Mirror: Book I - Mind

"Now I done told you a hundred times and I’m gonna tell you again,” Big Macintosh took a great, big gulp of air. “It was the Great Seedling!”

“This ain’t no time to be puttin’ the blame on tall tales, Big Mac.” Applejack huffed with irritation, turning a barrel to its upside. “The matter of fact is, somepony or something is to blame, and I think I know exactly who to blame.”

The farm mare gave a wry eye past the ponies setting up their market stalls on the edge of town. Some had already gathered in to hear the elder brother of the Apples tell his tale of woe and fascination from last night’s inexplicable events. He told his story as though a viking would from his years out on the icy seas and harrowing islands, a legend to never forget, and he believed this creature to be a legend indeed. “The Great Seedling.” Macintosh begun again. “It’s a story local to the farm only, ‘bout as old as Granny Smith, maybe even older. From the forest came a great, towering beast, horns and foliage stuck to its hide like a timber wolf outta’ a bog! It’s eyes were a haunting yellow, its teeth bared and its claws sharpened for the hunt!”

“Just get to the point already, Mac.” Applejack groaned.

“A beast from the forest?” A bystander wondered. “You mean the Everfree?”

Big Mac gave a sure nod.

“Ridiculous.” A stallion scoffed. “It was probably just a regular old timber wolf.”

“No, he said it had yellow eyes.” A mare followed. “You don’t think it could have been…?”

“The monkey…?”

“Eee-nope.” Big Mac denied. “That boy may be tall, but there ain’t no way in Canterlot and back he could’ve moved that fast. Why, whatever I thought I saw last night, I figure its faster than even Rainbow Dash.”

Just in the nick of time, the notorious pegasus herself and her trainee were coming around on their run. Dash took the lead whilst David followed behind her, wheezing and panting uncontrollably. Rainbow Dash’s ear flickered at the slightest doubt to her name, and thus the pegasus dug her hooves into a screeching halt, sending her apprentice up and over her flank as his upper-weight swung forward and barreled into a stack of, well…barrels.

“Whoa-whoa-WHOA.” Dash was on his snout quicker than Mac realized. “Slow down there, straw boy. Did you just say ‘faster than Rainbow Dash?’ Wonderbolt extraordinaire? Equestria’s best and most awesomest flyer?” She flared her wings. “Because if you meant what you said, I’m more than ready to tie both my wings behind my back just to prove your competition wrong.”

“How about a goat-suckin’, pig-nappin’ maniac?” Applejack proposed.

“Uh…a what now?”

“This ain’t no laughing matter, y’all!” Applejack turned to the crowd. “Last night our stock been disturbed, and now one of the pigs has come up missing. Like I said, somepony or something out there took one of our pigs, and I’d bet Kicks McGee I know exactly who to look for.”

Applejack turned to look at the pile of overturned barrels with a pair of pale legs sticking out form beneath the rubble. Rainbow Dash soared over and dragged the boy out of the mess, little rainbow pegasi spinning around his head like spinning stars as the coach puffed her chest and spoke in his stead.

“You might wanna look some place else, sis.” Dash argued. “There’s no way Davy here could have done it, not with his ankle all busted up.”

“For a busted ankle, he sure was runnin’ pretty okay.” Applejack attempted.

“Even you have a hard time wrestling a hog, and that’s on a good day.” Dash furthered. “My recruit here’s still on day one, he couldn’t snap a twig before snapping himself.”

“Recruit?” Applejack raised a brow, intensifying her glare. “Just the other day I saw you rallying the ponies up to run this sorry sac-o-soot outta’ town, and now ya’ gone all soft on ‘im?” The farm mare shook her head and clicked her tongue. “Those Wonderbolts must’ve laced your breakfast with nickerdoodles.”

Rainbow clutched the earth pony with one hoof and raised another. “How about a mouthful of this Wonderbolt’s hoof for breakfast?” She snarled.

“Dash, take it easy.” David clawed and brought her backwards. At the same time Big Mac had rounded and snagged her sister at the barrel to force her away from the pegasus. The boy took a long look at the ponies and their market stalls for a moment before settling down and braving his gaze towards the irritated farm mare. “Honest to God, I don’t know what happened to your pig, and I’m sorry to hear about it too.”

