Insurgency: Fall of an Empire

Chapters

Prologue
Ponyville
Restraint
Smile

Prologue

...positively pink... positively pink... pink...pink...pink...

Ugh! Shut up! I hate pink!

I... I didn't know where I was. It was dark and misty and I'm pretty sure I could not feel my legs. I tried to move but... it was a weird feeling, just trust me. As I floated in this nothingness, I tried to think about what this dream could mean. And surely it was a dream, since reality rarely had this loopy feel to it. Except the one time Burn Out gave me those 'special' herbs to try out. Now that was a ride! But I don't think ate anything weird, so I'm pretty sure this was a dream. I'm pretty sure that I had read somewhere that dreams had meanings. Some subconscious desire unfulfilled or a deep rooted anxiety.

This time however, I couldn't see any meaning. I was lucid dreaming it seemed, since I was aware that this was a dream but I couldn't change anything that was happening. No conga lines of hot stallions or hammocks made of red licorice were showing up. How disappointing. Taking in a breath, I tasted stars. I know how weird that sounded but I swear that's what happened. I felt the heat and taste of stars travel down my throat. What do stars taste and feel like? Um...like stars? Look, I don't know what you want from me. I'm in a dream, floating in misty darkness and eating stars like candy and you want to know what they taste like?! Priorities, folks.

For example, my priority right now is myself, because those stars were trying to burn a hole through my stomach. I screamed, the heat forcing me to my knees. As I stared at the ground, I could see ripples beneath me. The ripples splashing about until the droplets detached from the surface and dropped back as flowers. I looked around and soon found myself in a field of flowers. They were beautiful, row after row of reds, blues and violets. Weirdly enough, I still couldn't see a sky. All I could see above me was pitch black darkness.

My heart raced as I stared up at the darkness, my heart thudding in my chest. It was like I was staring up at some greater being, a malevolent god hiding itself from me. Scared, I turned my gaze back to the surface, taking comfort in their beauty.

I leaned forward to take a whiff, but as I drew closer, white dots formed in my vision. I tried to blink them away, but they swiftly blinded me, taking with it the beautiful flowers and that foreboding darkness.

******

Soon, I started to regain feeling in my body. Starting from my rear hooves, I began to notice feeling of grass beneath me. The cool wind brushed my sides, sweeping my mane over my eyes. I still couldn't move my front hooves so I just rolled onto my back. Warmth spread over my stomach, making me smile. At least I think I did. I still couldn't feel my face completely.

I inhaled, loving the feeling of cool air in my lungs. It was the sweet taste of moisture. I was near a water source, how strange. Yawning, I was about open my eyes but the world seemed to catch up with me. The sounds of my surroundings exploded in my ear. Wind rustling in the leaves, water rushing over rocks and sounds of wildlife. But the most prominent noise was sounds of voices shouting. It was faint enough that I couldn't tell what was being said but the tones were harsh.

Ugh, was mom yelling at Heavy Metal again? Damn it, I was too tired for this shit. My brother really needed to get his shit together. Groaning groggily, I shut my eyes tighter, hoping that the darkness would shield me from all the noise. Unfortunately, the noise only got louder as time past. What the hell were they yelling about? They were grown ponies, not children. They shouldn't be acting like this. I should do something. Like, I don't know, wake up and get them to stop but... Ugh! That was so much work! I'd rather just lay here and-

A loud shout of distress interrupted my thought. That, that was new. Heavy wouldn't shout at anyone and mom, while she was one to shout and scream, that wasn't an angry shout. Which was what worried me. A bit concerned, I snapped my eyes open only to quickly shut them again. Damn it, the sun was bright!

I rolled onto my stomach, my hooves over my eyes. "Damn it! Fuck!" I growled, waiting for the white spots to disappear from my vision. "The princess really should warn folks when she raises the sun like that. I mean, its still night-" Just then, I realized that I wasn't in my bedroom. In fact, there were no houses around at all. Looking around, all I could see were trees and bushes. I probably should have realized this sooner, now that I think about it. The grass, the sun on my stomach, the wind. All seem to be pretty clear signs of being outdoors. My excuse: I was super tired. I know that sounds dumb but really, can you blame me? I doubt I'd have noticed being on a runaway train, let alone being outside. Give me a break.

Standing, I found my legs to be a bit wobbly. It took me a minute to regain the ability to stand but soon I was standing like a proper mare. Awesome. Mom would be so proud. Speaking of, the sounds of shouts had died down and gave me a chance to take a look around.

As stated before, I was in a forest. Nothing new on that front. The interesting part was that I couldn't recognize any of the plants. They were... strange, to be honest. At least, I think they were. It was super dark from where I was standing. Even though it was clearly the middle of the afternoon, the forest was darker than any other I'd ever seen. The only light that illuminated the area was the sunlight breaking through the canopy. Otherwise, it was fairly dark and eerie. It most certainly wasn't the Everfree forest but the quiet stillness creeped me out.

I walked around for a bit, trying to figure out where I was and how I got here. Just then, I saw the leaves fall from the tree tops and was astounded. They glittered in the sun light, making it look like it was raining gems. The sight transfixed me for a moment.

For just a moment, I forgot how lost and confused I was and ran about, chasing the leaves and blowing them up in the air before they hit the ground. Dead leaves and branches cracked under my hooves as I laughed openly.

Now I Know what you must all be thinking. 'How can you play around like that? You're in an unfamiliar place with no memories of how you got there. Shouldn't you be more concerned?' In my defense, this was a lot more fun than driving myself insane with concern. I might as well have some fun.

That, however, was soon put to an end when something slammed into me from the side and shoved me into the bushes. I fought with the attacker but it was too small. Shit, I cursed in my head as I tried to buck it off. It was surprisingly strong.

Eventually, I found myself on my stomach, a dark shape pushing down on my muzzle. From this position, it is possible for me to buck them off my back. The problem is, I'm weak as shit. I mean, I can't run a block let alone fight off this attacker. Damn my low stamina. Breathing through my nose, I glare at the hoof pressing down on my muzzle.

Wait? A hoof?

I must have spoken out loud because the pony on top of me pressed down harder. "Shut up! You'll get us caught!" A female voice hissed from above me. I stayed quiet, curious as to what this mare was going on about.

My question was soon answered, however, as I heard the sound of galloping. They were fairly quiet despite it sounding like they're were a lot of them. They ran past us, a look of determination on each face. The mysterious mare and I waited until they were clear out of sight before I shook her off. I doubt I actually got her off myself. With her strength, she had probably just jumped off. Bitch.

I walked out the bushes, looking around for any remaining guards before exiting completely. I was covered in dirt and leaves littered my tangled mane. Ugh, I could just hear mom nagging me about it.

A proper mare should take pride in their appearance, nag nag nag-

The crack of a branch broke through my thoughts. Flinching at the sound, I spun around to look back at my attacker. And then down. She was a short little thing, almost half my size. A super small earth pony mare with a glare that could peel bark off a tree. I'd swear she was a foal if not for the cutie mark on her flank. To be honest, she was kind of interesting to look at though. She was brown everywhere. Her coat, her mane and even her eyes. It was like she was a pony painted in several shades of brown. It was actually very pretty in a way. Then she had to ruin it by talking.

"Who the fuck are you?!" She demanded, stomping. As stated before, her glare was enough to almost make me give in. Almost.

"Huh?" Was my response. I was still pissed about the unwanted piggy back ride but her question threw me. What? No apology or explanation?

"I asked you who the fuck you are." She clarified, sneering at me. "What? Are you deaf on top of being stupid?" She mocked. I grit my teeth, pissed off even more. This little...

"Oi, how about you introduce yourself first before demanding my identity." I retorted, glaring down at her. "You tackle me, insult me and then expect me to meekly let you screw me over by treating me like I'm stupid? Fuck you." I growled, stomping my hoof. Her ears did a weird droopy thing. Her left ear fell but the right one stopped mid way before following the other. Interesting. I thought, watching her. She took a step back but quickly recovered. I guess she wasn't used to others talking back to her.

"Giving my name out would be too risky. Especially since I don't know who you are." She stated, glaring up at me with deep amber eyes that burned with annoyance. "I know everypony in this area, citizen and guard." Her eyes narrowed, suspicion burning in her gaze. "But you? You are a new face. So you can't be from around here. Hence my question. " She explained, talking like I was an idiot. I fumed.

"If you won't introduce yourself then I won't either." I retorted coolly, rolling my eyes. This was getting old and I was no closer to figuring out where I was or why. Letting out a breath, I turned away, walking off cause I was bored.

"Huh?... H-hey, where are you going?!" She growled, cutting me off before I could escape. "I didn't dismiss you yet." She stated, staring up at me. I cocked a brow. She was surprisingly bossy for a small mare. You'd think she'd be shy or something but no. She was a grade A bitch on wheels.

"Dismiss me?" I echoed, staring down at her coolly. "I ain't your subordinate nor am I your slave. I am a pony you attacked, insulted and interrogated like a criminal before even stating your name. I'm not going to let you push me around like this, you runt." I stated, pushing her aside. Strangely, she was very easy to push aside. I started to walk past her before she called out again.

"Wait!" I turned back, gazing at the small earth pony. Her short cropped mane hiding half her face. She was pouting. No, more like grimacing. She really looked like a foal just then. "A-are you really a unicorn?" She asked, looking away.

I stared at her in shock. Was she serious? I looked away, trying to think of some other context I might have missed. Nope, couldn't think of one. She was serious. As such, I responded in the most eloquent and sagely of answers.

"Huh?"

The mare growled, stomping her hoof. "Do you respond to everyone like that? 'Huh'?" She mocked, scowling. "I swear, you filly's are always way too distracted by stupid things." She huffed, sounding so much like mom.

"You're the one asking me stupid shit like, 'am I really a unicorn'?" I retorted, shaking my head in annoyance. "Should I prove I'm a mare too? That I'm a pony?!" Dear Celestia, I hate talking to folks like this. They acted like everyone else was a idiot. Not the kind of shit I wanted to deal with right now.

"I just-." She started but stopped all of a sudden, her ears springing up. Before I could even think of asking her what she was about to say, I felt something slam into my side, knocking me off my hooves. Gasping, I watched as the brown mare stared down at me while I fell. Rolling, I tried to catch myself but I kept on tripping on something or other. I tried to scream but the breath was knocked out of me every time I hit the ground. Every other second, I would see the clear blue sky, only for it to be followed up by blurry images of grass, dirt and pain.

The good news was that I landed somewhere soft. The bad news was that it was mud.

The mud was deep and thick, almost choking me as I struggled to regain my footing. Unfortunately, the thick mass not only blinded me but it seemed to be trying to suck me into it. Shit, was it quick sand? I tried to relax myself so as to not sink faster but my heart was pounding with panic and couldn't help but flail about.

"Hey, what's that over there?!" A voice, female, called out. I tried to respond but my mouth was soon filled with muck. As I attempted to spit it all out, I felt hooves, two pairs of them, grab my forelegs and drag me out. Gasping, I relaxed as I felt solid ground beneath me. Somepony patted me on the back as I coughed up whatever I had swallowed. The mud stuck to my coat like paint and it weighed me down a little. Collapsing onto my stomach, I tried to catch my breath.

"Do you think she's alright?" A different female voice asked, this one sounding young. Not a foal but definitely not a full grown mare. "She won't die, right, Doc?"

There was a moment of silence before another voice spoke out. "She's breathing, so I'm pretty sure shes going to be fine." The familiar voice answered, sounding closer. Her voice was cool but soothing. Like an ice pack on a fevered head. I relaxed as she patted me on the back. "I'm really glad you're alright." She said, addressing me now. "The wormwood mud spring usually kills those who fall in like that. You really must be more careful, young one."

