only here to fill you in and get you up to speed. Anyways, we think this Room existed at one point, and then mysteriously ceased to exist. We call this The Event. Some people think the laws of physics simply broke, and this is their way of compensating. Some people think a Goddess died in this room." The air suddenly became quite serious at the talk of death. "All we know is that The Event caused The Room to cease to exist, and everything that was in The Room became Objects." "What do the objects do?" "All kinds of things. Every object is different and has different properties and behaviors. Let's see... you have The Ink Pot, but you already knows what it can do. I have The Key." He held up his large metal key, tag hanging off the back of it. "The Key goes to the room. Any door that has a door knob and a lock goes to The Room." "That's how you brought me here?" "Right. There's..." Leo searched his memory, "There's The Quill. Dangerous. The Quill can heat things up. Can boil water in a kettle with just a few scribbles." "What does that have to do with quills?" "What does scooting have to do with ink pots?" "Point taken." "Most of them don't do anything special. Like The Easel. A painting easel? It leaks. A little less than a gallon of clean water drips off The Easel over the process of a day." "What's the point of that?" "Who knows? Not only that, but objects do different things when you bring other objects close to them. Like the easel? If you bring The Lamp to The Easel, it gives you a kind of foresight, let's you see the future?" "That's surprisingly more useful. How many objects are there?" Leo shrugged. "Some people feel well over a hundred. I personally haven't the foggiest." "Over a hundred?" Autumn's imagination ran with all the different things that could have been in here. A question came up in her mind, though. "What does this have to do with me?" "The Objects... they attract each other. Like, they want to come back together." "Want? Are The Objects... alive?" "Again, all theoretical. Some people say it is all tied back to the Event. How do you think it was so easy for me to find you? All you have to do is follow your stomach." Autumn remembered the sickening feeling she felt and the odd sense of foreboding she had around The Ink Pot. "Anyways, there is a group called the Order of the Reunification." "Like a church?" "Hardly. The Order has devoted their lives to bringing all the objects back into The Room. Supposed to change the world or something." "Is that a bad thing?" "No. What's bad is they will do anything possible to get a hold of any Object they can get close to." The more she heard, the less Autumn liked her Grandfather's research. It didn't make any sense, and above all, sounded very dangerous. "I'm here because I wanted to warn you, because I think the Order is coming for The Ink Pot next." "Why my Ink Pot?" "Your grandfather was a Scribe. He made Object Maps. Meaning he discovered object combinations and recorded them. Scribes to this day are very difficult to come by. Anyways, your Grandfather held onto the Ink Pot very closely because he felt that you could use to it find specifically where The Room is." "Or is supposed to be?" "Right. He felt that using The Objects, you could find where The Room should be, and that has particular significance." "What else did you need? How did you know my Grandpa?" "Burgundy was certain you needed The Lamp, The Ink Pot, The Train Tickets, and The Photograph. He founded a group that dedicated itself to collecting all of The Objects... and destroying them." "Destroying them? Why?" "Think about it. Some people think these are pieces of God. What would you do for your own personal piece of the pony that made everything?" Autumn hadn't thought of that. "This is a lot heavier than you think it is. People have died for their Objects. I'm trying to help you. Burgundy felt you would be the one to take up his stead in collecting, and destroying all of the objects." It was here that Autumn stood and walked to the door. "Sorry. Grandpa kept me as far away from his work as possible. You must be mistaken. Time's up. How do I go home?" Leo, good to his word but still feeling defeated, explained. "Just imagine where you want to go when you open the door." "Take me home." Autumn said aloud to the door. Opening it after this, she found that she was across the street from her house, very late. "Be careful. Autumn." "I don't need your help." "...Fine." It was with this that the door to The Room (which was also the front door of Autumn's neighbor's house) swung shut, taking its soft glow with it, leaving Autumn confused and exhausted in the dark on her street. Train TicketsAutumn poured herself into large, bound books in her private study. Anything she could find, any trace of information on the Order, or the Objects, or her grandfather. She never had noticed before how many books and books of newspaper clippings and random articles her grandfather kept in his study until now. As she scrupulously scanned each one, she looked for any clues her grandfather left her. Burgundy felt you would be the one to take up his stead in collecting, and destroying all of the objects. Leo's words echoed in her mind. If she really was in danger, if she was now wrapped up in this morbid Event and the Objects orbiting around it, she was going to do what she was known for: study. Hour after hour, tome after tome, Autumn hunted for some form of pattern, some form of formula that matched articles to anything else in the study. To her dismay, none of the articles had any coherence to each other at all. There was a large article about an agricultural foundation on one page, and a collection of clips from an obituary on the very next page, with none of the ponies even related or similar in either. Burgundy was not a disorganized man; Autumn knew there was a cipher or code to crack in here that she would find. She felt, that with each article she removed from the book, or each document she found amongst an article, she moved a step closer to who her grandfather really was. In all the years she lived with him, she came to find that she knew very little about him beyond the conversations they had and the anecdotes he told her. At the ruffling of paper behind her, Autumn turned to find Greed sitting on top of a collection of books she had pulled from the shelves. If memory served, she had left the green hard-cover book with the dean, Twilight Sparkle. She opened it to find a neatly folded note in the carved recesses of the book. We need to talk. I believe I have some information that may be relevant to your interests. --- Twilight Sparkle Autumn was surprised the book got to her so quickly. Given that the last note in it was most likely for her grandfather, which must have been years and years old, this one must be no more than a few days old, given that the last time Autumn spoke to the Dean was only a few days earlier. Packing up the tomes and clippings she had collected, Autumn moved for the door. When she opened it, Starshine stood in the doorway. "Um... Hi," Autumn had difficulty speaking to her after the Leo incident. "Listen...." Starshine tried to speak, but Autumn interrupted her. "I... have to go." Autumn moved past her and away for the deans office, leaving her foster-sister sad and confused in the hallway. Given all the new information she had about what she was apparently knee-deep in, Autumn wasn't sure how to approach Starshine anymore. If she was, in fact, a target for this Order of the Reunification, Autumn wasn't sure affiliating with anypony was a good idea. The last thing she wanted was for other people to be hurt because of her. Opening the door to the waiting room to the dean's office, the secretary looked up from a book and waved her in. "Mrs. Sparkle's been expecting you, Miss Fairbreeze." "Um... thanks..." Autumn moved directly for the door, knocking lightly. When she was ushered inside, Twilight acted almost surprised to see her. "Autumn! I'm glad you are here." "I.... uh.... got your note." Autumn put Greed on her desk. "Good! Good." Twilight, instead of taking Greed scribbled some notes in an open manilla folder on her desk. "So, what's the news?" "The note took approximately thirty-seven hours to reach you. Fascinating." "Is that the news?" Autumn wasn't really in the mood for being part of a science experiment. "Not quite. I've been accumulating as much information about the Objects after you told me what happened with Leo. Aside from the fact that information about the Objects is incredibly difficult to come by, I have found that Objects, or at least Greed is completely indestructible." Autumn fiddled with a salad she had packed for lunch during studies. "I've never seen anything like this before... I've spent two whole days trying to find out anything about Greed, and all I've found is that you can't damage an Object. You can't burn it, or tear it, or even stain it. My theory is that the objects can only stay in the state they were in during the Event." "I've been having difficulty finding out more information as well." "We can conclude, or at least that it is most likely that Objects don't change hands very often, or when they are, the dealings done are kept very secret to prevent news from going public." This didn't help Autumn much at all. Now Autumn knew she had her work cut out for her, which didn't especially surprise her. It was after a pause that Twilight spoke again, "The Event itself appears to be at the center of this." "We don't even know what the Event is." Autumn added, "It could have been anything..." "And it's believed that there are over a hundred Objects? Your grandfather's work was absolutely mind-boggling, Autumn." "I don't know..." Leo's words had hung on her with every moment she spent researching. The Room was still vivid in her mind, as if it had only happened a few hours ago. "This seems... really dangerous." Twilight nodded in understanding. The more she thought about it, the more that Autumn was afraid that her grandfather's death was, in some way, related to the Order of the Reunification. "Unfortunately, it appears you are involved, Autumn." She didn't like Autumn's uncomfortable position in this as much as Autumn didn't, "I fear that, even if you relinquished the Ink Pot to me, this Order will still come after you." "Because of Grandpa..." Autumn's voice trailed off. "Right..." Twilight wanted to change the subject, but this was Autumn's safety they were talking about. In the few days that they had spent together, Twilight had come to like the small earth-pony. "Is there anything you can remember from Burgundy's research? Anything at all that might give us a leg up in finding the Room?" Autumn shook her head. "Grandpa did his best to make sure I didn't get involved in his research. There were times when I wanted to help him, but he always said no. I realize now that I suppose this was for... my safety." "Autumn," Twilight leaned on her desk. "If you ever don't feel safe, if you ever need someplace to be, I will personally make sure that you are safe. You and I are a team now. You are involved, and, in turn, have gotten me involved, and I will see this through with you." Autumn revealed a rare smile at this, and Twilight knew that she had reached