The day of Twilight's Friendship Festival had arrived. Honestly, I'd hoped to have gotten out of town sooner, but only just this morning had I been cleared to leave; Sunset had headed back to Ponyville and through the portal five days ago. No longer was I forced to limp about on three legs while the flesh of my immobilized foreleg knitted itself back together. Sure, I was still required to 'take it easy' and warned not to run lest I have leg privileges revoked, but I was free. It felt amazing.

Unfortunately, the requirement to take it easy also meant that I was required to take frequent breaks. This made walking down through the streets of Canterlot from the castle district a long and annoying affair. There were ponies from all around the country flooding into the city, scrambling to get last minute accommodations. Who in the fuck calls a hotel a stable? You could've made any other horse pun! Horstel instead of hostel for example! Crowds were threatening encroach on every inch of open space, which made it very difficult to get around.

Starlight was being very patient, but I think my level of agitation was contagious. I was pretty much stuck to her side, practically underneath her, and ponies were still almost walking on me. Why should they get to play the victim and shout "Hey, I'm walkin' here!" at us when she conjured up a small barrier to guarantee us some fucking space?

Fucking ingrates, the lot of them. If it were up to me, I'd stun them all and walk on their insensate forms. I winced at the aggressive thought. All of the emotions around me were ones of positivity and excitement, but there were so goddamn many of them. Couple that with my usual crowd anxiety and I was practically on a hair-trigger. For the sake of Auntie Twilight, though, I was trying not to cause a huge incident.

Still, I was thankful for her barrier. Just the other day, I bought myself replacement glasses with some of my ill-gotten gains from a misadventure of questionable canonicity. It'd fucking suck to have to go back to them tiny frames and have only a narrow portion of my field of vision to rely on again. I'd probably end up committing a felony if they were to break so soon.

Speaking of my ill-gotten gains, most of them had been teleported back to Twilight's castle, with only about a thousand bits worth in ten and one hundred bit denomination coins remaining in a satchel in Starlight's saddlebags. That was the same place any of my dangerous spell medallions were. Her reasoning was, "It's not that I don't trust you, Anon, but I'd rather you didn't have the ability to traumatise countless ponies in the middle of a panic attack." Harsh, but fair. My own saddlebags had my robe, the clothes from the other side, my possum friend, my notebooks, a set of artisanal modelling tools I'd ordered, and a big jar of clay. Not exactly heavy, but by no means light, either.

That wasn't to say I didn't have any medallions on me. I'd had some alterations made to my track jacket, adding four zip-up pockets on the inseam of each sleeve. The three medallions she allowed me to keep on me were a light spell, the water spell, and the ice spell. The most I could do was blind someone, put a ball of ice in their mouth, or make water fill their ears. It wasn't ideal, but it wasn't like I honestly expected her to let me keep the one I'd dubbed Fire Hose.

Watching a familiar purple and green shape of Spike the Dragon bouncing through the crowd with a mass of scrolls held in his arms, I sighed. "I wonder if Shining Armour is upset that he couldn't come along and bring Flurry to the Festival," I asked Starlight as we moved through the crowd flowing in the opposite direction of us. "I'm sure he'd have loved to see his sister's first big festival organised as a princess."

The mare peeked down at me before smirking. "You just want to snuggle Flurry Heart," she teased, shaking her head before looking around for the best route to the train station. The plan was to take the train to Vanhoover, stay the night, and then hop on a train out to the Empire come morning. "You know why they can't."

I nodded. Back during their stay in Ponyville last month, I'd overheard Cadance complaining to Twilight about the nobility of the Crystal Empire. While they weren't as tribalist as the bunch of cats Blueblood was responsible for trying to herd, they were very opportunistic, trying to seize what power and riches they could when they thought nobody was looking. She'd been dreading to see what they had tried to put through the senate in her absence when they returned.

