Mirror: Book I - Mind

“Mom?”

The pegasus did not respond.

“Mom, get up.” The little unicorn nudge her mother. “You’re going to be late for work.”

The gray, blonde pegasus rolled over and elicited a long, heavy groan, pulling the covers over her eyes to shun away the light and the sounds filling the room. Her daughter at the edge of the bed focused with an intense stare, as if staring long enough would make her notice or finally get up and go to work, or do something at least. She rounded the corner to meet at her mother’s face, ready to utter yet another concerned speech, only to receive nostrils full of an odd, lingering odor. The musk from her mother’s breath said it all.

“Dinky…” The pegasus moaned. “Sorry, lil’ muffin…not feelin’ so good…”

“Dink.” Another voice came from the door. “What’re you doing in here?”

“Mom won’t go to work.” Dinky frowned. “Can’t you carry her with your magic?”

The elder sister frowned back and took a moment to analyze the situation, scanning over the defeated form of her mother as the memories from the night prior returned to her. Amethyst trotted inside and ushered her little sister back with a waving hoof.

“Mom’s not feeling too well right now, you should leave her be.” Amethyst told her. “Don’t you have piano lessons today?”

“It’s Saturday.” Dinky informed.

“Well…go on and play with your friends.” The unicorn ordered. “Mom’s gonna be sick all day and I’m not staying here to babysit you either.”

The little unicorn took a moment to stare at the two before quietly hanging her head and following her sister’s commands. Amethyst waited for the door to click shut and the sound of Dinky’s hoof steps to disappear down the steps at the end of the hallway. The young mare glazed over her mother and allowed a tired sigh to escape her lungs.

“How’s the captain gonna take this?” Amethyst asked.

Derpy pinched her eyes and groaned again. “Not too well, I’d imagine.” She dared to look out the window, the light blinding her so. “Guess I better fly over there-”

“You’re better off flying with both your wings tied to your back.” The unicorn settled her mother down. “I’ll tell them you’ve called in sick today.”

“I can’t have you do that, Amy.” Derpy worried. “You’re my daughter.”

“Technically I’m a part of Town Hall staff, we’ll just call it a relaying of messages.” Amethyst reassured. “Leave it to me, ma.”

The pegasus was preparing to work up another round of protests, but the mere action of moving her head in any way, shape or form was enough to send her into a spell of vertigo. Her eyes swirled around her sockets for a moment until the daze faded and she snapped them shut, anything to get the smallest slivers of light away from her sights. By Celestia, it almost hurt to think. Derpy groaned for a final time and grumbled something beneath the covers, emerging again to reopen her eyes, the seams wet and bleary. She sniffled a bit.

“Thanks, my little star.” Derpy managed a smile. “I owe you, big time.”

“Don’t mention it, just get some rest.” Amethyst nodded to the curled form of her mother before trotting past the door and closing it behind her. She scanned the hall to find no sign of her little sister, confirming that she hadn’t been eavesdropping like she had expected her to. Though, the unicorn wasn’t quite sure that was such a good thing, it only told her that Dinky already knew what was really going on. Something told the young mare that today would be more bizarre than most others.

The sun’s rays danced gracefully along the silt and cobblestone streets as the little unicorn trotted along with her new found earth filly friend, their eyes to the skies and their thoughts on their story. It may have only been yesterday that Diamond Tiara had assigned them with the task of writing out an article that might woo her attention, but Dinky could tell Silver Spoon was already growing rather impatient. She had reassured her friend plenty times over that they would find something to write about, but when nothing showed itself or simply came up as a bust, Silver would be on the verge of throwing a fit. Snobby, richy-rich, ungrateful. Dinky wanted to tell her all of these things, but alas the unicorn withheld her true thoughts.

One stark-gray tuft of cloud after another hovered across the rim of the village in the valley, Dinky watching carefully as colorful little dots with wings soared about and brought them into a cluster that the pegasi were building in the center of it all. She wondered for a moment just how much work her mother was missing, how much it might affect the family. Could she even face Miss Cheerilee after this, or Miss Melody?

“Say, Silver?” Dinky prodded.

“Huh?” Silver turned around. “Did you say something?”

“No, never mind…” The unicorn resisted.

