Fallout: Equestria - A Pair of Striped Wings

There is something nobody dared to admit or fully understand, something terrible and utterly terrifying. Maybe just thinking the idea was dangerous, and maybe that is why everyone desperately ignored the truth I became forced to accept. There were hints in what Étoile had told me days before, the idea that someone like an alicorn could influence and direct thousands without even being aware it. Ponies weren't... aren't just separate individuals with clear distinctions, we are magical and live in a magical environment. Ponykind is inherently communal, because at some level we are all connected, and I use we because I could sense it well enough.

Then what of the zebrecian myths about the stars? I am still unsure of whether the stars themselves are sentient in any form that we would recognize or understand, but there is a concept that is hidden in plain view. The sun is a star, it empowered Celestia and by extension Luna. And if the sun is a star, then presumably there are many other stars with worlds like ours out there. Worlds inhabited by other people, with similar magic and maybe a similar spiritual link.

It might very well mean that there are people or things out there, that are aware of us and influence us without us realizing it. Even then, I barely understand anything about how the universe works. Whatever Icetear had done near the steel ranger citadel, it broke more than just earth and rock. I couldn't understand how, but raw astral magic has been bleeding through for hundreds of years.

The city of Vanhoover has bathed in starlight since the first stone was laid, the ponies within it had created countless rituals and spells, and even an alicorn had lived among them, creating something none of them ever intended. Magic has been carved into every building, in every tunnel, it flowed in the rivers and then the Aurora broke through. Maybe it was inevitable, but at that point it became reality.

The city itself was alive.

It had a will of its own, a mind formed by both pony and alien thoughts. How could anypony possibly conquer it, control it, when it is greater than any of us? If we were to stop fighting and just begin to live peacefully within it, how long would we remain ourselves? How long would it take for it rule us?

If there were ways to hurt it, to weaken it in some way... the old Van Hoofs would have known, and there were only two of them left. One was an undead monstrosity who was barely a pony in any way that really mattered, and the other one was tormented, unstable and I began to suspect that she had already touched its will.

Ètoile Van Hoof wasn't just insane, she had magic that scared me even more now that I had began to grasp how it worked. Her magic resembled the anomalies at some level, and I shudder at the implications of that connection... Reality itself broke down in Vanhoover, and if she could direct all that power at some level...

Equestria wasn't dead, not really. It could still heal, but with all the corrupted magic in the air and soil, if the reach of Vanhoover could extend further... If she discovered a way to let it spread, then all of Equestria if not the entire world would one day become a nightmarish realm of horrors.

Of course there was the question of whether she was self aware enough to claim Vanhoover as hers to rule, or if the city was the one in control. Puppet or queen, I am not sure the distinction matters. Regardless of which, I had not only been tolerated but welcomed into the depths of the city.

The implication being that it wouldn't let us leave, but the nature of the anomalies is that they are inconsistent and vary greatly in power and shape. The one that caught us was powerful, yes. It was however a mixed curse, and a blessing in disguise. Tart had mentioned the anomaly the rangers call a Temporal Distortion, but it had never before been observed at this magnitude. And thank the stars, it brought out us out of the reach of the city itself.

***

"You mention'd some weird dream magic, right?"

Raspberry Tart's voice was careful and suspicious, probably hoping that this was something I had experience with and knew how to handle. Unfortunately, I didn't. Because neither of us were dreaming, and this was definitely real.

"This isn't it, trust me."

The air was different, and I don't just mean the smells or lack of radiation. Its texture was completely different, gentler and far less suffocating. I could think, feel and breathe normally again, it was like everything since we entered the city had been but a bad dream.

"Ahr you sure?"

I swallowed hard as I tried not showing how relieved I felt, because on some level I understood what must have happened. And honestly, the strange dream world that the mad unicorn created might have been safer. We were still in Vanhoover, although arguably not the same one. This one wasn't supercharged with evil energies, it was mostly just an old city, and decidedly not self-aware.

"Pony, city is no longer alive."

Xera had of course noticed the same drastic change in the atmosphere as I had.

"And what is that supposed to mean??"

Realizing that I better stop them before Tart made a scene...

"Tart, they mean the whole deal with the Aurora and the anomalies. Nothing of that is around anymore, we can sense it. Everything is different, it doesn't feel like Vanhoover anymore. What is out there is the actual real thing, and we better be careful or something bad might happen."

By 'out there' I meant the street outside the alley we had camped in, the street with bright sunlight, full of colourful and well dressed ponies going their merry way, undisturbed by the existence of the horrors we had lived through. Unaware of what was going on beneath the M.A.S. hub.

Unaware that they were all going to die, horribly.

"So what you mean, is that this's the Great War? We're really in the middle of it all?"

As it were, I was a bit distracted by words I had read and heard.

Time distortion can be done well, but should only be performed after strict scientific methodology. Time travel on the other hoof, should not be attempted by any unicorn not cleared by the minister of Arcane Sciences or the Princess herself. Unfettered time travel is extremely dangerous and fortunately nigh impossible to achieve.

"Yes, and this is bad. Real bad..."

For the common pony such an event has no effect on their lives, but those who dabble in the art of time travel needs to be wary as travelling forward past such an Event is extremely difficult due it being nigh impossible to navigate past a Singularity Event. An ill prepared traveler might find themselves lost in the wrong branch or even between them.

"Still, I don't see why we need to be worried. All that we..."

She didn't understand, she couldn't understand.

As a sidenote I would like to clarify that the Last Day is by far the largest Singularity Event in recorded history, even by the standards of Vanhoover.

I needed to shut up the ranger, fast, before she did something dangerous.

"Tart, shut up and listen!"

"If its the stripes-"

It was an alien situation to her, one that neither her training nor experience had prepared her for. So she did what she could to rationalize it, and do the most logical thing she could think of. She was a soldier, so that thing meant reporting to the highest ranking local authority. And if she did that...

Reflexively, I pulled the same maneuver as the Goldstar pegasus had done on me. Fortunately, Tart was both distracted and had never brawled with a pegasus before. It took her completely by surprise and I would have broken her neck if I didn't stop partway down.

Either Xera understood, or they just followed my example and pinned her.

The Van Hoofs understood this well enough. As I now find myself wanting their expertise, I begin to wonder if I was mistaken in the decision to eradicate my relatives. There is no changing the past, as we live in far too fragile times to even contemplate time travel, and Glimmer's organization should serve as a suitable substitute.

I could feel the stare of betrayal and hurt she gave me.

"Tart, we will not do anything without a plan."

"..."

It wasn't enough, she didn't understand why I had to stop her.

"This isn't just dangerous, it is exactly the kind of situation you need me for. My family have studied this sort of thing. So please, stay put and listen!"

I put every bit of desperation, fear and pleading I could in my voice. She barely nodded, it would have to be enough.

"Xera, let her go."

