Same Page, Different Books

Starswirl grumbled a lot, the bicorns realized soon enough. He grumbled against the dirt that crusted his beard, the sun that dried the ink on his quill, the cracking nearly inedible dry plants they had to offer. On his little stool, overlooking the town’s square from the elder’s balcony, the olden unicorn scribbled all day. If they did not look for him, the inhabitants did not see him.

More than a few bicorns agreed with that arrangement. Starswirl’s heavy gaze promised tempests and mystical mysteries in quick altercations, and a poor mare had nearly had a nervous breakdown, thinking his glowing horn meant he had been aggravated enough to attack.

At the moment, Starswirl’s eyes trailed after a small herd of foals playing around a slightly more robust house. His mouth was set in a thin line.

“Are you puzzled?” asked a voice nearly as old as his own. “It is a game our community has played since its beginnings, but there is little to say the unicorns of Gallopfrey did as well.”

The grand mage’s eyebrow arched, fixing one of his ancient eyes on his new companion. “Why would such foalplay confuse me? Tis all rather simple. One imitates a predator of a sort, the others must evade him until such times they are caught and take its place. I have been witness to such games amongst earth ponies and common unicorns many times before.”

“Yes, but there is frustration written upon your face,” the elder bicorn pointed out to Starswirl’s annoyance. “If not its content, then its players…? Which foal provoked your ire?”

Starswirl’s head dipped a hint lower, hiding his features under the rims of his belled-hat. Yet, the elder bicorn could still read in the wavering of his friend’s impressive beard ripples like more silent grumbling.

“That filly, the one with fair mane,” -- his quill twisted in the air and pointed straight at a giggling filly -- “she twice hid from sight before she could possibly know of the chaser’s presence upon the corner.”

Both stallions paused their conversations as childish shouts erupted from the group. One slightly burlier colt galloped after the rest of the foals, loudly proclaiming his certainty that this time, he’d get them!

And the elder watched with twinkles of laughter in his eyes, as Starswirl’s targeted filly emerged from the shadows of a gallery. The chaser had bypassed her completely. Now, she quietly ran in the opposite direction, safe for a time.

“Ah yes, Autumn Breeze. Quite the cunning foal, that little one. Or, I imagine, you would prefer to call her lucky. But was it really impossible for her to feel her pursuer’s presence before her senses could inform her?”

The elder’s knowing smile taunted Starswirl with the promise of hidden knowledge.

“Mayhaps that was merely your assumption, mage.”

Starswirl’s lips quirked. “Is it not what one could expect from an outsider? Did we not promise each other an effort to be understanding of our respective species?”

“A fair point, surely, but we have had good reasons to hide away before.” The elder bicorn gazed on the busy streets and the community it hosted. Every wrinkle on his face seemed to deepen with the weight of more than mere years of life. “...What will you do with your researches once you leave us?”

“Present them to the rest of Equestria.” The mage’s ever present scowl faded around the edges as he stroked his beard, deep in thoughts. “At least to the temporary leaders, so they may begin to mend the bridge between our sub-species. None of you are the monsters stories paint you to be.”

“Those may be the most heartfelt words you have ever said to us, friend.” The elder trotted slowly back inside, his silhouette pausing in the doorframe. He looked back to Starswirl, his eyes suddenly haunted. “Have you ever wondered if knowing beforehoof the impacts of your actions make them worse? What would you do if you only knew a single outcome at a terrible crossroad? Would you change your mind then?”

“The fifth amendment, signed in 830 AU, would move on to protect our bicorn friends from the harmful effects of stressful lives. The Academy Winning Award of the year, Miss Worry Wart, had discovered that high responsibilities and pressure could shorten a pony’s lifespan.”

Huh, the private blinked. That tone of voice sounded just like his old history teacher. Maybe it was a universal principle of history lessons that just made them harder to focus on. A hoof to his chin, he pondered the thought and brought his ear to the door.

“The Princess proceeded to immediately strive toward replacing working bicorns who had been unknowingly shortening their precious time in Equestria.” Span heard something like curses while a burst of vibrations shook the door. The heavy slam followed an angry snort, and the tone of voice changed for a low rumbling growl. “And thus the bitch just caused more innocents to lose their rights. Marvelous...”