“What is it? Tell me.” The earth filly trotted up, raising her brows. “If it’s an idea for a story you better spill it!”

“It’s not that, it was just a stupid question.” Dinky scuffed the earth with her hoof.

Silver looked on at her friend for a moment before sighing and sparing her sights towards the sky. She looked back down at the ground and began. “There’s no such thing as a stupid question, only stupid answers.” The filly told. “Miss Cheerilee had said that once, don’t you remember?”

“I don’t usually listen in class.” Dinky admitted.

“After everything I’ve put you through I at least owe you this much.” Silver tried.

Dinky took a long look into Silver’s gaze before finally deciding to let the weight off her haunches. “Well, okay.” She sufficed. “Silver, do your parents ever drink?”

“Like…water?”

“I mean like alcohol.” Dinky corrected. “Y’know, booze?”

“Oh.” Silver had to take a hoof back. “I wouldn’t say I’ve seen my own parents drink all that much. They know better than to overindulge in that tree sap ponies call a drink.” She played a disgusted raspberry before continuing. “Don’t tell anypony I told you this, but I think Diamond’s mother used to drink a lot.”

“Really?”

“And she still does. Actually, it may be part of the reason why Diamond and I aren’t…” Silver halted mid sentence, her eyes forced to the earth. “Well, you get the picture, I suppose.”

The little unicorn’s mind wandered back to the stallion from yesterday, the old colt holding the door to Diamond Tiara’s office. “You don’t suppose it had anything to do with her father, do you?”

“Mr. Rich? Never, he’s a pushover when it comes to mares.” Silver scoffed. “It’s no wonder he can’t talk his wife out of her drinking habit, he’s the one who keeps making bits for her to spend after all.”

“I think you’re sort of missing the point here.” Dinky deadpanned.

“Whatever, I’ve said too much anyways.” Silver picked up her bag and swung it over her back. “C’mon, let’s go find something interesting to write about before the day gets too boring.”

“I don’t think we’re going to have to worry about that.” The unicorn raised a hoof and aimed it past Silver’s head, to which her friend turned and recoiled wide-eyed at the sight they both beheld.

Town Hall stood a good few trotting distances away from the two, its stature as tall and noticeable as ever. At the base of the building stood a great cluster of ponies crowding around an uncertain source centralized to the front doors, hollering and hounding around as though something worth causing a great, terrible fuss over had just occurred. A spike in the water supply? A shortage on oats? A tall, bipedal, ape-like creature destroying Ponyville’s most prized statue? Wait a moment, that already happened. Surely the ponies weren’t that upset about it?

Dinky trotted near the crowd and craned her sights to find the bipedal creature in question, David standing in the midst of the ponies with wide eyes and an exasperated expression spelt all over his face. Perhaps they were…

“What the hay is going on here?” A voice came from behind.

Dinky and Silver glanced back to find a familiar trio of fillies standing in their midst. Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo, the crusaders had ran upon the scene to investigate with just as much curiosity as the two young journalists beheld. The howls and cries of dismay from the crowd grew louder and thicker, almost causing the young ones to stumble backwards off of balance. One pony took notice and turned to the young ponies with heated eyes and gritted teeth.

“The heck are you kids doing here?” He asked fervently. “You should hurry home.”

“Not until you tell us what’s happening up there!” Scootaloo protested.

“Look, all I heard was that thing crawled its way up into some poor mare’s chicken coop last night. Dragged the helpless creatures right into the forest.”

“Hold ona’ sec-” Scootaloo paused.

“You don’t suppose that’s why Fluttershy was so upset this morning, do you?” Sweetie Belle added.

“Now scram! There’s no telling what it might do to children like you.” The stallion whipped back around, leaving the children to speculate upon the matter.

“David? He couldn’t have.” Sweetie Belle justified.

“But…did he really?” Scootaloo considered.

Dinky and Silver Spoon trained themselves far off the side lines and observed for a second or two more before the earth filly turned to her partner. “C’mon, Dinky, let’s go.”

“Where to?”

“We’re gonna go take a look at that coop.”

Without another word the two journalists distanced themselves from the crowd and sped off in the direction of the cottage at the edge of the woods. The crusaders watched the little fillies trot out of the plaza square, all except for a certain cream yellow pony with a pink-red bow in her hair. Her amber eyes blazed with fury and her hooves stomped with frustration.

