The Ambassador

Savanna's hunger had been temporarily sated by the ambrosia, but she was still ravenous. A strawberry milkshake and an indeterminate amount of alcohol were all she had consumed in about 36 hours. Running for her life from the Emperian military had been exhausting—merely surviving, in fact, was exhausting.

So, Savanna used the knife given to her by Rose to imprecisely open a can of sliced pears. She drank the sugary syrup from within, avoiding the can's sharp edges. She sat on a small, comfortable pile of hay in the decrepit barn of the lonely farm. Chorilax, sitting across from her, sipped from a levitated canteen from his bag that was filled with water.

"Chorilax? Will your armor, uh..." Savanna hesitated, considering how to phrase her question to avoid sounding offensive. "Will your armor grow back? Can ya even do that?"

"Where I was shot?" Chorilax reached with a hoof, gingerly pressing against his bandaged shoulder. "No, not completely. Jovi will heal me, though."

At the mention of Jovial Day's name, Savanna frowned. The message written by her inebriated self the night prior made her curious. She had used the word "marefriend" when referring to Chorilax's companion, Jovial Day...

Savanna didn't rule out the possibility that she was merely in a drunken stupor and scribbling nonsense down into her journal at the time, but it was something to consider. She truly hoped Chorilax had a relationship with someone. It would be healthy for him.

Not that it was any of her business.

Savanna stopped thinking about it and fished a pear slice out of her can, eating it whole.

"What do we do now?"

"Well, that depends on the circumstances. Have we returned to Juniper after successfully killing the most influential, disreputable and dangerous pony in the country? No. Have we, in our desperate evasion of his military, escaped them after neglecting to assassinate Valor and, fortuitously, reached a decrepit barn smack-dab in the middle of nowhere‽ Yes."

Sensing her companion's vocal tone shift, Savanna frowned. "What's wrong?"

"I invited you to accompany me so you could observe and assure that exactly what happened to us wouldn't happen!" Chorilax released a frustrated sigh, maintaining stern eye contact. "We both could have died. You weren't paying attention."

"Ah was paying attention!" Savanna was quick to defend herself. She motioned enthusiastically with her foreleg that wasn't holding the can of fruit in an effort to communicate her point. "And you didn't invite me, you forced me to go! You could have brought anyone more experienced than ah am, but you chose me! Ah didn't know somepony was watching us—ah had no idea what that glint of light was!"

Disappointed in Chorilax and herself, Savanna avoided his eye contact, looking down into her can of fruit. The pale-yellow slices of pear floating in syrup within the can looked delicious, but she had suddenly lost her appetite.

"Ah'm sorry," Savanna apologized, feeling regret.

Chorilax grunted, avoiding eye contact. He paused before responding, calming down. "I'm not angry at you. I suppose I am responsible, to a degree...

"For the time being, we need to head east," he continued. "Cross the river that Platinum Falls flows into and return to Juniper. Jovi will be expecting us."

"Ah have a map. Take it from mah bag if ya wanna take a look."

Chorilax accepted the offer. He levitated Savanna's satchel close to himself, looking through it, then withdrew the map, setting the bag down. He unfolded and spread out the paper map, examining it carefully.

"We are... there." Chorilax flipped the map around and held it aloft in levitation for Savanna to see. He pointed with a hoof to a specific T intersection where two dirt roads connected southwest of Queensland.

"How can ya be so sure?"

"I'm not." Chorilax rotated the map around again so he could get a closer look. "We travel southeast, pass the river that Platinum Falls flows into and hopefully find a road soon after. I'm making the most accurate predictions I'm able to in the present."

"Let's hope you're right, then, ah guess." Savanna sipped the glorious sugary syrup from her can of fruit, then ate another pear slice. She was so dehydrated that any amount or quality of liquid energized her. The sugar also helped.

"We'll have no choice but to." Chorilax stood, stretching. He folded the map into a smaller square and stuffed it into Savanna's satchel, then went digging around in his own bag to assure all his belongings were secure. "How are you feeling, Savanna? We need to leave as soon as possible. We will be traveling a long distance this afternoon."

"Ah've felt worse before. Ah feel energized now that ah have some food in me. Ah can walk and eat at the same time, let's get going."

Savanna set her can of fruit down onto the barn floor and retrieved her rain poncho, slipping it on. She loaded six new rounds into her empty revolver's cylinder and then clipped the revolver onto the karabiner on her satchel's strap. Her satchel went over her back next, and, after tightening the strap, she lifted her can off of the ground.