Still catching my breath, I turned toward the sound of her voice. "I'll... keep that in mind next time I fall down a hill." I muttered, a bit snarkily. Not the most polite response but I couldn't not say it. Sighing, I continued. "I mean... Thank you for saving me. Really, thank you." I panted, remaining on the ground. I was way too tired push my mane out of my eyes. But someone else did. When my mane was pushed back onto my head, I wiped my eyes and looked onto the faces of my saviors.

Bright green eyes. That's what I saw first. This pony stared straight into my soul. I jumped back. The pony before me was definitely young, probably no more than 14. She was a orange earth pony mare with a pale yellow mane. Her mane was short and curly, surrounding her happy face like flower petals.

"Hi!" She cried cheerfully, grinning like a child with a new toy. "My name is Petal Dancer! I'm the one who spotted you and I called Ms Breeze to help you out. I would have done it by myself but I'm not as strong as her and she said that I'd only mess things up if I-"

A light blue hoof reached over and covered Petal Dancer mouth. The mare spoke a mile a minute so I could barely understand her. Curious, I turned to the mare beside me who sighed and shook her head at the younger pony. The older mare, possibly in her mid to late 40's, was light blue with a long white mane. Her eyes drooped in a strange way, making her look like she was always half awake. Her eyes were pale blue, which kind was kind of creepy. They made her look like she was either blind or dead. The pony I assumed was Ms Breeze turned to me with a motherly smile.

"I'm sorry. Little petal is a bit... enthusiastic whenever we meet someone new. Though, that doesn't happen often." The mare explained, patting the filly on the head. Petal Dancer rolled her eyes, pouting. "I'm Arctic Breeze. What is your name, young one?" She asked with sweet smile.

I stared at them, raising an eyebrow at them. These two seemed nice. Petal was annoyingly talkative but that wasn't entirely bad and Arctic seemed to hold her own. They didn't look like bad ponies. Then again, neither had the last mare I'd met, though she attacked me first and these two had saved me. After some deliberation, I decided to trust them, but warily. They haven't done anything to me yet. If and when they do, I'll deal with it then.

"Sonata. Moonlight Sonata." I replied, lifting my head off the ground. They both nodded, though they shared a confused look at my name. Perhaps they had never heard a name like that. Fair enough. "Quick question, do you know where am I? I don't know how I got here and that bothers me a lot but I'm a bit more concerned with-" I was interrupted by Arctic hold up a hoof for me to stop. Her ear twitched as she seemed to be listening out for something. She scowled.

"Petal!" She called out, turning to the young mare wandering about. She had several plants in her mouth. "Finish collecting the herbs and pack up. We're leaving. Now." The orange mare saluted, dropping the plant's in her saddlebags. Arctic turned back to me, holding out a hoof. I took it, cocking a brow.

"Is something wrong?" I asked, letting her help me up. The mud stuck to my coat like paint and it felt disgusting on my coat whenever I moved. Moreover, the sludge was greenish grey rather than brown. I didn't know if that worried me or relieved me more.

Petal dancer raced over to us, her saddlebags filled with what I assumed was herbs. "We're all set, Doc." She reported, grinning happily. "The Jumping Beans are the only thing were missing but we can find them later." She stated, shrugging. Jumping beans? What the hay were jumping beans? I was about the ask but Arctic Breeze chose that moment to pull me onto my hooves. For an older mare, she was much stronger than she looked.

Or maybe I was just really light. That was a possibility too.

"Please don't concern yourself, Ms Sonata." Arctic stated, reaching up to pat my head but pulling away before making contact. It must have been a mess. I could feel the stickiness hit my scalp as my mane was piled up on my head. Even I didn't want to touch it. "It's just that it isn't safe to be in the woods like this."

Not safe? I thought back to the group of ponies that were running around and that strange brown mare I'd met just moments before. The one that pushed me off a cliff. Scowling, I stood up straight and started walking. Petal Dancer pranced over to my left while Arctic Breeze walked beside me on my right. I guess that they wanted to be there to catch me if I toppled over. That was nice.

We walked in silence, which was boring as hell to be honest. Really, I wanted to talk about something but I couldn't think of anything. These two were strangers. Nice but considering the last pony I met, - the one who pushed of a fucking cliff! - I couldn't say much to these mares.

As such, I tried to piece together my memories of before I woke up in the forest. Yet every time I tried to, I felt a nagging pain in my head. As if something was punishing me for daring to try and remember. The only thing my mind could grasp on to were those two stupid words. Positively Pink.

Shuddering, I shook my head to clear it. I really hated that color. It was a stupid color and one my status as a mare should never have to be associated with. I was so caught up in my thoughts, I barely noticed what was happening around me.

"You're so mean, Ms Sonata!" Petal sniffed, wiping something off her face. Blinking, I turned to see Petal Dance crying. Oh, shit what had happened?! I turned to Arctic but she just shook her head. "You hate me, don't you?!"

"Wait, what?!"

"You do? I knew it!" She sobbed, falling to the ground. Tears ran down her face. "You must! You splattered wormwood mud on me. Now my mane and coat are all dirty!"

I looked her over. Other than a little stain on her coat, she was the same as she was before. In fact, she was still covered head to toe in dirt from whatever the two of them had been doing before. I looked over at Arctic incredulously. Seriously? I mouthed, gesturing to the sobbing teen. Arctic shrugged and moved on, apparently used to this. I, however, wasn't. What the shit was I supposed to do? Leave her?

"U-um... I'm sorry?" I said, unsure as to why she was reacting like this. You'd think I had smacked her or something. "I don't hate you, okay?"

Petal Dancer stared at me for a moment and then beamed, apparently forgetting that she had been offended seconds before. "Well, as long as you didn't mean to say you hated me." She sighed, looking relived. I hadn't even said I did. I said nothing! "I'd hate it if you hated me. I want you to like me." She said, blushing a bit as she hopped past me. It was then that I noticed her cutiemark. A party popper exploding multicolored confetti. Ah, that explained a bit. Party ponies were always weird.

Now that the disaster of my apparent and literal mudslinging was over, I felt that talking would be the best distraction. "So, where is this? I know I'm in a forest but none of these trees look familiar." This question got me perplexed expressions. What? What had I said?

"This place if called Fair Valley." Arctic answered, looking around. I did too.

"But it's a forest." I pointed out. "Not really that much of a valley, is it?" Petal snickered at this, stopping only when Arctic gave her a scolding look.

"Yes, but it used to be. But then, according to old mares tales, a fire broke out, razing it to the ashes. The ponies living here at the time had apparently decided to help the land recover, so they planted trees from various lands here. " She said, digging at the ground. "Perhaps the trees cross pollinated and made these... results." She explained, looking unconvinced. I was equally so.

"But you forgot to mention the reason for the fire, Ms Breeze." Petal added, grinning brightly.

"Reason?" I echoed, cocking an unseen brow.

"Petal, don't-" Petal continued without stopping to listen to what Arctic was about to say.

"It was because a monster set fire to the world." She explained cheerfully. "The monster ruled over the land for hundreds of years but our Divine Princess defeated him. He set the world on fire as revenge but the Princess-"

"Petal Dancer!" Arctic shouted, stunning the both of us. I stared at the older mare, worried about the cold look in her eyes. Letting out a breath, she stared at the ground and continued to walk. "Don't bore Moonlight with such silly tales. That monster never existed. It was just a very hot season. Droughts and all that. Don't confuse newcomers with such tales of fancy." She stated, not looking back.

The two of us, Petal dancer and I, stood there for a while, stunned. I didn't think I could get scared of any old mare except for my mom but her... She wasn't called Arctic Breeze for nothing.

"I'm sorry." Petal mumbled. I turned to see the poor teen looking dejected, like she'd disappointed somepony close. I wasn't t sure if she was apologizing to me or Arctic but I felt the need to ask.

"Why?"

Petal looked around nervously. "I'm not supposed to talk about the... monster." She explained, hanging her head. "We're not even allowed to mention his name, let alone that story. I could get us all in real trouble if I... Never mind!" She shook her head rapidly and ran off to catch up with Arctic.

So there I was, alone once more. Should I continue to follow them? I really had to wonder if that was for the best. I really was curious about this monster but I doubted they'd tell me. For whatever reason, they didn't want to talk about it. Was it like the tale of Nightmare Moon? A mares tale that filled one with guilt? And if so, who was the guilty one?

Either way, I couldn't stick around here. The forest was no place for a nice pony like me. There were mini mares pushing ponies off cliffs (I knew it was just a hill but it felt like a cliff as I was falling), mysterious groups of ponies running about and the most important factor, it was an unknown. I didn't recognize anything about this forest but if it was anything like what I heard the Everfree was like, being alone was a terrible idea.

Running after them, I soon caught up with Arctic and Petal. I had apparently missed some kind of discussion, since Arctic stopped mid-sentence to look back at me. Petal looked sad, her eyes a bit red from hastily wiped tears while Arctic looked way sadly, like she was just as hurt as Petal. I wanted to ask but I realized that my questions had caused enough problems for today.

"I'm sorry about all that drama, Moonlight. It's just..." She didn't continue, her eyes darting toward one of the trees. Grimacing, she continued walking, her steps a bit more brisk than before. "We have to get moving." She ordered.

Petal stared after Arctic before turning back to me. "We should get going, Ms Sonata." She said, her voice not as cheerful as before. Still, she smiled, trying to reassure me I think. "It'll be easier to talk once you're all cleaned up." I nodded, following behind them. The atmosphere was a lot more tense than before. Arctic walked ahead of us and Petal lurked behind the older mare, hanging her head. The awkward silence was deafening, especially since the forest was not one for comforting noises. I couldn't identify half the sounds I heard. The only consistent sound was the sound of our hooves and the crackles from me. The mud was now dry and flaking off, leaving behind a dusty residue. It was gross. I really hoped it wouldn't take too long to get to town.

*****

A hour later, we arrived at the outskirts of the forest. I was exhausted, panting as if I'd ran here. After about five or so minutes of walking, I was sweating and gasping for air. This forced Petal and Arctic to slow down for me. Clearly, they were concerned but didn't stop them from teasing me about it. All the way to town.

"I can't wait to tell my friends about this. A mare who walks for five minutes collapses with exhaustion" Petal laughed, on the floor banging a hoof on the floor. "I mean, seriously? What kind of life have you lived where you don't walk even that much?

"Now now, Petal, that is no way to talk to your elders." She gently scolded, snickering behind her hoof. "Some ponies are just not as... athletic as you or I." Her voice caught at the last part, referencing the fact that she had to carry me up a small incline when my legs could no longer carry me.

So there I stood between them, scowling fiercely. So I wasn't that athletic. So what!? Not everyone could be as strong as Arctic. I pointed this out to them, to which Arctic replied with "While that may be true, I would hope somepony half my age would be able to walk up a hill without collapsing into a heap." Other ponies could be pricks. I thanked my lucky stars that the mud made my blush of embarrassment invisible to them. Perhaps my mud bath did have some perks.

The two walked ahead, laughing at my expense. Apparently, this aspect of my being was so hilarious, they could talk about it for quite some time. Despite the slight indignation over being laughed at, I couldn't help but smile. At the very least, they had cheered up. Arctic was smiling sweetly as Petal was bounced over toward the welcome sign.

"Welcome to Ponyville." I read under my breath at the same time as Petal exclaimed the same words. She looked ecstatic to be back. Arctic looked serene, like she could care less. I was confused. Cause I was pretty sure Ponyville didn't have a welcome sign. Nor did it look like this. The houses were designed differently, I think and...

"Ms Sonata?! Are you coming or what?!" Petal Dancer called out, some distance from me. Wow, she could hop really far. Or perhaps I had just stopped walking when I saw the town. The latter made more sense.

"Did you get tired again, Moonlight?" Arctic teased, smiling. "Do you want me to carry you over?" She offered, gesturing to a small rock in front of me. "I see that rock in front of you and I don't want you to overexert yourself, deary!" I scowled and stuck my tongue out at her. I know, very mature but damn it! I wasn't that weak! I did, however, walk around the rock, since I could trip on it. Definitely not because she said I should.