“I don’t believe it for a second!” Apple Bloom shouted. “C’mon, girls, let’s get up there!”

“A wall of ponies is stronger than it looks.” Sweetie noted. “Besides, I wouldn’t want to be caught in the middle of it.”

“Then…” Scootaloo’s eyes wandered upwards, tracking the lantern lines strung across the plaza. “We’ll just have to fly over it.”

“Scoots, you’re making that face again…” Sweetie looked timidly upon her pegasus friend.

Decorations for the esteemed arrival of the Emperor of Neighsia, Mr. Mikado, had yet to be taken down. Thus, the strings hung across the Town Hall plaza leading from one building to the next provided as excellent tightropes for the three crusaders to walk across in order to reach their destination. Only, the girls had never quite trapezed across a tightrope before. Surprisingly so, it was the only activity on their "cutie mark hunting" list they had never touched.

One by one they found themselves clearing the length of the line as the clustered crowd of angry ponies howled from beneath them. Many ordered to barge their way up to the front and give that monkey a piece of their mind, and it only caused the girls to hasten in their treacherous path in order to rescue the boy from the rampaging town folk. At least, they seemed to have convinced themselves they were coming to the rescue, not a single one of them had really planned what they were going to do once they get there.

“Sweetie, are you alright?” Apple Bloom glanced back.

“Fine.” She gulped nervously and shook violently, clutching the rope as a baby would her mother. “Just fine.” She repeated.

“Get a move on, I can’t stay still forever.” Scootaloo worried.

Sweetie Belle became overwhelmed with a sense of vertigo as she peered downwards, a cluster of unicorns with their horns pointed upwards standing right below them. As the young unicorn was on the verge of fainting, Apple Bloom lunged forward and Scootaloo caught her earth filly friend by the tail. The three dangled from the rope as the crowd below appeared completely oblivious to their situation, too transfixed on the uproar at the front of the building. Sweetie Belle reopened her eyes and nearly fainted all over again, finding herself a mere drop and a skewer away as she dangled directly above Pokey Pierce’s horn. Were all of those horn sharpening treatments at the spa really necessary?

“Don’tdropmedon’tdropmedon’tdropme, Ple-he-he-hease~!” Sweetie pleaded with all her life.

Apple Bloom held on tight, but alas her grip was slipping. Sweetie had applied too much treatment to her tail this morning. Scootaloo trained her sights back on the boy at the front door, he was surrounded on all sides and the ponies nearby were barking upon him like hungry, gnashing hounds from hell. They questioned and demanded explanations faster than he could even think to interpret, jaw slacked and eyes frightened. Scootaloo returned her sights to the tight rope, judged the distance to Town Hall, and reached into her saddle bag.

“Hold on, girls.” She began.

“Scootaloo…” Sweetie Belle warned. “Don’t you dare say it.”

“I saw this in a movie once.” The pegasus unsheathed her saddle knife, and laid it to the tight rope.

“Scootaloo~!” Sweetie Belle’s cry swung across the crowd as the rope cut and snapped, and the crusaders rocketed across the plaza now with half the ponies’ attention now hot on their trail.

The end of the hook attached to Town Hall held true and careened the three ponies past the railing of the balcony as though swinging from a vine upon a tree. The boy was caught mid sentence as a looming, dreadful shadow came over him, and the surrounding equines strung their ears backwards and whinnied in fright. David himself wasn’t quite as attentive as the ponies, both on a personal and natural level, and so he was only given a single second of spare time to watch three colorful little blobs hurdling towards the center of his vision at unspeakable speeds, growing wider and louder as the milliseconds turned into a full on collision.

That had done it then, David’s hangover had tripled into a near chunk-hurling migraine from the hellish depths of collateral central. His right side was crumpled against the hard wooden planks, a limb and a few twitching fingers poking out of the debris field. Complete silence swept over the near entirety of the crowd, and atop the poor, crumpled, and defeated form of the boy stood his three saviors.

“Secure the crash site.” Sweetie ordered. “Defend the David at all costs.”

“Don’t you worry, comrade Davy.” Scootaloo patted his dusted hair. “We’re gonna get you outta’ this pickle in no time.”