Hearing his charge’s voice, Attention Span jolted back, remembering his purpose here. After a few strong knocks, he allowed himself in Edward’s room.

“Hey, Mr. Edward, I got you your books. I even ran into the element of Kindness,” Span said, tossing his saddlebag onto the desk. Papers scattered hither and thither, Span slowly rubbing a foreleg across the other, eyes downcast, a slight blush a bloom across his nose.

Ed didn’t respond, instead setting out upon gathering his research, grumbling to himself. Each paper he collected was placed neatly back on the table. A deliberate and tempered pace being set, while all the while he carefully eyed the still motionless private.

“Uh, anyway, Ms. Fluttershy was really nice when I bumped into her. She even came down here just to make sure you and Pierre were okay,” the young guard said, picking up a scattered parchment that had landed at his hooves.

For a brief moment Edward stopped, the ignited flame of british annoyance suddenly doused by the realization of whom he was speaking to. This was no crazed she-bat, it was the youngster and his oblivious need to please. What good would his anger be? It left him nothing but even more tired than before.

“So, the Element of Kindness... was kind? Well, I for one would never have assumed such a thing. I’m so glad you found such a vital and well-hidden piece of intel,” Edward said, taking his place once more at the desk.

Attention Span bristled at the praise, taking an attentive stance and smiling innocently. “I know, I was kind of nervous when I first met her too, but she has a way of putting ponies at ease.”

“Yeah, I’m sure,” Ed said, milling through Span’s saddlebags.

Each new tome was another layer of evidence against the prejudice of an unjust society. How many more would claim that his only happiness would reside in marrying another poor sod forced into a ridiculously productive breeding couple? The smell of paper and ‘justice’ oozing from the pages had Ed shudder as he pulled book after book from their lodgings.

“Wow! You really do like books, huh?” Span said, watching the bicorn spread them out and flip idly from one to another.

“A necessity for the cause,” Ed replied, eyes still trailing across pages of text.

“‘Cause’? Whatcha mean?” Span trotted close to peek over Ed’s shoulder.

Ed didn’t answer, instead pulling the book closer and shifting his back toward the young private. A low, graveling grunt made Attention Span back off with a small blush on his face.

“Sorry, sorry...” He tried a smile but failed to sway his charge.

“You said you met Fluttershy?” Edward called in an even voice. “Did you tell her anything?”

“Oh, huh, yeah,” Span answered with a shrug. He did not understand why that was a big deal, really, nor why the bicorn had stiffened. “Her security clearance is top notch. She’s considered a national heroïne and a special operative of the Dual Thrones. And she’s a friend of the newest princess and there’s a rumor she can tame dragons going around!” His tone rose a few pitches as more excitement filtered through. “Oh, sweet Celestia! I should have totally asked for an autograph! I can’t believe I didn’t think of that! Dang, now Right Angle will never believe me!”

Edward briefly raised his eyes to the ceiling, as if silencing asking what he had done to deserve to be surrounded by scatterbrained, snarking and idiotic ponies. “I very much doubt that mare would like the attention. She is, as her parents justly noticed before naming her, rather shy.”

Span blinked, then brought a hoof to his chin. “Really? Because she asked if it were okay for her to visit for tea. She’ll be here soon.”

“You’re kidding right, please tell me you’re kidding?” Ed asked through gritted teeth, the book in his hooves shaking as if caught in a self-contained tremor.

The private squirmed in place, his face flushing a shade of red in embarrassment. The bicorn’s gaze made him feel like a little foal again. “S-sorry, you’re allowed visitors, provided they check with security first. Was I not supposed to do that?”

Ed gazed down at the younger stallion like that of a disappointed teacher, or in a more fitting analogy, a disgruntled officer.“You are and were clearly out of your mind.”

“Um, well, I was just a bit excited, you aren’t mad, are you?” Span rubbed the back of his neck. “I can ask her to leave if you want.”

“No, no… There’s no need. We mustn’t be impolite. We are her hosts, are we not? By all means, let her come,” Ed said, taking a long breath and doing everything in his power to avoid strangling his young jailer.

This could, he realized, be quite the opportunity.

The wooden door twisted on its hinges and revealed a young, purple drake.

