To Feel Is To Understand

by ArthurPaige

Rating: teen
Tags: Twilight Sparkle, Profanity, Violence, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Dark, Death, Alternate Universe, Human, Drama, Original Character
Length: 9667

Criminals have arrived in Equestria. They all walk the same journey: learning the meaning of forgiveness, finding it in unexpected places, and learning just how far can one go to forgive another.

Everyone loses something. Whether it be an object they care deeply about, a loved one, or even a part of themselves. From that loss, anger or sadness oozes from the spot where that thing was taken from.

Pain is life's greatest teacher, without it, one cannot learn to cherish the things they love. Without it, life loses meaning.

After a heist gone wrong, four new arrivals of Equestria lose something, and they need to forgive someone because of it.

Of course, things aren't always what they seem.

Notes:

I would like to thank the editor, EverfreePony, for her patience and hope in me. I literally couldn't have written this story without her.

Published 2019-03-30 12:30:01 UTC
Last updated 2020-04-03 13:14:16 UTC

Chapter 2 - There's No Going Back - Part 2

Of course I changed, I had to. My girl needed me. But Aro didn't care. As I grew a heart, his shrunk. It wasn't until he took her away that I realized how better off we would be if he was dead.

I was so wrong.

"How are you feeling today, Moon?" Twilight asked, approaching the hospital bed.

"Better, surprisingly." He glanced at the cup on the stand beside his bed and pointed at it. "Do you mind? I would do it, but I still don't know how to use these," he said, lifting his two front hooves.

Twilight levitated the cup of water to Moon, he took it and had a drink. "Thanks." She nodded and smiled softly. "I can hold basic stuff in between 'em, but I can't figure out the grip." He shrugged and carefully set the cup back down. "It's gonna take some getting used to, not having fingers." He looked back at Twilight. "Will me and the rest be returning to the other side of the mirror today?"

"Not quite. I still need to understand what could've brought you here."

"Princess, we need to go back. There has been a misunderstanding. Arthur and I have to clear it up. Otherwise something bad will happen to him."

"If you tell me what exactly is going to happen, it may persuade me to let you go back."

Moon’s ears drooped as he looked away. "It's better for all of us if you didn't know what happened." He looked up at her. "You seem like a good person. That's why I don't want to tell you."

"Please." She put a hoof to his. "Tell me. That way, I can figure out how to help the four of you." His expression looked pained, as if what he was about to say could physically hurt him. Twilight continued, "You can trust me."

He swept his mane back, sighing. His eyes met Twilight's as he began, "There are these bad, greedy people in my hometown. They shoot first, then ask questions later. They'll bury you if you ever crossed them. And the worst thing is, they won't remember who you were," he finished with a shake of his head, swishing his mane.

That's… horrible! She leaned in. "And how do you know this?"

"Me and Arthur work for them." Twilight's eyes widened, while Moon glanced down. "We made mistakes. We both have debts that we need to pay." He looked up at her, his gaze unwavering.

He shifted in his seat. "In order for that debt to be paid, the four of us needed to rob a museum. As you know, stealing is illegal." He brought the hoof that Twilight wasn't holding up to his mouth. "Right. No fingers." He looked at the symbol on it for a few seconds before lying it back down. "So a lot of cops tried to arrest us. They saw us as a threat and wounded me and the rest of the crew."

"I see. So, you are a criminal," she stated, looking straight in his eyes, frowning.

"Yeah. All four of us are." Her gaze grew harder. He leaned in. "We weren't born criminals, Princess." He patted his chest, saying, "We do what we can to survive. Sure, the things we do may seem unfair. But the way I see it, we're just balancing the scales." He sighed and lowered his head. "Sometimes we don't even have a say in the matter. Sometimes we're just puppets," he finished, lying back and looking at the ceiling.

Someone used these ponies. These ponies, capable of committing crimes. She stared at his hoof. He would break the law knowing getting hurt was a high probability?

"I was wondering when you'd notice," he said, looking at the hoof sticking from below his blanket. He glanced at Twilight and lifted the blanket off of his hind legs. Twilight gasped and brought her front hooves to her mouth.

The bottom half of his left back leg was metal, though a soft material separated flesh from it. The prosthetic limb had the shape of a thin hourglass. It was a mishmash of grey, black and chrome. The chrome took the form of four bars that connected the metal hoof to where his lower leg would've been. With a squint, Twilight could also make out small scratches, dings, and even a dent on the black hoof.

"I lost it, two years ago. On a job gone wrong." He covered his legs. He smiled, but didn't show teeth. "It is what it is. It took a while but I've learned to live with it, it's a part of me now." He looked at her. Her eyes were tearing up. "That's what those jobs meant to me." He looked down and fiddled with his front hooves. "Like my leg, something inside me was replaced. But it was replaced by the need to stay comfortable. Even if I had to break the law doing it."

He sighed. "The reason I told you now is because I know you'd find out sooner or later. And because it would blow up in my face." Twilight looked up. He continued in a softer tone, "If there was other option than stealing, I would've taken it. But the truth is, my world doesn't give you one."

She broke eye contact to glance at the floor. "I'm going to talk to Arthur Paige. Then I will send a message to the Princess of Equestria. I will tell her how I feel about this situation, how I think it should be dealt with. But I won't have a say in what happens to you."

He nodded. "I understand. And thank you for listening." She rose from her spot on the floor. "Princess?" She turned. "Can you tell Arthur I'm sorry?"

She opened the door and glanced back at the stallion, specifically, the stallion's necklace.And with that, she nodded and left.

Twilight walked through the door and shut it behind her. Her eyes rested on the stallion. Who was staring out the window, slouching as he rested his chin on his hoof. Her gaze averted from his bright form, his coat reflecting a modest glare from the sun. It was white, though not as pure as Celestia's. Patches of his fur were dyed a faint orange from the bloodshed a week ago. The patches weren't as defined as the ginger in his short mane, which stuck up in random places.

Twilight barely fought the smirk lighting up her face, saying, "Hello, Arthur."

He shot her a glare. "Where the hell am I?"

She approached the foot end of the bed. "It's okay. You are in a hospital. You are safe now," she said with a smile.

"How did I get here?" he asked, his hard gaze unfaltering.