Chorilax stepped over the discarded whiskey bottle on the floor as he approached the barn door, hopping to avoid putting excess weight on his injured leg and shoulder. Savanna kicked the bottle as she passed, watching it ricochet off of the barn wall with a dramatic clatter.

When they stepped outside, Savanna squinted, her eyes sensitive against the bright afternoon sun. The urge to bring a hoof up to massage her forehead was strong, but she resisted. She lifted her foreleg, sipping the syrup from her can of pears.

The farmhouse was still dark and devoid of life, completely untouched since the day prior. "Ya think this place was abandoned?" Savanna wondered around. "We probably made a lotta noise last night. Why didn't anyone come outside and investigate?"

"I don't know. Be grateful we angered no one by infiltrating their property."

"Ah can imagine how that may have turned out..."

"Changelings have no concept of privately-owned property. I'm assuming you used to live on some—as most ponies do, to my knowledge—prior to coming here and working for Maverick. How would they have reacted, do you suspect?"

"If they were mah folks back home, they would have welcomed us."

Chorilax snorted, amused by the very concept.

"It's true! Anypony in mah home town would have."

"Come on." Chorilax, hovering in midair, beckoned Savanna with a wave of one of his forelegs.

Savanna walked and Chorilax flew away from the farm, down the path leading towards the dirt road.

"I find that difficult to believe," Chorilax admitted, looking over.

"What?"

"Ponies willingly opening their doors for strangers—that's preposterous."

"Not during times of peace."

Chorilax considered this. He nodded, shrugging with one shoulder in an acknowledging way. "Well said. We're living in a very... confusing time at the moment. I have only heard rumors of ponies and changelings cooperating in the distant past. It seems fate has brought us together. Do you believe in fate?"

Savanna sipped from her can, munching on a pear slice that dropped out. By the time that they reached the road, Savanna allowed Chorilax to lead the two of them. She trusted his intuition.

She neglected to answer his question, responding with one of her own.

"Do you think things will ever get better?"

"Do I believe that Maverick and his poorly-trained militia are capable of engaging the military with all of their equipment and training and toppling Valor from power?" Chorilax sighed. "Admittedly, it's unlikely. There exist no alternative actions to take, though.

"Valor will be on guard now that I unsuccessfully attempted to kill him. I imagine the military will begin cooperating with the CED from now on, or perhaps replacing them altogether. They... want us. They want us so terribly. There will be consequences for this."

Savanna, unsure how to respond, attempted to stimulate Chorilax into continuing to speak. "What are you going to do?"

"In the grand scheme of things? Survive. Follow Maverick's orders and make suggestions of my own. Take care to assure that Jovi remains safe, that is my wish."

"Hey, Chorilax?" Savanna asked, looking over. Now that Jovial Day had been mentioned, she decided to ask the question that had been on her mind for a while. "You, uh, consider her to be your marefriend?"

Chorilax's head rotated sharply for him to make eye contact with her. "How do you know?"

"You told me when we were drinking last night," Savanna explained. "Ah scribbled some gibberish in mah journal and managed to decipher some of the writing this mornin'. You apparently used the word 'marefriend' when referrin' to her."

Chorilax exhaled a long sigh. "I do consider my relationship with her to be... more complicated than mere friendship. I care about her—more than I desire to admit."

Savanna was reading and easily identifying her companion's expression. He looked embarrassed. "That's nothin' to be embarrassed about. It's natural."

Chorilax looked away, avoiding eye contact for a moment. "Sometimes I struggle to communicate how I feel to her. I wish things were easier and I could describe to her exactly how I feel. Sometimes... I wonder if she feels the same."

"She absolutely does!"

"That appears to be a simple conclusion to make from an outside perspective."

"You aren't alone in the world, Chorilax. Other ponies who share your feelings exist, you just need to find 'em—and ah think you already found somepony."

Chorilax grunted. "I'm a fool for risking everything in this gamble—and I'm a fool for confiding my private business to someone I hardly know. Don't ask me about it anymore. I don't want to discuss this."

Savanna ate the final pear slice remaining in the can. She sipped the remainder of the syrup within and tossed the can aside, lowering her hoof to the ground. Normally, she would hesitate to litter, but keeping the world clean and litter-free was the least significant of all her concerns.

When they finally reached the river, Savanna kept her head on a swivel, looking in all directions. Despite the fact they were no longer following the road, they were in a wide, open clearing and were completely exposed.

"Can you levitate me across, Chorilax? Ah don't want to go wading through that water. It's probably freezing..."

"I would if I could, Savanna." Chorilax flew over the river, landing on the riverbank on the other side. He turned around, holding his injured leg in the air and waiting patiently for her to cross.

