One Way or The Otherby JensettimanChaptersChapter 1: The Birdsong CompetitionChapter 2: An Apple a Day...Chapter 3: RoyaltyChapter 4: Power from Deep WithinChapter 5: All Minds Die SomedayPrologue (3 Months later)Chapter 1: The Birdsong CompetitionChapter 1: The Birdsong Competition It was a beautiful day in Equestria, especially in Ponyville. The sun was shining, the birds were singing. Everything was marvellous! Wired Fix was running through the park, a note was flying in his magic. He was focused. He had to reach Fluttershy’s cottage before it was too late. The path was clear the whole way, which is really rare to see on such a sunny day. Wired Fix was just about to cross the river when Angel came jumping over the bridge, eating a carrot. Wrong place at the wrong time, he was easily thrown into the water. ”Sorry, Angel!” Wired Fix yelled and shot a magic orb to lift Angel and the now soggy carrot out of the water. As you may imagine, Angel was now back in his grumpy mood. The cottage was just one small forest away. Wired Fix couldn’t stop for a moment, his message being so important. Right when he was about to enter the forest, he noticed Rainbow Dash practicing at maneuvering between the trees. A lot of trees were damaged by crashes. ”Hey, Dashie!” he shouted after her. ”Could you give me a lift to Fluttershy’s cottage? It’s a little urgent!” Rainbow looked around, causing her to crash into another tree. This time breaking it down. ”Oh, look who’s here!” she smiled and flew towards Wired Fix. ”What’s the emergency, sweetheart?” ”Cut the flirting, and give me a lift,” he replied with a slight scoff. ”You know I’m not interested.” ”Yeah yeah,” Rainbow laughed and picked him up. She carried him to Fluttershy’s cottage and put him down excessively gently. “There you go! One trip to Fluttershy. Now, how about you make it even with a little…visit at my house? We could chill out, maybe eat some muffins.” Her smile was sweet. Wired Fix didn’t feel like doing anything at her house, not even just eating. “Well, thanks for the lift, Rainbow,” he said and brushed his coat. “But here, just to make you happy.” He gave her a kiss on the cheek. She was stunned. Her wings flapped twice, maybe even three times as fast. “Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gooosh!” she stammered and fell to the ground. “I will never let you get away, sweetheart.” Wired Fix rolled his eyes before running towards Fluttershy’s front door. He knocked on the door a few times. The door was recently painted, so he got red paint on his hoof, which he wiped off on the grass. Fluttershy opened the door slowly, shivering a little. Her mane was a different style than usual, although it was nor an improvement or a ruin. “Oh, um…Hello…” she whispered. “Is there anything going on?” “You bet there is!” Wired Fix replied quickly and showed her the note. “The birdsong competition is today! And it’s starting in ten minutes!” Fluttershy’s eyes opened widely in a snap, and her mane changed into something electrocuted-like style. “Oh dear!” she shouted. “W-we must hurry, then. Angel…” She interrupted herself at the look of a wet, grumpy rabbit stomping through the front door, dragging a soggy carrot behind him. He glared at Fluttershy, sighed and lifted his ears. “Oh good, you’re here,” she said and smiled carefully at Angel. “Gather the bird choir, and send them to the Town Square. We need to hurry, the competition is starting in less than ten minutes!” She ran out the door towards the Town Square. Wired Fix was almost pushed over and into a pond, but managed to regain his balance. “Oh, poor Fluttershy,” he sighed and walked toward the Town Square himself. “Why don’t you just fly over the forest?” The Town Square was crowded. Well, at least more crowded that it usually is. A lot of ponies had gathered to watch the songbirds sing in choirs, quartets and even duos. As expected, Mayor Mare was also there to watch, but not introduce nor judge. The judges’ table was placed a little lower than the stage, and covered with a nice, light green tablecloth. This year’s judges were represented by one pegasus, one unicorn and one earth pony. The show was almost ready to start, only Fluttershy was not there. Everypony started to chatter in worry, but luckily, Fluttershy came running at the last second. She looked exhausted, which is unlikely for a pegasus, at least of her age. Everything was now ready. “Fillies and gentlecolts!” the announcer called in a presumptuous, but kind tone. “Welcome to the fifteenth annual birdsong competition, this year here in good old Ponyville. Let’s introduce you to this year’s three might I say marvellous judges!” Everypony applauded as the spotlights were pointed at the judges one at a time. “From the sunny, wonderful Cloudsdale, we have Spitfire from the Wonderbolts!” Spitfire waved at the crowd, sending a reassuring wink. “And from this nice, rustic town of Ponyville, we have got a local warm-heart joining us! And don’t worry. We have learned the lesson from our Pinkie Pie experience.” Some ponies phewed in relief. Pinkie Pie, on the other hoof, was slightly offended. “Give a good applause to Big McIntosh!” Big Mac smiled at the audience, and greeted them with a “Yup.” “And finally, from the glorious city of Canterlot, the very castle, to be precise, we have been honoured to have the presence of Princess Luna!” All ponies bowed politely as the princess of the night smiled and waved to the crowd. “We are honoured to be here,” Princess Luna said. “And by that, I mean the three of us. Not like the Royal Canterlot voice. It’s getting old.” Everypony laughed with her. “So, with no further ado, let’s get this competition on! I’m Hoity Toity, and I will be your host.” First up was Roseluck with her quartet of canary birds. She had really prepared, she had even brought props resembling a forest, a town and heaven. She called the opera “Tomorrow”. It really touched the judges. For the first time, at least Wired Fix’s first time, Big McIntosh cried. No wonder why Hoity Toity called him warm-hearted. Luna’s reaction was easier, it was just a satisfied smile and a nod. Spitfire nodded and sent another wink. It must be a tic or something. Next up was Twilight Sparkle with her Owlowicious. He was supposed to sing Ponyville’s fifty years old anthem. That didn’t go quite well, as Twilight had taught him Cloudsdale’s war tune instead. Yes, it is quite odd to find out Cloudsdale had a war tune. Luna wasn’t actually impressed by the mistake, but gave Twilight and Owlowicious a few points for the tune being sung correctly. Spitfire clapped and smiled really widely, since tunes with beats interest her more than slow, dramatic operas. At least she didn’t wink this time. Big Mac closed his eyes, shook his head and just said “Nope.” After a series of spring melodies, classical tunes and forest tragedies, it was finally Fluttershy’s turn with her bird choir. They were going to surprise the crowd this year, she had said. Wired Fix lifted an eyebrow when he saw Fluttershy carrying an amplifier up on the stage. I mean, seriously? Birds are just supposed to sing so everypony can hear, not have their voices made louder artificially. He decided to go and take a look. Behind the stage were a few cables, a mixing board and a battery. It didn’t look like something cute, little Fluttershy would use. What was she up to? Wired Fix turned around when Fluttershy came up behind him. “Oh, um…hello,” Fluttershy said and blushed. “Shouldn’t you be out there, listening to my birds?” “Actually,” Wired Fix replied. “I was hoping to find out why in Equestria you’re setting up an amplifier, and have cables going back here. It sure doesn’t look like your kind of props.” “Oh, that,” she replied and blushed again. “It’s part of the surprise.” She smiled faintly. “Well then,” Wired Fix said and turned around. “Just be careful, ok?” He went back to the crowd. The bird choir was all set. The three judges were excited, waiting for this rather unusual prop design to be used. Spitfire looked the most excited, no surprise. Wired Fix went back to his spot in the crowd, right next to Mayor Mare. She looked at him, a little curious. “Um, excuse me sir,” Mayor Mare started and cleared her throat. “Could you please tell me, just out of curiosity, what you were doing behind the scene?” Wired Fix didn’t respond to that. He was too focused on trying to find out why Fluttershy would use such…technical stuff. She’s too natural. Fluttershy stepped out on the stage, with a microphone of some sort in her mouth. She placed it on a rack before bowing towards the audience. “Um, hi…everypony,” she started, and looked at the crowd. “I’m going to…um…show you something I…um…came up with a few days ago. H-hope you enjoy it.” Everypony was clapping as Fluttershy turned towards the bird choir. Wired Fix threw a last look at the amplifier before snapping out of it, and focusing on Fluttershy’s birds. The birds started singing. Just a normal birdsong, with a slightly melodic variation. Big Mac smiled and nodded in the same rhythm as the song. Princess Luna was really impressed, she did the same thing. Spitfire, however, just sat there and smiled politely. This was going really nice and calmly. Wired Fix was surprised. The amplifier was not in use. Neither were the microphone, cables or mixing board! But remember the old saying: Never assume anything. Before anypony got a chance to react, Fluttershy jumped towards the microphone and started singing herself. And in a Heavy Metal-style! The bird choir backed her up as background vocal. Suddenly, the scene was filled with smoke, and Fluttershy crawled together. Ponies were starting to mumble together as a reaction to that rather unusual act. When she straightened out again, her mane was combed backwards. Her tail was no longer soft and wavy. It had turned spiky. And she had a cape, black as the darkest of nights. As the smoke faded, the new character had taken its place on the stage. “Ponies of Equestria,” Fluttershy said in a dark, cold voice. “Prepare for a new pony to take the place of your beloved Fluttershy. Prepare for…Shutterfly!” The figure on the stage was terrifying! She looked like a dark, almost evil version of herself. Her mane made her look emo, her tail made her look electric. And that cape…It was almost as she was a Shadowbolt! With the audience, especially Mayor Mare and the judges, totally shocked, a shockwave of sound boomed out of the amplifier! It was so powerful, Wired Fix was knocked over, and banged his head on a blunt rock. As he opened his eyes, all he could see was a blurry, distorted image of everypony running around, scared by Fluttershy’s presentation. He could make out the silhouette of Minuette hiding under a bench, Lyra and Bon Bon holding each other tightly, Doctor Whooves running into a big, blue box… Everything was a complete mess, before he blacked out again. When the dust had settled, and the sun had lowered behind the trees, Wired Fix woke up again. He was still very dizzy, and he had got a real headache. But at least he could see. The Town Square was a complete mess. Trees were broken down, the fountain was smashed, even the Town Hall had been damaged. All this because of…of… For some reason, he couldn’t remember anything of what had happened! I mean, he did remember the transformation, the chaos and the silhouettes. But still, he kind of couldn’t work out what he had gone through, so it was unclear. “I better get over to Nurse Redheart quickly,” he said and trotted to the hospital, one hoof on his forehead. “I might be even more damaged than I know.” Before long, he had managed to get to the hospital, where Nurse Redheart ran a few tests. “Those are some really great fractures you’ve got there, mister!” she said and pointed at an X-ray photo. “You are going nowhere before that heals. Get some rest.” She left the room before giving him a chance to reply. He lay down on the bed, hoping Fluttershy was okay, after that way too strong show. Chapter 2: An Apple a Day...Chapter 2: An Apple a Day… (Three days later) “Okay, mister,” Nurse Redheart said and smiled. “You’re good to go. It was not as bad as we feared, just a bump in your head, and a few bruises. But they’re almost fully healed. How do you feel?” Wired Fix was still taking a nap, it was about the only thing he did during his stay. Wake up, eat and fall back asleep. He opened his eyes slowly, looking at Nurse Redheart. “Oh, sorry. Did I wake you up? I can come back later if you want to.” “No, it’s alright,” he replied. “I’m fine, just a great headache. I know this is a stupid question, but…Do you have any…stored cider?” Nurse Redheart laughed really loudly, her tears were running. She kept like that for a few seconds, before she wiped her face and cleared her throat. “Of course we have cider,” she replied. “All our patients are served cider every Sunday.” “I don’t mean regular cider,” Wired Fix said and scowled at her. “I emphasized stored. You know what I mean.” He breathed heavily, and put his hoof to his head. Nurse Redheart looked at him, and felt a little bad for him. She knew what he had gone through at the competition, and agreed he deserved it. “Ok,” she replied and put a hoof on his shoulder. “I will get you a bottle. But only one.” He looked up at her, looked into her eyes and smiled faintly. “Thank you.” Nurse Redheart came back from the cellar a few minutes later with a small bottle of cider. Not the regular kind everypony drinks the day it’s made. Stored cider, which has had time to develop a small amount of alcohol. This is usually only given to ponies with a tough past, guests at great royal arrangements or patients with social problems. But this was a special case of empathy. Strong empathy. “Here’s your bottle, mister,” she said and gave him the bottle from her sack. “It’s five years old, I hope you like it.” She smiled, and was about to turn and leave, when Wired Fix pulled a chair with his spell. “Please, sit by my side,” he said and smiled again. This time a little bigger. “I don’t really have anypony to talk with. Might as well get to know you better. Hope you’re not too busy.” Nurse Redheart looked at him, then towards the chair, before returning to looking at him. She smiled and sat down on the chair. “Well, what would you like to talk about?” she asked. He didn’t respond immediately. He opened the bottle, and poured a small amount into a glass. The five years old cider was a warm, rich colour, giving it the look of amber. He took a sip of the liquid before putting the bottle and the glass on his table. “About me,” he finally answered and looked into Nurse Redheart’s eyes. They were sparkly, like the reflection of the sun on the sea. “I want to talk about myself. Sorry, don’t mean it as hubris or self-centering. I just want you to know how I feel these days. Well, besides being here for three days I mean. I’ve…had these feelings lately. Strange feelings, they are.” “What kind of feelings?” Nurse Redheart asked. “I don’t know,” Wired Fix replied before taking another sip of the cider. “Some kind of…attraction, I guess. Like I feel really good every time a certain pony is close by.” Nurse Redheart chuckled. “You’re