A curious sight became visible in the sky not long after we reached the train station plaza. A massive dark cloud was approaching Canterlot from the south. Rather than the typical blue-grey of a water-laden thunderhead, however, this was more of a dusty brown. As it grew yet closer, I smelled something very familiar... "Is that... <>?" I muttered, staring up at the massive bank of what I now suspected was smog. "I didn't know anybody on this planet was using fossil-based fuels."

Starlight scrunched up her own muzzle at the odour, and let out a noise of disgust as we approached the ticket booth. "You know what that is?" she whispered back. "It smells awful!"

I nodded, pointing up at that cloud bank. "It's a type of fuel source that releases a bunch of pollutants into the air when burned," I said. "Someone's up there in something—my guess is an airship of some sort—and they're burning a whole bunch of it... probably quite inefficiently to get that big of a smog bank."

As if to punctuate my sentence, an airship burst forth from the cloud, making a bee-line for the castle district. What stood out about it was that it wasn't covered in the typical wood and pastels that ponies typically used when decorating everything. The balloon, what little I could see of it, was a dark rose; most of it was covered in blackened armour-plating protecting it from the front and above. That same blackened metal shrouded the prow of the vessel. Even the wood of the ship's hull was of a darker variety, and all of it was sharp edges that gave the impression of a predator.

Everything about that screams villain, a small voice in the back of my mind warned. That thing's built for war.

Starlight was too busy conversing with the ticket-seller about tickets to Vanhoover to notice the exposed fur on my neck beginning to bristle. There was something being said about younger sisters having anxiety and the city getting too crowded, as well as something about the Crystal Empire. I wasn't paying too much attention to them. I was watching as two more airships exited the cloud, moving to flank the first as it went in for a landing near the castle. Yet the cloud remained where it was...

Not too long after, Starlight led me to a bench. She sat down, setting her bags beside her as she said something about boarding after they were finished refuelling the train, but the meaning of her words was escaping me. My eyes kept going from the castle to the cloud bank, which had now come to a stop directly above the city, ears straining to hear anything other than the din of a crowd. Instead, I paced in front of her, freaking her out more and more as I panicked.

"Anon, what is it?" she finally begged, levitating my emotional support plush from my bag and practically shoving it into my arms. "You haven't looked this spooked since... ever. Talk to me."

In a shaky voice, I croaked out, "It's an invasion."

The moment I got those words out, screams echoed down from the upper tiers of the city. More and more airships began to descend from the cloud. I could see great hulking figures on the decks, looking down at the city, their black armour glinting in what little sunlight was getting through the fog. All the while trumpets and calls to arms could be heard from guard stations throughout the city.

Even as I threw my saddlebags to the ground to stuff my possum in and took my non-combat medallions out of the pockets on my sleeve, Starlight was staring at an airship that looked determined to land right in the middle of the plaza. I could see her running the numbers in her head, and though she looked every bit as ready to bolt as I was, she lit her horn. A shimmering barrier formed over the top of the plaza—not a complete shield dome like what Twilight could conjure, but something that was just enough to give pegasi some breathing room at the rooftop level, and still keep the craft from landing.

While she did that, I went into her bags and started pulling out the octagonal medallions. Stonewall, Earthen Pillar, Fire Hose, and Arctic Gale, were the first ones out, and I slotted them into the pockets on my right sleeve. Then I found Ice Spike, Plasma Bolt, and the untested Flamethrower, and started putting those into my left. She gave me a dirty look when she saw me doing this, but it had to be done.

You're just a filly; let her protect you, the instinctual part of my brain insisted. You shouldn't have to fight.

We're a family. We protect one another. I'm not losing her like I lost my mother, and I'm not letting us get separated, either.

We sat anxiously for what felt like an hour, watching as more and more ponies fled to join us under Starlight's umbrella barrier. All around, there was panic and fear. Nobody understood what was going on or why this was happening. This had caught the city completely off-guard. As far as I was aware, when the changelings invaded Canterlot, there was some warning, even if it was part of Chrysalis' subterfuge.

