Author's Note

Pinkie Pie’s body loses its momentum, interrupting her hurtling through the chromatic tunnel. "Hey! You are gonna warn them right?" she asks.

"Are you talking to me?" Looking around, I am not sure what is going on but I think I might be insane. "Look this conversation shouldn't really be happening right now." I say, beginning to rethink some life choices.

Pinkie Pie cranes her head to the side and, somehow, looks up at the chapter. "You named this one Smiles?" Her hooves strike solid air propelling her up and down, the gravity in the tunnel seemingly localized under her. The grin forming on her face matching her excitement. "Am I going to meet lots of happy ponies this time? I know things get rough later... but it starts out fun, right?"

This conversation deffffinitely shouldn't be happening right now. Maybe I'm asleep or hallucinating. "I can't really tell you that Pinkie Pie, please stop reading ahead; readers don't enjoy spoilers. I am glad you reminded me about the warning though. I'll take care of that right now!"

This chapter is the reason for the gore tag. While a bit of a spoiler, do be warned that there are disturbing concepts and scenes in this arc. Feel free to wait for the next arc if this is something you don't want to read about! While it does contain information that is useful to the story, I'll do my best to cover that in the arc after the Mane 6. Anyone who wants an overview of the chapter can PM me. I’ll be happy to fill you in.

"Good enough Pinkie Pie?" I ask the monitor while face-palming at the absurdity of it.

Pinkie Pie’s entire coat fades to a shade of grey, her pink, fluffy mane a little straighter than normal. "I think that will cover it mister writer person. I have a bad feeling about this adventure now though, hopefully the smiles will make up for it." Color floods back into her mane, a grin only Pinkie could make creeping back onto her face.

"Alrighty, well now that that's over I'm gonna send you on your way, ok? We can't be interrupting the story much more with this these 4th wall breaking shenanigans." I say, beginning to write chapter 3.

Pinkie Pie resumes hurtling through the colorful tunnel, only to stop and look behind her, a very serious look on her face. "I hope you know what you are doing." Her laugh sounding more like a faithless chuckle.

"Pinkie..." I say strumming my fingers on my keyboard.

"Fine, party pooper." She says dejectedly, before resuming her journey with a "Weeeeeeeee!"

"I'm gonna have to get more sleep, this writing thing must be getting to me." Nodding to myself, I continue writing chapter 3.

Pinkie Pie - Chapter 3: Smiles

Shattered Equestria

Jagged Reflections

By

TheSleeplessOne

This story has been proofread and edited by Icarus720. A big thanks to him! Any additional errors should be pointed out in the comments section.

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Pinkie Pie Arc: Chapter 3 - Smiles

A low rumble flowed through the dirt, causing the apples on the trees to sway as if a strong wind were blowing. Various birds and animals scurried away from a building whine. The keening sound tore through the orchard as reality itself split open. With a pulse of translucent energy, a wavy mass of magic in the form of a nearly invisible portal appeared. A distorted “Weeeeeeeeee!” replaced the keening and continued to gain volume. The spacial rift ejected Pinkie Pie, who righted herself mid-air and defied physics as she fell like a feather to the ground. She turned and raised her hoof in a wave toward the portal. Another pulse of energy erupted from opening spewing forth a fading rainbow of colors. The shock wave of color rustled the trees scattering the apples with the leaves. Air shimmered as the ring of force came rocketing back forcing the portal to close with a thump. Pinkie Pie was the only sign it ever existed.

Pinkie Pie stood up, shaking the dust out of her poofy mane. She looked around taking in her surroundings. Apple trees were everywhere, the ones near her having deposited a large pile of the red fruit onto the ground. In the distance, she could see a wagon and three buckets filled to the brim with more bright red apples. As if on cue, her stomach gave its complaints about her lack of eating. Pinkie Pie eyed the delicious apples scattered on the ground and snatched one up with her hoof. Popping the entire thing in her mouth she chomped down, eliciting a loud crunch. Her face twisted up, and she made an audible effort to swallow. Bits of chewed apple fell from her lips, and she began feverishly raking her hoof along her tongue.

