Mirror: Book I - Mind

Her chest rose and shuddered back down with shaky, ragged breaths, each and every push and pull of air a painful sight to bare. Sweat trickled down her brow and around her face as a damp, cold cloth was placed just beneath the base of her horn, the thermometer between her lips rising to a stark red as the stallion pulled it from her mouth and inspected it carefully. Doctor Horse placed the diaphragm over the young mare’s chest and listened, everypony else present watching with interest and anticipation. He pulled the nodes from his ears and hung his stethoscope around his neck, leaning back over to give Amethyst’s wound one last look. The swelling had increased, streaks of red shining beneath the puffs of purple and green.

“High fever, blood sugar deficiency, loss of cognition.” The doctor listed. “Her body has doubled down in response to the infection, but…”

“But, what?” Derpy looked on worryingly.

“She is losing, severely.” Horse warned. “Although the infection may take some time to spread, there’s no way her immune system will be able to fight back. I fear that our means of medication may not even be enough to help her.”

“Are you saying that sis is…” Dinky’s legs fell weak. “That she’s going to…?”

“Of course not, my little muffin.” Derpy curled a wing over her child. “Amethyst is going to be fine, I promise.”

“Your mother is right, little one, there is indeed hope for your sister yet.” Horse turned back to his patient, giving the wound another once over. “The manner of infliction and its infection is all but unknown to me. I have never seen anything like it before, it’s almost other-worldly.” He went on. “During my years of studying to become a doctor I had been traveling through Neighsia, and came across several diseases and infections thought to be incurable in our world. However, the unicorns of Neighsia showed exceptional knowledge in the field of plants and herbs, achieving antidotes that could cure almost any illness. I have no doubt that if we put our faith in this medicine, young Amethyst will be cured.”

For a short while nopony returned with a proper response, only for the lone earth pony of the room to lift her head and speak.

“Is there…anywhere we can look for this special antidote?” Rose Luck asked.

“That answer, I believe, rests with you.” Horse nodded.

Rose stammered and waved her hoof in denial. “Me? No, I’m not qualified to help anypony anymore. After all I’ve done…”

“Then allow this to be an opportunity for redemption.” Horse closed his eyes. “Regardless of what you’ve done, all we ask of you is to do what you can to save this young mare’s life. Will you help us, Rose Luck?”

Rose quietly stammered over the consequences in her head. She knew that this would be going against what he had done for her. What he had told her to do. However, the consideration and compassion that the young unicorn laying in the bed had shown her gave testimony to go against the odds. Rose recalled upon a more rebellious phase of her life, the pony who cared for others and would go above and beyond, even if it meant so much as forfeiting her own way of life. Thus, her stance felt almost automatic as she stood proper and nodded firmly. “Without a doubt.”

Horse let a small grin slip by, almost as though he knew she would accept. “Your knowledge of flowers is vast, I trust?”

“Does my rump look like it’s got a wrench on it?” Rose swung her hips and showed her cutie mark to the stallion, the symbol of a rose shown clear as day.

“Nelumbo nucifera, a lotus plant almost entirely exclusive to Neighsia.” Horse elaborated. “Not only will it take special procedure to prepare the antidote, but a special doctor as well.”

Rose stared on at the doctor, frozen and dumbfounded. She had practiced for years to not show such doubt that it had become almost completely habitual to her. What in Celestia’s name is a nelumbo…? She wondered.

The ponies of Ponyville watched on with much less caution and much more curiosity this time as their royal Equerry jogged down the isles of the market and into the plaza square, headed straight for Town Hall. A simple little gesture of remembrance wasn’t going to be enough to bring back Apple Bloom’s memory, and knowing this full well now, he headed for the one place he believed to hold the ancestral records that just might jog the little filly’s memory back in line. He bounded down the path and cleared the stairs leading up to the front doors, two pony guards jolting in surprise as they crossed their spears in front of the entrance, delivering tight, meaningful glares.

“What’s the big deal?” David shot, hands to his hips.

“By order of the Princess, we cannot allow you entry into Town Hall.” Sam recited.

“Oh yeah?” The boy reached into his back pocket. “Well then, feast your over-sized eyes-”

“That won’t work.” Ralph stiffened.

“Yeah, we already know you’re the Equerry.” Sam returned. “It’s not like you have to pull out your little badge every time.”

“But I almost never get to use it…” The boy’s shoulders dropped.

“Only Town Hall personnel and government officials are allowed inside, by order of her Highness, Princess Sparkle.” Ralph repeated strictly.

Town Hall personnel only? David wondered for a moment. I’ll bet Mikado’s got something to do with this.

“Aw c’mon, this ain’t fair.” He whined. “What could possibly be so important that you can’t even let your humble Equerry inside?”

“You will remain outside until further notice.” The bat pony turned up his snout and averted his gaze. “Now scram! Your sight is almost as unbearable as the sun.”

“What a grouch…” The boy muttered beneath his breath, lumbering back down the stairs.

“You are kind of a grouch, sometimes.” Sam mused to his partner.

“Shut up, Sam.” Ralph snorted. “You’re being paid to do it, after all…”

His feet felt like weights of lead, growing heavier with each step he took further from the front entrance of Town Hall. Patience may have been the key here, but with so many answers and possibilities coming from one place and the other, his desire to seize the opportunities were crying out more than ever. He knew deep down that it wasn’t just the call to aid Apple Bloom in her time of need that fueled his motivation, but something had changed over the past few weeks. The ground beneath his feet, the animals and the trees, the rush of air and the sun upon his back…it all felt too uncomfortably real. Until now, the boy had been going through the ritual of convincing himself this world was real, that the pastel-colored, stuffed animals were only as real as he was going to allow them, or at least let his mind allow them to be. It was as though the world around him, Equestria, no longer needed his approval of credibility to maintain its existence.