In the middle of the plaza, I saw a golden flash as a dozen royal guards led by a stallion in a black great-coat with gold epaulettes, and a matching peaked cap. I could see a pair of sabres strapped to his side that looked more practical than ornate. When he turned to face us, his golden mane blowing in the breeze, I saw a grim smile. Prince Blueblood had arrived. Wait, he's a soldier and a diplomat?

"Ah, excellent, somepony has already secured the airspace over the plaza," he said, approaching. I could see Starlight eyeing him warily as he approached, but that was probably to be expected. She'd probably only ever seen his public persona—the stuck-up playboy that he played for the nobility—and wasn't sure he could be trusted in a state of emergency. "I have no authority to command you, nor have I the right to ask this of you, but we need all the help we can get securing this plaza for the evacuation."

My stomach dropped. The guard and Blueblood are abandoning the city? I glanced back up in the direction of the castle district. I wanted to ask what was happening, and where Aunt Twilight was, but I could already see ponies streaming in down the main avenue. Starlight asked what I'd intended to say instead. "How bad is it?"

His looked away, his ears folded back in shame. "Aunties Celestia and Luna, as well as Cousin Cadance have been petrified and captured, caught completely unawares," he said in a dark voice. "Princess Twilight and the Elements are fleeing the city on hoof as the invaders seek her capture, but I've had reports that they are also rounding up and caging civilians." He watched as a group of guards herded a group of ponies we'd passed earlier into the plaza and directly onto the train. "To that end, the Guard is evacuating what populace it can to Manehattan, where we will regroup and ready to retake the city."

I wanted to go into the city and search for Aunt Twilight right then and there, but if there was an invading army swarming through the city even now, there was no way I could reach her. "What do you need us to do."

~ 32 ~

The plan was simple, which is to say that it had the least avenues to go from bad to worse. The city evacuation plan was to get the elderly, parents with children, and infirm out of the city on the trains, while all other civilians would exit the city on hoof and hole up in the cave system running throughout the mountain, where there were emergency shelters and supply caches throughout. It wasn't a nice plan, but it had some real planning put into it, and it had clearly been approved a long time ago if they had caches and shelter.

There were several guard groups operating throughout the city to achieve this goal. One was a strike force led by the current captain of the guard, sent to secure the train depot and get other trains prepped to evacuate the civilians that were brought there. Others were running interference against the invaders or leading ponies out of the city. That left Blueblood's group, which had deployed to secure the plaza and ensure ponies could safely board the train on-site, and ensure it got out of the city in one piece. If it couldn't leave, the other trains would be unable to leave the depot and countless ponies would be trapped.

My job was relatively simple. First and foremost, I was to keep Starlight safe so that her barrier stayed between us and that nasty looking airship lurking above the plaza. He also had me conjure up stone walls that blocked off every entrance into the plaza except for the tracks and the main avenue. I wasn't to use any combat spell unless one of the hulking warriors broke through the choke point while the last civvies filtered in. Still, I was perched upon a stone pillar with a pegasus guard hovering beside me, operating as a spotter.

Blueblood was, surprisingly, at the front line, leading a phalanx of earth-ponies and unicorns to push back any interlopers when they appeared. More than once, it broke into a vicious brawl, and I was treated to the sight of my new friend diving into the thick of it, his two sabres a blur of steel. Usually, this was to pull one of his men out of a dangerous situation.

Strangely, these black-armoured invaders didn't seem keen on killing ponies. More than once, I was helpless to watch as a group of the behemoths ambushed a group of refugees just outside the cordon. The first time a pair of guards attempted to intervene, the two were ambushed in turn when a pair of the brutes dropped from the rooftops. The only reason both guardsponies got out of that was because I put a plasma bolt through the back of one invader while it was trying to heft the armoured earth pony over its shoulder. After that, the other was more interested in dragging its screaming compatriot to safety. If any other refugees were intercepted after that, it wasn't down the main avenue.

