Never Alone

by JeSuisLaPorte

Rating: teen
Tags: Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, Slice of Life, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Death, Princess Luna, Drama, Original Character, Cutie Mark Crusaders, Violence
Length: 274180

Applejack finds a young filly on the verge of death at the edge of the Everfree Forest and as she's slowly nursed back to health, the earth pony decides to foster her, unaware of the many hurdles and dangers it'll bring her way.

Today just seemed like any other day on Sweet Apple Acre for Applejack. She tilled the fields, fed the farm animals, fixed broken pieces of the barn but then, she saw something she'll never forget.

Just on the edge of the Everfree Forest, there was a bloodied and bruised filly on the verge of death. Applejack's world would soon be changed forever after she decided to foster this young and very unique foal, who's current condition suggest a terrible background. A background that is catching up to them.

Now, this filly will have to learn to move on from her old life, make new friends and find her special talent. A difficult task made even harder by the monsters of her past, lingering in her mind like ghosts. They'll come back for her, and they'll burn everything down to achieve...

Anarchy.

Also, the cover art was revamped. I felt like the old one had too much dead space, so I figured something out! Let's see if you can guess who's on the cover art now!

Published 2023-07-10 17:00:01 UTC
Last updated 2024-02-08 01:13:42 UTC

2. Slow First Steps

That hug seemed to have finally broken the ice between the two. The filly looked much calmer now, no longer cowering under her blanket, albeit still crying. Maybe now was the right time to be asking questions? If she doesn’t mind that is. Who knew what this foal went through. It’s probably much worse than what most ponies in Ponyville ever experienced.

“Are you alright, dearie?” she asked in a practiced, soft and reassuring voice.

The young filly’s eyes looked down, almost embarrassed. “Y-Yeah...” But as she moved one of her forelegs, a terrible pain jolted down her entire body and she struggled to keep her eyes from watering. She squealed, grasping the nurse for help.

Feeling concerned, Nurse Redheart pushed just a little harder. “Sweetie, if it hurts; don’t be afraid to let us know.” She lifted her head so that the filly could see her reassuring smile. “We are all here to help you, there’s no shame in admitting that you need help. In fact, we’d love to help you as best as we can!”

The filly responded, but her voice was but a whisper. “O-Okay...” Despite having her heard facing the nurse. The filly’s eyes were looking off to her side. She was avoiding eye-contact entirely. Her eyes stared in confusion at the tube with the crimson liquid connected to her foreleg. She followed it, seeing a bag of that same liquid.

"You lost a lot of blood. So, we're giving you blood that is compatible with yours. That way, you'll be strong and healthy again!" Redheart explained.

The filly observed more of the machines around her bed, feeling a slight sense of anxiety at their incessant beepings.

“Say, you still haven’t told me your name. Do you have one?” Redheart asked in a sweet tone.

The filly opened her mouth but hesitated to respond for a moment. “O-Olive.” She whispered, not daring to raise her voice any further.

“Olive? That’s a wonderful name, sweetie!” Redheart admitted, putting on a bigger smile. Cute name, but it feels kind of... shallow? Shallow to name somepony after their eye colour. It would be like calling the nurse Blue instead of Redheart. It just feels... weird.

The foal was immediately startled by it and pulled back as far as she possibly could in her bed, breathing heavily.

It is the smile! Why is she so scared of my smiles? Redheart thought as she backed away nervously from the bed.

Just as she did, Olive stared at her with clear signs of distress in her eyes. They were wide open with fear and regret. She looked terribly nervous and reached out her forelegs towards the mare, begging her to come back. At least, she was getting attached to her, but smiling too much was a no-go apparently. Still, the nurse felt satisfied with the progress she was making.

This filly was broken on an emotional level, but she can still be saved. They just need to give her time to adjust to her new surroundings.

“O-Oh! Don’t worry, dearie; I’m not leaving you!” Redheart said carefully, taking a small step towards the bed. The filly immediately pulled her closer and embraced the nurse. “I’m just going to get you something to eat! You must be terribly hungry, right?”

The filly was getting agitated but nodded nonetheless. It took a while for her to loosen her grip. “P-Promise me you’ll come back.” she said in a broken and anxious voice, her pleading eyes finally locking onto to the nurse's.

“Of course I’ll come back.” Redheart softly said. “Nopony is going to leave you here. We’re all here for you, remember.” she closed her eyes and smiled without showing her teeth and that seemed to work. The filly looked noticeably less distressed.

That’s odd. She’s only startled if I show my teeth when I smile...

The nurse turned on the radio and left, leaving Olive alone for some time. Feeling quite hurt, she looked at the many wounds on her body, now bandaged up. Seeing as said injuries were still recent, the bandages were all stained with her blood. She felt a wave of nausea overcome her, causing her to look away before she could then stain the hospital’s floor. Her broken leg couldn’t move anymore, and that was making her feel weak, pathetic, sad. She didn’t even know what to think anymore. She was surrounded by strangers, in an unfamiliar place, in an unfamiliar town. In only a mere few days, her entire world was turned upside down but... maybe there’s light at the end of this dark tunnel.

My heart that's looking for you, it burns fiercely
It will melt and scatter everything,
for our love!

Olive stared at the radio, a sense of unease creeping into her soul.

The door opened and just as Nurse Redheart promised; she came back with a delicious plate for Olive. For good measure too, she brought a toy in too in case the filly would get bored. The happy expression of the filly warmed her heart. There never was a pony that looked this happy to see her before. It made her feel special. It was nice.

“Look what I brought!” Redheart said in a cheerful voice. “Tons of fruits and vegetable. Mmm! Delicious! It’s all going to do wonder for your health.”

Olive examined the plate with her tired eyes, looking strangely confused. Then, she raised her head to the mare. “Th... There’s no meat?”

Redheart’s heart definitely skipped a beat on this one. Wh-What did she just say? She cleared her throat. “U-um, sweetie... Ponies don’t eat meat. It’s not a part of our diet.” she explained, albeit slightly losing her practiced and reassuring tone.

The foal didn’t seem so sure. “B-But daddy’s friend said that meat was delicious and good for me.” As soon as she finished her sentence, she freaked out and covered her face with her blanket, her frightened eyes hurting the mare's soul.

Redheart’s eyes were wide open and her jaw had dropped. Realising her mistake, she tried to reassure her. “I-I’m not going to punish you or anything, dear! You just need to know that we’re not supposed to eat meat.” she stammered. “You’re not at fault for anything. Don’t be scared. Don’t be scared.”

Olive’s statement only raised more concerning question for the poor nurse who was unsure of what to do. We should get the guards involved in this! A carnivorous pony is never a good pony! This poor filly’s entourage must have been nasty ponies. Redheart’s whirlpool of thought overwhelmed her briefly, but she quickly regained her composure. A nurse who’s freaking out in front of their patient is a bad nurse. She had to make the filly feel at home.

“D-Did your daddy eat meat too?” she asked, her slightly quivering voice betraying her seemingly calm exterior.

Olive lingered for a moment, scared to answer. “H... He did. He loves to eat meat.”

Carnivorous ponies! Or was she raised by griffons? Thankfully she’s still young. We can stop her before she goes too far down.

Her heart ached for the poor filly. She had a feeling that her “daddy” wasn’t her biological father. At least, she hoped he wasn’t otherwise that’d be too horrible for her to imagine such an awful father indoctrinating his own daughter into being a monster. Carnivorous ponies always develop an appetite for their kins’ flesh.

She just had to change the subject. “Oh! I just remembered, there’s a special somepony who’s coming in a few minutes.”

Olive looked nervous, her legs swaying left and right quicker than they did before. She looked to the nurse for comfort, whimpering.

“She’s the pony who saved your life.” The mare started. “She’s also very concerned for your health. I hope you’ll get along with her! Oh what am I saying? Or course you will!”

The filly crossed her forelegs and looked away, worried.

“Don’t worry! She’s a very nice mare. I’ve known her for years.” continued Nurse Redheart, readjusting her falling hat in the process.

Outside the room, Applejack waited anxiously with Nurse Sweetheart, her eyes constantly shifting from the clock to the door. The nurse herself wasn't really any better. She shifted her weight from hoof to hoof and overall looked uncomfortable. She has been observing the whole situation between Olive and Redheart and she was rather... troubled to say the least.

"So, uh... C-Can Ah come in?" Applejack asked, mindlessly scrubbing the floor with her hoof.

Sweetheart quickly turned around to face her, almost looking surprised. "Oh, um... I-I'll ask to see if it's okay." She raised her hoof to the doorknob but stopped. "Um, before I let you in. I need to let you know that this filly seems quite... a-abnormal." Her eyes slightly widened, realising the mistake she just made. "No, I didn't mean to say a-abnormal, he he. I meant to say she's different from other foals."

"Really? What makes 'er different from the rest?"

Sweetheart tapped her hooves together and briefly looked away from Applejack. "Well, for starters, she never really makes eye contact. She's very hesitant to verbally respond to any of our questions and lastly she's generally afraid of us, except for Nursery Rhyme, who's also the shortest nurse in Ponyville General."

Applejack raised an eyebrow. "Huh, mighty strange, but Ah'm not lettin' that deter me from meetin' that lost filly."

Nurse Sweetheart smiled. "That is very sweet of you, Applejack."

The clicking of the doorknob caught the attention of the two ponies. Nurse Sweetheart peeked in the room and waved at Redheart.

“Applejack is here. Should I let her in?” she gently asked.

Redheart turned to face Olive. “Do you want to see Applejack, dearie?”

The filly hesitantly nodded. "Hm hm."

“Okay! You can let her in.”

An orange mare entered the room. Nurse Redheart was surprised to feel two small hooves holding her tightly. Her heart practically melted when she was just how adorable the little foal looked, clinging onto her for comfort. She was actually earning her trust! That, or this filly was clinging on to the first pony in her life that had shown her kindness.

Applejack bit her lips when she saw just how screwed up the filly was. Multiple blood stained bandages were covering her from head to hoof. She nevertheless looked mighty relieved to see the filly awake and apparently managing just fine for the time being. “Hey there little fella! Ah’m Applejack. What’s yer name?”

The filly hid her face behind Redheart’s hooves, and so the nurse had to answer that question herself. “She said her name is Olive. I can see why. She’s got beautiful eyes.” She said that in a very cheerful, bubbly voice but Applejack couldn’t help but notice there was something else hiding beneath that tone.

Better not prod right now. Not in front of that filly. Applejack thought. She’ll ask her later once they’re out of her room.

“Mighty cute name, sugar cube, but Ah’d like to hear yer voice too.” Applejack continued, tipping off her hat to Olive. “Ya don’t have to be scared, Ah’m just simply worried about ya.”

Olive strangely avoided eye-contact with the earth pony, but she did, however, look in her general direction when she finally said something. “Th-Thank you for saving me...” Her voice was barely audible, but Aj heard it loud and clear somehow. The adorable filly was also blushing as she said it, looking embarrassed to admit it.

“Aw, shucks. Ya don’t have to feel embarrassed about thankin’ somepony, sugar cube!” Applejack reached out a hoof to hopefully be able to shake hooves. After all, greetings are an important part when introducing yourself to somepony new.

Seeing as she wasn’t shaking Applejack’s hoof, Redheart leaned closer to Olive and giggled. “She just wants to shake your hoof, sweetie! That's how we greet other ponies.”

“Y-you shake hoof to greet other ponies?” gingerly asked the filly, whilst looking in the general direction of Redheart.

“Y-yes!” quickly answered the nurse. “H-How did your family greet other ponies?”

“They only raised their hooves when they were angry...”

Unsure of what to say next, Applejack was just about ready to put her hoof down when Olive finally shook hers. “Oh! Well, Ah gotta say it’s real nice meetin’ ya! If ya don’t mind, Ah’ll be comin’ every once in a while to vis-”

Olive rubbed her hoof over her blank flank, almost like she was scrubbing off dirt from herself. This... strange act caught Aj off guard.

“Uh, what’s she doin’?” Applejack whispered, leaning close to Redheart.

“I don’t know.” responded the nurse. “I haven’t seen her do this to me. We probably shouldn’t ask right now.”

Then, the room fell in an awkward silence as none of the mares knew what to say next. The filly wasn’t very talkative, though she seemed to respond to questions just fine.

Olive was now eyeing the toy and the food on her plate.

“Yeah, sweetie; you can eat if you’re hungry.” Nurse Redheart exclaimed while rapidly waving her hoof around. “Don’t let us hold you back!”

Noticing that their “conversation” wasn’t going anywhere, Applejack gestured at Redheart to go outside. “Ah’d like to talk, you know, in between grown-ups.” she explained to Olive.

The filly looked reluctant, but the nurse managed to convince her that she’ll be back in only a few minutes. Now outside the filly’s room, Applejack could finally ask what she really wanted to know.

“Now that it’s just us.” Aj briefly looked at the door behind her. “Ah want to know what ya learned ‘bout Olive.”

Nurse Redheart finally dropped her cheerful smile, exchanging it for a frown. “Just two odd things. First off, she’s deeply unsettled when ponies show their teeth when they smile.”

“Wh-What in the hay..?” Aj rubbed the back of her head, perplexed.

Redheart’s brows furrowed “That’s not the worst. From what I’ve heard, her so-called family are meat eaters! Maybe they’re ponies, or maybe they’re not... I don’t know. I neglected to ask her this question.” she finished, looking a bit disappointed.

Applejack’s breaths were cut short by this troubling revelation. Her eyes, wide with shock. “Ah... A-Ah sure hope that filly was simply raised by griffons.”

“Yeah.” stammered Redheart. “That’s... certainly better than the alternative.”

Applejack sighed. “Mighty good thin’ then that we got a detective workin’ on finding out what happened.”

“You mean... the scary stallion with the cold stare?” Applejack nodded.

“That stallion. Ah have a feelin’ he know’s what he’s doin’.”

The sound of a falling object coming from Olive’s room snapped their attention back to the filly. The quickly opened the door to see what happened. Nothing much... except for a broken toy on the floor and a little foal with a very dirty muzzle. The filly stuffed her face in her food with all the voracious apetite of a timberwolf, biting and ripping food away.

“Uh... dearie? You should eat more carefully; you’ve dirtied your entire face.” Redheart approached the filly and grabbed a nearby tissue to clean her face.

Olive simply stared back and blinked, seemingly not understanding what she meant. “How do I eat more carefully?”

Both Redheart and Applejack were taken aback by this unexpected question.

“You, uh? You just pick your food carefully from the plate instead of stuffing your face in?” Nurse Redheart answered, confused.

Olive blinked. “I didn’t know that. I thought everypony ate like that.”

Ya didn’t know?! What kinda parents did ya have?! Applejack thought angrily. Who could be as uncaring as to not teach their foals proper manners? This filly was no doubt heavily neglected and/or abused to be this oblivious as to how to perform such simple tasks.

“Well, uh, ha ha. Now ya know, sugar cube!” Applejack awkwardly exclaimed, swinging her hoof around for a more comedic effect.

For the first time, little Olive giggled. It only lasted a split-second, but it was more than enough to lift the spirit of the two mares. They have finally made a bit of progress!

Oh gee, things sure are calm around here...

Like any other town, Ponyville has its fair share of therapists. These therapists, however, don’t really see a lot of work considering the general safety of the town. It’s mainly urban cities like Manehattan or Fillydelphia that often gets terrible cases of traumatised ponies seeking help.

As such, Counselor Care was understandably bored right now, just signing paperwork. She’d rather be helping ponies overcome their issues, it’s why she even moved out to Ponyville in the first place! She also chose to specifically help out foals as mares often had an easier time relating to the youth. Someponies attribute it to maternal instinct, an interesting theory that has yet to be debunked.

Her head was lowered, staring intently at the various papers scattered across her desk. With a sigh, Care got to work. Signing and reading and... oh, let’s just skip the boring part.

She raised her head to wallow in boredom and nearly had an heart attack when a big, dark blue stallion suddenly stood in front of her desk.

“Counselor Care. I hope I’m not disturbing your work.” he said, his voice as strong as steel.

“O-Oh! N-Not really!” She responded, awkwardly smiling at him. “I-Wait... I think I know you.”

The unicorn nodded. “I am Looking Glass. I work for the Canterlot Bureau of Investigation. My missions have made the deadline in many newspapers.” he stated in a matter-of-fact tone to the point of sounding dangerously robotic.

“Ah! A celebrity, I see.” playfully said the therapist. “Well then; what brings you to Ponyville?”

“An earth pony has found a filly on the edge of the Everfree Forest. She was badly wounded, almost fatally so. She has been brought to Ponyville General and has survived the surgery.”

Counselor Care’s face slowly turned to horror as the stallion explained the whole story. “Why wasn’t I notified of this? Th-Th-This filly needs my help!”

She tried to jump out of her seat, but Looking Glass held her in place with magic. “Wait just a bit, I’m not finished.” he said, his voice still remaining terribly calm despite the situation. “From what I’ve heard, the wounds she has sustained were not caused by timberwolves. I have a feeling this attack was perpetuated by ponies, criminals most likely. This is why I've opened a case and am currently investigating it.”

He placed a small piece of paper on her desk. The paper contained an address. “As a therapist, you’ll surely be able to find out what happened to her. I’ll be counting on you to tell me everything you learn along the way. We will be doing this for the sake of justice and the filly. Do I have your support?”

Care looked at the address for a while. “Yes. I’ll help you catch the monsters who hurt an innocent little fill-” As she looked up, she was surprised to see... nopony.

Looking Glass left without a sound, leaving the counselor speechless.

How’d he do that? He left the front door opened. Didn't use any magic...

A real detective comic enthusiast perhaps? Huh, cute.

Out on the street of Ponyville, Looking Glass stopped to stare at Canterlot’s castle, resting over in the distance. There is perhaps another ally he could get to help on the case. The one pony who could get in other ponies' heads. The one pony who could see the manifestation of their hopes and their fears. The one pony who can enter other ponies' dreams: Princess Luna.

The stallion smirked and chuckled to himself. “Shouldn’t be too hard. She'll do anything in the name of justice.” His expression immediately returned to a serious one. “I can only hope that I’ll be dealing with low lives this time. I've had enough of anarchists.”

The last thing he’d want, is to deal with another case of total anarchy. The dungeon riot that occurred a few months ago in Canterlot was more than he could chew. It took the lives of many guards and just as much for the inmates. But... a good detective always has to be prepared for the worst. Especially when he has a bad hunch that a special somepony might be involved. A pony he utterly detest.

3. Opening up

Once Olive was done eating, Nurse Redheart left the room with the empty plate, leaving only Applejack to keep the filly company for now. She watched the nurse leave and as she turned her back to the filly, she heard her mutter something.

“...yes.”

“Hm?” Applejack noticed that the foal was looking off to the side of her bed, looking extremely worried. “Who were ya talkin’ to, sugar cube?”

Olive’s eyes quickly locked on to Applejack before returning to their initial position. She remained silent for a moment before slowly cocking her head towards the orange mare. “It’s just m-my imaginary friend.” She explained in a voice that sounded somewhat unsure. “He keeps me company when I feel alone.”

“An imaginary friend? Ha! Ah had one when Ah was your age. What’s yer friend’s name?” Applejack asked, her ears perking up.

Olive looked back at her imaginary friend and stayed silent again. “He doesn’t want anypony to know his name.”

“Ah?” Applejack was... taken aback by this answer but then again, she might have only said so because she’s not fully trusting her yet. That’s okay, she can’t expect everything to go smoothly when they’ve barely met. “Well, uh, is he nice?” She felt a bit stupid for asking this, but she had to get the filly to open up one way or another.

“He says he just wants to protect me from danger... and for me to make some noise. He says I'm safe with him.” She informed, now fully staring Applejack in the eyes.

It was very difficult for the earth pony not to fall for her adorable gaze. “And Ah’m certain yer safe with us too. Everypony in here will gladly lend a helping hoof to ya, sugar cube.” Make some noise?! thought the troubled mare. She briefly diverted her attention to the filly’s blank flank, trying not to think too much about that strange remark. “In fact, Ah know a few ponies who would be thrilled to meet you!”

Olive blinked and her eyes briefly widened. She looked to the side, rather surprised before simply saying. “He’s leaving. He says he’ll come back.”

Silence filled the room and Applejack felt like she had to somehow start a conversation that isn’t one-sided. “We talked about yer imaginary friend, but um, do ya have other friends?”

“Aurora.” Olive blurted out. “She was my best friend.”

Was? Aw, shoot! Ah’m walkin’ on a tight slope! Applejack nervously thought to herself. She’ll have to pick her next words carefully, or else she might hurt the filly on an emotional level. “A-Aurora? That’s a nice name. How was she?”

Olive fidgeted around with her hooves. “She liked to play with me when daddy wasn’t around... She didn’t like daddy much.”

Applejack could hear the hurt in the filly’s voice and could only imagined what happened to that poor Aurora. “So, she didn’t like yer daddy. What abou’ ya sugar cube? Do ya like yer daddy?” she asked, trying to sound as nice as possible in hopes that the foal wouldn’t pick up on the anxiety in her voice.

For a split-second, Olive looked off to the side eye before answering. “I... like daddy.”

Ah’m not sure that’s such a good thin’. “Hey! Ya said ya liked daddy. Is there anythin’ else you like?” Applejack looked around the room and saw the small pile of books resting on the night table. She reached out to pick one of the books, as expected, it was a comic about the Power Ponies. Unsurprising considering that this room is occupied by a young foal. “L-Like the Power Ponies! Ah heard these superheroes are really cool an’ always save ta day in the end!”

Success! Olive’s eyes were filled with wonder as she stared at the cover of the comic. A large smile began to draw itself onto her adorable face. “Superheroes!” She happily exclaimed. “I love superheroes!”

Ah sure know a lil dragon who’d be happy to learn that! “Who’s yer favorite? Mine’s Mistress Mare-velous.”

“I like Saddle Rager.” Olive cutely clapped her hooves together as she said it. “She’s so kind to other animals and she stands up for those who cannot protect themselves.”

“She sure sounds noble sugar cube.” Applejack patted the filly’s head who this time, did not seem somewhat irked by this physical contact. “Ah think Ah can see why ya like ‘er so much.”

“Why do you like Mistress Mare-velous?” the filly asked, her eyes beaming with curiosity.

“Oh! Ah...” Applejack thought back to that bizarre adventure she had with her friends inside of a Power Ponies comic. “Ah’ve been kind of a supa pony myself at one point.”

Olive inched closer to the edge of her bed, her ears fully perked up. “You’ve been a superhero?!”

She sure as hay seems more talkative now! Ah guess it worked! “Yeah, it’s a crazy story let me tell ya!”

“Tell me! Tell me!” If her back leg wasn’t broken, she’d by standing up by now out of sheer excitement.

Applejack looked at the clock, she should have enough time to tell the whole story. “Ah well... It all started when my friends and Ah went to the ol’ castle in ta Everfree Forest...”

“Applejack! Visiting hours are over! It’s time for Olive to go to bed!”

Applejack, surprised, took a look at the clock. “Whoowee! It took longer than Ah expected!” chuckled the orange mare.

Nurse Sweetheart was standing by the door, looking over at the two ponies. “You can come back tomorrow, Applejack! I’m sure our little Olive here would like to see you again!”

The filly was bouncing in place with an excited look on her face. “You’ll come back?”

“Sure thing sugar cube. Ah’m not leavin’ ya anytime soon.” Applejack hugged the small foal who reciprocated the feeling with an even stronger hug. “Heh, you’re quite strong for a unicorn.” remarked the mare before trotting towards the nurse.

“See ya tomorrow!”

Olive waved goodbye, looking a little sadder once she left her sight.

Nurse Sweeheart walked up to the lamp next to her bed and turned it off. “Now it’s time to go to sleep, sweetie! If you need anything...” She pointed a hoof at a peculiar button above her. “Press this button! Alright, goodnight!”

The mare left, and Olive was suddenly overcome with anxiety. She was in an unfamiliar place, hurt and all... alone. Her eyes immediately darted to the side.

Nopony could truly see what was there, but she knew there was a smile there. No, not just a smile, a grin... A very toothy grin. A reminder.

“Darling...”

She tried to ignore the disturbing image and sleep it off, but two things stopped her. First, she was terribly nervous at the idea of being alone and two, a throbbing pain began to run through her leg. Her eyes were starting to water and in her desperation, she looked at the button the nurse kindly pointed to earlier.

Nurse Redheart was just about to leave now that her shift was practically over. As much as she wanted to leave and head back home, her conscience, however, wanted to check one last time on Olive. She’d feel guilty if she didn’t make sure she was alright for the night.

Just as that thought crossed her head, she was called to Olive’s room. Talk about perfect timing!

She entered the filly’s room with a cheerful and careful smile. “Hello there my little pony! Is there anything you need?”

Olive didn’t say anything, but her body language suggested that something was off. She was looking down with tears in her nervous eyes. Said eyes were locked on her broken leg. The foal was whimpering.

“Aw, don’t be afraid to let us know if it hurts.” Redheart said as she trotted to the filly’s side. “We can give you painkillers to make you feel better!”

The filly kept her head down, still looking at her broken leg. “I-It doesn’t hurt that much.” she quietly stated.

“Dearie, you don’t need to act like you’re okay when you’re not.” She pushed away the strands of hair covering the filly’s eyes. “We want to help you as best as we can, but we’re not all knowing. You need to let us know if something’s wrong, okay?”

Olive’s tears intensified as she finally locked eyes with Redheart. “It really hurts!” she sobbed.

Redheart gave her a reassuring smile. “I’ll give you some painkillers immediately.” She said as she began to make her way out. As she did, the foal’s hooves wrapped around her back leg. “Aw, I won’t be gone for long. I promise I’ll come back as quickly as possible.”

Olive eventually let go of her leg and slumped back into her bed. No thanks were said, but Nurse Redheart could tell simply by the look in her eyes that she was very thankful.

Barely a minute has passed before the mare returned. She sure did keep her promise! All she brought was a simple pill and a glass of water. “Don’t chew on the pill, dearie!” she explained in a cheerful voice. “You have to swallow it whole! You can use the glass of water to help. They always go down easier with water.”

She placed the two items on the nigh table next to her bed. Olive examined them briefly before she cocked her head towards the pill and grabbed it with her mouth.

I can only hope she’s not using her magic because she’s too weak... Otherwise it’ll mean more problems for her down the line.

After the painkiller was inside her mouth, she used her trembling hooves to grab a hold of the glass of water. With one chug, the glass was empty, and she swallowed.

“Looks like you’re really good at swallowing!” Readheart stated cheerily. Not remotely what I meant...

Olive giggled. “Daddy taught me to swallow hard things!”

The mare briefly froze in shock. “Wh-What do you mean by h-hard things?” she asked, sweat dripping down her face.

“Meat is hard to swallow.” she bluntly explained, sounding confused by her question.

“Ah, I-I guess so.” Redheart stammered, wiping the sweat off her forehead. “I’ve never eaten any meat before, so I'll take your word for it.”

Olive yawned; her head now rested on her pillow.

“Well, if you don’t need anything else; I’ll let you go to bed.”

“Goodnight Miss Redheart.” The mare stopped briefly to look back at the filly. She was smiling at her with her eyes closed in a way that made her look impossibly cute. Redheart’s heart melted at that adorable display.

“Goodnight Olive.”

Afterward, the toothy grin... was gone.

Author's Note

Thanks y'all for getting this fic featured! That's the first time I got to see one of my fics there!:twilightsmile:

4. You're Not Alone

The day was long and arduous. Nurse Redheart was relieved to finally see the end of her shift. She took off her hat, grabbed her stuff and headed out of Ponyville General. Or at least, she would have had she not spotted counselor Care speaking with the secretary.

“Miss Care!” The counselor quickly turned her attention to the approaching nurse. “I figured you’d come here to see our newest patient.”

“Ah! Redheart, nice to see you tonight!” Care looked rather restless. She was carrying all sorts of papers and documents in her saddlebag. “I’ve been meaning to see you for a while. I think you know what I want to talk about.”

Redheart blinked, her eyes felt very heavy. It was a long and pretty draining shift all things considered, but spending a couple more minutes talking with this counselor can’t hurt, right?

“Sure, let’s take a seat and I'm all yours.”

There were many seats available at that time considering nopony really goes there at night, except for the personnel and the extreme cases. As such, they chose to sit face-to-face.

Counselor Care gingerly put her belongings on a nearby table and crossed her hind legs, almost looking like she was about to start a counseling session. “So... how was it with the filly?”

Redheart looked up, trying to recall everything she could remember about her time spent with Olive. It was quite a wild ride, that’s for sure! “It was certainly quite the experience I must admit. It was both adorable and... deeply troubling at times.”

Care’s ears perked up and she found herself slightly leaning forward. “Troubling?” She leaned back into her seat. “Well, with the injuries she’s sustained, I can only imagine what she must have gone through...”

Redheart lowered her head solemnly. “Her injuries weren’t caused by timberwolves or any other wild creature roaming the Everfree.” She sighed. “There were no bite marks nor were there any scratches on her body. It looked like she was beaten and stabbed to near-death.”

Care’s brows furrowed and she took a deep breath to calm herself down. Anger wasn’t going to do her any good right now, no matter how righteous it may be. “I see... She was most likely targeted by scumbags. Sad to know that someponies can be willing to beat a foal to death. No matter the circumstances, such a crime cannot be justified.”

Redheart looked out the window, worried. “That’s the first time we got a battered pony like this in Ponyville. Most of the extreme injuries we deal with are the cause of a wild animal attack. I just hope that we’re not going to see some criminal activity in this town any time soon. The perpetrators must be nearby.”

“I share that sentiment.” Care thought back to the detective that showed up in her office a few hours ago. Those powerful eyes wouldn't leave her mind. “Though I fear that we have to be prepared for the worse. Ponyville’s going to see some action soon.”

“You’re talking about that eerie detective?” Redheart asked, frowning. “He’s been going around town, scaring ponies with his sudden appearances and questions. It’s like he just teleports silently around Ponyville. Gives me bad vibes.”

“Heh, yeah. He almost gave me a heart attack this afternoon.” Care chuckled.

“In that case, I hope I'm not of any use to him!” Redheart joked.

The counselor fumbled through her documents, searching for cases Looking Glass was directly mentioned in. “Last I heard, he left for Canterlot. I suppose he must have some very important business there to depart so soon.”

“That stallion’s got nerves of steel.” Redheart thought back to the exchange between Applejack and Looking Glass. It felt like a full-on interrogation even though the stallion wasn’t acting threatening at all. Simply by the sheer power of his voice was he able to emanate such a scary feeling. “I’m sure he’s going to do something quite daring there.”

“Yeah, I’ve read the newspaper about this pony. Constantly meddling with the princesses for his investigations like they don’t already have lots of work on their hooves.” Care exclaimed with a bit of disdain in her voice.

Redheart giggled. “You don’t sound like you like the stallion very much.”

“He should show more respect to our princesses!” Care explained. “He’s acting as if everypony is on equal fields with him when it’s just not the case. We have a hierarchy, a pony as smart as him should understand that.”

“Maybe he just doesn’t realise it? I know someponies are quite oblivious to social cues.” Redheart theorised.

“Yeah, I know that all too well.” Care said, crossing her fore legs. “He just... doesn’t strike me as the oblivious type. He’s too... well, observant to miss obvious social cues. It feels like he's doing it on purpose.”

Looking back at the files in her hooves, she got back on topic. “Anyway, what else have you learned the filly?”

“She’s named Olive.” Redheart responded. “She also doesn’t have a cutie mark, but at her age it shouldn’t be anything out of the ordinary.”

“Interesting.” Care noted it on her notepad, keeping her ears perked. "Continue, please."

“So far, she’s only really spoken of her father but nothing about her mother.” Redheart continued. “I don’t believe she has one... at least, not one that she remembers.”

“So, a single father? We don’t have any medical record or information about this filly, which is very odd. I’d like to know more about her father, that is, if you’ve learned anything. I know it can be hard to work with foals sometimes.”

Redheart tensed up. “Oh, y-yeah. From what she’s told me. Her father and his friends are... meat eaters.”

Care’s jaw dropped, and by extension, so did her pencil. “W...Wanna run that by me again?”

Redheart gritted her teeth nervously. “They’re carnivores. We have many theories on who could have raised her. Griffons, diamond dogs, but what I fear most is... ponies. Cannibalistic ponies.” She crossed her shaking legs and avoided making eye contact with the counselor. “Ponies that have a carnivorous diet always tend to develop an affinity for their own flesh. They’re doomed to become cannibals.”

Counselor Care ran a hoof through her mane, wiping off the sweat from her forehead. “That’s... very concerning. This filly’s case is going to be very delicate. N-Nothing I can’t handle!”

“Sure hope so.” Redheart replied. “This filly practically doesn’t exist. She doesn’t appear on any list or records whatsoever. I’m guessing the same must apply to her father... Whatever the hay he is.”

The two exchanged worried glances. The filly's situation was becoming clearer to them. “Oh no... He must be part of a crime syndicate.” Care uttered in fear.

Silence filled the room. The two mares remained still for a while; their eyes locked onto each other.

“So... still feel up to the task?” Redheart asked, breaking the dreadful silence.

“I’m not going to let that scare me away.” Care reassured. “This foal needs my help. I can’t simply look the other way.”

“I can only wish you good luck. You’re going to need it.”

The sun was getting really low. Everypony in the majestic city was heading off home to sleep through the beautiful night. Well, almost everypony. Looking Glass was trotting forth with great purpose showing in each of his steps. He had a mission, and by Pete’s sake, he’ll do it!

It’s a good thing then, that night was coming, for it meant that Princess Luna will be awake. The perfect time to have a small chat with her. He was no stranger to bothering them with his investigations, because they knew that everything he did, he did to secure a better tomorrow. Yeah, he’s got the reputation of a local hero here in Canterlot.

The hero who almost stopped the biggest criminals in the history of Equestria. The ones who excelled at staying in the shadows. They’ve all heard stories of these “super criminals” as they’ve been referred as. The legendary Crimson Mask, the insane Anarchy, two of the most powerful were defeated at the hands of this one stallion, although one of them has never been brought to justice yet. Still, it was no wonder he was given lots of privileges.

His bout with the Crimson Mask made the headlines in every single newspaper in Canterlot. The death of this exceptionally powerful crime boss made everypony in this rich city cheer the detective's name. He did, however, fancy himself as being better than criminals because of his no killing rule. The Crimson Mask only had himself to blame for his death, that’s what he stated numerous times to the reporters.

Oh my, seems like he got a bit side tracked with all his past achievements. Where was he again? Oh yeah, Princess Luna. He was in front of the majestic castle overlooking the city.

“Looking Glass! Nice seeing you again!” One of the guards smiled, awkwardly trotting up to him. “I-I’m a big fan!”

Looking Glass nodded, not really showing much emotion in his gaze. “And so am I. I respect every guard in Equestria who takes their job seriously.”

The guard couldn’t stop himself from blushing. “Aw shucks! You don’t have to be this nice.” He then opened the front door for the dark blue unicorn.

Once inside, he wasted no time making his way towards Princess Luna’s bedroom, nodding every time a guard waved excitedly at him. He did stop when he spotted Princess Celestia in the corner of his eyes. That was when he chose to go a bit off track.

“Princess Celestia.”

The beautiful white alicorn sluggishly turned around to face the stallion. She looked terribly tired, with heavy bags present under her eyes. Her head was kept down and her wings, almost flopping on the ground. “Looking Glass. What brings you here at such a late hour?”

“I’m looking for your sister, Luna.”

Celestia sighed. “It’s Princess Luna. Don’t forget the honorifics.”

“I’m looking for Princess Luna.” bluntly rephrased the stallion.

Celestia giggled but couldn’t stop herself from yawning. This day really tired her out, but it was nice to see Looking Glass again, the great hero of the bureau. “She’s in the dining room. My sister always takes a trip there before doing her royal duties. Now if you don’t mind, I’ve got an important meeting with my bed.”

“Appreciate the attempt at humour, Ce-Princess Celestia.”

The alicorn chuckled. “You could try to say that with a smile next time. You know, you used to smile a lot more back then.”

Looking Glass’ gave her a subtle frown. “I’ll try.”

He watched the princess leave before deciding to resume his initial objective. He arrived at the kitchen, but as expected, he was stopped by one of her loyal guards.

“Hol' up there, pal!” He shouted as he held a hoof out to stop the detective in his tracks. “Princess Luna is not to be disturbed during her royal feast. If ya got any business with her, wait for a bit.”

The stallion’s amber eyes were locked with the yellow one of the guard, his whole posture not faltering one bit. “I need to see Lun-Princess Luna. It’s for an important mission.”

The guard was not intimidated by him in the slightest but recognised the stallion after a few awkward seconds of examining the detective from head to hooves. The heroic stallion that almost everypony in Equestria knew. “Ah! Detective Looking Glass!” He exclaimed. “Hey look buddy, you weren’t really summoned by the princess, I’m afraid I can’t let you disturb he-”

“Let him come.” A powerful voice resonated behind the tough stallion. Princess Luna had taken notice of Looking Glass’s presence and she seemed very curious.

“As you wish, princess.” The guard bowed and moved out of the detective’s way, but not before snatching a bottle of cider on the table. "The cider's still mine, mind you."

Looking Glass gave him a calm side eye before moving towards the princess. That royal guard was rather strange...

“You never come without being summoned. That’s new.” Luna said as she wiped away a bit of ice cream from her muzzle.

“I never had a good reason to come to you before. Now, I do.” The stallion responded; his whole face still as cold as ice. He reached out for a cup of cider using his magic, only to get yelled at from across the room.

“Hey! Nopony’s allowed to eat the princess’s food! You pu-”

Luna raised a hoof up, causing the guard to immediately stop. “You already have enough, let him have it.”

“Thanks.” Looking Glass said as he took a sip. Even when thanking somepony, his face remains as still as a statue, no trace of a smile there...

“You should really learn to smile more often.” Luna magically moved a seat for the stallion. He politely shook his head, preferring to remain on his four hooves.

“That’s something I’m working on.” His demeanor sure resembled that of a certain Pie sister the more Luna thought about it.

Luna took a deep breath, feeling like she’s about to hear some terrible news. It’s always bad news when Looking Glass is around. Not his fault for always getting involved in the most horrific cases on a daily basis. “I suppose you are here because of a new case?”

Looking Glass nodded. “It sounds like an interesting... and troubling one. I’ll need your help with this one for I only have one lead so far, and it’s not one I feel comfortable dealing with.”

The alicorn raised an eyebrow. “That’s rare to hear that coming from you. What could possibly prove to be too much for a detective of your scale?”

“My only lead so far is a little filly.” The detective began to explain, sounding somewhat disappointed in himself. “She seems to have gone through a traumatising event. She was found on the verge of death at the edge of the Everfree Forest.” the stallion said, his explanation sounded rehearsed, which kind of is at this point.

Princess Luna’s eyes widened, and she almost choked on her tea. “A filly’s in need of us?!”

“Yes indeed.”

The alicorn looked at her feast. She’ll have to hurry up and finish quickly, for there’s no time to waste when such a young soul is in need of help. “I see. Thanks for informing me, Looking Glass. I will search for this filly in the dream realm. For that, I’ll need to know her name.” Luna exclaimed, her voice sounding sharper now.

“It’s Olive. While you’ll be scouting out her dreams, I’ll try to find the scene of the crime and see what I can uncover.”

Luna gave him a subtle smirk. “You almost sound like you’re giving ME orders now.” she said in a playful tone, though her outrage regarding what happened to the filly overshadowed it.

“I hope I’m not giving off that impression.” Looking Glass defended. “I greatly respect all four of you.”

“We know.” Princess Luna said, finishing off her ice cream. “You’re just very... daring let’s say. Most ponies wouldn’t just stroll up to one of us asking for our help.”

“I’m only asking for your help because a filly’s life is on the line.” Looking Glass defended once more, his voice losing a bit of its calm demeanor.

“Again, we know.” Luna giggled. “I’m not giving a full critique of your personality or anything. I just find you amusing.”

Looking Glass raised a perplexed eyebrow. “That’s... not something I hear often.”

Now that she had concluded her royal feast, Princess Luna finally stood up and sprouted her wings. “Now, if you don’t mind; let us get to work.”

The detective nodded before trotting out of the dining room. “The night will be long...”

Drip, drip, drip.

Everything was deathly silent, except for quiet sound of water dripping from the ceiling. The world was cold and dank, unwelcoming in its presentation. Olive looked around, slowly remembering that this place, as scary as it was, was one of her homes.

There were many deep tunnels in front of her, a pony would lose their way rather quickly in these dark catacombs, but the little filly knew exactly which tunnel to take. On the walls, there were papers strung up. On these very papers were written in red; Whoever finds my daughter Olive will get a promotion! That line was also accompanied by a smiley face next to it. This horrible face was grinning, it’s grin so wide that it spanned its eyes.

“Daddy’s angry at me.” Olive quivered. Why else would he adamantly want to find her? I didn’t listen to him, now he’s angry at me. She thought, tears welled in her eyes as her breath became ragged. She knew out of all ponies that HE was scary when he was angry. You wouldn’t want to know what a pony like him can do when he’s angry. He’s going to punish me! Her breaths became laboured, her vision blurry as she looked at the tunnel she just came from.

For the first time, she considered running away. She stood up, surprised that it didn’t hurt at all and ran straight into the tunnel, looking back in the process.

“Oh darling... What have I said about obedience again?” Her body froze. A toothy grin accompanied by emerald eyes pierced the darkness of these tunnels. The grin was slowly approaching her, not faltering one bit despite the slight hints of anger in its voice.

“Oh yeah, I do not like when ponies don’t listen to me. Let’s see now, oh! How about I send someone to break your legs? Wait a minute! That already happened, didn’t it?” Uh oh. The voice sounded angrier now. Daddy was angry and this time, the pain will be much worse. "Let's make some noise!"

“I’m sorry...” The filly sobbed. “I’m so sorry!”

Suddenly, as if her prayers were answered, a beam of light shot down from the very sky, startling the smile as it fled into the darkness.

A midnight blue alicorn descended from the sky and stood on top of Olive protectively. She was tall, but far from the tallest pony the filly has ever seen. There were only two stallions she knew that could even rival such a height. Out of instinct, the filly hid behind her legs, peeking out at the smile who for the first time, lost some of its steam.

“Fear not, my little pony!” the alicorn exclaimed heroically. “I have heard your call for help! Nothing shall ever harm you in my domain.”

Olive kept on staring at the fading grin, now just an angry frown. Luna glared at the evil presence before firing a beam of light that destroyed the malicious face, bringing the serene moonlight into these dark tunnels.

Once the evil was gone, Olive looked at the lunar princess, her face now a cute mix between confusion and curiosity. Finally recognising her, the filly jumped out, hugging the princess’s neck. “Princess Luna! Princess Luna! Princess Luna! It’s really you!”

Pleasantly surprised, the midnight blue alicorn found herself cracking a smile at the adorable attitude of the foal. “Yes, my little pony. I’ve come to cast your fears away.” she said in a comforting voice.

Olive was giggling, tightening her grip around Luna’s neck who began to struggle a bit to breathe. “You can let go now.” She instructed before lighting up her horn to force the filly back on the ground, taking a second to catch her breath. Wow, what an iron grip!

“You are currently dreaming. What you see here cannot harm you.” explained the lunar princess. “You have nothing to fear.”

“I know...” Olive whimpered, struggling to keep her eyes on the beautiful princess.

“You know?” Luna looked somewhat surprised. “Then why were you afraid? You shouldn’t let your fears overcome you.”

“I’m not scared of the dream. I’m scared of my daddy.” The filly responded, her eyes now looking away from the alicorn.

Luna looked behind her, at the dark tunnel from where the smile was destroyed. That’s how she views her father? She thought, troubled. She began to feel outraged at whoever could have raised a filly to be so afraid of their own parent. Most of the time, when a foal was scared of their parent, they usually just view them in their dreams as being angry. But her father, felt more like a monster than an angry pony. Looks like she finally found the filly Looking Glass was talking about. Good, now she could finally help out a soul in need.

“Why are you so afraid of him?” she asked gingerly.

“Because I made him angry! I didn’t listen to him.” Olive raised her voice, tears welled in her eyes. “Daddy doesn’t like disobedient ponies, especially when it is me.”

“My little pony...” Luna began in a solemn voice. “If you’re so scared then, why didn’t you ask for my help before? I can help you.”

Olive swallowed a lump in her throat. “He said that nightmares are bad for me. He taught me not to be scared in my dreams. He said that being scared is a bad thing and that I should never be afraid to do great things.”

Luna felt a spark of anger that almost broke through her serene expression. Her father didn’t sound like the kind of pony who would do something like that to make his daughter feel safer, no. Judging by all the signs present here, he simply didn’t want the alicorn to know about any of this. She could only imagine what kind of monster he was.

She wrapped a wing protectively around the filly. The dreamscape shifted, going from the terrifying tunnels to a simple night sky in the middle of a beautiful and serene forest. “You’re a brave little filly.” she said in a sad voice. “But it’s okay to be afraid. Everypony can be scared, even I.”

The filly’s olive eyes looked up to meet up with those of the alicorn, her tail waggling around. “You’re scared too?” she asked.

Luna chuckled. “Yes. I know how it feels to be afraid, trust me." Her voice took on a more comforting and serious tone. "Fear is an important emotion, and you should never try to push such feelings away. They define you who you are, and you should embrace them... It's okay to admit that you are scared.” But you don’t want them to get the better of you...

Olive’s tail stopped waggling and her head lowered for a moment as she was reflecting on the princess’s words. Then, she looked up. “I’m scared, Princess Luna.”

“I know.” The lunar princess gave her a reassuring smile. “That’s why I’m here. You're not alone, my little pony. Never will be again.”

Right as she finished, the filly tightly hugged her leg, wiping the tears off her face. The alicorn gently brushed her messy mane. Then, she gazed at the beautiful night sky. “Say, since this is your dream... why don’t we have some fun? You can do anything you want in your dreams!”

Olive finally let go and looked up. “I like to gaze at the stars.”

Luna sprouted her wings. “Then why don’t we go to the sky and get a closer view?” she asked.

The little filly stared at her blankly, before realising that she can grow wings herself in the dreamscape. She admired her two new feathery appendages and then looked at Luna with ecstatic eyes.

The alicorn chuckled. “Every filly wishes to be a princess.” She said as she lifted herself off the ground. “Follow me my little pony. We shall reach for the sky.”

Olive flew up all the way up to the point that she could almost touch the stars, her eyes filled with wonder as the beautiful night sky casted all her negative thoughts away. She simply remained in place, awe struck and completely silent.

“Splendid, isn’t it?” Luna exclaimed as she arrived behind her. A cloud formed beneath them, and the lunar princess folded her wings as her hooves came into contact with the cloud. The filly didn’t notice this new platform so, Luna nudged her and motioned her to come sit down.

“I-It’s amazing...” Olive stammered, still awe struck by the constellations.

“Did you get to see the stars before?” The alicorn asked gently.

“No, they didn’t want me to go outside when it got dark...” The filly answered, her voice riddled with disappointment. “I wish they’d let me. I love when it is dark.”

Luna’s ears perked up. “You... You adore the night?” she asked, a slight hint of excitement betraying her serene expression.

“Yes, the night is beautiful!” Olive loudly exclaimed, waggling her tail around like a happy dog before looking a little sad again. “Will they let me play at night?”

“Who-” She must be referring to the staff at Ponyville General. “I’m sure they will, when you’ll feel better.” She said with a big smile on her face. Rare was it for her to hear one of her subjects openly admit to preferring the night over the day. A rare victory over her older sister.

“But I want to play now!” Olive pouted.

“Well...” Luna shrugged. “Sure thing. We can play here while you’re dreaming.” The alicorn shrunk herself to the size of a filly herself. It’s been a while since I’ve played around as a foal. If there’s anything this filly needs, it’s a friend and the lunar princess hoped that she could at least fulfill this need for now.

The filly jumped up and began to hop around in place. “Woah! You’re small like me!” she exclaimed, examining the alicorn’s new form with great interest.

“Say, how about I visit each night so that you get to play with somepony. How does that sound?” Luna said, her voice now matching her new appearance.

Olive provided an answer in the form of a hug. “I love you Princess Luna!”

Despite smiling, Luna couldn’t help but feel pity for this poor filly. Just from their interaction alone, she could tell that this young pony was very lonely. Just how bad was her life prior to being found near Ponyville? The alicorn shuddered at the horrors this poor soul must have gone through.

Author's Note

Edit :Let's make some noise.

Plus, I changed Luna's guard to be a named character that becomes more important later in the story.

5. A Matter of Perspective

Another day shined through Ponyville General, and it was a noticeably quieter day than the one that came prior. The nurses were tending to the patients who woke up, while others were being bothered somewhat. This was noticeably the case for Nurse Sweetheart who got a little visit from a familiar stallion, Big Macintosh. The mare already helped him out with back pain a week ago, so seeing him here again was quite annoying.

“What is it this time, Big Mac?” The nurse asked, annoyed.

“Uh. Ma back’s hurtin’ again.” he said in the good old Apple twang. “Ah think it’s a lil’ worse than last time.”

The mare face hoofed and groaned. “Haven’t you already come to Ponyville General fifteen times already for back pain?”

Big Macintosh sighed. “Ah’m not tryin’ to hurt myself, Ah swear!”

The mare waved a hoof around dismissively. “You always say that, but you always end up working too hard and that causes back pain. You, Big Mac, need to learn to respect your body’s limit, or else you might end up with permanent back aches.”

A little filly coughed. She stumbled her way towards the two ponies, getting close enough for them to notice her. Big Macintosh cocked his head back to look at her with his green eyes.

“Olive? Ah heard from the other nurses that Doctor Hoof wants to see ya. It sounds really important ta me.”

Olive nodded solemnly. “Is... Is he angry?” she said.

Nurse Sweetheart giggled, then spoke in a reassuring voice. “Oh no no no! He’s not angry in the slightest, just... concerned for your well-being. You should probably go back to your room if your leg hurts too much; he’ll come to you in a few minut-”

Looking somewhat relieved, Olive continued her slow limp through the hospital much to the surprise of the two ponies. She just walked away like that without even responding to Sweetheart’s advice.

“Can Ah get ma painkillers?” Big Mac asked once the surprise was gone.

“Yes, but please stop bothering us.”

The screams of a mare caught the filly’s attention. On the corridor on her left, a mare was being dragged away by two stallions. A group of ponies, mainly composed of stallions were watching her with concerned looks in their eyes.

“W-What's up with her?” said one of the stallions in a French accent.

“It's just another case of delirium.” responded a stallion in a deep, whispery voice. He was the only one who didn’t look worried.

A mare looked at the pony being dragged away, seemingly lost in her though before she sprung back to life. “Hey! This actually feels familiar. I believe I’ve already seen another case of delirium in a hospital.” she exclaimed, now looking at the group.

“Was it one of your relative perhaps?” asked the deep voiced stallion.

The mare held a hoof to her chin. “Yeah, it was my sister who was in Ponyville General because of a broken leg. She told me I had to twist her bone back in place.”

“And you did?” the French stallion asked, his head slowly leaning forward.

“What? No! Why would I even do that!?” The mare answered, looking disgusted at the French stallion who was quietly laughing to himself.

The deep voiced stallion’s brows furrowed. “I've seen my fare case of delirious patients attacking doctors and nurses in hospitals. It’s rather common, honestly.” His frown turned into a gleeful smile. "Luckily, noponies truly got hurt in these cases. The hospital’s staff is well trained to deal with such eventualities. I heard that there’s going to be some changes with the painkillers utilised, you know, replacing the ones currently used with new pills that induces less side effects.”

The mare smiled. “That's good! I actually posted a complaint after my sister was hospitalised regarding her delirious activities. She was like, about to hurt herself or something. I’m glad to know that they’re considering making some important changes here.”

They eventually noticed Olive solemnly staring right at them. The deep voiced stallion leaned over and patted her on the head with a joyful smile. “You’re looking for the good doctor? He should be down this corridor right here.” He said, pointing a helpful hoof behind her.

As she followed the pony’s instruction, the filly suddenly felt terribly nervous. Subtly looking over her shoulder, she panicked. Covering her flank with her tail, Olive picked up the pace for she now wanted only to get out of sight as quickly as possible. The three ponies watched on in confusion as the foal ran out of sight.

“D-Did I say something wrong?”

“What’s up with this old painting? Why are they still keeping it? It just seems a little... dated.”

Two ponies were sitting on chairs next to a painting depicting a griffon who looked rather bored. The painting was resting above the stallion and the mare who were observing it.

“I know for a fact there used to be a griffon who came to Ponyville alongside Rainbow Dash. I suppose that’s why they’re keeping it.” The mare answered.

“Um, don’t you know what happened between these two?” the stallion asked, glaring at the griffon above. “That griffon was a horrible friend to Dash, and she ditched him.”

The painting slightly tiled to the side, looking like it was going to fall.

“Oh yeah... I think I was there when it happened.” the mare muttered. “Strange how that griffon was the only one to ever come to Ponyville. Apart from her, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a griffon with my own two eyes. Good riddance though, nothing good comes from griffons.”

A group of ponies trotted by them, making the stallion feel somewhat nervous. “U-Uh, did they just side eyed us? Did I say something wrong?”

They heard a filly croaking. Turning around, they saw Olive who looked like she was about to walk away. The mare cracked a smile, unable to resist the adorable levels emanating from the filly. “Oh, look who we have here. The brave little filly Applejack found yesterday.” She hopped right in front of her, blocking her path. She looked a bit nervous herself. “I hope you don't mind me asking, b-but I hope you’re not going to tell the others what we said about griffons, right?”

“I heard nuthin’.” Olive answered, looking down at the ground. She was swaying from left to right, visibly uncomfortable.

“O-Oh! That’s fantastic then.”

Now that she was out of the way, Olive continued limping towards the location of the good doctor. Despite the nature of his call being seemingly urgent, she couldn’t help herself to eavesdrop on another conversation between yet another group of ponies.

“Hey, you read the newspaper?” A pegasus stallion said, slamming down the newspaper on the table. ”It says the evil Crimson Mask has been defeated by Looking Glass. We’re safe then, right?”

A much bigger pegasus shook his head. “No, I’m adamant the Crimson Mask still roams around Equestria.” He leaned forward, his face obscured by shadows. “He must have faked his death at the hands of the detective or something. This is all a conspiracy.”

An earth pony mare flipped a drumstick in the air with great expertise. She spat it out to give her two cents. “Aw, nonsense! Looking Glass is a national hero, there’s no way he’s in some sort of conspiracy to fake Crimson’s Mask death.”

The smaller pegasus frowned. “Still, boy am I glad that he’s no longer terrorising Equestria. I heard a lot about the bad things he did. Apparently, he painted his own mask with the blood of his tortured victim, real nasty stuff.”

The mare face hoofed. “These are just rumours, and plus, if he DID paint his mask with blood, it’ll would have turned brown.”

“Uh, brown?” The bigger pegasus questioned.

“Yeah, brown.” The mare responded, raising an eyebrow. “Don’t tell me you two have never seen dry blood? Blood turns brown when it dries.”

The two stallions blinked. “I didn’t know that...”

“Of course you didn’t.”

Olive was always intrigued to hear about this Crimson Mask, for the ponies here often talked about him in fear or disgust. With all of the things she’s heard about this unicorn, she grew to be terrified of a pony that she has never seen before. He became a sort of a boogey pony to the young filly. A monster living under her bed.

Shaking the thoughts away, Olive resumed her objective; to find the good doctor that wanted to check up on her. She didn’t want to but atlas, she’s not the one who makes the rules in here. She eventually found him in the entrance, talking to the secretary of the hospital. A huge feeling of dread engulfed her being as she feared for the worst.

Slowly but surely, she limped towards the mighty figure towering over her.

Upon hearing her hoofsteps, he quickly turned his head around. “Hi there my little pony!” he greeted before looking a little concerned. “W-Weren’t you supposed to stay in bed? I don’t believe your leg has healed enough for you to walk around the hospital.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to.”

“Don’t worry about this!” The doctor swung a hoof in a rather goofy manner in hopes that it would make him seem less intimidating to her. He now knew that the filly was more scared of stallions than she was of mares. “However, I’d like for you to stay mostly in bed until we’re certain your leg is in good condition. Right now, let’s just say it is rather fragile, and we’re all worried about it...” He said it with a bizarre mix of professionalism and comfort that it only served to make the filly seem even more nervous.

“It’s... It’s bad, isn’t it?” Olive asked, her head still kept down so that her eyes wouldn’t meet those of the doctor.

“Bad? I’m afraid so. Your leg needs to rest as much as possible. You see, we just don’t want the damage to be... permanent.”

Doctor Hoof said it in a solemn tone, holding a hoof to his mouth to hide his own uncertainty. “N-Not to say that your leg won’t ever be able to walk again, no. It’s going to heal just fine. You just need to stay in bed and listen to what we have to say and I promise that everything will be alright! We’re all here for you!”

Doctor Hoof took out a lollipop from his pocket and offered it to the distraught filly. “You look scared. Here, have a lollipop!”

His voice still had that same cheery and professional energy behind it, a vibe he tried very hard to maintain no matter what would happen. “Now, you should go back to your room. I’m going to check up on you later, I still have some work to do in the reception area. I promise it won’t be scary, no syringes, no bad syrups to drink, it’s just going to be some talking!”

Olive couldn’t take her eyes away from the stallion. Everything he said, he said it with such professionalism that it made her feel, safe. “Okay...” she finally croaked. Her terrified voice really got to Doctor Hoof who felt like he had made a terrible mistake despite only doing his job. Did he say something wrong? Was his professional tone just too cold and distant for her?

Then, Nurse Redheart appeared, casting away all anxieties from the little filly. “Hi sweetie! Are you hungry?”

The filly quickly rushed to her, hugging her leg.

“You shouldn’t go out of your room. Your poor leg is still hurt, you’ll need to let it rest for a while, okay?” Redheart said, crouching so that her eyes could meet those of the filly. Her words seemed to have actually gone through her as she closed her eyes and nodded understandably.

“Great!” She picked up the filly and placed her on her back. “I’ll get you back to your room and then I'll bring you your breakfast! How’s that sound?” Her cheerful voice succeeded in calming down the filly’s heart.

As she was moving away from the entrance, Olive looked back one more time at the stallion. Doctor Hoof looked at her with guilt in his eyes, his head lowered. He looked so disappointed in himself that it hurt the filly’s heart.

“I hurt him...” Olive whimpered, tears welling in her eyes.

“Oh, don’t worry about that. I’m sure you didn’t mean to.” Redheart consoled. “He’ll be fine. I’m sure he’ll understand. Plus, you have all the time in the world to apologise to him. It’ll just have to wait for now.”

When Olive woke up, it was like she was in limbo. Her vision was blurry and her mind, confused. Sure enough, she was still in the hospital, but it looked... darker and more decrepit compared to how it looked yesterday. Scared and lost, the filly struggled to descend from her bed. It was hard considering she still had a broken leg and many bruises over her small body. Every time she let her broken leg touch the floor, a small jolt of pain coursed through her body.

As such, she simply elected to lift it slightly to the side to walk on the healthy legs. Limping out of her room, she was shocked to see some familiar faces. Not the ones of Applejack and Redheart, but of the ponies that have raised her.

Just on her right, a large and burly white stallion was talking to a chubby mare. His black mustached accompanied by his discolored plumber’s cap gave him an eerie vibe. He had his head lowered, probably to look into the eyes of the mare as he was apparently boasting from what Olive could hear.

“What is it this time, Strong Hoof?” the chubby mare asked, annoyed.

“Ho! Today was a great day, my dear. How about I tell you the story of how I broke a pony’s back?” Strong Hoof responded, sounding prideful. His deep, raspy and booming voice shook Olive to her very core.

The mare face hoofed and groaned. “Haven’t you already told me this kind of story fifteen times already? Nopony wants to hear them.”

Strong Hoof sighed. “But this one is much better than the last... and bloodier.”

The mare waved a hoof around dismissively. “You always say that, but they never get any better. You had your chance before, but now we just want you to stop pestering us with your stupid stories. I’ve got an important job to do.”

Olive coughed, feeling a migraine slowly creeping in. She stumbled her way towards the two ponies, getting close enough for them to notice her. Strong Hoof cocked his head back to look at her with his scarlet eyes.

“Little bruja? Talk about good timing, the boss wants to see you. Don’t keep him waiting. He may be patient, but that doesn’t mean you should waste his precious time.”

Olive nodded solemnly. “Is... Is he angry?” she said.

The mare next to Strong Hoof giggled in a condescending manner. “Aren’t you just precious, little baby filly? No, he’s not, otherwise he’d have sent us to retrieve you. Now go on already, you’re wasting time.”

"You know you can't hide forever, bruja. Like a land mammal hiding under water... soon you will have to surface for air."

Feeling somewhat relieved, Olive continued her slow limp through the hospital while ignoring the threat of the big stallion. She didn't want to be near him for more than a minute. Strange, she doesn’t really remember how they even got here or took over an hospital. Usually, they prefer dark and dank spaces as opposed to this.

The screams of a mare caught her attention. On the corridor on her left, a mare was being dragged away by two stallions. A group of ponies, mainly composed of stallions were watching her with perverted gleam in their eyes. Said eyes were in fact, locked onto her flank with a sly smile plastered on their faces.

“The boss is going to destroy that.” said one of the stallions in a French accent.

“Oh yes indeed.” responded a stallion in a deep, whispery voice.

A mare looked at the pony being dragged away, seemingly lost in her though before she sprung back to life. “Hey! This reminds me of a bizarre thing the boss told me.” she exclaimed, now looking at the group.

“What did he tell you?” asked the deep voiced stallion.

The mare held a hoof to her chin. “He said that in order to prove my loyalty; I had to kill my sister.”

“And you did?” the French stallion asked, his head slowly leaning forward.

“Aw yeah! I hated her guts anyway, so it was quite easy!” The mare answered, cackling to herself.

The deep voiced stallion’s brows furrowed. “The boss also wanted me to kill my own sister. Problem was that I don’t have a sister.” His frown turned into a gleeful smile. “I told him I don’t have a sister and he still insisted that I had to kill my sister. So, the first thing I did was to steal a carriage and run over the first mare I saw on the streets. The boss looked happy.”

The mare laughed. “I love the boss! Nopony’s as crazy and smart as he is. He said he'll figure out a way to bypass the limitations of our mortal bodies. I can’t wait to see where that goes.”

They eventually noticed Olive solemnly staring right at them. The deep voiced stallion leaned over and patted her on the head. “You’re looking for the boss? He should be down this corridor right here.” He said, pointing a hoof behind her.

As she followed the pony’s instruction, she suddenly felt terribly nervous. More specifically, her flank felt nervous. Subtly looking over her shoulder, she saw that the ponies were staring at her with sly smiles on their faces. They were ogling her!
Covering her flank with her tail, Olive picked up the pace for she now wanted only to get out of sight as quickly as possible.

“What’s up with this new diet? Why’d the boss want us to eat meat? I just don’t get it.”

Two ponies were sitting on chairs next to a griffon who looked rather bored. The griffon was on a strangely elevated position, sitting above the stallion and the mare.

“I heard it was to separate us from our pony roots. I don’t know what he’s planning, but he says it’s gonna be real good.” The mare answered.

“S’that why he’s hiring griffons and diamond dogs too?” the stallion asked, glaring at the griffon above. “I don’t trust ‘em at all.”

The griffon stared back but remained silent.

“I’m with you on the griffons.” the mare agreed. “The diamond dogs are useful with their tunnel digging skills, but I don’t see why we need griffons when pegasi can fly too.”

A group of ponies trotted by them, making the stallion feel somewhat nervous. “U-Uh, let’s not question the boss further. They might hear us.”

Olive croaked and wanted to get away, but she was spotted by the mare. “Oh, look who we have here. The boss’s little pet.”
She hopped right in front of her, blocking her path. “Are you gonna report us to him, or will you be a good little filly and look the other way?”

“I heard nuthin’.” Olive answered, looking down at the ground. She was swaying from left to right, visibly uncomfortable.

“Good.”

Now that she was out of her way, Olive continued limping towards the location of the boss. Despite the nature of his call being urgent, she couldn’t help herself to eavesdrop on another conversation between yet another group of ponies she doesn’t know, all apparently working for him.

“Hey, you read the newspaper?” A pegasus stallion said, slamming down the newspaper on the table. ”‘t says the Crimson Mask is finally dead. That means we win, right?”

A much bigger pegasus shook his head. “No, the boss is adamant the Crimson Mask still roams around Equestria.” He leaned forward, his face obscured by shadows. “He believes the mask faked his death so that the royal guards would finally leave him alone.”

An earth pony mare flipped her knife in the air with great expertise. She spat it out to give her two cents. “Only the boss will get to kill the Crimson Mask. He came close, and he sure as hay won’t let anypony get all the glory.”

The smaller pegasus frowned. “I always thought the boss was quite the freakshow, but then I learned more about the Crimson Mask. Apparently he painted his own mask with the blood of his tortured victim, real nasty stuff.”

The mare face hoofed. “These are just rumours, and plus, if he DID paint his mask with blood, it’ll would have turned brown.”

“Brown?” The bigger pegasus questioned.

“Yeah, brown.” The mare responded, raising an eyebrow. “Don’t tell me you two have never seen dry blood? Blood turns brown when it dries.”

The two stallions blinked. “I didn’t know that...”

“ ‘Course you didn’t.”

Olive was always intrigued to hear about this Crimson Mask, for the ponies here often talked about him in fear or disgust. With all of the things she’s heard about this unicorn, she grew to be terrified of a pony that she's only seen once before, gazing from afar. It was a dark mask that burnt into her mind. He became a sort of a boogey pony to the young filly. A monster living under her bed.

Shaking the thoughts away, Olive resumed her objective; to find the boss. She didn’t want to but atlas, she’s not the one who makes the rules in here. She eventually found him in the entrance, talking to the secretary of the hospital. A huge feeling of dread engulfed her being as she feared for the worst.

Daddy was angry with her, and now he wanted to see her. No good can come from that.

Slowly but surely, she limped towards the mighty figure towering over her. For a unicorn, he was quite tall, almost the size of Strong Hoof. The faded purple coloring of his fur gave him a ethereal vibe. The tall spiky dark green hair matched well with his light green eyes that pierced the soul of any pony who dared to look him in said eyes. His smile streched so far that it covered a part of his eye. His cutie mark was composed of two eyes and a large grin, seemingly staring right at her.

"Let's make some noise..."

Upon hearing her hoofsteps, he quickly turned his head around. “Darling! So happy you could make it! You did take your time, however, and that’s not a thing that nice little fillies do.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to.”

“Bah!” Her father swung a hoof in a rather goofy manner. “We have all the time in the world anyway. Well, daddy wants to have a word with you. It’s about those evil spies sent by Crimson Mask. They are everywhere, and they want us dead.” He said it with such a toothy grin on his face that he made it sound like it wasn’t even a big deal.

“It’s... It’s bad, isn’t it?” Olive asked, her head still kept down so that her eyes wouldn’t meet those of her father.

“Bad? Oh, absolutely terrific! They’re going to kill us all! All of us quirky anarchists!” The tall stallion said it in a very exaggerated tone, holding a hoof to his mouth for dramatic effect. “But they won’t be able to hurt you if you can keep a secret. You see, this hospital is riddled with said spies. You must not let any of them know about my identity, nor about the operation we are runnin’ here! You must keep it all in the dark, he he!”

Her father took out a lollipop and offered it to his distraught daughter. “You look scared. Here, have a comfort lollipop!” His voice still had that same cheery energy behind it, a vibe he always carried no matter what would happen. “Remember, only daddy can protect you from the horrors of this world. You’ll need to trust him if you want to be happy. Now smile, dearie. Smile.”

Olive couldn’t take her eyes away from her father now. His gaze was hypnotising, enthralling, oddly charismatic. Everything he said, he said it with such unbridled confidence that it made her feel, safe. “Okay...” she finally gave in.

Then, like an angel coming down to rescue her from the depths of Tartarus, Nurse Redheart appeared, casting away all anxieties from Olive. “Hi sweetie! Are you hungry?”

The filly quickly rushed to her, hugging her leg. The decrepit hospital slowly regained its colors. The dirty floors seemingly cleaning themselves and then, she was back to Ponyville General.

“You shouldn’t go out of your room. Your poor leg is still hurt, you’ll need to let it rest for a while, okay?” Redheart said, crouching so that her eyes could meet those of the filly.

Olive closed her eyes and nodded.

“Great!” She picked up the filly and placed her on her back. “I’ll get you back to your room and then I'll bring you your breakfast! How’s that sound?” Her cheerful voice succeeded in calming down the filly’s heart.

As she was moving away from the entrance, Olive looked back one more time at the stallion. Gone was her father, replaced instead by Doctor Hoof who looked at her with guilt in his eyes, his head lowered. He looked so disappointed in himself that it hurt the filly’s heart.

“I hurt him...” Olive whimpered, tears welling in her eyes.

“Oh, don’t worry about that. I’m sure you didn’t mean to.” Redheart consoled. “He’ll be fine. I’m sure he’ll understand. Plus, you have all the time in the world to apologise to him. It’ll just have to wait for now.”

Author's Note

New chapter out! And as a little gift, I'm sharing the design for Olive's father. With a little bit of digging, you should already be able to figure out his name (It's mentionned in the previous chapter.).

Edit: Strong Hoof's design is here.

6. In Need Of Counseling

Today’s a little cloudy, the breeze is cool, and it looks like it’s going to rain. Not a very joyful day all around but that doesn’t bother one pony in particular: Looking Glass. This stallion is on a mission, and he won’t let anything bother him as long as he hasn’t seen it through. The train ride back to Ponyvillle took a while, and the work he had to do at the bureau only helped in slowing him down. Annoying, yes but at least he finally gets to investigate the area of the crime. The edge of the Everfree Forest. He wanted to go there the instant he heard about Olive, but he knew he wasn’t going to do this alone, so he reluctantly pushed it back.

Finally arriving on the scene of the crime, it didn’t take long for him to find the blood stains on the grass. The area was blocked off as requested by Princess Luna. A few royal guards were patrolling around the area, trying to stop anypony from wandering too close. Looking Glass strolled past them like he owned the place and honestly, he kind of did at this point in his career. Almost everypony in Equestria respected his skills and achievements.

He stopped by a small puddle at his hooves. Looking into it, he saw the face of a dark blue colt. He frowned at the imagery and resumed his course, wanting to forget about it for now. Painful reminder...

Normally, the royal guard standing before him would told him to halt and recite his usual line that says something along the lines of “This area’s off limit.” but for him, he only said. “Glad to see you here, Looking Glass. We’ve left the area untouched for you.”

The detective nodded calmly. “Good. It’s time I get to the bottom of this.”

The royal guard smiled. “No doubts you will. You’re the best pony for the job.”

Looking Glass passed through the protective barrier that the guards had summoned to keep the crime scene intact. Once inside, he immediately made his way towards the stains. There was a rock behind the bloodstains, one he skimmed over. There, he noticed something subtle next to the dry blood, deformities on the grass; hoofsteps, left no doubt by the perpetrators of the assault.

Looking Glass hovered one hoof over the traces left and noticed that some of the hoofsteps matched the size of his own hooves. Others were... slightly smaller. So it was 2 stallions and three mares, the smallest of the steps were no doubt the filly. She was chased by five ponies and viciously attack by them. Hm, seems like one of the stallions was quite big; my hoof doesn’t quite match his size.

The questioned remained; who were these five mysterious ponies? Looking Glass doubt, he could figure it out now, but they surely had to have left a clue behind. This couldn’t have been a simple hit and run, fillies like Olive usually have nothing of value on them.

As he looked up, he saw something strange on a patch of grass, just a couple of steps away from his current position. Carefully moving as to not compromise any of the clues, Looking Glass made his way towards the mysterious object. Once he was close enough, the detective was rather disturbed to notice that it was a broken bone, snapped clean in half. Judging by the size of it, this can only belong to a foal, be it a colt or a filly. Her attackers apparently didn’t shy away from murdering foals. The detective thought somberly.

He was very knowledgeable with the underbelly of Equestria. He will eventually track down the gang responsible for this brutal assault. Now, with what I can see, I can attempt to make a recreation of the crime scene using a particular spell...

His horn glowed, shining an amber color and soon, magical visions of the filly and of the attackers formed before him. Judging by the prints left in the grass, the filly was running towards Ponyville looking to protect herself from her pursuers.

The visions did exactly as he envisioned the scene to play out. Here, the hoofsteps are covering less distance, the filly must have run out of breath at that moment. Hm, her pursuers also slowed down not long after. They must have figured that they could toy with their prey for a bit.

One of the stallions knocked the filly down to the ground and then, the visions froze. It must have been at that moment that they attacked. After the deed was done, they ran away. Their hoofsteps overlap for a bit at this part...

Looking Glass stopped when he noticed another object close to the path taken by the big stallion. Leaning forth, he picked it up with magic. A broken cassette tape... There could be crucial information on it. I’ll have to get it repaired. I know a pony in Canterlot who could be up for the job.

After searching around for at least an hour, he found nothing else. His only lead was a broken bone and a cassette tape, equally broken. These ponies were admittedly sloppy in their execution...

Counselor Care waited patiently to be let in the patient’s room. She hoped that the staff at least notified her about their meeting today, the last thing foals like this one needs are surprises.

Eventually, after long minutes of waiting in anticipation, the door open and a nurse motioned her to come inside. “Don’t worry, everything will be fine.” Nurse Redheart told the small pony across the room who looked visibly uncomfortable.

Olive looked at the counselor before hopping out of bed to hide behind Redheart’s legs. She was staring at Care with fear and uncertainty in her eyes. The nurse looked visibly stressed at that little display of agitation. “Olive you shouldn-” She calmed herself down, knowing that raising her voice would only make it worse.

She must be very distrusting of strangers... Care thought solemnly.

“Olive.” Redheart said, pushing the filly in front of her so she could look her in the eyes. “If you go and talk with the nice mare over there, I promise I’ll buy you a nice treat from Sugar Cube Corner. Now please, be careful.”

After a moment of consideration, Olive reluctantly nodded before hesitantly moving to go back to bed with the help of the mare. Once the door closed, she immediately covered herself with her tail, looking awfully scared of the counselor, still trying to stick as closely as possible to the nurse, who remained close by.

“Remember what I told you. Protect yourself with words. Don’t let them know. Oh, and keep your broken leg safe while we’re at it!”

Care cleared her throat. “Hello, Olive.” she started. “My name is Heedful Care. I’m a counselor here in Ponyville, and it’s a real pleasure to meet you!” she gave the brightest smile she could, though still being careful not to... overdo it as she’s heard from the staff.

Nurse Redheart nudged the filly a bit. “Come on, greet her back!” she whispered in a playful voice.

Olive briefly looked at the nurse before complying. “Hi miss Care...” she croaked behind her tail. “I’m Olive.”

Already from what she could see, Heedful Care learned that Olive seems only trustful of Redheart. Probably because she’s the first pony who met her in the hospital.

She trotted to the side of her bed. “How are you feeling, Olive?” she made sure to make her voice sound as calm and friendly as possible. This filly needed to know that she can put her trust in the counselor. “Are you comfortable? Do you feel any pain?”

Olive shook her head. “No.”

The look on Redheart’s face seemed to say otherwise. “Sweetie, you don’t need to lie.”

Immediate red flag! Foals her age should feel scared or surprised by any kind of pain, especially horrible maiming such as this. She’s hiding her true feelings whilst any other would immediately complain. The counselor carefully hid her worries behind the guise of a smile. And they say smiling always keeps your mood up! “Nopony would find you annoying to complain about the pain. It’s okay to be scared.”

Olive’s eyes briefly wandered to the side before she gave the final say in this matter. “I don’t want to talk about it.” Her tail slowly lowered for a moment, until she realised it did, pulling it back up.

Anyhow, now that the greetings were out of the way, it was time to move on to the hard part. She steeled herself before moving on. “Olive, I was called here by the staff because I heard from Nurse Redheart that your father was ‘somewhat problematic’. Is that true?”

Olive buried her face in her tail, torn between what to say. She knew that her next words would have a big impact on what would happen next. She might be young, but she was smart enough to know that this was a choice. A choice between daddy dearest and Nurse Redheart alongside Applejack. “I...” She immediately shut herself up.

“Me? Problematic? Heh, well maybe she’s on to something. But I’m not problematic to you! I’m your legal protector, your guardian! If you’re afraid of big stallions, I can deal with them just for you! You need to come back to daddy dearest!” The voice kept on interjecting whenever she was struggling with what to do, just like a guardian angel would.

In the end, the deciding factor that made her choose was the sight of a broken bone in her memories. Scared to death, Olive hastily responded. “It’s true!”

“How disappointing... Note to self; be meaner and greener to fillies next time.”

Even though it was foolish to believe, Heedful Care hoped that filly had simply botched her fugue and was too embarrassed to admit it. That her injuries were simply the unfortunate cause of a hit and run. That it was more surface level than it appeared. Sadly, she knew better than to believe in such hopeful thoughts. There was a darker story hiding in the filly’s words.

Taking a deep breath, Care continued. “Okay Olive, I’ll need to talk to you about some important things.” Now there’s usually somepony to stay by the foal for this part. Some kind of parental figure, legal guardian or simply a pony they trust. “If you want to, Miss Redheart can stay with you while we talk. I know it can be tough to meet new ponies and all.”

She already knew what the filly’s answer would be, but she just had to ask anyway. Olive looked at Redheart in the eyes, her gaze clearly indicated her answer.

“Of course I’ll stay with you, sweetie!” The nurse responded as she took a sip from a glass of water.

Celestia’s sun outside casted very little shadows in the room, making the place look friendlier to the two mares, but not the filly. In her frightened state of mind, all she could really focus on was a small spot in the back of the room. A small spot that was well hidden from the sunlight, big enough to fit a whole pony in. A pony’s who just now smiling at her.

“Olive.” the counselor began. “I need you to know that I’m here to help you and that I just want what’s best for you.” The filly nodded. “But for me to help you, you’ll need to tell me everything you know. Even things that ponies, even adults, have told you to keep secret.” Her eyes were now beaming with determination. “Can you help me by telling the truth?”

The filly bit her lips, burying herself more in her tail. After a few seconds of intense thinking, she gave her answer. “Okay, I’ll try.” Olive said, peeking through her tail.

Care gave her a reassuring smile. “I’ll do my best to be as understanding as possible.”

Redheart patted the filly on the head, lowering her tail in the process. “Are you ready to start?” she asked gingerly.

Olive gave her a slow, uncomfortable nod.

“Great!” Care said. “Let’s start with your father. You mentioned him a lot... What was he like?”

The filly pondered for a bit but didn’t know where to start. The silence in the room became very uncomfortable for all parties involved and it took until she started whimpering that the counselor realised, she probably had to ask more specific questions.

“Was he nice to you?” Care corrected, hoping that a simple yes/no question would do the trick.

“He was nicer than other ponies...” Olive finally gave an answer.

“How were the other ponies treating you? Did they like you?” Care asked, already knowing the answer.

“They...” tears welled in her eyes. “They hated me.”

Heedful Care felt a wave of compassion wash over her. “We don’t hate you here.” she said in a comforting tone. “Now, did you feel safe when you were living with your father?” Care cringed slightly when she said “living”, this filly didn’t sound like she had a good life at all.

“Only when he was here. The other ponies wanted to hurt me.” Olive stated.

Sounds like a perfect case for an abusive environnement. This father figure wasn’t a nice pony from what she’s heard, but this filly views him as her only salvation. It’s fairly common in such cases that the foal in question overlooks the abusive qualities in their parents because they make them feel safe. Then, there was still the disturbing mystery of the filly’s missing mother.

“Do you know why they wanted to hurt you?” Care continued.

“I don’t know! They keep on saying mean things behind my back. Mister Strong Hoof always called me a bruja.” Olive stammered, sounding desperate.

Bruja... Heedful Care thought. It means witch in Spanish. From the looks of it, they sound repulsed by her. I suppose it’s useless to ask since she seems just as confused as I am. She chose that now wasn’t the best time to explain the word to her. “I see, let’s talk about your mother. You haven’t said anything about her, have you seen her?”

Olive shook her head. “I don’t have a mommy. That’s what daddy said. He refuses to talk about her.”

Gigantic red flag number 2! Care thought, looking more worried. This is getting worse and worse with each answer she’s given. The picture she’s drawing of the filly’s prior life is... depressing to say the least. “Sweetie, how do you feel in here? Is it better than your home?”

Olive looked around her room for a few seconds. “It’s not scary in here. I like it. It’s very bright.”

“It sure is a pretty hospital!” At least, she had confirmation that the filly feels safer in here. With sufficient manipulation, foals can be gaslighted into believing that the situation they live in is normal. It seems that they’ve found her just in time. As she looked at the time, Care realised that there wasn’t much time left. “Anyway, do you know what your father does? What’s his job?”

“I don’t know. He says it’s a surprise and that he’ll only show me when it’s ready.”

That’s not what I was expecting. Usually, their answer implies something like foal trafficking or other criminal activities. Care didn’t know what to make of this. “And... does he want you to do something?” Every parent has some expectation for their foals. What does he want from her?

Olive scratched her head, trying to remember until she looked up. “He says he wants me to make some noise.”

Redheart spat her drank all over the floor and Care dropped her notebook, stretching out her wings in surprise. The two mares looked horrified, and now it was scaring Olive too.

She hid herself behind her tail once more, completely shutting down from the conversation.

“W-W-Well, I guess we can call it off there, uh. I’ll come back so we can talk about it more.” The counselor announced to the filly as she picked up her stuff. “Um, before I leave, I’ll speak with Miss Redheart over there.”

Hidden behind her tail, Olive couldn’t hear the words spoken between the nurse and the counselor as they moved far away from her to speak in private. The filly only peeked out when the door closed.

“D... Did I say something wrong?” She asked, her voice quivering.

Redheart still looked distraught but tried her best to keep her composure. “N-No, dearie. You didn’t say anything wrong.”

Applejack took a seat around the dinner table. A normal action for a pony to take, but not for this earth pony, not at this time of day. She’d normally be outside working out on the farm, but she simply wasn’t in the right state of mind to perform such labors.

Instead, all she found herself doing was staring blankly at the window, sighing. She couldn’t stop thinking about yesterday. Couldn’t stop thinking about the filly. Couldn’t stop thinking about their interaction. Couldn’t stop thinking about what will happen to the poor thing.

“What’s on yer mind, Applejack? Yer usually out workin’ on the afternoon.”

Applejack nearly jumped. Granny Smith came out of nowhere, at least from her point of view. Her grandmother sounded concerned.

“Uh, nuthin’ much. Ah’ll get back ta work soon enough.” Applejack responded, hoping that she sounded normal enough to evade Granny’s suspicions.

Judging by the look in her eyes, the orange mare failed. “Ya sure ‘bout that? If somethin’s wrong, ya gotta tell me.” she slowly trotted towards her granddaughter. “Sittin’ here and mopin’ ain’t gonna fix a thing.”

“Ah know, Granny.” Applejack sighed. “Ah just... can’t get ma mind off yesterday.”

“Oh.” Granny Smith pulled back slightly. “It’s about that filly, ain’t it?”

Applejack’s eyes glanced down at the table. Well, looks like she’ll have to talk about this.

“Ah can’t help but feel responsible for anythin’ that might happen to ‘er now. Ah can’t stop thinkin’ about ‘er, and now Ah simply can’t concentrate on workin’.”

Granny Smith remained silent before she pulled back a chair and took a seat herself. “It’s alright to be worried. That’s just the goodness of your heart speakin’. Ya can always visit ‘er in the hospital if it makes ya feel better, at least until ‘er parents come to Ponyville.”

Applejack cringed at that last phrase, and Granny Smith felt like she made a mistake. “Oh, uh...”

“Oh dear, did Ah say somethin’ wrong?”

“No, not really. It’s just that...” Applejack paused for a moment, took a deep breath and continued. “We don’t think ‘er parents are ever gonna come in the picture.”

Granny Smith’s eyes widened. “Ah see why yer so distraught now.” She quickly regained her composure. “Yer worried about what’ll happen to ‘er once she leaves Ponyville General.”

Applejack nodded. “Right on ta mark.” She buried her face in her hooves, looking even more anxious.

“Ah’m sure there’ll be plenty of nice ponies willin’ to foster ‘er. She’ll be in good hooves.” Granny Smith said in a reassuring tone. Her granddaughter still didn’t seem more at peace, however. “Ah see that not enough for ya?”

“Apparently not.” Applejack was still moping in her hooves.

Granny Smith pondered for a bit before her face lit up with an idea. You could even say a lightbulb appeared over her head in this very moment. “There’s an easy solution; why don’t ya foster the lil filly?”

Applejack suddenly sparked back to life. “What? But Ah can’t do that! Ah’ve got lots of work on Sweet Apple Acre, Ah’ll never be able to help ‘er when she needs me!”

Granny chuckled. “Are ya forgettin’ yer not alone? Big Mac and Ah could lend you a hoof!”

Applejack reconsidered the idea. “Ah suppose it’s the only way Ah can stop stressin’ over yesterday. B-But Ah can't help but worry 'bout her finances. It's gonna take a lotta money to tend to 'er needs. Ah'm not sure we can...” she said, albeit still sounding unsure.

Granny Smith smiled. “Ya should have more faith in yerself, Applejack. Ah’m certain ya can do it! We'll just 'ave to work a lil harder!”

“Um, well Ah gu-”

A loud gasp caught their attention. Apple Bloom had just return home from school and has been apparently listening silently to their conversation. “Am Ah gonna get a new sister?” she asked excitedly. The filly was almost bouncing with joy.

“Apple Bloom! That, uh, that hasn’t been dec-” Applejack quickly glanced at Granny Smith who gave her a subtle frown. “Well, yeah. As soon as she can get out of Ponyville General, we’ll foster ‘er!” Her granny gave her an approving wink.

Apple Bloom rushed over to her older sister with sparks in her eyes. “Is she older or younger than me?”

“Uh, Ah believe she’s around yer age.”

The filly bounced happily. “Does she have a cutie mark?”

Applejack shook her head. “Not from what Ah saw.”

Apple Bloom gasped, her whole body now shaking with joy. “Sh-She could join the Cutie Mark Crusaders! W-We can have a new member!”

Applejack stopped her sister from bouncing around, closing her eyes and taking on a stern expression. “That’s nice an’ all, but she’s a troubled filly who’ll need some time to adjust to her new surroundings. Y’all have to give ‘er some space first, ya understand?”

“Ah understand!” Apple Bloom responded, her eyes still shining like the stars themselves. “Ah so have to tell this to Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo!” She turned around and tried to run out of the house, but she was stopped when Applejack bit her tail, pulling her back towards them.

“Ya didn’t forget yer chores, huh?” Granny Smith asked, wincing at the filly. “Ya can tell them later.”

“Ah didn’t forget them, Granny Smith! Ah’ll do them right naow!” Apple Bloom gave her grandmother a salute before rushing off to do said chores.

The two older mares watched her disappear. “It, uh, ain’t gonna be easy dealin’ with two fillies.” Applejack commented.

“Bah! Ah’m sure we’ll manage!”

Celestia’s sun was setting down on Equestria, signaling to everypony that night was coming. Upon seeing this, Applejack returned to the hospital with her saddlebag, immediately going to the secretary.

Noticing her, she smiled and waved hello. “Miss Applejack! Nice to see you here again.”

Applejack tipped her hat as to greet her. “Ah’m lookin’ for Doctor Hoof.” she simply stated.

“Doctor Hoof?” The mare brought a hoof to her chin. “I’ll call him, but he may be too busy for the time being.”

The door leading to the EMERGENCY room suddenly busted open and Doctor Hoof came out. His mane was messy, there were bags under his eyes but nevertheless, his body was still beaming with energy. Upon noticing Applejack, he motioned at her to come with him.

“Well then...” The secretary said. “I guess you’re in luck!”

The orange mare quickly rushed to the stressed doctor as he let the doors slam behind them.

“Oh mah... Am Ah coming at a bad time?” Applejack asked, concerned.

The doctor quickly brushed his mane with his hoof until it looked fine enough. “No, not really. We’re just about done with the rush. Had you come earlier, you wouldn’t have gotten the chance to speak to me.” he explained, his voice no longer sounding quite as professional as before. “Well then, what brings you here?”

Applejack felt a little awkward, not knowing how to say it. “It’s about ta filly.”

“I hope you’re bringing us good news.” Doctor Hoof sighed.

“A-Ah was just wonderin’ what’d happen to ‘er once she leaves Ponyville General.” the mare asked hesitantly.

Doctor Hoof briefly glanced inside one of the patients’ room, asking them if everything is okay before returning to Aj.

“What’d happen to her? We’re currently working on finding a foster home for her...” He lowered his head out of disappointment. “No luck so far.”

Applejack bit her lips, feeling a bit of sweat dripping down her face. “W-Well, Ah could, uh... foster ‘er if y’all are strugglin’ to fin ‘er a home.” she finally said, albeit tripping over her words a bit.

Doctor Hoof’s eyes briefly widened as a slow smile formed on his face. “You would? That’s marvelous! It’ll be a great help to us!” His joy then faded away. “Olive can be a bit hard to help at times. She seems to get really attached to the hospital and especially Redheart. We don’t want her to get too comfortable in here. I mean, she’s not going to stay here forever.”

“Ah see... but that’s good ta know that she’s warmin’ up to other ponies.” Applejack said before something crossed her mind.

“Yeah, earlier today she even apologised profusely when she felt that she might have hurt my feelings. Of course, I didn’t really take it to heart, but she insisted that she had to make it up to me.” Doctor Hoof caught himself smiling dopily. “She has a kind heart, Aj. I have no doubt you’ll be a good foster mother to her.”

“Yeah, ‘bout mah mee-”

They arrived close to another patient’s room. “Hold that thought.” Hoof said abruptly, peeking in the room to do his usual routine again. After he left, he nodded at Aj. “You were saying?”

“Ah want to know if Olive spoke of me ‘gain. Ah mean, if she liked me simply based on our first meetin’.” Applejack said, swinging her ponytail from one side to the other.

The good doctor laughed. “You certainly left an impression on her! She kept mentioning if she could meet Mistress Mare-velous again! That’s you, right?”

Applejack blushed. “Ah... that might be me. Ah told her Ah was Mistress Mare-velous on one occasion.”

The doctor smirked. “I didn’t take you for the cosplaying type, Applejack. That sounds more like Rainbow Dash to me.”

Applejack rubbed the back of her head, embarrassed. “It wasn’t cosplaying per say... Mah friends and Ah were... sucked into a comic book.”

Doctor Hoof chuckled. “Heh, must have been quite the adventure. Still, it’s adorable that the filly has taken to calling you Mare-velous. She even asked us if you would come back.”

Applejack’s heart melt at that revelation. “How sweet of ‘er!” She reached out for something in her saddlebag, it was a toy. “Ah bought ‘er a Saddle Rager toy. Ah don’t want ‘er ta get bored in ‘ere.”

Doctor Hoof smirked once more. “I see the maternal instincts are already kicking in, aren’t they pardner?” he said, imitating the Apple twang for just a brief moment.

Applejack blushed, looking away to avoid the embarrassment. “Oh, uh, didn’t know Ah had it in me.”

“Surprised that much? You always take great care of Apple Bloom. I’d say you always had it in you.”

Applejack stopped when she spotted the door leading to Olive’s room.

“Visiting hours are over...” Doctor Hoof stated. “But I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to let you in for a few minutes.” he said with a smile.

The mare tipped her hat in respect. “Thanks, doc.”

She looked at the toy in her hoof. Raising a second filly, even if it’s temporary is a daunting task, but it’s a task she’s willing to do. She’ll do it for her sake. Ah won’t give up on ya, sugar cube.

7. Afraid of Monsters

“May Ah come in?” Applejack asked, peeking through the open door.

As soon as the filly spotted her, she threw her hooves up in the air. “Mistress Mare-velous!”

Chuckling, the mare entered the room and winked. “Now, now, sugar cube; ya gotta be careful not ta reveal mah secret identity!”

Olive opened her mouth but didn’t quite know what to say.

“Mah name’s Applejack.” the mare smiled.

“Applejack! You’re back!” The filly exclaimed as her tail waggled excitedly.

“’course Ah am. Ah’ll be visitin’ regularly, at least until you can leave.” Applejack reached for the toy in her saddlebag. “Oh, and Ah’ve also brought somethin’ for ya, sugar cube.”

Olive’s eyes sparked with joy as she saw the toy. “Saddle Rager!” she nearly screamed as her eyes followed the toy being placed on her bed.

“Ah hope this’ll make your stay less borin’.” Applejack once again reached for something in her bag. “Ah’ve also got another present for ya.” She pulled out a comic book.

Olive snatched it out of her mouth with her hooves. “A Power Ponies comic!”

“E-yup. Ah’ve borrowed it from a friend, he’s also a mighty big fan of ta Power Ponies.” Applejack smiled. “Ah’m certain you two will get alon’.”

The filly stared at the two items before she hopped towards Applejack and hugged her, awkwardly balancing herself on her good leg. “You’re ta best! Five seconds of love!” she said, slipping just a bit in the Apple twang.

Applejack blushed and embraced the filly’s hug, amused by the 'five seconds of love'. “Yer pretty brave yerself. Ah’d be cryin’ if Ah was yer age.”

As the filly let go, she immediately opened her comic and quickly looked at the pages. Applejack couldn’t help but wonder why she isn’t using her magic to flip through the pages. Maybe she’s havin’ the same problem as Sweetie Belle? The mare cleared her throat. “Ya know unicorns have magic, right? Ah believe it might be easier if ya use yer magic.”

Olive froze for a moment, avoiding Applejack’s eyes. “Magic scares me. I don’t like magic. Everypony avoids me when I use magic.” she muttered rapidly.

At this point, Applejack was heavily considering bringing a certain friend in the mix. Magic problems... Maybe Twilight could help ‘er deal with ‘er fear of magic?

“Don’t worry about it. Ah know somepony who can help ya overcome your fear of magic.” Applejack said. “Ah just wanna know; what’s so scary about magic?”

Olive looked at her small horn. “I get really angry when I use magic.” she didn’t explain further.

“Ah see...” Applejack took a seat next to the filly’s bed. “Yer afraid to hurt somepony when you use magic.”

The filly nodded solemnly. “Daddy wants me to use lots of magic, but I’m too scared to make him proud.”

The more she spoke of her father, the angrier Applejack felt inside. “If it makes ya uncomfortable, ya don’t have to force yerself to use magic just to make ‘im proud.” The earth pony swallowed an angry lump in her throat. “Ah’m already proud of yer courage, sugar cube. Yer good enough without magic.”

Olive finally made eye contact with Applejack. “Thanks.” A surprisingly mature tone was used here. The filly’s legs shook around as she brushed her mane, looking like she wanted to say something. “Misst-Applejack?”

“What is it?” kindly responded the element of honesty.

“I-I have a question.” the young filly stammered.

“Ask ahead, that’s what Ah’m here for.”

“What does sexual trauma mean?”

Applejack was caught off guard. How does she-? “W-Why do you ask?”

Olive had a sorry look on her face, feeling like she said something wrong. “I heard the nurse and the pegasus talk about sexual trauma after they were done talking to me.” she awkwardly explained, tapping her hooves together.

“Well... that’s somethin’ you’ll understand when you grow up.” Applejack answered, wanting to dodge this delicate matter.

The room was now casted in shadows, so much so that Applejack had to turn on the nightlight to even see Olive. “It’s getting' mighty dark outside.” Feeling a bit regretful, she stood up from her chair. “Ah should head home, they’re certainly waitin’ for me.”

As she trotted away, she felt a pair of hooves grabbing her back leg. The earth pony looked over her shoulder to see the worry in the clingy filly’s eyes. “W... What will happen when they’ll make me leave?”

Applejack gave her a reassuring smile. “We’ll be seein’ each other more when you leave, Ah can promise that. For now, ya should get some sleep. Yer lookin’ mighty tired.”

Feeling satisfied by this answer, Olive let go and crawled back to her pillow. “Will you come back tomorrow?”

“’course Ah will, sugar cube.”

Pulling up the covers, Olive looked at Applejack one last time. “Good night, Applejack.”

“Good night, sugar cube.”

Night fell on Ponyville, sending all its inhabitants to the wonderful dreamscape. Everypony was sleeping peacefully, everypony but one. Inside one of the patient’s rooms in Ponyville General, a lonely filly rolled around in bed, whimpering.

Trapped on a small ship, Olive wandered around aimlessly, staring at the infinite ocean surrounding her. The place felt claustrophobic. The filly was far too scared to go even near the edges, afraid to accidentally fall in the water. As such, there was even less room to navigate than normal.

The ocean was dark, very, very dark. The light of the moon could only illuminate the surface, but the surface wasn’t what got her spooked. It was what couldn’t be seen in the depths that scared her to death, the monsters in the abyss. If she fell in the ocean, she was done for. It also didn’t help that she never truly learned how to swim.

As such, she locked herself inside, not wanting to even peek out the window. All that she could do was to place her faith in the ship to not succumb to the waves. The storm outside was angry, and it felt like it personally wanted her dead. Its thunderous roars were powerful enough to be heard from inside.

Curbed up in a foetal position under the bed, she covered her eyes, waiting for the nightmare to finally end. Suddenly, a knock made her jump so much that she hit her head against the base of the bed.

“Olive? Are you in there?” That voice... Olive didn’t dare to respond.

The door opened, letting her hear the full wrath of the storm before it closed abruptly. Sniffles came from the newcomer, a stallion pegasus just entered the room. His fur was turquoise, his hair, a fiery red which fitted nicely with his crimson eyes.

He wiped the water off his glasses before making his way to the cowering fillies.

“You gotta go back on deck, the crew needs your help with something.” The stallion said, sounding annoyed.

“No!” the filly protested. “It’s dangerous out there!” She slapped the stallion’s hoof away.

“Olive, you lousy son of a bitch! Get your dirty flank out of here and make yourself useful, or else I'm throwing you off board!” The pegasus shouted back, finally pulling her out from her hiding spot.

“We shouldn’t go outside!” Olive shouted back. “You’re gonna die if you leave!” her skin was ghostly pale.

“Oh no! Me, a pegasus, am going to drown?” The stallion hissed in a mocking voice. “Stop being a scaredy cat and prove to us that the boss knows what he’s doing with you. Aurora isn’t a darn coward; you should take a few notes from her.”

Forcefully pulling her back on deck, Olive noticed that the boat was now filled with ponies working hard to keep it from succumbing to the waves. The stallion dragged her to the side and stared at her with his piercing eyes.

He pointed a hoof at the door on his right. “Now, you’re gonna go in there and help the others fix any dents on the boat. It’s a task so easy a foal could do it. You just grab a hammer, and hammer away at dents.” he said in a very condescending tone.

Olive, however, didn’t really listen, too focused on the storm raging on to her left. She had that look in her eyes like she already knew what was going to happen.

Then, just as she predicted, a large tentacle erupted from the ocean and lunged right at them.

Being thankfully small, it barely missed her, only touching the top of her mane as it wrapped itself around the pegasus. She helplessly watched as the poor pony was dragged to the abyss of the ocean, never to be seen again. Her back was now pushing against the door he pointed to earlier as her mind raced to only one thought; hide back under the bed before the creature snatches her up.

She ran back to the door leading to the bedroom, hopelessly jumping at the doorknob but never quite reaching it. As her legs touched the deck, she felt a surprising jolt of pain. Looking down, she noticed that her back leg was still in a cast. Then, she noticed that she couldn’t hear the shouts and yells of the crew anymore. Looking over her shoulder, she saw only an empty ship. The storm was still raging on, but there were no traces of the crew, nor of the monster that murdered a stallion before her very eyes.

Then, the door clicked open, surprising Olive as she took a few steps back. It opened only to reveal a gigantic white stallion on the other side. “Olive... You’re all talk, no action.” Strong Hoof seemed even bigger and more imposing than he already was.

Olive fell on her flank, crawling away from the giant that was making the ship rumble with each step. “Are you ready for round two? This time I won’t miss the mark.” he gritted through his evil grin. The filly could feel his eyes were locked onto her broken leg.

“Y-You can’t hurt me...” She stammered through her fearful tears. “Daddy won’t be happy.”

Strong Hoof’s neck rose up, looking around the empty. “Daddy?” after a few seconds that felt like an eternity for Olive, the earth pony lowered his head. “Daddy’s not here, bruja.” He let out a sinister laugh as he marched towards the cowering filly. Then, he stopped once a golden figure placed itself between him and the filly.

Olive stared in awe at the newcomer. It was a young mare, taller than her but slightly shorter than Applejack. Her fur was golden and her mane, cyan blue. She was staring right in the dark eyes of Strong Hoof, showing clear hints of fear yet refusing to back down from the gigantic stallion.

“Au-Aurora!” Olive stammered. For a brief moment, she found herself back in the Everfree Forest before the world shifted back to the ship. In that moment, she knew exactly what was about to unfold.

“How bold... Your bravery won’t save you because I smell fear.” Strong Hoof remarked calmly, bearing his bloodied teeth.

Aurora cocked her head back to look at Olive. “Run! There’s a town nearby, you’ll be safe there!” she screamed, making the filly panic inside.

“B-But what about you?” Olive croaked.

“I’ll be fine. Don’t worry about me.” Aurora responded, her quivering voice betraying the calm tone she was going for. Her legs were trembling, and she cursed herself for not being able to hide it.

Strong Hoof chuckled. “This forest will be your tomb. Nopony gets away with betrayal, traidor. Si tan solo pudieras ver la depravación que impulsan el dinero y el poder. Estamos tratando de salvar a los indefensos.”

Aurora motioned at the young filly to run away and thus, she did. Her mind became a foggy mess as she ran in the only place she could find shelter from the brute, a place to hide, down in the deepest section of the ship. Running down the flight of stairs the pegasus had pointed to earlier, she discovered that the lower portion of the ship was flooded, with water slowly rising up. Evidently, she couldn’t stay there forever.

A soul piercing scream froze her blood. And then, silence...

There were no sounds other than the sound of the water banging against the ship and the storm outside.

“Olive...” The stairs creaked loudly as a massive pony descended. Strong Hoof was coming to get her, and sadly; she didn’t have enough time to find a place to hide.

“Your traitorous friend’s help was in vain, bruja.” The stallion cackled. “Now it’s your turn.” He was now marching towards the cowering filly, splashing water everywhere with each step he took. His sheer size was causing the ship to shake as he was closing in on Olive. “Prepare yourself, niña.”

“P-P-P-Princess Luna!” she croaked, protecting her head with her forelegs. Then, her call for help was answered when a beautiful, majestic light casted the shadows away. The clouds were split open as the waves began to calm down. In no time, the ocean was silent, and the ship stabilised itself. The flooding water evaporated into nothingness and the two ponies found themselves back on the deck.

Strong Hoof himself slowly shrunk down to his true size, which was still taller than the lunar princess as she flew down to the deck. “Luna...”

Upon noticing the alicorn, the filly hid behind the princess’s leg, hugging it as tightly as she could. “Fear not my little pony; I have returned!” she stated in a reassuring yet commanding voice.

“You will fall.” Strong Hoof said, his face remaining calm despite the presence of the powerful alicorn.

“You will not torment this filly any longer.” Luna said in the royal Canterlot voice, a voice now repurposed to intimidate her opponents.

“Fall...” The stallion repeated, still standing his ground against the lunar princess.

Using just a simple magic beam, she casted the evil pony away in a beautiful light show that would made most firework shows jealous. Once the deed was done, all that was left was silence. Despite the stallion being defeated, Olive still looked pale.

“Do not be afraid, my little pony. You are safe from the nightmares now.” Luna said, her voice still having that hint of heroism present in it.

“D-Daddy’s coming... coming now.” Olive pulled on her leg, pointing a hoof behind her.

“Wha-” Before Luna could turn around, she felt a terrible pain on her cheek and felt herself being launched in the air, her face soon meeting the wooden boards of the ship. Discombobulated, she rubbed her swollen right cheek with her hoof, surprised at how painful this hit was.

“Couldn’t see that one coming? Oh dear, I fear you might be losing your ‘warrior princess’ mojo, Luny!” A voice cackled. Luna recognised that voice from Olive’s dream last night. Her father was here. That hit... was surprisingly strong for a unicorn. It was packed with the sheer might of an earth pony. Then again, it was just a dream, and, in this world, the real world’s logic doesn’t apply.

“Princess Luna!” Olive shouted, concerned for her well-being. Her eyes began to water as she galloped over to the alicorn.

“Now now, darling. You should let the grown-ups have a ‘civil’ discussion. Oh, and quit being stupid. Tears are not meant to be shed so lightly. Now scram!” He tapped the floor with his hooves, creating a hole underneath his daughter.

Luna’s eyes widened as she saw the filly fall out of sight. “Olive!”

The unicorn looked down at the hole with a bit of uncertainty present in his overall expression. “Come to think of it, I don’t actually know where this hole leads to. Maybe it goes to the lower sections of the ship, maybe it’s just a gateway to the abyss... Oh well! Let’s think about it later!”

Luna stomped the ground furiously. “Bring her back you monster!” she demanded.

“I’m afraid I can’t do that, nighthawk! I’m not a pony, I’m just a nightmare and it’s basically required of me to mentally torment her!” The stallion responded, giggling to himself as he talked. His whole demeanor seemed rather carefree, not taking any of this seriously.

The alicorn took a brief moment to calm herself down. What he was saying was ultimately true. He’s not real, but he’s how the filly perceives the real one to be. Considering that he’s her father, this portrait of him should be close to reality. “Then what are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be going after her instead of me?” she asked.

“And miss the chance of having an audience with the great lunar princess?” The stallion gave her a fake frown. “Absolutely not! I’ll go and exercise some ‘discipline’ to the filly later. Right now, I want to share some funny secrets with you.” He continued, grinning from ear to ear.

Princess Luna braced herself. “What kind of secrets?”

“I already told you, the funny kind!” The father immediately answered. “Though what we perceive as funny can vary from one pony to another. You see, you drink water but I... drink anarchy.” He took out a cup of something and imitated a pony drinking. “Uh, yeah... you can’t actually drink anarchy, it’s just a concept.”

“Enough jokes! Say what you must.” Luna stomped the ground with enough force to shake the whole ship, making the air crackle with electricity. The stallion dropped his cup, having a brief look of surprise on his face.

“Alrighty then... First secret.” He rubbed his hooves together, licking his lips in preparation. “I have created a rather unique set of comics. Power Ponies comics that suck the reader into the world of these superheroes.” He briefly tilted his head towards the alicorn, who glared at him. “Yeah, I know, it can lead to death but that’s exactly the point. I wanted to create a lil bit of chaos, and it worked.”

Luna sighed. “It took a lot of work to solve this fiasco. I suppose my guess was correct, only a pony as insane as you could bring such an abominable idea to life.”

“I know right?!” The stallion leaned close to her, his grin growing even larger to the point that it was covering a portion of his eyes. “Can you even imagine the hearty laugh I bellowed when I heard that the princess of friendship’s pet bought one of MY comics?!”

The midnight alicorn glared. “Spike is not a pet!” she shouted in the royal Canterlot voice with such vigor that she unconsciously spat on him.

The unicorn frowned, wiping the saliva off his face. “Yeah, you keep telling yourself that.” He took a few steps back. “You talk as if you ponies don’t also keep sentient animals as mere pets. I know what goes on in Sweet Apple Acre. The cows there DO talk last I heard.” His frown turned back into a glorious smile as he pointed a hoof at himself. “That’s where I come in. You see, I’m an anarchist. Most ponies see that as a bad thing, but not us, no. I, am a liberator. By destroying those in power, I will allow every sentient creature in Equestria to be free. Free to listen to their impulses, free to listen to their heart’s desire. No longer held back by those who wave around their hooves being like ‘justice this’ and ‘justice that’!”

“You’re no liberator.” Luna attacked. “You’re just a lunatic who spouts nonsense.”

“Ooh! Struck a nerve there, didn’t I?” The stallion cackled. “Perhaps you should write down some new policies against slavery, my dear!”

If this kept on going, Luna would surely break her teeth with how hard she was clenching them. “Enough talk! Let’s get this over with!”

“Oh, Luny. If what you wanted was this along. You only had to ask.” The stallion started hopping around in place, looking ready to attack. “Let me humble you by kicking your ass. One on one...”

Sprouting her wings, Luna smirked. “Let me handle the humbling.” Her horn lit up and fired a spark in the air. The sky crackled with electricity and before the unicorn could realise what was going on, lightning struck him down in a shocking turn of event.

His whole body spazzed out as electricity coursed through his body until he couldn’t take it anymore and fell down, defeated. “Urgh... you win! No wait it’s a tie! Argh, to Tartarus with it. You beat me!” He said, cowering with his hooves clenching his head. Then, his whole demeanor changed, going from scared to confident. “Hang on, did I say me? I meant to say me... and these ponies!” He reached a hoof out and whistled.

A large group of ponies suddenly popped out of seemingly nowhere, jumping down on the deck to surround the alicorn.

“Looks like the odds are now stacked in my favor!”

Princess Luna wasn’t intimidated in the slightest. She was instead smiling to herself. “I like those odds.” Rare is it that a nightmare resists her this much.

The group closed in on her, each jumping on top of her as they formed a big pile to crush her. The unicorn watched in amusement, chewing on a lollipop. He quickly spat it out when his henchponies were sent flying in every direction by a single spell. “Oh okay. I suppose I should probably order more henchponies. These ones are dropping like flies.” He casually commented, seemingly unfazed by this turn of event.

More ponies joined in the fray, each looking very angry at Luna. This time, they each went one at a time in quick succession to avoid being blasted away in just one hit. Their efforts proved fruitless as the alicorn displayed her superior skill and experience by dispatching them effortlessly, using her hooves instead of her magic. It’s quite bad indeed when an alicorn doesn’t resort to magic to fight you.

“Oh right! I should probably help them.” His horn lit up as he charged a powerful spell. Luna felt a shiver down her spine coming straight from the evil unicorn as her instincts told her to fly away. Then, a giant beam of fire came out of his horn, burning everypony on the ship to a crisp, except for the princess who flew out of reach.

Such power! This nightmare is stronger than the others. Landing back on deck, she glared at the evil stallion who reciprocated with nothing but a smile. On second thought, he may be more than a nightmare...

His magic left his horn as he went back to a more casual stance. “You’re not gonna do anything? Hmm, since I’m such a generous stallion, I’ll give you a chance. Strike me down! End it all here! Come on, I know you can do it!” He shouted, throwing his hooves in the air as he balanced himself on his back legs.

Luna complied and fired a very powerful beam of magic, a beam strong enough to obliterate any nightmare she has ever faced before. The attack struck the stallion with enough intensity to destroy the whole ship and split the ocean and yet, once the dust had settled, the unicorn still remained.

“I live!” He exclaimed in victory. “I win and you lose! You will never truly beat me, nighthawk! I've made a beast out of myself, and now... I'll make one out of you..”

Confused, Princess Luna tried to make sense of this situation. I can’t destroy him, but I can chase him away. Her eyes darted around the dreamscape, a vast, calm ocean of pure blackness who’s peace is occasionally broken by a tentacle erupting from the abyss below. This isn’t my mind. It’s the filly’s mind, which would explain why this unicorn is so powerful here. I can’t beat her fears, I can’t overcome them on her behalf...

She looked down at the ocean, the very ocean that had seemingly swallowed Olive earlier. “Now that I’ve proven to you that you can’t beat me. How about I start the fun by taking off these pretty win- Hey!” Luna dove deep in the ocean, blasting a hole through it to reach the bottom.

After a few seconds of diving, she touched the depths of the abyss. There was nothing down there, nothing but a single light shining down on a sorry looking figure. Around this beam of light was a young mare, smiling as she was comforting the filly. As the princess approached, the young mare left in the darkness, looking rather sad.

“The nightmares are gone.” Luna said carefully. “I’m here.”

Olive stared wide eyed at the mare who vanished, looking very sad. “They’re never gone. They only leave when you come, but they’ll always be back.”

“I... yes. I can’t make them disappear for good. I can’t do miracles, Olive.” Luna sat next to her, transforming herself back into a filly to ease the youngling’s nerves. “Only you can save yourself from the nightmares.” she said in an adorable voice full of kindness.

The stallion’s horrible laughter echoed throughout the abyss, a haunting sound that never wants to fade away. Olive covered her ears and sobbed. “But I can’t! It’s too hard!” she croaked, her voice breaking down with every word.

“I know how difficult it is...” Luna consoled. “But you’ll never truly move on if you don’t confront your fears and overcome them. Courage isn’t a lack of fear, true courage is to face your fears in the eyes and not back down. I know you can do it.”

The laugh echoed once more; this time higher in pitch. It sounded, triumphant. Olive inched herself closer to the princess and hugged her, looking for some comfort. Luna wrapped her wing around the filly’s body, her warmth calming down the panicking foal.

Two eyes popped in unannounced, slowly moving towards the two with a large grin stretching his face well beyond the size of a normal stallion. “Oh darling! Perhaps now you’re finally realising that you’re not meant to be with them! Your place is with us, with your daddy.”

In one swift movement, he grabbed Olive and began dragging her away. Luna tried to stop him, but he fired a quick spell that paralysed her. “No seriously, I don’t think you’re the best pony to give her a lecture about family and what not considering your past beef. She’s mine and not yours.”

Powerless before her father, Olive looked back at the princess with pleading eyes. “I’m sorry my little pony. There’s not much I can do before this nightmare.” the alicorn said before an idea popped in her mind. “Sometimes, you have to tell ponies what’s on your mind if you want them to understand how you feel.”

“She already knows what she feels, right darling? You said you love your daddy, didn’t you?” The stallion said, looking into the filly’s eyes. “He knows what’s best for you.”

Olive’s mouth quivered, her legs were trembling but this time, it wasn’t fear alone. It was a new feeling that she has yet to express, anger. “Leave me alone!” For the first time in a while, her horn lit up and out of it came a powerful spark.

“Oh no no no... Wait wait wait wait wait!” The blast blew her father away, sending him back to the shadows. The abyss slowly transformed into a beautiful forest at night, with the stars shining almost as bright as the sun. Princess Luna finally regained control of her body and rushed to the filly’s side.

“You did it!” she exclaimed, smiling excitedly at the filly. “You fought back.”

Olive’s mouth slowly contorted into a relieved smile. “I feel... good.” her hooves started tapping the floor rapidly as she danced around in place. “I defeated daddy! I’m the best!”

The alicorn giggled. “You certainly are a very brave filly.” She placed a hoof on Olive’s back. “What you’ve learned tonight is precious. Don’t ever forget this nightmare, and don’t ever be afraid to say no to somepony.”

Olive quickly hugged the princess once again, this time clenching her twice as hard. “You’re the best princess ever!”

“Wh- Thank you.” Luna said. After they had finished hugging, the alicorn regained her true form. “I must go now, help other ponies with their nightmares.” As she flew away, she turned to give her one last smile. “We’ll see each other soon enough.”

Now left by her lonesome, Olive imagined herself a superhero outfit, and a horde of bad ponies surrounding her. Smirking, she prepared herself for the incoming fight with newfound confidence. “I’m the strongest superhero there is!”

Author's Note

Now that's probably going to be the most intense chapter for a while. My goal with it was to give more time for Strong Hoof and the father to shine, since we won't see them much for a long time. At least, not the real them.

8. A Terrible Accident

Author's Note

I'll be going on vacation tomorrow, so don't expect a new chapter to come out for at least a whole week. So, enjoy this one in the meantime.

8. A Terrible Accident

Another sunny day shined on Equestria, an especially uplifting weather for the staff in Ponyville General. For one nurse, however, this day would prove to be quite stressful, perhaps even a little traumatising. Snowheart was tasked with taking care of their most recent patient, a lost filly who’s ran away from home, or so she was told.

Along that, a worrisome list of instructions was handed to her regarding how she should act near her. Bizarre and somewhat contradicting things such as don’t show your teeth when you smile, always smile when you talk, etc. It sounded quite... daunting, but she’s dealt with strange cases before. Surely things will go well, right?

Taking a deep breath, she entered the room, smiling exactly as the instructions said. The filly opened her sleepy eyes, mumbling something as she slowly woke up. She took her sweet time to notice the nurse approaching her.

“Hi there, sweetie! Did you have a good night sleep?” she asked joyfully.

Olive rubbed her eyes before looking at the nurse. She still looked tired despite sleeping for quite a while, staring at her with the intensity of a sloth. Her mane was puffy and extremely messy, the same went for her tail.

“I see...” Snowheart said, trying to fill the eerie silence in between the beeps of the machines. “Then I’ll make this quick so you can relax for the rest of the day.” she exclaimed, slowly pulling the bed’s cover down. As she did, the nurse noticed that the filly’s eyes widened, looking down at said cover. “What’s wron-”

Olive’s face turned red as she quickly moved her legs and tail to cover her “private areas”. The bed was stained, and so was her fur. It looked like it was there for a couple of hours. The filly kept staring. Her eyes were filled with shame, avoiding the nurse that tried her best to put on a reassuring look.

“Don’t worry about your bed!” she said in a bubbly voice. “I’ll call somepony to change the sheets! In the meantime, we’ll go to the bathroom together so we can change your bandages!”

Olive shuddered, she always hated taking off the bandages. Her wounds were ugly and painful. She didn’t like having somepony there to see them. Right now, she only wanted to be alone, to deal with the embarrassment.

“I-I’m really s-sorry.” she apologised, stumbling over her words a bit. If only she could stop messing up her sentences, that’ll make her look less like an idiot.

“You don’t have to be.” The nurse reassured. “You’re not bothering us, if that’s what you’re worried about.” She helped the filly step off her tall bed and escorted her towards the restroom.

Olive was following closely behind. Her walk was awkward, unsure, with all the grace of a drunken stallion. Her eyes were quite heavy, and her mouth was stuck wide open thanks to her constant yawning. She could crumble at any moment.

Nurse Snowheart stopped. “I promise this’ll only take a few minutes at most. You can take your shower later!” she said, sensing the lack of energy coming from the foal. She didn’t have the sense of professional detachment as the older nurses, and despite being not the most perceptive, Olive noticed it.

“N-No, I’ll take my shower now.” Olive protested. She still looked very uncomfortable, her words not sounding all that genuine. She felt more like she was trying to make herself less of a hassle for the mare.

“Of course, dearie!” The nurse smiled. “I don’t want to make you feel like you don’t have a choice. I’ll even help you clean yourself if you’re having trouble with your injured leg!” Her words openly carried lots of joy, probably at the idea of helping out a cute filly, something she apparently didn’t get the chance to do much prior to this very day.

Inside the bathroom came the hard part for Olive. It was time to take off her bandages. It was always painful and disgusting to see her open wounds. Nurse Snowheart could clearly see her discomfort as the filly always closed her eyes and turned her head away from the injuries, clenching her teeth whilst taking sharp breaths.

“Don’t you worry, sweetie! This will only hurt for a brief moment.” Snowheart reassured. Pulling off the bandages around the midsection, she heard the filly groan in pain. The bandages were stained with a horrifying mix of red and green, most likely coming from the painkillers offered yesterday.

Olive was now battling her morbid curiosity. A part of her mind was screaming “Just one peek, come on!” while the rest didn’t want to see any of it. Sometimes, ponies just can’t resist the temptation to look at bad stuff, to see the ugly.

“There! All patched up!” When Olive opened her eyes, a new bandage was placed over her grievous wound. She breathed a sigh of relief only to be interrupted by the nurse’s voice. “Now, for that nasty head wound.”

The filly gulped.

As it turned out, Olive didn’t quite know how to take a shower. Wherever she lived prior to being found near Ponyville must have not been a very hygienic place. Once again, the two ponies felt differently about this experience.

For Olive, it was uncomfortable. Being cleaned up, especially in the private areas by a mare she didn’t really know got her frozen in place, staring dumbly at the shower’s wall. Her face turned a bright red through it all. She only really broke her stone face when the mare told her something. On the outside, she just seemed quiet, calm. On the inside, it was nothing but internal panic. Operation: don’t do anything stupid was a go.

For Nurse Snowheart, it was like playing with a cute doll. The cute filly was very responsive to all her instructions and even gave her a smile when she talked to her. Olive was a sweet foal indeed, only a bit shaken up because of recent events. Cleaning her up, cheering her up and talking about life in general, it almost felt like this child was her daughter for a moment. Hoping to one day get a foal of her own, it was no surprise why she was so gaga for this little pony.

Once Olive was all cleaned up and dry, it was time to move on to her mane, more specifically; to fix it. Snowheart gleefully picked up a brush with her mouth, instructing the filly to stay still.

Olive then discovered another thing that she disliked, the feeling of the brush against her mane. Maybe it was just because it was an old one, but it always got caught in her mane, pulling on many strands of hair which hurt. The filly groaned as the brush pulled her head from left to right.

“Is everything alright? A-Am I hurting you?” The nurse asked, sensing something wrong.

Olive’s eyes widened as she gazed away from the mirror. “N-No.”

Snowheart went back to brushing, this time going a little slower and gentler. The foal is admittedly not great at lying.

The nurse’s efficiency shined through as she finished styling the filly’s mane and tail in ten-minutes flat, and she was even taking her sweet time. Once done, she directed Olive out of the bathroom, touching her hind quarter to do so. This simple touch, however, surprised the little unicorn terribly. Instinctively, her flank contracted as hard as it could.

She squeaked and wrapped her tail around her flank, jumping away like a frightened cat. In her moment of panic, her instincts kicked in and her horn began to light up. Sparks of electricity came out of it and soon, disaster stuck.

“You’ve been working late, I presume?”

Redheart sat down in the break room close to a table, happy to finally take a moment to relax. Doctor Hoof was also present, brewing a cup of coffee. The heavy bags under his eyes indicated a lack of sleep, which wasn’t entirely uncommon for the poor doctor.

“Yes, I did, again.” the doctor sighed, taking a sip from his cup. He recoiled slightly, surprised by the heat of the drink. “It’s not easy being a doctor in a small town. There’s so little of us, and so many of them.”

“But you’ve got to admit it’s gratifying to aid other ponies.” Redheart smiled. “Helping ponies out brings me great joy, I sure hope it does for you.”

“It does outweigh the downsides of being a doctor.” Doctor Hoof admitted. “I just hope I won’t fall asleep on the job today; I could barely stand up just this morning alone. I don’t want to imagine how the rest of the day will go.”

“You’re not the only doctor in town.” Redheart informed. “I’m certain the others won’t mind if you take some time off to rest properly. What I’m saying is; don’t overdo it.”

Doctor Hoof chuckled and went to take another sip of his hot cup of coffee when the building suddenly rumbled, spilling the coffee all over his face. Nurse Redheart fell from her seat, smashing her face on the table. Dizzy, she took some time to regain her senses, alerted by the screams of pain of the stallion who was trying his best to wipe the coffee off him.

“Oh sweet Celestia it burns!” he shouted. Redheart trotted out of the break room, eyes darting left and right as she tried to understand what happened. Many ponies stared in one direction, most likely the ground zero for this incident.

The mare galloped in direction of the source of this seismic activity, shocked to see a few cracks pop up in the walls nearby. On her way, she found Nurse Sweetheart who stood in front of Olive’s room, looking awfully nervous.

“Wh-What’s going on in there?!” Redheart shouted, terrified at the idea that something could have happened to the filly.

“I-I-I don’t know!” Sweetheart answered. “It just... came from her room!”

Not wanting to spend more time in the dark, Redheart entered the room. It was empty, with not much sign of destruction except for the cracks below the bathroom’s door. Approaching it, the two mares heard a few distinct sounds coming from the other side.

As they opened the door, they were greeted with a scary sight to behold. The walls and tiles were cracked, the items inside were scattered everywhere, some even spilling on the walls, tiles and the ceiling. The mirror had shattered, and some pieces fell directly on Snowheart, though thankfully none of them did much damage, only giving her small cuts.

Olive was curled up inside the shower in a foetal position, sobbing quietly. Nurse Snowheart, on the other hand, looked eerily pale, unresponsive to the arrival of the other nurses. Her pupils were pinpricks and she didn’t look like she was even breathing. Sweat dripped down her ghostly white face as her legs were trembling. She was paralysed in fear.

“Snowheart! What happened in there?!” Redheart asked, shaking the mare to snap her out of it.

The only answer she got was in the form of a trembling hoof pointing to the sobbing filly in the shower. Redheart motioned at Sweetheart to take care of their fellow nurse while she trotted up to Olive.

“Dearie... I-is everything alright?” The nurse stammered.

Upon hearing her voice, Olive opened her eyes. They didn’t look like the eyes of a pony anymore. They were black, with emerald-colored pupils instead of her usual olive ones. Seeing the shocked look on Redheart’s face, the filly cowered even further.

“It’s my fault!” The filly croaked. “I’m a monster!”

The mare took her in her hooves and brought her close to her chest, letting the filly rest her head on the nurse. “You’re no monster.” she reassured.

“Ponies don’t hurt each other.” Olive said. “Only monsters do.”

“Sweetie...” Redheart hugged her. “Everypony makes mistakes. It’s not your fault.”

The filly’s eyes turned back to normal as she looked up at the nurse. “I’m really sorry.”

“We know you are. I’m sure Snowheart will forgive you. I already do.” She patted the foal on the head, finally succeeding at calming her down. After some time, she lifted her up and carefully placed the filly on her back. “Let’s get you back to bed. We may have to get you a new room. One with a... working shower.”

Redheart heard snoring and as she looked back at Olive, she realised that she had already fallen asleep. The nurse caught herself smiling at this peaceful sight, before moving out of the now temporarily closed room. They’re going to need some help. Some help from a pony who’s well versed in magic.

The sun was hitting hard in Ponyville. The temperature was less than generous to those who enjoyed going outside. It was hot, very, very hot. Nevertheless, Applejack didn’t shy away from her duties on Sweet Apple Acre. No matter how much she was sweating, how close she felt to passing out a times, she pressed on until her headache became too much to bear.

She went back inside to hydrate herself before the pain got any worse. She placed down her hat on the kitchen table, picked up an empty glass and poured some water from the sink.

“Oh come on! It had to be this hot on a Saturday!” Applejack looked behind, hearing the voice of her younger sister.

“Yeah, now we can’t go to our clubhouse without dying of dehydration!” Sweetie Belle complained.

“This sucks on ice.” Scootaloo added.

Applejack quickly chugged down her glass before moving towards the three fillies. “Howdy girls. Ah suppose it’s too hot to be playin’ outside?”

“Yeah... and we had so much planned for today!” Sweetie Belle responded sadly, flipping through a small notebook.

“There’s always time tomorrow.” Applejack consoled. “Ah’m sure ta weather’ll be perfect tomorrow.”

“Sure hope so.” Scootaloo gritted through her teeth. She spread out her small wings and flapped the sweat off them. “I hate being all sweaty.”

Seeing her older sister, Apple Bloom remembered something important. “Hey Applejack!”

“Hmm?”

“Ya went ta see the new filly yesterday?” Apple Bloom said excitedly, her tail wagging around.

The other crusaders also shared her excitement, staring at Aj with great interest. “Come on! Tell us about this Olive!” Scootaloo insisted.

Applejack giggled. “Alright, alright. Ah’ll tell ya what Ah know, but Ah gotta go back ta work in a few minutes.” She picked up her hat from the table and put it on.

“Apple Bloom told us she was also a blank flank! Does that mean we’ll get a new member?” Sweetie Belle asked.

“Ah’m sure she’ll love to have new friends.” Applejack responded. “But ya gotta remember that this filly will need some time to adjust to ‘er new surroundings. Can Ah count on ya to be gentle with ‘er?”

Apple Bloom nodded rapidly. “Of course ye can count on us! We’ll be the best friends she’s ever gotten!”

“Right. Oh, and Ah don’t want ya to do any sort of dangerous activities ta get yer cutie marks with ‘er!” Applejack informed.
“She’s got a broken leg, so y’all have to find somethin’ less... physical for the time being.”

Scootaloo groaned, but the other two didn’t seem as disappointed. “Understood! The Cutie Mark Crusaders value their member’s safety above all else!” Sweetie Belle said, saluting the mare with a hoof.

“Now ya get back to, um, crusadin’. Ah’ve got some work ta do.” Applejack said, trotting up to the front door. The three fillies quickly ran upstairs and as Aj opened the door, she was suddenly struck in the snout by a hoof.

“Oops, sorry! I was about to knock on the door when you, um, you know.” Twilight Sparkle rubbed the back of her head, embarrassed. She was also sweating immensely, courtesy of the unbearable heat outside.

“Ain’t that unfortunate...” Applejack responded, caressing her snout. “So, whatcha doin’ here?”

“Well...” Twilight’s wings began to move nervously on their own. “I was called in by Doctor Hoof-”

Applejack’s eyes widened. “Doctor Hoof?! Did somethin’ bad happen at the hospital?”

Twilight looked down. “I’m afraid yes. There’s been an accident. A magical one at that.” The alicorn looked at her friend, worried. “The filly you brought in a few days ago wrecked an entire bathroom with her magic.”

“W-What? But she’s told me she’s too scared ta use magic!” Applejack shouted in disbelief.

“They didn’t tell me much.” Twilight informed. “All I know is that they need me to help the filly deal with her magic problem.”

“Is she alright?” Applejack asked, her voice going soft.

“Thankfully yeah, the same went for the nurse who was there. Nopony got hurt, but they’re scared of what will happen next.” Twilight’s voice became more assured, confidant. “It’s up to us to help this filly.”

The earth pony nodded. “Ah sure hope it ain’t too bad of a magic problem. She sure looked like she had a terrible past.”

Twilight Sparkle began to feel the effects of the sun once again. “Well, I’ll be going then. It’s horribly hot outside.” She turned around and walked away, only to stop after a few steps. “Oh, um, I almost forgot to ask; what’s her name?” the alicorn asked with a sheepish smile on her face.

Applejack sighed. “It’s Olive. C’mon, they didn’t even tell you that?”

“Heh, I guess they were in too much of a hurry.”

Back at the break room, Redheart and Doctor Hoof helped Snowheart calm herself down. Everypony in the hospital were on high alert, wandering if this incident was going to happen again. Through it all, Redheart heard many ponies openly express their fears of the new filly, to which she found very disheartening to see these adults treat a foal as some sort of monster.

“Do you want a glass of water, Snowheart?” Doctor Hoof asked. The nurse didn’t respond, still breathing heavily. Worried, Nurse Redheart waved her hoof in her face, trying to get the mare’s attention.

“Snowheart, listen. We need to know what happened in there.” she said. “This isn’t just for the filly’s safety, it’s for everypony’s safety in here.”

“I-I almost died in that bathroom.” Nurse Snowheart stammered. “I had a near death experience!” she said, her voice growing louder as she grabbed onto the other nurse. Doctor Hoof scribbled down in his notepad.

Redheart bit her lip. “We know the filly somehow did this. What we want to know is what triggered such a strong emotional response.” she said, her voice as strong as steel.

Snowheart’s panic began to wane as her breaths returned to normal. “I don’t know. I-I just touched her flank to direct her out of the bathroom and...” she stopped, feeling guilty about the whole situation.

“Don’t blame yourself.” Redheart consoled. “You simply found one of her triggers. We’ll just have to be more careful next time.”

“Found one of her triggers, yeah...” Snowheart said, her voice sounding a little sarcastic. “Next time we accidentally discover one, we’ll blow up the entire hospital.”

Redheart frowned. “What happened? How did she destroy the entire bathroom?”

“Her magic’s not normal. Not for a filly, not for a unicorn.” Snowheart blurted out. “It’s like she’s got a monster in her!”

Nurse Redheart’s anger rose in her body. “Got a monster in her? What the hay do you mean by that?” she asked, her language getting a littler unprofessional.

“Didn’t you see her eyes when you rushed in there?” Snowheart shouted. “That’s not the eyes of a pony! And you didn’t even see the worst of it.”

“What?” Redheart asked, fear and anger both mixing together. “What did you see?!”

Snowheart looked down, her pupils were now pinpricks. “Her jaw unhinged, opened to a degree that’s just... impossible. Th-There was an eye inside her mouth. I-It looked at me a-a-and it was angry! It wanted to kill me!”

Redheart practically had to hold her down. The nurse was too agitated, her sentences were becoming a jumbled mess as she was having a panic attack. “C-Calm down!” she pleaded until Snowheart went limp, passing out of exhaustion.
Doctor Hoof dropped his notepad, shocked at what he had just heard. “Wh... The hay did she just say?”

Nurse Redheart cocked her head back, staring blankly at the ceiling. After calming herself down, she trotted up to the doctor. “Did you write down what she said?” she asked.

“Most of it, yeah. She was speaking too fast in some instances, but we do have a clear picture of the incident now.” Doctor Hoof said. “That just leaves the question of what we’re going to do with Olive now.”

“We’re keeping her here.” Redheart bluntly responded. “Olive needs our help and we are not going to give up on a foal, got it?”

“I-I wasn’t going to kick her out.” Hoof stammered, taken aback by the aggression in the nurse’s voice. “I swear!”

“Strong Hoof? Did you feel that?”

“N-No boss. I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“It felt like I was at two places at once. It was strange, but... it felt amazing! I need to figure out what happened, though I feel like you’re about to get your ass kicked for some reason.”

9. Meet Your New Mother

In spite of the heat, Applejack worked extra hard to finish early today so she could return to Ponyville General for a very important visit. She would accompany the counselor Heedful Care to announce something truly great to the hospitalised filly.

Both mares were quite happy in fact, for they’ll get to shine some light on the poor foal’s life. “So, um, did ya find anythin’ about ‘er relatives?” Applejack asked.

The pegasus shook her head. “Sadly no. I was hoping we could find somepony like her grandparents or cousins, but there’s absolutely no information about this filly anywhere.” She frowned. “It’s like she’s a ghost. Her father must have kept her away from any civilisation.”

“That’s a darn toothin’ shame. It looks like she doesn’t have anypony to turn to... well except us.” Applejack said, tipping her hat down.

“Complete strangers, yeah.” Heedful Care exclaimed ironically. “At least she’s gotten really attached to Nurse Redheart and you, so she doesn’t seem to have complete trust issues, if we take stallions out of the equation.”

The earth pony quickly thought about her brother. “Ya do know Ah have a big brother, right?”

“I know, but Big Mac’s a kind pony.” Heedful Care explained. “I believe he’ll be a good way to break her fear of stallions. She just needs to know that not all of them wants to hurt her.”

Applejack smiled weakly. “Yeah, he’s a pony of few words, but ya know what they say; actions speak louder than words.”

The counselor returned the smile. “I have no doubts Olive will fit right in with the Apples. You’re the most trustworthy family in all of Ponyville.”

The earth pony felt her cheeks grow warm. “Aw gee, thanks. A-Ah promise Ah’ll do ma best.”

“Well, here we are.” The two mares arrived at Olive’s room. The pegasus repeatedly tapped her hooves on the floor, looking somewhat nervous and excited at the same time. “Okay. Are you ready to go?”

Applejack gulped, feeling nervous herself. “Ah think Ah’ll manage.”

“Alrighty then.” Heedful Care turned the door handle and opened it. Inside the room, Olive remained still on her bed, staring at the window. She looked awfully sad, even more than when she first got here.

Upon noticing their arrival, she retreated back into her blanket with a guilty look on her face.

“Hi sweetie!” The counselor greeted. “How are you doing today?”

Olive didn’t say anything back. Instead, she turned around to face away from them.

“Are you still feeling guilty about the accident?” The pegasus asked carefully.

The filly retreated further into her sheets. Care tried to caress the young pony to reassure her, but when she made contact with her, the filly violently pushed her hoof away. “Go away.” she whined, trying to sound commanding.

“It’s no use beatin’ yerself over it, sugar cube. It wasn’t yer fault and ya know it.” Applejack finally intervened. The sheets were slowly lifted up, showing only the lower portion of the filly’s face but it was just enough to see part of her eyes. After she made eye contact with the earth pony, she pulled them down.

“I don’t want to hurt anypony.” Olive said weakly.

“We know, and that’s why we got somepony to help ya out with yer magic.” Applejack informed, pulling up the sheets from the filly. This time, she didn’t resist. “She’s a friend o’ mine, Ah’m sure ya two will get alon’.”

“And speaking of getting along,” the counselor smoothly said. “We have great news to share with you, Olive!”

Applejack smiled and proudly lifted her head up right as Care was about to announce the news.

“Applejack has volunteered to become your caretaker! You’re gonna have a foster family!” Heedful Care said excitedly.

Olive froze. Then, her tail slowly started wagging left and right. Her eyes began to water, and her body was shaking.

Applejack looked at her nervously. “Uh, a-are ya okay sugar cube?”

The filly gripped her front leg and hugged them, burying her face in the mare’s fur as she started sobbing.

Emotions welled up in the earth pony as she felt the small pony’s pain reach out to her. She never talked about her mother, and Applejack started to figure out why.

Heedful Care smiled weakly. “It’s okay now. You’re going to be happy here.”

Manic joy, tearful joy, two emotions that not many ponies get to experience. The latter is only really felt by parents who are proud of their foal’s accomplishment but is almost never felt by foals themselves... unless they’ve lived through an event traumatic enough to shake them to their very core.

The counselor thought back to her first meeting with the filly, and how much she must have suffered at the hooves of her horrible father. At least, she gets to have a fresh start, something that sadly not every foal gets to have.

“Ah’m really happy to take ya in with us.” Applejack said to the crying foal, her voice hitching. “Ah really am.”

Seconds passed by, seeming longer and longer as time came to a full stop. Olive sniffled, now calming down after her therapeutic hug. Applejack lifted her head up with a hoof so that their eyes could meet.

“Yer an Apple now, sugar cube. We’ll take care of ya.”

The filly never had a mother before. Why she was so quick to cling on to her and Redheart now made sense.

“When will I leave?” Olive managed to say weakly. Everything about her just screamed “I want to leave!”, mainly due to the unfortunate incident in her previous room. Thankfully, the filly’s healed rather quickly for somepony her age. It won’t be long until she’s able to step out of this hospital she’s become so familiar with.

“If everything goes well...” Counselor Care started. “You should be able to leave with Applejack tomorrow!”

“Tomorrow?!” Olive’s eyes widened. She turned back to Applejack with a big grin on her face. “I’m leaving tomorrow!”

“E-yup! Ah’m pretty excited mahself.” Applejack smiled back. “Now Ah know it can be quite dauntin’ to move out into a new home...”

“I move out all the time!” Olive interrupted. “It’s fine!”

Heedful Care raised a worried eyebrow. “You moved out all the time?”

“Yeah, daddy said that staying in one place for too long is dangerous.” The filly flatly explained.

The counselor quickly took out her notepad and scribbled down a few notes. “Well, it won’t be anymore. You’ll be safer staying at Sweet Apple Acre, Olive.”

“Why will it be safer?”

The two older mares were taken aback by this strange question. “Because, uh, it’s a sturdy house, close to town and y’all be with the Apples, not alone. It’s pretty safe if ya ask me.” Applejack quickly answered.

Olive remained puzzled. “But my other houses were also sturdy, close to town and filled with ponies.”

Applejack could hear the counselor furiously writing it down. Once finished, she readjusted her glasses and smiled at the filly “That’s very interesting to hear! Could you tell us more about your previous houses?”

Olive’s eyes darted around, and she remained silent, though it was clear that she was trying to find the answer to this question.

Rookie mistake! My question was too vague... The counselor thought, facehoofing. “Were they clean?” she specified.

The foal shook her head. “No, nopony really wanted to clean. They tasked me with cleaning.”

“So you made your houses clean then?”

Olive lowered her head in shame. “No...”

“Oh, I see. Did they teach you how to properly clean?” The counselor asked, trying to sound cheerful even though she knew it wouldn’t improve the filly’s mood.

“No, I tried my best, but it wasn’t enough...” Her eyes started to water. “They laughed at me while I was doing my best! They laughed at me because I’m stupid!” She sniffled, smashing her hooves on the bed in anguish. “Stupid, stupid, stupid!”

“Hey, hey.” Applejack wrapped a comforting hoof around the crying filly and brought her close to her chest. “Ah know for a fact yer not stupid. They didn’t teach ya how to clean and that’s their fault ya were not able to dust up the place. No filly can do everything perfectly on their first try.”

Olive sniffled, slowly calming down.

“Yer smart and brave for a filly yer age. Smart, and brave. Don’t let anypony else tell ya otherwise.” Applejack’s words reached through her distress. Olive’s tail lowered until it slumpt in the comfy sheets of her bed, her shaking stopped, and her breaths slowed down to a more natural pace.

In the back, Heedful Care observed the scene, smiling to herself. All her doubts and worries regarding Olive’s new foster mother had faded away. Applejack truly was the right pick, the right pony to get the filly to open her heart to the world.

Cassette tapes really aren’t as popular anymore, not since cameras have been invented. Getting to record both images and sound alike made these old tapes obsolete. Rare do you ever get to see one, unless somepony wanted to remain anonymous. Oh yes, these old puppers are still popular in the underbelly of Equestria. It’s a reoccurring thing with inventions, those who partake in dirty activities fancy the old and reject modernity for often times, newer technologies favor safer and less criminal usage. Looking Glass became all too familiar with cassette tapes since the criminal underworld frequently recorded important messages on them.

He knew of one good place in Canterlot, more specifically a pegasus who will still fix broken tapes for him. The shop’s small, but it’s cozy. The owner, Screen Saver, doesn’t see a lot of customers, but he always remembers the few who do come. Over time, Looking Glass developed a fondness for this stallion and his shop, what with how often he had to go there to work out some broken equipment. Sometimes, he’d even bring on full-on antiquities to this place.

There were many shelves, all filled with cameras and tapes. It was kind of a mess in there, but it was a mess Screen Saver had become accustomed to. Thus, he never bothered to clean it up. While you may think it’ll deter potential customers away, it only served to add some personality to this shop. Most stores in Canterlot have this fancy air to them. A place’s as messy as this equipment store is a rare sight to behold in a city of rich folks.

Looking Glass went there often and yet, the owner always looked a little nervous to see him. Especially when he just popped in unannounced, seemingly appearing out of nowhere.

“Good day, Screen Saver.” Looking Glass said, his voice of steel echoing throughout the empty shop. He looked at an old camera, witnessing his reflection in the lense. Once again, he saw a young colt smiling happily at him.

“O-Oh, g-good day, detective Looking Glass.” The stallion responded, putting on a nervous smile. He tapped his hooves together as they rested on the counter, trying to appear as normal as possible. The dark blue detective was always a stressful customer. While he had an average build for a unicorn, his amber eyes and his voice were powerful and commanding. No matter how big and tough some ponies were, they always feared and respected the detective.

With his magic, the unicorn took out the broken cassette tape and placed it on the counter. “I’ll need your services once more. This tape is extremely important for my investigation.” he explained calmly, his eyes piercing into the soul of the pegasus even though he wasn’t trying to appear intimidating. His explanation was bare bone, but Screen Saver swore not to prod too deeply into his client’s business, especially when it’s Looking Glass who’s speaking.

“That I do not doubt!” Screen Saver exclaimed, pulling the tape towards him with his slightly shaking hoof. He examined the item closely. “Ooh. Th-This tape is horribly broken. I’ll see what I can do, but I can’t promise much will come from it. I fear some parts of the recording may be lost in the process.”

“That won’t be a problem. I only need to hear who’s speaking in this recording.” Looking Glass turned around, already prepared to leave. “I have a bad feeling about this whole affair. It’s best you don’t ask any questions. This could get very dangerous.” He briefly turned his head around to face the pegasus.

“I sure won’t! Eh, c-come back tonight!” Screen Saver announced. “It should be done by then. I believe you already know the price for this job.”

Looking Glass nodded. “I’ll bring the bits necessary. I won’t bother you any longer. Oh, and don’t forget about our previous deal.” On these words, the dark blue unicorn left the old store.

Once gone, the tension in the pegasus vanished. He looked down on the broken tape with relief in his eyes. “Whew, it was just for a cassette tape this time.”

Somewhere, in a dark room in the hospital, Doctor Hoof was leaning over another stallion, staring at a computer screen. They were closely examining an x-ray and a scan of Olive, hoping to find any anomalies.

“So, anything strange on the scan?” Doctor Hoof asked to his coworker.

“Um, I-I don’t see anything really. It’s just a normal filly.” He hesitantly informed. “The scan’s showing us no anomalies. The bones are nothing remarkable, the same goes for her muscles. Nothing suggests she could have stretched her mouth three to four times longer than that of the average pony.”

“Then perhaps Snowheart was only hallucinating the wide mouth,” The doctor theorised. “but it doesn’t explain the powerful burst of magic.” He leaned closer to the other pony. “Have you run a scan of her magical abilities? Surely we can find something there.”

The stallion nodded and ran through the files on the computer, eventually landing on the right fil. Once he opened it, the Doctor Hoof’s jaws dropped. “Sweet Celestia, that’s concerning.”

“I, uh, wh-” The other stallion stammered. “D-Do you think Princess Twilight had this much magic when she was a filly? I’ve heard she was quite powerful even in her youth.”

Doctor Hoof shook his head. “No, not even close from what I’ve heard. Olive’s not only much stronger than Twilight when she was a filly, she’s magically more powerful than the majority of unicorns.” He looked at the stallion dead in the eyes.

“With this much power in her, her body should have been torn apart from her previous outburst. Something’s not showing on her physical scans...” He nervously trotted away from his coworker. “and I sincerely hope that Twilight can figure out why.”

Author's Note

Finally! Another chapter done! Yeah, it's been more than a week, almost two in fact, I could have released this one sooner but I got a little too busy working on another chapter down the line 'cause I had too much fun writing it!
Anyhow, I can now get the story back on track. Now, it's time to place Looking Glass into the spotlight for a few more chapters, and see what he'll learn considering the incident near the Everfree Forest!

10. Urgent Matters

Boy, I should really dust off these shelves...

Looks like Screen Saver is finally realising the hygienic problems his store is facing. He never really was known for being a clean pony, in more sense than one at that. It was only when he found mold in his old vintage store that he finally got around to fixing this mess of a place, albeit begrudgingly.

Sluggishly climbing on his ladder, Screen Saver started dusting off the shelves. His movements were slow, tired and unenthusiastic. He probably should have done this long ago, to save the hassle he’s currently facing but atlas, he’s not good at planning ahead.

Oh, and this mold is much tougher than he anticipated. No matter how hard he scrubs, it just doesn’t want to leave its newfound home. Maybe he should have brought som-

“Screen Saver.”

The pegasus jumped, his hooves completely missed the steps of his ladder. He had no time to sprout his wings and save himself from a rather painful fall. As such, he crashed right in front of the powerful voice that startled him. His front door finally made a noise when it closed. The detective entered without making a single sound.

“I’ve come to check on the tape.” Looking Glass didn’t seem to express much concern for the fallen pegasus. His tone remained still, calm and focused. Nothing really seemed to break this state of mind.

“Your tape?” Screen Saver groaned, rubbing his injured back. “Yeah, it’s fixed, well mostly fixed.” He went back to the counter, trotting painfully as the pain of his fall was now kicking in full force. “I tried my best, but some parts of the recording couldn’t be salvaged. I-T hope this won’t come as a disappointment to y-you.”

“I’ll be satisfied if I can get any information out of it.” Looking Glass said bluntly, apparently not caring about the less than desirable result he was handed. His amber eyes were as powerful as ever. Sharp, concentrated and... menacing. Even though his posture suggested no hurtful desire, his gaze alone was rather unnerving for the poor pegasus. Everything about the unicorn indicated that something was wrong, that he had seen or heard things no ponies should have experienced.

Screen Saver placed the tape on the counter. “Y-You, uh, have anything to play it, right?”

Looking Glass reached for his pockets. “I’m always prepared.” He then picked up the tape and placed it into the cassette, hitting the play button.

The recording started with heavy static and distorted audio. It kept on going until the noise became clearer, turning into sound, then... into a voice.

“-grandiose new spectacle for all to see.”

Screen Saver’s eyes slightly widened in surprise. That voice sounded unnatural, maniacal and evil. The pegasus could tell for a fact that it wasn’t because of the distortion. The stallion speaking had a rather otherworldly feel to his voice.

But what made him nervous was the changing expression on Looking Glass’s face. Gone was his calm and determined gaze, now replaced with a mixture of fear and anger. He gritted his teeth as the rest of the recording played out.

“Another one inv... your monstruo?” A different voice said. This one sounded deeper than the first, less... maniacal but it also had an evil feel to it. No doubts were they hearing the voices of two dangerous criminals. The interesting thing to note was the usage of Spanish, a foreigner most likely.

“Our adorable monstruo’s a keeper, friend!” The devilish voice remarked fiendishly.

“... volatile wrench. I do not... this plan.”

Looking Glass muttered something under his breath, his ears perked up to hear as much as possible. He looked visibly displeased to be missing some parts of the recording, but he still had enough to piece it together.

“Perhaps you should... the lankier one, hm? The one we don’t need anymore.” The fiend then giggled, the feed distorting his voice to make it sound almost demonic.

“I see... Where should we fire her?” The other stallion let out a chuckle of his own, sounding just as twisted as the one in charge. The two ponies were now on the same page.

“Only the brave and the bold dare venture into the Everfree. It’s dark and spooky in there. Fitting, isn’t it?”

“It’s close to a town, are you really sure we should do it there?”

“And why not? Don’t we want them to find the aftermath? It’s not just about taking care of a problem, friend, it’s about sending a message.” This time, Screen Saver and Looking Glass felt a chill run up their spine.

Sweet Celestia! This must belong to a dangerous arch-criminal! I-I don’t want to get involved in this! Screen Saver began to sweat profusely, his eyes going from the cassette tape to the detective in frantic movements.

“He he he... Let’s make some noise.” Looking Glass’s calm demeanor finally snapped. He looked just as nervous as the pegasus. His skin was pale and his eyes wide opened. A wound had been reopened.

Scrambling through his pockets, he slammed down a couple of bits on the counter and took the cassette tape with him. “Here’s the payment... as promised.” Despite his fears, his voice only slightly hitched. “Forget what you heard. Or else they’ll come for you too.”

Completely out of his depths, Screen Saver could only nod in response. He mindlessly watched as the unicorn exited the store, closing the door behind. Now left alone, the weight of what he had just witnessed came crashing down on him as his body collapsed on the counter, tired. I wish somepony else would come in for once.

It was getting late outside, really late. Nurse Redheart’s shift was soon coming to an end. While she did like her job, she always felt a little bored near the end of her shifts. Her days were often taxing for her body, and it was once the sun started lowering that she started to feel tired.

Tonight, the mare was more tired than usual. She had only ten minutes left, but with nothing to do, they felt like hours. If she closed her eyes and rested her head for even a second, she’d probably fell asleep. It was a fight to keep her eyes wide open. With coffee in hooves, she’d probably make it to the end.

She weakly lifted the cup to her lips and took a nice, hot sip. Ah, what a nice feeling.

“Redheart, do you have a minute?”

Nurse Redheart flinched, a terrible mistake. The coffee spilled on her face, dripping down to her neck. A powerful burning sensation overwhelmed her senses, and she didn’t quite process the fact that Looking Glass was standing mere inches away from her.

Quickly taking some tissues, she wiped away the stains on her crystal white fur. Sadly, with such a light-colored coat, she has no choice but to take a quick trip to the shower to clean it off. That’s the downside of not having a dark coat.

“Do you have a habit of sneaking up on ponies?” Redheart finally said, staring at her stained body in disdain.

“I do not. I’ve came in from the door as anypony would.” Looking Glass explained. His posture seemed rather impatient.

“Not everypony trots as silently as you. It’s no wonder you always startle ponies.” Redheart groaned, pathetically standing up from her seat. “What do you want?”

“I’ve been investigating Olive’s case for a while now. I’ve found some important information that I need to share with Princess Luna.” Looking Glass briefed, but that still didn’t answer the mare’s question.

“Okay, and why are you coming to me?”

“I want you to attend Olive’s progress review, where I’ll be sharing said information with Lu-Princess Luna.”

If eyes could speak, Redheart would be screaming ‘Are you freaking kidding me?’ with the glare that she shot at the detective, though she immediately retracted it once she noticed a change in his less than pleased expression.

“Sure, I’ll be there.” She sheepishly responded. “Oh, and when is it?”

“Tonight.” Looking Glass turned around and was already making his leave.

“Wait, tonight?” Redheart exclaimed in surprise. “You’re just deciding now to hold a progress review in the middle of the night,” she asked incredulously. “for a patient in... yeah not entirely stable condition but she's been in our care for a couple of days already. Is it because Princess Luna will be here?”

Looking Glass shook his head. “No, it’s about the filly’s background. I believe I’ve found the identity of her father.” The gravity in his voice sent a shiver down her spine. “I just hope I’m wrong about this.” he muttered as he left.

Now, Nurse Redheart was dying to know what he found out. She already knew that the filly’s father was a real bastard, but she could smell the detective’s fear. The same detective that stopped the brutal crime lord, the Crimson Mask. What kind of stallion could strike fear in such a courageous pony to the point that he wants to be wrong about his deduction?

Normally she’d be against the idea of going to a progress review right as her shift ended, but she cared too much for Olive to turn her back to this meeting.

“Okay well... if you’ll excuse me, I need to consume twice my body weight in coffee.”

Knock knock!

Applejack groaned from her bed.It was late, so she was understandably sleeping from her day of hard work. She wanted to remain in bed, hoping that somepony else would answer the door but atlas, her body got up on its own. Lighting up a candle, she trotted down the creaky staircase. At her front door, she placed the candle on a small table nearby and opened the door. Out on her porch was none other than the princess of friendship, Twilight Sparkle.

She sighed. “Twilight, Ah hope ya have a good reason to wake me up in ta dead of night.”

Twilight noticed the bags under her friend’s eyes and felt a little guilty. “Sorry to bother you, Aj, but I just received a very important message from Princess Luna.”

Applejack felt a sudden jolt of energy at the simple mention of the lunar princess’s name. She immediately knew it was somehow tied back to Olive. “What’s mah part in this? What’re we doin’?” she asked in rapid succession.

“Well, uh...” Twilight stammered before clearing her throat. “We’ve been requested to attend Olive’s progress review at Ponyville General.”

“A progress review? In the middle of ta night?” Applejack questioned, raising a suspicious eyebrow.

“I know it’s weird,” Twilight admitted. “I didn’t get much detail too. All that I know is that Looking Glass specifically requested for this review to be done tonight.”

“Looking Glass?” Applejack raised her eyes, the name did ring a bell. “Oh yeah, ta detective. Did he find somethin’?”

Twilight shrugged. “Most likely, I guess we’ll only know once we get there.”

Looking over to her right, the earth pony picked up her signature hat and put it on. “Ah sure hope it’s gonna be about that filly’s father. He needs to pay for everythin’s he’s done to her.” Though if it is about Olive’s father, then he must be quite the threat for the unicorn to summon a princess to a simple progress review... and for said princess to summon yet another princess. Gee, things were looking bad, aren’t they?

The alicorn nodded. “I’ll be sure to help as best as I can since I now have jurisdiction thanks to my princess status.”

Applejack smirked. “Heh, guess that must be another perk of bein' a princess!”

Twilight Sparkle smiled sheepishly. “I still have so much to learn about the art of being a princess. It’s crazy just how good I'm being treated by everypony despite not owning an actual castle... and a crown too at that.”

Applejack walked past her friend. “Alright, enough chattin’. Let’s get a move on.”

A flying chariot carried by two ponies in the sky caught the alicorn’s eye. It was heading towards the hospital. “It’s Princess Luna!” she exclaimed.

A sudden flash of magenta caught Applejack by surprise as she found herself dragged in one of Twilight’s teleportation spells. When the flash dissipated, the two mares were just in front of Ponyville General.

“Wha- how-Land sakes girl!” Applejack shouted. “Warn me before ya go and do that next time.”

The chariot landed near them, and Princess Luna stepped out of it in all her lunar glory. “Princess Twilight, it’s a pleasure to see you again.”

Applejack twitched slightly before taking a bow before the lunar princess. Twilight almost did the same before remembering that she was a princess too. Still getting used to that new status, ay?

“Rise, Applejack.” Luna said in an almost commanding voice. “You need not to be so formal whilst we’re among friends. We're friends, aren't we?”

"Totally, princess!"

“Eh... Anyway, Looking Glass summoned us here.” Luna began to explain, sounding mildly worried. “He sounded rather... nervous when he spoke to us.” She shot a brief glance at her slacking bodyguard. For tonight, she was accompanied by Mango.

Captain Mango wasn’t exactly the best bodyguard as of late. With how little threats the princesses have actually faced and how scarce the few ones were, he got into a bad habit of drinking often. Discord? Drank through it all. The changelings? Okay, he did do his job pretty well, but Luna sadly slept through the whole incident. The Crystal Empire? It wasn't his concern at all, nor was it even for Celestia and Luna, so he drank through it all. As such, he nabbed a couple of unflattering looks from Applejack and Twilight.

“Shouldn’t he be sober fo’ this?” Applejack asked, looking unimpressed.

“Technically yes.” Luna admitted. “However, we alicorns only have bodyguards on principle. We don’t truly need them. As such, I’ll allow it... for now.”

“And I’m grateful for it, princess.” Mango drunkenly muttered with a grin. Somehow, he wasn’t knocked down a rank or two for this behavior.

“Ugh!” Twilight huffed in frustration. “Can’t he take this situation seriously? We’re about to discuss serious matters!” She shouted, glaring at the drunken captain.

“Do not mistake his carefree attitude for a lack of resolve, young princess.” Luna spoke, sounding a little menacing. Her face darkened as she lifted her head, now looking down at the two nervous ponies.

“Those who seek to harm our subjects will face the full blunt of our wrath and be brought to justice. Yes, it’s frustrating to know that every day, somepony out there is living through Tartarus itself while for us; it’s just a day like any other. I can relate. We do what we can to protect and help those in need, but never forget that you serve nopony by drowning yourself in their misery. Captain Mango is one of our best royal guards. He’ll show you his resolve when the time comes...”

"Hm? Yeah, what she said." Mango muttered.

Twilight looked awfully nervous, lowering her head as she was unable to cross Luna’s eyes. Applejack herself felt uncomfortable. Sensing this bad shift in the air, the lunar princess calmed down, lowering her head to seem less imposing.

“But I don’t blame you for misjudging Mango. He never was great with first impressions.”

“Aw crapbaskets! I’m outta cider!” Mango yelled in the back, causing Luna to sigh.

“Further proving my point.” Luna waved at the three ponies with her wings. “Come, we shall speak more inside.”

Taking a deep breath, Twilight followed the taller alicorn in the hospital, with Applejack and Mango in tow.

“Do they have apple ciders inside?”

“Focus, Mango.”

Author's Note

That's another chapter done! Looking Glass seems to know who this mysterious stallion is... These two must have some history. An unpleasant history most likely.

Also, Captain Mango is acting as a replacement. The other guard that was supposed to escort Luna to Ponyville got a bad tummy ache.

Anyway, I've got a big chapter in the works. It's going to be a fun one featuring both everyone's favorite princess and the most devilish stallion ever. I probably should have worked on the previous one first, but I had so many ideas for this upcoming one that I got carried away.

11. Voracity

Damn it. Why did it have to be him? Somewhere, in one of the toilets of Ponyville General, a lone detective sat down on the floor, breathing heavily. In his current state, he looked nothing like the strong-willed, brave detective he set out to be. He was instead reduced to a panicking mess on the floor.

Shit shit shit shit shit shit shit! Gotta pull it together...If they find me out like this. If I can’t be the best anymore, I’ll be doomed! I need to stay on top. Oh, I know. I’ve heard about breathing exercises that helps with calming oneself down.

Looking Glass took deep, concentrated breaths. He focused all his attention on getting his breathing back to a normal frequency and once he was done, his sharp gaze returned. Gone was his fear, now replaced by his usual determination.
Let’s get it over with. I'm a h-hero. Heroes don't show their fear to others, they inspire them to be better.

Readjusting his black suit, he opened the restroom’s door and took one step out... only to stop when he spotted a royal guard in the corner of his eye. Darn! He saw me exit the... oh, that’s just Mango.

“Hey Looking Gla, uh... Ya got any apple cider? One with alcohol, please.” The captain drunkenly asked.

“I have no alcoholic beverages on me at all times.” Looking Glass said, masking the disdain in his voice of steel. “That should be expected coming from somepony who takes his line of work seriously.”

“Ah.” Mango rubbed his head in disappointment. “That’s a shame.”

Looking Glass noticed the absence of an important figure near the captain. “Where’s Princess Luna? Shouldn’t you be near her to ensure her protection?” He asked, his expression remaining indistinguishable.

“Bah! It’s just Ponyville! There’s no super-criminal hiding around here waiting to kill our beloved princess.” Mango dismissed, hiccupping from time-to-time.

“I don’t share this belief.” Looking Glass looked in the other direction. “I hope you know where the progress review will take place.”

“Eh... no.”

Looking Glass shot a look at Mango. Was it a glare or just a look of disappointment? The drunken captain couldn’t really tell. The stallion was a master at hiding his expressions. Nopony truly knew how he felt, part of the reason why they’re always nervous around him.

“Follow me. I’ll lead the way.”

Doctor Hoof trotted nervously around the conference room. This night, two of the most powerful ponies in all of Equestria alongside their most respected detective would come right here, right now! Understandably, he was anxiously trying to anticipate how things would go in his mind. Everything had to be perfect! He quickly shook his head, realising that he was just wasting his time.

Trotting over to one of the numerous empty seats, he sat down, trying to calm his legs down so he doesn’t look like a nervous mess once everypony would start piling in. Once the door opened, he quickly turned his body around to greet the newcomers, only to mentally slap himself across the face when he saw only Redheart enter.

The poor nurse looked like a zombie holding a cup of coffee. Her eyes could barely stay open, her fetlock was tightly wrapped around the cup. Her hoof moved robotically, taking a few sips of her coffee as she shambled towards the seat next to the good doctor.

“Hey.” she croaked.

“Are... you okay?” Doctor Hoof worried.

Redheart looked at him with her tired eyes. Her blinks were slow and weak. “Figure it out yourself.” She took a big gulp out of her cup. “Come on, did Looking Glass really have to ask for this meeting to take place in the middle of the night?” she grumbled. “Does the darn pony never sleep or what? He could be a batpony in disguise for all we know.”

Doctor Hoof sighed. “Princess Luna accepted his invitation. We live to serve the crown, not the other way around. I’m afraid we don’t have a say in this matter. I mean, w-we're professionnals and all so it shouldn't be a problem, hopefully.”

The door opened once more. This time, Heedful Care entered the conference room alongside Snowheart. The counselor scouted the room with her eyes before breathing a sigh of relief. “Oof! I thought I was late.”

“Somepony here would have wished to be late.” Redheart grumbled, dreaming about a nice pillow to rest her heavy head on.

"Don't be so moody Redheart." Doctor Hoof tapped on the seat next to him, waving the two newcomers over. “E-Eh, come sit next to us, if you don’t mind.”

The counselor giggled. “Of course I don’t mind!” She gleefully trotted next to him and sat down, placing down her saddle bags and other personal belongings on the table. Snowheart followed suit but remained silent. She had a worried look on her face. The bathroom incident still haunted her. “Hey hold on, weren’t you in charge of the emergency room tonight?” she asked, shotting a worried glance at the stallion.

“Yeah, I was.” He admitted. “But considering I was asked to be present by the crown, I had no choice but to come. Rest assured, Care, we’ve put somepony else in charge for the remainder of the conference.”

“Who?” the counselor pushed.

“Uh, a-an intern I'm afraid.” Hoof sheepishly answered.

“An intern?! Didn’t you have anypony else better qualified for the job?” Heedful Care asked, now on the edge of her seat.

“Sadly no. B-but the ER is relatively calm tonight. No patients in critical condition, and the place sure isn’t busy right now.” Doctor Hoof said, regaining his cool. “I doubt we’ll have another ‘Olive incident’ while I’m here.”

The pegasus slumped back into her chair. “I sure hope so... but I'm telling you, this hospital needs some serious revision.”

“Damn it, I've already emptied my cup of coffee.”

Twilight stared in confusion at Princess Luna. The door leading to the conference room was right there and yet, the taller alicorn simply stood still before it. Applejack was also starting to question what was going on.

“Uh, princess?” Twilight started.

“No need for honorifics amongst princesses, Twilight.” Luna said.

“Oh, sorry, force of habit. ” The princess of friendship briefly lowered her head sheepishly. “I just want to know why we’re standing in front of the door instead of, you know, going in?”

Princess Luna looked left and right before sighing. “We’re missing somepony.”

Applejack noticed the strange absence of the captain. “Mango? Where did he go?”

“That’s the problem. We can’t go in without him.” Luna sighed. “He’s supposed to check the room first before letting us in.”

“That feels a little unnecessary.” Twilight said. “We’re two of the most powerful beings in Equestria. Having a bodyguard feels like overkill.”

Luna nodded. “Indeed it is, but We insist we let Mango do his job. Firstly, it's an old tradition and secondly, It’s best to let our royal guard perform these tasks so that they don’t forget their training in life-or-death scenarios.”

“Oh, so it’s mostly for their sake.” Twilight understood. “I’m sorry for questioning our traditions.”

Luna smiled. “You don’t have to be. You’re still a relatively new princess. We don’t expect you to know everything from the get-go.”

“Hey, speak of the devil!” Applejack exclaimed. The two alicorns followed her gaze and saw Looking Glass accompanied by Mango.

“I apologise for being late.” The detective said. “I had to further prepare the evidence I've gathered before the meeting.”

Mango for his part, lifted a bottle of apple cider. “And I’ve got my hoof on this beauty!”

Applejack cracked a smile when she saw that it was one of Sweet Apple Acre’s cider. “It sure is beautiful.”

“Are we ready to go in?” Luna asked the newcomers.

“Of course.” Looking Glass responded.

The five ponies stayed in place and, uh, nothing happened. The silence became awkward as Looking Glass himself began to look confused. The three mares shot a bored glance at Mango.

“Mango, you’re supposed to check the room for danger.” Luna informed, sounding a little disappointed.

The captain, who was eyeballing his cider, snapped out of his drunken trance. “Aye aye, my beloved princess!” He sounded as if he bucked the drunkenness out of his body.

The captain checked the room as was part of the procedure before he allowed the alicorns to enter. Twilight rolled her eyes but let him do his job nonetheless.

Upon noticing their arrival, all the ponies present in the conference room bowed before them. Twilight still felt a little uneasy, not used to being treated differently by her peers as opposed to Luna who gave them a simple smile before going to the head of the table. Due to her tall stature, she was only offered a few pillows for her to sit on.

As for Twilight, she sat next to the princess. Problem is, they also placed pillows for her seat rather than just a normal chair.

Grumbling, she was about to lift a chair resting on the wall until her good friend Applejack fetched it for her. “Here ya go, pardner.”

The earth pony then sat next to her friend, much to the silent frustration of Mango who had to sit a little further away from the lunar princess than he’d like. Looking Glass was the last to sit down, appearing just as emotionally indecipherable as always.

“Princess Twilight, Princess Luna. We’re honored by your sacred presence tonight. We hope you were not inconvenienced by Looking Glass's antics.” Doctor Hoof greeted, hiding his nervosity fairly well.

“Do not fret. This timing is most agreeable to us.” Luna smiled, hoping it would calm the good doctor.

“Heh, mostly her.” Mango said, chugging down on his apple cider. "But don't tell her the truth, it'll hurt her royal feelings."

Twilight shot a glare at the captain, but Luna didn’t seem to mind much. In fact, she secretly enjoyed the captain's daring attitude just as much as Looking Glass's own tunnel vision. It was nice to be surrounded by ponies who didn't treat you like a deity.

“Mango, a bit of restraint please.” She told him before turning her attention back to the staff. “Our only concern is that we’re potentially taking away your time from caring for sick ponies.”

Doctor Hoof smiled. “Rest assured, everything’s fine. A progress review is a normal part of our routine. It’s to ensure that our patients are being treated with the best practice and upmost care.” He explained, letting his professionalism shine through.

“Naturally. And are we to assume that these meetings typically held at night?”

“No.” Looking Glass answered in place of the doctor. Said doctor looked bewildered, sitting down in a hurry. “You already know the answer, Luna. Do not waste our time here.”