Applejack snuffed, broke free from her brother’s hold and turned around. She couldn’t even look the boy in the eye herself. “Don’t act like you gotta take this as your responsibility, just because your the Princess’ special little Equerry and whatnot.” She snorted.

“Actually, that’s exactly what I plan to do.” David declared.

The rest of the ponies present stared on at the boy with wide, wondering eyes, and only a second later did Applejack follow suit.

“Like you said, I’m the Equerry.” He furthered. “And that means I’ve got a lot of responsibility to take on. I don’t think the matter of somepony losing their livestock should be exempt from those duties.”

“I don’t care what your fancy Equerry responsibilities say, you’re not laying a paw on my property.” Applejack dared.

“Move your caboose!” A grainy voice sounded from behind the rows of ponies. “Step aside, sonny, old mare coming through.” Granny Smith emerged on creaking joints and hooves, surveying her surroundings with old yet keen, sharp eyes. “What in tarnation is all the commotion about? It’s hardly harvestin’ season, that old kook, Granpear, ain’t due for another six moons!”

“Granny, I told ya’ we’d take care of everything at the market ourselves.” Applejack groaned, shoving on her elder. “Go on back to the farm and look after the swine.”

“That’s what I came to tell ya’!” The old mare hooted. “I thought I mighta’ finally been losin’ it til’ I knew for a fact I’d been countin’ one swine short. How come ya’ didn’t tell your granny sooner, Jack?”

Applejack grunted. “We didn’t want to worry you.”

“Me? Worried?” Granny raspberried. “Them hogs made enough fertilizer as it is, thought about sellin’ one of them to Filthy Rich and his filthy wife anyhow. Looks like that got taken care of.”

“Granny, that’s not the point.” Applejack rounded back over. “One of them pigs is missing. It’s gone.”

“I’m old, child, not blind.” Granny huffed irritably this time, her complexion turning more graceful as she cranked her head back and looked up at the human before her. “Well now, who do we have here. Is this our youngin’ from the schoolhouse?”

“Hello, Granny Smith, it’s been a while.” David bowed, curtly as ever. “Sorry to hear about your pig, I do hope I can be of at least some assistance.”

Applejack strained a filthy scowl and glare towards the boy’s direction, doubtful of his overly polite demeanor. Treachery filled the mare’s thoughts every time she laid eyes on the boy, and even at times when he wasn’t around. Unbeknownst to her, it was the revelation of incompetence in her stead that fueled a sense of blame and hate towards the human. If Applejack couldn’t have things her way, she might even turn things against those whom she believed deserved it the most.

“Oh, don’t you go spoutin’ that jibber-jabber.” Granny followed up. “Why, if’n I remember back in my day, the Royal Equerry was an expert on all manner of beast and animal, and plant life too! From bovine to bramble, trout to tree-trunk, there wudn’t a critter nor crawler the Equerry couldn’t name.”

Okay, she wants me to go look at some animals. The boy surmised in his mind. This should be easy, they’re just pigs. How difficult can it be?

“I’d bet my hind-hoof surgery the Equerry could even identify the Great Seedling without a second glance!” Granny declared.

Okay, I have NO idea what that is. The boy groaned internally. I should of known putting my foot in the door would get it smashed.

“There ain’t no way in Tall Tale and back this thing is gonna set claw on our farm.” Applejack stepped forward, swinging an accused hoof towards the boy. “As far as I’m concerned, he should just crawl his way back to the castle and hope he don’t start another mob on the way back. One monster lurkin’ around the farm is plenty enough!”

“So you do admit it was a monster, and not David?” Rainbow started.

“Don’t be ropin’ anymore trouble into this.” The earth pony gritted her teeth, glaring at the pegasus.

“Settle your britches, Jackie, we could use some insight from a beast to get to know a beast, if ya’ catch my Ponish.” Granny nudged the boy’s thigh and gave him a wink. “Big Macintosh, show our guest around the farm, especially the pit where you had your little shindig from last night.”