After what had happened with Lightning Dust, I felt like I should've been more disturbed by that beast screaming about not being able to feel its legs, or the haunted looks thrown my way by the two guards I saved; instead it was like a switch in my head had been flipped. These weren't stupid teenagers trying to get vigilante justice on a group of even stupider pre-teens; these were invaders who could very well have captured or hurt Auntie Twilight. They were fair game to hurt, and if any of them tried to hurt any of these ponies, I'd put them down like rabid animals and let God sort them out.

That wasn't the only being I hurt while I was on my perch, though. When they thought nobody would notice, another pair of the creatures attempted to climb over the one of the stone walls I'd blocked a street off with. The pegasus on overwatch picked up on it really quick, and I sent a huge tongue of flame streaking across the plaza, catching both when they were straddling the top of the wall. They fell back the way they came, their armour glowing red hot as they screamed and patted at the flames spreading across their furred limbs. Another group tried it from the other side, but were promptly hosed down and hit with Arctic Gale; there was no screaming at all from them.

"Hey, what's that they're doing on the tracks?" my spotter called out, looking down the tracks in the direction of the train depot. I squinted my eyes and saw a trio of the creatures hunched over, but I couldn't see what they were doing. I couldn't cast the flamethrower spell that far, and even if I could, the caboose of the train was in the firing arc. If I missed with a plasma bolt, I'd just fuck the rails up and strand the ponies at the depot. That left me with only one option.

The trio of ice spikes that soared down the track punched hard into their armour, denting it, but only one let out a scream indicating I'd done any real damage. A few moments later, before I could fire another burst, they backed off, leaving something behind. "Son of a bitch." At that, the length of railway between us and the train depot was torn apart in a fiery explosion. Once the smoke cleared, it was clear that a section of the rail had been sheared straight through by the blast.

"Oi, Your Highness!" I called out, sliding down the sloped edge of my stone perch. Save for the few guards that had joined with the refugees, Starlight, and the Prince's front line party, there was nobody else still in the plaza; everyone else was aboard the idling train. "They just blew the track to the depot! They're probably gonna make an attempt at the other end if we stay much longer, too!"

It looked as though he cursed under his breath before calling out, "Everypony, we are leaving." He glanced in the direction of the depot and removed his peaked cap. Holding it to his chest, he looked beseechingly to the guards with him. "I need volunteers to link up with the guard captain and find another way out of the city for their evacuees. In the meantime, I shall link up with the Manehattan branch of the guard and plan a counterattack."

While he conversed with his troops and determined who would stay behind, I grabbed my saddlebags and made my way over to Starlight. She'd already gotten her own bags on, although I noticed that she was beginning to sweat a bit from maintaining the cover. It wasn't like she hadn't been idle; the craft above us had attempted to drop some soldiers and explosives a couple of times. "I can't maintain this sort of barrier from within the train," she warned. "We're going to have to ride outside until we're clear."

I nodded, looking up at the airship waiting above. "I think I can make something to deal with that, but I'm going to need to be clear of the city skyline," I said making my way over to the caboose of the train and hauling myself up. Starlight was right there behind me. Out of my bag came the jar of clay, and one of sculpting tools. I didn't bother making this anything fancy, because chances were I would only be able to do this once before being told this spell is now illegal. I just needed to make this as fine as I could.

I know that I'm still unsure of how to feel about you guys, but I know you're somewhere here in the city. Stay safe, Cutie Mark Crusaders.

Out of the corner of my eye, I caught sight of the guard volunteers—nearly all of those who had fought alongside the prince—beginning their march down the mangled track. A few of them had their heads turned skyward, and the rest had their heads on swivels as they went. Not long after, I heard the familiar chug of the steam-engine and felt the lurch as the train began its exit. I barely paid it any mind. Instead I focused on etching in parameters to the large wad of clay as Starlight tucked our bags inside the door of the caboose.

