Hex

Chapters

Arrival
Identity
Thievery
A Tongue of Silver
Beneath the Surface
Heart of a Thief
True Colors
Crimson Butterfly
Darkness Falls
The Journey
Illuminate the Shadows
Secrets Unbound
Silent Dreams
Darkness Falls pt.2

Arrival

Author's Note

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Arrival

The Everfree was quiet. Trees swayed in the gentle wind. Within, a dark figure traveled swiftly, yet silently, towards Ponyville. He looked towards the moon, which hung low in the sky. There was only an hour or two left of darkness; he had to find Princess Twilight before sunrise. He quickened his pace and opened his wings, preparing to take off into the night sky. He flapped once, but stopped himself before rising up.

I should really stay on the ground. Can't risk being spotted. Closing his wings, he returned to walking. Besides, I'll make it on time... Probably. Approaching a clearing, the pony stopped and looked around. I've been walking all night; I guess I can stop and rest here. he thought as he sat down. "Ah, for the love of Celestia..." he whispered. "Stupid witch... Making me come out all this way..." He began to close his eyes. He was just beginning to relax when his eyes reopened and he shot up, looking off in the distance. "Hold on a minute..." He took a couple steps forward. In the moonlight, he could see a castle. "Was... Was that there before?" he questioned, making his way towards it.

Inside, Twilight was reorganizing a few bookshelves while Applejack stood beside the pile of books left in the center of the room, watching and occasionally picking one up. "Applejack, I appreciate you coming over this early to help me sort out these shelves, but it would be nice if you actually, um... helped, you know?" Twilight said, becoming annoyed.

"Sugar, I don't have the slightest clue where you want any of these books to go, what with your crazy system and all," replied Applejack.

"It's really quite simple once you get used to it! Novels go by name in alphabetical order. Within that, we then organize them by author's last name. For short stories and poems, we-" She was cut off by a loud groan coming from the earth pony in front of her.

"See that? Now, how do you expect me to put them there books in exactly the right places when we got all these different kinds that each need to be organized in a completely different way from the last?" Twilight opened her mouth to answer, but was interrupted by a knock at the door. She and Applejack looked at each other in confusion.

"That's strange... Who would be up at this time?" she wondered aloud.

"Yeah, and why would they come here this early? ... You want me to go get it?" Applejack was already heading for the door.

"No, no. I'll get it. You just continue, er, start organizing the shelves, please."

"Alright, Twi. I'll get right on it." As Twilight walked off, Applejack's eyes fell on a book lying beside the pile. "Now where the heck is this supposed to go?"

Twilight reached for the door, planning to open it, before realizing that the pony on the other side had already pushed it open for her.

"Princess Twilight..." The pony bowed, but she couldn't see him; she could only hear his voice. "Sorry to interrupt, but I need your help."

"Uh... P-please, come in. I'm happy to help anypony in need." She put on a smile and gestured for him to come inside. Maybe he lost his way... Yeah, that might be it! He most likely just needs help finding his way home. I can do that... The pony nodded, and stepped inside. As he did, however, Twilight's smile turned into a look of shock and concern. The pony's coat was black with red stripes, a red and black mane, and deep red eyes. He looked around, then back to her.

"You alright?" he asked. Twilight shook her head and tried to smile again.

"I... I should be asking you that..." she said hesitantly. The pony closed his eyes.

"Forgive me, but do I look like I'm alright?" At that moment, Applejack walked in.

"Twi, I dunno how you- Woah!" She jumped back at the sight of the pony in front of her. "Sweet Celestia, what happened to you, friend?" The pony chuckled to himself, walked past her, and sat down.

"Y'all wanna hear a story?" he asked. Both mares nodded their heads and sat across from him. "A'ight. My name is Si-" He paused suddenly, and his eyes widened. "... I mean... Phoenix Flame." Applejack narrowed her eyes in suspicion.

"Uh-huh, keep going."

"I come from Araiyah, a land not too far from here. I wouldn't normally come here, but... As you can see, I look like this."

"So something real messed up happened to you, and now you look like you were born and raised in Tartarus... No offense." Applejack spoke up.

"None taken. And yeah, something did happen. I was sitting around town, doing my own thing, when this mare came up to me. Her name was... Uh... Dream... Dream something. She was going off about something I had nothing to do with. I barely even knew what she was talking about! So, I tried to explain that I had nothing to do with it, but no! She insisted I did... whatever it was she said I did. I don't even remember!" Phoenix took a breath and looked out a nearby window. "... Anyway, apparently this lunatic practiced witchcraft or some mess, and she claimed she was putting a curse on me. Now, I didn't believe her, and I was getting pretty tired of listening to her, so I just flew off. So, I woke up the next day and looked in the mirror... Surprise! She wasn't playing around! I really didn't wanna be seen like this; I just sat inside all day. The minute Luna rose the moon, I immediately ventured out in search for you, Princess Twilight." Twilight took note of everything he had told them, and raised her hoof.

"Why come to me? Why not seek Princess Celestia, or Princess Luna?" Phoenix chuckled.

"You really think I'm 'bout to go into Canterlot lookin' like this? Into all them high-class stuck up ponies? Nah, I'm coming to find you," he responded. "Ponyville ain't like that... At least, I hope not." He stood up. "So! Now you know. Do you think you can undo the curse?" Twilight remained still, thinking about his situation.

"Hmm... I might be able to find a counter spell, but it may take some time. You might have no choice but to wait until then. Is that okay with you?" He smiled.

"As long as you can help me, I don't mind the wait." He walked to the door, but quickly turned around. "Oh, yeah! Almost forgot! I kinda, uh... I kinda also need a place to stay..."

"You were just gonna walk on out without telling us that?" Applejack asked. "And besides, what's wrong with your place?" Phoenix shook his head.

"Nope! I'm not going back! Already made my way here; too late now!" She shot him a look of confusion.

"That don't make a lick of sense! You're just gonna up and leave your home? What about your friends and family? I'm sure they're gonna be worried sick about you." He looked down. "And what about all your stuff? You just gonna leave it all behind?" she asked.

"Ah, I can always make new friends! And get new stuff!"

"But you can't replace your family, you know. What about them?" Phoenix turned away.

"So, Princess Twilight! Could I stay here for a bit?" he asked with a smile plastered across his face. Twilight did not share his expression.

"I would, but... I don't have a spare room available. I'm sorry," she said. Phoenix frowned.

"It's cool, it's cool... Miss, uh, Applejack, is it?"

"Yep. That's me," Applejack replied.

"Yeah, could I stay with you?" She looked up in thought, then back to Phoenix, who was kneeling at her hooves, looking up at her with false desperation in his eyes.

"Oh, quit your acting! I got a spare room at the farm; you can stay there! Sounds an awful lot like you plan on staying for life, though..." He jumped up.

"What? Nah... I can get a place of my own... at some point..." He walked outside, preparing to take off, and called out behind him, "I think I can find the way. I'll meet you there!" With that, he rose into the air, and flew into the darkness. When Twilight could no longer see him, she closed the door and turned to face Applejack.

"Applejack, I know he seems nice and all, but are you really just going to let him stay with you? We literally just met; we hardly know him! You shouldn't rush into things like this."

"I know what I'm doing, sugarcube. I'll just keep a good eye on him, that's all. If he starts actin' all shady and such, he's gone. No need to worry!" Applejack reassured her.

"Well, I trust you. Anyway, let's get back to the bookshelves, shall we?"

Identity

Phoenix paced back and forth in front of the barn, shrouded in darkness. There was about a half hour left before Celestia rose the sun.

Alright. Everything's going cool. Princess Twilight knows what she's doing. I don't have to go through this much longer... he thought. He looked around, taking note of the layout of the farm. Should remember this place; might come in handy later. Moments later, Applejack approached him.

"Howdy."

"Yo. You finished helping Princess Twilight?"

"Yup." Both ponies looked around, occasionally catching each other's eyes by accident. By this point, they had both realized there wasn't anything else for them to talk about at the moment. Minutes later, Phoenix broke the silence. "So... where am I staying?" he asked.

"Huh? Oh, right!" Applejack motioned for him to follow. "Right down at the end of this here hall. If y'all need any help, I'm sure Granny or Big Mac will be glad to-" She stopped when she noticed that he wasn't there anymore. Frustrated, she stormed into the room she had specified to find him sitting on the bed. "You know, it's a tad bit rude to wander off while somepony's speakin' to you."

"You didn't notice me leaving? My bad... Hey, you... you didn't tell me you had family living here." He shifted his eyes side to side; Applejack walked up to him.

"I figured you would have guessed that," she responded, glancing out of the doorway. "I reckon they'll understand your... situation. You don't gotta worry." Phoenix's face remained unchanged. "C'mon! Buck up!"

"Yeah... yeah... Thanks for, you know, letting me stay here..." he said, trailing off.

"Ain't no problem. Besides, it's nice to have a pair of wings helpin' out with the chores and such around here," she replied happily. Phoenix chuckled at the remark and brought his attention to the window in the room he had been given. The moon could no longer be seen. "Looks like Princess Celestia's gettin' ready to raise the sun. I suppose Granny'll be up shortly, as well." Applejack gasped at her statement. "Hey! Maybe Granny knows somethin' to fight off this curse of yours!" she exclaimed.

"I ain't so sure about that."

"She knows a good bit about... well, everything, really. I bet she'll know what's up with you! It's worth a try, at least!" He stood up and slowly trudged over to the doorway.

"A'ight, fine..." Phoenix groaned. Together, they walked back down the hall and went off to find Granny Smith.

"What do ya think you're doin', young'un? Wakin' me up in the middle of my nap..." Granny Smith was barely even half awake when Applejack shook her out of her slumber.

"Granny, I got somepony who could use a bit of help. Don't be frightened now, okay? He don't mean no harm..." Applejack explained as she stepped to the side. Phoenix took her place, spreading his wings in shock upon hearing Granny Smith shriek moments after seeing him.

"Demon!" she cried.

"No, n-no, it's a curse. I got cursed," he attempted to explain. Granny Smith, after a brief period of silence, snapped at him.

"Well, why didn't you say so sooner?!" Slowly and steadily, she rose from her chair and moved in the direction of a nearby closet. "Hmm... Now, you just stay right there; I got somethin' that should fix all o' that in a jiffy." Phoenix walked over to Applejack as she disappeared from view.

"I'm still not entirely sure about this..."

"Welp, it's a little too late to change yer mind now, friend." Seconds later, Granny Smith returned with a bucket of sky blue paint, a couple of bags of cotton balls, and a tube of toothpaste. Phoenix immediately stepped back.

"Okay, what is all this mess?" he asked.

"We gotta get all this dark energy out of you! Take all that red and black and stuff, and cover it in the opposite! That should fix you up right quick!" Before he even had time to question her logic, she was already smearing his coat with the toothpaste and paint, occasionally sticking cotton balls to it. When she had finished, she brought out a mirror. "Just focus on takin' the bad and gettin' rid of it!"

"I look dumb," he grunted.

"Aw, that ain't important!" Granny Smith cackled. As the sun rose into the sky, Phoenix tried to focus on undoing the curse, gradually losing faith in the paint-toothpaste method Granny Smith had forced him into.

"Granny, I dunno if this is working right..." Applejack whispered, turning to her.

"Shh! Yer gonna break his focus!" When the mares had turned around, Phoenix had disappeared. "Oh... I guess the curse must've taken him with it..." Granny Smith concluded.

"Nah, it didn't. He just wandered off. He's done that before... It's pretty irritating, actually." Grumbling to herself, Applejack walked away to find Phoenix, leaving Granny Smith to herself.

"Hold on a minute!" she called out. I wonder... Maybe it'd help her more if I looked for this fella on my own... She sat back down to think. "Then again... I... I should probably..." With that, Granny Smith fell back to sleep. Applejack, who was headed towards his room, hadn't even decided on where to look for him, when he stepped out of the bathroom and into her view.

"That method didn't work at all," he said, turning away without giving her a chance to say anything.

Unbelievable... Fighting back her anger, she followed him to his room.

"Well, at least Princess Twilight's still searching for a counter spell. Honestly, I'm pretty glad I found her before sunrise." Applejack stepped into the doorway.

"Yeah, there's still that..." She walked up to him. "... Why was it so important to find her before sunrise, exactly?" she asked.

"Well, it's like I said, I don't really enjoy being seen like this. Sun's down, moon's high in the sky, all the little ponies are asleep. Not gonna be seen." He sat down. "When the sun rises, ponies are gonna be awake. That's why I waited until nightfall to set out and find her."

"And why you decided it'd be a grand idea to leave everything behind." Applejack added, a hint of sarcasm in her voice.

"Yeah! Again, it's like I said, I can meet new friends and get new stuff! It ain't really-" He was cut off.

"But, again, you can't replace your family. Did you even tell them you were leavin'?" Phoenix turned away again.

"I wonder how long it'll take Princess Twilight to find that counter spell... How long do you think it'll be?" She turned and closed the door, bringing his attention back to her. "Yo, what are you doing?" he asked.

"Y'all keep avoidin' my question. I'm gonna ask once more. What about your family?" He didn't speak, or move, or even blink. He sat there, staring at her. "... Let's try this. If you don't answer my question, you're gonna be lookin' for another place to stay." She met his eyes. A few seconds later, he dropped his gaze and sighed.

"I come from a loving family, okay? They help out around town, they're always friendly to their neighbors... There ain't nothing wrong with them. It makes me so angry that I left them behind to come here, but I had to," he said, his tone changing drastically. Applejack just looked at him, sorrow in her eyes.

"I... I'm awful sorry I kept pushin' you to answer, Phoenix. You don't gotta say no more if you don't want to." She turned to open the door, when Phoenix got up and stopped her.

"No, it's fine. By the way, while we're on the subject-" He walked back over to the bed. "-Phoenix Flame isn't my real name. That's the name I began using after the curse."

"...Well, I had a feeling it wasn't. You paused when you were introducin' yourself back at Twilight's castle," she mentioned. He made an expression that Applejack assumed was something close to a smile.

"So you noticed that. My real name is Silent Breeze, and there are a few pieces of my story that I haven't told you." Applejack walked over and sat next to him.

"Go on. I'm listenin'."

"I am considered a rogue in my homeland. Stealing from some random pony, giving to some other random pony. I wasn't born into a poor family or nothing; it's just my special talent. I didn't exactly love finding that out, but I figured that there were worse talents out there. Being the local thief, every other criminal thought it'd be a good idea to blame me for their crimes. I was the scapegoat, basically. It got around the point where ponies kind of just assumed that I did something. You can imagine the trouble I had to deal with. Of course, you can't be a thief without some charm. I could talk myself out of... most situations."

"Most, huh? Not all? I'd think that a real good thief would be able to talk their way out of all problems," Applejack said, unimpressed.

"I say 'most' because the mare that put this curse on me believed that she heard me breaking into her house in the middle of the night." She looked shocked.

"She put this messed up curse you for that? What in the name of... She could of just gone to find the guards..." she started to trail off; he could no longer understand her.

"I know! Ridiculous, right? I operate in complete silence; she wouldn't have heard me."

"As dumb and over-the-top as that was for her to do, you still missed one thing, though. You didn't really explain what made you decide to leave your home for good." Phoenix, or rather Silent Breeze, thought back to before he left in search for Twilight.

"Well, remember when I told you I stayed inside all day? That was a lie, too. I went outside and found that it became much harder to talk my way out of anything and everything ponies blamed me for."

"Why did you think that was a good idea?" Applejack asked.

"I don't know, actually. I must not have been thinking straight." He stood up. "That's all there is. There's my story." As he opened the door, she stood.

"I just got one more question. Why tell me all this?"

"I trust you. We just met not even an hour ago, I get that, but... There's something about you. I dunno what it is, but... You're alright. Plus, you let me into your home without question the day we met. I owe you. Might as well be truthful while I'm here." There was a pause.

"I'm real glad you were honest with me, even if it took you as long as it did. Yer welcome to stay as long as you like, Silent Breeze," she said, smiling. "Just don't steal nothing, you hear?"