The two mares shared a jovial look and walked ahead into town. I jumped as they walked out of sight. Shit, they can't leave me out here alone!

"Hey!? Wait up!" I called out, awkwardly running after them. Just as my front hooves hit the pavement, a chill ran through me. As if someone was watching me. Skidding to a stop, I looked around but I couldn't find the source. The forest looked so foreboding, even after leaving its depths. Like it had been wanting to capture me and I had only just managed to escape from its grasp. The darkness loomed, and while I couldn't see anyone, I knew I was being watched, so I stared back, my heart racing.

Which of us would give in first? Me or it?

Apparently me, since Arctic's calls for me distracted me enough to look away. Reassuring her, I turned back to the forest but the moment was over. While the darkness remained, the eyes that had been watching me had left. Still an unknown.

Stomping with frustration, I pushed my mane back again, even though the mud had solidified it to my head. "Tsk, I hate unknowns." I grumbled, turning and walked toward the town. Just as I passed the Welcome to Ponyville sign, I could swear I heard the wind whisper back.

I hate you too.

Ponyville

I was born of a earth pony mare and a Pegasus stallion. This might not seem like something that is important, but it is. Anyway, Mom and Papa were very different so the way they raised me and my siblings differed greatly. Mom was strict, demanding and always telling us to be our best. Papa was cool, relaxed and let us decide how our lives would go. It's because of papa that I am the way I am, in more ways than one. Papa told me once that he had met mom when he was a foal in Ponyville back when Princess Twilight lived there, sometime before her castle apparently appeared out of nowhere (he never really explained how that worked but apparently, it just did). As the romantic he was, Papa would often take me and my siblings to Ponyville to retell the tale of meeting the 'lovely' Smooth Jazz in the humble town. It was because of these frequent visits that I knew something was off.

Ponyville was different.

That was the first thought I had as I strolled through the streets with Arctic and Petal. The buildings were designed differently and the roads were considerably wider. And pink for some reason. Weird, considering most stones used for road pavement weren't that color but there was more pressing matters. For one thing, I couldn't recognize a single store or pony anywhere. Where was that weird sofa place where I saw the nicest quill on sale? I kept waiting for something familiar to appear but nothing. Not a single one looked familiar. The buildings were strange as well. They were shaped not so much like houses but like toys. A windmill looking building with stars and stuff. A cupcake... There was even a building that looked like a bottle of whiskey, slightly tipped to the side as if somepony was about to drink it. What the hay?

Granted, I hadn't been here in at least a couple years, to see some festival with windys or something but that hadn't been that long ago. Surely a town couldn't change that much in such a short amount of time, right? Fear crept into my heart before I pushed it down. I was just over thinking it, that's all. Towns change all the time and maybe all those ponies I met before were elsewhere. Completely plausible.

"So what were you guys doing out there anyway?" I asked, tired of the silence and my thoughts. While I still had questions about the town, I had more questions I wanted answered. The changes in Ponyville could wait. Even though something within me insisted I continue trying to figure out where I was and why I was in the forest before. But I really didn't like where those thoughts might lead.

“Out where?” Arctic gave me a look, one a mother usually gave her foal when they were asking questions that they didn’t want to get into at that moment.

“That Fair Valley place.” I answered, grimacing at the name again. I still didn’t like that name. A forest should be called a forest, not a damn valley. You know what? I’ll think of a better name for it later, I decided. That name was stupid. I continued on. "That place doesn't seem to be all that safe."

"What makes you say that?" Arctic asked, looked over at me. Her eyes had a knowing glint to it. She was studying me. Was there something she expected from me? How interesting.

"Ya'll seemed to be in a bit... of a rush to leave." I replied, smiling back at her. She cocked a brow. Apparently, that was not the response she was expecting. "That and you did say as much before, remember?"

"Ah, yes well..." Arctic looked away but Petal picked up the conversation.

"That's because my mom will get all pissy if I don't get home soon." Petal dancer stated, butting in. "Mom wanted Ms Breeze to teach me how to be a florist, like her." She grumbled, scowling. She sounded very much like the average teen just then. "'Do this, Petal Dancer! Do that, Petal Dancer. You're name is Petal for a reason, you know.'" She mimicked, putting on a plastic smile.

I know what that was like. The constant nagging, the pressure. All piled up until you failed and then there's the disappointment. It wasn't pleasant for anyone. My own experience with such pressure probably wasn't as bad as hers though. Being a teacher, Mom was always a bit stricter than most parents. If fact, I'm pretty sure she was born scowling considering that I could not really remember a time she smiled. It was a shame since mom was such a pretty mare, even as old as she is now. The only time I recalled her smiling was when she was with papa and since he...

No! No thinking about Papa!

"I-I'm guessing you don't feel the same way?" I inferred, forcing a small smile. As we continued walking, the town’s ambient noise calmed my nerves a bit. It wasn't the loud bustle and noise of Manehatten but it was enough to drive my darker thoughts away. I looked around, letting my heart slow to a steady rhythm. This is why I never liked small towns. They were way too quiet for my taste. They refused to drown my thoughts.

Not noticing my change in mood, the teen stomped a hoof and glared ahead, as if the object of her rage was just before her. "Of course I don't!" She fumed. "I mean, I like hanging out with Ms Breeze cause she's cool and fun, despite being old and all." This earned her a glare from our companion, in which Petal just smiled sweetly. She continued as if nothing had been said. "I love learning about the plants and helping her but I don't want to be a florist.” She whined, looking close to tears. “That’s mom’s job. What I want-"

"To be a party pony, right?" I finished for her, smiling. She reminded me of a party pony I'd once met in Canterlot. While he wasn't as loud as what I’d heard most were like, his energy and optimism warmed the heart of anypony he met. Even if he was a bit annoying, he was also very amusing. She had that same energy about her. She, however, looked at me, utterly perplexed.

"Party pony?" She echoed, frowning. Arctic shared the expression.

"Is that an occupation where you come from?" Arctic asked, cocking a brow.

"Ya'll are kidding, right?" I asked, looking them both over. They blinked back. Were they serious? How could they not know what a party pony was? Sure, it wasn't a high paying job (or a paying job at all, now that I thought about it.) but it was a well known one. Party ponies were all over Equestria. "Haven't you guys ever had a pony throw a party for you? I mean, your cutiemark is a party popper, right?"

Petal looked back at her flank, the small party popper gracing her coat, held such a meaning. She apparently didn't know what the mark had meant. I knew that feeling. Petal blushed again, digging at the ground. She looked like she wanted to say something but Arctic interrupted. "It doesn't matter. Petal Dancer will be a florist, just like her mother." She stated coldly. Her tone left no room for argument. I opened my mouth to protest but Petal just shook her head.

"She's right." She whispered, smiling sadly. "Mom's job was chosen for her. As will mine. She was just lucky enough that she actually liked the job.” Chosen for her? By who? And why force this poor mare to go into a job she clearly had no interest in? Maybe it was none of my business but no mother should force her daughter into her hoof steps. I opened my mouth to protest such a thing but Arctic cut me off before I could utter a word.

“Anyway, let’s get off this subject.” She insisted, smiling motherly. “I want to know more about you, Moonlight.” Did she now? Weird that she only chose to ask about me now that I was about to bring the previous subject back up. I didn’t buy that she wanted to know jack all about me but I realized I couldn't pursue the subject right then. Later then.

“What do you want to know?”

“Everything!” Petal cried out, regaining her energy once more, grinning at me. “I’ve never met anypony from anyplace besides Ponyville. Sometimes we get the odd New Unicornian but you can’t be from there.”

“I see." I muttered, not understanding at all. New Uni-what? Was that some other country? No, wait! One question at a time, Moonlight. I'll just add it to the list. The long, ever expanding list. "And why can’t I be from this New Uniconica?”

“Unicornia!” Petal corrected, rolling her eyes much like a teen. “And you can’t be from New Unicornia. It’s a Unicorn only city and we earth ponies can’t go anywhere near that place.” She explained, as if this was common knowledge.

A Unicorn only city?! What in Equestria was this filly going on about? There was no cities like that. Was there? Moreover, why was she saying ‘we’ earth ponies. I wasn’t-

We had just past some store whose window was decorated with garish, overly decorated hats.I absently walked over to get a closer look and jumped at the sight of my own reflection. Oh, sweet Celestia, was that me!? I was colored puke green with an equally green mane. Said mane was pushed up and swirled about my head like soft serve ice cream. My horn was hidden from sight and without it, I really did look like an Earth pony.

Arctic stepped up beside me and patted me on the shoulder. At long last, the mud had dried enough that touching me wasn’t like pulling at Velcro. The downside, I didn’t look anything like myself. I had no idea how I should have felt about that.

Seeing the concern in my eyes, Arctic smiled at me and pushed me to keep walking. “Don’t worry, darling, we’ll get that stuff off you soon enough.” She assured, leading me through the street. At that moment, I noticed all the looks I was getting. Kind of rude, since they didn’t even turn away when our eyes met. Then again, I was currently puke green with a mane styled like soft serve so I was bound to catch a few eyes. Besides, I’d be clean soon.

“So…” I drawled, following the older mare. “How do you plan on getting this stuff off, anyway? This shit is kind of a hassle.”

“Language, young filly!” Arctic scolded, giving me a look. I gave the look right back. Right. Arctic, while kind of cool, was still older than me. I don’t get why ponies are so offended by cursing. Its completely normal and yet we act like there are foals watching us all the damn time. Still, Arctic had been nothing but kind to me. It would be rude to treat her like I would anyone else who told me to clean up my mouth.

“Sorry” I sighed, rolling my eyes. I could tell that she knew I wasn’t really sorry but she just shook her head at me, apparently accepting my feelings on the matter. See? Cool mare.

“Anyway,” she continued on, smiling indulgently as we continued walking. “I’ll have to stop by a friends home to gather the ingredients before we can get that stuff off of you.”

“And then we can finally see you and your cutiemark!” Petal burst out into a cheer, excited beyond measure that the thought.

“My cutiemark?” I looked back at my flank and as implied, my mark was covered. Usually, a pony would feel naked without their mark, being unable to show the world their special talent. But me? I felt nothing. I really had no connection to that mark. It meant nothing to me because it meant nothing. It never did... “It really isn’t that interesting.” I sighed, turning back to them with a weary expression.

“What are you saying!?” The orange filly gasped. “A cutiemark is everything. It tells the world who you are.”

I snorted at this, rolling my eyes in annoyance. That's what everyone said, isn't it? They always told me how meaningful a cutiemark was when I was a foal but I didn’t buy it. “Yeah, but mine doesn't.” I grumbled, getting a bit annoyed. I really didn’t like talking about this. “It has nothing to do with who I am or what I’m good at.”

“Who are you then?” Arctic asked, looking honestly curious and confused. It was the only reason I didn’t just ignore her. “If your mark doesn’t define you, what does?”

“Huh?” This seemed to be my word of the day. How many times did this make? 5? Five ‘huh’s? I think that was about right. Shit, I had to keep my head straight or else ponies here might think I'm stupid or something. “Well, I do…” I answered, not sure as to what I was supposed to say to that. “I mean, there's a lot of things I’m good at and like to do but my mark isn’t in anyway connected to them.” I explained but they just stared at me, like I was some kind of foreign creature or something.

"Like?" Arctic pressed, staring me down. What was up with her? Why was she so anal about this?

"Like... reading and stuff." I answered, feeling a bit nervous now. There was a lot of things I liked but what could I say now? I did like reading. I loved it in fact. There was nothing more exciting than curling up with a good or even trashy book. From the encyclopedia of magical technology to the trashy romance between a 'normal' mare and a changeling prince, the world expanded and became ever larger though the written word. But few understood that about books. They never believed me and just thought I was lazy. I mean I was but that doesn't mean there isn't something deeper to reading than just that.