Savanna hesitated, looking around and appreciating the beauty. While she was paranoid that she and her partner would be suddenly ambushed, the surrounding landscape of the valley was undeniably pretty. Reeds and typha with their heavy, oblong, brown seedpods waved in a gentle breeze. To her left, a giant, sheer cliff wall extended high into the sky. Somewhere at the very peak was Queensland. Far in the distance through the crevasse that the river flowed through, Platinum Falls could be seen crashing into the basin below. They were so far away that Savanna could barely hear the crashing of the twin waterfalls.

"Why can't ya levitate me?"

"Living creatures are far more difficult to levitate than inanimate objects."

Savanna sighed, realizing that her companion was right. Finally mustering the courage, she weaved her way through the reeds and dipped one foreleg into the water. Immediately, an icy shiver ran through her body, but she forced herself to continue. The sandy shore on the other side of the river suddenly looked so distant. Savanna breathed a shaky sigh, struggling to control the pace of her breathing. She plunged one leg into the water, then another and another.

Savanna's fur was still damp by the time she entered the outskirts of Juniper. Chilled to the bone by winds buffeting her wet body, she shivered, stiff with tension. She hadn't spoken a word to Chorilax in more than an hour. They both suffered in silence.

Savanna was the one to knock on the door of Maverick's house. She loudly rapped on the wooden door three times with a hoof, stepping back. Impatient, she moved back and back and forth, tapping one of her rear hooves against the porch's wooden floor unconsciously.

"Open up! It's cold out here!" Savanna demanded.

A changeling Savanna didn't recognize opened the door. He made eye contact with her, raising an eyebrow, then swept his gaze over to Chorilax who hovered in the air behind Savanna. Recognizing Chorilax, he nodded, stepping backwards to make room for she and her companion to enter.

Savanna entered the grand house hastily and trotted into the study with the fireplace. She paused, examining her surroundings. She spotted Jovial Day sitting on a chair, levitating a book as she read. She casually glanced away from her book, offering a polite nod of greeting toward Savanna, but immediately shot up from the chair when she spotted Chorilax.

"Chorilax!"

"Make room, everyone! The kid and I are freezing," the changeling ordered. He landed in front of the lit fireplace, folded his papery wings beneath his elytra and levitated a blanket that had been resting on the back of one of the sofas, wrapping it around himself. He lied on his side on the floor, resting.

"Chorilax," Jovial repeated, stepping forward. She sat down next to him, placing a hoof on one of his forelegs. "I'm so glad to see you're safe..."

"I have been through worse than being shot in the past," he admitted, "though that doesn't make the pain easier to tolerate right now."

"May I help you?" Jovial offered, igniting her horn with her magical aura preemptively.

"Please."

Savanna copied Chorilax, grabbing a blanket that had been hanging from the back of a sofa. Circling around, she considered taking a seat near the fireplace, but what made her hesitate was spotting Amethyst slouched on the sofa,
reading a book.

"Oh, Savanna!" The filly set aside her levitated book onto an end table and sat up straight. "I didn't expect you to come back."

"Ah wasn't planning to. Since ah was already passin' near the area, though, ah did a favor for Maverick and took a detour to Queensland to find out why a changeling he was previously in contact with stopped responding." Savanna hopped up onto the sofa, wrapping the blanket around herself.

She explained everything to Amethyst: her arrival at Queensland, meeting Chorilax, assisting him in his failed assassination attempt, and their hasty escape from town. She neglected to mention her escapades with Chorilax in the isolated farm's barn. Whether this was because of guilt, embarrassment or something different altogether, she wasn't sure.

"So that's why a lot of changelings showed up earlier today," Amethyst registered aloud.

"Chorilax explained he was sent as an envoy to represent changelingkind and deliver their queen's message—she wants to make a temporary alliance with the rebels after realizing they share a common enemy."

"That's... difficult to believe," Amethyst commented, surprised.

"Ah know. To be honest, though, ah don't care about these politics. It's none of mah business."

"I feel the same way," Amethyst admitted.

"Ah have nothin' to gain from the outcome of this conflict, but ah'm still sick of this. Ah'm sick of things being this way. Ah can only imagine how it must feel for other ponies..."

Amethyst scooted closer so the distance between the two was reduced. She lowered the volume of her voice slightly, motioning with a hoof. "Like her?"

Savanna looked in the direction Amethyst had indicated. In the corner of the room, Rose leaned against the wall, head hung low, as if she were meditating. She ruminated, motionless.