"We don't know," she said. "We are currently trying to understand why you and your crew arrived here. I've already spoken to them. Apparently, they remember the events that led to it, except for the means of the actual arrival. I was hoping you could shed some light on that issue."

He leaned back, crossing his forelegs. "You can give up your hopes on that. I was unconscious and probably bleeding to death."

"You were. We barely saved you."

Arthur just gave her a look that enunciated, "I don't believe you." He shook his head. "Whatever. Here's a question. Why am I a horse? I tried asking the nurse, but he looked at me like I was crazy, I think. It's kind of hard to tell since he's a horse." He waved a hoof.

Twilight glanced at the floor. "I'm not sure why you are equine. Though, I turned into a human when I went through that portal. Also, we refer to ourselves as ponies, not horses," she said with a shake of her head.

He put up his front hooves. "Back up. A portal? We aren't on Earth?" he asked, eyes squinting.

"There is a portal in my castle that allows for transportation to another dimension's portal. It seems you are no longer in yours."

His gaze drifted off to his right. "Huh. Another dimension." He lifted a hoof and squinted at it for a few seconds. He shrugged, then hit himself with it. After shouting in pain, he said, "That hurt." He stopped rubbing his face and his eyes widened. "This is real! You're real!" His hooves went straight to his head. "How long have I been here?!"

"It has been a week since your arrival in Equestria."

"A week?!" Twilight nodded. "I need to get out of here. I-I need to get home!" he yelled.

"Arthur. You are still healing. We can't let you leave yet." He leapt out of bed, landing on all fours.

Twilight's eyebrows lifted as she rose, approaching the other side of the bed. "Easy." She held up a hoof. "Think about this. You haven't used your body in a week. You aren't coordinated properly…" When she reached him, she had to look up at him, he easily stood at least a foot over her.

"I don't have time for this!" He took a step forward and immediately lost balance. He crashed down face-first with a loud thud.

Twilight winced. "Let me help you," she said, approaching him.

He immediately held up a hoof. "G-get away from me!" he yelled, trying to put as much distance between him and Twilight.

Is he actually afraid of me? It seemed so, his eyes were as wide as dinner plates, pupils practically shrunk to pinpricks, and his ears clung to his head as tightly as possible. She sighed, her ears drooping.

She took a seat on the floor. "I'm not going to hurt you. It's okay," she said, her voice barely reaching above a whisper. She offered a hoof. All Arthur could do was stare at it.

A moment passed. He reached for it and slapped it away. He shoved Twilight to the floor and made a break for the door. It was inches away before he stopped. Looking down at his front hooves, he realized, How in the world am I going to get the door open?

"I'm sorry for this. I really am." He looked back at her. "But you've forced my hoof. Nurse!"

Arthur shook his head so fast that Twilight was slightly concerned it would fly off his neck. He moved away from the door. "No! You don't understand! I need to see her! I need to make sure she's okay!"

A unicorn ran into the room, pushing the door open with a loud slam. "What is going o—" His eyes widened upon seeing his patient. The nurse trotted over to Arthur, a syringe appearing from behind him.

"No! Please!" Arthur attempted to run, but found he was held in place by an invisible force. "What the hell?!"

The nurse stopped a few feet away from Arthur. "It's okay, Mr Paige. You aren't in any danger," he said.

"Why can't I move?!" was all Arthur could say before the nurse stabbed the syringe into his flank. He scrunched up his face and yelled. "Gah! F-fuck!"

"Shh. It's going to be okay," said the nurse in a soft voice. "Don't fight it."

A moment passed and Arthur's eyes glazed over. He eased off, slurring, "I… n-need to… see her."

The nurse breathed a sigh of relief. He closed his eyes and the grooves in his horn lit up teal. Arthur floated off the ground.

Twilight took a step. "I can hel—"

The nurse had held up a hoof, but didn't turn to face her. "My patient needs his rest now." He barely glanced at her before saying, "I'm sure he'd appreciate it if you waited a little longer until your next visit." Arthur was set on the bed, a blanket covering him. "Be sure to shut the door on the way out."

Uyada shot up. "No!" She was breathing heavily, her eyes watering. She patted her chest and looked down at it. Keeping her hoof on it, she lowered her head. Closing her eyes, she let out a soft cry.

She calmed down when she saw the pale yellow pegasus sitting in the chair on the right side of the bed. Even through her blurry sight, she could still make out her pink mane.

Setting down a book she was reading, Fluttershy approached. "Are you okay?" she asked.

Uyada nodded and wiped away the tears.

Fluttershy gave her a knowing look. "Here," said the pony as she passed a box of tissues to Uyada.

She grabbed a couple of sheets. "Th-thank you."

The shy pegasus gave a small smile before averting her gaze. "Oh, it's no problem." She looked back to Uyada with a worried expression on her face. "You were tossing in your sleep again. Do you want to talk about your nightmare?"

Uyada glanced at the floor, shaking her head. "No. It's not worth the time to talk about what's passed."

"I see. Then, would you like some water?"

"Yes," Uyada nodded, "that would be appreciated." She gave Fluttershy a small smile. The pegasus nodded and smiled as well.

"I'll let the nurse know you're awake," the pegasus said before leaving the room.

Uyada ran her front hooves down her face and lowered her head on them. I can't believe we are here. The Land of the Ponies. At least the past can't catch up again. She sighed, lifting her head. How will I tell them?

She looked outside the window at the hustle and bustle of everyday life in the streets of Ponyville. Such a fitting name, she thought. Ponies. Talking ponies, free from harm and evil that stalks the outside world. How peaceful. And yet, here I am.

She looked up at the horn sticking out of her forehead.

Fluttershy entered the room, balancing a cup on her outstretched wing. She approached Uyada with a soft smile on her face. When she reached a respectable distance between her and Uyada, she passed her the cup.

She didn't take a sip, but chose to stare into it. "Why do you choose to be with me, Fluttershy?" she asked, looking up at her. "There are plenty of patients here. Why me?"

Fluttershy sat on the floor, looking down at it. "All the ponies here have a smile on their face. Some get visitors every day. They all look so happy." She looked up with her watering eyes. "Except for you."

Uyada's brows furrowed. "You don't even know me."

"I don't need to know you to show you kindness," she replied, shaking her head.