“Ewwwwww!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed, her hooves’ motions making it sound quite strange. “Get ish off, get ish offfff!” Confident she had removed the rest of the apple she rolled her tongue back into her mouth. Maybe the apple was just rotten? She supposed she’d have to try another to find out. Her rear hoof brushed something as she backed up. With a quick scoop, she inspected the new apple. It wasn’t the same perfect apples that Applejack’s farm produced. These apples were healthy but looked dull, almost lifeless. Glancing around revealed that the remaining apples shared the same coloring.

Pinkie Pie noticed there were no workers out harvesting, despite the full carts and buckets. Applejack was always bucking apples when the trees were this far into season, with the rest of the family helping. If this farm was any competition of Applejack’s, Pinkie Pie felt sorry for the owner. There was only one choice available; she’d find the owner of these trees and help them out. Pinkie Pie knew Applejack would never let this continue if she found out.

******

Apple Bloom went about the day doing her chores as normal, her broom lifting the dust off the floor. She had already helped Big Mac buck apples that morning, so only had a few more chores left. A terrible keening sound interrupted her routine, causing her to put her hooves over her ears. As the noise grew louder, the house shook with it, knocking over a cup and several knick-knacks.

“Big Mac, Big Mac!” Apple Bloom shouted borderline panicking, “What’s goin’ on?”

As quickly as the commotion started it stopped. The house rocked a final time; the boards groaning as everything settled.

Apple Bloom was still shaking when Big Mac burst into the room just as shocked as she was. She couldn’t help but notice his awkward stance having to move his massive body on two legs. His other two covered his ears from the odd noise.

A loud crack echoed through the room when Big Mac brought both hooves down, resuming all fours. He took stock of the broken cup and Granny’s “treasures” scattered around the room. The mess didn’t matter to him, because all that mattered was that Apple Bloom was safe.

Apple Bloom questioned her brother, “You ok, Big Mac? Was that an earthquake? You think Applejack is fighting something at the castle?” Each question fired off one after the other before Big Mac could respond. The last question causing him to go rigid.

“N-nope.” Big Mac tried replying in his usual way, but the word stuck until he spat it out. He leveled a melancholy gaze away towards the window, scanning the fields for any sign of the disturbance.

Before Apple Bloom could resume her barrage, Granny Smith hobbled into the room and looked them both up and down. “S’pose y’all are both ok. Ain’t heard nothing that loud since the first zap apple harvest.” She said, trotting to Apple Bloom with the speed of a pony her age. “Now don’t be scared young’in. You got Big Mac to protect ya while your sister is away.” She motioned over to Big Mac, a confident smile forming. “I know it’s been moons since ya saw her and he ain’t no Element o’ Harmony but I never saw him lose to anything yet.” Her eyes couldn’t hold Apple Bloom’s, the Apple family wasn’t good at lying.

Insulted, Apple Bloom backed away. “I ain’t scared. I know Big Mac can take care of me like sis can. I wanna know what caused that noise!” Her look bore her expectations to Big Mac, using the best little sister grin she could muster. “Pleeeease, Big Mac, can we go and look?”

Big Mac glanced at Granny Smith before looking to Apple Bloom. “Nope, ain’t safe.” He wanted to say yes, but Granny’s face made it obvious he shouldn’t. He always had trouble resisting when Apple Bloom looked at him that way. Her focus was always on Applejack and he hated to disappoint Apple Bloom.

“Big Mac’ll take a gander at what is causing all the ruckus; you stay here with me. These old bones don’t move as fast as they used to.” Granny Smith explained, giving every reason for Apple Bloom to stay. “I need ya here in case it’s somethin’ dangerous.” She nodded toward Big Mac.

Big Mac headed towards the door, turning his head back to say, “Eeyup.” He almost changed his mind when he saw Apple Bloom’s face fall and her drag her hooves towards the stairs. But he knew Granny was right to give him that look, they were too close to the Everfree for strange noises to be safe for a filly. He took a deep breath to calm down before trotting through the front door.

*******

The orchard of apple trees looked familiar to Pinkie Pie. Instincts told her the way to go through the alien forest. Her confusion on the subject faded as her thoughts turned to her friends, I wonder what happened to them. I remember going through the portal and having that silly conversation with you know who. Why didn’t they arrive with me; it’s not fun being alone. I guess we ended up at different places. No need to be worried, I’ll find them or they will find me… then food. I am still really hu-

Her thoughts never completed. She saw Big Mac trotting towards her through the trees, head jerking around as if looking for some unseen predator.