“Eeeyup.” Mac gave a hefty nod and turned to the boy with a gesture to follow.

“I don’t believe this…” Applejack grumbled lowly. “My own kin turnin’ against me.”

Just before he decided to linger away, the boy turned to his coach with an apologetic glance. “I don’t suppose this’ll mean an extra lap or two?”

“We’ll call it a wrap for today.” Rainbow Dash sufficed, hovering above him. “Besides, you’ve got some important Equerry business to attend to. I won’t keep you from your paycheck.”

“I don’t get payed, Twilight gives me an…allowance.” He scratched his scalp.

“Ha! Figures.” The pegasus laughed and gave a salute goodbye before speeding off at an angle away from the farm. Her expression intensified as she set her next destination to a certain pegasus’ cottage lying on the edge of the woods.

In the midst of their gathering, a certain little unicorn girl had been watching and listening upon the entire ordeal from afar. The blonde maned, gray-coated filly felt the instinct to run to her partner and tell her all about the new story they were going to write rise within her. Only, Dinky had just remembered that she was no longer a part of the news business, and the small earth pony she had once called her friend, Silver Spoon, was all but a stranger to her now. The little unicorn lumbered down the street with her head hung low, spirits drained, onwards to the very piano lessons that which she questioned as to why she was still attending.

At this rate, she thought, I'll never get my cutie mark.

Sweet Apple Acres. From one valley to the next, the boy was gazing upon an endless sea of green dotted with ripe spots of red as far as the eye could see, as wide as the imagination could fathom. It didn’t take a genius to recognize that the grand harvesting season before fall was right around the corner. Neither did it take a genius to recognize that the Apples and their orchard were responsible for providing Ponyville’s number one source of food supply. Apart from apples, carrots and celery stalks cropped their way through the land to the west while corn and an assortment of beans found their land to the east. At the epicenter of it all laid a great, big barn house with white wood-framing and a coat of hot red, not quite as deep red as the coat of the stallion the boy was following this very minute.

Wordlessly, Big Macintosh sauntered down the road to the barn and gave the crop a glance as though to give the boy a nonchalant tour of the whole operation before him. The stallion’s demeanor was hard to read, as far as David could tell, and he wasn’t sure whether Big Mac would have an attitude just like his sister’s, or if the pony was just being his usual self. The boy hoped for the latter as they both gave their glances to the settlement, trotting past rows of fences housing chicken coops and of course, pig pens. Soon enough the enticing sting of manure flooded the boy’s nostrils as gnats and flies buzzed about. It was at this that he could tell they were getting close.

“Y’come from the Everfree yer’self?” Mac questioned suddenly.

“N-Not exactly.” David explained. “I call home another planet. The Everfree is where I started.”

“I figured there weren’t nothin’ frightenin’ ‘bout you.” The stud spoke. “Whatever done this took on a different kind of nature, somethin’ sinister…” He rubbed the fence pole with a shaky hoof.

David looked on at the pig pen resting on the tree line, which led in at an odd angle to the forest ahead where none of their own apple trees grew. Most likely, the foliage went on for a good few miles until it broke into the Everfree, and from that point on it would be predator’s territory. But for a predator of any kind to come this far off its plot was something even David knew to be quite odd. The way in which his partner had just spoken of the supposed predicament from last night was enough to make the stallion shake all over again. If something could scare a pony as big as Big Macintosh, something sinister certainly was at hand. Or rather, at hoof…

“Can you tell me what happened here?” David asked.

The rainbow maned pegasus gradually eased her descent towards the tiny, dirt path ahead of her, kicking up dust as she sprawled her wings and gave a few flaps of reassurance before resting her hooves to the earth. Rainbow Dash trotted across the little bridge stepping over the stream, up the small hill where the cottage laid. She knocked once, and as expected there was no answer. Fluttershy usually answered on the first knock, but Rainbow always knew this would happen when she had some business to address. Like a certain pet tortoise dreading a visit to the vet, it was as though Fluttershy could feel something amiss far before Dash had arrived at her home. She knocked again.

“J-Just a minute!” The shy pegasus within peeped timidly.

