Everyone at the table stared at Rainbow, who had an intimidating look on her face.

Pinkie looked around. "So... who's picking up the tab?"

"So you're saying my lasso could be a Stand?"

Rarity looked away. "Any book we pick up..."

Fluttershy looked out the window. "The critters at my sanctuary maybe?"

"Is Spike my Stand?"

Rainbow giggled. "It's technically possible, but I really doubt it. I think one of you would have noticed by now."

"Oh! Oh! Can I have a circus for a Stand? I want a circus for a Stand!"

Twilight put her hoof in Pinkie's mouth. "That does beg the question of how one gets a Stand, though."

"Oh, gosh, uh... I think some creatures are born with them, so there are babies that have Stands."

"BABIES?"

"Not exactly."

The girls all turned to the next table over. Sitting there was a parrot wearing a green jacket with blue buttons. The feathers on his head were thin and white, stretching just past his shoulders.

"While there are babies that do have Stands, they're very rare even among Stand Users. A number of Stand users are born without Stands but with the potential to receive one later in their life. The most common method of receiving a Stand, however, is through the Stand Arrows."

Fluttershy watched the parrot stand up. "So anyone can get a Stand?"

"No. One has to have a strong enough fighting spirit, otherwise, the arrow will just kill them." The parrot placed his talons right next to Twilight's plate. "More importantly, have you heard of the Stand hunter?"

Rarity's eye twitched. "Stand... hunter?"

Applejack placed her hoof on her hat. "I'm guessing that's not someone that recruits Stand Users."

The parrot shook his head. "Stand Users are their own sort of underground group. You can't just go around using your Stand everywhere you go. As such, when a Stand User dies, it's usually kept hush if they were killed by another Stand."

Rainbow glared at the parrot. "Let me guess. Someone is taking advantage of that and offing Stand Users left and right."

"Yes. If they learn of a Stand User, they'll target that creature and kill them without consequence. So far, only a select few Stand Users have faced them and lived to tell about it. Just be wary of that." He lifted his talon, leaving a piece of paper just under Twilight's plate. "By the way, I'm... no. That doesn't matter. Just know I'm a friend." He turned his back and left.

The girls shared a look.

*Ding Ding Ding*

"I... guess we should head home now, huh?"

Twilight looked at the paper the parrot left.

Twilight's friends were all either laying down or resting against each other. Twilight, however, couldn't get to sleep. All of the information she learned just a couple of hours ago was bouncing around in her head. But one thing stood out to her.

Celestia. Something wasn't right about her. She seemed colder and more distant than ever before.

Twilight pulled out the letter that the parrot left and opened it up. She read its contents. Then she re-read them. And again.

This... This can't be right! What is this? Is he trying to throw me off? Or is this a real warning?

Twilight squeezed her eyes shut, tears rolling down her cheeks, as she burned the note.

I can't let them know!

Author's Note

Who was that Parrot? What was in that note? Will Pinkie break the fourth wall?

"Yes."

Find out next- Darnit, Pinkie!