The zebra did so, carefully and slowly. Still ready to pounce. Tart just sat up against the wall, bruised in both body and pride. Staring at me with a look I didn't care for, not saying anything.

So I took a deep breath and tried to explain.

"There are two things about this we need to worry about. The first one, which I really need you to understand... Is that this is NOT friendly territory. Not just the Van Hoofs, I mean Icetear and her army. If she gets wind of us, we are..."

I made a slashing motion with my wing across my throat.

"I mean it! The she shit she is doing, its bad. Kidnapping, torture, experiments on prisoners. If Luna realized what was going on she would shut it down, but she has no idea and has practically given Icetear free reign to do whatever she wants. And those ponies out there?"

I pointed with my wing, she glanced in the direction.

"She transferred thousands of them here, so that she could sneak around with her own little black ops team and make sure nobody interfered. Anyone notices anything wrong and they disappear or catches a random zebra bullet, and as Xera can tell you. There aren't any actual zebra infiltrators in Vanhoover, they avoid the city like the plague."

Xera nodded solemnly and added.

"City is cursed, Van Hoofs are cursed, every zebra in legion knows this."

Grudgingly, the ranger seemed to understand my point.

"And the other thing?"

I breathed a sigh of relief. She was at least listening.

"Time travel is dangerous, extremely dangerous. I don't know how it works, but it was the one thing Icetear was afraid to even attempt during the war. It was one thing that Starlight avoided, and I think Glimmer was afraid that it was the cause of all this."

"Of what?"

"The war. There is a memory orb back in the Institute, when Glimmer first met Golden Starlight. They both knew the wasteland, they both had seen it. And Glimmer had supposedly experimented with time travel when she was young, and almost destroyed Equestria as I understand it."

"I think I follow..."

Her eyes narrowed, some part of her thinking she found someone to blame everything on.

"No, Tart. You don't understand. The point is, if we aren't careful we might make it worse."

She scoffed at the suggestion.

"Worse, have you even seen the wastelan'? How could it possibly be worse?"

I stared at her with pleading eyes, trying to not panic over the situation.

She got the hint.

"You're actually serious, aren't you?

"I am."

Now, she was worried.

"So, let's see if I understand you. We are strand'd in a labyrinth of a city, anyone out there could be an enemy agent, and if they catch us... everythin' will go to Tartaros? Don't suppose you got a spell to get us back where we belon'?"

"I'm just a pegasus."

She looked skeptically at Xera, who shook their head.

"So what is the plan, how do we get out of here?"

I took a deep breath.

"I know one pony that should take us seriously, and knows how to get us back."

"Who? Twilight Sparkle?"

"No, Starlight Glimmer."

***

"This barely qualifies as a plan, and it is even worse than mine."

She wasn't wrong, it was a terrible plan, but it should work. I wasn't quite sure why it would work, mostly a hunch.

"Its working isn't it?"

We were walking on an empty street in broad daylight, with healthy looking trees and wines along tall walls on both sides. It looked like a boulevard of some sort, with apartment buildings on both sides as well as some small obscure shops. It looked like the sort of place that should be buzzing with activity, but there was nopony in sight anywhere.

"Not that I understan' how or why it's working? Where's everypony??"

"Hiding, I think."

I wasn't entirely sure myself as it was eerie, like walking in a ghost town. The entire street was deserted, I could sense there were ponies inside but nopony showed their faces. Its like they knew we were coming and all decided to hide.

"Should ah point out the obvious?"

I made a motion with my wing, not particularly caring what, too distracted by the situation.

"We, are walkin' headfirst into an ambush. Somepony saw us, ran off, ratted us out to the authorities and here we are."

It was the obvious, logical answer. Except, Vanhoover wasn't very logical.

"Pony is wrong. Ponies fear, ponies hide, ponies are prey..."

Tart froze at the comment, mouthed a silent what, the, fuck.

"Is this how your kind see us? Like bunnies to be hunted for sport??"

Xera seemed confused by the reaction, unsure if it was a mistranslation or if Tart was just looking for an excuse to start trouble.

"In Equestria, you either prey or predator. Prey die, predator survive. Is how it is."

"What, in the wasteland you mean? The one you striped bastards created?!"

Facewinging at the situation, I tried to stop them before it got any worse.

"Can you please stop?? Both of you!"

"No, it sounds like we should just get rid of the zebra and leave it here for Icetear's goons."

Raising an eyebrow at that.

"Are you an idiot? Like, a literal idiot??"

"Hey, it doesn't have to be alive."

My patience was running thin, and I could see Xera tense, ready for a fight.

"Girl, I am really not in the mood for this. DROP IT."

She stared into my eyes, obviously close to a breaking point herself.

"Fine. You explain this then."

Something in my mind clicked in place, getting the point that Xera had tried to make.

"All right. We're trouble, the locals want us gone."

"And the ponies we're avoiding?"

"Also trouble, Vanhooverites don't like outsiders. Icetear and everypony she brought are outsiders, they want them gone as well. And since Vanhoover is a bucking maze of a city, side roads and alleys like these are mostly private. I don't think any of Icetear's ponies patrol them, and if they do show up, its by accident."

Something else struck me as well.

"Honestly, it wouldn't surprise me if they end up missing. One way or another."

"What, so we just take these hidden roads you somehow are able to navigate to the edge of town then?"

I hadn't bothered to explain how I could, and it was probably the right decision.

"Pretty much yeah, we let Vanhoover work in our favour for once."

It took a few minutes of walking until she broke the creepy silence that followed our argument, this city was far far too quiet when it wasn't making strange noises.

"Are we absolutely sure the locals won't attack us?"

"Heh, you don't get it, do you?"

"What is it this time?"

"I'm from the Institute, I look like I come from the place, and Glimmer is the one outsider who's friendly with the Van Hoofs. You know, it is probably the first time ponies actually treated me well because of my striped wings."

"This, is being treated well?"

Her tone was skeptical, and my heart hurt thinking of it.

"Yeah, it really is..."

***

"Ya know, this really isn't an improvemen'."

It really wasn't. At some point, somepony had decided that we weren't there to cause trouble, we weren't threats, and somehow everypony had collectively decided to go about their day, acting like nothing was out of the ordinary. Everywhere there were ponies, local ones, chatting in a dialect I barely understood. The stark contrast made the previous street seem like a dream or a hallucination, or maybe they had just collectively had lunch at the time?

Except...

Not one of them looked at us, they actively looked past us and not one of us mentioned us as far as I was able to tell. It was like we weren't even there. A lot like the various dreams the unicorn had shown me, like it was a recording and not a real event. I was beginning to doubt my whether I had been right about this being a case of time travel, an immense dreamscape based on wartime Vanhoover wasn't all that far fetched. Was it?

Then I heard a derisive snort.

"What is that smell, it stinks!"

