Chapters Rain clattered about the Everfree. Drops rippled and dripped from the leaves overhead, plummeting down before bursting on the tepid green below. Upon a single tree, however, the drops seemed to fly almost continually, bouncing off with rhythmic intensity. Those from the section facing Ponyville found their way to the back of a white unicorn mare; the instigator of their hurried descent. She bashed her horn against the cruelly hard wood; again--again--again. She never stopped, never hesitated, despite the burning pain she felt growing inside her horn. The rain masked her tears, blending with them before carrying them indifferently on to their ends.
She banged, and banged, but the horn would not break. The mare paused a moment, suffering seeping through her features as she breathed heavily. She stared up beyond her light and dark blue mane, fixating on the object of her contempt. Her face lightened from disdain to despair, then tightened again as she rammed the tree once more. The water poured down, and she held her head there, her aching horn implanted painfully in the bark.
"Dove!" came a voice. Dove quickly shifted her head back.
"Dove! Où es tu? (Where are you?)"
The slosh of approaching hoofsteps sounded from beyond the trees. Dove's eyes widened. She reared her head back in front of her and began fervently banging it against the tree. "Break! " she cried under her breath. "Break! Break! " The tree took each impact in stride; as did the horn. The sloshes grew closer. Dove stabbed faster. "Break! Break! Break! Break! Break --"
"Dove?!"
The voice was upon her now. Dove's head impacted the tree one, final time, before slumping down against it. The series of sloshes quickly approached her, then suddenly stopped at her side.
"...Dove?"
Dove tilted her head slightly, glancing up at the small orange pony draped in the frigid night's rain. Standing there, she seemed to shine like a beautiful, radiant flame; emanating warmth to all around her. "Starburst ..." Dove breathed. She returned her gaze to the sullen ground, guilt striking through her spine for foolishly indulging in a comfort she did not deserve. Her face contracted, and she could feel the tears bleed out faster, and the urge to weep overwhelmed her body. She shook with each silent sob. However, the raindrops no longer fell upon her, as one of Starburst's massive wings shielded her from the incoming stream. Starburst lowered her face to her friend's. "Dove, qu'est-ce que tu fais? (what are you doing?)"
No response.
"Dove! S'il te plait! (Please!)"
Dove's eyes remained shut, but her voice began to find itself. "C-Cette ne--" Her voice was cut off by another reflexive sob. "C-Cette ne c-cassera--pas! (I-It won't--b-break!)" She moved her head back slightly and banged into the tattered bark. Starburst's hoof seized her mane and tugged her back. "Dove! Arrêtez! (Stop!)" Her grip was firm, but even so, Dove shook from it. Mud splattered about Starburst as she fell against the ground. She shook her head, then, after raising herself to a sit, looked down at her hoof. It still contained threads of Dove's hair, the follicles intact. She jolted her vision up to find Dove standing a few mere feet away, but just beyond her reach. The two locked eyes, and the beating rain seemed to go silent around them.
They remained there, scanning each-other's countenances, until Dove lowered her head and began to turn away. "Forgive me, mon canari, (my canary,)" said Dove, walking to the clearing's edge. Starburst watched, uncertain of her own movements. As Dove neared an opposing tree, she slowly rediscovered her motor functions, and began walking, then running to her friend. "Dove!"
Dove's hooves ascended the roots, and she began to circle around it, her body disappearing behind the trunk. Starburst sprinted on. "Wait! Please!"
Dove's tail vanished as Starburst leaped the roots and stomped down in the mud beyond. She scanned her surroundings; trees, bushes, but no Dove. Her vanishing act always was solid , Starburst stated internally. She sighed. Shifting her head back, she peered into the clearing, dejectedly gazing at the many frayed markings adorning its tree.
The Ponyville streets slept peacefully; the steady beat of raindrops providing them a tempered lullaby. Starburst gazed out at the Everfree Forest from the interior of her room. The day's 'Best Young Flyer' competition had initially left her restless; too pumped to sleep properly. Prism Bolt had won, managing to finally pull off his mother's trademark sonic rainboom to wow the judges. Starburst took a close second though, capping her own routine off with a Rarity inspired 'Solar Eclipse' pose, in which she rose to the sun and threw her massive wings out, striking awe and wonder into everypony in the audience. Starburst could still see it clearly, the way Dove's lavender eyes illuminated like blooming lilacs. After the competition, Dove told her the performance would always be number one in her "cœur". She always knew how to cheer her up.
Starburst lowered her eyes. Dove ... she internalized. She had noticed the unicorn's travel cart parked just outside the Everfree during a midnight workout session not two hours ago. The cart had seemed pony-less, and Starburst quickly unlatched and flew out the castle window to confirm it. She'd peered inside, but her suspicions proved correct. The only sign of Dove was her feather cape; discarded against a random box of props. She'd raced into the forest, using her rudimentary tracking skills to find and follow Dove's trail. It had worked. However, by the night's end, she had failed.
Come sunrise, her vigil ended. No visible nor audible sign of Dove had passed Starburst's window, and she yawned, the bags beneath her eyes sagging as she did so. The rest of her morning routine went as usual; tidy her mane, wash her bed, chew her teeth, brush her breakfast. Twilight watched inquisitively from behind the counter as her daughter meticulously brushed each piece of cereal to a mirror shine. She checked her face, noting the absent expression. "Starburst?"
"Yeah mom?" questioned Starburst, gradually turning her torpid eyes away from the task which her hooves continued in diligently.
"Did you sleep well last night? You look sort of... out-of-it."
"I'm fine..." she stated, all the while slowly slumping forward into her cereal bowl. The cold milk was very refreshing, especially on her face. As she realized her situation and raised herself up, she found her mom's hoof on her shoulder and a small towel now laying in her hooves. She quickly lifted it to her face and wiped it clear before setting it aside on the wooden table. She kept her view fixated there for quite some time, then lifted her gaze up to her mother. "Hey, mom? Did you see Dove pass by here? Or see her cart parked anywhere?"
Twilight nodded. "Yes, she stopped by early this morning actually. Apparently she has a show booked outside Ponyville later today and wanted to apologize for not being able to say goodbye. I offered to wake you up for her, but she said she didn't want to interrupt mon canari's beauty sleep. I would have pressed a bit further, but... her vanishing act is much better than her mother's."
Starburst nodded and mused about this as she slowly motioned her toothbrush toward the bowl. Twilight's magic surrounded the tool, and it was quickly switched with a spoon from one of the kitchen drawers. As Starburst lifted the cereal into her mouth and began methodically chewing, Twilight smiled contently and returned to the kitchen to continue cooking her own breakfast, a sizzling set of eggs. After flipping the pan full of blackening yolks a few times, she paused, then shifted her head to Starburst. "Why do you ask?"
"...No reason," her daughter replied. Twilight kept her eyes trained on her, but couldn't quite decipher the groggy expression. She returned to her meal, but kept a mental note to pry later. As she attempted to remember the next step in proper sunny-side up preparation over a set of burning black slosh, a door slam sounded from upstairs, catching her attention.
"MOM!" cried the young Night Light. "Can you pull Starburst's mattress out of the shower?! I have to get to school!"
Dove watched the sun rise up between the towering skyscrapers of Manehattan with a smile. She tugged on her cart and pulled it down the train station's steps, careful to keep the interior's belongings steady with each successive bump. Descending the final set, she noticed an important looking unicorn mare trotting across the street ahead, the numerous bags floating over her head coated in simple levitation magic. Dove detached her gaze and dragged her cart down to the level concrete. The walk to her hotel would prove taxing, but nothing an experienced traveler such as Dove the Extraordinary could not handle. However, the ache in her horn kept pulsating, ridiculing her with each hoofstep. Like a heartbeat it throbbed, pumping pain throughout her body. She attempted to focus on the street ahead, but each pulse reminded her of its presence, always looming just above her sight. She focused on it, hoping her stare might be sharp enough to finally sever it from her completely.
The cart's right hind wheel caught a sidewalk's edge, sending it, and Dove, toppling over. Her belongings splayed out across the sidewalk and street's edge. Dove just laid there a moment. She shut her eyes. Had Anthea been with her--a pony actually worth being called a unicorn--she could simply... float all the belongings back into her cart. Anthea was blind, but she was a real unicorn, unlike Dove. Unlike Dove, Anthea was orphaned... yet Dove cried. Unlike Dove, Crystal Clarity was half-dragon, considered an abomination by many during her youth, yet Dove cried. Unlike Dove, Starburst bared the weight of her mother's reputation as well as the frequent mocking of her stature, and yet Dove cried. Dove cried, every night in secret. She didn't deserve to. She knew , they had every right; and she had none. A unicorn approached her side, presenting a friendly grin.
"Excuse me, miss," he said, extending a cordial hoof. "Would you like some help retrieving your luggage?"
Dove accepted the hoof and slowly rose to a stand. As her face met his, she revealed a smile, and raised a polite hoof. "Non, merci," she replied. "I'm fine. It's no problem."
Chapter 2: Past Transgressions
Dove traced her hooves along the Manehattan shoreline, her nerves somehow unphased by the freezing water lapping at her ankles. She looked to her left; the entirety of Manehattan's splendor cutting through the darkness. The bellowing night winds whirred through the city's troubled streets, sending everypony's coats from Time Square to Central Park to the bridgewalk bristling. They blew through the carts and pedestrians making their way out to the city's more natural outskirts, leaving behind the level concrete for uneven grass and dirt. The tiny green blades swayed and parted as the winds flew down the leftmost slope, leading them down to Dove and the open shore. Loose grains of sand scattered about her as they approached, yet when they met her own cold, sullen body, she felt nothing. She sighed, and continued on.
A cave lay just a few meters ahead, situated below a rocky overpass and denoted by a pair of glistening crevices. Dove glanced back at the dancing tides, too busy to cast a proper reflection, then entered the glossy rock cavern. It echoed her every hoofstep, periodically interrupting with a water droplet of its own. A series of corroding stalactites lined the dwelling's walls. Dove regarded each of them with solemn familiarity, then returned her view in front of her as she neared a shallow descent. The floor's grainy texture provided fair stability in spite of its damp coating, though the descent itself began ebbing into a mangled, twisting mess of a tunnel, spiraling sporadically downward before declining to a shallow, then level gradient. The circular ceiling ceased just a few paces ahead, and she emerged, halfheartedly, and looked round. Thin falls of water draped the cavern walls, seeping through from the small fissures in the roof before splashing down and feeding into narrow cracks. Faded moonlight reflected across them, draping the cavern in a pale luminescence, only occasionally cut by the blue glow of fungi persisting atop the mossy rocks.
Dove entered. She shivered as her hooves remembered the cracks and clefts permeating the ground. It had been nearly two months since they last knew them, and over seven years since they'd first met. She lifted her head. Before her a vivid, watery reflection returned her sorrow, and the two met eyes. They simply watched each-other, then, suddenly, the reflection broke. The stream had parted, sending splashes echoing throughout the cavern and revealing a long segment of cavern wall. It housed many deep abrasions, faded from the months and years past. A new mark lay atop them now--followed by another--and another. The water repeatedly converged and separated as Dove's horn met the cold stone beneath. The ache in her horn was growing stronger. Dove began stabbing faster.
Faster, and faster, until it broke.
...It broke.
Dove removed her head from the water it rested between and looked down. To her far left, the upper half of her horn laid lifelessly at the foggy end of a mushroom's sapphire glow. Her eyes darted up. Her irises climbed, high as they could go. She could see no horrible white protrusion, though the bottom half always remained. She cringed as the pain became conscious of her. It wrapped around her every nerve and squeezed tight as a brace. She held her head a short second, then, reopening her eyes, returned her gaze down to the broken horn.
It had broken again, finally. But she could not smile. Dove's subtle frown retained the same shape it had when she'd entered. After closing her eyes a moment, she lowered her head and walked past it, returning to the cavern's entrance. She traced the same damp flooring she had upon entering, finding her way through memory and the brief, blue light of the mushrooms. She had stepped over one of the glowing caps, when a sudden cracking noise sounded behind her. She jolted her head back. There, in the edges of the blue glow, her horn lay divided; fractured into numerous pieces. She stared. Beneath it, a shadow seemed to distort itself from the darker reaches of the cavern, and the chunks gradually dissolved into it.
