The doors of the barn at Sweet Apple Acres parted. A pony squeezed through. He stepped into the space. He turned and pushed with one hoof. One hoof depressed the handle. Once the plate aligned with the jamb, the latch slid without a sound into place. He stepped toward the bales of hay and wriggled among them. He reached the wall and slid into a crouch. He adjusted his legs and leaned his head. He waited. The doors opened. A pony walked in. She kicked the doors shut and tossed aside her hat. She dipped her face into a bucket of water and emerged, sighing. She dried herself with a towel and went upstairs. The pony behind the bales waited. He slithered out and crept toward the bucket. He peered into the water. His face twitched. He ran a hoof across the rim. He raised the hat and looked and felt inside it. He lifted the towel and inspected it. He replaced the towel and the hat and shook his head. He eyed the staircase. He wriggled behind the bales and waited.
The doors opened. A pony traipsed in. He moved his head from side to side. His neck clicked. He pushed off the collar that he wore and placed it onto a hook. He picked up the bucket and emptied it over his face. He grunted and tossed his head. Water flew from his mane. He stretched, then climbed the stairs. The pony behind the bales waited. Voices spoke above him. Laughter rang out. He waited. Smells of cooking permeated the space. He shut his eyes and muffled with his hooves a sneeze. He waited. A door opened and a pony walked down the stairs. He stepped outside, blew out the lamps, returned and locked the barn. The pony behind the bales waited. No sound came from above. He crept from the bales and toward the stairs. He touched the first step. He held his breath and pushed. The wood creaked. He stopped, closed his eyes, waited, breathed and climbed.
Once he reached the landing, he stopped and stared. He raised a hoof and pressed. A door swung open. He stopped. Straw rustled. He gulped and waited. No sound came. He stepped into the doorway. Moonlight illuminated the corridor. There were four more doors. He examined the doors. One was ajar. He poked his head in. It was a bathroom. He went to the sink. He felt around the bowl. He bent down and rubbed the floor. He stopped. He raised his hoof. He returned to the corridor and brought his hoof into the light. He stared. He gritted his teeth. He watched the doors. He held his breath and pushed. The door stayed put. He stepped forward, felt and pushed. This door opened. He slipped into the room and stared. It was a kitchen. On the table lay the remains of a meal. He felt the plates and the chairs. He shook his head. Then he froze.
A door had opened. Hoofsteps clicked in the corridor. A light went on. He drew into the shadows. A pony sat in the bathroom. Urine fell into water. There were a pause, a flush and hoofsteps. He peeked. A small pony opened one of the doors, entered and closed and bolted it. He waited, then slid toward the end of the corridor. He paused. He pushed. The door swayed inward. He caught the door with his hoof and slipped into the room. He breathed out and waited. No sound came. His eyes reached the bed and widened. His mouth twitched. A pony lay in the bed. Her eyes were closed. Her body rose and fell. He stood, watching. He shivered. He moved out of the moonlight and stepped forward. He reached the bed. He was shaking. He raised a hoof, lowered it and raised it. He reached. Her eyes flickered. He shrank back and waited, trembling.
She did not move. He closed his eyes, breathed out and opened them. He tiptoed around the bed and to the other side. He scanned the covers. He eyed the pillow. He hesitated, then stretched out his hoof. He skimmed the fabric. He retracted his hoof and raised it into the light. He reached out. Her head moved. His hoof shot backward. The pony in the bed shifted. He stumbled backward, his eyes wide. She shook the covers and turned. He ducked and pressed himself flat against the floorboards. She sighed. He breathed in time with her breathing and waited. He raised his head, then his legs. He pushed himself upward and watched. She was facing him. Her eyes were closed. He moved to the other side. He checked the pillow. He stared. He walked to a chest of drawers and ran his hooves over it. He stooped and felt the floor. He raised his hooves. He felt. He raised his hooves.