I didn't recognize the voice, but the pony sized dragon with its bright green and copper scales looked familiar somehow. Then it looked straight at me, met my gaze and my blood froze as I recognized the dragon from the city outskirts. She (I think), was the dragon that protected the Van Hoof Tower. The very same dragon that had tried to incinerate me.

"Father, who are those people?"

I didn't know who she was talking to, not yet.

As I was too shocked to react, Tart leaned closer and whispered a question

"Should we make a run for it?"

I didn't answer.

"Now now, Sphene, I have been telling you not to say such things. It isn't nice."

That voice sounded vaguely familiar however, turning my head to the direction of it, I saw him. A purple buck with a pink mane, dressed in a stylish suit, all of him glittering in the sunlight. He looked back at us, paused by our ragged looks and heavy weaponry. Not one of us was dressed for a walk through a peaceful city. His mouth opened as if to speak, then he closed it again and rubbed his chin in thought.

This, was a potential disaster in the making.

Then I heard the sound of a hoof hitting a face and a loud groan from someone else. An exquisitely dressed unicorn, with a matte grey coat and glittering golden mane. I knew her, I knew her better than anyone else in the wasteland. At this point I had learned to sense her, yet I had completely missed her presence. Then it dawned on me.

She was there, I could definitely sense her when I focused my spirit on her. Except...

It wasn't her.

Her aura, her spirit, her very soul was different. I couldn't recognize it, definitely not as the insane unicorn from my own time. In a way, it was obvious. The apocalypse changed everything, the balefire burned the very souls of ponies. And what was it she had said? That she had to piece herself together bit by bit?

Her voice was as sweet as it was poisonous, the anger in her tone was obvious.

"You... ignorant idiots! You should NOT be here."

Amethyst Van Hoof was still confused by our appearance, especially the stripes I suspected.

"Ehm, is this a government thing that I should not know about?"

I decided to interject.

"In a way, yes. So please just forget about us and we will be on our way."

He nodded, way too used to weird events I guessed, being a Van Hoof and all. The unicorn however...

"Most certainly not, I am not letting a trio of unsupervised amateurs walk around in the wrong era!"

At that, the purple crystal stallion blinked in shock and snapped his attention to her, then to us.

"You mean... chronomancy? An actual temporal translocation, in the middle of Vanhoover??"

In the back of my mind I noted Xera hiding behind me, and Tart getting ready for a crisis. With good reason, seeing as how the dragon was eyeing us suspiciously and slowly began prowling around us, ready to pounce. This needed to be defused, quickly.

"Hey, Amethyst, Ètoile. I get how risky this is. Let us just walk to the Institute and we'll fix this."

Her face went blank in response, she closed her eyes for a moment and then stared into my eyes. Something I said pissed her off properly. Was it the implication that we were trying to reach Starlight Glimmer, or was it something else? The name, maybe?

"Hm..." Amethyst answered before she could. "Director Glimmer then, and am I correct in that you didn't intend on getting here? Judging by your anxiety and state of dress, I am guessing you ended up stranded as part of some mishap. No offense, but this is why amateurs shouldn't experiment with this kind of magic."

She turned to her purple companion, looked at him with a quizzical look and realized that he was right.

"Yeah, that sums it up pretty well. And honestly, none of this was part of the plan."

The unicorn took a deep breath, probably meaning to say something important.

"Duke Van Hoof, as of now this is officially a government matter. I am officially censoring this event for the good of the state, not one word is to reach the Coordinator or anyone working under her authority. Nor are you to share this with any of your relatives, and I will personally handle this matter from now on."

What the buck?!

"Ay! On whos' authority?!"

At that moment, I was proud of Tart. Even if this wasn't the sort of thing she was trained for, she recognized a threat when she heard it, and she knew better than to cooperate with this particular authority figure.

The grey mare rolled her eyes in response and answered in a tired tone.

"My own as a ministerial secretary of the M.O.I. No, let me rephrase that for you. As the formal representative acting on ministry mare Rarity's personal authority in all matters dealing with Vanhoover and its surrounding territories, I am formally sealing this event. If you want to object, you will have to take it up with Princess Luna herself. And due to the sensitivity of the situation, I officially recommend against such a course of action."

"Yeah, right... Just one probl'm, yer highness. We don't trust ye. Like, at all!"

I had to stifle a laughter at her expression as she didn't get the reference.

"She has a point. I know you, or at least enough about you to not trust you. So..."

Letting my voice trail off, I smiled at her frustration. Even if she would prefer to have us killed, she wouldn't dare. Her careful choice of words, her tone, her facial expression. All of it, to mask the fact that she was utterly terrified. Of the situation, of what we might cause if we decided to make trouble.

The fancy grey unicorn froze at the realization that I knew how scared she was. In everything she did, every action, every scheme, all of it was about being in control of her every situation. And in this very moment, I was the one who was in control. I honestly think she was too stunned at the time to even resent me for it.

She took a breath, not as deeply as she had intended. Another one, and another one.

"In order for you to cooperate, what do you need?"

When you have the initiative, don't lose it.

"Starlight Glimmer. I thought that's obvious."

She had to talk slowly to keep her composure.

"I need you three to get off the street, this is too public. We will go somewhere more private, I will make sure none of Icetear's agents are following, and then I will call Glimmer. Is that acceptable?"

I noticed the meaning between the words, she still wanted Amethyst out of this. Unfortunately for her, I trusted him more than I trusted her. So he would stay, at least for a while.

"Sure, let's go with that. Amethyst can lead the way."

Tart raised an eyebrow at me, but relaxed ever so slightly.

"... If you insist, then fine. There is still the issue of the thestral to deal with first."

"The what now?"

She sighed, and explained.

"For the purposes of this discussion, a pegasus spy on the rooftop that has been following us for the last three neighbourhoods. Presumably acting under Icetear's orders and keeping a watch on either the Duke or myself, and as of now, you three as well."

There was a creepy chuckling from the dragon that I had half forgotten.

"That one is simple enough, I'll sneak up on the bat and give them a scare."

The unicorn shook her head ever so slightly.

"No, not enough. A distraction will not do, she has seen them in the presence of myself and the Duke. I suggest you dispose of the little stalker, but be careful as she is most likely of Luna's royal guard."

How could she talk about something like that in such a normal tone?

"Oh, you will most certainly not! I will not have my own daughter kill a member of her highness' guard, in the middle of my own city, for the sole crime of being at the wrong place at the wrong time! Nor will I tolerate anyone else doing the deed. You will find a non-lethal solution to this!"

Amethyst's outburst was shocking to all of us, and as she was still off balance she just said:

"If you insist... The Boulevard of Stars, please, take them there. Sphene, that distraction you offered?"

The dragon slithered away into an alley with a frightening speed. Just what was it with ponies adopting actual dragons? It freaked me out and reminded me of the hybrid that I had brawled with in that haunted forest, did it come from another of Vanhoover's many blasphemous projects?