Her patience already wearing thin, the flyer stepped to the nearest window and had a peek inside. Not a pony nor a critter in sight. Only a second later, a snow white hare hopped to the peak of the window and nabbed the curtain with his teeth, bringing the blinds down with him and thus obscuring the curious pony’s view.

So you wanna play that game? Rainbow mused, twirling around the cottage and barreling through the open window on the second story. Fluttershy shrieked in surprise as Rainbow rolled and landed on her hooves, rising to come face to face with her long-known friend.

“Alright, spill it.” Dash demanded.

“Rainbow Dash!” Fluttershy squeaked and blushed. “You shouldn’t come barging into ponies’ homes like that, I could have been changing just now!”

“We’re naked, Fluttershy.”

“Oh my…” Fluttershy blushed even harder.

“Enough of these games.” The pegasus approached. “Tell me why you let David into the Everfree.”

“I, um…” The timid pony’s eyes darted. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“You do, too.”

“And besides, you’re the one who reopened his wound, so I’m still pretty upset with you about that.” Fluttershy justified.

“Oh yeah? If you don’t know anything about letting him into the Everfree, then how did he get that wound in the first place?”

Once again, the pegasus ‘eeped’ with surprise. Her own kindness had backfired on her this far into the future, and there was no backing out of it now.

“Don’t think I can’t recognize your bunny stitches when I see them.” Rainbow went on. “Something fishy is going on in this town, and something tells me it all links back to you two.”

“Rainbow Dash, please-” Fluttershy backed away. “This isn’t the time right now…”

“I want to know two things: What was David doing in the Everfree in the dead of night, and whats up with all of these animals going missing all of a sudden?” The boisterous pegasus dared another hoof forward. “I’m willing to bet that whatever’s out there is the same thing that slaughtered your chickens!”

“Rainbow Dash!” Fluttershy projected boldly this time, raising a hoof with a threatening stomp to the floor boards. She gave an apologetic gaze to her bunny before ushering the little rabbit over and into the embrace of her hooves. The timid pegasus hid beneath the pink veil of her mane for a moment or two before finding the courage to peek past her hair and look her friend in the eye. “I know you want answers, just as everypony else does, but as I said…” She glanced away. “Now is not the time.”

With a scuff of her hoof Rainbow Dash dejected a glare to the floor and trotted past her fellow pegasus mare soon after, climbing up to the sill of the open window and looking back. “I’m sorry, Flutters, I didn’t mean to push it. I was just trying to-” She sighed with a hint of frustration, and turned back to the outdoors. “Nevermind. I’ll see you around, I guess.”

Fluttershy watched as the pegasus opened her wings and readied herself to leap, but something within the shy little pegasus made her speak so.

“Rainbow Dash, wait!” She reached out.

Rainbow caught herself in the nick of time, scooting back up onto the window sill and looking back at her friend in the hallway.

“If you’re willing to stay for tea…” Fluttershy looked to Angel bunny. “I’d be happy to tell you everything.” And gave a small smile.

“It was like somethin’ outta’ one of them campfire stories.” Mac shuddered in remembrance, and recollected his thoughts. “I don’t imagine ya’ got any tall tales and legends where you come from?”

“Trust me, even some of the real ones were plenty scary.” David knelt, studying the subtle scratches at the fence post. “What’s this legend you and the others were talking about?”

“The Great Seedling.” The stallion elaborated. “Every year or so the Seedling would come upon the land and spread life, so the crops’ll grow bigger and stronger and the forest would stay green year round.” Mac gnawed on his straw for a moment, summing up the details. “Our elders must’a told it as a way to explain why the plants and the trees do what they do every season, but I ain’t never seen a force o’ nature that would just take something without giving back…and smell so bad too.”

“Smell?” The boy paused, looking up at the pony. “What kind of smell?”

“An’ I thought them hogs had it bad, but this thing could make ya’ gag from a mile away.”

“Can you describe it to me? The smell?” David asked longingly.

“I dunno, I couldn’t really place it til’ it hit me.” Mac thought a little more. “Like…copper.”

The boy looked on, his pupils shrinking.

