Colors of the Heart

by Azurulia

Rating: teen
Tags: Slice of Life, Sad, Romance
Length: 186496

After an horrifically awful day, a young Manehattan painter somehow finds herself on the wrong end of the law. With no experience of life outside the big city and a secret she is ashamed of, she is forced to flee to a town completely foreign to her.

Interacting with new ponies can be stressful for even the most patient pony; they can be wild, energetic and unpredictable. For some, there are few greater horrors then being forced to do so; Prism is one such pony.

She has chosen to hide away and live a life far from the ever watchful eye of a society that prefers conformity and the status quo. Alone with her only artwork and faithful pet rabbit Mr. Wiggles, she leads a fairly happy life keeping her distance from everypony. Although, when her bubble world suddenly pops and life falls to pieces around her, she is torn from her comfort zone and forced to escape the big city and find change in the form of a new life.

What to expect:

-First person, past tense.
-Lots of feels.
-Type 2 diabetes
-Rustled jimmies

Character tags are final.

Published 1970-01-01 00:00:00 UTC
Last updated 2013-08-23 21:14:46 UTC

Prologue

Mother always said, that when you are born, your life is like a blank canvas, fresh and full of potential.

"The happy and joyful moments of your life, are like vibrant colors that fuse together to create an image." She'd said while I was playing with her white and lavender tail one afternoon. She told me the other half of it when I'd fallen down the stairs, she shushed me as I snuggled into her soft pink coat, before giving a kiss on the knee I’d hurt and telling me, "There are also sad and unhappy times in life, but those provide mild and darker tones, creating an important contrast so that you'll appreciate the lighter colors all the more."

Back then, I never would have thought that my life would have had this many dark colors, but I have had my fair share of bright ones as well, so I suppose it's not so bad. Sure my 'painting' is a little darker than I would have liked it to be, but I have Mr. Wiggles and I am getting by just fine.

Speaking of painting.

I scrunched my muzzle in thought as I examined the landscape on the easel before me. While technically finished, looking over the finishing touches, something just didn’t feel right. Like mother, like daughter; I never could walk away from a finished piece. It always felt like something could be added to make it just a little bit better.

“What do you think, Mr. Wiggles?” I mused, tapping my chin with a forehoof. “Is the shading along the lake too dark for this—”

A soft thumping on my foreleg interrupted my train of thought. I looked down at the small rabbit while he stared back up at me with concern. His charcoal fur was highlighted with many silvery hairs, a testament to his age and wisdom. He turned and pointed to the clock on the paint-chipped wall above my makeshift sofa-bed. I hazily blinked at him a few times before looking back to the canvas.

"Would a darker shade of orange for this portion of the sunset accent the lake better?"

He kicked me with his foot and pointed impatiently at the clock again. I let out a small sigh, he was being difficult. Sometimes, I wondered how much he could understand me when I talked to him... But ever since Mother passed away, he's the only one I have left to talk to.

“Don’t worry, I’m almost done. I’ll take a break in just... a... minute...” I replied slowly, as I concentrated. Sticking out and biting my tongue, I levitated my brush and meticulously added a deeper shading to the sunset.

Wiggles groaned and hopped off, returning a few moments later to pester me again.

“Stop it!” I demanded, looking down to him with a small glare. “I told you I would...”

I trailed off as I caught sight of the shiny red apple he held, not more than a moment later my stomach emitted a low rumble at the site of food. Wiggles narrowed his eyes, promptly lifting the apple up to me. I laughed sheepishly, like a foal who got caught with her hoof in the cookie jar, before leaning down and taking a large bite out of the apple.

“Fhine, hue when,” I began before swallowing the mouth full of apple. “I’ll take a break and eat something.” The victorious bunny gave a satisfied nod, then quickly finished off the remainder of the apple.

“But first, where am I going to put this one?” I mused as I scanned the room.

I’d run out of hanging space on walls of my tiny studio a long time ago. My art collection now lined up in stacks along the base of each wall. With a small shrug, I trotted to the section of the small room that I deemed ‘the kitchen.’

I’ll figure it out later. It could use some drying time anyways.

I took a brief moment to glance back to the clock. “4 p.m.? Is it really that late already?” I mused, noting that my habit of getting stuck on miniscule things had again got the better of me.

Wiggles tapped once more at my foreleg to gain my attention. He gestured a paw across the length of my chest, forelegs and mane. I looked down to said areas, only now realizing what a mess I was. Splotches of color all over stained the pure white. It reminded me of when I tried dying my mane; though, it never did seem to last. Besides, Mother would always disapprove and tell me that I shouldn't try to cover up who I really am, so eventually, I just gave up on the idea.

I looked down to Wiggles with a mock pout. “Yes, Father, I’ll go wash up first.” The rabbit brought his forepaws to his hips, letting out a faint sigh as he shook his head at me.

I covered a small giggle with a forehoof before making my way to the sink. levitating a sponge before wetting it, I proceeded to clean off my snowy coat and mane. The action reminded me of how Mother used to call me "her unspoiled canvas." She said it was always the most exciting part of painting, looking over the blank canvas and imagining all the possibilities. It made her happy that her daughter so resembled her favorite thing, and she would always tell me I could be anything that I wanted, but...

I looked back to my painters palette and brush cutie mark and smiled to myself.

I already knew what I wanted to be, it just took the right moment to prove it.

The sound of an unexpected knock at the door pulled me out of my reminiscing, stealing a gasp from me as I dropped the sponge from my magical grasp. I blinked a few times in surprise before looking back to the clock once more, making sure I hadn’t somehow lost track of time again.

She’s early? The delivery mare’s never early... if anything she's always late.

Concerned by the sudden turn of events, I hesitantly crossed the room; cautiously avoiding random buckets of paint, saddlebags, and other miscellaneous art supplies strewn across the floor.

“H-hello?” I called out to the visitor softly as I approached the door.

“Delivery for a ‘Prism’,” came the rough voice of a stallion from the other side.

A cold chill went down my spine at the unfamiliar voice.

It isn’t her...

“O-Oh, um... thank you. Could you, uh, just leave it there for me? I’ll come get it in a few minutes. I-I’m, um... a little busy.”

“Sorry, can’t do that ma’am. Regulations state packages over forty pounds require the recipient's signature for delivery.”

“B-But, the normal delivery mare just leaves it there for me,” I stated, as I took a step back from the door.

“Well, she’s not supposed to,” he replied, hinting of disapproval in his voice. “Anyways, please open the door and sign for this, I have other packages to deliver.”

I bit my lower lip as I looked myself over hesitantly. If there was one thing I learned from my days in school, it’s that other ponies don’t react too well to my appearance. The disapproving looks, the shocked stares, the hurtful comments; I took extra precautions to avoid those situations.

“W-wait just a moment please!”

I quickly trotted up to my coat hanger by the door, and reached up to pull down my mother’s old cloak. It was battered, beaten and had countless paint stains, but it served its purpose well. I paused for a moment, realizing I was forgetting something. I turned back to the room to find Wiggles waiting in front of me with a pair of hair ties in his mouth.

“What would I do without you,” I said with a sigh of relief, as I took the ties from him.

“Are you going to sign for this or not? I don’t have all day lady...” Came the stallions voice again, showing clear signs of irritation.

“Be right there!” I called back to him, as I hastily tied back my mane and rolled up my tail, securing it with the other tie.

“I’m leaving! And taking this with me!” stated the now angry voice, quickly followed by a small thud.

I hopped to my hooves and bolted for the door, nearly losing my hoofing with my takeoff. “WAIT!” I called out to the stallion as I threw open the door.

The cyan unicorn turned around to face me with a frown, before sitting the large package back down from his magical grip.

“About time,” he huffed, as he levitated a clipboard from atop the box in his green magic, and promptly stuffed it in my face. “Sign here please.”

I took the clipboard from him in my hooves. “T-Thank you!” I replied hastily, before picking up the pencil on the edge of the clipboard in my teeth, and scribbling my signature on the dotted line. “H-Here.” I held out the paper to him.

He raised an eyebrow at me curiously as he enveloped the board in his magic, levitating it to him. “Thanks...”

I darted up to the box and grabbed a hold of one of the strings tying the box closed, and with several straining groans, slowly began pulling the package back to my door.

The delivery stallion looked down to me, clearly unamused. “Need a hoof?” he asked flatly.

I let go of the string and quickly shook my head dismissively. “N-No, I’m, um, fine. I got it!” I insisted, before going back to my feeble pulling of the package.

The stallion facehoofed with a hard groan before enveloping the box in his magic, levitating the package and dragging me up with it. I quickly lost my grip and fell to the floor, landing on my flank with a hard thud and soft squeak, as he sat the box to rest inside my doorway.

