Pinkamena's Tribulation

Chapters

0. Prologue
1. Flight
2. Pieces
3. Authority
5. Baltimare
6. Discoveries
7. Limbo
8. Battles
9. Changes
4. Down

0. Prologue

Author's Note

Welcome to the new, completely rewritten Pinkamena's Tribulation! If you're new here, carry on.

If not, I hope you enjoy the new stuff, and thanks for your continued readership! Chapters 0-2 are the most affected by the changes. Also, check my blog for more information about this.

Massive thanks to my prereader, Orlunu, for whipping this all into shape.

0. Prologue

The rock farm, while a place of labor and its associated pains in the daytime, was generally a place of peace and quiet at night. The Pie family’s small homestead was the only residence for miles, and they maintained a strict policy of work from dawn to dusk, then dinner and promptly to bed. Aside from the middle daughter’s recent project that lasted through the night, all could generally be counted on to be neatly tucked into their beds before the purple glow of twilight had given way to the deep black of night.

This evening, however, was not so gentle. A howl whipped out of the small cabin, loud enough to be heard in the next town, and uncharacteristic light blared from its modest, shaded windows.

Inside, two worried parents hovered cautiously over the source of the noise: a small, pink filly thrashing about wildly, blankets crumpled in a pile beside her.

“Wake up, Pinka-Pink...ie!” Igneous Pie growled, thrusting his hoof deep into the filly’s side. “You must wake up!”

“Maybe,” his wife whispered, “it’s all those parties? She hasn't taken a break to work for weeks. It's just fun, fun, fun, fun, fun.”

Igneous grunted. “Cutie mark’s a cutie mark. Can't stop her from doin' what she's destined. Just gotta….just gotta deal with it. Disappointment or not.”

“Maybe. But... she’s been, well, so happy all the time. She’s just….it’s not like our little Pinkamena…”

“She’s not our Pinkamena anymore, dear. She’s her own pony; hay, she’ll be a mare soon enough.” Igneous rocked his wailing daughter once again.

Cloudy shook her head. “I know, I just...somethin' about it don't seem natural."

“She’s fine!” His voice rose to a thunderous growl, Turning back towards his daughter, he clopped his hooves together forcefully. “Pinkie! Wake up! Now!”

“Igneous, ya ain’t gonna get her to wake up. How many nights have we gone through this now?”

His shoulders sagged, a reluctant sigh escaping his lips. “You’re right; I know….”

“We should take her back to Ponyville tomorrow.” A stern, decisive look crossed the mare’s face. “After all, they did say it might take time to get the dose right...”

“Those mules don’t know nothin...now, if we had a unicorn doctor run some tests—”

“Don't you dare call Dr. Stone a mule! His family's been treatin' ours for generation. And there ain’t gonna be any unicorn witchery comin’ near my daughter!”

“M-mom?” Pinkie blinked the last tears from her eyes as her parents turned away from their argument to address her.

“Pinkamena! Good—”

“C-c-can I sleep with you tonight?”

Igneous looked down at his daughter with as much gentleness as he could muster. “Pinkie, I—”

"Absolutely not." Cloudy pounded the ground with a hoof. “You’ll get through this on your own, young mare.”

“B-b-but….”

“No buts." Her mothers tone left no room for argument. "Now, let's put the lights out. The rest of us need to sleep too, you know…”

“Yooooo hoooooo. Anypony home?” Pinkie's knocks echoed from the large, oaken door as she frantically rapped her hoof against it for the third time that morning. Today was the day; she knew it. She’d set four different alarms just to make sure she’d have enough time, and she could feel it as soon as she woke up. She was so excited, she’d tossed her bedside table across the room as she flew out of bed, setting off a few of her hidden emergency streamers in the process.

Which was perfect.

Because today would be the day; and it was worth celebrating. Even though grumpy-wumpy Mr. Cake didn’t seem to agree. He wouldn’t even crack an itty-bitty smile at breakfast.

It didn’t matter. Today would be the day, and everything would be perfect.

A series of loud thumps could be heard from inside, followed by a sound not unlike glass shattering. The door gave a little shake, and then its upper half slowly creaked open.

“Pinkie,” Twilight blinked, her mane frayed in twenty different directions, “do you even know what time it is?”

Pinkie took a deep breath. This was going to take work. But that was alright; she'd prepared her widest, most sincere grin for this very moment. “Yeperooni! Buuuuuuut,” she squeezed Twilight’s muzzle between her hooves, “it’s never too early to check on a good friend.”

The frazzled unicorn scowled, pushing her hooves firmly into Pinkie's chest as she extracted herself from her friend’s grasp. Her lips began to move, words barely forming, rumbling out from a deep place inside of her. "Check up...good friend...never..."

"Oooh! That's a cool trick, Twilight!" Pinkie beamed at her frazzled companion. "For a second there, I thought you'd been possessed by an eldritch abomination from Tartarus."

Twilight looked up, quirking an eyebrow.

"Well, it does happen, you know. There was this one time, Maud got possessed, and started chanting evil curses in ancient Equiish." She leaned towards Twilight conspiritorially, licking her teeth shrewdly. "We threw rocks at her until it came out!"

Twilight's jaw slammed into the wooden frame of the closed half-door, cringing in pain as a pink hoof brought it back to it's normal position.

"Maybe that's why..." Pinkie looked up, her eyes grey and distant. "Nah."

"B-but...came out? You mean, you-you saw an eldritch abomination from Tartarus!?"

"Totally! He even gave us candy once he got out."

Twilight's eyes rolled. "Let me guess, rock candy?"

Pinkie bit her lip, stifling a giggle as she mussed Twilight's mane with a hoof. "No, you silly filly. Maud and I make that. He gave us pflaghntaghn!"

"Pfl...what?" Twilight blinked. "You know what. No. I-I'm not doing this. It's too early."

"Okie dokie lokie. Anyway, you'll have to teach me that trick sometime."

"Some other time." Her breath snorted through her nostrils. “Anyway, I'm fine, so I think this check-up can be called complete. Well, I was fine, until somepony decided to wake me up at 5 AM!”

Her eyes narrowed until they were nearly hidden by the folds of her wrinkled forehead. Pinkie knew she shouldn't laugh, since her friend was clearly really, really angry, but a little smile wouldn't hurt.

“5 AM?” A silent pause, and then Pinkie giggled again. “Silly filly, it’s not 5—it’s 4! Oh—but, I didn’t mean you, anyway! I actually came over to check on Rainbow Dash.”

Twilight’s face promptly met her hoof with a solid thud.

“Pinkie…”

“Well, is she here?” Pinkie stretched her neck through the doorway far as it would extend, her eyes bulging from her face as she peered around her friend. Stacks of books in neat (and not-so-neat) piles were abundant, but none in the shape of a rainbow-maned pegasus.

“Have you seen her? Do you know where she is?”

Twilight’s breathing quickened audibly, and, planting both forehooves on Pinkie’s shoulders, shoved the mare off of her in a swift motion.

“No, she isn’t here!”

Twilight’s ears swiveled around as they picked up a groan from upstairs, the annoyance written on her face doubling with the sound.

“Uh...everything okay, Twilight? What’s Pinkie—”

“Yes. Everything is fine, Spike,” she hissed, turning back to Pinkie.

“As for you,” she poked her friend in the chest with a hoof, “I haven’t seen Rainbow Dash, I don’t know where she is, and I don’t want you in my house at 5 in the morning!"

"Oh."

"Pinkie," Twilight raised an eyebrow, rubbing a bleary eye with her forehoof, "are you feeling okay? You've been acting a little strange since Rainbow Dash—"

"Super-duper-looper!" Pinkie's lip twitched as her unfailing grid spread wider.

"Well, in that case: Go home!”

Twilight’s horn burst to life, and Pinkie felt herself lift into the air briefly. Before she could even say “Cupcakes”, though, she was flying through the air, her muzzle burying itself deep into the grass outside. Behind her, a mutter of ‘Gah! Morning ponies!’ was followed by a slam loud enough to shake the ground she was embedded in.

“Huh. Oh well!”

Pinkie bounced up, hopping back down the path with almost the same amount of hoppity-hop as when she'd come, her mane nearly as frizzy as when she'd arrived.

Fluttershy blinked, her hooves glued to the floor.

“Oh n-no,” Fluttershy finally stammered, her eyes darting between the pink mare and the kettle before her, “I haven’t seen her, actually."

She swallowed, a heavy lump slithering slowly down her throat. Taking in a deep breath, she turned away from Pinkie Pie, gesturing towards the steaming teapot. "Um...would-would you like some tea?”

“No, I wouldn’t like some tea!” Pinkie huffed, her eyes wide and wild.

"Oh," she whispered, shrinking to the ground, "O-okay."

Hazarding another look at her friend only heightened her sense of panic, as Pinkie's cheeks flamed in a way Fluttershy had only had seen a hoofful of times before. She edged towards the kettle, taking it up in her mouth, and silently slid along the wall towards the kitchen.

Even as she did, the fur pricked on the back of her neck; she could feel Pinkie's unrelenting gaze boring through her. Another cold lump down her throat, she turned once more, the metal handle clinking against her teeth.

In response, Pinkie lunged towards the yellow pegasus, pressing her back against the wall as Pinkie shoved their muzzles together aggressively. “I’d like," she huffed, "somepony... to... tell me where Rainbow Dash is!”

“Oh...oh…um…” Fluttershy shuffled sideways, rolling her tail between her hooves, “I’m...sorry. But I really haven’t seen her. Have you tried…”

“I’ve tried everypony! And they all said exactly what you did!" Pinkie paused, looking up thoughtfully. "It just...doesn’t make any sense.”

Seemingly calmed (or, at least, distracted) for now, Fluttershy slipped around the corner, where two unmatched cups waited for her on a quaint rustic table. Gently, she tilted the kettle up, one eye towards the main room as the water trickled out. “Well,” she offered, “maybe Rainbow Dash just wants some alone time?”

“Rainbow Dash? Alone?” Pinkie screeched, snatching a cup from Fluttershy.

Fluttershy’s eyes locked on the clear liquid sloshing around the inside of the cup Pinkie had appropriated. “Oh, but I haven’t—”

Pinkie tipped her head back, draining the vessel of its contents.

“Mmmmmmm,” she smiled, “What variety is this? Foal Gray?”

“Ummm—”

“Doesn’t matter! I just—want to know where Dashie is…”

Fluttershy cocked her head, gazing deeply into her friends darkening eyes.

“Oh, Pinkie, um…”

Pinkie wrapped her forelegs tightly around herself, her body swaying like a flag in the breeze.

“You….you don’t think she’s forgotten about us, do you?” Pinkie sniffled, setting the cup down gently in front of her. She slouched over, her mane nearly thoroughly deflated.

“Pinkie, why would you think that?” Hesitantly, Fluttershy shuffled beside the distraught mare, draping a wing over her limp body.

“Well...she just, she went away like that, didn’t even tell anypony why or where she was going. And she hasn’t come back or even responded to the letters I’ve been sending her!”

“Oh Pinkie,” the pegasus cooed uncertainly, rubbing her muzzle against her friend’s. After seeming to hesitate for a moment, she continued. “Don’t worry too much. She...she hasn’t forgotten any of, um, us.”

Fluttershy pinched her bottom lip between her teeth, her eyes dancing as she monitored her friend’s unmoving frame.

She was shocked backwards as a pink hoof collided with the the floor in front of her, her green eyes wide.

"See, I'm no good to anypony!" Pinkie's voice screeched, her pink form wavering. "Nopony wants a stinky-Pinkie saddy-waddy-pants around."

“I….she’s done this before, Pinkie…” she swallowed, feeling the mare’s chest deflate beside her. Her eyes darted briefly to the window, where the first stars were just beginning to shine their light on Equestria. “But...if...if it’s that important to you, I’ll fly to her house, or even all the way back to Cloudsdale tomorrow and track her down for you.”

“You….you’d do that for me?” Pinkie shifted, turning to look Fluttershy in the eyes.

“What wouldn’t I do for a friend?” the pegasus shrugged, a weak smile flitting across her muzzle.

Fluttershy’s eyes snapped wide open as she found herself suddenly wrapped in the tight grip of Pinkie’s forelegs.

“Fluttershy, you’re the greatest!” Pinkie smiled through the tears in her eyes, unceremoniously dumping the pegasus to the ground and bounding out of the small cottage as though nothing had happened.

“Oh, um, you’re welcome,” Fluttershy muttered to herself, slumping against the door as it slid closed with a click.

Pinkie Pie’s eyes snapped open, her heart drumming a heavy beat against her skull. Hastily, she pulled them shut once more. In her long-practiced way, she sucked in a long, thick breath, holding it to the count of ten, then release. As long as she kept the rhythm going, the echoes of the nightmare would fade back into the black of night, and rest would come shortly thereafter.

Though it would be much easier if she wasn’t so cold. Reaching down to pull her blankets more tightly against her, she stiffened as instead of the fluffy comforter she’d expected, her hoof only contacted wet, sticky fur.

Her wet, sticky fur.

Her breath stopped, frozen in her chest by an icy lance, her whole body shivering uncontrollably.

“C-c’mon, P-Pinkie,” she squeaked to herself, “giggle at the ghostly.”

She felt as though Equestria itself held its breath as she peeled back an eyelid, letting out the start of a shriek before clamping her muzzle closed.

Above her, flame roiled about, it’s glow eerily illuminating the nearest edges of the pink envelope around it and casting shadows in all directions around her.

“Shhh, Pinkie,” a familiar voice murmured, drawing her attention suddenly downward…

...to the round edges of a bubbly-glass window, which caught the stray beams of light and reflected them out in all directions. The window had been pushed open a hair from the cloud walls around it, apparently to let the fall breeze flow through.

She lifted a hoof towards her temple, the pounding in her head now accompanied by a high whine.

This is bad, she thought, really—yeeeowch!

Her eyes widened with surprise as a metallic ting could be heard as an object she didn’t know she’d been holding flew from her hooves and fell to….wherever things fall to when they fall from high up.

It sounded like a question for Twilight.

Or Dashie, she thought sadly, grinding her hoof against the warm, wet spot, her snout wrinkling at the odd, squishy texture. Pulling it back, she could see in the dim light that it was wet, moistened by something dark, but reddish.

“Nope,” she murmured to herself, her mouth drawing tight in terror, “I was wrong. This isn’t bad. This is terrible!”

1. Flight

Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.

2. Pieces

“Daddy, help!”

The filly’s shrieks shattered the night, echoing against the walls of the small cottage. A lantern flickered to life, and a lump of icy steel settled in Igneous’ gut as the haze of sleep was shaken from his mind.

In front of him, a pink blur tore at his youngest daughter, who lay prone on her bed. Wide gashes ran the length of her body, seams of torn, ragged flesh marring her perfect silver coat. She’d raised her forelegs up defensively, the right hoof now twisted unnaturally at the fetlock, pointing directly towards the ceiling.

“Pinkamena!” The powerful shout rose out of him of his own accord, his chest alive with fire, but his hooves seemed held fast by shock. One of the girls behind him let out a startled squeak, but Pinkie seemed unfazed, continuing her assault mercilessly. Her father flinched, blood spurting from between Marble’s lips as another hoof met its mark. Leaping powerfully, he soared over their heads, spinning on his hooves to place himself between the two.

“Please, Pinkamena, stop this,” he panted, his voice a thin growl that barely hid the threat beneath his words. Her ears pricked, swiveling towards him, and for a moment all he could hear was the heart beating in his ears. Barely able to control his shaking legs, he brought his hoof under her chin, pushing her gaze up to meet his own.

Her frenzy paused, the dilated orbs seemed to stare right through him, holding his throat tight from the inside. A tittering laugh, unsteady and sharp, began pouring from her lips, fragile droplets forming in the corners of her eyes. Moving towards her with his other foreleg outstretched, he hazarded a look down at Marble.

Instantly, he heard a loud crack, his vision blanking as a hoof smashed against his skull, and he stumbled backward, barely staying upright. Reopening his eyes, Pinkamena stood before him with a predatory smile, her teeth fully bared. He panted a breath in, his teeth chattering angrily against each other.

He had no choice.

Setting his jaw, he flew into the fray, the stifled sound of his wife’s sobs trailing behind him.

As he leapt towards her, his daughter turned around, leaning onto her forelegs.

She bucked, striking directly in his soft underbelly, and he flew onto his back, hot pain spreading through his hindquarters. Igneous groaned loudly, the spittle on his lips foaming.

After barely a moment to catch his breath, the pink mass flew at him once more, her hooves aimed squarely at his chest, but his large, strong leg was more than enough to deflect her small body. Rolling over, he pinned her under a firm hoof as he sat up.

“Pinkamena, why?” Hot tears flowed down his face, as he pressed more firmly against her, her hoofstrikes flying only inches from his muzzle. “What monster has gotten into your head?”

She smiled, an eerie hiss escaping her lips, then she turned her head and sank her teeth into her father’s leg.

The response response was immediate; his other hoof smashed down against her face, and she fell limply to the floor.

Cloudy brought her hoof up to her mouth.

“Oh no,” she gasped, her voice crackling like a dry leaf in the wind.

Haltingly, Igneous shuffled his forelegs under the slack body, raising it to his firm chest.

“We’ll,” he swallowed, the stone in his throat unmoving, “take her in the morning.”

Three pairs of eyes pleaded with him, as if he could unmake the last half hour.

He forced a cough, then squared his jaw. “They need a doctor; both of ‘em. The trains don’t run ‘till sunup, and Ponyville’s a day’s walk at least.”

They were wrong, the words that fell from his burning tongue. He didn’t know what else they should be, but in his heart, he knew in that moment that he had failed his family. He looked at what was left of them, three bodies huddled close to one another, quaking furiously. Maud and Limestone had each pressed their bodies tightly against their mother’s flank, while Marble rested unpeacefully in her mother’s arms. Her breaths came in short, sudden bursts, shuddering out with a loud rattle that struck cold iron into his heart.

He looked down at the pink filly in his arms, his eyes firm, but glassy.

“For now, all we can do is rest.”

Pinkie’s eyes split apart slowly, unsealing with an audible click. Bright sunlight flooded her vision, blinding her momentarily. She pulled in a shallow breath through her nostrils, a salty-sour smell flooding her senses. Tossing her head to shake the cobwebs from her head only caused the tight feeling in her chest to worsen, and she slumped over her hooves.

Suddenly, her body lurched, and red-stained fluid spilled from her mouth, trailing down her chin and pooling beneath her.

A loud, high-pitched whistle still echoed in her ears, but she peeled her eyelids apart again, gazing at the unfocused blue expanse around her. Beyond the envelope of the hot air balloon above her, the sun blazed down; though it had been pitch black the last time she’d been aware, it now was easily past midday.

Additionally, based on the blue she found below her as well as above, it seemed the balloon had carried her out to sea. Needles jabbed into the soft flesh of her neck as she twisted around, but in every direction, all that could be seen was water. Each direction she checked, the deep blue of the ocean blended with the lighter blue of the sky, the horizon a thin, fuzzy, unbreakable line between them.

Pinkie looked down, her heart sinking as she did. The dark maroon crust painted over her body was an unavoidable reminder of the events of the night prior.

At least, of the portions of that she could remember at all. From hoof to forelock, broad patches of carmine hid her natural cheery pink. Lifting a foreleg, she gingerly scraped the tip of her hoof against one of these, which flaked apart at her barest touch. After discovering that, it’d felt like an hour had passed before she could move again.

Maybe it had. In the darkest hours, who could tell, really, how much time had passed.

At first, when she realized that it was Rainbow Dash of all ponies who was only a few hooves away from her, she’d worried that maybe she was where all the blood came from, that in her night terror she’d destroyed the pony she cared for most. But, eventually, she realized that Rainbow was safe.

It wasn’t a hard decision to leave.

Though, she thought as a droplet formed in the corner of her eye, maybe it should have been.

She took in another shaking breath, ignoring the flash of white in her mind for the moment. She didn’t know much about ponies or being a doctor or anything not-silly like that, but she did know that this was a lot of blood.

Did she...had she...could she kill a pony?

What if it was one of her friends?

She hadn’t even been able to check that they were all okay.

She squared her hooves beneath her. Even if her friends didn’t want to be her friends anymore, they were still her friends, and they shouldn’t pay for her mistakes.

But, on the other hoof, what was done was done, and there wasn’t much she could do about it.

But, she thought, holding up a third hoof, she didn’t even know where Equestria was right now, not to mention Ponyville.

And, bringing up a fourth hoof, she considered that, regardless, it would all be just as painful for them.

And besides…Dashie…would never forgive her now...and then she'd never be happy again. And if she wasn't happy, well...she just wouldn't be Pinkie anymore.

Her mane deflated even more, tears pooling in her eyes. Shaky hooves pressed against the flexible wicker of the basket, the air around flowing past her as she rose.

Suddenly, hot pain struck through her skull, the world spinning around her. The bright sunlight bleached the world away until she found herself in a world of white, darkness closing in from the edges. Though she couldn’t see it, she felt something jabbing uncomfortably into her chest right before everything went black.

When Twilight Sparkle reappeared in a flash of magic, she was back in Rainbow Dash’s foalhood bedroom.

She cringed, the electric hum still lingering in her mind. Three long distance teleports in the span of a few minutes was a lot, even for her, and her body was fighting back now.

To her amazement, Rainbow Dash lay huddled across the room from her: somehow, her flight was even quicker than Twilight’s magic.

Twilight allowed herself a smirk as she realized that her prismatic-maned friend, oblivious as always, hadn’t even noticed her not-so-subtle entrance, before taking an assertive step in her direction. She lifted a hoof to scratch her mane slowly, when a low hum made its way to her ears. Was Rainbow Dash...talking to herself?

Twilight paused, her vision trained on the cyan mare, who at that moment unexpectedly thrust her hoof into her eye.

“Uh, Rainbow—”

Rainbow Dash frowned, not turning around.

“Can’t you see I’m busy here?” she snapped.

It was Twilight’s turn to frown, stepping closer to her friend. Her eyes narrowed as she inspected the curled figure.

“We need to get back to Ponyville. Princess Luna herself is going to lead the investigation, and she’s bringing a squad of her best Night Guard to assist. She’s supposed to arrive any minute now, and she’s going to need my report on what we know so far.”

Rainbow’s frown deepened to a scowl, sinking a hoof deep into the floor of her room.

“Great, Twilight. Why don’t you go do your little princess-y thing, then.”

It wasn’t a question. The taste of iron began to fill Twilight’s mouth, several seconds passing before she her jaw slipped open enough to let her mauled lip out from between her teeth. Closing her eyes, she took a deep draught of air, reopening them as she let it whistle out her lips.

“I-I know today has been upsetting for you: it has been for all of us,” she said as evenly as she could, “but I think we should all be there…”

Rainbow Dash shot into the air, her wings flapping fiercely as she hovered.

“Why do we have to wait for another princess?” she spat, a crackle as her hooves crushed together. “We’re the ones who fix problems around here.”

“This is different, Rainbow,” she took wing herself, eye-to-eye with her counterpart. “We deal with threats to Equestria, and even then, only when Celestia—Princess Celestia—tells us to. This...is more of a criminal investigation—”

“You’re talking about our friend, in case you forgot. And she is—c-could be—” Rainbow’s eyes suddenly darted downward, towards a crumpled ball of paper beneath her, “in danger.”

“What do you mean? And,” the ball hovered between them in a fuschia bubble, “what’s this?”

Rainbow’s eyes went wide, her hooves shooting out for the paper, only for it to be a foot higher.

“Mine! Twilight, give that back. Now,” Rainbow’s face glowed with anger.

“Not until you tell me what it is,” the alicorn smiled, the paper dancing neatly above their heads.

Rainbow’s face hardened with determination, and she darted for her target, which easily flashed away from her grasp. A crinkling sound beneath her drew her attention downward, where she found a familiar letter unfolding itself directly, held fast in Twilight’s magic. Her lips suddenly felt parched, and she found herself frozen momentarily. Her heart jackhammered against her sternum as she watched the mare’s eyes dart from left to right, widening with each word they passed over.

“NO!” she broke the silence loudly, her words echoing against the walls of the small cloud chamber.

Twilight’s magic imploded instantly, her attention drawn towards the pegasus slicing through the air, hurtling herself into the paper fluttering downward hooves-first with enough force to push her back onto her rear.

“Rainbow Dash! You didn’t tell me you had a letter from—”

Rainbow shoved her snout directly into her friend’s, her heart still pounding furiously in her chest. Pinkie Pie had chosen, for whatever reason, to write to her and only her about what had happened the previous night. She’d even gone so far as to make Rainbow Pinkie Pie promise she wouldn’t tell anypony what the letter said.

Even though Pinkie could never know she’d made the promise (well, maybe; Pinkie Pie would be Pinkie Pie, after all), and even though breaking it would prove to Twilight that Pinkie was innocent (kind of), Rainbow still, paradoxically, intended to keep it.

“You had no right to read this,” she growled, her friends eyes shrinking to pinpricks as she glared. “For whatever reason, this is between me and Pinkie.”

Twilight shuffled backwards, her mouth twisted with emotion. “But...it could be important for the investigation!”

“Yeah, an investigation against our friend!” Rainbow set her jaw, her chin quivering. “I, I, I can’t believe you, Twilight! After all we’ve been through together, and...and you’re willing to just throw Pinkie away like a used hayburger wrapper!”

Twilight suddenly seemed to find her hooves interesting, liquid inching up the corners of her eyes as Dash flapped towards her.

“I never thought I’d see the day when being a princess was more important to you than being a friend.”

“I…” Twilight dug at an eye with her fetlock, her voice cracking. “I’m sorry, Rainbow Dash. But this time, we have to do it the official way.”

“Maybe you do,” Rainbow smirked, “but I’m going to do this my way. Fast.”

As Twilight opened her mouth to respond, she found herself once again frustratingly left to respond only to the sharp end of Rainbow’s signature contrail. Her head drooped down slowly, a single tear falling from her muzzle and freezing against the thick cloud floor. With a resigned sigh, she lit her horn disappearing in a purple flash.

When Pinkie Pie opened her eyes, she was falling.

At least, it seemed like falling. At first, anyway. It was a little strange, as she couldn't feel any wind, or even feel like she was gaining any speed. But there was no basket below her, nor any ground or anything else for that matter, so she had to be falling. Unless...

Pinkie Pie looked up.

"Oh, hi Dashie!" she chirped, wide grin across her face, "How'd you get here?"

Rainbow Dash did not speak. She flapped her wings slowly, just enough to stay aloft, but otherwise simply looked forward. Her eyes were devoid of all expression, her mouth set in a grim line.

"Hm," Pinkie remarked casually to herself, "That's odd, Dashie always likes talking to Pinkie! Well, maybe Dashie's just mad about some of the things Pinkie told her."

"Dashie! Are. You. Mad. At. Me?" she shouted upwards.

Rainbow Dash still hovered stoically above her.

"Rainbow Dash, I understand if you're mad at me. I'm mad at me, too. I even understand if...if...if you don't want to be my friend anymore. Really, you should probably just drop me, but I know you could never do that. So. Why don't you take us somewhere, Dashie? This place is really boring."

Rainbow Dash's eyes shot down toward the pink mare held in her forelimbs. She appeared unmoved, but directed her eyes upwards, and took off as if fired from a cannon.

"Dashie? Um. Are you sure we don't want to go, like, down or something? I mean, where are you going to take us? Space or something? Silly Dashie. Ponies can't live in..."

Pinkie Pie cut herself off, her eyes growing wide. The bland, white nothingness they'd been hovering in was rapidly being replaced by a black void. Slowly, she saw pinpricks of light begin to take shape in the darkness.

"Dashie," she chuckled nervously, "We're not really going to space, are we?"

Pinkie grimaced far too widely and looked behind them, watching their world shrink away as they flew until it was little more than a marble of blue and green. Turning forward again, the moon loomed huge ahead of them.

The pink drained out of her face, and her eyes grew wide and fearful.

"Oh, Dashie! It's just like Twilight always said, isn't it? I got caught, didn't I? Princess Celestia has banished me to the moon, and you have to take me there because Stinky-Pinkie broke the elements, right?"

The cyan mare above her remained stoic. Pinkie tugged at her forehooves, attempting to wriggle her way out of her friend's grasp, but found she was firmly caught. She furrowed her bow as the moon grew larger before them. Something wasn't right about it. It didn't look like the moon they saw every time she and Dashie went to watch meteors fall with Twilight, the moon that shone down at the last Summer Sun Festival...

Pinkie's tail poofed slightly. The Summer Sun Festival! This moon was the one she'd grown up with, the one she'd seen every day before she met Twilight Sparkle.

The mare in the moon was back.

Did that mean...had Nightmare Moon returned while she'd been gone? Had Princess Luna been banished again?

Her eyes began to water.

Had she left her friends when they needed her the most?

What if they'd gotten in trouble? What if someone had been hurt?

Pinkie's eyes quickly darted up to her chaperone, giving her cyan friend a quick once-over for any evidence of injury, but found none. Every hair, every feather seemed to be exactly where it belonged.

And then, in a flash of light, Rainbow Dash was gone, and Pinkie Pie was alone, suspended in the infinite darkness by a force she could neither see nor feel.

"Noooooo, Dashie! Please. Don't leave me... Please.." Pinkie whispered, her eyes tearful. "I don't want to be alone out here."

"Then why did you leave her?" a voice echoed in the darkness. Before her eyes, the image of the mare in the moon began shifting, revealing the moon's current appearance as all the markings that had previously formed the visage consolidated together, culminating in the projection of a figure from its surface.

Pinkie Pie blinked. "Princess...Luna? You haven't been banished?"

Luna frowned, "No...no. Why do you suppose we are here?"

"Well...I don't think ponies can actually breathe in space, so...I'm guessing this is a dream, right?"

Luna nodded silently, but her muzzle showed no sign of cracking its stern expression.

"Will..." Pinkie Pie trailed off, her ears falling flat against her hanging head. As her eyes filled, gleaming in the bright moonlight, her voice returned, barely a whisper. "Am I...will I...can I wake up from it? Or..."

Though the rest was left unsaid, the message was certainly understood. The Princess of the Night bobbed her head grimly.

"I do not know, Element of Laughter. We rarely visit the Dreams of Dying. It is a...personal affair, and we typically do not wish to intrude. But," Luna paused, "This is different. We do not believe it is your time."

"Not my time...but I deserve it though, don't I? I...I did something terrible. All that blood..."

"Do you think we know nothing of regret? We have to live every day with the memories of Nightmare Moon, and know that we brought that fate upon ourselves. The face of every pony we hurt during that time is seared in our memory for eternity. And yet, we go on."

"You never saw..."

"Yes," Luna dipped her head low, “yes, we did. We...when a pony in the midst of the dreamstate, and they are gripped by mortal terror, it is like a cry for help to us. Your cry was very loud indeed."

"You," Pinkie whispered, tears in her eyes, "You were there?"

"Yes, Pinkie, but only just. You awoke before we could intervene. We had hoped we wouldn't find you here, but...it is not entirely unexpected. Such dreams do not haunt truly happy ponies." Before Pinkie could speak again, Luna continued, "Do not worry. What we see in dreams, we tell nopony, not even the other Princesses. But let me ask this; the blood that you mentioned, that you found yourself covered in, what do you know of it?"

“Um,” Pinkie swallowed, her flattened mane fluttering in a breeze she could not feel, “well, it was blood, I’m sure of that...I...I tasted it.”

“Anything else?” Luna’s eyes seemed focused on something behind her, as if she were transparent.

“Um...I…” Her eyes filled with tears, the liquid spilling over in thin streams that poured down her face. “I don’t know. I...I...I slept through all of it, but I did something horrible, I know I did.”

Luna nodded slowly. “Pinkie, I have reason to believe that things may not be exactly as they seem, though I lack sufficient information at this point to tell you. Your body has suffered greatly, though, and is very near to death.”

She took a deep breath, her face softening slightly.

"And, indeed, you are haunted by a dark shadow, something much deeper than just a bad dream. Even here, I can feel its presence within you. But I cannot tell you what it is or why it is within you; you must resolve that on your own."

“I just wish,” Pinkie mumbled, rubbing her hooves together, “I wasn’t so broken. My friends….don’t deserve this….” Her voice trailed off in a cloud of sniffles, a cold lump of ice stuck in her throat, blocking any further speech.

Luna lifted a gentle hoof under the mare’s sagging chin. “Pinkie Pie, why must you think so poorly of yourself? We all have struggles we must overcome; I, of all ponies, am familiar with that. And even still, facing mortal peril, you are concerned more for your friends’ well-being than your own.”

“But...I might have hurt them. I could still hurt them. All I want is to make everypony happy, and, and…” Pinkie’s lip quavered, her eyes rolling up in thought. Finally, a shallow sigh escaped from her lips, and she gave a slight shrug. “It’s like making lemonade, I guess.”

No response. Pinkie shuffled uncomfortably on her hooves as the princess’ eyes remained fixed on her, the hints of a question in their corners. “What I mean, is, lemonade is really simple to make, right? Lemons, sugar, water, and ice. But even though it’s simple, put in too much of any one thing, and the whole batch is ruined. Which is so hard, because sugar is so super-duper yummy, I just want to keep putting more in, but I know I gotta keep things...uh….”

She sucked on her lip, searching for a word amongst the stars.

“Balanced,” Luna offered gently, a soft smile brightening her muzzle. “Or, perhaps even more appropriately, in harmony. Just as you and your friends help keep Equestria in harmony.”

“Yeah. I guess I really messed up there, didn’t I?”

Luna turned away, looking down towards Equestria. “You should never hesitate to trust the bond that exists between you and your closest associates. ‘Tis always better for many to carry a burden than one.”

“Burden? What burden? And...I’m not carrying anything.” She whipped her head back, her mane arcing smoothly as she turned. “At least, I don’t think I am.”

Luna rubbed her temples gently with a hooftip. “I….It is no matter.”

"Okie dokie lokie."

"Pinkie," Luna said hesitantly, her eyebrows pricked up, "everypony has a sad side, a dark side, an angry side..."

"No!" the pink mare shouted defiantly, baring her teeth at the princess. "Pinkie Pie giggles at the ghosties! Pinkie Pie laughs when ponies make fun of her! Pinkie. Is. Happy!"

"Just because you must bring happiness to others does not mean you are yourself happy. As you said, you must make lemonade, and that means using your...lemons."

Pinkie did not move.

"Or," Luna scratched her snout, "perhaps I have misunderstood your analogy."

"No," she squeaked, "you got it right."

After several minutes of staring silently at each other, Pinkie let out a wistful sigh. "So, what happens now?"

"If we do not intervene, nature will take its course. It is...unlikely you would awaken again. Whilst we have been with you in the dreamstate, the connection between us has strong enough for us to sustain you with our magic. If you wish, we can use this link to heal your most grievous wounds and force you from the dreamstate. This does not guarantee your survival, though, and may be far more painful."

"Oh.”

Leveling with Pinkie, Luna fixed her gaze on the trembling pony beside her. “So, what do you choose?”

Pinkie Pie sat back upon her haunches, tears filling her eyes once more. A heavy weight pressed against her heart, cold fear twisting her insides. Even if it was just a dream, she could still feel the bile rising up in her throat, and it didn’t taste anything like strawberry lemonade.

The truth was: she’d really messed up this time.

I...I deserve this.

She blinked, barely able to meet the Princess’ gaze through her bleary eyes.

But, she thought, her heart fluttering in her chest, maybe Princess Luna’s right. If she is, and I’m not the monster I thought I was, then...well, my friends still need me. They need their Pinkie Pie back, and I can either find her for them, or take her away from them forever.