in love, my dear. But tell me…” She looked around before leaning in close to Wired Fix’s face. “Who is making you feel good, just by being close by?” Wired Fix turned his head and closed his eyes, letting out a sigh. He took yet another gulp of the glass before he turned his head back towards Nurse Redheart’s. “It’s you,” he said and placed his hoof on her cheek. “I am fond of you, Nurse Redheart.” He gave her a kiss on the other cheek. The weather was nice outside. The sun was shining, the sky was clear. For once, that lazy pony Rainbow Dash had done a good job. Wired Fix spotted Fluttershy carrying a bunch of baby bunnies on her way to the school. It was petting week there, so she had volunteered to deliver cute, cuddly animals every day. “Hey, Fluttershy!” Wired Fix called after her. “Want any help?” Fluttershy turned around, and smiled when she saw him. “Oh, hello,” she replied with a blush. “Well, thanks for the offer. Here, take as many as you want. They’re really nice, they don’t make a fuss.” She leaned in towards him so three bunnies could jump onto Wired Fix’s back. Their noses tickled so much, he almost fell to the ground. “Oh, my!” she gasped. “Um, are you okay? Was it too many?” “No, no, I’m fine,” he replied and gave the bunnies a little shake to calm them down. “I’m just not used to have anything else on my back than a coat.” “Well, as long as you’re okay,” Fluttershy replied and smiled again. They arrived at the school five minutes later. Wired Fix crouched down, letting the bunnies jump down without the risk of them getting hurt. The young fillies came running out through the doors before Miss Cheerilee got a chance to stop them. They all flocked up around the group of ten cuddly baby bunnies, who looked curiously back at them. “They’re so cute!” Applebloom said. “They’re so fluffy!” Scootaloo said. “I really like their fur!” Sweetie Belle continued. All of the fillies kept cuddling and baby-talking to the bunnies, while Wired Fix and Fluttershy stood and smiled, knowing they had brought a great source of happiness. Fluttershy turned her head towards Wired Fix’s and looked into his eyes. And she kept it that way. Like she couldn’t take her eyes away. Wired Fix turned towards Fluttershy, which made here look away and blush a little. “Eh…Are you alright, Fluttershy?” he asked and lifted an eyebrow. “You look like something just scared you.” Fluttershy looked back at him. “Um…” she replied. “No, nothing is wrong. I just…um…yeah.” Wired Fix didn’t know what to say to that. He just chuckled and headed for the Town Square. All the happy faces cheered him up enough for a cupcake at Sugarcube Corner. Sugarcube Corner was really crowded. It was almost like everypony in all of Ponyville had settled down in the small café. Wired Fix walked past several tables before he reached the counter. “Welcome to Sugarcube Corner,” Mrs Cake greeted. “How may I help you, sir?” “Hello,” Wired Fix replied and smiled. “I would like a strawberry cupcake with lemon cream icing. And I would also like a cup of cocoa.” Mrs Cake looked at Wired Fix curiously. There was a hint of insecurity in her eyes. “Cocoa?” she asked. “You always decline, although very politely, our offers of cocoa, and now you order it? There’s nothing wrong, I assure you!” She laughed. “It’s just a little strange.” “I’ve never been in the correct mood for cocoa,” Wired Fix replied. “I order what matches my mood, and today, I feel warm and fresh, just like cocoa and lemon.” Mrs Cake couldn’t do anything but chuckle at that silly statement. She nodded and told him she’d take care of his order. Wired Fix sat down at a table, right next to Bon Bon and Lyra…making out. He turned his head away. There’s nothing wrong with it, he just doesn’t want to get accused of “spying” on them. At another table, he could see Spitfire and Soarin’ sharing a milkshake. It seems everypony are starting to find their special somepony these days. he thought to himself. I’ve got no interest in such thing…yet. “Here you go, mr. Wi-Fi!” Mrs Cake sang when she arrived at Wired Fix’s table. “One strawberry cupcake with lemon cream icing, and one steaming hot cup of fresh cocoa!” “Mmm, smells nice,” he replied. “I’m looking forward to eating it.” He picked up a fork and began eating the cupcake. The whole meal was finished within minutes, which he really enjoyed. He carried the plate and cup to the counter, put a few bits there, and left with a good feeling. “Hmm, I wonder how Rarity’s boutique is going. I’ve got nothing to do, might as well pop in for a visit.” The air was really chilly, he couldn’t remember the winter coming this early before. The trees were bending quite heavily in the wind. Wired Fix decided to trot to Rarity’s boutique to keep the warmth. As he trotted away, Big McIntosh came walking beside him. “Good afternoon, Big Mac.” Wired Fix said and smiled. “Out for a stroll?” “Nope,” Big McIntosh replied and shook his head. “Ok,” Wired Fix replied. “Are you going somewhere? Let me guess. Rarity’s boutique?” “Yup,” Big Mac replied and nodded. “We need some new curtains for th’ house, ya see. Poor Granny Smith managed to drop ‘em into th’ pot o’ applesauce she was cookin’.” “Oh dear,” Wired Fix said and chuckled. “Well, look at it in a more positive way. At least there’s more fiber now.” They both broke out into laughter. They laughed so hard, they had to stop to catch their breath. “Oh dear,” Big Mac said and took a deep breath. “If ya said that to Granny Smith, ah am pretty sure she’d whack the breath out of ya.” Wired Fix thought about it, trying to visualize it. He chuckled by the thought. “Yeah, you’re probably right. Better not, then.” They finally arrived at Rarity’s boutique, when Opalescence came running out the window. “Opal, come back!” Rarity shouted and looked out the window. “Mommy’s sorry, I didn’t mean to stitch your bow on the dress! Please, Opal!” Opal didn’t stop at all, she just jumped up into a tree and started licking herself. Wired Fix got a confused look on his face and looked at Big Mac, who just shrugged. “Oh, hello!” Rarity called and smiled. “I’m sorry, just let me change, and I’ll be with you in a minute!” She ran back in. Big Mac opened the door, and the two colts walked in. “Rarity, have you got any problems with Opal?” Wired Fix called up the stairs. “She seemed to be in a fuss.” Rarity came out of her room and down the stairs. “Oh, nothing to be worried about,” she replied and smiled. “I was just a little unlucky and stitched poor Opal’s bow onto the new dress I’m making for Princess Luna.” Wired Fix and Big Mac smiled and nodded as a sign of understanding. “So, how may I help you, my friends?” “I just came in to see how you’re doing,” Wired Fix replied. “But Big McIntosh has got a request.” He nodded towards Big Mac. “Yup,” he said. “Granny Smith managed to throw th’ curtains into th’ pot o’ applesauce, and now they’re ruined. So ah came to buy some new ones.” “Hmm,” Rarity said and smiled. “I’m pretty sure we could find something to replace them. Do you need any specific colours or patterns?” Big Mac shook his head, and pointed at a curtain stand with single-coloured linen curtains. Rarity went over there and lifted up some light brownish-yellow curtains. “Do these satisfy?” she smiled. “Yup,” Big Mac replied and showed her the sack on his back, which he opened. “Just put ‘em in there. Ah got th’ bits in th’ other pocket.” Big Mac left the shop with a smile, and trotted back to Sweet Apple Acres. After putting the bits in the money box, Rarity turned around, smiling at Wired Fix. “So,” she said. “You wanted to pop in for a visit, checking on me?” Wired Fix smiled and nodded. Rarity smiled cutely. “That’s sweet of you. Would you like some tea?” “Yes, thanks for the offer,” he replied. “What kinds do you have?” “Come with me, and we can find it out in the kitchen, you and I,” she replied and walked towards the kitchen. The kitchen was really bright; the walls were white, the floor tiles were about the same colour as the curtains Rarity sold to Big McIntosh. And to top it off, she had really large windows. Rarity opened a cabinet and lifted out three jars. “I got green, white and black tea,” she said and put the jars on the counter. “Also, I got some fruit trees in the garden, if you want fresh fruit tea. Lemons, blackcurrants, apples. Your choice!” Wired Fix thought through it, before coming to a conclusion. “I’ll take black tea with apple.” Chapter 3: RoyaltyChapter 3: Royalty They sat there for five minutes, just sipping tea and looking at each other. Wired Fix smiled and looked at the garden. The flowers were amazing, exploding with colours and fragrances. Rarity put down her cup and cleared her throat. “Sorry,” she started. “But, is there anything you would like to talk about? The silence is a little awkward. Anything? Sports, fashion, gossip?” Wired Fix took a last sip of his tea before he put the cup down. “Actually,” he began. “I want to tell you something. You know Fluttershy.” “Yes,” Rarity replied. “What about her?” “Well,” Wired Fix said. “At the birdsong competition, she turned into some kind of monster… Don’t know what happened, but she became really dark. Like she was sucking the energy out of me. It turned into a disaster.” Rarity lifted an eyebrow before asking: “What disaster?” Wired Fix turned his head towards her. “Don’t you remember the chaos she made?” he asked. “The Shutterfly thing, with the amplifiers and everything?” “I…” she began before losing the thread. “I have no clue of what you’re talking about, darling. Fluttershy was just putting up two speakers, and starting the bird choir. Nothing bad happened that day.” She took a sip and lowered her head. “Well, besides you collapsing in the crowd, that is.” Wired Fix almost choked on the tea. He looked curiously at her. “What do you mean?” he asked. “I just collapsed? Right out of nowhere?” Rarity nodded and put a hoof on his shoulder. She sent another concerned look at him. Wired Fix himself put his own hoof to his head. He felt nauseous. “B-but…” “Shh, darling,” Rarity interrupted. “Nurse Redheart told us what had happened. She said you had a seizure and fainted.” “A seizure?!” he replied. “Then how do you explain everypony running around, looking all frantic?! And the buildings getting smashed?!” Rarity put her hoof on his mouth to stop him. “Wirey!” she yelled. “Shut up and listen, darling! Nopony was running around, no buildings were smashed, and nothing happened! I am worried about you, and I think you should let Twilight check on you.” Rarity gave Wired Fix a caring kiss on his cheek, and looked deeply into his eyes. “Now, how would you like it? Will you go to her, or do you want me to ask her to come over?” After half an hour, Twilight Sparkle came through the gate into the garden. She looked around before finally noticing where Wired Fix was sitting. “Hello,” she said and smiled. “Rarity said you were having some memory issues?” Wired Fix scowled at her. “Everypony would think so, yes,” he replied and sighed. “I know I saw Fluttershy turn into some…thing. She called herself Shutterfly or something like that. And the whole competition turned into a great disaster of great proportions.” Twilight looked at him and chuckled. “What’s so funny?” “Sorry,” she replied and cleared her throat. “It’s just that I was at the competition. Well, everypony was, you probably know that. But anyways, I didn’t see or hear any of that happen. The birdsong competition went as normal. Well, besides you fainting in the middle of Fluttershy’s birds’ tune.” Wired Fix looked up at her. His eyes were focusing on the very depths of Twilight’s. They were like amethysts, sparkling in the sunlight. The deep colours turned the iris into an endless ring-shaped pit of crystals. He couldn’t take his focus away until Rarity bent over in front of him and asked: “Hey, are you listening?” “Huh, what?” he said confused and shook his head. “Yeah, yeah…I’m listening…” “Wired…” Twilight started. “I’m worried about you. Everypony’s worried about you. Nopony has as far as I remember fainted for no known reason. I heard you went to the hospital for a few days. Is that correct?” Wired Fix nodded. “And they couldn’t find out what’s wrong?” Rarity asked. “No,” Wired Fix answered and put a hoof to his head. “Actually, I’m starting to feel really weird… I’m feeling really nauseous.” He rose up out of the chair and stumbled into one of Rarity’s ponds. The emerald-shaped stone on the wall above loosened and hit his head, knocking him out. “Where…” Wired Fix asked. “Where am I? What happened?” He stood up. The garden was gone. The whole boutique and everything inside it was gone. All he could see was a dark, red void with brown grass under him. The sky was covered by a black fog, closing out either the sun or the moon, whatever time of the day it was. Wired Fix could hear the shrieks of ponies. It was like somepony was being tortured. Or even worse: Killed. Wired Fix ran towards one of the shrieks he heard. He was met by a body lying on the ground, blood running out from underneath. It was a mare, he could easily see it. She was orange with a wild mane, and covered in a ripped blue suit. “No…” he said and dropped a tear. “Not poor Spitfire..!” The body moved a little. Wired Fix looked at her face. Spitfire opened her eyes slowly and looked at him. They were pale. All that blood loss had fully taken the colour out of her. “Sorry…” she whispered and collapsed again. Wired Fix put his front legs around her and cried loudly as he hugged her. He could not believe it. A Wonderbolt was dead. Killed by a major loss of blood, caused by something unknown. Who knows what else he could find? He put her down on the ground neatly, and used his magic to make a hole in the ground, ready for a burial. A few minutes later, he planted a flower on her pile. He shed another tear. As he woke up, he felt wind blowing through his mane. Was he dead too? He opened his eyes and looked in the direction the wind came from. He could make out the silhouette of Princess Celestia and Luna’s castle in Canterlot. Between it and him were Soarin’ and… Spitfire. “Just keep still,” a voice shouted. “We’ll be at the castle in a few minutes, so don’t stress yourself!” It was Spitfire’s voice. “Can somepony please tell me what’s going on, so I don’t have to disobey?” Wired Fix replied and sighed. “I’m getting tired of this mystery.” “You’re on a sky-kart,” Soarin’ answered. “And we’re taking you to the castle to see Princess Celestia. We’re hoping she might have an explanation to whatever bugs you.” Wired Fix sighed again and sat up in the cart. With him were Twilight Sparkle, Applejack and Rainbow Dash. They all looked concerned at him, although they attempted a faint smile. “Hey, cutie,” Rainbow Dash said. “Uh, I mean…friend..? Is that okay or..?” “Right now, Rainbow,” Wired Fix started. “I am too dizzy to be annoyed by your flirting. Just call me whatever you want, if that makes you happy. Rainbow smiled. She looked around a little before she whispered something into his ear. “Thanks for the you-know-what earlier.” “Don’t get too used to it,” he replied. “But you’re welcome.” They arrived at the border of