Strangely impatient coming from him, but Luna knew better than to question him. She did let out a sigh because he omitted to mention her title... again.

“Very well, may we proceed?” Luna said, looking directly at Doctor Hoof.

“Hm? Oh yeah!” The stallion stood up and took a paper out of his pockets, placing it down on the table. “Since we have some non-medical ponies present tonight, I will firstly remind everypony that any specific information about the patient is strictly confidential and should not be disclosed to anypony not involved in her treatment unless it is permitted by the patient or any appointed guardian... n-not that there are any guardian to speak of.” the doctor instructed, trying his hardest to not sound monotone.

A few brief nods were given and that was the signal for him to commence. Looking Glass tapped the table a tad impatiently, repeatedly checking his pocket watch.

“I won’t employ any form of medical jargon to better help with your understanding.” He announced before starting in a monotone voice despite his best efforts. “The patient suffered many deep lacerations and tears caused by a sharp object, theorised to be bites, followed by a fracture on her right back leg. Several traumas were also inflicted to her skull and torso.”

"Ugh, this is sick..." Applejack felt more uncomfortable with each injuries mentioned. It brought back unpleasant memories. Strangely enough, she also saw a reaction coming out of Looking Glass. It was just a slight wince of the eyes, but that movement alone spoke a million words. Hatred? Fear? It was indecipherable.

“We were able to save her in time, placing a cast over her broken legs and bandaging up her lacerations. Her leg will make a full recovery.” Doctor Hoof continued, his voice staying monotone. He turned his attention to Redheart. “Nurse Redheart, following her stay in the emergency room, you were assigned to take care of her. Can you tell us what you’ve learned about the filly?”

Redheart blinked, her eyes feeling heavy. “Yeah, just... give me a moment to think about it.” She rubbed her eyes a few times, finally getting her energy back thanks to her coffee. “When I first entered her room, she was unconscious, or at least, I thought she was. Olive was pretending to be asleep so that I wouldn’t come near her. It was only when I noticed that she was awake that she finally interacted with me.”

“So she was trying to avoid you?” Twilight asked.

“Yeah, she probably didn’t trust any of us.” Redheart answered in a tired voice that still displayed some sympathy. “After I got her to calm down, I offered her some food.” She looked a little uncomfortable. “She was surprised to find no meat in her plate.”

The few who were unaware of this fact widened their eyes in shock and disgust. “Her parents were carnivorous then, I presume.” Luna said.

“Cannibals.” Looking Glass corrected, causing even more shock within the room.

“Cannibals?!” Applejack shouted. “Wha- how can ya know that?”

Looking Glass winced, his whole face darkening as he gritted teeth. “Her father is no pony. I know, because I found myself stuck in his lair alongside my partner.”

Concussed, bleeding, dazed, the detective struggled to lift his head. Every time he turned his head, his vision would get blurry. All he heard was the sound of bones cracking, chewing and murmuring. Groaning, he struggled to get back on his hooves.

The sounds became louder as his ears stopped ringing. Turning his head towards the source of the sounds. He saw a large pack of ponies gathered in a small circle; their heads lowered as they kept on making these strange sounds. They were stuffing their faces in... something like a pack of hungry timberwolves. His breaths must have been too loud as one of them lifted his head and turned around to face him. A turquoise stallion with glasses then did the same. The others soon followed suit.

Saliva was dropping from their bloodied muzzles. Looking Glass’s eyes widened to the point that they felt like they were going to jump out of their orbit. It was terribly dark in there, but he could just make out a lifeless pony on the ground, smack dab in the middle of the circle the ponies were in.

“No...” He muttered, his lips quivering. One of them had black, abyssal eyes with emerald pupils staring him down. He gave him a grin full of bloody teeth.

“Hey, don’t suppose you’re that famous detective, huh?” Two voices came from his one and only mouth. One sounded very much like a stallion but the other one... it scared the detective to his very core.

The other pony next to the leader rose. Sweet Celestia, he was enormous, surpassing even the mighty white alicorn in height. Each of his steps made the ground beneath them rumble.

The flesh-eating ponies shambled towards Looking Glass. The unicorn backed away until he hit a wall. A few torches were lit, allowing him to see the horde of ponies behind the cannibals. There truly was no way out.

Curiously, the detective could make out two small shapes hiding in the far back. One of a foal, no less than a year old. It was accompanied by a small pony, a filly most likely. The filly dragged the foal away so that it wouldn’t see the horrors unleashed upon the defenseless unicorn.

Falling on his flank, Looking Glass could only watch as impending doom marched towards him, grinning at his end. But then, they stopped.

The monster before him knew who he was, and he seemed to take pleasure in that fact. “Blaze, fetch me Batsy. You know who it is.”

“Wh-What in the hay are you?” Looking Glass asked, terrified.

The stallion ripped his suit off him with one powerful spell. “What am I? Good question, I myself have been asking this same question for a while. That’s when I realised that knowledge isn’t always bliss, so I gave up on finding the answer. Memories hurt, knowledge hurts too. It’s best to live in ignorance. You might want to quit that detective job, just a suggestion.”

The turquoise stallion returned with a spiked bat, much to Looking Glass’s horror. “No...”

The evil stallion smiled. “We call this; disciplining. It’s a parent thing, you wouldn’t get it. Now then, let’s make some noise.”

In the conference room, there was nothing but silence. Everypony present was staring in sickened horror at the detective. Looking Glass spared them the details, but their imaginations filled in the blanks.

“That’s horrible!” Heedful Care whispered, her mouth wide open.

Luna was filled with righteous fury. She greatly respected the detective and to hear that tale made her feel a great deal of sympathy for him and for all the ponies who takes on dangerous jobs. “You... never told us about this.” she somberly said.

“And how could I? This stallion’s too dangerous. I didn’t want to get anypony involved in a case that would get them killed. It took my partner’s life.” Looking Glass said, looking down on the table.

“B-But didn’t you say you feared no criminals?” Redheart asked, leaning on the table.

“I don’t fear criminals...” he reaffirmed. “but this pony’s no criminal. He’s a monster, and I can tell you for a fact that Crimson Mask was nowhere near as bad as this beast.” Looking Glass stood up and slowly removed his suit. What followed were horrified murmurs and gasps.

The front of his body was filled with gnarly scars that could only be done with a spiked bat. Among them were even large bite marks that remained after all these years.

A terrified silence filled the room. The air started to feel thick for the ponies inside as the detective slumped back in his chair, putting on his suit.

“U-Um, miss Snowheart?” Twilight said, catching the attention of the quiet nurse. “We’d like for you to share what happened with Olive in the bathroom, if you’re comfortable that is.”

The mare tensed up and took a deep breath. “After I brushed her mane and cleaned her in the bathroom, I touched her flank to direct her outside.” A brief flash of fright came across her eyes. “She got startled and shouted at me to ‘get away from her’. It sounded like three voices were yelling at me!”

“And her mouth also opened, going far pass what is possible for a pony.” Twilight added.

Luna frowned, remembering the filly’s nightmares.

“Not everything’s bleak with her.” Redheart said, trying to shed some light on the situation. “She has gotten more expressive and happier when I'm nearby. The same could be said for when Applejack came to visit.” She shot a thankful glance at the earth pony. “She’s opening up to us.”

“E-yup. She’s a real sweetheart.” Applejack added, tipping her hat.

“However,” Redheart tilted her head to the side. “She still seems to hold some affection for her father. She’s still unwilling to share much information regarding her life with him.”

“I’ve known plenty of cases like this.” Heedful Care affirmed. “Olive doesn’t seem to understand what’s going on. She feels like she’s done something wrong to have ended up in the Everfree forest.” She remembered something and nearly stood up from her chair. “Wait!”

She reread the notes she had brought with her. “According to my notes here, we believe based on what Olive said that she might have been the victim of sexual abuse.” She looked to Looking Glass with a bit of desperation in her eyes. “Do you think this stallion might have done some... things to her.”

Looking Glass winced. “Celestia knows what he could do to a foal. This monster seems to have no limit to his cruelty. I’m not saying he did, but we can’t rule it out either.”

At the head of the table, the three mares were beaming with rage. Applejack especially for she got attached to Olive. The thoughts of the countless abuse she must have been exposed to made her feel angry. Under her closed mouth, she was gritting her teeth.

“Who? Who is this pony?” Luna asked, her face darkening.

Looking Glass took out his cassette tape. “Before I answer this question, I want you to listen to this.” He hit the play button and let the recording play out.

Everypony went quiet, listening intently to the contents of the tape. A general wave of discomfort overcame the conference room. Every passing seconds only seemed to make all its occupant feel more miserable.

“Hey, who’s this lanky one?” Mango said, looking torn between drinking and staying somewhat sober.

“I’ve seen two foals before they tortured me.” Looking Glass started. “That was eight years ago. I’m guessing the filly I saw back then must be the one they’re referring to.”

Applejack's eyes widened. “Hold on, Ah only found Olive at the Everfree forest. Where’s the other one?”

“Dead.” The unicorn bluntly responded. Applejack looked visibly hurt by this answer. “Olive was lucky to have survived, though I don’t know why they went after her too.”

“Enough.” Luna said, her eyes beaming with righteous fury. “I want to know the name of the stallion we’re after.” she commanded.

Looking Glass took out a photo from his suit and placed it down on the table. The photo depicted Olive’s father, albeit in a poor quality which only served to make him more terrifying.

“What the...” everypony muttered in disbelief.

“Olive’s father is Anarchy, the most dangerous and bloodthirsty criminal Equestria has ever seen. He’s the leader of a criminal organisation called ‘The Anarchists’. His crimes always include the death of important figureheads in big companies. We can only hope that he won’t come near Ponyville.” Looking Glass stated.

“He doesn’t look similar to his own daughter.” Doctor Hoof said. “Could it be that he kidnapped her at a young age?”

“Impossible.” Looking Glass shut down his theory. “If that would have been the case, there would be a missing pony report filed at the bureau of investigation. We never got an unresolved case of a filly disappearing.”

Luna stood up. “We thank you all for sharing your knowledge regarding Olive’s situation. If we have nothing else of note to add, I’d call it here.”

Nopony said a word.

“Good, now if you’ll excuse me; I need to talk with somepony.” In the dreamscape.

Author's Note

Surprise! A new chapter, and in less than a day!

Yeah, this one got pretty dark, but I promise it'll go back to wholesome soon enough.
Eh... not for the next chapter. Luna's going to have a little confrontation in Olive's dream.

12. Chasing Trouble For The Night...

In the dreamscape, Luna did her usual round. Chasing nightmares away, reassuring scared ponies and making sure that everypony in general was having a good night. However, her mind couldn’t help but gravitate towards the one pony she wanted to find amongst all the dreams, Anarchy. Knowing his name, she should be able to locate his dream and yet, she found nothing. Could it be that Anarchy is just an alias? Or maybe he’s just not asleep at the moment. The latter makes sense considering criminals tend to be active at night.

Luna did leave somepony in particular for last as she knew she’d spend much more time in her dream. Much to the alicorn’s surprise, there was, at no point in the night so far, any problem coming from Olive’s dream.

A first, and a sign that things were in fact, improving for her. The filly’s dream wasn’t anything too different from the previous ones, of course after the princess’s involvement. A grassy field in the dead of night, with beautiful starts shining in the dark sky. It felt... angelic, peaceful.

Hiding behind the trees, Luna observed how Olive was doing. The filly was rolling around in the grass, chasing after colorful fireflies and simply staring at the sky. She looked at peace and Luna couldn’t help but smile, a smile that didn’t last long once she remembered all the things that this little one had endured at the hooves of...

“Welcome back, nighthawk. I’ve been expecting you.” The unnatural voice caught her off-guard. Now that she paid more attention to his voice, she could hear two distinct voices in his words. One sounded like a normal stallion, albeit a bit maniacal while the other one was deep and demonic in nature. Anarchy stood still mere inches behind her. “So happy you could join us for tonight.”

“Us?” Luna questioned. “You mean you and Olive?” She took a step back, preparing herself for the worst.

“Yes! Yes, me and- wait, no!” Anarchy sounded genuinely confused as he lifted a hoof and pointed behind the alicorn. “I meant me and my good ‘friend’ Strong Hoof over there.”

Confused, the midnight blue alicorn looked over her shoulder and was stumped to see nothing but trees behind her as opposed to the grassy field the filly was playing in earlier. Worst still, Strong Hoof was also mere inches away from her face, his mouth drooling as it stood wide open.

“Off with your head!”

“No feast for now I’m afraid!” Anarchy shouted as he smacked his friend in the face. Luna was stunned at the sheer speed on display, the unicorn was almost as fast as an earth pony. Not only that, but he drew blood from an earth pony almost twice his size. Something fishy was indeed going on with this dream. What’s most bizarre is that this nightmarish creation that lives in Olive’s mind is acting independently of her. Normally, the nightmare only forms around their victim to torment them. They don’t hide in the dark to chat with her.

“But the princess must pay.” The big stallion responded, adding an ungodly amount of emphasis on the word ‘pay’.

“Don’t be such a baby. Patience is a virtue, remember?” Anarchy said, waving his hoof around the earth pony’s face. “You’ll get everything you want in due time.”

“This dream belongs to Olive. You shall not mess with her dream further.” Luna firmly stated, smashing a hoof down to get their attention.

“Olive who?” Anarchy said, looking genuinely confused which only angered Luna even more. “Ah! You must be talking about my little darling!” He tapped his head with his hoof in a gesture that said, ‘why didn’t I remember her sooner?’.

“What kind of father doesn’t even remember the name of his own daughter?” Luna asked, her voice sounding almost like a growl.

“The kind that doesn’t need them anymore.” He stated in a disinterested voice. “Oh, and let’s not forget the kind that has been betrayed. She’s been a real party pooper as of late.” His grin contorted into a sly smile. “Good fillies listen to their daddies. I‘m afraid Olive doesn’t qualify as a good filly anymore.”

Calm down, he’s just trying to get a reaction out of me.

“So anyway, you’re here to avenge my daughter?” Anarchy said, feeling not threatened in the slightest. “Why doesn’t anypony want to avenge me? I call bias.”

“More than that,” Luna answered. “I’m here to make you pay for the torture you’ve inflicted on Looking Glass.”

Anarchy grinned. “I’ve been hearing rumours about how you can pull other ponies into dreams. If that’s true then; can you bring Looking Glass here?” Luna raised a suspicious eyebrow.

“’Cause if you bring him here, we’ll have the whole family back!” The stallion exclaimed, throwing his hooves out in the air excitedly. “Oh oh! We can make a friendship album. You know, the kind where we take commemorative pictures?”

Anarchy paced around the lunar princess who made sure to always have an eye on him no matter where he went. “We can start off by doing one with you and Looking Glass. Then, one with me and you. Then one with me and Looking Glass, and then one with the spiked bat!”

Luna gritted her teeth, feeling her veins about to bust on her forehead. No! I shall not let him get to me. Hitting him would only start a fight. As much as she wanted to smack him across the face, the lunar princess knew it was best to let him ramble on and on. With enough luck, he’d slip up and reveal something important. She shook her head and regained her calm demeanor. “How can a nightmare have control of a dream? The dreamer is the one in control.”

“I’m feeling very weird right now.” Anarchy responded. An answer that doesn’t sounds complete.

“What do you mean?” Luna pressed.

“I feel as though I'm real, yet, I’m not.” The stallion bucked a nearby tree, caught a falling apple and ate it. “I can think unlike other entities in this dream, I can taste this delicious apple and lastly, I can hold a conversation with you without needing the presence of my dear darling. That’s... impossible, right?”

The alicorn closed her eyes and sighed. This stallion is formulating his answers in a cryptic and taunting way, but she can tell that he doesn’t know how he’s even doing it. As she opened her eyes, Strong Hoof was strangely missing.

“Oh, but that’s not important right now. You came to me with other questions in mind, didn’t you?” Anarchy said slyly, forming a golf course in the dream. “Ask away.”

The lunar princess thought back to the other night and how she was unable to destroy Anarchy in that dream. This conversation so far has shed a bit of light on why he was truly indestructible. And now, the disturbing incident at Ponyville General all but confirmed that the filly had strange and mysterious powers locked within her. At that moment, Luna understood it all.

“A part of you is stuck within Olive.” She stated.

Anarchy held a hoof to his chin, thinking. “Hmm, that does explain a lot of things, actually.” He smacked the golf ball with his club, admiring his beautiful strike. “I still don’t know how I pulled it off. It sure wasn’t a part of the plan!” He cackled.

“What plan?” Luna asked menacingly.

“The plan to replace every foal’s Heart’s Warming present with coal, Luny.” He said with a serious look on his face, a far cry from his usual attitude.

“Wh-What?”

His serious façade cracked immediately, and he busted into laughter, rolling on the ground. “C’mon! Don’t tell me you thought I was serious!? That I was going to dress up as Grogar to ruin Hearts Warming?”

Luna looked somewhat tired of this charade.

“Oh no you didn’t!” The sinister stallion took a while to calm himself down. “In all seriousness, did you really expect me to generously tell you, my plan? Huh, tough luck, Luny.”

“Why must you insist on calling me Luny?” The alicorn asked, growing tired of hearing this nickname. “I’ve never met you before and yet you act as if we're friends.”

“I know much about you, and you should know much about me. You’re just afraid to think too much, to remember.”

Anarchy told her, twisting his neck upside down as far as he could as he approached the princess. “You’re scared to slip up.”

Luna chuckled. “You certainly have charisma, but no amount of lies and deceit can trick me. I know you for what you are; a rotten pony with no heart.”

“I do have a heart, a black heart to be exact.” Anarchy formed a fiery black heart with his magic. “It means I do things with the intent to hurt and destroy, not to love and tolerate. Well, I might have too much tolerance considering my line of work.”

The alicorn glared. “You seem to take pride in your cruelty.” she said, every word sounding angrier.

“I don’t take pride in my cruelty, Luny. I enjoy it!” He awkwardly tilted his head off to the side. “What I take pride in, is what I’m about to do... soon enough.”

Luna’s eyes winced as she trotted closer to the anarchist. “And just what are you going to do? I suppose it’ll somehow involve my sister and I? Tell me!” She commanded, but even the royal Canterlot voice couldn’t put a single dent in the stallion’s attitude.

“I’m afraid I can’t tell you, nighthawk. You see, that’s a surprise and surprises aren’t meant to be spoiled.” Anarchy popped a few confetti for a looney effect.

“We have other ways of getting information.” Luna threatened.

“Ah yes, we know.” Anarchy chuckled, his sinister face darkening. “We know you all too well.”

Her other ways were mostly a lie. They only had one good option, the dreamscape. Unfortunately, there are many, many ponies in Equestria and those who dabble in criminal activities often find ways to mask their dream to look as innocent as the average pony. From their conversations alone, the princess could tell that this stallion was insane. Insane but, terribly intelligent. His cocky and giggly attitude came from this very intellect. Now, she could cross threats off the list. She had to find something else to make him spill the beans.

“Thinking about other ways to be a good detective?” Luna roused herself, surprised at how long she was thinking. “How cute. You know, if what you want is a fun hero-villain dynamic, I can be a good candidate for your new arch-nemesis.” He said as dreamy visions of the Power Ponies formed around them alongside their villain. “We do have history.” He finished in a menacing, whispery tone.

“We... don’t.” refuted the alicorn, raising an eyebrow. Even she was unsure if that was true. She never saw this unicorn before, or did she?

“Oh, Luny, just give it some time. Perhaps I can jog your memory a little?” The stallion swayed from side to side, looking amused. “I’ve often heard stories of ponies regaining lost memories after taking a strong blow to the head. Maybe I should test out if it’s true.” He raised a hoof in the air, but Luna was faster. One smack across the face got him to stay put.

“Your style of comedy humors us none.” Luna lit up her horn in preparation. “You will surely find another pony who’ll share your sense of humour in the dungeons.”

“Oh, but I do know of a special someone, look...” He turned around and shook his flank around. His cutie mark sprung to life and began cackling maniacally. “Meet my biggest fan! He’s been there since day one, a truly devoted fan I gotta admit. I mean, I don’t know many fans who’d like to sit on their idol’s flank all day.”

The alicorn gave him a disgusted look. That’s got to be one of the few times a pony has brought their own flank to life in the dreamscape. The other ones she’s met were, not quite as charismatic or even as civil as this arch criminal, strangely enough. At least, Anarchy wasn’t a pervert. He’s just insane.

“Okay then, I see that my humour just isn’t cutting it for you.” Anarchy frowned, his eyebrows seemingly crushing his eyes thanks to their big size. “I know!” His ears perked up. “How about I show you my other talents? Starting with my culinary skills. Let me show you the delicacies I've cooked over my career.”

The forest around her shifted into a nicely lit kitchen. It was also quite big, so there were not really inside a house kitchen. Briefly looking around this new area, Princess Luna recognised it as the kitchen of the great Canter Hotel in Manehattan, an hotel reserved only to the richest of folks in the city. Now, it was remembered as one of the city’s biggest tragedies. All that remains since are its ashes.

“Ever heard of French cuisine?” Anarchy suddenly came back wearing a chef’s outfit. “They’re known for their delicious and very healthy meals. So inspiring! I know, so that’s why I’ve dabbled in their cuisine, learned to cook some myself.” He tapped on the floor, causing many ingredients to suddenly pop into existence.

“What in the whole wide world of Equestria are you doing?” Luna couldn’t help herself but wonder what was going on inside his head. This stallion seemed like the living definition of randomness and insanity.

Anarchy tapped the floor once more and a chair slid by, hitting Luna in the back. The alicorn fell into the seat that slid out of the kitchen and into the dining hall.

In said dining hall were multiple rich ponies eating peacefully, chatting as calm music played in the background. This looked like just another day for this hotel, save for the fact that an arch criminal was cooking French cuisine in the kitchen.

Straps suddenly sprung out of the wooden chair, each locking Luna’s limb to her seat. Surprised, she tried to pull herself out of the straps to no avail. They were much sturdier than they appeared. Well, there’s always a teleportation spell. The princess was about to cast her spell but stopped.

This was ultimately just a dream; she was in no real danger so why shouldn’t she play along with Anarchy’s twisted game? Maybe she’ll learn something important, a slip up of the tongue or an intentional clue left for her.

The door leading to the kitchen busted open and Anarchy strolled out, lifting many plates in the air with telekinesis. He gleefully trotted up to the restrained princess and placed down the plates.

“Bonjour, beauté.” He said in a perfect French accent. Sadly, her knowledge of the language had all but vanished over her thousand-year banishment period. As such, she could only guess what he said. “We have made some special orders for you.” He must have caught on to her lacking knowledge of the language for he didn’t drop the accent.

“Special orders for me?” Luna gave him a sly smile. “How awfully generous coming from a pony with a history or murder and destruction. The same could be said for your proficiency in the French language.”

Anarchy smirked. “Wait till you see this five-course meal, ma chère.” With his magic, he lifted one of the covers up. “Des cuisses de grenouilles.”

Luna raised an eyebrow. “What’s that?”

Ignoring her question, he lifted another cover. “Poulet au vinaigre.”

The alicorn didn’t understand the bizarre shape, the strange texture of the food on her plate.

“Onto the next one.” The unicorn said happily. Lifting the cover, he chuckled. “Ragôut de lapin.”

Suddenly, the memory of the meeting earlier tonight flashed in the princess’s mind. More specifically, the knowledge that Anarchy and his supporters were avid meat eaters, cannibals. Without knowing French, Luna deduced that these meals were most likely made from animals. Her eyes briefly widened upon the thoughts of the butchered critters used to create such atrocious meals.

Anarchy quickly took notice of her horror and grinned from ear to ear. “Et maintenant, princesse. La pièce de résistance.” At first he chuckled. Then, it turned into laughter. Afterward, it turned into maniacal cackling as he slowly lifted the cover. The wait was agonising for the lunar princess.

Luna’s heart sank, her eyes wide open. Her breath had stopped right as her jaw dropped.

On the final plate lied... something else entirely. It had a crystal white coat, a fading mane with dying twinkles, a bloodshot eye staring right in her soul with a terrified expression. Luna found herself staring at what was left of her beloved sister. “Mange ma belle. C’est l’heure du souper.”

Her heart was now pounding with rage and indignity, her hooves shaking with righteous anger and impatience. The powerful straps couldn’t hold her any longer as they snapped into millions of pieces. For a moment, Anarchy’s smug expression dissipated, replaced with shock. “Oh shit, I’m in danger!”

Princess Luna pounced on the demented stallion, knocking him to the ground. She brought down one hoof on his neck, slowly crushing it as her eyes shot daggers into his own. “Enough games! I won’t let you hurt anypony else! I won’t let you win!”

“Pl-Pl-Please, Luny! I’m so sorry I’ve been a horrible pony!” Anarchy begged; his smile finally gone. “I-I-I don’t want to spend my entire life rotting away in Canterlot’s dungeon! I-I'll tell you everything!...” In a horrible flash, his sly smile returned as he held out one hoof, showing a detonator in it. “or not.”

Pressing it, a loud sound startled the alicorn as the entire earth rumbled, making her lose her balance and subsequently; letting go of the arch criminal.

The entire dining hall had gone up in flames, the rich ponies were now frantically running around and screaming, looking for the nearest exit.

“Look, I’m sorry things didn’t quite turn out right in the end, but I promise I’ll get you a better wedding ring for our next outing!” Lighting up his powerful horn, Anarchy cast a new wave of fire to strengthen the power of the explosions.

Princess Luna remembered the tragedy that had occurred in this hotel. The whole place had gone up in flames, and the explosions outside were all rigged to form a very particular shape, a smile. “So it was you. You were responsible for this tragedy!” Luna shot the stallion glare.

“Yes, it is rather sad and disappointing...” Anarchy admitted, showing signs of regret. “I could have done it so much better, but at least it got the job done.” An even greater grin formed on his face. “The city was in fear.”

“It won’t be for long.” Luna said confidently. “We will stop you.”

Anarchy had a genuine look of confusion on his face. “You and who? The stone faced detective? Poor guy can’t even crack a single joke at parties! Life without laughter, that’s no way to live!”

The hotel rumbled again; another explosion echoed in the distance. The sound of the screaming ponies caught the evil stallion’s attention. “Oh yeah, I almost forgot what I was supposed to be doing. Well, let’s see if you can stop this operation. That’ll be a confidence boost if you can!” Teleporting away, he left Luna in disarray.

On the bright side, this nightmare will provide some good exercise for the lunar princess who is admittedly a bit past her hay days. A millennium spent absent from her line of work would eventually catch up to her.

Galloping down the corridors, Luna saw the stallion’s dreadful face appear through the monitors in the hall. The video quality wasn’t the greatest, this technology was new after all, but it was reserved only to the richest of ponies.

Unsurprisingly, a pony like Anarchy couldn’t resist to utilise it. He does have a certain liking to theatrics.

“Quick, Luny! Somepony’s about to get stabbed!”

The alicorn doubled her speed and quickly turned upon reaching the end of the corridor only to feel something sharp flying into her mid-section. It was a knife!

“Oops! I meant to say; YOU’RE about to get stabbed!”

Luna cursed the stallion under her painful breaths. Despite being in a dream, the sensation of pain felt all too real. Every pull she made on the knife gave off a sensation of burning in her stomach. A burning that was more powerful than the undying flames of Tartarus.

“Hang in there, this will only last a few seconds! I know you can do it!” Anarchy encouraged through the speakers.

“I don’t... need your cheering.” Luna muttered through her clenched teeth.

“Oh, okay then. Didn’t mean to hurt your precious feelings.”

Finally, the knife was pulled out. The gaping wound didn’t bleed much, well it actually wasn’t bleeding at all. Most likely caused by this lunatic. The alicorn thought as she closed the wound with magic.

A second knife flew in her direction, and this time, the princess saw it coming. She knocked the sharp object out of the way and noticed a pegasus flying outside, knives in mouth.

“Let me introduce you to a friend ‘o’ mine! This pony right here never misses the mark! Yeah, he’s, uh, he’s pretty cool.” Anarchy blared through the speakers, sounding thrilled.

The pegasus outside spat out another knife at the lunar princess, who caught it midflight with telekinesis and chucked it back to sender. The knife lodge in the stallion’s throat and he plummeted in the abyss below.

“Hey hold on now; I thought princesses do not kill?” Anarchy said, scratching the top of his mane. His voice sounded interested.

“We do not kill indeed.” Luna smirked. “This pony’s not real after all. Therefore, not a kill.”

“Ooh, I love me a sassy mare.” Anarchy returned the smirked. “Let’s see what else you can do when you’re unrestrained.”

Two mares popped up from a nearby door, slamming their hooves against the floor. Princess Luna dashed towards them at an impressive speed and hopped above them. Then, she landed on one of them, smashing the mare on the floor. The other one didn’t have enough time to react to the alicorn’s next move as two hooves unpleasantly met her face. The resulting impact launched her through the windows.

“We are on the seventh floor of the hotel currently. A fall like that would be rather deadly for a unicorn.” Anarchy stated, taking a sip from his cup of coffee. “Admit it, Luny; you just want to let it all out. Be unrestrained from morality and laws. You want to be like me, yet you deny it.”

“I wish not to be as vile as you!” Luna shouted. “Right now, I want nothing more than to smack that smug grin off your face for what you’ve done to Olive and Looking Glass!”

Anarchy looked rather bored. “As they often say; never two without three. Very well, let’s see if you can resist the temptation to kill me... at the top of the hotel.” He tossed his cup away. “You can fly through the window and skip everything else; I won’t mind.”

The alicorn took a brief glance outside. Everything seemed normal, but with a stallion like him, better to not take any chances. She chose to run all the way to the top.

“Oh, how did you know I booby trapped the sky?” The sheer surprise in his voice brought some much-needed joy to the lunar princess.

At this point, there should be only three floors left before the rooftop, which means...

“I’m here to kill you!”

Out of nowhere, Anarchy jumped from around the corner, horns charging as his whole body took on a fighting stance. His bloodlust shook Luna’s to her very core. His vindictive gaze gave off an eerie feeling of familiarity. He was about to strike her down whe-

“Nevermind.” He ran off to the nearest window and latched onto a rope. He cackled as he watched the surprised alicorn try to reach him to no avail.

As he disappeared into the night sky, Princess Luna saw a blimp flying towards the hotel at an alarming speed. Reacting quickly, she teleported herself further in the hallway, barely missing the loud explosion and the new wave of fire engulfing her previous position. The crash has severely damaged the hotel, exactly like how it went down according to the newspaper. Anarchy truly is dedicated to recreating the night of the tragedy.

The rest of the trip towards the roof was negligeable. Nothing of note happened, which could only mean that the stallion was preparing something for her at the top of the hotel.

And indeed, he was, once she bucked open the door, she found herself in complete darkness. The sky was barely illuminating the environment.

Luna carefully trotted forward, constantly looking around herself. Nothing happened. Nothing... until she was blinded by powerful lights coming from the front. Then, jazz instruments began to play as Anarchy stepped into the rain, his chef’s attire replaced by a nice suit and a top hat.

Take me on home, to, Manehattan
Never alone, in, Manehattan
Anarchy ruled, it was wild!
But through it all, nopony ever smiled...
Jokes on them, I made many friends so
Look who’s laughing now!

Deep in the Everfree Forest
I killed my girls, so... cathartic
That was the night they let us down!
And then we all put 'em down
That’s when I knew, I've made a beast out of myself
Hey, look who’s laughing now!

Luna felt completely lost amidst the music. Anarchy was dancing around her, singing a sinister song with such an upbeat tune.

I’m stuck in her head and I'm laughing. Ha!
I messed with her head and I can’t stop laughing.
I left behind my mare and I can’t stop laughing.
What else can I say?
Now I’m part of her.

The music slowly came to an end as Anarchy raised a hoof to her, staring at her in anticipation.

“What? No applause? No encore? Oh boy, aren’t you a tough crowd.”

Luna kept an unamused look on her face. “It’s getting late. If you don’t have anything else to say, then I shall insist we throw down.” Fury burned in her eyes, and Anarchy loved to see it.

“I just want to see how tasty you are.” Anarchy pounced on the lunar princess, his mouth wide open.

The alicorn was quick to react, dropping on her back waiting for him to land on her. Once her hooves met his body, she threw him away and he landed right on his head. Before he could react, Luna fired a powerful beam of magic.

The shot passed through him, engulfing the stallion in a powerful ray of destruction. A dark mist suddenly weaved around the beam, eventually forming the shape of Anarchy. With a slight chuckle, he fired a beam of his own. His eyes shined green as dark magic shot out of his horn.

Luna’s instinct screamed at her to get out of the way. Just in the nick of time, she teleported away. Reappearing to the right of Anarchy, the dark stallion quickly took notice of her and threw out a mighty kick.

The alicorn barely dodged the first one, and struggled just as much to gather her bearing as more kicks were thrown her way. Time slowed down as she got to observe the unicorn’s attack. He wasn’t flailing his leg around, no, his attacks were precise. They were aimed directly at either her face, neck or her legs. He was going for maximum damage. He didn’t just know how to kill, he knew how to fight a martial arts expert.

Luna herself wasn’t at the top of her game. These past few thousand years have damaged her fighting abilities. She just hoped she still had enough skill to overcome this powerful apparition. Unfortunately, she wasn’t fast enough to dodge his sweeping attack.

Falling on her wing, Luna groaned as she tried to get back up. Not fast enough, Anarchy pounced on her, pressing his hooves down on her neck as he opened his mouth. He was strangling her! Trying to take her strength away so he could feast on her body.

Using her alicorn body as an advantage, the lunar princess thought quickly and wrapped her wings around the stallion’s hooves. She pushed them away as hard as she could while her forelegs were keeping his jaw at bay. Anarchy started to look surprised as he found himself losing this battle of brute strength.

One punch across the face, one headbutt, the stallion lost his grip on Luna. Pushing him away, she bucked the evil pony in the face, knocking a tooth off. As he was struggling to shake off the daze, Luna let out all her anger on him.

Striking his face, bucking his ribs, blasting his body away with magic. She threw everything she had at him. The stallion reacted strongly, frowning and yelping in pain. After the meeting, this sight felt cathartic.

Suddenly, Anarchy shot a beam in her face, blinding her temporarily. He turned to smoke and reformed right on her back, latching onto her neck and torso with his legs.

“If it doesn’t work the first time, try again!”

Anarchy tightened his grip around Luna’s neck, cackling maniacally as blood dripped down his massacred face. The alicorn struggled to keep herself standing, the weight of the stallion slowly pushing her down to the cold wet ground.

Then, Luna smirked. Casting another spell, Anarchy was surprised to find himself falling down to the ground. Looking up, he saw Luna standing over him, still smirking. He kicked the princess in the face, only for his leg to pass through her.

“Intangibility. An incredible defensive spell.” Luna informed.

“But it lacks offense.” Anarchy got back on his hooves. His bruised and bloodied face healing until it looked crystal clean.

“Care to try again? I can do this all night.”

The effect of the spell wore off, but none of the fighters moved. Staring each other down, they were waiting to see who would make the first move. Anarchy slowly lowered his head, still keeping his eyes on Luna. He only stopped when his horn was directly facing her eyes. Luna gasped.

The unicorn thrusted his head forward, with Luna barely managing to evade impalement. However, that was only a mere feint as Anarchy bit her front leg, latching onto it with all of his might.

Luna screamed in pain as she bucked the stallion’s head in an effort to ward him off, to no avail. Anarchy lifted his head, forcing Luna to kneel before him as she felt her bones cracking under the weight of the monstrous pony’s jaw. Fear coursed through her body as the pain felt all too real. In that moment of desperation, Luna struck him in the eye with her horn.

He finally let go of her leg and fell down, laughing. “You preach true justice, Luny, but in the face of fear, your instinct takes over. You may not want to kill, but I can push you to kill me.”

“Don’t be so sure.” Luna gritted her teeth, holding her injured leg close to her body. “Had we fought out of the dreamscape, you would have lost much sooner. Her fears empower you in this realm.”

Anarchy frowned. “You don’t have to remind me. You’re stronger, faster, and better at magic.” His frown turned into a grin.

“Not for long. I still have much room to grow myself.” His grin grew wider, spanning to his eyes. “It won’t be long until I show the world the monster still lives inside you. Be seeing you, nighthawk.”

The first rays of sunlight beamed through the curtain, casting strong shadows in the royal bedroom. Princess Luna groaned as she woke up from this bad trip in the dreamscape. She felt tired, numb.

Exiting her bed, she shambled out of her room. Her stomach was crying out for cake, she’ll think about what happened last night after her belly is full. Trotting down the hallway, she wondered why she struggled to walk properly.

Then, a piercing scream snapped her out of her tired state of mind. Luna turned around and saw one of the castle’s maids, screaming in horror at her. A terrible pain engulfed her leg and as she looked down, she saw a trail of blood coming from her bedroom.

Shocked, the alicorn lifted her leg and saw a large bite mark, bleeding profusely.

Author's Note

God damn! All this colored text is killing me!

Anyway, that's probably the most we'll see of Anarchy for now... (Mainly 'cause I'm tired of using colored text for this asshole.)
I'm not too good at writing fight scenes, so I hope I did well with this one. There won't be a lot of fighting in this fic, so I'm trying to make every fight stand out.
Edit: Added some detail on Anarchy's design.

13. A Nice Introduction to Ponyville

Inside Ponyville General, one patient in particular was excited. With the rising of the sun, a filly waited in her room, climbing on the window to look outside after it had taken some painkillers. It watched as ponies entered one-by-one, anticipating the moment she’ll see the one. Her tail was wagging left and right, she swung around in place, she simply couldn’t stand still. After a while, she saw her; an orange mare she had gotten attached to in no time at all. One of the few ponies who truly cared about her, one of the few who openly liked her.

Applejack nervously trotted towards Ponyville General. Despite mentally preparing herself for this daunting new task, she couldn’t help but feel unsure of herself. Being a big sister is one thing, but a mother? That’s entirely different. It brings a new set of responsibilities, but the earth pony knew she would be up to the task. She needed to chase away her fears. Yes, it won’t be easy, but Big Mac and Granny Smith will be there to lend a hoof in times of need.

“Mommy!” Applejack jerked back, brutally taken out of her though by a cute, muffled voice. Just on her right, she saw Olive with her face pressed against the window, smiling cheerfully at her while she was waving her hooves around.

The mare found herself gushing at the filly’s adorable excitement. She waved back. “Ah’m coming, sugar cube!”

Entering the hospital, she headed for the reception where Heedful Care already stood.

“Mah, aren’t ya an early bird, Care!” greeted the earth pony.

Heedful Care gave her a sly smile. “The same could be said about you. You’re a lot more excited than you let on.”

Applejack placed a nervous hoof on her hat. “Oh! Well, um... yeah, Ah’m really excited. It's all new ta me.”

The counselor giggled. “I’ve seen many foster parents come to pick up their kids. It’s always adorable to see new connections form. Becoming a parent is an exciting endeavor.” She nodded at the secretary. The mare placed a few forms on the counter. “Well, let’s not waste any time. You’ve got a filly waiting for you.”

Applejack hunched over and started to read the forms.

“Oh, you don’t have to read it completely. It’s just papers declaring that you’re now her legal guardian and whatnot. Most ponies just skip it and put down their signature.” Heedful Care suggested. She placed down a pen for Applejack.

“Okay then... So Ah guess Ah just sign here.” she said, picking up the pen in her mouth.

“Yep. Oh! And there too. Don’t forget to sign there.”

Applejack grumbled impatiently, scribbling down her signature in hasty mouthwriting before respectfully spitting out the pen.

“Okay!” Heedful Care took a few forms and pushed the rest towards the earth pony. “These forms will go to you. Whatever happens, never lose them under any circumstances, got it?”

“Good thing Ah thought to bring a saddlebag.” Applejack said as she stored away the forms.

“Now that we got the boring part out of the way, let’s meet up with Olive. She’s been dying to see you!” the counselor said with a big smile on her face.

“Ha ha! Ah noticed.”

Trotting down the hospital’s corridors, the two mares stood in front of the filly’s room. From their side, they could hear the pitter patter of the small pony’s hooves. Opening the door slowly, Olive stopped pacing around, a big smile drawing on her face. At the speed of light, she pounced on Applejack, giving her the biggest hug she’s probably received in years.
“Momma, you’re finally here!” she exclaimed joyfully.

“E-yup. ‘Bout time Ah got to take ya home.” Applejack responded, reciprocating the hug. “Ya’ll see, it’s great! Yer gonna have a new sister and a new, uh, uncle?” Big Macintosh, an uncle, now that’s a funny thought for the earth pony! “And let’s not forget ya Granny!”

“Wow, that’s a big family!” Olive said, her eyes beaming with wonder.

“It sure is, sugar cube!”

Putting the filly down, Applejack stared in silence at the filly who was now under her care. Looking into her eyes, the mare started to feel a desire to protect her from all danger. Over the course of these past few days, a maternal instinct formed within her.

“How are you feeling?” Heedful Care said, leaning down. “Do you still feel any pain?”

Olive frowned. “A little bit.”

The counselor nodded before turning to Applejack. “You might wanna nab a few painkillers at the pharmacy. Her wounds haven’t fully healed yet, especially her leg.”

“Ah see.” she said, gazing at the bandages around the filly’s leg. Her cast had been removed from what it looks like. Olive has healed rather quickly for a pony. “Ah’ll be sure ta keep a close eye on ‘er wounds.”

“As for the other bandages, we can take them off before you leave. She’s healed faster than we anticipated.” The two mares turned around. Redheart came out of the blue, passing by in the hall.

“That fast, huh?” Applejack said.

“Yeah, we just chalk it up to her mysterious power. There’s just some things medicine can’t explain.”

“Miss Redheart!” Olive rushed underneath Applejack, passing in between her legs to pop up behind her flank, where she hugged the nurse.

“My, aren’t you the affectionate pony!” Redheart quipped.

“She really loves them hugs.” Applejack giggled. “Ya could say she’s a hug dispenser.”

“That’ll be one bit for this hug! No complaining, it's the price for five seconds of love!” Olive exclaimed, nuzzling her freckled face in the nurse’s fur.

Redheart laughed. “I didn’t know you were a budding comedian!” Once the hug was over, the mare turned her attention to the earth pony and the pegasus. “Anyway, I only came to check on her before she left the hospital, just to make sure everything’s alright.”

“She’s never been better!” Heedful Care cheerfully exclaimed. “Isn’t that, right?”

“I feel great!” The filly responded.

“That’s good to hear.” Redheart raised her head. “Well Applejack, if you need any help with her wounds, you can always turn to me.”

“And me too! For the more psychological aspect at least...” Heedful Care added.

“Aw, thanks you two! Ah can already tell Ah’m gonna need some help with ‘er.”

“Well, I gotta go now. There’s some patients I need to see.” Redheart said as she left.

Olive watched on as she disappeared, a bit of sadness creeping into her eyes. Applejack quickly took notice. “Just because we’re leavin’ the hospital doesn’t mean we won’t see ‘er again. Ah promise Ah’ll take you to ‘er from time to time.”

The filly gave her a thankful smile in return.

“I should also go.” Care said, looking at her watch. “I’ve got some paperwork to do. Yeah, I know, not the greatest thing in the world but it has to be done. I’ll give you a call about her therapy! Be seeing you.”

Now that the two were left on their own, it was time to leave Ponyville General and bathe in the beautiful sun outside. For Olive, after spending days inside the hospital, it was a wonderful sight.

The filly stared in awe at the sun, her eyes squinting at the overwhelming light coming out of it.
“Hey, don’t stare at the sun for too long. It ain’t good for yer eyes.”

For a nocturnal pony, getting to discover the day was quite the experience. It was unlike anything she had ever seen before. Seeing it from her window wasn’t the same as actually being outside. The grass was greener than she imagined, the sky bluer. Awkwardly running around while balancing herself on her three good legs, the filly ran up to the sign standing before the hospital.

“Hey now! Don’t run off like that!” Applejack warned, catching up to her.

Olive remained silent; awe struck by this new world. She followed her new mother closely but couldn’t help herself to run off somewhere else to take a closer look. Applejack didn’t mind much, after all this filly’s gone through, it wouldn’t hurt to let her admire her new town.

“E-yup, that’s Ponyville, sugar cube. How do ya like it so far?” Applejack asked, smiling at her adorable daughter.

“It’s... beautiful.” Olive muttered, looking at the town hall.

“Indeed, it is. Now we just need to get a few things from ta pharmacy and then we’ll head home.”

As they made their way towards the pharmacy, Applejack heard a familiar voice rapidly approaching.

“Applejack!” It was Pinkie Pie. Of course the news of a new pony in town have gotten to her. Pinkie always gives a warm welcome to newcomers. “I’ve heard there’s a new filly in town and I just HAD to see her!”

“Ah figured. She’s mah daughter now.” Applejack said, a new pride rising within her.

“Your daughter?!” Pinkie Pie nearly screamed. “A new member of the Apple family?! Holy moly that’s some exciting news!”

The pink earth pony was about to introduce herself to the filly, but Aj stopped her. “Ah should probably mention that she’s got a bit of a... troubled past. Ah want you to keep the energy down a notch otherwise ya’ll probably scare ‘er.”

Pinkie Pie smiled. “Don’t you worry ‘bout a thing. Auntie Pinkie knows when to keep it cool.” She lowered her head, bent her knees to match Olive’s small height. “Hi! What’s your name?”

Olive looked at Applejack with a nervous look. “Just say yer name, sugar cube.”

“Olive.” simple and straight to the point. The filly seemed to shut down any form of life, appearing as neutral as possible before the pink pony.

“My name’s Pinkie Pie, but you can call me Auntie Pinkie if you want!” Pinkie Pie said, making the mistake of baring her teeth when she smiled.

Olive jerked back, her eyes flashing a bright emerald before returning to their normal colors. A purple stallion appeared for just the briefest of moment, but it was enough to kill the mood.

Seeing this, Applejack quickly wrapped a hoof around Pinkie’s mouth. Leaning close to her, she whispered in her ear. “Crap! Ah forgot to tell ya to NEVER show your teeth when you smile to ‘er. It scares ‘er badly.”

“Sorry.” Pinkie frowned.

“Don’t be. It’s mah fault for not tellin’ ya.”

Turning to the small filly, Pinkie Pie kneeled. “I’m super-duper sorry I scared you! I really didn’t mean it.”

Olive lowered her head. “No, I’m sorry for reacting strongly. I’ve hurt your feelings.”

Applejack blinked. “Uh, ya don’t have to apologise to ‘er. It wasn’t yer mistake.”

“Ooh. All this apologising is turning my brain to jelly!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed, knocking on her head with a hoof. She imitated the sound of a brain turning to jelly, which is weird that she knows exactly what sound it makes. “Anyway, now that you’re here, it only feels right that we throw down a welcome to Ponyville party!”

“Later Pinkie, she needs to get used to ‘er new home.” Applejack informed.

“Then how about tomorrow?” The pink pony proposed, leaning closer to Aj.

The orange mare took one look at Olive. “When she’ll feel comfortable bein’ in Ponyville. Ya can’t rush things Pinkie.”

“Oh.” Pinkie Pie frowned slightly. “I see. You pinkie promise you’ll let me know when it’s time to throw the party?”

Applejack smiled. “Ah pinkie promise. It probably should be a small party. Ah don’t think she’s comfortable around large crowds.”

“Then it should be only the six of us, with the Cutie Mark Crusaders!” Pinkie exclaimed excitedly.

“Now that’s a mighty good idea.” Applejack signaled her daughter to follow her inside the pharmacy.

“Hold on just a teeny tiny minute!” the two ponies stopped and looked back at the pink earth pony. “Can I at least sing one little song, please? I’m allowed to sing, right?” she begged.

“Well, uh, Ah don’t think there’s any problem with tha’.”

Pinkie Pie giggled in excitement, her hooves happily striking the ground. “Woohoo! Everypony give it up for... Pinkie Pie!”

Instruments began to play a joyful tune, with nopony but Olive questioning where it was coming from.

My name is Pinkie Pie
And I am here to say
I’m gonna make you smile and I will brighten up your day!

“Hey, Ah know this song!”
Pinkie Pie began doing her usual shtick during her songs. Popping around out of nowhere, from the floor to the sky.

It doesn’t matter now
If you are sad or blue
‘Cause cheering up my friends is just what Pinkie’s here to do
‘Cause I love to make you smile, smile, smile
Yes I do!

Olive felt her vision get blurry, her body getting hotter. Placing a hoof on her forehead, she discovered she now had a fever.
“Nopony serenades you but me, Olive! Take it away boys!”

I am the pony king of anarchy
And we’ve had a Tartarus of a time
You’re part of me, I’m part of you!
And now there’s so much left to do!
I just can’t wait, till you open your eyes
Who’ll be laughing then?

Many ponies began to form join the dancing stallion, including Strong Hoof. Applejack watched on in worry as she felt it might be too much at once for her daughter.
“Big Mac? What’re you doin’ here?”

I sailed the seven seas and I’m laughing! Ha!
I’m migrating in their caves and I can’t stop laughing
I ate all your friends, and I can’t stop laughing
I’m cock-a-doodle doo!
All for the moon.

Olive’s lips began to quiver. She was surrounded by apparitions of all the ponies she’s ever known and feared. This song had turned into a grim reminder that she’ll never truly be free for as long as he roams around Equestria. Her breaths were getting heavy, her eyes watering. Sweats dripped down her face, her legs slowly giving under the pressure. She was always terrified of her father. She’d give anything for him to leave her alone for just a day.

Aurora’s dead and I’m laughing, ha!
I put a hit on you and I can’t stop laughing
My lovely mare's dead and I can’t stop laughing
What else can I do?
Now I’m part of you...

Olive couldn’t take it anymore. Everything Anarchy said brought back terrible memories. Visions of the few ponies she’s truly cared for, of the fact that they’re all gone now, leaving her alone in this world. Her body became too heavy for her legs to bear, and she crumbled to the ground in a foetal position, crying.

…
Yes it always makes my day
Come on everypony smile, smile, smile
Fill my hear- Huh? Wh-what's going on?

Pinkie slowly stopped singing, and the others followed soon after. Applejack noticed her daughter was crying on the floor. The large crowd! Of course she wasn’t ready to receive this much attention this soon. She shot a glare at Pinkie as her heart pounded with anger.

“Stop it!” She shouted. The music quickly died as an awkward and frightened silence filled the air. “Can’t y'all see that yer scaring ‘er?!” Her voice was angry and scared. She quickly turned her attention to her crying daughter. “Sweetie it’s okay, they’re goin’ away now.”

Her words couldn’t make her stop. A strong guilt washed over Applejack as she felt like she could have prevented this had she thought before than to let “Pinkie!” The earth pony picked up the filly and placed the poor thing on her back. “Ah should have never let ya sing this stupid song!” She turned her attention to the fearful crowd. “And ya’ll should stop pryin’ into our gosh darn lives! Go away all of ya!”

Pinkie Pie’s hair deflated, feeling responsible for making a foal cry. “Wha? B-but, I-I didn’t...” the pink pony stammered, tears welling in her eyes. “I didn’t mean to.”

Applejack stormed away angrily. “I didn’t mean to ain’t gonna cut it, ya should leave ‘er alone for Pete’s sake!” she roared through gritted teeth. After she distanced herself from Pinkie, she turned her attention back to her daughter. “Come on sugar cube. Let’s head home.”

Looking back through her blurry vision, Olive saw the pink pony fall on her flank, devastated by what she had just done. The regretful and sad look on her face made the filly cry even more, this time a new sadness adding to her already big lists of sorrows.

I killed their friendship and I can’t stop laughing!
I... wait, the song’s already over? Oh, party-pooper.

“Tia... I believe you are overreacting.”

“Overreacting? Lulu, you’re bleeding! Somepony’s attacked you!”

Luna sighed. “That’s not what I meant, sister.” She pointed a hoof at the comically large number of doctors present in the room. “I’m talking about the doctors you’ve brought in. I’m fairly certain one would have sufficed.”

Celestia’s eyes darted around the many doctors present, each of them unwilling to say anything regarding the situation. “Yes, I believe I may have overreacted. I thought the wound was worse than it turned out to be.”

The lunar princess chuckled. “So did I.” Staring again at the doctors, she added. “Perhaps you should send all of them back to the hospital. I believe I’m no longer in need of medical attention.” To this, the doctors nodded in approval.

“Very well, you can all return to your hospital. I apologise for the inconvenience.” Celestia gave the ponies a warm smile as they left Luna’s bedroom. “Lulu, what happened?”

Luna stared blankly at her bandaged leg. “I got into a fight in the dreamscape.”

Celestia blinked. “That can’t be it, right? It’s impossible.”

“That’s what I thought, but there’s no other explanation. If somepony did in fact bit me during the night, the pain would have snapped me out of the dreamscape.” Luna’s brows furrowed. “Something about this stallion’s isn’t right.”

“What stallion?” Celestia pushed.

“The one I got into a fight with.” The alicorn gritted her teeth. “He’s no pony. Only a monster would commit such atrocities without batting an eye.”

The tall alicorn winced. “So he’s a criminal. Do you have Looking Glass on the case?”

“Indeed, moreover we’ve also brought your ex-pupil Twilight Sparkle into the case. I hope you’re okay with this.”

Celestia cringed. “I’m... going to allow this, but on the condition that you watch over her, make sure she doesn’t wrap herself in too much trouble. The dark side of Equestria is much more dangerous than she could imagine.”

Luna smiled. “I already am. You should know I care much about our subjects and friends.” The alicorn began to get up from her seated position. Her leg still hurt but it was nothing she couldn’t handle. A look of protest began to draw on her sister’s face. “I won’t needlessly put myself into danger, Tia.”

Celestia opened her mouth, but the sound of the bedroom’s door slamming open stopped her from saying anything.

“Princess Luna!” Mango rushed to his princess, kneeling before her. He was one hundred percent sober which was a refreshing sight for the midnight blue alicorn. “I’ve heard you were injured, so I came in to check.”

“Do not fret.” Luna reassured. “It is nothing serious.”

“Nothing serious? You’ve been attacked in your own castle!” He briefly glanced at Celestia. “I'm really sorry! I should have done my job better!” He lowered his head and closed his eyes, expecting a punishment.

“Do not beat yourself over the head, Mango.” Luna consoled, gesturing at him to get up. “There was nothing you could have done to prevent this. This wound’s our fault.”

Captain Mango wanted to protest, but seeing Luna shaking her head finally got the message through his thick skull. “I see. Then I will reduce my cider consumption to better do my job.”

“That’ll be appreciated.”

Mango left the bedroom, leaving the two sisters alone. Not for long since Princess Celestia still had a long day of duties ahead of her. “Well, at least this incident got Mango to sober up.” she joked.

“Probably the only good that’ll come out of it, I fear.”

Author's Note

Oh, what a tragic turn of event.
Pinkie Pie had her heart broken with guilt and Olive is feeling the same way!
Applejack is terribly angry at her friend, and maybe so at her brother too for he participated in the song.
Anarchy had succeeded in stirring up some conflict. My God, what an asshole...

14. Reconciliation

The trek back home was a painful one. The incident in front of the pharmacy damaged her new daughter. Terrified, humiliated, Applejack worried that this would result in a growing fear of going out in town. Their house was nicely placed on the edge of Ponyville, but simply going outside wasn’t enough, the filly needed to feel safe inside the town itself. It would be unhealthy for her to stay indoors, especially when she’ll inevitable have to go to school alongside the other foals. The wind howled with sorrow, further nailing in Applejack’s guilt.

Olive’s cries died down, now reduced to the occasional sob. Seeing her daughter like this made her heart break. This was supposed to be a special day, a happy day for the both of them. And now, because of Pinkie’s antics, it was ruined.

Entering her home, she said nothing as she passed by Granny Smith, her attention completely on Olive. The old mare heard her coming and turned around with a bright smile on her face. “Ah Applejack! Ah see ya’ve...” she stopped when she noticed the filly resting on her grand-daughter's back. The fur below her eyes were drenched in tears. “Oh dear... what in the hay happened?”

Ignoring Granny’s concern, Applejack kneeled. “Hey sugar cube, we’re here.” Olive wiped the remaining tears off her eyes and slowly descended from the mare’s back, her legs slightly trembling. The filly’s head remained lowered, unable to look at anypony in the eyes.

“That’s yer new home. Ah hope ya like it.”

No answer, Olive stayed silent trying to fight her tears from resurfacing.

Applejack felt a hoof touch her shoulder. “Applejack? What happened?” Granny Smith said, her voice riddled with worries.

The orange mare took a deep breath. “Pinkie Pie, that’s what happened.”

Granny Smith blinked. “Huh? How could Pinkie be responsible fo’ this?”

“She sang a song to Olive, but it, uh, attracted lots of attention.” Applejack started, occasionally checking on her motionless daughter. “A large crowd formed ‘round ‘er. It was too much; she couldn’t handle it. She couldn’t handle it and Pinkie wouldn’t take the hint.” her voice turned into a growl upon mentioning her friend’s name. “That darn pony always views the world with rose tinted glasses, always invades our personal spaces and craves fo’ attention! If she’d just stop to think, then this kind of humiliation wouldn’t happen!”

“Calm down there, Aj.” Granny Smith harshly said, though her voice didn’t raise in the slightest. “Yer only scaring yer daughter with all that shouthin’!”

Applejack’s heavy breaths slowed down. She looked back at Olive who now closed her eyes, sniffling. Regret immediately washed over her, though that didn’t last long when the front door opened again. This time, it was Big Mac who entered. Upon seeing the big stallion, Aj shot a glare at him. “Big Mac.” Her voice was heavy, angry and deceptively calm.

The stallion was no fool for he began to sweat upon seeing his sister approach him with a cold look in her eyes. “Ah’d like ta have a word with ya.”

Big Mac gulped. “E-yup?”

Applejack took a deep breath, trying not to snap with Olive around. “First off; Ah’d like ta know why ya were over at Ponyville instead of bein’ at the farm.”

Granny Smith raised a displeased eyebrow. “What?”

Big Mac gulped. “Uh, Ah was...” He couldn’t think of a convincing lie, not that it would work with her sister being the interrogator. She was always good at busting lies. “Ah wanted ta buy some treats.”

“Buy some treats?” Granny Smith closed the distance. “Couldn’t ya have waited just a little longer, hmm? There’s still a lotta work ta do and yer ditching it for some candi-”

Applejack raised her hoof, cutting her granny off. “That ain’t what it’s about. So, you were in Ponyville, and despite all ta things Ah’ve said about Olive, ya still joined the crowd.” She pointed a hoof at the filly in the back. “Well look what ya did! First day home and ya make ‘er cry in public! Nice going!”

Discombobulated by this turn of event, Big Mac desperately looked around until his eyes met those of Olive. The filly rapidly broke eye contact, staring at the floor. In that moment, the stallion realised what was going on. “A-Ah just wo-wanted to s-sing!” he said, stumbling over his words.

“Just wanted to sing?” Applejack growled. “So ya think singin’s more important than the well bein’ of mah daughter?!”

“N-No! That ain’t what Ah meant!” Big Mac jerked back, growing more nervous by the second.

“Then what exactly were ya thinkin’?!” Applejack stomped.

Olive ran upstairs, unable to take it anymore. The floor creaked with each step taken, snapping Applejack out of her verbal rampage. Watching the filly disappears, the earth pony realised the terrible she’s just made. Even though Granny Smith warned her, she let her anger get the better of her. “Oh no...”

Big Mac looked utterly disappointed in himself, as he trotted towards the front door. “Ah... Ah’m going back to work.”
Applejack’s eyes began to water. “What did Ah do?” she croaked.

Granny Smith frowned; she wasn’t fast enough to break the rising tension and that only served to make their family look terrible in front of the filly. “We messed up big time.”

Tears streamed down Applejack’s freckled face as she stared silently at the staircase, wracked with guilt. Her breaths were getting heavy.

“Ya’ve made a mistake and that’s okay. Ya can still set things right, girl.” Granny Smith consoled. “Look in mah eyes.” she asked, and Applejack complied. “In times of need, this filly will need somepony to turn to, and that somepony is you, Applejack. So wipe these tears away and have a talk with yer daughter.”

Applejack did as her granny instructed and climbed a few steps before stopping to look at the old mare with a thankful expression.

“If ye need me with anythin’, Ah’ll be down in the kitchen.”

And with that, Applejack went upstairs in search of Olive.

It wasn’t hard to find out where she went. This floor was quiet, except for the distinct crying coming out of Apple Bloom’s bedroom. Rainsing a hoof towards the doorknob, Applejack hesitated before gathering the strength to go in.

There on the carpet, lied a curled-up mess of a pony, crying uncontrollably. The earth pony cautiously approached the filly, sitting beside her. Next to her was the Saddle Rager toy Aj had generously bought for her. Applejack picked it up and placed within her daughter’s hooves.

Olive stopped crying to look at the toy. The earth pony wrapped a hoof around the filly, bringing the little one closer to her chest. “Ah’m sorry ya had to see this. Ah shouldn’t have raised mah voice while ya were here.”

Olive kicked the floor to pull herself closer to her mother, her ears perked up to listen.

“Ah only wanted ta be a good mother, but Ah can see Ah still have some things to learn.” Applejack felt the filly’s grip tightening. “Ah only want what’s best for ya, sugar cube. Ah really do.” Her voice hitched. “I-It’s a bad start, Ah know, but Ah promise Ah’ll make it up for this.” The earth pony’s eyes were now watering. “Ah’m so sorry for scaring ya... So so sorry.”

Olive sobbed uncontrollably, but despite the constant stream of tears, she fought back to respond. “N-No... I-I-I'm sorry.”

Perplexed, Applejack gave a light chuckle. “What’re ye sorry for? Ah’m in the wrong here.”

“No, i-it’s my fault you yelled a-at Big M-M-Mac.” Olive stuttered, pulling back from her mother. Her eyes were now red. “A-And at Pinkie Pie. I ruined everything!”

Applejack gave her a reassuring smile. “Olive, ya didn’t ruin anything.” she softly said. “Just because Ah’ve yelled at Big Mac doesn’t mean Ah hate ‘im. This happens quite often when ya’re with your family, but no matter what happens, we’ll always love each other. ‘Cause there’s nothing stronger than family.”

“B-But what about Pinkie?” Olive asked, her sad expression still remaining. “I made you hate her!”

“Aw, ya didn’t make me hate ‘er. Friendships aren’t perfect too.” Applejack said, wiping her daughter’s tears away. “Even if she made you cry in front of everypony, Ah still love her. Ah see now we were both in the wrong back there.”

“Doesn’t change the fact that I made her sad.” Olive lamented.

Applejack’s smile faded away. “No, Ah believe Ah’ve made ‘er sad. Ah probably shouldn’t have yelled at ‘er too, not while ya were ‘ere.” Her daughter looked up to her with a pleading look in her eyes. Aj already understood what she wanted. “Y-Yeah, Ah should apologise to Pinkie.”

“I want to apologise to her too!” Olive insisted. “She wanted to make me happy and in return I made her sad. I broke her feelings, so I have to fix this!”

Applejack couldn’t help but smile. “Yer a kind filly, sugar cube.”

Olive reached her hooves out to Aj. "Five seconds of love?"

The earth pony chuckled. "Can't say no to tha'!"

A few seconds of silence later, the two left the bedroom and trotted downstairs. Olive remained closely behind Applejack’s legs; her eyes completely focused on the floor. Just before the two left, Applejack looked at Granny Smith who noticed their leave. They exchanged a silent nod before the two went outside.

Big Macintosh was repairing the broken fence rather slowly. His movements had little determination for his mind was somewhere else entirely. He didn’t have the heart to keep on going with this task.

“Well, sugar cube. Ah don’t suppose ya want ta say somethin’ to Big Mac?” Olive lifted her head, saw the stallion and made a beeline to him.

Once she got to him, she stopped mere inches before her new uncle. Big Mac noticed her, quitting his work to stare back. He had a nervous and guilty look on his face. Preferring to remain silent, he stood there, waiting for something to happen.

Olive looked off to the side, unable to maintain eye contact as she was struggling to think of what to say. “I’m sorry.” she simply said.

Big Mac blinked. “Sorry fo’ what?”

The filly rushed his leg and hugged him. The stallion jerked back, before smiling. “For making you feel bad. Please don’t be sad.” She added. “I don’t like seeing sad ponies.”

Big Mac gently caressed her mane. “Heh, all is forgiven.” He said, even though he never blamed her for anything. He just knew that it was the right thing to say to make the filly feel better. In the corner of his eyes, he saw his sister standing in the back, watching on with a bright smile on her face. He returned the smile. The dark cloud over his head had vanished.

Once the hug was over, Olive returned to her mother. “Let’s go to Sugar Cube Corner. Ah’m certain we’ll find Pinkie there.”

Applejack and Olive stood before Sugar Cube Corner, the place was as colorful and vibrant as ever, but on the inside... it was clear some life was missing from this jolly shop. Miss Cake was behind the counter instead of Pinkie Pie, looking worried. Mister Cake was absent, most likely taking care of the foals upstairs.

Seeing the two approach the counter, Miss Cake mustered up the brightest smile she could. “Hello Applejack! It’s good to see you!” Her eyes immediately locked on the filly by the orange mare’s side. “Oh! Is this your daughter?”

Applejack smiled, of course Pinkie told them about Olive. “E-yup, Ah just got ‘er out of Ponyville General an hour ago.”

“I can say you’re lucky she’s already grown up a bit. Taking care of a baby is a tough fight, even for us.” Miss Cake giggled.

“So, what will you take?”

Applejack began to feel a tad uncomfortable. “Actually, Ah didn’t come to order somethin’. Ah came to talk with Pinkie.”

Miss Cake’s cheerful attitude waned. “Oh... S-She's upstairs.” The earth pony’s expression further amplified Applejack’s guilt.

“Is it okay if we go upstairs?” she asked.

“You’re here to cheer her up? That’ll be awfully nice.” Miss Cake smiled was now completely gone. “She just came in with the most heart breaking look I’ve ever seen on a pony’s face, and her hair was also deflated. Nothing good comes from a Pinkie with deflated hair. I’ll gladly let you go up.” she finished, pointing a hoof at the stairs.

“Thanks.”

Applejack and her daughter awkwardly climbed the stairs of Sugar Cube Corner. On the upper floor, they trotted towards Pinkie’s room where her muffled voice could be heard. The orange mare placed her ear on the door to make out her words.

“Oh Gummy... I really really really messed up! I made Applejack’s new daughter cry in front of everypony and made my best friend furious.” Objects were shuffled around mixed in with the sound of an alligator hissing. “What should I do? Throw a sorry party? Give her a nice apology gift? Oh! I just don’t what to do... I’ve ruined our friendship.”

No longer able to bear her guilt, Applejack knocked on the door. “Uh, P-Pinkie?” There was nothing but silence. And then, a couple of quiet hoofsteps. The doorknob twisted and her friend’s face poked through the crack.

Pinkie’s eyes widened, and she immediately slammed the door shut.

“W-Wait! Pinkie!”

On the other side, Pinkie Pie rested her back on the door, sliding down to the floor. Her head was lowered as her eyes were staring at the floor. Gummy crawled over to her, resting on her lap.

“Listen, Ah came here to apologise.”

Pinkie’s face lit up, lifting her head up. “Y... You do?” The door opened again. This time, Pinkie didn’t retreat into her room.

Seeing the glimmer of hope in the pink pony’s eyes made Applejack feel even worse about herself. “Yeah, Ah do.”

Seeing the little filly nervously shuffling around Applejack made Pinkie crack a weak smile, inviting them in her room. Once they entered, the pink pony let out a deep sigh. “I also want to apologise for getting carried away during my song. I should have paid more attention to her.”

Applejack gave her a comforting hug. “Ah forgive ya, Pinkie. Ah shouldn’t have yelled at ya and called yer song stupid. It’s a great song.” She let out a few tears stream down her face.

Pinkie felt something pull on her leg. As she looked down, she saw Olive trying to get her attention. Remembering how badly she scared the little filly, she kneeled before the young pony. “I am-”

“I’m sorry.” Pinkie blinked. Olive apologised?

“S-Sorry?”

Olive rubbed her mane with her hoof. “I made you feel bad about yourself. It’s my fault you’re sad.”

“Wait so what you’re telling me is...” Pinkie roused herself from her lethargic state. “you’re not angry at me?” The filly shook her head.

A large smile began to form on the pink pony, her hair swelling like a balloon. In a matter of seconds, her vibrant pink color reappeared. “Why didn’t you tell me earlier?” She asked, picking the filly up in an overly affectious hug.

“Hey careful now, Pinkie!” Applejack warned. Her worries were put at ease when she noticed that her daughter looked happier now.

Seeing the smile on Olive’s face, Pinkie giggled. “Auntie Pinkie never fails to turn that frown upside down.” She brought the filly closer to nuzzle her, with the small pony giggling in return.

Applejack stayed behind for a while, watching the two reconciliate after their bad first meeting. “Heh, all's well that ends well.”

Canterlot, the great capital of Equestria. A city filled with life, booming with business and joy... for the most part. Like any major city in the continent, there are some shady things going on in the dark. It can happen anywhere, even in broad daylight.

Take this small café here. It looks innocent enough, what with the jolly owners and the happy customers. However, two of these customers outside are up to no good. They look fairly average, but the things they are discussing are anything but average. This mare and this stallion are eyeballing anypony who passes by this café.

“So what now? What’re we doing here?” the gruff stallion asked.

“Waiting.” The French mare grumbled. “for the boss to come to town. Ça va bientôt être la fête.”

The gruff stallion emptied his cup of coffee. “Great, we’ll finally see some action around here. These last few days were boring.”

“I’d wager they weren’t so bad. It’s been a while since I’ve got to go to a place that’s fancier than the gutters.” The French one argued.

“You do realise our goal here is to burn it all down, Dreamcatcher? Why’d you join us if you love fancy places so much.”

The French pony looked at him in annoyance. “I already told you it was because of a personal grudge. I suggest you stop trying to pry into my life.” She tapped the pocked of his suit, where she carefully placed a razor blade inside.

“Tough luck, Frenchie. You’re not gonna scare me. The boss’s the only pony that scares me.” The gruff stallion chuckled.

“Why? Because he broke your wife’s leg?”

The gruff stallion’s eyes widened. He stood up from his seat and grabbed the Frenchie by the neck. “Wha- How the hay do you know that?!”

“Calm down, you’re attracting unwanted attention to us.” The French mare said, looking unfazed by his companion’s outburst. The other pony let go and slumped back in his chair, his eyes shooting daggers into the French pony. “It’s no secret that the boss has a big mouth.”

The gruff stallion gritted his teeth but chose to say nothing.

The two remained silent, awkwardly silent as Dreamcatcher slowly drank her coffee. This awkward moment was broken when they saw a prominent figure pass by the café, at least for them. The figure, despite its tall stature, tried to look as innocent as possible.

A wave of nervousness washed over the smaller stallion; it was Strong Hoof. The massive beast of a pony sat down at their table, but due to his size, he simply opted to sit on the floor.

“Aren’t you afraid to attract unwanted attention?” the gruff stallion asked.

“The circus is in town. As such, I am expected to be here.” Strong Hoof responded. During the night, he was a bloodthirsty psychopath who was at the beck and call of Anarchy. As for the day? He was a circus performer, known for his impressive size and strength, the perfect cover. What wasn’t known to the public, however, was that this circus was a front for the Anarchists. Yes, it’s true when they say that they’ve got eyes everywhere.

“I hope you only came here to get a coffee.” The French mare chuckled. “I don’t believe I screwed up recently.”

Strong Hoof frowned, his face darkening. “Our boss is frustrated as of late, but this can be attributed to the failure at the Everfree Forest. Still, I'm glad this happened. I had a score to settle with that runt. Blood can only be repaid with blood.”

“We didn’t fail, right? We took care of the fillies, didn’t we?” the gruff stallion asked, lowering his voice.

“We did, but the fillies’s escape wasn’t supposed to happen. Anarchy's still peeved about that. The next time something goes wrong, he’s going to do worse than to break a mare’s leg.” Strong Hoof corrected. The gruff stallion cringed at that last statement. “Tonight, we’ll see what he’ll do, and we’ll adapt. He can be rather... frightening when he’s upset.”

“He’s going to make some noise for sure. Ça va barder.”

Author's Note

And that's another chapter done!
Now, it's time to bring the Cutie Mark Crusaders into the mix! Yeah, Apple Bloom wasn't home 'cause she was at school, in case you were wondering.

15. Secret Society

Another day of school, another lecture to sit through. You’d be hard pressed to find any foal that finds school to be fun, well, in general. Recess is fun, lunch time is fun, but they sure don’t find the classes to be much fun. For this day, it was even worse for the Cutie Mark Crusaders.

For almost a full week, they’ve been hearing nothing but stories about the new filly in town. Despite the hospital’s staff best effort to keep things private, the tales have leaked. Many foals, adults even were talking about her, the filly with a dark past. Such stories always catch the attention of everypony. I mean, who doesn’t love a pony with a mysterious past?

Apple Bloom just couldn’t keep it together anymore. Her legs were constantly moving around under her desk, her mind was somewhere else entirely so much that her friends had to remind her to pay attention, else she’ll be scolded by Cheerilee.

Then, a heavenly sound rang in her ears. The bell, it was time to leave! A horde of foals rushed out of the schoolhouse whilst Cheerilee waved them goodbye. The sun was shining brighter than it had ever did. Apple Bloom could just feel it share her excitement.

“Hey, don’t go too fast!” Sweetie Belle panted. Apple Bloom was running a marathon there, almost leaving the unicorn behind.

Scootaloo looked behind, noticing that their friend was far back. Completely out of breath, she was running with all the grace of a sloth in a 100-meter dash. “We should probably slow down for Sweetie Belle. I don’t think she can keep up with our speed.”

Apple Bloom stopped, running excitedly in place. “C’mon Sweetie, aren’t ya excited to meet mah new sister? Ah sure am!”

“So am I but...” Sweetie Belle kneeled over, trying to catch her breath. “I don’t want to pass out on the way to Sweet Apple Acre!”

“Hey I know!” a metaphorical light bulb appeared over Scootaloo’s head. “Apple Bloom can carry you on her back to her house!”

“How about no? That’s too embarrassing. Especially considering...” Sweetie Belle tilted her head to the side, pointing with her eyes at the two fillies walking behind them.

“Ugh, Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon.” Apple Bloom groaned. “Ah bet they’ll pick on mah new sister once they see she’s got a blank flank too!”

“These gosh darn hooligans.” Scootaloo said, imitating the Apple twang.

Sweetie Belle giggled. “Think she’ll pick up on your twang? I mean, she’s probably gonna be here for a long time.”

“Hey, whatcha talking about, blank flanks?” The Crusaders froze. “Oh let me guess, the filly with a dark and mysterious past?” Diamond Tiara had approached them without their notice, of course, accompanied by her hype pony.

“Ooh! So moody!” Silver Spoon added. “Hey Tiara, you think this filly’s gonna be all serious and grumpy being all like ‘muh dark past!’.”

“Hey! Knock it off!” Scootaloo shouted. “You haven’t even met her!”

“That’s no way to speak about somepony who’s gone through hardships!” Sweetie Belle added.

“Ya talk ‘bout mah sister like that; yer gonna catch them hooves!” Apple Bloom warned, raising a menacing hoof.

“Make me catch them hooves. Ah’ll tell yer parents ‘bout it.” Diamond Tiara leaned closer, mocking the Apple’s twang.

Apple Bloom gritted her teeth, and her friends feared for the worst. “Yeah whatever, Ah’ve got better things to do anyway. Oh, like maybe brushing my beautiful mane, gazing into a mirror, shining off mah tiara and bein’ a pretty princess.”

Diamond Tiara glared. “I won’t let that one slide, blank flank. Tomorrow, I’ll embarrass you in front of the whole class.”

“Yeah, you better be afraid, blank flanks! It’s going to be so bad that you’ll choose death over going to school!” Silver Spoon added. “One more time?”

Diamond Tiara smirked. “With pleasure.” The two fillies shook their flanks in the Crusader’s faces and shouted in unison. “Blank flanks!”

The Cutie Mark Crusaders watched the two bullies leave satisfied. Once they were far enough, they continued their walk back to Sweet Apple Acre.

“We can always count on these two bullies to kill the mood.” Scootaloo glowered.

“Let’s forget about them, we’ve got a new member of the Cutie Mark Crusader to greet!” Sweetie Belle said on a more positive note.

“Sure, but we’re runnin’ there.” Apple Bloom informed.

“Oh come on! Can’t we just walk?” Sweetie Belle protested.

“Hmm... well-”

A catchy jingle caught their attention. Closeby, there was a stand with a vendor standing at the counter. He was accompanied by a radio which played a nice tune.

“Press those lips against the only one that truly moves you. Speed Cola speeds up your life!”

“You’re drinking this, Sweetie Belle.” Scootaloo bluntly said.

“What?”

“Now, Ah’m gonna need ya to hold still, sugar cube.”

Inside the bathroom, Applejack sat the filly down on the carpet. This was the moment she was most nervous for, changing her daughter’s bandages. A delicate process that could easily hurt the poor filly if handled poorly. Understandably, she was a little hesitant to do it at first.

Thankfully, Olive listened to her every command without any reluctance present in her expression. That at least took some stress off Applejack’s shoulders.

“Ah’m gonna start with the head. If this hurts, just let me know, okay?”

The filly nodded nervously. She never really liked pain, although she was quite resistant to it.

So, Applejack got to work. She started taking the bandages off when Olive groaned, closing her eyes in pain.

“Ah! Ah’m really sorry! Ah’ll be more careful from now on.” Applejack blurted out. This time, she gingerly took it off. Much to her surprise, there was no wound in sight. Her head was perfectly fine, except for the obvious pain the filly was feeling. She smiled, grabbing a nearby mirror to show her daughter the good news. “Hey look! It’s all better now!”

Olive smiled, happy to finally have the bandage off for good. She caressed her now freed forehead. Now, Applejack had to move onto the worst one yet, the side area. Swallowing a lump in her throat, she got to work removing that bad boy. The earth pony feared what she would find once the bandage would be off. A large nasty open wound drenched in blood was what she expected, but thankfully the sight was marginally better.

On the filly’s side lied a nasty pale scar indicating that a shanking took place in that area. Olive noticed the strange looks Applejack was making and began to worry. “Is... Is it bad?” she croaked.

Applejack’s eyes widened slightly. “Uh, well... it’s better than Ah expected. Ya should take a look.” She oriented the mirror in a way that the filly could see her side. She stared blankly for a couple of seconds, then a look of horror drew on her face. Covering her side with her tail, she lowered her head sadly.

“What’s wrong?” Applejack gingerly asked.

“It’s ugly. I look ugly with this.” Olive complained out of shame.

“Yeah, Ah know this doesn’t look pretty, but at least it’s not bleedin’ anymore.” Applejack said, trying to sound positive.

“I can’t let anypony see this, I look disgusting with this!” Olive said, raising her voice in distress.

This behavior was reminiscent of Rarity, a thought that amused the orange mare. She gave her daughter a reassuring smile. “Okay, how ‘bout Ah patch it up until it goes away? That way, nopony will see it.”

Olive nodded rapidly, a gesture that looked adorable to her mother.

Applejack grabbed a nearby roll of bandage and looked at it for a few seconds. “Ah ain’t the greatest at first aid, but Ah promise Ah’ll try mah best to patch ya up.” Applying the bandage, the mare noticed that it caused the filly much less pain than the one on her head. “Hey, do ya get headaches often?”

“Yes.” Olive responded.

“Do ya want me to give ya some painkillers?” The filly shook her head immediately.

“No, the painkillers are bad. They make me see things that aren’t there.”

Applejack blinked, forgetting that she was in the middle of wrapping the bandage around her daughter. “Wait, what do ya mean by; see things that aren’t there?”

Olive’s lips quivered. “Wel- Uh... D-Daddy always comes back when I take these.” she stammered, pointing at the bottle on the sink.

“H-Hold on now.” Applejack slid back to look at her daughter in the eyes. “Did ya by any chance take the painkillers before ya left the hospital?”

“Y-Yes...” Olive croaked, avoiding her mother’s eyes. “I-I saw him replace Pinkie Pie when she sang to me.” the filly already knew where the mare was going with this.

“Aw, ya poor thin’. “Applejack nuzzled her daughter. “Ah’ll try to get a different prescription for ya. One with a little less side effect.”

Feeling the affectionate warmth of her mother, Olive giggled. “You’re the best mother ever!”

“And yer the best daughter ever, sugar cube.” Applejack complimented. She felt a different kind of joy and pride, one that she never could have received before, and it was all thanks to this filly.

The door swung open, and three fillies trotted in. Each looked terribly excited for this fateful meeting. Sweetie Belle opened the trash can and threw her bottle in, but the sugar overdose brought by her drink caused her to miss, forcing her to do it again but slower. Granny Smith was sitting on her rocking chair, calmly reading a book. On the radio, a song was playing. The three crusaders already heard it plenty of times before. The famous love song of the great musician Jolly Melody. His tunes often played on the radio in the afternoon. Sad how he went missing many moons ago.

“Howdy Granny!” Apple Bloom greeted, tapping her hooves repeatedly against the wooden floor. “Where is she? Where is she?”

Granny Smith put down her book. “Now slow down there, youngin’. Y’all see ‘er when she’ll be ready.”

“Heh, that’s alright. We can be patient.” Scootaloo scoffed. “... but seriously though, where is she?”

The old mare grumbled. “In the bathroom with Applejack, but tha’ don’t mean to rush to ‘er just ye-”

Too late, the Crusaders set out to reach their new objective as quickly as possible. Celestia knows almost nothing can stop them when they've got their minds set on something.

“Eh- Be gentle with ‘er gals!”

Stopping before the divine bathroom, the three fillies paced around in anticipation. “What are they doing in there?” Sweetie Belle asked, unable to keep it to herself. The pitter patter of their hooves made the floor creak repeatedly. In their current state, they were little balls of excitement, bouncing around in place.

“I don’t know, Applejack’s probably teaching her something like how to wipe herself.” Scootaloo guessed.

“Ew, Ah don’t wanna see this.” Apple Bloom responded. “But Ah doubt that’s what they’re doin’.”

Something came back to Sweetie Belle’s mind, and she decided to share it with her friends. “I heard from the other ponies that she blew up a bathroom at the hospital.”

“What?!” Scootaloo screamed. “Are we about to meet a weapon of mass destruction?”

“Oh right, Ah nearly forgot ‘bout tha’.” Apple Bloom muttered.

“Forgot?! How can you forget something like this?” Scootaloo got up in her face. “I wasn’t told your sister was this violent!”

“W-Well Applejack told us it was just an accident.” Apple Bloom responded, her head pulled back.

“Apple Bloom? Are y’all waitin’ by the door?” The Cutie Mark Crusaders froze and stared at the door. Applejack undoubtedly heard them. Alongside the voice of the mare, they could hear a soft young voice, around their age, speak out to the earth pony.

“Is Apple Bloom my sister?”

The yellow filly smiled, her eyes beaming with excitement to the point that you could see literal stars in them. “Yep! That’s me! C’mon, Applejack, let us see mah new sister!”

“Sure thing, but ya might wanna take a few step back, Ah know yer pressin’ yer face against the door.”

Apple Bloom moved back, waiting with bathed breath as the door slowly opened. Applejack left the bathroom and waited for Olive to finally show her face to the Crusaders. A pearly white mane, a beautiful rose coat, a freckled face and with olive-colored eyes to boot, she was the most innocent being they’ve ever laid their eyes on.

"Uh, you sure this filly destroyed an entire bathroom?" Scootaloo asked.

Sweetie Belle looked in the filly's eyes, mesmerized. "Woah, she has beautiful eyes..."

Apple Bloom wasted no time jumping on the occasion to hug her new sister like a plushie. Olive jerked back out of surprise, but after being caught in the earth pony’s embrace, chose to reciprocate the hug. The unicorn’s hug felt oddly mechanical, unsure, but the gesture was there nonetheless.

“Howdy! Mah name’s Apple Bloom! Ah’m your sister now!” The earth pony gave her a hoofshake, forgetting to be careful with her strength as she was practically lifting the unicorn up and down.

Olive blinked, not knowing what to do. A quick gaze over to her mother told the filly that she should probably introduced herself, even though she didn’t understand why she should. Apple Bloom already know who she was, so what was the point? “Uh... I-I’m Olive.” she sheepishly said after a while, her cheeks turning a little red before all the attention she was receiving.

The white unicorn trotted forward. “And I’m Sweetie Belle!”

“And the one with the totally rad scooter is Scootaloo!”

Scooter, Scootaloo. “Ah, I get it.” Olive mumbled incoherently.

Applejack smiled. “Well, considerin’ ya’ve got nothin’ else planned for the day, Ah suppose Ah’ll let ya get acquainted with yer new friends!”

“My new friends?” the filly questioned innocently.

“Yeah, we’re your friends!” Sweetie Belle exclaimed.

“Already?”

Scootaloo looked confused. “Well, yeah. I mean, you also have a blank flank, just like us. So, we’ve got something in common.”

Meeting somepony with a blank flank equals new friend, got it. “Oh, that makes sense.”

Applejack giggled, the fact that kids can start long lasting friendships over the littlest things was just so endearing. She knew that Olive’s kindness and consideration for others would let her get along just well with the Cutie Mark Crusaders. Who knows, maybe she has a taste for adventures too? “Well, Ah’ll be goin’ to work. Olive, if ya need me for anythin’, Ah’ll be outside.”

The orange mare trotted away, looking back at the unicorn one last time. She wasn’t chasing after her like she’d expected. In fact, she looked perfectly fine with it. A good thing, that should make her first experience at school easier. Applejack thought. So, as long as her daughter knew where she was, there should be no problems.

Scootaloo smirked. “Hey Olive.” The unicorn looked at her with fisheyes. “Want us to show you something cool?”

The Cutie Mark Crusader’s clubhouse, their most prized possession. Olive was pleasantly surprised when she looked at its outside. It was clear that they had some help with older ponies to build such a beauty. Simple in design, cozy in appearance, it looked like the perfect hangout spot. “I know, pretty cool right?” Scootaloo pridefully said. “We build it ourselves!”

“With Applejack’s help.” Olive responded.

“Uh, was that a question or a statement?” Sweetie Belle asked, confused.

“Both?”

Apple Bloom was the first to hop on the ramp leading inside. “Since ye’ll be stayin’ with us for a while, we’ve got ta show ya somethin’.”

Olive’s curiosity peaked. What were they going to show her? She rarely got any surprise before, so it felt exciting to her.

On the inside, it looked even better than before. It did show its age on a few spots where the paint was missing, but in general, it looked inviting. Most interesting were the podiums on the other side of the clubhouse. Olive stared at them for a while, which clued the three other fillies to get in position. Standing behind each of the podiums, the three fillies dawned on their cool cape. The new filly stared at them, not knowing what’s going on. She had about as much knowledge of the situation as a golf ball in a sewage canal.

“Now that yer officially an Apple, it’s time ta start yer ini-thiay-tion.” Apple Bloom started.

“Ini-thiay-tion?” Olive questioned, tilting her head to the side.

Apple Bloom nodded. “Yes! Ye see, the three of us have started a secret society-”

Olive’s ears perked up. “You burn down buildings too?”

“What? No, we don’t! Where did you get that idea from?” Sweetie Belle responded, sounding a little horrified.

“I thought that’s what secret societies do.” Olive bluntly responded.

Scootaloo gave the earth pony a disapproving look. “Is she gonna start some trouble?”

Pressed to prove that her sister was no monster, Apple Bloom asked her a question. “Uh, were ye part of a secret society before?”

Olive looked uncomfortable. “N-Not exactly, my dad formed a secret society of his own. He called it ‘The Anarchists’.”

Sweetie Belle leaned close to the yellow filly. “Should we be concerned about this?” she whispered.

“Yes, but let’s just finish the ceremony first.” Apple Bloom whispered back before turning her attention back to the newcomer. “Anyway, we formed our own ‘club’ reserved to foals who don’t have their Cutie Mark yet, like you!”

Olive gazed at her flank.

“We are... the Cutie Mark Crusaders!”

“Will I get a cool cape?” Olive said with excitement in her voice.

“Of course you will! I can ask my sister to make a new one just for you!” Sweetie Belle exclaimed, proudly showing off her cape.

Olive looked around her sides, still covered in bandages. “Is it okay? I don’t have any money on me.”

“It is!” Sweetie Belle quickly answered. “She’ll gladly make it for free!”

“Even if she gets nothing out of it, she’ll make it?” Olive couldn’t wrap her head around it.

“Yep! That’s because she loves to make clothes!”

Olive’s mouth opened. “Oh, I think I get it.”

“Can we stop getting' sidetracked, gals? We’ve got to finish our ini-thiay-tion!” Apple Bloom said, banging her hooves on the podium to get everypony’s attention. “So, our goal is to find our Cutie Mark together! We’re really happy to count you as our fifth member!”

Olive rapidly looked around the clubhouse, spinning around in circle. “I’m the fifth?”

“Yeah well, our fourth member, which is mah cousin by the way, she lives in Manehattan. She sadly can’t be here to welcome you in.”

“Ah...”

Scootaloo hopped over her podium, moving towards their fifth member. “Welcome to the club.” She exclaimed, playfully hitting her side. Olive strangely rubbed the exact spot she was touched afterward.

“We’re gonna have so much fun!” Apple Bloom exclaimed, joining the two.

“So, when are we going to start our next adventure?” Sweetie Belle asked.

“Saturday, which is the day after tomorrow.” Apple Bloom answered.

“The day after tomorrow?” Olive tilted her head to the side.

“Will you stop doing that?” Scootaloo said.

Olive blinked. “Stop doing what?”

“Stop repeating everything we say!”

“Repeating everything you say?” Olive looked at Apple Bloom. “I do that?”

Scootaloo facehoofed. “Yes! Ugh!”

The other fillies, however, found it funny. “Ah can tell we’re gonna get alon’ just fine!”

Apple bucking season just started, and now with the filly now safely at home with the other crusaders, Applejack could get to work on collecting her apples. On her way to the first apple tree, she looked up to the sky, noticing some clouds were starting to form. The pegasi did say there was gonna be a bad storm tonight. That was none of her business, and the storm wasn’t going to affect her or her family in any way, so she put her mind to the task at hoof.

“Aj!” A familiar voice caught her attention, it came from the sky. At the speed it was approaching, it certainly wasn’t Rainbow Dash.

“Twilight! What brings ya here?”

The alicorn landed near her and stopped to catch her breath. “I... heard, oof, about what happened in town...”

“Oh that?” Applejack bucked the tree with all her might. “Don’t worry ‘bout it, the problem’s already been solved.”

“Oh... Well, I’m sorry for disturbing you right as Apple bucking season start.” Twilight stretched out her wings, preparing to take off.

“Hold on.” The alicorn closed her wings. “While ya’re here, can we talk ‘bout Olive?”

“Uh sure, what do you want to know in particular?” Twilight asked.

Applejack bucked another tree. “Doctor, hmpf! Hoof wanted ya to search for what’s wron’ with mah daughter’s magic. Ah just want ta know how yer gonna go about it.”

Aw, she’s already calling this filly her daughter! Twilight thought with a smile before going to answer her friend’s worries.

“For that, I’m gonna need to use the same machines I used to decipher Pinkie’s stranger powers. Of course, I failed that time but I’m certain I can find a root cause for Olive’s magical outburst.” Twilight proudly said. "It's been a while since I've pulled them out."

Hearing about how Pinkie was strapped to all sorts of machinery from the pink pony herself made the mare feel unsure about this method. Applejack gave her an uncertain look. “Ah’m... not sure Ah’m okay with that.”

“I promise it won’t cause her any harm. Please Aj, I was asked by Doctor Hoof himself to work on this. I can’t afford to disappoint anypony, not as the Princess of Friendship.” Twilight promised, holding a hoof to her chest.

Applejack sighed. “Fine, Ah’ll allow it, but if somethin’ goes wrong with this, Ah’m gonna forbid this machinery thingamabob approach.”

Twilight Sparkle nodded. “I’ll make sure that won’t happen. I know how much she means to you, and I’ll try my best to help in any way I can.”

Applejack scoffed. “Help in any way ya can? Ye can start right now if ya want.”

Twilight blinked. “R-Right now?”

The earth pony lightly tapped the tree behind her, a sly smile forming on her face. “Apple buckin’, if ya don’t mind.”

The rest of the day flew by incredibly fast for Olive. One moment, she was in her sister’s clubhouse chatting with her friends and the next, she’s in bed. Applejack said she was going to have her own room, but that it wasn’t fully prepared just yet. As such, she’ll be sharing the room with Apple Bloom for the night and judging by the look on the yellow filly’s face, she was absolutely thrilled by this turn of event.

The sky outside was dark, cloudy and foreboding, but its eeriness didn’t reach the two sisters as they were more interested in talking. Applejack trotted in the room, turning off the lamp. The only source of light left came from the hallway that the orange mare stood in.

“Welp, goodnight ya two. Ah hope yer not gonna have any troubles sleepin’ together.”

Olive waved her hoof around. “Goodnight, mommy.”

The door closed, leaving the bedroom in complete darkness and silence were it not for the giggling of a filly. “That’s the first time Ah ever anypony call mah sister, ‘mommy’.”

Olive remained silent, trying to decipher whether it was meant to be a bad thing or a good thing.

“Anyhow, Ah’m super happy ya’re finally here. Ah thought Ah would be stuck as the youngest Apple forever!” Apple Bloom exclaimed.

“I’m the youngest?” Olive asked.

“Well, Ah’m not sure, actually.” Apple Bloom admitted, her legs swinging around underneath the blanket. “Ah just assumed ye were younger ‘cause yer new.”

“I’ve always been the youngest pony in every group I’ve been.” Olive said, the longest sentence she’s spoken to them for the entire day. “The only pony who was close to my age was my best friend, Aurora.”

“You have a best friend?” Apple Bloom asked, her smile growing larger. “When can we meet ‘er?”

Olive frowned, turning her head away. “I don’t know.”

“Ya don’t know? Where is yer friend? Do ya know where she is?”Apple Bloom asked in rapid fire succession.

“I don’t know, and the answer to the last question is still no.” Olive answered sadly. “She promised me she’ll come looking for me once I’ll be in Ponyville... I haven’t seen her since.”

“Maybe we can look for ‘er tomorrow? If yer not busy that is.” Apple Bloom proposed, kindness and consideration shining through her voice.

This forest will be your tomb. Nopony gets away with betrayal, traidor.

Aurora’s dead and I’m laughing. Ha!

Olive rolled around in the bed. “I don’t think we’ll find her, well... maybe she'll come back one day. J-Just save yourself for the trouble and forget about it.”

Apple Bloom looked devastated. “D-Did Ah say somethin’ wrong?” she asked in a slight panic.

“N-No, I appreciate it. I just don’t want to make you feel sad around me.” Olive admitted, her voice hitching. “I make too many ponies miserable when they talk to me.”

“That’s not true and ya know it!” Apple Bloom protested, rolling her sister around so she could look her in the eyes. “Ya made us all happy back at the clubhouse. Ah’m sure we’ll have lots of fun!”

Olive gave her a thankful smile as she turned her head around to gaze at the stars. “You’re going to school tomorrow?”

Apple Bloom sighed. “Yeah, like all colts and fillies in town.”

“I’ve never been to school. What’s it like?”

Apple Bloom cocked her head back. “It’s alright, Ah guess... It’s fun when ya get to play outside with yer friends, but the classes are often borin’. Trust me, ye weren’t missin’ out much.”

Olive looked back at the stars, her legs nervously swinging around, even touching those of her sister. “I’m scared to go to school. I’m nervous around other foals.”

“Huh? Why’s that?” Apple Bloom raised an eyebrow.

“I’ve been around adults all my life, I feel like I know how they think, but I understand nothing about ponies my age.” Olive responded.

Apple Bloom hugged her, letting her feel the warmth of her body. “Don’t worry ‘bout it! Ye’ll be goin’ with us Crusaders! Ya won’t be alone at school!”

Olive answered by hugging her sister back. "Five seconds of love!"

Light suddenly lit the room, making the two fillies pull back in surprise. “Aw, Apple Bloom.” Applejack cracked a smile before the adorable affection on display. “Ah know it’s exciting to be sleepin’ with Olive, but ya should chat tomorrow. Ya’ve got school tomorrow, remember?”

“Yeah, Ah know.” Apple Bloom said, disappointment filling her voice.

“And ya also got a big day ahead of ya, Olive.” Applejack continued. “Ah don’t want ya two ta be sleepy.”

Olive nodded. “We’re going to sleep now.”

“Alright, sugar cube, see ya tomorrow!”

Out in the streets of Canterlot, the air was still. There were no signs of life in the dark. No sound even until a couple of rain drops hit the floor. Then, it intensified, growing into a small rain, then into hard rain. Now, it turned into a thunderstorm as lightning struck the world. It was pouring down on the beautiful capital of Equestria, scaring the last remaining ponies outside into taking shelter. All of them? No, there was only one still walking out in the storm without a single care to give.

“He he he he... Heuah ha ha ha ha!”

A dark stallion laughed in the heavy rain. The rain only got stronger alongside the accompanying thunder. It was as if nature herself was expressing her sadness for tonight, death came to Canterlot.

Screen Saver heard the rain colliding with the roof of his shop, it produced an unbearable noise that will prevent him from getting any sleep if it keeps on going. Opening his door, he poked his head out just enough for it to get absolutely soaking wet. Grumbling, he changed the sign outside to read ‘CLOSED’ before returning inside. The shop closed early, but it’s not as if any customers would be stupid enough to come during a thunderstorm.

Knock knock!

Or... maybe somepony is just that stupid. Screen Saver stopped and remained still, sighing. “I swear to Celestia, Looking Glass if it’s you again I’ll throw you out immediately.” Trotting over to the door, he opened it just enough to see through the crack. Purple fur. That’s... not Looking Glass.

A dark hoof suddenly grabbed the door and pushed it into the stallion’s face. Taken aback, he jumped away from the slamming door as lightning struck the earth. A pearly white grin illuminated the growing darkness after the lightning strike.

“He he he he.”

His eyes widened; he had no idea who this stallion was, the same went for the behemoth of a pony standing behind the intruder. “Wha- Hey! Who in the hay are you?” he shouted, trying to sound intimidating, but it clearly had no effect. The stallion before him was wet to the point that his mane was practically sticking to his coat. A large grin formed on their faces.

“Hu hu ha ha!”

He took a step forward; Screen Saver took a step back. Then it repeated a few more times until the pegasus bumped his flank against the counter. That’s when he made the mistake of taking his eyes off the intruder. Looking back, the dark pony lunged at him, grabbing him by the neck with his fetlocks. The larger stallion walked in, every step he took shook the ground. He slammed the door shut, silencing the rain.

Anarchy slammed the pegasus’s head on the counter. “Wh-What are you doing?!” he shouted, his fear now clear as day.

“Ha ha ha ha ha ha.... Huah ha ha ha ha ha!”

Author's Note

There you have it! The cute chapter where the CMC finally get to meet Olive!
Of course, I couldn't let everything be sunshine and rainbows for long... :unsuresweetie:
For now, I'm going to keep the plot with Anarchy in the side line, only really showing up at the end of chapters.

Anyhow, next chapter Olive will be shown around Ponyville, probably meeting the other residents of this nice town!

As for Looking Glass, he'll be in for quite the shock once he returns to the vintage shop...

16. A Trip Downtown

Dark, it was terribly dark in here. Dark, and cold. The foliage brushed against her hooves, the trees shaking as they were carried by the force of the wind. The moonlight shot down on this eerie forest, casting a faint light. It was just enough for a little filly to make out her surroundings.

Olive shivered, the wind was ice cold and unrelenting. Her eyes widened as she saw shapes shuffling around in the distance, shapes that were bigger than her. Bigger, and much stronger. One of them, the tallest of the silhouettes, shook the trees with every step it took. As the shapes got closer, lights shot out of their eyes, illuminating the path they were taking.

Now closer than ever, the unicorn recognised the shapes as ponies, slowly marching towards her. Approaching, they began to smile as another silhouette burst from the shades. This one was grinning, its emerald eyes casting the darkness away as it drew the focus on it.

“Fetch me her soul!” It announced to the others, its voice echoing.

The ponies accelerated their advance, their mouths opening as they growled at the helpless filly. The tall one shook the earth with its step it took, letting out a deep snarl as it began to charge.

“Wake up, sissy!” The emerald one barked.

Their mouths were drooling as it kept on opening, going past their limit. They were getting faster. Olive tried to run, but her sprint was slow. She could barely move while her pursuers were coming for her faster than before. The tall one was mere inches away from her now, and the others were soon going to reach her.

“Come on, wake up!” The emerald one barked again, its voice subtly changing mid-sentence.

Olive was scratching the floor with her hooves, trying to propel her body forward, away from assailants but it was to no avail. They were right on top of her, mouths outstretched. They lunged down at her torso, ready to bite and...

“Wake up, sis!”

Olive felt her body being shook around by an unknown force. She opened her eyes lightning quick, coming to the realisation that Apple Bloom was trying to wake her up. She woke up in cold sweat, her body positioned to face the window. The sun was beaming through the cracks in the curtain, shining some much-needed light in the bedroom. The house felt alive now that its residents woke up. It was also odd to not hear a cacophony going on downstairs for the little unicorn. She wasn’t living with thirty ponies no more, and that’s going to take some time getting used to.

Applejack opened the door to greet them, inviting the fillies downstairs for breakfast. As expected of the Apple family, what was on the menu were all sorts of apple related meals. Plain apples, apple pie, apple juice, you name it!

In the back, the Apple's radio played yet another tune of Jolly Melody. Many ponies thought he was a mare because of his ability to reach high notes when he sang. Olive always knew he was a stallion, but she was wasting too much time staring at a radio that brought back old memories instead of living in the moment.

Olive sat next to her mother, noticing that there was an empty seat at the table. Granny Smith, Big Mac, Applejack, Apple Bloom, but two empty seats, now one thanks to her. The filly didn’t feel like questioning her new family about it, preferring to avoid any potential conflict.

“Here’s an apple pie for ya, sugar cube. Ah baked it mahself just fer ya!”

Applejack placed down the delicious looking apple pie, smiling as her daughter looked at what seemed like the first pie she’s ever seen.

“Apple... pie?” Olive softly asked.

“E-yup!” Big Mac responded, stuffing his face full of pie.

The other Apples began to eat their breakfast. All, except for Olive who stared nervously at her pie. Applejack took notice of this odd behavior.

“What’s wrong, sugar cube? Is something wron’ with yer food?”

Olive jerked back with a guilty look on her face. “Huh?! Um, I-I...” She felt something terrible, all eyes were on her now. The other Apples stared her down with an indecipherable expression. What were they thinking? Did they think she was weird?

“Hey, hey...” Applejack tapped her daughter on the shoulders, trying to calm her down. “It’s alright, if yer not hungry, ya don’t have to force yerself to eat.”

Olive frowned, clearly that wasn’t the issue. Awkwardly crossing her legs, she lowered her head in fear. She can’t lie to her mother, the right thing to do is to tell her the truth, but it might hurt her feelings. The internal conflict was slowly killing her until she couldn’t take any longer.

“I-I’m... allergic, to apples.” She awkwardly blurted out, the sentence not coming out right.

Applejack’s eyes widened, her mouth falling agape. The other Apples also bore shocked expressions, at a loss for words.
Oh no... Ah didn’t see this comin’!

Olive squirmed, hiding her face behind her tail.

“Allergic to apples? That’s no good at all, we’ve mostly got apples to eat!” Granny Smith exclaimed.

Apple Bloom looked distraught. “How is she gonna eat?”

Seeing the ever-increasing panic in Olive, Applejack acted fast. “Don’t worry ‘bout it. We’ll go in town together to buy ya somethin’ to eat.” she got out of her chair, ready to go.

“Yer goin’ now?” Granny Smith asked.

“Yep, can’t let ‘er starve on ‘er first week with the Apples!” Applejack responded, leaving her unfinished meal.

Olive left her seat too, guilt fully present in her eyes as she followed her mother outside. The day was as beautiful as ever. Last night’s thunderstorm left some traces on the land in the form of puddles. The farm was covered in puddles, the trees were still wet, and the ground turned to mud.

“Oh! We’ll probably need some boots to get in town.” Applejack remarked, heading back inside whilst the unicorn remained outdoors, silently admiring the view.

The filly was always drawn to the rain, to the changes it brought to the environnement once it was over. What she liked most was that it made noise. The silence always scared her for it allowed her to hear strange noises that let her imagination run wild with all sorts of dreadful ideas. She never could sleep at night without a constant source of noise to drown out the eerie silence.

Staring at the farm, she let the beautiful sounds of nature fill her mind with tranquility. The chipping of birds, the quiet howling of the wind and the echoes of Ponyville brought a feeling of serenity to this morning. It was different than what she was used to, and in a good way. The day truly was a marvelous piece of art that she never got to admire before. She smiled, not knowing how to express this ever-increasing joy that wanted to be let out.

“Here ya go!” Applejack dropped a pair of boots next to Olive, startling the filly who was lost in thoughts. “D-Did Ah scare ya?”

“N-No.” the filly lied, her face red with embarrassment as she put on the boots.

Moving towards the town, Applejack stared at the sky. “It’s a bit cloudy today... Ah hope it won’t rain while we’re outside.”

Finally arriving in Ponyville once more, Olive trotted closer to Applejack’s leg, being as hidden as possible to the eyes of the common pony. After crying in public, surely, they’ll stare at her as they pass by. Going around town, she felt a burning sensation in her body, a feeling she was all to familiar with, shame. If only she hadn’t made a fool of herself this soon!

Everything will be much simpler! Alas, for what she knew, she was a crybaby. Heh, if she told Applejack that, the mare would probably tell her something along the lines of “Yer no crybaby, yer a brave filly.”, yes, that totally sounds like her mother.

As Olive looked up, she spotted a cyan shape descending rapidly before slowing down to a crawl. “Hey, what’up Aj?” the raspy voice greeted. Upon closer inspection, it was a pegasus that was hovering above them.

“Howdy, Dashie! Haven’t seen ya yesterday!" Applejack greeted back.

Dashie... That must be Rainbow Dash. The little unicorn heard a bit about her. Rainbow mane, cyan coat and a daredevil attitude to boot, she was quite the popular pegasus here in Ponyville.

“That’s ‘cause the weather team was busy working on this awesome thunderstorm!” The cyan pegasus responded, admiring the results of her hard work.

Applejack lifted her mud-covered leg. “Strange, Ah didn’t hear anythin’ that night.”

“Probably because you went to bed early, Aj. The storm was scheduled to happen late at night.” Rainbow Dash informed, still hovering above the ground. She wasn’t wearing any boots and the ground was covered in mud, so it made sense why she acted as if the floor was lava. “Oh, and I should probably mention it’s going to rain again.”

“Again?!” Applejack asked, cocking her head back.

“Uh, yeah. It’s going to be a lame one.” Rainbow Dash lamented.

“Why’s it rainin’ again?” the orange mare pushed.

The cyan pegasus threw her hooves up in the air and shrugged. “I don’t know. The higher ups do know why, but they don’t bother explaining anything.”

Applejack burrowed her frows. “Ah don’t buy it. Ah’m sure they do explain to weather control why they’ve got ta do their jobs.”

Rainbow Dash groaned. “Fine, they give out lectures on why our job is important...”

“But ya don’t pay attention to them.” Applejack finished. “Ya should stop lyin’ just to save face, Rainbow.” That line was unconsciously said like she was lecturing her friend, mainly because Olive was right there listening to the whole thing.

The cyan pegasus sighed. “Well, on the upside; there’s going to be one hay of a storm coming soon!”

Applejack wanted to reprimand her friend for attempting to use strong language near her daughter, but that mention of a new storm gripped her attention. “Another storm? Are you kiddin’ me?”

“Aw yeah!” Rainbow Dash pumped her hoof in excitement. “It’s going to be a bad one! Not just heavy rain and thunder, but lots of wind too! I just can’t wait to see it happen!”

The earth pony frowned, as if the last one wasn’t bad enough judging by its leftovers. “Ah hope this next one isn’t gonna break down our barn.”

Rainbow Dash dismissed her worries. “Pff, you always say that every time I tell you a storm’s coming, but it never happens. Just relax and enjoy the show once it comes. It'll come in exactly 16 days.” She said before placing her attention on the little unicorn hiding behind her friend’s legs.

“Hey...” She swooped down, arriving at the filly’s side. Olive instinctively moved back. “Isn’t that the filly you brought to Ponyville General a couple of days ago?”

“E-yup, Ah’m takin’ this filly out for breakfast!” Applejack proudly announced.

“What’re you doing with her now that she’s out of the hospital?” Rainbow Dash asked, trying to get a better look of the filly that kept on hiding around the earth pony.

Applejack blinked. “Nopony told ya, Dash?”

Rainbow Dash lifted her head, confused. “Told me what?”

“That Ah’m fosterin’ this filly.” Dash’s mouth flung open. Applejack just dropped a bombshell on her without any warning.

“Whaaaaaat?!”

“Ah couldn’t tell ya personally since ya were busy doin’ weather control. Ah just thought somepony else gave ya the news.” Applejack turned her attention to the filly behind her and gave her a warm smile. “That right there is mah friend, Rainbow. Ya should introduce yerself to ‘er.”

Olive nervously trotted forward, now fully facing the cyan pegasus. Just from her looks alone, the filly could tell she was a cool pony. A mare that puts lots of values into being as awesome as possible. The worst thing to do would be to mess up her introduction.

They often say first impression matters, so she better pull it off. Ponies like her always made the little unicorn anxious and she couldn’t figure out what. Maybe it’s because she feels like Dash is too cool for her, or perhaps she’s just afraid that the pegasus would ridicule her for messing up a simple introduction.

“So... what’s your name, new girl?”

Olive nearly flinched, she’s been thinking for too long and the others noticed. “Um, I-I'm mm... Olive.” she mumbled, cursing herself for exactly screwing it up.

“Olive, huh?”

How did she understand that? The filly thought.

Dash smiled. “Not a bad name, but it feels a little lacking.”

Applejack shot a subtle glare at her friend.

“Well, Olive; Welcome to Ponyville! I hope you’ll stick around long enough to see my awesome flight stunts, I’m in no shortage of them!” Dash flipped around her on back, acting as if she was laying down on the air. “Just don’t forget to keep an eye on the sky.”

A group of pegasus in the sky waved at the cyan mare, who broke out of her relaxed stance. “Welp, gotta go!” With a loud bang, she shot upward, joining the weather control team.

Now that Rainbow left, the two ponies went back to their initial objective, to find someplace to eat for breakfast. What they needed was a calm place to eat, one that didn’t have too many onlookers. They’ll be eating at Café Hay for it was exactly what they were looking for.

Sitting down at a nice table in the back of the terrace, they waited for a waiter to hand them the menu. As they waited, Applejack spotted a familiar unicorn eating at the same café.

It was Looking Glass, enjoying a nice salad while reading the newspaper. He noticed the two, but acted as if he didn’t. The strange part was that he was occasionally eyeballing Olive, completely ignoring Applejack.

“Howdy Looking Glass! Fancy meetin’ ya here!” She greeted, attempting to strike a conversation.

“I could say the same to you.” Looking Glass responded, his eyes still locked on the newspaper. The conversation seemingly ended at that since an awkward silence reigned for a while.

Applejack stood there, waiting for something to happen, for him to say something else to keep the conversation flowing, but he said nothing. “Uh... Ah though ya were in Canterlot.” she said in a desperate attempt to drown out the awkwardness.

“I was.” Looking Glass sternly said. “I frequently travel from Ponyville to Canterlot to accomplish my mission to lock our culprit behind bars.” that line came out as robotic and oddly rehearsed to the earth pony. The filly didn’t seem to find anything weird with it.

“Oh, th-that's great. Ye, uh, find anythin’ recently?” The orange mare asked, hoping to get the stallion’s interest but it became painfully clear that he was more absorbed in his reading than the current conversation.

“No.”

Suddenly, a grey pegasus dropped down from the sky, holding a letter in her mouth. It was Derpy Hooves, the town’s mailpony. She handed over the letter to the detective who stared blankly at it for a few seconds. Then, his whole expression changed to shock and surprise as he jumped out of his seat and ran away.

What was in that letter? Applejack wondered as she watched the unicorn disappear.

Derpy waved hello at the two Apples, an innocent smile plastered on her face. “Hello Applejack! Hello...” The pegasus froze, unable to remember the name of the filly. She can’t remember... because she’s never heard it before.

“Olive. That’s mah daughter!” Applejack informed, smiling back at the adorable mailpony.

“Hello Olive!” Derpy finally said, completing her greetings.

“Hello...” the shy filly said.

“Can you believe it? I gave a letter to Looking Glass!” Derpy exclaimed, excitement beaming through her voice as she hopped in place.

“Ya seem to look up ta ‘im.” Applejack mused.

Derpy’s smile grew wider. “Yes! I think Looking Glass is a pretty cool pony. He fights criminals and doesn’t afraid of anything!”

“Yeah... doesn’t afraid of anythin’.”

After enjoying a nice breakfast, Applejack wanted to take Olive around town to buy some important accessories for her. Her goal was to make the filly feel at home in Sweet Apple Acre, so she elected to buy her a toy first and foremost considering the unicorn was still fairly young.

At this time of day, Ponyville was getting livelier. More ponies were walking outside, business’s were opening and the marketplace was beaming with life. For Applejack, it was always a great sight. For Olive, it was nerve-wracking. Her mind never forgets, and so do her eyes. Amongst the various ponies moving around, she recognised many of them as being part of Pinkie’s impromptu musical number. The same ponies who saw her burst down into tears in the middle of town.

This uneasiness did go away once they entered Ponyville’s local toy store, where there were less ponies strolling around. The place had a happy-go-lucky air to it, what with all the cute and cuddly toys laying on shelves.

“Well, sugar cube, ya can pick any toy ya want.” Applejack announced, expecting her daughter to run off somewhere in the shop, but she didn’t. The filly was practically glued to her at this point.

Evidently, Olive wasn’t going anywhere without her. So, it was up to the earth pony to find a good toy for the little unicorn. Remembering the filly’s interest in the Power Ponies, she chose to go over their section first.

Many toys of all kinds rested on these shelves. Figurines, plushes, racing cars and more! Her jaw dropped at some of the exorbitant prices for certain Power Ponies action figures. Th-Three hundred bits?! That price makes about as much sense as slingin’ a hammock between two cornstalks! Who in their right mind would spend this much money on tha’? Applejack thought, hoping that Olive wouldn’t pick any of them. Thankfully, she didn’t, but her choice did spark some confusion in the mare.

“I-I want this one.” the filly stammered, pointing at an orange stick with Mistress Marevelous’s head on it.

Applejack winced, trying to understand the filly’s choice. “Uh, ya sure ‘bout this one?”

“But I want it!” Olive reaffirmed, stomping the ground in an attempt to look angry which only came off as adorable her mother thanks to her cute squeaking voice.

“Uh, well, alright. If ya ever need more, don’t be afraid ta let me know.” Olive happily picked up the stick with her mouth.

“Phanksh.”

Trotting over to the cash register, Applejack was surprised to see a familiar face, one that she never thought would be here. “Bulk Bicep? What’re ya doin’ here?”

The muscular white pegasi flexed his muscles. “I’m working here! I’m getting on the job grind!”

“Ah never thought Ah’ find ya workin’ here. Aren’t ya a Wonderbolt trainee like Dash?” Applejack asked, confused.

“Of course I am!” He proudly stated, before frowning. “But it doesn’t bring enough money! I have to find another job to pay my bills.”

“Huh, and here Ah though ya were runnin’ a cinnamon nut stand.” Applejack said, motioning at Olive to place the item at the counter. The filly looked strangely apprehensive of the white pegasi. She reluctantly did as her mother instructed, quickly backing away from Bulk, who didn’t notice a thing.

“I did run a cinnamon nut stand.” He said, sadness slowly forming in his voice. “It was destroyed, now I can’t pay for the repairs because I don’t have enough money, so I’m working here to fix my stand to go back to making money, uh...”

The filly was frowning at the stallion, conflicting ideas forming in her eyes. Applejack now only wanted to leave the store as quickly as possible. “Well Ah wish ya good luck with tha’. We’re gonna buy this.” she said, tapping the “toy” on the counter.

Once they left the toy store, Applejack immediately went for the million-dollar question. “Is somethin’ wrong? Ya looked scared of Bulk.”

Olive kept the toy in her mouth as an excuse to not answer that question.

“Hey, Olive. Ah know ya don’t want ta feel like yer a hassle ta us and Ah assure ya, yer not.” Applejack softly said. “Ah just want ta help ya as best as Ah can.”

The filly pondered her possible choices, eventually deciding on talking it out. “He jusht... reminded me of shomepony.” she muttered with the toy in her mouth, looking away from her mother. The tall and burly stature of Bulk, his white coat, the big smile on his face, it felt eerily similar to a stallion she spent her whole life fearing. “He always shcared me.”

Applejack leaned close to nuzzle the little unicorn. “Ah assure ya Bulk’s a kind stallion. Ya have nothin’ ta fear in Ponyville.”

“I know, but he kept reminding me of him.” Olive persisted, dropping the toy on the ground. “It brought back many bad memories. I wish I could forget, but I’m too good at remembering things!”

“Heh, sometimes Ah wish Ah could forget some things mahself!” Applejack mused. “We all have bad memories, but we’re not gonna let ‘em define us, now are we?”

Olive finally mustered the courage to look at Aj in the eyes. The mare’s eyes were full of kindness, warming the filly’s heart.

“Ah don’t fully know what happened before Ah met ya, but let me just say; It’ll do ya no good ta avoid yer problems. Ah’m here ta help ya face ‘em, Ah just want ya to know tha’.”

The little unicorn buried her face in Applejack’s warm coat, tears welling in her eyes, but they weren't tears of sorrow this time, no. She was happy and felt less lonely.

With the stick in mouth, Olive got to playing immediately the second they returned home. Her perception of “playing” was much different than other ponies. The little filly trotted around the living room in a defined pattern, circling the couch and making sure to only touch the floorboards in the middle as she walked. All the while she made small noises that sounded like “kaboom” and “pow”, as if she was imitating sounds. Stuck in her fantasies, she did keep an ear out for the discussion happening in the kitchen, curious as to what it was about.

“So, how much do we have?” Applejack asked next room.

“Uuuh... Not a whole lot.” Granny Smith responded, uncertain. “We’ll ‘ave to bank on our next sell doin’ well. Let's hope this season will be generous to us.”

“Hope we’ll have ‘nough for next week. We’ve got an extra mouth to feed.” The orange mare mumbled something incoherent to the pink unicorn, so she snuck closer to the kitchen, hiding behind the wall that separated her from the rest of the Apples. “Have any ideas, Big Mac?”

“Nope... Actually, maybe.” Big Macintosh responded, clearing his throat. “Ah could convince Rarity to bring ta Pony Tones for a fundraiser.”

“That’s a mighty good idea!” Applejack praised. “Ah’ll see if Filthy Rich’s willin’ to buy some special Apple baked goods.”

“He does prefer Zap Apple Jam, which we don’t ‘ave right now.” Granny Smith pointed out. “Ah ain’t sure he’s gonna buy a lot.”

“It’s worth ta shot...”

Olive sat down, dropping her toy in her hooves. Her family wasn’t doing so well with money, and she had a feeling it was because of her. As she stared at her toy, she began to feel guilt even though it wasn’t her fault. They all need money to survive, even more now because of her. The last thing the filly wanted was to bring more misery to ponies and as such, she vowed to not beg for anything. Ever. No toys, no books, nothing. Only the necessities. Their well-being comes before hers...

There was quite the ruckus in Canterlot, especially around an old, unremarkable store. Lots of tapes surrounding the building, plenty of guards patrolling, it was no wonder why so many ponies stopped by to observe the scene. Not many stayed, however, for there was an evil feel in the air, a brutal one that scared away the onlookers that remained there for a little too long.

The guards posted there were also unnerved. Not all of them got to enter the store to see what happened. All they knew, was that somepony had been brutally murdered. That information alone gave the vintage shop a haunted feeling, with some of the more superstitious guards telling others that the owner’s ghost is roaming around these parts.

Such a reaction showed that the ponies of Canterlot weren’t used to such criminal acts, especially since murdering a pony in this royal city is often viewed as an attack directed at its rulers, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. Only fools would dare commit such a horrible crime in the most guarded city in all Equestria. Fools or... complete monsters perhaps.

Nopony truly knew who Anarchy was, but they sure heard of his many crimes. Burning buildings, mangled ponies, smiles, smiles, smiles and more smiles. He had become the boogeyman for these poor equines.

Looking Glass arrived on the scene as fast as he could, shoving ponies out of the way as he marched toward the vintage shop. One of the guards briefly stopped him, but the detective’s glare quickly confirmed his identity to the poor stallion.

“Mister Looking Glass!” another detective was on the scene, a pegasus mare to be precise. She had a horrified look on her face which only made the stern stallion more worried. “Thank Celestia you’re here! You gotta see this! It’s a real massacre!”

Looking Glass opened the door with magic, wasting no time as the build-up was killing him. As expected, the body hasn’t been moved, in fact, the whole place had been untouched by the guards.

Speaking of the body, the unicorn looked his eyes with those of Screen Saver... or what was left of him. Despite the many grievous injuries, he had sustained, the detective only looked at one thing; the grin stitched on the deceased’s face.

His eyes stared back at him; horror incarnate was present in his lifeless gaze. This was one of the few times Looking Glass ever felt disturbed. A sense of guilt also accompanied his horror, though on the outside it looked like nothing fazed him.

“It’s horrible...” the mare croaked. “Who could have done such a thing? We’ve may have a serial killer on the loose!”

“I understand you fear for your families, but rest be assured, I won’t let anything happen to them.” Looking Glass said, his voice as strong as steel. The confidence emanating from him calmed the younger detective down.

“Hm?” The unicorn took his eyes off the corpse, noticing a strange object placed on the counter. Going over Screen Saver’s remains, his eyes adjusted to the darkness enough to the point that he could now make out the object. “Widow’s Wine.”

“Pardon me?” The mare said, going next to him to see the bottle.

“It’s Widow’s Wine, an alcoholic beverage.” He stated, lifting the bottle with his magic.

“I don’t understand why you’re so fixated on this wine.”

The stallion’s eyes winced. “Screen Saver never drank this kind of wine. He was also a married pony.”

The mare’s eyes widened as her mouth opened. “You’re saying the killer placed this here?”

Looking Glass casted a spell on the bottle. I must check for hoof marks. If there’s no hoof marks, then I can confirm that the perpetrator was a unicorn. “No hoof marks.” he announced. “I know who killed Screen Saver.”

“You do?”

Looking Glass turned to face the younger detective, his eyes burning with hatred. “The bottle was placed here as a cruel joke. It bears no hoof marks meaning the killer is a unicorn. A unicorn with a twisted sense of humour. There could be only one pony daring enough to murder a stallion in his own shop and place down evidence as a joke... Anarchy.”

Taking a step back, the mare stepped on a cassette tape. Looking down at the object, she noticed something disturbing. “L-Looking Glass, look!”

Gazing at the floor, his heart nearly skipped a beat, but he showed no signs of fear to the mare. On the ground were many broken tapes. The pieces were all rearranged to form a message, a message dedicated to him.

“The hills have eyes.”

Author's Note

Anarchy's onto Looking Glass! The detective is in great peril if he chooses to remain in Canterlot, but he's the best, the cream of the crop! He cannot drop this investigation, for everypony expects him to put this killer behind bars! What a delicate situation he's found himself in.

Meanwhile, Applejack must deal with Olive's allergy to apples of all things! She'll have to adapt to the filly's needs, and that'll extend beyond cooking. Now, I wonder why this little unicorn chose a toy as simple as a stick rather than an action figure...

17. The Heart of Evil

It’s a beautiful day, isn’t it? The sun is shining as bright as ever, but try as it might, it can’t cast light everywhere. There will always be shadows where the light cannot reach, and it's in this darkness that the worst that ponykind can offer is found.

Somewhere behind Canterlot, a trail of carriages made their way to an unknown entrance, one that closed down decades ago. The old mines underneath Canterlot. Recently rediscovered by Twilight Sparkle during the changeling's invasion, but nothing much came of it afterward. Ponies simply forgot that this place even existed. Add the massive size of these caverns and you get a perfect hideout.

The carriages secretly heading for the mines were fairly inconspicuous, taking a not so popular route to the great capitol of Equestria. On the outside, they appeared normal, with one driver dressed up in a merchant’s outfit, but the merchandise inside was anything but mundane.

Tied up and gagged ponies, deadly weaponries, explosives, poisons and various construction tools, whoever was at the driver’s seat was up to no good.

“Hey, I think I see some sort of entrance over there.” A stallion spoke out to his compatriots.

“Yep, that’s where we’re headin’.” Another pony responded.

A large, burly white stallion wearing a plumber’s cap popped out of the entrance. He watched from afar as the carriages slowly came to him. The shadows casted by his cap hid his eyes in blackness, giving his stern expression a sinister glint.

Once the carriages were in proximity, he grinned. “Right on time.” he chuckled as he approached the drivers. “I see some new faces in this convoy.”

Some of these new faces were understandably nervous at the sight of this giant trotting towards them. Strong Hoof’s body was massive compared to even the biggest and baddest of earth ponies and pegasi. Nopony could hold a candle to him in terms of sheer power. That’s why he was second in command, the lieutenant of their operations.

Now, Anarchy, the head honcho, was a mythical figure they’ve always heard of, but never got to meet. Truth be told, none of the recruits were thrilled to meet him per say. They admired what he strived to accomplish but would most likely be unwilling to chat with him alone in a room. And that’s without even seeing his physical appearance!

Strong Hoof moved to the back of one of the carriages.

“H-Hey! What are you doing?” said the stallion driving it.

The white earth pony opened its doors and climbed inside. “Inspecting the merchandise. Judging your performance.” he sternly answered.

The stallion waited in bathed breath for Strong Hoof’s approval. If he failed, he knew it meant death, and against a pony this big, he stood no chance. Time slowed to a crawl as the seconds turned to minutes, and the minutes turned to hours. The infernal clanking of metal in the back amplified the sweats dripping down his face. He was unconsciously holding his breath to the point of almost passing out. Then, it stopped as he felt a massive weight leave his carriage.

“Your contribution is much appreciated.”

The stallion opened his mouth, letting out a deep exhale as he wiped the sweat off his forehead. “Th-Thanks for your generosity, mister Strong Hoof!” he exclaimed, saluting the giant earth pony.

“Your weapons will give us an advantage for our upcoming scheme, reclutado. Inside, you will make more for us with our distributed material. Hilo ligeramente” Strong Hoof announced as he motioned him to head inside.

The burly earth pony moved on to the next carriage, inspecting its merchandise. The sleezy stallion at the front slumped on his vehicle, a sly smile carved on his face. “I’m Filthy Traffic, feel free to inspect my ‘merchandise’.”

A cacophony of muffled and frightened moans rang throughout the carriage as the sound of scrambling hooves scraping against the floor was heard. “Like what you see?” the sleezy stallion asked, his eyes closed.

Strong Hoof remainded silent, just long enough to destabilise the carriage’s owner. “Uh, y-you didn’t answer my...” he closed his mouth as the white pony left suddenly.

Much to his relief, the monster of a pony looked satisfied. “Great, you have arrived right on time.” he said with a sinister smile.

Filthy Traffic chuckled. “For a group who likes to preach freedom and whatnot, you sure like to have some naughty fun! Not that I mind, it’s why I’m in this business!”

“The others were getting hungry, especially the master.” Strong Hoof added.

The sleezy stallion let out a hearty laugh. “I’m getting hungry myself! Oh, I’d like to have a piece of her flank.” he said, pointing to one of his prisoners in the back, thought Strong Hoof couldn’t see which one exactly.

The white earth pony began to laugh, but it didn’t sound like he was laughing with him. “Ho ho! Pobre inocente! I see you’ve misinterpreted my words. We are hungry... for flesh.” He grinned, baring his teeth. They were bloodied, with pieces of pony flesh still attached to them. “But we like to keep the best for future uses.”

The rumors were true! There are cannibals inside! Unnerved, Filthy Traffic blanched as he roused himself and went inside with his carriage as Strong Hoof gazed in amusement. "It was just a joke. We are rather... selective with our meals. These ones are not on the chopping block, never will be. Although you'd do well to keep your impulses in check if you don't want to end up in somepony's plate."

Inside the cave, he was surprised to see the Anarchist’s base of operation. He expected to find old mining equipment and infrastructure present, serving as their home, but he found instead was a town-built underneath Canterlot itself! The buildings were all made of wood, built with the help of qualified constructors. It looked like it took years to build this whole place.

There was everything in here! Houses, weapon stores and a bar too! How neat. It almost looked like a cowboy town thanks to its ancient architectures used. Fitting, for there were nothing but outlaws in here. Hundreds of ponies gathered around a stage, waiting for something to happen. Filthy Traffic was halted by a small group of ponies who ordered him to park his carriage to the side, next to the other recruit.

The banging inside his carriage caught the attention of a few more outlaws who approached him.

“Hm, you must be the one carrying the captives.” A French mare guessed, smoke in mouth.

Filthy Traffic felt a funny feeling as he saw this mare approach him. Her beautiful light blue coat, those sparkly dark blue hair, that freckled face... It didn’t take long for him to realise it was lust.

That was a bit of a problem considering where he was and who she was. With the Anarchists, you don’t mess around with anypony in their gang. One wrong move and he could end up on their plates. He shuddered at the idea of these monsters sinking their teeth in his neck.

“Uh, y-yeah. That’s me.” He said, trying to hide his blush.

“I’m Dreamcatcher, le capteur de rêves.” the mare said, spitting out her smoke. “I’ve been put in charge of the recruits, you better make this job easy or else you will be sent to the boss.”

Anarchy, the one pony Filthy Traffic truly feared. He only came here to save his flank from the Canterlot Bureau of Investigation who were after him. He could only hope that he’ll never see this stallion.

A pony stepped on the stage behind Dreamcatcher, and she smiled once she saw the familiar shape of an evil unicorn cackling. “Speaking of the boss.”

Oh shit...

A dark stallion made a glamorous entrance, his emerald eyes locked on the crowd below him. Many held a cup of apple cider in hoof, even the boss, only his wasn't foaming unlike the rest. Filthy Traffic felt a shiver go way up his spine as he got to take a good look at his new boss. Sweet Celestia, everything about him screamed pure evil, and these ponies thought it’s a good idea to fight for him? What were they all thinking?!

His mane was large, like that of a lion, his eyes were sunken, hollow but had pupils nevertheless, and he could swear these pupils were locked on him. Anarchy disappeared, causing Filthy Traffic’s heart to skip a beat once the former reappeared before him.

“I am Anarchy, commander of the Anarchists. Little known fact, also an alicorn murderer in the making!” Anarchy closely observed the new recruit with a sinister glint in his emerald eye. “And you are Filthy Traffic, with your little pony trafficking ring... and a poor rod who can’t get enough action.” He tapped the smaller stallion in the bottom area.

Filthy Traffic froze in horror. How does he know about him already? And how does he know about... his legs crossed, awkwardly trying to hide what’s underneath as his face turned red. “I, ba-how...” he helplessly stammered before the intimidating monster of a unicorn.

“You look stressed, Traffic. You appear to be in pain. You need a vacation, hey, why don’t you take a trip on my train?” Anarchy followed up.

The sleezy stallion was at a loss for words, unsure what to say. The evil stallion felt oddly hostile to him, his words were menacing, a threat even. Dreamcatcher giggled, and leaned in very close, whispering in his ear.

“He’s talking about the time he derailed a train heading straight for Fillydelphia. It killed more than a hundred ponies.”

Filthy Traffic went pale, backing away into his convoy, which now caught the attention of Anarchy.

“Oh! Would you take a look at this!” He teleported to the back and hopped in. The captive inside shrieked at the sight of this abomination that was now moving towards them. Struggling against their bonds, each desperately tried to get away from the dangerous unicorn.

Filthy Traffic and Dreamcatcher followed him behind the carriage, watching his next move curiously. Anarchy’s eyes rested on a pegasus mare in the back. He closed the distance in no time at all, placing a hoof on her shoulder.

“Let’s take a moment to break the ice!” he announced as he pulled her gag away. The poor mare’s lips were quivering, her legs trembling in terror as tears were welling in her eyes. The emerald eyes of the stallion were hollow, malicious and maniacal all the same. It was like she was staring death in the eye. “What’s your name, darling?” His grin grew wider as he pronounced that last word.

“B-B-Bl...” The pegasus stammered, unable to get a single word out as tears streamed down her face. She was struggling to speak thanks to her leaking nose forcing her to sniffle.

“What was that? I’m afraid none of us got to hear your name. You know what they say; about how it’s easier to kill a pony when you don’t know their name because it creates a feeling of dissociation. You don’t see your victim as a pony, rather as an object, a tool.” Anarchy responded, pulling the mare’s face closer to him. “So, I’ll say it again; what’s your name?”

“B-B-Bl... Blossomforth!” The mare croaked, fighting her own tears.

Anarchy giggled a bit. “Now tell me; what do you think of Filthy Traffic, your not so handsome captor?”

Blossomforth gazed at the stallion that had brought her in this horrifying predicament, too scared to utter a single word. What was she supposed to say? It felt like one wrong word, and it’ll be over for her.

“Don’t be shy!” Anarchy encouraged, shaking her around a bit. “Here, we value honesty. I want to hear your true feelings. I certainly don’t believe you like Mister Traffic, don’t you?”

“H-He’s cruel, a-a monster!” Blossomforth exclaimed through a hitching voice. “H-He kidnapped us just to make a profit, b-but he sometimes uses us for his own pleasure.” she said, defeat reigning through her voice.

“And me? What do you think of me?” Anarchy brutally said, his grin widening to the point that it overlapped with his eyes. He pulled the mare closer to his face so that she could see his eyes, and the unmatchable evil they revealed.

Blossomforth broke down into tears and uncontrollable sobbing, unable to take it anymore. Any hopes of freedom were gone in Anarchy’s hooves. Despair overtook her.

“Well then...” Anarchy put the gag back on the pegasus as he approached Filthy Traffic. “You see, I’m making a point here. You think you’re so powerful, with the influence you hold in the pony trafficking ring but let me assure you; it means nothing to us.” He stared the smaller stallion down with a large grin plastered on his face, making him feel insignificant.

“They’re scared of you, but even commoners like them recognise where true power lies. In this town, you’ll listen only to me if you know what’s good for you. And on that note, make yourself at home. We’ll need you soon enough to make some noise... ”

Author's Note

Hey, a entire chapter just to showcase our villains's base of operation!
It took some time this one! Some stressful real-life stuff got in the way a bit of my creative mind, so it took some time to get back to writing.

Also, this was originally planned to be just a scene instead of a whole chapter, but seeing as it's now 2100 words, I thought I could publish it as a chapter in the mean time.
All that's left to ask is... what is Anarchy planning to do with all these ressources?:twilightoops:

19. Drunken Master

Daytime, it was the time where Princess Celestia was taking care of her royal duties while her sister was sound asleep, preparing herself for the coming night. So, it might come as a shock to see Princess Luna wide awake in the dining room. Quite unusual, even for her as she wasn’t exactly thrilled about being “on break”, not after these recent events.

The doors to the dining room opened slowly, with the guards behind bowing to an important figure as it made its way inside. A lavender alicorn carrying a baby dragon on her back.

“Twilight? What brings you here?” The lunar princess roused herself.

Twilight Sparkle stared her down, confused as to why she was here. “Uh, Princess Luna?”

“It’s just Luna.” The midnight alicorn corrected.

“R-Right. Luna, what are you doing here, awake in the dining room?” Twilight asked.

Spike swung to the side. “Yeah, aren’t you supposed to be sleeping in preparation for tonight?”

'Just' Luna sighed. “Tia didn’t want me to do my usual dream hopping routine. I’m ‘on break’ until I’ve recovered.”

Twilight eyeballed her from top to bottom. “Recovered from what?”

In response, Luna lifted a hoof, the one that was bandaged up, a dark red stain as clear as day giving the younger alicorn all the answers she needed. “She worries perhaps a bit too much.” she groaned. “I am no defenseless foal.” The alicorn noticed something curious about Twilight. “May I ask what happened to you?”

Instinctively, Twilight covered her black eye with a hoof. “Oh, that? Uh, he he, I may have gotten into a fight with an eldritch abomination taking over the body of a filly, nothing much.”

Spike crossed his arms. “Wish I would have been there to watch the show...”

Luna’s mouth stayed open for a bit, surprised by what she was hearing. “So, you did look into Olive’s mysterious magical surge. Wait, what was that about an eldritch abomination?”

Twilight scratched the back of her head, a sheepish smile on her face. “Yeah, turns out the cause of the magical surge was because of a mysterious power inside Olive that transforms her into a monster if she gets too worked up over something.

Oh, but rest assured; nopony got hurt during her transformation. Well, nopony except me and Aj, but we’re fine!”

“I see...” Luna responded, pondering over the last few days. “It is worse than we imagined. Very well, you may return to your research.”

“That... wasn’t what I came here for, honestly.” Twilight admitted.

“Then what do you seek?”

Twilight lowered her head, brushing her hooves against the castle’s floor. “Well, it’s just that... when I fought the transformed Olive, I didn’t do so well to defend myself. I couldn’t dodge her attacks and wound up hurt. I wasn’t good enough to stop her and it resulted in my friend Aj being hurt!” She sighed. “I’m not good at fighting, but as a princess I must be able to defend myself and those I love.” A determined look formed on her face as she lifted her head. “I need to learn to fight without relying solely on magic.”

Luna smiled. “A noble goal indeed. We know just the right pony to form you.”

Twilight blinked. “Wait, you mean you won’t be teaching me?”

“Then who will be teaching, Twilight?” Spike asked.

The midnight blue alicorn sighed. “As much as I want to, Tia put me in charge of dealing with the nobles for today. She seemed awfully excited too... but I assure you that this pony is even better at hoof-to-hoof combat than I am.”

Twilight gasped. “Even better than you?”

“Yes, and that pony is none other than...”

The door slammed open; a bat pony entered with a cup of cider in hoof.

“Mango!”

The newcomer stopped dead in his tracks. “Ayy princess! You callin’ me?”

Luna nodded. “Yes, Mango. We have a special job for you today.”

“What?! Him?!” Twilight exclaimed, pointing at the stallion in disbelief.

“I did say he was one of our best, didn’t I?” Luna responded with a slight chuckle. “You’ll see why soon enough.”

Mango circled the young alicorn, examining her with a sly smile. “Well then; guess we’ll be spending the afternoon together.”

“Mango, please refrain from making advances.” Luna ordered.

“Sure thing, Princess! I’ll make her into a warrior in no time!”

Inside the guard’s barrack, Mango took Twilight and Spike to an area where there was a big mat on the floor. The guard stepped on it and bounced a little, testing it before he deemed the mat was good enough. He took a sip of his favorite apple cider, taken straight from Sweet Apple Acre. It was clear he was a little drunk, judging by his constant swaying.

Many guards who were off duty also gathered around the trio out of curiosity and boredom. They only worked during the night and rarely ever did anything during the day, so they were understandably starving for action, especially for something out of the ordinary. To see an alicorn take to the mat with Mango was exactly the kind of thing they were looking for.

“Uh, is it necessary for all the guards to watch us?” Twilight nervously asked.

“Don’t they have anything better to do?” Spike added, now off the mare’s back.

Mango chuckled. “Afraid not, princess. We only work the night shift in here.” He took off his royal armour and tossed it aside. “Won’t be needing that.” he muttered.

With all eyes on her, it was understandably making her nervous. Twilight hoped that this training session would be more private, and Mango even seemed to agree, judging by the slightly displeased look on his face. Hey, come to think of it, I never realised that they’re all stallions. The mares are only maids or cooks in this castle...

“Is something bothering you? I know something is for me.” Mango asked, trotting around the mat.

“Uh, yeah, a little bitty thing.” Twilight responded. “I’ve never thought to ask Celestia before, but why are all the guard's stallions? Why can’t mares work for the royal guard?”

“Heh, it’s because they're not the right gender.” Mango answered. Twilight raised a displeased eyebrow.

Realising his mistake, Mango fumbled through his words to form a better answer. “Uh, well, mares don’t have the same capacities as stallions.” Twilight looked offended now.

“Ya see, stallions are physically stronger than... Argh! You get it, don’t you?!”

Twilight scoffed. “I do get it. I’m just not sure I’m fine with that.”

Mango winced. “You got a complain, don’t report it to me. Tell it to Princess Celestia.”

Spike’s eyes switched back and forth from the two arguing ponies, unsure of what was the issue. “I don’t get what’s the problem.”

Mango was quick to respond on behalf of Twilight. “Yeah, because it’s just boring grown-up stuff about ‘gender equality’ and ‘muh diversity’.”

“Want to run that by me again?” Twilight demanded, her eyes twitching with fury.

“Yeah, a bookworm like you can call themself a theoretical physicist. You desperately try to solve problems that shouldn’t even exist to begin with.” Mango snapped, slamming his hoof down. “I, on the other hoof, live a simple life free of pointless worries.”

“Really? Twilight scoffed. “What do you even do with your, oh so simple life?”

Mango blinked. “Well, uh, I fight and I f**k... I f**k and I fight.”

“Charming.” Twilight said sarcastically.

“Yeah, well that’s beside the point!” Mango facehoofed. “Look, let’s just start this lesson before we form any more bad blood between us.”

Spike rushed to the crowd of onlookers. “Does anypony here have popcorn?”

The royal guards near him sat down with a large bag of popcorn in hoof. “It’s our lucky day, baby dragon.”

Mango trotted over to a chest, where he picked up a necklace to put it on. “Well, let’s start the lesson by introducing you to this.” He poked at the necklace.

Twilight leaned forward to get a better view. “It’s a necklace. I suppose it must be special in some way.”

“Heh, and you’d be correct.” He tapped his chest in a daring manner. “Fire a beam at me.”

Twilight blinked. “Ex...cuse me?”

Mango smirked. “You heard me, princess. Shoot me.”

The young alicorn stood there, perplexed. She scratched her head. “Isn’t tha-”

“Come on, we don’t have all day.” That was a lie, Mango is just that impatient.

“Okay, if you insist.” Twilight rolled her eyes and fired a beam of concentrated magic, being thoughtful to not put too much power into it.

The beam struck the bat pony straight in the chest, but instead of being flung back, he remained in place without a single scratch. The beam dissipated around him, leaving Twilight in shock.

“What?! How?” She shouted in disbelief.

Mango chuckled as he fiddled with his necklace. “That right there is no ordinary necklace. It’s a magic nullifying ring.” He twirled it around for all to see. “It absorbs and destroys any magic that meets its wearer. It’s the perfect defense against magic.” he explained with a smirk. “And so far, no magic has been able to overcome it.”

Twilight’s jaw dropped. “Why have I never heard of this before?”

“Maybe because it’s relatively new. They’re not explained in any book that’s for sure. We only got this one only two weeks ago.” Mango’s expression turned to a serious one. “Do you know how we got our hooves on it?”

“N-No.” Twilight responded, beginning to feel nervous.

“We found it on one of the Anarchists present during the burning of Canter Hotel. These guys are the only one who possesses such necklaces.” Mango frowned. “We believe Anarchy is the one responsible for their creation.”

Twilight gritted her teeth at the mention of that accursed stallion. “I-I didn’t even think this was possible. It’s so much more dangerous than a magic inhibitor ring!”

“So, you see where I’m going with this.” Mango continued. “You will be thrown into a situation where magic is damn near useless. If you want to survive such an encounter, you’ll have to rely on your pegasus wings and your earth pony strength to overcome adversity.”

“I see...” Twilight took a deep breath, mentally preparing herself for this lesson. “I am ready to start.”

“Very well.” He motioned at her to come over. “Hit me now.”

Twilight’s brow furrowed. There’s a catch, isn’t it? Well, let’s see what he has in store for me. She complied with his request and raised her body to throw a hoof punch. The strike reached the captain and in one swift movement, he grabbed a hold of Twilight’s hoof, raised her high in the air and smashed down to the mat.

“Oh snap! That must have hurt.” Spike commented.

Getting up, Twilight shook the dizziness away. “Ow, what was that?”

“Just a throw, dear.” Mango mused. “Let’s just say you won’t be punching my face today.”

This stallion’s cockiness was getting to her head. “Is this a challenge?”

“No, it’s fact.” Mango motioned her to try again. “Care to try again?”

Eating his popcorn alongside the two other royal guards, Spike enjoyed the show on display. No matter how hard Twilight Sparkle tried, her face would always meet the mat. Again and again, she couldn’t land a successful hit on Mango. Some would call this a humiliating experience; others would call this humbling. Spike called it entertainment. “Getting back on her hooves. Princess Twilight Sparkle prepares her next move while Mango dances around the arena, his eyes locked on target. Oh! Looks lik-”

“Spike! You’re distracting me!” The alicorn complained.

Mango, in the meantime, turned to the crowd with an annoyed look glint in his eyes. “Hey! I know some of you are staring at my flank!” Before he could set his gaze back on the lavender alicorn, he was bucked in the face, landing flank first on the mat. “Low blow, princess. Low blow.”

“But it is a blow nonetheless.” Twilight snarked.

Mango’s annoyed expression turned to a soft laugh. Then, a hearty laugh. “I like your spirit, young’ing.”

In good sport, Twilight offered a hoof to get Mango back up. “I’ll admit, I may have let it all go to my head a bit.”

Mango smiled. “Just a bit, ay?”

Twilight blushed a little. “Maybe more...”

“Ain’t no shame in admitting it.” Mango stretched his back until he heard a satisfying crack. “Been a while since I got to throw down with somepony. I gotta thank you for that.”

“I should be the one thanking you. I’ve learned much just by observing your techniques.” Twilight responded, turning her head to her trusted assistant. “Spike! Did you take any notes?”

“U-Uh, sure! I did!”

Mango laughed, taking off his necklace. “Reading notes is just one part of your training! You’ll need to practice these moves with somepony if you want to and I quote ‘get good’.”

“Practice with somepony...” Twilight muttered, a hoof to her chin. Her eyes lit up once she thought of a good friend that’ll surely want to help her. “Rainbow Dash! I’m sure she’ll be thrilled to try these out with me.”

Spike jotted all this information down on a notepad. “Try these out with Twilight... Done!”

Twilight bowed before the older stallion. “Thank you for your help, Mango. I’ll admit I didn’t think highly of you before this session.”

Mango chuckled, amused by the sight of a princess respectfully bowing to him. “It’s alright. I don’t really care about having a good image. I prefer to stay true to who I am, even in public.” He placed the necklace back into its chest.

“Well, Spike and I better get going. We have lots of things to do.” Twilight said, lifting the baby dragon onto her back.

“Wait, just before you leave.” Mango trotted next to them, a sly smile on his face. “You sound like a busy mare.”

“Yep, that I am.”

“But like with all busy mare, you do have some spare time, don’tcha?” He continued.

“Yeessss?”

“I just want to know if I could, uh someday, come inside?” He chuckled.

“Come inside... the Golden Oak?” Twilight questioned. “Oh, sure you can! The library’s always open and happy to welcome anypony who sees values in books!”

“That’s great to hear.” Mango responded, holding his laugh.

After the alicorn left, he erupted into a powerful fit of laugh. “Oh my, not the kinda answer I was expecting but hey! Everypony’s gotta have their first time eventually!”

His peers glared at him, some looked jealous while others were repulsed. “Mango, you lousy motherb-”

Author's Note

This Mango's a sleezy pony indeed! And Twilight hasn't caught the hint just yet. :facehoof:
As for these magical necklaces, they sure are troubling news. Who knows what Anarchy is going to do with them...

We're taking a short break from the heavier stuff, but it won't be long 'cause the next chapter's gonna take place underneath Canterlot, where the Anarchists are dwelling.

I originally planned to have another scene in this chapter, but the more I thought about it, the more ideas came to mind and I decided to split said scene into its own chapter.

20. True Bravery

14 days left before the storm

Screams, shouts, laughter. Such a terrible symphony of pain, such a horrible atmosphere. The air was thick, oppressive and malicious. It was dark, save for the lanterns lighting up the only signs of life in here. No place in Equestria felt quite as evil as these caverns, and some ponies are in for a rude awakening.

Many ponies live their life foolishly thinking that they’ll never be in any real danger, that the atrocities they read in the journal will never come to them. Sadly, for some of them, life had other plans. The weak perish, and the strong live on. In these trying times, a pony reveals their true colors.

Blossomforth woke up to a strange sensation. She can’t remember when she even fell asleep, not that she thinks she even slept at all. Her legs wouldn’t move at all, no matter how hard she tried to pull. Her back hurt like Tartarus, mostly her wings. They were unresponsive too, but it felt different than her limbs. Dazed and confused, she slowly opened her eyes to reveal an unfamiliar location.

Cozy in its interior, but terribly dark anywhere the lantern on a nearby shelf couldn’t reach. As her blurry vision cleared up, she could make out two shapes near her, holding her down. “Wh... Wha-”

“Hey, look buddy, I think our sleeping beauty’s coming to!” A gruffy voice spoke out.

Finally wide awake, Blossomforth realised that the two shapes were in fact, stallions who were pinning her down on a bed.

“Get the ropes while I’ll hold her in place.” The other one ordered.

“Wh-What?” Blossomforth blurted out, her eyes widening. “Wh-What are you doing?”

The red stallion above her scoffed in a deep, whispery voice. “Figure it out yourself. You’re a grown mare, aren’t you?”

The pegasus turned pale. “N-No...” her lips quivered as she saw the beige stallion arrive with multiple set of ropes. “Y-Y-You can’t do this to me!” She tried to trash around, but her captor was much stronger than her.

“Hey! Keep it down, will ya?” The red stallion commanded, pushing down on her limbs. The pain it caused only got the mare to be louder. Her wings cracked in correspondence to the amount of pressure they were putting on her. Blossomforth couldn’t move them at all, they were broken. They broke her wings!

“Pl-Please, let m-me go! I won’t tell anypony!” Her plea was for nothing. No criminals ever listen to this kind of plea anyway.

A drop of sweat dripped down the red stallion’s face as he turned to his friend. “Shut her up! We can’t let him hear us!”

The beige stallion’s horn emitted an ominous glow. Blossomforth tried to scream, but her mouth slammed shut, unable to open. Nothing but muffled shrieks came out of her now as the red stallion breathed a sigh of relief.

“Good, now pass me the ropes. I’ll tie her down myself while you keep her in place.” he ordered, waving a hoof around.

His friend grinned. “Oh, we can thank the recruit for that. It’s been a while since we got to spend some quality time with a mare.”

The red earth pony shared the same grin. “Oh yes indeed.”

Blossomforth tried to plead further, but all that came out of her mouth were muffled and frightened whimpers. Her eyes were watering as he sniffled, desperately trying to refrain herself from crying.

The stallions switched place, and started tying her limbs down, starting with her left foreleg. “Don’t fret, lady, we’ll be gentle!” The beige stallion reassured in a sinister voice.

Tears streamed down Blossomforth’s freckled face as she started to give up any resistance, losing the last sliver of hope she had left. There was no escape, these two were stronger than her.

“Oy! Make sure to spread her leg when I tie them down. We want to have some space, don’t we?” The beige stallion suggested, taking pleasure in seeing the mare’s horrified reaction to each and every word he uttered.

“Hey, boys.”

Everypony in the room froze. The red stallion turned his head around slowly but surely, his eyes turning to pinpricks when he saw who the newcomer was.

“Correct me if I am wrong.” The third stallion said, bizarrely punctuating each wrong. “But I don’t believe it’s party time yet. Not to mention I haven't been invited!”

He opened his eyes a bit further, leaning closer to the beige stallion. “Are you partying without me?”

Fumbling through his words, the beige stallion formulated a hasty response. “N-Not at all! Our deepest and m-most sincere apologies, boss!”

Anarchy’s clueless façade dropped immediately. “Spare me all your pleas. You two already know what you should be doing.”

The two stallions rushed out the room in fear, leaving the unfortunate Blossomforth with Anarchy alone.

The mare was frozen in place, her mouth shivering. Being alone in this cursed bedroom with this unicorn was dreadful. The whole room felt cold, icy. Despite its warm temperature, Blossomforth trembled, her teeth chattered, and her breathing was quick and shaky.

Anarchy leaned over her, his grin stretching across his entire face. “Look at the little sleeping beauty, waking up from her cute little nappy.” His face moved in closer to hers, almost touching their muzzles. “I’ve seen your type plenty of times before. All the same. Carefree, jolly, acting like you care about the tragedies on the newspaper but never really putting much thought into them. And in the face of danger, what do you do?” His jaw unhinged, revealing a gaping maw inside. A second and third row of teeth slowly made their presence known. “You freeze, and let death take you away.”

As Anarchy closed his jaw, he noticed that he had lost his audience. Blossomforth passed out from the overwhelming fear casted upon her. In this state, she looked much more peaceful than before, an adorable sight that got the unicorn thinking for a bit.

“Maybe our dreams are the best refuge for reality. The mind and soul are at peace, no questions to ask, no questions to answer.” He took a step back from the bed. “I know how to achieve my peace and oh boy, is it taking a long time to achieve.”

He chuckled. “Why do I always find myself monologuing and talking to myself? Ha ha! I should really become a psychiatrist. Oh, I would if I didn’t have this special meeting so long ago... Oh, how much I miss these olden days!” He raised a hoof to the air. “Luna, you'll come to my side again, one way or another...”

Blossomforth slowly came back to her senses following the sound of a door slamming shut. The room she was now in was scarcely lit by a sole lantern on the ceiling. The wooden floorboard underneath her creaked with every move she made. The air was thick, hard to breathe, but it was just enough to let her live. On the upside, she was not tied down to anything, free to move around as she pleased.

The same couldn’t be said for her poor wings, covered in casts as they were sticking to her sides like glue. Moving them, even a little bit, was too painful. Without her wings, she was nothing more than a poor mare’s earth pony. There were iron bars in front of her just like those you’d see in a holding cell. The main difference was that most of the place was built using wood and stones. A true low budget prison. Blossomforth took a moment to reflect on the past few days, wondering what she did wrong to have ended up here, in a place potentially worse than Tartarus.

“H-Hey... Do I know you?” A weak voice called out. In the back of the room lied a black stallion, a pegasus to be precise, resting on the wooden floor. As Blossomforth turned around, she gasped.

“Thunderlane? What are you doing here?” The mare asked, rushing over to him.

“I could ask the same to you. I guess you weren’t so lucky too, huh?” He weakly sound, putting on a defeated smile.

Blossomforth sat next to him. “What is this horrible place? Wh-What are they going to do to us?”

“I wish I knew.” Thunderlane groaned. “Ugh, b-but there was no way of seeing where the carriages were taking us. From what I can tell, we should be somewhere underground.”

Blossomforth looked at a window on her right, it was dark outside, and there was no night sky in sight, confirming Thunderlane’s guess. “I-Is anypony coming to save us?” she asked, knowing the grim answer all too well.

“Afraid not. Nopony knows we’re here.” Thunderlane responded in a defeated tone. “But hey, it’s good to see a familiar face, though I sincerely wish you were anywhere but here.”

Blossomforth wanted to say “me too” but the truth was, she was too scared to be alone. Thunderlane’s company was the only thing keeping her from breaking down into tears. Even though they were only acquaintances, the simple fact that they knew each other warmed their hearts in this cold prison, buried underground. “H-How did you get here? I never though an athletic pony such as yourself would ever be captured.”

The black pegasus frowned. “I was out in Manehattan visiting a friend. Heh, we nearly knocked ourselves out with ciders until we got kicked out of the bar by the owner. In our drunken state, we thought it was a good idea to go our separate ways. Then, that coward Filthy Traffic hit me in the back of the head. It was entirely my fault; I should have been more cautious. What about you? Care to share your story? If you don’t mind.”

Blossomforth lowered her head. “I’d... rather not talk about it. It’s just... i-it's bringing back bad memories.”

“I understand.” Thunderlane nodded. “We need to get somepony out of here, so that they can alert the authorities about this.” He lifted his head, disappointment carved all over his face. “I tried to convince the others to break-out, but... they were all too scared to go.” He grunted, pulling his lower half closer. “I know how to leave this darn cell, so you can flee from this horrible place.”

Blossomforth blinked, still stuck at that one detail bugging her. “H-Huh? M-Me?” she blindly asked. “Y-You’re not leaving?”

Thunderlane lowered his head. “I can’t.”

“What do you mean you can’t? You’re much stronger and faster than me? Y-You’re also braver than I am!” Blossomforth desperately said. “I’m too scared to leave this cell! If anypony here can set us free, it’s you!”

The black pegasus looked utterly defeated to the point that it almost hurt to watch. “It can’t be me... not anymore.” He grunted as he struggled to pull his back legs closer to the mare. Blossomforth shrieked, Thunderlane’s legs were broken, unusable.

“Y-Y-Your legs!” She screamed in horror.

“Yeah, I tried to leave... and I messed up.” He lifted his head, his eyes filled with a contagious determination. “The others are too scared to leave, it’s all up to you to save us. If you won’t go then, we’re all dead ponies.”

Blossomforth’s eyes started to water. “B-But you can’t make me do this! I’m not strong enough to leave! Th-They'll kill me if they see me out of my cell!”

“I know,” The black pegasus responded. “But they’ll kill us all anyway whether we stay put or not. It’s better to die knowing you’ve tried rather than to sit idly and wait for death to come. Please, Blossomforth, you have to go. I don’t want any of us to die so please, just go.”

The mare sniffled, unable to hold her tears back. “I-I-I can’t! I’m t-too much of a coward!” she cried out.

Thunderlane lifted a weak hoof to her shoulder, putting on a weak smile. “I don’t think you’re a coward. I know you have what it takes to do this. You’re smaller than me and nimbler. Bravery doesn’t mean absence of fear. True bravery is taking action despite your fears. You got this.”

Blossomforth wagered her options and came to the frightening conclusion that Thunderlane is right, she must leave alone. Her breaths were shaky, her eyes wide with fear. The idea of even attempting to sneak out was terrifying to her. A fear that was only amplified by the vision of Anarchy looming above her, the one pony she wished to never see again. She didn’t give a definitive answer, but the stallion could tell she was going to try, after a lot of time to prepare herself mentally.

He understood her fears, he too was scared to leave when he attempted his failed escape plan. Truth is, he wasn’t sure she would make it, but it was better to try than to give up and die. His life rested in the hooves of a mare that was hyperventilating. To think that in these trying times, he had nopony but an acquaintance to rely on was sad. He couldn’t imagine how his friends and family was feeling now that he mysteriously vanished for a couple of days without telling a single soul.

Somewhere outside the cold prison, still in the underground base of the Anarchists, a sleezy stallion ogled a mare in particular. Filthy Traffic was never known for being particularly good with mares, especially concerning his line of work doesn’t favor positive interactions with the opposite gender. The hardest thing for him would probably be to get an actual date, and no, kidnapping a mare doesn’t count as a date, it’s a crime.

Dreamcatcher, what a fancy looking mare. Exactly the type Filthy was looking for all these years. Problem is, she’s an Anarchist and is also around Strong Hoof, the second pony you do not want to mess with in this underground town. That wouldn’t normally be a problem, just ask her on a date and prepare yourself to get rejected. With Filthy Traffic, however, he was too fond of the art of kidnapping, an action that would undeniably get him killed if he even attempted it here.

As much as he hated it, for now, he had to ask... politely. Trotting over the mare and her gigantic companion, he perfumed himself to hopefully give her a better impression of him.

Strong Hoof noticed his unprompted arrival. “Ah, if it isn’t the sleezy tonto.” The big stallion looked at him with distrust, keeping his eyes locked on him.

Filthy Traffic scoffed. “Sleezy, ay? I wouldn’t call myself sleezy. How about, slick? Smooth like butter.”

Dreamcatcher seemed unimpressed. “A hormone filled beast of your size is anything but smooth. Le célibat vous hante tant que ça?” She responded, her harmonious voice shooting bullets into his heart, but he didn’t falter, not one bit.

“Oh, but I can be smooth for ya, baby.” Filthy persisted, soon distracted by the rumbling earth.

“What a splendid sense of humour. Perhaps you should be finding somepony who's beneath you, temerario. Although, that'll a tough endeavor.” Strong Hoof growled, looking down on the smaller pony. The sheer size of the white earth pony got Filthy to make his leave.

Once the sleezy stallion was gone, Dreamcatcher sighed. “You’re lucky to be this big and strong. Nopony ever wishes to seek quarrel with you. I am cursed with being a mare in a lawless group. I’m sure the other mares feel the same way.”

Strong Hoof frowned. “Your power is essential to our survival; I would consider it better than mine.”

“Wow, really big boy?” The pegasus mused. “With my power, I just figured I was a Luna knock-off, but hey, everypony’s entitled to their opinion.”

“I believe you’re underestimating yourself. Anarchy’s plans would never have come to fruition had it not been for your dream catching ability. Thanks to you, we can safely sleep at night without getting our secrets stolen by that harpy of an alicorn, Luna.” Strong Hoof protested. “It’s powerful if used intelligently, and I know you can push it to its fullest.”

“Gee, I didn’t know pep talk was part of your skillset, other than smashing things around.” Dreamcatcher responded, taking the time to observe the other ponies working. Many were doing their job exactly as they were asked, but the mare couldn’t help but notice some were missing, most of them being stallions. “I don’t like seeing kidnapped mares brought in here.”

“I share that sentiment.” Strong Hoof replied, looking at the prison far from their current position. It rested up on an elevated position in the caverns, overlooking the rest of the makeshift town. “It is distracting our members from accomplishing their work.”

“You said it big guy.” Dreamcatcher changed direction, heading straight for the prison. “I swear, if any of them are forcing themselves onto the prisoners; I’ll buck them back to work.”

The white earth pony chuckled. “Oh, I’m gonna beat the living Tartarus out of ‘em!”

“Alright, here’s the plan.” Thunderlane pointed to the window. “These bars might be solid, but the wall is wooden. With enough strength, you can buck the bars off the wall and climb out.”

Blossomforth peeked through the window. “How am I going to climb down without my wings? From this height, I’ll break my legs if I fall!”

Thunderlane pulled on something. Bedsheets, tied into a long rope. “In that case, you’ll just have to use the old reliable. I’ll hold onto the sheets while you climb down, but you’ll have to be quick ‘cause I sure won’t be able to hold it for long.” He explained, constantly checking behind him to make sure no guard was patrolling the area.

Once they were sure the coast was clear, Blossomforth got in position. Thunderlane, for his part, grasped the prison’s bars to keep a close eye on any potential danger. “Alright, you’re good to go.”

“O-Okay... here goes.” The mare lifted her hind legs and kicked the bars as hard as she could. The wood surrounding them cracked loudly but didn’t gave in to the buck. The sound echoed throughout the vast and empty prison. Some of the other prisoners trotted up to their bars, wondering what was going on. Instead of throwing another kick, Blossomforth gazed at the injured stallion.

Thunderlane looked left and right, repeating this gesture multiple times until he nodded. “The coast is clear, Blossom. Take another swing.”

The pegasus mare bucked the bars once more. Her legs were starting to hurt from the effort, but the results were clear; the wooden wall around them was slowly giving in to the strikes. One more kick would send the bars flying away. Blossomforth looked back at Thunderlane.

After he made sure the coast was clear, he motioned her to continue. The mare lifted her legs once more, ready to kick.
“Wait, not now!” Thunderlane yelled in a whispery tone. “Get away from the window!”

A gargantuan white earth pony arrived, accompanied by a light blue pegasus mare. “What’s with the noise?” Strong Hoof questioned, his brows furrowing. “It sounded, unusually loud.”

Terror grasped Blossomforth’s heart. She tried to scream, but terror took the sound before she made it. The two evil stallions shifted their eyes to Thunderlane. Dreamcatcher scoffed. “Tried to escape? Many have tried to escape just like you. I’ve yet to see one that was successful. Don’t believe this day will ever come.”

“Y-Y-You.” The mare stuttered, falling on her flank. Her eyes were focused entirely on Strong Hoof. Just like all those who first laid their eyes on him, his giant size struck fear in her heart, a paralysing fear.

“Were you two trying something funny?” Strong Hoof growled, daringly approaching Thunderlane. Each step he took shook the ground. “I’m not one to laugh.”

Frightened, Blossomforth backed away to the farthest corner of her cell, her eyes not leaving Strong Hoof.

The black pegasus smirked. “Come on, there’s no need to dampen the mood here. We’re just having fun between friends.”
Dreamcatcher looked at the rest of the prison. It was calm, with quiet chatting happening in most cells while others were quiet. “Did any of you happen to see a guard come in here?”

“Pff, talk about safety measures.” Thunderlane scoffed. “You seem awfully confident.”

The gargantuan earth pony grinned. “I believe nopony in here doubt our power. Take a good look at me and tell me you’re going to try to escape.” Noticing the pegasus’s broken legs, he laughed. “Oh! Looks like you were foolish enough to try. I suppose we can humor your next attempt by offering you a wheelchair.”

Dreamcatcher snickered. “How about we ask the boss for a wheelchair? Ça va nous offrir tout un spectacle!”

Thunderlane laughed alongside them. “I’m going to get out of here in a wheelchair, I swear to y’all!”

In their fit of laughter, the two criminals failed to notice the somewhat busted up window in the back of the cell. The darkness inside didn’t help either. Strong Hoof and Dreamcatcher turned to leave the prison when the big stallion suddenly stopped. “Hmm, I could have sworn that window wasn’t built that badly...”

“I know our underlings are incompetent, but they can’t be that bad.” Dreamcatcher added, approaching the bars again as she tried to get a better view of the window.

Sweat dripped down Thunderlane’s face. He crawled closer to the mare before him. “What are you implying?” he asked, knowing the answer all too well.

The earth rumbled; Strong Hoof lowered his head to match the defiant gaze of the black pegasus. “That you’re planning an escape, tipo duro.”

The wounded stallion mocked their suspicions. “As if, I'm not going anywhere with only two legs remaining. And look at her,” he pointed at Blossomforth, still cowering in the corner. “You really think a pony that afraid is going to try something funny?”

The cold, piercing gaze of Strong Hoof was now on Blossomforth. The mare froze completely, even her breathes stopped. An oppressive silence filled the room, even the other prisoners stopped chatting, their eyes now on their powerful captor.

Blossomforth’s face was turning blue, she didn’t even realise she was holding her breath. After what felt like an eternity, the white earth pony growled. “We won’t be having any fun tonight, Dreamcatcher. Let’s get back to business before the boss scolds us.”

“What a waste of our precious time.” Dreamcatcher complained.

The two evil ponies left, easing the atmosphere of the prison. Blossomforth finally exhaled, gasping for air.

“Let’s wait a couple of minutes, just to be sure. Then, we’ll resume our escape.”

Outside the prison, Strong Hoof and Dreamcatcher descended the long slope leading back to town. The crystal walls of the caverns reflected the light of the town’s lantern back at them, coating the two ponies in an ominous amber light, save for Strong Hoof’s eyes who were always encompassed in dark shadows thanks to his cap.

The whole place felt dark, hopeless and dreadful. Any normal ponies would hate to be here for even a single hour, but not them.

The Anarchists live in darkness and indulge in their biggest vices. To them, this town is a paradise, one that enables them to do whatever they wish without the fear of facing retribution for their crimes.

Strong Hoof didn’t particularly care much, however. All he cared about was to see the alicorns on the chopping block.

“Well shoot, our plan for the evening is evidently not going to happen. How are we spending the rest of our day?” Dreamcatcher asked disappointedly. She kicked a few pebbles out of the way.

“I believe I will read a book until something of note happens.” Strong Hoof grunted. “I only hope I get to crush somepony soon.”

"Will I be this lucky pony?" Strong Hoof grumbled at this sleezy response. Dreamcatcher opened her mouth, but stopped immediately once she noticed something was off with her shadow. “H-Hey, that doesn’t look like my shadow.”

The big earth pony examined it closer. Dreamcatcher’s shadow was slightly bigger than her, her mane wasn’t a ponytail and lastly, it was grinning back at them. “B-Boss?”