The unicorn shut her eyes. Her voice trembled as she said, "I don't…" Her nightmare flashed through her mind. Tears released, and her lip quivered. She whispered, "I d-don't deserve it."

Fluttershy trotted over. She put a hoof to the unicorn's cheek, lifting her head and looking into her eyes. "Everypony deserves kindness, even if they think they don't. That's why I come here every day, making sure to put a smile on your face at least once," she finished with a smile.

Uyada took a deep breath and sighed, her breath shaking. "Thank you, Fluttershy."

"You don't need to thank me." The pegasus backed off and took a seat on the floor. "I wanted to ask you something, but I didn't want to offend you."

"What is it?"

"How did you earn your cutie mark?"

"My cutie mark?" Uyada asked, wiping her tears.

Four humans show up in Equestria, the Princess of Friendship looks after them. Sounds like a joke. Twilight sighed. How will I tell my friends? Twilight thought back to the arrival of the humans. Why them? Why now? Why would someone even suppress their memories?

She was too deep in thought to hear a familiar dragon walking up behind her. "How'd it go?" asked Spike. Twilight flinched back to reality.

She turned. "Please don't do that again."

"Do what? Ask about your morning?" he asked with a smile.

"Not that. Sneaking up on me. You know how last time went."

Spike laughed. "Trust me, I've learned my lesson. So, how did it go?" She lowered her head. "That bad, huh? We can talk when we get back to the castle, you've been on your hooves since Princess Celestia raised the sun."

The walk to the castle was uneventful and short, thankfully. Although it was also eerily silent.

"What's wrong, Twilight?" Spike asked. She didn't respond. "Is it the humans?"

She nodded. "They are criminals, Spike. I just…" She sighed. "I don't know what to do."

"Good thing you have time to figure it out," he said, patting her back. "I'm going to make something to eat." He turned and walked off in the direction of the kitchen. "Stop stressing so much," she heard him say from behind her.

I wish I could, Spike.

Twilight pushed the Map Room's doors open telepathically, revealing her pupil reading a book, lounging on Twilight's throne.

Starlight looked up with a pleasant smile. "Hey, Princess." Seeing Twilight's expression, she asked, "What's going on?"

Twilight approached the table and poured herself a steaming cup of tea. "Those ponies are being released today." She dropped in a couple sugar cubes and stirred.

"Isn't that a good thing?" Starlight asked. "They can go home." She closed her book and left her spot.

Twilight turned. "They're criminals."

Starlight's face fell. "Oh." She cleared her throat. "They didn't hurt ponies, did they?"

"None that I know of," Twilight said before she had a drink. A pleasant flavour greeted her taste buds, while an intense heat burned within her throat. "Somepony needs to decide what happens to them."

Spike walked in with an apple slice platter. He walked to the table holding what seemed to him as an oversized dish. The thing was as big as him, yet he held it with no problem.

"Thank you, Spike," said Twilight as she levitated a slice to herself.

"No problem," he replied, before approaching the exit.

"Wait, Spike?"

He turned. "Hm?"

"Can you bring a sheet of paper? And a quill?"

"Yep. Can do," he said with a smile before turning and walking off.

"I need to let Princess Celestia know about this. She'll know what to do with them," said Twilight.

"I say we should send them back," Starlight said. "There's no telling what they could do." Twilight lowered her head. "You aren't considering letting them stay, right?"

Twilight let out a sigh. "I can't let them go back."

"Twilight, they're criminals! Better yet, they're criminals of another world!" Starlight exclaimed.

Twilight turned. "If I recall, you aren't that different from a criminal!" Starlight's eyes widened, tears glistening at their corners. Twilight brought a hoof to her mouth, a soft gasp escaping her lips. "I-I'm so sorry."

She turned away. "Is… is that what you think of me?"

"I didn't mean to…"

"I hope you know what you're doing with those humans, Twilight," Starlight said.

Me too. "Spike?" She looked backwards and her gaze landed on him. He had a quill ready to write.

He cleared his throat before saying, "Way ahead of you, Twi."

"Dear Princess Celestia…"

Pain. It wasn't intense and piercing, it was more like an ache. An ache in Arthur's heart that brought him back to a waking nightmare.

Upon opening his eyes, a blinding light burned them, forcing him to shut them again. He winced. He put up his hooves, then dropped them when he realized he was trying to block the setting sun. He yawned.

"You're up!" His gaze locked onto a teal-colored unicorn at the foot of his bed. Arthur could hear faint whispering from him. The nurse had written something on the clipboard attached to the bed. When the nurse was finished, he looked up. "How are you feeling?" he asked, a pleasant smile spreading across his face.

Absolutely terrible. Instead of saying that, Arthur settled for, "Just peachy."

"I see," he said flatly. "Princess Twilight was insistent on asking you more questions," the nurse finished with a little more life in his voice.

Arthur sighed, massaging the back of his neck. "So that's her name."

"Yes. I, uh… I kept her away, so she wouldn't disturb your rest," the nurse continued, before looking back at the clipboard.

Arthur sat up. "What's her deal? Why does she want to ask me stuff?"

The nurse took a glance at his patient. "She's the one who found you. You're lucky she did. You would've died." He turned to face Arthur. "If you don't mind me asking," his head tilted, "what hurt you? I haven't seen a wound like yours in… well, ever."

Arthur broke eye contact. "You don't want to know, trust me."

"Well, that's what I get for asking," said the unicorn, eyes darting to the floor. He looked up as he asked, "Do you want to try walking, Mr Paige?"

Arthur shrugged. "Sure. Why not?"

"You know, I'd rather walk on two legs. Four are so confusing."

The nurse chuckled. "I don't think we are built like that." Arthur wrapped a hoof around the railing. "Do you have it? Don't want you falling again."

Arthur snorted. "Yeah, I think I got it."

"Okay, I'm going to let go. Ready?"

"Yeah." The nurse released his grip. Arthur took a step and wobbled. He stiffened his legs, then took a few more steps. He laughed. "I'm doing it!" He looked up at the nurse with a grin on his face. "I'm real—" One of his front legs missed a step, causing Arthur to tumble down face-first with a familiar thud. He groaned. "I'm really starting to hate this." He chose to rest in his rather uncomfortable position.