"Call me Breeze. And no promises."

Thievery

"Could you say that again, please?" Twilight frantically sifted through a pile of letters from Celestia. Applejack sat by the door to the castle. It was around noon; several ponies were out in the streets, and a few were browsing stalls owned by both local and travelling merchants.

"Phoenix Flame's real name is Silent Breeze, sugarcube. He's known as a thief back home," she explained. Twilight turned to face her friend.

"Actually, he's a rogue. There's a slight difference," she corrected.

"Well, he seemed to use them both to des-" Applejack stopped herself. "Wait, wait, hold on, how did you know that, Twi? That bit o' information comes from a story he ain't told nopony else, only me." At that moment, Twilight found the letter she was searching for.

"Aha! Here it is!" she exclaimed.

"Uh, here what is?"

"Early this morning was our first time meeting Phoenix... I mean Silent Breeze, but Princess Celestia had heard about him. She sent me this letter a few days back," she told her.

"Well, what's it say?" Applejack asked. Twilight cleared her throat.

"Dear Princess Twilight, it has come to my attention that in a land not too far from here, there lives a rogue pegasus by the name of Silent Breeze. He seems to be a remarkably stealthy individual, and has made quite a name for himself. I am bringing this news to you because recently, a piece of jewelry has gone missing from the castle, and the guards believe that Silent Breeze could be behind this disappearance. Should you happen to run into him, I ask that you bring him to Canterlot so that I may question him. I trust that you are up for the task. Thank you in advance. Sincerely yours, Princess Celestia." Twilight then set the letter back down.

"Well, we should go find him. Princess Celestia's waitin'!" The two mares sat side by side, each thinking of where he could be. "I say we just go into town and start lookin'."

"We should come up with a plan, first. He could be anywhere, honestly." Applejack stood.

"Oh, I think I got a feeling I know where he's at, Twi." At the marketplace, Breeze was sitting motionless in the shadows, watching one merchant in particular. The mare was selling blueberries, and hadn't been all that lucky that day.

"Ain't nopony seen me coming into town. That's good, real good. Now, how can I stay unseen... Hmm..." he whispered to himself. ... I'm wasting time. How about I just fly real quick over to those shadows around her when nopony's looking? Waiting until all of the ponies in the area had either left or turned their backs, he did just as he planned. He landed a couple of feet from the stall, taking care to not make any unnecessary noise. Another pony passed by, catching both the merchant's and Breeze's attention. "Hmm... Let's try this..."

"Would you like to buy some blueberries, sir?" she asked. The pony shook his head.

"No, thank you, miss. I already have some at home." Breeze picked up a small stone with his mouth.

"Come on, now, turn your head... Just for a second..." he said softly, placing the stone in his hoof. When the pony did, he gently tossed it at him, hitting him in his side. The pony turned around, anger slowly spreading across his face.

"Hey! What's your deal, miss?!" he shouted. The mare looked confused.

"I didn't do anything, sir, and I don't think I like your tone!" she yelled back.

"Yeah, of course you didn't. Who do you think you are, throwing things at me just because I wouldn't buy any of your blueberries? You've got a lot of nerve!" The mare stepped away from her stall just as Breeze moved to take her place, keeping low to avoid being seen.

"Oh, you think I care about not getting one lousy sale, huh?" As the two went back and forth, Breeze quickly and quietly began taking blueberries and putting them into his saddlebags, eating a couple and dropping a couple on the ground.

"Yeah, you walk away!" The mare turned back to her stall, only to find that a large portion of her produce was now missing. Breeze had left the area and was lurking in another set of shadows by the time she had found somepony to tell. He had already began to search for a new target, but before he could find one, Applejack and Twilight appeared in his peripherals. They appeared to be searching for somepony.

"Ah, I wonder who they're looking for... I wonder if I can help..." he whispered. "Gotta stay hidden, though." Twilight ran over to an alleyway and was prepared to cast a light spell, when she felt a tap on her shoulder. She looked to the side and saw Breeze, half bowing, half crouching in the darkness. "Hey there, Princess Twilight. Are you looking for somepony?"

"Well, I was actually looking for you, Phoenix." As he stood, he heard her let out a slight giggle. "Or should I call you Silent Breeze?" His eyes shot open, then narrowed. He looked off to the side.

"I guess I should have known Applejack would have told you... Well, what do you need, princess?" he asked.

"Princess Celestia has been looking for you for a few days now. You should really head to Canterlot as soon as you can." Breeze looked left and right. "I would have told you this morning but, uh, I didn't exactly know who you really were." She laughed nervously.

"Alright..." he said slowly. "I'll go see her later tonight; I'm a little... busy at the moment...." He continued looking for a new target as Twilight strolled back to Applejack.

"I found Silent Breeze, Applejack. He'll head to Canterlot tonight," she told her. Applejack smiled.

"You see? I told you he'd be here! That didn't take no time at all!"

"I'm just glad we actually found him... Let's head back," Twilight said.

"Sure thing, sugarcube."

That night, Applejack walked down to Breeze's room and found him lying in bed, reading a book. "Breeze!" she roared. He dropped his book and sat up.

"Huh?"

"You were supposed to be headed to Canterlot, remember?" His eyes, once again, shifted side to side.

"Oh... That was tonight? I thought it was tomorrow night. My bad..." Breeze rose to the air and flew out the doorway. "I'll be back soon!" Applejack sighed.

"That pony's gonna drive me mad..." Though the night sky over Canterlot provided enough cover for him to fly directly to the castle, Breeze still took the time to jump from cloud to cloud, ensuring that anypony below would be unable to see him. Once he reached his destination, he hovered above the two guards, an earth pony and a unicorn, in front of the castle doors.

I could tell them who I am, and they'd probably let me in, but... That's hardly any fun... He flew down to an area close enough for them to hear him, but far away enough to remain unseen in the darkness. "Yo, guards! Over here!" he shouted. The earth pony looked over to him and began to approach, but the unicorn stopped him.

"Ignore him, he's probably just some punk." Both guards returned to their post, upsetting Breeze.

"Okay, then... Looks like I'll have to try a little harder..." he said under his breath before letting loose the most pained, horrific scream he could come up with. "Somepony help!" he added. The guards' expressions changed instantly, exchanging looks of worry and confusion. As they ran over to Breeze's location, he took to the air, flying over the guards as they reached his spot.

"Nopony's here..."

"Well, where do you think he went?" The earth pony shook his head.

"I don't know, but we have to check the area. He might still be around here." When the guards turned back around, they barely caught the castle doors close. "Did we... leave the doors open?" They sat in silence for a couple seconds before the unicorn spoke.

"We might have. If we didn't, well, it must've been one of the others, or maybe one of the princesses." He then turned away.

"Yeah, you're probably right... Alright, let's find this guy, and quick. We can't waste any more time." The guards ran away from the castle in search of Breeze. What they did not know was that he was already inside. He silently wandered through the halls, evading any guards he came across, until he reached Princess Celestia's chambers.

"Yo, princess." He bowed. She walked over to him.

"My, my, the guards hadn't informed me of any visitors," she said.

"I kinda... technically... broke in." Laughing nervously, he stood.

"Well now, you seem to mean no harm, but you know better than that... What brings you here this late, sir?" Breeze's laughter went from nervousness to confidence.

"My name is Silent Breeze. I believe you're looking for me."

A Tongue of Silver

Breeze sat across from Celestia, a few guards keeping watch.

"You don't quite look like how my guards described you..." To Breeze's surprise, the princess seemed unfazed by his appearance.

"Uh... U-Unfortunately, a curse was put on me shortly before my arrival. I came to Equestria seeking Princess Twilight, who is currently searching for a counter spell. As I said, I heard that you were looking for me."

"If you knew that I was looking for you, then surely you must know why," Celestia said lightly.

"I don't have any idea. I was told to visit you by Princess Twilight," Breeze replied. Celestia smiled at the statement.

"I knew that she was capable... Silent Breeze, a piece of jewelry has gone missing from the castle. A necklace, to be specific. The guards have reason to believe that you are responsible for this disappearance, or that you are aware of the whereabouts of said necklace. Do you have anything to say to this?" she inquired. He looked into her eyes, refusing to break eye contact. One of the guards turned their attention away from the door and to him. He smiled slightly.

"With all due respect, your highness, why do you suspect me? You must realize that I don't live here in Equestria. I am aware of my history of crime, and I acknowledge my role in this world as a thief, but coming to this land is far too much work for me. I could simply steal from one of the many wealthy residents in the capital city of my own land. It would be much easier." The guard walked over to him.

"You're treating yourself as a common thief. Thievery is your special talent, correct? It would take a team of at least 6 ponies within Canterlot to successfully get away with half of your stolen goods," he added.

"Maybe it was a team of 6. There are most likely enough thieves in Canterlot to meet this number..." He looked around. "I could help you find them, if you'd like. I know how thieves operate."

"Maybe at another time, but right now, you need to tell us what you know about this stolen necklace," Celestia urged. Breeze laughed softly and rose to the air, bringing a second guard's attention to him.

"Your castle is secure. Very secure. One of these guards here would have seen me if I tried to get in... You know, you guards have done a great job keeping this castle as protected as you do." A guard grinned.

"Well, it ain't an easy job, I can tell you that," he said.

"And it shouldn't be. You handle problems when you see them." Celestia stood.

"The guards, however, can't handle a problem that they can't see. You told me yourself that you broke in. You are clearly capable of infiltrating the castle whenever you choose," she pointed out. Breeze sat back down.

"Unequipped, possibly. Should I have my saddlebags with me, however, I would not be able to move as freely... Me being able to enter tonight was mere luck, your highness. I doubt I could repeat my steps." Celestia kept her expression. "I can see that you don't believe me. Well, that's fine, you don't have to, but two of these guards here should be able to back me up." He turned to the guards; the unicorn from the gates stepped forward.

"Princess, Steel Shield and I were responding to this... this scream that we heard in the distance. We turned back to the castle doors in time to see them closing, yet we assumed that one of the others, or perhaps you or Princess Luna, were responsible." The earth pony, Steel Shield, nodded.

"That must've been Silent Breeze entering. If we had known that somepony was planning to sneak in, we would have gone after him," he continued.

"Well, you never really know with a good thief. Have you guys had a lot of invasion attempts recently?" The guards looked at one another.

"No, not really. Why do you ask?"

"Try to stay alert. I've heard that you guards usually do really well at stopping attempts like these. Maybe ponies have given up, but that doesn't necessarily mean there won't be any more attempts." Celestia raised an eyebrow; Breeze saw her out of the corner of his eye. "Princess, you look troubled all of a sudden..."

"You seem abnormally calm for a suspect, Silent Breeze. Why is this?" He thought for a moment before replying.

"Because I have nothing to worry about. I'm used to being accused of crimes I didn't commit; if I panic, I'll be charged, and the actual criminal will get away with it. Can't have that, now, can we? I understand why you'd ask, though. This is some serious stuff; I do mean business, even if it doesn't seem like I do." Celestia nodded slowly, hesitating to believe him. "Now, as for the whereabouts of this necklace... Have you tried checking the homes of the residents?"

"Yes, but we couldn't find it. It has to be somewhere else," the unicorn guard answered.

"Did you check all of them? Even the upper-class homes?"

"Well... Why would a pony who's already rich feel the need to steal from the castle? Couldn't they just buy the necklace instead?" Breeze stood once more.

"That right there. That's exactly why. The thief would be counting on you not suspecting the rich, therefore not inspecting their homes. They have enough money for you to assume the necklace was bought, but if the necklace is indeed theirs, the store it was purchased from should be able to notify you."

"That's a good idea. There aren't many of this kind around; it shouldn't take long at all." Celestia then walked out of the room. "Alright, stallions, prepare to search the rest of the homes in Canterlot. If all goes well, we should be able to retrieve the necklace before morning. And you, Silent Breeze, you're free to go. Thank you for your cooperation."

"A'ight, cool, cause I gotta get home, like, real fast. I'm out." As he left, Steel Shield watched him from the ground, his suspicion slowly rising.

Not many ponies in Canterlot were out on the streets that night, aside from the few trying to make their way back to Ponyville, or catch a late train to Manehattan. Breeze had landed minutes earlier, his wings tired from flying. "Let's see if anypony's around..." he murmured. Spotting a mare looking around for the train station, he slowly approached, avoiding lights on the street and occasionally jumping into alleyways whenever she would turn around. When he was close enough, he cleared his throat. It's all up to chance now.

"Oh, hello there, sir," the mare said happily, turning in the direction of his voice. "Tonight's a lovely night, isn't it?"

"Hello, miss... Say, you wouldn't happen to have gotten a necklace recently, would you?" Breeze asked. The mare looked puzzled.

"Um... yes, why do you ask?" He chuckled.

Alright. Let's do this. he thought, attempting to build his confidence. "A necklace has gone missing from the castle; the Royal Guard is currently searching for it around Canterlot. Anypony could be in possession of it... Do you have yours on you, by any chance?" He stepped closer, making sure he would remain hidden in the shadows.

"Yes, actually, I have it right here." She reached into her purse and retrieved it, allowing Breeze to take it from her.

Wait a minute... I could steal this, he realized. She can't see me; I could just fly off... Nah, nah, let's not do that. Shaking the thought from his head, he gave the necklace back to the mare. "Yeah... this looks just like it..." he said slowly. The mare gasped. "Where did you get this?"

"It was a prize... I won it in a baking contest... Oh dear, I guess I should turn this in..." Suddenly, she dropped the necklace in front of him. "Well, here you go, sir. I didn't know this was stolen, honest!"

What is she doing... he wondered. Hesitating, he reached out and took it. Hold on, she must think I'm a royal guard! Regaining his composure, he responded with, "Thank you, ma'am. I will be sure to inform Princess Celestia of this discovery; I'm sure she will be glad to hear of this wonderful news. Now that we are in possession of this necklace once again, we shall begin our search for the thief behind the disappearance." The mare nodded.

"Happy to help, sir! Have a wonderful night!" she said sweetly, seeing the train station out of the corner of her eye and briskly walking towards it. Breeze watched her leave, waiting until she was far away, then turned away and, along a separate route to avoid running into the mare again, began making his way to Sweet Apple Acres, smirking.

"Alright, cool, got me a free necklace..." he whispered to himself. The moon was high in the sky, allowing him to find his way around easily. When he saw the farm in the distance, he quickened his pace. Carefully opening the door to the house upon arrival, he trotted to his room. He pushed open the door to find Applejack standing beside the bed, glaring straight into his eyes. "Oh, hey! What are you doing in my room?" he laughed.

"You sure were gone long, Breeze. Canterlot ain't that far from here..." He walked past her, keeping his smile.

"Ah, I just ran into somepony." He turned and approached her, eyes narrowed. "Didn't know you missed me so much." She immediately stepped back, turning her head to the side.

"Woah, now, it ain't nothin' like that. Just took you a while to get back, that's all," she blurted out. Breeze shook his head.

"Well now, you didn't have to be that direct. By the way, I brought you a gift." He tossed the necklace her way. She caught it and looked it over.

"Thank ya kindly, but I ain't really a jewelry type of mare," she finally said. Breeze lied down on the bed.

"What, you think I'm gonna wear it? Anyway, we should probably get some sleep. I'm real tired."

"I hear ya. Hardly got any sleep myself before I noticed you were still gone. Ah well, g'night."

"Night."

Beneath the Surface

Breeze awoke with a start. Applejack was back in his room with a bucket resting beside her. Breeze sat up, ready to question the purpose of the bucket, when he noticed that his entire bed, as well as the floor around it, was soaked.

"Rise and shine! We got work to do!" Applejack shouted with a grin on her face. Breeze frowned.

"Yo, was the water bucket really necessary?" he asked.

"Course it was! I tried plenty of other ways to wake you up, and ain't none of them worked!" Applejack laughed, leaving his room. He slowly rose from the bed and slipped in the giant puddle around him. "Try not to hurt yourself!" she called to him. Groaning to himself, he picked himself off the floor and walked out of his room, closing the door behind him. Breeze stumbled into the bathroom. After drying himself off, he turned and walked outside to find Applejack.