Canterlot, where they were met by the royal guards. In front was Shining Armour, wearing his suit, helmet, and a crest Cadance had made for him, which he actually thought was embarrassing, having to walk around with a large pink flower on his chest at all times. “Stop there,” one of the guards called and raised a hoof. “What do you carry?” “It’s just a pony carrier, sir,” Soarin’ replied and saluted. “Spitfire and me, Soarin’, of the Wonderbolts are pulling it, and inside are Rainbow Dash, Twilight Sparkle, Applejack and Wired Fix. We’re on our way to the castle for some royal help.” Shining Armour took off his helmet and approached the sky-kart. He smiled when his sister stood up and gave him a great hug. “Twilight!” he said. “How are you doing? Sent any letters to the princess lately?” “I’m fine,” Twilight replied and laughed. “But we got some work to do. We wanted to ask princess Celestia if she could help our friend here, Wired.” Wired Fix sat up in the kart and looked at Shining Armour. “Okay, you go on through,” Shining Armour said and signalled to the gatekeeper to open the gate. Soarin’ and Spitfire pulled the kart through the gate and into Canterlot, heading for the castle. When they arrived at the castle, Spitfire knocked on the door. A hatch was opened, and a guard peeked out. “Can I help you?” he asked in a strict voice. “We need to ask for some advice from princess Celestia,” Spitfire replied. “Our friend here has had some hallucinations, and we’re really worried about him.” The guard looked at Wired Fix, who was starting to look really weak. He nodded, closed the hatch and opened the door. The group walked on in, Applejack carried Wired Fix on her back. They entered the main hall, where Princess Celestia and her sister Luna had a nice cup of tea. They looked at the group coming in, and Luna stood up. “Yes, what seems to be your errand?” she asked. Applejack put Wired Fix down on the floor, assisting him until he could stand. “Princess Celestia,” Twilight said and took a few steps forward. “Our friend here, Wired Fix… He’s been feeling really terrible lately. He’s started having wild hallucinations, but seems to have some amnesia afterwards. We’re really worried, and would ask if you could give us some help finding out how to treat it.” The princess smiled and took a last sip of her tea before standing up herself. She came down the steps and looked at Wired Fix. When he looked back into her eyes, she stopped smiling. She actually started to look even more worried than the group. “During all the years of my reign,” she said. “I’ve never seen such a cloudy pony mind. You did the right thing bringing him here. Luna, get a few pillows." “Yes, my sister,” Luna replied and trotted into the next room for some pillows. They let Wired Fix down on a pile of pillows, and Celestia led the group away. “Wired Fix needs to rest,” she said and looked at the group. “Luna and I will look after him, and see what we can find out. Until then, you should leave him, and go back to Ponyville.” “Um…princess?” Applejack asked. “Ah don’t want to go against yer’ will or anything. But ah am really concerned. Can’t we stay in Canterlot and look after him? Ya know, talk to him, help him get his food and such?” “Applejack,” Luna started. “It’s for his own best, dear. Trust Celestia, she knows best.” Twilight put a hoof on Applejack’s shoulder and nodded. The group left with a dark mind. Luna walked up next to Celestia and looked into her eyes. “You don’t think it could be? Not after this many years?” Celestia put a hoof on Luna’s shoulder. “I don’t know,” she answered. “But I sure don’t hope so.” As the three ponies sat on the train back to Ponyville, they all looked out the window back towards Canterlot. They all hoped Wired Fix was okay. “What do ya think it could be, Twi?” Applejack asked. Twilight lowered her head and closed her eyes. “I don’t know,” she replied. Rainbow Dash sat back in her seat and stared aimlessly into the air, with a few tears dripping from her nuzzle. She started to sob a little. “Aww, shucks,” Applejack said and sat down next to Rainbow Dash. “Ah know how ya feel. We’re all worried about Wired, but he needs his rest. Ah am sure he’ll be good soon.” “You have no idea how I feel,” Rainbow replied. “You are worried as a friend. But it’s heavier for me.” She put her face in her hooves and cried. Twilight sat down on the other side of Rainbow and put a hoof over her shoulder, trying to comfort her. “What do you mean?” she asked. “How is this heavier for you?” Rainbow kept crying for a minute before she finally got a chance to catch her breath. She looked at Twilight, then at Applejack before she returned to Twilight. “I don’t feel like telling you,” she answered. “You won’t understand.” “Sure we’ll understand, sugarcube,” Applejack said and held around Rainbow. “Just tell us.” Rainbow lowered her head, took a deep breath and sighed. “I love him.” Chapter 4: Power from Deep WithinChapter 4: Power from Deep Within “Tia,” Princess Luna said as Celestia came out of the guest suite. “How is Wired Fix doing? He’s been here for so long, I’m starting to get really worried if I’ll have to tell the young fillies the story nopony likes.” Celestia sighed and looked at her sister. There was a tear in the corner of her eye, sparkling like the world’s most perfect diamond. Such tears coming from the princess’ eyes could only mean one thing. “Luna…” she started before taking a deep breath. “There is something much worse present. This isn’t just involving Wired Fix.” She turned her head towards the door. “What do you mean, sister?” Luna asked with a sad look on her face. “I don’t think it’s a mental damage, Luna,” Celestia replied, closed her eyes and lowered her head. “It might seem we’ve got a case of memory intrusion. That’s the only explanation I have for his amnesias, faints and hallucinations combined.” Luna put a hoof to her mouth and gasped when she heard that. “B-but…” Luna started. “Only one creature has had that ability, and that was many years ago! It can’t be!” “Luna!” Celestia yelled and put a hoof on her sister’s mouth. “I’m not certain. But we can’t oversee that option. Call the guards, we need to protect Wired Fix. I’ll send a message to Twilight Sparkle right away.” Princess Luna nodded and trotted away. Princess Celestia went to her room and conjured a piece of paper and a quill. “Twilight…” Spike sighed once again. “You have to get out and be with your friends, rather than just sitting here and worrying about Wired. Go to Sugarcube Corner, play in the Everfree Forest, whatever!” He sat down and put his grumpy face in his hands. He had tried for the whole morning to get Twilight out of the house so he could get some peace and quiet from her constant worrying. His scales were pale, as he hadn’t got any sleep for the last week. “But Spike,” Twilight said and stopped her circling around the lamp. “He could be seriously damaged! He might even be…dying..!” Spike rolled his eyes and banged his fist on the desk. “Snap out of it!” he yelled. “He’s not dying! The princess would have let you know if he was that ill!” Suddenly, he felt a cramp in his stomach. He felt nauseous. “I didn’t mean it!” he tried to say before he let out a big, flaming burp. A scroll with the royal seal appeared, but this time with red paper, contrary to the commonly used brownish paper. “Oh no, what could a red scroll mean?” Spike asked and started to bite his claws. “I don’t know,” Twilight replied and gulped. “But I am sure it isn’t good.” She took the scroll and undid the ribbon with her magic. She opened the scroll and started reading out loud. “Dear Twilight Sparkle. Your friend is getting worse every day, and I have come to a conclusion. You and your friends have to get to Canterlot as fast as possible. I fear we might be the victims of a grave danger, greater than what we’ve encountered before. -Princess Celestia” “What did I tell you?!” Twilight yelled. “I got a reason to be worried!” Spike read through the letter once more before he put it down with a surprised look. He sat down on a chair and stared into thin air. “Twilight…” he started. “Do as the princess says and go. Get your friends and get to Canterlot. I’ll be waiting here…” Twilight nodded with a worried expression on her face and ran out the door. It didn’t take long before the group was on the train to Canterlot. Fluttershy and Rarity were sitting by the window, Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash by the door, and Twilight Sparkle and Applejack in the middle, facing each other. “Ooh!” Pinkie said and twitched a little. “I can’t wait to get to Canterlot! I haven’t been there since the party I can’t remember if I actually was invited to, although I came after all, since I can’t resist a party, because that’s how I got my cutie mark. It wasn’t for looking at three balloons, it was for a party! Du-uh!” “Pinkie, dear…” Rarity interrupted politely. “You are aware of why we’re going, aren’t you? This isn’t a party invitation.” “Of course I do!” Pinkie replied and smiled jokingly. “You guys kept telling me that like five or six times, which I understood every time, although you kept telling me this wasn’t a party, and I know this isn’t a party, dummy.” She giggled at the end. Rainbow Dash couldn’t take it anymore. She flew towards the window, opened it up and threw Pinkie Pie into the pond next to Fluttershy’s cottage as they drove past it. Without saying a word, she closed the window and sat back in her seat, joining the group of sighs of pleasure. “Twi,” Applejack started and sat up in her seat, holding a serious expression on her face. “Ah understand how tough this is fer’ ya. Ah just want to let ya know we’re all here fer’ ya.” She put a hoof on Twilight’s shoulder and smiled a little, trying to cheer her up. Twilight sent a faint smile back, indicating she felt slightly better. Rainbow looked at Twilight, and shook her head towards the door. She wanted Twilight to go out in the corridor with her. Twilight stood up and opened the door, letting Rainbow out first, before going out and closing the door behind her. “What’s on your mind, Rainbow?” she asked. “Anything wrong? Or did you want to cheer me up in private?” Rainbow turned her head away, closing her eyes. “You know what’s bothering me,” she replied and shed a tear. “I told you on the train back to Ponyville. I love Fix, and this is really heavy for me.” She started whimpering as she said the last sentence, and collapsed in a great crying session. Twilight kneeled down next to her and gave her a big hug. “It’s heavy for both of us,” she said. “It’s heavy for all of us. But we’ve got to deal with it anyways. I’m sure everything will be fine in a few days. Calm down. Is there anything I can do to cheer you up? Do you want anything?” Rainbow wiped her tears away and looked into Twilight’s eyes. They were face to face, few inches from each other. Rainbow’s eyes were sparkly, and the dark pink was turning into a deep mix of red and purple. She smiled a little. “Nah, I’m fine,” she replied. “Just go back in with the others. I’ll just have a walk through the corridor.” “If you say so,” Twilight answered and stood up. “Don’t worry, he’ll be fine. I’m sure.” With that said, she turned around and went back into the coupe with the three others. As the train got close to Canterlot, the sound of creaking wheels and smoking pipes surprised the passengers. The train was slowing down and stopped outside the entrance, where lots of guards were on guard. The whole city was closed off by a big, red bubble. One of the guards started talking to the train driver as four other guards entered the train and started inspecting every coupe. When one of them arrived outside the group’s coupe, the first thing they heard was a thump, followed by a crash. “What in tarnation?” Applejack asked and opened the door. She gasped at the sight. On the floor was one of the guards lying, some bumps in the armour. Next to him stood Rainbow Dash and glared at him with a victorious smile. “Rainbow!” Applejack yelled and punched her. “What the hay did ya do that for?!” “He was going to break in and arrest you!” was Rainbow’s reply. Applejack rolled her eyes and waved for the three others to come out. “Ah am pretty sure it’s just an inspection or something,” Applejack said. Right after that, another guard came and saw the beat-up guard on the floor. He lifted his spear, pointed it at the group, and ordered them to lay down on the floor. “It was not an assault, officer,” Rarity said calmly and looked at the guard. “Rainbow here just misunderstood and thought it was an unexplained arrest order.” “Get out of the carriage,” the guard commanded. “You are going to be put through a control. It’s for everypony’s safety and won’t take long.” They followed his order and walked out of the carriage in a line. Outside the train was an outpost. A large sign read “Safety Control”. The group was led in and instructed to sit down on a chair. In front of them was a long table, and behind it sat three ponies dressed in green suits. They had one notebook each, and started discussing. The middle one pointed at Twilight and instructed her to come forward. “Twilight Sparkle,” he started. “You have been summoned by Princess Celestia, is that correct?” Twilight nodded and said “Yes.” The three ponies jotted down a few lines. “I’m so sorry you and your friends had to go through this trouble,” the pony to the middle one’s right said and smiled. “It’s just that we have put Canterlot under full quarantine, and we can’t let any pony in. We’re just checking for unauthorized visitors. Go on through that door to the left, a cart is waiting for you.” “Thank you,” Fluttershy and Rarity said. The rest just nodded. The whole group went through the door, and was met by a large cart, almost like a bus. In charge of the whole machinery was no other than Soarin’! “Get in, and we’ll be there in a minute!” Soarin’ said quickly. They all got in the cart, and Soarin’ drove it to the castle. Outside the entrance stood Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. They greeted the five ponies with a bow and led them in. “I’m so glad you could come on such short notice,” Princess Celestia said. “As I said in the letter, Wired Fix has been getting worse every day. I had really hoped my prediction was wrong…” She lowered her head as they arrived outside the bedroom Wired Fix was lying in. With a slow, but precise movement, she spelled the lock and opened the door. Inside was Wired Fix, lying in his bed. The whole group of fillies gasped at the sight. His golden yellow mane was turning brownish green. His white, clean coat was turning grey, with several long hairs growing out here and there. But the most terrifying part was his horn. The once straight, pearl-grey horn was splintered! “Wirey!” Rarity yelled in fear. The whole group ran up to his bed and flocked up around it. A ring of ten shivering eyes surrounded him. Twilight was the only one to turn around and look back at Celestia, who had shed more tears. “Princess…” Twilight started and took a few steps away from the bed. Her eyes turned from worried and broken to an expression of anger and distrust. “Tell