"Yeah," Savanna agreed, frowning. "Like her."

"Savanna?"

Hearing her name being spoken, Savanna gazed in the direction from where she had heard the call. Jovial Day closed the distance between the fireplace and the sofa with two graceful strides from her long legs. "Chorilax informed me you were injured as well. Do you want assistance?" She sat back on her haunches on the floor, awaiting for the inevitable response.

When Amethyst scooted away to the opposite end of the sofa, Savanna utilized the abundance of new space and reached with one of her hooves, pressing against the location on her side where she had been pierced by the spike of glass. Through her rain poncho, her fur and the layer of taped bandages, the skin was still tender to the touch. Savanna was surprised—it had been nothing more than a minor annoyance for her all day, and she had almost forgotten about it. A literal thorn in her side.

"Yes. Please."

Jovial preemptively ignited her horn with her vivid, orange-tinted magical aura as Savanna removed her rain poncho and the blanket she had wrapped around herself. With her side exposed to the open air, Savanna looked away, allowing her companion to do her work. She winced, anticipating pain.

The adhesive tape being ripped off and taking several of her coat's hairs with it did hurt, as expected.

"Punctures like these are very dangerous," Jovial warned as she cast restoration magic, healing the injury. "What happened to you?"

"There was an explosion, big piece of glass hit me—it's a big of a long story."

"Explosion? Chorilax will be telling me all about this tonight..."

Savanna frowned. "Something to that effect, ah suppose. Ah'm just glad to be here, and safe."

Jovial nodded, the magical light being emitted from her horn extinguishing as she finished healing Savanna. She withdrew, giving her a gentle smile, then returned to tend to Chorilax who was still curled up by the roaring fire in the fireplace.

Savanna and Amethyst exchanged glances. Silently, information was exchanged between the two. Slowly, Amethyst edged closer, and Savanna consented to her advances. They leaned against each other. Savanna, pleased, relaxed her body. She felt warmer already.

Gradually, everyone except Rose, Chorilax and Amethyst had left the room. Savanna, lying still and cuddling with Amethyst on the sofa, observed as Chorilax rose from where he had been resting near the fireplace and unwrapped himself from the blanket. Having absorbed enough heat to regain his energy, he folded the blanket and threw it over the back of the other unoccupied sofas, taking a seat. Rose, having withdrawn from her solitary corner of the room, sat in a chair.

The quiet was not fated to last.

Savanna released a gentle sigh, gazing upward at the ceiling. For once, she had peace and quiet. However, peace and quiet meant that her stressed brain had been permitted to begin considering everything that had happened to her recently. Without consent, her brain recalled for her the intense skirmish she had unwillingly participated in with the CED on the muddy dirt road and the botched assassination attempt on Valor's life. Savanna witnessed a real-time photographic display of the tragedy that had befell her in so few days. By all accounts, she shouldn't have survived. She did not feel lucky.

"Hey, kid."

Lost in thought, Savanna didn't perceive someone was addressing her immediately.

"Savanna!"

Amethyst gently nudged Savanna. The physical movement startled her, and she sat upright, becoming alert. "What?"

"Why are you all buddy-buddy with a changeling?" Rose was sat erect in her chair, back straighter than an arrow. Her eyes were locked on Savanna as she asked her question firmly.

"What?" Savanna repeated. She frowned, not comprehending what was being asked of her immediately. "Ah... because we're friends."

"We aren't friends," Chorilax was quick to correct. He looked at Savanna. His gaze was less intense and not threatening in the slightest. "You and I are... closer than strangers, I admit, but just allies nonetheless. That doesn't mean I don't appreciate what you have done for me, Savanna."

"Partners in crime," Savanna suggested, weakly attempting to make a joke.

"I'll be your partner in crime!" Amethyst butted in enthusiastically.

"Ugh." Exasperated, Rose dramatically rolled her eyes and slouched in her chair.

"What, exactly, is your problem?" Unlike everyone else, Chorilax had the bravery to confront Rose directly. "Everypony in this room has their problems, Rose, but they are capable of withholding them internally. You are the only one who is consistently rude and antagonist to others in what I imagine to be your queer way of coping."

"None of your damn business what my problem is," Rose snapped, waving her hoof dismissively. "I liked you better before when you didn't speak your mind, changeling."

"I liked you better when you weren't racist!"

"I'm not racist!" Rose scoffed. "It's not you specifically anyway, Chorilax, I just... ugh." She rolled her eyes, looking away. She sat back in her chair once more, crossing her forelegs.