“Goodbye, have a nice day,” he said half-heartedly, as he took off down the hallway to the staircase.

I watched him until he was out of sight, then fell backwards, flopping on the floor with a long drawn-out sigh.

Thank Celestia that is over...

I rolled over and climbed to my hooves before walking through my door and around the box.

“I’ll deal with you in a minute.” I said, looking down to the package as I gently kicked my room’s door closed with a hind leg.

I began to take off my cloak, but paused for a moment.

Since I’m already ready to go out... I may as well get the big shopping for the month out of the way.

I groaned slightly as I reflected on the thought, but as much as I hated the grocery store, a mare’s got to eat, and it was where the food was. With a sigh of defeat, I walked up to the pair of my largest saddlebags in the center of the room, and checked to make sure they were empty before sliding into them.

“Mr. Wiggles, I’m heading to the store, want to come?” I asked, before scanning the room for my friend, and finding him lazing about on the couch.

I trotted up to him and poked him with a hoof. “Coming?“ I inquired, turning sideways and looking back to him expectantly.

He let a long yawn before hopping off the sofa, and crawling under it.

“I’ll, uh... take that as a no,” I mused, before looking to the clock. “Well, I guess it is close to your usual nap time...”

I trotted across the room, dodging the miscellaneous floor hazards to the kitchen table and grabbed my usual shopping list, then stashed it in my left saddle bag, before hurrying back to the door.

“I’ll be back soon,” I called out to Wiggles, as I made my way out into the hall.

I looked both ways instinctively before heading for the elevator.

Out of Order.

Read a large sign on the doors.

Well, horseapples... Guess it’s the stairs, then.

Going down thirteen flights wasn't so bad, but as everypony knows, it isn’t the descent that’s the hard part. Jumping over the last step, I touched down and made my way across the lobby to the exit. Reaching the door, I opened it, only to be blasted with a loud howling wind, and a strong gust of frigid air, causing me to reactively slam the door shut with both forehooves.

I hate winter...

Chapter 2: Escape From Manehattan

The walk to the station was a short one; it only took a few minutes from Snooty's store. Even so, I was paranoid that the police might be after me. I kept a low profile, scanning the streets and ponies for any sign of them.

Thankfully, the walk was uneventful and I arrived at the station with no incident. The place was packed with ponies going about their business, but that was expected of a train station belonging to such a busy city like Manehattan. Even so, I wasn't used to crowds and it made me shiver with nervousness.

Tucking my coat close to me, I weaved my way through the immense sea of ponies to one of the ticket booths. Much to my surprise, there was a rather short line. As I reached the line, a yellow mare cut in front of me quickly, followed by another pony, and another. I wasn't about to say or do anything, though. The last thing I wanted was to draw attention to myself. I folded my ears back and let out a small sigh of defeat and began my wait in line.

I took this time to scan the crowds of ponies, ever vigilant for any signs of security or a police officer. I was too close to getting out of Manehatten to be caught now. Eventually, my gaze shifted to the pony in front of me. He was a young stallion that looked to be about my age. His coat was dark brown with an orange mane and tail. There was nothing particularly flashy about him, but he looked to be in great shape.

Now that I think about it, I never really took the time to 'check out' stallions when I ran my errands. Normally, I'd be in too much of a hurry to get done and get home. Now that I stopped to really look, this stallion was kinda cute... and he had a nice flank. My eyes widened and my face flushed with embarrassment as I brought a hoof to my muzzle and sank down, hoping nopony noticed where my eyes had wandered to.

Distracting myself, I looked off to my right at a mare in the line next to mine. She had a cyan coat with a long, forest green mane and tail that were well groomed and curled. There was also a large white flower in her mane; the same flower also adorned her flank. She was really beautiful. With my mind left with nothing to do but wander, I got to thinking again. Having a mare as a very special somepony had crossed my mind a few times.

It seems like it might be a little weird at first... but I don’t think I would have too much trouble accepting the love of another mare?

But In all reality, I just wanted somepony to love me for who I was, regardless of age or gender.

My thoughts were interrupted by an annoyed voice from an equally annoyed-looking mare. She had a tan coat with a very curly red mane and wore large, thick reading glasses.

"Can I help you, miss?" she asked, looking down to me with a frown.

"Y-yes... um, when is the next train to Ponyville?" I asked in a hushed tone, just above a whisper.

"What?" replied the ticketmare as she leaned in closer.

"U-um, ...when is the next train to Ponyville?" I asked, slightly louder than the first time.

The mare picked up some papers and adjusted her glasses before looking through them. "Lets see, the next train to Ponyville is due at... 6 pm, and the following one is tomorrow morning at 8 am."

6 pm!? But that's—

I turned and looked to the clock tower in the center of the station.

—Five hours from now!

I felt a wave of stress slam into me and I began to sweat a little. It had been bad enough watching out for the authorities for the past twenty minutes, but for five whole hours? This was going to be a long and stressful wait, but I would just have to manage.

"Well, are you going to buy a ticket or not? You're holding up the line, lady," stated the now very perturbed ticketmare.

"Y-yes, sorry... How much is a ticket for the 6 pm trip?" I asked as I opened my saddlebag and fumbled about before producing my small bag of bits.

"Twelve bits, please."

Twelve bits, that would leave me with nine bits. Just enough for some dinner and a place to stay the night once I reach Ponyville.

I stopped and thought for a moment about just how crazy this whole trip was. I was leaving the only city I had ever known to travel to a completely new town with nopony that I knew. The only thing driving me was the hope that I’d meet somepony whom I didn't even know if they would give me the time of day; all with nine bits to my name. If not for the dire situation, I would have been insane to even remotely consider the idea.

"Twelve bits, please..." The ticketmare asked again in utter deadpan.

"S-sorry, here," I responded as I hastily placed the bits on the counter.

The mare took them and passed me a ticket without another word or second glance. I quickly tucked away my ticket in my saddlebags and darted away from the booths. Looking back up to the clock tower, I thought about all the extra time I had to waste. This was going to be the longest five hours of my life. I figured I should probably find where I had to wait first of all. I fetched the ticket from my bag and looked it over to find where I had to go to.

The ticket read 'Railway 9' in large bold letters with the departure time below in smaller print. With that, I made my way to the section of the station where my railway would be. Each line came into a different section of the station designated by signs and a large enclosed glass waiting area on the edge of the tracks.

I scanned the faces of ponies I passed as well as those in the waiting areas, making sure there were no signs of security or the like. As I reached my destination I peered inside. It was, to my surprise, empty and relatively quiet compared to the rest of the station. It appeared that this place didn’t see much traffic.

I took a seat next to a large statue of a pony that conveniently blocked me from the view of anypony coming into the waiting area. I figured this would probably be the best spot to get comfortable and wait.

Reaching into my saddlebags, I pulled out a small clipboard with some parchment and a pencil that happened to be in the pack I grabbed during the rush to get out of my apartment. I took the pencil in my teeth, rather than risk somepony seeing me use my magic. I wasn't sure what I wanted to draw, so I looked about the station for some inspiration. After scanning my surroundings, I decided the station’s only real prominent feature was its clock tower, so I went with that and began my doodling.

Sometime later, and once satisfied with the drawing, I did one last glance to the tower to see what time it was. Fifteen minutes to four, so only two hours to go. The question now was what to do for the next two hours. My saddlebags only had a single sheet of parchment in them, and using the other side of it might smear the drawing I had just done; so I decided not to risk it. I sat my clipboard and doodle down next to me and let out a deep sigh.

With little more to do than ponywatch, the following hour crawled by at a pace that would make a snail appear to be a fitting rival to the Wonderbolts.

"So bored!" I whined out loud, slapping both hooves over my face as I slid down in my seat.

"Boy, you're telling me! I hate waiting for the train, talk about snoozeville," piped a small voice heading in my direction.

The sudden noise startled me and I snapped to attention as a short, clawed, bipedal creature toting a green scarf and a small satchel passed by the statute and sat down next to me. It was covered mostly in purple scales with green scales on its underbelly, and had large green spikes on its head and down its back. I looked the creature up and down, not sure what to make of it; it then turned to me and extended a claw.

"Hi, I'm Spike," stated the little purple creature. I paused for a moment, hesitantly glancing at his extended claw then back to him, then back to his claw and to him again.

"Well, nice to meet you too," he huffed, folding his arms as he turned away.

As much as I disliked socializing with new ponies, I felt bad about the impression I left with this little guy. There was something about him. Be it him being a creature I had never seen before or the guilt for being rude to such a friendly pony, or whatever he was; I decided to apologize.