She bit her lip again, looking up thoughtfully.

I couldn’t do that to them. I can be happy again.

She drew in a deep breath through her nostrils.

"End the dream," she responded flatly.

Luna nodded. "Good. We had hoped you would not choose otherwise. We…” The night princess swallowed, her voice softening, “I...must warn you this may be extremely painful. I will do whatever I can to make it less so.”

The night princess closed her eyes, her mouth flattening to a grim line, but nothing happened. She took a deep, hesitant breath.

"Pinkie," she added, her voice on the verge of cracking, "You are not a bad pony. I hope that we should have the pleasure to meet again, but...if we do not, you should know that. Good luck."

Tears ran down Pinkie's cheeks, her head bobbing with a nearly automatic motion. Luna wrapped her wing around the distraught pink mare, bracing both for what was to come. Her horn erupted in a concentrated flash, enveloping them in its magical glow, and the dream was blasted away by an inky darkness.

3. Authority

"Citizens of Ponyville," Luna's voice boomed out over the Town Square, "A matter of great importance has come to our attention, requiring us to consult with the Princess immediately. We regret any intrusion we may have caused, but if any of you might spare a moment, we beseech you to direct us to her."

Her words hung in the air unanswered as the townsponies gawked nervously at her, mouths slightly agape, eyes blank. Although they had become somewhat accustomed to irregular-but-still-frequent visits from their Princess over the years, the Princess of the Night was still better known to many of them as the fabled Nightmare Moon. Though the town was doing its best not to look scared out of its hide, the resulting paralysis wasn't much better. It didn't help that she stood before them in the brightest daylight, adorned with her full regalia. After a few deep breaths, their fear gave way to a sort of awkward nervousness, and the ponies' eyes darted back and forth, looking towards the ponies nearest themselves. None, it appeared, would work up enough nerve to give voice to the collective thought they all seemed to hold.

An uncomfortable silence hung over the normally bustling town center, and Ponyville itself seemed to hold its breath in anticipation. Finally, a young green unicorn stepped towards the princess.

"Um," she began, looking down at her hooves, "Princess..."

Luna buried her muzzle in a hoof, shaking her head. "Obviously. We should have seen that coming. Could you lead us to Princess Twilight, then, wherever she may be?"

The mare's face brightened a bit, and she met Luna's stern gaze with an appropriately meek but cheerful one. "Oh...sure! The library is just up the road here. Follow me!"

The mare turned and began to trot back towards the crowd, which parted as though a wedge were being driven through it as she approached. Luna trotted behind the green mare, noticing, as she passed, the young blue colt who had darted forward through the crowd, only to be stopped by the large hoof of a stallion. A deep scowl drew up on her face as she turned back to her charge.

"We must make haste, young filly. Lives are at stake!"

"Oooh," Lyra replied as she passed the last of the ponies that had collected in the square, "This isn't about the theft of the hot air balloon, is it? The weird screams ponies heard last night; the homes broken in to? Pretty big coincidence if you ask me. I’m just glad nothing happened to me."

Luna cantered up to her guide, stopping in front of the unicorn as she furrowed her brow inquisitively. She looked the pony up and down; nothing seemed special about her, but she was certain she'd seen this pony someplace before.

"Tell me, what is your name?" she asked, her tongue hovering thickly over each syllable as she spoke them.

"Oh! Of course! I'm Lyra. Lyra Heartstrings, but, you know everypony just calls me Lyra," Lyra said brightly, seemingly unaffected by the princess' cool demeanor, "You're a lot nicer than most ponies think, Princess." She looked over her shoulder, and moved in closer to the princess, dropping her voice to a whisper, "You know, I think a lot of them are still afraid of you."

"I hadn't noticed," Luna growled, taking a shallow breath before continuing. "Those events that you mentioned are under the jurisdiction of the Lunar Court. We would ask that neither you nor any of the other townsponies speak openly of them until we have completed our investigation."

"Oh," Lyra squeaked, the smile dashed from her face, "I'm sorry, Princess. I didn't know..."

"Of course you didn't, Lyra. That is why I am here, of course. Now please, tell us what you know of these events and the circumstances around them." Luna commented in a more friendly tone, walking slowly in the direction of the tree library again.

"Oh! Sure! It’s really been quite the buzz around town this morning. One of my friends from the….uh….club…., Berry Punch, told me that she woke up in the middle of the night to the sound of glass shattering. She ran out to see what happened, but by the time she got there, whoever it was had gotten away. And in a hurry too—they jumped right through the front window. Left quite a mess behind..."

Tapping her chin under the princess’ expectant gaze, Lyra’s face suddenly brightened. "Oh! Another thing….Sharp Quill, the mayor’s secretary, mentioned that somepony broke into town hall and messed everything up pretty bad. Chairs busted all over the place, tables overturned...she told me she thought it’d take weeks to clean up. Buuuuut, the thing she seemed the most worried about was their files.”

Lyra allowed herself a small grin. “I couldn’t help but snicker when she mentioned that; she gets upset when someone folds a corner of a page. I guess this was a bit more serious than that, though.”

“Anyway, the way she told it, every file cabinet, desk drawer, bookshelf, or anything else that held paper had been turned over or dumped out. It sounds like years of tax documents, property deeds, and even birth and death records could be lost or destroyed. She was pretty broken up about it.” She paused, flicking her eyes up at the princess before allowing them to settle on her hooves. “I...um...also heard….well...I...I don't know if I should say the rest. I know you and Princess Celestia are close to the Elements..."

"Lyra," the princess addressed her companion, gritting her teeth as she did her best to project warmth. Celestia had always been much better with the 'average folk' than she, no matter how hard she tried. "Your words are safe with me, and whatever you have heard may be important. It may help. It may even...save a life."

"Well, I don't know that what I've heard's got all that much to offer." Lyra flushed, scratching some dirt with her hoof. "But...well, there's been something going on with the whole lot of them lately. Rainbow Dash-"

"The element of loyalty, yes?" Luna asked with a chill in her voice, even as she wobbled back and forth on her hooves.

Lyra nodded exuberantly. "Yep. She use to come to the cider hole with the lot of us every now and then, before she got in with that group."

"The...'cider hole'?" Luna's inquisitive gaze bore through her, her cheeks pinking once more. "This wouldn't be one of the unregulated drinking establishments that Our court has had the unfortunate pleasure of...cleaning up lately, would it?"

Taking a step backward, Lyra shrunk towards her hooves, ears pinned to her skull. "P-please, I-I-I..."

Luna flared her nostrils, hot breath snorting from them. "Rise, my little pony. You have naught to fear from us." Her eyes narrowed, the white of her teeth visible through thin lips. "Today."

Snapping her hooves together, Lyra stood stiffly, staring fearfully at the princess. "O-kay," she stammered slowly, trying to figure out what to say that wouldn't get her in a worse situation. She could stand the embarrassment of jail (it, sadly, wouldn't even be her first time), but Bon Bon would be furious. Not to mention being able to pay for it...

"Ahem," Luna coughed into a hoof, "you were saying?"

"R-right. Anyway, Rainbow jetted. Left town. Flew the coop--literally. Nopony'd known where she'd gone until Princess Twilight tracked her down this morning. Dunno if there's some kind of 'friendship problem' in their little group." Lyra smiled weakly, leaning towards the princess. "Though if you ask me, I think she has the hots for somepony."

Lyra's eyebrows waggled as Luna furrowed her brow. "H-hots?"

"Mare, you really were the moon for a thousand years, weren't you?" Glancing over the princess' hardening face, Lyra's eyes became as round as the sun, her hoof plunging down her throat in an instant."

"Prinfeff; I'f fo, fo, fawffy..." She fell to her hooves; or tried to, plunging her muzzle painfully into the dirt and rock beneath them as her fourth hoof remained buried behind her tonsils.

"Enough!" Luna shouted with sufficient strength to bring tears to the green mare's tingling eyes, her ears hot with embarrassment. "I did not come here simply to have some commoner prostrate to me! Stand, and if you cannot keep yourself from saying foalish things, perhaps you should guide me to Twilight's abode in silence."

Oh, buck me! Lyra thought, slowly withdrawing her slimy hoof from her mouth. I've blown it.

“I-I-I’m sorry, Princess,” Lyra swallowed, fighting back tears as she turned her eyes up to Luna’s stony face, her head slowly shaking back and forth.

Yep, I’m done. I'll be banished! I'll--

"Lyra, it is I who must apologize."

WHAT!? her mind screamed, but the only sound from her mouth was: "Guh," further cementing her position.

"I...am not good at these things. Celestia was always the more popular princess," she bowed her head. "I must admit that 'friendship' is something that I, as the princess of the night, had little opportunity to pursue."

Finally back on her hooves, Lyra was able to collect enough of her wits to tilt her head questioningly at the princess.

"I—most of my waking hours are after dark, and many of those I spend monitoring the dreamscape in solitude. For the few hours I am awake after the sun rises, it has always been...more important to devote that time to political matters than interpersonal relationships."

“Oh, uh…” Lyra flushed again, her throat suddenly dry. “I don’t really, uh, know too much about princesses, but I do know a little bit about friends.” She felt a spark stir in her chest, and a smile formed by itself on her muzzle. “I know! We could visit some of my friends. I’m sure you could—”

“I do not believe I would be welcome, given their less-than-legitimate hobbies.”

“Oh.” Lyra frowned. “But, we can be friends, right?”

Luna’s eyes drifted upwards, distantly.

“Yes, I suppose we could arrange...something.” Before Lyra could cut her off with her jubilations, Luna quickly continued. “I believe you had a story to complete, though.”

“Oh! Yes! Right! Where was I?” Lyra tapped her chin thoughtfully, weight visibly removed from her shoulders. “Well...Pinkie took Rainbow’s disappearance especially hard, and from what I’ve heard, had started having conversations with plants, trees, and...well, anything she walked past about her ‘friends deserting her’. And...”

She swallowed, hoping that she might not have to say the rest, but the night princess stood before her, clearly unmoved. “Continue.”

“Well, ponies have been saying that strange noises have been coming from her room at night. Rumor is that the Cakes have been sleeping in the basement because her shrieks kept their foals awake.

Personally,” she leaned in, her lips brushing against the fur on Luna’s ears, “I think she’s off her meds. But nopony knows she is on them, you know.”

"I understand," Luna said crisply. "We'll get to the bottom of this. In the meantime," she tipped her head towards the building in front of them, "I believe we have arrived, correct?"

Lyra nodded silently.

"Good." Luna's horn glowed momentarily, and, with a loud pop, two unused scrolls and a quill appeared before her. "Now," she said thoughtfully as she hastily jotted something on the first, "I'd like you to deliver this to the proprietors of the shop in which Pinkie Pie lived...er, lives."

Lyra's face paled, but she was unable to take her eyes off the princess.

"And this one, to Mayor Mare herself." Luna's horn went out, the final scroll delivered, and her eyes narrowed once more. "We thank you in advance for your tact in handling these matters for the Lunar Court, of course."

"Oh...oh..." Lyra stammered, her face rising quickly to a deep blush. "Of course. Yes, Princess. I'm honored. Th..thank you."

Lyra turned quickly, her body poised to scurry, but before she made three paces, she found herself transfixed in a deep blue aura.

"Hold," commanded the Princess, "We have one more item for you."

Lyra gaped expressionlessly at the princess.

"If you are willing, we would like to assign you to be an official agent of the Lunar Crown."

"Guh?" Lyra replied for a second time, having to scrape her jaw from the ground with her hooves, as her magic was completely lost to her at that particular moment.

"You see, we will need contacts in town, in case rumors flow through certain...channels...that we may not have access to. If you accept, you must understand that you will be...changed”

A mint-green eyebrow rose, but the unicorn did not respond.

“Becoming an agent of the Lunar Crown is not a temporary thing, Lyra. We must cast a spell on you that will alter your very being, but will also grant you access to abilities that only our agents have. One of these will grant you the ability to send us messages directly with your magic; if you hear anything, you are to send us a letter at once. "

“O-okay. I understand, I think.” Lyra's muzzle rose and fell in a slow nod, her hooves twisting in the mud nervously. Suddenly, a thin, blue strand of magic sprang from Luna's horn, wrapping around the grooves in her own until it was entirely encased. After only a moment of this, there was a bright blue flash, and it was over. Attempting to take a step backward, Lyra found herself suddenly overcome by vertigo, her body slamming to the mud as a strange metallic taste filled her mouth. Feeling a gentle nudge on her withers, she turned to see that the princess herself was helping her to her hooves.

Without another thought, she scrambled up, speeding back towards the town square filled equally by anticipation and worry.

"I'm sorry," Spike recited, frowning as he shouted over a disharmonious cacophony of crashing, clanging, and stomping that poured into the small room. "The library’s closed today, and Twilight’s otherwiiii...oh, Princess Luna!"

Spike had finally looked up at the pony standing at the door.

"Indeed. Spike, is it?" Luna responded.

"The one and only. I guess you’re here for Twilight, right?”

Luna’s head bobbed slowly. “Am I to assume that she is the source of the…peculiar noises?” Luna waved a hoof lackadaisically in the direction of the glowing entryway to the basement.

“Yeah,” Spike sighed, “she’s been down there ever since Rainbow Dash took off again. I’m not sure what she’s trying to do,” he cringed as a loud zap shook the foundations of the great tree, “but I’m pretty sure we’re going to have to buy some new furniture after this.”

“I see.” As Spike moved towards her to follow, she held out a hoof. “You may remain here. I believe I will be more than able to handle this situation.”

The small dragon nodded cautiously. “Okay...just be careful; she’s not exactly paying attention where she’s pointing her horn.”

Nodding, Luna took her first step down the staircase. Flashes of violet light illuminated the exit, and she stepped out to see a cupcake explode on the floor.

“Oh, horseapples!” Twilight stomped her hoof, turning to retrieve another pastry from the shelf. “None of these spells bucking work!”

“Ahem.” Luna cleared her throat, Twilight pivoting on her hooves to face her, a deep blush blooming on her cheeks.

“Oh...Princess….I’m sorry, I didn’t know you were…”

"Do not worry about it, Princess Twilight. We have heard worse...outbursts.” Twilight wilted, her ears pinned to her skull as Luna walked towards her, appraising the damage done to the basement laboratory. “You have evidently had a quite exacting morning, judging by the state of your mane, your bloodshot eyes, and, well, all the rest of you too. With that said, I feel it pertinent to remind you that it is commonly expected that ponies of our stature are above such...crudities."

Twilight grimaced awkwardly. "Princess, it...I..."

Luna waved a hoof.

"Let us not delay any longer; we do not have time for such trivial concerns. Am I to understand that now you are missing another friend?"

Twilight nodded sadly. "I guess...this is my fault, isn't it? Some 'friendship expert' I've turned out to be..."

"Twilight," Luna interrupted, "we must keep to the matter at hand. Time is of the essence. I assume you know the details surrounding Pinkie Pie's disappearance?"

"I guess, as much as anypony," Twilight nodded. “I know that the hot air balloon is missing, and I’ve heard several ponies complained about hearing crazy laughter or screams last night. Some even claimed their windows shattered from it. But….there’s just not a lot of evidence to put back together to tell us what happened.”

"We need to tell you, then, that your friend is in grave danger. I have spoken to her in a dream, dramatically weakened and barely clinging to life. Alas," she said, responding to a spark in Twilight’s eyes, “our connection was not strong enough to tell us where she was; just a general sense that she is far from home.”

“Gah!” Twilight’s frustration visibly poured out of her. “That’s what I’ve been working on all morning; that cupcake I blew up when you walked in, I was using it as a focus for a tracking spell. I’ve used everything I could find that’s connected to Pinkie: the knife, her balloons, Gummy…”

“Gummy?” Luna blinked.

Twilight’s blush grew a bit deeper. “Yeah, it’s Pinkie’s...pet...alligator. I know it sounds weird, but it’s Pinkie Pie.” Luna’s jaw fell open, and, realizing the implication, Twilight stammered out the rest. “He—I think it’s a he—anyway, he’s fine. I didn’t blow up her pet.”

She clamped her teeth shut, lips spread in an awkward grin as her eyes focused on a knot in the floor. “I...Rainbow Dash left with that letter…”

"A letter? From Pinkie Pie?" Luna interrupted. "What did it say?"

Twilight pawed at the floor. "I don't...I just don’t bucking know! Rainbow wouldn’t tell me, she just, she just left us." She choked back a sob, small drops falling from moistened eyes. “I just, we’ve always had things we had to save Equestria from, but those things weren’t us. They aren’t supposed to be us….”

Trailing off, the mare took a shuddering breath, her eyes pleading with the larger alicorn before her.

"Twilight, please, you must calm yourself," Luna looked down with stony eyes at the lavender alicorn.

"Yes, yes, you’re right...sorry!" Twilight squeaked.

"We came," Luna began, reverting to the more authoritative tone of voice that she’d used immediately after her return, "because, as a crime of the night, this incident does, eventually, fall under the jurisdiction of the Lunar Court.”

“Yes, but…”

Unflinching at the interruption, the alicorn continued. “We were concerned that the involvement of your friend would impede your ability to objectively investigate this case. And,” she nodded towards Twilight, “it would appear our fears were not unfounded. As such, though we mean you no disrespect, we must ask you to stand aside in this investigation. It will be our responsibility to ensure this case is brought to its resolution, and that any criminal acts investigated and prosecuted to their fullest."

“What!" Twilight shrieked, her voice bubbling with vitriol. “I—she’s my friend, and we’ll—” she sputtered, the rest of her argument cut off by a hoof snapped sharply in front of her muzzle.

"Twilight, please. It does not please me to do this, but, it is essential that all aspects of the crimes of terror that have occurred here are pursued. The fact that an Element of Harmony is either involved or endangered by these crimes redoubles the need for vigilance in these matters. If she is in harm’s way, it is a matter of Equestrian security to bring her to safety. If it is found that her actions have directly resulted in damages to the ponies of Ponyville, well….the matter will need to be handled with great sensitivity. We do not yet know what to deduce from the pillaging of the town hall, but it would seem that, in any case, city administration may be substantially disrupted in the near term. We will summon a detachment of the Lunar Guard to secure any remaining evidence and conduct formal interviews with those affected as soon as possible.”

Luna’s eyes fixed coldly on the smaller alicorn, her voice crisp. “You must trust that we will take whatever action is necessary to bring the missing Element to safety."

“I—but—” Twilight sputtered, the words refusing to form in her mouth as her mind railed against itself. “I—I think you’re wrong, Princess Luna.”

The night princess’ eyes narrowed angrily. “I regret that you feel that way,” she spat.

“You don’t need to do this. Ponyville can take care of itself. I can handle this—”

“Twilight,” Luna said coldly, “we have all seen how you handle things. Though often effective, your methods are….not always the most prudent. As for the village, we are well aware that Ponyville has recovered from cataclysms far more destructive than one missing pink pony. But it is the investigation that is our first concern, and in the chaos, vital clues could be lost. Until it is clear that the town has recovered sufficiently to be able to run itself without impeding our task force, we must do what is within our power to ensure stability.”

Eventually capitulating to her more obedient side, she slumped down in resignation.

“So,” she sniffled, “what...what should I do now?”

Luna’s gaze became distant. "Twilight, you must remember, your friend, though missing, is the subject of a very serious criminal investigation. I could assign, for example, the Royal Guard to retrieve her….but it would not be a search and rescue mission. It would be a marehunt.”

The princess’ last word echoed in Twilight’s mind, her heart sinking through her chest.

“Oh.”

“We do not believe your friend is beyond redemption, but until all the facts are known, we must keep matters quiet. We do not believe it is in the best interests of Equestria, or yourself, for your friend to be returned to us in bars. Or in a box.”

Twilight drew a hoof to her mouth, audibly gasping. Tears began to form in her eyes, and she did nothing to restrain them.

“In any case, we did not mean to imply that you were to retrieve your friend, only that we wish for you to locate her. Which, I gather, you’ve already begun attempting."

"Yes, but, as you can see,” Twilight waved a hoof around her, “all the spells I’ve found have to be cast on the pony while they’re present. Attempting to modify the spell to use a personal item as a focus just...doesn’t work."

Luna nodded. "I think you might find that the Elements could be the key..."

"The Elements? You mean, the ones that are stuck in the Tree of Harmony?" Twilight replied, a scowl forming on her muzzle.

"The very same. And, do you remember anything about that? Anything different from the recollection you had of when Celestia and I removed them from the tree in the first place?"

"Well..." Twilight tapped a hoof against her chin, "No, no, I don’t think that I do."

She looked up hopefully at Luna, but shrunk backwards with flattened ears when her gaze was met by a far sterner one.

"Twilight, when we first found the Elements of Harmony, they all – all but yours, that is – had no distinct appearance, aside from their color. When you took charge of the Element of Magic, as was your destiny..."

"My destiny..." Twilight echoed in a barely-audible whisper.

"And you assigned the others to your friends..."

"Assigned?" Twilight interrupted again.

Luna frowned this time, but chose to again ignore the interruption. "The Elements then bonded to your friends as well. Taking the shape of their cutie marks was not just a trifle of appearance; it changed their very nature..."

"And when we put them back in the tree, the bond remained!" Twilight shouted excitedly, oblivious to Luna's growing annoyance.

"Exactly, Twilight," Luna said with a huff. "If any spell might be able to locate a pony by using a focus, an element bonded to the soul of that pony would certainly be a strong candidate. It may be that even more is possible. There is still much we do not know about the Elements. You may note that although Celestia and I used the elements in the past, we were never bonded to them in the way you and your friends are. However, I will caution you that there is an element of danger in this; as you saw with Sunset Shimmer in the other world, the Elements do not respond positively to interactions with beings that are not their bearers. As a bearer yourself, you may have an advantage in this, though.”

Twilight grew quiet, her lips moving silently as she digested the information. “So…what you’re saying is, I and I alone can do this.”

“Precisely, Twilight. Though it is purely theory, we feel this link that you share is the best chance we have at finding your friend. Particularly if she has fled Equestria, which I fear is almost certainly the case."

"Well, then, I'll do my best, Princess," said Twilight, feeling a bit better now that the seeds of a plan were taking shape. "But, even if I can locate her, how will we get her back? Neither Fluttershy nor I are terribly strong fliers, and if she's left Equestria as you say..."

Twilight tapped her hoof against the library floor as her voice trailed off, muttering faintly under her breath.

"Well, Twilight, what of your friend Rainbow Dash? She is..."

"GONE!"

"...one of the fastest fliers in all Equestria, is she not?" Luna concluded.

"But I can't even tell her where to go!" Twilight shouted angrily.

Luna lifted an eyebrow, a thin smirk visible on her face, "Twilight, although she is angry right now, I'm sure Rainbow Dash cares about her friends as much as you do. She will be back. And even if not, these things have a way of working themselves out."

Twilight sighed. "I guess you're right, Princess. I sure hope so. I guess the first thing for me to do is to go get my friends...what's left of them, at least...and head over to the tree as soon as possible," she finished confidently, turning to leave.

"Oh, Twilight, before you go," Luna called, stopping the younger alicorn in her tracks, "I just want to let you know that you may want to work on your sense of decorum. As a princess now, you must stop treating my sister and I as superior. Though we are elder in age and rank, we are still equals in position. Do not forget that. Now go to your friends. We will let you know if we are able to find your friend in her dreams again, or if any useful information avails itself to us."

Twilight blushed again, then tipped her head and wordlessly galloped up the stairs.

"SPIKE!" she called, "We're going to need to make a list..."

Luna nodded. Now that everything else was in motion, it was time to deal with the mess Pinkie had left behind. After a brief pause, she took a deep breath, trotted slowly to the stairs, and began her ascent. There was still much to do.

Rainbow Dash flapped her wings. The cool wind fluttered over the barbs of her feathers, the sun to her left was as good a guide as any, and beamed warmly down upon her cool cyan fur. She didn't know where she was going, but it didn't matter. Nopony knew where Pinkie Pie was, and nopony could survey all of Equestria faster than she could. So she flew. And she'd keep on flying, over mountains, through snowstorms, even over oceans until she saw the pink bouncy blob that brought more joy to her life than anything or anypony else. The pink pony that, no matter how inopportune her arrival might be, could still bring a smile to any pony's face. The pony that, no matter what she felt inside, she always put other ponies' happiness first. Yes, when she found that pony, she could smile again.

Until then, she flew.

Four ponies stood at the mouth of a rocky cave, looking at the great tree before them.

"You sure this is a good idea, Twi?" Applejack asked, concern written all over her face.

"No," Twilight said shakily, "No, I'm not. I might be confident about my magic, but the Elements are a force that nopony truly understands. It's what the princess asked me to do, though, and she made it sound like the only option."

"Couldn't you just ask Princess Celestia for help, dear?" Rarity pleaded.

"Erghhhhh," Twilight squealed incomprehensibly, gritting her teeth, "Like I said earlier, Princess Luna doesn't want her involved in this." She paused thoughtfully, tapping her chin with a hoof. "I don't really know what's going on here, but for right now, I think it's best to do as asked."

"Well, Twilight," Fluttershy began softly, nuzzling her friend's lavender mane, "Just know that we're all here for you, and, um, we know if anypony can find Pinkie Pie, its you."

"Thanks, Fluttershy," Twilight said warmly, stepping forward towards the ancient, twisted tree, each of their cutie marks cradled within, shining brightly against the drab background of the cave. Shining brightly, except for one, Twilight noticed. A certain cutie mark, of blue and yellow balloons, seemed to have faded until the color was nearly gone from it completely. Hopefully, it wasn't a sign of worse things to come. It was time to make her first attempt, though. Her moment of truth. She'd start off with something easy, just to see what happened, even if it wouldn't be long before she had to try the real thing.

She bore down upon her four hooves with determination, tucking her head firmly against her chest. Closing her eyes, she focused all of her energy on her horn, feeling the power of the magical charge begin to build within it. Once she was convinced it was enough, she allowed a thin, pink tendril to creep out from her magical aura, slowly spinning its way towards the tree and the mystical gems held within...

Meanwhile, in a part of the world far from all the commotion in Ponyville, where the ocean waters ran dark and still, a tiny pink blotch broke up the ocean's midnight blue monotony. Nopony was there to see as the pastel-colored object settled gently on the ocean's glassy surface before folding in on itself, sucked down by the weight beneath it. The blue water licked gently at its borders; borders which, with each passing moment, retreated progressively inward as the massive ocean overtook its slim defenses, until at last the surface was unmarred once more.

5. Baltimare

Twilight Sparkle glided above the cluster of towering skyscrapers that clearly demarcated Baltimare’s historic downtown when viewed from above. Distractedly, she picked at a few hairs on her chin, silently chiding herself for her lack of preparation with regards to the task at hand. Typically, she'd insist on a thorough investigation of the facts prior to embarking on such a grand expedition, but Rainbow Dash's situation seemed to warrant more immediate action. As Baltimare would be at least a full day's journey, she'd only hastily tossed a couple of semi-related-looking books into her saddlebags in her rush to depart, leaving her substantially under equipped. This seemed particularly salient when considering that she was traveling to a region with which she was completely unfamiliar, and with the specific intention of vouching for Rainbow Dash’s release. In such a situation, there were specific measures that should always be taken, and one of those was ensuring adequate knowledge of local laws and customs.

Which was why, as soon as she landed, she had to make finding Baltimare’s main library her top priority.

Tipping her wings upwards to slow her descent as she circled over the city, Twilight allowed a protracted breath to slip out slowly from her lips. Her eyelids fell gently, the rushing air her filling her senses with one of nature's oldest, grandest symphonies. It flowed around the barbs of her primaries, a peculiarly satisfying sensation that was akin to having one’s hairs rubbed, but only at the very ends so that the skin was never touched. The wind caught in the corners of her lips, immediately drying any moisture from them. Gradually, she felt the layers of anxiety melt away, reaching a kind but temporary peace. Sliding her eyelids up just a hair, she could tell that she had descended more quickly than was her intention; the street below was now only yards away, but she judged it far enough that she could give her mental checklist a final pass:

Step 1: Find the library Find a friendly pony

Step 2: Ask how to get to the library

Step 3: FlyWalk Get to the library

Step 4: Find Ask the librarian for help finding legal texts

Step 5: Research!

Step 6: ...

THUD!

Twilight felt her hooves contact sharply with the ground, her body lurching forward from the impact. She’d completely failed to prepare herself adequately for landing, being caught up in the planning process, and she knew that at her current rate of speed, allowing her body to smash into the hard cobblestone road would be disastrous. The granite setts rushing towards her far too quickly, she screwed her eyes shut, body tensing as she braced for impact.

An impact that never came.

She cracked a cautious eyelid, barely able to take a breath as she found that her nose was but a hair’s breadth from the stone block in front of her.

“Hon, you alright?” a masculine voice chirped.

“Huh?”

Twilight blinked, twisting her head around in the direction that the voice had come. An ivory-maned pegasus stallion hovered above her, and she blushed as she realized that the crushing feeling in her chest wasn't from being gripped by anxiety, but rather, a pair of thick forelegs.

“Oh. Oh!” Twilight exclaimed breathlessly, the pieces finally clicking in her mind as she felt her hooves gently contact the ground.

“Do you need an amb’lence? I can call for one if you need…”

Twilight could feel the heat rise in her cheeks, blood rushing to the surface as her face flushed red.

Once everything settles down, I’ll have to get specific instruction about landing on paved surfaces from Rainbow Dash.

“No, no,” Twilight replied abashedly, smoothing her mane with a fetlock, “I’m sure I’ll be alright.”

Except for death from embarrassment, of course, she retorted silently.

Glancing around quickly, it seemed that nearly all of the ponies around were just taking to their own activities. Even if they had gawked at Twilight’s...ungraceful descent, they certainly hadn’t done so for long. Her eyes wandered back to her unexpected savior; on the whole, she judged him fairly unremarkable. Middle-aged, she supposed, based on the thin lines visible on his forehead. His cutie mark, which seemed a bit high on the flank, was a set of black stone columns. Twilight couldn’t connect their meaning, but made a mental note to check herField Guide to Cutie Marks and their Impact when she got home.

“Quite a spill you took there,” he commented, interrupting her thoughts as he ran his tongue along his teeth. “Sure I can’t do anything for you?”

“Well,” Twilight began, “I was trying to get to the library…”

“Oh sure, that’s easy, hon. Just keep goin’ downey payment here. It’s right in dantan; you can’t miss it,”

Twilight blinked. "Uh...what?"

The stallion sighed, his eyes flicking up briefly as a scowl formed on his muzzle. "Just go that way, okay?" He rolled his eyes, jabbing a hoof down the road in the direction of her current heading.

"Great! Thanks a bunch!" Twilight said, nodding enthusiastically as she trotted away.

"Don't mention it," a reply floated back, with perhaps a hint of gruffness that hadn't been there before.

She scratched her head with a hoof, still feeling a bit confused by the stranger's mannerisms. Nevertheless, he'd seemed to indicate that her destination was, in fact, just a bit up the road, so she continued her trot. As she traveled, the clogged city air was slowly replaced by a fresh, briney odor that had to come from the approaching ocean. Seagulls squawked overhead, diving into the streets to occasionally quarrel loudly over the remnants of a discarded hayburger. The victor would gobble down the crumbs he could gather before a cart came down the street, then take to the air once more.

As she strolled down the road, it occurred to her that although similar in size and relatively near each other, Baltimare seemed a very different sort of city than Manehattan. The latter city often felt like a monument to modernity, its cascading towers and flashing lights providing constant stimulation, thrilling the senses. In comparison, Baltimare had an austere, almost reverential atmosphere.

A dark shadow fell over Twilight as she watched a set of ponies, clearly close friends, by the banter they seemed to carry. They moved in perfect formation down the streets, blithely unaware of the frown settling on Twilight's muzzle as she watched them, her mind’s eye replacing them with ponies of blue and yellow, purple, white, and orange.

I hope they can forgive me...

Applejack, Fluttershy, and Rarity cared about Rainbow Dash too, and it wasn't fair of her to exclude them completely like this. It wasn't that she hadn't thought of them, but between flight and teleportation, she could make far better time than if she'd had to wait for a train, which would have ruled out all but Fluttershy. And, while Twilight loved the buttercream mare as much as any of her friends, fighting a legal battle over somepony's freedom just didn't match up with her personality all that well.

She groaned, raising a hoof to her forehead. She was just making excuses, now. In fact, she hadn't even told them that she was leaving, or about Rainbow Dash, or anything. She'd told Spike as she was leaving, although now she wasn't sure that all the words had even come out in the right order.

Yes, they were going to be angry with her.

Likely, very angry.

Well, at least I'll have enough time to figure out a good way to apologize for this...

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sudden appearance of the Baltimare main library in front of her. The building was indeed unmistakable, if only for its size. As she approached, it seemed to break through the haze with sheer force of its size alone. Though it only stood a fraction of the height of the buildings around it, the massive gray slab occupied an area the size of a city block. Punctuating the plain exterior were numerous tall, narrow windows evenly spaced across all the building’s faces, but it seemed this was the only effort the library’s architect had bothered making to give it some distinctiveness. Certainly, had she accompanied Twiight, Rarity would have had a few strongly worded opinions regarding its design – that, or it would have evoked a fainting spell.

Not wanting to wait for the cross traffic (or, particularly, to climb the imposing set of stairs that led to the gaping maw of the building), she took to the air, swiftly gliding over the street and through the massive library doors, her mouth gaping as she landed. It was a truly astonishing building; though the archives in Canterlot had the most rare and desirable titles, the sheer size of the collection here was impressive.

“Excuse me,” Twilight approached the circulation desk, “Where can I find books about Baltimare’s history, laws, and politics?”

“Yew kin find those over there,” the librarian waved impassively to her left, "third row past the 'Non-fiction' sign."

“Thanks!” Twilight turned away, cheerfully trotting towards her destination. Even though her friends weren't around, libraries were the next closest thing she had.

And this was one big library.

Twilight fidgeted with her hooves, rolling them together as if shaping clay.

She fastened her jaw tightly, her teeth scraping together as she gathered all of her resolve for one singular purpose: to limit the scream bubbling in her throat to the nearly-inaudible hum that now vibrated through her teeth. Her hooves fell, clattering sharply against the polished tile floor. Screwing her eyes shut and popping them open again did little to resolve the situation.

She was frustrated.

In a few minutes she'd be meeting with Baltimare’s highest authority, and here she'd nearly rubbed her hooftips off with anxiety.

Highest local authority, she reminded herself.

She really had no right to be even slightly apprehensive. Her standing as a Princess of Equestria meant she was the highest authority in town. It was small comfort, though, and did little to untangle the knot in her throat or slow the racing of her heart.

After all, Rainbow Dash’s freedom hung in the balance, and here Twilight was, on an unauthorized diplomatic mission to a semi-independent territory in which she was acting as Celestia’s agent, entirely lacking her former mentor’s consent to do so.

Though she hadn’t had nearly the amount of time she’d usually spend preparing for such a test, she’d managed to read the Abriged History of Baltimare cover-to-cover; it did a reasonable job of filling in most of the gaps. Rather than being governed primarily by a mayor, whose duties were generally limited to municipal and local concerns, it seemed that Baltimare had inherited its leadership structure from times long past. One of the first settled cities in the land now known as Equestria, Baltimare had existed for over a thousand years prior to Unification. It was one of a handful of communities that had escaped the rule of Discord intact, a fact that seemed to be a point of local pride. When Princess Celestia brought together the nation of Equestria as one, special accords were signed with Baltimare permitting it to continue self-government into perpetuity.

As if Twilight hadn’t already risked scandalizing the royalty by whisking away to a far-flung province, the special provisions granted to Baltimare served only to amplify the risks inherent to her gambit. Just thinking about it was enough to make her blood run cold.