"He doesn't walk very well, does he?" asked a familiar voice.

Arthur looked at the door, seeing a smirking pale blue pegasus, with Moon's stupid haircut. "Moon? Is that you?"

The pegasus chuckled."How's he doin'?" asked Moon.

"Better," said the nurse, "he's recovering quickly. I'm quite surprised."

"Good. 'cause a certain purple princess wants to speak with him." Moon approached his downed friend and sat in front of him. "She is gonna tell us what's goin' to happen to us," he said, looking down at Arthur.

"Well, he's ready to go. We were just finishing up," the nurse said as he shared a look with Moon.

"We were?" Arthur asked as he struggled to get to his hooves.

"You don't need to worry, Mr Paige." The nurse helped him up. "Your legs have the strength. You just lack the confidence. Keep practising. Next thing you know, you'll be back to your old self in no time," he said with a smile.

"Well, thank you…"

"Beating Heart," the nurse finished.

Arthur smirked. "Thanks for looking out," he said.

The nurse chuckled. "Just doing my job." He turned. "I'll see you around."

Arthur waved. "Take it easy." The nurse left the room. Arthur looked back to his friend. "Moon, what the fuck?! What happened?! Why are we horses?!"

Moon lifted his front hooves and said, "Calm down."

"How?! How the hell am I supposed to be calm?!"

Moon gave him a flat look. "You literally stared death in the face. How are you scared now?"

"Obviously you weren't sedated while being held in place by magic. A gunfight doesn't scare me." He looked forward. "At least there I'm not completely helpless."

Moon looked ahead. "Well, you're going to have to get used to magic. It's a common practise here."

"Where even is 'here'?"

"Ponyville, Equestria. We're in some weird horseland. I don't think this is Earth. Well, our Earth."

Arthur lowered his head and sighed. "I'd rather be home right now."

"Hey, you still have time." He patted his friend's shoulder and held the door open.

Arthur shook his head and walked through the door. "This is ridiculous." He looked over to his friend. "What even happened after I passed out?"

Moon met his gaze. "I honestly don't know. Apparently there's a spell that's preventing me and the girls from remembering."

Arthur gave him a look that said ‘Bullshit.’ He asked, "Doesn't that seem sketchy to you?"

Moon nodded, then looked ahead. "It does."

"So, what do we do about it?"

"We wait." He glanced at his friend. "For now."

The door opened. "—right, I admit. I'm impressed. It's a castle made of crystal!" Arthur exclaimed. "You know, something tells me this won't be the end of the very long list of 'things that shouldn't be'," he continued. Moon just smirked.

"Hello again, Arthur," greeted Twilight as he walked into the room, his friend following behind.

"Princess," he said with a nod.

She approached him. "I'm sorry for earlier."

"It's okay," he whispered, his gaze drifting to the two other horses in the room. "Those are the girls?" he asked his friend.

"Yep. That's them," replied Moon.

The short one was talking off the taller horse's ear as she nodded occasionally.

"—and that's when you showed up. Oh, man. I thought we were burnt." The taller one nudged her partner's shoulder. "Hm? What?" She simply nodded at Arthur. "Is that Arthur?" the short one asked.

He looked her up and down. She had no horn, no wings. If Arthur had to guess… Potato. Her loud voice gave it away.

"Holy crap! You just had to be tall as a horse too," she said, walking over to him. "Eh, at least you don't have a horn. Like our Japanese friend here," she said as she pointed to the only white unicorn in the room.

"Uyada. Nice to see you," Arthur said with a nod. She matched it with one of her own. "So, what's going to happen to us?" he asked, turning his attention to Twilight.

"We'll get to that." She glanced at Arthur. "Thank you all for seeing me. I'm sure you have spent enough time taking in the situation."

Arthur scoffed and shook his head.

"I've come to a decision." She paused and lowered her head. "All four of you will remain in Equestria."

Exactly five seconds passed, before Arthur yelled, "What?!" Twilight looked up at him. He gave her a familiar fearful look. "No, no, no. I need to go back!"

"This is for your own good."

Moon lifted his front hooves as he sat down. "Princess, please. Just listen."

She looked back to Arthur. It looked like he was on the verge of tears. It reminded her of the first time she saw Moon. Twilight swallowed past the lump in her throat and nodded once.

"I have a family," he began with weakness showing in his voice. "Th-they need me. They need my help. P-please. Just let me go back to them." Just as he finished, tears spilled from his eyes.

A moment of silence washed over the room. His look of hopelessness grew as he slowly lowered his head.

Twilight had to turn away from the sight. I can't be the one to decide this! But I can't just keep somepony from their family! She stomped her hoof. The sting from the impact shot up her leg and made her eyes water. She lowered her head and sobbed quietly.

Moon trotted over to his friend and sat beside him. He had collapsed onto the floor, crying, except no noise escaped his lips. "We can't fight this, Arthur." He held his friend, feeling every shake of a shallow breath he took. "We can't fight this," he whispered.

Chapter 1 - There's No Going Back - Part 1

Some people say when you die, you'll be reincarnated.

It depends on how good of a person you were. If you were a good person, when you come back, you have a good future. But if you were bad, it is the complete opposite.

This made me think. Not about reincarnation itself. No, it was the idea of life after death. It opened my eyes, changed how I thought. I put other people’s needs before my own. I started caring more.

“Arthur. Still with us?” Moon asked as he shook Arthur’s shoulder.

“Y-yeah.” After snapping back to reality, Arthur crossed his arms, making sure his knuckles weren't showing. “I was just thinking.”

The van drove through a pothole, causing the duo to hit their heads together, making them both shout out in pain.

"Damn, P! What did you hit?!" asked Moon as he massaged his skull.

Potato smirked in the rear-view mirror at the two men. "Sorry, guys."

Moon scoffed. “Yeah. As if!” The driver flipped him off.

After the duo's brief exchange, Moon took the time to admire the passing scenery of a spring-fresh forest outside. He asked, “What were you thinking about, man?”

Arthur lowered his head. "The future, Moon." His eyes watered. Swallowing past the lump in his throat, Arthur continued, "We almost died on that last one." He exhaled a shaky breath. "We shouldn't be doing this."