***

This street made about as much sense as anything else in my adult life. It was roughly oval in shape, with no beginning or end. The thing just circled back on itself and I struggled with understanding exactly how we reached it. Amethyst had led us down what looked like a stair to a basement, and we ended up in the tunnels beneath the city. None of could remember how we got back up, or where the entrance was. The whole little neighbourhood seemed to be completely cut of from the outside world, (as long as you discounted the aerial route).

"Just... what??"

Tart seemed to have a developed a headache by trying to follow just what happened.

"Oh right, you are outsiders. Vanhoover's architecture has all sorts of enchantments within its construction. Illusions, spatial distortions for extra space, temporal adjustments to minimize upkeep, wards to keep others out. The city is full of little private streets like this one, we even lost track of a few of them over the centuries.

The three of us glanced at each other and went huh at the explanation.

"Ya never thought that might've be a bad idea?"

His reaction was that of a patient adult explaining things to a child.

"Why would it? We have been doing it for hundreds of years without any issues. And if we need more space within the city we just bend things a little further and you can fit entire streets into the heart of the city. Not much need to expand things outwards really."

The ranger was about to explain just how utterly out of controls things would get.

"Tart, please."

She turned her head to object.

"No. We aren't supposed to talk about these things. That said, are we absolutely sure we're safe here?"

"From my cousin? Definitely. There is a difference between a native hooverite and an outsider who barely managed to learn how to find their way around town, you don't find these places without being invited. So as long as nopony followed us here, nopony will show up to make trouble."

A thought struck me.

"And Icetear herself?"

"Has not set hoof in here for years, nor will she. Too traumatic."

I was about to question that when Xera made an audible gasp that worried me, I saw them backing away frantically from a scarlet coloured earth pony in a fairly plain grey dress who just exited one of the shops. The more I looked at the mare, the less frightening she seemed. Her facial expression was soft, her white mane and tail were fluffy, the dress had a simple floral pattern and she wore mostly silver jewelry. As well as a large seven pointed star in gold in a necklace.

The shop she had left was named The Seller of Stars, a name I vaguely recognized and knew I should be disturbed by. Other than the obvious part about the whole Zebran myths about stars in general, I couldn't place it. Xera freaking out didn't disturb her in the least, she seemed to be used to it.

"OK, that is slightly weird."

Not much compared to the rest of Vanhoover, I'll admit.

She trotted up to Amethyst and asked causally.

"Who are these ponies, your grace? Customers?"

Amethyst shook his head.

"No, Starlight just wanted them somewhere private. And I don't think they are all ponies, actually."

The mare looked at us one by one, first Tart, then Xera and then me.

"You certainly look like ponies to me."

"We're not changelings if that is what you are wondering. Long story short, I'm a zony. Name's Windstriker. Xera over there is a zebra, Tart is just a regular pony. And you are?"

She pondered that for a moment, looked at Xera.

"Is that what they look like, Zebras I mean?"

Didn't she want to tell us her name or was she that distracted?

"What else would they look like?"

The red mare shrugged and looked at me.

"So why aren't you a zebra?"

"I...uhm... what?"

"That there is an earth zebra, you are clearly a pegazebra. Are there unizebras as well, or are they called zebracorns? What is the naming convention regarding different breeds of zebras anyway? The Equestrians were always so vague about that."

I dropped on my rump and scratched my neck, trying to understand this strange pony. And why I had a nagging feeling that she was important, very important. It felt like she was somewhere in the middle of this great clusterbuck of a situation we and Vanhoover were in.

***

We were still in the middle of a pointless and convoluted conversation when her ears suddenly perked up, and she noticed Starlight arriving. Her expression in that moment... She didn't just recognize the grey unicorn, she was positively happy to see her. And then I noticed a worry as she sped up and galloped towards her. Ètoile looked relieved at her presence, and she relaxed. And that nuzzling...

Grey dress, golden seven pointed star necklace. It's kind of obvious in hindsight.

"You know, Windstriker. I'm not sure what to think anymore."

My ranger had mixed feelings about the situations, my own felt better.

"You foolish ponies, do you not understand?"

Tart raised an angry eyebrow at Xera, expecting something offensive.

"They are witches, both of them! Evil enchantresses."

The eccentric behaviour began to make sense, I turned to Amethyst and asked.

"She is a Van Hoof as well, isn't she?"

He chuckled slightly.

"A minor branch of the family. Scarlet is more known for her craft than any family position."

Tart noticed it as well, and realized it was probably important.

"Her craft? What craft?"

I merely nodded at the question, this felt very important.

"She is a soulforger."

His tone was calm and made it sound like this was a perfectly normal thing to say. Like every neighbourhood had a soulforger, a pony that made soul jars for a living. There were many zebra myths about such things, and there was always one desperate or particularly evil sorceress that made a singular soul jar to outlast death, or to obtain great power. Icetear had three of them, and those trinkets had become the stuff of myth and legend, and the basis for a new civilization in the ruins of the old world.

"So that is why Icetear stays away..."

Having your soul ripped apart while you are still alive, trying to continue on living with just a part of it, trying to hide it. Always having those soul jars around you to remind you of what you have lost, desperately longing for them to be part of you again. It would be horrifying...

"Wait..."

I stared at the pair. The unicorn who used all sorts of black magic, and who had turned into an overpowered wasteland mutant when the world died... And a gentle looking mare who created soul jars as a living? This couldn't be a coincidence, nothing involving that grey mare was ever a coincidence.

"What exactly are their deal?"

The purple pony had noticed nothing of our discomfort, or didn't care all that much.

"They are married of course, I officiated the wedding and everything."

Definitely not a coincidence.

***

The letter was written by Ètoile, confirmed by me and signed by both her and Amethyst. I expected the scroll to disappear in a blinding flash or in a magical fire, instead it just sort of fragmented into black dust and disappeared into the sky. The content of the letter was short and fairly on point.

"Director Glimmer

Class C emergency in Vanhoover. Please arrive at the Boulevard of Stars at earliest convenience.

Golden Starlight, Amethyst Van Hoof

The name, I was now sure it was important. In Glimmer's memory orb she had insisted on being called Ètoile, and she definitely seemed to prefer it whenever I met her in my dreams. So why would she sign a letter to Glimmer with her alias, and not her private childhood name?

Was it a refusal to accept the Van Hoofs as her family, or was it something else?

"I am going to need tea for this, so if you excuse me..."

The unicorn seemed to steel herself for the encounter and entered the shop. Leaving the three of us with Amethyst and Scarlet, with the clear cultural divide that was the difference between an ordinary person and a Van Hoof. Still, this was an opportunity. These two ponies were scatterminded. And it should be easy to learn things from them, secret things.

"So, Scarlet. How did the two of you meet? This place is a bit out of the way."

Her eyes glittered with excitement at the question, this was almost embarrassingly easy.

"Why, the same way I meet most of my clients. They show up on my doorstep and ask for a miracle. Although it was the first time I had a unicorn walk show up, a real one I mean. First I thought she was Starshine's daughter, she sure looks like her, but then I realized she was the real deal. A genuine Wyldwood unicorn, and she is all mine."