"S-sorry... I didn't mean to be rude, I... I’ve just never seen anything like you before," I stammered hesitantly as I looked him over once more.

The creature turned back to me and puffed out his chest. "I'm a dragon!" he announced proudly, bringing a claw to his chest with a soft thump.

"O-oh... I have never seen a real dragon before.  I, um, thought they were... bigger?" I asked sheepishly.

The dragon placed his claws at his hips and shot me a look. "That’s because I'm a baby dragon," he said matter-of-factly with a hint of annoyance.

I threw a hoof to my muzzle to cover a small gasp. "I-I'm so sorry, I didn't know! I-I... I didn't mean to offend you, I'm really sorry..." I quickly apologized, trailing off into a whisper as I turned away.

Spike raised an eyebrow as he looked me over. "You know... you remind me of somepony I know; she’s also really quiet and apologizes a lot," he commented with a small chuckle. "Anyways, I'm Spike, what's your name?"

"I-I.. I'd rather not say right now, but it’s nice to meet you, Spike." I turned back and slowly, nervously extended a hoof to meet him.

Spike firmly grasped my hoof with a solid shake. "What, you running from the cops and afraid I'm going to turn you in or something?" he asked jokingly with a laugh.

I froze up for a moment; I wasn't expecting a response like that.

"H-haha, yeah... t-that’s... a good one," I replied with a forced laugh.

The dragon raised an eyebrow at me again. "Well, I guess you have your reasons, but don't worry, I won't hold that against you," replied Spike as he closed his eyes and gave a shrug. After a few moments, he opened an eye and glanced down to the clipboard between us.

"Hey, this is really good! Did you draw this?" The baby dragon asked, picking up my doodle and pointing a claw to it.

"Oh, that...? It's just a little doodle I did just now—nothing special..." I quickly dismissed before turning away to hide a small blush.

It had been a long time since anypony commented on my artwork; It felt kind of... nice.

"Nothing special?!" Spike exclaimed as he took a close look at the clock tower, then back to my doodle.

"It looks just like it!" he declared, holding the clipboard out next to the clock tower.

"Well... my special talent is art, but I honestly don't think I'm that good, really," I added sheepishly, looking down to my legs swaying below me.

"Not that good? This is amazing!" Spike commented, stretching out his arms for emphasis.

"Y-you... really think so?" I replied, turning to him with great interest.

"Yeah, you must be a great artist," He stated before pausing for a few moments. "Hey, do you mind if I keep this?" Spike again pointed to the drawing.

"Sure, it's yours," I answered with a soft smile.

"Wow, thanks!" he replied excitedly as he rolled the parchment up and placed it into his satchel.

"No problem!" I replied with a giggle.

It was nice to see somepony so excited over one of my creations, even if it was just a doodle. It was very rare that anypony saw one of my personal works. I never displayed them outside my home.

"You know, I know another pony who is also very good at drawing, but that’s not all! She is also a famous dress designer and makes a lot of decorations for events in Ponyville as well." Spike puffed proudly. "Her name’s Rarity, and she’s the most talented, most wonderful... most beautiful pony in all of Equestria..." he stated dreamily, eyes turning to small hearts as he cupped his claws and swayed his arms about.

I cocked my neck back and raised an eyebrow at him.

He's sure acting funny... Wait, did he just—

"You said you know Rarity?" I quickly asked, turning to face him expectantly.

"Of course I do! She’s a good friend of mine; she’s awesome!" spouted the little dragon as he gestured a claw to himself. "I also live in Ponyville, at the library. I'm just here on some boring business errand," he patted his satchel to punctuate his message.

I glanced down to the satchel. It had the royal crest and seal of the Princesses embroidered into it. My eyes widened as I looked back to Spike and closely examined him.

He personally knows somepony like Rarity, lives at the library of Ponyville, and is on what seems to be "royal” business... just who is this dragon?

"So, why are you heading to Ponyville?" the baby dragon asked, looking to me.

I began to sweat a little; I couldn't just tell him that I almost destroyed an apartment, terrorized a crowd of ponies, could have burned down a building, lied to a firepony, and am in the process of skipping town to escape the authorities that may or may not be looking for me. So I went with a safe bet.

"I-I, uh... u-um, needed a change... of s-scenery?" I managed to force out, with an even more forced smile.

"Well, you sure picked the right place then, Ponyville is beautiful! With Winter Wrap Up right around the corner, everything will be warm and green again." Spike’s expression changed to that of annoyance, possibly even disgust with his mention of Winter Wrap Up.

"Winter Wrap Up? What's that?" I asked quizzically.

Spike looked at me like I was crazy for a moment before his expression flipped. "Oh yeah! Manehatten doesn't have a Winter Wrap Up. You guys use magic to change the seasons," Spike remarked, dropping a fist into his palm. "You see, Ponyville was founded by earth ponies, so it’s tradition we change the seasons without magic."

I turned my head to the sky and reflected on his words for a moment.

I can relate to that. I do a lot of things without magic, when doing so could have made them tremendously easier.

I glanced over to the clock tower; it was almost 6pm.

"Wow, time really flew," I stated as I sat up in my seat. As if on cue, a loud horn could be heard in the distance. I looked in the direction of the sound to see our train approaching the station.

"About time," Spike huffed as he hopped off the bench. “I need to stretch my legs a bit and grab a last minute snack. It was nice talking to you, uh..." he brought a claw to his chin.

"Prism," I answered with a warm smile.

"It was nice chatting with you, Prism, we can talk more on the train if you like," Spike replied with enthusiasm before taking a moment to stretch.

“I... I would like that,” I replied, turning away bashfully.

“Well, I’ll see you in a few minutes then.” He then started towards the entrance of the waiting area.

I looked back to the ground and smiled to myself.

I hope everypony in Ponyville is as nice as him. Maybe this was a good idea after—

My thoughts were cut off by a strong, gruff sounding voice from the other side of the statue. I peered around to take a look. My eyes widened and face went pale in horror. A large black stallion in a blue vest and bobby hat, with a nightstick at his side was facing away from me, flagging down Spike.

A police officer! And he's right there!

"Hey kid, can I ask you a few questions?" the officer spoke up as Spike approached him.

"Uh, sure. What's up?" Spike answered with a cautious look.

"Have you seen a relatively small unicorn mare around here recently? White coat, soft-red eyes, wears a large brown cloak covering most of her," asked the officer. "I was told that she purchased a ticket for a train to Ponyville, this train to be exact," the officer commented, gesturing a forehoof to the locomotive now pulling in.

My stomach sank; not only were the police really looking for me, they knew exactly when and where I was going.

"Why, w-what’d she do?" the baby dragon asked with a hint of nervousness in his voice.

"She's wanted for disturbing the peace, destruction of private property, arson, and fleeing the scene of a crime," stated the stallion sternly.

"Whoa..." Spike replied, taking a step back in shock. He glanced my way to see me poking my head out, and then back to the officer.

I quickly pulled my head back and pressed myself up against the base of the statue.

I'm doomed! There's no way he's not going to tell him where I am, not after a list of laws broken like THAT. I'm going to spend the rest of my life in prison, I'll never be able to paint again, I'll—

"Nope, can't say I have. I'm pretty sure I would remember a pony by that description if I saw one. Sorry I couldn't be more help," answered Spike in a calm neutral tone.

Wait, what?! Is he really not going to turn me in?

"Oh, well if you see her, could you let me or one of the other officers know? A few others will be here to search the train shortly," the officer replied in a somewhat disappointed tone.

I heard him turn around, and take a few hoofsteps in my direction. My stomach sank as my heart began to pound like it was going to explode any moment.

I can't even get on the train now. They are going to search it, and he's walking right this way. It’s all over, my new life is over before it even began!

"Wait! I think I just saw her! She went this way!" Spike suddenly exclaimed.

The baby dragon ran past the statue into my view and turned to face the officer. He flailed his arms about and pointed off in a direction farther down the waiting area.

"Thanks kid!" replied the officer, before sprinting past my hiding place and towards the other end of the waiting area.

"No problem!" yelled Spike to the officer.

Spike quickly turned back to me. Biting his lower lip, he pointed back to the entrance to the waiting area, then flicked his wrists at me a few times, shooing me away. I nodded before running up to him and planting a kiss on his cheek.

“Thank you,” I whispered into his ear.

Spike stood frozen with a look of surprise on his face. I quickly turned away and made my way out of the waiting area. I looked side to side to see if the coast was clear, before running to the nearest exit of the train station.

It's not safe here anymore. I have to get out of town, now!

As I approached the nearest exit, I skidded to a stop before diving behind a nearby statue. Another police officer was guarding the exit, scanning ponies as they walked by.