Governors were selected by a process that melded traditional and modern politics. Every ten years, each family of noble rank would select a single member who would then stand for election by popular vote. Due to Baltimare’s unique situation within Equestria, the Governor and his council had the authority to enact legislation and execute orders in much the same way the Princesses did.

“The Gov’ner will see you in just a minute,” the secretary announced dispassionately, not looking up from her work.

“Great,” Twilight squeaked, her voice cracking a bit as she clopped her hooves together.

Her eyes dropped again. She hadn’t even planned out what she was going to say yet. She couldn’t order the Governor to act without causing a political incident, but at the same time she needed to portray confidence and authority. Then again, maybe she should just turn and leave. It wasn’t, yet, too late. She’d rushed headlong into this, but that didn’t mean she had to see it through. She could always return to Canterlot and attempt to employ more official channels...

At that moment, the frosted glass door to the governor’s office flew open.

“Why, if it isn’t Equestria’s newest princess, here to see me,” the sharply dressed mare in the doorway sneered. She spoke with none of the peculiar twang that Twilight was quickly growing used to, but based on her research, it wasn’t unexpected. It appeared that only ponies from certain areas of the city, or certain family lines, spoke with the unique inflection.

“Seems these days old Celestia is handing out titles like a foalsnatcher hands out candy,” the governor muttered, glaring at Twilight. “Well, come along; unless Celestia’s made the day longer without my knowledge, I can only spare you a few minutes.”

Hesitantly, Twilight rigidly followed her into the airy office, ears pricked cautiously. She couldn’t place it, but something just felt off. As soon as she passed through the entryway, the door slammed shut once more, large pegasus guards posted on each side.

Twilight’s face rumpled with confusion. “Uh…”

“Allow me to introduce myself, since I’m sure you’re not as familiar with me as I am with you. My name is Governor Public Trust, Duchess of Baltimare. You, as we’ve already determined, are Princess Twilight Sparkle. Though it’s possible you’ve come to my office for some other diplomatic purpose, my guess is that you’re here to see about your...friend.”

The last word dripped off her lips like a vile poison that she had spat out, her expression one of clear disgust. Twilight’s jaw dropped, gaping at the sizable pegasus before her. “You...you knew!?”

“What, you thought I wouldn’t recognize Cloudsdale’s greatest embarrassment. Rainbow Dash, who couldn’t even finish flight school due to her inability to check her innate talent with a modicum of discipline. Rainbow Dash, the pony who could someday have led the Wonderbolts, if only she wasn’t so lazy. Rainbow Dash…”

“Hey! I...You...need to stop talking about my friend that way!” Twilight commanded angrily, her face lighting up. “She’s an Element of Harmony, you know, and has done more for Equestria than…”

She stopped herself, not wanting to cause a scandal.

“Oh, I’m sorry, your highness, if my words offended you,” Trust leered, meeting one of the guardsponies’ empty stare with a glance full of intention. “If that was an order, why I’m certain that I must obey.”

“No...no, it wasn’t an order; I just don’t understand why…”

“Oh, well, good then,” Trust smiled widely for a moment, her face immediately dropping to a cold, emotionless expression. She ruffled her feathers as she spoke, “Element of Harmony...yes, I’m aware of what you and your ragtag gang of ‘heroes’ are up to, and even if Celestia thinks you’re something special...I don’t. You’re reckless, the whole lot of you, and from where I stand it seems you’ve done Equestria a good deal more harm than good. This latest incursion from your friend, I understand, is nothing new for you, but around here, such hooliganism will not be tolerated!”

Twilight’s wings flared as two guardsponies set down roughly beside her. She’d opened her mouth to speak, and it took every ounce of self-discipline she had to clamp her jaw back shut, her front teeth resting squarely on top of her tongue. In her anger, there was nothing she’d say that would improve the situation.

“See, princess,” Trust smirked, “That’s what true authority looks like. I know you haven’t had much of an example provided for you.”

Twilight withered, ears pinned to the sides of her head.

“My forebears,” the governor continued, motioning with her left wing to a long series of portraits hanging on the wall behind her, “generation after generation of nobility. In their day...well...there’d certainly be no need for you ‘elements’ to wreak havoc on society in your clumsy attempts to douse flames too insignificant for ponies of prestige to concern themselves with. But, with regards to the matter of one Rainbow Dash; we’ll permit you to see her in the morning, provided that you’ll agree to our policies around such matters…”

“In the morning!?” Twilight blurted out, standing tall once again, stretching her height to its fullest extent. “But…”

“Princess,” Trust ahemmed, “if you please. Some dignity? Good. Yes, in the morning. We must make...arrangements, after all. There are forms to file with the courts, security measures to be taken. Boring stuff, really; I’m sure you know all about it. In the meantime, you’ll find that arrangements have been made for you at the Mareiott Hotel, complements of the city. We trust you shall find these accommodations sufficient.”

The guards positioned beside her seemed to have crowded in, and Twilight shifted her shoulders away from them, choosing instead to stand awkwardly with her barrel drawn upward and her legs pinned tightly together. She closed her eyes, letting a deep breath pass through her lips.

“I see,” she finally replied, employing her best imitation of Celestia’s unflappable calm. “I’m sure they will be.”

Public Trust smiled.

“Good. We’ll see you tomorrow morning, 9AM. Don’t be late.”

Ding-ding-ding-ding-ding-ding, the alarm screamed.

Twilight rolled over frustratedly onto her stomach, burying her head deeply into her pillow.

It would stop soon...

Ding-ding-ding…

“Grrrr…” she growled half-consciously, blinking the sleep out of her eyes as the persistent sound pierced through the thin layers of cloth and feather.

“Alright, alright already!” Twilight pushed herself up with her left hoof, throwing a solid right hook in the direction of her foe before collapsing back onto the smooth, sateen sheets.

The clock, luckily, was composed of bronze, steel, and other similarly durable component, so a large dent in its exterior was the extent of the damage it received from the blow. The table on which it had rested had not fared so well, as the clock blasted through the thin wood surface, the remainder of the table caving in on itself above it. In seconds, the nightstand had been reduce to a worthless pile of rubble, splinters shooting up from the impact in all directions.

“Oh, for pony’s sake!” she cried, rubbing her eyes with a hoof. She’d have to add “chat with Applejack about annoying stupid unmanageable earth pony strength” to her list of things to do when she got back to Ponyville. Glancing down at the mangled clock, it looked like the hour hand was pointing near to the 9, with the minute hand just above the 7…

Eight thirty-seven!

“Augh!” she moaned to nopony in particular. Leaping out of bed, she galloped over to the vanity at the foot of the bed.

Mane…mane…

Her mane stood out in all directions, curling upward awkwardly towards the front.

No...no time for mane… Teeth…

She squinted at the visage in front of her, drawing her lips back to fully bare her teeth. Noticing a slight imperfection, she rubbed a green fleck that sat on her front incisor lazily with the tip of her tongue.

Eh, passable. Checklist…checklist….

She scanned the shelf in front of her, shuffling various pamphlets and brochures about on i’ts mahogany surface, but no page appeared.

“GAH!” she shrieked, throwing down her hooves in frustration, leaving too hoof-shaped impressions in the wood's otherwise unbroken surface..

Celestia, I hope this place has good insurance.

Turning, she saw a shred of paper sticking out from below the busted alarm clock.

Checklist!

Racing over to it, she tugged the sheet out from the pile, quickly reviewing the items noted. Satisfied that she’d completed them all (or at least, intentionally skipped them), she tossed the list back at the rubble and took to the air, leaving the hotel room through the bedroom window...

...with an extremely loud crash.

Turning to look at the damage she’d wrought as she shook glass shards from her mane, she could only manage a single thought:

Rainbow Dash would be proud.

“Twilight!” Public Trust exclaimed boisterously, making no attempt to hide the snicker escaping her lips as her eye traced over the length of Twilight’s form, “We almost thought you weren’t going to make it. Trust me, that would have been a dreadful shame.”

Twilight eyed the governor suspiciously. Compared to yesterday, this seemed downright hospitable. Something was up...

“Well, follow me,” she advised tersely, turning towards the prison building.

“We keep our normal prisoners in this facility, above ground. But...your friend is no common prisoner,” the governor added as one of her guards slipped a large, rusty key into an equally mistreated lock.

Twilight was sure she saw the seeds of a smile dancing across the governor’s lips as the metal door squeaked open to reveal a narrow, dark passageway within.

She took a step forward.

“Wait!” a black-armored guard shouted, approaching rapidly.

“Princess Sparkle, Field Captain Razorhoof,” he announced quickly, struggling to catch his breath. “Before entering the dungeon, you must sign...here…and here…and here…”

“What is all this for, exactly?” Twilight inquired skeptically.

“Just the S.O.P., Princess. Hold harmless agreement, acknowledgement of rules and procedures, acceptance of magic inhibition…”

“Wait, what?”

“They...didn’t tell you?” the military stallion said hesitantly.

“No.” Twilight replied.

“I see. Well, protocol dictates that unicorns...or alicorns, I suppose...must have an enchantment on them that temporarily neutralizes their magical abilities. It should only last a few hours, and when dealing with magic...we can’t be cautious enough.”

Twilight sighed, looking back over her shoulder to see the duchess smirking quite obviously as she watched on.

“Fine,” she said, taking the quill in her magic and hastily signing all three papers. “Just get it over with.”

Razorhoof quickly hoofed through the stack of forms, and with a nod, withdrew a small vial from his saddlebags.

"I'll be applying just a drop of this to your horn. I've been told that it tingles a bit," he mumbled, jerking the cork out with his teeth. As he brought it nearer to her, a sudden panic overcame Twilight and she cringed backward, hooves scrambling over each other.

"What, got cold wings?" a voice sneered from behind.

Twilight swallowed, planting herself as she sealed her eyes against their will. A beat, and then a cold chill washed over her, starting from the tip of her horn and proceeding until it seemed to escape through her tail.

“Well, on you go,” the governor coughed, breaking the stillness.

“Huh?" Twilight blinked. “Wait...what do you mean, ‘you’?”

“Well, now that we’ve verified your identity and all the authorizations are in order, and Captain Razorhoof has arrived to take you to see the criminal – I mean, your friend – I see no reason for myself or my entourage to tarry here any longer. He should prove to be a more than capable guide for your little tour, and I have actual business to attend to.”

With that, the governor and her personal guards took to the air, leaving Twilight alone with Razorhoof.

“Well, shall we?” he said, tipping his snout at the path ahead.

Planting her left forehoof on the other side of the large iron doorway, Twilight suddenly felt a wave of lightheadedness come over her, and had Razorhoof not rushed to her side, she likely would have tumbled down the narrow set of stairs in front of her.

“W-what was that?” she coughed queasily. Unlike Rarity, random fainting spells were not an occurrence that Twilight was accustomed to.

“Oh, you must have sensed the detection array as you passed through it,” he replied matter-of-factly.

“Detection...array?”

“Well, yeah, uh...” he muttered nervously, “Why don’t we move on, though. That is, assuming you feel steady enough to proceed.”

Twilight pushed herself off the sturdy stallion, testing her balance on her own hooves. Feeling confident enough in her ability to walk, she nodded shallowly at her escort. Returning the gesture, he snapped around and pushed the heavy iron door of the dungeon shut, the lock clicking in place automatically.

By the stars, it’s dark in here, she thought. She closed her eyes, trying to spark her own illumination, but none came.

Right...no magic.

“See,” he snickered, commencing his trek down the stairs, “That’s one reason we put the magic wards on you. If you’d so much as made a spark down here with that thing, you’d have found a couple dozen guards on either side of you, and they wouldn’t be very happy about it either.”

“I see,” Twilight nodded thoughtfully, placing a hoof on the step below. “You guys certainly have your stuff together here, huh?”

“Well, I’ll say that we at least do our best with what we’ve got.”

Completing her descent, Twilight noticed that the dank, dark corridor smelled musty, and reflections of the dim light gleamed off small puddles that had collected from water that seemed to steadily drip from above.

“You know,” Razorhoof began, clearing his throat, “our old stories say that back in the days of the republic, we kept these dungeons full. Criminal masterminds, prisoners of war, all sorts of characters. Baltimare has quite the history, you know.”

Indeed...

“If you stay here long enough, maybe you can even see some of it firsthand,” the captain grinned. “Though, these days, nothing much exciting happens around here. Actually, the spectacle that your friend made was the most newsworthy event to happen to Baltimare in years. In fact, Rainbow Dash is the first pony that I’ve had the misfortune to place down here during all my years of service. Probably why this place is such a dump.”

Twilight looked up at him, eyebrow pricked up quizzically.

“Hey, even in dungeons, we’ve got standards.”

Twilight opened her mouth to respond when, as they rounded a corner, a clearly occupied cell containing a cyan pegasus came into view.

“Rainbow!” she shrieked, her particularly short flight ending with her head colliding against the cold steel bars. She rubbed her forehead with a hoof, pressing her muzzle against the still-ringing bars. “Rainbow! Are you okay?”

“Hey, Twi,” Rainbow Dash replied weakly, raising a hoof to her mouth to cover a raspy cough. “Did...did you…”

Twilight looked downward as her friend’s voice trailed off, veiling her eyes to avoid eye contact. She’d been hoping to put off answering this question as long as possible, though she should have expected that Pinkie would be the first thing on Rainbow’s mind.

“No...” her swallowed reply gurgled out, barely escaping her throat.

“Yeah,” Rainbow sighed, ”I guess I couldn’t really expect any different…”

Rainbow Dash turned her head away from Twilight, her sliding her hooves slowly against the rough concrete floor of her cell. Her eyes burned, but she wasn’t about to rub the pain from them with Twilight watching. Minutes ticked by, counted away by the splash of droplets, those leaking in from the cracked roof above and otherwise, but neither pony said a word.

Maybe there was nothing to say, Rainbow thought.

No, that wasn’t true. In fact, there was too much to say; she just didn’t want to say it. Rainbow Dash closed her eyes and drew in a heavy, shaky breath. Her mind railed against the thought, but she knew she couldn’t keep it in any longer.

She swallowed her tears with a gulp, turning back to face her friend. At first, Rainbow thought she’d left, as the space where Twilight’s muzzle had been pressed was now vacant, but looking downward, she could see the alicorn laying in a tight ball on the hard prison floor, muzzle buried under her hooves.

“Twi’...” she began, Twilight’s head lifting up at the sound of her voice, “Twi’...I was wrong to shut you out.”

“That’s...it’s okay, Rainbow. I don’t blame you. I know Pinkie was…”

“Is,” Rainbow hissed through clenched teeth.

“...is special to you,” Twilight finished, shifting on her hooves.

“About that…” Rainbow started hesitantly, scraping her hoof on her chest, hoping to disguise its gentle quaver.

“Rainbow,” Twilight interrupted, clearing her throat. They’d already had enough wallowing for one day. “Whatever it is, we can talk about it later. Right now, we need to address the matter at hand: getting you out of here.”

The future Wonderbolt popped up without warning, flapping slowly from one cell wall to the other, a slightly disgruntled expression written on her face.

“Well, that’s easy, right egghead?” Rainbow's eyes narrowed as she folded her forelegs across her chest. “Just light up that horn of yours and sparkle me outta here!”

Twilight cringed.

“Rainbow Dash...that was…terrible. But no, I can’t do that. Not only would it be illegal, I had to let them use a magic-disabling spell on me before they would bring me down here. From the sounds of things, they have other defenses against magic as well. No ‘sparkling’.” Twilight concluded, rolling her eyes.

“Hmm...fine,” Rainbow mused, a hint of annoyance in her voice. “Well, what about...you’re a princess now -- can’t you just order them to let me go?”

“It’s not that simple, Rainbow.” Twilight stated, starting to pace in front of the cell. “Baltimare…”

“Just hang on one feathering second,” Dash interrupted, scowling. “You’re a Princess, Twilight. No pony in Equestria can say no to you, not counting the other princesses, and certainly no two-bit politician from this,” she waved a hoof around, “this one-horse town is gonna boss you around, right?"

"Dash," Twilight groaned, "That's what I was trying to explain. Baltimare was one of the founding cities of Equestria. It was one of the first places where earth ponies and pegasi lived together peacefully before the Unification, before the Princesses came into power. The Baltimareans are strong, proud ponies...”

“Yeah, and they talk funny too,” Rainbow grinned at her own joke, letting cackling softly under her breath.

The sound of a deeper chuckle echoed from down the hallway, the two friends grimacing as his voice reached their ears.

“Anyway, as I was saying, ponies here are proud...and steeped in tradition. Things aren’t like they were back home, Rainbow. Ponies here mean business. They have their own system and their own way of doing things. They’ve operated independently for centuries. We can try to make our case to the governor, but we can’t order her to let you go.”

Twilight looked down, slowly rolling her forehooves together as if grinding reagents with a mortar and pestle.

Speaking more softly, she continued, “Based on my conversation with her yesterday, I can’t say I feel confident that she’ll be too receptive. She...well, she didn’t seem to like us – me – very much. I’d intended to to this on my own, but right now, if I could find a way to contact Princess Celestia...”

“Celestia? Celestia!? Seriously, Twi? I'm stuck out here, in jail, in this plothole of a city, and you want to phone a friend? Jeeze...I need to get out of here now!”

Rainbow Dash threw her body to the ground, driving her hooves into the concrete floor, cracks spidering out from the point of impact.

“Look, Twi, Pinkie’s still out there, I know she is. You know she is. We just...I gotta get outta here, then we can find her, I know we can.”

“Dash, just...hang tight. I’ll figure something out, okay?”

“You always say that,” Rainbow frowned, crossing her forelegs.

Twilight allowed a smug smirk to creep onto her face. “And I always figure something out when I do, don’t I?”

“Yeah. Sure,” Dash scowled, “Just don’t take too long. Being caged up like this...well, it’s making me crazy, Twi’. I just...I gotta get out...After all, Equestria's greatest flyer's gotta fly, you know!”

That’s not the whole truth, and you know it, Rainbow Dash.

Rainbow pressed up against the door of her cage, wrapping her hooves tightly around the bars. She swallowed again, her heart racing.

Keep cool, Dash, you can do this.

“And...well...” she whispered hesitantly, casting a suspicious glance around Twilight, peering down the corridor.

“You know what, it’s nothing,” Rainbow declared confidently, grinning widely.

“Hey,” Twilight interjected, bringing Rainbow’s gaze back to her with a gentle hoof. Her foreleg fell lightly onto Rainbow’s shoulder, her hoof folded back around the rainbow-maned neck.

“Uh, Twi’,” Rainbow’s eyes widened, “What…”

“You miss Pinkie; I know. We all do…” Twilight whispered, soothingly stroking Rainbow with the frog of her hoof.

Rainbow’s body seemed to stiffen at the touch. “Ugh...” she muttered.

“Rainbow,” she said sincerely, meeting her friend’s gaze. “I want you to know you can tell me anything. I’d never breathe a word of it to anypony if you didn’t want me to.” She chuckled, adding: “Trust me, Pinkie taught me that lesson well.”

Rainbow Dash stared into her friend’s deep, lavender eyes, panting in a few shallow breaths.

“This wouldn’t have anything to do with you staring at Pinkie’s flank…”

A cyan hoof slammed painfully into the purple alicorn’s muzzle, silencing her instantly.

“I don’t know where your mind is, but I’m no fillyfooler!” Rainbow seethed, her face flushed.

Twilight blinked away thin tears, briskly sweeping her friend’s foreleg away. “I wasn’t saying anything like that! And—I don’t think I deserved that, either. But anyway,” she let out a terse laugh, “you know it wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world for somepony to like one of their friends as more than just a friend...”

Dash snorted reprovingly. “Well, I don’t. Pinkie’s just a really, really, really, really spec–good friend to me. One that,” she paused, swallowing audibly as her boisterousness seemed to drain from her body, “I really don’t know what I’d do without.”

“I—” Twilight took a deep breath to steady herself. “Rainbow, I know how you feel.”

The dark blue shadow that her friend had become flared to life once more, slamming her slick snout into Twilight’s, meeting the alicorn’s comforting gaze with eyes of fire. “You have no idea how I feel!” Her chest shuddered, her cry echoing through the tunnels. “Maybe,” she muttered almost inaudibly, “I don’t either.”

An awkward silence fell between them, but the boiling rage from only moments ago had given way to a war of emotions playing out in Rainbow Dash’s eyes as she settled to her hooves.

Twilight blinked. “So...that’s it?”

Rainbow Dash took a deep breath, studying her friend with uneasy eyes.

“Yeah. Sure. That’s it, Twi’.” Her lips spread wide, but her eyes told a different story.

“Rainbow…”

“Really, Twi’,” Rainbow said, spreading a wing and taking a primary in her mouth, “Thaf’s it.”

Twilight rolled her eyes.

“Rainbow, if I could use my magic in here…”

“Buf’sha can’t,” her grin visible through the mouthful of feathers.

“Rainbow...did something happen between you and Pinkie?”

The wing fell from the pegasus’ now-still mouth, a chill running down her spine as she stood stiffly, frozen in place.

“Wh-what? No—what in Tartarus gave you that idea?”

Twilight blinked, but offered no response. All at once, the pegasus collapsed on herself, as if the air had been drawn from her body until her chest caved. When she could finally bring herself to look at her friend again, her eyes were haunted, wizened like those of an aged mare.

“It’s just...I’ve been having dreams, Twilight. Ever since I read that letter…”

Suddenly, Rainbow Dash’s jaw shut with a painful-sounding snap, the mare cringing fearfully. Twilight reached out, lifting Rainbow Dash’s hooves in her own and cradling them gently.

“Rainbow,” she consoled warmly, leaning in carefully so that her horn slipped between the bars. “It’s okay. She’d forgive you. Like you said, no more secrets.”

Her teeth still clamped tightly, Rainbow could feel herself weakening. Finally, she nodded a resigned assent.

“She...she didn’t want anypony to know, she didn’t want ponies to have to worry about her. Even though she didn’t say it, I think she might’ve been a bit embarrassed about it. I guess she had nightmares, bad ones, since she was a filly. And I guess,” Rainbow hesitated, “it got worse than that. Sometimes she’d do things in her sleep. Violent things.”

Noticing that Twilight hadn’t responded yet, she continued. “She almost killed one of her sisters when she was young. In her sleep. She was unconscious for almost a week; she still can’t see out of one eye. Even her father could barely fight her off, or at least, that’s what he told her. They’ve got her on some pills now that make it better, I guess, but she had...a relapse.”

Rainbow swallowed, her breaths quickening again. “She’d been having dreams about me recently, I guess.” Noticing Twilight’s lips curving in a grin, she hurried to stammer the rest. “Probably, you know, ‘cuz I’ve been gone and all that. Anyway. The night she disappeared, she woke up in the hot air balloon. Outside my window. Covered in blood.”

Twilight’s jaw audibly thudded against the floor.

“She didn’t know how she’d got there, where the blood was from, anything. But if she’d slept for a little longer…”

“Twilight,” she looked into her friends eyes, her own glazed, “I—I don’t want to die.”

Whatever was left of the alicorn’s defenses crumbled; with tears streaming down her cheeks, she wrapped her hooves around her friend’s neck. “Nopony’s going to die, Rainbow. Nopony.”

“Twilight, I can’t stop thinking about it. Every time I fall asleep, she’s there, but not the Pinkie we know; the creepytown version of her from the party, when her mane went all straight and stuff.” Rainbow wiped her blurring eyes, the icy grip of panic clutching at her core. “I-I-I j-just want my friend back. I just want things to be the way they were.”

“I don’t want to think that I did this to her.”

Twilight pressed closer, closing her eyes as she surrendered to the growing void in her heart. Her eyes grew moist, tears beginning to fall from her eyes to meet with Rainbow’s, two separate streams that would blend into one substance as they dripped to the ground.

“I’m sorry, Rainbow,” she choked out, barely above a whisper, “I’m so sorry.”

They fell silent again; aside from the shallow respirations each heard from the other side of the bars, not a sound was made. Razorhoof must have either had other duties to tend to or have fallen asleep, as they didn’t see him again. They gripped each other as tightly as they could, their bodies pressed as near each other as the bars that separated them permitted.

They remained in each other’s forelegs for a long time.

Author's Note

Thanks again to Orlunu for pre-reading, and for putting up with my many revisions to this chapter!

Update 12/3/14: Unicorns removed from Baltimare.

6. Discoveries

The ornate bell hanging over the cheerful entryway of Carousel Boutique chimed brightly, cutting through the crisp late-afternoon air to announce the arrival of another potential client to the shop’s proprietor.

“I’m sorry; we’re closed for the evening,” Rarity called out distractedly, briefly wondering if she’d forgotten to turn the sign to “Closed”. “But please, don’t hesitate to return tomorrow morning. We’ll open at 8 am...”

The rest of her words died in her throat as her eyes narrowed, darting between the carefully-drawn pattern on the desk and the fabric before her. Suspending her needle in midair, she evaluated her work through increasingly critical eyes. Capping off her inspection with a deep frown, her horn faded as she chose to take up the delicate canary cloth in her hooves.

“Oh, I simply cannot believe this!” Rarity rumpled the fabric gently. “How could I have been so careless, using a chain stitch where my design clearly indicated that this particular hem should have a cross stitch instead.”

She rubbed her forehead methodically, scraping the skin with the tip of her hoof.

“Well, I suppose there’s nothing to be done about it now,” she sighed with exasperation, “I’ll just pull it all out and start over again in the morning—”

“Uh, Rarity...”

She froze, startled by the sudden sound. There shouldn’t be anypony else at the boutique at this hour… she thought as she spun on her hooves.

“Applejack!” she said scoldingly, stamping a hoof.

“Ah really hate to interrupt ya in the middle of…well, whatever it is ya’ve got goin’ on over there, but...we gotta talk.”

“Oh, yes, that...ah, well...sorry, I...didn’t notice you were there,” Rarity stammered, a deepening pink stain spreading across her muzzle.

“Aw, it’s no—umph—problem, Rarity. Ah know when you get into your work, you—ergh—really get into it.”

“Um, Applejack, dear?” Rarity said, her eyes widening, “Whatever are you doing with that rope?”

Rarity waved a hoof nonchalantly in Applejack’s general direction, though she certainly felt anything but unconcerned about the situation, whatever it was.

“Oh, that? That’s—ugh—Fluttershy.”

Rarity stared blankly at the farmer.

"Fluttershy? I went to her cottage just yesterday; the poor dear was too sick to even open the door, for fear that she might spread her illness. She even canceled our spa appointment…by messenger pigeon!"

Applejack chuckled. "You tellin me you actually fell for that cough-n-whimper routine—"

"Well, when somepony tells me they aren't feeling well, I tend to take them at their word!” The unicorn’s eyes widened, then immediately narrowed with suspicion. “But...then...do you mean to tell me that you dragged her here tied to a rope, like a dog on a leash?”

Rarity stuck the tip of her hoof firmly into Applejack’s chest, pushing against the firm muscle. She met Applejack’s eyes with a severe glance, and she gritted her teeth as she waited for a reply. Finally, the mare’s eyes fell, and her head bobbed up and down in a guilty nod.

“Really, Applejack? Poor Fluttershy! Did you really believe that was necessary?”

"Ah sure did! After Ah busted her door down, she holed up in a corner so tight there was no gettin her out. At least, not without ropin' her up and draggin' her on over here, which is exactly what I did.”

Applejack’s eyes widened, and without explanation spun around, twisting her head back and forth rapidly, Rarity observing with curiosity.

“The rope!” Applejack cried, reaching out with her forelegs. “Grab it!”

Rarity blinked, following Applejack’s frantic motions until she found their target—the frayed end of the rope, snaking its way up and out of the doorway. Lighting her horn, Rarity grasped the fibers tightly.

“Applejack, dear,” she grunted in a most unladylike fashion, “Though I’m happy to help, is there any reason you couldn’t have just pushed her in here, if you wanted her here so badly?”

“Well, now that’cha mention it, I guess I coulda done that, now couldn’t I? I sure can’t now, though,” Applejack said with more than a hint of annoyance, nodding towards the rope as she reached up to take the end in her mouth. Rather than trailing out the door as before, forming a taut line at her eye level, the rope now took a sharp turn upwards, bending around the doorframe and continuing up…

“Ah, I see.” Rarity rolled her eyes, but just a bit. “And I suppose you’re not able to get her down on your own, are you?”

“Do ya think I’d just be standin’ here like this if I could? Ah can do most of the pullin’ myself, but Ah’ll need ya to do your part too.”

Rarity sighed. “Very well. But do remember, I’m not Twilight, dear. I may be able to suspend small things with my magic with ease, but I can’t very well pull an entire pony from the sky.”

“Well’n, yer just gonna hafta help out anyway ya can.”

Rarity covered her muzzle with a hoof, her fur prickling as Applejack’s meaning dawned on her.

“Surely...you don’t mean…?”

“C’mon now. You jumped in a whole pool of mud, remember? Twice, even. This here...its just a little rope...”

“But Applejack, it’s hardly the same thing at all! You’re telling me you want me to put that...disgusting….thing...in my mouth?”

Applejack raised a pair of dead eyes to meet Rarity’s own.

“Well, maybe...I could try to use more magic first?” Rarity pushed a weak grin to her muzzle.

“Whatever ya say, Rarity. We’re gonna get her down, though, one way or another. We got things we gotta talk about. All of us."

She nodded, closing her eyes. Reaching deep inside, she felt around in the core of her magic until she found the strand of light she was looking for. Briefly, she regretted spending most of her time in magic class sketching out her first designs rather than paying attention to thaumic theory, but she generally knew the magic she needed to. Familiar enough with the shape of it, she grasped as much of it as she could muster into one large mass and focused it directly into her horn.

Almost immediately, something lurched inside her, her stomach souring instantly. The sensation was strong enough that if it persisted, she’d have to excuse herself to avoid fatal embarrassment.

She licked her lips, the saltiness slightly calming her now quite upset stomach, but not nearly enough for her to maintain the level of concentration required to control the building power in her horn. It was truly mind boggling to consider that Twilight used magic at—and above—the level she was currently attempting with regularity.

“Hey, Rare! Everything okay there?”

Rarity snapped her eyes open, looking up to see a thick trail of black smoke swirling up from the point of her horn. She flung a high shriek out her muzzle as she propelled herself through the half-door that led into the kitchen, thrusted her head under the tap of the sink, and waited for cool relief to wash over her.

Relief that never came.

Right, no magic. Clumsily, she reached up with a forehoof towards the small metal faucet handle (of which she had a few words for the designer, who’d clearly not accounted for the use of hooves), as she scrambled with the other to brace herself against some surface that wasn’t quite so slippery.

It was not to be. Her hind legs slipped, slamming her lower jaw closed against the counter, her teeth gnashing together painfully, shooting spikes of pain out from their roots that seemed to reverberate in her skull.

Given the situation, she did the only thing a lady could.

She wailed.

Loudly.

“Guess yer not cut out to be an earth pony after all,” Applejack smirked from the doorway, “I coulda toldja that, though.”

Rarity scowled, turning back towards the sink. This is friendship, is it? She stared at her porcelain nemesis, the ache in her skull continuing to grow. Certainly, this day would require a double-length spa treatment to recover from.

Hesitantly, she placed a hoof on the top of the counter (she’d have to get that polished later), and pulled herself awkwardly onto her hind legs. It really seemed a wonder that earth ponies could survive at all. Just to be certain that she wasn’t making a fool of herself for no good reason, Rarity attempted to grasp the handle with her magic once more.

For her efforts, she rewarded with a shower of blue sparks and another zap of lightning trailing down her spine.

Definitely a double.

She reached out with her right forehoof, finally succeeding in pushing the handle far enough that water flowed into the sink. She thrust her head into it, but no relief came.

“Rarity,” Applejack’s voice traveled to her ears, more than a bit of mirth clinging to her words. “Yer danged silly horn stopped smokin’ minutes ago. Now, could ya please stop fooling around in there and get out here and help me?”

“Well, I’ll have you know,” she snapped, emerging from the kitchen with a slow strut, “It would seem that magic is completely out. I, personally, have never been shut down like this before, but I understand it can be a number of days before one recovers from such an event. Indeed, though I was looking forward to an intense spa treatment, I might have to postpone that in favor of a visit to Dr. Horse instead.”

“Well’n, you’ll just hafta do this my way.”

Rarity felt a shudder run through her body, swallowing thickly as her eyes locked onto the cord in front of her. Smears of dirt, grime, and all other manner of contamination were clearly visible, even at her current distance, jammed into its every crevice.

In fact, she swore she felt her face turn the slightest shade of green just thinking about it. Nevertheless, she was not going to be upstaged yet again by the rough-and-tumble farmer, who was surely smirking at her expense even now. Hesitantly, she allowed her jaw to hang slack, her edging forward until the rope hovered in the gap between her lips.

Her breath quickened; even though her tongue had yet to touch the rope, she could feel the filth on it against the warm, fleshy interior of her mouth anyway. But, she reminded herself, the situation was indeed as Applejack had described. She had managed to wade through a mud pit for her sister, and she had even thrown herself into one of her own accord (even if not necessarily in her right mind) a second time for the mere sake of the adoration of Trenderhoof. Surely, for one of her closest friends, she could manage a bit of dirt in her mouth. Sealing her eyes shut with a twist, she clamped her teeth down hard.

Rarity’s body instantly tensed, an expression of horror dripping down from corners of her mouth that the rope emerged from.

She’d expected it to be bad.

It was worse.

So very worse.

Bad didn’t even begin to describe the experience that was brewing in her mouth at that moment. The thought boiled in the back of her mind that she’d have to ask Applejack afterwards exactly what dung heap she’d dragged the nasty thing through, but after only a few moments of consideration, she nearly had cause to summon her fainting couch. The fibers of the terrible twine teased at every surface of her mouth, scraping their filth under her tender taste buds, piercing into her gums, jabbing themselves tightly between her teeth. She could even feel a few little strands sliding slowly down her throat.

The world began to spin again, and she could feel the blood draining from her head as the floor started moving up towards her. There was an orange blur, and then it all went black.

“Mmmmmm…”

Rarity smacked her lips lightly, which were drawn back together by a thick layer of sticky mucus that filled her mouth with a strange metallic flavor. Her throat felt intensely raw yet numb at the same time, her body buzzing with a strange, disconcerting energy. Her mind was just beginning to cut through the mist around it when something cold pressed against her shoulder, her eyes snapping open as she pushed herself up on her hooves, heart racing.

“Wha’...what happened?” she blinked.

“You passed out cold, Rarity. Are you feeling okay?” Applejack’s voice cracked, her brow creased with worry. Rarity had never seen her friend like this before—except, maybe, with Apple Bloom—but it was nice to see a softer side of her.

“Yes, I think so, Applejack,” she said, moving a hoof and promptly slamming into the floor. “Perhaps…a bit dizzy still.”

“Yeah, it looks like it. You just stay put, you hear; I’ll go get the doctor…”

“No!” Rarity blushed, “I mean, no...just, give me a moment. Or...a hoof.” She looked up pleadingly at her friend.

“Rarity, you need somepony who can help you...you’ve never tried that much magic before, you mighta hurt yourself.”

“AJ,” she said, the pet name feeling strange as it rolled off her tongue for the first time. “Please. Fluttershy.” A weary smile spread across the alabaster unicorn’s muzzle, a warmth in her chest preceding it.

Applejack’s jaw snapped shut.

“Don’t say I didn’t try to help you. And as soon as we’re done with all this foolishness, you’re going straight to the hospital, you hear me?”

“Sure, AJ,” her voice drifted out from her lips.