“Yeah! We’re the Cutie Mark Crusaders, and we’ve come to rescue our ally!” Apple Bloom declared triumphantly.

“Yes, it appears you’re doing a fine job of that already…” Mayor Mare approached the three.

The fillies gasped and quickly confronted her. “Miss Mayor, you’re alright!” Apple Bloom scanned the old mare’s leg. “Ya’ look good as new.”

“I wish I could say the same, little miss Bloom.” The Mayor admitted. “The doctors simply told me to ‘take it easy.’” She shuddered. “Celestia knows I could use a day or two as such.”

“Miss Mayor, why is David being treated like a criminal?” Apple Bloom wondered.

“He didn’t do anything wrong.” Sweetie followed.

“Honest!” Scootaloo added.

“Do any of you three have evidence suggesting otherwise?” She asked them.

The crusaders looked to one another, and came up with blank faces.

“As I thought.” The Mayor furthered. “Nopony has been able to provide a shred of evidence neither in nor against his stead all morning. You must realize that when word spreads, the worst is always assumed and with it miscommunication is bound to happen.”

“You mean somepony’s been spreading rumors?” Apple Bloom concluded. “But…who?”

The three were left to wonder as a bright, teal explosion happened upon the scene and from the fading sparkles of magic emerged a certain, studious unicorn. The crowd reveled in the sight and began again with their uproars and protests, but the unicorn stood her ground. She stomped a hoof to the floor boards and puffed her chest.

“Everypony, disperse!” Starlight projected over the ponies. “There is nothing to see here. I implore you all to go about your business.” Lest the consequences be dire. She finished in her head.

Their roars continued and their protests stronger, one pony threatened to raise a brick and hurdle it towards the stage up front. Starlight caught it with her magical field mid-flight, and immediately thought to return it right back to its sender. A hoof upon her haunches stopped her, and the unicorn turned to find Mayor Mare gazing upon her with an icy, fowl-hinted stare. Her attention drawn away, the brick floating in mid-air left Starlight’s kinesis and dropped down onto the crowd. They all stopped and watched as Pokey Pierce’s horn received a new accessory, skewering the brick right onto the tip of his horn. The weight caused him to stumble and swivel, and his jaw met the earth with a loud bang. “Ouch!” He yelped.

“Hehe, sorry!” Starlight was stuck between laughing or apologizing.

“Miss Glimmer!” Mayor Mare snarled. “I am holding you responsible for this uproar.”

“What? Me?” Starlight hoofed her chest. “Well, actually I was the one who decided to teleport my way up here…but I’m still going to act shocked about it! Why me?”

“Open your eyes! Our ‘Equerry’ lies defeated on the front porch of Town Hall, and this is the second time you’ve decided to conveniently show up when the situation is on the verge of collapse.”

“Now hang ona’ second-!” With a final effort of strength, David pushed himself off the floor and held a finger in protest.

The crowed roared once again in response, obviously his presence alone was a hazard to the little known peace left in Ponyville at this moment. Starlight stared back at David and fired up a threatening teleportation spell upon her horn. The boy stopped, crossed “x’s” over his eyes and rolled out his tongue. The Mayor expelled a tired, defeated growl and ushered the crusaders inside the building to safety.

“Take the boy inside, our ambassador would like to have a word with him.” The Mayor ordered, allowing the unicorn to drag the human inside with her magic as she slipped past them and let the double doors click shut behind her. The old mayor took a deep breath and turned back around as she prepared herself to address the onslaught of objections that were her good citizens of the calm and peace-filled town of Ponyville.

The calling of the birds and the crawling of the critters seemed to grow oddly thinner as the two young girls closed the distance between themselves and the cottage at the edge of the woods. They trotted past the clock tower and summited the hill to find the homely abode in question sitting behind a wavy blue stream passing beneath a bridge. A birds nest and a beehive laid in the midst of the nearby lush, green trees, though not an insect dared to stir nor emerge from their home. In spite of lacking animal expertise, both of the young fillies could tell that it was strangely and deathly quiet for an animal caretaker’s abode. Silver only spared a glance to the moss-topped cottage before peaking around the corner and ushering Dinky along.

“Maybe we should knock first?” The unicorn proposed.

“There’s no time to lose.” Silver objected, and she leapt around the cottage.