Dove breathed silently. She remained still, watching the shadow slink back to the surrounding darkness. As it did so, Dove began slowly treading backward toward the entrance. Carefully, she placed each hoof down, but stopped suddenly. The pale light in the room was fading, dissolving into harsh shadows which swam beyond the reach of the mushroom's gleam. Dove careened her neck back, but could no longer see the entrance. Fog, dense and dark, had overtaken it, and was now wafting its way into the cave. It wrapped around rocks and swelled into crevices. It dipped into the mushrooms' realm, seemingly undeterred by the light they cast. Dove began creeping back to the center, then breathed. Against her back, a sizable mound of wet rock coated in fungus cast ample light against her. She looked back to the fog, now smothering over a quarter of the room, then lifted her hooves.
The rock's surface was smooth, and Dove struggled as she scraped her hind legs against it and her front attempted to grip at whatever grooves she could find. The blue light visible to her along the cave walls began lessening and lessening from muted fades to nothingness. She shut her eyes and pulled, her legs spastically kicking away beneath her, until she was up. Her coat was swamped in cold sweat and her breathing was erratic, but she was up. She raised a hoof to her chest, attempting to slow her breathing to a calmer rate, but found all her breath stolen from her as she gazed upon her surroundings. The whole room was drowned in fog. She checked from each edge of the rock, but found only dark grey ocean beneath. The only source of light left was that directly below her. And even then, Dove realized as she studied the fog's movements, it would not be around much longer. All about her, the fog drifted. It encircled the rock, rotating around it as it ascended, occasional whiffs spouting from the turbid tides.
Dove gritted her teeth together. As the fog neared the summit, she shut her eyes before rearing onto her hind legs and slamming down on two mushrooms, both of which exploded into a blinding flash of white light and sent a cascade of luminous orange spores floating like a fireworks display. The fog reeled back, falling to the bottom of the slope. Dove reattained her breathing as she leaned fiercely down at the recoiling mass.
"Monstruosité odieuse! (Abhorrent monstrosity!)" Dove cried. "Keep your distance! I've enough experience with these mushrooms from my shows to know that they emit high frequency light when properly pressured. You cannot pass this light, and you will not pass over me! Now leave! Return to whatever home you have and leave me be!"
To this, the fog seemed to pause, then recede somewhat, uncovering some of the mushrooms and allowing their light stretch across the cavern. Dove observed this with a discerning eye, a single hoof raised cautiously. She scanned the room, taking note of the still darkened entryway and the shifts and sways of the fog, then stopped. Distorted across the far wall was Dove's shadow, its horn still intact. Dove moved her head, but the shadow stared on, unmoving. A voice began to echo throughout the cavern.
"Dove..." it began.
Dove remained still. The voice was strange in its sincerity. It continued.
"We followed you... All this time..."
The shadow turned itself left and began walking, treading across the rough surface. It disappeared into the unlit segments of wall, Dove attempting to track it all the while. She found it, or at least what seemed to be it, in the glow of the right wall. It was smaller now; the size of a maturing filly.
"You discarded us..." spoke a tiny voice. "But you were right to do so... Unicorn magic is a blight... All it does is hurt..."
Dove noticed the fog rising closer. She slammed down on another mushroom, dispersing it and sending it scattering to the bottom. She shot her eyes back up, just catching the shadow filly's tail before it entered the next segment of darkness. Scattered lines of light from partially covered fungi detailed its image in fragments as it continued onward, only displaying a few moving appendages at a time. From what could be seen, it seemed to be shrinking with each pass. It entered the wide glow of a few uncovered mushrooms along the far right wall, now the size of a young filly.
"...We can stop it... End it all... We can take them away..."
Dove slammed down again, pushing the fog back. A large bead of sweat rolled down her face before suddenly flying off as she lifted her head. The shadow filly was no where in sight. Dove span about, checking each of the surrounding surfaces. Finally, she stopped on the far back wall, modestly lit about a single waterfall. A hoof had reached into the glow, followed by the rest of the filly, even smaller now. It halted at the falls, then turned to face her. The fog about it calmed. The water began to part. A pitch black horn reached out from beyond the falls, slowly followed by a head and a set of hooves. Another bead rolled down Dove's head. The shadow filly exited the wall, returning the stream its consistent flow. It continued stepping forward, the fog parting about it as it did so. It slowed its approach, halting at the bottom of the rock. In the immediate sapphire glow, Dove could determine its features, or rather, its lack thereof. The filly tilted its head up to her, revealing the small indents it had in place of eyes.
"We can help... Let us help..."
The filly remained still. The fog remained still. Dove remained still. She looked down at the shadow filly, a genuine, caring smile across its clear face. Dove frowned, and wearily shook her head. "Je suis désolée, (I am sorry,)" she whispered, and pressed down once more. When she reopened her eyes, the shadow filly was gone, though the fog persisted. Dove stared at the point the filly once stood, water streaming from her eyes. "Je suis désolée," she repeated. She collapsed to her stomach, letting the tears bleed out. "Je suis désolée ," she repeated, on and on again. "Je suis désolée! "
A hoof rested on her shoulder. "C'est d'accord. (It's okay.)"
Dove turned her head round. Behind her, her shadow, still forming from the shadowy tendrils extending from the ceiling and walls, smiled gently and stared into her eyes as its tail finished materializing. "You don't have to cry anymore. No one has to. Not anymore."
The shadow's hoof began seeping into Dove, coating her shoulder in a dark tinge. She attempted to pull away, but the reflection grabbed her head and stared deeper. She felt the darkness surround her as she stared down the shade, it becoming less and less as it covered her more and more. Soon, only the eyes remained. They gazed at her, and she gazed back, and then, they were upon her.
The bridge to Manehattan was quieter than usual that night. Taxi carts and plentiful amounts of pedestrians still roamed, yet the calming late night scenery combined with the natural fatigue of the day brought everypony to a mutually agreed relative silence. The crescent moon shone overhead, thin like a tempered scythe. A unicorn couple made their way across with the rest of the crowd, their shared smiles and laughter staving away the numbing cold. As the mare laughed at the stallion's newest joke, a stream of dark, opaque fog rolled over them, and his image succumbed to a blinding stream of darkness. The mare cried out, attempting to leap toward him, but the fog was dense, and draining. She shook her head all about, shouting for help, but the sounds simply echoed around her, bouncing off the fog and reverberating back again and again. In the midst of her struggle, her eyes met pure white. Above her, a set of sharp, glistening teeth grinned, and a pair of deep violet irises gazed down. The body attached to them was so dark it was near indistinguishable from the fog, only noticeable thanks to its contrast against an endlessly flowing white stream which flew from the wearer's chest like a formless cape. Atop it all, a lovely crown of indigo and azure hair greeted her; a sprinkling of vibrant stars seemingly shining along the visible interior.
The mare gaped at the figure, not noticing the dark, foggy tendrils warping their way around her horn. The figure stared down at her, and the two locked eyes. A swell of tears rounded the ducts of the violet orbs, but the smile remained.
A crack and a shrill cry broke through the fog, and the tall figure stepped forward over the mare's limp form. It shifted its eyes upward to the towering monoliths in the distance, and the fog rolled on.
"Hey Star!"
Starburst jolted awake on her leafy perch atop one of the park's larger oaks. Below her, the park seemed to resume in its activities from whence she had left it, with only two or three ponies absent. She checked about, but found no pony in her general vicinity.
"Star-burrrrrsst! "
No one below, no one behind, no one abo--
"Starburst!"
A light blue head shot out from the leaves overhead. Starburst nearly fell as she swayed backwards and smacked her head against the trunk. Cotton Candy hung upside down from some unseen branch, her wavy white and pink mane swaying left and right as she bobbed softly up and down. "Found ya!" she cried triumphantly. Her jubilant grin, however, evaporated as she noticed Starburst rubbing behind her head. "Oh, sorry. You okay?" She nimbly descended from her trapeze and balanced her way to Starburst. Starburst slowed in her rubbing, concentrating on one spot.
"Yeah, I think so," she said. Candy pointed at Starburst's head.
"Lower," she gently commanded. Starburst huffed, then, after looking away, lowered her head. Candy leaned in and began parting the dark blue hair, checking for any sign of bruising. She took her time in the process, concern deeply plaguing her Spring yellow eyes.
"Star... Are you okay?"
Starburst silently ran her eyes along the branch.
"You've been so... jumpy, these past few days," Candy continued. "It makes it hard for a girl to prank her best friend, you know?"
Starburst looked to the lower half of the trunk. She breathed a half breath. "Is--" she almost started. She caught herself, about to utter the words: Is Dove back? Bringing Dove up out of the blue like that... Candy would surely ask her why, and it wouldn't take her long to put it all together, knowing her. She might even have to tell her about that night. Would--would Dove be okay with that? N-No; if she's hurting herself, somepony has to know. But, that look she gave her... so pained, so ashamed. Somepony else finding out might embarrass her, pressure her into never returning. Would Dove rather she waited? Let her wait for Dove's return and then talk to her personally about it? What would Dove want?
"Is," Starburst stammered on. "Is the back of my head alright?"
Candy's widened eyes softened, and she returned to her usual, exuberant smile. "Yep!" she cried, straightening Starburst's hair before removing her hooves and allowing her to lift her head. "Your head's A-O-Kay! Your heart, on the other hoof," she pointed a hoof to Starburst's chest. "Remains ever-a-mystery. I'll unravel it soon enough though, mark my words! I will decipher this debacle and will not rest until I have extradited the enigma obfuscating your paralyzing predicament! In the mean time though, wanna head over to Apple Acres? I heard Del's baking a humongo apple cake that's supposed to be scrum-diddly-umcious!"
"Baked , you mean to say," came a raw country accent. Below them, the light orange Golden Delicous approached from beyond the nearby wooden bench, carrying a fragrant picnic basket atop a plaid blanket draped across his back. With a light nudge of his muzzle, he opened the basket's latch, revealing a plethora of elegantly stacked pastries. "Along with a couple apple fritters, apple turnovers, and an apple pie for good measure." He closed the latch, then looked back up to Starburst with a weak, half-smile. "Figured ya might enjoy a little picnic, if ya don't mind me assumin' too much. Everypony else thought it was a good idea too."
He turned his gaze to the neighboring hill, their four remaining friends framed like colorful silhouettes against the calm afternoon sky. The purple one waved to them, to which Candy boisterously waved back. Starburst's frown lightened, and she rose from her perch.
The plaid blanket fit the comfortable stitching pedigree the Apple family heirlooms are famous for. Starburst chewed another slice of apple pie, holding the plate with one hoof and a complimentary fork in the other while she sat atop the homely cloth. Prism Bolt flew overhead, with everypony below eating their food in varying degrees of elegance. Candy shoved a slice of pie in her face, making a series of slurping noises before removing the plate to reveal a macabre masterpiece of apple slices and cinnamon sauce, somehow perfectly symmetrical across opposite sides of her nose. Starburst stifled a giggle, followed by Turquoise Blitz, who paused mid pie cut to look. He pivoted his head to the blonde unicorn mare resting beneath his right wing, whispering into her ear before pulling away to share in her laughter. Crystal Clarity grinned contently, gently levitating a small forkful of cake into her mouth, then, nearly choking on it as a dark blue body swooped low behind her, sending her otherwise stylish short hair into a frenzy.
"K-Kegh!" she coughed. She tightened a hoof-claw and raised it angrily to the sky. "Prism Bolt! "
Prism performed a fanciful aerial loop before soaring down the casually slanted hillside. Claire stared bitterly after him, before returning to her dignified poise and wiping her muzzle clean with a levitated napkin. "He's certainly energetic today," she said, angrily carving herself another forkful. Del watched the routine with a slight grin. "I reckon he's just excited is all. Not three days ago he won that best young fliers award, and for the past two I think he's just been bedrestin'. His wing was sprained pretty bad in all that excitement."
"Well," Claire hoitily began, refusing to look away from her cake. "That's the consequence of training so ardently in just a week's span after years of simply lazing about." She took another bite of her cake, chewing it intently. A sudden light breeze fell over her, prompting her vision up.
"So, I can have an entire apple turnover, right?" Prism Bolt asked, floating over the opened basket. Del reached in and presented one to him.
"Yep! You can help yourself," Del responded.
Claire pulled her fork from her mouth. "Prism Bolt," she addressed, nonchalantly poking another forkful as she gazed at him. She raised it to her mouth and began chewing, her eyes closed in a dignified manner. "Picnics are supposed to be calm, peaceful affairs. That is to say, not involving any sort of brazen, life-endangering, hair-ruining stunts. Just a relaxing time to spend among friends."