A perfect score at first draw, I believe that is called a Blackjack.

"Oh? A Wyldwood unicorn, really?"

I tried to sound fancy and casually interested, the weirdness of me doing it made Tart perk her ears.

"Yes, you could imagine my reaction. They have been extinct for millennia after all, it was a blessing from the stars. Well, technically not a blessing as it was only a singular unicorn but you get my meaning?"

I nodded silently and turned to Amethyst.

"Does her highness Luna know about this?"

He made an offended expression.

"You clearly have never met the princess, nothing in Canterlot and very little in Equestria ever escapes her. The ministries are far from the entirety of the government you know? Word of advice... Windstriker was it? Do not underestimate the princess, you would only embarrass yourself."

Meaning, she tolerates the little monster for some reason. No, judging by what I knew of wartime Equestria, the princess probably found her useful for something. Or the ministry mare did and Luna was just willing to overlook the uncomfortable parts of her government. And it was in this moment I realized that I really didn't want to live in Equestria, it was a terrible place.

"I see..."

It was all I felt like saying. But there was a nagging thought that had been at the back of my mind for the last few hours, and this was a pair of actual Van Hoofs. I could finally get a solid and reliable answer.

"Speaking of alicorns. Amalthea, I know little about her. How is she, as a person?"

They hesitated, interesting. Amethyst was first to recover.

"How do you..."

I made a smile that in hindsight was a lot like the unicorn's.

"Please, my dear duke. I am the granddaughter of the current director of the Starlight Institute."

Raspberry Tart was staring at me for some reason, impressed by my manner of speech I thought at the time.

"Oh. I thought you were bit too eloquent for your... if you pardon the insult, ragged looks. No, she rarely appears to anypony. Sightings have been recorded every few decades, the last time she actually talked to somepony was..."

He scratched his head, trying to remember or considering if he should tell me. Scarlet intervened.

"Exactly 28 years ago as I recall, your mother and the current duchess at the time had an argument about it. Was the gossip of the entire city for years. Then it was hushed down and forgotten."

She, had evidently not forgotten. Every little thing they mentioned was a new piece in a puzzle that I wasn't supposed to figure out. Every date, every name, every link between two pieces of trivia. Lately, things hadn't made much sense and I was sure somepony or something was hiding from me. I would find them, and I would confront them.

If only my two companions would stop staring at me like that, it was distracting.

***

The unicorn returned, levitating a tea set with a remarkably large pot. It was remarkably unadorned, strange for her I thought. Then I noticed the smell, and realized that it smelled of Jasmine and not the Elderflower that I had expected. I had barely taken a sip of the green tea when a bright flash occurred close to us. Everyone but her and me were shocked at the sudden light. I had been expecting it.

And there she stood, the pony from history class, the pony whose picture hung in the Director's office. A pale purplish unicorn with a purple, cyan and grey mane. Her eyes were closed when she appeared, she took a deep breath, opened her eyes, looked at us and raised an eyebrow at Amethyst and Scarlet.

Amethyst stood up and cleared his throat.

"I believe it is about time for me to leave."

He nodded to Glimmer and said in a formal tone.

"Director."

"Duke."

As he was leaving she looked at Scarlet who said in a pleasant conversational tone.

"I live here, you are our guest, not the host."

There was something in Scarlet's voice, something magical and wonderful, and I think Glimmer recognized it. She sighed, ignored us and stared directly at Starlight. Her tone when she spoke was that of a tired teacher having to deal with a problem child, I know that tone all too well.

"Starlight, what did you do this time?"

My eyes were on Glimmer but I could feel her tension and her careful speech.

"Nothing."

She made an obvious gesture of drinking her tea before continuing.

"This is all on you, these strays are yours. All I did was making sure they stayed out of trouble, although it seems that I have failed in that endeavor. Now, they are formally your problem."

Instead of answering, she turned her eyes to us three, probably thinking something about our clothes, armour and excessive weaponry. For a moment she looked straight into my eyes, I noticed nothing weird about it except that she had a puzzled look on her face, then at my two companions.

Her voice was cold, and stern.

"Will somepony explain exactly what is going on here?"

I opened my mouth to speak, to explain about it being a freak accident because of wild uncontrolled magic that we just happened to be in the presence of, but before I managed to say the first word, Tart interrupted me.

"Director, there is somethin' wron' with my friend! Please!"

My emotions were split between annoyance at her being so paranoid, and heartbroken by the tone of her voice. Then my coat hairs stood on end as a magical veil rippled across me, and before I could react I was gripped in a turquoise cloud of magic. Telekinesis, I recognized it. My mother used to do that when I acted up, pretty easy to get out of honestly.

Except I couldn't, my legs and my wings were gripped tight.

"Starlight, what did you do to her?"

I tried to protest but couldn't more than grumble, I could however glance at the grey unicorn that stared maliciously at her purple counterpart. And whatever was going on, I knew she was hiding something, some secret spell. Part of my mind had already pieced together most of what had happened, other parts still refused to acknowledge it however.

"I have done nothing to the little imp."

Her voice was cool, and controlled, carefully wording every little bit.

"I recognize your spellwork anywhere, what spell is on the filly and how we fix it?"

My mind was desperately trying to figure out how to escape, even as some part of it questioned if we even should.

"It is a mind control spell." Her tone was pleasant, and obviously faked, and it still unnerved me to hear it from her own lips. "More specifically, it is an experimental spell I made decades ago. It creates a dormant personality overlay onto an existing mind, and occasionally it intercedes and takes over. The idea was to create a way to subtly nudge ponies in the right direction, unfortunately the new personality is sentient and ends up growing until it takes precedence over the original host."

Everyone was quiet and stared at the evil creature that was very much in my mind, and in a way, was my mind.

"I for one can not imagine why my future self would ever bring out that monstrosity of a spell, it always was more trouble than it was worth. When my mind becomes the dominant one, the original spirit becomes part of the subconsciousness, directing it silently. Instead of creating an agent acting on my behalf, the spell ended up creating quite dangerous individuals."

Dangerous to her, she meant.

Xera looked like they desperately wanted to say something, but couldn't. Like they were held back by a terror at the words of the grey unicorn, and they also looked like they would do something brash and deadly if Glimmer wasn't on our side. Tart, to her credit, only had her mind on one thing.

"Fix her, or I swear to Luna I will rip you a new one!"

Of course, she just rolled her eyes at the threat. I honestly doubted that a machine gun posed much a threat to her in the first place, there was no way ponies hadn't tried to shoot her before. And at this point I was unsure if killing her would be enough, or if there was some specific way she had to be killed for her to stay dead.

"As you wish."

It was the same sarcastic phrase she had said to me. And then I felt an increasing dread as she rose from her seat, walked closer, stepped in front of me and lowered her head. As she aimed her horn towards my forehead I felt utter panic, she was going to kill me. Well, not me but me none the less.