“Why, hello, Spike dear.” Rarity greeted him quickly, her gaze skipping to behind him. What shone in these blue eyes when she found nopony, however, could have been relief or disappointment. “Are you here on your lonesome?”

The purple scales of his face turned a vivid shade of red. Though Spike tried to look cool and collected, he could not help the blazing hope from showing in his voice. “Y-yeah, nopony else around… why?”

“Oh, think nothing of it, darling. I simply wished to look for some information up and I believed the library would be a good way to start. Perhaps Twilight could have directed me toward some references...”

“I can do that!” Spike jumped at the opportunity to help his crush. A sly grin on his face, he pretended to file his claws nonchalantly. “I do most of the shelving around here, you know. Not to brag, but these babies have seen more than their fair share of books.”

For a brief moment, the tension melted out of the fashionista. She held a hoof to her mouth and giggled softly. “Oh, Spike, my knight in shining armor,” she said as she stroked his head fin, “if you are sure you aren’t busy with anything else, I’d be glad to accept your help.”

If he hadn’t been certain dragons were fireproof, Spike would have thought he had burst into flame. He could feel heat greater than even the pool of lava gather to make his face spectacularly red. “S-s-sure! I’d be glad to help! W-what were you loo-” His voice cracked, and he quickly cleared his throat. And deepened it for good measure. “Ahem. I mean. What were you looking for, Rarity?”

“Oh, I’m afraid it is nothing too interesting.” Rarity flicked her mane to the side, a long and dramatic sigh coming out of her mouth. “I was hoping to take a closer look at certain law books, perhaps a few societal studies as well.”

“Okay…?” Spike slowed to a halt, his arms halfway stretched to fetch the latest number of Cosmare. “That’s not your usual kind of reading. Did something happen?”

Rarity’s indulgent smile cracked on the edge. Attentive eyes could see the minuscules hints that her mane had been coiffed in a hurry, that traces of make-up lingered in trails from her eyes and had not been properly washed. And for a young smitten drake, those could not be ignored.

“Rarity?”

Stepping forward, her demeanor fully composed again, Rarity gently brushed his cheek and kissed it for the underlying concern. “Ah, hmm, a kind way to put it would be to say that somepony opened my eyes about certain aspects of Equestrian practices that I never quite realized the implications before...”

“You don’t mean those bicorns guys, do you?” Spike asked, his voice uncertain.

An instant, Rarity’s eyes glazed over, showing naught but the furious blue irises and the storm behind. The accusation, the whisper, and the resignation crawled over her skin. Feeling lightheaded, she weakly shook her head.

Spike gave her a piercing look but made no comment. Instead, he directed her to a low standing table and returned a minute later with a tower of volumes tilting in his arms. “That’s just Twilight’s pile. She had me gather every book on bicorns we had, you know since those two new guys came in town?”

With a sigh of sparks and cinder, the little dragon let the tower topple over onto the table.

“All of them? Is that so?” At his nod, Rarity placed a hoof to her chin and the glow of her magic surrounded one of the books. It floated up to her but remained closed as her brows lowered. “Do you think she would mind much if we took a look at those books ourselves?”

“Huh, well, see, Twilight...” the poor dragon stuttered, looking quickly between the volumes and the mare of his dreams. “She usually doesn’t like her books disturbed when she’s working on them… b-but I’m sure she’d make an exception for you!” he added at the sorrowful sight Rarity had let out.

“Splendid!” Rarity exclaimed as she sat down on a charmingly rustic cushion. Her horn lighting up, she brought the first book to her with a gentle bout of telekinesis. Conscious of her friend’s nervous squirming, she smiled and tapped the cushion next to hers. “Well then, let’s take a closer look, Spike.”

Grinning, he ran to join her in her research with an enthusiasm that would make Twilight shed tears of pride.

“How about we start with… ah, here, Chapter three, Registrations and Legislations surrounding Bicorns. This should be informative.”

His quickened steps beat against the floor like clockwork. It had been some time now, hours perhaps since Rarity had left. The half-modified suit waited for her return upstairs. He, on the other hoof -- hand --, could not stand the small bedroom and its closing walls.

Had he said it wrong? Oh hell, he hoped he hadn’t made things worse! No, surely, she would have understood what he had tried to explain. She had only left in tears… without a word...