"Pfft! Life endangering?" Prism laughed, mouth half-full of apple turnover. He quickly chewed then swallowed it down. "Claire, I think you forget who you're talking to here. First of all, I'm the best young flier in all of Equestria!" His wings fanned out and gradually rose him upward. "Second, the son of two famous Wonderbolts!" He rose higher. "And third, the performer of the sonic rainboom!" He rose, high to the tree branches. "You really think a couple of flips are gonna hurt me?! I'm on top of the world! I'm like a--"
A slice of pie splattered across his face. As it gradually slid down his placid expression, Claire smiled tenaciously, her fork pointed out like a discharged catapult. "Oops, my apologies," she said mischievously. "My hoof must have slipped."
Starburst broke out into laughing, seconded by Del, Turquoise and Annie, who could recognize a pie splatter when she heard one. Candy pivoted her face up toward Prism. "Hey! Prism!" she started, waving him down. "You've got something on your face!"
Prism looked back at her, her own face a clown-like pastiche of apple glaze. He chuckled, then snorted, then broke out into full on laughter with the rest of the group.
"There y'all are!" called a voice. Del turned his head, finding his mother, as well as her friends, ascending the grassy slope. Twilight and Rainbow quickly flew up, landing themselves beside their respective children. Quickly wrapping her hooves around Starburst, Twilight gripped her and embraced her in a tight hug. Starburst's expression above Twilight's shoulder remained stunned a moment, then grew to troubled curiosity. "M-Mom? Is--is something wrong?"
Twilight pulled back, still holding Starburst's shoulders, and presented her a reassuring yet troubled smile. "Yes, but hopefully not for long. I think we--"
Rainbow tugged on Prim's ear. "What did I tell you about flying today?!" she shouted, dragging him to the ground. "When I said you could go out for a picnic, you were supposed to lay down with everyone else. That wing isn't gonna heal properly if you don't rest it!"
Pinkie Pie hopped to Candy's side, reaching a hoof across her shoulder and pressing her cheek against Candy's apple glazed forehead. Rarity sat herself between Claire and Anthea, raising a hoof to rest against Claire's shoulder as Fluttershy kneeled down to Anthea's eye level. "Um, Turquoise," Fluttershy said, turning to the green hybrid. "Could you give us a moment? We won't be long." Turquoise nodded blankly and, after unwrapping his wing from around Anthea, walked around to his own mother, who placed her free hoof on his shoulder as well. Anthea rose to a stand before the yellow and pink blur she knew as her mom. "What's happening?" she questioned.
"We got a message from Canterlot a little while ago," Fluttershy stated. "Princess Celestial and Luna want us to come to the castle straight away. Something terrible has happened!"
"What?" Anthea hurriedly asked. Fluttershy looked around skittishly, then briefly inhaled, before leaning slightly forward to speak. Her motion, however, was cut off by Starburst's sudden expulsion.
"Manehattan has what!? " the orange pegasus shouted incredulously. The other parents shared their expressions, having just gotten to that part. Starburst dropped herself from her mother's hooves and collapsed to the ground, her hooves shakily covering her head. "But, Dove's there! She said she'd be there three days ago!" Her friends looked back to their mothers, who hurried to tell the details. Twilight leaned down and began stroking the back of Starburst's mane.
"I'm sorry, Star..." Twilight soothed. In contrast to her voice, her face was a troubled contortion of unpleasant truths. "But Dove--We think she..."
"Princess!" cried an authoritative voice. A group of guards rushed up the hill, their center leader quickly trotting to Twilight. "We must leave now. These matters are of the utmost urgency."
Twilight's gaze turned from the guard and back to Starburst. Her eyes were damp and disillusioned, staring out at nothing. Twilight gripped her daughter's shoulders and lifted her into a second embrace. "I have to go now," she said, rubbing her cheek against Starburst's. "But you won't be alone. You have your friends. And your cousins. They're going to be staying down her for a while, by the way."
Starburst blinked her way back to reality, then looked back to the squad of guards, noticing two new ponies now walking out from around them. "Sorry we took so long," called the white, anatomically anarchic stallion. "Nidra wouldn't leave until the guards had managed to cram all her luggage inside. And unpack it. And set the rugs correctly." The black, bat-winged mare raised her chin indignantly. "Well forgive me for actually having standards!"
Starburst gaped at her cousins--as did her friends. Atop Nidra's head, beyond her blue mane and below her ears, her horn no longer protruded. Illusion's twin horns no longer ornamented his jet black hair either. Both their manes simply flowed unparted down their flat foreheads. Illusion waved a tepid paw. "Hey guys! Long time no see!"
Amorphous black fog draped its way across an enormous white landscape. It rolled and expanded ever outward, flowing both south and north indiscriminately. Further to the west, however, it thinned somewhat, rollicking over light green shades of grass and revolving around a tall, imposing figure. Its horn darted out past its blue shaded mane, pointing toward a vast, empire spanning blue half-sphere. The thinner fog ahead of the figure lurched forward and distorted itself up along and against the sphere, gradually growing larger as it spanned the circumference. The figure grinned its sharp white teeth as the fog climbed the sphere, and the fog behind it rolled on.
The Mane Six entered Canterlot Castle. Its massive doors bellowed shut behind them as they followed the group of guards along various marble-stone halls and hallways, leading them to a rather spacious circular room at what could be approximated to be the center of the castle. The soft orange glow of the setting sun twinkled in through overhead windows. Luna and Celestia awaited them, sitting beside one another at the far end of a large round table. "I'm glad all of you arrived safely," noted Celestia. "However, we have little time to spare for pleasantries. We must commence our strategic assessment now if we hope to prevent catastrophe."
"I heard Illusion's and Nidra's account," said Twilight, seating herself across from Celestia. "But I'm still not sure I have a full grasp on the situation."
Luna motioned a knowing hoof. "That is fine. We know very little as well, though before your arrival a group of guards managed to gather more information. It doesn't give a complete picture, but it will likely prove useful to us."
"This bed is... adequate," stated Nidra, standing beside the guest room bed and pressuring a hoof into its mattress. "I shall accept sleeping here, if only for tonight."
Prince Illusion sat himself at the food end of the bed beside hers, watching over his friends who had spread themselves about the room. Prism Bolt and Golden Delicious chatted enthusiastically over an old toy chest, while Turquoise, Anthea and Candy sat around a small, plastic table; one of many leftovers from Starburst's and Night Light's early years. The three talked and laughed like in their old school days. Starburst kept her eyes pointed down beneath her at the edge of the room near the doorway. A sullen look was in her eyes, but she sat close enough to Illusion that she seemed involved with him and Nidra. A purple claw tapped against the top of Illusion's left hoof.
"Lulu," said Claire, standing at his bedside. "I think it's time you told us what's going on here." She cast her eyes back to Starburst; the orange pony's eyes drooped lower. Illusion looked over his other friends as well, all of whom seemed to have slowed in their cheery conversations he'd wished to die out naturally after the picnic. His and Nidra's jet-lag had been excuse enough for them to return to the castle and resume the mood while he and Nidra regained their energy and prepared their speeches, but Starburst remained as dreadfully somber as when they'd left. He placed his hoof over Claire's, then raised his head high.
"Excuse me, everypony," he started, prompting everypony's head toward him. "I believe Nidra and I are both finally prepared to divulge the information. I will tell you what happened two days ago." Starburst and the rest of the group perked up and rounded themselves about the foot-end of the bed. Nidra sat aside Illusion's right bedside, while Claire moved herself beside Starburst, who had trained her eyes desperately on Illusion. He cleared his throat into his paw, then inhaled.
"The day after the best young fliers event, our mothers received word of a harrowing spectacle. Our scouts observed that a dense, black fog had swallowed the entire city of Manehattan, and seemed to be extending itself northward. From its path, we predicted it would next arrive in Rainbow Falls. Nidra, Father and I formed a unit to confront it before it arrived, but we were late. From our chariots, we could see the fog flowing into the city. The guard ponies pulling my chariot quickly brought me down, and we tried to evacuate the citizens to the train station, but attempting to pull them from the fog proved to be a mistake. My squad became enveloped themselves, and we lost them to it."
"Yes," sounded Nidra. "And while Prince 'Bleeding Heart' over here continued throwing guards at the big pile of smoke, I landed shortly thereafter and tried to study and gain intelligence on it. Closer to it, I could sense something. A sort of... subconscious, as mom calls it; the part of your mind that remains awake while you sleep. I recognized that stirring motion within and activated my dream-walking spell to try bridging the gap into its mind. I managed to enter, but... W-Well, dream-walking is difficult, and I don't quite know how to completely see into pony's dreamscape. I was making progress though! If you hadn't distracted me by getting sucked in yourself..."
"We lost Nidra as well," continued Illusion. "And I, 'Prince Bleeding Heart', was drawn in while trying to pull our guards from the miasma." Illusion drew his eyes down. "First, it broke our horns, snapping them at the base and drawing out our Alicorn magic. Then, it flowed into us. These... negative feelings. It was like walking through a six foot layer of oil; everything--even breathing--felt heavy, and painful."
Nidra bit her lip at the memory. Illusion frowned.
"Father," he continued. "Was engaged elsewhere, at the fog's peak, but rushed to our aid regardless. He'd materialized a giant fan to engage our rescue, and succeeded, but--" He sighed, then took a moment. "Dad seemed... averse to this form of magic. Draqoneus magic is chaotic and vibrant, but the magic the fog contained was consistent and unyielding. It seemed to drain him, simply by proximity. It took everything he had to teleport us both out, but not himself. A group of our back-up battalion carried us to safety. He's still there now, underneath that foreboding blanket."
Silence punctuated the room. At last, Starburst stepped to the foot of the bed.
"Do you have any news of Dove?" she questioned. "My mother... she said something about her. Do either of you know anything?"
Nidra and Illusion exchanged glances, both their faces in skewered, awkward sympathy. Nidra seemed to lose the exchange, then looked back to Starburst.
"When I connected to the subconscious," Nidra reluctantly began. "I couldn't make anything out. It was just white. Just white, bright nothingness. But, as I pushed my magic, I managed to quell the distortion and bring things into focus. Then, below me--very, very far below me--I saw... Dove..."
Starburst blinked at her. Nidra stammered her weight a bit.
"She was laying there, in the void. Just her, and her shadow beneath her. It looked like she'd been there for a while. Her eyes were glazed over when she looked at me. She said my name, and seemed to recognize me, but her shadow... it moved all on its own. It chased me and, between it and Illusion's yelling, I lost my concentration and lost track of Dove. And then I was captured."
Nidra exhaled, feeling some weight lift from her shoulders, then Illusion turned to Starburst next.
"When we described it to our mothers, Luna believed it was similar to her own Nightmare, and that the fog and creature creating it are somehow outward manifestations of Dove's own internal strife. We can't be entirely certain though."
The weight that had risen off Nidra seemed to plant itself right on Starburst. Her shoulders sank low, and her head lower.
"It's all my fault," she said, her voice cracked by her tears. She tried wiping them away, but they kept coming. "T-Three days ago, I found her in the Everfree forest at night. She was... banging her horn against a tree. She said she was trying to break it--and I tried to stop and help her but--she pulled her vanishing act on me, and I couldn't find her."
She continued weeping. Prism planted his hoof forward. "What?!" he shouted. "Why didn't you tell us?! Why didn't you tell me? We're Dove's friends too y'know!"
"I'm sorry," Starburst squeaked. "I just--I thought she'd hate me if I said anything."
Prism motioned to shout again, but paused, then closed his mouth to a frown and looked away. Starburst tried to wipe away her tears, and suddenly found them slowing, as well as her hard breathing. Her face seemed to relax from its constrictions, and she noticed a luminous, soft green light cast along the rug laden floor. Above her, Anthea's calming spell diffused its soothing glow throughout the room, forming over their heads as a light green hellebore flower. Prism felt his tensed muscles slacken, and the rest of the room relaxed in the scent of flora and the soporific hues. Anthea smiled and, with her eyes closed in mild concentration, retracted the spell into her horn. She reopened them, then looked vaguely around.
"Is everyone okay?" she asked. Prism exhaled.
"Yeah," he responded. "Thanks, Annie. And sorry, Starburst."
Candy trotted around from Turquoise and placed a hoof on Starburst's shoulder. She leaned down a cautious smile, to which Starburst wiped her eyes and attempted to softly smile back. Del looked to the open windows.
"It's gettin' a mite bit late," he pointed out, drawing attention to the fading orange glow and the sinking sun just barely poking over the horizon. "But... I don't think I'll be going home yet. Got quite a while 'fore I need any of my chores done."
"Same here," seconded Prism. Turquoise raised his wings slightly.
"I think I should spend the night," he said. "I don't feel comfortable leaving you like this. I should be there if you need anything."
"We should all stay the night," suggested Claire, raising a hoof.
