The Guaranteed Eternal Sanctuary Mare

Chapters

Sure That It's a Star
Entry 1 - Assessing the Situation
Act 1: Mare of Steel, Pray and Kneel
I - Blue, Wicked and Wild
Entry 2 [28 May]: If Only Books and Bridges Burnt the Same...
Entry 3 [28 May]: Checking the Classifieds ~ Redux

Sure That It's a Star

1082, P.R., July 14th

Twilight Sparkle, Princess of Equestria and Faithful Student to the Sun Regent;

It is most unfortunate that your friend could not join you for such a harrowing mission. Rest assured; we shall deploy the Guard to follow you and your other friends closely, should immediate extraction be necessary. Though this foe is not of an ilk that we have dealt with before, the forces at work are not to be underestimated. Perhaps we’ve become complacent with having a prophecy handy for every threat up until now, my Faithful Student? I’m starting to feel outside my comfort zone already!

The necessary treatments, as well as the ones made on request, are being paid in full out of my pocket. Let it be said that Ms. Dash does notbruise for cheap! Though, to her merit, this is far from a typical bruise. By all accounts, she should have been crippled for life after that spill. Allow me to speak frankly: I doubt her wounds are merely physical. She suffered a painful, visceral thing, and her state of mind is not well. I am not comfortable with this arrangement, but the threat that this witch poses can’t be ignored. I pray you can ‘neutralize’ her before long, so Ms. Dash doesn’t slip further.

To be robbed of one’s wings, as it were, must double the anguish she feels at the moment. That potion, while potent, demands much from the patient. Hopefully she won’t get herself into a fine mess while we’re not looking.

I do not mean to stir unease, my Student. These are honest words, intended as an act of love. I know you worry about all your friends, and mincing words when you’ve come so far felt like an insult.

My Sister continues to monitor her. It’s amazing how closely you can follow a pony through the split-second lapses of consciousness. Luna shall displace herself to Rainbow Dash’s side, should she find herself in danger.

Speaking of consciousness: apparently an old friend of yours was found near the castle walls, having fainted. I suppose it’s fortunate that it wasn’t so serious that more than that tidbit had to reach my ears. Perish the thought that I made my day too hot!

Best of luck, my Student. You shall have all my prayers upon the wind, as well as my Sister’s and your good friend, Cadance.

Princess Celestia, Princess of Equestria

Entry 1 - Assessing the Situation

Awakening: one could call it the crux of consciousness. The mind of yesterday slips away, and a shiny new copy takes it place. The last shots of sweet dreams wear off, the sedative of a resting soul.

Do nightmares signal death of the soul, then? Are the tissues and cells in one's brain cutting away the dead parts when nightmares play out? It's hardly science, but it's a topic I've found myself pondering in idle moments. Moments where I'm not thinking about studying or the studies from earlier, to wit. I'm hardly one to humor pseudo-sciences like philosophy, but it's the symptom of a dreamer to do so.

Does a pony with no dreams have no soul then?

It invaded me that morning. An alien will overtook my senses. It commanded all the magic in my body for its gain and discarded me like a spent roll of toothpaste. Or so I had thought. That rainbow pegasus had vanished. That’s the first major issue. Not one I was ready for, oh no.

The second issue is my spiritual rape. That seemed far more pertinent of an issue to weep over after awakening. But now I wonder: do I have a soul? Am I pitiable enough to be wept for at all?

I had spent my days in a stupor. Aimless. I merely took opportunities so I could keep up my income and not be forced to change my ways. Once my parents booted me out for being ‘lazy’, I had coasted on a chunk of bits they had left me with. Once that ran out, I took up a dead end job. Not enough free time there.

So then I went on a diet. Almost died. Hooray.

Then Twilight had found me. Now I have a cushy chair in Celestia’s school. Not to imply strings were pulled, no; it’s just easy for moderately talented mares like me to follow in the wake of colossi like Twilight. Consider that. That mare is a mare of cause, of action. She compels change all around her. We follow her beacon to a brighter life, but without that light of hers, we’d simply drift along as we were. Do you call that a ‘leader’? Wouldn’t Princess Celestia overtake that responsibility? The true leader of our country? Is she just so distant that her light can no longer be seen?

The light exists though. And I would dare to call that a true soul. The second morning after the invasion, I stared into my cup at 8:32 AM. I came to that conclusion. Then, I realized it: souls may not be a permanent thing. They may… come and go. If all living things are capable of this combustion, then perhaps some of us are starved of air. Our fires died, leaving husks searching for purpose, a breath of fresh air.

It had to be. My constitution proved weak, and so that alien mind found it easy to control my body for its own gain.

My dignity took a blow when it dawned on me that I was but the collateral damage of an unknown feud. I can’t stomach this humiliation anymore. I have to write it down I have to write something, at least. It’s likely that I’ll be forced to go on an unexpected vacation, considering that the curse filters what I write. ‘The Madmare Filter’, as that particular hex is called.

So...

A strange mare invaded my library some six days before the rainbow pegasus stumbled upon me. I venture to call it a miracle that I even accepted that it was a pony. Information is painfully lacking, so I can only summarize the event sans insight.

I jogged about the shelves, searching for a encylopedia concerning some vague topic. Naturally, book hunts in this expansive rainforest of texts took hours. Days even. I buckled down, prepared for a long excursion. Simple waypoint spells in place, professional obligations rolled tightly in my saddlebags.

Thirteen hours deep I was, and still no luck. Titles and names banked on the edges of my vision, and not one went unread. Streaks of light revealed by the cloudy air up above lent their strobe to the experience. I paid them no mind, but as my eyes shifted to and fro they created a gentle fuzz in my brain, an accompaniment for my dulling focus.

That dreamlike state resonates so strongly with me. I can just remember the scents, the emotions and sensations of it. My own little world, you could say. The very hoofprint of this particular dream is burnt into me. For all the bad it caused me…

I lifted my head for just a moment. Like I nodded off.

If I hadn’t then, my life never would have changed.

At first, it looked like a distortion. I blinked thrice. I wasn’t seeing things. My hooves ceased their motion. Legs frozen before the next step, I held my breath. The carpet. In the shadows, one could easily miss it. It rose and fell, snaked in contrast to the shelves of books.

The thing rounded along the shelf, following the turn straight toward me. My breath hitched. The instant that little sound flared to existence, the creature froze in place. So sudden that I stumbled backwards.

It didn’t occur to me that it was just as surprised. It paced away from me in return. I couldn’t act. No aggression, no self-preservation. Suspense. I had no earthly clue what lay before me.

The voice of a stallion — or was it a mare? — grunted out loud. Despite myself, I squeaked and hopped away, though the fear drove me to lean against the shelf for support.

“Just fucking great,” they growled out. The carpet crawler rose upward, shaggy from head to hoof. “Every time I get cocky, I screw myself over.”

I instinctively searched for a face. The equine indeed had a head, but every inch carried the carpeting under my hooves. Then I squinted. It was hard in the low light, but I picked out the lenses. Intense, eyes of vague color focused upon me.

“You,” they uttered. I gulped. “You're not actually going to get in my way.”

It wasn't a question. Even so, I nodded.

“I thought I could cross this so-called capital twice without getting seen, and right when I'm on the home stretch…” The pony clutched their temples in mock pain. “Gah!”

“W-what do you want?” I chanced. “Are you saying you've been here before?”

The antics ceased upon that question. One by one, the pony’s legs stomped about into a powerful stance. I sputtered an appeasement. The beastly snort cut that short.

“Shut it, kid. I was just going to walk away, but then you had to go and think about any of this.” The mare — I realized it was a mare from her snide impression of a filly — swiped her hoof. Faster than I could react. I recognized the magic washing over me and flared my horn as quick as I could.

Too late! The sting of a curse sunk into my skin. My magic tried to pry the slimy thaums away. Only the mortifying sense of all my skin stretching in every direction came of it. My chin slammed against the floor, but that pain was lost in the caterwauling of wrongness all over me.

Let it be known that real curses are hardly subtle.

I rolled onto my back. Had I eaten within the previous few days, it would have been messy.

The mare whistled. She dumped the runic box next to my head and stomped it into pieces for good measure. “You took that like a champ. But hey, I guess you're not all pansies around here.”

I opened my mouth. No words came to me. I tried, but nothing.

She snickered at my little choking noises. “Curses, babe. They really leave you speechless.”

I frowned at her. Judging by her towering legs and broad, looming chest, this mare was big. She could have crushed my skull under those hooves. Even so, that joke pissed me off.

She twirled a hoof. “Well, gotta set the conditions. Sudden onset mutism is alarming enough. I can't just break your horn off so you can’t follow my trail , lest you tell the authorities. You're lucky I'm a perfectionist.”

She spoke her terms for the curse. I am unable to remember them being presented as words, but rather as thoughts. Things that I told myself. The sensation humiliated me enough at the time, but it was mere foreshadowing.

I couldn’t speak of this mare. I couldn’t describe her state, be it her emotional state or her destination or her manestyle that day. None of that. I could not speak of those who may have followed her, either. In no way could I speak out with the intent to impede her. The sense of dread upon even conceiving the notion of speaking out against her conditions chilled my spine, not merely from fear.

The tingle of magic made my flesh tender, sensitive. My damnable curiosity made it all the more unbearable. What sort of magic was this? How grave was my situation? Why did this unicorn use a zebra’s deployment? Was it even a unicorn?

The pony moved away from me once the last of her suggestion dripped into my ears. She stomped and barked a laugh, her woolly coat swaying from the force that rippled across her body. “Bwaha! These laughable arcanists and their pansy magic. I’d almost feel ashamed of using it, but I brought it upon myself.”

To my displeasure, the mare loomed over me once more. Head lowered, her eyes bore into mine through her dark lenses. I can’t deny I was terrified. Her hot breath battered my already damp face. The guttural, heavy breaths of some ghastly creature. Those eyes twinkled with something. Something I did not want to know. I didn’t want to face it. Slowly, her tongue lolled out. The tip brushed my cheek. The wide, flat and warm meat of her tongue gently cupped it, dragging the hairs on it upward as she tasted me.

My rapid, shallow breaths seemed amusing to her. She chuckled around her tongue, puffs of her odorous breath stinging my wide eyes. Sneakily, her right hoof brushed my temple. She eased it along my mane, pulling and unraveling the band holding my makeshift ponytail together. Gently, she patted my mane down, using her other hoof to tilt my head this way and that.

“Mm. A good taste.” My chin lifted, and she nibbled my neck a little. “Definitely a shut-in, but…”

Both her hooves cupped my flushed cheeks, rearing my forehead. She pressed her muzzle into my stringy mane, taking a big breath. “You must a real brainiac. Real refined, nuanced. You’ll be just fine. Give it a few weeks.”

I managed to choke a question out. “W-why?” I swallowed a barren desert. “Why a-are you doing this?”

“Not like anyone will know. Or care, soon enough.” With a shrug, the mare stepped away. “Wish I had more time to stick around. Maybe get to know you a little better, even. I figured one last taste of you ponies wouldn’t hurt.”

I propped on an elbow. Already, the mare’s stance shifted to something unfamiliar. Her hind legs set tight, the mare fanned her forehooves before her. I twist about, back onto all fours. The scent of the mare stained my nostrils and the play of lights up above broke into a frenzy. The walls rattled with the winds of a brewing storm, ushering in the clouds slowly but surely.

With a flick of her hind leg, a previously unseen knot on her side came undone. A set of saddlebags so too covered in the carpet thudded upon the floor. Heavy enough for me to feel the drop. Plates of metal tumbled from the bags. One slid over the other, fanning out to either side until they scuffed the bookcases.

She slid her forehooves together, ripping through the carpet and scouring the wood below it with her sheer pressure. My horn tingled as if a current flowed through. The plates kicked up off the ground. Did she magnetize them? I couldn’t say. The wavered a foot off the ground and pushed each other away into a messy circle about the unicorn.

One, I noticed, was red in color. Or rusted. It marked something either way. Sure enough, she tilted her head to watch her makeshift compass. The sluggish construct would have normally infuriated me, but… but I knew I was missing something. This pony wouldn’t make a scene with such a mediocre spell.

The sickening thrum rocked me to my core. Same as me, the unicorn visible bit her lip as she maintained her compass.

Wood groaned. I shot to my hooves as soon as I heard the first wave of that horrible sound. Near and far, books slid off the shelves of my library. Not at random, no. I picked them all up later on after all. The cacophony swelled more and more. Books tumbled off the shelves, yet the tumbling proved far from over. Between the rails and down the steps they came. Scurrying rats.

One of the countless, massive shelves thundered upon the ground. I screamed, to be honest. Whether it was the sound of an explosion or my heart breaking from the damage incurred, I won’t say.

“Aha!” the unicorn cried. Frantic, I searched for the compass’s point. Nine o’clock, relative to her.

A little victory tune hummed, she proceeded to look in the opposite direction.

“What the hell are you doing?!” I cried. The roar of my babies getting drawn, as if by a sinister chariot, died to a dull shuffling.

She ‘dug the wax’ from her ear. “Why the hell are you yelling?” she said in her mocking tone.

I gave her another once-over. No sign of tiring. I inched back from her. “Your compass there is pointing that way,” I said with a helpful gesture. “Are you implying that the book you’re looking for just might be located in the least ‘radiant’ area of this room? That’s still a needle in the haystack.”

“Tsk tsk, kid. I think you misunderstand. The book I’m looking for has a negative signature. It’s so strong that it’s guaranteed to make this thing point away.”

So. Many. Things. Wrong.

“First of all, how would a normal pony not notice the life getting sucked from them if something that negative existed in the same room as them?” I wildly waved my hooves where the compass was pointing. “And are you implying that even if this over here had zero radiance, your compass would be forced to point there if this theoretical thaumic vacuum is present? Oh, but wait! Every thaumic compass in the world would all be forced to point away from this object, so how can it suddenly exist just because you’re looking for it?”

This pony pissed me off, frankly. I could see her smirking at me during that whole tirade. Rolling her eyes every time I tried to emphasize my points. Even so, I knew I couldn’t throw myself at that fucking charlatan. She obviously felt I was beneath her, delivering such a bold-faced lie. If whoever reads this in the future doesn’t understand my frustrations (or if I somehow become a vegetable), in laymare’s terms… it’d be like telling a child that they have to go to bed at night because the sun won’t rise until it knows they’re asleep.

This witch, this bitch, just laughed me off. “Yeah, yeah. Well, just take my word for it, kid. You’ll buy it once I find the goddam thing.” She clicked her tongue. “Oh, and next time you see me, remind me to hunt down the fucker who sold my book to this pile of garbage. I coulda found it so much quicker if it didn’t get moved.”

The bushy green on the mare tail flicked about. In unison, the compass plates tightened their formation around her as she reared on her hind legs. My curiosity almost got its answers when her camouflage tore away from her body…

The pony underneath glowed.

A bright blue energy covered her, head to hoof. Her long mane, caught in the storm of magic, flapped upward. She held that stance perfectly for what felt like forever. The mare’s exceptional physique only made the display more captivating.

One last glance for me. Her eyes burned despite being uniform with the glow in her body. My eyes refused to be pried away.

Was she seeking this mysterious tome with her spell? That was what I wondered.

She turned away without warning and galloped. Her powerful legs propelled her into a dive. Only the solid floor awaited. My stomach flipped just watching the descent. Just more proof to trust one’s gut.

The mare phased through the carpet, the floorboards. Her brilliant glow vanished with her. I flicked my eyes up at the wayward compass, which had split from her at the zenith of her leap. The ring spun across the library’s wide open space, following the lances of light dying as soon as they appeared as the mare swam below the floor. The journey, to my surprise, was a short one. The compass hovered over its destination. A lone book hovered upward within the curtain of blue light pouring from the compass. A mundane thing seized by some heavenly force.

My eyes are pretty terrible. Normally. The adrenaline must have kicked something into high gear, because I saw the pages of that book flip open, one at a time, from dozens of yards away. The grand window behind the book portrayed gloomy skies with veins of golden light amongst the clouds. A tree waves into view. Pitch-dark leaves accented the whole spectacle. The leaves…

I still see them from the corner of my eye, even now.

Despite the intensity, her light hardly shined from behind the bookcases until she was in clear view. I assume she re-entered the room as she left it before my eyes. The radiant unicorn levitated towards the book. This mare held her forelegs outward, perhaps to embrace the book.

Massive, inky grey legs moved to return her embrace.

I wiped my eyes once or twice. I swear that I didn’t see them appear. I didn’t see where they came from. Four massive, claw-like legs sprouted from the spine of the book before I could even register it.

And from the looks of it, my mare of mystery didn’t either. She struggled against the forces valiantly, but…

First, her hind legs. A simply spray of blue.

Her hips came next. A cord of blue energy unraveled as the wound yawned open.

Torso. An impressive display fanned out from her chest. Stray forelegs flew wild.

Not even a drop could reach the floor. The legs moved with bizarre, if precise, motion. The dark matter comprising them formed a quick bowl under all the bits and pieces before the fourth leg could bisect her skull. Even then, the legs met in unison. The next couple of moments most likely saw her remains settling in its grasp. With that, the legs retracted back into the pages.

My mouth spilled sand. I tried to swallow it all down as best I could. For all I knew, I watched a pony die. It’s funny. I feel the pain in my chest even now, even for a complete stranger.

Even for a survivor.