Great, now what am I supposed to do? They are probably guarding all the exits. They know I'm in here—

"Stop! Thief! Somepony help!" came a yell from a familiar voice behind me.

The officer guarding the door quickly snapped to attention, leaving his post and charging in the direction of the cry for help.

"Thanks again Spike," I whispered to myself, making a dash to the exit after the officer passed by my statue.

Slipping out of the train station, I made my way back into the busy Manehatten streets. The sun had just begun to set, as everypony had begun their trips home. It was now time for me to begin my trip out of town. Thankfully, the train station was on the edge of town, and furthermore, in the right direction.

Reflecting back on what Snooty said, the next quickest way to Ponyville was through the Everfree Forest. As much as I didn't even consider this an option, I had no other choice. Seeing as my first option hadn't work out the way I had hoped, and that I was now a wanted pony. I could always travel around the forest, but that would take several days, and I had no food and was almost out of bits. With a new goal in mind, I began the short walk to the edge of town, and the road to the Everfree Forest.

I didn't get but a few steps before I was interrupted by a loud groan and rumbling from the pit of my stomach. Ponies around me turned to look at the source of the sudden sound. I shrank down, blushing profusely.

...I haven't eaten anything at all today have I?

I had been high strung and on edge all day. I barely had time to think, let alone grab a bite to eat. I looked about the street I was currently on in hopes there might be a supermarket or bakery nearby.

Thankfully, this was Manehatten, and you couldn't go more than a block or two before running into a food joint of one kind or another. Much to my delight, there was a bakery just a few blocks ahead. Fueled by the sudden realization of my hunger, I quickly trotted my way to the shop of delectable delights. Before entering, I looked up at the sign over the frame of the door.

“Rock, Scissors, Papery,” I read aloud before scratching my head with a forehoof. “What a weird name.”

I quickly shrugged it off as I entered the shop. The aroma of a plethora of baked goods hit me as I entered. My mouth quickly begin to water in anticipation of one of the many tasty treats. Unfortunately, there was a long line of hungry ponies with the same idea.

So much for in and out, but it is about dinner time, so I guess it’s to be expected.

“I can help you over here, Miss.” I looked over to the voice to find a light green unicorn mare. She had a short orange mane, wore an apron, and was starting a new line; beginning with me apparently.

As I reached the counter, a large grey stallion with a spiky black mane quickly bumped me out of the way, cutting in front of me. I folded my ears back before backing away some slowly. The mare at the counter seemed shocked for a moment; she glared at the stallion who cut in front of me.

“I’ll help you after I finish with her,” she remarked, gesturing back to me. The stallion looked back to me with an intimidating, icy glare.

“N-no... i-it’s fine... he can go first,” I squeaked, backing up farther from the counter. The mare behind the counter looked at me, surprised.

“See? She says it’s fine,” the stallion replied with a smug look.

The server mare cast the stallion an angry glare. “No. No, it’s not fine!” she declared. “You will let her go first or I will not serve you,” the mare demanded, pointing a hoof directly at the bully.

Everypony in the bakery stopped what they were doing, and turned their attention to the stallion. He looked back to the crowd of ponies now staring at him.

“Tsk, whatever,” spat the stallion before turning away and exiting the bakery without another word. The bakery went back to business as usual, soon after he left.

“Jerk,” huffed the mare behind the counter before turning to me. “I’m really sorry about that, Sweetie. How can I help you?”

“N-no, I’m the one who’s sorry... You lost a customer because of me. Now you might get in trouble...” I replied just above whisper.

She gave me a confused look before bursting out in laughter. “Oh, don’t worry about that. I’m Osono, the owner, and he was rather rude anyways,” she dismissed with a wave of her hoof before turning to me. “I could tell that you're very shy the moment I saw you walk in here. I have a sister who’s also a little shy,” she added with a smile.

“So, what's your name, dear?” she asked, resting her forelegs on the counter as she leaned in a little closer to me.

“Prism...” I answered softly.

“Tell you what, Prism, wait here a moment,” Osono instructed with a wink before walking over to a display case. She removed a large blueberry muffin from the case with her magic, and placed it in a brown paper sack as she returned to the counter.

“Here, on the house!” she exclaimed, levitating the bag over to me.

“Oh, no... I couldn’t—”

“Take it, I insist,” the baker persisted, levitating the bag closer to me.

I looked up to the bag floating just before me in a orange glow, then back to Osono. She gave me an odd look, before glancing to my horn extending out from the hood of my cloak then back to me. My face flushed as I smiled sheepishly with a soft squee.

“You really are a shy one aren't you?” Osono replied with a puzzled look, before quickly dismissing the awkwardness with a hearty laugh. “Here.” She lowered the bag down to rest on the counter, and released her magical hold of it.

“T-thank you... and sorry,” I said timidly, still blushing. I grabbed the bag in my teeth and stashed it away in my saddlebags for later.

“You’re welcome, and again, sorry about before,” she replied with wink. “Be sure to come again!”

“I will, it was nice to meet you and thanks again.” I replied, waving back as I exited the shop.

She was really nice. I wish I could come again, but I don’t think I will be able to return to Manehattan after today.

I let out a small sigh as I found a nearby bench to take a seat at and eat my dinner. I reflected back on the events of the bakery as I ate.

Nopony has ever stood up for me like that before. Sure, ponies have said things to others for me, but never like that. She also mentioned that she had a sister that was shy like me, so she must understand to a point what it's like, and how hard it can be to deal with simple tasks sometimes. I hope I meet more kind ponies like her in Ponyville.

Finishing my muffin, I discarded the paper bag in a nearby recycling bin.

Prism, saving Equestria, one paper bag at a time!

I giggled a bit at the silly thought and continued my escape of Manehattan.

* * * * * * * * * *

The sun had now long set, and the moon took to the skies as I reached the edge of town. I could see the Everfree Forest just a few miles ahead. Before continuing, I turned to face the city I was about to leave. I felt a little sad; it was my home, after all. I went to school here, I learned magic here, and most importantly, I made my first real friend here.

Even though he is now gone, I would always remember him and how he helped me through tough times. If not for Mr. Wiggles, I think I would have lost it when Mother passed away, but he was there for me. He assured me everything was going to be okay, and to not lose hope. If he was still here, he would tell me the same thing now, not to give up.

I almost did give up though... I threw everything away in my anger and sadness of losing what was most important to me. I blamed myself and my special talent for the way things ended up, but I was wrong.

I regret now what I did, but I couldn't change the past and had to live with what I had done.

Some of those paintings were priceless, some I had since I was just a filly, and some were Mother’s. Those paintings were my life's story, and I destroyed them; I destroyed them all...

Now I found myself asking, why? Why did I do all this to myself?

Those poor paintings never did anything wrong, but I took everything out on them anyway. Now all I have left of my life is a battered empty canvas. The only question now... is what sort of life will I paint?

I took one last look back to the city and let out a small sigh. “I guess this is it. Time to sink or swim”

I had done a whole lot of sinking the past few days, so I was hopeful I could manage to swim this time. Hopeful that things would turn out for the better, I steeled myself and began the long walk to the edge of the forest.

* * * * * * * * * *

The walk was quiet... too quiet. Something about walking a lonely trail to a spooky forest was creepy.

Too creepy! Is it supposed to be this quiet?!

I tucked my cloak close as a cold shiver went down my spine. I hadn't ever left the city before, so the silence of the open snowy fields was new to me, and very scary in the dark.

The signs littering the path weren't helping any either.

DANGER!

TURN BACK NOW!

ENTER AT OWN RISK!

Whatever lay in the forest ahead was far, far worse than the silence of the path I walked. Traversing a mysterious forest full of danger at night probably wasn't the best idea I’ve ever had. I didn't like the idea one bit, but it was too late to turn back now. I now knew the police really were looking for me, and I didn't have anywhere to go. My only real option was to travel through the forest to Ponyville.

I reached the edge of the woods to find an old withered sign pointing into the forest. I had to get up really close to read it clearly in the dark.

"Ponyville: 8 Miles, Canterlot 28 Miles, Fillydelphia 74 miles," read the sign.

Eight miles? Well... that doesn't seem too far.

"I should be able to do that in a few hours, if I pace myself," I said to nopony in particular.

I turned to face the dark foreboding forest and swallowed hard. I went to take my first step and froze midway. My body locked up in fear; to be honest, I was terrified. The realization of what I was doing had finally sunk in.

This is crazy! This is insane! I can't go in there, I'll be killed! All sorts of monsters live in there, and I bet the worst of the worst only come out at night!

I slowly began to quiver in fear. This quivering eventually turned into violent shakes that led me to fall to the ground and tuck my muzzle under my forehooves.