His eyes flicked to the pony in the bed. He rose and walked to the bedside. He stared at her head. He leaned in, paused and waited. She breathed. He leaned in closer and brought his hoof onto the mattress. The mattress gave. She shifted. He tensed. She relaxed. He relaxed. He adjusted his hooves and reached. He steadied a hoof above her head, then brought it down. He waited. He brought it down and skimmed her mane. She was still. He retracted his hoof and raised it into the light. He bit his lip. He adjusted his position, steadied his hoof, brought it down and pulled. She stirred. He stopped and stared. She was still. He retreated to the foot of the bed. He brushed the mattress and raised his hoof into the light. His shoulders slumped. His mouth trembled. He stepped backward and watched. He waited. She was still.
He crept toward her. He reached out. He skimmed her mane and stared at his hoof. He shuddered. He skimmed her mane. She made a noise. He ducked. She moved a hoof and shifted her head. His eyes widened. He touched the ends of her mane. He stretched out his forehooves and made a pincer. He brought his hooves together in the air above her head and pulled. She started. He dropped to the floor and hugged the side of the bed. She kicked the covers. Her hooves descended. He held his breath, his body rigid. She walked to the window, reached for the curtains and drew them. His eyes flicked from side to side. She rolled into bed, tugged the covers, shifted and sighed. He waited, breathing with her, moving nothing. He waited. He waited. He peeled himself from the floor and blinked. He felt the bed. He touched the mattress and stopped. He outlined the frame, hovered above the headboard and paused.
He blinked. He bit his lip. He waited. She was still. He was still. He stayed, his head above hers. He widened his eyes and leaned forward. He smelled her. He stopped. He smelled. He opened his mouth. He stuck out his tongue. He felt the air. He stopped. His neck straining, he adjusted his hooves. He opened his mouth, bared his teeth and bit. He stopped. He licked the air. He held his breath and curled his tongue. He retracted it and closed his jaw. He bit. Something severed. He pulled back his head, trembling. He turned and crept to the door. He slipped out of the room and down the corridor, his legs quivering. He descended the stairs. He reached the barn doors. He tried the handle. The doors rattled and stayed shut. He stared. He spun around. He scanned the windows and the bales of hay. He turned and examined the lock. He turned again, showing his back to the doors, steadied himself and lashed out with his hind legs. The frame cracked. He threw open the doors and shot out into the night.
He reached the orchard and pressed himself against a tree. He lowered his head, raised a hoof and stuck out his tongue. He licked his hoof. He raised it into the moonlight. He swallowed. His mouth wobbled. His eyes shone. On the tip of his hoof was stuck half of a golden hair. His chest shook. He opened his mouth, restored the hair onto his tongue and stood. He travelled to the edge of the orchard and cleared the fence. He trotted into town. He passed the Golden Oak Library. He stopped. Behind an upper window a light was on. He took a step toward it. His eyes glinted. He turned away and continued. He reached a row of houses. He jumped into the garden of the nearest house and stopped at a patch of grass by the wall. He pulled a metal ring. A door opened. He stepped into a cellar. He felt the wall and brushed a cord. He tugged it. A light flickered on. The door closed.
He pushed aside a chair and licked the table. He touched with the tip of his hoof his saliva and raised the former into the light. He held the fragment of golden hair. He smiled and reached for a bag that lay on the floor. From it he extracted a matchbox. He scraped the hair into the matchbox and closed it. He placed the matchbox onto the table. He pushed away the bag and sat in the chair. He leaned backward and stretched. He chuckled. His body was trembling. He sighed and closed his eyes. He inhaled. He exhaled. He inhaled. He sighed. He stood up, walked to the cord and pulled it. The light went out. He felt the wall until he reached a corner and, with a grunt, wriggled onto his side. He stretched his neck, shifted his hooves and closed his eyes. He lay still and waited.
Rainbow Dash grinned and raised her hooves. Thunderlane spat, his chest heaving, his coat soaked with sweat. Rainbow Dash paced, skipping and jabbing the air. ‘Ready yet?’ she said. Thunderlane’s mouth twitched.
‘Give me a moment,’ he replied.
‘Sure!’
Thunderlane got to his hooves and blew out. Snot tinged with blood dripped from his snout. He spat, then raised his hooves and beckoned. Rainbow raised hers and danced forward. Thunderlane crouched. She jabbed. He pulled back his head and threw a right. Rainbow flitted forward and backward, smiling. Thunderlane puffed, turned and kicked. He hit air. Rainbow kicked and Thunderlane pushed. She stumbled and recovered. Thunderlane swung twice, panting. Both missed. Rainbow smiled. Thunderlane wheezed and threw. Rainbow took with her flank the blow and bounced backward. Thunderlane kicked. Rainbow kicked. Thunderlane reached, and Rainbow dipped and grabbed his hind legs. He grunted and fell.