Pierre let himself fall into the admittedly comfortable couch they owned. He had not really been able to resist the urge to just get somepony to stop fawning and listen. No guarantee about whom they would side with, though.

Them? Or, well, the entire Equestrian nation, apparently. The immediate representants of whom watched over him, just in case he somehow hurt himself in his own home.

Tempered Steel was easy enough to ignore, but Belfry followed his pacing avidly, snickering under her breath every time he really felt close to freaking out. Just for that, he sat down, a scowl on his face.

And again, the urge to move climbed through his legs. He could simply not stand still. Too many questions to ask, too much ‘what if’s coming to mind. His eyes went to the opened window. It was still the afternoon, albeit inching toward sunset. Would they even let him outside if he bothered to ask nicely? He would not bet against a night curfew. Least of all after their stunts trying to disappear into the night.

On that thought, a delicate chime rang throughout the living room, both his bodyguards perking up at the noise. With quick paces, he trotted to the door with Tempered Steel on his heels. A snort of annoyance escaped his control. Really, somepony ringing the doorbell at this time. It could only be Twi--

He stopped cold in his track, his eyes widening and focusing entirely on their visitor. “F-Fluttershy?”

“He… hello, Pierre. I heard you had new bodyguards.” The poor mare blushed as if she had intruded and prodded far too deeply into the bicorns’ privacy. A long strand of her mane hid almost half her face. “I… I just thought I should check up on you. If that’s okay. I… I asked mister Attention Span, and he said Edward would be happy to receive a visitor… h-honored...”

For a split second, Pierre found himself incredulous. He was rather convinced that Edward might not have been quite that welcoming.

“Ah, and Ed didn’t think common courtesies applied to him? Big shocker there,” he grumbled before putting on an awkward smile. “So, huh, can I interest you in some tea? Pretty sure it’s the only drinkable thing we have in the house at the moment.”

“Oh, no I couldn’t, I wouldn’t want to impose,” she protested with a quick shake of her head.

Pierre put a gentle hoof on her shoulder and led her inside. “And what are you here for if not to impose a bit on us? Come now, it’s nothing for us. Twilight paid it all anyway.”

“Princesses’ money come from taxes...” Fluttershy replied with a hint of deadpan.

Despite himself, Pierre felt his ears fold atop his head as he winced. Right. They might be pissed at ponies, in general, but the thought of wasting Fluttershy’s money still had shame creep on him.

“Though, um...maybe the guard at the door could use some, he seemed rather upset. If that would be okay, of course.”

“Oh right, Bronze,” Pierre said under his breath.

He was downright relieved when he spotted an appropriate distraction. “Hey, Bell! Ed’s guest has arrived.”

The gray mare raised an eyebrow at that. “Yeah, I’ll get him, it’s not like he’s a full grown stallion or anything,” Belfry said, shrugging as she walked out of the room.

“So… huh, we were--”

“Hey!” Pierre and Fluttershy flinched at the sudden rise in volume. Maybe that was purely their imagination, but it looked as if the furniture was shaking from Belfry’s booming shout. “Bookface! Somepony went mad and decided to visit you! So stop sulking in your room!”

Pierre grinned. “I think I might grow to like that mare...”

Unfortunately for him, Belfry’s ears twitched on top of her head, and she turned back with a sly grin. “Sorry, stud, those flanks are not registered on the Breeding Program.”

The French stallion groaned and facehoofed, hoping nopony would notice the blush under his reddish fur. It worsened as Fluttershy, ever full of good intentions, rubbed his back with a wing to comfort him.

“Y-you can stop now,” he asked with a strained smile. “All better! Let’s go get the tea, okay!”

Startled, Fluttershy nodded and followed him into the kitchen. What she found surprised her, and by the look on crossing over Pierre’s face, so was he.

A full table of snacks had been laid in waiting for their arrival. Biscuits, cookies, and soft pastries had been assembled inside of intricately woven straw baskets. A single teapot on the edge of the table let out a steady influx of steam out of its beak, its aroma of fresh oranges and grounded tea leaves a titillating greeting.

And whistling to himself, Attention Span trotted around the table to place the finishing touches. At first, he grinned at the sight of them, but his eyes suddenly widened. “Oh, wait, I forgot to take out the cups!”