My vision tunneled on the book. Just as the inky claws raked the pages with the irregular spurs topping them, I saw a shape. A pony.

She reached out toward the ground. She fought it, fought it like Tartarus. I saw the blue arc of her hoof tear through at the last second.

Yet she sank into the pages. The ink consumed that last trace of her in retaliation, and the book snapped shut. Did I imagine that noise? I’m not sure.

But that unicorn was gone.

Gone.

The rainbow pegasus now too. The more I dwell on it, the more I regret putting her up to this. One of Twilight’s friends. That unicorn, these turn of events. Something big was going to happen right under my nose. With the curse, I can’t ask for help. I had to con the pegasus into some rescue mission, when clearly she’d be needing the rescuing. Why the fuck did she agree to it? Why did I even ask? I haven’t even the first clue—

What the fu

It’s him. I picked up the cursed book and opened it to a random page. Habit. I’ve looked hundreds of times already, ever since he appeared. The book opens for me because of him.

And I see words.

Ms. Dash is mine now, and so are yoou. You msut bear witnesc to this

I’m calm now. Calm. So the book is spelling things out for me, and it says:

series of events. I have altered the curse inside you, as you suspected. What you write will still remain mindless gibberish to the normal eye. However, even with time, you will still retain your ability to read it. As well, I shall recount these events to you using this mockery of language for the time being. We must preserve the beginning of this unraveling by any means necessary. Apologies for my invasion, Ms. Moondancer. I am a mimic by design, and thus do not comprehend the experience I have foisted upon you.

My sister nearly claimed the pony who you encountered, Ms. Moondancer. Such sloppy work, her spell. Do not fear for Ms. Dash. I am the true gatekeeper of this world, and whoever enters on my watch is of no concern to my siblings. Her soul is my pawn, and I am a magnanimous player.

One of my mouths shall now take over this venue of mine. As a being of utmost objectivity, I promise that...

Well, that with time, the voice shall become objective. It’s been a long time since I’ve done this, so I beg your patience.

~Fréon Ádfýr ~

“One misstep…”

Act 1: Mare of Steel, Pray and Kneel

One misstep ground bone against bone, deep, gross and needling. Rainbow Dash cursed quietly and hobbled along.

"Fuckin'... why don't you spit in my mouth while you're at it, huh?" she grumbled, eyes turned upward to the overcast canopy. Wispy trees and their beards of leaves brushed the sky from all sides.

So quiet. So peaceful. Just right for her tastes. Water on cracked lips, anyways.

She set her eyes back on the road. It spilled down the hill into a crowded courtyard. Her odd hobble made the descent into the lake of bodies slower than she would have liked.

Her leg throbbed. The metal cage around her shin clanked with each step. Not enough time together to tune it out quite yet, but the cage was not taken for granted. The bars firmly affixed themselves to the straps below and above her shin. Instead of an airy blue like the rest of her body, white wrappings overtook her leg. A spatter of red ringed the middle of the cast.

Once more, Rainbow cursed to herself. Her haste must have aggravated the wound. No matter. She’d seen her flesh sheared to the bone after worse wipeouts and hadn’t thought twice about them. The pain took a lot of the sickening edge off, she admitted to herself.

Much the same, her tangent into the subject of injury delayed acknowledgement of her situation. Upon closer inspection, the crowds of ponies — unicorns — toted around swollen, obese saddlebags and conversed with little discrepancy in volume of address. Indeed, their voices remained somewhat hushed and respectful. Nothing like the fellows Dash would call her people. Not at all.

“Cuh-reepy,” she muttered. Dash’s skull allowed passage to the notion that this was not actually an abnormal occurrence. Rather, the idea that a group of ponies so subdued, so two-faced, could be this large… in a word, that put her on edge.

So much like they were at battle. No pegasi hid things from each other unless they were foe. No Cloudsdalian, anyways.

The one-two of discomfort rounded off with her solitary pinions. Not one to be so meek, Dash held her head high when the first stragglers of the horny bunch took notice of her. They turned their heads initially, but her nature prompted them to turn away and side-eye this alien. Her body thrust upon her a choice: to gulp or to choke on it. Her throat tensed, and she hastened her step. Their ocular prods nudged her rump and ribs and wings, traitorous wings that fluttered from the tension.

Rainbow bit her lip and focused on the stone trail under her hooves. A dear friend had spoken to her once, and those words came to mind.

The nobles… don’t hold pegasi in very high esteem, I’m sorry to say. They, I — we still have our preconceptions of your kind, Dash. Layabouts, cowards, flexible, durable, tireless, lithe…

The nobility are especially fond of your wings. I’ve done some thinking… and I get the feeling that the envy from being so close to alicorns makes them crave those beautiful wings of yours. So worthless, so unnecessary, and yet… so delectable.

They hold earth ponies in esteem. They can’t replicate the work they do for Equestria, and their tenacity and loyalty is hard to deny. Pegasi, they say, were put on this planet by the Great Traversera for the indulgence of other races. They say that… that what you do for our Equestria is purely for our decadence.

A teacher of mine said this once: “Pegasi sweep, with their wings, the shadows and webs along the pearly road the rest of us follow into our destinies, so that we may feel content with our supremacy and ignore all else in our land. Princess Celestia’s stature points to an inner strength, her horn to otherwordly insight. And her wings…

Point to delusion.”

Rainbow brushed shoulders with someone.

A small, brief contact, yet her heart clenched. A pulse of magical aura against her rump propelled her a few inches away from the mare with whom she made that illicit contact. Rainbow peeked behind herself at the mare, and saw an upturned muzzle. The mare shut the eye that she faced Rainbow with, or perhaps both. With another second gone, Rainbow remained, watching for a sign of life from the mare. She cracked her eye open, then shooed the pegasus away with her hoof.

A colt, a dweeb of a character whom few would entrust their lunch pail to, puffed his shoulders out when Rainbow ducked low and dared to step in his direction. The pegasus noticed the shift at once and jerked her shoulder the other way. He raised a leg, a stiff and jerky gesture to present his extended hoof, and then he glanced behind himself. His bravado collapsed at that moment, and he himself moved away from the pegasus, whose hobble only put four or five meters between them. Upon a round of snickering from his peers, he buried his face in his hooves.

Should historians wonder, this bright minded unicorn couldn’t fight his own battle against a crippled pegasus who barely knew he existed.

The bright, careening eyesore then entered the presence of two great mares. Joined at the hip, as they themselves would assert. The shorter bore a filigree tiara about her horn, and the mane upon her head flowed as an exquisite banner fit to make a princess feel envy. To her left, the significant other enjoyed a strong set of legs and sinewy, slim build. Jewels of the body abounded upon the mare, especially her ears, for her body itself was a piece of art.

The two made sport of outnumbered prey, baring the fangs of weighty inheritance and exquisite tutelage. These best of friends did not partake in knives, did not even prepare their stews with them. Rather, their white, youthful teeth rent the flesh of their victims asunder, for teeth hardly sufficed in games of deceit, where their bond relied on complete trust. The day they would feast upon one another still remained inevitable.

The lowly pegasus kicked up dirt behind their backs, and they paid little mind at the time. Only upon admiring one another more closely would they discover the calamitous crime Rainbow committed unto their persons, and with the discovery, their next victim would not know the pleasure of their company before the main course.

Rainbow soon realized a silver lining in this cowing cloud of piercing observation: she was beneath them. A low-hanging fruit, a greasy treat only an obese colt would partake. To do something so basal in company so esteemed could fell the tallest of the student body. Already had her jaunt forced one of them to scramble for his dignity.

She shook her head. The impressive arch which granted passage to the bowels of the school stood only a few moments away. Perhaps with an end in sight, she could regain her composure, deflated with a prick only a few moments ago. The pegasus stood audacious when she played on her terms. This alien world robbed her of the pedestal beneath her hooves, but it couldn't rob any worthy pegasus of their faith in direction.

The huge door creaked open. Clearly designed for magic use, it forced Rainbow to heave with her shoulder and all the weight her three legs could spare.

Immediately she noticed a gaggle of unicorns speaking in Hush in the corner. None had taken notice of the labored entry or the even more labored pegasus leaning against the doorway. Rainbow cursed under her breath; the jinxes and tonics meant to ease her pain and hasten her healing had robbed her of more strength than she knew. Even if she huffed and puffed from such a feat, it usually took her only seconds to recover herself. Now, however, a good couple of minutes went by until she felt well enough to shuffle along once more.

Despite her pride, the pegasus looked up to the signage attached to the ceiling. A clear, likely glass, substance comprised the directions above each wide hall branching from the lobby, inlaid with gold letters. The one front and center read “BlueBlood Academy Theatre”.

'Gag,' she thought to herself. Not one to make such an emote among this company while in her state, Dash entertained a series of derisive thoughts upon that name as she shuffled to the lieu of ‘Administrative Offices’. As far as her limited knowledge of her quarry went, this mare could be easily sought where many books reside. The pegasus concluded the head office would likely yield the mysterious mare.

Many years ago, young Rainbow Dash lived under the assumption that large volumes of books were only to be found in the possession of unicorns. No pegasus would have the desire nor means to haul libraries of information on their impulsive impulse across the land. Nay, she came to realize. Her inevitable foray into the principal's office around the second grade quashed the preconception. Only later, whence she came upon the offices of the esteemed Wonderbolts, a branch of a branch of the greater Equestrian military, did the notion completely turn upon itself into a jocular quasar doomed to flush down into the black pits of vacuous misinformation. She felt quite silly, in other words. No decent military would forego good bookkeeping.

The thought flared and concluded in less than two seconds, and when it did so, the pegasus experienced another chill. Militaire…

What sort of pony was she looking for? Though her trusted alicorn friend would hardly keep bad company, this place did not have an air of friendliness. Was this what her alicorn friend lived by, day in and day out, before her destined departure to Ponyville? No wonder she left that life behind. A more brightly lit segment crept into sight when the hall exceeded a reasonable length in the pegasus’s opinion. On either side bunked ritzy marble counters where a unicorn stationed each, dressed with enough snap to ruin an industrial crane.

She approached the handsome colt on instinct, turning from the older mare. He raised a brow, but Rainbow kept her cool.

"How may I help you, ma'am?"

"To the point. I'm fine with that," Dash said, looking into his eyes. The corner of his eye twitched slightly. “I’m guessing you think this’ll be short, huh? I don’t have any business here?”

He shuffled something on the counter. “Not at all, ma’am. We at the Blueblood Academy are eager to welcome all kinds of creatures, and we respect all kinds of contributions to our reputable pool of resources gathered from the young, open minds who have walked in and out of these doors.”

Bits. Dash shrugged. “Well, that surely is inspiring.” She propped onto the desk and tapped it twice with her the hoof of her injured leg. The colt winced at the sight of the blood. “Look, I’m looking for a pony named Moondancer. I know you got doodles to draw and whatnot. I get it, really. But,” Dash said, tapping the desk again, "this is kinda urgent. I’m sure you turned away at least twenty of Celestia’s nephews and at least ten of her children, so I won’t pull that card. Just tell her that ‘Twilight sent me.’”

The name elicited the smallest of gasps. He eyed her once more, nodding to himself. “I see. I’d honor this request, but I’m afraid no one has a tab on her location at the moment. The paperwork has gone cattywampus in the headmaster’s office since she vanished a day or so ago, and none have come forth with any sort of tips.”

“Fuckin’...” Dash mumbled. She rubbed her chin for show, then looked back up to the colt. “How about you let me have a look? Promise I won’t touch anything if it looks expensive or important or whatever. Can’t promise my leg won’t snap in half again and I make your library into dominoes, though.”

The colt put his hoof to his mouth and hummed. His eyes stroked her rainbow mane a few times, then her wings in a detached manner. She certainly preferred it that way. “I suppose I should have faith in you, ma’am. It’s not like a hero needs study to make miracles happen. Though…” he murmured, “I suppose I should tell you of Ms. Moondancer. She’s quite reclusive, though certainly good company. She tends to be distressed if she’s subject to company that goes beyond mere business, and she happens to have a knack for her disappearing acts.”

Rainbow shrugged, then turned back the way she came. She spared a glance over her shoulder to the colt. “Thanks, pal. I’ll find her. No sweat.” Her colorful tail flicked in his direction. “You got a good head on your shoulders.”

He returned a small smile as she hobbled off. The older mare opposite of him cocked a brow, though he simply went back to reading the next missive on his desk without acknowledging her, just like usual.

The mind of Rainbow wandered once more, heading down the overly long corridor. Why would a pony her alicorn friend set straight seek solitude as much as the colt made it sound? Was there a friendship problem to be found here? With no need to, Rainbow let her excited snickering go unsilenced. It may not have been as earthshaking as ‘a moon witch turning a slew of villages into a demonic army every full moon’, but it was a task only she was in a position to complete.

The atrium came and went, and the pegasus made her way up a merciful set of plush stairs to the ‘Cultural Library’. It came as little surprise that the libraries each dedicated themselves to rather narrow fields without diminishing in volume, as her quick peeks into the previous three demonstrated. Her motives were twofold for choosing this as her first destination: a desire of insight onto the unicorns at the school, and the assumption that this Moondancer was much like her alicorn friend, who found her fresh rabbit holes away from more practical trains of thought. To wit, the thoughts sounded more like: “Maybe I can see what’s up with these stuffy, creepy hornheads, and maybe this pony is studying what Twi was studying last time I actually paid attention.”

To her misfortune, Rainbow felt her eyelids droop the moment she set hoof into the spacious chamber. Indeed, the platinum frames and ornaments dotting the library and the curious motes of dust catching the sunset pouring into the room provided a stimulating view, but the sheer emptiness could not escape the most sensitive pinions on her wings. The lack of disturbance itched her wings greatly, yet at the same time sapped her of sensation. Either the assignments of the day happened to pertain mostly to science, or few unicorns at the school found reason to seek cultural knowledge. ‘Why research the only culture that matters if you live it every day?’ Rainbow mused. She certainly couldn’t deny holding such a sentiment once.

Rainbow Dash clamoured to the bedside before anyone else. Push, shove; all fair game. The sight of Applejack as a literal mummy tore a pit into her stomach, a stone punching through the floorboards. Specks of blood barely seeped through the layers of bandages across her chest and forelegs, so she assumed them to be fresh. Her friend’s chest rose and fell almost too gently for her eye to detect, and the expression etched onto her bruised and cut-up face grated with the… the peace, the serenity. Her heart quickened.

“A-Applejack! Say something!” Rainbow leaned closer and reached out to the still mare’s cheek, but a mist of light blue seized her foreleg a mere instant just before contact.

She growled and whipped to the right, where her good unicorn friend matched her hate-filled expression with a startling ice in her light blue eyes. The pegasus swallowed when the austere cold didn’t fade, but rather grew.

“Let go of me, Rarity.”

“She’s injured, Rainbow Dash. Even if she’s unconscious, she can still feel pain.”

Dash tore her foreleg free from the magic, and Rarity staggered back from the brute force that broke her hold. “She-she’s right here, damn it! I can’t just… I can’t…” Though she reached once more, some inkling between her eyes stopped her. Not Rarity. Perhaps that stare drove an ice sickleinto her mind, telling her to desist.

She shuddered, but before the image could creep back to mind, a warm hold embraced her shoulders. “Oh, I know how you feel, dear. I truly feel helpless too, but we shan’t be selfish. Applejack is a strong mare, and her strength will pull her through.”

The stiff pegasus relaxed upon snuggling the velvet in Rarity’s voice. “She’s the toughest bitch I’ve ever met, Rares. I wonder sometimes if it’s even real, what she can get away with.”

Rarity tittered into Rainbow’s ear. The pegasus defrosted even more. “Not many earth ponies can say they stalled an entire house caught in a landslide long enough for the family to evacuate, for one. Far fewer can say they did it by themselves.”

Could that be put into words? What she felt then? Countless books hung from the branches, well in her reach. Despite her hunger, Dash shuffled onward past shelves and shelves of knowledge. Could what it meant to be an Equestrian be summarized by the words in this library?

Normally, the pegasus paid little thought to most of the books her alicorn friend had a taste for. The life, the work, the faces in all those pages never appeared real to Rainbow Dash. In a sense, the past was far from real in her eye. An act of heroism yesterday became a bullet point tomorrow, yet one act of villainy become a persistent stain for a long, long time. Why accept such a backwards concept as reality? Her mind stored information much like the world at large. Could anyone argue that to be wrong way to live?

Were all the dead and bygone authors peering at her from all angles judging her for it?

Promptly, Dash slapped her own cheek. The thoughts had their way with her again, spat and soiled her face, and she could hardly tell where she had come from. Turning back, she saw one of the labyrinthine angles she observed from above. A quick trot back to the turn revealed a branching path, and this time she couldn’t be certain where she came from. Her useless wings twitched by her sides.

Certainly, Moondancer would have an easy time hiding here! Dealing with unicorns, they relied on tricks rather than reflex and speed to avoid pursuit. Any party had deception at their disposal, the wild card in every aspect of living. Did the mare hide with a simple trick and clever deception, or did she use a cheap, reality-bending hex to cover her trail? Her alicorn friend certainly would keep company capable of commanding conjurations of that caliber.