There were times when I hardly even thought about it. He contemplated. Like when I went to the bar with Silver Spanner, or whenever I exercised with Rainbow Dash. He groaned internally. Especially when Applejack decided to rearrange my facial structure.

Within his quiet contemplation, he passed by the fountain area, wherein the statue of Caerus had once stood. Without even noticing, something else had taken its place. Something slick, something sinister, and almost impossibly monstrous. The old, moss-ridden stone cracked and rattled as ripples pulsed beneath its concrete skin. The splits creviced and crawled like worms slithering up the serpentine neck, and its eye glowed a deep red.

“Always questioning your reality…” An iron voice filled the plaza.

David froze and scanned the vicinity, but no longer did anypony linger within sight, nor a trace of their presence to pick up on. The boy thought in that split moment if perhaps he was in fact thinking all of this up by himself, that the credibility and reality of the world was finally beginning to crumble along with his psyche.

The iron thum returned. “Perhaps you have never fathomed the thought…” It continued. “…that this is a reality based on fantasy.”

“Huh?” David twisted his sights everywhere, all except for the statue. “Hello? Who’s there?”

“Up here, you half-wit neanderthal!” The voice snapped, but quickly recomposed itself and cleared its throat. “I-I mean…O, chosen hero. Thou hath traveled wide and searched far, but I assure thee, thy journey hath only begun.”

“Great, now I’m thinking in Shakespearean.” The boy rubbed his temples. “And it’s not even in correct format.”

“Your destiny awaits!” The statue pronounced triumphantly. “This very fountain is where your journey in this humble little village had begun, and it shall be where you end it. Place your hand upon the inscription slab, and the beginning of the end will finally take course.”

Slowly, his hand hovered over the strange scribbles embedded into the stone before the fountain, but the second guessing of his mind drew his palm back to his side. “And if I do, what will happen to me?” He asked.

The strange monument’s eyes deepened and glared. “Is it fear that wavers your will?” It asked menacingly.

“Fear…?” The boy stepped back.

“Mere moments ago you had uttered to another the very implications of fear and how one is to overcome it.” The eyes of the statue glowed all the more. “Had it never crossed your feeble, little mind that this innate, inexcusable, intangible emotion is what has been stifling your progress all along? That fear, although born within yourself, has always been your greatest enemy? And that greatest enemy…is you?”

“I am my own worst enemy?” David stood idle, searching his hands and looking back up at the serpentine sculpture. “Is that what you’re trying to get me to understand?”

“You only know that fear exists.” The stone almost cackled. “Place your hand where I have told you, and surely you will understand it.”

The boy stalled for a moment, standing frozen above the stone plaque that rested at the rim of the fountain. He looked back up to the statue, and back down to the slab, struggling to read the inscription upon it. They were mere scribbles at best, no sign of any coherent language known to him. Within the deep of his mind, the boy wondered for a moment if perhaps that is what this whole journey might have been about. To make sense of the unknown was not only to overcome fear, but to make it vanish completely. Or, in some more unfortunate cases, allowing that fear to be known is what might help it grow. To manifest and monstrosize into something incomprehensible, and it all began with taking a simple risk. David hovered his hand over the slab for only a second more, and placed his palm to the stone.

He blinked, and waited. Nothing happened.

Was I…just imagining all of that? He thought to himself.

The cracks in the statue splintered larger, louder, and wider. The earth beneath his feet shook, the waters trembled and the air grew hard and heavy. Blinding streaks of ethereal, white light sliced through the slivers in the sculpture and burst apart piece by pebble, stone and chunk. David watched in frozen-stiff horror as the statue upon the fountain’s pedestal erupted with a mighty, monstrous roar, as though a lion were gnawing and prying past the iron bars of its prison. Finally, the stone broke apart altogether, sending projectile bits in every which way as the serpent-like beast beneath bellowed skyward for a great and greedy gulp of air.

Then, the beast groaned. A tired, exaggerated groan, and fell limp into the pool of water below. David stood and could only watch as a wave of water splashed over him and soaked his figure head to toe. The beast had been released from its stony prison, and more than anything it was in the mood to give each and every muscle a good stretch.

“Ah! Oooh~!” The serpent gurgled a mouthful of fountain water and spat it back out onto the boy’s face. He wiped his mouth and cleared his throat. “Well, well, well, it’s about time you came and released me from my prison! Took you long enough, did it? Had to have a little run-in with the rest of the cast before you came and rescued me, hmm?” His bones twisted and contorted, cracked and craned this way and that. “I’m on the front cover for Cosmos’ sake! Does it really take more than two-thirds of this silly, sorry fan-fiction to introduce one of your main characters?”

“I’m sorry…” The boy wiped his eyes. “…have we met?”

“And what would it matter to you?” The beast glowered, spitting another water ball. “I had met you many times prior to this wondrous reunion of ours, but you yourself never even sought to bat a single eye in my direction. I suppose a human’s observation skills aren’t quite up there with a pony’s. Smaller eyes, lack of fluffy ears, I’m sure you know what I mean.”

“I’m just confused.” Once again, he wiped the water from his face. “What happened to the whole ‘mysterious statue’ and ‘mystical quest’ thing when I walked up here?”

“Did you really think you were going to get the upper paw here?” The beast reached out with a great, hairy, bear claw, showing the boy his appendages. “It was a means to get your attention. A skit, a ploy! In your world they’re called ‘street performers.’ Or in your case I suppose, an ‘unskippable cutscene.’”

“Well, that’s the thing.” David fessed. “The only reason I came over here is because I thought you might’ve looked familiar, or at least weird enough to ring a bell or two.”

The eyes of the beast flared as he rose and grinned down at the boy. “And I wouldn’t be so quick to judge others on how they look.” He waved another limb across the fountain, a chalky, yellow, eagle claw. “Especially not before taking a look in the mirror.”