The shadow cackled as it rose from the ground, dawning on the form of a unicorn stallion. “Surprise surprise! I’m only intruding in your lives for a brief moment, I hope you don’t mind that.” Anarchy’s words were painfully insincere, but his grin wasn’t. He sounded genuinely excited. “Everything’s going along just fine you see. I’m giving us about a week until we’re fully ready to make some noise!”

“Splendid.” Strong Hoof responded, returning a wide grin to the unicorn. “We will rock their world. Make them fear us even further. All thanks to your unparalleled intellect.”

“Hold on, I have question.” Dreamcatcher exclaimed, holding a hoof to Anarchy. “How long were you spying us with this spell?”

“Enough to tell you two to get a room!” Anarchy mused. “Our hotel is just about finished, and I swear, it isn’t a love hotel but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t get comfortable in it.” In the corner of his eyes, he saw a lone mare descending from the prison with the uses of bedsheets. He was about to call it out, but something else came to mind. His mind began crafting various outcomes, some leading to favorable results while others lead to pretty much nothing. In the end, he made his decision.

“H-Hey! You’re just making assumptions, like all the rest!” Dreamcatcher shouted, a slight blush betraying her words.

Strong Hoof awkwardly frowned. “I have nothing but respect for you... but please, don’t try to barge in our lives.”

“What are you afraid of? Haven’t gotten to the confessions yet? Let me tell you; it’ll only bring pain to your hearts if you procrastinate. If you truly have something to say; well, say it now.” Anarchy secretly kept his gaze on the pegasus mare, now almost reaching the bottom. "I've also noticed you two were leaving the prison. What were you doing there?"

Dreamcatcher's brows furrowed. "Making sure none of our stallions did some unsavory things to our captives."

"Ah, that's good. We don't want any noticeable bruises on our prisoners for our fateful day. Now remember, we take good care of them not out of kindness, but out of necessity. To achieve our goals, we must be beasts."

Strong Hoof scoffed. "Well, if that's all, we'll be on our way."

Anarchy jumped in their way. “Oh, I believe I have just one teeny tiny little order for you two.” He took out a pen and paper from his saddlebag, writing something down on it before he handed the paper over to Strong Hoof. “Give it to Long Wrangler. Oh, and tell him to take the secret elevator too.”

“Tsk, I’m still going to read a book once I’m done being an errand boy.” Strong Hoof disgruntledly replied, snatching the paper with his mouth.

“And I’ll find a nice place to bathe... and no peeping, boss.” Dreamcatcher added, leaving the dark unicorn.

“Hmm, I wonder how far this one will go.” Anarchy wondered, looking back at Blossomforth in the distance. “Hopefully far. If she makes it out, I’ll be able to do something truly diabolical. A domino effect will occur, and all the cards will be shuffled. In the end, the only pony who will be dealt a winning hand... is me!” His grin contorted, growing wide to the point that it stretched his face further than what is possible. “Hyah ha ha ha!"

The bedsheet rope wasn’t long enough to hit the ground. There was still a small drop before she could touch the rocky ground of the caverns. Before she let go of the rope, Blossomforth checked her surroundings, hoping that there would be no guards nearby.

Surprisingly, none were posted to keep an eye on the prisoners. In fact, it would appear that all their ponypower were focused on building the town. Letting go of the rope, Blossomforth fell, landing straight on her legs but unfortunately, the impact made her wings flopped. Her bones crunched and she shrieked in pain. The sound echoed in the almost empty caverns, a harsh reminder to remain quiet or else they’ll find her.

“O-Okay... I c-can do this.” Blossomforth said out loud as a meager attempt at boosting her confidence. Whatever to stop her from losing it since she’s already made the first leap. It’s too late to go back on her decision. For Thunderlane’s sake, as well as the others, she’ll escape and call for help.

With her wings disabled, the mare can’t look at gaps the same way. The crevice surrounding the prison is deep, and right now, deadly for a disabled pegasus. The only path available is the one leading to town. Dangerous, but currently empty, and the town should contain plenty of cover to hide from the criminals.

Blossomforth thread lightly on the hard, rocky path, crouching to be as hard to see as possible. She was sweating a lot, her legs trembling with fear as she had no choice but to jump into danger to escape. Unable to take this stress any longer, she picked up the pace, moving and breathing faster until she finally reached the town, at which point she jumped behind a building to hide.

Falling on her flank, Blossomforth took a while to steady her breaths, wiping the sweat off her forehead. Looking back at the prison, the pegasus felt a wave of discouragement wash through her body and soul. She only trotted about fifty meters from her starting point. And now, who knew how much ground she had to cover?

“Why did I even agree to this?” She asked herself, putting her hooves to her face. “I c-c-can't... It’s too d-dangerous!”
As she continued to drag her moral down to the dirt, she heard a small group of ponies heading her way. Scrambling for a way out, she crawled to the side of the building, where she found a couple of barrels lying around. Without wasting a single second, she jumped in one of them.

Now hidden in a safe spot, Blossomforth had nothing else to do but to calm herself down. It wasn’t an easy feat for there were numerous factors hindering her state of mind. The lack of light, the constant chatting of the monsters outside, the pain her wings were inflicting upon her, all kept her fear at an all-time high.

The mare’s breaths were still rapid and shaky, her eyes tearing up. She grasped with her head in shame. “Oh, I’m so pathetic! I don’t even want to come out of this barrel. I feel like I can stay here forever.” The fear was powerful, taking control of her actions and thoughts. The barrel was comfy and safe. Outside was unpleasant and dangerous.

Then, she realised something bad. She was gasping for air. The pegasus forgot entirely about this problem. There are no holes in this barrel meaning, no outside air. If she stays too long in there, she’ll suffocate and die. Hesitant, Blossomforth lifted a hoof to slightly open the lid on the barrel, just enough to get some air in. Breathing heavily, she made sure every inhale counted. This was problematic, but at least that way she doesn’t have to worry about suffocating.

Just as she was starting to calm down, a powerful force pushed on the lid, cutting off her air supply. Wh-What?! What’s going on?! She panicked and was just about to push on the lid when she heard a familiar voice above.

“Damn, this Dreamcatcher chick ain’t into me at all. I guess I’ll have to find another way, when her precious friend is gone...” That voice, it could only belong to Filthy Traffic, the stallion responsible for getting her into this mess. How long is he going to stay here? She thought, lowering her head as much as possible. The mare cowered, praying that he won’t open that barrel. “What should I use... sedatives? Maybe not, these ones are expensive, I should only use them for my affairs.”

Seconds passed by and it didn’t look like he was going anywhere. Banging and trying to force her way out would only result in death at the hooves of a hundred angry ponies. Staying inside and waiting was not favorable. Either way looked like a slow and painful death.

Her hope dwindling, Blossomforth sunk even deeper in the barrel, slowly realising that she was going to die in here. There was no way out, and not a single course of action that wouldn’t result in certain death. “It’s... all over isn’t it?” Tears streamed down her face as defeat engulfed her hope, destroying it entirely.

“Thunderlane... I’m so sorry. I’m just a coward, I can’t do this.” Her voice was soft, quiet and sad. More time passed by, and the mare felt her strength waning. It was becoming hard to breath, hard to remain conscious. She croaked, trying to inhale every last drop of oxygen inside the barrel to further prolong what little remained of her life.

Her eyes started to close... before opening in a flash. The barrel swung around for a bit before stabilising, the pressure on the lid now gone. Outside her cage, a beautiful symphony played on a pipe organ could be heard accompanied by maniacal laughter.

Always at the front!
Inside my small cove!
Taking on the brunt!
I’ll reclaim my love!

Anarchy’s voice echoed in the caverns, alerting all of his subordinates to his musical shenanigan.
“Nice seeing ya tonight, fillies and gentlecolts!” the crazy unicorn announced. “We’re having a real, big party! So come on in! Grab your pints and get down for some fun!”

Oh, Luna... hit me baby one more time!

Saved by the gong! Blossomforth lifted the lid to take in a deep breath. Her head now poking outside, she was relieved to find Filthy Traffic leaving the area, approaching Anarchy while he was jamming out on a pipe organ.

Many other ponies came to the unicorn’s side, surprised by the sudden music. The way was clear for the mare, a happy coincidence that’ll allow her to move further into their base. Of course, as long as none of them pay any attention to the pegasus roaming around.

Up above, in the majestic city of Canterlot, a lone princess remained motionless before a stained glass. Its enormous size was imposing, depicting the defeat of Nightmare Moon at the hooves of Twilight Sparkle and her friends. Princess Luna stared blankly, reminiscing the horrible years she’s spent as a monster in the dark. The sun was getting really low, shining through the glass in a beautiful, almost godly spectacle of golden light.

The Nightmare is not necessarily evil, it merely amplifies the evil in its host’s heart, hence why Nightmare Moon only wanted to make the nights eternal. If it ever were to come in possession of a more twisted pony, the results would be catastrophic. This theory was what Luna came up with just now, simply from looking at the stained glass.

Still, the only reason it came into existence to begin with was thanks to her. The Nightmare was her doing, and whatever damage it may cause is her fault, her responsibility to fix it. The guilt consumed her from the inside, a fact she hid from everypony.

“Is something wrong, Lulu?”

Luna found herself smiling briefly upon hearing this kind voice.

“Yes, sort of.” she responded, not taking her eyes off the stained glass. This glass had some sort of hypnotic powers, keeping the alicorn from even taking a brief glance at her beloved sister.

Concerned, Princess Celestia trotted to her sister’s side. “Please, tell me what’s wrong. I’ll be more than happy to lend a hoof.”

The lunar princess rubbed her bandaged hoof, cringing slightly at the pain. “It’s about that injury I got when I visited the filly’s dream.” She lifted her hoof up for Celestia to see. “I told you a stallion inflicted it upon me.”

Celestia nodded. “Yes, I’m still puzzled as to how this wound even manifested in reality.” her brows furrowed. “He must be extremely dangerous to hurt you in your own realm.”

“I believe I’ve found the reason why.” Luna continued. “He spoke to me as if we knew each other, always insisted on giving me cute nicknames, acting just a bit too friendly.”

Celestia’s eyes widened. “No, it can’t be the reason why...”

“Yes, sister.” Luna finally faced her older sister. “I believe that Anarchy somehow possesses the Nightmare in him.” Horror slowly dawned on her. “All... the horrors he’s committed happened because of my foolishness.” She lowered her head sadly.

“If I had not turned into Nightmare Moon... then-”

“That’s enough.” Celestia interrupted, placing a gentle hoof on her younger sister’s shoulder. “This was a mistake you’ve made a thousand years ago; it can’t be undone. It serves no purpose to torture yourself over it.”

“So what should I do?!” Luna pleaded, tears welling in her eyes. “I’ve created a monster that’s killing our subjects!” Panting, the lunar princess took some time to calm herself down by taking slow breaths. “T-Tia... I need closure on this.” She looked back at the stained glass. “I can’t stop thinking about all the pain I've caused as Nightmare Moon.”

Princess Celestia gave her a warm smile. “You can’t take back all the pain you’ve caused, but you can always work on securing a better tomorrow for our subjects. I’ll help you find this monster and together, we’ll put an end to this.”

Princess Luna’s eyes widened, at a loss for words. Then, her eyes teared up as her lips trembled, scrambling to form a simple “thank you”, but she finally settled on a more telling sign of gratitude. Leaning forward, she embraced her caring older sister with a hug that spoke a million words.

Thunderlane sat in his cell by his lonesome, glad that somepony was at least trying to get some help. The pain his legs caused him was unbearable, he had to breathe through his teeth to not succumb to the agony. “Shhiiit! If only they had a doctor in here that would actually take care of my injuries, that’ll be awfully nice.”

As if his prayers were answered, somepony stepped inside the prison. Unfortunately, he didn’t look like a doctor, rather, he looked like a pony trafficker. “Oh great, just when I thought they were showing the slightest concern over their inmates.” Thunderlane groaned, making sure to show no signs of pain to his kidnapper. Right now, there was nopony he hated more than this Filthy Traffic guy.

“I’m more concerned over who I’ll get to enjoy tonight.” The filthy stallion responded, a sly smile plastered over his malicious face. He winced, leaning to get a better view of the dark cell. “Now that’s odd, I could have sworn they threw in that hottie in there with you.” Thunderlane grunted, refusing to say anything to him. Filthy practically shoved his face into the bars, impatience beaming through his eyes. “Did. They. Not?”

“Why are you assuming they were kind enough to give me any company?” The black pegasus pointed at his broken legs. “I’ve tried to escape, so apparently I don’t deserve any luxury.”

Filthy Traffic clenched his teeth. “You take me for a fool, huh? I know that bitch was supposed to be in here. I’ve asked the ones who threw you in this shithole.”

Thunderlane winced, sweat dripping down his face. “They relocated her somewhere else, why don’t you try asking around again?”

“Your sweat’s betraying you. I know she’s escaped the cell.” Filthy Traffic lifted his eyes. “I mean, come on, you didn’t even try to hide the broken window.”

The black pegasus panicked, their plan was jeopardised. Blossomforth was now in great danger. The whole town was going to come after her, it won’t be long until she’s found and then... who knew what they’ll do to her.

“Once we’d find her, I’ll do something I should have done a long time ago.” Filthy Traffic said, his smile widening. “I’ll be damn sure to make you watch every second of it, see how you feel to have your stallionhood damaged as you sit by helplessly.”

Thunderlane’s mouth dropped, horror creeping into his face as his skin turned pale. The earth pony before him was about to leave, but something stopped him dead in his tracks. He looked bizarrely puzzled, as if he just saw a ghost. Well, given what he as seeing, he might be looking at one.

On the ground next to him was his shadow, no doubts about it. So then, who was this second shadow hanging next to his? The one with the creepy smile. “Wha-”

“Sorry to pop in unannounced my dear Filthy.”

Taken aback, Filthy Traffic dropped on his flank, his eyes glued to the shadow as it lifted itself off the ground, turning the immaterial to physical, the illusion to reality. Before he could even wonder what was going on, Anarchy stood above him.

“My, it looks like Blossomforth’s escaped. What a shame.” The creepy voice of the unicorn echoed throughout the prison, sending a shiver down everypony’s spine.

“Oh, b-boss. I-It’s you.” Filthy Traffic stammered, stumbling on his tail as he got up. “We’ve got to find her before she escapes!”

“Yes, yes, I already know.” Anarchy responded, sounding oddly bored. “I’m more interested in what you were planning to do with her. I’m assuming, being a naughty boy perhaps?”

“Well, uh, in some ways... yes.” Filthy confirmed. “She broke the window and descended using the bedsheets that Thunderlane is trying to hide.”

“Oh dear,” Anarchy feigned distress. “This might be pretty bad, but I doubt it.” His horn shone with an ominous power. “I suggest you forget this even happened and go back to having fun with the others. Of course, that also mean we don’t get to tell a single soul about our escapee.”

The two other ponies blinked. “Uh, p-pardon me?” Filthy blurted out in complete incomprehension. “Are you really telling me we should let her go? Th-That'll put us in a lot of danger! She could escape and tell the royal guards that we’re down here!”

“I understand your concerns.” The evil unicorn giggled. “But atlas, an order’s an order. Just go back to partying. I’ll handle things from here.” Anarchy turned around and briefly made his way towards the exit, stopping as the light from his horn increased in intensity.

“Sure thing, boss.” Filthy Traffic responded, his eyes still glued to the cell.

Thunderlane, for his part, was still flabbergasted. “What?”

Echoey words suddenly flowed through Anarchy’s mind as he side eyed his subordinate. Let her go? Like Tartarus I am. I’ll find her, and make sure we’re nicely hidden from the party. Then, who would be there to stop me from having a little fun?

The unicorn quietly sighed. “Hey, brotha! I just remembered this cool spell! It’s supposed to increase your dopamine release so that you can have triple the fun when doing just about anything! Isn’t that just neat?” He exclaimed, almost taking on a condescending tone.

“Uh, that sorta came outta nowhere.” Filthy responded, periodically backing away from the unicorn.

“I know, I said I just remembered this spell. I mean, as your boss, isn’t it my goal to make sure my employees are having the best time ever working for me?” His words were sugar-coated, terrifyingly genuine even.

“O...kay. So, you really want to use this ‘dopamine’ spell on me just so that I can have a good time?” The earth pony questioned, raising a suspicious eyebrow.

“You’ve brought us many fair maidens and strong stallions to this secret base. It’s only natural I repay your efforts.” His smile was now awfully wide. “If you keep up the good work, I’ll promote you to be my right hoof, like Strong Hoof and Dreamcatcher! What more can a pony ask for?”

Filthy Traffic found himself smile and chuckling. “Alrighty then, I’m sold. So, are you gonna cast this spell now?”

Anarchy grinned. “For certain, my newest friend.” A powerful magic engulfed his horn, forcing him to pull his head back. Then, in a mighty blast, he shot a beam to the ground, surrounding Filthy in a dome-like shape. “So, did it work?”

The earth pony looked around, not sure what was supposed to happen. “I d-don't feel any different.”

“Maybe that’s because you’re not happy right now. Hey, why don’t you try moving your body around?” Anarchy suggested, taking a step back.

Filthy Traffic tried to move forward, but something felt terribly off. He lifted his front legs, but struggled to get his hind legs to follow along. The world spun around, and he now found himself upside down, facing his boss with wide eyes. “H-Hey! Wh-What the hay is going on?”

Anarchy’s grin quickly transformed into a fake expression of shock. “Oh dear! I’m terribly sorry. It would appear that I accidentally mixed up two different spells. What I ended up casting was zero-gravity.”

Thunderlane roused himself, taken out of his dark thoughts. “Z-Zero gravity? I never saw a single unicorn cast such a spell.”

“Indeed, most would affirm such a spell is impossible to cast.” Anarchy responded, side eyeing the broken pegasus in a mocking way. “Not for me...”

“Please, get me down!” Filthy begged, desperately shaking his hooves around to touch any solid object.

“Don’t fret, boyo. I’ll get you down!” Anarchy affirmed, scratching the top of his head in a clueless way.

A strange force began to pull Filthy Traffic away from his boss. Looking behind, he got his flank stuck in between the solid bars of the prison’s stone wall. The air around him also got sucked out of the dome. “What’s going on?!” He screamed, unable to pull himself out no matter how much strength he put in his pushes.

“You know, this reminds me of a book I once read about space. Few ponies ever got to reach this mythical height. Those who did spoke of the countless dangers one faces in zero gravity.” Anarchy giggled, placing a hoof upon his face to hide his sinister eyes. “You’re being sucked out of the zero-gravity zone like a vacuum sucking up dust, an effect similar to what these ponies described. I believe I’ll call this effect, the vacuum of space. What do you think of it?”

“I-It’s great, but, c-could you get me the hay out of here?! It’s, urgh! Crushing me!” Filthy croaked, the unbelievable pain making any semblance of speech difficult. His bones cracked under the enormous pressure put on his body.

“I am trying!” Anarchy exclaimed. “You see, the problem is that casting and undoing a spell requires a different procedure. You have to remember them both. Unfortunately, I have trouble remembering how to undo the zero-gravity spell.”

“Pl-Please! Hurry up! I can’t resist much... longer!” The earth pony spat out a chunk of blood. The crimson liquid was immediately sucked out the window, courtesy of the vacuum of space.

“Sweet Celestia...” Thunderlane muttered, horrified by the scene on display.

Anarchy tapped on his cranium a couple of times. “Sorry, I can’t get my thick skull to remember! My apologies, Filthy. I might have remembered if you gave me an honest response earlier. You don’t, and I repeat, don’t... disobey me.”

“No... No, no noooooo!”

A luxurious hotel, underground. An odd placement for sure, but it made these criminals feel like celebrities. Only the highest-ranking members of the Anarchists were offered a room, a nice reward for their loyalty. On the highest floor of this hotel lied the three most important ponies in this secret society, Strong Hoof, Dreamcatcher and Anarchy.

Inside one of these rooms, both the tall earth pony and the petite pegasus rested on a couch. Strong Hoof was knee deep in his book whilst Dreamcatcher was offering him a nice massage.

“So, do you prefer when I do it here? Or perhaps... over there?” Her small hooves rapidly struck his gargantuan back, relaxing his tense muscles.

The white earth pony placed his hat down. “Anywhere is fine, as long as you’re not going too far down.”

Dreamcatcher snickered. “Come on, I’m not a perverted degenerate. I’ve refrained from ever approaching this region, that is... unless you want me to.”

The gargantuan stallion laughed. “Ha ha ha! Fine then, I’ll humor you. Come on down and massage my flank.” he grinned, rustling his bottom around to taunt the mare.

She gulped, sweat slowly dripping down her face. “P-Pas de problème, I’ll do it.” Her hooves slid down his back, eventually reaching his flank. A burning sensation rose through her body, coming to a halt in her cheeks. Weaving her hooves around the white stallion’s flank, a world of pleasure opened its doors for Strong Hoof.

“Y-Yeah, keep at it. I love it.” His face turned red, earning a slight chuckle from Dreamcatcher.

“From the looks of it, that’s gotta be the first time you’ve ever been massaged by a mare.”

Strong Hoof briefly frowned, remembering the long ride that got him where he’s standing today. “It is. No mare ever wanted a stallion like me, but... that was before I met the boss, the one unicorn who sees value in everypony no matter how weak they are.”

“Aw, I’m sure you weren’t that bad when you were smaller.” Dreamcatcher reassured.

“I was exactly that bad, hence why Anarchy made me into the stallion I am today.”

His eyes rested upon the window before him. Strong Hoof raised an eyebrow in confusion. The pegasus soon caught on, staring at the window. “Something wrong?”

The white stallion shook his head. “Nah, just the boss doing more weird things.”

“Like?”

“Slurping a puddle of blood like a cat. How about that?” He pointed at the window, though from their distance it barely helped to pin down Anarchy’s current position. The purple unicorn was standing in front of the prison, leaning over a puddle of blood.

Dreamcatcher stuck her tongue out and cringe. “Ew, that’s just gross. He must be tasting pebbles and dust alongside the dirty blood.”

Grumbling, Strong Hoof lifted his upper body and pulled on the curtains, shutting them. Once done, he went back to his calming posture. “I wonder what he’s up to this time. He sounded really excited when he told us to give the letter to Long Wrangler.”

The pegasus mare rested her head on his flank. “Only time will tell, mon cher. Allons, let’s go back to our business. He he, I’ve got a flank to massage.”

Sneaking out the underground base was surprisingly easier than Blossomforth thought. All of the town’s evildoers were gathered around the town hall, partying like there was no tomorrow. The coast was clear, and the mare took full advantage of it. Her heart was beating fast, almost to the point of bursting. A relieved smile slowly formed on her face once she spotted the gates on the outskirts of the city. That was where they entered this living nightmare, and that would soon be her exit to salvation.

Rushing to the gates, she pushed as hard as she could to open them. They didn’t budge. The mare tried again, even harder this time. The gates didn’t budge, and they most likely never will... unless they are unlocked. Looking closer at the middle, Blossomforth saw a keyhole. “No...”

She banged on the gate, once more failing to accomplish anything. The way out was right there, but it won’t open. “This can’t be happening!” Her wings ached with every effort she put into breaking the gates open. “Please, just open!” she cried out, falling to the stone floor of the caverns, panting. Her legs hurt, her bones still rattling from the stress inflicted by the bucking. Blossomforth’s vision began to blur, courtesy of her tears. It’s not fair... I’m right there!

The mare sobbed, consumed by fear, by the knowledge that there were no options other than to go back to town. Back to the danger, back to his world. Blossomforth didn’t know if she even had the courage to do it again. Her heart nearly gave up on her countless times today, can it survive another trip? That, she had no idea.

Light, a different kind of light illuminated her dirtied face. Surprised, Blossomforth lifted her head. Her tears prevented her from clearly making out the shape before her. It had an angelic glow to it. It was small, and on all four. It was a pony, a young mare.

“You can’t stay here, it’s dangerous.” The young mare softly said. Her face was full of concern.

“Wh-Who are you? Y-You're not one of them, are you?” Blossomforth asked, backing towards the gate.

“I was just like you.” The mare admitted sadly. “An innocent pony who was at the wrong place, at the wrong time.” The small pegasus’s coat was a beautiful gold, her mane a warm blue like the sea and her eyes were orange like an... orange. Judging by her height, she must be a teenager.

One word she spoke bugged Blossomforth to no end. “W-Was? Wait, d-d-don't tell me...”

“Yes, I’ve perished a few days ago at the hooves of these monsters.” The older mare could tell these eyes have seen a lot of pain as well as having experienced it countless times. “I am Aurora.”

A ghost! She was looking at a ghost! Never did the mare ever thought she’d come into contact with a real honest to Celestia ghost!

Blossomforth got back on her trembling hooves, staring in awe at the ghostly teenager. “Blossomfort. I’m Blossomforth. It’s nice to see a friendly face in here.” She smiled weakly; her eyes still tainted red with tears.

“You need to leave, the ponies in here will kill you if they ever spot you outside your cell.” Aurora suggested strongly.

Blossomforth looked back at the gate, distress creeping into her eyes. “I can’t leave! The gates are locked, and I don’t know where the key is! I’m doomed!”

Worry spread throughout Aurora as she paced around. “I... I-I think I know where to find the key.”

“You do?” Blossomforth asked hopefully.

“It must be held by Anarchy, the leader of this secret society.” The strong reaction the mare made confirmed to the ghostly teenager that she already saw him. That’s just the effect he has on the innocents, fear, at its purest form.

“Y-Y-You can’t be serious...”

Aurora tried her best to put on a reassuring smile. “I know it sounds bad, but never lose hope. You always have a chance at winning. I had that chance too, but I offered it to somepony else instead. I won’t let another innocent pony die at his hooves.”

“A group of dangerous ponies lurking around Canterlot? Hold on, I’ll call our best agents on the spot.”

Inside Canterlot’s Bureau of Investigation, the day just got spicier. A stallion rushed in, full panic, demanding to get some help. Apparently, he spotted a group of potential criminals in carriages roaming around the outskirts of Canterlot. The contents of said carriages were deemed dangerous to the safety of the city and its inhabitants by the stallion.

Many ponies were trotting around, some even running. The place seemed as lively as ever, for there were probably about a hundred ponies working in this building alone. Defenders of the peace rarely rested, hence why everypony was giving it their all even for minor investigations.

The big one they were all nervous for was the return of the Anarchists, as cautioned by Looking Glass.

“Your best agents? D...Does that mean?”

“Yes, Looking Glass will be coming.”

Long Wrangler was the one who rushed in, talking with the secretary. The poor pony looked terribly nervous, constantly looking around, almost unable to remain still. He waited for what felt like an eternity until he was graced with the presence of stern looking agents, amongst them was the one and only Looking Glass, the cream of the crop, a national hero.

“We’ve heard your concerns, Mister Long Wrangler. We’ll need you to guide us to the place where you spotted these carriages.” He explained, his voice as strong and unbreakable as steel itself. No matter how much danger he went through, his composure always refused to yield. “We will offer you protection during our investigation, that goes without saying.”

At a loss for words, Long Wrangler turned his gaze away from the imposing unicorn. “My, uh, it’s an honor... to meet you in pony. Y-You see, I’ve been a big fan for a while now.”

The other agents rolled their eyes, while Looking Glass nodded emotionlessly. “I understand it can feel intimidating to meet your hero, but don’t get distracted by that fact. Our job is of upmost importance.”

Long Wrangler smiled sheepishly. “O-Of course! I’ll do my best to guide you to the exact location I found these carriages.”

Heading outside, the stallion, followed by the group of agents, trotted in direction of the location he was supposed to take them. The sun was getting low, a bad time for Looking Glass and his team to head out for an investigation, but waiting until tomorrow would give their targets enough time to erase any evidence of their travel. As such, they had no choice but to go now, in the creeping darkness of the incoming night.

“One, two, three, four, five. Don’t you think that’s a bit excessive just to investigate a small convoy that left the area hours ago?” One of the agents asked.

Looking Glass winced. “If this convoy belongs to the Anarchists, then no amount of ponypower can be considered excessive. Our enemy is smart, bloodthirsty and lacks any semblance of morality. We need to remain on our guard, avoid any potential ambush waiting for us ahead.”

“They’re that bad, huh?”

The unicorn clenched his teeth. “Not the organisation, no. It’s their leader I'm most cautious of. It’s him we should be careful to avoid.”

Slowly exiting the majestic city, the moon began to rose in the sky, slowly casting darkness upon the land of Equestria. Looking Glass turned around, examining each of his squad member, trying to hide his worried look.

“Be careful fillies and gentlecolts. From this point on, none of us are safe...”

Sneaking around town was much harder now that the festivities had died down. Anarchy’s absence on the stage signaled the end of the party, so lots of ponies were walking in every direction. With Aurora’s help, Blossomforth barely reached the heart of the town itself, the vault where their most prized possessions were stored. Hanging at the back of the vault, Aurora flew up the window to peek inside.

“It’s empty, now is the best time to get in before they return.” The teenager informed, heading through the window.

Blossomforth, on her end, struggled to climb through the open window due to a lack of usable wings. Pegasi never had to climb anything since flying towards their destination was always easier. As such, the mare had to use all her strength to pull herself to the other side. A daunting task that the ghostly filly couldn’t do anything to help sadly.

Once she crossed the window, Blossomforth fell down face first, knocking a glass over. Panicking, she peeked through the open window, hoping that nopony heard the commotion.

“You have to be more careful; the slightest noise could jeopardise everything, and I won’t be able to lend a hoof to you if they ever see you.” Aurora softly cautioned, her considerate eyes radiated lots of concerns, a nice change of pace from the creepy looks of the criminals lurking in the dark.

“I’m sorry, i-it's just that it’s a lot harder to move around without my wings than I thought. Every move I make hurts.” Blossomforth apologised, sadly gazing over her broken wings resting at her side.

Hooves rustled outside, frightening the two mares inside. A small group of ponies passed by the open window, paying no mind to it. This almost felt like a warning shot for Blossomforth. Make more noise, and she’s a goner.

While she was busy observing the window like it would grow legs and lunge at her, Aurora scrambled around the building, searching a desk near the vault entrance. The teenager looked inside open drawers, gazed over scattered papers and searched under the desk in hopes of finding the key. “It should be in here somewhere.” she muttered.

Blossomforth snuck towards to the teenager’s side and helped her search. It’s not easy to look for a key item when your body is intangible. Aurora instinctively tried to open the drawers with her hooves, only to see them pass through the wooden furniture. Only the older pegasus could interact with this object, making her almost useless in this endeavor.

Fumbling through many worthless junk, Blossomforth’s heartbeat increased dramatically once she finally saw it; the key. Her only means of escape was right there, now in her mouth. All that was left, was to follow the teenager out of town, back to the gate where freedom awaited her. Tears of joy began to drip down her face. “I-I’ve f-found it...” she managed to say after some efforts to get her words out.

Aurora smiled too. “Now, follow me back to the gates. There should be less ponies outside now that it’s getting late.” She motioned Blossomforth to follow her.

Unbeknownst to them, just outside, close to the building, a purple unicorn remained hidden next to a couple of barrels. His horn was glowing with an ominous emerald shine, his eyes locked on the escaping mares. He smiled as he spotted Blossomforth with the key in mouth. “Follow me, I know the quickest route back to the gates. Oh, a-and don’t get too excited, we’re still in the middle of town so stay as quiet as possible.”

The dark unicorn grinned. Everything’s fine on my end. Let’s hope Long Wrangler didn’t somehow screw up my simple instructions.

"He he he... now that all of this is out of the way, let's make some noise!"

Author's Note

Golly! Ain't that a massive update! I never imagined this would reach 10k words, but... here we are. For chapter 20, we get to spend some quality time with our baddies, as well as see a slight glimpse into what Anarchy is planning.

I certainly hope this was worth the wait. I traveled like 500 km and yet I still kept on writing.
Next chapter, we'll get Olive some much needed therapy. It's coming, like, uh.... next week maybe? I don't know.:trixieshiftright:

21. A Simple Act of Kindness

13 days left before the storm

Living with the Apples was a life changing experience for Olive. She got a parent that truly cared for her, a sister and new friends to boot. Things couldn’t get any better, but so far, there was just one problem. Applejack and Big Macintosh worked hard every day, Granny Smith often left the house to buy groceries and Apple Bloom always went to school with her friends, leaving Olive by her lonesome for a few hours.

Sitting inside the house alone, Olive listened intensely to the sound of the ticking clock. If it wasn’t for the clock, she’d be in sitting in complete silence. When the whole family is here, the Apples’s home feels inviting, lovely but when it’s empty, it feels stressful. Despite nothing happening, Olive was growing more anxious by the minute. It felt wrong. She shouldn’t be alone, she needs somepony to be here for her. Even if they left for a few minutes, this sensation crept back into her mind.

The filly crawled closer to the clock, somewhat soothed by its constant ticking. Every other room was silent, except for this one. She hated silence, it always forced her to remember all the bad memories stored within her broken consciousness. Hugging the wall, her anxiety only continued to increase as a crushing weight dawned on her mind. She wasn’t sad enough to cry, and certainly not happy enough to smile. All she was thinking about, was how much she missed her family even if they would inevitably return later today. It’s stupid to feel this way, especially when it’s just about being alone for a few hours. As such, Olive didn’t want to trouble anypony with such pointless issues.

Minutes passed by, and things only got worse. Her chest felt like it was crushing the wind out of her. Breathing became tougher, and the filly was beginning to sweat. This is stupid. Why am I like this? Why can’t I just be happy to be home alone like other fillies? Why can’t I do anything right?

This loneliness was killing her, her mind quickly racing to dark and self-deprecating thoughts. This was starting to hurt badly. If she stayed like this any longer, she might just cry again. Finally deciding to call it quits, Olive chose to leave the house. Outside, these thoughts should hopefully go away and leave her be. Opening the door, she was greeted by a nice and welcoming sun, lively fields and a sky as blue as water.

Strangely enough, Olive didn’t see Applejack or Big Mac anywhere on the farm. Thinking more about it, she remembered something about an “Apple bucking season”, maybe they had to do it further away from the house? Satisfied by this explanation, she walked down the path that led to Ponyville, entering the town all by herself.

This sensation was crazy, walking into town without anypony’s help! The filly felt like a grown mare, fearing nothing of the outside world. In broad daylight, there was no reason to be afraid. The monsters only come out when it gets dark. Under the sunlight, she was invincible!

The young unicorn could go anywhere she wanted without having to worry about anything. An adventure, that’s what it felt like. She was going on an adventure! She’s spent so much time sheltered in dark and cramp spaces, never getting to explore the world. Today, she was free to indulge in this wild dream that she never thought would ever be possible. One day, she’ll explore every single part of Equestria, living the ultimate adventure like Daring Do.

Trotting around Ponyville, Olive marveled at the beautiful yet simple architecture of this small town, built by earth ponies, by the Apples themselves. A town that, despite being young, already had a rich history. It was like walking through a museum. The filly stopped by a fountain, admiring the statue soaring high and proud over the ponies below it.

There were houses with bridges connecting them to another, something Olive never saw before. Staring idly at it, the filly came up with many wacky explanations for why such a thing even existed. Then, there were buildings like Sugar Cube Corner and Carousel Boutique. Extravagant, unique in their style, eye catching even. Certainly, different from the plain, unoriginal brick buildings she was accustomed to. Oh, and let’s not forget the Golden Oak library. A living tree serving as the town’s local library? Awesome!

Olive moved on to the park where she sat comfortably on the benches, observing the sky where the pegasi flew to move the clouds around. Her eyes then laid on a mare walking into the park with a filly by her side. Being reminded of Applejack and how lonely she felt at home, Olive looked away before these oppressive thoughts could return.

Gazing back at the sky, she marveled at the power of flight that the pegasi possessed. Such freedom of movement, to be able to go everywhere, even in the clouds above, what a wonderful ability. Olive hoped that one day she could get wings to soar above town, and finally see what the world looks like from the sky.

There had to be a spell to grow wings. Princess Twilight seemed well versed in magic, maybe she could ask her one day... as long as the spell isn’t casted by the filly herself that is. Olive wasn’t confidant in her magic just yet.

Relaxing, breathing in the fresh air, she didn’t see the time pass. It was only when she gazed back at the sun that she realised a few hours must have passed. The others surely returned home, and the filly should go back too or else they will be worried sick. Worrying her own family is the last thing she wanted to do, so she jumped out of her bench and headed out of the park.

Now back in the middle of town, a thought just sprung to mind. Wh-Where's the way back to Mommy’s house? She froze in place, dread creeping back in her stomach. A strange burning sensation engulfed her body, it was getting hot in here despite being relatively chilly thanks to the breeze. The filly looked around, the way back home degrading into a blur.

Spinning around in hopes of finding a way that’ll lead back to Sweet Apple Acre, her desperation grew stronger. Olive had no idea where home was anymore. She was lost in the middle of a town she was unfamiliar with, surrounded by complete strangers and with nopony there to help. Many ponies passed by, giving her worried glances before continuing with their day. Nopony understood the terror within.

Panicking, Olive scrambled around hoping to find somepony she recognised, to no avail. Every road she walked down only led to another intersection leading to the unknown. Lost in a maze of tall buildings, her morale was dying. Walking aimlessly, a deep-rooted fear struck her heart out of the blue when she found herself back at the park, her starting position. Nothing was worse than to be lost, knowing you have some place to be.

The last time the little unicorn was lost, she paid the price dearly. The rumbling of the grassy floor, the thunderous stomping of a dozen hooves, the shouts of a bloodthirsty goliath, all these sounds came back to mind. Instinctively, she turned around, expecting to meet her doom only to find nothing. Her eyes were pinpricks, her breaths labored, and her legs were trembling. The filly could no longer stay on all four, dropping to the ground in tears.

The sounds kept on ringing through her ears. Alone, by herself, defenseless, they were coming for her. They were laughing. They knew they got her cornered. There was no safe haven to run to. Olive opened her eyes but couldn’t make out anything cohesive. Her tears blurred her vision out to the point that the world was nothing more than a blurry mess of colors and shapes. M-Mommy! Wherever you are, help me!

Then, another sound joined in, drowning out the cackling. Wings flapped, descending towards the filly. As Olive wiped her tears, a pegasus dropped down from the sky like an angel as if her prayers were answered. A beautiful yellow angel with a smile that was different from the one she grew up with. Nothing but kindness and concerned radiated from this being. Once she landed before the unicorn, Olive didn’t flee nor felt any fear. The pegasus’s eyes were pure, absent of any bad intentions.

“Are you okay?” a soft voice spoke out to the filly. It was soothing, slowly chasing away the unicorn’s fears. Looking at her bandage, the pegasus started to panic a little. “Wh-What happened to you? A-Are you hurt?” She asked, her voice not raising one bit.

Choking on her tears, Olive could manage a simple “N-No”.

The pegasus looked relieved. “Then what’s wrong? You look awfully sad.” She smiled gently, sitting down to match the filly’s small height.

Olive tried to tell her she was lost, but her tears and frightened whimpers kept getting in the way.

“Are you lost?”

To that question, the unicorn was able to respond with a shaky nod.

“Don’t worry,” The yellow pegasus kindly wrapped a wing around the filly, bringing her closer to the mare’s soft coat. “I’ll help you find your mommy.”

Lifting her hooves, Olive hugged the mare’s leg tightly, desperately seeking some comfort. Her whimpers quieted down, now reduced to the occasional sniffling.

The mare nuzzled her. “You don’t have to be scared anymore. You’re not alone.” Her soft voice helped the filly calm down. She let go of the pegasus’s leg, remaining in the comfort of her wing. “Do you know where you live?” she gingerly asked.

“...Apples...” Olive croaked, her hitching drowning out the rest of the name.

“A-Apples?” The yellow pegasus’s eyes widened. She carefully observed the filly under her wing for a few second before bringing her head down on the little one again. “Oh, you poor thing. I promise I’ll take you back to Sweet Apple Acre safely.”

The two began to trot through the park, weaving through the trees until they were back in town. The mare’s gentle smile and warm coat put the filly’s mind at ease. Olive’s tears were now all but gone as she stuck to her savior like glue. “Um, s-say... Can I ask you your name, um, i-if you don’t mind.” The pegasus asked.

Olive lifted her head to look directly into the beautiful eyes of the kind mare. “O...Olive.” she managed to say.

“That’s a beautiful name!” The pegasus responded. “I’m Fluttershy, it’s so nice to meet you, Olive. My friend kept talking about you.”

The filly’s eyes slightly widened. Just from her eyes alone, Fluttershy knew what question was coming next. “I’m Applejack’s friend. We’ve known each other since we were fillies ourselves. G-Gosh, I never thought I’d meet you this way.”

Olive smiled, nuzzling her face against the pegasus’s wing. She was not alone, not anymore. The ponies chasing her were long gone, scared off by Fluttershy’s presence. There was no danger, no reason to be afraid now. Her hero had come to save the day.

The more she thought about it, the more she realised that the mare escorting her back home reminded her of somepony, a hero to be precise. Her favorite Power Pony was here to protect her against evil, her Saddle Rager.

Olive’s eyes widened; a smile formed on her face. From their position, the two ponies could see the top of Sweet Apple Acre proudly resting on the edge of Ponyville. “Oh, looks like we’re nearly there.” Fluttershy announced. The filly could barely contain her joy, repeatedly hopping underneath the mare’s wing.

Getting closer to the farm, the two ponies spotted Applejack frantically running around shouting the filly’s name in distress. “O-Olive! Where are ya, sugar cube?” She screamed, her voice beaming with fear and anxiety.

The sight of her mother and her home tossed aside any fear left in the filly. Without skipping a beat, Olive dashed from underneath Fluttershy’s wing, quickly making her way towards Aj. “Mommy!” She cried out.

“Olive!” Applejack responded rushing over to meet her daughter. Reunited with a big hug, the two shared tears of joy. The loving embrace of the two mares even made Fluttershy tear up a little. This sight was so sweet that it got all three ponies emotional.

“Where were ya, sugar cube? A-Ah thought we lost ya! O-Or that somethin’ bad happened to ya!” Applejack asked, her voice hitching.

Olive held her mother tighter. “I-I’m sorry! I just wanted to walk around Ponyville...”

The orange mare noticed her friend sheepishly approaching. “The poor thing was lost in the park, so I took her back home.”

Gazing at the little filly, Fluttershy giggled. “I must say, your new daughter is just too... adorable.” She then sniffled, feeling emotional herself. “I’m sorry.” The sensitive pegasus looked away and wiped her tears.

Applejack smiled. “Aw, thanks Flutters. Ah owe ya big time. Ah don’t know what Ah would’ve done without yer help.” Nuzzling the little unicorn in her grasp, she felt like she should give her friend a thank you gift. “Ah should give ya some apples for free, as a way to thank ya.”

Fluttershy cocked her head back. “Oh no, no, no, no... I can’t accept that. Y-You'll need all the apples you can sell to pay for your constructions and, um, taxes.” She offered a thankful smile to her friend before sprouting her angelic wings. “I only brought her here because it was the right thing to do and seeing you two happy is the only reward I need.”

The earth pony giggled. “You truly are the kindest pony Ah’ve met, Fluttershy.”

The yellow pegasus blushed. “Oh, well, um, th-thanks Applejack. I should go now, Angel Bunny is waiting for me to bring home dinner.” Flying not so high in the sky, Fluttershy left the two ponies.

Olive was sad to see the pegasus leave so soon. She hoped that they would meet again for she didn’t get the chance to thank her.

“Hey, sugar cube. Why did you leave on yer own?” Applejack softly asked, rousing the little filly from her sad state of mind.

“B...” She lowered her head, avoiding her mother’s eyes. “Because being alone is scary. I hate being alone.”

“Ya could have say so, Ah would have stayed home with ya.” Applejack softly said, offering the small unicorn a supportive smile. “We just want ya to feel safe at home.”

Everypony here is concerned with her well-being. Something Olive is unfamiliar with. Before she woke up in Ponyville General, the only pony who ever cared about her was Aurora. This situation as a whole made her remember some of the last things her friend told her.

Not everypony is mean spirited and evil. Not every stranger has bad intentions. You may feel like you’re alone sometimes, but if you’re ever in need, somepony will always come to help. There’s a world of color waiting for you out there; you just need to know where to look. I know you’re scared to leave, to be separated from me, so I don’t want you to forget to give the world a chance. You’re a kind pony, and I want you to hold on to your kindness. Always stay positive, and never let up, even if it’s hard.

Olive looked up at the sky and smiled tearfully. I’m doing it, Aurora. Every step hurt, but she pushed on nonetheless. One day, she’ll be truly happy, free from the burden of her past.

Author's Note

Now, I know I just said last chapter that Olive was going to see Heedful Care, but I just came up with this chapter on the spot and couldn't pass on this opportunity. I've been inspired by the many kind acts strangers have done for me when I was young, so I thought I could honor the kindness in us with this chapter. :twilightsmile:

22. A Careful Session

12 days left before the storm

Twilight Sparkle rummaged through her books, determined to find one about the art of combat. A small mess slowly formed in her library. Piles of books appearing left and right as she didn’t bother to place them back, not until she found what she sought.

Mango’s teachings were great, but clearly, he didn’t tell her everything about the art of fighting. Throwing too many things at once was a bad way to teach a beginner how to master an art, Twilight understood that, but the alicorn simply couldn’t resist the urge to learn more. As a princess, she must follow her peers’s hoofsteps. A princess must be wise, elegant and most importantly, be able to reassure her subjects in dangerous situations.

After making a mess of her home, Twilight finally landed on a book that would teach her the many techniques of hoof-to-hoof combat, or close quarter combat as it called it. “Bingo!” Using magic, she replaced each individual book back to its rightful place, settling down on her table to devour the book’s content.

She barely noticed Spike heading downstair with a few cleaning accessories. “I’m going to fix the mess downstairs.” he grumbled, displeased to be left with such a tedious chore to complete.

“Thanks, Spike.” Twilight absentmindedly said, her eyes glued to the manual before her. She began her interesting reading, marveling at the many ways simple legs and hooves could be used to fight. Judo, karate, kung fu, all the many forms of combat were present here, in these simple pages.

As for Spike, his jaw nearly hit the floor when he got to observe the extent of the damages caused by Olive’s stressful transformation. Broken shards of glass and destroyed machinery lied everywhere, accompanied by a nice patch of burnt wood for good measure. Distraught, he stared at his broom. He remained fixated on the object for a while, wondering how a small broom was going to clean this mess. The answer came to mind rather quickly; it won’t. The baby dragon was going to need a bigger broom.

“Oh come on, why does it always have to be me?” He glowered, kicking the broom down in frustration. “It’s going to take, like, ages to clean this up! Why can’t I get any help for this?”

An owl soon flew to his side. “Hey, Owlowiscious. You coming to help me?” He said with a sheepish smile. “I could use a hand over here.”

The owl observed the sorry state of the basement, shocked himself by the damage. He howled back at the baby dragon, nodding. “Hoo, hoo!”

“Thanks, buddy!” Spike smiled, offering him the broom. “You should start by sweeping this cor- Blrgh!” His stomach rumbled; his cheeks swelled as he leaned over. This uncomfortable feeling could only mean one thing. With a powerful burp, green fire shot out of his mouth and from the flames came a letter.

Twilight’s reading was soon interrupted by Spike’s frantic screams. “Twilight! Twilight! There’s a letter from princess-”

The alicorn roused herself, almost falling out of her seat. “Princess Celestia?!”

“No, it’s princess Lun-?!” Twilight’s magic engulfed the letter, pulling it towards her. Spike was unfortunately not fast enough to let go and was dragged in the air, smashing into the wall behind the alicorn.

The princess of friendship nervously opened the letter and began to read it.

Dear Twilight Sparkle,

It has come to my attention that trouble is brewing inside Canterlot. A stallion has been murdered inside his own store. Normally I wouldn’t alert you to a simple crime, but Looking Glass has been adamant that this murder was perpetrated by Anarchy. Considering your involvement in Olive’s therapy, I believed it was best to keep you informed of everything surrounding this vile unicorn who seeks only to harm our subject. As a princess, your subjects will look up to you in times of need. Stay alert, young Sparkle; Ponyville is dangerously close to Canterlot. I hope nothing bad happens to any of you.

Princess Luna.

Twilight stared blankly at the letter, the fur on her neck raising. Things weren’t progressing in the right direction. Out of all the cities Anarchy could have been spotted in, it had to be Canterlot. This means her friends could be in danger anytime!

“Oh, but Princess Luna could be in danger too, considering she got hurt. Th-That would also mean that Princess Celestia is at risk! Maybe I should tell them to increase security in-”

Twilight rambled on, nervously pacing around the library. Spike, for his part, was slowly getting back up, his back still hurting from the impact. Once the pain diminished to a more tolerable state, he stared at the alicorn manic ramblings he liked to call “Twilighting.”.

“Uh, Twilight?” He said, hoping to get her to stop.

It did. Twilight rushed; her face practically glued to his. “Yes, Spike? What is it? More news from Princess Luna?”

“No, none of that.” Spike responded, pushing the mare’s face away. “I just wanted to remind you that you have dinner with your friends like, uh, right now.” The baby dragon pointed at the clock.

Twilight looked back, her face contorting in an expression of pure shock. “Right now?! Oh, sweet Celestia, I’m going to be late!” She sprinted out of the library, leaving behind a cloud of dust in her shape.

“Huh, I never stopped to question how that was possible.”

Sitting at a lovely table outside of Café Hay, the rest of the Elements of Harmony waited for Twilight to arrive, wondering why it was taking her so long.

The howls of the wind quieted down, eventually slowing down to just a breeze. The beautiful view they had from up here at least gave them something to look at while they were waiting for the alicorn. The colorful buildings of Ponyville really shined through when looked at as a unit. There truly was no town in Equestria more peaceful than this one.

“It’s been an eternity and no sign of her! Oh, woe is me. I had to temporarily close the boutique for this dinner!” Rarity exclaimed dramatically.

Applejack was having none of the unicorn's drama queen act. “Rarity, it’s only five minutes. It ain’t ta end of the world.”

Rainbow Dash’s stomach complained loudly. “Ugh! Why can’t we at least order something in the meantime? I’m starving!”

“I am not surprised you know so little of proper manners.” Rarity quipped in utter disappointment. “We do not eat until all of us are here, it’s called being polite.”

The cerulean pegasus grumbled, staring impatiently at the Golden Oak in the distance.

Pinkie Pie stared nervously at her pocket watch; her gaze completely focused on the hands of the clock moving about. Her legs were repeatedly tapping the floor, sweat dripped down her face. Eventually, she couldn’t take it anymore. “Twilight’s abandoned us! I have to go find her!” The pink pony shouted just before she jumped over the table and took off galloping, nearly getting Rarity to fall from her seat. Her search was cut short when a lavender alicorn came running at her. “Ooh! Found her, girls!”

Twilight stopped to catch her breath. “Hey... Girls. I’m... sorry I... arrived late.” she managed to say in between her deep breaths. Weakly, she trotted over to her seat and sat down, relieved to finally be done galloping. The others noticed her black eye, but preferred to not ask about it for now.

“Finally! We can order!” Dash roared, brutally opening the menu. A waiter came to their table to kindly pour some water in their glasses. After a few short minutes of choosing their meal, the six friends could finally enjoy a nice discussion without any worries of being interrupted.

“Kept us waiting, huh?” Applejack quipped, smirking at the distracted alicorn. “What was it this time? Oh, let me guess, a letter from Princess Celestia?”

Twilight smiled sheepishly. “Kinda... It was actually a letter from Princess Luna of all ponies. That’s probably the first time she ever sent me a letter.”

“Wow.” Fluttershy exclaimed, admiration shining through her cyan eyes. “What did she say in that letter, um, if you don’t mind sharing.”

“Was it something good?” Rarity’s eyes widened. “Or something bad?!”

The princess of friendship chuckled nervously. “Oh, um, he he...it leaned more towards the bad.” The five mares stared at her; their ears fully perked up. Twilight solemnly described the content of the letters, the terrible murder in Canterlot and the potential threat of Anarchy being around. Most of her friends didn’t react much when hearing the name of the accursed stallion, except for Applejack who’s jaw nearly dropped.

The earth pony only thought of Olive in that moment. An awkward silence reigned at their table following Twilight’s speech. The six mares exchanged uncertain glances, remaining quiet.

“Well, um.” Rarity finally said, stammering as she tried to think of a topic. “H-How about that filly, Applejack? You never got the chance to tell us about her.” The beautiful fashionista asked, leaning close to the earth pony. “Come on, we’re all dying to hear it.”

“Oh, well, sh-she's a nice kid.” Applejack responded, not knowing where to start. “Uh, a little troubled too, but Ah can understand considerin’ what she’s gone through. Ah don’t know if yer aware of tha’, but Ah found ‘er bleedin’ out near the Everfree Forest.”

“Aw, the poor thing.” Fluttershy commented, almost feeling like she was about to cry. She only thought the filly she escorted earlier that day was an orphan, but to hear such troubling news made her rethink about that fateful meeting.

“Oh, sweet Heaven!” Rarity exclaimed, her eyes wide with shock. “What happened to her?”

Applejack took off her hat, clutching it tightly into her hooves. “Ah’m not certain, but Ah know Ah heard some ponies runnin’ straight into the forest when Ah found Olive.”

“She was assaulted?!” Pinkie Pie’s jaw dropped, thinking back to her failed musical number. Had she known the filly nearly died a couple of days ago, she never would have done such a thing. Facehoofing herself for making such a bad mistake, Pinkie’s smile disappeared.

“Yeah, Lookin’ Glass confirmed it.” Applejack regretfully informed. “The fella suspects it was the ponies who raised ‘er who did it.”

Rainbow Dash frowned. “Oh, now that’s just messed up!” She brought her hooves down on the table, shaking with anger. “If I ever find these monsters! I’ll give them something to run from!”

Fluttershy leaned closer to Applejack, her eyes on the verge of tears. “She’s safe now, isn’t she?”

“Don’t worry, Fluttershy.” The orange mare responded, her confidant smile reassuring the pegasus. “Us Apples won’t let anypony hurt ‘er ever again. She’s safe with us.”

Twilight frowned. “You should still be careful. We know Anarchy’s in Canterlot, and that’s sadly not too far from Ponyville. All of us should be cautious.”

“We should be fine!” Rainbow Dash confidently affirmed, hovering above ground thanks to her wings. “Aj said Looking Glass was working with Luna. This stallion’s a national hero who stopped the evil Crimson Mask. These two together are totally going to kick that Anarchy guy’s flank!”

“I’m sure they will, Dash.” Twilight assured. “but I’m still worried nonetheless. When I flew to Canterlot, I spoke with Luna and saw one of her legs bandaged up. From what I could tell, the wound was pretty bad.”

Rarity nearly spat her water. “Goodness gracious! Princess Luna was hurt? B-By who?”

Twilight raised a hoof to her chin. “I’m guessing most likely Anarchy.” She paused for a moment, trying to see if another villain could come to mind. “I don’t see who else could hurt a princess that badly without making a scene. Whoever did this wasn’t looking for attention, which can’t be said for any of the foes we’ve encountered so far.”

The other mares clenched their teeth, exchanging worried glances between each other.

“That’s really bad, but can we talk about Olive again?” Pinkie asked, smiling almost sheepishly. “I want to know what she’s like.”

“Oh yes, please do, darling.” Rarity insisted. “That’ll lighten up the mood.”

Applejack put her hat back on, taking on a more cheerful tone. “Ah mentioned she was a real nice kid, but, uh, she’s also kinda weird.” Her friends blinked, confused by that last word.

“Weird?” Pinkie questioned, getting up in her face. “Like Pinkie level weird, or just weird weird?”

“Uh, n-normal weird?” Applejack hesitantly responded. “Ah took ‘er to a toy store and told ‘er she could buy whatever she wanted. All she took was a stick with Saddle Rager’s head on it.” With her hooves, she approximated the toy’s length.

“Sounds like a lame toy.” Rainbow Dash quipped with a smirk.

“That ain’t ta weird part, Rainbow. Nah, ta weird part was how she ‘played’ with it.” Applejack gingerly described the filly pacing around the living room with the stick sometime in her mouth, other times held tightly in her fetlock.

Pinkie Pie opened her mouth, ready to give her crazy theory on the matter. The five other mares turned their attention to her. “Meh, I got nothing.” she shrugged, slumping back in her seat.

“That’s definitely out of the ordinary for a filly.” Twilight began. “Maybe there’s something else about her that we still don’t know. In any case, if you take her to Heedful Care, you might get some answers.”

Applejack “Yeah, that’s what Ah was thinkin’. Speakin’ of which, Olive’s supposed to start her therapy later today.”

Rarity smiled. “That’s wonderful to hear, darling. This filly is in dire need of help.”

“Ah can see that. She hates bein’ alone more than anythin’.” Applejack explained. “So much that she even left Sweet Apple Acre on ‘er own and got lost in Ponyville.” The earth pony leaned towards Fluttershy, placing a hoof around the pegasus’s shoulder. “But Fluttershy ‘ere was kind enough to bring ‘er back home.”

Twilight couldn’t help but crack a smile. “Aw, that’s very nice of you, Fluttershy.”

The yellow pegasus’s cheeks turned red, embarrassed by all the compliments she was being bombarded with. “Oh, you guys... it was nothing.”

“It sure as hay wasn’t!” Applejack refuted. “Ah was worried sick back there. If ya didn’t help ‘er, Ah sure would have had a heart attack!”

“No need to be so humble about it. C’mon, just have a little pride for once.” Rainbow Dash teased.

“With how my day went, I’m sure Fluttershy has more pride in her than I do currently.” Twilight sighed.

Rarity couldn’t hold it in anymore. The princess’s black eye raised too many questions in the fashionista’s head. “Twilight, if you don’t mind; could you please tell us how you got this?” she asked, pointing at the alicorn’s eye.

“Oh th-that?” Twilight covered her black eye with a hoof, smiling sheepishly. “It’s, uh...” Gazing over at Applejack and Rainbow Dash, she knew there was no way out of this one. As embarrassing as it is, she has to tell the truth. So, she explained everything from the start. How she was told by Doctor Hoof to figure out a reason behind the hospital’s broken bathroom incident, her first test with Olive as well as the filly’s monstrous transformation. Lastly, she spoke about how she got her flank kicked by a foal.

“...And that’s how I got a black eye. Satisfied yet?” she sighed.

Rarity’s jaw dropped, Pinkie stopped bouncing, Fluttershy turned pale, Applejack glared ever so slightly at her, and Rainbow Dash snickered.

“Twilight got her flank kicked by a filly!” she busted into tears of laughter.

“That only happened because I was holding back!” Twilight vigorously said. “I didn’t want to hurt an innocent filly!”

One of the waiters arrived, carrying on his back their plates. The discussion soon came to an end as the mares enjoyed a nice meal under the summer sun. They didn’t have much time left, each had a busy schedule today, especially Applejack who had to juggle her work on the farm and her duty as a foster mother. Once they were done, the orange mare was just about ready to leave when Pinkie stopped her.

“Hey Applejack! Do you remember when I talked to you about the welcome to Ponyville party I wanted to throw down for Olive?” she joyfully asked, giving her a big smile of pure enthusiasm.

“Yeah Ah do. What about it?”

Hopping over to the earth pony, Pinkie Pie took out a birthday card and slid it under Aj’s hat. “It’s happening super duper soon! It’s just gonna be the six of us, and the Cutie Mark Crusaders and it’s gonna be so much fun. We’re gonna drink lemonade, play games and-”

“Ah get the point, Pinkie.” Applejack interupted. “Ah suppose Ah should give this, uh...” She took out the card from under her hat and took a good look at it. “...card to Olive, huh?”

“Exactly! Be seeing you at the party then!” Pinkie hopped away before Applejack could even tell her “See ya.”

But before the mare could attend the party with her daughter, she had to take the filly to a therapist, and that was scheduled 10 minutes from now. Let’s take things slowly, sugar cube. One step at a time...

Inside Sweet Apple Acre, Olive stared solemnly at her new favorite toy, the Saddle Rager one. The beautiful, sweet and kind mare she met earlier that day still stuck within her mind. No matter what, her thoughts always diverged back to her, Fluttershy. A pony that reminded her so much of her comic book idol.

She kept thinking about their meeting, about how she met her new hero. Sure, Applejack was still her biggest hero for doing so much for her, but there’s just something about Fluttershy that stopped Olive from ever moving on to different thoughts. The sky dropped an angel just for her, to guide her back to safety. Surely, there must be more to this... right?

“Hey, sugar cube, it’s time to go.”

Heedful Care’s office is about what you’d expect coming from a therapist who’s specialised in dealing with troubled foals. The walls are all painted with bright and lively colors. They are also adorned with many cute drawings of her previous patients often depicting them being happy after meeting her. Toys sat on the right of her desk, mostly to help foals in dealing with these sessions that are often taxing on their mental states. Small pillows rested near these toys to offer foals a comfortable seat. You could tell simply from looking at her office that she adored her job.

Right as they entered, the counselor greeted them with a bright yet restrained smile. “Hi there, so happy you could come today!”

Olive slightly opened her mouth and tilted her head to the side, remembering her as the pegasus from the hospital. Last time made her feel like she was being interrogated, but with Aj at her side, maybe this session will go better.

“And so am Ah! Ah figured mah little sugar cube had some things to get off ‘er chest.”

Confused, Olive rubbed her belly, wondering what she was supposed to get off exactly. Heedful Care giggled at the filly’s adorable confusion. “It’s a figure of speech. What she meant by ‘getting some things off your chest’ is that you surely want to tell us some things that are hurting you.”

“Nothing’s hurting me right now.” The little unicorn responded abruptly, knowing all too well it wasn’t the case. The two mares weren’t convinced either and understandably so. Since she first got here a week ago, she cried and had a panic attack at least once each day. Olive knew she wasn’t feeling well at all, that she had problems. The only problem is that facing them was a scary and daunting task for her. If only she could be happy without having to confront anything, that’ll be just great.

“Aw, sugar cube, there’s no need to lie.” Applejack reassured. “We’re ‘ere to help ya, to make ya feel better. Just give Care a chance.”

Pointing at the toys, Heedful Care smiled. “You can play with the toys here if you’re feeling anxious. That’s what they’re here for!” She said, winking at the unicorn.

Hesitant, Olive trotted towards the toys. The counselor noticed something peculiar about her walk. Despite suffering from a broken leg, the filly was moving as if there was nothing wrong. Applejack didn’t even seem to notice. Or maybe, she’s already aware of this and isn’t paying any mind to it. Either case, she’ll ask her when this is over.

“So, how’s your pain? Not too bad, I hope?” She asked.

Olive shook her body a bit before shaking her head. “It’s fine. I’m not hurt.”

The pegasus took a closer look at the unicorn. All her bandages were gone, all except for the one around her body. It’s perfectly white, dry. Not a single red stain on it. She turned to ask Applejack about it. “How are her injuries healing?”

“It’s all healed now.” Applejack responded, much to Care’s shock.

“All healed? Even her broken leg?”

“It ain’t broken anymore.” Right after she answered, the orange mare noticed it was indeed out of the ordinary. The pegasus must still not be aware of the filly’s darker side.

“O...kay.” Heedful Care noted something down, mildly confused. “But if her injuries all healed then, why does she still have a bandage wrapped around her body?”

“Oh, that one?” Applejack looked at the filly minding her own business with the toys. “She insisted on keepin’ it. There’s a nasty scar on ‘er body and she hates it. Ah can understand why; it ain’t pretty.”

Noting it down on her notebook, the pegasus nodded. “I see...” Turning her attention back to the filly, Care cleared her throat to get the unicorn’s attention. “It’s been a few days since you’ve left Ponyville General Hospital with Miss Applejack. So tell me; how has your time with her been so far? What have you two been up to?”

“It’s been great!” Olive answered, “Her house is super nice! My new sister and her friends are really cool, and they’ve even got this cool hidden clubhouse. Mommy took me around Ponyville and bought me a Saddler Rager toy. We ate a hayburger together and...”

The counselor listened intently to the filly’s joyful answer, finding herself smiling. “Well, it’s good to know that you’re happy here, really. That makes us happy too.”

“Aw yeah! She seems to be getting' along well with mah sister’s friend too!” Applejack added, “They were super happy when they learned she had a blank flank just like ‘em!”

“You’ve made friends too?” Heedful Care said with a big smile on her face. “That’s wonderful, dear!”
Olive giggled, her bright smile warming Aj’s heart.

“Friends are really important; they are ponies you can always count on when you’re in need.” Now it was time for the big question, Care braced herself for whatever might come from it. “Did you have any friends before coming to Ponyville?”

The filly’s expression immediately darkened. “...yes.” she muttered. “Only one.”

Applejack sat next to her daughter, gently caressing her head.

The counselor took a deep breath. “Can you tell me more about her?”

Olive remained silent, staring blankly at the wall. “Her name was Aurora; she was the only pony who liked me.”

Cold stainless steel reigned over these dark caverns. Sharpened blades striking the cutting boards with impressive strength. There was so much meat in there, something ponies don’t eat, except for those who chose to diverge from their normal diet. A turquoise pegasus sweated, struggling to prepare the meat for everypony. There would be diamond dogs and griffons present too, which only meant more work for him.

To make matters worse, he was tasked with keeping an eye on the two fillies. One old enough to at the very least go to the bathroom by herself. The other was too young for him to tolerate. At her age, she was still practically a baby.

Chopping more meat, he felt his hooves tiring, his muscles aching. Cutting meat is much harder than he thought. This rusty old cleaver just isn’t doing it.

The foal crawled around, curiously staring at the tall pegasus before her, an innocent smile plastered on her face. “Fafa!” She slowly made her way towards the hard-working stallion, unaware of how stressed out he was.

“No! Don’t go near him!” The voice of a filly cried out, but it was too late.

The baby tugged on the stallion’s legs, trying to get his attention. Smashing his cleaver down on the board, Blaze started her down. He was seeing red. “Get your filthy hooves off me, you little shit!” He raised one of his legs and bucked the foal right in her flank. The poor baby was sent flying a couple of feet, landing face first on the ground before being picked up in the hooves of the older filly. “Take her somewhere else where she won’t disturb me, and do it now!”

Aurora nodded. “Y-Yes, sir.” Olive began to cry. Blood dripped down her injured nose as her cries intensified. The young filly tried her best to calm her down, holding her tightly in a hug. “Shh, it’s okay. I-I'm here.”

Blaze covered his irritated ears. “Didn’t you hear me? I can’t stand all this damn noise! Go away!”

Aurora complied, taking Olive far away from him. Now on their own, she could calm her down. The young pegasus hugged the small unicorn and caressed her mane. “It’s over, he won’t hurt you anymore.”

Olive kept on crying, more blood dripping down her busted nose. Eventually, the foal’s pain got to her. “He won’t hurt you anymore.” She croaked.

“So, she was older than you, but still young enough to be considered a filly, right?”

Olive nodded sadly. “She was here ever since I was a baby. She always took good care of me.”

Heedful Care took a look at her notes of their previous meeting, noticing something interesting. “Last time we met, you told me you didn’t have a mother. Am I to assume Aurora was the one who raised you?”

Olive curled up, shame shining through her eyes. “I... I lied.”

“Sweetie, it’s okay. I get that it’s hard to talk about certain things. Nopony here is judging you for it.” The counselor reassured. “That said, do you remember your mother?”

“I never met her.” Olive mourned. “I just knew I had one, but I was too young to remember.”

“That’s unfortunate.” Care said, “I can see why you were so happy to live with Applejack.”

Applejack gave her daughter a thankful smile, and she smile back, albeit weakly.

“Okay, so now I’d like to know more about your friend. Was she one of these ponies’s daughter, or a filly who’s been taken in by force?”

“The second... I think.” Olive never heard anything about Aurora’s family despite being with her for years.

Applejack’s eyes winced, of course monsters like Anarchy would do such a thing. She could only imagine how that filly’s parents must have felt to suddenly lose their daughter forever. The earth pony could only hope that such a tragedy would never happen to her family, ever.

“I’m curious, you just mentioned something about a turquoise pegasus. Are there any notable ponies you wish to speak of other than your, um, father?”

The unicorn looked back at the toys she was playing with as more painful memories resurfaced.

“I’m gonna getcha! I’m gonna getcha!”

Inside the ruins of what was once a lively town, two fillies ran around giggling. Galloping across puddles of water, jumping over large rocks, climbing up broken stairs and rolling in the dead grass, they didn’t let the current situation ruin their fun.

After all, everypony left them alone for a while, although they could still feel their gaze resting upon them, not that it bothered them much. These ponies were not going to stop their games any time soon.

“Gotcha!” Aurora pounced on Olive, giving her the biggest hug she’s ever received up to this point. “You cannot escape the teddy bear! Now prepare for five whole seconds of love!” she said, giggling at her cheesiness.

“Wah... five seconds of wove.” Olive affectionally said, struggling to pronounce her words correctly.

“Yes, love!” Aurora confirmed, picking the foal up in her hooves. She lifted her as high as possible. “Now, it’s your turn to be the teddy bear!”

The small foal laughed. “Te...Tedday!”

Setting Olive down, the young pegasus began to ran, with the unicorn in tow. Their game was short lived, however, when thundering hoofsteps caught their attention. The earth was shaking with each step taken, a behemoth was coming their way.

Olive wrapped her hooves around Aurora’s legs, whimpering. Out of the forest came a giant stallion with a pearly white coat and a crimson plumber’s cap resting on his head. To say that he was muscular would be an understatement.

“Holy shit, what the hay is that?!” a mare screamed, falling on her flank.

The giant earth pony stopped to look at her and grinned. “A rookie, you could say.” he said in a Spanish accent.

Blaze trotted to the scene, smiling once he noticed the behemoth. He looked rather surprised, but not as much as the other ponies. “Oh gee, you sure got big. I’m guessing it went well?”

The white stallion chuckled, admiring his biceps. “Better than I could have ever imagined. I feel alive, unbreakable, reborn.” He lifted his cap and examined it carefully. “No longer will these mestizos push me around. From now on, I am Strong Hoof.”

“A... giant you say?” Heedful Care wasn’t sure if every word this filly spoke was to be believed. Foals often have a big imagination, and it could be reasonable to assume that this stallion was only giant because Olive was smaller back then.

“The biggest and meanest pony I’ve ever met.” Olive added. “He never liked me.” Rubbing her bandage, a wave of discomfort overtook her.

“I see...” She did mention a certain Mister Strong Hoof that called her a witch in Spanish. “Care to tell me more about this Strong Hoof?”

Olive cringed at the mere mention of his name. That nasty scar on her body, it’s all thanks to him. “He was always with my daddy... Daddy really liked him.”

Applejack braced herself for another horror story of a foal being abused. With Olive, these stories were all too plentiful. It was starting to become sickening to just hear it. Care also seemed to share the same opinion, judging by her cringed expression.

“Do you know why he didn’t like you?” The pegasus asked the little filly.

“He always told me I was disgusting.” Olive croaked. She looked down at her hooves. “He was right...”

Discord, if there were any words to describe the current situation it was discord. Ponies were being flung everywhere, blood painting the rocky walls of the ruined buildings. The quiet sounds of the forest were being drowned out by terrified screams and enraged roars. Just a little out of the chaos, two stallions stood idly.

It was Anarchy and Strong Hoof, overlooking the massacre unfolding before them. A pink pony with a gaping maw viciously attacked anypony in its vicinity, smacking them with elongated hooves coming out of its jaw.

“What the hay is going on?! What’s happened to your filly?” Strong Hoof shouted, sweat dripping off his face. “She’s killing everypony!”

Anarchy, on his part, didn’t seem all that concerned. Mainly curious as to how it happened. “Hm, I suppose we can chalk it up to a little mishap in our previous ritual. That power was supposed to be mine, but I guess it can wait for now.”

“Shouldn’t you do something about this?” Strong Hoof pressed; his eyes unable to look away from the massacre. “She’s reducing our numbers greatly!”

“Nah, I think I’ll sit this one out.” The dark unicorn pulled out a bag of popcorn. “You should too, ‘cause we’re not going to gain much from besting my monstrous darling!”

Distraught, the white stallion dropped on his flank, shaking the ground around them. “So, w-we're just going to have to live with this thing? Just hoping that it’s not going to return?”

Anarchy cackled. “You worry too much, it’s just a filly! My filly! I’ll break her kneecaps if the need ever arises, but for now; let’s just enjoy the show.” A mare’s head flew above them, splattering against a nearby tree. Strong Hoof ducked out of fear while his boss simply laughed.

“Besides, some of them have betrayed me... you know the price to pay for betrayal.” He grinned. “Let me hear them scream.”

“You’re not disgustin’! Don’t let ‘em talk down to ya like tha'!” Applejack placed her hooves on Olive’s shoulder, a determined and comforting glint in her eyes. “Ah think yer beautiful.”

“So do I.” Heedful Care gingerly added, briefly stepping out of her chair. “There are some ponies out there who are simply mean. They’ll try their best to drag you down and make you feel like you’re worthless. Don’t ever listen to them, you of all ponies should know your true worth.”

Olive lowered her head, considering the words of the two kind mares. Despite what they just said, she couldn’t help but agree with Strong Hoof on some level. There was a ghastly side to her, one that always hurt ponies whenever it would come out. It was difficult to control, difficult to contain and magic was the one thing that could free it from its slumber. “Okay...”

“Well,” The pegasus sat back in her chair. “I believe that covers most of what I had to say. Before we end this, Miss Applejack, I would like to know if there have been any difficulties so far with raising Olive.”

Applejack roused herself. “Oh? Well, there have been some problems encountered down ta line.” she admitted.

“Really? Tell me about them.”

The earth pony started by explaining the incident with Pinkie Pie, the uneasiness Olive felt when she first saw Bulk Bicep and lastly, the fight at the Everfree Forest with Twilight. The counselor’s eyes widened, and her pupils shrunk as Applejack explained what little she witnessed from that fight.

“A... Are you for real? She turned into a...” Heedful Care briefly glanced over at the filly who looked away from them out of shame. “Well, you know what I mean.”

“Ah’m afraid that’s ta honest truth.” Applejack nodded. “Didn’t ya hear about ta incident at Ponyville General Hospital?”

“I did. I just believed it was caused by a magic surge, which is rare but certainly possible in foals with a special affinity to magic.”

Olive’s tail awkwardly swayed from side-to-side, trying her best to ignore the mare’s speaking as she concentrated all her attention on her toys, and the story she was trying to create.

The two ponies continued their discussion, to which the unicorn now paid no mind to. Many thoughts swirled in her head, Anarchy, Strong Hoof, Aurora, the evil within her, all came to clog her thinking as much as possible. Even inside this paradise of a town, her past life still haunted her, dragged her down and wouldn’t let her move on. The one thing Olive truly lacked right now... was closure.

Her father was still on the loose alongside Strong Hoof, the monster within her lives on and she still hasn't seen Aurora since then. Maybe none of these things will ever be solved. It sucks, but at this point, even being here is a blessing in of itself. The first blessing she’s ever had.

Heedful Care read her notes thoroughly before smiling warmly. "I can send in a search party for Aurora. Maybe we'll find her or at least something that can point us in her direction."

Olive didn't seem to have heard her, so Applejack wrapped a hoof around the filly's body and gazed in her beautiful eyes. "Did you 'ear that? We're gonna find yer friend and bring 'er to Ponyville with us."

Yes, Aurora's still out there. They'll find her eventually.

Once the session ended, Applejack took her back home. On their way, they noticed the sun was already starting to set, albeit slower than usual. Olive stared at the rising moon, feeling disturbed for some reason she couldn’t yet grasp. The filly had a bad feeling about this night, like something terrible was on the verge of unfolding.

The unicorn stared at the royal castle resting atop the mountain, her chest tightening as her hooves began to get sweaty. In that moment, she only wished that Aj would pick up the pace.

Daddy was coming out to play.

Under the now ominous light of the moon, five ponies trotted around a seemingly empty field, looking for tracks left by carriages. They searched the area under a floating orb of light casted by Looking Glass.

The great detective eventually found a clue left on the ground. “Tracks, and it’s leading towards the mountain.” he said coldly to his comrades. “Follow them, but make sure to keep your distance; we need to remain as hidden as possible.”

The five detectives followed the tracks, each being on edge. The darkness of the night coupled with the floating orb of light practically made them a sitting duck. Without that light, they wouldn’t be able to see anything, so it’s not like they had any other choice.

The snapping of a tree branch made them all stop dead in their tracks. “Somepony’s coming!” whispered one of the detectives.

“I’ll send the orb to them.” Looking Glass announced, letting the orb fly towards the source of the noise.

A panicked mare jumped out of the darkness, panting. Her body was growing weaker by the seconds, the heavy bags under her eyes showing a lack of rest and the limp wings around her side swung to the beat of her walk.

Blossomforth stopped moving to examine the strange orb, dread filling her soul as the light blinded her. Around the small, illuminated circle was nothing but darkness. “Wh-Who’s there?” She asked, her voice hitching.

A pair of hooves approached her, nearly giving her a heart attack. “Don’t be afraid, we’re from the Canterlot Bureau of Investigation. We have come to investigate a dangerous payload sent to Canterlot.” Out of the blackness came a dark blue stallion in a fancy business suit. His amber eyes were somewhat cold, but not malicious in the slightest. He threw the most comforting smile he could at her, although it was a bit weak.

“L-Looking Glass...” Blossomforth muttered, recognising the visage of the heroic detective that defeated the Crimson Mask. Her eyes began to water, her lips curled into a relieved smile. “I-I’m saved!” She limped towards the unicorn, falling into his embrace as he caught her just before she hit the ground.

Looking Glass took a closer look at her wings, frowning. “Do not worry, one of my comrades will escort you to the nearest hospital.”

The mare cried tears of joy. Her hooves wrapping around the detective in desperate need of comfort. “Th-Thank you!” she managed to say through her broken voice. “Thank you...”

“Everything will be alright. We’re here.” Looking Glass reassured. “We-” A drop of water landed on his muzzle. Confused, the unicorn looked at the sky. It was now greyer than before. It was filled with dark clouds. Strange considering the sky was perfectly clear when they left.

More rain fell, slowly intensifying as an ominous sound came from beyond the tracks leading to the mountain, laughter. The laughter turned into cackling as Tartarus poured down on them, lightning now striking the Equestrian grounds.

“What in the hay is going on?! The weather team didn’t announce a storm tonight!” One of the detectives exclaimed, panicking.

“It’s a spell.” Looking Glass grunted, desperately trying to keep it together. “An alicorn level spell. Only one unicorn right now could cast such powerful magic.”

Lightning struck once more, revealing the dark form of a unicorn cackling on the hills above them. “Fillies and gentlecolts! Welcome to the tutorial level!”

Author's Note

The other Mane 6 finally got to hear about the filly Aj is fostering. All thrilled to meet the little unicorn, they wait for the party.

On her end, Olive was forced to open her old wounds and face them. An unpleasent experience, but a necessary one to help her find closure.

Far from the safety of Canterlot, Looking Glass and his companions must fend off against Anarchy, who led them right into his trap.

The detectives are strong, but Anarchy is...

Chapter 23: Beyond Strength

23. Beyond Strength

Amber eyes met emerald eyes, light blue mane met a dark green mane, a frown met a grin, a pony met a monster. Two unicorns who couldn’t be more any more different have finally come face-to-face again.

Looking Glass stood below the hill, staring at his opponent. Anarchy had the high ground, and he took full advantage of it to make himself seem as imposing as equinely possible. The last time he met the crazy stallion, he already looked otherworldly enough. Now, it got even worse. A longer, messier mane, dark eye sockets and a strange black liquid dripping from his mouth.

If that could indicate anything, it probably was that Anarchy became more powerful through an unknown mean to the detective. The fact that he was even here in the first place means that this was a set-up just for him. Looking Glass was offered a battle he had no chance of winning. All that mattered to him now, was to get everypony back to the safe confines of Canterlot.

“Nice to be back outside after a while.” Anarchy giggled. “You know what they say, a pony can go cuckoo if they spend too much time locked away from the rest of society. I’d wager they’re entirely right!”

In a bright flash of light, he teleported down the hill to the five detectives' level. His trot was slow, methodical and deliberately heavy. Each step he took emanated pure power, his wide eyes locked on his main target, Looking Glass.

“Looky! It’s a family reunion! Where have you been all this time?” He asked joyfully. “Wait! Let me guess... fighting crime and rescuing damsels in distress like a real superhero?”

Looking Glass winced. “We’re ending this here, Anarchy. I won’t let you win.” When he spoke, his voice was steel.

Anarchy swung his hoof around, eventually placing it on his chest. “End it here? I’m afraid not, we have so much catching up to do! It’ll take the whole soiree for that alone!”

The five other ponies behind him couldn’t keep such a composed expression. Their eyes were twitching, their hooves were trembling, and their face was filled with sweat. “I-It’s five against one. W-We can take him on, can’t we Looking Glass?” A mare said, her confidence fading away.

Looking Glass’s brows furrowed. “We’re outmatched, prepare to make a run for it.”

“Hey, this party just started. Can we save the ‘running for my life’ for later?” Anarchy mused, his grin widening. “I just want to have fun with you five... and six.”

“Your soul is stained with the blood of many. I won’t let you keep this going any further.” The stallion glowered.

Anarchy smirked. “Oh, it’s stained with many things... many unsavory things at that. It’s, uh, a real mess. You don’t wanna look into it. I've tried to forget about these things, but uh... they keep coming back like ghosts!”

Looking Glass raised his voice. “Run, tell them Anarchy is here. Send some reinforcement as fast as possible; I’ll hold him here for as long as I can.”

“How noble of you. I’ll shed a tear for you, Looky.”

The other ponies seemed reluctant to leave him behind, but one look at the terrified Blossomforth convinced them to spring to action immediately. They galloped away with the injured mare and, much to their surprise, Anarchy did nothing to stop them. Even Looking Glass was perplexed.

“You’re not stopping them from escaping?” He asked, demanding an answer with his powerful voice of steel.

“And prevent any guest from coming to our party? Nah!” The dark unicorn waved them goodbye as the detectives disappeared into the cold night. He cackled, remembering something quite exciting. “I heard there was now a fourth princess. With any chance, I might get an autograph from her in person!”

“You’re growing cockier every time I meet you.” Looking Glass called out. “Your actions are becoming more reckless.”

“But not any dumber. I know what I’m doing. Now, on to the main dish; your spanking.” Anarchy’s horn lit up with mighty sparks shooting out.

The wind howled with fear. An omen of death reigned above the detective for he knew his opponent was more than a pony. Now alone to fend off against the living personification of death and madness, Looking Glass could only weight out his options and hope that one of them would buy enough time for the reinforcements.

“Hold on to your hats, if you were thoughtful enough to bring one, because this one’s gonna hurt!” Anarchy shot out a powerful spell, crackling the air around him. The hills went deathly silent, the wind stopped howling. For a moment, it felt as if life left the battleground. “Be sure to hold onto the ground. We're about to make some noise!”

Looking Glass’s eyes nervously darted around the hills. His opponent’s spell had yet to reveal its effect. A single wrong step could kill him. The best thing to do was to observe how Anarchy would react. His body was frozen in place, not moving a single inch. The detective chose to do the same, his brows furrowing as he tried to figure out why standing still was a good idea.

The two unicorns remained motionless; their eyes locked onto one another. Nothing was happening, and it was dreadful.

Anarchy remained perfectly calm, his smug grin never wavering. Looking Glass, on the other hoof, struggled to keep his determined composure still. His eyes were twitching ever so slightly, his frown quivering just a bit. The wait was unbearable, just what was going to happen?

“Well... way to ruin the fun.” Anarchy frowned, distaste showing in his eyes. “I suppose you’ve been checking everywhere but above, ay?”

Curious, Looking Glass raised his head and found something surprising. The rain was slowing down as it approached them, some drops that were previously on the ground were now rising, joining the other ones in the air. Everything felt weightless as he observed his surroundings with a clearer idea of what’s going on.

“I’m rather excited to show you what I’ve got in store now. Like a child, I’m still growing up, discovering new things. The fun’s in the getting, not in the having as they say.” Anarchy explained, his dark eyes lighting up. “I’m always aiming higher, to the moon. I’d say I'm the perfect opponent for a hero such as yourself. I mean, I find it funny how you’ve somehow become more respected than the Elements of Harmony themselves! Is it because you have the feel of a hero while, they just feel like everyday ponies? Or is it because you fight the ugly side of Equestria, cleaning it of its filth? Either way, come to me and get your gold star.” The dark unicorn slowly raised a hoof and pointed at himself.

Looking Glass winced, not daring to move an inch form his current position. He had no idea what the effective range of this zero-gravity spell was. Plus, losing contact with the ground would leave him mostly helpless in the air. The wiser option was to let his opponent make a move. After all, he’s just here to buy some time. Still, Anarchy knew that and yet he didn’t seem any impatient.

“Well then...” Anarchy bent his legs forward and tilted his body back. “If you’re not making any move, I will!” In one powerful jump, he landed on a nearby tree, now staring at the detective with a sinister glint in his eyes. “Let’s initiate your ass kicking right now!”

Anarchy pounced on the detective; the momentum of his jump combined with the lack of gravity propelled him in a perfect trajectory towards his opponent.

Looking Glass hopped to the side, now doomed to move in only one direction like the dark unicorn. Anarchy landed on the spot where the detective previously was, biting on the grass to tether himself to the ground. His opponent was now moving in a straight line away from him with no way to dodge another attack.

The good detective cursed himself for thinking poorly. “Hey, thanks for helping me line up my shot!” Anarchy complimented right before he fired a beam of dark magic towards the helpless unicorn. The beam was massive, powerful and most likely destructive as it barreled towards the flying stallion.

Time slowed down as Looking Glass desperately tried to come up with a possible solution. Zero-gravity was an experience that not many ponies got to live through. Outside of spells, it is a phenomenon only found outside of the confines of this planet. As such, very little information is known about a lack of gravity. However, Looking Glass does know about the workings of gravity. Hence, he can figure out the results of the absence of said gravity.

To jump, a pony must push its hooves against the ground. The resulting force would generate an opposing force that would launch said pony off the ground. When there is no gravity, then that simply means that the force generated will indefinitely push the one who generated it.

The beam got dangerously close to Looking Glass. Having figured out another means of travel, the detective looked up in the sky at a certain angle and fired a magical beam. The force of his spell propelled him out of the way of the incoming attack right as it plowed through a tree, incinerating it.

“My, my! You’re a quick thinker! Looks like I’ll have to level up.” Anarchy cackled. He was rolling off the ground thanks to the recoil of his spell.

Looking Glass eventually hit a tree and he held onto it with his hooves. Anarchy found his own tree to anchor himself in one place.

“It doesn’t matter if you’ve got the upper hoof or not.” The detective announced defiantly. “I’ll never let you win.”

The sheer determination in his voice of steel sent a shiver down Anarchy’s spine. “Oh, you’ve grown quite a bit... but not enough.” He swiped away many drops of rain that were blurring his vision. Slowly but surely, he climbed up his tree until he got to Looking’s height. “I still have lots of tricks up my sleeves but like any good magician; I can’t tell you about the secrets behind them!”

“It doesn’t matter what you throw at me, Anarchy. I won’t let you get away this time.” In one flash of light, Looking Glass vanished.

Anarchy heard a crackling sound behind him, and he turned around just in time to see his opponent now on the same tree, mere inches away from his face. “Boo.”

“Too close for comfort!” The dark unicorn jumped out from his tree, now stuck in the air as he ascended towards the sky.

“Oh, too far now...”

The imposing glare of the detective sent a feeling of danger towards the flying unicorn. An amber beam of light pierced the darkness, aiming straight for him.

The beam nearly collided with Anarchy had it not been for another spell he had up his sleeves, flight. “Now, if you thought I’d really play fair, think again! I can fly like a pegasus! Makes you wonder what good they’re for!” The evil pony swirled around the trees, making his way towards the much less mobile unicorn.

At this rate, I won’t be able to hold out for much longer. He has me beat in every category. Strength, magic, but not intelligence. For this, we’re evenly matched...

“Come on, show me your fear!”

Looking Glass teleported below Anarchy, preparing to fire a different kind of attack. Magical beams weren’t well suited for this kind of environnement. There were other spells that could work in combat, namely, to disorient.

“Think fast, chucklenut.” A shrill sound invaded Anarchy’s ears while accompanied by a blinding white light. Discombobulated, he spun around uncontrollably, trying to gather his bearings.

Taking advantage of this opening, Looking Glass jumped up. Once he was close enough to his adversary, he grabbed onto him and began a merciless pummeling. Red mixed with black oozed out of the dark unicorn’s grin. No matter how painful the beatdown was, he kept on laughing. His pummels weren’t doing enough damage. The more it went on, the less he flinched. Then, out of nowhere, he retaliated with a powerful uppercut that sent Looking Glass far up to where he could count the stars.

“Next, you’re gonna come crashing back down to me.”

Reaching for the sky, the good unicorn felt a strange pull on his body that was now bringing him back down to earth. The pull was growing stronger, he was falling faster and at this rate, the impact could be almost fatal. Looking Glass only knew one spell to help in this situation. Just before he hit the ground, a bubble formed around him and took the full brunt of the impact. It bounced up, hovering above Anarchy with the detective inside suffering no damage whatsoever.

“Impact compensation bubble. Useful to shield against blunt force.” Looking Glass stated coldly.

Anarchy lowered his grin, a mixture of surprise and disappointment on his face. “I gotta get me one of those...” He cackled, but then, he realised it was getting hard to breath. Okay, it’s happening now.

Air doesn’t flow where there is no gravity. Nearly all the oxygen present in the zero-gravity area had left. In a matter of seconds, there will be no more air to breath, and their blood will begin to boil. Anarchy casted another spell, one that covered his entire body in a suit made of clouds. With that suit, he’ll have enough air for a minute just like his opponent.

Raising up to Looking Glass’s current position, the dark unicorn crossed his hooves. “Well, I see we’re stuck here until one of us dies. Who will suffocate first? You, or me?”

The dark blue unicorn gazed focused, his entire face remaining composed, as strong as steel. He winced as a response. I can’t afford to waste any air. Talking back to him is a bad idea. I’ve got to outlast him. Long enough for the zero-gravity spell to end.

Anarchy quickly caught on to his strategy and shut himself up, still keeping his smug and maniacal attitude. Oh boy, fifty seconds remain. Let’s hope the final piece of the board accomplished its task.

Looking Glass lied down in his bubble, trying to slow his heartbeat and breathing as much as possible by exerting himself the least. Anarchy, for his part, went limp as a counter-method. I don’t have much air, but so does he. Once he removes his spell, I must deliver the finishing blow before I tire myself out. Forty-five seconds, that’s how much time we have left.

Anarchy kept his stare locked on his opponent, hoping that it’ll unnerve him to some degree. Anything to prevent Looking Glass from outlasting him. Forty seconds... Sweet Celestia! This is taking forever! I probably should have chosen another spell now that I think about it. I mean, I do have something better up my sleeve... Ugh, I should have packed a lunch.

Seconds passed and neither of them moved a muscle. The only system in their body that was working was their respiratory system. Endlessly spinning around a zone with no gravity, it took nerves of steel to remain calm. The slightest mistake would prove fatal for Looking Glass, and that’s why his mind was concentrated only on maximising the little air he had left.
Ten seconds left, I hope you’ve been practicing the art of holding your breath underwater, because today’s the day it comes into play! Hyah ha ha!

Ten seconds left; he should be running out soon enough... So am I. I’ll have to hold my breath and hope to outlast him.

Five

Four

Three

Two

One!

The fabled minute has passed. The two unicorns stared each other down, waiting for something to happen. They’ve taken a big breath, keeping the last bit of air in their mouth. All around their safe haven was carbon dioxide, a poisonous molecule that’ll suffocate them slowly. Nowhere was safe now. Seconds ticked by, and nothing of note happened.

Then, they started to turn a light red. Their body were screaming for air, but they knew it was futile to demand some in the moment. Their minds had to resist every panicking thought and the need to trash around for air. The color on their face kept on changing, becoming redder and redder. Looking Glass’s eyes widened, the smallest hints of worry finally showing on his face. The same could also be said for Anarchy, albeit much worse.

The dark unicorn’s eye was twitching, his face sweating badly. T-Too soon! I don’t think I’m going to make it! M-Maybe that’s just a bad feeling. Maybe he’s doing worse than me.

The detective’s determined glare slowly came back. His powerful eyes striking fear into the heart of the monstrous stallion. Not now... Soon... Almost there...

Anarchy’s eyes began to bulge from their dark sockets, tears of pain flew out. His mouth twitched as it opened wide, revealing his many rows of teeth. More sweat dripped down his entire body. Passing out, his cloud suite dissipated. Big problem, for he was now dangerously exposed to the zero-gravity zone. Holy shit!

The dark unicorn’s blood began to boil, his eyes bulging. His body began to inflate, and the pain finally got to him. For the first time in a while, he was bothered by the pain. Terrified out of his mind, he did the only reasonable thing and discarded his spell.

Now!

Using the last of his breath, Looking Glass fired the strongest beam of pure concentrated he could muster and with no stamina to defend himself, Anarchy finally took the attack head on. The two fighters finally reunited with the grassy hills.

The fall severely hurt both of them, but one was doing worse than the other. Lying in a pool of his blood, Anarchy let out a choked laugh often interrupted by a coughing fit. His stomach was a whirlpool of pain, everywhere hurt but it was funny to him. Funny, to have lost to an opponent immensely beneath him. “That... is really funny.” he coughed, spilling more blood on the grass.

“It’s over, Anarchy. I’ve beat you.” Looking Glass victoriously declared, panting. His strong façade now cracked, the sweat and heavy breaths revealing the weakness within.

The dark stallion grinned, bearing his bloody teeth. “I wouldn’t necessarily call this a defeat, more or less, a setback.” He giggled, an amused look plastered all over his face.

“A setback? I’ve broken your ribs; you’re bleeding all over the ground.”

“You forgot that I’m not alone, unlike you right now.” Anarchy looked past him and laughed evilly. “It’s over now! Look behind you and admire the surprise I have in store for you!”

Looking Glass took a moment to look back, suspecting it might be a trap. As he finally got to see what got Anarchy into a laughing fit, his heart sank. A gigantic earth pony burst from the shade, holding a mare hostage. The poor pegasus was wrapped around the white stallion’s powerful hoof, unable to break free. Worst still, his hooves and teeth were covered in blood and so was the hostage.

Blossomforth looked broken inside, her face stained with tears and blood. Strong Hoof’s mere presence sent a shiver down the dark blue stallion’s spine. He could smell his bloodlust, his wrath. The rain intensified, the harrowing cry of the thunder instilling a feeling of defeat in Looking Glass.

“You are strong, Looky, but I am beyond strength.” The detective’s heart stopped, Anarchy got back on his hooves, seemingly unbothered by the damage he took. “Sticks and stones won’t be enough to kill me. I am more than a unicorn. I am more than a pony. What chance did you even have?”

Shocked, Looking Glass quickly turned around to face his bloodied opponent. Anarchy’s body was covered in his blood and yet, he seemed mostly fine.

His voice was hoarse, but still confident and powerful. “I gotta say, the vacuum of space packed a bigger wallop than your little fairy beam.” He cracked his neck, continuing on with his back and lastly his legs. Afterwards, he took on a healthier posture with his head fully raised. “Care to try again? I can do this all night.”

“That should have done it...” Looking Glass muttered in disbelief. No matter how confident he tried to appear, his adversary could tell he was exhausted.

“Oh, don’t be so sad. I’m feeling unusually nice today, so I’ll give you this.” Anarchy teleported next to his friend, shooing him away. Strong Hoof rushed away, disappearing in the trees. Looking Glass didn’t even pay attention to where he was going.
Anarchy grabbed Blossomforth with his forelegs and lifted her to face the dark blue unicorn. “Come on, shoot me! I will not dare evade your next attack! Kill me!”

“Wh-What?!” Blossomforth cried out in panic. She trashed around but couldn’t break free from the stallion’s iron grip. “L-Let me go!”

Anarchy smirked. “Come on, what are you waiting for? This mare right here means nothing to us! She’s a nopony, a droplet in the mist! We... are important. Greater beings than she’ll ever be! Kill us both, her death is merely a drop in the bucket.”

Looking Glass’s eyes turned a bloody red, gritting his teeth. He aimed his horn at the two ponies, fully prepared to give it his all, but ultimately backed down. There’s no way he’s coming back from murdering an innocent pony. On one hoof, killing them both would protect many civilians from the Anarchists, potentially dismantling the whole organisation. However, doing so would result in his incarceration. Everything he worked so hard to achieve, gone. He’ll no longer be able to help anypony.

Waiting impatiently, Anarchy began to sing, taunting the unicorn gleefully. "Contemplate it with all your intelligent might, this devil's dance has you locked in its grasp. So think as fast as you can fight but know that I'll put you through Tartarus before you die!"

As tempting as it is, he can’t. He shouldn’t, no matter how much he’s contemplating it. Everyday, he wishes to kill this filthy stallion, to put an end to all his atrocities, to avenge his fallen comrades, to finally have closure.

Blossomforth looked on in absolute horror while Anarchy was cackling with each passing second. Then, Looking Glass stopped. His horn stopped glowing; his eyes now shamed by defeat. He lowered his head, angry and disappointed in himself. He didn’t have the guts, or did he? No, if only nopony knew who he was. Then he could have done it. He could have ended it right there and placed the blame on his opponent. It wouldn't have felt all that good, but it would have saved many.

“Ah... A shame.”

Looking Glass felt something pierce his side. His body was cold, weak. He couldn’t stand on his legs anymore, and so he crumbled. Warmth left his body. It was his blood, now mixing with the brutal rain. Gritting his teeth, the detective tried to get up and continue the fight, but alas; he was too weak. He was dying. He failed his mission. If he dies, he’d leave nothing but shame behind to his peers. He will forever be a reminder of the crushing sensation of failure.

“Looking Glass!” Blossomforth screamed in horror. Before she could scream again, she was dropped to the ground to be then interrupted by a powerful weight crushing her skull.

“Don’t be such a baby, mister detective; the cavalry’s coming... soon, I guess.” The dark stallion trotted towards his fallen foe, admiring his work. “If you ask me; I’d say you did great. You see, it’s just that your best isn’t good enough. You know, being an enforcer of the law and such. You could be greater than this if you’re unbound by rules, if you’re something a little like me. Ah, but alas, mister goody four shoe can’t, and it’s why he’ll never beat me.” Anarchy remained a little longer, waiting for a response. All that came from his beaten opponent were raspy breathings. The evil stallion could feel his foe’s life slipping away with every breath. “Gosh, that’s kinda sad. I was sorta hoping for a battle of more epic proportions. Hey, you can’t have everything...”

Anarchy passed by Looking Glass, no longer paying any attention to him. “Au revoir, arrivederci!” Thunder struck the earth, a triumphant cry for its vile winner.

Mindlessly moving back to his hideout, he spotted something up above right as lightning lit the sky. A pegasus maybe? Or... something even better. A powerful figure landed near the unconscious Blossomforth, leaning to check on the pegasus. Anarchy stopped, curiously observing the newcomer. It didn’t look that much taller than the downed mare. It clearly had wings and... a horn.

Anarchy felt something weird course through his body, a bizarre sensation that he could only describe as pure ecstasy. The fourth princess!

“Oh no... I was too late.” The alicorn placed her head on the mare’s body. “S-She’s still alive!”

“Pardon me?”

Lightning stuck, revealing the form of a young alicorn. One that he never saw before. It was no Cadence, no Celestia and certainly not his precious Luny. She had a lavender coat, dark sapphire blue hair and violet eyes.

“I’m sorry. It appears that I may not know who’s the newcomer in this funhouse. I’d like a name.” Anarchy asked, trotting past the still living detective. “Celestia’s sleeping at the moment, Luna is out and about in the dreamscape and Cadance is hundreds of kilometers away, which leaves only you, the new princess. So, you surely understand why I’m unfamiliar with you.”

Princess Twilight Sparkle couldn’t pay attention to his words, her gaze was drawn to Looking Glass.

“Looking Glass!” she cried out, her eyes widening and her pupils shrinking.

Anarchy raised an eyebrow. “What? No, that can’t be right. See, this guy’s Looking Glass. You can’t be Looking Glass. I asked for your name, that can’t be too hard to answer, can it?”

The lavender alicorn’s brows furrowed. “What did you do to them?”

“Oh! You’re asking for a deeper look of my methods? Oh boy, am I thrilled to hear that!” Anarchy stretched his limbs one by one. “For the mare, hrgn! I just bashed her head in, hrgn! Oh dear, I’m a little rusted up at the moment. As for Looking, hrgn!, Glass... I just shot him in the body with magic.” One sickening crack later, he let out a relieved moan. “I needed that.”

Twilight was furious, her heart now pounding with rage. “I won’t let you get away with this!”

“It ain’t all that bad for them! I mean, at least Looky here will be remembered as a hero, but you know legends never die...”

“You’re no legend.” Twilight retaliated. “You’re just a psychopath who kills other ponies for fun. You’ve been running loose for far too long. As a princess of Equestria, it is my duty to protect my subjects from your kind.”

“What a nice speech, did you rehearse before coming to me by any chance?” Anarchy mocked, gazing over the detective still writhing in pain. I’m a bit hurt, but considering the hand I've been dealt, I can easily get away like a slippery little snake.

Twilight’s horn powered up, she placed herself in a battle stance just like how Mango taught her. The air crackled with electricity, the lightning revealing the sinister grin on the devilish unicorn.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”

The alicorn hesitated, holding on to her spell to hear out his next words. Noticing it worked, Anarchy paced around the detective like a vulture eyeballing its next snack. “You can try to fight me, and I have no doubt that in my current condition, you’ll probably win. However, it’ll take some time to best me, and I'm afraid these two ponies here don’t have much time to spare. It’s a choice, a tough choice. Defeat me and end it all... or save their lives.” His eyes widened, his grin elongating. “Oh wait. Didn’t you say your duty as a princess was to protect your subjects? What am I saying, there’s no choice here. Save their lives, and watch as I make my getaway!”

Twilight grunted, she was seeing red, but sadly; she knew he was right. She can’t do both at once. After hearing the kinds of things he’s done at Olive’s progress review, she wanted nothing more than to wipe that stupid grin off his face, but Looking Glass and Blossomforth’s survival is much more important. Ponies aren’t just numbers, they’re living beings with thoughts, memories and emotions. You can’t just brush off their deaths as part of the “greater good”. She won’t let anypony die on her watch.

Her horn stopped glowing, and Anarchy took this as the signal to book it. “Sayanora princess! In the near future, I shall revel in eternal life, but for you, it'll be game over. He he, next time we’ll meet, I'll give you a battle you cannot win!” And thus, he disappeared in the darkness. The clouds moved apart, stopping the thunderstorm completely. Without lightning, there was no way to tell where he went. So that was his spell all along. This is bad, this unicorn is much stronger than we thought!

Twilight quickly snapped out of these thoughts. Now was not the time to be thinking about all the implications. All that mattered, was that she got these two ponies to an hospital, quickly. “H-Hold on, you’re going to make it.” she reassured, but her comforting words went unheard. The two ponies already passed out from their injuries. O-Oh no! I need to hurry!

The princess of friendship took off, creating a strong shockwave as she took to the sky. Unbeknownst to her, Anarchy wasn’t far off, simply hiding behind a tree, panting.

“Golly, I’m going to need an entire barrel of apple cider after this. Oh, and maybe some bandages.” He looked back at the sky, barely able to see the silhouette of the alicorn. “This princess is strong, but not as strong as the other alicorns. Still, I should still be wary of her. I’ll need more time before I can take on one of them. My ascension is nearing its completion, and then; it’s going to be one Tartarus of a party up in Canterlot!”

Author's Note

Alright, I think I'm getting the hang of writing fight scenes. This one's slower paced, but just as intense, I hope.
We have magic in Equestria, so I thought to push as far as I can in terms of the variety of spells used in combat. I'll admit, I'm a bit disappointed that pretty much all fights in the show boiled down to shooting beams at each other when they could have been more... creative.

24. Happiest Day

Machines beeped anxiously, hooves shuffled around, and shouting came from everywhere. Canterlot’s General Hospital was thrown into disarray. The staff was running everywhere in a hurry. Two patients in critical condition were brought this night, forcing the majority of the doctors to abandon the other patients in favor of saving these injured ponies.

During all this chaos, Twilight watched on, having nothing else to do but wait. Her back was covered in blood, their blood. Her eyes were still wide open, her breathing ragged and uneven. Her body ached, the burden of carrying two fully grown ponies finally catching up to her. The lavender alicorn sought out a seat and laid down, waiting for the pain to go away. Her tired wings resting closely to her now cold body.

The frozen rain made her shiver even inside the warm hospital. No matter how bad she’s feeling, she has to stay to see if they made it. She brought them here, and as a princess, it is her duty to make sure they live.

Under the rising sun, Twilight waited anxiously for the doctors to finish their surgeries, her hooves shaking despite her best attempts to appear calm.

The entrance to the hospital opened. A pegasus mare wearing an umbrella hat entered. She had a light blue coat, sparkly dark blue hair and lots of freckles on her face. Her tired violet eyes darted around the hospital, eventually noticing the resting alicorn.

“Are you an alicorn?” She asked curiously. “J’en ai rarement vu d’aussi petit.”

Mildly surprised, Twilight lifted her wet head. “Uh, yeah. I am one.”

The pegasus hit a button on her hat, folding the umbrella. “I didn’t know there would be another alicorn.”

The princess of friendship smiled sheepishly. “So did I. Princess Celestia made me one a few months back. I’m still getting used to it all.”

“Ah, and here I thought we’d stop at three.” Gazing over Twilight’s back, the mare raised an eyebrow. “May I know what happened to you? You don’t look so good.”

The lavender alicorn chuckled weakly. “It’s not me you should be worried about; I’m just having a little cold. You should be worried about these two ponies I brought in. I fear they might not make it...”

“Aw, nonsense. These doctors are the best in all of Equestria. There’s nothing they can’t do.” The mare responded.

“Heh, if you say so. I haven’t really been much in this hospital when I lived in Canterlot.” Twilight said, looking around the waiting room.

“So, you’re the prudent type, ay?” The pegasus asked. “I’ve certainly met quite a lot of ponies like you, and even then, they still get themselves in a lot of trouble.”

Twilight smiled weakly. “Doesn’t sound like they’re prudent at all.”

“Maybe they just lack introspection. That’s what I like to believe.” The mare took a seat next to the alicorn. “Anyway, I came here to visit a friend, but seeing as every doctor here is busy, I guess I’ll have to wait a bit longer.”

“I hope he’s doing well, same goes for the other patients. Mister Looking Glass and Blossomforth are in bad shape, but that doesn’t mean everypony else should be ignored. Can’t they have like one doctor at least to keep an eye out for them?”

The mare had a slight reaction upon hearing the name of the detective, a reaction that went unnoticed for Twilight. “I’ll admit, it’s a risky move.” she said, her mind now going someplace else.

“If that doesn’t bother you,” Twilight said gingerly. “Can I know your name?”

The mare smirked. “Lady Dreamcatcher. Pleasure speaking with a refined pony like you.”

11 days left before the storm

“Mommy, where are we going?” The little filly asked.

Wandering around Ponyville, closely following her mother, Olive wondered why the earth pony was so thrilled to take her outside. The answer Applejack gave her was simply “Goin’ out shoppin’ with ya.” but the unicorn was no fool. A gut feeling told her something was up. As such, Olive remained quiet during the whole trip, trying to guess what they were going.

They passed by the Golden Oak Library, so thankfully they weren’t going there. They passed by a circular building in the form of a carousel. What an extravagant boutique! Next, they passed by the tallest building in all of Ponyville, the town hall.

The only building she knew they haven’t passed by yet was,
“Hey, looks like we arrived, sugar cube!”

Sugar Cube Corner. Olive blinked, wondering what business they had there. The two of them already reconciliated with Pinkie Pie before, so what gives?

“Now, let me tell ya; this a day yer gonna remember for sure!” Applejack exclaimed enthusiastically. The joyful tone in her voice sparked some excitement in the filly’s heart.

“What’s going to happen? What are we doing here?” Olive asked, her hooves happily stomping the ground.

The orange mare giggled. “Well, why not enter and find out?”

Curious, Olive trotted over to the door, looking back at her foster mother. She nodded, insisting that she went in first. Entering, she heard the signature bells of the shop ringing. The sound was then drowned out by a more powerful one.

Confettis popped everywhere, there were balloons littered around the whole store and last but not least, a small group of ponies wearing party hats welcomed her. Among them were some familiar faces, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie and lastly, the Cutie Mark Crusaders.

“Happy welcome to Ponyville party!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed, jumping next to her. “I know this is a little late, but you know what they say; better late than never! We’re all super excited to finally see you!”

Olive’s mouth opened and she froze, her eyes locked on the partygoers. A strange sensation swelled in her soul, a pleasant one. It’s a party, the first one she ever attended and it’s all about her. It’s the first time many ponies gathered just to see her. The first time ponies ever gave her attention, the first time she ever received that much love.

Pinkie waited for a reaction, but since it wouldn’t come, she continued on with her usual shtick. “So, how do you like it? Is it super duper fun?”

Olive didn’t say a word. Instead, her eyes did the talking as they began to shake, then they watered. Her lips slowly formed a smile as tears streamed down her face.

“Aw, Ah think she loves it!” Applejack said, holding her daughter in her loving embrace. The other ponies cracked before the infectious joy of the filly.

“Gosh, I’m just so happy we got to make you feel this good.” a soft voice spoke out, fluttering towards Olive.

The little unicorn immediately recognised her, the kind pony she’s been desperate to see again. She immediately jumped onto her, hugging her leg. Fluttershy was surprised by this clinginess, almost tripping over her tail as she pulled back. “Oh my.”

“Ah sweet! She already loves you, Flutters!” Rainbow Dash commented. “That must be so awesome to have a pony be this happy just to see you!” In the back, Scootaloo groaned and facehoofed herself.

Fluttershy smiled back at her pegasus friend. “I-I think I’m already familiar with this feeling.” She pointed at the three other fillies, the Cutie Mark Crusaders who were enjoying the snacks on display.

“I’m not sure what’s your mane style, but I must admit it does have its charm.” The white unicorn told Olive. The filly blinked, this is the first time she’s seen this pony. A beautiful unicorn with an extravagant indigo mane and with marvelous eyelashes to boot. It was clear this pony had a knack for fashion considering she was the one who put the most care in her appearance.

Olive rubbed her mane; she didn’t understand what the mare meant by “mane style” considering nopony ever styled it. “It just kind of grew like that.”

Rarity giggled. “Oh darling, I’m certain Applejack must have refined it at the very least.”

Applejack let out a sheepish smile. “Uh, maybe not, Rarity. Ah kinda just brushed it until it didn’t look messy. The swirls just sorta appeared like tha’.”

Sweetie Belle was the first of the crusaders to rush in. “So, your swirls are natural?! That’s awesome!” She caressed her lovely mane. “I always love swirls, so that’s why I have my sister style my mane like that.”

Olive kept a blank expression as she looked at Rarity, learning of the connection between the two white ponies. They're sisters... Apple Bloom is Applejack’s sister. Sweetie Belle is Rarity’s sister. Then that must mean Scootaloo is Rainbow Dash’s sister!

The little unicorn looked at Rainbow Dash. “Is Scootaloo your sister?”

“Nope, but she’s my number one fan!” Dash flew next to Scootaloo, placing a hoof over her shoulder. “And what’s a hero without her number one fan? Amirite, kid?”

Despite feeling a bit of disappointment, the orange filly smiled back. “Always here to cheer you on!”

So, they’re friends... Gears turned in Olive’s head, trying to piece all, well, pieces together. What puzzle she was trying to solve remained a mystery, but it was sure to be a good one. She has now met all of Applejack’s closest friends, and judging by how friendly they were to her, she could call them her friends too. It still felt really weird to her to be loved this much. Not once has she ever experienced how it feels like to be popular.

She was still surrounded by adults, but they were much kinder than the ones she grew up with. Interacting with other foals would be a different story. School still hasn’t left her mind, she’s heard of it, but never went to one before. And if there’s anything that Olive fears most, it’s change, trying out new things, leaving her comfort zone.

For now, she should just enjoy the party.

Then, from the corner of her eyes, the filly spotted another guest, a baby dragon. The same one she saw yesterday when she went to the Golden Oak.

“Oh c’mon! I missed the start of the party!” Spike bitterly exclaimed. “I thought I still had time!”

Rarity motioned at the dragon to come closer to the group. “Oh, Spike. You didn’t miss out on much. The party’s barely even started.”

Spike seemed less bitter now. As for Olive, she was extremely curious. Yesterday, she didn’t get to interact much with the baby dragon, but now, she had all the time in the world.

Olive approached him, and closely examined the scaly guest. Her head had unconsciously tilted to the side as she leaned closer to him.

“Uh, you want something?” Spike asked, getting uncomfortable with the eyeballing.

“You’re a baby dragon.” She responded, not really answering his question.

“Yeah, I know. You’ve never seen one before?” Of course she never did! I’m the only dragon living amongst ponies!

Olive shook her head. “I never saw one before. I only saw ponies, diamond dogs and griffons.”

“That’s... even more unusual than meeting a single baby dragon.”

“It is?”

The store’s bell rang, catching everypony’s attention. They were all surprised to see Twilight Sparkle arriving late to the party. There were bags under her eyes and her whole body showed a clear lack of rest. “Hey, girls. Sorry I’m late...” she muttered, rubbing her sleepy eyes.

“Twilight! Where have you been?” Rarity asked. “You promised you’d be here on time!”

The sleepy alicorn yawned. “I was in Canterlot on account of an emergency. I’ll tell you about it later.” As she trotted towards her friend, she stumbled and fell on her, clutching the unicorn’s body to stop her fall.

Rarity cringed. “Don’t tell me you’ve been up all night too!?”

“Yep. B-But at least I’m here now for th...” The lavender alicorn couldn’t finish her sentence in time. Her fatigue quickly caught up, and she fell asleep on her friend’s back.

“Uh... Applejack? Rainbow? Could you please, take Twilight back to the library?”

“Ugh, is it me or did Twilight gain some weight?” Rainbow groaned.

“Hey now, let’s refrain from judging other pony’s weight.”

Forced to carry their sleeping friend across town, Rainbow Dash was understandably bummed out to miss out a bit on the party, especially since it’s a Pinkie Pie party aka the best ones. Trotting around Ponyville with a sleeping alicorn on their backs earned them some odd looks from passerby which was to be expected.

It practically looked like they were carrying their drunk friend back home, which also was true to some extent, only it was a sleep deprived pony and not a drunkard.

“I’m betting it’s the wings, and the longer horn... and neck. Have you ever realised that Twilight’s neck got longer when she got her wings?” The light blue pegasus affirmed.

Applejack raised an eyebrow. “Wha-huh? Nah, Ah’m sure yer just seein’ things.”

“Well, go on and take a good look at her. You’ll see I’m right.” Rainbow Dash insisted.

Applejack tried to look over her shoulder but couldn’t get a clear view of the sleeping mare. “How can Ah? She’s on our back. Are ya suggestin’ we just drop ‘er on the ground and have a look.”

Rainbow cringed. “Come on, I’m not saying we should just drop her! We could just... care-fu-lly place her down, you know?”

The earth pony stopped, and so did the pegasus. Applejack briefly glanced over her shoulder, contemplating Rainbow’s proposal. “Eh, whatever. Let’s go for it.” The two ponies gingerly placed the sleeping Twilight on the ground and oh, would you look at that; she was snoring.

Some passerby stared at them in utter confusion with looks that just screamed What the hay are you two doing?

Rainbow Dash carefully observed the alicorn’s neck, placing her hooves on her own neck to then compare it to Twilight’s. The results were undeniable at that point. “See? Longer neck, told you so.”

Applejack couldn’t believe it. “What? So that’s why Ah always got that odd feelin’ that Twilight was taller than me. Consarnit!”

The light blue pegasus smirked. “I win. You owe me a bit.”

“Nah, Ah don’t. Ya never betted anythin’.”

“Darn...”

While the older mares were gathered around chatting, the Cutie Mark Crusaders reunited with their newest member. It’s been a few days since Olive saw Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle, her new friends to which she’s slowly getting accustomed to.

Spending times with other ponies was exhausting for her, so she had to inevitably distance herself to get her energy back. The filly doesn’t know why it worked, but it didn’t matter to her.

“Nice seeing you again, Olive.” Scootaloo greeted. “We were wondering when you’ll be joining us in acquiring our Cutie Marks!”

Olive scratched her head. “I have no idea. Applejack decides everything. You should ask her instead.”

“That reminds me of my sister Rarity.” Sweetie Belle added. “She’s often bossing me around since she has nopony else to help with her task at the boutique. It’s really bothersome. You must be feeling the same way too, right?”

Olive blinked “Uh, not really. I’m fine with this.”

“You’re fine with being bossed around?” Scootaloo asked, sounding almost outraged on the unicorn’s part.

“Yeah, I like it when ponies tell me what to do.” Olive responded with a smile. “Making decisions is scary.”

Apple Bloom smiled sheepishly, forming a circle with her two friends. “Applejack said Olive needed a lot of help, and Ah’m startin’ ta see why. Girls, as Cutie Mark Crusaders, it is our job to help out our fellow members with their struggles.”

“And friends.” Sweetie Belle added.

“Yeah, it ain’t exclusive to just our members.” A metaphorical light bulb appeared over Apple Bloom’s head. She gasped, “We should try ta get our Cutie Mark by helpin’ other ponies overcome their issues!”

“That’s the best idea you’ve ever had!” Scootaloo complimented excitedly. “That’ll totally be a cool Cutie Mark too!”

“Yeah!” Sweetie Belle thought more about it. “How will a Cutie Mark about helping ponies overcome their problems look like?”

“I dunno. I guess we’ll just find out... if we even succeed.” Scootaloo responded bitterly.

“Snap out of it, Scootaloo! Pessimissi... Pessimistism.... The opposite of positivity is not the way of the Cutie Mark Crusaders!” Appleblooom scolded. “Even if our best is not enough; we’ll keep on tryin’!”

Scootaloo gave her a thankful smile. “Yeah, no matter what; we’ll never give up!”

Sweetie Belle kept an undecipherable expression. “... The word you were looking for is pessimism.”

“Hm.”

A fourth head poked through their inner circle. “Am I invited in your circle?”

“CMC! Break formation.” Apple Bloom commanded. The three fillies stepped back, breaking the circle.

“Am I intruding?” Olive questioned, looking rather lost.

“Not at all! You’re welcomed to join us at any time!” Sweetie Belle quickly said. “You did go through the initiation to become a full-fledged member of the Cutie Mark Crusaders.”

“If I knew you would be here, I would have brought my cool cape.” Olive said.

“That’s okay, we don’t have our capes either.” Apple Bloom reassured. “See it as a, uh, covert mission. We’re blendin’ in with other ponies!”

The shop’s bells rang once more, catching the attention of every partygoers. A brown earth pony entered, followed closely by a small pink filly. It was Filthy Rich and his daugther Diamond Tiara!

“And now, we hide!” Scootaloo announced, sliding underneath one of the tables. Sweetie Belle ducked next to the counter where the two newcomers couldn’t see her and lastly, Apple Bloom hid behind a vase. Olive didn’t understand why they had to hide, so she remained still and stared at the earth ponies.

“Oh! Mister Filthy Rich!” Miss Cake quickly dashed behind the counter to greet him. “I assume you’re coming for the cake?”

Filthy Rich gave her a stern smile. “Indeed. Is it ready?”

Miss Cake ducked and picked the cake from underneath the counter. “Oh yes! Your birthday cake is ready! Do you need a box?”

He nodded. “My, my, these are some pretty patterns. I must commend the Cake’s craft as always.”

Diamond Tiara looked terribly bored, she probably wanted to stay at home rather than to follow her father on his errands. As she desperately looked around Sugar Cube Corner for the slightest bit of entertainment, her eyes landed on a pink filly she’s never seen before. As the boss of all foals here in Ponyville’s Schoolhouse, she couldn’t ignore her.

Olive blinked and observed the earth pony trotting to her with a smug expression. “Hey there. Whatcha doing here? I don’t think I’ve seen you before.”

“You didn’t. I only arrived in Ponyville last week.” The little unicorn bluntly responded, somewhat catching Diamond Tiara off guard.

She scoffed. “Huh, so you’re the blunt type.”

“I’m blunt?”

Diamond Tiara raised an eyebrow. “Uh, yeah. I just told you so. What, are you deaf or something?”

Behind the counter, Sweetie Belle clenched her teeth as she listened to the confrontation. Oh no, what do we do? We can’t let Diamond Tiara bully Olive for her blank flank! Uh... Her eyes rested on the table Scootaloo was hiding under. Got any idea Scootaloo?

“I’m not deaf. I can hear you; I just didn’t think I was blunt.” Olive answered honestly, getting the tiara-wearing filly to groan.

Scootaloo poked her head out of the table’s sheet, her eyes slightly widening. Oh no, we’re not gonna let you bully our newest friend like that! Right, Apple Bloom?

“You’re not deaf, I’ll give you that.” Diamond Tiara grunted. “But what you are, blank flank, is stupidly obnoxious. How dare you question my words? You should know that I, as the daughter of Filthy Rich, am always right.” she said, poking at the unicorn’s flank mockingly.

Olive scratched her flank where Diamond had touch it. “... your dad is filthy?”

From behind her vase, Apple Bloom went pale. Oh no! She didn’t just insult her dad! That’s like, ta worst thin’ to say to ‘er! It’s written clear as day in the Diamond Tiara survival guide!

Diamond Tiara’s jaw dropped. “Did you just call my dad filthy?” Her face slowly turned red with anger, her eyes winced, and she gritted her teeth. But just before she could unleash her wrath upon the unsuspecting unicorn, three other fillies jumped out from their hiding spot.

"... Is he?"

“Wait, wait!” Apple Bloom shouted, quickly placing herself in front of Olive. “She didn’t mean to insult yer dad!”

“Trust us, i-it was just a slip of the tongue.” Sweetie Belle defended.

“She doesn’t have any reason to pick some beef with you.” Scootaloo added.

Diamond Tiara winced, seeming rather unconvinced. “Ugh, whatever, I’m just thankful I’m not stuck in such a lame party. Seriously, why was this even hosted?!”

Olive frowned, looking hurt. She slowly backed away from the pink filly.

Scootaloo’s brows furrowed. “Lame? Is it just because you weren’t invited?”

The pink earth pony scoffed. “Hmpf! It certainly would have been better.”

“Just admit you’re jealous, Diamond Tiara and leave Olive alone!” Apple Bloom demanded.

Diamond Tiara feigned shock by placing a hoof over her chest. “Jealous? Me? Absolutely not! Why would I be jealous of not being invited in a lame party? Your reasoning... makes no sense, blank flank.” She condescendingly poked Apple Bloom on the muzzle before turning to leave. “Anyway, my rich dad is going to throw down a better party for my mom than whatever this is.”

“That’s fine by us. We’re staying together, just us four and it’s more than enough.” Sweetie Belle said, bringing her two friends close to her. Noticing she was missing a certain pink unicorn. “Where’s Olive?”

“Uh, over there by ta window.” Apple Bloom pointed out.

Olive was standing by the store’s window, staring at her transparent reflection. It looked sad just like her. From the window’s reflection, she could see the banners and balloons around Sugar Cube Corner, albeit looking a bit dull.

“Hey, Olive! Are you alright?” Scootaloo asked gingerly. “You don’t seem happy.”

“Is my party lame?” She croaked, her eyes starting to swell with emotion.

“It ain’t lame.” Apple Bloom consoled. “Ah’d say it’s great even! Pinkie Pie always thrown down great parties, right girls?” She looked at her friends, insisting that they cheer her on too.

“Sure is! I’m having soooo much fun here!” Sweetie Belle cheerfully said with a smile.

“I got to meet my idol, so I’d say it’s officially 20% cooler.” Scootaloo smirked.

They waited in bathed breath for their friend’s reaction. The little unicorn turned around. Lo and behold, she had a happier expression now. “I knew it! My party’s cool!” She exclaimed, tapping her hooves on the floor repeatedly.

“Olive? Do you mind if I come here for a moment?” The four fillies stared in the direction of the voice. It belonged to Rarity, who ominously came to her with a brush levitating thanks to unicorn magic. “Now, I’m not saying that your mane isn’t good or stylish per say; just that it could use a little... refinement.”

“A brush?” Sweetie Belle asked, confused. “You really brought a brush to a party?”

Rarity giggled. “I always do, darling. If I my mane was to ever get messy during a party, I have to fix it, hence why I always carry the necessities around.”

“The necessities? I can guess...”

The white unicorn kneeled over the pink filly. “Now, you’ll need to stay still while Rarity gives you an awesome new look!”
Olive blinked and remained still. Not even her eyes were blinking, to the point that she looked like a realistic wax statue.

“That’s good, darling.” She began to brush the filly’s mane. Immediately, the problems showed themselves. The brush was pulling on her hair and that hurt.

“Mng!” Olive grunted, hurt by the harshness of the brush. Eventually, the pull of the brush made her tilt her head uncomfortably.

“Please stay still, you’re making it harder than it needs to be.” Rarity pleaded, struggling with the constant movement of the filly’s head. Every direction she brushed; the filly’s head would follow.

“Are you sure yo-” Sweetie Belle tried to ask.

“Hush now; I know what I’m doing.”

‘kay...”

After thirty whole unpleasant seconds for both parties, it was done.

Rarity pulled back, admiring her work. “The messy strands of hair were now fixed for good, the swirls bigger and more pronounced. The filly looked less like a homeless kid and more like a refined pony now. “Once again, Rarity’s done it.” She took out a mirror from her purse. “Here, take a look. I’m certain you’ll like it.”

Olive observed her reflection’s mane. She observed and observed, not really providing any answer to the white unicorn. Not even a clear, readable facial expression. Rarity began to feel nervous. “So, uh, do you like it?” she sheepishly asked.

“It’s fine, I guess.”

“Fine?! Just fine?!” Rarity asked, leaning too close for comfort.

“Well, it’s just a mane. Why is it so important?”

The mare gasped. “Because a mane is an expression of oneself. It’s a reflection of one’s beauty, of one’s personality. Your mane is everything, but not as much as your clothes of course.”

Olive looked to the side, formulating her thoughts into words. “Aren’t my words a better reflection of my personality?”

The Cutie Mark Crusaders giggled and exchanged amused glances.

“Uh, w-well. You’d be right.” Rarity sadly admitted. “But still! Take good care of your mane, it is an important life lesson you shall never forget!”

“Okay.”

The white unicorn sighed. “You’re one of the least expressive ponies I've ever seen, rivaled and beaten only by Maud Pie.”

“I should be expressing something right now?”

“You’ll learn as you get older... hopefully.”

After her brief exchange with the filly, Rarity went back to her friends. Applejack and Rainbow Dash returned from their short trip, joining the small group of five.

“Howdy, Rarity. Ah’m guessin’ ya went to talk to Olive?” The strong earth pony asked.

“Mmh.”

Applejack paused. “Ssooo... what do ya think?”

“Odd, I’ d say. In a way she kind of reminds me of Pinkie’s sister, Maud.”

The pink mare’s eyes nearly jumped out of their orbit. “She’s like Maud?!”

“Yes, darling. A very reserved filly, but I can tell she’s got no mean bone in her body.”

“That Ah can vouch for.” Applejack said. “Ah haven’t heard ‘er say a single bad thing about anypony really. It’s kind of a miracle considerin’ where she came from.”

Her friends cringed. The elephant in the room that was the filly’s past still lingered. None of the mares could stop thinking about it when they talked to Olive. It was an uncomfortable feeling to imagine what happened to her before arriving in Ponyville, be it by luck or by fate.

“Um, I guess she must have had a really nice pony looking after her.” Fluttershy theorised. “Foals are influenceable. They always look up to somepony as a role model.”

“Mmh.” Applejack thought once more about Aurora and what she’s learned of from her last visit to Heedful Care. Fluttershy sounded like she was right on the money. The filly turned out nice thanks to the kindness of a pony going through a similar nightmare scenario. In a way, it was inspiring just how much friendship can help you go through the worst things. Olive was much stronger than she believed herself to be, that Applejack was sure of.

“Ya should talk to ‘er, Fluttershy. Olive seemed really thrilled to see you ‘ere.”

Fluttershy jerked back. “Oh, well, um.”

“Come on; don’t be shy! Ah’m sure ya two will get along!”

The yellow pegasus looked at the four fillies in the corner of the store playing with the balloons. They were trying to keep them in the air so that they would not touch the ground, a common game amongst foals when they get their hooves on balloons.

Not knowing what to expect from her first real chat with Olive, Fluttershy took slow steps towards the playing fillies. Okay, I should start by introducing myself, then... Um, I-I don’t really know what to say afterward.

Olive stared at the balloon slowly descending to the ground. Determined to hit it back as hard as possible, she crouched, waggling her tail around before leaping high. A slight miscalculation caused her horn to be the first thing that struck the balloon. It popped, loudly.

“Eek!” Startled, Fluttershy ducked underneath a table. The small unicorn looked at her, mildly confused before realising her balloon was gone, reduced to a small patch stuck to her horn.

“Aw, I broke it.”

“Looks like you lose!” Scootaloo exclaimed. “Now it’s down to us three.”

“That’s not fair!” Sweetie Belle shouted. “You two have no horns, so it’s easy for you to not accidentally break your balloon. I demand we unicorns get a second chance to make it even!”

“Yer just sayin’ that so you can get a cheap win. Ah’d say yer the one not bein’ fair.” Apple Bloom attacked.

Meanwhile, Olive was struggling to remove the remains of the balloon from her horn. If she had claws like a dragon, that’d be foals play. “Spike, help me.” She begged in a neutral tone.

The baby dragon was, however, too busy trying to not lose. “No way, dude, I’ve got my balloon to take care of.”

Realising it was a problem she has to take care of on her own, Olive chose to use the ground to scrape off the balloon. She scratched at it with her horn, to no avail.

Seeing her struggle, Fluttershy finally moved out from her cowering spot to lend a helping hoof. “Here, let me take care of this.” Gently with her mouth, she removed the annoying piece off the filly’s horn.

“Thank you!” Her bright smile sent a wave of joy through the yellow mare. The filly’s happiness and excitement truly were contagious.

“Oh, it was nothing, really.” Fluttershy reached out with her hoof. “I’m Fluttershy. I live in a cottage close to the Everfree Forest. Um, I-I really like to take care of animals.”

Olive stared at the hoof, taking a moment to realise she’s supposed to shake it. “I’m Olive. I live on a farm, and I like to read books.”

Aw, she’s copying my introduction. Fluttershy gushed. It was adorable to see this filly trying her best to seem “normal” not knowing that it only made her appear cuter than she already was.

“You saved my life the day before yesterday. You really are a kind pony!” Olive continued, nuzzling against the mare’s legs.

“Oh, well I-I wouldn’t exaggerate. I only brought you home, it was no big deal.” Fluttershy humbly responded.

“Heh, it sure was a big deal ta me.” Applejack said loudly.

The yellow mare blushed.

“And now she’s turning pink like... Pinkie Pie!” A pink earth pony rolled to them with a large smile on her face. “So, are you having the best time of your life?”

Olive hopped in place excitedly. “Yes! It’s the best party ever!”

Pinkie Pie smirked. “Best party ever? Oh please, this only scratches the surface of fun my party brings. I always outdo myself with every new party!” She picked up the filly in her hooves and raised her high.

Applejack slightly leaned off the counter, preparing herself in case her friend somehow dropped the small unicorn.
“Really? When are you hosting a new party?” Olive asked, her tail waggling uncontrollably.

“Hmm, let’s see. How about tomorrow?!” Pinkie screamed. “We’ll celebrate your welcome to Ponyville after-party!” The pink pony’s hooves shook with excitement, offering a pleasing ride for the filly.

“Hey now, don’t get carried away, Pinkie.” Applejack placed a hoof on her friend’s shoulder. “Olive’s gonna go to school tomorrow. We’ll schedule your next party later.”

“Oh? He he, no biggie.” Pinkie Pie placed the filly down. The foal’s expression now changed to a neutral, emotionless one upon hearing the word “school”.

Applejack quickly noticed this change in expression. “Hey, hey. Is somethin’ the matter?”

Olive crossed her legs, looking uncomfortable. “Um... I-I'm feeling nervous.”

“About school?”

The filly nodded.

“Don’t be so distraught, sugar cube. Ya won’t be goin’ alone. Apple Bloom and ‘er friends also go to school, so ya won’t be alone there.”

The knowledge that she’ll be surrounded by her new friends did bring some much-needed comfort for the filly, but it couldn’t remove her anxieties. Change, unfamiliarity... trying out new things was and always is something she fears most. Not knowing how something is going to play out is scary. Being in an unfamiliar place without your mother is also scary. Being surrounded by lots of strangers is perhaps the one thing scarier than the previous two.

The worst day is always the first one. If Olive can get through her first day of school, then the rest should go better. For now, she should stop worrying about the future and enjoy the party. It’s the happiest she’s been, a moment she will cherish forever.

Life’s good in Ponyville.

Somepony came knocking at the door at Sweet Apple Acre as the sun was going down. Applejack quickly went to open the door to be greeted by Heedful Care. The pegasus looked distraught from the looks of it, swinging around in place awkwardly as her eyes struggled to meet Applejack's.

“Howdy, Care. Ya ‘ave some news on ta search party?” Aj said in an upbeat tone masking her own nervousness.

“Exactly, b-but it’s not really good.” Care said bitterly, looking above the orange mare’s shoulder as if she didn’t want anypony to hear what would come out of her mouth. “We did find something we believe belongs to Aurora...”

Applejack gulped; she looked behind her to make sure Olive wasn’t around. “A-And that is?”

“A severed wing... or what’s left of it anyway.”

Author's Note

Finally got the whole gang together! And yes, it's a complete chapter without even one mention of Anarchy, crazy amirite?

After the massive fight of chapter 23, I figured it'd be nice to have something more relaxed and laid back, focusing more on the Mane 6 and the CMC's interaction with Olive.

Anyhow, next chapter Olive's going to school for the first time in her whole life. How's it gonna go? I'm not telling! We'll just have to wait and see.

25. Getting an Education

The dream was different today. Instead of being alone in a forest at night, Olive found herself in Sweet Apple Acre, in Apple Bloom’s bedroom to be more precise. The farm was empty, with no sign of life anywhere. It was just her in a giant playground of her choosing.

No rules, no consequences for any misdeeds, this was the moment to let it all out. Olive played around like a mad mare. She ran loops around the farm, flew to the top with her dreamy wings and ate all the delicious treats in the pantry without fearing an allergic reaction. It was truly a special time for her.

And then, a letter slipped underneath the door right as she was passing by. Curious, the filly took a close look at it.

It was just a blank page with only one sentence written on it; Luna is coming tonight. Prepare yourself.

A magical light shined down on the dark farm and from it descended a tall mare. Princess Luna landed right in front of Sweet Apple Acre, a welcoming sight for sure. It just goes to show that the filly is feeling comfortable in Applejack’s care. The midnight blue alicorn trotted up to the front door and found the small unicorn sitting on the porch. Her tail wagged happily once the lunar princess came close to her.

“Princess Luna! You’re here!” She said as she pounced on the alicorn, and hugged her chest with her iron grip. "Five seconds of love!"

“Yes, chi- my little pony.” Luna giggled, employing the same words her sister used to greet her subjects. "I've come to see you tonight."

“I was told that you’d come, so I put lots of stars in the sky!” Olive pointed up at the dreamy night sky.

The dark alicorn observed the sky and admired its beauty. The filly really worked hard to make it good. Though one thing still bugged her. “It is beautiful indeed. However, we would like to know who told you we were coming.”

Olive scratched her head and took out the paper she found earlier. “I don’t know, it was just written on this strange paper.”

Luna lowered her head to read the contents of the mysterious paper, slightly furrowing her brows as she came to the logical conclusion. He’s still here. “I see...”

The little filly shuffled around, anxiously wagging her tail. “Uh, P-Princess Luna? Can I ask you a question?”

The alicorn nodded. “Go ahead, my little pony. I’m all ears.”

“Did you go to school?”

“Hm.” The lunar princess looked back to the sky, trying to remember her days before turning into Nightmare Moon. A thousand years is a lot, and in that time frame she started to forget some parts of her past. All that was left of her foalhood were scattered memories that didn’t make much sense anymore. “I believe I did, a long time ago.”

“Well, a thousand years is a long time.”

Luna giggled. “Oh, you have no idea. It was different back then. I don’t believe my experiences would apply to you.”

“Oh.” Olive muttered disappointedly. “I was hoping I could get some advice from you. I’m going to school tomorrow.”

“I can understand going through new experiences can be stressful, but I assure you it’s going to be fine.” Luna reassured. “Nopony’s going to belittle you for your fears, so please, don’t take it as a sign that you should stop telling other ponies about your worries.”

“Okay, thank you for your help.” Olive respectfully said, though she still forgot the bow, which was kind of adorable to the tall mare.

“It’s my pleasure to help my loyal subjects.” She leaned forward and gave her a kiss on her forehead. “May we meet again.”
Olive giggled. “Bye bye!” she waved off as Luna left.

However...

Before leaving, Princess Luna knew she had one more thing to do; and that was to pay a visit to the biggest scum she ever met. This pony was even worse than Sombra to some extent. The evil unicorn with a black heart did take over the Crystal Empire and enslaved everypony within, whilst Anarchy also committed similar crimes, just on a smaller scale. The mad king at least wanted to rule over all as the one true king of Equestria, this anarchist didn’t even have a coherent end game. All Luna knew was that he loved her and wanted to kill every princess in Equestria. For what purpose? She didn’t know as of now.

Come to the night...

To the werewolf

Luna winced; he called out to her. This time, there was something wrong. His voice was hoarse, weaker than last time. The cackles that usually accompanied his words sounded pathetic.

As she pushed the bushes away, she found him resting on the floor. His glowing emerald eye was dying, shining a light that barely illuminated his face. The midnight blue alicorn took a seat near him, keeping her eyes on the unicorn in case he tried something funny.

Upon noticing the arrival of his guest, Anarchy smiled. “Hey... thoughtful of you to come visit me one last time.”

Luna’s brows furrowed. “One last time?”

“Yeah, you should’ve brought a bouquet and a shovel. I’m not going to last much longer in here.”

Examining his current condition, the alicorn could tell something was definitely wrong with him. His mane was whiter than usual, the viscous black liquid now oozed from every orifice in his body, leaking over his entire body. His skin was sticking to his bones, which looked even worse on his torso where his rib cage was now visible underneath his coat.

“What’s happening to you?” She harshly demanded. “And no lies.”

“It’s... a bit complicated, darling. It’s much easier to explain if I just said...” He looked at the night sky and grinned. “I’m a caterpillar.”

“W-What?” Luna cringed.

“And I’m about to go through my metamorphosis.” He chuckled. “But for that... I must separate myself from Olive and return to my true body. Oh, but don’t be sad; I’ve left a parting gift to my daughter. It’s just a little unruly at the moment, but if you bring a whip it should behave.” He let out a hearty laugh only to be interrupted by a coughing fit. “What doodoo! It hurts when I laugh now.”

“You’re transforming?” Luna said, her heart starting to beat faster. “Transforming into what?”

“Ah, if only I could tell.” Anarchy sighed. “It certainly won’t be as pretty as Nightmare Moon, but it should be good.” He giggled. “Eight years. Eight whole years I've been working on it. At first, I wanted to just give you the nicest welcome at the day of your return, but then you just sorta vanished thanks to the Element’s help, so I changed course and chose to bring Nightmare Moon back from the shade. Can you believe it? I’m almost done! I just need one final component.” He wrapped his hooves around her neck and brought her closer in an awkward hug. The viscous liquid now dripping over her shoulders.

“I’ll make some noise.”

Luna cautiously pushed his hooves aside and backed away. “Why? Why this infatuation with me? Why cause this much pain and suffering to bring back the ugly side of me?”

Anarchy cackled pathetically. “He he he, now I know some would consider this pathetic to desperately chase after a mare that's out of your leagues. Honestly, I’m afraid I can’t give an honest answer anymore. I’ve been chasing this goal so long I've forgot why I even wanted to do any of this in the first place!”

Luna winced, her teeth gritting. “Then why are you still doing this? Why haven’t you moved on to something else?!”

“Hey, hey baby. I know you’re angry, but yelling isn’t going to get us anywhere!” Anarchy said with a dumb smile on his face. “At this point, I’d say I'm chasing this goal because it’s the only thing I can do, really.”

Taking a deep breath, the lunar princess calmed down. A somber look now overshadowing her previous anger. Despite everything he had done, she couldn’t help but feel pity for him. A stallion with no friend, no real aspiration in life. She couldn’t let anger deal with this problem alone. “I can feel the Nightmare inside you as we speak. I know what it feels like to have it corrupts your thoughts, fuel your anger, convince you to do the unspeakable. It can’t be entirely you speaking, the true you surely must not wish to cause this much havoc.” She reached out a hoof to him. “I can help you with that. I can rid you of the Nightmare and promise you a better start. Twilight and her friends have already forgiven me, Discord and Sunset Shimmer for our misdeeds. You can still change if you are willing.”

For the first time, Anarchy didn’t have his trademark grin. Instead, he frowned and lowered his head, contemplating everything that led up to this moment. He placed a hoof on his forehead and sighed. His eyes didn’t have a single glint of malice in them. “N-No... No, it’s... too late for that.” He let out a weak laugh. “You know, when you’ve spent so much time digging your hole, you can’t just let all that effort go to waste. Might as well see it through!”

Luna’s face darkened. The wind howled with sadness, shining light on her while it left the stallion in darkness. “You should leave, nighthawk. There’s nothing to see here anymore. Instead, you should brace yourself for what’s to come.”

10 days left before the storm

Accompanied by Applejack and Apple Bloom, Olive trotted to the schoolhouse carrying a heavy saddle bag filled with school materials. For her first day of school, the orange mare thought to at least present the unicorn to Cheerilee before leaving. Her foster daughter was a special case, and the teacher needed to be aware of her quirks. Moreover, Aj had no idea how the foal would perform considering she never talked about receiving any education from her father, or friend.

Did she even know the base of maths? Of Equestria’s history, or of grammar? It was best to assume that Applejack will have to help her a lot more than Apple Bloom.

During their short trip, the mare could feel the filly’s anxiety with every step she took. The poor little thing’s head twitched ever so slightly, her eyes constantly darting around her surroundings. “Are ya okay, sugar cube?” she asked gingerly.

“Hm.” Olive responded, her voice beaming with uncertainty. She didn’t even sound sure of herself.

“Ah know this is all rather stressful but believe me; Ah know how ya feel.” She gave the unicorn a reassuring smile. “Ah was also nervous when Ah first went to school. Ah assure ya; it’s scary at first, but ya’ll get used to it fairly quickly.”

A sense of nostalgia washed over Aj as memories of her foalhood resurfaced. She had a lot of trouble back then, mainly with grammar, this was always her biggest enemy, even to this day. Thankfully, a certain baby dragon would often volunteer to kindly write her letters in her stead.

Apple Bloom moved closer to Olive. “Ah can pass ya mah notes if ya need ‘em! And don’t worry about ta lectures; they’re kinda borin’ but they’re not hard to understand!”

Applejack raised an eyebrow. “Ah certainly hope yer listenin’ to these ‘boring lectures’.”

“A-Ah do!” Apple Bloom squeaked.

“Well anyhow, looks like we’re ‘ere.”

Olive raised her head to observe the schoolhouse. It was smaller than she imagined and featured a playground next to it where all the foals were currently playing. Instead of being on the swings and on the slides, they were gathered around in a circle discussing something, but from their distance, all they heard was a cacophony of jumbled words.

“Huh, what’s suddenly gotten into them? They sound kinda angry.” Applejack commented, paying less attention to her route.

Apple Bloom dismissed it. “Meh, it’s just the usual argument. It happens every week. Ah wonder what they’re arguin’ about.”

Applejack looked at her little sister, curious. “They’re arguin’? Like, what do they argue about normally?”

“Nothin’ important.” Apple Bloom responded. “It’s always trivial things, so that’s why Ah prefer to just stick with Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo during recess.”

Olive, however, was simply too curious to know what the foals were arguing about and thus, split off from her family. Crouching in hopes that nopony would pay attention to her, she got close enough to finally make out their words.

“Nuh-uh! My dad would totally beat yours in a fight!” a blue-maned colt screamed.

“You’re just coping!” A green-maned colt shouted back. “My dad is a construction worker. He’s WAY stronger than your dad!”

Olive blinked, not noticing Apple Bloom joining her.

“See? Ah told ya it’s just pointless chatter.” she said, motioning at her sister to go back to Aj.

“Why do they want to know whose dad is the strongest?” Olive asked, her face remaining blank.

Apple Bloom looked back at the circle of foals who still didn’t notice them and shrugged. “Beats me, though Ah’d like to think mah dad’s pretty strong.” The yellow filly trotted back to Applejack who patiently waited for them.

Olive turned around to follow them, but then one of the foals said something that made her freeze on the spot.

“Hey, who’s this filly?”

Olive stared at Apple Bloom with a look that screamed “Help me”.

The foals started to circle her until the yellow filly was no longer in sight. Olive became the center of attention, the start of another nerve-wracking experience. Remembering the words of a certain pony, she kept a stone face, hoping to not show any weakness or fear.

A foal with a light beige coat, red mane and glasses approached her. She examined her top to bottom with a curious expression. “I’ve never seen you before. Are you from Ponyville?”

Olive opened her mouth to answer but found herself overwhelmed by the intimidating gaze of a couple dozen eyes resting upon her, though in the heat of the moment, it felt like a hundred. Every foal was waiting for an answer that seemingly wouldn’t come.

“Hey! Why’s everypony suddenly turning their backs on ME?!” A voice roared behind the crowd. Every foal turned around in horror and split up to form a passage for the one that ruled the schoolhouse, Diamond Tiara. “Oh, you...”

Her loyal sidekick Silver Spoon raised an eyebrow. “Her? You’ve seen this nopony before?”

Diamond Tiara glared at Olive as she stomped towards her, frightening the unicorn. “Yes, I did. And guess what everypony?” Her eyes scouted the crowd, pausing for a dramatic effect. “This blank flank dared to call my dad a filthy pony!”

The crowd gasped in shock, now looking at the little unicorn with worried expressions. She committed a cardinal sin in front of Diamond Tiara! And worse, as a blank flank!

I didn’t... No wait, I did! Nervous, Olive tried to think of something to say to de-escalate the situation. “Who was your dad again?” That was a terrible question. Even worse was that she already knew the answer. Once she’s heard something, she’ll never forget it... like a record player.

Outraged, Diamond Tiara shoved her face in Olive’s. “Filthy Rich! His name... is Filthy Rich! Can’t you remember the name of the most important pony in Ponyville, blank flank?” She whipped her tail at Olive, startling her.

Apple Bloom tried to make her way through the crowd to assist her sister, but none of the foals would move, too preoccupied by the show, or the soon-to-be verbal slaughter.

“W-Why is he the most important?” Olive asked, trying to think of an escape plan.

Diamond Tiara cringed. “It’s because he’s rich, duh! It’s in the name, idiot.” The little unicorn held back a tear. The pink earth pony turned her attention to the crowd with a smirk. “This also makes him the strongest dad, because everypony knows that brawn is nothing compared to money.”

“And brains!” Silver Spoon added.

“Money’s the better of the three.” Diamond Tiara cleared up.

“I know a dad who’s stronger than Filthy Rich!” A voice cried out behind the crowd.

“What?” The two spoiled fillies said in outraged unison.

Apple Bloom finally crawled her way out of the crowd, now finding herself in the circle with Diamond Tiara, Olive and Silver Spoon. The yellow filly saw it as a golden opportunity to knock Tiara down a peg.

“And who would that be?” The rich filly asked, leaning towards the one that dared to defy her.

Apple Bloom opened her mouth to answer, but quickly came to realise that she had no idea who it could be. Oh oh, Ah just wanted to get everypony’s attention off mah sister, but now... Ah’m the one on the chopping block!

Seeing her friend’s struggle, Olive thought fast. “My dad.”

Apple Bloom looked at her in surprise, but before she could say anything, Silver Spoon spoke out.

“Your dad?” Silver Spoon giggled. “And what does he do? Write romantic poems about flowers and cry about what he just wrote?”

Applejack noticed that everypony’s attention was drawn to the little unicorn. Worry overtook her as she made her way to the crowd.

“No, he created a secret society.” Olive responded honestly.

“A secret society?” Diamond Tiara didn’t look convinced. She circled the unicorn and smirked. “Ha! Trying to make him seem all mysterious, ay? Fine, I’ll humor you; tell us what he does with his oh so secret society.”

“I don’t know much because he keeps it private, but from what I know he sets buildings on fire and blow things up. H-He’s not a nice pony.” Olive stated in a matter-of-fact tone.

Everypony went silent. The crowd of foals stared at the newcomer with wide eyes, as if they were looking at a serial killer.

“Pft! Nice try, blank flank.” Diamond Tiara brushed off. “But do you seriously think I’ll believe that?” Olive blinked; she didn’t even seem to doubt any of what she said. Almost as if...

A chill went down Diamond Tiara’s spine. A terrifying thought came to mind. What if this filly WAS telling the truth? If so, then that’ll make her the daughter of a cult leader. “Y... You’re not serious about that, right?”

“Not serious about what?” Olive asked. Her confusion was all too genuine for Diamond’s liking.

“Hey! Make way, please!” The foals finally noticed Applejack trying to get her fillies’s attention. They split off, preferring to stay far away from the pink unicorn.

Watching them leave with fear in their eyes, Apple Bloom shot a worried glance to her sister. “Ah appreciate ta help, but don’t ya think this will only make ‘em scared of ya?”

“Why would they be scared of me? I didn’t do anything.”

The yellow earth pony sighed. “Ya just don’t get it, do ya...”

Today, Olive finally did it; she stepped inside a schoolhouse for the first time. As expected from a place housing lots of foals, its walls were bright and colorful. There were lots of desks around, something the sheltered filly has never seen before. At the far end of the room liked a bigger desk with a cerise-coated mare sitting on it. The teacher, no doubt.

“Howdy, Cheerilee!” Applejack greeted.

The teacher took her eyes off the student’s homework she was correcting. “Good morning, Applejack! It’s nice to see you again.” she said with a bright smile truly befitting of a teacher. Her attention quickly shifted to the small pink filly awkwardly hiding behind the earth pony.

“Ah suppose ya already know why Ah came in ‘ere today.”

Cheerilee got out of her seat and trotted over to her. “Of course I know! I’m excited to finally meet this filly everpony’s talking about!”

Olive, curious, looked at her sister for answers.

“Gee, ya’ve really become the talk of ta town!” Apple Bloom commented.

“Am I really that interesting?”

Applejack turned to her daughter. “Come on now, ya’ve gotta greet yer nice teacher.”

Somewhat reluctantly, Olive trotted up to the cerise mare. Not knowing what to say, she simply stared blankly.

Miss Cheerilee felt a little uncomfortable with the filly’s blank stare, smiling awkwardly. “Hello there, my little pony! I’m Miss Cheerilee, your teacher here in Ponyville Schoolhouse. It’s so nice to meet you!”

Olive unconsciously titled her head to the side, as if she was examining the teacher closely. “I’m Olive.” She finally said, a barebone introduction but it was something nonetheless.

“Okay,” Cheerilee giggled. “I’d like to know a little more about you, if you don’t mind.”

Olive blinked, to which the cerise mare took that as a “I don’t mind.”

“What do you like to do?”

Olive looked up and began thinking. Time passed, but no words came out of her. The filly couldn’t find an answer to this broad question.

Applejack giggled. “He he, Ah think ya should ask a more specific question. That usually helps with ‘er.”

“Okay then; what kind of games do you like to play? Or do you perhaps love books more?” Cheerilee asked, making sure to be precise with her questions.

Olive’s face lit up, a sign that it worked. “I love reading books like the Power Ponies! Especially the ones that focusses on Saddle Rager because she’s my favorite character and-”

Apple Bloom was surprised to say the least. It was the first time her sister ever rambled like that, much less talked for more than two seconds straight. Cheerilee listened intently to the filly’s rant about comic books, finally getting a clear understanding of who this pony was.

A lot can be learned just by listening to somepony ramble about their passion. It was beautiful to see this filly be this happy to talk about something for once. She felt less like a confused robot, and more like a pony.

“I can see you have great taste in comic books!” Cheerilee gleefully said. “I myself am also a fan of the Power Ponies.”

Olive adorably bounced in place. “Woah! Really?”

“Yes! When I have some spare time, I like to read the newest issue.”

“Ah didn’t know ya even read comic books!” Applejack said, earning a short giggle from the cerise mare.

“Is it really that surprising?”

“Well... yeah.” Olive admitted. “The grown-ups I knew only read strange magazines with mares in bizarre poses.”

Cheerilee chuckled nervously. “Oh, r-really? I wouldn’t call what they’ve been reading ‘literature’ nor would I recommend you check it out. Comic books are good enough.”

Apple Bloom turned to her older sister. “Then what have they been reading?”

“Don’t even ask about it, sugar cube. That ain’t for fillies.” Applejack sternly responded before turning her attention back to Cherilee. “Welp, Ah suppose like mah sister Apple Bloom, Olive will have to go through an entrance exam.”

“Exactly.”

Entrance exam, that’s a rather foreboding word for the little unicorn. What was that supposed to mean? Certainly nothing good.

Cheerilee leaned towards the foal. “If you want, we can start now, I’ll put you in a separate class so you won’t be disturbed by the other students.”

Olive whimpered, seeking Aj for comfort.

“Don’t worry, sugar cube; Ah’m sure you’ll do great.” She smiled. “And plus; it's just a silly little test meant to show yer teacher what ya know. It’s nothin’ to be scared of.”

Sat down in a different room from the rest of the foals, Olive stared at her first exam ever. She never truly did any homework before, nor did she ever study for anything. She did, however, draw things with crayons and read books that belonged to her father during her stay with him. That at least accounted to something, right?

The test was split into three different categories: multiple choice questions, short questions that could be answered with just one sentences and lastly, the big ones. Olive gulped as she picked up her pencil with her mouth, mentally preparing herself for this daunting endeavor.

The questions’ subject varied from history, math, grammar and basic science. However, since she never had the chance to learn much about any of them, she felt outclassed by whatever skills her peers might already have. She felt as outclassed as a kindergarten foal in a MIT lecture hall, not that she knew what that was.

So, all the filly could do was answer the questions she knew the answer to, and pray to Celestia that she wasn’t writing complete nonsense on her paper. After an hour, the deed was done, and so was the filly’s sense of self-esteem. Was any of this basic knowledge? Was she that far behind?

Olive handed out her exam to Miss Cheerilee once it was all over.

“That’s great!” She said happily as she scouted over the exam. “Your mother should be back soon to pick you up. In the meantime, I’ll let you play on the school’s playground and let me tell you how lucky you are to have it all for yourself.”
Olive was confused, to say the least. “All for me?”

“Yes, your peers are currently doing some homework next class.”

“Shouldn’t it be called schoolwork? B-Because they’re doing it in school.”

Cheerilee giggled. “Normally you’re supposed to do them at home, but since we’re ahead of schedule, I gave them some time to complete their homework at school. It happens sometimes.”

“Ah...”

Applejack nervously paced around the empty class. “So... how did she do?”

Miss Cheerilee bit her lip, scraping her hoof against the floor. “Well... it’s not as bad as I thought, but it’s still behind the other foals.”

“N-Not as bad?” Applejack questioned, a glimmer of hope in her voice.

“Her knowledge of history and other species’s anatomy is surprisingly above average.” She took a deep breath through her teeth. “but the same cannot be said for mathematics and grammar. Miss Care notified me about her background, so I assume nopony must have taught her these subjects... She didn’t get a single mathematical question right and her grammar is below average.”

Applejack’s eyes trembled as she took her hat to her chest. “But that’ll make ‘er below...”

“First grade level for these two, I'm afraid.”

The orange mare looked completely lost. “A-Ah see. There’s gonna be a lot of work to do.”

“I can try to ask Counselor Care for help.” Cheerilee proposed. “I know she’s helped foals with their education before in the big cities, I’m sure she’ll be glad to help her with her weaker subjects.”

Aj let out a relieved sigh. “That’ll certainly help a lot. Ah want to help ‘er as best as Ah can, but Ah’m also terribly busy workin’ at Sweet Apple Acre. Ah could use the extra help.”

“Helping out foals in need is also a part of my job.” Cheerilee reassured. “I’m certain she’ll catch up to the others by the end of this semester.”

Inside Canterlot’s hospital, things got rather moody ever since Twilight Sparkle brought in a wounded Looking Glass and Blossomforth. Their injuries were quite bad, requiring the attention of most of the staff to make sure everything’s alright.

The two patients were deep in a coma, for they spent the entire day sleeping. Now, it got dark outside, the nurses inside couldn’t see a single thing outside. All they had were the lights inside the hospital to guide them.

Looking Glass was hooked up to many machineries that beeped incessantly, showcasing his heartbeat. Things didn’t look good for him; he was in way worse condition than Blossomforth who only had a cracked skull. The unicorn received a big hole in his torso, one that the doctors somehow stitched up in time right as he was on death’s door.

Nopony thought he would ever wake up for at least the rest of the week. They were wrong. His eyes slammed open out of the blue when he was left alone for the night. The detective heard nothing, but the beeping of the machines hooked up to him, and of the adjacent ones belonging to Blossomforth.

The room was dark, barely lit up by the night light on a small desk next to his bed. His mighty bloodshot amber eyes apologetically looked at the unconscious mare. I failed, didn’t I...

The sleeping pegasus showed no sign of coming to any time soon, unlike him. The fact that she nearly died was all his fault, for being too slow. At the same time, the fact that Anarchy still roamed free was his fault. If he didn’t have a reputation to uphold, he could have ended it all right there and then.

His eyes beamed with fury as he thought back to the smug grin of the stallion that shot him down. Anarchy always viewed himself as superior to his peers, and he made sure everypony knew just how better he was through his mocking demeanor.

This whole fight... Anarchy didn’t take it seriously. He was just playing around with him. He humiliated him, showed the world he was no hero.

Don’t think I’m going to step down from this. I promised I’ll never let you win, and I always keep my promises.

He struggled to lift even a single hoof; his body sent him nothing but anguish with every movement he made. It won’t stop him from trying, however. Looking Glass used his hooves to lift his upper body into a sitting position. His stomach turned upside down, adamantly requesting him to lay down again, but he didn’t listen.

Looking Glass won’t listen to pain, he works through pain. Sitting idly here while all the action’s going on outside was a no go. If anypony was to bring down Anarchy, it had to be him. This time, he had a plan to kill him. Yes, kill him. A stallion as vile as this dark unicorn deserved no trial, no dungeon to hold him. He only deserved to be cast out of this beautiful world through any means necessary. This time, the detective will employ every trick in the book to get his revenge.

“I’m wolverine mean you son of a bitch.” he muttered, letting anger overcome his drowsiness.

Pushing his body beyond its limits, he left the comfy bed. His horn lit up weakly and with magic, he tore off all the hooks on the machines. Now, to leave this hospital. I must return to my office and find it.

He made his way towards the nearest window and opened it, letting the fresh air blow his fever away. A new problem arose when he noticed he was on one of the higher floors of the hospital. A small problem it was, for the obvious solution lied right next to him. Looking Glass turned his attention towards the bedsheets, his brows furrowing. “No matter what, I’ll reach my desk and retrieve it.”

The mask that shall hold my righteous wrath.

Author's Note

Anarchy's going to transform? And Looking Glass fled the hospital to retrieve a mask? Oh dear, sounds like a storm's coming...:twilightoops:

But let's not focus too much on that for now! Olive's going on her first real day of school tomorrow, so let's see how that'll go.

26. Reversed Hermit

In the dead of night, not many ponies roamed the streets of Canterlot. The message and rumors about the Anarchists had already begun to spread, scaring any and all ponies from even daring to wander at night. All ponies? Not exactly, for there is one who doesn’t fear the dark. One whose bravery inspired many young foals to grow up to become heroes just like him, Looking Glass.

Limping in the empty streets of the city, he made a beeline towards the Canterlot Bureau of Investigation in hopes of reaching his office. The only real danger he faced was passing out thanks to the fact he lost a lot of blood. It didn’t take long for him to reach his destination, the large building housing the one item he desired most in the moment, the one thing that’ll give him some semblance of a leverage against his ultimate foe.

Reaching the front door, he pulled out his keys and unlocked it, making sure nopony saw him enter at such a suspiciously late hour. Then, it was as simple as trotting to his office without having to worry about any onlookers. The bureau was dark at night without the lanterns being turned on but that didn’t stop him for he memorised the layout of the whole place.

Finally getting in his office, Looking Glass shut the door and opened the window to let the moonlight in. With a clearer vision, he flipped through the many drawers of his desk until he found the one, a drawer securely locked with a combination only he knew. In that drawer was nothing but a singular item. One that is shaped like the head of a dog, colored with a crimson color that looks an awful lot like blood. On the top of this mask lied a horn shaped hole, clearly indicating what species its wearer should be. This was it; the Crimson Mask of the notorious crime lord he vanquished years ago. A defeat that resulted in the criminal’s demise.

But to call it a mask would be a mistake. It’s... more than that.

In its hollow eyes, he could see the face of a blue colt frowning sadly. A drop of sweat dripped down his face. Was it caused because of his less than stellar condition, or was he nervous to put it on? I’ve fled the hospital recklessly; I can’t put it back and act like nothing happened. I vowed to kill Anarchy and Anarchy alone. Just this once, I’ll put it on.

Looking Glass dawned the crimson mask. Immediately after he put it on, a strange sensation overcame his body. His vision faded in and out, changed colors to different variations of red. The world spun around; his body became dizzy. Standing still became an arduous task in of itself. Many voices whispered in his mind, speaking in languages he didn’t understand much of.

Then, a hoarse voice spoke out to him. “It’s not just a mask... It’s an artefact, one I carved and enchanted myself. Now, it is yours. I’m rather disappointed you’re still alive, but I can tell he also is.”

Looking Glass winced, the one effect of the mask he knew of was this, it summoned the ghost of its previous owner. In that case, the one and only Crimson Mask appeared before him. Instead of wearing the mask, the ghost had almost no skin on his head, only a grey skull. He wore a dark cloak that covered his entire body, his usual attire when committing unspeakable acts of brutality.

His face mutilated itself into a gaping maw. “I believe it is your second time putting it on. Am I to assume it is more than a test?” The ghost asked. If he still had lips, he would be grinning.

“I am ready to draw blood.” Looking Glass coldly announced. The mask’s mouth opened with his own, essentially functioning as a second face. “But only from one stallion, I do not need to tell you who it is.” The detective turned his attention back to the drawer, with one mighty magical pull, he tore it off its hinges and threw it to the ground. The powers of the mask changed the aura of his magic from amber to crimson red. A great way to conceal his identity even further.

“What was that for?” The crime lord questioned. “Are you letting off some steam?” New rows of teeth appeared in his empty eye sockets to grin.

“No... just a precaution.”

The unicorn looked around his office in search of a cloak that could cover most of his body. He needed to avoid the risk of being recognised under the mask.

“Ah...” The ghost shambled towards him. “Anarchy... If only somepony could bring that bastard six feet under. That’ll please me greatly. Will you do me the honor?”

He eventually settled on old rags he kept in more drawers. Putting it on, he cringed at the dusty feeling of the cloak tickling his body. He had to get used to it.

“I doubt it’ll end that easily.” The ghost chuckled. “Killing a pony isn’t something to dismiss. Once you’ve had a taste of blood, you’d want to do it again. You see, a stallion can do terrible things once he’s lost his way. Terrible things...” His face opened, revealing dozens of tiny skulls inside his gaping maw. Additional sets of eyes appeared in his mouth, staring straight into the unicorn's soul.

Looking Glass stepped in front of a nearby mirror, readjusting his cloak to cover as much of his body as possible. The gnarly scars on the front of his body would compromise everything should any of the ponies present at the progress review see them. Applejack, Luna, Twilight, Heedful Care, most of the medical staff, all saw his wounds. As such, he stitched together the front of the cloak so that it covered his scarred chest.

Once he was satisfied, he needed to work on another important factor, his voice. His face was gone, and so was most of his body, but the rest was still there. He was still just Looking Glass under the mask. It was not enough, he had to become somepony else. Somepony detached from all the morals and values of his good side.

Playing around with his voice a bit, he listened to the voice of the ghost to get a good idea.

“For a hardened detective, you’re still too naïve. In due time, you will become just like me. It’ll become an obsession. Oh, the darkness... it will overcome you.” The ghost grunted, his hoarse voice beaming with ominous malice. He sounded sure of what he was saying, almost as if he witnessed it before.

Adjusting his voice, Looking Glass went for a raspy voice that sounded menacing enough. “I am the Crimson Mask. Tell me where your boss is. Hm...” This will do for now.

The ghost laughed. “Playing the vigilante, I see? I get it.” He flew past him and entered the mirror, altering the detective’s reflection to be that of the ghost. “On this day, you shall be reborn. No longer bound by laws, by arbitrary rules, you shall rise above your peers and succeed where they have all failed. Death be upon your foes, for you are now... unchained.”

Under the moonlight, a singular figure roamed around Ponyville undetected. It carefully navigated around any source of light, staying in the shadows as it made its way towards its destination, Sweet Apple Acre. The ominous pony threaded lightly, making almost no sound as it trotted to the farmhouse.

Swift and silent, it arrived without catching the attention of anypony. Standing before the farmhouse, it carefully examined the exterior, trying to guess the layout of the inside from there. He only had one objective, so he could not afford to waste any time looking around. His goal was upstairs for sure, the first floor was thus of no use.

The ghost growled behind him. “You’re telling me Anarchy had a daughter this whole time?” He opened his gaping mouth, fire burning in his eyes. “If I had known sooner, I’d have mangled this little thing, see if this bastard likes it.”

For once, Looking Glass winced at his remarks. “You’re short-sighted, Crimson. Anarchy doesn’t care what happens to his daughter. He tried to get her killed.”

The ghost of the previous owner frowned. To pull that off, two black hooves lunged out of his face and pulled down on his lower jaw. “Damn, let me come up with something else.”

“Let me show you the meaning of effectiveness.”

Looking Glass silently made his way towards Sweet Apple Acre, his mind dead set on doing only one thing; finding out where Anarchy and his cult are hiding.

I’m afraid you can’t ask her about her father yet, the doctors in Ponyville have told us that the filly is in an unstable mental condition. You’ll have to wait for now.

Looking Glass winced under the mask. It frustrated him deep down to be unable to ask her any question. But tonight, what was stopping him?

Apple Bloom woke up suddenly in the middle of the night, snatched out of her dream by a burning desire in her stomach. It whined loudly, and her dry throat joined in on the complaining. Grumbling, the yellow filly slowly descended from her bed, making sure not to wake up her sister.

The creaking floorboards of the farmhouse almost made it seem like a stealth game to the hungry filly as she had to weave through the creaky floor down the stairs. Descending the stairs in the dark was dangerous to say the least. Without a clear vision, Apple Bloom had to carefully plan her steps if she wanted to avoid a painful tumble.

One slip-up almost caused her to fall down the stairs, thankfully stopped by her strong back legs as she now found herself balancing on one of the steps. Gritting her teeth, she finally made it down without causing a ruckus.

Now, all that was left was to reach the fridge and snack on some tasty treats plus a nice glass of water to accompany her king’s feast. Apple Bloom didn’t shy away from stuffing her face full of apple pies, a mouth-watering dessert that’ll be sure to fill up her hungry stomach.

After her feast was done, she wanted a glass of water to quench her thirst. She picked up an empty glass and trotted to the sink. It was a bit high for a small filly, but by standing on her hind legs, she could reach it. Flipping up the handle, she mindlessly watched as the glass filled with water.

Once it was good enough, she stopped the flow of the water, ready to drink her glass. But then, something moved. In the window above the sink, a strange reflection appeared. Apple Bloom froze, unable to take her eyes off the intruding visage.

It looked like an odd depiction of a dog, with a cloak hiding any other discernable features. All the filly focused on were the black voids staring right at her reflection. Something was behind her.