The sun dimmed further. One by one, torches along the rails and walls flickered to life, doing away with all shadow in the room and blanketing it in a less sheer, more inviting light. Rainbow plopped on her behind and furrowed her brow with the sudden development. Perhaps this Moondancer was so clever as to account for the movement of light during the day, and her guise considered it and covered itself up, or perhaps she was less clever, and her ruse only abused the artificial light come nighttime whence its weakness exposed itself during a certain time of day.

Either way, the task became more difficult.

Difficult…

“So, uh, why did I catch you snooping around the dump at night, Twilight?” Rainbow asked the alicorn, who hunched over the sack of pilfered refuse as if it were a cub only a mother could love.

The little dragon by Rainbow’s side answered first. “She’s trying to figure out this one spell again. That spell.” He shuddered.

A crumpled can coldcocked his cranium to his mere acrimony.

“I have a good feeling this time, Spike! I know I’m onto something now, I just know it!” She hugged her sack tighter.

With a bit of eagerness, Rainbow did her rightful duty and kicked the can out of sight. “What spell, exactly? ‘One mare’s trash’?”

The alicorn’s frown deepened when Spike stomped forth slapped the sack like a baby’s bottom. “She’s trying that stupid pocket dimension spell again! Did you know she didn’t sleep for three days practicing it once, and decided ‘Hey! Let’s throw allof Spike’s stash into this magic hellhole and see what happens!’”

“I already made it up to you, Spike! Can we just ‘bucking’ let it go!” Twilight turned away with her precious. “It’s the one spell I’ve never even begun to use in the most fundamental level, Rainbow. My pride as a student of magic depends on me figuring this one out!”

The pegasus hummed as the two siblings carried on their argument, oblivious to her existence once more. A spell Twilight could never cast?

She growled. Her tail flicked with nerves. “Just fuckin’ great, Dash. You don’t even know what’s possible or not with magic, and you think you can hunt a unicorn genius?” Lead weights clamped to her eyelids. In a short moment, the ceiling above shimmered as a pond in a swamp.

A mighty yawn. Certainly a rarity, she found the call of sleep reaching her ears well before midnight, if it all some nights. Rainbow sniffed, recalling her other pegasus friend and Rarity hounding her about ‘getting enough sleep’. Athletes don’t stop just because their muscles scream at them; couldn’t they understand? Whatever ethereal creature responsible for sleep — a cat, perhaps — pawed at her throat, her ears and her belly. She need to sleep. Nay, she would be driven mad denied any longer.

A simple pegasus trick; Rainbow stomped her good hoof into the plush carpet, a touch of magic cupped in it. Electricity crackled, and upon pulling her hoof from the carpet, three little swirls of wind sliced at the fibers, filling the vacuum her hoof created. She repeated it until a patch about her size was no more, and brushed the sheared carpet with her wing into a pile. Too dizzy for much more thought, she knocked some nearby books from their shelves, and took the ones that popped open and pushed them in a formation around the fiber, a bowl. Thus, Dash made a pillow and promptly collapsed into it, face first.

***

Waking to a mare one has never met staring one dead in the eye was an experience Dash had dealt with only once, whence her first night spent in her ‘quiet’ little town. Though that pink perpetrator wound up a lifelong friend, she still didn’t care for the experience on principle. The lurch in her chest upon parsing the purple irises scanning her face and the disgusting grubs for eyebrows displaying clear judgmentality went ignored by the rest of her body.

“Why are you looking for me?” the mare said to her.

Rainbow blinked a few times, the shock having passed. The way this pony pursed her lips, narrowed those brows, put Dash on edge. Thus, she retorted, “That’s not a very nice way to say ‘good morning'.”

A moan of annoyance, then the mare turned away from her, stomping her hooves into the carpet and muttering to herself. Dash sat upright, though a stray weight inside her head nearly tipped her balance, and she had to brace herself with the opposite hoof; the good one, mercifully. The room about her was still dim in the night, but the shelves walling the two in took a more sane, rectangular shape. A lacquered table rest to her left, putting a generous space between itself and the wall of books. Her neck cracked a few times, alerting her to the absence of her makeshift pillow. That realization finally hinted to the sleepy fool that she had been moved by some means.

The window caught her focus next, filled with a dim blackness with a clear film over it. Had she slept til the crack of dawn?

The mare’s muttering intensified into a speaking voice. “Now-now why would Twilight send her lackey— no! Send one of her best friends to-to me, hm? Is there some crisis she needs my help with? I-I’m not cut out for that, not at all, no. No. It has to be something else, surely! Fu-why are my hooves so dusty?” The mare kicked at the carpet and grunted most unladylike.

"Hey," Dash barked. The mare hopped in place and twisted around to meet Rainbow. Her brow glistened in the dull morning light, now that the candles slowly began to die.

"Y-yes, miss? Ma'am?"

"Being polite now, huh? You looked like you wanted to throttle me when I woke up, Moondancer." Rainbow straightened her mane while Moondancer gaped like a bass.

"Sorry for that. I just don't like when ponies look for me."

"How come you brought me here, then?"

Moondancer scoffed. She mimicked Rainbow’s motion, tidying up her straight, flowing mane, signs of dampness at the ends. It certainly didn't suit the crazy mare to Rainbow's eye. "You're a pegasus, injured at that. You have a transmutant solution in your body, which is incredibly hard to procure. Lastly, I recognized your cutie mark from Twilight's stories."

Her jaw dropped. "How did you figure out what my medicine was called?" In haste, Dash quickly searched her forelegs for nicks.

"Your wings have almost no magic radiating from them." In pink aura, a scroll moved through the air and unfurled between the two mares, and on it was printed a map of the library. From the entrance to a big, black 'X' snaked a dotted red line. The directions depicted instilled an itch in her joints. Both ears perked. The unicorn smirked. "Pegasi rain little 'flakes' of thaumic radiation from their wings in rhythm with their heart. The sporadic and alarmingly thin trail I followed told me enough."

Both wings twitched in opposing manners. “So, what makes you think I’m looking for you in the first place? I didn’t give no reason why I was here yet.”

“Please. I doubt you have any real business here besides talking to me.”

The implication broiled Dash’s temper. “Well, you... I... gah!" She leaned back against a nearby shelf. "So you caught me. I still got this though. You ready to hear it?" After a lazy polish against her chest, Dash raised her hoof to point at Moondancer. "Twilight didn't send me."

In an instant the haughty heat in her face drained, and Moondancer stepped back. "W-what?"

Rainbow snickered. "You don't know her very well if you think she'd make me hobble here like this. She'd carry me on her back sooner than that.” Her left wing flexed to cover her chest and she held her head high. “No, I came here for something else. A favor.”

Moondancer stared at — through — the pegasus for a moment. A noticeable bulge wiggled on her throat, and she wiped her nose before taking a seat on the floor, a listless expression worn while she studied the interesting matting. Twinkling brow, thinking aloud and speaking to herself, Moondancer appeared far from passable to Rainbow’s standards. Perhaps, Luna forbid, she needed help?

So, she scratched the back of her head and searched for words. “What’s… what’s wrong, Moondancer? You’re kinda freaking me out here. Are you mad, scared or what? And are you even listening to me?”

Quickly, the unicorn raised a hoof to her mouth and bit down on it. The clink riled worms at the back of Rainbow’s throat. The mare’s visible teeth appeared caked in plaque; that, or the space between her front teeth simple couldn’t be seen in the dim light. Her somewhat neat and prim mane certainly threw Dash’s image for her off. Her eyes sagged more and more as she thought on the pegasus’ words, or perhaps of something else entirely. Something stirred by them.

“You… you say that you’re not here on her behalf?” Moondancer clicked her tongue. “Oh, oh that’s unlikely. Is it? It certainly isn’t expected, no. Why would someone come to find a stranger, if not for business on the behalf of common friends?” The hoof which fell victim to her mindless nibbling stamped the ground. “No, no, that’s not the only reasonable conclusion. Did Twilight speak of a thing — a service — I could provide?”

Quite rudely did Rainbow break Moondancer’s thought train. Thought caravan more described the pace of her ability to draw conclusions in her state, however. “You can just ask me that, you know.”

A sharp gasp sanded Dash’s ears. “Oh, of course!” The unicorn whipped around to face Dash. Whatever neurotic imps that piloted the mare’s actions plastered a quick, lopsided smile to her face. “Why are you here? I demand an explanation, if you don’t mind.”

“‘Demand’? I didn’t think demands were what good hosts made.”

“Shut up.” Moondancer snorted. “I don’t care if Princess Twilight is best friends with you or if she likes to lick you clean every night. I’d like a little warning before having to find you in a near coma in my library for no good reason, do you understand?”

Though her face flared, the pegasus faltered from a throb behind her eyes. She hunched over and buried her eyes into her foreleg, but made sure her bared teeth could be seen. “Oh, sorry for almost dying while looking for your pasty ass. Won’t ever happen again, I promise.”

“Honestly! What could be worth dragging your worthless corpse through transmutation therapy to Canterlot? I assume you were being treated in Ponyville, so that just makes it worse!”

The manic concern tickled Rainbow. It certainly felt familiar, and so her anger slipped away. She wiped a bead of water from the corner of her eye and did her best to express as much sass as she could muster. “You better believe that Twi would keep someone like me around. I’m dumb enough to pull that shit, but just smart enough to still be awesome when it counts.”

The unicorn dropped and clamped her jaw shut twice. Only twice, then busied herself with kneading her hooves. With a lack of care, they ground as misshapen stones. “W-what is it that you needed, ma’am?” she mumbled, not meeting eye to eye.

“Ugh, just cut that out, okay?” Rainbow rubbed her temple. The sensation offered a detour from the road of caltrops her eyeballs rolled upon. A tiny flame burned in her chest, which warded off the specter of agony. Her bad leg throbbed no worse than when she passed out, fortunately. “How about you tell me what’s on your mind, Moony, before I tell you what I needed to ask? I can tell something big is eating at you.”

Her host shook her head violently. “Out of the question. It’s a matter I’ve set upon dealing with myself. There’s no way you could help in your sorry state.”

“Look, you. I’m not retarded or anything. I’m not gonna get myself killed if it definitely won’t get me anywhere. I sure as heck won’t just up and die if you vent at me a little.”

For some reason, Moondancer scoffed. “Classy.”

Dash grinned. “How about I put it like this, then? Just tell me what’s up, and I’ll be a good courier and pass it onto her. I can do that much while they’re gone.”

A lick of the lips, then a bite. Whatever query Moondancer had prepared seemed to fall to the wayside, behind her eyes. The little rhythmic sway of her body ceased, one Dash only noticed when it did cease at all. The unicorn spared a glance to Rainbow, then to her left and right then back to her hooves, pressed to the ground, just so that her wrists knuckled through her pale coat.

A book wiggled on the shelf behind the unicorn. Though her body didn’t shift in any way, the further the book slid off in the hold of her magic, the lower her head appeared to sink. The spine itself was white, where gold metal clasped it in three points. Not a single letter appeared to identify it, and upon craning her neck to see the cover, someone looked back at Rainbow. The pegasus yelped in fright and hopped a foot or so into the air, and still Moondancer didn’t react. Quick thinking forced most of her weight on her good leg, and she nearly fell to her face.

By the time her eyes focused once more, the unicorn held the strange tome between her hooves. The backside that Dash beheld did not house a phantom eye like the cover, though the split second of observation was enough to conclude that the back held the same silver ring the front did, but a duller slip of glass — or metal? — in the center. A hint of blush ran into Rainbow’s cheeks as Moondancer stared blankly at the book’s cover.

“This book,” Moondancer said, “It’s… someone’s in trouble. She came and taunted me, she took the book and… I’m not sure what happened.” A little sniffle snuffled from her snout. “She used magic, a-and then the book flipped to a blank page, and... It could have been me! I-I’m not sure what to do.”

“You’re not making any sense, girly.” Rainbow sighed and leaned in close, though a peculiar scent about the mare stopped her, and she decided to be content with being closer to her side. Still, her heart truly did quiver at the sight of the unicorn. “What happened? Did someone hurt you, ‘cuz I can set ‘em straight if you say the word.” She pounded her forehooves together for emphasis. The thunderstorm in her shoulder put much strain on her voice. “Then can we talk about the f-f-favor I need?”

A little cloth levitated from the table towards the book, which Moondancer used to polish the front cover. Little specks of light danced on her cheek from her unsteady grip on it. After a moment of stillness, she heaved a sigh as if she forgot to breath for too long. “I think she’s in danger. I-I don’t know why she looked so worn out, so unkempt. The way she stumbled into my room—"

"So where is she?" Dash cut in with a harsh tone. She winced. Her little swell of impatience was most unbecoming. A caricature of the sun princess scraped out yet another talley against her on the imaginary chalkboard.

And yet, Moondancer chuckled, which eased Rainbow’s panic. "Oh, she's right here with us. In this — this thing." She shook her head. "I just thought it was a collector's item. I didn't even bother to check it for curses, hexes, anything!"

That old book. The caretaker hadn't opened it once, yet Rainbow could see the weight held inside. She moved closer, entranced, to peer upon the crystalline mirror. Her spine tingled; the way she could see her and Moondancer's eye movements, facial twitches and such appeared nothing like any other mirror she had seen. The reflections didn't match, her gut said. One glance lagged by the tenth of a moment. One motion of the jaw happened before she felt it. The surface must have been warped. The medicine was getting to her head.

That's all.

"You're not seeing things." Moondancer narrowed her eyes. However, only one brow went low. The other raised in mirth along with her lip on the same side. The narrowed eye met with Dash's, but the gleeful one looked ahead to nothing in particular. "I only know the most rudimentary things," the grave Moondancer said, whilst the jolly one lent her mouth painfully tensed to maintain her smile, "about this book. I know it predates Equestria and that no other copy exists. Now I know about its magical properties. Though, even after that unicorn used this enchanted object to go inside, the book refuses to open."

Rainbow bit her lip watching the bizarre visage. "H-how are you sure she's inside?"

"She told me herself, of course." The jolly eye flicked at Rainbow, red and dry. Her lip frayed at the corner and blood dripped down her chin. Looking at the unicorn's chest, she saw that there was no blood. "She must have known where the book was because of the thicket of enchantments upon it. Even after all these years, the spells are impossibly encrypted, so I can only deduce that she knew what to look for. She must have heard something before. Maybe she's the rightful owner?"

Dash gasped. Her hazy brain clicked upon a genius realization. "Maybe the book is, like, her secret base?! Twilight said something about pocket dimensions."

Unfortunately, her companion shook her head. "Why would she jump in while a complete stranger has a hold of it? I could easily report this to an official and defeat the purpose of her little secret. Why wouldn't she just take it and split? Vanish with it? ”

"She might be fixing herself up in there." Dash's ears folded back, imagining the state of this mystery mare.

"I considered that." Slowly, Moondancer set the tome down between herself and Rainbow. She idly flipped it open to a random page, a blank one. One at a time her magic leafed through, yielding nothing. “Maybe she’s confident. I haven’t tested it yet for fear of bringing another pony harm, but I get the feeling that destroying or even damaging this book isn’t something to be done so easily.”

In one swift motion, Dash’s hoof clamped down on the book, and Moondancer squeaked from the sudden rupture of her aura. “Let’s stop wondering then. I’m sick of being useless right now! Just get me in there so I can figure out what’s going on.”

Dash puffed her chest out at her companion's signs of doubt. Her lips made soundless motions. "Y-you can't be serious. You're in no shape to grapple a breezie, let alone go into some unknown pocket dimension."

"I don't care. Between the two of us, you're the only one who can mess with the book from the outside, so naturally I should be the guinea pig that goes inside." Many debates with her alicorn friend molded such an argument. “Let’s call it a trade. How about that? I’m pretty desperate,” she said, waggling her eyebrows.

"You could die alone where no one would find the body."

"That's in the contract I signed when I tried out for the Wonderbolts."

As hard as she could, Moondancer pounded her forehooves against the book. A visible vibration overtook her legs, though she merely winced. "I'm not gonna tell Twilight, 'Oh, sorry, but your best friend fucking died on my behalf and I don't know why or how violent it was.' I'm not going to let you do this!"

Her voice echoed throughout the cultural library. Rainbow’s ears swiveled, perked straight up, and steam billowed from her nose. However, before she could retort, that silly little vibration ran through Moondancer's legs once more. The unicorn screwed her eyes shut, in overwhelming pain.

The wonderful aggression faded back to helplessness. "Moondancer!" Dash cried out.

A stream of words rose from the ground, a steady chain snaking into the air. Her reflexive lunge to reach the pained unicorn met solid resistance. The black iron gibberish snagged her chest, and yet another length sprouted on either side of her. All around that book words did web and scurry, out from under it and all across the carpet, gliding along like weightless insects, riding the fibers dancing in the rising arcane gusts. Moondancer managed a peek from her tense eyes, but the sight merely forced her to duck lower. Her face nearly touched the wicked volume.

The black segments of alien characters chilled Dash through her coat and rasped her skin with all her weight thrown against them. The force giving the words life didn’t even budge with the modicum of strength her body could provide. The tighter of a ball Moondancer curled into, the harder Dash pushed. With more columns rising from behind to box her in, she reached forward and cried the unicorn’s name through the winds and the drone of magic, magic that stung her skin and her joints with the sheer pressure.

A switch flipped. The words halted in their advance, and the library became dead silent. In the little glade of the lull, two tempos of breath played out. The prison of phrases held Dash in place, but she would not have chosen to move either way. Moondancer merely tilted her head. The windswept mane on her head covered her eye, the eye she pleaded to Dash with. The pegasus’s lip bled between her teeth.