“Oh Big Mac, I’m so haaaapy to see you!” Pinkie Pie said, bouncing from side to side towards him.

Big Mac’s eyes opened wide in fear. He clenched his jaw and dug his bulky legs into the dirt, stopping. “What! What ar-” He caught the mistake and threw himself to the ground. His large face forced an awkward toothy smile. “Such a pleasure to see ya as always, Queen Pinkamena.” The smile muffled the words as he spoke them. “I hope ya brought Applejack with you? It has been so long since we’ve seen her.” He spared a peek up at her. He brought his gaze downward but not before looking for a means of escape.

Pinkie Pie made a strange face, her brain trying to process what she was seeing. “What are you talking about silly? I’m not a queen. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever met a queen! Not counting Queen Chrysalis.” She looked up bringing her hoof to her chin. “You know that’s kinda odd, someone like Chrysalis being a queen.” The sound of a file cabinet shutting echoed from around Pinkie Pie’s head. “I’ll just file that for later, we should ask Princess Celestia about it.” The mention of Celestia caused her to trail off the last part. Her memory flashed back to the mirror sucking her and her friends in. The last thing she remembered was Twilight’s scream. She really should have paid attention more, but she guessed asking Big Mac might lead her to Applejack. She couldn’t continue the thought because Big Mac began shouting at her. Never had she heard him this furious.

“What do ya mean, talk to Princess Celestia? And you ain’t a queen, since when?” Big Mac regained his composure and with a look of defiance rose to his hooves, the fake smile replaced by a snarl. “That what you come out here for? To mock me and ma family?” He advanced on her, a dangerous look in his eyes. “I don’t care what you do to me but you stay away from this family. You’ll be welcome back when I see Applejack with ya.” He maintained eye contact but his hooves were shaking.

“Big Mac, did you hit your head?” Pinkie Pie asked. “You are acting awfully funny. Does somebody have a bad attitude from a lack of cupcakes? You know, I’d be hungry too ‘cause these apples taste pretty bad; I thought I was at someone else’s farm they were so bad.” Pinkie Pie took a deep breath with audible suction and continued the stream of questions. “I think I should tell Applejack about those apples. Maybe the fruit bats are sucking the taste out of them this time.” She giggled and pretended to suck air between the fangs that had appeared out of nowhere. A thought struck her, and she shook her head, the fangs disappearing without a trace. “Have you seen Applejack? We kinda got separated.” Her head turned with the question until she was looking at him sideways.

Big Mac closed his eyes and whispered to himself, “I’m sorry Apple Bloom, I don’t think I’ll be coming home today.” When he opened his eyes, a mixture of resolve and rage burned in them. “I’ll tell ya one. More. Time. Stay away from my family. And don’t insult our apples. Ya ain’t welcome here without Applejack and ya know it. If ya think changing your mane-style and acting funny is gonna change things yer wrong.” He started a trot towards her, the hatred growing in his eyes with each step. “And pretendin’ to be lookin’ for her. I-I…” He couldn’t finish the sentence.

Pinkie Pie felt a pinch in her knee and started backing away. “My knee is feeling pinchy, that mea—” Her words never made it out as Big Mac’s massive hooves bucked into her side, sending her sprawling down the dirt path. Her fluffy mane saved her and took a good portion of the blow, but pain ripped through her chest. Mind reeling, she tried to comprehend the situation she was in. She was a part of the Apple family, and Big Mac had just bucked her. Judging by the pain she felt when drawing breath, it had not been cousin roughhousing.

“I ain’t like ya.” Big Mac spat, advancing on the prone Pinkie Pie. “I ain’t gonna do what I should despite what you’ve done.” His draft horse body towered over Pinkie Pie, hoof hovering inches above her head. “I dunno why folks ain’t standing up to ya.” He snorted lowering his hoof and turned back the way he came. “Exaggerated stories I’m guessin’.” He dug his back hoof into the ground and kicked a clod of dirt and dust into Pinkie Pie’s face, beginning the trot home. As soon as he turned around the reality of what he had done sunk in, the heat of the moment dwindling until he shivered.