Slowly, Apple Bloom turned around to face the intruder. Standing tall above her, it opened its empty mouth as it lowered its head to stare her down. The empty voids showed no emotion, no thoughts behind the mask. The only feature the filly was able to make out now, was its horn. It was a unicorn.

With how close it was to her, screaming for help won’t cut it. Applejack and Big Mac won’t be able to come in time.

“Wh-Who are y-you?” she croaked, tears welling in her eyes. She backed up against the sink, falling onto her flank. “Wh-What a-are ya doin’ ‘ere?” Her hooves were trembling with fear, her lips quivered.

“Fall.” It ordered in a powerful, commanding hoarse voice. The intruder’s horn lit up and shot a beam at the little filly.

Apple Bloom tried to scream, but as soon as the beam hit her, her mouth refused to move. She tried to run away, but quickly realised that her whole body refused to move. Going completely limp, she fell on her side, unable to move a single muscle except for her terrified eyes.

The intruder stared at her blankly, until it faces decided to move... in the opposite direction towards the stairs.

Tonight, didn’t seem like a good night for Applejack. She drifted off to sleep rather quickly, even had a nice dream only to wake up in the middle of the night. Now, she was unable to go back to sleep, no matter how much she turned in her bed. From the looks of it, this was going to be another sleepless night, a terrible thing for the hard-working earth pony.

Eventually, she gave up on going to sleep after what felt like hours of trying. The orange mare turned on her night light and reached out for a book to read in the meantime. Flipping through the pages, Applejack didn’t feel tired in the slightest, but knew that by morning her lack of sleep would creep in and drag her down.

In the silence of the night, she read peacefully, sometimes hearing the odd occasional sound coming from the adjacent rooms. What was the most suspicious was the quiet creaks of one of the doors, most likely the fillies’ room.

Small careful steps accompanied by the creaking of the floorboards could be heard from the mare’s bedroom.

Apple Bloom’s goin’ out for a midnight snack again... she sighed and continued to read, not wanting to confront her over something this meaningless.

She continued her book, keeping an ear out for her little sister’s nocturnal activities. Time passed, and she got sucked further into her book. She started to pay less attention to the muffled sounds downstairs.

That was until she heard her sister’s voice, albeit barely. It was enough to draw her out of the book. Applejack listened intently and heard the filly’s voice again. Sadly, she couldn’t make out her exact words. Curious, the earth pony placed down her book on her bed and reached for her bedroom’s door. It was at this moment that she heard a muffled thump. It didn’t sound like a glass breaking on the floor, no, it sounded like a pony falling.

Groaning, Applejack left her room to see what was going on. On her way, she noticed the fillies’ door was slightly open. The earth pony peeked inside. Olive was still sleeping, which confirmed that Apple Bloom was the one who left for the kitchen.

Aj trotted towards the stairs, ready to go down when she heard a chilling voice speak to her, coming from below.

“Earth pony, I am inside your home.”

The orange mare stopped dead in her track, gazing down the stairs. Nothing was there at first, but as her eyes adjusted to the darkness, an ominous silhouette materialised. Applejack couldn’t truly make out what it was, only that it was shaped like a pony.

The figure raised a hoof and moved up a step. Then it took another. The closer it got, the more features became known to Aj. It was wearing a disturbing looking mask depicting a strangely deformed dog. Its entire body was covered in a dark cloak that hid its identity well. The stranger made it halfway, and that was enough to bring the orange mare back to her senses.

“What did ya do to Apple Bloom?” Applejack asked, trying to hide her fears. Right now, she desperately wanted to check on her little sister, to make sure she was okay but to do so; she had to deal with him.

“Paralysis. Come to me.” The stranger coldly responded in a hoarse tone. He raised a hoof and motioned her to come closer. The earth pony noticed the mask was also moving its mouth despite looking like it was made of wood.

For a moment, Applejack wondered if she should wake up her brother Big Mac for help. His intimidating size would surely ward the intruder off. In that split second, she made the mistake of briefly taking her eyes off him.

The Crimson Mask fired a small beam of crimson magic straight at her, something Aj barely managed to dodge. The beam grazed her mane and hit the ceiling, doing absolutely no damage to it whatsoever. It ain’t destructive magic he’s usin’, he’s tryin’ to paralyse me!

Already engaged in combat, Applejack moved down the stairs, causing the Crimson Masked individual to back away from the steps and into the entrance. He tapped the floor repeatedly, keeping his dark eyes on her. His posture was calm, confident. His body was as immobile as a statue.

The stallion was on the defensive, that much could be seen from his reluctance to move from his position. Applejack couldn’t go back upstairs, turning her back on him would be only result in an instant defeat. All she could really do was to call for help and fight him.

Crimson Mask, however, saw one step ahead and cast a dome around them. Applejack screamed as it engulfed them, but no sound came from her mouth. In fact, there were no sounds at all inside this field. Calling for help was no longer an option.

To make matters worse, Crimson Mask moved towards her at a slow pace. Now out of options, the orange mare rushed him down and swung her hoof around as hard as she could, aiming for his head. Moving as fast as a fox, he blocked the swing with his hoof and headbutted her. He then followed up with a sweep, bringing the strong mare to the ground.

Before Applejack could process what had just happened, her opponent brought down its legs on her body, locking her in place. With one quick shot, the paralysis spell hit her full force, snatching away her body’s strength. Her head hit the wooden floor, unable to move anymore. Only her eyes could dart around. Crimson Mask disabled the silencing dome, letting the quiet howling of the wind outside back in the house.

“You are strong, earth pony. But strength alone won’t win you battles.” He grunted between bated breaths. He caressed the hoof with which he blocked the attack, revealing it was bruised thanks to the sheer power behind Applejack’s swing. The orange mare sadly couldn’t discern her attacker’s coat color even though she was close to him. There was nothing to truly identify him in the all consuming darkness of the night.

Disregarding her, he went back the stairs... to the fillies’ bedroom.

Olive rolled around in her bed, haunted by yet another nightmare. At this point, she’s gotten rather used to the constant horrors she witnessed in her dreams, mainly visions of the past that she couldn’t let go of. In most of them, the filly saw Aurora again only for her to disappear and leave her on her own.

These nightmares always reminded her that no matter what good may come her way, she’ll never see her friend again. And let’s not forget the terrifying colossus towering over her, bringing down his gigantic hoof upon the defenseless filly. Her closed eyes teared up, accompanied by her quiet whimpers.

“...rora.” She muttered incoherently as she curled up in a ball, finally brought back to reality. Greeted by the moonlight beaming through the closed window, she wiped her tears and took her time to admire the beauty of the moon in the sky.

The room was dreadfully silent, Olive hated silence. It always made her feel nervous even when they were nothing to be worried about. The silence let her think about her life, all the events that unfolded like a recording. She’d find herself stuck for at least an hour thinking about it all before her mind would finally be at peace, and only then can she go back to sleep.

It was a curse that she often pondered if other ponies had this same problem. Knowing she wasn’t alone would at least bring her some comfort. A strange weight crushing the bed snapped her out of her incessant pondering.

Olive simply imagined it was Apple Bloom leaving or coming back to bed, so she didn’t bother to turn around. However, the weight got heavier as it pulled on the bed further, getting to the point that it couldn’t be done by a small filly like her sister.

Curious, Olive quickly turned around to see what was going on. Instead of being greeted by Applejack like she expected, it was a stallion with a cloak. What made her froze wasn’t just the fact that there was a stranger in her bedroom, no, she recognised that crimson mask.

Her father was right all along; Crimson Mask never died, and he was now coming for her.

Olive tried to scream, but the Crimson Mask quickly silenced her with a hoof over her mouth. The filly tried to push the big hoof away, but it simply pinned her down on her pillow. Her weak pushes couldn’t make him budge in the slightest. It became impossible to breath anymore and the filly stared terrified in the empty eyes of the mask.

“Do not scream if you don’t want anypony to get hurt.” The Crimson Mask harshly told her.

Olive squealed, nodding profusely to get the stallion’s hoof off her muzzle. After a few more seconds, he seemed convinced as he pulled his hoof away. The filly took deep breaths, tears welling in her eyes. Her trembling hooves scrubbed her mouth. If that moment lasted any longer, she might have passed out.

The cloaked stallion contemplated her for a moment, then his long mouth opened. “I need to know a few things about your father. Try to remember as accurately as possible.” He said, his powerful hoarse voice sending a chill down the little pony’s spine.

“O...Okay.” Olive responded, her voice hitching. Despite her best efforts to keep on a brave façade, her whimpers showed to the stallion just how powerless she was.

“Your father is out somewhere in Canterlot. Do you have any idea where he could be hiding?”

Olive’s looked away from him. Some time passed and she gripped her head, shutting her scared eyes. She couldn’t remember anything. Her breaths were shaky, her eyes teared up more and her whimpers got louder. Too loud for Crimson Mask’s liking, so he reformulated his question.

“Has he ever spoken out loud about a secret base in Canterlot?”

Olive opened her eyes, her vision was blurry, a mess of dark shapes in a dimly lit room. “Y-Yes!” She asked, a bit too loud as the stallion quickly shut her up again.

“Answer me, but quieter.” he commanded.

Once his hoof pulled back, she spoke quietly, almost whispering. “He said he wanted a place that was big enough to fit everypony.” She opened her mouth again and left it hanging for a bit. “b-but that’s all I know. He always sent me somewhere else when he had to discuss important things.”

“I see...” The cloaked stallion suddenly trotted towards the window, by walking on her bed. Olive jerked back once he got too close for comfort. Reaching the moonlit window, he opened it and hopped out without wasting a single precious second. The window closed magically, letting the eerie silence back in the filly’s bedroom.

Olive remained motionless; her eyes still locked on the window. Not a single sound came to snap her out of her trance, until thundering hoofsteps woke her up. Steps this loud sparked the grim image of a white grinning stallion baring his bloody teeth. The sound crept up to her door, the only thing separating her from whatever was outside.

The filly shrieked; it was the loudest scream she has made in weeks. In her haste, she never fell out of her bed when the door suddenly busted open.

“Olive! What’s goin’ on in there?!”

Big Mac rushed in, his eyes wide open with worry. Much to his relief, there was nothing out of the ordinary in the filly’s bedroom. But there was Olive sitting on her bed, staring wide and teary eyed at him. Her heart was beating against her chest, almost threatening to jump out of her body.

The tall stallion gingerly approached her, laying his upper body on the bed. “Somethin’s wrong, ain’t it? Ya can tell me.” he said in a soft voice.

Olive wiped away her tears and lowered her head. “I-It’s nothing. I’m just being stupid again.”

“Hm.” Big Mac hesitantly raised a hoof and caressed her head. “Ah wouldn’t call it stupid. Ya’ve been through a lot, it’s normal to feel on edge.”

“R-Really?”

The burly earth pony smiled. “E-yup. Ah can somewhat relate to what yer goin’ through. We Apples have faced our fair share of tragedies too, and that’s why we’d be glad to help ya as best’s we can.”

Olive’s lips curled up into a thankful smile, emotions swelling in her eyes. With one swift motion, her hooves wrapped around the stallion’s neck in a loving embrace.

“Horse apples! What’s happened to ya Applejack?”

Big Mac immediately rose from the bed, with Olive still hanging on to his thick neck. Wasting no time, he rushed out of the room and found Granny Smith downstairs, struggling to kneel over next to his motionless sister.

“B-Big Mac! Come ‘ere quick!” the old mare begged.

The strong stallion obliged, coming down as quick as he possibly could.

“Our Applejack here looks deader than a door nail!”

Olive looked over her shoulder down at her foster mother. “H-Her eyes are still moving!”

“Oh?” Granny Smith leaned closer to Aj, noticing her eyes trembling. “Yer right!” She turned her attention back to the tall stallion. “Quick Big Mac! We should get Twilight for help! It looks like a spell!”

“You’re right, Granny Smith. It is the effect of a paralysis spell.”

Woken up in the middle of the night by a panicked Big Mac, Twilight and Spike followed the big stallion back to Sweet Apple Acre to see what happened to Applejack as well as Apple Bloom. Both ponies were completely motionless except for their eyes, which moved around nervously.

“So, that’s what a paralysis spell looks like. It’s... kinda creepy.” Spike said, cringing at the bloodshot eyes of the two mares. Without being able to even blink, their eyes got a little dry.

“I know a spell that can undo the paralysis immediately.” Twilight informed.

“What’re ye waitin’ for?” Granny Smith asked. “Free them already!”

Olive shuffled around nervously, clinging on to Big Mac for comfort.

The princess of friendship nodded and lit up her horn. Focusing intently on undoing the paralysis, she fired a gentle smoke of magic that engulfed the two ponies, slowly dissipating afterward.

Applejack moved her hooves and opened her mouth, feeling rather funny considering all her muscles are just waking up.

Apple Bloom also shared this bizarre experience. Getting back up was harder than it looked, but her good friend Twilight was nice enough to help them by offering her hoof as a support.

“Whoowee! Thanks for that, Twilight!” Applejack thanked, shaking her entire body to ward off the dizziness. She blinked countless times to remove the burn in her eyes.

Big Mac and Granny Smith looked relieved, easing up their tense bodies.

Olive moved up to her sister and curiously observed her spazzing around. “How does it feel?” she asked.

“Like somepony’s tickling my entire body.” Apple Bloom said, cringing heavily.

“Is that why you’re moving weirdly?” The unicorn questioned further.

“Ah think ya already know the answer to that!”

Spike giggled. “Now you just look like one of the junkies I've seen in my Power Ponies comics!”

“Ha ha, really funny, Spike.” Apple Bloom groaned, rubbing her burning eyes.

Olive now stared at Spike, her mouth wide open with surprise. “You like the Power Ponies too?”

On the adult's side, Twilight handed Aj's hat to her. “You okay, Applejack?” the alicorn softly asked. “What happened to you two?”

The orange mare’s face darkened, remembering the home invader, his fighting skills, the creepy mask he was wearing and his empty black eyes. “We had a run-in with an intruder.”

“An intruder?!” Twilight gasped.

“Yeah, Ah didn’t get to see much of the hooligan, but from what Ah know, that pony had to be...”

“The Crimson Mask?”

Once the sun had risen, Twilight called over Looking Glass to investigate on the strange home invasion. If anypony could find the identity of the masked intruder, it had to be him. Once he arrived, everypony noticed he looked a little pale. He was breathing heavily, his eyes had heavy bags under them. He was struggling to keep himself up, which was to be expected considering he only left the hospital not too long ago. Applejack told him that their attacker could only be the Crimson Mask as judged by the darkly colored mask the stallion was wearing. The detective, however, didn’t seem all that convinced.

“It can’t be him. I’ve seen him perish years ago, it must be somepony masquerading as him.” he refuted, trying his hardest to keep the power in his voice.

“Well, Ah’d say he did a mighty good job acting like ta Crimson Mask. He got the voice down to a t.” Applejack responded before turning her attention to Olive. “Sugar cube, ya got a good look at ‘im, didn’t ya?”

The agitated little filly nodded. “Hm-hm.”

“Tell Looking Glass what ya know. He’ll find whoever broke into our home.” She asked with a gentle smile on her face.

Olive sheepishly retreated behind her mother’s legs, peeking to look at the tall unicorn, though she avoided his intimidating eyes. “I’ve seen the Crimson Mask before, but just in pictures, mister Looking Glass.”

The detective’s brows furrowed slightly; he scribbled something on his clipboard. “Did the intruder’s mask look like the actual Crimson Mask?”

Olive looked away briefly, before nodding.

The tall unicorn winced. “It... can’t be.” He immediately turned his attention to Spike, scribbling a quick message on a blank page. “Spike, I’ll need you to send this to the Canterlot Bureau of Investigation. Now.” He tossed the letter at the baby dragon who was taken aback.

“Wha- me? I don’t even know who to send it to!” He exclaimed.

Looking Glass took a determined step towards him, further intimidating Spike. “Just send it to the reception, the ponies there will know who to give it to.”

“Uh, o-okay. Here goes...” Spike inhaled and breathed green fire on the letter, teleporting it to its destination. A useful way to send messages, one what the detective secretly hoped he had.

Once the deed was done, Looking Glass explained himself. “After the death of Crimson Mask, I took his signature mask to the bureau. We have the belongings of many dangerous criminals stashed over there, but for the mask, I made sure to lock it somewhere more discreet. It's inside my office in a locked drawer. If it is indeed the same mask, then that means somepony broke inside and stole it.”

“What?!” Twilight screamed. “Is it really bad?”

“Depends on who stole it.” Looking Glass answered. “It could be a nopony with no great aspirations, or something worse. Not many ponies know the truth about the mask.” He looked at Olive in the eyes, the filly squealed and jerked her head back. “It secretly has magical properties embedded in it. By putting it on, the ghost of the previous owner will appear.”

“So what yer sayin’ is...” Applejack started, cocking her head back. “Crimson Mask is in some way still livin’ on even beyond death?”

“Exactly. We’re afraid he could potentially influence somepony else into committing atrocities, hence why we don’t want it to fall in somepony’s hooves.” The detective explained, a little bit of gruff creeping into his voice of steel.

Spike’s stomach turned out of the blue, and he burped a message back. “We got a response!” he announced to the tall unicorn.

“Let me see.” Looking Glass snatched the letter away with magic and read it. As he did, he winced, his frown getting bigger.

“As I feared, the mask was indeed stolen. My drawer was ripped off its hinges and the mask, gone.”

“That’s awful! We’ve got another criminal on the run!” Twilight exclaimed. “I know you’re already working on Anarchy’s case, but can you please help out on this one too? I’d be glad to compensate all your efforts!”

Looking Glass pondered. Hm, if I can work on this case, I can control its flow. The more control I have, the better. The most logical way to proceed is to... “I accept. I’ll start working on it immediately. If I find anything, I’ll let you know.”

Twilight breathed a sigh of relief. “Thanks, Looking Glass. I knew we could count on you!”

Lying is a terrible offense, but sometimes we must do some wrong to right the greater ones. Once I'm through with Anarchy, I’ll destroy the relic, and hopefully put an end to the Crimson Mask.

Down in the gloomy caverns of Canterlot, a light blue pegasus flew quickly towards the biggest building in the underground town of the Anarchists, sweat dripping down her face.

The doors to Anarchy’s office busted open. “I’ve returned from my visit at the hospital.” Dreamcatcher informed, panting. “L... Looking Glass is gone! He supposedly left during the night.” The interior of the office was nicely decorated, albeit featuring lots of morbid items, courtesy of Anarchy's twisted mind. Items ranging from skulls to femurs to locked chest with ominous words written on it.

“Hm.” Anarchy was busy writing something down in his personal journal. He put his pen down and raised his head. “And what of Blossomforth?”

“Still in a coma.” she reassured.

“He he, now that’s great to hear! Remember; if she ever wakes up, kill her and make your leave. We can’t have her screw everything up. Not after these eight long years!”

A giant head poked through an open window. It was Strong Hoof who overheard Dreamcatcher’s bad news. “He’s going to plan something, boss. Let’s give him a smackdown he’ll take to his grave.”

Anarchy chuckled. “Oh sure, just tell me where he is and we’ll do it.”

“Uh... I-I'm afraid I d-don't know where he is.” Strong Hoof stammered.

“Ain’t that swell.” He said disinterestedly. “He’s not our top priority at the moment. Besides, how’s he going to find out about our secret underground base? Nopony here besides us knows of it.”

Dreamcatcher turned around and trotted away but bumped on a nearby table. Annoyed, she grunted as she threw a quick glance at the poorly placed table. Instead of leaving like she intended, she found herself staring at an odd chest covered with locks and with scribbles written all over it that read “Never Open”.

“What’s with this chest?” she asked curiously.

Anarchy immediately stood up from his seat. “If you’re thinking about opening it, don’t! It’s too dangerous.”

Her curiosity only growing stronger, Dreamcatcher asked another question. “What’s in it?”

“A powerful artefact.” Anarchy responded, hugging the chest and shooing the mare away. “I’ve labeled it as a cognitohazard. Using this item will only create mass destruction to everypony around, including its user. Never play the Blood Whistle, never!”

“The Blood Whistle?” Strong Hoof asked. “What does it do?”

“Oh, you don’t wanna know. I’ve used it once before; I’ve never lost so many ponies in a single day. It was the biggest mistake of my life.” Anarchy locked the small chest away in his desk. “But let’s not worry about it. Let’s instead get excited as to what the future holds for us! I can understand its whispers now, we are closer than ever. It likes me, and it wants the blood of an alicorn to complete the ritual. Look at the calendar!” He pointed his hoof at the wall. “Engrave this date into your mind.”

Dreamcatcher looked at the calendar hanged up on the wall. Nothing of note was written on most of the dates, except for one. Later down this month, there will be a storm, a really big one. One so bad, the weather team strongly suggest ponies to stay indoors for its entire duration. That date was circled in a red marker. The date that Anarchy’s plan will finally come to fruition.

“Yes, be very excited for what’s to come. I myself can barely contain my giddy excitement!” Anarchy exclaimed, placing a hoof around her shoulder. “Under the storm... we will be reborn. Equestria will be breaking down.”

Author's Note

Hey, cool chapter name, ay?
The major arcana, hermit, when reversed, can mean isolation, or loneliness. That you're either taking too much, or not enough time looking at yourself, and how you work. You're welcome to think about it.

Looking Glass is up to some scheming of his own. He's now in a funny position where he has to catch himself, but at the same time not. How long can he keep this charade going? We'll see.

This chapter also saw Big Mac get some time with Olive, even if it was short. That was kinda nice too.

Anyhow, see you next time in Chapter 27: Slightly Artistic (love that name.)

27. Slightly Artistic

9 days left before the storm

Today was another beautiful day in Equestria with a clear blue sky, not a single cloud in sight. Before, Olive would find herself admiring the beauty of the daylight but as she became accustomed to her new life, she paid less attention to it. It was a reoccurring thing with her, she paid lots of attention to everything that was new to her until it became mundane, unimpressive.

What was still relatively new to the filly, however, was school. During the short trip with Applejack and Apple Bloom, she could only think about how stressed out she was. Unlike last time, she was attending real classes with all the other foals around. Interacting with older ponies wasn’t all that anxiety inducing, she spent her entire life surrounded by adults after all, but talking to other foals? Now that was something she had next to no experience with.

“Well, here we are.” Applejack announced, having finally arrived at the schoolhouse. “Have a good day, ya two! Oh, and be sure to tell me how it went!”

“We’ll do! See ya later, sis!” Apple Bloom said, waving goodbye to her older sister.

Olive watched her foster mother leave without saying a word. There was too much inner turmoil for her to even pay attention to what was going on. The little unicorn followed her sister, keeping a blank face as she entered the schoolhouse, where all the other foals were waiting inside.

The interior was quite nice. There were vibrant colors on the walls and ceiling and lots of cute drawings lined up the entrance. Now, on to the important part, the class itself. The two sisters arrived right on time for the start of the class, being the last foals to show up.

A wave of nausea immediately overtook Olive, who sensed that all eyes were on her. All colts and fillies were staring at her with a mixture of different expressions ranging from curiosity to uneasiness. The young unicorn would have lost all balance had it not been for Apple Bloom’s reassuring presence. Everypony whispered to each other, which only made the feeling worse for the shy pony.

They were staring at the bandage covering her torso. Of course! What else would they be looking at? They didn’t get the chance to ask about it yesterday, but now Olive was sure she would be bombarded with unflattering questions.

“Hey look, they finally got a desk for ya.” the yellow earth pony pointed at the empty desk resting near a wall.

Apple Bloom went to her own desk while Olive sluggishly trotted towards hers. Placing down her saddlebags, she became increasingly uncomfortable with each passing second, feeling everypony’s eyes still on her. The poor foal just wished that they’d all look away, even for just a brief moment. Her coat felt hot, and her cheeks even hotter. All this attention was too much.

Finally taking a seat, Olive did a quick scan of the class, mentally noting all of the foal’s positions, mostly her friends.

At this very moment, the door opened, and Miss Cheerilee entered. “Good morning, my little ponies!

“Good morning, Miss Cheerilee!” the class greeted.

The cerise coated mare placed down her saddlebag and trotted up to the class with an excited look on her face. “I hope you’re all doing well, because today we are welcoming not one, but two new ponies in our class!”

The entire class turned their attention back to Olive, who by now had buried her face in her hooves.

“Wait, two new ponies?” Sweetie Belle questioned. “Who’s the other one?”

Miss Cheerilee smiled. “I’m glad you asked!” she looked at the classroom door. “Everypony, meet Miss Heedful Care!”

Olive lifted her head in surprise and all the other foals stopped staring at her, redirecting their focus to the newcomer. The pegasus entered the class with a happy smile, waving hello to the students, many of which were excited to see her here. Being one of the few counselors in Ponyville, she had plenty of time to get acquainted with most of the young ponies in town.

“Miss Heedful Care came today to help those who are having trouble in class. We’re hoping to spend the rest of the year with her at our side!” Cheerilee presented.

The counselor gave her brightest smile to the entire class, not forgetting to be mindful of Olive. “I am so happy to join you all today. As counselor, I’ll try my best to help you with your struggles!”

Diamond Tiara gave Olive a suspicious look. She leaned close to Silver Spoon. “Something tells me this counselor is here because of Miss Emotionless Creep Bag.”

“They sure did a terrible job at hiding it.” Silver Spoon giggled.

“Girls!” Miss Cheerilee called out. “Were you two talking while Miss Care was introducing herself?”

“N-No!” Diamond lied, pulling back.

“I’ll have you know that this behavior is very impolite and certainly unfitting of a pony of your standing.” The cerise coated mare scolded.

“I’m sorry.” The pink earth pony grumbled.

Cheerilee cleared her throat. “Well, now that you’re acquainted with Miss Care, it’s time to start today’s class! I’m certain you’ll love it for we are doing a very special project today!”

She took out a bunch of jars and placed it on her desk. The students quickly realised it was colored modeling clay.

“Uh, is that modeling clay?” Scootaloo asked just to be certain.

“It is!” Cheerilee answered. “For this art project, I want you all to shape your clay into something, be it somepony or an object that means a lot to you. Then, you’ll present it in front of the class and explain it to your classmates.”

Olive’s world stopped for a moment; her mind stuck on the words “in front of the class”. It was already bad enough for ponies to stare at her while she was at her seat, but to be in front where everypony can see her is another story. Her coat became hotter, and her tail started shaking.

“Now, everypony. You can come and pick up whatever color suits your creation best!” Cheerilee announced, opening the various jars.

Every foal went to the front of the class to pick up their clay, with Olive following behind most of them. Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon were the first to get their clay despite not being the closest to Cheerilee’s desk, and nopony even dared to object to this.

“Hey sis, whatcha gonna make?” Apple Bloom asked curiously. “Ah was thinkin’ about doin’ something CMC related. Oh yeah, our logo! Ah’ll just make our logo!” The yellow filly gazed at her two friends, wondering if they also chose a Cutie Mark Crusader item.

“That’s cool, but I’ll do something cooler.” Scootaloo exclaimed.

“He he, I’m... still not sure yet.” Sweetie Belle said.

“Hm.” Olive curiously examined all the available colors on display, desperately trying to come up with something. The worst thing to do would be to go on front and be stuck there thinking about what to make when everypony else already started working on their project. Eventually, her savior came in the form of a dark shade of red clay, almost crimson in color.

Now back on her desk, the little unicorn blankly stared at the clay in her hooves. The other foals began working on their creation. Olive, however, did nothing.

“Hey, Olive.” The filly flinched, surprised by the sudden appearance of Heedful Care. “Oh, I'm sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you. Are you having any troubles?”

The pink unicorn looked back at the clay in her hooves and nodded. “How do I make something with this?”

One student snickered behind her but quickly stopped when Care gave her a stern glare. “By pressing on it with your hooves, you can change its shape. From this point, it’s all about manipulating it so that it resembles the object you had in mind.” she patiently explained.

“You mean like this?” Olive twisted and bended the clay, but only succeeded in making a messy ball that resembled nothing. The filly scratched her head, trying to understand what went wrong.

I know that certain ponies learn by modeling. Maybe if I show her how to do it... Heedful Care thought. “Here, let me show you.” she smiled, picking the clay the filly handed over.

The pegasus mare played a bit with the clay, forming the silhouette of a bunny’s head. “See? By clearly imagining a bunny in my head, I played around with the clay to form what I had in mind. Now, you try.”

Olive twisted and bended the clay, but this time with more certainty behind her movement.

“You’re doing great! Now, I must help the others. I’ll come back and see if you need any help.” The mare congratulated before leaving her side.

“Ugh, why isn’t it going as smooth as I thought?!” Scootaloo grumbled, frustrated by her rather ugly looking motif.

Sweetie Belle loomed above her friend to take a good look at the pegasus’ creation. “I knew it! You’re making Rainbow Dash’s cutie mark!”

“Hey! Not so loud, Sweetie Belle!” Scootaloo exclaimed, shooing her friend away.

“That’s a mighty fine idea, Scoot!” Apple Bloom complimented. “Though, Ah saw it comin’ a mile away.”

“Are you complimenting me, or just mocking me?”

“Uh,” Apple Bloom turned to her sister. “let’s see what she’s makin’!”

The three Cutie Mark Crusaders each leaned over Olive, trying to see what she was modeling. All they saw was a red blob slowly starting to resemble a dog’s head.

“What’s that?” Scootaloo asked.

“The Crimson Mask.” Olive responded in a monotone. “At least, that’s what I’m trying to make.”

Apple Bloom opened her mouth, but hesitated to comment on it. “Uh, wh-why are you makin’ the Crimson Mask specifically? Ah know it just came to our home yesterday bu-”

“What?!” Sweetie Belle nearly screamed, earning her a couple of glares from her classmates. “I mean, what?” she said, this time being more mindful of the other foals hard at work. “The Crimson Mask came to Sweet Apple Acre yesterday?”

“Oh, right...” Apple Bloom took a deep breath and explained the whole situation. Her two friends’ eyes widened; their jaws nearly dropped during the terrifying tale of the yellow earth pony. They were at a loss for words.

“...Still doesn’t explain why she’s making this.” Scootaloo finally said.

“It represents my life with my daddy. Even though I live in Ponyville with Applejack, I can’t act like my past didn’t exist.” Olive explained, surprising the three fillies with this rather mature thought pattern. “It’s a part of me, and it always will be.” She said right as she finished making the mask. All that was missing were the black eyes.

“Whatcha working on, blank flank?”

“Ugh, not this again.” Scootaloo groaned.

“Something...” Olive broadly responded. She turned slightly in her chair, clearly hiding her work from Diamond.

“Something? Something like what?” Silver Spoon pressed, trying to look over the filly’s head.

“Also, what’s with the bandage. You’ve had it at the party and at the playground yesterday! Whatcha hiding?” Diamond Tiara added, further angering the Cutie Mark Crusaders.

“Hey, knock it off! She just wants to work in peace.” Scootaloo said, placing herself between Olive and the two bullies. “She doesn’t have to answer all your questions!”

“But we’re just so curious to know what she’s making!” Diamond Tiara explained, putting on a deceiving shocked expression. “It’ll helps us know her better, and we just want to be her friend, don’t we, Silver?”

Silver jerked back for a moment. “O-Oh, yeah! We’re not trying to bull-” Tiara kicked her leg, and Silver quickly rephrased her sentence. “We like making new friends!”

Sweetie Belle sighed. “Don’t listen to them, they’re just trying to get some favors out of you.”

Olive cocked her head back. “I’m sorry, what did you say?”

Diamond Tiara’s eye twitched. She hopped out of her seat and went face-to-face with the new filly in class. “Were you even listening to me?”

“N-No, not really. I was busy doing the art project. Applejack told me that school was super important, so I must focus on my work.” Olive responded, before immediately acting as if Diamond Tiara wasn’t right next to her. The pink earth pony opened her mouth, but Apple Bloom shoved her out of the way.

“Heard that? Now let her, uh, focus on her work and go do yours.”

Diamond wasn’t going to quit just yet. “Didn’t she also said something about making friends?” It was effective, as Olive raised her head and blinked, no longer modeling her clay.

“Uh...”

“I’m sure your momma will be happy if she learns you’ve made not one, but TWO new friends today!” Diamon Tiara said, sugarcoating her voice.

Olive rubbed her chin. She placed down her clay and Tiara peeked her head out to examine it. “You want to be my friend? I don’t understand.”

“Huh?”

“I insulted your dad and you got really angry at me, and I didn’t even apologise. Why would you want to be my friend if I was mean to you?” Olive innocently explained.

I don’t understand this filly at all... Diamond Tiara thought. She facehoofed and sighed. “Well, yeah, but that’s in the past, I forgive you. So... mind telling me whatcha working on?”

“Beat it already!” Scootaloo growled. “Just stop disturbing her, and us too by the way!”

“But I told you what I was working on,” Olive said. “and since they are my friends now, I must tell them too.”

“What?!” Apple Bloom raised her voice, earning some glares from her classmates. She made sure to keep her voice down a notch. “You can’t make friends just like that. You have to choose who you consider to be your friends. You can’t be friends with somepony like Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon. They’re just spoiled, rich meanies.”

“Spoiled?!” Silver Spoon gasped.

The silver pony’s friend gritted her teeth. “Who are you calling a spoiled kid, huh? And who are you to insult other ponies like that? You don’t have a Cutie Mark, your family relies on MY dad to make money. If I were you, I’d choose my words carefully.”

“Girls!” The five fillies flinched. Miss Cheerilee trotted to them, a displeased look in her eyes told the foals they should return to their seat at once. “It’s okay to talk during this class in particular, but that doesn’t mean you should stop working on your project!” She, however, changed her tone to address Olive. “That doesn’t include you, Olive. You’re doing fantastic!”

The pink unicorn giggled, her face turning a little red as her hooves cutely kicked the air. A smile lingered on her for a few seconds after the teacher turned to address her face again. Despite working on her project again, this time, she listened to what the others were saying.

Then, her clay finally took shape. It looked just like the Crimson Mask she knew, albeit, missing some eyes, and a nose. The rest, however, was there. She turned to look at Cheerilee, but the teacher was busy with somepony else, meaning her question will come later. Problem is, what can she do in the meantime? Nothing, she just sat there and kicked her hooves up to pass the time.

“I understand you’re all excited to chat with the new student, but you that doesn’t mean you should stop working. This project is graded, it’s important that you put your all in it.” Cheerilee scolded.

“Yes, Miss Cheerilee.” The five fillies responded in unison.

The cerise mare turned to go back to her desk, but her teacher’s instinct told her she was about to miss something important. She looked behind her and saw Olive holding a hoof up.

“Miss Cheerilee, can I use more than one color?”

The mare smiled and nodded. “Yes, you can! I greatly encourage using more than one color. It’ll make your creation prettier!” The teacher couldn’t help but stare at the filly’s creation. She had a good idea what it was, but decided to ask, nonetheless. “What’s this? It looks good!”

Olive looked at her creation, then at her teacher. “It’s the Crimson Mask.”

“I see. Wh-why d-” She stopped. The filly had to explain it to the class afterward for the presentation, she can’t just ask it right away. “Well, I’ll be looking forward to hearing about it during your presentation.”

Olive let out a barely audible whimper, her legs crossing uncomfortable underneath her desk. It sure was a moment she wasn’t looking for at all. If only there was a way to skip it, and just let the fruits of her labor speak for themselves. But then again, would anypony understand why she even made it? Even she was starting to question why she chose the Crimson Mask of all things. Maybe her sub-conscious saw some sort of symbolism in it that she hasn’t figured out yet. She just had to think a little harder. The filly took a quick look at the clock. 30 minutes left. Her crossed legs began to shake nervously.

Minutes passed, and now the time was almost up. Olive finished the Crimson Mask, now with the added eyes and nose. It looked just like the real deal. Even she was impressed by just how good it was for her first time dabbling in art. As such, she admired her creation for a few more minutes until she took another look at the clock and nearly had a heart attack. Five minutes!

Sweat dripped down her face, her hooves trembled even more. During this moment of panic, the unicorn looked everywhere for an escape plan. When she found nothing, she panted, struggling to calm her hasty breaths. Then, to make matters worse, a burning sensation announced itself in her private area. Wait! Olive swung around on her seat, trying to hold it in. An idea popped in her head.

She jumped out of her seat and rushed to the teacher. “Miss Cheerilee, I need to go to the restroom.”

“Go ahead!” Cheerilee kindly obliged, smiling at the adorable filly running in place.

Olive wasted no time in rushing to the restroom, locking herself in one of the stalls. Compared to the classroom, the filly’s restroom was quiet, almost devoided of any sound. That was perfect for the pink unicorn who needed to gather her bearings. She was in no way ready to speak to an audience. If it was only ponies, she knew, doing a presentation wouldn’t be a problem, but she only knows about five foals in this entire classroom, two of which are quite bothersome.

Olive focused on two things for now: controlling her breathing and wiping the sweat off her face. This silent restroom was much hotter than it should be. She ended spending a few more minutes in very unpleasant conditions, trying desperately to mentally prepare herself for her presentation. Just what was she supposed to say about the Crimson Mask? What did it represent to her? She kept thinking as she relieved herself, a part of her stress now gone. It felt a little cathartic, like she was holding it in all day.

Eventually, Olive realised that it was going nowhere, she couldn’t truly be prepared for this. No matter how long she spends locked in there, nothing will change. Resigned, she left her stall, slowly opening the door until she saw something that made her freeze. Currently using the sink in front of her was a colt. Uh, i-is he in the wrong restroom? O-Or is it me?

Olive quietly shut herself back in her stall, waiting for the colt to leave. If anypony spots her in there, she’ll be the laughingstock of the entire school! The colt left after he was done washing his hooves, signaling to the filly that now was her time.

The pink unicorn tip hoofed out of her stall, looking behind her as she turned on the sink. Bad timing, another stall opened! Olive gasped loudly, her pupils turning to pinpricks. She froze in pure shock as she felt her soul leave her body.

What came out of the stall was, unexpected to say the least. It was another filly just like her. This foal had a pale violet coat and a light grayish gold mane. She even was a unicorn just like her. The newcomer smiled and waved at Olive, further confusing her.

“Hi! What’s your name? I don’t think I’ve ever seen you before?” The filly asked kindly. She seemed innocent enough, which put Olive at ease.

“Uh, i-it's Olive.”

“Olive?” The violet unicorn said, scratching her mane. “It sounds like something’s missing.”

“What d-do you mean?” Olive questioned, worry creeping into her eyes. “Is something wrong with my name?”

“Well, not really. I just think it sounds a little incomplete.” The filly squinted, leaning closer to the pink unicorn. “Did they name you after your eyes?”

Olive looked at herself in the mirror. “I guess so. Everypony’s name so far sounded like it had some meaning behind it, but I can’t see one with mine.” She pondered over this for a while longer, until a previous issue suddenly came back to mind. The pink unicorn looked around. “A-Are we in the right restroom?”

The violet filly’s eyes widened. “Oh no! Did I trot into the colt’s restroom again?” She looked to her right and saw a couple of urinals, giving her a concrete answer. “Not again...”

“Do you often go in the wrong restroom?” Olive asked idly.

“Yeah, I often get scolded for making the same mistake.” The filly shamefully admitted. “Uh... Oh! I didn’t tell you my name! My momma always said that it’s impolite to not introduce yourself to another pony when you talk to them. My name is Dinky Hooves!”

“Dinky... Hooves? Is your momma named Derpy?”

Dinky’s face lit up. “You know my mom?!”

“Uh, y-yeah. I saw her giving a letter to mister Looking Glass.” Olive responded.

The violet unicorn absently washed her hooves, her gaze entirely focused on the new filly. “She gave a letter to Looking Glass? That’s awesome!”

Olive noticed something peculiar with this unicorn, or to be more precise, a lack thereof. “Your momma has funny eyes, but you don’t. Why is that?”

Dinky blinked. “Funny eyes... oh, you mean lazy eye!”

“Lazy eye? How can an eye be lazy? Like, does it not want to look in the right direction?”

The violet unicorn giggled. “Exactly! It’s a bit more complicated, I’m still not sure I entirely get it. But she said that it’s hereditary. Thankfully, she said I don’t have it and that it’s a good thing!”

“Sounds like you have a good mom.” Olive said. “I do too... now. I had another mom before, but I don’t remember her too well. I wish I could.” she lamented.

“My mom says it’s okay to forget things. Nopony is perfect, and that’s what makes us special.” Dinky said, hoping it would console her new classmate.

“Imperfections are good? That’s not what my daddy used to say.” Olive said, confused. “I don’t know if I should agree with him, but daddy has always been the smartest pony around. He even said he’s smarter than Looking Glass.”

Dinky let out a hearty laugh. “That's not possible! Looking Glass is the smartest unicorn alive!”

“I think you’re right. Daddy just loves to talk about himself and Princess Luna all the time.”

The door to the colt’s restroom opened, making Olive freeze again, wide eyed. “Olive?” The filly recognised the voice of Miss Cheerilee. “Oh, there you are.”

Olive slowly turned her head, her cheeks turning red.

“I think you’re in the wrong restroom.”

The pink unicorn lowered her head in shame.

“Oh, don’t worry, there is no punishment for going in the wrong restroom. You should just make a conscious effort to look where you’re going.” Cheerilee turned her attention onto Dinky, this time with a displease expression. “The same can’t be said for you, Dinky. This is the third time this month. How many times do I have to tell you?”

“I’m sorry, Miss Cheerilee.” Dinky apologised sadly. “Just... don’t tell my mommy.”

“I won’t, if you never make the same mistake again. This will be your last warning.” The cerise mare sighed. “Come on now, the presentations are about to start.”

Dinky trotted past Olive, giving her a reassuring pure smile. “I can’t wait to hear your presentation! I’m sure you have like, a super cool story to tell.” she pointed at the bandage around her body. “Ponies with bandages always have cool stories to tell. That’s what my momma, Derpy, often said.”

Olive touched her bandage, feeling its fabric against her hoof. The ugly scar underneath made her shiver just from thinking about it alone. Some things were better left buried, forgotten. She wished this haunting stain would go away already. I... have a cool story to tell? I don’t know, it doesn’t sound cool when I think about it. It just makes me sad.

Her hoof slowly slid down to her flank, where nothing lied. So many of her classmates have cutie marks, an indicator of their true worth, their destiny, their goal. They all have a clear idea where to go, what they want, but the pink filly never knew what it’s like to have control over anything in her life.

Her whole life was spent being pushed around, following somepony that had a purpose, always lagging behind and watching. Now, she was somewhere stable, static and free. Nothing was holding her down, and she never realised it. Why did she make the Crimson Mask? The answer was starting to make sense. Her presentation played in her mind; she knew just what to say. Now, to wait for the worst.

Back in the class, Olive listened intently to the presentation of her fellow classmates, trying to get a better understanding of who they are. Heedful Care sat next to her and even complimented her recreation of the Crimson Mask, noting how close it is to the real deal. This made the filly stop for a moment to contemplate her work. She never dabbled into art before for it never really interested her. The paintings she saw looked rather uninspired in her humble opinion.

With each new foal going on front, the more nervous Olive got. Her body was heating up to the point that her hooves were dripping with sweat, she stopped fiddling around with the Crimson Mask in fear that her sweat would melt it after it spent so long drying up. She began to breathe through her mouth, and they were shaky breaths, not good.

The young unicorn felt a hoof resting on her shoulder. She looked up to see Care giving her a reassuring smile. “Are you nervous?” she asked despite knowing the answer.

“Y-Yes. I’m scared to go in front of the class.” The filly whimpered. “I’ve never talked to so many ponies before.”

“I know it can be scary, even I am still nervous to do presentations. It’s just a normal part of life, and nopony would blame you for being nervous.” Care gingerly comforted. “If you want; I can go in front with you, that way you won’t be alone.”

“Y-You will?”

The counselor happily nodded. “Of course! I’m here to help your class after all.” she said, telling only half the truth. Cheerilee made it especially clear that the filly shouldn’t know Care is only here because of her unstable condition. It’ll probably upset her and make her feel lesser than the other foals, and that’s not the message they want to send.

Thankfully, Olive seemed more at ease, slowing down her swinging legs. The filly breathed through her nostrils again, now concentrating on her classmates' presentation.

“I’m sure it’ll go well. You strike me as a passionate filly. If you just let your heart speak, then this presentation won’t be a problem at all!” Care said. “Remember, this project is all about telling other ponies who you are. I’m sure they’ll be captivated by what you’ll have to say.”

Olive lowered her head to ponder over her words, then she raised herself and smiled back. “I-I see. I think I have something to say.”

“Perfect! I can’t wait to hear about it.” Care shuffled around in her pockets, searching for a pen.

Time passed and the fated moment arrived. It was time for Olive to present her creation to the whole class. The instant Cheerilee announced her name, the filly’s body heated up. It burned, horribly. It was so hot that she sweated again. The pink unicorn stared at the pegasus with a pleading look that sought only some vague sense of comfort. Heedful Care got out of her seat, inviting Olive to do the same.

The pink unicorn left her seat, holding her creation in her mouth but making sure to not let her saliva touch it. While trotting to the front of the class, Care barely heard a snicker behind her. Diamond Tiara was about to say something unflattering, so the golden pegasus looked back and gave her a stern glare which worked in shutting up the snob earth pony. The Cutie Mark Crusaders, on the other hoof, were thrilled to finally see their newest member about to present her project.

Now facing everypony, Olive was intimidated by the number of eyes upon her. There were at least twenty foals in this classroom plus Cheerilee. That all rounded up to a not so nice total of twenty-one ponies staring at her. For a moment, the poor filly almost forgot what she was supposed to do, until her tongue accidentally licked the clay she was holding. She raised a hoof and picked up her creation, showcasing it to the entire class.

Many “oohs” and “aahs” broke the silence of the class. Evidently, the foals here recognised the signature look of the evil Crimson Mask, having heard the stories about him and Looking Glass. Their gaze put even more pressure on her as some looked even worried, eyeballing her like she was some sort of freak for making the monster instead of the hero. Olive could only hope they’d understand what she had to say, and she better talk quick, because she’s slowly forgetting some pieces of her presentation!

“Um... I... I made the Crimson Mask.” She announced awkwardly.

Some foals stared her down with wide eyes, wondering what dreams of chronic and sustained cruelty happened inside that pink unicorn’s head.

Diamond Tiara even leaned close to Silver Spoon and whispered. “See? Creeeepyyy.”

“Wouldn’t wanna touch this filly with a ten-foot pole.”

Olive cocked her head back, feeling her cheeks growing warm. She looked to Heedful Care for some reassurance. The mare smiled and ushered her to continue.

“Uh... S-So I made it at first because I saw the red clay. I-I didn’t put much thought into it but...” She gazed down at the small Crimson Mask. “I began to see something in it. Unlike most ponies, I, uh, got to see the Crimson Mask in pony.”

The class went wild. Students immediately started talking about that bombshell, making all sorts of wacky theories regarding Olive. Miss Cheerilee had to shout to get their attention back.

“Everypony! It’s very impolite to talk during your classmate’s presentation. You can talk about it only when they are done. Olive, you may continue.”

Olive had lowered her head in embarrassment. Taking one more look at Heedful Care, she mustered the courage to resume. “A-As I was saying, I saw the Crimson Mask in pony. From what I know, he really hated my dad and the two would always fight. At first, I was s-scared of him, but the more I grew up, the more I began to see something in him.” She raised her creation to eye level, taking another good look at it.

“He was angry, bitter and suffering from some sort of injustice he always blamed on the princesses. I realise then; he was just like the ponies that worked with my daddy.” Olive continued, her voice becoming dreamy as it continued. Many images of her past resurfaced, stopping her for a couple of seconds. “Nopony truly was happy. The more I think about them, the sadder I feel for them, especially now that I know what’s it like to be happy. They’re all missing some love, and that makes them mean and angry... it even happened to daddy.” Her voice quieted down.

The tone in the class shifted. Everypony was on the edge of their seat, their eyes and ears glued onto the pink filly. They waited in bathed breath for her to continue.

No wonder she always seems kind of sad. Other ponies’ moods can affect ours as well. Being surrounded with angry and sad ponies must have made her feel the same way, though she doesn’t seem really angry in the slightest... Perhaps it’s because of her good nature? Care pondered during the down time.

“I often try to forget about my dad and them, but I can’t. I can’t pretend like none of this ever happened. I can’t fool myself into thinking it’s all behind me. Even now, I still feel like I'm missing something b-but I don’t know what is. I-I also don’t know what I want to do. All I know... is that my foalhood with them was an important part of my life, but that doesn’t mean I have to let it define me. Here in Ponyville, I can finally choose who I want to be.”

Cheerilee listened, her mouth agape. Not only did this filly have quite the vocabulary, but she also seemed smarter than she was initially letting on to be. There was a lot going on through her mind, even if it was sometimes misguided or greatly uninformed. One thing’s for sure, she wasn’t as neglected as she believed. Looks like this little filly did have a good role model growing up, but it’s odd that she’s not bringing this pony up.

Olive looked back at the Crimson Mask, her eyes slightly widening. “Uh, th-that's... That’s it.” she awkwardly finished. “I have nothing else to say.” she admitted, gazing at her teacher hoping that she would let her go back to her desk.

“Th-That was wonderful presentation!” Cheerilee exclaimed, putting on a nervous smile. “Everypony, let’s applaud Olive for her efforts!”

The whole class erupted into thundering applause, three of them with more enthusiasm.

“Ya were mighty great!”

“That was awesome!”

“You know lots of cool words!”

Olive victoriously trotted back to her seat while Heedful Care stayed near Cheerilee to whisper something in her ear. Now back in her seat, it felt as if the weight of the world left her shoulders. It was the greatest feeling in the world, not just because she finished her stressful presentation, but because she got something off her chest. Something she never admitted to anypony before. She was one step closer to finding some semblance of closure.

The filly looked at her bandage again and touched it. She gazed at the rest of the class and observed their reaction. To her surprise, many of them stared at her in awe and wonder. To them, she was the coolest filly in town.

Gazing back at her wound, Olive played with it a little. Her lips curled into a smile and her legs stopped shaking. Huh, maybe it’s not as ugly as I thought.

Author's Note

Took some time to find the motivation to make this chapter, but I can say I'm happy with how it turned out in the end. I felt like now was about the right time to introduce something Olive is good at, as well as further pushing her to gain some agency.

I'll see what facets of her character I can explore in the next few chapters before I inevitably have to focus back on Anarchy and Looking Glass since they are going through some changes of their own.

28. Ascension

The others were all eating downstairs, but not her. Not right now. Olive stood before the bathroom’s mirror, staring at her reflection. Standing atop a stool, the filly was able to get a good look at her body, her bandaged side most importantly. Ever since her presentation, she couldn’t stop thinking about it. Two opposing thoughts clashed one another, battling for her final decision.

She stayed in that bathroom for at least ten minutes, which was long enough to spark some worry from her foster mother who came knocking.

“Olive? Is everythin’ alright in there?”

The pink filly kept staring at her reflection, not moving an inch before she decided to respond. “Yeah. I just need some time, please.”

“O-Oh, okay. Well, if somethin’s wrong, don’t be afraid to tell us.”

Olive listened to the hoofsteps of her foster mother gradually fading away until she was alone again. With nopony to disrupt her train of thoughts, the filly slid her hoof down to her bandage, fiddling with it. The more she played with it, the more it lost its grip on her body. Eventually, a small piece pulled away, inviting her to pull it.

The pink unicorn was tempted to go for it, but an opposing thought made her reconsider this rash decision. What’s underneath is not pretty, far from it, it’s an ugly stain on her otherwise perfectly normal pony body. At the same time, it’s a part of her, a mark of the past, an imperfection and that’s what makes her special.

Hesitant, she reached with her mouth and pulled on the peeling part. She pulled and pulled harder until the whole bandage came off. Now free from its limiting grasp, her naked body felt the cold breeze of the wind again. It felt really good, freeing even. Olive tilted herself to the side to get a good look at the scar.

Resting on her side was the leftover of an especially large gash. She’d forever remember the face of the one responsible for it. A pony whose brutality and sadism could only be matched by one, the bigger fish in the sea. His scarlet eyes were forever burned into her soul, his large, bloodied teeth took out parts of her being and his mighty hooves mangled her petite frame. The others pecked where they could, smashed what little room the big one left. Olive could only pray he would never come back into her life, but a part of her fears they would inevitably meet again. As long as she lived, he would return to finish the job. It was only a matter of time until they figure out the truth.

Every day, every night the same thoughts and fears returned. The same visions of that fateful chase clouded her thoughts. It was the closest she had ever gotten to dying and despite acting as if she moved on from this event, it still haunted her deep inside. The filly couldn’t stop thinking about what ifs. What if Applejack never found her, what if he finished the job as intended, it kept her up at night.

She can’t hide it anymore; she must let her know. How else can they help her if she’s not even helping herself?

Olive left the bathroom, rubbing her scar with one hoof as she joined the others downstairs. Upon noticing her arrival, Applejack quickly came to greet her daughter. “Howdy sugar cube. For breakfast, Ah made ya some oatmeal. It’s delicious, very nutritious and somethin’ ya definitely won’t be allergic to.”

Olive’s tail twirled around uncomfortably. Before she could even say something, the orange mare lowered her head.

“Hey, did yer bandage come off?” She put her back on and trotted past the filly. “Come on now; Ah’ll get ya fresh one.” To the mare’s surprise, the filly pulled on her tail, shaking her head in the process.

“Mommy... I want to talk to you.” she croaked. The tone of her voice put Applejack on edge.

“Y-Yes? What is it, sugar cube?”

Olive looked back on the rest of her family. “Can we go somewhere else?”

“Sure thin’.” The orange mare quietly answered.

The two moved upstairs to the fillies’ bedroom and shut the door. Olive sat on her bed, her eyes overflowing with emotions.

After seconds of painful silence, she finally opened her mouth. “Mommy, I-I-I'm scared.”

Applejack jerked back. “Huh?! Scared? Scared of what?” she gingerly asked, leaning closer to the filly.

Olive scratched her scar. “I’m scared of this! I’m scared to think about that day! I can’t stop thinking about it!” She lashed out, gripping her foster mother’s shoulder. “I’m afraid of dying!”

“O-Olive, Ah...”

“I can’t stop thinking about what would happen if you didn’t save me! I always have nightmares about him! I’m scared he’ll come back for me!”

Applejack’s mouth hung open. She didn’t know what to make of this, so she kept on listening until the filly got everything off her chest.

“I just want it to go away! I just wan... I just want.” The unicorn sniffled, struggling to keep her cries going. “I just want to be normal.” Olive buried her face in her mother’s coat, letting out all her tears. Her voice broke into pitiful sobs.

Applejack clutched her daughter harder than she had ever done before, her eyes watering too. “It’s gonna be okay now. Ah know how scary it is to look back on ta times ya’ve almost died. Ah know, for Ah’ve brushed with death many, many times.” She sat on the bed and lifted the filly up, letting her rest in her hooves. “There is no such thing as normal. Everypony is different in their own way, and all we can do is embrace our differences. Yer not ta only one going through some hardships. We Apples know it feels to be stuck in ta past, to struggle to move on. And if that pony ever comes back, we promise we won’t let ‘im hurt you again.”

Applejack looked her daughter in the eyes, a hopeful smile to give the filly strength. “Ya can only heal yer scars by showing them and for that, Ah am proud of ya, sugar cube. Mighty proud. Here... let's have five seconds of love, together.”

Many fall in the face of terror, but not this one. Not today...

In the streets of Canterlot, the ponies were restless. Word of the Crimson Mask’s return crept to the majestic city, scaring all the nobles into harassing Princess Celestia for help. To address their fears, the top detective Looking Glass would directly answer any question and concerns they have. "Did you get all that?”

“Yeah, yeah. Just slow down a little, will ya?”

A massive crowd formed in the center of the great city where many journalists waited in bathed breath for the dark blue unicorn to show his face. Most of them were accompanied by their hard-working assistant who transcribed their future article.

“Okay, now let’s continue.” The mare cleared her throat. “The great detective of the Canterlot’s Bureau of Investigation is searching into this matter to pin down the ghostly form of the Crimson Mas-”

“That’s just a pretender you’re talking about, Miss Scoop. There’s no such thing as an undead pony roaming around.“ Looking Glass corrected as he passed by her.

The mare’s eyes lit up. “Quick! Get ready to note down everything he says!”

“Yeah yeah, I’m working on it!”

Looking Glass stepped on stage, briefly gazing at the big crowd in front of him, displeased. Ugh, I hate giving speeches. What am I even supposed to say besides “I’m going to catch him no matter what?”.

He took a deep breath before raising his voice. “Fillies and gentlecolts, we have heard your concerns, have responded with this hasty press conference. Please, be civil and ask your questions one at a time, I cannot answer them all at once.” He scouted the crowd, awaiting their flurry of questions.

One of the more respected nobles spoke up. “If I may, I have heard rumors that this Crimson Mask might be the same one that terrorised Equestria long ago. Do you believe it is a possibility tha-”

“Impossible. I saw him die with my own eyes. He burnt to ashes and left only his mask behind. We’re dealing with an impostor.” Looking Glass firmly answered. “Next question.”

Fancy Pants stood out from the crowd, accompanied by the lovely Fleur-de-Lis. The duo trotted to the front line and all the other nobles waited impatiently to hear what these two could have to say. “My apology for shuffling you ponies around.

Now mister Looking Glass, I fear that Canterlot is going to face a lot of trouble in the next few days considering we’re dealing with not only Anarchy, but also a new Crimson Mask. Miss Fleur-de-Lis and I are wondering who you believe is a bigger cause for concern between the two.”

Looking Glass stared the rich unicorn down. By closely examining his overall posture and facial expression, he could see some stress behind this calm façade. “Anarchy of course. He’s the one with an army hiding in every corner of Equestria. My priority is to put him behind bars, and I won’t stop until he’s no longer able to hurt anypony.”

Fancy Pants looked relieved by this answer, sparking some intrigue in the detective. Maybe I should look into this when it gets dark. I might find something interesting.

Time passed and the stallion was finally done with this irritating conference. This took a lot of his precious time, but thankfully the sun was still up. He could still swing by the castle’s library where he expected to discover where Anarchy could be hiding. Knowledge was power indeed, as both unicorns valued. If he can find where his enemy is hiding, then he can launch a full-scale assault with the support of the princesses, and hopefully kill this monster once and for all. The only problem was doing it under the noses of the two most powerful ponies in Equestria.

“Hey! If it ain’t Looking Glass snooping around the castle again!”

The detective winced. “Captain Mango. Are you here to importune me with apple cider again?”

The bat pony chuckled. “Come on, you should really drink some from time-to-time. You look tense as Tartarus.” He chugged down an entire bottle of cider before the disgruntled unicorn.

“Impressive.” Looking Glass commented behind a sarcastic voice. “Now leave me to my work.”

“Ah! There you are, sir Looking Glass! We have been looking for you ever since the conference ended.” A tall midnight blue mare approached the detective, passing by Captain Mango.

“Fancy seeing you during the day, Lu-Princess Luna.”

“Still working on formalities, we see.” Luna mused.

“I’m-”

“Working on it.” Mango finished. “Yeah, we hear that a lot.”

Looking Glass trotted past the two ponies, only giving Mango a small glare. “If you need me, I’ll be in the library.”

He was quickly stopped by a teleportation spell bringing him back to the alicorn. “Why in such a hurry? We did say we were looking for you.”

“Fine, speak up, princess.” Looking Glass said in his most polite voice.

Luna handed over a newspaper clipping. “We were terribly worried about your hospitalisation. We sought only to make sure everything was fine, and that we’re terribly sorry we weren’t there that night to assist you.”

The dark blue stallion respectfully bowed. “It’s fine. We walked right into that trap. Their blood lies sorely on me.” His voice had a slight, to which Luna quickly caught on to.

“Looking, We...”

“No need for pity. It’s par for the course with this job. You either learn to live with it, or you retire. I’ve still got some loose end to correct before I depart.” The unicorn trotted past them, heading for the library.

“Is it me, or is he getting grumpier by the day?” Mango said, chugging down another bottle of apple cider.

“It does seem that way.” Luna admitted. “Come, captain. Let us assist him.”

“Yeah, sure thing. Lemme finish my drink first.”

Canterlot’s library was one of the biggest libraries in all Equestria, and it also contained some rarities, though Looking Glass wasn’t interested in any of those. All he wanted, was a complete map of the entire city.

As an intellectual unicorn, he often visited the library which eased the process of finding the right book for the job. Knowing exactly where to look, he trotted towards the fabled book that’ll provide him with an answer. Where could Anarchy be?

“Looking Glass. Please let us help you on this investigation.” A familiar voice called out to him. “We are involved just as much as you are.”

“The word of the princess is gospel, mate. You oughta listen to her.” Followed by the voice of a familiar drunkard.

“Mango, please.” Luna scolded before trotting over to the dark blue stallion.

The detective grunted. “Do not mistake my hastiness as isolation, princess. I am merely trying my best to solve this case and prevent any further tragedies.”

“That we know, we’re just worried about your... rash behavior.” The tall mare said. “You seem to be obsessed with this case.”

The detective sat on a nearby table and opened his book. “I am looking for a possible base of operation for Anarchy. Knowing him, he probably thought to bring the whole party to Canterlot.”

Mango shot him a confused glance.

Princess Luna peeked over his shoulder. “I doubt he’d be as arrogant as to bring more than a hundred pony within our very walls. He’s probably dispersing them around the city.”

“Probably, but we should start by investigating the largest structures first. There’s still a chance that he did place everypony in one area.” Looking Glass continued.

“Damn son. That’ll be crazy if that theory turned outa be true.” Mango commented before chugging down another bottle of cider.

Luna thought about every sizeable building in Canterlot, scratching her chin. “If we start with the biggest buildings first, that’ll mean...”

“Nah, let’s scratch the castle. Ain’t no way there’s a hundred pony trotting around in there.” Mango quickly shut down.

“Naturally, the next one would be the track race. It’s a building suit for many spectators, but it is regularly checked and protected by guards.” Looking Glass said.

“Another one we can scratch off the list.” Luna sighed. “The more we think about it, the less your theory can stand. I suggest we think of something else.”

“Hm.” Suddenly, the detective’s eyes glazed over something peculiar. A chapter dedicated to old caverns below the city. Old caverns that were left to rot for hundreds of years after their usefulness were long overdue. Not widely known to the public, close but far enough from the city and massive enough to fit a whole army. This had to be it! However, he now had to think of how to proceed with this newfound information.

On one hoof, if he tells them now, they’ll probably plan out an assault on the caverns and bring Anarchy to justice. But what if he’s expecting them to come? Will this be a massacre? There’s no telling what he might be planning right now. He cannot forget their most powerful tool, their magic absorbing necklaces. If they have some for the strongest members of their army, then they’d stand no chance attacking head on, especially against Strong Hoof. Yeah, Strong Hoof, he’s not to be underestimated purely because he’s an earth pony.

The unicorn doesn’t believe anypony else but him knows of his existence and that’s really bad. If they jump into battle expecting Anarchy to be the only danger, then it’d be a massacre. Looking Glass knows of the indominable strength of the white stallion. Nopony comes even close to matching him in sheer physical prowess. With the necklace on, it’d take the full might of the alicorn sisters to even hope to bring him down.

“Before we continue our search, I must warn you of the other ponies within Anarchy’s circle.”

“Another pony we need to look out for?” Luna questioned.

“Indeed.” Looking Glass affirmed. “Perhaps just as much as Anarchy. His name is Strong Hoof, the strongest pony to have ever lived.”

“The strongest?” Mango took a quick sip from his bottle. “You got some statistic to back up this claim? Knowing you, you probably have a full presentation ready to prove it.”

“I don’t need an entire presentation to prove it.” Looking Glass trotted away, leaving the two to exchange curious glances. The dark blue unicorn returned with a newspaper dating back a few years ago. “Look at this headline.”

Luna lowered her head to read it clearly. “Train heading for Manehattan attacked an entire wagon has been stolen... What?”

“This happened before Twilight Sparkle and her friends cleansed your soul with the Elements. It’s logical you do not know of this.” Looking Glass reminded. “That said, what I want you to know is of the details of this robbery.”

He pointed at a paragraph with his hoof and read it out loud. “The train was stopped by a heavy blow caused by who many believe to be a powerful unicorn, but the local police is dumbfounded by the shape of the impact.” He look dead in the eyes of the princess. “It was shaped in the head of a stallion, a large stallion.”

Mango’s eyes widened, realising the implications. “Holy shit.”

“Indeed. I believe it was Anarchy at first, but after my unpleasant visit in his lair, I discovered a more likely culprit.”

A train rode to Manehattan, expecting to bring forth some passengers to the big city as well as some important merchandise. The train’s driver yawned, bored by this uneventful day. But then, a monkey wrench was thrown his way when a gigantic white stallion stepped on the rails. The train made a quick turn and the driver had barely any time to realise what just got on the rails. He freaked out, but his scream was cut short by a massive headbutt.

The white earth pony struck the train with unparalleled force, pushing the train back as his head engraved itself on the front of the locomotive. All the windows shattered and everypony inside were tossed around the carts.

The poor driver slumped into his seat, stars floating above his head as the beast made its way to his window. With one clean strike, he knocked the driver out of the train. Dozens of vile ponies trotted their way to the helpless locomotive, their eyes on the prize. A singular wagon containing many riches.

The big one separated it from the rest of the train and lifted it on his back before galloping away into the wilderness.

“There’s a pony strong enough to do that without magic?” Luna gasped.

“Indeed, a freakish giant he is. Focusing only on Anarchy would be unwise. Death waits for the slightest lap in concentration, he’ll be waiting for that moment should we ignore him.”

Mango didn’t even realise he already finished his bottle, his eyes locked on the article as he read it in its entirety. “Huh, good thing I told Princess Twilight about the necklaces. Just imagine if Strong Hoof was to wear one.”

Luna roused herself from this state of dread. “Twilight! If she still insists on helping with this case, we must warn her about Strong Hoof.”

“A Strong Hoof wearing protection, now that’s a scary thought.” Mango muttered.

“Sound idea, Princess Luna. We must proceed with upmost caution when dealing with these two. Strong Hoof may be a brute, but he’s no imbecile. Anarchy taught him the way of the criminal mastermind.” Looking Glass said, closing his book before leaving the table. “I’ll leave you two to it, I’ll go and deal with this new Crimson Mask in the meantime.”

Now left alone, Luna sighed, her determination waning just a bit. “It just seems to be getting worse and worse with each passing day.”

“Aye. We’ll get them eventually.”

“Naturally, but I fear it might get so much worse than we could ever imagine.”

The abyss returns even the boldest gaze.

“Ha ha ha ha hyah... Oh, i-i-it hurts. Hurts to even laugh.” Somewhere deep below the surface of Canterlot, in the darkest parts of its long-forgotten caverns, haunting screams of agony terrified all the denizens of the hidden underground town. “I can hear you clear as day! Or should I say night considering your hatred for the light? Ah, who cares anyway! You’re finally lending me more of your strength!”

Anarchy contorted, his body twisting and breaking under the nightmarish might of his one true master. Despite the agony he was going through, he felt ecstatic. Each shock of pain brought him only closer to the nightmares he sought after for years. For the first time, its voice was more than a whisper. It sounded old, wise and perfectly calm. A serene feeling slowly came to the dark unicorn. Despite all the obstacles still left in his way, its master sounded completely sure they would achieve their goal.

“I know you’re hurting me with this, but please; make it as long as possible. I love to work through pain!” He cackled, laughing through the pain as if it was nothing to him. His body was undergoing some important changes. Changes he didn’t have for a while now. He used to be stuck at just the freaky eyes and cutie mark but now, he was offered so much more.

The tip of his mane crystallised, hardening to become nigh indestructible. The deep, unpony-like part of his voice became louder, nearly overshadowing his real voice. His teeth shattered to millions of pieces and new ones grew in their place. Sharper, almost like fangs, they reflected his diet perfectly. His eyes pulled closer, eventually ripping into his skin until they merged into one. Skin grew over parts of his mouth, hanging from loose threads. Bloody tears of agony streamed down his face and through it all; he smiled.

“Oh yes! Yes.... YES! Keep it coming, lad! Keep this power coursing through my veins!” Then, everything stopped, much to Anarchy’s dismay. This was as far as it would go without the last ingredient. The one item that’ll link him to his master. “Oh whatever, I’m still more powerful than ever! With this, the next step is finally within my reach!”

Remind yourself that overconfidence is a slow and insidious killer.

Anarchy’s smile faltered. “Oh, I will never forget this of course. I’ve been careful all these years. I won’t throw everything down the drain. I have not come this far, to die now.” Touching his teeth, his eyes darted in the direction of his personal bathroom. Dying to know his new appearance, he dashed inside and locked himself in.

Gazing upon the mirror, he bellowed out his most powerful laugh yet. Nothing but pure joy and pride emanated from it. He was one step closer to victory, and nopony so far has succeeded in stopping him. “This calls for a celebration! How about I serenade myself for this occasion?”

As victories mount, so too will resistance.

“I know, I know. Let me have this moment.” His hooves clopped on the ground, building a catchy beat to which he used his stronger magic to transform several items into instruments.

Oh, I am the unicorn... prince, of crime.
And I had a hay, of a time.
You’re part of me, I’m part of you!
And now there’s little left to do.
I just can’t wait, ‘till we’re in control
Oh tell me, who’ll be laughing then?

We drove them around the bend and I’m laughing
I’m with you ‘till the end and I can’t stop laughing
We’ll kill alicorns and I won’t stop laughing
What else can we do?

Think I can taste, their, fear
Now that our time, is... near
You’re in my blood, you’re so alive!
Come on, let’s go for another dive
It won’t be long, ‘till we bring back the night.
Who’ll be laughing then?

Aurora’s dead and I'm laughing. Ha!
My lovely wife’s dead and I can’t stop laughing
My daughter’s dead and I can’t stop laughing
What else can we I do?
Now, you’re part of me...

A knock on the door quickly put an end to his impromptu musical number. “Patron? Is everything alright in there? You were howling in pain just a few seconds ago.” It was Dreamcatcher who came to ruin the fun.

“Am I alright?” Anarchy responded, giggling to himself. He opened the door and grinned at the startled reaction of the pegasus. “I’m so much more than alright, dear. I’ve never been better.”

“A-A-Am I to assume the ritual is coming to a-an end soon?” Dreamcatcher stammered, unable to take her eyes away from the pure evil emanating from her master’s gaze.

“Exactly. I’m surprised your brain is still functional after this shock! Oh yes, we just need the last ingredient. And our safest bet to retrieve it, is to wait for the storm.” Anarchy explained, parading around her with his newfound strength. His movement was quicker than before, more sporadic especially. “Now go. Spread the news to them. Let them know papa’s getting a new manecut.”

His tail whipped the air, springing the mare into action. Anarchy returned to his desk, now beginning to feel the growing pain of this transformation. His mouth hurt every time he moved it, his legs ached with each step he took, and his eyes burned.

With nothing to do, the dark stallion decided to reminisce on this long path he took eight years ago. He opened one of the drawers on his desk and pulled out a locket. Opening it, he was greeted by the image of a younger him holding a pink foal in his hooves.

An old relic created before he underwent his difficult journey. Back then, he had a shorter mane and normal eyes. It was funny to see him look this... normal after he had grown accustomed to the nightmarish changes.

“Oh, what a lovely mare. Could any one of us have predicted this turn of event? I certainly didn’t, and I don’t expect her to have seen it coming too. Too bad she couldn't have been here to watch little Olive grow. You know it’s quite funny that even to this day, I still sometimes wonder what would have happened had I not chosen this path. Who knows, I could have become something truly spectular, or maybe just have a nice family and a cozy home I could have spent the rest of my life in rather than an underground town.

Many paths opened to me, just as it did for you. I never knew if I made the best choice in the end, but hey, the same can be said for everypony. Now, I believe I have the answer to that lingering question. It was all worth it, not that I expect you to understand. You would have never appreciated my treatment of Olive, nor would you have liked my crazy idea to push her beyond the limits of a pony.

Sadly, it didn’t work out. Olive had to die after a little rugrat somehow convinced her that running away from a ten-hoof tall stallion was a good idea. I would have been alone in my quest now, but thankfully I evaded this rather grim fate thanks to a new friend. With him, I’ll achieve my dream and build myself an everlasting legacy. For now, this is where I get off.”

Anarchy closed the locket and hid it inside the drawer. To complete his nostalgic dive, he decided to open an old family album. He smiled as he let all the memories flow back to his mind, remembering both the good and the bad. He enjoyed looking at the earlier ones and seeing how much his family changed over time. At first, it was the two of them, all happy together then... his eyes changed. Still, the mother was never there for the filly, not even in the oldest pictures of the album.

Over time, Olive’s vibrant rose gold mane faded to white. Oh yeah, I always wondered why that happened. Reminds me of that one magazine I read where it said that stress can accelerate the aging process of an individual which include their mane turning to white. On younger ponies, only the mane really seems to age at an accelerated pace, but not the body. Not yet.

Anarchy flipped through more of the album, noticing the deteriorating condition of the filly. Seeing her go from happy and oblivious to the situation at hoof, to terrified and often hiding behind her father’s legs. Not photogenic, huh? It became quite hard to take a picture with her. He held a hoof to his chin. But for this next photo, it should go smoothly.

He eventually landed on the final pictures present in it, now with Olive completely gone, dead. The more I think about it, the more I realised just how bothersome that filly was in the long run. Why did I even keep her around after my experiment failed? Anarchy couldn’t find the answer, but its master did, and it was somewhat displeased.

A strong feeling of duty cannot be undone in mere seconds.

“Hm. I see I still have a long way to go, huh?”

He closed the album and put it away, his mind already moving on to more important projects. He has to make some noise in Canterlot, when the weather is right.

The cost of preparedness – measured now in gold, later in blood.

Author's Note

Big changes are coming! While Canterlot is slowly being thrown into chaos and panic, Anarchy is growing stronger and ever closer to achieving his ultimate goal.

As for Olive, things are slowly improving again, one step at a time. Scars can be healed after all, but never hidden.

29. Scars don't make the Mare

8 days left before the storm

Under the rising sun of a Friday morning, an early bird left her home to go to work in a better mood than usual. The city was coated in an orange glow from the golden ball of flames in the sky, a beautiful aesthetic that was to be savored in the moment.

Heedful Care stayed outside for a bit, simply admiring the sunrise. She still had some time left before the school would open to its students. Basking in the fresh air of the morning, she pondered over Olive’s situation and the dangers behind it.

This filly’s background was one of a kind, and that made her case a special one that she’ll likely never see happen again.

A white mare in the distance trotted up to her, waving a hoof to catch her attention. It was Nurse Redheart, once again heading towards Ponyville General. “Hello there, it’s a lovely morning.”

The earth pony smiled. “One of the best I've seen in months in fact. I have a good feeling about this day.”

“So do I, things have been improving over on my side.” Care returned the smile. “I mean, with Olive that is. I’m perfectly fine, of course.”

Redheart’s ears perked up. “Hey, speaking of the filly, mind telling me how she’s doing?”

“Great. She just got into school and has earned the interest and admiration of other student with her presentation, partly because of the whole mystery behind her. Foals are drawn to mysterious ponies.” Care explained.

Redheart giggled. “And that’s why superheroes are so popular amongst them.”

“Even an atypical filly like Olive can’t escape them.” Care mused. “I believe I’m starting to understand her train of thought better the more I meet her. She definitely is different from other ponies. A bit like our mailmare Derpy.”

“That’s what I thought. She doesn’t act like a normal foal, which makes sense considering her entourage wasn’t exactly filled with role models.” Redheart mentioned to which the pegasus smiled.

“She did have a role model, well had to be more precise. After hearing Olive talk about her, I could see why she turned into a nice kid and not a sociopath like her father.”

The nurse cringed at the mention of this vile stallion. “The less said about him, the better.”

“Right, one can only hope Luna and Looking Glass will put an end to his criminal activities. I’m sick of hearing about it on the news.” The pegasus mare wished.

Nurse Redheart looked at the rising sun. “Anyhow, I better get to Ponyville General soon. My shift’s starting in barely ten minutes.”

“I see, I won’t hold you back. We’ll talk later.”

The two mares went their separate way as the orange glow on the buildings slowly turned to their normal colors.

“Are ya sure ‘bout goin’ without yer bandage?”

Applejack leaned over to examine the nasty scar on the filly. Sweet Celestia was it big. It began on her flank and ran all over to the base of her neck. It was like the poor thing was gutted by a griffin chef.

“Yes.” The filly responded. “I can’t spend my entire life with a bandage on me.”

“That... is true. Ah’m happy yer choosin’ to show it to everypony. It’s a courageous thing to do.” Applejack smiled as she handed over the filly’s saddlebag.

As they left the house, Olive had to battle her inner thoughts and fears. Leaving without the bandage on for the first time felt like it was a mistake, like she had forgotten something. Feeling the cold wind brush against her naked coat made it all seem wrong. Despite that, she pressed on and followed her foster mother to the schoolhouse, chasing away these demoralising thoughts.

Going there was scary, but Apple Bloom was by her side. That will make it somewhat bearable, but what Olive was scared the most of was the gaze of all the foals. Once they’d notice this scar, all eyes will be on her. It was bad enough the first time, but now they’d surely ask her how she got that, and the last thing she wanted to remember was the face of the gargantuan earth pony.

It didn’t help that her sister was staring at said scar in awe. Having checked herself in a mirror, Olive felt bitter about this wound. Scars stay forever, they don’t leave no matter how good your body is at healing. She may have recovered quickly from a broken leg, but she can’t erase this discolored patch of fur on her body. She knew her foster mother lied about it going away eventually.

Her father was crazy, but he was not stupid. His knowledge in medicine and the body was greater than even some experts, and he always told her scars don’t go away but they do build character.

The pink unicorn gave her sister a pleading look.

“Oh! Am Ah botherin’ ya?” She asked nervously.

“Stop looking at it, it’s making me uncomfortable.” Olive croaked, fighting back the urge to tear up.

“S-Sorry. Ah didn’t want to make ya feel bad ‘bout it.”

Olive touched her scar, shuddering at its origins. “Do you think it’s ugly? Will they think it’s ugly too?”

“N-No, at least, A-A-Ah don’t think so...” Apple Bloom quickly stammered.

Her older sister chuckled. “Scars don’t make the mare, it’s the lessons behind them that do. Ah say yer scar is anythin’ but shallow, and that alone makes it prettier than most.”

Apple Bloom nodded. “It looks, uh... cool. Yeah, cool! It looks like ya fought a bear to get it.”

Applejack giggled. “As if there’s any bears around ‘ere mean enough to fight a pony. Harry’s the only bear Ah’ve seen so far and he’s a livin’ teddy bear.”

“But that’s just because of Fluttershy and ‘er animal speakin’ skills.” Apple Bloom pointed out.

“Ah guess so. Heh, just means we’re mighty lucky to have a pony like Flutters in Ponyville.” Applejack said, her eyes now gazing upon the blue sky. “Pegasi don’t face too much trouble in Cloudsdale from what Ah’ve heard. Livin’ above the clouds sounds really cool, but Ah’m fine with Sweet Apple Acre as is.”

“I’d like to be up there...” Olive muttered quietly.

“Now, let’s not wish for the impossible. Ah know there are spells that unicorns can cast to fly and walk on clouds, but they are only temporary.” Applejack sternly said. “Life just ain’t fair sometimes, but that doesn’t mean we should run away from our fears. Yesterday, you made me real proud when ya spoke of your fears and that’s what Ah want ya to do. Yer a brave filly, and Ah know ya can do it.” Aj stopped to pat her on the head. “Everything’s gonna be fine, trust me.”

Olive smiled weakly. “Hm-hm.”

“Now that’s the spirit, sugar cube.” The orange mare turned around to face the schoolhouse. “Well, Ah’ll be seein’ ya this afternoon. Five seconds of love?

Olive hugged thet mare's legs. "Hm hm. Five seconds."

Once the hug was done, Applejack trotted away. "Have a good day, girls!”

“Bye, sis!”

“Bye, mommy...”

The two fillies met up with their friends, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle who were waiting impatiently for them.

“Hey, look who showed up last, again.” The purple haired pegasus greeted.

Sweetie Belle opened her mouth to greet them but quickly changed course when she noticed something interesting. “You’re not wearing your bandage!” The little unicorn gasped. “Is that your scar?”

Olive blushed and hid her scar with her tail. “Y-Yes...”

“Aw, come on. Don’t be shy, let us see it!” Scootaloo insisted.

The pink unicorn’s eyes darted from her friends to her scar a couple of times before she slowly pulled it away.

Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle stared in awe at the sheer size of it. Pity quickly overcame them as their expressions turned to solemn horror.

“Ooh... I’m, really sorry for what you’ve been through. I, uh, really am.” Scootaloo said.

“Well, it’s... it’s not that bad! I mean, it makes you look cool, especially if you put on a cool stallion act.” Sweetie Belle said, trying to cheer her up.

It worked, sort of. Olive began to feel agitated. “I-I hope they won’t mock me for it.”

“What? Mock you for it? No they won’t!” Scootaloo brushed off.

“They bullied us for les-”

Apple Bloom smacked Sweetie Belle. “Ah’m sure they’ll love it, sis.”

Speaking of them, the other foals trotted over to the group, each murmuring something to each other.

Olive jerked back, covering her scar out of sheer instinct before backing away.

“Hey, she doesn’t have her bandage on!” Snails cried out.

“That means we can see what’s underneath” Snips pointed out, thought everypony figured it out already.

Dinky Hooves tried to push her way out of the crowd to reach her new friend but was met with strong resistance in the form of an angry pink hoof, courtesy of the schoolyard’s queen, Diamond Tiara.

“No bandage, huh?” she spewed. “Well, let’s see what all the hype is about.”

Silver Spoon followed closely behind. “And like all hype, the end result is going to disappoint everypony.”

Diamond Tiara stomped her way to Olive, wincing at the mere sight of her. “Come on, we don’t have all day. Show it.”

Nervous, the filly looked to her friends for help. They all put their tail to their body and lowered it, encouraging her to do the same. Hesitant, Olive did as they suggested, keeping her fearful eyes on the earth pony.

Diamon Tiara leaned to her, squinting to get a better look. Once she was able to view the scar, she cocked her head back in disgust. “Yuck!”

Olive’s face turned red in shame, and she quickly covered it with her tail, falling to the ground to show only the good side of her body.

“Hey! Yer just overexaggeratin’!” Apple Bloom called out angrily. “It ain’t that bad!”

The pink earth pony stuck her tongue out in disgust. “It’s not about if it looks good or not, a scar’s a scar, and they’re disgusting. Who here wants to see an ugly wound for the rest of the school year, hm?”

“Not me!” Silver Spoon added as she raised a hoof up. “Refined ponies don’t get a single scratch on their body. Not one as bad as hers.”

“Well said, Spoon. You three wouldn’t catch me with a single scratch on my body because unlike you, I take care of my precious body.” Diamond Tiara belittled, striking an elegant pose to sway the class to her side.

“It wasn’t her fault she got this nasty scar, and plus; what do you know about her?!” Scootaloo shouted, flapping her small wings to lift her off the ground. “You don’t know what she’s been through!” She added, leaning really close to the bully.

“Well, do you?” Diamond Tiara asked, pushing the orange filly away.

“Yes, Ap-”

“Then tell us, we’re all dying to know her story.”

The foals’ eyes lit up, their curious smiles widening.

“No way, none of this is your business, Diamond Tiara!” Sweetie Belle refused. “You’ll only know if Olive wants to tell you.”

The pink bully stared the white unicorn down for a few seconds before giving her the cold shoulder. “Fine, have it your way, blank flanks.” She turned to her silver friend. “We’ll have to dig it up ourselves.”

The grey earth pony followed her friend far away from the rest of the foals. “How are we supposed to know if they won’t tell us?”

Diamond Tiara groaned. “Gossip, duh! My mom always learns a pony’s secret. We just have to tell her about the new blank flank.”

“Brillant! We’re not gonna let some nopony take all the fame away from us, aren’t we?”

Tiara smirked. “Never. This will be the price of insulting my family.”

Back to the crowd, Snips and Snails jumped forth to see the filly’s scar. “Let me see, let me see!”

“No, let ME see it!”

They both pushed each other to be the first to witness this “disgusting” scar.

“Hey, hey hey! No figthin’ ‘ere! Yer gonna scare my sister.” Apple Bloom warned, blocking their route to Olive.

“We’re not fighting!”

“We’re not figh- hey I said it first!”

Scootaloo groaned. “Ugh, I’m not going to last to the end of this year with these two around...”

Her unicorn friend, on the other hoof, found it amusing. “It feels like we’re bodyguarding a celebrity!” she said, gazing at Apple Bloom keeping the two colts at bay with her strong hooves.

“One at a time, please! Ah don’t want anypony to scare ‘er!”

Quiet mumbles got Scootaloo to look back on her pink friend only to see she wasn’t doing so well. The poor filly was a nervous wreck at the moment, which was to be expected when twenty or so foals are climbing over each other to closely examining a part of your body. Olive wasn’t thrilled about this in the slightest.

“Uh, hey Olive... you alright?” she asked gingerly.

“N-No... Everypony’s looking at me.” She croaked, pointing at the large crowd gathered before her.

“I know this is bad, but after it’s done, it’s done. You’re not going to live through that awful moment ever again. Plus, we’re also receiving some of the attention.”

Snips and Snails managed to bypass Apple Bloom and were now in front of Olive hopping in place. “Come on, show us, show us!”

“What’s it look like?” Snips asked, tilting his head to the side. “How did you even get it?”

Olive shrieked, instinctively hiding her scar with her tail again.

“Aw, but I wanna to see it.” Snails complained.

“So do I.”

Sweetie Belle interjected, placing herself between the two colts and her friend. “You’ll see it, but only when she wants to. We can’t force her to show it if she’s not comfortable just yet.”

“That’s okay, we can wait!” Snails affirmed.

“Yeah, we so can!”

“... Can we see it now?”

Olive whimpered, reluctantly pulling her tail back. The two colts widened their eyes and leaned forth, their mouths in the shape of an o. Finally, the scar was in full view. The pink filly felt their gaze like cold breezes freezing her body. She shuddered, looking away out of embarrassment. “H-Here...”

“Oh wow... It’s so cool!”

Olive cocked her head back. “Huh?!”

“How did you get it? Did you like, fight an ursa major?” Snips asked in awe.

The pink unicorn was taken aback by their reaction. They didn’t think it was ugly. Instead, they found it cool, even believed she was tough. All she did to earn it was surviving a massive beating by the largest pony in all Equestria...

Thinking about it, the story behind that scar does sound a little admirable.

“Almost.” Apple Bloom corrected. “She fought against the evilest unicorn ever to get it! She’s a survivor!”

Olive blushed at the flurry of compliments from her sister.

In the back, Diamond Tiara growled. “These two idiots are influencing the others! Now they’ll all believe it’s cool when their story is most likely baloney! ‘Fought the evilest unicorn?’ Ha! As if this pushover even dared to confront a kitty. I’ll figure out the truth and expose them for the liars they are.”

Silver Spoon snickered. “Can’t wait to see everypony’s reaction when we’ll make a fool out of them! This is gonna be hilarious!”

One by one, the whole class went to see the filly’s scar, each finding it admirable and cool. In just one day, she’d earned the reputation of hoof fighting a giant unicorn, which was somewhat true but still outlandish enough to piss off the two richest fillies in the school. This situation reached its climax when Cheerilee and Heedful Care arrived at the playground to see what was going on.

The two mares rushed in, expecting another case of bullying occurring on their school ground but thankfully, the situation was tamer than they expected. Everypony was intrigued by her scar, dying to know every detail of it.

“Good morning, class!” Cheerilee greeted, followed closely by the counselor. “It’s wonderful to see you all get along with our new student, so today I thought it would be fun to do some physical education outside!”

The class stomped their hooves happily, screaming in excitement. Olive finally stood up, wondering what kind of class this would be. Understandably, she was nervous. Every day was a new experience and change was something she rarely ever had to confront when she stayed with her father. Sure, they traveled a lot, but things stayed the same nonetheless.

“For today’s class, we will be playing some hoofball!”

The class cheered. That sport was something that Olive did know of just by reading some of the magazines her father’s friends brought home. Sometimes they’d talk about sports and the best athletes in Equestria, other times, they featured mares in strange poses that the filly couldn’t wrap her head around, so she skipped those.

Getting to try one of these sports was both exciting, and stressful. No matter what, she had to give it her all or risk being ridiculed for being bad.

“Now, I know most of you already know the rules, but just to be sure, I’ll explain them briefly.”

Miss Cheerilee went on to explain the rules of hoofball, much to Olive’s relief as she didn’t know how to play. As the name implied, it’s a sport that involves a ball, and your hooves though she figured that out by herself. The other relieving rule was the no-magic and no wings rule, to place everypony on equal grounds. Now the thing that really bugged her was teamplay.

She never had the chance to work in a team of any kind before, so that was something else to add on to the growing list of new experiences. Nopony really did anything with her, except for...

Olive didn’t even want to think about it, not now at least. The more she dwells on her memories, the worse she feels. There was no use in hurting herself now when they were so many ponies around, especially not after she’d gotten their respect.

The teams were formed and much to the pink filly’s relief, she was placed alongside her three friends. Even Dinky Hooves was in her team. Talk about luck!

“Now children, you have 5 minutes to consult your team before the game starts.” Cheerilee announced. She trotted over to Heedful Care’s side and chatted with her.

Olive wanted to eavesdrop in on their conversation, but Apple Bloom pulled her towards the rest of the team. “Okay, let’s start by namin’ a leader for our team!”

The foals exchanged uncertain glances. There were not many assertive ponies in this team, and that quality is very much required for any good leader.

“I can be the leader!” Dinky Hooves joyfully affirmed.

Sweetie Belle looked to Apple Bloom with an expression that screamed “Certainly not her!”.

“Nopony else wants to come forward?” The yellow filly asked, scouring the entire team with her eyes. “Really? Nopony wants to be team leader?”

Scootaloo sighed. “Fine, I’ll be the leader. I know a thing or two about sports.”

“Virtue of being Rainbow Dash’s biggest fan.” Sweetie Belle mused.

“And leader of her fan club.” The orange filly pointed out. She looked at how the other team was doing and unsurprisingly, Diamond Tiara was elected as their leader. “Heh, if you follow my lead, we totally got this in the bag!”

“Got what in the bag?” Olive asked.

“Uh, it’s... an expression.” Scootaloo answered in confusion. “It means we’re gonna win for sure.”

“Ah.”

Miss Cheerilee blew her whistle to get everypony’s attention. The pegasus brought the hoofball to the middle of the field, inviting the foals to get in position.

“Now that your five minutes are over, we can start the game! Now remember, it’s just a friendly game. No need to get overly aggressive about this. We don’t want another pony to go to the infirmary.”

Olive was placed on the defensive alongside Sweetie Belle a position that her friends deemed “safest” for her. Apple Bloom and Scootaloo were on the offensive. Dinky Hooves would also join them, though her clumsiness could prove to be a detriment. As for the goaler? They couldn’t think of anypony better than Truffle and that’s not because he’s proven himself to be a great goaler. He's just... a little chubby and apparently that was good enough for them. The bigger you are, the more ground you cover on the goal...

Olive swung slowly in place, a movement she unconsciously made when she was nervous. Sweetie Belle quickly caught on to this habit.

“Are you feeling alright?”

The sweat on the filly’s face gave off a clear answer.

“Hey, don’t be so nervous. We’re two on defense, you just take the left side and I’ll take the right. Oh, and of course, I’ll help you if you’re in trouble.”

Olive looked over at how her team was doing. The ball was still in the middle of the field. Both sides struggled to gain the advantage over the other. “S-So what do I do if the ball comes to my side?”

“You just buck it to the other side or pass it to your teammates. It’s really simple.”

“O-Okay, kick it as hard as I can.”

The two teams were equally matched. Both struggled to land a single goal. Any attempt at approaching the enemy goal was thwarted by those on defense. Olive was actually doing kind a good job despite her shyness. Her bucks were deceptively strong for a unicorn filly, earning the admiration of her classmates. For a while, she was enjoying this moment, especially the praises her friends gave her. She lived for such praises.

A minor slip-up gave Tiara’s team the advantage. The ball was now rolling in Olive’s direction. The quick and nimble Diamond Tiara quickly rushed to it, and she was fast approaching. Despite her rich and snob background, the filly was a deceptively good runner.

The key was to intercept her, predict her next movement. The unicorn’s father was an expert in this line of thinking, so surely, she must have inherited some of his knowledge. Now that she had gotten used to playing, her confidence was restored, and she felt a little daring. There was a lot of dead space on her right, a lot of space for her opponent to manoeuvre around.

Olive trotted to her right; her eyes locked on the ball.

“Get ‘em, sis!” Apple Bloom encouraged.

Tiara got close to her, and in that moment, her eyes glazed to her left, a clear indicator of her next move. Olive quickly intercepted her by directly blocking her path, forcing the earth pony to slow down. However, she was far too close to stop her advance and the pink filly realised they will collide.

Sweetie Belle galloped over to her, but it was too late. “Look out!”

The pink earth pony smashed into her, and both were sent face first to the ground in a painful stunt. The two rolled around after the initial crash until they came to a halt. Concerned, Cheerilee blew her whistle to momentarily stop the game as she rushed over to the injured foal’s side.

“Girls, are you alright?”

Heedful Care followed close by, picking up Diamond Tiara. Her namesake broke during the collision, scattering its pieces all over the field. The pink earth pony raised her head and touched her injured muzzle, only to realise she was bleeding. She shrieked as the sharp pain of the small piece of her tiara lodged in her head made itself known.

“Sweet Celestia!” The counselor cried out. “We should take her to the infirmary, now!”

Cheerilee helped Olive up, noticing that her muzzle was bleeding. “R-Right. You two follow Miss Care to the infirmary.”

The pink unicorn held back her tears as she grasped her broken muzzle with one hoof. The kind pegasus escorted the two crying fillies back to the schoolhouse, leaving the other foals in shock.

Apple Bloom couldn’t bear to just watch, she had to stay by her sister’s side. She ran to them, to which Cheerilee allowed with a simple nod.

“Sis! A-Are you alright? How’s your muzzle doin’?” She asked frantically.

Olive returned a quiet whimper. Her teary eyes desperately searching for some comfort in this painful situation. Pain didn’t scare her too much, but the thought of receiving another scar or permanent damage frightened her to her core.

“Everythin’ gonna turn out fine.” Apple Bloom reassured. “It ain’t too bad, A-Ah'm sure of it.”

The situation was much worse for Diamond Tiara. The poor filly was crying. Tears, wails and all. Apple Bloom never saw her in this much distress and for the first time ever; she felt bad for her bully.

Inside the infirmary, Heedful Care got to work on the worst case first, leaving Olive to sadly wait a bit longer before she can check her bleeding muzzle.

Apple Bloom stayed by her sister’s side, trying to calm her down. The pink unicorn was hyperventilating. The mixture of pain, blood and fear got to her mind. Her horn began to lit up ominously, almost activating on its own.

The farm filly couldn’t bear to see her sister in distress any longer. She hugged her sister, letting the pink filly rest her head.

Olive’s remaining hoof desperately latched on to her, clinging as hard as she could.

“Shhh, it’s okay. Ah’m ‘ere and as long as Ah’m with ya, yer gonna be okay.”

Olive’s whines quieted down. She closed her eyes and listened to her sister’s voice bring some serenity to her frightened soul. The warm temperature of her body eased the pain, making her feel like things will turn out fine in the end. Even the wails of Diamond Tiara no longer got to her. Apple Bloom made her feel safe, and that’s all that really mattered.

Once the pegasus was done handling the fillies’s injuries, she let them wait inside the infirmary a bit longer while she returned to Cheerilee’s side. Olive gazed at the plaster placed on her muzzle. Another injury to add to the list. Thankfully, Care reassured her that this one wouldn’t stay forever like her scar. It was just a small crack in her muzzle. Something that’ll heal in a few days, though with her, it might be even less.

Through it all, she was thankful that Apple Bloom gave up on the game to stay by her side. This level of loyalty was something she rarely felt before. The only pony who cared that much for her was...

Olive immediately thought of something else. Something to distract her from going too far down memory lane. She stared at Diamond Tiara; her eyes riddled with guilt.

The rich filly’s blue eyes had a reddish tint. The fur below said eyes were still wet. A long bandage on her head was stained with blood. Tiara glared at her for what felt like an eternity. Ever since Heedful Care left them, she glared. Unbridled fury was behind these eyes. It was almost enough to make Olive cry in guilt.

Even Apple Bloom was uncomfortable with the whole situation. She didn’t know whether to say something, or just wait until the mares came back. She decided to look through the window to see what the teachers were doing in the meantime.

From what she could see, Care was speaking to a worried Cheerilee, most likely reassuring her that the foal’s injuries were dealt with. However, the pegasus must have said something that shocked Cheerilee for their teacher jerked back, eyes wide.

She shook her head and responded, to which Heedful Care offered a solemn head shake before taking off with her wings. Cheerilee then took a deep breath as she went back to watching the foals, albeit with a nervous expression.

While she was away, Diamond Tiara finally spoke up. “You...” She stomped in direction of the one pony she deems responsible for this accident. “It’s all your fault! Because of you, my tiara broke, and I’ve been humiliated in front of the whole school.” She was seeing red.

Apple Bloom quickly saw fit to put an end to this conflict before it got messy. “It ain’t ‘er fault! And it sure ain’t yours either. It was just an accident.”

Diamond Tiara’s cheeks turned red. “Doesn’t change the fact that everypony saw me cry because of her! If she wasn’t in the way like an idiot, my team would have won, and I wouldn’t be stuck here with a painful headache!”

“Hey, it’s not like she got away any better!” Apple Bloom responded. “And Ah think she feels bad ‘bout it too.”

Olive marched up to Diamond Tiara, her head lowered. “I-I’m really sorry. I was just having fun...” she said, her voice sounding nasally thanks to the large plaster on her muzzle.

Diamond Tiara held a hoof to her mouth. “’Oh, you were just having fun’ Look where that brought us. Maybe you should sit the next games out before you break somepony’s leg.”

The rose filly’s eyes widened, her head jerking back in shock. “B-But, I...”

“Cut it out!” Apple Bloom shouted. “I know yer still angry ‘bout the accident, but takin’ out yer anger on ‘er won’t solve anythin’!”

“It so will!” Diamond turned her attention back to her new nemesis. “Next time, low-class blank flank, know your place and don’t even try to get in my way!”

“O-Okay...” Olive answered, lowering her head in submission.

Apple Bloom rushed to her sister’s side to lift her head up. “Wha- Don’t let ‘er walk all over ya!”

“And what’s wrong with that, exactly? WE... are not on the same echelon. My family’s rich. Hers, and also YOUR, family depends on mine to make money. Face the facts, I’m more important than you lower-class fillies.”

A fuse in Apple Bloom’s mind snapped. “Now that’s enough, Diamond Tiara! Ah’m sick of it. Sick of hearin’ ya talk behind mah sister’s back, sick of hearin’ ya yap on about yer family and yer money, sick of always havin’ to console mah sister over yer bullying! She’s mah little sister, and Ah’m done lettin’ ya mock ‘er. Leave us alone, or Ah’ll stop being so nice.” She shouted, burying her face into Diamond’s own.

Diamond Tiara took a step back, intimidated by this outburst. “Wha... And what are you going to do if I don’t? Throw down and beat up an injured filly? H-Ha! ‘Yer’ gonna get expelled.” She confidently responded, though the sweat on her face said otherwise.

Apple Bloom gritted her teeth, starting to see red but she was quickly snapped out of her rage by Olive, who pulled on her with a scared look in her eyes. “Of course not. Ah’m more mature than ya give me credit for. Come on, sis; let’s get out of ‘ere.”

The two fillies exited the infirmary, leaving Diamond Tiara alone to sulk.

The moment Cheerilee dreaded came. Diamond Tiara’s mother arrived, with a ravenous hatred for the poor teacher but today, she at least had the leisure of having Heedful Care to bear the wrath of the spoiled pony.

Spoiled Rich, wife of Filthy Rich the richest pony in all Ponyville, was known for being a rather disagreeable mare. She held a high opinion on the lower class, or really anypony below her family in wealth and power. Most ponies prefered to avoid her, Cheerilee and Care included. Problem was, they had no choice but to listen to her. It’s the school’s rules to notify any parents if their foals get hurt badly.

This discussion wasn’t going to be smooth sailing.

“You got any cider?” Care sighed.

“Can’t have any on the job...” Cheerilee grunted. “I think I’ll just take something for my headache once this is over.”

“Save some for me.”

Spoiled Rich knocked on the door. Heedful Care went to open it, but being a few seconds too late, the rich mare knocked again, but louder. “We’re coming.” Care announced.

The door almost slammed open the moment Care twisted the knob. Spoiled Rich entered, her head might high, and her eyes closed. Everything about her screamed “angry snobbish pony coming to ruin your day”.

Once she was done stomping her way to the cerise mare, she cleared her throat and opened her eyes. “Where’s Diamond Tiara? I demand to know what happened!”

Cheerilee’s hooves trembled. “W-Well, I’m sure as Care explained; there has been an accident.”

“An accident?!” Spoiled Rich fumed. “That’s what you call this? I’ll have you know that my Tiara told me everything before coming here. She said it was this new student’s fault!”

“N-Not at all! I assure you, this whole incident was just an unfortunate accident.” The teacher explained.

“An unfortunate accident? I can hardly believe that. This ‘accident’ also happened to slander the Rich’s family name!” Spoiled pressed her hooves against the desk, leaning over Cheerilee. “SHE made my daughter cry in front of the entire class. That is humiliating and it is hurting the reputation we like to uphold.”

Cheerilee cringed. The emphasis on their reputation really irked her. “Rest assured; Diamond Tiara is doing well. Her injury wasn’t serious.”

“Ah, that’s good.” Spoiled answered, sounding disinterested. “but it doesn’t change what happened. This new filly humiliated the Rich family name. Do I need to remind you who’s keeping the schoolhouse up?”

Cheerilee’s legs tensed up. She looked to the pegasus in the room for help.

“We know, and we’re thankful for it.” Care affirmed. “But-”

“Then you should know that I won’t tolerate this kind of attack! A low-class pony attacked and humiliated a high-class pony. That is unforgivable. We Rich won’t let anypony with a lower social standing mock us.” Spoiled interrupted.

“Miss Rich, I assure you Olive didn’t have any ill intentions. This was all an accident.” Cheerilee repeated, though she could tell it was all going over her head.

Spoiled Rich stood motionless for a moment, then she glared at the cerise mare. She had a name now, but... something else needed to be addressed. “Oh, by the way, Cheerilee, I’ve noticed Diamond Tiara’s grading have been... faltering in recent times.”

Heedful Care raised an eyebrow, looking to Cheerilee for answers. The teacher looked mortified, already knowing where this was going. “I-I know. She may not be putting enough effort in her studies-”

“I’m not buying that. Diamond Tiara is a Rich, and a Rich is above the other echelons. I can only see two explanations possible.” Spoiled continued. "Either the tests are rigged to be harder than they should be or... you’re intentionally sabotaging her.”

Cheerilee struggled to breathe. Her trembling head turned to Care. “Y-You should go now. I’ll handle the situation on my own.”

“A-Are you sure-”

“Check up on the fillies. Make sure there aren’t any complications.”

Heedful Care remained in place for a bit, her eyes moving from Spoiled Rich to Cheerilee. The rich mare tapped her hooves impatiently, ushering her to exit right now. Care reluctantly left, looking behind as she left the classroom. She couldn’t help but feel she was making a mistake.

“Now that we’re alone.” Spoiled growled. “I thought we had a talk earlier this month. Before all the talk about this filly, do you remember?”

“I d-do...”

Spoiled trotted around the room. “It was something about your salary, and who pays to keep the school up. Remember, it’s an act of generosity on MY part, to pay the school’s fee, to offer a place for my Diamond to grow and learn how to act as a member of the upper class. If school doesn’t work out for her, I’ll cut all my funds and homeschool her instead. Need I say more?”

“Th-That won’t be necessary. I’ll make sure she passes.” Cheerilee said, her eyes looking down at her desk.

“I don’t want her to simply pass your class. I want her to be amongst the best, amongst the elite of this...” Spoiled looked around the class, cringing at the simple nature of its design. “Common class.” She stared Cheerilee dead in the eye. The cerise mare didn’t dare to meet her gaze. “Do I need to remind you again who’s the one pony in charge?”

“N-No, I already know.” I know all too well.

“Good.” Spoiled trotted to the door. “By next week, I expect to see some improvements in Diamond Tiara’s grades. If not, expect another visit...”

The mare left, and Cheerilee finally gave the last of her strength up. Her face flopped to the desk, and she sobbed.

As Spoiled Rich left the class, she was immediately stopped by a pink filly sitting next to the door. A unicorn with a pearly white mane, olive eyes and freckles on her face. The worst, however, was the giant scar on her body and the broken muzzle that looked back at her with insolence. The old mare cringed; this was the pony Diamond described. And now, the pony that smeared the reputation of the Rich, her reputation. Heedful Care and Apple Bloom were standing beside her, but they might as well be invisible to her; it wouldn’t have made a difference.

Spoiled Rich looked for her daughter, frowning once she found her.

“Mom! You finally talked to her, didn’t you-”

“Let’s go home. We need to talk about a few things, Diamond Tiara.” Spoiled harshly cut off.

Diamond Tiara gulped, holding her head as it throbbed in pain. Spoiled walked away, forcing her to do the same. As the earth filly followed her mother, she looked back one last time at Olive and Apple Bloom, trying to give them a harsh glare, but she gave them something else entirely.

Olive, who hasn’t moved an inch, watched on. The strange look on the bully’s face raised some concerns, it was a look that felt a little too familiar to her.

“Heh, looks like the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.” Apple Bloom grunted. Her sister didn’t even react to her comment, nor did she appear to have heard it.

“Apple Bloom! That’s not nice to talk behind other pony’s back!” Care reprimanded. “Would you like it if ponies did the same to you?”

“N-No, Ah’m sorry, Miss Care.”

Olive kept on thinking about this look in Diamond’s eyes. It took some time, but she finally understood what it was. It was something she knew all too much about.

Fear.

Author's Note

Come on, was there ever a doubt that Spoiled Rich would show up and spoil everything?

Well, it would seem that things are getting quite hairy for our little ponies, even for Cheerilee. And it would seem that Olive even has some compassion for the pony that relentlessly bullies her. Perhaps the bully is the one who needs helping.

Some last minute news, it seems that the storm in question will be coming in one Equestrian week. Hold on to your hats fillies and gentlecolts, 'cause shit's about to go down.

30. The Giant In The Shadows

7 days left before the storm

Inside the Golden Oak library, Twilight wrote in a magical journal. One she destined to a special unicorn who kept in touch with her after their initial “disagreement” at the Crystal Empire, then taken to another world. Though she often talked about what was going on in Equestria, Twilight chose to omit anything regarding Olive and her father for the time being. Now just didn’t seem like the right time to be venting about it.

Somepony knocked on the door, forcing Twilight to cut her interdimensional writing session off. Living in a public library did come with the downside of often being interrupted by ponies but it was something she quickly got over after she had built strong friendships with five of Ponyville’s residents.

She opened the upper portion of her door, accidentally hitting somepony standing on the other side. “Oops, sorry!”

The unfortunate pony who got hit in the face back pedaled, holding their head in pain.

“Mango? What brings you here?”

Captain Mango shook off the pain and smirked. “Well, you did give me permission to ‘come inside’. I was gonna swing by eventually.” He was noticeably lacking his usual royal captain armor.

Twilight smiled back. “Well, that’s nice, but I don’t really understand why you’d want to come here in particular. Canterlot has bigger and better libraries in general. You’ll find exactly what you want there, not necessarily here but-”

“I ain’t here for the books.”

The princess of friendship frowned. “Oh?”

Mango lifted his body and leaned over the door, pushing Twilight away. “I came for you.”

“Uh-uh. What do you want from me?”

“Nothing, but I’m here to tell you a thing or two, courtesy of the lunar princess.”

Twilight’s expression immediately changed. “Princess Luna sent you? Then it must be super important!”

Captain Mango’s smirk grew wider. “Indeed, it is. Mind if I hop right in?”

“N-No, but I could just-”

The batpony jumped over the door, landing too close to Twilight for comfort. “Great, now let’s talk a bit about... Anarchists.”

The lavender alicorn cringed. “I’d figured it’d be about him. That, or about Olive’s unfortunate ‘monster living in my body’ problem.”

Mango dropped his smirk, getting a visible reaction out of the mare. “Princess Luna didn’t send me to talk about Anarchy specifically.”

“Huh?! Then wha-”

“It’s about his second in command, Strong Hoof.”

Twilight squinted, putting a hoof to her chin. “Uh-”

“No use in digging up your memories. You’ve never heard of him.” Mango affirmed, taking out a sketch made by Looking Glass regarding the gigantic stallion.

“Oh...”

“He’s got to be the strongest pony alive right now. Strongest as in, physical strength of course. Nopony holds a candle to Celestia, but that’s beside the point. Remember when I showed you those fancy necklaces that protects you from magic?”

Twilight’s eyes widened. “I do.”

“You already see where I’m going with this, that’s good.” Mango’s face darkened as he took on a serious expression, one that Twilight never got to see before. “If you’re truly serious about helping us out in this case, then you must be prepared to go through living Tartarus for Equestria’s sake. Strong Hoof won’t fall so easily, and we do not recommend taking him on alone.

If you ever see a gigantic stallion wearing a plumber’s cap, call for our help, don’t try to fight him by yourself.”

“I see. Do we know anything else about him?”

Mango lost his serious gaze. “Uh, no, but he’s unusually big so it shouldn’t be too hard to identify him, should we ever encounter this tough stallion. Do you remember what I taught you a couple of days ago?”

The lavender alicorn nodded. “I do, I’ve been practicing a bit each day since then.”

“Why that’s very good! You’re gonna need it when the time comes. You do know there’s a massive storm coming next Friday, right?”

“Yes. Wait, are you suggesting that something big is going to happen during the storm?”

Mango looked out the window to the sky. “Naturally. The storm’s going to give these Anarchists plenty of cover to do whatever they want. We can’t just tell the weather team to cancel the storm, it’s already been prepped for weeks now. I have a bad feeling about all of this honestly, hence why I came to warn you.”

Twilight took a deep breath, her gears already turning in her head. “O-kay... Anything else I need to know?”

The batpony took out a list from his saddlebag and read through it. “No, that should be it. Well now; mind if I stay for a bit?” he asked, smirking,

“Well...” Twilight gasped. “I know! I have some theories about the Crimson Mask and the eldritch monster I want to show you!”

Mango looked surprised, but agreed nonetheless. Not my idea for a first date, but... let her rant.

The lavender alicorn left only to return later with a billboard. On said billboard were a bunch of sentences and crude drawings each connected to one another. Mango tried to make sense of it, but clearly, he wasn’t Princess Twilight Sparkle, so he couldn’t understand any of it.

“Alright, I’ll start with my theory regarding the imposter masquerading as the Crimson Mask since it’s been stirring up some panic in Ponyville.”

“It's the same in Canterlot, but much worse. Poor Looking Glass had to give a speech to calm everypony down.” Mango chuckled.

“Yikes.” Twilight then cleared her throat as she took out a wooden stick, pointing it at the first drawing. “So, first off, I have many arguments to affirm that the new Crimson Mask is not the same exact pony as the old one Looking Glass defeated because-”

Mango took a seat and listened intently. Eventually, he started to pay less and less attention to Twilight’s words, his mind now focused on only her and her alone. Everything else blended in with the background. In that moment, there was nothing but a lone mare speaking so passionately to him. The captain finally felt it, a spark that disappeared so long ago only to return in the most unexpected of times. However, the stallion was no fool. He knew this battle was lost from the start.

Twilight was too good for him. Either that or she was just completely oblivious to his feelings, which was honestly pretty hilarious to him.

“Interesting, now about you talk about the eldtritch monster living inside that little filly, uh, what was her name again?”

Twilight sighed. “It’s Olive. Come on, how could you forget her name? She’s practically the entire reason we started this case!”

“I’m, uh, a forgetful stallion.”

Twilight glared. “Yeah, right. Anyway, after my first and close encounter with the monster, I’ve done some research and I believe I may have found an explanation to its existence.”

“Go ahead, I'm all ears.”

“Okay, so I’ve noticed that when transformed, the monster has a very similar build to Nightmare Moon, down to the size of the horn although it lacks her power. Then, I finally met Anarchy in pony. I’ve heard his voice and noticed something weird. Olive, when transformed, speaks with three voices, two of them are the exact same ones coming from Anarchy!”

“So this confirms it. Anarchy tried some sort of experiment on his daughter to infuse her with the Nightmare. Considering he tried to kill her, it must have been a failure. Good.” Mango commented.

“This still raises some concerns, mainly about how we should go about taking the Nightmare out of her. She’s still a young filly, removing it might be too dangerous for the time being.” Twilight informed.

“Then let us wait, as long as she can keep it under control, it should be no problem.”

“Yeah, let’s just hope it’ll be that easy...”

Finally, alone and with nopony to disturb him, Looking Glass could move on to his leads in Anarchy’s case. Right now, he had only two objectives, find Anarchy’s hidden base and discover Strong Hoof’s appearance. For both, he knew exactly where to look to accomplish his goals.

Since he was already in Canterlot, he thought to pay a certain rich stallion a visit. The great renowned unicorn Fancy Pants was spectating the Wonderbolt’s race alongside his aristocratic entourage of typical Canterlot elite. The detective could hardly stand these snob ponies, their way of speaking, their condescending attitude, these ponies didn’t have an ounce of respect for anything that doesn’t have their pockets filled with money.

He climbed up the stairs to the top of the stadium, being briefly stopped by one of the guards.

“Halt, this area is reserved only to Fancy Pants and his guests.”

Looking Glass’s powerful amber eyes quickly established who was the stronger pony. “I’m here to talk with Fancy Pants on the behalf of Princess Luna. Is that problem?”

“N-No.” The guard moved out of the way, the dark blue unicorn reached the top of the stadium, his eyes locking on to Fancy Pants.

The aristocratic unicorn was talking to his entourage of rich folks about the Wonderbolt he’s betting on, still wearing his usual smile though it faltered from time-to-time.

“Spitfire might be the fastest of the Wonderbolt, but I know for a fact that she’s tired from her previous escapade. Now, Soarin, on the other hoof is in top shape. I have no doubt he’ll be able to clutch it!”

“Ooh! Then I should bet for Soaring too!” One of the rich ponies said.

“As for me, I think I’ll vote for-”

“Fancy Pants.”

Everypony turned their attention to Looking Glass. The detective strolled to them without a single care in the world, his eyes staring deep into Fancy Pants’s soul. “I’ve come to ask a few questions if you don’t mind.”

“A-Ah! That won’t be a problem at all, good sir!” Fancy looked at his companions. “I will absent myself for a moment. I’ll be back in a jiffy!”

Now alone, Looking Glass could finally begin what he set out to do. The dark blue unicorn took a quick look at the sun, estimating how much time left before sundown before he began. “This is about the Anarchists, mainly a stallion going by the name ‘Strong Hoof’. I’m trying to find as much information on him as possible.”

Fancy Pants’s eye twitched slightly. “Oh? The name doesn’t ring a bell, I’m afraid. I don’t see how I can help you.”

Looking Glass wasn’t fully convinced. Something about this subtle eye twitching told him he was on the right track. “Then maybe a short description will suffice. Big, muscular, sporting a plumber’s cap. I’m sure that rings a bell.”

Fancy Pants broke eye contact, looking back at the race for a quick distraction. “I don’t believe I've ever seen a stallion that fits this description. My apologies, sir Looking Glass. If I ever see him, I’ll notify you immediately.”

Darn, he won’t talk. There’s nothing I can do here... not as Looking Glass. The detective respectfully nodded. “I see, thank you for your help.” Under the sunlight, there wasn’t much he could do. But under the moonlight, a world of possibility opened to the stallion. Fancy Pants might not be comfortable talking, but the contents of his home would reveal the truth, one way or another.

That night, Looking Glass snuck in Fancy Pants’s courtyard, trying to find a safe way in. He was wearing his dark cape and the Crimson Mask to hide his identity. As the new Crimson Mask, he could do anything he want to achieve his noble goal. He stared at the mansion with a mixture of disgust and admiration. It was pretty, majestic, but like everything else in Canterlot, it felt a little too... gaudy.

“Security is lacking. How odd for a rich pony. Here I thought they hired bodyguards to patrol around their propriety.” Once again, the ghost of the previous owner haunted him again. The skin around his mouth vanished, revealing strands of muscles pulling and tensing to move his jaw. “I was afraid to stick my neck out in Canterlot because of Princess Celestia and because I thought these rich folks would pay themselves with all sorts of security measures. I was wrong, and now it just pisses me off.”

“Everything is too easy when it comes to criminal activities. It’s no wonder ponies like Anarchy get away with their vile actions so often. All of this is a sick joke.” Looking Glass grunted. “That’s why I must fight no matter what happens to me.”

“How noble. This mentality won’t get you killed for sure.” The ghost mocked, the tiny skulls in his mouth cackling.

The Crimson Mask snuck around the courtyard, pressing its face on the stained glass and peeked inside. The place was huge, but empty on the inside. Nopony in there except for Fancy Pants and Fleur-de-lis. This made things much simpler. It was only a matter of sneaking in, making as little noise as possible, find something of note and leave.

“What’s with rich ponies and giant houses meant for only two ponies? It’s a precious waste of space.”

Considering the lack of security, I’ll have to find an open window or a chimney to sneak in.

The Crimson Mask wished he learned flight magic for it would have made things so much easier. Instead, he had to climb all the way up and find an entrance from the roof. Easier said than done. To this end, he remembered a spell that can come in handy. A spell to make your hooves sticky, great for climbing. He learned it back when he went to Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns, and such knowledge never left his strong mind.

He pressed one hoof against the wall, then another and then, all four were glued to the wall. From then on it was just a matter of not letting fatigue get the better of him. It wasn’t so bad at first, but the weight of his body quickly caught on to his four hooves. The pain reared its ugly head, making him want to let go, but his mind was stronger than that. He worked through pain, and simple exercises like this one won’t get him to give up.

“Hum, admirable...” The ghost reluctantly admitted.

Now, to look for an entrance. Something like an open window should do.

The Crimson Mask searched around the rooftop but came up short of an open window. That was no reason to look somewhere else, unicorns can do magic, and that means that nothing is impossible to them. Criminals always find a way in even if all doors and windows are locked. For the masked stallion, he found a good entrance in the form of a closed window leading to Fancy Pants’s office.

The window may be locked, but there were plenty of objects heavy enough to twist the lock. Windows in Canterlot, especially for rich ponies, are usually magic proof, but not object proof. Crimson Mask lifted an umbrella resting in the corner of the room and pulled it to the locked window, fidgeting with the lock until he succeeded in unlocking the window.

With one push, he opened his entrance and got in undetected.

“You’re too good at this. Aren’t you sure you’d be better off switching teams already? You can forge your own empire, one that will surely surpass Anarchy.” The ghost proposed, his voice sounding higher, almost like he was pleading.

Crimson Mask inspected his surroundings, locking the window behind him. With Fancy Pants’s office all to himself, he had the whole night to find a lead on his nemesis.

“Think about it. Hundreds, perhaps even thousands of ponies kneeling before you. Hailing you as their savior in this world. They’ll do anything for you. You’ll be able to build a whole new world with them at your command.” He unhinged his jaw, letting all the tiny skulls inside praise him endlessly until he closed his mouth to silence them.

The Crimson Mask opened a drawer and took out its content, inspecting every document closely. So far, nothing that featured Anarchy or at the very least, alluded to the dark unicorn.

“Put some thoughts into it, I guarantee it’s not as bad as it seems. You see-” The distant sound of hooves clopping against the stone floor caught the unicorn’s attention.

“Silence. Somepony’s coming.”

The door creaked as it opened. The mansion’s owner entered and quickly shifted to his desk, opening a specific drawer. He fumbled through some documents until he found what he wanted and closed the drawer, looking around him to make sure nopony saw him. Nothing in sight, he was truly alone. He sighed as he left his office, failing to the masked stallion clinging to the roof with sticky hooves.

Gotcha, now I need to follow him discreetly and see what he’s going to do next. The franticness of his movement tells me he’s stuck in a stressful situation, but why?

Fancy Pants trotted around his luxurious estate, oblivious to the shadow following him around. He went down the stairs, past his kitchen to reach the back hall where he was to be expected. Standing in his back hall were two ponies. An average sized pegasus mare with a light blue coat and purple eyes. The other one, was the bruiser and the mastermind of the two. As large as a tree, he sported a white coat, a plumber’s cap and scarlet eyes.

Hiding behind a pillar, the Crimson Mask stared in awe at Strong Hoof, finally seeing him under the moonlight. Yes, the light that shone through the large windows of the back hall finally revealed the form of Anarchy’s right hoof. One of his objectives have been accomplished. Now, he only needed to know what was going on here.

Fancy Pants slowed down to a crawl, lifting the trembling hoof that held the document. “H-Here’s as you ordered, um, mister Strong Hoof.”

The giant gazed around the area, frowning. “Your ‘wife’ is not spying on us, I presume?”

“Oh no no no no! C-Certainly not! I’m the only pony awake in this mansion.” Fancy Pants looked behind him to confirm it.

“Well, um, here it is.”

Strong Hoof snatched it, quickly reading through the documents. “Good, it’s everything we needed. It’s very detailed too. I must commend your work, without it, we wouldn’t have all the components necessary to bring some change to this country.”

“Th-That’s great. N-Now I only wanted to know if you’d keep your word.”

Strong Hoof grinned. “What word was it again? I believe I’ve made too many promises to remember.”

Fancy Pants’s head jerked back. “Th-That you’d leave us alone, and not burn down our mansion!” his trembling voice said.

“Oh yeah... that one.” Strong Hoof stared at the stained glass around the back hall, a certain sense of disgust filling his mind.

“We’d never burn down such a... fine work of art now, would we?” He lowered his head to match the much smaller size of the rich unicorn. “We’re not barbarians, I assure you. Call us... revolutionaries, underdogs even.”

“I-I never doubted you, kind sir. I always knew the Anarchists were a, um, sophisticated group of individuals.”

The Crimson Mask could clearly discern uncertainty and fear behind Fancy Pants’s voice. I see now... This poor gentlecolt is forced to work with these ruthless criminals. With Anarchy, even the most powerful ponies in Canterlot bend their will to him, one way or another. All the more reason to strike as quickly as possible. Flush out their base and announce it to Luna and Celestia. Then, during the raid, I’ll strike him down and once again... I’ll say I had no choice but to kill him.

“Sure, if it worked once, try it again. You should know by now that this strategy isn’t going to work everytime. You can’t make exceptions constantly. One day, they’ll catch on to your deception. Who’ll be laughing then?”

The Crimson Mask was satisfied, he had seen enough. With no real reason to stick around, he snuck from pillar to pillar, keeping an eye out for Strong Hoof. It was reasonable to assume they were both protected by their magic deflecting necklace. After all, they were intruding on the propriety of two unicorns.

A lone unicorn stallion wouldn’t fare well against a giant earth pony stallion. If Applejack could leave a nasty bruise on his hoof, then Strong Hoof would simply smash it to pieces in just one blow. All the more reasons to leave before he is spotted.

“Fancy Pants? Who are these ponies?”

Everypony inside the back hall froze. Fleur-de-lis was there, lingering above the staircase, her hooves perched on the guardrails. Fancy Pants noticed the displeased glint in the giant’s eyes and began to panic.

“Th-They’re just friends, miss Fleur. We were having a friendly chat in here.”

The shadows covered Strong Hoof’s eyes, making it impossible to know how he was feeling.

As for the Crimson Mask, he hid behind the mare, thankful that her attention was directed only towards Strong Hoof. Without him, she’d have spotted him, and things would have gotten ugly. The white stallion of all ponies would react with extreme violence should he see the mask. However, his cloak was getting in the way of his hooves, making it arduous to sneak without tripping on it.

Then, Strong Hoof smiled. He let out a bone chilling laugh meant to clearly sound casual. “I must say, mister Fancy Pants is quite the interesting pony to chat with. I learn something new every time I speak with him. But do pardon our ‘intrusion’ tonight, we only came for the wine.” He raised his head slightly, the shadows leaving his face to reveal two eyes that were irked with this fancy talk. His smile even faltered a bit.

Dreamcatcher took off to reach Fleur-de-lis's eye level. “We heard from folks that you had a wine cellar. We’d like to have a taste of one of your wine bottles.”

Behind the mare, the Crimson Mask doubled his efforts to get away. Should this pegasus approach the unicorn, he’ll be spotted. He’s not even sure if he can outrun Strong Hoof. As his speed increased, so did the risks. His hooves kept getting caught in the cloak. Despite this, he accelerated whilst making sure he made as little sound as possible. In a cruel twist of fate, his body pulled too hard, his hoof weighing down on the cloak. The resulting pull tore off a piece of the cloak, producing a sound loud enough for Fleur-de-lis to notice.

She turned around and her startled eyes met the cold ones of the mask. In the split-second that followed, the two ponies’s hearts stopped. Fleur-de-lis shrieked, almost tripping on the railing. The Crimson Mask growled and took off galloping.

“There’s an intruder!” Dreamcatcher announced, her brows furrowing.

Downstairs, Strong Hoof grimaced. His scarlet eyes turned a bloodier shade of red. “Oh, you are a dead pony!”

"Wahoo!" With one powerful leap, he reached the upper floor and took off running. His heavy weight forced him to only trot at a faster pace than average, but it was more than enough to catch the fleeing intruder. Bigger means faster, this intruder can’t outrun him.

The Crimson Mask cursed his injury that was slowing him down. His chest felt like it was tearing itself apart from the pressure of running. To buy some time, he fired a spell at the floor behind him, turning the corridor into an icy arena. It doesn’t matter how big or fast you are, nopony is immune to sliding. Nopony except pegasi, but the light blue mare wasn’t his concern.

Strong Hoof tripped as expected. Losing his balance, he slid across the corridor, unable to get back on his four hooves. He eventually smashed into the wall, sending rows upon rows of brick tumbling on him.

The cloaked stallion took advantage of this small distraction to bust into Fancy Pants’s office, heading straight for the window that’ll get him out of here. He unlocked it and climbed back to the roof; the one place Strong Hoof couldn’t reach him without breaking the entire rooftop.

The white coated giant stuck his head the window like a periscope. He swung left and right, unable to find the intruder.

“Looking for me?”

Strong Hoof looked behind him, now noticing the masked stallion standing above him on the roof. His cloak followed the gust of the wind, revealing the scarred body underneath.

“Crimson Mask, it seems the boss was right all along. You-” his eyes rested upon the scars. In that moment, he realised who was currently taunting him. “Looking Glass... it seems the boss failed in humbling you, twice. You’ve become more arrogant than ever.”

“I’d say he’s the arrogant one. I’ll put an end to your chaotic crusade and restore peace in Equestria.” Looking Glass coldly stated.

“Let me correct my previous statement, idiota. You’re egotistical.”

The cloaked stallion jumped in front of Strong Hoof, slowing his fall with a minor levitation spell. “I back my words with facts. You’re just a barking dog.” Who failed to kill a filly.

Strong Hoof gritted his teeth, pulling his head back inside. “This dog does bite, and he knows a thing or two about crushing bones.”

Landing on the ground, Looking Glass wasted no time leaving the courtyard. He only stopped galloping once he was in the dimly lit streets of the city.

“Smooth moves, detective. You have pizzazz, I’ll give you that.” The ghost reappeared, chuckling as the dark blue unicorn took off his cloak and mask, replacing them with a suit and a top hat. He hid the two items inside a nearby saddlebag he hid.

I have discovered Strong Hoof’s appearance tonight. I don’t know who that mare was, but I’ll remember her face just in case she turns out to be important to this case. Light blue coat, dark blue hair, freckles... Noted. I must return home, without being seen by anypony. Looking Glass slept like a foal this night, he wasn’t out in the streets.

The ground rumbled, a small puddle of water on the ground creating waves. Looking Glass gazed behind, seeing the dark silhouette of a giant pony slowly coming to view. He's coming for me.

“Where you’re running off to, detective? Heh, running only means you’ll die tired.” Even inside the great city of Canterlot, Strong Hoof had no fear. With the necklace on, he was nearly indestructible. Looking Glass had to lose him as fast as possible, or else he’ll be pummeled to death by the giant who took down an entire train with a headbutt.

The detective ran down an alley, catching the attention of his pursuer. The white earth pony chuckled, following his prey down the tight alley. “Let’s fight, loser buys the first round.”

I can’t leave these tight alleys, otherwise he’ll have plenty of space to catch up. Better stay in enclosed spaces where he can’t reach his top speed. I’ll have to find a way to lose him.

Looking Glass sprinted throughout the narrow alleyways of Canterlot, knocking over barrels and trash bins along the way in a last-ditch attempt to slow his pursuer down. Despite being unable to run in there, Strong Hoof was still slowly closing the gap. His thick skin brushed against the stones of the buildings around him, they scratched at him, but he refused to slow down. Strong Hoof wasn’t the type to give up the chase so easily.

His giant hooves crushed the obstacles thrown his way with relative ease. The detective began to wonder if there were any materials on Equestria that could even withstand this giant’s strength. Reaching an intersection, the unicorn winced. He could buy himself some time there, or even lose his pursuer.

At said intersection, he casted a teleportation spell, making it impossible from Strong Hoof’s perspective to see which route he took. Under stressful circumstances, a unicorn struggles to cast a spell, for it requires concentration. For Looking Glass, however, he fortified his mind so that no stressful situation can get the better of him.

Now gone, Strong Hoof stopped at the intersection. “Where’re you running of to, smarty pants? I found you once, I’ll find you again!” His eyes shifted from the three possible alleys the detective could have taken. Nopony was in any of them. Gritting his teeth, he took one alley at random and shuffled around.

What he did not know, was that Looking Glass merely teleported to the roof of one of the buildings, watching from above. Crawl back to the shadows. I’ll come back for you later.

Wings flapped above, catching the dark blue stallion’s attention. Dreamcatcher was darting the city in search of him too, or perhaps of her companion that took off running.

I should go back to the streets, while they’ve lost me.

Minutes later, Looking Glass arrived home. Now locked behind the safety of his door, he headed to his bed and calmly stepped in. The mask made him feel powerful. Not because he was stronger, no, but because he had complete freedom over his course of action. As long as he had it, there were no reasons to fear these wretched ponies.

The stallion placed the mask inside a nearby drawer and turned off the dimly lit lamp on his night table, ready to go back to sleep as if nothing happened that night.

Author's Note

Oh my, it seems we finally got a clear time for the storm. Scheduled in only seven days, things are about to get real bad soon. I certainly won't let you forget for the next chapters. The countdown has just begun, and we'll see it to the end, where our giant friend finally comes to town.

31. Sleepover at Carousel Boutique

6 days left before the storm

The weekend has come, meaning Olive has two entire days to sit back and relax after her stressful introduction to school. Applejack was understandably worried when she saw her foster daughter returning home with a bruised muzzle. It took a lot of explaining to finally calm her down. It was nothing, or so Olive tried to pass it off as such despite the awful pain.

Before going to bed, Applejack announced her that this weekend will be a special one, but she’ll only tell tomorrow morning. Once dawn came, Olive excitedly wandered downstairs before the sun even illuminated the land. She sat in her seat and waited, waited for Applejack to tell her and serve her breakfast.

The radio was back on, playing yet another Jolly Melody song. Olive was irked by this, to say the least. She just wished they'd start playing something else.

“Ya know where the oatmeal is. Ya can serve breakfast yourself, ya know, on yer own. Ya don’t need me to do everythin’.”

Olive stared at her with fish eyes. “I don’t know how to serve myself oatmeal.”

Applejack giggled. “Which is why ya should watch me. Ya’ll learn quickly, Ah’m sure.”

“O-Okay.”

Placing down her bowl on the table, Applejack took a seat next to her daughter. “Ah think what ya really need to know, sugar cube, is autonomy.”

Olive blinked. “Au-to-no-my?”

“Yeah, it means being able to learn and do things on yer own. Everypony learns it at some point in their life.”

“How do I acquire autonomy?” Olive asked curiously, putting on a flowery word in a cute attempt at appearing smart.

The orange mare giggled. “That’ll only come with time. The more you grow up, the better you are at bein’ autonomous. Ah think Ah know where to start with ya.”

“Really? What am I going to do?”

“Ah’ve noticed ya spent a lot of time with Apple Bloom and ‘er friends, but that’s only when the whole gang was together.”

Olive titled her head to the side, wondering where she was going with this.

“The bonds ya form with other ponies is the most important thing in life, and that’s somethin’ that simply can’t be taught, it has to be experienced. If ya want to be more independent, strengthenin’ yer bonds with yer friends is a good start.”

“How can I strengthen my bonds with my friends?”

Applejack snickered. “By spendin’ some time with ‘em! Have you ever had a sleepover before?”

Olive blinked. “Huh?”

“Ah’m guessin’ no. Today, ya’ll be spendin’ the day with Sweetie Belle to know ‘er better, and tomorrow ya’ll do the same with Scootaloo. Ah already told ‘em ‘bout it.”

“I’m going to sleep over at their house?”

“Now yer getting' it, sugar cube!” Applejack exclaimed as she rubbed the filly’s mane.

Olive giggled, her cute smile threatening to melt the mare’s heart.

“Once yer done eatin’, we’ll go to Carousel Boutique together.”

Dropped off at Carousel Boutique, Olive solemnly watched her mother leave her behind. It was only just for a day, sure, but she still felt uncomfortable being away from Aj. Still, being with Sweetie Belle for the day at least meant she wasn’t on her own.

Right now, there was only the white mare with the indigo mane at her side. Olive remembered her as the pony who painfully brushed her mane back at the party, though the name slipped away unfortunately. The mare cringed lightly at her bruised muzzle, visibly doing her best to ignore it.

“It is so nice to finally spend some time with you, darling! You have no idea just how fascinating Applejack made you look. It’s rare to see a pony carrying such mystery in Ponyville, you know.” Rarity said, inviting the filly deeper in the shop.

“Y-Yeah... That’s what they all say.”

The white mare opened the closet and took a few garments out. She hovered them over to the small pink unicorn, seeing which ones fit and which ones didn’t. “Oh my, you’ll look ravishing in this dress. Here, why don’t you try it on?”

Olive touched the dress, unsure what to do. This was the first time she ever saw a pretty dress, much less got the chance to try one on. “Hm.”

Rarity raised an eyebrow. “Uh, wh-what's wrong? Do you not like it?”

Olive looked her dead in the eyes. “How do I put it on, miss?”

Rarity blinked, bewildered by this question. “Uh, w-well first off; you can just call me Rarity like my friends do. Secondly, uh, I-I'll show you how you put on a dress. It’s really simple once you get the gist of it.”

The kind mare taught her the art of putting on a dress and accentuated the importance of one's appearance in public. A mare must always be at her prettiest during special occasions, hence why they wear a dress. Olive listened and recorded the whole lesson down. There was just one problem; Rarity showed her how to put on a dress... with magic. The one thing she swore to never use.

Placed in front of a mirror, Olive got to see how sparkly she looked with the beautiful dress on. “See? A dress makes all the difference in the world. Should you ever need something pretty for a special occasion, swing by the boutique and I’ll cook something for you.”

“You can make gingerbread dresses?”

Rarity blinked. “Uh, no darling. It’s cook as in, doing something extremely well.”

“Ah?”

“It’s what ponies call a slang, it’s a bit complicated.”

Olive’s ears lowered. “Everything is complicated for me.” she whined.

Rarity patted the filly on the head. “Aw, I’m sure you’ll get the hang of it in no time, dear. You look like a very intelligent filly.”

“Olive?!” Rarity turned around in surprise. Her younger sister, Sweetie Belle, just arrived downstairs. The white filly rushed to her friend in no time, glaring at her sibling. “You didn’t tell me she was coming!”

“Oh, w-well, it’s just because... I wanted it to be a surprise, but you, uh, came in a little too soon.” Rarity blurted out.

“Huh huh.” Sweetie Belle kept her glare on Rarity for a bit before turning to her pink friend. “It’s nice that you came today, I was just starting to get bored! Nothing really happens in here!”

Rarity’s brows furrowed. “What?”

“Nothing happens? That’s great.”

The two siblings blinked. “Uh, what’s so fun about nothing?” Sweetie asked.

“I like to just relax.” Olive said, a simple answer that didn’t quite quench their curiosity, but they didn’t feel like pressing on.

Rarity smiled and headed upstairs. “Well, I suppose I’ll leave you two for a while. Have fun!”

Now left alone, the two fillies could finally get up to all sorts of fun and wild games! That or they can just awkwardly stare at each other for minutes...

Olive and Sweetie Belle were locked in a no blinking contest, at least, that’s what it looked like on the outside. The truth was, none of them knew what to even say now that they were by themselves. This was the first time they were together, just the two of them and it was clearly showing. Despite being friends, they felt somewhat uncomfortable in each other's presence.

Olive started rubbing her hoof on her dress, looking to her left, only showing the part of her face that was mostly hidden by her mane. She felt more comfortable this way.

Sweetie Belle looked away too but kept on glancing at her pink friend. “U-Um, I guess I can show you... my room?”

The fabric of the dress began to irritate Olive. Her mind raced towards a new objective, removing it. The task was much more arduous than she could have imagined. The dress was sticking to her skin thanks to its tight design, removing it by hoof was almost impossible, especially by herself.

Sweetie Belle noticed the filly’s struggle and went to lend a hoof but due to her difficulties with learning magic, she chose to take it off by hoof. “Let me help you with that. ‘Sis always makes them tight because that’s the new trend in Canterlot. I really don’t understand why, I mean, it does feel uncomfortable, doesn’t it?”

“Hm hm.”

The white filly’s hooves slid around to the back of Olive’s neck, pulling on the dress. The pink unicorn shivered, her head jerking briefly. “D-Did I hurt you? I’m really sorry if I did.”

Olive’s eyes widened. “N-No, you just tickled me.”

“If I accidentally hurt you, you’d tell me, right?” Sweetie Belle asked.

“Hm hm.”

Sweetie continued to poke around her body, trying to tear away the dress. It was clear she didn’t really know what she was doing, but help was help, Olive appreciated this gesture. The warm feeling of her friend’s hooves slowly carried over to her own body, especially to her freckled cheeks.

“I-Is it coming off?”

“Almost...” Sweetie Belle’s face was slowly turning red with embarrassment. She practically took a full minute to fondle her friend to no avail. Eventually, she just decides to pull as hard as she could, and the dress tore apart. “Whoo?!”

Olive jumped out of the garment, smiling. “You did it!”

The white filly stared at the tarnished dress. “At the cost of my life apparently...” sweat dripped down her face. If her coat wasn’t white, we’d probably see she was pale.

“Not if she never finds it. We must bury it.” Olive proposed, sounding a bit mechanical as if she was paraphrasing somepony extremely experienced.

“Are you sure this will work?”

The pink filly blinked. “Only one way to find out. If it doesn’t work, we’ll just have to come up with something better next time.”

Sweetie Belle stood there, mouth agape. When it came down to business, Olive spoke in a completely different tone. She sounded like she was imitating somepony, not that it sounded like a good pony. “Okay... I guess we’ll go with your idea.”

Burying the dress was a strange experience for Sweetie. It felt like they were covering up a murder, sinister thought indeed but the truth was so innocent it ended up looking adorable to the occasional passerby. Olive was surprisingly strong when it came to handling the shovel, that white haired filly had a lot of power in that little mouth of hers.

They dug until they made a hole big enough to fit the dress, but small enough so that it’d go unnoticed by Rarity.

Back inside, the awkward atmosphere persisted. The two foals didn’t know what to say or do. It was back to the staring contest that devolved into watching the walls as if they were somehow the second coming of Luna.

Sweetie Belle scratched her head. She couldn’t think of what to do and it was making her nervous. She already made a bad impression with the dress and the awkward staring contest.

Olive subtly turned her head to peek at the white filly. She opened her mouth but said nothing. Instead, she recited the exact words in her mind until she was sure of herself, which ended up taking an entire minute of pure awkward agony. “Y-You said you wanted to show me, um, y-your room.” and she still fumbled it.

Sweetie Belle’s nervous gaze focused. “Oh yeah! I did! Come on, I’m sure you’re gonna love it.”

Sweetie’s room was interesting to see. As Olive’s eyes glazed around the place, she compared it to Apple Bloom’s bedroom, now getting a clear idea as to what a normal filly’s room looks like. It’s supposed to be extravagant but also simple. Wooden but also brickly. Colorful but also not colorful. Wait a minute... this doesn’t make any sense!

Once again, Olive couldn’t wrap her head around a seemingly simple concept. She’ll put it on her mental list of “things to ask mommy later”.

Sweetie Belle pulled up with an instrument, a guitar. That immediately caught the pink filly’s attention.

“You have a guitar? You play music?” she asked rapidly.

Her friend sheepishly smiled. “Yeah well, I’ve just started playing the guitar. I-I realised that I always loved to do music, uh, somewhat. A-At least, that’s what other ponies have suggested I try. They said I was good at singing.”

“Can you play me a song?” Olive asked, sitting on the floor with her ears perked up. Little did Sweetie know; music was something the pink unicorn held dearly to her heart. Her father wasn’t the best, far from it, but he was a great musician. No matter the instrument, he could play anything. The best memories Olive kept of him were the times he played a “nice” song for his crew. It was either about his love for Princess Luna or about his insatiable hunger for his kin’s flesh. She’d always be hiding somewhere to listen.

With Sweetie Belle, however, she got the front row. A VIP pass to listen to one of her songs. The white filly opened her chest, rummaging through the rubble inside to finally pick a sheet, the lyric’s sheet to be precise. Immediately, she felt Olive’s presence mere inches behind her.

“Can I see the lyrics?”

Sweetie shot a quick glance at the lyrics for a song she titled “Hearts as Strong as Horses”. She quickly hid the sheet on her chest, her face turning a little red. “M-Maybe I’ll pick another one.”

“Is it not good?” Olive pressed. “I-I can maybe help with the lyrics.”

“Uh... well...” Sweetie Belle’s cheeks turned a light red. Apart from Apple Bloom and Scootaloo, nopony ever heard her songs much less read her lyrics. She wasn’t sure she was ready to share it just yet, but she can’t also turn down her friend. “I g-guess I can show you the lyrics, b-but, um, I don’t really think they’re all that great. I might change them... yeah, change them.”

Reluctantly, she handed over the lyrics to Olive and watched in bathed breath as the filly read through it, slowly. Sweetie felt the sweat dripping down her face. Her entire body was getting hotter, her hooves were sweaty too. She could really go for a cool drink right now.

Olive quickly pulled the sheet down, startling Sweetie Belle. That feeling was short lived as the pink filly had a noticeable look of admiration on her face. “That’s amazing! You’re really good at writing lyrics!” She exclaimed, awkwardly bouncing in place.

“Huh?! Really?” Her blush reddened. “W-Wow, that’s the first time I ever got this much praise... outside of my other friends.” Apple Bloom and Scootaloo were good friends for sure, but they got along so much that whatever criticism they might have would probably be dialed down for her sake. With Olive, she had absolute honesty, and that honesty was telling her this was good.

“Can you play this one for me, p-please?” Olive begged, almost forgetting to say it politely.

Sweetie stared at the guitar in her hoof before she sat down, smiling excitedly. “Of course!” Fumbling through the chest, she pulled out the sheets for the guitar. She lit up her horn, taking some time to mentally prepare herself before she could play.

Her hooves were shaking with stress and excitement. It was a strange and wonderful feeling. Taking a deep breath, she finally started the song before the pink filly.

Upon hearing the guitar and Sweetie’s beautiful singing voice, Olive felt herself being taken back to the best moments of her life. A light sensation in her chest made her feel weightless. The world before her slowly faded away, replaced by old memories.

Olive found herself staring through the cracks of a broken wall, gazing in awe at a purple stallion holding a guitar of his own. Many ponies gathered around him to listen to his music. Despite their rough and mean looks, they all listened with respect to the one they followed religiously.

Destiny is ours
Our fears won’t bother us

The pink unicorn kept moving around, trying to get a better view of her father. Back then, he had a noticeably shorter mane and normal eyes by pony standards. During the night, she was supposed to be in bed, but night was always the time when he’d play. Olive simply couldn’t help herself to disobey him. She had to listen to him every time he took the guitar.

The times he held his guitar were also the only times his grin lowered, slowly turning into something indecipherable for the filly.

Equestria’s falling down
Our world is breaking down
But I know we will survive
Until the end of time

Despite never understanding the meaning behind his songs, Olive loved them. She loved all of them. It was strange to her that he never went up on stage like other musicians. He was gifted, but his talents would never be known to everypony. It was his choice, maybe it was Olive who was simply too young to understand why.

When she’ll be older, surely, she’ll understand why her father is so different from other ponies.

Then the ground rumbled, thundering hoofsteps rapidly approaching. Her father stopped playing, his eyes sliding towards her, albeit looking a bit too high.

A deep, gruff voice chilled her bones. “Didn’t your daddy tell you to go to bed, potra insolente?”

Olive turned around to face the angry giant. Her body spazzed out in fear as the giant showed his dirty teeth.

The world returned to normal, her memories fading away. She was back in Carousel Boutique, listening to Sweetie Belle playing. Her tormentor was gone, he has been for weeks. Despite that, the pink unicorn was still terrified at the mere thought of him. Just thinking about him brought back a flood of pain and fear.

By letting her mind take over, she accidentally spoiled the moment. Her breathing became ragged again, her eyes turned to pinpricks and her forehead was covered in sweat. Sweetie Belle quickly caught on to her distraught state. Her song slowed down until she came to a halt.

“O-Olive? Are you alright?” she asked. Her voice sounded hurt.

Olive’s eyes watered, her cheeks turning red. “Y-Yes... I’m just being stupid again.”

“What’s wrong? Did you not like my song?” Sweetie Belle pressed, her voice croaking at her second question. She looked like she was about to tear up herself.

The pink filly’s eyes widened, feeling a bitter sense of deja-vu. “N-No! I l-loved it! I... just thought too much.”

Sweetie smiled weakly. “Thank you. I worked really hard on it...” Looking at her distraught friend, she wondered what could have happened to her. Rarity didn’t tell her much apart from the obvious; Olive had a difficult foalhood and nearly died near Ponyville. That last thought alone always sent a shiver down her spine whenever she thought about it. To think that if Applejack hadn’t found her that day, Olive wouldn’t be there. Despite her burning and somewhat morbid curiosity, she chose not to pry into the filly’s past.

“W-Well, if you’re feeling bad then... maybe you could come to me? I’d like to help out the, um, newest member of the Cutie Mark Crusaders because that is our vow.” Sweetie exclaimed. The world “vow” sounded hollow to her, however. It wasn’t because of this that she was trying her best to entertain Olive.

“C-Could you play another song for me?”

Sweetie Belle smiled, her cheeks warming up. “You don’t have to ask!”

“Um, Sweetie Belle? I have something I want to tell you.”

Down in the kitchen, the two fillies decided to have a little snack before dinner. During the short journey there, Olive seemed tormented but wouldn’t say anything until now.

“Go ahead, I’m listening.” Sweetie Belle said, chugging down a glass of milk.

“Yesterday, I saw Diamond Tiara’s mother.” The pink filly started.

“Ugh, she must be as lousy as Diamond no doubt.”

“Well, she did sound harsh when she spoke to Diamond Tiara. That’s not what bothers me.” Olive continued, trotting in place.

Sweetie Belle stopped drinking her milk, too curious to even finish her drink. “Then, what is?”

“I-It’s when she looked at me. She looked scared. Is it normal for fillies to be scared when their parents are angry?” Olive softly asked.

The white unicorn giggled. “Of course it is! I sometimes get scared when Rarity scolds me.”

Olive didn’t look appeased by this answer. “I don’t know. It just didn’t look like it was normal to me. It made me think of...” She closed her eyes, feeling a new wave of emotion coming up. “somepony who was just as afraid as me. I think Diamond Tiara needs help.”

Sweetie Belle blinked. “Um, are you sure she really needs help? It might be nothing to fuss about. Plus, she’s been nothing but nasty to you, and us too. Even if it turns out she needs help, she might not even want us to do something.”

Olive let out a quiet whimper. “I need to know if she’s okay. Even if she doesn’t want me to help, I’ll do it.” She looked away, hiding her face behind a long strand of her mane. “I don’t like Diamond Tiara, but I don’t want to see her suffer. If something’s wrong, I must do something about it.” It’s... It’s what she would have wanted me to do.

Sweetie Belle smiled, it took some time for her to process what her friend just said. When she did, she made up her mind. “As fellow members of the Cutie Mark Crusaders, we’ll always help each other out.”

Behind her mane, Olive smiled gratefully.

Under the night sky, Olive and Sweetie Belle sat on the grass, admiring the beautiful view before them. The sky was filled with stars and colors despite the darkness. It brought peace to the heart of the pink filly. The night was misunderstood. The day was beautiful, sure, but the night was always prettier, more mysterious especially. The chilly temperature only contributed to this strong feeling.

“It’s so pretty here...” Olive muttered in awe.

Sweetie Belle took a deep breath, enjoying the cold breeze brushing against her face. “It’s quite the spectacle. Sometimes, we even see shooting stars!”

“It’s... much prettier than the sky in the big cities.”

Sweetie lowered her head, looking Olive in the eyes. The pink filly kept her gaze on the sky. “Much prettier?”

“There are more stars in Ponyville. The sky is bland in cities like Manehattan. I’ve... never seen a sky this beautiful before...”

Olive said, getting a bit emotional. She lifted her hooves up to the sky. “I wish I could fly up there and touch the stars.”

Sweetie Belle couldn’t stop herself from staring at her friend. There was such a beautiful spark in her eyes. Something so respectable. There was a mixture of pain and joy in them. A contrast that created something admirable.

Olive lowered her hooves, her beautiful expression transformed into a sad one. “But that’s a stupid wish. Nopony can fly this far up, and the stars are too big and too far away to be touched.”

“I don’t think this is a stupid wish. I think it’s rather cool.” Sweetie Belle said softly.

Olive’s eyes widened. “Really?”

“W-Well, I actually think you’re rather cool.” Sweetie sheepishly admitted.

Olive blinked, now looking at her friend. “What’s so cool about me? I’m just a crybaby. That’s what everypony told me...”

“You’re not a crybaby. I don’t know anything about your life before you came to Ponyville, but I know thanks to my sister that it was terrible and despite that, I can see you’re trying your best to move on. You’re trying your best to be nice to everypony despite being mistreated by some. I just find you... uh, what was the word again? Oh right, it’s admirable! I find you admirable. You’re not the type to give up, aren’t you?” Sweetie Belle explained passionately.

Olive was speechless, her mouth agape. She felt a burning sensation in her body, slowly rising to her face. In a matter of seconds, her cheeks turned red. Embarrassed, she covered her face with a hoof, looking sideway to better hide it. “N-Nopony ever thought I was cool...” she managed to say after a long silence.

“Then let me be the first to think so!” Sweetie responded, inching closer to the pink filly. “I just know you deserve so much more.”

Olive’s face turned redder. She didn’t know what to say to any of this. She simply elected to give her an awkward smile of gratitude. "F...Five seconds of love?" she awkwardly said, lifting her hooves up.

"Sure thing!" Sweetie Belle responded, embracing her friend in a loving hug.

“Brr! It’s awfully cold tonight!”

The two fillies, startled, looked behind to see Rarity trotting up to them. “Are you fillies really okay being outside at this temperature? I’m freezing and I’ve barely left the boutique for a minute!”

Sweetie Belle finally noticed she was shaking herself. “Now that you mention it. It is cold!”

Rarity gritted her teeth, unable to stop herself from shivering. “You two should head back inside. I’ll make us a hot drink.” she turned around and trotted back to her boutique.

Sweetie Belle was about to get up to follow her sister inside but stopped when she noticed the pleading look Olive had. The pink filly let out a quiet whimper. “I think we’re going to stay a bit longer to admire the stars.”

Rarity stopped, looking over her shoulder. “Well... if you insist, but I won’t let you two freeze outside.” The white mare went inside and returned a few seconds later with a blanket. “Come closer now, this blanket is not big enough if you stay too far apart.”

The two fillies inched closer to one another. Rarity gently placed the blanket on them. Olive immediately felt her body turning warm, unlike her face who was already hot to begin with.

“Thanks ‘sis!”

Rarity smiled softly. “Don’t stay up late. I know this is the weekend, but you fillies need to get your beauty sleep.” and on these words, she left them alone to admire the heavenly star filled sky.

“I feel like I can fly up there.” Olive muttered. “Do you think I can learn how to fly like a pegasus?”

“I’m sure there’s a flight spell. We could ask Princess Twilight; she knows all about magic.”

Princess Twilight... Olive never put much thought into it, but it must be rare for a filly like her to have caught the attention of not one, but two alicorn princesses. It was crazy just how much she was appreciated here, unlike her old life with her father’s friends. She finally found her place, a place that loved her despite her flaws...

Despite the abomination inside.

“Anyway, I’ll stay here with-” Sweetie’s mouth stayed open, surprised. She felt a heavy weight on her. “Oh, she already fell asleep.”

Alone in the dark, Princess Luna stared somberly at the small spear of light beaming through her curtains. She should be asleep, regaining her strength for the coming night, but she was too tormented to close her eyes. Dread crept in her soul, keeping her wide awake.

This feeling came a few days ago in the middle of her journey through her subjects’ dreams. Something was not right, the shadows felt stronger than before. Her body was shivering despite the warm temperature of her bedroom.

I-It’s growing stronger... She thought as she looked at the singular ray of light slowly being consumed by the darkness. He’s closer than ever. In that moment, she slowly came to realise that her biggest fear was coming true. The same fear that intensifies whenever she sees Anarchy. The Nightmare is coming for us. It’s going to be here soon.

Her room went dark, the last ray of light now devoured by the abyss. She couldn’t take this powerful feeling of anxiety anymore. Its oppressive nature was devouring her from the inside, convincing her to stay in bed and do nothing. Fighting through this urge, Luna crawled out of bed, opening the curtains to let the light inside.

The day was about to end. The amber glow of the dusk sky sent a shiver down her spine. Three words rang through her mind, and they didn’t feel like they were hers. Despite being freed from the Nightmare, it was still clinging onto her, whispering in her darkest moments.

Group up, consider your course of action. Evil is timeless, after all.

The voice was different from how she remembered it. Before it was rash, angry and impulsive. Now, it sounded calm, collected and mocking.

Her thoughts raced to one pony, sister. Princess Luna left her room, navigating through the ever so darkening halls of Canterlot’s castle. The shadows were crawling all over the floor, walls and ceiling. They were taking more space, banishing the light from her home. None of this was unnatural of course, but Luna couldn’t help but dread the creeping shadows.

“Lulu? What’s wrong?” That voice... It would seem Celestia found her first. “Is it about Anarchy?”

The lunar princess cringed. “Not just him this time, sister. It’s his wicked master I’m worried about.”

Celestia’s face darkened. “So, we’re still not done with it...”

“I’m afraid not.” Luna sighed. “Maybe we’ll never be able to destroy it.” Her eyes moved to the stained glass depicting the defeat of Nightmare Moon, her liberation from a thousand years of nightmares. What she thought was the end of her troubles. Sadly, reality is always full of bad surprises. “I created it... gave him power.”

“Don’t blame yourself for what happened then or happens now.” Celestia spoke softly. “I don’t want to see you drowning in guilt and misery. We’ve all made terrible mistakes and paid dearly for it. All we can do, is fix them and find some closure.”

Luna solemnly admired the beauty of the stained glass, remembering her meeting with Twilight near Ponyville General Hospital. She giggled weakly. “Haven’t I said that before?”

Her sister gently smiled. Everything about Celestia was graceful, and that alone was comforting. “I’m sure you did, Lulu. You’re wiser than you believe. Don’t let your guilt drag you down.” Her wings opened to embrace the smaller alicorn.

The warmth comfort of her sister brought some peace to Luna’s tormented soul. “W-We’re in this together, Tia.”

“Of course, Lulu. I’ll never leave your side.”

Author's Note

Another cutesy chapter meant to flesh out Olive's interactions with her friends, one-on-one. Knowing the roadmap up to the storm, I'll only get to dedicate one chapter to Sweetie and one to Scootaloo. Then, we'll move on to Diamond Tiara and Spoiled Rich up until the storm comes.

Until they learn the truth...

32. A Day With Scootaloo

Canterlot’s hospital didn’t get much attention after that horrifying night. The staff were, however, still on edge. With a notorious crime lord in town, anything could happen. They’ll most likely have to make some space in the morgue.

A lonesome secretary distracted herself with today’s newspaper, hoping to see some good things for once. Sadly, all it talked about really were the presence of the Anarchists and the tragic deaths of the agents.

“Gee, can’t we have anything good?”

“I’m here to see Blossomforth.”

The secretary shrieked and fell from her chair, knocking her head against a drawer. Looking Glass stared blankly as the mare sluggishly rose, clutching her head in pain. “Hasn’t anypony ever told you not to sneak up on ponies?”

“Many have... more than once. It can’t be helped.” The detective responded, his serious gaze quickly tilting the high ground to him. He was in control now.

“Okay? What was it you said again?” The mare nervously asked, putting on a fake smile.

“I’m here to see Blossomforth. Did she wake up from her coma?”

Judging by the reaction on the secretary’s face, she did not. The mare bit her lower lip. “Oh w-well, miss Blossom- huh?!”

Looking Glass teleported out of the hospital without so much as a warning. The secretary was left by her lonesome again.

“Awfully rude...”

In the back, sitting on a chair was a light blue pegasus mare reading the newspaper. Her purple eyes were, however, not resting upon the news but rather, where the detective once stood. Tough luck, détective...

5 days left before the storm

Olive opened her eyes. She was in Sweetie Belle’s room, comfortably tugged away in the white filly’s bed. The morning sun was already shining through the window, it’s golden light greeting the pink unicorn.

She raised from the bed and looked at her friend. Sweetie Belle was still asleep, though it looked like she was coming to. Olive gingerly watched as the white pony opened her tired green eyes, soon meeting hers. “Is... Is it morning already?”

“E-yup.” Olive answered, her eyes not leaving Sweetie’s.

She looked disappointed, pulling the sheets further up. “I guess Applejack’s going to be here anytime soon.”

The white-haired pony frowned. “I’m going to spend the day with Scootaloo. It’s what mommy wants.”

“I know, Rarity told me that too. Olive-” Sweetie Belle rose from her dormant posture. “You’ll come back one day, won’t you? I... really loved yesterday.”

“I loved it too.” Olive said with upmost honesty. “I wish it lasted longer.”

Sweetie Belle smiled weakly. “We’ll see each other again, a-at school. A-and if you want to, we can have another sleepover next week.”

“I’ll ask mommy if I can go back to Carousel Boutique next Saturday.” The white filly lowered her eyes solemnly. Olive, not knowing how to lift her spirit, opted for the one action that, so far, has always been foolproof. She inched herself closer to Sweetie and hugged her. “You’re my best friend.”

“And you’re my best friend too.”

Later that morning, Olive waited at the front door for Applejack to come. She waited, and waited, but nopony came. She stood there for so long, that an entire hour could have passed. Rarity eventually came to check up on her, naturally worried about Aj’s strange absence. “She’s... she’s not coming, isn’t she, darling?”

Olive’s tail waggled anxiously. There were no signs of her mother for miles. She really wasn’t coming, which was impossible. There was no way Aj would leave her like that. Her wild imagination already began concocting all sorts of gloomy scenarios to explain this strange absence. She looked to Rarity for help, whimpering.

“Do you perhaps, know the way home? I’m sure she might be too busy with her duties to personally come pick you up.” Rarity explained. It wasn’t helpful at all. She sounded like she was trying to justify her own theory to herself.

“I know where it is now.” Olive croaked.

“Then go, nopony’s holding you hostage.”

Hesitant, Olive ultimately chose to go after a bit more convincing on Rarity’s part. The road to Sweet Apple Acre felt strangely cold. The ponies of Ponyville were going about their day as usual, though something felt off, but the filly couldn’t pinpoint what it was. Maybe it was something about their mane style being different.

Anyhow, Olive trotted slowly to her home, making sure to trace her steps back from yesterday. If she simply followed the mental line she traced, she’ll get there without getting lost. From all her time spent in this town, she only knew how to reach the library, Sugar Cube Corner, Carousel Boutique, the schoolhouse and of course, her own home.

Arriving at the road that led to the farm, Olive raised her head in confusion. There was smoke coming from the house. Lots of smoke. The last time she saw this much smoke was when her father burned down an entire hotel. Her heart sank once she made the connection. N-No!

Olive ran as fast as she could, nearly tripping on a few loose rocks on the road. The closer she got to Sweet Apple Acre, the bigger the smoke. Then it hit her like a speeding truck. The farm was on fire, everything burned down. No sign of Big Mac, Granny Smith or even Apple Bloom. The fire spread to the nearby apple trees and the farm animals. None survived the angry flames. None, except for Applejack.

The poor mare was beaten down, bloodied and bruised next to her burning home.

“Mommy!” The filly cried her heart out, tears streaming down her face. “Mommy!” She cried out as she ran to her injured mother, feeling the heat burning her face. The closer she got, the stronger the inferno was. “Mommy!”

Applejack opened her weak and terrified eyes, darting around in confusion. When she saw her foster daughter arriving by her side, she smiled weakly. “S-Sugar cube...”

Olive couldn’t say a single word through the fountain of tears leaking down her face. “Mo... mo-”

“It’s okay, Ah’m gonna manage. We’re gonna manage.” Her mother reassured, lifting a weak hoof to her face. “It’s just a fire, we can always rebuild. As long as yer safe, Ah’m okay with this.”

“B-b-but... our house...”

Applejack opened her mouth to speak again, but a loud, booming hoofstep shut her up. Olive’s pupils turned to pinpricks as she slowly lifted her head to stare at the blazing farm. A gigantic silhouette trotted out of the flames, its scarlet eyes freezing her into place.

“Where do you think you’re going, bruja?”

Olive dropped to her flank; her eyes unable to leave those of the giant.

“Run, oh rrruunnn! I’m coming for you!”

“Run, Olive! Get out of there!” Applejack pleaded, but her words rang on deaf ears. The world no longer existed for the filly. All that remained, was Strong Hoof, and her.

“I've killed you once, I’ll kill you again and this time, I won’t be beating around the bush. Aurora’s waiting for you in Heaven, my little pony!” Strong Hoof marched towards the frozen filly, stopping before Applejack.

Olive stared at the giant frame of her tormentor, her face frozen in fear. None of her limbs dared to move. She was completely dead inside.

“Now, did you really think I wasn’t going to find you? Have you forgotten that I never leave any stones unturned?” He lowered his gaze, staring at the beaten mare.

His frown distorted into a sadistic grin. “Seems like we have unfinished business here.” He lifted his giant hoof in the air, bringing it above his head. “As a final act of mercy, I’ll put down Old Yeller.” He struck his hammer down and crushed the filly’s mother before her very eyes, and that finally made her snap.

Sweetie Belle woke up to screaming and trashing happening right next to her. The harrowing screams sounded genuine, as if her friend was being murdered in her bedroom. She turned around, stressed out of her mind to find Olive shaking around with tears in her eyes. The pink unicorn was crying about her mother, her words then turning to gibberish. Her screams only intensified alongside her trashing. An ominous glow appeared on her horn, an emerald-colored glow.

“O-Olive!” Sweetie Belle rushed to her friend’s side, noticing her eyes were still closed. The pink unicorn kept on screaming in her sleep. “Wake up!” Sweetie shook Olive violently, hoping that it would wake her up quickly. “You’ve got to wake up, please!”

Olive’s eyes snapped open, and she let out one last scream of pure terror and pain. Her pupils were pinpricked, small enough to only appear as two simple dots. Her breathes were erratic and ragged, her forehead covered in sweat and her eyes filled with tears.

“Olive?” Sweetie gingerly placed a hoof on her friend’s shoulder. “Are you alright?” she softly asked.

The pink filly slowly turned her head, her frightened eyes trembling as they sought any semblance of comfort. Out of nowhere, she lunged at Sweetie Belle and cling onto her with all her strength. Taken aback, the white pony reciprocated the gesture, not minding the impressive grip of her friend. Olive strengthened her grip and wept on Sweetie’s shoulder.

At this moment, the door busted open. “Good Heavens! What’s happening?!” Rarity screamed wide eyed. Her heart was threatening to jump out of her chest when she woke up to ghastly screaming coming from her sister’s room. Thankfully, by the time she arrived, the situation calmed down. The white mare took a moment to compose herself before she trotted over to the bed.

Olive was softly weeping, holding onto her friend for dear life. “Sweetie, what happened?”

Sweetie Belle looked up to her sister solemnly. “I think she had a terrible nightmare.” The poor filly was holding back tears of her own.

“Oh, darling.” Rarity embraced the two fillies in her gentle hooves. “We’re here, and we won’t let a single bad thing happen to you.”

Olive sniffled, and through her weeping, she smiled weakly.

Later this morning, Olive once again waited for Applejack to come pick her up, only this time she was inside Carousel Boutique, too scared to go outside without her mother’s protection. Time slowed down to a crawl as she paced around the boutique, constantly checking the door. Rarity and Sweetie Belle were kind enough to stay by her side, reassuring her that Aj would come soon.

It wasn’t enough, she had to see her mother to be truly reassured. Strong Hoof could come at any time, he’ll know that she’s still alive and he’ll come back to finish the job. He’s smart like her father, he will figure it out eventually.

Somepony knocked on the door, prompting Olive to rush there at an impressive speed. “Rarity, it’s me.” The pink filly smiled, her tail waggling around excitedly. Applejack came to Carousel Boutique! Nothing bad happened!

Rarity opened the door. “Good morning, Applejack! Somepony here looks very happy to see you.”

“Mommy!” Olive rushed to Applejack and hugged her legs tightly. The orange mare gushed about the filly’s adorable behavior when she noticed something off. Olive’s eyes were somewhat red and dry.

Confused, she looked to Rarity for answers. “Rarity, what happened?”

Sheepishly, the white mare explained the terrible situation she woke up to, assuring Aj that they weren’t responsible for it in any way.

“Don’t worry, Rare, Ah’m not blamin’ ya fo’ this. There are just some thin’s we can’t do, sadly. Luna’s the only one who can help with night terrors.” Applejack softly said.

“Then why didn’t she help Olive?” Sweetie Belle asked, a good point.

“From what Ah know, she’s too busy dealin’ with the whole Anarchist problem in Canterlot. Ah’m certain she’s doin’ the right thin’.”

“So that’s why I've been having nightmares recently.” Rarity muttered. “Did you too, Applejack?”

“Why, uh... yes.” Applejack confirmed. “That’s kinda odd. Just ‘cause Luna’s busy doin’ somethin’ else doesn’t mean we should all be havin’ nightmares left and right.”

“Huh, that’s a good point. Could it all be just a coincidence? Or do you think there’s something going on in the dreamscape?” Rarity asked.

“Ah don’t know, Rare and frankly; Ah don’t really want to know. Ah’ve got lots of thin’s on mah plate already.”

The trip to Scootaloo was a bit worrying for Applejack. Olive was being awfully clingy today. She had no idea what she saw in her nightmare. She only hoped that it wouldn't push the filly to be depending on her for everything. Olive had to grow one way or another, and letting the little unicorn stay away from her at times would help in that regard.

Arriving before Scootaloo’s house, Olive noticed just how different it was from the other houses she visited. It looked... average, normal. It was quite the odd trend how so many ponies in this town live in their own shops or in public spaces. Manehattan or any other big city for that matter don’t have ponies living in their own establishment.

“That’s the place!” Applejack announced before knocking on the door.

A few seconds later and they were greeted by Scootaloo. “Oh... hey guys, what’s up?”

“Howdy, Scoot! Ah’m ‘ere to drop off Olive. Can Ah have a word with yer parents? Well, if they’re ‘ere.”

Scootaloo sighed. “No, they’re not. Neither are my aunts. I’m by myself for the weekend.”