"I can't do it..." I cried to myself softly. I felt the warm sensation of tears stream down my face as I began to sob.

I lay there and cried for what must have been quite a few minutes; I felt so hopeless. It seemed whenever a difficult trial presented itself, all I could do was cower away from it. I had to do this though; I had to go into the forest to reach Ponyville.

Going into a place this dangerous, anypony would be reluctant or scared, even terrified... right?

I took a few minutes to collect myself and build some courage before slowly getting up. I hardened myself, having found my resolve, I donned a determined expression.

"You can do this, Prism, you are strong! You will be safe, nothing will get you!" I encouraged myself as I took a step forward. "You will cross this forest, and you will make it to Ponyville. You—"

My monologue was interrupted by loud howling from the forest before me.

"—are weak, you are small, and you will become some monster’s midnight snack!" I whimpered to myself, falling to the ground and covering my face under my forehooves once more.

“M-Maybe I’ll just wait here until morning, then go... Y-Yeah, thats probably a better Idea.”

My ears perked up as I suddenly heard some muffled talking behind me. I quickly turned to face the sound. Two figures were heading my direction; a very large one followed by a smaller one levitating a flashlight.

"...You sure about this?" asked the first figure in a very deep baritone voice.

"Well, that group of mares on the edge of town said they say a pony matching her description leaving towards the forest not too long ago, and these tracks are fresh; so it adds up," replied the second figure.

I squinted my eyes, trying to get a better view. Unfortunately, this only confirmed my fears. Two police officers were walking right towards me. I quickly jumped up to my hooves and looked back to the forest, then to the ponies now getting closer by the second.

What do I do?! What do I do?! What do I do?!

My mind screamed at me as I began to dance about in place, looking back to the forest and to the ponies even faster than before. There was a sudden howl of icy wind that blew past me from out of the forest as snow began to fall, and fall hard. I had a very bad feeling about all this. Things were quickly beginning to look bleak.

"Well, I'm only going to the edge and then I'm turning back, it looks like a blizzard is brewing in the Everfree," said the larger stallion to the other. “Nopony in their right mind would go in there on a night like this.”

"Fine, but we have to at least check before we go back. I honestly don't see why anypony would run away to the Everfree at this time of—"

"Hey, what's that over there," the larger one interrupted, pointing a hoof in my direction. The smaller stallion shone his flashlight right at me. I froze in terror... they had found me.

"There she is!" shouted the larger stallion as he began to charge right for me, the other quickly following in pursuit.

"Horseapples!" I swore to myself before turning to the forest.

I had no choice now. I had to run; run into the forest and hope I could lose them. They were about thirty meters away, and closing fast. I had almost lost my balance in the snow from my initial take off, and kicked up a cloud of white power as I galloped past the edge, and into the forest.

My heart was racing, and felt as if it was about to explode out of my chest at any moment. I didn't care though, I couldn’t care; I had to get away. The officer’s warnings and yells for me to stop were getting closer each second. I realized I couldn’t outrun them like this, and had to think of something else quick.

I took the strap of my saddlebags into my teeth, and flung them off out into the snow. It was much easier to run now without the extra weight, but it still wasn’t enough to get away; They were still gaining on me. As I progressed through the heavy snowfall, it was becoming harder and harder to see more than a few meters ahead of me; this gave me an idea.

Stopping dead in my tracks, I quickly tore off my cloak and threw it to the ground. I scanned my surroundings before diving into some snowy bushes nearby. I laid low to the ground, covering my muzzle with both hooves, as I tried my best not to make a sound.

The two officers ran up to where my cloak had fallen, and shined the flashlight at it. The two ponies had to yell to one another through the sound of the wind, I could barely hear them from my hiding spot just meters away.

"Where did she go?!" the smaller stallion asked, scanning the area with his flashlight.

"She couldn't have just disappeared! Go look for her!” demanded the larger stallion.

"No way man, I'm not going any further! You would have to be insane to go any deeper into the Everfree on a night like this."

"Don't be a chicken, go look!" insisted the larger stallion, pushing the smaller one forward. The smaller stallion shone his flashlight back to my cloak before looking back up to his partner.

"Look man, we're not going to find a white pony in the middle of a blizzard at night! It’s impossible!” declared the smaller stallion before gesturing backwards. “I’m getting out of here while we still can!" he exclaimed before quickly turning and running back in the direction they had come.

"HEY! Wha—WAIT FOR ME!" cried the larger stallion as he chased after the smaller.

The two police ponies quickly disappeared from view into the winter storm.

I took a deep breath and let out a long sigh of relief. I was safe... for now. I waited a few more minutes to make sure they were gone before coming out of my hiding spot. I looked over my shoulder at my sides. They were scratched up pretty good from diving into the bush, and my face stung from the icy winds. It was a small price to pay to beat a lifetime in prison, though.

I trotted quickly back to my cloak, and shook the snow off before putting it back on. The cloak provided little protection from the harsh winds and ice, but it was certainly better than nothing. I took a moment to take in my surroundings... I had no idea where I was, and could barely make out the path through all the snowfall.

The trip should only be a few more miles, but in this blizzard it would be impossible to navigate.  I had no choice but to wait it out, and hope the storm would die down some time soon. I walked over to the closest tree to me and used it as shield from the cold winds.

Tucking my cloak close, I sat against the tree and began my wait.

* * * * * * * * * *

I had no idea how much time had passed. It felt like an eternity, but the storm had finally started to die down to where I could make out the path ahead. At this point, I was freezing and wished for nothing more than being back in my warm apartment with a hot cup of tea right now. Although in reality, I knew that wasn’t an option, I had to press on.

Ponyville was just a few miles up the road and I could rest in a nice warm bed at an inn once there. With that thought, I remembered something.  A very important detail I had forgotten until now.

“My saddlebags!”

I jumped up to my hooves and scanned the area around me. Several inches of fresh snow now blanketed the forest floor around me, covering all signs that anypony had traveled through recently.

“Horseapples!” I swore to myself. “I have to find them!”

I continued as I trudged through the fresh snow, back up the path a few meters. I quickly realized it was hopeless. It was too dark and snowy to see very far, and I had no clue how far back down the path I had thrown them off. I flattened my ears and whimpered a squeak in frustration.

“You’re such a foal, Prism,” I cursed myself as I flopped down and sprawled in the snow. “Now what am I going to do...” I let out a sharp, defeated sigh.

There was a sudden rustle in some bushes right next to me. I froze as I felt a cold chill ran down my spine. I very slowly turned my head to meet the bushes the sound had come from.

A few moments of silence passed before the bushes rustled again. There was definitely something in there, but I didn't want to find out what. Though, no matter how hard I tried to force myself to move, my body would not respond. I was locked in fear, but what I saw next surprised me. A small head popped out of the bush, looking ahead down the path. It had white feathers all along its head, accented by a small beak and a red patch of skin atop its head.

“A chicken?” I asked aloud, raising an eyebrow. Puzzled, I slowly rose to my hooves.

It must be lost. Poor thing...

"What are you doing in this scary forest all alone, are you lost?" I asked softly as I slowly approached the chicken’s hiding spot. It turned its head about and let out a few clucks.

"If you like, you could come with me," I suggested. "I'm heading to Ponyville, surely it’s much nicer than this dark, scary forest," I continued as I reached the bush.

The chicken paid no attention to me, and continued to cluck idly. Something didn't seem right. I remembered reading that chickens were normally very skittish animals, but this little guy didn't even seem to be fazed by me at all.

"H-hello?" I asked as I slowly reached a foreleg out towards the chicken. Just as my hoof was about to touch it, it quickly turned to face me with blood red eyes, and let out a horrible screech.

I immediately withdrew my hoof as I fell to my haunches. I quickly crawled backwards, wide eyed in horror. Whatever this ‘thing’ was, it was certainly not a chicken. It launched itself out of the bushes at me. I hastily turned away and attempted to flee, but a sudden impact to my side knocked me over into the snow with a crunching thud. I threw myself back to my hooves, and turned to face the assailant.

I gasped at the sight of this creature’s form; it was terrifying. The creature had the head of a chicken, the body of some kind of lizard or reptile, and the scariest pair of eyes I had ever seen. It was as if the physical embodiment of horror itself stood before me.

It slowly began to approach me.

What in the name of Luna’s moon is that, THING!

It was barely a meter away before it stopped and screeched at me again. I wanted to look away— tried to look away, but my body would not respond. All I could do was stare into those horrible red eyes. The creature then squinted and shot me an icy glare that seemed to tear right through me.