"Haauugh! " Candy gasped. "Do you know what this means...?" Candy started, gripping a slightly misty eyed Starburst under hoof. Starburst smiled approvingly back at her, and Candy raised her free hoof high above her head. "Slumber party! "
"So, what yer sayin' is..." Applejack began, resting her front hooves on the regally dressed round table. "This thing Dove turned into is gettin' faster?"
"Yes," answered Celestia. "When we last gauged its trajectory and velocity, we estimated it would be only three-quarters of the way through the Crystal Mountains. But we were wrong. It seems to grow faster the more magic it absorbs. Our returning scouts confirmed that she has been near the Crystal Empire since morning."
Applejack pivoted her head to Twilight, who appeared calm despite the bead of sweat rolling down her neck.
"I'm sure they're fine," Twilight stated, somewhat to herself. "They have Cadence's love and protection spell and my brother's shield spell. If they hold out and wait for us we can save them."
"Prince Valiant Heart shall be helpful as well," Luna mentioned. "His Alicorn magic and high status in the guard will certainly benefit their battle."
Applejack shook her head. "I wouldn't put too much faith in that. I got it on good word he's been on leave for a while now, outside the Crystal Empire."
Twilight smiled knowingly, then turned to Princess Celestia. "Princess, you said you estimated that Dove's course would lead her through the Crystal Mountains. Does that mean you know her destination?"
"Maybe," Celestia said. "The cloak of fog flowing behind her seems to expand continuously. She has already taken Manehattan and Rainbow Falls, and her current path has curved her through the Crystal Mountains. While it is possible she may continue forward or veer off further North, if her goal is to expand her fog and break more unicorn horns, she will most likely follow the coast, and continue until she has outlined all of Equestria."
"But that would mean--" Rainbow suddenly interjected.
"Yes," Celestia quickly responded. "All of Equestria will be submerged in fog. It will travel inland until it reaches Canterlot, and as it consumes more magic, the fog will grow faster." Luna stamped a hoof down.
"That is why we must stop it now," she stated. "The preparations have been set, and our carriages have likely finished packing. Follow us to the carriages and we shall soon disembark."
Luna and Celestia rose from their seats, as did their companions. However, as Celestia moved to leave with her sister down the far corridor, Twilight quickly approached her side and halted her.
"Have you contacted Trixie about this?" Twilight asked as the others walked ahead. Celestia shook her head, then turned with Twilight to walk behind their compatriots.
"The last report of her whereabouts placed her somewhere near Las Pegasus," replied Celestia. "We've stationed search parties in and around that area, but we haven't the time to spare awaiting her arrival."
Twilight rubbed beneath her chin. "Traveling around unaware of her daughter's location... I don't think I could bare it. They did always make a point to write and meet together monthly though. To tell the truth, I was always kind of jealous of how open they were around each other whenever we saw them, but--maybe that was just a rouse too."
"I can't say for certain," commented Celestia. "However, I doubt Dove would create such a rouse in the first place had she not genuinely wanted for her mother and friends to be happy."
"But look where that happiness has gotten her! Alone, and probably scared, and confused. Friends should be there to support your happiness, not leech off it."
"Spoken like the true Princess of Friendship," spoke Celestia. Twilight smiled wryly back at her, and Celestia raised her head. "If this plan is to succeed, we will need your wisdom and expertise. Trixie may not be there to reach her daughter, but if you understand Dove, we should be able to reach her, and save her, ourselves."
"R-Right!" said Twilight with attempted optimism as they exited the long hallway and found their friends readying themselves atop different chariots. Twilight ascended hers, set aside Celestia's, and the two shared a final look.
"Have confidence, my faithful student," Celestia encouraged.
"I will, Princess," returned Twilight. "For Dove, for Trixie, and... for Starburst."
Starburst awoke to a slight tickling sensation against her muzzle. Cotton Candy, sleeping in the sleeping bag beside hers, snored peaceful, tiny snores, her eyes closed in an apparently blissful state while her hair playfully poked about Starburst's nose. Starburst gave her unconscious friend an endeared look, then gently raised a hoof to nudge her forehead. Candy responded by rolling over to the opposite side, and Starburst, free of the hair, rolled onto her back and stared into the darkened ceiling.
It was probably about three a.m., she wagered. She looked to her left, finding Anthea and Turquoise relatively close in their sleeping bags. Prism and Del slept opposite Starburst's line, and Claire and Illusion shared their sleeping bag just a bit beyond Candy. Illusion had decreed that he would sleep among his subjects as a comedic application of diplomacy. Nidra turned her nose up at this, but eventually decided to tug her mattress off its frame and sleep amongst 'her subjects' in the far corner opposite Turquoise and Anthea.
All of them continued sleeping soundly, and Starburst returned her gaze upward. She breathed deep, then sighed. Dove was somewhere halfway across the continent, the populations of two cities were trapped, and all Starburst could do was wait. The ceiling seemed cold and lonely all of a sudden. Starburst shivered. Dove was probably cold too, she figured. Freezing out in the northern hemisphere, the bitter Winter winds tormenting her from all sides. Starburst felt a second chill, then rolled back onto her side. Her wings instinctively pulled closer to her, wrapping around her like a blanket. She became conscious of them, and began rubbing the top wing thoughtfully.
If Dove wanted to fly--to have wings--Starburst would give them to her. She'd tear them off and present them to her; let her take them and cheer for her as she flew off into the blue sky. A few poofy white clouds behind her, so she could make a show when she pirouetted through them and send them scattering into pieces. Starburst smiled at the thought. Her head tracked Dove's movements about the sky, but as she reopened her eyes, found only the cold, lonely void above her, and she tucked herself back beneath the sleeping bag. She considered turning back to Candy, but decided against it, keeping her eyes transfixed on the darkness above and her mind on the memory of Dove's smile. She kept them fixated there, then, gradually, fell back to sleep.
When she'd reopened her eyes, somewhat groggily and blearily, the light yellow of the morning sun had already seeped its way in through the windows. It cast its light over her face, and she blinked repeatedly to adjust. Candy had already awoken beside her, letting out a hefty yawn as she sat atop her sleeping bag. Del stretched himself beside a still sleeping Prism, with Nidra stretching her upper hooves out above her from a still laying position.
"Well," started Del, checking out the window at the morning sun peeking out above the horizon. "I hate to leave y'all early like this, but I should probably get headin' home about now. I'm already behind in my chores since yesterday, and I'm gonna have to pull double-duty while mom's out. I'll catch y'all later," he said, wrapping up his sleeping bag and returning it to the opened closet before carefully navigating the decorated floor and making his way to the door. Before exiting, he bowed his head briefly to the royal cousins. "Prince, princess, er... also princess," he finished to Starburst. Starburst waved an amused, nonchalant hoof, and Del exited the room. Prism cracked his back loudly near the rear window.
"I should probably get going too," he stated, facing the group. "I've got some routines I'm thinking about trying out. And Whirlwind might need some help with the weather patterns later. See ya!" he cried, giving an informal sort-of salute before unlatching the window and flying out it. The rest of Starburst's friends went their separate ways as well, with Turquoise escorting Annie back home to care for Fluttershy's animals, Crystal Clarity needing to freshen up properly at home before opening her shop, and Cotton Candy, after ensuring the folded sleeping bags were all placed in proper order in accordance with the decreasing frequencies of the various color tones, returned to home to manage Sugarcube Corner.
Only Starburst, Nidra, and Illusion remained in the castle, Nighty having left for school some hours before they'd awakened. Starburst yawned as she headed downstairs to prepare breakfast, with her regal cousins going about their usual morning rituals in the shared guest bathroom upstairs. As she prepared for and flicked about a set of four browning yolks inside a sizzling pan, she frowned, then looked out the kitchen window to Canterlot and the morning sun rising beside it to the east.
"Will you be prepared to act once we land?" questioned Celestia, shouting to her former pupil above a passing set of snowy white hills. A swathe of black entered view beyond the farthest hill, lining much of the exposed land and ending in a wide encirclement, its fume-like patterns becoming a flowing torrent as it writhed against the blue half-sphere covering the Crystal Empire and dividing into two wave-like streams as it impacted against its front. The light of the sphere seemed to flicker a moment, but returned to its vibrancy and held it there, for the time being. Twilight breathed deep.
"Yes," she stated. Her hoof raised to her chest as she inhaled again, then gestured outward in the calming technique Cadence had taught her. She looked down again. "I'm ready."
The pegasi pulling their carts flew on, carrying them closer and closer to the thick of the fog. The Mane Six trained their views eastward, watching the line of fog roll opposite their direction beneath the morning sun. It seemed to reach slightly toward them as they passed, but it was difficult to tell from a distance. Tracing the lining to its source led their eyes back to the Crystal Empire. The half-sphere was massive; the decreased distance suddenly allowing a more immediate sense of scale. It only grew larger as they approached, as did the fog berating it. A hint of sweat rolled down Twilight's head. Celestia set her eyes ahead in steady silence, her posture upright and unmoving as the glow of the sphere grew closer, and closer, and closer, and--
In a flash, Celestia burst from her pedestal and shined forth a light so brilliant the fellow passengers instinctively shielded their eyes to it as though it were the sun itself. The pegasi moved quickly, jolting downward under the Princesses' orders. Twilight noticed the fog dissipate dramatically as her forehoof blocked some of the aggressively brilliant light. Her eyes searched about, then set stiff still, finding a gawkishly tall figure standing at the apex of the fumes, staring begrudgingly at Celestia. Dove .
The carts landed down. Twilight felt a tingle up her spine as she stepped hoof into the wide expanse of snow, but quelled it and focused ahead. Celestia's horn continued shining magnificently above, then ceased, returning her to visibility as she descended between Luna and Twilight. Twilight stepped forward. The Nightmare glared confusedly at her and about its surroundings. Twilight shut her eyes a moment, then, reopening them in a flash, raised a determined pair of eyes.
"Dove!" shouted Twilight. The Nightmare returned its view to her, watching Twilight's approach. Twilight stopped short of midway between the sphere and the figure, noting the flowing white cape resembling wings at its torso. "Or perhaps Nightmare or Nightmare Dove; whichever you go by, heed my next words!" She met the Nightmare's eyes. "We miss you. We all miss you. Everypony in Ponyville. Starburst and everyone, they've really missed you since you left. We always miss you, every time you leave, but this time... we really want you to come back."
The Nightmare stood stiff. Twilight looked down. "Whatever's bothering you... whatever came to this... we don't know if we can help, but we do know we're partially to blame. You were hurting, and we couldn't tell."
Luna's ear twitched.
"I can feel her," Luna commented to her sister.
Inside the white void of the subconscious, Dove feebly raised her enervated head. Twilight's voice seemed to distantly call to her, and she could almost make out a vague representation of her in a white field, bits of snow flowing from the dissolved edges of the image nearly indistinguishable from the void itself. Her words were faded, but recognizable.
"We know you're hurting," Twilight shouted. "You must be very upset. But we're here for you!"
Luna leaned in to Celestia's side. "Shall I activate my dream-walking spell?"
"No," replied Celestia. "Any sudden movements may alert her. We should stand by for now. Be prepared should Twilight need any assistance."
Luna and the rest of the Mane Six nodded. They looked on to Twilight, who continued treading closer to the large creature.
"Dove," Twilight said softly. The Nightmare watched with narrowed eyes. "We can go back home, if you'd like. Take you to Prance or Ponyville. We could see you as often as you like."
The Nightmare's features seemed to soften. Its pose contorted from its stiff, threatened demeanor to a less staunch stance. It moved its eyes down and to the left. Dove peered at the vision intently, Twilight's form becoming clearer and clearer.
"Please, just come back," Twilight continued. Celestia lowered her hoof, Luna stepped forward, silently rising above them. "Any decision you make, we'll accept. If you want to return home with us, we'll welcome you back. If you want to leave and be alone, we wouldn't look down on it. Just let us save you, and you can see whomever you like. Me, Starburst, your mother--anyone."
Luna ascended between the two of them; the Nightmare still gazing downward and Twilight now stopped just feet away.
"We could stop for coffee, like we used to when we'd visit," suggested Twilight, Luna's eyes becoming pure, vibrant white and the spiral indent of her horn slowly yielding to a similar color. The white strand grew from out her horn and began flowing down to the Nightmare. "You'd preview the tricks for your next show, and Trixie would applaud you with that proud glint in her eyes. And you could fawn over Starburst's wings; detailing how large and beautiful they are. We can help you see those wings again. In fact, if it means getting you back, we could try giving you wings. I know it's a bit of a long-shot, but--"
A flash of anger swelled in Dove. A streak of snow splattered toward Twilight, the Nightmare having stomped her hoof down into the snow. "You think this is about wings?! " the Nightmare shouted. She loomed over Twilight, stepping briskly toward her. "You really think this is about wings?!" Twilight stepped back. The fog within the Nightmare's shadow began rising up, reinvigorated with the passed time.