Black tendrils rose from her horn and pierced my skull, I could feel them, not in my brain but in my soul as they reached around, ruthlessly cutting apart nerve-like bonds that I didn't even know existed. With every cut I cried out if pain, and then as she was cut the last chord, the tendrils grasped something and ripped it out.

I would have dropped to the floor and fainted if Glimmer wasn't already holding me, as I was hurting from within and felt utter exhaustion I could just stare at the jagged black thing, and felt utter disgust even as I wanted it back. She noticed of course and said simply.

"No, this one belongs to me."

As the tendrils gripped around it and pulled into herself instead. There was better ways to do what she had just done, gentler ways. What she had done was practically rip a parasite right out of victim, not caring what damage she would do and I could feel my soul bleeding.

Again, she started with her fake lecturing voice.

"If you want a total recovery, I suggest you do a memory alteration to remove the last phantoms from the spell."

Spell, what a choice of word. There was a reason it didn't go as she wanted, a reason to why the spell became self aware, it was a soul shard. What she had done was attempting to turn a living person into a soul jar, with vastly different results. The mad pony that resembled her was half right, it was a form of possession after all.

Only, there was only a single moment when this could have happened.

There were things going on around me, more shouting, more magic. I couldn't pay any attention and was only half awake, as I was rapidly losing consciousness. The last thing I noticed was Xera nervously accepting Glimmer's help with whatever spell was on the poor zebra. After all this time, they could finally speak freely, and the zebra shouted to the heavens.

"SHE IS A DEMON!!"

And my last thoughts before I blacked out were why are they so surprised?

***

When I woke up I was seriously confused, and not just because of what I had gone through. When I looked up I saw the dim electric light of a stable set to night time, and I was definitely lying in a standard issue stable and saw a familiar face next to me. Looking around I tried to figure out if this was my own room, and I felt increasingly sure it was. I knew I had amnesia, but it was still wrong somehow.

Fiddling with my pipbuck I tried to find someway to confirm it. The date was internal, but the radio perhaps? And yep, the Stable 33 channel was just static, and I couldn't get any other channels down in the bunker (nothing new there). Still not feeling entirely safe, as this could be a weird dream thing again.

A blinking light caught my attention, a terminal on standby. Carefully walking over there, occasionally dropping to the floor as my legs felt tired and confused. As I got to it, I ignored it and pulled out a data chord from the pipbuck, attached it to the wall socket and got access to the stable Maneframe. It was protected by several passwords, but I did have executive level clearance for everything.

It was filled with files and information, an entire back up of everything the Institute ever researched. I searched for anything my mother had worked on, nothing. Did the same with my grandfather's work, again I found nothing. Then I searched my own name and discovered a record that turned out to be a few days old.

Windstriker - Stable Resident

Confirmed.

This was most likely the past then, if it was the present my relatives would be mentioned somewhere in the maneframe, and if it was a dream it probably wouldn't have this specific information. Confirmation of stable residence only happened when a foal was born, someone joined the Institute or there was a malfunction.

I briefly considered whether I should write something or leave a note to warn about the future here, but even as dazed as I was, I realized it was a really bad idea. Instead I connected to the Overmare's office and left a note specifically for Glimmer mentioning that I was awake and wanted to know what happened while I was out, which in hindsight probably surprised her a great deal.

Why did my mother give me executive level clearance for all Stable and M.A.S. systems in the first place?

Somepony stirred in my bed and looked remarkably cute when she rubbed her eyes and tried to wake up, I could get used to this sight I decided. Raspberry Tart looked far better after a shower and dressed in blankets rather than dirty armour and a machine gun, although I should probably keep that thought to myself.

"Windstriker, you up?"

I disconnected the pipbuck and wobbled back to bed. Desperately hoping to not hear any questions about how I felt, and trying to not think about it. It was horrifying, to be so utterly aware of my own existence, to not only sense the existence of my own scarred soul, but to know it in its every spectral nerve, how it pulsated with life as if it had a heart of its own. If I wanted a soul jar of my own, I could do it. And oh so much much more...

An entire new spectrum of reality was within my reach, and I really wanted nothing more than to go back to my old ignorant and impatient self. This wasn't just fear or trauma, I still struggle to put it into words.

She looked worried and was about to open her mouth when I hugged her. When she hugged me back, I felt the warmth, the heartbeat and her very soul, I broke down crying. I was fully aware that she couldn't understand even if I explained, but she cared about me and at that moment it would have to do.

***

Sitting in the stable cantina, eating breakfast quietly with one other person, surrounded by stares and whispers. It was eerily familiar and yet I did not know a single pony, zebra or zony here and there were slight differences in decoration and taste that made the whole thing unnerving. A strong sense of deja vu and a feeling that my memory of the last such event was wrong, and for all I knew it could be.

Tart had tried to have conversation with me but I barely heard a word of it.

"Where is Xera?"

At this point I was unsure if the zebra ever existed, that was the level of doubt I was feeling at the moment. Her face contorted with a mix of disgust and worry, I was unsure if I would ever get that ingrained xenophobia out of her completely. Old world propaganda was freakishly effective, and that triggered a thought in the back of my mind that would grow slowly over the coming days.

"It- they are around here somewhere. Found some other zebras to talk to. And your director seemed to reach an understanding with them, they seem to be doing well."

"You barely paid any attention, did you?"

"I had you to think about! You passed out, and the zebra started shoutin' about you dyin'! I couldn't understand any of it, what they did to save you, if it would save you, you have been out of it for days and I had no idea if you would ever wake up and I couldn't lift a hoof to help!"

Needless to say, I felt guilty over it.

"Sorry."

I half whispered the response, now she looked guilty.

"Glimmer has tried to explain things but I could barely understand half of it and and..."

"Tart... I'm awake, I'm alive and not dying."

The beige mare hesitated, and asked cautiously.

"Are you goin' to be okay?"

"Physically? Yeah, in time. Emotionally? No, probably never."

Spiritually, no I would not, but I left that part unsaid.

We sat there, quietly for a few minutes, until I felt that I had to ask.

"My memories, did you touch them?"

"No! Glimmer said that it might help, but didn't to do anything while you were still... hurt. And I wouldn't let her, or anyone touch you more than necessary." She paused a moment "I really didn't want to do anything that mare suggested, ever."

I took a deep breath.

"Thank you."

"Do you... want to do the treatment?"

I shook my head slowly.

"No... Well. Yes, but we are going to need these memories. Fragmented as they are. I... think I can kill her."

"Uhm... Windstriker?"

"I sound like her?"

She blinked in surprise and nodded.

"She's gone, but I can remember how she thinks. And when I think of these... things. It is easier to understand if imitate how she thinks, I am the one only one in control now however. And you know... this is how Icetear came to be."

"What??"