After a long minute of silence, Petal spoke. "You're weird, Ms Sonata." She said, shaking her head in that foalish kind of way, the way a foal would when realizing their parent couldn't understand their imaginary friend. I was used to this. My cutiemark, a full moon half hidden by two white clouds, always confused ponies. It confused me. It was a weird mark, to be honest. To this day, I still have no idea what it means. For a while, I actually thought it meant I could lift the moon like Princess Luna. Boy, was that a interesting weekend. I thought, laughing at the memory.

*****

The conversation continued on in a fairly normal matter. I had to tell them my life story, which was dull but they seemed interested enough. It, at the very least, kept my mind off my surroundings for a little while. The town was painted in several shades of pinks, blues and every other color. The ponies were all working, smiles on their faces and sweat on their brows. The only weird part was, and I'm not some kind of unicorn supremacist or anything, but the town was filled entirely with earth ponies. I had been lead around the town for at least an hour and I had yet see a single unicorn or Pegasus around. In fact, the sky was clear of any Pegasi. Though we Manehattenites rarely think about the weather, to not see even one Pegasi was weird. Weirder still is the reaction I got when I asked about this.

"Unicorns?" Petal echoed, looking at me as I had just suggested that the moon was made of taffy or something. "Why would there be any unicorns in Ponyville?"

"Why not?" I retorted, curious.

"I can't imagine a unicorn wanting to come here." Arctic stated, shaking her head. "New Unicornia is a much nicer place than Ponyville."

"Ponyville isn't that bad!" Petal protested. She turned to me, a proud glint in her green eyes as she spoke. "We here in Ponyville have the important duty of serving our kingdom in the various ways you see around us, Ms Sonata." I looked around, only seeing the ponies milling about and buying stuff. I don't know what she was talking about but she clearly believed that something big was happening so I let her continue. "We, us measly earth ponies, have been blessed with a important role from our Divine Princess!" She cheered, smiling brighter than before. She looked like she had just seen her favorite friend. Pure joy. It scared me more than I think it should have.

Taking a step back, I opened my mouth to ask about the 'Divine Princess', although the last time I tried, I got a scolding look from Arctic. She apparently didn't want me asking about their ruler. That was around the time I started questioning where I actually was. Not to say I hadn't thought about this before but I was kind of hoping I was wrong to think of it. I wanted this to be Equestria. I wanted to be home. Because this town, this world, was unfamiliar in all things. I knew nothing about this world, not its rules, its customs or even its ruler. Well, I kind of did but it was really... woo woo and vague. According to Petal Dancer "the Divine Princess is the Divine Princess." What the fuck did that mean? Even Princess Celestia wasn't treated like this. I really, really wanted to know more.

But before I could voice my opinion, a sound rang out. It was loud, grating and legitimately scared me because the ground shook with the force of its wail. I fell to the ground, which didn't do anything to help with the pain in my head as it bounce against the pavement, but covering my ears did. I waited for it to end, wanting whoever turned it on to die in a fire just as another one rang out.

"Ah!" I cried, though my voice was drowned out by the noise. Just as I felt like tearing my ears off, I noticed something peculiar about the loud tone. It was hard to notice with it being so loud but, I could swear it sounded like it was trying to play a melody. Like a concert playing way too loud, the music hidden within could only barely be heard over the ringing in my ears.

I struggled to my feet, my ears just barely getting used to the volume as it droned on. Sweet Celestia, somepony end it already! It felt like somepony was trying to bash my head in with a spike! When I opened my eyes, the sight before me stunned me to the point I couldn't move. The townsponies, all of them within sight, were kneeling down, their heads raised to the sky as they chanted, they're words only barely matching the 'melody' of the tone.

"May the Divinity of our Princess guide all those without direction and lead them to peace." They chanted, closing their eyes and pressing their hooves together as they basked in the sun. Even Petal, as gitty as she appeared, remained in place as she chanted along with them. There was a weird moment of silence (Relatively) as everypony nearby seemed to be transfixed in that instant.

Everypony except Arctic Breeze. She alone stood beside me, staring at all the younger ponies with a kind of tired recognition. Like she'd seen this so many times and had just accepted it. We exchanged a look, me, with an expression of pure confusion and hers, the sad but accepting smile as she too raised her head to the sun and chanted alongside the ponies.

Backing away slowly, I kept my eyes on the chanting ponies, keeping them in sight as I moved away. I knew it was rude to leave the ponies who had so graciously helped me but fuck them, I was not going to stay around ponies like this. While I didn't know what was happening, my citymare instincts told me to bail. Especially when I saw the glares I got when some ponies noticed I wasn't chanting as well. Damn it, I didn't want to be here. I could feel the gazes of a few ponies not chanting, their stare drilling into me as I lowered my head.

As soon as I was out of sight of the streets, I turned tail and ran. I knew I couldn't run for long but if I ran long enough, maybe I'd escape this town. Something about the looks those ponies had, that blank empty smile they shared as they gazed skyward, sent chills down my spine. Then there were the glares from those who saw me not following them. I shuddered, not wanting to think about what would have happened had I stayed put. After all those years in the city, I knew that my instincts were not just for show.

Some time later, the tone finally died down, though my ears still rang. From what I could hear, the streets seemed to return to normal, the conversations from before continued and the mood seemed calm. Still, I ran. That weird moment of worship, the dead eyes that stared up at the sun, all of those things could not be ignored. I had never seen this kind of behavior before and honestly, it scared me to no end.

A minute later, I slowed down, panting and sweating a lot. I was not a athletic pony, if you hadn't already guessed. The good news was that I was at least some distance away from the streets. The bad news was, I had no clue where I was. The main streets were very different from the alleyways, in that there was a lot less light, colors and identifiable marks to distinguish one backstreet from another. The interesting thing was the discovery that this Ponyville was layered rather than being all flat. As I wandered about aimlessly, I found several staircases leading downward, webbing into lower levels that fed into even lower levels. I thought about walking down there but the sounds of... something coming from below kept me from giving into my curiosity.

Curiosity had never helped me all that much in life anyway.

There it was again! I thought, trying to pin down what memory had made that impression on me. It had taken me a little while to notice but my memory seemed to be a bit wonky. I had noticed it when I was telling my companions about myself. Every time I tried to tell them about myself, I could just barely feel some memory trying to form before I got a headache and had to back off. It was frustrating since it wasn't just the memories of the days before waking up here. Little things, I think, but I couldn't tell what was missing. The last thing I remember before today was leaving my job at the library with somepony, I think he was my friend, to go to Canterlot for... for something. What was I doing there? And why did it feel like I had taken something important from somepony?

The clatter of hooves coming toward me dragged me out of my thoughts of possible amnesia. Shit, had I been caught? I don't know if anypony would chase me but I wasn't going to risk it. Panicking, I ran down one flight of stone stairs. The stones were muddy, wet and covered in leaves, so my scrambling hooves soon slipped and set me flailing into the air. I tried to use my magic to catch myself but for some reason, nothing happened. I prepared myself for pain, knowing that falling down stone steps was never a painless experience.

"What the-!" I hit something hard but softer than stone. In a tangled mess of blurry visuals and clatter, the hard/soft thing and I rolled on the lower road and slid until we teetered on the edge of something. It was only for a second though, so there was no stopping our fall into the water. Untangling myself from my watermate, I struggled to get my head above the water before I drowned. Weird how this make twice that I've nearly drowned today. Luckily, the water wasn't all that deep, it barely came up to my chest, but scrambled to get out fast anyway. I was not going to get covered in anything else today.

Damn it! The waterway was much deeper than I had thought. Despite how shallow the water was, the sides were much higher. It must be their drainage system. I reached up to lift myself out but I couldn't reach. I was so close to the edge too. Ugh! Fuck. My. Life!!! Stomping my hoof, I looked around to see if there was some staircase or something but there was none. That was weird. There usually was some means of getting out of these kind of places, if for no other reason but for safety.

"Um..." I looked up to see a young stallion, probably not much older than Petal, staring down at me. "Are you okay?” The buck asked, his gravely voice a bit outputting. However, I was wet, stuck in a hole and annoyed, so I really didn't care too much. I was more concerned with how the hell he managed to get out?!

"Do I look okay?" I retorted, grumbling as I searched for a way out. I didn't see anyway out. Then how... "How do I get out of there?"

"The nearest exit is at least 10 miles from here." He stated, pointing in one direction.

"T-ten miles!?"

"Yeah, that's where the nearest water purifier is located. Duh." He explained. He looked down at me, sounding as if he expected me to know this already. "What? Are you new to Ponyville or something?"

"Yeah, I'm not from here and I don't want to be here any longer." I shouted up at him before grumbling the last part. I was getting really tired of all this. I had been in this world for, what? Two hours? And I had already been pushed down a hill, almost drowned in mud, led into some weird cult like town and now I'm stuck in a hole! This was a terrible day and I so wanted out.

"Wait a sec, you're... you're an outsider?!" The young stallion exclaimed, sounding a lot more excited. "Here, grab my hoof. Quickly!" Huh? He was helping now? Why? Wait, why am I asking? I wanted out and he was offering. No time to question good fortune. Reaching up, I grabbed his hoof, amazed that he was able to so easily lift me out. Seriously, first Arctic and now this buck. Was everyone in this town this strong? Next thing you know, Petal will be bench pressing me like I was a fucking flower.

As I tried to shake off what little water had clung to my mud cover hide, I got my first look at my rescuer. He, to be fair, looked weird. I couldn’t tell if he was smoke gray with white splotches or white with smoke gray splotches. Either way, he reminded me of a cow. At least his coat did. His mane was short, choppily cut and was black and purple. Green eyes stared into mine, the youth apparent in them. But he didn't look like a young stallion, at least body wise. He was slightly taller than me, his legs thick with muscles and while those eyes were young, they weren't as innocent as Petals, despite clearly being close in age. His eyes were that of someone who was tougher than they probably should be.

Wary, I kept him in sight as I spoke “Thank you. I appreciate the help.” I stated, looking around quickly. There was no one chasing me. Good. “I got a bit lost and-”

“Hi, there!” He suddenly greeted me, holding out a hoof as he smiled. His teeth were yellow as the sun and chipped but it wasn't a bad smile. Though I still made sure I avoided staring at them. “I'm Smoky. Smoky Blaze. A miner.”

At first, I was confused. Not by the name, but the last part. Miner? Like, dig underground like a diamond dog miner? Wasn't that dangerous for a stallion his age? Or anyponies age?! Mines were not a place a pony should be! Diamond dogs were much better suited for such conditions but then again, this wasn't Equestria.

"Moonlight Sonata." I replied, taking his hoof. I looked him over again. He looked the part at least, with his dark colored jumpsuit and scarred hooves. That and he sounded like a bone saw. A colt as young as him shouldn't sound so gruff. "So what do you mine for?" I asked, curious.

"A bunch of stuff." He replied with a toothy smile. Remember, Moonlight! No staring. He continued on, not noticing my focus on his flaws. "Coal," Oh, so he was white? "chalk," no, he was grey? "and gems!" This surprised me.

"Gems? Without a unicorn?" I assumed that since unicorns didn't live in this Ponyville, he mined with only earth ponies. Which must make things difficult since they didn't have gem finding spells or any diamond dogs to help. I mean, you can find gems without a unicorn but it was a lot easier with one.

"Unicorn? What would we need a unicorn for?" He asked, frowning at me. So he didn't know. Figures. I debated telling him about unicorns before he continued on. "What about you? What do you doing for a living?"

"Me?" I echoed.

"Yeah. You're an outsider but you do have a job, right?" He asked, looking at me like I was some kind of rare creature. How... distasteful. I didn't like him looking at me like that but pushed it away.

"I'm a librarian." I replied, taking a step back. "So I basically just sit around a read all day. Best job ever!" I grinned at the thought of my cozy chair, relaxing and soft as I let my mind drift into the words before my eyes. I had no particular preference when it came to genres, there was just something comforting being surrounded my books and being able to touch them. That and being allowed to seclude myself away from other ponies for hours on end.