us. Don’t hide it anymore, I can’t take it. WE can’t take it!” Luna walked in front of Twilight and looked strictly into her eyes. “Don’t you dare threaten my sister!” she said angrily. “After all she’s done for you!” “It’s not a threat, Princess Luna!” Rarity yelled. “Twilight’s right! This has been going on for too long! We demand an explanation!” She stroke Wired Fix’s ruined mane a few times. Princess Celestia closed her eyes and sighed. “Sister, stand back,” she said and took a step forward. “They deserve the truth.” “But, Tia…” Luna tried, but was interrupted by the stern look in Celestia’s eyes. The princess of the night looked down at the ground and nodded. She took a step backward, and let Celestia forward. “Come here, my little ponies,” Celestia said. The group was unsure whether they would leave Wired Fix or stay at his bed. After exchanging looks, they agreed to go to Celestia and Twilight. “Now, this might make things harder for you, but you don’t deserve the truth to be hidden any longer. I have had an idea of what might be the case ever since you left a week ago.” She took a deep breath. “Wired Fix might be the victim of a memory intrusion. And only one creature has ever had that ability.” Princess Luna looked back up and into the eyes of the five fillies. “We had hoped we defeated him a long time ago. But sadly, he returned not so long ago, leading Ponyville into a new period of chaos.” “Ya don’t mean..?” Applejack asked. “I’m sorry, my little ponies,” Celestia said. “But I’m afraid Discord has returned, and this time his final power has been released. Memory.” Chapter 5: All Minds Die SomedayChapter 5: All Minds Die Someday (Two days later) “Oh, Wired…” Rainbow cooed again. He was still lying in his bed, his state was getting worse. Princess Celestia had wrapped a bandage around his head, covering his eyes. Blood was starting to pour out of his eyes along with the tears he had shed every hour, making two large red areas in the front of his bandage. “Tia,” Princess Luna said as the two sisters left the room. “Why did you not let them stay in Canterlot that day they came with him? I know it wouldn’t have helped, but it could have kept their morale up.” Celestia closed the door, and they walked slowly down the hall. “I needed them to go to environments they felt were safe,” she replied calmly. “Staying close to the source of worry would give them a constant reminder what they didn’t want to see. Do you understand?” The princess of the night nodded. “You have a good argument,” she said as they entered the tea room. “But still, nursing him could give them a feeling they helped. Effective or not, it would make them feel better.” The princess of the sun gave her sister’s argument a good thought as she stirred in her cup. As she took a sip, she opened her eyes and looked deeply into Luna’s eyes. “You’re probably right,” she said. Applejack went to the kitchen to get some lunch for her friends. As she walked down the hall, she started thinking about what could happen to Wired Fix if he didn’t make it. The dark thoughts forced her to a sudden stop in the middle of the floor. She started breathing heavily. The sweat started dripping from her temple, hitting the floor at a rapid pace. The room started to stretch and bend slowly as Applejack stumbled across the floor. She crashed through a stained glass window and fell a few meters before she hit the paved road between the pavilion and the fountain. The impact knocked her unconscious. “Ow!” she yelled as she put her hoof to her head. “Where am ah? This doesn’t look much like Canterlot. To be honest, this ain’t th’ castle at all!” She stood up, stumbling a little. She was in a large room, all white. The walls were painted, the floor was tiled, and the ceiling was one solid plate. No doors were present, no windows either. What really confused Applejack was how she got there. As she walked around a little, the solid white walls seemed to come closer to each other. “What in tarnation?!” she asked and looked around. “Th’ room is shrinking! Ah gotta get out!” She started running around and started bucking the walls, feeling where a hidden door might be. But after a minute of kicking, she realized it was hopeless. None of the walls broke or revealed any openings. They had now reached so close, Applejack had just enough space to lie down and crawl together. She looked up. The ceiling hadn’t lowered or risen at any time, so she had at least something that didn’t cause problems. As she sighed in despair, the plate over her dropped at a fast pace, getting close to her in a blink. “Twilight, dear,” Rarity started and looked away from Wired Fix. “I am really starting to wonder where Applejack is. She has been gone for an hour, something must have happened.” Twilight looked at her. “I agree,” she said and nodded. “I’ll go look for her. Fluttershy, could you fill the pitcher with a new dosage of cold water? We need to get some liquid into poor Wired here, or he’ll dry out.” “I’m on it,” Fluttershy replied and flew towards the small table to pick up the pitcher. Twilight opened the door and left the room. She took a walk down the hall towards the North alley. A few guards patrolled the hallways, talking about how bored they were. They didn’t take the time to greet her or even nod her way. Twilight reached the main royal quarters without seeing Applejack anywhere. She decided to take the East hall past the kitchen. “She was going after food,” Twilight said to herself. “So why didn’t I just go to the kitchen?” She put her hoof to her face and walked down the hall. After a few minutes of walking, she saw the smashed stained glass window, and ran towards it to take a peek out. “No!” she yelled when she saw five guards, including Shining Armour, picking Applejack up and putting her on a stretcher. She used a spark to teleport down next to her brother. “Is she going to be alright?” “Twilight!” Shining Armour exclaimed in surprise when he heard his sister. “I’m sorry, but it’d seem she fell out the window and crashed down on the paved road. As you can see, she’s had a heavy bleed.” He pointed at a wide trail of blood pouring out of Applejack as she was carried away. “Oh no…” Twilight said and started to cry. “First Wired, and now Applejack?! It can’t be…” She vanished in a bright flash. “Oh, poor Twilight,” Shining Armour said to himself and put his helmet back on. “It seems my duties have not ended yet.” Twilight snapped out of the teleport right outside princess Celestia and Luna’s quarters. She took a deep breath before she knocked on the door. Before long, the princess of the sun approached the door and opened it. She looked down and saw a broken, purple filly with the shivers. “Twilight Sparkle,” she said. “What brings you here? I thought giving you and your friends permission to stay here would help you. Or do you just want to talk?” Twilight kept shivering, dropping a lot of tears on the shiny tile floor. “It…it’s A-Applejack…” she stammered and fell down on the floor. “She’s h-hurt too. I s-saw some guards p-pick her up from the p-paved road, outside the East hall. It was like she f-fell out the window.” Princess Celestia’s face immediately went from a surprised look to a terrified face, with hints of deep fear. “We’ve got to get to the medical bay!” she said and ran back into her room. Twilight could hear some discussing between the two royal sisters before they both came running out the door. “Twilight,” Luna started and looked at Twilight. “Prepare yourself for a mass teleport.” She lit up her horn, and created a large flashing spark around the three of them, before they all vanished. Applejack’s vision was blurry when she regained consciousness. All she could hear was a muffled indistinct chatter, and a repetitive dark bang. Her own heartbeat. She lifted her head slowly and looked around, giving her a cloudy image of the hall moving as she was being carried to the medical bay. “Lay still,” a voice said. “You don’t want to make your wounds worse!” In a way, Applejack couldn’t seem to understand what was being said. All she did was nod slowly. She closed her eyes, and tried to remain calm. She was feeling really nauseous. Her pulse was rising. But the limit was reached when she hopped off the stretcher, and put her face into a potted plant to vomit. “Oooh…” she exclaimed in pain. “Ah feel worse than ever… Get me to th’ bay quickly!” The guards nodded and put her back on the stretcher, before they ran to the medical bay. The three mares flashed into the medical bay to see the guards come running in with Applejack on the stretcher, all covered in her own blood and regurgitation. The guards almost knocked Twilight and Luna over as they passed by. “Oh dear,” Princess Luna said and sighed. “First we have a stallion who has a memory intrusion, and now a mare crashes out a window? My sister, we must take action this instant, before more ponies get in trouble!” She looked at Princess Celestia with a serious gaze. Princess Celestia looked at Twilight, then at Applejack before returning to Twilight. “You are right, Luna,” she said and closed her eyes. “Discord must be stopped!” The three of them gazed upon the nurses, who cleaned and stitched up Applejack, while she kept vomiting in a paper bag. They left the medical bay without a word. When they got out, they looked at each other. “That must have been Discord,” Twilight said. “I am certain. It’s not like Applejack to just black out and crash through a window! I wonder how we can stop a creature that knocks ponies out, simply by breaking the connection between mental control and body functions.” “Twilight,” Luna started. “You can’t defeat Discord that easily. You need all six Elements of Harmony, and the Honesty element doesn’t work without Applejack. Plus, the Elements were just enough for a normal Discord. The one we are worried about the resurrection of, is the original Discord, the one with all his powers available. The Elements might just about weaken him enough for my sister and I to turn him back into stone.” Those words made Twilight feel even worse than before. “Could it really be too late?” she asked herself and left. Rarity was standing in the door, waiting for Twilight to return. Her faint smile vanished as a purple, heartbroken pony came walking slowly past her into the room. Rainbow Dash was sitting by the bed, Fluttershy was sitting next to her. They both watched over Wired Fix. He looked horrible, even worse than when they returned to Canterlot, as requested by Princess Celestia in her letter. His once golden mane was now completely pale brown, like sand. His once marble white coat was now grey as must. His pearl horn was now just a shiny, splintered rock. Rainbow nodded towards Twilight as she sat down on the other side of the bed. Fluttershy took off the bandages that covered his eyes. Large marks from bleeding were stained around his eyelids. He was barely breathing, but they couldn’t feel his pulse. It was almost gone. They all sat there silently, crying and holding each other’s hooves. Fluttershy was the only one who hadn’t said anything that day. She decided to break the silence. “Um…” she started. “Rainbow…Twilight…I just want you to know that…um…I feel really sorry for you. Wired Fix is a great friend, and it’s always hard to lose a great friend…” Rainbow looked at Fluttershy, and showed a faint smile. She really appreciated Fluttershy’s concern. The three of them ended up hugging and crying. Rarity came walking from the kitchen with four glasses of ice tea, which she wanted to offer to her friends as a comfort, though it being very little. “Here,” she started. “Have something to drink. You’ll need to strengthen up.” The three ponies by the bed came towards Rarity, gave her a hug each and took a glass. “Thank you, Rarity,” Rainbow said and smiled. She gave her a quick friendly kiss on the cheek, and sat down on a chair. They all sat there, on a chair each, sipping ice tea and comforting each other for the rest of the evening. It was late at night now. The clock in the room had just passed eleven o’ clock. The four ponies were sitting by the table in the corner of the room. Fluttershy was cuddling a stuffed lion doll Rarity had made her. Rainbow Dash and Twilight Sparkle sat and discussed the situation. “I just heard they have successfully patched Applejack up,” Twilight said. “So she’s going to be fine soon. Now, I can’t say the same about Wired Fix in the bed here.” They all pointed they attention towards the bed. Wired was all silent, not making a sound. “No,” Rainbow replied. “He’s really ill. If this really is Discord’s work, we’ve got to stop him. Turn him back into stone!” She banged her hoof on the table. “Rainbow, dear,” Rarity said and put a hoof on Rainbow’s shoulder. “Making a lot of noise won’t solve anything. Please, just calm down.” Rainbow nodded and closed her eyes. Twilight looked at Rarity. “I don’t want to make any hasty predictions,” she started. “But I have a nagging feeling Wired is going to get worse. Right now his pulse is weak, he’s barely breathing, he’s completely discoloured… We might lose him if a miracle doesn’t happen.” They all exchanged worried looks. Suddenly, the silence was broken by a few knocks on the door. Princess Luna walked into the room, bearing a sad look on her face. “Ponies of Ponyville…” she began before clearing her throat. “My sister and I have discussed the state of Wired Fix’s health. And we have something horrible to tell you.” The four ponies stood up and approached the Princess of the night slowly. “How horrible?” Fluttershy asked. “Is it the worst possible?” Princess Luna nodded. “I’m afraid so,” she said and looked at Wired. They all flocked up around the bed. Wired Fix’s horn started to glow. But it wasn’t amethyst purple, as usual. This time, it was red as blood. “It has begun.” The four young ponies held each other, crying. The red glow was starting to creep down the horn, slowly fading. As the horn was slowly uncloaked, it turned grey, shininess was turning matte and coarse. Wired Fix’s muscles started to twitch and bend, Wired himself groaned in pain. Then, the glow was just a ring around the base of the horn. “Goodbye, Wired Fix.” Princess Luna cried. The ring disappeared, and Wired Fix stopped moving. Prologue (3 Months later)Prologue He could not believe it. It was never meant to be. He just stood there. Tears appeared in the corner of his eye, falling to the ground in an even rhythm. Nopony dared getting close to him. They were afraid he might take out all his hate, all his fear and all his vengeance on them. Soarin' took a step backwards, lowering his head. Princess Luna didn’t say a word. She was completely speechless. The cold winds moved slowly over the grey, dead ground. The black clouds were clearing up slowly. The evil force was gone. A single bird was visible. A dove, white as the purest light. The colour of hope, passion and union. But there was nothing of that right now. It was too late. He could not do anything to fix it. She was dead. Only five of the Mane Six were left. He took a few steps forward and kneeled down next to her. The one who saved the team, the one who stayed to aid their escape. ”She shouldn’t have done it,” he whispered, and laid a hoof on her face. ”She shouldn’t have...”