"What time is it anyway?"

"Oh, I don't know. I didn't check. I reckon we only got a little bit of daylight left, though. You must've been real worn out last night; you slept through the whole day!" she answered.

"Ah... So, what are we doing?"

"Just makin' some pies. I need a hoof buckin' these here apples. I reckon you could just fly on up there and toss 'em on down. Shouldn't take too long." Breeze gave a salute and dove into a nearby apple tree while Applejack walked to the kitchen. Shortly after, a loud gasp was heard. "Dang it!" she exclaimed, walking back outside. "Breeze!" His head popped out of the top of the tree, an apple balanced on it with intense precision.

"What's good?" he asked, smiling. Gliding down from the tree, he landed in front of her.

"We ain't got enough flour. Come on, we're gonna go get some more." Breeze stood, watching her leave. Upon looking back and noticing that he wasn't following, she stopped. "You know, we have to go into town to buy some. We can't just make flour out of thin air! You comin' or what?" Breeze kept looking at her, slowly shaking his head.

"Nope. Not going. Can't afford being seen by anypony. I'll just wait for you to get back." He spoke quickly, so quickly that Applejack could hardly understand him.

"Come again?" she asked, taking a step towards him.

"I can't be seen. Go on, I'll be here when you return." Applejack cocked her head to the side. Upon realizing his motive, she sighed.

"Breeze, it'll be fine. Come on..." He shook his head faster.

"You don't need my help. I can stay here." Applejack was becoming more and more frustrated.

"Didn't you say that you came here to find Twilight because Ponyville wasn't like Canterlot?" she questioned, catching him off-guard.

"...Y-Yeah?" he stuttered, stepping forward.

"So you shouldn't worry about ponies seeing you!" Breeze turned away. Slowly coming closer, she placed a hoof on his shoulder, causing him to turn back to her. "Everything will be okay, sugarcube. Come on."

"Huh... Alright... I'm coming." Dragging his back hooves behind him, he followed closely behind Applejack as they went into town. Upon setting hoof in the area, Breeze saw a pegasus fly by. He readied himself to dive into the shadows, but caught Applejack's gaze. "I..." he began.

"I told you, it'll be fine. You don't gotta go jumpin' into no shadows, now." She smiled and continued walking. His eyes kept shifting back and forth as he followed before running into Rarity, who jumped upon seeing him.

"Goodness! Are you feeling alright, sir?" she asked, concerned. Breeze's face twisted into a look of confusion. He stepped back.

"I'm fine... It's just a curse. Princess Twilight is looking for a counter spell," he hesitated to explain, unsure if he should or not.

"That's strange... Twilight never told us about you... Oh well, I'm sure she just got caught up in her research on this curse of yours. I do hope she finds a spell soon, darling!" She levitated half of a daffodil and daisy sandwich from a nearby table and brought it over to her, then looked at it strangely. "Oh dear, I'm not really hungry anymore, but I'd hate to waste this... Would you like the rest?" He narrowed his eyes at her.

"You... You'd just give this to me?" he asked. Rarity nodded her head. "... And you're not worried about me... stealing this?"

"Why, of course not. I have no reason to be!" she answered. Breeze took a step forward.

"I look like... like this. You still trust me?" he questioned. Rarity giggled.

"Don't be silly! You told me that you were cursed! Your appearance is not your fault at all, darling." She suddenly gasped, eyes shooting open. "In fact, I have a wonderful idea for a new line of dresses!" she exclaimed.

"I'm not entirely sure..." Breeze started.

"Oh, don't you worry. I can make it work!" Before he could respond, he heard Applejack calling to him.

"Breeze! Hurry up, now! I can't be sittin' here all day waitin' for ya!" she shouted to him. He rushed to Rarity's back, taking the sandwich.

"Thanks, miss," he said.

"My name is Rarity, darling. I presume you are this 'Breeze' that Applejack is referring to. And it's no problem at all. Farewell!" He nodded his head before he and Rarity went off in different directions. He quickly caught up to Applejack, who had already purchased the flour needed. She was tapping her hoof impatiently.

"Took ya long enough. Looks like you and Rarity hit it off pretty well..." She paused, smiling and taking a couple steps closer to him. "... I didn't know you had a thing for unicorns, sugarcube," she teased. Breeze winced at the statement.

"N-Nah, no. Nothing like that. Let's just get back."

As they left, Breeze stopped and looked back. "Ah... Wait a minute."

"What now, Breeze?" Applejack sighed.

"I'm gonna go and see if Princess Twilight's found that spell yet..." he responded.

"What? A little while ago, you were dreadin' going into town; now you don't wanna leave?" Applejack groaned.

"I'll be back soon!" Breeze was already flying off. Applejack rolled her eyes and kept walking.

"Alrighty then..." As he flew around looking for Twilight, he contemplated whether he should stay out in the open or keep to the shadows.

It can't hurt... he thought. Wait a minute... Yeah, it can. It definitely can. I shouldn't risk it. He landed next to an alley. As he approached the shadows, however, he stopped and looked into them. If that mare, Rarity, could trust me despite this curse... Maybe... Maybe the others can, too. He turned and walked away, occasionally glancing over his shoulder at the alley. Was this a good idea? he pondered.

"Mister..." a small voice said. Breeze looked around for the source, then looked down to see a small filly standing by his side, looking up at him. "Are you okay?" she asked innocently. He stared at her for a few moments before shaking his head.

"Uh, y-yeah, I'm alright... It's just a curse..." he replied. He looked around and noticed that everypony was looking at him, concerned. Trying to control himself, he stepped away from the filly. "Little one, you... should go back to your mother," he struggled to say. "I have to go."

"We can help, sir," a stallion told him. He looked around, suddenly unable to determine where the voice came from.

"No! I'm fine!" he shouted, quickly rising to the sky. A couple of ponies jumped in shock from this outburst. "I mean... I can handle this. Right now, I really have to go." Before anypony could protest, he dashed off towards Sweet Apple Acres as fast as he could. The sun was just beginning to set when he arrived at the farm. Landing in front of the barn, he leaned on the side, breathing heavily and eyes wide.

"Breeze? You feelin' alright?" Applejack asked, approaching from behind. "Did you do something?"

"Nah, nah... It's cool, everything's cool... I'm fine..." he said. Applejack raised an eyebrow, placing a hoof on his shoulder.

"I don't think I believe you, sugarcube. Now, why don't you tell me what's troublin' you." She and Breeze sat down against the barn, facing the sunset. "Go on, you can tell me." He looked into her eyes, then at the sunset.

"Earlier, I said that the ponies here weren't like those in Canterlot. Well, I was right, but... I... I-I'd rather keep to the shadows. It's for the best." Applejack looked confused. "I can't handle confronting crowds of ponies. I... I can't..." he continued, looking down.

"Because of your lifestyle, right? ... Wait, what of your charm? You told me that all thieves need a bit of charm. I thought you'd be able to handle ponies cause of that..."

"I don't know... During my stealing sprees, yeah, b-but..." He lifted his hooves to his face. "I just... P-Ponies in this town... I want to stay in the shadows. I want to stay hidden... I..." He quickly turned away.

"Breeze, sugarcube, I'm positi-" Applejack began, but suddenly stopped when she noticed a single tear falling to the ground. "... I, uh..." Any words she thought of to console the pegasus were now gone. A while later, Breeze turned back around.

"Let me be alone for a while. Let me sit in silence."

"No," Applejack said firmly. "I'm stickin' right by you." He became slightly angry.

"Go back inside," he demanded. "I want to be alone." Applejack simply shook her head.

"I can't do that." Breeze was now visibly enraged, and rose to the air.

"Leave me alone!" he shouted, taking off. Before he could get far, a rope wrapped around him and pulled him back to the ground. "No!" He tried his hardest to break free from the rope, but couldn't. Applejack stepped in front of him. "... Why do you even care?" he asked, furious. Without answering, she walked towards him. "Hey! Answer me!" She stopped in front of him, putting a hoof on his shoulder. "Yo, you had better give me an ans-" Breeze was cut off by a tight embrace. He stopped resisting and sat still, eyes wide in surprise. Another tear fell from his eye.

"You ain't alone."

Heart of a Thief

Breeze sat up through most of the night, thinking about Applejack's words.

"I'm not alone..." he whispered gently to himself. Am I really not alone? he thought, turning and looking out the window. "... Besides, I'm a thief. I can't have any partners, any companions. I have to be alone. It's for my own safety. They will all betray me..." He stood and walked to the window for a better view of the moon. "... Would the ponies here betray me?" he wondered. "Of course they would. Anypony is capable of betrayal, capable of lying. Even you, Phoenix Flame. Could have been honest from the start..." he muttered. Suddenly, he heard hoofsteps approaching. He turned to face the door as it opened. Big Macintosh stood in the doorway. "Did I wake you up?" he asked.

"Eeyup," the farm pony replied. Breeze scratched the back of his head.

"Ah, sorry about that. I can't sleep." Big Mac approached him. "Yo, can I talk to you for a bit?"

"Eeyup," he repeated. Breeze slightly rose to the air.

"You ponies here... You wouldn't betray me, right?" he asked. Big Mac shook his head.

"Nnnope."

"You... you sure?" He looked around. Big Mac was about to respond, but he was cut off. "Yeah... Yeah, y'all are alright..." Big Mac looked at him, confused. Breeze landed and turned back to the window. "I come from a land of mistrust, that's all. Always having to explain myself, always having to watch the ponies around me... I discovered that an unseen pony can't be questioned, so I took to the shadows. It was easier to avoid questions, rather than answer them," he explained. He turned back to Big Mac and looked past him into the hallway. "Has Applejack told you anything about me?"

"Eeyup..." Big Mac looked to the side. "Apparently, you're quite the thief back home."

"Ah, so she told you that part... Well, you can take something new to her in the morning. I'd have told her myself yesterday, but... uh..." Big Mac smiled. It was a friendly smile, calming Breeze down enough to get back in bed. "Well, I'm sure you know. See you in the morning."

"Eeyup." Big Mac strolled back to his room, leaving Breeze to rest. He awoke before the sun was up.

"Ah... No..." he complained to himself. Looking out the window, he groaned. "The sun's not even..." he said, trailing off. Rubbing his eyes, Breeze slowly and carefully walked down the hall. Reaching the front door, he suddenly took note of how silent the farm was. Everypony's asleep... Huh... he thought. He looked towards Ponyville. You aren't alone, but... No, no, don't think about that. It's a new day. Let's go steal something; that'll make you feel better... Uh, make me feel better... On his way, he scanned the ground, looking for a target. When he couldn't find one, he landed in the center of town, annoyed. "Nopony? Really?" he said to himself.

"Look closer, Silent Breeze," a voice within the darkness said. Breeze turned his head to see a guard approaching. "Hello there. My name is Steel Shield. I believe we've met before..." Breeze chuckled.

"Ah, hello. I didn't expect Princess Celestia to send the Royal Guard to Ponyville..." he said, smirking. "Well, it doesn't seem like anypony's awake; let's just head over to the Hay-Burger, I guess. They're probably open." Steel Shield nodded once.

"Better than staying out here. Oh, by the way, I have a couple of questions for you." Breeze began wandering off and laughed.

"We can talk when we get there, bro." He stopped and extended a hoof. It connected with the guard's, and the two began walking towards the restaurant.

Back at Sweet Apple Acres, Applejack awoke. Yawning, she made her way to Breeze's room.

"Alright, up and at 'em! I reckon I could use a..." She stopped, realizing that Breeze was gone. "Dang it. Where did that pony go off to, now..." She stormed out of the farmhouse and towards Ponyville. In the town, Breeze and Steel Shield were sitting at a table at the Hay-Burger.

"Yo, did you guys find that necklace yet?" Breeze asked.

"Yes, we were lucky to retrieve the necklace hidden in the back room of a wealthy citizen's home." Steel Shield looked over his shoulder to a unicorn who was frantically searching the ground for something. "Excuse me for a moment..." He stood up and approached the pony as Breeze played with a napkin, bored. "Do you need help, miss?" The unicorn looked up.

"Oh, yes. I seem to have misplaced a gem. Could you help me? Please?" she begged.

"Of course, miss. I'll find it for you." Steel Shield looked back at Breeze, who motioned for him to come over. He sat back down next to him. Breeze had a grin on his face. "What is it?" he asked.

"Yo, I totally took that gem." He reached down and took out a ruby. Steel Shield looked at him in shock and awe.

"How... How did you manage to steal that so fast?" he asked. "You're a really good thief, yeah, but... That's just ridiculous!" Breeze slid the gem to the mare when she turned away, then brought his attention back to the guard.

"While you were busy complaining about how long it was taking the cooks to make our food, I walked over and convinced that nice mare over there to look around outside for a diamond that I had dug up for my marefriend that doesn't actually exist." He closed his eyes and smiled. "It was all by chance, honestly. If our food was brought out on time, I wouldn't have had time to take the ruby; you'd have seen me." Steel Shield looked at him in thought.

"You really are a skilled thief..." he said moments later.

"Well, yeah. It's my special talent, after all... You feeling alright, bro?" He suddenly stood, accidentally hitting the table with his chest. "Yo! Everything okay?"

"Princess Celestia didn't send any of the Royal Guard here; I came here on my own. I was looking for, well, you, Silent Breeze." Breeze sat still, looking at him in confusion.

"Well, what was your reason?" he asked calmly. "I can assure you, I've done nothing really remarkable since you've last seen me. I haven't been staying here that long, after all..."

"That. That right there. Your attitude completely changed when I questioned you... You've done something, haven't you?" he asked, approaching. Breeze looked side to side.

"Well, I... I ran into a crowd of ponies and had a, um... moment of weakness, but that's about it." Steel Shield's eyes narrowed; he was unconvinced. "... Alright! I impersonated one of you guys shortly after getting out of the castle and stole a necklace, claiming that it was the missing one..." he groaned, upset.

"I'd say that you were trying to trick me, but knowing you... You probably did..." Steel Shield responded. "Well, just turn the necklace into the Royal Guard or the princesses at some point today, okay?"

"A'ight. Yo... I didn't think you'd catch on that quickly..." Breeze said in amazement. Steel Shield chuckled and placed a hoof on his shoulder.

"I've dealt with all kinds of criminals in my time as a guard, son..." Before he could say any more, Applejack ran through the doors to the restaurant, looking around. "Uh, miss, are you looking for somepony?" he asked.

"Yeah, I am," she stated, pointing a hoof at Breeze. "Him."

"Uh..." He couldn't think of anything to say. He approached, looking back to Steel Shield every once in a while. "...Yeah?" Applejack had a look of anger on her face.

"Y'all never told me you were fixin' to leave this morning..." she grumbled. Breeze cocked his head to the side.

"I didn't think you'd mind. I planned on being back sooner, but I ran into... that stallion." He motioned to Steel Shield, who bowed slightly. "I'm sorry; I really didn't know it'd bother you so much."

"We're going back, Breeze." He groaned loudly, leaning his head backwards. Steel Shield walked up to him.

"Yo, we'll catch up later, bro," he whispered quickly.

"Alright. See you later." The two hoof-bumped again before Breeze trudged out behind Applejack. After mere moments of walking, she suddenly stopped at the edge of Ponyville.

"Hey, we aren't home yet..." Breeze said. Applejack turned around and stepped close to him.

"Y'all had me worried sick. You always tell me when you leave." He instinctively stepped back.

"Well, you don't gotta worry; I was just chillin' with Steel Shield. I ain't gonna put myself in danger all the time." Applejack turned her head.

"Yeah... I know, but I still worry... You got a good head on you, and I guess I don't want that goin' to waste."

"I... I understand," he stuttered, unsure of what else to say. She hung her head.

"You probably think I'm just bein' silly." Breeze shook his head, stepping forward.

"Not at all. I get you, I..." Applejack looked into his eyes. "I just don't want you to be upset... Is there anything I can do to make you feel better?" he asked.