Agitated, Savanna leaned closer to Amethyst. The unicorn filly looked over, noticing Savanna's advancements, smiled, and scooted ever closer, returning the favor. Amethyst was, needless to say, more receptive to physical contact than someone such as Chorilax or Rose. Savanna was glad to have her as a friend.

Attempting to find a solution to reduce the tension and awkwardness of the situation, Savanna glanced in the direction of Amethyst's book and decided to make it a topic of conversation. "What are ya reading, Amethyst? Is it the same book as last time?"

"Actually, that's something I'm writing! I'm writing... something. I haven't decided yet. Right now I'm just writing down my life story and including all of the interesting bits." Amethyst's excitement looked earnest—she seemed glad somepony was interested in her hobby.

"Go easy on me in there," Savanna joked, chuckling.

"I haven't gotten to that part yet, but I will not go easy when writing about you." Amethyst chuckled. There was a pause, and she released a gentle sigh, assuming a serious facial expression. "I, um... I wish we could be friends."

"We are friends," Savanna decided, nodding in affirmation.

"You know what I mean. Real friends. I wish things weren't this way with everything... the world and ponies in it."

"Look, Amethyst," Savanna began, lowering the tone of her voice. She leaned closer to her friend. "It's our job to fix things—spread Harmony and convince ponies there's somethin' real to believe in aside from... hate."

"Fix things?" Amethyst sounded incredulous. "How are we supposed to do anything?"

Savanna hesitated. She did not know how to respond. Truthfully, she didn't even believe her own words. It was difficult to formulate a reply.

"Do what has to be done," Savanna clarified. "Take care of yourself and other ponies, show Generosity and extend a helping hoof when everypony else refuses. Celestia knows ah've been tryin' for some time..."

Amethyst looked unsatisfied by the response. Savanna, herself, felt unsatisfied and conflicted. Showing Generosity was difficult—few ponies were willing to accept help if offered it.

"Yet you'll run," Rose spat, clearly having listened in to the private conversation. "You're going to run! You've witnessed everything that's happening in this country, yet you're going to leave all of us behind to fend for ourselves!"

"You don't need me! Ah have nothin' to offer you!"

"Bullshit!"

"What can ah do?" Savanna demanded, feeling audacious suddenly. "What am ah supposed to do?"

"Not be a selfish asshole."

"Ah'm not selfish! At least ah feel ah have something to live for!"

Reading Rose's expression and realizing she had struck a nerve, Savanna shied, wishing she could withdraw the statement. She was beyond the point of reclamation, though—Rose snarled, ready to retaliate with a virulent insult.

"Look, I think you're blowing this out of proportion—" Amethyst began, attempting to subdue the brewing chaos.

"Shut up, kid!" Rose pointed with a hoof accusingly. "You don't know shit! Stop agreeing with every word your marefriend says and come up with something original to say!"

Rose huffed. Now that her momentum had began, there was no stopping her. "Savanna, you have no idea what you're talking about. Valor has the entire fucking country in his hooves and you honestly expect me to allow you to leave now? We need ponies to act and make moves."

Frustrated, Savanna crossed her forelegs and leaned back against the sofa, not responding.

"What the hell, Rose? You're taking this too far." Chorilax finally spoke up, realizing the conflict was beginning to spiral out of control.

"I'm right! You know I'm right!"

"Of course you're right! No one genuinely anticipates that Valor will surrender without a fight, but have some subtly, for Queen's sake!"

Savanna looked over to her left, trying to capture Amethyst's attention and reassume the cuddling position they had been in earlier. The filly looked disconnected. Her eyes were downcast, and she looked as if, at that moment, she wanted to be anywhere else but sitting on that sofa. Her eyes were wet.

Rose eyed Amethyst, spying weakness like a shark smelling blood in the water. "Start pulling your weight and I'll actually start respecting you, kid. You do the bare minimum around here and spend all your time recently writing in that stupid book. Nopony will ever read that! Stop wasting your time! Do you honestly think anypony will care?"

Having stood idly by while Rose abused the ponies around him, Chorilax had finally ran out of patience. He shot up from the sofa he was sitting on, pointing with a hoof toward the exit from the study. "Get the hell out! Now! You're not welcome in here anymore!"

"Shut the hell up!" Rose, in response, shot up from her chair.

Her body tense and stiff, she slowly stalked closer to Chorilax. Her stance was aggressive, with her body crouched and legs spread apart slightly. Chorilax eyed her, watching keenly as she approached. He tensed as she grew near, and the two stood, motionless, for a moment, waiting for the other to move first.