“Don’t worry.” Pierre waved a hoof and headed for the right corner of the kitchen. “I’ll get them.”

“Heya there, friends!”

Pierre fell over backward with a girly yelp, landing heavily on his back as Pinkie Pie leaped out of a cupboard no pony had any right to fit in. She went in for a hug, all smile, and giggles before she realized that Pierre was still breathing hard from the shock.

Pinkie’s wide smile turned a little sheepish at the dark glare sent her way by both guards. She somehow pulled her neck in like a turtle as Attention Span loomed over her and hissed, “Do not. Scare. Pierre. And. Edward. Understood?”

“Whoopsie? I’m sorry.”

“No, no, please, it’s fine.” Pierre waved it off. “I only got a year or two knocked out of me from sheer shock. Nothing too serious. I wasn’t planning on living up to a hundred anyway.”

Belfry snorted, pressing her ear against his chest. Her face wrinkled as she fell into uncharacteristic serious. For a few seconds, there were no traces of the teasing thestral. Edward, standing in the doorframe, raised a skeptical eyebrow at the sight, bemused.

“Yeah, he’s fine, Span,” Belfry drawled as she drew back and patted Pierre. “Stand down.”

The stallion waited for a second, gauging Pinkie’s possible reactions. Only after he had somehow deemed her safe not to startle anypony else did he relax and offer a sheepish apology.

Edward raised an eyebrow at the abrupt change of behavior. So the guard did have an authoritative streak... “Oh good,” he deadpanned, “it looks like we got two elements for the price of one, how economical.”

Pierre, standing up with a bit of help from Fluttershy, cuffed him on the shoulder with a grunt of annoyance.

Gray shoulders which were then shrugged. “Hey, it’s not my fault they choose to sprout up like kudzu.”

Pierre sunk lowered into his seat, cradling the cup before him as if hoping it could turn into poison. Whether he’d dose Edward or himself was the bigger question. “Suck on your tea and shut up.”

“Please, you are the one who told the bat to fetch me. Don’t get snippy at me for striking a conversation,” he deadpanned to the annoyance of said bat, then glanced at the two heroïnes in front of him. “So, what exactly can we do for you two? I imagine you have plenty of other important things to do, no?”

“Nope!” Pinkie replied with a cheerful smile. “Nothing’s more important than making sure a few new friends are happy and in good health!”

Pierre could not help but grin at those words. Cheesy and childish as they might sound, they had a comforting effect. Maybe, just a second, he could forget the difference between the Equestria he knew and the one they were trapped in. Some things didn’t change, and the bearers were good ponies.

“That’s quite the sentiment if a bit ironic to some degree,” Ed said, finishing his statement with a decisive sip of tea.

“Ironic?” Fluttershy repeated, her face half-hidden by her mane.

He shot her a serious look, dipping a biscuit in his tea and taking a bite out of it. “You care for our well-being and happiness, but you don’t seem to listen to us very well.” A smirk twisted the corner of his mouth. “We already told you what would make us happy. And yet, here we are.”

Fluttershy and Pinkie followed the motion of his leg, their eyes gliding over the furniture of the kitchen and the house. They flinched as Edward gave a meaningful stare to the new guards that had been assigned to them.

“That’s…!” Pinkie stopped midsentence, deflated. “...it’s a bit more complicated than that.”

“Nopony wants you to feel uncomfortable about it...” Fluttershy fidgeted. “It’s just really, really important that everypony do their part… sorry...”

“Not likely,” Ed grunted as he leaned in leering at the hapless mare.

“Please, don’t take that personally.” Pierre jumped in, a gentle hoof pushing the cup of sugar toward their guests. “We’re a bit on edge these days”

“Oh, it’s fine. Gummy’s like that too!” Pinkie giggled. “Whenever I take him on a trip with the Cakes, he panics and I have to give him his favorite éclair and his teething ball just so he won’t bite anypony else.”

Ed stared at the mare in indignation. “Oh yes, because your pet and I have so much in common, it’s like we are long lost twins or something.”

Pierre caught himself chuckling at Ed’s slowly ebbing sanity. “Would you look at that? Edward bites people’s head off when he’s cranky too.”

“Sod off!”

“See?” He grinned, but it slipped as the mares in front of him seemed unamused.