“Blood.” Big Mac nodded, shaking again. “Like the smell o’ death.”

It was itching at the back of his mind ever since he had risen to do his chores that morning, and there it was again in the dead of night. Midnight, in fact. Big Macintosh knew there was but one last task he had to attend to before he could finally put his mind to rest that night. The hogs need water. Of course, it was no wonder they were acting so restless, as their distant little squeaks and wails sounded from the colt’s bedroom window, just enough to keep his ears perked and his eyes awake. It was exactly what the stallion set out to do. He toed as quietly as he could down the hallway where his kin slept, and soon enough found himself emerging past the front door and lumbering into the chilly, stinging air of the night. The water spout hissed shut as Big Mac hoisted a set of buckets on either side of his barrel and sauntered his way over to the pig pen, the hogs growing quiet and patiently waiting for the pony to do what he had come to do. Their little snorts of pleasure huddled around as he set the buckets at their snouts and threw a splash of water over their mucky, muddy pen grounds for good measure.

Soon enough the smell of manure hit his nostrils like a spike of pain. Big Mac wondered why the odor was hitting him so hard now. Over his many years working on the farm, the smell of the pigs and their feces had become all but numb to his nose. It was then that he realized this certain scent didn’t just have a smell to it, it had a feeling. The feeling that you were being watched, the feeling that you were being…hunted. As if in answer, the pigs squealed and kicked back wildly, as though a pack of predators were chasing them. Alas, in the enclosure of the pen they had nowhere to run, and soon after the fear which they displayed took hold of the stallion in his own way. The same shiver from before when he had stepped out into the cold of the night transformed into an icy spiral coiling down his spine. This wasn’t just a chill over his shoulder. No, this was instinct…

Two pegasi sat quietly in the cottage living room, a tray of sugar and tea with a bright pink kettle resting atop the coffee table at their hooves. Fluttershy held the tea cup to her lips and took a small, quiet sip to calm her nerves. Rainbow Dash was rather indifferent, staring at her faint reflection in her own cup of tea as the thoughts and murmurs slowly swirled about in her mind. The pegasus felt as though she were in the midst of a turning of events, especially at a turn of thoughts and feelings commencing in the deeper, darker pits of her mind, corridors which had not yet been properly explored upon. Perhaps now was the time to explore these questions, Rainbow Dash thought. Especially when she was in the presence and kindness of her oldest friend.

“Now, isn’t that much better?” Fluttershy asked her.

“I guess so.” Rainbow shrugged. “Tea isn’t exactly my ‘go-to.’”

“I know, but it’s meant to help you calm down.” The yellow pegasus informed. “I know you’re always ready to tackle a problem whenever one shows up, but it doesn’t hurt to learn to take a breather every now and then.”

“You’re right…” Rainbow Dash admitted, staring at her tea for a moment more before raising it to her mouth and serving herself a short gulp. The pony winced with displeasure, but smacked her lips to the after taste, and sufficed with the amount as a means to break the ice. “Now, are you ready to tell me what’s going on?”

Fluttershy hung her head and quietly rested her cup to the table. “Do you remember when Spike turned into a giant, greedy dragon, and went on a rampage through Ponyville?” She asked.

“You and I saved both his and Rarity’s lives that day,” Dash answered dutifully. “But what happened to Spike was crazy. I didn’t think the little guy had it in him, to turn into something like that.”

“You’d be awfully surprised to find out that in the aftermath, it was neither Twilight nor Spike the ponies were spilling their complaints to.” Fluttershy paused. “It was me.”

“What? Why you?” Dash perked up. “What did you have to do with any of it?”

“It’s…” Fluttershy paused again, squeaking timidly. “The Stare.”

Rainbow Dash turned silent, eagerly listening to her friend.

“You already know how my powers work, and a lot of the ponies in Ponyville aren’t exactly strangers to it either.” The little pegasus explained. “With the Stare, I have the power to control and manipulate almost any animal to my will, and dragons aren’t an exclusion, especially ones like Spike.”

“So that’s why they came to you instead of Twilight…” Rainbow realized.