Rose was the one to attack first. She spun 180 degrees and delivered a poorly-aimed, miscalculated buck toward Chorilax's armored chest, missing his vulnerable head. Anticipating the attack, he nimbly dodged to a side, and, in retaliation, spun around and swiftly kicked with the hoof of one of his rear legs directly against Rose's nose.

Rose cried out in pain, stumbling backwards and clutching a hoof against her injured muzzle. Savanna, shocked, leaned closer to Amethyst, prepared to take her friend and leave the room if the fight escalated. Amethyst, scared, began to cry quietly.

Fortunately, the fight ended as quickly as it had begun. Chorilax snorted, breathing harder and quicker than he had been when at rest. "Look what you made me do."

"Fuck you," Rose grunted. She massaged her injured nose delicately with a hoof. "I never liked you!"

Chorilax gently panted, exerted in the heat of the moment. He glanced in the direction of Savanna and Amethyst huddled on their sofa, frowning, then returned his attention to Rose. "You made the kid fucking cry. Are you happy with yourself?"

Rose looked as if she wanted to respond with a calculated, stinging remark, but hesitated, remaining silent. Defeated and bitterly angry, she retreated, leaving the room and climbing the nearby stairs in the hallway.

Jovial Day and several other ponies trotted in, looking around to investigate the source of the disturbance. Rose's chair had been knocked over in the scuffle.

Jovial, seeing Chorilax agitated like a cat with its fur standing upright, rushed over to him. He assured her he was unharmed, and began to explain what had just happened.

Savanna, realizing she had been unconsciously clutching Amethyst in a hug during the entire ordeal, released her friend, looking over. Amethyst whimpered, rubbing a hoof against her eyes to dry them. "This sucks," she muttered.

"Ah know." Savanna leaned back against the sofa, breathing a sigh to calm herself. She reached with a hoof, pressing it against her chest. Her heart was beating faster than it had been when she was at rest—for just a moment, Savanna had been afraid that she and Amethyst would be hurt in the fight. Fortunately, Chorilax was even tougher than he physically looked.

"Ah like writing too."

"Really?" Her curiosity stimulated, Amethyst looked over.

"Ah've been journaling for a long time. Ah like drawing, too. It used to just be a way for me to pass the time, but now ah think it helps keep mah sanity. Ah've gotten away from it for a few days, now, but ah'm usually pretty consistent with it."

"What do you write about?"

"Whatever comes to mind. The things ah've done, the ponies ah've met—ponies like you. Ah've written about you quite a bit."

"Well... that's flattering." Amethyst gently smiled.

"I don't care what Rose thinks. And, clearly, she's incapable of caring about anything at all," Amethyst continued, quipping. "I'm going to keep writing. Like you said, it keeps me busy, and I think it gives me some sort of, um... satisfaction, especially when I write brutally-honest things about ponies I wouldn't otherwise say to their faces."

"Ah know what you mean," Savanna agreed, nodding. "It's nice to just get your thoughts out."

There was a brief pause. Savanna observed as Chorilax, Jovial and other ponies on the other side of the room conversed amongst themselves. Unconsciously, she refused to translate their indistinct voices into words. All she heard were murmurs in the background. It was background noise. Savanna listened, hearing nothing in particular.

"Do you want to come up to my room so we can be alone?"

Savanna heard Amethyst's distinct voice clearly. She looked over to her friend. Not having a reply prepared, she simply nodded in response.

The two partners dodged the ponies and changelings crowded into the study, climbing the stairs together. Amethyst led the way to her room. Savanna, while being led, silently hoped that they wouldn't, coincidentally, bump into Rose upstairs.

Amethyst's room was clean and almost empty, giving no obvious indications for what, exactly, she liked doing in her spare time. There were personal belongings, but Savanna's only glanced around casually, not snooping.

Amethyst set her levitated book onto a bedside table and hopped up onto the adjacent bed in the corner of the room, sitting. "Can I tell you a secret?"

"Ah'm all ears." Savanna stood awkwardly near the entrance to the room, hesitant to join her friend on the bed. She wasn't sure if Amethyst enjoyed cuddling or if she had simply been responding to Savanna's advances earlier when they were on the sofa together in an irregular fashion, for reasons... unknown. Maybe Savanna was reading too into things. Regardless, Savanna knew that if she sat near her friend, she, eventually, would want to start cuddling again, and she didn't want to be rejected.