"Just... J-Just be a little more open with me... We here in Ponyville ain't like the ponies of your homeland." Breeze reached out and brought her closer. "Big Mac told me what you said to him, and I just want to let you know that we ain't gonna turn on you. You ain't alone, like I said before." His eyes suddenly shot open, and he pushed her away, jumping back. "Hey!"

"You're wrong," he growled.

"No," she said in a harsh voice. "You're wrong." She stomped her hoof. He flinched at the statement, shaking his head shortly after in an attempt to recover.

"I must be alone. The more companions I have, the greater my risk of betrayal is. I can't afford company."

"I already told you, ain't nopony here's gonna turn on you!" A tear rolled down her cheek. "Don't you see?" Breeze was stunned.

"I... I can't... It's the way it must be..." Applejack shook her head.

"Ain't nopony's plotting against you... Why don't you believe me? You... You ain't by yourself," she repeated.

"Yes, I-I am. Who do I have? Who's on my side?" he asked, stepping forward. She looked at him, stepping forward as well.

"You have me," she answered. "You have me, and I ain't leavin' you." Another tear fell. It was Breeze's.

"You... You're lying. I don't believe you!" he cried. He opened his mouth to speak again, but was interrupted by Applejack. Without saying a word, she jumped forward into him. Catching him off-guard, she forced him into a passionate kiss. As the sun rose, the two shared this loving moment in absolute silence, apart from the chirping of the birds. When she released him, he fell back onto his flank in shock. "W-What... What?"

"Do you believe me now?"

True Colors

"I..." Breeze sat on the ground, looking up at the earth pony in front of him in shock. I didn't know she felt that way... he thought. Applejack reached her hoof down, offering to help him up. Unsure of himself, he took it and slowly rose back to his hooves. "... I'm sorry. You're right, the ponies here are friendly and reliable. They don't mean any harm... I was wrong to mistrust you all..." She playfully hit his shoulder.

"Aw, that's alright... I think I can make it back and finish some of the day's chores on my own, sugarcube. Y'all just go on and go back to your new friend. I'll see ya when you get back." She smiled, continuing down the path without him. Breeze watched her leave.

"W-Wait!" he shouted, but she was already too far away. He reached out his hoof, but set it back down and looked behind him. He stood still, trying to decide whether or not to run after her or head back to Ponyville. Shifting his gaze between Applejack and the town a few times, he finally turned around, looked at her one last time, and walked back. He slowly made his way to the Hay-Burger, where he left Steel Shield. Upon opening the door, he quickly spotted him and approached. "I'm back..."

"Hey, I ordered some more fries... Are you feeling alright?" he asked. Breeze stared at him, losing focus, before shaking his head quickly.

"Uh, yeah! I'm good! You gonna eat those?" Steel Shield looked down, unsure if he should believe him or not.

"N-No; you can have them," he said, reaching forward to push them towards him. The fries were already gone. "Hold on, you didn't even wait for me to answer!" he nearly yelled. Breeze forced himself to chuckle.

"You didn't answer quick enough! You gotta be faster!" he teased. Steel Shield slammed his hooves on the table, rattling the trays.

"What If I had said yes? What if I was going to eat them?"

"Well... You didn't." He smirked; Steel Shield frowned. "... If I get you some more fries, will that make you feel better?" He was unmoved. Breeze got up and walked over to him, laughing. "Come on! I'm sorry I took the fries that you weren't going to eat, okay?"

"No; it's fine. I should probably eat a bit less, anyway." Steel Shield stood. "The sun's up; we should head into town and find something to do."

"A'ight, let's go!" As he trotted to the door, however, Breeze blocked his path with his hoof. "Thank you," he said, walking ahead of him. Steel Shield looked confused.

"For what?" he asked. Breeze never answered him. What did he... Oh well, I'm sure it's nothing. I'll just ask him later. he thought as he followed the pegasus.

"So... What should we do?" Breeze asked, hovering slightly off the ground and shifting his gaze between the ponies nearby.

"I have an idea..." Steel Shield waited for a couple of moments. "Why don't we try to undo your criminal history?" Breeze looked at him.

"What in Luna's name are you on about?" He landed next to him. "First off, that's a pretty strange thing to ask out of nowhere, and second, that ain't gonna happen."

"No, no, I mean... You could try doing some good to counteract all the bad you've done. And I can help!" Steel Shield grinned. Breeze brought his hoof to his chin, rising to the air again.

"Sounds hard, but... We don't have anything better to do, so..." He looked towards the center of town. "... Eh, what the heck. Let's go." With that, he flew off into town, Steel Shield following close behind.

The two kept moving until they came across a troubled pegasus. "Yo, you need some help?" The pony was surprised to hear the sudden voice, and even more shocked when he saw who it belonged to.

"Oh, uh, y-yeah. I think I lost my saddlebags somewhere around here. They had some pretty important things in them," he explained.

"We can help you find them, right, Silent Breeze?" Steel Shield glanced at him, then back to the pony. When he didn't receive an answer, he turned and looked at Breeze again. "Right, Silent Breeze?" he asked louder.

"What? Oh! Yeah, we can help!" Before the pony could thank them, they ran off. After a few minutes of searching, Breeze spotted them in a nearby tree. Found them... These saddlebags look pretty nice... he watched the pegasus for a couple seconds, looked around for Steel Shield, then slowly began floating towards an alleyway. When he could no longer see the pony, he turned to come face to face with Steel Shield.

"No thievery. We're trying to avoid that, remember?" he reminded.

"I know! I was just going to take these to... that one mare... Rarity! I was just taking these to Rarity; I found a tear that I was hoping she could fix."

"I'm sure that pegasus over there can do that on his own. We're going to return them," Steel Shield told him. Breeze groaned and flew back to the pony.

"Are these yours? I found them in that tree over there." The pony's face lit up as he happily took the saddlebags from Breeze.

"Thank you, sir!" Steel Shield looked behind him and saw Twilight. He ran over and bowed.

"Good morning, Princess Twilight. I have some news for you." Twilight jumped a little.

"Has something happened?" she asked. Steel Shield stood and looked in her eye.

"Princess Celestia has been visited by Silent Breeze, who told her that it was you who sent him. For this, she thanks you. Also, the stolen necklace has been recovered, thanks to his recommendations," he explained. Twilight smiled.

"Well, I'm happy that he was able to help." As Steel Shield turned to head back to Breeze, Twilight raised a hoof to stop him. "Have you seen him recently? I have something I need his help with."

"Yes, I have. He's right over there." Steel Shield pointed to Breeze, who was resting in a tree.

"Thank you, sir."

"It was no problem at all, princess." He bowed once more as Twilight walked over to Breeze, who sat up and flew down to the ground when he saw her. He, too, bowed.

"Hello, princess. Have you had any luck finding a counter spell?" Twilight nodded.

"I have, actually! I found a spell that I'd like to try out. I think it may undo the curse completely. If you would come with me, please..." Together, she and Breeze flew to the castle. "I stopped by Sweet Apple Acres to inform Applejack of this discovery. She should be at the castle by now."

"That's good; I'm sure she was glad to hear about it." When they reached their destination, they landed and opened the door. "You ever thought about getting some guards?" Breeze asked.

"I don't think I really need any." He stopped.

"With all due respect, you're a princess!" he said.

"I understand why you might be worried, but I am capable of defending myself."

"Yes, but you shouldn't have to. Even one guard would be fine. In fact, I think I know somepony that would be able to do the job... I'm gonna get him real-" Twilight brought a hoof to his lips.

"You can introduce me to this stallion later, but right now, we should really see if this spell works." Breeze shrugged and continued walking to the main chamber. After a short walk, they reached it. Applejack set down a book she was reading and looked over to the entrance. She stood and greeted him with a hug. "Give me a second to read over the spell once more; I'll be right with you."

"I reckon you're at least a tad bit excited about this, Breeze. Why, if this works, it'll probably do wonders for you..." He laughed.

"I hope. Princess Twilight, I'm ready." He stood in the center of the room, wings spread and a smirk on his face. She can do this, she's Princess Twilight! Let's get this done!

"Alright. Here goes nothing!" Her horn glowed as she focused on Breeze, teeth clenched in concentration. Breeze stood still, looking at her horn. The amount of energy was slowly increasing, and Twilight rose off the ground, hovering above the other two. A bright flash was seen as the magic from her horn burst outward, encircling Breeze. He kept calm, bringing his attention to it. Twilight's eyes went white. The magic began to lift Breeze as he looked to the ceiling. Suddenly, his coat, mane, and tail began to change. His usual black and red appearance flickered to a brown and dark blue, as did his mane, which flashed between spiked and dreads. His short tail slowly got longer, braiding itself.

"So this is what he really looks like..." Applejack observed aloud. The magic continued to influence Breeze. His eyes, which were normally deep red, slowly changed to a light brown. All of the markings on him were fading, except for one on his forehead, which turned cyan. In a second flash, the magic dropped him, his body continuing to flicker between the two appearances. "Well, Twi? Did it work?"

"We can't be sure yet. We have to wait until the spell calms down." Breeze's colors began to alternate slower and slower before finally coming to a stop. "Oh..." Twilight said, sorrow in her voice. The spell, while it showed the mares Breeze's true self, failed to undo the curse.

"Darn... I guess we'll have to try something else..." Applejack slowly walked towards the door, Breeze flying low next to her. "I'm real sorry we couldn't get the spell to work. Twi tried her best."

"I know... We came pretty close. We just need a different spell, that's all." Breeze opened the door, letting Applejack walk in front of him. "Princess Twilight found one; I'm certain she can find another."

"Yeah, all we gotta do is wait. Come on." Applejack headed back to Sweet Apple Acres with Breeze, the sunlight struggling to shine on his skin through his black fur.

Crimson Butterfly

"Hello there..."

"Huh?" Breeze was awoken by a voice. The moon was low in the sky, and getting lower every passing moment. In his room, he could see a faint white glow. Sitting up, he rubbed his eyes. The glow became brighter as he stood, revealing a unicorn mare. She was white with a light purple streak in her mane and tail. Her eyes were bluish-white, resembling ice. She was standing in the center of the room, smiling. "It's... you." She chuckled.

"Enjoying yourself?" she asked. He raised his hoof, ready to respond, when she teleported directly in front of him, causing him to jump in surprise. "You got what you deserved!"

"I told you before, it wasn't me," he replied calmly. "Besides, your curse is about to be undone, Dream... Dream... Why can't I..."

"Has your stay in this lowly land made you forget all about your old home?" She laughed and turned quickly, catching the tip of his nose with her tail. "Why don't you come back to Araiyah, Silent Breeze? I'm sure you'll be able to remember then." He stomped his hoof.

"Equestria and Araiyah are not the same. Unlike home, the ponies here accept me, despite your curse. As I said, it's about to be undone! Princess Twilight will find a counter spell in no time!" The mare shook her head.

"Now, now. Do you really believe an Equestrian princess has the intellect or the power to undo an Araiyan hex? This land has damaged you more than the curse, it seems... Look at you; you settled for this lousy farm run by ponies that are somehow even more worthless. I thought you were above that." Breeze tried to run at her, but he couldn't move his hooves. "Oh? You can't move? That's unfortunate." She grinned.

"You know nothing of this place!" he hissed. She walked towards him and stroked his cheek with her hoof.

"I think I know a little more than you, my dear thief. The orange one, whatever her name is... She's hiding something from you; I can tell." Breeze tried to calm himself down.

"Applejack isn't hiding anything from me. I should know; I work with liars and deceivers every day. I'm constantly surrounded by an aura of mistrust. That is my life." He spat the words out in anger.

"That was your life. Then you ran away from your homeland." Breeze narrowed his eyes. "Besides, you just refuse to see the obvious." She brought her lips to his ear. "Your precious farm pony isn't being entirely truthful with you..." she whispered. He shook his head quickly.

"You're wrong! I know what she's like! What could she possibly be hiding from me that I haven't already found out?" he asked, desperation creeping into his voice.

"I'm not the one to answer that question," she responded, snickering. "Why don't you ask her? Oh, wait... Are you afraid she wouldn't tell you? Maybe she doesn't trust you as much as you think, hmm?" Breeze looked hurt by the statement.

"No... She'd tell me if I asked her! She has no reason to mistrust me!" he shouted. She frowned, bringing her forehead to his.

"Aww, you seem upset, Phoenix Flame. How do you expect her to trust you when you wouldn't even trust her enough to tell her your real name from the start?" He leaned back.

"We're past that now... I trust her completely." A field of magic enveloped him as the mare brought him back to her.

"Do you really?" she questioned.

"I... I-I do..." he stuttered, becoming unsure of himself. She chuckled, slowly wrapping her hooves around him.

"Oh, Breeze... Breeze..." Her voice repeated his name over and over, but her mouth never moved.

"What..."

"Breeze!" Breeze awoke once more; this time, he was met by not a glow, but by Applejack. She was standing beside him, shaking him quickly. As he rose, she sighed in relief. "You were out for quite some time, sugarcube. I came down here when I noticed that you weren't up and walked in to find you mumblin' to yourself and thrashin' about... You feelin' okay?" Breeze stood and looked at her.

"Yeah! I feel fine! I... I feel fine..." Applejack cocked her head to the side.

"I got a feelin' that spell did something to you... We really should tell Twilight," she wondered aloud.

"No, really! Everything's fine! It was just a nightmare, that's all!" He smiled. "You don't gotta worry about me."

"Alright, if you say so." She turned to leave.

"H-Hold on!" Breeze shouted. Applejack stopped and looked back at him. He raised his hoof, but said nothing; he couldn't find the courage. "I... Nevermind. It's nothing." He smiled again.

"Uh-huh... Well, I'll see you shortly!" He waved to her as she left. Once she disappeared from his view, his smile dropped. He sighed and turned to the window. The sun couldn't be seen.

"Must be at least noon... How long was I out?" he asked himself. "It doesn't matter. That mare, though... She might've been right." Breeze began pacing back and forth. "No, no... that was just a dream. Dream..." He laughed softly. "That's kinda funny..." Stopping in front of the doorway, he looked out. "I have to ask her; she won't tell me unless I do... She might not tell me even if I ask her. Hmm..." He flew back to the window. "How do I know she's hiding something, though? For all I know, she-"

"Ya really shouldn't talk to yourself so much, sugarcube." Breeze tensed up and turned around to find Applejack directly behind him. "I felt that you weren't feelin' right; I came back to check on you." He nervously stepped back. "And it looks like I had the right idea!" She ran to him. "Come on, we're gonna go find Twilight." Breeze hesitantly followed her out of his room. "By the way, I ain't hidin' anything from you worth sharing. You can go on and forget that whole nightmare you had." He blinked.

"You... How much did you hear?" he questioned.

"Oh, not much. I started listenin' from the hall when you mentioned the mare in your dreams." He was stunned. "Well, that ain't important! What's important is that we get to Twilight. Let's get moving, Breeze!" Applejack ran off without him. When she reached the castle, she turned around and saw Breeze, slowly dragging himself forward and breathing heavily.

"Why... Why didn't you... slow down?" he gasped. She laughed nervously, looking to the side.

"Sorry about that; I didn't quite hear ya..." Suddenly, the door opened. Twilight stepped out, a large smile on her face. "Howdy, Twi!"

"Hello, Applejack!" She looked past her. "Oh, and hello, Breeze!" Breeze was laid out on the ground, face down. He raised his hoof.

"Yo, princess..." he said, letting his hoof fall back to the ground.

"I'm really glad you stopped by. Come on in, you two!" Twilight motioned for Applejack to enter. Breeze sat still for a few moments before she levitated him off the ground.

"Thanks," he groaned, still out of breath as she pulled him inside. Once he was able to catch his breath, he stood. "Alright... So, we might have a problem..." he began, but Applejack took over the explanation.

"We got reason to believe that the counter spell did something to Breeze. He's been having these nightmares..."

"I had one nightmare, Applejack," he corrected.

"Well, we don't want you having any more, do we?" Twilight raised a hoof to stop them.