Moon abandoned his admiration of the forest and looked back to Arthur. Seeing his pain, Moon put a hand on his friend's shoulder. "We shouldn't." Arthur could only guess what Moon was thinking, his face was expressionless. He continued, "But, we have to. You know? I mean, how else will we live in peace? Don't forget, money makes the world go 'round."

"Yeah, and I hate that. My mom didn't need to be caught up in all of this."

Moon gave his friend a knowing look before saying, "At least you don't have to worry about money after this."

Arthur nodded, yet his hope was extinguished quickly after remembering an important fact:success is based on completion. His train of thought was disturbed by the booming of the driver's voice as she shouted, “Museum's up ahead!”

Moon gave her direction a glance. He removed his hand from his friend's shoulder and relaxed them both in his lap. “Can you do this?” His gaze returned to Arthur.

Without turning, Arthur said, “Yeah. This job's important. You know we have to do this.” He uncrossed his arms and rubbed the back of his hand. “We have to.”

Moon chuckled. “Damn right! And you thought I wouldn't help you.” He bumped his friend's arm. “We're bros, man.”

After Arthur massaged his arm, he looked at Moon, smiling. “Then let's bring home the bacon.”

Fear ripped at Arthur's mind, tearing through the hope that made itself known. Arthur shifted in his seat as the museum came into view, his eyes darted from a passing building to the floor of the van, his breaths came quicker, yet he miraculously kept his anxiety from cracking the calm demeanor on his face. Still, it didn't stop him from trembling.

He could never let a crew member sense his fear, he knew what it could do. Which was damn near impossible, considering every job was a nerve-wracker. This one seemed no different. He pressed on regardless. It's too late. There's no other way to get the money in time. You can do it.

As the van entered the property, Arthur started panicking. Oh, God. Oh, God. His heart pounded in his chest. I can't. I can't do this! Moon took a glance. Get it together! We are doing it! Remember why you're doing it! Remember! His eyes slammed shut. Breathe, Arthur. Just. Breathe. Remember why you are doing this. In his mind, Arthur counted down from ten, inhaling deeply.

Ten. Arthur inhaled as much oxygen as his lungs could take, waited a few seconds, and exhaled at a relaxed rate. A crew is as good as its leader.

Nine. He breathed again. A good leader gets the job done, no matter the cost. An unwanted memory flashed through his mind. No matter the cost.

Eight. He had to force it. You are doing this for a reason. Remember it.

Seven. It was getting harder to breathe. No civilian casualties.

Six. His breathing slowed. The take is the most important thing.

Five. Keep it clean.

Four. Any death is on you.

Three. Cops have lives, don't end them.

Two. Survive.

One. A crew is as good as its leader. A good leader gets the job done. This job is for a good reason. Remember this all.

The passing street lamps slowed down as the van approached the destination. The crew became restless, Arthur distracted himself by securing his pack. Moon took this time to triple-check the electronics, Uyada was fascinated by what he was doing. Can't say I'm surprised she was silent the whole ride. She kinda gives me the creeps, it's like she's waiting to make a move. His gaze drifted. Wow, she makes black look good. Damn. Uyada noticed Arthur, he immediately looked away, blushing. Shit. Ugh! God, this won't be awkward at all.

The van made an abrupt, yet mostly silent halt. The strapping of belts, the zips of bags and the sounds of steel hitting steel filled the van. After a moment or two only one thought was in the leader's mind: We are ready. With that thought, Arthur exited the van first, confident as ever.

The night was pitch black as if the crew were surrounded by voids. At least our outfits are dark, damn Moon. He could've gotten me a size that fits! Streetlamps dotted the street and floodlights illuminated a small portion of the area.

Wow. I'm surprised this place still stands. Last time I came here I was a kid. It's so old. Despite that, the building looked quite modern. If the cracks in the sidewalk weren't any indication, you'd probably think the building was finished just last week. It was well-maintained, not a single patch of paint was missing, where other buildings in this neighborhood had graffiti, this one bore a single huge painting above its main entrance. Almost how I remembered it. Must be a bitch to keep clean. Still, it’s a nice touch. Wonder what gave the artist that idea. Arthur squinted, barely making out the portrait of a magnificent castle that rested on the side of a mountain in the dim light. I guess the art is meant to distract you from noticing how old the place actually is.

Arthur stared at the building in front of him. Why did it have to come to this? he thought. Right, 'cause a maniac threatened me. His gaze drifted downwards as he sighed. I wish I could go back…

Uyada tapped Arthur’s shoulder, he turned to face her. “Here,” she passed him a miniature horseshoe, “for luck.”

Moon approached the duo, stating, “Luck’s the last thing we need right now.” He pointed to his handheld. “What we need is that camera feed! Come on, U! Supposed to be fast, aren't you?” He clapped his hands. “Chop chop!”

Uyada glared at him.

“Still relying on luck, U?” Potato asked before Uyada passed her a horseshoe, she declined the offer. “I don't believe in that stuff anymore.”

Uyada placed the horseshoe on her hat. “Luck is not 'stuff’. Luck is real, and should be utilized when it is needed.”

“You know what they say about luck? You can only have so much.” Moon looked at his handheld. “West wing's clear.” His smug expression dropped. “Nope. There's a squad of four. You're up, guys,” he said, as he nodded to his leader and teammates.

The girls left the van's vicinity, leaving Moon and Arthur to talk.

Moon was about to shut the side door, until he noticed his friend. "What's up?"

Arthur didn't meet his gaze. Instead, he took interest in the ground below his feet. "It doesn't feel right." He crossed his arms and looked back up. "Usually you don't drive off."

"I don't like it either. But, you guys don't know how to use this." He waved the device a bit. It didn't amuse Arthur. "You know we got this, man. Come on. Clock's tickin'."

Arthur sighed. “Anything we should worry about?”

Moon said, “Just Glocks. Other than that, uh…” He tapped his chin, pretending to think. He shrugged. “You should be fine.”

Easy for you to say. Arthur gave his friend a straight-faced look, saying, “Great.” He looked to Potato. “Come on, P.” He nodded to the direction of the building.

"Hey, Arthur," Moon shout-whispered. Arthur and his partner turned. "Don't do anything stupid until I get back." Arthur flipped him off and ran toward the building, hearing the chuckling of his friend behind him.