Dinky stayed where she stood, in front of the door. Though it felt like nopony was home, she really felt as though she should knock first. This shy little pegasus, this Miss Fluttershy, certainly was a timid one as her name had spelt, and the little unicorn had no intention to frighten, whether or not the rumors of this morning were true. Soon enough, Dinky got her answer. A blood curdling shriek filled the air, followed by the urgent calling of her name. It was Silver, she had found something. The young unicorn sprung from the doorstep and dashed around the cottage, slipping over something wet and sticky. It was red. She looked up, and was greeted by an even greater, vaster sight of red.

Blood stained the walls of the coop and pooled across the grass, twisting and curling into the pit of the forest like a crimson stream of malice and murder. White feathers stained with the stuff dotted the vicinity, and at the base of the broken, torn apart fence laid the dismembered leg of a chicken fallen victim. The girls stared at the horrible mess for what seemed like hours, dumbfounded and shaken to the core. Neither one of them could move, nor speak, nor do anything. Finally, Silver recoiled and pushed her muzzle into Dinky’s chest, wincing with fright and fury. They almost didn’t hear the sound of hooves running up from behind.

“Dinky, what the hay are you doing?” Amethyst honed in on the scene, skidding to a halt at the sight of the massacre. “Sweet Celestia, what happened here…?” She breathed.

Ronin walked upon the site with caution and studied the remnants carefully. The fence torn to shreds, the blood trailing into the forest. It hadn’t stopped there, as he could even see the brush and trunks of the trees within stained and scented with the red, sticky mess.

“Whatever did this wasn’t looking for food.” Ronin said. “No, this was a fit of rage.”

“Dinky.” Amethyst spoke stiffly. “Go home.”

“But, we haven’t-”

“Get your butts home now.” She ordered. “You and your friend. It’s not safe here.”

“Everypony…” Another voice approached, small and quiet, yet cold and rigid.

The company turned to find a butter yellow pegasus with a long, bright pink mane and tail shrouding over her face and body. Her stature appeared weak and fragile, yet the intent within her was like a steady, rising flame.

“Stay away from the coop.” The pegasus ordered. She peered from between her locks and stared down the ponies with a shivering blue stare.

Immediately, Dinky and Silver Spoon recoiled and held one another with uncertainty. It was enough to shake Amethyst and Ronin to their core, though they did not show it. A moment later, the children followed the orders of their elders and rounded back onto the path in front of the cottage. As the sound of their hooves galloping across the dirt died away, the young unicorn mare took a steady step forward.

“You’re Fluttershy, aren’t you?” She asked the pegasus.

The pony did not answer, staring at the earth.

“I don’t know who or what could have done this, but we’re going to find out why.” Amethyst attempted.

“I know why.” Fluttershy’s voice was a mere whisper. “No, I don’t know why. Nature still has a whole forest of mysteries that even I’m not qualified to understand. It isn’t going to follow our rules or our ways, it’s only going to do as it sees fit.” She began to whimper where she stood, her eyes wet and her tone shaky. “I’m sorry, I didn’t want anypony to see this, but now that it’s come to this…”

“Please, allow us to stay and help you clean up.” Ronin obliged. “There’s no reason to go this task alone.”

There was another strum of silence, and as the moment passed by Fluttershy sniffled a few more times and elicited a slow, heavy nod of her head. Every critter of the earth and creature of the air had been hiding beneath their dens and within their nests, finally emerging from their foliage and surrounding the poor pegasus with offerings of solace. Acorns from the winter preserves, half chewed lettuce and worms pulled out of the ground. Fluttershy gave her admiration and acknowledgments to her forest friends, and all the while the investigators stood upon the sidelines with quiet, awkward gazes.

“So, do your crickets do that too?” Amethyst whispered to Ronin.

The calm, teal blue stream which ran along the southern most edges of Ponyville contained a plenty bit of sediments as it roamed through its course and down river. Sand and rocks washed along for days on ends, twigs, leaves, a few ducks…and somepony’s breakfast.

Silver Spoon hung herself over the edge of the bridge which passed over the stream, drawing out long, haggish breathes while clutching her stomach. Dinky stood there to press her hoof to her friend’s back and rub up and down for as long as she needed to. It was something she recalled her mother doing for her, when her tummy wasn't feeling quite right, those long hours spent drooling and whimpering over the opening of the toilet. As Silver stepped back, wiping a forehoof over her muzzle, Dinky gave her the space she needed and waited for the shaken earth filly to speak.