"I hate to interrupt you two, but I have some news." Both ponies looked at her. "I did a little more searching, and I found this book-" she paused to bring out a black book from one of the shelves. The cover had an alicorn, snake wrapped around the horn and wings fading into darkness. "-hidden behind one of the shelves. Do you recognize this symbol, Silent Breeze?" Breeze's eyes widened. He ran his hoof along the right wing.

"That symbol... That's Arcanis! The Araiyan queen! That must mean..." Twilight opened the book and flipped to a page in the middle.

"There were a couple with it; this one's all about Araiyan spells, hexes, curses, that sort of thing. We can probably find yours in here. Now then..." She skimmed through the pages, not stopping to read the descriptions. "Let's see... Spectral Form, no... Mind Lock, that's not it... Here we are!" Applejack and Breeze pressed up against her to see which one. "It's called the Crimson Butterfly Hex. Says here that this hex lasts until... Oh my." She closed the book and set it down. "Only the caster can return the afflicted to normal."

"What, you serious?" Breeze asked, frustrated.

"I'm afraid so..."

"Well, what do we do now?" Applejack picked the book back up and looked over the symbol. "Hmm..." Breeze gasped, quickly rising to the air.

"I got it!" he exclaimed. "Mares, get your things ready; we're going on a journey!"

"Uh, alright. Where we headed?" Applejack asked, walking over to him. He slowly landed next to her.

"To Araiyah, where else?"

Darkness Falls

"You sure this is a good idea?" Applejack walked away from the farm, her saddlebags full of food and supplies. Breeze flew above her.

"Absolutely! It's the only way to undo my curse!' he explained.

"Yeah, I get that, but why do Twilight and I have to go with you?" He landed in front of her.

"Well, I might need some back-up if anything along the way tries to rush at me." Applejack looked confused.

"Okay, one, you got to Equestria on your own without a scratch on ya, so clearly ain't nothing happened to you and you got lucky, and two, we're goin' through the Everfree forest! If anything goes off the rails, you really think two mares are gonna be enough protection?" she asked.

"Princess Twilight's, well, a princess! We don't gotta worry," he explained.

"Don't you think that's all the more reason to bring along somepony else, sugarcube?"

"Ah, you're asking too many questions!" He turned around. Applejack was getting angry.

"Breeze, I like it here in Ponyville, and I'd really like to be able to come back from this little trip to Araiyah in one piece! We're gonna need somepony else with us!" Breeze brought his hooves up defensively.

"Alright! I'll find somepony! Just meet up with Twilight; I'll catch up." He flew off, dropping his saddlebags nearby. Applejack picked them up, taking note of how light they were. She shrugged, put the saddlebags on her back, and continued along the path. Breeze sat on a house rooftop in Ponyville, observing the ponies that passed by as the owner looked up at him, upset. What about that one? He looks like he... wait, no. Yeah, no... He remained still for a couple more minutes, looking for the right pony to ask. Suddenly, he heard somepony behind him. He turned his head and saw a ladder being set up. As he stood, a white hoof reached the top,

"Dang it, Silent Breeze, you're making ponies concerned. What are you doing up here?" a voice asked. Breeze immediately grinned.

"Yo, Steel Shield! I gotta ask you for a little favor..." He helped him up.

"Sure; I'm not doing anything at the moment. What do you need?"

"I'm headed back to Araiyah to undo this curse, and Princess Twilight and Applejack are coming with me! Applejack insisted that I get another pony to come along, and you're a royal guard, sooo..."

"No." Breeze frowned.

"Yes," he replied.

"N-"

"Yeah." Steel Shield and Breeze stood in silence before Steel Shield grunted loudly.

"Fine!" he shouted, throwing his hooves up to his head. "But I better make it back. I'm only going with you because you're a good friend." Breeze patted him on the back.

"Yo, this is gonna be so much fun! Come on, we gotta meet up with them at the entrance to the Everfree." Breeze began to fly off towards the forest as Steel Shield climbed down from the roof.

"Hold on; I should go get my armor. If we're headed to the forest, then I'll probably need it." He landed and sighed.

"Aw, alright... I guess I'll just... I dunno, go with you, or something?" Steel Shield chuckled and lightly pushed him towards Canterlot.

"Alright, Silent Breeze. Let's go find my armor, I guess."

Applejack arrived at Twilight's door just as she was exiting. She looked puzzled.

"Applejack? What are you doing here? We were supposed to meet at the entrance, right?" she asked.

"Yep, we were. I just decided to come get you since Breeze flew off to find another pony to join our little group. He said he'd meet us there."

"Oh, alright, let's get going; we don't want to be late. Do you have everything you need? We don't know how long this will take, you know." Applejack turned and started walking.

"You betcha, got all the food and stuff we'll need right here. I reckon Breeze also packed a few things; I dunno. His saddlebags seem awfully light..." She suddenly stopped and set the saddlebags on the ground in front of Twilight. "I'm gonna look inside." Twilight jumped and placed her hooves on them when Applejack reached forward.

"Applejack! We can't just do that without Silent Breeze knowing!" she scolded. Applejack smiled.

"Twi, it ain't like this is his diary or anything. You think he's gonna be all saddle-sore about us taking a quick peek inside? I dumped a bucket of water on him to get him up the other day, and he barely did anything! He ain't gonna mind." Twilight slowly took her hooves off the bags.

"I dunno; it still doesn't feel right..." she said.

"Come on, sugar. At some point in this journey, we're gonna see what's inside, anyway! Finding out a little early ain't gonna hurt anypony." Applejack slowly and carefully began opening them.

"We don't have time! He could be waiting for us right now!" Twilight blurted out. Applejack looked up.

"Nah, he ain't. He's probably just messing around in town. He'll remember he's got somewhere to be at the last minute. Trust me, he's done this before." Her smile grew larger and larger as she flipped open the right saddlebag. As she looked inside, her smile slowly began to fade to a mystified look. "... Huh?" Twilight slowly began to shift her eyes to the inside of the bag. The absence of food and essentials surprised her. Only a long piece of rope was inside.

"He didn't pack anything else?" she asked. Applejack took out the rope.

"There's a couple of blueberries in here as well, but other than that, it don't seem like it. This rope here... Look's like enough to tie up a full grown manticore..." she observed.

"Why would he pack so much? Why would he need so much?"

"I dunno. He is a thief, after-"

"Rogue," Twilight corrected.

"Thief, rogue, whatever! Anyway, I reckon he knows some sort of hidden route, and this here rope is to help the wingless ponies through." Twilight thought for a while.

"That makes sense, but it doesn't seem all that likely... Check the left one; maybe we'll find out." Applejack did as Twilight said. The left one contained a large pair of scissors and the Araiyan spell book. "Hold on, when did he take this?"

"I can't answer that, Twi; I ain't got no idea. We know why he brought as much rope as he did, at least." Before she could close the bags, Twilight stopped her. "What is it?"

"Look at the spell book again." She pointed to the book. There was a bookmark on one of the pages. "That bookmark isn't mine; he must have been reading through for a spell of some sort."

"That's ridiculous; he's a pegasus! He can't do the spells in here, no matter how many times he reads them over. He ain't got the magic," Applejack explained. Twilight opened the book to the bookmarked page.

"Even so, this page must've been important." She read over the spells. When she reached the last one on the page, she froze.

"Twi? You alright?" Applejack asked. Twilight simply turned the book towards her and used the bookmark to point out the spell's name, unable to speak. "Alright, let's see here... Silence of the Void. Says here that the spell, when cast on any living being, will erase their body, transporting their soul to the Void... I don't see why you're so shook up about this, Twi. It's like I said, he's a pe-" She was cut off by Twilight pushing the book closer.

"R... R-Read the..." Twilight began trailing off. Applejack shrugged and continued reading.

"The spell requires the use of Arcanis's sacred chant, and can... Can..." Her eyes widened. "... Can be done by any Araiyan-born pony in possession of this knowledge..." She shook her head slowly. "T-Twi, do you think he..." Twilight closed the book.

"Why else would he have the rope?" she asked, the fear in her voice rising.

"But... What about them other spells? There are three more!"

"Silent Breeze doesn't seem to need them. The spells look like they help out with stealth; he's already stealthy enough, don't you think?"

"I... I dunno. But, wait! What are the odds that he knows this chant? We don't know if he's even heard of this spell!" Applejack shouted, trying to ease her friend's worries.

"He's stolen countless objects, both common items and royal artifacts, back in Araiyah. He might have learned the chant, or is planning to... We have to confront him about this."

"No! What if he, you know, accidentally put the bookmark on the wrong page? Look..." She reopened the book to the next page. "...Right here! Soul Song! It says that it's a song that calms everything in the area. He could have been trying to learn this in case we run into any trouble in the forest, and was rushing, so he..."

"Applejack..."

"He could have! Why would he..."

"I don't know; that's why we have to ask him." Applejack and Twilight looked into each other's eyes for a moment, sharing expressions of fear, worry, and lust for answers.

"A-Alright; we'll talk to him. But not right away, okay? He's just starting to trust the ponies of Ponyville; if we accuse him of plotting against us and we're wrong, he'll go right back to the shadows."

"You're right... We'll ask him when we reach Araiyah's edge. That seems like a good place." Applejack carefully re-coiled the rope and set it back in the right saddlebag.

"Sounds like a plan. Let's get going." Twilight put the bookmark back where she found it and dropped the book in the left one. Applejack then picked up the saddlebags, and the two left for the forest, unsure of what was to come.

The Journey

"You're taking too long! Just pick one; nopony's even gonna care!" Breeze sat outside the Canterlot castle, waiting for Steel Shield to retrieve his armor. "Why do you even have more than one set, anyway? Don't regular guards only get one?" he asked. Steel Shield was tossing helmets out of the doorway.

"Maybe in Araiyah. Things here in Equestria are a little different, though. Guards here receive multiple sets, in case one gets damaged. I'm looking for the least broken helmet." Breeze picked up one of the discarded helmets and inspected it.

"Yo, you ain't gonna have any spare helmets left if you keep throwing them around like that. Daytime ain't gonna last forever; let's go!" Steel Shield groaned as he hastily put on a helmet with a small crack at the top and grabbed a small saddlebag containing a couple of bits. The two then walked to Ponyville, Steel Shield still grumbling to himself about the helmet. Suddenly, he stopped.

"Hold on a second, Silent Breeze. Don't you think we should stop for some food and supplies first?" he questioned, turning in the direction of a general store. "We should be prepared for whatever may come. We're travelling through the Everfree forest, after all." Breeze hovered in place, trying to come to a decision.

"Well... I guess we could. I mean, it might take some time, but it wouldn't hurt." As he approached the shop, he landed and stepped back. "Oh, wait, I dropped my saddlebags... Your's ain't big enough; how are we gonna carry this stuff?"

"Not a problem, sir!" a voice from behind the door said as it swung open. The unicorn stallion inside had a smile on his face, and his eyes were closed. "I have a spare sack you could use. It's a little worn out, but I'm certain it..." His eyes opened and his smile faded. Breeze took a step forward and looked past him. "Oh, um..." Coughing nervously, the stallion stepped to the side. "Uh... H-Help yourself to anything y-you'd like..." Both of them stepped inside, the door closing behind them. As Breeze scanned the room, he spotted a longbow against the back wall, and he instantly grinned and spread his wings in excitement, causing the stallion to flinch and let out a small cry.

"Ooh! I want that!" Breeze shouted happily, pointing to it and jumping in place. Steel Shield stepped in front of him.

"Are you sure? Do you even know how to use a bow?" he asked.

"I want it!" Breeze repeated, now flapping his wings. Steel Shield face-hoofed.

"Alright. Um, sir, we'll take the longbow in the back and a couple of arrows, please." He reached back to retrieve his bits. "How much do we owe you?" The stallion shook his head, still frightened.

"I don't... I have no use for... It's free." he stammered. Breeze stopped flapping.

"Wait, you serious?" he asked, making eye contact. The stallion quickly nodded his head, slowly backing into another room. As Breeze rushed over to the bow and frantically searched for arrows, Steel Shield dropped the bits back into his saddlebag. Breeze flew back over to him with the bow and four arrows in his mouth.

"I see you found some arrows lying around..."

"They're tipped with gold!"

"Seems a little dull." He looked into the room the stallion had retreated to. "You know, I didn't really plan on getting just a longbow and a few arrows. Since it was free, I've still got some bits left. We should see if he has anything else to offer." Breeze dropped the bow and arrows in front of him.

"I'm on it!" he shouted, diving into the back room. "Yo!" he called out. The stallion jumped back. "So, we're going on a trip, and we need, like... more stuff." He hadn't heard a word Breeze said; he was too busy hyperventilating and watching his life flash before his eyes. Breeze lifted his hoof. "You cool?" There was no response. "I... I'm just gonna..." He pushed a crate off one of the shelves. "... This is mine now."

"O-Okay..." The stallion watched as Breeze struggled to drag the crate out of the room. Steel Shield walked over and placed a hoof on it.

"Looks like it's got some good stuff in it... Did you pay for this?" he asked.

"Yeah!" Breeze answered. "... Well, no! It was free, too! Right?" He turned to the stallion; he was gone. "Wait, where'd he go?" The two looked around and found the stallion crawling through a window along the back wall out of panic. Steel Shield and Breeze sat there for a few moments, dumbfounded.

"... I guess I'll just leave a few bits on the counter for him when he comes back." Steel Shield pointed towards the door. "I got the crate; you get the bow. We need to get moving," he ordered.

"Cool. We don't gotta stop for much else; Applejack had a lot of stuff on her..." Suddenly, he gasped and jumped up. "She better have picked up my saddlebags when I dropped them..." Steel Shield laughed.

"I don't think she'd just leave your saddlebags on the ground," he stated.

"You never know! She might have!"

"Well, we'll know when we get there." Breeze, still worried, landed, picked up the bow and arrows, and opened the door. Steel Shield carefully balanced the crate on his back as Breeze stepped out of the way, allowing him to pass. "I wonder what's in this crate... Did he tell you?" he asked as the two walked through Ponyville.

"He didn't say anything. It's gotta be useful, though. What I wonder is how we're gonna get it open."

"You leave that to me, Silent Breeze."

Minutes later, they reached the forest's edge. Twilight and Applejack were sitting in the shade, eating a few apples. Applejack spotted them first.

"About time y'all showed up!" she called to them. Twilight looked up, setting her apple down.

"There you are, Silent Breeze! What took you so long?" she asked. Breeze dropped the bow.

"I had to stop for stuff. I bro-" Applejack interrupted him.

"Hold up, what'd you buy a bow for?"

"It don't matter! Anyway I brought a friend." He stepped to the side and Steel Shield stepped forward. "Steel Shield here's gonna be joining us on this adventure."

"Hello, Princess Twilight." Steel Shield bowed down as low as he could without dropping the crate. "Silent Breeze informed me that you were headed through the forest; I came to assist you."

"I should of guessed that you'd bring him along, Breeze. Why, he's exactly what we need!"

"Now, I'm sure anypony else would be just as good," Steel Shield said. Twilight teleported in front of him.

"Sir, you were trained for this exact kind of task! Princess Luna's told me on countless occasions how well you guard the gates, as well. Applejack's right; you're just what we need!" He looked off in the distance, his cheeks turning from white to pink.

"C-Come on, now..." Breeze stepped forward, chuckling.

"Yeah, he's great. You two can admire him on the way to Araiyah. We should get going before night comes." Applejack picked up her saddlebags as Breeze saw his. "Hey! You brought my saddlebags with you!" He dashed over and picked them up. "Yo, I was worried that you'd have just left them on the ground. Thanks!" She looked surprised.

"Uh... No problem!" He smiled, opening the left side. His smile disappeared.

"Wait a second... You didn't open them or anything, right?" he questioned, looking up at her. Applejack and Twilight looked at each other.

"Oh, well..." Applejack started.

"N-No, we didn't! Applejack brought them over when you left, then we headed here together!" Twilight nearly shouted. Both mares grinned.

"Dial it back a bit, Twi..." Applejack whispered. Breeze closed his saddlebags and put them on. "Why ya askin'?"