“And stop calling me that—you’re startin’...well, you’re creepin’ me out a bit, to be honest.”

Rarity frowned, her eyes watering slightly. “B-but Rainbow Dash calls you that…”

“Well, yeah...but…”

Rarity squeezed her eyes shut, pulling her body upwards. She nodded curtly, sucking a breath between her barely-open lips, which were drawn in a narrow line. “No need to explain, Applejack. I understand. Now, let’s get to it.”

She walked purposefully around Applejack, taking the rope firmly in her jaw and, this time, focused on ignoring the terrible odors and sensations that threatened at every moment to overtake her. Applejack turned to look at her for a moment, shaking her head, then refocused her attention forward.

“Unnn…”

Rarity watched as Applejack planted herself forcefully, her eyes widening with abject horror as her friend’s chipped hooves dug into the fine Arabian rug that adorned the tiled floor. She had chosen that specific, marvellously fuschia carpeting to coordinate with her interior theme, but not even just that. Although she could sell the occasional dress to a Ponyvillian, they certainly were not a reliable source of income. Instead, she had to attract outside business, such as the Canterlot elite. The rug was just one small piece in the carefully-crafted image she’d built of herself and her business over the years, but not an unimportant one. First impressions were everything, and doubly so when one is attempting sell fine wares in the quaint ‘country’ town of Ponyville. And indeed, it was impossible to miss that beautiful rug from the second one stepped into her shop. To the locals, of course, it was just a rug. But to the clients that Rarity targeted, it represented so much more than that. Her taste, her style, her attention to detail, the quality they could expect...all of it communicated just in that one little detail.

No...no...I will not fail again...she thought, a sound echoing in her ears.

“Rarity…Equestria to Rarity…”

Rarity blinked, her vision filling with orange as her surroundings came back into sharp relief.

“Oh, oh! I’m...terribly sorry Applejack.”

The farmpony looked none too amused, struggling to keep the rope in her mouth, which seemed to be moving of its own accord.

“Ah said ‘Three’ already...are you sure you’re okay?”

“Oh!”

Rarity smiled broadly, either with excitement or insanity (she would conclude later that the latter was more likely), and gripped the rope with a hunger that she didn’t know she had. Noticing that Applejack had done likewise, though nearly tripping over herself as she attempted to keep up, Rarity did the only thing left to do.

She pulled.

Fluttershy rubbed the fluffy surface of the cloud with her hooves, breaking off a small ball and polishing it until it formed a perfect circle. Aside from the slight breeze that brushed softly against her fur and through the barbs of feathers, the serenity of her surroundings was nearly perfect.

Or would have been, were it not for the rope still bound tightly around her neck.

She methodically rolled the cloud-ball between her hooves, frowning all the while. She appreciated her friends, but, they sometimes failed to understand that sometimes she needed her own peace, away from all the excitement and noise that typically accompanied her pony friends. Sometimes…it was just too much. Her animal friends were better in that way; even if most considered them to be “less” than ponies, they had a sense about them that seemed to tell them when somepony just needed quiet comfort, space to think, a cup of warm tea…

Poor Angel bunny… at this rate, I’ll miss getting him his dinner.

She tugged at the rope gently, to see if perhaps one of the ponies inside had released their hold on it again, but...no.

Maybe you should just go down there.

“No!” Fluttershy blurted out, eyes widening at her sudden outburst. Her hooves rushed up to her muzzle, her cheeks pinking as she cowered. The very idea, though, that she’d approach them now...well, it was just...

Fluttershy sighed, allowing her muzzle to fall to the cirrus, small wisps of vapor streaming out from beneath her. Applejack means well. But she...just doesn’t understand.

Fluttershy needed space. She needed to be with her animal friends. She needed anything...anything but this. She gazed off into the distance aimlessly, hoping to find peace among the clouds.

Maybe I should just pack up, go to Cloudsdale for a little while. I could stay with my family, Applejack could watch the animals for me…

A high screech broke her silent reverie, followed by the sound of excited voices drifting up to the cloud. Curious, she tiptoed to the cloud’s edge, peering down towards the boutique.

Her shoulders slumped. It was definitely Applejack and Rarity…and they sounded upset. Or angry. She knelt down, straining as she tried to pick out individual words as they floated by. After several minutes, though, it was obvious that any form they’d had had been stolen by the breeze, leaving only unstructured noise to reach her ears.

Regardless of what was being said below, it was quite clear to Fluttershy that something was wrong…and it was her fault. Making friends, maintaining friendships, those were things that had always been difficult for her. She didn’t have to look any further than her speckled history with Rainbow Dash to find evidence of that. It always seemed like, however she chose to react to a situation, it was the wrong one. When she hid from her troubles, ponies pushed her to face them; when she was assertive, it always seemed that meekness would have been the better choice. Her friends probably would have been better off without her altogether…

No, that’s not fair. They chose me as much as I chose them, she thought to herself, kicking up another bit of cloud and rubbing it against her cheek. But avoiding them just makes whatever they’re going through worse.

She picked herself up, placing her hooves confidently on the soft surface of the nebule. Her friends had been there for her when she’d needed them, and even though she was reluctant...it wasn’t fair for them to suffer because she was afraid.

She spread her wings, her lips slowly peaking upwards as she exercised muscles that hadn’t been called upon in weeks. Perching on the edge of the cloud, taking a gentle, shallow breath as gusts of cool air bristled through the spines of her primaries.

This will be okay. I can do this!

She nodded to herself, crouching low in the classic launching position, when the yoke around her neck unexpectedly seized her. Her eyes widened, flaring her wings to hold her position when the lariat tugged sharply against her spine once more. Her resistance was no match for the force, and the smooth surface beneath her slipped away, replaced by the quickly-approaching green of the grass-covered lawn that rushed to meet her instead.

Rarity’s first jerk had more oomph behind it than Applejack had expected, and, caught off-guard, she stumbled backwards awkwardly. Though the alabaster mare continued her impressively strong efforts from behind, she was able to plant her left foreleg solidly on the floor before she lost her footing altogether, and added her efforts to Rarity’s instead of being bowled over by them. After but a single tug on her part, though, the tension suddenly broke, and Applejack found herself thrown back yet again, this time under her own propulsion. Her ears registered a loud crunching noise outside, but couldn’t give it much attention given her own circumstance, one which quickly resulted in her gliding body slamming into Rarity’s barrel forcefully. The unicorn squealed in disapproval, her foreleg clutching desperately at Applejack’s flank, as the two ponies landed together on the floor in a jumble of limbs and hair.

Applejack groaned.

“Get off!” came a muffled shout from below her rump.

“Oh...oh!” Applejack snickered, a wide grin spreading across her cheeks as she stood. “Like the air down—mmf!”

“Not another word!” Rarity screeched, her hoof firmly planted in the orange mare’s mouth. “We shall never speak of this again. Ever!” Applejack couldn’t help but notice that even though the unicorn’s eyes had widened with evident vitriol, her the blush spreading across her cheeks and the slight upturn in the corners of her lips.

“Mmf-kee,aa-ity,” she muttered through the hoof.

“Good—”

“Rarity!”

Applejack turned in unison with Rarity, in time to see an extremely-rumpled yellow pegasus rushing through the doorway in a direct collision course with the unicorn.

“Oh no...what happened!?” Fluttershy squeaked, her eyes darting between Rarity’s face and the rather blackened horn above it.

“Oh darling, it’s…” Rarity paused, grimacing, “It’s nothing, I’m sure...but what happened to you? That wing...it looks terrible!”

“Oh, well, um, you see, I was...I fell out of a cloud, and there wasn’t enough room for me to correct before…”

“Ya crashed, didn’tcha?” Applejack finished.

“Yes. I’m sure if I was a better flyer, like Rainbow Dash, I’d have been fine...but it’s nothing to worry about, anyway, it’s just dislocated—”

“Dislocated! Darling, we must get you to the hospital at once.”

“Oh, yes, Doctor Horse will have me fixed up in no time, I’m sure. But honestly, I’m more worried about you. What happened to your horn?”

“Well, I may have pushed my magic a bit too far…”

“A bit!” Applejack snorted, “I’m surprised she didn’t burn the whole place down, mahself.”

“Rarity!” Fluttershy said, leaning over the unicorn to inspect her horn more closely. After a few minutes of rotating her head this way and that, she pulled back, looking at Rarity cynically. “Well, I don’t see any cracks, so you may have gotten lucky this time. But, we should still get it checked by a professional. You know that magical burnout can be quite serious.”

“Oh,” she blushed. “Would, um, someone mind taking this rope off my neck before we go, if it’s not too much of a hassle? I mean,” Fluttershy swallowed deeply, her voice dropping to a whisper, “Some ponies might...get the wrong idea…”

“Fluttershy! You never told me you read those kind of novels. I have a number of recommendations…”

Fluttershy eeped, shrinking against the ground, her wide eyes locked onto Rarity, crying out a desperate, unheard plea.

Rarity blinked. “Nevermind, then. We...should probably be on our way, then…”

The unicorn turned away, trotting towards the open door.

Applejack approached the red-faced pegasus, her own cheeks blushing slightly as she ducked her head to remove the rope. She hadn’t really thought about...well...whatever it was those two were talking about. Granny’d raised her grandchildren right, so of course, any hidden meanings that had crossed between her two friends were completely lost on Applejack.

“Ah’m, ah, sorry about that, Fluttershy.”

“It’s okay, Applejack. I was being pretty silly, hiding in my cottage anyway.” she smiled sweetly, trotting quickly to catch up with Rarity.

“Indeed. Why were you hiding in your cottage, anyway?”

“Oh...um…well…”

“I had honestly thought you were very sick, but it seems,” Rarity looked narrowly towards Applejack, who just smiled in response. “It seems that I was naive to believe you.”

“Oh,” Fluttershy brought a hoof to her mouth, gnawing gently on the nail tip, “You’re...you’re not angry with me, are you?”

“Not angry, dear, though I must say that I am slightly disappointed that you didn’t feel you could trust us with whatever is on your mind. We are your friends; if something is amiss, you should come to us, not stow yourself away in your little cottage out by that dreadful forest.”

Applejack nodded inattentively, her stomach growling. The scent of fresh hayfries wafted out the doorway of the Hayburger almost irresistibly, and she noted that the sun was now touching the horizon behind them.

“Oh, but I’m not alone out there, you know. I’ve got my animal friends there with me.”

“Fluttershy, dear, you know that is hardly what I meant.”

The yellow mare shuddered, the tears forcing themselves out the corners of her eyes. “Oh, Rarity, I’m such a terrible pony!”

“Why, whatever do you mean?” Rarity blinked away her astonishment.

“It’s all my fault. Pinkie w-w-went c-c-crazy because of Rainbow Dash, I just know it. I know she asked all of us, but I actually could have helped her. I-I-I should have just t-taken her seriously, I should have looked for Rainbow Dash as soon as I could. I could have found her, Rarity, I could have…”

A warm foreleg threw itself over the quaking pegasus’ back. “Fluttershy, ain’t nobody’s fault what happened. We just gotta figure out how to make it right, that’s all.”

Fluttershy looked up into Applejack’s green eyes, drawing in a shaky breath. “I...I just...before Twilight came…I…”

Her voice trailed off again, and she tossed her mane in front of her glistening muzzle. “You know, nopony knew about me, nopony cared about me…I basically, um, well, it was like I didn’t even exist…and it just seemed like...well, like that could happen all over again...”

“Oh, Fluttershy,” Rarity nuzzled her friend, “You know that will never happen. We’ll get everypony back soon, I’m sure. Even Pinkie Pie.”

“Do...do you really think so?” Fluttershy’s face brightened slightly as she wiped her eyes with a fetlock.

“Oh, yes, dear. And that’s not to mention...you!”

“Me?” Fluttershy squeaked.

“Yes, you. You’ve grown so, so very much since we first met. Even if you always are a little more socially-averse than the average pony, I don’t think you’ll be invisible ever again.”

“Y’all, I hate to break up this little moment, but we need to get moving,” Applejack broke in, rubbing her displeased abdomen with a hoof, “Y’all need to get yer little problems taken care of and I...I’ve gotta get mahself a little somethin’ to eat, I figure.”

Rarity rolled her eyes.

“You and your beastly appetite. I’d swear, you eat enough for two stallions.”

“And work enough, too. Something that somepony here doesn’t know a lick about.”

Rarity punched Applejack lightly with a forehoof, who winked slyly at her would-be attacker.

“Anyhow, Rarity, what Ah wanted to talk about is...well, ya know, we're down by half now. Three of our friends, gone, and it don't seem like anypony's got the slightest clue where in Equestria they've gone. Ah just figured we should at least try to figure out where in the hay Twilight took off to.”

Rarity rubbed her chest with a hoof.

“Well, Applejack, I don’t have the slightest clue, unfortunately. But...if she stopped at the library before she left—and I’m sure must have—then I’m sure Spike would be able to tell us something.”

“Well then, as soon as we’re done with what we gotta do, we better get on over to the library before the little guy falls asleep. And speaking of which,” Applejack waved a hoof, “We’re here.”

They entered the hospital slowly, the harsh smell of disinfectant filling Applejack’s nostrils. She hated hospitals. Most of them townsponies thought the work she did was nasty, but she just worked with good-old dirt and other normal, natural stuff. Decidedly not like the hospital. Whether with magic or by more…manual means, everything that happened here was decidedly unnatural. And that stinging too-clean smell everywhere, all of it to cover up the smell of death, she figured, even though nopony wanted to say that.

“Excuse me,” Rarity waved beckoningly to the admitting nurse, “Would we possibly be able to see the doctor soon?”

Nurse Blossom nodded, waving the three to a set of chairs in front of them. Uncomfortable chairs, Applejack thought.

“He’ll be with you in just a moment.”

A moment. Applejack harrumphed loudly, drawing an unappreciative glare from the nurse. She glanced unamusedly at the old clock dangling from a small hook on the wall, watching the smallest hand complete its circuit. She liked to think she was a fairly tolerant mare, but hospitals just made her uneasy. She just had too many bad memories attached with the sights and smells of hospital waiting rooms. Too many things she’d rather forget.

She rubbed the tip of her hoof along the edge of Stetson, shifting uncomfortably in her seat. A moment...hardly. She glanced to her friends, who had apparently started up a conversation about proper manecare while her own attentions had been elsewhere.

“...and that’s why I say you should always give yourself a treatment of MareoccanOil as soon as you’ve dried your hair.”

“Oh,” Fluttershy blushed, “I just use a bit of Maretrix Leave-In afterwards—”

“Darling! That simply won’t do! With your beautiful, fine locks—you must have only the best!”

“Well...um, I figured that since they sell it at the spa…”

“On the bargain rack!” Rarity said scoldingly, but her face softened to a look of concern as she looked over the increasingly-embarrassed pegasus. “Fluttershy, I know none of us really understand your, ah, business very well, but, if things are a little slow…”

“Oh no, I’m...fine…”

“Well, I’m just saying, darling, that if you should like, I could purchase you a sample, so that you could try it—”

“No, it’s...fine.”

“Well, Ah don’t really know what y’all are talkin’ about, but Ah wash mah hair with Mane n’ Tail and never needed anything else. They sell it over at Barnyard Bargains; a big ole bottle only costs three bits and it lasts me a whole month!”

Rarity’s head swiveled to face Applejack as if propelled by force, her eyes glaring daggers at the farmpony.

“Well, Applejack, although I am quite certain that such a routine works for you, Fluttershy here has far more delicate needs to be attended to.”

“Oh, um…”

“Nah, it’s fine.” Applejack waved dismissively, “Ya’ll have yer little frou-frou talk. I’ll just sit here and...count ceiling tiles or somethin’.”

She scoffed, leaning back in her seat to look at the ceiling, doing her best to block out the chatter beside her.

There sure are a lot of tiles up there, ain’t there? Well...guess I got nothin’ better to do.

After her third time counting the ceiling tiles—all 142 of them—Nurse Redheart emerged, gesturing the ponies back.

Rarity craned her head around at her friends as they entered the corridor leading to their examination room.

“I still think this is much ado about nothing. At least for my part, that is.”

“Rarity…” Fluttershy’s eyes narrowed, but before she could continue, Nurse Redheart thrust herself between the three friends, her eyes fixed on Applejack with laser-like intensity.

“You’ll have to wait back there.”

“But…”

“Sorry, patients and family members only. Hospital rules.” Redheart turned, allowing the doors to slam closed noisily behind her, only inches from Applejack’s snout.

She sighed. It was going to be a long night.

Applejack belched loudly. Before dinner she’d just been hungry, but she wasn’t sure that was worse than the sour, bloated feeling that seemed to permeate her guts now. The hospital food was just as terrible as she remembered it. The burger was dry, the fries were cold, and to top it off, she couldn’t even get any cider to wash it down! At least, she supposed, her stomach wasn’t rumbling anymore, and it had gotten her out of that Celestia-forsaken waiting room for a little while. It was sure felt like it was taking a whole lot longer than it should’ve if everything was okay.

She scratched her chin nervously.

They’re gonna be fine, right?

“Applejack!” a familiar, shrill voice called out, and Applejack scrambled out of her seat to face her.

“Yes, ma’am?”

“You can see your friends now.” Nurse Redheart nodded towards the doors beside her. “Room number 6.”

Applejack’s eyes lit up, and before the last syllable had been spoken, she raced through the open doors—nearly bowling the nurse over in the process. She galloped down the hall...3...4...5…

WHAM! She burst through the whitewashed door, panting loudly as her eyes frantically searched her surroundings.

“Are...are y’all okay?” she stammered, rapidly scanning her wide-eyed friends, “Did they...are you stuck here? Is your wing broken? Your horn, does it work?”

“Shhh…” Fluttershy whispered, folding her unhurt wing over her friend, nodding towards the corner of the room. There, frozen in place with one hoof holding a medical chart and the other on his chin, sat Doctor Horse.

“Well,” he said finally, breaking the silence, “that was...quite the entrance. You and your friends,” he said, eying Applejack cautiously, “are getting quite the reputation around here. But I suppose I should address you in order.”

He moved purposefully towards the center of the small room, which was better suited to serving two ponies than four, hoofing lackadaisically through the stack of papers fastened to the charts he had been carrying.

“First,” Doctor Horse said, pointing to Rarity, “You. You are one lucky unicorn. You could have easily cracked, or even broken, your horn with a power surge like that. We were able to repair the surface damage that was done, as well as provide you with a recharge to your magic while your reserves rebuild, but you need to take it easy. No more tricks.”

The doctor closed Rarity’s dangling jaw with a sharp click. “Oh, we’ve put a palliative spell over you, so you shouldn’t feel any residual pain. But if the headaches come back over the next three days, please come back so we can do a reexamination.”

The doctor turned. “Next, you. Your wing is going to be fine, as you already knew. The magic that I applied to the joint will help the tendons to heal faster than they would on their own. But, please, try to stay off it for the next week or so so that it doesn’t get reinjured while still healing.”

“Now, you!” he said, pointing at Applejack.

“Me?!” she said incredulously, “I’m just fine!”

“Hmph. That’s what I wanted to talk to you about.” he said, his voice dropping to a growl. “I...look, there’s no easy way to put this. Things get around...and, I’ve got a good idea what’s going on here. And I’m telling you, you gotta be more careful with that filly. I don’t know what exactly you were up to, roping her up, dislocating her shoulder, but…”

“But doc—”

“No buts. Get a safe word, or something.”

“But…”

“Oh, and next time, have the decency to fix her up. Yourself.” he commented as he walked out the door, nodding towards a furiously blushing Fluttershy, who had taken to cowering behind an extra lab coat.

Rarity’s eyes fixed on Applejack, who, with the room now clear, released a deep, prolonged guffaw so pronounced that it could have been heard halfway to Canterlot.

"Rarity," Spike mumbled, shoving a bright red gem in his mouth, "I awready todja. I donno nottin."

He shook his head with a slight motion. It’s not like she — they — ever came to see just him. It was only when she — they — wanted something that dear ‘Spikey-wikey’ ever mattered to anypony. If Twilight was unavailable, or they needed to ask him something about her, or if they wanted a meal made…

He didn’t mind being her assistant, of course, but he just wished somepony’d actually be interested in just him, for once. Especially if that somepony happened to have a coat of the purest white and eyes deeper than the ocean’s blue.

He blinked, swallowing as he jerked his posture upwards, the sense of a certain unicorn’s glare crawling up his back. He fixed his face with a neutral expression, though, doing his best to remain impassive to her.

"Spike, you must know something. At least, try to tell us what you saw.”

"Twilight flew in, she grabbed a bunch of stuff, and flew out. That was it." Spike shrugged, turning his attentions back to the massive bowl of gems before him. His lips tightened, reaching out with a clawed hand indecisively over the delectable assortment, a trickle of saliva splashing against the table. The moment of indecision quickly passed, though, as a particularly large green gem seemed to speak to him from within the pile. A broad smile began to reach across his face, as he extended himself forward, its fine, sharp flavors already dancing across his tongue.

Instead of grasping the gem, though, he found himself sprawled across the surface of the wooden table. The bowl, and all the gems with it, had seemingly disappeared.

"Awwwww..." he moaned. His eyes scoured the room frantically to locate his missing stash, but his search revealed nothing. Carving a scowl on his face, he slowly tipped his head upwards, the white porcelain holding his treasured jewels gradually entered his vision, suspended several feet above him in a familiar glow. "Rarityyyyy..."

"I am sorry for this, but we need you need to focus—on us, not your dinner. Now, then, you said before that when Twilight came in, she 'grabbed a bunch of stuff and left'?"

"Pretty much," he growled. Why does it always have to go like this? Frustrated, he stood on the back of the chair, leaping towards the bowl, but the bowl darted away every time one of his claws sliced through the blue aura surrounding it.

"Well, what kind of 'stuff' did she take with her, Spikey-wikey?"

Rarity batted her eyes suggestively at him, and though his cheeks warmed, his focus was on the meal that had been rudely snatched away from him.

Huh. She thinks she can play off my feelings to get what she wants, does she? Two can play this game…

Spike folded his arms stubbornly across his chest, turning away from the mare of his dreams. "I dunno. Stuff."

"C’mon, now, Spike," Applejack chimed in, stepping towards the small dragon. "You can’t possibly tell me you don’t remember anything else."

He sighed. "Nope. Just, Twilight-kind-of-stuff. Paper, quills, books, that kind of thing."

"Books!" Rarity lunged towards him, her large, beautiful blue eyes filling his vision. She was so close, in fact, that he could feel her warm breath shooting from her nostrils, filling his senses with her sweet perfume. His heart leapt into his throat, and it was all he could to to swallow it down into place. Just when he felt he could no longer contain himself, the ivory muzzle in front of him opened.

"Her own personal books, or books from the library? You must tell me, Spike, you must!"

"Uh...library books, I guess." Spike waved haphazardly at the shelves, hoping nopony noticed the hot blush spreading across his face. "Yeah, that's right, she came down the stairs and just started ripping books from the shelves. Made a huge mess out of things, if you ask me. It took four hours for me to reshelve it all. Alone. Since, you know, Twilight..."

"Yes...yes!" Rarity beamed, clopping her hooves together rapidly. "And do you remember, Spike, what the books that she took were?"

Spike couldn’t help but notice that all of his friends were staring intently in his direction, and he brought a claw to his chin, as though there were a memory he was working to retrieve, but lay just outside his grasp. The expectant ponies leaned in, and he had to extinguish a chuckle that had risen halfway up his throat, so that the moment might hold just a bit longer.

"Nope!" he finally said with satisfaction. "But…there is a way you can figure it out..."

Spike waved at the shelves of books, a sly grin creeping across his face. "Everything that's checked out is recorded here in the register. Twilight, organization, you know how she is. Anyway, all you have to do is match the books we have against what’s recorded here, and whatever's left is probably what Twilight took!"

He couldn’t help but find a bit of gratification in the horrified looks that were now spreading across the three mares’ faces, each tightly-packed bookshelf that their eyes fell upon increasing the enormity of the task ahead of them.

"Just...make sure you reshelve it all when you're done. I don't want to have to reorganize these books for a third time this week," Spike added, taking his first step up the stairs, where his inviting bed awaited. "I'll be up here, napping, if you need me. Good luck."

“For corn’s sake…I thought this pile of Celestia-forsaken books would never end! How many more do we got on the shelves?”

The carefully-stacked books formed a veritable wall between Rarity and her somewhat grumpier friend, each pile representing the contents of a particular bookshelf. Once they were finished, Rarity hoped she’d be able to reshelve the carefully sorted piles in only a matter of minutes. Applejack couldn’t see it due to the obstruction between them, but Rarity was fairly certain that the text Fluttershy was ever-so-carefully lowering to the top of a particularly tall pile was, in fact, the final item from all the shelves in the library. Nevertheless, there was no harm in a little fun, right?

“Oh,” she said, eyeing Fluttershy’s cautious delivery as she scanned the library, “I don’t know, perhaps, two or three more shelves? Yes, three shelves, I do believe.”

“Alright, then,” the predictably discouraged voice groaned from the other side of the wall. “Once ‘Shy gets that book placed, go ahead and magic the next pile on over here.”

Rarity smirked mischievously, though Fluttershy was beginning to give her the slightest amount of concern. The poor pegasus was doing her very best to be gentle, as they’d been so careful through the entire process to maintain order. Even so, the piles flexed under the new weight, and Fluttershy’s eyes widened with horror. Rarity’s breath stuck in her throat, and she locked her eyelids closed, unable to watch the unfolding tragedy. After a few moments cleared without hearing the rumble of a paper avalanche, she allowed herself a peek. Indeed, it looked as though the wall had stabilized, and she finally let out the breath she didn’t know she was holding. Fluttershy flashed a self-assured grin at her success, but, noticing Rarity’s attention, she withdrew her enthusiasm and fluttered back down behind the stack.

“Oh Applejack…” she called out with a smile. “I do believe I was mistaken. It seems those books are Twilight’s private collection, and therefore are not recorded in the register.”

There was a pause, followed by a hesitant “Oh yeah? So...that means we’re done then, right?”

“Hmmm...yes, I do believe that to be the case, darling”

“YEE HAW!”

Rarity’s ears rang from the sudden outburst, but that paled in comparison to what happened next. Unexpectedly, Applejack followed her voice through the tower, propelling books in all directions. The stacks of books gave up a great rumble; the pony shaped hole in the middle holding for a moment before collapsing, filling with texts of all shapes and sizes. Rarity’s eyes darted between the worst. possible. thing. in front of her and the mare responsible for it, panic swelling in her mind.

“Uh, oops?” Applejack grimaced, tugging her hat firmly onto her skull as the remainder of the books tumbled across the room, eventually settling in a veritable ocean that covered them all.

“Oops? Oops!” Rarity buried her muzzle in her hooves, her teeth audibly gnashing together. “Three hours of careful, delicate work wasted—all because somepony can’t keep their brash enthusiasm in check. And all she has to say is: oops!”

“Well Ah—”

“Ah..oh...oh my…” Fluttershy’s head poked out from the sea of books.

“Oops…” Rarity squeaked again, her eye twitching erratically. A sea of books…hours...days...weeks it will take us…

“Rarity, are ya—”

“Oops…”

“Ah think Ah broke her,” Applejack said, turning to Fluttershy, who was still cowering amongst the texts.

"Oooooooops....oooopsie!" a tittering voice wound out from behind them.

"I...um, yes—"

A sudden stinging pain radiating from the back of Fluttershy’s neck cut off her reply. She turned, only to find herself face-to-face with Rarity, who seemed to be randomly gathering books in her forelegs by the dozen and then proceeding to fling them in all directions.

"Um...Rarity?" Fluttershy turned to her friend. She'd seen Rarity get upset like this before, and it was almost never pretty.

"Hee hee hee...ooooooopsie!" Rarity's eyes twitched more, vacantly staring in front of her.

"Rarity. Stop."

Fluttershy let her teeth rest on her tongue, carefully following Rarity’s erratic, darting glances as she approached.

“Oopsie!” Rarity swung her forelegs wildly in front of her, the crack of a breaking binding echoing throughout the library.

“Rarity!” Fluttershy stopped in front of her friend, placing a hoof squarely on her forehead, just at the base of her horn. She looked directly into the pony’s eyes, reaching deep inside her for the strength that nopony, least of all she, actually believed she had. Taking a deep breath, she opened her mouth slowly.

“Stop.”

Rarity gazed blankly, then blinked a couple of times.

“Yes. Stop.”

She shook her head again, and the strangeness in her eyes faded. Fluttershy took a step backwards, giving her her space.

“Right. Terribly sorry about that. Anyhow,” she turned back to the farmpony, her voice curt. “Yes, Applejack, we’re done, though we certainly have substantially more work to do, since somepony came and ruined everything we’d worked so hard on.”

Rarity stumbled across the books, reaching the desk and clearing the extraneous books off it with a swipe of her foreleg. She looked down at the register, flipping through pages quickly.

“Based on our accounting...hm...there’s one copy of the Karmare…” A blush began to spread across Rarity’s cheeks, and her voice dropped to a mutter. “Oh, never mind; that certainly was not Twilight's doing. Let’s see, what else…”

“Hey Rares, what about this!” Applejack shouted excitedly into Rarity’s ear, shoving a hoof at the page as the alabaster pony cringed. “From what you got written here, both Travel to...Baltimare! and Marewolves of Baltimare seem to be missing! That’s gotta be the clue, right?”

“Applejack, darling, do you really think a trashy novel like Marewolves of Baltimare is something that our dear Twilight would have even the slightest bit of interest in?”

Applejack blushed. “Ah well, Ah guess Ah hadn’t thought about that.”

“Um…Spike did say she was in a hurry. Maybe she just...uh...took the first two books that looked like they were useful, right?”

“Hmmm...” Rarity paused, rubbing her hooftip along her bottom lip, “I suppose that does make good sense — good thinking, Fluttershy! Spike! SPIIIIIIIKE!”

“Yeah?” Spike stumbled down the stairs after a few moments, rubbing his eyes with balled-up fists, “What’s up? You find it?”

“We think so,” Applejack replied, nodding towards Rarity. “You got any idea why Twilight would be interested in Baltimare of all places?”

“Uhhh...nope!” Spike tapped his chin, “But I think I know who might!”

“Oh?” Rarity blinked.

“Yeah, Lyra Heartstrings.” he said, receiving three pairs of blank stares in response. Spike sighed. “You know, green unicorn, musician, hangs out with Bon Bon,”

“Oohhhh…”

“Right. Well. She’s been poking around here the last few days. A lot. And it isn’t to check out a book, I’ll say that. She’s asked me once or twice about Twilight, but there’s been a few times I’ve caught her...snooping around in here, but she’s always bolted out the door before I can talk to her.”

“Well, girls,” Rarity turned away from the dragon, grinning triumphantly. “I think we know exactly what to do next!”

“Heeeyyy…” Spike lifted a warning claw, his other hand placed firmly on his hips, “Don’t forget that you have to clean all this up.”

Rarity nodded distractedly, again noticing the disaster they had wrought upon the library.

“Right. Uh…just one other thing, though. Does anypony know where exactly this Lyra lives…?”

“Twilight,” Rainbow sniffled, breaking the long silence, “I was thinking…”

“Yes?” Twilight absent-mindedly scratched her jaw.

“Well, about Pinkie…”

Twilight’s face fell. She looked at her friend intently, eyes darting over her figure. “Yes?”

“Well, it’s just...my dreams. You don’t think…”

“No!” Twilight blurted out suddenly, then clamped her mouth shut with a hoof, startled by her own conviction. “No. She would never…”

Twilight allowed her teeth rest gently against her tongue, swallowing thickly. Rainbow’s eyes still bore directly into Twilight’s own, desperate and despairing, seeking answers that Twilight could not give her. She closed her eyes, forcing her breath out in a slow, controlled stream.

“Maybe…we should just worry about getting through this part first,” she said tiredly, a vacant look filling her eyes.

“R-right,” Rainbow choked out, “Well, then...I guess, what’s next?”

“Well, I know you don’t want to hear this…”

“Uh huh…”

Twilight glared.

“But, you’re just going to have to get comfortable here for a few days. I’ll talk to the judge tomorrow, and try to get a better idea of what we’re looking at from that perspective.” Twilight tapped the floor unsteadily, her jaw jittering slightly. “Otherwise, I’ll spend the rest of the day...”

“...nose-deep in your books, right?” Rainbow goaded, a mischievous look momentarily masking her sadness.

“Yeah,” Twilight said gently, her voice falling to barely above a whisper, “Nose-deep.”

She lifted her head up, running a hoof down the length of the rugged rainbow mane, the hairs rough and broken against her flesh.

“Don’t lose hope, Rainbow. We’ll get this sorted out. I promise.”

“Okay. I trust you,” Rainbow replied, nodding lamely. “Get comfortable. Don’t lose hope. Got it.”

The alicorn turned as if to walk away, but hesitated, looking back over her shoulder at Rainbow Dash.

"Hey, one last thing..."

"Oh yeah. What's that?" Rainbow chirped.

“What do you have against fillyfoolers?”

“Uh...what?”

“You’d said that ‘you’re no fillyfooler’, and, well, I want to know why.” Noting the flat look on her friend’s face, Twilight added, “You know, for science.”

Rainbow groaned. “Twilight, I really hate all the sappy stuff, you know that. Haven’t we had enough tears for one day?”

Twilight giggled. “Hm...No, I guess we haven’t.”

Rainbow Dash crossed her forelegs, backing away from the bars and flapping up again. She seemed to stare at one of the bricks in front of her, as though awaiting some kind of revelation from it.

“Just spit it out. You’ll feel better.”

“Fine,” Rainbow slapped a hoof against the thick cell wall. “I guess I don’t have much better to do anyway.”

“Exactly!”

Rainbow Dash pulled herself as upright as she could manage, thrusting her chest out boisterously.

“Well, just look at me.”

Twilight tapped her chin with the edge of her hoof. “Uh...okay.”

“Well, what do you see?” Rainbow spread her wings to their full extent, as if it made her point clearer.

“Um...Rainbow Dash…I guess?”

“What?”

“You. That’s what I see."

Rainbow Dash slammed a hoof directly between her eyes. "Ow – geeze, Twi', I'm dead serious. Look at me. I'm brash. I'm bold. I'm, well, I'm a tomfilly, always have been. And, everypony knows that all tomfillies are..."

"Now, Rainbow," Twilight chided, "Don't you think you're being a little...stereotypical?"

"Yeah. Whatever. I've lived it. Everypony growing up called me a fillyfooler."

"Everypony?"

"Sheesh, get off my wings already. Look, Fluttershy wasn't the only one who had it bad in flight school, okay?"

Rainbow’s eyes examined the worried face of her friend closely, but though she felt a knot growing in her chest, she wasn’t about to let it show.

"Maybe I'm a lot more selfish than everybody thinks.” She held a hoof out, silencing her friend. “Don’t worry, I know how everypony thinks of me. I wouldn’t have it any other way, really. After all, I’m awesome, right.” Rainbow smiled weakly, but her eyes didn’t show it.

“But this—this was different. I’ve had plenty of time to think….about it. And...I think, maybe, some part of me only helped her out because I figured if I could defend her, I could defend myself, too. Heh. Turns out I was wrong about that."

"Twilight..." Rainbow’s voice cracked, and she bit her bottom lip nervously. "I've...never told anypony about this before."

Twilight nodded gently, drawing her friend to the ground with a hoof.

"I’ve told you all about how I did my...the...first Sonic Rainboom, of course. Which was awesome and all...but, unless Fluttershy…” she paused, awaiting a response that didn’t come. “You've never heard the story of what happened after."