“Uh, ya sure yer gonna be fine by yerself?”

The orange nodded confidently. “I can manage. I mean, it’s already been a few years since I’ve been mostly on my own, but I do appreciate the help from my aunts.”

Applejack hesitantly lowered her head to nuzzle her pink daughter. “Now ya go on, sugar cube. Ah’ll be back tomorrow in the mornin’ to take ya both to school.”

“Bye, mommy!” Olive waved off, putting on a cheerful expression. Truth is, she was still haunted by her nightmare. She normally forgets her dream quickly after she wakes up, but these recent nightmares linger in her mind long after she’s wide awake. She just hoped that Scootaloo could help her forget them all.

“Well, squirt. Let’s get down to business!”

“Huh?”

Before Olive knew it, she was dragged to Scootaloo’s scooter. “Check this out! I don’t think I’ve shown you my scooter before. It’s my crown jewel.”

The pink unicorn stared at the scooter, noticing it has wheels. That’s a weird looking object. It must be a vehicle because it has a wheel!

Scootaloo chuckled. “Pretty cool, huh?”

“But it’s not a crown nor a jewel.”

Scootaloo lingered for a moment, once again unable to grasp this filly’s thought process. “Uh...Why don’t we ride on it? There’s enough space for the two of us.” The pegasus hopped on her scooter, putting on her helmet. “I’ve got a spare for you. Put it on and climb aboard.”

Oh, so it must be a figure of speech like Rarity said! Olive did as instruct and climbed on the scooter, struggling to balance herself on her hind legs. She fell forward, holding onto Scootaloo to break her fall. “Whew, being on two legs is hard.”

“Probably because we’re not meant to be on two legs.” Scootaloo responded. “Anyway, are you prepared for the ride of your life?”

Olive blinked. “I guess so?”

With one mighty kick, Scootaloo propelled the scooter forward, flapping her tiny wings to keep the momentum. The speed at which they were going far surpassed that of a galloping earth pony. The cool wind brushed against their faces, increasing in strength the faster they went. Scootaloo was a great driver, avoiding ponies and other carriages with ease as she navigated around town, making sure to explore every nook and cranny.

It was the first time Olive ever got to experience such thrills, such speed. It felt as if the whole world could be explored, as if nothing was out of reach. Her tail waggled around uncontrollably, her eyes and mouth wide in awe. She gave the biggest smile she could muster, her heart beating at an accelerated pace. Scooting was the most wonderful thing she’s experience in her whole life.

With the speed they were going, Olive wondered what would happen if she could run this fast. If she was as fast as a scooter, then, maybe she would have been able to run away from...

She shook off the thought immediately. The unicorn should enjoy the thrills for now and leave these dark thoughts for later. Aurora... Despite her best efforts, the teenage filly still came back to her mind. If Aurora was still here, she’d be happy to see how much Olive’s life turned around for the better. The last thing she’d want is for her to drown in sorrow. She must smile and live on to honor her friend’s kindness. It was easier to do now, and she found herself having the time of her life.

The ride came to an end quicker than she had hoped. Scootaloo looked over her shoulder, a confident smirk on her lips. “So, how was it? Was I awesome as expected?”

“Again! Again!” Olive barked, hopping in place.

“Sure thing! I’ll turn up the heat!” Scootaloo exclaimed, a fiery look in her eyes as a daring devil took over her. Scooting around town was fun, but what’s more fun is jumping on a scooter. With the right set-ups, she can jump on the roofs, maybe even reach the clouds. “Hold onto me, ‘cause this next ride is going to be totally... awesome!”

As promised, she turned up the heat. Anything that could serve as a ramp, she used to reach new heights. The young pegasus couldn’t fly with her own wings, but she found a good alternative with her scooter. Some jumps even propelled them above houses, it was the closest thing to flying Olive had experienced. Scootaloo wouldn’t stop after just one jump, no, she had to go even higher. With each jump, she got a few centimeters higher, and so she tried again and again. The pink unicorn was thrilled, so much so that she began to forget about the potential dangers they were facing.

“Now watch this, we’re gonna be scooting on rooftops!”

“Waouh!”

Scootaloo sped off another ramp, launching herself and Olive far into the sky. Their scooter then descended to the roof the pegasus was aiming to land on. She took everything into account, the correct position to be able to roll off it, the correct height to reach it, but she did forget one important detail, a certain law of physic. Upon landing on the roof, it collapsed under their weight combined with the strength of the impact.

The ride thus came to a surprising end as they fell through the roof of Ponyville Day Spa where the two workers were peacefully tending to their customers’ needs, before said peace was brutally disrupted by two fillies and a scooter.

“Ugh... you okay, Olive?”

The pink unicorn giggled. “That was awesome!”

It was a good thing they landed inside the spa itself, or else their fall could have hurt a lot more.

Aloe, one of the co-owners of the spa trotted to them, checking the extent of the damage. “Not this again!”

The other co-owner, Lotus Blossom, soon joined her, mouth agape. “We just barely fixed the broken wall...”

Scootaloo emerged from the spa, noticing the rubbles in the water. She looked up, then at the two angry spa ponies. “Uh... s-sorry about your roof?”

“It’s going to take more than an apology to fix this roof.” Aloe groaned. “We’ll need some money; can we have a word with your parents?”

Scootaloo felt her blood turning cold despite being in a hot spa. “O-Oh, well you see, my parents are...”

“Olive! What are you doing in here?” Saved by the bell! Rarity came to unintentionally take the pressure off Scootaloo. “I can’t believe you’re taking an interest in a beauty salon!”

“Um, miss Rarity.” Lotus Blossom said. “They broke our roof.” she pointed at the ceiling, keeping her glare on the fillies. Olive didn’t seem to mind much, she was too busy enjoying the sweet feeling of a spa, yet again a first experience for the filly.

“I-I see. I can pay for it on their behalf.”

The two spa ponies cocked their heads back. “Um, you really don’t have to do it, really. You’re our best customer after all and-”

“I’ve made my decision; I’m paying for the repairs.” Rarity declared, though she did look a little peeved about it, judging from the occasional twitch of her eye.

“You okay in there, squirt?” All five looked to the broken ceiling once more. Rainbow Dash was perched on the roof, peeking down the hole. “That was a nasty fall.”

“I know.” Scootaloo sighed. “Not a great first impression.” She said, throwing a quick glance at Olive.

“It was awesome!” The pink filly exclaimed, still feeling the rush of adrenaline from earlier.

“It broke our roof.” Lotus groaned before she cleared all traces of anger on her face. “That’ll be fifty bits.”

Rarity’s smile faltered, her eyes twitched. F-fifty bits?! I don’t have this much on me! Her eyes shifted to Rainbow Dash who flew down to check up on the orange filly. “Rainbow Dash, darling, won’t you help a friend in need?”

“In what need?” Rainbow asked, rubbing off the rubbles stuck in Scootaloo’s mane.

The white mare pointed with her eyes at the hole. “You have some bits on yourself, don’t you?”

“What?! I’m not paying for something I didn’t-” Her outburst was cut short once she noticed the pleading look in Scootaloo’s eyes.

Back in the streets of Ponyville, Rainbow Dash escorted the fillies out of the spa, a peeved glint in her eyes.

“Now, squirt, I don’t want to bail you out of trouble every time. Promise me you’ll be more careful next time.” Rainbow Dash scolded.

“I’m sorry. I just wanted to do some cool tricks on my scooter, to you know...” The pegasus’ eyes pointed at Olive, standing behind them.

“Impress your new friend? Look, Scoot, I know you want to look cool in front of her but remember that nopony likes a show-off.” Rainbow softly responded.

“Unless what they’re showing is radical.” said a snarky Scootaloo.

The blue pegasus chuckled. “Can’t argue with that, but that’s beside the point. What I’m telling you is that you don’t have to push yourself to all sorts of daring stunts to impress her. I’m sure Olive respects you enough as is.”

Scootaloo said something back to Rainbow Dash, but Olive didn’t hear it. The more she observed them, the clearer something got. Back at the party, she didn’t understand what Scootaloo and Rainbow Dash were. If they weren’t sister then, what were they? Friends? It looked to be more, but not romantical in any way.

They were very close, that’s for sure. A smally filly and a tall mare acting as if they were sisters... As their conversation went on, Olive was reminded of somepony. In Scootaloo she saw herself, and in Rainbow Dash, she saw Aurora. Not just her, but also Applejack and Apple Bloom. The relationship she has with all three ponies was clearer than ever. Her eyes began to tear up, an action that became synonymous with her over the years, but this time, she giggled through her tears. The pink unicorn felt sad, nostalgic but happy, nonetheless.

“I get it now.”

Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo stopped their discussion, perplexed. “Got what?”

Finding a nice terrain to play ball was very easy in a town like Ponyville, much unlike the big city where you had to find a specific place to even have fun, like a park. There’s nothing but roads and carriages in them, which was another reason why Ponyville was awesome in the eyes of Olive. They had a grassy field with not much bushes around, perfect to play around with their ball.

“Is the goal of the game to prevent the ball from touching the ground?” Olive asked as Scootaloo lifted the ball on her head, spinning it around.

“Yep, it’s gonna be like at the party, except we have to pass it, so it should be harder but a lot more fun!” Scootaloo confirmed.

“Oh, you must be an expert in games, sports and having fun.”

The orange filly chuckled. “You could say so. I mean, I am the president of Rainbow Dash’s fan club.”

Stars popped in Olive’s eyes. “You’re a president too?”

“Of a fan club, it’s not what you think, I can already tell you’re not getting it. Um, did anypony say you have a weird way of thinking.”

The pink unicorn blinked. “I think weirdly?”

“Well, to put it lightly, kinda, yeah, a lot. You’re the first pony I can’t really understand half the time, and when your opponent is Pinkie, that’s saying a lot.” Scootaloo answered honestly, spinning the ball even more. She then kicked to Olive, who stared at it as it bumped her horn and fell to the ground.

“Is... is it bad?” The filly asked, worried.

Scootaloo went to fetch her ball, returning to her initial position. “Well, you’re not harming anypony, so I don’t think it’s anything to worry about. Still, it’s cool that you’re different from other ponies, that makes you stand out.”

Olive smiled, feeling her youthful energy return to her body. “I’m special!”

Scootaloo bucked the ball back to Olive, who once again, didn’t do anything to return it. The ball bounced on her horn and landed on the ground. “Tell me more about me!” she pleaded.

The orange filly grumbled, retrieving her ball. “Only if you play ball, got it? I didn’t come here to just chat.”

“Okay!”

The game resumed, and this time Olive finally put some effort into bucking the ball back to Scootaloo. Her bucks were rather impressive in sheer strength, comparing even to Apple Bloom despite being just a unicorn. She also had a good aim, not as great as Scootaloo, but it was impressive, nonetheless.

“I see you’re rather good at it.” She complimented.

Olive’s smile widened. “How good am I?”

“Well, you’re much better than the average foal, I’ll give you that. You must have played this before.”

Olive headbutted the ball high in the air, making sure to not break it with her horn. “I’ve played a lot of ball with my best friend! She taught me everything about the game.”

“I can see that. You’re much better than my friends.” Scootaloo admitted, almost failing to catch the ball. “Anyway, you wanted me to say more about you?”

“Yes! About the way I think.” Olive cheerfully precised.

“Hm.” The orange filly juggled the ball with her head. “Come to think of it, there is another pony that Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle said thought differently. They heard it from their older sisters. I think her name was Maud, Pinkie’s sister.”

“She thinks like me?”

“Kind of, but unlike you, she doesn’t display any emotion really. Nopony saw her smile. From what I’ve heard, you look like a dial downed Maud.”

Olive blinked, the gears in her head turning as she processed the information bit by bit. “So, she’s extra special.”

“You could say so. If you’re thinking about meeting her, well, bad news, she’s not in Ponyville.”

Olive’s chipper expression disappeared in an instant. “Oh.”

“But she’ll probably come back to see Pinkie.”

The pink unicorn noticed something peculiar in the corner of her eyes. A mare walked by, a mare Olive recognised. It was Spoiled Rich and once again, she harbored some disgust for the scarred filly judging by the repulsed look she gave her.

The ball bounced on her head and hit the ground, again. “Oh, come on, why weren’t you paying attention again?”

Scootaloo’s frustration was short lived. Olive’s head was following Spoiled Rich, and the pegasus soon joined her. The two sat down.

“Ugh, this mare again. The mother of the queen bee, it sucks that nopony speaks against her or even tries to do anything. All she cares about is her wealth and her image. She doesn’t care what happens to anypony except Diamond Tiara, and you already saw how mean her daughter is.”

“Diamond Tiara looks scared of her mother.” Olive mentioned. “At least, that’s what I think.” She turned to face Scootaloo.

“What if she needs help?”

The orange pegasus scoffed. “What kind of help does she need? Her mother owns the school, she lives in a mansion with butlers at her service, she’s the most popular filly in class. What doesn’t she have?”

“A good mother?”

Scootaloo’s brows furrowed, then relaxed. “Eh, you don’t need good parents to turn out alright. Everypony places so much importance in them when they only do like 40% the job of shaping a pony up. It’s her fault she’s such a jerk.” As she opened her eyes, she jerked back.

Olive’s gaze shifted to her, a solemn look in her beautiful eyes.

“U-Uh, what are you looking at? Do I have something in my teeth?”

“Do you have good parents?” The filly’s voice was serious, but extremely soft, even more than usual.

Scootaloo cringed. “Wh-why do you care about it? We’re here to have some fun, right? Let’s go back to playing ball.” she stood up with the ball in hoof.

“I care because you don’t really look happy.” Olive answered, refusing to get up. “Is everything alright?”

“Of course it is. I’m having fun with you and that’s all that matters. Come on, let’s play ball again.” Scootaloo persisted, but Olive remained still.

The pink filly let out a quiet whine. “I’m worried. Please talk to me. What’s wrong?”

Scootaloo frowned, looking down at the ball. “Look... can we forget about this? I just... don’t want to talk about it right now.”

“We need to talk about it. You sound angry.” Olive trotted to her friend, her soft gaze threatening the pegasus.

“Y-yeah, that’s because you’re annoying me!”

Olive shook her head. “That’s not it... I know I can be stupid, but I can see when somepony’s hurt. I know, because they all share the same look as me.”

Scootaloo began to sweat, avoiding any further eye contact. “Tss.” She ultimately chose to sit down with her, a somber look in her face. “You want to know what’s wrong with me?” she said, her voice barely audible. “I hate my parents! I really hate them!”

Olive’s eyes widened; her lips quivered slightly.

“They’re the worst! Th-They think that being at home with their daughter is sooooo less important than venturing out into all sorts of place in search of thrills and whatnot. I barely see them anymore.”

“B-Barely?” The pink unicorn’s voice was soft, barely even a whisper.

Scootaloo’s voice hitched. “Yeah, they stayed home a lot more when I was just a baby. The moment I was old enough to go to school, they started to leave frequently. To them, I was just a burden!”

Olive teared up, her lips trembling with sadness. She got up, slowly, and reached her hooves out to the pegasus, embracing her with all the sympathy she could muster.

“H-Huh?”

When the pink filly spoke, her voice was broken. “I-I know what it feels like, to be only seen as a burden by those who are supposed to care about you.”

Scootaloo’s heart beated faster. A powerful wave of emotion slowly rose all the way to her eyes. Despite her best attempt to fight it, it came pouring down.

Olive pulled back and stared the pegasus in the eyes. Hers were brimming with kindness, a kindness that reminded her of another mare. “But we’re not a burden, to them we are, but not for those who truly loves us. I know we’re not alone, not anymore. We understand each other, and that's maybe why we became friends.”

Scootaloo wiped away her tears. “I never thought you were living through the same thing. I really thought I was the only filly in town with bad parents.”

Olive giggled weakly. “Mines were worse... but only for my old daddy.” she smiled brightly. “But it doesn’t matter who is related to us or not. We choose our own family, that’s what I’ve learned from you and Rainbow Dash.”

“W-Wait, so when you said...”

The pink filly smiled. “Yes! I don’t care that Applejack is not my real momma, because to me... she is! The same goes for Apple Bloom, Big Mac and Granny Smith. I’ve chosen my family, and I know you’ve chosen yours too. You don’t need your parents to be happy. You have the Cutie Mark Crusaders, and me!”

Scootaloo chuckled. “Implying you aren’t already a member. Gotta say, you’re really smart for a filly. I never thought I’d be given a lecture from a filly that’s younger than me!” She looked at the blue pegasus dashing through the sky and smiled. “Thank you, really. I needed to hear that.”

“Five seconds of love!” Without giving a heads up, Olive lunged for another hug.

“Guark!”

The night then came. Scootaloo hopped in bed with Olive not far behind. Immediately, she noticed a little problem. “Oh, yeah, the bed’s a little small.”

The pink filly smiled. “That’s not a problem! If we stay really close to each other, we’ll have enough space!”

Scootaloo cringed. “Uh, not sure I’m comfortable with that.”

“Aw...” Olive lowered her head slightly. “No cuddles?”

The pegasus chuckled. “You’re awfully clingy, you know that?”

Olive titled her head to the side, a habit she does not seem to be aware of. “Is that a bad thing?”

Scootaloo stood there for a bit, contemplating the unicorn’s idea. She smiled and turned around. “I don’t think it is. You can hold on to me if you want.” She said, looking away in embarrassment. Cuddling wasn’t a cool thing to do, but she’d be lying if she said she didn’t want any.

“Five seconds of love!” Olive exclaimed as she went in for another hug.

“Heh, make it ten.”

Author's Note

Another cute chapter with an ominous countdown at the beginning! We're starting to have a pattern here. Anyway, I've realised that I sorta forgot to do much with Aurora, which is funny considering how important she is to Olive. For the next chapters, I'll finally touch on Diamond Tiara, Spoiled Rich and Cheerilee as promised in chapter 29.

Now, it's no secret that Anarchy is undergoing a big transformation. I had this planned from the very beginning and for some time, I drew his design and shared it somewhat in a blog post. I just can't wait to finally show it fully, 'cause it looks really freaky and I'm sure you're gonna love (or hate) it!

33. Problem Solver

When Olive opened her eyes, she was somewhere else again. A snowy forest with nothing but the wind to keep her company. The sky was marvelous, such pretty colors. Green waves in the sky shined down on the white ground of the forest. It was cold, however, cold enough to make her shiver.

She’ll get a cold if she stays here any longer.

“Five seconds of love!”

Startled by the cheerful voice, Olive tried to turn around only to feel two warm hooves wrap around her, shielding her from the frost. This loving embrace, it appeased her. “It’s been a while, I’m happy to see you’re doing well.”

The filly’s eyes widened, her breaths stopping briefly. She remembered that happy voice from a darker time. She turned her head, slowly, and got a good look at the pony behind her. A yellow coat as beautiful as the sun and a blue mane as sparkly as the sea stood before her. Lo and behold, it was the mare that stayed by her side since the very beginning.

“Do you still recognise me?”

Olive mouth opened; a single whisper of disbelief escaped.

The older filly before her smiled. “Of course you still do. How else could you be so nice?”

“Au... Aurora!” Now, it was Olive’s turn to embrace the pegasus.

“I’m not leaving yet, Olive. I know you still need me.” The mare said with a bright and reassuring smile, the one smile Olive loved.

The pink unicorn didn’t know what to say. Instead, she held onto her former friend as hard as she could, tears streaming down her face. She sniffled as she let the loving embrace of the pegasus bring back the old memories she cherished.

“Despite everything that’s happened, you’re still showing kindness to others.” Aurora caressed the filly’s mane. “Before hatred, you must show love, but remember that not everypony deserves to be shown kindness. A good mare recognises those who are in need.”

Olive’s eyes met those of Aurora, the tears were making it hard for her to fully see the face of her friend. “B-But how can I know which pony I should help?”

Aurora gave her a reassuring smile and a pat on the head. “I can’t help you with that, it’s something you’ll learn as you go. What do you want to do now?”

Olive wiped her tears away only for more to come. “I-I want to help everypony I can, so that they’re not as sad as me. L-Like Diamond Tiara.” She croaked.

“Even if she bullies you, you’d still help her?”

The small unicorn nodded. “Hm hm...”

The pegasus brought her closer, sitting on the snow. “That’s a really nice thing to do! But... I don’t want you to forget you’re just as important as other ponies. Take good care of yourself, your happiness is just as important as theirs.” She placed a hoof on Olive’s face and lifted her frown. “I don’t want to see you frown ever again, okay? I want to see you smile.”

Olive smiled weakly. Placing her head on Aurora’s chest, she let the sound of her heartbeat soothe her troubled mind.

“You’ve made so much progress after I left you. You made many friends, found a new family that loves you, found a nice town that helps ponies in need. Olive... I’m so proud of you.” Aurora teared up.

The pink filly clutched harder. Fighting through her tears, she kept a thankful smile. “I love you, Aurora. I can't wait to see you again.”

“I love you too, my little Olive... and I'm sorry I can't be here for you.”

4 days left before the storm

Scootaloo woke up to a strange sound. It sounded like... quiet sobbing? It was happening so close to her; she could feel Olive’s breath in her ear. Confused, the pegasus slowly turned to see what was going on.

Her friend’s eyes were closed, but she was sobbing, a few tears streaming down her face. Worried, Scootaloo gently shook the unicorn to wake her up.

Olive’s eyes slowly opened, meeting those of Scootaloo.

“Is something wrong?” The orange filly asked.

“Hm?” Olive blinked. “What is it?”

Scootaloo raised an eyebrow. “Uh, y-you were crying in your sleep. Were you having a nightmare?” she asked, lifting her body from the pillow.

The pink unicorn stared at the ceiling for a moment. “I... I can’t remember, but it felt good and bad. It was, uh... somber?”

The young pegasus blinked. “Huh uh. Well, good for you, I guess?”

Olive giggled. “Good for me!”

After their breakfast, the two fillies waited for Applejack to take them to school. They were basically playing a game of Where’s Waldo, but with an orange mare in place of the titular man. When she finally came accompanied by Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom, Olive bounced around in joy, rushing over to her.

“Mommy!” She rushed into the hooves of her mother, nuzzling against them.

Applejack smiled and nuzzled the pink unicorn. “Howdy, sugar cube. Ah see yer still excited to see me ‘gain.”

“It looks like you mean the world to her.” Sweetie Belle commented.

“You’re my world.” Olive mused.

Applejack. “Shucks, Ah don’t believe Ah deserve that kinda praise.”

“No, you’re the best pony ever!” The pink filly exclaimed, pressing her head harder into her coat. “With the best coat!”

The Cutie Mark Crusaders gushed over their youngest member’s infectious joy, though Scootaloo tried to hide it. She did let a quick smile slip in.

“Let’s save the nuzzling for later, girl. Ya don’t wanna be late for school.”

The trot to the school started off silent, which gave Olive some time to think about something that was bugging her for a while. Yesterday, Scootaloo vented about her parents which now made her realise, she didn’t see Sweetie Belle’s parents this Saturday. She didn’t even think for one moment about Applejack’s parents.

Granny Smith couldn’t be her mother, every Apple was referring to her as their grandmother. Were their parents like Scootaloo. Absent, bad?

“Hey, Sweetie Belle. Why didn’t I see your parents?” Olive asked in the only way that seemed natural to her, blunt as a baseball bat.

“Hm?” The white unicorn glanced at her in surprise. “That’s because they don’t live in Ponyville.” An answer that only raised more question to the pink foal.

“Why don’t they live in Ponyville with you?”

Sweetie Belle smiled sheepishly. “Actually, it should be the other way around. I chose to live with Rarity instead.”

“... why?”

“Because I didn’t want her to feel lonely, you know, being in Ponyville all by herself without her little sister.”

Olive’s eyes widened in awe.

“I don’t get it, Aurora. You always say you want to leave, but you’re still here.”

“That’s because if I did leave, you’d be all alone and I don’t want that. I promise you one day, we’ll leave together. Good ponies don’t abandon each other.”

Olive felt emotional, a shaky smile drew on her lip. “You’re a good pony, Sweetie Belle.”

“Huh?!” The white filly’s cheeks turned red.

Scootaloo chuckled. “Oh my, you’ve got Sweetie flustered.”

“Ah’ve never seen you react this strongly to a compliment.” Apple Bloom mentioned.

“Oh, w-well that’s because... um.” Sweetie Belle paused, slowly coming to the realisation that she had no concrete answer.

“She’s my best friend?” She glanced around her two friends. They didn’t look convinced.

Scootaloo threw her a sly smile. “So, what does that make us?”

Sweetie Belle’s eyes widened, a drop of sweating dripping down her forehead. “Uh...”

“What’s below best friend?” Olive asked, confused. “I’ve never heard of it.”

“It’s just friend, ‘sis.” Apple Bloom said. “But we were just teasin’ ‘er.”

The pink filly scratched the top of her head. “I have to learn how to tease, then.”

Applejack giggled at the front. “Ah’m sure ya already know how to do tha’, sugar cube!”

Olive went into an intense thinking session, trying to grasp the meaning of “teasing”, it took a while, but she eventually found the answer. “It’s making fun of somepony... but nicely?”

“E-yup. Ya’ve got it.”

Woah, I’m smart.

“Hey, wait a minute. I forgot to ask you about your parents.”

“Who?” Apple Bloom asked, only to notice that Olive was looking at her. The mood in the group changed abruptly. The one thing these four ponies have silently agreed on, is to never talk about Bright Mac and Pear Butter.

Applejack took the lead. “They were great parents. Fraid yer never goin’ to meet ‘em.”

Olive blinked. “Huh? Why not? Are they not in Ponyville like Sweetie Belle’s parents?”

Her mother took a deep breath, trying her best to remain composed. “Remember when Big Mac told ya we Apples went through our fair share of tragedies?”

Olive’s curious expression faded away, replaced by a concerned look in her beautiful green eyes.

“Ah’m guessin’ ya now know what it meant.”

The pink filly stopped trotting; her head lowered. She sniffled as her eyes teared up. “I’m sorry...” she croaked.

“Hey, sugar cube.” Applejack patted her daughter. “It’s okay, ya didn’t know. Nopony’s angry at ya for askin’. As an Apple, ya deserve to know.” She consoled solemnly. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t supress the memories of her parents. They flooded her mind and threatened to break her focus at a crucial moment.

“I’m really sorry...”

“Stop blamin’ yerself for this, alright? It ain’t yer fault, it ain’t anypony’s fault.” Applejack lifted the filly’s head, seeing her eye-to-eye and gave a warm smile. “Ah’m not angry, nopony is.”

Olive sniffled and wiped her tears away. “O-Okay... I won’t talk about it ever again.”

“It’s fine. Ah know yer hurt too, ya can always talk to me ‘bout it if yer comfortable.”

The pink foal finally smiled. “You’re the best mommy ever.” She raised her hooves up. “Five seconds of love?”

Applejack smiled back and accepted her hug. “Ah’m just tryin’ mah best, sugar cube.”

“Okay, everypony! Today we’ll be learning about griffons and their history!”

Olive’s first few days at school only included classes that weren’t about learning anything new. Today, was her first real class but it was thankfully about griffons, a specie she was already familiar with. Her father was rather fond of this carnivorous specie, and they were fond of him as well. The more she thought about griffons, the more she realised she hasn’t seen one ever since she left her father’s group.

However, what she was most concerned about were the feelings and thoughts of her peers. Last time she saw them, she was bawling her eyes out and bleeding over the playground. Her muzzle was still visibly injured, though much less than Friday. Olive had just removed the bandage on it, sensing how sensitive it was. Once again, she still nabbed a couple of looks from her classmates as she entered and even after she sat down. The only ponies eyeballing her that weren’t bothering the pink filly were the Cutie Mark Crusaders and Dinky Hooves.

While her initial goal was to talk to Cheerilee and Diamond Tiara about what happened Friday, Olive didn’t want to neglect Dinky too considering she was really nice to her. She could become her newest friend.

No griffons seem to live in Ponyville, much less visit this town. From what she’s heard, griffons live in their own land, away from ponies, so it’s no wonder why they’re so rare.

“Ugh, griffon history again? We’ve already had a class on this!” Diamond Tiara complained.

“Yeah, what else are we going to learn about?” Silver Spoon added.

Cheerilee supressed a sigh. “Griffon history, much like pony history, is very rich through its long existence. We barely scratched the surface last class. I’m sure you’ll find the rest more interesting.”

“Yeah, sounds interesting...” Diamond Tiara muttered.

The cerise mare kept a cheerful smile. “You should pay attention to this class, because it’ll be very important for the next exam. I know you’ve been having a harder time recently.”

The pink earth pony cringed. “My grades are still good enough for me.”

Olive kept her eyes locked on Diamond Tiara, remembering the conversation she overheard last Friday. Her grades aren’t good. That’s what her mom thinks. She noted it in her notebook.

Cheerilee really wanted to mention what her mother told her last Friday, but sadly, she couldn’t. It would be inappropriate to do so in front of the whole class. Good teachers don’t embarrass their students, so she had to leave it at that for now.

“Still, I wish only that everypony in this class passes with grades that satisfies them. The manuals have everything you need to know in them, but it’ll help if you write down some notes to help in your studies.”

Helpful to write down notes for studying. Olive wrote down in her notebook, catching the attention of Diamond.

The rich filly is known to hold powerful grudges. The fact that her new nemesis was writing with her mouth instead of using her magic sparked some nefarious bullying ideas in her brain. She’ll make Olive pay for humiliating her in front of the class.

Then, their eyes met. One pair filled with hate and anger, the other with innocent curiosity and concern. Diamond’s dislike intimated Olive somewhat, but it would take more than that to force the unicorn to back down from her mission.

“Olive, Diamond Tiara. The class is starting.” Miss Cheerilee announced, putting an end to their staring contest. “You should be paying attention to our next lecture on griffon history.”

From the back, Heedful Care watched the tension between the two fillies, frowning slightly. Looks like I’ll have to keep a close eye on Diamond Tiara as well.

The initial insurmountable intimidation of school started to dwindle for Olive. The more the class went on, the more comfortable she felt. Learning about griffon history was easier than she imagined. All she had to do was listen to Cheerilee, and note down the most important things. To think that all this time she formed an overly complicated idea of what school was. It’s true when they say you are your own biggest enemy.

Somepony lightly touched Olive’s shoulder, it was Sweetie Belle. She was holding a note in her mouth, passing it on to the pink unicorn. The white filly looked nervous, her cheeks a warm red. Confused, the little unicorn opened it and read its content.

Hey Olive,
I kept thinking about that night we spent together, and I was wondering if you would be willing to watch the stars again with me next weekend.

Olive turned around to face her. “Hm hm.” she said accompanied by a nod in case the answer wasn’t clear. Sweetie Belle smiled sheepishly, her cheeks turning a bright red. She seemed really excited to see the stars with her again. The pink filly found it fun for sure, but Sweetie appeared to like it even more than her, something Olive thought was impossible. She was the biggest fan of the night, right?

Miss Cheerilee saw her and while normally she would have called the student out for not paying attention, she didn’t want to push Olive on the spotlight like that. Instead, she kept her eyes on the filly in hopes that she would listen to the lecture, and she did.

So far, she’s been writing down notes non-stop. At least I know she’s taking her education seriously, unlike certain foals...

Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon were bored out of their minds. Silver had her face glued to her desk while Tiara stared at the ceiling, occasionally looking at Cheerilee as if it would make any difference.

The teacher’s joyful attitude faltered just a bit. I reckon if this keeps on going, I’ll be in big trouble. Spoiled’s going to come back to berate me for this and Diamond sure isn’t helping herself in any way.

Groaning, the mare trotted up to the two fillies. “Listen, I understand you find this class to be boring, but it’s no excuse to daydream instead of listening. Griffon history will be heavily featured in the next exam.”

Olive asked herself a million question in her head. Why do they find this class boring? If their grades aren’t good, then why aren’t they taking notes? Why are they not taking this seriously? Diamond and Silver’s thought process became alien to her, and it was bad. How can she help Diamond Tiara if she can’t understand her? She scribbled her wild theories in hopes to get a better understanding of the two fillies.

Okay, so... Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon are rich. Their parents are rich, like mine. They’re both popular. Popular and rich...

Then, an eureka moment came in her mind. They think they’re too good for this class!

Anarchy’s lesson about rich ponies started to pay off. She had no idea why they’d even be thinking this way, but her father was a very knowledgeable stallion who was always right about everything, especially when it came to psychology. So, at least he wouldn’t have left her empty hoofed in her new life.

Now, it was just a matter of waiting for recess. Then, she can make amends with her and find out if something’s wrong... with her friend’s help of course. She’s too timid to do it by herself.

Another tap on her shoulder startled her.

“Oh, sorry.” Sweetie Belle whispered. “Somepony wanted to pass you a note.”

Olive took the note and unfolded it. This time, it was written by Dinky Hooves.

I was sad we didn’t get to play last Friday. After school, do you want to play with me?

The pink filly turned around to answer, but there was just one problem. Dinky wasn’t behind Sweetie Belle; she was a couple of seats away. There was no way she could answer without being noticed by Miss Cheerilee.

Heedful Care, who was sitting next to a foal who was struggling with his grades, noticed the small unicorn looking around like a periscope. She shot her a stern glare, forcing the filly to pay attention to the teacher.

They often say fight fire with fire. To answer Dinky, Olive will pass down a note. She flipped Dinky’s one around.

Yes, I want to play with you.

Olive stared at the note for a moment before adding and become your friend.

Now it was good enough to be passed. She’s not well initiated in this art form, but Sweetie was. She passed it over her shoulder and whispered, “Dinky Hooves”.

Sweetie Belle was surprised to see Olive already passing notes. With a confident smile, she gave her a subtle nod, her pretty eyes lighting up.

It felt great to have good friends to rely on.

“Now then, let’s talk about the slow decline of Griffonstone after the theft of the idol.” Cheerilee continued, uncharacteristically gazing at the clock impatiently. “As some of you may know, the idol was stolen after a cyclops named Arimaspi attacked the kingdom...”

“Why do we have griffons? It’s easy, dear... it’s desperation. You see, their kingdom was once pillaged by an ugly cyclops that stole their most precious idol. Soon after, Griffonstone went into ruins and the griffons there have fallen into depression. They’re desperate, you see. They seek a new idol, a being that can deliver them from misery. Princess Celestia is not going to do anything about them, because they’re not ponies.

Starting to understand? They follow me because I promised them greatness once we’ve overthrown monarchy. They’ve placed their faith in me, and that’s how you get griffons to do your bidding.

Ha! Like you’d even understand, you can’t even tell facial expressions apart! Oh, I wonder why my daughter turned out to be a stupid little girl.”

poniesgriffons creatures will do anything for you if they’re desperate.

Olive enthusiastically jotted down this information, whilst imagining how such a beast would look like. She saw lots of monsters when she traveled with her father’s gang, though all were bested by him. The pink filly wondered why so many ponies feared these things. Sure, they often looked freaky, but if her father can take them on without any problem then, what’s to fear?

If she could be half as smart as him, then maybe she won’t have anything to fear anymore. Smart ponies are king as he often said.

On second thought, there were two monsters she was always afraid of, even if she could transform into a little genius. One was white as snow and the other, always hidden deep inside her psyche. Brains won’t do anything against them, but apart from these two, monsters are just meaner looking animals.

A yellow hoof quietly placing something on her desk caught her attention. Olive roused herself and saw Apple Bloom inching closer to her.

“Diamond’s pesterin’ me about this note.” The yellow pony whispered. “It can’t be anythin’ good.”

“Apple Bloom! Are you paying attention?” Cheerilee asked, irritated.

“N-no, Ah mean yes! Ah’m payin’ attention!” the filly squealed, getting back in place.

Olive’s problem detector went off again. She looked at Heedful Care to see how she reacted to this. There, on her face was a surprising expression. It was subtle, but the filly saw concern in her eyes.

Then, her eyes darted over to Cheerilee who continued on with her lecture. Olive lowered her gaze below the teacher’s eyes. Bags, there were bags under her eyes. The pink unicorn failed to notice before, but now it seemed like something was indeed off.

Cheerilee had trouble sleeping this weekend, that much can be deduced from this clue.

Olive then closely examined Diamond and Silver Spoon’s faces, making sure to not be spotted by either of them or by Cheerilee. No bags, so they were not worried about something. This felt strangely thrilling, our little filly here was playing detective. The only thing she wanted to know now was what’s going on with Diamond’s mother and their teacher.
Surely, if she figured it out, then the whole mystery could be laid to rest.

Oh, well, Olive opened the note when nopony was staring at her. As she read it, her eyes opened wide.

I hate you

The note remained there on her desk, crumbled in appearance. The blood red letters written on it struck a certain sense of dread in her. As slow as a snail, her eyes moved back to the pink frame of the bully.

Diamond’s face was dark, angry and spiteful. That’s when Olive noticed a detail that burnt her heart. The filly’s tiara was the exact same as Friday, only broken. Her namesake was fixed with simple duct tape, a scar of her own and she wasn’t happy about it.

For a brief moment, Olive sensed actual danger. Diamond was going to hurt her for sure the minute she’ll step outside. The pink unicorn hid her face behind her hooves, hoping that Diamond would look away. It took a while for the vengeful earth pony to stop staring.

The small unicorn wondered if words would even get through anymore. One thing was for sure, she wasn’t leaving the schoolhouse by herself.

“Okay, everypony; class is over!” Cheerilee finally announced a couple of minutes later. Every foal was about to jump out of their seat before their teacher added, “but before you leave, let me remind you of your homework.”

The class all threw a collected groan, slumping back in their seats. Only Olive kept a blank look.

“For next class, we’ll each present our family and their rich history!” The cerise mare briefly glanced over Olive. “For those who haven’t had the time to prepare, we’ll report it to next week.” The pink unicorn raised her hoof. “Yes, Olive?”

“I want to do it tomorrow.”

Cheerilee blinked, keeping her cheery smile while she processed the information. “A-Are you sure? It would be unfair considering you were probably not told about it.”

“Apple Bloom told me about the homework. I did it.”

“Well, in that case, you’ll be doing the presentation next class. I’m sure everypony here will be excited to hear your presentation.”

Heedful Care glanced around nervously. Oh... Um, that’s bad, isn’t it? What is she even going to say? Hopefully nothing that could traumatise the entire class.

“Now you can all go, my little ponies!”

The class emptied quickly, all left except for four ponies. Olive stayed in front of the teacher’s desk, hanging onto it with hooves, whilst her friends waited by the door.

“Uh, Olive? What are you doing?” Scootaloo asked.

“I want to talk to Cheerilee.”

The cerise mare put on a bright smile. “I’m right here, Olive! So, what do you want to ask me?”

“Um, I...” Olive paused, structuring her thoughts properly. She couldn’t quite remember why she even wanted to talk to her.

“I wanted to ask about... eh...”

Cheerilee’s smile slowly dropped, she kept her eyes on the curious filly.

Olive’s body heated up, her mind frantically trying to remember why she even came to her. Right as her cheeks reddened, she remembered. “Oh yeah! I wanted to ask you about Diamond Tiara’s mom!” She exclaimed with an innocent smile on her face.

Cheerilee’s eyes subtly widened. “Oh? What do you want to know about her, specifically?”

“I heard you talk with her Friday. It was something about Diamond Tiara’s grade being not good.” Olive explained much to the shock of the mare.

Cheerilee’s mouth hung half open for a solid second. “O-Olive! Eavesdropping is a bad thing! Some ponies want to talk in private, listening to their conversation is very impolite.” she sternly scolded.

Olive lowered her head and frowned. “O-Oh... I’m sorry, I was just curious.”

“It’s okay. Just remember to never eavesdrop again. Now, if there’s nothing else you wanted to talk about, I will leave.” Cheerilee rose out of her chair.

“No, wait! You didn’t answer my question!” Olive pleaded.

Miss Cheerilee bit her lip and sighed. She looked at the door where the Cutie Mark Crusaders waited, each looking mildly confused. “Okay, what is your question?”

“What’s going on with Diamond Tiara and her mom? Diamond looked a bit scared when she picked her up. Also, what’s going on between you and Diamond’s mom?”

Miss Cheerilee gritted her teeth nervously, gazing back at the CMC’s. “I know you mean well, Olive, but I can’t tell you anything. This is all very personal; I can’t talk about it openly. Everything’s fine, I assure you. You don’t have to worry about Diamond, I’m certain she’ll improve her grades in no time, but I appreciate your consideration!”

“But...” Cheerilee picked her saddlebag and left immediately, almost forgetting to tell them goodbye. Olive’s eyes stared at the open door, disappointed in herself for failing to be of any help. Something had to be wrong here, her guts were begging her to continue. Her head, however, was starting to have some doubts.

Maybe she was just imagining things. Maybe what she saw was normal. After all, she had no idea how this world worked.

“Huh, that was weird.” Sweetie Belle commented, catching the interest of the pink foal.

“Weird? Do you think something’s wrong?”

The three fillies exchanged looks. “Ah guess so. Ah mean, wasn’t it weird how she kept lookin’ at us three?”

Scootaloo winced. “Yeah, felt like we weren’t supposed to know about Spoiled Rich.”

“You girls think Miss Cheerilee is in trouble?” Sweetie Belle asked, worried.

“There’s only one way to know fo’ sure!” Apple Bloom said. “Cutie Mark Crusaders investigation!”

Olive yawned, her eyes feeling a little heavy. “Tomorrow... I’m tired.”

The Cutie Mark Crusaders stepped outside, basking in the fresh air. As expected, Dinky Hooves was waiting for Olive on a nearby swing. The violet unicorn jumped out of the swing and rushed to her, giddy by the sudden change in momentum.

“W-Woah... hey, Olive.” Dinky greeted, struggling to maintain herself in place. “Do you want to play with me?”

“Sure!” Olive answered enthusiastically. “I brought my friends to play too!” The pink unicorn introduced each of her friends to Dinky despite her already knowing all her classmates.

“Woah! So I get to make four new friends in just a day? Momma will be so proud of me when I tell her that!”

Scootaloo leaned in and whispered in Sweetie’s ear. “Huh, now that I think about it. Olive and Dinky do resemble each other.”

“I know right?” Sweetie whispered back. “This might be what perfection looks like.”

Apple Bloom snickered. “Mighty appreciate ta compliment fo’ mah little ‘sis. Hm, don’t ya have a type, Sweetie Belle?”

“H-Hey, what’s that supposed to mean?” The white unicorn asked, flustered.

Olive turned around with a blank expression. “Hm?”

“I-It’s n-nothing!”

“Oh, okay.” Olive resumed her conversation with Dinky, much to the giggles of her friends.

“Come on, don’t be afraid to speak your heart out. We can keep a secret.” Scootaloo said, a sly smile forming on her face.

“Come on, girls. It’s not that, it’s just...” Sweetie glanced at Olive, admiring the filly’s chipper vibe, her determination. She remembered that night when they gazed at the stars. “I think she’s admirable, that’s all.”

“What did ya do that Saturday? Sounds to me like ya learned a lot ‘bout mah sister.” Apple Bloom asked.

Sweetie smiled sheepishly. “Well, uh, I did learn she loves music... and my music too, but I also learned that she loves to watch the stars.”

“Did you cuddle with her that night? You know, while watching the stars?” Scootaloo teased.

“Well, y-yeah!” Sweetie admitted. “But it’s not what you think! She just really, really, really loves hugs, all right? I know she hugged you too, Scootaloo.”

Scootaloo’s sly smile remained. “Know? Were you there that day?” she sneered.

“Well, no but...”

“I’m just messing with you!” The orange pegasus exclaimed, playfully punching her leg. “She did hug me multiple time. I guess she’s just a very affectionate filly.”

The Cutie Mark Crusaders looked back at Olive. As expected, she was hugging Dinky Hooves.

“Mighty affectionate indeed.” Apple Bloom smiled.

A pink and silver shape appeared in the corner of their eyes. “Oh oh...” the three said in unison. “Diamond Tiara alert.”

“Hey, I want a word with you.” The rich filly ordered.

Olive blinked, then a chipper smile appeared. “Of course!”

Diamond Tiara poked at her namesake and glared. “See that? That is my tiara. It’s the most precious thing I own.”

The pink unicorn sadly analysed it. “It’s... broken.”

“Oh wow! Good job there Sherlock! What gave it away, the duct tape?” Diamond glowered, digging her face into Olive’s.

The small unicorn backed away nervously. “I’m really sorry, Diamond. I never wanted to hurt you or break your tiara. I was just... hoping we could be friends.”

Diamond pulled back her nose in disgust. “Friends? With a lowly blank flank? A no name even? Do you even know who you’re talking to?”

“... Diamond Ti-”

The rose earth pony’s eyes practically turned red. “Stop being this damn stupid! I-”

“That’s enough!” Apple Bloom shouted. “She apologised for it, why can’t ya leave at tha’?”

Silver Spoon pushed the earth pony away. “Because apologising isn’t going to fix it, duh!”

“B-But your tiara is still there. You can still wear it.” Olive stuttered.

“And it won’t look as pretty as it once did!” Diamond glowered.

“Then why don’t you just get yourself a new and even better one?!” Scootaloo proposed.

“You don’t get it, do you, blank flank? This tiara means everything to me. It’s more than just a tiara, more than just my name. A simple minded, orphaned filly like you could never understand!”

Scootaloo’s face contorted into pure fury. “How dare yo-”

“Stop it!” Olive shouted, holding back the furious pegasus. “Why can’t we just talk it out calmly?” Her pupils shrinking to pinpricks.

“Oh, you’re one to talk, Miss Panic Attack.” Silver Spoon mocked, touching the filly right on her scar. “You know, out of all the ponies here, you should understand how Diamond feels.”

Olive glanced over her not-so ugly scar. “I-I know it seems really ugly, but sometimes, we just have to learn with it. As long as you have your tiara, I’ll be happy for you.”

Diamond Tiara gritted her teeth and hissed. “Way to go, Miss Goody Four Shoe. I feel all better now.” she turned around and trotted away with her friend.

“R-Really?”

“No, you idiot! You can’t take back what you did, and no words can ever fix your stupid mistake!”

“B-But I said I was really sorry!”

Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon picked up the pace, soon going out of sight.

The Cutie Mark Crusaders watched on, still recovering from this heated confrontation.

“Uh, Olive? Are you alright?” Sweetie Belle asked softly.

Olive stayed there, tons of conflicting emotions swelling in her body. She closed her eyes tightly and pulled back her muzzle, letting out a muffled sound of anger. Her hooves stomped the ground angrily as she jumped in place. “Why is everypony trotting away from me when I just want to help?!”

The sun left the horizon, letting the beautiful moon faintly light up the night sky. Olive was exhausted from her big day at school. Maybe it was just her, but school was really mentally demanding for her. She had to multi-task all the time, taking notes on Cheerilee and Diamond Tiara, listening on the teacher’s lecture and passing notes around to other foals not to mention playing around the schoolyard with a very energetic unicorn. How her fellow classmates could even handle years of this was beyond her.

Her eyes were heavy, and her body added some extra weight for her poor legs to handle. She was so exhausted she could just crash on the floor and fall asleep right then and there. The little unicorn wondered if sleeping on the floor was even comfortable, not realising her thoughts started to make no sense whatsoever. The same sentences repeated, the same images flew, she was basically paralysed by her own mind, unable to move on to something else.

“Hey, sugar cube. Ah just wanted to congratulate ya on yer third day of school. Apple Bloom told me ya were getting' ta hang of it, ain’t it right?”

Everything in Olive’s head shut down, thank goodness Applejack was there to save her from this looping spiral of meaningless thoughts.

“Uh, y-yeah. I think I’m starting to understand how school works.” She responded, hiding her disappointment. Today was supposed to be the day she set everything right, but it didn’t happen. Everypony she talked to trotted away from her before she could even fix the problem. Olive felt like a failure.

Her mother smiled brightly. “Shoot! Ah knew ya were ready for it. See? It ain’t as scary as ya thought now, was it?”

Olive returned the smile, albeit weakly. “I guess I was just afraid of doing something new.”

“Aren’t we all? Ah know change is pretty frightenin’.”

The pink unicorn sighed. “It really is! But I think I’m getting better at, uh, change.”

“He he, that’s called ‘a-dap-ting’, sugar cube.” Applejack told her, making sure to pronounce the word out of her usual twang. “Ah knew ye’d be good at adaptin’.”

Olive yawned, her mouth stretching as wide as it possibly could. “It’s... pretty tiring too.”

The orange mare chuckled, massaging the filly’s back until she noticed something. “Oh my, yer pretty tense right now. May Ah help ya relax?”

The little unicorn blinked. “How are you going to do that?” she asked innocently.

Applejack applied a little more pressure on her hoof, pushing the filly down on her back, exposing her belly. Her daughter stared at her, her cute little eyes displaying some confusion. “How? With a little belly rub!” She rubbed the filly gently, reveling in her adorable giggles.

Olive folded her hooves and closed her eyes as she laughed, the sensation tickled but it was also pleasant. Very, very, pleasant. Now overwhelmed by the good sensations, her hind legs stretched out as far as they could followed by her back. Her little body sent another wave of goodness to her brain.

Next, it was her front legs. She lifted them above her head and stretched out as far as she could like a cat, her body shaking under the pull. After she was done stretching, she rolled over to the side, her mane covering her face and let Applejack continue her massage. The mare was incredible at it, more so than she imagined.

Apple Bloom came down the stairs. “Hey, Applejack, did ya see Oli-” She stopped before the adorable scene on display.

“Aw, aren’t ya feelin’ relaxed yet, sugar cube?” Applejack said, gushing at her daughter's cuteness.

Apple Bloom trotted over, gazing at the resting filly. “Yer givin’ ‘er massages?”

Applejack smiled. “E-yup, Ah feel like Ah’m pretty good at it too. Ah’m sure our little pony ‘ere would agree.”

“Maybe they should hire ya at the spa!” The yellow earth pony mused.

“Aw shucks, Ah can’t be THAT good!” Aj turned her attention back on the little pony. “Eh, Olive? Are ya there?”

No response came from the pink filly. Curious, Applejack leaned over and gently pushed away the foal’s white mane. Olive’s eyes were still closed, her mouth half open as she was taking in long and relaxed breaths. Adorable little sounds sometime came out of her small mouth. She was as graceful as an angel.

“Aww... She fell asleep.” Aj gushed.

“Still think yer not THAT good?” Apple Bloom teased.

“Okay, maybe Ah am.”

Author's Note

Now that's another chunky chapter! Looking at the roadmap I made, it would appear that the next chapters are going to be longer than 5k words on average. There's just so many things I have to tackle at once, so I hope you don't mind the longer chapters.
Anyhow, only 3 chapters remain before the big ass storm and oh boy, that's going to be one hell of a chapter. Might have to split it in a few parts.

34. Glad To Be Alive

When Olive woke up, she found herself in a snowy forest once again. Strange, she did fell asleep in Sweet Apple Acre. So then, how could she be-

“Oh.”

This was a dream, wasn’t it? Once the realisation came, the sensation of the snow on her hooves faded away. It was strange, touching cold snow without feeling it’s temperature. The wind gently pushed her mane, but Olive felt nothing.

The filly took some time to bask in the weirdness of her current situation. She then wondered what was supposed to happen in this dream now that she’s compromised it. The world just stopped moving. There was nothing but the breeze and the snow falling to the ground.

The more time passed, the more Olive began to feel unnerved. She was all alone in here. There may be no danger, but there was nopony to keep her company. Each passing second increased her anxiety.

“I-Is anypony there?” Olive asked, knowing all too well this was futile.

You can do anything you want in your dreams!

Out of her subconscious, a memory was dug up. The pink unicorn remembered her first meeting with Princess Luna. That night, she changed her dream to have some fun. Even the mighty princess of the night transformed into a small filly just like her.

I can have my friends in this dream! Olive thought, revelling in her brilliance. The snow levitated, spiralling around to transform into three fillies.

“Witch! I have come for an exorcism.”

The three fillies crumbled back into snow. Olive turned around, her eyes wide open. Not even the snow melting on them could force her to blink. In the white forest, a gigantic silhouette covered in snow stood out. Scarlet eyes stared into her like daggers.

“I’m not done just yet, not until I’ve got my retribution.”

Strong Hoof stomped through the deep snow, fast approaching. Olive ran away as fast as she could, but his giant size ensured she wouldn’t be quick enough to outrun her pursuer. In no time at all, he got above her, his shadow engulfing her.

With no magic and no chance at fleeing, Olive dropped to her flank. She began to feel horribly cold, her limbs shivering.

“Wh-Why do you hate me so much?” she cried out. “I didn’t do anything, I swear!”

Strong Hoof’s face darkened. “Is that what you would say to the 27 ponies your ‘temper tantrums’ have murdered?” he said, a slight hint of anger behind his otherwise calm voice.

Olive’s eyes turned to pinpricks, tears rising. “I’m so sorry! It wasn’t my fault, I-I never wanted to hurt anypony!”

“Actions speak louder than words, they say. It doesn’t matter what you want, all that matters are the facts and here’s one for you: you’re a monster.” The giant raised a hoof, it’s size alone was comparable, maybe even bigger, than that of the filly. The shadows under his cap blackened his eyes. “And monsters exist only to be slain.”

Olive fell on her back, her hooves blocking her face. “No! Don’t hurt me!” In between her hooves, she saw the giant hoof slamming down on her.

And she felt nothing. No pain, no broken bones, nothing happened. Surprised and confused, she lowered her legs. Her eyes widened as she gazed upon the angelic golden coat of an old friend.

“Olive, nice to see you again!” Aurora greeted, her soothing voice bringing some peace into the troubled filly.

“Au, Aurora...” Olive muttered in disbelief.

“Come on, girl, five second of love! You know you need it right now!” The pegasus exclaimed, picking Olive up in her gentler hooves. She kissed the small pony on her cheek. “There, feeling better yet?”

Olive’s heartbeat returned to a normal pace. The cold of the snow vanishing, bested by the beautiful warmth of Aurora’s coat. “Yeah, I think so.”

The mare smiled gently. “That’s great! Now tell me; how did it go with Cheerilee and Diamond Tiara?”

Olive’s joy faltered. Her chipper smile lowering to a disappointed frown. “Terribly. I failed in every way possible...” Her head lowered, unable to look Aurora in the eyes. How could she? She failed in the mission she told the mare about.

To her surprise, Aurora simply giggled. “Naturally.”

“H-Huh? Why are you laughing?”

The pegasus rubbed her mane gingerly. “Stop being so harsh on yourself, Olive. Nopony ever expected you to do everything perfectly the first time. Ponies are at their core very stubborn. It’ll take a lot, and I mean a lot of effort to change their way of thinking. You didn’t fail, you took the first step and I’m proud of you for that.”

Olive blinked; her face stuck in pure surprise. “Wha-huh? So... I’m doing good?”

“Of course you are!” Aurora exclaimed, her eyes sparkling as bright as the moon. “If you keep at it, show them how well intentioned you are then... maybe they’ll let you help. It’ll take some time, but you will succeed eventually. All you need, is patience and I know you have what it takes. I know, because I raised you. You are my pride and joy, Olive. Never forget me, okay?”

The pink filly’s eyes watered. Her shaky smile struggling to stay. “I-” she croaked, breathing heavily to stabilise her voice. “I’ll never forget you. I owe everything to you.” she closed her eyes and wiped the tears away. "When will you come back?"

Aurora’s cheerful smile dropped. She looked in Olive’s eyes for a moment. “You can do this on your own. Don’t let me weigh you down, okay?”

3 days left before the storm

That morning, Olive went downstairs alongside Apple Bloom, silent. Her expression was indecipherable as always, every time she wasn’t in a bad or happy mood. She sat down with her stone gaze and took a few bites from her oatmeal before she stared down Applejack.

“Somethin’s wrong, sugar cube?” Applejack put down her apple, her attention now fully onto the pink filly.

“Ma-huh, wha-?” Olive blinked, her chewing slowing down. Her big cheeks reddened slightly as the others giggled. “I can’th remember ith.”

“Okay, just be sure not to speak with yer mouth full.”

The little unicorn swallowed; her mind still stuck on her dream. She can’t remember what happened in it other than the small snippets she saved. It was about Aurora, again, but what mattered most was what they were talking about. Something about... stubbornness?

“She didn’t look like she had any bad dreams that night.” Apple Bloom said, taking a small bite from her apple.

Applejack smiled at the pink filly. “That’s great ta ‘ear! It sounds like yer doin’ a hay of lot better now!”

“Well, um, I guess I am.” Olive muttered, her eyes fixated on the wall behind Aj. Flashes of that night’s dream took her out of the conversation.

Granny Smith giggled. She was the only one in a rocking chair around the table. “See? Ah told ya we could ‘andle it!”

“Heh, ya did say tha’ a couple of moons ago.” Applejack froze. Already been that long, huh? Come to think of it, it’s been nearly a month since Ah first found ‘er!

“Mommy?” The orange mare roused herself.

“Yes, sugar cube?”

“Why are ponies so stubborn?”

The four Apples stopped eating, taken aback by this strange question. They were mostly wondering why she was asking this. Apple Bloom, however, seemed to have caught on judging by the funny look she was giving Olive.

“There can be many reasons behind a pony’s stubbornness.” Big Macintosh started.

Granny Smith took over. “Yeah, and often it’s because ponies hate ta be wrong!”

Olive’s little mouth hung open for a bit. “They hate to be wrong?” The sparkle in her eyes shined brighter. The filly leaned forward.

“Yeah, it’s a part of practically everypony. It can make some more stubborn than others but, ah... We Apples ain’t stubborn, not one bit.” Applejack continued on their behalf.

Woah, I hate to be wrong too. I guess mommy and her family must be really smart. Olive thought in awe.

Granny Smith raised an eyebrow at that last statement. “Well, some used ta be!”

“Ah still remember it like it was yesterday.”

Applejack’s ears lowered. “Please, don’t go tattlin’ on me in front of ‘er!” she whispered to the big stallion.

“Oh come on, Applejack!” Granny Smith laughed. “This filly really loves ya and all but Ah don’t think she worships ya as a perfect idol.”

Olive roused herself, eyeballing each of the adults. “Hm? I have no alter in my room.”

Applejack’s eyes opened further, dumbfounded by this statement. “An’ somehow, she knows what an alter is.”

“They used to build a lot of alters.” Olive explained.

“Let’s go back on track!” Granny Smith lifted herself from the table to get her attention back. “Ya see, Olive, some ponies believe strongly in somethin’ that can bring ‘em comfort or pleasure. When they’re told they’re wrong, it can often lead to denial. As such, no matter how strong the evidence are, they will never change their mind, though it depends on the individual. Ponies who are more open minded will be more inclined to listen, and that’s the kind of ponies you should hang out with.”

“Huh, that’s a pretty good advice.” Applejack admitted. “Ah’ll keep it in mind.”

The old mare chuckled. “Ah guess that lesson applies to everypony in this house.”

While the adults were busy talking to each other, Apple Bloom inched closer to Olive. “Diamond Tiara’s as stubborn as a mule. Ah think she might be a lost cause.”

“B-Buth...”

“Listen, ya shoul-”

Olive quickly raised a hoof to Apple Bloom’s mouth, then motioned at her chewing mouth.

“Oh, Ah suppose Ah should let ya swallow first.”

The pink unicorn finished her bite, “There’s still a chance Diamond Tiara will listen to me if I try hard enough. I don’t think anypony in your class is beyond help. I mean, I used to think I was beyond help...”

“I-It’s not that Ah think she’s beyond help, it’s just... Ah don’t like Diamond at all and helping ‘er just irks me.” Apple Bloom sighed, resting her face in her hooves.

Olive nodded, a sad look slowly taking the place of her stone gaze. “That’s okay, you don’t have to help me if you don’t like it. I can do this by myself.”

The sadness in the unicorn’s voice poked at Apple Bloom’s heart like thorns. Letting out a muffled groan, she lifted her head and looked at Olive in the eyes, a comforting glint in her gaze. “But Ah also know Ah can’t let ya do it alone. No matter what, Ah have to help ya. Ah’m yer big sister after all.”

Olive gave her a thankful smile. “You’re the best sister ever.” She sprouted her hooves like wings and brought Apple Bloom closer for a hug. “Five seconds of love for the best sister ever!”

During their trek to school, Olive admired the landscape of Sweet Apple Acre. She gazed at the lovely hills, the apple trees and the Everfree Forest. However, something peculiar caught her attention. On one of the hills overlooking the farm, there were wooden structures planted firmly on the ground in the shape of a cross. Under these structures were flowers and apples, lots of apples.

The pink filly stopped trotting. “Mommy, what is that over there?” she pointed at the wooden objects on the hills.

Applejack and Apple Bloom halted their march. The orange mare stared at the two objects and opened her mouth but paused for a bit. “That, uh... that’s what ya’d call grave markers.”

Olive blinked; her pretty eyes focused entirely on those markers. “What’s a grave marker?”

“It’s somethin’ to remember ta...” Aj paused, feeling something being caught in her throat. She had no idea if now truly was the best time to bring down the mood yet again. She sighed and continued, “to remember ta dead by. It’s where we buried our parents.” After an awkward pause, she began to trot again. “Come on fillies, we don’t wanna be late.” Applejack stopped looking, gesturing at the two to follow her. Apple Bloom was quick to move.

Olive, however, lingered on the graves for a bit until something hurt her heart, and she couldn’t handle the sight anymore. N-No, you’re still with me, aren’t you?

“Good morning ponies! Today we’ll be listening to all your presentations about your family.”

Another stressful day had come for Olive, whose hooves trembled on her desk. Another presentation in front of the class and somehow, despite having already done that, she was still mortified at the idea of being the center of attention again.

She felt another touch on her shoulder, one that made her flinch.

“Um, I’m sorry. Did I scare you?” Sweetie Belle asked softly.

Olive felt her cheeks grow warm. “N-No, I was just, uh, s-stressed about my presentation.” She shuffled the paper in her hooves, glueing her eyes to it. She had already memorised everything on it, but her anxiety kept pushing her to re-practice mentally. What if she forgets something in the spotlight? That’d be terrible!

“Me too!” Sweetie Belle nickered. “I was just... m-more concerned about you, that’s all.”

“Did you practice?”

Sweetie Belle looked at her notes. “Yeah, I did. I’m sure it’ll be fine and I'm just being nervous for nothing, he he.”

“I’m sure your presentation will be great!” Olive softly exclaimed. “You must have a good family. Well, you must have because you’re a good pony.”

The white unicorn giggled. “Aw, you’re a great pony!”

“Do you think it’s a good idea?”

Sweetie Belle blinked. “What’s a good idea?”

“To talk about my father and his friends. I mean, do you think it’ll help Diamond Tiara understand me more? If I-I tell everypony about them, maybe she’ll be willing to give me a second chance.” Olive explained softly, her melodious voice enchanting Sweetie.

“I think it’s a great idea!” She responded abruptly, not even giving it some thought. W-Wait, maybe I should-

“Now then,” Cheerilee announced. “We’ll start with... Apple Bloom!”

The yellow earth pony gulped before taking the center stage. Olive immediately reached for her pencil with her mouth, ready to take any notes with how her peers would perform their presentation. Anything that could help like how body language works would do.

“Now remember everypony, I want you all to listen to your friends’ presentation, so I don’t want to see anypony drawing or writing, okay?”

Olive dropped her pencil with a quiet whimper. “Sweetie, Scootaloo, help!” she whispered to her friends.

“Hm?”

“What’s wrong?”

Olive leaned closer to the two. “How do I do a presentation like a normal foal? When and how should I move my hooves when I talk? Am I talking normally?”

“Uh, my- I think...” Sweetie Belle’s brain shut down, unable to answer all these questions at once.

“Hm...” Scootaloo scratched her chin, eyes on the ceiling. “Well, when you talk, you look kinda like a robot, ‘cause you barely move when you talk.”

“Scootaloo!” Sweetie glowered.

Olive’s pupils shrank. “H-How do I not move like a robot then?”

Scootaloo slumped on her seat. “I dunno. It just sort of depends on the pony, I guess. One more thing that makes you different from the rest, n-not that it’s a bad thing. It makes you more special in my eyes, and...” She looked around the class, making sure nopony would hear the next word “sweeter.”

“I hope you’re right...”

Apple Bloom gestured at the fillies to give her some moral support. Her eyes just screamed “Ah need some help over ‘ere!” As she trotted in front of the class, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo applauded. Olive watched them briefly before copying their exact method of clapping.

“Alright, ponies. Apple Bloom will be commencing her presentation soon.” Cheerilee joyfully turned to the yellow filly with a smile. “You can start when you’re ready.”

Nervous, Apple Bloom started her presentation. She talked about how her family first came to Ponyville many moons ago, how they built it with the help of Princess Celestia and lastly, how spread out the Apples were in all Equestria. For every big city in the country, there was at least one Apple there. As Olive soon came to learn, the Apples were one of the oldest and most prominent family in pony history.

Apple Bloom’s presentation ended, and everypony applauded. Olive was pleasantly surprised to see that despite being a blank flank, Apple Bloom was well respected by her classmates. Perhaps this blank flank stigma came only from Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon, the only foals that have bullied her for her lack of cutie mark.

During the down time, Olive scribbled down some important notes about her sister’s presentation and her theories regarding the two rich fillies.

More foals went in front, and Olive listened carefully to each of their presentations, surprised by how much they had to say about their families. They spoke of their parents, their cousins, their grandparents and more. It made her realise that outside of her father, she knew nopony in her family. Where were her grandparents? Her cousins? She had absolutely no idea, and never thought to ask her father about them, not that it would have done something, he never spoke of family.

This realisation made her shiver in anxiety. They all had big families while she only had one pony really. Olive felt her stomach-turning upside down, a burning sensation rippling across her body.

“Hey, Olive, are you alright?” Sweetie Belle asked, concerned by the filly’s nervous and shaky movement.

“Oh... they all have so many ponies in their family, but I know nopony other than my father! What do I do?” Olive cracked, burying her face in her hooves.

“Uh, just do your presentation as planned?” Sweetie proposed, placing a solidary hoof on her shoulder.

Scootaloo chimed in. “Yeah, you’ve obviously had a different story from the other ponies in here, kinda like me. I’m sure they’re all expecting something unique from you, so don’t pressure yourself by comparing your life to ours.”

Olive roused herself. “Huh? I-I guess you’re right. I should stop comparing myself to other ponies...”

“Yeah, that’s what I used to do until I realised just how much it made me feel bad about myself. When I stopped placing some sort of expectation on me, I felt so much better!” Scootaloo smiled, one that felt much sweeter than the smirks of her usual tough filly façade.

“Next up, Scootaloo!” Cheerilee announced.

“Well, I guess it’s my turn now.” Scootaloo said as she left her seat. “Oh, and I’ll maybe talk a bit about you. Is that okay?”

Olive’s cheeks turned red. “Uh, I m-mean... sure?”

“It’s on then!”

Scootaloo talked about her upbringing, her time with her parents and... their inevitable departure. Every foal felt a strong sympathy towards the pegasus’ story. They could never imagine how much it would hurt to be abandoned by the ponies you’ve always seen as your idols, your guiding moonlight but Olive did, and for her, the pain was atrocious. She perfectly understood how Scootaloo felt about the whole thing, more so than the others when the filly began to tear up during her tough presentation. The only solace the orange filly could find, was that out of the two of them, she got off easy.

“... I struggled to come to terms with it. I, uh, really did. But thanks to one pony here, I finally found some sense of closure to it all.” Scootaloo’s eyes moved to Olive, sitting in the front row. “She was the first pony that could ever relate to me, and thanks to her I...” She paused, feeling her eyes welling. “I finally decided to choose my family. So, thank you.”

When she was done wiping the tears away, Olive applauded. She was the first to applaud Scootaloo, moved to tears herself.

“W-Well...” Cheerilee started, trying to shake off the strong emotions. “We’re all so proud of you to talk openly about your struggles. Really, it takes a lot of courage for a pony to express her pain.” She gave Scootaloo a consoling smile. “You can return to your seat now.”

Passing by Olive, the pegasus smiled gratefully. The pink unicorn’s confidence rose to new heights. After hearing Scootaloo’s presentation, she felt more comfortable talking about her own father, and the problems that came with him.

“Next, we’ll have Olive talk about her family!”

W-Wait, I change my mind. I’m not ready!

“You got it.”

Olive saw her winged friend encouraging her to go on stage, and in that moment, she knew she couldn’t back down. Reluctant, she nervously trotted next to the teacher’s desk, where everypony had their eyes on her. The pressure, it was awful. In that moment, it felt like every single movement she made down to the simple blinking of her eyes had to be deliberate and carefully executed, else she’ll suffer eternal ridicule at their hooves for the next years of her life.

Looking at Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon didn’t make it any better. Their hateful and mocking glare threatened to pull her apart at any mistake or weakness they could spot. In the spotlight, she had to be perfect, or else it was the end of her.

It felt wrong, how could she be having such a hard time now? She already talked to the whole class last week, so why was this time so... different? Her mind couldn’t find any answer, so she froze in fear.

“You can start when you’re ready.” Cheerilee said in her usual nice voice.

But to Olive, it only made the feeling worse. Now, they were all expecting her to speak. All expecting her to deliver something unique, different. Scootaloo was expecting her to do great. Expectations, expectations, expectations.

“I, uh, I-I...”

Her body was burning so much, it felt like she had turned into a furnace. The foals began to look confused, some leaning forth, others, especially Diamond Tiara, stabbed her soul with her spiteful eyes.

Olive teared up, unable to take the pressure. It was so bad that Heedful Care had to get off her seat and rush to the rescue. The mare told Cheerilee she was going to take Olive out of the class for a moment.

The cerise mare agreed and chose to let another pony go upfront while the two left.

Outside, Olive wiped her tears away. “I-I failed. Now everypony will think I’m a chicken.”

Heedful Care sat next to her, with a gentle smile. “I don’t think they’ll see you that way. I know it can be daunting to speak in front of so many ponies, but I assure you, nopony thinks you’re a chicken. They all understand how stressful it is, they’re not blaming you for being a little scared.”

Olive’s body vibrated, unable to remain perfectly still. This was radically different from her usual motionless stances, different enough to press the counselor into acting quickly.

“Next time you go, I’ll stay by your side. That way, we’ll both be the center of attention. Does that sound good to you?”

Olive’s legs kept on shaking, albeit a little slower. “Why? Why do I find this harder than last time? Unlike my other presentation, I have my papers and everything. I know what to say but it’s too hard for me to go in front! Why is this happening now?!”

Care pondered upon what she had heard in class. “Hm, I think I know why.”

Olive raised her head, surprised. “Really? You do?”

“I think what’s scaring right now, is not the presentation itself, but it’s the expectations you have set upon yourself.”

“The... e-expectations?”

Care nodded. “Yes, you have created expectations for your presentations. When Scootaloo encouraged you, you believed your presentation had to be really good to impress her. For the other foals, you wanted to do something unique, different by talking about your old family rather than the Apples as they would expect you to do. In short, you’re pressuring yourself by believing you have all these expectations to meet, but that’s just not the case. It doesn’t matter if you do everything perfectly or if you mess up something. All that matters, is that you stay true to who you are, let your soul seep into your presentation. That is what your friends want to see. They want to see you, Olive.”

Olive shuffled through her notes, still anxious, but a bit more at ease. “I... I think I can do this.”

“Do you think, or do you know?” Heedful Care smiled gently, patting the filly on the head. “I’m sure you know.”

“Um, hello I, uh, didn’t really tell you all everything during my last presentation.”

Back on center stage, Olive was panicking internally. She already fumbled her opening, something she was never good at to begin with, but now she was about to say it. She was about to tell them all about who her father was. Doubts started to creep in. Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea after all but then... wouldn’t it not be a good idea to essentially do the same thing as her sister?

No matter how she looked at it, Olive was screwed. Torn between two choices, she had no other option but to trust herself and go on.

“A-As some of you may know, I live at Sweet Apple Acre with mo-Applejack.” Whowee! She dodged a bullet with that one. She may be ignorant to social interactions, but she knew how bad it’ll make her look if she says “mommy” to everypony, especially Diamond Tiara. And her goal was to make the earth pony like her.

“But I never told you about my other family. Well, not really that it’s a family. I only knew my father, so I'll be talking about him today, um.” The pink unicorn nervously shuffled around her notes, occasionally glancing over the pegasus standing beside her.

“My father is Jolly Melody.”

Heedful Care’s eyes widened. She’s heard of that stallion before. He was...

“He lived in Manehattan as a singer and musician. He was really good.”

“I know! I love listening to his music on the radio!” Dinky Hooves screamed excitedly.

“Woah, that’s so cool!” A colt exclaimed.

Cheerilee saw the distress on Care’s face and began to feel uneased. She didn’t know much about Olive, just that she had a terrible father and now, she just realised she’s heard of him before. So many ponies did. Sweet Celestia... They always played his tunes on the radio. Not many got to know the stallion personally, but she knew his heart wasn't entirely good.

“Yeah, I know. I always admired his talent in music and, uh, wished I could be as good as him, but I wasn’t. I... looked up to him. I saw him as my idol, as my role model. But he never was a good pony.”

The whole class was stunned, except for the crusaders. Did they hear that right? Jolly Melody, the great singer from Manehattan... wasn’t a good pony?

“No, he was the worst!” Olive shouted, stomping her hooves. “He never played with me, never comforted me, never loved me! I was just a burden he didn’t want to carry!” She further raised her voice, her eyes welling. “He didn’t care about anypony at all except for Princess Luna! He didn’t care about his friends either! I’ve seen so many of them died, he was never sad when they died. He always mocked them and let the others bury them... N-No, I-I can’t do this. This was a mistake!”

Heedful Care gingerly touched her shoulder. “It’s okay, you can continue.”

Olive panted, continuing her presentation as she raised her voice. “He openly insulted me when I couldn’t do something right. Lied to my face so I wouldn’t leave or say anything against him. H-He hurt me, d-did something that made me scared to use magic, I... When my only friend tried to...” She looked at Heedful Care, her eyes filled with horror and pain.

“Y-You can stop now if you want.”

“I... I’m just glad I left him.” Olive concluded, lowering her voice. “I’m just glad I’m still here. I’m just...

Glad I’m not dead.”

Everypony sat there, stunned. Many of the foals stared at the pink filly, horrified.

“D-dead?” Dinky muttered.

Sweetie Belle blanched, getting even whiter than her coat. She stared dead eyed into Apple Bloom’s orange eyes. “S-S-So the rumors were true? She was really... m-mangled outside the Everfree?”

Everypony else were thinking the same thing. They’ve heard the rumors of a near-dead pony found on the outskirts of Ponyville, but none truly wanted to believe such a thing could happen, not when this place was known to be a wonderful and happy town.

Even Diamond Tiara was stunned, now unsure of what to think. She’s never heard a story this horrible before, much less from a foal that seemed younger than her.

“I’m sorry I didn’t have much to say. I just... wanted to get it off my chest.” Olive whined, sniffling. “I’m just so grateful for everypony in Ponyville. They’ve all shown me what it’s like to be happy. I feel like I owe everything to them. That’s all.” Without saying another word, she trotted back to her seat and buried her face in her hooves. Sweetie then came to give her a mane to cry into.

It took some time for the class to recover after this presentation. Even after the next foals in line went in front, the awkward feeling that Olive had created remained. And it lasted for the rest of the day.

“That was a terrible idea.”

Out in the playground, Olive slumped on a picnic table, refusing to raise her head anymore. Her voice sounded defeated, ashamed enough to worry the three little crusaders.

Apple Bloom was the first to act upon her sisterly instinct. “Ah don’t think it was, really. Applejack always told me it’s important to get some things off yer chest. Ah’m sure that did ya a lot of good!”

Scootaloo went in next, speaking softly. “She’s right. I feel a lot better now that I’ve said it out loud to everypony.”

“Wasn’t it also to make Diamond Tiara hate you less?” Sweetie Belle asked. “B-But what they said is more important...”

“It’s true.” Olive blurted out. “It was just for a stupid reason. I didn’t think about it like you, Scootaloo. I was only thinking about Diamond Tiara when I chose to do my presentation. It was stupid. I’m stupid. Really stupid because I didn’t listen to myself.”

Scootaloo chuckled, leaning closer to embrace the young filly. “Don’t be so hard on yourself! You’re making a nasty habit out of it. Everypony makes mistake, we’re no different. All that matters is that you learn something from them. Plus, I’m sure you still believe in what you said to me, even if you forgot about it for a moment.”

Olive raised her head, looking at Scootaloo with her sad, yet beautiful olive eyes.

“Stop saying you’re stupid. We don’t like when you’re bringing yourself down.”

“Yeah, it hurts me when ya say tha’.” Apple Bloom said, holding a hoof to her heart. “Nopony thinks yer stupid except ya. Ah don’t know what yer father or anypony else said ‘bout ya, but they’re wrong. These ponies just wanted to bring ya down, but not us. We all see ya fer who ya truly are.” She brought her sister closer for a hug. “That’s what friends are fer.”

The little pink pony cracked, tears streaming down her face. She held on tight to her sister, smiling weakly.

Sweetie Belle inched closer to the two. “Are we making this a group hug?”

Olive reached out for the two fillies; her tearful eyes closed.

“He he, I won’t ever get tired of that.” Scootaloo chuckled, sharing the warmth of her friends. It felt great for her just as it did for the pink unicorn. Hugs really are therapeutic.

Some time passed, and class was expected to resume. Only, it didn’t seem to. Miss Cheerilee didn’t go outside to get everypony back in. It surely felt like more than 15 minutes passed, they should be in class right now.

Most of the foals didn’t really seem to care for they were too absorbed in their games to pay any attention to the time except for the four crusaders. Their recess was a very emotional one, and every passing minute was felt. So, they were the first to notice that something funny was up.

Scootaloo stood up, one eyebrow raised, and scouted the playground. “Uh, it’s been like 20 minutes. Shouldn’t we be back in class already?”

Apple Bloom soon left the table. “Mighty strange indeed. Cheerilee’s never tardy.”

“So? Do we just play with the others, or do we check out what’s going on?” Sweetie Belle asked, still cuddled up with Olive.

“How about both?” Scootaloo said with a smirk. Her three friends blinked, not really knowing how such a thing was possible.

“Uh, by that I mean, we sneak around and investigate. See why Cheerilee’s not calling us in.”

“Ooh! A secret super soldier type game? Ah’m in!” Apple Bloom exclaimed.

“Sneaking” around the playground, the crusaders hid underneath a window that led to their classroom. The closer they approached, the better they heard the voices on the other side. It sounded like Cheerilee and...

“Spoiled Rich? What’s she doing in here?” Sweetie Belle whispered, worried.

Olive raised her head, curious to see what’s on the other side of the window. She slowly got on her hind legs and peeked, only to be rapidly pulled down by Scootaloo. As it turned out, poking your head through an open window isn’t a great idea when you’re trying to be stealthy.

Spoiled Rich’s voice became louder, and now they could understand her words. “... again with that, lost filly? Diamond just told me about her ‘presentation’ and I’m not going to have any of it! Tell me, how many problems are going to come from her? If you can’t keep her from traumatising entire generations then I’ll do it myself!”

Apple Bloom blanched. “W-Wait what? What’s she implying, huh?”

Olive blinked. “We have another lost filly in Ponyville? I’d like to meet her but I also don’t want to be traumatised...”

Scootaloo groaned. “You can’t meet yourself, Olive. She’s talking about you! That filthy mare has a bone to pick with you.”

“M-Me?!”

Sweetie Belle hushed the unicorn, almost catching the attention of the mares inside.

“That won’t be necessary, Miss Rich. I’ll make sure to keep a close eye on her... behavior.” The teacher’s heart didn’t seem to be into it. Olive might struggle to understand how others think sometimes, but when it comes down to pain or fear, she can empathise. Something about Cheerilee was off indeed.

“We have to help Miss Cheerilee!”

Now help did sound good, but the problem was how they were going to go about helping their teacher with this precarious affair. From what Olive knew, Spoiled Rich held some sort of power over Cheerilee. In the world of her father, that’d be money... maybe that applied to this situation as well? What was this kind of action called again?

“Coercion?”

Apple Bloom stared at her sister with incomprehension written all over her. “What was that?”

“I think Spoiled Rich is coercing Cheerilee into doing bad things to me, or good things to Diamond Tiara.”

“Well... let’s keep on listening. Maybe they’ll comfirm it.” Scootaloo proposed.

“I believe that covers it. Oh, and what about Diamond Tiara?”

“Uh... o-oh! You mean about her grades?”

“Of course, what else could I be talking about? She’s the daughter of the elite, if her grades don’t reflect her status, there’ll be big trouble coming your way.”

Scootaloo snickered. “For an evil mare, she sure is not discreet! Well that’s great! Now we have our confirmation that something is wrong.”

“Hm? Is somepony there?”

A chill went up the spines of each of the crusaders. “Cutie Mark Crusaders, withdraw!” Apple Bloom whispered. They got out just in the nick of time. Now, they knew what Spoiled Rich was up to and why Cheerilee was acting strangely. The only thing bothering them now was Heedful Care. She surely must know what was going on, or perhaps she was intentionally left out of these discussions by Spoiled Rich. Something was terribly wrong in this situation.

“Hey, where have you been, blank flanks?” Sadly, that thought had to wait because Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon came to town, again. This time, they won’t let these rich fillies trot all over them.

Sweetie Belle answered. “Playing around the playground where nopony would bother us.” A lie, Diamond Tiara sure was not a gullible pony. That answer only served to irk her some more, as if she wasn’t moody enough as is.

“And why were you in a hurry to come back here, to my territory?”

Silver Spoon blinked. “Wasn’t it ours?”

“Your territory? Oh, so now you’re policing the school?” Scootaloo mocked. “Well, who’s enforcing the rules?”

“We overheard your mother talking with Miss Cheerilee.” Olive answered honestly, much to the dismay of her friends.

Diamond Tiara scoffed. “Hmph, of course she did. I told her all about your...” She paused, her snob expression waning for a bit. “Presentation. She’s going to make sure you can’t disturb ponies with your sob stories.”

“I know that.” Olive nodded. “But did you know that she’s also trying to raise your grades?”

Silver Spoon raised an eyebrow. “Raise your grades? Why is she doing that now? My mother never raised my grades for me.”

A mixture of emotion passed over Diamond Tiara; confusion, worry and anger. “Wh-What? I know my grades haven’t been the best but that’s just ridiculous. I can handle myself without her help, because I am and have always been the best of this puny class.”

“Didn’t you also struggle often with your grades?” Silver Spoon mentioned.

“Sh-Shut up!” Diamond barked, her voice raising unexpectedly. “It’s not what you think, okay?”

Olive pondered about this for a moment. The more thought she poured into the implications behind Spoiled Rich’s cheating and Silver’s phrase, the clearer the picture became. “Did your mother always tamper with your grades?

“N-No!” Diamond hastily screamed. “What do you know about my grades, huh? Y-You’re just a newbie who’s trying to act all smart by prying into other pony’s lives.” The filly’s voice cracked, slowly losing its harshness. “You’re acting as if you have the moral high ground. Well let me tell you this; you’re not as good as you pretend to be.” Her eyes began to water as she stormed off with Silver Spoon.

“Uh, w-wait!” Olive screamed, but they didn’t want to hear it. The two earth ponies were long gone in a matter of seconds just as Cheerilee finally came to end recess.

The Cutie Mark Crusaders saw Spoiled Rich leaving the school, glaring at all the foals playing in the playground. Even her own daughter wasn’t spared, in fact, it she got an even worse glare. One that seemed to pass as a threat more than anything. The poor filly looked distraught, uncertain of what to do anymore, a worry shared by her silver friend.

With that, Olive finally had the confirmation that Diamond Tiara needed help. Whatever happened in her personal life couldn’t be good, and that’s something that she can help with. The good thing with suffering, is that you can recognise when somepony’s in need. All it takes to help, is understanding.

Olive wasn’t going to give up so easily. Not when she can rescue the diamond in the rough.

Author's Note

Another chapter done, another step closer to the ominous storm...
Anyhow, next chapter, Olive will try to understand what Diamond Tiara is going through and for that, there's only one way to do it; by spending the entire day with her as a friend! Now, whether the rich filly would allow it remains to be seen.

Also, this chapter was originally going to be like 12 000+ words, but I decided to split it in two, the second part should be published not too long after this one.

35. Don't Get Too Comfortable

At the dead of night, inside Canterlot’s abandoned caverns, Looking Glass could immediately tell his gut feeling was correct. The air in there was oppressive, heavy, ominous. Many of the crystals had already been mined out, casting the place in darkness. If he didn’t have magic, he’d be forced to turn back.

The glow from his horn was the only source of light in this abyss that kept on descending further and further in the core of Equestria. The sound of his hooves banging on the rocky ground echoed, compromising his hearing. Looking Glass stopped, satisfied of his thoughtfulness to bring some boots to muffle the sounds.

Being harder to detect, he confidently snuck down until he saw a faint light in the distance. Then it turned to multiple lights. His eyes opened ever so slightly at the fantastical sight before him. A town, underneath the very pillars of Canterlot. The unicorn stared in awe, his horn powering down. For a brief moment, a shiver crawled up his spine.

Anarchy was far more dangerous than he could have ever imagined. Nopony before has ever hid this well from the royal sisters, much less this close to them! If that mad stallion was not taken care of this instant, it could prove fatal to Equestria.

With a fiery look in his eyes, Looking Glass picked up the pace. Throughout the journey, the ghost was there, but silent. The detective glanced over him occasionally, wondering when he’ll say something, but the moment never came.

In fact, it looked like it wouldn’t come this night. The ghost’s jaw hung open, hanging by a thread. His crimson eyes locked on the dimly lit town that eluded him for years. Tonight, he learned just how outmatched he was by his rival, and it made him speechless for the first time.

Beneath the mask, Looking Glass sweat. No doubt was his plan risky, but if he can put an end to this madness tonight, so be it. The muffle sound of his hoofsteps ensured he wouldn’t be detected amidst all the noise that came from the town.

Murmurs, screams, music and laughs, these bandits were having a lot of fun in spite of their location. Looking Glass growled underneath his emotionless mask. The hostages were there, but how many the Anarchists had remained a mystery. All that was sure, was that he couldn’t save them all, not right now.

The biggest problem in his mission so far was finding his target. Some buildings were properly titled such as the bar, the restrooms and the hotel... The unicorn stopped and stared, bewildered to find a three-star hotel underground. The sheer ridiculousness of the idea was par for the course with Anarchy. For authenticity's sake, he even plastered some bad reviews on the front door.

The rooms are fairly decent, nicely cleaned but I can’t for the life of me willy my little wonka in peace with all this noise!

“How elegant...” Looking Glass groaned.

As he snuck past the looming residents of the town, the unicorn came to the realisation that Anarchy was again one step ahead of him. All the important buildings were built differently and titled, but not the evil stallion’s home. His house looks the same as all the other homes, making the search harder. The monster must have predicted something like this would happen eventually.

Well then, if he doesn’t know the way, he can just ask for directions. Looking Glass settled on a house that had some muffled noise leaking through the open window. Foolish. He thought as he climbed to the top with a simple suction spell applied to his boot. Silent and effective.

Reaching inside, his brows furrowed. He was peeking into a bedroom, a very messy one. Dust covered the floor where it’s resident clearly hasn’t step hoof in. The trashcan was full of tissues and has evidently, not been cleaned for more than a week. The bed was in complete disarray, with pillows and sheets touching the dusty ground. The stallion owning this place couldn’t have been more disgusting in his eyes.

However, what ticked him off the most was the beaten mare cowering before the stallion pegasus. From the window, he could see a couple of burns on her flank. In the blink of an eye, he hopped inside, an amber light burning underneath his crimson mask.

“Now then, how many times have I told you to be quiet? The boss cannot know that any of this is happening because let me tell you; if he finds out, I’m going to kill you... and I'm going to make it hurt.”

The poor mare sniffled, her voice croaking as she responded. “Y-Yes. I won’t beg anymore...” She had to hold the strong urge to break down into tears before him, or else it’ll only make him feel more powerful.

The sick stallion grinned. “Oh, that’s good. That’s really good. Now, how about we give it another go? I’m still feeling a little restless.”

The bruised mare’s eyes widened, her pupils turning to pinpricks. Her tail instinctively covered her flank as she backed away from her captor. More tears welled in her eyes. “N-Now?” she said, her voice barely audible past a simple whisper.

“Oh yeah, now, baby. Now...” The stallion grinned as he made every step, he took deliberately slow and menacing. Simply from the looks in his eyes gave it all away; he was reveling in her terror.

The beige mare blinked, something appeared before the stallion. Something that didn’t look quite like a pony. Her mouth opened in a mixture of confusion and fear, quivering too much to let out a single word. As her captor tilted his head, she got a better view of it.

It didn’t have the face of a pony.

Her eyes were glued to this shadowy apparition. Her fear of this ghastly being overshadowed that of the filthy stallion. “Hey, whatcha looking at?”

She remained silent, frozen in fear. That thing was real, it casted shadows around the room. And now, it’s shadow engulfed that of the stallion. It’s pointy ears and abnormally long muzzle painting the walls black.

Her captor finally took notice of this otherworldly creature, his pupil turning to pinpricks. They were now just as terrified as the mare. His mighty hooves were trembling like a terrified filly’s. “Wh-What the fu-”

“Hey...”

It spoke, the abomination spoke!

“Where’s Anarchy?”

Her puny captor spun around, gasping loudly. He tried to reach for the knife resting on his bed but was stopped by his own metal trash can flying straight into his face with a sickening crunch. The resulting impact obliterated his lower jaw, now dangling helplessly from his face. Blood poured down his neck as he fell, defeated but not dead as indicated by the twitching of his legs.

Now, she was all alone in the dark, a monster looming above her. Its voice was deep, growly and beastly. It ordered her to get up, and so she did. Her flank was still hurting but despite the pain, she remained in place, her face unable to stop cringing.

“Where’s Anarchy?” it repeated.

The beige mare opened her mouth, but the words just wouldn’t come through. “I-I-I, uh, wh-who...”

“Purple coat, green mane and a sickening smile.” The figure growled, although it sounded less menacing this time.

Fighting her tears, she was able to give an answer. “On the far-right end of the town. I-I don’t know which house but-”

“I see. If they question you, tell them the Crimson Mask said hi.”

“Did you feel that? It was fear.”

Looking Glass winced, the ghost was talking again, its disfigured appearance still irking the stallion. He returned from his trance to once again spew bile in his ears. Never listen, never try to understand his dark speeches. “No admiration, no worship, Looking Glass, fear... It’s more wonderful than any respect you can earn otherwise. With fear, you can make anypony do what you want.” The spectre’s ghastly maw opened to reveal dozens of mouths whispering from the abyss the word “fear”.

The unicorn sighed, resuming his stealth mission around the town. He had a lead, a vague one but it would take him closer to his target. Anarchy may be smart, but he’ll always make a show of himself. His position will naturally reveal itself to him, it was just a matter of time. During the trip, his muzzle pulled back in disgust. Many of the ponies there smelt terrible. Not surprising considering building showers in secrecy would be difficult, more so than constructing an entire town.

“You are still repulsed by the mask, as they all are. Your perception of it is... flawed, to put it nicely.” The ghost’s hollow eyes widened, creating new sets of teeth for him to speak with. “You all think the crimson mask offers you nothing but power, destruction, evil but the truth is... it’s so much more than that. With the mask, a world of possibilities opens to you. With it, you’ll find salvation in your right hoof... destruction in your left hoof.”

Looking Glass suctioned himself to another building and climbed up to a window, making sure if it was Anarchy’s home. It was not, sadly.

Baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaadddd!

Startled by the scream, the vigilante nearly lost his grip. He ducked for cover as soon as he landed on the ground.

She’s One Bad Mare!

Looking Glass relaxed, realising that the sound came from a radio. Oh, just another Jolly Melody song.

With the number of houses he had to search, Looking Glass chose to further investigate, starting with that prison area on a nearby cliff.

Sneaking in, he already made note of the foul smell in there. To be more precise, that smell came from the cells. That prison looked big on the outside, but it was nothing but a long corridor with a few rooms sparkled in there. Turning the corner, the masked vigilante spotted something worthy of a red alert, Strong Hoof accompanied by a pegasus mare and a unicorn stallion.

The dangerous trio was trotting from cell to cell, peeking inside until they stopped at a particular one. Strong Hoof ordered the unicorn to open it and he went inside.

From his position, Looking Glass could barely hear their voices, but he sure heard the one of the stallion in the cell next to him.

“Wh-Who are you?”

Looking Glass flinched, turning all his attention onto the potential danger. He had been spotted by a black pegasus with his wings tied to his torso. He looked afraid, probably because of the crimson mask.

“None of your concern.” Looking Glass looked back at the trio in the far end of the corridor. The two smaller ponies waited out the cell while Strong Hoof was talking to the captive inside. The unicorn wished he could get closer, but if he did, he’d lose the safety of the corner. There was nowhere to hide in this prison.

“H-Have you seen a mare with broken wings? She has a pinkish gray coat too.”

Disgruntled, Looking Glass backed off to the corner. “I have heard of such a pony on the news. Last I heard, she was comatose in Canterlot’s hospital.”

The stallion breathed a sigh of relief, the weak joy in his face brought a sense of accomplishment in the detective. It was better than nothing. Still, with no other option, Looking Glass left the prison before they could spot him but just before he could, he noticed something. Resting on a nearby table was a small book. Inspecting its content revealed the inner workings of the prison and the transfers of the prisoners inside. The detective got a bright idea and, checking the cell area to make sure nopony was coming, he took off his mask and grabbed a pencil with his mouth. He scribbled pointless information about the prison, and some big stuff about the false Crimson Mask.

His magic writing was different than his mouth writing, it was prettier for starters and easier to read. He never wrote anything with his mouth ever since he learned levitation as a colt. In a few minutes, he finished this task. It would prove itself valuable in the coming days.

“What are these bruises?” Strong Hoof stood high above the cowering mare. The pony hid her face behind her hooves, trembling. She was covered in bruises and lacerations. Some wounds were still bleeding.

“T-They’re nothing...”

Unconvinced, the giant stallion gazed at his comrades. They shook their heads. “Nothing left these marks? Now that’s quite the whimsical explanation. Don’t be afraid to speak your mind, we just want to know the honest truth.” Strong Hoof softened his voice and sat down, hoping it would make him seem less threatening. Gathering information from frightened ponies wasn’t his forte but he knew how to do it thanks to Anarchy’s guidance.

The beaten mare stared horrified at the ground for what felt like minutes. “I, uh... I tripped during one of my tasks and hurt myself. Th-That's all.”

Strong Hoof reared his head back and sighed loudly. “What part of ‘honest truth’ don’t you understand? Just tell us who gave you these bruises already. We’re no fools!” He stomped his hoof in a commanding way, startling the mare into complying.

She gave them a physical description, which was enough for them to pin down the identity of the pony they were looking for. “So that’s Weasel, huh? Cracker, report it to the boss. He’ll pop the weasel later.”

He lingered his gaze on the poor mare, dark thoughts swirling in his mind.

The captives? Oh, I know you’re not too pleased with idea, buddy but I assure you, I don’t intend to hurt them at all. I remember how we first met, and you know I promised you only those who deserve to die will suffer. These ponies are just a diversion in our plan, that’s all. Of course, I’m no fool and so are you. We both know our stallions won’t be on their best behavior around the mares so... It’s your job to ensure our prisoners suffer no harm, because if they do, it’ll jeopardise our plan.

Strong Hoof left the cell, reassured. Unlike these filth, he has a vision. One that’ll promise us justice.

Moving on to the next, Looking Glass’s gaze rested upon a peculiar pony. The same mare that was in the prison previously. One with a dreamcatcher for a cutie mark. A dreamcatcher, in a group where the leader cherishes the princess of the night...

“You’ll come around, eventually.”

Lurking in the dark, Looking Glass approached the unsuspecting mare while she was out having a drink alone. Her expression reeked of nonchalance. Just goes to show how safe they all believe they are. But tonight, this town won’t be such a safe haven. Not when the Crimson Mask is in town.

In one swift motion, like a predator catching its prey, Looking Glass’s hooves slithered to her neck and pulled with all the strength of an angry bear. The light blue pegasus dropped her drink and got on her hind legs, hitting at the strong limb wrapped around her neck. She tried to call for help, but all that came of her mouth were garbled shouts.

Looking Glass’s amber eyes lit up like a raging fire with every new ounce of strength he found to strangle her. Her cutie mark was a clear indicator of her importance to Anarchy. She had to be one of his lieutenants, or at the very least, a powerful pony in his entourage. As such, his will grew more powerful in accordance with his choke hold.

The ghost cackled in his ears, his jaw unhinging to reveal a hundred laughing skulls of deceased ponies. “Feel it, feel the power coursing through your veins! With each pull, you grow stronger. Keep going, keep going until the deed is done.”

Dreamcatcher’s struggle began to dwindle, her hits losing power at a rapid pace. She was losing strength, and he was gaining it. Next, her hind legs gave under the pressure and no matter how much effort she put, they couldn’t get her to stand again.

“As you have spilled mine, bask in her blood. Take the next step and claim the prize.”

The mare’s garbled cries soon came to an end, her hooves dropping to the ground, but Looking Glass didn’t stop. He didn’t stop, his mind devoided of any thoughts. Like a robot, he was accomplishing his task, and he was seeing it to the very end.

“Finish it.”

Beneath his mask, the unicorn’s amber eyes widened. His grip loosened, his face frozen in shock. His mask’s mouth hung open. The ghost stared at the fallen mare, smirking. Looking Glass lifted his hooves to his face, they were trembling. For the first time in forever, the detective was shaking with fear. “N-No... I couldn’t have.” His eyes lowered to the pegasus, his face blanched.

He quickly pressed his ear to her heart and listened intently. It beated still, refusing to die. Breathing heavily, he took his head off her unconscious body and removed the mask, wiping the sweat off his forehead before putting it back on.

“Disappointing, again.” The ghost growled.

Never before has he come this close to losing it all. He leaned on the wall of the nearest house, taking slow and controlled breaths. This breathing exercise helped immensely. In a matter of seconds, his gaze of steel returned, and so did his determination. “Never again.”

“Tss, don’t be so sure.”

He finally did it, he found Anarchy’s office. Just as expected, it looked mundane on the outside. The evil stallion truly planned it all, but nothing can protect him from gossip. I found you. It’s time to end this, Anarchy.

Looking Glass gritted his teeth, his powerful eyes focusing on being in the moment. No more room for thinking, doubts and the future. All that mattered was winning this fight and beheading the purple devil.

To his shock, the door creaked open, an emerald glow surrounding it.

Why do you persist?
We both know that fighting me is meaningless
So, how should you choose to continue?

He winced, preparing himself for an incoming attack. When nothing came, he chose to enter through the front door. After all, if he was already aware of his presence then, what was the point in sneaking through the window? Angelic voices joined the ominous singing.

Hear the screams of thousands of ponies
Joining in one chorus, telling you to turn back
Before you drop like a filly
Can't you see you'll never make it?

Looking Glass stopped to analyse his surroundings. Anarchy’s voice came from every direction. Another spell to hide his presence, no doubt. The purple unicorn was an expert in the art of concealing.

The monster’s office was relatively simple in appearance. A singular desk sat on the other end; a chair pushed all the way to the wall. A beautiful painting of Nightmare Moon hung on the wall behind the desk. Then, there was the odd door to the left of the painting. The crimson masked detective couldn’t take his eyes off it. That door screamed bad news.

“You’re behind the desk.” he announced confidently, his voice was strong like steel.

“What? Naaaah!”

Looking Glass sighed. “The chair is pushed against the wall, leaving you enough space to hide behind the desk.”

Anarchy popped up from behind the desk, cackling. “Scurry, scurry, here comes Anarchy! The one and only, here to make some noise!” The unicorn, however, didn’t move one inch. The mask hid any emotion he could be expressing. For Anarchy, it took away a bit of the fun in the confrontation.

Behind the mask, however, Looking Glass was profoundly shocked by the new appearance of his nemesis. He could already tell this stallion was stronger than before. It’s not going to be an easy fight. I do at least have the mask as an advantage. I’ll have to end this quick, strike when he isn’t prepared.

“Well, you’re here so why don’t we start the show already? None of my ponies knows we’re about to tussle.” Anarchy’s gaze, despite its nonchalance, was clearly focused on him. The purple unicorn was on high alert.

Looking Glass took one step towards his nemesis, his voice turning to a growl. “Do you know what your ponies are doing to their captives?” Behind the mask, he glared.

“Oh noes, are they doing something unsavory? Of course I know what’s going on!” Anarchy trotted up to a dashboard. “Look here, on the left is the name of all the ponies I'm not going to, em, cull when the time comes and on the right are those who are worthy of serving a future king.” Seeing the complete lack of reaction from his opponent, the dark unicorn laughed.

“Don’t you see? I’m a stallion with standards! Anarchy doesn’t bite, that’s why the prisoners are not afraid of. Quite the contrary, my moronic followers speak so much of how much I'm going to punish them if I catch them in the act that my very own captives are praying for me to swoop in and save the day!” Anarchy erupted into an uncontrollable laughing fit, coughing in pain occasionally.

“So? Are you doing something about it?” Looking Glass growled, his amber eyes shining through the dark pupils of the mask.

Anarchy levitated a cup of blood and drank it all in one sip. “Sometimes I do it because it’s funny to see these guys pissing themselves! However, I do need some ponies for my endgame, so my hooves are rather tied at the moment. If you want to do something about it, by all means... go do it.” The purple stallion shuffled closer to that mysterious door.

Looking Glass gasped, his horns lit up with immense power as shown by the crimson aura of his magic. But before he could fire a deadly spell, Anarchy bucked the door down and showed its content to him. A bound and gagged mare, staring back in terror and incomprehension. The unicorn struggled against her bonds, whimpering.

The purple stallion quickly placed himself behind her, lifting the mare up to cover his whole body. Only a small portion of his head peeked out. “Well well, looks like I was one jump ahead of you, again! Come on, try to shoot me down, you’ll just kill this poor mare!”

The mare’s eyes widened, and she let out a muffled whimper. On close inspection, Looking Glass could see she was missing her cutie mark, replaced by a bloody spot. Anarchy grinned, baring his bloody teeth. “Only meat can sustain me.”

Looking Glass’s horn did not stop powering up. His brows furrowed and his teeth clenched. But then, he remembered the mare with the dreamcatcher cutie mark, and his resolve waned. The horn’s power died down.

Anarchy chuckled, poking his head out. He was not on high alert anymore. “Oh how precious, he got owned just like la- OH SHIT!” The dark unicorn fell on his back, barely avoiding a magic laser of doom. The laser grazed his eye, hit the wall behind him and melted it. At least, he still held the mare tightly during his fall.

"You're a back-poking snake, and by Celestia you'll die like one." Looking Glass didn’t dare to follow up, not when the stallion’s meat shield was still in the way. He used the down time to reposition himself behind the desk, where he had cover.

“Okay, when did you learn to use dirty tricks on me?” Anarchy grumbled, struggling to stand on his hind leg with the mare in his grasp. His singular eye was oozing with blood. In that moment, the new height of the monstrous pony was made obvious. He was taller, but not by much. Just enough to pose a slight problem in hoof-to-hoof combat. Anarchy was lankier, that extra range was bad for the masked vigilante, really bad. “I won’t let that trick work a second time, or will I?” Shockingly, his eye regenerated.

The desk was flipped over, providing better cover. Looking Glass peeked to the side, where only a small portion of his head was visible. In that position, he was as protected as his nemesis. Only a killing blow will work on him...

Anarchy hummed a tune as he paced around the room in circle. When he got too far, the masked vigilante’s horn glowed and fired a melting beam of laser, barely scraping his face. “Okay, I guess this is as far as I can go.” Through his grin, the evil stallion glowered the unicorn for being too quick on his hooves. Even from this position he had no clear shot.

“Well then, we’ll call it a draw. I’ll...” His gaze wandered to a nearby window. “let you go, and you’ll let me go. How’s that for a trade?”

Behind his mask, Looking Glass’s brows furrowed. He saw the stallion slowly scurry towards the closed window. “Take another step, and I’ll shoot. It won’t matter who I hit; I’ll fire without hesitation.”

Anarchy stopped, slightly peeking through his hostage. He quickly remembered that looking at his opponent’s face was futile, because he can’t see through a mask. Whether the vigilante was bluffing was up in the air. “Okay then... I guess we’ll be staying like this forever, or until one of us starve to death. Guess who will die first.”

Looking Glass repositioned himself on the other end of the table so that he could keep an eye on the window. “Don’t try it.” he growled.

“Try what?” Anarchy opened his mouth slowly and moved up to the mare’s neck. The poor pony whimpered when she felt his teeth closing in on her. “Thish?”

The Crimson Mask was fuming, lighting up his horn to take another shot when the earth rumbled. A loud roar shook the very foundation of the underground town, startling the two hardened unicorns.

“The hay was that?”

Anarchy lost his grin in an instant. He scurried over to the window and peeked through it, completely ignoring his adversary. “Oh shit Strong Hoof’s angry... OH SHIT STRONG HOOF’S ANGRY!”

Looking Glass gritted his teeth and took his shot. The laser hit Anarchy right in the eye, causing enough damage for him to drop his meat shield. “Now are you trying to piss me off, Lo- Crimson Mask! I probably gotta tell you that we shouldn’t be having tunnel vision right now.” He clenched his empty eye, blood pouring down from his hoof. “Strong Hoof is pissed off, and that’s OUR problem!”

The building shook, another loud roar unnerved them. That voice was clearly that of a giant stallion, but it lacked any thought or emotion behind it other than rage.

Down there, all the ponies ran around in a blind panic. Strong Hoof stood over the unconscious body of Dreamcatcher; his pupils now gone. He stomped the ground, shaking the earth as he flailed his head around in all directions.

Anarchy opened the window. “Hey, what’s gotten into you? You-” He paused, noticing Dreamcatcher. O-Oh shit.

Strong Hoof growled, turning his attention to the purple stallion. He was seeing red, no thoughts or reason coursed through him anymore. The earth pony screamed, sounding like a mindless zombie as he charged at the building.

“We gotta get out of here!” Anarchy shouted, falling back from the open window. Before any of the ponies inside could flee, the building exploded in a shower of debris.

Looking Glass levitated both himself and the bound mare whilst Anarchy simply landed on his hooves like a cat. As the rain of debris came to an end, the three found themselves face-to-face with a living tank, and it was angry, terribly angry.

Anarchy dove in front of Looking Glass with the angriest face he could have ever mustered. “Well, great job, asshat. You’ve enraged Strong Hoof, now he’s going to kill literally everypony in here. That includes you, I'm not letting you off the hook.”

Strong Hoof roared again, digging his hooves in the ground. He then effortlessly dug out a boulder to throw at his targets.

Before the giant slab of stone, Anarchy teleported himself away, but Looking Glass wasn’t so lucky. Becaise of the helpless mare, he was forced him to conjure a shield around them. A shield that proved to be ineffective at protecting them from the sheer strength of the giant’s throw. It cracked in a million pieces and launched the unicorn and the mare far away.

Strong Hoof charged the vigilante down, thankfully ignoring the bound mare. Squinting, Looking Glass noticed the lack of a necklace. He focused his efforts on levitating the monster, stopping him momentarily. The beast roared as it lost control of his course, now sent flying through a building.

“Fillies and gentlecolts! I’m happy to announce that whoever kills this crimson masked individual gets a very special prize! And yes, it’s more than just cash.” The crazy stallion levitated an electric guitar to him and began to play an ominous tune that further empowered the intimidating appearance of the giant. “Let’s hear it folks for the Midnight Tank!”

That bastard! He’s using this situation to put me on the ropes again. As he got up, Looking Glass felt his side being incinerated by his wound. Damn it, I haven’t fully healed yet. If I take one more hit like that, it’ll be the end of me. I must focus on escaping now.

Up on a nearby building, Anarchy grinned as he watched Strong Hoof roar. The furious stallion charged back again, dead set on pulverising the much smaller unicorn by comparison. Maybe we do have this under control!

His lackeys arrived not long after his announcement, but they were reluctant to get any closer to the two combatants, especially after seeing the look in the goliath's eyes. The most they did was forming a circle around them, creating a constricted battle arena to cheer the giant on. Not very impressive, Anarchy certainly thought so.

Dodging another attack, the vigilante finally delivered a counter-strike to the goliath's hind leg. It barely made him flinch. To him, the strike was a mere love tap, but it was enough to send him into a frenzy. Strong Hoof roared furiously, his mouth foaming as the sound that came from his mouth sounded like a revving chainsaw. His head jerked around like a flailing snake, nearly snapping his own neck as his pupils rose all the way up his bloodshot eyes.

As he gazed into the jaws of the beast, Looking Glass surprisingly found himself shivering, his body hunched like a hissing cat. He remembered what these teeth did to his partner, how it crushed his bones and tore his head off. That... thing. It was no pony. It was truly a monster.

The dark blue unicorn backed off, intimidated. Attacking the head is not a good idea either. I am defenseless against Strong Hoof. I can only choose flight in this situation.

“Come on boys, don’t be shy. Jump in the fray!” To help convince them, Anarchy began to shoot lasers at his own ponies until they complied. “Now that’s more like it!”

Looking Glass searched around until he found the exit behind the gathered crowd. It was far off, but reachable given the right circumstances. Good, now I must lose him somehow.

He lit up his horn, but Strong Hoof was faster. He smashed the ground with enough power to send rubble flying towards the unicorn. The giant closed the gap quickly and bucked the air, cracking it like a whip. Despite his large size, he was as quick as a fox.

The resulting sound nearly busted the eardrums of the crowd. For Looking Glass, the strike nearly gave him a heart attack. He remembered the news about the train robbery and that sent a shiver up his spine.

This is too much power. It was tough enough to block Applejack’s swing but him, he’s on a different level.

Distracted by the giant, Looking Glass didn’t see a stallion coming up behind him. The pony grabbed him, restraining his movement. “I got him! Go get his ass!” He shouted to his partner.

Hm...

A strong looking earth pony rushed him down, lifting his hind legs to buck the restrained unicorn. But before the blow was struck, Looking Glass casted a cheeky spell, rendering him temporarily intangible. As a result, the strong stallion only succeeded in cracking his friend’s rib cage. To thank him for his efforts, the vigilante brought him to his knees with a quick and precise kick, then followed up by smashing his face into the rocky floor.

Anarchy let out a hearty laugh. “Ooh, you’re gonna need a dentist appointment. Lucky you, we have a Canterlot above us! It’ll just take a thirty-minute trip.”

Setting his gaze back on the giant, he motioned the beast to come for him.

Strong Hoof growled and bucked again. His hoof struck the air and left a crack in it.

Everypony stopped cheering, awestruck. The crack in the air widened and widened until... it exploded in a strong gust of wind that sent dozens of ponies flying to their death, splattering on the walls and ceilings like tomatoes, letting the red rain drop down on the purple unicorn.

“Hm, that’s three on my ‘to kill’ list down. Nicely done, Strong Hoof!” Anarchy complimented from the luxury of the rooftop, opening his mouth wide to drink as many of the drops as possible.

Pissed off, a group of criminals charged the vigilante down, throwing wild haymakers and bucks all over the place. The few unicorns threw rocks at him to throw off his game. Can’t let my eyes off Strong Hoof.

Sound idea considering the giant galloped towards him, oblivious to his comrades’ positions. Looking Glass casted a powerful light spell to blind the beast and rolled away at the last moment, finding some satisfaction in seeing the giant tackle the criminals away like ragdolls.

I’ve figured out how to leave. It’s time to initiate my escape plan.

Looking Glass paced around the giant, positioning himself towards the exit. He occasionally glanced at the ponies on the ground, making sure none of them would interrupt his plan.

Strong Hoof breathed heavily through his clenched teeth, growling in rage. He backed away from Looking Glass, and headbutted the air, his head stopping against a big crack. The ponies behind the vigilante panicked and fled, stepping over each other.

This is my chance... not now.

The crack widened, and widened until...

Not now...

It exploded in another strong gust of wind that sent him flying away directly in the direction he wanted. He used a levitating spell to slow down his trajectory as the exit came closer.

Slowly...

His body came dangerously close to a rocky wall and bumped softly against it.

There!

Landing on all four, he fled the caverns, not daring to look once behind. The roars of the enraged stallion echoed throughout the dark caves, the only indicator he had of how far he was getting from the town.

"Dammit... Well, show's over, everypony on clean-up duty!"

He kept on running, ignoring the burning charcoal in his side and the voice of the ghost until he was outside. Canterlot was still far away but at least, he was finally out of this nightmarish place. Looking Glass removed the crimson mask and sighed. It felt good to breathe in some fresh air in the safe comfort of the moonlight.

I have discovered a lot in this town but sadly I can’t incarcerate anypony. I don’t have any strong evidence. If they question these ponies further, they’ll learn I’m the Crimson Mask. However, I can use what I’ve learned here to organise a raid with Princess Luna’s approval. Hm, that’ll be the safest course of action.

We need to cut the head of the snake as quickly as possible.

Author's Note

Another Looking Glass chapter. A bit dark, but also somewhat goofy thanks to Anarchy's ridiculous commentaries. Now, you may have noticed how much attention Strong Hoof has been getting. It's going to be his time to shine soon enough... when the first drops of rain will come.

Also, yeah I just discovered I can play around with the font size. It's pretty fun.

37. Spoiling The Fun

1 day left before the storm

The sun barely had time to rise from the horizon that Looking Glass already busted in the hospital, asking the same question as always. “Has Blossomforth awaken?" Every time, he was told no, and then he left. Today, however, was different.

“She has, Mister Looking Glass. I assume you want to question her?”

The dark blue unicorn’s brows furrowed. “Yes, it’s extremely important. Far more than you can imagine.”

Thus, he was back in the hospital room he left a couple of days ago. It still looked mostly the same, with all the furniture being in the exact same location. Unsurprising, considering the patient was comatose the entire time. His tired amber eyes rested on the weak form of the pegasus. She looked to be in much better condition than when she was brought in. Her wings were still hurt, however, but the biggest wound was sealed.

Blossomforth was agitated by all the attention. Her eyes were wide open, a mixture of confusion and fear. She had so many questions but alas, too weak to ask any. The beeping of the machines and the hospital bed she was lying in reminded her that the horrors she experienced were all too real. The only good thing was that she was out of this nightmarish town.

“Blossomforth.” A familiar voice of steel called out. Looking Glass took center stage, shoving the medical staff out of the way. “Do you still remember what happened?”

“Hey, leave her be! She’s just woken up!” The nurses shouted but were quickly shut up by a single glare from the intimidating, muscular stallion.

“It’s too important to wait, I’m afraid. Blossomforth, tell me about Anarchy’s lair.” He took out his notepad, prepared to scribble down at light speed. “I know there are other hostages in there. If you cooperate, we can save them.”

The mare blinked, hopelessly confused and lost in time. She stared at the stallion’s side, wondering why he was standing perfectly still with his suit on despite being nearly murdered before her very eyes.

The perceptive unicorn noticed, rubbing the spot where his injury was and still is. “I see you haven’t been told yet. Blossomforth, you’ve been in a coma for a week.”

For a week.

For a week...

For a week.

Blossomforth sat there, mouth agape. Her pupils shrank in horror as she grasped at her head, noticing it was nowhere near as damaged or painful as before. He wasn’t lying, a full week has passed. Her head drooped alongside her hooves, her eyes now empty of any thoughts or feelings.

“I know it’s a lot to take in, but you need to tell me what you know if you want us to save them. For starters, where are they hiding in Canterlot?”

Of course, Looking Glass already knew the answers to each of the question he was going to ask. But thanks to Blossomforth’s testimony, he can finally take action at the request of Princess Luna. And like the cheeky unicorn he is, he can add the information he himself gathered as the Crimson Mask by placing it under the mare’s testimony. Everything was coming together now, and it was pleasing him immensely although, time was running out.

The storm was scheduled for tomorrow, and that’s the moment Anarchy would strike. With how little time they have, they’ll be forced to start their raid tomorrow, right when he would make his move. The ominous future was scaring him, but nopony can ever know that. It was his secret, and one the mask shared.

And so he listened to her story and noted it all down. With this information, he can finally organise the raid and keep his alter ego in secrecy.

Olive woke up in a cold sweat again. That chilling sensation was gone in the blink of an eye, however, when she felt a tender hoof gently shaking her.

“Good mornin’, sugar cube. Ah just wanted to make sure ya wouldn’t be late like yesterday.”

Olive blinked; her tired eyes unwilling to stay open.

The mare’s soft voice giggled. “Now don’t ya fall asleep on me!” She gently picked the filly off the bed, cradling the little pony in her hooves. “Ah promise Ah’ll let ya sleep for as long as ya want in the weekend.”

“School’s becoming stressful.” Olive complained weakly.

“The classes or yer relationship with the other foals?”

The tender voice of her mother brought some much-needed comfort in the early morning. Every time she did anything, it felt like the weight of the world rested on her shoulders. Home was the only place where she felt relaxed, like there was no way she could hurt anypony with her wimpy emotions. “The other foals...”

Applejack smiled softly, rocking the filly in her legs. The little unicorn didn’t care that it made her look like a baby. It just felt so, so nice...

“If somethin’s botherin’ ya, ask away, sugar cube. That’s what Ah’m ‘ere for.”

Olive broke eye contact, staring at her own hooves, glued to her frail looking body. She groaned, fidgeting with her mane. “I, uh, I-I think I might have ruined a friendship.”

Applejack didn’t look so convinced. “How can a precious little pony like ya ruin a friendship?” She brought Olive closer to her heart, closing her eyes. “Ya don’t destroy things, sweetie. Ya brighten our days, and you will shine some light on theirs.”

Olive listened to the calm beat of her mother’s heart, letting its soothing melody ease her worries. “A-Are you sure? Because of me, Diamond Tiara yelled at her best friend in front of everypony.”

“Olive, ya can’t control every little thin’. Diamond chose to yell, and most likely not because of ya. Might not have been the right choice, but it was somethin’ she most likely wanted to say fo’ a long time. By now, ya should know that it takes more than an argument to ruin a strong friendship. If these two really loved each other, then they’ll be willing to forgive themselves.” Applejack pulled Olive away, pushing away the white mane hiding the filly’s right eye. “Of course, ya can always help Diamond Tiara deal with the situation and Ah know ya will. Ya’ve got nothin’ but kindness in yer beautiful eyes.”

This day had an interesting weather, at least to Olive. The sky was cloudy, filled with nothing but white and grey spots. The sun was a singular glowing dot amidst the sea of clouds patrolling the air. The most noteworthy part was the fog. Strong enough to hide Canterlot from her position, it added an air of mystique to a town that she was somewhat familiar with.

Many ponies would consider this weather ugly, depressing, but Olive? She loved it. The little unicorn had fun coming up with all sorts of creatures that could be hiding in the mist, or imagining how the buildings looked like when they were covered in the thick fog. To her, this weather was a creative mind’s dream come true.

It did wonders to improve her mood before coming to school.

“Mah mah, ya sure look rather upbeat today!” Applejack commented. “Not even this weather seems to be putting a dent in it!”

Olive giggled. “I love this weather! It’s so pretty!”

“Oh, really?” Well, Ah can’t believe Ah’m still learnin’ somethin’ new ‘bout ‘er! This filly really was an oddball, and Aj loved it. Truly everything about Olive stood out from the ponies of this town, that giant scar being the clearest distinction.

“Ah find it rather freaky.” Apple Bloom said, cringing at the sight of the Everfree forest on their right. Everypony was more afraid of them ever since they’ve heard about Applejack bringing in a filly on the brink of death. Nopony ever figured out what gave Olive these wounds, but Aj had her guess. Surely, it had something to do with her fear of large white stallions. She should ask Looking Glass if she knew anything about the attack. Her good friend Twilight could surely send him a letter considering he’s often at the beck and call of the princesses.

“The Everfree forest is terrifying. It’s the worst place in all Equestria.” Olive solemnly said, refusing to even glance in its vicinity. “But he’s most likely gone, so it’s safer.”

“Who’s gone?” Apple Bloom pressed, confused but mainly curious.

“Mister Strong-” Olive eyes shot open. She avoided her sister’s gaze bitterly. “The giant white stallion with the plumber’s cap."

Applejack stared at her silently, contemplating what she should do with that bombshell. Okay... Ah think Ah should go tell Twilight ‘bout it. She’ll know what to do next.

Apple Bloom’s innocent questions continued. “Giant? Like, how giant exactly?”

Olive looked visibly more uncomfortable, yet still answered out of good will. “Taller than a train.”

Applejack’s jaw dropped. C-Come to think of it, Ah did ‘ear the hoofsteps of somethin’ big back then. If that’s true, then... how did she even survive that?

“Taller than a train?! Wow, that’ll make ‘im the tallest pony to ‘ave ever existed!” Apple Bloom stared back at the Everfree forest, a chill going down her spine. She imagined just how terrifying it would be to have a pony this big close to her. With a size like that, he practically towered over most of Equestria’s wildlife. He he, Ah’m not goin’ anywhere near ta forest now...

Ponyville School’s playground, a wonderful place where foals come to play in the morning before class. Their giggles fill the town with such joy, the older ponies find some pleasure in observing them, reminiscing of their times as foals. Everypony was having fun, everypony but two in particular.

Diamond Tiara sat by her lonesome on the swings, staring at the sandbox where her “former” friend lied. The two looked utterly miserable, yet unable to stop themselves from staring at each other. The words wouldn’t come, nor would the courage.

“Did you talk to Silver?”

Diamond sighed, barely noticing the pink filly sitting on the swing next to hers. She didn’t, however, notice that Dinky Hooves was also accompanying Olive. “So... you didn’t?”

Diamond Tiara whimpered, looking away. She stopped what little momentum she had built up, feeling even more miserable. “I can’t do it.”

Olive’s eyes widened, distraught. “Why?”

The pink earth pony slumped in her swing, staring at the sand below. “I don’t know what to say or how to do it. I-I don’t know what I have to say to make her forgive me or-”

“Well, that’s easy.” Dinky interrupted innocently, sticking her head out behind Olive. “You just say what you think is right. Like my momma say, you speak from your heart.”

“Speak... from my heart?” Diamond repeated, a faint glimmer of hope in her blue eyes.

Olive smiled; she looked so graceful in that moment. Her beautiful eyes filled with kindness. In that moment, Diamond forgot that she was older than the little unicorn. To her, this filly had wisdom to share. “Yes, like what you’re doing now. To speak from to heart is to be honest, to say what you believe and not what others want you to believe.”

“S-So if I just tell her how I’ve felt all along... then she’ll forgive me?” Diamond said, a voice being not much louder than a whisper. The pain in her eyes slowly left, replaced by a renewed hope.

Olive hopped off her swing and hugged her newest friend. “Five seconds of love!” She tightened her embrace, letting Diamond feel her love. “Do you feel it? It’s my feelings. It feels good to share them with you, so share yours with Silver. I’m sure she needs yours.”

Dinky jumped in, turning this into a group hug. “And even if things don’t turn out the way you wanted, we’ll be your best friends!”

Olive giggled. “I didn’t know it was easy to make friends. I always thought it was complicated, but the Cutie Mark Crusaders taught me that just being nice to other ponies is a good start to making new friends.”

Diamond Tiara’s eyes opened. Never before had she felt this good about being herself outside of her family. In that moment, she realised how good it was to be loved. As the class president, maybe she could extend that love to others who lack it. Today, she learned there were other ways to act as a leader. “O-Okay... I’ll try.”

“Good!” Olive exclaimed happily. “We’ll be waiting here!”

Despite her renewed confidence, the trot to the sandbox was arduous. Every step she took only made her more nervous. Silver Spoon wasn’t looking at her anymore, but it still felt like she did. This filly was no longer the friend she felt so comfortable around. The tension still lingered, and it made it hard to approach her. Diamond Tiara had to look back a couple of times, reminding her of the two fillies’ kind words. As expected, Olive was gesturing her to continue with a giddy smile.

Diamond couldn’t believe that she was indeed gazing at the same filly that cried in class a few days prior saying she was glad to be still alive. That unicorn danced with death and lived. There was no way she could have ever imagined her life was this bad seeing just how optimistic she acted. No matter what happened, she pushed on and made the best of a bad situation.

I can do this.

“S-Silver?”

The silver filly barely threw a glance at her, digging at the sand aimlessly as a feeble distraction. She paid no mind as Diamond awkwardly sat next to her, staring blankly at the sand. The air felt thick to them, almost asphyxiating.

“I...” The words wouldn’t come. She had nothing to cling to for comfort. Nothing except...

I’m sure she needs yours.

“I’m so sorry about yesterday.” Diamond Tiara finally said it. This advance earned a brief look from her hurt friend, only for her to go back to digging at the sand. “It was wrong t-to say that our friendship was shallow. W-Well... maybe it was, but that doesn’t mean we can’t fix it.”

“Forget it.” Diamond was taken aback by the tone of Silver’s voice. It sounded harsh, hurt, betrayed. “You said it yourself, didn’t you? We’re only friends because we come from rich families. We had nothing going on.”

The pink earth pony’s distraught eyes desperately darted towards Olive and Dinky before they closed, supressing the want to cry. “Th-That’s not true. We did have a lot of good times together. I-I only said so because I was frustrated, I-I never should have shouted at you.” Her eyes welled, and she opened them to stare at Silver Spoon, showing the filly her aching heart. “Please, I don’t want to lose you. I need you...”

Silver stared back, shocked. Her hooves stopped tapping the sand. Her body froze, the words ringing in her ears endlessly. I need you...

"I-I don't... want to be alone." She teared up, slowly coming back to life. Diamond was pulled towards her, her muzzle now touching Silver’s. “Am I still your friend?” she asked softly. “Am I?”

Diamond’s smile rose slowly, weak but happy, nonetheless. “We’ll always be friend.”

The filly with glasses wiped her tears away. "I'm sorry I wasn't a good friend all this time. I never truly listened to your rants about home. I never thought they were that important to you. I'm just... surprised you even came back to me." She raised her eyes, confused and distraught. "Why?"

"To be honest..." Diamond paused, staring at the cloudy sky. It seemed to share her sorrow. "I just liked to believe you truly cared about my struggles."

"Well, now you know the truth." Silver said, but surprisingly, she was clinging onto Diamond, refusing to let go.

"I know I should just leave you, probably go to some, uh, better friends..." She couldn't stop staring at the way the silver filly was holding on. Despite admitting to being a bad friend, she was reluctant to let her leave. "But I can't. I don't know why, but I don't want to. I just know I want us to be back together, and hopefully, you'll listen to me this time."

Silver took a deep breath, unable to stop her eyes from tearing up. “I’m sorry I discarded your idea. It sounded personal so... if you want to do it, I’ll be on board. I'll listen to you from now, I promise.” The smile she managed to return was even weaker than Diamond’s, but it was there nonetheless. It was all they really needed to see.

“We’ll have to work hard. We missed a full class to work on it, but we still have enough time to do it. Us three.”

From all the way back at the swings, Olive chuckled. She extended a hoof to Dinky, glancing over her blank flank. “You should join the Cutie Mark Crusaders. Together, we’ll never let anypony be sad again. That will be our secret commando mission.”

The simple-minded unicorn giggled. “That sounds like a really important mission! It’ll be fun!”

“Of course, everything is fun when you have a friend to share it with. Oh, we could also teach other foals the importance of friendship, but that’ll be difficult to do alongside our main goal. We’re going to need the help of every single member.”

“Group mission hooray!”

Back in class, the comic’s project still had a lot of work left to do but the three fillies were confident they could finish on time. Now on better terms, they had a lot of lost time to catch up. Diamond Tiara proposed her idea again, but this time she knew how to end the story.

“-and with the help of her newest friend, finds the strength to go against the queen’s wishes, and live her life the way she wants.”

Olive clapped wholeheartedly. “Incredible!”

Diamond looked to her silver friend, waiting to hear her thoughts.

Silver Spoon smiled apologetically. “It is good indeed. We should go with it.” That genuine answer was all Diamond wanted to hear.

The pink unicorn took out her crayons and placed them on the desk. “I can do the drawings; I’ve practiced at home.”

“I’ll handle the speech bubbles.” Diamond announced.

“And I’ll color the panels.” Silver added.

Olive got to drawing already, her eyes beaming with joy and excitement. The two fillies silently watched the unicorn work her magic, both sharing the same thought, gratitude. Their quiet smiles spoke louder than any words ever could. However, they remembered all the other times they talked to her.

A painful sensation in Diamond’s heart surprised her. It was the first time she’s truly felt something like this... for somepony other than Silver Spoon actually. Then, this feeling carried over to all the times she spoke to the other foals in the class. They all disliked her, and for good reasons. All this time, she brushed it off but now... it hurt to just think about it. She tried so hard to push away the only filly that truly cared about them.

Silver apparently felt the same way, as she spoke up first.

“Hey Olive, I-I just wanted you to know you’re not a blank flank, not anymore.”

The adorable little filly raised her head, perplexed. She glanced over her flank, touching the empty spot where a cutie mark would normally be. “I still don’t have my cutie mark, so I’m still a blank flank-”

“No, you’re not.” Diamond interrupted, smiling gratefully. “You’re Olive.”

Cheerilee stared out the window, into the foggy day, her face dreamy. It made her remember another foggy day just like this one, so many moons ago.

“Something the bother?” Heedful Care asked, observing Olive in the playground. “You don’t seem to be with us again.”

“Hm? Oh, I was just reminiscing about old days again.” Cheerilee muttered, her eyes locked on the cloudy sky. “And if you’re wondering... it’s another memory regarding Jolly Melody. It still feels surreal to me to learn that he mistreated his own daughter. I just... had another image of him in my mind.” She chuckled weakly. “Can you believe it? He used to give out such good advice to ponies... only to then turn out to be worse than us. It’s ironic...”

“Care to share more of your memories? If that’s okay with you, of course. I don’t want to feel like I’m harassing you.”

The cerise mare scoffed. “I’d say you’re doing me a great service, just being somepony I can confide in. I have a lot on my mind right now, it’s hard to stay in the present, you know? I’ just glad you’re here.”

Heedful Care smiled thankfully. “It’s also helping me, so view it as a symbiotic relationship.”

“Now, don’t try to out-teacher me!” Cheerilee mused. “Well, I suppose I can tell you about the first time I ever went to Ponyville. It was on a cloudy and foggy day, just like this one. I was accompanied by my good friend Minuette and as you may have guessed; Jolly Melody.”

Back when she had her first teacher internship, Cheerilee returned to Ponyville, where they had a place for her in the education system. It was thrilling, nerve-wracking, cold but thankfully, she had company.

The chilly wind made her wish she brought a scarf to keep her face warm. Everything was building up to a bad start in this otherwise promising position. The worst had yet to come. Cheerilee was banking everything on this internship to be a success. The competition was fierce in Canterlot, with not many positions available, hence why she looked to her home town for some work.

“Aw, don’t be nervous. You totally got this!” Minuette consoled, her bright smile already lighting up her day.

“I know. I’ve been studying really hard for this, but it’s still so nerve-wracking. I mean, it’s not like I can practice being an actual teacher until I get there.” Cheerilee pointed out nervously, glancing at Jolly Melody occasionally.

Minuette kept her optimistic smile, looking to the sky. “At this point, it’s all about that special spark. Some teachers have that special spark that makes them so beloved. I’m sure you have what it takes to be a good teacher. And even if you have a few downs, what’s stopping you from improving? I’m sure the teachers there will be super happy to have somepony new!”

“Fresh, young and lively. Ravishing even. That’s always desirable with up-and-coming teachers.” Jolly Melody spoke, earning the immediate attention of the two mares. This enigmatic stallion chose to come along with Cheerilee simply because he wanted to visit Ponyville to find the inspiration for his next song. They were thrilled to have him join them.

Cheerilee pushed her mane behind her ear, blushing. “Wow, um, you really think I have what it takes?”

“More than that.” Jolly Melody announced with a comforting smile. “You have something beautiful that I know will make you a great teacher, loved and remembered by all. You see, the most important qualities a teacher can have is kindness and understanding.”

“Hey! You’re both kind and understanding! You’re totally cut up for this!” Minuette exclaimed, playfully hitting her friend’s shoulder.

“Heh, to simplify things, a good teacher knows what love is. Oh yes, love. It’s the most important thing in the world.” Jolly Melody stopped trotting, drawn to a playground filled with foals. “Love comes in many different forms. Some think about romantic love, but that’s not the only form of love. A pony cannot live without love, be it friendship or familial bonds. We all live thanks to their affection. It’s what pushes us to act, to better ourselves.

Look at these foals playing with each other. It’s love that pushes them to have fun, to make new friends. As a teacher, you will spread your love to them, and they will show you their love too. It’s all beautiful, isn’t it?”

Minuette listened intently, her mouth agape. “Wow, are you like, a philosopher in your spare time?”

The purple stallion giggled. “Oh no, I’m just vigilant. Just by observing other ponies, you can learn a lot. You see, I’ve been trying for so long to show you something different every day. You know, just trying not to run out of advice.”

Cheerilee kept her eyes on the foals, Jolly’s words still ringing in her mind. As her friends moved away, she roused herself, dying to learn more. “Hey, do you have more advice for me? I just... feel more at ease when you explain things. I-I-It's just that you sound so confidant in everything, and I find that... inspiring.”

The green haired unicorn smiled. “Sure thing! This advice can apply to any professions, really, but it still important nonetheless.” His face darkened. “Everywhere you’ll go, there’ll be competition. Teachers, musicians, dentists... there always will be competition. Somepony likes to play dirty and trample the others for their own benefit. I’ve seen that happen so many times and always, it happens to kind and innocent ponies.

There will be a time for you two when somepony will come and try to take advantage of your good will. It happened to me too. No matter what happens, never ever let them trample you. Let them know you’re your own master.” He sighed, looking at the moody sky. “Don’t be afraid to fight back. Not everypony will show you kindness, and they won’t deserve yours. It’s all a matter of context.”

“Wow. Talk about a confidant stallion. I’ve only really encountered one that can rival Jolly in sheer confidance.”

Miss Cheerilee giggled. “Oh, let me guess. Looking Glass? That guy always has such a dark and serious look on his face. It’s almost scary.”

“But he’s good natured.” The pegasus said, moving away from the window. “I think we should both know that we can’t judge a book by its cover!”

“Ha ha ha... Yeah.” Cheerilee’s smile faded. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t get him off her mind. And how could she? They spent so much time together. She’s learned so much from him, it just didn’t feel right to think he was an abusive father.

The last lesson is self-care. It’s more important than you can imagine. Overextending and trying to please everypony at your detriment is a bad idea. Sure, you might make everypony happy, but you’ll end up dead inside, displeased with your life. Don’t let it come to that.

Back outside in the cold fog, Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon watched solemnly as the foals left the school happily, each trotting back home. None of them even dared to look in their direction. These two were just ghosts, bad mojos if they even met eye-to-eye. In that moment, Diamond and Silver truly understood what it felt like to be alone, rejected. And they had no right to complain when they brought it upon themselves.

Then, the Cutie Mark Crusaders left, accompanied naturally by Olive. They passed by them, but the pink filly did give them a curious glance. She tapped her sister on the shoulder, trying to get her attention.

“What is it?” Apple Bloom saw her sister pointing at Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon, not sure what to make of it. “Uh...”

The pink earth pony approached her without warning, her eyes low. “A-Apple Bloom. Sweetie Belle. Scootaloo.”

All three stared at her curiously, they’ve never seen their bully speak this softly.

“I just... We wanted to say we’re sorry, for everything.” Silver Spoon nodded along.

The CMC’s blinked. “Did we hear that right?” Scootaloo whispered to her friends.

“I think so, yeah.” Sweetie Belle responded.

Apple Bloom’s eyes darted around, trying to make sense of this sudden change. “Are ye two really sorry?”

Silver Spoon sighed pathetically. “We don’t expect you to forgive us. We just wanted to let you know that we’re done bullying you for your, um, blank flanks.”

Shocked, the yellow earth pony glanced at her sister with a look that screamed “How did ya do it?” To them, Olive just accomplished a herculean task in just a week.

The pink unicorn smiled at her former bullies. “I already forgive you! We’re friends now, and friends forgive each other.”

Diamond Tiara’s eyes shot wide open, tears welling. She was about to trot away, having accomplished her goal here but a pair of fluffy hooves stopped her.

Olive nuzzled her, wrapping the earth pony in a loving hug. Diamond couldn’t take it anymore, and so she let her tears fall. Once the pink filly opened her eyes, she motioned at Silver to join them. Needless to say, she didn’t protest.

Before this scene, Scootaloo couldn’t stop herself from smiling at the sweetness of her friend. “Well, if you’re willing to be better then; sure, I’ll forgive you two.”

Sweetie Belle hopped in too. “You two could help us get our cutie marks too!”

Apple Bloom scratched her mane. “Uh, are ya implyin’ we make them crusaders too?”

“We should.” Olive said with all the tender sweetness of a mother, finally releasing the two rich fillies from her loving embrace. “We already made Dinky a crusader.”

“We did?” Scootaloo asked.

“I’m a crusader!”

The CMC’s spun around, startled at the sudden unannounced appearance of Dinky Hooves. “I just don’t have the cool cape yet.”

Apple Bloom just stared, surprised. “Huh. We’re getting' popular.”

“I never thought that would happen.” Sweetie Belle muttered.

The tiara atop Diamond’s head didn’t look so pathetic anymore. The pink earth pony looked at it, no longer feeling hatred and bitterness. When she looked into Olive’s eyes, she felt comfort, safety in her. With a smile, she said, “I forgive you fo-”

“Diamond Tiara! What is this again?!”

Everypony froze. Stomping the ground with all the strength of a rhinoceros, Spoiled Rich rudely stepped in, glaring at her daughter. Instinctively, Diamond backed away and lowered herself, terrified.

“M-Mom! I...”

“Why are you still hanging out around them?” Spoiled’s voice sliced her heart like razors. “Did you already forget what I told you yesterday? That, is not the behavior of the elite, to cower before them.”

Diamond looked up to her friends, silently screaming for help in her terrified state. Silver Spoon shared her horror but felt guilt accompanying it too.

I get it... she thought sadly.

“N-No, I didn’t.” Tiara responded weakly.

Spoiled Rich’s brows furrowed; her face darkened as she raised her head in disgust. “And yet you didn’t listen? Diamond, what kind of good fillies don’t listen to their mother?”

“Hey! Knock it off!” Everything went silent for a while except for the hollow wind howling. Olive stepped in front of Diamond Tiara, her head high and mighty as she opposed the taller mare. “Tell me what kind of good mother scares their own filly?”

None of them ever heard Olive this angry before. Her horn crackled with electricity.

Quickly recovering from this show of disobedience, Spoiled Rich growled. “Oh, why you little sh-” The front door to the schoolhouse opened, revealing Cheerilee. “Ah, Miss Cheerilee. It’s good that you showed up. I believe you might have some ‘duties’ to fulfill here with these rowdy fillies harassing me.”

Cheerilee looked down at the seven fillies around Spoiled Rich with an apathic look in her eyes. Then, she lifted them slowly, staring deep into Spoiled. “What harassment? To me, it just looked like they were minding their own business.”

Spoiled jerked back, outraged. “You call that ‘minding their own business’? Look at this one! She's standing in my way and threatening me!”

Cheerilee winced. “Just like how you threatened Diamond Tiara a few seconds ago? The window’s open you know. I’ve heard you loud and clear.”

The foals smiled hopefully; their adoration now thrown onto their teacher. She was their hero right now, the one they desperately needed.

The rich mare stepped over Olive and Diamond, stomping towards Cheerilee. “Do I seriously need to remind you who’s in charge of the school board again?”

“You don’t and honestly, I no longer see what’s so important about it.”

Spoiled Rich scoffed. “I control your income. In other words, I control your career here.” She leaned closer, her eyes beaming with anger. “Punish them.”

To her surprise, the cerise mare shook her head in defiance. “They did nothing wrong. And before you say it; no, I don’t care what happens to me afterward. I’ll find another way to stay afloat, without your ‘help’. This thing we’ve had going for years? It’s over. I’m done being trampled by ponies like you. If that’s all you came for then by all means, make your leave. We have nothing to say to each other.”

The awful mare’s eyes widened in pure shock. She descended the short stairs and laughed, passing by the fillies. “Oh, I’d love to see how you’ll do in the future. Come on Diamond, let’s leave.”

“N...NO!”
Everypony stepped back in shock. Diamond’s yell was powerful, intimidating in its defiance. For the first time, she openly glared at her mother. “I’m coming home by myself.”

Spoiled Rich blinked, flabbergasted. Turning around, she gritted her teeth and silently cursed everypony present. Then, she just left without saying another word.

Diamond Tiara fell, exhausted. Her namesake dropped too, breaking one last time. As she stared at the broken pieces, she chuckled weakly, tears welling in her eyes again. The pink earth pony raised her head, meeting Olive’s beautiful gaze and she smiled gratefully. “I think it’s time I get a new one.”

Ponyville’s marketplace, a popular hot spot for everypony in town. It was always filled with multiple stands, each selling their own niche. Granny Smith often went there to buy her groceries. However, with age, her body weakened, and that simple task became harder with each passing day. Thankfully, she had two lively fillies to lay a hoof this time.

Olive was especially excited today, nearly walking circles around her as she told all about her day with the brightest smile she’s mustered in a while.

“-and then Diamond Tiara stood up against her mother. I finally did it! I helped her and made two new friends!”

Granny Smith patted her head, her slow pace allowing the pink unicorn to dart all around her with all the energy of an excited cat. “Well, sounds like yer doin’ a lot of good with Apple Bloom.”

“A lot more than before!” Apple Bloom specified. “Ah still can’t believe we made two new members of the Cutie Mark Crusaders in only a month!”

The old mare glanced at her, mildly surprised. “Huh? An’ who’s that second new member?”

“Dinky Hooves. Her mother is Derpy, the mailpony.”

“Ah! Derpy must be really happy to ‘ear it!” Her eyes opened further once she spotted the stand she was searching for. “Oh, there it is, girls! We’re gonna be buyin’ some carrots for tonight’s stew.”

Olive and Apple Bloom already made a beeline for the carrot stand, owned by Carrot Top. Who else could it have been? The kind mare greeted them, waiting for the elderly mare to reach the stand. The pink filly already had her nose all over the carrots, smelling them like a curious dog.

“Hey Granny, I think she’s picking the best for you.” She said in a cutesy voice, gushing over the little unicorn.

Olive pointed at a carrot. “I like this one. It smells nice.”

“Does it?” Granny Smith leaned and smelled it. “Hm, ya ‘ave a great sense of smell, youngin’.”

Carrot Top giggled. “May I show you which ones are my best? It’ll save you some time.”

“Sure thin’!”

In the meantime, Apple Bloom pulled Olive away to show her around the market.

“Ah ‘ave some bits on me, so we can buy some treats! Is there somethin’ ya’d like?”

Olive blinked, glancing around the place. “I don’t know any treats. I just ate a lot of meat.”

Her sister cringed. “Uh... o-okay. Ah suppose Ah’ll show ya the best candies. Ah mean, Ah’m sure ya’ll like ‘em since we Cutie Mark Crusaders do.”

“Ah, so it’s a Cutie Mark Crusaders special.”

Apple Bloom snorted. “Somethin’ like that, sis.” The two fillies ran to the nearest candy store, indulging in their foalish desire for candies, treats and the like. Of course, they acted fast knowing that they didn’t have much time before Granny ultimately finished with her carrot picking. The elderly mare can be slow not just in body, but even in mind. So, they galloped around the market, narrowly dodging the ponies who passed by them without noticing. Although Olive missed one in particular and smashed right into their leg.

Falling on her flank, Olive opened her eyes and raised her head, ready to apologise but froze. As her mind processed what she was looking at, her empty expression turned to horror as her face blanched. Light blue coat, dark blue mane, purple eyes, freckles... No doubt about it, she knew this mare, and so did the pegasus. Her breathing accelerated, her mind blacking out. None of her limbs dared to move an inch.

Dreamcatcher blanched; she was looking at a ghost. There were no other explanations. No way could a filly her age has a scar right where they stabbed her, the same manecut and the same pattern of freckles. Yes, she ran into a ghost during her grocery trip in Ponyville. After all, it wasn't the first time she's been to Ponyville since that fateful day. Quite the opposite, she's been shopping there for nearly two weeks already, so how come she never saw that wretched filly until now? What was supposed to be a simple mission to provide food for her group turned into a dreadful realisation. They failed Anarchy. The consequences will be heavy. The world turned to black around them.

In that very moment, the world stopped existing. There was nothing but them in this dark void, eyes locked in horror and disbelief.

We finally got her! Let me have her leg, I’m longing for a bite!

Visions of the past flooded her mind. Visions of the Everfree forest, of the quaking earth and the shouts of her pursuers. She fell on the grass, out of breath and turned around to face them. Oh, there were so many. A blue pegasus landed next to her, her mouth drooling, her sinister eyes filled with nothing but malice. Her jaw opened wide and closed on her leg, and it snapped.

“Sis! What’s takin’ so long?”

Neither one noticed Apple Bloom rushing to pick the pink unicorn up. Neither broke their stare, their eyes refusing to blink for even a nanosecond. It felt like they shouldn’t even be here, together, in this town.

“Uh, s-sis? Is somethin’ wrong?” Apple Bloom followed Olive’s stare, surprised by the sheer terror on the mare’s face. The silence was awkward, oppressive. Ponies passed by, giving the three strange looks but continued with their day. “Olive? Who’s this mare?”

Olive did not hear her. No sounds or movement even reached her head. Dreamcatcher filled the world and soon... Strong Hoof and Anarchy. They know. They now know the truth. When her father wants somepony dead, they die. Those who miraculously survive are pursued until they stop breathing. And now... that same fate was bestowed upon her.

They will come. It was only a matter of time. And naturally, they will send the big gun against her. There was nowhere to run, nowhere to hide.

Strong Hoof was coming.

“Olive!” Her sister shook her back into consciousness. Dreamcatcher snapped out of her trance too, glancing around at the many stink eyes she received before taking off, her face cringing. And just like that, she was gone... and she’ll tell him her daughter lived on.

Terrified, her trembling clanged on to her sister, seeking shelter from the horror she had witnessed. “H-Hey, what’s the matter with ya?” Apple Bloom asked, now feeling scared herself. “Who was that?”

“H-H-He's coming. It’s too late.”

Looking Glass was in a hurry, rushing down the streets of Canterlot, pushing any ponies who stood in his way. Time was of the essence; he couldn’t afford to waste a single second. He had everything he needed, all that was left was to tell Princess Luna about the underground base through Blossomforth’s testimony.

He galloped past the two stallions guarding the entrance who generously let him in without question. Inside, his first instinct was to check out the dining room where Luna was often present at this hour, feasting before her nocturnal journey in the dreamscape. He guessed correctly as Mango was the one guarding the entrance to the dining room.

“Hey, Looking Glass! Fancy seeing ya!” He greeted, a cup of non-alcoholic cider in his hoof. “Have you found anyth-”

“Yes, I did. Let me see Luna.” Looking Glass interrupted quickly in labored breaths.

Mango smirked. “You mean Princess Lun-”

“I know, let me in now.”

The door opened with a loud creak, briefly annoying the detective as he strolled in the dining room like he owned the place, trotting all the way up to the lunar princess, staring at her with his cold amber eyes.

“Have you found anything regarding Anarchy?” Luna asked, finishing her apple before standing up.

Looking Glass nodded, took out his notebook and read its content out loud. Everything from Blossomforth’s experience to his own, albeit masking it as being the pegasus. He detailed all the buildings he found and the identity of the most important ponies there before the shocked alicorn. “They’re right below us.” he concluded gravely. “We need to prepare a raid as soon as possible. Prevent them from accomplishing whatever goals they have in mind.”

Shock now replaced with a fierce determination, Luna nodded seriously. “I’ll gather all the royal guards available and especially my sister. I’d like for you to join us as well considering your fighting record. We can use the extra hoof.”

The dark blue unicorn put away his notebook, nonchalantly feasting on one of the apples on the table. “I have nowhere else to go. The Crimson Mask case can wait a bit longer. Right now, my priority is the same as yours, Princess. Anarchy cannot wait.”

The midnight blue alicorn smiled thankfully, sprouting her wings as a commanding show of respect to her guards. “Then I will begin the preparations. You can rest now; we’ll call you when the time has come. Oh, and I will send a spy to check the caverns before we go, to ensure they’re still there.” She left the room accompanied by a few guards, leaving Looking Glass and Mango by themselves.

In the back, the captain of the lunar princess’s bodyguards looked at his non-alcoholic cup. “Well well, seems like I dodged a bullet there. Can’t imagine going to a raid drunk.”

“I half expected you to show up drunk.” Looking Glass said coldly. “It is indeed a surprise to see you sober for more than a day, but I suppose you’ll take a war more seriously.”

“So you view it as a war, hm?” Mango chuckled, challenging the detective by approaching him and taking a seat on the opposite side.

“It is going to be a war. Anarchy is no ordinary crime lord. He’s much smarter than them, driven not by greed, but by something else entirely.” Looking Glass defended.

“I’m surprised you even view it that way, you know, what with your reluctance to kill. Really, the only pony I’ve ever heard you kill was the Crimson Mask. Talk about a good track record.” Mango poured some wine in a cup, agitating it lightly. “Not a whole lotta blood spilled.”

Looking Glass frowned, pouring some non-alcoholic cider in his cup. “You have no qualms with killing I see.”

The captain of the batponies chugged down his cup. “Don’t get it twisted, I’m not a sadistic killer just because I kill a lot more often than you do. I kill because sometime, there is no other choice. My soldiers are all good ponies. Do you know how hard it is to knock on a mare’s door just to tell the poor thing her husband died? I want to avoid that as much as possible. So, for all their sake, I’ll kill. You don’t have to kill, that can be left to us.”

Looking Glass looked down his cup, hesitant. I think I see now. He kills out of love, not out of a blind sense of duty. “Do you believe you can kill Anarchy? That’s a feat I can see very few ponies achieving.” He took a small sip, cringing lightly at its taste. It wasn’t as good as the ones in Ponyville.

“Hey, don’t tell me you’ve never heard of my exploits. I’m Mango, captain of Princess Luna’s personal bodyguards. Basically, I’m kind of a big deal.” Mango smirked, tapping his helmet. It was indeed a different color from the rest, shinier even. He wore it with immense pride.

Looking Glass could tell he was strong. The batpony was larger than him and probably just as good. It could be seen in his sharp yellow eyes. The only difference in combat between them was that one had magic, and the other didn’t. A unicorn against a pegasus, though the balance of power could be flipped on its head with just one of those magic nullifying necklaces. “Tell me about them.”

The batpony raised an eyebrow, hurt by the stallion’s dismissive tone. “You’re looking at the royal guard that beat the living crap out of a manticore, no armour on. Hey, what about that time I was sent in to bust a pony trafficking ring by Luna and I did, all by myself. Thirty ponies against one, and none stood a chance.”

“So you must have brains and brawns then, impressive.” Thinking back about the buried town, Looking Glass was amused. “Have you ever fought a pony that you’d consider your equal then? Maybe a pony that surpassed you in stature.”

Mango’s face darkened. He leaned closer to the detective, his serious expression threatening the detective. “Are you implying you already fought Strong Hoof? I know about your tussle with Anarchy, but I’ve heard nothing about that big guy. Tell me; where and when did you fight him?”

Looking Glass’s expression remained indecipherable. “I never fought him. There was no deeper meaning behind my question, Mango.”

The captain sighed; his face relaxing. He slumped back in his seat. “Go figure, that’s the first time you’ve said something so simple. Honestly, we’re starting to look like foals arguing about who’s dad’s the strongest.”

The dark blue unicorn chuckled. “Not what is expected of us, but it is fun to discuss. Anything to prepare myself for this battle. We both know it’s going to cost us some good stallions. Celestia knows how many I’ve lost already. I won’t let anypony die.”

Mango stared blankly at the ceiling, sighing. Life as a royal guard wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows. He can still recount all the tombstones he’s visited over the past few years. All the parting words he gave to them, wishing he could have done more. “Aye.”

The unruly ponies deep down in the dark cheered. The town was lit up like never before. All had gathered before their master, excited for the following morning. Weapons, carriages, hostages, all the buildings were emptied. This place no longer had any reason to exist, so they will burn it all down.

Perched on stage, Anarchy admired his work of art with Strong Hoof at his side, the last time he’ll do before he’ll reach the apex of his life. The time had almost come, and he could hardly wait for it to pour. Patience is a virtue, and he’ll be patient no matter how tough it is.

“Good news fillies and gentlecolts, it’s almost time. You all know the plan; you all have the required equipment. Now, you just need to stick to it and never, and I repeat, never deviate and you’ll be fine.”

Despite their excitement, many were nervous. They squared off against many different groups over this almost decade long escapade but tomorrow, they’ll face the royal guard. Countless low lives and criminal masterminds were slaughtered by these mighty combatants. All they had to count on, was their leader’s genius intellect and the wrath of Strong Hoof to give them an edge.

It can be surprising to see how much faith can push a pony to do the impossible. Tomorrow, all the world will hear about it, about their exploit. Although, many of them will perish, not that Anarchy seemed to care. When you lead a group this big, death is nothing but a number in an endless series of mathematical equations.

“Now then, I won’t be taking any questions. You’ve all made your worries clear, so I will repeat it one last time; have faith! I have calculated all the risks and made a final call. Victory is assured, I mean, we don’t have to destroy the royal guard to win. We just have to finish the ritual.” Anarchy announced triumphantly.

“Oh, it’s going to be a death row!” Strong Hoof growled.

“Right...” Anarchy giggled. A bloody massacre on both sides, but fate is on my side. It will be an easy victory.

As the preparations finished, Dreamcatcher flew in, out of breath. Eyes wide open, she landed next to her leader, staring at him in fear. Anarchy’s brows furrowed, his spiky hair rose ominously, shining a bright emerald color across his face.

“Dreamcatcher...” His cheerful tone gone, the blue pegasus quivered before the news she would deliver. Oh so terrible news. “You didn’t come here, crapping yourself, to show me what you bought, I assume? Spit it out.”

“U-Uh, y... b-boss I-”

“Stop blabbering, and just say it.” Anarchy inched closer, growling as he bore his sharp fangs.

“Y-Your daughter... Olive is still alive.”

“...” Silence.

Strong Hoof’s eyes widened, his pupils turning to pinpricks. Anarchy, however, stared blankly at the walls. Then, he chuckled. His chuckled turned to a cackle, his cackle turned to a hearty laugh. It was so bad that he had to leaned on the wall to keep his balance. Each laugh made him cough in agony. And after a full minute, he stopped.

“Oh really now? Strong Hoof?” The white stallion shuddered. “You said you, uh, trampled my daughter, didn’t you? Said you guys ate parts of her, broke her leg and stabbed her... in the chest.” Anarchy turned around with a strangely serene expression. That didn’t last long. In just a second, his face contorted into pure anger. “And she isn’t dead?! Not dead, still alive. In I-In... Where?! Where is she?!”

Dreamcatcher yelped, backing behind the giant earth pony. “I-I-In Ponyville, p-patron...”

“So, she’s not dead. She’s alive, in Ponyville. A town that’s right next to Canterlot. You mean to tell me that during this entire month, you guys screwed up. One thing, you had to get one thing right, and that was killing a foal. A foal! A literally whiny baby! And you failed?! Now we're gonna have to kill her a second time!” Slowly losing his mind, he kicked one of the walls, turning it to rubbles in an instant.

“Oh, Strong Hoof. And here I thought you were reliable.”

The earth pony trembled, terrified despite his massive size. “I-I’m sorry, Anarchy! Please, don’t kick me out! I have nowhere else to go. I-I swear I’ll make it up to you!”

“Make it up? Hmmm... maybe we can work something out.” He turned to face his crowd. “What do you think, everypony? Should we give him a chance? The stallion that failed to kill a defenseless filly?”

Unanimously, they chose “yes!”.

“I see... Well, you’re in luck, Strong Hoof. You get to stay with us, but on three conditions.”

“T-Three?”

Anarchy grinned, his mouth contorting on itself. “Oh yes indeed. Here’s your requirements to be hired again. First: give me the blood of an alicorn. This one’s easy, there’s a certain Miss Twilight Sparkle in Ponyville, the youngest and consequently weakest of the alicorns. Second: Kill any bearers of the Elements of Harmony you come across in Ponyville, also easy for a stallion of your stature. Third and final requirement: Finish what you started. Are we clear?”

Strong Hoof lowered his head in shame, his body burning with embarrassment and fury. Thinking back about that day, he couldn’t believe how he messed up that bad. It was so simple too, he could have easily swallowed her whole, but he didn’t. Too petty was his sentiment of revenge, he left her to die instead of finishing the job. But not this time. He won’t make the same mistake.

His brow’s furrowed, his face as dark as the night. “Loud and clear, boss.”

Anarchy chuckled. “I’ll send a griffon to retrieve the alicorn’s blood. It’ll also be a confirmation of your success. Don’t let me down...

Ever again.”

Author's Note

My my! Another lengthy chapter, I know! They're going to stay long for a while longer now that we're moving into the epic climax of the third act, the massive storm! Big battles, a giant stallion white as snow and a grinning demon, there's going to be a lot of things happening, and the result of that storm is going to bring about some big changes to our characters...

Oh, especially for him.

38. Halfway Down

The storm is coming.

Anarchy wasn’t fully ready to go, not before he checked something in his office. He’ll never get to return to this place, he knew now was his last chance to look at something precious. Opening his desk’s drawer, he took out his family album and gazed at its content, sitting calmly.

Well, guess it’s just me now. Everypony else is gone, pretty much all at my hooves. I’ve made a beast out of myself, Olive proved that I finished my transformation. It’s a shame though, I know foals are influenceable. Thought I could shape her like me, it would seem like I may have given her too much free time...

Stopping at the final picture where he was alone, he pondered further about his daughter. She was still alive, and somehow, he wasn’t too angry about it. In fact, he was much angrier that Strong Hoof somehow failed to kill a foal. Almost a decade worth of trust thrown out the window just like that. That Olive still lived didn’t bother him as much as it should have.

Now that’s a stinker. I fancied myself as an intellectual, constantly lecturing ponies on random, sometime pointless, things. However, I just can’t figure this one out. My little Olive most likely tattled on me, and to the alicorns too. I should be furious that she lives.

He sighed, going back to a previous page where his daughter looked much happier. Yet, I can’t be bothered to do anything about it. If Strong Hoof kills her then, that’s that. If he doesn’t, well...

Oh, what’s the point anyway. I have too many important stuffs to do. I can’t let a filly sidetrack me in my quest for the ex-mare on the moon. If she somehow survives then, good for her I suppose. I shouldn’t care at all.

And care you shall not. You are a beast, and a beast needs only its guiding moonlight.

Feeling some semblance of closure, Anarchy closed the album and threw it on the ground without even glancing at it. Well, the moment has passed. Back to it.His horn lit up ominously, and with that, it was time to bring Tartarus down on Equestria.

Dark clouds swirled in the sky this Friday, leaving very little sunlight for the ponies below. This day was dark and gloomy, as to be expected for the scheduled storm was soon to come in the afternoon. As such, the morning was dark, almost as if it was night. It was also exceptionally windy. Few dared to wander out even though it wasn’t raining.

Inside Ponyville’s Schoolhouse, Miss Cheerilee sighed as she gazed out the window. Not a cheerful day and that can bring down a pony’s morale, even a mare like her. She lit up the lanterns from the ceiling before the foals entered so they could at least read and write properly in the early morning.

“Good morning everypony!” she started, surprised by how jolly she sounded. In truth, the memories of yesterday still lingered, strengthening her spirit. She never felt this free before, away from the shackles of Spoiled Rich. “Today, we’ll start off by an announcement from two of your classmates. They each have something important to say.” She nodded at the two fillies.

Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon stood up and trotted to the front of the class. Lots of foals glared and groaned as they moved past them. Some were surprised to see the glaring lack of a Tiara on Diamond’s head. It wasn’t the first time they’d make an announcement and looking back at them; they were awful. All of them were just about their projects and their ideas that ultimately, were born from arrogance and a condescending attitude. Diamond couldn’t blame them for disliking her and Silver. They reaped what they sow after all.

Cheerilee left her desk, lending it to the two rich fillies.

Staring at the entire class, Diamond and Silver felt intimidated by the bitterness of the room. They exchanged worried glances before deciding to start.

“H-hi ever-”

“Hello everypony.”

Silver squeaked. “S-Sorry, I-

“O-Oh, were you speak...”

An awkward silence filled the air. The two fillies stared at each other. Silver Spoon bit her lower lip. “Um, y-you can speak first. I believe you’re better suited for this.”

“Right, uh...” Diamond turned back to the class. Their glare and unamused expressions made her chest compress in anxiety. “I have something really important to say.”

“W-Wait, I do too!”

“Silver! Stop talking when I-” Diamond groaned, her frustration immediately gone. Despite seemingly making amends and going on the podium to better herself, she still snapped at another pony. Still shouted in her commanding tone, a tone that became the only thing her class knew her for. To them, she was as spoiled as her mother.

Silver Spoon curled up, her head barely sticking out from the desk. “Sorry.”

I’m supposed to have changed. Diamond glowered, disappointed in herself. “I’m sorry everypony. I just came here to say I apologise for everything I’ve done.”

Foals murmured in the back. The anger in the room dialed down, replaced by confusion and doubt.

“I-I now see how much it hurts to be treated terribly. I’ve been nothing but mean and arrogant towards all of you a-and... that was only because I thought that’s how you became popular. I thought that I had to be so because my family is rich.”

Some of the foals, mainly the ones hailing from poorer families, scoffed and looked away. Diamond was and still is the class president, a position many objected to.

The pink earth pony frowned. “I succeeded. I’m popular now and I should be happy but, b-but... I’m not. I don’t want to be hated, I just wanted you all to like me.” Her eyes watered, and she didn’t try to fight the tears. What even was the point of staying high and mighty anymore? “I shouldn’t have pushed you all away, rejected your ideas in favor of mine. It’s not how a class president should behave.”

From the side, Cheerilee smiled warmly. Diamond had changed a lot in recent times for the better. Hopefully, she can finally take her studies seriously now that her grades are not going to be tampered with.

Silver Spoon raised herself. “And I’m sorry too for not doing anything about it. I followed Diamond all along and made things worse.” she opened her mouth, but quickly realised she had no idea what to say. Public speech wasn’t something she was comfortable with, and it showed badly. Embarrassed by all the attention, by all the intrigued gaze of the other foals, Silver lowered herself almost out of sight, leaving an irritated Diamond to finish in her place.

“But most of the blame is on me. Silver was just following me because we thought we were supposed to be best friends when...” she glanced over the silver filly, already feeling her pain. She pushed through hers to say out loud the hard pill to swallow. “We didn’t know each other that well. So, we’ll stop bothering you with our nonsense and focus on what’s truly important for us. I hope you’ll understand. You don’t have to forgive us, just... understand that we’ll try to be better onward.”

Silver sniffled behind the desk. She didn’t know what hurt more; that her best friend was often angry at her all this time or that she was too stupid to notice that she was great at pushing other ponies away when all she wanted was friendship. All this time, she made nothing but mistakes and now, she finally realised its consequences. Nopony liked her, and the one she hoped would love her had mixed feelings.

The only silver lining was that Diamond was still willing to stay by her side, and that was enough to stop her from bursting into tears on the spot. There was still a chance to set things right.

Silence. Not a single sound to accompany their exit off stage. Going back to their own desks, they noticed that nopony really knew how to respond to this. Most foals were still processing what happened, trying to figure out what all of this meant.

Then, one pony clapped. It was Cheerilee who smiled brightly at the two fillies. “That was a beautiful speech, you two! It takes a lot of courage to open your heart to your peers. I am proud of you.”

Another pony joined in, and unsurprisingly, it was the friendliest filly in the whole class; Olive. Then, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo and even Dinky clapped for them.

“I’m also proud of you!” Olive cutely exclaimed, her adorable smile easing their stress.

Diamond and Silver Spoon smiled unconsciously, looking truly innocent for the first time. “Thank you, Olive. We owe you so much.”

Olive blinked. “Oh nice, what will I be getting?”

Panicked, Sweetie Belle rushed in to whisper, “You’re not supposed to say that!”

The filly’s cheek flushed red. “Oh!”

Heedful Care giggled; these six fillies sure knew how to bring life into an elementary class. Staying in that class was a lot more fun than being stuck in her office signing paperwork.

Then, the yellow light of the lantern was the only thing lighting up the class. Cheerilee looked out the window, perplexed, only to see her own reflection in the dark. The outside world was impossible to discern. The faint sunlight that reached the class was gone for good, but it just couldn’t be. It was supposed to be the morning. Where was the sun?

The class went silent again. Everypony caught on to the strange happening and pressed their face against the window, worried. Murmurs erupted, growing louder with each passing seconds. Then something hit the window, not a large hit, just a small thud. More thuds accompanied that first sound, and soon, it multiplied into hundreds of thuds.

Cheerilee squinted, coming to the realisation that she was hearing the rain banging against the window. That can’t be right... The storm was scheduled for this afternoon. If it starts now, then that means the foals are all going to be stuck here for the day! Nervous, she glanced over the foals. They also caught on to the implications that they wouldn’t be coming home for a while.

Strong winds soon made their presences known, howling with all the might of a dragon, scaring the fearful ponies away. And lastly, the sky lit up for a split-second. The earth quaked against the sheer power of the booming thunder. The pegasi weren’t kidding when they said this storm was going to be brutal. As such, they instructed all ponies to stay in doors for the entire duration, else they run the risk of being severely hurt. The fury of mother nature did not discriminate.

Some foals ran away, squealing in fear as the mighty light in the sky dimmed in an instant.

Olive backed away, her eyes wide with terror and anticipation. She turned around, but her eyes remained on the window like it was some sort of boogeymare. The Cutie Mark Crusaders and Dinky soon noticed, joining her side away from the rage of the storm.

“It sure is scary. Ah ‘ope it’s gonna end soon.” Apple Bloom cuddled with her sister, hoping to calm her down.

“I’ve never seen a storm this scary before.” Sweetie Belle added, cuddling with Olive as her cheeks mixed with a red tint. “But I-we'll be here to make you feel safe.”

Scootaloo tried to join on the group cuddle, but sadly her friends covered Olive from all angles, so she simply elected to sit next to them. Dinky didn’t want to make her feel left out, so she cuddled with the young pegasus. “Well, uh, thanks I suppose.”

Olive’s pupils trembled, staring in fear at the window. After a while, she finally gathered the strength to speak. “I’m not just scared of the storm. I’m scared of him.” she croaked.

“O-Of who?” Sweetie asked, not sure she even wanted to know.

Apple Bloom’s eyes widened. “The giant white stallion with the plumber’s cap.” she blurted out in awe. “He’s coming.”

“Uh, who’s that?” Scootaloo asked toughly, though her strong act was betrayed by her quivering lip. Lightning struck once more, startling all of them.

The yellow filly cringed. “That’s, uh...” She looked at her sister, who didn’t seem to care, too occupied by her frightened fixation on the storm. “ta pony tha’ nearly killed ‘er near ta Everfree forest.”

“What?!” Sweetie Belle screamed, startling the entire class. “S-So that’s why she was in the h-hospital?” she asked, her heart almost jumping out of her chest. She didn’t know why she was so scared to imagine what would have happened if Olive had died. It didn’t happen, so thinking about what ifs was silly, right?

“E-yup.” Apple Bloom solemnly answered.

The class’s door opened with a loud creak, catching the attention of the cerise mare. The last pony she ever wanted to see was here now. Another strike of bad luck.

Spoiled Rich cursed under her breath, her mane and coat completely wet. “Nopony told me the storm was rescheduled for this morning.” Diamond cringed, opting to hide amongst the other foals in hope that her mother wouldn’t come her way. When she’s in a bad mood, she can get physical, Diamond knew that all too well. She was just happy to be surrounded by foals and her teachers, Spoiled Rich would never dare to soil her reputation publicly.

Cheerilee sighed. “I don’t think it was meant this soon. It’s gotten dark too.”

“Yes, I did notice.” Spoiled said in a disgruntled voice. “Somepony could have at least placed a lantern in the hallway.” Lightning struck the earth and with it, the storm’s fury only increased.