With a sliver of intrigue, David lurched forward and peeked over the rim of the fountain, staring cautiously into his reflection below. The boy who stared back adorned an intense, hateful glare, pupils stung with red-hot blood. The shadow of the figure deepened and stanced as though ready to pounce and lunge for the boy’s throat. The young human gasped and sputtered as splashes of water geysered up onto the fountain and sent him flying back onto his rump. The beast cackled like a wild, dying hyena, turning over once more to continue his hearty and satisfied laughter to the sky.

“And you’re just as skiddish as those little ponies, too!” He wheezed and cackled. “Oh, I can tell this is going to be exciting, for you and I both.”

“Who…” David looked up with mixtures of awe and shock. “Who are you?”

The beast froze into another grin and rose from the waters, his full and true body in view. What the boy could only describe before him now was that of a laboratory experiment gone wrong, one of God’s drunken creations. A beast straight out of the bible. He held the head of a goat, a bear’s paw and an eagle’s claw to his forearms, a lizard’s leg and a horses’ hoof to his hind quarters. His long, serpentine body ended in a scarlet-scaled dragon’s tail, the two horns atop his head miss-matched and juxtapose. Finally, a single, toothy, sickly yellow fang protruded from the end of his lip. The mangly serpent snarled and swirled about as he presented himself with a haphazard, triumphant stance.

“Know this, boy, and do not forget it.” He muttered with intent. “I was before Celestia, I was before Luna, before all things one could imagine they might record in their history books. I am history, and I am most certainly at a means capable of re-writing it, if I so please.” He hummed and smiled devilishly. “I go by many names, the ‘Bringer of Chaos’, the god of confusion and destruction. You may call me…Discord.”

The boy stared for a moment longer, blinked, and cocked his head. “Who…?”

The scarlet maned mare scurried her way through one alley after another in a futile attempt to go unseen, hoping that the lengthy time she had already spent away from her mandated duties wouldn’t go noticed by two particular guards whom roamed these streets. In fact, they were the only two guards who roamed these streets. For once, the earth pony thanked the town for its deficiency in defense accommodations, but alas felt the ongoing, stinging paranoia that somepony was watching her. Despite it all, she had a mission in mind, and that mission led her straight back to her shop.

Rose Luck took a peek to the left and a glance to the right before scittering across the street and tripping over her own hooves, somersaulting to the front door of The Lucky Rose. She frantically rang her hooves upon the door and peeked past the curtains of the window, all before realizing she owned this shop. Pushing past the panel, she invited herself in and clicked it shut behind her.

“What was that thing Mr. Mikado gave me?” She pondered, sauntering across the front counter. “The vial? That’s it! I need to find that vial-”

“Rose Luck…?”

The shop owner stiffened and slowly turned around, facing her former friend and employee.

“Is it really you?” Lily Orchard approached and threw her arms over the mare, an odd branch-off from her usual, timid demeanor. “It is you! Oh, I’m so happy you’re back, Rosie!”

“I live here, Lily…” Rose replied.

“Oh, right.” Lily squeaked, parting away. “But we’ve missed you, Daisy and I both. Ever since you left to do your community service the shop has turned into a disaster. I-I mean-! Not exactly a disaster, it’s just…not the same without you.”

Only then did Rose begin to notice the degrading, decaying state that was the interior of her beloved shop. The welcome sign on the inside of the window was crooked, and the bell above the door sounded just slightly off key. A disaster indeed… Rose surmised, but shook the thoughts away and addressed the pink-coated earth mare before her.

“And as much as I’d like to catch up on the details, I’m afraid it’s gonna have to wait.” Rose announced. “There’s a life on the line and I’m the only pony who can help right now.” She pressed her hooves to the timid pony’s shoulders. “The vial, where is it?”

Lily blinked, giving her friend a side-eye. “What…vial?”

“Ugh, that’s right…” Rose grumbled. “I never told you about that either.”

“Are you talking about that creepy guy who came over?” Lily proposed. “The one with the curved horn?”

Roses’ gaze went stone cold. “Mikado was here?”

“I-I mean-!” Lily recomposed herself. “No, he wasn’t. I mean-! I don’t know who you’re talking about.”

“Lily, you have to tell me what happened.” Rose pleaded. “This is for Amethyst. She’s only a kid!”

“But…what if we get in trouble again?”

“I don’t care about that anymore! I’ve hurt other ponies for long enough.” Rose declared. “Even if it costs me my shop, I’m not going to let somepony die because of me.”

Lily shook and shuddered beneath her breath before blinking away her fret and speaking once more. “Okay, he was here.” She admitted. “That Mikado guy came in here looking for something, but I don’t know what it was. He just said he knew where to look.”

“When did this happen?” Rose asked fervently.

“Just last night.”

Her pupils shrunk and her hooves moved quicker than her mind could follow. Rose spun around the pony and clamored her way up the stairs. Bursting into her bedroom, she pulled one drawer open after the other, searching for the special vial she had seemingly misplaced. Finally, she peeked beneath her bed and yanked the small, chestnut box lying underneath. Lily followed in behind her just as she clicked open the box. The unmistakable symbol of Neighsian writing laid on a small piece of parchment within, delivering the blatant tell tale sign that not only had the vial been taken, but Mikado was inviting her to come and claim it.

Quietly and carefully, David crept up to the eastern side of the tall, rotundus building that was Town Hall, keeping out of sight and earshot of the guards standing at the doorway. He forced his hand away from the spot upon his chest, attempting to distill the habit of scratching it over whenever his nerves began to get the better of him. It was a better time than any now to feel like a complete idiot, standing alone in the plaza and staring at the windows of Town Hall like something was about to happen. Perhaps something was about to happen? Perhaps that weird, serpent being would pull through for him after all? Or, was it all just another ploy to humiliate the boy with the sick, twisted tricks the serpent of mischief liked to play? His second guessing quickly getting the better of him, David mumbled past his shaking lips.