Thunder.

The air thundered again. All the air collapsed inward, toward the vacuous tome. No single breath stayed behind, and Rainbow’s chest heaved. Her ears rang. Did they bleed?

When the slicing winds died down, the frail pegasus turned her eyes upward. Upon a tight vortex of dust and torn pages rest the curled up Moondancer. The chains about the massive chamber slowly receded to the book at the center of the dwarf tempest, through the pages, only to stream through the plate on the cover up to Moondancer. The words fed themselves through her barely cracked eyes in a splash of inkiness, into her mouth and ears.

Rainbow held her breath for a long, painful stretch. The thin air carried little sound, leaving the ring in her ears to torment her. Moondancer remained, deathly still.

Was she…

The mare's head whipped up to face her. Plastered upon it, the horribly gleeful expression sent waves of dread crashing from its eyes, white eyes, and Dash was swept from her hooves.

A choked cry, sob, wiped out in the maelstrom of wind surrounding Moondancer. Vessels burst in her eyes unflinching, wind and dust tearing at them. The blood from her eyes and lips swirled into the air to a single point at the tip of her horn. Between her legs, a tremendous force pressed the tome into the ground, sheared clean in the violent winds down to the failing concrete.

The coat upon her legs did not meet such a fate, for wicked hands cupped her frail, little body. Up above, as Rainbow watched in horror, a ghostly figure sculpted by the dust and fibers and winds embraced the unicorn with bizarre arms, far outside proportion befitting any creature she had seen. It had no face to speak of. The pressure of Moondancer's gaze already threatened Rainbow's mortal heart into bursting as it was.

Unknowingly, the pegasus had anchored herself with all her bodily aura, which spilled from her hooves like a catastrophic leak. Her crippled leg quickly oozed blood, having lost its thaumic wrappings in the face of the tremendous force. Just as soon, Rainbow's vision blurred. The creature looked down upon her. Weakness stole her footing.

It looked down upon Rainbow just the same. Weak. Helpless.

With a silent prayer, Rainbow Dash buried her face into the ground.

I - Blue, Wicked and Wild

The hammock prickled Rainbow’s back.

She snorted like a pig, then tossed onto her side. Try as it might, her awful choice in bedding would not overcome her tenacity. Never!

Just a little tuck of the foreleg, and then she’d have the perfect pillow…

Her head’s full weight rested on that leg. She gasped and shot her head up. Narrowed her eyes on the limb. Where was the overwhelming, dull throb from before? Where was…

“Where’s the brace?” She bent her perfectly fine leg a few times. “The bandages?”

The limb, upon an even closer look, bore not a single scar. Given the memory of holding her left foreleg in her right wing and hobbling back to civilization that way, the presence of scar should have been without any question. Eyes still trained upon her leg, she rolled out of the hammock. The two rosewood stakes, as she had pictured before even laying eye on them, had refused to budge despite her shifting weight.

Grass rustled beneath her hooves. Dark brown in its pallor, yet healthy to the touch. She shuffled along on three legs, as she had become accustomed. Then she paused. The awkward gait of three repulsed every fiber of her being. Teeth clenched, she set her left foreleg down, weight and all upon it.

It felt fine.

Rainbow stared straight ahead. Lips set firmly in a line. Shoulders tense.

A smile bubbled through. A fit of giggles. The pegasus collapsed onto the grass. She rolled onto her back and kicked her legs, all the while giggling like a child.

‘No need to overthink it’, she nil-thought. Her left foreleg felt just right, dream or no dream. Hugs, nuzzles, all sorts of love paid to the limb taken for granted. Free of the tightness of stitches, free of the cumbersome brace.

Free.

She decided to crack open her eyes. The ivory sky set still like a lake, and the smoky clouds bloomed as drops of ink. The gradient appeared familiar despite the color. A true sky with no ceiling. Cool winds chilled her bare body, where only the grass taunted reprieve in the barren plains. The tickle of the blades upon her cheek felt too… irritating to be anything but real.

With that out of the way, she noted the vertical empire up above. Of a murky bronze, metal spires meshed together was well as mismatched teeth yet still remained void of anything but straight, parallel shapes. Her initial nest laid under a small opening in the maw that led to clear skies.

The pony tossed in the grass to take in the quiet plains surrounding her. Miles and miles away stood a massive spire, the only one she could even see. Chances were good that it supported the iron jungle overhead.

The winds made the whole structure sway. Rainbow clenched her teeth, but her gut knew it was in no danger of collapse. In fact, the sound of windchimes flooded the air. Not so silent after all. Windchimes, just like home. No, her first home. Her soul called it home, yet her heart didn’t.

Her wings flared all of a sudden.

“C-can I fly again too?” she whispered. The words fluttered like a ragged breath. She flapped her wings experimentally. Magic flooded her wings, bringing the pins and needles upon the river. Rainbow hissed between her teeth, doubled over with her head to the ground. With intensity, she dug her forehead into the grainy dirt and clenched her temples between her hooves. Rigid wings twitched erratically behind her, as if she surrendered it to a careless doctor who pricked it over and over, never quite hitting the vein.

At last, her wings reclaimed their old warmth. Warmth? Her eyes fluttered. Yet another feeling she took for granted. She sat up and brushed her bangs and forehead clean.

The thrum up above caught her attention again. Nothing left to deliberate. She broke into a gallop for a dozen yards, then kicked off the ground. The last webs of worry untangled from her mane as the air washed through it. The gallop would have been unnecessary!

Rainbow Dash whooped. Looping into roll into dive and into a glide, she flew free. The pegasus kept her distance from the network above at first, content to just stretch her wings. Curiosity nudged her thoughts to the bizarre world around her with time.

Her wings flapped more steadily. The adrenaline faded and her excitement dulled. Her plans for a quadruple aileron held as much excitement as the last bite of a saccharine humdinger of a cupcake.

She gazed all around. Bone skies, a cold sun shining the dry air. Discolored grass opposing a massive colossus of metal. Whoever constructed it made sure the sun wouldn't be blocked enough to bring gloom to the world below.

With trepidation, she at last decided to pump her wings and meet the alien thing. Alien invader by her luck. Invading what, though?

She coasted along one horizontal column. Several others branched from and intersected it at large intervals, taking minutes to find the beat they created with their precise spacing. Engravings left a haze upon the bronze surfaces of the spire. Rainbow whizzed by them without observing them closely.

It took four intervals for the large dishes to become apparent. Like the limb of an octopus, bowls of metal dotted the spires, each funneling into black openings. What lay inside? After a dozen intervals, the need to know overcame her.

The pegasus approached one such opening. Slowly hovering, she inched closer…

“That's quite a dangerous place to stick one's face,” I said. I had crept behind the lass once she set her mind to following the spire.

She yelped in surprise. She dove under the spire and appeared up above it in the blink of an eye. Her intense scowl met me.

Those ruby eyes struck me right away. I had not met her face to face until then, and seeing her eyes in person shed much light on her character. I searched the creases in her brow, the spaces between her bared teeth, her powerful chest, and yet…

I could not find the why. Why her heart desired to wake up in such a place.

“What the f— heck are you?” she demanded.

I raised my brow. “Are we not so loose lipped as before?”

“Before? Heh, I sure have met a robot pony before, just like you. Was he your ‘cuz’? Did he tell you all about me?” She gave a fake grin, which tumbled back into the scowl. “No, I haven't. Tell me where the heck I am.”

Rainbow drifted away from me. The cogs that comprised my form's hooves turned at a lazy pace, shifting to exactly match her as she floated along. Her hawk eyes watched my hooves, widening when her gut told her how precise my motions were.

I find that little prank endlessly amusing, so forgive me.

Ever more she eyed me up. My jagged ‘wings’ flexed a bit when her attention turned to them. An arsenal of talons tipped the appendages, a charming sextet. My horn shined next in a lovely display for my guest. She cocked her head when she noticed the silk over my eyes.

That led her attention to my golden skin. Glistening and pure, thanks to the care I had given it. While the rest of my body boasted the trappings bequeathed to me, my jaw remained exposed. A wide smile graced this face of mine. The smile of any other pony to the surprise of some guests. To the pleasure of most.

I broke into a grin when she relaxed.

“Who are you?” she reiterated. She glanced back down to the bouquet of legs below me. “Did someone trap you here? Can you tell me where here is?”

“An excellent question, Miss Dash,” I replied. Her mouth twitched at the sound of my smooth, meek voice. “And to answer the first, we did meet prior to now, though not in a capacity where I could have heard your preferred vocabulary. I do give thanks to your effort of politeness despite these circumstances.”

She rubbed the back of her head. It's worthy to note how sincerity equinizes a creature. I only wish all equines could rightly claim that they possessed it.

“Heh, thanks. I guess. It took at least two purse beatings before I learned my lesson. Or in AJ’s case, an apple assault.” Rainbow studied the ground below. “It's weird. I wanted to be angry at you, but… I remembered that. I remember AJ telling me not to curse in front of children. And strangers.”

I knew whom she spoke of, obviously. I offered a knowing nod. “Your feelings are normal. I make every effort to make my guests comfortable with a warm welcome.”

A gasp. Between me and her repaired leg did her eyes dart. My horn, to be specific. Then my wings. “A-are you an alicorn? Why haven't I heard of you?”

I ‘tsked’. “So many questions, Miss Dash. I enjoy your company more without them, frankly.” A show of sagging. My wings drooped against my sides. “The more I answer, the sooner you will leave me. It's been a lonely millennia.”

Rainbow waved her forehooves. “H-hey, don't be like that. I wouldn't ditch the guy who saved my life after I got kidnapped by some bodysnatching creep.” She swooped under me with the same motion as before, this time taking a place by my side. Her foreleg snaked around my shoulders with more than a bit of hesitation. “‘Aight. Alright. Um…” She trailed off whilst scrunching her nose.

“I won't ask you to stay here forever, if that's what you're worried about,” I piped up.

“Whoa.” She waved a hoof in my face. “Are you the alicorn of mind reading?”

For my sake, I chuckled. “It's not as severe as you think it is. I promise! It's only the noise in your head I hear, nothing more. I promise it's only intent is lending me the ability to provide the best possible—”

“Slow down, buddy!”

...was I actually nervous about this? I blinked. For my own sake.

“Of course. Apologies.”

“I'm not scared of some stupid mindreading,” she elaborated. “I read some Daring Do about this. You said, what, a millenia?”

Her tight lips wavered not as she watched me. I nodded slowly. “Indeed.”

“This isn't the dark ages anymore.” Her face darkened anyways. “Daring talked to this corrupt sultan who liked to, like, brainwash ponies into being his servants. He said that’s how they used to do it hundreds of years ago, and Daring said what I said.”

We had approached one of the many intervals in this lieu. It dawned on me how slow we’d be moving along, and that we had been at all. I paused my hooves, which seemed to note immediately. The pegasus fluttered down next to me and stood on the spire with impeccable balance. I cocked my head just as the breeze picked up. Rainbow must have noticed the silk upon my eyes lift just a tad, and leaned in closer. To no avail, obviously.

“I see. That does lead me to wonder why you’re so… relaxed at the moment,” I said. “Surely anyone would assume that this strange creature lead to their abduction into a strange land.”

Her wings fluttered with annoyance. “Look, I’ll be honest. I don’t trust you that much. And I sure as heck don’t know where we are or how Moondancer is involved. We must be thousands of miles away from Equestria!” Her shout echoed momentarily. Those eyes dug into the silk covering mine. When that echo died her head drooped. “And… and I don’t even know if I’m dreaming or not. Maybe I read too many books. Being bedridden for weeks, dude. It messes with your head big time, ‘specially if you’re like me.”

Was that doubt? I frowned. Even if I could hear her thoughts, I had not been able to reach such a conclusion until she admitted it here. She must have mislead me already. Ever since I first laid ear on her, she must have had more to her. I hummed, for her sake. Silence must have disquieted her strongly.

“My sister is the one who summoned you,” I said. “I am merely the gatekeeper. She commanded you be brought here. The little mirror you looked into was just one of her eyes, and she saw something in you.” A long sigh escaped me. “My only concern is your comfort, Miss Dash. All I can do is to make your stay as pleasant as possible.”

The pegasus entered deep thought. I bit absurd to imagine, yes, but she did. It didn’t take long for her to gasp from the realization. “M-mirror,” she whispered. “On that book. The one that… t-that turned Moondancer into that.” She shot her head up to me. “Your sister. She did something to her!”

I nodded most grave. “She took control of your friend on my watch, I'm deeply sorry to say. I cannot act against her will, for—”

A hoof stomp sent waves of an unpleasant ring through my legs. She snarled at me. “Look here. You tell me where your sister is, and I'll make sure she gets what's coming to her.”

For… somebody's sake, my jaw dropped. This sudden shift shouldn't have been possible. “I cannot say. Not one being in the Fair Kingdom can match her power. All are subject to her will equally, even her fellow avatars like myself.” I waved my hoof along the surrounding spires. “She could destroy every inch of my body with ease.”

A mere snort in response. “I'm gonna go on a limb and say your sister also took the pony Moondancer was worried about.”

I opened and closed my mouth. I must admit that I wanted to wow her with that little hint. The more I thought on it, the better an idea it felt like to let her think of me as a pony.

Back to business. “Indeed. I did happen across the miss. However, my little brother spirited her away before my sister arrived. She must have been one of his. There was a breach a couple of months ago, and my brother would be the only one who'd desire to leave.”

Intently did she listen. Her eyes narrowed a tad when I mentioned more of the family, but she held her tongue until I was done. “Alicorn siblings, huh? Sounds like a mess I don't wanna get into, but...” she muttered. A quick sigh. “Not like this is the first time I got tied up in family drama. I'm guessing I need to rough up your sister a little so I can get out. And I also gotta find your brother and check up on the mystery mare of Moondancer’s.”

I offered a weak smile. “I'm afraid Genie pulled you into a nasty spat here. The Fair Kingdom is as old as your Equestria, so it shouldn't be too different a predicament than you've faced before.”

Some sputtering followed before she remembered who she was talking to.

I prolonged the lull. One by one, the openings on my spires hissed with life. I noted the setting sun a dozen minutes before, so I was ready. It was strange how the motions of the sun affected a pony's mood. The light of a candle could not even compare, yet ponies used such a thing as one little hope in the night. Perhaps the control a pony had over such a small flame offered comfort. With their hoof, it could be snuffed. The sun would forever be out of reach.

The one oddity of my existence, then, was the cutie mark I bore since birth.

Lights sprung to life all over my body. Shadows danced this way and that, became more and more faint until my light solely remained. Gentle, pale and orange did my flames burn, but…

I observed the pegasus who gaped in wonder. She lifted off her hooves and danced the air, drinking it all in. Her magnificent mane flapped in the breeze. The mane I grew to adore. Inspiration struck! How anxious I was! The nearest flame to Rainbow Dash sputtered temporarily, then returned in full force, blazing green. She hovered a little closer to it and oohed in awe.

She looked to the artist — that’s me — and I gave her a painfully wide grin. Another once over all around, then she returned another look with cocked brow.

Same pale white as always. My cheeks flushed. ‘Should I do more?’ my parted lips asked.

Rainbow nodded eagerly. Oh goodness… I shook my head to clear it. How liberating! She wanted me to do better! Did anyone ever give me permission to do such a thing until now?

One flame after another sprung colorful leaks. The wash of chromatic light fanned out from that single green flame and flooded the ground below. Miles and miles of ground, to the far reaches of my being. It hardly took a thought to will all the colors into being, despite my nerves.

I didn’t know I had it in me.

The sun had set at last. The brilliance of my candles came out entirely against the dark skies above. Stare and stare.

I… I couldn’t. But mother said I had to. I would never. She looked so thrilled. She whooped and cheered for me. Her little twirls around me, the bright colors reflected in her eye, her little tics. So real. And I would be alone, like always.

Bubbles invaded the air. My eyes screwed shut, yet they wouldn’t go away. Things became blurry then. The light blooms, the bubbles, they hung all around. Earth shifted below me. Hooves whirred. One of them drew near. No, I drew near to it. A candle per guest. The rules.

My march ended when I could just barely reach out and hug the little bubble. I peered to see what lay within. The frustrating reflection dominated the surface though. The grass below, my spires in the air, and this face. This soft, disarming face.

I hated it. Soon, she'd see past my presence. Hope into repulsion. Kindness into animal rage. A wolf speared in the ribs, not a gentle and real pony.

I wanted to cast her away. I barely overcame the temptation to do it while I was repairing her. My dishonesty was too thick already. Everything was wr—

“Hey!”

My head tilted, smooth and relaxed. I wept in the back of my throat. “Apologies,” I muttered. A little smile. For my sake.

A frown betrayed her disbelief. “You spaced out super hard. What gives?”

Despite myself… nay. I shrunk wholly because of myself. How mother raised me. Excuses were spare. “I just haven't been able to cut loose with my candles in so long, Rainbow.” I eyed her flank. Rather fetching, her mark. “It’s what my cutie mark tells me to do, but I cannot act without reason. You were the reason for all of this,” I said, bowing my head a little.

A pleasant, smoky scent filled the air. Burning lumber. Rainbow's favorite. It mattered not to the mare. She swooped to my side and observed my hip. Flank? I'm not clear on the term. My late brother would know.