I suddenly felt a numbing sensation in my back hooves, and it slowly crept its way up my hind legs. Soon, I could no longer feel them. My heart began to race as I tried to turn away from this monster, but the sensation only persisted. Across my back and down my forelegs. I couldn’t move at all. I managed to glance at my forelegs, only to see a creeping grey that appeared to be spreading across them. At that moment I could no longer feel any part of my body. The numbing sensation was now creeping up my neck.

What's happening to me?! Somepony, help me!

I tried to cry out, but the words did not come.  As the spreading grey reached my head, I felt my face lock in an expression of horror. The reality of what was happening hit me; though all too late.

Darkness enveloped my world...

Chapter 3: New Beginnings

My head, my body... so sore, so stiff...

These were the first thoughts that came as my mind welcomed my previously absent consciousness. As reality slowly began to piece itself back together, I noticed I was laying on something rather soft, though I could not tell what. Any attempts at investigation failed. My body did not respond to my cues of movement. The only response it gave back was the sensation of sore muscles and dull pains. My eyelids felt heavy and glued shut; all efforts to open them were met with much strain and an ache in the back of my head.

I was unsure what fate had befallen me, but one thing was very certain: It felt like I had fallen out of a speeding train, followed by many tumbles down a hill, only to to end up being run over by a stagecoach and trampled by a small parade.

After some time of running mental diagnostics and trying to collect my thoughts, I noticed sound had slowly begun to come back to my world. I could hear the faint hints of something crackling, accented by a bubbling sound. I guessed the crackling was a fire, judging by the warmth I felt.

Warmth? Where am I? What happened to me? Why am I so sore? Why can't I move my body?

A slew of questions hit me all at once as my brain tried to process the situation. My memory was fuzzy at best, but the last thing I was sure about was being outside, and very cold. The warmth of a fire didn't add up, and then there was the bubbling noise. My mind couldn't begin to wrap itself around why it was there, or even why I was here for that matter.

My thoughts were interrupted by the creaking of what was likely a door, judging by the closing sound that followed after some hoofsteps. Wherever I was, I was no longer alone. The hoofsteps approached the direction the fire and seemed to stop in front of it.

"A dash of this and a pinch of that," spoke the entity. "Some of these and a few of those should do, the perfect ingredients for the perfect stew," it added in a chipper tone.

Perfect stew? Wait... fire, bubbling, stew...

Suddenly, everything added up. I felt the icy grip of fear jolt through me.

It's going to eat me! It's going to turn me into pony stew!

Fear-fueled adrenaline quickly overpowered my heavy eyelids and my eyes shot open, only to be met by blinding light they had yet to adjust to. Much to my horror, I involuntarily let out a small squeak from the pain of the sudden brightness.

"The little pony finally makes a peep. Could it be, she has awoken from her sleep?" asked the creature in a curious tone.

Hoofsteps approached and stopped just before where I lay.

This is it, she knows I'm awake, she's coming in for the kill!

"Please don't eat me!” I cried out as I began to softly cry in fear. “I'm small and hardly have any meat on my bones. I would make a terrible pony stew!"

"You think it is you that I am to eat? Silly pony, zebra do not consume meat!" It dismissed my concern with a hearty laugh.

"Y-you're... n-not going to eat me?" I asked softly, still unsure whether to trust this ‘zebra.’

"I eat flowers and hay just like you, I assure there are no ponies in my stew," the zebra replied in a calm tone.

"W-who are you and where am I? ...what happened to me?" I asked with great interest, and a little concern with the later.

"Relax my little pony, do not fret. There is much I have to tell you yet," it replied. "I am Zecora, and brewing remedies is my fame. Now if may I ask, how about your name?"

"I-I... I'm Prism," I answered hesitantly. "Do, you mind if I ask why you talk so... strange? I’ve, um, never heard anypony talk in rhymes before."

"The way I speak is of my native tongue, it I have spoken since I was very young," Zecora answered enthusiastically. "My home is where you are, so relax and rest. So long as you are here, you are my guest," she added as her hoofsteps walked away.

Somehow, I felt that I could trust this pony—er, zebra. She gave off a kind and calm aura, making her surprisingly easy to talk to for somepony I didn’t know.

"Thank you, but... what happened to me?" I asked nervously. Part of me was afraid to know, judging by the condition I was in.

"Don't worry little one, soon I will tell you more, but that's best saved for when you're not glued to the floor," Zecora remarked as I heard her approach again. "Drink some of this, but do beware. For its taste, you're in for a scare," she cautioned as she pressed a spoon to my mouth. I paused for a moment before reluctantly slurping down the liquid.

No amount of warnings could have prepared me...

The rancid creation assaulted my senses instantly. The smell, the taste, the texture, there were no words that could describe the sheer horror of this viscous monstrosity. It was as if a liquid nightmare from the darkest depths of the imagination had invaded my mouth, set to conquer the rest of my body. I grimaced as I let out a hard whine from the torment.

"Kill... me..." I groaned in wake of the horrible aftertaste. Zecora tried to suppress a laugh, but she did a terrible job. For a moment part of me wondered if she enjoyed that.

"The most foul of medicine you did take, but you shall thank me when you awake," she commented. Her voice suddenly sounded distorted and distant.

"W-wha..." was all I managed to stammer out before quickly falling into a deep, dreamless sleep.

* * * * * * * * * *

Warm, Comfortable, Refreshed?

These were the sensations I felt as I stirred awake. This time, my body gave no hesitation in response to my requests of movement. In fact, I felt... great. I slowly opened my eyes to find the room a bit dimmed; the only light was that of the fire.

What time is it? How long have I been asleep?

Slowly lifting myself, I noticed that I lay on a rather comfortable bed of straw. Peering about the room, I couldn't help but notice the decor. It was very... foreign, perhaps shamanistic.

Many pots, bags and pouches were found neatly arranged all throughout the room. There were also some plants hanging from the ceiling that I guessed must have been herbs. Though, what really caught my eye was a peculiar pair of what appeared to be painted masks in a corner of the hut; they looked a little spooky.

I wonder what those are for?

My thoughts shifted as my eyes fell on Zecora. The zebra was at a table with many smaller containers, much like those stashed about the room. I figured that must be her workbench, as the number of items on the table rivaled that of the floor. She was using a mortar and pestle to mix something. I watched silently for a time before she turned, noticing me.

“Oh, now that you have rested for a spell, tell me, are you feeling well?” Zecora asked with a smile.

"Actually... yes, much better, perfect in fact," I replied with a bit of surprise. "What was that you had me take?" I asked, looking over my body. I noticed my scratches from my dive into the bush earlier had vanished.

'Wait, scratches, body...where's my...'

I slowly went wide-eyed and gasped in fear as I realized my cloak was no longer on me. Frantically, I began to search the immediate area around me, but the cloak was nowhere in sight.

After a few moments of panicked searching, I realized Zecora was now staring at me with a puzzled look. I suddenly froze before slowly turning to face her. She gave me another odd look as I sank back down to the bed of straw I sat on.

She saw me. All of me! She probably thinks I'm a freak or a monster now.  The way she looks at me says it all!

"What is—"

"I'm sorry! I can't help it!" I interrupted with a sorrowful yell. "I was born this way, go ahead, laugh! Call me a freak! Everypony else does!" I added, burrowing my muzzle into my forelegs as heavy tears and sobs escaped.

Zecora looked taken aback in shock for a few moments before a warm smile spread across her face. "I may have seen more than just a peek, but I do not take you for a freak," the shaman commented as she slowly approached me.

"Y-you're... you're just saying that," I replied, shaking my head in my forelegs. "The way ponies look at me, the things they say when they think I can’t hear them..." I added with a sniffle.

"I do not judge a book by its cover, for that pony could become a friend like no other," she stated before sitting down beside me. "I too am considered strange here, for my homeland is nowhere near," Zecora remarked. "Ponies first thought of me as evil and scary, but once confronted, they found me quite ordinary," she added with a small laugh.

"R-really?" I asked softly, lifting my forelegs and turning my head to face her.

Zecora nodded. "Not unlike you, I look different too," She commented, gesturing a hoof to her chest. "But stranger things I have seen in my time. Griffon without feathers, and zebra who do not rhyme."

"Okay, but... please don't tell anypony, about me," I asked before grabbing her hooves. "Please?" I begged with puffy, pleading eyes.

Zecora responded with a warm smile. "Worry not, for I will not tell what I see, rest knowing your secret's safe with me," she added with a wink. I managed a weak smile at her promise.

"Thank you, Zecora," I sniffled as I wiped the tears from my eyes. "Thank youso much," I added as I leaped at and embraced her in a sudden hug.

Zecora was a bit surprised, but quickly hugged me back before softly stroking my mane.