Heedful Care noticed something odd. Many ponies were still outside, trying to get some stuff inside their homes. It would appear that Ponyville as a whole was unprepared for this unforeseen start. The pegasus didn’t wish to be in their place right now. The wind was strong and the rain terribly cold. Those outside were having a bad, bad time. “We can’t be prepared for every little thing, I’m afraid. At the very least, you’re not stuck outside like some of these poor ponies.”

Cheerilee trotted over to the irritated rich mare, giving her an odd look. “I suppose you didn’t come for just a check-up. Why are you here?”

Spoiled Rich shook her head around, getting the water off her precious mane. “I’m here to say I’m pulling my funds since that’s what you so terribly want. From now on, don’t expect me to pay you for your job.”

“Is that it?” the cerise mare smirked, baffled by that level of pettiness. “Well, you could have waited another day to tell me that. It would appear that your lack of patience brought you in an uncomfortable situation.”

Suddenly, one of the swings smashed into the wall, cracking it. The storm was getting dangerous even to them. The young ponies panicked. Some screamed, others retreated from the window and others teared up in fear.

“Children! Go under your desk and protect your head!” Cheerilee announced, initiating the safety procedure in case of a bad storm. The further from the window, the better.

The foals did as instructed. Olive did need the help of her friends to go back to her desk as her legs were trembling. Despite being relatively warm inside, her entire body trembled as if she was freezing to death.

“Well, Miss Spoiled; seems like my desk has enough space for three mares.” Cheerilee observed. “Seems like we’ll be really close for the next few hours.”

The rich mare groaned, reluctantly sitting next to Care and Cheerilee. The foals were understandably nervous. They went through a couple of storms before, but none were quite as strong as this one. The weather team wasn’t kidding when they said it was a big one, a storm unlike any other. It felt like the wrath of the wendigos were brought upon them.

Scootaloo cringed, trying to not let her fears get the better of her. It was hard as the oppressive roars of the storm tried to drown out their voices. The worse part of all this were the reactions of the other foals. Few could keep it together in the face of nature’s wrath. Some ponies sobbed; others wailed for their parents to come, and others trembled just like Scootaloo, trying to appear tough before their classmates.

“H-H-Hey...”

Scootaloo looked behind her. Apple Bloom crawled towards her desk, peeking above her head as she went out in the open. “Can Ah stay under yer desk?” Her fur was straightened.

“S-Sure. I could always use some compan-” The sky crackled with lightning, startling everypony, even the mares. “C-C-Company...”

Diamond Tiara, however, was doing surprisingly better than most. Undoubtedly nervous, she stared at the closed window, silently counting the seconds in between each lightning. “One...two...three...four..fi-”

“Oh my Celestia, a-are we going to die?” Silver Spoon panicked, grasping her head in terror as her body faced the opposite side of the window.

“S-Silver! You made me lose count!” As if to punctuate her outburst, lightning struck the earth.

“C-Count?”

Diamond sighed, letting the anger leave her soul. “Yes, dad taught me that counting the seconds in between each lightning can show you how far the storm i-” Lightning struck once more, startling her. “R-Right now, it’s pretty close.”

Silver Spoon looked up, shivering. “I-Is it going to be enough?”

“What do you mean?”

“The desks. Can they protect us from the storm?” Silver said, seeking some desperate comfort from her friend.

“Well, uh... Surely. As long we’re inside, we’re good. Just... let me count the seconds, okay?”

Lightning struck once more, and Diamond went back to counting. “One...two..thr-”

“Excuse me?”

“Gah! What now?!”

Dinky’s soft voice barely reached her, but it was enough to throw her count off. “I’m scared. I-I don’t want to be alone.”

Diamond raised an eyebrow, confused. “Wha- nopony’s alone in here! We’re all stuck in this class for who knows how long.”

Dinky Hooves pointed at Scootaloo and Apple Bloom. “I don’t want to be alone beneath my desk...”

The pink earth pony glanced over Silver, then Dinky and sighed. “Look, you can go with Silver Spoon. Just stop interrupting me while I’m counting, it’s really important!”

The little unicorn crawled over to Silver’s desk, and they laid together beneath the shadow of the angry storm. Everypony was scared, each displaying it in their own way. Each were scared...

But none were as terrified as Olive, who sat down in a foetal position, her eyes locked on the window as she mumbled incoherent thoughts through a whimpering voice. The all-consuming darkness on the other side, broking periodically by lightning, taunted her by hiding what could be the reaper coming to claim a soul that escaped its grasp. She told her family about Strong Hoof, yet they couldn’t do anything. How could they?

He was hidden, and nopony can predict when he’ll come. She just knew that he would. After all, he was her father’s best friend, he never left stones unturned. A-Aurora, when will you come back? I need you...

A gentle hoof brought her back to her senses. Sweetie Belle tugged for her attention, and she silently thanked her for that.

“Is everything alright? Are you cold?” She asked softly, her lovely voice bringing some much-needed comfort to her.

“N-No.” Olive answered, before realising how vague of an answer that was. “I-I mean, about being cold. I’m not cold.” Her quivering was bad, bad to the point that her hooves were kicking the wall behind her sporadically.

“A-Are you sure? You’re trembling a lot.” Sweetie Belle pressed, a worried look in her eyes.

“I’m not cold, really. I just don’t know why it’s happening.”

The white unicorn crawled towards her, holding her tightly to the point that she was practically glued to the pink pony. “I-It’s no blanket, but I hope it’ll help with the cold.”

Much to Olive’s surprise, her shaking stopped even though she wasn’t cold at all. Confused, she thought about how and why Sweetie’s solution worked. The more thoughts she poured into it, the more she realised it didn’t even matter. All that mattered was that it felt good.

Sweetie’s warmth was spreading over to her, and especially to her cheeks. It felt so good. “C...Could you hold me tighter, p-please? F-For our five seconds of love...”

The white filly behind her gasped, then squealed in joy as she tightened her grip, her face flushing red. Olive loved it and for a good while, she forgot about Strong Hoof.

The great city of Canterlot wasn’t doing so well in the eye of the storm. The castle was on full alert, guards galloping around to prepare their equipment, maids lighting all the torches in their frantic run around the place. Celestia and Luna were both waiting in the guard’s barrack to lead their army towards Anarchy’s position. The roars of the thunder made each passing second nerve-wracking. The Anarchists would move under the cloak of the storm, that much was clear. By now, they should already be making their play, giving the royalties very little time to counter act.

Finally, under the command of Mango and Looking Glass, the royal guards were geared up and assembled before the alicorns, ready for battle. Hundreds of soldiers gathered to fight for Canterlot, some were young recruits, others hardened veterans that fought many battles and lived. Their response against the changeling invasion were rather poor, but that will change today. On this stormy day, the royal guard will prove their worth and with Mango at the front, they’ll get some good results.

“That’s all of them, my princess.” Mango announced to Princess Luna, bowing.

The midnight blue alicorn glanced over the army and nodded. “You have done well, Mango. We need every able-bodied pony to fight for not just Canterlot, but Equestria. Let us show to all ponies that they’re safe in our hooves, that vile criminals the likes of Anarchy cannot prosper in our kingdom! Give your heart to our cause!”

The vast army of stallions stomped the ground in unison. “Yes, princess!”

Luna groaned silently. “I hate speeches. They're usually delivered by you.”

Celestia smiled subtly. “I think you did pretty well on that one.” the white alicorn stepped forth, earning the attention of all the guards. “We’ll lead the way. Make sure to hold on to your lanterns and be careful, the storm is already dangerous enough to travel.”

The guards put on their cloak and picked up their lit lantern, now ready to face the storm and the dangers up ahead. Right as their march was about to begin, the door busted open. A tired guard gasping for air entered his eyes wide open.

“C... Cele...” he tried to say.

“What is it?” Princess Celestia asked, casting a quick spell to make him regain his stamina. “You can speak up now.”

“The town, princess! It’s empty!” He blurted out in a panic. “They’ve already left!”

The smaller alicorn gasped and waved a hoof at her army in a hurry. “Go! Now! We have no time to spare!”

Captain Mango gritted his teeth and furrowed his brows. “Ah shit. Forget the plan, spread out and search the city for these rats! We’re running out of time!”

And so, the royal guards piled on the streets, galloping in every direction under the cruel storm. And then, the world darkened.

“What the hay?!” Applejack stared at the sky oddly. She swore she just felt a liquid hit her muzzle. After a couple of seconds of waiting idly, she brushed it off and went back to apple bucking only to be interrupted by another drop hitting her hat. “Oh, this better not be happenin’ now!” She raised her head once more and felt more drops of water hit her face. “What the... I-It's actually rainin’!”

In no time, the rain doubled, tripled, then quadrupled its intensity, forcing Applejack back inside. Big Macintosh followed her under the shelter of their roof.

In a matter of minutes, the storm had started earlier than expected. The wind, the rain and the lightning all gathered to unleash Tartarus on the land of Equestria. It shook the foundations of their home. “Wholly nelly!” Aj exclaimed in shock, “I-It’s a mighty big one indeed!

Granny Smith leaned on the window. “Wasn’t it supposed to start in ta afternoon?”

“E-yup.” Big Mac confirmed. “Ta weather ponies might have made a mistake. Surely it’s gonna stop soon. Nopony’s prepared fo’ this.”

The three Apples waited for entire minutes. And then it got dark, really dark. They could barely see past the lit lantern on their front porch.

“W-What’s goin’ on? Why is it so dark?! It’s still daytime, right?” Applejack shouted in a panic.

“A-Ah think Ah saw the sun lowerin’.” Big Mac responded, gazing over the window, trying to get a clear view of the sky although it was fruitless. He couldn’t see a single thing outside.

Granny Smith pushed them away. “Nonsense! Nopony ‘cept the princesses can move ta sun and ta moon! They wouldn’t do somethin’ stupid like that!”

Big Mac sighed. “In any case, looks like it’s startin’ for real. We hafta wait until it ends now.”

Applejack frowned, sad that she wasn’t able to head back with all her buckets of apples. These fresh ones were gone by now. That storm will, as expected, hurt their finances for a bit, a fact made even worse by the fact that they have an extra mouth to feed. H-Hey hold on a minute!

Aj remembered a crucial detail, a terrible one. “Ta girls!” She can’t stay here and wait for it to blow over. Her sister and her daughter are in potential danger! She grabbed a cloak and a lantern, then fetched two smaller cloaks for the fillies.

Big Mac and Granny Smith waited by the front door, staring at Aj nervously.

“Are ya sure this is a good idea, sis? That storm’s worse than the previous ones. Ta wind could whisk you away...” Big Mac pointed out.

Applejack’s eyes rested on the dreadful storm outside, feeling nervous at the simply thought of going outside. “Ah know, but Ah can’t let ta fillies alone at school, especially Olive. She’ll need me.”

Granny Smith smiled warmly. “Be careful out there. An’ come back safely, Applejack.”

All of Ponyville’s residents were startled by the early storm. Tartarus came pouring down out of the blue, scaring everypony into hiding inside. However, some were not so lucky and had to hole up under a cart or a store until the thunder stopped. A difficult task considering the wind was feeling mighty that day, constantly pushing them out of safety. The lighter ponies were threatened to be blown away by the wind current, desperately holding on to whatever objects could save their skin. Things only got worse when darkness engulfed the land.

Being in the center of town, Princess Twilight Sparkle got to see this chaos go down. She saw how nopony came to help those lost in the storm. Instead, they stared through their window in fear, too scared to leave the safety of their home. The lavender alicorn couldn’t sit back and watch. As a princess, their safety was her priority. As such, she had to confront the raging thunder and save them. The numerous questions she had about the sudden storm and the darkness had to wait.

She trotted to her front door, cloak on her back, and hesitated a bit.

“Spike, could you please prepare a cup of hot chocolate for me? Oh, and a nice warm blanket when I get back.”

The young dragon flinched once lightning struck the town. The sound of the rain was oppressive. Thousands upon thousands of drops hit their walls, their ceiling to the point that it was almost unbearable. It was louder than any storm that came before. “A-Are you sure this is a good idea, Twilight? I mean, I know you’re a princess and all bu-”

“Oh Spike,” Twilight smiled. “I’ve faced worse than that. I’ll be back safe and sound, okay? You can take a break after you’ve prepared the blanket and the hot chocolate.”

Right as she was about to open the door, Twilight saw a mare in the storm but unlike the others, she was trotting through it fearlessly. She was holding a lantern in her mouth and a thick cloak to shield her body from the cold rain. When lightning stroke, the alicorn gasped. Applejack?! What’s she doing out there?

It didn’t take long for her to figure out the cause. The foals! They must be stuck inside the schoolhouse too! Oh no, I have to go there too and help them! But I also... okay, just c-calm down. One at a time. I’ll save these ponies, then go to the school. Right, I’ll have to be quick about it.

The door slammed into the wall the instant Twilight opened it. The wind was even more vicious than it looked like on the inside. The alicorn struggled to trot in the storm. A few steps in and she noticed a pegasus was holding on to the Golden Oak for dear life. A pegasus with a gray coat, a lazy eye an-

“Derpy? What are you doing here?”

The mailpony stared at her, embarrassed. “When I heard the storm started early, I went down to take my daughter back home.” She gazed around, beaten down morally by her current predicament. “I just don’t know what went wrong!”

Twilight levitated her towards the front door. “Okay, Derpy; stay inside, I’ll go to the schoolhouse after. I promise I’ll bring your daughter back safely.”

Derpy Hooves’ eyes lit up with joy. “Thank you, Princess Twilight. You’re the best!”

The lavender unicorn blushed. “Come on, you don’t have to be so formal with me. I’m still just Twilight after all.” Lightning struck the earth, reminding Twilight that she should get moving. Gee, they weren’t lying when they said it will be brutal.

The storm raged on, early just as Anarchy promised. The stallion’s magical talent increased a lot recently, now being able to further tinker with the weather ponies’ schedule. Navigating in this hostile weather was arduous, but nothing Strong Hoof couldn’t handle. The cold wind sent a shiver down his spine, made his nose runny and slightly halted his advance. Then it got dark, and that’s when the challenge truly started.

Strong Hoof had to rely on the lightning to find his way to Ponyville. He had no lantern to see in the dark, no cloak to shield himself from the rain. He had nothing but his strong body and the necklace to shield himself from magic. That was another punishment instilled by his dearest friend, Anarchy. If he can rise to the challenge, then he will have proven that he was reliable and truly deserving of being his right hoof pony. Eight years. Eight long years he wasn’t willing to throw down the drain.

No place for weakness, he can’t let a simple cold rain stop him from tearing off their heads. He made a terrible mistake and now, he’s paying dearly for it. The strong learn from their mistakes and endure whatever punishment comes their way. Then, they rise from the ashes, more powerful than ever and that’s only then that they can make a change in this world.

The strong modify the world, the weak go along with the changes. He must push on. The tallest mountains started as a stone. He must never forget. Never forget...

“Done. All fixed.” The toiled flushed triumphantly after a good while of being clogged. A young earth pony stared in satisfaction at a job well done. That stallion was Swift Snow. White as snow, and a swift plumber. “That’ll be five bits, ma’am.”

Before he was the colossal earth pony, Strong Hoof was but a humble plumber in the rich city of Manehattan. Rich, but only for those who had the talent and the luck to climb the ranks. For most, it was just a concrete jungle and for the less fortunate, Tartarus itself. Swift Snow was fortunate enough to afford food, although he wasn’t trouble free. He had no shelter, not since they came into town.

A ruthless gang known as the Crimson Masks began to spread their name around the city, committing various atrocities in the name of wealth and power. Amidst the chaos, Swift was beaten down within an inch of his life by a small group led by a pony called Silver Fang. His shelter was gone and most of his cash stolen by these monsters. And it was all because he was small and frail, not big and strong like them. He existed sorely to be trampled by those above him.

Like most of the commonfolk, he dreamt of being something greater. He dreamed of being a famous musician, to rise from the ash of his current life. It was his escapism from this cruel reality. Many spoke of Princess Celestia coming one day to solve the problem, but it wasn’t so simple. The Crimson Masks operated in the shadows, away from the sunlight of the gracious alicorn. They were everyday ponies, with mundane jobs and lives. There weren’t much the royalties could do to deter them.

Sure, some were caught and brought to justice, but their leader was always there, always planning more atrocities under their noses. It was a miserable time for most indeed, and especially for Swift Snow. To chase his dream, he used all the money he accumulated in the past few months to buy himself a guitar, the only instrument he ever learned to play.

Even better, Jolly Melody was announced to sing in Manehattan at the biggest club in the whole city. It was going to be a big event, and one Swift wouldn’t miss for the world. Luckily, tickets were cheap, courtesy of Jolly wishing to make himself as available as possible.

Tonight’s club was full. A regular occurrence for a Jolly Melody show. The stallion was adored not just in Manehattan, but in all Equestria as well. His name was on beauty products, he was everywhere on the radio and many musicians cited him as their inspiration to pick up the guitar. Even as he entered the club, he was surrounded by ponies, mainly mares, demanding an autograph or a picture with him. He surprisingly agreed to it all.

But tonight would prove to be another level of unique. The princess of sunlight herself, Celestia, came to Manehattan personally to be part of the audience. Most musicians would be mortified at the idea of performing in front of the great princess of Equestria, but Jolly Melody didn’t seem to mind.

As for the white stallion, he occasionally glance bitterly at her, wishing she’d somehow do more to solve the crime problem in this city.

Swift Snow sat in the back where nopony would pay him any attention. Jolly Melody was one of his favorite musicians. The best of the best. To become a musician, he had to listen to his music. The light purple stallion with the beautiful green mane was known for his amazing vocal range. His voice was charming, and coupled with his handsome look, brought him many female fans. No wonder considering his cutie mark was composed of a pink heart with a microphone plugged into it.

As Swift gazed at the celestial princess in the back, he noticed a stallion around his age sat next to her nonchalantly, as if he was her escort despite clearly lacking the armor of a royal guard. Light blue mane, a dark blue coat, Swift swore he’s heard of this top hat wearing unicorn before, smiling as he stretched his legs. Was it in the newspaper? He can’t quite recall. Time moved so fast in recent times; he’s hopelessly lost in this concrete jungle with nothing but his trusty guitar as his last companion, his last hope to get out of this misery.

“Goodnight, fillies and gentlecolts! This is Jolly Melody, super happy to be part of this club’s midnight show again. Tonight is a very special occasion for we’ve got... Princess Celestia in the audience! Everypony give her a round of applause for this breathtaking pony!” Jolly announced with a gentlecoalt-esque voice.

The crowd roared with applause, especially the mares who were the loudest. Celestia giggled at all the extra attention. The stallion next to her blinked, uncaring. Swift Snow didn’t clap his hooves for her. He wasn’t there for royalty; he was there for music. Sounds that can heal the soul. If he wanted to have a shot at stardom, he needed to learn from the best.

“You’re breathtaking!” a mare shouted in her hormone filled excitement.

Jolly Melody giggled, pointing his hoof at the audience. “You’re breathtaking. You’re all breathtaking fillies and gentlecolts!” The crowd cheered for him once more and despite his nervousness, Swift Snow felt a bit at ease by the musician’s sheer confidence. “I adore this mood, no seriously. Music is always more fun when we’re just happy to be here. I can tell you’re all excited to be here and hey, so am I!”

The curtains opened, revealing the other musicians on stage. Swift Snow was very surprised to spot two young looking mares among them. Out of the seven ponies on stage, two barely looked like adults. These two mares looked like they were still going to high school. How were they on stage with Jolly Melody at such a young age bothered Swift Snow but at the same time, reassured him.

If they can be here, with their instrument in hooves then, I can do that too! I just... need to prove myself to the right ponies. I must keep on playing in the streets, somepony will recognise my talent.

Jolly Melody looked at his band, smiling. “Now, as some of you may have noticed. We’ve got two new musicians performing their very first show in Equestria! These young college upstarts from Ponyville have impressed me with their skills. Let’s introduce them real quick to you lovely ponies. Our cello player here is Octavia Melody. See? Told y’all the Melody name is a good luck charm, not that we’re related mind you.” The musician trotted up to the young mare and levitated the mic towards her. “Say hi to everypony, Miss Octavia.”

“Um, h-hi.” The earth pony sheepishly said in an English accent, waving a hoof to the audience. “I’m really happy to be here. It’s, um, a-a bit overwhelming...”

“Aw, don’t be so nervous. Even professionals like me get a little stage fright every once in a while. However, a beauty like you surely has a promising future in this artform.” Jolly commented, making the young Octavia blush. He quickly dashed to the other mare, a white unicorn with cerise eyes.

“Now, you may have noticed the synthesisers here. Yeah, it’s a new technology I’m not too familiar with, but Vinyl Scratch taught me a lot about this instrument. I can’t wait to hear your opinions on it once the show is over.” Jolly briefly levitated the mic towards the unicorn before pulling back. “Oh yeah, she’s mute but not that it’s important when it comes to making music. Our voices aren’t the only instrument! Now then, how about I sing you a classic with this new technology to enhance it?”

The crowd erupted in thundering applause once more, except for Swift and that odd unicorn. Jolly Melody played his infamous song Bring Back Our Love, a song that became synonymous with him for the chorus where he sings nothing but high notes, which resulted in him being often mistaken for a mare, a fact he found extremely funny. Swift Snow’s heard it plenty of times before on the radio, but not in the way it was played that night. The cello combined in such a beautiful harmony with the synths... It reached his numb heart and made him feel alive again. It brought hope back to a stallion who thought he had next to nothing left.

In the harsh streets of Manehattan, Swift Snow placed his plumber’s cap on the floor, it was all he had to collect money. Now, all that was left was to prove his worth. Show the world he had talent. The greatest artists all started from nothing after all. With enough luck, he’ll reach similar heights to Jolly Melody.

To warm himself up, he played a few chords to ensure the instrument was good to go. Then, he started to play a song. The street he chose was quite busy, a great place to start. At first, he didn’t get many glances and certainly no money but as time went on. Some of the ponies waiting for their carriages threw in a bit or two. They appreciated his music!

Overjoyed by the great new, he got a little daring and played some harder tunes for them. The more difficult the song, the more impressed they’ll be. In the end, he racked up a dozen bit for his effort. Not a whole lot, but it was enough to buy some food.

In the streets, he had no bed, so he had to learn to make his own with trash. Never did he ever expect life to go this way. It was bleak, but as long as there was hope, he had to carry on. It’s in a pony’s darkest days that the kindness of others shines through. Eventually, somepony out there will come save him. Someday.

Out of nowhere, his guitar was snatched. Swift’s eyes shot open. A stallion, not much bigger than him, galloped past him with the guitar in his mouth. “T-Thief!”

Frantically chasing after the thief, Swift Snow ran into traffic, alleys and jumped over fences. The most precious thing in the world was in that stallion’s mouth, and there was no way he’d let him have it, not when he paid so much for it.

The thief placed the guitar on his back to not damage it, although it weighed him down. He looked behind and was satisfied to notice he had successfully distanced himself from the white earth pony.

To catch up, Swift Snow jumped in a carriage and begged the driver to hurry up. “He’s heading in that tunnel!” The driver sprinted after the thief, following him in the dark tunnel where he had to squint to find him.

The stallion may be fast, but he was no match for the strong driver. Swift Snow jumped out of the carriage and caught the thief. “G-Give it-” He stopped once he got a good look at the instrument. It wasn’t his guitar, not at all. In the tunnel, he chased the wrong pony.

The innocent unicorn stared at him, bewildered, before hurrying away. Swift left the other side of the tunnel and stared blankly at the surrounding area. No thief in sight. No guitar in sight. No guitar... period.

He stared off in the distance soullessly. He stared for thirty minutes, but to him, it felt like a lifetime.

Prancelyn Bridge, an infamous bridge in Manehattan, known for being the longest suspension bridge in all Equestria. A marvelous achievement for sure, but it has its grim side. For the less happy souls, it is known as a good bridge to take the plunge. The drop in the river is steep. It is not uncommon to see a miserable pony jump off.

Of course, to jump off there would be rather... unoriginal, but it did not bother Swift Snow in the slightest. What reason was there to search high and low? He just wanted to drop below once and for all.

Slowly making his way to the bridge, he lamented on the way things turned out, on what would have happened had he been given the chance to follow his dream. Alas, not everpony is as lucky as Jolly Melody. Fortune and fame come only to the most talented, and talented Snow was not. It’s a sad reality, but one they all must come to face eventually.

Holding on to the railing, Swift looked down the bridge, gazing at the inviting sparkly water below. With puny body like his, the drop will be one hundred percent fatal. At that moment, he wondered what it would feel like to have somepony begging for him not to jump. Funny for sure, it’ll probably be the first time a pony would show some kindness to him. Anyhow, he had no reason to keep stalling and yet, he kept thinking about his entire life prior to this ultimatum.

The way these filthy rats kicked him down, the show Jolly Melody delivered, the theft of his last treasure. He stared blankly at the river, unable to move on from this pain. A part of him was still angry, too angry to give up. The rest, however, begged it to let up. What could a puny pony like him do? He can’t make a difference, force the world to change. He can’t get his dream back. He can’t-

“So, when are you going to jump? You look like you’ve made your mind ten minutes ago.”

Swift Snow flinched; he wasn’t expecting a stallion to be right next to him. As he faced the newcomer, his eyes widened in surprise. “You? Here?”

“Yes, me here.” Jolly Melody mockingly responded, his voice much lower than in his show. “Is that so surprising? I’m just hanging out on a bridge.”

The puny earth pony chuckled as he avoided the unicorn’s eyes, staring below. “Well, if you came here to make me reconsider; forget about it. I’m going to jump off that bridge.” He placed one of his hindleg on the barrier.

Jolly took out a sandwich nonchalantly. “Hm? Sure, go ahead. You surely don’t have anything to live for.”

Swift Snow stopped, placing his hind leg back on the bridge. “What? Did... Did I hear that right?”

The violet unicorn took a bite out of his sandwich, enjoying its nice taste. “I hang out on this bridge often. You do realise you’re not the first who’s here to take the plunge.”

The white stallion blinked, unamused. “Obviously. You take me for an idiot?”

Jolly Melody smirked. “I’ve seen them jump, and I caught every single one of them halfway down.” he stated it with a mocking tinge in his voice. “You’ll just end up the same as them.”

“Hey! I’m going to kill myself today. I swear I’ll kick your ass if you try to save me!”

The musician simply continued his warm meal without a care. “Now, now... Do you really wish to kill yourself?”

Swift Snow slammed the railing as hard as he could, ignoring the pain it caused. “Shut up already! You’re saying dumbass things just to stall me! It’s not gonna work!” He didn’t know what made him angrier, the fact that this great musician he idolised was secretly an asshole all along or the fact that he’s treating him like he was a clueless foal.

Jolly Melody’s smile dropped, and he now looked annoyed. Finally, he turned his head to look the stallion right in the eyes. “No, I’m educating you. Tell me; have you ever heard of the view from halfway down?”

Snow breathed heavily, fatigued from his outburst. He shook his head, “No. No, I haven’t heard of it.”

“Good, then wait just a teeny tiny moment before you jump.” Jolly Melody put his sandwich down and leaned on the railing. “Like I said, I saved many ponies from themselves right here. Every single one of them shared that look I see in your eyes. A certain numbness you can say. They all jumped, and I caught them all halfway down. You wanna know what I saw when I reeled them back to safety?” He raised an eyebrow and smiled.

“S-Sure. Just make it quick.”

“I saw a pony cowering in fear, tears streaming down their face... Weird, isn’t it?”

Swift Snow scratched the back of his head, perplexed. “I... what?”

“Exactly. That’s how I felt at first. Why are they so scared? Didn’t they want to die? I learned something important that fateful day. I know telling you that things will get better is meaningless. You’ve probably heard it before, and you’ve already decided that ending things is worth it. Your feelings are valid, so were theirs. However, I must tell you one thing; what if you don’t like the view from halfway down?”

Swift Snow recoiled slowly, flabbergasted. In face of such wise words, he didn’t know what to say. He opened his mouth and closed it.

Jolly Melody stared over the horizon. “You idealise suicide because you think it’s a way for you to take back control over your life, correct? Well, halfway down, you’ll come to realise you are totally out of control as to what happens next and that there’s no going back. You’ll realise... it didn’t need to be like this.”

The earth pony blanched, a dark heavy pressure on his rib cage nearly stopped his breathing.

“What now could slow the drop?” Jolly Melody asked, his voice heavy. “Now that you’ve heed my warning, you may decide. If you truly wish to die, well... I won’t catch you halfway down. You’ll get to feel the cold water.”

Swift Snow stared in the void, petrified. His body moved on its own, climbing on the railing. Before the beautiful sunset, he looked down. The sparkly water was getting dark and now, it didn’t look quite as inviting. His limbs trembled and his mouth quivered. His eyes wide open with unspeakable terror. I-I-I can’t do this... he repeated in his mind, his eyes tearing up. I’m too much of a coward. He closed his eyes.

Hooves climbed on the railing next to him. Jolly Melody chuckled. “Right, that’s what I thought.” Satisfied, he looked down at the sparkly water. His limbs were perfectly still, his mouth locked in a smirk. His eyes were calm and relaxed as he admired the view. In the face of death, Jolly didn’t blink. Then, the stallion leaned forward, and forward to the point that he looked like he should have fallen in the river.

And then, Swift Snow’s hooves lost contact with the railing, and he saw Jolly Melody upside down. He wasn’t on the bridge anymore. The drop wasn’t slow, it was terrifyingly fast.

Swift screamed as loud as he could, staring in terror at the view from halfway down. He wished he didn’t have to see the view from halfway down.

Then, like an angel, Jolly Melody stopped his fall, levitating him back to the safe haven that was the Prancelyn Bridge. Letting go, Swift fell on his side, his legs having given up entirely.

“Well, now you know all about the view from halfway down.” Jolly stated, satisfied. “If you ever plan on jumping still, can you please do it tomorrow at five pm?”

And he did return at five pm. Swift Snow waited an unbearably long time to see that unicorn again, desperate for some comfort. He understood why so many ponies adored him, and he wanted to hear his voice again for it was the only thing that soothed his jumbled mind. Jolly arrived, albeit late.

“My, you’ve got to be the most punctual stallion I’ve ever met. I like that.” His sharp, confident voice drew Swift closer. “It would appear I did talk some sense into you, that’s great. He he, you have yet to find your purpose, have you?”

Swift Snow nodded, gazing at the beautiful sunset. The view on the bridge was gorgeous, certainly better than the one halfway down. “I don’t know what I can even do, that’s just it. I lost the last thing that truly meant something.”

“A shame, to who did you lose it all to?” Jolly asked calmly, sounding genuinely concerned. At least, that’s what Swift liked to believe.

“I... don’t know. He was just another stallion in this city. A nopony like me, I guess.”

The violet unicorn shook his head. “Not what I meant. I’m talking about your life. Somepony took it away from you, and that’s why you were here yesterday. I’d like to know who.”

The white earth pony frowned; anger fused with pain. “Some rich criminal bastard who thought I was easy picking just because I'm small and weak. I sold everything for my chance to become a great musician like you, and I missed. It didn’t matter how good I was, this damn city had other plans for me. That’s all that matters in this world; strength and cruelty.”

“I see.” Jolly Melody unwrapped his sandwich and began eating. “What do you yearn for now?”

“I... I’m not sure anymore.” The stallion lowered his head and sighed.

“It doesn’t seem like you’re willing to try your chance at music again. Perhaps there is something burning within you, something that holds that desire back. Are you angry?”

Swift’s brows furrowed, albeit lightly. “I still am. That bastard took everything away from me. I’m nopony because of him.”

“I believe you misplace your hate.”

The earth pony raised an eyebrow. “Wha- how? He did it! How can I misplace it?!”

Jolly Melody’s face darkened. “He is but one of many rich monsters who take advantage of other’s weaknesses. You are fooling yourself if you believe he is the only one screwing over nice young ponies like you. Killing him won’t be enough, another will take his place. The problem cuts deeper than that and it is not an easy one to solve. I’m afraid my fortune and fame cannot provide a suitable remedy.”

Swift gritted his teeth, his brows furrowing further. “Figured as much. We’re just doomed to be trampled over by the strong, is that it?”

“I wouldn’t say we are doomed. It is not an easy problem to solve, but it can be dealt with. I sincerely wish the best for all the less fortunate. Sadly, it is becoming clear that Celestia can’t do anything about it. In situations like these, it’s up to us to take matters in our hooves, and deal with the problem. We can’t expect Celestia to do all the work. She’s too busy sitting atop her ivory castle, helping the more fortunate over you. It’s a shame, really, but it’s how the world has always operated.”

The earth pony’s ears perked. “Wh-What do you propose... i-if you have something in mind. I want nothing but justice for those who are being exploited by these scumbags. I want there to be a change in this damn city!”

The purple unicorn smiled confidently. “And that wish will come true in due time. Our mission will not be easy. For that, we must learn to separate our feelings from our sense of duty. We must ascend beyond our stature as ponies. We will bring along a new wave of hope and equality to Equestria. But for that, we’ll need more allies. Together, we’ll make a difference.”

Swift Snow smiled back. “If it means nopony will ever suffer like me then... I’ll do it. Heh, I don’t think I ever told you, my name. I’m Swift Snow.”

“And I’m Jolly Melody, though you already knew that from the start.”

The next few years of Swift’s life were great. Reborn anew as Strong Hoof, he became the right hoof to Jolly Melody, now rebranded as Anarchy. Together, they amassed a strong following, each beaten down by the very society they lived in. United by a common hatred, the newly formed Anarchists quickly spread terror across the many regions of Equestria, especially in the big cities. In a matter of weeks their logo was in the newspaper, making the rounds around the country.

Strong Hoof never failed, never faltered. Every mission he was given, he excelled. He killed all who dared to stand in the way of their freedom. Ever since he became the snow-white giant he’s known for presently, he grew closer to Anarchy, the pony that saved his life that day. Under the light of the press, he was hidden. Anarchy took the blame for everything Strong Hoof did. But for the smarter ones, and especially the other ponies dwelling in the shadows, they knew his name... and they feared the colossal titan. Especially those who have wronged him.

A few years later, he came across Silver Fang again. Only this time, the rich pegasus was in a pickle. Captured and ransomed by a rival gang, the Anarchists just so happen to stumble onto him, tied up.

Anarchy leaned over to confirm his identity, then chuckled. “Well, what do you know? They handed us a big one on a silver platter. I think that’s a higher up.”

“How the tides turn.” Strong Hoof mocked, looming above the decidedly smaller stallion that once persecuted him. Looking down on him from his new height felt cathartic. Never had he seen him this scared. It made him feel powerful, invincible.

“Wa-Wait, I know you, d-don't I?”

Inside the decrepit warehouse of a criminal organisation, Strong Hoof grinned before the kneeling pegasus. Money meant nothing to him anymore. All that mattered was the size of the muscles to determine who’s stronger. Surrounded by corpses, they exposed Silver Fang for who he truly was, a weak coward who hides behind his wealth and his name. When faced with adversity, he crumbles.

“Why certainly. You broke me once. It was a long time ago. Now, I’ve come to settle the score with the help of a dear friend.” His words were chilling, deceptively calm.

“H-hey, hold on a minute!” Silver Fang squealed. “I can give you all my money! You’ll never be stuck in the streets again! It’s like I never did anything to you, r-right?”

Anarchy hopped behind him, wrapping his hooves around his shoulder. “Aw, I’m afraid Anarchists don’t see much value in cold hard cash. We do see value however, in nice warm blood. The crimson masks don’t look in the eye when they perform the deed, but we’re a cut above them. We watch till the very end.” The dark stallion looked at his ponies and clopped his hooves, commanding them to come closer.

“Take it away, Strong Hoof.”

“Why certainly, Anarchy. I will take my sweet time. We do have all day after all.” Strong Hoof concluded as he opened his jaw.

The next few minutes were filled with gurgles, cough, ripping and the crushing of bones. A sick symphony of pain as the air flew out of Silver Fang’s lungs, unable to scream. Everywhere he looked, he saw the cold, uncaring gaze of ponies, some of them he recognised. These one’s faces were twisted into looks of pure malice. The last one, Anarchy, ooh’d and aah’d before the grim spectacle.

With one last gasp, the pegasus was no more and whatever was left was taken by the others. In a sick twist of fate, he got to experience the other side of the spectrum.

But now, Strong Hoof’s efficiency was being called into question. He embarrassingly failed to murder a filly, brutally humiliated next to his peers. In just five minutes, he was kicked down to the bottom of the ladder but was hoofed another chance and he will seize it. All those who stand in his way will die, crushed beneath the shadow of his hooves.

Olive, that monster will not see the light of day. Strong Hoof never forgot that massacre, he never forgot the many friends that were ripped apart right before his very eyes. An eye for an eye, he will put an end to this grim chapter.

He’s learned his lesson. He will not take his time with her, nor does she even deserve anything. The witch will disappear, gone without a trace. He’ll make sure that happens. As for the other objectives, he’ll accomplish them as he always did; quick and efficient.

Lightning struck, and Strong Hoof stopped. Right in the middle of town was a mare who braved the storm with a cloak and a lantern, heading somewhere. The white stallion has had it of waiting idly. It was finally time for blood.

“And here I thought it would be a difficult endeavor.”

The wind roared, the rain splattered against her back and lightning struck the earth with the strength of a raging fire. Every step Applejack took was arduous, the fury of the storm placed every hurdle imaginable in her way to the school. The cloak added some extra weight to pull, pushed by the wind. If only the wind wasn’t moving in the opposite direction. Nevertheless, nothing could truly stop her from rescuing the fillies.

No matter how hard it tries, she’ll carry on. The darkness made it hard to navigate. The lantern only lit the path a few meters ahead. The lightning took care of lighting up the rest of the way periodically. As such, most of that journey had to be done by memory. Then, the storm grew even stronger. The ground shook at irregular intervals, accompanied by an odd sound. The more she advanced, the stronger the quake.

Applejack tripped, face planting in the mud. Groaning, she lifted herself from the dirt, surprised that the shaking grew stronger, homing in on her position. She picked up her lantern, wiping away the mud on the handle.

Wait, what?

Lightning struck the earth, and with it came a loud growl. It did not sound like a beast, but it sounded like it came from something gigantic. There were no doubts in her mind, she was being pursued by a thing.

Applejack spun around, meeting only darkness. Her body was trembling, partly by the cold touch of the rain but mostly by that looming sense of fear in the roaring air. Whatever was out there could see her, that much was true. The light of the lantern only served to expose her in the dark.

The quaking stopped. The growls did too.

Applejack waited in bathed breath to see what was right in front of her.

Lightning struck, and she screamed in horror, taking a step back as her lantern broke on the ground.

Looming above her was a towering figure, one with a sickening grin. White as snow, a dark cap resting on his head, black mane and tail, scarlet eyes. It was an earth pony, but one that was too big to be just your average stallion. In a strangely calm and diplomatic voice, he spoke.

“Applejack. It is so nice to see you...”

Author's Note

Whowee! That chapter took longer than expected. It now has the record of the longest chapter in the story for now! There's lots of new information about Strong Hoof and Anarchy, hopefully to make them more interresting before they'll engage in an epic fight to the death. Oh, and there's also going to be Twilight in the big battle next chapter. It's a good thing she thought to learn how to fight against an opponent who wore an anti-magic necklace, ay?

The next chapter will also be long judging from the many notes I've written down. I promise there'll be no flashbacks, no cutaways to Canterlot. It's just going to be Applejack, Twilight, Strong Hoof and everypony inside the school. Canterlot can wait for a bit.

Chapter 39: In The Eye of The Storm

39. In The Eye Of The Storm

Lightning struck the earth, the storm crackled with electricity, not ready to let up for a couple more hours. Under the hard rain, two ponies stood, braving the wind.

“Applejack. It is so nice to see you.” Strong Hoof spoke up, his voice loud enough to be heard through the storm, yet keeping a certain level headiness that was not expected from such a behemoth. “I was beginning to worry this search would be difficult.”

Applejack dug her hooves in the ground to hold herself in place, staring daringly in the eyes of the colossal stallion. The wind whisked away the remains of her lantern as if it was weightless. Mighty big, white coat. E-Even a plumber’s cap too, though Ah don’t know how it’s still holdin’ up with all that wind... “Whatcha ‘ere for?” She asked, wincing.

Strong Hoof breathed calmly, not a single ounce of malice present in his body. “Quite a number of things, certainly. I was sent here to run some errands on the boss’s part.”

Applejack’s brows furrowed. “What kinda errands?” she shouted, her voice being nearly drowned by the rain and the wind.

The giant barely heard, turning his head to a nearby tree holding its own against the storm. “Why don’t we speak over there, sheltered from the storm?” Without even waiting for an answer, he trotted to the tree and sat down, keeping his gaze on the orange mare. “Come, it’s warmer here.”

The earth pony didn’t want to entertain him at all, but he was clearly the one responsible for nearly killing Olive. Now here in Ponyville, she had to know what he was up to and especially what Anarchy wanted. Guess there’s not much choice. She followed him, staying a few meters away. The tree and the large stallion thankfully provided some cover for the wind, making their voices more audible.

Strong Hoof smiled, an undecipherable expression in his eyes. “As I was saying, I have some errands to run. One of them is not important to you. The other two involve you in some way. I’ll just start by listing the most notable one. I was sent here as a hitpony, to kill you.”

The chilling ease in the white pony’s voice sent a chill down Applejack’s spine. Clearly, she was no match for him. Any fight would inevitably result in death, and a painful one at that. Her head lowered, her legs bent slightly, ready for an attack.

“However, I have put some thought into Anarchy’s demand, and have come to understand his way of thinking.” Strong Hoof continued, not bothered by this change in posture. “He is worried about the Elements of Harmony. Their unrivaled power could ruin his life’s work. He just needs them out of the way. Are you beginning to understand, Applejack? We have much room for barter.” His smile widened just a bit.

“Well? Spit it out. Ah’m listenin’.” Applejack gazed around. She knew the school wasn’t far off. Just behind her lied Olive and the other foals. Under no circumstances will she let him pass. Fighting is not an option. All she could do was buy some time until somepony hopefully came to lend a hoof.

“A pony who works so hard to tend to her farm doesn’t deserve to die, not at all.” Strong Hoof said, a respectful look in his eyes. “It would be a shame to kill you when you do so much for your town. The same goes for your friends, well... most of them. To avoid unnecessary bloodshed, I simply ask for the Elements. Give them to me, and I will not kill anypony.” Lightning struck the earth, highlighting the disturbingly warm smile on the stallion’s face.

Applejack’s brows furrowed. We don’t have them no more. Ah can’t let ‘im know tha’ for now. Especially not about the Tree. “Seems mighty reasonable but... Ah have some conditions, ya know, before Ah tell ya all that.”

Strong Hoof chuckled. “Conditions?” he cocked his back and smiled confidently. “How delightful. Go ahead, amuse me with your conditions.” This time, she felt malice leak through him. It was small, almost insignificant however, like a parent amused at their child trying to barter with them.

“How ‘bout we go back to Sweet Apple Acre and talk it out over a nice cup of apple cider? It’s mighty better than out in ta rain.”

Strong Hoof laughed. “Oh, what a good sense of humour.” his face darkened soon after. “Pity we don’t have THAT much time. Perhaps some other time, Applejack. So... the location of the Elements, if you so please?”

Applejack gritted her teeth, trying her hardest not to look back. Any sign of worry could be used against her. Just in a few sentences, Strong Hoof proved he was more than a muscle head. “Okay them. H-How ‘bout some questions?”

Just like that, the behemoth’s face relaxed. “Why certainly. I’d like to discuss a bit more; we have a few hours left for a civil discussion. Do not be wary of me; I’m no monster, I assure you.”

“What’re ta two other errands ya spoke of?”

Strong Hoof smirked. “Oh, just collecting a blood sample from a local here. Nothing too bad. The other one is... much less flattering, but it is retribution.”

“Ya’re ‘ere to take revenge on somepony?” Applejack asked, her voice hitching and not because of the cold. Shit, shit, shit, shit! Please don’t say it, please don’t say it!

Strong Hoof’s eyes pierced her very soul. In a matter of mere seconds, he grinned. “What’s gotten into you? You look a little pale. Is there something you’d like to share with me? Maybe... talk about a pink filly?”

Applejack’s eye twitched, betraying her right as lightning struck the earth. Her motherly heart skipped a beat, a powerful sense of dread overtaking her.

“So am I right to assume you’re affiliated with a certain Olive?” Strong Hoof asked, his voice high yet menacing all the same. “Do not worry, this won’t change the deal I presented. It still stands.”

Bested by the giant, Applejack shook her head in defiance. “No, Ah’m not takin’ ta deal. Yer never getting' yer dirty hooves on ta Elements! Especially not Anarchy! That monster’s only gonna destroy everythin’ we ponies built.”

Strong Hoof groaned, leaning further back against the tree. “I see you have not been educated on anarchism. The monarchy has led you to believe there were no other forms of governing? Allow me to teach you a thing or two.”

Applejack stomped a hoof down. “Ah know what anarchism is, and Ah don’t think Anarchy is aimin’ for that! He’s a monster as much as ya!”

Strong Hoof shook his head slowly. “You have not met the real Anarchy. You only know him based on what little you’ve been told. Where you see a monster, I see a noble stallion who’s willing to make a change despite having to make some hard choices. We cannot achieve everything peacefully, a sad truth indeed. We truly want to deliver anarchism, and let the ponies gain their freedom.”

He stood up, towering further over the strong earth pony. “Imagine a world where everypony is free of the chains of the strong that binds them. Free to take back their lives.”

“From what Ah know, anarchism doesn’t last long. It’s simply doomed to fail, replaced by somethin’ much worse.” Applejack countered, her brows furrowing.

“Of course, we expect that as much. Anarchism always creates a power vacuum.” Strong Hoof smiled confidently, taking a step in her direction. “That’s why we are going to create a different political philosophy, courtesy of Anarchy, to put in place before anypony could seize power. Have you ever heard of the great ancient city Ponethenes? Those ponies have instituted a different political movement. One that was never seen before, democracy.”

Applejack took a step back. “What?”

“Nopony was in a seat of power above the others, each had equal power.” Strong Hoof continued, waving a hoof. “The decisions were chosen by unanimity, not who was higher. As such, it was a fair system that allowed everypony to participate equally in the fate of their society.”

“Last Ah heard, stallions weren’t treated so equally back then.” Applejack countered. It was a weak argument, meant only to stall and the giant could clearly tell.

“Irrelevant. Our primary goal is to establish democracy and rule out the monarchy.” Strong Hoof took a step forward, a daring look in his eyes. “In our new society, alicorns would be no greater than a unicorn, an earth pony or a pegasus.We will storm the castle, and tear off their crowns, smash them into bits. The castle would no longer belong to two ponies, it will be an office for all to come and share their thoughts.”

Applejack winced, hiding her face behind her cloak. “Ah still don’t see why ya dislike Princess Celestia and ‘er rule so much. Isn’t she doin’ a good job? Ah mean, she does listen to the needs of ta folks. Ah just don’t think a change is necessary.”

The colossal titan grumbled and took a deep breath. “Celestia is doing the best she can, I don’t doubt it. Unfortunately, we can’t expect her to do all the work. There are too many things for one pony to take care of all at once. Monarchy is simply foolish and holds our country back, no matter how well she listens to her ponies.”

“Ah don’t see any unhappy pony ‘ere. The economy’s doin’ just fine too.”

Strong Hoof frowned. “But the public’s safety... it leaves a lot to be desired, doesn’t it? Tell me, what’s the purpose of the royal guard?”

Applejack raised an eyebrow. She blinked, not really knowing if he was being serious.

“Tell me.” the stallion insisted.

“To protect royalty. Where are ya gettin' at?”

Lightning struck. Strong Hoof stared at Canterlot resting off in the distance. “Protect royalty you say? Why do the strongest beings in Equestria need protection? Can’t they destroy any obstacles thrown their way? If I attacked Celestia head on, I will be reduced to atoms. What’s the point in protecting them?”

Aj blinked, her eyes widening with each passing second.

“Some will say it’s tradition. I say it’s a terrible argument. These ponies' talents are wasted on a useless job. The royal guard should be protecting the city itself from danger, from ponies like the Crimson Mask, even us. Isn’t it bad that we were able to get this far? Under no circumstances would we have succeeded had our society been established.” Strong Hoof stomped the ground, sending rain drops into the air. “The monarchy is actively keeping security at a low. In our democracy, the royal guards will be rebranded and sent to keep the peace around Equestria.”

Applejack shook her head, distraught. “Even so, ponies like y’all are the exception. There ain’t a need for guards in every town an’ city.”

Strong Hoof sighed. “You’re getting desperate, it’s a sad display. The truth is, the world is worse than you can imagine. I’ve seen its horror first hoof, and I will make sure nopony else gets to see its darkness. Moving on, we will reward hard working ponies with subsidies. We know your farm is kept alive with your sweat and blood, by amassing money through your harvests. However, you sometime experience some... difficulties and make less than you were supposed. On seasons like these, your lives are put on the line. Our future will aim to prevent such tragedies. No longer would farm ponies starve, not with our generous subsidies.

Are you beginning to understand, Applejack? We are the future, not the end. It’s only a matter of time until the world changes, and you need to be prepared for that day.”

The orange mare was shocked, puzzled and confused all the same. Her mind could barely process all that information, desperately trying to deny it. It ain’t a good idea to listen to ‘im! He’s a murderer! Nearly killed a filly! “Ah see...” she muttered, composing herself. “Why are ya tellin’ me all this?”

The giant looked up, feeling the cold rain splatter against his face. “I’ve always admired strong ponies like you. It is why I urge you to reconsider the deal. It would be a waste to kill you, I certainly wouldn’t want to do it. But know that if you refuse, I’ll resume my initial orders, and have no qualms about tearing you to pieces.”

Applejack’s heart beated faster, her mind accelerated in tandem with it. She had no other choice now but to start the hostilities. “Olive’s with us now. If ya want to get ‘er; y’all to go through me first. Ah’ll never let ya hurt ‘er.”

Much to her surprise, the giant didn’t attack yet. Strong Hoof kept his head high, gazing blankly at the sky. He then closed his eyes and took a deep, deep breath. After what felt like hours, he opened his eyes, now shadowed by his cap. Under this grim shade, he began to look like a heartless monster again as he pawed at the ground. “We’ll see now, won’t we?”

His legs tensed, his body prepping for battle. And then, he waited. Under the darkness of the storm, neither could see one another nor could they hear the subtle sounds of their steps as they paced around as carefully as a lion on the prowl. Only the lightning could reveal their position and thus, they could only attack under this short time frame.

O-Okay, judgin’ by his size. One hit is all it’ll take ‘im to kill me. Ah’ve gotta find a way to drive ‘im away from ta school.

Lightning struck, and Strong Hoof spun around and bucked the air with one leg, a couple meters shy from hitting Applejack. The orange mare jumped back, puzzled by this odd move. She pondered why he would try to hit her at this distance when she noticed the cracks his hooves left. Cracks in the air, impossible. It looked like he cracked an invisible mirror. Aj squinted, trying to see what he’ll do next. And that was when the air exploded in a powerful gust of wind even stronger than the storm.

It smashed into her, nearly crushing her bones and sent her flying away, thankfully landing in a deep puddle to break the fall. Her cloak shattered and was whisked away by the wind, exposing her body to the cold. Surprised, she jumped out and shook her body to keep herself warm. Now far away from the giant, she had some actual time to think and form a course of action.

Lightning struck once again, quicker than before. Applejack had just enough time however to see the giant carefully trotting towards her, quaking the earth with every step. Next time the sky would light up, he’ll attack. The rumbling stopped when he got dangerously close, forcing the mare to back away silently. Now a couple of steps away from one another, they awaited the next flash of light to make their move. Aj focused on evasive manoeuvres whilst Strong Hoof placed all his bets on offense.

“Pity you chose otherwise. On the next flash of light, you’ll perish.” Strong Hoof warned calmly and bitterly.

The orange mare didn’t dare to utter a single word, lest she’ll give her position away. She kept her body low and ready to jump away. The wind doubled its intensity, taunting both ponies as it threatened to sweep them off their hooves.

Then, lightning struck. The sky lit up, and Strong Hoof lunged. He didn’t reach out with his hooves this time, no, it was his head that pounced on Applejack. The mare wasn’t fast enough, struck by the adamantium skull of the goliath and pinned to the ground. The stallion’s mouth was wide open, saliva dripping down his lower teeth.

Aj held his cranium back with all four legs and even then, he was gaining some distance. The gap in strength between the two was as big as a crevasse. They were on different levels, and it was only a matter of time until Applejack gets her head crushed like a watermelon. Strong Hoof’s tongue slithered out and began licking the mare’s face, blinding her.

“’ust ‘ive up!” The goliath roared.

Applejack pushed through her disgust, opening her eyes to keep them locked in his. Strong Hoof’s were dark, almost hollow looking under the shade of his cap. With each push, her muscles whined in pain. He was a force of nature, unstoppable, unyielding. He was strength personified.

In a last-ditch effort to free herself, Applejack freed one hoof and struck it into his eye. She was thankfully fast enough to hit it before his jaw could close around her face, sending him reeling back in pain. The white stallion whined, holding his eye as the other one glared at his adversary, cursing her name under his breath whilst the mare crawled away.

“Alright... We’re gonna need an ambulance now. I’ll make sure it hurts!”

Strong Hoof dug his hooves underground and splattered mud all over Applejack. Discombobulated, she barely had time to see the sky light up, and a giant buck coming her way. The hit would have been fatal had she not hopped back, only taking a fraction of its intended power. Nevertheless, once the hit struck her, the ground disappeared.

Applejack blinked, looking around as darkness surrounded her. Her body wasn’t touching anything but the cold rain falling on her coat. In this strange feeling of weightlessness, she began to feel a looming sense of dread as the situation slowly made itself clear to her. Lightning struck, revealing what had happened. She was thirty meters off the ground. From this height, Strong Hoof looked small and so did Ponyville. Even Canterlot was fully visible from her position. It was quite a frightening experience, for the end would not be pretty.

“Shit, that hit was too light.” Strong Hoof grumbled as he looked around, unable to find her. He didn’t think to look up and why would he? The sky was pitch black, it’s not like he would find her there.

Applejack spun around, noticing a nearby tree, her salvation. She waved her hooves around and bucked the air, trying to move towards it with all her might. As the ground rapidly approached, she smashed her stomach on a branch, and fell on another. And then, the ground smashed her face in. The pain was atrocious, concentrated mostly on her stomach and her face, but the damage done to her legs was not to be neglected. Even when the giant missed, it still nearly killed her. She was terribly outclassed, and about to die should this “fight” continue for even a minute or two.

“You’re losing this, get over it. Now that the pain is setting in, know that you brought this upon yourself. I was hoping you’d be more... willing to listen to reason.” Strong Hoof lamented, disappointment dripping from his deep voice. The ground quaked with every step he took. To Applejack, it was like a ticking bomb, urging her to get up. She tried to stand up, but her legs gave under the pain. Surprisingly, the goliath stopped, staring her down with pity.

“Get up. I’ll let you die with dignity.”

The farm pony spat blood, and sluggishly stood before the towering stallion, defiance in her eyes. “Sorry, can’t die yet. Ah’ve still got some things to do.” On the outside, she appeared brave and confident. But on the inside, it was the exact opposite. This battle was a one-sided massacre. Sad for one party and horrifying for the other. It was the first time Applejack had ever found herself stuck against seemingly impossible odds, all alone.

This pony had danced with death so many times before, fighting chimeras, changelings and the avatar of chaos before but somehow, this foe felt different. She had no preparations, no friends to help. It was just her against an unfamiliar opponent, one that outclassed her in nearly every category imaginable. This opponent was death itself, coming to claim her life. There's no stopping death, no cheating it.

Strong Hoof’s scowled, growing impatient. “Then let me cross off one of your chores. I’ll find that school eventually whether you tell me it’s location or not.”

Applejack panted, trying to raise her head to stare the beast in the eye. Even an action that simple was difficult. Her neck hurt with each inch it rose, cracking in reluctance. “Ah’ll never let ya get close. Not as long as Ah stand ‘ere.”

The colossal earth pony winced. “Enough talk. I won’t let you stall for time. Prepare yourself.” He turned around and lifted his giant hind legs, ready to crack the air again. This time, the hit would be fatal, tear the mare to shreds. “If you believe in any deities, start praying now.”

Applejack stood still; her body hurt too much. One leg might have dislocated. In short, she was in no running condition, no condition to stop such a wide and large attack. “C-C’mon... Give yer best shot.” she growled.

Strong Hoof’s legs cracked like a whip, bucking the air at such an impressive speed that it left an afterimage. The cracks in the air were massive, much bigger than the previous one. The stallion truly went for the kill this time. The attack widened, growing as big as the goliath. The air that passed through the crack whistled like a boiling teapot. Then, it turned to fire as it pulled in more air, igniting it.

Another sound added to the cacophony of the storm and the boiling air, a pair of hooves galloping to the scene behind Applejack. The orange mare looked over her shoulder just in time to see a lavender mass jump ahead, casting a barrier around them. “T-Twilight?!”

The crack finally erupted. The earth quaked and the air exploded, pushing and banging against the magical shield, nearly breaking it. Fire engulfed the land, evaporating the falling rain as it charged away, destroying all objects that dared to stand in its way. And just like that, it stopped. The rain resumed its course, the air filled the empty space left by the geyser. The shield finally popped, unable to sustain itself.

Twilight Sparkle panted, catching her breath as her eyes remained sharp on the behemoth. Her wings sprouted, ready for action. “Are you okay, Applejack?”

Applejack kept her eyes on the giant too, only glancing briefly at her friend. “Fraid not. Ah think Ah broke some bones.”

The lavender alicorn’s eyebrows furrowed, fury overtaking her fears. “What were you even doing out here?!”

Strong Hoof remained still, a displeased expression on his face. His eyes moved from the farm pony to the princess, his ears perked and his mind processing every bit of information he received.

“Ah gotta see how Olive’s doin’! She’s surely not doin’ well alone in that storm!”

Twilight took a deep breath. “Okay then... Go. I’ll deal with him myself.”

Applejack opened her mouth to protest, but the sharp pain in her abdomen spoke against that idea. “Be careful, alright?”

“I’ll be.”

The earth pony limped away, carefully observed by the behemoth who smirked. “Ah, so that’s where the school is.” he said calmly before turning his attention back to the alicorn. Lightning struck, revealing to her the face of the reaper that came to Ponyville. “And talk about good luck too. The princess of friendship came to me. It is good to finally come face-to-face with you. You’re my priority.”

Twilight’s face darkened, her heart beating with rage. “You’re the giant Mango warned me about. Why are you here?”

Strong Hoof sighed. “A long answer I’m already bored of repeating. Time for talking was over with Applejack. All you deserve is death, and I will grant it to you and your friends in spades.”

Twilight shot a small orb of light and let it fly to the beastly stallion. It moved towards its chest, highlighting the necklace before poofing out of existence. And just like Mango warned me, he’s wearing a magic-nullifying necklace.

Strong Hoof emitted a low growl, prowling around his opponent. “So you’re aware of our necklaces. I place the blame on Looking Glass. He’s always searching in places he shouldn’t be. Once we’re through with you six, he’ll be next.”

Twilight scoffed bitterly. “That kind of speech is to be expected coming from ruthless murderers.”

“Revolutionaries.” he corrected, hissing at the mare.

“Revolutionaries don’t kill innocent foals.” Twilight responded. The behemoth stomped a hoof down.

“And what do you know?!” he shouted before composing himself. “What have you seen of Olive? This little... bruja. You see an innocent filly who does no wrong. I see a monster within, one that butchered twenty of my closest friends. If you truly advocate for justice, you’d do something about it and yet... you have done nothing. Am I to assume the Element of Magic is unable to perform an exorcism?”

“It’s more complicated than you think. A sadistic earth pony who doesn’t know anything about magic shouldn’t act like he has the moral high ground.” Twilight flapped, reaching the height of the goliath’s head but struggled to maintain herself in the air thanks to the combined effort of the rain and the wind. “Nightmare magic is grafted to the soul; it becomes a part of who you are. To remove it would require the Elements of Harmony.”

“If so, why haven’t you done it already? Last I heard, the Elements were in your possession. Hmm... I’m beginning to think you’re all hiding something rather important.” Strong Hoof waved a hoof, his brow’s furrowing. Then, his eyes widened, and he grinned. His eyes turned pitch black under the shade of his cap. “You don’t have them, correct? What do you have to stop him then?”

“Wha-”

Strong Hoof lunged, biting at Twilight who narrowly evaded the blow. “Damn! Too slow!” The alicorn flew out of reach and lifted a large rock, using it as a projectile. The behemoth shielded his face, wincing in pain as the rock smashed into pieces on his hoof. The distraction made him lose sight of her, and in the storm, Twilight was invisible but so was he. Both ponies were gazing around, trying to spot each other.

From her height, Twilight’s heart began to slow as she assessed the situation. The giant couldn’t reach her from here, and Equestria wasn’t in shortage of rocks and other heavy objects to throw. This was a battle of attrition, nothing more. Or so she thought. Her wings began to feel heavy, forcing her body to descend slowly back to the ground. W-What? It became evident that the heavy rain was taking its toll on her wings. Unless they were dry, she won’t be able to fly. Lightning struck, revealing her helpless position to the behemoth.

“Brave jump!” Strong Hoof shouted, pouncing high in the sky right at the descending mare. Mouth outstretched, he fell on her, ready to take a bite. Twilight screamed, teleporting away just in time to avoid being eaten alive.

Back on the ground, she had to rely on what the royal captain taught her to fend off the goliath, lest she becomes his lunch. “Now we’re on equal playing fields!” the giant taunted, shaking the earth with his trot.

Twilight, however, just got an idea. “Don’t be so sure!” she said, smirking. The alicorn casted a light orb and let it levitate around the goliath, thus exposing him.

Strong Hoof swatted away at the orb with a hoof, unable to dispel it. The orb was intangible, earth pony proof. Amidst the darkness, its light blinded the giant, drawing all attention to it. He received another rock to the face and this time, he didn’t block. “Get back here!” He scowled, stomping the ground with all his might, creating an earthquake.

Lightning struck, and he saw Twilight falling to the ground, unbalanced thanks to the quake. His eyes lit up as he pounced and failed to crush her skull yet again. The princess was nimble, more than he expected. She knew how to dance around with her legs. He swung his legs around, just shy away of getting her every time. They were like tree trunks in both size and weight, creating strong gusts of wind with each swing. This goliath was the most literal example of a force of nature. Nature itself bowed to his strength, aiding him in battle.

Twilight did her best, dodging and hitting him with rocks and tree trunks laying around the battle arena but they were not effective enough. As she teleported away, she came to a terrible realisation. She knew many spells, but rarely has she used them in life-threatening situations. Only the spells she used regularly would come to mind, levitation, magic beams and teleportation. Strong Hoof certainly didn’t give her any time to remember other useful spells. In that case, she lacked training. For the fights to come, she’ll make sure to train herself to use more spells under high pressure.

Each strike only made him angrier. Her only bet was to remove the necklace, but that meant getting close to him and that was too dangerous to try on a whim. So, she aimed her boulders at this necklace instead. Problem was the thing was loose, and it dangled around. Her attacks only hit his chest, and that did little to no damage, so Twilight opted to aim for the head.

Despite having the strength of an earth pony, Twilight Sparkle didn’t want to even buck him at all. The sheer disparity in size alone was more than enough to discourage physical combat. Compared to him, she was just a foal. Her bucks would only tickle him realistically. It was just basic physics, no point in trying something futile.

One stomp came dangerously close to crushing her hind quarter and in her panic, Twilight bucked the stallion’s rotula, a weak point. The hit merely made him flinch, and he chuckled. “Are you really one of the strongest ponies in your team? He he he, that tickled.” Strong Hoof confirmed her prior thoughts, grinning.

And so, this grueling fight continued, with Twilight turning small objects like leaves into boulders to chuck at the giant. Any barriers she casted was destroyed instantly, forcing her to rely entirely on Mango’s teachings to keep her alive. Sometimes, she was sneaky enought to cast a portal in Strong Hoof's way. His attack went through the portal and came out of another one, aiming straight at his face. Despite these hits, he wouldn't back down. This bloody dance kept on going and Strong Hoof’s anger only rose with each hit he took. His pupils shrank with every blow. And then, they were gone.

The goliath stopped attacking momentarily, gritting his teeth as he growled. His veins bulging from his forehead, his muscles tensing revealing his burly stature hiding underneath his fat. Strong Hoof raised his head high in the sky and roared as loud as he could. It shattered the air, sending many drops of rain away resulting in an empty dome forming around them where no water fell for a few brief seconds. Even the magical orb was dispelled. There was indeed some magic in the stallion’s indominable strength.

Twilight stared in awe, still surprised by the stallion’s otherworldly power. Too distracted by him, she failed to notice a cloaked figure sprinting behind her, approaching at an alarming rate. She only noticed it once her face was pressed in the mud. The figure pinned her with razor sharp claws. It was then the alicorn noticed it was a griffon that was holding her down. In one claw, he held a syringe that he planted in one of her legs. She watched as it sucked her blood, filling the syringe rapidly.

“I got it!” The griffon announced. Strong Hoof responded by furiously roaring at him, stomping his way to him. “Woah woah woah! We’re on the same team!” Lightning struck, and both could now see the empty white voids that were the earth pony’s eyes. He had lost it.

Immediately, the griffon took off his cloak and took off, benefiting from still having dry wings. Strong Hoof ignored Twilight, lunging to bite the griffon in half. He missed, shouting and screaming incoherently at the flying criminal to get back down.

Twilight rose from the mud, keeping her eyes on Strong Hoof, cringing at the pain in her foreleg. The stallion, having lost sight of the griffon, quickly turned back to the initial cause of his rage. His heart was pounding with rage. His veins pulsated; his legs tensed to the point that it hurt him, keeping the giant in a constant state of pure fury. He roared, the sound nearly busting Twilight’s eardrums, and he charged once more, unrelenting as ever.

Was it just her, or was he getting faster and faster?

Dragging herself from the dirt, Applejack finally reached the schoolhouse, glad that the door is still unlocked. The interior was much more charitable than the exterior, providing some warmth to the cold mare. She sniffled, now noticing her nose was runny. Unsurprising considering the temperature was almost in the negative. The only downside was that it was still dark, much like the world outside.

Once more, Applejack had to rely on the lightning and her sense of touch to navigate. She limped down the hall, making sure not to walk on the leg that hurt the most. She reached the classroom and entered, a shaky hoof on the doorhandle. The thunderstorm also did a number on her. Her entire body was deathly cold, making it hard to keep her legs composed. She caught a cold for sure.

Inside was exactly what she had expected. Foals cowering under their desk, each scared of the wrath of the gloomy clouds. Cheerilee popped up like a telescope, surprised. “A-Applejack? What are you doing here?” she quickly noticed the pain on the earth pony’s face, now looking worried. “You went out in the storm, didn’t you?”

“It ain’t ta storm that roughed me up bad.” Applejack grumbled, gritting her teeth as she limped towards her daughter’s desk. “Hey, sugar cube. You doin’ okay?” She asked softly.

The pink unicorn was curled up, cuddled by Sweetie Belle. She mumbled lots of thing under her breath in a frightened voice that was barely comprehensible. Upon seeing her mother, she sprung to life, reaching her hooves out to her. “Mommy!” Olive jumped in her loving embrace, much to Sweetie’s slight disappointment.

“Ah wasn’t gonna leave you there.” Applejack glanced at her little sister. “Same goes for ya. We’re leavin’ now.”

Apple Bloom crawled out, puzzled. “Like right now? Can’t Ah bring my friends along?”

Applejack shook her head. “Ah’m not sure Ah can handle four fillies under ta storm. Just ya two’s gonna be plenty of work.”

The yellow filly got on her kness and brought out her puppy eyes. “But sis!”

“No is no, Apple Bloom. We don’t have much time left.”

Cheerilee left her desk to join them in a hurry. “What’s the hurry? I-I mean you look injured, it’ll be best if I bring you to the infirmary first-” Applejack waved a hoof, silencing the teacher.

“Nah, it’ll take too long. We need to leave now. C’mon, fillies.” She gently tapped the fillies on their flank to usher them out. However, that only caused Olive to freeze in place, breathing heavily as her pupils shrank. “H-Hey now, we can’t stay ‘ere...”

“No fair! I want to leave!” Diamond screamed.

“I want to leave too! Please take us!” Silver Spoon and the other foals joined in her cries of protest. They wanted to be home, not stuck here in the scary lightning show. They wanted it so badly they were willing to leave in the thunderstorm with a pony they barely knew.

“H-Hey, you’re not leaving me alone, Apple Bloom?” a scared Scootaloo asked.

The yellow filly stared at both parties, feeling torn. “Ah’m sorry, Scoot. Ah guess ya can stay with Sweetie Belle. Ah don’t have a choice anyway.” She didn’t know with who to go. On one hoof, she wanted to be the big sister that protected Olive from danger, but on the other, she wanted to stick by her friends in time of need.

Spoiled Rich pouted, staring in disgust at the pink filly being slowly hauled away. “Tss, they can go in the mud all they want...”

Silver Spoon sprinted towards the window, analysing the current state of the storm. “H-Hey, Diamond. Do you think we’re strong enough to leave too?”

The pink earth pony cringed at the mere sound of the heavy wind. “If you have a death wish, you’d go outside. We’re better off sitting this storm out.”

“Aw...” Dinky gloomed, still cowering under the desk. “Can we stay together at least?”

Diamond sighed. “Yeah sure, it’s not like we have anything better to do-”

Then, the windows shattered in millions of pieces. A lavender body was thrown against the wall, breaking through it. It didn’t take long for Applejack to realise it couldn’t have been anypony else than Twilight. Oh, nelly...

The wind poured in, pushing desks and foals alike. Chaos took over the class as ponies scrambled around, crying and shouting for their parents. All the while Cheerilee and Heedful Care tried to defuse the situation. Spoiled Rich simply grunted and waited for all this to blow over.

“C’mon, Olive! We’re gonna leave.” Aj affirmed, pushing the filly with one hoof. She noticed, however, that the unicorn was staring wide eyed at the broken window. A looming sense of dread and horror overtook the mare once she looked outside. It was still dark, still pouring down like Tartarus. But now, the ground was shaking, and it only intensified with each passing second. Oh no, no, no, no... Please Celestia, don’t let ‘im take ‘er.

The quakes strengthened, throwing foals off their balance. Now, everypony had their eyes on the broken window, wondering what kind of monster was coming for them. The behemoth growled on the other side. Then, the sky lit up... and everypony got to see the colossal titan in all its horrendous glory. It breathed heavily; its pupils gone leaving only two white voids for eyes. The veins on its head bulged, saliva and blood dripping down its torn lips. Its face was bloodied, its blood dripped down in accordance with the rain.

And then it roared, releasing all its rage in one guttural sound that shook all those who heard it. Strong enough to knock some foals unconscious, it was directly aimed at the two ponies the beast hated the most right now: Applejack and Olive. Cheerilee and Heedful Care were frozen in place, even the characteristic scowl of Spoiled Rich had vanished, replaced by sheer terror. For the first time in their lives, these ponies saw a monster unlike any other. A monster wearing the skin of a pony.

In that instant, Olive’s mind and soul left her body. She’d rather be anywhere but here, in front of him. There was no other way to deal with the sheer terror of the situation but to dissociate mind and body, leaving behind a hollow shell. She hid in the deepest corners of her psyche, where she’d be safe from the snow-white behemoth about to tear its way inside the schoolhouse.

Her body was frozen in place, every muscle tensing. She was as stiff as a corpse and as unresponsive as one. She couldn’t even feel her mother shaking her, begging for her to run. The world turned to a black void. No sound, nothing to see, nothing to feel.

A low voice echoed. It approached her, slowly becoming more coherent. Olive’s eyes slowly followed the location of the voice, on her right. She recognised it as her own. It was crying.

“Crying again I see?” And that voice was her father’s. He trotted towards the crying filly, his face contorting in an ugly scowl. “For Pete’s sake, can’t you be good at something?!” Anarchy bucked her daughter right in the flank, sending her face first into a nearby wall. The sound echoed across the dark void. The poor filly hitched, sneezing out blood from her nose. He often bucked her in the flank when she displeased him. Sometimes, he was nice enough to leave just a bruise. When he was less than happy, he kicked with enough strength to tear the flesh off and left her crying for hours.

Anarchy picked Olive from the mane and lifted her head, staring dead in the eyes. “Aren’t you a stupid filly? I thought you would have learned by now that crying is for the weak. You swallow the pain, okay? You don’t cry, that just makes you weak, and the weak are crushed, trampled by the strong. Do you want to die out there?” Olive didn’t respond, trying to swallow her tears. “Do you?!”

“N-N-No...”

“Then stop being stupid. Stop crying, it’s stupid. Crying is stupid, and stupid is weak. Am I finally getting through?”

Olive nodded, wiping her tears and blood away. “Y-Yes, daddy.”

The two ponies disappeared in the darkness, and two voices on the left made their presence known to the filly. Olive’s eyes followed the sound, and she saw herself and Aurora, together.

The golden pegasus looked at the pink unicorn, anxious and sad. “We can’t stay here, not anymore. Olive, we have to leave tomorrow, when we’ll pass through the Everfree forest.”

The younger Olive’s eyes widened. “L-Leave? But we can’t! Daddy said we won’t survive without him.”

“Oh, Olive.” Aurora’s voice hitched. “You can’t stay with him forever. He’s just... not the kind of pony you should aspire to be. I know there’s a town near the Everfree forest. If we can just run there and hide, we’ll be free. We’ll be able to do everything we want. We don't need him, okay?”

That night... The pink unicorn remembered it like it yesterday. It was the night Aurora made the decision for them to flee from the group even if it meant death. Olive would have never left her father’s side if it wasn’t for her dear friend. If it wasn’t for her, she’d have never met Applejack, the Cutie Mark Crusaders and Princess Luna. Everything she has now, she owed to Aurora. One day, she’ll come back for her. That’s what Olive believed.

Running through the Everfree forest, the two fillies never dared to look back. The others were distracted by a sudden manticore attack, giving them their window of opportunity. As they fled, Anarchy quickly took notice. Rather than chasing them himself, he stood still, a mixture of confusing expressions on his face before he shook his head and ordered Strong Hoof and a few others to kill them. The white stallion tore the head off the manticore in just one bite, putting a rapid end to the distraction.

And so here they were, running through the dark woods, pursued by a behemoth and a pack of hungry ponies. Olive was unfortunately slower than Aurora, forcing the pegasus to keep the smaller filly’s pace which wasn’t fast enough to outrun their pursuers. At this rate, the golden pony knew they’ll never make it to Ponyville in time, not against Strong Hoof. Nopony is faster than him on hooves.

The pink unicorn tripped on a tree root and was quickly caught up by the giant stallion. In that moment, Aurora jumped in front of her, drawing all attention to her.

“Au-Aurora!” Olive stammered.

“How bold... Your bravery won’t save you because I smell fear.” Strong Hoof remarked calmly, bearing his pearly white teeth.

Aurora cocked her head back to look at Olive. “Run! You know there’s a town nearby, right? You’ll be safe there!” she screamed, making the filly panic inside, scrambling to get back on all four.

“B-But what about you?” Olive croaked.

“I’ll be fine. Don’t worry about me.” Aurora responded, her quivering voice betraying the calm tone she was going for. Her legs were trembling, and she cursed herself for not being able to hide it. Even her smile was weak, terrified before the towering colossus.

Strong Hoof chuckled. “This forest will be your tomb. Nopony gets away with betrayal, traidor. You should have stayed put.”

“Go!” Aurora motioned at the young filly to run away and thus, she did.

Olive ran as fast as she could towards Ponyville, her eyes watering. It hurt so much to run away and leave her behind, but she didn’t want to disappoint her either. Aurora will make it, she had to.

The ground quaked as Strong Hoof chased the pegasus down, leaving Olive with the much slower Dreamcatcher after her. She ran for a couple more seconds before a terrifying sound shattered her resolve. A soul piercing scream froze her blood. And then, silence... Her pursuers stopped too, looking behind. The forest was deathly quiet. No birds chipping, no crickets singing, nothing. And it was broken by a small earthquake rapidly approaching, accompanied by a malicious voice. “Run, oh run! Here I come!”

Strong Hoof’s voice sent a dose of adrenaline coursing through Olive’s body. She ran as fast as she possibly could, feeling the ground trembling more and more as the giant cackled in glee. Her legs hurt like Tartarus, her lungs nearly fainting under the pressure. She was gasping for air as she ran through the dark woods. Finally, the pink filly reached the end of the forest, just barely able to see Ponyville close by. She smiled brightly, relieved that her worries are soon about to end. And then she tripped. In her moment of triumph, she forgot to look where she was going, and banged her forelegs on a rock sticking out of the ground. A stupid, stupid rock that had no business being there.

She fell on her back, just in time to see Strong Hoof, Dreamcatcher and the rest lunged out of the forest, each with a sinister look of pure malice on their faces.

“We finally got her! Let me have her leg, I’m longing for a bite!” Dreamcatcher exclaimed.

Powerless before the inevitable, Olive’s teary eyes wondered to the worst of the bunch, the one she was most scared of. Strong Hoof had his mouth wide open. It was dripping with blood, fresh blood.

There was no denying it anymore, no reasons to fool herself. Olive knew it all along but refused to believe it. Her mind shut down, unable to process the sad truth.

The dark void returned, engulfing the Everfree. Aurora trotted past her, smiling gently. “I always knew you’d make it.” Her graceful smile was short lived, slowly lowering until there wasn’t a hint of joy on her face. “I’m sorry I’m not there to help you. But... I don’t think it matters, not anymore. You have other ponies for you now, you should stop holding on to me.”

Aurora trotted away, behind her was Anarchy who moved with his head kept high, not paying the filly any attention. “Looks like we’re having a nice little parade for my little darling! Let’s remind her everypony!”

Strong Hoof followed him, and Dreamcatcher appeared from the shade. Twenty other ponies came from this sea of darkness, each with a haunting expression.

“You’ll pay for this.” Strong Hoof remarked, glaring at the mindless unicorn.

“Gee, you really are a freak.” Dreamcatcher cringed, pulling her muzzle back as she flew away from Olive.

The other ponies all stared her down with fear in their eyes. “Monster!” they repeated, their hooves trembling as they trotted past her. Olive didn’t notice her pink shadow was much longer than her petite frame. Long and lanky. “Why? Why did you kill us?” a stallion asked, tears streaming down his severed face that he held with his forelegs.

“What did we ever do to you?” A mare cried, missing her lower jaw.

Olive’s breaths were sporadic, heavy. She started panting, her eyes wide open with terror as the last of the ponies passed her. Faced by the endless void, she lowered her head and gazed at her pink shadow. Silence filled the empty space, broken only by the sound of her quivering voice.

Then, a flash of red popped up from the shade. Another flash happened shortly after, this time a little closer to her. The flash was moving towards her, slowly taking on the outline of a stallion with a plumber’s cap. Hooves clopped, going from behind the filly to the front only for them to stop once a large gust of wind struck, cracking like a whip. A loud explosion rang behind Olive, but she paid no mind. Her mortified eyes were locked on the growing scarlet menace towering over her.

It raised a hoof high in the air, growling. Her heart beated faster, almost jumped out of her heart as it pounded against her rib cage. Her eyes watered before the looming danger of death.

The scarlet guillotine swung down with brutal speed and right as it was about to strike her down, the filly was pushed away, flying off the ground. A loud thump followed by a crack echoed through the fading void, soon replaced by the cacophony of the rain and the screaming foals. Olive’s mind returned to her body just in time to hear the saddened cries of her classmates.

The pink unicorn stood up, every inch of her body trembled as she did and saw Cheerilee caught under the giant anvil that was the goliath’s hoof, crushing her spine. Strong Hoof looked just as surprised as the foals, his fury fading away.

Apple Bloom was in the corner, crying next to Applejack’s unconscious body.

As for Heedful Care and Spoiled Rich, they were on the opposite side of the room, horrified by this turn of event. The pegasus wanted to help the teacher out, but there wasn’t anything she could do other than to protect the foals from the beast. Spoiled Rich followed too, but not out of kindness, she just wanted to snatch Diamond and leave.

The counselor picked Olive with her mouth and dragged her back to the other foals, far away from the behemoth.

“What were you thinking?” he scowled. “That hoof wasn’t meant for you! Are you really throwing your life away for this worthless filly? You’re lucky I held back at the last moment though I’m afraid you can kiss your spine goodbye.” He finally took off his hoof and constated the damage done.

Cheerilee lied on the floor, groaning in pain. Her lower legs couldn’t move anymore and any attempt to move only resulted in agonising pain. Desperate, she looked to Care with a pleading look in her tired eyes.

The pegasus shook her head and took the filly, ready to fly away.

“Not so fast, pegasus. I’m afraid you’re in no position to run.” The chilly serenity in the stallion’s voice made her reconsider. She heard the pained groans of Cheerilee followed by the creaking of the floorboards, whining as they almost shattered.

Strong Hoof sat down, in his forelegs was the teacher trying to push him away to no avail. “I’m not one to result to such petty tactics, but I can’t allow you to leave with her. If you do, know that I will eat her, in front of everypony. Then, I’ll crush them one by one until there’s nopony left. Am I clear?”

Heedful Care’s eyes widened. She gazed around the school, praying for Applejack or Twilight to get up and fight but sadly, it didn’t look like either one of them was ready to fight again. She desperately wanted to save this innocent filly, but her heart wouldn’t condemn an entire class and their teacher. It just wouldn’t feel right.

Strong Hoof was getting impatient. He turned back to the pathetic attempt Cheerilee made to free herself and opened his mouth wide, approaching her as saliva dripped from his lower jaw.

“Stop! Please!” Strong Hoof pulled his head back, surprised to hear such a young voice call out.

Sweetie Belle stood before him, trembling and crying but nonetheless, she stood before a giant. Such bravery, he admired her courage enough to hear her out.

“P-Please, Cheerilee only wanted to help Olive. Leave her alone! She did nothing wrong!” It pained the goliath to hear the devastated cries of this kind filly. None of them did anything wrong, they are just standing in his way. To achieve the dream he always wanted, he had to make a beast out of himself, and carry out even the worst of orders. He can’t back down even if he wanted to.

“I know.” He said somberly, hiding his eyes under the shade of his cap. “I’ll stop only if you bring me Olive.”

Care instinctively pulled the pink unicorn closer, unwilling to give in his demands, but somepony else had other plans. She was struck in the back and as she fell, she saw Spoiled Rich pick the frozen filly, dragging her to the monstrous goliath.

“M-Mom! What are you doing?!” Diamond cried out, horrified by her actions. Olive cried out for help, not strong enough to free herself from the iron grip of the spoiled earth pony. She was dragged closer and closer to her boogeypony, the one responsible for getting her in this mess. The stallion that ate Aurora alive.

Apple Bloom and Scootaloo rushed to the mare and bucked her as strong as they could. No matter how hard they hit, she wouldn’t back down. All the while, Strong Hoof gazed somberly, not moving an inch as he dropped Cheerilee, listening to another bone crunching in agony. After a few seconds of this messed up display, he’s had enough and stood up, ready to get on with it, and finish the rest of the job.

Olive stopped fighting back once the earth quaked, her eyes dead set on Strong Hoof. He was barely in range to swallow her whole, his mouth wide open like a voracious timberwolf. Time slowed down, and she finally took notice of her mother’s bad state. Twilight too, laying amidst the rubble. Even Cheerilee who didn’t know her as much. All three must have fought him, just for her. Out of love.

And now they’ve suffered the consequences, the same one Aurora did when she tried to protect her. Everypony who cares about her ends up this way, crushed by the white reaper. What’s to say he wasn’t going to destroy everything she ever cared for after she’s gone? There was nothing but destruction in him, that’s what he knew best.

Everything was her fault; all her fault and she couldn’t do anything to help. Olive began to wonder if she was really worth all this hassle. If it was worth it to die if it meant she could live another day. Most ponies she knew would leave her to die in a ditch if given the chance, but not them. Not these three, not her friends. Applejack, Twilight Sparkle, the Cutie Mark Crusaders, Diamond Tiara, Silver Spoon, Dinky Hooves, Cheerilee and Heedful Care. All of them cared, they loved her. And he was going to take her away from them, he was going to hurt them all.

Something else rose in Olive, something that nearly resurfaced when she confronted Spoiled Rich; anger. But this anger was much stronger than the one directed at the nasty mare. This anger was always there, present from the very start of her life. Always trying to push its way out, to let itself known, to show the world she had fangs. She hated Strong Hoof, hated him with every fiber of her being, but she was too scared to say anything, too scared to give him a piece of her mind.

Now, it didn’t matter anymore. She was about to die anyway so, better let him know. Her breaths accelerated; her teeth clenched as hard as they could to the point that they bled. Her brows furrowed and she screamed as loud as she could. It was so loud it even startled the goliath, making him pull back in shock. The only thing Olive didn’t notice was her glowing horn, beaming with fury.

And then, the cage was open. The beast was out. A long hoof sprouted out and smashed into the beast’s face, sending him into the wall. The guttural scream of the filly distorted, now deeper and accompanied by a maniacal cackle and an otherworldly roar.

All stared in shock and horror before the lanky creature that stood where Olive once was. Long legs, caved in skin, red glowing teeth, the monster was back, but it was still shorter than the white earth pony by a longshot.

“W-What the hay is this thing?” Spoiled Rich blanched and screamed, scrambling to crawl away from it. She couldn't believe her eyes. The wretched filly she openly insulted all this time... was a monster? She gulped, hoping it won't turn its attention to her next.

Heedful Care stared; mouth agape as she realised what truly happened at Ponyville General two weeks ago. Th-That's no magical surge... Her eyes then snapped back to the injured Cheerilee, so she rushed to her aid.

Scootaloo shrieked. “That’s the thing that blew up a bathroom?! That all make so much sense now!”

Strong Hoof scowled, stomping his hooves down in anger. “The name’s Strong Hoof! Earth pony, right hoof of Anarchy, and the stallion who’s going to burn this place to the ground!”

The beast’s single eye stared at the necklace and growled, lowering its head as it pawed at the ground.

The two giants charged at each other. Strong Hoof swiped but missed the monster that then attacked by stabbing at his torso with its long, sharp horn. The stab wound was hollow, however, blocked by his muscle mass. In response, the stallion bucked the lanky creature into the teacher’s desk.

“You’ll never be half the pony I am, no matter if you’re a monster or not, bruja.”

The monstrous filly had one more trick up its sleeve, a fast horn that cracked like a whip as it smacked the stallion in the face, breaking his nose. Unlike Applejack and Twilight, it was strong enough to put a dent in the earth pony. It swiped at him with another hoof that came from its wide mouth. The third one he saw coming and bit. Strong Hoof pulled on the bit hoof, curious to see how the beast would react.

Surprisingly, it closed its mouth and bit it off, freeing itself from his grasp. “Damn monsters.” he grumbled, spitting off the severed limb.

Beneath them, the foals scurried away from the fighting giants, witnessing their battle in awe. The Cutie Mark Crusaders all cheered for the abominable filly, no matter how dreadful she looked. Chairs, desks and pencils flew everywhere. The monstrous Olive was tussled around like a ragdoll by the bigger stallion whose entire face was covered in his blood. He reverted to the angry roars of a wild animal, his pupils disappearing yet again.

The fight was already decided as the lanky creature struggled to stay on all four whilst the giant kept on attacking, getting faster and faster. Eventually, Strong Hoof landed a powerful swipe to the beast’s head, discombobulating it.

“Look out!” Sweetie Belle screamed.

No amount of stab wounds and blunt force trauma could stop him and eventually, that persistence paid off once he bit into the filly’s neck and shook her around violently. He shook her until he’s had enough and smashed her down on the few remaining desks. Placing a heavy hoof on her stomach, he roared triumphantly before the downed monster, showing to the whole class who was the bigger beast.

From her point of view, Cheerilee’s eyes widened. She reached a hoof out, ignoring the atrocious pain in her back. “N...No...”
The white reaper growled in satisfaction as he opened his mouth, ready to take the finishing bite when suddenly, two hooves flew in front of his face.

“Hyah!” These hooves bucked his necklace, snapping the chains that bind it to his neck. In his blind rage, he neglected the two ponies that could and would dare to oppose him, Applejack and Princess Twilight. His tunnel vision had jeoparded everything. “C’mon, girl! Get up!” the orange mare shouted.

To his horror, the filly’s horn crackled with emerald sparks of electricity, pure hatred emanating from her singular eye. She roared and unleashed all her hatred onto his face in a blast of concentrated magic, breaking free of his grasp.

“Twilight... now!” Applejack then shouted to her alicorn friend.

The pissed off princess didn’t shy away from giving Strong Hoof a piece of her mind, but unlike the filly, her wrath was in flames. His vision blinded by fire; he screamed in agony. His hooves swung around in fear and confusion, trying to fend them off to no avail. A pink hoof smashed into his lower jaw and this hit made a distinct crack.

His mouth opened wide and refused to close. Confused, scared and desperate, he looked to the only thing that inspired comfort, the rain. Limping to salvation, he did his best to ignore the immense pain the monster was inflicting on his rear, biting and blasting away at it.

From the lanky filly, he heard his master’s voice.

Tunnel vision, a blind frenzy, too slow to go for the kill. You were never the perfect soldier you thought... you were.

Lightning struck, flashing its beautiful white light on Equestria. Under the rain, the flames died out. Bruised, battered, bleeding, Strong Hoof turned around to face his adversaries, refusing to let them scar his back. Until the bitter end, he’ll fight.

The stallion roared one final time. It sounded strong, but quickly weakened, turning into a pathetic whimper as his legs trembled. Twilight lit her horn to deal the finishing blow, but ultimately chose to let the honor to Olive. After all these years, she deserved to close this chapter.

And so, with one final strike, the hoof that came from her mouth struck Strong Hoof in the skull hard enough to crack its tough shell. Lightning struck as the injured behemoth groaned in pain. Losing his balance, he spun around, raising on his hind legs before being down for the count. His body struck the earth with enough force to send all the rain on the floor in the air in an angelic display under the wrathful thunder.

Panting, the three ponies finally felt the true extent of their injuries now that the adrenaline subsided. Olive reverted to her true self and lost consciousness, bleeding all over the wet floor of the broken schoolhouse much to Aj’s horror.

The mare held her daughter tightly, fear consuming her thoughts. Apple Bloom rushed to her side, sharing her anxiety. Applejack mumbled incoherently, looking to Twilight for help.

“I-I’ll go to Ponyville Gen-”

“No! Ya gotta stay!” Applejack protested. “Ya can use some sorta spell to fix ‘er, right?”

Twilight lowered her bleeding head. “W-Well I have some healing spells, but they can’t fix grievous injuries.”

"Please!" Apple Bloom croaked. "Ya gotta do somethin'!"

Heedful Care trotted to them, a determined glint in her eyes. “I’ll go to Ponyville General myself. You should treat the wounded as best as you can, Cheerilee’s also in bad shape.” the pegasus pointed to the cerise mare, struggling to stay conscious. The foals all surrounded her, crying over the sorry state of their favorite teacher. Spoiled Rich stared at everypony in shock, unable to snap out of her horrified trance.

Saddened by this sight, Twilight nodded. “Okay but please be quick.”

Care managed a weak smile. “I’m way faster than you think.”

And so, the counselor flew into the dark storm, braving its wrath for the injured. For the rest, all they could really do was wait. Wait... and hope rescue will come in time.

Author's Note

Now that was an intense and long chapter! I'm happy I finally reached this point. I've wanted to write this one for a very long time. I'm mostly satisfied with how it turned out. I just hoped it was worth all this build-up. I suppose I'll only know when it's out...

There'll be some long lasting consequences from this battle, but it was also a turning point for Olive who finally learned to let her anger out rather than letting fear consume her. Things may have ended poorly but at least, there was some justice delivered for Aurora.

Only one chapter remains before the final act can begin. We'll see how Luna and Celestia are doing in Canterlot against Anarchy. Good thing I had the foresight to split this chapter in two 'cause man, it is long!

40. Day of Defeat

Scrambling around Canterlot, the royal guard and the royalties searched high and low, low and high for the Anarchists. They were already within the city’s walls, but where exactly? Considering the size of their army, it only made sense to search the tallest and biggest infrastructures first.

In the dark, Looking Glass hid before Canterlot’s museum and put on the crimson mask. As expected, the ghastly visage of the previous owner reared its ugly head.

“Seems like a lot has happened since you’ve dawned me. Good.” the ghost twisted its neck, gazing at the tall museum. “It looks to me like there are someponies inside, I can feel their magic. Many unicorns. So what’s the plan? Go in alone and fight off an entire horde of criminals, or wait for back-up? You know you can’t kill Anarchy within their presence.”

Looking Glass removed the crimson mask and hid it under his hat that he kept still with a little bit of magic. “I’ll just find a way then. I won’t let him win.”

Alerting the others with a beacon of amber magic, it didn’t take long for the alicorns and the captain to gather before him. The others soon followed, surrounding the entire building under the commands of Princess Celestia.

Lightning struck, and under the storm, the museum looked awfully eerie. The stallions could feel the malice emanating from it. They had found it; the Anarchists were waiting inside.

Princess Luna furrowed her brows. “So this is it. According to your leads, they have hostages, correct?”

The detective nodded. “More than a dozen, I can assure you. I do not recommend-”

“Rushing in, yes, we figured as much.” Luna interrupted.

Captain Mango trotted forward, his face dark and serious, a far cry from his usual laidback attitude. “In any case, they have all the cards, but that doesn’t mean we’ll let them deal our hoof. I strongly suggest we sent a team to sneak inside and cause discord whilst you keep them busy.”

Princess Celestia looked to the balcony above, seeing a stallion poking his head out. “That’s a great idea. I’ll let you pick your royal soldiers for the task.”

Mango smirked, albeit briefly. “That won’t take long with fifteen of us. We’ll give these mad ponies Tartarus.”

Looking Glass felt a slight tingle in his hat and winced. He looked around, beginning to feel a strange sense of uneasiness. Once again, he felt compelled to put on the mask, but that would mean... “If you’ll excuse me, I have a suspicion to confirm. I’ll be back in a minute should any trouble arise.”

Princess Luna raised an eyebrow and opened her mouth in disapproval.

“Let him go, sister.” Celestia interjected. “He must have caught on to something.”

The midnight blue alicorn cringed, looking away before ultimately deciding to give him her approval. “Fine, but be quick. We’ll need you soon.”

“I know.”

The dark blue unicorn made his leave and at this time, the stallion in the balcony spoke up, his voice nearly drowned out by the storm. “I can see you all, you know?! I warn you, we have about fifty hostages in there, and we’re not afraid to hurt them if we see any of you bastards come inside! We have ponies overlooking each of the windows, so don’t even think about sneaking in!”

Princess Celestia giggled, leaning close to her sister. “As I expected, they’re probably not checking the water pipes underground.”

Luna blinked. “Wait... are you telling me Mango and his team are...”

“Of course, we’ll have to pay for the repairs afterwards, but it’ll be worth the hassle.”

A street away, a group of royal guards were smashing the streets open with hammers and maces until they found the pipes underneath. Captain Mango waved them to stop. “Alright stallions, make no mistake, some of us are going to die in there. That’s just a part of the job, but by now, you should be familiar with the risks. I picked you all because you do not fear said risks like me. If any of you are scared to go inside, then leave and regroup with the others, I don’t want to send you to your death if you're not prepared for it. Have I made myself clear?”

“Yes, captain!” the group shouted.

Mango looked at each of them in the eye, sensing their determination and bravery. Satisfied he returned his attention to the pipe. Lightning struck, and he briefly saw a figure on one of the rooftops nearby. Wait, didn’t that look like Looking Glass? Oh, whatever... I’ve got a thing to do and I’m not letting any distraction get in the way.

Lowering his head, he picked out a few screws, apologising to the ponies whose water will run out because of them. Afterward, he opened the pipe and stepped inside, throwing his helmet away. “Okay, I’ll go first to make sure it’s safe to step out. Inside, we split up and cover as much ground as possible. Our goal is securing the hostages first and killing the Anarchists second. Oh, and one more thing; if we all somehow make it out alive, I'll buy the entire garrison a barrel of cider.” And with that, their operation began.

As for Looking Glass, he hid on a nearby house’s roof to dawn the mask. The ghost returned with a sinister chuckle, grinning with its elongated mouth. “I’m flattered, you really need me for advice that much?”

“You think like Anarchy, like all crooks of Equestria. I need to hear your thoughts on how you’d handle an operation like this if you were in his hooves.” Looking Glass said coldly.

The ghost stopped grinning and stared at the dark museum. Unlike the unicorn, he can see clearly in the dark as if it was a sunny day. “That’s a shitty place to bunker up in.” he growled. “I doubt Anarchy’s stupid enough to bank his entire success on this flimsy place. Look, windows everywhere, but a lot of blind spots. Big on the exterior, but small and claustrophobic on the interior. Why would he choose this place of all?”

Looking Glass winced, feeling sweat drip down his forehead. “That’s what I’ve been thinking. His ponies are inside, that’s a certainty, but I’m guessing he’s not there.”

“Right.” The ghost growled. “If I were him, I’d use that place as a distraction, a red herring. I can think of a few better places than this crappy museum.”

The detective’s face darkened. He turned around and gazed at the majestic castle of Canterlot. “Like the castle.”

“Built on a slope, overlooking the city. Many windows that give a good view of the surrounding areas. Long and big on the inside. And let’s not forget the magical artefacts inside. It’s perfect.”

Eyes wide open, Looking Glass tore the mask off and teleported down. There were still a lot of the castle’s maids inside. If they truly went there, these mares could be in grave danger. I’ll check... just to be sure.

Back at the museum, the negotiations started but it was made painfully clear that they were going nowhere. Nonetheless, Celestia and Luna entertained the spokespony for as long as they could so that Mango and his team can get inside unnoticed.

Looking at the stallion in the balcony, Luna felt a little envious of his position. The rain was awfully cold, shouting in the storm at a pony really wasn’t the most fun experience in the world. “That museum seems a little hard to defend, Tia. Do you think Anarchy’s inside?” she asked nervously once the spokespony left momentarily.

“I... I’m not so sure. This unicorn is smart, plans everything ahead of the curve.” Celestia responded, her voice composed as always. “It wouldn’t surprise me if it’s all a lure. However, we can’t abandon the museum so soon. If their threats are true then, we’re looking at fifty endangered ponies. That’s not something we can gloss over.”

“Naturally.” Luna sighed. “Still, I wish I could send Looking Glass to check around, just in case.”

The princess of the sun, however, was much more vigilant than her sister could have imagined for she kept on eye on the detective, even as he teleported to one of the nearby roofs. She did not see the mask, but she saw him running away in a hurry. She smirked. “Seems like he’s already taking care of that.”

“What?”

The spokespony returned and shook his head. “Sorry, princess. We’ve deemed your offer to be... not quite good enough. You see, we want something that’s a little more than cash, we're talking 'bout something... fleshy if you catch our drift.” He tapped on his flank, giving the two sisters a disgusting sly smile.

Luna furrowed her brows. “Repulsive...”

Celestia, however, remained composed, not letting any emotion slip out. “If that’s what you want, we can trade some of our castle maids for your hostages.” The solar princess cringed internally. The things she’s willing to say for the good of her country... “We have over thirty we can give, but we can only afford to send out our fifteen bests.”

The spokespony blinked, bugged on that proposition. “Huh uh, well... ain’t that a swell proposition. Just one question; how old are your fifteen bests?”

The two alicorns exchanged slightly disgusted looks. “Five in their early twenties, seven in their late twenties and three in their mid-thirties.” Celestia responded as neutrally as possible.

“Oh, really now. A shame, I was hoping we could have gotten some teenagers.” The stallion commented in disappointment. From his balcony, he took a step back and chuckled. “Damn, never thought I’d say that.” He returned to his post, quickly glancing over at the castle. One hour he said, one hour... fuck, that’s long. Waving a hoof,“Hey now, I’m not saying the deal is off, okay? I’ll consult with the others, and we’ll give a response in like... say, five minutes tops.”

Below the balcony, a few of the royal guards gazed at their regal rules, mildly perturbed. “Uh, I assume we’re not actually answering their demands?” one of them asked.

Luna scoffed. “Of course not. It’s called buying some time. Mango and his team should be inside any minute now...”

Inside the museum, the spokespony returned to his peers, slightly disappointed in the current situation. I wish we’d actually get maids. Well, maybe we will. He gazed at the castle in the distance, overlooking the city. Once the country’s under new management.

As for Mango and his team, they encountered a small problem in their infiltration. The pipe was girthy, but not big enough for smooth crawling. The captain of the royal guard is a bit on the heavier side and that presented a problem. “Okay, it’d be real nice if one of ya could just push me. I think I’m stuck.” he grumbled in shame.

The guard in his rear groaned. “It’s your beer belly. You shouldn’t have drunk this much, captain.”

Mango chuckled. “I know what you’re implying. Just because I’m a little plump doesn’t mean I’ve lost it.” he motioned at the sword on his hilt. “I can still get the job done.” A few minutes passed; the exit finally showed itself.

The captain left first, peeking like a periscope to ensure nopony would see them. He lightly tapped on the pipe to signal the others to quietly step out, one at a time of course. Now inside the storage area, they only had to find the hostages to turn the tide of battle. The place was dimly lit, filled with various art that was deemed “not quite good enough” to be front and center. Mango quickly examined his rag tag team of fearless stallions. Fifteen, it was fifteen of them and an unknown number of criminals, potentially over thirty.

“Yeah, that’s going to be a little tough. Let’s state the obvious, we’re not going to save the day all by ourselves. We should take some of them hostage, that way they won’t be able to outright execute theirs if we’re spotted.” Gazing at their armour, he added “We’ll have to be quick. Our armour is a little noisy, you see. Better get them before they hear us coming.”

Back outside, the spokespony returned to Celestia and Luna. “I’m afraid fifteen won’t do, princess. You see, we have a little more than fifteen ponies inside and they’re all a little hungry for some nice mares. We are asking for more than fifteen.”

Celestia frowned. “If you’re asking for all, then I’m sorry to inform that not all of our maids are... suited for your tastes.”

Lightning struck, and the alicorns noticed the stallion was glancing at their castle. “Bah! Who cares about tastes! We said we wanted more plot, and we’re gonna get it one way or another. Thirty! We want all thirty of them.”

The midnight blue alicorn giggled quietly. “Then we shall hoof them over as soon as possible.”

The spokespony raised an eyebrow. “H-Hey hey, slow down. Something’s telling me you have more than thirty.”

Princess Luna gave him a sly smile, beginning to feel some pleasure in this negotiation herself. “Was it that obvious? What gave it away?”

“It’s your giddy attitude. You think you’re so smart, t-thinking you can hog some of them for yourself.” the pegasus responded, flustered. “Not on my watch! I’m also perceptive, you could say, and I see you’re mocking me with your sly smile. News flash, you’re not as sly as you think you are!”

The smaller alicorn giggled. “This is a lot of fun.” she admitted to her sister.

Celestia returned a gentle smile. “Nice to see you’re enjoying your duties, Lulu. But still, be cautious with your words. We don’t want to tip them off.”

Luna composed herself, returning a serious look to her older sister. “I can manage that quite easily. Watch me.”

As for Mango and his team, they’ve just left the storage area, now searching for the hostages. Sneaking around at a snail’s pace, the royal guards tried their best to not make any noise, a task made harder by their loud and clanky armour. If they weren’t obligated to always keep these on, the captain would have suggested they removed them entirely.

Sadly, these armours are the only thing differentiating them from the enemy. Should their armour be off, they could be mistaken for Anarchists. Mango raised a hoof to stop their advance, they had found them, the hostages. At least, partly. There were two circles each composed of five to ten hostages sitting on the ground, being overlooked by four guards each.

The pegasus captain glanced at his team, making sure they’re all on the same page before he launched the command to spring to action. Splitting into groups, the royal guards snuck up behind the two circles of guard, drawing their blades in their mouths, and ambushed them with ruthless efficiency.

Their swords just barely touching the necks of the criminals, they easily got them to back down. At this moment, Mango noticed the guards were all wearing masks which was... uncharacteristic of them to say the least. Masks belonged to those who followed the Crimson Mask, not Anarchy. What was stranger were the muffled mumbling of the stallion he held at sword point. They sounded afraid, understandable but still... something felt off.

Curious, Mango noticed the stallion before him had a black coat, a mane that was composed of two shades: a light gray with lighter streaks. Growing worried, he tore the mask off and in just a split second, he worked out what was wrong. The stallion before him was Thunderlane, as described in Blossomforth’s report, only he had a scarf tied around his mouth. “Get back!”

Mango jumped back just in time to see a blade fly dangerously close to his neck. Clutching his blade harder than before, he blocked another swing and backed away to note the damage done. Two of his ponies were hit, though not lethally. The rest got out in time.

The captain of the royal guard stared at the “hostages” seemingly standing up despite being tied up. The ropes were loose and in the light of the thunderstorm, he could see their bruises and scars were merely painted on them. That smart bastard... he glowered. He switched the hostages and his goons up. We fell for his trick.

The real hostages whined, pleading for the guards to come save them, a difficult task considering they just lost their advantage. The commotion drew in more of these anarchists, also painted with fake bruises. They were waiting for them all along. Anarchy knew they would proceed this way. “Okay, that’s bad. How many are we looking at?”

“At least twenty, they have us outnumbered by five.” A royal guard stated.

Mango smirked. “Don’t get yourselves killed, alright? Those who get hurt badly will be dragged out of that damned museum by me, got it?” Just because they couldn’t do anything against Discord, Nightmare Moon and Chrysalis doesn’t mean they’re useless. These ponies were sorely mistaken if they believed they could take on fifteen of the best royal guards.

The mare that had almost lobbed off his head cackled. “My, aren’t you the confident type?”

The captain examined his sword. It was curved unlike his peers; he preferred his swords to be curved. They're faster and make for good rapiers too. With expert manoeuvres, he switched sides, going from the blunt side to the sharp edge. “Yeah, I don’t think we’ll be able to take any of them alive. Let’s just focus on staying on our hooves.”

A notoriously big stallion stepped forth, swinging his sword around like a mad pony. Mango frowned at the lack of technique. That earth pony treated his sword like a club rather than the gracious weapon it was. Each attack he sent missed the captain by a wide margin. Despite his big size, Mango was quick on his hooves, slithering around like a snake until the stallion swung a little too hard.

The sword razed the top of the captain’s mane and was too far away to strike again. In that small window of opportunity, Mango lunged forward, and decapitated the stallion with little to no effort, sending his big head flying to the ceiling.

The Anarchists winced, sweat dripping down their face. The flying head smacked against the ground with a loud thud, startling all the criminals, but not the stone-faced royal guards. In that singular strike, the difference in strength reared its ugly head for the Anarchists. These guards were known for fighting some of the worst beasts Equestria had to offer to protect royalties.

They truly stood no chance against Mango, and certainly not against fifteen royal guards all at once. No matter how many of them there was, they wouldn’t beat the fifteen of them. A higher number doesn’t always guarantee victory.

Back outside, Celestia and Luna noticed the spokespony panicking as he looked behind. The midnight blue alicorn smiled. “Ah, it would appear Mango has finally breached their defences.”

“That means it’s our turn.” Celestia remarked calmly, sprouting her angelic wings.

“Oh shit....” The spokespony watched as a head came rolling to his hooves. “S... Seize the hostages. Forget about fighting them!”

Wings flapped behind him, and they were big wings. Startled, he spun around just in time to notice two very displeased alicorns looming above him, cold glints in their eyes.

“Your luck’s run out.” Luna stated. “Ours is just blossoming.”

Needless to say, they were quickly detained, the remaining ones that is. The rest were... missing their heads for the most part. Captain Mango and his team made short work of over half the opposition. The batpony swiped his sword in one quick and gracious motion to wipe the blood away, making sure not to step in any of the crimson puddles on the floor. He sheated his sword and wiped the blood off his face, his posture now laidback again. “Any loss?”

The royal guards looked around, glad to notice none of them had perished. “Nope.”

“That was more or less what I expected. Great job, guys. We’ll catch later, I’ll buy you all some ciders.” Mango glanced over the rescued hostages. Some of them were not so graciously coated in the blood of their captors, courtesy of the guards' ruthless killings. He made a note to himself to be a little more careful around the hostages next time. “As for the injured, I don’t want to see you on the battlefield again, not until your wounds have healed, got it?”

Princess Celestia and Luna strolled in not long after, sealing the deal for what was already a finished battle. As they trotted around the dark museum, they couldn’t help but feel like their victory was hollow. After all, there were no traces of Anarchy so far and that was a big problem.

“Mango, have you found Anarchy?” Luna pressed, worried.

The captain frowned and shook his head. “Nah, only these ponies.” His eyes widened. “Oh shit, it’s only these ponies...”

Princess Celestia furrowed her brows, stomping her hooves to get everypony’s attention. “Search the city once more. We can’t let him slip through our hooves! We can’t afford to give him some leisure time!”

Just as she finished barking her order, the spokespony they chatted with starting laughing. “Oh, you gave him plenty of time alright! Out of the hour he asked me to stall you, I got forty-five minutes!”

Princess Luna gasped. “Th... That leaves us with only fifteen minutes!”

“Oh my! It’s always the number fifteen, isn’t it?” he chuckled. “What an odd number!”

“Enough talk!” Luna snapped. “Guards, send them to the dungeon immediately!”

The royal guards nodded, escorting the criminals out. Right as they opened the door, a unicorn tackled some of them out the way with impressive strength. The two alicorns felt a slight sense of hope once they saw it was Looking Glass, shoving royal guards out of his way without as much as an apology.

Luna teleported to him. “Looking Glass! You arrive at a most fortunate moment. We want to know wh-”

“They’re in the castle! No time to talk, mobilise all your troops there, now!”

“What?!” The midnight blue alicorn turned to her sister. Even she was startled by the news, beginning to show some nervous ticks. Celestia had an itch the moment she spoke to the spokespony. Something was wrong, and now she knows what.

“Guards! Return to the castle immediately in formation!”

Captain Mango swore under his breath and flew ahead of his troops. “You heard our princesses, troops. Let’s give these ponies Tartarus, and this time; we won’t hold back.”

The royal guards galloped in the dark storm, freezing to the point of catching a cold but never slowing down. The pegasi flew with the alicorns whilst the ground troops followed the lead of Mango, each staring at the sister’s castle in worry.

Lightning struck periodically, revealing the ominous castle standing amidst the thunderstorm. The ground troop’s advance came to a screeching halt once they arrived at the castle’s gate. Blocking the only entrance in were a couple of Anarchists. Normally, they wouldn’t pose a problem, but their formation created a massive roadblock. Burly earth ponies held shields in their mouth with other strong ponies holding onto spears slightly poking out the said shields. Unicorns stayed in the back, creating a powerful forcefield that blocked any potential aerial attack.

“Seems like they anticipated our arrival. Let’s not waste any time and storm the castle.” Looking Glass instructed, but the guards didn’t want to move. None of them did. Their faces were perfectly composed, devoided of fear, but they nevertheless showed an unwillingness to proceed. The detective blinked. “Why aren’t we moving?”

Captain Mango sighed. “Because we’d be running straight to our deaths if we did. Look pal, we may be the greatest warriors in Equestria, but that doesn’t mean we’re unbeatable. A good strategy can make quick work of us, something these guys at the museum didn’t have. The ponies you’re looking at, however, have benefited from Anarchy’s intelligent mind.”

Looking Glass narrowed his eyes, observing carefully the formation. He began to understand it’s strength. There were no other ways around for earth ponies and unicorns. The gate was the only entrance, meaning a flank was impossible. Their pegasi troops wouldn’t come for them too, being too busy entering through the windows above. Storming the gate, however, would be a poor decision.

The strong earth ponies were easily bigger and tougher than most of the guards here. Their hits would be deflected with ease by the shields and the spears... will send them to an early grave. Throwing stuff above wouldn’t work too because of the forcefield. This was truly a genius strategy to overcome the royal guard’s strength. “I see now. He’s a brilliant tactician.”

“Great, seems like I don’t have to tell you why charging at them is assisted suicide.” Mango groaned. “Welp, unless any of you have a brilliant idea in return, we’re stuck here.” The batpony sat on the wet ground of Canterlot, stretching his limbs one by one.

The other guards followed soon, a bored and irritated look on their face. Looking Glass blinked, disappointed at how quick they were ready to give up. “Is that really it? We’re calling it quits just because of a turtle formation?”

“Hey, you gotta admit it’s a great turtle formation.” Mango mused before taking on a more serious tone. “Look, I know we can eventually break through them by sacrificing a lot of soldiers, but that just wouldn’t sit right with me. My stallions are not expendable, okay?”

Looking Glass glanced at the formation again, feeling some respect for the batpony’s good will, something he’s rarely shown openly before. The unicorns admit the royal guard were above average in magic, but that didn’t mean they had any useful spell in combat other than levitation. That’s why they used swords as much as earth ponies and pegasi. None of them were truly great at magic, except him. “Then, you’ll be relying on me to get past this gate.”

“Ah! Now we’re talking!” Mango chuckled, rising up from the mud. “What have you got?”

The dark blue stallion smirked. “Chaos. These ponies have got it all covered. Nothing’s getting past their formation, except for magic. They won’t be expecting teleportation.”

Mango’s eyes lit up, and so did his troops. “Sweet! We’ll be staying closely behind. Let’s rile them up!”

Looking Glass was the first to lead the charge, albeit slowly. The royal guards marched, blank looks in their eyes. Under the shade of their helmet, they looked menacing but that didn’t frighten the Anarchists one bit. These ponies were different from those at the museum. They had something distinct in their eyes, determination.

In terms of their will, the two sides were equal. Slowly marching towards them, they made no sudden move. That way, they wouldn’t startle any of the criminals inside the formation. They moved lightly, up until Looking Glass was in range of teleporting. “Now.” he muttered before disappearing.

“What?!” the ponies inside the turtle formation got on full alert, spastically looking around for the missing detective right until he popped in the middle of the formation. With one swift kick, he knocked down of the shield bearers, creating a crack in their otherwise invincible formation. “K-Kill him!”

But right as some of the earth ponies looked back, stressed out by the dark blue stallion, they didn’t notice the royal guards raising their weapons. In a matter of seconds, they were massacred by the more experienced warriors although there were some casualties on the side of the guards too. The Anarchists were better at handling weapons than they had expected, costing the life of over three guards much to Mango’s dismay.

“Damn it...”

“I’m invincible! And you cannnnn’t touch me! You can goooooo to Tartarus!”

Inside the throne room, the Anarchists sealed any windows they could. The darkness of the storm and the missing sun gave them a clear advantage over their opponents. The sister’s castle turned into their fortress, an impenetrable one at that thanks to Anarchy’s guidance. The unfortunate maids were captured and used as potential bargaining chips should the griffon be tardy. The only problem was his current state left much to be desired.

The mad stallion lowered the sun, a feat thought to be impossible by unicorns ever since the reign of Princess Celestia and Luna. However, it came at a cost. His body was not fully prepared to handle the stress of this act and it hurt... immensely. Blood poured down from his head, streaming down his face and body. His eyes and nose bled too, turning his coat a reddish purple. The pain only got worse to the point he entered a stage of delirium as a coping mechanism, singing random songs without rhyme or reason.

His horn was still glowing, still maintaining the sun away from the sky. The iron will of the unicorn was put on display, and it was terrifying yet inspiring to his army.

Dreamcatcher stayed next to him, blanching. “B-Boss, are you sure it’s a good time to start the final ritual? Y-You're bleeding everywhere!”

Anarchy cackled manically, seemingly not hearing her question. “Start it up! We’re making some fireworks tonight... today, yes it’s day but it’s dark too! Day, night, oh it’s a dayight!” In the face of agony, he laughed. He laughed his pain away and remained on the path of most resistance all in the name of his life’s work.

For that, Dreamcatcher chose to follow him. That, and because he was the only pony who saw value in her. Eight years... eight long years since she first saw him. Despite the passage of time, she still remembers it all clearly. She remembered how he saved her from a meaningless life of mediocrity, and why she was forever thankful for it.

Las Pegasus, city of fortune and fame. A place where many ponies go, for it’s every tourist’s dream to go there. Casinos, magic shows and more, there’s a little bit of everything for everypony. But despite its welcoming appearance, it is not exempt from misery. As with any places in Equestria, some ponies are just down on their luck, shackled to a city for their entire lives. Such was the case with Dreamcatcher, a teenage pegasus forced to be a barmaid in the Lucky 38, the most popular casino in Las Pegasus.

The job didn’t appear too bad at first but then, it is Las Pegasus, a city that attracts all kinds of ponies, some much worse than others. Back handed comments, groping and death threats, these always happened at least once a week. The worst of it, however, was the knowledge that she’d never go beyond being a barmaid at a casino.

Nopony truly knew where she came from, just that a desperate pegasus begged to be sheltered, offering her services in exchange of surviving in this city of rich folks. The problem with this kind of situation, is that the ones in power can choose to do the bare minimum. After all, what can the poor victim do? Complain and ask for a raise? Not a great idea.

And so, Dreamcatcher resigned to perform this job every day until she’d die, knowing that there was a gorgeous world out there that she’d never see again. That was until she met a celebrity or rather, was forced to tend to his every need.

Jolly Melody was a big shot. Everypony heard of him, everypony adored him. He was the greatest stallion alive as some would even dare to say. Entering the Lucky 38, he was immediately noticed by the owners who saw nothing but a giant neon sign pointing to a gargantuan piggy bank. They ordered Dreamcatcher to be his lap dog essentially. After all, she was their youngest mare, the best to catch the stallion's interest. “Do everything he tells you to. S’long as he pays money to play our games and buy our drinks, of course.”

Sighing, the pegasus obeyed the command of her disgusting bosses. Flying next to the violet unicorn, she took in just how handsome he was, slightly jealous. She could never approach this level of beauty. Noticing the disgruntled looks of her bosses, she quickly put on a fake smile. “H-Hey, welcome to the Lucky 38. What can I do for you?” she said in a French accent, for she was French, of course.

The violet stallion smirked. “Ah, I suppose you’re done visually molesting me!”

Dreamcatcher’s face flushed red and in her flustered state, she accidentally dropped something very important, her French accent. “Wh-What? N-No, I wasn’t...”

Jolly Melody chuckled. “Don’t worry about it. I’m being ogled at everywhere I go anyway; you wouldn’t be the first to do so.” Then, his face changed to an undecipherable one. “Say... what happened to your accent? I’ve rarely ever seen a pony lose their accent, even when flustered.”

The light blue pegasus sweated. “W-Well, that’s just because... I’m not really from ‘round these parts.” she said, slipping more towards a different accent, one that Jolly never heard before.

“Je vois... I suppose that was to be expected. Many ponies come to Las Pegasus seeking fortune and fame. I was not one of them evidently, I found them elsewhere.”

Dreamcatcher scoffed, rolling her eyes. “Yeah, what a fortunate stallion you are.” Noticing the stallion was staring at her flank, she squealed, covering her flank with her tail. “H-Hey! Wha-”

Jolly Melody’s eyes were open wide with intrigue. “A dreamcatcher? That’s... intriguing. Pardon me if I’m intruding, but I would like to know more about this cutie mark.”

The mare shook her head. “I-I don’t think it’s really all that interesting. It’s just kinda lame if you ask me.”

“Perhaps, but I can’t form an opinion if I’m in the dark.” Jolly pressed. “I see they’ve assigned you to me. Rest assured; I don’t intend to abuse your services. In fact, I’ll pay you a drink. Come on, sit down with me.” he tapped the seat next to him, smiling gently.

Dreamcatcher was taken aback by this sudden change in the conversation. Hesitant, she looked back to her bosses who, at that point, already lost interest in her and moved on. Feeling beaten down, she sat.

“Now, tell me what’s the meaning behind your cutie mark.” Jolly asked softly.

“It’s... nothing symbolic unlike other ponies. It’s quite literally just a dreamcatcher.” She answered bitterly.

“Why? What does it have to do with you?”

Dreamcatcher grumbled. “I have a different kind of magic inside me, different from the one pegasi uses to fly. It’s best explained by the cutie mark itself.”

Jolly Melody’s mouth opened in awe. “I’ve heard from some First Nation tribes that these objects capture and destroys the nightmares plaguing a pony, sealing it inside. It’s essentially a charm with an apotropaic purpose, meaning it’s protective magic. The name dreamcatcher, however, comes from outsiders. I’ve also heard dreamcatchers can catch good dreams and let it spread amongst its woven webs.” The stallion leaned closer to the mare, slightly intimidating her. “What can you do?”

Dreamcatcher gulped. “W-Well, it’s hard to believe but... I can do exactly that. I can move through anypony’s dreams and capture them if I want to, destroy them even. It doesn’t hurt anypony if I do that, it just means they do not dream while they’re asleep.”

“Fascinating. Why is a mare with such talent working in a worthless slump like this?” Jolly asked passionately.

“It’s not like I have any choice. I’m just... stuck here forever.” Dreamcatcher admitted sadly, finally dropping her French accent. “I don’t have anywhere to go.”

The violet stallion waved a hoof. “Well, we all have a family we can turn to in times of need.”

Dreamcatcher snickered, a bitter smile on her face. “Yeah, well I had one I could look forward to.”

“Huh, must I suppose you dislike them?”

“Other way around.” she mumbled sadly. “I’m an anomaly you see. Not supposed to be proficient in dream magic. It made me a witch in their eyes.”

“And who could blame them? Ponies fear the unknown, but luckily for you, I don’t.” Jolly grinned. “Some would call me a freak if they saw what I read in my spare time. It’s... wild, really. Much more than your cutie mark.” His eyes widened as he looked at his reflection in a nearby mirror, regaining a more normal appearance. “Still, I have one last question. Did you adopt a French accent to hide your origins? I know not many ponies here are fond of the First Nations.”

“Bingo. You read me like an open book.”

An awkward silence filled the air around them. Jolly narrowed his eyes, focusing his gaze on the bosses of the Lucky 38. “Hm, say, Dreamcatcher, do you want to see how beautiful Equestria is outside of Las Pegasus?”

Dreamcatcher roused herself, wide eyed. “H-Huh?! D-Did you just...”

“What else could I mean?” Jolly said, smirking. “I have an eye for talent, you see. I’m interested in ponies with strong wills and/or freakish attributes. Not for music, but for something that would qualify as righteous. Of course, if you wish to stay here, I won’t press any further. You’re entitled to your free will.”

The mare grabbed his foreleg, pulling him closer. Her eyes started to water, looking desperate. “N-No! I don’t want to stay here any longer! C-Can you really make me leave for good?”

Jolly’s eyes opened wider, a gentle smile forming on his handsome face. “I don’t really fancy myself as a boy scout but, uh... yes, I absolutely can.” with his free hoof, he placed a sack full of bits on the counter. “Ponies here talk with money, and I can speak their language alright. Dreamcatcher, you’re free.”

Shocked, the light blue mare’s mouth trembled. Overflowing with emotion, she lunged at the stallion, hugging him as she cried in his mane.

“I won’t let them shackle you. Nopony will, ever again.”

Nopony understands Anarchy. Nopony but her, Strong Hoof and the Anarchists. Where they all see a heartless monster that kills indiscriminately, she sees a soft heart that knows to make judgement calls. Anarchy is a pony as much as any other. He’s just on the opposite side, and that automatically qualifies him as evil.

But once they’ll win, all will see his benevolence, his kind soul and they’ll love him.

If he said he can continue to keep the sun below, then she should believe him. Anarchy never lied to his friends.

“Alert! The alicorns are coming in!” In the distance, many pegasi flew towards the castle. Amongst this army were two that were noticeably taller and lankier than the rest.

Dreamcatcher roused herself, now on edge. Their defenses have been breached; very little time remained. They will have to do all they could to slow these two goddesses down to give Anarchy enough time to finish the ritual. Well, it was already complete, it just lacked the final and most important ingredient; the blood of an alicorn. The purple unicorn sent a griffon to retrieve it, but it’s taking some time.

Strong Hoof was... slow to say the least. Dreamcatcher began to worry unlike her boss that was stuck in a carefree world of delirium. She hoped everything turned out alright on the white stallion’s part. He was given a difficult task, even Anarchy acknowledged it. If he was defeated, then they’ll come back to rescue him once the ritual is complete.

Anarchy said he’d be able to accomplish everything they could ever dream of once he’s finished the last step of his eight years long plan. “B... Anarchy, please tell me we’re gonna make it.” Dreamcatcher croaked, fear slowly consuming her thoughts.

Panting, the dark unicorn looked her in the eyes. “Naturally, we’re winners after all. Those who didn’t deserve to live, who were on my kill list, were sent to that wretched museum to die. The pure ones, us and only us, will get to succeed. I’ll probably be gone for a short while once this is over but I promise, I will come back for you all one day.”

“Gone? W-Wait, what does that mean?”

Anarchy cackled, lifting his tired bleeding head. “It means I’m going to teleport away in an impressive lightshow once I’ve consumed the blood of Twilight Sparkle, Dreamy! It’s just what it said, I can only take its word for it. It’ll take some weeks maybe, but I’ll be in Canterlot once I’ve gotten the hang of the new height I’ll reach.”

Lightning struck; a particular sight made most of the Anarchists ornery. “The alicorns are inside! We don't have much time left!”

Anarchy’s eyes widened subtly. He began tap on the throne repeatedly. “H-Holy molly, that could be a problem... Any news on the royal guard?”

A unicorn mare looked back outside, waiting for lightning to reveal their enemies. Once it did, she blanched. Hundreds of royal guards marched towards the castle, their blades and armour drenched in blood and water. Their eyes looked hollow, focused entirely on the mission at hoof. All Anarchists who tried to slow them down paid the price dearly. With Mango at the front, there was no stopping them.

Despite being ridiculed for their inability to act during the Nightmare Moon and Discord incident, they were still clinging on their reputation as killing machines at the services of the princesses. The changeling invasion was an especially brutal one, for the invaders of course. Only the arrogant and foolhardy would dare to measure up to these soldiers.

And now, with Celestia and Luna inside the castle, time was running out. Anarchy tapped the throne nervously, eyes twitching as he gazed at the clock. 59 minutes... come on, Gordo. Show up already! Thinking in this state was difficult. His body was broken, his horn barely keeping itself together. Every woke he spoke took tremendous efforts. His mind was a warped and garbled mess of words and ideas flying in and out his consciousness.

Lightning struck, and a loud shriek finally made him snap out his agony. A large figure smashed through one of the windows, barely sticking the landing before his master.

“G-Gordo! You’re back! Has Strong Hoof succeeded?!” Anarchy limped towards the griffon, maniacally grinning.

The roughed-up griffon panted, extending his claw to reveal the vial of blood. “I think he went off the rai-”

Anarchy snatched the vial brutally, having only eyes for its content. In that very moment, the pain went away as he stared in awe at his salvation. “Ah, you are finally at my side after all these years. My true mentor, my guiding moonlight.” he opened his mouth wide...

In the halls of the castle, Celestia and Luna flew at top speed, desperate to reach Anarchy before it’s too late. The ponies in the way could do nothing to slow their advance, blasted out the way like insects. “Hurry, sister! I fear we don’t have much time left!”

Celestia winced, sweating dripping down her face. “I’m going as fast as I can!”

Behind them were the charging royal guards, shouting furiously as they slammed whatever opposition was left in the wake of the alicorn’s mad dash.

... and devoured the vial, glass and blood alike. Anarchy bit down, not caring as the shards sliced his tongue and gums. He cackled, getting louder and louder as he relished his ultimate moment of triumph. Eight years, eight long years he’s been waiting for this. For the moment he became more than a pony. Today, he’ll become a beast, not a pony masquerading as one. Bring me to life! My ascension is complete, I’m done waiting!

The doors smashed open; all had their eyes on the two powerful sisters. Looking up, they gasped in horror as the truth dawned on them; they were too late. In a heart shattering second, they watched as time slowed.

The mad unicorn roared triumphantly, drenched in his blood and sweat. His army cheered him on, no longer bothered by the alicorns. The royal guards arrived just in time to witness their loss. For all the efforts, all the ponies they’ve killed, it was in vain. Lightning struck, basking Anarchy in light, now lifted off the ground as a cloud of smoke wrapped around him. The smoke turned into a ball of darkness that signaled to Celestia that it was over.

The battle ended, and they lost. But that did not mean the war concluded.

Just as the light dimmed, the ball exploded casting a powerful shockwave across Canterlot. A loud banshee shriek accompanied the fallout of the blast, shattering all the castle’s windows. Then, silence. The storm resumed a few seconds later, unbothered by the explosion.

The Anarchists dropped their weapon and patted themselves on the back for a job well done as Celestia and Luna stared blankly, defeated.

A strange feeling came into the white alicorn’s horn, a sort of indication that whatever magic that had pulled the sun away was gone. Absently, she raised the glowing star, resuming the day as normal.

Bewildered, the royal guards did the only thing that was on their mind, capturing the remaining criminals. The Anarchists didn’t fight back, happily surrendering with smug looks on their faces.

Princess Luna lowered her head, wide eyed. “I-It’s too late. He’s gone...”

Her older sister glanced over the damage done to her castle somberly. As she gazed at the broken windows, she gasped. The cold air made her wings shiver, it was unusually cold. So cold in fact, it turned the thunderstorm into a blizzard. “What’s going on?” she asked, her face frozen in shock.

“It’s winter already?” Mango asked, dumbstruck.

Looking Glass gritted his teeth and furrowed his brows. “No, it shouldn’t be.” Staring at the sky, he could notice was wrong with the moon as it was lowering. It had Anarchy's cutie mark on it.

Luna raised her head, meeting the eyes of Dreamcatcher as she was being escorted away by guards that couldn’t stop staring at the blizzard outside. The blue pegasus smirked, relishing in the alicorn’s fear. In her defeated state of mind, she muttered,

“Anarchy’s won...”

Author's Note

Another big chapter down! Now that this chapter's done, I must admit my blog post about the storm was a bit misleading :twilightsheepish:. It somewhat showed the aftermath rather than the even itself, which was Nightmare Anarchy's design. He'll be back eventually to enact his ultimate plan. What will it be? That's just the thing; we don't know! For now, let's see how Equestria, and especially the Apples, will deal with an early winter.

Next chapter, we'll go back to Olive, Applejack, Twilight and Cheerilee as they wake up in the aftermath of the battle with Strong Hoof, dealing with all the consequences that comes with going through such a traumatic event. Now, the story's ready to enter it's final act, which knowing me will probably be over 50k words long. All the set-ups have been done, now it's time I deliver the pay offs.

41. Survivors

Beeping, what a familiar sound. Olive’s heard it for entire days, incessantly pestering her about her pitiful conditions. Now, it’s been more than two weeks since they’ve ominously beeped. As the filly opened her eyes, the sight of an hospital room greeted her. What happened? Why is she back here? Her mind didn’t have time to catch up just yet, startling the pink unicorn as her eyes darted around the room, terrified.

“Howdy, sugar cube. How’re ya feelin’?”

Her little pink hooves touched the warm fur of a bigger orange hoof. Calmed by the soothing voice of Applejack, Olive’s breath slowed. She turned to face her worried mother. “M... Mommy. Wh-Why are we...”

Her mind began to catch up with her body. Olive realised something was wrong with her right eye. It was covered in something. Bandages, of course. She touched it as worry overtook her. The filly looked at her body, noticing it was covered in bloodied bandages. Her breaths accelerated, almost to the point of shrieking.

“Hey, hey; don’t get worked up. Everythin’s fine, we’re all okay.” Applejack hushed, caressing the filly’s face. “How’s yer eye doin’?”

Olive opened her right eye behind her bandage, breathing a sigh of relief. It was still there, still working. “I-I think it’s good. It doesn’t hurt, I mean.”

Applejack smiled. “That’s great. If it hadn’t been fer ya, things woulda been a lot worse with that stallion.”

Memories of the storm flashed by in rapid fire. Sweetie Belle holding her tightly, Strong Hoof breaking through the school, Cheerilee being crushed under the giant’s hoof and lastly, her anger. Anger, it still lingered long after the stallion was defeated, but... Olive wished that more had been done about him.

Her tail waggled nervously, unsure if she even wanted to say it out loud.

“Olive, what’s wrong?”

Olive avoided the concerned gaze of her mother, ashamed and afraid. “I, uh... Wh-What happened to Mist-Strong Hoof? Is he dead?”

“Nah, not from what Ah’ve ‘eard. He was sent to Canterlot with ta others.” Applejack noticed the filly seemed almost... disappointed? It was odd of her to react this way. “Olive, wha-”

“I’m still so angry.” Olive croaked, her voice raising with each word. “I wanted to kill him! I wanted to hear he was dead for what he did to- for everything!” Her eyes watered as she grasped her mother’s hoof. “I’m a monster. I killed his friends and now, I want him dead.” She raised her head, her pupils turning to pinpricks. “I’m scared, mommy. A-Am I a bad pony?”

Applejack’s eyes trembled, her voice hitched as she answered as honestly as she could. “Yer not a monster, ‘kay? Ya’ll never be as bad as them. Ah understand why yer angry and it’s okay to be angry at other ponies. Yer still just a filly, ya ‘ave a lot of things to learn. Ah’ll help ya control yer anger if that’s what ya want. Just, promise me ya won’t kill anypony ever again.”

“I don’t want to become a monster. I-I want to be a good pony.” Olive slid in the mare’s hoof, holding desperately onto it. “I don’t know why I don’t feel safe. H-He's gone, right? H-He can’t hurt us anymore!”

Applejack caressed the filly’s mane, lifting the little one’s head so they could see eye-to-eye. “It’ll be okay, as long as we’ve got each other; we’ll be fine.”

“But I’m tired of feeling bad! I just want to be happy like my friends!” Olive cried out. “They’re also having bad things happen to them but they’re still happy. I just... struggle to keep a smile because I’m scared. I can’t get over it.”

“Hey, Ah’m scared too, sugar cube. Really scared.” The orange mare hitched; her voice sounded rather weak to the filly.

Surprised, Olive looked her in the eye. “Wh-Why are you scared, mommy?”

Applejack teared up. “Ah thought ya were gonna die. When Ah saw ya turn back, Ah...” She swallowed a lump in her throat, her vision blurry. “Ah thought it was over fer good this time. It was even worse than l-last time.” Her emotions overtook her, and she burst into tears. “Ah’m sorry...”

“Mommy, don’t cry!” Olive begged, tugging on her mother’s chest. “Don’t cry!” Seeing this wasn’t working, the little filly nuzzled her mother like a cat trying to cheer up their owner. She brushed against the mare’s chest repeatedly, her eyes closed as to not tear up herself.

Sobs then turned into laughter as Aj wiped her tears so she could look at her precious daughter. “Yer too good for me, sugar cube.”

“No, you’re too good for-”

Applejack lowered her head and gently kissed the filly on her forehead, smiling thankfully.

Olive took a moment to sink in the kiss, soothed by her mother’s love. Then her heart called for action as she painstakingly lifted herself to reach Aj’s face and adorably dropped a kiss on her cheek, smiling innocently as she pulled back.

Watching her, a new feeling made itself known in Applejack’s heart, a feeling she’s never had before when she looked at Olive, pride. Witnessing the filly fight back against seemingly impossible odd was inspiring to her, it was the move that got her to jump back into the fray and save her daughter. Thinking back to their first meeting, she was always impressed by how much the unicorn tried to find joy in the littlest things be it hearing stories about the mare’s adventures, playing with a simple stick fueled only by her imagination and by getting a bully to like her. It moved her to tears.

Olive always pushed through hardships to find her smile, and she was proud of the little pony for it. A few weeks back, she took her in out of pity. A poor injured and lost filly with no family to take care of her. All alone in the world, Applejack couldn’t simply move on and return to her normal life, she had to help. At first, it was rather strange to hear Olive call her “mommy” but as the days went on, she got used to it.

Olive was her little pony, and she couldn’t have asked for a better filly.

It doesn’t matter how scared she was of Strong Hoof, of the storm, she’d fight another behemoth for Olive, for her daughter. Maybe that’s what it means to be a mother. Maybe she’s finally beginning to see her in a new light. Anyhow, Applejack only knew for sure that she’d never let anything harm the filly ever again. She deserved to be happy after all this.

Olive’s eyes widened, her smile faltering. “Mommy, why are you crying again? D-Did I do something wrong?”

Applejack chuckled, shaking her head as she pulled the filly in for a big hug. “Olive... yer everythin’ Ah hoped for. Even better, Ah’d say. Yer mah daughter, whether ya have an apple for a cutie mark or not.”

Cradled by the mare’s warm love, Olive closed her eyes and returned the gesture. “And I don’t care that we’re not related. You’re my mommy, the best one in all Equestria.”

...

“Mommy?”

“Yeah, sugar cube?”

“Am I stupid for crying all the time?”

“No, no it’s not stupid to cry. It makes ya feel better if ya let yer emotions out. Don’t keep them bottled up.”

“S-So I’m not stupid?”

“Yer not stupid, never were.”

A loud gasp quickly made them pull back. On the bed next to theirs, Twilight Sparkle awakened in a cold sweat. Distressed, she looked around, realising that she was in Ponyville General. Upon meeting Aj’s eyes, she breathed a sigh of relief.

“Ah s’pose ya didn’t have a good night sleep, same as me.”

Twilight stared at her bed, motionless. “Well, reality isn’t really that much better...”

Olive nuzzled her mother once more, sensing some stress in the mare. “Hey now, we’ve all pulled through. Ah’d say that’s a victory.”

Twilight kept on staring blankly, refusing to lift so much as an eye. “Aj, I don’t think we’ll be the only ones having nightmares.”

“We... We did what we could. L-Look on ta bright side, ta foals are all still there thanks to us.” The orange mare smiled weakly, that was indeed a victory, a bitter one mostly.

Twilight frowned. “Oh, these foals are going to have it rough for a while. If only I had fought better I-”

“Ya gave it yer all, and that’s all that matters.” Applejack finished. “Do ya remember what Luna told ya?”

The princess of friendship finally raised her head. “Y-Yeah, I suppose it won’t do much good to lament on my performance. You’re right, I did my best for them. That said, I’ll still try to do better next time.”

“’f course. Let’s hope it won’t be just us two next time.” The earth pony sighed. “Ah really thought Ah was a goner for a moment. If it hadn’t been for ya, Ah...” She looked down at her daughter, choosing not to finish her sentence. “Ah really can’t thank ya ‘nough, Twilight.”

The alicorn chuckled weakly. “If you can’t thank me enough, you should consider becoming my apprentice.”

“Well, it’s a mighty good thing Ah don’t ‘ave a dragon code or somethin’!” Applejack mused.

Olive rolled around in the mare’s tender hoof, relaxed by her warmth. As she stood on her side, her curious eyes glanced over Twilight’s injuries. Concern immediately arose. “Princess Twilight, are you okay?”

The lavender mare smiled. “I’m fine, Olive. Thanks for your concern.” She then lifted her eyes. “I’ve got to say, Aj, you really have a treasure on your hooves.”

“Ah was just thinkin’ that mahself.” Aj responded softly. “She’s mah little pony.”

Now that the initial shock of her awakening had passed, Twilight calmed down, done reflecting on the day prior. There was no use dwelling on the past anymore, all that mattered to her was that everypony made it out alive. No casualties, even for Strong Hoof. They were truly the luckiest ponies alive right now.

However, one thing always bugged the alicorn. Why were the Anarchists so determined to kill all royalties? What’s their plan, their motivation for causing this much chaos?

“Um, Applejack. Do you mind if I ask a few questions?”

“Shoot, Twilight. Ask away.”

Twilight inched closer to the edge of the bed, levitating a nearby pen and paper. “Why did Strong Hoof even come to Ponyville? Why was he the only one?”

Applejack cringed, the conversation she had with the behemoth resurfaced. It was unpleasant to rethink about all the things he said, the surprising amount of compassion and respect he had for her and her friends. “From what Ah remember, he wanted three thin’s. First:” She gazed down at Olive, then back at Twilight. “Ya can figure that one out. Second: he wanted all six of us dead, that or ta Elements of Harmony. He wanted a third thin’, but Ah don’t know what it was.”

Twilight narrowed her eyes. Could it be the griffon that sucked out my blood? “I believe it had something to do with me. He sent a griffon to steal some of my blood.”

Applejack didn’t respond to that, she was too busy fumbling her hooves, looking down at the adorable pink unicorn nuzzling her legs. “Before He attacked me, he, uh, talked to me ‘bout lotta thin’s. He revealed exactly why they were figthin’ us.”

Twilight’s ears perked, leaning closer to her friend. She was fully ready to scribble down absolutely everything. “Really?! What did he say?!”

“Uh, t-they wanna replace Celestia, not with a new prince or princess, but with democracy.”

Twilight blinked. “Democracy? Isn’t that what the ponies in Ponethen-”

“Yes, sugar cube, he mentioned it alright.” Waving a hoof, “He didn’t sound that evil when Ah spoke to ‘im. Ah, well... actually got ta impression that he genuinely wanted to do some good.”

“But what good pony would want to kill an innocent filly?” Twilight asked, snapping Olive out of her good time.

“I... did something really bad when I was angry. They all hate me for it.”

Applejack winced. “He didn’t hate ‘er for no reason. Not saying he was justified in wanting to kill Olive, but he had a clear motive. And no, Ah won’t let ya pester ‘er into saying it.” The mare’s hooves trembled. “Ah’m not really sure what to think of this anymore. Twilight, they’re not monsters like we believed. I-In some ways, they’re just like us. Ponies that want to be ta hero. N-Not just that, he also made some fair points, like with ta royal guard. Twilight... have ya ever thought why we dedicated only ta strongest stallions to protecting alicorns? Ta strongest ponies in all Equestria? M-Maybe all they want is for there to be less injustices.”

Her friend opened her mouth, but no words came. It took some time for her to process this. “T-Then why are they doing this? Why are they causing so much pain? Why can’t they just talk it out? Nopony has to suffer.”

Olive whined. “They love daddy. Everypony does. They always love to hear his voice.”

“Oh... I should have seen this coming.” Twilight muttered. “He does have a nice voice, albeit creepy sounding.”

“I don’t think I like daddy, but I always loved to hear him sing.” Olive admitted. “My daddy’s the best singer in Equestria.”

Applejack scoffed. “That’ll make ‘im better than Jolly Melody, and Ah don’t think that’s quite possible. Ta stallion was good in literally every genre possible!”

The little filly sluggishly stood up. “B-But my daddy IS Jolly Melody!”

“What?!” The two mares shouted. “Y-Ya never told me that before, sugar cube!”

Olive shrunk, hiding in Aj’s fur. “Sorry...”

“O-Oh, ya don’t ‘ave to be! Ya can take yer time, Ah don’t want to force ya to say anythin’ if yer not comfortable.”

“She didn’t tell you first? That’s odd...” A frail voice spoke out, catching the attention of the three hospitalised ponies. As they turned around, they noticed the last one was now wide awake. Cheerilee smiled weakly, her tired eyes begging her to close them. Her breaths were heavy and labored, every single movement costed a great deal of energy. As Olive leaned closer, she noticed the mare’s body was covered in a huge cast.

Flashes of yesterday flew through the filly’s mind. She saw Strong Hoof towering over her and the crushed body of her teacher.

“Oh, Cheerilee. You’re awake.” Twilight muttered.

“Yeah... I’m awake.” Cheerilee croaked, her smile fading away. “I’m just... surprised Olive hasn’t told you about Jolly Melody.”

“Ah didn’t know she told ya specifically.” Applejack said, surprised.

“Not me per say. The whole class.”

Applejack looked to her daughter for some clarification. “It was for a presentation about my family. I, uh, wanted to get some things off my chest. Y-You're still my favorite family!” Olive blurted out, panting.

Twilight Sparkle examined Cheerilee’s frail body, cringing inside. “So, um, h-how're you holding up?”

The cerise mare repositioned her head on her pillow and that alone made her wince in agony. Her back cried out in pain as she performed the littlest of task. “T-To be honest, it’s awful. I’m scared to move a muscle.”

“Oh dear, I’m so sorry.” Twilight mourned, distraught by the pitiful look in the teacher’s eyes. Cheerilee had lost the bright attitude that made her so fun to be around. It hurt so much to see her that way.

“I can’t lie, this might stick with me to the end.” she somberly admitted. “I-I think it’s going to be the cart for life.” The cerise mare got misty eyes as she spit out the tough truth, her voice turning to a mere whisper as fear overtook her. “I can’t feel my hind legs, Twilight. I can’t feel anything below my waist.”

“W-Who knows, maybe you’ll get the chance to trot again.” Twilight stuttered, hoping to brighten the mare’s mood. Her weak smile did little to help, sadly.

Cheerilee let a few tears leak through. “M-Maybe. I just... don’t want to see the doctor, Twilight. I’m not ready to face it.”

Watching the two speak, Applejack felt awful. Being a pony that made good use of her hind legs, she couldn’t imagine how bad it must feel to lose control of them. Just then, Olive tugged on her shoulder. “Mhm?”

“Mommy? Is this my fault?” Olive asked somberly, her voice riddled with guilt. “Strong Hoof crushed her because I was too scared to do anything.”

“Olive, Ah don’t know what yer father told ya, but ya can’t expect to do everythin’ to perfection. Yer just a little filly, nopony would blame ya for bein’ too scared to move. Sometimes, tragedies happen, and we can’t do anythin’ ‘bout it. That’s just how life is.” After hearing her mother’s answer, Olive’s mood lightened up. She could always look to her for answers, for wisdom. She was truly lucky to have a mother this caring and smart, one that won’t judge her too harshly for her shortcomings.

She was right, it’s unreasonable for her to assume she was responsible for what happened. Not every bad thing that happens is her fault. All she can do is try to help ponies that are in pain like she did that week. Hopefully, she can leave a mark deep enough on other ponies to inspire them to rise above their pain.

“... Do you want me to turn on the radio? It’ll help you think of something else.”

Cheerilee thought about Twilight’s proposition for a moment, then nodded. “Yes, please. I can’t stand to be left alone with my thoughts. I could really use some music.”

Pushing the power button, the alicorn rested on her pillow as the radio turned on, ready to be cradled by some nice music. A retro sounding song started playing, but everypony quickly recognised the singer.

My dear, we can reach for the stars!

To-ge-ther, under the moonlight, we’ll never have to worry.

“O-Oh!” Twilight gasped. She probably should have seen it coming. More Jolly Melody played on this radio. It didn’t take long for the little pink unicorn to cringe, seeking her mother for comfort. Cheerilee covered her ears, bitterness taking over her mind. “My bad. I’ll see if there’s a better channel for us.”

Switching to a different channel, another musician greeted their ears, one that was involved in much less controversy than Jolly Melody. It did wonders to improve the current mood of the room. What they all needed was some rest, and to get their minds off the storm. What happened in the storm was in the past, they just had to move on. “And Applejack, I swear I’ll talk to Celestia about your concerns. Maybe she’ll bring some changes in the bigger cities.”

The orange mare smiled gratefully. “Thanks, Twilight.”

Just then, the door opened, and two mares entered. Olive’s face lit up as she recognised the white one, “Miss Redheart!” she exclaimed, suddenly forgetting about the pain in her legs. Her tail waggled excitedly like a puppy seeing their master after a long day’s work.

The nurse did her best to put on a happy smile, but she clearly looked sad to see the filly back in Ponyville General Hospital so soon. “Hi, sweetie! Did you sleep well?” The second mare entered, albeit lagging behind Redheart. Olive also recognised her, it was nurse Snowheart, the one that took her in the bathroom and well... triggered a nasty explosion on accident. It was the filly’s fault, at least, that’s what the unicorn believed. If she hadn’t freaked out, the mare wouldn’t fear her.

“I-I did, I think. I didn’t have a bad dream.” The adorable pink unicorn answered, scratching her messy mane.

Redheart smiled, still careful not to bare her teeth. “Oh! What was it about?”

Olive blinked, struggling to remember much of her dream. “I dreamt of a stallion being on the moon. It was... strange, I didn’t want to be outside at night.”

The nurse bugged on the stallion part, deciding to ignore it for now. “Well, that’s a normal feeling for most ponies. It can be dangerous when it’s dark.” she explained in a cheery voice, opting to let out the professional tone just for the small pony.

“I know but... it felt like the stallion was watching me, and that’s why I didn’t want to go outside.” Olive said, sounding more confused by the word. Eventually she gave up on explaining how she felt, it was simply too difficult.

“I think I get it...” Nurse Redheart looked over her shoulder, wondering why her fellow nurse still hasn’t entered, and sighed. “If you’re too scared to do your work, you should get somepony else.”

“N-No, that’s alright!” Snowheart hastily responded. “I’ll just... check over there.” She pointed to Cheerilee, making her way to the tired patient.

Redheart, for her part, went to check on Olive. She had no reason to fear the little pony unlike Snowheart who may be slightly exaggerating. The affectionate filly was quick to jump on her, sharing some love. “It’s great to see you’re doing well! Hey, Applejack, how was it with her?”

The orange mare chuckled. “A lot better than Ah imagined. She’s surprisingly mature and certainly kind for a pony ‘er age! She got alon’ with most of ‘er classmates.”

“Wonderful!” Redheart clapped. “I’m happy to hear it.” From her position, she had a clear view of the window, and the snowy mess that had become Ponyville. Her smile faltered as she thought about the storm. So much snow... ponies could barely leave their home in such dense and tall snow. “Say, have you... noticed the awful weather by any chance?”

“What awful weathe-” Applejack froze in face of the tall snow. It nearly encompassed most of the window, barely giving her a view of the town outside. It couldn’t be winter already. It wasn’t planning to snow for a least another month. Was it just magic, or had the temperature already went sub-zero? “...W-What?”

Olive, however, was thrilled. “It’s snowy! Hearth’s Warming must be close!” For a pony that hasn’t lived on a farm all her life, she didn’t realise the numerous problems an early winter can cause. For her, it was all fun and games. She daydreamed of playing in the snow with her friends, building snowponies and placing down Hearth’s Warming decorations whilst her mother stared in horror at this unforeseen turn of event.

The apple trees, their roofs, the crops, the animals, everything on the farm wasn’t ready for this. Oh, how she wished she could just gallop out of this bed and help her family out there. Sadly, her injured body couldn’t spend this much energy.

“B-But we weren’t told it was gonna snow!” Aj shouted. The white coated nurse cringed, scratching the back of her head.

“I-I don’t think it was planned at all. One minute it was raining and the other, it was snowing. I don’t know what happened to the temperature, just that it dropped in an instant. We’re having an early winter this year...”

Twilight’s eyes widened. The answer was all too obvious. Who could have taken advantage of the storm but him, a pony that can unleash the fury of nature at will, one that had already called a storm before on his own. Under her breath, she muttered the name of the cursed stallion. “Anarchy...”

Cold, it was so cold in there. The blanket they offered wasn’t enough to deal with the frosty air brought upon by their master. Dreamcatcher wished the royal guards could have bothered to light a fire for them, but it would appear that not even royal prisoners get small favors.

It was a rather... bitter feeling for a victory. Such a killjoy. They had done it. They brought Anarchy and the Nightmare together. The source of power for Nightmare Moon. With it, Anarchy should be able to turn the tides of battle and bring them total victory. Everything was set in stone, so why was she nervous? Why was she doubting their future?

She trembled under her blanket, trying to survive the frost his ultimate ascension has brought. He assured them it was bound to happen, just a side effect of his transformation. Apparently, the side effects of the transformation are unique to everypony. Why was Anarchy’s a drop in temperature and unending frost was beyond her. All that mattered right now was to stay alive in this dark prison, fed only the minimum to survive, with no clear shot at freedom...

“H-Hey...” she reached out to her cellmate, a hardened mare that clearly took the grim situation better than her. “Do you think he’ll come back for us?”

“Hm?” The mare side eyed her, frowning. “Did I hear that right? You’re doubting the boss’s words.”

Dreamcatcher’s heart pounded, sensing some hostility. “N-No! That’s not it! I-I meant to say if he’s going to come back down. I mean... we have no idea what truly happened once he finished the ritual.”

The mare groaned. “He promised he’ll return from beyond to free us and finish the fight. We have no business in knowing the finer details. He knows what’s up, we don’t, let’s keep it at that.”

“Okay...” the pegasus said, her voice being but a whisper. The mare’s confidence at least brought some comfort to her, but she was still scared of the future. Moreover, she hasn’t received any news of Strong Hoof. Sent to fight the Elements of Harmony and a monster foal, she feared for the worst. Anarchy demanded a lot of him, demanded something that would have broken many ponies but hopefully not him.

“H-Holy shit. What the fuck is that thing?!”

Dreamcatcher jumped. The ground quaked, deafening hoofsteps broke the eerie silence of the cells. It was Strong Hoof! It had to be! The blue mare jumped out of her blanket and grabbed onto the bars, looking to the right. She waited in bathed breath, wondering why he was even here.

“That’s Strong Hoof from what the captain told me. The biggest and baddest Anarchists, behind their leader of course. It’s a good thing we finally have him.”

Hope soon vanished from the mare as a horrifying sight greeted her. A large burnt and bruised body, a jaw wrapped around in a cast and sad, defeated eyes. Strong Hoof lost and suffered immensely as a result. “Strong Hoof!” she croaked, pushing a hoof out for the giant.

The tall stallion noticed her but avoided her gaze out of shame. He kept his head low and weak. But even so, the guards feared him. They didn’t look at him like they did most ponies, they stared at him like he was a beast. They even dared to call him a thing. It broke the mare’s heart. The pony she loved the most, reduced to a soulless mess.

After a few grueling seconds, they whisked him away, pulling on the chain around his neck. And thus, her beloved was gone, taken to a faraway cell. Now, she was back to being alone in the dark with nothing but an uncaring mare for a companion, one that couldn’t fill the void Anarchy and Strong Hoof left in her heart. That night, she silently cried herself to sleep.

Author's Note

One last chapter before Christmas. It's a lot shorter than the previous ones but then again, it was hard to find some time to write since I returned home for the Holidays. At least, I made some time for y'all. That'll be my early Christmas gift.

Now that I've shown our four injured ponies, it's time to see how the others reacted to this whole incident. Next chapter, these four are gonna receive a lot of visitors! Oh, and let's not forget about Looking Glass, Luna, Celestia and Mango. These four also have a few things to say about the current situation.

As for Anarchy, I believe I don't need to say where's he at or what's happening to him. It should be fairly obvious by now he's becoming the next Nightmare Moon, albeit, potentially worse. Once the dust has settled, he'll return to Equestria to stir up some conflict. What kind of conflict? Let's just say it's the lovestruck type.

43. Moving Forward

A week later, Applejack, Olive and Twilight finally left the hospital for good, ready to face the coming winter. As was expected, the big fight at Ponyville’s schoolhouse attracted lots of attention. Spreading by word of mouth initially, it reached the big cities far away, manifesting in the ever-growing presence of the paparazzi assaulting them with all sorts of question.

Applejack hated their intrusion, their incessant desire to intrude on their personal lives. The worst part of all this was the fact that a less than desirable truth would spill to the rest of Equestria because of them; the monster within her daughter was no longer a secret. Their curiosity quickly turned to fear, and their questions shifted from Strong Hoof to Olive in an instant. The poor filly buried herself in her mother’s hooves, terrified by the oppressive presence of all these ponies staring at her with less than pleasant expressions.

Bitter, terror, disgust, none of them were willing to see past the monster buried within. The worst, however, had yet to come. Soon, all Equestria will know that this filly hides an eldritch beast inside. At least, her close friends won’t judge or fear her for it...

Applejack could already see the fearmongering headlines: Monster filly living among us!

Once that terrible experience was over, they left the hospital and returned to the farm. Now having some time alone, Applejack went back to a troubling thought, a nagging fear that persisted for the entire week, one she didn’t get much time to acknowledge but knew Twilight and Cheerilee were onto it.

The cerise mare’s story had a somewhat troubling detail. It happened eight years ago. The newborn filly was kidnapped eight years ago. What else happened eight years ago? Jolly Melody went missing, and Anarchy was birthed from the darkest corners of this country.

There was, however, a chance that this was all a coincidence, that they were looking too deep into it but still, now that this story was brought up... Olive does look somewhat like Cheerilee.

Applejack wondered if Cheerilee caught on. If she knew that the filly the farm pony was currently fostering was hers. If she knew then... what would happen? Olive was her daughter, her offspring, not Aj’s. Would the mare want her back?

And what about Care? Applejack froze. What about her? If the pegasus learned about this... Olive was only hers because the poor filly had no known relative to speak of, no family to go to. With Cheerilee being her biological mother, would she be sent to her?

Would Heedful Care take Olive away from her?

Applejack’s heart skipped a beat. It throbbed against her chest with ever-growing intensity, terrified. N-No! She can’t know! But still, wouldn’t it be wrong to keep her in the dark just so that she can keep Olive? Would it truly be for the best to lie to this kind counselor just for her own happiness?

The orange mare felt sick, disoriented. What should Ah do? What should Ah do? The fear was eating her inside, putting a complete stop to her work. Her mind couldn’t stop thinking about this story and its implications. Her body stopped moving, no longer willing to harvest the apples from the farm. There was a more pressing matter at hoof.

Dropping her baskets, she rushed back to her home, stopping by Granny Smith who sat on the porch reading peacefully. “U-Um, howdy Granny. Ah, uh... w-was wonderin’ where mah littl- where Olive went.” she stuttered awkwardly, unable to put her confused thoughts into coherent words.

Granny lifted her tired head, smiling gently. “Ah think Ah saw ta lil filly wander over to, ah...” Her smile slowly lowered. “Ta hill... with some big sticks and a rope. Ya know ta hill, ta one with ta, uh, flowers and apples...” With her head, she pointed at the one place they still struggled to mention, the resting place of Bright Mac and Pear Butter.

Looking over, Applejack could see a small pink and white figure on that hill, sitting near the graves. “Thanks, Granny!”

The trek to the hill was difficult, not because the road was tough to travel, no. It was a road filled with fear, confusing and contradicting thoughts and a desperate need for some comfort. Applejack only longed for one thing, to feel the small hooves of her daughter around her, to feel her love.

It was with a heavy heart that she reached the top, the memories of her parents coming back to haunt her in tandem with her own fears. Olive, however, didn’t sit in front of these graves. She was off to the side, where something strange caught the mare’s attention. Two sticks, fused together via a rope in the shape of a cross were planted on the ground next to her parent’s grave. On the vertical stick, a single word was carved:

Aurora

Heedful Care’s grim words came back to her mind. We did find something we believe belongs to Aurora... A severed wing... or what’s left of it anyway. The odd construction she was staring at was a grave. A crude looking grave, but one that was clearly made with heart.

Olive stared at it, struggling to keep her eyes on the carved name. Despite the awful cold, she felt nothing, no frost, no heat. Atop the hill, the wind howled, sharing her pain. Just then, her mother took a seat next to her, wrapping her hooves around to keep her warm.

“We know what it’s like, sugar cube. We know all too well.”

Olive whimpered; her eyes watered. In a flash, she saw all the times she spent with Aurora, her bright smile, her optimism and the love she had for her. If it wasn’t for her, she’d never be here, she wouldn’t have gotten a second chance at life, she wouldn’t have been happy. Her emotions slowly poured out of her, unable to stay within anymore. But Applejack was there, and she gave her a mane to cry into. With a scream of pain, she let her mother bring some much-needed comfort.

Sharing the filly’s pain, Applejack began to cry too but for a different reason. Ah don’t want to let her go. Ah just can’t...

She needs me more than ever.

Olive spent a while resting on the couch, hidden underneath a blanket with a cup of hot chocolate in reach. She’d spent a lot of time outside without any boots or a scarf which nearly gave her a cold. As such, she was instructed to stay indoors for the rest of the day until she warms up. It was a good thing, mourning inside certainly felt better than it did in the frosty lands of Equestria.

At least here, she was comfortable dealing with her sad feelings. Of course, it was obvious that she should move forward and not dwell on the past...

Oh, but it was so difficult! Every time she thought about Aurora, another memory of them playing popped up. One lead to another and thus, Olive lost track of what she was even supposed to sort out. She’d gone from mourning her loss, to thinking about all the important things she taught her, to all the fun times they had, to what it was like to live with her father and at that point, she started to forget why she was even feeling sad to begin with.

Being her was annoying. A simple word, sentence or even an image can send her spiralling down an endless staircase of memories that leads to another one, so on and so forth. Her mind was nothing more than paralysis. When she was lucky, she could break out of this vicious cycle and forget about it, other times, not so much. Fifteen minutes, thirty minutes, sometimes even forty-five minutes could be lost thinking about such pointless things! It was so frustrating.

It’s so frustrating to feel so useless...

...

Did they also see her as weak and useless? She was no idiot; she could clearly tell that her simple inclusion in the family lead to some financial problems. Foals cost a lot of money to take care of. After all the things they did for her, the last thing she wanted was to be nothing more than a burden.

She can’t stay here sipping her hot chocolate and acting like a useless filly. She’s strong, smart and determined. With this early winter taking everypony by surprise, her family needs all the help they can get. They need her to be outside.

Jumping out of her blanket, Olive put on her boots, a scarf to keep her neck warm and a toque for her mane. Then, she headed outside and braved the cold, trotting through the deep snow to her mother as she was bucking the apple trees.

Applejack wiped the sweat off her forehead, turning around to buck another tree when Olive came into view. The filly looked up to her with her beautiful eyes sparkling with a renewed determination. “Hey, sugar cube. Ya feelin’ better?”

Olive nodded. “Yes. I’m here to help you!”

“Uh, help me?” Applejack stopped and stared at the filly from her hooves all the way up her mane. Her daughter was small, even smaller than Apple Bloom. She didn’t quite know what to say to that. Olive might even be younger than her baby sister. But still, it couldn’t hurt to let her try. “Sure, Ah believe ya can help Apple Bloom with ‘er work! She could always use an extra pair of hooves!”

Directed to her sister, Olive waltzed next to her, puffing her chest. “I’m here to help you!” She said with a surprising amount of confidence and determination.

“Oh really?” Apple Bloom stopped her apple bucking, panting. “Ah’m guessin’ mah sister sent ya to help.”

Olive nodded happily. “Mommy said you could use some help!”

Her older sister narrowed her eyes, examining the energetic filly from top to bottom. Not only was she smaller than her, but she was also a unicorn. Unicorns aren’t quite as strong as earth ponies... “Um, are ya sure yer strong enough to buck an apple tree?”

In response, Olive lifted a hoof, flexing her foreleg. “I am really strong! Look, I’ll prove it right now!” The pink unicorn got in position and, imitating her older sister, bucked the tree with all her might. It cracked under her sheer power and showered the two siblings with apples.

Olive fell to the ground, wincing in pain. She had proven her point, but her hind legs now hurt.

Apple Bloom smiled. “That’s great!” Her glee was short lived as she noticed the pain her sister was in. “But, uh... yer not supposed to buck it s’hard as ya can. That... just hurts yer legs.”

Olive whimpered, holding her hind legs. She panicked, wondering if she accidentally broke a leg again. Stretching one out, she came to realise that everything was fine. The pain was gone, and so were her worries. “I can still work!” She said, brushing her sister off. “I’m okay! I’m not frail.”

The farm filly smiled proudly. “Of course, yer an Apple! And we’re all tough as steel!”

After a long afternoon of work, Olive and Apple Bloom joined their friends as agreed near Sugar Cube Corner. On their way, the two siblings passed by a young stallion who was immediately startled by the mere presence of the pink unicorn, creating as much distance between them as possible. He must be one of those crazy reporters strolling in town, not knowing a thing about her or her sad upbringing. With a mane as white as snow, she was hard to spot in this weather.

The residents of Ponyville never really panicked after the information leaked out, they already knew from Twilight and her friends that this filly was a kind and gentle soul.

Apple Bloom sighed and shook her heads. “Ah can’t believe ponies are already fearin’ ya. Ah mean, can’t they see yer no monster?”

Olive’s blank expression crumbled, now replaced by worry. “Do you think I should try to look more friendly?” Another thing she was known for were her blank and often lifeless expressions. Until you talk to her, at which point she seemingly springs to life and can engage in a normal conversation without any problems.

She simply doesn’t approach other ponies unless she has important business with them, making her not much of a social butterfly. To outsiders, however, that only serves to make her look more alien because of her other, darker side.

“What if I try to smile?” Olive stretched her mouth wide, baring her teeth.

Her sister cringed not just at the idea, but mostly at the execution. “Ah think yer better off bein’ yerself. No offense but ya look kinda creepy right naow.”

“Aw, why can’t I look friendly?”

Apple Bloom gasped. “Right there! That’s better! Ya look a lot nicer when ya ‘ave this look on yer face!”

Olive stared at a window, examining her reflection for a few seconds. “But that’s just how I look when I’m feeling down!”

“Oh right... Ah can’t really ask ya to look like that all ta time, that’ll just be sad.” Apple Bloom scratched the back of her head awkwardly, giving up on solving this precarious situation. They’ll just have to wait and see how things would go from here. At least, there probably won’t be any unwanted visitors to Ponyville in the future. They’ll be too terrified to come and see the so-called monster of this earth pony town.

A monster, what a funny label to put on a filly who has trouble letting her anger out.

“Urgh, Ah dunno ‘bout ya, but this whole situation is makin’ me mad!” Apple Bloom shouted. “Aren’t ya mad too?”

Olive frowned, avoiding her eyes. “I mean, k-kinda. C-Can we hurry up to Sugar Cube Corner? I want to see my friends.”

“O-Oh, right! Sorry to hold ya off like that.”

Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo were waiting for them at a table for four. They were shivering despite wearing their winter clothes. Thinking back to the road to Sugar Cube Corner, Olive realised there weren’t many ponies outside. The dreadful winter forced everypony to spend as little time outside as possible, otherwise they’d catch a cold or suffer from hypothermia and that’s bad. Really bad.

Anyhow, the four Cutie Mark Crusaders each ordered a nice cup of hot chocolate to warm themselves after a long and frosty day.

“So, um, were did all that snow come from anyway?” Scootaloo asked first, glancing at the window. “It has to be magic or something.”

Sweetie Belle nearly burned her tongue on her hot chocolate, choosing to let it cool for a moment. “Didn’t you read the news? Something awful happened in Canterlot! It said the Anarchists were all captured but their leader!” She jerked, noticing Olive’s eyes were on her. “Uh... that’s your d-dad.”

Scootaloo grumbled. “I never read the newspaper because I’m too busy doing cool things.”

“Figures, I never read them either. Rarity always spills it out for me.” Sweetie admitted.

Olive climbed on her seat, staring at the setting sun. “So, it’s my daddy who’s on the moon. He’s hiding.”

Apple Bloom gasped. “What? Like... Nightmare Moon?”

“Yeah, he always wanted to go on the moon. I don’t know why; it looks kind of boring and lonely up there.”

Scootaloo shrugged. “Meh, who knows. Criminals always want weird things, especially the crazy ones.”

All four waited a bit longer for their cups to cool off. Now judging it was good to go, the boldest ones went first. Olive decided to go too, not wanting to look like a chicken and Sweetie Belle followed.

The pink unicorn approached her hesitant lips, placing them on the border of the cup. Slowly but surely, she lifted it and let the hot liquid drip down. She flinched lightly once it touched her lips, it burned but not enough to scare her away. So, she sipped.

Scootaloo groaned in pain, her tongue burning under the blazing power of the hot chocolate. She probably shouldn’t have taken a big gulp carelessly.

Apple Bloom hissed in pain, deciding to try her luck again seeing as one of them already bested the beverage.

Sweetie Belle, however, forfeited, choosing to wait just a bit longer. Having nothing to do, she observed her friends boldly attempting to tame the hot beast. So far, only Olive was successful, unbothered by the little pain it caused. Her taste buds had met the drink, and boy were they happy! Her eyes sparkled with pleasure, and she sipped again and again.

The white filly observed her friend drink so passionately, feeling her cheeks growing warm. The pink filly’s hind hooves clopped against one another in glee, satisfied by this delicious drink. She was drinking so much, she forgot to breathe! As such, she exhaled loudly after each sipping.

Her voice was like music to Sweetie Belle’s ears. Each time she exhaled, the filly tilted her head, eyes locked on the pink pony. She looked so gosh darn cute! Sweetie’s face turned red, forgetting entirely about her own drink. She was too absorbed in what Olive was doing.