A simple candelabra adorned me, three strong. The object was in a tilt which let the flames look akin to paintbrushes. The pegasus tapped her chin whilst making her judgements. I stayed my ears. I wanted to converse as a real pony with her for these last moments.

“Without reason? The hay does that mean?” she piped up. “If one pony tells another to not use their special talent, then they're the one being unreasonable.”

“My mother.” My wings twitched. “To perform as the gatekeeper of the Fair Kingdom, I cannot be selfish. I must be forced to put others ahead of me, so I may provide the best example to our subjects when they awaken in my domain.

“You are special to me, Rainbow. I tell you all of this because I do not feel right keeping you in the dark. My sister abducted you on my watch. In the interest of our mother, to do justice to her will, I must put aside compliance to my elder and offer you these truths.”

I opened my eyes once more. The pony stared me down. Did I confuse her? Or, even worse, did she understand?

The corner of her mouth twitched. “There’s something else, isn’t there? You want something from me.” My breath hitched. She shook her head at me. “No, that’s not it. You were told to do something with me, weren’t you? And you don’t wanna, but you will because you’re scared.”

I dared to listen. I felt a foal peeking into a shouting match between adults. She… my presence was fading. But why? I haven’t said anything wrong! Am I acting strange? Can she tell how I’m feeling?

Rainbow snorted. I cursed myself, to not even have the guts to lie to her effectively.

“Okay, freaky guy, just spill it. I can take it. You’re lucky it’s me, Rainbow Dash, you’re backstabbing here.”

“I-I’m not—”

She stomped. It hurt.

“I know you’re not! I can smell it, though. You’ve been dancing around it. What did your sister tell you to do?” She snickered in the most plastic fashion. “Think of it as getting it off your chest.”

I lifted my wing, causing her to inch back. Her eyes darted about my. She saw me for what I am. The wing touched at my blindfold idly. “I already disobeyed sister once. No, it's not her I'm afraid of crossing.”

I could remember it clear as day. The color of mother's aura. A deep, deep purple. The world all around shifted to match. Rainbow grunted as she looked around, then took to the skies. She dipped below me, away from my candles.

“Are we gonna do it this way?!” she barked.

I simply wished to die. To forget all this and go back to being a good son. A good puppet, unfeeling.

Her caution remained firm, but she noticed, like she would always.

“Tell me your name! If you want any chance of growing a backbone, then tell me!”

My name?

“It's just you and me up here.”

Little brother… he gave us real names. He didn't want to be just a-another…

My name is Tal.

“And it's my duty to make sure no one leaves here. Leaves the Kingdom. Leaves me.”

For the first time, I saw her run away.

My legs shattered their bindings. The array of monstrous limbs upon my back lashed out after her, the impossibly fast pegasus. Caught in my web.

Dizzying turns into frightening dives. She weaved around my candles and spires, wasting all that time yet still keeping out of reach. I crashed through all the obstructions as if they didn't exist. With that metal, I grew and grew.

She turned frantic. I reached out for her beautiful tail with my fiendish claws. Unraveled cogs sharpened to a fine point, they shrieked against each other with a shower of sparks each swipe I made.

She made picture perfect turns at first. However, they became sloppy. Wide and unprepared. Her route became more predictable.

I curse that frailty of a mortal. I could not be a better flyer than her, but she'd eventually lose all her strength. Her focus. At last, her wing clipped a spire. The pegasus tumbled downwards. My chance. My wings pumped with newly granted strength—

My head. It twisted backwards.

The sky suddenly filled my view. Now I sunk helplessly. My wings flapped, useless, behind me. Up above, the snarling mare watched me like a hawk. A trickle of blood ran down her hind hoof, her cracked hoof. The tightness in my shoulders… did she dislocate my wings? My wings? How?

How?

Her face paled as I watched her. My blindfold was gone. I grinned wildly at the mare.

“Perfect! Sublime!” I screeched to her. I screeched and screeched. The little pony cowered from me. Understandable. My subjects are nothing before me.

My spires unraveled like yarn, pulled from every direction around Rainbow. Quicker than the flick of a hoof, they speared through my body to stop my descent. My tendrils pulled me closer to my lovely pegasus, peeling away as the next set took told of me. I leered down at the pony with my crooked head, my wild eyes. She met my eyes that one last time, damp eyes.

My spires coiled around her.

Nowhere left to go.

Once more, I reach out to her. She pulled away from my claws until the wall met her back. Pleas died on her lips. A hair’s width away did my reach cease. Right over her heart.

“Tal.”

My shoulders raised as I gasped for a breath.

“Stop.”

Claws trembled.

“You're better than this.”

Up above, upon her pedestal, she dug her blade in. The kneeling pony gasped. Coughed. Pathetic sputtering. A choking foal.

She made it look so easy. Like she was caressing his chest. Her hoof traced upwards in a flush of blood. The poor thing couldn't help but grasp her arm for support. Comfort? Likely.

Sister smiled to him. Like a ball thrown, she casted the agonized thing off her blade. Something snagged the blade halfway. The wet crunch harmonized with his cries of pain.

I blinked for the first time in my life. I wasn't sure how long a blink was to last. I heard Sister clicked her tongue, as if to chide her foal. The stallion wildly pulled and kicked at her arm, but the snag refused to budge.

Her eyes rolled, fixing upon me. Her smile grew. I watched her lips as she told me…

Schlick.

Just like that.

I felt her beating heart. The unbreakable heart I had come to admire.

The pegasus paled in the face. Sweat drenched her. I cocked my head. Gave it a pull.

She wheezed, gagged and swallowed whatever it was back down.

A light squeeze. Her head seemed to want to roll back. Her eyes fluttered, unfocused. As soon as I let go, she came back to her senses. Well, as much as she held onto.

I slipped my thumb down to press her bone. It gave way readily. Her hind legs kicked lazily a moment after the snap.

“It always gets easier.”

She hacked up blood.

I pretended to see her from twenty minutes ago.

“But I'm better than her.”

I had bit into a crisp apple once. I would liken that experience to ripping a pony's heart out.

I caught her with one hand, and held the precious thing in another. My spires unknit and drifted away from us as I descended back to the earth.

Her little hammock. Just like she dreamt. I gently set her back into it. Brushed her bangs aside. She looked so peaceful. I held her heart up next to her face with my bloody claws. All mine.

It twitched. Just strong enough — it slipped out of my grasp. One inch due to my surprise. I caught it before it fell further.

The disgustingly still air flowed once more. The lifeless pony swayed in the hammock. Scraps of my monstrous form peeled away and clattered to the ground. My mahogany magic scooped the heart up.

For a little moment, two ponies enjoyed the summer's night air.

I picked up a scrap with my mouth. Gently, I slid it into her wound. The metal melted to her warmth and filled the gaping hole. With a twist, my magic solidified it, leaving a bronze plate etched with a swirl on her chest.

With no more to do — to say — I took to the air.

Entry 2 [28 May]: If Only Books and Bridges Burnt the Same...

28 May 1187 AU / 1003 PL

I threw the book out of my window.

I went to get it back, then did it again.

It's three in the morning now. No one would be wandering around at this time. Some would raise their tails in these circumstances. Moondancer, however, would rather try to destroy an indestructible book.

Good use of your time, you dumb bitch.

It's seven now. I tried to set the book on fire. Lost my favorite sweater putting it out after it spread to the curtains. The book exists yet.

Then it occurred to me. If she really did die, I would be tampering with evidence. Let me rephrase: I got Twilight’s friend and an Element killed and, as my first instinct, am now attempting to cover it up purely to save my own ass. No one said I was a good pony.

Nine. I wrote the previous entry last night at eight. At around ten thirty, Tal began writing those events. At two thirty, after many pauses, his tale ceased. I stared at the pages for an hour, then panicked until four.

I need sleep, oh, I do.

Unfortunately, I got an idea.

I wrote to the monster.

Good job crafting this absurd tale, creature. You can try spooking me with that peeping tom act, but you have no way to prove any of this.

In fact, Tal, you could be that unicorn for all I know. A child could see that you just tailed the pegasus this whole time. You wrote that bullshit thinking I'd buy it all. You want to scare me away from your book, or perhaps you want me to bring you to Princess Celestia, make me an accessory to this assault on Equestria. Makes no difference to me. I'm not a Royal Librarian for nothing. I'll crack your book wide open and free the pegasus. Rainbow Dash. If that even is her.

I'll figure out this trick of yours, mark my words. If you really did kill the pegasus, then you better be prepared to face the consequences. I'll turn you in myself. I'll dump you at the Princess’s hooves.

Ten thirty.

They made a response.

How about you join me for tea, Miss Moondancer?

I'll prepare the table. Just give the Codex a touch of your magic to enter the guest room.

I'll set the time for 4 PM. Until then, be my guest and try to destroy the Codex. I will not protest should you somehow succeed.

~ The Avatar of Hospitality ~

~ Fréon Ádfýr ~

Eleven. I turned away the neighbors. They just got home and happened to notice my singed curtains. I said ‘candle fumble’. Well, ‘fandle cumble’ the first time.

I now realize how idiotic my message was. That unicorn came before I met the pegasus. Unless she, dunno, snuck out past me just to tail the pegasus…

That killed a few brain cells to write.

Still, I meant what I said. I don't believe that story.

Eleven forty-six. I found the book embedded on the roof of an expensive carriage. My “shred it in a wind tunnel” spell wound up launching upwards and half a mile away. I didn't think I could run so fast, but I managed to recover it (hopefully) undetected.

One oh-two. I'm at the alchemy lab of Celestia’s School. I just remembered that I forgot to date my entries. Let me fix that. I can at least live my life knowing of my ability to cram things at the top of a a page.

One thirty-eight. I submerged the thing in molten iron. The stuff ran off surface like water. I then exposed it to the furnace itself. Nothing.

I'm now in the cafeteria. There's talk of someone vandalizing the Prince’s enchanted carriage. Apparently, it should have been immune to such a thing. Given my research on Equestrian security, it didn't give me any hope that this book wasn't secretly a magic vacuum.

Two fifty. I ate four bowls of salad. Don't judge. It's my stress food.

I suppose I have nothing to lose now. Twilight is all I have left. Was. It's pretty liberating to think about. If that really happened, if she's really dead, then my life is more or less over too. My only ray of hope is to take the bait.

Maybe the unicorn will kill me? Then, just maybe, the tale that will be told will cast me as a helpless victim. Can't really feel shame when you're dead, ha ha.

That tears it. It's three fifty. I tried looking through the thaumaturgy archives for any clues about this book, but I'm too clouded. I can't focus. It continues to dawn on me how royally bucked I am.

I'm going in.

***

stable enough. You could hardly detect the doorway from two meters away. How in Equestria is this possible?

“What is this place?” I say aloud.

The skies up above swam with letters. Words. So many that it appeared unintelligible. It created an illusion of sloshing ink. The empty spaces between the words were tainted with a gray color from the density of it all.

Speckles of light danced around the wooden floor before me. The word clouds almost seemed to be passing ships over my head with how close they were. I craned my head along, drinking in the sky, then wound up looking whence I came.

Punching into the fog of letters up above — likely beyond — was a slope of timber. A little horizontal shelf upon its otherwise round surface comprised the the area I stood on. I took the time to scrape my hoof across the floor. Smooth as can be. Just where the shelf ended, I could see the material became much rougher, more raw.

A massive tree trunk. Though natural in texture, the lack of any imperfection or of any branch put me off.

I turned back around.

A little pink table. Seated on either side, two cushions with backs shaped like hearts.

I rubbed my eyes.

“Please, have a seat.”

I teleported away upon reflex. Away from the voice, away from the table. “Get away!”

I kept my horn flared, painful as it was, but the moment I laid my eyes on the creature…

I wasn't sure why I was angry.

Where I once stood, he hung above. His hooves rested upon some invisible surface. He turned his head towards me, which cued a low, metallic whine. Those lips shifted into a smile. The checked skin comprising his face stretched with each motion. My spine tingled.

Something covered his eyes. The fidelity of that mask suffered from the lack of eye contact. Almost like a practical joke. Those ears appeared fleshy, but their hinges were exposed, supplementing otherwise natural twitches with his unnatural vibes.

Six loops of metal adorned his back. I traced from their bases to jagged, angular hooks buried into his back, just short of the spine. His golden body bore purple stripes down the side, which I found to be his own dried blood.

Unless this was some illusion, the size of his horn dispelled any notion that he could have been the unicorn I met before. The shape was not unlike the hands of a clock pointing away from each other, and at the tip floated a little green gem.

His throat bobbed with idle motion, enough to catch my eye. Quickly, it proved far from a normal neck. A series of veins, maybe tendons, bundled by ornate chokers with as much distance between them as could be allowed. The bones or mechanisms or whatever there could be pressed into the tendons, forcing a white nub out from the center into the open air. That was what caught my eye.

The ‘neck’ slithered itself into the rest of his body, wrapped tight with golden scales and a duller hide. Here and there, serrated lumps protruded from his unbroken skin. The creature lifted a leg, then entered an upside down bow.

“Though I’m not certain what it is I’ve done, I’m glad you’re so breathtaken.”

I set my gaze upon the dainty chair closest to me. “Don’t flatter yourself. So you were actually serious? You weren’t going to just kill me on the spot? Try anything other than throw a tea party?”

He chuckled, then trotted towards the table. Despite how it looked, I clearly heard his hooves collide with something. “Oh, Miss Moondancer. I do not have it in me to harm a pony. It goes against my nature.” With a pause in his trek, he gestured a hoof across his chest. “I am Hospitality, as the letter said. My duty is self explanatory. Killing you would not provide or reinforce a positive impression of the Codex within you, no? Do you want me to kill you?”

I didn’t immediately protest.

“Oh? I don’t think you’d want that, Miss Moondancer. Not if you knew better.”

At last, he hung over his seat. Given a little trick of magic, his seat lifted off and angled such that it was on the same level as him.

He sat down.

The world turned. I doubted it at first. My stomach lurched, but nothing looked different. Not until timber slowly replaced the sea of words above. I crumped to the ground as the dizziness overtook me. All the while, Hospitality simply lowered himself into the seat. My eyes grew blurry when trying to stare at him for too long. The underside of the chair passed by, settling down on the floor not long after.

I looked up. The timber up above suffered a large, spherical pit where the floor below me once was.

I scrambled to my hooves. Laced with his sugary smile, Hospitality pulled my seat back with his magic.

I took it.

Cinnamon wafted into my nose. The admittedly appealing stream of tea tumbled into the cup. Like a doomed climber, the steam reached out to me in the otherwise stagnant air. The cup he’d prepared for me slid over in short order.

“Drink up, Miss Moondancer. It won’t bite.” He tipped the cup between his lips and took a dainty sip. “See? Harmless.”

“Of course, of course. Your physiology compared to mine is clearly not important.” I pushed the cup away. “I bet you have an idea of what I want to talk about, monster. So, start talking. I get the feeling that’s all you’re good for.”

His ears pinned back. Still, he maintained his smile. “You’re not pleasant at all, Miss Moondancer. Quite rude, I’d dare to say! But you are correct, and I apologize for my accusations.”

My magic took the cup, tilting it to and fro lazily. I felt for my sweater, but remembered better. My lips pursed. “You must be far from harmless if what you showed me was true.”

I flung the cup at him. Magic poured from my horn, knitted to imitate all kinds of potent spells.

It shattered upon his temple, just as planned.

He didn't flinch, didn't react outwardly. Instead, a trick of magic lifted the pieces off his face and off the floor. In his outstretched hoof spun a spell. The shards swirled round and round, then fell into place, one by one, until a perfect recreation of the cup settled onto his hoof. He deposited it gently to the table, then flicked it at me.

I watched the cup wobble on its way. With the sound of a tossed bit, it came to rest within my reach. When he noticed my grimace, he did me the courtesy of wiping the thing clean with the corner of the table cloth.

I huffed. “I'm all yours, monster. I know I can't escape. Not like out there is any better.”

“You're free to come and go as you please,” he said with an eager lilt. The teapot danced its way to the air, then trickled its contents into my empty cup. “Please, don't feel obligated to stay here. In reality, I’d prefer it is you left, once our business is concluded of course. I need you to out there to best be of help.”

Of help? Teeth gnashed in my mouth. “You think I'll just do whatever you say because you have Rainbow hostage? Have her corpse to send a message with, if you're really that ballsy? No. I just got a better idea. I'll just hoof over the book to the princesses, accept my fate, then watch them kill you as an enemy of our country.”

His jaw hung a tad during my rant. A hum, then he cocked his head. “I knew Miss Dash was special, but I didn't predict… well, what you make it sound like. You must be under the impression that I knew of Miss Dash prior to my abduction of her.”

For a split second, his face became empty. Void. His smile kicked up the moment his folly sunk in.

“So why did you lie?” I bit. Then, my eyes widened. “S-she’s not dead? Why else would you manipulate her like that?”

His sister. He pinned the whole thing on her, whoever she was. All his actions, he blamed on her. The reason he attacked Rainbow. The reason he used me to get to her. But why? Was he appealing to her sense of importance? He said he had no idea how special she was, but why else would he take her? It couldn't be a coincidence.

I needed to know more about this monster.

Hospitality whistled, sure that my deep thought wasn’t going to end anytime soon. “I didn’t even have to confess. You definitely meet my expectations . I knew your cavernous cranium wasn’t just for show,” he taunted. “I definitely wanted to appeal to her ego. Even heroes need one, after all.”