"I had a pair of scissors in here, and I ain't seen them when I checked my stuff. I know I put them in here... Yo, Steel Shield, you got any scissors on you?"

"What? Why would we need to bring a pair of scissors?" While he and Breeze discussed what was important to bring on a journey like this, Applejack carefully stepped back over to Twilight.

"You didn't put them back! Silent Breeze is going to find out, and we haven't even started the trip yet!" Twilight said.

"I didn't think he'd ask, alright? Look, just relax; I got this." Applejack trotted over to him.

"I ain't seen nothing in the grass when I got them, but they might've fallen out on the way. I dunno where they'd be. My bad, Breeze." He looked into the forest.

"It's cool; I don't need 'em that much." Steel Shield tapped his shoulder, then pointed to the sky.

"If we want to make it back by tomorrow, we need to get going right about now."

"A'ight, let's move."

"Eeyup." Applejack walked into the Everfree, her three companions following behind her.

Illuminate the Shadows

Breeze awoke at his usual time. The moon was setting, and the sun had not yet risen. He carefully sat up, trying not to disturb Steel Shield and Twilight. As he stood, he saw Applejack standing in front of them, swaying back and forth, trying to stay awake.

"Yo, Applejack..." he greeted. She slowly turned around.

"Howdy, Breeze... I ain't finished with my shift yet; y'all... can go back to sleep." Breeze slowly shook his head.

"You're exhausted. Come on, get to sleep. I've got this," he urged. Applejack stepped back.

"No, no... I'm feelin' just fine! I don't need to sleep just yet... Hey, would you look at that, sun's almost up. We can get movin' pretty soon... Right?" She leaned a little too far to the left and fell to the ground. Breeze watched her as she struggled to keep her eyes open. "I ain't fall cause I'm tired. Just lost my center, that's all..." Applejack slowly fell asleep, Breeze putting the blanket over her.

"I'll take it from here, Applejack. Just rest." He looked towards the moon, which now hung slightly above the horizon. "Applejack sure is acting strange... Wonder if everything's okay..." he said to himself. Twilight yawned, stretching her hooves out. When she saw Breeze awake, she jumped a little. Breeze looked back. "Is everything alright, princess?" he asked. Twilight looked side to side.

"Uh... Yeah! Everything's perfectly fine!" She laughed nervously. Breeze shrugged and brought his attention back to the moon.

"We should be able to reach Araiyah today. If not, then tonight. We can rest there if we need to. Worst case-scenario is we have to camp out in the forest another night. You ready to head out soon?" Twilight hesitantly nodded, staring at his saddlebags. "A'ight. We might have to wait a little while longer; Applejack just fell out. She's been up all night watching our surroundings. If she had just asked me to take over, I gladly would have..." She approached him.

"I can't imagine why she wouldn't... Hey, do you have anything to eat?" she asked. Breeze slid his saddlebags over to her.

"Help yourself." He looked around the clearing. "The trees are beautiful this time of year..." As he talked to himself about the trees, Twilight opened the left saddlebag, and took out the Araiyan spell book. Slowly and cautiously, she slid the book inside of one of the spares, then closed Breeze's and slid them back. "... Can't wait until Autumn comes... Oh, you're finished already?" he asked.

"Yep; I wasn't that hungry. I'm gonna go rest until the others wake up."

"Alright. Don't fall asleep, though. We have to get moving in a couple minutes." She backed up until he turned away, then pulled the spell book back out.

There's no way you could remember the steps after having read it only once or twice. You'll need this to cast Silence of the Void. No spell book, no spell. We're safe... she thought. She put the book back into the spare saddlebags, put them on to make sure Steel Shield didn't take them by mistake, and waited for everypony else to awaken. Several minutes later, Steel Shield sat up.

"Morning, everypony. Ready to go? We can eat breakfast along the way." Breeze was eating an apple from Applejack's saddlebags. He slipped into his own.

"Yeah, let's move. Oh, can you carry Applejack, though? She kinda stayed up all night watching the forest." he took a step forward, but stopped and shifted the saddlebags on his back. "That's strange... These seem lighter than I remember..." There was no response. "Oh well, it's probably nothing. Let's go." The group walked along the path, coming across the crate.

"You two already opened the crate, I see." Twilight said.

"Where do you think all this stuff came from? It wasn't really that hard at all. Steel Shield here hit it, what, three times?"

"Twice," Steel Shield corrected.

"Yeah, twice. Two hits, and I was able to get in." He looked back at the empty crate, then towards the rest. Applejack had woken up and slid off Steel Shield's back. "Hey, you're finally awake."

"I was just takin' a little break, that's all... I'm doing just fine." Breeze stopped her.

"Why didn't you tell me that you were tired last night? I could have taken over for you. You didn't need to stay up all night, you know." Applejack kept walking.

"It ain't important anymore, Breeze. How much longer we got to go?" He frowned.

"Just a little while longer..." Later, they reached a hill. Breeze stopped at the top.

"Watch yourself, everypony. This hill could get pretty bad." He carefully slid down.

"Exactly how steep is this, Breeze?" Twilight asked.

"It ain't that steep, but I'd still be real careful." Applejack shrugged, cautiously sliding down after him, followed by Twilight. "It's just you, Steel Shield. You can do this!"

"I'm not so sure..." He stepped back.

"It'll be fine, bro! Just watch what you're doing!"

"Well... Here I go." He stepped forward, slowly making his way down. "Alright, I'm almost down." When he said that, his hoof connected with a stray rock and he flipped through the air.

"Oh. Well, horseapples," Breeze muttered as Steel Shield seemingly ran into every rock in the area. He hit the ground with a loud thud. "Yo, you good?" His eyes crossed.

"Yeah, I... I think I'm good..." As soon as those words escaped his mouth, his helmet immediately cracked in half, falling to the ground below. The four ponies could only stare at the remnants. "Oh, okay. I guess I'm not good..."

Breeze and Steel Shield stepped away from the broken helmet. "Well, that's actually pretty bad," Breeze stated. Steel Shield lightly pushed him.

"If you hadn't rushed me, I could have found a better one! But no! You said it wouldn't matter!" He looked surprised.

"Yo, how is this my fault? All your helmets are broken!"

"That's not true! ... Not all of them! I could have found a good one!" Breeze raised an eyebrow.

"One of the first helmets you threw out the door had a giant hole straight through the forehead. Through the forehead! How does that even happen?" he asked. Steel Shield desperately tried to collect all the shards of helmet.

"Don't question me, alright! I don't know what happened! It's one of my favorites, and I haven't gotten around to repairing it yet!" While the two stallions yelled at each other, Applejack and Twilight sneaked up the trail a little further. Twilight pulled out the spell book.

"Nice job, Twi! How'd you manage that?" Applejack asked.

"I guess Silent Breeze is rubbing off on me a bit. Now then, if I'm correct..." She opened up to the bookmarked page once more and read over the spell again. "Silence of the Void... Can be done by any Arayian-born pony in possession of this knowledge..." She turned the page. "... And this spell tome! Aha! As long as we keep the book away from him, he can't cast the spell!" she nearly shouted. Both mares sighed in relief.

"This is perfect! He ain't gonna be casting no spell on us, not today!" Steel Shield and Breeze were now inches away from each other.

"Hey, just because I can't bake a good chocolate cake, it doesn't make me a bad pony!" Breeze shouted. Steel Shield chuckled.

"What are you even talking about?" Breeze burst into laughter.

"I forgot what the argument was about, I don't know!" Both stallions laughed. Steel Shield stopped laughing and looked past Breeze. "Hold on, Silent Breeze. Did Princess Twilight always have that book with her?"

"Huh?" Steel Shield pointed past him. He turned around and gasped. "That's an Araiyan spell tome! I had one earlier..." He opened his left saddlebag to reveal an empty space. "I knew these felt lighter!" he exclaimed. "How did they get it off me..."

"Should we go get it?" Steel Shield asked. The two sat in thought for a minute.

"... Yeah, we probably should. Yo, Applejack!"

They ran towards her. She stepped back.

"Uh-oh... Twi, we got a problem..." The mares looked at each other, then sprinted down the path. "Run!" The four ponies raced through the Everfree; Applejack and Twilight ran through the trees, trying to use the plants to slow Steel Shield down, while Breeze flew through the air, dodging branches and vines. Applejack passed the spell book to Twilight, who teleported behind Steel Shield and ran in the other direction. He skidded to a stop, running into a tree in the process, and continued to chase after her. When he got close, she teleported back to Applejack, passing the book back as well, and ran along another path, tricking him into believing she still had it. Breeze continued to pursue Applejack. He reached down, diving for the spell book. She jumped out of the way, and he crashed into a tree. Shaking off the injuries, he jumped into the sky once more.

"Hold up..." he said to himself. He continued to follow Applejack, but instead of flying below the trees, he flew through them, slowing down to try and keep quiet. After minutes of running, Applejack turned around to find nopony behind her.

"Breeze? You gave up, right?" she asked loudly. When she received no answer, she shrugged, placed the book in her right saddlebag, and walked back the way she came. Breeze slowly and silently floated down, hidden by the plant life of the forest. He waited a couple of moments, then approached carefully. Twilight ran into his field of view, followed by a panting Steel Shield. When Applejack rose her hoof to get her attention, Breeze dove out from the bushes and took the book back. Applejack, surprised by his sudden appearance, stepped back a few times. "What... Where were... Dang it!"

"Got it back, bro!" he called to his friend. Steel Shield rose his hoof to congratulate him. Applejack and Twilight sat down, tired from the chase. "Okay... Why did you take the spell book?" he asked, slightly upset. Applejack glared at him.

"Why did you take it from Twilight to begin with?" Breeze looked at Twilight.

"There's a spell I had to learn. It's part of the reason I wanted to return to Araiyah." Applejack wasted no time.

"And what spell would that be, Breeze?" He opened the book.

"It's right here on this page. I left a bookmark. Surely, you saw it," he responded. Twilight looked up.

"Oh, we definitely saw it..." she confirmed between breaths. Steel Shield looked at her.

"Princess, are you alright?" he asked. Twilight shot him a look of anger.

"I'm perfectly fine, thanks for asking!" she snapped. He looked shocked, then turned to Breeze.

"Silent Breeze, what's going on here?" he asked. Breeze closed his eyes.

"I don't know. Applejack, Princess Twilight, what's this all about?" The two mares never took their eyes off him. Twilight sighed, rising to her hooves and flapping her wings once.

"I'm not keeping this in anymore. Applejack, I know we planned on confronting him when we reached Araiyah, but what needs to be said must be said now. I'm sorry." Applejack nodded once. "Silent Breeze, we came across this stolen spell book before our journey even began, when Applejack pointed out how light your bags were. We found a single, lengthy piece of rope, some scissors, and a large amount of blueberries to go with it. Upon checking the spells on the bookmarked page, it became clear to us what your intentions were. Does Silence of the Void sound familiar to you?" Breeze opened his eyes.

"I know of that spell, but I do not know the chant," he answered.

"If you are aware of this spell, then you would know that you are capable of casting said spell. Upon your return to Araiyah, it would be easy to learn this chant, and cast the spell on the way back to Equestria, which you clearly planned to do. Last night, Applejack and I came across you persuading Steel Shield to aid you in this plan. This is a crime against Equestrian royalty, and it will not be tolerated, Araiyan or not." She stomped her hoof. Steel Shield and Silent Breeze were shocked. Twilight's words had rendered them speechless.

"Princess..." Steel Shield began, but Breeze cut him off. He stood confidently, wings spread and eyes locked onto hers.

"You're wrong..." he stated. Twilight was unfazed. "Princess Twilight... At any point, did you consider the other spells on this page?"

"Silence of the Void is circled," she pointed out. Breeze chuckled.

"All of the spells are circled. That's how they're written. I wasn't trying to learn the last spell, no, I was trying to learn the first. Look again." He set the book on the ground and slid it to her. "Its name is Secrets Unbound. It, too, can be cast by any Araiyan. When cast, it reveals the truth. Anything that is hidden will be clear. It's very simple to learn; I just need a catalyst. I left mine at my old home."

"Yeah, sure. Why'd you bring the rope, then?" Applejack asked.

"If you two hadn't have run off, you'd know that a river splits our path in half. I was prepared to build a raft." Twilight closed the book.

"Why should we believe you?"

"If I was trying to send you to the Void, I wouldn't have invited Steel Shield. I'd have lied and said I couldn't find anypony to come along, then I'd take the rope and tie y'all up on the first night. Do you really think I'd take you all the way to Araiyah if I was planning on getting rid of you?" Twilight looked into his unblinking eyes. Her fury gradually subsided. "Don't you see?"

"I... I'm so sorry, Silent Breeze!" she said. "I shouldn't have been so quick to assume, and if you'd like, I'll try to find a spell in here that'll get us past that river and to Araiyah in no time. I hope you can forgive us." Breeze stepped back.

"Nah, nah... I can get there on my own. Steel Shield, take them back." He turned and continued down the path. Steel Shield ran up to him.

"Silent Breeze, come on! Sure, they messed up, but hey! You can forgive them, right? Princess Twilight was only doing what she believed was right." Breeze closed his eyes once more.

"Oh, I know. She's a princess; she gotta keep things safe. It ain't her that I'm mad at." Steel Shield stopped for a second, then turned around and looked at Applejack, who was walking after him.

"I'll go calm him down... You just stay with Twilight." Steel Shield reached out to stop her, but set his hoof back down. Twilight walked up to him.

"Princess, she'll bring Silent Breeze back with her, right? She knows what she's doing... Right?" Twilight nodded, smiling.

"Yes, sir. She usually does."

Secrets Unbound

Breeze sat against a large boulder, eating the blueberries he had packed and watching the trees sway in the wind. On the path behind him, Applejack was angrily trudging to his position.

"Breeze, come on back, now. We're sorry we messed up and thought you were tryin' to get rid of us, okay?" Breeze looked at her.

"I have nothing to say to you." He continued walking, Applejack following his every step.

"Don't be like this. Steel Shield's waiting for you. You just gonna leave him? He ain't done nothin' to you. That wouldn't be right." Breeze picked up his pace. Applejack ran forward and stopped in front of him. "You ain't gettin' away. You didn't last time, you ain't this time, so you might as well just come back with me." Breeze tried to walk around her, but she kept blocking his path.

"Steel Shield will understand." Applejack grunted and took his saddlebags. "What are you doing?"

"Y'all will get these back when we're done here. Now..." she turned around. "What are you mad at me for, Breeze?" He sighed.

"You told me all this time that none of you suspected me of anything. That none of you would turn on me. That's exactly what you did."

"In our defense, you were actin' real shifty and such. You coulda' just asked for the book, you know. Twi wouldn't have minded." Breeze growled.

"If I ask, how can I be sure that you will be truthful with me?" Applejack blinked.

"Pardon?" she asked.

"How do I know that you won't lie to me?" he asked again.

"Hold on... What's that got to do with the spell book?" Breeze sighed.

"The first spell." He took out the book and opened it to the bookmarked page once more. "Secrets Unbound. Earlier, you told me you weren't hiding anything from me worth sharing. Well..." He closed the book. "I don't believe you. That's why I was trying to learn it."

"Lemme see that." Applejack took the book from him. She read over the spell, dropping the book. "Well shoot, you didn't need to come all this way to get me to talk. I meant that I didn't have anything to share at that moment." She walked up to him. "I got a question, though. Why'd it bother you so much that we thought you were turnin' on us? Ain't you used to ponies suspecting you? You're a thief, after all." The question caught him off-guard.

"Because..." he began. He stared at her, trying to find the words. Come on! he thought to himself. "I don't mind the others, but..."

"Yeah?" Breeze shook his head.

Say it. Say it now. He stepped forward. "It really upset me that you were one that thought I was out to get you. Why would I do that?" She took a step back.

"... What?"