Chapter 1: The Birdsong CompetitionChapter 1: The Birdsong Competition It was a beautiful day in Equestria, especially in Ponyville. The sun was shining, the birds were singing. Everything was marvellous! Wired Fix was running through the park, a note was flying in his magic. He was focused. He had to reach Fluttershy’s cottage before it was too late. The path was clear the whole way, which is really rare to see on such a sunny day. Wired Fix was just about to cross the river when Angel came jumping over the bridge, eating a carrot. Wrong place at the wrong time, he was easily thrown into the water. ”Sorry, Angel!” Wired Fix yelled and shot a magic orb to lift Angel and the now soggy carrot out of the water. As you may imagine, Angel was now back in his grumpy mood. The cottage was just one small forest away. Wired Fix couldn’t stop for a moment, his message being so important. Right when he was about to enter the forest, he noticed Rainbow Dash practicing at maneuvering between the trees. A lot of trees were damaged by crashes. ”Hey, Dashie!” he shouted after her. ”Could you give me a lift to Fluttershy’s cottage? It’s a little urgent!” Rainbow looked around, causing her to crash into another tree. This time breaking it down. ”Oh, look who’s here!” she smiled and flew towards Wired Fix. ”What’s the emergency, sweetheart?” ”Cut the flirting, and give me a lift,” he replied with a slight scoff. ”You know I’m not interested.” ”Yeah yeah,” Rainbow laughed and picked him up. She carried him to Fluttershy’s cottage and put him down excessively gently. “There you go! One trip to Fluttershy. Now, how about you make it even with a little…visit at my house? We could chill out, maybe eat some muffins.” Her smile was sweet. Wired Fix didn’t feel like doing anything at her house, not even just eating. “Well, thanks for the lift, Rainbow,” he said and brushed his coat. “But here, just to make you happy.” He gave her a kiss on the cheek. She was stunned. Her wings flapped twice, maybe even three times as fast. “Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gooosh!” she stammered and fell to the ground. “I will never let you get away, sweetheart.” Wired Fix rolled his eyes before running towards Fluttershy’s front door. He knocked on the door a few times. The door was recently painted, so he got red paint on his hoof, which he wiped off on the grass. Fluttershy opened the door slowly, shivering a little. Her mane was a different style than usual, although it was nor an improvement or a ruin. “Oh, um…Hello…” she whispered. “Is there anything going on?” “You bet there is!” Wired Fix replied quickly and showed her the note. “The birdsong competition is today! And it’s starting in ten minutes!” Fluttershy’s eyes opened widely in a snap, and her mane changed into something electrocuted-like style. “Oh dear!” she shouted. “W-we must hurry, then. Angel…” She interrupted herself at the look of a wet, grumpy rabbit stomping through the front door, dragging a soggy carrot behind him. He glared at Fluttershy, sighed and lifted his ears. “Oh good, you’re here,” she said and smiled carefully at Angel. “Gather the bird choir, and send them to the Town Square. We need to hurry, the competition is starting in less than ten minutes!” She ran out the door towards the Town Square. Wired Fix was almost pushed over and into a pond, but managed to regain his balance. “Oh, poor Fluttershy,” he sighed and walked toward the Town Square himself. “Why don’t you just fly over the forest?” The Town Square was crowded. Well, at least more crowded that it usually is. A lot of ponies had gathered to watch the songbirds sing in choirs, quartets and even duos. As expected, Mayor Mare was also there to watch, but not introduce nor judge. The judges’ table was placed a little lower than the stage, and covered with a nice, light green tablecloth. This year’s judges were represented by one pegasus, one unicorn and one earth pony. The show was almost ready to start, only Fluttershy was not there. Everypony started to chatter in worry, but luckily, Fluttershy came running at the last second. She looked exhausted, which is unlikely for a pegasus, at least of her age. Everything was now ready. “Fillies and gentlecolts!” the announcer called in a presumptuous, but kind tone. “Welcome to the fifteenth annual birdsong competition, this year here in good old Ponyville. Let’s introduce you to this year’s three might I say marvellous judges!” Everypony applauded as the spotlights were pointed at the judges one at a time. “From the sunny, wonderful Cloudsdale, we have Spitfire from the Wonderbolts!” Spitfire waved at the crowd, sending a reassuring wink. “And from this nice, rustic town of Ponyville, we have got a local warm-heart joining us! And don’t worry. We have learned the lesson from our Pinkie Pie experience.” Some ponies phewed in relief. Pinkie Pie, on the other hoof, was slightly offended. “Give a good applause to Big McIntosh!” Big Mac smiled at the audience, and greeted them with a “Yup.” “And finally, from the glorious city of Canterlot, the very castle, to be precise, we have been honoured to have the presence of Princess Luna!” All ponies bowed politely as the princess of the night smiled and waved to the crowd. “We are honoured to be here,” Princess Luna said. “And by that, I mean the three of us. Not like the Royal Canterlot voice. It’s getting old.” Everypony laughed with her. “So, with no further ado, let’s get this competition on! I’m Hoity Toity, and I will be your host.” First up was Roseluck with her quartet of canary birds. She had really prepared, she had even brought props resembling a forest, a town and heaven. She called the opera “Tomorrow”. It really touched the judges. For the first time, at least Wired Fix’s first time, Big McIntosh cried. No wonder why Hoity Toity called him warm-hearted. Luna’s reaction was easier, it was just a satisfied smile and a nod. Spitfire nodded and sent another wink. It must be a tic or something. Next up was Twilight Sparkle with her Owlowicious. He was supposed to sing Ponyville’s fifty years old anthem. That didn’t go quite well, as Twilight had taught him Cloudsdale’s war tune instead. Yes, it is quite odd to find out Cloudsdale had a war tune. Luna wasn’t actually impressed by the mistake, but gave Twilight and Owlowicious a few points for the tune being sung correctly. Spitfire clapped and smiled really widely, since tunes with beats interest her more than slow, dramatic operas. At least she didn’t wink this time. Big Mac closed his eyes, shook his head and just said “Nope.” After a series of spring melodies, classical tunes and forest tragedies, it was finally Fluttershy’s turn with her bird choir. They were going to surprise the crowd this year, she had said. Wired Fix lifted an eyebrow when he saw Fluttershy carrying an amplifier up on the stage. I mean, seriously? Birds are just supposed to sing so everypony can hear, not have their voices made louder artificially. He decided to go and take a look. Behind the stage were a few cables, a mixing board and a battery. It didn’t look like something cute, little Fluttershy would use. What was she up to? Wired Fix turned around when Fluttershy came up behind him. “Oh, um…hello,” Fluttershy said and blushed. “Shouldn’t you be out there, listening to my birds?” “Actually,” Wired Fix replied. “I was hoping to find out why in Equestria you’re setting up an amplifier, and have cables going back here. It sure doesn’t look like your kind of props.” “Oh, that,” she replied and blushed again. “It’s part of the surprise.” She smiled faintly. “Well then,” Wired Fix said and turned around. “Just be careful, ok?” He went back to the crowd. The bird choir was all set. The three judges were excited, waiting for this rather unusual prop design to be used. Spitfire looked the most excited, no surprise. Wired Fix went back to his spot in the crowd, right next to Mayor Mare. She looked at him, a little curious. “Um, excuse me sir,” Mayor Mare started and cleared her throat. “Could you please tell me, just out of curiosity, what you were doing behind the scene?” Wired Fix didn’t respond to that. He was too focused on trying to find out why Fluttershy would use such…technical stuff. She’s too natural. Fluttershy stepped out on the stage, with a microphone of some sort in her mouth. She placed it on a rack before bowing towards the audience. “Um, hi…everypony,” she started, and looked at the crowd. “I’m going to…um…show you something I…um…came up with a few days ago. H-hope you enjoy it.” Everypony was clapping as Fluttershy turned towards the bird choir. Wired Fix threw a last look at the amplifier before snapping out of it, and focusing on Fluttershy’s birds. The birds started singing. Just a normal birdsong, with a slightly melodic variation. Big Mac smiled and nodded in the same rhythm as the song. Princess Luna was really impressed, she did the same thing. Spitfire, however, just sat there and smiled politely. This was going really nice and calmly. Wired Fix was surprised. The amplifier was not in use. Neither were the microphone, cables or mixing board! But remember the old saying: Never assume anything. Before anypony got a chance to react, Fluttershy jumped towards the microphone and started singing herself. And in a Heavy Metal-style! The bird choir backed her up as background vocal. Suddenly, the scene was filled with smoke, and Fluttershy crawled together. Ponies were starting to mumble together as a reaction to that rather unusual act. When she straightened out again, her mane was combed backwards. Her tail was no longer soft and wavy. It had turned spiky. And she had a cape, black as the darkest of nights. As the smoke faded, the new character had taken its place on the stage. “Ponies of Equestria,” Fluttershy said in a dark, cold voice. “Prepare for a new pony to take the place of your beloved Fluttershy. Prepare for…Shutterfly!” The figure on the stage was terrifying! She looked like a dark, almost evil version of herself. Her mane made her look emo, her tail made her look electric. And that cape…It was almost as she was a Shadowbolt! With the audience, especially Mayor Mare and the judges, totally shocked, a shockwave of sound boomed out of the amplifier! It was so powerful, Wired Fix was knocked over, and banged his head on a blunt rock. As he opened his eyes, all he could see was a blurry, distorted image of everypony running around, scared by Fluttershy’s presentation. He could make out the silhouette of Minuette hiding under a bench, Lyra and Bon Bon holding each other tightly, Doctor Whooves running into a big, blue box… Everything was a complete mess, before he blacked out again. When the dust had settled, and the sun had lowered behind the trees, Wired Fix woke up again. He was still very dizzy, and he had got a real headache. But at least he could see. The Town Square was a complete mess. Trees were broken down, the fountain was smashed, even the Town Hall had been damaged. All this because of…of… For some reason, he couldn’t remember anything of what had happened! I mean, he did remember the transformation, the chaos and the silhouettes. But still, he kind of couldn’t work out what he had gone through, so it was unclear. “I better get over to Nurse Redheart quickly,” he said and trotted to the hospital, one hoof on his forehead. “I might be even more damaged than I know.” Before long, he had managed to get to the hospital, where Nurse Redheart ran a few tests. “Those are some really great fractures you’ve got there, mister!” she said and pointed at an X-ray photo. “You are going nowhere before that heals. Get some rest.” She left the room before giving him a chance to reply. He lay down on the bed, hoping Fluttershy was okay, after that way too strong show.
Chapter 2: An Apple a Day...Chapter 2: An Apple a Day… (Three days later) “Okay, mister,” Nurse Redheart said and smiled. “You’re good to go. It was not as bad as we feared, just a bump in your head, and a few bruises. But they’re almost fully healed. How do you feel?” Wired Fix was still taking a nap, it was about the only thing he did during his stay. Wake up, eat and fall back asleep. He opened his eyes slowly, looking at Nurse Redheart. “Oh, sorry. Did I wake you up? I can come back later if you want to.” “No, it’s alright,” he replied. “I’m fine, just a great headache. I know this is a stupid question, but…Do you have any…stored cider?” Nurse Redheart laughed really loudly, her tears were running. She kept like that for a few seconds, before she wiped her face and cleared her throat. “Of course we have cider,” she replied. “All our patients are served cider every Sunday.” “I don’t mean regular cider,” Wired Fix said and scowled at her. “I emphasized stored. You know what I mean.” He breathed heavily, and put his hoof to his head. Nurse Redheart looked at him, and felt a little bad for him. She knew what he had gone through at the competition, and agreed he deserved it. “Ok,” she replied and put a hoof on his shoulder. “I will get you a bottle. But only one.” He looked up at her, looked into her eyes and smiled faintly. “Thank you.” Nurse Redheart came back from the cellar a few minutes later with a small bottle of cider. Not the regular kind everypony drinks the day it’s made. Stored cider, which has had time to develop a small amount of alcohol. This is usually only given to ponies with a tough past, guests at great royal arrangements or patients with social problems. But this was a special case of empathy. Strong empathy. “Here’s your bottle, mister,” she said and gave him the bottle from her sack. “It’s five years old, I hope you like it.” She smiled, and was about to turn and leave, when Wired Fix pulled a chair with his spell. “Please, sit by my side,” he said and smiled again. This time a little bigger. “I don’t really have anypony to talk with. Might as well get to know you better. Hope you’re not too busy.” Nurse Redheart looked at him, then towards the chair, before returning to looking at him. She smiled and sat down on the chair. “Well, what would you like to talk about?” she asked. He didn’t respond immediately. He opened the bottle, and poured a small amount into a glass. The five years old cider was a warm, rich colour, giving it the look of amber. He took a sip of the liquid before putting the bottle and the glass on his table. “About me,” he finally answered and looked into Nurse Redheart’s eyes. They were sparkly, like the reflection of the sun on the sea. “I want to talk about myself. Sorry, don’t mean it as hubris or self-centering. I just want you to know how I feel these days. Well, besides being here for three days I mean. I’ve…had these feelings lately. Strange feelings, they are.” “What kind of feelings?” Nurse Redheart asked. “I don’t know,” Wired Fix replied before taking another sip of the cider. “Some kind of…attraction, I guess. Like I feel really good every time a certain pony is close by.” Nurse Redheart chuckled. “You’re in love, my dear. But tell me…” She looked around before leaning in close to Wired Fix’s face. “Who