“I’m sorry…” She began.

“Don’t bother.” Dinky sighed.

“No, I have to.” Silver sniffled. “If I knew this was going to happen I never would have said a word to you. I’m sorry I dragged you into this.”

“How many times are you going to say that?” Dinky started. “We’re doing this for your friend, remember? For Diamond Tiara.”

Silver blinked, looking up at the unicorn.

“You’re not gonna give up on her that easy, are you?” Dinky shook her head. “I won’t let you. You’ve got me to look after you, Silver, so no more of that namby-pamby stuff. Okay?” The unicorn took a moment to close her eyes and smirk to herself. “That’s what you and Diamond always called me. Namby-pamby, remember?”

Silver eased herself to her hooves and returned a knowing smile. “For a filly who just witnessed a blood party, you’re toughing it out pretty well.”

Dinky shrugged. “I read a lotta’ comic books.”

Silver giggled, then quickly turned for a more serious demeanor. “You’re right though, I think it’s time we act upon this. Do you think we could get Featherweight to take a few pictures?”

“I don’t know, Fluttershy was already pretty upset about us being there.” Dinky grimaced. “I don’t think she’d take kindly to more visitors.”

“He’ll just have to take a few aerial shots, then. He said he was proficient in them after all.” Silver pushed her muzzle into Dinky’s bag and snagged the object in mind between her teeth.

The little earth mare stood back and gave a good jingle to the silver coated bell in her mouth, bobbing her head up and down, proceeding to look towards the skies in anticipation of their esteemed news photographer. Instead of from a nearby cloud or the sky’s horizon afar, the young colt in question popped his head from behind the other side of the bridge and carried his camera with him, sitting on the railing as he waited for orders. Silver tossed the bell back over to Dinky which bounced off of her horn and fell to the ground, and by that time the earth pony was already pushing her hoof against the photographer’s muzzle.

“Fluttershy’s cottage, south of here.” She ordered. “You’re looking for a massacre aftermath in the backyard. Take plenty of aerial shots and stay out of sight. Blood, guts, body parts, everything. The more gruesome the better.”

Her attitude sure took a one-eighty. Dinky mused within thought.

“And double-check after every photo!” Silver cupped her hooves, calling to the young Featherweight off in flight towards the cottage on his to-do list. The earth filly stood with a puffed, triumphant chest and turned to Dinky, confident as ever. “Let’s head back to my place, we can write the first draft there.” Silver Spoon sped down the bridge and across the cobbled streets quicker than Dinky could anticipate. The lone unicorn looked down and picked up the small, silver bell, safely tucking it away within her saddlebag and making a beeline for her friend trotting off in the distance.

Silver Spoon barreled her way through the double doors to her homely abode, swerving and launching herself into her father’s study just as Dinky caught up at the door, slowly pushing the tall portal aside to reveal a grand foyer and entry way her eyes had never beheld before. The marble walls housed finely crafted columns in between paintings of ponies in fine suits, staring harshly and looking important enough to be remembered in some way, shape or form. Dinky felt as small as a pebble rolling down a hill of diamonds the size of boulders, her hooves calmly trotting across a soft, scarlet carpet beneath a grand, golden chandelier, finally trailing down the hall to a flight of stairs with finely carved, lacquered railing. This place looked a lot smaller on the outside. Dinky thought. She climbed the steps and perked her ears, following the sound of mad scribbles and writing against paper as she turned left and trotted past an archway, leading into what was presumably the study chamber of Silver Spoon’s father.

“Don’t be shy.” Silver invited, not looking up from her writing. “My parents are out at the moment, make yourself at home.”

“Sure.” Dinky trotted up next to the desk. “Need any help?”

“Oh! Of course, you can uh…” Silver tapped her chin. “Um…”

Only a second later did the sound of small yelps and tiny howls fill their ears, followed by the figure of a minute, four-legged creature charging into the study chamber and hopping up onto the desk. The new company slobbered all over Silver Spoon’s muzzle, barking about and licking her from ear to chin.

“It’s good to see you too!” Silver giggled delightfully, but quickly turned serious.” Okay, okay, that’s enough. Down, boy. Heel!”