“I’m sorry…” Hurt more than physically, Pinkie Pie’s eyes moistened with tears as she struggled to stand. Dust and dirt fell from her mane. “I don’t know what I did since yesterday but we’re supposed to be family.” She sniffled and watched him leave, hoping he would turn around and reveal the prank. “Maybe all the stuff Princess Celestia was talking about is affecting him. We’re family and he’d never do that to family.” The outward revelation eased her mind, but she needed to get away before whatever was affecting Big Mac got worse. She shook her head and galloped away toward Ponyville, bruised ribs aching but already healing.

The remnants of pain faded as her mind raced through the possibilities. She needed to find Twilight. Twilight always solved everything. Twilight would figure out what was going on and help save Big Mac. Whether the wind or her newfound smile, no more tears stained her face.

******

Apple Bloom stared through the upstairs window, bored. Her eyes lit up when she saw Big Mac trotting towards the house. She ran in little circles then dashed down the stairs and through the front door.

“Hey, big brother! Didja find it?” She said running up to and around him, a blur of youthful energy. “Was it a monster from the Everfree Forest?

Big Mac’s hoof stopped her in her tracks. “Nope. Didn’t find nothin’.” He continued his trot towards the house, dodging each question.

The filly dashed in front of him once more. “Nothin’? Did ya not hear that noise earlier? “‘Nothin’ wouldn’t make a noise like that.” She protested.

Big Mac stopped and peered down at her, pinning her with his glare. “I didn’t find nothin’, Apple Bloom. Until I do, you gotta stay in the house.” He couldn’t keep his voice from shaking. “Somethin’ made that noise, and the farm is dangerous until it’s found, ya hear?”

Apple Bloom knew her brother, he wasn’t telling her something. “I-I guess that’s ok. Does that mean I don’t hafta do chores outside the house?” She looked up at him with excitement, using the same face as before. The thought of getting out of work beat out her curiosity.

“Maybe. Up to Granny.” He brushed her out of the way and kept trotting towards the house. “I need to speak to her, anyway.”

Apple Bloom raced down the path as fast as her legs could carry her and darted inside the house. She was eager to ask Granny Smith about it. Granny was in the kitchen when she found her. “Granny, can I skip outside chores? Big Mac said it’s too dangerous for me.” The undue emphasis on dangerous caught Granny’s attention.

“I s’pose if Big Mac says it’s dangerous, but I’mma have to talk to him first. You run upstairs, pickle pear.” Granny Smith said bringing her hoof up to her chin wondering what Big Mac had found.

“Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yessss.” Apple Bloom shouted as she ran up the stairs.

Big Mac came in through the doorway and went into the old kitchen with Granny Smith. “Hey Granny, we got a problem.” As he said the words his head hung heavy with shame.

Granny Smith chuckled. “What d’ya do this time, Big Macintosh? Didja try to pick some zap apples early again?” She knew it was unusual for the zap apples to come in this season, but they were never predictable being from the Everfree Forest. She reached for her army helmet, prepared for the intricate process of making zap apple jam. “Never came in this early but I’m ready.

“Nope.” Big Mac’s brought his eyes up to hers showing with a fear she’d never seen in him. “Queen Pinkamena was out in the apple trees. Tweren’t any sign of Applejack neither.” Big Mac sighed and stumbled over his words. “I-I bucked her Granny. She was mocking the family, and I bucked her. Hard.” He still didn’t know why he had done it. Pride? Arrogance? By all rights, he should be dead. If the stories were even half true, he stood no chance. She had a reputation for being able to do the impossible. There was more than one story of ponies she’d taken and the state of their corpse when she finished with them. He cringed thinking about that last possibility.

“You did what now?” Granny held her hoof up to her ear. “I know I’m gettin’ old, so repeat that.”

Big Mac looked her dead in the eyes. “I bucked the queen. I told her to git and not to come back without Applejack.” He trotted to the window and gazed out at the apple trees. “She ran away crying. Twas the weirdest thing I’ve ever seen. Her mane was as fluffy as a cotton ball, and she was so... pink.”

The mention of Pinkamena with a different mane-style brought back old memories in Granny Smith. If there was one thing Granny Smith was good at, it was recalling the details of a chain of events. It had been a few years ago, but it was still fresh in her mind.