Twilight stared intently at Rainbow Dash with wide and expectant eyes, like a pupil at storytime. Were it not for the somber subject she was about to address, her saccharine expression would have been more than enough to push Rainbow over the edge into wild laughter.

"Okay...so, after the race was over, I wanted to talk to Fluttershy, but she'd disappeared. You know, falling through the clouds and all that, but I didn’t know that. I figured that all my awesome moves must have scared her, and that I'd find her hiding somewhere, so I went off looking for her in her usual hiding spots. I didn't know that I was being followed, though, when I began searching behind the school..."

"Hey, Rainbow Crash!" Hoops mocked, a caustic grin across his cocky face, "That was a nice show you put on for little Eepysqueak there. I guess chivalry's not dead after all."

"Feather off." Rainbow stamped a hoof, turning her back to the three approaching colts. “And, you know, her name’s Fluttershy, or are you too stupid to understand that?”

Billy landed in front of her loudly, his hooves sinking several inches into the cloudtop. He looked over her with predatory eyes, flashing a thin smile that chilled her to the bone.

"Brave words, Crash. But I guess I'd be feeling brave too if I'd just given it to little Eepy over there."

"WHAT!?"

Her voice caught in her throat, scratching its way to the surface, leaving her with a raw, burning feeling throughout.

"Oh, c'mon Rainbow," Hoops slammed down beside his friend, "Everypony knows."

"Yeah. Everypony knows," Quarterback echoed, approaching Rainbow from the left as the other two cornered her, "You're the biggest fillyfooler in Cloudsdale. Maybe even Equestria."

"I...I...Take it back!" she stammered. Her head buzzed, suddenly feeling untethered. Maybe the Rainboom had taken more out of her than she’d thought. Something didn’t feel right, that was for sure.

"So…why don’t you give us a little lesson on what two little fillies like yourselves would do, anyway?"

Billy’s voice dripped with malice as he stalked towards her, and Rainbow’s heart pounded in her head.

"Maybe she just needs a couple of stallions to straighten her out, eh, boys?” Quarterback added as the three closed the circle around her.

Rainbow Dash was now surrounded, and this time, the boys looked like the meant business. The race, at least, had taken place in a fairly public area. But here...here they were frighteningly alone. It made sense. The school wasn’t open, and the school grounds weren’t a usual place for ponies to gather. Unless somepony happened to pass overhead and glance down at them, they could have stayed there unnoticed for hours, but looking up, there didn’t seem to be anypony approaching from that direction either.

She drew her attention back to the situation at hand, she quickly measured up the ponies that were now only a few hooves away. They were all a few years older than her, that she already knew, built quite a bit larger than she was, as colts typically were anyway. Even so, she was confident she could have taken one of them on by himself. Three, though, it was clear she didn’t stand a chance against.

Three grinning, hungry, vengeful colts.

She blinked away the wetness she could feel pooling in the corners of her eyes, crouching aggressively.

“You won’t get away with this!”

Billy smirked, looking down at her hungrily. “Really? Who, exactly, is going to stop us?”

Rainbow turned her head, looking behind her. She hadn’t considered it as an option before...but she could escape that way. True, the school building was there, and she’d certainly catch hell for flying through it. It would take weeks, or even months, to repair the damage. But it was about the only option that she had, other than allowing the boys to exact...well, whatever it was they’d come to do. Building or no, she had to get away, so she crouched low, spreading her wings to prepare for flight.

"What, you’re actually going to just blow through the flight school administration building?" questioned Billy with a chuckle, turning to look at Hoops.

"You know, I heard you're on thin cirrus with the principal. A stunt like that, in your position, I don't think that ends well for you. You’ll get kicked out of flight school, for sure. The Wonderbolts…" Hoops snickered, as the other two mockingly masked their muzzles with their hooves, “The Wonderbolts don’t take dropouts, you know.”

“I will be a Wonderbolt!” Rainbow shouted resolutely, her voice echoing across the empty field.

"Then you’ll do exactly what we tell you. As long as you’re a good little filly, this will be all over soon."

Billy winked to his friends, a satisfied smile spreading on their faces, before they turned back to face Rainbow Dash. She swallowed, dropping her wings back to her sides.

"Please...don't..." she squeaked. Frozen in place, she closed her eyes, turning her head away from Billy and his gang.

"Oh, it's too late for-"

Rainbow was breathing sharp and heavy, but screwed her jaw in place once more.

"You know what: I don't think I want to talk about what happened next. Not right now," she said, her body stiffening suddenly.

Twilight let out the breath she'd been holding loudly into Rainbow's ear; Rainbow hadn't realized it, but as she’d talked, Twilight had again become entangled in her forelimbs. Her friend now moved to extricate herself, however, standing up tall with a strangely stoic expression on her face.

"Rainbow," Twilight's tone was a bit harder would have been expected, "You said you'd never told anypony about this. Does that mean, like, anypony, anypony? Did they...Did you...like, they just got away with it!?"

Dash didn't respond audibly, but a slight nod of her head was all Twilight needed to see.

"Rainbow Dash! I...I can't believe you! What...what was it, stubborn pride that kept you from letting anypony help you? They should have been punished!"

Twilight paused, but the only answer she received was silence. Taking a deep breath, she continued.

"Just letting them go; Rainbow Dash, even for you, that’s just irresponsible! I knew..."

With a sickening crack, a hoof connected with its target, and a pony fell to the floor.

7. Limbo

Pinkie Pie hummed a cheery tune, a wooden pencil braced tightly between her lips. The preparations for the super-amazing “Happy ‘Party Across Equestria Day’ Party” were almost complete, and the thought of the smiles all her favorite ponies would wear as they enjoyed it was enough to give her mane a little extra bounce.

She swirled the pencil around with her tongue a bit, wondering if she had enough streamers in her closet, when a sudden clatter erupted behind her.

“Hey, Pinks," a confident voice rose over the sound.

“Oh, hey Dashie!” Pinkie leapt off her stool, bounding towards her friend. “What’s up?”

“Oh, you know, just...uh, busy being awesome!”

Dash's lips spread in a smile so wide that Pinkie felt even she’d be uncomfortable wearing it, and she was an expert at smiling.

The fact that the smile failed to touch her eyes at all only fueled Pinkie’s suspicions.

“Hmmmmmmmm. You sure you’re feeling alright?” Pinkie jabbed at her friend’s side repeatedly with the sharpest edge of her hoof, testing her like a bowl of gelatin that hadn’t quite set yet. “Because...you don’t look alright.”

“Nope, never felt bett—”

Pinkie zipped between the words Rainbow was speaking, circuiting her svelte figure several times before she could even blink, frantically jotting down notes on a clipboard as she did so.

“Yep. Not okay at all. Buuuut—” Pinkie adroitly snapped on a doctor’s lab coat and, to it, added a pair of thick, black-framed glasses. “Dr. P. D. Pie is on the case!”

“Really, Pinkie,” Dash’s eyes darted back to the window uncertainly, slowly scraping a hoof down the fine hair on the back of her leg. “I’m—”

Pinkie slammed the errant tongue down with a depressor and, after scratching her chin a moment, withdrew a small device from her coat pocket. Cocking an eyebrow, she nudged the implement with her nose, causing a bright light shine right back at her.

“Oh-er ay, uh-uh” Dash choked out, “Oh-er ay!”

“Uh, what’s that again?”

Dash furrowed her brow, a black storm brewing in the depths of her cerise eyes. After a moment of exchanging increasingly awkward stares, she swatted the wood intruder away, then placed her hoof somewhat more gently on Pinkie’s snout.

“I said ‘Other way’! Like, you need to turn that thing the other way to use it right, you know. But, it doesn’t matter anyway, because I’m not sick, so you can just...just drop it!”

“Oooh…I bet Discord got you again, didn’t he?” Pinkie deftly attached a moustache to her muzzle. “I knew we couldn’t trust him! We—I’ll have to go get Twilight right away so she can cast her memory spell thingy and then we'll have to figure out a way to get the Elements of Harmony back out of the tree so we can to turn him back to stone and—”

Before she could finish the next word, Pinkie’s world shifted, suddenly seeming tilted and off-kilter. She cringed as something hard and unforgiving pressed uncomfortably against her back, quickly realizing something equally firm—but also a little bit sharp—dug into her shoulders from the other side, pinning her in place.

And Rainbow Dash just stared at her.

Not with joy, nor with anger.

No…it was something that looked a bit more like…fear?

But Rainbow Dash isn’t scared of anything, silly filly!

Pinkie forced a little giggle from her throat, as she always did when things seemed a little funny or even a little scary. Rainbow Dash’s eyes continued to drill into her, and even though a small voice in her mind told her that she should feel weird about it, for some reason, she didn’t seem to mind it at all.

Her shoulders sure did hurt, though.

Not wanting to take her eyes off Rainbow Dash, she felt around her chest with a hoof until she bumped into something cold and hard that dug into the fleshy part of her shoulder. Hesitantly, she drew her hoof around the corner it formed and followed it up a bit, finding that the hardness faded to a soft fuzz, the coldness growing more and more warmish.

“Oh!” She jerked her hoof back, her eyes widening with surprise. Her heart thumped against her ribs jerkily, though she wasn’t quite sure why. It certainly didn’t feel like the time Twilight had offered her to try ‘some’ of her coffee. The pot looked as good as anything else…but it turned out to be a little teensy weensy bit more than she’d been expecting. And also, the coffee didn’t quite make her mouth feel as dry as it felt right now.

“Dashie,” she squeaked, her mouth forming a weak smile, “Um, I’m not sure why you’re standing on me, but, I know you’ll think I’m crazy, but I’m really, really, really thirsty. Like, not just a little thirsty, like when you’ve had a super sticky caramel-cream-cheese-frosted cupcake and all the frosting is glued to your the top of your mouth and you’re all like ‘Oh my gosh I need a drink’ but more like whemrflgerndfmr—”

The air she’d been forming words a moment prior now being drained from her lungs in an instant, her eyes springing open as she felt an uneven warmth press tightly against the cool saliva on her lips. Hot breath gently puffed through the fuzz covering her muzzle, and in front of her, Dash’s crimson eyes burned strongly, now only inches from her own—

I’m kissing Rainbow Dash!

A giggle burst from her throat, causing the lips of both ponies to flap against each other as it gushed out of her muzzle. Rainbow Dash drew back slightly, looking quite perturbed by the sudden gust of air that had blown into her mouth.

Pinkie made sure, then, that her next actions were unmistakable.

Flinging her forelegs around Rainbow’s muscled neck, she brought their bodies together, her thudding heart fully in the driver’s seat. Her snout pressed up to Rainbow’s, she smiled softly, pushing her lips out to meet Dash’s softly. Slowly, she kneaded them into Dash’s, taking the opportunity to send her tongue darting through the passageway into the warm, moist chamber that lay ahead.

As she did, she realized to her great amusement that Rainbow tasted perfectly Rainbow-y! Somewhere, back in one of the dustier corners of her mind, a little Pinkie voice told her she’d have to remember the flavor and try to duplicate it in a cupcake someday.

But, that little corner aside, the rest of her mind—and body—was absorbed by the sensation of actually experiencing happiness with another pony, rather than just watching it from afar. Pinkie reached her hoof up, dragging it through the jagged hairs of Dash’s vibrant mane, pressing it into the back of her head as if to keep her there forever.

But it was not to be. Just as suddenly they’d began, Rainbow pulled back, drawing away from her once more and turning to face out the window.

"Awww, but we were just getting started!” Pinkie stood up, looking in Rainbow’s direction with her head cocked.

The pegasus flicked her ear, but otherwise offered no response.

“D-Dashie?” She lifted her foreleg, reaching out to her, but Dash seemed to flinched away at the lightest touch.

Pinkie swallowed, hesitantly bringing a shaky hoof to her cheek, dabbing away the spots of moisture it found there. Her heartbeat was still rapid and forceful, a painfully loud thuda-thuda-thuda that echoed in her head; a reminder of the bliss she’d just had.

“Did…is it—?”

“I,” Rainbow interrupted, giving her wings an impatient flap. “There’s something I need to do.”

She hopped from hoof to hoof, a scowl darkening her face. Pinkie licked her lips uncertainly, the minutes to ticking by without motion or sound from either of the pair, with the exception of the occasional twitch of Rainbow's prismatic tail.

“Oh—oh well...” she murmured softly to herself. She fought the muscles in her cheeks, forcing them to pull her lips up, even just slightly. She had to put on the brave face, the happy—

“Well, come on,” Rainbow broke the stillness once more, spreading her wings.

“Oh...”

So this was it, then. Rainbow Dash was leaving, and there was nothing to do to stop her. The fur along her neck prickled as long strands of silky hair settled against it, an unusual force seeming to pull against her, drawing every part downward. In place of the heat radiating out from her just moments ago, she was now consumed by a hollow cold inside, an uncomfortable emptiness that ate away at her like she was cotton candy and it was some kind of cotton-candy-eating monster.

She sucked a deep draught through her teeth, her eyelids falling shut. She could ignore the emptiness…

Giggle at…the ghostly…

“Well, okay,” the breath she’d been holding rushed out through her lips.

Pinkie made her best attempt to hop over to Rainbow’s side, even though she didn’t feel like hopping at all.

She didn’t know if she ever would again, really.

“Hey,” she said, ruffling her limp mane with a hoof, “Have you ever eaten a cupcake, you know, like a really big cupcake? Maybe like a cupcake that you had for a long long long long long time and every time you eat a bit of it you always notice that it never tasted right but you could never figure out why? And then suddenly, one day, somepony gives you a little bit of cream cheese frosting and you realize that’s what was missing all along? But when then when you go to make the frosting for the rest of the cupcake you realize that you’re all out of cream cheese?”

Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow, but otherwise held her silence. Pinkie quickly licked the beginnings of a tear from her eye, deciding it was probably just best to start again.

“Well, I guess it’s time for you to leave, then?” Pinkie’s eyes fell to the floor, watching sadly as she traced circles on it with her hoof. “I mean, unless you changed your mind. You can…you can stay too, you know.”

“Uh, what? I...couldn’t really hear you there, Pinkie...”

Pinkie sighed, folding her legs under her body as she settled against the hard floor. Her thin, silky mane pooled beside her like a vast ocean of pink, nearly deep enough for her to drown in.

“It’s okay, just…just go. I understand if you don’t want to hang around with a stinky-twinkie Pie…”

“Where in Tartarus would you get that crazy idea, Pinkie?” Rainbow said, wrapping a soft, downy wing around her body. "You do remember I kissed you, right?"

Pinkie's cheeks burned furiously, but her eyes turned up hopefully towards the pegasus anyway.

“Now, get up here,” Rainbow Dash ordered playfully as she tapped her back. Her eyes met Pinkie’s with a playful, warm gaze, a wide grin displaying her full set of opalescent teeth. “You spend all your time down here; today, you're coming with me, to see my Equestria.”

Rainbow swung her foreleg around to point outward, up towards the bright blue sky that painted the world just outside her window.

"Coming...with you?" The words rolled out of her mouth slowly, the intense emotional swings of the last few minutes catching up with her. "Coming...with you!"

Her lips turned themselves upward this time, a full, brilliant smile formed without even the slightest hint of coercion. Pinkie could feel the weight against her haunches lift a bit as her mane slowly regained its normal volume, feeling a little bit more like maybe the emptiness-monster inside her wouldn’t eat up all the cotton candy after all. In fact, if she forgot to look, she could probably pretend there wasn’t any monster at all. Letting out a brief titter, she sprung onto the pegasus’ back with a single mirthful bounce. Rainbow nodded approvingly, and set them aloft with a powerful flap of her wings.

"You know, Dashie," she murmured softly after a few minutes had passed, running her hoof through the mare's feathery mane absentmindedly. “You’ve always talked about how great flying is, and sure, I’ve been up in the balloon a time or two, but this—this really is something else.”

"Yeah, yeah, I’m pretty awesome. But…you should probably knock off whatever you’re doing back there...unless you want me to drop you."

What Pinkie was doing at that precise moment was balancing on one hoof, her forelegs spread wide apart as though they were wings, laughing the entire time.

"Hee hee hee...well, okay!" Without warning, Pinkie suddenly plunged off the mare's back. "Catch me!"

Pinkie could almost hear her friend’s eyes rolling as she plummeted past her, but, as she’d expected, she found herself perched atop Rainbow’s back barely a moment later.

“Jeeze, Pinkie!” Dash growled playfully, shooting a stern but not unkind glare in her direction. “You keep pulling stunts like that, maybe I will let you see what landing feels like, capiche?"

"Okie dokie lokie!” She sighed effusively, allowing her body to fall gently against the cyan mare’s supple coat. A rare wave of relaxation washed over her like a warm breeze as her muzzle flopped into the wind-whipped strands of brightly-hued hair flying behind Rainbow’s neck. She drew in deeply through her nostrils, a fresh rain-like scent punctuated by a distinct musk filling her senses. Reaching out with her hooves, she wrapped her forelegs around her…her marefriend’s (hee!) chest. The rippling muscles tensed as her cool forelegs pressed against them, but softened quickly.

But yet, there was something bugging her. Something that started as a little itch in her mind. And that something had only spread as she watched Ponyville lazily drift past beneath them.

It was a something that wanted…more.

“Hey...um, does this thing go any faster?"

"Faster? You’re asking moi if I can go faster? Heh; you want fast, I'll show you fast!" Rainbow spun her wings, their hometown disappearing behind them in the wake of a prismatic contrail.

“Wheeeeeeeeee!” Pinkie threw her forelegs out into the wind rushing past them, squeezing Dash's barrel tightly with her hindlegs as she flung her barrel at the sky. The air tugged at the corners of her mouth, stretching it into a huge I-just-got-the-best-birthday-present-ever-even-though-it’s-not-my-birthday smile, the world around her fading pleasantly into a blurry streak of color.

“Oh wow! And this is what you do every single day?”

“It’s pretty great, huh?” Dash replied. “It doesn’t hurt that you’re up here with Equestria’s best flyer, either.”

Pinkie's face flushed a bit as she giggled in response. She was catching the full force of the air now as Rainbow Dash banked, presumably rounding back around to take them back towards Ponyville. She could feel the breeze pulling at her skin, separating each follicle of hair from its neighbor. The warmth of the afternoon sun did a bit to help cut through the chill that the air had at these altitudes, but it didn’t really bother Pinkie, anyway. She'd just been given the biggest cup of the super-duper yummiest hot chocolate ever, her insides doing more to keep her warm than the sun outside anyway.

"Hey Dashie!" she shouted through the rushing air, "Don’t you think we’re a perfect fit? Like frosting on a cupcake?"

“What?”

Pinkie made big circles with her hoof over Dash's back, then over herself. It really did feel like Rainbow Dash was a cupcake, and she was the frosting that had always been missing. Maybe a cupcake wasn’t quite right (maybe something like a muffin would work better, and she could be the chocolate chips, but then she’d have to cut herself into itty bitty pieces and that just sounded icky!), but she’d have plenty of time to work on the analogy later. Dashie raised an eyebrow in marked confusion and held it there for an extended moment, but her expression quickly faded to something more subtle; Pinkie was sure a smile was hidden there, somewhere.

"Yeah, Pinks,” the pegasus finally replied, “Yeah, I think we are."

Content, Pinkie let her attention drift downward. “Ponyville is so eensy-weensy from up here! You know, I gotta say, I don’t think we ever took the hot air balloon up this high before.”

Dash chuckled. “Nope. Those things can’t get this high. Only things with wings can.”

A blue feather struck Pinkie directly in the snout; she drew it down gently and held it in her hoof, examining it closely for a few seconds.

“Uh, hey, I think you lost a feather!”

“Oh, yeah. That happens.”

"Okie dokie, lokie!”

She giggled, looking down at the feather in her hooves.

Hmmm…if she loses feathers all the time, maybe I should keep this one for myself. Yeah! I can put it in my scrapbook; it'll be my super-special Dashie feather from the first time she took me flying after—

Pinkie’s body suddenly jackhammered against her friend’s back, powerfully thrusting up and down from snout to tail, head to hoof. The motion carried enough force that it was evident even to Pinkie that their flight path had been altered by it.

“Oh my gosh!” she gasped, covering her mouth with a hoof as the tingle began fleeing from her body, “That was a real doozy! Something really bad’s gonna happen to somepony, I just know it.”

A beat.

“Rainbow,” a hint of nervousness crept into her voice, “maybe we should head back to Ponyville. I don’t know what the doozy is, but we should warn somepony.”

The silence between them was palpable.

“Rainbow?” Nervously giggling to scare away any hint of fear that might have been sneaking up on her, Pinkie leaned over her friend’s muzzle.
Her eyes were closed.

“Rainbow! Wake up! You have to wake up now!” She lifted a hoof to smack her friend back to her senses, when she saw it.

Her entire foreleg was coated from top to bottom in bright red paint.

She blinked, her mind grinding at what she was seeing.

Not paint, it told her. Blood.

Looking down, it was clear they were on a collision course with the growing landscape beneath them. “Oh no, no no no!” She gasped for air as they plunged downward, but breath was impossible to hold on to as the air rushed by far too quickly, and her head beginning to twirl. Something slipped from her hoof as everything flooded past her, her eyelids falling closed as she wrapped her forelegs as tightly as she could around the limp body of her friend, liquid squeezing out between them from unseen incisions all around her barrel.

She knew it would be over any time now. And this time there was nothing she could do about it.

At least I’m with my friend, some corner of her managed to come up with.

Right as her mind sat on the precipice of consciousness, blackness swallowing everything from the periphery in, she noticed an odd, tingly numbness scaling her body from her hind hooves up.

Her head spun as Pinkie slowly blinked her way to consciousness. The world swam before her, an unrecognizable blur that slowly congealed into distinguishable shapes. As her vision snapped into focus, she instantly recognized the place she now seemed to be in—she’d been here before. By the odd shape, size, assortment of bookshelves and scientific equipment, it could only be one place.

This was the basement of Golden Oaks Library. Twilight’s basement.

“Whew!” she sighed, a relieved, but jittery smile stretching across her muzzle, “that was some nightmare. I’ve had bad ones before, but—”

Halting her speech, any hint of cheerfulness bled from her face as she realized she couldn’t lift her left foreleg.

Or her right.

Or anything else, for that matter. Darting downwards, she could see that her hooves were encased in a purplish glow, not unlike—

“Pinkie Pie!” a voice growled through halting, panting breaths. “Why?”

From behind the shadows that obscured an array of flashing lights across the basement, Twilight Sparkle slowly stepped out, her eyes bleary and red.

“Why—why did you do it, Pinkie?”

“D-d-do w-what?” Pinkie’s felt a hard knot form in her throat, large enough that it obstructed even the shallowest of breaths, leaving her gasping for air.

“Pinkie…I feel…I feel like I don’t even know you, anymore. And yet still, here I am, like a fool, trying to protect you. Because you are—or at least, you were—my friend. So please…please, don’t lie to me. Just tell me the truth. What happened?”

Pinkie stared at her friend, whose eyes were narrowed and full of fire, even as she could feel her own brimming with tears.

“I…I don’t know…we were flying…and then…”

Twilight shook her head, and in a sparkle of magic, a crimson-spattered knife clattered to the floor.

“You were still holding it when we caught you. We saw you falling from a mile away, but there was nopony to fly up to catch you. So when you got close enough, I caught you, and then I saw—”

Twilight’s voice caught, whatever willpower she’d been using broken as tears streamed down her cheeks. Her chest heaved, and it was only after performing several repetitions of her breathing exercises that she’d calmed enough to turn towards Pinkie once more.

“I saw what you did to Rainbow Dash.”

“What!? No, Twilight, no, it wasn’t me,” Pinkie cried, “You have to believe me. You have to! I watched her, I watched it happen, I watched her fall—”

“No! You did it; don’t you dare deny it! You are responsible for the death of our friend!” Twilight sobbed, her horn sparking wildly. She took a step towards Pinkie, a menacing snarl forming on her face. “How could you! How—How could you!”

Twilight’s jaw moved up and down, but her words seemed to have been lost somewhere between her brain and her mouth.

“T-T-Twilight—”

“I—I could kill you, you know…” She sniffled, wiping a string of mucus from her snout. “If…if I was a monster like you!”

Twilight slumped downward, bowing her head until her lips nearly touched the floor. With great effort, she lifted a single hoof and gently touched it to the tip of her horn, instantly extinguishing the magical fire that had been building around it. Pinkie watched in silent regard as her friend sucked breath after breath in and out, until finally she lay her hoof against the ground and lifted her gaze back to Pinkie.

“Pinkamena Diane Pie, you’ve made it clear to me exactly what you are. You can save the rest of your lies for the courts. I was hoping—hoping beyond anything my rational mind told me—that you had some reason for what you did, that something had happened, anything, any reason for Princess Celestia not to add you to her statue garden. But I...I was wrong.”

She sighed. “The Royal Guard will be here for you in the morning. I recommend you take the time in between to really think about what you’ve done.”

With that, Twilight turned and left.

“Wait!” she called out, but the click at the top of the stairs was answer enough.

Pinkie Pie was alone.

She swiveled her legs around as fast as she could, or at least, gave her best effort to do so, but no amount of effort seemed able to break the bonds holding her in place. Her energy quickly wore down, though, much more so than usual; falling 20,000 feet must have taken its toll on her.

Pinkie let a single, silent tear trickle down her cheek, finally giving in to her weakened body’s demands. She supposed it didn’t matter really now, anyway. If Dashie was gone, she was as good as dead herself too.

Dead. She repeated the word to herself. Dead, dead, dead.

The word tasted sour as it fell limply off her lips; she usually avoided it altogether. Even the parties that went with it were more sad than happy. But this time, there was something else, a poignancy to the concept of death that gnawed at her mind. It was as if a part of her had blocked it off; like she’d locked it away, dug a hole in the ground, buried the key, covered up a hole, and built a house on top of it.

Pinkie clacked her tongue against the roof of her mouth, the random sounds eventually falling into steady rhythm. The seconds crawled by, each one seeming to take hours to pass. She could feel her eyeballs drying out as she hung, but she couldn’t find a way to fall asleep. Eventually, her skin grew irritated where the magic gripped her, just around the coronet. Silently, she wished Twilight would at least have allowed her at least enough range of motion to relieve the itch.

Instead, the irritation just blended into the background of the torture she was subjected to.

She shook her head back and forth, desperately trying to find something to busy her mind with to avoid the thoughts that kept trying to creep in.

What to do, what to do…oooh, I know!

“I spy with my little eye something that is…green! Ha ha, found it!”

Her eyes darted away from the green tank full of...well, whatever it was Twilight kept in there...as quickly as they fell on it, seeking something more interesting. Her teeth chattered together anxiously as she tried to think of the next thing she could task herself to seek, her eyes zipping desperately from one side of the small room to the other.

Something that would, she hoped, keep her attention a little longer. Before...

Nope, nope, I won't let this get me down. For I am Pinkie...

In that instant, she felt a wave of cold relief flood over her, the corner of her eye falling on the shimmer of reflected light.

“Ooo, ooo, I know, I spy with my little eye something that is shiny!”

She tilted her head ever-so-slightly upward to find her "shiny" was nothing more than a mirror hanging precariously from the ceiling. It wasn't even a fancy one, like one of those gold-rimmed ones Rarity had. Instead, it just looked to Pinkie like a normal rectangular mirror with an unadorned—but really dusty—black border. Her eyes narrowed as they moved towards the center, though, noticing one thing that was peculiar about it: the image its borders framed wasn’t hers, not exactly, at least. In place of the grown, bedraggled, frizzy-maned mare she’d expected to see, she instead found a small, meek, glassy-maned filly.

A filly looking directly at her.

“Huh,” Pinkie said to nopony in particular, “You must be some kind of enchanted mirror or something. Twilight’s got so much neat stuff down here; she should take people on tours or something! It’d be like a museum...”

“Pinkie,” she heard a squeaky voice utter from above.

“Noooooo way!” She grinned widely, her eyes meeting her younger doppelgänger. “This is too cool!”

“You’re on the wrong side.” the voice whispered. The statement was so quiet, in fact, Pinkie could have pretended it was just the breeze. If they weren’t in a basement, where no breezes could get to, that is.

“Uh…what?”

As the word came off her lips, she felt her insides twist unnaturally. Fixing her gaze on the mirror-version of herself, she could see that the small filly was pointing a hoof directly at her, a maniacal grin spread across her previously impassive muzzle. Looking down, her hooves began to tingle, her heart trilling in her chest. Pinkie tried to force herself to grin, as she didn’t even know what she was afraid of, but something—something that was decidedly not her Pinkie Sense—told her that something very unnatural was happening.

A cold feeling, like a ghost, passed through her. She intensified her struggle against her bonds, tugging at them desperately to get away from the filly whose eyes seemed to her apart inside, but her hooves didn’t move an inch.

Eyes wild, a thought occurred to her.

“Twilight!” she screeched, “S-s-save me!”

She was answered only by the silence of the basement, and the growing cackle of the filly in the mirror.

Then, impossibly, the world skewed sideways.

With a jolt, she felt herself be pulled as though sucked through a straw, her surroundings scrambling into an unrecognizable blur. Her body stretched and pulled in ways she didn’t even know existed, seeming to exist in two places at once. Color, then darkness filled her vision, but strangely, she felt no pain. Surrounded by blackness, she suddenly slammed into a crystalline wall as though she was traveling at a high rate of speed, and found herself once again face-to-face with the same clone of her younger self.

Except, she thought as she squinted, not exactly the same. Instead of the filly she’d looked at before, the pony she now faced was a fully-grown mare, with a mane as straight as glass and fur a few shades less saturated than her own.

And instead of the flattened reflection she’d seen before, the mare before her appeared to be a real, living, breathing pony.

“What-what happened?” she squeaked, her voice far too high. Her eyes widened fearfully, drawn downward to a set of shrunken hooves that were far too small to be her own, except...they were.

“Like I said, Pinkie, you were on the wrong side,” the other mare snarked. “Now, you’re back where you belong.”

“B-but,” Pinkie squeaked, her voice shattering like glass, “I…”

“You,” Pinkamena growled, “are nothing; just a figment of my imagination!”

Pinkie gasped for breath, but—air didn’t really seem to exist in the transparent prison she found herself in, nor did she seem to need it. Each passing moment left her felt more and more a part of the false reality she’d been trapped in, more as the reflection and not the reality. But if I wasn’t the real me, we would have figured that out at the mirror pool, right? Screwing her eyes shut, Pinkie’s mind raced, her eyes brightening as it finally landed on the answer she was looking for. “Ah ha! This isn’t real; this is just a dream! And if it’s my dream,” she said, jostling her foalish frizz as she bounced up and down, “then all I have to do is wake myself up.”

Squeezing her molars down, she bit her cheek until she could taste the iron running into her mouth. In that same moment, the ground beneath her fell away, and she felt herself plunge into a black abyss.

“You can’t hide from the truth forever, Pinkie…” the familiar voice echoed from all around her.

It was the last thing she heard before her mind faded into a dull buzz, her consciousness swept off in one clean stroke.

Pinkie’s eyes shot open, her face twisted with horror as she shot forward as though from her party cannon.

Or rather, that was what she'd intended, but for the fact that she was already suspended in mid-air.

If that wasn’t peculiar enough, taking brief stock of her surroundings only served to make the situation seem stranger to Pinkie. Assuming this wasn’t a dream too, she now found herself in a room the likes of which, well, she’d never seen before. Certainly, she wasn’t in Ponyville. In fact, in all of Equestria, she’d never seen anything that even came close! Her immediate surroundings seemed to be some kind of clear shell, perfectly round and large enough to hold about eight Pinkies stacked wall-to-wall-to-wall. Harsh, bright lights shone into the sphere, lighting her on all sides. Beyond that, the walls of the place were painted in a flat white color, but were very finely textured. Squinting her eyes to get a closer look, she realized her initial impression was slightly mistaken; what she’d first taken as random texturing actually looked like intentional decoration. Strange symbols and shapes were embossed across every surface of the place; she wished Twilight were here to tell her what it all meant.

Bringing a hoof to her forehead, she noticed that her fur looked strangely fluffed out, and there was a strange resistance when she moved her limbs. Curious, she pushed against it, waving her leg back and forth.

Wow. There must be a lot of magic in this place, she thought to herself as she watched hundreds of tiny ripplets follow behind the motion of her foreleg.

Now that she was looking for it, she noticed even her breathing caused cute little ripples to appear, but she could really only see those ones when she crossed her eyes enough to look right at them.

“Wait a minute!” she shouted, except, instead of shouting, all that came out was a burble.

And then it all made sense.

She wasn’t suspended.

She was floating. In water.

But she was still breathing…did that mean she was breathing…water?

She took in a deep breath, covering her mouth, and blew out as hard as she could.

No bubbles. Not a single one.

It didn’t matter what Granny Pie taught her at that moment. There was only one thing to do.

She screamed soundlessly, beating against the water with all four of her limbs.

Wait, she thought, taking great pains to slow her mind, sensing that her breathing wasn’t the only thing about her that was off.

She took a deep breath, and held up her left foreleg.

One.

Blinking slowly, she held up the right.

Two.

Pinkie swallowed deeply, and called on her right hindleg.

…

Left?

Still nothing.

Clamping her eyes shut, she folded her body in two, reaching to the end of her tail and clasping it between her hooves as firmly as she could manage. Rather than the soft fluff or silky smoothness she might normally find there, she instead felt something slick and rubbery. Licking her lips tentatively, she traced her body with her hoof, starting from that point and proceeding all the way up to her neck. As she did, her mind began to overload as her senses bombarded her with a singular, urgent message—one that hardly seemed possible.

She had to know for sure, though, and there was only one way to do that.

Resigned, she peeled her eyelids as far open as she could manage, her blood turning to ice as her forehooves leapt to her muzzle.

Huh. Look at that...

Author's Note

Massive thanks to Orlunu for all the assistance—and tremendous patience—getting this chapter cleaned up to the state it's in today, without which it would have been substantially poorer.

8. Battles

Celestia’s eyes narrowed as she regarded the horizon from her balcony, a light wind flowing through her chromatic mane. The sun now set, the skies awaited Luna’s part in the daily cycle. From her vantage point, Celestia had a clear view of her sister, who was uncharacteristically pacing back and forth outside her tower. Watching her sister attend to her duties was usually a high point in her day, a daily reaffirmation that their shared suffering had ended. But today, she took a more solemn stance as she watched, waiting impatiently for the moon to rise.

They needed to talk.

Her chest shuddered as she let forth a great sigh, her shoulders slumping as it passed through her lips.

It had been five minutes since the sun had left the Equestrian sky, and yet no moon had yet risen to take its place.

Five long, expectant minutes.

“Please, Luna,” she whispered in a silent prayer to herself, “if not for me...for them.”

Her eyelids drooped until there were barely slits between them, each slow breath beating out the minutes. She should have spoken with Luna earlier. It wasn’t that she couldn’t see the signs, but all too often Celestia had found that her good intentions merely got in the way of other ponies, and it was no different with her sister.

In fact, had she been more flexible with her, more understanding, perhaps…..

She frowned.

No. It did not need to be thought of. The present time was different than those days, anyhow, a fact which had caused more than its share of difficulties for her sister since her return. Her most recent debacle in Ponyville had ended with a line of petitioners to the Day Court easily long enough to fill a week’s schedule. Disappointingly, a full half of them seemed to suggest that maybe Luna’s “vacation” hadn’t lasted long enough. In the end, Celestia found herself once again reminding Luna that while the old laws were still technically on the books, and that in this case they did permit her to assume control over the day-to-day operations of a municipality, that things just didn’t work that way anymore.

At least she’d made up for it well enough.