her. It was only after Autumn stopped speaking to her that Starshine realized the repercussions of her actions. Autumn only came home to go to sleep. Nopony saw her in class (except when she would drop off due work), and nopony saw her eating. Her bag, now overflowing with papers and newspaper clippings, inclined Starshine to believe that Autumn was as busy as ever, but not including anypony but herself in her little projects. Starshine cornered her multiple times at home, and was unable to get even a word out of her. Not even Leo, who had taken Autumn's empty seat at lunches, would relinquish any details. "We just... talked." Is all Leo would say. "We talked and then she left. She wasn't interested." This was much to Prissy's displeasure, because gossip was one of her favorite topics. "We need to know what she's doing." Prissy couldn't contain herself one lunch. "Star, you have to go through her bag and find out what she's working on." This made Starshine spray juice all over the table. "Autumn is mad enough at me as it is. I'm not going to go through her things." "If we knew," Cream set down a sundae glass, "We could help her and reconnect." "It would be a clever insight," Leo added. "You all are horrible!" Starshine couldn't believe what she was hearing. "If she found out, she would hate all of us!" "Star," Prissy grabbed her hoof from across the table. "We need to know what's on her mind. What if she is thinking... dangerous thoughts?" The table became very quiet at this. "You don't mean..." Cream put down a chocolate strawberry, attention now on the task at hand. "She is showing the signs." Prissy was confident in her psychology education. Starshine was silent. She refused to imagine the scenario playing out in her mind. Although she was curious, she didn't want to betray the trust of someone she considered close enough to be her sister. Prissy did have a point though. It would be for her own safety, a necessity as an older sister to take care of this. They needed to know, and Starshine would be the pony to find out for them. Even though the night physically was unlike any other Starshine could remember, the thickness of the air choked and gagged her. Starshine prided herself on being something similar to a pure soul, and now that record would be tarnished forever. It was long after Autumn had returned to bed and retired for the evening. Starshine rolled over, watching the bed across the room as her eyes adjusted to the darkness. The lump under the covers was motionless. If there would be a time to do this, now would be it. Careful to not stir Autumn, Starshine rolled out of bed and tip-hoofed out the door. Moving slowly down the stairs, she could picture in her mind the exact spot Autumn's bag would be in. The small corner table by the door, as old as the house, was where Autumn dropped off all of her things when she got home. Starshine eased down the stairs, flinching at every little sound she could hear in her increased awareness of the night. Once the ground floor came into view, Starshine was surprised to find the kitchen light was on. Starshine knew her parents, and knew that unless something was wrong they should both be in bed. This new complication worried Starshine. If her parents were awake, she would have to be extra quiet getting down the stairs to the entrance way. Moving as quickly as she could without making any noise, Starshine bee-lined for the entrance table, stopping to find the bag was missing. She could picture it, the same spot it was always in, and there was no bag there. Where could it be? Autumn froze at a noise in the kitchen. It sounded almost as if someone was rifling through her fridge. This made Starshine's skin crawl. Not a single word could be heard from the kitchen or living room, so who, pray tell, was in the kitchen? Starshine inched to the corner, heart racing. She peeked cautiously around the corner to find the tail end of Autumn sticking out of the fridge, a small pile of food in a suitcase next to her book bag on the table. "Autumn?" The figure froze. Autumn rose from the fridge, jelly jar in hoof, as if she was being stuck-up by robbers. "Starshine..." "You... you're leaving?" Starshine was hurt, and above all, confused. "Where will you go?" "I need to go home." "Why? ...I'm sorry I forced you to talk to that Leo colt. That was wrong. I don't want you to leave. I've been so worried about you. I never see you anymore." Autumn looked away. "its... hard to explain." "I don't want you to leave, Autumn." "I have to." "Why? Is it me? Is it my friends? I can find a way to make it work between us." "It's... it's not safe." "Not safe? Autumn, you're scaring me. I don't want you to go anywhere." Starshine began to tear up. "I'm afraid, Autumn. I don't want you to do this." "I have to, Starshine. This... this is what my grandpa died for." Starshine stopped. "What?" "This... this is something he needed me to do. The more I've been working on his studies, the more I feel that this is what I'm meant to do. It's hard to explain." Starshine was having difficulty piecing her thoughts together. "So... you... aren't... going to kill... yourself?" Autumn sat at the table, putting a hoof to her face. "No... where in the hay did you get that idea?" "I was afraid! You've been so distant, and not eating, and not talking to anypony, and I've just been so afraid..." Out of nowhere, Starshine ran to her, holding Autumn close. "Starshine..." Autumn sighed. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you worry. This is important to me." "Well," Starshine relinquished Autumn's cracking collar bone, "If it's important to you, it's important to me." Starshine closed the suitcase full of food and stood to leave, wiping the tears from her face. "I'm coming with you." "What?" Autumn put the suitcase on the table. "You are not. It's too dangerous." "That's exactly why I'm going with you." Starshine held the suitcase in the air, primed to throw it at Autumn. "Okay! Okay... we have to go then, I guess. Like right now. The bus is leaving in less than an hour." Starshine knew close to nothing about Burgundy, making the bus ride out of town in the wee hours of the morning awkward to say the least. As they moved out of town, Starshine felt she really had no idea what she was getting herself into. Where was Burgundy's estate? What would they do when they got there? And what, pray tell, were they looking for, if they were looking for anything at all? "Look, it's like this..." Autumn could see the confusion on Starshine's face. "We are looking for an indestructible Object that is possibly a piece of God and need it to find the room where all the Objects came from." "Ah." Starshine nodded, looking out the window, "As long as you... uh... know what we're doing, then I'm good." It was about three in the morning when they reached the Burgundy estate. "You lived here? You could fit five or six of my house in here." "Meh. When you only stay in one or two rooms, it doesn't seem that big." Autumn was glad to find that her key for the gate still worked, and that the gate was still locked. After coming up the drive, Autumn was disconcerted to find that the front door was literally missing. She poked her head inside the foyer to find that the manor was thrashed. Every single piece of furniture was broken or cracked or beaten in some way. "What happened here?" The sight made Starshine's skin crawl. "Most likely the Order." "The Order?" "A cult looking for the Objects. Objects are indestructible remember? An Object could be anything. So..." Autumn stopped at a painting of her grandfather and herself, "They had to break everything to find them." "Anything could be an object?" "Anything." Careful to avoid the massive splinters of painting frames and destroyed furniture, they made their way to the library and Burgundy's study. The study was worse in particular than what they saw of the house. It looked as if every page was torn from every book and strewn about the floor. Autumn moved over to Burgundy's desk and stood where his favorite chair should have been. She looked around, rifling through the piles of papers on the desk. Each paper on the desk had a different sized circle and collection of lines. "This is a map. All these pages are all one giant Object Map." "Aut---" "Why would they leave these here, though?" "An elementary trap, perhaps?" Autumn spun on her hooves to find pegasus in a black suit and bowler hat, Starshine clutched around the neck by his slender hooves. A gray aura hung a quill to her temple, poised. "Let her go." "Not likely, Autumn Fairbreeze. Not while you are on the wrong side." Autumn watched him as he dragged Starshine by the neck about the room, the quill unmoving from its position on her temple. "I'd sit tight, if I were you, miss. The Quill will turn her to steak in a matter of seconds." "Who are you?" "Henry J. Fate, high priest of The Order of the Reunification," He nodded, the gray aura tipping his hat to her, "I have a proposition that you would be keen to listen in on." He paused, waiting for a response, and went on. "You see, we want the same thing, Miss Fairbreeze. You want the Objects and this Room nonsense out of your life, and I want all the Objects." "What for?" "To be God. What else? I could recreate Equestria as I see fit. I could bring back the dead from the grave, I could bring the Allicorns to their knees." "That's sick." "I figured you'd say that. Let me make this simple, then. Give me the Ink Pot and Greed, Vol.2 and I'll spare your friend's life. It's either that, or I cook your pretty sister here." "I don't have Greed. I left it with... a reliable source." Henry rolled his eyes. "Well, that makes things complicated, doesn't it?" The Quill began to scratch across the side of Starshine's face, and she howled with pain. "Stop! Please, stop!" Autumn didn't know what to do. "Is there something I can do for you instead?" "Hmmm..." Henry pretended to think while Starshine turned pink in the face. "Do you have something in mind?" Autumn didn't have a response to this. She literally had nothing to offer Henry for the safety of her sister. Before she could offer a response, Henry disappeared. Starshine collapsed to the floor, gasping for air. Just behind where he stood was Leo, a string of Train Tickets in hoof. "Sorry to get you off track, Mr. Fate." "Maybe you should save the train pun for before you disintegrate him." Autumn said flatly. "Oh, he's fine. I just sent him to a train station about four or five days from here." "Why there?" "Train Tickets don't send anypony anywhere else." "I'm fine guys... don't help me up..." Starshine rolled onto her stomach, catching her breath. Autumn helped her up, and they sat at the remains of a table in the dining room. "Thanks for the save..." Starshine was finally able to compose herself. Leo nodded. "We're a team." He patted her on the back, looking over at Autumn. "You can't do this yourself. You need our help." "We're a team." Autumn agreed. If it wasn't for Leo's save... she didn't want to think about it. "So what do we do now?" Starshine, happy to have her sister back, asked her. "Well, we have this." She dumped the Object Map on the table. "I imagine we start with this."