‘That’s done it,’ grunted Rainbow. Thunderlane grimaced.
‘Not yet,’ he wheezed. Rainbow swung and struck his snout. His face screwed up. He raised his hooves and blocked. Rainbow pushed her weight onto his torso and held him. He curled up and took her blows. He slid a hoof under her neck. Rainbow shifted her head and kept on him her weight. She tucked her head and tightened her grip. Thunderlane pushed and struggled. She pushed and hit. Thunderlane scrabbled and turned over and back. Rainbow adjusted and wrapped her hind legs around him, staying on top. She struck his head. He tilted and grunted. She slipped her hooves around his neck. He pulled out of her grasp and stood. Rainbow stood and pushed. He slipped to the ground, gasping. She caught his snout. He grimaced and covered up. She tightened her grip. Thunderlane scraped the ground with his hind legs and rose. Rainbow held his head. He pushed. She turned and he fell. She let go. They faced each other. Thunderlane was gasping and grimacing. Rainbow nodded. She rushed him. He stumbled.
Rainbow let go her forehooves. Thunderlane curled up. He raised a hoof. Rainbow adjusted and struck his face. He covered his head. She threw downward onto him. He wrapped his forelegs around her, pulling his face toward her, away from her hooves. She wrestled him out and threw. He cringed backward, turning his head toward the ground. She curled around his neck and squeezed. When he scrabbled and pulled her, she threw. When he blocked, she squeezed. Grunting, he tapped the ground. Rainbow released him and punched the air. ‘Whoo, yeah! Come on!’ she exclaimed. With a groan, Thunderlane stumbled to his hooves.
‘Well fought,’ he managed. ‘Nicely done.’
‘Respect,’ said Rainbow, grinning. ‘You took some shots, you know!’
Thunderlane puffed out his cheeks. ‘Yeah, and landed hardly any. You’re a slick little beast. Huh!’ He rubbed his neck. ‘No Iron Pony for me, then.’
‘Aww, don’t feel too bad,’ said Rainbow, slapping him on the back. ‘I’d do the same to anypony!’
‘You think so?’ Rainbow Dash and Thunderlane turned. A pony stood before them. His coat was grey and his mane dark. He was smiling. Rainbow bristled.
‘You don’t think so, Gust? Since when did you fight? Do you think you can take me?’ The pony, Gust, nodded.
‘Yeah, I think so.’
Rainbow narrowed her eyes and beckoned. ‘Come on, get in here, then, and let’s have it.’
Gust blinked and grinned. Thunderlane frowned. ‘Hey, Dash, give him a chance to be sporting. He’s fresh and you aren’t.’
‘I’ll warn you now,’ interrupted Gust, ‘that I’m fiercely competitive.’
Rainbow laughed. ‘Well, why don’t we put that fire to the test? How many rounds?’
‘How many do you want?’
‘Look, no offence, but I can take you in one,’ said Rainbow.
Gust’s eyes glinted. ‘Frightened I’ll wear you out?’
‘Hah! All right, then, I’ll give you as many as you want. Either way, we start with one – and that’s all I need.’
‘Great, let’s do it.’
‘OK, let’s go! Ready?’
‘Ready when you are.’
‘Hey, hey. Hold up. Hold your horses.’ Thunderlane tapped Gust on the flank. ‘Warm yourself up first. Dash, have a sit-down, for pony’s sake; don’t be silly.’
Gust trotted around the pen, and Rainbow sat down and watched him. Thunderlane stood, thin-mouthed, and watched both. Rainbow smirked. ‘You can still back out,’ she called.
‘No,’ said Gust. Thunderlane grimaced.
‘Go easy, Dash, yeah?’
‘Hah, what?’ snorted Rainbow. ‘Are you for real?’
‘Oh, don’t worry,’ said Gust. ‘You won’t have to.’