Deciding that I needed to ventilate even if she wouldn't understand, I began explaining.

***

There was once a filly, different from all around her and treated harshly by the adults for reasons she couldn't understand. When the other foals began bullying her, no one lifted a hoof to stop it. Even her only parent didn't seem to care, for reasons she still couldn't understand. And she was confronted by a choice, give up...

Or resist.

The reason I could figure out this unspoken bit of the story was simple, I went through it as a child and it was the reason I became the zony I am. When the entire world tells you to die, you stare it in the face and say you first. As I was treated as an idiot by smarter zonies, I turned to physical violence. This filly, however had another talent.

She turned to black magic.

The astral magic of Vanhoover is mostly ritualistic, relying on the right location, the right time of day, month and year to gather enough ambient energies in order to power the spells. It isn't fit for fighting, it was never designed for it. There was one difference for the little filly however, she was a unicorn.

Possibly the only one in Vanhoover. I could easily imagine the words unicorns belong in the woods being said, add a few books on dark magic and she would decide on a foolish decision out of a cautionary tale from zebra myths.

How many tales are there of ponies and zebras selling their souls to dark spirits in exchange for power? And this little filly knew where to find the oldest spirits in all of Equestria, the damned remnants of long dead unicorns, from an age before the princesses or their mother ever drew breath.

A foal willingly binding a nightmare to her soul, and with a strong resentment to everypony around her. It was no surprise they exiled her and her mother, and of course she struggled to fit in at the bright cheerful capital of Equestria and friendship. It was no surprise nopony really understood what was going on, Starshine would never talk to a stranger about what her foal had done.

At some point, no... A little at a time, the nightmare became the pony who was awake and aware. A lot like what happened to me, she became the pony people met and talked to, and the filly was forgotten. And at some point, she finally disappeared entirely.

And then, an ancient demon was alive in the body of a pony, walking around Equestria with no one any wiser.

Then the real horror began.

As long as Etoile Van Hoof was alive, as long as she still existed, there was somepony to recognize the nightmare. When she disappeared the pony that remained was alone, walking around as a ghost among million others, not one of them knowing that she actually existed. By now the lies and the secrets had gone on long enough, she couldn't just open up and tell everypony. She knew more than anyone else just how terrifying the weapons developed by both sides of the war were, she knew that for all her age, she was far from the most powerful being around.

And that, is when a ghost began to fear death.

***

"The so called princess of our own time, she is a monster of her own making. What she doesn't know is that her original self is next to her, wishing for her death while still being utterly terrified of her."

Tart was very quiet for a few moments.

"You mentioned Icetear?"

"That spell I was under, she put it on her as well. I don't know what sort of pony she was before, but the similarities are obvious to me, at least now that I know what to look for. And now... She hoped to use me to get rid of them, and instead she made a third of us."

"Love, you are nothing like them."

That, I had no idea how much I needed to hear it. I had so many thoughts, so many ideas, so many potential plans. For ponies I knew, for Vanhoover, for the wasteland, and I shuddered at them. Because they weren't really my own, they were schemes designed by her mind, not mine. And yet they were from my perspective, from my point of view, with my abilities and contacts.

"Thank you."

I really meant it.

***

Like the cantina, the Overmare's office was recognizable and yet wrong in so many little ways. The lighting was off, the desk was too new, the terminal was different as were the decorations. I don't like time travel, it just feels wrong, and with good reason. Its a lot like feeling pain, or nausea after eating bad food, it's an instinct to protect you from hurting yourself and those around you. This was something I learned during the days I stayed in the past and talked with the pony who created my home.

"Are you absolutely sure?"

Glimmer could tell, of course she could.

"Yes, I have lost enough of myself as it is. No offense, but I don't trust even you to mess around with my mind. I need to sort this out on my own, at my own pace."

She sighed.

"Don't worry, I am not going to force the issue."

I looked the purple unicorn straight in the eyes, as I wanted to make sure she didn't change her mind.

"If I figure out you did it anyways, I will kill you. No matter the consequences."

She didn't back away.

"Yes, I know. Either way, I won't force the issue."

It had been a few days since I awoke, and there was always something about the patient and strained tone Glimmer used when she spoke with me. She never used it with anyone else, except for a few specific times that I could remember, and I felt like I should ask.

"Am I a lot like her?"

The thing with meeting your childhood idols is that they never live up to your expectations. I knew her to be a powerful and influential unicorn, just the type of pony that I was supposed to be, and that she had stronger ethics than most did during the war. The entire point of the institute was to stay independent from the corrupting influences of the government, and to protect those who would get trampled by the xenophobic policies of old Equestria. And for all that, all I could see during my talks with her time was an old mare filled with regrets.

"Like Ètoile, yes. Remarkably similar to how she became over the years. The emotional barriers, the fierce desire to outlive everypony else, the resentment towards the world and everypony in it. I suspect that is why Starlight picked you, immortal creatures are very prone to nostalgia."

That raised a question to my mind.

"Could you actually tell them apart?"

This discussion broke open a lot of old wounds for Glimmer, and still, she wasn't going to refuse me some answers. Not because of me, but because of the lost unicorn she once failed. And I still... needed to know.

"Better than everypony else I like to think. While most ponies just viewed it as mood swings related to wartime stress disorder, it is fairly clear when you know what to look for. Ètoile was filled with anger and desperation, and cut herself off from everypony around her, Starlight was far more... active. Ètoile wanted to burn the world to ash, while Starlight is afraid of the coming apocalypse."

"You know, if I hadn't lived through it myself I would probably not believe you."

The old mare blinked at me in confusion.

"I am not sure I understand, you lived through it?"

"I've seen her memory of the day the bombs fell, and... do you know what balefire is, what it does to ponies?"

She didn't answer, the look in her eyes confirmed it. After a while I asked another question.

"There is a living nightmare within Equestria's government, she caused the death of one of your students and yet you have done practically nothing. Everything I know about you as a pony makes me wonder why, why haven't you gone to princess Luna with this? Why haven't you banished her somewhere? And don't tell me you can't, she fears you."

Her heart rate increased, she didn't look me in the eye and her voice was filled with regret, this was a question she didn't want me to ask, didn't want to answer and yet she would do it irregardless.

"Do you know why Ètoile died?"

And here it was, the secret I wanted before I left to my own time.

"I assume it has something to do with having a demonic nightmare living inside her?"

"In a way yes, Ètoile had a strong will however and more than enough magic to spare. She could have lived like that for centuries without anypony being any wiser, she could probably have exorcised Starlight if she really wanted to. Except, she didn't."

I expected this next bit to be important, and it was.

"It is a terrible thing, to be alive and to not have anypony recognize you. To not have anypony who really knows you, that you exist. Nopony can live like that, and in the end she just gave up and faded away. Not even the nightmare she had lived with for decades noticed anything until it was too late."