Moon started the van and drove off.

The plan was relatively simple. Uyada gets the attention of the guards while Arthur and Potato grab as much as they can. What could go wrong? Yeah, I probably shouldn't have thought that.

Arthur and Potato sprinted to the glade on the east side of the building. They both hid behind a wide spruce tree, and peeked out on either side.

A guard appeared in a window of the building, wielding a flashlight. The duo hid quickly.

"Shit! Did they see us?!" Arthur whispered, looking over to his partner.

Potato peeked out, her voice raised a notch as she said, "They're gone."

The duo resumed their run. The grass rustled at their feet as they sprinted through the knee-high blades.

Not a few seconds later, Potato fell.

“Dammit! Can you not trip over your feet?!” Arthur asked.

“It's not my fault! I can barely see! And for your information, it wasn't my feet!” She stood, dusting herself off. “Did we have to choose a new moon night?”

“We had to rush it! Just… try not to slow us down!”

She practically glared daggers at Arthur, but she nodded anyway.

The duo continued their run, Potato was breathing heavily.

Arthur noticed and asked, "You alright?"

"I'm fine, just dying," she said, panting. "Don't mind me."

"Good, 'cause we still gotta carry the take." Potato visibly sagged. Arthur chuckled.

Eventually, the duo reached the outside wall.

Arthur looked to his handheld, seeing no movement in the room he was planning to breach. “Okay, looks clear. All we have—” There was the sound of glass shattering.

Potato broke the closest window. She was struggling to get her upper body inside it, failing at lifting one of her legs to the ledge. Arthur cut her off by grabbing her shoulder, saying, “Wait! We have to wait for Uyada’s signal!” She climbed back out. “I knew you were an amateur, but you could at least follow the plan!”

She glared at him as she balled her hands into fists. “Amateur?” She pointed to him. "You—" She froze, blinked, averted her eyes and let her arm fall. “Yeah. You're probably right. I'm sorry.” She sat in the grass.

Arthur looked around to make sure no guard was near. He claimed his seat next to her. "I know how you feel. The rush of breaking into a place and stealing is intoxicating. But let me tell you something. I barely held myself together on my first few." He grimaced as his first job popped into his mind. "Always remember: living is always better than dying." Po gave her partner a scared look. Arthur couldn't help but chuckle at that. "Bad joke. Stick to the plan, we'll get through this. Hell, when we're finished and the heat is off, I might even throw a party." As if on cue, Arthur’s phone vibrated. He picked up the call, asking, “All clear?”

“The guards are distracted, you are good to go.”

Arthur nodded to Potato as he ended the call.

Potato entered the window first, with Arthur following after her, the shattered glass crunching upon their entry.

“Damn. You know how to make an...” after Arthur regained his footing, he looked up and saw a dimly-lit room filled with gold-plated artifacts, “...entrance.”

Potato’s jaw dropped. “Jackpot!” she said as she reached for the closest artifact.

“No! Look.” Arthur pointed to a motion sensor in the cabinet. “Moon has to cut the power. Don't you remember anything about the plan?”

"I'm sorry. Okay? I don't have the need to break into places as much as you do."

Arthur gave her an ugly look. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Po crossed her arms. "It means all you care about is money. I know guys like you, alright? It doesn't take much to convince me."

"I'm sorry you feel that way." With his voice stern, Arthur said, "But money isn't my only motivation."

Po looked slightly puzzled. "Then, why do y—"

The lights shut off, plunging the room into almost complete darkness. Arthur’s phone vibrated. He checked the message, then nodded, saying, “Power’s out." He put his phone in his pocket. "What were you going to say?” Just as Po was about to speak, he cut her off, "Nevermind. Let's just get this done."

“Remind me again how much these are worth,” Potato said, breaking the creeping silence.

“Roughly around five hundred grand,” Arthur said as he placed yet another artifact in his now full duffel bag, barely zipping it closed.

“Five hundred grand?!” Potato huffed as she slung her bag over her shoulder. "It's like carrying one of those old box TVs!"

Arthur’s phone vibrated, he answered the call. “AP! You guys gotta get going! The fuckin' Feds know we're hitting the museum!” Moon shouted.

"What?!"

"The feds know! They got James, man! Fuck! We gotta meet somewhere else!"

"Plan C?" He started pacing.

"I don't think we have enough time for Plan C."

"Fuck. Okay. Just come pick us up. And tell Uyada.”

"Alright, man. Stay safe."

Arthur stopped pacing and hung up the phone, then said, “We gotta get going, P.”

"What's going on?"

"This whole job just got burnt. The feds know everything, our plan, our backup plans. They got James. I have to figure something out."

A beam of light shone through the broken window. "I'm on the east side of the building, there is a smashed window," a man outside with a deep, grumbly voice said.

There was static, then another voice replied, saying, "Hold your position. We need to cover all of the exits in case there are more suspects. Damn kids."

The man outside chuckled. "Copy that."

Arthur grabbed a bag. "Let's go. Quietly," he whispered.

Potato nodded once and turned. As she turned, the edge of her bag knocked over a pedestal, inevitably shattering it.

Arthur grimaced. God. Fucking. Damn it!

"Oops," was all Potato could say.

Arthur just facepalmed, shaking his head. He looked at the shattered window and saw no movement. Keeping it in his sight, he slowly reached for the doorknob, until he heard it jiggling.

Potato's hands went to her head. "Oh, fuck! What do we do?!" she mouthed.

"Hide. Quickly."

With a worried expression on her face she nodded frantically. "Okay."

Arthur ran to the opposite side of the room, where he tucked himself in between two giant display cases. P vanished within the shadows hiding most of the right side of the room.

There was crunching at the shattered window. "Nate, where the fuck are you?" the cop whispered. There was static, then dead silence.

The door opened slightly. A blinding sliver of light shone through the crack in it. It slowly scanned the room, going past the display cases on the left side.

Arthur eyed the sliver that grew wider. He scooted right, making sure not to make Potato's mistake and hit another pedestal. He could hear his heartbeat in his ears. The light was not slowing down. Arthur moved a few more inches until a wide display case stopped him from going further. Oh, shit. Oh, shit!

Right before the sliver reached Arthur's foot, the door was kicked in, filling most of the room with light. Arthur quickly hid behind a pillar.