‘That’s what I like to hear,’ said Rainbow, standing. ‘Enough horsing around! You ready?’
‘Oh yeah.’ Rainbow advanced. Gust stepped backward. He watched her. She kissed the air and winked. He smiled. ‘You fight a lot?’ he said.
‘Hah!’ said Rainbow. ‘I’m the best!’ He smiled and nodded. He shuffled forward and kicked. Rainbow stepped backward. He turned his back. Rainbow glanced at Thunderlane and rolled her eyes. He gave her a look. Gust tossed his head and stuck out a hoof. Rainbow feinted. He threw. She dodged and watched him rush, pawing and poking, at her. He lowered his head and charged. She caught him and shifted her hind legs. He struggled against her grip. She tapped him. He wobbled.
He spluttered as he lifted her leg from the ground. She adjusted her weight, dragging him. He swung. She slapped it aside with her hoof. He whipped his head and brought up a knee. She took it on her flank and smiled, shaking her head. ‘You’re exhausting yourself, you goose,’ said Rainbow. ‘What do you think you’re going to do, pick me up and throw me?’ He snorted and squirmed. She slid forward, grabbed his head and pulled it close. He struggled, swaying, and she walked with him. He grabbed one of her legs. She hopped and planted it. He leaned on her, snorting and gasping. She loosened her grip. He staggered forward, then backward and threw. She tossed her mane. The blows drifted past her head. She clipped him with a right. He gasped and swung. She skipped into space. ‘Come on,’ said Rainbow, beckoning. ‘Show me your best.’
Gust lunged and threw his forelegs around her torso. He tripped forward as she retreated. She held him close. He grunted and pushed and tugged. She fell onto the ground. He scrambled on top of her. She used her hind legs and kept his blows at bay. He pushed. She moved his head. ‘Come on,’ said Rainbow. ‘Go for it!’ He raised a hoof and struck. He missed her. He shifted his weight, and he saw her head. He struck. She pulled herself close. The blows slid. She kicked out and turned. He fell to the ground, picked himself up and, blowing and panting, watched her. She nodded. He leapt. All four of his hooves left the ground. Leaning forward, she caught him. His back thudded into the ground, and he grunted. Rainbow threw her hooves. He blinked and struggled. He covered his face. He moaned as she hit him.
‘That’s the round,’ said Thunderlane. ‘That’s enough.’ As Rainbow stopped and stood up, Gust threw himself at her. He opened his mouth and bit her tail.
‘Hey!’ shouted Rainbow, spinning.
‘That’s enough now!’ said Thunderlane. ‘Oi, Gust. Gust!’ Gust shook his head, still latched to her tail, and Rainbow snarled. She kicked him in the face.
‘Gah!’ He fell to the ground and rolled.
‘All right, that’s it! That’s enough!’ Thunderlane rushed in and blocked Rainbow. ‘Calm it.’
‘What was that?’ snapped Rainbow as Gust rose, rubbing his snout.
‘Got carried away,’ he mumbled. ‘Sorry. Told you I was competitive.’
‘Well?’ demanded Rainbow. ‘Had enough?’
He watched Rainbow. His eyes were moist. ‘Yeah,’ he said. ‘Well done. Good show. It’s harder than it looks.’
‘Yeah, it’s hard to beat an athlete,’ said Rainbow, smirking. ‘I like your spirit though! How about a round with Thunderlane?’
‘No, no,’ said Gust. ‘I’ve had enough. You’ve proved me wrong.’ He rubbed his jaw. ‘You’ve got power. Sorry that I interrupted.’
‘What was that all about?’ said Thunderlane once Gust had walked away. Rainbow shrugged.
‘What do you mean?’
‘Bit weird, no? A challenge like that, out of nowhere, from Gust?’
‘You know him?’
‘You don’t?’
‘I know his name. Otherwise not really. I’ve seen him around.’
‘Still strange.’
‘Why?’ said Rainbow. ‘The top spot’s a great spot!’
‘Not that. Heck, you fought him, Dash; do you think he could fight?’
‘Not at all! I had him all round and gave him every chance. Hah, I went easy after all.’
‘That’s my point exactly. Why fight at all? What good did it do him?’
Rainbow shrugged. ‘What good did it do you?’ Thunderlane snorted.