We sat there for a while, at her desk, hot cocoa to drink and neither of us in the mood to talk all that much. There was a sense of mutual understanding between us, both of us had mixed feelings regarding the demonic mare, both of us knew the world would soon burn and yet neither of us would even try to stop it.

In this short while she became my mentor when it came to magic, at first because she wanted me to not cause any disasters to the timeline, then because I was curious and I might need to know these things. And it turned out that Icetear was right, the mix of classical Equestrian education and zebran myths that I grew up with made it easy to learn astral magic. In fact, I would even go as far as to say I had a talent for it.

It wasn't that I wanted immortality or power or anything like that, I needed to know these things if I was going to deal with Vanhoover and the mess left by the Van Hoofs and by the grey unicorn. I had been given the chance to forget most of it, to be free of these secrets. Instead, I dove headfirst into it.

"Director... I think I am ready."

***

I looked at the yellow tea cup in front of me, closed my eyes and tried to visualize it, that far things were easy. Having to sense my own magic, channeling it and focusing it in my horn, that was far far more difficult. Generating a magical spark or two was easy, actually doing something with it was a lot harder.

Slowly, I opened my eyes and kept my mind concentrated on the cup. I found it enveloped in a faint veil of purple energies, glittering softly. Impressed with my progress, my concentration broke and the magic failed.

A few deep breaths to calm myself. Ironically this was just the sort of repetitive busywork I hated as a filly. Despite that, I was sitting there, alone, performing elementary unicorn tricks, and remembering how my mother would have scorned me over failing at something so simple as telekinesis.

That was the reason I didn't tell anyone about it, if people were going to hover over me and comment on every little thing I would never be able to get anything done. And I wasn't doing it for anyone else's sake, this was entirely a hobby of my own.

Reading up lucid dreaming really helped me understand all those strange dreamy landscapes I had experienced, it was difficult but I had learned how to affect my surroundings in new and impressive ways (to me at least). Eventually my nagging feeling couldn't be ignored anymore, and I attempted to change something else, my very own body.

Unicorns are weird, as are earth ponies, it felt so wrong to not have my wings at my side. The horn however, while distracting, wasn't all that bad and I found it very helpful as I performed my little magical experiments. Being born as an unicorn was cheating at life I concluded, and now I wondered why pony education was so... segregated.

A deep breath and I tried to put those thoughts out of my mind, there was only me, my horn and the cup.

This time I tried to feel it, like the wind or the emotional auras of ponies around me, and I could definitely grasp the object. There was resistance as I slowly forced my magic against it, and crack.

In front of me lay the shards of the porcelain cup, a few changes in the dream and I had another cup in front of me. One way or another, I was going to make this work.

***

Despite all the black magic and curses of Vanhoover, it was still a miraculous oasis in a radioactive wasteland. There was a reason to why that was the name ponies had chosen for Equestria, it was very much a damned land in every sense of the word. You didn't live in the wasteland, you merely survived until you didn't.

Point is, the the crimson desert in front of me was new to me, and it helped put things in perspective. The sun was setting in the west, and the air was rapidly cooling down. At the far end of the cliff sat two striped figures, close together in silence. And I felt guilty over disturbing this moment, but this was the last chance for privacy.

So I walked forward, preparing myself for a farewell I never really planned. And felt a bit of regret to not have talked more with the zebra before this. Too caught up in my own obsessions, too focused on Tart, and they never even questioned it. Because why would they, they were a zebra acting as a bodyguard to a pony travelling pony lands.

Except, this was me and I really should have known better.

"You are here, I feared you would arrive sooner or later."

Even now, a sound of concern for my soul in their voice.

"Yes, I am."

I walked up and sat down next to them, and looked at the zebra stallion besides my companion. He was tall, toned muscles, scars all over his coat and several large ones across his face. This was a stallion that had seen more fighting than most, and he had survived. His eyes had an absent and tired yet gentle look.

"He reminds me of my father..."

"You broke him."

The voice was a little spiteful, but not very serious. As we sat there he faded away, just a memory and long gone. Neither of us had magic to bring back the dead, even in our dreams. The best we could do was a copy of what we remembered them as.

"Sorry, I am still bad at this sort of magic."

"One should not dabble in star sorcery, you know this. And yet you do."

I gazed at the sun sinking beneath the horizon, enjoying the sight.

"It is my own decision, not hers."

"I wonder, she is still influencing you. Is she not?"

"Barely, not anymore than my mother is. She isn't here, she can't actually do anything."

"Then why did you insist Glimmer teach you?"

Sighing, I tried to explain my reasoning.

"You know, my mother always wanted a unicorn... And besides, I have a few monsters to handle. Still not sure if I have to kill them or... I need to have the options there when I return to my own time, I need to have a few tricks that no one is prepared for."

"And so, to slay monsters... You decide to become one yourself."

I shrugged at that.

"If I have to. What is another monster in the wasteland?"

"As you say, sorceress."

Night fell, in the distance we saw the stars and I found Xera staring longingly at them. It would be rude to comment, and besides... by now I felt a similar thing when I looked at them, I wanted to reach out to them, to bathe in their magic and to explore that dark void. I also hated myself for it, although that feeling was slowly fading, I made my decision and I had to be satisfied with it.

None of the myths ever talked about how peaceful damnation was.

"Speaking of dumb decisions, I can't believe she is letting you stay."

The zebra actually laughed. They looked at me with tears in their eyes and a smile on their lips.

"No, no, you silly pony. I did not ask the purple one, and she is not letting me stay."

My eyebrow rose at that, Director Glimmer had told me directly that my zebra friend would stay behind.

"You see, we talked, and she was the one who offered it."

Now it was my time to laugh, and to shake my head in disbelief.

"Why... am I not surprised?"

It was a rhetorical question, and I somehow still got an answer.

"Because you are a sorceress now, winged one. You know things that others do not, that is your fate."

The mood was far better than I expected it to be, and it was nice to reach an understanding with the companion I had overlooked the last few weeks, who had stayed by my side through the worst of places. And as I thought about Glimmer's suggestion that Xera stay behind in the past, and how it broke several chronomatic rules I had learned. And yet... it felt like the right choice.

I laughed, with more energy than I had for so long. It was so obvious.

"You know, I think you will find life here quite nice after all."

The zebra looked at me, with their head tilted and with that strange quizzical look. Smiling I explained, just a bit.

"Magical talent is inherited from parent to child right?"

Their eyes went wide at the implication.

Level Up

Skill Note: Occultism - 50%

Perk Added: Sorceress

No mere dabbler in forbidden magic, you consider conventional wisdom to be more of a suggestion than anything else. Your understanding of the arcane and eldritch arts is enough to give the experts pause, and you are on the path to powers considered as unimaginable as they are unnatural.

Perk Lost: Divine Providence

Ritual Added: Astral Warding

Ritual Added: Meditation

Ritual Added: Mind Palace

Spell Added: Dreamwalking

Spell Added: Telekinesis, Minor