Apple Bloom and Scootaloo watched on rather unimpressed. Eventually, the yellow earth pony leaned to her pegasus friend. “How long as it been goin’?”

“A week, I think.” Scootaloo grumbled. “Shouldn’t we do something about this? It’s getting rather tiring to watch.”

Apple Bloom sighed. “Ah know. Ah mean, ta two are clearly made fo’ each other! Olive just doesn’t know what’s goin’ on and Sweetie’s too scared to say anythin’. It’s frustrating to watch.”

“Darn right. I say we should help.”

“Well... what do ya propose?”

Scootaloo smirked. “I think I’ve got an idea. I’ll need your help to make it happen, but it’s guaranteed to bring them closer!”

“Hey, what are you talking about?” Both fillies jerked back. Olive had already finished her drink, her curious, bright eyes now on them.

“N-Nothing! Just a, uh, cool stunt I’ve been thinking about.” Scootaloo blurted out, smiling awkwardly to cover her lie.

“Oh, okay. Can you show me your cool stunt one day?”

The two fillies nodded, relieved. It’s a good thing that Olive can be so naïve at times. Looking to her right, the pink pony gazed at her lovestruck friend, confused. “Your cup is going to be warm. I think you should drink it now before it’s too late.”

Sweetie’s bubble broke, awakening her brutally. “Oh! What, uh?!” She accidentally knocked her cup, finally bringing it back into her view. “Oh right! My cup, it’s getting warm.”

Olive blinked. “That’s what I said.”

Apple Bloom and Scootaloo exchanged tired glances. The pink unicorn’s cluelessness was baffling to say the least. Then again, she did go through a lot, much more than all three of them combined so... maybe that explained why she’s somewhat oblivious to Sweetie’s feelings.

Just then, Miss Cake came to their table, smiling gently. “Did you enjoy your drink, fillies?”

Olive pushed her cup away and gave her a thankful smile. “It was really good! Thanks for the drink... even if it was really hot.”

The blue mare giggled. “That’s what the ‘hot’ in hot chocolate means!”

The burn of the hot chocolate finally reached her tongue, forcing it out. “Bleh.” Olive sticked her tongue out, letting the cold air cool her mouth. She could barely feel the taste of her drink anymore.

Scootaloo scoffed, taking a sip of her much less hot drink. “I guess there’s a consequence to bravery.”

Olive grumbled, retracting her tongue after a while. “I want a regular chocolate next time.”

“You mean chocolate milk?” Miss Cake asked.

“I thought that was cold chocolate.”

The blue mare giggled at this unorthodox response. “Oh, aren’t you precious! You can place your bits on the table. Remember, it’s two bits each.”

Now that they’ve drank and rested well, the four crusaders left Sugar Cube Corner, looking for adventures. However, something unexpected came in the form of three guards dragging Spoiled Rich to a flying cart. The mare was trashing to break free, but their iron grips were far too strong for her. As expected of the royal guard, they had zero expressions on their faces whilst they carried out their orders. It was chilling to stare at...

Chilling, but that didn’t stop Olive from rushing to them. The deep snow made it hard to reach the guards, constantly making her fall face first on the frosty ground. She noticed Filthy Rich and Diamond Tiara staring at the scene in shock. The filly wanted to run after them, to her mother but her father held her back, shaking his head sadly. “Let it go. There’s nothing we can do...”

In her desperation, Diamond cried out to her pink friend. “O-Olive! Do something!”

Confused and worried, Olive tapped one of their guard’s hooves. Her friends gasped, bewildered by the filly’s daring move. One does not simply interrupt a royal guard in the middle of their work. That’s just insanity! The large stallion looked at her briefly, not letting Spoiled loose. “What is it?” he asked, his voice deep and intimidating but friendly, nonetheless.

“Um...” Olive shook her tail nervously, struggling to maintain her eyes on the intimidating figure. “W-Why are you taking her away?”

The two stallions threw the mare in the cart, where she was forcefully tied to her seat, preventing any escape. The driver nodded at the guard Olive just talked to. “We have some time to spare. You can answer her.”

He sat down, trying to make himself appear less intimidating. “We were ordered by Princess Celestia to bring her to jail for her upcoming trial.”

“Jail? Is she going to be here forever?” Olive asked in her soft, worried voice.

The guard managed a comforting smile. “No, we’re not locking her in the dungeons. That place is only reserved for truly evil ponies. A jail is just a smaller dungeon meant to hold ponies who are accused of having committed a crime. She won’t be here forever.”

“Did she really commit a crime?”

“I don’t know for sure, but that’s what a trial is meant to do; to see if the culprit is truly guilty of the suspected crime. Is there anything else you want to know?”

Olive opened her mouth, glancing at Diamond Tiara. Her poor friend was holding back some tears. She knew how her friend felt, this difficult feeling that neither could truly explain. To love somepony that wasn’t entirely fair or kind to you. They have their soft spots, but they can be oh so mean at times. “N-No...”

The guard nodded, getting back on all four. “If so, we will depart immediately. We’re sorry for causing a scene.”

The cart left shortly after. Olive watched as the four guards and Spoiled Rich flew to Canterlot, the city resting on a mountain. Talking to this stallion, she finally understood what separated the royal guards from the stallions following her father. Despite their tough and gruff appearances, these intimidating stallions know what kindness is. It meant a lot to her that they were willing to answer the questions of a nopony.

But now, there was another problem. A problem in the form of a distraught filly weeping over her father’s shoulder. Diamond Tiara lost her mother just like how Olive lost her closest friend. Being separated from the pony you love, nothing felt worse than that.

“Ah can’t believe ya touched a royal guard! That’s like, super dangerous! Who knew how he would ‘ave reacted!” Apple Bloom’s voice brought her back to reality.

“Yeah, royal guards are super scary. They always have this dead look in their eyes while they’re doing something!” Scootaloo added.

“Well, uh, I just... knew he wouldn’t hit me.”

“Hit you?!” Sweetie Belle squeaked. “You were interfering with a royal guard’s duty! Something bad could have happened to you!”

Feeling ashamed, Olive lowered her head, hiding her face behind her mane and tail. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know what I did was dangerous...”

Sweetie Belle jumped on the unicorn, hugging her. “You need to be more careful for us, okay? I feel like I’m going to have a heart attack whenever you do something reckless.”

“Aw, don’t have a heart attack, please!” Olive begged. “I don’t want to get another friend killed because I’m stupid!”

Sweetie Belle frowned. “And stop saying you’re stupid! I hate when you beat yourself down like that. I want you to be happy and confident, not sad and insecure!”

“Uh, bu-I-I don’t...” Her friend hushed her, tightening her grip.

“I’m happy when you’re happy. That’s what I want you to understand.”

Olive blushed, not knowing why she felt so... great hearing these words. Sweetie Belle had brought her morale up and now; she was ready to help a friend in need. Nuzzling against her unicorn friend, Olive smiled. “Thank you, I feel much better now.”

Vigor was restored. Now, she trotted towards the weeping earth pony, smiling warmly at the stallion holding her friend. “Hey, Mister Filthy.”

Filthy Rich frowned. “I’d much prefer if you call me Mister Rich.”

“We came to help Diamond Tiara, Mister Rich.”

Mildly surprised, he looked at his daughter. “Are these your friends, sweetie?”

Diamond Tiara wiped her tears, struggling to make out the four fillies standing before her. “Y-Yeah. Especially Olive.”

“The pink one?” he asked softly.

“Yeah, she saved everypony’s lives back at the school.”

The stallion’s entire attitude changed, smiling brightly at the newcomers. “Oh, it’s her! Thanks for saving my wife and my daughter. It really means a lot to me!” He patted Olive on the head. The filly didn’t really mind being touched by a stranger.

“Actually, I only really wanted to beat that mean stallion for what he did to me.”

“It doesn’t change the fact that you saved everypony in doing so!” Filthy Rich pressed. “We put so much money in that school because we want nothing more but the best for our little Diamond. Thanks to you, we haven’t lost everything!”

“But the school is destroyed!”

Mister Rich scoffed. “It’s not that bad! I’ve already paid an entire construction team to repair it. It’ll just take a week or two to bring it back to working condition. In the meantime, we don’t really know what to do with our filly’s education. Especially now that... she’s been taken away.”

Olive frowned, lowering her sad head. “Is there something I can do to help your wife?”

“Well...” Filthy Rich’s face lit up. “Hold on. You were there during the storm which means you’re also a witness!”

“A witness?”

“Yes! You saw what happened didn’t you? Is my wife really guilty of attempted foal murder?”

The Cutie Mark Crusaders cringed, looking away.

“I-I don’t think so.” Olive responded much to her friend’s surprise.

Yeah... Says ta filly who almost got killed by ‘er. Ah ‘ope she won’t try to do anythin’ horrible to ya again...

Gee, I’ll never understand why you’ll stick up for that horrible mare... If things get ugly, I’ll pull you out of there!

So you’re willing to forgive even your enemies? Olive... You truly are an admirable pony!

“Then you’ll help the judge see that my wife is innocent, right?” Rich asked, almost getting on his knees in front of a poor farm filly.

“I’ll do my best for my friend, Diamond Tiara!” Olive announced confidently.

Diamond Tiara sniffled, overwhelmed by her friend’s supernatural determination. “T-Thank you, Olive.”

Olive spoke up one last time, her voice filled with sympathy and sadness. "I know what it's like to be separated from a pony you love. Unlike me, you'll get her back."

Author's Note

Moving forward, more trouble arises. Olive's custody will be put into question should Care be aware of Cheerilee's history. Spoiled Rich is trialed for attempted foal murder and Cheerilee is still in denial!

A lot of things are hapening at once, but what about Looking Glass and Mango? What have they been doing during this week? Not much, sadly, but the royal captain has some sneaking suspicions that Looking is up to something...

And what about Anarchy? Still no sign of him, his cutie mark is still plastered on the moon, ominously overlooking Equestria but the stallion himself has yet to come down. The clock is ticking down, we should expect his company later this month.

44. The Ugly Truth

A week after Anarchy’s victory, the situation hasn’t changed much in Canterlot. The curfew is still up, now extending to the rest of Equestria, the mad stallion’s presence has been clearly spotted on the moon, guards are scrambling to cover every inch of the city as best they can. It wasn’t such a good time to be alive, everypony was on edge, the night was terrifying, all dreaded his inevitable return.

Amid it all, Mango was overworking himself, staying day and night to keep a close eye on his stallions. Anarchy was a problem, but what about the Crimson Mask? Princess Luna told him it was just the Anarchist’s doing, a simple distraction to cause chaos and fear amongst the population. That information originally came from Looking Glass, so he didn’t think too deeply about it. That stallion was a national hero, his word was gospel.

Recently, however, with all the spare time he had, he came to realise something wasn’t adding up with this initial theory. If the goal of the Crimson Mask’s return was to divert attention... why then did this impersonator broke in Fancy Pant’s home? The attack at Sweet Apple Acre made sense with this theory. By directly assaulting Ponyville, the royal guard’s attention would be moved to that town instead of Canterlot, where the Anarchists were hiding. Invading Fancy Pant’s home, however, brought that attention back to Canterlot...

“It just ain’t right!” Mango shouted in the void, thankful nopony was there to hear this outburst. Anyhow, the dungeons are right there, in front of him. He can simply ask the prisoners about the Crimson Mask, see what they have to say about that impersonator.

“I don’t know who that blue coated imposter is, but I’d like to give him a piece of my mind. That old bastard deserved to die at the hooves of Looking Glass. He tried to kill me! Ugh! Anarchy didn’t even want to tell me his name.”

Mango raised an eyebrow. Dreamcatcher sounded bitter about the Crimson Mask, even clueless if their plan was to impersonate him. She also has no reason to lie, they’re all locked in, and their master is on the moon, the Crimson Mask has no use anymore. So what gives? Somepony was lying, be it Looking Glass or Dreamcatcher. Only one thing to do, press further.

Lowering his voice, he narrowed his eyes to intimidate her into giving a truthful answer. “You’re lying. We know that the fake Crimson Mask was one of your stallion spreading terror in Equestria. Cut the crap and point me to the impersonator.”

Dreamcatcher opened her mouth, staring at the stallion, horribly confused. “The hay are you talking about? That bastard stormed in our base and tried to kill Anarchy before the raid! Admittedly, he had a pretty damn good impression of the old bastard.” She scoffed. “Well, guess that crosses off the secret agent theory...”

Pretty damn good impression. Blue coated... Mango furrowed his brows. “We’re done here.” Storming off, the captain wanted answers. Nopony ever questions Looking Glass about his claims but this one about the Crimson Mask was shady. And now, it pointed to him as the main suspect. Unless there just happened to be another blue stallion who can imitate the criminal mastermind’s voice, he was the culprit.

Just as he had guessed, he found the detective in the castle’s library, reading about Nightmare Moon in preparation for the upcoming monster. That could wait for now, he had to answer the batpony right then and there.

“Looking Glass, I have a few questions for you, if you don’t mind.” Mango said, masking his anger.

The detective, however, had a keen eye for ill intentions. He immediately sensed something was wrong simply by laying his eyes on the captain. Mango was hiding something from him, and it wasn’t good. “Nothing’s going on around Canterlot, I can spare a few minutes.”

“That’s great. You see, it’s just that something’s bugging me and I wanted to ask your opinion on that.” Mango continued, trotting over to the table Looking was sitting at. Placing his hooves on it, he sharpened his gaze. “It’s about the Crimson Mask.”

Looking Glass almost winced, his left eye twitching. He knows.

From above, Mango stared coldly. So I was right.

Looking Glass grunted, closing his book to face the taller pony. “On what account will you arrest me?”

“Oh, let’s see. Two cases of breaking and entering and let’s not forget, assault.” Mango sprouted his wings. “That will get you in the dungeon for a while. Why did you do it?”

“Our hooves were forced. I know Anarchy better than any of you. I couldn’t let him work in peace, that would have led only to disaster and since I wasn’t allowed to interrogate Olive just yet; I took matters into my own hooves.” Looking Glass answered sharply, standing his ground before the captain.

“Traumatising an already traumatised filly wasn’t a problem for you?” Mango scowled.

“It was, it didn’t feel good but it had to be done. I promise I won’t cause further damage once Anarchy has been dealt with.” Looking Glass raised his head, meeting the batpony at eye level.

The sharp eyes of the captain softened. “Celestia almighty... You know your time’s up. It won’t be long before the others learn about the Crimson Mask. I should arrest you right now but...” He shook his head, looking reluctant to go through with it. “Damn.”

“What's stopping you?” Looking Glass pierced the stallion’s soul with his cold gaze devoided of any fear. There was something about him that felt different, almost alien to the batpony and so, he pulled back.

Mango sighed, finally leaving the table. “For goodness's sake... You should be in the dungeons for what you’ve done! But, s-since you’ve done so much for Equestria, I’ll give you another chance. No more crimes, you hear me? You’ve caused enough damage and chaos already. You dawn that mask one more time, I’m calling the royal guards and it’s a one-way ticket to the dungeons.”

Once he was gone, Looking Glass breathed a sigh of relief. That went better than I expected. But to give up the mask... surely, he can try to find a way around it. Once Anarchy returns, I’ll hunt him down. It will be the last time I’ll wear this mask. But a part of his mind was against the idea. Captain Mango had a point; he did cause some disturbance because of this cursed object, but with how strong Anarchy would be, he’ll probably need it.

Sighing, he returned to his book. I still have plenty of time to think this through.

Wide awake in sweat, again. That same feeling of dread, slowly easing into relief. It was just another nightmare, another memory coming to haunt her. It first happened after her parent’s passing, then with the Nightmare Moon incident, then Discord, then Chrysalis and Sombra too. Everypony saw them as heroes bravely facing evil itself to save Equestria, they read or sometimes lived through these heroic ventures and went on with their lives. The truth was a pony does not simply dance with death and come out unscathed. Even if death failed to take them, it will leave a lasting impact.

Applejack knew that feeling all too well, for it started again after Strong Hoof attacked the school and mauled Olive.

Now, she laid alone in her bed, struggling to fall asleep again. Unable to chase the fear away, she eventually admitted she won’t be sleeping tonight. Even though everything turned out alright, her mind still forced her to relive that awful day and imagine what could have happened...

Who knew how long this one would last. Discord lasted for a week, Chrysalis for nearly a whole month, her parents, well... hasn’t really stopped.

Still, in the faint hope that she’d be cradled by the night again, she closed her eyes and waited.

“Mommy?”

A frightened soft voice brought her back to her grim reality. A small hoof gently shook her. Looking down, she saw Olive hanging onto her bed, her beautiful eyes locked onto hers. Remnants of tears rested below her soft gaze.

“What is it, sugar cube?” she croaked, tired.

“I had a nightmare.”

Without even thinking, she pulled her blanket down, offering some space to the little filly. “Come on in.”

The pink unicorn slowly climbed on her bed to glue herself to her. Her small hooves latched onto her chest, nuzzling against the strong mare in search of comfort and safety. The shadows can’t scare her anymore.

“There’s nothin’ to be scared of anymore.” Applejack said, unsure if she meant it to the filly, or to herself. Maybe it was for both.

Afterward, they slept well.

This filly is a gift that keeps on giving! That’s what Applejack thought one day when she checked in on her daughter and baby sister only to find a variety of plushies lying on their bed in an organised pattern. When she questioned them about it, Olive stated that she built it to “keep the nightmares away.” As she stated, the plushies will scare the monsters in the dark away, like a scarecrow but cute and cuddly. Apple Bloom liked the idea enough to give it a go, cuddling together in the warmth of the plushies.

Applejack giggled, finding the idea simply adorable but it did have some merit. She wasn’t visited by the pink filly that night so maybe these plushies do have something magical in them. Anyhow, she seemed to be doing better as time went on and that’s all that mattered in the end.

The next day was a big one for all three. It was Spoiled Rich’s trial, and they were all called in as witnesses. Applejack went to get her daughter and baby sister. As expected, Olive was trotting around the house with her Saddle Rager stick in mouth, making muffled noises that sounded like... explosions?

She must have a vivid imagination to be entertained by a mere stick! It was adorable to witness this filly’s strange ways. She’ll probably never get it, but she’ll try to understand how this little pony thinks. Apple Bloom came the second her name was called, knowing all too well that the day ahead wasn’t going to be a fun one.

Trotting through the streets of Ponyville, Olive’s newfound reputation as the monster filly soon caught up to her. With the newspaper slowly being printed, more ponies became aware of what truly transpired that stormy day. They were uncertain of what to feel, knowing that they spent many days trotting past her without as much as a single glance thrown her way.

Apple Bloom groaned, staring angrily at those who even dare to look at Olive the wrong way.

The fact that the monster filly was practically glued to Applejack and Apple Bloom eased their worries, thankfully. That mare was a local celebrity in Ponyville, a pony that can do no wrong, mostly. With Aj and her sister around, the monster was sure not to return and wreak havoc.

For the three farm ponies, this wasn’t a pleasant walk to the train station. The constant stares and murmurs coming from the townsfolk made them feel somewhat unwelcome in their hometown.

“Ah’m sure this’ll die down soon enough.” Hopefully it will happen. She wants nothing more than to give her daughter a good life. That is... if she’ll still have custody. But that’s a story for another day. She had to remember the events of the storm as clear as possible for her upcoming testimony. She can’t let anything else cloud her mind, especially not her fears.

Inside the train, Applejack was surprised to see her friend Twilight Sparkle also getting onboard. With her wings, she could have simply fly to Canterlot which would have been faster than taking the train.

Twilight looked around as she entered, taking a seat next to them once she spotted the trio. That explained why she took the train. “Hey, Applejack. I wanted to talk to you for a bit.”

Applejack left some space for her alicorn friend to sit down. Today was a beautiful day, a clear sky and a bright sun shining on Equestria. For them, however, that day would be mediocre. Gazing around this wagon, Applejack spotted some familiar faces. Diamond Tiara and her father, Filthy Rich. Silver Spoon and her parents. Scootaloo, sadly alone, and Sweetie Belle who’s accompanied by her older sister Rarity. If Cheerilee wasn’t hospitalised, she’d surely be onboard for Canterlot.

With this many witnesses, Olive feared she might not accomplish her promise to Diamond Tiara, which would be awful. No fillies should ever be separated from their mother. But since these witnesses are all her friends, maybe she could talk them into twisting the situation ever so slightly so that’d it be in Spoiled’s favor.

“Uh, sorry but... no way I’m doing that.” Uh, oh. Scootaloo wasn’t liking this idea at all. “She tried to get you killed! It wouldn’t be right to let out a mare who’s willing to kill a filly for her sake! Listen, I’m only doing this because if she’s out, she might try to hurt you again!”

“But maybe she didn’t try to kill me to save herself. Maybe she did it because she wanted to protect Diamond Tiara.” Olive countered, sounding rather calm when talking about how she nearly died. To be fair, when you’ve danced with death as much as her, these memories don’t frighten you nearly as much.

Scootaloo scratched her head. “I... have my doubts. Did you even pay attention to what she was saying every time we met her? That mare is only concerned about her status and riches! She coaches Diamond only because she wants her to represent her family in a good light.”

Olive moaned sadly. “W-We can’t judge ponies based on what we know. Maybe she truly has some love for Diamond. For my friend, I’ll try to help as best as I can.”

Scootaloo cringed, starting to feel awful about her final decision. “Then I’m really sorry, but I’ll stick with my guts for this one. I hope you’ll end up satisfied once this is all over.”

The pink unicorn reached out for a hug. “That’s okay. I don’t want to force you to do anything for me if you don’t like it. You’re still my best friend.”

“Aw, you’re too sweet.”

Sadly, she didn’t get enough time to ask the others about her goal to get Spoiled judged as innocent. The train had already stopped at Canterlot. Stepping out, Olive immediately felt dizzy just by staring at the ominous tall buildings of this majestic and rich city. What was worse were the crowds. There were so many ponies in here!

She never saw so many ponies trotting around. So many in fact, that she glued herself to Applejack for safety. She didn’t want anypony to see her, not after what happened in Ponyville. She still shivered whenever she thought about how many eyes were on her. It was way worse than any presentation she did in class.

Thankfully, the presence of her friends, foals and adults alike managed to hide her amongst the passing crowds. But what caught most of the attention was Looking Glass, strolling in the same direction as the group, towards the tribunal. Everypony wondered what his business was there. For Twilight and her friends, the answer was obvious. He was here because Strong Hoof was the one who attacked the schoolhouse.

Reporters were bombarding him with questions. The only answer they got was in the form of an icy glare and an intimidating “go away.” said with his voice of steel.

When Looking Glass tells you to scram, you get the hay away from him!

A stroke of luck for the group behind him, these two words cleared the rest of the way to court. Applejack sighed. “If only Ah could do that.”

Twilight smirked. “I’ve only seen princesses have that same effect. That stallion’s on a different level.”

Rarity shivered when she managed to catch a glimpse of the detective’s amber eyes. “I can see why. I wouldn’t want to go near a stallion with such a scary gaze.”

Filthy Rich picked up the pace, getting inside with Diamond Tiara before the crowd of reporters could reform. The rest did too, avoiding the swarm of flashes just in the nick of time. “Oh dear, I can’t imagine what would happen if I’m ever photographed going to court, even just to help Sweetie Belle testify! My reputation would be stained forever!”

“Aren’t ya a tad overreactin’?” Applejack asked, just now feeling Olive letting go of her legs. “It ain’t like yer guilty of any crimes.”

Twilight rolled her eyes and smiled. Oh, Rarity. If there was a pony that should earn the title of drama queen, it was her. Every little thing that goes wrong sparked a comical reaction; sometimes entertaining, other times annoying. It was part of her charm. “We arrived just in time. Court should be in session in a couple of minutes. Let’s take a seat before they call us in.”

Right in the corner of her vision, she saw Looking Glass joining the jury. I should have known. The other ponies will side with his decision instead of their own should he speak up. Considering the evidence against Spoiled Rich is high, I have no doubt his decision will have very little effect in the end...

Looking around, Twilight realised that Heedful Care was also there, still looking a bit shaken up by everything. Understandable, everypony here was still nervous whenever they relived that terrible day. This trial was looking to be a troubling one, where most of the witnesses are foals under the age of 10. That was sad. None of them should even be here, not at such a young age. To help testify, each foal brought their parent or legal guardian. Now, all that was left for them was to wait, and give out their testimony regarding that stormy day.

The first of the witnesses to go was one most pony awaited, Princess Twilight Sparkle. The youngest and newest alicorn in Equestria, all were curious to hear what happened that day. A up and coming prosecutor dressed in a blue awaited her testimony, defending Spoiled Rich for this case. On the prosecutor’s side was a red suited stallion with a more menacing glint in his eyes.

I’ll admit, I didn’t see much in the school. I was busy trying to keep Strong Hoof away from the foals. He, uh, got me and the next thing I remembered, I was lying amidst the rubble inside the school. I only vaguely heard what happened in the meantime, something about Diamond Tiara screaming out to her mother and Olive crying out for help, it was all blurry though so I might be wrong.

I see, I’m afraid we can’t get a good conclusion based on this testimony alone. We should bring in another witness, one that was fully awake during the key moment so we can learn what truly happened.

Oh, and just one more thing, Applejack was also out cold when that happened.

The next pony who was brought in was Heedful Care, the only adult in this court that saw the full scene of the crime.

I was there, I saw the whole thing happened. That goliath just came in and... d-destroyed everything! The foals were screaming and crying out for their parents to come save them, I... it was a living nightmare! I saw that giant crush Cheerilee, nearly splitting her in half! I wanted to just get out of there with Olive since he was after her, but I-I couldn’t. He threatened to slaughter everypony inside, starting with the teacher if we didn’t bring Olive to him. I couldn’t leave anymore.

I didn’t see what happened, Spoiled Rich hit me in the back of the head, and I fell to the floor, dazed. I saw her dragging Olive to that monster, and I couldn’t do a thing about it! Her friends tried to help, but they couldn’t stop Spoiled from dragging her to that beast.

Did you see Spoiled Rich’s face when she dragged Olive? Or perhaps did you hear her say something?

N-No, I didn’t see her face. She had her back to me, b-but I could barely hear her mutter something while she did.

I see... Then we can’t say for certain that she was guilty of committing a crime! She could have simply made a tough decision for the good of the entire class. We need to hear the other’s testimonies to form a verdict!

After Care’s testimony, it was evident that this case wasn’t quite as black and white as it was made out to be. Sure, Spoiled Rich did try to get Olive killed, but with Strong Hoof’s threat, it could be viewed as a noble deed. Protecting the entire class by sacrificing one... but it also didn’t sit right with the jury, not so much for Looking Glass who kept a blank expression the whole time.

Anyhow, with the adults out the way, it was time to hear what the foals had to say, starting with Scootaloo. Sadly, she didn’t have a legal guardian present. To remedy this problem, Care volunteered to stay by her in case she needed any help. Under the eyes of almost a hundred ponies, it was rather scary to stay at the podium.

Uh, s-so I can start now?

Yes, you can whenever you’re ready, Scootaloo. I know how stressful it can be to relive these memories, that’s why I’m here by you.

Well, uh, thanks for that. S-So, I was there when it happened. I saw pretty much everything Care said earlier. B-But I did see Spoiled Rich’s face when she hit her!

Interesting, could you tell us what it looked like? Was there anger in her eyes, fear? Desperation perhaps?

Uh, it looked like fear, I think. I couldn’t see much of her face because I was trying to get her to let go of my friend with Apple Bloom. We bucked as hard as we could, but that didn’t stop her. Ugh, if only that worked... She was muttering something crazy, don’t really know what it was. That mare was always a stuck-up snob who muttered t-things about status and riches. I wouldn’t be surprised if it was more of that pointless junk.

And what happened afterward? After she dragged Olive to Strong Hoof.

Uh, well... She transformed into a... monster.

The next filly to pass was Silver Spoon. Also present at the scene of the crime, her testimony could perhaps shed some light on Spoiled Rich’s true motivation.

I-I did see her face while she was dragging Olive to the giant stallion. She looked really scared, almost like she didn’t want to get any closer to that monster. Diamond Tiara screamed to her the whole time, but she didn’t stop. She did look at us for like a split-second but kept going even after Apple Bloom and Scootaloo were beating on her.

Would you say she looked like she didn’t want to do it?

I’m... not so sure. Not from what I know. Diamond’s mother only really cared about her status and the family’s name. She would always tell Diamond what to do and how to do what she believed would do some good to her family. I don’t know, maybe she was only doing dragging Olive to save herself, maybe even Diamond Tiara. I don’t see her as a selfless pony...

There was only one witness that interested the judge now, the famous monster filly herself, Olive who’s slowly popped up in the newspaper everywhere. A seemingly innocent unicorn harboring a bloodthirsty monster inside, powerful enough to break the goliath that attacked the school. Smaller than all her friends, she was nonetheless the most intimidating presence in court, bested only by Looking Glass.

The moment she stepped in accompanied by Applejack; the murmurs of the jury stopped. Looking Glass narrowed his eyes, his head locked on the filly. The two lawyers and the judge tried their best to hide their nervosity. Not everything that’s been said in the newspaper about her was correct, or was it?

Olive stood near her mother, scared out of her mind by the numerous unpleasant looks in the eyes of the ponies in court. She wanted to get out of there, but that would mean breaking her promise to her good friend, Diamond Tiara. With little choice in the matter, she had to speak up and tell them about her perspective during that awful day. Hopefully, it’ll be the last time she’s forced to relive this traumatic memory.

To the jury, this innocent filly was perhaps the scariest thing they’d laid their eyes on. Innocent and cute on the outside, but ugly and vile on the inside. That’s what the news told them, and who are they to assume they’re wrong? Nopony knows who this filly is. For all they know, this could all be just an act, and they’d be none the wiser if they fell for it.

Applejack leaned down, smiling gracefully. “Whenever yer ready.”

The filly’s heart raced, there’s no use in dragging it further. She had to speak up now and get it over with as quickly as possible before her poor heart burst.

Ok, um. I-I'll try my best to tell what happened. So, um, I-I was sitting and staring when, uh, the mean stallion came. I don’t remember much after that point until I felt somepony grabbing me by the mane. I saw that it was Spoiled Rich, so I got even more scared and tried to get away. B-But now that I think about it, she did that just to protect her daughter and the school from him.

So, you believe Spoiled tried to get you killed for a good cause?

Yes, well... if nopony was there to help, I-I guess I would have let her do it. I-If it helps everypony else.

Looking Glass narrowed his eyes, displeased with the filly’s testimony. “It sounds like she’s trying to get her out of there scot-free.” he muttered under his breath, getting the attention of some ponies in the jury.

Raising his head, “I have my doubts, your honor.”

Surprised, the judge turned his head towards the stone-faced detective. “R-Really? What makes you doubt the intentions of Spoiled Rich?”

“Because I know her kind. Greedy, opportunistic and selfish. These kinds of rich ponies only care about their wealth and status. Why else would she coach her daughter to be just as despicable as her?”

The judge cringed. “It, uh, sounds like you’ve had a bad experience with her.”

“The hills have eyes, your honor. I know much about the Rich family. This was no selfless act, it was a selfish one born out of cowardice.” Looking Glass pressed, now laying his eyes on the filly, narrowing them.

With the intimidating glare of the dark blue stallion now on her, Olive wanted to hide behind the podium but to do so would be to give up on her promise to Diamond Tiara. She said she would make sure Spoiled Rich doesn’t get taken away from them.

Olive stared back with puppy eyes, hoping her pain would get through his cold heart. Looking Glass now appeared to be annoyed at this vain attempt, cringing as he bore his teeth. Everypony in the room disappeared. Now, it was just them fighting over the final verdict. Olive’s heart thumped against her chest.

Desperate, the filly decided to express her anger, glaring back at the detective. The stallion was surprised by this, briefly losing much of his intimidation. The staring contest continued for a few more seconds. Olive was sweating, her body was in so much heat right now. Eventually, Looking Glass’s gaze softened, and he smirked.

“Although... nothing can truly prove if her intentions were noble or not. All we know was that she was desperate, and desperate ponies can make rash decisions.”

The judge blinked. “So you’re saying we shouldn’t condemn her for this?”

Looking Glass chuckled, shaking his head. “Nah, we won’t let her get away scot-free. I believe such a spoiled pony needs a lesson in hubris. How about some labor? I propose five years of community service, that way she’d be a contributing member of society. I suggest starting by making her work on repairing Ponyville's schoolhouse.”

Olive stared blankly at the blue stallion; not sure she’s understanding what community service means. It didn’t sound nearly as bad as jail so... was that a victory?

The judge nodded. “Let’s hear what the rest of the ju-”

“I agree with him!”

“Yeah, let’s make that spoiled lazy flank do some actual work!”

“Bring the Rich down to our level!”

An unsurprising response coming from a jury composed of middle-class ponies. The judge’s expression was now stern, certain of his decision.

“Then the culprit is deemed guilty and will serve five years of community service to make up for her misdeed!”

In the back, Spoiled Rich blanched. “F-F-Five years?” Feeling her limbs weaken, she fainted, bonking her head against the wooden railing.

Worried, Olive looked to her mother. “D-Did I do it?”

Applejack giggled, scratching her head. “Ah guess that counts as a victory. Though Ah will admit, Ah kinda like that punishment!”

She did it, she accomplished her promise somewhat. After the trial was over, she returned to Diamond Tiara and her father who’ve already heard the news. Filthy Rich lunged at her, showering the filly with thanks for saving his wife from the dungeon.

Happy, Olive bounced around. “I did it! I did it! I did it! Did you see me, mommy? I stared at Looking Glass and made him change his mind!”

Bewildered, Applejack glanced at said stallion, leaving the tribunal. “Huh? Ya did? Well that’s... mighty impressive. That stallion gives me ta chills when Ah look in his eyes.”

Olive’s heart filled with pride as Diamond Tiara hugged her, crying into her mane. With Applejack’s compliment, she began to feel like she was as strong and brave as they claim. With enough determination, she can do anything for her friends and family.

It’s been fifteen days since Cheerilee was hoisted to Ponyville General Hospital for her broken spine. Now, she’s finally recovered enough to be let back home. No more spending all her days in a bed being taken care of like a baby. Now, she can trot again... partially.

A broken spine doesn’t magically fix itself in just two weeks, no. Her hind legs still can’t move much or even support the weight of her upper body. She can’t move around without a wheelchair cart, an invention designed for disabled ponies, a category she sadly fell in.

Although there was some hope for her. Doctor Hoof told her she could trot again, but that’s given she went through physical therapy. Cheerilee would start this dauting task as soon as tomorrow. For now, she’s stuck with a wheelchair cart and a hurt spine that scared her.

Scared and alone in her home, she had lots of time to ponder over her stay at the hospital and her future. Standing before her couch, she sighed at the realisation that she can only really sit down by detaching herself from the wheelchair. To reattach herself to it would be difficult considering she doesn’t have claws. Funny that right now, she wished to have a nurse at her side to help with the most mundane task whilst she found it humiliating in the hospital.

No, she’d rather trot aimlessly around her house instead of going through all that problem.

There was one thing that troubled her greatly. It’s been troubling her for her entire stay at the hospital. That was her story about her missing foal, the one that disappeared eight years ago. She never put much thought into it years after that incident, but ever since Olive came into the school, there’s been a nagging feel in the back of her mind.

That filly had a pink coat and green eyes, strangely resembling her somewhat. Moreover, that filly was guessed to be eight years old. Eight years, that was also the time when Jolly Melody mysteriously disappeared from the face of Equestria, and the rise of Anarchy. Eight years ago, she was pregnant.

Cheerilee stopped mid-track. The evidence was there, clear as day. Only, she held a vital piece of information from Twilight and Applejack. And that was how that missing foal even came to be. Her face blanched, sweat dripping down her forehead. With all the pieces assembled, it was hard to ignore that Olive was most likely her missing foal.

All that because of a grave mistake they’ve made. A mistake that haunted them both ever since.

“I believe I’ve heard of the Apple’s cider. It’s a popular tradition in Ponyville to gather here for some cider.”

Cheerilee smiled. “Then you should know how good it is!”

Today, there were just two. Cheerilee and Jolly Melody, no Minuette. Sad, she would have enjoyed it had she been there. In retrospection, it was a good thing she wasn’t there, else she’ll be carrying the same burden as Cheerilee...

On this beautiful morning, the cerise mare brought her good friend over to buy some apple cider. It was all she could think of to thank him for all the things he’s done for her. He advised her, he sang songs for her, he even helped her with her college exams. He was the best friend she could have asked for. She just hoped this would be a good way to thank him.

“I’ll pay for us both if you don’t mind.” Jolly Melody stated, absently staring at the hills.

Cheerilee’s eyes shot wide open. “Wh-What? Please let me pay for you! I brought you here as a thank you gift!”

Jolly finally brought his eyes back to her. “Oh? My apologies, it’s just that I have so many bits on me. I felt like I would be taking advantage of you if I let the drinks on you.”

“No, that’s alright. I’m doing rather well financially.” Cheerilee said, smiling awkwardly.

The violet stallion gave her a knowing smile. “You shouldn’t hide your troubles. I can read you like an open book.”

The cerise mare flicked her mane, blushing. “Well, we could maybe talk about that after our drinks.” Whenever she’s in heat, it’s harder to control her feelings for him. Of course, she always saw Jolly as her friend, not as a potential mate. After everything they’ve went through and the age gap, it wouldn’t be right for them to be together.

Moving through the line, it was now their turn to enjoy a nice cup of cider. Bright Mac greeted them, letting his wife Pear Butter pour the cider in the two ponies’ cup. Jolly Melody took a sip, immediately surprised by the cider’s wonderful taste. It didn’t take long for him to finish his cup, and now he longed for more.

“I’ll have another.”

Bright Mac gave him an uncertain look, gazing at his wife. In response, Jolly levitated lots of bits on the counter, smirking. “Perhaps this will clear your mind.”

The farm stallion smiled. “That’ll do!”

Two cups turned to three, and three turned to four. Not wanting to be left out, Cheerilee also took just as many cups as her friend.

“Ooh, m-my... these are... s-sure are punchy today!” She fumbled, too deep to notice she was having one too many drinks.

“S-Shit... this is really good. I s-should give some to my homies...” Jolly mumbled, losing much of his colorful language in the process. “They’ll k-kill for that shit!”

Pear Butter objected to giving them another drink, but a couple more bits and she reluctantly gave them their final cup.

Cheerilee’s vision afterward turned to a blurred mess of colors. Her friend’s voice now incomprehensible, she started to slowly black out, hearing the worried voices of Bright Mac and Pear Butter seconds before the world turned black.

Then, she slowly came to, or was she already awake? These memories are jumbled, messy and potentially wrong. It’s hard to remember clearly when you’ve blacked out. All that Cheerilee remembered was feeling something strange and amazing in her flank, and the ecstatic voice of Jolly Melody while she blabbered incoherent things about teaching and her financial situation. They were on the floor of her living room, with the cerise mare resting upon her table.

And then they woke up hours later. Passed out in the living room, none of them remembered what had happened but it didn’t take long for the pieces to come together. Cheerilee woke up to a horrified scream.

Panicked, she trashed around to get up, wondering what got Jolly Melody so scared. As she turned around, she saw his eyes were staring directly at her flank, mortified.

Shocked, Cheerilee wondered why he was so scared of... It felt sore, her vagina felt sore. “Wh-What?”

Jolly Melody finally diverted his eyes, holding his crotch. “Oh no no no no no no.... This can’t be. Not now, not with her...” He mumbled further, starting to get to Cheerilee.

“Wh-What are you saying?” Cheerilee now held her vagina, feeling something, she’d rather have not touched. Her pupils turned to pinpricks. Oh no...

“Shouldn’t have done that... I shouldn’t have done that. I-It was one cup too many. One cup too many.” Jolly’s frightened rambles continued as he turned his back to her, trembling. “This isn’t right! It can’t be her!”

“J-Jolly, what are you saying?” Cheerilee croaked, now terrified herself. They’ve made a terrible mistake, and if she’s unlucky... the punishment will be on her.

“Shit shit shit shit...” He finally turned around; his face as dark as the night. “Please tell me, are you in heat right now?”

“I-I am.” Cheerilee stuttered, her eyes still wide open. She gasped once the realisation came through. “D-Do you think I’m...”

Jolly Melody yelped, his face blanching. “Sh-Shit, I can’t deal with this! It just ain’t right!” These were the last words he ever said to her. Afterward, he left Ponyville, disappearing from Equestria altogether.

And what did he leave her as a parting gift? An accident.

Try as she might, she can’t deny the evidence anymore. Cheerilee finally admitted defeat, unable to bear the guilt. If only she hadn’t taken all these cups, she wouldn’t be stuck in this awful situation. Haunted by past, present and future, the cerise mare couldn’t take it anymore. That monster she thought of as a friend kidnapped her baby! She suffered for months to deliver her, and he waited patiently just to steal her! As long as he lives, she'll never move on.

Burying her face in her hooves, she sobbed by her lonesome. How should she feel? What should she do about this? Olive was her foal, the one she mourned for eight years, but at the same time, she was sort of relieved to not have a foal to take care of, especially when she was a little short on money. But now, her baby was here and in the care of Applejack. Strangely enough, she wanted to see the filly, to look into her eyes again but this time, with a different perspective. Did she really want to have her again? Or was she just fooling herself?

Olive was no longer just her student; she was much more... but not hers, not anymore.

Just then, somepony knocked on her door. Cheerilee sprung out of her sadness, curious about who would come to visit in the middle of the afternoon on a Sunday. Opening the door, Applejack stood before her, looking nervous. The orange mare hesitated to even meet her sad eyes.

“Howdy, uh, beg pardon for disturbin’ ya on a weekend.” The farm pony sheepishly said, slowly raising her eyes. “Ah just wanted to talk ‘bout... somethin’.”

Cheerilee sighed, her sad eyes now meeting those of Applejack. “Is it about Olive?”

“Ya figured it out too.” The cerise mare nodded, motioning her to come in. Inside, she dragged her useless hind legs and the wheelchair over to her dining table, but didn’t sit down. Too much effort.

“I’m guessing this is about Olive’s custody. Why else would you come to me?”

Applejack felt rather uncomfortable even being here. The way Cheerilee talked sounded nothing like the cheerful mare she’s come to know over her entire life. It felt awful to see her that way. Hopefully she’ll recover from this traumatic event and take back her joy.

“Well, first off. Ah know Anarchy’s ta father, and he used to be called Jolly Melody. A-Ah'm just curious to know how ya two came to...”

“It was an accident. One who’s burden was entirely mine to carry.” Cheerilee bitterly answered.

“Oh... Ah’m sorry to ‘ear it.” Applejack’s legs trembled, feeling even more uncomfortable now. It was best she doesn’t pride further into the mare’s personal life.

“It doesn’t matter anymore. It’s in the past. Well, i-if you wanted to ask me about who’ll keep custody... I honestly don’t know.”

Applejack blinked. “Wh-What do ya mean ya don’t know?”

Cheerilee lowered her head, now resting upon her hooves. “I don’t know how I feel about all of this! I feel even worse now and I just... I just feel like seeing Olive again.”

The orange mare’s heart nearly stopped beating. Oh no, she’ll want to have custody! “Ya mean, just talkin’ to ‘er or...”

“I don’t know. I just want to see her face again now that I know she’s technically my foal.” The cerise mare chuckled, her voice sounding even more pathetic than before. “I don’t even know how I’ll be able to take care of her should I have custody. I just know I feel attached to her now, and I can’t let that feeling go.”

“O-Oh... Well, if ya can take care of ‘er then, A-Ah guess ya should...” Applejack stopped, not wanting to go any further. Just the thought of giving Olive up made her want to die. After coming this far together, she couldn’t let the filly go.

“I can tell you’re not happy about this. I’m not too.” Cheerilee now dared to look into Aj’s eyes again. “I’m sorry if I’m causing you any trouble. I’m not feeling well right now.”

Applejack stared back, both eyes meeting again. For a moment, it felt like the two could perfectly understand each other’s ambivalence. “Ah can see why. Ah wish Ah could do somethin’ to help.”

Cheerilee’s eyes teared up, her emotions swelling inside begging to be let out. “I can’t trot. I just can’t. I know it’s temporary but every minute feels like an eternity! I don’t have my job, I don’t have my students, I don’t have my hind legs, I have nothing!”

The words left the farm pony’s mouth. What could she really say that can help? She reached out a hoof to her, but hesitated, ultimately pulling it back.

Cheerilee’s eyes opened wide, realising the awful implications of her rant. “I’m sorry. I didn’t want to guilt trip you into giving up Olive. T-That's not what I was trying to do.”

“Ah’ll understand if ya did. She’s yers, after all.” Applejack croaked, feeling sadder each time she thought about losing the filly. Even though she’ll still be around if given back to Cheerilee, it wouldn’t feel the same. She took so much pride in raising the small unicorn as her own.

“Just... give me some time to think about all this. I need to clear up my mind right now. I’m sorry for acting unpleasant.”

Applejack smiled weakly, her eyes beginning to water as she spoke. “Don’t trouble yerself over mah feelin’s. Yer mah friend. Ah think ya should ‘ave Olive... if that’ll make ya feel better.”

As the farm pony left, Cheerilee dug her face even deeper in her hooves. She’s made it worse. She’s threatening her friend’s happiness, only thinking about her own. But doesn’t she also deserve to be happy? There was still much time left to think over. Hopefully, she can make the right call.

If only she hadn’t known Jolly Melody... If only.

“He is baaaaaaaaaaack!”

Luna woke up in cold sweat, trashing in her bed until the initial shock faded away. Multiple screams were coming from the castle’s dungeon, loud enough to be heard even from her room. In a panic, she leaped out of her bed, being stopped by a guard that just popped in her bedroom. “Your majesty, we’ve got a problem!”

Worried and confused, Luna went to the dungeon, meeting her older sister there. As she observed the cells, she noticed something unusual. The inmates were singing, screaming happily, celebrating their victory, something they did not do at first when they were arrested.

Dreamcatcher wiped her tears away, laughing in pure joy to her friends. “He hasn’t lied! He was right all along! He’s coming to save us!”

"He's in my dreams! He's in my dreams!"

“We did it! Oh, we did it chaps!”

“We’ll be leaving soon!”

“How about we leave now?”

“Nah, let’s party until he comes for us!”

Something’s terribly wrong when your prisoners act like they’re in control. By now, there was no doubt what had happened. Fifteen days after he disappeared, Anarchy descended from the moon, now out there in Equestria, but where?

“Sister, what do we do now?” Luna asked, hoping Celestia would have an idea in mind.

The taller alicorn’s eyes quickly focussed, casting her fears aside. “We must reinforce security, keep warning the civilians. Nopony must be out at night! The curfew will be moved to before sundown.”

With the power of Nightmare Moon, Anarchy was not to be underestimated. With the Elements of Harmony no longer usable, they had to find another plan to take this beast down. Luckily, they’ve had more than enough time to create one.

Princess Luna cringed, scared of the inmates now. Their cathartic screams were getting to her badly. She couldn’t stay here any longer, not with their ominous celebration in the middle of the night. The worst had yet to come. They had yet to see what kind of monster Anarchy became. Hopefully it’s one they can tame.

Author's Note

Whoowee! Lotta things going on in this chapter. More cute stuff with Applejack and Olive. The start of a confrontation with Mango and Looking Glass. Spoiled Rich's trial, a little humbling done to her, hopefully she'll come out a changed mare and lastly, the final memory of Cheerilee and Jolly Melody.

It's been a while since we've seen Anarchy, and for good reason! I had lots of character development to get out of the way first as well as answering a few more questions regarding Olive's birth.

With that now out of the way, it's time to see what Anarchy will be up to next chapter. His bloody tears will forever haunt those who face him.

Chapter 45: Sanguilacrimae.

And yes, I did play Ace Attorney, that's why I made the lawyers blue and red. Ha ha, objection.

45. Sanguilacrimae

The Crystal Empire lied in the north of Equestria, surrounded by a wasteland of endless snowstorm. Nopony ever came to this part of the country before the empire mysteriously returned from its 1000 years disappearance. To go there, they all took the train. After all, who would be stupid enough to get there on hooves? The travel is too perilous for any pony.

But not this mysterious stallion. A daredevil that feared nothing, not anymore. He marched through the frozen wasteland of the north, unfazed by its challenges. The freezing wind howling was nothing but a warm breeze to him. The snow was but a minor inconvenience to his balance. The snowflakes couldn’t obscure his visions. The path ahead was perfectly clear. Under the greenish light of the now transformed moon, he cantered gleefully.

Arriving at the entrance to the empire, the stallion noticed there was no snow inside, but grass. The empire was contained within a magical dome that protected the crystal ponies from the fury of the elements outside. Stepping out of the snow, he looked back out of simple curiosity and was shocked by the hoofprints he left behind. As he took some steps forward, he was surprised to hear just how different the sound of his hooves was.

The small clopping was instead replaced by a low and deep thump. The bones inside his body rattled with every move he made. It felt... funny.

They were big, certainly much bigger than what he was used to. He had to face the facts; he was no longer an average sized stallion. Lifting his black hoof, he admired the strength that emanated from it.

He's never felt this good before, never was he this unchallenged by nature itself. In the dark sky, he could make out the silhouette of the crystal castle. That’s where he was heading, hoping to make some new friends.

Strolling through the crystal empire, he noticed something rather odd. There was nopony outside. At night, you’d expect there to be nopony out in the streets, but he knew that a city never truly sleeps much less an empire. There will always be a few roamers outside, but not here. Perhaps he missed an important order?

Ah, in the windows of the houses. There are ponies inside! The few crystal ponies who left their blinds open screamed in horror as they saw him moving in the streets, shutting themselves in. Continuing his route, he could see mothers comforting their foals in some houses, fearfully glancing at his direction.

Was there something on his face? Oh yes indeed. Raising a hoof to his face, he wiped a strange liquid that poured from his face. It was blood, lots of blood. Blinking, he could feel it below his eyes. Strangely enough, he didn’t panic, merely wiping it off on the floor before continuing his route.

This time, he started moving in a strange pattern. Rounding corners, switching entire neighborhoods, he moved as if he was trying to evade an unknown pursuer.

Eventually, he made it to his destination. The Crystal Castle was just in front of him, not even two steps away. It was the first time he ever went to the Crystal Empire, what an exciting adventure! There’s nothing quite like discovering a new place, this feeling of adventure was long lost upon him, now reignited by this crystal land.

Stopping for a moment, he raised his head to stare at a Crystal Heart hanging above the entrance. Shining as bright as the moon, it got him worried. Just what the hay was that thing supposed to do again? He only vaguely remembered it was supposed to cast King Sombra away.

Hesitantly, he approached it. Nothing happened, good. Not wanting to tinker with it, he made a beeline to one of the doors, and entered.

“So, what did Prince Shining say?”

Patrolling the hallways of the Crystal Castle, two royal guards stopped before a stained glass, staring in the distance.

“Uh, shouldn’t you know? You were there.”

The unicorn yawned. “I know but... I didn’t get much sleep last night, I couldn’t concentrate on the meeting.”

His pegasus friend rolled his eyes. “That’s the third time these past few weeks. If you keep this up, you’ll be punished heavily. Essentially, he mentioned that the curfew was extended to sundown. Only we royal guards are allowed to go out at night, but only for patrol. That’s pretty much the jist of it.”

“They’re that scared of him?” The unicorn asked, sounding a little worried. “I mean, for all we know he’s just a smart unicorn with a scary appearance.”

“Yeah, but he roughed up Looking Glass.”

“... Who?”

The pegasus blinked. “I don’t really know. I heard Prince Shining mention that he’s a detective working for an agency. He became a hero after defeating a notorious crime lord. That’s all I know about him.”

“Just because he defeated a national hero doesn’t mean he’s super powerful. For all we know, he could have just been lucky.” The unicorn yawned again, wishing his shift would end already. He glanced at the clock behind him, disappointed that it was only midnight. He had six hours left on his shift.

The pegasus noticed his partner’s disinterest and frowned. “Last I heard, he was on the moon. Exactly like Nightmare Moon. I don’t like this one bit...”

A door slammed just a few corridors, startling them. “That was one of the entrances!”

“Let’s check it out!”

Galloping to the source of the noise, they couldn’t help but feel like they were making a big mistake. As they saw what entered the castle, they realised that their gut was right. What was standing before them was no pony. It towered over them, shining like a crystal pony but only its head and tail.

Scared, they pulled out their weapons, a sword and a lance. The unicorn with the lance poked around with it, hoping it would discourage the monster from getting closer. The pegasus with the sword wished they could run away, but that... thing... it was too close. They had no other option but to engage in battle, hoping they could somehow best that monstrosity.

It was no manticore, no chimera, no minotaur, nothing they’ve ever handled before. Its roar was high-pitched, alien sounding even!

Dear Celestia, it moved! It jumped on the walls, its animalistic eyes locked on them. They were filled with malice, its gaping mouth outstretched, and in a split-second. It closed the twenty-meter gap in just one pounce and sank its teeth into their jugulars. No time to scream, the only sound that the castle heard were two crunches.

The guards closest to the lost two came to investigate. All they found were two headless corpses. Before they could alert anypony, one of the guard’s sword snapped from its hilt and rammed itself into his head. Another flew to the ceiling, crashing into the roof. His blood showered those below as something big landed on another poor soul, crushing him under its heavy weight.

As the giant beast raised its massive head before the terrified and confused guards, it roared.

A high-pitched, demonic scream alerted all the guards inside the Crystal Castle including Prince Shining Armor. Below that terrifying alien scream lied a more normal voice, albeit barely audible. All rushed to the source of the screams, finding nothing but two headless corpses and a strange trail of blood leading nowhere.

Confused and nervous, Shining ordered his troops to search the castle in groups and especially to protect Princess Cadance for this was likely an assassination attempt.

All the lights were turned on, the castle was on full alert. Guards running everywhere, searching every nook and cranny for the demonic assassin.

Shining Armor searched with two trusty royal guards at his side. Their opponent was either strong or really sneaky to have taken out two guards in quick succession. As they approached the kitchen, they heard a strange rumbling sound inside. Slowly but surely, they approached, hoping to catch the assassin by surprise.

The moment they entered; a strong gust of wind blew in their face. There was nopony inside, but some of the cupboards were left open. The food inside was gone, leaving a couple of half-eaten apples on the floor.

Shining Armor leaned towards the fruits, inspecting the teeth mark left in them. They looked like a normal pony’s teeth only much bigger. The wind whistled behind him and left behind two headless stallions. Blood poured down their missing head like a crimson fountain.

The door slammed shut, locking him inside with whatever was roaming. Alone in the dark, he backed up against the wall, preventing any sneak attack. The room was silent, he could still hear the commotion outside. Good, he can still call for back-up. The prince opened his mouth, but just before he could call for help, something landed on his muzzle.

Shining flinched, quickly touching his muzzle to see what just touched him. It was blood, crimson dark blood. Above him! Shining leaped out just in time to avoid whatever was coming from above. A loud thump echoed throughout the entire castle, cracking the floor.

Now face-to-face with the mysterious assassin, Shining lit up his horn to illuminate the figure in the dark. His eyes widened with horror. That was no pony... It looked like a ghastly beast masquerading as one.

It was twice his size. Two big eyes as black as the night with emerald pupils. They were so wide open, parts of its skull showed through them! Its dark green mane was spiky and messy, its many sharp edges fully crystallised, reflecting light everywhere. It had a horn too, a horn who’s covered its tip in hard crystals, protecting effectively its only weak point.

Underneath its eyes were bloody tears, streaming down its face and into its mouth. It had the teeth of a pony, only with sharp canines. The edges of its jaw were closed shut with ominous green crystals, locking his mouth in a permanent smile. Its tongue was a sickly green, in fact, everything about it looked disgusting or evil.

It was a strange mixture of flesh and crystal, unlike normal crystal ponies whose entire coat and mane was crystallised.

Its dark purple body was massive and bulky, leading to a dreadful cutie mark. A demented face with the symbol of anarchism in one of its eyes stared back at him, cackling manically as if it was alive. Grinning, the horrible beast spoke. Its voice was deep, demonic sounding with a strange melody accompanying it. All blended together to form a bizarrely harmonious voice.

“I am thrilled to finally change. Pleasure from what once was pain.

Terror...

Bitter...

MONSTEEERRRR!”

Taking one step closer to the light, Shining Armor finally recognised what the hay that thing was. Anarchy returned from the moon, and now he was here. The only real business he could have in such a place would be to...

“You’re no pony.” Shining clenched his teeth, trying to wash his fear away. Pleasure fused with pain; this triumph of the soul made him shiver.

Anarchy chuckled. “So, help me believe then, Shining! This IS the real me! Gaze upon this animal I have become! So come on then, come and try to tame this beast.”

On the other side, the rest of the royal guard gathered before the kitchen door, trying to open it. Quickly realising it was no use, they resorted to bashing it until it broke. Sadly, it’ll take some time, leaving their prince in a dangerous situation.

Anarchy laughed at their attempt to break open a crystal door. With just one buck, he could tear that thing apart. It was funny to see just how weak ponies were now, and fun to recollect what it was like to be as weak as them.

“So, Shining... Did you know I came across your pretty little sister plenty of times before?” Seeing the outraged look on the prince’s face, Anarchy laughed even harder, accompanied by his cutie mark.

“Y-You bastard! What did you do?!”

“Oh, family. What a wonderful thing to cherish, or so I’m told. I always hear people talk so much about how their family is a treasure, well.. I guess I’m no different. My family IS a treasure... you need a map and a shovel to find them!” Anarchy cackled, his eyes lighting up with an ominous emerald green that eerily reminded Shining of another foe, one that had taken advantage of him.

“What. Did you do.” He asked again, his voice lowering.

Anarchy teleported to the crystal door, blocking the only exit. “Oh, nothing much really. The last time I saw her, I was covered in blood under a rather harsh weather. Thankfully I had some bargaining chips, so she let me go. I wished I could have done more, but everypony has their limitations but not me, not anymore!”

“You’re overestimating yourself. I’ve seen greater beings than you fall apart.” Shining countered, narrowing his eyes. His entire body was prepped for battle should the beast make a move.

“Ah, are you implying I'm going to lose simply because I’m the evil monster who everypony hates?” Anarchy giggled, wiping the blood from under his eyes. “I’m not surprised, seeing as you’re cut from the same cloth as Princess Twilight. Oh, what a lovely little bookworm. You two tend to see the world in such a black and white perspective. Evil is bad, and so it will lose. Good will always triumph. Such notions are merely cliches born from the books you grew up with. It’s sad really to see a grown stallion still believe in such fairy tales. I will do you a favor and awaken you from your world of cliches.”

Shining kept glancing back and forth from Anarchy to the door behind the ghastly unicorn. It was a good thing that he kept on blabbering. Hopefully he can continue until his troops break open the tough door.

Anarchy trotted forward, forcing Shining to change his position to a less desirable one, cornering him as far as possible from the door. “You should know that evil has won before, countless times. Ponies just don’t like to talk about it because, you know, the winners write history. What they don’t like is written out of history, left to rot, lost to time eventually. But today, I will write history and make them all remember that their precious little comfort stories can’t save them!”

Sweating, Shining pressed for a question, knowing that Anarchy was about to go on another rant. “Just what is your goal? What do you want from us?”

Anarchy tilted his heavy head to the side. “I want to marry Nightmare Moon and live with her in eternal night. I’m only here to test my new body.”

Shining Armor blinked, his mind struggling to process what he had just heard. Marriage, that’s it? “All that chaos across Equestria, all these atrocious crimes just so that you can marry a monster? I assume that’s why you’re trying to become a beast and obtain the very power that turned Luna into Nightmare Moon. There's just one thing I don’t understand.”

Anarchy gave him a mocking smile. “Oh? What’s too hard to understand?”

“Where does anarchism fit in your master plan?” Shining Armor pressed his flank against the wall. There was no more distance to create. He was backed against the wall, with his only hope for reinforcement to come in time.

“Anarchism? Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy... I’m gonna be honest with you, it doesn’t fit at all! Nor does democracy which is what the others believe my true plan is!”

“...What?!”

Anarchy cackled. “They all believe democracy is the ideal solution to all their problems. Sadly, like with all other political philosophies, can be abused and turned into a dictatorship. Vote for who you want to take over the country. If all they desire is power, what will they do? Improve Equestria? Help those in needs? Maybe, but what they’ll truly do is keep the voters happy, and so they’ll stay in power. It’s best to leave Equestria in Celestia’s hooves and soon, in Nightmare Moon’s.”

Noticing the symbol of anarchism on his cutie mark, Shining Armor was horribly confused. His name, his identity... all a lie? How can it be? “Everything about you is a lie.”

The crystal door busted open. Guards poured in the kitchen, stopping just shy of charging into the ghastly beast that cornered their prince. “Come on... Everypony who have a way with words are just compulsive liars. I’m no different.”

“Get away from the prince!” One guard shouted, freezing the second Anarchy glanced over his shoulder.

“And now, your pretty wife is gonna die.” In a nanosecond, multiple beams shot out of his horn at lightspeed, moving around the area like flowing water.

Shining Armor teleported next to his troops, ready to shout his first orders when one of the beams suddenly slithered towards the second in command. Upon touching his abdomen, it crushed his rib cage as if an earth pony rammed a hammer in his ribs. And just like that, one of the bigger crystal guards fell.

The rest of the beams attacked the remaining ones, dropping them like flies.

Then silence fell. Out of the fifteen guards that rushed inside, only three remained and that’s including Shining among them. Before the prince could shout an order, Anarchy lunged to take a bite out of him. Shining Armor managed to dodge them all, noticing that the attacks were intentionally sluggish all the while the beast chuckled with each failed attempt. "Mother always said not to play with my food. It's a shame she's no longer around here to bless us with her wisdom. I made sure of that."

Then, at blinding speed, a large hoof smashed against Shining's chin, spouting blood over the two guards behind him. "Then again, I should probably listen to the mare from beyond the grave." His gaping maw opened wide, falling upon Shining's foreleg. The prince had saved his head from a gnarly fate, but now it would be shared to his leg. Taking advantage of the dark unicorn's momentary surprise, he fired a beam in his eye. The damage was small, but just good enough to free himself.

“Retreat! We must protect Princess Cadance at all costs!”

The monstrous Anarchy grinned, licking the prince's blood from his teeth. “Run, run, flee, flee! You cannot escape me! I’ll hunt you all down so that your blood may slake me!” The beast turned to smoke, flying after them at high speed. The plants that unfortunately were in his way decayed immediately upon been touched by the deadly smoke.

The small group ran past two guards who were running in the opposite direction. Shining Armor tried to warn them to flee, but it was too late. The smoke turned back into Anarchy, and he tore off their heads with one bite each before turning intangible again.

Princess Cadance appeared at the end of the hallway, searching around for her husband.

“Stay near me!” Shining shouted, stopping before her to cast a protective barrier. Just in the nick of time, the smoke smashed against the barrier, unable to find a single crack to slip through.

Unfortunately, it meant that the four ponies were now surrounded by an unspeakable evil.

Spinning around, confused, Princess Cadance stayed close to her husband, sensing danger coming her way. “Shining, what’s going on?”

The white unicorn gritted his teeth, keeping a close eye on the smoke. “It’s Anarchy! He’s returned to kill you! Stay inside the barrier!”

Cadance’s gaze focused, casting any fear away. As the princess of the crystal empire, it was also her duty to inspire confidence in her people. She can’t let this dark unicorn break her down. “Then we must fight back, push him out of the empire. Where are the rest of the guards?”

“They’re all dead! I don’t know about the ones outside or in the outer parts of the castles.” A guard helpfully answered, cowering before the dark smoke covering the entire barrier.

The alicorn’s eyes twitched, that was the last thing she wanted to hear in a situation this dire. The smoke around the barrier gathered in one spot, transforming back into the ghastly true form of Anarchy. His beastly eyes resting upon the tallest pony in this entourage, Cadance. He cleared his throat, a sly smile before he began doing what he always did best. “I wanted to sing this to Celestia, but I suppose a rehearsal wouldn’t hurt.” His horn lit up, and a happy yet slightly lonely and hopeless melody echoed through the empty halls of the Crystal Castle.

Remember the time when the country was mine

I yearned for my mare’s descent

This stallion would shine!

But you left my dream to rot

In the light of your pupil

And broke eight years of work

For that I am sure!

You deserve all the punishment you have in store

And all of the ponies that'll share your plight

From Cadance to Shining to you, Princess Twilight

This whole country is mine and I’ll settle the score!

I’ll clip Dash’s wings, snip Rarity’s horn

Then I'll buck Applejack to bits!

I’ll gobble up Fluttershy, bathe Twilight in acid

And beat Cadance with the Crystal Heart!

Tear and spread out Pinkie like she was confetti

And take out and wear Looky!

I’ll make you remember the stallion you forgot

For this beast was never gone!

Now I'm on a rampage

Against the crown!

I'll butcher Shining Armor, strangle that drunken clown!

Trash and crush Fancy Pants, Fleur-de-Lis I'll drown

Oh, if you've blocked my path... I'm taking you down!

For all my darkest devotions, it caused a mutation

It shattered my brillant mind, there's no explanation

But one thing's for sure, I'm settling the score!

So from Ponyville to Canterlot, I'll bring forth depredation!

Catching his breath, he pressed his face against the barrier. “So? Did you like it? I’ll admit rapping was never my specialty but hey, there’s always time to explore new horizons!”

“Everything you’ve just said is insane. We won’t let you kill anypony. This will end here, tonight.” Cadance bravely said, getting a giddy reaction from the beast.

“Think I’ve gone a bit crazy! Do you know what it’s like to be on the moon? Alone in the dark? The Nightmare’s little plaything, it pulled me apart. Puts me together again with some crystals like a monstrous pony, an abominable unicorn. But now... Anarchy is loose, and I have come for you all.” Dozens of beams shot out of his horn, pummeling the barrier with monstrous strength. It cracked under the pressure, threatening to break in a few seconds.

The beams kept on pouring in the dozens, without an end in sight. With how powerful Anarchy was now, it was reasonable to assume his mana far surpassed anypony in this castle.

“It takes a special recipe to cook a pony, let me show you...”

The entire barrier was now nothing but a bunch of cracks barely holding themselves together. Under the pressure, Cadance reminded the two guards left why she was chosen as the new ruler of the empire. “Listen to me, once the barrier breaks. Retreat and call for reinforcement. Shining and I will try to stall him.”

The barrier finally gave its dying breath, its broken pieces fading in the dark. “First, you tenderize the meat!” The two guards fled the scene as quickly as possible. They didn't get far, for a intangible sawblade sliced them both in half much to the horror of their rulers. The poor stallions didn't even have enough time to make two complete steps. In the dark, only the silhouette of their warm innards could be seen oozing out of their body. The delicious smell almost drove Anarchy into a starved frenzy. "M-Must keep it together. I... I still have some business with you two."

The couple could feel the burning hatred about to be unleashed, and the unmatchable power of the crazy unicorn. He had to be at least as strong as Nightmare Moon, the only pony that has bested Celestia in single combat!

“Up is down, down is up.” Before they could cast even a single spell, both Shining and Cadance began to levitate. In a matter of seconds, they crashed on the ceiling, now upside down. Their opponent was also stuck in the same situation. “What is science and physic to magic?”

Stuck in his spell, Cadance tried to break it, but was ultimately unable to. How can one dispel a spell if they don’t even know how to cast said spell?

Anarchy grinned, realising he’s got the upper case when it came to magic. “If you don’t know how to do it, well that’s a problem! You should learn to do more than fix broken relationships!” Casting another powerful spell, Anarchy shattered the roof, sending all three high into the night sky.

It was beautiful tonight, a beauty ruined by the repulsive appearance of the dark unicorn overshadowing the moon. He casted a flight spell to keep himself in place whilst Shining had to be picked up by his lover, or else he’d be falling into space. It felt weird to see the world like that. Space below them, and the Crystal Empire above them. The world as they knew it felt alien with that simple change in gravity.

Now out of the protective dome of the empire, the cold, harsh air surrounding the city froze their bodies. The wind roared, smashing against their faces as they expressed the full extent of their wrathful nature. They had to get back inside before they freeze to death. Anarchy, however, didn’t seem particularly affected. Turning around, he swiped the couple with his tail, a move that would be normally harmless had it not been for the sharp spikes at the edge of his tail slicing through their skin.

“So pretty... I never really got a good look at an alicorn's blood, but now I get the honor to drink some again from an older and prettier one. Don't forget to give me Princess Celestia's number afterward, Princess Cadance!” Under the greenish moonlight, Anarchy’s horn powered up. His face, now turning emotionless, sent a shiver down their spine. The coldness in his eyes clashed with the forced smile of his mouth. It looked so unnatural. This time, he was truly going in for the kill. "But I'm afraid the jokes end here. If you believe in any deities, start praying now."

He opened his jaw and shrieked.

Princess Cadance narrowed her eyes, lifting Shining Armor onto her back. “Together!”

“Give me your best shot.” Anarchy coldly stated, his massive grin gone.

In a gargantuan explosion of blue, pink and emerald light, three beams clashed above the empire, catching the attention of everypony below. The empire was on full alert, guards galloping everywhere, horribly lost as to what to do.

As the dust settled above, two small figures in the sky could be seen falling back into the city. Shining Armor and Princess Cadance landed gracefully, albeit tired. Looking up, they couldn’t see Anarchy anymore. He was gone, no longer flying in front of the moon.

“We... We couldn’t have got him that easily.” Shining muttered, keeping his eyes on the beautiful night sky. Then, in the corner of their eyes, something fell to the ground at tremendous speed, shattering the streets of the Crystal Empire. It rammed into Cadance, making sure she hit his mane. His sharp, and hard as diamond mane.

"I'm afraid not!"

"Cadan-!" The wind was knocked out of him by a giant hoof twice his size.

"I've heard enough."

Rearing his ugly head, Anarchy stared back at the princess of love, mildly impressed that she was still standing after all this abuse. Although, he went easy on her. It was just too much fun to break them slowly. After all, he had all the time in the world. Nopony was coming to save them anytime soon. “Fear... You are strong, rulers of the Crystal Empire, but I am beyond strength. I am the end, and the beginning... and I have come for you, Cadance.”

The Princess of Love communicated to her husband via a spell, her eyes focused on the powerful relic behind the gargantuan unicorn. “Our only hope is to charge the heart with hope. It will break him like it did Sombra.” Anarchy couldn't have heard it, but he would be foolish to not worry about the Crystal Heart.

As she whispered, Anarchy glanced around the area, finding a certain intrigue in the fountain nearby. Grinning, he levitated a stream of water in the vague of a snake, breaking the fountain into millions of pieces to extract all its water. “Ha ha ha ha! It's too much fun!”

The water snake cracked like a whip, lunging at Shining Armor. It formed a dome around his head, filling his mouth and nose with water. The white stallion tried to get it off with levitation, but the dark unicorn’s magic was stronger than his.

Horrified, Princess Cadance took off, blasting Anarchy from above. But even with all the magic beams thrown his way, the monstrous pony didn’t let go of Shining Armor, blocking them all with a simple magical barrier. Time was running out as Shining struggled to stand on all four. Oxygen was lacking, muscles weakening, he was slowly running on fumes.

With the last few seconds he had before passing out, the prince of the Crystal Empire focused all his attention on casting the one spell he knew could get him out of this difficult situation. With a bright flash of light, he teleported away from the water snake much to the amusement of his adversary.

“Still clinging on to life, aren’t ya?”

Cadance stared in the tired eyes of Shining Armor. Upon meeting hers, he nodded confidently. In that moment, she knew what that simple gesture meant, rushing to the Crystal Heart. He was out of commission for now, leaving her as the only pony capable of saving the empire from the jaws of the alien beast.

Anarchy was quick to catch on too, flying with magic towards her, barrelling through any obstacles as if they were made of cardboard. For being a unicorn, he was rather adept at flying and much faster than a speeding train!

Just before she could touch the Crystal Heart, Anarchy’s teeth sunk into her hind leg, dropping her to the ground just inches away from it. Now crushed under his hooves, she was too close for comfort, staring into the evil eyes of the beast.

The dark unicorn roared again. Baring his teeth like a mindless beast, he looked less like a pony. Stuck between two extremes, this unholy fusion of monster and pony sent a shiver down Cadance’s spine.

Anarchy swooped down to bite her head off, but Cadance pulled his back with telekinesis. A short-term solution, for he was much stronger than anticipated, able to resist her might with a bit of effort. Her eyes darted back to the Crystal Heart.

Nopony would be able to pull him off in time, there was only one option available in that situation. Cadance held Anarchy back with her hooves as the dark unicorn tried to push them out of his way. Freeing her magic, she redirected it to the Crystal Heart, filling the artefact with her special love magic.

Many fall in the face of chaos, but not this one. Not today...

Confused, Anarchy raised his head and that’s when he saw the reason behind his master’s words. He left in a heartbeat before the full might of the Crystal Heart could be brought down upon him. He’s heard of how it destroyed the powerful King Sombra. Not wanting to find out if the Nightmare was stronger than it, he teleported hundreds of meters away from the Crystal Empire just as the blast engulfed the city with its protective magic.

Finally gone, Princess Cadance panted, exhausted. Her leg was bleeding badly, but it wasn’t a severe injury thankfully. With her alicorn body, it should only take a day or two to be back in top shape.

“Cadance! Are you alright?” Shining Armor asked, worried sick.

The princess of love looked into his eyes full of sorrow. “I'm fine.” This didn’t feel much like a victory. Anarchy had taken much of their guards, and they only succeeded in making him leave. However, they had something more important to do now than to dwell on their losses. “Shining, you must send a letter to Celestia and Twilight as quickly as possible! We have no idea what he’ll do next!”

Reluctant to leave his wife injured like that, Shining hesitated. His eyes were still focused on her bleeding leg.

Cadance gestured him to leave. “Just go! I’m fine!”

Just then, a powerful blast of emerald magic smashed into the crystal castle, cleaving it in half. The top half fell on the market place, destroying who knew how many homes. Cadance gasped, her eyes wide open with terror. This was his parting gift, an entire neighborhood's worth of corpses.

Anarchy’s roar echoed throughout the empire. It echoed in the night like a siren, casting fear and confusion into the hearts of all crystal ponies that heard triumphant roar of the beast that slayed many of them tonight. The foals cried, grasping their parents for safety against the ominous threat that lied just out of their walls. The guards left alive dropped their weapon, questioning if they chose the right path all along. Being just a regular citizen might not be so bad after all. This was not happening... This was not happening.

They had to know it was all too good to be true. Sombra might be gone, but his ways were not. A new tyrant will come for them one way or another. They cannot escape their fate as slaves to a higher power.

Tonight was but a grim announcement of what to come and the bloody trail this new deity would leave behind.

Standing far from the empire, Anarchy stared down at the pitiful city that failed to offer much resistance. The chilly wind of the north was but a warm breeze to him. He remembered the times he thought the chill was too much for him to handle. Now, he laughed at nature’s wrath for there was nothing that could beat him. What doesn’t kill him, better run away.

There was no point in sticking around now. He’s made his point and got his answer. He was stronger than an alicorn, much stronger to the point that only a powerful artefact can push him back. Caution was still advised, and so he’ll retreat in the night to plan the final step of his lifelong plan.

Before he left, he decided to send one last message to the empire. Opening his gaping maw, he roared.

Author's Note

Edit : Added a chorus to Anarchy's song.

Fun Fact: Sanguilacrimae is latin for Bloody tears.

There it is! The chapter I've been waiting to do for months! This one was planned since October, with Anarchy's final design already done then. It went through a couple of changes, mostly to make Anarchy more threatening so that he'd feel like a noteworthy opponent for Celestia and Luna as the final antagonist to beat in this story.

With his abilities refined and being able to travel in the dreamscape, he'll be sure to cause some disturbance in Equestria!

Next chapter, Applejack and Cheerilee will put an end to the ultimate question of Olive's custody with Care. Mango will snoop around to confirm some suspicions and lastly, Anarchy will pay visit to an old friend.

Oh, and there's also a crapton of references in this chapter, including a big meme thrown in there. Have fun trying to find them all!

46. Mortal Folly

Fear, anxiety, stress, Canterlot’s castle was in jeopardy. Anarchy was back! He destroyed the crystal castle and slain many royal guards on his own, nearly killing the empire’s rulers. Princess Celestia heard her heart thumping against her chest as she reread the contents of the note. What would be the best course of action? How can they fight back against this stronger evil?

Many questions that also made their way to Looking Glass. His ever-growing frustration has only gotten worse now that he’s heard the news. None of this would have happened had he succeeded in killing that maniacal unicorn. So many lives would have been saved. Instead, he can only wallow in his crushing failure. For almost a decade he pursued a criminal that always knew to be one step ahead of him.

Even when he cornered Anarchy, he lost. What did this stallion have that he didn’t? Training? Intelligence? Composure? The power of the Nightmare? No, it can’t be any of that. He was missing something else, something that was the determining factor in all his losses.

Even when Anarchy was still just a regular unicorn, he still lost to him. The more time he poured into this matter, the angrier he felt inside. None of this was getting him anywhere! No answers, no satisfaction, no room to grow. Whereas the mad stallion evolved, got better at his craft, he remained stagnant. Stuck in that same position for years on end. Maybe that was the only difference between them and the reason why it became harder to best him.

Now sitting alone in his office, he stared blankly at the crimson mask resting upon his desk. His last resort to best Anarchy, a failure. Not only that, but he committed a couple of crimes all in the name of justice. The end would justify the means, but there was no end. Facing the inevitability of imprisonment for his actions, he had to act now. Make a final decision that will shape the course of his life.

Captain Mango probably won’t tell a single soul about the truth, but the two sisters are not fools either. Once Anarchy is out of the picture, they’ll notice in no time. In fact, the sinister mad stallion was the only reason why this drastic measure worked out for the most part.

It was his end so, after all why not? It doesn’t matter whether Luna or Mango spilled the truth, he’s done for. He still has one last shot and he better make it count. This whole operation couldn’t end on such a sour note. He’ll be locked in the dungeons forever but at least; he’d be remembered as a hero and not a fallen angel of sorts.

“Leaving it out in the open, ay? That doesn’t seem in character for you.”

Looking Glass wasn’t even surprised. Any other time, he would have panicked and tried to lie his way out. But not today. “Is that you again, Mango?”

“Course it is. Can’t you recognise my charming voice?” The captain mused, waltzing in as if he was expected.

Looking Glass looked back at the mask, frowning. “It would be polite to knock next time.”

“Well, I figured you’d have no problem with this. I mean, we both know about your track record regarding politeness.” Mango gently placed a cup of cider on the detective’s desk, smiling. “A storm’s coming soon, but that doesn’t mean we should be down in the dumps.”

The dark blue stallion stared blankly at the mask, just long enough to trouble the batpony. He picked it up with his own hooves, looking into its hollow eyes. “That’s easy for you to say. My life, everything I’ve worked to achieve will be gone soon. Surely you can see it too. The country’s greatest detective is nearing his end.”

“Still haven’t told anypony.” Mango rushed to say, losing his smile. “Not that it would matter in the end... you shouldn’t have dig your own hole like that. What were you thinking?”

“The end justifies the mean, Captain Mango. I won’t taint my legacy. I must go for a final hurrah. Let them all know that I tried till the bitter end for them.” Looking Glass’s eyes weakened, something Mango nor anypony have ever seen.

“Hey, are yo-”

“I just want you to know it didn’t feel good to be like them. I tried my best to put everypony out of harm’s way but I know it wasn’t enough. I’ve dug my own grave. Please, let me go out there one last time.”

Mango’s mouth remained open, not sure what to say. “Well... if that’s your way of righting your wrongs, I suppose I’ll let you redeem yourself. Just know that it won’t save you from your sentence.”

Looking Glass lowered his head, defeat finally entering his eyes. “I know... and that’s why I want you to tell the truth once this is over. I’ll gladly accept my fate once the time comes.”

The batpony looked away, troubled to see such an idol in despair. “You do realise you’re going against a monster, right? He nearly murdered Shining Armor and Princess Cadance. Do you even stand a chance?”

“It doesn’t matter to me. I don’t care what happens to me. I just want to see justice win for once. Even if it’ll cost me my life.”

“Mom? Dad? Where’re y’all goin’?”

Applejack rushed out of the house to meet up with her parents. Both were loading a carriage with various apple meals.

Bright Mac gave her a reassuring smile. “Oh, don’t worry ‘bout it. We’re just makin’ a delivery.”

That much the young mare could tell. She’s already made a few deliveries, but only to places relatively close to Ponyville so far. “Ah know that. Ah’m just wonderin’ where exactly?”

“Just a little town called Sire’s Hollow.” Pear Butter answered, nuzzling her teenage daughter. “The road there’s safe if that’s what yer concerned ‘bout.”

Applejack relaxed. It was just another delivery; they’ve already made hundreds of those. “Well... Ah guess we’ll be seein’ ya then.”

Bright Mac finished loading the carriage, checking one last time to make sure no equipment was faulty. “We’ll be back tomorrow in ta mornin’. Granny’ll take care of ya in ta mean time.”

And so, Applejack watched as they left Sweet Apple Acre again although... she couldn’t help but feel that something was wrong. Hesitant, she kept her eyes on her parents as they got smaller and smaller until, they collapsed and turned to smoke, gone in an instant.

Applejack blinked, slowly coming to the realisation that she was just dreaming. Her body grew to her current size and age. It was just a memory playing in her sleep, the same one for years now. Only this time, something stepped out of the smoke, darkening the sky. It breathed in the floating ashes of the two ponies, its emerald eyes piercing the black forest. The grass turned to snow, the trees died instantly, their leaves dissipating in thin air. It was winter again, it was cold. So, so cold. The farm turned to a frozen wasteland.

In the darkness of the sudden night, she couldn’t make out the figure in the dark stomping towards her. Its voice was melodious, beautiful yet sinister all the same. “Applejack, aren’t you lonely? Come, I’ll make you whole again. They’re lost in the void without you. Come, they want to see you.”

“Wh-What? Who are ya?” Applejack stepped back instinctively. Each step back only resulted in two subconscious steps forward. Her mind and body’ connection was being severed. Her eyes turned black, her pupils a dark and ominous green. The harmonious voice called out to her once more, and it sounded more inviting.

“I can bring you together again. No more fear, no more worries, no more ponies to protect. There, you’ll all be safe. Never to be separated again” Such serenity, it was compelling.

Applejack moved closer as it approached, no longer feeling anything but a freezing cold. The only respite she had was from the heat released by the thing. Even at this close distance, she still couldn’t see what was before her, only its piercing emerald eyes. It opened his mouth, words poured out of its mouth without even moving.

“Now step forth, look inside your salvation. They’re waiting for you, don’t keep them waiting. Come to them, embrace them as they once embraced you. Find your absolution.”

Applejack leaned closer, staring down into the gaping maw of the thing. The closer she got, the more she felt its hot breath. It was oh so inviting. Light reflected from its mouth, creating the shape of her parents. Just as her head was about to enter the maw, a commanding voice pulled her away.

“Applejack! Step back immediately!”

Surprised by the powerful royal Canterlot voice, Applejack fell to her flank right as the maw closed in one fell swoop, loudly echoing. The thing shrieked like a banshee, its eyes filling with frustration and bloodlust.

The next thing she knew, she woke up in her bed in sweat, lost and confused.

“’Gain with that same dream... Ta hay was that thin' anyway?”

After a long morning of working on the farm, creating paths through the deep snow, feeding the animals, Applejack slumped on the couch. She needed a good break after working her flank off for hours in harsh weather. As she rested, the mare noticed Olive sitting by the fireplace, levitating a note close to her face.

Applejack smiled, proud to see the filly now able to use magic on her own without needing to turn into a beast to do so. Sitting there, she began to reminisce about their first meeting and everything that came after leading up to today. So much had happened, it was crazy to think that only a month has passed since Applejack and Olive first met!

And yet, it felt like an entire year to both. “Hm?” The earth pony noticed the filly’s cheeks turned red as she read the note. She chuckled, It’s probably Sweetie Belle again. Everything she says gets ‘er excited!

Olive turned around, her beautiful eyes now meeting those of her mother. They were full of curiosity, never breaking contact as she trotted over to her.

“What is it, sugar cube?” She asked, already knowing the needs of the small unicorn.

Olive blinked in surprise. How did she know? My mommy must be psychic! She thought before hopping on the couch with Applejack. The pink filly levitated the note over, reading it quickly once more. “Mommy? Why do I feel weird when I’m with Sweetie Belle?”

“Oh? That?” Applejack gave a knowing smile. She playfully punched Olive in the shoulder. “That’s called love, Olive! Yer in love!”

The small pony had no reaction at first, still staring with her curious eyes before curiosity turned to confusion. “Huh? But that doesn’t make any sense!”

Applejack nearly choked on her saliva, baffled by that reaction. “And, uh, w-why’s that?”

“Because mares aren’t supposed to love mares!” Olive responded confidently. “Mares love stallions, so I can’t be in love with Sweetie Belle! It must be something else I’m feeling...”

Applejack laughed, of course Olive wouldn’t know! “And why do ya think mares can only be with stallions?”

Olive lifted a hoof to her chin. “Well, uh, I know! It’s because the stallion inserts his penis into the mare’s vagina and that makes both of them super happy!” Aj’s eyes widened, raising some concern in the small unicorn. “Uh, i-is that not it? Did I say something wrong?”

“N-No, actually. Yer right ‘bout one thin’...” Applejack cringed, did anypony even keep an eye on this filly before her? Doesn’t seem so. She had to take a couple of breaths to calm herself, else she’ll be too angry to continue this important conversation. “Let me teach ya a thin’ or two ‘bout love. It’s a lot more complicated than it seems.”

With the filly’s full attention, the orange mare began her course on sexual orientations. “Ya see, it’s possible for a mare to love another mare, and for a stallion to love other stallions.”

“But if a mare loves another mare, how can they-”

Applejack waved a hoof to dismiss that thought. She doesn’t need to know all that a such a young age. “That ain’t important to ya right now, yer still young. That comes much later. What Ah want ya to know is that it’s okay to love mares.” She gently touched the filly’s chest. “If that’s what yer heart tells you, then listen to it.”

“My... heart?” Olive touched her chest, feeling her heart beating faster. Thinking about Sweetie Belle again, she felt her cheeks grow warm. “I-I love... Sweetie Belle.”

Applejack smiled proudly. “Exactly! Ya should tell ‘er how ya feel next time ya see ‘er.”

“But what if she doesn’t love me? L-Like that I mean.”

Stroking her daughter’s mane, Aj gave a reassuring smile. “Ah know she loves ya. Even if she somehow doesn’t, it’ll feel good to express yer feelings clearly to ‘er. It’ll only hurt if ya keep them to yerself, trust me.”

Olive’s face turned as red as an apple. Fidgeting with her hooves, she sheepishly looked back at her mother. “I-I don’t know if I can do it. It’s scary!”

“Ah know it is. Just... please, give it a try, for me, ‘kay?”

The pink unicorn stared at the fireplace for a while, trying to compose herself. “Mommy? Do you love mares too?”

Giggling awkwardly, Applejack nodded. “Yes, Ah wouldn’t be tellin’ ya that otherwise. Ah’m speakin’ from experience.”

Olive stood up, her eyes beaming with curiosity again. It made her look ten times more adorable. Applejack honestly adored that look. “Do you, like, love a mare in particular like me?”

“Y-Yes.”

“Who is it?”

Applejack chuckled. With a pony this curious, it’ll be hard to keep a secret. Still, Olive admitted her crush out loud, it wouldn’t be fair for her to keep hers a secret. “Rainbow Dash. Ya remember ‘er, right?”

“Oh! The pony with the rainbow mane that flies around and do cool tricks that Scootaloo admires?” Olive blurted out so fast, her mother barely even understood a single word.

“Yep, that pony.” Looking back at the clock, Applejack realised it was time to get back to work. She had a good break and was ready for more. Olive volunteered to help her once again, determined to make herself useful. At that point, the earth pony didn’t even object.

Opening the front door, she was greeted by the one pony she wasn’t ready to see; Heedful Care. The mare froze, her heart nearly stopping completely as the pegasus raised her bag.

“I’ve been speaking with Cheerilee and she told me that Olive might be her lost daughter. Were you aware of that?”

Applejack glanced back at the pink filly at her side, bewildered by this news. “Ah had mah guesses.”

Care nodded. “Oh, good! I was afraid I would be dropping a bombshell on you, well, not that it’s certain who Olive came from. That’s why I’m here! Mind if I came inside?”

“Uh, certainly!” Applejack followed the pegasus inside, sitting at the dinner table. Heedful Care took out a variety of items from her bag, the most notable one being a syringe that frightened the small unicorn.

“To confirm if Cheerilee’s suspicion is right, we’re going to do a maternity test. I’ve already gotten Cheerilee’s sample. Now, I just need Olive’s.”

The two mare’s eyes moved to Olive, cowering behind her mother, her frightened eyes locked on the syringe. Heedful Care tried to explain the procedure, but all the filly remembered was the part she would be stung by the syringe on her foreleg. Oh, how she hated syringes. Sharp, small yet so pointy!

You’d be hard-pressed to find a single foal that didn’t hate syringes.

Olive wanted to run away and lock herself in her room, but sadly her mother didn’t let her. Stuck in the strong grasp of the earth pony, her tiny pupils focused on the sharp needle being prepped by Care. “Stop it, mommy! Let me go!” she cried out to no avail, none of the mares would let her leave. This was important, Olive knew that but...

“Raise a foreleg to ‘er, please.” Applejack asked softly, and the filly did reluctantly. No matter how much she didn’t want to, her body obeyed.

Olive’s eyes watered, her vision but a blurry mess of colors with no rhyme or reason. She kept crying, begging her mother to let her go.

“Shhh, it’s going to be fine. It won’t take long, Ah promise.” Applejack whispered, caressing her head to calm her down. “Look away, okay? It’ll be much easier if ya don’t see it.”

“Relax your foreleg.” Care instructed nicely. “I can’t do it if you contract your muscles.”

Once again, Olive obeyed despite her reluctance. She closed her tearful eyes, looked away and softened her leg. Then, she felt it. The syringe stinging her leg, and that was it. Just like that, it ended. She felt a soft push on her leg, the band-aid most likely.

Olive opened her eyes, breathing heavily as Applejack hushed her again. “See? It wasn’t so hard. Ya were great, sugar cube.” The earth pony nuzzled her. The filly’s heart slowed, the fear dissipating. Mommy was right, it wasn’t as scary as she thought.

A few hours later, the results were in. Applejack, Cheerilee and Olive were called to Heedful Care’s office to discuss a most important matter, the foal’s custody. Despite the cheerful drawings and colors of the place, Applejack felt nervous, scared.

Olive hesitantly played with the toys on the ground, constantly turning back to look at the three mares expecting something terrible to go down though she couldn’t place her hoof on why exactly she felt that way. There was just a looming fear in the back of her mind that didn’t want to reveal itself yet.

As for Applejack, she wasn’t ready yet. If only this could be postponed for a couple of days. She’d have enough time to face the situation. But then, it still took sixteen days to get to this point. She spent a lot of time with her daughter playing, working and just chatting about different things. It was wonderful and as with all good things, it was threatened to come to an end.

“So, I called you here today to discuss about the results of the maternity test.” Care announced out of the blue, jerking Applejack back to reality. The pegasus opened a drawer and placed the results on her desk. “I don’t believe this is a surprise to any of us but Cheerilee... the test confirms you are Olive’s biological mother.”

Olive dropped a toy train she levitated, loudly gasping. Was Care serious? Cheerilee... her true mother? But her father told her she was dead! How could this be? Her eyes lowered, frozen, lifeless. These sentences got her to rethink everything. Her mind returned back to the very beginning, the first thing she could remember to put the pieces back together, to solve the ultimate puzzle, the truth her father hid.

Nothing... Nothing her father ever said about her mother was true. Not in the slightest. Everything he claimed her to be, Cheerilee was not. Why? Why didn’t he want her to know about Cheerilee?

She could feel the eyes of the mares on her. They were staring at her, but not in shock. They knew, knew before she ever caught on. Olive turned around, her eyes full of confusion and anxiety. “M-Mommy? Is this true?” Cheerilee’s ears perked, only to lower when she realised the filly wasn’t addressing her.

“Y-Ya...” Applejack sighed, avoiding the filly’s eyes. “Ya can look at ta results if ya wanna be sure.”

Like a robot, Olive stood up and examined the results on the paper, her face frozen in disbelief. Reading the report, she moaned. “I don’t understand.”

Care leaned close, pointing at the results. “It’s a DNA test, if you look at your DNA and Cheerilee’s, you’ll see that there is a genetic match. This means that Cheerilee is your biological mother.” she said softly, understanding how hard it must be for the poor unicorn take it in.

Olive raised her head to look at Cheerilee’s eyes. Her teacher, her... mother? She didn’t know how to feel. All this time, she viewed Applejack as the only pony she can call her mother. To know that she always had one was immensely troubling. Her entire world fell apart once again and, in its ashes, lied a lost filly seeking help from a wiser mare.

Her eyes moved to Applejack. They begged her to say something, anything that can clear her troubled mind. Instead, the orange mare looked away, feeling defeated. “Mommy? What’s going to happen to me?”

None of them answered her question. It was Heedful Care who reassured her. “Given that you have found your mother, your custody is called into question. Applejack only volunteered to foster you temporarily until we found a pony related to you. However, I can’t ignore the good she’s brought to you and, since you’re old enough to make an important decision, we’ll let you choose who you want to stay with.”

Olive’s eyes darted from Applejack to Miss Cheerilee and vice-versa. She didn’t know she would be here to make a life defining decision! Caught off guard, she kept on staring at her two mothers, unable to even think straight. This was too much! She can’t even try to imagine how they would feel about her choice!

She wanted to choose Applejack but that’ll just make Miss Cheerilee really sad. Choosing Miss Cheerilee would result in Applejack being sad and her being away from her mommy, but she also loved Cheerilee. What to do? What to do?

An entire minute has passed and still no answer. Indecisive, Olive began to stress, a lot. All eyes were on her, expecting her to choose. Applejack eventually avoided her eyes, trying to hide her own fear. Cheerilee also couldn’t take it anymore, her tired eyes moving away to absently fixate the wall.

Heedful Care realised she had to break this tense moment before somepony burst. “If you can’t decide. I’ll give you the week to think it-”

“No.” Cheerilee waved her hoof. Her voice was weak and sad. “Celestia no, I can’t take this anymore. I can’t have custody, I shouldn’t.”

Care stared softly into the cerise mare’s eyes. Knowing her well for quite some time, she wasn’t sure if it was a good idea necessarily but that was none of her business. She’s not involved in this decision. “Are you sure, Cheerilee?”

“Yes, Olive’s better off with Applejack. I can see how much they love each other, and, as a teacher, I can’t take my student’s happiness away.”

Applejack’s eyes sparkled, the sharp feeling in her heart slowly going away. “Really? Ya’d let me keep yer foal?”

Cheerilee nodded sadly. “Yes, I don’t believe she’s my foal anymore. She’s yours.” Her eyes were moved to tears and yet, she put on a smile, a genuine one.

Applejack smiled thankfully. “Thanks, Cheerilee. It means a lot to me.”

And it did to Olive who rushed to hug her as hard as she could. Surprised, Cheerilee hesitantly hugged her back, struggling to balance herself with the added weight of the filly on her wheelchair.

“Are you gonna be okay, Miss Cheerilee?” The pink unicorn gingerly asked.

Cheerilee chuckled weakly, patting the filly on the head. “Of course I’ll be, for my student's sake.”

What an exhausting day that was. Olive couldn’t think straight ever since the meeting ended. The weight of her decision lingered in her mind, dragging her away from reality. She was so focused on the past that she didn’t even pay attention to her surroundings, only pulled out of her incessant thoughts by her kind mother.

“Hey, look at tha’. Looks like Apple Bloom wants ya to come to ta barn.”

Olive blinked, finally noticing her older sister waving at her. “Should I go?” she asked, quickly realising how stupid of a question that was.

“That’s up to ya. Ya’ve had a tough day so, Ah’d say it’ll do ya some good to play with ‘er. Our work today’s just about done.”

Approaching the barn, Olive noticed there were some added decorations. Small colorful lights hung above the barn door. Odd indeed.

Apple Bloom smiled once the filly arrived, bouncing in place. “Oh hey, yer finally home! Yer friends ‘ave a lil surprise fo’ ya!”

Intrigued, Olive refrained from askin any questions that might spoil the surprise. “So, what do I do?”

“Nuthin’ much! Ya just go in and they’ll take care of ta rest!” Apple Bloom opened the barn door, gesturing her to come in. It was better to be indoors than outdoors, especially in that chilly weather.

Heading inside, Olive was surprised to see how much the interior has changed. More colorful lights inside, a dinner table with candles on it and a nice rug too. Moreover, Sweetie Belle was sitting at said dinner table, her back straightened, smiling nervously at the approaching filly.

There was even music playing on a nearby radio. The entire barn was remodeled to be a restaurant. So, were they going to be served by a waiter?

Olive took a seat in front of Sweetie Belle, intrigued by this special event. The entire atmosphere felt strangely... romantical?

“Oh h-hey, you made it.” Sweetie fumbled through her awkward smile.

“I didn’t know we were eating in the barn. I didn’t know we could even eat in there.” The pink unicorn noticed the menu on the table. “Oh, are we in a restaurant? I didn’t know the barn was a restaurant. Is that why you invited me here?”

Sweetie Belle awkwardly brushed her foreleg. “A-Actually, it’s only for tonight. I-It's just a, uh, celebration of our friendship. Y-Yeah, that’s why I invited you here. There’s, uh, nothing else to it.”

“Oh, well, thank you.”

Olive opened the menu, getting Sweetie to do the same. Despite being in Sweet Apple Acre’s barn, there were no apple related meal. Looks like they all know about her allergy. Glancing around, the pink filly saw no waiter to speak of. Were they supposed to get up and get the meals themselves?

“Uh, so do we have a waiter here?”

Sweetie Belle jerked back from her menu, staring at the barn’s door. “O-Oh, yeah! We do. She’s going to be here any minute now...”

Just on time, a waiter came in. It was Scootaloo, complete with the attire of a real waiter, fancy suit and all. “Woah.” Olive watched with great intent as Scootaloo arrived at their table.

“Good evening, fillies, may I take your order?”

Olive quickly flipped through the menu. While she was busy deciding, Scootaloo whispered something in Sweetie Belle’s ears.

“Ah, I know! I’ll have a cheese sandwich. It looks yummy!”

Scootaloo moved away from her friend, writing the order down in a notebook. “As for you, Sweetie Belle?”

“Oh! I-I'll have the same thing as Olive.”

“Got it.” Scootaloo left shortly after, leaving Sweetie Belle and Olive alone. Just the two of them, together, in this beautifully lit barn, at a dinner table.

Ya should tell ‘er how ya feel next time ya see ‘er.

Olive’s cheeks grew warm. The two fillies awkwardly stared at each other, not uttering a single word. It felt like both wanted to say something, only refraining for some reason.

“So? Are they saying something?” Scootaloo asked, peeking from the barn.

Apple Bloom groaned. “Still not happenin’. Why isn’t Sweetie Belle sayin’ it? That was part of ta plan!”

“Yeah, operation Cutie Mark Crusaders Wingmare was fairly simple. She couldn’t have forgotten the steps!”

Two big footsteps nearly startled them. Looking back, they saw the towering figure of Big Macintosh looming above them. “So, is it workin’?”

Apple Bloom sighed. “Not sure. They haven’t even started a conversation! We can’t proceed to stage 3 without at least a love confession or somethin’.”

“Should Ah get their cheese sandwich?”

Scootaloo shook her head. “No, they’ll get cold if we wait too long out there. Speaking of which, how long are we going to stay outside? My face is freezing. It’s... hard to speak.”

Big Mac nodded in approval. “Ah’m gettin’ back inside. Ya should too. Y’all get frostbites if ya don’t.”

Olive swung in her chair, her face slowly turning as hot as a furnace. She fidgeted with her hooves, gathering the courage to say it... only to lose all faith and return to square one.

Sweetie Belle didn’t have much luck either. She was just as scared as her friend to say it out loud, opting instead to waddle around killing time.

It was only when their eyes met that a spark was ignited. Once they locked onto each other, they couldn’t let go. Their heart throbbed against their chest, their eyes lit up like stars and their faces turned red.

That moment lasted for what felt like an eternity. A long minute of pure silence where two fillies stared into each other’s soul, grasping their heart. They couldn’t bear that agonising moment any longer, their heart would burst if they waited for even another second! And so, they opened their voices and stated loudly.

“I love you!”

“I love you!”

Both fillies covered their mouth in awe. They couldn’t believe what they just heard. For nearly a whole month that thought lingered in the back of their minds, never revealing itself... until now. The truth was out, their chests ripped open, heart exposed for the world to see. And it felt good, but mostly hot as their faces were as red as a tomato.

Sweetie nickered. “D-D-Did you just..?”

Olive sheepishly nodded, covering her face behind her hooves. “I-I-I love... mares, I believe. That's what mommy told me.”

Sweetie Belle stroked her mane but was unable to detach her eyes from the filly with the marvelous olive eyes. She was hypnotised by their beauty, a beauty that was stronger than her flustered state. She couldn't look away. “W-Well... me too!”

“I-Is that why you invited me here?” Olive nickered, slowly lowering her hooves.

Now it was Sweetie Belle’s turn to nod sheepishly. “Yes, it was actually a secret Cutie Mark Crusaders operation.”

“So, it’s a... date?”

The white unicorn giggled awkwardly. “Basically, yeah. It’s a date... just for you and me. D-Do you like our first date?”

Olive’s shocked mouth slowly turned to a giddy smile. She was so ecstatic; she couldn’t even stay in her chair without bouncing around like a basketball. Unable to contain her joy, she stood on her chair. “I love it so much!” Then, her eyes widened as the implications of a date came to mind. “D-Does that mean we have to k-kiss?”

Sweetie Belle’s body released as much heat as a radiator. She’s never kissed a pony outside her family before. This was a first for both. She often heard from other ponies that the first time is never as cracked up as some ponies claimed to be, but they had to be wrong. Her body stood up on its own, trotting over to her crush.

"F-Five seconds of love?" Olive turned her head, exposing her red cheek to Sweetie Belle. “W-Well, um, I-I'm ready, I think.”

Both were hot as a furnace, bracing for the moment where they’ll share their first kiss, their passion and love for each other. This had to be the start of something special. Sweetie Belle leaned in, lips puckered out, slowly approaching the freckled cheek of the pink filly. Then, her lip met her crush’s cheek.

The two kept that pose for a while, their minds struggling to comprehend what was going on. When Sweetie Belle finally pulled back, any trace of anxiety was gone. This kiss proved to them that they were meant to be together.

Olive touched her kissed cheek, mouth agape, breathing heavily. Her heart throbbed against her chest, almost as if it was trying to smash through her rib cage. She’s never felt love like this before. It was simply wonderful, fulfilling indeed. Feeling the wet stain on her cheek made her realise just how much she missed growing up out of Ponyville. This was the best moment of her life and probably would be for a very long time.

Clapping her hooves, she exposed her cheek once more as she neighed. “Again! Again!”

Sweetie Belle wiped the sweat off her forehead, then leaned for another kiss.

Olive kicked around with her little legs, giggling cheerfully. “Now, I wanna kiss you!”

“Hey, Ah think it worked!” Apple Bloom hoof pumped, proud to call this operation a success. The CMC’s haven’t had much success with their plans before. Who knew, maybe tonight was a turning point in the history of their secret society?

Scootaloo shared her friend’s enthusiasm, grinning in satisfaction. “Awesome! Operation Cutie Mark Crusader Wingmare is a resounding success! Yeah!”

“Eh... does that mean we can brin’ ta sandwiches?” Big Mac asked, absorbed by the kiss-a-thon on display. That almost made him wish he had a marefriend. Probably should have had one a long time ago if two fillies beat him to the punch.

Apple Bloom chuckled. “Give ‘em a minute or two. Ah’ve never seen mah sis this lit up before.”

The night has come and under its frozen beauty, Cheerilee felt lighter. She’s felt this way ever since she left Care’s office. That meeting finally removed her burden and allowed her to take a step forward without constantly looking back. Despite not having Olive, she was happy. The foal she grieved all these years was safe and in good hooves. There was nothing to worry about anymore. Her legs will recover their former strength in due time and the school is being rebuilt. For once in these past two weeks, things were starting to look good.

The serene night sky shined some light on her house, creating a marvelous spectacle of blue lights. Her cheerful nature was returning. What a great time to be alive! For once, she looked to the future with hope, optimism.

Cheerilee whistled as she cleaned her dishes, no longer bothered by anything. She turned on the radio to add some atmosphere to her otherwise empty house, cradled by the upbeat music. She always had a knack for foreign music. She’s had it ever since Jolly Melody showed the different genres of music he’s learned.

Jolly Melody, right... Still out there and still being a bother, Cheerilee tried to ignore the news regarding him although that was harder now considering he’s become an international threat.

The cerise mare raised the volume to drown out her thoughts in the joyful foreign music. She imagined how these other cultures would look based on what she’s learned about them. If she had the bits, she’d travel to these lovely cities and experience life outside of Ponyville and Canterlot.

Something banged against the door. Cheerilee heard it despite the loud volume. The mare lowered the volume and went to check the front door. Nothing in here, not even outside. She double checked just to be sure and that was when she heard a bizarre sound. Something she’s never heard before, but it sounded like something... growing?

"Cheerilee?" That voice, it was Minuette! But that couldn't be... she's still in Canterlot as far as she knew.

She turned around in time to see a small monstrosity grow to an enormous size, dwarfing her in a matter of seconds. A dark purple beast stood before her, blocking any entry to her kitchen. Cheerilee screamed, struggling to stand back for her wheels were stopped by the door. With no room to turn around thanks to her wheelchair, she had to move towards the beast to then turn around and leave.

As she took one step forward, the beast grinned, its emerald eyes lighting up like the sun. When it spoke, its voice was exactly that of Minuette.

“Buddyyyyyyy!”

Cheerilee froze in confusion.

As the beast took one step towards her, it took on its true voice. A harmonious one that felt all too familiar. “Oh, don’t tell me you forgot all about me? Or have you simply not kept up with the news? My face is everywhere, no you really can’t miss this!”

In order to protect our love,
I have gone on a journey
And lost sight of tomorrow.

Your face that has forgotten how to smile,
I don't want to see it anymore
So Bring Back Our Love!

The mare’s eyes widened, her pupils turning to pinpricks. Even though it sounded much deeper, she recognised who's voice that was. Suddenly, the radio’s volume raised to the maximum. She slid across the floor to him, unable to fight back against his almighty magic.

His breath was frozen, nearly giving her frostbites on her muzzle. Everything about Jolly Melody felt cold, unwelcoming despite his cheerful voice. "Jolly... What the hay have you done?"

“Don’t look at me like that, I only came here to catch up! You must have some stories to tell, do ya?”

"G-Get away from me!" Cheerilee shuddered, desperately trying to push him away. Touching him was even worse than feeling his breath. He was as rigid and cold as a corpse. To her, he was a walking dead coming back to haunt her long after she’s moved on.

His magic loosened, and she fell to the floor. Anarchy looked out the window, shaking his head dismissively. “Now why would you want to leave? It’s a frozen wasteland out there, you’ll just freeze to death without the warmth of the sun. You know there’s a reason why nopony’s outside right now.”

Cheerilee struggled to stand up using only her forelegs. Strangely, she wasn’t afraid of him, not even with his ghastly appearance. All that she remembered was how he nearly ruined her life and left like a coward. Even as the beast he posed as, she could only see a pathetic stallion that disappeared to avoid his biggest failure. “My life’s no longer at a standstill, we have nothing to say to each other.”

“Really? Here I thought friendship was magic.” Anarchy chuckled lightly. “To be completely honest, Cheerilee, you’re one of the few ponies in this cold world I’d call a friend. It’s just a shame that our path split at some point. I’m here for a couple of reasons, and amending some fences is one of them.”

Cheerilee stared at him in disbelief. For a criminal that called himself a beast, he sure didn’t act like one. “I’m afraid this fence is broken beyond repair. We’re better off walking our paths alone.”

Anarchy growled. “Gee, you sound peeved. Is it because you blame everything on me? Sure, I may have given you a foal, but I took on the responsibility. Honestly, I don’t know why I did but I’m sure it helped with your poor financial situation.”

Cheerilee approached defiantly, any sense of stress or fear completely gone. How long she waited for this, to let it out. “You didn’t help at all! You kidnapped my foal and made me worried sick for entire weeks! And what? To just kill her later when she’s no longer useful to you? You didn’t do this for my sake. You made my life miserable!”

Anarchy stomped his hoof down, cracking the floorboards. His breaths froze the surrounding walls, giving the mare frostbites, but she remained still, defiant. “And I never claimed this as my reason. I tried to make Olive strong, to not crumble before the horrors of this world, but I failed. I never intended to kill her, but you see somePONY thought it was a good idea to drag her along her suicide mission.”

Cheerilee moved even closer, crushing her face against his. “And what would you have done if that didn’t happen? Keep Olive captive for the rest of her life?!”

Anarchy reared his head back, brushing off the heat from his muzzle. “Of course not. She will grow stronger. I know, for she is still here with us. Bested my right hoof. I didn’t succeed in my mission, the world did and I’m happy things turned out well. It gave her strength, something neither of us could ever do.”

“You call this a happy ending?”

Anarchy grinned. “She’s not a doormat anymore, is she? If she has the guts to buck me in the face, I will rub it in your face for eternity, Cheerilee. We'll see who's methods are the best.”

Cheerilee trotted away, avoiding the beast’s emerald eyes. “You know nothing about parenting.”

Her former friend cackled. “You’re not one to lecture me on parenting! Now if you’ll excuse me, I have ponies to kill and a mare to marry.” Anarchy left the house and disappeared in the night, letting the cold in. Every step he took froze the ground beneath him, creating patches of ice just outside the mare’s home.

As she closed her front door, she crumbled on the cold carpet. Reality sunk in and she realised just how daring she was with a serial killer. His threats weren’t idle. He’ll act upon them. So, what will be the future of Equestria?

So cold... why is it so cold? The face burns under the frozen wind, the hooves tremble, desperately trying to keep themselves warm. It’s a horrible feeling, one that’s too similar to dying. Unwelcoming, lonely, terrifying.

Octavia Melody woke up, barely able to move her body around. Her temperature was low, dangerously low. It was dark outside, she couldn’t see a thing, only feel. She felt that the floor beneath her was furry and uneven. Her forelegs were dangling in front of her and her hind legs on the other side of this rather thin platform.

As she weakly tried to stand up, she realised her forelegs were unable to separate themselves. Her eyes adjusted to the darkness, and she could see tight ropes tying her hooves together. Surprised, she let out a muffled groan. Her hind legs were also tied. She was bound and gagged, heading somewhere! As realisation passed through, the floor got bumpy. She wasn’t standing on snow or grass or even wood. It was a living being trekking through the woods.

Octavia looked to her left only to be met with a crystal mane brushing against her face. Whatever was carrying them was big, too big to be a pony. Looking to her right, she saw Vinyl Scratch in the same predicament. Bound like her, but still not awake. The poor unicorn was shuddering, her glasses cracked. Unlike her, Vinyl strangely wasn't gagged. Did their abductor knew she was mute? Or did they simply ran out of cloth to gag them?

That wasn't important right now, the cold was slowly killing them both, but it had no effect on their abductor, whatever the hay it was. No, it wasn't trembling at all, taking its sweet time trotting in the woods. They had to get out of here before they freeze to death.

She pleaded through her gag for her marefriend to wake up. Just as she raised her voice, the beast growled, stopping entirely. It turned its head around, forcing Octavia to duck before the sharp crystal mane slammed into her face.

Their eyes met, and those of the beast looked malicious. No kindness in them whatsoever, only a sinister evil. The monster grinned, its mouth unhinging to reveal the crystals that forced it in a permanent smile. An amalgamation of crystal and flesh abducted them, whisking them away in the Everfree forest.

"Sleep."

One word alone was enough to make her eyelids heavy, her body, weak. Consciousness slipped away as she was taken back to a more wonderful world, one where she wouldn't be awake to suffer at the hooves of this creature.

For if its eyes indicated anything, it was that its intentions were far from pure.

Author's Note

Chapter 46 is done! And on my birthday too, what a coincidence!
Only four left to go. Oh yes, the story is coming to an end, ending exactly at chapter 50, or so I'd like to. I don't want it to feel like it's dragging and wandering aimlessly, so yeah, I've cut out some ideas to make for a more interesting ending.

Though that doesn't necessarily mean that Olive's story is over. I might write one or more sequels if I'm in the mood for it. I just have to find what angles I'll dive into, else I'll run the risk of basically repeating myself.

Anyway, for the next chapter, two nemesis will meet and bring an end to this eight year long war in chapter 47: Old Habits

47. I Did Good, Kid

A faint light in the distance, a broken lantern at her side, Octavia woke up to the most unwelcoming of dungeons. Dark, made entirely of stones and with only a meager window behind her to shed some light in her prison. Her gag was gone, so were her binds. The only thing keeping her in place was a chain around her neck connected to the brick wall behind.

Panicked, she searched for Vinyl with her eyes, finding the mare right next to her, wide awake. The unicorn was staring, wide eyed in the corner of the room instead of the window. Octavia wondered why. Her question was answered quickly simply by following her marefriend’s gaze.

There was something in there with them! Right there, in the corner of this dungeon, two faint emerald eyes stared back. Octavia could barely make out the form of the thing that abducted them. All she knew, was that it was big, really big. It towered over everypony she’s seen before, and yet, it had hooves, a tail and a mane, a muzzle and a cutie mark, but it all looked like a sinister mockery of what a pony was supposed to look like.

Even its teeth followed that principle, pony-like yet also not at the same time.

Sweet Celestia, it moved! Its bones rumbled with every step it took. Deep, heavy thuds on the stone floor. Blood dripped from its eyes, splashing on the cold stones of the dungeon. Otherworldly growls greeted them to this cruel world of darkness.

The two mares held each other tight, ready to face their imminent demise together. But then, the beast sat a few steps away from them.

Now illuminated by the moonlight, Octavia and Vinyl could see the permanent smile carved onto its face. A symbol of power, for only the strong could smile in such a dire situation. Its horn glowed, levitating three lecterns, one for each of them.

The two lovers exchanged confused glances.

The beast chuckled. “Don’t tell me you don’t recognise these, do ya? I know you’re amongst the best here in Ponyville. That’s why I need your help with something.” Music sheets flew and placed themselves onto the lecterns. “Octavia Melody and Vinyl Scratch, I waited so long to play with you two again.”

Octavia gasped. “H-How do you know our names?”

The creature raised its head, a mocking smile on its horrendous face. “Oh? Am I already old news? Last I heard, they still played my songs on the radio. You know the ones, a stallion shining as bright as the moon longing for his love.”

The mares’ mouth were agape. “J-Jolly Melody?”

“In the flesh.”

During her entire life, Octavia idolised Jolly Melody. A handsome stallion that simply knew how to speak to a mare and with such poetry of course. If she wasn’t so young and shy back then, she’d have asked him out on a date. But now, he was anything but handsome. Only his charisma remained. Everything else was gone.

“I brought your instruments too, so considerate of me. Read the sheets, I’ll give you five minutes before we start.” Anarchy barely looked at his own sheets, swinging in place, eyes locked on the ceiling while he muttered something incomprehensible.

Octavia and Vinyl tried their best to memorise the sheet. Not easy to learn an eight-minute-long song in just five minutes and under such pressure. Anarchy’s hooves clapped out of nowhere, startling the two musicians.

“Time’s up! Now, we play.”

Octavia picked up her cello. Vinyl jumped on her synths. As for Anarchy, he held his legendary guitar, the one that could sell for tens of thousands of bits on the market. No, it will be hung at a museum should it ever be found. “Whatcha staring at? Impressed to see I still have it?” The beast chuckled as he noticed the two mares practically drooling over this musical relic.

The song started easy enough. The tempo was fast, but not too fast and the music had an overall sorrowful tone despite its creepy undertone. For the first minute, it was manageable, then Anarchy completely changed the course of the song. The tempo changed, and so did the tone. It sounded menacing, almighty and powerful like a doomsday device being activated. Anarchy even sang during that section.

The two musicians never heard a voice quite like this before. Deep, harmonious and with synths fully integrated into his voice.

Then, the song calmed down. The nuance of the song has changed from forte to piano. Despite that change in tone and tempo, the melody was still somewhat fast. Octavia’s hooves were starting to tire from the frost and the song. She slipped, missed and...

Anarchy stared her down, displease. “Enough.”

“I-I’m sorry! It won’t-”

“Start it over. I won’t tolerate mistakes when the time comes.”

Octavia lowered her head sadly. “Yes, Jolly.”

“Forget Jolly. I am Anarchy, you’d do well to remember that fact.”

Two grueling minutes later, they were finally able to push further in the song. The melody was still fast despite being entirely in piano. Octavia’s hooves trembled, a fact that made playing this section in the desired nuance harder.

A slow crescendo eventually exploded into a forte section in which the melody slowed down considerably. Anarchy resumed singing. The two mares couldn’t believe what they were hearing. The mad stallion was able to harmonise his voice... with his own voice! He sang the same melody twice at once!

And then, the music accelerated further. The tempo went into presto, and in overdrive too! No time for mistakes, the two mares poured everything they had into not screwing up. Their faces drenched in sweat played everything to perfection whilst Anarchy laughed menacingly in his demonic voice.

Finally, the song took a short break on the instrumental, leaving Octavia some time to take a breather... only to go even faster. To prestissimo and beyond! Anarchy kept up with the tempo without breaking a sweat, singing so rapidly that she couldn’t even understand a single word.

For two entire minutes, the song kept that frantic energy. Finally ending on a long note, draining the last energy the two mares had. They crumbled in exhaustion, panting.

“Very good! Now, we practice. Pick up your instrument.”

Octavia’s eyes widened. Her hooves were sore, her legs tired and in pain. Her lungs were still recuperating. She wasn’t ready, not yet! “B-But w-we're not ready to pl-”

Anarchy cracked the stone tiles of the dungeon in one stomp, shutting her instantly. “But I am ready to play, and so I command you to do the same. If you can’t keep up, I’ll find another use for you.” he licked his teeth, opening his mouth wide to get the message across.

Then, he jumped on all four and looked behind, surprised. “Oh? Somepony’s joining the party.” He grinned, his stomach growling. “Good, I was wondering when you’d crawl back to me.”

Where could Anarchy hide? A question Looking Glass asked himself before going out. He was great at placing himself in the mind of a criminal. He knew how they thought, what they wanted and how to achieve it. By knowing your enemy, you can anticipate their next move.

So, where could Anarchy hide? The answer had to be the Everfree forest. Close to Canterlot but just far enough to avoid detection. Dark and easy to blend in. And where better to hide in the Everfree than the old castle of the two sisters?

Dawning the crimson mask, Looking Glass trotted solemnly towards the castle in the wasteland of a forest. The trees have lost all their leaves, the signature darkness of the forest gone. There was almost no life to be found in there. All animals were caught off guard by the sudden winter. They had no time to adapt to this change. Nature was being torn apart by the very existence of this dark unicorn. He had to stop him.

His final battle, his last chance at saving face before the inevitable downfall. The only thing he ever wanted to hear was the chanting of his name, a victorious return to Canterlot, branded as a hero one last time. One last medal of courage, it was the only thing that kept him going at this point.

Ever since he chose to go at it alone, he at least hoped he could get retribution for his partners’ death. So many of them, young and promising, gone because of Anarchy. He was the last one standing, the final detective at the bureau willing to take him on. He cannot back down, even if they all tell him to.

The ghost returned to torment him one last time.

“So, is this how you plan on going out? With a bang, followed by a pitiful whimper?” The ghastly ghost’s jaw unhinged, revealing dozens of eyes underneath. “I’ll watch your downfall with great interest, and so will Equestria. You’re doomed, unless... you choose another path, one that can save you from the end.”

“Beat it.” Looking Glass refused confidently. “I won’t run and hide like Anarchy. I won’t become like you. My vengeance will end tonight and so will yours.”

The ghost frowned, floating in front of the dark blue stallion. “I understand this is your end, but what says it will be mine? I will outlive you, Anarchy and all the other fools that thought they could surpass me.”

For once, Looking Glass chuckled before the ghost. “You call being locked as a spirit in a feeble mask a victory? You do realise if I perish, you will as well.”

Now it was the ghost’s turn to feel uncomfortable, scared even. "Bah! You speak as if you intend to get in there and croak.”

“I won’t bite the dust, but I’ll make sure you will once my mission’s over. You’ve lived long enough, Crimson Mask. It’s time you bury the hatchet and move on.”

Stepping inside the old castle, Looking Glass felt the evil in the air. Anarchy was here, he was now certain of it. In the distance, below him he could hear soft whining. As expected of him, he nabbed some ponies for his twisted plans. I must save them before I deal with Anarchy.

He had so much time to ponder about the trajectory he took in his life whilst he trotted down the decrepit halls of the castle. Why was he even here? Why did he even choose to work for the bureau? Where was the spark that kept him going all these years, was it still there, with him?

He nearly jumped once he got a glimpse of his reflection. The dreadful crimson mask startled him. Looking at the mirror, it reminded him of the vow he made decades ago.

There never was a defining event that brought him to this path, was there? It was a long string of events one after another that motivated him. He still vividly remembered the times in Manehattan when he saw his father grumbling through his beard as he read the news. Many good things happened in that city, but for every good thing, there was a bad one waiting around the corner. Buildings being robbed, ponies found dead in the street, carnages orchestrated by the Crimson Mask. It always led back to him, that cursed pony who plunged the city in perpetual fear with his mere presence. Always felt, but never seen.

“Dad, what’s going on?”

His father looked over the newspaper, sighing. “More Crimson Mask. What can I tell ya? Go play with your toys again.”

It was difficult to play, especially when that persistent fear loomed in the back of his mind. “Is he going to hurt us, dad?”

“... No. He won’t hurt us. I’ll keep you safe.”

And this kept on going for years. He grew to discover more of the sad nature of Manehattan and its evil underbelly. The worst he saw was a building up in flame, courtesy of the Crimson Mask. Many ponies died in that fire, and many more were injured, some temporary, others permanent.

He couldn’t take it anymore. Why was this world so cruel? What did these ponies do to deserve such agony? It wasn’t fair to see them suffer and not do a thing about it! Where was Princess Celestia? Where was the police? Why couldn’t anypony stop him?

“Dad, do you think somepony’s going to come save us?”

“I don’t know. I really don’t know.”

Standing before his bedroom mirror, he stared at his reflection for long periods of time. He was just a tad taller than his classmates and certainly more athletic. He was good at sports and super smart. That’s when something clicked in his mind. If he was so good at almost everything, why doesn’t he use it to help ponies? If there are no heroes out there to save them from the Crimson Mask, then he’ll have to become one himself.

It doesn’t matter how cruel and unforgiving the world may be, all that matters is what you do in it. “I want to become a hero. A super cool hero that everypony will love and feel safe just knowing I’m out there fighting evil! I’ll be there for all the colts like me who are scared of the dark and of these mean ponies. I’ll smile through it all and show the whole world that I’m here for them! I’ll show the Crimson Mask that he can’t trot all over us! I’ll show to everypony that justice always reigns supreme!”

Before the mirror, he practiced putting on a scary face, one that’ll make these evil ponies think twice before picking a fight with him.

“I’m sorry I didn’t become the hero you wanted me to be.”

When was the last time he threw on a comforting smile in the face of danger? He had to state the obvious at this point; he was jaded, hurt and sad inside. A pathetic hero.

Following the source of the noise, the dark blue stallion descended the circle stairs, gazing in the abyss below. Nopony’s afraid of the dark, they’re scared of what’s in it. Just to be sure, he formed an orb of light and let it float down, making sure the beast isn’t at the bottom waiting for him.

The coast was clear, so he continued his descent once again pestered by the ghost floating at his side. “What do you think you’re doing? You should know by now you’re not the hero you thought you were! Heroes don’t lose to villains. Failures do, and you’ve shown the world you’re undeserving of all the titles and medals given. Go back and get some back-up.”

Looking Glass grunted. “I would have considered this option, but now that we know there are captives down there, we can’t turn back. Keyword for you being, can’t.”

The ghost screamed in frustration. “Celestia damned goody four shoes. Take off that damn mask and throw it somewhere else. You don’t need it to fight him!”

“He’s stronger, more than ever. I’ll need the powers of the mask to fight him.”

Crimson Mask growled, his eyeholes turning to rows of teeth. “The mask doesn’t make you stronger! Turn back before he gnaws on your bones!”

The detective shook his head sadly, resuming his course. No turning back.

Finally at the bottom, he only had to walk down an empty hallway to reach the kidnapped ponies. One mare judging from the sound of her voice. Looking Glass slowed his pace, wanting to hear every little sound. Anything that could reveal Anarchy’s position. The monster was close, the detective could feel his all-encompassing evil tainting the sacred castle with his mere presence.

The whining was louder, he was close! Looking Glass carefully accelerated, making almost zero noise with his hooves. The close he got, the colder the back of his head got. The cloak was frozen, stabbing little icepicks in his rear. Something’s wrong...

The stallion spun around just in time to avoid decapitation. The giant teeth of the beast missed his face, closing inches away from his mask. Time slowed as he stepped back, getting a good scale of the evil unicorn’s size. Sweet Celestia, he was way bigger than he imagined. Way stronger too. Too strong. He can’t compete with power this godly. Anarchy had surpassed the strength of even the strongest of unicorns. Above and beyond, he was more powerful than an alicorn!

Fighting him head on was no longer a viable option. The only thing he could reasonably do was escape with the kidnapped ponies. If he could just save them then, maybe that will be enough for him. One last heroic act. There was no escaping a being this powerful, to think otherwise would be foalish.

Drowning drowning,

Sinking sinking

I will make, you will break, at the hooves, of a god

Do you still cling to your false hope?

You’ll never get out of my scope!

Finally ending your dumb tropes

Hanging you by the devil’s rope!

This is the end, there’s no denying it anymore. Even in the face of certain death, Looking Glass didn’t back down. This whole song and dance had become an old habit at this point. He knew how to do it, how to fight Anarchy. He just had to avoid repeating the same mistake. And so, he laughed before the beast, surprising it.

“Hu hu ha ha!” He was no longer scared.

Anarchy grinned, thrilled to meet his old nemesis again after so long. “Aren’t we making an old habit out of this! Looks like we’re at the top of our game. Let’s fight, you and me one on one, no dirty tricks this time! I will best you using only my might. I’ll show Equestria who’s the most powerful unicorn, ending all debates once and for all.”

Looking Glass chuckled under his mask. “Alright then, show me.”

Anarchy swung his hoof, barely missing the smaller unicorn. He was fast, but the detective’s reflexes were as sharp as ever.

Looking Glass retaliated with a strong kick to the chin.

The hit knocked the beast’s crystal head back, but had not much effect. “Hit me if you want, my chin is like granite! Keep throwing your best, but you’ll see I’m still left standing!”

The dark blue unicorn aimed for the knee next, bucking as hard as he could on the Carpus. The hit didn’t even crack the bone, merely inconveniencing the giant who chuckled at his best shot.

Anarchy smashed Looking Glass, sending him flying like a ragdoll. The hit was dampened by a magical barrier he casted at the last second, but still... it hurt like Tartarus. The gap in power between them only got bigger with time. Now being a giant crevice, seemingly impossible to cross.

The blue stallion found himself in a hallway filled with statues of ancient royal guards. The weapons they held were real, still in good enough condition to chop a pony’s head off, and that’s what they intended to do now. A halberd swung down, nearly decapitating Looking Glass. Backing off, he only got in range of another halberd.

Anarchy’s magic could affect multiple statues at once, effectively transforming this hallway into a death trap of living armor. One statue at the far end had yet to be controlled, and so the detective grasped the halberd in telekinesis and chucked it at the mad unicorn.

The halberd stopped inches away from Anarchy’s eyes. The beast chuffed. “I am amused.” In response, all the halberds flew in the air, looming ominously above Looking Glass. Then, they dived down, breaking through the stone tiles just as the stallion teleported out of harm’s way.

Looking Glass seized his moment, lifting all the halberds and throwing them at once towards Anarchy. Another failed attempt, for the strong unicorn made himself intangible, watching as the weapons passed through him. “Isn’t it becoming clear? You will die for your country tonight, and my amusement!”

Anarchy casted a powerful spell, one that rippled across the entire forest. Worried, Looking Glass took a step back, quickly. A bit too fast. His leg moved much faster than his brain. In fact, his entire body was as quick as lightning. So was Anarchy.

Any movement they made was rapid and over in an instant. Surprised, he kicked a pebble, watching as it was knocked back at impressive speed. Everything was accelerated! Time was accelerated!

Seizing the opportunity, he fired a powerful beam of magic at Anarchy’s horn. The attack was much faster in the accelerated time, successfully hitting the beast before he could even react. That did some damage, but not enough. The beast only felt dull pain. "Oh? That spell is too much of a double-edged sword. Begone!"

Anarchy grinned and fired another spell, then took a step forward. His mouth opened wide, slowly. Time now slowed down. Their body were sluggish, comparable to that of a turtle. The cackling demon fired his own beam at Looking Glass.

The attack was scary. He had all the time in the world to see it coming and dodge it, but his body was so slow. He had to watch as all limbs moved individually to narrowly avoid the hot beam that grazed his fur. Just as it passed by him, time resumed as normal. The attack vaporised the wall behind him.

“Isn’t magic fascinating? I’ve yet to learn all its spells, especially those that are ranked as alicorn level!”

The giant casted another spell, one who’s effect weren’t immediately felt. It’s like last time. There’s a catch here, I must figure it out before making a single move. Or, I can stand here and wait for Anarchy to reveal the true nature of his spell.

“Why’re you looking at me like that? I’m not saying anything. Unlike last time, here I have all the time in the world to kill you. I’m in no hurry.” Anarchy lifted a pebble and flung it.

It landed just at Looking Glass’s hooves. Worried he took a step back, his eyes focused on both his opponent and the pebble. Moving back, he heard something slither around the air. That’s when he realised, he misplaced his attention. The danger was in the air, roaming above him.

Beams of light slithered around him until one of them lunged at the detective. Barely avoiding it, Looking Glass had a first-row seat to the destructive potential of these strange beams as it vaporised the stone floor. Steam came from the crater produced. With power like that, one hit would be fatal. It would split him in half.

Anarchy banged on the wall next to him, muttering something in it, grinning widely. “Do you hear that commotion? He’s here. Hurry up and call for help!”

Just then, Looking Glass heard two young voices calling out for help. Just beyond this wall, there were two mares locked in this decrepit castle! The beams slithered around him, putting some pressure on the stallion to act quickly.

Anarchy sat down cackling. “Now can you hear her chanting your name? Looking Glass! Looking Glass! Looking Glass! They’re placing all their hopes on you, their hero to come and save them just in time! You’ve been chasing trouble for the night, now it’s time you save the day!”

Sweat dripped down the masked stallion’s face. To make matters worse, the ghost returned in the most inopportune of times.

“Are you really going to fall for this cheesy bait? He’s going to kill us both! Get the hay out of here and forget about the mares! They’re done for anyway, we, however, will get another chance at fighting him with reinforcements!”

Anarchy’s smile dropped, his face darkening. “Come.”

The detective’s mind warped. Any thoughts he had previously were gone. There was nothing but darkness around him, and the beast forward. “Come to the light.” Many beams of light slithered in front of him, inviting the stallion to touch them. “Forgo the cold, and embrace the warm light.”

Compelled, he took a step forward.

“Touch them, let them help you.”

He took another step forward.

“Yes, come closer. Feel the heat.”

He moved closer to the slithering light, feeling their warmth upon his face.

“Touch them. Abandon the dark and come in the light.”

He was close to the light. So close he could see his own reflection in it. The one of a frightened colt putting on a tough appearance. One who was scared to enter the dark yet did so anyway, for those who were too scared to take the first step. “N-No!” Looking Glass stopped moving, the beams stopped shortly after. The stallion took off his cloak much to the surprise of Anarchy.

“Huh?”

“I’m done with this charade. I can see now I was wrong all along.” Looking Glass removed the Crimson Mask, cutting him off from the voice of the ghost. “This is my final battle; I won’t hide behind a mask.”

The mask was tossed just before Anarchy. Bewildered, the stallion cancelled his previous attack. His eyes lit up, sensing a spiritual energy within. Raising an eyebrow, he chuckled. “You do realise you’ve just committed an assisted murder?”

“It’s no murder. The dead cannot be killed. Send him to limbo.”

“Oh, I was planning to do that. Not because you’ve told me to, no, I waited for so long to finally have the last laugh.” Anarchy lifted the mask, seeing the ghost’s reflection in its hollow eyes.

“Don’t do it! The mask gives you power! With it, you can be even stronger than before. Nopony will be able to stop you if you put-”

“Nopony is as stupid as you, Crimson Mask.” Tossing it in the air, Anarchy savoured his ultimate victory. As the mask fell before his head, he crushed it with his bare hooves, revelling in the ghost’s death rattle. The impact created a powerful shockwave that shook the very foundation of the earth. With this, he cemented himself as the most powerful criminal to have ever existed and as the ultimate winner of this eight year long war. “The world will thank me for it, you monster!”

“And do you believe they’ll thank you for what’s to come?” Looking Glass loosened up, smirking. He’s never felt this good before. He’s done hiding behind the mask and placing the blame on others. Tonight, he’ll end it all as himself.

“Hardly. A villain is never cheered, only jeered. I know what I am and what I want. I can see you’ve made your mind tonight. That’s really good. For once, I think I may be learning what honor means!” Anarchy chuffed. “Then again, I was thinking about pulling a cheap trick on you. I guess you can’t teach an old dog new tricks!”

“I suppose you can only help it perfect its skillset. You can’t change the path you chose to walk. We can only face its consequences and strive to be, better ponies.”

Anarchy chuckled, standing on all four. “Now you’re trying to make me sad. Well, here’s a little confession for ya; I’ll be a little sad when you’re gone. No stallion amuses me as much as you. I’ll keep a piece of you to remember you by.”

Looking Glass smiled, and in a bright flash, he was gone, teleported beyond the castle’s walls. “But I’m not an old dog.” Following the sources of the call, he found the kidnapped mare chained in the dungeon, only they were two. Their hooves sore and their instrument a little bloody. Their body was weak, struggling to stay awake. Why didn't the other one call for help? Not important, he had to save them now!

This was his one and only chance to free them. His last chance to be the hero. The walls rumbled with each stomp Anarchy made. He wasn’t far, better get to work immediately.

“Thank Celestia you’re still alive! Get us out of here, please!” Octavia cried out, tears streaming down her face. Her mouth slowly raised into a happy smile. She recognised the face of the great hero coming to save them!

Vinyl cried happily, smiling before her savior. No inhibitor ring, of course, the average unicorn knows next to no spell. Anarchy is too confident for his own good.

Looking Glass teleported them out of their binds. Feeling his mana slowly running out, he looked to the window for an escape. “Stand back, I’ll get you out of here.” He blasted a hole in the wall, one big enough to fit two mares but too small for a stallion the size of Anarchy.

Just then, evil returned with a sinister grin. The creature roared, scaring the colors out of the two mares but not Looking Glass. They fell on their flank, staring into the cold eyes of Anarchy.

Octavia and Vinyl were not getting up, paralysed by fear.

Anarchy drooled, his saliva mixing with his bloody tears as he ominously trotted towards them. “They aren't running. What will you do now?”

Looking Glass winced. Stomping the ground, he shouted with all his iron might. “Get up!”

The shock got the two musicians to stand up.

“Run, you fools!”

Stressed out of their minds, the two mares somehow found the strength to leap out of the castle, fleeing in the frozen wasteland below.

“What? How did you...”

Looking Glass took a defiant step towards the beast. Anarchy lost any semblance of attention he had for his prisoners, that’s the most the detective could do in the moment. “You underestimate the strength of a pony. We are not toys you can break on a whim. Each and every single one of us is a hero in their own way. It doesn’t matter how weak we are, how scared we are, we will never let you win.”

Anarchy tilted his head to the side, a sickening crack echoing in the empty castle. “Heroes? Well that’s a shame. I’m sure you’ve been dying to know why you’ve never beated me. I’ll clue you in. You are a hero, that can’t be denied but what am I? A legend. Heroes always get remembered but you know legends never die.” He pointed with his hoof at seemingly nothing.

Looking Glass glanced quickly, only to find one of the slithering beams was still following him. Before he could react, it smashed into his rib cage. Strangely, he felt no pain as his body fell to the floor, unable to move. The wind was knocked out of him, and darkness now surrounded him.

This is it. At least, I’ve saved them. That's all that matters... in the end.

“Remember all these weeks ago? I promised you I’d put you through Tartarus before you die. Well... I’m a stallion of my word. In the end, my point still stands. You are strong, Looky, but I am beyond strength. Now, I am truly more than a unicorn, more than a pony. So let me ask you this one last time; what chance did you even have?”

Glancing up, he saw the silhouettes of the two mares disappearing in the night, fleeing to safety. In the fractured shards of glasses next to him, Looking Glass saw his reflection for one last time. He saw the eyes of a colt staring back at him. The blue colt smiled at him.

I want to become a hero. A super cool hero that everypony will love and feel safe just knowing I’m out there fighting evil! I’ll be there for all the colts like me who are scared of the dark and of these mean ponies. I’ll smile through it all and show the whole world that I’m here for them!

He mustered a weak smile as his eyes watered. I did good, kid.

Author's Note

Three chapters left. Oh my, it's rather sad to think about it. I know I'll just continue the story with a couple of sequels but still, I've been working on this for at least seven months now. It feels weird to know it's coming to an end already. Not that this sad chapter really helped.
I wanted to call it Old Habits, but after finishing it, I figured I Did Good, Kid would hit harder. This was basically a big, long gut punch for you all and I'm kinda sorry for it. Truth be told, I always planned for Looking Glass to die near the end at the hands (hooves?) of Anarchy in his final form.
Sometimes, the hero doesn't win and it's awfully sad to bear witness to.

48. Cold, Cold, Heart

Oh... my two musicians have gone away. How sad, I wanted them to play a nice music for my upcoming wedding.

Oh? Oh! That’s... That’s good. I can use this.

Another day, another outing around Sweet Apple Acre’s roads to shovel snow. The Apple family worked hard to ensure the well-being of the farm’s animals, the safety of the roads and the preservation of their precious orchard. Unfortunately, most of the remaining apples were inedible after being out in the cold for entire weeks.

On a seemingly normal morning, Applejack was visited by somepony she didn’t think she would be seeing so soon.

Loud steps alerted her to the presence of a visitor, one dressed in a nice suit wearing a top hat. Looking Glass came to Sweet Apple Acre, moving at a much faster pace than normal. He looked tired judging by the bags under his eyes, the many bruises around his body and his overall awkward trot.

“Applejack, I need to talk with you now. It’s urgent.” His voice, however, remained just as powerful. Nothing could truly put that stallion down for good!

Wiping the sweat off, Applejack sat against a tree, catching her breath. “Spill... it. Ah’m listenin’...”

“I ran into Anarchy last night. I barely managed to get out alive, saving two mares from Ponyville in the process. From what I saw, they’re safely recuperating in the town’s hospital from their bruises and hypothermia.” Looking Glass gazed at the Everfree forest. “He’s somewhere inside the old castle of the two sisters, close to Ponyville. I know he’s looking forward to killing you both. He won’t hesitate to make a move now that I know he’s in there.”

Applejack gasped, turning to see her daughter working alongside Apple Bloom, blissfully unaware of the looming danger near them. “He’s comin’ for us now?”

The dark blue stallion nodded. He readjusted his tie with his hoof, looking rather uncomfortable. “This town isn’t safe. Once night falls, he’ll come for you. Your best bet is to flee to Canterlot. The two princesses can keep you both safe.”

Getting up, a troubling thought came to Aj’s mind. “But what ‘bout ta rest of mah family?”

Looking Glass picked an apple and bit into it. “Anarchy doesn’t care about them, he’s only after those that can stop him. They’ll be safer away from you than with you.”

Also feeling a little hungry, Applejack ate an apple to prepare her stomach for the bumpy road ahead, not noticing the stallion discarding his own meal. “So, Ah reckon that means mah friends are comin’ too.”

“Naturally. You should warn them immediately. I’ll be waiting at the station, meet me there as soon as possible.” And as quickly as he came, he left the orchard without ever looking back.

There was still plenty of time before sundown, but better safe than sorry, Applejack rushed to her daughter.

“Hi, mommy! I’m good at apple bucking now, look!” Olive proudly bucked a nearby apple tree, causing multiple apples to fall in the baskets below. The filly looked up to her mother with happy eyes, seeking gratitude.

“That’s mighty good, sugar cube, but uh... we gotta go now.” The orange mare turned her attention to her baby sister. “Ya stay ‘ere on ta farm, ‘kay?”

Apple Bloom scratched her head. “Hey, what’s happenin’? That doesn’t sound good at all.” Olive moved towards her mother anxiously, sticking to her like glue as she always did whenever something stressful happened.

It’s best to be honest. Applejack remembered when her parents told her they were coming back, only to never return. She should say something, anything that won’t let her sister wait for so long in agony, holding out for a big sister that may never return should things go awry. “It’s pretty bad. Ah’m honestly not certain if Ah’ll be back. Things might get ugly.”

The little filly’s heart stopped for a solid second. “W-What do ya mean?!”

Applejack patted her on the head, comforting her with a bright smile. “Hey now, Ah’m just sayin’ that in case turns go bad, but Ah promise, we’ll be okay.”

Olive whined, hugging her sister before returning to her mother’s side. “Bye bye, Apple Bloom.”

“Well, Ah guess Ah’ll be seein’ ya one day.”

The orange mare smiled warmly. “It’ll only take a few days at most, Ah’m sure. Don’t worry ‘bout us.”

Gathered at the station, all six Elements of Harmony plus Olive were there, ready to depart for Canterlot alongside Looking Glass.

“We’re all here, the train should be here soon. Waste no time boarding.” he ordered in his cold, cold voice.

“Now, normally I’d be happy to go to Canterlot, but I’m afraid I won’t get the chance to visit much fashion boutiques.” Rarity lamented, glancing at the pile of luggage she brought for this trip, helpfully carried by Spike.

The poor thing groaned as he pushed his muscles to their limit trying to move it all. “Always at your service... M-Miss Rarity!”

“You’re such a dear, Spike. Thank you very much.”

Twilight rolled her eyes, levitating some of the luggage from Spike’s claws.

“But Twili-”

“Don’t overdo it, Spike.”

Olive tugged on her mother’s leg, staring at her with her oh so adorable curious look. “Mommy, why is Spike the only one carrying our luggage?”

“Uh... W-Well.” Applejack quickly picked a few luggage to lessen the baby dragon’s burden, much to his dismay. “He ain’t ta only one! Ya can help if ya want.”

Groaning, the baby dragon puffed his chest. “Come on, I can... handle it. It’s nothing!” He affirmed; his voice strained by the heavy weight he was carrying.

Olive lifted a few luggage with telekinesis even though Spike didn’t look like he was okay with this.

“N-No, wait! I can lift...” He crumbled, crushed under the weight of over twenty heavy luggage, 90% of them belonging to Rarity.

Olive smiled proudly. “You’re welcome, Spike!”

Inside the train, Olive finally got to enjoy the ride without any worries. She had nothing to do other than enjoy the nice landscape of Equestria. It felt simply amazing to go this fast, rushing past trees and hills at the speed of sound. Trains are so fast that she believed she could reach the farthest corners of the country in under an hour!

Meanwhile, the adults were speaking their concern to Looking Glass, understandably worried for what’s to come. They were after all prime targets for the monstrous Anarchy.

“So, is it true? You really fought Anarchy and survived?” Twilight leaned closer, gazing at Olive, reminiscing about their fight. The powers of the Nightmare are mysterious, unnatural, going against the conventional rules of magic and physic. Anarchy was no doubt much worse than that little filly. “What was it like? How strong is he? Is he good at magic? What does he look like? Ho-”

“Sheesh, Twilight.” Rainbow interrupted. “Just let him speak.”

“Oh, sorry...”

No longer interested by the ride, Olive crawled towards Fluttershy, completely unaware of the foreboding future ahead of them. “Miss Fluttershy, can I sit next to you?”

The yellow pegasus smiled. “Of course you can! I’ll make some space for you.”

Looking Glass fumbled in his seat, trying to get into a comfortable seating position. He readjusted his tie with his hooves again, cringing. “No need for apologies, I understand your worries, Princess Twilight. I’ll answer to the best of my ability.” And so, he told them everything that happened without mentioning anything about a Crimson Mask of course. He told them about his descent down the old castle, the types of spell Anarchy used against him, from time acceleration to erasing time, everything that could be useful. He then recounted how he saved Octavia and Vinyl from the clutches of the mad stallion.

“Woah, that’s totally crazy! Can you even accelerate time?” Pinkie Pie asked, getting uncomfortably close to the stallion.

The detective grunted, pushing the mare away. “No, it’s out of my capacities. It requires too much mana for me to cast. And keep your distances, you’re getting too close for comfort.”

“Oops, sorry!”

Rarity cringed simply at the mere thought of one day encountering such an ugly beast. Looking Glass’s description was highly detailed, giving enough information to leave no room for interpretation. “Eek, sounds like a dreadful pony. Why can’t evil be bothered to put on some nice clothes for a change?”

Rainbow Dash sighed. “You’re thinking of King Sombra.”

“... Well, darling, I never got to see the king. For all I know he could have been just as ugly as this Anarchy.”

Twilight chimed in. “Actually, from what I saw, he didn’t look half bad. Maybe a little more on the handsome scale, you know, if it wasn’t for the whole tyrant thing he had going.”

“Why can’t I find a charming stallion who’s remotely nice?” Rarity lamented.

“Ooh! I know some!” Pinkie Pie bounced on her seat, smiling from ear to ear.

“Pinkie, please.”

Looking Glass’s eyes slowly went to the filly sitting near Fluttershy, examining her with great interest while the others were too busy discussing meaningless topics. “Olive, are you aware of the danger you’re all in?”

The pink unicorn jumped; staring confused at the imposing stallion. “No? I don’t know what we’re doing in Canterlot.”

Applejack blinked. “Oh, ya... Might ‘ave forgot to tell ‘er.”

Looking Glass crossed his hooves, frowning. “Then I’ll let you explain, Applejack.”

Olive trotted over Fluttershy’s hooves, curling up near her mother. “Mommy, what’s going on?”

Nervous, the orange mare looked to her friends who each gave in their own ways the go to. And so, she quickly explained the situation, trying her best not to scare the poor unicorn too much.

The pink unicorn’s eyes widened, her mouth agape. “D-Daddy’s coming... for me?” She inched closer to her mother, scared. She never imagined she would ever see him again and after so long. She just didn’t know what to do should they cross path again. They opened her eyes to the truth, to the fact that her father didn’t truly love her. But then again, maybe there was a slight chance he did love her, only choosing not to show it.

Oh what to do? She didn’t say many good things about him ever since she came to Ponyville so... she should always stay on edge and close to Applejack.

“’Fraid so, sugar cube but don’t ya worry; we’ll keep ya safe!” her mother assured, dropping a kiss on her forehead.

Rainbow Dash’s mouth twitched, barely smiling for the briefest of seconds, something that only the perceptive Looking Glass noticed. The train slowed, allowing the passengers inside to gaze upon the glorious city of Canterlot.

“Looks like we’re there. Waste no time and follow me to the castle.”

Canterlot was but a mad dash to get to the castle, pushing any ponies in the way, for they had business of upmost importance. Looking Glass sure didn’t wait for any of them. It was either they kept up with him or lagged behind him. Despite the sun being directly above them, they felt like time was running out. Stressful times were ahead of them, a battle they would never forget. One that’ll once again shape the very future of Equestria. The fate of the very world they cherished hung in the balance.

All were on high alert, stressed out of their minds.

Inside the castle, Looking Glass wasted no time rushing to Princess Celestia, interrupting an important reunion between nobles without a care in the world. When lives are at stakes, he throws away any sense of formality and politeness.

“Looking Glass, what’s...” The alicorn raised her eyes, seeing her former student and her friends galloping towards her. She immediately knew something was wrong.

“It’s Anarchy, Celestia. He’s hiding near Canterlot and plans on killing his daughter and the Elements of Harmony right here.” He pushed away the nobles that dared to even remain in his way. “It is why I brought them here in the safety of your castle. They shouldn’t leave until Anarchy has been dealt with.”

Bewildered, Princess Celestia told the nobles to come back another day, emptying the castle. “I see. We planned on calling you all here, but I suppose Looking Glass took the initiative as always.”

Princess Twilight flew next to the detective. “Do you believe he’ll attack us even in here?”

“Yes, I saw first hoof how powerful he’s gotten. He has what it takes to challenge both Celestia and Luna.” Looking Glass observed the windows of the castle, especially the one showcasing Nightmare Moon’s defeat.

Princess Celestia furrowed her brows, her mind returning to the more important subject of Anarchy, discarding whatever remained of the nobles’ conversation. “Then we should not waste any time. We’ll have to form a plan to take him down before night falls.”

“Does this involve the Elements of Harmony?” Twilight asked.

The detective’s ears perked at that very moment.

Princess Celestia shook her head, gazing out a nearby window. “No, I’m afraid we can’t return them yet; we still have no idea what will happen should they be removed in the presence of that box... Anarchy may be powerful, but he is not invincible. There are other ways to defeat him.”

Twilight felt a wave of discomfort wash through her. Just from the alicorn’s tone alone, she knew that unlike the other evildoers they’ve faced, this one must die. Without the Elements to depower him, Anarchy will simply be too strong to be held by any mere prison. Death is the only solution here, something that Twilight wasn’t quite ready to stomach yet.

Olive tugged on Applejack’s tail. The poor filly trembled, staying close to her mother. “M-Mommy? Is everything going to be okay?”

To be honest, Aj didn’t know. Without the Elements at their side, she was less confident in their abilities to deal with a serial killer turned a god. “Y-Yeah, it’s gonna be okay, sugar cube. Ah won’t let ‘im hurt ya.”

Looking Glass suddenly sprung back to life at the voice of the earth pony. “Celestia, what will we do about Olive? I do not believe you’ll accept we put a filly on the battlefield.”

The princess of Equestria nodded, cringing inside at the mere thought of using a foal soldier. There were many, many good reasons why she banned that idea thousands of moons ago. “We won’t resort to such atrocities to overcome him. It will be best to hide her from the fight. I know of a chamber that’ll protect her. We’ll just need to put in a few commodities for Olive.”

“You must mean the chamber that previously safeguarded the Elements of Harmony?” Looking Glass asked. “I do not believe this room is in use anymore.”

“Exactly. Anarchy will have a hard time penetrating its magical defenses. It requires a precise spell to open, one only Luna and I know.”

Looking Glass readjusted his tie with his hoof, looking a bit uncomfortable in his suit. “May I take Olive to the chamber in the meantime?”

Celestia nodded. “You may. I’ll be there in a few minutes.”

“Ah’m coming with ‘er. Ain’t no way Ah’m leavin’ Olive alone.” Applejack insisted.

“Perfectly fine by me.” Looking Glass responded. “We must remain close; Anarchy is not bound to the night. He can come at any moment.”

Rarity watched as the two ponies followed the detective. She couldn’t help but feel strangely nervous about all this. “You take care, okay?” she said, wondering afterward why she even said that to a group that would return in just five minutes.

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. “Rarity, they’re just walking down a hallway, quit being so dramatic about it.”

“Come now, darling, this is a crisis, one cannot be over dramatic about a crisis!”

Trotting nervously through the castle’s large hallways, the three ponies stopped briefly before a door guarded by Mango. The door had a moon symbol on it. Clearly Princess Luna’s room. She must be asleep at this time of day for she spent the entire night protecting ponies in the dreamscape from Anarchy. A tough endeavor that drained her for the entire day.

Looking Glass approached the door, giving a passing nod to Captain Mango.

The batpony sensed something was off. Didn’t he say he would only return when Anarchy’s defeated? He raised an eyebrow, staring down the approaching stallion, horribly confused. He observed as the pony jerked slightly before readjusting his tie, with his hoof. He raised one leg, placing his hoof on the doorknob, smiling.

“Hey, before you disturb our majesty’s sleep. Might I ask you how it went with Anarchy? You surely have learned a lot about his fighting style.”

Looking Glass lowered his hoof and stared at Mango. “It was a tough fight, barely made it out alive.”

“Heh.” Mango chuffed.

Applejack blinked. “Why does it feel so tens-”

In the blink of an eye, Mango bucked Looking Glass in the face, sending him flying into a potted plant, smashing the pot into a thousand pieces. The sheer speed threw the mare and her daughter off guard. As the captain of the royal guard pulled his leg back, he noticed something odd. There was flesh on his hind leg. Half a face, but no blood at all. It’s like he ripped into a Nightmare Night costume.

Distraught, he gazed over the downed stallion, feeling his stomach turning inside out. No...

The downed pony turned on his belly and methodically got up. His mane was a light blue on one side, and a dark green on the other. He turned his head, slowly.

Everypony froze in terror. The sinister eye of the beast met their gaze. This was not Looking Glass, never was.

In just the few seconds they stared at each other, it became all too clear that they fell for a trap, a most unforeseen one. The dark eye lowered, staring deeply into the filly’s soul. The iron voice of Looking Glass was replaced by a demonic voice, a harmonious one. A voice Applejack recognised subconsciously.

“Aw, you stayed alive long enough to reunite with your pops. Isn’t this a nice surprise!”

Mango’s brows furrowed. Unsheathing his sword, he glared at the beast and scowled. “Anarchy. What the hay did you do to him?”

“Lots of things. I kept a piece to remember him by. Unfortunately, it didn’t fit me quite as well as I had hoped.”

Anarchy grinned, relishing in the batpony’s anger. “Heroes always get remembered, but you know legends never die.” The sinister pony took a step towards them. The ghastly grin of Anarchy juxtaposed with Looking Glass’ serene smile unnerved the captain.

Applejack opened the door, forcing Olive to exit the dangerous hallway. She would be safer near the lunar princess. Captain Mango held the sword tightly, silent and focused on the beast. If he made any funny move, he’ll strike.

“Move.”
The world turned black. The gentle howl of the breeze was gone, the distant murmurs of the other ponies died down. There was nothing but an oppressive silence, and the steps of the faker slowly approaching, sinisterly laughing. “Applejack, won’t you be a dear and move away?”

Applejack’s eyes turned black, opening wide. The harmonious voice of the ghastly stallion scratched at her brain so pleasantly, it made her want to comply, to feel more of this wonderful sensation. However, to let him in would be to put Olive in danger. And so, she gritted her teeth, narrowing her eyes as best as she can. The effort it took just to talk back was tremendous, but she had no trouble finding the strength to break free, for the filly’s sake. Her hooves moved slowly, and the more she strained her body, the easier it was to regain control.

“Back off!”

Anarchy took a step back, flabbergasted. “What? Didn’t work again?”

“Not another step closer, Anarchy! Ah won’t let ya hurt ‘er!” She truly had the eyes of a mother. A gaze that pierced through her fears, allowing her to stand high and proud before the beast.

It irritated Anarchy. This was the second time a mere pony beneath him resisted such a powerful spell. Why could they break it? This was alicorn level, it’s not supposed to work that way! “Blasted! Just when I thought my troubles with the Apples were long behind me. You ponies just have it in your blood to stick your dirty mud-filled snouts into other pony’s business.”

“What?” Applejack moved closer to the captain, hoping the two of them would be somehow enough to hold the divine beast back.

“Oh, don’t worry about it, Applejack. It’s nothing.” Anarchy chuckled. “Just something that needs to stay buried.”

The orange mare’s breath was heavy, her eyes getting blurry. “N-N-No... It... It can’t be.”

“I’m part of everypony’s story, one way or another. All the tragedies, all the tears you’ve shed, it all comes from me.” His skin cracked, breaking apart as he grew until he towered over the two ponies, regaining his true size. “How else could I have known they were gone?” He stretched his limbs, feeling more at east now that he’s shed his disguise. “All better now...”

The door behind them opened slightly. Olive poked her head, looking at her father with a sad expression. “D-Daddy? What did you do to mommy?”

Anarchy’s entire posture changed, relaxing upon seeing his daughter’s face. “Oh, it’s nothing that concerns you. I have a few things I wanted to say to you, Olive.” He smiled brightly, almost on the verge of laughter. “After all the things I did to you, all the hurdles I sent your way, you still stand before me. You have no idea how proud of you I am! Finally, after eight long years, you’re becoming strong, more independent. You learn on your own, no longer shackled by Aurora, no longer held back from your potential. Daddy’s proud.”

Applejack could feel her veins about to pop, her eyes watering. Everything he said sickened her. What kind of father only cares about their foal if they meet their expectations? “Cut ta crap, ya monster! Olive’s no longer yers, she found ‘er place and she’s never comin’ back to ya!”

Olive whimpered. She no longer felt any joy looking at her father. That face, it wasn’t that of the pony she believed him to be. The bloody tears, the fangs, the unhinged expression, maybe they were all right about him. Maybe she was the one who had it all wrong. There was no kindness in him, Applejack knew that and now, she’s trying to protect her from him. “Mommy...”

Anarchy’s eyes widened. Outraged, he took a deep breath, laughing. “Oh boy, eight years of work undone just like that. Well, congratulations Applejack, you’ll be the first to die and by the Nightmare you’ll die like Looking Glass!”

Captain Mango galloped at an impressive speed. Lowering his body, he jumped and swung his sword at the speed of light, aiming for the base of the horn, but Anarchy saw it coming. He headbutted the sword, hitting it with the crystallised part of the horn. “Mango, you’re fired.”

With a lightning quick kick, he sent the captain crashing into the wall. “Now Applejack, it’s your turn. Rejoice, you’ll meet up with them.” Opening his gaping maw, he lunged at the mare before she could even react.

Just then, a powerful blast knocked him on his flank, dishing out a burning sensation to his mouth. The door was blown to pieces and out its charred remains came Princess Luna, stretching her whole body to wake herself up before the fight.

Olive tugged on her distraught mother’s tail, smiling happily. “Mommy, Princess Luna is awake! She’ll save us!”

Applejack smiled thankfully, wiping the tears from her eyes. No time to mourn, she had a duty as a mother to fulfill. “Nice goin’, sugar cube! We need to get ta others ‘ere right now! We’ll stop yer father alright!” Climbing on her mother’s back, Olive gave her father one last look before they ran back to the main hall.

Displeased, Anarchy tried to shoot a slithering snake their way but was interrupted by Luna firing another beam upon his hideous face. The blast bruised his face but didn’t draw much blood.

“Eyes over here, I’m the one you should be worried about.”

Anarchy cackled. “Of course, I’m really nervous meeting you in pony for the first time! I even practiced a whole speech and everything, but I figured you’d prefer I just be myself. Ah... you and I, alone in this hallway. Before the others come, why don’t we talk a bit? I have so much to tell you, Luny.”

Princess Luna winced. This is even worse than last time. He’s become even less of a pony... He’s forsaken the last bit of his former self.

The beast stomped his hoof, smiling from ear to ear, Princess Luna trotted to her right, hoping to block the hallway behind her where the others lied. “Speak then, Anarchy. I will do everything in my power to prevent any unnecessary bloodshed.”

“Ah... Spoken like a true leader. I don’t know what’s gotten in them but they sure are out for blood!” Anarchy chuffed and smiled; any semblance of danger gone from his posture. He was passive now, something Luna never could have imagined coming from such an unsightly beast. “You’re much more reasonable than them. I always knew my faith was well placed.”

Occasionally glancing behind her, Princess Luna wondered why Anarchy was so relaxed in a situation like this. Deep within enemy territory, he should be on edge considering the most powerful ponies in all Equestria are gathered in this very castle. Maybe he was just that powerful, so far beyond them that he saw no drawback in chatting a bit. “Indeed, I try my best to avoid repeating the sins of the past. Fighting has only led me down a dark path.”

“I know that all too well. If you want to, I can become your perfect soldier. Take away all the guilt from you.” His eyes shined brighter, the blood under his eyes fell on the carpet. Fighting has led him down the very path Luna fell in a thousand years ago. It made him a monster just as it did to her. However, there is no denying it now, fighting was the only solution they had. “Is that why you look so torn? You don’t seem so happy.”

And of course, few can hide the truth from Anarchy. “Naturally, you leave us with no choice, Anarchy. If you continue to press us, we’ll have no choice but to take your life. Know that we are not happy with this outcome.”

Anarchy chuffed. “Ah, you have no idea how long I waited for this. To see you in pony for the first time ever. It’s a dream come true. Do you know how long I’ve waited, how long I’ve planned for this very moment?” he chuckled, holding a hoof to his crystallised head. “Oh, it’s been more than forty grueling years of playing pretend, being somepony I was not. Today, you see the real me. No more lies, no more deceit, no more managing idiots, I am Anarchy and I have come to ask for your hoof in marriage. That is my most sincere wish.”

Any trace of malice was gone, for the first time, Anarchy gave a genuine smile, not one born from a deteriorating mind or from a sadistic pleasure, one out of simple happiness. A smile that looked normal. It almost made him look like a normal pony.

Hearing the murmurs increasing in volume, Luna thought to keep him busy for a bit longer. “If I accept, will you leave them alone?”

Anarchy’s smile vanished. “Oh, that’s a shame. I’m afraid we both know that can’t happen. None of them will ever let me do this, you know that. As long as the Elements of Harmony exist, as long as your sister exist, as long as Cadance exists, I can’t marry you. This union can only be achieved by spilling blood. So, please, step out of the way and let me get down to business. I can promise them no pain for your sake.”

His horn powered up, but just before the lunar princess could strike, her body crashed on the floor, becoming as heavy as the sun itself. Her face pressed against the stone tiles could only move enough for her to see the goliath trotting past her. The clock chimed, indicating it was noon. It chimed in tandem with the beast’s loud steps.

“Now please don’t try to interfere, I already have lots on my plate right now.”

Trying her best, Luna couldn’t seem to overpower the spell casted on her, glued to the ground, feeling her body being crushed by an invisible weight. She watched helplessly as Anarchy turned the corner, teleporting out of sight to the throne room.

It was only when he was gone that the spell stopped. Luna saw a figure rising from the rubbles. Captain Mango spat out blood, frowning. Noticing the princess, he sluggishly galloped to her, his face bruised by the brutal impact. “Princess Luna, are you okay?”

Getting up, Luna touched the captain’s face, letting her magic do the healing. Small wounds like his can be healed as long as it’s not too severe. “I believe you should be more concerned about your injuries. Mine are merely superficial.”

Glancing towards the hallway, the captain of the royal guard cursed under his breath. “I’ll call the rest of the royal guard. We’re at war here.”

“Then go, I will regroup with my sister and finish this once and for all.” And confront my biggest mistake. Luna didn’t dare to say that out loud, still troubled by the mere existence of this beast. A creature born from her mistake bent only on selfish desires that lead to destruction and death. In other words, another Nightmare Moon.

I don’t know what I’ve told them, but the wishes of the ponies can’t be controlled. There can be no democracy when nopony seeks it. Sorry everypony, your ambitions are but a delusion.

Soldiers are meant to fight, to follow orders only to be forgotten afterwards. If only you all knew your place, you wouldn’t be locked in a crummy dungeon.

Admirable soldiers that fight for justice. Fulfill their duties and vanish without a trace. There is no place in history for any of you.

Inside the throne room, a loud bang alerted everypony to the newcomer. All saw a dark shadow looming above them. Standing before the mighty throne of Princess Celestia was Anarchy, grinning as he analysed each of his opponents. The tall stature of the mad unicorn stroke fear in the hearts of the brave ponies that dared to challenge him. This was the face of pure madness, a pony lost in the quest for power, now nothing more than a dirty beast that knew no disgrace.

Celestia, Twilight Sparkle, Olive, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, Spike, nine of them against only one. Hardly seems like a fair fight, but not for the one.

When you are beyond strength, no big number of ponies can ever tip the scale.

The cold wind was blowing, the mere presence of the beast brought the room to sub-zero temperature. Cackling, he stomped the ground, his head high and proud.

“The name’s Anarchy, leader of the anarchists, famous musician, nemesis of the Crimson Mask, bearer of the Nightmare, and the stallion who’s going to burn your world to the ground! And out of the ashes, the mare on the moon rises still. Prosperity is calling to all ponies who bend their will!”

"Now then... let's make some noise!"

Author's Note

A brawl is surely brewing!
Yeah, another chapter and quite soon too! I've pretty much got the entire last two chapters planned out, so expect the end to come soon. I'm at least aiming to finish this in late January or early February. See y'all soon.

Also, the whole thing with Looking Glass was inspired by the Lich from Adventure Time, just in case you were about to ask.

Chapter 49 : ... And then we'll save the day! (See what I did there? Check out chapter 12 again in case not.)

49. ... And Then We'll Save The Day!

Princess Celestia stared in horror before the gigantic unicorn. The memories of the time Jolly Melody was a beloved musician still haunted her when compared to the Jolly of the present. It troubled her to remember his face, handsome, bubbly and with those marvelous olive eyes, replaced by that insult against nature itself. He represented everything she feared in her subjects, to see such a nice and loyal pony turn to darkness for selfish desires...

“Jolly... what have you done?”

Anarchy snickered. “Done? Oh my, princess, you’re in for a looooong answer. So long in fact I should probably write a book about it to properly answer that question.” He said in a bubbly voice. “I mean, eight years is a long time. In that time span, it’s easy to get enough materials to write an autobiography, not that I’ve ever written anything substantial myself.”

Princess Celestia’s gaze was firm, pushing her sorrow away. “You’ve gone too far a long time ago. I won’t let you hurt our subjects ever again.”

“Careful now!” Anarchy cackled. “You’re starting to sound like Looking Glass!” Noticing a slight twitch in the alicorn’s face, the beast’s face light up, sensing an opportunity. “Oh, right... Has anypony told you about Looking Glass?”

The white alicorn felt her heart thumping against her chest. That face, it can’t mean anything good. Looking Glass mentioned he went up against him, or... did he? “Where’s Looking Glass?”

Anarchy’s face drew blank. “I was right. You don’t know. You see, I’m afraid he’s a little... naked at the moment. He can’t show his face to you, not in this oh so pitiful condition.”

“What. Did. You. Do?” Celestia glared.

Smirking, the beast tilted his head and kept on going until it was upside down. “I needed a nice coat for the cold. I’m sorry I lied to you all and led you right in the jaws of the alien. As you can see, I needed the coat no longer. Your maids will have to clean the mess, however. As for the rest, might I suggest you take a look inside your old castle?” He mockingly pointed out the window, towards the Everfree forest in the distance.

“No...” Despair filled the alicorn’s face. Her personal detective, a close friend she’s known for over twenty years, a hero she can always rely on, dead.

The other ponies in the room quickly understood that the Looking Glass that brought them all here was a fake, a wolf in sheep’s clothing. They were led straight into a trap. Horror filled their face, were they staring at a dead pony all this time?

“Yes.” Anarchy chuckled. “I won, princess. I beated him, broke your foalish world of cliches and tropes. Today, you see a villain standing victorious, shedding the skin of his nemesis. Like a pretty butterfly, I’ve completed my metamorphosis. Today, I take off.”

Celestia’s eyes widened as she remembered one crucial detail: the dungeon. She turned her attention to her former pupil, not taking her eyes off the beast. “Quick, Twilight! Head towards the dungeon and make sure none of them escape! I’ll hold Anarchy off.”

Troubled, Twilight took some time to make up her mind.

“Go, quickly!”

Frightened, Spike hopped on her back, hoping to get away from the monster that now had his eyes on them. The beast smirked. “You should probably stay here to protect your mentor from her untimely demise. You see, I don’t need my army. Not when I can create the perfect soldiers.”

Anarchy casted a powerful spell, two towers fell in the throne room, shattering the roof. Their doors opened and out of them came clones of the Anarchists, only their coat and mane color reflected that of their leader. Soulless eyes stared back at them, standing in an orderly position.