"N-No! I just--"
Twilight got cut-off as a mass of black fumes drenched down upon her. The Mane Six tensed in shock before leaping forward. Luna remained in the midst of her connection spell, and the fog below seemed to climb upon itself to reach her. Celestia flapped her wings down with a mighty thrust and shot toward her sister, her horn growing luminous as she spread her wings open and cast forth the sun's rays. The opaque mass receded, but less than before, much of it still floundering on the hill just behind the Nightmare, who stepped back to shield her eyes from the increased proximity. Twilight lay broken in the freezing snow, her horn only a fragmented jut. Applejack hoisted her upon her back, with Rarity admonishing her own illumination spell to dissuade some of the closer tendrils. They sprinted back as Luna's spell retracted into her horn, returning her to immediate consciousness. She blinked to alertness, and Celestia withdrew her spell, gripping her sister before flying down and rendezvousing with the rest of the party at the chariots.
Her friends dropped Twilight in the back of her carriage, with Rainbow Dash pushing the guard away from the front tug and reassigning him to watching over her as she strapped into the reigns. Luna and Celestia landed on their respective chariots as well, Celestia breathing hard and Luna barking preparatory commands to the guards. Twilight's friends all climbed aboard their respective chariots, with only Fluttershy remaining on Twilight's to watch over her. They hazarded a final look to the Nightmare, but could no longer find it, instead only seeing the large mass of formulating fog, growing larger and larger upon itself. Rainbow took off, followed by the rest of the guards, with Fluttershy and the guard sitting above Twilight in the back of the carriage. The unicorn was largely motionless, beyond the slight twitch of her hoof and the surges of pain and stressin her features. Fluttershy gently caressed the hornless head, and the guard went about checking her health. The rest of the Mane Six glanced between one another, uncertain of what to say. Celestia trained her eyes forward and attempted to keep her thoughts fixated on Canterlot, a lead the rest soon followed, but found her curiosity beckoning to Twilight. She turned to her student's chariot, eyeing her as she twitched involuntarily. Twilight writhed, but seemed to attempt an early recovery, wrenching her eyes open in spite of the shade's effects, before looking back behind her. Sympathy and regret bit at Celestia, and as she watched her student, she followed her gaze back to the Crystal Empire. The blue half-sphere remained standing, still prominent in the white fields. The blue light flickered, before flickering once more. Then, it stopped, evaporating into a stringent glow before dissipating away. Twilight shut her eyes, as the two Princesses and the rest of the Mane Six looked on.
Starburst rounded Ponyville's outskirts, treading the dirt path to Sweet Apple Acres with Nidra and Illusion in tow. She didn't know why she went there specifically--she hadn't shown them half the town before they arrived--she just felt this longing for some dependable family spirit. Working out never hurt either. Well, not always, anyway. Might help to clear her mind at least. Nidra looked like she was going to 'hmph!' any minute despite insisting on coming along, and Illusion greeted the rural view in stride. Starburst did the same, then paused, noticing a slight gust of wind come over her from the East. Flapping his wings above her, Prism Bolt gently brought himself to a land near the gate.
"Prism Bolt?" Starburst beckoned. Prism raised in his head in surprise, then grew a bit flustered.
"H-Hey," he returned, rubbing the back of his neck. "I was just stoppin' by to say hi to Del and his folks. Make sure they're okay with everything and all that."
Starburst guessed he seconded her feelings. "Yeah, same," she said. "Figured they could probably use some help too, since we kept Del away from his work yesterday." She smiled softly, then turned her head to the fencing beside the gate as a second voice came.
"Yoohoo! Starburst! Prism!" Cotton Candy cried, waving a hoof. Behind her, Turquoise, Crystal Clarity, and Anthea toiled away happily beneath the apple trees, carrying with them large baskets in which to store the ripening fruits. "I was just about to go get you guys! C'mon! We got, like, fifty more batches to carry!"
The four arriving ponies entered past the farm gate and, for the most part, helped in carrying and picking the apples. The only minor hiccups being Turquoise's accidentally knocking a few trees to a tilt with some difficult to regulate kicks, and Starburst's fixated attitude making it difficult to talk to her. She kicked each tree with accentuated effort and speed. She carried the baskets in kind. Each task she performed she performed in a vacuum; each one in their own little world. She accidentally bumped into another pony from time to time, but could only hazard an apology for fear of breaking pace. Eventually, during her tenth basket run of carrying three baskets, one in her mouth and the other two atop her outstretched wings, she fainted.
A bit of cold water woke her about a minute later. The moist towel it dripped from rested atop her forehead, and she slowly removed it as she gradually came to her senses. The interior of the Apple Family dining room greeted her, with a small silver basin of water resting on the table beside her and her friends spread out amongst the furnishings enjoying some food. Del looked up from the sofa.
"Awake now, are ya?" he questioned. He stood up, retrieving the towel from her hoof and placing it in the basin before sliding over a tall glass of water. Standard protocol for such situations. "Ya need to take better care a' yourself." A lecture about fitness management. Also standard. Starburst took a glug of water as she listened, noting the lack of scientific data or calmly observed metric to back his claims.
"You okay, Star?" questioned Candy from one of the other chairs. Starburst leaned her head beyond Del and nodded. Del huffed, then left to the kitchen counter.
"Try taking it easier," chimed Prism. "Overworking yourself like that isn't healthy. It could get you seriously hurt."
"This coming from the pegasus with a sprained wing," pointed out Claire from the seat opposite. Prism blushed. He bent forward with fervent attitude, and as the two continued their back and forth, Anthea leaned out from her seat beside Candy.
"Is everything okay, Starburst?" she asked over the bickering.
"I'm fine," Starburst assured. Candy leaned out as well.
"Yeah," Candy mused. "This one time, she ate an entire ten layer stack of pancakes without even a swig of water. And they had extra syrup. She's tough. Tough as nails."
"Whoa," sounded Turquoise, seating his wider body on the rug beside them. "That's more than what I usually eat."
The festivities in the other room continued on. Crystal Clarity occasionally broke the conversation to tend to the kitchen with Del, seeking to exercise the use of her fine palette before lunch would be served. Starburst listened contently to the group as she passed by, listening to them resume the conversation about the various adventures they'd shared in. Starburst kept her sight on them, not paying much heed to the light pink unicorn who'd exited closely behind Claire.
"Starburst," Anthea addressed, somewhat startling Starburst. "Is everything okay? I mean, really okay?"
"Yep," returned Starburst. "Everything's fine."
Anthea tilted her head in disbelief.
The feigned optimism remained on Starburst's face a moment, then, gradually faded to subtle and restrained melancholy. "Everything's fine," she repeated, pivoting her head down. "Not anything nopony else is going through."
"I don't know about that," Anthea stated, tilting her face down to Starburst's. Starburst turned away slightly. Of course she would notice. It was Anthea, after all. Starburst let out a silent, embittered sigh.
A loud series of noises sounded from beyond the door connecting the kitchen to the back acres. Laughter, and a bit of awkward stumbling, came forward. Starburst perked her ears up, as did everypony else. With a clang, the door swung open. Beyond it, a rather muscular red mare entered, then a rather large white horn protruded through along with the decently tall Alicorn owning it.
"Hey Dad!" called Red June to the upper stories. "I'm back!"
"Me too!" cried Prince Valiant Heart, not quite aware of his friends in the other room. The crystal Alicorn lowered his hoof from beside his muzzle, then looked round. Everypony stared at him with a deadpan, stunned expression. He changed his stance awkwardly.
"Hey guys," he spoke. "What's up?"
Chapter 6: Into the Everfree
Valiant Heart's jaw hung open, his eyes staring off into the small crowd of ponies before him. Red June eyed him with concern as they sat aside one another atop one of the exterior barn's hay packets, their nine friends having pressured them into getting some fresh air before properly explaining the situation. As Valiant continued his hearty breathing, June silently thanked them for their insistence, before taking a long and comforting breath of the orchard's familiar scent as it wafted through the sizeable, open doors. Illusion remained paused midway through his explanation, allowing them the proper time to react, then, as Red June began gently rubbing Valiant's far shoulder, continued in his speech.
"Mother, Aunty, and the Elements departed yesterday," he elaborated. "They had a plan to act, but we didn't receive many of the specifics before they sent us here, carrying a message to their mothers. We do know that they're heading to the Crystal Empire with the intent of ridding it of the fog, but that's it. No further intelligence has arrived. The best we can do for now is await their return."
Valiant continued his hard breathing, but eventually slowed to a calmer rate as Red June gently massaged his shoulder. Starburst furrowed her brow slightly at her older cousin. "What were you doing down here, off-duty?" she questioned, raising a stern brow. "And without letting me know you would visit beforehand?"
"Sorry Star," Valiant said, attempting to maintain his calmer disposition. "June and I had been planning this vacation for a while, and we just wanted a little... time to ourselves--without any familial interruptions."
Starburst pouted, but allowed her eyes to soften as she traced them along her cousin's sullen visage. Del stepped backward toward the open barn doors.
"I'm-a head outside for a while," he explained. "Got a few more apples to go 'fore I can call the day finished."
He exited the barn, stepping quietly out into the afternoon sun. Turquoise followed, as did Nidra, while the rest continued their watch over Valiant Heart. His head lay downcast, staring at the hay covered hearth below. Red June watched with equal concern, and brought her head to rest against his, to which Valiant responded in kind. Starburst gestured forward, but stopped, biting her lip in bashful confusion. Anthea, sitting beside her, leaned to her side.
"I'm sure he just needs some time," the pink pony commented in a light whisper. Starburst bit down harder, then, pivoted her neck back and made for the door. As she did so, a large crash sounded ahead, complemented by a modicum of what seemed to be many glass and metal instruments banging dramatically against one another. Starburst ran out, followed closely by her friends, and observed the surrounding orchard. There, on the dirt path lining the fence of the orchard, sat Zecora's cart; it's front wheels busted and its interior housing a hefty amount of bottles and flasks among other odd items. Del and Turquoise had already breached the fence, examining the spokes of the broken wheels with Zecora standing close beside them. Nidra stood at the opposite end of the cart, gazing over its contents with a perplexed expression.
"Zecora?" Starburst breathed.
"Ah, my little friends," started Zecora in her rhythmic fashion. "Such a pleasure to see you again. Unfortunately, I cannot find time to spare--I must return to my home, if these two are willing to bring me there."
Turquoise nodded as Del continued observing cart.
"You were carrying all this weight around from the Everfree?" Del questioned. "No wonder the wheels broke."
"What is most of this stuff?" Nidra commented from the back. "It's all very... strange."
The others worked their way around and over the fence as well, gaining a better view of the stacked materials inside.
"Ah," began Zecora. "These ingredients in my cart, strange they are indeed--However, I believe in their powers, we will soon have need. Surely you sense it, a presence in the air--The animals of the forest, forecasting despair. The trees all seeming to cower and bend--It gives me great fear, Equestria... may be at an end..."
Valiant clenched his eyes shut. Starburst stammered her weight. Everypony went silent. Zecora scanned the gloom before her.
"Ah, then you know something more, that much is clear--Do not yet lose hope, do not fear what is near." The zebra trotted toward Valiant, placing a hoof under his chin and lifting it to a more dignified pose before turning to address the others; still forlorn in their expressions. "There is something we can do, though I am still uninformed--If you provide your knowledge, perhaps a remedy can avoid this storm."
Starburst furrowed her brow, looking below herself, then straightened her back and positioned herself beneath one of the cart's tugs. "Let's get going then," she advised. "Turquoise, carry the other side. Wrap it in your wing or something; I can't have you carrying it too high up."
As everypony watched in stunned silence, Starburst hopped the tug onto her back. She shot them a defiant look. "Yes, I know," she stated bluntly. "I'm short. Let's just get going."
Canterlot Castle's infirmary proved eerily silent as Twilight awoke atop one of its white cots. The image of her friends leaning over her slowly came into focus as she blinked away the blurry miasma.
"Ya alright there sugarcube?" questioned Applejack, a tentative note of concern in her voice. "You really had the worst of it back there."
Twilight shut her eyes a moment, reliving the fog's assault; how it ripped through her horn and maliciously severed it from her skull, then, how she had to watch it consume the Crystal Empire's defensive wall. She raised a hoof beneath her eyes. "No, I didn't," she responded. "I really didn't."
Fluttershy rested herself beside her and rested a reassuring hoof atop her shoulder. Rainbow punched her hooves together.