“Because they wanted me to take care of Spike. They wanted me to ‘tame the beast’ as they put it.” Fluttershy went on. “But I wouldn’t do it, I didn’t want to hurt him. I didn’t want to hurt anypony for that matter. The abilities of my Stare are all still very unknown, even to me.”

The smell did more than to make him scrunch his muzzle and pinch his eyes shut. It made Big Mac scared. He knew something was here now, and the worst part was he didn't know what or where it could be, or even why it was here for that matter. Don't run. He thought to himself. Predators chase backs. He imagined a figure, a form of something, a creature of some sort with the ability to eat him up in one or two bites, however many it preferred. The stallion kept his eyes on the dark curtain of the tree line, and quickly hopped over the fence and into the pig den. Next thing he knew, he was rolling about, shuffling, and digging his body into the muddy earth, caking and slathering himself in the mushy slippery stuff, making sure that not a spot of him was left unmuddled. The pigs continued to stomp and squeal about, but Big Mac stayed put, leaving his nostrils open to breath in and out quietly. The stench was unbearable at this point, but he knew he had to stay still, lest the monster or whatever the hell was out there detect him. He waited, and waited, and waited.

“Just think about it, what if everypony told me to do the same thing to David?” Fluttershy feared. “What then?”

“But…David isn’t an animal.” Rainbow justified. “Sure, he might look different, but there are plenty of things he can do that we can, too. He can walk, he can talk, he can read…or at least I think he can. Why would your Stare have any effect on him?”

“How can you be so sure?” Fluttershy questioned. “Who’s to say that David isn’t just an animal too? He’s a being from an entirely different planet, Rainbow Dash. I don’t know anything about him anymore than you do.”

Rainbow Dash opened her mouth to speak, but the words were halted. Coming from Fluttershy, it certainly meant something compelling when an expert on animals herself admitted she didn’t know much about the “animal” in question. For a moment, it made the young pegasus wonder just where exactly the line between a pony and a human was drawn. When it came to the root of nature, did it really matter what one considered feral and uncivilized as opposed to tame and content?

The stallion held his ground as though his life depended upon it, because in that very moment, he unmistakably believed it very much did. What happened next were a series of images too quick for the stallion to register. His eyes were held on the tree line, and then the pig in front of him. One second, the pig was there. The next, it was gone, as though it had never even existed in the first place. Taken by the slicing, wispy shadows of the darkness of the forest. Understandably, Big Macintosh stayed exactly where he was for the rest of the night. The following morning when his sister had come out to see what he had done, she began laughing and said it wasn’t the first time she had caught her brother sleeping with the pigs. Big Mac said that doing so was the second time that it saved his life.

The cottage rested in a hovel of silence as the two pegasi housed within slurped the last of their tea and shared a moment of peace between each other. Their thoughts ran over recent events and the words spoken in their meeting, thus wondering if the two were going to start taking on much more responsibility than they were already managing. Rainbow Dash had taken it upon herself to train the boy as she saw fit, perhaps even as a means to bond with him and show her the warmer side of her hide. After all, the kid fell for her recklessness. He deserved every bit of her acknowledgment.

Fluttershy retreated to her kitchen for a short spell to put the kettle and tea kit to rest. After a time she trotted back into the living space and sat beside her friend, letting a lengthy, dreary sigh escape her lungs before speaking all over again.

“Um…can I ask you something?” Fluttershy started.

Rainbow Dash blinked and looked to her friend. “Anything, Shy.”

“Did I always seem kind of…weird to you?”

Dash blinked again, cocking a brow. “I mean…kinda’?” The blue pegasus exaggerated a shrug. “Not that I’m trying to be mean or anything! It’s just…well, you’re you, Fluttershy. You’ve always been a shut-in, of course other ponies are going to think its strange you don’t want to join in on their parties and get-togethers.”

Fluttershy opened her mouth, then closed it again.

“Not that there’s anything wrong with that!” Rainbow Dash attempted. “Why? Is somepony bothering you?”

“No.”

“Did they make fun of you? Call you names?” Rainbow smashed her hooves together. “Just tell me who it is and they’ll know soon enough that they messed with the wrong pegasus-”

“It’s not that, Rainbow Dash.” Fluttershy pouted, brushing her mane. “It was a stupid question.”