Dinky watched the little pyrenean pup make a mess of the contents of the desk as he continued to disobey his master and return another onslaught of licks to her face. Suddenly, a bright golden aura engulfed the pup and hovered him away from the desk, the little dog whimpering so and flailing about in the unicorn’s magical grasp. Dinky froze for a short second, wondering if she had just really used her magic, but the sound of a deep, elderly voice from the entrance to the study gave answer to who that golden aura belonged to. There was a tall, bage unicorn stallion standing at the door, a monocle over one eye and a curled mustache over his muzzle, he wore a fine, red vest with golden buttons adorned over a dull, gray button-up shirt. He eyed Dinky for a moment from beneath his monocle, gave a curt nod, and turned back to Silver Spoon sitting at her father’s desk.

“Miss Silver, you know your father’s rules.” He said to her. “If you wish to play with Pearl, it will have to be done outside of his study.”

“I know, I know.” Silver rubbed the saliva off the fur of her face. “I’m still trying to train him. You know I don’t have a lot of spare time these days, Kibitz.”

Dinky raised a brow in question. “You named your dog Pearl?”

“What’s wrong with that?” Silver retorted.

“He’s a boy…” Dinky watched as the tiny pup hobbled his way back into the study and approached her. He gave the unicorn’s hoof a few timid sniffs before giving her a wide, fluffy smile with his tongue rolling out. “Sit?” Dinky attempted. Pearl obeyed, shutting his muzzle. “Shake?” Once again, the dog obeyed.

“How did you…?” Silver was dumbfounded.

“Speak!” Dinky cheered, and the dog followed with a fit of happy barks as he spun in circles around Dinky, playing and twirling round and round. “Okay, he is kind of cute.” She laughed along.

“Our guest seems rather fond of Pearl, perhaps she would like to play with her in the hall?” Kibitz proposed.

“That sounds like a good idea.” Dinky smiled and looked to her friend at the desk. “Silver, you go ahead and write that draft while I keep Pearl occupied.”

“Thanks, Dinky, you’re the best.” Silver quickly resumed to her writing, pushing up her glasses and eyeing the paper carefully as though working on a detailed chemical experiment which required extra precision and caution. The nuances of writing, as Dinky understood, were just as such, and so she sought to leave Silver at peace as she exited the room with Pearl and followed the tall, tan unicorn, Kibitz. The pony and pup sat upon the plush, scarlet carpet rolling about and dancing around one another. Dinky had almost forgotten at that moment that she was in fact within somepony else’s house, and the presence of Kibitz almost completely became lost to her. The old unicorn took note to her observation and began softly.

“Shall I get you anything, Miss Dinky?”

“No thank you, sir.” She answered politely. “When a pony has such a beautiful home and a wonderful dog, I can’t imagine ever wanting anything else.”

“I must thank you for spending your time with Pearl, the poor boy never gets enough attention.” Kibitz explained. “I imagine you own a dog as well?”

“Mom says we can’t afford one, so you can probably tell why I was happy to see Pearl.” Dinky considered for a moment. “How come he doesn’t get much attention though? Doesn’t Silver take care of him?”

“An innate sense of politeness and a dedication to duty restrict me from telling other ponies what I really think of Miss Silver.” Kibitz allowed a small sigh to escape him, looking across the room and over into the study where the filly in question sat. “I can only hope that one day, she will learn.”

Dinky stared across the hall, following the butler’s gaze and into the chamber where Silver was stationed with a pencil between her teeth, writing away on the paper before her until the graphite threatened to give. The young unicorn wondered for a moment why anypony, as wealthy as they might be, would go on to neglect anything they’ve been given in their lives and even when they’ve been given so much. She looked back upon the walls, the finely structured tall windows and the many elegant vases lying in her midst. It was so large, so luxurious, so…hollow. Dinky allowed herself to take in the air and ambiance she found herself in, if only for a moment, and for the split second could feel a strange feeling of being stuck. It wasn’t any ordinary blockade, but this wall felt like that of relentless and unending emptiness.