“No thoughts, no feelings, only bodies existing to carry out orders. That is a good soldier, something I never had the luxury of having before.”

Hearing him disrespect his own ponies, anger rose in Applejack. The memories of her encounter with Strong Hoof was still vivid. He spoke with such conviction, such goodwill. He may have become a monster, but at the core he was no different than her or anypony for that matter. In fact, most of the Anarchists shared that same conviction. They weren’t monsters fighting for chaos, they were lost souls manipulated into following a beast thinking they were doing the right thing.

“How?” Applejack growled. “How were you able to get good ponies to commit atrocities? They truly believed ya were gonna help ‘em!”

Grinning, Anarchy provided a quick answer. “Without a compass, the soldier knows no disgrace!”

The loud booms of the battle above woke up the Anarchists, still rotting in their cells. Dreamcatcher clung to her bars, gasping. She looked to her left, hoping she could somehow squeeze her head enough to see Strong Hoof at the other end of the corridor.

“Strong Hoof, listen! He’s here! He’s coming to rescue us from the dungeon!” She exclaimed happily.

But no response came, the goliath didn’t utter a word.

“S-Strong Hoof? Are you awake?” Dreamcatcher asked, worried.

“Yes, I’m... still here.” The giant finally answered pathetically. There was no ounce of strength in his voice, not since he got here. He barely talked, barely ate, barely slept. He was a husk of the inspiring stallion that drove them all to stay by Anarchy’s side.

“He’s here. We’re going to get out of here soon.” She cooed.

Strong Hoof sighed. “Maybe you will, but I know I won’t. I failed my friend twice.”

“W-What?” Dreamcatcher tried to squeeze through the bars to get a good look at the stallion she loved, to no avail. “That’s not true. You brought him the alicorn’s blood as he demanded!”

“That was but one of three missions I had, the rest I utterly failed. I cannot show my face to him anymore, he’ll never take me back. Never...”

Beaten, Dreamcatcher slump against the bars, wondering what will happen now. Once her dear friend came down here, will he forgive Strong Hoof? If not, what will she do? Follow the cause she believed in, or follow the white stallion instead?

She had no idea, none of the options available were making her happy.

What is their future?

“I’m afraid they’re no longer useful. They’ll probably turn on me once they see my actual plans. They’re no beasts, only I have achieved this state of mind. Therefore, they’re now prey.”

Applejack could barely contain her rage. Despite being criminals, these poor ponies deserved better. They deserved actual professional help, not to be fooled by a criminal mastermind! “That’s no way to treat yer team!”

“Obviously, do you honestly believe I didn’t already know that?”

Princess Celestia narrowed her eyes, stepping forward. “That’s enough. For all the crimes you’ve committed against Equestria, I will only ask this once; either come with us or die fighting.”

Anarchy gestured at his shadowy army, unimpressed. “You already know the answer, so come on... take me on!”

Diplomacy was off the table. The inevitably of this bloody battle settled in long ago. Ever since Olive came to Ponyville, Celestia and Luna knew that they would one day be forced to fight Anarchy. Sadly, he forced their hooves, leaving no more room for mercy. In their current situation, they had no choice but to kill him even if it went against their moral and the example they wanted to set for their subjects.

The dark Strong Hoof rushed immediately for Princess Twilight. Startled she took off just in time to avoid being crushed, with Spike latching on to her neck for dear life.

Just then, Princess Luna and Captain Mango arrived, catching the eye of Anarchy. With another gesture of his mighty hoof, the door in the left tower reopened and a giant tentacle resembling that of a kraken emerged. It snatched Luna and Mango, dragging them inside the dark tower.

“Luna!” Celestia tried to fly towards the tower, but Anarchy blocked her, smirking.

“Oh don’t you worry about your beautiful sister. She’s in no real danger. I just want to keep her out of the battle. You and the drunken captain, however, is a different story.”

Anarchy charged, swinging his tail around like a mace, trying to bludgeon the white alicorn. Barely dodging the first hit, Celestia had to weave around the tree trunks that were the stallion’s legs flinging around with extreme precision. This monster knew exactly where to strike, aiming for the lanky legs of the alicorn, for her throat and of course, her skull. He was too fast for her to take off. He kept her grounded, vulnerable to all his attacks.

Every single hit he sent her way was delivered with the intent to kill, to be the decisive blow. It was like fighting a rabid animal, next to no trace of pony kind left in him anymore. Only, she could tell there was multiple thoughts running through his brain. Every move he made was well thought out, hiding a deeper purpose.

Despite his impressive speed, Celestia had much experience battling, much more than she’d like to admit. His attacks were fast, but she could see them coming and thus, dodged accordingly. He hadn’t used his magic yet, what he was currently doing was just a mere test to gage her strength.

Reaching for a bite, Anarchy missed the mark and was promptly punished for his sluggishness with a magic beam to the face. “Poorly aimed, need I remind you my face is mostly comprised of crystals now?”

Armors clank in the many hallways connecting to the throne room, but Anarchy had thought of that already, summoning large crystals to serve as roadblocks for the royal guards. Locked inside this prison, the nine of them had to fight without any reinforcement.

On the other side, inside the dark tower, Luna and Mango landed on a ship sailing the dark sea. A pocket dimension! A powerful spell reserved only to the most powerful of magic users. A spell few have ever mastered.

The tentacle that had taken a hold of the two ponies dropped the captain on the deck whilst other tentacles raised from the sea, wrapping themselves around the lunar princess. Contorting, stretching, they locked her in place above the deck, wrapping around her horn to block her magic.

Captain Mango reached for his fallen sword on the ship, ready to help his majesty. “Hang on, princess, I’m coming!”

A gigantic shadow appeared over the unknowing batpony. Princess Luna gasped. She was here before, in the filly’s dream. That thing that was currently holding onto her was... “Mango, behin-mmph!” A slimy tentacle wrapped around her mouth, silencing her just before she could warn him of the incoming danger.

Thankfully, he was no fool. The experienced captain realised there was evil afoot and looked over his shoulder just in time to see another tentacle, only much, much bigger than the one that attacked his beloved princess of the night.

He saw that creature once, in a book in Canterlot’s library. Something that lurked in the darkest waters of Equestria. Something he never got to see with his own eyes before. “Kraken!”

The giant tentacle swooped down, crashing on the deck. Captain Mango barely avoided the crushing weight but was hit by the shower of debris. The ship was smashed in half, beaten by the sheer power of the leviathan. With no ground left to stand on, Mango had to resort to fighting in the air. This was a problem considering he was fighting with a sword. It’s not easy to strike somepony else with all your might while flying.

With no ground to use as leverage, the kinetic energy is less than desired. “Gyah! Damn it!”

Princess Luna mumbled, trying to get his attention. Of course! The smaller tentacles can be cut through, and with her magic, the kraken can be overcome. Then, they’ll just have to find a way out, and join their comrades on the battlefield. “You bastard will pay for what you did to Looking Glass.”

Even in the air, Twilight was in danger. Anything Strong Hoof could get his shadowy hoof on, he threw at her. His sheer brute strength was impressive, BUT, this time, he didn’t have the edge. There was no necklace on him, or on any of the shadow ponies for that matter. No holding back this time.

She unleashed a devastating series of beam on the goliath. The attack was powerful, scorching the giant’s face, but not enough to bring him down in one go. His scarlet eyes vanished, leaving two white eyes of pure concentrated rage behind. Strong Hoof roared, breaking the windows and knocking Twilight to the ground with the sheer power of his voice.

However, just before he could do anything, Anarchy’s horn glowed, and Strong Hoof calmed down almost immediately. “Even so, you’re still just a ticking time bomb...”

Strong Hoof shook his head in confusion, growling like a wild animal. His eyes darted around, searching for a target to lock on.

In the meantime, Twilight Sparkle rose from her fall, making sure Spike wasn’t hurt. Noticing the giant wasn’t attacking yet, she turned to her loyal apprentice. “Spike, you need to get out of here. It’s too dangerous for you!”

“B-But, Twilight!” Spike protested, stressed out of his mind.

“No buts this time, I don’t want you to get hurt.”

Anarchy dodged a blast from Princess Celestia, countering with a powerful strike to the jaw. Discombobulated, the mighty ruler of Equestria fell on her knees. Now that he was free, the beast turned his attention to the baby dragon. “Oy oy, tear him apart Strong Hoof! Paste his innards to the curtains!”

Strong Hoof’s eye lit up and he roared.

“Quick, Spike! RUN!” Twilight shouted, firing another beam at the giant’s legs. The blast slowed him down, yet he persisted on his mission to maim the baby dragon. Changing strategy, she chose to lift him with telekinesis. This worked at first, but something in the goliath allowed him to resist her pull. He was heavy, far heavier than a boulder, far heavier than a castle, far heavier than the moon.

Simply keeping him in place pushed Twilight to her limit. The magic that created this dark copy was unlike anything she’s ever seen. Looking back, she was relieved to see Spike had reached the entrance, leaving the battlefield. The only problem was that she was now tired, and the gargantuan earth pony was fired up on all cylinders, turning his attention to her.

“Oh no...” She fell to the ground, her body too tired to move out of his charge. She shrieked before imminent doom. Bracing for the painful death that awaited her, she heard a loud boom. A cannonball smashed into the stallion’s skull, knocking him down. He still moved, albeit concussed. “W-What?”

Pinkie Pie rushed to her, a wide smile on her face despite the dire situation. “I knew it was a good idea to bring my party cannon!”

Getting back on her hooves, Twilight stared at the body of the stunned behemoth. “Pinkie, that was an actual cannonball you just fired!”

Pinkie Pie giggled. “I know, since Looking Glass, or I guess it was the fake one, said that this situation was super-duper important, I brought actual cannonballs!”

“How and when did you have cannonballs!”

“Since before you went to Ponyville, silly! They’re always in my room!”

The rest of Twilight’s friends handled themselves well in battle. That’s a given considering their past experiences of fighting against numerically superior forces. For Applejack, however, that was a harder fight than the changelings because of one factor alone, Olive. She stayed close to the filly, bucking away those who dared to even touch one lock of her mane.

Olive could transform into her monster form, but Applejack would feel terrible if she pressured her into transforming, going against a monster that could kill her easily. It was probably for the best she remained as a normal filly cowering on her mother’s back.

“Mommy! Mommy! This way!” Her calls were not helpful, sadly. What’s the point of saying they’re coming this way if she can’t see the filly pointing at the danger? As such, she was hit in the back of the head. Bucking the pony on her left flank, she sought to correct this problem.

“Sugar cube, if ya see ‘em comin’ behind me on ta right; say right flank. For ta left side, say left flank, ‘kay?”

Olive nodded, narrowing her eyes, her vision as sharp as an eagle. “Okay, mommy!”

Applejack smacked more shadow ponies trying to flank her, keeping an eye on her friends, helping them when they were being overwhelmed.

“Left flank!”

Without checking, she kicked, taking out a pony who thought he was being sneaky.

“Nice goin’, sugar cube!”

The dark sea was agitated, more giant tentacles emerged from the black, watery abyss to catch the flying batpony. Luckily, he had no trouble seeing in the dark, avoiding any danger coming his way. He wasn’t strong enough to deal with a kraken, but one pony here could, he just had to free her and let her handle it.

Swooping down like a hungry changeling, Mango slashed at the tentacles holding his princess captive. Blood poured out the wound, but it wasn’t deep enough. Luna was still stuck, struggling against its powerful grip to no avail. She groaned louder, getting the captain to prepare another attack.

He swooped down again, slashing at the exact same spot. Still no good result, that thing was much, much stronger than they anticipated. Damn it! The cuts aren’t deep enough!

Princess Luna tried instead to charge her horn, but her magic was snuffed out by the big appendages crushing her horn until the pain was too much.

As the batpony was about to go for another dive, the horrid mouth of the kraken emerged from the water, revealing the gruesome fate that awaited him should he be caught. Multiple rows of teeth as sharp as razors biting the air with anticipation.

Alright, this time better the one...

With one last dive, Mango slashed the tentacle in the exact spot he previously attacked. This time, the wound was deep enough. Princess Luna was finally able to break free from the slimy appendages, turning them to dust with one powerful blast from her horn.

The kraken was not long for this world, for the lunar princess wasted no time blowing it up to smithereens, sending bits and pieces of the kraken everywhere.

Captain Mango stopped next to her, noticing the alicorn’s entire body was a little slimy. “That looked like... a disgusting experience.”

Luna growled, wiping the slime around her mouth. “I felt violated in every way imaginable.”

Anarchy missed his bite, badly. With an opening finally available, Celestia took off, hoping to get the high ground. Unfortunately, she underestimated the speed of the mad stallion who bit her tail, stopping her from getting any higher. He swung down, smashing the alicorn back to ground level.

Before Celestia could regain her senses, gravity changed. She slid and fell on the wall behind her, barely missing the broken windows. Anarchy fell on top of her. From her perspective, she had a nice view of everypony falling against the wall. Some, like Applejack and Olive, were less fortunate, falling on the broken window and clinging on for dear life.

Olive was gripping her mother’s tail with all her might. Her entire view of the world changed, all she saw below her was the snowy plains of Equestria below Canterlot, only they stretched on for miles. If she fell, she would be falling for eternity, one day splattering against a mountain. She screamed in terror, begging her mother to get up.

“Ah... Ah can’t! Ah don’t have a good grip!” Applejack cried out, barely able to hold on for dear life.

Luckily, Rainbow Dash came to their rescue thanks to her wings. “Hang on, Aj! I’m pulling you up!”

Rarity and Fluttershy didn't fare much better. The yellow pegasus held the white unicorn but struggled to kept her from falling because of a certain mare with a dreamcatcher cutie mark pestering her.

Rarity flinged rocks and pebbles alike at the shadowy Dreamcatcher, hoping to get her off her struggling friend.

"Rarity, I-I'm sorry but I just can't hold on to you!" Fluttershy whined through tired breath. Her muscles ached, begging her to let go.

Rarity looked down, seeing her other friends standing on the walls. "Then drop me on the, uh, walls I suppose, darling. I can hold my own. We'll provide some assistance to Rainbow Dash."

Dreamcatcher kicked Fluttershy in the face, making her drop Rarity. "But what about her?" For that, the shy pegasus made her anger known by bucking her away with a strength she didn't believe she had.

Rarity threw a big rock at a shadowy pegasus creeping up on Rainbow whilst she was busy lifting her friend.

"Hey, thanks for that, Rares!"

As for Celestia, she was in the worst position compared to her subjects. Pinned down by the towering Anarchy, she was about to be devoured as he lunged, mouth wide open. She held his head back with her forelegs. Blood and saliva fell on her face as she resisted the overpowering strength of the dark unicorn. “Take a bite outta royalty!”

Anarchy bit wildly, trying to scare Celestia who kept her composure through it all. Her legs burned, begging her to let them breathe for even just a nanosecond but to do so would mean death. As such, she took a gamble and punched him in the face. Surprised, Anarchy weakened for the briefest of moment, a small window of opportunity the alicorn exploited.

She poked his eye out with her horn and with one last push, got him off her. Pulling her hind legs back, she bucked him in the abdomen with all her might. On that day, Anarchy learned just how painful it is to be bucked by an alicorn much less the strongest of them all. His spell’s effect vanished as soon as he was hit, sending everypony back on the floor.

Writhing in pain, Anarchy had very little time to react to Celestia’s magic beam. Very little time, ay? He had a remedy. Time slowed; the beam was as fast as a turtle to him. He moved with all the grace of a swan as he dodged the beam. His eyes, however, were still lightning quick. His gaze moved towards the much younger princess in comparison. The princess of friendship, Twilight Sparkle.

Grinning, his horn powered up and released a wave of slithering snakes towards her. Something Princess Celestia had a front row seat to witness. Thankfully, time was still slow. The slithering snake barreled towards the young alicorn but were stopped by a portal that redirected them above Anarchy, coming down on him.

Surprised, he undid his time spell and bounced out the way just as the snakes pulverised the ground he previously stood on. Just then, the tower’s door blew up. Luna and Mango joined the fray, their eyes set on Anarchy. The scales tipped on the alicorn’s side.

The beast kept his eye on Princess Celestia, sensing the movement of the two newcomers behind him. Mango rushed his right, swinging his sword again at his head. Anarchy blocked with the crystallised part of his horn, charging it to deliver a fatal blow, but he didn’t know one important thing.

Princess Luna was fast too, much nimbler than her older sister. Tensing himself, he jerked as she moved in for her attack. Before he could finish the drunken captain off, he felt a sharp pain in his stomach. He was stabbed, by the midnight blue alicorn’s horn!

Whining in his beastly voice, he headbutted Mango and kicked Luna away, barfing blood. He had taken a bad hit, but thankfully his last second move had saved him his life. The alicorn missed his vital organs. The wound was painful, but not fatal. Far from it. Growling, he lit it on fire, cauterising it.

Surrounded by two powerful alicorns and an exceptional swordspony, Anarchy’s options were limited. He was hurt, and if he kept on making mistakes like this, he’d lose. Thankfully, he had one trick up his sleeve, a mighty good one.

With one bright flash, the ground rumbled. Losing her footing, Applejack tripped, causing Olive to fall and roll over to Celestia. A tall tower rose from the ground under Canterlot’s castle. Princess Celestia, Luna and Mango were carried above, being positioned on adjacent towers as they rose.

Applejack watched helplessly as her daughter was hoisted in the sky alongside the princesses. “Olive!” Just then, another tower rose under her, but only her forelegs were on top of it as it did. Thus, she flew to the sky, holding on to the tower with her forelegs until it came to a stop. The last thing she heard was Rarity screaming her name before the sound was drowned by the vast distance that separated them.

Troubled, Applejack looked under her. From her height, she had a beautiful view of the snowy capital of Equestria. Pulling herself up, she saw just how many towers Anarchy had conjured. All connected to form a castle in the sky, a final stand.

Looking down under, Applejack noticed the damages done to the castle of the two sisters, able to see her friends inside gazing at the flying towers. Not all of them could get up here, but she had a sneaking suspicion Twilight Sparkle would soon join her in this madness.

But for now, all that mattered was to find her daughter. She’s in danger up there with her insane father! Applejack’s heart beated faster the more she realised just in how much danger the filly was in. She needed her, now!

Looking to her right, Applejack noticed a winding stair on the side of the adjacent tower that led to its roof, which led to another tower, so on and so forth. Good, she had a clear path to the top, where Olive was surely held hostage in. Approaching the edge, she saw that the gap between the two platforms was considerable. A tough jump, a leap of faith.

But for Olive’s sake, she’ll take the chance. Moving all the way back, Applejack galloped as fast as she could, building up her momentum before she took the plunge. Soaring proud and high, she saw the fight underneath continue. The shadowy Strong Hoof and ponies were still causing her friends problems, but with Anarchy out of the picture, they could handle it. And as luck would have it, she succeeded, reaching the other tower. “Hang on, sweetheart! Ah’m comin’!”

50 meters above the ground, Princess Celestia, Luna and Mango stood inside the dark castle before Anarchy. The walls were filled with crimson curtains depicting the unholy union of the beast and Nightmare Moon. His dream was on full display, and it was meant to be shattered today. Princess Luna spent an entire month chasing trouble for her nights and today, like a superhero, she was here to save her sister’s days.

Three on one. Their opponent was strong, caution was advised. The culmination of this entire conflict now at its peak, it was time to end it once and for all. To kill Anarchy. Their subjects, and all of Equestria, shall be free from his terror.

“Come, foolish alicorns! Come and challenge the great and powerful Anarchy!”

Olive poked her head from behind the pillar, seeing the ghoulish appearance of her father challenging the three ponies. Just looking at him scared her. She wanted to stay hidden, praying for the alicorns to win, never having to confront him ever again. The filly only wanted one thing right now; to never see her father ever again.

The three ponies split up, each approaching the giant in a different direction. Anarchy seemed unimpressed, standing on his hind legs before bringing his forelegs down like a hammer. The resulting impact created a flaming shockwave of a hellish green fire, forcing his opponents back. Celestia was the fastest one to recover, resuming her advance.

Levitating huge chunks of the walls, Anarchy threw them all at Princess Celestia, keeping his eyes on the two stragglers. The boulders were each cut in half by the alicorn’s spell. Once each of them was sliced, Anarchy pounced on her like a tiger, but she saw it coming.

Celestia fell on her back and threw Anarchy away with all four of her legs into a nearby wall. The impact was so powerful it caused many boulders to fall on top of him.

The beast rose from the ashes, blowing the boulders to smithereens with one powerful screech. Shaking off the pain, he chuckled. “Show me a good time, princess!”

Captain Mango dashed at the speed of light, swinging his sword with extreme precision. Anarchy shielded his face, letting his body and hooves take all the damage. The cuts were shallow but stinged like a hornet’s bite. With one back hoof, he knocked the captain away, launching him into a pillar with enough speed to crack a few bones.

Olive whimpered behind her hiding spot, worried about the awful sound that came out of the captain. She knew just how much that sound hurt, it made her hind leg hurt simply remembering that awful moment. She looked to the two sisters, her only salvation now. She hoped they would overcome the beast and free her from the torment he inflicted upon her for all these years.

Princess Luna approached from above whilst her older sister came from the front. Despite their superior numbers, Anarchy seemed to have no trouble fighting outnumbered. He fired slithering snakes towards Celestia to keep her in check whilst he focused on dodging Luna’s blasts.

When he saw an opening, Anarchy growled and opened two portals. One underneath him and one above Luna. Reaching through the lower portal, he wrapped his forelegs around the alicorn’s neck and pulled her to his level.

Now stuck in the beast’s clutches, Luna trashed to break free. His grip tightening, she felt the air leaving her body. At this rate, he’ll knock her unconscious within seconds! Luckily, Mango returned despite being badly damaged. He swung downward, but the mad stallion protected himself with a magical barrier.

“Try as you might, you’re not getting through. Let me have a good time for once!”

Desperate, Luna looked to her sister for aid, but she was still dealing with the troublesome projectiles smashing all around her. Using magic in this situation was difficult, but it was her only option available. Powering her horn with the last of her strength, Luna aimed down at the beast’s hooves and unleashed an exceptionally powerful blast.

The resulting knockback sent them flying to the ceiling, with Anarchy’s taller stature meaning he was the one that banged his head against the stones. Blood splattered on the ceiling. Discombobulated, both fell to the ground helplessly. Mango rushed one more time whilst the dark unicorn was distracted and plunged his sword in his chest.

Screaming pain, Anarchy’s vision turned red, seeing only Mango. All that pain, all that anger now rerouted to the batpony. His head was bleeding and now so was his chest once again. That wretched stallion hit one of his organs! He threw the sword out of his chest and lunged, mouth wide open, aiming for the captain’s foreleg. In one brutal turn of event, his jaw closed like a crusher and snapped the bone.

The poor captain screamed in agony, kicking and bucking the mad stallion but it was no use, the beast didn’t want to let go. Instead, he only applied more pressure. Going further and further until a disgusting crushing sound was heard. His jaw closed, nothing stood in the way. A severed hoof fell on the stone tiles, staining them in red.

Paralysed by shock, Mango didn’t feel the pain anymore. His eyes were glued to the gruesome sight before him. And then, darkness overtook him once a powerful hoof bucked him out the window.

Olive supressed a scream, her eyes tearing up before the gory scene. Her entire body trembled in fear as she saw the severed hoof fell. Her pupils turned to pinpricks, her stomach turned upside down and her heart pounded with terror.

“Mango!” Princess Celestia flew down, firing a powerful beam comprised of sunlight at the monstrous shape that stood in the darkest corner of the castle.

Anarchy barfed blood, both his and Mango’s before countering with a beam of his own. “You know what? Screw all this spectacle! I just want you dead!”

Princess Celestia fired another beam, an exceptionally powerful one, but Anarchy stopped playing fair. He levitated her young sister to take the full impact. She gasped, stopping midflight.

“Come on, it’s not like one hit’s going to kill her.” he growled, tossing the lunar princess aside. Pulling Celestia closer, he breathed his hellish green fire upon her to which the alicorn shielded. Although, her magical barrier was weakening.

With one final headbutt, Anarchy broke the barrier. Celestia fired a beam of sunlight on his neck, scorching it but that didn’t stagger him at all. He punched her leg, and with one sickening crunch, it broke. With one last scream of pain, the princess of Equestria stood defeated before the nightmarish unicorn. Although, they did a number on him. He was panting, struggling to keep himself standing.

Then, his cutie mark blew up. Blood showered the tall alicorn as she saw behind him her sister, still standing, willing to fight despite being badly hurt herself. Growling, Anarchy limped towards her. “Damn it, why won’t you just stand down? I hate having to do this, but you leave me no choice.” He fired one last slithering snake, a weaker one but a projectile fast and strong enough to finish the fight.

Luna was out, Mango was most likely dead and Celestia was not doing any better.

Beaten, Princess Celestia was grabbed by the neck as Anarchy opened his mouth wide, revealing the multiple rows of fangs hidden deep within his jaw. “This world runs on fear, my dear princess. All shall fear and obey me now, for there is power in only fear!”

Just when hopelessness began to settle in Olive, a familiar voice called out to her from beyond the stars. A soothing voice she missed dearly, an old friend that returned to help her out one last time. Just like with Strong Hoof, she’s here to save her from Anarchy.

Maybe it was just her frightened mind constructing the familiar face of her dear friend Aurora, or she was really seeing a ghost. An angelic ghost that came to her rescue.

Quick, Olive! Your father is winning! You must get out there and find a way to stop him, before he can kill Princess Celestia and rule over the entire planet! Everything that you have learned on your journey here has prepared you for this moment. The malevolent reign of Anarchy must come to an end, or everything we’ve fought for is all lost. I gave it my all, now it's time you give yours.

The filly’s heartbeat accelerated exponentially, pounding against her chest, filling her soul with anger and kindness alike. Standing here she realised, she’s no monster, not like him. This other side... it is no monster. It’s a guardian angel, one that watched over her, shielded her from the dangers of this world. It protected her from Strong Hoof, saved her mother and friends from certain doom, drew her apart from her father and allowed her to find Ponyville. Unlike him, it didn’t hurt those who didn’t deserve it. This other side is no curse; it was a blessing in disguise. One that’ll forever change the course of her life once again.

It’s unfortunate that peace cannot always be the answer. Violence breeds violence. Sometimes, it’s just how the world works. There can be no other way but to confront the horrors of her upbringing. An eye for an eye, fight fire with fire. She’ll never let him get away ever again. He already took Aurora from her; she can’t let him have Applejack too.

He followed his wrath, but her? She’ll follow her love. Today, the world has turned and so many have burned in their path. But there is light at the end of the tunnel. Olive can feel it, new life will be born beneath the blood-stained snow. She just has to fight one last time. It has to be this way.

What if I don’t want to be a coward anymore? What if I don't want to hide anymore? What if I want him to kill me? What if I want him to try?

Her fear now gone; she stepped out from her hiding place. “Anarchy!”

Anarchy let go of the princess, surprised to see his daughter here. “Huh?”

Olive glared, a heroic glint in her eyes as she stood defiantly before the pony that was once her father, her master. Powering up her horn, she embraced the other side, letting it comfort her. She had no reason to fear it. The monster filly was her, not a mindless beast that lived in her body. It was just another facet of her, one that can show kindness. It was her anger incarnate. Before she simply let it lash out at the world, but as with Strong Hoof, it will only attack the one pony in this castle that deserved every ounce of pain coming his way, Anarchy.

The castle erupted with a powerful magic, one that shook the very ground it was standing on. Out of the dark smoke, a lanky mare emerged. Her roar was heard from miles as she trotted daringly towards the ghastly unicorn. There was no fear in the beast, but much power.

“Olive, my darling. It seems like you have some th-” Before he could even finish his mocking statement, he was smashed by three powerful pink hooves. One hit his left eye, another his jaw and the last one got his neck. Despite being weaker than him, Olive’s hit left a nasty impact safe for the jaw, helpfully protected by crystals. She knew exactly where to attack to cause maximum pain, almost like he was fighting... himself?

“Oh, I think I get it now. That is indeed a part of me. Damnit, that was a stupid idea!” Regaining his senses, he cracked his stiff neck and stretched his bloodied sore limbs. “You have grown strong, child. There is a different look in your eyes now. You’re determined, take matters into your own hooves. You always get back up even after you’re beaten down to a pulp. I can see it upon your body, where Strong Hoof left his mark. You’re your own master now.”

No longer being in the beast’s grasp, Celestia crawled towards her unconscious sister to tend to her wounds, hoping Olive could buy her enough time to get back in the fight.

Olive roared, throwing another barrage of kicks from her gaping maw. Anarchy dodged the first couple attacks, but the throbbing pain in his stomachs slowed him down. He ended up taking a few kicks to the face before he chose to slow time. The attacks were sluggish, allowing him to narrowly weave around them, firing an exceptionally fast beam at the beast.

But before the attack could land, Olive kicked the beam with another extra hoof, causing meaningless damage as the hoof exploded into bits. The severed hoof returned inside her mouth, replaced by a healthy one. The filly was seemingly unharmed.

“Grah, what the hay’s up with your biology?” Anarchy teleported behind her, and headbutted Olive, following it up with a kick to her scar.

The monster filly raised some large rocks from the floor and charged Anarchy, smashing both in his face in quick succession. Her horn powered, green flames sparking out. Her father, however, grappled her before she could attack and rolled on the ground, getting on top of her.

He lunged for a bite but underestimated the dirtiness of his own fighting style being reflected at him. Olive kicked his eye and then his groin before throwing him out like a ragdoll.

“Cheapshots? Aren't you a spitting image of me!” Anarchy cursed his carelessness in the previous fight. He was stabbed twice, got his cutie mark blasted away and a concussion. All the damages weakened him, slowed him down enough to get on Olive’s level. If he was in top shape, he’d make mincemeat out of her, but alas, he faced the consequences of his arrogance. To briefly level the playing field, he accelerated time and limped towards the filly.

Olive was surprised by the sudden gain in speed, rammed over by the goliath. His horn pierced her scar, opening it again. Blood poured from it, burning her body. In retaliation, she pierced his mouth with her long horn, dislodging a tooth.

Anarchy roared, suffering a painful loss. The resulting shockwave knocked the monster filly away. Recuperating from this devastating hit, the mad stallion quickly formed a plan to end the fight right then and there.

Opening a portal below, he fired a slithering snake. This time, Olive didn’t see it coming and was smashed in the back by the projectile. Then, she was kicked twice in the face. Anarchy threw her down and shoved his forelegs down her gaping maw and began to stretch her jaw. “There’s gotta be a limit. I want to see just how far you’ll go!”

He continued stretching, relishing in the awkward whine the beast made as it tried to shove him away to no avail. Anarchy tanked all the hits without letting go. The jaw expanded and expanded until...

An agonising pain made him stop. The torn off part of his flank screamed, sending all sorts of signals to his brain. A scorching pain, a rattling in his bones. He jerked back, seeing none other than Applejack with her hind legs lodged in his wound.

Olive roared, and it was too late for him to finish the job. She kicked him off and stomped the ground angrily, wrapping her tail around her mother.

Applejack panted, having spent multiple minutes of nonstop running and jumping. “H-Hey, sugar cube... Ah’m ‘ere. Ah won’t leave ya lone, never.” They both watched as Anarchy shakingly stood up, no longer proud and high but low and weak.

The beast was out of breath, just like Aj. The two parents stared each other down, a mutual hatred coursing through their eyes. Seeing how weak he was, Anarchy raised his head as high as he could. His mouth opened wide and with all his heart, he sang one last time, his deep evil voice sounding oddly angelic.

Long ago I left to make our love eternal
Even after we're dead and gone
But even so time has gone by so fast!

I don't want to take the joy away from your life
Maybe time is on our side
Until then, I'll Bring Back Our Love!

He can never forget why he went on this journey.

Gritting his teeth, showcasing his missing one, he screeched like a banshee. An invitation to end this once and for all.

Olive charged, firing a scorching ray of fire at her father. Anarchy did the same, only his was more powerful. Just then, Applejack bucked his hind leg, causing the giant to trip. The monster filly wasted no time beating on his face again, aiming specifically for the crystallised part. Her hits were so powerful, it managed to crack the crystals keeping his mouth in a permanent smile.

Then, she burned his face. Anarchy butted her away, briefly regaining his composure. He summoned a portal below Applejack, making her fall from the ceiling. Olive shot out a hoof from her mouth to catch her falling mother, a saving manoeuvre her father took advantage of.

Anarchy fired another snake, more powerful this time on her head. Blood spurted out of the wound, but the filly didn’t fall, turning her hateful eye to him.

“Oh... You annoying little shit! Why won’t you just die!” Anarchy shouted, coughing up blood as the direness of his situation began to dawn on him. He was losing, badly against a filly and a farm pony. In front of Celestia and Luna too at that.

Applejack popped in unannounced, seizing her opportunity to strike the dark unicorn’s damaged crystals. Enraged, the beast turned his attention to her, opening himself up to another attack from his own daughter.

Smacked around, Anarchy was grabbed by Olive. The filly lifted his head just enough for Applejack to deliver the final blow on his chin. Bucking him with all her might, the crystals around his jaw shattered, destroying his permanent grin. His cheeks drooped in a horrid scowl.

Then, the duo both smashed his right foreleg and with one sickening crack, his bone snapped. Down on the ground for good, Anarchy had no other option than to cut his loss. He had made several mistakes born entirely from his arrogance.

Absolute power corrupts even the finest minds.

His master’s right, he got more and more careless as the years went on. The result? This. It sucked, it hurt, it was shameful. Throwing his head back, Anarchy shouted in the darkness of the castle. The entire place shattered, turning to dust. The castle was gone, and, in an instant, they were all in the sky, falling towards Canterlot.

Princess Celestia sprouted her wings and slowed her descent just as Princess Luna regained consciousness.

As for Olive, she wasn’t done yet. She fell on her father, beating him senselessly as he struggled to fight back.

Applejack, however, had no wings, no method to fly on her own. She screamed as she saw the ground rapidly approaching. She saw death in the broken castle below, now missing the two towers previously lodged in. Then, something grabbed her by the forelegs, slowing her fall.

“Fear not, Applejack. I’m here.” It was Princess Luna! But then...

“What ‘bout Olive?” Applejack watched in horror as the two falling monsters shattered the roof of the castle, falling into the throne room at a near deadly speed. She cried out her daughter’s name, begging the alicorn to hurry. With how much damage the fall did, her daughter could have broken a bone or two. She needed her help!

Inside the throne room, the battle was over. The shadow ponies were gone, Spike returned with the royal guard. No casualties down there so far. Captain Mango was grievously injured, but still breathed, ripping into a nearby curtain with his teeth.

Rarity, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash were beaten badly, but were still left standing. They were much stronger than Anarchy could have imagined. In that very moment, it was made clear why they were often trusted with Equestria's future.

As for Olive, she laid on the ground, bloodied and bruised next to her father who was limping away. Tears and blood dripped from his eyes, the pain he was in was unimaginable, nothing the others could compare to. By all account, he should be dead had it not been for the unmatchable power of the Nightmare. His eyes tired, his body begged for some rest, but he could not allow it for now.

Princess Twilight rushed to her downed mentor, tears streaming down face as she saw the alicorn’s broken leg. “Celestia! Goodness gracious, I-”

Her mentor pointed behind her in a hurry. “Forget about me, Twilight! Don’t let Anarchy get away!”

Twilight saw the massacred unicorn limping away from the fight, gazing at the sky. Celestia’s plead got the attention of all the other ponies in the area. From the other bearers of the Elements to Spike, to Mango, to Luna, to Olive. All had their eyes on Anarchy whose horn overflowed with magic.

The broken and battered body of the beast flew high in the air. He was trying to escape! Cackling, he gloated once more before his supposed escape. “Try as hard as you can, I will one day put you all through Tartarus before you die!”

Then, he stopped. Like a dog on a leash, something pulled on him, preventing him from fully escaping the majestic city. Confused and worried, he looked at his hind leg only to see multiple long pink legs wrapped around his leg. They raised to his body and neck, pulling with all their might.

Startled, he fell a few inches, his chin impaled on a nearby sharp pole bearing the flag of the city. Roaring in pain, he tripled his efforts to break free from her monstrous daughter’s grasp. He bucked and bit at the hooves to no avail, she wasn’t letting go. The more effort he put into breaking free, the worse the pain his injuries inflicted. “Oh, a persistent little bastard aren't you?! Let go already!” he shouted with all his might.

On the ground, Princess Luna and Twilight joined the filly’s effort to pull Anarchy down. “Don’t let go!” Luna shouted to the filly.

Olive responded with a powerful roar that sent a shiver down her father’s spine. Nothing could stop her, that filly was too damn stubborn!

On the brink of losing it, Anarchy’s head twisted completely to look behind, his eyes bleeding immensely with a searing hatred in them. His horn powered up for a devastating blow, one that’ll blast her dear daughter to pieces. “Tell me what’s the next step, my master! Provide me a plan, I’m running out of ideas!”

“Oh no! He’s going to fire!” Twilight warned, her grip on the beast loosening.

“This is bad, Olive you have to let go!” Luna ordered, but the filly didn’t budge. No, she only roared louder in defiance.

As anxiety began to take over Princess Twilight, she considered shoving the filly away until she saw a black figure in the sky just above Anarchy. Her heart stopped once she saw it was Captain Mango with a sword in his mouth. He had a tourniquet made from the curtains inside the castle around his injured leg. Even after losing a limb, he soared proud and high for the princesses he admired. His bloodshot eye glared at the unsightly beast before him. Even with a missing leg, he fought for his dear princess’ safety.

Captain Mango is one of our best royal guards. He’ll show you his resolve when the time comes.

Twilight gasped softly, staring in admiration at the loyal captain. Anarchy noticed the angry batpony too late. Terrified, he watched as death knocked on his door.

Forty years since I’ve started my quest. Twenty years since I’ve burned down my home.

Eight years since I went missing. Two years since I became a beast. Two days to bask in your true glory.

Well here I am, broken and battered! Always waiting to heed your instruction.

On my own, the sole opposition. I am Anarchy incarnate!

Giving everything he’s got, Mango swung, aiming for the beast’s horn. Distracted by the three mares below, Anarchy didn’t see this one coming in time. The sword cut through the base of his horn like butter, sending its upper half flying. With his final contribution to the fight done, Mango laughed, dropping to the nearest building unconscious.

His magic gone, Anarchy had only a split-second to realise the dire trouble he was in. Falling to the side, the sharp edge of the pole stabbed through his upper jaw, piercing his eye as he was dragged all the way to the ground by his daughter, blood covering the entire pole and flag.

Smashing in the rubble, he kicked and roared in agony, desperately trying to pull himself out but without any magic, he couldn’t. The pole was too tall, his death rattle echoed throughout all of Equestria as he screamed one last time before dropping to the ground, the life fading from his eye.

Then, there was silence. Only the gentle winter breeze breathed life into this battlefield. Only Olive, Luna, and Twilight were still left standing, gazing upon the destruction and unconscious bodies of their friends and families. The proud flag of Canterlot was drenched in blood, carried by the solemn wind. It showed the death of the beast to all in the city. A monumental victory, an achievement born from the collective effort of the strongest ponies in Equestria. The proof that order will forever stand, and that anarchy was never meant to be.

The temperature suddenly rose, becoming hot like a summer afternoon. Surprised, Twilight lifted a hoof and watched as the snow melted slowly. “Winter... it’s going away.”

Olive raised her head high and mighty and roared as she reverted to her true self, her powerful roar turning to a distraught cry. Dropping to her flank, she gazed upon the corpse of her father, unable to believe her eyes. She didn’t feel anything, all her emotions clashed against one another, eventually leaving her with a blank stare of utter incomprehension as she watched what remained of daddy dearest.

The stallion she thought invincible was defeated, destroyed...

Dead.

Applejack hugged her, tears streaming down her face. Heart thumping against her chest, all her fears were going away. She was thankful Olive still stood amongst them, living to see another day. After this many hardships, it was what she deserved most.

Feeling her mother’s warm embrace, Olive looked up to her, her eyes beaming with pure admiration for the pony that had once again saved her life. “Mommy...

You are my hero.”

Author's Note

Holy hell, what a fight! This chapter was the one I dreaded the most. A big fight featuring many characters at once, that's not an easy thing to do. Did I mention I kinda struggle to write fight scenes? Oh yes I did all the way back in chapter 12. The very chapter that had Luna and Anarchy fight for the first time.
I wanted to have as many callbacks as possible to tie everything nicely in this battle. Using moves Anarchy previously deployed in chapter 45 and 47, bringing back the monster for a final time. Lots of things happened, man!
Anyway, only one chapter remains, the 50th one. I've planned it all down to the last detail so writing it shouldn't be too long. It will essentially act as a victory lap for me and hopefully provide a nice ending that doesn't feel like something's missing.
Oh, and I'll probably hand out a bunch of fun facts in the author's note next time just to let you know a few behind the scenes! I'm planning to release chapter 50 on either Monday or Tuesday.

50. Never Alone

Following Anarchy’s defeat, the curfew was finally lifted. Danger was no longer on the horizon, Equestria was safe from the mad pony. His body was disintegrated by the two sisters so that nothing remained, for even if a single ash remained, someponies would do everything in their power to find it and hail him as a martyr. They’ve dealt with enough terrorist fanatics to see that one coming.

The repairs on their castle were fast and, in the meantime, they decided to organise a celebration to calm down their subjects. Medals were awarded to all those who stood against the crystal beast, from the Elements of Harmony, to even Olive. Indeed, for the first time in her life, the little filly was hailed as a hero. Applauded by many, her reputation as the monster filly dwindled. If she saved Equestria then... maybe the monster wasn’t as bad as they thought. It was the first time a young filly was ever awarded such a prestigious medal.

Excited, Olive showed her medal to Applejack, screaming “Mommy, mommy! Look! We’re superheroes!”

As for Looking Glass, his remains were found in the old castle of the two sisters, mainly his bones. Stripped of flesh and muscles, only Anarchy’s word made them recognise the identity of the deceased. He was mourned by the entire country, his burial being a national event broadcasted on the radio.

Mango returned to duty that day, now sporting a wooden leg so that he may still work as the captain of the royal guard. The loss was heavy, especially on Princess Celestia’s heart for she had known him for decades. To see the finest mind of this generation gone was a shock to the entire nation, but there was still some hope. The two alicorns decided to take matters into their own hooves and deal with the crimes themselves, creating a special branch of the royal guard meant to honor Looking Glass’ work.

They would continue his legacy and ensure the safety of the ponies in the big cities for years to come.

There was still the elephant in the room, the one thing Captain Mango struggled to tell his majesties. The link between the Crimson Mask and the detective. Deciding they deserved to know, he told Celestia and Luna the truth. It was shocking to them, but ultimately, they chose not to reveal it to the world. Things were better off as is, no need to trouble the nation with something that’s no longer important. For his sacrifice, Looking Glass deserved to be remembered fondly.

The imprisoned Anarchists quickly learned their leader’s true feelings regarding them. Mentally broken by the revelation, their entire war, their ideologies were put into question. Some no longer had the will to continue down this path, slowly realising they’ve thrown their life away. Princess Luna took pity on them, hoping that some of them, the good ones, could still be saved, reformed like her sister did with Discord. If the avatar of chaos can walk a different path, so can they. Perhaps there was hope for them, a chance to turn a new leaf and face their sins.

But for one of them, the darkest pit of Tartarus has opened to swallow him whole. He may be dead, but legends never truly die. For as long as he was remembered, his influence carried on. The beast was not so easily killed, and his rampage would ripple forward in time.

Struggling to face her different wild emotions, Princess Twilight Sparkle took to writing in her magical journal to a friend from another world, detailing everything that she saw, from her encounter with the transformed filly to Strong Hoof, to Anarchy. By writing all this, she hoped to gain some closure and move on, assuring her friend that everything was fine. Better not trouble her any further.

Spoiled Rich put her blood and sweat into rebuilding the broken schoolhouse with the help of the construction team. It was hard work, but once the deed was done, she was applauded especially by her daughter. She didn’t quite understand the meaning of finding satisfaction in working to achieve something, but it would come eventually, she still had five more years of this after all.

As for Diamond Tiara, she started a fundraiser for their teacher, Miss Cheerilee. The poor mare had it rough since the filly’s mother stopped paying her, so Diamond thought to show her gratitude for a teacher that kindly put up with her nonsense for so long, hoping to make amends. A noble gesture that earned the respect of her fellow classmates who began to accept her leadership. Maybe this filly had finally stepped down from her high horse!

Back in the clubhouse, the Cutie Mark Crusaders saw two new fillies joining them on Olive’s request. Silver Spoon and Diamond Tiara came every time Olive asked them to. The pink unicorn didn’t really care about getting her cutie mark, she just liked the many adventures they went on to achieve their goal. The more the merrier!

Following her final meeting with Anarchy, Cheerilee finally decided to go on physical therapy. It was a daunting task that required a lot of effort and motivation, motivation she didn’t have ever since she learned the truth about her missing daughter. And so, she returned to Ponyville General Hospital to better herself.

The first time she went there was a living nightmare. She barely managed to make a few steps before crumbling in exhaustion, not even reaching the finish line. A crushing defeat, but falls are meant to teach you how to get back up better. The second time she went there, Olive sat at the end with an apple pie beside her. When asked about the pie, the filly claimed if she can cross the finish line, she can eat the pie that the filly made herself.

An adorable claim, yet it provided her the motivation to push through her fatigue and pain. She crossed the line before she collapsed near the apple pie. Olive congratulated her and offered the apple pie. The sweet taste of victory.

Then, Apple Bloom was there sitting beside Olive to cheer her on. Afterward, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo came to join their friends. Then, Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon came, having baked their own treats. It didn’t take long until the entire class came to cheer her on her path to recovery.

It was crazy... to think that even though he was a mad stallion, Jolly Melody’s words held some truth. As a teacher, you will spread your love to them, and they will show you their love too. It’s all beautiful, isn’t it?

He was right, their love is beautiful.

Blossomforth left Canterlot’s hospital a few days ago, her wings and body having finally recovered from Anarchy’s cruelty. She went on to personally thank Twilight for saving her, also mourning the death of Looking Glass, the stallion that nearly sacrificed his life for her, a nopony. However, there was still one lingering problem, her constant worries and night terrors. Even though she knew the crystal beast was gone, she didn’t feel safe. He had left his mark on her, a scar she can’t see, only feel. As such, she was appointed to Heedful Care, the only mare in Ponyville that can help her. It was a new start for her, hopefully one that’ll lead her to a better place.

Using her developing art skills, Olive molded a clay model of the pony she admired most, her hero. A gesture Applejack found endearing. And now that she was truly a part of the Apple family, the mare felt like the filly deserved to know the ponies that raised her mother. Sitting beside the three graves, Applejack recollected all the good times she spent with her parents, telling them to her daughter. She knew they would be proud to see how far she’s come.

Lastly, she assured Olive that Aurora was happy for her. The importance was in cherishing the memories they’ve spent with them, for they’ll live on through their actions and words. They were a part of them now.

Olive resumed her sessions with Heedful Care. She was doing much better than before, having an easier time opening up to the mare about her fears, her worries and her losses. The pegasus was very happy to see how far the filly came since she first met her. Olive looked just as jovial as her peers, finally able to move on from the monsters of her past. As the mare put it, “Our past experiences don’t define us, it’s what we gain from them that matters”. In the end, Olive knew she was right all along. She did find the light at the end of the tunnel.

The nice summer heat returned, the birds returned to Equestria, confused by the sudden weather but happy nonetheless that this quick winter was over. In the wake of the frost, life returned to normal.

Gathered before the barn, Applejack, Big Mac, Apple Bloom, Granny Smith, and Olive stared at the camera before them. Twilight Sparkle stood behind it, looking through its lenses, smiling. The sun was placed just right to illuminate them. Such a beautiful day, the perfect moment to update their family album for their newest member. Strong, smart, bubbly and optimistic, she had earned her place with them, earned the right to be called an Apple.

It was time to cement her as part of the family.

Olive bounced around excited, only stopping when her mother told her to stay put for their picture.

Twilight giggled. “Okay everypony, can you come closer to fit in the shot?”

The family compressed, smiling brightly at the camera. The princess of friendship smiled as she saw the pink filly’s face lit up with joy. Perhaps the first time in a while that she was happy to be in a picture, surrounded by her favorite ponies.

“That’s perfect!”

With a bright flash, the camera snapped the picture.

Author's Note

That's it. After seven months of work, I finished Never Alone! I'm mostly satisfied with the end result. Being that I only started writing seriously about a year ago, I feel like I've improved quite a bit, but there's still room for improvement. I know I can do better and I'll try to reach perfection, even if it's not feasible. After all, the fun is in the getting, not in the having!

So yeah, for this chapter, I kinda wrote it in a story book-esque feeling with the narration, la slideshow I think the word is. I kinda like these kinds of endings, so I thought it'd let me cover most of the things I wanted to adress, leaving next to no stones unturned. Of course, I've still left some room to expand, so that I can write a sequel one day. For now, I'm just gonna take a lil break and relax but knowing me, that break probably won't last long...

Oh, I did promise some fun facts about the story, right? Well, I feel now's the perfect time to do so:

Looking Glass' entire downfall into the Crimson Mask was NOT originally planned. It was actually a random comment in which somebody found him "suspicious" that gave me the idea to make him fall more towards the dark side. Originally, he was supposed to be the Crimson Mask, but it would feel somewhat redundant since Anarchy is also a criminal and a much more interesting one at that. So, I changed course and honestly, I like the route I took in the end better.

Many chapter titles are song references or episode names from tv shows. Mortal Folly and Beyond Strength reference Adventure Time (The Lich), Chapter 12 and 49 are lyrics from Kaboom Pow by Nikki Yanofsky and Day of Defeat is the name of a Valve game. I'll let y'all find the other references in the chapter titles.

A lot of aspects of Olive's character comes from, well, me as a child. Oh, boy was I god damn stupid and oblivious at times but looking back... also pretty endearing. Stuff like the way she plays with her toy, makes a fort with her plushies and is overall clueless to a lot of things... that's me, mostly used to be. Oh, and also the whole thing about "five seconds of love" came from me. She's basically a 50/50 between self-insert and OC... A self-OC?

Dreamcatcher's name and overall color palette comes from Dreamcatcher in Skylanders Trap Team. I've learned what a dreamcatcher does thanks to someone special that hung one in my bedroom when I was very little, never ever forgot about it.

The casino in chapter 40 is called the Lucky 38, that's a Fallout New Vegas reference.

Another one, fairly obvious but Looking Glass and Anarchy's dynamic was inspired by Batman and Joker, two of my favorite comic book characters. I expanded on them later to make them more unique.

That's all I got for now. Maybe I'll add a few more facts here and there if I feel like it. I'm looking forward to write a new story here called "Outsiders". Took me a lot of time to find that premise and I'm proud of it. Expect me to tell you what that premise is? Nope, keeping this a surprise until it comes out :ajsmug:
Oh, it was a fun ride. But for now, this is where I get off...

1. Broken and Battered

It all started with a thundering roar. Applejack was not the only one to have heard it, but she was the closest. Hesitantly, she snuck to the source of the roar, letting go of the apples she collected from the orchard. Whatever it was could pose a danger to the Apple family's orchard. She can't afford to lose a single apple tree. Finally, she reached it, but saw no monster. No, she saw something worse.

What happened? Just what in ta hay happened?

Not too far off from the Everfree Forest, a shocked Applejack stood frozen still, staring at the single most horrifying sight in her whole life. Below the setting sun, a large red stain on the grassy field led to a disfigured shape on the ground. The sickening reddish color mixed with the rather pretty pink coat of a little foal. The pearly white mane sticked out in certain spots where the gore hadn’t reached it. One limb was twisted in an unnatural angle whilst the other legs missed slight chunks of skin, revealing the muscles underneath.

It was almost a bloody miracle that this small pony was still breathing, albeit barely able to. Better yet, their horn was somewhat intact. The sounds of multiple hooves banging against the floor was heard nearby, slowly getting away but in the moment, the earth pony didn’t hear them except for the distinct growl of something... big.

After what felt like an eternity, a ragged cough took Applejack out of her horrified trance, and she rushed to the little pony’s side.

“A-Are ya still 'ere?” she cried out to the foal, bending over to slowly lift them off the ground. Now that she was closer, she could tell that it was a unicorn filly, probably about the same age as her little sister.

The only response she got was in the form of a quiet, dying whimper. The poor thing’s eyes were barely able to stay open. They looked numb, a mercy given the agonising pain the filly was in right now. The especially large gash in her abdomen kept on pouring blood, dripping down Aj's hooves and onto the forest's grass. The poor foal barely had a couple of minutes left before she'll be gone.

Applejack frantically looked around her in the hope that somepony would come to assist her with this delicate situation, but it didn’t take long for her to realise that nopony really goes to the edge of the Everfree Forest. Her heart sank as she realised the nerve-wracking truth that this foal’s life was entirely in her hooves.

“Ah’m sorry if this hurts, sweetie. They ain’t no otha way, Ah’m 'fraid.” Without skipping a beat, she lifted the filly onto her back and prepared her shaking hooves. The poor little thing let out a strained grunt, putting more pressure on Aj. Her entire body was deathly nervous, her mind racing towards many questions that she had to bury in the back of her mind for the time being.

She needed to get her to Ponyville General first, then she can ask her questions.

"J-Just han' tight, sweetie! Ah'm gonna get ya to safety!"

With hurried breathings, Applejack raced to Ponyville General, screaming at everypony in her way to move out. The shocked gasped and screams of Ponyville’s residents only added to her anxiety as she busted through the hospital’s door and screamed.

“Somepony! Help! This filly’s goin’ ta die!”

Startled by the bloodied and battered filly on Applejack’s back, the receptionist yelped and slammed her trembling hooves on the button to call in all available doctors.

“C-Calling in all doctors! Quick!” She said, her voice quivering as her eyes constantly darted between the microphone and the dying filly on Aj’s back. “We’ve got an emergency at the reception!”

In a matter of mere seconds, a group of doctors rolled into the reception and stared in horror at the almost lifeless foal. A stallion rushed over to the earth pony to carefully snatch up the filly and placed her on a clean gurney. The poor object was quickly stained red in just a few seconds. Then, Applejack watched as the pitiful foal was taken through a bunch of doors labeled “EMERGENCY”. Now out of sight, but not out of mind.

One of the doctors stayed behind to slam rapid fire questions at her to which she could only respond with “A-Ah don’t know, sir.” which only seemed to make him angry. He didn’t stay for long once he realised that he wasn’t going to get any answers out of her and left to aid his coworkers in what would be one of their toughest nights yet.

Many ponies come to Ponyville General for stuff such as broken hooves, terrible sicknesses or other relatively small injury, but rarely do the town’s medical staff receive a pony on the verge of death, much less a foal that has been mauled by Celestia knows what.

The entire world around Applejack slowed to a crawl. The panicking staff, the concerned-looking patients, the angry stallion before her, all were almost as still as statues. The only thing she felt during this time, was helplessness. There wasn’t more that she could do other than to wait and see how things turn out. The sounds of the world drowned out, turning to a garbled mess. Her empty eyes stared vaguely at the wall. Her body was as still as a statue.

She could just leave for the time being and come back later, but she brought this filly into the hospital’s care. She felt responsible for whatever may happen to her. If the poor thing died, it would be her fault, because she was too slow.

As the world accelerated back to its normal speed, Applejack found herself gasping for air. She must have been holding her breath unconsciously for entire minutes.

“Are you alright, dear?” A soft voice called out to her. She felt a hoof touching her shoulder. The receptionist spoke with a calm and consoling tone, one that brought some semblance of peace in her soul.

Applejack blinked, her eyes still wide open. The mare's voice was barely audible. The garbled sounds that came from her mouth didn't make sense to her.

“A-Applejack! Is everything alright?” The receptionist's voice got louder, strong enough to snap the farm pony out of her horrified trance.

“Ah... Uh, Ah...” Applejack muttered, her voice barely audible. drip, drip, drip. The warm blood dripped from her back onto the floor, leaving her body to shiver in the cold air.

The cyan receptionist opened her mouth and took a deep breath, shocked herself at the nasty scene before her. “You look terribly messy. W-Would you like to clean up in the meantime?”

Still frozen in shock, Applejack lifted her hoof and stared wide-eyed at the blood dripping from it. She didn’t pay much attention to it in the heat of the moment, but her entire back was stained with red. The same can be said about her now crimson hooves. Just like a scene out of a horror movie, she left a long trail of blood leading inside Ponyville General, covered in gore. It was all too much for her.

Her breaths slowly accelerated and didn’t show any signs of stopping.

“Applejack?”

When she spoke, her voice was but a whisper. “Y-Yeah, Ah’d like to... please.”

Following the mare’s lead, Applejack trotted away from the EMERGENCY room and went into the future room for the little filly, provided she makes it out alive. It was silent in there, too silent for her liking. The ony sound that disrupted this eerie silence was the squishy sounds her hooves made when they met the cold tiles of the hospital floor. It was disgusting, but not as much as the sight of the broken and battered filly in the forest.

Inside the bathroom, the kind mare took a wet towel and wiped off the blood from Applejack. Small chunks of flesh fell onto the floor, startling the mare with a yelp. The earth pony shuddered, but remained still for the most part until she was finally clean. The towel was now a dark red, losing its pristine white color which visibly disturbed the secretary.

“Poor thing...” Applejack heard the mare say under her breath. She merely responded by meeting her tired gaze. The red towel then disappeared from their sight into a dark drain.

“Tell me... Did- Is she gonna make it?” Applejack croaked, her voice sounded so hoarse and low that she couldn’t even recognise it. There was far too much going on in her head, she was practically lost in her anxious thoughts. Her eyes couldn't make out anything except for the horrifying image of the filly.

The secretary lowered her head in uncertainty. “May-" she stopped, then smiled weakly. "I’m sure she’ll pull through. We have the best doctors in town working hard to stabilise her. I know they won’t give her up without a fight. I can promise that.” she said, her smile turning to a hopeful one.

Applejack did her best to smile back at her. It was a weak one, but she felt better nonetheless. “Thanks...”

“No, thank you for bringing her in.” The secretary said, holding a hoof to her heart. “I’d rather not imagine what would have happened had you not found her. I certainly wouldn’t have been prepared for that...”

Applejack simply tipped her hat to her in response.

The next couple of hours were agonizing for the earth pony who remained still in the waiting room of the hospital, constantly looking at the door the doctors came through. Her heart was aching for the poor filly who suffered a grievous mauling at the hands of unknown assailants. Timberwolves seemed like the most probably culprits, but Applejack knew it couldn't have been these foul creatures. The bad smell wasn't there, and the filly was only partially eaten unlike a regular timberwolf attack.

Yeah, these were definitely hoofsteps... When she first laid eyes on the broken foal, she didn’t pay much attention to them, but now that she was sitting alone with only her thoughts to give her company, she wondered what kind of cruel ponies would do such a thing to an innocent filly. The more she thought about it, the stronger her anger grew. It sucked to be this powerless, to be nothing more than a bystander in all this.

Funny, she can still hear these hoofsteps even inside the hospital.

“Miss Applejack?”

A powerful voice nearly made jump as if it carried the power of a thunderstorm behind it. The orange mare didn’t even notice the large dark blue unicorn stallion standing before her with a stern and composed expression on his face. He wore nothing but a black suit and a top hat. His entire body gave off an intimidating aura even though his amber eyes didn’t harbor any anger or malice. Truly, this stallion meant business.

“Y-Yeah... That’s me.” Applejack croaked.

The stallion respectfully nodded. “I am detective Looking Glass. I’m working for Canterlot’s Bureau of Investigation.” explained the large pony, all of his words carried immense weight to it. Just from his introduction alone, Applejack could tell he was very experienced in his field. “I was notified of an injured filly case here in Ponyville. I’ll need your help for this case. Do you feel comfortable talking about it now?”

This stallion’s from Canterlot... How much time has passed? Applejack couldn’t really tell, but it must have been an hour or two for him to have just arrived at Ponyville General. The sun was long gone by the time she glanced out the window. Word must spread quicker than she thought. Surprising, for a small town such as Ponyville.

Applejack slowly rose from her chair, stabilising her trembling body in the process. If this pony wants to help, then she can’t afford to let the shock stop her from assisting him. “Ah’ll help ya.” she said, giving her best effort to keep it calm.

Immediately, the stallion’s horn glowed, and a notepad levitated out of his pockets. “Let’s start from the beginning, where did you find this filly?” he asked sharply, his professional gaze cutting through her souls like dagger. This was one heck of an intimidating presence that somehow made her feel like she was being interrogated, even if she was completely innocent in this whole ordeal.

“Ah found ‘er on the edge of the Everfree Forest. She was barely breathin’ when Ah did, so Ah rushed ta Ponyville General as fast as Ah could.” Applejack explained as best as she could, her voice now only slightly shaken up.

“Can you describe her injuries to me?”

Applejack blinked for a moment before realising that he simply wanted to know if it could have been a timberwolf attack or worse... an assault case. “If yer askin’ me fer bite marks.. There were some, but they didn't look like timberwolves.”

For the first time, the detective’s brows furrowed, and he quickly scribbled something down before returning to his calm demeanor. He then immediately set his sharp gaze back on her. “Did you see or hear anything near the filly?”

The hoofsteps came back to her mind, there were barely audible, but it sounded like there was more than one pony running away. Applejack mentioned them to the detective who simply responded with a low hum while he was jotting it down on his notepad, his expression never wavering one bit.

“Anything else?”

Applejack’s eyes snapped back to him, surprised to have caught herself lost in thoughts once more.

“Ah... No, Ah thinks that’s it.” She said, almost sounding defeated. There wasn’t more she could do.

“I see...” The stallion quickly re-read his notes before putting the notepad away. “I’ll need you to do me a favor.”

Applejack blinked. “A-A favor?”

“Yes. I want you to stay by the filly’s side during her stay in the hospital, at least until we can figure out who her parents are. I promise I’ll reward you if you cooperate with the Bureau during our investigation.” Yeah, like she needed a reward to stay by the filly's side. Her heart already wanted to.

A door opened behind them, revealing a large stallion. It was Big Macintosh, her brother! With how much time has passed, of course it was to be expected that her family would start to look around for her. She had been missing from the farm for a while now.

Looking Glass briefly looked over her shoulder before setting his eyes back on her. “I’ll work with what I have for now. If you find anything else, be sure to contact me. I’ll stay in town for the rest of the week.” He held out a hoof to her.

Applejack shook it and gave him a reassured smile. The dark blue unicorn only nodded before leaving, his face still stone cold in spite of the horrifying incident. That pony’s got nerve o’ steel.

Big Mac trotted up to her and simply looked her in the eyes. No words had to be said to understand what he wanted to know.

Applejack sighed. “Ah know Ah’ve been missin’ all day Big Mac.” She looked over to the door labeled ‘EMERGENCY’.

“Somepony’s got hurt, real bad. Ah need to make sure she’s at least okay. Ah’m sorry if-”

Big Mac reached out to hug her. Applejack’s anxiety must have been really obvious for he held her tight and only replied with “Ah get it.”

The orange mare felt a tear roll down her cheek. All the accumulated stress from the day finally came out in the form of her tears. “Th-Thanks Big Mac. A-Ah really needed tha’.”

After a few more seconds, the town siblings broke their hug and the stallion turned to leave the Ponyville General, looking back at his sister one last time to smile at her. “We’ll be waitin’, 'sis.”

A pony of few words, but with a big heart. That’s probably the best way to describe him.

A doctor with bloodied clothes suddenly popped up from the EMERGENCY door. His tired eyes darted around the room until they landed on Applejack.

The doctor approached the orange mare and finally breathed a sigh of relief. She recognised him as Doctor Horse, the same one that took care of Rainbow Dash when she broke her wings a long time ago.

Seeing the reassuring look on his face, Applejack’s body began to relax as she finally felt herself genuinely smiling. Her mouth, however, was still dry and she was unconsciously holding her breath. “Doctor Horse. Do ya have goo- Is she gonna make it?” Jumping straight to the important bit.

Despite being tired, Horse gave her the most reassuring smile she’s ever received tonight. “Better yet, she hasn’t sustained any crippling injuries. In due time, she'll be good as new, mostly.” Applejack exhaled out of relief. “It’s truly a miracle you got to us this fast. I speak for all the team when I say; thank you, sincerely. This filly owes her life to you, Applejack.”

Completely exhausted, the earth pony slumped on her chair and looked back at the doctor. “When can Ah check on ‘er?”

“In just a couple of minutes, Applejack. Our nurses need to tend to her first.”

Once the dust had settled, the doctors all left the little filly’s room, happy but exhausted after their operation. The only ponies who remained in there were the filly herself, and Nurse Redheart, out to look after her should she need any help.

Beep. Beep

The young mare looked at the foal with pity in her eyes. Her entire body was covered in bandages and plasters and now it just looked like a sad mummy costume for Nightmare Night. She didn’t really have much to do other than to make sure everything was in order.

Beep. Beep

With lots of time to kill but with the obligation of staying near the patient, Nurse Redheart dug up in the pile of books placed near the bed. Daring Do and the Quest for the Sapphire Stone lied in this pile. Looking at the cover, she reminisced about the time when Rainbow Dash attended the hospital for her broken wings, although it was mostly her other colleagues that took care of the cyan pegasus.

“I suppose I don’t have anything else to do.” She muttered to herself as she took a seat. She may have already read the book before, but it didn’t hurt to go through it again, ‘cause everything Daring Do related is awesome... or so do her fans say.

With a yawn and a quick look at the clock, Redheart began her slow reading. Today might be a relatively simple shift if this keeps on going, but she couldn’t help but worry about the foal’s health. Reading this book ultimately proved to be much harder than she imagined thanks to her constant worry.

Every so often, she’d put the book down to trot up to the comatose filly, observing all the bandages and the cast just in case something went wrong.

Get a grip on yourself, Redheart. This filly’s stabilised. Nothing is going to go wrong. Though Nurse Redheart and yet, she still double checked everything before sitting down once more. Turning on the radio will certainly help calm her down.

Good afternoon, fillies and gentlecolts! Today, we bring you yet another Jolly Melody song! Let's sit back, relax and listen to his greatest hit, Bring Back Our Love!

Long ago I left to make our love eternal
Even after we're dead and gone
But even so time has gone by so fast!

I don't want to take the joy away from your life
Maybe time is on our side
Until then, I'll Bring Back Our Love!

Some time passed before she decided to put the book down again and this time... she nearly jumped out of her chair. A pair of olive-colored eyes stared back at her, impossibly wide with fear. There were noticeable bags under said eyes too. Her eyes moved from the nurse to the radio.

The nurse's heart nearly skipped a beat and Redheart found herself holding a hoof to her chest, waiting for her heart to slow down. The filly was awake, and nearly gave her a heart attack while at it!

The nurse put on a calming smile and approached the foal, turning off the radio in the process. “Hi there! Are you alright, dear? How are you feeling?” she said in a bubbly voice. Foals usually feel calmer when spoken to in a kind sounding voice, but this one... shrieked and retreated under her blanket accompanied by a whimper.

“My little pony, it’s okay.” Redheart said, attempting to calm down the panicking filly. “You’re safe here.”

The blankets on the bed trembled and the little foal slowly lowered them to meet the nurse’s gaze. Only the top of head up to her eyes were visible. Redheart tried her best to look as nice as possible but couldn’t help to lose her smile as she saw just how distraught the patient looked.

“Uh, I-I'm Nurse Redheart!” The nurse tried again to get her to speak. “Nice to meet you! What’s your name, dearie?”

Again, the filly only responded with a whimper, tremlbing as she hid her face behind her hooves. “C-Can you understand me?” Redheart said in a more hesitant voice.

A slow, understanding shaky nod confirmed that the foal was at least receptive to her questions. Only one eye looked at her with terror, tears streaming down it. Redheart felt her heart aching the longer this sad display went on. Oh, you poor thing. What could have traumatised you this badly?

Right now, however, she couldn’t afford to let her soft smile down. She had to reassure the filly, that was her job-- no more than that-- she had to do it for her. She put on a bigger, toothier smile than before. “That’s good to know, dearie! We’re he-”

The filly shrieked and hid under her blanket. Her shaking became stronger and Redheart could hear her mumbling something in a broken voice. “...s-smile... m-must smile...”

W-Was the smile too much? Redheart asked herself, feeling increasingly nervous. First impressions are everything, if she screws this up, it will only lead to a longer recovery for the poor foal.

Reaching out a hesitant hoof, the mare gingerly pulled the blankets away to reveal the full frame of the filly. She was sobbing, shaking and holding herself in a foetal position. The nurse’s heart shattered at this tragic sight.

With immense care, Redheart pulled the filly closer and hugged her. The sobbing stopped and the nurse felt the foal’s hooves slowly wrap around her body. The olive-eyed filly began to cry as she held Redheart tighter. In her eyes, the nurse could see nothing but pain.

“You don’t have to be scared anymore. You’re safe with us. You’re safe here.”

18. Twilight Time: Eldritch Catastrophe

15 days left before the storm

After many turbulent days, Applejack finally got back to working on the farm with her mind at ease. Olive ate her breakfast, got a toy to pass the time and was under Granny’s supervision, there were no reasons to be worried anymore. No longer slowed down by her anxieties, Aj made lots of progress on her apple bucking. It was refreshing to not constantly think about the filly’s well-being, to just live in the moment without any intrusive thoughts.

However, as much as she didn’t want to wander off into all sorts of troubling thoughts, her mind had other plans. What if she tumbled down the stairs and hurt her injured leg? What if she’s hungry and has nothing to snack on other than apples? What if she wants more toys?

Evidently, Applejack had to head back inside just to be sure. Passing by her apple cellar, she carefully avoided the trap door that led down the flight of stairs. Many times, her family accidentally took a mean tumble down the cellar, courtesy of its awful placement. She should probably warn Olive about it so that she doesn’t meet the same fate.

“Granny!” Applejack shouted as she rushed inside. No response came from the old earth pony, odd. She moved further inside, searching the kitchen for any trace of her grandmother. “Granny? Are you there?”

Moving into the living room, Applejack found her grandmother, sleeping on her rocking chair with a book resting on her lap. “Consarnit, Granny...” She groaned.

Olive was also present... playing? Aj couldn’t really wrap her head around the filly’s strange behavior. The unicorn was pacing around the living room in a fixed circle pattern, the Power Pony stick held tightly in her mouth whilst she was muttering and making strange sounds. She wasn’t paying any attention to her mother but shot a few careful glances at Granny Smith.

“Sugar cube? What’re ya doin’?” Applejack asked, confused.

The little unicorn noticed her, but rather than walking towards her in a straight line, she followed her pattern and stopped when she was near the mare. “I’m playing!” She provided a simple answer that only left Aj with more questions. She never saw a foal play like this before. The filly’s behavior strangely matched that of Twilight Sparkle, especially during her many nervous breakdowns.

Olive waited for her mother to say something else, but quickly lost interest after a few seconds and went back to pacing around the living room.

Applejack’s gaze shifted towards the sleeping elder. Placing a disappointed hoof on the chair’s arm, she rocked it just enough to wake up its occupant.

“Wha- hm?” Granny Smith slowly came to, almost dropping her book on the carpet. “Oh hey Applejack! Is somethin’ botherin’ ya again?”

Applejack sighed. “Yeah, Granny. Somethin’ IS botherin’ me. Namely the fact that yer sleepin’.” She said in a disappointed tone. “Ah told ya to watch ta filly.”

The old earth pony watched the filly pace around the living room. “Well, there ain’t much watchin’ ta do. She’s been at this for an hour.”

“For an hour?” Applejack closely watched Olive “playing” in the living room. “Huh, maybe Ah should ask Twilight if she played like this when she was a filly.”

Granny Smith roused herself when she heard the name of the alicorn. “Oh! Ah probably shouldn’t forget ta tell ya that Twilight came today. She wanted ta know if ye were fine with bringin’ the filly to ta library.”

“She wants to start today?” Applejack asked, and the old mare nodded. “Well, since she doesn’t have anythin’ ta do. Ah suppose it won’t hurt to introduce ‘er to Twilight.” The earth pony noticed the filly was no longer pacing around the room, her eyes locked onto the two mares.

“Ya comin’, sugar cube?”

Olive went to the fireplace, placing the stick in a careful position, readjusting it until it felt just right before running to Aj’s side. “We’re going to a library?”

“Yep! Ah’m certain ya’ll get along with Twilight. Ya kind of remind me of ‘er.”

Olive never went to a library before. All she heard about them was that they were filled with books, and that more than enough to spark all sorts of wild ideas thanks to her vivid imagination. The last thing she expected, was to find a treehouse, quite literally, standing in the middle of Ponyville. The library was a tree, but there were windows, doors and balconies on it, a bizarre amalgamation that gave off a cozy feeling with its warm colors and round shape.

This looked like a nice place to live in, much like Sweet Apple Acre. Olive wanted to go inside and discover its contents. Stopping by the sign, she learned of the library’s name, the Golden Oak. She looked back at the library. It’s not golden... she thought disappointedly.

Applejack stopped and knocked on the door. A few seconds later, its upper half opened to reveal a lavender unicorn poking her head out. “Aj!” The head looked down, noticing the filly. “And you must be Olive!” The lower door then opened. “Come on in!”

Entering who the filly assumed must be Twilight, her thoughts came to a screeching halt when she noticed a pair of wings on the “unicorn”. Staring in confusion, Olive wondered where this fourth princess came from.

Twilight Sparkle sprouted her wings. “Uh, yes. I’m an alicorn too! I’m Twilight Sparkle! It’s so nice to finally meet you!” She raised a hoof, expecting a hoofshake.

Olive stared at her hoof, remaining silent. Twilight kept her hoof there for a while until it became awkwardly clear that the filly didn’t understand this gesture. What the little unicorn did understand was that this was typically the moment she had to introduce herself.

“I’m Olive. It’s nice to meet you too.” She said, her introduction sounding like it has been rehearsed.

Twilight invited them inside, letting her guests get comfortable before she engaged in more small talk. Olive’s eyes widened as she took in the sight. Hundreds of books nicely placed on dozens of shelves in a circle. The library’s piqued the filly’s interest. “Oh! You must be interested in literature too? You seem to have an eye for it.”

A large smile appeared on the filly’s face as giddy excitement took over her. “Yes! I love reading! It makes me forget about everything.”

Y-Yeah, I can see why that’ll make you happy... “I’m happy you love reading too! I love to share my passion with other ponies.” Twilight knelt before the unicorn. “If you want to pick up a book, swing by the Golden Oak, I’ll be glad to help you find what you need!”

Olive nodded gleefully. “Okay!”

“Hey, who’s this filly?” The three ponies downstairs looked up at the newcomer, a lavender baby dragon who curiously observed the unicorn. It was Spike, Twilight's assistant. He descended the stairs at a rapid pace, moving over to the alicorn's side.

“That right there is Olive, the filly Aj is currently fostering.” Twilight explained.

Spike raised an eyebrow as he stared at the little unicorn, holding a hand to his chin. “Olive, huh? So you’re the filly who blew up a bathroom in Ponyville General Hospital.”

“Uh! Spike!” Twilight raised her voice, but before she could scold the baby dragon, Olive responded.

“N-No, that’s the other me.” The filly corrected, leaving the two mares in confusion.

“The other you?” Applejack asked, an ocean of questions popping in her head.

“Yeah, the strong me. She used her magic to protect me.” Olive explained. An explanation that only left more questions in the mares’s minds.

“Th... There’s two of you?” Twilight asked, desperate for answers that made sense.

“Yeah.” Olive hid her face behind her mane, no longer willing to meet the alicorn’s gaze. “but she won’t come out unless I use magic.”

“Interesting...” Hundreds of ideas flew through Twilight’s mind, her curiosity now piqued regarding this mysterious other side that was compared to a monster by the only pony that has ever witnessed it. “Aj?”

Applejack roused herself.

“Can we begin? I promise I’ll be as careful as possible.” Twilight gingerly asked, a pleading look in her eyes.

“Sure, but Ah don’t want ya to brin’ out this ‘other Olive’ just now.” Applejack forbid. “We’ll save it fo’ another time.”

Twilight Sparkle nodded. “I understand, I mean, I certainly can’t do it here. He he, that’ll be too dangerous, and I'm not crazy enough to summon a potential monster in my own home.”

Olive felt a slight jolt of pain coursing through the neurons in her head. The other Olive shared her ears, her eyes, and her feelings. “Please, don’t talk about her like that; She hates it and it hurts.”

“Huh?” Spike was the first to speak out, perplexed. “You mean physically or just your feelings?”

“B-Both.” Olive gritted her teeth as she grasped her head in pain. “Please, stop it.”

“Spike!” Twilight glowered.

“Okay, okay! I’m sorry! I’m not trying to be a jerk, I swear!” Spike apologised, though the alicorn didn’t seem fully satisfied.

“You should think before you say something potentially hurtful.” She turned to the filly. “I’m sorry about this, Spike isn’t mean or anything. He’s just curious.” The baby dragon looked remorseful, but also a bit angry to be scolded like that in front of the new kid in town.

“I’ll go upstairs and read my comics.” He announced as he went back upstairs. “I don’t think I’ll be needed anyway, that’s how it always is.”

Twilight watched as her assistant left, feeling bad inside. She wanted to say something like “Oh, Spike; you’re always needed.” but chose to solve this issue later. Kids often exaggerate the situation when they’re upset, like how they often tell their parents they “hate” them because they’re being scolded. Spike will get over it soon enough, so it’s best to ignore him for the time being.

The important thing was to figure out more about this other Olive. The doctors weren’t able to find through technology an explanation for the bathroom incident, so that burden was placed on her because of her princess status as well as her knowledge in magic. Was this stressful? Yes. Can she back down? Absolutely not!

“Are you coming with us, Aj?”

The earth pony shook her head. “Ah’d like to, but Ah can’t stay. Ah’ve got some money to make sellin’ apples today.” Noticing the stress growing in the filly’s face, she added. “B-But Ah’ll be close to the library, if you need mah help, Twilight.”

“Thanks.” Twilight smiled. “I’ll try not to bother you during my research. Today should be smooth sailing!”

Feeling relieved, Applejack trotted out of the Golden Oak, looking back one last time at her daughter before leaving.

After the earth pony left, there was a shift in the air. Twilight felt something odd, out of place. Hostility emanated from the filly, but she wasn’t glaring at her, not at all. Olive seemed to have no quarrel with her, unless, that hostility belonged to the other one...

The little unicorn looked around, waiting for something to happen, not daring to move from her position despite her burning curiosity.

When entering a building, always listen to what its owner tells you, and don’t ever do anything unless you’re instructed to. As much as she wanted to read these books, Twilight didn’t give her permission. Thus, she has to remain in place.

What are you doing? Snatch a book, read it, you can’t let that mare dictate what we can do and what we can’t do. She dislikes a part of us, the part that protects us. The intrusive thoughts clouded her mind, halting her train of thoughts.

“So,” Twilight announced. “I guess we should start now. I’ll let you borrow any book you want once it's over!” she said, smiling to hopefully ease the filly’s worries.

Down in the basement of the Golden Oak lied a surprising sight for the filly. Tons of bizarre machinery scattered everywhere, and next to no books lying around. Why was that all there? Is Twilight a scientist, or does she simply have a love for all things science? Looking closer, Olive recognised some equipment from her days with her father. Daddy was the king of moving out, a pony that has perfected the nomad lifestyle. He always found a way to move around big machineries, even when traveling hundreds of kilometers. The filly always wondered how, for he never gave her a genuine answer.

“Impressive sight, isn’t it?” Twilight asked, carefully leading the filly down the many stairs leading to the basement. “It may look overwhelming, but I assure you we’re not going to use them all today.” The alicorn pointed to a strange device with a metal helmet connected to many cables.

“What is that?” Olive asked, tilting her head from side-to-side as she tried to grasp its function.

“That’s just a scanner, we’ll be using this to hopefully find out the root cause of your magical outburst.” Twilight explained as she magically lifted the helmet. “Don’t worry, it’s not going to hurt at all. You’ll just have to stand still for a moment while I run the scanner.”

Olive was unsure, but listened to Twilight, nonetheless. The helmet was placed upon her head, it was a bit heavy, but her legs could manage the additional weight. Then, the alicorn flipped on a switch and a bunch of buzzing and typing noises filled the otherwise silent basement of the Golden Oak.

Olive looked around, anxious and confused as to the purpose of such equipment. Twilight was busy observing the papers coming out of a machine, leaning forward to get a closer look. She didn’t seem too pleased with the results, flipping through more switches in hopes of getting something else. “Nothing, huh? Maybe I should try this instead...” she muttered under her breath, her eyes wincing.

Olive felt a growing sense of unease as she began to realise that every movement and thought, she made produced some sort of result on the machine Twilight was hanging by. “Nothing too? Strange...”

Twilight frowned slightly, realising that science probably won’t cut it. Not a problem. She thought. It just means that I should use magic to figure out the truth. Approaching the anxious filly, Twilight gave her a gentle smile.

“Alright, we are going to move on to the next step.” She lifted a book with her magic, bringing it over to her. Flipping over the pages, she eventually landed on a section regarding magic surges similar to the one she had as a filly. “I believe you’ve experienced some sort of magic surge in the hospital’s bathroom. Don’t worry, it’s nothing bad really, I mean, I’ve also had a magic surge when I was about your age, perhaps even a little younger...” She said in a reassuring tone.

“But you don’t look afraid of magic like me.” Olive said, taking out the heavy helmet off her head. “Why am I the only one having problems with everything?! It’s not fair!” she shouted, stomping the ground.

Twilight placed a gentle hoof on her shoulder. “I know it’s not fair, not everything is but that’s okay... We’re here to help you take back control of your life.” The alicorn smiled. “Trust me, I’ve seen my fair share of injustices. We can’t have everything go our way and that’s okay.”

“Some ponies have too much.” Olive growled, sitting down to pout. “They don’t deserve to be happy.” A fire burned within her eyes accompanied by a dark cloud flying over her head. The unicorn filly glared at Twilight, a sense of jealously slowly overtaking her. “Why can’t I have anything?”

“Oh, but you do have something.” Twilight softly said. “You have a new family, one that loves you. You have new friends who are willing to help you. You have a chance to move on from your pain.”

Olive lowered her head, her anger subsiding for a moment. “I can’t.” That answer left Twilight puzzled. “I can’t stop thinking about yesterday, and the past. I can’t stop thinking about everything that bothers me! Even the things that mean nothing!”

Her eyes were watering as she stomped the ground with all her small might. “I can’t sleep at night because my head won’t stop thinking about everything and it just goes on and on in circle! I can’t move on from anything!” An emerald glow slowly formed around her horn as she raised her voice.

“C-Calm down, Olive!” Twilight tried to calm the filly to no avail. She was crying, her eyes fully closed as she dropped to the ground in defeat. “It’s okay! I’m here to help!”

“Nopony can help me! My life is a disaster!” The filly cried out. “I was always a failure, I couldn’t please anypony, I couldn’t do anything right and I’m stupid!” The emerald glow strengthened to a point that it no longer went unnoticed. With a bright flash of light, Twilight was brutally thrown against the wall.

The room was covered in an all-consuming smoke that clouded their vision. Sounds of bones cracking and limbs stretching echoed throughout the basement.

Dizzy and confused, Twilight watched on in horror as the transformation began. Only now, she could see the details that Sweetheart left out of her description.

The filly’s skin fully caved into itself, revealing a hollow void where her jaws lie, as it stretched out to make room for an enormous gleaming emerald eye lodged behind a pronounced set of glowing red teeth. Her legs and body stretched out until she had a tall and lanky appearance. The bandages around her midsection snapped, showcasing the nasty scar on her side. The unicorn roared, her voice deeper and accompanied by two additional voices complimenting the ghastly appearance.

“O-Olive?!” Twilight shuddered, the filly was gone and in her place was an angry looking monster. It had its gaze on her, its sole eye shooting daggers at her.

The princess of friendship’s horn lit up, casting a protective barrier around her. The ex-filly casted a black fog to hide her presence. In just a matter of mere seconds, Twilight couldn’t see a single thing outside her barrier. A dreadful silence filled the room as the alicorn began to sweat, wondering when the attack would be coming. Nothing happened, nothing came to her barrier.

The only sound present now was the swooshing of her horn keeping the barrier active, the only line of defense against the transformed filly. Nervous, Twilight’s tail swung from side to side, and then it brushed off against something. Turning her head around, a tall and lanky shape stood behind her, in the barrier. Her eyes turned to pinpricks as she stumbled back, stuck inside her own spell with this monster.

A hoof shot out of the ex-unicorn's gaping maw, wrapping its fetlock around Twilight’s neck to lift her off the ground. “Gnn!” Choking, the alicorn casted a particularly useful evasive spell, teleportation but not just a simple teleport, no. It was a mass teleport that sent both the mares away from the Golden Oak and now... to the edge of the Everfree Forest, far from Ponyville.

This change of scenery distracted the filly long enough for Twilight to break free of her grasp, jumping back to gain some distance. As magic was her special talent, staying as far away from her opponent was the best course of action. Up close, she’s surpassed by whatever this monster can dish out.

Another hoof lunged out of the unicorn’s jaw, hitting Twilight square in the face. The sheer speed of the attack resulted in more power which further added to the pain the alicorn felt once she was sent smashing into a tree.

Twilight got up; her head still dizzy. Olive shambled towards her, the filly’s legs bent in uncomfortable ways. Her advance was slow, awkward, looking like she shouldn’t be able to even walk right now.

“I’m sorry, Olive, but I’ve got to bring you back somehow.” She fired a sleeping spell at the filly, but she teleported away at the last minute, reappearing next to her. “What?!”

A hoof backhoofed her into a nearby bush. As she fell, Twilight heard a bone crack in her body. As she looked back at her opponent, the alicorn noticed that she was standing idly, not even preparing a future attack. It was only when she got up that another strike came her way. Barely managing to avoid it, Twilight got to gage its power by seeing the trees behind obliterated after the passage of the elongated hoof. “Okay, this is bad...”

The last thing she wanted to do was to hit her back. The filly may have transformed into a beast, but she was still there, deep down. Pulling its head back, the monster of a pony let a hoof out high in the air, before it brought its head down, smashing its limb on the ground.

Twilight once again got out of the way at the very last moment. Not a very good performance so far, this filly was tossing her around like a ragdoll and she couldn’t do a thing about it! The hoof then swung to the side, performing a sweeping strike that brought Twilight back to the grassy ground yet again.

She may be great at dealing with magic, but an opponent that strictly uses physical strikes was out of her depths, a leftover of her days as a unicorn, the ponies who only fought with their magic. Gee, I need to learn how to fight with my wings and hooves. Twilight thought as rolled out of the way of another incoming strike. Figuring a way to deal with the transformed filly without hurting her was challenging, even more when she had to dodge multiple attacks at once.

Struggling to clear her mind, Twilight took to the sky where she was out of range. The beastly filly stared her down, waiting for the alicorn to come back to her level. Great! Now I can form a plan to calm her down!

“What in tarnation is goin’ on ‘ere!” Twilight’s eyes widened. Applejack galloped over to the source of all the ruckus, followed by Rainbow Dash.

“Please tell me this is a fight!” Rainbow Dash wished.

Applejack glared. “Ain’t ta kinda things you wanna wish for, Dash.”

Olive twisted her head completely, now facing the two intruding mares. The eyes inside winced, displeased with this turn of event. A hoof reached out the gaping maw, heading full force towards Rainbow Dash.

“Come on! Can’t I wish for just a bit of action? Nothing happened here for like months!” Dash said, not paying attention to the incoming danger.

“Rainbow, look out!”

Applejack pushed the cyan pegasus out of the way but wasn’t fast enough to dodge the powerful hoof that struck her side, propelling her into a tree where a distinct crack was heard.

“Aj!” Rainbow Dash glared at the source of the strike only to be shocked by the monster of a filly that stood before her, motionless. Its eye was wide open, appearing shocked to have struck the wrong pony.

Twilight landed next to Applejack to check up on her. “Applejack! Are you okay?” A groan coming from the downed earth pony reassured her.

“Ah’m... fine Twilight.” The orange mare grunted. “Ah think Ah may have cracked a rib.”

Rainbow Dash’s brows furrowed; her teeth clenched with righteous fury. “You monster! I’ll show you what happens when you hurt my friends!” Dash charged with the intent to smash the devilish pony to bits.

“Rainbow, wait!” Twilight begged, succeeding in halting the pegasus’s charge. “That’s Olive! Don’t hurt her!”

The cyan pegasus stopped completely. “Huh? What?!”

The eye inside the filly began to water. Applejack lifted herself, her legs shaking in pain as she rested her eyes on the monstrous form of her daughter. “O-Olive? Is that you?”

The twisted unicorn began to cry in a distorted voice as it slowly shrunk down to a more appropriate size, the transformation reverting until there was only a normal filly standing before the three mares. “M-Mommy!” she cried out, trying to reach Applejack, but she couldn’t even take a single step. Her legs were so, so heavy, almost like they turned to anvils. She collapsed on the ground.

“S-Sugar cube!” Applejack galloped as fast as she could to the passed-out unicorn, nearly tripping over herself. One check of her pulse confirmed that she was merely unconscious, and she breathed a sigh of relief.

The adrenaline inside Twilight faded away and the weight of her damage began to dawn on her, causing her to collapse too. “Urgh... This hurt.” Seeing the distress on her friend's face, she apologised. "I'm sorry, Aj. I didn't purposefully tried to bring the other Olive out. It was an accident.

"Ah believe ya..." Applejack picked the filly up and placed her gently on her back. “C’mon, sugar cube, let’s go home.” Before she left, she gave a final pleading look to her alicorn friend. “Twilight, Ah sure hope ya can find a solution soon.”

“I won’t fail you.” Twilight answered, a feeling of defeat hiding underneath her confident words.

Rainbow Dash was completely lost in this situation, finding herself hovering around like a headless chicken. “Uh, whajusthappen?”

Twilight chuckled. “With what you know, you should be able to piece it together.”

Spike rushed to the scene once the fight was over. The commotion downstairs eventually led him to follow Applejack and Rainbow Dash to the edge of the Everfree Forest, where he found the aftermath of the battle. The cyan pegasus, the orange mare and the little filly were all gone by the time he arrived, leaving only a wounded Twilight in place. “Gee, Twilight! Are you okay? Looked like you got badly beat up.”

“I’m okay, Spike.” Twilight responded, struggling to get back on her hooves. “I just think my pride took a better hit than my body.” The alicorn spat out a bit of blood. Her bruised body looked pitiful, the battle left her with a black eye, a messy mane and scratched up hooves. She also had a backache, courtesy of a cracked bone, but it was nothing a healing spell couldn't fix.

“I can see why.” Spike looked at the crying filly being escorted on Applejack’s back. “You got beat up by a filly, with monstrous powers so I suppose it wasn’t that bad. I mean, it would have been bad if she was just a regular unicorn, but she’s not.”

After fixing her bone with healing magic, Twilight lowered her head in shame. “I know, but as a princess, I should be able to defend myself. I can’t lose to anypony just because I’m on my own. Princess Celestia, Luna and Cadence each won fights on their own, I must be as strong as them, else I’m just a burden for Ponyville.”

“I don’t think any of them won any fights recently.”

“Spike!” Twilight shouted. “Not the time for snarky remarks.”

“Sorry.”

The young princess looked up to the city on the mountainside, Canterlot. Its power was expressed through its beautiful architecture, and its position above the land. “I must become better at fighting if I want to protect Ponyville from future dangers, and I know just the pony that’ll help me!”

“Let me guess; Princess Luna?” Spike guessed as he jumped on the mare’s back.

“Exactly! She fights nightmares all the time, so she must be really good at it!” Twilight began to trot towards Ponyville, sparking some confusion in the baby dragon.

“Uh, Twilight? Where’re you going?” He asked, one eyebrow raised.

“To Ponyville’s train st-”

Spike poked on her wings with an unamused expression.

The princess of friendship blushed as she sprouted her wings, realising her rookie mistake. “Oh r-right... I, he he, have wings to... fly.”

Author's Note

Well... now we know why Strong Hoof hates Olive so much.

Another fight done, I hope I'm not sucking at writing these kinds of scene 'cause I find them lowkey hard to write.

Anyway, I hope you all like the drunkard Mango, because something tells me Twilight's gonna get more acquainted with him.:twilightsheepish:

36. The Diamond in The Rough

2 days left before the storm

Olive woke up in a cold sweat today, raising some concern from her sister. When questioned about her dream, the pink filly couldn’t fully answer. All that survived were small images without any coherence to them. There was rain, Aurora and... the white giant.

“Forget it. It’s... it’s not really important.”

Olive spent more time in her bed, unable to muster the strength to leave unlike Apple Bloom who jumped out, brimming with energy. The unicorn wondered what was sapping her strength, her will to even start the day. Her eyes didn’t want to stay open for more than a second. All she knew, was that something was wrong with her. Fear? Couldn’t be, she’s not scared. Anxiety? Maybe, she felt a strange sensation in her stomach comparable to the one she felt during her presentation.

“Are ya comin’?”

Olive roused herself, her eyes half open. “Hm? Y-Yeah, in just a minute...”

Apple Bloom hesitantly left the bedroom, leaving the filly on her own.

No matter how hard she tried, the will to get out of bed wouldn’t come. The day ahead seemed so daunting. The energy to face it was lacking. There was so much to do, it felt simply impossible. Moreover, there was a lingering feeling of dread that loomed over her. It surely had something to do with her dream. She couldn’t remember, but its effect was clear as day. Whatever happened in there snatched away her strength.

Groaning, she rolled in bed and closed her eyes, hoping to find some inner peace. Decidedly, the only way to leave was to empty her mind. An old tune resurfaced as Olive tried to think of something that made her happy. But as always, she had no control over her memories. One memory brought another into her mind, and this one brought yet another and it continued until she was stuck in a deep rabbit hole.

I’ll make a beast out of myself
Gets rid of all the pain of being a pony!

Jolly Melody, she’s practically heard all his songs over and over, even the new ones he kept to himself. Although, she never understood the lyrics, not even to this day. Knowing how her father turned out, it was reasonable to say that she was better off not knowing. Now, the pink unicorn wondered if Applejack could sing like he did. Apple Bloom did say the crusaders once wrote and sang a song for a stage play in Ponyville. Or... maybe singing wasn’t as hard as she thought. Who knows, she could try to-

“Olive!”

Olive jerked awake, startled by the voice of her mother. She turned around nervously, wondering what was wrong.

“School’s startin’ in 15 minutes, sugar cube! Ya gotta hurry up!” Applejack said, pointing at the alarm clock. The small unicorn yelped and hopped out of bed, running down the stairs at light speed. “Sheesh, guess Ah should keep a better eye on ‘er in ta morning...”

During the small trip to Ponyville’s schoolhouse, Olive kept her head high, gazing at the clouds in the blue sky of the morning. She observed the pegasi moving the clouds around, rearranging them for this day. For some strange reason, she felt a bit of dread. The white clouds looked ominous to her. They were supposed to be grey or at least, that must have been how they appeared in whatever dream she had.

Overall, something just wasn’t right. Danger was the word she used to describe this sight. Maybe that was why she was so unwilling to get out of bed?

Anyhow, they arrived at school, bid their farewell to Applejack and joined their friends in the playground. Everypony was happy, well mostly of course. School wasn’t exactly beloved by all foals, but most ponies were having a good time. Olive seemed like the only one who wasn’t thrilled to be there at all. Somehow, the school felt dangerous to her. These thoughts were silly, she’d be the first to admit it, but nevertheless, they couldn’t be shaken off.

“Uh, Olive? Is something wrong?”

The pink filly roused herself, Sweetie Belle was showing some much-needed concern. The beautiful sparkle in her eyes helped to ease her worries.

“Is it about Diamond Tiara and Spoiled Rich?” Scootaloo asked. “I’m guessing you must have an idea in mind.”

She didn’t, sadly. Olive was no super genius with hundreds of back-up plan or whatnot. Worse still, she didn’t even have a plan A. The most she could think of was “spend the day with Diamond and Silver”, but that didn’t sound like a smart and well thought out plan.

Apple Bloom scratched her head, glancing over at the two rich fillies. “Are ya sure it’s a good idea?”

“...” Olive lowered her head, hiding her face behind her mane. “No... I have no plan at all.”

“Well, I mean...” Scootaloo paused, looking over at Sweetie Belle. “It did do a lot for Sweetie and me. Maybe it’ll work for Diamond as well?”

Apple Bloom smiled. “Yeah! Yer ta nicest filly Ah know. Surely ya can win over Diamond. It’s like yer superpower!”

“My superpower is winning ponies over? Does that mean I’m charismatic?”

“I’d rather view it as helping ponies overcome their personal struggles. Well that and your extreme affection. It’s, uh, really nice to hug you.” Scootaloo said, blushing slightly. “But don’t tell anypony else I said that.”

“If you want to spend the day with Diamond Tiara, then we’ll gladly help you!” Sweetie Belle exclaimed. “Because Cutie Mark Crusaders never let each other down.”

Olive’s eyes quickly darted to the two rich fillies basically acting as if they own the entire playground. The foals around were trotting out of their way, looking either frightened or angry but Diamond and Silver didn’t seem to care. As the pink unicorn theorised, it’s their wealth that dictates why they act this way.

Money is power, and that reflects in social interactions. The richer ponies were always the stronger one, just ask her father about it. Therefore, the easiest solution to win them over was to be rich. One problem, how can a filly like her get filthy rich? So, maybe that idea wasn’t that brilliant after all.

No, the best idea was to listen to what Care said yesterday. “Just be yourself” or something along this line. Olive trotted up to them, stopping briefly to announce her intentions to the crusaders.

Upon being noticed, the two spoiled fillies reacted just as expected. “Ugh, you again? What’s it going to be about this time?”

“Looks like somepony here loves to be the bearer of bad news!”

Olive blinked. More mean-spirited proclamations, more hatred, oh how much she had gotten used to it. Strangely, these words hurt a little more than she was expecting. Perhaps she was slowly forgetting what it felt like to be despised. “I’m not here to deliver bad news, I promise.”

Diamond Tiara raised an eyebrow, unconvinced. “Then what are you here for? To lick my hooves?”

“Or to beg for forgiveness?”

“Um, no.” Olive stated bluntly. “I’m here to become your friend.”

The two fillies blinked idly. “What? Friends? We don’t need your friendship. Not from a filly that lives in a barn and plays around in the mud.”

“I don’t like getting dirty.” The pink unicorn looked around the playground, noticing the odd fact that not a single foal is remotely near them. “Do you two have friends?”

Silver Spoon groaned. “What kind of question is that? Are you, like, blind or something?” She placed a hoof on her friend’s shoulder.

“No, I meant do you have any other friends?”

Diamond Tiara sighed in exasperation. “Why should we? Silver’s the only pony here who understands me because she’s from a rich family just like mine.”

Olive’s soft eyes threatened them with kindness. “You’re friends just because your parents are rich? Is this why you don’t want to be my friend?”

“Yeah, obviously. Gee, you’re such a slow learner.” Diamond growled. “Well, now that you’ve understand why we can’t be friends, scurry back to your cutie mark crybabies and let us play in peace.”

“I can’t. I don’t want to.” Olive’s bluntness further infuriated Diamond and Silver.

Her eyes nearly jumped out of their orbits. “What does that even mean?! You have got to be the most annoying and clingiest pony ever! Why can’t you understand that no means no.”

“I thought that no meant yes?”

Silver Spoon frowned and poked at the filly’s chest. “And you’re an idiot means that you’re an idiot. Get it?”

The pink unicorn once again showed very little reaction to that insult. “I th-”

“No, no, no. That’s... That’s enough. You’ve made yourself clear already.” Diamond blurted out in defeat. “If you stay with us for recess, will you leave us alone?”

“I want to be with you for the day.”

“Ok, fine. You stay with us for the day, promise you’ll leave us alone afterward. Is that good enough?”

Olive smiled, her endearing expression lighting up her eyes with joy. “That’s perfect! I’m your friend now!” she exclaimed, jumping around in glee.

Diamond gazed over her shoulder, making sure she wouldn’t see or hear this. Thankfully, she was nowhere in sight. “Not so loud, blank flank. Let’s keep this, uh, deal a secret, okay?”

Olive bobbed her head up and down, smiling with her eyes closed. They hated to admit it, but she was truly adorable. But... they couldn’t overlook the damage she’s done. Diamond rubbed her tiara, peeved.

And so, they trotted around the playground, chatting. Olive noticed the other foals were not too keen on playing with them at all. In fact, they avoided them entirely. “They don’t seem to like us.”

Diamond’s face darkened. “Oh, really? What made you come to that conclusion?”

Olive glanced over at another group of foals, observing their reactions. “They se-”

“Rhetorical question, blank flank. You’re not supposed to answer that.”

Now that was new. Olive has never heard of rhetorical questions before. Sounded like a difficult concept to grasp...

“But... that’s bad to be disliked!” She exclaimed. Her voice went soft. “It’s the worst thing ever.”

Diamond’s eye twitched. “There are... w-worst things than that.”

“Not that we expect a commoner like you to understand.” Silver Spoon puffed.

“I want to understand. That’s why I’m your friend.” Olive pushed, blocking the way of the two fillies. Her olive eyes had such a soothing feel to them. There was so much beauty in compassion.

“Already jumping to conclusions, I see...” Silver hissed. “You’d do well to not jump in our way.”

Diamond, however, seemed a bit more hesitant to shove the pink unicorn aside. Something was bugging her, but she couldn’t grasp what it was. “Y-You don’t put yourself in the way of the elite, Olive.”

Silver raised an eyebrow. “I think you meant to say, blank flank. Seriously, why did you show some respect for a little baby like her? She broke your tiara, remember? That’s like, unforgivable.”

Olive smiled, her tail waggling like a happy puppy. “You said my name! We’ve advanced to the next stage of friendship.”

Diamond Tiara groaned, stuck between another brat and the most annoyingly persistent filly in all Equestria.

Inside the schoolhouse, Heedful Care and Cheerilee were preparing the classes ahead. Today was announcing to be a long Thursday. There were so many things Cheerilee had to deal with, the pressure was starting to get to her. First, there was Spoiled Rich, that has always been a constant problem but then, Diamond Tiara and now, Olive. These three ponies were making it hard, too hard.

But what was pestering her wasn’t them, it was what Olive said yesterday. Jolly Melody, the name brought back many memories, both good and awful. A talented musician that captured the hearts of many in Equestria, only to then disappear eight years ago, never to be found.

“Are you alright, Cheerilee?”

The cerise mare didn’t answer, her gaze fixated on her desk. The ticking clock was the only source of sound in this empty classroom. Each of its tick only made the pressure worse.

“Something’s bothering you, I can tell.” The yellow pegasus trotted over to her side, taking a seat on a nearby chair. “It’ll do you some good to let it out.”

Cheerilee sighed, her head still lowered. “I knew Jolly Melody, before he vanished.”

“That goes without saying. Everypony’s heard of his music.”

The earth pony shook her head. “Not like that. I’ve seen him in pony. Talked to him even, multiple times.”

It was a long time ago. Almost a full decade when she was still studying in Canterlot. Her mane was frazzled, just like the new fashion trend took the world by storm. Of course, looking back at it, it was silly. She kept many good memories of that time, when she was still in high school, learning about teaching.

Her good friend Minuette was by her side one day, as they left the school. It was after a long and painful exam that took a lot of her energy.

“Wow, that has got to be the worst exam I think I’ve ever done.” a bit dramatic as always, she always said that every time an exam didn’t go so well.

“Aw, I’m sure it wasn’t that bad.” Cheerilee responded, fumbling her words a bit, courtesy of her braces.

“He he, still struggling to speak with these on?” Minuette was what you’d call an expert in braces and other dental machinations. In fact, she has it even worse than Cheerilee. She had to wear the entire headgear.

The young mare sighed. “Yeah, it also hurts too. I can only really eat hay right now. Feels like my teeth are made of glass.”

“Oh, you’ll get used to it. And when you do, the pain will go away.”

Their conversation ended shortly after a guitar was heard not too far from the school. A beautiful melody, accompanied by an even more beautiful voice gently tugged at their spirit, inviting them to check it out.

“Wow, who could be playing music at this time?” Minuette asked, gazing over at the pony playing the guitar on the bench.

Cheerilee’s eyes widened, filling with sparks as she recognised the stallion singing. A bright violet coat with an emerald-colored mane, and beautiful olive eyes to boot. He was the most handsome stallion in the region –no, in the whole wide world of Equestria. What was even prettier than his face was his voice. A voice that knew no limit to its range. Soft, yet deep and powerful when it needed to be. He was every mare’s dream. He was Jolly Melody.

He earned many adoring fans on his travels, but he always stopped at Canterlot to rest, his favorite city in all Equestria. He especially loved to sing at night, under the moon. On a nearby bench, a lavender unicorn smiled and bopped her head to the music, lulled by the stallion’s voice.

“It’s Jolly Melody!” she exclaimed, rushing over to him with Minuette in tow.

“Hey, wait up!”

Cheerilee stopped before the stallion. The violet unicorn opened an eye, gazing smoothly at her while he kept on singing, a knowing smile on his face. The cerise mare listened in pure admiration, feeling her cheeks grow warm with every high note he managed to reach. The song was beautiful, but he was even better.

Once he was done, Jolly Melody laughed. “Cheerilee! How’s it going? I see you’re still as ravishing as always.” He said with a sly smile on his face.

The cerise mare blushed, briefly looking away only to be reeled back in by his lovely eyes. “I-I, uh... doing good.”

“Splendid! I hope your friend is doing just as well.” His calm and relaxed posture made her forget about the difficult exam. Jolly Melody always made you forget about your anxieties when he was around.

Minuette giggled. “Thank you, but please tell us about your trip to Las Pegasus! How was it?”

The violet stallion slumped in the bench. “Quite the lovely city, but oh so excited. I barely got any time to relax and take in the scenery! There was, however the Lucky 38 that seemed rather fun... Honestly, I’ve been thinking about taking a short tour in Ponyville. That town seems really nice, especially with some of them apple ciders the Apples are selling. Have any of you lovely ladies been there?”

“W-Well, uh, n-no. But I’ve been thinking about going to there to become a, um, teacher one day.” Cheerilee stuttered, her cheeks still red.

“Teaching, huh? Why that sounds like a lovely job. I just know you have what it takes to be a great teacher!” Jolly Melody pulled on a few strings, enjoying the nice sound they made. “Oh, how about I teach you a little something in music?”

Minuette’s mouth opened wide. “Y-You mean, learn something from the greatest musician in Canterlot?”

Now, it was Jolly’s turn to be flustered. “Well, one can see it that way. I’m certainly proclaiming the be the peak of this art. I just know what I’m doing. Now then, do you know what’s the difference between a noise and a sound?”

The two teenage mares exchanged unknowing looks.

“You see...” Jolly kicked a nearby rock, letting it bounce on the floor. “This is a noise. It’s something you can hear, but doesn’t really inspire any emotions now does it? It’s a bit irritating on the ears if you ask me. It causes nothing but inconveniences to those who hear it.” The violet unicorn rubbed the strings of his guitar, letting its harmonious music echoed in the city. “Now that, that makes you feel something. This is a sound. Music is all about chaining and combining sound to create art.” With a relaxed smile, he played another song just for them. “And now, this one’s for you two as a token of my appreciation.”

“Y-Your appreciation?” Cheerilee blurted out. “Oh no no no, we totally don’t deserve that!”

The stallion chuckled. “Why not? Every time I go on tour, I always talk to big crowds and sign all sorts of contracts. It’s only here in Canterlot that I get to talk to lovely ponies like you, and just... have a good time. That’s the true reason why I play music. Now, let’s make some sounds, shall we?”

“For our next project, we’ll be doing a comic strip, everypony!” Another fun activity in class, how peculiar. For the students, it was like a dream come true. Rather than doing boring history or math lessons, they get to draw and make up stories for all to read.

The first idea Olive wandered to was the Power Ponies. “For this project, you’ll have to place yourselves in teams of three or four.” Three, she said? Say no more.

Olive went to Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon but hesitated for a bit. They were allowed to be four, perhaps she could go with her friends on this one? And now, the thing this filly feared the most, making a difficult decision. Rarely did she ever had to make decisions, especially ones like that. Although it wasn’t a judgement call, it was still important to her and her friends.

She looked back at the Cutie Mark Crusaders, now in between them and the two rich fillies. Surely it was worth it to leave them be for the moment if it was to help Diamond, right? But still, she’ll never get the chance to do this project again if she does choose to go with Diamond and Silver. So many outcomes, so many factors to take in...

If only somepony could come in and tell her which was the right answer. But... what if there wasn’t a right and wrong answer? What if there are only two choices, neither one being better than the other? Olive shook her head furiously. None of this was getting her anywhere! She was still stuck in the middle of the class, unable to choose which team to go with.

“Hey, ‘sis. We understand ya want to help Diamond so...” Apple Bloom spoke, moving to her side. “go with ‘er. We know how much this matters to ya. Oh, and we’ll be seein’ each other at the clubhouse after school.”

Relieved, Olive gave a thankful smile, her conscience at ease. Now, to help Diamond out with her not-so helpful mother. “Ugh, you again, blank flank? Can’t you go bother somepony else?” As expected, she was met with some resistance on the part of Silver Spoon.

Diamond, however, just sighed and waved her friend off. “Forget it. She’s never going to stop unless we let her stay.”

“I’m persistent!” Olive giggled, taking a seat next to them. “Because I'm your friend now!”

Silver Spoon groaned, readjusting her glasses as she inched further from the filly. “What kind of criteria do you use to choose your friends?”

Olive opened her mouth to answer, but the first thing that came to mind probably wasn’t a good idea. Having problems with their family? Of course, she didn’t have to become friends with ponies that share a struggle similar to hers, but she couldn’t help to be drawn to them. It just felt wrong to watch them suffer and do nothing. “Because you seem like a nice pony.” Maybe on the inside there’s a soft heart waiting to be freed.

“O...kay.” Diamond was taken aback. That was the last thing she was expecting. Being shunned by the entire class didn’t really scream “nice pony” but somehow, this filly thought she was good. “If we do this project together, will you leave us alone?”

Olive blinked, gears turning in her head. “Sure! But we’ll still be friends, right?”

Diamond Tiara glanced at her friend, a tired look on her face. “See? Persistent.”

“I’ve been told it’s a virtue.” Olive informed, taking out her colored pencils. “I guess that means I’m virtuous.”

“Being annoying sure isn’t one.” Silver hissed, calmly reading the instructions for the project. “We need to start by crafting a scenario.” The pink unicorn’s eyes lit up. “You must have an idea, Diamond.”

“Hm?” Diamond Tiara roused herself, not certain if she’s heard her friend correctly. “Well, uh, I think I do.”

“Then tell us. I’m sure it’ll be great seeing as you’re the top of the class. The most popular pony in the whole school.”

The pink earth pony stared off in the distance, tired. The most popular pony in the whole school... that she was. So why was it starting to make her feel awful? It surely had to do with her grades, the persistent unicorn claiming to be her friend. Pressure was piling on her, and it was getting harder to handle it.

“Y-Yeah... I’ve got something.”

“It’s the story of a young girl, a princess living with her father, the king, and her mother, the queen. Every day, her parents send her down the castle with the peasants, to the nuns. They don’t have anypony else to send her to, so she has to stay with those below her in status. At first, it wasn’t so bad, all the foals loved her and called her the queen of the class. Even the nuns loved her despite not being the smartest. But then, as she spent more time in that class, she changed, and the queen was not pleased.

She told the princess that amongst peasants, she had to be better. A royal pony seeks no quarrel with peasants, a royal pony cannot be surpassed by a peasant, a royal pony cannot seek their friendship. After all, friends are meant to be equals, and she had no equal...”

Silver Spoon raised an eyebrow. “So? How does it end?”

“I don’t know...” Diamond sighed, her voice being but a whisper.

Silver Spoon observed the class. Some ponies already wrote down their story, and they haven’t landed on an idea yet. “That can’t be good. We need an ending to our comic if we want to get a good grade. Well, I meant an amazing grade as that’s what we’ll get.”

Olive timidly raised her hoof. “I-I might have an idea.”

“That so? Tell us about it.”

“Well... It’s the story of a young filly. Raised by merchant, she spent her whole life traveling Equestria with her father. Her father had a lot of friends, some nice than other but he himself wasn’t a very nice pony. Every day, he tried to teach the young filly how to be a merchant, but she couldn’t get it. She was so bad at it, that he eventually lost interest in her and stopped talking to her. The poor filly was all alone, until she found another pony her age with the merchants. It was a nice pegasus that also didn’t like to be with them. They were all so mean to them because they couldn’t be merchants.

So, one day, the pegasus told the young filly that they would escape and find a nicer pony to be their parents, because their father was becoming more and more violent. And, uh... they... th-they ran away in the forest, and that made the merchants very angry. They ran after the two ponies, chasing them in the woods until the young filly finally found a town, and a nice pony that wanted to be her parent. Sadly, she never saw her friend again... b-but she knew she would one day find her way in the forest, and come back.”

By the end of the story, Olive had hidden her face behind her mane, struggling to keep her voice in a consistent tone.

Silver Spoon stared her down for a while, before smirking. “That sounds good! What do you think, Diamond? Maybe we can use her story?” she leaned in her ear and whispered. “Maybe even change it so we can say it’s ours.”

Diamond Tiara blinked, her eyes softening up. She felt more attached to her own story, and Silver Spoon didn’t choose hers. Was it just because she couldn’t think of an ending? Was it just because there couldn’t be an end to it? “B-But what about mine? It was a good idea, I mean, we can always work together to figure out an ending.”

“I liked your story.” Olive stated, smiling.

The silver coated filly cocked her head back, perplexed. “Diamond, what’s wrong? You just seem a bit... unlike you. Normally, you would have listened to me because you’d see that her story is better an-”

“What’s wrong with mine?!” Diamond shouted, slamming a hoof down on the desk. “Was it just b-bad because I couldn’t think of an end? Did you just find it pitiful and p-pathetic while hers was better because it had a happy ending?! What’s wrong with stories that end badly?” Her outburst moved her to tears, something that not many foals got to see in their entire lives up to this point.

“Wh-What? No, I jus-”

“Silver, I-I just don’t know what to make of this anymore.”

Silver blanched. “O-Of what?”

Diamond Tiara lowered her tearful eyes, looking more tired than ever. “Our friendship. I never put much thought about it, but everything about it feels wrong! We’re friends only because our parents knew each other and placed us together! We didn’t even choose to become friends, we just did because they wanted us to be, because our family are the two richest families in Ponyville! Our friendship is just... i-is just...” She stopped to take her breath, and whispered the last word, “shallow.”

Silver Spoon’s heart stopped. Her eyes wide in horror and disbelief. The world came to a halt, everypony had their eyes on them, especially the teachers. In just one moment, Silver’s life tumbled down a deep, dark chasm. And now, she too was crying.

“No no no no...” Olive whispered, seeing the silver filly gallop out of the class in tears and Diamond Tiara hiding behind her hooves with tears dripping down from them. “I, this wasn’t supposed to happen.” D-Did I mess everything up again?

Nyark har har har! Oh, darling. You think just because a pony is mean, they can’t be sad? Here’s another lesson in psychology. Everypony has a weakness. Even the cruel and sadistic ponies can be beaten. All you need to do, is pull at the right heartstring. Then... you can watch them break.

Not much work was done on the comic since then. Silver didn’t want to return to class.

Another day passed by, another heartbreak happened, all because of her. The guilt was eating away at Olive. Diamond Tiara was silent for the rest of the class, sitting by her lonesome in front of the school’s porch, staring at the floorboards, her eyes empty of any feelings save for despair.

The sight alone made her want to cry. It’s all my fault. I ruined a friendship and this time, it’s for real!

The Cutie Mark Crusaders tried to best to console her, but nothing helped. It didn’t matter that she had such loving friends. Diamond Tiara didn’t have any, and she deserved to have one, but the one pony she cared for was gone and it was all because she told them this stupid story that was, in reality, all about her.

“I’m the worst pony ever...” she croaked, struggling to speak through her sobs. “I don’t deserve to have any friends.”

“Hey, now. Don’t lie to yerself.” Apple Bloom softly said. “Ya’ve made a mistake, and that’s okay. We all make terrible mistakes.”

Scootaloo chuckled weakly. “Trust me, Olive. We’ve made a lot of stupid mistakes.”

“And despite that, we’re still good friends.” Sweetie Belle finished. “True friendships never end because of one mistake. You can still set things right.”

“Sweetie Belle’s right.” Scootaloo affirmed with a soft smile. “You’ve made me feel better about myself because you understand what it’s like to be hurt. What Diamond needs right now, is somepony to talk to. Somepony to make her understand that it’s not too late.”

“And yer the only pony so far, beside Silver, that has shown ‘er what friendship is like.” Apple Bloom hugged her sister. “Ah don’t want to see ya give up, not when ya can still do somethin’ ‘bout it. So, go. She needs ya more than ‘ever.”

Olive approached the distraught filly, sitting beside her. The clouds swirled in the sky, obstructing the sun.

“Go away...” Diamond weakly ordered.

The pink unicorn eyed her woefully, hesitating to speak for a moment. “I won’t. I don’t think that’s what you need right now.”

Diamond Tiara’s muzzle pulled back, her body shaking with anger. “Then what?! What else could I need?! I want to be alone, b-because it’s your fault you ruined...” Her wrath was short-lived. “ruined my shallow friendship...” Her head lowered, back to staring at the floor. “I never had anything to begin with... didn’t I?”

“No, that’s not true! You have Silver Spoon.” Olive said, a hopeful tinge in her voice.

“You mean had.” Diamond muttered.

The pink filly shook her head, smiling softly. “You still have her. It takes more than that to destroy a friendship. You might think it was shallow, but that doesn’t mean you can’t fix it. If Silver really cares about you, she’ll listen.”

Diamond Tiara trembled, finally raising her tearful eyes filled with despair. “But what if she doesn’t listen! What if I do lose her?! What do I do?! Please, tell me...”

Olive’s smile did not falter, her soft eyes soothing Diamond’s anxiety. “Then you’ll still have me. I promise you’ll never be alone. As long as I’m here, you’ll always have a friend.”

The pink earth pony stared incredously, her mouth agape. “Wh...What?”

“I know you bullied me, insulted me and accidentally hurt me, but I don’t care. I forgive you because I was not much better anyway. I insulted your dad and made a fool of you. I understand if you’re still angry at me, but just know that I’m not leaving. I’d hate to leave a friend that’s hurt.” Olive’s eyes teared up too, unable to hold her emotions in anymore.

Awestruck, Diamond Tiara raised her hooves... and wrapped them around Olive, crying. She held on tightly, and her friend reciprocated the feeling.

Cheerilee opened the envelope that was “kindly” left by Spoiled Rich earlier that day. It contained all the bills she had to pay, with a helpful reminder that the rich mare was the only pony preventing her from being broke. She quickly closed the envelope, slumping down on her desk, defeated.

She still hasn’t made the decision to change Diamond’s grade, as it would go against everything she fought for. Not only that, but it wouldn’t help the poor filly in the long run. She feared what would happen to her once she moved up to high school. For that, she’d have to go to Canterlot, where the teachers are harder to bribe. That poor girl won’t be able to last a single session if she was cheated out of her education. Sure, she was a mean bully, but that didn’t mean she deserved this.

Sadly, it was either that or losing the job and there was no way she’d abandon all these wonderful foals.

“I see you’re still not feeling well. Is it about money again?” Care’s soft voice reached out.

“It’s always about money.” Cheerilee sighed. “There’s nothing I can do. Spoiled Rich is the only pony that allows me to keep my job here as a teacher. If it weren’t for her, I'd be somewhere else.”

Heedful Care frowned, glancing over the window. “No, I’m sure something can be done about this. I’ll try to find a way to pay you, for this school’s sake.” Cheerilee raised her head, worried. “Don’t worry about me, I’m not hurt for money. I just want you to know I won’t be doing this just for my patient. It’ll be for all the foals.”

“Come on, Care. I can’t let you overwork yourself just because of my own financial problems. I’d feel guilty if somepony were to ruin their lives just to keep me afloat.” Cheerilee blurted out, sounding defeated. “I’ll find a way, somehow.”

“I don’t care how much I work; I’ll keep this school open no matter what.” Heedful Care smiled softly. “Look out the window.”

Intrigued, Cheerilee did as she said. Outside, Olive was seen hugging Diamond Tiara. It was a shock for the cerise mare who never saw anypony really show much compassion to the bully. That was, the most beautiful thing she’s seen this week. A bullied filly embracing her bully.

“There are plenty of wonderful foals in Ponyville, especially this one. No matter the adversity, she pushes on and solves all her problem with love and kindness. The world isn’t as bleak as we think. There are pretty roses that makes us remember why this world is beautiful, but these roses also have thorns. They will fight back against those who tries to break them, and so will we.”

“Diamond, what are you doing?” A voice as cold as ice startled the two fillies. Towering over them, a bitter mare stared with disgust at the pink ponies below her, especially at the one she called daughter.

“Uh, mom I-”

“What did I say again about low-class ponies? Their ‘friendship’ is not worth the hassle for somepony as high up in the ladder as you.”

Olive stared in surprise at this bitter mare she’s overheard multiple times. She sounded like Diamond, only dialed up to eleven!

The pink earth pony lowered her ears. “... I’m sorry.”

Spoiled Rich, however, wasn’t quite done. “You come back to us with poor grades, you yell at the only pony worth being your friend and now you befriend troubled fillies like her? Diamond! Do you even listen to me at all when I speak? You’ll have a lot to answer to, young Rich. Come now, we’ll talk home.” With one hoof, she grabbed a hold of Diamond and dragged her away, right in front of Olive.

She was powerless before the bigger and stronger mare. All she could do, was watch in shock as this terrible mother trotted away with her friend. Something new sparked in her, an emotion she wasn’t familiar with, but it felt powerful, unyielding. Her cheeks puffed, her brows furrowed as she lowered her head, her furious gaze locked on Spoiled.

Her body burned, but not with shame, no. It burned with wrath. Then, a funny feeling tickled her head. Olive looked up, seeing an ominous emerald aura around her horn. She then placed her gaze back on Spoiled Rich.

Wait, what?!

She looked back at her horn, now glowing out of control. Olive yelped, poking at her horn in the vague hope that it would make it stop. She tapped and tapped until the aura disappeared. Sweat dripped down her face whilst she sat down. She was this close to letting the magic take over. This close to causing more damage than necessary. This close to kill a pony.
I have to solve this the way Aurora showed me. There's no place for anger.

And like Saddle Rager and a certain yellow pegasus, Olive knew that true heroes never resort to violence to solve a conflict. A true hero doesn’t need superpowers.

Atop the highest tower in Canterlot sat an alicorn. The princess of the night stared in her telescope, observing the entire city from her perch. A fun perk of being the lunar princess was a good nocturnal vision. The darkest corners of the capital were fully visible. No stallion could ever hide from her great eyesight. As princess of the night, the world under the moon belonged to her.

Her gaze followed all the foolhardy ponies wandering at night, mostly heading to their homes. If something were to happen to them, she’d swoop in and chase away the trouble. By now, she’d figured that tracking Anarchy down in the dreamscape was a lost cause. He and his goons are protected from her intrusions, somehow. Their dreams simply don’t exist. These ponies don’t dream, an impossibility that raised more questions for her.

Worst still, Looking Glass hasn’t reported anything major to her for a couple of days. Just a rumor that some of Canterlot’s elite are being blackmailed by the Anarchists. With each passing night, her stress increased. The storm was due in 2 days, time was running out. Anarchy was coming.

To make matters worse, he began to appear in some ponies’ dream. However, his appearance varied wildly from one dreamer to another. It’s what happens when an idea is planted in their minds. It begins to manifest itself into their dreams, taking on a form their subconscious constructed. Because of that phenomenon, even after a pony is long dead, they can still live on in some way, albeit not as the original one, just as a memory. But with the Nightmare, Anarchy could reach a point beyond death as a manifestation of a pony’s fear. Thus, the best way to deal with him is eternal imprisonment. That, or to banish the Nightmare from his soul. Two things that are not going to be easy.

Luna could never admit it to her subjects, but she was terrified. The midnight blue alicorn was the most knowledgeable pony in terms of the Nightmare and its inner workings. She knew just how dangerous it could be in the wrong hooves. The body matters none, it’s in the mind where it draws its power from. The darker the mind, the uglier the beast.

To think that this stallion alone caused so much damage to Equestria, and that was in the infant stage of his transformation.

They were in big trouble...

Her morbid thoughts were interrupted by the familiar clops of a majestic pony joining her in the tower.

“Tia, I suppose you’re just as worried as I am.”

Princess Celestia sighed. “Trust me, we’re not the only worried ponies in Canterlot. I’ve been bombarded by nobles asking all sorts of questions about the Anarchists. Many wanted to postpone the storm.”

Princess Luna kept her gaze on a lonely mare trotting down the streets of Canterlot. “I assume we can’t do that?”

“It’s just not possible, not within this time frame. Many farmers in Equestria are banking on this storm to help with their crops. We could have only postponed an important storm like that last week.”

“I see...” The mare Luna was observing stopped to stare at a wall. The words “24 hours left” were painted with blood.
Something told the alicorn it wasn’t just a threat to the passing citizens; it was a threat to royalty. She puffed, frowning as she peered back from the telescope. “And now he’s sending us threats. I-It seems like nopony is safe within our walls.”

Then, she heard a mare screaming in the distance. Startled, Luna leaned back in the telescope, returning to the position of the mare. The young pony was running away with terror in her eyes. Looking back at the bloody wall, the alicorn’s jaw dropped.

Anarchy was there, in the dark alley, staring into her soul with his jagged emerald eyes. Luna was horrified by the changes he suffered. The transformation had already reached its next stage and would soon attain its peak. The dark unicorn waved at her, before retreating to the shadows in the blink of an eye.

“Lulu?”

Luna backed away from the telescope. “Sister... it’s worse than I thought. The Nightmare is growing stronger. It’s going to be here, in a matter of days.”

Author's Note

It's taking some time to write down these chapters. In fact, the longest part is planning them out first. Writing them is the easy part. Now, we only have one chapter left before the storm, and it's going to be a doozy.

But not as much as Chapter 38 and 39.

Also yeah, the chapter's title is an Aladdin reference.

42. The Mark We Leave on Others

Later that day, Nurse Redheart returned accompanied by a blue unicorn that definitely was no staff. “Visiting hours have started! You’ll be getting lots of visitors today!” she announced before leaving the newcomer to the hospitalised mares.

Cheerilee’s eyes widened, recognising an old friend from her school days. “Minuette?”

Minuette gave her a toothy smile, unintentionally getting Olive on edge. Passing by Twilight, she greeted her briefly before moving on to her good friend. “Yep! Boy, am I glad to hear you’re okay! I was just passing by and heard all about the school so I went there myself and there it was, destroyed so I got really worried and figured I’d check the hospital to make sure you were okay.”

“Still as chatty, I see.” The cerise make mused, smiling weakly. “I’m happy to see you. Things haven’t been great lately.”

“Oh.” Minuette’s cheerful smile dropped. “Well, that’s why I’m here, right?” As she approached her friend, she cringed at her sorry state. “Uh, are you going to be alright?”

“I don’t know...” The cerise mare motioned at the unicorn to move towards the side, for she couldn’t turn her head without risking another wave of agony raining down on her back. “The doctor hasn’t returned with an answer. I’m not sure I want to hear it, but I also want to know if... It’s messy, I know. I have no idea what I want right now.”

“J-Just give it some rest. I’m sure you’ll be feeling better in no time!” Minuette kept on a bright smile, hoping it would light up the earth pony’s day. Thankfully, it somewhat did.

“I hope so. Then again, I’ve never had much luck in hospitals anyway.”

The blue unicorn cringed. “Oh yeah, that one was arguably worse.”

Cheerilee frowned, feeling a different kind of pain this time. “Don’t have to remind me. I... prefer to leave that part of my life behind.”

Twilight, curious, roused herself from her long reading. “Hm? What happened?” Applejack grimaced, knowing her friend was about to trot on a tight rope. She wasn’t in Ponyville back then, how could she know?

“Oh yeah, it’s an awful story.” Minuette began, much to Cheerilee’s dismay. “Basically, Cheerilee went to Ponyville General because she was going in labor and so th-”

“What?! Labor?!” Twilight screamed, startling Minuette. “Cheerilee, you gave birth?”

Cheerilee grumbled sadly, shame encompassing her face. “Y-Yeah... it was a long time ago, e-eight years I believe. That’s all in the past.”

Olive climbed on her mother, wanting to hear the grown-ups talking.

“W-Well... where is your foal? I’ve never seen them before.”

Applejack and Minuette gritted their teeth, sweating. “Oh yeah, Twilight. ‘Bout that...”

“She’s gone.” Cheerilee croaked. “Disappeared just a day after I had her.”

Twilight’s eyes widened, her mouth agape. “Wha-but... Did you send a search party? Called in a detective to find her, talked to May-”

“Twilight, I did.” The cerise mare lowered her hoof, surprised at how heavy it felt. “I did everything you thought of. That filly’s gone, we never found out what happened to her.”

“Aw...” Olive moped, devastated about the sad fate of that foal. She wondered how awful it must feel to be separated from your parents this young. That filly, if she was still alive, would probably never find out who her real parents were.

“You don’t have to feel bad about me. That baby was an accident, I’m not really sure how I would have taken care of her back then when I was short on bits. Heh, I still am actually.”

Minuette blinked, suddenly realising an important detail was left out of the story every time Cheerilee told it. “Hey, you never really told me who was the father.”

The cerise mare glared, peeved by her friend’s insatiable curiosity. “That’s... not important. I never saw him after I learned I was pregnant. To me, he doesn’t exist anymore.”

“Eesh...” Twilight was now discouraged from asking further questions, a good thing considering she only now realised tight the rope she trotted on was. “I think I’ve heard enough. Sorry if I bothered you.”

“It’s nothing.” the mare kindly responded. “I’m sure anypony who didn’t know would have asked the same things.” A slight tug on her hoof made her flinch. Looking down, she saw Olive nuzzling her, trying to bring some comfort. The filly limped all the way to her just to cheer her up. “Aw, you don’t have to feel bad for me, dear. I’ve gotten over it a long time ago. Plus, I still don’t think I’m ready to be a mother.”

“But it’s sad! You lost your daughter!” Olive pressed. “I’d be awfully sad if that happened to me.”

“I know it is, I was terribly sad to, but there’s nothing that can be done now. Things don’t always go the way we planned.” She gently caressed the filly’s mane, hoping it would calm her down.

Olive backed down, unsure if she should try to cheer her some more or leave it at that. “Oh, okay... Did that help?”

Cheerilee giggled. “Yes, that helped a lot!” That filly was an angel. So kind and understanding, always willing to go above and beyond to help a pony out. A good pony knows what love is, and love, she understood perfectly. In some ways, she was similar and yet very different from her father. Oh, how much she deserved a better father than him. A spineless coward, that’s what he was. And now, she’s learned that he was also an abusive monster that murdered hundreds of innocent ponies. The cherry on top of the fecal cake...

Olive smiled happily, returning to her mother’s side to conclude another successful mission. Minuette remained for a couple more minutes, speaking with Cheerilee whilst Twilight and Applejack occupied themselves with other things out of respect. They shouldn’t be interrupting this important visit. That’ll be extremely impolite considering they’re about to get a lot of visitors, much more than the cerise mare!

After the blue unicorn had left, Redheart returned giggling. “Something tells me you three will be having a party in there!”

“We’re throwing a party?! Woohoo! I brought some confetti just in case!”

“Pinkie, she didn’t mean a literal party. We’re just visiting.”

Olive stood up, staring at the open door curiously. She recognised these voices, but struggled to remember the names of the ponies that strolled in. A pegasus with a rainbow mane, that one was easy to remember. The pink earth pony hopping in like a bunny had to be Pinkie. The last one, a yellow pegasus gently trotting in was her Fluttershy, perhaps one of the nicest ponies she’s ever seen despite barely having seen her. Oh, and they even brought in Scootaloo for good measure, that’s really nice. However, the pink filly noticed there was a missing mare.

The one with the strange indigo mane and the pretty crystal eyes. What was her name again?

“What’s up, Twilight?” Rainbow Dash greeted flamboyantly.

The princess of friendship smiled gently. “Great, most of us are doing fine...” the lavender alicorn just now realised a pony was missing. “And, uh, where’s Rarity?”

Oh, yeah, the white mare was Rarity. She brushed the filly’s mane back at the Sugar Cube Corner party and made it less messy. Olive was rather sad she wasn’t here, partly because that also meant Sweetie Belle was missing from the party, but also because she wanted to ask her something important.

“Um, she said she couldn’t come with us for now.” Fluttershy responded. “She said something about Sweetie Belle not feeling too well, but she promised she’ll come later today.”

“Oh, yeah.” Twilight somberly said. “I almost forgot we weren’t the only ponies inside the school.”

“Don’t worry too much about it, Twi!” Dash confidently exclaimed, pulling Scootaloo close to her. “Some foals have handled it quite well! Just look at Scootaloo! She was scared, but as you can clearly see; still standing.”

The orange filly nodded profusely. “U-Uh, yeah yeah! I’m doing just fine! Uh, still standing too!”

Olive wondered why her friend was trying so hard to look good in front of Twilight. Maybe it’s viewed as cool to appear brave in front of a princess? Or maybe she’s looking to appeal to the rainbow maned pegasus judging by the fact she’s constantly glancing at her.

Pinkie Pie bounced around the room, examining it. “Wow, this place sure could use some more fun!” She began to hang balloons and other party decorations. “Now this should make this place super-duper fun to be in!”

Fluttershy trotted towards Applejack’s night table, flowers in her wings. “Well, I-I brought these flowers. They should hopefully make the room smell nicer.”

Olive blinked, moving to the edge of the bed to give a good sniff at the flowers. Pulling back, she stared blankly at the bouquet. “Mommy? How do I smell?”

Applejack scratched her head. “Uh, ya just... sniff.”

Olive leaned in, trying her luck again. Then she looked back at the farm pony, desperate. “It doesn’t work. I can’t smell it!”

Fluttershy’s eyes widened. “Oh dear...”

“Aj, I think Olive might have... anosmia.” Twilight affirmed nervously.

Olive gasped, looking back at her mother in shock. “Mommy! A-Am I going to die?”

“No, Olive. It just means your nose can’t smell.” The alicorn corrected. “It’s quite uncommon. I haven’t really met anypony who had anosmia before.”

Pinkie Pie’s eyes widened, her mouth agape. “Oh no! That’s horrible! How can she have fun eating if she can’t smell the super good food of Sugar Cube Corner!”

“I have fun eating.” Olive protested, confused. “Your cupcakes taste really good!”

Rainbow Dash chuckled. “Yeah, Pinkie. Smelling only enhances the taste of food.”

Today, the little pink filly learned something new. Apparently, ponies are supposed to smell things. They smell and they taste at the same time, something she didn’t know was possible. Heck, she didn’t even know that her condition was not normal. How could she? She’s had anosmia for as long as she can remember.

“I’ve heard that an irritation to the mucus membranes lining the nose can be one of the many causes for anosmia.” Twilight informed. The others blinked, having already lost her. The alicorn sighed. “Or a brain/nerve damage can cause anosmia, which is most likely what happened to Olive at a very young age for her to not remember what smelling was like. It’ quite the interesting condition. I’ve read about it in the newspaper a long time ago.”

The small unicorn kept on sniffing the flowers, eventually giving up when she realised it was futile. “I had a lot of accidents when I was young, or so my friend told me... I didn’t know I have brain damage. Does that make me stupid?”

The lavender alicorn shook her head. “Um, n-no, I don’t think brain damage necessarily makes you stupider. Those accidents your friend mentioned should be the cause of your condition. I haven’t heard of a pony who had anosmia at birth yet, and I do not think it will ever happen.”

Rainbow Dash scoffed. “Anyway, let’s move on to the cooler stuff.” She flew next to the pink filly. “So, I’ve heard you transformed back into your big monster form to take down a giant stallion, correct?”

“Um, yes. I did.”

“Awesome!” The blue pegasus leaned in real close to the filly’s face, her eyes sparkling with excitement. “I wanna know more! How did it feel fighting against evil and saving an entire class of foals?”

“Yeah! You were pretty awesome when you fought him with all those extra hooves coming out of your mouth! You really gave him the coolest wallop I’ve ever seen!” Scootaloo chimed in.

Olive was perplexed. She vaguely remembered seeing the pegasus during her accidental fight with Princess Twilight, so she should know just how ghastly and dangerous the monster is and yet, she thinks it’s... cool? “I don’t know. It was... nice? I think. I didn’t think about being a hero when I fought him, I just wanted to kill him.”

Her voice died down as she realised that she openly admitted to attempted murder and in front of all her mother’s friends too! Her pupils shrank, her face flushing red as the weight of her dangerous mistake dawned on her.

“Oh, um, I see. Well, I don’t know all the details of what you went through... but I’m pretty sure he deserved it.” Rainbow said, taken aback by the filly’s brutal answer.

“Like goodness. What kind of monster would want to hurt such an innocent and adorable filly?” Fluttershy added, gushing over the cute pony.

“He’s a complicated kinda monster.” Applejack spat out. “The type that believes what he’s doin’ is good. From what Ah know, it was a personal grudge that drew ‘im to Olive.”

“A grudge? Why? What is there to hate about a filly that just wants to have fun?” Pinkie Pie asked in rapid fire succession. “Oh no! He’s... a party pooper!”

Applejack looked at her daughter, sensing her discomfort. “Ah don’t think it’s necessary to go in detail ‘bout it. Olive’ll tell ya when she wants to. It ain’t mah business s’far as Ah’m concerned.”

The pink filly smiled gratefully. Her mother truly understood her, it felt great to have a pony who could understand you this well. The last pony she felt comfortable confiding to sadly passed away at the hooves of the behemoth, but Applejack will never die because of her weakness. She possessed great strength in her, and that strength will be put to good use now. No longer will it be an instrument of anger and fear, it will be a shield to protect the ponies who love her.

That thing inside her, it’s a monster no longer. It’s a benevolent protector, a superhero. Nopony will ever be crushed beneath the hooves of her father, not while she’s there.

“It’s not important, not anymore.” She responded serenely, much to the surprise of her visitors.

Rainbow Dash conceded. “Huh, if you say so.”

Scootaloo approached her, eyes sparkling with wonder. “What are you gonna do about that monster? Like, are you gonna become a hero or... vengeance?”

“I’m done with vengeance. I don’t want to fear it anymore.” I’m not scared of my anger. It is me, and I am it. There’s nothing to be afraid of, because I finally understand what it is.

Fear cannot exist without the unknown. Where there is knowledge, there is an absence of fear.

Next came the rest of her new family, the Apples. Big Mac, Granny Smith and Apple Bloom came to visit after Twilight and Aj’s friends left. Olive was really happy to see them, especially her big sister whom she was worried about. She was right in the middle of Strong Hoof’s wrath too, hopefully she wasn’t hurt like the four of them. Hugging each other, her worries went away. Apple Bloom was okay!

Despite being happy to see each other, neither Applejack nor the rest of the family seemed all that jolly. Olive didn’t know why, and it scared her. What was she missing? “W-What’s going on? Why are you all sad?”

“Eh, mah apologies youngin’.” Granny Smith said, finally breaking the awkwardly sad silence. “We’re just not thrilled by ta terrible weather.”

Gazing at the window, Olive didn’t understand what was so bad about the weather. It was a sunny day, with just a lot of snow. It was basically just a winter day, only it came early. “It’s just snow.”

“That’s ta thin’.” Big Mac responded. “It snowed earlier than usual. We weren’t ready for that. We live on a farm, thrive off our harvests. We usually make a big reserve fo’ winter, to keep on makin’ money.”

Apple Bloom trotted closer to her clueless sister. “We need to harvest everythin’ we ‘ave, buck every apple tree before they get rotten! We probably won’t even ‘ave ‘nough for this winter, especially knowin’ it’s gonna be longer than usual.” The yellow filly lowered her head, devastated by their arduous situation.

Applejack sighed. “Yeah... that’s ‘bout what Ah imagined when Ah learned of ta weather. Can’t ta weather ponies do anythin’ ‘bout it?”

Big Mac shook his head. “Nope.”

“Ah asked ‘em. They said they can’t raise nor lower ta temperature. It’s stuck like this right now.” Granny Smith answered bitterly. “Ah’d like to help out Big Mac and Apple Bloom, but these old bones can’t quite match yer speed. We’ll hafta ask for some help.”

Applejack tried to step out of her bed, but Twilight stopped her, shaking her head. “You shouldn’t do this, Aj. Our friends will help your family, you should relax and let your body heal.”

The orange mare sighed, letting go of her unrealistic desire to leave immediately. “Yer right. It just doesn’t sit right with me to let all mah friends do mah work while Ah just stay ‘ere doin’ nothin’... Soon as Ah’m out, Ah’ll get back to work.”

“Of course.” Twilight softly said. “Just don’t overdo it. You have a filly to look out after.”

Applejack looked down at the pink pony curled up in her hooves. Olive looked back at her with her soft, beautiful eyes. She’ll have a lot of work to do once she’s out, but that doesn’t mean she’ll neglect to spend some quality time with her daughter. She could spare more time with her now that she thought about it. Yeah, that’ll be a nice change of pace.

“You have another visitor!” Redheart announced gleefully, letting a silver filly enter the room. It was Silver Spoon, one of the many foals locked inside the class when the giant stormed in. A front row seat to the unfortunate carnage.

“Silver Spoon!” Olive crawled to the side of her bed, waving at her friend.

“H-Hi.” The earth pony awkwardly waved back. “Um, I-I have a few things I wanted to say. I, uh, wrote them into a card.” she reached for her saddlebag. “Here, you can just read it. Everything I wanted to say is on it so... I’ll just leave you alone.”

“Mhm?” Olive blinked, watching blankly as Silver Spoon left as quickly as she entered. Staring at the card, something strange happened. It levitated towards her, albeit quickly falling to the ground a split second later.

“Hey, was that magic ya used just now?” Applejack asked, surprised.

Panicked, Olive looked at her horn, expecting the same ominous glow to emanate from it. Strangely enough, the aura was olive just like her eyes, nothing bad about it albeit difficult to control. She only managed to levitate a featherweight object for a split second. “I-I think so.”

“That’s great! Ah was scared ya were gonna ‘ave some problems with usin’ magic, what with all that transformation stuff.” Applejack cheered. “Ah know Twilight can help ya with learning magic. She’s been helping Sweetie Belle for a while now and it’s paid off.”

Twilight’s ear perked at the mention of magic. She put her book down, staring at the filly excitedly. “So you know how to use levitation? Nice, I can teach you a few basic spells if you want.”

Silver Spoon’s card lifted for another split-second only to fall again. Olive’s magic faded as quickly as it came. “It’s not working. I don’t understand.”

“Okay then, I suppose I should maybe start with how to properly use magic. I thought you knew how to use magic since you were able to teleport when transformed.” Twilight said, waving a hoof.

The filly blinked, not remembering ever pulling off such an advanced spell. “I didn’t know I could teleport. It just sorta happens on its own when I’m angry.”

“Huh.” The lavender alicorn scratched her chin, perplexed. “So it’s more like a reflex? In any case, it’ll do you a lot of good to learn to use magic in your normal state. Magic can be used to do many things, like pick up objects to something more complex like playing an instrument. It’s always used in a unicorn’s everyday life.”

Clearing her throat, “For starters, you need to concentrate on the incantation to cast levitation. Since you were able to briefly lift the card, I assume you still remember it. Then, you need to focus on what you want to lift.”

Performing her instructions to a tea, Olive was shocked when the card lifted and stayed in the air for more than a split-second. It kept on floating, never falling. “Woah, I can float things!”

“Yep, it’s really simple! I suppose you didn’t know about reciting the incantation. That’s the most complicated thing about magic. The more advanced spells have rather long and windy incantations, hence why they’re difficult to cast in a heartbeat. They also put quite the strain on your body and mana. That’s why we teach levitation first, it’s the easiest spell and- oh, right... Nopony’s actually listening to me.”

“Mommy, look! The card’s staying in the air!” Olive proudly announced, pointing at the flying object.

“Yer doin’ mighty good, sugar cube! Now how about ya read it?”

The pink unicorn just remembered why she even tried lifting the card. Silver Spoon didn’t really tell her anything, she just hoofed the card over and left. What’s inside must be important then, maybe it’s a message that came from the heart?

Opening it, Olive read the card.

Dear Olive,

I know we’ve only really met for two weeks at most but to me it felt like you’ve been around for much longer. And in those two weeks, a lot has changed. You’ve made me realised there was more to friendship than blindly agreeing with your friends, even if you don’t personally believe in what they’re saying. I’ve always followed Diamond Tiara around, saying the same things as her and acting the same because I just thoughts that’s what friends do. You made me realise how shallow that was, and how shallow it made me as a result.

I don’t want to be simply known as a follower. I have dreams and wants too, not just Diamond’s. So for that, I’m grateful I got to meet you. Thank you for showing me what true friendship is. I hope you and your family are doing well. I can’t wait to see you again when you’ll be feeling better.

Silver Spoon.

After reading it from start to finish, Olive kept on staring, rereading it over and over. Each time she did, it made her feel better about herself. She’s done it, she made an impact, a positive one on a pony. This card may be just words on a paper, but to her, it was worth a million bits. She’ll keep it until the end of time. It’ll be her treasure.

“Wow, I had no idea you were this popular!” Redheart let another visitor enter the patients’ room. This time, it was Diamond Tiara. Yes, Tiara for she was wearing her namesake once more only this time, it looked much different.

Olive couldn’t take her eyes off it. The tiara looked... cheaper.

A beige stallion trotted in next to the pink earth pony. It was Filthy Rich; the stallion Olive saw at the Sugar Cube Corner party. Unlike Spoiled Rich, he didn’t seem to harbor any hatred for her, instead keeping on a warm smile. He looked like a genuinely nice pony, which was surprising considering Spoiled and Diamond were anything but nice the first time she’s met them.

The fact that Diamond Tiara even changed at all must mean she’s got some of her dad’s good will in her. “U-Um, hi there.” The filly awkwardly said, glancing nervously at Applejack. She didn’t know how the mare would react seeing her sister’s bully waltz in their room.

“Fancy seein’ ya ‘ere, mister Rich!” Applejack greeted. “Ah didn’t know ya cared that much fo’ me!”

The beige stallion chuckled. “Actually, it was my daughter that insisted we come to visit. I couldn’t say no to that, especially after what went down...” Just from his tone, Olive could tell he sounded like a good dad. Well, she could tell because he didn’t sound anything like hers, which was a low bar indeed.

Anyhow, Diamond Tiara came close to her, readjusting her tiara with an awkward smile. “Well, uh, I-I'm glad to see you’re okay.” Poking at it, she noticed her friend’s eyes were entirely on it. “Oh! Yes, that’s my new tiara. I promised I’ll get a new one, and I did.”

“Why does it look like that?” Olive asked curiously, tilting her head from side-to-side to examine the thing from every angle possible.

Diamond took her namesake off, analysing it. “Well, by getting a new one, I didn’t mean buy a new tiara. I want to be the class president and I just thought that, uh, I wanted to look more genuine, to show that I wasn’t the bully they all remembered so I decided to make it myself... with my dad’s help of course.”

Her father patted her on the head, smiling brightly. “I think it looks much better than the previous one!”

Olive’s mouth opened wide, her eyes sparkling. “Oh! So it has more value when you make it yourself?”

“Yes, exactly. I just want to show to everypony that I really mean it when I promised to do better.” Diamond Tiara affirmed.

“There’s something I want to make by myself.” Olive looked out the window at the hills in the distance, remembering a specific one near Sweet Apple Acre. “I’d like to make it as soon as I’m back home.”

Applejack nuzzled the filly. “That sounds nice! How ‘bout Ah lend a hoof?”

Olive frowned, feeling guilty for what she was about to say. “Um, n-no... It must be just me. It’s really important to me.”

“Ah... well in that case, Ah’ll leave ya to it.”

Olive smiled gratefully. It felt great to have such an understanding parent, one that won’t question your personal decisions. She was truly lucky to have her.

“W-Well, in any case...” Diamond placed her tiara back on her head. “I only really came here to tell you how grateful I am for everything you’ve done, Olive. If it weren’t for you, I’d have never understood what it truly means to have a friend.” She lowered her head, avoiding her friend’s eyes. “A-And when you’re out, can I, um, invite you to my house?”

The pink unicorn smiled brightly. “Of course! We’re friends!”

After the filly’s visit, Applejack felt the last bit of her strength leave her. Her eyes were heavy, it was time to take a nap. It would appear her body still needed a bit more rest to fully recover from the physical trauma of the gloomy confrontation under the cold rain.

Just then, Nurse Redheart returned, yet again. “You have another visitor!” she announced giggling. These three ponies might just get an award for “most visitors in one day”.

“Tell ‘em to come tomorrow.” Applejack muttered; her eyes already closed as she rested on her warm pillow. “Ah’m beat.”

“Darling, please. Can’t we stay for at least five little minutes?” That voice, that aristocratic English accent...

“I believe Miss Rarity wants to see you.” Redheart precised.

“Ya should have said so earlier. Ah can spare ‘er some time.” Applejack chuckled, waving a tired hoof at the beautiful white mare.

Rarity waltz in, stroking her indigo mane. “Glad to see you still give me special treatment, darling. I’m sorry I couldn’t make it with the others. You see, Sweetie Belle had some... trouble taking in the big fight. She just needed a bit of time to think about it all.”

As the young filly in question stepped in, Aj could now see what the problem was. Poor Sweetie Belle’s eyes were sore, still a little wet. Looks like she wasn’t the only one terrified about Olive’s unknown fate at the time. The pink unicorn sensed something was wrong, hanging on the edge of the bed.

Sweetie Belle rushed to her in no time, embracing her without uttering a single word.

“Why were you sad?”

The white unicorn swallowed a lump in her throat. “I-I thought I’d never see you again!”

“Don’t cry!”

Sweetie Belle only tightened her grip, letting tears run wild. As she pulled her dear friend closer, the pink filly’s weight crushed her, and they both fell to the floor on top of one another.

“Now, Sweetie. Don’t get too carried away. You don’t want to hurt your friend.” Rarity scolded.

The two fillies didn’t hear her, too busy hugging each other and relaxing in each other’s presence.

“That’s a rich statement comin’ from a drama queen.” Applejack mused.

“Drama queen?! Applejack I...” Rarity blinked, then frowned as realisation passed through. “I suppose that is factually correct. Still, I’m not THAT bad.”

Twilight rose from her book, giggling. “Sure you are, Rarity. Need any help finding a lost ribbon?”

“Oh please! I’m not like that all the time.”

Olive and Sweetie Belle finally let go, loosening up. A single hug worked wonder to ease their fear.

The white filly wiped the last remaining tears away, smiling brightly. “You’re right. I shouldn’t be crying. You’re practically invincible!”

Olive blushed, stroking her crystal white mane. “I-I mean, I guess I am. I’m just tired to be in the hospital all the time.”

“What a humble little filly.” Rarity gushed, leaning towards the red-faced filly. “You don’t seem too used to compliments, aren’t you, darling?”

Olive’s face grew redder, forcing her to hide behind her mane. “They make me feel kind of strange, but in a good way.”

Applejack crawled over to the edge of her bed, giggling. “That’s called bein’ flustered by ta way. Ya should be familiar with it, ya always seem to be when yer near Sweetie.”

Rarity faked a gasp, nudging her baby sister. “I think there’s something going on between you two!”

“H-Hey! It’s not what you think!” Sweetie shouted, betrayed by her blushing face.

Her older sister gave her a knowing look. “My apology, I shouldn’t be prying in your business.” She then felt a slight tug on her leg.

“Hey, miss Rarity?” Looking down, she cracked before the adorable soft gaze of the injured filly. “I want to ask you something.”

Oh, so polite... “Ask away, darling.”

Olive fumbled in her mane. “I want a new manecut. I don’t like mine right now. It’s... lacking, I think. I want you to make it pretty, i-if you want to!”

Rarity rose, a hoof to her mouth. “Oh dear, if I had known, I’d have brought my kit with me. Oh, nevermind, I suppose I can always use what’s in the bathroom.” Directing the filly to the bathroom, the white mare closely examined all the bottles in there, hoofpicking only the best for her current task.

The mission: to give this filly a pretty manecut.

Cracking open the shampoos, Rarity got to work with admirable proficiency.

“I want the swirls gone, make it different!” Olive asked kindly. The pink unicorn cringed at the feeling of her wet mane being played with, but she was willing to sit through this unpleasant operation if it could change how her mane looks and by proxy, how ponies will view her. She wants to be seen as far removed from who she was before as possible. Making it pretty would also perhaps dilute the ugliness of the scar though she’s gotten used to it by now.

After a few unpleasant minutes, Rarity proudly announced her victory, levitating a mirror to Olive. “Tada! You said to make it as different, so I changed the swirls to something a little spikier! It’ll also show you can bite back should anypony pick a meaningless fight with you.”

Olive’s jaw dropped, her eyes widening as she saw her new look. A hoof unconsciously lifted to touch the new mane, bewildered by its soft feel. Then, her shocked mouth turned into a big bright smile. Her soft eyes sparkled with joy as she hopped around on her flank, unable to contain her excitement. She giggled, turning her head towards Sweetie Belle.

“Look at it! It’s so pretty!”

Gone were the swirls. Now, her mane was longer, wrapping around her neck with sharp edges near the bottom. Her tail was also changed to be a lot spikier, with four sharp edges.

Sweetie’s heart pounded against her chest, her face flushing red. The pink filly had never looked as radiant as ever. It was crazy how a simple change in her mane made such a big difference. She was beautiful now, and it made the white unicorn flustered. No time to think, Olive lunged at her to give her a big, overjoyed hug. “Wha-huh?!”

“Thanks, miss Rarity!”

“Aw, it was nothing!” Rarity said, stomping her hooves down rapidly. She was proud of her work, that clearly showed. “If you want a new style for your mane or especially a new garment, come to me. I’ll be happy to help.”

“Sure thing!” Olive galloped out of the bathroom and into her mother’s hooves, waking her up. “Mommy, look at my new mane!”

“Mhm?” A tired eye opened. “Oh, it’s lookin’ mighty nice.”

“I’d rather call it wonderful, Applejack but you do you.” Rarity exclaimed, stroking her mane proudly. “It’s delightful to see your foal is interested in the art of styling one’s mane. Hm, probably interested in fashion too but that might be a stretch...”

“Anyhow, Ah’m happy ya helped, sugar cube.” Applejack smiled gratefully. “Ah can always count on y’all for anythin’!”

The five ponies continued their chat, almost losing track of the time. Thirty minutes later, Redheart returned to sadly announce that visiting hours were over. It was only four hours, but to the patients, it felt like only a single hour had passed.

As Sweetie was about to leave, she remembered a promise Olive made to her that week. Looking at the window, she noticed it was starting to get dark. “Oh, right... I’m sorry, it doesn’t seem like we’d get to watch the stars together this weekend.” the filly lamented.

“Aw...” Olive’s morale dropped, the spiky edges on her mane drooping.

“Heh, ya can always sneak in at night if yer that desperate.” Applejack joked, a sly smile on her face.

Sweetie’s eyes lit up. “Oh right! Can we do that, Rarity?”

“Uh, goodness... no! We can’t! That’s against the law!”

The white filly didn’t back down, keeping her sad eyes on her sister. “Please, Rarity!”

Rarity cringed, sweating a little. “Sweetie, we can’t do that.”

“Aw...” Olive dropped on her flank, now staring at her with sad eyes. Under the crushing weight of two entire sets of sad puppy eyes, Rarity gave in.

“Urgh, fine. I can’t believe I am about to do this, but we’ll sneak at night to watch these acursed stars!”

“Oh! Are we doing another sleepov-”

“Sweet Celestia! No, Twilight! It’s only in and out. Five-minute illegal adventure!”

The great city of Canterlot was as restless as ever. The castle was on full alert, nopony’s ever seen it lit up like that, even at night. The threat of Anarchy’s return brought everypony on edge, for not much was known about this future event, just that it would spark some tragedies.

Once again, Looking Glass was called in by Princess Luna personally. The reliable stallion wasted no time galloping to her position. The snowy road to the garden was long and arduous. Trotting in the deep snow is no easy feat, but it gave the stallion plenty of time to reflect on the current situation and himself as well. So many years had passed since he first started his work as a detective for the bureau at Canterlot.

In these years, he changed greatly. At first, he worked with a partner, building a strong bond between them as they worked on all sorts of cases, some more disgusting than others. Things were great back then, the cases felt like a game to them, solving complicated mysteries and saving the day but then, reality sunk in. Death came for his partner, tore him to pieces and ate what remained.

Looking Glass acknowledged he probably had a foalish vision of his job during these old days. In hindsight, a tragedy like that should have been predictable, but somehow, he didn’t think it would happen. He was always at the top with his friend, always getting out of the most dangerous situations like a superhero. When he returned home that night, a part of him changed.

Justice turned to vengeance.

Before the scoundrels of Equestria, smiling was a sign of weakness. They fear only the coldest and most unforgiving of ponies. Never smile, never joke, show only anger and righteousness. Looking Glass understood what it meant to be a detective in this world, in the darkness of Equestria. However, as he kept on going, it became harder to separate his work from his life. His cold gaze, sharp demeanor and anger carried over to his everyday activities. He only lived for one thing; to kill the worst of the bunch.

As he passed by the garden, he noticed that captain Mango was wide awake, carving on a large slab of stone. There were bags under his eyes, his hooves were weak, but he didn’t stop carving. That was odd, Mango rarely ever stood in the light of day. He was nocturnal, as his specie would indicate. A warm dome surrounded him, casting the frost away. Looking Glass felt alot better standing inside said dome, no doubt created by the lunar princess.

“What are you doing, Mango?”

The batpony exhaled loudly, just now realising that he held his breath for a long time. “Carving on a monument. What else?”

Looking Glass made a quick detour, approaching the imposing stallion. “I’d like to know what exactly you’re carving.”

“We’ve lost plenty of good stallions in that storm. I’m making sure nopony forgets the services they’ve done for this country.” Mango dropped his chisel, cursing under his breath. “Look pal, if you’ve got some important business, don’t waste your time here.”

“I see, that’s noble work. I’ll leave you to it then.”

Moving further in the garden, Looking Glass found the lunar princess, sitting on a bench surrounded by a couple guards, courtesy of her protective sister. She seemed somewhat bothered by it but understood its necessity. Much like Mango, the group was surrounded by a warm dome, shielding them from the unforgiving temperature of what was still supposed to be an Autumn afternoon.

Noticing the dark blue stallion, she smiled gracefully at him, an invitation to come closer. “Looking Glass, I’m glad you’re here.”

“Always at your service, Princess Luna.” The stallion responded, quickly bowing before the alicorn.

He got it right for the first time... How thoughtful of him. Luna thought, amused. “As you can see, we’ve already taken some drastic measures regarding Anarchy’s inevitable return. Guards everywhere, a curfew at 9 pm, etc. That’s not why I brought you here, not for Anarchy at least. It’s about the other issue that’s been sitting in the back shelf for a while now. You certainly know where I’m getting at.”

“But of course. The Crimson Mask.” Looking Glass responded, not letting anything about him betray his true stance on this matter. “You wish to discuss about his so-called ‘return’.”

“Indeed.” Luna tapped on the empty spot next to her. Looking Glass nodded and sat next to her, earning some distasteful looks from the other guards. He was used to it, after all he’s probably one of the few ponies ever to be treated in such high regard by royalty but unlike the others, he was much colder on the outside. “The issue has still not been resolved, it’s still in the newspaper, still a subject of fear amongst our subjects. I’d like you to investigate this imposter and inform us about their identity before Anarchy’s return. We’d appreciate getting some weight off our shoulders.”

“I believe we won’t have to worry about this imposter any longer, princess.” Looking Glass searched in his pocket, levitating a small book out. “On one of the captured Anarchists, I found this book.” He opened it and flipped a couple of pages into it, letting the midnight blue alicorn read its content.

“That’s... about the hostages.” She blurted out, confused.

“Yes, it's to prove its legitimacy. Now, the important thing I want you to read is this.” Flipping to the last entries, he let Luna read it, satisfied by her shocked response.

“T-Then, that would imply that the Crimson Mask was...”

“Just a distraction. Indeed, they sent one of their agents to break into my office and steal the mask. Then, they paraded around it, posing as a spectre of vengeance by attacking Sweet Apple Acre and sneaking around Canterlot. They wanted us to split our forces.” Looking Glass exclaimed, flabbergasting the alicorn.

“That... I should have seen it coming. Anarchy is very intelligent, always evading our gaze, a stunt of this magnitude is not out of character for this twisted stallion.” Luna said, scratching her chin. “In any case, I’m sorry to have pulled you out of your work for an already resolved problem, Looking Glass.”

The detective shook his head, placing the book in her hooves. “No, the blame is on me. I should have told you sooner when I got my hooves on this book. I’ll try to be less forgetful next time.”

Princess Luna giggled. “Forgetful, you? Ah, I’d never describe you as such. You’ve probably got a better memory than me!”

Looking Glass stepped off the bench, glancing over the guards with a rather cold gaze telling them to “knock it off” before saluting the lunar princess. “Now that this issue has been resolved. I’ll go back to chasing trouble in Canterlot.” he smirked. “It’s my specialty.”

Hours passed in Ponyville General Hospital, and now the sun was setting. Olive waited on the edge of her bed, staring excitedly at the window where Rarity and Sweetie Belle would enter from. Twilight and Applejack giggled over the filly’s jolly attitude.

“They’ll be ‘ere soon.” The earth pony said, patting the small unicorn on the back.

Olive looked over her shoulder with her adorable curious eyes. “Soon? How long is ‘soon’? Is it five minutes?”

“Eh... Ah’d say when ta sun’s gone.”

The pink unicorn slumped on the rails impatiently. “Come on, can’t the sun lower any faster? I want to see my friend!”

“Now, now... Patience is a virtue, remember?”

Groaning, Olive forfeited. “I’ve been patient all my life.”

Applejack chuckled, leaning over the rails herself. “Life is practically just a buncha waitin’. Let’s wait together.”

“I’ve mastered the art of waiting. I can do this!”

“No doubts ya did, sugar cube.”

The two ponies watched the beautiful sunset together, nuzzling each other until an indigo mane popped up. Upon the simple sight of this color, Olive jumped on all four, eyes sparkling with joy. “Rari-mph!”

Her mother quickly hushed her. “We’ve gotta be quiet. Remember, they’re not supposed to be in ‘ere.”

“Oh, sorry mommy.”

A white hoof knocked softly on the window and whispered nervously. “Applejack? Could you please open the window? I can’t be seen out here like this, darling! Not with this new curfew!”

Applejack chuckled as she opened the window. “Ya know there ain’t any guards in Ponyville, right?”

“There are still nurses patrolling the hospital!” Rarity exclaimed, sluggishly climbing over the window whilst also trying not to damage her precious mane. “If they catch me, my reputation will be in shambles!”

“You’re overreacting again, Rarity!” Sweetie Belle hopped over the window with more confidence than her older sister. “There are only like six nurses in total, and only three of them are working the night shift.”

“Erf... I suppose that explains why it was so easy to sneak in.”

“Provided you had us to assist.” Twilight Sparkle winked. An incoherent mumble startled her.

Cheerilee awoke from her deep slumber. They didn’t tell her about this surprise visit! “Hm? I didn’t know visiting hours were extended.” she mumbled, barely able to keep her eyes open.

“Well, uh... It’s not exactly visiting hours.” Twilight sheepishly admitted.

“Oh, anyhow just don’t make too much noise, ‘kay? Mm tired...” And just as quickly as she woke up, she fell asleep.

Now that they’ve gotten in, Sweetie Belle and Olive sat near the window to watch the stars. Just like she promised, the pink unicorn stood near her good friend under the moonlight, sharing their body heat to keep themselves warm.

A noteworthy observation to make was the moon, or rather what was on the moon. Similarly, to the Nightmare Moon incident, there was a design on it, showcasing what was currently stuck on it. Instead of being the head of a mare, it was a demented smile, looking down arrogantly at whoever dared to stare at it. It’s left eye was half-closed whilst the right one was fully open, revealing a pupil in the shape of a circle with an A in it. Sweetie Belle didn’t recognise what that symbol meant, but it looked not good.

“Why is daddy on the moon?” Olive blurted out, flabbergasted. “You can’t breathe on the moon.”

Sweetie blinked, surprised. “How do you know that’s your father?”

“He really loved that symbol. The circle with the A in it. He said it represented anarchy itself.”

“It represented your dad?”

Olive shook her head. “No, the word ‘anarchy’. It’s a concept, I think. I don’t really know what it means.”

Her friend grumbled. “Let’s stop talking about your dad. It’s supposed to be about us.”

“Yeah, my daddy was nothing more than a meanie anyway.”

“Honestly, Applejack, I can’t believe I let Sweetie goad me into doing something stupid again!” Rarity kept on glancing at the door leading out the room, scared that a nurse would pop in unannounced. “If I get caught, oh, I can’t imagine what will happen to me!”

Her alicorn friend laughed it off. “It’s not going to be the end if that does happen, Rarity! They’ll probably just ask you to leave and warn you not to do it again. Nothing severe since you didn’t commit any terrible crimes whilst trespassing and plus, you have a clean record, nopony’s going to assume the worst.”

“Well, uh, I suppose you’re... right, darling.” Regaining her composure, “Still, I’m a renowned fashionista around Equestria. I take orders from the most prestigious of stars, I can’t have any bad stunts tarnished my reputation! Nopony would want to take orders from a trespasser!”

Applejack scoffed. “Oh shush! Ah don’t think any nurse’s gonna-”

The door creaked. Everypony inside froze. “What were you about to say, darling?”

Nurse Redheart peeked inside. Her eyes briefly widened as she saw Rarity and Sweetie Belle inside. She opened her mouth but said nothing. Her gaze was focused on the clueless pink unicorn nuzzling against her close friend, curled up against the window. The beautiful moonlight shined on their faces, revealing the sparkling joy in them.

“Um, visiting hours are over... but I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to give you an additional thirty minutes. By then, you should leave, alright?”

Bewildered, Rarity’s mouth went agape. “O-Oh, right! Yes! We’ll be as far away from the hospital as possible!”

Redheart smiled gently as she closed the door and trotted away. For her sake, I'll look the other way.

Author's Note

Now this chapter was longer than I expected but it was necessary. There were lots of characters in this chapter, the point being of course to show the effects Olive's had on most of them.

Now I know that the image with Olive shows no injuries or bandages. It's just that I made it a while ago and I just couldn't add all the additional details to it now that I'm separated from my main computer. Not that it's important, really. The most important thing was the mane and the mane I did show. Basically, I kinda felt like I should give her a more unique design overall especially after I saw how much effort I put into the new Anarchy. It would have felt wrong not to have given her a new look!

Now, for the whole anosmia thing, I did in fact show the "accident" that made her lose her sense of smell. Check Chapter 22 for it. Speaking of callbacks, the whole reason why Olive transformed in Chapter 8 was also explained in Chapter 39 in one of the filly's memories. I'm just saying I keep track of certain elements no matter how small they seem. Some are accidental genius, others are obviously planned from the get-go like Anarchy's final form. That was sitting on the backburner since July!

It's honestly kind of crazy for me to see how much the story changed since I first started it. Many ideas and directions were scrapped in favor of what I thought was the best path forward. Anarchy originally didn't have that big of a role which is funny to think about now considering he's one of the most important character and the whole reason why the story still goes on. When he's gone, the story's over! Yeah, he was originally going to appear at the very end during a raid organised by Luna to take him down.

But then... I realised it would probably be a whole lot better if I made him appear far more and be more than just an evil dad in flashbacks. The first solution was to have him appear in Olive's dreams. After I could introduce him for real, I made that one disappear. Okay, I feel like I've rambled on for long enough. I'll leave ya to it then.

Until next time! Or in the comments I guess...

Sequel out!

https://www.fimfiction.net/story/551127/ghosts-of-the-past

Author's Note

Yeah, go check it out or something.