Conjure Earth for a basis, I thought as I etched. Five feet in front of caster. Cylindrical profile, seventy-five centimetres by forty millimetres. Composition: sixty percent titanium, ten percent iron. Stone outer casing. I knew that Starlight was watching over my shoulder, and I imagined that she was already doing the math. Launch projectile at line-of-sight target. Velocity: twenty-five hundred metres per second.

She placed a hoof on my shoulder. "Anon, what do you think you're doing?" she demanded. "Do you have any idea how dangerous that is? What that will do?"

I nodded, not looking away from my work as I began etching in my safeties. Need to absorb what recoil we can, I thought. Behind me, I heard the door sliding open once more. Biting my cheek, I cast a glance over my shoulder, to see Prince Blueblood. His mane was matted with sweat, but I was more amused with the confusion radiating off him. Transmit remainder to train caboose. Can give us a boost on the straight-away out of the city. "Once we're clear of the mountain, I'm going to blow that thing out of the sky if it chooses to follow us," I said, finishing my preparations and doing a once-over of my work. "This's probably gonna be loud, so can you tell everyone on board to cover their ears, get away from the windows and brace themselves?"

Blueblood nodded, watching worriedly as the airship parked over the plaza decided to make chase after all. I almost expected it to go the other way around the mountain and cut us off, but instead it followed us at a 'safe' distance. Still well within my swatting range. The prince, to his credit, grabbed what looked like an old-timey telephone and called out, "All passengers, prepare for sudden acceleration. Cover your ears, and if near a window, please move away." I could hear his voice echoing down the length of the train. "Thank you."

The several minutes that it took to get down the mountain and to the straightaway was the longest bit of time I ever spent unblinking. Never for a second did I let that airship out of my sight. It seemed as though they had their own plans, as I saw many cannons brought up on the airship deck. Rather than traditional cannons, though, they appeared to be some sort of grapnel launchers. It was clear they intended to tether themselves to the train, and then board.

All the while, I watched as less and less of my peripheral was obscured by the mountain. "On my mark, drop the barrier," I warned, placing my hoof over the runic array for Equestria's first—and hopefully last—ever railgun spell. The moment the train levelled out and hit the switchback into the straightaway to Manehattan, I gritted my teeth. "MARK!"

The moment my mana touched the runic array, it felt as though almost my entire reservoir had been forcefully yanked out of me. The sky was on fire as I pitched forward and slammed into the safety rail, which bent ninety degrees under the sudden strain. A fiery contrail lanced from the spot the projectile came into existence, streaking up through the hull of the airship, piercing the armour plating and the balloon in a fiery blossom as it burned its way out of the atmosphere.

I wasn't sure if they were using hydrogen for lift, or if I scored a lucky hit through their fuel supply. All I knew was that a few moments after I found myself hanging from the bent safety rail by my hoof, I saw the airship wracked by a massive secondary explosion. It seemed to sway for a moment before gravity kicked in and it peeled of to the side before ploughing into the plain running alongside the track.

"Sweet..."

"...Celestia."

"Woo! Fuck yeah!" I cheered, raising my hooves in celebration. Wait, wasn't I hanging from the railing? "Ah shit!"

Both unicorns reacted swiftly, grabbing me with their telekinesis and hauling me back onto the caboose. As they set me down, I glanced at the array I'd constructed. The spot where the clay had been was little more ash, and I imagined the keratin in my hoof was probably a little cooked as well. At least I wasn't in any pain.

"You'll not be leaving us so soon, my friend," Blueblood chided, ruffling my mane. "I will, however, have to ask on behalf of the crown that you not recreate that spell. Although allowable under emergency wartime provisions, spells of that capacity are not typically allowed in the hooves of civilians."

Starlight, on the other hand, simply pulled me into a crushing hug. "Don't you ever do that again!" she said, crying but unable to withhold some laughter. I think at this point the stress had gotten to all of us, because Blueblood and I quickly joined. "You're not allowed to save all of our flanks and then do something stupid like dying."