GreedThe Laws of the Fluxx of Time and Space Read Thusly: The Law of Conservation of Objects: An Object is always replaced with a new Object in the event the original Object is destroyed. The Law of Single-State Objectivity: An Object cannot be destroyed or Reset. The Law of Universal Attraction of Objects: For the purpose of Reunification, every Object is always drawn to each other Object. The Transitive and Inductive Law of Objects: Objects Fluxx in the presence of other Objects. The Law of the Derivative of Objects: The Room is not an Object. ~~~~ Autumn sat on her bed and thought. She walked through the previous hour slowly, to see if she could figure out what exactly happened. She remembered being in Grandpa's study, seeing a torn and tattered piece of paper on the table, and then, after reading it, Grandpa grounded her. She didn't even understand what the paper said. Objects? Reunification? Fluxx? What did it mean? Why did Grandpa panic like he did? She visualized the odd collection of circles and lines in her mind. Whatever it meant, Grandpa obviously didn't want her to dwell on it. A knock on the door stirred her from her musings. "Yes?" "May I come in?" It was Grandpa Burgundy's soft voice. "Yes, Grandpa." A tattered red pony entered, glasses hanging from the end of his nose. Grandpa always had difficulty staying clean when he was working. He sat next to her on the bed. "I'm sorry I freaked out back there, Autumn." He put a hoof around his chestnut daughter. "I... I was afraid." "Afraid of what. Grandpa?" "That's not important. The important thing is that you forget what you saw and we never speak of it again." "I don't understand. What did I read?" Burgundy looked away, trying to place his words carefully. "Something that has to do with my studies. Something very important, and very dangerous. Promise me you'll keep what you read to yourself and speak of it to nopony." Autumn didn't understand, but she knew it was important to him. "...I promise, Grandpa." "That's my girl." A silence followed that made Autumn uncomfortable. "Will you show me the magic trick again?" "Again? Whatever for?" Autumn grinned a toothy grin. "It always makes me laugh," She giggled. "Alright, alright," Burgundy looked around the room, "Do you have something to catch the bottle with?" ~~~~ "Autumn? Autumn!" A furious whisper next to her stirred Autumn from her daydream. She looked around to find that everypony in the lecture hall was staring at her, including the professor. A stick was pointed rigid at a problem on the board. Autumn had to squint it seemed so far away. "Because energy is conserved, and based on the force of gravity and the coefficient of friction on the surface of the slope, the cube would move at..." Autumn crunched some numbers in her head, "...about one-hundred sixty-five newtons to the right." Professor Ruby sighed, looking at her ornate physics problem. "That is... correct. A prompter response next time, if you please, Miss Fairbreeze." A rush of murmuring fell over the room as Professor Ruby continued her lecture on the laws of conservation of mass and energy. The cyan pegasus next to Autumn leaned close. "Ugh... How did you get that? I couldn't figure it out, and you took one look at it and you got it." Autumn grinned at her friend. "Maybe if you did your homework every once in a while, Starshine, it might be a little easier." "And miss Thunderclap's competitions? Not on your life, Autumn." They giggled amongst themselves, chatting quietly like the rest of the class. "What are your plans after class? Prissy and Cream wanted to go out for cake at that new shop down the lane." "Sounds like fun. I was going to the library after class to study. though." Starshine's facial expression at this was something Autumn knew very well. "You should try getting outside more often, Autumn. You're gonna start looking like a Diamond Dog if you hole up in that cave any longer." "Ouch. I have some work I need to do though. You go ahead without me." Starshine flumped back against her seat. "It's not healthy, Autumn. You should be like regular mares your age." "Since when is learning unhealthy? And if I was any more like you, I would never get any work done." It was on that note that class concluded. The class filed out the door, Starshine and Autumn bringing up the rear. "If you kept head out of the clouds, you might go places," Autumn heard Professor Ruby call to them as they filed out. "I think you need a little..." Autumn spun on her hooves and followed Starhine backwards out the door, "...imagination, Professor." "Undoubtedly." Autumn bumped into a pony behind her and she flipped around to find an imposing beige pony with a simple black bowler hat. A comb hung in the air with a faint grey aura holding it in place. "Sorry!" Autumn scrambled out of the way and out the door, scooping up Starshine who whooped and rolled on the floor, laughing. Professor Ruby, whose face never really seemed to show any emotion but flat disapproval, appeared unamused. "Henry." "Professor." He walked into the room slowly, taking the whole scene in, as if to memorize it. "You'll excuse me if I don't take off my coat." "Of course," Professor Ruby turned from him, moving a number of erasers to erase the board. "You must know why I am here?" He peered at the notes on her desk before they whisked into an expanding file in a drawer. "If you are looking for the Object map, I told you in my letter I'm still looking." The unicorn named Henry shook his head. "Tut tut, Ruby, I would hope you'd think I wouldn't come all the way out here to 'The Canterlot College of Science and Mathematics'", he said this with a demeaning tone that made Professor Ruby even more sour, "For nothing less than an Object itself." The erasers paused on the board, and for a brief moment Ruby's face showed more than plain distaste. "If there was an Object here, we would have known long ago." Ruby continued packing up. "Would we?" Henry moved uncomfortably close to the Professor. "My sources tell me that's not entirely true." The erasers fell to the floor with a poof of chalk dust. "What are you talking about? I keep nothing from the Order. I know the rules, I know what happens." "Good." Henry nodded. A quill came from his pocket, rotating lazily in midair. Ruby stopped dead at the sight of it. Her eyes darted back and forth, as if a snake had slithered onto her desk and coiled to strike in front of her. "Everything has a price that we pay, Ruby." Henry paced slowly, the quill keeping up with him as he moved about the room. "I know you of all people know this, but you should know that if there is an Object here, if you have been keeping secrets from us... from me..." The quill slowly moved to the desk, point down, "I hope you would know," The quill began moving slowly across the desk, the faintest of scratch noises could be heard as it ruined the finish on the mahogany finish. Ruby began to sweat. Her face turned pink, beads becoming a steady flow of salt and fluid from her pores. "P-please," Ruby did her best to maintain her composure. Her outfit drenched with sweat, she fell to her knees. Her skin became a shade of red, and then scarlet. She gasped for breath as the quill scratched the desk faster. Writhing on the floor, she trembled and gasped for air. Tears ran from her eyes and blood began to trickle from her nostrils. She desperately tried to mouth words, but all that came out was small squeaks and whimpers. "I hope you would know that you are the price we would pay to acquire such an item." And with that, the Quill stopped, returned to Henry's breast pocket, and he disappeared from the room, leaving Ruby on the floor, wracked with pain and fear. ~~~~ "I'm telling you, he came out of nowhere!" Autumn tried to justify herself to Starshine as they laughed their way down the hall. "Of course he did," She wiped tears from her eyes. "It was you and me! Where did he come from?" "How should I know? You careened into him, not me." Autumn rolled her eyes and turned to head to the library. "See ya, Starshine." "Bye, Autumn! Don't study yourself to death!" Autumn shook her head and laughed to herself as she trotted up the steps to the ornate library. Moving from muscle memory, she made an immediate left and headed upstairs for the private studies. Three doors down the hall and on the right, a shiny placard read "Fairbreeze" in big letters, and it was here Autumn used a key from her bag to enter. No matter the time of day or the occasion, Autumn was always most comfortable in her grandfather's private study. It was her privilege to make use of the stock of Grandpa's closest books and the knowledge therein, and although she was an earth-pony, it was this knowledge passed down from the late Dean Burgundy Fairbreeze that got her here, and she didn't take that for granted for a second. She set her bag down in front a glass display case filled with pictures and relics from her grandfather's accomplishments. She made sure to stop and say "Hello" to his bust, which sat next to it with the most serious face she had ever seen her grandfather make. It was actually quite funny, and she laughed at it often. She relaxed into a cushy arm chair, and cracked open a textbook. She had every intention of falling asleep in this peace and quiet, so she needed it to look like there was a point where she was interested in "Pre-Pony Civilizations". Autumn wandered the halls of linoleum and ceiling tiles. The sounds of chatter and slamming lockers could be heard around her, but she didn't register any of it. The news she heard from her principal just hours before was to thank for that. At one thirty-four that afternoon, he was hospitalized for a stroke. He had died before he reached the hospital, research notes still clutched in his hand. She couldn't even say goodbye. The one cornerstone she had to stand on had crumbled and she was alone in the world again. She--- Autumn awoke to find a second book on her lap. She looked down at it, a green and gold book that simply said Greed on the spine. She groggily looked around the room, but found no home for this lost literature. She shook her head in an attempt to stir from her half-slumber. The book, sliding off of her lap, revealed a note tucked inside: When she saw her name on the top of the note, Autumn picked it up and attempted to read it. The hoof-printing was atrocious. Half of it didn't make any sense. Got away with the what? The room was what? And where is the ink pot? Putting down the note on a coffee table next to the chair, she picked up the book titled Greed and opened it. Carved into the pages was a nook of sorts, where a familiar ink bottle rested within Greed's confines. It was the ink bottle that Grandpa would do his magic trick with. All she had to do was turn it upside down, take off the lid, and before her very eyes, the Ink Bottle began to float in the air. It moved up and up, beginning to pick up speed. Thinking quickly, Autumn stood on two hooves on the chair and leapt for it, lid still in hand. She managed to catch it and fell to the floor, making quite a thump. Brushing herself off, she eyed the bottle in her hooves curiously. What secrets did it contain? Surely it must be magic, the way it shoots off without warning. Perhaps it was time to get some more professional help with this. If anyone could identify