‘Well, you’ve got me there.’
Rainbow craned her neck and examined her flank. She grimaced. ‘Aww, he’s taken a chunk out of my tail. What if I look dumb when I fly?’
‘What’s the difference?’ Thunderlane sniggered, and he dodged her blow.
A pony pulled a cord and a light flickered on. A door closed behind him. He walked to a table, picked up a matchbox and opened it. He lifted his hooves to his mouth and pulled out strands of rainbow-coloured hair. He examined them, smiled and, shaking, pressed them into the matchbox. He closed it and replaced it. He spat and rubbed his jaw. He licked blood from his lips. He extinguished the light, opened the door and walked to Sugarcube Corner. Then he emerged, wheezing with laughter. He raised a hoof, beamed at it and, sighing, wiped his eyes. He returned to the cellar. The door closed. He pulled the cord. The light went on. He lifted the matchbox and added a neat lock of cerise hair. He replaced it and sank into the chair. He chuckled. He sighed. He shook his head. His eyes were moist. He swallowed. He stared, smiling and crying.
Wind and rain rattled the windows of the Golden Oak Library. Twilight drew the curtains, turned and watched Spike’s chest rise and fall. She pulled up his blankets and blew out his bedside candle. She descended the stairs. Her horn glowed. Several books leapt from tables and chairs and slid into gaps among shelves. She turned her horn toward the kitchen. A mug and a tin flew toward her and stopped in front of her. She furrowed her brow. The tin opened, and cocoa jumped from it and into the mug. A bead of sweat formed on her face. The mug filled with hot water, which swirled and turned brown. The tin flew back to the kitchen. She sat down, her cocoa drifting beside her. She sipped it and smiled. A book floated into her lap: Daring Do and the Quest for the Sapphire Stone. She opened it at her bookmark and read. She had turned ten pages when there was a thud on the door.
She looked up. She blinked. She looked down and read. There was a thud on the door. She set down her book and her cocoa and sat up. She walked to the door. She opened it. A pony stood before her. His grey coat was soaked through. His dark mane was plastered to his skull. Twilight stared. He stared. ‘Can I help you?’ she asked.
‘No.’
‘Oh.’
‘Yeah.’
‘Um…’ Twilight blushed and said, ‘Well, then –’
‘I’m coming in.’ The pony pushed past her. She jumped aside and opened her mouth. Then she stopped. She watched him. He stood in the centre of the room, staring at the floor. Twilight blinked. She stepped around him. She closed the door.
‘Wh—?’
‘Fluttershy was easy,’ interrupted the pony. His eyes were fixed on the floorboards. ‘She’s always gallivanting around those woods. It took patience, but it was easy. She plays with bears as well as birds. Claws are sharp. First I thought I could get it that way. Then I realised I was being stupid. How many twigs and thorns are there, which do the same job? It took a while, but I found it.
‘Rarity was more of a challenge. I tried as a customer, but she never left the room and gave me little chance in which to search it. I had to have a good think about that one. I considered sneaking in at lunch or at night. Then I realised just how pedantic she was. Her horn never rests. Everything in there is spotless. She changes her sheets daily. You’d think it’s easy, to get close to a pony, but no. What reason do I have? What excuse? It’s hard to do much without arousing suspicion. In the end, it was more or less my first plan with Fluttershy. Rarity has a cat. I spent hours trying to corner the little beast. It went like a dream. On my first attempt, there it was. I was so pleased with myself. I thought the others couldn’t be much harder. Applejack is a farmer. If I could find Fluttershy’s in a bush, surely I could find Applejack’s in an orchard or a pile of hay. Only I didn’t, and getting into the orchard during the day was far more difficult than I feared. She and her brother patrol the place like police. My time was running out. What chance did I have by night?