I just yawned and nuzzled into her shoulder. "In my defence, I'm kinda wiped..." I said, feeling my stomach rumble. "Do you think they refilled the food trolley before the invasion started, or should I take a nap to conserve my energy?"

~ 32 ~

Several hours later, I found myself walking through an almost copy-pasted version of Grand Central Terminal. Starlight and I were following close behind Prince Blueblood, who was walking and speaking with the leader of the local guard detachment. They'd practically been waiting there for us, and I wasn't sure if they had a telegraph sent out before we left, or if a carrier pegasus had been sent out prior to our arrival. All I really knew was that there was an entire detachment there waiting for us in the cleared-out terminal when the train screeched into station.

The prince was giving orders to a guardsmare, which she just as quickly relayed to other guards who split off. Medics were dispatched take anypony extracted from the hospital to Manehattan General, and then comb through the refugees and treat any injuries. A group of MPs was to take names and stock of everypony that had arrived on the train; they needed to find out who was who, if there were any unattended minors, and if anypony had been separated from loved ones.

There was fear, anger, and anxiety everywhere. For a moment, I almost thought I was back at Canterlot High, but the memory of what had happened was enough to ground me in the now and push it all away. Someone had just struck at the heart of Equestria and captured three of the princesses.

To his credit, Blueblood didn't slip back into the noble persona, even when a pony I suspected to be the mayor joined us. "Ah, Mayor, just the pony I wanted to speak to," he said in that same charming tone he greeted me with only just last week. "We need lodging set aside for all of these ponies. If the hoteliers of the city refuse to provide emergency housing, the indoor buckball stadium should be large enough to set up emergency shelters."

"Of course, your highness," the portly grey stallion replied. His eyes flicked to us. Oddly enough, his eyes lingered on me a little longer than I'd have liked, and his eyebrow furrowed. Feeling's mutual, buddy, but why do I feel like I've seen you somewhere before? "And what of these two? Should they not remain with the rest of the refugees?"

That drew a shake of the head from Prince Blueblood. "I want these ponies treated as VIPs and kept safe during their stay here." There was a bit of warning in his tone. "Ladies Starlight Glimmer and Anonymous Flicker are members of Princess Twilight Sparkle's household and the Order of Harmony's Hooves, although their induction has not yet been made official."

Again, the mayor's eyes drifted to me, lingering a bit too long for my liking. "She's a little young to be a knight, isn't she?" The incredulity in his voice was bordering rude. "The filly doesn't look like she's even seen her first season yet." Scratch that. Definitely rude. Like, bitch, I almost died for Harmony's little schemes.

My adoptive big sister looked ready to intervene, but Blueblood raised a hoof, drawing the group to a stop. "Lady Anon's youth belies the maturity she possesses, my good colt," he said in a cool voice that almost seemed to threaten violence. I know stress is high because of the invasion, but holy shit, my dude. "She has personally answered Harmony's call, at no small risk to her own well-being, and she and her guardian were both integral in the evacuation effort. More importantly, Anon is my friend and shall be treated with the respect that title deserves."

Starlight and I both blinked at one another. It was kinda surprising to hear him think of me as a friend, if I was being honest. Most of our interactions in the past weren't the best; hell, we only really hung out the one time. Sure, we got drunk together, and may have caused shenanigans, but was that enough to offset all the fire? Or did he see being able to take off the mask of nobility as reason enough to label me a friend?

"Of course, Your Highness," the mayor replied, bowing and stepping away. "I shall go begin making arrangements for the refugees at once."

Once the mayor stepped away, the prince let out a snort that seemed almost derisive. Turning to Starlight, he shook his head. "This is where we part ways, Lady Starlight," he said, his eyes momentarily darting to me. "Find a safe place to hole up until this blows over, and keep a close eye on her." His voice dropped into a hush, but I was still close enough to hear. "Even if she seems fine right now, braver ponies have been haunted by less than what she's seen today."

I cocked an eyebrow, pouting a bit. "Dude, whispering about someone like that only works when they're not right in front of you."