"You took me in the day we met, you tried your absolute best to help me adjust to this new place... Up until now, you've been nothing but honest with me... I've never met a pony like you; I owe you everything!" he sobbed. "I've tried to keep a clear head around you, I really have, but... I-I can't. I'm constantly worried about what you think of me, I..." He paused. "... I can't stand the thought of losing you in any way. What could I have done to prevent this?" he wondered aloud. Applejack couldn't help but stare, mouth agape, at Breeze's sudden change. "I've revealed more to you than I have to anypony. I trust you completely." A voice in his head interrupted him.

"Do you, now?" Do you really?" it giggled. Breeze only acknowledged the voice for a second before he stomped his hoof, shouting in rage.

"I am Silent Breeze, Thief of Araiyah! I have stolen thousands of bits worth of items all across my nation from citizens and royalty alike, and not once have I been caught! Criminals and spies dream of possessing my levels of stealth and persuasion, and... And you have every reason to hate me..." He looked to the ground, kicking his hoof. "But I don't hate you. I can't thank you enough for all you've done... I'm truly grateful." The same voice reappeared.

"That's all? Aww, you having trouble thinking of what to say? What happened to all that charm you mentioned?" Breeze closed his eyes.

"No, I'm more than grateful! I... I love you!" He confessed, darting forward and pulling her into his chest. "This is my fault... I don't want to leave you! I'm so sorry I haven't been as open with you as I should have! You can forgive me, right?" Applejack kept looking forward, unable to process Breeze's words.

The situation had presented itself so quickly and so intensely that she hadn't had time to prepare. "Please... Forgive me..." he pleaded. A hiss came from the trees that surrounded them.

"Breeze..." He released her. "Look at you, screamin' your heart and soul out in the middle of the Everfree forest... I can't help but feel like I'm to blame. Even so, y'all should already know how I feel about you," she claimed. He squinted.

"How could I?" he asked.

"I ain't proved myself yet? If I ain't, I'm about to..." She stepped towards him once more. "Breeze, you don't gotta worry about that spell. I think now's a good time to share what I've been keepin' from you..." She sighed. "I know it's only been a couple of days since y'all took up a room at the farm, but I see something in you. When y'all left the first morning, I told Twilight that I was gonna keep an eye on you, and that's exactly what I did." She took another step and resumed the embrace. "Oh, Breeze, I know how you feel about us, and I really didn't want you thinkin' we didn't trust you or nothin'. When we saw the other spell, Silent Void or whatever it's called, I couldn't believe that you were planning on usin' it. I came up with as many options as I could, but they all seemed so off..." she revealed to him. "I didn't mean no harm, honest. Please come back, sugarcube. Don't leave us... Don't leave me."

"Applejack, I-" He was cut off by the hiss resurfacing, only much louder. From the trees ahead, a giant snake emerged. Both ponies backed away in terror as it slithered towards them. Coming upright, it looked between the two. Breeze's expression changed to determination as he spread his wings in front of Applejack, blocking her. "No matter what happens, stay back," he commanded.

"We're in this together," she declared. The snake hissed once more.

"I will protect you. Do not interfere," he restated. All of a sudden, the snake began to fade into the shadows. Those shadows, without warning, encircled Applejack and Breeze. "Keep close." The darkness spiraled into the sky before striking the ground in front of them, sending a gust of wind out upon impact which staggered the two ponies. When the wind died down and they recovered, they looked forward to see an alicorn standing before them. The giant snake from before was now much smaller, sitting peacefully at her hooves. The alicorn was dark grey, with black-tipped wings. She wore a silver crown, which rested slightly above a diamond marking on her forehead. This mark seemed to glow all different shades of blue, along with the ends of her flowing dark blue mane and tail. Applejack and Breeze looked into her eyes; she had no pupils. Breeze gasped and bowed. Applejack stood still, looking at the alicorn, then to Breeze. "Queen Arcanis, your majesty..."

"You may rise, Silent Breeze." Her voice seemed to echo.

"Hold on a minute... You're the queen of Araiyah, correct?" Applejack asked. Arcanis laughed.

"The crown wasn't enough proof, I assume," she teased.

"Yeah, so if you're here, then that must mean..." Arcanis rose her hoof, her shadow distorting upon doing so.

"Yes, my dear. You are nearing the edge of Araiyah. What brings you here, young traveler?" She jumped in excitement upon hearing Arcanis's words.

"Yeehaw! I knew we'd make it! Breeze, you stay right here. Let me go grab the others real quick!" Applejack returned his saddlebags and hurried down the path, leaving Breeze with the Araiyan queen.

"She and two others accompanied me on this journey, your highness." Arcanis smiled.

"If I am remembering correctly, you fled to the lands of Equestria, yes?"

"That's right. I've returned to find the pony that cursed me."

"Well then, I wish you the best of luck." She looked around, then past Breeze before crouching down to his level. "I couldn't help but overhear your conversation..." He laughed nervously.

"O-Oh... You heard that, huh?" he asked sheepishly. She nodded, reaching out and stroking his cheek.

"I hadn't taken you for the kind of pony to fall in love so soon, Silent Breeze. Especially given your... skill set."

"Right down this here path, y'all!" Applejack could be heard leading Twilight and Steel Shield to them in the distance. As Twilight stepped into view, she jumped a little at the sight of Arcanis."You see? I told y'all we were getting close!"

"... Queen Arcanis, correct?" Twilight asked.

"The one and only. I am the guardian of Araiyah's borders." Twilight nodded, taking note of her words.

"Surely, you have enough power to reverse his curse yourself," she mentioned.

"I'm afraid the Crimson Butterfly Hex doesn't work that way..."

"Hold on, you know about my curse?" Breeze questioned. The snake at her hooves looked up and hissed.

"Once one learns of its effects, it becomes fairly easy to recognize." She looked down to the snake. Frowning, she looked behind her. A tower could be seen in the distance. A shadow passed over the snake, which disappeared upon the shadow's departure. Arcanis spread her wings; the black tips were spreading throughout the rest. "I'm afraid I am needed elsewhere. You may continue to Teneventus, the capital; that is where many of the residents currently live. Farewell." The darkness spread past her wings and to the rest of her, leaving only the diamond marking untouched. As the last of the grey was taken over by the black, a shadow was cast over the area, engulfing the others in darkness. As the darkness faded, the ponies could no longer see the Araiyan queen.

"That tower... We should head over to there first," Steel Shield suggested.

"Center circle's a little beyond that; the tower most likely has a few guards inside. I don't think we really need to stop there." Breeze walked forward. "We're here; now we just need to find a white unicorn mare with purple streaks in her mane and tail." As Applejack came closer, Twilight stopped her.

"What is it, Twi? Everything alright?" she asked.

"That mark... The mark on the queen's forehead. Did it look familiar to you?" Applejack thought for a moment.

"Come to think of it, that test spell you did on Breeze showed us the real him... Ain't he have a marking like that, too?"

"That's what I was thinking. His was only one shade of blue, though. On top of that, he's know throughout this land as a thief, yet Queen Arcanis never tried to charge him for these crimes. Strange... Maybe we'll find out when the curse is undone."

"Yo, y'all coming?" Breeze questioned. Twilight returned her attention to Applejack, who shrugged and briskly walked to catch up with the others. She looked into the shadows, unable to shake her thoughts. It seemed to her that Silent Breeze was still holding back.

Silent Dreams

Teneventus was surrounded by dark stone. Upon entry, Breeze looked around, stepping into the shadows. A few ponies spotted Steel Shield and Twilight; some scoffed, having no respect for Equestrian royalty or their guards, while others looked amazed that such ponies would visit the lands of Araiyah. Araiyah itself was mainly forest, and the capital city was the only city out in the open. There were many merchants in the middle of the city, the center circle. This circle was different from the rest of the ground, being slate instead of cobblestone. It had runes inscribed along the edge which seemed to glow a faint violet. Most ponies were either buying or selling goods, while a select few were either talking with the guards or, like Breeze, were ducking in and out of the shadows. These were the criminals, and the guards that weren't dealing with them were stationed around the marketplace, watching over the stalls. Breeze walked along a building's edge, carefully observing all ponies that were in the area. He reached out and grabbed a stallion as he passed by.

"Hey! What's your deal?" Breeze set his hoof down. "You wanna go? I'll knock you flat on your flank, buddy!" he threatened. Breeze slowly stepped out of the shadows, glaring at him. As he did, the pony lowered his guard, mouth dropping. "S-Silent... Breeze? You've returned?"

"Yeah. I've come to undo my curse. Now, tell me... who was it that put this curse on me, again? I can't seem to remember her name..." The pony laughed.

"You been gone a little too long, friend. I'd think if you remembered at least one pony from Araiyah, it'd be Dream Walker!"

"Where is she now?" he asked.

"She's at the castle," the pony directed. He checked his saddlebags, letting out a groan. "Hey, Silent Breeze, you wouldn't happen to have, you know..." Breeze stared at him, causing him to step back.

"I literally just returned..." he pointed out. The pony looked dazed, then shook his head, laughing again.

"Yeah, yeah! You're right! I guess I just, uh... I should be going." He then bolted across the circle, not looking back. Applejack stepped over to Breeze.

"Mighty nice fellow... Y'all heard him, we gotta get to the castle. Lead on, Breeze!" She and the others followed Breeze as he followed the stallion's directions, staying near the buildings, for Breeze would not leave the shade. Once they reached the castle, they ran into a couple of guards. Twilight stepped forward.

"Excuse me, gentlemen, but we would like to enter." The guard on the left looked at her strangely.

"You Equestria's newest princess, huh? Just recently got your own castle?" he questioned.

"Um... Yes?" The guard smirked.

"Hey! Everypony, stop what you're doing! We've got an Equestrian princess here!" he announced, voice filled with malice. The guard on the right glanced at him. "You don't have power here. Why should I let you in?" He turned.

"Show some respect. I'm sorry, Princess Twilight. You may pass."

"Thank you, sir." Twilight entered, followed by Applejack. Steel Shield and Breeze stopped.

"Get moving, civilian," the guard on the left ordered Steel Shield. He narrowed his eyes.

"I'll have you know, I'm a sergeant of-" He was cut off by the guard hitting him in the chest.

"You aren't anything more than a foal here. Now move!" Steel Shield stumbled backwards. Breeze put a hoof on his back to help him regain his balance, then looked at the guard, who was smiling. "Ah, yes, the queen's lap dog has returned," he laughed. Breeze closed his eyes, bringing himself to the air.

"The wind speaks..." The guard on the right backed away. "... speaks of unity. It flows for all to enjoy..." Breeze went on.

"What are you droning on about?" The dust below his hooves began to move with the air, spiraling unnoticed.

"Those that threaten unity will be swept away, carried by the wings of judgement. Now, rise!" he cried, opening his eyes. "Rise and greet the clouds! Fear the sky!" Without warning, the guard began to rise into the air. The dust shot up with the wind, taking the now screaming guard with it. He soon came down in a pile of hay, disoriented.

"You... You no-good..." he sputtered. Steel Shield walked up and took his helmet. "H-Hey! That's property of the Araiyan Guard!"

"Not anymore, it isn't. Mine was broken on the way here; this should make a good replacement..." he chuckled, strolling past the second guard and into the castle's courtyard. Breeze was stopped by him.

"Wind Hoof, eh? Takes a minute to get the saying down, but it definitely seems to be worth it. I hope this little incident doesn't cause your friends to think negatively of Araiyah... E-Especially Princess Twilight." Breeze smiled.

"I'm sure she'll overlook it."

"Now, I should turn you in, but... You can go on ahead. If anypony asks, he tripped and fell." Breeze nodded once, rushing to catch up with his friends.

The group stood in the courtyard, looking at the few ponies that occupied the area.

"Over there!" Applejack pointed out a unicorn mare, who was reading a book on one of the benches. She fit the description perfectly. "Breeze, y'all wanna handle this?"

"Gotcha." Breeze approached her, putting a hoof on her shoulder. She closed her book and turned around.

"May I help... Oh my..." She stood, reaching out to him. "Silent Breeze? You've returned?" He brushed her hoof away, remaining silent. "I... I understand that you're upset with me. I overreacted; I know that now, but you must understand that I've had several thieves break into my home before. I guess I was... fed up with all of the crime."

"Undo the curse," he ordered. She his behind her mane, trying to avoid his eyes.

"Uh, i-it's not that simple..." she squeaked. Twilight appeared next to him.

"What do you mean? We have an Araiyan spell book right here-" Using her magic, she took the book out of Breeze's saddlebags and flipped to the page containing information on the hex. "-That states that only the caster, which in this case is you, can return the afflicted, Silent Breeze, to normal!" Dream Walker, without taking the spell book, turned to the last page.

"Usually a spell's whole description appears with its name, princess, but there are a few exceptions. Crimson Butterfly Hex is one of them. The last page contains the extra details." She read through the extended descriptions of a few spells before reaching the one she was looking for.

"... can return the afflicted to normal. However, the afflicted never truly can become normal. The curse will be isolated to only show itself during the night?" Breeze took the book.

"Hold on a minute! What kind of were-pony mess is that?" he asked.

"I only just learned of the last page in that book recently! I swear, I hadn't known this when I initially cursed you!" He stepped forward, causing Dream Walker to jump back. "It's better than being stuck like this forever! Give it a chance!" she pleaded. Breeze leaned back slightly, only now beginning to listen.

"... I'm up for it if it can return me to as close to normal as possible," he told her. "Just hurry up." Dream Walker gave a sigh of relief, stepping closer.

"Alright, let me just see if I can remember the words..." Breeze stood straight, looking out of the castle gates. He looked up; the clouds encircled the sun. "May you be released from... Wait, that's not right."

"Try to remember," he urged, looking towards her. She flinched at his words. Why is she acting this way? he pondered. Is she afraid of me? Suddenly, he realized the truth behind that question. She is, isn't she? She thinks I've come for vengeance. That's what's clouding her mind... Breeze slowly shook his head, approaching her. He put his hoof on her shoulder again. "Hey."

"Uh... Y-Yes?" she timidly responded. To her surprise, he quickly embraced her, hovering slightly off the ground with her.

"I don't hate you. I did for some time, but I don't anymore. Stop worrying; I forgive you." He dropped her back to the ground, landing a few feet away. "Let's get this done." A tear fell from her eye.

"I... I..." Her joy turned to confidence as she smiled at him. "Gladly." She stepped forward, horn glowing. "Let the bindings of Tartarus be broken; may you spread your wings and soar free!" Applejack and Steel Shield covered their eyes from the flash; Twilight attempted to observe the magic at work. Breeze's appearance, once again, flickered between his normal and cursed figures as the magic lifted him up. He landed shortly after, the magic blasting outward, creating a shock-wave. The resulting dust spiraled around him before forming into the shape of a butterfly.

"Oh, that must be where the name comes from..." Steel Shield commented. Applejack shushed him and continued to watch. Breeze stepped out of the dust, his coat having already changed to its normal light-brown color.

His red streaks slowly faded out as the cyan diamond began to fade in. He opened his eyes, which remained red until the dust dissipated. His dreadlocks and braided tail were the last things to appear. Grinning, he looked at his hooves.

"It's done!" Dream Walker called out. Breeze laughed; even his voice sounded slightly clearer. "Remember, Silent Breeze, the curse will return every night. However, It should disappear with the sunrise."

"Hey, I don't really care about that. Thanks for this. All of this." She blushed.

"But... I'm the one who cursed you. I'm the reason for the curse," she reminded him.

"Oh, I know. If it wasn't for the curse, though, I wouldn't have met those three." He gestured towards the others. Steel Shield approached and put him in a playful headlock.

"Bro, you don't even know how different you look!" he exclaimed. "You ready to head back?" Dream Walker frowned.

"You aren't going to stay, Silent Breeze?" she asked. Steel Shield slowly released the headlock; he and Breeze stared at her.

"I... I can't leave my new friends. I'm sorry," he explained. She kicked her hoof.

"I get it... Well, I hope I see you again someday..." Steel Shield looked at him, frowning.

"Say something, Silent Breeze!" he quietly advised.

"Uh, would you like to come back to Equestria with us?" he asked. Dream Walker wiped the tears from her eyes and forced a smile.

"No, no. That's alright. I have work do to here... Thanks for the offer, though." Breeze reached his hoof out, but set it back down and turned around.