"So when are we gonna get back out there?" she asserted. "We need to do something to help everypony. If we go now, maybe we can free them, Crystal Empire and everywhere else too!"
"I'm afraid you can longer be of assistance," stated Celestia, entering the room through the far door. She took stock of the room, then briskly trotted to Twilight's cot, and brought her into a single hoofed embrace. "I'm sorry, my student. I'm so sorry." Twilight rested her head against Celestia's chest. Luna awaited beside her, ensuring all held their attention to her.
"You are all to return to Ponyville, straight-away," Luna stated. The room bristled.
"You can't just send us back!" Rainbow Dash reeled.
"With all due respect, your highness," Rarity stepped forward. "This matter concerns all of us."
Celestia breathed deep. "We have done enough to you," she breathed. Her eyes held shut. Her front leg gripped Twilight closer into her embrace. She forced her jaw to move through the next few words. "I'm afraid you'd just get in the way. My sister and I have created a new plan to combat the fog. It does not involve any of you. You won't be needed."
Rainbow motioned forward. "But--"
"And surely," Celestia continued. "You have somepony waiting for you at home? Somepony waiting for your return? Somepony who needs you to be there for them?"
The Mane Six all stammered looks amongst each other, reconsidering their children and homes. Celestia raised her head to them.
"You need to be with them now. Reassure them that everything will be okay. We will remain here and stop the fog."
Celestia looked to her sister, who nodded back assuredly. Twilight lifted her head from Celestia's breast, attempting to dissuade her oncoming tears. Celestia rose in kind. "Come now. We'll escort you to the station."
Celestia and Twilight's friends gathered around her as she slowly rose from her cot, staying close by her side as she managed to slowly trudge out the infirmary. They walked through the Canterlot streets, the guards forming a light wall around the group as onlookers raised their heads from the cafes to the boutiques and libraries. They ascended the station steps, the train laying stationary in wait for them; its doors already open with no other passengers boarded. Two guards stood at opposite ends the nearest doors, lifting their hooves in salute to the approaching group. Twilight broke slightly from Celestia's support, ascending the train's step alongside her friends. She leaned against them, Applejack offering her back as a counterweight as Pinkie and Rainbow Dash held her steady. She gazed up and out over Canterlot, gradually lowering her vision to the Princesses below.
"Princess..." she spoke, heavy fatigue draining her voice. "Will you... Will... Everyone here be okay...?"
Celestia smiled morosely. "My faithful student, you have grown so much--and still have yet to grow further. We will ensure you have the chance to do so."
Twilight stifled a short laugh, much to the surprise of her friends. "Princess, I'm not... your student anymore. And as your fellow princess..." she breathed hard for a moment, rediscovering her breath before continuing. "I can tell you... you still have a lot to learn..."
"Yes," grinned Celestia. "Yes we do."
The two shared their morose smiles, then watched as the train doors shut, and the engine began to pump its way to Ponyville.
Author's Note
This one's probably a bit rougher than the others, so I may edit it more later. Also, "friend" and "again" totally rhyme, I swear.
Starburst and company entered the distorted oak tree that was Zecora's home. The flasks and potions which normally stocked the indented walls and hung tightly by rope around the ceiling were notably lesser in number, with Del and Turquoise helping to retrieve the missing quantities from the cart outside. They carried them meticulously around Zecora's center caldron and placed them about the dirt laden floor. Del placed the last bottle at Zecora's left hoof, her right currently engaged in stirring the available ingredients. He rose, then joined his friends in sitting across from Zecora, anxious at her explanation.
"Thank you for coming, dear pony folk," she started, relaxing from her mixing. "With these ingredients, we shall soon have hope. I have a mix; a brew, as it is known--It will allow us to see, see that which has yet to be shown." She turned and tugged a book from one of the surrounding upper shelves, then leafed through its elaborate pages before stopping about midway through. She returned, and presented the page.
"The brew shall harden, as you see here," she stated, tracing her free hoof down the left-hand page. It passed a series of odd imagery with numerous lines of delicately crafted font circling around and between each image; the last on the page being that of a crude looking emerald. "Then, when you wield it, it shall glow at whoever is near. When you make contact, touch one with the gem--you shall enter their world, their slumber, their head."
"So..." Nidra began, rolling her squinted eyes up and down the pages. "It's sort-of like my mother's and my dream-walking ability..." she commented, her pride growing somehow ever wounded. "Where did you gain the knowledge to create something of this manner?"
"The brew is from far beyond Equestrian lands," Zecora continued. "It's make-up is costly, yet affords power in its sands. Take warning, however, it has but a single use--and once that use passes, to ashes, it will assume."
"Okay," said Prism Bolt, a hoof beneath his muzzle. "We only have one shot before it crumbles, so we need to make sure we can bring Dove out on the first go, right?"
"There is another stipulation, if you wish to succeed in your intervention," stated Zecora, flipping the page. A large illustration of a sleeping zebra and another within a clouded dream filled the left page. "A pony must be in dream-like state before entering the mind--and if the wielder enters with little care," she continued, drawing her hoof the right-hand page, "its presence will be excised." The illustrated wielder fell from the dream, laying discombobulated on the floor next to the still sleeping zebra. Starburst stepped forward.
"In other words," she began, looking up to Zecora. "We need to be... careful?"
"Nay, it is empathy which is required to succeed," Zecora explained. "If you lack it, the dream will draw you out, and the dreamer you shall barely see."
The room looked at Nidra, who blushed deep red upon becoming conscious of them and turned her head away in a huff. "I tried, alright? I'm not my mom yet. I can't do what she does." She left her last statement particularly embittered.
"It would not be an easy task for anypony," Zecora assured. "So, to prepare for what's in store, we shall practice our exercises--two-by-two each of you, stand by the door."
"What?" questioned Prism Bolt, who was already sitting opposite Anthea before he knew what was what. Zecora paced around them.
"You must each of you try to build a path," she elaborated. "Look past the pain and the wrath. Your eyes are a gateway, and your expressions an archive--unpack the knowledge within them, and you may something shall arise."
"Hm... um..." Candy hummed in front of Starburst, her eyes searching about for a topic. "Well--what's up?"
Starburst smirked. "Nothing much. How are you?"
"Staaarrrr! " Candy returned. "There's gotta be something that's up. We've been walking around all day; through the Everfree, inside the Apple Farm, outside the Apple Farm, and probably lotsa other places I don't know about for you. I wanna know about it." She leaned forward with a smile.
"Well... what if I don't want to talk about it?"
"Well then..." Candy postulated, a hoof below her muzzle. "I guess I could just... sit here and smile at you for a while!"
She held her elongated smile out to Starburst, who chuckled in return. Starburst felt shoulders slacken somewhat, and the two continued their wordless contact.
"Now that you are all apparently at ease, you're next partner, you will now see."
The far line shuffled itself, with the pony at the distant end standing up and trotting to the front. Turquoise sat himself beside across from Valiant Heart.
"Hey..." Turquoise addressed in a sincere affect. "How are you holding up?"
"I could ask you the same," Valiant pointed out, retaining his cool demeanor. "Your parents are out there too. And it's my fault they are. If I hadn't taken leave, I might've prevented all this."
"But you wanted to see June," Turquoise said. "There's nothing wrong with that. There's not much point in having a land at peace if you can't spend time with the ponies you love."
"...Thank you," Valiant stammered. "If you could do me a favor, please," he started, turning his view down the isle, catching Star's militant gaze as she conversed with Red June. "Tell Star the same."
The night rolled in as Celestia and Luna saw off the departing train, now deep into the Equestrian countryside. From inside Canterlot Castle's high nest, they pivoted their heads to the West, dreading the unseen foe moving swiftly beyond the veil of dusk and trees. Luna's horn brimmed with purple shading, and the far wall nearest the castle took on a similar hue. Starlight seemed to swirl about it, and as it dissipated, a complexly woven circle became apparent on the white brickwork; a selection of curved lines leading into smaller circles before connecting to other sets of curved lines. Luna nodded to Celestia, the white glow in her eyes slowly fading to her violet irises and pupils.
"All is prepared," Luna remarked. "The guards have moved to the outer walls?"
"Yes," Celestia stated. "None will be involved. This fight will be ours alone. Are you ready, Luna?"
"Ready... would not be an apt word."
"Come on, you're not getting cold feet, are you? I'm actually feeling pretty giddy myself."
"Forgive me if I withhold my enthusiasm," Luna snarked. Celestia stifled a giggle. She looked once more beyond the window, then, stepped forward and flared her wings. Luna did the same. With a massive gust, the two departed out the open window, and continued on to the last remnants of the setting sun.
The night grew cold as the sisters passed over the Western woods and entered through the bluffs of the Smokey Mountains. Their breaths hung in the air like wisps before dissipating in the harsh winds. Their paths remained resolute, however, and as they passed mountain villages and the intertwining railway tracks which lined their bases, a noticeable expanse came into view. The night obscured their vision somewhat, but as they dove beyond the final two peaks the ocean's darkened yet starlit image stretched out before them. Just before that, was Dove.
The path behind her was blackish-grey, somehow more noticeable now contrasted against the surrounding darkness and moonlit waves. It seemed to expand ever outward the further back the sisters' traced their vision, but they quickly removed their gaze and fixated on the figure ahead. Dove's form seemed to glide faster than the express train, her hooves no longer moving but instead dissipating in the blackened cloak. Celestia curved Southwest, followed by Luna, then steeply lowered her elevation. She tucked her wings in close, the winds rolling across her body and just barely through her diminished wingspan. Dove continued on her trajectory. Her ears seemed to perk a moment, and she jerked her head to the sisters mounting their assault. Her jaw clenched, and a span of fog shot forth from the mass. Celestia curved, her sister drifting to the opposite side, then dropped her altitude as another streak soared past.
Another swathed between them, followed by another, and another. At this closer distance, the strikes hit closer, their paths becoming difficult to predict. Luna diverted one just above Dove, finding another streak before her before she could close the gap. Celestia reared her horn, summoning a great light which dissipated the streak, its wispy deterioration flowing back to Dove herself and pushing away the black clouds about her. Luna dove in.
She pinned Dove to the murky grass; their forms sliding across the plain before halting at the ocean's nearest bank. Before the fog could rise over Luna, Celestia appeared at her side, and Luna's horn spurned forth a deep purple tinge. She shut her eyes, lifting her head quickly, and as Dove writhed beneath her, the landscape beneath them began to shift. Celestia gripped herself to the circular design now beneath her, and the grasslands rolled past, giving way to the Smokey Mountains, its rocky lower path cascading beneath them within otherwise darkened surroundings. The Western woods became an amalgamation of blurred greens and browns, until finally the white and gold of the castle entered view. The impact of high nest's brick wall was the next sensation.
Amid the torn brick and shattered remains of window panes, Celestia rose to a stand. The throne room was a dust cloud of debris, but their angle of descent ensured their position lay nearest the throne. Celestia looked to Luna, also rising, somewhat haphazardly. As she situated her hooves to a stable stance, they pivoted their heads forward. The debris cloud calmed itself about Dove. Her neck stretched and turned up and down in frantic display, her form fully exposed with no blackened fog about her body. She snapped her head to the sisters. Her piercing thin eyes danced between them erratically. Luna stepped forward beside her sister.
Celestia reared her head back, then swung it forward to release a massive yellow burst form her horn. She held it at a continuous stream, but suddenly found it broken in front of her as Dove's furious eyes darted toward her. She swiftly shifted her stance backward, allowing Luna to enter and take the brupt of the force, her own horn colliding against Dove's. The fog was slowly reforming from out Dove's back, and the thin trail in her wake slowly began to reform around her. She fell back into it, then, recoiled outward, pushing Luna to the throne steps. Luna shook her head, lifting it before quickly stepping back to avoid a second blow. Dove shot forward for a third, but her body was torn from its momentum as Celestia crashed down on her.
Celestia retucked her wings as the two slid from the central rug and across the marble flooring. A luminous set of rays spurned from her horn and cast out in all directions. The throne room glowed in an insatiable yellow as Celestia held herself over Dove, the latter writhing and pushing out beneath her grasp. Dove's skin seemed to gradually phase out within the light. Luna clasped a wing over her eyes and bent her stance to the luminescence. Celestia's eyes burned a borderline orange tinge as she muscled her head down to Dove. Dove's skin seemed to seethe, then disappear, gradually fading from her hooves to the rest of her body. Celestia gritted her teeth as the darkness peeled away.