I suddenly thought of a certain book, no different than any other around it but oh so special. I could swear it called to me, called me still. I reached out to it, my heart pounding louder than thunder, and the second my hoof touched it, I-

"You're a librarian?!" Smokey exclaimed, shocked. This drew me from my thoughts, leaving me blinking at him in confusion. What was that just now? A memory? Of what though? A book or myself...

"That's what I said." I replied absently, trying to catch the memory before it slipped away. It felt so much like a forgotten dream but of what? I knew it was real. I could feel the weight of that book on my back, the sound of those pages turning. I could almost picture the cover. What was it!?

"So you can read!?" He gasped, taking a step back. This, again, pulled me from my musing, except this time he kept my attention. That wasn't the response I was expecting. Usually, ponies were surprised about my job because I didn't look the part. No glasses, mane pulled back into a bun or old. In fact, most of my co-workers were older than me so I always stuck out among them. I understood this reasoning but Smokey just was surprised I could read. Which meant...

"You can't?" I asked, dread filling my gut as I stared at him in a new light. A young stallion, probably no older than 15, working in such a dangerous field to the point where his voice sounded like he gargled glass and apparently couldn't even read. This world was really making me want to bail even more.

"Of course not." He replied, rolling his eyes as if that was normal. "Most earth ponies don't get to learn stuff like that, especially a NPP like me. I guess a miner wouldn't need to know how to read to do his job, right?" He explained, smiling good naturedly. He seemed content with this but I had even more questions. What was a NPP? Why couldn't he know how to read as a miner? Why was he a miner? So many questions and more would not be answered as a sudden thought had apparently come to him. "Oh! Then I didn't even have to introduce myself!" He laughed, smiling again. He did that a lot. "You could have just read my name tag then." He stated pointing to his chest. On the front of his dark jumpsuit was a small strip of white with a name and a series of numbers beneath it.

It read: Cowhide, E83748-02.

I looked up at him as he smiled at me. His name was Cowhide? It fit, considering his coat color but he really didn't know what his real name was? Then again, he said that most earth ponies couldn't read so of course he didn't know. But that begged the question.

"If you can't read, how do you know your name?" I asked, before I thought better of it. Perhaps his parents named him, dumbass. Then again, why name him one thing but label him something else?

"My friend told me." He answered, smiling fondly as he stared past me. "She told me my name was Smokey." Oh? A she? How interesting. A lover, perhaps? My inner reader asked, wanting to know more. Wait, no, focus, Moonlight. Escape now, prying later.

"By the way, do you know the way out of town?" I asked, stepping forward. "I'm kind of lost." Lost being a major understatement considering I had no clue where I was in any sense of the world, not just in regards of this stupid town.

"Oh, right, you aren't from here." He muttered, looking around. The alley was quiet but something about the silence seemed to put him on edge. "Lucky for you, I'm not too busy. As long as you don't require me to lead you to the main streets."

"No, I am not going back there!" I exclaimed, shuddering. "Those ponies are creepy as fuck!" He looked at me, shocked. Oh, goodness was he going to be a prude too? I hope not. I needed him to lead me around and I was not in the mood to censor myself. In fact, I wanted to curse like a sailor in the saltiest bar in Equestria with how annoyed I was. Then again, maybe he was just shocked by how emphatic about it. That was likely too.

"You should be careful, Ms Sonata." He warned, smiling gravely. "It would be bad for you if someone caught you speaking like that. It's not 'pretty'." Not pretty? What did that mean? And why warn me about cursing? "Anyway, I'll help you. I saw you walking with Petal and Nurse Breeze just now, so I don't think you're a bad outsider." Something about that statement made me think he thought I should be. Which added like five more questions to my ever growing list. Damn it, it was going to be a long day. I mean, it already was but not knowing what the fuck was going on made the sun seem like it was standing still. Either way, I had to think about the matter at hoof and go over what I had learned.

For one thing, Arctic was a nurse. That kind of explained the calming presence she seemed to elude. And Smokey seemed to know both Petal and Arctic. Makes sense considering they seem to live in the same town but something about the way he talked about those on the main road told me that he didn't associate with many ponies. But that was going to have to be questioned later, like everything else. For right now though, I had to get out of here.

"So how would I get out of here?" I asked, following behind him as he trotted forward. Even though every path looked the same, he navigated the twists and turns like it was obvious where to go. He seemed confident in where he was going, so I trusted him to lead me where I had asked. Not the smartest move considering such tactics had lead me here in the first place but what could I do? Wander aimlessly until I got myself killed or something? No way!

"Well, you'll have to leave by the south entrance." He stated, leading me under a small bridge. Above us, I could hear the ponies milling about, acting as if it was just a normal day. Which it probably was, considering how calm they were. Creepy bastards. Smokey continued on, ignoring them mostly. "If we go any other way, you'll be caught by the police and registered." Registered? Why did that seem like it was a bad thing? I mean, I get how being caught was bad. I most definitely didn't want to stay in this Ponyville much longer but why was being registered sound like it would be worse? Yet another question to add to the list. Great.

"Oh yeah, I noticed some stallions in the forest before." I mentioned absently, staring at the crudely painted murals decorating the walls. They were beautiful, using the stains that were already there to create an image of a dragon spitting fire onto a village. It was disturbing but beautiful. Very fitting for this town. "They seemed to be looking for something."

"They're in Fair Valley?" He turned to me, shocked. "I... I had heard they were still searching but I had no clue they were that close." He bit his lip, trying to think of something.

"What are they looking for?" I asked, wanting at least one question of mine to be answered today.

"A rebel or something, I think." He answered, absently shrugging. For some reason, I thought of that short mare I had met. "Not much is known about them but they are rebelling against the Divine Princess and that is something." Oh? Cool. I was kind of curious about this rebellion but something told me that Smokey wouldn't know anything more about them.

"I see." I echoed, trotting over after being left behind for a moment. These alleys were... pretty. The walls were painted in various colors and stuff and the weeds that grew were colorful and vibrant. Actually, now that I thought about it, I had yet to see anything in this Ponyville that wasn't pretty in some way or form. Even the garbage bags had flowers printed on them. While the alleyway walls before were plain, they weren't ugly in any sense.

The murals seemed to continue on as we walked, growing and shrinking as the tale displayed divided and wandered down other alleyway's. I'm not artist but I could appreciate the work and creativity of the image. The dragon from before had flown down the wall, over burning fields and through dark clouds until it landed on a castle atop a thunder cloud. What happened next, I couldn't tell since I had to follow Smokey, who was not amused by my curiosity.

"What are you doing?" He demanded, after the third time calling out to me as I tried to follow the dragon. I really wanted to follow it, its crudely drawn eyes seeming to stare down at me, burning me from within. It felt like it was calling me. Like that book....

"Sorry!" I called back, my eyes darting to the other walls as the mural seemed to deviate to images of flowers and sunshine. Boring. "These murals are really cool. I've never seen anything like them. Do you know who painted them?" I asked, following him more diligently as the path got wider.

Smokey shook his head, rolling his eyes. "No clue. They've always been here." He answered, looking up at them. Shivering as the dragon came back into view, he turned away and walked faster, seeming unsettled. I went after him. "All I know is that they creep me out. Especially at night..." Night? What was scary about them at night? The images probably couldn't be seen then so why the fear? Due to being so distracted by my own thoughts, I didn't notice the stallion halting until I bumped into him.

"Ow, what are you-" I didn't even get to finish my complaint because the buck pushed me down and covered my mouth. Panic filled me, the realization that I was alone with a strange stallion with no one who knew me save for the ponies I had ditched. I had just started to fight his grip when I heard a group of ponies galloping past the alley we resided in. I reached out to them, hoping they'd save me just before I realized that they were chasing somepony, a small brown filly with a white mane. What in the world was going on? Why were five grown ponies chasing a foal like that? I wished I could see how the chase ended but they soon passed us by, apparently running into the street since there was a lot of noise.

Smokey jumped off of me, opening his mouth to say something but I didn't pay attention to him. I had to know what had just happened. "What the hell was... Why..." I stammered, more scared than before. I wanted to run, from him, from Ponyville, from this weird messed up world but I couldn't. I needed to know what was happening. I couldn't just rush off like before.

The young stallion said nothing, looking past me where the noise started to drift further away. "We can't stay here." He said, turning away. "It isn't safe."

Again with the 'not safe' warning! Everywhere was apparently 'not safe'. The forest valley thing, the town, the ponies. What was safe? Where was safe?! I felt like screaming in frustration but held it in. Be calm, be cool, be awesome... I chanted in my head, the faint memory of Papa whispering this in my ear calming me down.

"Why isn't it safe?" I asked coolly, remaining where I had landed. Smokey let his head fall, clearly agitated but I didn't care. "I'm not moving until you explain what just happened."

"W-what? B-but don't you want to leave town?" He reasoned, his eyes darting behind him as if expecting those ponies to show up any second. "If we don't leave, they'll catch us!"

"Who? The police?" I demanded, standing my ground. I was so sick of not knowing! I needed to know something, anything, to fill this hole that had developed in my heart. I don't know if the answers I desired would fill it but I so wanted answers. Anything to calm my thundering heart.

Seeing the fear in my eyes, he turned away, probably fighting the urge to leave. Silence hung between us as he seemingly weighed his options. Honestly, he could have just left me behind. I would have. I was under no illusion that I was a nice pony. I could be a bitch. I was one. He, on the other hoof, wasn't. He was a nice pony. So I knew he'd give in.

He turned to me, opening his muzzle to speak just before the world exploded in smoke. Crying out in shock, i chocked on the pink smog as the sound of galloping hooves hitting the pavement just under the ringing in my ears. The more I coughed, the weaker I felt, the glittery, pink gas surrounded us. I looked around, calling out to Smokey though I couldn't really hear my own words. Then, I blacked out for a second.

When I opened my eyes, I was on the ground and the smoke had dissipated. It must not have been that long since I blacked out, cause the culprits were only just arriving. Fear filled me as I tried to move but found that my limbs were as rigid as stone. Realizing that moving was not going to happen, I listened.

"This another one?" One spoke, a stallion. Of the five we had seen before, only 3 were here. The one that spoke, a bright yellow earth pony, walked over to where Smokey lay. The poor buck was out cold, the limpness of his limbs evident as the guard nudged him. "Tch, lazy bum!" He growled, sneering down at the unconscious young stallion. Then, apparently because he didn't respond to his verbal jab, he kicked him.

"What was that?!" Another voice, again a stallion, asked, looking around. I must have let out some kind of sound because all of a sudden, I was the center of attention. The yellow buck stared into my eyes, confusion blatantly evident in them.

"Hey, Moss, did you use the right glitter bombs?" The yellow one asked, not taking his eyes off of me. I should have been concerned that a bomb had been used on me but the name! Glitter bomb!? Shit, I may be paralyzed and all but to be taken out by something called a glitter bomb was hilarious. I just wished the stallions around were as amused.

A hoof was pressed against my skull, the owner standing out of sight behind me. "Of course, I did!" A third voice insisted. His hoof pressed down harder, as if to emphasize his point. "It knocked out the mutt."

"So why is she still awake?" The yellow one demanded, looking really annoyed. I really wished my mouth worked just then, because I had a whole laundry list of words I could toss back at him. The hoof was lifted off my head as we glared at one another. Just you wait, you cocky bastard! When I can use my magic again I'll-

"She isn't." Moss stated plainly, just before something smashed against my skull and my vision went black.

Restraint

The sun's heat was almost unbearable. I hated summers sometimes. I raised a hoof to shield my eyes from the rays. Perhaps I should have found a nice shady tree to sit under but Heavy insisted that he wouldn't be able to see me from under a tree. I sighed. Truly, the woes of the younger sibling is harsh. I thought, shaking my head. Older brothers were so silly.