That got a chuckle out of Blueblood. "That it does, my small friend," he said softly, once again mussing up my mane with his hoof. "I promise you that we will take back Canterlot, and Twilight will be safe. Until that time, I ask that you stay strong for her."

I looked from him to Starlight, not entirely sure what the big deal was. "Sure thing, Blue," I said. He seemed surprised by the nickname but I saw a smile spreading across his face. As he walked away, I had one thing I wanted to say, so when he was a few metres away, I called out to him. "Prince Blueblood!" He turned his head to regard me, and I gave him a salute. "Good hunting, Your Highness! Fuck'em up for me!"

Several of the nearby guards looked at me in disbelief. That disbelief only grew when the prince barked with laughter and called back. "Indeed!" A grin split my face as I turned and ran ahead of the now-scowling Starlight. Oh, that's right! I'm not supposed to swear. Sorry, not sorry!

Once we exited the terminal, we stopped by a signboard that seemed to have ads for several local hotels and restaurants. We had a short discussion about whether we were more hungry or tired, but ultimately decided we should get a hotel room first and then worry about our bellies. Gotta find a place to rest my head, I thought, looking at the different posters. Once I have a bed, then I can be fed. Only then should I worry about the dead.

The moment my internal dialogue uttered that last word, my eyes caught sight of a faded and wind-torn poster that was partially covered up by a flyer for some Manehattan boutique. While Starlight was consulting a nearby directory map, I lifted the flyer and gazed at the poster beneath. I regretted it immediately as a chill went down my spine.

Missing

Name: Emerald Flicker

Age: 6, Born 81 Binuary, 995 H.E.

Missing since 43 Hextilis 1001 H.E.

Emerald has a green coat, green eyes, and a black mane. Approximately 68cm tall and 20kg. At the time of her disappearance, she was not known to possess a cutie mark. May run if approached.

If spotted, contact her father, Raging Storm or the Manehattan P.D.

There was a weathered photograph pasted beneath the header, showing a small green filly at a park with a familiar green pegasus mare and a jet-black pegasus stallion standing a bit away. That stallion was simultaneously foreign and familiar to me, and for the first time today, I think I was actually feeling my own true fear. The filly in the picture, although smaller than the description indicated, looked just like me, although her mane was parted into twin ponytails, rather than left to run wild.

Probably the only picture he even had of me, a tiny piece of my mind whispered. They felt like my thoughts, but at the same time, I couldn't explain where they were coming from. Anything else would've shown everypony what he did.

Part of me wanted to tear the poster down, ball it up, and throw it into the nearest bin or gutter. Except, when I brought my hoof up to rip it down, all I could bring myself to do was stare at Emerald Breeze with a feeling of loss welling up within me. When I was sure Starlight wasn't looking, I carefully unpinned the missing poster, rolled it up, and slipped it into my bag.

"H-hey, Starlight," I called out, pretending to read a menu pinned on the opposite end of the board. Unfortunately, I found myself scuffing my hoof on the sidewalk, but I made a conscious effort not to shed keratin into the shape of any runes. "How do you feel about Mexicolt for dinner? There's this place on the corner of Fifth Avenue and Main, and their tacos and chili both look really good." Hell, it even had carnivore options, such as imported pork, turkey, and chicken. At least, it had better have been imported, since such creatures were only supposed to be sentient in Equestria.

She came back over and took a look at the menu, but if she paid any mind to the anxious energy I was probably putting off, she hid it well. Instead she read over the the menu and nodded. "I could go for a burrito, and this place is just a block away from the hotel," she exclaimed, lifting me with her magic and embracing me in a hug. In a quieter voice, she whispered, "It's okay to be upset about today; you don't need to hide your pain. You're safe now..."

I only wish I could believe that, I thought, thinking about the missing pony poster in my bag. Every day we spend here, I'm probably going to be in more danger than I was in Canterlot.

Author's Note

Big start to the "Oops, Manehattan!" arc, but this is not an indication of the overall tone of the arc.