The pegasus looked on longingly at her quiet friend as she continued to hang her head and keep her eyes shut. Having been friends ever since they were little fillies in Cloudsdale, it was no wonder as to why Fluttershy would often open up to Rainbow Dash, albeit her revelations ending up being a hard shell to crack. Dash knew by now that all it took was a little more prodding.

“Fluttershy, look at me.” She reached with her wing. “I’m your friend, you can tell me anything. Even if it’s the stupidest thing you can think of, I’ve probably got something ten times stupider to say in its stead. So don’t be afraid to speak your mind or get something off your chest, because I’ll always be here to listen, Shy. I’ve got your back.”

Looking on at her friend for a brief pause before wiping what potential tears might threaten to break, Fluttershy recomposed herself and began once more, taking a deep breath before speaking. “I suppose this is just my own way of thinking.” She said. “But, the Stare has always been with me. It’s something I feel like I’ve always had, always known about, long before I had even gotten my cutie mark.” She briefly glanced at the three butterflies upon her rump before continuing. “It made me wonder if that was the reason why I always seemed so strange, the reason as to why I kept pushing other ponies away. It was because before I had even become fully aware of it, the Stare was something I couldn’t account for.”

“Maybe it’s not so strange, your feeling towards your powers, I mean.” Rainbow Dash provided. “When I was just a kid, long before I had even met you, I always knew it was my destiny to be the greatest flyer in all of Equestria. Maybe one day I could even become a Wonderbolt. And, well, look where I’m at now. And if it makes you feel any better, I don’t think your Stare ability is all that weird either. In fact, I think it’s kinda’ cool.”

Fluttershy gave her friend a reassuring look, staring back down at the table as she continued. “The Stare has always been a little unpredictable. Like I said, not even I know how it works sometimes. As far as I can tell, only creatures with ‘bestial instincts’ have been heavily affected by it. It won’t work on ponies, or any other ‘civilized’ creatures for that matter, given a lack of these supposed ‘bestial instincts’ that the Stare seems to take a hold of and subdue. Only when it comes to creatures like dragons or griffons does the line start to blur, and the distinctions between ‘beast’ and ‘civilized’ are hard to determine.”

“But it can affect them anyways, right?” Rainbow Dash wondered. “Spike is a dragon, which makes him a beast, but he can still talk like us and even eat some of the foods we eat. Does that mean the Stare would only partially work on him?”

“I’m not sure, and neither do I want to try and find out.” Fluttershy drew back. “I don’t think it comes down to the behavior of the animal alone. It must have something to do with their gene pool, the way in which a creature’s primal instincts are affected when presented with a certain situation. Of course, those are all covered over more biological matters. I’m sure Twilight would know all about that field, if you ever wanted to ask her.”

“Okay, slow down before you talk my ears off with all the egg-head nonsense.” Rainbow rubbed her temples. “Look, we’re running out of time. If anything is unpredictable around here, it’s the ponies of Ponyville. This isn’t the first slaughter we’ve had around town, it’s only a matter of time before everypony starts putting the blame on David and they get another riot going. We need to think of a good cover story, or something to show them that the kid ain’t as bad as they think he is.”

Fluttershy looked on at the pegasus with an estranged side-glance.

“What?” Rainbow shrugged.

“Nothing, it’s just…all of a sudden you’re acting so nice towards him.” Fluttershy wondered. “I thought you hated him.”

“I don’t hate him, he’s just a little lost and I couldn’t bear to see him go on like that.” Rainbow crossed her hooves. “Besides, I’ve got a debt to settle so this is me getting even.”

“If that’s the case, then the best way to get on David’s good side is to understand him a little more.” Fluttershy looked on with concern. “And that means…you’re going to have to stomach a few things.”

“Stomach what exactly?”

“Let me show you something.” Fluttershy ushered her friend off the sofa and out the door.