‘So, a break-in it was. Well, I didn’t actually break in. I sneaked into the barn and waited for hours. She came in, and at the time I thought it a miracle, and she left her hat. I checked it and a towel with which she’d dried herself. Nothing. So I waited, thinking to search the place as they slept. They ate dinner and went to bed. I considered giving up and trying something else. If I were caught, how could I explain it – and what would that mean for the rest of my efforts? But the decision was made for me. The brother locked me in. I waited for silence and crept up the stairs. I searched the bathroom. I thought I’d found it, but I was wrong. Then I hid in the kitchen as the younger one peed. She bolts the door to their bedroom, so that left only one hope. How lucky I was, now that I think about it. Applejack was the one who slept alone in a room, and she’s a sound sleeper! I tried the pillow and the mattress. How I held my nerve… Well, I went for it. I tried to pull it out. She awoke, and I sank to the floor, terrified. But it was fine. She went back to bed, and I simply waited and tried again. In the end –’ The pony snorted with laughter. ‘In the end, I bit it off! Hah!
‘So, three down and three to go. Rainbow Dash was a cinch in comparison! No skulking or scheming. She couldn’t have been better suited. She considers herself seriously, so I walked up to the girl and threw stones where it hurts. Know how much affection I felt for this pony, who made my task so easy. I led her to believe I was a sore loser and simply pulled them straight from her tail, hah! As easy as that! Can you believe it? Put yourself in my hooves and imagine, after struggling to catch cats and searching for needles in haystacks, how delighted I was! And it only got better! Pinkie!’ The pony wheezed and spluttered. He wiped his eyes. ‘Oh, dear, dear Pinkie! I had little idea of what to expect. I had been led to believe, however, that she was eccentric in the extreme. Hah, so, I strolled in and asked her for it, and she gave it to me! Can you imagine? She just snipped off a lock and gave it to me, just like that! Bless her!’ The pony raised a hoof and kissed it, his eyes streaming. He smiled and turned them onto Twilight. ‘But it’s all gone now. It’s done. Gone. Why? Because Twilight Sparkle does not have wings. Perhaps, if we are so lucky, someday another will succeed where I have failed.’
Twilight swallowed. She watched him, her eyes wide. He smiled and shook his head. His mouth quivered. ‘Don’t strain for explanation,’ he said. ‘Why waste the time? Please don’t. Please use it. Use it and love it. It’s the greatest thing the world gives. Ah, heh –’ He sniffed. ‘What a mystery I’m leaving you! Ah, Twilight, the good news is you can’t spare time for this, and you won’t. I know that much. You feel strange, don’t you? Yes, yes. A dream. It’s all our dream. I wasn’t here; you weren’t there. Yes. It’s best that way. It’s only fair.’
He smiled, his eyes glinting. ‘Six,’ he said. ‘That’s it. It’s done. Finished.’ He opened the door, kissed it, walked into the rain and left. He walked. He reached a row of houses. He walked to a patch of grass by a wall. He lifted a ring. He pulled open a door. He pulled a cord. A light flickered on. The door closed. He walked to a table. He picked up a matchbox. He placed it into a bag. He picked up the bag and secured it around his torso. He paused. He closed his eyes. He smiled. He untied the bag and opened it. He took out a quill, parchment and a bottle of ink. He paused. Then he leant forward and wrote:
3 13 85 3 13 43 1 9 61 1 10 12 1 10 13 2 47 18 2 50 9 3 14 6.
‘If he or she who finds this doesn’t understand it,’ he muttered, ‘perhaps someone else will.’ He left on the table the parchment, the quill and the ink bottle. He replaced the bag around himself. He glanced around the room. He smiled, wiped his eyes and pulled the cord. The light went out. He opened the door. He stepped onto the grass. The door closed. He walked.
He walked away from Ponyville, toward the Everfree. He tossed his mane. Water flew from it. He wiped his eyes and his face. He walked into the forest. He grimaced as his shoulder struck a tree. He felt around it. He held out a hoof and felt. He stumbled through the undergrowth. He fell into a clearing. He slid to the ground and stroked the grass. He sighed. He turned his head. He blinked at the clouds. He wiped his eyes. He smiled and shook his head. He waved at the sky. He brought his hoof to his mouth and kissed it. Then he closed his eyes and lay still. The clouds cleared. The rain stopped. The sun rose. The birds chirped. The wind breathed. The grass flickered. The treetops wobbled. Animals frolicked. Fluttershy sang. Rainbow Dash lazed. Applejack worked. Pinkie Pie danced. Twilight studied. Rarity slept. The clearing was empty. The clearing was empty.