Celestia allowed herself a small chuckle at that. Golden Trickle, her secretary of finance, had been on the very verge of fainting as she breathlessly explained the costs of locating, purchasing, and transporting 100 pound cheese wheels to every resident of Ponyville.

So she was very unimpressed at the substantial belly laugh she got in reply. It had taken the better part of an hour to calm Golden down, though Celestia couldn't say with a straight face that she hadn't enjoyed it a bit. And she did, in fact, have a discussion with her sister about the situation. The royal treasury was, for all practical purposes, as infinite as she herself was, but that didn’t mean they could just throw bits around like leaves in the wind. And that was not to mention that her choice of compensation, while well-intended, very likely failed to have the same impact on ponies that she’d remembered.

“Forsooth,” Luna said, “have the ponies of these modern times no respect for tradition?”

Celestia smiled, “Maybe you should try a simpler approach, and give of that which is most valuable to them.”

“Oh?” Luna pricked her ears, “and what is this you speak of?”

“Time. Although we have more of it than we will ever know what to do with, it is an ever-present pressure for our little ponies. Just spend a bit of time with them, perhaps make yourself available to them for questions or grant them small trivialities, attend a party, read books to the children at the library, engage in small talk. Become...friends.”

Luna rolled her eyes. “Sister, how many times must we go over this. They do not like me. I can barely tolerate them. And some of your suggestions, frankly, are no doubt even in this age unseemly for one of our rank to partake in.”

“Just...try. As a certain protege of mine will attest, friendship…”

“Fine,” Luna interrupted, glaring daggers at her sister, “but I take no responsibility for them tearing their town apart once more due to my presence.”

As pleasant as that recent memory had been, the present was far more troubling. Luna had spent the last several nights as she was now, pacing about her balcony, moonrise occurring later and later with each passing day. Celestia held her breath, pricking her ears against the flowing breeze, but there wasn’t a single sound for them to catch. For once, Canterlot was quiet enough that a flower dropping a single petal would have echoed across its entire area.

So she was not surprised, when she finally looked back up at the sky, to find nothing but a dark void.

With a powerful flap, she took wing.

Twilight. It had to be Twilight. Celestia shook her head as she beat her wings furiously, quickly closing the distance between the spires. Even with Twilight’s ascension, Luna’s skepticism towards her former student had only seemed to grow, with each of her actions judged against ever harsher, higher standards.

“Luna!” Celestia bellowed as her hooves clattered against dark blue stone. Her sister spun to face her, and she cringed at the expression of shock written on her face.

“Sister,” she said more quietly, “why do you not raise the moon?”

“I will raise the moon as soon as I feel prepared to, and not a moment before.”

Celestia raised a hoof, pointing towards Canterlot. “Sister, our little ponies are frightened. They do not understand why the great and lesser lights of the nighttime have abandoned them.”

“It is my moon,” Luna snorted, “and they shall have its light when I give it to them!”

Celestia pressed her hooves firmly against the floor, presenting herself in the most regal, upright position she could muster, even though the look in her sister’s eyes threatened to turn her insides to jelly.

“Luna, you...know how this works….” She swallowed thickly, her dry tongue straining against her. Her eyes darting across her sister’s irritated, but curious expression, she continued: “You...you set the moon; I raise the sun. I set the sun, you…”

“Enough of this! Do not tell me how to manage my charge!” Luna’s eyes blazed as her horn flared to life. Suddenly, the moon rocketed across the sky, halting abruptly approximately halfway up the black canvas. Gritting her teeth, her horn grew brighter, and every star in the sky burst forth from its hiding place in a single blinding flash. Drawing in panting breaths, she turned to face her sister, who watched her with a dispassionate glare.

“If you’re quite through, we need to talk.”

“Celestia…” the princess of the night cautioned, regarding her sister with unease, “I have the situation in hoof. Your assistance, nay, intervention, is neither desired nor accepted.”

A breathless moment bore down upon the two alicorns, almost as though the moon itself were radiating the heat of a summer’s day.

“Very well,” Celestia said crisply, the corners of her mouth twitching, “I shall not force you to endure my help. But, if Princess Twilight…”

“That filly has yet to earn that title.”

Celestia quirked her eyebrows. “Sister, have not her countless acts of bravery in rescuing Equestria from threat after threat not proven her worthiness to you?”

“Feh! They number less than five, and in all cases you might have more successfully intervened.”

“All?” a smirk began to cross the sun princess’ muzzle.

A dark hoof scraped loudly against the cool rock of the balcony. “Celestia, I well know that I am indebted to your student, of that there is no doubt. But that alone does not qualify her…”

“To stand alongside you and I?”

“That’s not the point!”

Celestia’s smile was now in full bloom, warding away the wilting glance of her sister.

“Well, then, what is?”

“She is brash, strong-willed, and thinks too much of herself and those close to her and too little of Equestria to be a responsible leader."

"Remind you a bit of somepony you used to know?" Celestia teased, winking mischievously at her sister.

"Hmph," Luna briskly turned away, choosing to gaze into the night sky instead, "even now, your student has embarked on a most unadvisable quest."

"Oh?" Celestia looked up, her face knotted with confusion. The last thing she’d known was that Twilight had been devoting substantial amounts of energy lately to finding her absent friends, but that search had seemed limited to the resources she had available in Ponyville itself.

“Princess Sparkle has...become aware that her friend and Element of Harmony, Rainbow Dash, has been jailed for certain crimes during her overenthusiastic search for the missing Element, Pinkie Pie."

“Jailed?” Celestia whipped around to face the main turret of the castle, her tail brushing across her sister’s nose. “I hadn’t been informed.”

“Well, it is my understanding that it is not the royal jails that Rainbow Dash is currently held in, but instead those of an eastern city by the name of Baltimare.”

Celestia brought a hoof to her temple, slowly grinding it’s hardened tip into the malleable flesh. Pinching her teeth between her incisors, a deep furrow began to spread across her brow. If Rainbow Dash was truly being held by Baltimare, it ensured that things had just gotten substantially more complicated.

“Sister,” Luna inquired with a touch of gentleness, “why do we permit a province to maintain their own criminal system?”

Celestia looked up, her muzzle looking worn as she exhausted a shallow sigh.

“Baltimare has a certain...independent streak. And it's current leader, Governor Public Trust, seems to take no end of joy in rubbing our snouts in it every chance she gets.” Celestia paused, her eyelids blinking deliberately. "In fact, it wouldn't surprise me at all if she knew exactly who she had rotting away in the catacombs beneath their 'Hall of Justice'."

"Hmph,” Luna’s drew her lips together sharply. “It would seem to me that the 'old laws' that you so frequently deride would have some expedient methods for dealing with rogue municipalities like this one.”

“Luna!” Celestia brought a hoof to her mouth in mock surprise, the corners of her lips peaking upwards around its edges. “Do you never learn?”

Luna frowned. “Well, one thing I’ve learned is that royalty certainly is doesn't gain the degree of respect these days as it did in our time.”

“Yes, sister, and is that not a good thing? Today, innovation thrives amongst our little ponies, but only because they are free to go about their own pursuits. We are here to provide for them and protect them, not to rule over them. Isn't it better to be loved as a benevolent leader than feared as a cruel dictator?”

“It would seem we have no choice in the matter.”

Celestia sighed. There was little use in arguing when her sister got like this.

“In any case, I assume you have plans to keep this situation well in hoof.”

“In fact, I have not.” Celestia narrowed her eyes, but Luna continued. “Though I do not necessarily trust your former student’s competence in all matters, you felt her worthy of ascention, and I did not feel it my place to question that.”

As Celestia cocked her head with confusion, Luna’s lips pulled back to expose the white enamel behind them. “And besides, it seemed a good test for your young prodigy. You’re not the only princess that can be conniving.”

“Well, I’m sorry that you feel that way, sister. But, this was a very unfortunate circumstance for you to choose to play games with. Our relationship with Baltimare is quite strained, and Twilight Sparkle, if uncontrolled, could do us much harm there. Although she has many talents, her judgment is clouded when her friends are in danger. Perhaps a sense of your argument does have merit, in that her prudence certainly does not match up with her position yet, and she must be watched carefully under such circumstances. Her dependence on her friends is absolute. If not controlled, the past has proven disaster may strike in ways as creative as they are unforeseen.”

Celestia watched as her sister slowly raised a hoof to her chin thoughtfully. “That is indeed unfortunate. It had seemed that a trial in diplomacy would certainly differ from her tasks in the past, and give her an opportunity to demonstrate a more complete understanding of the obligations of her new rank. But the risks to us, it sounds, are great. Though I must admit that I still fail to understand the matter of Baltimare itself. It would seem that we have granted them far too much privilege, and little of it seems deserved.”

"It is true that we have granted them many conceits, but I must assure you that we've had good reason. You see, it is only in recent history that we have been able to reconcile with them.” Celestia paused, looking upward absently. When her voice returned, it was barely above a whisper. “You know that I was not always the leader my….our little ponies see me for today. Once I sat alone on the throne of Equestria, well, I behaved immaturely, lashing out at any fault in my little ponies I could find, fooling myself into believing that I was saving them from...a worse fate." Celestia's eyes flicked up towards her sister, who appeared unmoved. "As I realized the...disruptive effect my power could have on our little ponies when left unchecked, I retreated to my chambers. For centuries, Luna. I suffered alone and silent, watching helplessly as the nation we built and defended from innumerable threats destroyed itself, fracturing into feudal city-states ruled by all manner of tribal leaders and warlords. As I wallowed in my own pity, the castle crumbled around me, slowly consumed by the growing wilds of the Everfree Forest and deserted by the ponies who once cared for it. Eventually, the ponies would come to believe that we were nothing more than legends of the past."

Luna's jaw unhinged as she turned, walking into her dimly lit bedroom. "They would abandon you so easily?"

"It is" Celestia sighed, following slowly, “easier than you might think. In any case, it was during this time of unrest that the city of Baltimare made their first contact with the Griffon races of the eastern continents. Founded by earth ponies, Baltimare had, over time, come to serve as a permanent refuge for weary, cast-out, or seabound pegasi. In fact, today, pegasi easily outnumber their earth pony kin. At that time, the griffons were stronger than we; they were united, but under the banner of a cruel emperor, Claudius. Though the griffons that arrived were not dispatched in sufficient numbers to constitute an invading force, their strength was clear. In the end, the Baltimareans truly didn't have a decision to make. A 'bilateral' treaty was signed immediately, granting the Griffon Empire exclusive trade rights with Baltimare in exchange for the assignment of Baltimare as a protectorate of the empire. Griffons began emigrating to the newly-available territory almost immediately, and quickly became an important minority in the state. In fact, nearly every griffon you’ll see in Equestria is descended from those who first landed in Baltimare.”

“Sister,” Luna interrupted, “while the history of Baltimare is, no doubt, an interesting tale, I cannot see how there is good reason for us to be recounting this now.”

Celestia unfurled and refurled her wings with annoyance. Political intrigue was never well-suited for her younger sister, though, who was always more attuned to the interests of the commoners than those of the elite.

“There is every reason; just because you do not see it does not mean that it isn’t there. As you will see, Equestria only gained authority over Baltimare through wartime conquest. After I finally awoke to the pains inflicted on our little ponies across Equestria in my absence, I quickly went about restoring our nation to its former glory. I had believed, at the outset, that it might be an impossible task, or at least one that would span many generations, the ponies’ belief that you and I were goddesses meant they essentially invited me back to the throne in nearly every case.

“In fact, all except for one.”

Celestia drilled into Luna’s eyes, the latter nodding slowly with understanding. “Baltimare.”

“Yes, Baltimare. The ponies there had adopted several cultural practices brought by the griffons; chiefly, the belief that all magic was fel magic, its practitioners empowered by demons from Tartarus. Prior to my arrival, they had not seen a unicorn in generations; New Amsterdameites (now Manehattan) knew better than to travel there, and it was too great a distance for any other. Even if they had, the trade agreement with Griffonia meant that if an Equestrian wished to purchase goods, they had to do so at artifically high prices set by the Empire.

“It,” she swallowed, taking a shaky breath, “it was my fault. We had already marched across the continent, east to west, north to south, my presence cheered in every town and city. I...I became overconfident. I assumed they would respond like all the others, even with the way I heard ponies speak in low, hushed whispers about the city. I made no attempt to learn anything about their culture or their government. I didn’t even know there were pegasi there, not to speak of griffons.

“They, on the other hand, were not so unprepared. When we arrived and were met not with thunderous applause but instead lances and crossbows, our small entourage was completely overwhelmed. My honor guard instantly placed a shield around us, but the treacherous griffons had obtained an elixir from a nearby zebra tribe in advance. Even dipping just the tip of one of their weapons in it provided them enough strength to shatter any shield put up by my guards. Even my own power was not enough to shield us from them.”

Celestia fixed Luna in an intense gaze. “They did not just mean to stop us, sister. They meant to kill us.”

“A-a-and their city still stands!?” Luna stammered, her voice crackling with indignance. “It should have been razed for such treachery.”

“I have learned,” Celestia nodded her head towards her sister, “that revenge does not always solve our problems. In this case, we were lucky. I was able to teleport everypony to safety, though two died from their injuries. My magic was significantly diminished from the effort, though, and our chariot deserted on the battlefield, so we had no other choice than to travel on hoof to New Amsterdame. By the time we arrived, the griffons had already declared war on Equestria.”

The princess shook her head. “The war was long, and many lives were lost on both sides of the conflict. In the end, I was forced to wield my power—the power of the sun—over them. The griffon lands wasted away in darkness for over 7 months, never seeing more than a shade of twilight. Finally, the emperor himself came begging for peace, which we granted, with one condition.”

Celestia paused again, her sister’s blank stare eventually turning to an unimpressed scowl. “Yes, we get it. Baltimare.”

“Baltimare, indeed. But annexation did not mean it was over. In fact, decades were spent quelling rebellions, enforcing law, and wasting millions of bits on misguided re-education attempts. We took over the all the schools, in an attempt to educate both young and old about a number of things, not the least of which was magic. Especially after we found out about what had happened to the unicorns that lived there previously.”

Celestia’s face faded into a peculiar shade of turquoise, and she raised a hoof, shaking her head gently.

“But it never took. Eventually, we learned that co-existing in relative peace was better than as state of constant strife. This has meant that Baltimare, even though technically a part of Equestria, has spent essentially the latter half of the millenium developing their own society, quite separate from the rest.

“And they never did get over their aversion to magic. Even today, aside from the Guard that we intentionally station there, you’ll rarely find a unicorn there.”

“Do you believe Twilight’s safety to be at risk?”

“That is one of my concerns, yes. As the embodiment of magic, she is not shy about its use, and there are likely to be some that will not respond well to it. But...greater than that are my concerns about Baltimare itself. Though our peace treaty with Griffonia forbade any contact between their nation and their former protectorate, we have eyes and ears throughout the Baltimarean government…”

“And….you permit this?” Luna scowled, tapping a hoof impatiently.

Celestia’s head drooped. “We do what we must to maintain Harmony, sister. But yes, our relations with the city-state are still fragile, and if Twilight were to have one of her...less proud moments, it could be to the detriment of us all.

“But...that is enough about Baltimare.” Celestia’s voice hitched slightly as she spoke. “What of the Element of Laughter, Pinkie Pie? Is there any trace of her?”

Luna bowed her head.

“I…I fear I have failed, sister. I believed that even if I could not find her in the dreamstate, attaching a bit of my own magic to her essence would surely allow me some measure of connection, by which I could hope to find her.”

“Without her, the Elements of Harmony can no longer defend Equestria against harm. Luna—”

A midnight hoof snapped up, stopping Celestia in mid-sentence. “Sister, I of all ponies know the cost. Trust me when I say: I have done everything I know how to do. I can find no trace of her in this world.”

“So you think…”

The night whistled outside for what seemed to Celestia to be ages, until Luna finally raised her head to look her in the eye. Slowly, her head began to bob.

“Yes, I do.”

“Then we, indeed, have all suffered a loss,” Celestia said gravely. “We will have to make preparations. But, the night isn’t getting any younger; such things will have to wait until the new day comes.”

Celestia spread her wings, walking out towards the balcony, looking high at the moon that was no longer her sister’s captor.

“As for Baltimare—”

“Let that be my task, sister. Besides, I think I may know just the mare…”

“Bon Bon!” Lyra’s eyes shone as she burst through the door, “You’ll never guess—”

An ivory hoof instantly turned her excited ejaculations into a string of muffled sputterings.

“Lyra, please,” Bon Bon frowned, waiting until her marefriend’s mutter had ceased to remove her hoof, “just, try to keep it down.”

“So,” Lyra hopped from hoof-tip to hoof-tip, her body practically quaking, “y-you’ll never guess what happened today…”

“You inherited a million bits from some irrelevant uncle?” Bon Bon’s mouth barely moved as she spoke, watching Lyra from despondently-lidded eyes.

“Better! Luna—”

“...not this again…”

“—asked me to help her with a super-secret really-important mission in—”

“...I swear, this time…”

“—Baltimare! Isn’t that great?”

Lyra blinked, her goofy ear-wide grin melting slowly as the only response she received was the indifferent silence of the living-room couch.

“Bon Bon?” she swallowed audibly, a nervous titter shading her voice. “Are...you...okay?”

In place of an answer, her marefriend walked across the spartan room, her lips moving silently, and a small smile began to work its way back across Lyra’s face. It was always like this; Bon Bon just worried too much. But, Lyra told herself with a smile, she also always said yes, too.

“Bits,” Bon Bon finally growled, “We need bits.”

“Yes, but, working with the Princess…”

“Lyra…”

“And I get to be a spy!”

“Lyra!”

Lyra frowned, looking down at the floor.

“She taught me a new trick today,” she muttered, rubbing her hooftip in a crack on the floor.

“Who?”

“Luna—Princess, Luna, I mean.” Lyra looked up, eyes bright.

“Gah! Have you even landed any gigs this week? This month?”

Lyra’s face tightened, pinching her bottom lip under one of her incisors.

“Uh,” she hummed, trying to buy herself time. “Yeah! I played at ‘Crumbs and Coffee’ on Tuesday.”

She looked up hopefully at her marefriend, but it was clear that she was having none of it today.

“Lyra, today is Tuesday.”

Lyra blinked. Had it been that long already?

“And besides,” Bon Bon continued, the slight quaver in her voice increasing, “you did that show for free!”

Lyra flattened her ears against her skull. She needed to figure out some kind of angle on this one, or she’d be in the doghouse for sure. “Well...I got tips?”

Bon Bon glared.

“Fifteen bits, Lyra. Fifteen whole bits. Rent is due tomorrow.”

Lyra licked her lips, looking down toward her hooves. Not only had she lost track of the last week, it seemed, but the last month as well.

“You forgot again, didn’t you?”

Lyra’s eyes suddenly became cold and glassy, her voice locked in her throat as she watched Bon Bon’s expression slowly mutate from anger to disappointment.

“I’m sorry...the shop…” she finally managed to cough out.

“Yes, Lyra, the shop,” Bon Bon paused to roll her eyes, “The shop will save us, just like it always does. But it can’t support both of us forever, not in the state it’s in.”

Bon Bon walked toward her marefriend, taking Lyra’s hooves in her own.

“Lyra, honey, I have dreams. Dreams where we’re not scraping by every month to make rent or buy from the discount shelf at Barnyard Bargains. Dreams where we keep ‘Sweet Nothings’ profits at the store, so I can grow that little candy shop into something known throughout all of Equestria!”

She paused, dramatically, her eyes pleading with her partner.

“And we can get there, Lyra, but I need bits to do it. I need new equipment, new decor. The stove barely runs as it is; we’ll be lucky if it makes it through the year.”

She sighed, shoulders slumping.

“But, yes,” Bon Bon conceded, opening the small box in front of her, “I did bring home all of this month’s profits, because I figured we’d need them. I wasn’t really counting on you, even though I was hoping.”

Lyra cringed, her mouth growing drier with each word Bon Bon spoke.

“But even with that,” Bon Bon added, “it’s going to be tight.”

The box slammed shut again with a clatter.

“And that means you’re going to need to start pulling your —”

A loud rap at the door interrupted the candymaker’s soliloquy, her partner leaping at the opportunity to escape the situation.

“Lyra!” a pleasant voice called out, “Just the pony we were looking for!”

“Uh, who exactly is that, Lyra?” Bon Bon asked accusingly, head tilted as she struggled to peer around her marefriend to identify their unwanted houseguests.

“Oh, uh, wrong….apartment!” Lyra’s horn flashed, and the door instantly slammed shut behind her.

“Lyra,” Bon Bon said to the mare, who had stepped away from the door and was now heading in her direction, “They asked for you. By name.”

“Uh. Wrong Lyra?” Lyra looked hopefully at her marefriend with a too-wide, toothy grin, eyes darting from side to side.

Bon Bon opened her mouth to respond, but before she could, the grey door to their apartment came crashing down with a loud bang.

“Lyra, we need to talk to you!” Applejack burst in, galloping towards the pair.

“Hey! You’re going to have to pay for that, you know.”

“Oh, yes,” Fluttershy peeked in, her mouth drawn in a tight circle, “I’m sure, uh...we’ll find the bits...somewhere.”

Bon Bon rolled her eyes. “Uh huh...Hey—watch the furniture!”

At that moment, Rarity finally managed to squeeze her way into the already bursting apartment, her jaw dropping as Applejack made a hairpin turn in the living room and flung herself off the couple’s couch in a flying leap, her target gaping helplessly from across the room.

“Applejack! What in Equestria are you doing!?”

An aquamarine glow appeared around Applejack’s tail, stopping the mare in mid-air. She grunted loudly in dissent as her body swung downward, her nose grazing just inches from the kitchen table Lyra had shrunk behind.

“Applejack….” Rarity’s eyes widened as unladylike beads of sweat squeezed out of her pores, staining her alabaster fur, “when….oof….did….you get so….heavy?”

“Uh, Rares? Mind gettin’ me down from here?” Applejack turned her head towards her friend, whose legs were visibly shaking from the effort.

“I….um….ah,” she moaned through clenched teeth, “Fluttershy, darling, would you mind, ah, lending a hoof here?”

Fluttershy gingerly removed her hooves from atop her eyes. “O...okay.”

Carefully, she lifted off the ground, looking back towards Rarity hesitantly.

“Oh, for buck’s sake!” Bon Bon blurted out, eyes burning. “Can’t you see she’s about to drop her!?”

“Oh...oh,” Fluttershy stammered, slowly backing away from the angry mare, “I...I’m sorry.”

“Fluttershy! Oh, dear—watch out!” Rarity shrieked as she scrambled against the wall, her horn flickering out as the distraught pegasus tumbled into her.

“Ayiieeeeeee!”

Bon Bon opened her mouth to speak when a loud crash jerked her head to the left. Where there had been a table only moments ago, an orange farmmare now rubbed her head on its cracked top, the legs buckled and twisted beneath it. She bit her bottom lip to dam the emotion welling up in her throat, invoking all of her willpower to maintain her well-practiced prickly persona. In the background, she could vaguely hear an excitable conversation, but it just seemed to emphasize the disaster surrounding her. Their tattered couch sagged, the cushion torn open, the white fluffy innards spilling out to the floor. The Starry Night — just a replica, of course — lay crumpled under the remnants of the frame that had once proudly held it on display.

And then her eyes fell on a small, splintered chunk of oak, mangled beyond recovery, and her heart began pounding like a train engine. She stepped forward slowly, hardly noticing the room drawing silent around her, as she scooped up the piece of debris. As she expected, it unfolded in her hoof, the photograph revealed inside fueling both rage and sadness. For before its untimely destruction, it had existed as a small, wooden heart that she’d given as a gift to Lyra for their first anniversary. Bon Bon had secreted bits away for months to commission it from Hard Scrape, the proprietor of Toys and Treasures.

And now, it was reduced to scrap, little more than wood for the fire.

Bon Bon set her jaw, teeth grinding as she swallowed the lump that still hung in her throat. She thrust herself upwards, bleary eyes narrowed with ferocity.

“I think,” Bon Bon said with a stomp of her hoof, “you all should leave.”

She hesitated, turning towards the mint-green pony splayed out on the floor. “That includes you, Lyra.”

“Wh-what?” Lyra struggled to her hooves, the fur on her spine pricking sharply.

Bon Bon coughed, shaking the remaining bleariness from her eyes, “I...I need some time without…well, without this. You’re an amazing mare, Lyra, but you’re irresponsible, and one way or another, things always seem to go haywire when you’re around.”

“But…” Lyra bumped her snout against her marefriend’s muzzle awkwardly, but the mare on the other side of the gesture was stiff, as though she had just nuzzled up against a stranger. Bon Bon began to shy away, but Lyra gently placed her hoof under her chin, her breath catching in her chest as she tried to speak.

“We…”

“We, what, Lyra?” Bon Bon sighed exhaustedly, “No, Lyra, there’s no we here. Now...really, I need you to go. I’ll...let you know....”

Bon Bon clamped her muzzle shut, thrusting a white hoof at the gaping doorframe. Despondent, the other ponies locked their muzzles, slowly dragging their hooves towards the opening. Applejack hesitated at the egress, eyes filled with regret as she turned her head back towards the home’s lone resident.

“Bon Bon, Ah just...hope ya know none of us meant for this to happen...”

Bon Bon turned away wordlessly, her tail flicking furiously. Applejack hung her head, following the rest of her friends out of the apartment. Her hoofsteps crunched as they punched through the wood of the door, eventually disappearing out into the hallway beyond.

The room finally still, Bon Bon collapsed into a pile, her stiff body melting into the cold, emotionless floor as the hurt puddled out of her.

Outside the apartment building, the four mares stood, three of them silently scuffing their hooves in the dirt.

The last had her head buried under her foreleg, soft sputtering sounds escaping.

“Oh…” Fluttershy mumbled, eyes fixed on Lyra as she rolled her hooves together. As the breath whistled lightly through her teeth, she slid gently beside the mare, draping her wing over her back.

“Shhhh…” she crooned, “It’ll….” her eyes darted to her friends for support, “be alright.”

As a gentle smile began to cross her muzzle, the body pressed against her seemed to stiffen.

“Alright?” Lyra sniffled, rubbing her nose with a fetlock. “Alright? How can you say it’ll be alright?”

“Oh...um…” Fluttershy looked back again at Applejack and Rarity, slowly backing away from the mare, who was now rounding on her.

“What Fluttershy meant to say,” Applejack coughed, “is that...well, shoot, Ah don’t think you can rightly forgive us for what happened back there, but you should know how sorry we all are.”

Lyra’s voice burbled out like a crow's call, her eyes beginning to water all the more. “Sorry? Bon Bon...she was everything, I don’t know….how….? Sorry...doesn’t fix anything.”

“No, you’re right, dear,” Rarity said, carrying a tissue to the mare, “but we will!”

“Yeah...right.” Lyra frowned. “You don’t know Bon Bon. You don’t know how angry she gets, how…”

Placing a hoof under the mare's chin, Rarity nudged her mouth closed with a gentle click.

“You’re right, I don’t know that much about her. But,” she beamed triumphantly, “just because we don’t know her yet doesn’t mean we won’t.”

“Oh, I don’t know about that.” Lyra shuddered, looking Rarity in the eye. “I...don’t think Bon Bon wants to see any of us ever again. Not you, and not me either. And if...if...if that h-happens, I just…”

She trailed off, her tongue thick and heavy as drops streaked down her cheeks.

“Y’all….I don’t mean to be rude, but—”

“Hush, Applejack!” Rarity glared at her friend as she absently stroked the green mane of the mare beside her. “Can’t you see the poor mare is suffering! We must help her! We must win back her beloved Bon Bon! Isn’t that right, dear?”

Lyra turned to Rarity, her damp eyes reduced to narrow points. “W-what is it with you ponies, anyway? W-w-why do you ah-ah-always try so hard for?”

“Well, shucks, sugarcube, I guess it’s just the way we are,” Applejack trotted beside her friends. “Maybe Rarity’s right; give us a chance to make it up to you.”

“Although,” she said as she tapped her chin, “we do still gotta find Twi’, too. Heck, if there’s anypony who can fix this for you, it’s her.”

“T-Twi?”

“Yeah, you know, Twilight Sparkle, princess an’ all—”

“Oh, buck me!” Lyra spat, her eyes widening.

“H-huh?” Fluttershy licked her lips nervously, looking around for the easiest escape route, quickly deciding on one particularly open-open spot in the sky.

“Lun-Princess Luna—duh, what am I doing, I can’t tell you of all ponies!?” Lyra began thumping her hoof into her head. “Stupid, stupid, stupid Lyra! Why are you always so...so….impulsive!”

Rarity, Fluttershy, and Applejack all turned to each other, each reflecting the concerned, but confused, expression of the other. With a nod, Rarity stepped forward, placing her hoof atop Lyra’s.

“Dear,” she said gently, “please, you must stop beating yourself up like this. If it sets your mind at ease, though, we’ll swear to never tell another pony of your secret. We’ll even Pinkie Pie promise it, right, girls?”

Applejack nodded, with Fluttershy eventually following with timid assent.

“C-c-cross my heart….” she stammered as the three of them synchronously performed the requisite actions for the promise, Lyra watching with curious interest.

“An’ if it sets your mind at ease at all, I’m sure we can replace all yer stuff in there.”

Slowly, a scowl drew itself across Lyra's muzzle, causing Applejack’s face to become a mask of bewilderment.

“Yeah, ‘cuz it figures you all would be rich.”

“Oh, um...no…” Fluttershy said from under her forelegs, “I….I’m not rich at all.”

“Neither are us Apples,” Applejack nodded, “though we certainly do alright for ourselves. But I could call in a few favors with the clan in Appleloosa ta’ get the table replaced, an’ I’m sure Rarity could getcha hooked up with some fancy pony in Canterlot for a bran’ new couch, right Rares?”

“Oh!” Rarity blushed, her eyes quickly darting side-to-side, “Um, yes, certainly...I could….do that.”

“You-you’d do that...for me?” Lyra removed her head from her hooves, her bleary eyes red with exhaustion.

“Sure as sunshine!”

Slowly, the corners of Lyra's mouth began twitching as she peered hopefully into Applejack’s eyes.

“Y-you know,” she said, a fresh tear running down her cheek to the tip of a fragile crescent, “maybe—maybe you are the ponies that could just do it. I-I guess I’ve never known ponies like you before.”

“Well ya do now, sugarcube,” Applejack grinned.

“U-um,” Fluttershy coughed into her wing, “I-I’m sorry, but it’s getting really dark out here...maybe we should...um, get going, you know, if you want to?”

Lyra sighed, her head drooping down again.

“Darling, what is it?” Rarity’s voice squeaked with concern as she looked proddingly at the mare.

“It’s just...Princess Luna wanted me to go to Baltimare to check up on Twilight—”

“See, I toldja she was there,” Applejack cut in, her grin growing wider.

“Applejack,” Rarity chided, ignoring a persistent cough in the background, “it was I who told you Twilight was in Baltimare.”

“Now wait just one apple-pickin’—”

“Ahem!” Fluttershy glared at the two scoldingly, both immediately shrinking back, tripping over each other in frantic attempts to apologize.

“Oh I’m dreadfully—”

“Sorry, Rares…”

“I just became so—”

“plum caught up…”

“...that I forgot to listen to Lyra!” the two concluded in unison, turning to face the mint-hued unicorn.

“Oh, yeah, so, anyway, I was supposed to get on the last train out of Ponyville so I could make it there by Wednesday, buuuuut,” her eyes flicked up to the pitch-black sky, “I get the feeling it’s more than a little too late for that.”

“Oh, that is quite the dilemma, darling,” Rarity nodded, flicking a glance at Applejack. “But...why is it so urgent that you need to be there by Wednesday?”

Lyra met her gaze, biting her lip gently, “Well, you see,” she said, rolling her hooves together, “that’s when Rainbow Dash’s trial is…”

“What the hay do you mean, ‘trial’?”

“She’s in jail, in Baltimare.”

“Well, shoot, why didn’tcha say so! No wonder Twi’ shot outta here so quickly!” Applejack shouted, “I reckon we oughta do the same—”

“Now, Applejack, don’t you think it would be just a little bit too obvious if all of us just suddenly disappeared?” Rarity placed a hoof on her friend’s shoulder, looking her in the eye.

“But—”

“What about Apple Bloom? Or Sweetie Belle? Not to mention Carousel Boutique, itself. Certainly, somepony would notice our absence.”

Applejack sighed, stepping backward. “I suppose you’re right.”

“But,” she grinned, “that isn’t to say that one of us couldn’t go. One of us who mightn’t be missed at all.”

Two pairs of eyes turned towards a twitching ball of pink and yellow fuzz.

“O-o-oh...um...mm-m-me? I-I-I...don’t think you want me…”

“Sure we do, sugarcube,” Applejack said, lifting the mare by the scruff of her neck and setting her down again, “Besides, you’ve got them feathery things on your back. Ah’m sure you could catch up with that train at the next station.”

“Uh….do...um, you mean...my wings?” Fluttershy cocked her head, unfurling and refurling her wings uncomfortably.

“Sure do! It’s just a shame we don’t have RD here to fly Lyra…”

“I…” Lyra piped up suddenly, thin wisps of dark magic spiraling out of the tip of her horn, “think I might have a solution for that...”

Author's Note

As always, preread and edited by Orlunu, without whom this fic would be much poorer.

9. Changes

Author's Note

Returning readers from 2014: If you haven't seen yet, the first few chapters of this story have been rewritten, and some substantial plot points have changed (see here for the rationale and here for a summary of the changes if you don't want to re-read the first few chapters).

As always, big thanks to Orlunu for keeping my stupidity in check.

9. Changes

Pinkie flicked her flipper with her hoof.

Again.

For what must have been the umpteen-millionth time. After she'd gotten over the omigosh-freaking-out-what-the-hay stage—which really hadn't taken so long, considering—it didn't take long for the huh-that's-really-neat aspects of it to get old.

After all, she had experienced stranger things before (when Twilight said being turned into a breezy would feel funny, she wasn't kidding). This...whatever-it-was body was, well, really pretty normal by comparison.

So now, she really was just in the man-I'm-really-bored-and-could-use-a-cranberry-and-white-chocolate-muffin-right-now stage, as she’d swam around the bubble that encased her too many times to count. Certainly too many times to count on her hooves, especially now that she only had two of them.

Even poking at the weird rubbery flipper had gotten boring after long enough.

Even if it was weird. And rubbery. And flippery.

Pinkie frowned. There had to be ponies here, right? Or at least, ponies-like-whatever-she-was-now.

Which was, well...she wasn’t sure, exactly.

There was one time Twilight had shown her pictures in a book of “sea ponies”, but Twilight had told her that they were just stories made up by superstitious ponies a long time ago. Besides, they hadn't really looked anything like she did, anyway. For one thing, their bodies tapered off into cute little curly tails, but she had a giant flipper, kind of like a whale's or a shark's.

Oooh! A shark! Pinkie pulled her lips up in a menacing grimace, the whites of her teeth fully bared. Wriggling her torso in anticipation, she plunged her streamlined body forward...and slammed snout-first into the transparent shell that surrounded her. Bringing her hoof up, she rubbed her nose tenderly.

“Ah, you’re awake,” a voice suddenly burst into her mind from everywhere and nowhere all at once.

“Blurb!?” Pinkie burbled. “Blurb...blurblurblur, blurblurble blur.”

Try as she might to reply to the voice, though, all her throat could summon were unrecognizable burbles.