is making you feel good, just by being close by?” Wired Fix turned his head and closed his eyes, letting out a sigh. He took yet another gulp of the glass before he turned his head back towards Nurse Redheart’s. “It’s you,” he said and placed his hoof on her cheek. “I am fond of you, Nurse Redheart.” He gave her a kiss on the other cheek. The weather was nice outside. The sun was shining, the sky was clear. For once, that lazy pony Rainbow Dash had done a good job. Wired Fix spotted Fluttershy carrying a bunch of baby bunnies on her way to the school. It was petting week there, so she had volunteered to deliver cute, cuddly animals every day. “Hey, Fluttershy!” Wired Fix called after her. “Want any help?” Fluttershy turned around, and smiled when she saw him. “Oh, hello,” she replied with a blush. “Well, thanks for the offer. Here, take as many as you want. They’re really nice, they don’t make a fuss.” She leaned in towards him so three bunnies could jump onto Wired Fix’s back. Their noses tickled so much, he almost fell to the ground. “Oh, my!” she gasped. “Um, are you okay? Was it too many?” “No, no, I’m fine,” he replied and gave the bunnies a little shake to calm them down. “I’m just not used to have anything else on my back than a coat.” “Well, as long as you’re okay,” Fluttershy replied and smiled again. They arrived at the school five minutes later. Wired Fix crouched down, letting the bunnies jump down without the risk of them getting hurt. The young fillies came running out through the doors before Miss Cheerilee got a chance to stop them. They all flocked up around the group of ten cuddly baby bunnies, who looked curiously back at them. “They’re so cute!” Applebloom said. “They’re so fluffy!” Scootaloo said. “I really like their fur!” Sweetie Belle continued. All of the fillies kept cuddling and baby-talking to the bunnies, while Wired Fix and Fluttershy stood and smiled, knowing they had brought a great source of happiness. Fluttershy turned her head towards Wired Fix’s and looked into his eyes. And she kept it that way. Like she couldn’t take her eyes away. Wired Fix turned towards Fluttershy, which made here look away and blush a little. “Eh…Are you alright, Fluttershy?” he asked and lifted an eyebrow. “You look like something just scared you.” Fluttershy looked back at him. “Um…” she replied. “No, nothing is wrong. I just…um…yeah.” Wired Fix didn’t know what to say to that. He just chuckled and headed for the Town Square. All the happy faces cheered him up enough for a cupcake at Sugarcube Corner. Sugarcube Corner was really crowded. It was almost like everypony in all of Ponyville had settled down in the small café. Wired Fix walked past several tables before he reached the counter. “Welcome to Sugarcube Corner,” Mrs Cake greeted. “How may I help you, sir?” “Hello,” Wired Fix replied and smiled. “I would like a strawberry cupcake with lemon cream icing. And I would also like a cup of cocoa.” Mrs Cake looked at Wired Fix curiously. There was a hint of insecurity in her eyes. “Cocoa?” she asked. “You always decline, although very politely, our offers of cocoa, and now you order it? There’s nothing wrong, I assure you!” She laughed. “It’s just a little strange.” “I’ve never been in the correct mood for cocoa,” Wired Fix replied. “I order what matches my mood, and today, I feel warm and fresh, just like cocoa and lemon.” Mrs Cake couldn’t do anything but chuckle at that silly statement. She nodded and told him she’d take care of his order. Wired Fix sat down at a table, right next to Bon Bon and Lyra…making out. He turned his head away. There’s nothing wrong with it, he just doesn’t want to get accused of “spying” on them. At another table, he could see Spitfire and Soarin’ sharing a milkshake. It seems everypony are starting to find their special somepony these days. he thought to himself. I’ve got no interest in such thing…yet. “Here you go, mr. Wi-Fi!” Mrs Cake sang when she arrived at Wired Fix’s table. “One strawberry cupcake with lemon cream icing, and one steaming hot cup of fresh cocoa!” “Mmm, smells nice,” he replied. “I’m looking forward to eating it.” He picked up a fork and began eating the cupcake. The whole meal was finished within minutes, which he really enjoyed. He carried the plate and cup to the counter, put a few bits there, and left with a good feeling. “Hmm, I wonder how Rarity’s boutique is going. I’ve got nothing to do, might as well pop in for a visit.” The air was really chilly, he couldn’t remember the winter coming this early before. The trees were bending quite heavily in the wind. Wired Fix decided to trot to Rarity’s boutique to keep the warmth. As he trotted away, Big McIntosh came walking beside him. “Good afternoon, Big Mac.” Wired Fix said and smiled. “Out for a stroll?” “Nope,” Big McIntosh replied and shook his head. “Ok,” Wired Fix replied. “Are you going somewhere? Let me guess. Rarity’s boutique?” “Yup,” Big Mac replied and nodded. “We need some new curtains for th’ house, ya see. Poor Granny Smith managed to drop ‘em into th’ pot o’ applesauce she was cookin’.” “Oh dear,” Wired Fix said and chuckled. “Well, look at it in a more positive way. At least there’s more fiber now.” They both broke out into laughter. They laughed so hard, they had to stop to catch their breath. “Oh dear,” Big Mac said and took a deep breath. “If ya said that to Granny Smith, ah am pretty sure she’d whack the breath out of ya.” Wired Fix thought about it, trying to visualize it. He chuckled by the thought. “Yeah, you’re probably right. Better not, then.” They finally arrived at Rarity’s boutique, when Opalescence came running out the window. “Opal, come back!” Rarity shouted and looked out the window. “Mommy’s sorry, I didn’t mean to stitch your bow on the dress! Please, Opal!” Opal didn’t stop at all, she just jumped up into a tree and started licking herself. Wired Fix got a confused look on his face and looked at Big Mac, who just shrugged. “Oh, hello!” Rarity called and smiled. “I’m sorry, just let me change, and I’ll be with you in a minute!” She ran back in. Big Mac opened the door, and the two colts walked in. “Rarity, have you got any problems with Opal?” Wired Fix called up the stairs. “She seemed to be in a fuss.” Rarity came out of her room and down the stairs. “Oh, nothing to be worried about,” she replied and smiled. “I was just a little unlucky and stitched poor Opal’s bow onto the new dress I’m making for Princess Luna.” Wired Fix and Big Mac smiled and nodded as a sign of understanding. “So, how may I help you, my friends?” “I just came in to see how you’re doing,” Wired Fix replied. “But Big McIntosh has got a request.” He nodded towards Big Mac. “Yup,” he said. “Granny Smith managed to throw th’ curtains into th’ pot o’ applesauce, and now they’re ruined. So ah came to buy some new ones.” “Hmm,” Rarity said and smiled. “I’m pretty sure we could find something to replace them. Do you need any specific colours or patterns?” Big Mac shook his head, and pointed at a curtain stand with single-coloured linen curtains. Rarity went over there and lifted up some light brownish-yellow curtains. “Do these satisfy?” she smiled. “Yup,” Big Mac replied and showed her the sack on his back, which he opened. “Just put ‘em in there. Ah got th’ bits in th’ other pocket.” Big Mac left the shop with a smile, and trotted back to Sweet Apple Acres. After putting the bits in the money box, Rarity turned around, smiling at Wired Fix. “So,” she said. “You wanted to pop in for a visit, checking on me?” Wired Fix smiled and nodded. Rarity smiled cutely. “That’s sweet of you. Would you like some tea?” “Yes, thanks for the offer,” he replied. “What kinds do you have?” “Come with me, and we can find it out in the kitchen, you and I,” she replied and walked towards the kitchen. The kitchen was really bright; the walls were white, the floor tiles were about the same colour as the curtains Rarity sold to Big McIntosh. And to top it off, she had really large windows. Rarity opened a cabinet and lifted out three jars. “I got green, white and black tea,” she said and put the jars on the counter. “Also, I got some fruit trees in the garden, if you want fresh fruit tea. Lemons, blackcurrants, apples. Your choice!” Wired Fix thought through it, before coming to a conclusion. “I’ll take black tea with apple.”
Chapter 3: RoyaltyChapter 3: Royalty They sat there for five minutes, just sipping tea and looking at each other. Wired Fix smiled and looked at the garden. The flowers were amazing, exploding with colours and fragrances. Rarity put down her cup and cleared her throat. “Sorry,” she started. “But, is there anything you would like to talk about? The silence is a little awkward. Anything? Sports, fashion, gossip?” Wired Fix took a last sip of his tea before he put the cup down. “Actually,” he began. “I want to tell you something. You know Fluttershy.” “Yes,” Rarity replied. “What about her?” “Well,” Wired Fix said. “At the birdsong competition, she turned into some kind of monster… Don’t know what happened, but she became really dark. Like she was sucking the energy out of me. It turned into a disaster.” Rarity lifted an eyebrow before asking: “What disaster?” Wired Fix turned his head towards her. “Don’t you remember the chaos she made?” he asked. “The Shutterfly thing, with the amplifiers and everything?” “I…” she began before losing the thread. “I have no clue of what you’re talking about, darling. Fluttershy was just putting up two speakers, and starting the bird choir. Nothing bad happened that day.” She took a sip and lowered her head. “Well, besides you collapsing in the crowd, that is.” Wired Fix almost choked on the tea. He looked curiously at her. “What do you mean?” he asked. “I just collapsed? Right out of nowhere?” Rarity nodded and put a hoof on his shoulder. She sent another concerned look at him. Wired Fix himself put his own hoof to his head. He felt nauseous. “B-but…” “Shh, darling,” Rarity interrupted. “Nurse Redheart told us what had happened. She said you had a seizure and fainted.” “A seizure?!” he replied. “Then how do you explain everypony running around, looking all frantic?! And the buildings getting smashed?!” Rarity put her hoof on his mouth to stop him. “Wirey!” she yelled. “Shut up and listen, darling! Nopony was running around, no buildings were smashed, and nothing happened! I am worried about you, and I think you should let Twilight check on you.” Rarity gave Wired Fix a caring kiss on his cheek, and looked deeply into his eyes. “Now, how would you like it? Will you go to her, or do you want me to ask her to come over?” After half an hour, Twilight Sparkle came through the gate into the garden. She looked around before finally noticing where Wired Fix was sitting. “Hello,” she said and smiled. “Rarity said you were having some memory issues?” Wired Fix scowled at her. “Everypony would think so, yes,” he replied and sighed. “I know I saw Fluttershy turn into some…thing. She called herself Shutterfly or something like that. And the whole competition turned into a great disaster of great proportions.” Twilight looked at him and chuckled. “What’s so funny?” “Sorry,” she replied and cleared her throat. “It’s just that I was at the competition. Well, everypony was, you probably know that. But anyways, I didn’t see or hear any of that happen. The birdsong competition went as normal. Well, besides you fainting in the middle of Fluttershy’s birds’ tune.” Wired Fix looked up at her. His eyes were focusing on the very depths of Twilight’s. They were like amethysts, sparkling in the sunlight. The deep colours turned the iris into an endless ring-shaped pit of crystals. He couldn’t take his focus away until Rarity bent over in front of him and asked: “Hey, are you listening?” “Huh, what?” he said confused and shook his head. “Yeah, yeah…I’m listening…” “Wired…” Twilight started. “I’m worried about you. Everypony’s worried about you. Nopony has as far as I remember fainted for no known reason. I heard you went to the hospital for a few days. Is that correct?” Wired Fix nodded. “And they couldn’t find out what’s wrong?” Rarity asked. “No,” Wired Fix answered and put a hoof to his head. “Actually, I’m starting to feel really weird… I’m feeling really nauseous.” He rose up out of the chair and stumbled into one of Rarity’s ponds. The emerald-shaped stone on the wall above loosened and hit his head, knocking him out. “Where…” Wired Fix asked. “Where am I? What happened?” He stood up. The garden was gone. The whole boutique and everything inside it was gone. All he could see was a dark, red void with brown grass under him. The sky was covered by a black fog, closing out either the sun or the moon, whatever time of the day it was. Wired Fix could hear the shrieks of ponies. It was like somepony was being tortured. Or even worse: Killed. Wired Fix ran towards one of the shrieks he heard. He was met by a body lying on the ground, blood running out from underneath. It was a mare, he could easily see it. She was orange with a wild mane, and covered in a ripped blue suit. “No…” he said and dropped a tear. “Not poor Spitfire..!” The body moved a little. Wired Fix looked at her face. Spitfire opened her eyes slowly and looked at him. They were pale. All that blood loss had fully taken the colour out of her. “Sorry…” she whispered and collapsed again. Wired Fix put his front legs around her and cried loudly as he hugged her. He could not believe it. A Wonderbolt was dead. Killed by a major loss of blood, caused by something unknown. Who knows what else he could find? He put her down on the ground neatly, and used his magic to make a hole in the ground, ready for a burial. A few minutes later, he planted a flower on her pile. He shed another tear. As he woke up, he felt wind blowing through his mane. Was he dead too? He opened his eyes and looked in the direction the wind came from. He could make out the silhouette of Princess Celestia and Luna’s castle in Canterlot. Between it and him were Soarin’ and… Spitfire. “Just keep still,” a voice shouted. “We’ll be at the castle in a few minutes, so don’t stress yourself!” It was Spitfire’s voice. “Can somepony please tell me what’s going on, so I don’t have to disobey?” Wired Fix replied and sighed. “I’m getting tired of this mystery.” “You’re on a sky-kart,” Soarin’ answered. “And we’re taking you to the castle to see Princess Celestia. We’re hoping she might have an explanation to whatever bugs you.” Wired Fix sighed again and sat up in the cart. With him were Twilight Sparkle, Applejack and Rainbow Dash. They all looked concerned at him, although they attempted a faint smile. “Hey, cutie,” Rainbow Dash said. “Uh, I mean…friend..? Is that okay or..?” “Right now, Rainbow,” Wired Fix started. “I am too dizzy to be annoyed by your flirting. Just call me whatever you want, if that makes you happy. Rainbow smiled. She looked around a little before she whispered something into his ear. “Thanks for the you-know-what earlier.” “Don’t get too used to it,” he replied. “But you’re welcome.” They arrived at the border of Canterlot, where they were met by the royal guards. In front was Shining Armour, wearing his suit, helmet, and