"Before Valor instituted the ban on everything alchemy, I, um... that's what I was studying. I lied to you, before, when we were talking about the future and aspirations and stuff. I wasn't studying magical symbology, I was practicing alchemy. That's what my cutie mark represents." Amethyst rotated 90 degrees and, remaining in a sitting position, presented one of her flanks to Savanna. There, distinct compared to Amethyst's fair, lilac-colored coat, was a representation of a blue-and-purple-colored pile of sparkling, magical dust. Unmistakably, now, after Savanna had received the context, she realized it was ground gemstone dust.

"You can't change who you are. Actually, ah think alchemy is interesting! Who cares what other ponies think?"

"It's illegal. He made it illegal. Even if I weren't already associated with a bunch of criminals, if anypony found out who I truly am, I would probably be arrested."

Amethyst, revealing this ugly truth, sighed sadly. She dragged a hoof along one of the creases in the bedsheets she sat upon absently, thinking.

Savanna sighed, disappointed by the unfairness of the situation.

"Are you going to come sit?"

Attention being drawn to her hesitancy, Savanna blinked. She still felt her previous fears, but she knew she had to surmount them. When she truly put her mind to it, it wasn't very challenging. "Sure."

Savanna trotted forward, hopping up onto the bed. She sat quietly with her friend, waiting for her to act and make the first move. It seemed that Amethyst, though, had been waiting for Savanna to do the same.

"Ah'm gonna leave tomorrow—for real this time. Ah'm packin' up all my stuff and goin' east. Ah, um... ah don't wanna leave you behind."

"I used to wish I could come with you, but..."

Savanna glanced over. Despite the small amount of light being provided by a nearby ignited oil lamp, Amethyst's expression was clearly discernible. She looked solemn. Patiently, Savanna raised her eyebrows, silently insisting she was paying attention and listening to what Amethyst had to say.

"Did you lie when you told me about Equestria, where you came from?"

"Ah could never tell a lie," Savanna affirmed. "Especially to somepony like yourself."

"You wouldn't tell a white lie, something to reassure somepony or makes things easier for them in the moment...?"

Automatically, Savanna shook her head. She realized immediately after, though, that Amethyst was right and she absolutely was willing to tell white lies. "Well... yes, sometimes, ah am willing to. Ah promise everythin' ah told you about mah home is true, though."

"It sounds... mythical."

"Ah never knew life could be so terrible without Harmony. Ah never really gave the idea thought," Savanna admitted, speaking in an almost apologetic tone. "Equestria is mostly a paradise, though. Ah promise life is infinitely easier than it is here."

"Mostly?"

"Equestria is in a constant power-vacuum," Savanna patiently explained. "Like everywhere else in the world, ah imagine. Someone will always stray away from Harmony and become frustrated, angry or greedy and cause trouble. It's inevitable, especially in Equestria where laws and law enforcement are very relaxed and more community-based and not governmental. It's the responsibility of the ponies within their communities to watch for trouble—and it's the responsibility of everyone to believe in Harmony and never forget. That is their choice to make, though, in Equestria. It's a free world."

"Free...?" Amethyst considered this. She absently rubbed a hoof along her chin, thinking. "Savanna, I, um... I want to come with you when you leave."

"Really? But didn't you say you wanted to stay and—?" Savanna trailed off, not wanting to risk mentioning Amethyst's parents and upsetting her.

"Savanna..." Amethyst sighed. She fidgeted, rubbing a hoof against one of her forelegs. "You and I know both that... there's nothing left for me here. I want to be able to live in peace, start over anew and... forget. Also, I can't live as myself here. Even if I didn't already find myself trapped in a giant rebellion, I am who I am." Amethyst pointedly glanced down at her cutiemark, then back up at Savanna, maintaining eye contact. Savanna understood her friend's point.

"It sounds ridiculous to think about since ah've started living in Emperia, but Equestria isn't a paradise. Ah felt really bored when ah was living in Maripony. Even though it was my destiny to live a humble life as a farm pony, ah wanted more—and ah still do. At least, ah think ah do. If this is the future of Equestria, though, or even the near future of Equestria... If this is how depraved ponies can be..." Savanna frowned. Amethyst nodded, showing she was paying attention and urging her to continue.

"...No. Ah shouldn't even consider that. Harmony is much stronger in Equestria. Something is wrong here. Ah can feel the influence of Harmony in mahself, and ah can tell you clearly can't. It's like gravity is weaker here. Ah don't feel tethered to the ground."

"You use a lot of metaphors for a 'humble farm pony'." Amethyst teased her friend gently.

Savanna blushed modestly. "Maybe ah showed too much interest in book-readin' and neglected mah work for too long, but that's beside the point.

"Ah think ah'm startin' to ramble a little. Ah'm sorry. Mah point is, even though Equestria isn't a paradise, and ponies have to work to make it as civilized and wonderful as it is, it's way better than here. Ah think you would love it there."