this Ink Pot, it would definitely be the new dean. She has always been considered Equestria's lead in magic and magic-related studies. Putting the Ink Pot and Greed, with the note still inside, carefully in her bag, she stopped at the bust of her grandfather before heading out the door. "Is this what you've been studying, Grandpa?" The serious face gazed back at her, unmoving. Packed and composed, Autumn moved for the door. She opened it to find who she thought was Professor Ruby there waiting for her. Her eyes were wild, darting about the hallway like she was cornered on all sides. Her mane was literally all about her in scraggly, wet clumps. She was in a different dress than the one she was in maybe two hours ago. She was heaving, out of breath, and smelt like a gym bag. "Professor?" She had certainly caught Autumn off-guard. "Autumn..." she hissed the word in between gasps for air. She looked terrible. "How... are you?" "I should ask you the same thing. Are you alright?" "Never better," She tried to straighten out and regain her composure, "I see you enjoy using your Grandfather's study." "Yes..." He willed it to her. It was where she felt closest to him. "Would it be alright... if I came in?" She smiled, and that gave Autumn a worse feeling than her appearance. "Actually, I was just leaving. I think it might be best if you went to the infirmary. You don't look so good." "I'm... fine." She scooted closer. She was sweating profusely and was quite pink. "You're burning up. Maybe some other time." She turned to lock the door with her key, and suddenly Ruby pressed her up against the door, covering her with sweat and uncomfortable, unnatural body heat. "Pleeeeeeease," She whispered in her ear, "I insissst." "You're hurting me, Professor, let me go." She tried to resist, but her thin frame was no match for the fully grown mare. "You don't know the powers at work here, Autumn, there are forces beyond yours or my control that sssseek to desssstroy usssss." Autumn panicked. She gave a hoof a stomp, connecting with the top of Ruby's. Using Ruby's flinch to her advantage, Autumn managed to squeeze herself out of her grip, galloping for her life. "You don't want to go down this well!" Screeched Ruby, who had collapsed on the floor. "You can never come out of it! Believe me, you'll regret it, like your Grandfather did!" At the mention of Grandpa, Autumn paused only for a moment before fleeing into the quickening darkness. ~~~~ "Crazy." Starshine sat on her bed across from Autumn's, disbelief on her face. "I don't know what to do. I can tell you I'm certainly not going back to physics class tomorrow." "Well, what was your plan before Professor Ruby... attacked you?" "I was going to go see the dean and show her the Ink Pot." Starshine nodded at the idea. "I'm going with you." "What? Why?" Autumn was legitimately concerned for her friend's safety. "You and me, we're a team, Autumn. As your step-sister, and the older one no doubt, I will make it my solemn duty that you make it through this." "I don't know if you are legally my step-sister, Starshine." "Well, foster-sister then. Regardless, we're friends, and I want to help." She picked up a pillow, primed to throw it at her. "Okay, okay, you've persuaded me." Autumn waved her off and yawned a big yawn. She picked up the Ink Pot, and began to let it go, catching it in her hoof to put the lid back on. "That thing gives me the creeps." Starshine got under covers and rolled over to look at Autumn, "It seems like it might be kind of at the root of this problem." Autumn thought about what she said. "I... I don't know how I feel about it. This was Grandpa's after all. He was all I had." Autumn set it down on the dresser, getting one last look at the photograph on her side of the dresser. The last time she saw Burgundy. "Goodnight, Grandpa." She shut off the light. "Goodnight, Starshine." "Goodnight, Autumn." After a pause, Autumn heard the clack of a picture frame in the darkness. "Goodnight, Thunderclap."
DeanAbove everything else, Henry hated the wallpaper. As he strolled the dark hallways of Admissions and Records, Henry could hold nothing else in more irritation, in more distaste. That horrible brown color... it made his head hurt to stare at it too long. Luckily, somepony at this school was organized, and finding files was rather straightforward. He scanned the alphabetized file cabinets in the glow of his horn. "Fa... Fa... Ah! Here we are..." Using his magic, Henry gave the steel drawer a tug. Much to his increasing displeasure, the drawer resisted, taking the whole file cabinet with it, screeching a few inches toward him with a horrible din. Henry sighed, shaking his head. "I'm really not in the mood for this." He quickly scanned the pitch-dark room to ensure he was still alone. Pulling a pair of polished scissors from his inside jacket pocket, he suspended them in the air, where they lolled about slowly. Suddenly, they fixed on the cabinet drawer, like a divining rod to water. Giving one last look around, Henry gave the Scissors a turn. The file cabinet groaned in resistance, but was no match the force that wrenched the drawer not only all the way out, but off of its track, across the hall, crashing into the file cabinet behind Henry, and onto the floor, spewing papers and folders in every which direction. Henry did his best to compose himself. Above hall, he mustn't panic. Out of all of his Items, the Scissors always seemed to be the most... erratic. He could never seem to get the force right on his turns. He'd always rotate something much too hard or much to soft. It was impossible. As he sifted through the remains file cabinet drawer, Henry saw a light flood in from the door across the room. That would be security. Pocketing a collection of files from the drawer on the floor, he sneakily made his way toward the collection of security ponies unlocking the door. Flattening against the wall, he kept out of their flashlight beams as they swarmed the room. "Check everything, boys." The head security pegasus stood in the doorway confidently, his badge gleaming in the moonlight from outside. "There's only one way out of here, and that's through me." Fishing a comb out of the breast pocket, Henry ran it through his mane silently. As he squeezed past the head security pony, he deeply wished he could move objects around while the Comb was in effect. Being able to stop time was one thing, but being able to stop time and be unable to change anything was something much less. He counted the time he had left in his head, preparing himself around the corner. Unfortunately, he was unable to stay himself enough for the jerk of time resuming. Staggering and almost falling, Henry swore under his breath at the motion sickness the Comb caused. You can accomplish hardly anything with suave when--- "Somepony there?" The the security pegasus turned around, fanning the grounds with his flashlight beam, but Henry was long gone, making his wobbly escape into the night. ~~~~ "Professor Ruby wasn't in class today." Starshine informed her friends over lunch. They sat in the cafeteria on a patio on the second floor, overlooking throngs of collegiate ponies and their lunches. Reliving the experience in her mind, Autumn's salad was much less appetizing after remembering the events that transpired yesterday. She ate slowly, saying nothing. "Good." Prissy nodded in approval, setting down her chef salad, "Maybe she got sick. I didn't want to take that Algebra test anyways." Cream nodded eagerly. "Something dreadful," Cream spoke through spoonfuls of sweet parfait, "She was such a bat, Starshine." "I know, right?" The three of them shared a laugh, which ended awkwardly when they found Autumn staring at her food, looking ill. Feeling she'd rather be alone, Autumn stood abruptly, taking her tray with her. "Wait!" Cream called out to her, concern on her face. Autumn turned to look at her beige companion. "Can I have your pineapple, Autumn?" Autumn waved a hoof in agreement, and Cream whisked the bowl over, sticking a whole wedge in her mouth in the process. Dumping three quarters of her salad in the trash, Autumn headed for the library. "How you don't get cavities is beyond me, Cream," Prissy shook her head. Exasperated, Starshine agreed. "Your sweet tooth is monstrous! You eat more sugar," Cream gestured to the pineapple, unable to defend herself with her mouth full, "...Natural or otherwise, than the three of us put together." Cream attempted to speak, and her two companions squealed with disgust as pineapple juice spewed from her mouth rather than intelligible speech. Cream swallowed hard, "It's a weakness. Ever since I was little, I've just loved sweet---" She stopped mid-sentence and stared as the jousting team strolled through the crowd on the first floor with their lunches. Thunderclap, at the center of the group, led the pack of pegasi to a far table. "On the subject of sweet things," Cream grinned and elbowed Starshine, who gaped in Thunderclap's wake, saying nothing. "Star... Star!" Prissy tapped her hoof on the table, snapping Starshine out of her trance. "Good gracious, girl." "One of these days," Cream waved a piece of pineapple on a fork in front of Starshine, "I am getting you to talk to that pegasus." Prissy laughed at this. "You remember the last time we tried that? She went belly-up before she could say anything!" Starshine turned pink with embarrassment as the memories came flooding back to her. "You swore to me we'd never speak of this again." She sighed, watching Thunderclap take a large mouthful of his chili-cheese hay fries. "There she goes again..." Prissy shook her head, at a loss. For a time, all they heard was Cream finishing Autumn's pineapple, and moving on to a tall vanilla-chocolate swirl shake. "Autumn seems... more distant than usual." Prissy tried to make conversation after a silence. "A super space case." Cream agreed through her shake. Starshine turned back to her friends. "What do you mean?" "Don't get me wrong," Prissy put a hoof to her chin in thought, "Autumn is fun when... if... she speaks, but I'm concerned about her, Starshine." "We're all she's got," Cream added, paying more attention to the ice cream in the bottom of the glass than the conversation at hand. "I don't know what is..." Starshine looked at her two friends, lost in thought as well, "I can't tell sometimes, because she only talks to me. But even then, ever since she found that Ink Pot..." The other two stopped, curious. "Ink Pot?" Not wanting to get them involved, Starshine waved it off. "It belonged to her Grandfather." An "Oh..." was shared between Cream and Prissy. "She was the Dean's granddaughter, right?" Cream, satisfied with the emptiness of the glass, turned to the conversation at hand, "Didn't she live with him and stuff?" Starshine nodded solemnly. "Her parents died when she was very little. He raised her. He was the world to her." "That's so sad..." Prissy heaved a sigh. "But she's got us now, right? Ever since your parents took her in and adopted her. Right, Star?" Cream tried to brighten up the mood. "She only ever talks to her teachers and Starshine, though. And even that has been lessening." "I know, I know..." Starshine wasn't happy about it, either. Above all, she wanted to include Autumn with