“Alright, Discord…mister dragon guy…whatever.” He twiddled his thumbs. “If you’re gonna do something, then do it now.”

Have you already forgotten what I said? Discord spoke in his mind. Only when the time is right…which is right about now, of course!

The sound of a pony trotting up filled his ears, to which the boy turned and blinked dumbfounded at the sight before him.

“You…” Rose Luck halted and sneered.

“You…” The boy talked back, though more confused than hateful.

Silence reigned across the plaza square, along with the distant spectators who watched on from the alley ways, wondering if the boy and the mare were going for round two. Alas, to their delight and also their dismay, nothing happened.

“That’s it?” Rose started. “You’re just going to say ‘you?’”

“Well…that’s what you said.” He argued back. “What did you expect me to say?”

“Oh, I don’t know, how about my name?”

“…”

“Wha-?” The pony raised a hoof. “Don’t tell me you forgot it!”

“Like you even remember my name!” David shot back.

“Well, duh! How could I ever forget your name? It’s…it’s uh…”

The boy crossed his arms, smirking. “Then it looks like we’re even.”

“Look, I don’t care about trying to get even with you.” Rose stamped a hoof. “All I wanna know is why you’re here.”

“The better question would be why you’re here.” David raised a finger. “Aren’t you supposed to be doing community service, or something?”

“Shh! Not so loud!” Rose hissed, glancing left and right. “I don’t know whatever could’ve dragged you out here to Town Hall, but I’ve got serious problems to tend to.”

“Like trying to maintain the well-being of somepony else’s life because you ultimately feel you’re the one responsible for redeeming them?” David asked in one breath.

“Don’t be ridiculou-” Rose halted, blinking and scanning the boy awkwardly. “…y-yes, actually. Wait, how did you know that?”

In the midst of their shared, stagnant, bewildered staring, a great flash of white burst from in between them and produced the monstrously tall, serpentine being the boy had only met mere moments ago. Discord extended paw and talon, stretching his limbs between the boy and the mare as he scooted them closer into a grouping embrace, pressing his goat face and flaring his nostrils on one and the other as he cackled loudly into the plaza.

“What an ironic twist of fates this journey has brought us! Two, sworn enemies, finally coming together for a common purpose.” Discord laughed, scrolling through his memories. “A familiar tale, is it not? If I do say so myself, I believe I have been met with a similar fate in the past.” His tongue dispensed from his jaw like an endless roll of filming tape, frame after frame of Twilight Sparkle and himself engaging in countless, unspoken and unrecorded adventures throughout history.

“Say, monkey boy…” Rose trembled backwards. “Who’s your weirder, creepier looking friend ya’ got here?”

“I was hoping you might have an idea.” David admitted quietly.

“I’m not hallucinating right now, am I?” Rose rubbed her eyes. “Oh, Celestia. Now there’s two of them.”

Discord simply stared at the two before him, tenderly rubbing his paw and claw together with a knowing, devilish grin stretching across his face. David was busy tapping his foot impatiently, gazing the serpent up and down.

“What? You’re not gonna punish her for calling you ugly?” The boy questioned.

“She’s a florist, my dear boy, symmetry is in her nature.” Discord informed. “You on the other hoof, or rather other hand, are an artist. You ‘ought to know and appreciate the ‘ugly’ more than anyone on this earth.”

“So you admit you’re ugly?” David asked.

“For your own sake, yes.” Discord admitted. “But let us resume to more pressing matters, shall we? Has it not come to both of your attention that the answer to your problems may very well rest within the same building the two of you aim to gain entry to? Why, what better opportunity could there be than for old enemies to make new amends, and work together to infiltrate the ‘black tower’ before thee?”

“What ‘black tower?’” Rose wandered her sights. “Am I supposed to hallucinate a tower, too?”

“Perhaps, my dear Rose, it is time for you to make amends with an old friend of yours?”

“Oh…” Rose Luck gulped. “That black tower…”

The backyard garden was completely and utterly vacant of almost any floral decoration whatsoever, serving as a cold reminder to the scarlet maned mare as she trotted alongside the boy, passing through the grass and stepping up onto the back patio. Given that the boy had spent far more time with the unicorn than even Rose was willing to, she trusted his judgment in greeting the mechanic at the back instead of the front of the house. The two stood idly by with awkward glances left and right, and both held a hoof and a hand to signal a knock. They paused, stared at each other, and glanced away again.

“Erm…” David scratched his scalp. “Go ahead.” He offered.

“No, no.” Rose waved a hoof. “You should do it.”

“It’s okay, I mean-” He breathed. “You knew her first.”

“Yeah, but…” She hesitated.

Silenced reigned over their moment, and just as they were about to repeat the same charade again, the sound of the door clicking open filled their ears and caused them to reconsider their stances. As calm and casually as they could muster, David and Rose Luck stood side by side in front of Silver Spanner hovering in the frame of her door, unbelieving eyes glossing over one and the other. Silver opened her mouth to say something, shut it up, and began again with a raised a hoof.

“Okay…” Silver started. “What happened?”

Neither of the visitors spoke. They momentarily glanced at each other only to look in different directions just as quickly.

“Did…you two make nice?” Silver sputtered, baffled. “Did you actually agree on something?”

“It’s complicated.” David admitted.

“And we need your help.” Rose added.

“There’s a body, isn’t there?” Silver panicked. “Who did you kill?”

“We didn’t kill anypony!” Rose protested.

“Ssh, not so loud!” Silver covered Rose’s mouth. “As far as anypony knows.”

“I’m relieved I’m the tallest one here.” David included.

“Stop it.” Rose swatted a hoof. “There isn’t a body and we didn’t kill anypony.”