a crest Cadance had made for him, which he actually thought was embarrassing, having to walk around with a large pink flower on his chest at all times. “Stop there,” one of the guards called and raised a hoof. “What do you carry?” “It’s just a pony carrier, sir,” Soarin’ replied and saluted. “Spitfire and me, Soarin’, of the Wonderbolts are pulling it, and inside are Rainbow Dash, Twilight Sparkle, Applejack and Wired Fix. We’re on our way to the castle for some royal help.” Shining Armour took off his helmet and approached the sky-kart. He smiled when his sister stood up and gave him a great hug. “Twilight!” he said. “How are you doing? Sent any letters to the princess lately?” “I’m fine,” Twilight replied and laughed. “But we got some work to do. We wanted to ask princess Celestia if she could help our friend here, Wired.” Wired Fix sat up in the kart and looked at Shining Armour. “Okay, you go on through,” Shining Armour said and signalled to the gatekeeper to open the gate. Soarin’ and Spitfire pulled the kart through the gate and into Canterlot, heading for the castle. When they arrived at the castle, Spitfire knocked on the door. A hatch was opened, and a guard peeked out. “Can I help you?” he asked in a strict voice. “We need to ask for some advice from princess Celestia,” Spitfire replied. “Our friend here has had some hallucinations, and we’re really worried about him.” The guard looked at Wired Fix, who was starting to look really weak. He nodded, closed the hatch and opened the door. The group walked on in, Applejack carried Wired Fix on her back. They entered the main hall, where Princess Celestia and her sister Luna had a nice cup of tea. They looked at the group coming in, and Luna stood up. “Yes, what seems to be your errand?” she asked. Applejack put Wired Fix down on the floor, assisting him until he could stand. “Princess Celestia,” Twilight said and took a few steps forward. “Our friend here, Wired Fix… He’s been feeling really terrible lately. He’s started having wild hallucinations, but seems to have some amnesia afterwards. We’re really worried, and would ask if you could give us some help finding out how to treat it.” The princess smiled and took a last sip of her tea before standing up herself. She came down the steps and looked at Wired Fix. When he looked back into her eyes, she stopped smiling. She actually started to look even more worried than the group. “During all the years of my reign,” she said. “I’ve never seen such a cloudy pony mind. You did the right thing bringing him here. Luna, get a few pillows." “Yes, my sister,” Luna replied and trotted into the next room for some pillows. They let Wired Fix down on a pile of pillows, and Celestia led the group away. “Wired Fix needs to rest,” she said and looked at the group. “Luna and I will look after him, and see what we can find out. Until then, you should leave him, and go back to Ponyville.” “Um…princess?” Applejack asked. “Ah don’t want to go against yer’ will or anything. But ah am really concerned. Can’t we stay in Canterlot and look after him? Ya know, talk to him, help him get his food and such?” “Applejack,” Luna started. “It’s for his own best, dear. Trust Celestia, she knows best.” Twilight put a hoof on Applejack’s shoulder and nodded. The group left with a dark mind. Luna walked up next to Celestia and looked into her eyes. “You don’t think it could be? Not after this many years?” Celestia put a hoof on Luna’s shoulder. “I don’t know,” she answered. “But I sure don’t hope so.” As the three ponies sat on the train back to Ponyville, they all looked out the window back towards Canterlot. They all hoped Wired Fix was okay. “What do ya think it could be, Twi?” Applejack asked. Twilight lowered her head and closed her eyes. “I don’t know,” she replied. Rainbow Dash sat back in her seat and stared aimlessly into the air, with a few tears dripping from her nuzzle. She started to sob a little. “Aww, shucks,” Applejack said and sat down next to Rainbow Dash. “Ah know how ya feel. We’re all worried about Wired, but he needs his rest. Ah am sure he’ll be good soon.” “You have no idea how I feel,” Rainbow replied. “You are worried as a friend. But it’s heavier for me.” She put her face in her hooves and cried. Twilight sat down on the other side of Rainbow and put a hoof over her shoulder, trying to comfort her. “What do you mean?” she asked. “How is this heavier for you?” Rainbow kept crying for a minute before she finally got a chance to catch her breath. She looked at Twilight, then at Applejack before she returned to Twilight. “I don’t feel like telling you,” she answered. “You won’t understand.” “Sure we’ll understand, sugarcube,” Applejack said and held around Rainbow. “Just tell us.” Rainbow lowered her head, took a deep breath and sighed. “I love him.”
Chapter 4: Power from Deep WithinChapter 4: Power from Deep Within “Tia,” Princess Luna said as Celestia came out of the guest suite. “How is Wired Fix doing? He’s been here for so long, I’m starting to get really worried if I’ll have to tell the young fillies the story nopony likes.” Celestia sighed and looked at her sister. There was a tear in the corner of her eye, sparkling like the world’s most perfect diamond. Such tears coming from the princess’ eyes could only mean one thing. “Luna…” she started before taking a deep breath. “There is something much worse present. This isn’t just involving Wired Fix.” She turned her head towards the door. “What do you mean, sister?” Luna asked with a sad look on her face. “I don’t think it’s a mental damage, Luna,” Celestia replied, closed her eyes and lowered her head. “It might seem we’ve got a case of memory intrusion. That’s the only explanation I have for his amnesias, faints and hallucinations combined.” Luna put a hoof to her mouth and gasped when she heard that. “B-but…” Luna started. “Only one creature has had that ability, and that was many years ago! It can’t be!” “Luna!” Celestia yelled and put a hoof on her sister’s mouth. “I’m not certain. But we can’t oversee that option. Call the guards, we need to protect Wired Fix. I’ll send a message to Twilight Sparkle right away.” Princess Luna nodded and trotted away. Princess Celestia went to her room and conjured a piece of paper and a quill. “Twilight…” Spike sighed once again. “You have to get out and be with your friends, rather than just sitting here and worrying about Wired. Go to Sugarcube Corner, play in the Everfree Forest, whatever!” He sat down and put his grumpy face in his hands. He had tried for the whole morning to get Twilight out of the house so he could get some peace and quiet from her constant worrying. His scales were pale, as he hadn’t got any sleep for the last week. “But Spike,” Twilight said and stopped her circling around the lamp. “He could be seriously damaged! He might even be…dying..!” Spike rolled his eyes and banged his fist on the desk. “Snap out of it!” he yelled. “He’s not dying! The princess would have let you know if he was that ill!” Suddenly, he felt a cramp in his stomach. He felt nauseous. “I didn’t mean it!” he tried to say before he let out a big, flaming burp. A scroll with the royal seal appeared, but this time with red paper, contrary to the commonly used brownish paper. “Oh no, what could a red scroll mean?” Spike asked and started to bite his claws. “I don’t know,” Twilight replied and gulped. “But I am sure it isn’t good.” She took the scroll and undid the ribbon with her magic. She opened the scroll and started reading out loud. “Dear Twilight Sparkle. Your friend is getting worse every day, and I have come to a conclusion. You and your friends have to get to Canterlot as fast as possible. I fear we might be the victims of a grave danger, greater than what we’ve encountered before. -Princess Celestia” “What did I tell you?!” Twilight yelled. “I got a reason to be worried!” Spike read through the letter once more before he put it down with a surprised look. He sat down on a chair and stared into thin air. “Twilight…” he started. “Do as the princess says and go. Get your friends and get to Canterlot. I’ll be waiting here…” Twilight nodded with a worried expression on her face and ran out the door. It didn’t take long before the group was on the train to Canterlot. Fluttershy and Rarity were sitting by the window, Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash by the door, and Twilight Sparkle and Applejack in the middle, facing each other. “Ooh!” Pinkie said and twitched a little. “I can’t wait to get to Canterlot! I haven’t been there since the party I can’t remember if I actually was invited to, although I came after all, since I can’t resist a party, because that’s how I got my cutie mark. It wasn’t for looking at three balloons, it was for a party! Du-uh!” “Pinkie, dear…” Rarity interrupted politely. “You are aware of why we’re going, aren’t you? This isn’t a party invitation.” “Of course I do!” Pinkie replied and smiled jokingly. “You guys kept telling me that like five or six times, which I understood every time, although you kept telling me this wasn’t a party, and I know this isn’t a party, dummy.” She giggled at the end. Rainbow Dash couldn’t take it anymore. She flew towards the window, opened it up and threw Pinkie Pie into the pond next to Fluttershy’s cottage as they drove past it. Without saying a word, she closed the window and sat back in her seat, joining the group of sighs of pleasure. “Twi,” Applejack started and sat up in her seat, holding a serious expression on her face. “Ah understand how tough this is fer’ ya. Ah just want to let ya know we’re all here fer’ ya.” She put a hoof on Twilight’s shoulder and smiled a little, trying to cheer her up. Twilight sent a faint smile back, indicating she felt slightly better. Rainbow looked at Twilight, and shook her head towards the door. She wanted Twilight to go out in the corridor with her. Twilight stood up and opened the door, letting Rainbow out first, before going out and closing the door behind her. “What’s on your mind, Rainbow?” she asked. “Anything wrong? Or did you want to cheer me up in private?” Rainbow turned her head away, closing her eyes. “You know what’s bothering me,” she replied and shed a tear. “I told you on the train back to Ponyville. I love Fix, and this is really heavy for me.” She started whimpering as she said the last sentence, and collapsed in a great crying session. Twilight kneeled down next to her and gave her a big hug. “It’s heavy for both of us,” she said. “It’s heavy for all of us. But we’ve got to deal with it anyways. I’m sure everything will be fine in a few days. Calm down. Is there anything I can do to cheer you up? Do you want anything?” Rainbow wiped her tears away and looked into Twilight’s eyes. They were face to face, few inches from each other. Rainbow’s eyes were sparkly, and the dark pink was turning into a deep mix of red and purple. She smiled a little. “Nah, I’m fine,” she replied. “Just go back in with the others. I’ll just have a walk through the corridor.” “If you say so,” Twilight answered and stood up. “Don’t worry, he’ll be fine. I’m sure.” With that said, she turned around and went back into the coupe with the three others. As the train got close to Canterlot, the sound of creaking wheels and smoking pipes surprised the passengers. The train was slowing down and stopped outside the entrance, where lots of guards were on guard. The whole city was closed off by a big, red bubble. One of the guards started talking to the train driver as four other guards entered the train and started inspecting every coupe. When one of them arrived outside the group’s coupe, the first thing they heard was a thump, followed by a crash. “What in tarnation?” Applejack asked and opened the door. She gasped at the sight. On the floor was one of the guards lying, some bumps in the armour. Next to him stood Rainbow Dash and glared at him with a victorious smile. “Rainbow!” Applejack yelled and punched her. “What the hay did ya do that for?!” “He was going to break in and arrest you!” was Rainbow’s reply. Applejack rolled her eyes and waved for the three others to come out. “Ah am pretty sure it’s just an inspection or something,” Applejack said. Right after that, another guard came and saw the beat-up guard on the floor. He lifted his spear, pointed it at the group, and ordered them to lay down on the floor. “It was not an assault, officer,” Rarity said calmly and looked at the guard. “Rainbow here just misunderstood and thought it was an unexplained arrest order.” “Get out of the carriage,” the guard commanded. “You are going to be put through a control. It’s for everypony’s safety and won’t take long.” They followed his order and walked out of the carriage in a line. Outside the train was an outpost. A large sign read “Safety Control”. The group was led in and instructed to sit down on a chair. In front of them was a long table, and behind it sat three ponies dressed in green suits. They had one notebook each, and started discussing. The middle one pointed at Twilight and instructed her to come forward. “Twilight Sparkle,” he started. “You have been summoned by Princess Celestia, is that correct?” Twilight nodded and said “Yes.” The three ponies jotted down a few lines. “I’m so sorry you and your friends had to go through this trouble,” the pony to the middle one’s right said and smiled. “It’s just that we have put Canterlot under full quarantine, and we can’t let any pony in. We’re just checking for unauthorized visitors. Go on through that door to the left, a cart is waiting for you.” “Thank you,” Fluttershy and Rarity said. The rest just nodded. The whole group went through the door, and was met by a large cart, almost like a bus. In charge of the whole machinery was no other than Soarin’! “Get in, and we’ll be there in a minute!” Soarin’ said quickly. They all got in the cart, and Soarin’ drove it to the castle. Outside the entrance stood Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. They greeted the five ponies with a bow and led them in. “I’m so glad you could come on such short notice,” Princess Celestia said. “As I said in the letter, Wired Fix has been getting worse every day. I had really hoped my prediction was wrong…” She lowered her head as they arrived outside the bedroom Wired Fix was lying in. With a slow, but precise movement, she spelled the lock and opened the door. Inside was Wired Fix, lying in his bed. The whole group of fillies gasped at the sight. His golden yellow mane was turning brownish green. His white, clean coat was turning grey, with several long hairs growing out here and there. But the most terrifying part was his horn. The once straight, pearl-grey horn was splintered! “Wirey!” Rarity yelled in fear. The whole group ran up to his bed and flocked up around it. A ring of ten shivering eyes surrounded him. Twilight was the only one to turn around and look back at Celestia, who had shed more tears. “Princess…” Twilight started and took a few steps away from the bed. Her eyes turned from worried and broken to an expression of anger and distrust. “Tell us. Don’t hide it anymore, I can’t take it. WE can’t take it!” Luna walked in front of Twilight and looked strictly into her eyes. “Don’t you dare threaten my sister!” she said angrily. “After all she’s done for you!” “It’s not a threat, Princess Luna!” Rarity yelled. “Twilight’s right! This has been going on for too long! We demand an explanation!” She stroke Wired Fix’s ruined mane a few times. Princess Celestia closed her eyes and sighed. “Sister, stand back,” she said and took a step forward. “They deserve the truth.” “But, Tia…” Luna tried, but was interrupted by the stern look in Celestia’s eyes. The princess of the night looked down at the ground and nodded. She took a step backward, and let Celestia forward. “Come here, my little ponies,” Celestia said. The group was unsure whether they would leave Wired Fix or stay at his bed. After exchanging looks, they agreed to go to Celestia and Twilight. “Now, this might make things harder for you, but you don’t deserve the truth to be hidden any longer. I have had an idea of what might be the case ever since you left a week ago.” She took a deep breath. “Wired Fix might be the victim of a memory intrusion. And only one creature has ever had that ability.” Princess Luna looked back up and into the eyes of the five fillies. “We had hoped we defeated him a long time ago. But sadly, he returned not so long ago, leading Ponyville into a new period of chaos.” “Ya don’t mean..?” Applejack asked. “I’m sorry, my little ponies,” Celestia said. “But I’m afraid Discord has returned, and this time his final power has been released. Memory.”