her friends. She knew Autumn could be a normal pony if she could only open up to others. "We need to find a way to connect with her..." "A way to engage her in our interests or us in her interests..." Prissy liked the sound of that idea. "Let's do it!" A hoof-bump was shared amongst the three of them, and lunch disbanded. ~~~~ Child, your superiors are there as a resource. Autumn sat in the waiting room for the dean's office, book bag clutched tightly to her brisket. Just because you don't know where to start doesn't mean somepony else doesn't. Autumn never really had an opportunity to meet the pony that replaced her grandfather. She was told that the new dean was a nice enough mare, but it didn't make her not nervous. I will always be here to guide you, Autumn. "Miss Fairbreeze?" The receptionist looked up from her book as a clock buzzed on her desk. "The dean will see you now." Shaky and afraid, Autumn moved slowly for the large oak door, an unfamiliar gold placard screwed tightly into it. She remembered when they asked if she wanted Burgundy's placard, and as much as she did, she couldn't think of a good place for it. "Come in," A voice from inside called as the door opened. It shut behind her as she shuffled in, taking a seat in a large chair. In design, it was exactly like the one in her study, but still felt foreign to her. The new dean had changed so much of her grandfather's office. It made her uncomfortable. She couldn't take her eyes off of the gold name plate on the desk, which used to have her grandfather's name on it. Now, it read "Dean Twilight Sparkle". "Are you comfortable?" The lavender pegasus felt uneasy with how nervous Autumn Fairbreeze seemed. Was she intimidating? Autumn relinquished a small nod. Twilight sighed and shook her head. This mare reminded her of a friend she knew. Rising from behind her desk, she moved next to the hazelnut pony, softening her voice. "Why don't you tell me what's bothering you? You seemed quite concerned in your letter." Autumn relaxed at the tone in this new dean's voice. She went into her bag and revealed the Ink Pot, showing it to Twilight. "I... I was wondering if you could tell me what this is." Twilight laughed at this. "That's an inkwell, silly." She floated the Ink Pot off of Autumn's hoof toward her, "I have hundreds... of..." The deans face changed as she held the odd bottle with her magic. She peered at it quizzically. "Wait... what?" "What is it?" "This... doesn't feel... right..." Twilight Sparkle had difficulty explaining what exactly it felt like. It didn't quite feel like it was the Ink Pot itself, but it wasn't an aura coming off of it, either. It was almost as if the Ink Pot itself was... incorrect, or somehow connected to something she knew was wrong or disorganized. It gave her an unsettling feeling in her stomach to reach out to it with her magic. Bringing it close, she lifted the lid from the Ink Pot and almost lost it in her surprise when it pushed against her magic. She shut the lid quickly, "It moves?" Twilight asked, exasperated. "It moves away from the lid when the lid is off. The farther the lid is from the Ink Pot, the faster it moves." "Astounding..." Twilight Sparkle examined it scrupulously while Autumn spoke. "I was wondering if you could tell me what kind of magic it was." At this, Twilight stopped. She stared at Autumn. "That's the thing," Twilight set the Ink Pot on her desk and let it slide around as she moved the lid from side to side, "This isn't magic." This confused Autumn. "How is that possible?" Twilight looked at her, a grin growing on her face at the growing mystery. She said something she knew she hadn't said in years. "I don't know," She shook her head, putting the lid on the Ink Pot, "I don't know, Miss Fairbreeze. Where did you find it?" "It belonged to my grandpa." Autumn looked away. "I see. He was a great pony, Autumn. He taught me many things, as I'm sure he taught you as well." Autumn nodded, growing to like Dean Twilight Sparkle. Anyone that was a friend of Burgundy was a friend of hers. "I take it you are the one using his private study, then?" Autumn nodded. "Most of my favorite reading is in that study. Take good care of it," Twilight smiled to her, and Autumn smiled back. "I think Grandpa was studying this when... he died." Autumn nodded, recollecting what little she knew of her grandfather's research, "He referred to it as an Object. I think there are more than that one, though." Twilight's eyes grew wide at this. "There are more? Do they all move like this one?" Autumn shrugged. "I don't know, all I know is what I've seen from Grandpa's research. There are Rules." "Rules?" "Rules that Grandpa defined about the Objects. He called it 'The Laws in the Fluxx of Time and Space,' if memory serves." "That's odd. I've read all of Burgundy's publications, but I've never heard of that one." "I don't think he published it," Autumn continued, "When I saw them, he made me swear not to tell anypony about it." Twilight nodded. "I appreciate you telling me this. Do you have any other Objects?" "Well, I have this book." Autumn fished in her bag for Greed, which she hoofed to Twilight Sparkle. "I don't know if it is an Object or not, but it kind of... came to me when I found out what the Ink Pot does." "It... came to you?" Twilight opened Greed and observed the large hole carved in the pages. She had a look like there was a dead animal inside when she saw it. "It was like that when I got it," Autumn added quickly. Twilight lifted the book with her magic, staring at it. After a while, she set it down. "This book is an Object." Twilight confirmed. "Really? How can you tell?" "It... feels the same as the Ink Pot when I pick it up with my magic." "Feels?" Autumn didn't understand. "Magic is an extension of your own consciousness," Twilight explained, "It is shaped and affected by your own emotions and controlled by your mind. When you affect a living thing with your magic, your conscious mind touches theirs." "Are..." This made Autumn more confused, "Are you suggesting the Ink Pot and the book are alive?" "No..." Twilight placed her words carefully as she attempted to explain it, "But it feels... similar. When I touched the Ink Pot and..." She read the cover of Greed, "Greed with my conscious mind, I felt a connection, like with a conscious mind, but it felt... different. It was... an unsettling feeling." That was the best way Twilight Sparkle could describe it. Autumn nodded, unsure if she understood, but glad for an explanation nonetheless. "I can't think of an easy way to ask this," Twilight wasn't sure about Autumn's response to this, "But can I hold onto these? Until we can learn more about them?" Autumn was afraid she'd ask that. "I... I want the Ink Pot, It was my Grandpa's. It was very important to him, and as such, it is important to me. You are welcome to Greed, though." Twilight appreciated her generosity and returned the Ink Pot to her. A clock on Twilight's desk buzzed suddenly, and Twilight sighed. "I would love to discuss this more with you, Autumn, but I have more students to see. I will study this tonight, and we will talk more tomorrow." Autumn smiled at her and stood to leave. ~~~~ "I told you seeing the dean would be a good idea," Starshine was particularly proud of herself as they got ready for bed that evening. "Yeah..." Autumn was already in bed, the Ink Pot on her desk, "She seems... nice." "I wouldn't know." Starshine flumped down on top of her covers, staring at the ceiling. She turned to look at her foster sister. "That boy followed us home again." Autumn raised an eyebrow. "Boy?" Starshine nodded. "That white pegasus from history class. What was his name?" Autumn never really payed attention in history class. "I don't know. What does it matter?" "Ugh... what was his name? I can't remember." "Why is it important, Starshine?" She looked at her and grinned, blue orbs glinting in the dim light. "I think he likes you." Autumn was taken aback. "Huh? What makes you think that?" "Cream was telling me he was asking about you." Autumn heaved a sigh. That frizzy-haired ball of trouble kind of got on her nerves sometimes. "I've... never thought about it. I don't even know who you're talking about." "The white, thin one? I think he tried out for the joust team, but he's a little scrawny." "See, that doesn't narrow it down for me." Starshine laughed in the low-light. "Relax, Autumn. We'll check him out tomorrow." "...Do we have to?" Autumn switched off the light, hoping that would get Starshine to drop the topic. "Well sure." It didn't. "You can never leave a colt hanging. Especially if he's interested enough to follow you home." "How do you know he isn't following you home? You're the bubbly attractive one." Starshine laughed again. "Cream said he asked about you. And besides, I'm taken." "By a colt that doesn't know you exist?" That got Starshine to be quiet. "...All right, I'll make you a deal." Starshine wouldn't let it go. "If you talk to him tomorrow, I'll talk to Thunderclap." "...Why is this such a big deal?" "Because." Starshine was determined to find a way to get Autumn to open up and be herself around other ponies, "You gotta. You might like him." "I seriously doubt that. He sounds creepy." Starshine yawned, "You gotta..." "...Fine."
DoormanAutumn searched long and hard for anything to add to her list of things duller than the cultures of the Mane Dynasty as she watched a clock tick second by second, counting every single millimeter she inched toward her book bag and out of class. So far, she had two things: the professor teaching the subject, a prehistoric pony in his own right who smelled strongly of must and plastic, and counting the holes in the ceiling tiles. At least after two tiles, she had found an equation that allowed her to calculate an exact number, which was done in the free space beneath her short list. Although it wasn't making "Pre-Pony Civilizations 103" any more interesting, it was something to take her mind off of everything she had learned a few hours earlier. She began making a list of all the things more interesting than the Mane Dynasty to pass the time instead. Autumn didn't know what it was, but it always seemed like English and History had the magical properties of putting her to sleep. Mathematics and Applied Science were interesting, engaging, and most importantly, dynamic. History was completely static. There was no new perspective, no interesting way to look at a fundamental law that turned everything on its head. How anypony could get through it was beyond her. Fighting back a yawn, Autumn stretched, looking around the cramped classroom. There were all of sixteen ponies in the class, not including herself. Six colts, nine mares, and a pony she wasn't entirely sure about. The black leather and exposed, muscular chest inclined her to believe the pony was male, but the piercings, eye and face makeup, and purse inclined her to believe otherwise. Overall, it was a toss-up. If only someone would--- "Miss Fairbreeze?" The ancient colt leading the class had finally gotten her attention. "Yes?" Autumn did her best to be polite, sitting straighter in her desk. "Can you recall the cash crop from last week's lecture that shaped the trade routes with Indo-Giddyap and the Sirish