Dove flashed her eyes upward, however, and returned Celestia's ardent stare. A burst of darkness spurned forth from Dove's torso, impacting against Celestia's stomach before carrying her up to the roof. Her light ceased as the darkened torrent continued its assault, before receding and dropping her limp form to the marble floor. Luna rushed toward her, her singed wing receded and her hooves still a mild yellow tint. Cupping her sister's head up with her wing, she scanned over her unconscious form. She let her down, then, shifted herself to Dove, who's lanky form now heaved heavily with staggered breath. The form lifted its head spitefully to Luna, the darkness around her back spreading gradually outward through the room.
Luna stepped forward, then softly closed her eyes. She breathed a short breath, then, raising her head, seemed to absorb the bits of starlight flowing through the mosaic windows into her horn. The fog flowed out to her, nearing her hooves as she reopened her eyes. The luminous orbs flashed a moment before disappearing under a sudden shroud of darkness. The room was near pitch black, with swathes of darkened blue and little jewels of floating starlight. Dove's form bent its head forward, craning its neck from side to side as bits of starlight slowly rose and fell about her, a few droplets tickling against her skin and eyes.
They scattered as Dove touched them, and spanned out ahead as she walked forward. Her steps brought her across the central rug, but her step to the marble greeted a sudden strike above. Dove reared her head upward, but no figure remained; even the starlight left only a murmur. She traipsed on, the fog about her nearly covering the entirety of the room's floor, bringing to view a grey tide in the darkness. Another strike from behind, sending Dove skittering across the marble tile. She wrenched her head back, a wave of fog rising where she once was. Another strike, this time at her side. She expelled a current of fog from her back, but it grasped only at echoes. A series of strikes berated her, and she braced herself as her hooves slid across the tiles. The fog found nothing behind her. Her sharpened teeth clenched, and her eyes became vivid. The fog began to dance about, and her back seethed with darkened fog, flowing out at a strained rate. Her eyes twitched with stress as it continued pouring and a pained yell echoed out her mouth and across the walls. Another series of strikes. The waves grew higher. Another series of strikes. The waves grew higher. Another series of strikes.
Dove wrenched her vision to the upper starlight. For a brief second, she glimpsed Luna's silhouette gliding near the ceiling, the fog diminishing the effects of the dark. Dove yelled out as a torrent poured from her back and a wave scattered to it. The silhouette pelted down, but the wave followed, and carried her to the ground. The crack of the marble tile resounded across the halls. As the wave dissipated into the surroundings, Dove marched forward. She stopped over the sisters, their bodies worn and their limbs tattered, laying opposite either side of the scathed central rug. Dove's hooves lay planted before them. The fog seemed to expand about the room, disfiguring it under a thin, translucent veil. Dove simply stood there, watching over their dejected forms with pained silence.
"The brew is thickening, and will soon be ready yet," Zecora stated, spinning her wooden stirring rod in the now purple and green solution, a small amount of steam rising from the cauldron. "Keep practicing your skills, the time will soon be set."
Anthea leaned in toward Golden Delicious. "And how did that make you feel, leaving the farm like that?"
Golden Delicious bent himself down slightly. "A bit scared, but determined. First time in Canterlot, thought my heart was about to thump right out my chest. Meeting Creme didn't help with that. I actually bit my tongue when I first saw her since I was samplin' one of my apple substitute ratatouille. I thought I'd get Claire to introduce us, but she just came up and... and..." Del stopped. He turned his head upward. "I wonder where she is now. It hasn't been too long since I lost saw her... in Canterlot..."
"She's probably thinking about that ratatouille right now," Anthea said. "When the time comes... We could all bake some for her. We could all have a competition! You'll probably win, especially since I don't think I'd even be able to find the oven."
"She'd like that..." Del resumed. "And I wouldn't count you out just yet. There's probably some sort-of ratatouille makin' spell you're keepin' up your hooves."
"Oh, I'll never tell..."
"What are you looking at? " Prism Bolt questioned. Crystal Clarity peered at him through sharpened eyes.
"You've been the source of a great deal of my problems as of late," Claire explained in a single, even tone. "But... I suppose that is irrelevant at the moment."
"Um... alright."
"So," Claire continued, readjusting herself to a pleasant demeanor. "I suppose ... How are you and Whirlwind doing? I heard you two broke up some time ago."
"With Whirlwind... things are actually pretty friendly right now. Like they used to be. In fact," he leaned in to a harsh whisper. "I think she wants to start going out again."
"Uh-huh," Claire responded with a nod. "And what are your feelings toward her?"
"I think I might take her up on it, but... I dunno, there's this other mare I think I might be into. This pegasus from Fillydelphia. We met during the Best Young Fliers Contest and--"
His jaw suddenly pelted backward as Claire's clenched claw impacted against his chin.
"What was that for?!" he cried.
"Sorry!" Claire sincerely apologized, retreating her claw back. "That was a reflex."
"Then why are you still snarling?!"
"That is also a reflex."
"Forget this!" Prism shouted, quickly rising to a stand and turning for the door. "I'm heading home. You all do what you want."
Zecora stepped down from her cauldron as Prism lent his hoof to the door. "Leave here as you may," Zecora started. "Though at this time, we should not bring delay. Though it is difficult to say what is best or worst--What is important is that you do not stop trying to prevent hurt."
Prism paused a moment, then pushed through the door and out into the Everfree. Starburst sighed, and in the lull of the moment, scooted back from Golden Delicious and stood up as well.
"I'm gonna take a walk," she explained. "I'll try to be back within an hour."
She leaned to the door and trotted out, the top of her mane passing visibly by the lower half of the left window. Everypony looked amongst themselves, with Anthea lifting herself to a stand.
"I'll try talking to her," she stated. Turquoise motioned to follow, but Anthea lifted a hoof of reluctance. "It'd probably be best if it's just me. I'll be fine. I've walked to Zecora's alone before, and the path around here is safe. I'll be with Starburst too, so don't worry, okay?" She motioned her last line to everyone, though Turquoise especially. She cautiously motioned her way to the door, and entered through it into an amalgamation of abstracted browns and greens. She blinked, then pivoted her head left to find an orange blob not far from the large brown smear of a house beside her.
"Starburst!" she called, catching up to the blob's side. The blob slowed itself somewhat as she did, and kept pace beside her as they walked. "Sorry," Anthea stated, Starburst's head noticeably forcing itself somewhat upward from its previously introspective position. "I wanted to talk to you..." She hesitated, but resolved to continue. "About Dove, and everything."
Starburst continued on in silence. Anthea softened her features.
"It's not your fault. I don't know very much about what you're going through, but I know enough to tell you that."
"I'm not so certain," Starburst plainly stated. Starburst continued walking. Anthea awaited more, but found her head only tilted down for an extended silence.
"...Dove and you were very close?" Anthea mildly prompted. Starburst skewed her face.
"...Yes?" she questioned, half to herself. She rose her eyes above, focusing on the darkened green branches and the spiral of vines dangling down. "If we'd been close, would she have told me what was wrong?" Starburst kept her vision trained on the branches and directed her voice there to ensure Anthea didn't feel the need to answer. Starburst bit her lip. "I suppose that's why she didn't, actually. Being close to someone... wanting to open up to them, but finding you can't because they're too weak or too stupid to understand..." Starburst's eyes began welling up and small droplets strolled down her cheeks. "Weak and stupid... like me..."
Starburst felt Anthea's mane rest against hers, and she shut her eyes as she indulged in the comfort near her head while the rest of her body remained in tempestuous sorrow. Her tears flowed, but calmed as Anthea gripped her shoulder, and slowly diminished as Anthea softly pressed her chin against her. Starburst breathed rhythmically, and lightly tapped Anthea's side, to which Anthea slackened and receded. Starburst's snout sniveled, and she wiped her wetted eyes, then continued walking once more. A timid smile resolved itself across her mouth.
"You know," Starburst began, her eyes trained to the mud below. "I've always been really jealous of you."
Anthea's hooves followed by her side. "Really?"
"Yeah. It's hard to explain why, but even now... I know everypony back there is probably talking about how you should carry the gem. And they're right. You--"
"Starburst, stop," Anthea flatly stated. Anthea's ears were perked. Starburst paused, and raised her neck and ears in a similar fashion. Beneath the forest's silence, a quiet rumbling sounded ahead, growing louder and louder and quaking the earth below and trembling the trees.
Anthea shifted herself to Starburst. "Star! We need--"
Her voice broke as a stampede of the Everfree's animals stormed through them. Starburst's head rolled in the blur of bug-bears and serpents among others stomping on the surrounding dirt and what she assumed to be her body; difficult to register as no pain or any sensation had yet set in as it rose and dropped over her. She clenched her teeth and told it to remain still as the remaining horde passed by and over. The sounds continued on and on, until they finally moved into the distance and left the surrounding mud and dirt to still. Starburst reopened her eyes. The area was clear, yet somewhat of a haze in her vision. She steadied her head, her body somewhat immobile, and lifted her extended wing as best she could manage. A pink unicorn lay beneath it, her shut eyes and scathed form resting quietly below the roughened orange feathers. Starburst breathed, and let her sore limbs go limp beside her.
From the muddied earth, she searched for a grasp on her surroundings, and found the haze still loomed in the area. It was denser now; a whitish mist which flowed along the ground and about and through the dirt and trees. Starburst tilted her muddied head about, until she found a set of legs standing behind her, at the thickest of the white fog. Starburst seemed to forget her pain as she trained her eyes on the white unicorn.
"Starburst," Dove said, melancholy in her face and voice. "I'm so sorry..."
Starburst remained motionless as the white wisps danced about her, coating the foliage and the discarded bits of overgrowth. Anthea was still limp in her hooves, but felt suddenly weightless in her locked muscles.
"Dove..." she managed out, before repeating the motion. "Dove! What happened? What is all this? Are you okay--"
"This is me, mon cherie," Dove explained, her head still low. "The white smoke... it's me. I'm faint, but I'm here. Most of the fog has left my physical form, and I can feel myself again..."
Dove shook her head as if relapsing in and out of a fitful migraine. Starburst tensed to move to her, but her muscles snapped at the excess movement. She pulled her upperbody upright regardless, and propped herself with her front hooves at her side. Dove went still a moment, then raised her head.
"Mon cherie," she continued, "Please, leave... it's coming..."
"Dove! Why?"
Starburst's eyes frothed tears and her mouth bent, trembling.
"Why did any of this happen...?"
"...I'm sorry... Please... hurry to Canterlot. It will be safe."
In a wisp she was gone. Dove vanished in breathless white.
Starburst recentered herself, crying, a mild shake in her legs, but Anthea atop her back. She turned and ran.
In Zecora's hut, the door suddenly burst open.
"Kids!" the mane six shouted.
Golden Delicious found himself in his mother's hooves suddenly. He gripped her back, blinking himself to awareness. The parents hugged and grasped their children, Twilight and Rainbow frightfully channeling their sight here and there. Zecora trampled around the brewing pot and met them. Twilight hurried aside her.
"Everyone," she shouted, "Our mission to stop the fog... has failed. Princess Celestia and Luna are fighting the fog themselves."
"You're horn!" Candy cried.
Twilight hung her head, but wrought it up once more.
"This is not the worst that could happen. We need to regroup together. Where's Star?"
"And Prism?!" questioned Rainbow.
"He said he was going home," Valiant answered.
"Star went for a walk," said Claire, "And Anthea accompanied her to help sort her mind."
Twilight's face took on troubled regret as Fluttershy sighed with relief after flying circles in the home. Twilight sought out the window, and Zecora approached her.
Pelting the ground, Starburst's hooves kicked up mud and plastered trees in their upturn as she heard the animals scatter in all directions. Over root and brush she jumped and skidded and fell and rose and ran, Anthea heavy atop her. The house's bright lights entered past a tree divide and Starburst fell. Anthea sprawled in front of her. Starburst eyed Anthea, motioning to pick her up, but turned her sight to the home and heard her mother's troubled voice within. She patted Anthea and sprinted for the door.
"MOM!" she shouted. Twilight's hooves were upon her.
"Star!" she returned. "Are you okay? Your legs, your wings! Star... what-"
"We need to leave now!" Starburst shouted. "The fog is coming!"
The room went silent. Starburst heaved.
"Anthea's out there," she exasperated. "She's not far! We can-"
Fluttershy was already out the door and Turquoise in her wake. All followed out behind them, finding a massive wall of fog ahead. Fluttershy halted but proceeded and Turqoise as well. Before they could stop them, Turquoise widened his lungs and pressed his neck out. Green flames blazed through. The fog widened. He sprinted in.