Still, I at least had my book to keep me occupied and distracted. My small hooves turning pages unlike all the unicorns in my class. They had already figured out the basics of magic but me... Well, I was a late bloomer. Letting out a breath, I rested my head on the pages, relaxing as the scent of worn paper surrounded me. I may have been a magicless blank flank of a unicorn but at least I was a well read one. Smarter than all those other foals.

"Moonlight!?" I raised my head to the sky just as my brother landed. Or crashed, as his hooves skidded against the dirt before he tripped over a rock. Snorting, I got to trot over to him, carrying my book in my mouth. As my brother lay there, trying to regain what little dignity he could as he struggled to free himself from the mound of dirt he buried himself in, I sat beside him, continuing my reading.

"So," I started, not looking up. "how was the landing that time? Painful, embarrassing or both?" I teased, loving the look on Heavy's face as he jumped to his hooves.

"Don't start with that, Moonlight." He grumbled, stomping a hoof. "I've gotten much better... It was just that rock came out of nowhere."

"Last time it was the tree that 'came out of nowhere'." I reminded him with a smirk. If nothing else, seeing Heavy crash made me feel a bit better. Especially since today had been a pretty bad day for me.

"Moonlight." Heavy started, his big brother voice in full force. Oh, here we go... "What happened today? You said you'd wait for me after school. Where were you?" I kept my eyes on my book, not wanting to talk. I really didn't want to talk about this. He was just going to get all big brother-y on me and I hate that. It never helps.

"Nothing happened!" I proclaimed, not looking at him. "I just wanted to be alone for a bit. I can't read my books with all those foals talking so loudly." I insisted. I wasn't exactly lying though. The foals in that class were too loud. It wasn't their words that bothered me... especially the words directed at me.

Heavy wasn't stupid though. As much as I joked about it, Heavy was very good at seeing through my lies. He knew what other foals said about me. That I was useless. A failure as a unicorn. A filly who could barely pick up a pen without collapsing soon after. I knew as well as he did how true the words were. Even though all the other unicorns could do basic magic, I still had to use my hooves to pick up stuff. Magic was just something I was no good at. But that was okay. I knew more than them. I may fail in magic class but I excelled everywhere else. That meant something, right?

"What are you reading?" Heavy asked, probably realizing where my mind was heading. As I said, he was smart like that. "A history book?" I nodded, turning the page as my eyes skimmed over the pages. Nothing still.

"Yeah, I'm looking for somepony." I replied absently, my mind focusing on the words. "But I can't find them." I was starting to get frustrated now. This was the fifth history book I'd skimmed through and still no mention. Where was he?

"Did you try and look through the index?" He asked, trotting over beside me. He was trying to read the book over my head, making his black mane fall in my face. I scowled but ignored it as I turned the page.

"He's not there either." I answered, wracking my brain to think of some other place I could find a different Equestrian history book. Or maybe I was wrong. There was only that one book that mentioned that pony but I could never locate it after that. Who was... "There!" I cried, jumping onto my hooves. There he was! It was only a brief mention, something about a old world Doctor turned Sorcerer but he was there.

Malcontent the Plague.

He was real! He exists. Something about that filled me with a strange sense of joy. Like learning that the tooth fairy was actually a real fairy. I felt closer to a truth than ever before. What truth that was, I didn't know, but I wanted to know. To know more.

"Papa!" Heavy called out, drawing my attention to reality. Darn, had he been there this entire time? It felt like I had been staring at the words on the page for hours, as if I was scared that by looking away, the words would disappear. Panicked, I looked back and... the name was still there. Sighing in relief, I dog-eared the page and slipped the book into my saddlebags. I'd hate to lose it.

"Sunshine? Ace?" Papa called out, waving at us as he galloped over to us. "Ah, there you two are! I was looking all over for you kids." The bright blue stallion trotted up to us, smiling broadly. Our father, Steady wind, was an amazing dad. He was fun, cool and always around to play with us. It always made me wonder how he got along with our mother, considering how strict and generally sour she was.

"Papa!" We cried, snuggling up to him. He laid his foreleg around me as Heavy drifted beside him, his muzzle buried in papa's snow white mane.

"Sup!" He replied, smiling down at me. "How have my two favorite foals been today? Any trouble?" I shook my head but Heavy gave me a look, telling me that our conversation was far from over. He wasn't going to let it go, huh? I rolled my eyes. Gah! Big brothers, I thought. Always so pushy!

"I was here by myself, reading, until Heavy came and started bothering me!" I proclaimed, sticking my tongue out at him. He scowled from within Papa's mane but said nothing.

"Now now, Sunshine. No being rude." Papa scolded, giving me his reprimanding look. It wasn't as fierce as moms (no where near her level) but it was enough to silence me. It always enough.

"It true though!" I insisted, pouting. I loved Heavy as much as any sister could but sometimes he was so.... gah! Just as I felt a scream of frustration well up within me, a hoof stroked my head. Papa was grinning down at me, understanding gleaming in his tired eyes. He was always tired though. I never knew why but I had a feeling it had to do with my promise.

"Oh, no need to explain, Sunshine." He assured, bopping my nose with a hoof. "You always were a bit of a loner. Much like your mother when she was young. And a bit nowadays too, I suppose." He chuckled, standing once more.

"Where is mom?" Heavy asked, fluttering beside papa.

"Smoothie? She's waiting for us at home." He reported, leading us forward. "Holding down the fort, making dinner, craving carrots dipped in zap apple jam," He muttered the last part, clearly deviating from some scavenging mission mom had sent him on. "and defending your new baby brother or sister."

"I bet it'll be a colt!" Heavy exclaimed, flying in circles over them. Show off. " Moony says it'll be a filly but I want it to be a colt! Then we can play games like tag or hide and seek!"

"I already do that with you." I stated, scowling. I didn't really like tag, cause I had to run a lot. And hide and Seek was no fun since Heavy always hid in the clouds where I couldn't 'spot' him properly. He was such a cheat. It was no fun. And he apparently agreed since his next response was:

"Yeah, but colts don't play with filly's!" He stated adamantly. I rolled my eyes at this. Some stupid thing the school colts told him, most likely. Stupid Heavy.

"Ace, what kind of talk is that?" Papa laughed, petting Heavy on the head. "We both know you like playing with the fillies." He stated, laughing as Heavy pouted like he usually did. Though it was true that Heavy Metal like playing with fillies. He was way more into calm games than the ones colts usually played. He could play with them, often did too, but liked playing house a lot more. Something about it being more peaceful than tag. But Heavy was a weird pony, like most of us were in some way or another. But not as much as Papa.

Papa was a weird pony. He rarely called ponies by their names, rather, he liked to give out nicknames. The interesting part was the fact that he always called ponies by their opposing attribute. He called me sunshine, Heavy he called Ace (despite him being terrible at landing), and mom 'Smoothie'. Sometimes I think that there was more to the name than just adding a couple letters because sometimes mom would get super fidgety after being called that, as if she was embarrassed. But then papa would kiss her and be all gross so I later just stopped thinking about it.

"Oh, papa, watch this!" Heavy exclaimed, shooting up into the sky. Despite his crash landings, Heavy Metal was an amazing flier. He could loop and spiral like an adult Pegasus, though clouds still surprised him when he flew. He couldn't bear to disperse them for some reason. Many grown up ponies said it was because of Papa's influence on him, being a former wonderbolt and all.

"Great job, Ace!" Papa called out to his son, smiling sadly as he watched. Then there was this. Flying. Papa didn't fly. His wings were held tightly at his side, twitching as if they wanted to carry him into the clouds with his son. Papa was often like that. Always staring up at the sky longingly, as if he couldn't return to the open air. I mean, he could. His wings were strong and he flew sometimes, mostly around the house. But I couldn't recall a time where he flew outside. "You're doing great, son. Keep it up!" He called up to Heavy, his foreleg tightening around me. Heavy flew down, though he remained in the air.

"You won't fly with me?" Heavy asked, pouting, though I was sure he knew that papa was going to say no. He always did. Despite being a Pegasus himself, papa was more earth bound than any other pony. He could fly in ways that dazzled the eyes we were told, being flexible and agile enough to make one think he was Ms. Rainbow Dash herself, though he claimed it was just that he looked up to her. Either way, for the majority of my life, I'd only seen papa fly on me and Heavy's birthdays and even then, it was only for a minute or so. But oh, how awesome that minute was! Dives, loops and tricks that dazzled the eyes of any who watched him. He was amazing when he flew.

Papa smiled sadly before pulling Heavy close to give him a noogie. He never did that with me, being a unicorn but I knew I wouldn't like it anyway. Noogies were a colt thing and I disliked it.

"Perhaps later." He replied, smiling though they both knew Papa was lying. Heavy rolled his eyes and shot off, doing his usual practice of flying in circles. I didn't get it. Maybe it was a pegasi thing. I couldn't say, since I only knew papa and Heavy and papa wouldn't fly. He couldn't. Otherwise, he would-

"Papa!?" I cried out, as I saw papa's wings spread, as if he was about to follow Heavy as he flew around. Oh no, Papa! I moved to climb onto his back but he was too tall. Panic filled me as I struggled to get up before I somehow was raised up enough to crawl up. Looking back, I didn't see anything. What had- No! No time to ask questions. I wrapped my small legs over papa's wings, crushing them back to his sides. I wasn't strong. I never was but my interruption did recapture papa's attention. Looking back at me with dazed eyes, he stared at me.

"...Sunshine, what are you-"

"I'm making myself heavy." I proclaimed, shutting my eyes. I didn't want to see those eyes. His tiredly dazed eyes that matched mine in color. Violet eyes of such a beautiful color shouldn't be that tired.

"...I see. Thank you, sweetheart." He sighed, sitting down. I remained on his back, not saying anything. There was nothing to say. Everything that had ever needed to be said had been. But after several minutes, Papa turned back to me, his usual smile illuminated by the setting sun. "Sunshine..." His mouth moved but I could no longer hear him. But why...

The memory started to fade. Oh... Of course, it was a memory. I could already see the scenery dissolve at the edges, the dark blue blur that was Heavy speeding into non-existence. That all consuming darkness filling me with dread all over again. Still, even though the memory was fading, I snuggled close to papa. It had been so long since I had the chance to do so, I just wanted to bask in his warmth. I missed it.

"Sunshine." He spoke, his smiling fading as the darkness took his face away, leaving only his eyes. The eyes the mirrored my own. Those tired but strangely happy eyes, turned cold and hateful. Jumping away, a chill ran down my spine as violet eyes turned hateful and glared down at me.

"P-papa?" I whispered, stepping back.

"You broke your promise..." The darkness consumed those hateful violet eyes, leaving me all alone in the darkness, my breath stuck in my throat. Gasping for air, I fell to the 'ground', my eyes drifting up to the all consuming darkness as it too, consumed me. Eyes and all.

*****

I jumped to my hooves, my breath rushing from me. What... what was that? A dream? A memory? Panting, I reached up to wipe the tears that threatened to fall. My body shook, the image of those hateful violet eyes filling me with... with what? Fear? Guilt? Both? I couldn't say. I just wanted to hide just then. But... I had to think.

That vision, it was from my foalhood but I didn't recall it until now. Why? I mean, it wasn't too eventful, just a normal after school afternoon. But those thoughts... Was that really how I used to see myself? Have I changed that much? Had I changed at all? More importantly, what promise had I broken? Why was papa's eyes so malicious? And why did I feel like I had let someone down in the worst way?

Drawing in a calming yet shuddering breath, I rested a hoof on the wall, only to freeze at the sound it made. Frowning, I slammed my hoof against the wall, just to make sure I wasn't crazy.

Boing.

...What the hell kind of wall made a boing sound?! Stepping away from the thing, I looked around, only then realizing that I was surrounded by some kind of wall, though it looked curved, as if I was in a sphere. So, I was in a ball? How did I-

Memories of the past few hours returned to the forefront of my mind, reminding me that some jackass had cracked my skull against the pavement. So I must have been captured by them, those jerks. But I couldn't see them. Had they left me alone to gather more forces? Or was I already being transported somewhere. If I remained still, it felt like I was moving, though really slowly. How did that work?