Islands?" Autumn hadn't the foggiest, and to be frank, could hardly care either way. "Surely it is in your notes?" He gestured to the papers on her desk, Autumn unsure if he could see their contents or not. "They appear quite thorough." "Um..." Autumn searched her mind for any strands of information she could recall from any lecture period. "... Was it..." "Textiles," came a voice from the back, "Particularly the dyes used in the dark colors of robe and hat material." "Excellent." The professor nodded, creaking back to the board, "Couldn't have put it better myself." Autumn flinched as class resumed. She had a sinking feeling she knew all too well who had spoken up to save her. She dared not turn around, because she knew all too well that he'd be watching her. The scrawny pegasus in the back of the room, third seat from the west wall. Starshine had informed her that his name was Leo, a transfer from a private liberal arts college. Just thinking about how much information she knew about him made her flesh crawl. What really prickled her skin though, was how much exactly he knew about her. Cream, personable and helpful as she was, answered any and all questions he had about her when he approached her. No doubt he knew literally everything about her, and was going to confront her with some kind of "common ground" nonsense. The scene playing out in her mind made Autumn queasy. What would she say? Starshine wasn't here to bail her out of this one; she was foraging alone. What if he attacked her like Professor Ruby, some darker intention in mind? She couldn't bear to think about it. No doubt it was a fluke she was able to escape her professor, but an agile colt, one who felt confident enough in his own physical prowess to try out for the jousting team no less, would surely overpower her. How would she get away? He could fly. All she had was her brains and her book bag. That was it! Her book bag! That's what she would do. If he came within five feet of her, she'd let him have it, right in the face. Starshine would feel terrible about forcing her to fend for herself, and Autumn would assure her that she didn't need some boy stalking her about the school. It was foal-proof. Primed now for a sprint for her life, Autumn prepared herself to leap from her desk for the door once the second moved its last few ticks. With a leap that cleared almost half of the small classroom, she raced for the door as soon as the shrillness of the bell reached her ears. Pumping harder than she ever had before, she huffed and puffed down the hall, taking a left, down the stairs, racing past Starshine as she opened her locker, spraying the contents of Starshine's open bag all over the hall. Frustrated and exasperated, Starshine shouted at her in Autumn's wake. "You have to make real friends eventually!" Heaving a sigh, she began to collect her things from the floor. Leo, slowing from his trot at the disarray, stopped to assist her. "She'll have to get over this melodrama eventually," Starshine said to Leo, looking up at him. "She's being ridiculous. I have no idea where this is coming from." "It's okay," Leo tried to give his most charming smile, "I can take a guess." Locking the door of her private study behind her, Autumn heaved and huffed as she retreated back into her Grandpa's chair. The serious bust of her grandfather seemed almost disappointed. "What?" She responded to its look, irritated. The pale eyes stared, unblinking. Have you even met this lad? "I don't care. He's creepy." Autumn hadn't even considered that she was conversing with the inanimate bust of her deceased grandfather. The pale eyes stared, unblinking. A friend or two couldn't hurt. "Quite the contrary. You weren't there. They can hurt quite a bit." The pale eyes stared, unblinking. Friendship is important, Autumn. "I don't need ponies around me. 'The greatest tool is knowledge'? Remember that? Friends hold you back." The pale eyes stared, unblinking. I think you are holding you back. "I know what ponies are like. I know what they do! Books don't hurt you, or take your money, or stab you in the back, or pin you to walls!" She was shouting now. The pale eyes stared, unblinking. Do you not know how to make friends? "You weren't there! You don't know! It was horrible!" Memories of the boarding school before her foster home brought stinging tears to her eyes. Writing furiously, the door barricaded with a tipped chest of drawers, Autumn raced through her books as she scribbled on an entrance exam. She stopped only once, at a pounding on the door. A masculine filly cooed through the shut door. "Come on out, Autumn, we know you're in there." Tears spattered the exam as she did her best to stay as silent as possible. "You have a lot of homework to do. We have essays do tomorrow, after all." Autumn cringed at the bruises speckling her back and face. Their stinging and stabbing reminders from hours before was motivation enough to get out of this hell-hole. "Autumn Fairbreeze! Open this door this instant!" A much older voice rang through the door. This one made Autumn freeze with fear. "We're afraid, Ms. Bucksly. She's been in there for hours." "Thank you, girls, you may leave. Autumn Fairbreeze, I will call the fireponies if you don't open this door this instant!" "I don't want that. I don't want friends, I don't want to meet colts my age or go anywhere or do anything!" She sobbed into the chair, tired of running from Leo and tired of running from everything. The pale eyes stared, unblinking. "Why did you leave me, Grandpa? Why?" Leo listened, leaning on the door until he had heard enough. I guessed wrong. Moving up from his position, he passed soundlessly across the hall to another private study. Taking a large metal key from his bag, he stuck it into the hole, it moving past the tumblers soundlessly. The tag on the end of the key tapped against the door as he turned the key clockwise. Suddenly and without a sound, a white light framed the door, glowing out from behind it and around the frame. Leo, already accustomed to this phenomenon, swung the door inwards and shut it quietly behind him, the light evaporating into the dimly lit hall. Autumn awoke, stiff and uncomfortable from her position in the large chair. She pulled her face from the cushion, which was stained from what she assumed was her tears. Looking up at the clock, she heaved a sigh to find it was almost eight o'clock at night. She needed to be home in a half an hour. Stretching and collecting her things, she moved for the door. Giving her neck one last crack, she shut the door behind her as quietly as possible as to not disturb the colt reading at the table next to the door. It was only after moving twenty or so feet that she stopped dead in her tracks, realizing who it was that put his book away, and stood to greet her. "Can we talk for a bit?" "No." Autumn, too tired to run, moved with a purpose, ignoring anything that came from Leo's mouth. "Can I show you something then?" "No." "Why don't you stop and list---" "No." He sighed, turning to his right and moving through a locked door using his Key. On Autumn's left, a door to her chemistry professor's study opened, and Leo stepped out of it, Key in hand. "Now listen to---" "No." He turned and went back through the door into the room. A few seconds later, a door directly to Autumn's right opened, Leo stepping out of it, attempting to get her attention with the same degree of failure. This process continued until Autumn's march was halted by Leo, who came out of the door leading out of the "Quiet Study Chambers" into the literal library. "Let me pass." Autumn was angry and didn't want to listen to anything Leo had to say. "Fine." Leo turned to the side and let her pass into the door he opened with his Key. Autumn moved past him, stopping when she found the library she spent most of her time in was replaced by an empty room. She turned, her facial expression quickly changing. She barged past Leo back out into the hallway and found that she had, in fact, gone the right way and that the door Leo stood by was, in fact, the door to the main antechamber of the library. "Will you listen to me now?" Leo moved into The Room and looked back at her. "What did you do with the library?" Autumn couldn't wrap her head around it. "Nothing. Will you come inside and let me talk to you?" "Only if you let me go home. Immediately afterward. Five minutes." "Five minutes it is, then." Cautiously, Autumn moved through the door, framed with light, and Leo quietly shut it behind her. The Room was rather large and empty, aside from an old bed and a pair of chairs. Dust clung in odd rectangles to the floor where Autumn assumed furniture used to rest. A large window covered most of the east wall, overlooking a glade of trees and a babbling brook. The sun sat outside this window at some hour after noon. "I don't get it." Autumn looked around while Leo brought the two chairs closer together, "Why is it so empty? And why did you make it look like mid-afternoon outside?" Leo looked at her like it was a silly pair of questions. "They took everything. And I didn't make the room look this way; this is just the time when The Event happened." "Who's they? And what event? You aren't making any sense." Leo paused at this, sitting on the chair in front of Autumn. "Wait... you don't know? Like you don't know anything?" "Anything about what?" Leo chuckled to himself at this. "You really don't know? You are Burgundy's flesh and blood and you know nothing?" "No! I don't know anything! Grandpa told me nothing and didn't want me involved in his research. I know nothing at all!" "Okay, okay, I'm sorry. I just figured... since you have the Ink Pot and all, you might have had some sort of plan or something." "Nope. This was just very important to Grandpa. That's why I have it." "Okay..." Leo put a hoof over his eyes and gestured to the chair, "We better start from the beginning. Have a seat." Unsure of how exactly she was to get out of this bizarre place without hearing him out, Autumn sat in the uncomfortable wooden chair. "What you have there... that Ink Pot, I mean... it's an Object." Autumn nodded. "I know that already. But what does that mean?" "All of the Objects belong in this Room. This is The Room where all of the Objects come from." "Why take them? What good does a moving Ink Pot do you?" Autumn was surprised to find that the Ink Pot was completely motionless when she removed the lid in an attempt to give a visual example. "Objects don't work in The Room." Leo didn't share in her surprise. "This is where they belong." "Belong? What do you mean? How did The Objects or whatever get their properties. I've been to the dean about it, and she said it wasn't magic." "You told the dean? What did you tell her?" This was big news, apparently. "I don't know... she had more to tell me than I had to tell her. Why? How about you start making sense." Leo nodded, looking out the window. "Alright, alright. I'll start from the beginning. This room, if you haven't already noticed, it's not normal, see? This room isn't actually part of reality at all." "What? Then how are we in it, right now?" "Nobody knows for sure how exactly this happened or how exactly it works. It's all theoretical." "We are in a theoretical room that doesn't