Waving her forelegs around spastically, an opening appeared to her right and a white...unicorn….merpony came through the opening, his eyes fixed directly on her. Her heart jumped to her throat, her hair springing up as much as it could under the circumstances. He, like her, looked like a pony from the withers forward, but the fur blended into scales near the top of where his barrel would have been. The remainder of his body was more fish-like, ending with that same tail that she found reminiscent of a dolphin’s. A white coat was draped over his body, bulging awkwardly as he swam and water got trapped between his body and the clothing.

It occurred to her that wearing clothing underwater seemed like a very silly thing to do. She opened her mouth to tell him this, only pausing when she noticed the beginnings of a smile take root on his face.

“Hehehe,” the disembodied chuckle resonated around her, “yes...there are some things you’ll need to adapt to. Now that you’re awake, though, we won’t be needing that containment bubble anymore.”

His horn lit and a focused beam shot from it, dissipating the bubble around her.

“Now, what is your name?” the white-coated pony asked procedurally, bringing the tip of a pencil to something that looked a lot like paper. Pinkie knew it couldn’t be paper, though, because she’d tried writing on paper underwater before and all that got her was a big gloppy mess in her bathtub.

“Blurb.”

“Hm,” the doctor nodded slowly, “Try to notice the way I am speaking with you. It seems that you are trying to communicate with me using your muzzle, but it doesn’t work like that here. Instead, I’d like you to think the words in your mind.”

Uh, what? she thought, but stared at the doctor soundlessly anyway.

“Good. Now, I want you to try to push those thoughts to me.”

He fluttered his tail, looking directly into her eyes, pointing one of his hooves at Pinkie, and then at himself. Her mouth drew into a tight line, throwing her hooves up in confusion. Suddenly, he broke eye contact, and another one of the pony-phins swam into view. Then they just faced each other silently for what seemed like forever. Quickly finding the soundless clicking of her tongue to be somewhat lacking in the entertainment department, Pinkie turned away from them, swimming over to the nearby counter.

Even if the doctor’s office was just a doctor’s office, that didn’t mean there was nothing fun to do.

After all, most doctors at least had a little drawer where they kept the lollipops and coloring books, and she had a hunch the one in front of her was that very drawer. She’d been eyeing it carefully for the last 910,230,421,205 nanoseconds—she’d kept count! As she reached her hoof out for the notched handle of the drawer in front of her, she caught the steady gaze of the pony pictured in the calendar hanging on the wall. She turned and eye up towards him, his blonde mane standing in stark relief to the gray scales of his tail. He held a small, pick-like instrument against them, the dialog bubble emerging from his broadly-smiling mouth urging young fillies to “scrape your scales every day—and under once a week!”

She cast a glance back at her own scaly tail, wondering what would actually happen if she didn’t the happy pony's instructions. Meh. Shrugging, she threw a wink to the cheerful paper pony and got back to work, gently sliding open the top drawer with greedy eyes.

Her heart clattered to the seafloor as the drawer revealed its contents to her, her hopes of fun and mischief: seven nondescript, graphite-colored instruments, each locked in place by small metal clasps. Crossing her arms, she was about to turn away when a sparkling gem caught her eye. Closer investigation revealed that each clip was itself decorated by a small, shiny, bright-colored bauble—each slightly different than the next—that appeared firmly affixed to the clasp's center.

Glancing back at the other ponies in the room, who were still playing their weird creepy-staring-silently game, she decided it wouldn't hurt to take a poke. Maybe the mystery drawer wasn't a lost cause after all. Clamping her tongue gently between her lips, she pointed her hoof at a purple stone, behind which a thin smoke-colored rod was held, the metal separating to form small hoop at one end.

She knew she’d have to be careful, or she’d blow it and ruin everything.

Millimeter by millimeter, her hoof drew closer to the stone.

And closer.

Until….sproing—with just the lightest of touches, the stone slid aside, allowing whatever mechanism was underneath to plunge the instrument directly towards Pinkie’s face.

Where it was caught by a sudden gray hoof.

"We're sorry." The soft, feminine voice floated into her mind as if whispered directly in her ear. The pony it seemed to belong to had barely glanced in her direction, though, carefully restoring the device to its proper place and sliding the drawer closed. "It's just, well, nopony alive here has witnessed someone...from above…join us."

With a flick of her tail, Pinkie performed a backwards somersault in the water, spinning as she did to face her companions. Sure enough, they'd both stopped their...whatever they were doing, and we're both gazing in her direction with wide, sparkling eyes.

"I know this doesn’t come naturally for you, but perhaps, with some help, you might understand." Her horn sparked to life, a steel hue engulfing it as her head lunged deeply towards Pinkie. Pinkie's eyes widened as the magic licked near her forelock, but she was not deft enough to move out of the way. "It'll be alright," the voice cooed comfortingly, "This won’t hurt a bit. It just seems you need some...extra encouragement to unlock the right part of your mind."

Pinkie blew a solid stream of bubbles out her mouth in response.

The white pony-phin-thing moved closer, gently tapping Pinkie’s shoulder with his hoof. "What Petra means is that she will help you learn to speak our way with her magic. It shouldn't hurt, though the spell itself hasn't been cast in centuries, so we can't be sure."

Swallowing a gulp of salty sea water, Pinkie turned to the doctor, pleading with saucer-shaped eyes to him. But, she held still, the horn driving near enough that its flames brushed against her fur. Her eyes crossed dizzily as they followed its point, now only millimeters from her own forehead, about where she might have had a horn, were she a unicorn.

As she watched, a bright spark flew from the swirled tip, a shiver like biting into ice blasting down her spine.

“Huh,” she chirped, shaking her head to loosen its fragments, “that wasn’t so bad.”

And then, the train hit.

At least, it seemed like she’d been hit by a train, based on the overwhelming explosion of sound in her head. Millions of voices seemed to layer over each other, spreading themselves across her consciousness and wiping out any thought before she could even have it. Her hooves slammed to her ears, the crack against her skull reverberating painfully, but the wall of sound enveloping her brain seemed only to increase in volume.

"Pinkie," a deep voice rumbled through the chaotic soundscape, somehow rising above the rest, "you must push away from them. Try to visualize yourself trapped on land, with a thin rope of seaweed as the only way to pull yourself to safety. With your mind, grab the rope, and drag yourself away from that."

Screwing her eyes shut, Pinkie forced herself to imagine the scene.

The smell of the salty sea water.

The bright, cheerful sun beaming its warmth to her from its high place in the cerulean sky, where no doubt Rainbow Dash was darting about.

A thin smile crept to her face as a strange warmth blanketed her body, protecting her from the cool water all around.

And beneath her hooves, the crisp crunch of dry beach sand. Wonderful, amazing, funtastic sand! She could make sand castles or sand angels or sand Angel Bunnies—anything she wanted!

In front of her, though, twitched a thick, fibrous cord that was clearly woven of seaweed, its tip barely able to crest the ocean’s pristine, sparkling surface.

Leave this behind? Never!

And then there was the sea of voices all around her, threatening to wash her away into their somehow-comforting drone. They shouted and whispered, but somehow the myriad of voices managed to combine into the tune of a sweet song that seemed to be sung to the very fibers of her being.

Somewhere in there, she imagined that the voices of her friends were buried, as if she only had to climb the imaginary hill in her vision to get to them.

Maybe they’d even have cupcakes for her!

She found herself drawn closer to the mass, which she could picture in her mind only as a vague blob of light, allowing its hum to flow through her being.

"PULL!” A shout suddenly blew through her, warping the figures she she'd surrounded herself by inside her mind with its force. She could feel the grip of panic suddenly wrap itself around her through, and her mind raced as she attempted to determine what exactly she’d been told to do.

Nevertheless, she felt a lurch inside her gut, and the voices receded to a corner of her mind--still there, but just a buzz in the background. Cold reality returned, and the harsh white of the artificial lighting in the hospital once again replaced the warmth of the sun that was just so comforting to her in her vision.

"W-what was that?" Pinkie asked, unable to hide the edge of fear in her voice.

"That," the doctor said, a full but trembling grin spreading across his muzzle, "is what we call The Unity. And, I feel that some congratulations are in order," he added with a clop of his hooves. "It worked."

"It worked?" Pinkie tapped her unmoving muzzle with a hoof. "Oh yeah, I guess it did!"

“Now that we can actually communicate with each other,” the doctor said to the bouncing pony, “I suppose I should begin by introducing myself. You may call me Doctor Ark, and my assistant here is Petra Longfins. It is her you have to thank for your life.”

“Really?” Pinkie squealed, her eyes set on the gray mare. After a moment of appropriate adoration, she plunged forward, flinging her arms around Petra’s torso and pulling her tightly against her own. Her eyebrow twitched as their long, cold, slick tail-y areas touched...it was just kinda creepy.

Her eyes wide, Pinkie grasped the other pony’s muzzle and brought her snout within inches of her own. “Awwwww! Thank you soooooo much!”

“Uh,” Petra said, tucking her forelegs against Pinkie’s chest and pushing away, squirming from her grasp. “Thanks. I guess.”

“If it wasn’t for Petra’s sharp eye—and mouth—there’s no doubt you would have just been another skeleton on the seafloor.”

Pinkie’s eyes narrowed. “Huh, that’s funny,” she said, leaning towards the already-hesitant mare, “her mouth doesn’t look sharp to me.”

“What he means is that I’m a good debater.”

“De-baiter?”

The doctor’s eyes spiraled in their sockets. “Yes. Though, not enough so to convince me to join her little cult.”

Now it was Petra’s turn to roll her eyes, but she said nothing.

Suddenly, Pinkie’s mouth snapped into a tight ring. “Oh—I almost forgot!” Instantly, she had the other two ponies’ hooves in her grasp. “My name’s Pinkie Pie! I guess you two are my very first friends down here in...uh...waterland!”

The two eyed each other uncertainly.

“Uh, yes, Pinkie,” Ark chuckled, his voice thin, “I suppose you could say that.”

Pinkie frowned. “Aw, don’t tell me you guys don’t have friends down here. I mean, I know you’re only kinda-sorta ponies and all, but everypony needs a friend.”

The chuckle sounded a little more confident this time. “Yes Pinkie, we do indeed have friends ‘down here’. Many of us, myself included, are blessed with many good friends indeed.”

“That’s super-duper! Well, I’m a really, really good friend.” She paused, her eyes turning downward. “Or at least, I used to be.”

She paused, rubbing her hooves together as the two ponies looked on at her curiously.

“Sooooo….I mean, I could just keep calling this ‘down here’ or ‘water world’ or whatever, but I’m sure there’s something better to call it, right?”

Petra nodded, smirking at the goofy smile Pinkie had pushed to her muzzle. “Yes, Pinkie, there is. The place we live in is called the Kingdom of Marelantis. I know you haven’t seen much of it yet—”

“Oooooh, a kingdom! Does that mean you have a king?”

“Um,” Petra began, swishing her tail sharply, “no. We have a democratic form of government—”

“A kingdom with no king!?” Pinkie’s thoughts screeched from her mind, causing the others to cringe as she rubbed her boggling eyes. “That’s like a chocolate cake without the key lime filling!”

The two merponies blinked, mouths slightly unhinged as they bobbed in place.

“Or,” Pinkie muttered, “was that key lime cake without the chocolate filling? Or perhaps….”

“Blurb!” she said suddenly, causing Ark and Petra to bounce backward. Instantly recognizing her mistake, the blood rushed to Pinkie’s cheeks, and she tittered quietly with embarrassment. “Oops. I guess I forgot to talk ‘your way’. Anyway, there’s just so many things to ask! After all,” she leaned forward as if to whisper in their ear, “I’ve never left Equestria before.”

“Right, yes, well—”

“Oh yeah! Back in Equestria, they call ponies like me—or at least, ponies like I used to be—earth ponies.” Pinkie bit her lip, a hint of sadness flooding into her eyes. Squeezing her eyes shut, she swallowed the tears that had begun to well in her eyelids, the corners of her mouth pushing upwards once more. “I’m sure you have a name for, well, whatever this kind of pony is.”

Pinkie twirled around, her tailfin slamming firmly into the doctor’s muzzle. Rubbing his cheek with a hoof, he turned slowly, regarding her with a dark and unwavering gaze.

“I suppose,” he said with a wave of his hoof, his eyes distant, “that we’ve simply never had the need.”

Blinking, Pinkie tried to give him her best I-don’t-know-what-you-mean look.

“Ark, you know that’s not entirely true.”

With another roll of his eyes, Pinkie saw him give Petra the same flat look he had earlier.

“Petra, I don’t care what you want to believe, but—”

Nodding her head in Pinkie’s direction, Petra smiled. “I don’t have to believe. I’ve got her now.”

“Well, I—”

“Hey!” Pinkie pushed between the two. “Do balloons still float down here?”

Petra blinked. “Balloons?”

“Oh boy,” Pinkie waved her hoof through silvery strands of mane that floated in front of her, “do I have a lot to teach you.”

“Indeed, Pinkie, that may be true. And that is why,” the doctor tapped his clipboard with a hoof, “the Council has requested to see you immediately.”

“Okie dokie loki.” She nodded fervently for a moment, then quirked an eyebrow. “Who are they?”

“The Council of Elders rule over all of us. They ensure that order is maintained and that all is done in service of Unity.”

Scrunching her muzzle tightly, Pinkie’s brow knit together as she considered the new information. “Order. Unity. Council. Elders. Hmm...I hate to say it, but that sounds...boring.”

“Yes, Pinkie, I suppose it would,” Petra laughed.

Pinkie tapped her hoof against her head, her smile still evading her. Something just didn’t feel right…

“Unity,” she wondered aloud, “Is that anything like ‘Harmony’?”

“Can’t say I’ve heard of it,” Ark grumbled, continuing to look somewhat perturbed by the conversation.

Blinking, Pinkie was, by now, considerably perplexed. “Huh. That’s weird. I thought everypony knew about harmony.”

“Well, I’m sorry,” Petra said more gently, “but I guess we don’t.”

“Hmm. Well, you at least must have a princess who does—”

She was stopped mid-sentence by a rash of fire that spread across her mind, her thoughts evaporated in an instant. The raw, red, heated sensation lined up uncannily with the anger that was clearly written all over Petra’s face. It was almost as if she could feel it herself. “If you know what’s good for you, you won’t mention that again around here.”

An icy lump settled in her stomach, her head still aching from...whatever had just happened. It still stung, as if the gray unicorn had just slapped her in the face. Even so, one thing was clear: this place was anything but her home.

Sure, there were sure to be nice ponies here, just like the two she'd already met. But her heart longed for the delectable smells of fresh-baked goods at Sugarcube Corner, for Rainbow Dash to swoop in her bedroom window and carry her into the night. Nopony back home would have shown such hatred for the princesses, no siree.

“Petra, please. Can't you see that you’re frightening her?” the doctor murmured quietly as he darted between the two mares. “I apologize, Pinkie.”

Huffing, Petra crossed her arms and turned away from Pinkie.

“I must admit that I don’t really get what all the fuss is about,” he said, waving in the direction of the bristling mare. “It would seem that this ‘society’ she’s a part of happens to obsess over a bunch of old fables—it's all quite silly, in my opinion. Anyway, one of their stories tells of a dark princess we had long ago, who did terrible things to our ponies. Very dark stories indeed….but they are just that, stories…”

Pinkie’s eyes lit up. “Ooooooh...I love that kind of story! We have a story about one of our princesses turning into a black snooty princess called Nightmare Moon—

Continuing to tell her story absentmindedly, she began to plan a strategy, propelling herself forward in a tight loop in front of the doctor. Admittedly, though there were plenty of things about this new world that had taken her by surprise, cutting through the water in her new body was pretty dang awesome.

Rainbow Dash would have loved it.

In fact, she was willing to bet that this was probably how Rainbow felt any time she pulled off one of her signature moves. Twisting through the water, Pinkie closed her eyes, imagining herself on Rainbow's back, the cyan mare cutting through the sky like a hot knife through buttercream frosting. Banking tightly, she opened her eyes just as she popped up inches from Ark’s snout, pretending for just a moment it was bright cyan instead of eggshell white.

“—and so we fixed her with the Elements of Harmony and got rid of the black snooty and there’s a holiday for her and everything with lots of candy and games and—”

She jumped, her story cut off by a cold, electric pulse that drove clear through the rest of her train of thought.

Hmm, she wondered, where was that train going again, anyway?

Unable to help herself, Pinkie met the doctor’s cold stare with a light giggle-snort, bubbles leaking from the corners of her mouth. He sighed, speaking to her in a somewhat subdued tone. “To answer your question, then….no, we do not have a princess. We are led by a quorum of twelve of our most respected and distinguished elder-ponies, and a council of dozens more who are elected by their peers—which is to say, by the rest of us. They make sure that any decisions made are taken with the well-being of all Marelantians, and with Unity, having been first considered.”

He paused, seeming to huff in a deep breath of water.

“That’s why they want to see you, Pinkie. Your presence here complicates matters for our people, and the Council must ascertain what effect it might have for the well-being of the ponies already here.”

Pinkie tapped her hooves together, a familiar weight back upon her shoulders. “Oh,” she squeaked, her bottom lip trembling, “I understand.”

“I don’t think you do. It’s not just a simple spell that brought you here; the ritual we used on you to bind you to Unity and with it, grant you our form, is typically reserved for unborn foals. Honestly, we didn’t even know it would work on you as a full-grown mare. And the ramifications of introducing a foreign consciousness into our own, well—”

A gentle hoof landed on her shoulder. “Don’t worry about Doctor Stinkyhooves here, Pinkie. Nopony’s seen a land pony in so long that, well, quite frankly, they’ve all disappeared but for myth and legend.”

“Yes, enough so that, well, nopony knows you’re here yet,” Ark’s words growled out of his mind as he coughed into a hoof. “Outside of a few key hospital administrators and the members of the Council, that is, who've ordered this entire wing closed...for repairs.”

“Oh! Is it broken?”

The doctor rubbed his forehead slowly. “It’s...fine, Pinkie.”

“Just keep your head down; I’m sure everything will work out fine,” Petra said with a nod. “Some ponies might be scared for a little while, but—”

“Scared of me?” Pinkie bit her lip, her eyes welling with tears that washed away with the ocean current. “Oh...yeah. I guess I’d be pretty scared of me too.”

“Hm,” the doctor mumbled as he quirked an eyebrow, “is that so?”

Instinctively, her lungs began to pull harder, even if they now drew in water instead of air, her mind swimming momentarily. “Well, you—you saw me, right?”

She swallowed, her tongue inexplicably dry even though her mouth was constantly full of water.

Ark nodded slowly. “Indeed, when we found you, I have to admit that your condition was quite concerning. You were severely injured, both outside and in, and there were clear indications you had recently benefited from some amount of magical healing, too."

He raised a hoof, indicating the raised, scarred lumps on her foreleg.

"Absent that intervention, I am positive your wounds would have been your end, so you should thank your lucky starfish for your anonymous intercessor. Even with the healing, though, it was quite obvious that you had been in some manner of physical altercation. I must admit, it was unclear to us if you were the aggressor.”

Pinkie swallowed. It was time to tell them.

“I—”

“Ark,” Petra’s voice slid through the gap between Pinkie's words, “don’t you think we should get Pinkie some food before she meets with the council. Although I know that they don’t want to wait any longer, who knows how long it's been since the poor thing had something to eat.”

Pinkie nodded eagerly, a rumble in her stomach sealing the matter.

Ark's nostrils flared, but he nodded sharply, his mouth an inscrutable flat line. “I suppose you are right. I’ll be right back.”

With a sharp flap of his tail, Ark disappeared through the sliding door, turning into the corridor beyond. As soon as it clicked shut, Petra swam directly up to Pinkie’s face, staring at her with eyes full of purpose.

“Hey!” Pinkie grinned. “What’s up?”

Wordlessly, Petra slammed their hooves together, immediately floating back a foot or so without once taking her eyes off the pink mare. Lifting her foreleg, she saw that Petra had left her a small card, barely larger than her hoof. This, at least, she could be sure wasn't paper, as it was thick and inflexible.

She flipped it over, and finding no words, flipped it again. Biting her tongue, she repeated this pattern several times.

Flip, flip.

I don't want her to think I'm a dumb pony, Pinkie thought to herself as she flipped the card faster, the pressure of the unicorn's gaze making her skin crawl. Biting her lip, she turned the card one final time, sadness welling up in her chest. Looking absently at its surface, her eyes finally fell on the image emblazoned on both sides: a very familiar impression of a swirling yellow sun.

“Wait, that’s—” she started, tucking her ears back instantly at the withering look Petra gave her.

“I hope,” Petra said, her words crisp and carefully weighted, “that you can manage to hide that.”

“Oh, sure—I’ll just put it where I keep my hammers!”

Reaching back, Pinkie shoved the card in her mane. “So what was it?”

Petra’s eyes darted to the door, which hadn’t moved since Ark left. “Think of it as….an invitation.”

“Like a party invitation!?” Pinkie’s heart leaped, and for the first time in weeks she felt a spark of joy beneath her breast, like she’d just eaten 20 chocolate-pistachio cupcakes. “Oh, I am the best at parties, you’ll see—”

Like bouncing straight into a brick wall, the same searing pain as before cut her bliss short.

“Pinkie—please! It’s, well, kind of a secret party…”

Eyes opening even wider, Pinkie’s excitement only doubled itself. “Like a surprise party!? Those are the best!”

“Yes, Pinkie….a surprise party.”

Unflinching, Pinkie stared at the gray mare.

“...what?”

“Well, if it’s a surprise party, it’s gotta be someone. So, who?”

Petra’s teeth set together in a way that should have cracked them all to pieces, but somehow they held. “For...everypony. So you can’t tell anyone. Even Ark. Got it?”

Secrets. Pinkie was good at these. Giving a sharp nod, Pinkie extended her forelegs to demonstrate just how good she was.

After a minute of staring with her mouth slightly agape, Petra found her voice again. “Um...so you do?”

“Do what?”

“Agggh!” A stream of bubbles fled from Petra’s muzzle like minnows from a shark. “Understand that you can’t tell anypony!”

“Of course, silly! That's why I zipped my mouth closed, then locked it with a key, then dug a hole, then buried the key, then built a house up top the hole where I buried the key, then moved into the house on top of the hole.” She tapped her chin with a hoof, the poor mermare only appearing even more confused. “I guess it works better on land. So...when’s the party?”

“You’ll know when it’s time,” Petra said hurriedly. “You’ll feel it. Just don’t lose the...invitation.”

“Okie dokie lokie!”

After that, Petra fell silent, swimming back and forth. Pinkie decided to fill the time by seeing how big she could blow a bubble with her lips, but after only a couple of minutes, Ark returned, carefully balancing a large ivory clamshell on his hooves.

“Um….what exactly is that?”

“Your lunch,” he muttered with more than a hint of resignation, thrusting the platter towards her. “The cafeteria food here isn’t the best, but—”

“No, I mean—that!”

Pinkie’s hoof shot out as if from her party cannon, directing their eyes toward the nondescript white lump that sat directly in the middle of her meal.

“Um, well, that’s flounder, Pinkie.” Petra rubbed her hooves together uncertainly, occasionally glancing back to the doctor, who was quite engaged with a large purple stallion with a tall white hat perched uncertainly on his head.

“Hmmm….flounder. Flounder, rounder, bounder, pounder—aha!” Pinkie thrust a hoof towards Ark, his ivory muzzle wrinkling back and away from the pointed tip.

“Aha….what?” he asked as innocently as he could muster.

Pinkie grinned. “Well, isn’t it obvious? Flounder tells me everything! Flounder is….”

“A fish, Pinkie,” Petra whispered, her skull pinned between her hooves.

“Fish. Yes, of course! Which means….” Pinkie stopped, tapping her chin, her suspicious frown carving a deep, ugly canyon across her face. Finally, her eyes lit again, but her angry posture remained unrelieved.

“It’s meat!” Pinkie shouted, grazing the dish with a wild hoof, its contents sliding towards the edge without escaping them. “I knew it! I—I just don’t know where you ponies get off calling yourself ponies, but nopony who’s worth a pony’s pony eats meat! No pony!”

“Uh…”

Pinkie pushed the platter away with both hooves, knocking it from the doctor’s grasp. She watched with notable unease as the opaque lump slid across its surface once more, leaving a glistening smear in its wake. With a gentle tinkle, the shell settled against the smooth stone floor, and Pinkie turned her blazing eyes back to the ponies. “Meat. Is. Murder!”

The words dripped from her mind as her chest heaved aggressively, drilling a hole in the gray unicorn by the power of her stare. It was just...inconceivable! These ponies, who had only minutes before seemed just as friendly and pleasant as any pony she'd ever met...were nothing more than disgusting predators!

It wasn't as though she'd never seen meat before, of course. After all, Opalescence and Winona had to eat, and that wasn't to mention the number of Fluttershy's pets that ate meat. But that was different....they didn't know any better. Ponies were civilized, intelligent creatures...

“Pinkie,” Ark’s gruff voice broke in, “I don’t know what you ate where you come from, but here, fish is the most nutritious food we can get. Luckily, it happens to be amongst the easiest for us to obtain.”

“Carnivore! Traitor!”

Shaking his head, Ark closed his eyes in a vain attempt to cut off the barrage of senseless accusations being fired by the pink chaos engine before him. “We send regular scouting parties to the Brightwaters to harvest kelp for the nutrients we can't get any other way, but maintaining their populations means we cannot collect all that we find. We've tried to farm various seagrasses, but either we lack the necessary skills or it just doesn’t take well to the basin, as we’ve had little success growing more than a peasant's portion. In any case, neither of those are sufficient to sustain us for any period of time.”

“Hurk!” Pinkie’s muzzle turned green, and she plugged her mouth with her hoof up to the fetlock. Turning away, she heaved several times, but she managed to keep the contents of her stomach where they belonged.

Finally, she turned back to him—and all the other ponies that had gathered.

“So, I guess that means I’m going to have to eat fish, too?”

“If you stay down here for any length of time,” the doctor sighed, his face grim, “then yes, you will. There is simply no choice.”

Pinkie looked down at the floor again.

“What about cupcakes? Any chance I could bake some of those?”

Ark and Petra turned towards each other, casting their opposite a worried look.

“I think...you’re just going to have to get used to a few more changes, okay,” Petra said with a nod, Pinkie hanging her bottom lip to its furthest extent in response.

Instantly, the nurse moved closer to her, her deep cobalt eyes no longer filled with agitation, but instead wide and full of concern. When she spoke, Pinkie felt a cold tingle trickle down her spine, and somehow feel the words were only for her. “I know you’re probably a bit frightened, but I think you’ll come to find that it’s not bad here at all.”

“Oh, I-I can tell. It’s just…” she swallowed thickly, her eyes sinking. “I really really really really really need to get back to my friends.”

The stone-grey mare looked like she was about to respond, but Pinkie plowed ahead with verve. “I know they probably don’t want to be my friends anymore, and I don’t blame them for that, but I need to at least see them again. I need to make sure they’re going to be okay. I…”

“Pinkie,” the doctor interrupted, wrinkling his brow, “I understand that there are many things that you remember that are important to you, but for now, maybe it’d be best if you just tried to adapt to your...current state.”

Her face fell again. “Well...you said that this council of yours is really super-duper powerful, right? They could probably at least send my friends a message, right? Something to let them know where I am, or at least that I’m okay? Back home, my friend Twilight had a dragon that—”

“Um...I don’t know if the council….I don’t think that would work out,” Petra’s voice wavered as her glance drifted between Pinkie and the doctor. “But I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to ask.”

“Asking never hurts!” Pinkie clopped her hooves together determinedly. “Unless you’re asking a doctor for a shot, and then that kinda hurts. But that’s a good kind of hurt, I guess, and you usually get a cute bandage and a lollipop afterward.”

Pinkie’s grin broke, and her hoof shortly met her forehead. “And besides, look who I’m telling about getting a shot? Two doctor-ponies! Or at least, two kinda-doctor kinda-ponies. But, no time to waste; my friends have got to know that I’m at least okay!”

Turning away from the two astonished ponies, Pinkie flicked her tail sharply and swam through the darkened doorway, which slid shut behind her.

“Pinkie,” Petra groaned, slowly bringing her hoof to her forehead, “that’s the bathroom.”

The sound of clanging metal could be heard, causing the two merponies to hold their breath for a moment, hoping they wouldn’t have their pay docked for the damages.

“Heeeeeeeeelp!” Pinkie shouted, shaking the door with her pounding hooves. “How do you open this darn thing?”

With a sigh, Ark grunted, “You have to use your….oh.”
“My ‘o’?” The pounding stopped, replaced by a bubbling giggle. “Um...are you sure about that?”

The doctor shot his assistant a knowing look, who nodded in return. “Right. Pinkie, I’ll come help, just hold on.”

Pinkie’s giggles cut off, replaced by a too-innocently inquisitive tone. “Maybe the doctor should come too? Mare, areyou ponies accommodating or what?”

Shaking her head, Petra’s horn flared, and after a moment of intense concentration, the word ‘OVERRIDE’ faded into view above the bathroom door. After a moment, it opened obediently with a flood of bubbles, a streak of pink flying out from its center. Lunging out, Ark caught the speeding pony in his forelegs, his chest heaving.

“Pinkie,” he panted, “you must be careful. Many of our buildings—like this one—have doors that can only be opened by magic, to prevent unauthorized access to certain areas or provide appropriate degrees of privacy. Not having any magic of your own, you must be careful to always have an escort when you travel in our realm, or you may find yourself unexpectedly trapped in a closet—or a bathroom.”

“Okie dokie!”

“Now, I really think we should go,” he said, waving towards the room’s exit.

The next fifteen minutes passed relatively uneventfully as Ark guided them through what seemed like an unending series of corridors and shafts, never once seeing another pony, until finally they reached the side entrance to the hospital. Lighting his horn, a panel beside the exit began to emit a greenish glow, and the door slid open. Pinkie tried to swim out first, but Ark held out his foreleg warningly, stretching his neck outside the gate. After a moment, he released her, waving them forward.

As they exited, the light from inside struck the water, sparkling like stars against the midnight sky. Behind her, the hospital loomed over them, like three domes stacked one atop the other. The whole thing was at least twice as tall as the hospital in Ponyville, and not a crack or seam visible in the whole thing. About ten feet below them, Pinkie could barely make out the outlines of the small pebbles that covered the sea floor, which seemed to dip downward ahead of them. And if she looked away from the hospital, all she could see was water. As the light faded, it created bands of color in the sea, like a multi-layered teal-blue cake that stretched on forever.

Awestruck, she hardly noticed the sound of the dense panel woosh closed behind them.

And just as quickly, everything went dark.

“Heyyyyy,” she screeched, spinning around before she could realize she didn’t know which way ‘around’ was anymore, “who turned out the lights!”

On either side of her, a crackling sound broke the water's stillness. Turning to her right, a small point of light cracked through the darkness, slowly extending in a thin, conical shape. The light continued to grow in intensity until finally the outline of Ark’s body was fully illuminated, giving the water around the merpony a golden sheen. Turning to the other side, Petra had managed to conjure a silvery glow equal in intensity to the doctor's, the combined light of which managed to brighten a tight oval around the three of them.

“We apologize, Pinkie, to have frightened you. Unfortunately—”

“Oh, that’s alright,” Pinkie giggled, “I wasn’t scared.”

The doctor drove a snort through his nostrils. “Hm, right. In any case, I was trying to inform you that light is a resource that, to us, is regarded as an uncommon and expensive luxury. Aside from burning one’s own supply of magic to provide necessary illumination for travel, much of our lives are spent in the dark.”

“Really?” Pinkie asked with a shudder. “I can’t imagine living in the dark like that.”

Yep, we’ll just keep giggling at the ghosties, I think. No problem.

“It’s not so bad, Pinkie. You get used to it." Petra's 'voice' made Pinkie smile, as her speech tended to lilt in a manner that reminded Pinkie of Rarity's accent.

“Sometimes," Petra added, "we manage to capture a manglerfish. Now, they're sharp-toothed, good-for-nothing beasties if you ask me. If you happen on one and don't have a powerful unicorn with you, my suggestion would be to avoid them if you can and swim like hell if you can’t. But they do happen to possess a magical bauble that glows in the dark; they use it for hunting, but it can be taken and repurposed for fashioning lanterns and the like.”

Fluttershy must never know of these ponies, Pinkie thought as she covered her mouth in horror. “You mean—you kill the fish for its light?”

Sucking on her lip hesitantly, Petra nodded. “You must realize, ponies have given much more than that for light.”

Ark nodded sharply, his brow furrowed. “Certain facilities, such as the hospital, must be well-lit due to the important or precise work is done there. Although this lighting is primarily provided by enchanted crystal fragments….” He paused, rolling his tongue along his teeth. “Sometimes, we must supplement these with more direct methods, as well.”

No longer looking in the direction of her companions, Pinkie had instead taken to squinting at her hoof, which she was frantically waving in front of her face. “Hmmmmmm….well, as interesting as that all is,” Pinkie finally commented, “I’ve got just one question—how the hay can you ponies see where we’re going!?”

Petra’s titter seemed warm enough, and Pinkie smile grew a little more for it. “We’re used to it, I suppose. We’ve lived all our lives down here; we don’t know anything else.” She paused to suck a deep draft of water through her mouth, forcing it back out her nostrils. “Assuming you are with us longer, there are certain deepwater spells that our explorers use in the darkest caves that we could cast on you to help with that.”

“Hmmm…” Pinkie tapped her chin. “Okie dokie loki!”

After the echo of those words subsided, an uncanny quiet fell between the members of the group. Pinkie knew that all she had to do was reach out, though, and all the voices in the back of her mind would overwhelm her and all her negative emotions once more. In fact, she yearned to be with them; the notion of being able to make so many friends at once was intoxicating to her.

But, she had to remind herself, they weren’t really there. Try as she might to pick out, well, anything of interest in the murky environs she was passing through, the scarce light beside her failed to illuminate anything but the water in front of them. Occasionally, the current would seem to shift, prompting waves of icy water to brush through her fur. It was almost as if somepony—or something—had passed by above her, but none was visible through the darkness.

A sudden ache struck Pinkie directly in her gut. It was a somber, solitary feeling that snaked through her insides and made her feel all quivery and shivery. She could feel the silence, the unimaginable size of the ocean depths fold in on her, and swallowed as she felt gripped by a sudden unexplainable terror. Strangely, she felt at that moment as though she was the only pony in the world, even though she knew she was flanked by two others.

Even so, it didn't matter. All she needed was to be surrounded by the warmth of her friends, to feel the plushness of their fur against her own, to smell their sweet smells again.

Well, okay, Applejack smelled more like sweat than sugar, but still.

Her eyes widened as the terror turned to panic: she couldn't even remember which order Twilight's mane stripes went in. Choking on her tears silently, she was at once grateful and disappointed that the seawater carried them away without drama, even though it granted her no relief from having cried them.

“Brr,” she finally squeaked at the other two, swallowing a cold lump of emotion, “is it just me, or did somepony turn down the heat?”

The two unicorns she swam with nodded gently. “Yes, Pinkie. Unlike the Brightwater, which is warmed by the light that strikes it, the only heat we have is that which comes from cracks in the earth below. We have pipes that lead from the vents to our homes and buildings, bringing the heated water through the walls and ceilings to keep the places we spend the most time warm enough. As you noticed, the open water is indeed quite frigid. We can only be outside for short periods...and that’s not just because of the heat…”

Pinkie slowed her pace, quirking an eyebrow at the others.

“It’s not as bad as she makes it sound,” Ark croaked, rubbing his chin uncertainly. “Certainly you have monsters of your own?”