Those behind stood wide-eyed but Zecora managed to gain the Apples' attention and prop the the cauldron atop their backs. As Turquoise and Fluttershy burst from the fog, Anthea rested atop him, her horn gone. They hurried on and the group followed their motion, the fog rolling behind. It enraptured Zecora's home. They headed further, to the outskirts of Ponyville, sprinting along the Everfree's edged outline. Rarity caught her eye to her home, finding the fog swirling past. Before it, however, green flames belted their incline, the road clearing with ponies sprinting for Twilight's castle, Spike pressing his breath out around them. She smiled, and continued forward. Rainbow checked her home, the fog yet below, and continued on.
Starburst ran ahead.
"We should head to Canterlot!" she informed. "Dove said something about it! She sent something to me to tell me!"
Twilight ran aside her. The potion brewed behind them, Zecora watching the colored stream shifting from green to yellow to pink. Claire and Turquoise breathed their flames around them as the fog circled in.
"Why... dragon flames?" Applejack mused.
"Dragon flames are incongruous with most forms of magic," Twilight offered, "Maybe it negates or overrides it in some way."
"Regardless," Starburst interjected, "We need to be safe until Canterlot."
Author's Note
Decided to finish this. Even if I rush, I'm gonna finish it.
The group jumped from the forest and found themselves at Canterlot's incline. The mountain peered over them yet they continued up. Zecora announced delight.
"It is ready! The pendant has steadied!"
The group looked to her.
"Now to find the source, and to solve this discourse!"
They emerged up the mountain into Canterlot. Their lungs felt near bursting. Searching over them, Canterlot ponies flumoxed stares amongst each other and them. The Canterlot ponies continued running and screaming shortly, however, as the city was in disarray. Minor flames and holes popped in simple homes and the castle itself was nearly collapsed in its blasted fragmentation. Starburst stared at this. Twilight shook her.
"Starburst," Twilight said, "This is the safest we can be for now."
Over the incline, the fog folded over itself, the climb slowing it despite its swift rate. Turquoise withdrew his vision from there and regathered with the group. Anthea awoke, dropped gently aside Claire, the blistered world abstracting into her eyes. Illusion turned from her, then to Claire, her offering him silent care, then to his city, blustered and in chaos.
"Valiant," he addressed. Valiant stood. "Your shield spell will be vital now. We need to recenter the city within it, at a focused point. If we gather them there you needn't strain your shield and we can prevent further chaos."
"Find anypony who may have seen Dove," Twilight contributed. "Circle Canterlot and bring them to its center, and ask everyone if they've seen a tall pony with a blue mane."
Illusion sprinted to the entrance of the nearmost building, Claire shortly behind him. Anthea shut her eyes as she broached some movements, her body stiff. Starburst offered a hoof to her. Anthea rose.
"Thank you, Star," Anthea said. Then raised a brow. "It is Star, right?"
"Yeah," Starburst said. "And of course."
Atop the nearby home, Illusion raised his head and his voice.
"Ponies of Canterlot!" he shouted. The ponies continued running, sprinting, everywhere. "Loyal subjects!" he tried. Some ponies looked to him, but murmured under their breaths. Some shouted.
"You're not a pony!" some called. "Not royalty!"
Illusion felt his muscles fail him. Claire breathed deep and wrenched a roar. The sound shook the homes and waved between homes and buildings. Illusion coughed.
"Do we have your attention now?" he smirked. "Everypony! We can protect you! Center yourselves near Canterlot Boutique! Valiant Heart of the Crystal Empire is among us! We can shield you there, but first spread word and inform who you can!"
The ponies looked about, then voiced agreements, the group motioning out as well to find any stragglers. Fluttershy and Rainbow circled above, Valiant leading the citizenship to the center of the city with a pink beacon from his horn, Red June beside him. Twilight lent her ear to running ponies and inquired of Dove. The snowy pass, she found, an older mare telling, informing her of a large silhouette near its entrance as the havoc began. Starburst searched out from above. She looked for stragglers, but hovered her view over Canterlot castle. White wisps delicately flowing from a massive crack in the stone. The streets below her were cleared, Rainbow and Fluttershy still searching. Starburst flew to the castle.
Within, the white flow pressed gently against her hooves and weaved a thin lake above the marble. There she found Dove.
A necklace draped Anthea's shoulders. The pendant had become as such, Zecora told, and Anthea had been decided the most clairvoyant to hold. Twilight told her of the slope, wishing luck to her pupil, and Turquoise decidedly stood aside her. Twilight noted Claire, encouraging her to go along as well.
"If dragon fire can dispell it," Twilight explained, "We need you both with her. We'll be safe with Valiant. Don't worry."
Claire accepted. She went with her brother, headed to the city's outskirts, the fog now past the city's ridge. Anthea centered between them to guide her swiftly as they dodged in alleys and through long stretches of path. The air became frigid and taxing and the ground gave to snow, their steps persisting despite. Claire and Turquoise pushed the fog with their flames as Anthea positioned hoof and hoof to the blurry brown and white belted circle ahead, assured as the entrance. Turquoise's flames began to slow. As Claire motioned up behind Anthea, he fell. He heaved. Claire pressed down to him. Anthea heard him, and knew Claire's look to her. A look she seconded.
"Stay with him!" cried Anthea. "I can go alone! Stay with him here!"
Claire seemed to affirm her. Anthea continued on, the snowy weather blistering her and the path a distorted white.
Starburst walked to Dove, delicately. Dove stared out the castle window. Two long forms were outlined in patches of the white. Starburst knew them, but continued to Dove's side. Dejectedly, Dove lowered and weaved her head to Starburst.
"Star... Mon cherie..."
"Dove... Are you..."
Starburst paused.
"Are you..."
"I am not okay, mon cherie," Dove stated. "I think I never will be."
Starburst was silent.
"Is it enough, for now," Starburst stammered, "That I'm here, with you?"
"You were always enough, Starburst. I'm not... I'd already created this problem. It was already inside me."
"Dove, this was never you."
Dove cried as the city's inhabitants ran.
"This is me!" Dove shouted. "I did this! I felt, and I did this! This is what I've done!"
Starburst attempted to hug her, but the form was loose, a white veil.
"Dove... don't worry, we can stop this. We can end this..."
"...Don't worry, mon cherie..." Dove smiled a brief smile, tears flowing over. "...I plan to."
Starburst's eyes held on her, then widened.
Above Canterlot, above the running and shouting, atop the windy incline, Dove's tall form stood, light fog flowing from her sides. The cliff she posited over overlooked the city and sparkled in the dusky air. She released her tightened eyes, and found the edge, then jumped.
In Ponyville, Prism Bolt traipsed in his home. He shuffled his hooves about in the floating house. Zecora's words repeated on his lips, and flustered thoughts of everyone and Dove. He searched out the window, finding Ponyville in a horrid enrapturing of fog. He jumped back. Out the door, the fog was climbing, closer to the home, reaching over itself to Prism. Wrapping out his massive wings, he lifted and searched. The fog was nearly everywhere. He rose further. It covered nearly all. Save, for some beacon at Canterlot, a pink sphere between the void. He grit his teeth, and flew.
His wing felt better, though he could notice its strain. Trees became amalgams as he past and blistered to the city. The sphere gradually became closer, larger, the fog over the slope and berating about it. Starburst was above, flying somewhere. Just an orange speck to him, but fast, toward the mountain. A tall pony was falling. Fast.
He shifted his angle. Color strew from his mane. His tail ignited in a blitz of rainbow and he past Starburst and careened to Dove. She wrapped his form. He attempted to turn, but Dove wrought against him, and his wing recalled its strain. They burst into a miasma of snow and he slid from aside her.
Blinking himself awake, he noticed the large form attempting to rise. A voice sounded behind him.
"W-Who?"
"Anthea!" Prism suddenly noticed and called. She stood at the open incline of mountain, somehow feeling her way up. Starburst dropped to a narrow dive and slid in. They met each other, but Dove's form rose. Her eyes were bright beyond stars. Raw magic transfused from all of her, throwing the three back. Prism attempted to hold, Anthea as well, pressing forward, motioning the necklace into her mouth. The magic pulsed, berating Anthea and Prism. It knocked Anthea down and back from Starburst, Starburst finding the necklace falling back but taking it. Waves threw against them, but Starburst held the locket in her mouth, pushing on, past pulses, to Dove. Feathers ripped from her. She tore her eyes open and found Dove, then pressed the necklace to her.
Where...?
Where...?
Where...?
A sphere dipped around Starburst, blue and complete, and uncomplete, yet a void yet white and everything. Everything came into being. It was a tree. New trees, always there. Starburst turned her sight around, rain having fallen on her. A tree with scars along it stood before her, and Dove walked out, from the blackened, continual rain beyond it.
"Mon cherie," Dove said, "Where are we?"
"Dove... I think, this is your mind."
"This is...?"
She walked about. The rain went on. Starburst followed her. Roots entangled a tree ahead. The ground wasn't there. Just a thought. Dove and Starburst stopped. They walked.
"Hey, Dove!" two young ponies called. Dove turned to them, the recess area just outside the school. "Show us a trick! Show us! Show us!"
Dove watched herself from the trees. The young Dove shuffled her sight away, but looked back.
"Very well!" she cried. "Feast your eyes, and look not away!"
Many doves flew from behind her from seemingly nothing.
"Magic! We want real magic!"
"..."
Something faded. Something grew. A new pony, a unicorn, juggling animals with her horn's magical glow about. Young Dove watched.
She fell. Pushed, and now muddied on the ground. Some contorted grins over her.
Dove rose. Nothing was before her. Her mother seemed a glimpse but gone. Only a cave, somewhere, beyond some noise. A show, from the sound. Trixie returned to her, Dove atop her mother's lap, listening to coos and strokes against her roughened mane. Gone to the whispering trails of water. A horn bashed below it.
Starburst rested her eyes upon her. Young Dove, alone. Her horn scattering in pieces. The pieces falling, never leaving, and rejoining with others. The schoolyard. Dove was back, her face a burnt mess and tears from her eyes. Others levitated books around her.
These came and flew from Dove's eyes and mind as she stared. The kept coming. They slowed, then returned and paused. Falling apart and returning. Starburst pressed against her. It stopped.
The schoolyard. Young Dove, alone. Starburst walked to her, Dove looking, following. Young Dove sat in the sand, holding a book. Starburst sat before her.
"Hey."
"Oh, bonjour!" young Dove said. "Ah, you are beautiful! Such wonderful wings!"
"Merci, and there's someone you need to know."
Dove stood over herself.
"...What are you doing?"
"Levitation!"
"Dove," Starburst said, meeting the standing Dove above them. Starburst stood aside her.
Young Dove flowed her magic. The book paused and shook in air. Her eyes wrenched shut. Her horn burst flame and magic singed her face.
Starburst met Dove's eyes.
"Magic... it never worked for you..."
"...No."
The horn burst flame once more as the magic failed.
Starburst held herself against Dove, looking at young Dove, prompting Dove's sight to her as well.
"...But... you never failed to be amazing. Even now, here, and then, you were amazing."
Young Dove smiled. The book was down. Open to showmanship. Her singed face housed a grin. She laughed, alone, before a book, and herself. Starburst smiled.
"Amazing."
"..."
Dove was silent. She searched the sky. It seemed still, now, all of sudden. Vivid and known. Starburst's hooves wrapped around her shoulders, her weight pressed into her.
"You are amazing Dove."
The world seemed to fall.
"This weight, is part of you, but you are so much more."
The sky became light.
"I can feel it in you. I know it... You are amazing."
The sky was morning. The morning sky. It had risen, and the snowy incline was before them. Anthea dragged herself up, Prism Bolt running as well. Snow lessened in the glow, Starburst curved in it, and the white, amazing pony in her hooves. Orange wings draped her, tears in her eyes, and a widened smile. Starburst wiped her wettened face, and held her, the sun rising further as the full world spanned out before them.
Dove pressed out. Her travel bags behind her in a cart. Celestia and Luna saw to her bags and assured her safety, but she was alone the last stretch with her friends, setting out beyond Ponyville. Her friends followed, but needed to turn away, Dove hoping them well and awaiting at the final stretch of trail before it curved out into widened hills. Starburst remained. The sun's glow was upon them. An early temperament.
"You can't stay in Ponyville longer?"
"I must move on myself, in some ways."
"...I'll be there. Whenever, if ever, always."
"Mon cherie, you are too sweet."
Dove smiled. Starburst hugged her. Dove hoisted her cart's pull around her, and she continued on. Starburst stood there until morning past. She smiled on, watching Dove in the distance.
...
...
...
"Ah, mon cherie! Shall we begin our date today? I'm sorry to have kept you, my beautiful cherie."
Author's Note
...Phew... Yes.