exist." Autumn said flatly in disbelief. "Believe what you want, I'm only here to fill you in and get you up to speed. Anyways, we think this Room existed at one point, and then mysteriously ceased to exist. We call this The Event. Some people think the laws of physics simply broke, and this is their way of compensating. Some people think a Goddess died in this room." The air suddenly became quite serious at the talk of death. "All we know is that The Event caused The Room to cease to exist, and everything that was in The Room became Objects." "What do the objects do?" "All kinds of things. Every object is different and has different properties and behaviors. Let's see... you have The Ink Pot, but you already knows what it can do. I have The Key." He held up his large metal key, tag hanging off the back of it. "The Key goes to the room. Any door that has a door knob and a lock goes to The Room." "That's how you brought me here?" "Right. There's..." Leo searched his memory, "There's The Quill. Dangerous. The Quill can heat things up. Can boil water in a kettle with just a few scribbles." "What does that have to do with quills?" "What does scooting have to do with ink pots?" "Point taken." "Most of them don't do anything special. Like The Easel. A painting easel? It leaks. A little less than a gallon of clean water drips off The Easel over the process of a day." "What's the point of that?" "Who knows? Not only that, but objects do different things when you bring other objects close to them. Like the easel? If you bring The Lamp to The Easel, it gives you a kind of foresight, let's you see the future?" "That's surprisingly more useful. How many objects are there?" Leo shrugged. "Some people feel well over a hundred. I personally haven't the foggiest." "Over a hundred?" Autumn's imagination ran with all the different things that could have been in here. A question came up in her mind, though. "What does this have to do with me?" "The Objects... they attract each other. Like, they want to come back together." "Want? Are The Objects... alive?" "Again, all theoretical. Some people say it is all tied back to the Event. How do you think it was so easy for me to find you? All you have to do is follow your stomach." Autumn remembered the sickening feeling she felt and the odd sense of foreboding she had around The Ink Pot. "Anyways, there is a group called the Order of the Reunification." "Like a church?" "Hardly. The Order has devoted their lives to bringing all the objects back into The Room. Supposed to change the world or something." "Is that a bad thing?" "No. What's bad is they will do anything possible to get a hold of any Object they can get close to." The more she heard, the less Autumn liked her Grandfather's research. It didn't make any sense, and above all, sounded very dangerous. "I'm here because I wanted to warn you, because I think the Order is coming for The Ink Pot next." "Why my Ink Pot?" "Your grandfather was a Scribe. He made Object Maps. Meaning he discovered object combinations and recorded them. Scribes to this day are very difficult to come by. Anyways, your Grandfather held onto the Ink Pot very closely because he felt that you could use to it find specifically where The Room is." "Or is supposed to be?" "Right. He felt that using The Objects, you could find where The Room should be, and that has particular significance." "What else did you need? How did you know my Grandpa?" "Burgundy was certain you needed The Lamp, The Ink Pot, The Train Tickets, and The Photograph. He founded a group that dedicated itself to collecting all of The Objects... and destroying them." "Destroying them? Why?" "Think about it. Some people think these are pieces of God. What would you do for your own personal piece of the pony that made everything?" Autumn hadn't thought of that. "This is a lot heavier than you think it is. People have died for their Objects. I'm trying to help you. Burgundy felt you would be the one to take up his stead in collecting, and destroying all of the objects." It was here that Autumn stood and walked to the door. "Sorry. Grandpa kept me as far away from his work as possible. You must be mistaken. Time's up. How do I go home?" Leo, good to his word but still feeling defeated, explained. "Just imagine where you want to go when you open the door." "Take me home." Autumn said aloud to the door. Opening it after this, she found that she was across the street from her house, very late. "Be careful. Autumn." "I don't need your help." "...Fine." It was with this that the door to The Room (which was also the front door of Autumn's neighbor's house) swung shut, taking its soft glow with it, leaving Autumn confused and exhausted in the dark on her street.
Train TicketsAutumn poured herself into large, bound books in her private study. Anything she could find, any trace of information on the Order, or the Objects, or her grandfather. She never had noticed before how many books and books of newspaper clippings and random articles her grandfather kept in his study until now. As she scrupulously scanned each one, she looked for any clues her grandfather left her. Burgundy felt you would be the one to take up his stead in collecting, and destroying all of the objects. Leo's words echoed in her mind. If she really was in danger, if she was now wrapped up in this morbid Event and the Objects orbiting around it, she was going to do what she was known for: study. Hour after hour, tome after tome, Autumn hunted for some form of pattern, some form of formula that matched articles to anything else in the study. To her dismay, none of the articles had any coherence to each other at all. There was a large article about an agricultural foundation on one page, and a collection of clips from an obituary on the very next page, with none of the ponies even related or similar in either. Burgundy was not a disorganized man; Autumn knew there was a cipher or code to crack in here that she would find. She felt, that with each article she removed from the book, or each document she found amongst an article, she moved a step closer to who her grandfather really was. In all the years she lived with him, she came to find that she knew very little about him beyond the conversations they had and the anecdotes he told her. At the ruffling of paper behind her, Autumn turned to find Greed sitting on top of a collection of books she had pulled from the shelves. If memory served, she had left the green hard-cover book with the dean, Twilight Sparkle. She opened it to find a neatly folded note in the carved recesses of the book. We need to talk. I believe I have some information that may be relevant to your interests. --- Twilight Sparkle Autumn was surprised the book got to her so quickly. Given that the last note in it was most likely for her grandfather, which must have been years and years old, this one must be no more than a few days old, given that the last time Autumn spoke to the Dean was only a few days earlier. Packing up the tomes and clippings she had collected, Autumn moved for the door. When she opened it, Starshine stood in the doorway. "Um... Hi," Autumn had difficulty speaking to her after the Leo incident. "Listen...." Starshine tried to speak, but Autumn interrupted her. "I... have to go." Autumn moved past her and away for the deans office, leaving her foster-sister sad and confused in the hallway. Given all the new information she had about what she was apparently knee-deep in, Autumn wasn't sure how to approach Starshine anymore. If she was, in fact, a target for this Order of the Reunification, Autumn wasn't sure affiliating with anypony was a good idea. The last thing she wanted was for other people to be hurt because of her. Opening the door to the waiting room to the dean's office, the secretary looked up from a book and waved her in. "Mrs. Sparkle's been expecting you, Miss Fairbreeze." "Um... thanks..." Autumn moved directly for the door, knocking lightly. When she was ushered inside, Twilight acted almost surprised to see her. "Autumn! I'm glad you are here." "I.... uh.... got your note." Autumn put Greed on her desk. "Good! Good." Twilight, instead of taking Greed scribbled some notes in an open manilla folder on her desk. "So, what's the news?" "The note took approximately thirty-seven hours to reach you. Fascinating." "Is that the news?" Autumn wasn't really in the mood for being part of a science experiment. "Not quite. I've been accumulating as much information about the Objects after you told me what happened with Leo. Aside from the fact that information about the Objects is incredibly difficult to come by, I have found that Objects, or at least Greed is completely indestructible." Autumn fiddled with a salad she had packed for lunch during studies. "I've never seen anything like this before... I've spent two whole days trying to find out anything about Greed, and all I've found is that you can't damage an Object. You can't burn it, or tear it, or even stain it. My theory is that the objects can only stay in the state they were in during the Event." "I've been having difficulty finding out more information as well." "We can conclude, or at least that it is most likely that Objects don't change hands very often, or when they are, the dealings done are kept very secret to prevent news from going public." This didn't help Autumn much at all. Now Autumn knew she had her work cut out for her, which didn't especially surprise her. It was after a pause that Twilight spoke again, "The Event itself appears to be at the center of this." "We don't even know what the Event is." Autumn added, "It could have been anything..." "And it's believed that there are over a hundred Objects? Your grandfather's work was absolutely mind-boggling, Autumn." "I don't know..." Leo's words had hung on her with every moment she spent researching. The Room was still vivid in her mind, as if it had only happened a few hours ago. "This seems... really dangerous." Twilight nodded in understanding. The more she thought about it, the more that Autumn was afraid that her grandfather's death was, in some way, related to the Order of the Reunification. "Unfortunately, it appears you are involved, Autumn." She didn't like Autumn's uncomfortable position in this as much as Autumn didn't, "I fear that, even if you relinquished the Ink Pot to me, this Order will still come after you." "Because of Grandpa..." Autumn's voice trailed off. "Right..." Twilight wanted to change the subject, but this was Autumn's safety they were talking about. In the few days that they had spent together, Twilight had come to like the small earth-pony. "Is there anything you can remember from Burgundy's research? Anything at all that might give us a leg up in finding the Room?" Autumn shook her head. "Grandpa did his best to make sure I didn't get involved in his research. There were times when I wanted to help him, but he always said no. I realize now that I suppose this was for... my safety." "Autumn," Twilight leaned on her desk. "If you ever don't feel safe, if you ever need someplace to be, I will personally make sure that you are safe. You and I are a team now. You are involved, and, in turn, have gotten me involved, and I will see this through with you." Autumn revealed