My breath hitched. That was true too?

“Yes, it is. In fact, the moment you set hoof in this place, I began reading you. I was a little hesitant, but I also modified your journal.”

I pulled it out promptly. In it, it read: “I pulled it out promptly. In it, it read: “I pulled…”” ?? —

I put it away.

He snickered. “I don't advise doing that very often. I do advise reverse engineering my spell once that one fills up.”

I eyed him. My stomach sloshed with ice.

“W-what do you want me to do?” My voice proved weaker than a filly’s. “Just tell me. I'll do it.”

That face of his went blank once more. “I already told you before. Destroy the Codex.”

The unicorn came to mind. Her words.

“She too knows what's coming. That mare is deeply embroiled in this feud of ours.”

“‘Ours’?”

“Younger brother, elder sister, and myself. There's three sides to this story, and mine is for the good of everyone.” Hospitality sighed. “There are two ways I can win, if it even be called such. Either Rainbow Dash kills my sister, or the book is completely destroyed before my younger brother discovers a way to kill me and her himself.”

“Why must it come to that?”

“As it is, I can no longer let my sister’s tyranny stand. If fanning the flames will change that, then I will fan with all my strength. It's just a matter of manipulating which sibling takes the throne.”

The teacup met his lips yet again. I felt him looking at me.

I took my cup, and along with it the first taste. Delicious.

He eased his back against the chair. Those metal loops scraped against the wood in a noisy manner. “I suppose I should make another confession, Miss Moondancer. For all my charm, my talents, my personality… heh, all of that. All of that, and I am powerless. Where my sister is a blind, ignorant creature who suppresses the kingdom under her weight, my younger brother is endlessly cunning. He has more freedom than even I do, where I cannot even speak to our subjects. Not since the Reprocess.”

All his words left me confused. Fuzzy. All these faceless things, fighting over what?

I got an idea. “Show me, ‘Tal’. If you want to rope me into this, then at least do me the courtesy of showing me what I’m working against.”

Hospitality stared at me. And stared. I shifted about. I damn how awkward I look when a pony is given the chance to size me up. To my surprise, he stepped from his cushion and approached me. A bead of sweat ran down my temple. With how close he got, he probably could have tasted my anxiousness. But hey; maybe that would be too weird for him.

“My word. Is this what they call nostalgia? I just realized how much you look like her,” he said, voice airy unlike before. “The colors are all wrong, but you speak like she did. Your manes were equally unimpressive. I only wish Mother took my styling tips seriously.”

I jumped away, taking an aggressive stance. “Watch it. I didn't say I was going to get friendly.” I blinked. “I look like your mom? Um, thanks?” I bunched my shoulders. I couldn't say for sure what his appendages were, but he had a presence, one I was all too familiar with. “I'm not an alicorn, though.”

He made no response. After looking at him funny for a few seconds, I heard a familiar sound. Like rigid pages being flipped through with a hoof.

Up above, letters spiraled in a formation, descending in increments. The steps coiled a way’s away from our little tea party. At first, I thought we had another guest, but then Hospitality waved to the stairway.

“I have taken enough of your time. I must attend to other matters.” Oddly, his hooves shuffled. “I mean, you're welcome to stay, but you'll be all alone in here.”

I shook my head. “You can't seriously expect me to waltz on out now. ‘Oh, my lab rat isn't settling for the cheese anymore. I better just dump her in the grass while all the snakes are closing in!’ I refuse to be just another pawn!”

Hospitality turned his back on me. Before him stretched the clouds of madness, likely a sight he'd been used to for many lifetimes more than mine. Just how old was this place?

“That is your first task, Miss Moondancer. I wish for you to do both of us this favor. Learn the place of the Codex in your world, a world so far removed from mine. If we are to find anything my Mother left behind, we could potentially solve any crisis my siblings would present.”

Close to the edge, his forehoof hung over in preparation for flight. I stomped in one last attempt for his attention.

“And how am I supposed to find anything? All this crockery you’ve spun at me hardly seems real. Unverifiable! What year was this ‘Codex’ bound? Did your Mother somehow create a convenient, planet-sized pocket dimension just for shits and giggles?” I clapped my hooves together, then drew them apart. “Oooh, but wait. As a pony who almost went into Equestrian history for fun — might add, she also has the most sterling credentials to boot — hasn’t the first clue where to even begin your wild goose chase. The only reason I’ll even humor this moronic mess I’ve gotten myself into is because Rainbow depends on it. You’re lucky you didn’t kidnap some random schmuck, or you’d be out of luck! You...”

All the while, he barely turned his head enough to look me in the eye. Lost in my grievances like I was, I hardly noticed. Magic flowed from his horn. Some spell cooked up out of sight, and just the first of many thrums gave me pause. The generous bastard stepped aside at last to show me his accomplishment.

A tear. A tear in space.

The pitch black spider web around it robbed the view it presented of my attention right away. As weird as the day became, I still had to take these kind of things in. He underlined the view with his hoof when my fixation became apparent.

I looked insi—

A village.

Barren. Stained.

Tiny little homes with a surreal polish. Painstaking care, perfect coats of paint. Elaborate curtains fit for a king. The doors hung on the hinges. Tatters.

The perfectly white skies at high noon. Black plumes billowed from the homes, just like any other day surely. Blood and limbs glistened in the lively sunlight. Limbs? Bloodsoaked stones? No clue. They cast little shadows in the dirt.

Hospitality pulled the tear with his hoof. More of it unfolded.

Bodies circled each building. Not too far. The wide open square in the center of it all boasted its share of carnage, but no body laid far from a home. A mare caught my eye. Crumpled to the ground, doubled over like her stomach were in pain. Ghastly still. Her mane, rather clean in appearance, hung clumped and stringy over her shoulders. Fresh out of the wash. Interrupted, most likely. Like a fetching rug, her own blood encircled her. Not too far from—

She moved. The mare rolled over, unsteady. Her legs packed tightly. Her brow glistened with sweat. Ugly with tension. Everywhere I looked, her body trembled.

...Not too far from her, another pony did their best to crawl over to her. I could argue they had an easier time without any hind legs weighing them down. With each herculean dig of their forehooves, the deep brown brushstroke following them grew.

My throat threatened to choke me. So dry. That little scene only began the story. All around, ponies, fractured and whole, wormed in the dirt. Pathetic, stricken. Enraged. Blinded by pain. The visceral before me couldn’t scratch the surface. My gut tightened the longer I stared, but I had the privilege of merely watching what came of this disaster.

They all should have been dead.

Hospitality moved in my way. Bless him.

He set a hoof into the tear.

“I wish they were too.”

***

I cried on the steps.

***

The book shut when I set my last hoof on the library carpet.

My first instinct led me to the window. Down below, a decent crowd of ponies lounged in the courtyard. Most of them had buried their noses into a book. Some milled about one of the three fountains. One or two couples leaned into each other for comfort in the setting sun.

All the things you could hide under the moonlight. I needed the sun to set. I wanted to run home at my leisure. I wanted the chance to stumble over my hooves, to sob and get lost in the city, to come across a trash can and beat the life out of it until my hooves bled. They all sounded better than watching these blissfully ignorant children.

I just missed my sweater. And my mane — it itched my cheeks. I forgot to tie it up this morning. No wonder I felt like vomiting every time I dipped into my work, my reading. I hate the feeling. Hate it. I hate. It. If I couldn’t care less, I’d shave my mane off. I can’t. I couldn’t stand the weird looks. I’d regret losing such a core of my appearance. Oh yes, I would. I barely wash it, barely style it. I cut it myself. The split ends. I care so much about my appearance. But as soon as part of it’s under threat, I panic.

Would I be able to handle losing a leg or two? Not like I need them. Walking is overrated. Heck, self-levitation would be easier with less surface area.

I slumped into the uncomfortable chair. My wing has better chairs.

I stared at the Codex. Vague name. Surprise, surprise. Was that all a fever dream? The Haycartes spell gone wrong? None of what I saw matched how I understood the spell, ever since that invader almost a week ago.

A heinous case of mind magic? You can’t know if you’re the victim of mind magic. Maybe I’m not. Maybe I hate believing this is my life so much that I constantly question if anything is real. When me and Twilight hugged for the first time… I didn’t care what was real.

I felt wanted. I felt worthy.

Like the worthy mare I am, I spent that very night having fantasies about that one little contact. I felt ashamed afterwards, sure. But at the time…

Sweet as the real thing.

I could use that again. No one was around the Alchemical Wing this time of night. Those snotty freaks went to bed at eight o’clock. I scanned the area just to be safe. Jogged around the wall of shelving partitioning this cozy little nook I found. Only the librarian was accounted for, dozens of meters away. I felt safe enough to slither back to my hole.

I pulled the chair against the shelf. Like I was moving to reach higher up on the shelf. I sat next to it, the side away from the only other body in the room. I took a deep breath. My mind already felt clearer.

The sense of falling before sleep could take you hit me. Was this a good idea? I'm sure I could find a cheap joint and just down away this day. No, that would take too long. My eyes drooped again.

Warm. Lavender. Pooling pink. My stomach tightened. Limbs squirmed on their own, like a foal not yet used to them.

I choked back a loud moan.

Too much. I fell on my side, curled into a ball. My hind legs buried it in further. I needed it. Need.

My eyes fluttered by chance. Dark legs came into view. The warmth drained. The lukewarm state of my body before drained next. I dared to look up. My ears and cheeks went ablaze, then succumbed to an ice age.

Her flowing mane of stars. Her dull, emerald eyes turned down her nose. I attempted to skitter away from her, but only succeeded in tangling with the chair. A jolt of realization hit. I clamped my hind legs together. My tail folded over me, and for dear life I crossed my legs to keep it there.

Moondancer writhed on the ground before the Princess of the Night, doing her best impression of a horny teenager.

I adjusted my glasses as soon as I parked my ass in that chair. “H-hello! Greetings, Your Highness! Beautiful sunset today. Yeah.”

She cleared her throat. “You seem have busied yourself. I'm honestly impressed with how quiet you can keep. Not a stranger to such activities, I assume?” Princess Luna overtly eyed the Codex while speaking, but bulge shifting between her cheeks said enough.

I laughed. I shouldn't have, but I tried. “Haha. Ha. Yeah, I sure have stumbled upon quite the troublesome reading material.” I felt bile rising. Any hope the Princess would have given me died away. There was no way I could top off that meeting with any of the madness surrounding the Codex. I had to try, but…

Princess Luna coughed. I was staring into space again. She offered me a small smile. “I do apologize for my intrusion. If it wasn't for me, there'd be no harm, no foul. You picked a good time to study in this manner.”

My eyes bulged. Was she serious? She wasn't going to call me a disgusting pervert? Report me to her sister? “Y-You're too kind. Really.”

She waved me off when I clamped my hooves over my mouth. “You may speak freely, Moondancer. I only demand tact in my court. Honesty is quite bracing, no?” The princess chucked in a manner I'd call… beneath her? “I'll get right down to it. I'm looking for a mare.”

My eyes burned. My head spun.

“Do you know of one Rainbow Dash?”

I bit my lip. Iron bloomed in my mouth.

“I was tasked with monitoring her as she recovers from her accident. Unfortunately, one of my guard reported to me that she was unaccounted for two days ago. No one home. No one to say her whereabouts. 'Tis uncanny that a mare in her state didn't lapse often enough for me to track. While my guard scours the streets, I took it upon myself to follow her last signal.” The princess raised her brow at me. Transparent as I was, I expected she got her answer already. Yet the mare went on as before. “There was something strange with her signal. Rarely have I sensed one that corrupted. Weak. My initial triangulation covered hundreds of kilometers, to wit. That's how damaged the signal was.” Slowly, without breaking eye contact, she settled on the floor.

“So where does she stand on your side of the story?”

Entry 3 [28 May]: Checking the Classifieds ~ Redux

28 May 1187 AU / 1003 PL

It seems my plans were entirely derailed today.

It took a little while. A weird haze had gripped my senses. Everything felt perfectly. Fine.

I can’t remember what it was now. Blue hooves had shook me, and I had to wake up from it.

That’s all I can recollect.

Those stern emeralds greeted me.

“You’re in a dream still, Moondancer. I could see the magic afflicting you, given my mastery over dream magic.”

My eyes fluttered. “D-dream? I’m what?”

She exhaled through her nose, perhaps as a sigh. I could feel her breath battering my face. Unpleasant, it was.

“A dream. ‘Tis the only way to subvert the mental effects of a curse. I suppose it could also act as escapism, if you were afflicted with a flesh melting curse.” Her foreleg shifted and brushed my cheek on its way. She tapped her chin. “I suppose that was not the best thing to say now, but the danger could be very real.”

My heart quickened, and my eyes focused. Indeed, Princess Luna loomed above me. She had me pinned to the floor. I glanced around, quick as I could, in case taking my eyes off her proved a mistake. The room looked just the same as we left it. That is, disregarding the shadows that had been painted on everything that wasn’t in the immediate vicinity. Almost like someone bottled the scene, leaving the rest of the world out.

To my relief, she stepped away, then settled herself onto the floor, just out of hoof’s reach.

“It’s important that you tell me where the affliction came from. I cannot safely dispel it without being aware of its nature.”

“A glowing unicorn who licked me all over threw it at me in a box.”

I grasped at my neck, eyes wide.

“Ah! The cookie cutter curse, it seems.” She wiped her sweatless brow in relief. “I believe you shall be safe, then. In a dream, your mind is akin to sand. The cage upon it cannot hold, nor harm, you while it is in this state.”

I didn’t know what to say! Well, my excitement dwindled some immediately. A dream. I was asleep. Unless she put me in a coma, I couldn’t call it a cure. Even so, the fact that I could let this out made me feel so, so good.

“Thank you, Princess!” I cried. “Heavens, thank you. Not being able to scream about it with my head in a bucket made me feel so… helpless.”

The Night Princess returned a beatific smile. My face warmed. Was that the smile she gave to dreamers she’d aided every night? I would have been envious, had it not required a horrible nightmare to precede it. The Princess brushed her bangs from her eyes, whilst watching me with her calm demeanor. “I am glad to bring you relief. It has likely been forgotten, but I had made it known to my subjects a millennia ago the reason why I practice the magic of dreams.”

I situated myself onto my stomach, losing my hesitation when she nodded assent. Random locks of mane swept my eyes and snout. Hopefully, my mane wasn’t too horrendous. Or my breath. Oh, why now? I gave an awkward smile. “So, um, what was the reason?”

Her horn twinkled. A gentle star in a black sky. The sourceless light of my dream shifted behind her, funneling into a large pool of white, until it hung over the Princess like her beloved moon. Holes opened up inside of it in fluid motion. At first, the lone silhouette of a pony took shape. Incision after incision in the light cascaded to its left, and it became clear that it was a row of ponies.

“”Twas the eve of war, young one. The Crystal Civil War.”

I stared at the images above her, mouth dry. The ponies stepped in unison. Their forms shifted, as if their battle regalia fell onto them. A stripe soared above the soldiers, just as a much larger equine moved into view. The giant placed their hooves upon the stripe, the table, as they watched the march unfold.

“Initially, Equestria refused to take part in the conflict. The New Unicorn Kingdom, isolated in the far reaches, wished to expand. King Sterling had attempted to extend an olive branch to the Crystal Empire, in the hopes that the Empire would elevate their tiny kingdom to an equal esteem. It was known, his hatred of submitting to such an ‘inferior’ power. The Empire, you see, allowed both crystal ponies and unicorns to coexist.”

On the opposite side, another battalion took form. Just like it, a shadowed giant took the helm.

“Where the Crystal Empire is a haven of warmth in a desolate land, the New Unicorn Empire exercised their cold magic to master the North, rather than defend themselves from it. Many believed that a the Unicornians were cold-blooded demons, or even Windigoes in disguise. The seclusion of the Kingdom has since been compared to the inhospitable lands surrounding it. For generations, adventurers and infiltrators have tried, yet all but a few found the Outer Ring to be their frozen tomb. Only a Unicornian could trek the land safely. Thus, despite its crushing size disadvantage, the Kingdom proved a formidable foe.”

The left battalion marched ever on. A jagged wall bisected the scene. Swirls of wind lanced through the brave soldiers, and though they tried, their numbers dwindled, one by one.

“Not until the two powers met on the battlefield had the Kingdom’s true nature been witnessed. Terrifying magics, suited only for bringing harm to its victims. If the biting cold did not slay them, the cryomancers would command the ocean of frost to chew through the legs of the invaders.”

I cocked my head back down. From the edge of my vision, I could see it happening. I watched Princess Luna instead. Her brow arched at my reaction. I searched for something upon her face. She must have seen it all with her own eyes. Why wasn’t she bothered? How could anyone see death and not feel?

“The Empire grew wise to this. However, as soon as the heavily armored troops stepped forth, their own armor betrayed them. Metallomancers, the most elite of the Kingdom’s sorcerers, punished any attempt at surviving the Outer Ring. Monuments stood in the field of battle, monuments to the mangled corpses inside of them. They, however, spared a hoofful of the Empire’s stricken soldiers.