Granny Smith remembered Pinkamena was different before becoming the bearer of the Element of Laughter. She would welcome everyone to Ponyville with parties and had a fluffy, bright pink mane. She never said a cross word to anyone. This Pinkamena never forgot to celebrate even the most mundane things in a pony’s life. It had brought cheer and warmth to Ponyville. She never imagined such a positive pony would turn out like she had. If Big Mac had seen what he claimed it could mean Pinkamena had gotten worse. She couldn’t imagine any reason she would change back.

In the time she was known by the name Pinkie Pie, she had been friends with everyone. Back then Pinkie Pie and Applejack were as close as friends could get. An unfortunate series of events had broken that friendship and led to a reclusive Pinkie Pie. Granny never got word on the specifics but she remembered hearing about a murder in the town not long afterwards. Such a serious crime in a small town brought about quick investigations. It wasn’t until the fifth murder that they determined Pinkie Pie to be the culprit. The castle guards took her to the castle and ever since then things had only gotten worse. Both Celestia and her sister Luna disappeared. It was then that-

Big Mac startled Granny out of her reverie by shouting into her ear, “Granny! Granny, ya alright?”

“Just rememberin’ two years ago before things got bad. Now, what was you tellin’ me?” Granny Smith asked, nodding towards Big Mac.

“I mighta’ kicked Queen Pinkamena, and she ran away.” Big Mac grimaced, face pointed at the floor before whispering, “Eeyup…”

Wobbling over to a rocking chair, Granny Smith sat down and closed her eyes, worry etched into her face. “She might come back, she might not.” Several bones popped as she sunk deeper into the chair with a sigh. “I’ve never had a good understandin’ of the girl. She used to be the happiest thing in town until they took her to the castle fer questioning regardin’ the disappearances. Can’t imagine what happened but we both know we ain’t seen hide nor mane of the Princesses afterward.” Granny Smith’s face looked older than it ever had. The recent hardships wearing on her body and soul. “She’s still ‘appointed’ queen after two years even though she keeps taking folks.” The chair rocked back and forth, Granny Smith opening her eyes to look at Big Mac. “Twasn’t but a month after she called Appleja-”

“No more, Apple Bloom might hear ya.” Big Mac interrupted. “We gotta believe in her. Today proved most of that was only rumors, eeyup.” He gulped knowing full well he’d face the consequences of his actions, or worse, his family would. The sounds of Apple Bloom bouncing around upstairs reminded him of the future he was guarding. Regardless of the odds, he’d stand firm for Apple Bloom. “I’ll protect her until Applejack returns.” He repeated to himself but it did little to appease his growing fear.

******

The Carousel Boutique was as clean as it could be. The windows were crystal clear for displaying Rarity’s last line of garments. It was unfortunate that they were no longer relevant to fashion due to age. The purples and blues were still vibrant, helping to accentuate the golden colors that adorned the curtains and underside of the roof. The only change in the past year was a CLOSED sign hanging in the window.

Sweetie Belle had done her best to keep the business running for the eventual return of her sister. Her sister had a talent for fashion that was undeniable; unfortunately Sweetie Belle did not share that talent. Without Rarity, she couldn’t keep the shop up to date and stocked with in-demand inspirations. Customers diminished to almost nothing after the first season and she had no choice but to close until further notice.

Sweetie Belle still came by and tidied up occasionally, various places or objects bringing back memories. One such object was the stage where Twilight had last met Rarity. She remembered Rarity receiving a summons from the castle. Applejack, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, and Twilight had received the same summons. Sweetie Belle guessed there was trouble and as usual, Rarity didn’t tell her anything.

Despite her sister’s attempts to stop her, she found out Twilight and Rarity were meeting in secret ever since the alicorn sister’s dissapearance. She’d heard Twilight talking with Rarity about her worry for Princess Celestia. Twilight planned to visit her because her letters had remained unanswered for months, something Twilight had insisted was very out of character for Celestia. Their answer to the summons both fulfilled and interrupted any plans they had. Sweetie Belle hadn’t seen or heard from her sister, or any of them for that matter, since that day.

Other strange occurrences happened during the time of the summons. The castle issued a smiling order to all areas under the Equestria border. It told all ponies that by Queen Pinkamena’s command, they must always be smiling. Less than a month after the Bearers arrived at the castle, Queen Pinkamena had made the announcement she was coming to Ponyville.