* * * * * * * * * *

After a few minutes of calming down, I soon learned that I had been asleep for several days. Zecora explained how she found me turned to stone, which was most likely caused by a cockatrice.

She had used a special paste made from rare herbs and ingredients that can cure petrification, but leaves the body very weak as a result. The potion she later gave me was a potent healing remedy, mixed with a strong sleep inducing herb. The combination is intended to heal the body quickly as the pony sleeps.

As thanks, I decided to satisfy her curiosity and share my story with her. I told her about my pet rabbit, and what the pain and sorrow of my loss almost drove me to do. I also explained what I did to my precious artwork and my apartment. I then went into how I was intending to escape to Ponyville by train, but to flee the authorities, I was forced to leave the city on hoof and run into the Everfree.

Recalling the memories of Mr.Wiggles and what I had done to my beloved paintings was painful, bringing many fits of tears and sobs of pain and regret. Even so, it felt good to let it all out and talk to somepony about them. I hadn't talked to anypony like that since mother passed away a few years ago. Zecora listened intently, only asking the occasional question and giving acknowledging nods.

I concluded my story with a heavy sigh as I turned to look out the window. It was now morning and light was shining through into the hut.

Wow, we must have talked for some time.

"Hmm," Zecora hummed, eyes closed, tapping a hoof to her chin. "You travel from Manehattan to Ponyville, and wish to stay? If you would like, I could show you the way," she offered as she got up to her hooves.

"You already have done so much for me, and I don't want to take up any more of your time," I replied softly.

"To get here you have experienced much danger, but the forest still yields more; and things far stranger,” the zebra explained. "And my time you do not waste, for nothing I do today requires haste," she continued as she walked to the door. She took my lost cloak that had been hiding and returned it to me.

"There you are," I said to my cloak as I got up and threw it over me.

I instantly felt much better. It was like a safety blanket to me when I was outside my home; I felt naked without it. I paused for a moment.

Wait... I normally am naked...

"The path from here is nice and steady, we can leave whenever you are ready," Zecora announced as she wrapped a yellow scarf around her neck.

I felt a mix of excitement and fear. I was excited that I was finally going to make it to Ponyville, but I was scared about what to do when I got there.

I guess the first thing I should do is find a place to stay tonight.

I nodded to myself before joining Zecora at the door and beginning the last leg of my trip to Ponyville.

* * * * * * * * * *

The walk to the edge of the forest was a quick and quiet one. I was paranoid of my surroundings. After the incident with the cockatrice, I couldn’t afford to distract myself with idle conversation while in this forest.

Zecora turned her head to me and watched as I skittishly scanned the forest around us. She let out a small laugh before stopping in place.

“Worry not, Prism, for here we are. You see? I told you the journey was not too far,” Zecora assured with a smile as she turned to me. “The pony you seek lives near the middle of town. The village is full of ponies, so try not to lose that gown,” she gestured to my cloak.

I looked over my shoulder at my cloak, then back to her. “Thank you Zecora. I owe you so much...” I felt tears beginning to swell in my eyes, and leapt at her to embrace her in another hug. “I don’t know what would have happened to me if you hadn’t found me; thank you so much!” I added as I nuzzled my face into her coat.

Zecora returned the hug with a warm smile and patted my head. “I require no thanks from you, for what I did was the right thing to do,” she commented before breaking the embrace. “If you ever find yourself feeling alone, remember that you are always welcome in my home.”

“I’ll be sure to visit you soon. Hopefully I can repay your kindness somehow.”

“There is nothing you need repay, but if you’ll excuse me, I must be on my way,” Zecora replied. “I have much that needs to be done, but it was nice to have company, it was fun,” she added with a smile as she turned to walk away.

“B-but... I thought you said you weren’t busy?” I stammered out as I extended a foreleg to her.

Zecora looked back to me over her shoulder and gave me a wink before walking back into the forest.

“I will repay you somehow!” I called out to her.

She lifted and waved a hoof in response. My ears flattened as I closed my eyes. I felt bad, taking up so much of her time when she really was busy.

I quickly perked up as I remembered where I was. Having turned around to face the road into Ponyville, I let out a small, giddy burst of excitement as I danced about in place, kicking up some snow in the process.

I began to happily trot towards the road, but was quickly distracted by a small cottage off to my right. I slowed to a stop as I turned my head to admire its beauty. It looked like something straight out of one of Mother's paintings. It had a very warm and cozy feel, in contrast to its snowy surroundings.

“I wonder who lives there?” I asked myself aloud. The sight of something so small and comfortable was new to me. I had never seen anything like it in-the-flesh before, having lived in the big city all my life; it was like a breath of fresh air.

This would make a wonderful painting! I hope the owner won’t mind I paint it sometime...

I turned back to the path ahead and continued the walk to Ponyville. The snow seemed to get more shallow the closer I got to town. I crested a small hill that happened to overlook the town; the view took my breath away.

It was like a small, snowy paradise. Colorful and shapely buildings littered the streets of the village below. There were many ponies going about their business in the town square. Ponyville was a far cry from the humdrum greys and blacks of Manehattan; there were a lot less ponies too. Not far from the town was an extremely large orchard, accented with a large building that resembled a barn, with an actual barn nearby.

That must be Sweet Apple Acres...

Scanning the surrounding hills, I noticed apple trees blanketed with snow stretched out as far as the eye could see.

“It’s huge!” I exclaimed aloud to myself. “How in Equestria do they manage all those trees?!”

Shaking my head, I exited the daze the sight had left me in and began the short descent down to the edge of town. I didn’t get but a few steps before I heard a faint whistling sound. I stopped mid-step as my ears perked up to attention. The sound was quickly getting louder, and closer.

What’s that noi—

“LOOK OU—” I heard a voice cry out, but before it could finish, or I could even react, I felt a hard impact in my side. Whatever it was had sent me sailing downhill, turning me into a large snowball that quickly took shape and grew in size as I tumbled. My little adventure ended in an explosion of snow as my boulder slammed into a tree further downhill.

What in the hay just happened?! Who or what just hit me? It’s hard to breath in here... I should probably get out. of this. snow. first—ow-ow-ow... okay, this isn’t going to be easy.

“Eh... Um, hehe... Sorry about that...” I heard a muffled voice say from above. “Here, let me help you,” it added, the sounds of digging quickly followed.

Thank Celestia, I’m saved!

I began to try and push myself up out of the snow again. Before long, I was able to pop my head out of the snowy prison. I looked up to find a cyan pegasus hovering above me. She had... a rainbow mane and tail?! The mare was laughing sheepishly, and scratched the back of her neck idly.

A rainbow mane? Those are so rare...

“You see, I was practicing this new trick, and I guess I sorta lost—” The rainbow pony quickly cut off into a loud gasp and pointed a hoof at me.

“Is... there something on my face?” I questioned, tilting my head curiously.

I popped a foreleg out of the snow and felt my face.  Nothing felt wrong... Puzzled, I scratched the back of my head and realized immediately something was very wrong. I froze in fear.

My hood... my cloak, It’s gone!

I slowly turned my head to look back to the Pegasus. She hovered in place, frozen with a look of shock on her face. I felt a slow chill run down my spine.

“Y-you—”

“NO!” I screamed out, interrupting the mare as I exploded from the snow in a dash to get away from her.

“Wait!” the mare called out to me from behind.

“Don’t look at me! Leave me alone!” I cried out as I continued to run away.

The pegasus flew ahead of me and began to fly backwards, facing me. “If you would just let me—”

“NO! GO AWAY!” I yelled at her as tears quickly came to me. The mare looked me in the eyes before slowing to a stop; then flying away.

I closed my eyes tight, as I continued to cry and run in panic. Eventually, I slowed to a stop. I slowly opened my eyes and took in my surroundings. I was right in the middle of town... Peering around I found that everypony had stopped what they were doing and stood frozen, staring at me.

There was a long awkward silence.  Nopony said anything, nopony moved... The chilling silence was broken abruptly by the voice of a young filly.

“Mama... why’s that pony all white like that?” the filly asked, pointing a hoof to me and turning to her mother. The fillies mother quickly hushed her. Muffled talking, whispers and murmurs filled the air.

“She’s as white as the winter’s snow...”

“She’s like a ghost!”

“I never seen anything like her...”

“There's not a lick of color on her.”

“Look at her cutie mark!” gasped a mare from the crowd, gesturing to my flank. “There's no color.  It’s only shades of grey!”

The crowd’s talking quickly escalated. I could no longer make out what anypony was saying. Flashbacks from school quickly flooded my mind. How all the fillies and colts made fun of me, were scared of me, bullied me. The negative thoughts echoed until I couldn’t take it anymore.