“Pierre, that’s not nice…” Fluttershy reprimanded softly. “You’re baiting him.”

Edward rolled his eyes. “Of course he is, that’s sort of our thing,”

But, ears drooped, Pierre still looked away, his face on fire. He had not seen that one coming. Fluttershy’s disappointment had felt like being a little boy scolded by his mother all over again.

“Sorry,” he said in a tiny voice.

Edward gazed back between the now timid Frenchman and the mare staring down at him. Giving a single nod, he watched as Fluttershy’s features softened into a gentle smile. The mare seemed grateful at the disappearing tension and turned to send an almost maternal look to Edward.

“Hey now, we all sometimes say a couple of things we don’t mean. Once we say we’re sorry, it’s okay.” Pinkie reached over the table and patted Pierre’s hoof.

Fluttershy nodded. “As long as you're willing to apologize, that's all that matters.”

Still quite red under his fur, Pierre forced a chuckle or two. The apology came quick and quiet, enough that one could doubt it had been uttered. Well, one would have to ignore the smug superiority oozing off the pore of Edward’s skin. Belfry laughed under her breath at the sight, which did nothing to help Pierre subdue his embarrassment. Uneasy, he cleared up his throat and asked about the animals back at the cottage.

“Well, there hasn’t been anything out of the ordinary yet...”

“Is it true that you have a bear?!” Attention Span near shouted, startling everyone around the table. in the dead silence that followed, his face turned bright red, and he sank into his seat with a muttered ‘sorry’.

“Oh, yes,” said Fluttershy after a time. “Harry the bear… well, he is doing well, even if he’s not really my bear. More like a friend that sees me on occasions. His neck is still a bit stiff from the last hibernation, but I think after our next seance, he’ll be better.”

“Yikes.” Pierre winced, though with a small smile. “I can’t imagine really doing chiropractics on a bear. Doesn’t he get… mad?”

“Of course, the pain is a bit irritating,” Fluttershy said, a hoof to her chin as she recalled the few angry roars he had sent her way. “But really, Harry is just a big teddy bear when you get down to it. He’s always grateful when I’m done.”

The next question died on his lips as his ears suddenly twitched. From their right rose a high pitch noise, something so unequinely strange that they almost feared the presence of a monster of the Everfree. But in the direction of the noise, no creature lurked but Attention Span, biting his lips to stop himself from talking. By the look of pure admiration in his eyes, it most likely was praises and embarrassing demands for an autograph.

Even Edward barely resisted the urge to facehoof at that. “What about your other animals? We know you keep a lot of them at your place.”

A few moments passed before Fluttershy could tear her eyes off the stallion that seemed all too willing to worship her. “...Yes… I… hmm.. Mr. Tweetum has been spending a lot of time resting. The poor dears are still confused after his accident, but I know for sure he will recover very soon..”

“I see,” Edward said slowly, stirring his tea with his spoon. His eyes downcast, he seemed almost indifferent to the gazes that turned to him. But there was no mistaking the note of challenge in his tone as he stared right at the bearers. “Say, where exactly do you stand on the bicorn question?”

“Oh! Do you mean like where we would be if we were bicorns ourselves?” Pinkie wiggled her eyebrows at both stallions. “Because I sometimes think about that. It’d be really weird for my mane, don’t you think? It’d definitely get stuck in there.”

Edward’s blank expression vanished as she poked one of his horns for emphasis. “No, not exactly.” He pushed her off, not too roughly, and looked her deep in the eyes. “I meant, do you think it’s right?”

“What right?”

Which rights, rather, he thought with a bitter smile for his jailers. “How bicorns are treated, of course! The loss of personal freedoms, the lack of independence, the forced reproduction. All of this, is it right?”

Pinkie’s mane deflated with a sad ‘pop’. Her colors dimmed, she lowered her gaze to the ground. “I dunno...”

His grip on his cup tightening, Edward directed his gaze on Fluttershy, who squeaked at the dark attention. “Do you?”

She gaped like a fish, struggling to find the right words, any words at all. Around her, Pierre noticed Belfry and Steel following the exchange very intently.

“I… sometimes…” Fluttershy sighed, then regarded Edward with a humid gaze. “Your species need help, Edward. We want… we want to be as helpful as possible, but it’s not… if bicorns don’t do anything to help themselves first...”