“Oh yes!” Pinkie nodded excitedly. “We’ve taken care of all kinds—hydras, dragons, cockatreeceses, timberwolves…”

A white hoof thumped gently on her muzzle. “Yes, well, we have such creatures too. Sea dragons, giant squid, great sea serpents….and many others. So yes, there are things to watch out for in the open….and it is, as you might have guessed, challenging to guard against things you cannot see. You will find, again, that we have certain ways of dealing with such threats. But, it is no matter: we are here.”

He waved his free hoof in front of them, his horn flaring more brilliantly. As it did, its beams fell on an expanse of sharp, pitch black mountain peaks that rose more quickly than Canterlot Mountain. Turning her head both left and right, she found that the light died long before the mountains did, an unbroken line representing the edge of the world.

A gentle tap on her shoulder brought Pinkie's gaze to the immediate topology, namely, the quickly-climbing mountain directly in front of them. She hadn't noticed it at first, being too awed by the scene in general, but this particular mountain had a smooth, circular indentation carved directly into its surface. Craggy mountains rose up on either side of the unpolished stone, thin spires that made the place seem naturally foreboding. That single indentation and a smaller, rectangular one a few feet above it, were the only things differentiating this particular mountain from any other, but Ark and Petra seemed positive that this was the place.

Noticing that, unlike the unadorned circle, the rectangular shape seemed to be ridged with detail, Pinkie swam a few strokes nearer to get a closer look at its decoration.

What Pinkie saw there made her jaw slack.

In bas-relief, engraved directly into the mountain's looming basalt cliffs, was an unmistakable impression of an alicorn.

"Oh my gosh! You guys....this is totally a...."

Her jaw clamped shut just in time.

Pinkie's heart drummed loudly in her ears, her mind spinning at just how close she'd gotten to already disobeying Petra's quite pointed command. It was too late to avoid drawing attention, though, as her companions had already turned their full attention to her, their faces full of intrigue.

"Oh...nevermind," she giggled uncertainly, swimming away from the mysterious plaque. "It was nothing."

Mysteries on top of mysteries....and it's only my first day!

Shrugging his shoulders, Ark's horn flared brighter. As she had suspected, the polished circular stone indentation was indeed the entrance to a massive building inside the hollowed building. Harsh light streamed out from the portal, stabbed Pinkie's retinas like millions of tiny pins. Instinctively, her eyelids slammed shut as her pupils attempted to readjust to the brightness. Eventually, the stream of bubbles that spewed around her from inside the building slowed, and she hesitantly cracked her eyes open once more.

At first, her vision swam, but the shape of an auditorium gradually formed from the blur. Along with it, she found that many of the voices that'd been whispering in the back of her head suddenly snapped much nearer, and she shook her head rapidly to try to clear her mind.

The Council room (or so she presumed) itself was rather uninteresting. There were three or four rows of ponies arranged in a semicircle, each of whom bobbed relatively motionlessly, a small podium or desk positioned in front of him or her. These, she could tell, were the owners of the voices now so near to her.

And they all felt annoyed.

It was a disconcerting sensation, a tingling wave of cold aggravation that danced down her spine, an ocean of purple splashing all around her. It wasn't just that she was sensing things outside of what was 'normal'; her Pinkie Sense had accommodated her to that long ago. But the sensations it provided were nothing like what the things she'd felt since her change.

The open door before her stood like the gaping maw of a dragon, spires of jagged rock framing the beams of light that shot out of the building like flame.

Except, she thought, giggling, it’s still just a cave, not a dragon!

Inside, it was clear the entire audience had shifted their attention from the center of the dome to the now-opened doorway. In the middle of the room, a much larger desk was affixed to the floor, adorned with several small instruments which she'd have to ask the purpose of later. Floating behind it was a teal pony with a braided white mane and more wrinkles than Granny Smith.

“Ah, so you must be the one we have been waiting for,” the new voice jabbed into her consciousness, and she could feel it scratching around in her brain a little bit.

She bit her lip—it tickled!—trying to stifle a giggle. The mare cocked an eyebrow in her direction, her smirk extending as she approached.

“Interesting...well, do come in, please—we have much to talk about.”

Pinkie flicked her tail, bounding inside with what appeared to be her normal, perfect rhythm. She couldn't help but feel something sinister from this place, though, and her breath caught as she passed through the opening.

The door thudding solidly behind her, Pinkie's heart stopped as she realized that Ark and Petra were not beside her: she was alone with the Council.

4. Down

The salty seawater pooled gently beneath Pinkie Pie’s pursed lips, rinsing off a bit of the white crust that had collected on them. With each breath she took, tiny pockets formed on the water’s surface in front of her; the air forced from her nostrils by her shallow exhalations creating small rings that rippled outward in all directions. A small wave broke over the edge of the basket, a spattering of ice-cold droplets scattered over the length of her motionless body. The sudden chill of the water soaking through her matted fur and into her retreating skin, her eyelids began to flutter rapidly, her body squirming suddenly against the basket floor. As she tossed about, her skull smashed into a hard surface nearby with a sickening crunch. Her eyes flew open, flooding her fully-dilated pupils with the blindingly bright sunlight of midday. Her ears were filled by a high-pitched whine that seemed to penetrate her skull and rattle about sharply in her head. The light refused to coalesce into recognizable shapes, instead showing nothing but a hazy blur all around. Without notice, her muscles locked as her stomach began contracting rhythmically, eventually forcing out a small volume of bile and water that lazily trickled out of the corners of her mouth.

Pinkie's nose wrinkled as she wiped the remnants from her mouth with a foreleg. Painstakingly, she planted each of her hooves squarely beneath her barrel and gingerly pushing her body upwards. Her eyes rolled as the blood suddenly rushed to her head, the world momentarily blanking white as vertigo threatened to overwhelm her. Her hooves clattered against the firm surface below as she frantically attempted to remain standing, her chest knit with nausea and anxiety. Unsteadily, she forced down the knot in her throat, waiting as her vision slowly returned until her surroundings finally came into focus. Certain enough that she was not going to topple over, Pinkie twisted her body rapidly, shaking every drop of unwanted dampness from her coat. Her legs were still quite unsteady, prickling along their entire length from disuse and primed to buckle from even the slightest breeze. Even in such a time-worn condition, though, she could feel the vague sensation of water periodically striking against her fetlocks.

That’s strange, she thought, the last thing I remember was..hmm..I was…

She froze, a sudden chill coming over her. Her heart had caught mid-beat; her lungs tight with agitation, as she felt something try to make its way to the fore of her consciousness.

Her mind blank, Pinkie forced out an uncertain breath, her heart thumping to life once more. It was just so hard to remember...she'd been in Ponyville...and something had happened there - something bad. Pinkie looked down again, scanning the surface below for any details that might kick-start her mental facilities.

Without warning, red burned across her vision as a searing pain struck her foreleg. Blinking away tears, she glanced down, but saw nothing the seawater slapping against her knees, washing away a trail of crimson with it. No longer matted by the coagulated blood, her fur swayed gently with the flowing water, intermittently revealing raised patches of inflamed skin, speckled by darker patches of blood. As she tried to determine the extent of damage to her injured leg, below it, she could make out the hard pink surface of the…

She squinted as if straining to make out some detail, her brow furrowed as she struggled to recognize her surroundings. It all seemed so uncannily familiar, and yet, she couldn't seem to place it. She drummed her temple with a hoof, knowing she'd seen this somewhere before, if only the fog in her head would clear. Unfortunately, she still felt like she was floating, as if in the hot air balloon high up in the clouds...

The hot air balloon!

She slumped downward into the rising water as the scant memories she had of the last day flooded back to her, not dissimilar from the way the water was leaking through the seams in the cabin's walls. Which still didn't make sense...after all, hot air balloons typically traveled in the sky.

She nervously turned upwards, hoping to reveal some explanation for the worsening situation. She certainly wasn’t expecting to see what she found, however, and her breath caught at the sight. Tumbling towards her, far too quickly for her to escape, was the bright pink envelope of the balloon. She gave out a tiny shriek as the pink bubble completed its descent, settling in a jumbled pile directly over her precariously poised capsule.

Pinkie Pie giggled.

So, yes, it was true that she was now completely immersed, totally lost in the heavy, wet folds of the fabric that surrounded her. But, even so, there was sort of a chaotic amusement about it, like being rolled down a hill in one of those big burlap sacks that they haul apples in or building a blanket fort in your bed and then forgetting which way is out again.

And besides, laughing about her situation sure seemed better than screaming her head off, which most ponies might see as the more reasonable reaction to it.

“Isn’t there anything more, you know, useful you can do?” Rainbow Dash’s voice echoed in her head.

“Nopers!” she’d replied, “After all, what makes a situation better than laughing at it?”

A giggle crept out.

“Any situation?”

“Yep!” she smiled broadly, “Any situation.”

“Oh yeah?” Rainbow Dash’s mouth curved in a sly smile, “What about that time Queen Chrysalis sicced her squad of changelings on us?”

“Well,” she replied thoughtfully, rubbing her chin with a hoof, “surely nopony’s mopey-dopey frowns made it any better. And the ponies who smile together, win together, right?”

“Oh geeze,” Rainbow rolled her eyes, “Where’d you get that one from?”

“Oh, nowhere. I just made it up.”

Pinkie paused, watching Rainbow Dash’s face for any hint of a reaction.

She didn’t get one. Her face dropped a little, but just as suddenly, her eyes shone with mischievousness.

“And anyway, if laughing doesn’t fix it, well, then, my party cannon sure will.”

Rainbow crossed her forelegs sternly.

“Right,” she scoffed, a sharp edge to her voice, “But, you know, not all of us can just pull the answer to any situation from our tails. Some of us…some of us...and feather it all, if you tell anypony I said this, I’ll deny it, but some of us, have to actually have some kind of a plan for things.”

“Ooooooh,” Pinkie gasped, her eyes wide as dinner plates, “Tell me more!”

Dash rolled her eyes, waving a hoof dismissively. “Oh, Pinkie...you’re so random. I’d better get back to weather duty, though. It’s been...fun...talking to you, Pinks.”

Pinkie sighed. Her friend had been wrong about one thing, though she hadn’t been bothered to correct Rainbow. Actually, she suspected that all her friends felt the same way, even if they hadn’t been as bold as Rainbow in saying it. They’d usually just dismiss her sleight-of-hoof as a “Pinkie thing” and move on. But it wasn’t that she just had the exact right thing hiding in her mane all the time, or that she could just appear wherever a pony was least expecting her to. It was more like her Pinkie Sense, but different…

Like, one morning, when she just got a feeling that she should bake a triple layer chocolate and cranberry cake with lemon frosting, even though it sounded really yucky to Pinkie, and then a donkey by the name of Dusty Trails stopped by Sugarcube Corner later that day, looking for that very cake!

Or like when the changelings had invaded. She’d gotten a hint that she’d need her party cannon, though she figured it would be for the party after the wedding. Boy, was she ever surprised when it turned out she needed to blast nasty bug-ponies with it instead. And it’s not like she’d really hidden it in her tail, or anything. That would be crazy, even for Pinkie! Nope, she’d hidden it...hmm...

Where had she hidden it again?

Pinkie blinked, and the pleasant memories faded into the pink fabric of the balloon, which had unfolded around her a bit, but had now been dragged completely underwater by the weight of the liquid it had absorbed.

She was completely underwater, too, she surmised as a turquoise-streaked minnow flitted past her face and slammed directly into the thick net of the balloon. As she returned to consciousness, the pleasant fuzz of the dream fading quickly, she felt her body once more scream with agony. The salty brine all around her was like a firebrand, striping her body with pain. The ocean water felt like sandpaper on her eyes, but the growing pressure in her chest was able to push its way ahead of the other discomforts. Taking quick stock of her circumstances, it seemed clear the only way she would get the air her body craved would be to swim straight up, even with the balloon in the way. She kicked powerfully with her hind legs, thrusting her body up into the thick blanket above. She dug her hoof into the seams between two of the gores, pushing against the thick panels forcefully until a narrow divot began to form at the top of the balloon, her body surrounded by it as though in a tube.

There! Light! Pinkie’s brain screamed insistently, even as a sort of fog seemed to dull it.

The ocean’s glistening surface was barely visible through the veil that surrounded her, but the sight of it provided enough encouragement for Pinkie to redouble her efforts, straining with all the force she could muster against the barrier.

Unfortunately, it seemed that was the extent of her luck, as no amount of pressure caused the precious air to draw any nearer. She struggled, desperately flailing her hind legs, but the balloon was now committed to its fate. The light on the other side of the fabric faded away again, Pinkie’s precious air burbling out the sides of her lips as she spent the last of her efforts. Finally, the last of her energy spent, she pulled away, no longer resisting as the full weight of the balloon began to bear down against her.

With each passing moment, she could feel the dull thud inside her skull increase it's insistent intensity, a searing pain now extending out from her lungs to the rest of her body, begging Pinkie to suck in the darkening water around her. She could feel her body being pulled down, succumbing to gravity as the lifeless balloon had moments before. Down was the only way left, and, she thought, fairly accurately described her state of mind as well. She knew now that she’d never see her friends again. Twilight, Fluttershy, Rarity, Applejack...they were all lost to her. Lyra, Derpy, Time Turner, and all the other ponies who'd counted on her to brighten their days, as well, She'd let them all down.

Including, of course, the pony she wanted most not to remember right now.

Down there, down at the bottom was where she would end…

Down!

Pinkie’s eyes sparkled suddenly, for when she looked down, there was nothing but the darkness of the sea that separated her from the basket of the balloon far, far below. At some point, the crumpled mess that had surrounded her must have been pulled straight by gravity as it sank. As it was, all she had to do now was to get herself to the mouth of the envelope, fling herself around the skirt, and she’d be free. She clumsily grasped at the water beneath with her hooves, flinging her body at the murky darkness. Her head pounding, a light approached, cutting through the darkness…

“No, Fluttershy,” Rainbow Dash had said, rolling her eyes sarcastically.

“Fluttershy’s not a …” Pinkie cut herself off, the image of her friend disappearing before her eyes.

The burner was about twenty hooves away, and she was flagging.

“Twiiiiiiiiiilight…” Pinkie called to the door in a soft voice; at least, soft for Pinkie.

“What,” the flat response came from the bedraggled-looking unicorn who’s head appeared in the top half of the now-open door.

“Oh, nothing!” Pinkie said cheerfully, bouncing on a trampoline that, by all appearances, hadn’t been there a moment before.

“Pinkie,” Twilight sighed, “Can’t you, I dont know, Pinkie somewhere else? I’m kinda busy here, you know.”

“Well I coooould…” Pinkie said with forced thoughtfulness, tapping a hoof on her chin. “But where’s the fun in that?”

The pink mare beamed, flinging confetti and party favors at the nonplussed unicorn.

“Pinkie.” Twilight began, her mouth set in a thin line. “GO AWAY!”

“Oh. Okay,” Pinkie said, hopping cheerfully enough down the path, her mane only slightly less alive than before. In a quieter voice, she mumbled, “I only wanted somepony to be a friend back to me, for once…”

Pinkie blinked the tears out of her eyes, washing the memory with them. The burner was now directly in front of her.

Just...another…

Her vision was abruptly blocked by a tangle of olive-hued kelp, its thick stems weaving around her flailing limbs. She kicked at the wide, heavy leaves with her hooves, but the damage had already been done. Her lips, pursed tight for so long they were going numb, betrayed her, giving way to the urges that had been pulsing through her body for minutes. It seemed as though a dragon had breathed liquid fire straight down her throat into the depths of her chest, where it smoldered and reached out in thin tendrils to the rest of her body. Immediately, she began convulsing, water leaving her lungs only to be replaced by more of the same, each moment reducing her vision until it the world had shrunk into a single pinprick of light.

So...close…she thought as the dot faded into the background, a strange warmth enveloping her as her consciousness was dispatched by a final jolt of pain.

“Hey, Bon Bon, I’m home!” Lyra gleefully declared as she walked through the open entryway.

From where she stood, it would be easy to judge that the apartment she shared with Bon Bon was fairly unfortunate. It was true that the unadorned, white walls spoke to its utilitarianism, but they’d added things over time to imbue it with their own special flair. Sure, purchasing a hanging violet here or a Pintocasso print there didn’t do much to help make ends meet, but their careful placement went a long way towards making the spartan space feel a bit more like home. And each little thing they added was another token, a symbol of their growing union.

A union that, right now, connected Lyra to her partner by a steady, fixed glare from the other side of the room.

“You’re late.” Bon Bon regarded her friend with a flat stare, sprawling lazily across the length of their slightly-tattered burlap couch, her hoof dangling off the edge.

Lyra hopped from hoof to hoof, each squeaking as they slid across the pink linoleum floor.

“Guess what?” Lyra beamed, not to be dissuaded by any disaffected attitude her partner could throw at her.

“Uhhh…”

Lyra’s excitement could be contained no longer, and her jaw flew open to loose the bottled-up ambition she’d been storing in her mind.

“Princess Luna came to town and I walked with her and ohmigosh she made me her agent whatever that means and she wants me to talk to all the ponies and listen to the gossip and it’ll be so awesome when I get to tell them that I’m working for the princess and wow mrphrgl”

Lyra’s eyes shrunk down to pinpricks, her attention now drawn to the white foreleg that extending outwards from her mouth. She blinked a few times, lifting her eyes hesitantly until they found a pair of soft cerulean eyes awaiting them.

“Lyra,” she began, “Uh, I don't mean to be rude, but have you thought about this plan? At all?”

As she spoke, a single eyebrow lifted questioningly, though the corners of her mouth had turned upwards slightly as well. Lyra met her gaze with a pleading expression as she gazed back down at the hoof between her lips, but her partner didn't budge.

Bon Bon shook her head.

“Lyra, think. What does the princess want you to do?”

The hoof finally emerged from Lyra’s mouth with a loud pop, and she rolled her jaw to reset it.

“Well,” she began more slowly, giving Bon Bon an irritated look as she rubbed her chin with a hoof, “She wants me to collect...information for her. The kind that can be difficult to come across if you're, say, one of the most recognizable and powerful ponies in all of Equestria." She raised an eyebrow, but Bon Bon remained stone-faced. "You know, the talk of the town, the local gab, the barroom brags, the…”

Bon Bon's expression shrunk to a stern glare as she lifted up a foreleg threateningly. Lyra's eyes grew wide, snapping her mouth shut before she found it full of dirt and keratin once more.

“Yes. And these individuals that you’ll be speaking with I'm certain are amongst Equestria’s finest, most upstanding citizens,” she deadpanned.

“Yes...I mean, no...no, of course not! You know, room for all types and all that. And some of the most interesting characters hang around Berry’s joint too…” she trailed off, a frown settling upon her face. She rubbed her hoof against her chest, her face reddening slightly. “Oh. I guess...you mean...I can’t tell...anyone?”

Bon Bon snorted, smirking visibly. “Well, I wouldn’t. You...you’ll do what you do, of course.”

She gazed at the unicorn through half-lidded eyes. Even with the revelation that she couldn't shout her good fortune from the rooftops, Lyra wore her unflappable optimism on her withers proudly, and Bon Bon couldn’t help but let a chuckle slip from her lips. It was true that that pony wouldn’t be winning any poker tournaments, but she was just too adorable to resist.

“If you’re about done,” Bon Bon enticed, waggling her eyebrows suggestively at her sudden change of subject, “I can think of better things to do with that wide mouth of yours.”

“Tsch! You!” Lyra giggled, playfully shoving her marefriend, knocking her flat on the couch’s thin surface. Giving her a mischievous smile, Lyra pushed off the floor with her hooves in an ever-so-slightly ungraceful dive, landing atop Bon Bon in a mishmash of green and white limbs that splayed out in all directions, the abused furniture below them giving off a tired, disharmonious groan in reply.

A sharp hum filled Pinkie Pie's awareness as her vision snapped into focus once more.

It was white. White everywhere.

The world had, from Pinkie’s vantage point, been reduced to a luminescent plane, devoid of any perceptible features whatsoever. It was, apparently, just the whiteness and her.

She looked down. Nope, that was wrong, too.

There was no her. That's weird, she thought, I've never lost myself before.

Just the whiteness, then.

“Hello!” she called out longingly to the void, her voice echoing atop itself around her in infinite undulating layers of sound. As she observed, she could see peaks and valleys appearing in the ocean of nothingness, not dissimilar to the ocean that had swallowed her up right before...well...whatever this was.

“Losing her…time…” an airy, masculine voice eventually seemed to call back, the world seeming to shift around her in its wake.

This, she supposed, was The End. The end of everything. The kind of end that everypony is at least just a little bit scared of, even a silly pony like Pinkie.

In a selfish moment that she cursed herself nearly instantly for, she made a silent wish to herself that, somehow, her friends could be there with her. She tried to picture their faces, to form their uniquenesses amongst the emptiness of the universe she found herself in.

To just see everypony smile one last time.

Though she tried to focus on such happier thoughts, they only reminded her of how much things had changed, and how quickly. Soon, sad thoughts crept into her mind, ones that she’d been trying her hardest to keep out. Her darkest fears that had emerged in all of this.

What if she no longer deserved them?

What if they couldn’t forgive her?

What if she really was a bad pony?

“Need...fifth...bind her,” a female voice followed the last.

Pinkie closed her eyes (which didn’t make sense to her, as it didn’t seem like she had eyes here, but...Pinkie’d been through stranger things before), finding the darkness a soothing respite to the light.

Even if she’d done bad things, that didn’t really make her a bad pony, right? Even Princess Luna had told her so. And besides, she owed it to her friends, to all the ponies that had cared for her, to give herself a chance. She knew this was probably the end, but even if it was, she still had a choice.

It wasn’t much of a choice, but it was what she had.

Even if she couldn’t choose whether or not she was going to die here, she could at least choose, in her final moments, if she wanted it. And, the faces of her friends fresh in her mind’s eye, she knew there was only one choice.

“Start...now…” the first voice roared, seeming to shatter the world like a glass ball that contained her. She seemed to have been released from whatever suspension she’d been in, the peculiar feeling of tumbling through space overwhelming her senses.

During this time, the echoes of the unknown voices hadn’t faded, but had seemed to blur together into a loud buzz, akin to the heavy grind of a chainsaw. It seemed to herald something more, something that was approaching rapidly. Her heart pounded fearfully against her chest, every Pinkie Sense she had sounding the loudest alarm they could muster.

In short, this was bad.

She had to find something, though. If it had to end, she'd at least keep herself. Any memory would do, as long as it was a happy one.

There. Almost by instinct, Pinkie’s mind drew up an image containing a pair of bright cerise eyes held below a cyan muzzle that bore an upside-down smile, pressed firmly against her own. The sound rushed up against her now, like the swell of a cresting wave bearing down upon her. A warmth spread within her as the smile would have upon her face. She knew the force before her might shred her existence entirely, but with her memory, with the strength of her friends, she was ready to face it.

Yes. It would do.

The black, murky ooze just stared back at her. It fluttered slightly, though, almost unnaturally, and Twilight Sparkle squinted to get a better look. Two eyes looked back at her; sad, tired eyes, wrinkled sacs drooping beneath them. Beyond them, nothing but the dark abyss; when looked at from above, it seemed no different than the tar pits that could be found in the Badlands (not that she’d ever dared venture there, of course. Such places weren’t fit for ponies). But, when poured from the cup, it looked barely different from the water it was made from.

She blinked, an audible vibration in her ear distracting her to the degree that she almost fell out of her chair. She returned her attention to the mug, whose dark secrets seemed ever so far from her grasp. If nothing else, it would be worth a sip; she switched her manual grasp on the cup for a magical one, bringing the mug to her lips.

Hm. Cold. Shrugging, she tipped the cup back a second time, then drew it back slightly, suspended in front of her. Unfortunately, tasting the coffee had provided no assistance in convincing it to betray any secrets it may or may not have held, so she slumped back into the hard chair again with minor dismay.

That buzzing, though…

She swatted a hoof absent-mindedly by her right ear, presuming to strike away some manner of pest or another.

Instead, a purple dragon tumbled to the floor, his displeasure with the turn of events made clear instantly. And not too quietly, either, Twilight noted as she covered her ears with her hooves.

“Geeze, Twilight, what was that for?”

“Spike! Sorry, first, my coffee was trying to tell me something…then, there was a bug, and...oh….” she trailed off, noticing the stern glare he was giving her.

“Twilight!” he growled, snapping his claws in front of her eyes as a trickle of coffee ran down his face from the now-tipped cup. “Snap out of it!”

She shook her head, then gave Spike a small smile. “You’re right, Spike. I’m sorry. What’s going on, anyway? Are Rarity or Applejack here? It’s been a day or two…”

“Twilight”, Spike groaned, scrunching his face as he attempted to wipe the liquid from it. Twilight had a habit of becoming excessively focused on her tasks, but it was never good for anypony when she lost track of time (or coffee) like this. “It’s been over a week…”

“Really? Wow...oh, they aren’t disappointed with me, are they, Spike? I promised I’d fix this...and I will...but…”

Twilight trailed off, her body slumping downward.

“Ahhhh!” she shrieked, wincing as a sudden pain coursed through her right eye, whose lid now batted furiously to remove the unwanted intruder. Looking upward, she finally noticed the tilted mug that was barely suspended by a weak magical thread. Its contents dribbled over the green ceramic barrier, splashing on her muzzle as she watched. Her horn glowed with greater intensity as she brought the pool of black gold carefully back into her hooves. This time, she’d taken the extra effort to weave a heating spell into her levitation, so that by the time she held the mug once more, the warmth held by the liquid was sufficient to penetrate her frogs quite pleasantly. It wasn’t that she particularly liked using her hooves as an earth pony or pegasus would be forced to, but there she needed the comfort right now.

Comfort. Now there was a thing in short supply, Twilight considered despondently. Two weeks had slipped by, and she’d made no progress. No progress in cracking the secret of the Elements, no progress in locating Pinkie or Rainbow. Really, she wouldn’t blame her friends for giving up on her. After all, she was Twilight Sparkle! Having the answers is what she does!

The books around her seemed to menace her from their shelves, mocking her inability to find the answers they hid somewhere. It was true that she’d read through all of them at least twice, but she must have missed it, somewhere. After all, she’d proven that reaching out blindly wasn’t going to work.

She rubbed the base of her horn, wincing in response to the too-recent memory. The fur had only barely begun to grow back; the scorch marks were still visible if anypony knew to look for them. It’d seemed so promising...

“Rarity,” Spike interrupted her thoughts, “has been working day and night on that big order she got from Sapphire Shores, and Applejack’s been making preparations for the zap-apple harvest.”

“...buuut...you knew all that already. So, what’s this really about, Twilight?”

She frowned, a certain thought clouding her mind. “It’s nothing. Anyway, Spike, you wanted something?”

“Oh yeah!” his face brightened, “I’d been trying to get your attention for the last 10 minutes to let you know that you’d gotten got a message.”

“Princess Celestia!” Twilight said excitedly, a smile working its way across her face, “She must have news about Rainbow Dash!”

“Not quite…” Spike replied, gingerly gesturing towards the midnight blue seal that adorned the scroll in his hand.

“Oh,” Twilight said, her face falling again. “Right. Well, I guess I better get this over with…”

She reached out with a lackadaisical hoof, fetching the message from her assistant and bringing it up to her muzzle. Luna’s seal was simple; consistent with her livery and regalia, the freshly-dried wax contained only a shallow impression of an unadorned crescent moon. In the short time Twilight had known her, it had become clear that while certainly regal in her own way, Princess Celestia’s younger sister preferred a simpler, more straightforward approach to her rule.

Straightforward, Twilight groaned to herself, More like rude.

She shook her head. It was one thing when Luna was still freshly back to Equestria, thinking it was a-okay to make the townsponies submit to her royal highness. But now, to think she could make Ponyville her own private demesne – it was patently absurd. Come to think of it, Princess Celestia had to know by now, if Spike’s record of the passage of time was at all accurate. Why hadn’t she put a stop to it? Why hadn’t she found her friends?

Twilight glanced again at the scroll in her hooves. Submitting to expectations, she ran the sharp wall of her hoof through the seal, opening the parchment with a sharp tug.

The letter only contained one sentence.

Twilight rolled her eyes. Figures.

HRH Princess Twilight Sparkle,

We request an audience with you outside of the Everfree Castle at 2:00.

HRH Princess Luna

“SPIIIIIIIIIKE,” Twilight shouted, much to the chagrin of the dragon standing at her hooves, holding his hands over his ears. She grinned awkwardly, flattening her ears against her head. “Oops, sorry. What time is it?”

“Uh,” Spike replied, blinking a few times. “Before you shouted every clock in town into tomorrow, I think it was half-past one.”

Twilight chuckled lightly. “Thanks, Spike. I needed that. Now, grab a quill; I'm going to need a list...”

The raindrops spattered lightly as they splashed into the grimy pools around Lyra’s hooves. She shivered, her wet mane clinging to her neck as she looked upwards towards the darkening mass of clouds above her. In Ponyville, just a short walk ago, it had been another beautiful autumn breeze. But out here, in the Everfree, nature seemed to have a different plan. The forest was a spooky enough place on a normal day; enough so that the only ponies who generally dared to enter it were Twilight and her friends. Especially the shy yellow one…

Nopony’d seen her since the incident, though. Not that anypony saw much of her typically, anyway. But, since befriending Twilight, she’d seemed to have been making progress on improving her woefully underdeveloped social skills. She attended some (at least, one or two) social events. She got things she needed from the market, herself, without sending an animal friend to do it for her. She’d even, on occasion, sat down with a cup of tea and made conversation with ponies at Sugarcube Corner. Of course, since the disappearances, there had been whispers. Whispers that she’d disappeared too. Whispers that she’d fallen into depression, that she’d hurt herself, though nopony dared seem to check. There were even whispers that she and Rainbow Dash had some sort of a thing going on, but Lyra knew better. She had her own reasons to doubt that.

The sly grin creeping across her face was promptly wiped out by a particularly loud peal of thunder, however, as a spidery lightning bolt ripped through the sky. Her eyes wide, Lyra’s breaths came quick and shallow, panting as she looked side to side. After several minutes passed without spotting a single manticore or cockatrice, she felt reassured enough to allow her rump to settle in the freezing, slimy mud.

Hopefully, the princess would arrive soon.

Princesses, she corrected herself. It had taken some time for Ponyville to adapt to having a resident princess, though said adaptation had largely come in the form of ignoring that any change had happened at all. And Twilight just didn’t act like a princess. She read books, ate hayburgers, and hung out with her friends. Wings aside, she was pretty much the same as any other unicorn.

“GAHH!”

A sudden screech drew Lyra’s attention, although slightly startled, to a fading purple flash located just a score of hooves away or so. Twilight Sparkle, anger written across her face as the cold rainwater stung her still-raw wounds, flared her horn brightly. A pink bubble instantly appeared around the alicorn, who then turned towards the castle before them.

“Luna?” Twilight called out expectantly, “Are you…?”

She paused, a clacking sound behind her gaining her attention. She craned her neck around, jumping with surprise when she saw the sopping wet unicorn planted in the mud behind her. Cocking her head, she couldn’t help but lift an eyebrow as she inspected her unexpected companion, who looked quite ridiculous – and uncomfortable – soaked with mud and rainwater as she was.

“Lyra? What are you…?” Twilight blinked.

“Princess...Lun-na…” she chattered, unable to stop her shivering. She felt as though the rain had soaked through her skin all the way to the bone, and had frozen there.

Why would Luna bring her here? Twilight thought.

“Did Luna tell you...why…?”

Twilight didn’t have a chance to finish, because at that moment the sky split open again, but this time emerging from the shattered sky was, indeed, the princess of the night.

“Twilight!” Luna chided, “You must have lost your charity amongst the raindrops.”

She thrust a powerful hoof towards Lyra, her eyes drawn tightly to thin, dark slits.

“Um. Yeah. Sorry, Lyra…” she mumbled noncommittally to the unicorn, before whipping back around to face Luna. “But why did you summon her here, anyway? I am up to the task, you know.”

Luna shook her head silently, her horn’s abrupt luminance surprisingly intense. Without warning, Lyra was lifted in Luna’s magical grasp. The unicorn’s fur ruffled up as though tousled by a powerful gust, while a thick midnight-blue aura built itself around her. Luna gently laid the unicorn to rest aside herself, her eyelids rising solemnly as she faced her sister’s former student once again.

“Oh.” Twilight murmured, her voice small.

“Oh, indeed. Twilight, your behavior today was unbecoming of a princess. But enough of that for now; we shall discuss this with Celestia at a more appropriate time.”

Twilight squared her shoulders, glaring aggressively at the other princess. “I think what needs to discussed with Princess Celestia is when in Tartarus are you going to let Ponyville be its own town again? Night Guard stationed at every corner, hay, you've even got one right outside the library! I only teleported here because he spent 5 minutes interrogating me.”

Luna cleared her throat, unmoved by Twilight’s speech. “The investigation is still open, Twilight, and Town Hall is far from repaired. Important documents, most of them relating to the Equestrian Mail Service, are still missing, and we know not to what ends. Without a pony in custody, the pony responsible for terrorizing our citizens may well still be on the loose. We are well within our rights as a regent of Equestria to—”

“Ensure the safety of Equestrian residents through any means possible...blah, blah, blah.” Twilight interrupted, splashing forward in the mud. “I’ve heard it all before, Luna….but where does it end? I know you were gone for a while, but this just isn’t how things work! You have to let Ponyville go!”

“Celestia is fully aware of the current state of the investigation, and as far as we are aware, she has no quarrel with any actions we have taken. We suggest that you should not, either,” Luna said sharply, turning away from Twilight. “In any case, it is your good fortune that Lyra, here, is assisting us with our investigation. I feel she may have news to bear that may interest you.”

"...Lyra?" Twilight prodded gently after the only reply had, for several minutes, been the pattering of the raindrops against the wet soil.

“Oh!” Lyra startled, eyes refocusing as she finally processed the request. “Well, you see, Luna’s really the talk of the town right now. Nopony can stop talking about her! If you thought it was big news when you became an alicorn, Twilight, well, no offense, but this is waaaaay bigger!”

“Lyra,” Luna interrupted, perturbed. “Not that. The other news.”

“Ohhhh! Well, Cherry Berry said the other day that her cousin, Cherry Jubilee, sent her a letter telling her about some farmhand who’d just come in from Baltimare, who’d told a bunch of stories and she was wondering if they had anything to do with all the recent craziness here in Ponyville. Apparently, he was talking like you wouldn’t believe about some crazy pegasus who refused to follow the city flight laws, even after being warned a few times. You know, tall buildings and all that…”

“Rainbow!” Twilight gasped breathlessly, her mouth suddenly dry.

“Anyway,” Lyra continued, “after taking out a few local landmarks (statues of General Firefly and the like), the Guard finally arrested her.”

Twilight screeched, her horn lighting briefly, extinguishing only after a glance at the Princess revealed a stern face mouthing the word hold.

“Guess she’s been in lock-up for a few days now,” Lyra concluded with a smile, her face full of pride, completely oblivious to the impact each of her words was having on Twilight.

“I have to go! Now!” Twilight hissed, stomping her hoof into the mud, throwing the sticky sludge in all directions. She shook it from her face, giving Luna a hot glare before disappearing in a flash of magic.

Luna groaned, shaking her head slowly. “Thank you, Lyra, for your services. If you hear anything else of interest, please let us know. We...apologize for Princess Twilight’s demeanor today. It is something we shall have to work on.”

Luna clicked her jaw shut, cutting a trench through the sloppy loam of the forest floor with her hoof and growling to herself as she watched the rain pool inside it. Celestia had been quite ambitious with that filly; perhaps, too ambitious - she still had much to learn before she deserved the title of princess. But that would have to wait. Clenching her jaw, Luna’s horn lit aflame with magic, and both ponies were gone in an indigo flash.