The light from the door vanished, revealing a much larger cop. "Shit, Daniels! You nearly gave me a fucking heart attack!" he said as he held his chest.

The smaller cop from the window looked at him in disbelief. "I almost gave you a heart attack?! I thought I was here alone, until I heard something break!"

"You heard it too?"

"Yeah. I thought I w—"

"This is Smith. I've just lost visual of a suspect in the west wing going to the main exit. All units cover all exits." There was static, then silence filled the room yet again.

"Think it's the same one who cleaned out this room?" the smaller cop asked as he scanned the room.

The bigger cop took off his cap and scratched at his head. "It couldn't have been. I would've seen them."

"That means they're still here."

Arthur threw a stone tablet out the window. Both cops ran over to it, drawing their pistols.

"Run!" Arthur shouted.

The duo sprinted out of the room and into the hallway, ignoring the cops' protests.

The lights flickered on and off for a few seconds. What the hell? Arthur thought.

"Stop!" a voice from behind them shouted.

"Keep running!" Arthur yelled.

Potato breathed heavily. “I don't think I can!"

Arthur looked back and saw the officer gradually gaining on them. He grabbed Potato's shoulder and pulled. “Keep running!”

"This is Officer Daniels! I'm in pursuit of two suspects in the east wing!"

They stopped at a door. Potato tried to open it, jiggling the handle. She growled in frustration. “It's locked!”

"Get back!"

Arthur kicked the door as hard as he could, it broke open, leaving shards of wood on the floor. “Let's go!”

They ran to a window straight across from the door. Potato broke it and attempted to crawl out.

"Hurry! I think I can hear him!" Arthur yelled.

The cop ran into the room. He aimed his pistol at Arthur. “Freeze!”

Arthur slowly turned around. "Okay." He placed his hands behind his head. "Let's all calm down."

"Shut up!" the cop shouted. He turned his attention to Potato, who was currently halfway outside. "You! Get in here! Now!"

“Okay. Okay, I—Fuck!” Potato slipped out of the window.

The cop aimed at Arthur and opened fire.

A bullet ripped through Arthur's left arm. He screamed as the heat of the bullet burned within. He grabbed his limb. "Please."

The cop shot again. Arthur recoiled against the window, shattering the rest of it. He fell backwards out of it and onto the ground.

Looking at his body, Arthur discovered a bullet wound somewhere in the right side of his rib cage and another in his left bicep, both wounds bled, a lot, enough to make him gag. "Ah, shit." He put pressure on both and shouted in pain. “Fucking pig!” He coughed, instantly regretting it, as the force jolted his right lung with stinging pain. “F-fuck!”

He resorted to breathing shallow, each intake of air leaving a lingering pain. He felt very lightheaded.

Po approached him. “Come on, AP! Stay with me!” her voice echoed, as his vision came in and out of focus. “You're going to be okay!”

The cop appeared in the window, he aimed his pistol at the duo, yelling. “Stay there! You are under arrest!” He pulled out a radio. "This is Officer Daniels. I have incapacitated two suspects at the north side of the building. Requesting back up."

"Roger that, Daniels. This is Smith. I'm on my way. Do not let the suspects out of your sight."

"10-4."

"Take…" Arthur gasped, "t-take… the bag," he said, dragging the bag with his good arm. "Please… take it."

"Daniels! A suspect is running to the northeast side!" an officer shouted over a radio.

Uyada ran from the surrounding shadows to the duo. She held her gut with her left hand, and a Glock with her other one, aiming at the cop in the window.

She shot at him, hitting his chest with the first couple of bullets. Daniels shouted as the rounds met its target.

She ended him with one shot to the head. He went limp. The top half of his body dangled out the window, the gun dropping from his grip. Her face was expressionless.

“You made it!” said Potato.

“I have,” Uyada said, limping over to the dead cop's gun.

“Not... supposed... to kill... cops!” Arthur wheezed in between breaths.

“Arthur, I had no choice,” Uyada said, grabbing the gun and tucking it in her belt. "Put his arm behind your neck."

Two more officers ran from around the corner, drawing their pistols at the crew.

Uyada shoved the duo to the ground.

One of the officers shot at them. Uyada was quick to return shots. She gunned down the first one with three bullets to the chest.

The second cop charged and tackled her, knocking her on her back and the gun out of her grip. He gave her a hook to the jaw, then went for his gun and aimed it straight at her forehead. Uyada didn’t even flinch. The cop reached for his handcuffs. "You are under arres—" A gunshot stopped him. He fell forward.

Arthur threw the gun away. Uyada glanced at him and pushed the cop off of her. "I shouldn't thank you for taking a life, but I should thank you for saving mine."

Arthur was breathing heavily. He glared at the pistol lying on the ground. "Never thank someone for taking a life."

"Guys?" Potato asked, her partners turning. She was holding her stomach. “I-I think…” She lifted her hand and saw it was covered in blood. "Shit."

Uyada stared at the wound. Her eyes widened as she said something in Japanese. “No, no, no! Not you too!” She ran to her friend.

"F-fuck. What the hell happened?" Arthur asked no one in particular as he stared at the ground in front of him.

"This is Unit 72! I'm in a high-speed chase with a grey four-door! We're entering the road to the museum!" shouted a cop on Daniels' radio.

Sirens could be heard approaching as flashing red and blue lights lit up the main road.

“It's Moon!” Potato shouted.

With a wince, Arthur said, "Y-you two—" he coughed. "You… gotta go."

“But—”

“Go. I'm not—”

"No! We can carry you!" said Po, rising. "Come on! Put your arm around me."

"P… you have to… leave." Arthur pushed the bag. Tears formed in his eyes. "F-finish…" he drew a sharp breath, "finish the job. P-please."

The girls looked at each other. Uyada put a hand onto Potato’s shoulder.

Moon pulled up in a car, the tires screeched to a halt. He unbuckled his seatbelt and opened the passenger door. “Get in!”

Two cop cars swerved around the corner with their sirens blaring. Moon saw them and shouted, "Hurry!"

"Grab his legs!" yelled Uyada as she pointed to them. Potato nodded and obeyed. "Lift him up, help me get him in the back!"