Edward snorted.

The air around him seemed suddenly colder, as he eyed her with a contempt like slivers of ice. "It's a beautiful thing, isn't it?"

Startled, Fluttershy blinked. "W-what is...?"

Edward’s hoof traced the edges of his empty cup. Glances of his nailed the guards in place. "Seeing the animals you helped return to health and become independent."

“...Of course it’s nice to see them happy and healthy again.”

“So, would you put other sapient ponies on the same level as pets?” The accusation made the poor pegasus shrink behind her wings. Mayhaps she would have found an answer, but Edward was not done. His breath hitched up and his eyes widened as if he had been struck by an idea, but the gritting of his teeth said otherwise. “Or, rather, lower than pets. Bicorns are never free of those ‘tender’ caring hooves that strangle them.”

Fluttershy stuttered. “I-I would n--”

“No, of course, you wouldn't, but with the rules that are currently in place, you might as well be.”

At a complete loss, Fluttershy turned her gaze to Pierre, in hopes he would assure her to the contrary. He had seemed a bit more amicable before, he wouldn’t let something like a temporary measure embitter him too, would he? But to her dismay, the maroon bicorn met her gaze sadly and spoke not to Edward but to her.

“A gilded cage is still a cage, girls.”

Fluttershy stared on, searching for a trace of a lie. Hoping. The small whispers of her own voice that spoke the reasonable words of the law… all had been made powerless. She tried, Edward’s sneer carved in her mind, to imagine her birds or her rabbits in their place, stuck in cages far too small for them.

The Fluttershy of her mind would have opened the doors wide. And she, before two bicorns, collapsed on herself.

A hollow feeling in her barrel, she glanced to the ponies holding the keys to the cage. The nice private looked torn in half, his cheeks a tinge of green. But she nearly blinked in shock as she noticed the snarl on the batpony mare’s face. Her hoof would have flown into her charges’ chin, had the quiet stallion in the back not shaken his head and scowled.

Nopony replied to the plea.

But then came from her right words dripping with regrets and a strange sense of panic, “I would not be here if my great-great-great-great-granddad hadn’t followed the law back in the olden days.”

The entire group fell silent, staring at a solemn Pinkie Pie. Edward himself seemed unsure what to reply to that. What was there to say?

Then, gently, a pair of yellow wings closed over Pinkie, and she let out a shaky chuckle.

“Great-great-great-granny Baklava was half-bicorn, and it wouldn’t have happened if Princess Celestia hadn’t said so. A lot of things wouldn’t have happened. Like me and Maud making rock candy necklaces together. Or me coming to Ponyville and meeting the Cakes. I wouldn’t be here holding the twins in my forelegs, and that’s one of the best feelings ever. Those little cuties are up there with the MMMM in terms of pure sweetness.”

Fluttershy nodded, her nurturing instincts kicking in at the images of the adorable twins.

“So many things.” Now Pinkie giggled, her memories brightening her smile and turning it radiant. “Maud wouldn’t collect rock candy necklaces. Cranky wouldn’t have found Mathilda. Cheese Sandwich would still be a shy stallion.”

A few more events were evoked, each painted with a brush of glitter and pink frosting. Joy, it never seemed more apparent to other ponies that Pinkie Pie represented joy.

“...Twilight wouldn’t have drunk hot sauce by accident at her welcoming party.”

Ed scoffed. “I’m not sure that is actually a bad thing, but that may just be me.”

Pinkie met his gaze with a look of utter disbelief. “Of course it was a good thing, it was one of our first memories as friends and those are always super important.

Before Ed could compile a response, Pierre placed a hoof on his shoulder and shook his head, drawing the eyes of the mare to him.

“My great-grand-parents met because a foreign country invaded my own, Pinkie,” he told her softly. With shuddering breath, he whispered, “Millions lost their lives, whole countries were changed forever, but my family wouldn’t exist if those events hadn’t happened.”

Edward’s gaze remained a mask of complete serious intent. Right now, he and his companion were neither brit nor lazy Frenchmen, right now they were simply men, pushed to the very limit. He seemed rather pensive, it was not as if Pinkie or any of the girls were directly to blame for this world and its backward views. Well, maybe Twilight, but that was simply an effect of a much bigger problem.