“With their mind cages, they could subvert their one true weakness. The horror of seeing one’s comrades marching on the other side, tears in their eyes… it was more than enough, at times. The hatred that fostered within the Empire itself proved torture. In a land that subsists off of happiness, the war scarred their hearts deeply. They begged Equestria for aid in crushing this abominable Kingdom.”

She, despite her blank expression, began to tremble. “The Kingdom’s cunning nearly did Celestia and I in as well. Their mind magic, that dark art they had resurrected… I vowed to destroy it, as did my sister. I had hoped that I could tend to the painful nightmares plaguing the Empire once the war ended, but you must know what came next.” Her eyes hardened. “Yours is the first time I have seen such a curse on our land since that time.”

I nodded. The desert in my gullet felt as a scab. “I-I guess I should get to talking, then.”

“If you please. The fact that my charge has gone missing already worries me, but to discover this heinous curse upon you? I must end whoever did this.” Princess Luna frowned, deep. “Know that this is your realm, Moondancer. Whatever you say will be unencumbered. You shall have no reason to lie or mince words. The truth is imperative, so I beg that you trust me. I speak openly in the hopes that it will put you at ease.”

Lie? Why would I lie?

Oh, I don’t know. I kinda sent a crippled pegasus into the hooves of a soulless construct.

@Princess Luna watched me like a hawk. The felt insanely nervous. I kept my lips sealed. And, to my relief, she simply watched.

I had to take stock. Like in any survival situation, this action is key. The predator loomed before me. I was on her turf. My resources were few.

First, Rainbow Dash. Her presence confirmed it, if it already wasn’t confirmed. Considering what Tal did to her, as well as the scene of death and destruction he showed me, prospects weren’t good. I had a feeling she was alive. I doubted how alive she was wouldn’t endear me to Princess Luna.

Second, I knew that Princess Luna knew that I knew where she was. My behavior already incriminated me. I needed to play it like so: Oh, Princess! I feel guilty about this, but actually, my guilt is unwarranted because I had nothing to do with any of it! I’m a victim! I’m just another meek commoner before your radiance!

Third, that wouldn’t work for long. Tal was a wild card. Princess Luna likely knows magic better than I do. Either way, she could force a meeting. He had no reason to lie for my sake. Or did he? He wasn’t equine. He wouldn’t care about incriminating himself, would he? In fact, he might try to bait the Princess into siding with him. He’d give her reason to destroy the book. But would he guarantee Dash’s safety before that happened?

I swallowed.

“You see, Princess. Your Majesty. Your Radiance. I did happen to meet a pegasus mare not too long ago. I-I’d guess that Rainbow Dash is a pegasus’s name? Could that have been her?”

Her eyes drooped as I spoke. “Spare me the flattery. And yes, that is indeed a pegasus’s name. Do go on.”

“Of course, of course! Well, she actually had the advantage between us. I hadn’t known of the mare, but she came to me and knew my name. She said another of her friends told her about me. Isn’t that funny? Hah, anyways. She came to me in the hopes that my supposedly noteworthy handle of magic academia could lead her to an unconventional solution to her injuries.”

Her lips pursed. She looked me over. I could feel her staring at my vile hoof. I shifted about. Couldn’t restrain the wave of shame entirely, after all.

“I find that a rather likely motivation for her departure, if I’m to be honest. I admit that I’m not aware to what extent her knowledge of my monitoring technique reaches. It perplexed me that a mare in her state didn’t lapse a single time on her way to Canterlot. But now, if I have learned anything about Miss Dash, it would be to not underestimate her. For the moment, I find your answer to be a satisfactory theory in my investigation.” She cocked her head and gave me a… twisted smile. “Do go on, please.”

The corner of my mouth twitched as I smiled. “O-of course. You see, we may have stumbled upon… a cursed book.” My everything screamed the contrary, but my magic pulled the Codex from the stack of books in my saddlebag. I placed the thing between us. Equally in either party’s reach. I scrutinized the thing as best I could. Sure enough, looked almost exactly like it did when I was awake. I would think that, since my dreams were my interpretation of reality.

She remained statuesque. Her eyes rolled to observe it instead. “Cursed? I sensed nothing amiss earlier.” She stared at me. “Furthermore, this object did not exist in this dream until now. I suppose that should underscore only the unpleasant memories attached to it.”

I winced. Even with all that sympathy, she still didn’t quite want go easy with the suspicion. “Who or whatever created this thing intended for it to be invisible under most circumstances.” I bit my tongue. Should I have mentioned the glowing mare? Best be honest. “You see, Your Majesty, I encountered a strange pony before Rainbow Dash hunted me down. She used an array of runes to form a thaumic compass. She claimed that the Codex’s signal was so negative that she could pick it out from my entire cultural library. I’m not sure her claim is true, but she did find the—”

“The Codex? You know what it is called?”

Fuck.

“Y-y-yes, Your Majesty. The strange pony waxed poetic about it.”

She hummed. “What sort of character do you make this strange pony to be? Friend or foe?”

“I’m not sure,” I admitted. “She gave me an ominous warning. She said that ‘one last taste of you ponies wouldn’t hurt’, and that ‘no one will care soon enough’ about what she… what she did to me.” My ears pinned back. “‘You ponies’. I can’t be sure what she meant. The pony was otherworldly, Your Majesty. Her body turned into magical energy. Should I take that as a threat to Equestria? Was it just a vague taunt about the kind of pony I am? I doubt that that’s what she intended. A terrible creature attacked her on her way inside this Codex. I can only assume that something more is going on here.”

“Like the part where Rainbow Dash entered this Codex?”

I couldn’t help but gasp. When I thought about it, that conclusion was rather obvious. Call me jumpy. “Y-yes, that’s more or less what happened. I kept the Codex close after that incident, and when Rainbow Dash and I were conversing, it suddenly sprung its trap. I assume my physical contact with it allowed the magic from within to t-take control of m-me.”

Her expression lost humor. She looked me over again. “I suppose this is the main cause of your stress. Mind magic is a disgusting thing, especially in multiple doses. Do you blame yourself for what happened to Miss Dash?”

I nodded. Hey, it was technically the honest truth. “I know it wasn’t me, but I was still the middlemare. I could have done something, you know? I could have sabotaged the creature that used me. I could have tried harder.”

“There is no shame in this, Miss Moondancer. Falling victim to such evil does not mean you lack strength. The actions you’re forced to take are not a reflection of your character, nor should you feel guilt.” The Princess’s eyes almost seemed to sink as she looked away. “Mind magic’s cruelty lies in those feelings. How does one distinguish one will from another, when one’s entire existence before was ruled by just their singular will? ‘Tis nearly impossible to comprehend.” She placed a hoof upon the Codex. My stomach seized my breath. “Considering the grave nature of your allegations, I shall investigate this item. If Miss Dash is within, then I doubt it would be in her best interest to destroy it. I shall refrain from doing so for the time being.”

I bet he could hear all of this. While his curse had no power here, that wasn’t to say he couldn’t know. Maybe he couldn’t hear, but he could see. He could see that she had put me to sleep. He was going to send her his message, surely. I couldn’t get in her way, however. If I was on the fast track to treason, I might as well do my best to make it easier upon myself.

Sleep?

I couldn’t put my hoof on it, but I knew it. I knew I was awake again. My eyes lagged behind, but soon enough, the blackness surrounding this nook of the library had vanished.

Before me remained Princess Luna, as if the dream simply dissolved her into that exact spot. She watched me expectantly. My erratic observation seemed to satisfy. My poor lip endured more gnawing, and I met the Princess’s eye, silent. As I hadn’t offered anything further, she flipped open the Codex.

Her eyes danced upon the page. She looked between me and the words I assume were appearing before her. Suspicion? The manner of her brow betrayed her surprise.

“So you were truthful. Something resides in this ‘Codex’,” she said. Her hoof traced along the page. “‘Greetings, Your Majesty. I am not aware of your name at this moment in time, so forgive my potential disrespect. I am the being who borrowed Miss Moondancer’s magic. You may call me Tal. I had not realized the commotion my actions would cause. So please, do forgive me.’”

She paused. I parted my lips to speak.

Princess Luna cleared her throat, throwing me a sharp eye. “It appears you've been eavesdropping, creature. My scrying magic tells me that you are no mere puppet. No conceivable leyline exists in the space around this object. Am I right in saying you are a construct? A puppet, able to think independent of its creator? If so, I would demand to hear your directives. I refuse to believe that a mare of Rainbow Dash's station would be a random target. You must. Know. Something. I am confident I could rip your encoding to pieces without damaging this object, so please. Do forgive me.”

Damn.

I was scared to death of Tal. I should have known the Night Princess could walk all over him with ease.

She gave me a playful smile. Now I knew not to speak. The mare wanted to keep him in the dark.

The page turned on its own. It only took a couple of seconds for her eyes to scan the page. I could tell. The next few motions were her rereading it.

She glared at me. I shivered.

“He would like for you to show me inside.”

***

— finally, finally over. The tension is — was killing me.

I didn’t ever expect to see that look on Princess Luna’s face. Her burning eyes scanned the area, as if she expected a beast to jump from somewhere. The familiar timber landscape offered no such place for a beast to hide. Up above, the clouds of gibberish sailed by. She gave even that her intense glare. A dragon hiding in the nook of a letter? I doubted it, but… anything could happen.

The search seemed to put her at ease. A little bit. She looked ahead to the dinky table set in the middle of this featureless void.

Was he really going to try and make an entrance?

“Where are you?” she said aloud. “I have not the patience for any games.”

Nothing.

She turned to me.

I shook all over. “H-He’ll be here. He said he doesn’t get enough visitors.”

“Is this the strange pony you spoke of?” she said, low.

“No, that was someone else entirely. This one, he’s... not r-really a pony, Your Majesty.”

“Do not play games with me as well, Moondancer.”

I gulped so hard that I gagged. “No, he’s not the one.”

“Who, then? Do not weave a fantasy for me, Moondancer. If you try to hinder me in finding an Element Bearer, then I shall have to stop playing nice.”

My face heated up. I guess she made me angry. “If you did a better job keeping track of her, you wouldn’t be impeded by a faceless nobody so easily, now would you?”

“Excuse me?” Her chest puffed out. “Ignorant foal! Dost thou realize—”

I caught the first of the black webbing in the air. I couldn’t say what made me do it, but I did. I must have snapped a little more on the inside.

As loud as I could, I shouted.

“Rrrrrrrrrrip!”

Her eyes widened more than a mortal’s could. She looked ready to slap me out of this pocket dimension. But, as I had hoped, Tal’s rickety body caught her attention.

His golden hoof set upon the ground from the tear he created. This cable-wing things bobbed like an elegantly crafted mane. Perfume filled my nose. And, as always, he offered us his picture perfect smile.

Luna stepped back and, to my surprise, used her magic to nudge me along with her. The rest of him slithered into this place. His horn shimmered, and the tear resealed itself. He must have been quite the sight.

“Am I interrupting?” he said. “I suppose it's just as well. Conflict brings me discomfort, especially given my directives.”

Luna sneered. “Are we being open already? I suppose you rightfully found my threats to be real.”

I could feel it coming. Just like last time, everything around us shifted around. It didn't throw me off so much, but the Princess sure took it the wrong way.

Her wings flared, her hoof stamped. She watched the smiling freak. I expected a stand off.

His room spell-thing came to an abrupt end. I felt a chair against my ass. We all sat around this pink table. Luna stomped it, thinking the ground was still there.

Tal’s side flicked dangerously, but he caught it almost instantaneously with his hoof. The tea set, thankfully, was unharmed.

The Princess blinked. She looked around. She looked at the tea pot.

“Mind your manners, if you please. The ceramics were quite expensive. Circa Two Thirty-nine, B.U. to be precise.”

She gasped. “T-two thirty… elaborate, simulacrum.”

I, too, was taken aback. The year rang many bells, and if it rang mine, it most definitely was recent history to the Princess.

“I believe we should introduce ourselves, no?” Tal took a sip from the cup he had prepared while we were distracted. As I figured, he had made one for both of us as well. He dabbed his lips. “I am Hospitality. You may call me Tal, however. A lifetime of formality teaches one how silly the idea is.”

The Princess paled. Dread crept over me.

“That, what you said. Was it not a saying of the Unicorn Jester, Pixie Dust?”

“Pixie Dust?” I asked aloud. I quickly stuffed a hoof in it.

She obliged my question. “She was a bit of a celebrity amongst the nobility in my time. I certainly recall my sister becoming a follower of her philosophies, even if she herself doesn't remember in the present.”

“Oh?” Tal’s smile became more subdued. Yet, more real. “I was certain that the name was lost to time. I held Little Sister’s playmate in high esteem.”

Her jaw trembled a little. “C-C-C—”

“Indeed.” He leaned closer, and so did Luna. “How are you acquainted with such ancient history?”

“I remember my lessons like they were yesterday,” Luna said hastily. “Not even my own sister remembered after my return. No one did. I thought that I was…”

“Alone?” I said.

She jumped. The Princess looked at me as if I were a spider. Unwanted, unexpected. “W-we appear to have gone on a tangent.” She placed a hoof to her chest and took a quick breath. “Thank you, Miss Moondancer. I am Princess Luna.” The wings on her back ruffled. “I'm here to retrieve one of my subjects, the one you have imprisoned in this pocket dimension. I assumed your directives are the reason you targeted her. Enlighten me, simulacrum.”

“I'm afraid you're not making sense, Princess.” He shrugged. “Mother died — most likely — before you were born. I hold her in high esteem, but I still cannot believe that she looked so far ahead in time to expect a specific Rainbow Dash of a specific station to exist thirteen-hundred years from that moment.”

Princess Luna scowled. “Are you insulting me? I speak of the Tree of Harmony. I'm quite certain that scholars contemporary to your ‘mother’ knew of it. Such an elaborate mess of spells and constructs, hidden perfectly inside an unassuming tome? What use could this possibly be? The base of a secret cabal, I assume. The Tree was once thought to be wicked in nature, given its location at the heart of Everfree forest, once known as the Dread Forest.” She smirked. “Is it not a common theory that the Unicorn Kingdom had dabbled in forbidden magics before the Union? They certainly maintained a track record during the Civil War of the North.”

All the while, Tal’s face settled into a blank expression. “What do you know of Mother? I can answer for you. It's pure conjecture. Your suspicions are based upon the lack of mention she has received in any historical text.”

“She died only a century before I was born. ‘Tis the fate of a dissident or a disgrace… or something much worse, if even her daughter's reputation couldn't save her.”

I bit my ragged lip. I didn't care to imagine Tal angry, if only because it seemed impossible. I hadn't imagined I'd bring him a pony like Princess Luna anytime soon.

Tal and Princess Luna. Both dwarfed me twice over. Both commanded incredible power. They stared each other down across a pink table.

“Moondancer.” Tal’s lips tightened. “I would ask you to leave for the time being. Go and enjoy Dame Dash’s journey whilst we converse.”

I was in over my head. I could feel it. A simple scholar, caught between two ancient beings. Whatever I knew to be true would falter before them. Still, I was enraptured. I wanted to be the fly on the wall.

“Dame?” Princess Luna snorted. “You have no right to call her such. She is my subject.”

“Oh, it's not me who conceived of it,” Tal replied. He offered a playful grin. “Do run along. The answer to that question will be more of interest than us fossils.”

A wing brushed my back. My neck tingled. Luna kept her head high. Disdain marked her, disdain at Tal’s tone. Her brow narrowed. “Please, Miss Moondancer. I do not think you should be here for this. Continue your investigations outside of this place for me. Guard the book. Do not let anyone know I’m here until I return.”

“B-but! But!” I choked. With the Princess of the Night staring me down, I couldn’t object. Objectionable it was. She was asking me to hinder her own investigation, more or less. No doubt they’d catch up to me. Would I be absolved for obstruction after the Princess explained it to them? Would she throw me under the carriage?

Why? The questioned burned my tongue. Did she see something I didn’t? Was the matter truly so delicate that we couldn’t funnel the situation throughout the Palace? Did she not want her sister to find out that she failed? Stupid. Idiotic. I wanted to believe she wasn’t so petty, and yet…

No. Rainbow Dash was in danger. Above all else, that was the most important thing. Princess Luna wanted to control the situation. Tal, this abomination, held her in his hooves. She couldn’t risk anything like that. She couldn’t force him to act rashly. That must have been it.

My eyes focused in. I was already halfway up the staircase. From my bleary eyes, I could see the two still down below. Both leaned over the table, speaking in a hushed manner. They were waiting for me to leave.

I gazed up towards

I looked at

Damn it. This spell he put on me made it impossible to stare at. The

My way

I growled. Implication will have to do.

I kept my head down as I approached. I am no dog. I didn’t to admit defeat. His magic forced me to. Now? A plan hatched.

A simple spell. Took my entire life to refine. Not even a professor of deep thaumaturgy could detect the tiny enchantment. Years of trying to study more than there was time in a day culminated into this. Right where my left forehoof settled, magic pooled. The frog of my hoof against the timber step left a hair of room. The spell took one-hundredth of that room.

Just like that, I took the next step. I was gone.

***

I stuffed the Codex into my bags. The corner of the dark library was just as we left it. Nothing out of place. The librarian must have been caught up with something, if she didn’t notice the peculiar mare with the eyebrows, nor the Princess of the Night, hadn’t left.