"Ah! Moss, it looks like the mongrel woke up." A male voice called out. A voice I recognized. It was one of the stallions who had captured me and Smokey. Oh, shit! Smokey! Where was he? I started searching for a way out before the walls of my prison faded. Well, that is the wrong word for it. It's more like the walls turned transparent and my real surroundings were revealed.

I was floating over a lobby, not of a hotel but of a really fancy palace. At least, it look like it was palace, with a high purple walls decorated with high red curtains hanging just below the ceiling. Above my head, I could just barely see the clouds carved into the ceiling, making the ceiling looking like a violet sky. The dome shaped roof was a lot higher than I'd ever seen on Equestria. It looked to be a least six or seven stories high. I could even see the vague shapes of ponies walking behind the windows circling the wall. So the lobby was connected to a series of hallways above? Cool. The floor was gold, only decorated with a single red carpet that lead to a doorway far ahead of me. The size of the lobby was shocking, considering how small this town should have been. It literally felt like a castle but... brightly colored for some reason. I stared down at the ponies milling about, uncaring or unaware of my presence above them. I tried to figure out how I was floating like this but I couldn't see anything. I was so busy surveying my surroundings, I barely heard the new voice speak. But I could tell it was female.

"Why hello there, dearest citizen!" She said, her voice so sickeningly sweet, I felt nauseous. Fortunately, I couldn't see her so at least I was spared that. At least, I did have that before my invisible prison was released and I fell. Again, I tried to use my magic to catch myself but no such luck. So I ended up hitting the ground hard, not having the time to angle my body to divert the impact. As I laid there, gritting my teeth in pain, I cursed under my breath. I almost felt like crying though I held it in. I may be weak as fuck but I was not a fucking foal.

"Shit..." I mumbled, rising to my hooves. My back leg stung but it wasn't too bad, I noticed as I stretched it out behind me. Sighing, I looked up to survey my current predicament. The three stallions from before stood before me, glaring as if I had done something to them! I opened my mouth to shout every obscenity I could think of but the three soon parted to reveal...

The most beautiful mare I'd ever seen.

She was absolutely stunning. The pink mare stepped forward, smiling serenely as she brushed her red and pinkish-orange (I think ponies called it salmon colored) mane out of her eyes, making one of the stallions shiver. She past them, all three pairs of eyes riveted on the mare, or her flanks at least, considering her head was a few degrees north from where they were staring. Also, I'm pretty sure she noticed their looks as her hips swayed from the look in her eyes. Gold eyes met mine, looking delighted to see me. The single violet flower resting beside her left ear did it for me.

I hated her.

Now you may think it was childish to hate a mare just because she was prettier that you but you have to understand, it wasn't just that. It was like, 70% of the reason I hated her, 2% being the sparkles I swear floated around her every time she flipped her mane away from her face. Seriously, no one else saw that!? Whatever, anyway, the reason I hated her was her smile. She looked like a freaking doll, her smile static and fake looking, making me want to smack it off her face. It was the kind of smile one gave a foal, that indulgent smile one gave a foal who was acting like stupid but you didn't want them to now you were looking down at them. I was not a foal!

"Who are you?" I demanded, glaring at her. This pissed off the guards, who finally stopped looking at the mares flanks to glare at me.

"Oi, mutt, be respectful!" The green earth pony barked, stomping a hoof. "You should be grateful we released you at all. Lady Briar-" The mare lifted a hoof, immediately silencing the stallion as she continued to smile at me. Another thing of note: She was a unicorn. The first unicorn I'd seen since arriving in this strange world. Considering what little I could learn about Unicornina or whatever, Unicorns in this Ponyville was a rarity. It kind of explained why the guards seemed to revere her and follow her orders. That was something to keep note of. Maybe I should have revealed that I was one too... No, I still needed more information, so not yet.

"Now now, soldier, that's no way to talk to a citizen." She gently chastised, looking back at the buck who lowered his head. "You know how NPP's are."

"Quite, my lady but this one isn't in the system." The Yellow one reported, bowing. "Moss and I checked the registry but found nopony who matched her description." He turned to the green Pony, who I assumed was Moss. "I don't know if it was some kind of glitch in the system or what, but we can't seem to find her. She might be... an Outsider..." He whispered the last word, as if it was a forbidden word or something.

For a moment, no pony spoke. The ponies around us milled about, ignoring us mostly. All of them, earth ponies of various colors and ages, were smiling, but not the same smile this Briar chick seemed to have pasted to her muzzle. The few looks I did get were ones of either curiosity or disgust just before the pony would avert their eyes, like I was trash on the side of the road. Oh, yeah, this place sucked hard. But what could I do? Blue and the green pony called Moss stood behind me, probably expecting me to bolt. Even if I did try to run, my hilariously low endurance would have me lying in an exhausted heap before I even made it to the exit. I could try magic but for some reason, I still couldn't get it to work. I felt the magic well up inside me but just as I tried to release it, it stopped, like it had hit a wall or something. But what could it be- A snicker broke out, diverting my attention back to my captors.

The pink pony, Briar, was chuckling, hiding her smile behind her polished hoof. "Surely you colts aren't thinking that she is 'that' mare, are you?" She joked, the stallions flinching at something in her statement. "That's just an old mares tale. Outsiders are quite common and she is no different."

"Yes, but they have never gotten this deep into the republic, my lady." The yellow buck argued, staring at me like I was some kind of beast. Why? They'd beaten me before and this stallion alone looked like he could bench press 4 of me. Then again, he had had that same expression when he found me awake before, apparently surprised that I was conscious at all. Perhaps that glitter bomb (snicker) was supposed to knock ponies out. But for some reason, not me... Interesting.

"You are worrying away too much, Sunburst." Green, or Moss, stated, stepping beside me. "This mutt is just another lazy NPP who tried to abandon her post."

"Whether she is an Outsider, the 'mare' or just another NPP, she must be taken to Mayor Razzaroo." Briar informed, stepping forward. Moss nodded as Sunburst just scowled at me, still suspicious apparently. Blue had yet to say anything, just standing behind me and keeping watch. Yet I knew for a fact that he was keeping an eye on me as well as the crowd. His eyes, grey as ash, held the perception I'd only seen parents have.

"Get up, mutt." Moss ordered, pulling me up and close. I flinched, unsure what this buck had intended but stopped when I felt something heavy snap around my neck. I couldn't see it but it felt like something metal was wrapped around my throat. Tapping it, I heard the metal clank and felt the reverberations through me. Just barely, I could see the slight glimmer of a gem, deep red and glowing.

"What is this?" I demanded, tugging it. It didn't budge. Moss smirked down at me, pushing me away.

"It's a containment collar." He stated, as if I'd asked him a stupid question. "It's to keep you from running away. Lady Briar?" Moss turned to the mare, holding out another small but more rectangular gem. Her horn glowed a pretty gold as she took it with a smile, floating the gem into some saddlebags I hadn't noticed she had before. "We shall depart. May the divinity bless you, my lady." He bowed, turning on his heel and walking away, followed by Sunburst who still looked nervous. So they were just going to bail?

"Let's go!" Briar said, her smile still brimming with what I felt was fake enthusiasm. Maybe it was just my pessimism that placed her in the 'faker' category. She seemed kind of arrogant but that wasn't cause to make her out to be fake. So, she just smiled. She trotted off, leaving me with Blue. At first I thought that Blue was going to force me to walk until he too walked past me, following Briar.

What the hell? Were they just going to leave me here? What? Did they think I'd just follow them because they told me to? What kind of-

"Gah!" I cried out as a sudden forced pulled me in the direction Briar was going. It felt like I was on a leash but no rope could be seen. How? The gem on my collar glowed, the force dragging me across the floor until I worked my legs into standing and running up to catch up with the two. My coat burned, some of the mud being scratched off. I could almost see some of my coat. Limping slightly as I tried to walk off the stinging pain, I turned to see what my captors thought of this. Neither seemed concerned about my being dragged a couple of feet. In fact, the two were talking pleasantly. At least, Briar was.

"-and then I was like, 'Toffee? That caramel knock off is no better than than grease off a old stove'!" She finished, laughing at her own joke. Blue stayed quiet, his eyes briefly falling on me before returning to gaze at the ground. He had apparently expected the collar to force me to follow, hence why he had left me. Bastard! I had thought I was going to choke.

Still, the collar was kind of interesting. Annoying and painful but also interesting. There was no rope but the tug of Briar's every step reverberated through me as if there was one. I thought the rope might have been invisible but I'd seen a few ponies walk between us without any concern so maybe it was some kind of specialized magnetism? But that was a brand new science in Equestria. How could these ponies-

"Oh, hey, you caught up!" Briar beamed, trotting happily as she looked back at me. Blue remained silent. I stomped over until I was boxed in by the two of them. Damn it... "I was wondering when you were going to catch up. There are so many things I want to talk to you about!"

I scowled at her, her voice starting to grate on me. I no longer assumed she was fake. Her smile might have been patronizing but it wasn't fake. Just really annoying. And her attitude! Acting as if we were friends or something. As If I wasn't a prisoner! Was she stupid or something? Maybe.

"Yeah, well the collar didn't leave me much of a choice." I snarled, watching the ground as we walked. The carpet was beautiful, gold and red with little pink flowers popping up every once in a while. It was nice, considering the situation and at least I had something non irritating to focus on. Too bad that further behind us, there was a puke green skid mark from me being dragged across it. Something about that filled me with just a little bit of happiness.

"Oh, that?! Well yeah, most NPP's try and run off when their caught, so the guards have to take precautions, you know?" She explained, smiling as she turned down a new hallway. As Blue pushed me to the side, forcing me to turn right with him, I caught sight of decor.

The high ceilings, that lent itself to the vast potential that most buildings yearned for, were decorated with sashes and chandeliers that glimmered radiantly. And there were also some fairly big balloons floating around. I'd noticed them before in the lobby but shrugged it off. The walls were decorated with large paintings of various things. Fields of flowers with dancing ponies, small parties with smiling ponies and a lot of portraits. From the frequency of the portraits, I assumed these ponies were the mayor. The one consistent thing with them all: Every picture only included one race of pony, the earth kind. As my mind raced to process all the new information, a feeling I was quickly getting familiar with literally tugged at my neck. That gasp one felt just before they fell. I galloped over to Briar, glaring at Blue for not calling me. I mean, come on! The least he could do was keep me from being dragged around like a sack of potatoes, if he was just going to stand there silently.

"Can ask you some questions, since we might be walking a while?" I coughed, turning to Briar. Luckily, she was a slow walker, so our trip might take enough time for me to get some answers out of her.

"Hm? You have questions?" She shot back, her eyes forward. "Ok! But only If I get to ask some questions of my own." She stated. Before I could answer, she continued. "What's your name?" She asked, trotting happily. So she wasn't even going to let me agree to the deal first, huh? Fine, two can play at that game.

"Actually, it's my turn first." I argued, trying to flip my mane, though the mud made that impossible. I saw Briar scowl from the corner of my eye and that filled me with such evil joy. "You agreed to my deal but I didn't get the chance to agree to yours. It's quite rude to assume such things, ain't it?" I pushed, smirking at her. She stared back at me, her face weirdly blank. After a moment, her smile returned, even brighter.

"Oh, deary, you're right!" She chirped, chuckling. "How rude of me. I must be a better role model. You go first, deary." She offered, her tone sounding more patronizing than before. Or maybe that was just because I still hated her.

"What are NPP's?" I asked, ignoring the part of my brain that demanded I smack the pink out of her. But Blue would probably beat the shit out of me for that and I was way too weak to fight him and escape. Celestia knows how far into the city I was in. Besides, this was my most pressing question, second only to where was I and how did I get here. Both questions I was sure pinkie butt here wouldn't be able to answer.