It only took a few days, but a royal procession arrived in Ponyville with the Queen. Strange guards accompanied her, the like the town had never seen before. Solid helmets made of an unknown metal reflected the light in an array of colors. The metal in the front of the helms curved up with inward metal protrusions pulling at the sides of the guards’ lips. The helmet obscured all, but the perpetual forced smile. More prismatic light cascaded down the heavy plate from neck to the hoof, almost hypnotic in its pattern. Interlocking plates screeched with each step as they ground against each other, announcing the guards long before a pony spotted them. The workmanship was amateur at best, some guards limping and flinching as they walked from brushing the jagged edges. The strangest part of the design was each guard’s cutie mark, or rather where it should have been. A blood colored smiley face, scribbled with the artistic skill of a foal, sat upon the barding that protected their flanks.

They brought flying chariots from the castle with the same bizarre color pattern adorning them. It became clear they were there for the smile law because they rounded up and arrested anyone refusing to smile. The queen’s bored expression lit up with every refusal and eyed them with a primal hunger that caused even the bravest of them to cower.

They released the majority the next day. The same ponies who defied the queen now smiled with an otherwise vacant expression. Their bodies looked unharmed but the blood spatter in their mane told a different story. They ferried the rest to the castle and made an announcement:

“Queen Pinkamena decrees that any who we cannot persuade to smile shall learn from her, personally . We expect the rest of you have seen the error of your ways and will continue to uphold the law.”

Not long afterward, wild rumors began circulating in Canterlot due to concern among the citizens. They said the Princesses had abandoned them. Others speculated they had lost to a new unknown villain. The most alarming rumor was of the Bearers. Ponies whispered of their capture and that they were hostages in the castle. The rumors only got worse when some ponies taken from Ponyville never returned. Canterlot citizens whispered of screams coming from the castle and ponies who investigated being seized and drug inside.

Sweetie Belle was not keen on imagining how true those rumors were, her sister being in the castle. To her, they were only rumors; Rarity would never allow anypony to capture or hurt her.

Some ponies were angry Pinkamena had dared to take their loved ones, others sought to get away, terrified of becoming a victim. The angriest ponies started several small rebellions and demanded an audience with the queen. There was no conflict, no confrontation between the rebels and the guards. They simply opened the front gates and let them in. The troubling part was that they never came back out. No pony dared speak out after the incident, smiles kept the unrest locked securely behind closed lips.

Queen Pinkamena had only decreed one more thing at that time. She had taken an interest in something called a changeling. Descriptions of the creatures were unnerving. They could take any shape and would replace loved ones for reasons unknown. According to official reports, an attack by the creatures took place inside the castle led by their leader. It detailed that Queen Pinkamena led her guard to stop the attack. It further reported the invasion repelled and that the counteroffensive had slaughtered the changelings. The queen was remorse to say the leader and the remaining changelings had been able to escape. So, she put out a reward for information or live capture of the creatures. If a pony were to capture one alive, the reward for such a creature was a wish granted by the queen herself. Posters describing the creatures and the reward hung throughout the town.

******

A duster levitated with an olive aura, moving about the Carousel Boutique with deft movements. Sweetie Belle’s magic had gotten much better in the past year despite not having anyone to teach her. This was unusual because even with Twilight’s teachings, she had been struggling with her magic. Boredom and solitude allowed her to overcome whatever had been holding her back. She wanted to surprise Rarity and Twilight with her newfound abilities.

With a graceful twirl of her horn, she made the duster do a loop de loop in the air. She lost her concentration on the magic towards the end and the olive aura faded. The duster flew into the bonnet on a mannequin sinking in and looking like a feathered flower. Sweetie Belle couldn’t contain her laughter. “Hehe! I guess I do have some of my sister’s talent, if accidental.” The olive color enveloped the duster once more, and she went back to work.

I wonder how Rarity is doing. It must be important if they called all of them back to the castle. She has never traveled this long before, though. The duster stopped, hovering in mid-air, as Sweetie Belle swallowed back her longing to see her sister. Her mind knew what her heart blinded her to, but she pushed on taking solace in normality. There must be a way to reach her. I can’t go to Canterlot, what if she comes back and sees the boutique closed? Sweetie Belle’s head shook trying to remove the images of Rarity’s disappointment in her at failing to keep the boutique open. Think! Think! Wait! I know what to do. Spike is running the library now. I bet I can get him to send a letter to the castle! Why haven’t I thought of this before!