“What are you talking about?” Belfry deadpanned.

Being dismissed out of hooves, for one thing, Edward sighed.

“You wouldn’t know, of course…” Pierre said with a thick, heavy voice. ‘“But where we come from… it was the most horrible war in history. Millions died.”

Fluttershy and Pinkie sat dumbstruck not sure how to respond to Pierre’s passionate outcry, and Attention Span seemed like that of a lost puppy, eyes passing from one emotional spectrum to the next in an unsure dance of duty and drama. The only pony who seemed unaffected was the quiet and astute Tempered Steel who stood passively like he’d been replaced with a cardboard cutout. In the silence, only one voice was strong enough to question the very eerie serenity that had momentarily enveloped the room and all who lay within.

“Hold on there, goatie.” Belfry pointed at his chest. Her eyes were narrowed. “Equestria has never been in such a grand scale war! Not even in the distant past!”

“I suppose no one bothered telling you the truth either.” Ed tsked. “He’s not talking about Equestria, you dunce. We’re not from here.”

“Tsk, that’s pathetic,” she sneered. “You’re that desperate? You would make-up a stupid sto--”

Two hooves struck the table like thunder. “Don’t you fucking dare, you fat cow! I don’t care in the slightest if you believe me or not, but you will not make light of this! You will not!” Pierre was suddenly leaning, his eyes fiery and challenging. The table shook under the death grip he had on it. “The stories they told were so horrible no one believed them until they walked into the torture camps and saw it with their own eyes! They slaughtered innocents, they gassed them, they filled holes with the bodies!”

The batmare struggled with her words, the steel-like conviction bearing down on her indignation.

“To think, you could be this thoughtless and callous,” Edward said flatly, his glare unblinkingly piercing Belfry who stood stone silent.

“Pierre, tell me...” Pinkie pleaded. “It wasn’t… please say it was just a meanie pants joke you’re pulling on me.” She sniffed loudly, and her hooves reached for his, both shaking. “Pierre, please. Millions…”

Pierre himself looked on the verge of tears. “Pinkie.” He swallowed. His ears had drooped on each side of his head. “Pinkie, we wouldn’t be talking today if that war hadn’t devastated a whole continent. Do you think I would wish for it to have never happened? Do you think I can’t?”

She jerked as if burned. She skidded backward, back against a cupboard, refusing to look anypony in the eye, not even her best friend who reached for her in concern. The poor mare had to watch as the laughter drained from Pinkie.

It would seem as if the silence would stretch forever until, finally, Pinkie lifted her head, her eyes brimming with tears, and she shook her head.

The two stallions opened their mouth, Edward reaching forward with a hoof, but before them, the mare seemed to become nothing but a pink blur as she made her way out at dizzying speed.

Fluttershy, eyes wide, stared back between the stallions and her fleeing friend and all the while muttering apologies, took off. Her speed, albeit impressive for her, struggled to match the pink blur that had disappeared over the horizon.

“...We should let them think about it for a while,” Pierre finally said. “Give them the night, maybe. You think you could convince Fluttershy if you talked with her tomorrow?”

“We don’t have much a choice, do we?” Edward rolled his eyes though his expression seemed more thoughtful than simple boasting. “Come now, we have much to plan for our next guest appearance.”

Their legs stilled, however, as a painfully fake cough rose from behind them.

“Forgetting somepony?” drawled out Belfry.

Edward’s nostrils briefly flared. “No, just choosing to ignore you.”

The two went upstairs, uncaring of the glares Belfry bore into Edward’s skull or the intense stares Span aimed at Pierre. They had things to discuss, it mattered not if they were listened to. In fact… it might be good practice.

And with that, they had forgotten another, one they shouldn’t have dismissed as easily.

Tempered Steel had waited patiently for his colleagues to follow their charges wherever they chose to head within the house. When at last he was alone, he dug out a sheet of paper from his saddlebag and spread it on the dining table. After a second of hesitation, he picked up a thin stick of graphite and prepared what he assumed would be the first of many reports. They had given him quite a few things to ponder. Both sides were hiding more than they led on. He felt a hint of shame for the treasonous thought but slid his report into his saddlebag anyway.