"Well, you for one thing." She replied, chuckling at her own joke again. Blue, as usually, remained silent and I was just rolling my eyes. Damn it, I was stuck with her. If I could just use my magic, I would- "In all seriousness, NPP's are simply ponies who don't fit the Divine Princess' standards of perfection."

"Perfection?" I echoed, confused. Again with this divine Princess. Who was she? Why was her standards so important. "But nopony is perfect."

"Nopony but the Divine Princess!" Briar proclaimed, beaming. "She is divinity, so of course she decides who is worthy of the privileges that we pretty ponies receive."

"Pretty ponies?" I repeated, trying to read between the lines. Pretty ponies. NPP's. "So... NPP's are not pretty ponies?" I guessed, frowning. Briar clapped her hooves, pissing me off further.

"Very good, citizen!" She cheered. "Quite astute for an NPP." I growled at that, not liking her tone. She really was looking down on me just because of some 'divine princess' said I wasn't 'perfect'? Bitch! But I held it in. I couldn't attack her, no matter how much I wanted to. "Anyway, now it is my turn. What is your name?"

I stared at her for a moment, considering the notion of just not answering her. I hated her and her smile and she didn't deserve any of my respect. If she was Arctic or even Petal, I might have answered her but Briar was a bitch. Still, we had a long way to go and while I hated talking to her, I was getting some information. Information was my key to freedom.

"Moonlight Sonata." I answered, staring forward. Many of the ponies who milled about the corridor moved away, as if making a path for Briar. How fascinating...

"Oh? Quite the pretty name for a NPP." She snickered, looking me over. "And a blank flank too! Makes sense, I suppose." She assumed, her smile growing. I wasn't sure what connection my being a NPP would have on my cutiemark but I suppose it would just have another question to figure out. Seriously, I had to find someone tolerable to ask. "But from the name, I'm guessing you're a song pony? Or related to one?"

A song pony... A singer? Me? No, that was a life fate had chosen for other ponies. At most, singing was a hobby. Plus the reason for my name was a personal one which was none of this bitch's business. Still, I had to say something, didn't I? So I shook my head at her. "No, I'm just a librarian." I replied.

Both Briar and Blue stopped, staring at me like I was crazy. I stared back, non pulsed. After a minute of silence, I was getting impatient. And confused. Mostly impatient though, cause I really wanted this conversation to end soon. Briar was not a fun mare to talk to. At all.

"You are a librarian?" She asked, unconvinced as she looked me over, walking closer to me. "A non-pretty pony as a librarian?" I opened my mouth, wanting to inform her that this puke green coat I currently had wasn't my real coat color but I just sighed. I didn't feel like explaining all that to her. It was none of her business either.

"Yes, that's what I said." I sighed, waiting for Blue to urge her to keep moving. I doubt she'd listen to me and Blue was the only other pony there so I prayed he'd do something other that stand there like a potted plant. Yet he just stared at me, frowning. It was the first time he'd actually looked me in the eye since I woke up. Strangely his eyes were red, despite him being blue in every other sense. Blue coat, blue mane, blue armor. It was like he was colored by someone with only one crayon. Yet the reason his eyes interested me was the words I could swear he was saying with them. Those ruby eyes questioned me.

Who are you? They asked.

"You are a NPP..." Briar continued, almost making me think that she could hear my thoughts. He must have felt the same, because his face fell back into the blank mask he had before and his gaze dropped to the ground once more. Still, his question was valid. I was a lot of things, in Equestria. But here, who was I?

"Yes, but I'm also not from here." I retorted, showing my hand a bit as I walked forward this time. I really hoped Briar would follow, cause this would look all kinds of stupid if I walked away only to be tugged back like a pet. I considered the notion that Briar might not follow, either out of pride or resentment but the risk had to be taken. If I didn't push a little, we'd be standing here forever and I wasn't doing that. Fortunately, Briar followed after me, continuing to question me.

"Ah, so you really are an outsider?" She questioned, though she didn't seem surprised.

"You didn't know?"

"I wasn't sure." She replied with a pleased smile, as if she had gained some kind of ground. Weird. "Most outsiders don't make it this far into the republic without being caught. Quite impressive of you, Moonlight." Far in? So I was some distance from the border then. Perhaps I'm even near the center of the country. Great. I inwardly groaned.

"I guess so..." I muttered, just to fill the silence. This raised some questions within me, though thankfully, they weren't new. Like how and why I came to find myself in Fair Valley. "I don't know much about this place." I admitted.

"That explains it!" Briar laughed haughtily. "No wonder you are so confused. A NPP as a Librarian? Ha, how ridiculous!" She snickered, catching the eyes of some passerby before they turned away. "I don't know where you came from but that isn't how things work in our society. To have a NPP work in a library is laughable."

Okay, now she was starting to piss me off on a whole different level. I may not like my job that much; its long, fairly boring and requires that I walk up kin of early, but I will be damned if I just let this bitch talk bad about it. I may be a lazy and antisocial librarian who curses at visitors and spends more time reading than actually doing my job but I take pride in what little work I actually do!

"Oh? And why is that?" I snapped at her, stopping to watch her expression change from jovial to slightly pensive. "Is it because most NPC's or whatever you call them are illiterate? One told me that they don't teach NPP's how to even read!"

"Well of course we don't." Briar snorted, unconcerned with my anger as she walked past me. "Why would we waste our and their precious time attempting such a feint? NPP are well known to be less... capable of learning such things as reading and math." Blue flinched at this, his eyes still on the floor. "The Republic is quite aware of the limitation that plague NPP's and as such, try their best to make sure that they are comfortable."

"By treating them like idiots?" I argued, getting more and more annoyed. "They are uneducated, not brain dead!"

Briar rolled her eyes, clearly unconvinced of my statement. Again, she gave me that indulgent look that made my blood boil. "Oh, you must be one of those special NPP's." She concluded, apparently forgetting that I was an 'outsider'. "One who has learned to speak so eloquently from a kind if not misguided pony. Who is your master, by the way? Or mistress. Either way, I really must know who taught you such silly ideas." She insisted, looming closer to me. For some reason, I backed away, suddenly wary of the pony. "Who helped you?"

I had a feeling she was fishing for more information (It was kind of obvious) but my rage at being dismissed took up the majority of my thoughts. I felt my eyes twitching in frustration. This mare was going to give me a aneurysm! But I had to stay calm. I had stay cool. Be calm, be cool, be awesome... I let out a breath, my headache fading a little as I let my rage flow out. Sure, I was still stuck with this stupid mare but at least it was almost-

"We have arrived at Mayor Razzaroo's office, my lady." Blue stated, appearing between of the two of us. We both jumped back at the sight of the stallion. Blue was pretty quiet despite his size. Behind him were a short staircase that led up to a pair of golden double doors. On the doors, the initials "MR" were engraved into the door, just in case anyone was unclear on whose office it was, I suppose.

"Oh? I suppose we have arrived already." Briar sighed, looking disappointed. "Too bad! I was having so much fun talking to you. It's not often that I get to talk to a NPP who looks me in the eye." She stated, turning to me. We stared at each other for a minute before she turned to Blue, who was staring at the ground. "Will you be accompanying me, solider?"

Blue shook his head. "No, my lady." He replied, bowing his head. "I have been tasked with escorting the prisoner to the mayors office until I have been dismissed by her. I apologize." He said, his voice deep and regretful, as if he really did feel bad for not being able to stay with the mare.

I snorted, rolling my eyes. If Blue wanted to be with Briar, that was his problem. Me? I had to figure out a way out of here. Perhaps I could convince the Mayor to let me go. I mean, I hadn't actually done anything wrong as far as I know. I was just caught up with Smokey and whatever he'd done wrong. Which seemed strange, since he seemed like a nice kid. But then again, I'd only just met him.

My mind had been too busy teetering between the thought of Smokey being innocent and him being a thug, so when the doors to the mayors office slammed open, I only had a second to react before I was shoved to the side by some pony. Whoever it was who that pushed me to the side was strong, making me roll across the carpeted floor twice. Just as the pony rounded a corner, I could have sworn I saw a curly blonde tail. Was that-

"Petal, please wait!" I looked up to see a familiar face standing in the doorway. A light blue mare stared over us, her eyes looking for the pony who had mowed me down. "Petal-"

"Nurse Arctic Breeze!" Briar cried, gaining the attention of the mare who flinched at the sight of her. Briar didn't seem to notice, trotting closer. "Just the mare I was looking for! I was just about to stop by your office for our meeting and yet here you are. How fortunate."

Arctic grimaced, sighing as her eyes looked away. "I... apologize, Lady Briar." She said, walking down the stairs. "I was just going to leave so I could set everything up. Though, I didn't expect you here. Surely a mare such as you wouldn't trouble yourself with meeting with the mayor for just a short visit."

"Oh, I'm not here for that. I was just escorting this NPP outsider to the mayor's office." She informed Arctic with a smiled as she pointing at me struggling to my hooves. Arctic took one look at me and flinched, looking at me with such worry, I grew even more anxious. What was awaiting me? More creepy cultist chanting? Imprisonment? Death?

"Anyway, since I managed to catch you here, why don't we get going, Nurse Breeze?" Briar suggested, floating the gem (I'll call it the Restraining Gem or RG for short) from her saddlebags and tossed it to Blue, who caught it in his mouth. "Since the stallion claims to be under orders, I suppose we'll have to go by ourselves, won't we?" Arctic jumped when Briar began to use her magic to tug her forward by her saddlebags, not really giving her a chance to respond.

"But I-" Arctic's words went unheard by me as they quickly left me and Blue standing at the foot of the mayors staircase. For a moment, I watched Arctic get further from me, her frantic eyes falling on me, as if trying to speak to me, to warn me. But about what? Meanwhile, Blue slid the restraining gem into his chest plate. Apparently, there was a pocket in there, since there was no sign of it afterward. We shared a look, my violet eyes boring into his red eyes. After a minute, he sighed.

"For a smart pony, you really aren't very smart, are you?" He sighed deeply, shaking his head in disappointment. "You must be an outsider."

"What?" I muttered, cocking my head just before the stallion got close enough to whisper to me. I jumped.

"So let me give you some advice and if I were you, I'd listen." He growled, sending shivers of fear through me. Despite his words, I had a feeling there was a threat underneath that 'advice'. Or anger. But at who, I couldn't fathom.

"A-and what is that?" I pushed, my eyes on the double doors that had slid shut after Arctic's departure.

"Don't be a smart ass. You'll only get yourself hurt." He warned, moving away to look me in the eye. "I don't how things go in the outerlands but in Ponyland, there are rules. Rules that you really don't want to break." With that, he turned to the door and began walking up the stairs, not once looking back. I knew it'd take a couple more steps before the RG forced me to follow, so I waited, wanting just a moment to think.

I had gained a lot of information in the last hour or so. More than I anticipated, to be honest. For one thing, the ponys here seemed a bit wary of outsiders for some reason. So they were either very isolated or in conflict. But which, I couldn't say for now. All I do know is that I was slap dab in the middle of a world filled with more questions than answers.

"Oi, Are you coming or not?" Blue called out, just one step from the Gem's maximum distance. I could tell cause the tugging sensation had only just began, that feeling when you feel your body reacts to the impending drop despite it not happening yet. So he knew how far he could go before the collar pulled me? Smart stallion. Still, I sighed, slowly walking to catch up with him. He nodded, probably understanding my hesitation, before turning to knock on the door. As we waited for permission to enter, I felt my heart race. I really didn't like this. There were too many unknowns. This place's laws, beliefs and norms were all still a mystery to me. To be honest, I was scared of what might await me. But I held it in. For as long as I was here, I was trapped. By ponies and their ways. So I needed to know where I was exactly in order to escape. After that... Eh, I'll worry about that later. For now, I had to play the part.

It wouldn't be the first time, would it?

Smile

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