As Sweetie Belle got ready to leave, her mind ran through imaginary replies to her letters and the joy of seeing them. But as she got closer to the door, worry took hold tainting her imagination. What if something happened to her? None of the others came back either. What if she doesn’t want my letters or I get her in trouble! She choked back her tears and rushed towards the door. The potential answers left her hoof hovering over the doorknob. She shook off her doubt and took a deep breath. Even if the worst was true, she had to know. The door burst open, and she took off toward Golden Oak Library.

******

Golden Oak had seen better days. The once beautiful library was now run down, no longer a symbol of learning in Ponyville. While the tree was healthy, it only contrasted to the faded red paint on the door. Cracks and splintered wood lined the door frame and windows. The tops of the bookshelves were dusty, cobwebs having formed in the corner. Lower sections of the library were half-heartedly cleaned and shards of gems littered the floor. Owlicious had long since fled back into the woods or perhaps to search for Twilight. The only remnant in the library was a very depressed dragon.

Spike’s enthusiasm had melted away as the year passed, causing him to stop repairs to small damages on the doors and windows. Even if he had wanted to, Spike didn’t have the magic Twilight did, and his tiny body had difficulty doing the chores required to keep it in the same condition without her help. Eventually, he had given up keeping Golden Oak in order, only organizing the books in an attempt to recreate the book sorting nights he and Twilight had shared. He still rented books out to ponies, although few came by these days. Without Twilight’s love for books, the interest in the library had diminished. Spike would have given up completely if not for his memory of Twilight and the knowledge that she would be livid to see her books mistreated.

The spicy smell of Zecora’s tea reminded Spike of Twilight. He despised the blend, but it was Twilight’s favorite. Drinking anything else felt wrong until she returned. The trips into the Everfree Forest to get it from Zecora were more pleasant than moping around the library, anyway. He missed her and had tried several times to contact her or the Princesses. The only response were scrolls that tasted of iron and had blood smeared in the shape of smiles on them.

Grabbing a teacup from the kitchen, Spike poured himself a cup of steaming tea. “I wish Twilight were here, she always loved this tea.” He took a sip, the near boiling tea being the perfect temperature for a dragon, and flinched at the bold flavor.

“I don’t understand why she loved this tea though; I guess it’s an acquired taste.” Twilight had always known he hated the tea, keeping a delicious sapphire cupcake from Sugarcube Corner ready when she made him brew it.

He pushed back and balanced the chair on two legs while looking around the tattered library. Mentally he sighed, ashamed of what the library had become. The tea provided a bit of comfort from the void his life had become, enough for him to get out of the chair and do the daily chores he’d been neglecting. He’d just begun to sweep up the bits and pieces of his poor eating before a horrible screech rang through the front door.

******

Sweetie Belle arrived at the Golden Oak Library, panting. She hadn’t visited it but twice since Twilight and her friends had left. Every visit the library had become more ragged, Spike not faring much better. She sympathized with Spike but seeing the library slowly decay was just too much. It reminded her that if not for her focus on her magical studies and keeping the Carousel Boutique in shape, she might have succumbed to it as well.

As she climbed the steps, she took a steadying breath, preparing herself for what she was fixing to do. It was easy to live with ignorance, but she was about to dispel that, for better or worse. As the olive glow began to travel up her horn, she heard something strange. The ground rumbled and a “chk chk chk chk” similar to the Ponyville Express echoed in the distance. Her body whipped around towards the sound and a giant dust cloud was approaching from Sweet Apple Acres.

“What is that?” Sweetie Belle yelled over the growing noise.

Inside the dust cloud, a blob of pink became visible as it closed in. It was heading directly for Golden Oaks Library at insane speeds. Sweetie Belle stared in disbelief only a moment longer before her legs regained function and she dove off the steps. The “chk chk chk chk” was replaced by a horrid screeching sound as what appeared to be a pony put all four hooves down and slid across the ground in an attempt to stop.

A giant mound of dirt formed in front of the pony as her hooves dug in deep. The entire mess came to a halt mere inches from Sweetie Belle, dirt and dust raining around them. Sweetie Belle sneezed, and her reward was a giggle, the pink pony trotting from behind the mound and coming into vision.