"Right now I just want to sleep and think about what you said," Amethyst admitted. "It's getting late. It's been a long day."

"Yeah... for everyone."

Savanna paused, looking down at the floor awkwardly for a moment as she tried to consider how to properly end the conversation.

"Ah'm gonna go journal for a bit before ah sleep tonight. Ah'll see you in the morning. And we can leave, tomorrow?" She looked over, hopeful.

Amethyst nodded gently. "Yes. Probably.

"Goodnight, Savanna."

"Goodnight." Savanna hopped down from the bed onto the floor gracefully, making her way through the door and into the house's upstairs hallway. She retrieved her belongings from where she had left them and began hunting for a spare, empty room. Luckily, most of the upstairs rooms were unoccupied, on account of the majority of the rebel ponies still remaining awake, scattered across various parts of the house. Briefly, Savanna wondered where Rose was. She hadn't seen her after she had hastily retreated once she lost her fight with Chorilax.

Savanna entered the room she had previously slept in before, turning and locking the door behind her. Secure inside the cozy yet chilly room, Savanna deposited her belongings in one corner and began looking around for a starter which she could use to light a fire. Small logs and other pieces of fuel were stacked adjacent to the iron stove, but there were no starters. Without Rose's pyrokinetic magic, Savanna had to improvise.

Luckily, there was a lighter next to an abandoned pack of cigarettes inside of a drawer in the desk in the room. Unluckily, Savanna had no idea how to operate the device. With some time and dedication, she managed to flip the lighter's lid off and use it to create a spark and ensuing flame, though, she singed herself slightly. The metal lighter dropped onto the floor with a clatter, and Savanna cried out in surprise.

After careful consideration, Savanna realized the small wheel rotating around the axle was striking a flint, creating the sparks. She played with the spark-striker like it was a toy for a while, adapting quickly to the motion. Using the device was awkward with hooves—it was probably designed to be used with magical levitation.

Regardless, Savanna managed to successfully ignite a small bundle of tinder beneath some split logs. She flipped the metal lighter's lid closed and elected to keep it for future use, storing the device away in her satchel.

With the temperature in the room gradually rising, Savanna withdrew her journal and one of her blue-inked pens. She hopped up onto the bed in the corner of the room, laying down and placing her journal in front of her. She flipped through the pages deftly using her nose until she found the blank section, then, holding the pen in her mouth securely, she began to write.

Chorilax foolishly led me and himself into a trap. I suppose I am also at fault for triggering it. He was so adamant in his plan to assassinate Valor that he completely failed to notice a unicorn perched on a roof across the street who nearly shot us both. I thought, for a moment, that the glare emanating from his position wasn't dangerous. I failed to warn Chorilax. I guess I am a fool for trusting anything to be benign. I almost paid the ultimate price. The changeling, as well.

Later in the day, he informed me that everything alchemical was outlawed by Valor. I was hardly surprised to learn that. It seems Valor is outlawing things by a process that observes only his personal interests. If I were feeling so inclined, I would identify the parallels between his society and changeling society. I am shocked that they do not make natural allies. Maybe they would be fated to destroy each other otherwise.

After we escaped Queensland, Chorilax and I spent an evening together in an abandoned farmstead's barn getting drunk together. I'm not certain if our own societal differences were responsible, or if it were just the natural excitement anypony feels before trying something new, but we went completely unrestrained and wild. Admittedly, I remember very little of what escapades we got up to, and, frankly, I don't wish to remember any more.

I'm not entirely sure if I enjoyed myself or not. I feel indifferent. A part of me regrets ever explaining what alcohol is to Chorilax, yet another part of me is still recovering from the giddy first-time excitement I felt that night.

Amethyst told me she is seriously considering returning with me to Equestria. I have begged her enough; this decision relies on her. Still, I cannot resist the temptation to hope that she will come with me and we can be friends. I am already envisioning a better future for her. I am already envisioning my own future, away from this terrible country.

Savanna paused, drawing her head back slightly as she read everything she had written down. She nibbled on the pen she held in her mouth absently, thinking. She considered scribbling out the final sentence of her journal entry, but neglected to follow through. A macabre thought briefly passed through her mind—if she were to die or be imprisoned, and somepony were to find her lost, abandoned journal, maybe they could find some solace in her words. Maybe the understanding that other ponies existed and were, also, struggling to survive in the same position as they were would be comforting, in a way.

Savanna sighed. The very idea was depressing, yet she couldn't force herself to think otherwise.