“Well, in case you were wondering, no I do not have a bunker that you can take shelter in.” Silver told them. “Because the day I see the two of you standing next to each other, outside my door, ready to ask some spawn of Tartarus favor is the day that the world ends.”

“I think she’s missing the point.” David lowered to his knee. “Listen, Silver, we haven’t gotten into any trouble yet. But we’re getting there.”

“And that’s why you decided to come to me?”

“And before we get into the thick of it, there’s something I need to say first.” The earth pony’s eyes darted about shamefully, until finally meeting Silver’s with sincerity. “I owe you an apology, big time.”

“No kidding.” Silver stated.

“To put it simply, I…was a bitch.” Rose continued. “A big, nasty, horrible bitch. The level of bitch that which I achieved during that time was…bitch.”

“Okay, I’m sure you’ve said ‘bitch’ plenty of times now.” Silver acknowledged.

“Maybe just one more, for good measure.” David whispered.

Silver delivered a concerned squint, and Rose a menacing glare.

“Well don’t let me stop you.” He tucked his arms.

“Don’t you just love the comedic struggle this boy puts himself through?” From the metal mince of Silver’s backyard-sized scrapyard, a metal mockery of Discord himself spiraled and rose from the windings of steel and aluminium. “I for one find it riveting.”

“Who invited the giant snake…thing?” Silver stepped back, timidness in her tone.

“I’m not sure, my dear, he usually just invites himself to these sorts of things.” Discord patted David’s head. “He’s called a self-insert for a reason, you know?”

The metal Discord keeled over and fell apart with an obnoxious clatter of steel ringing against each other, the parts rolling across the ground and winding up to the back patio where the trio stood. Materializing himself back into his original form, Discord sprawled his arms once more and wrapped his company up in a heated, strategic huddle.

Rolling down the plaza square on sets of wheels arrived two, industrial sized speakers, the exterior of each sporting colors of black and blue. One simply contained the innards of your typical, everyday industrial sized audio emitter, while the other was packed with two inhabitants squished together and inside like a couple of sardines, one of course being a little less lucky than the other in their placement. Rose, of course, was more than prepared to express her complaints the entire way to Town Hall.

“Couldn’t we have just hopped in before turning around the corner, or something?” Rose struggled to adjust herself. “Why start from the house?”

The pony finally got the notion that struggling any further would only make matters worse. Her back was to the human’s and their faces pressed against the inner walls. The boy had a small peep hole to look through on his end, whilst Rose was left with complete darkness on hers, having only to rely on sound, feeling, and Luna forbid smelling.

“I’m beginning to think staying an ungrateful bitch would have turned out a lot better than this.” She whined again.

“Well, look on the bright side.” David said.

“…”

“…”

“What bright side?!”

“Oh, sorry, I didn’t plan a follow up.” He admitted. “Would you like to hear a chinese proverb instead?”

Rose gritted her teeth together and growled. If only she had room to kick the boy in the nose.

“Hey, keep it down.” Silver whispered. “We’re almost there.”

Discord and Silver pushed their respective speakers up the path to Town Hall, the unicorn utilizing her magic as she levitated the devices to the front door and quickly joined her partner to greet the guards. Sam and Ralph stood by stagnant and fixated as every, awaiting in anticipation of the next episode of “bullshit” that was about to assault their perfectly peaceful shift.

“Halt.” Ralph spoke as though practiced. “Who goes there?”

“Um, my name is…Sparky. Sparky Sparkle.” Silver replied. “And this is my accomplice…” She clumsily lifted a sticky note to her face and read. “Dee-Jay?”

“Disco Junkie.” Discord answered. He had covered himself with superfluous amounts of chains and blinding assortments of jewelry, knowingly taking his blatant interpretation of “today’s youth” either a bit too jokingly or a bit too seriously.

“He is my music advisor,” Silver followed. “And I am the technician scheduled here to install these, erm…speakers.”

“You don’t suppose the Princess had these ordered?” Sam asked his friend.

“Don’t look at me, you go ask her.” Ralph shot back.

“I’m not leaving this post, captain’s orders.”

“We don’t have a captain.”

“Just pretend that we do.” Sam justified.

“I thought it might come to this.” Discord sighed, ripping off his bling and trading it for a long, dark brown robe and hood. He twiddled and danced his talons through the air with a subtle, little flicker, gaining the attention of the white, earth guard. Sam blinked and struggled to resist the undertaking of the spell.

“You don’t need to see his identification.” Discord hummed.

“Who’s? I didn’t ask for-” Sam blinked hard, drawling on. “We don’t need to see his identification.”

“These aren’t the droids you’re looking for.”

“These aren’t the droids we’re looking for.”

“Psst!” Ralph whispered over to Silver. “What are ‘droids?’”

“You can go about your business.” Discord hummed again.

“You can go about your business.” Sam repeated, zombified.

“Move along.”

“Move along, move along…in the other direction! Ha!” Sam puffed out his chest proudly. “I’ve seen that one a million times, you actually thought that trick would work on me?”

“No.” Discord grinned. “But this might.”

Raising his goat leg he kicked the alternate speaker and blasted the device to life, very obnoxiously and loudly playing a bass-boosted, beat-box version of some random Beach Boys song, whatever that’s supposed to sound like. Tapping a talon to the edge of the speaker, the emitter on wheels bounced over the side of the railing and landed on its rollers, trailing past the plaza square as it soon came within earshot of dozens of innocent, pony ears.

“Loud and disruptive music within a public vicinity.” Sam sucked in his breath. “That’s a violation of code-” His eye twitched. “C-c-code…four…”

“No, Sam! Fight it!” Ralph pleaded. “Remember your training!”