"You two ready to go?" Twilight and Applejack looked at each other.

"Actually..." Twilight began. Breeze walked up to her. "We have one more thing to take care of." She looked back at Applejack, who nodded. "It's about the diamond marking on your forehead." She pointed to it; he rose a hoof up and touched it. "When we first tried to undo the curse, we took care to remember your appearance. Or, at least, I did. When we ran into Queen Arcanis in the forest, I noticed that she has the same diamond mark on her forehead as well, only hers glows all different shades of blue, while yours is just one." He looked up, ignoring her observation. "Silent Breeze?" He pointed up.

"Look out for that," he warned. She looked up to see a large shadow speeding down to her position. She let out a small shout before diving out of the way as it crashed into the earth, leaving a tiny crater upon impact. The shadow faded to reveal Queen Arcanis, slightly dazed. The snake was on her head, swaying slowly.

"Queen Arcanis!" Twilight said, shocked by her sudden appearance.

"My apologies, Princess Twilight. I was thrown off-course a bit," she explained.

"A bit? You were headed straight for me!" Arcanis smirked.

"Oh, you wouldn't have been hurt that bad." Twilight pointed to the crater under her.

"You would have crushed me!" She sighed. "That's not important right now. I'm actually glad you arrived."

"I would be forgiven for believing otherwise." Twilight gave a fake laugh.

"Anyway! As you can see, Silent Breeze's curse has been undone for the time being." He waved to her. "However, I had a question about the marking on his forehead, which also happens to be virtually identical to the one on yours..."

"I'm afraid I'm not the one to ask for any details on that subject. However..." She looked at Breeze. "If I had to make a guess, I'd say that Silent Breeze and I have more in common than just this marking." Everypony in the courtyard looked at him.

"... Can't it just be a coincidence?" he asked.

"No." everypony responded in unison. He sighed, sitting on the bench.

"I was born with a mark pretty similar to this one. I don't really know what it meant, nor do I know what it means now, but I will tell you that Queen Arcanis helps me out a great deal when it comes to stealth and such. When I was a young colt, I would hide in her shadow, dreaming of being the best thief I could ever be. That dream came true, yeah..." He turned to reveal his cutie mark; a hoofprint hidden in darkness. "But I wanted more. I wanted to cast my own shadows, just like her. I began to study any spell I could find that mentioned her. There's a spell that I tried my absolute best to learn called Shaded Wings. Queen Arcanis cast that when she disappeared outside the gates. Now, a few Araiyan spells can be cast by anypony born here,but it's much harder if you aren't a unicorn. Because of this, I couldn't ever preform the spell. The more I tried, though, the brighter this mark grew. I stopped trying after a while..."

"Silent Breeze..." Arcanis began.

"Maybe that's it! The marking symbolizes my affinity to the shadows. It would make sense for it to be identical to the one on Queen Arcanis... Queen Arcanis..." He stood and bowed. "The greatest years of my life were spent here in Araiyah, under the greatest ruler I've ever known. I hope the rest of my life can be as good... I'm going to miss you." Arcanis thought for a moment, then materialized a dark band. Engraved in it was a pair of electric blue wings. She smiled and put the band on his front right leg. "... W-What's this?"

"Whenever you feel the need to see me again, just speak the words of unity, and I'll appear. I wish you nothing but the best... Goodbye." She levitated him up to her, then looked at everypony else. "...Oh, come here!" As she spoke these words, she levitated everypony and brought them all to her, embracing all of them at once. Darkness engulfed the group. When it faded, they were back at Araiyah's borders, on the same path they had came from. Dream Walker was standing behind Queen Arcanis, while the others were all together in front of her. "It has been a pleasure having you in my city. Farewell." Applejack had a grin on her face as the group walked down the path.

"Whew! Wasn't that just the funnest trip ever? Aside from the part where I thought you two were gonna get rid of us... But, hey! We all got something out of it! Right, y'all?"

"Yeah!" Breeze rose his right hoof. Steel Shield, wearing the guard's helmet, laughed. Twilight was too busy reading the spell book to respond. Steel Shield suddenly stopped laughing and turned to her.

"Hold on, what did you get out of this?" he asked. Applejack stepped close to Breeze.

"Why, Breeze is back to normal... Uh, kinda back to normal! That's all I need." Breeze smiled.

"You don't gotta hear me complain about it anymore, that's for sure."

"Yeah, that's a plus. But that ain't why I'm happy the curse is undone for the most part. I'm happy cause you're happy! It pains me to see you walkin' around all mopey and such. So, please, be happy... For me." She nuzzled his neck, causing him to blush. "On top of that, now I can tell when you're blushin', which means you can't lie to me about it!" Twilight looked up from the spell book.

"Silent Breeze, I'm really interested in these 'words of unity'. Care to share them with me?" Breeze chuckled, his dreads blowing in the wind.

"May the wings of Araiyah carry you to paradise."

Author's Note

Stick around for useless information about the story :twilightsmile:

So, there are a couple of things about Hex that I feel the need to share...

If any of you are wondering about the significance behind the words of unity, let me explain. Silent Breeze fled Araiyah due to the Crimson Butterfly Hex, an Araiyan hex. Having that knowledge, one can say that, in a way, Araiyah carried him off. He flew to Equestria, where he met the others. Now, check the words again.

"May the wings of Araiyah carry you to paradise."

Leaving Araiyah due to Dream Walker's hex is what allowed him to find Equestria, his paradise.

As for the significance behind this saying being referred to as the words of unity, well, he made friends. All of these friends banded together to help him undo the hex. United, if you will.

Apparently, Araiyah is a legitimate name, which I did not know while writing this.

Regarding the capital city, Teneventus, it combines the Latin words Tenebris, or "darkness," and Ventus, meaning "wind." Hence, "dark wind," or shadows. The capital city belongs to Queen Arcanis, who possesses an affinity to shadow magic.

Silent Breeze's line, "The marking symbolizes my affinity to the shadows..." is also a lie. The marking symbolizes a direct affinity to the queen herself.

Phoenix Flame, Silent Breeze's pseudonym, is actually a separate OC. He appears in many of my stories, such as Childhood and Guardian.

Steel Shield is a night guard that takes orders from Celestia, rather than Luna.

If it wasn't clear enough, Silent Breeze has trust issues.

Silent Breeze's way of talking changes occasionally in the story. See if you can find a pattern :pinkiesmile:

In the original draft, Silent Breeze was the queen's student, the curse was supposed to be transferred to Steel Shield, and Steel Shield was supposed to talk to Twilight about becoming her personal guard.

In Secrets Unbound, the voice in Silent Breeze's head belongs to Dream Walker. His mind made her more malevolent than she really is; this is evident in Crimson Butterfly.

Swift Leaf, who first appears in Equinox, is the avatar of Autumn. His design is very, very similar to Silent Breeze's. Oops :twilightblush:

A'ight, if you got any questions, just ask.

Darkness Falls pt.2

The sun set as Breeze and the others sat in a clearing, the crate resting in the center, under Steel Shield's hooves. Breeze was standing close by while Twilight and Applejack were looking for a safer trail.

"We're supposed to be heading north, right?" Applejack asked.

"Yeah!" Breeze shouted back. "Anyway, you think we should open this sometime soon?" he asked Steel Shield.

"Yeah. Not now, though. Later on. I don't wanna wait too long; might not be as useful as we think." Breeze nodded once.

"Right. Later. Let's say... next clearing we hit?"

"Sound's good... You know, Silent Breeze, I'm really glad we decided when to open this box. It's nice to have a plan." Steel Shield looked down at the crate, then to the sky. The sky was fading from orange to black. "Sun's heading down. I think we should stay here for the night. We'll start again in the morning. Princess Twilight, have you two found a route we can take?" Applejack and Twilight strolled over to him.

"We have, sir. Judging from the hoofprints we found in the dirt, it seems like another pony has taken this path before. Silent Breeze, might you have come this way on your travel to Equestria?" Breeze was attempting to craft a makeshift bed out of leaves. He glanced their way.

"Probably. I can't remember many details. All I know is that Araiyah is north of here. If we happen to run into a guard when we get there or something, I, being Araiyan-born, can get us in... Unless it's a new recruit. Then we might have a problem." He stood. "I'd explain more, but we need as much sleep as we can get. Yo, Steel Shield, you think this area's safe enough?"

"It should be. We aren't that deep in. Let's get to sleep soon, though. If on the off-chance that anything goes wrong, it'd be better if we weren't all exhausted." Twilight looked around.

"To be on the safe side, we should have somepony keep watch. Sir, do you mind taking the first shift?" Steel Shield gave a salute.

"You can count on me, princess. Stay near the others, alright?" He stepped in front of her as she backed into Applejack. The two mares and Breeze, who threw the pile of leaves next to the crate, sat down. "I'll wake one of you up when I start to get tired. Who wants to take the next shift?" Twilight raised her hoof, but Breeze lightly pulled it back down.

"Forgive me, princess, but I think you should try to get as much sleep as you can. I'm a little familiar with this area, I think; I can take the next shift. You just rest, okay?" Twilight frowned.

"I... Alright." Twilight lied down on her side, pulling some of the leaves over her. Applejack fell back into the pile, resting her hooves behind her head and sighing in relief.

"You know, this leaf pile ain't half bad. I got the third shift if you need somepony to do it... Uh... What's your name again?" Steel Shield became visibly excited and stood up straight, a spark in his eyes.

"Sergeant Steel Shield, ma'am! 12th Division Royal Guard! If only Corporal Raging Bull was here, we could explain the-" Breeze waved to get his attention. "Yes, Silent Breeze?" He pointed to the moon, which now sat behind the trees. "Ah, yes. Right. You all should get to sleep." Breeze rested against the crate, in between Twilight and Applejack.

"Night, bro..." Breeze said, drifting off. An hour and a half passed by. Steel Shield stood still, occasionally looking back at his sleeping friends. He scanned the perimeter; there was nothing to be found.

"Alright, all clear..." he whispered to himself, glancing at the others one more. "All clear..." he repeated, taking a step towards them. I shouldn't worry about them. They can handle themselves. He brought his attention to Breeze. Silent Breeze... Thief of Araiyah. He's made this trip before. All by himself, at that... He chuckled, shifting his eyes to Applejack. And her... I don't know her all that well, but she seems like she knows her stuff. She definitely knew what to bring, at least. She'll be fine; I'm sure of it. Heck, she could probably save all our flanks if things go wrong. He smiled at her, then looked at Twilight. He thought for a moment. "Princess Twilight..." he said softly. She's a princess; she can handle this... Right? He sat down. "It'd be terrible if anything happened to her. I need to protect her as best as I can, in case we run into trouble. It is my duty as a royal guard. But... Wait..." The leaves in front of him shifted.

"Yo, chill." Breeze stood, the leaves falling off him and onto Twilight and Applejack. "What's got you so worried?" he questioned. Steel Shield jumped up.

"It's Princess Twilight." Breeze stepped forward.

"Yeah?" Steel Shield looked away.

"Well... I know she's capable of defending herself; she's a princess, after all, but still... She's a princess. She shouldn't have to. Somepony should be keeping her safe," he explained. "Don't you agree?"

"I hear you; she needs a guard, even if she can hold her own. I talked with her about this when she asked me to help test a counter-spell, but we never finished our conversation. I was just about to go out and find a guard for her, too." Steel Shield raised an eyebrow.

"A guard for Princess Twilight, you say? Well, who did you have in mind?" Breeze laughed, patting him on the back.

"Who do you think?" he answered.

Both stallions laughed, then looked at the crate. "You know... I kinda wanna open it right now, just to see what's inside." Steel Shield shook his head.

"Nah, mate. Next clearing, like you said." Breeze placed a hoof on the top. "Besides, I still haven't figured out how I'm gonna get it open yet. I've got an idea, but..." He began to trail off.

"Why don't we try that idea out? If it works, we get to see what's inside. If it doesn't, well, we'll know that's not the way to open a crate. Come on, bro!" He grinned.

"Like we agreed on, next clearing. It'll only be a few hours from now." Breeze groaned. He sat back down, stroking his chin with his hoof. After a few seconds, he pointed at Steel Shield.

"Yo, why don't we just take the crate to the next clearing right now?" he asked. Steel Shield's eyes narrowed.

"Yeah, yeah... We never said we had to wait until morning..." Suddenly, he gasped. "Wait! We can't just leave these two here!"

"You're right... We don't have to go far, then. If we hear anything, we can get back quickly."

"We wouldn't be at the next clearing, though... You know what? It doesn't matter. Help me with the crate." Together, he and Breeze lifted the crate, setting it down again along the path a few feet from the clearing. Steel Shield grabbed a rock and slammed it into the crate's top, breaking it.

"Yo, that worked perfectly. One more time." As he said this, a cloud passed over the moon.

"It's too dark; I can't see the crate anymore!" A few fireflies floated around, revealing the area. "Oh. Well, that's convenient," he observed. "Alright..." Steel Shield picked up another rock. "Here we go!" He struck the top of the crate once more, creating a hole large enough for Breeze to reach in. The second time he hit the crate, Twilight was awoken by the sound.

"Silent Breeze? Steel Shield? Applejack, wake up. I heard something." Applejack grunted, turning away from her friend. "Applejack!"

"Get Breeze to deal with it, Twi..." she mumbled. Twilight shook her.

"That's just it! He and Steel Shield aren't here!" Applejack sat up, now paying full attention.

"Y'all serious? Well, we can't just be sittin' here by ourselves; let's go find 'em!" She and Twilight ran down the path. Inside the crate, Breeze retrieved a few saddlebags and a blanket.

"A'ight. You and Princess Twilight can have the saddlebags; we all can share the blanket. Turns out this crate was kinda useful after all." Steel Shield set his hoof down near the hole.

"Anything else left in there?" he asked. Breeze searched around the crate once more.

"Uh... Not much. Just a couple of notebooks." At this moment, Applejack and Twilight were approaching. They could see Steel Shield and Breeze, but not what was in front of them. Twilight stepped forward, but Applejack blocked her with her hoof.

"Hold up, Twi. They're talkin' about something. Let's listen." Twilight nodded, stepping back.

"Well, what should we do? Should we just get rid of them?" Steel Shield asked.

"... Yeah, I guess. Do we really need them?"

"Well, no... Yeah, you're right. We could do without them." Applejack and Twilight sat in the shadows, speechless.

"He... They actually..." Twilight began. Applejack shook her head.

"We gotta get back! Let's go!" Without thinking, the mares ran back to the clearing as fast as they could. Steel Shield looked up.

"Did you hear something?" he asked. Breeze looked around.

"I don't see anything. You might just be hearing things... Let's get back, just in case. I got the saddlebags and the blanket." The stallions gathered the contents of the crate together and strolled back. At the clearing, Applejack and Twilight sat in the leaf pile, out of breath and frightened.

"He's actually going through with it! And Steel Shield's in on it!" Applejack told Twilight.

"What do we do?" she asked. Applejack looked around.

"I... I don't know! I can't think of anything right now! We'll sleep on it, alright? I'll think of something in the morning!" She started to lie down, but Twilight grabbed her.

"No! We can't sleep right now! One of us has to stay awake so they don't try anything!" Twilight looked over her shoulder to see Breeze and Steel Shield approaching from the trees.

"Alright, you sleep, I'll take the next shift. Don't you worry." Applejack stood and greeted the two. "I got this shift if y'all wanna rest for a bit." Breeze dropped the spare saddlebags.

"I can take this shift." She stepped in front of him.

"Nah, I'm already up. You two look plum tuckered out; y'all need your rest. I got this one." She chuckled nervously, unsure if they would comply.

"... Alright, you can take this shift. If you get tired, Silent Breeze can take the next one. Good night." Steel Shield dropped into the pile of leaves. Breeze dragged the saddlebags over to the group and sat back down.

"Keep a good eye out for any signs of trouble, a'ight?" He lied down. "What am I saying; you know what to do..." The stallions slowly drifted off into sleep, leaving Applejack and Twilight awake with their fear and suspicion.