The pair of amateur journalists stood before Diamond Tiara’s desk in anticipation of her feedback on their first ever story. Silver’s enthusiasm revealed itself moreso as she grinned in Dinky’s direction, raising her eyebrows and squealing beneath her teeth. The little unicorn had only seen such expressions moments before somepony scratched a miss in the Ponyville jackpot. As the young news director eyed the paper before her carefully, Dinky felt her eyes wander in boredom, scanning the room before landing upon a certain pegasus colt tinkering away at the ink machine tucked into the corner of the studio. Featherweight relaxed from his work and suddenly locked eyes with Dinky, to which the filly felt an involuntary blush and grin adorn her face, and so she accompanied the look with a wave. Featherweight smiled, waved back, and had himself caked head to hoof in black, sticky ink as the printing machine all of a sudden blew a fuse. As the poor pegasus struggled to get the contraption under control, Dinky winced and returned her attention to the desk just as Diamond was beginning to speak.

“The prose is smooth, breathtaking even.” Diamond commented. “It captures the attention of the audience.”

“That’s just what we want.” Silver traded nods between Diamond and Dinky. “Right?”

“Yes, but…”

“But…?” Silver’s smile began to fade.

“There’s simply not enough conclusive evidence to support what the story is trying to claim.” Diamond explained. “I realize our photographer was on the case, but it’s going to take more than a few blurry pictures to convince our audience.”

She sprawled out her hoof and leafed open a portfolio containing a collection of developed photos with the label “chicken raid 02” paper clipped onto the side. Dinky took a small moment to chuckle, it almost sounded like one of her home arcade games. Silver lent a hesitant hoof over the desk and took the photo into her grasp, flipping it over and pinching her sights through her glasses. The photo was indeed blurry, causing Silver to toss the picture back up onto the desk and lend a glare to their “professional” photographer over in the corner. Dinky sensed the tension rising within her friend and lent her own hoof forward.

“This is only the first draft.” Dinky tried. “We’ll have enough evidence by tomorrow morning to have the story published on Monday.”

“Sunday.” Diamond bartered.

“Deal.”

“That settles it then.” The news director went on. “If you’re looking for easy evidence then the best place to start is with a few witnesses. Surely you know the pony who went through this tragedy? Why not ask them a few questions, make an excerpt of an interview while you’re at it.”

“That’s perfect!” Silver inspirited. “Let’s head back to Fluttershy’s cottage. She’s probably almost done with the cleanup, you think?”

“For a place that gave you the pukes you sure are in a hurry to go back for more.” Dinky commented.

“That’s what I love to hear, a flash of confidence and determination in our young writers.” Diamond acknowledged with a wide, satisfied grin.

Silver was quick to return the gesture in the small hopes of gaining more attention from the young news director, and the unicorn couldn’t help but give an internal roll of her eyes as her friend wasn’t quite realizing that she was only moving forward in the wrong direction at this point. A constant onslaught of pleasing got nopony anywhere when they wished to be with somepony else, especially one they had been stripped from in the past. At that moment, Dinky’s internal thoughts were strewn to the side as a presence invited itself through the door. She felt the cold sting in the air ripple over her hide far before she had even turned to look and see whom had just entered. For the ambiance of the room grew far more dim, far more serious, and it seemed as though it would be a step backwards, this time in the right direction.

“Mother…?” Diamond hardly whispered, almost instantly breaking character.

Silver Spoon herself was struck frozen, almost dumbfounded, glancing to Dinky as if attempting to call upon her friend for a notion of help. Or rather, perhaps it was a warning, something that which the little unicorn couldn’t quite conceive of.

“Diamond Tiara.” Spoiled Rich stood at the door, gaze glaring over the scene. “What is the meaning of this?”

Barely a word escaped from the young filly at the desk. Dinky had never seen her as such before, not since the great outburst that had occurred at the schoolhouse those couple of years ago. Diamond’s mother, Spoiled Rich, the very mare striding through the room and glancing across the two ponies had been there too. Silver was the first of the duo to brave a stuttering, shuddering phrase.

“H-Hello, Mrs. Rich.” The earth filly could hardly stand. “It’s…good to see you.”

Spoiled Rich froze, a stoic and statue-like trance overtaking the middle-aged mare as her head slowly craned to the side, and peered down at the filly who had just spoke past the brim of her muzzle. Spoiled blinked, huffed, and uttered a single term beneath her breath.

“Mud filly…”