a rare smile at this, and Twilight knew that she had reached her. It was only after Autumn stopped speaking to her that Starshine realized the repercussions of her actions. Autumn only came home to go to sleep. Nopony saw her in class (except when she would drop off due work), and nopony saw her eating. Her bag, now overflowing with papers and newspaper clippings, inclined Starshine to believe that Autumn was as busy as ever, but not including anypony but herself in her little projects. Starshine cornered her multiple times at home, and was unable to get even a word out of her. Not even Leo, who had taken Autumn's empty seat at lunches, would relinquish any details. "We just... talked." Is all Leo would say. "We talked and then she left. She wasn't interested." This was much to Prissy's displeasure, because gossip was one of her favorite topics. "We need to know what she's doing." Prissy couldn't contain herself one lunch. "Star, you have to go through her bag and find out what she's working on." This made Starshine spray juice all over the table. "Autumn is mad enough at me as it is. I'm not going to go through her things." "If we knew," Cream set down a sundae glass, "We could help her and reconnect." "It would be a clever insight," Leo added. "You all are horrible!" Starshine couldn't believe what she was hearing. "If she found out, she would hate all of us!" "Star," Prissy grabbed her hoof from across the table. "We need to know what's on her mind. What if she is thinking... dangerous thoughts?" The table became very quiet at this. "You don't mean..." Cream put down a chocolate strawberry, attention now on the task at hand. "She is showing the signs." Prissy was confident in her psychology education. Starshine was silent. She refused to imagine the scenario playing out in her mind. Although she was curious, she didn't want to betray the trust of someone she considered close enough to be her sister. Prissy did have a point though. It would be for her own safety, a necessity as an older sister to take care of this. They needed to know, and Starshine would be the pony to find out for them. Even though the night physically was unlike any other Starshine could remember, the thickness of the air choked and gagged her. Starshine prided herself on being something similar to a pure soul, and now that record would be tarnished forever. It was long after Autumn had returned to bed and retired for the evening. Starshine rolled over, watching the bed across the room as her eyes adjusted to the darkness. The lump under the covers was motionless. If there would be a time to do this, now would be it. Careful to not stir Autumn, Starshine rolled out of bed and tip-hoofed out the door. Moving slowly down the stairs, she could picture in her mind the exact spot Autumn's bag would be in. The small corner table by the door, as old as the house, was where Autumn dropped off all of her things when she got home. Starshine eased down the stairs, flinching at every little sound she could hear in her increased awareness of the night. Once the ground floor came into view, Starshine was surprised to find the kitchen light was on. Starshine knew her parents, and knew that unless something was wrong they should both be in bed. This new complication worried Starshine. If her parents were awake, she would have to be extra quiet getting down the stairs to the entrance way. Moving as quickly as she could without making any noise, Starshine bee-lined for the entrance table, stopping to find the bag was missing. She could picture it, the same spot it was always in, and there was no bag there. Where could it be? Autumn froze at a noise in the kitchen. It sounded almost as if someone was rifling through her fridge. This made Starshine's skin crawl. Not a single word could be heard from the kitchen or living room, so who, pray tell, was in the kitchen? Starshine inched to the corner, heart racing. She peeked cautiously around the corner to find the tail end of Autumn sticking out of the fridge, a small pile of food in a suitcase next to her book bag on the table. "Autumn?" The figure froze. Autumn rose from the fridge, jelly jar in hoof, as if she was being stuck-up by robbers. "Starshine..." "You... you're leaving?" Starshine was hurt, and above all, confused. "Where will you go?" "I need to go home." "Why? ...I'm sorry I forced you to talk to that Leo colt. That was wrong. I don't want you to leave. I've been so worried about you. I never see you anymore." Autumn looked away. "its... hard to explain." "I don't want you to leave, Autumn." "I have to." "Why? Is it me? Is it my friends? I can find a way to make it work between us." "It's... it's not safe." "Not safe? Autumn, you're scaring me. I don't want you to go anywhere." Starshine began to tear up. "I'm afraid, Autumn. I don't want you to do this." "I have to, Starshine. This... this is what my grandpa died for." Starshine stopped. "What?" "This... this is something he needed me to do. The more I've been working on his studies, the more I feel that this is what I'm meant to do. It's hard to explain." Starshine was having difficulty piecing her thoughts together. "So... you... aren't... going to kill... yourself?" Autumn sat at the table, putting a hoof to her face. "No... where in the hay did you get that idea?" "I was afraid! You've been so distant, and not eating, and not talking to anypony, and I've just been so afraid..." Out of nowhere, Starshine ran to her, holding Autumn close. "Starshine..." Autumn sighed. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you worry. This is important to me." "Well," Starshine relinquished Autumn's cracking collar bone, "If it's important to you, it's important to me." Starshine closed the suitcase full of food and stood to leave, wiping the tears from her face. "I'm coming with you." "What?" Autumn put the suitcase on the table. "You are not. It's too dangerous." "That's exactly why I'm going with you." Starshine held the suitcase in the air, primed to throw it at Autumn. "Okay! Okay... we have to go then, I guess. Like right now. The bus is leaving in less than an hour." Starshine knew close to nothing about Burgundy, making the bus ride out of town in the wee hours of the morning awkward to say the least. As they moved out of town, Starshine felt she really had no idea what she was getting herself into. Where was Burgundy's estate? What would they do when they got there? And what, pray tell, were they looking for, if they were looking for anything at all? "Look, it's like this..." Autumn could see the confusion on Starshine's face. "We are looking for an indestructible Object that is possibly a piece of God and need it to find the room where all the Objects came from." "Ah." Starshine nodded, looking out the window, "As long as you... uh... know what we're doing, then I'm good." It was about three in the morning when they reached the Burgundy estate. "You lived here? You could fit five or six of my house in here." "Meh. When you only stay in one or two rooms, it doesn't seem that big." Autumn was glad to find that her key for the gate still worked, and that the gate was still locked. After coming up the drive, Autumn was disconcerted to find that the front door was literally missing. She poked her head inside the foyer to find that the manor was thrashed. Every single piece of furniture was broken or cracked or beaten in some way. "What happened here?" The sight made Starshine's skin crawl. "Most likely the Order." "The Order?" "A cult looking for the Objects. Objects are indestructible remember? An Object could be anything. So..." Autumn stopped at a painting of her grandfather and herself, "They had to break everything to find them." "Anything could be an object?" "Anything." Careful to avoid the massive splinters of painting frames and destroyed furniture, they made their way to the library and Burgundy's study. The study was worse in particular than what they saw of the house. It looked as if every page was torn from every book and strewn about the floor. Autumn moved over to Burgundy's desk and stood where his favorite chair should have been. She looked around, rifling through the piles of papers on the desk. Each paper on the desk had a different sized circle and collection of lines. "This is a map. All these pages are all one giant Object Map." "Aut---" "Why would they leave these here, though?" "An elementary trap, perhaps?" Autumn spun on her hooves to find pegasus in a black suit and bowler hat, Starshine clutched around the neck by his slender hooves. A gray aura hung a quill to her temple, poised. "Let her go." "Not likely, Autumn Fairbreeze. Not while you are on the wrong side." Autumn watched him as he dragged Starshine by the neck about the room, the quill unmoving from its position on her temple. "I'd sit tight, if I were you, miss. The Quill will turn her to steak in a matter of seconds." "Who are you?" "Henry J. Fate, high priest of The Order of the Reunification," He nodded, the gray aura tipping his hat to her, "I have a proposition that you would be keen to listen in on." He paused, waiting for a response, and went on. "You see, we want the same thing, Miss Fairbreeze. You want the Objects and this Room nonsense out of your life, and I want all the Objects." "What for?" "To be God. What else? I could recreate Equestria as I see fit. I could bring back the dead from the grave, I could bring the Allicorns to their knees." "That's sick." "I figured you'd say that. Let me make this simple, then. Give me the Ink Pot and Greed, Vol.2 and I'll spare your friend's life. It's either that, or I cook your pretty sister here." "I don't have Greed. I left it with... a reliable source." Henry rolled his eyes. "Well, that makes things complicated, doesn't it?" The Quill began to scratch across the side of Starshine's face, and she howled with pain. "Stop! Please, stop!" Autumn didn't know what to do. "Is there something I can do for you instead?" "Hmmm..." Henry pretended to think while Starshine turned pink in the face. "Do you have something in mind?" Autumn didn't have a response to this. She literally had nothing to offer Henry for the safety of her sister. Before she could offer a response, Henry disappeared. Starshine collapsed to the floor, gasping for air. Just behind where he stood was Leo, a string of Train Tickets in hoof. "Sorry to get you off track, Mr. Fate." "Maybe you should save the train pun for before you disintegrate him." Autumn said flatly. "Oh, he's fine. I just sent him to a train station about four or five days from here." "Why there?" "Train Tickets don't send anypony anywhere else." "I'm fine guys... don't help me up..." Starshine rolled onto her stomach, catching her breath. Autumn helped her up, and they sat at the remains of a table in the dining room. "Thanks for the save..." Starshine was finally able to compose herself. Leo nodded. "We're a team." He patted her on the back, looking over at Autumn. "You can't do this yourself. You need our help." "We're a team." Autumn agreed. If it wasn't for Leo's save... she didn't want to think about it. "So what do we do now?" Starshine, happy to have her sister back, asked her. "Well, we have this." She dumped the Object Map on the table. "I imagine we start with this."