“I can’t take it anymore!” Sam screamed, leaping over the railing and howling after the speaker as he seemingly grew wings. Sprinting down the plaza at full force, spear raised as he yelled at the top of his lungs that this was once again “for the cause” or something stupid. If anything, he was without a doubt far more louder and disruptive than anything else in the plaza, and it had managed to gather a good amount of attention in such little time.

“And…in you go.” Discord kicked with his dragon foot this time, pushing Silver and the speaker which David and Rose were inside of. Smiling devilishly once more, the serpent waved a talon goodbye and clicked the door shut with a free paw, disappearing the very next second.

Silver Spanner stood motionless in the quiet, empty lobby space of Town Hall, taking a cautious peak of her surroundings and the stairs leading up to the second and third floor offices. A second later, the top of the speaker popped off, revealing a scarlet maned mare clawing and gasping for breath.

“Freedom!” Rose wailed to the ceiling. “Sweet, succulent, freedom-”

“Zip it!” Silver hissed. “Mikado and the Princess are right upstairs, we don’t want to alert them.”

“Doing what?” David followed out of the speaker case, crawling onto the floor.

“Huh?” The ponies looked back.

“I mean-” He started again. “What do you think Mikado and Twilight could be up to? They could’ve decided to meet in the castle, but why here?”

“I’m not sure, but I suppose we’re about to find out.” Silver prodded her chin. “Or at least you two will find out.”

“You’re not coming?” David wondered.

“I’m supposed to be the technician who installs these speakers.” Silver patted the box. “I still ought to look the part. I’ll stay down here just in case anything goes wrong.”

“Silver, please.” Rose pleaded. “I know you and I have a bad history, but you’re not gonna leave me all alone with banana breath, are you?”

“As far as I can tell, you two have a bad history to catch up on, too.” Silver accused. “And besides, this is your mission, not mine. I did my part, now it’s time for you to do yours.”

“Just look on the bright side.” David paused, raising a finger. “And don’t worry, I actually thought of a bright side this time. I can carry you just like a house cat.”

“I spent plenty of time stuffed along side you in that speaker box, what makes you think I want to get any closer to you now?” Rose protested.

“If you try walking with your hooves you’ll make too much noise.” David noted. “Ponies aren’t used to picking up the sound of my toes while I sneak around, they’ll hardly even notice me coming.”

Rose wiped her hoof over her face in a painfully long drawl, sighing belligerently into her frog as she whipped her mane and forced her eyes back upon the boy. “Fine. But only because this is for Amethyst. We’re short enough on time as it is.”

“That’s a good kitty cat.” He cooed and giggled to himself. “Now up, up into my arms-”

“Do you wanna lose a finger?”

Rose Luck was reluctantly cradled between the boy’s arms as the two quietly made their ascent up the still, vacant corridors of Town Hall. David steadied his steps on big toe after the other, peeking around every corner and keeping his ears open to any voices or whispers within the building. He had Rose’s sense of hearing to thank for that, as he noticed her ears flicker in the right direction the closer they got to their destination. The central office was only a skip and a trot away, and the boy took his time sneaking up on the double-doored entrance. David set Rose Luck to her hooves and the two waited before the frame of the portal, poking their heads around the corner to see what the delegates in the room might be up to.

“I present to you the pinnacle of my architectural expertise.” Mikado spoke, ardent as ever.

“Wow, it’s so big~” Twilight admired. “Can I touch it?”

David’s and Rose’s eyes shrunk in disbelief.

“Of course not, this model is only a prototype.” Mikado explained innocently. “You will have to wait until the full-scale model has been developed.”

A miniature diorama depicting the greater part of Ponyville laid upon the table like a child’s play set between the Princess and the ambassador, the two acknowledging the layout as they ran through schedule after scheme of construction plans that were soon to benefit the town and its occupants. What appeared most peculiar wasn’t what was inside of the diorama, but rather upon the edges. Posted around the outskirts of the diorama in calculated intervals were five, equally sized velvet-black towers, each top of every structure ending off with a blunt, obsidian jab.

“It is a simple yet very dependable design.” Mikado explained. “It was adopted by my kin from the Saddle Arabians who lay just south of Neighsia. With this special barrier, Ponyville will require no other line of defense. Come timber wolf, manticore or hydra, the magical walls between these spires will prove impenetrable.”

“It is a very ingenious design, Mr. Mikado.” Twilight acknowledged. “I look forward to seeing its construction.”

The pair shunned back around the corner and huddled between each other in quiet speculation of what they might of just heard and saw. Adamant on determining their next course of action, David raised his hands towards his companion and mimed one direction after another. His hands twiddled through the air like that of an expert on sign language, or rather a poor, old, homeless person deep into his episode of nutrition deficient delusions. Either way, Rose couldn’t make heads or tails of what the hell the boy was trying to tell her. She was a pony for crying out loud, did the imbecile really not know? Quickly then, and the only credible sign the pony could pick up, was that the boy had soon become frustrated with repeating the same gestures over and over again. He emphasized his fist slamming into his open palm, a grunt and a wince across his complexion. Rose slowly raised her hooves and looked upon him patiently, wherein David beckoned back with pleading, hopeful eyes.

Then, Rose punched him in the nose.

The very sound of the hoof slugging its way across the boy’s facial structure caught the attention of the delegates within. Twilight paused and glanced over her shoulder, and Mikado stared out the vacant doorway with a tightened glare. His complexion softened, and the Neighsian rose from his chair.

“Please excuse me, your Highness.” The stallion stated, rounding the desk.

David cupped both hands over his nose as a fresh line of blood trickled from his nostril, a pair of daggers piercing past Rose’s hide. Alas, their glaring duel was cut short at the sound of hooves trotting nearer and louder. Rose doubled back and scooted herself behind a sizable vase, her coat and mane serving as floral camouflage as she curled her tail around the base of the container into a makeshift blanket. The boy had no other choice but to return to his instincts, and climb up to the rafters like a monkey.