Uyada hooked her arms underneath Arthur's armpits and pulled him towards the car. Just as Uyada reached for the door, a voice shouted, "Open fire!"

A barrage of bullets were unleashed upon the crew. Potato dropped Arthur's legs and took cover on the ground. Bullets ripped at the car, several whizzed right by Arthur's ear.

Uyada shouted out in pain, but pulled Arthur harder. "P! Open the door!"

She was on the ground, crying, covering her ears with her eyes shut.

"Open the fucking door!" yelled Moon. "We're getting hammered!"

Potato shook her head frantically.

The barrage continued for another few seconds, then a voice yelled, "Cease fire!" The bullets stopped. "Come out with your hands in the air!"

The crew were a panting, bleeding mess. Arthur shook heavily, slowly turning pale. Potato ran her hands through her hair repeatedly.

"Come out with your hands up!" a cop repeated. Thunder rumbled, and helicopter blades could be heard. A few drops of water landed on Arthur's forehead.

"Fuck. Fucking cops!" Moon crawled out the passenger door. "Is Arthur okay?" He looked over to see him lying limp in Uyada's grip. He gasped.

"He tried to open the door. He failed," Uyada said, looking forward, her face keeping composure. Potato was still crying. Lightning lit up the sky in the north, thunder followed shortly after.

Moon looked at the damaged car that was riddled with bullet holes. He gazed past the car to the parking lot that was filling up with red and blue lights. "We failed."

Uyada lowered her head.

“You are in a bit of a bind. Aren't you?”

Moon jumped, turning around as he tried to locate the direction of the voice. “Who said that?”

“No need to worry yourself with such information. I can help your friend. But you have to do something for me.”

“Nope. Sorry.”

“I assume the authorities will not be as patient as I.”

“How do we know we can trust you? What even are you?”

“That’s not important. If you help me, you can begin a new life, but you can never return here.”

Moon turned his gaze to Uyada, who looked as equally as confused as him.

“I can help you. All of you.”

Moon lowered his head. “Okay.”

Uyada's eyes widened. She looked over to Moon. “What?! We barely know... him! We don't even know what he is!”

“Would you rather do it later?! In a jail cell?!" The duo glared at each other.

“I need all of you to cut a symbol into your hand. Even your friend's. Do it quickly, he does not have long.”

“What symbols?” asked Moon.

“The symbol of your Zodiac.”

“Why our Zodiacs?”

“It doesn't matter why. Hurry. They are coming.” The sirens grew louder.

After a few moments of contempt thoughts, Uyada spoke up, “Fine! But we don't know Arthur's.”

“I do,” Moon said as he approached Arthur, knife in hand.

After a few winces and bleeding moments later, the voice spoke again, saying, “Thank you. When the darkness passes through the window, you shall be shown mercy.”

"Wait..." Before Moon could ask, “What?” he was blinded by a light even brighter than a thousand suns.

~[<->]~

Where are they?! Twilight thought, as she lifted a book from a small pile of papers. They were here, I know they were…

“Spike!”

The pattering of a pair of feet could be heard approaching. Spike poked his head through the door, asking, "Yeah?"

"Where are the notes on figuring out how to give Starlight her first friendship lesson?"

Spike chuckled as he approached her. "We just got back from the Crystal Empire, Twilight." He yawned. "They can wait."

She looked at the towers of books and piles of paper scattered about the room. Turning her eyes to the floor, she sighed. "You're right. I'm just worried. About Starlight."

"You made the right choice. You forgave her, we all did. There's no telling what the future will bring. But she's our friend now. And friends stick together." He lifted a blanket, revealing a pile of papers. “There they are!”

"Thank you."

"Just doing my job, no need to thank your number one assistant." He turned. "Don't lose them again, I like my sleep." He chuckled.

Twilight's tea set rattled, and the ground shook slightly. A rumbling noise could be heard, muffled through the walls. Then it stopped.

“What was that?!” Spike asked as he glanced over his shoulder.

Twilight looked around, trying to pinpoint the noise. “That sounded like it came from—”

The ground continued shaking. The quakes knocked a few inkwells off a table, Twilight caught them with magic before they hit the ground.

In a flash and a pop, Twilight teleported, entering the room holding the source of the noise and shaking. Her eyes widened at the sight before her.

The Crystal Mirror was active. The gems on its rim were lit and the reflective glass glowed slightly, it almost looked like it rippled from the center. The quaking stopped. Odd. I wonder wh—

Before Twilight could come to any conclusion, four ponies tumbled out of the portal, down the small stairs, and finally to the floor. The portal's gems lost their light, but the glass kept rippling and noticeably glowed brighter.

All the ponies but one stirred from their spot on the floor. Twilight trotted closer, noticing the cuts, bruises, and a few small circular wounds scattered over their bodies. What could've hurt them like that?

An earth pony mare closest to Twilight stirred, stretching her hooves. The alicorn jumped back, a lance of pain shooting through her horn as her eyes fell on the strange symbol carved into the mare’s fetlock. Unlike the other wounds, this one seemed cauterized shut, the hairs around it burnt and the flesh red.

The mare looked at her and spoke up. She struggled to stand, but gave up her efforts quickly. “Please! You have to help him!” she said, pointing to the one unconscious stallion. Twilight and the other arrivals glanced at him.

Twilight cleared her throat and spoke up. "How badly are you all hurt?"

This time, the conscious stallion answered. "Lady..." He looked at Twilight with tired, watering eyes. They were bloodshot with dark bags beneath them. "I'm not sure. But chances are likely life-threatening. Can you get us to a hospital?" His voice sounded empty. He barely lifted his head to meet Twilight's gaze. He was a pitiful sight that made her turn away.

She swallowed past the growing lump in her throat. Her voice quivered as she said, "I can." She looked back up at the stallion. "But I need to know a few things first."

"What?! Look at us!" the earth pony mare shouted.

"Calm down, P. We'll tell her what she needs to know." He turned to face Twilight and nodded.

She took a deep breath and let go. "How did you all get here?" she calmly asked.

"We…" he trailed off, and shouted in pain. His eyes slammed shut as he put his front hooves to his head. "W-we…" Twilight's horn throbbed. "I-I can't—" He winced and panted, and laid his head down. Eventually, he stated, “I don't know.”