I trotted forth with confidence. It felt like confidence, given the growing pit in my stomach doing everything it could to bring me down. My magic lit the way. All the knickknacks on the front desk shined at me as I approached. I scanned the thing for any sort of rack. I felt a touch of humiliation. Looking for a stupid newspaper? Wanting to use the classifieds to find someone who could crack this ancient pocket dimension’s codes? This was the range of an inbred earth hick in over her head. Not a high ranking unicorn in Canterlot.

Official channels were off limits, however. If I began making strange inquiries like this, it’d definitely start rumors about me. It could lead to me defying the Princess’s orders unintentionally.

I unfurled the rag across the counter. Dreck, dreck, crud, sludge, scandal. Fronting, backing, sidewinding, gaffes, the usual. Reminded me why I never kept up with it. Buried under all the refuse, I found my goal.

The classifieds. Dun dun.

Land exorcist for hire. Looking for exorbitant pay to handle equally exorbitant poltergeists. If you’re in it that deep, it’s time to pay the pied piper.

Nope.

Professional mane styling. Correspond to schedule an appointment. Will work any time of day, night preferred. All hair will be donated to Goops for Stuff Charity.

I cut my own mane, thanks.

Need expert advice in dealing with the paranormal? Ex-Royal Hunter available. Meetings will be at a time and place to my discretion. Put in your request, formatted as below, at Ponyville Central Post Office, box 12b. Check it in 24 hours.

R-R-Royal Hunter? Fucking. Jackpot.

But soft. There was little to verify this claim. Why the hell would a bona fide Royal Hunter post in the classifieds? Then again, why in Equestria would I be browsing this? Maybe they were in deep debt. Or bored.

Either way, the format included a down payment. Seemed like a scam. But Ponyville? I knew better. That was no ordinary hick town.

Well, everyone knew now. There’s a fucking castle there. But I knew for real.

I glanced to my saddlebag. The Night Princess, by some twist of fate, was in my pocket. Her vespers would be looking for her soon. I needed to move. One way or the other, I'd need to evade them. Lastly, Rainbow's story. I could read it on the train ride.

Bits. I needed bits. Even an Ex-Royal Hunter wouldn't be cheap. That left two questions: Would a scammer have the balls to ask for more bits than the real deal? And how much lip service would I need to give to pay it off?

Snip, snip. I folded up the paper, then slipped my handy scissors into my bag. The ad rolled itself up and followed suit.

I hurried to the door. It rattled and jeered to my face.

Was this real? Did that boob actually lock up before making a sweep? More important things to do, huh? A hot date to attend to? I can't stand ponies who think with their cooters. Her job was mine. I swore on it.

A growl. I bucked the door for good measure. I hated doors. I always left them open in my apartment. The scum of our society made it so I had to keep the front one locked. Scum like that negligent librarian.

I galloped over to the windows. Hugging the wall, I peeked around. Dusky figures circled in the sky. As I had predicted. I couldn't teleport my way out. Any squadron worth their salt would have some way to detect it.

I hoped Twilight knew that she had a gift for making the spell thaumaturgically subtle.

Like anything fun, you couldn't just do it whenever you wanted. Clunky teleportation spells are like blowing a dog whistle in a diamond dog cave, but to a smaller percentage of the population. Definitely a shadier spell to know. Only the most talented mages could use it undetected.

Thus, my predicament. Whether she knew it or not, Princess Luna had asked me to out-stealth her vesper soldiers. The sane deduction would be that she expected me to stay put, to limit my research to within the confines of the library. I couldn't, though.

My heart raced as I approached the library door once more. I felt relief.

Being doomed makes normally insane things seem… fun. I have nothing to lose. Why not just take this once in a lifetime task? How many could brag that they outsmarted the Night Guard?

My magic fumbled with the guts of the door. The important thing was to stay perpendicular. The enchantments only detected tampering from the other side. Why would they consider that someone would try to break out?

Goodness. I felt so naughty. Subverting the routines of my life, one step at a time.

Click!

I was free. Out of the frying pan. The ‘witching hours’, as the students whispered. Ponies about this time of night in the School were surely up to no good. To a Guard, it most certainly looked like it. They'd see me if I wasn't careful. They'd probably just ask if I've seen the Princess. I knew I'd crack even from that. Or I wouldn’t. They probably wouldn’t ask. Right? The paradoxical lack of self-confidence made me feel more confident. The risk versus reward! One-hundred percent game over if I were to be caught! The drama!

I shuffled down the hall. Doing so ensured no one would be hear me clopping. The stair came up. I wish I had my sweater, or at least some socks. This was important. If I did get caught, I needed my whereabouts to be open ended. Made for easy lying. Any suspicious tapping that caught a single ear could spell my doom!

Aha! Statistically, the less steps I took, the less chance of my steps being heard. I stepped back, and counted the steps.

Then I realized that the height didn’t matter. I’d have to jump every single step in order to have the best odds. With a little magic and physical aptitude, that would be possible.

Moondancer lived for the impossible, however!

I charged the steps and lept. I immediately regretted the decision.

One kick of magic kept me from touching the steps. A kick, a literal physical assault. I did all I could to keep from wheezing, as my magic bounced me along the air like a hackey sack.

Acoustics, I told myself. As long as I wasn’t touching the ground, they couldn’t hear me getting kicked repeatedly. Genius!

I caught myself at the ground floor. A gentle pillow spell. I envisioned an easy glide, but the immediate regret and panic stole my focus. Yeah, that was it. Practice makes perfect.

I whimpered in a ball on the ground for a couple minutes, as a treat to myself. The room proved dead quiet. Not a soul in the building. The small number of watchponies must have started patrol near the more sensitive wings. Fine by me. I'd spend the rest of my time here as the butt of their jokes if they caught me like this now.

I felt rested at last. Quickly, I scrambled to my hooves. The distant walls echoed the tiny rustle of my body against the floor, which made my blood run cold. No time to freeze up. As fast as I could, I shuffled along. Not even a run. It still made me sweat something fierce.

I moved at an angle to the main thoroughfare. The mostly glass region of wall proved bad for my stealthy ways. I hugged the actual wall on my way to the nearest door.

A swallow. I stuck my head out for just a moment. Success! The exit! This made my life easy. The exit doors here could only be opened from the inside, so they didn't need to be locked. So many kids burying their noses in a book while walking. The less talented of us facilitated this traffic system.

Like that lascivious librarian! Good luck seeing where you're going with your face buried in ass.

I took a deep breath. No need to get heated.

The door opened easily. I was out. The weather cooled me some. Moonbeams touched me like cold steel. Like a sword to my neck. No, glaive. Princess Luna’s preferred weapon. The joint where the pole met the blade caressed my shoulder. The light went to infinity, or further than I could even conceive, back into her glorious moon.

I never felt so connected to it before. The demigoddess herself, involved in my blunders. In my pocket.

I stumbled between the shrubs lining the way to the courtyard. I hoped I was out of sight. I really, really did. What if they thought… I was holding her hostage? No way in Tartarus, right?

In a way, it was true. I was seeking the next best thing to a Princess in order to destroy the Codex, all while an Element of Harmony and the Night Princess were inside. An ex-Hunter? Totally likely to be in cahoots with a godless wench like me.

This was stupid. This whole fucking thing. I was. ME.

The shrubs danced next to me, not a care in the world.

Taunting me.

I seized the Codex. I pushed it inside the shrub. I could walk away.

I did.

It took my everything. Had to fight the simple desire to finish a novel, all the way up to the guilt of endangering my country's heart and soul.

Moondancer made it to the fountain. The boulevard leading back to Canterlot yawned in greeting to her. Success was just—

“Miss! Wait up!”

I whipped around. My neck popped from the force. My eyes bulged from the momentum.

A vesper guard. Female. Short in stature. That butch manecut I saw on most of them. She had a disarming twinkle to her eye. Like she was a good girl. Never skipped class.

She waved at me. “Hey there! I couldn't help but notice that you left your dairy — uh, diary, over there. It looked like you lost your balance. Are you alright?”

She stepped closer and closer. Her nose nearly touched mine.

“Need a doctor?”

I blinked. “Do you?”

Her eyes widened. Somehow. “Do I? Why? Do I look sick? I promise, I eat an orange everyday.”

“Ascorbic acid doesn’t prevent illness,” I said. “It’s important for other reasons, but it’s no substitute for a real doctor.”

Her face paled. “Y-You’re, like a professor from the School? And you’re saying I’m terribly ill?”

Was this for real?

“Private!” barked a masculine voice. This kid squeaked, heel-turned, and saluted. I bet she got a lot of practice doing that.

“Sir!” she barked back.

I peeked over her shoulder. A burly vesper stallion stood amidst the trees of the boulevard. Despite his tone, he looked rather relaxed. I could picture that face on a tourist, knee deep in one of Canterlot’s famous spas.

“Private Crepuscule. You were ordered to patrol between Whinnypeg and Fourth Street. Is that correct?”

“Yes, sir!” She stepped closer to him.

“Oh? So I take you’ve gotten lost?”

“No, sir! I’m a Canterlot native!”

“Elaborate, then. Why did you leave your post?”

“Because, sir! An old stallion requested I escort him to this place. He said he went by the name of Memento.”

“Did he say what his business was? The School is currently closed.”

“Mister Memento said he had traveled from the south, and he wanted a—”

“A tour guide? That is not your job, Private Crepuscule.”

Sure enough, she stood right in this guy’s face. Likewise, I assumed he had a lot of practice dealing with it.

“Apologies, sir!” She scratched the back of her head. “‘Times of peace’, as the Princess said. I thought, at the time, that being friendly was the correct decision.”

He hesitated. That’s all I needed to know.

I cleared my throat. “Well, officer. If it’s just so, I’ll be taking my leave.”

“Why are you here at this hour, if you don’t mind me asking, ma’am?” he all too hurriedly asked.

“I’m a librarian here. I was doing some paperwork, and before I knew it, the hour became late.” I raised my hoof, just as this Crepuscule opened her mouth. “Sorry for the scare, by the way. I was actually requesting a vacation. Barely any sleep lately.”

Despite my efforts, Crepuscule waved her hoof, as if she were volunteering in class. “Oh, Corporal! I could escort this mare home! I couldn’t leave her be in good conscience!”

His brow furrowed. “Very well. Be sure to return to your post as soon as possible.”

I gave him a pleading look. He sniffed, then took to the skies.

It was me and her.

“Hi!”

I gritted my teeth. Her gray, fluffy chest replaced my forehooves as I stared downward. “How kind of you, Private Crepuscule.”

“You can call me Pusky, Miss.” She hopped next to me. “Lead the way, if you would. I do have important, boring nightly patrolling to attend to, after all.”

My brows shot up. “Patrolling? That oaf made it sound like you were doing something actually important.”

“Nah, not really. Well, really. It is important. But it’s the same old. He said to be alert tonight, but that’s about it.”

My ear twitched. This was real. An actual Night Guard, gullible as could be. No doubt, I could borrow her for awhile. I did have her boss in my pocket. Tal’s curse wouldn't let me speak of her most likely, but...

“Actually, Pusky, could you escort me to Ponyville? I might as well begin my vacation now.” I wobbled on my hooves. “Oh, I can't wait a moment longer.”

Pusky chewed her hoof. She looked over her shoulder, then to me and then back. “S-sure, Miss! Corporal posted me in the most pointless spot, honestly. They only save it for—” She clamped her yap shut. “Um, I have a partner. She'll keep an eye on it.”

I smiled really wide. “Excellent! With a Night Guard by my side, I feel much better about this vacation. In fact, I'm a huge fan of you guys.”

“Really? Most ponies find us off-putting.”

“I see past superficial things, such as appearance and intelligence.”

It hurt. Pusky here was dense enough to take it as a mere smile, rather than a painful rictus grimace. That, or she was desperate.

“Do you? But you're…” She scrunched her nose. “Isn't your job to care about intelligence?”

“I'm a librarian, remember? I provide it to those who seek. What makes us ponies great is our drive to improve. Our cutie marks codify our growth, not restrict it. Equestria as a whole depends on an individual’s drive to fulfill the role offered to them.”

The kid’s eyes glistened. Something about them made me pour more and more of that crock on. The little grin that bloomed to a genuine smile, it egged me on.

“T-Thank you for the words, Miss. I’m really glad someone thinks that way.”

“Someone like yourself?”

She nodded. “But you’re an accomplished mare. I’m just some newbie.” When I cocked my brow, she raised her hooves. “Never mind. Um, shall we?”

Damn, my eyelids felt heavy. I suppose I really was tired. I hummed in assent. “Let’s head off, then. I don’t want to keep you away for much longer. I’m imposing enough as it is!”

She did a mock salute. “No trouble, Miss! Times of peace!”

And so, we trekked through the city. The cloudless night proved relaxing. My head cleared much like a teapot at a fierce boil. Behind me, Pusky had begun to whisper lyrics to herself. She eyed me every now and then as she did so, and I guess my lack of dissent gave her confidence.

Her singing voice was, well… I have to admit it. It was fantastic. Warm, a touch nasally. The girl kept it under wraps, perhaps from a paranoia of being caught by a superior officer. I could see her passing the dull nights practicing at it.

While the weather soothed me, it was her company that really lifted the ache in my joints, if only a for a little while. The girl was a fairy, in my mind. Something to watch. Something to envy. We chatted. Said she was just seventeen. As fresh a recruit as you could get.

The armor looked too big for her.

A comment here and there said enough. She was insecure. She had something to prove. Just like me. Yet, somehow, the girl held hope. Nothing about her rang in defeat. She just about skipped along, the more relaxed she got with me.

“Escorting old mares isn’t so bad,” she said to herself.

I rolled my eyes. I couldn’t argue the point, even if I was twenty-two. I had no childhood. Had no friends, and still don’t. My parents already booted me, and I had enough dignity not to go crawling back. This short week uprooted my life. I felt like I should have been an old mare. Pusky’s atrocious ability to gauge a pony’s age, in some way, helped me come to terms with that.

We reached Central Station soon enough. Pusky’s legs carried her faster, once the place came into view. My funeral procession followed her gallivanting. Huffed and puffed I did as I tried to keep up. The girl stood as close to the tracks as she could. A gargoyle’s perch, as she longingly stared into the horizon.

I bought two tickets.

She held hers between her hooves, like it were a slug she picked up off the ground.

“I couldn’t, Miss. I’d get in so much trouble if I up and left the city!”

“It’s for tomorrow. I was hoping my new friend could stop by? I’ll treat you to something over in Ponyville, even.”

Her enthusiasm dwindled rapidly. Worry sloshed in my stomach. She reminded me of Minuette. Must have been it. I couldn’t see myself feeling for a mare like this.

Right?

She hoofed back the ticket and hung her head. “Father will hear about this tomorrow. I know something weird’s going on tonight, but I still bee-essed my way out of my post. Again. He’ll punish me for sure.”

I wanted to be angry. The plans in my head placed her on the train with me. Important information mining was to be! This naïve mare, a witness in case Princess Luna tried to dispose of me. Or something! Princess Luna’s shady handling of the situation put me on edge.

But Crepuscule wasn’t supposed to be like me. I’d be dragging her into this fucking mess by leading her on like that. She had a future in the Night Guard. If not the Guard, she didn’t need anything from her time in it holding her back. Not just to be a stepping stone for a selfish fool. Me, or Luna? I wasn’t sure who was what, who stood where. I just knew that my saddlebags ached my back, and that Pusky’s armor was much too big for her.

My magic took Pusky’s ticket. I nodded to her. “I hope I can repay you one day, kid. I didn’t mean to get you into trouble. Why didn’t you say anything sooner?”

She blushed. “W-Well, I don’t mind getting into trouble. I just don’t like wasting all these beautiful nights. Father says that the grind is important if you’re ways up. He wants me to be like him, a national hero.” She pouted at my hooves. She didn’t look good, with her head hanging like that. “If he really did want me to follow his hoofsteps, he wouldn’t be so damn nosy.”

“National hero?”

She put a hoof to her lips. “Shh. It’s a secret. I don’t want my fellow officers knowing about it. My dad’s name is Silver Wind. He used to be the Night Guard Captain, and now he’s Princess Luna’s advisor!”

I whistled. “The Silver Wind? No wonder you want that under wraps.”

Pusky whined. “I know! I’d totally go with you to Ponyville, because, like, I’m Princess Twilight’s biggest fan. Daddy will destroy me if I do, though, and I don’t want to make friends with Princess Twilight only to get destroyed for it!”

I giggled. The oncoming train drowned it out mostly, which I was thankful for. My giggles always sounded awkward as heck. The machine whizzed by, yet came to an abrupt stop. Always got me.

I patted Pusky on the shoulder. “Well, I guess this is goodbye for now. I’ll let Twilight know she’s got a fan over here. It’s the least I could do.”

Her jaw dropped. I turned away from her with a smirk and swayed over to the nearest cart.

“W-Wait! Who are you? I never got your name! Are you friends with— Wait! She’s friends with everyone! Omigoooosh!”

Slam!

I felt bad immediately after that exit. Thus, I waved to her from the window. Oh, the cheese felt so wrong. But it felt so right.

I settled against the highback seat. I gave this journal a quick once over. As I thought, Luna’s spell created a new entry. The words before she put me to sleep filled half a page, and it continued on the next. I scribbled over the old titles myself.

Burning bridges, indeed.

I steeled my nerves.

The Codex floated into my lap.

My hooves went cold. Gingerly, I flipped it to the first page, just like the last time.

The hammock felt just fine this time.