A spell of silence haunted the halls as the burly, Neighsian stallion loomed about the space with an observant, icy gaze. His ears perked and his senses dialed to overdrive, it would have nearly taken the stillness of a cockatrice stare to avoid detection now. Ponies, of course, were far more familiar to his nose rather than humans, and scents never usually traveled downwards anyways. His attention was led over to the vase.

David clung to the rafters above, observing the stallion below, silent and daring in his mind all the while. Soon enough the after damages of Rose’s payback caught up to him, as the small string of blood dribbled past his lip and down his chin, dangling and threatening to drip. He freed a hand and held it below his face, catching the blood before it could make its descent. Alas, another trickle followed, and another limb hovered beneath his head. Mikado neared the vase, closer, eyes glaring and glinting. Blood trickled down the boy’s leg and past his ankle, around his heel and finally to his toes. He squeezed the stubby little digits shut in an attempt to suppress the flow, but the line of red was relentless. Just as it seemed when he was on his last leg, or rather his last toe, the blood finally came to a halt. He exhaled a sigh of relief. Then, the drop of red wiggled from out of his pinky toe, stood atop the boy’s foot and saluted him with a tiny, scarlet limb before taking the plunge below. With a small splat, the drop met the floor, and Mikado froze.

The stallion spun around and started in the direction of the boy, observing a peculiar, red dot lying right before his hooves. Rose blinked past the vase with a desperate glance, and David shriveled back in terror of being discovered. In that instant, an obnoxiously loud clatter sounded at the base of the stairs, drawing Mikado’s attention to the lobby level. The stallion trotted down and met with a unicorn attempting a tired, nonchalant demeanor.

“Haha, whoops! Clumsy ol’ me.” Silver leaned against the speaker box. “You wouldn’t believe how heavy this thing is, and I have to carry it all the way up to the roof myself.”

“State your business.” Mikado probed.

“I, er…” Silver hesitated.

Mikado’s eyes wandered to the window near the door. Past the glass outside, the two guards Sam and Ralph, were nowhere to be seen. The unicorn stepped in front of the ambassador’s view as she shielded with a nervous giggle.

As quickly as they had hidden themselves, David and Rose Luck sprung from their hiding spots and dashed past the office doors, shutting the panels closed behind them. It was their one and only chance now, the matter of minutes whittled down to mere seconds. Twilight jolted up from her chair and spun around to confront the clamor, eyes shrinking back in astonishment and disbelief.

“David?” She raised a hoof. “What’re you doing here?”

“I…” He hesitated. Great, now she’s caught me doing what I promised her I wouldn’t. “I’ve come to find out what’s going on.” He finally answered.

“This is meant to be a private meeting, you have no right to be in this room.” She carried her gaze over to Rose. “And if I’m not mistaken, I believe you have plenty of service hours to catch up on. You could be thrown in jail for this.”

“I know, but please Princess, hear us out first.” The earth pony pleaded. “Amethyst Star, the adopted daughter of the Hooves, she’s fallen ill and her condition is critical.”

“I’ve heard about what happened to Amethyst, the doctors are doing the best they can for her.” Twilight recomposed herself, leveling her breathing. “This is no time to be sneaking around places you shouldn’t be and breaking the law. If you leave now, I’ll be willing to look the other way on this little predicament.”

“You don’t understand, it’s that Mr. Mikado!” Rose stomped her hoof. “He’s behind all of this!”

“What?” Twilight stepped back, glazing over the mare.

“Twilight, listen.” David followed up. “Rose here thinks that Mikado is carrying a special vial that can help cure Amethyst, and he’s the only one that knows how to use it. That’s why he took it back and brought it here, to Town Hall, right when the two of you were supposed to be in this ‘secret meeting’ or whatever.”

“What does Mikado have to do with any of this?” Twilight’s glare intensified. “Somepony, or rather somebody here needs to explain themselves now.”

“I suppose now is a better time than any, even if they’re not here.” Rose considered, taking a deep breath before continuing. “This is something I need either one of you to pass down to either Amethyst or that foreign kid, Ronin. They ought to hear the truth.”

“I’m waiting.” Twilight tapped her hoof.

“Months before the garden raids started taking off, my flower shop was in a lot of financial trouble, and that’s when he showed up at my front door. Mikado.” Rose went on. “He noticed that I was struggling and offered a way out of my debt, on the condition that I helped carried out his plan.”

“What plan?” Twilight prodded.

“When he was at my shop that night, he gave me a peculiar type of substance and instructed me to sprinkle it over every single garden I could reach all throughout Ponyville. I didn’t know what the substance was at first, or what it was supposed to do. I was desperate, in a tight pinch, how could I decline? So…I did as he asked.”

“But the garden raids didn’t begin until only about a month ago.” The Princess speculated. “You said that this was several months before?”

“That’s why I kept going. The substance wasn’t doing anything at first, and I thought I wasn’t harming anypony. And then…well, I suppose you know the rest.”

“So what you’re saying is that Mikado had come to your shop months before he was scheduled to arrive in Ponyville, gave you an unidentified substance and told you to spread it across every garden in town so that he would get your business back up on its hooves?” Twilight eyed the earth pony doubtfully. “That was his plan?”

“Well, not exactly…” Rose struggled. “I mean, yes! But…he’s up to something, that’s for sure!”

Twilight stood with a mundane, disappointed gaze. Obviously this wasn’t what she wanted to hear, or even how she wanted her morning to go for that matter.

“I think what Rose is trying to say is that there’s more to this Mikado guy than any of us know here.” David backed up. “I’ve talked with this big wig before, there’s something off about him. It’s like he wants you to know he’s up to no good but he won’t tell you.”

Twilight considered the boy for a moment before returning to the pony. “If what you say is true, then I should expect to find this peculiar substance in his possession. Better yet, the special vial that you’re looking for.”