They winded down the slim dirt path leading up to the cottage and took a fork towards the open field. Lying against the treeline at the end of the path was a small shed, no bigger than the pegasus’ front living room. The dusty, old door crept open to the presence of the two, presenting an array of hoof-built bird houses and nests that rest in the rafters of the ceiling. There was a rocking chair to the far corner, something which still seemed a work in progress, and at the further end of the room there hung a board with a vast assortment of tools from hoof-saws to hammers.

“Huh.” Rainbow Dash blinked with disbelief. “I never really took you for the crafty type, Shy.”

“Well, where do you suppose all the birdhouses around the cottage come from?”

“I thought the birds built them.” Dash admitted.

Fluttershy took her turn to blink with disbelief.

The yellow pegasus ducked beneath the work bench and produced a small, hoofheld tub with a lid over it. Slowly, she approached her friend and set it on the ground before her. Fluttershy gave her friend a small wave of her hoof, ushering Rainbow Dash to open the container. After a beat of hesitation the pegasus did as instructed and gazed upon strange, little red and brown strips lying at the bottom of the tub.

“Are those…?”

“These are cured meat strips I’ve been giving to David, the same ones I gave to him when he was at the vet.” Fluttershy told her. “Without these, he wouldn’t have been able to properly heal from his wound.”

Rainbow Dash stared on at the contents of the tub, speechless and uncertain.

“These were once living creatures.” Fluttershy looked back at her friend, almost apologetically. “I’m sorry I have to show you these things, but if you want to help our friend then you have to understand. We may have our preferences, but nature will always have its way.”

Big Macintosh and David trotted back down the path they had come, coming to terms with the situation at their hooves and hands. A missing pig was little turmoil for the farm, but the potential that more could fall victim not only had a threatening hold on their livestock, but the orchard as a whole. Soon enough they both took the news to Granny Smith and Applejack, the elder of the bunch being expectantly far more open to suggestions.

“A beast from the Everfree, y’say?” Granny prodded her chin.

“What Big Mac here described to me pretty much fit the description of the creature Starlight and I encountered in the Everfree.” He explained. “As far as we could tell it’ll stay clear from bright lights, no matter what. The lanterns Zecora gave us were enough to keep it away.”

“And what in the hay were you and Starlight doing in the Everfree in the dead o’ night?” Applejack cocked a brow.

“W-Well, I…” David hastened. “I was just…helping her out with something.”

“With what?”

“Hush now, Jack, t’ain’t none of your business anyhow.” Granny interrupted her, looking back up at David. “Now, what was that y’said about some bright lights to keep the monster away?”

“As long as you keep a bright enough light by your side, surely you won’t meet your demise.” The boy scratched his scalp. “At least, I think that’s what Zecora told me, but you get the picture. There’s no way that thing’s showing up in broad daylight.”

“That there settles it then.” Granny nodded, turning to her grandchildren. “If’n there a monster on the loose, it’s time to set up a curfew. Big Mac, high tail your hiney to Town Hall and tell Miss Mayor no more fillies or colts on the streets after dark!”

“Eeeyup.” Mac nodded and started down the road.

“Thank you kindly for the time of your day.” David nodded curtly to the ponies. “We’ll have the town aware in no time.”

“No need to rush, youngin’, y’got the whole day ahead o’ya.” Granny nodded back. “We thank you kindly for your services.” And she went to curtsy, nudging her granddaughter in the side to do the same. Applejack gave a snort and simply helped Granny Smith back to her hooves.

“I’m the Equerry, it’s what I ought to do.” David called back a final time, and ran up the road to meet with Macintosh.

All the while, the ponies of Ponyville sought after preparations for the annual Nightmare Night, a celebration with both historical and cultural significance. In spite of their tight schedules and regulations, Mayor Mare agreed that with the news of yet another animal predicament, there should be a curfew in place to maintain the safety of the citizens of the village. David spent the better hours of his day running back and forth between Town Hall and the castle, relaying one message after the other. Twilight insisted that she ought to just teleport her way over to the Mayor, but the boy was adamant on fulfilling his role as Equerry and accomplishing his training.

One way or another, he would get better at whatever he might have been doing. He would be faster and he would be smarter, and in the midst of doing so the line between his own goals and the well being of the ponies of Ponyville slowly began to blur together.