Chapter 5: All Minds Die SomedayChapter 5: All Minds Die Someday (Two days later) “Oh, Wired…” Rainbow cooed again. He was still lying in his bed, his state was getting worse. Princess Celestia had wrapped a bandage around his head, covering his eyes. Blood was starting to pour out of his eyes along with the tears he had shed every hour, making two large red areas in the front of his bandage. “Tia,” Princess Luna said as the two sisters left the room. “Why did you not let them stay in Canterlot that day they came with him? I know it wouldn’t have helped, but it could have kept their morale up.” Celestia closed the door, and they walked slowly down the hall. “I needed them to go to environments they felt were safe,” she replied calmly. “Staying close to the source of worry would give them a constant reminder what they didn’t want to see. Do you understand?” The princess of the night nodded. “You have a good argument,” she said as they entered the tea room. “But still, nursing him could give them a feeling they helped. Effective or not, it would make them feel better.” The princess of the sun gave her sister’s argument a good thought as she stirred in her cup. As she took a sip, she opened her eyes and looked deeply into Luna’s eyes. “You’re probably right,” she said. Applejack went to the kitchen to get some lunch for her friends. As she walked down the hall, she started thinking about what could happen to Wired Fix if he didn’t make it. The dark thoughts forced her to a sudden stop in the middle of the floor. She started breathing heavily. The sweat started dripping from her temple, hitting the floor at a rapid pace. The room started to stretch and bend slowly as Applejack stumbled across the floor. She crashed through a stained glass window and fell a few meters before she hit the paved road between the pavilion and the fountain. The impact knocked her unconscious. “Ow!” she yelled as she put her hoof to her head. “Where am ah? This doesn’t look much like Canterlot. To be honest, this ain’t th’ castle at all!” She stood up, stumbling a little. She was in a large room, all white. The walls were painted, the floor was tiled, and the ceiling was one solid plate. No doors were present, no windows either. What really confused Applejack was how she got there. As she walked around a little, the solid white walls seemed to come closer to each other. “What in tarnation?!” she asked and looked around. “Th’ room is shrinking! Ah gotta get out!” She started running around and started bucking the walls, feeling where a hidden door might be. But after a minute of kicking, she realized it was hopeless. None of the walls broke or revealed any openings. They had now reached so close, Applejack had just enough space to lie down and crawl together. She looked up. The ceiling hadn’t lowered or risen at any time, so she had at least something that didn’t cause problems. As she sighed in despair, the plate over her dropped at a fast pace, getting close to her in a blink. “Twilight, dear,” Rarity started and looked away from Wired Fix. “I am really starting to wonder where Applejack is. She has been gone for an hour, something must have happened.” Twilight looked at her. “I agree,” she said and nodded. “I’ll go look for her. Fluttershy, could you fill the pitcher with a new dosage of cold water? We need to get some liquid into poor Wired here, or he’ll dry out.” “I’m on it,” Fluttershy replied and flew towards the small table to pick up the pitcher. Twilight opened the door and left the room. She took a walk down the hall towards the North alley. A few guards patrolled the hallways, talking about how bored they were. They didn’t take the time to greet her or even nod her way. Twilight reached the main royal quarters without seeing Applejack anywhere. She decided to take the East hall past the kitchen. “She was going after food,” Twilight said to herself. “So why didn’t I just go to the kitchen?” She put her hoof to her face and walked down the hall. After a few minutes of walking, she saw the smashed stained glass window, and ran towards it to take a peek out. “No!” she yelled when she saw five guards, including Shining Armour, picking Applejack up and putting her on a stretcher. She used a spark to teleport down next to her brother. “Is she going to be alright?” “Twilight!” Shining Armour exclaimed in surprise when he heard his sister. “I’m sorry, but it’d seem she fell out the window and crashed down on the paved road. As you can see, she’s had a heavy bleed.” He pointed at a wide trail of blood pouring out of Applejack as she was carried away. “Oh no…” Twilight said and started to cry. “First Wired, and now Applejack?! It can’t be…” She vanished in a bright flash. “Oh, poor Twilight,” Shining Armour said to himself and put his helmet back on. “It seems my duties have not ended yet.” Twilight snapped out of the teleport right outside princess Celestia and Luna’s quarters. She took a deep breath before she knocked on the door. Before long, the princess of the sun approached the door and opened it. She looked down and saw a broken, purple filly with the shivers. “Twilight Sparkle,” she said. “What brings you here? I thought giving you and your friends permission to stay here would help you. Or do you just want to talk?” Twilight kept shivering, dropping a lot of tears on the shiny tile floor. “It…it’s A-Applejack…” she stammered and fell down on the floor. “She’s h-hurt too. I s-saw some guards p-pick her up from the p-paved road, outside the East hall. It was like she f-fell out the window.” Princess Celestia’s face immediately went from a surprised look to a terrified face, with hints of deep fear. “We’ve got to get to the medical bay!” she said and ran back into her room. Twilight could hear some discussing between the two royal sisters before they both came running out the door. “Twilight,” Luna started and looked at Twilight. “Prepare yourself for a mass teleport.” She lit up her horn, and created a large flashing spark around the three of them, before they all vanished. Applejack’s vision was blurry when she regained consciousness. All she could hear was a muffled indistinct chatter, and a repetitive dark bang. Her own heartbeat. She lifted her head slowly and looked around, giving her a cloudy image of the hall moving as she was being carried to the medical bay. “Lay still,” a voice said. “You don’t want to make your wounds worse!” In a way, Applejack couldn’t seem to understand what was being said. All she did was nod slowly. She closed her eyes, and tried to remain calm. She was feeling really nauseous. Her pulse was rising. But the limit was reached when she hopped off the stretcher, and put her face into a potted plant to vomit. “Oooh…” she exclaimed in pain. “Ah feel worse than ever… Get me to th’ bay quickly!” The guards nodded and put her back on the stretcher, before they ran to the medical bay. The three mares flashed into the medical bay to see the guards come running in with Applejack on the stretcher, all covered in her own blood and regurgitation. The guards almost knocked Twilight and Luna over as they passed by. “Oh dear,” Princess Luna said and sighed. “First we have a stallion who has a memory intrusion, and now a mare crashes out a window? My sister, we must take action this instant, before more ponies get in trouble!” She looked at Princess Celestia with a serious gaze. Princess Celestia looked at Twilight, then at Applejack before returning to Twilight. “You are right, Luna,” she said and closed her eyes. “Discord must be stopped!” The three of them gazed upon the nurses, who cleaned and stitched up Applejack, while she kept vomiting in a paper bag. They left the medical bay without a word. When they got out, they looked at each other. “That must have been Discord,” Twilight said. “I am certain. It’s not like Applejack to just black out and crash through a window! I wonder how we can stop a creature that knocks ponies out, simply by breaking the connection between mental control and body functions.” “Twilight,” Luna started. “You can’t defeat Discord that easily. You need all six Elements of Harmony, and the Honesty element doesn’t work without Applejack. Plus, the Elements were just enough for a normal Discord. The one we are worried about the resurrection of, is the original Discord, the one with all his powers available. The Elements might just about weaken him enough for my sister and I to turn him back into stone.” Those words made Twilight feel even worse than before. “Could it really be too late?” she asked herself and left. Rarity was standing in the door, waiting for Twilight to return. Her faint smile vanished as a purple, heartbroken pony came walking slowly past her into the room. Rainbow Dash was sitting by the bed, Fluttershy was sitting next to her. They both watched over Wired Fix. He looked horrible, even worse than when they returned to Canterlot, as requested by Princess Celestia in her letter. His once golden mane was now completely pale brown, like sand. His once marble white coat was now grey as must. His pearl horn was now just a shiny, splintered rock. Rainbow nodded towards Twilight as she sat down on the other side of the bed. Fluttershy took off the bandages that covered his eyes. Large marks from bleeding were stained around his eyelids. He was barely breathing, but they couldn’t feel his pulse. It was almost gone. They all sat there silently, crying and holding each other’s hooves. Fluttershy was the only one who hadn’t said anything that day. She decided to break the silence. “Um…” she started. “Rainbow…Twilight…I just want you to know that…um…I feel really sorry for you. Wired Fix is a great friend, and it’s always hard to lose a great friend…” Rainbow looked at Fluttershy, and showed a faint smile. She really appreciated Fluttershy’s concern. The three of them ended up hugging and crying. Rarity came walking from the kitchen with four glasses of ice tea, which she wanted to offer to her friends as a comfort, though it being very little. “Here,” she started. “Have something to drink. You’ll need to strengthen up.” The three ponies by the bed came towards Rarity, gave her a hug each and took a glass. “Thank you, Rarity,” Rainbow said and smiled. She gave her a quick friendly kiss on the cheek, and sat down on a chair. They all sat there, on a chair each, sipping ice tea and comforting each other for the rest of the evening. It was late at night now. The clock in the room had just passed eleven o’ clock. The four ponies were sitting by the table in the corner of the room. Fluttershy was cuddling a stuffed lion doll Rarity had made her. Rainbow Dash and Twilight Sparkle sat and discussed the situation. “I just heard they have successfully patched Applejack up,” Twilight said. “So she’s going to be fine soon. Now, I can’t say the same about Wired Fix in the bed here.” They all pointed they attention towards the bed. Wired was all silent, not making a sound. “No,” Rainbow replied. “He’s really ill. If this really is Discord’s work, we’ve got to stop him. Turn him back into stone!” She banged her hoof on the table. “Rainbow, dear,” Rarity said and put a hoof on Rainbow’s shoulder. “Making a lot of noise won’t solve anything. Please, just calm down.” Rainbow nodded and closed her eyes. Twilight looked at Rarity. “I don’t want to make any hasty predictions,” she started. “But I have a nagging feeling Wired is going to get worse. Right now his pulse is weak, he’s barely breathing, he’s completely discoloured… We might lose him if a miracle doesn’t happen.” They all exchanged worried looks. Suddenly, the silence was broken by a few knocks on the door. Princess Luna walked into the room, bearing a sad look on her face. “Ponies of Ponyville…” she began before clearing her throat. “My sister and I have discussed the state of Wired Fix’s health. And we have something horrible to tell you.” The four ponies stood up and approached the Princess of the night slowly. “How horrible?” Fluttershy asked. “Is it the worst possible?” Princess Luna nodded. “I’m afraid so,” she said and looked at Wired. They all flocked up around the bed. Wired Fix’s horn started to glow. But it wasn’t amethyst purple, as usual. This time, it was red as blood. “It has begun.” The four young ponies held each other, crying. The red glow was starting to creep down the horn, slowly fading. As the horn was slowly uncloaked, it turned grey, shininess was turning matte and coarse. Wired Fix’s muscles started to twitch and bend, Wired himself groaned in pain. Then, the glow was just a ring around the base of the horn. “Goodbye, Wired Fix.” Princess Luna cried. The ring disappeared, and Wired Fix stopped moving.
Prologue (3 Months later)Prologue He could not believe it. It was never meant to be. He just stood there. Tears appeared in the corner of his eye, falling to the ground in an even rhythm. Nopony dared getting close to him. They were afraid he might take out all his hate, all his fear and all his vengeance on them. Soarin' took a step backwards, lowering his head. Princess Luna didn’t say a word. She was completely speechless. The cold winds moved slowly over the grey, dead ground. The black clouds were clearing up slowly. The evil force was gone. A single bird was visible. A dove, white as the purest light. The colour of hope, passion and union. But there was nothing of that right now. It was too late. He could not do anything to fix it. She was dead. Only five of the Mane Six were left. He took a few steps forward and kneeled down next to her. The one who saved the team, the one who stayed to aid their escape. ”She shouldn’t have done it,” he whispered, and laid a hoof on her face. ”She shouldn’t have...”