“Yes, please, the vial!” Rose practically fell to her haunches. “If we can just get that then we’ll be on our way, you’ll never see or hear from us ever again.”

“Hey, what about those records I was looking for?” David protested.

“Oh, right, and those too.”

“And besides, I already live with Twilight. It’s not like I won’t see her ever again.”

“You mean to tell me you could’ve asked her to get you those records anytime?” Rose’s eye twitched.

“It’s not like the thought would’ve occurred to me until now.” He excused.

“You’re just full of disappointments today, aren’t you?”

“…is this about the chinese proverb thing?” David twiddled his thumbs. “Is it a bad time to say that I didn’t even have a proverb ready to tell you in the first place?”

“Am I just hearing things, or did you two just go from being sworn enemies to fighting like a couple of siblings?” Twilight noted. “Come to think of it, this is a rather odd pair to be confronted with.”

“I guess Discord was always pretty laid back on his pickings.” David added.

“Discord?” The Princess stammered. “Wait, what does he have to do with all of this?”

“Er…”

“Now I know what this is really all about.” Twilight snarled and took a defensive stance, glancing all around the room. “You better show yourself this instant, you mischievous draconequus, or I’ll have a word about you with Princess Celestia herself!”

For a long moment then, the boy and the mare stood awkwardly off to the side as the Princess continued to scan the chamber with an intense, expectant glare. No supposed draconequus had come from beneath the shadows nor behind any nooks or crevices, no intruders save for the boy and earth pony standing idly by. The sound of hooves trotting through the doorway brought everyone’s attention back into focus.

“I see you have been busy entertaining our guests, your Highness.” Mikado hummed, waltzing into view. “If only you could have shown me the same courtesy the day I arrived.”

“Your Excellency, I apologize.” Twilight quickly bowed. “It seems we will have to postpone our meeting-”

“Nonsense, Princess, they’re right on time.” He assured.

“I’m…sorry?”

“You knew we were coming?” David paused, glancing between the stallion and the door. “Wait, where’s Silver Spanner?”

“The unexpected company, you mean? I sent her away with our royal guards, of course.” Mikado clicked his tongue. “You should know better than to include unwanted members into our business, Royal Equerry.”

Damn, I shouldn’t have roped her into this. The boy fretted inwardly. How can I make amends when all I do is make things worse for her?

“Mr. Mikado, do excuse my lack of knowledge, but what part do my loyal subjects have to play in this matter?”

No response uttered its way past the ambassador’s lips as he slowly brought his sights over to the scarlet maned mare, the pony quivering beneath his icy, stinging eyes. He blinked with a small sliver of regard and reached into the pocket of his robe, producing a small bottle as he levitated it forward for the party to see. The vial.

“It seems you decided to accept my invitation after all. I commend your bravery, young mare.” Mikado regarded the earth pony. “The vial is yours, you’ve earned it.”

Rose Luck stretched out her limbs and caught the bottle between her hooves, glossing over the ethereal, liquid-blue glow that swirled and shone from within. This was it then, her stroke of redemption was finally at hoof. More importantly, it meant one step closer to saving young Amethyst’s life. Rose, however, deemed that the troubles were rather thin and having obtained the cure wouldn’t be so easy after all. Repercussions were bound to occur. With an unsure glance, Rose’s eyes returned to the snow white foreigner with a hint of question.

“I suppose this means I’m going to jail after all?” She attempted a giggle, shuddering frightfully. “I at least hope the food isn’t as bad as they said it is.”

“Your punishment is not mine to judge.” Mikado turned to Twilight. “Princess, what is your verdict?”

“…” The Alicorn remained motionless and silent for a while before speaking. “I believe you did the right thing, Rose, but the Hall may not look kindly upon your absence. Report to my castle tomorrow morning and we’ll negotiate an agreement.”

“Ah…” Rose stumbled, nearly out of breath, but stood proper and curtsied elegantly. “You have my thanks, Princess Twilight.”

Without another word, the earth pony backtracked and trotted past the open double doors, serving one last glance to the boy before turning the corner and descending the stairs. David glazed over the entrance for a short spell in wonder of what that was all about, returning his attention at the sound of the Princess’ tone and the uncertainty that followed.

“Is it true, Mr. Mikado?” Twilight addressed him carefully. “Is Rose Luck the one you chose?”

Chose? David thought inwardly. Is there something Twilight isn’t saying…?

“Her words tell no lies, I had approached her months prior to incorporate her as our acolyte, to instigate our path towards a common goal.” He spoke steadily.

The memory of his first meeting with the ambassador flickered in the young boy’s head, his tone and words of familiarity swarming about. Towards a common goal. David mumbled in the pit of his mind. Though the details still remained vague, it seemed as though the old stallion intended to keep it that way no matter how far he or anypony else for that matter would try to dig. He already knew now that Twilight was much more knowledgeable on the subject than she first appeared. It was yet another ploy, a scheme to hide one’s true array of information from those who ought not to know, or at least from those which they think shouldn’t know. But, here the boy stood before two of the most powerful ponies in all of Ponyville, both statistically and possibly even magically.

“It would seem you’ve already obtained a clue as to what we speak of, young Equerry.” Mikado bellowed, beckoning the boy over. “Come and observe this diorama, will you?”

David said nothing and allowed his feet to carry him forward, timidly glazing over the diorama of Ponyville with careful, observant eyes. The five, black spires from before all laid in their respective posts towering high and mighty out of the ground, and from their lines his eyes followed to the center of their diameter. Mikado had been watching him.

“Observant.” Mikado admired. “Just as you said, Princess.”

David glanced to Twilight, whom only looked downcast in response.

The center of the spires led to one point in particular in Ponyville. The plaza square fountain, where the statue of Caerus had been destroyed. Upon its pedestal laid a large, black, crystal shard.