“Stop...” I uttered just above a whisper, taking a step back from the crowd. “Please... stop...” I added with much difficulty as my eyes began to water again.

The crowd only continued to talk amongst each other and gesture towards me.  A few ponies had now begun to approach me. Before they could reach me I cried out.

“STOP!” I wailed, closing my eyes tight as my horn sparked to life and enveloped me with magic.

I felt my body shift in direction as my head spun in a daze. I opened my eyes to find myself upside down, in the air, and falling fast. I flailed about before I slammed down into a snowbank with a hard thud. The fall didn’t really hurt as much as it stunned me.

As I came to my senses, I quickly perked up to attention and began to slowly dig myself out of the snow. Poking my head out, I scanned my surroundings... I was in the general area I intended to be. Moments later, my mind quickly attacked me for my stupidity.

YOU FOAL! Never teleport! NEVER TELEPORT! How many times has Mother told you? You could have been killed! What if you appeared higher? Or in the ground? Or never reappeared at all!

I aggressively shook the thoughts from my head, and then let out a small whimper; I was right... I knew better, but I went and did it anyways in my panic. I sniffled and rubbed some tears from my eyes. I knew I couldn’t stay here any longer, but I was forgetting something.

I have to find my cloak...

Little good it would do now that everypony had already seen me for what I really was, but I took solace in the false sense of security it gave me. Right then I needed that comfort, no matter how fake it might be. My eyes fell on the familiar mound of snow pressed against the tree from earlier. I pulled myself out of my snowy landing zone and slowly cantered over to the mound. I quickly became depressed as my mind went over the events that had just transpired.

They’re all the same... Everything's the same...

Reaching the remnants of the snow mound, I wiped some more tears from my eyes and slowly began digging.

I just want to be accepted, wanted... loved... Is that really too much to ask?

Up until now, I had forgotten how alone I was. When I reached Ponyville, I had hoped that I could meet somepony who might accept me. Perhaps make a new friend, or maybe even find a very special somepony someday. Deep down I knew better, but... I couldn’t help but hope; hope that maybe the ponies here would be different, more accepting to somepony like me.

I was wrong.

After quite some time sifting through the snow, I saw the hint of a brown object. I paused for a moment before slowly grasping it with my teeth and pulling it from its resting place. My cloak was now encrusted in snow and ice, but I didn’t care; I threw it over myself anyways. The icy touch sent cold chills all across my body, but none of that mattered. The comfort of my security blanket was already taking effect; I felt myself able to relax a little.

I closed my eyes and let out a slow, hard sigh as I tucked my cloak close and fell back against the mound of snow. My emotions were a jumbled mess. I wasn’t sure what to feel; I just felt... drained.

After laying down for some time, I turned over and crawled to the top of the mound, and peered back to the town below. Everypony had already gone back to business as usual, like nothing had ever happened. Everything was just fine now that I had left. I laid my muzzle down as I felt my eyes begin to water again. Warm tears streamed down my cheeks to meet the cold snow below.

There really is no place for somepony like me... I may as well go back to Manehattan and accept my fate. At least there I wouldn’t be in anypony’s way.

As I got up, something inside of me snapped, and the pain I had been holding back poured forward.

I tried to find change, to find someplace new to start my life’s painting over, but I failed... This place is no different than Manehattan. Everypony thought I was a freak when they saw me.

I let out a soft whine as I tried to shake the thoughts from my head. I took one more look down to the town below before quickly turning away, running back for the Everfree. My thoughts continued to haunt me as I ran. I closed my eyes and tried to shake them, but to no avail.

I’m just a freak, a monster. I belong in the Everfree Forest along with all the other monsters... I shoul—

I felt myself crash into, and tumble over something. I let out an involuntary squeak from the sudden impact, and coincidentally, there was a second simultaneous squeak; but not from me...

I noticed I was now laying on something warm and soft.

Slowly opening my eyes, I found myself staring down into the large aquamarine eyes of another mare. I noticed that our muzzles were only a mere inch away from one another. Our breathing hastened as both of our faces went flush, but neither of us moved for a time. Having gathered my senses, I quickly tried to leap off of her, but she tried to roll away at the same time. Only to end up with us fumbling and falling over each other again.

“I-I’m so sorr—” we both spoke up at the same time.

There was a long pause that followed.

“I-I wasn't watching—” we talked over each other, once again.

I slowly turned my head to face her, and she did the same to face me. We were both blushing profusely. Clearly, she was just as embarrassed about this as I was. There was another long, awkward silence before I managed to quickly scrambled off her. I shrank down and slowly backed up as she sat up to her haunches. Now that I got a good look at this pony, I saw that she was... beautiful.

The mare was a butter yellow pegasus with a long, pink, flowing mane and tail. She wore a well-knit baby blue scarf and was hiding most of her face behind her mane. I couldn’t say that I blamed her; I would have too after an awkward situation like that.

I felt compelled to run away, but I was too dazed and flustered to think straight. All I could think about was how bad this all must have looked to this poor pony. I half expected her to scream, yell or even run away, but she only sat there, staring back at me through her mane. She had a pitiful, embarrassed expression. I quickly felt really bad.

“I-I’m, uh, r-really... sorry about this,” I managed to stammer out.

She turned her head away and let out a very faint whine.

My ears fell back as I shrank farther down. “A-are you... hurt?” I asked softly. I got a slow, slight shake of her head in response.

I must have really scared her, but she, um, seems okay...

“A-again, I’m really sorry, about all this, so... I’ll just be, uh, going... then...” I replied awkwardly. The butter yellow pegasus again only gave a faint whine in response.

I let out a slow sigh before slowly turning away, but as I took a step, I tripped over my own hoof and fell hard to the ground. My head hit something jagged and rough at the end of my fall.

The mare’s expression quickly perked up. “Oh my, are you ok?!” she asked with great concern as she hovered over, landing next to me. Her movements were very graceful, wasting no time reaching me.

“I-I... I think so.” I responded, picking myself up from the snow.

I looked to see that I had hit my head on a sharp rock protruding from the snow. I turned to face her and she let out a sharp gasp as she covered her muzzle with a hoof. I paused for a moment before realizing a warm, wet sensation sliding down my face. I raised a hoof and brushed it across the side of my face, and brought it before me.

Crimson red.

Like a bucket of red paint splashed across a clean white canvas, my hoof was covered in blood, my blood.... I felt myself pale.

“Oh my goodness! S-stay there, don’t move! I’ll be right back!” she instructed in a mildly panicked tone. She hastily flew off to a cottage in the distance, the same cottage from earlier.

So she’s the owner.

As quickly as the pegasus entered, she exited, now carrying a small first aid kit in her teeth. Hovering back over, she landed next to me and laid down the case in the snow. The concerned mare turned to me and raised a hoof towards the hood of my cloak. I let out a small whine and backed away from her hoof. She gave me a surprised look.

“I need to see how bad it is, now please... let me see it?” the mare asked softly, once again extending a hoof to my hood. I shrank down a bit and turned my head aside.

There was something about this pony... It was almost as if she gave off some sort of soothing aura. I felt that I couldn’t yell in her presence, let alone at her, but...

What will she think of me?

“It’s okay, theres no need to be afraid, I won’t hurt you, I promise,” she reassured me with a warm, comforting smile.

Whatever happens, happens...

I nodded slowly to her, and the yellow pegasus slowly folded back my hood, then quickly covered a sharp gasp with both her hooves, eyes wide in horror. I winced.

There it is.

“This wound is awful! Are you sure you’re ok?” she remarked, looking me straight in the eyes with an expression of great concern and worry.

I-I... I don’t understand...

“This needs to be treated right away!” she announced as she quickly turned to her first aid kit and popped it open. I turned away and stared down to the snow in thought.

She didn't scream, or run away or even comment about it...

“Please hold still,” she asked, gently turning my head to face her again.

The next few minutes, she quickly went about treating and dressing my wound. I was confused; she seemed more surprised about my cut than... how I looked. In fact, it was as if she hadn't noticed at all. Then again, I could imagine how bad the wound must looked to her. My coat and mane made every cut or scratch look much worse than it actually was. Mother would always worry when I got hurt, far more than she really needed to.

“There, that should do for now,” the pegasus declared, circling me slowly, examining her work. “You will need to change the bandages tomorrow though, you wouldn’t want it to get infected,” she added, placing a hoof to her chin and giving me another look of concern. I nodded.

“T-thank you, uh...”

“Oh! I’m... I’m Fluttershy,” she replied softly, looking to the ground and twirling a hoof in the snow.

Fluttershy. That’s a pretty name.

“I’m... Prism, nice to meet you, Fluttershy,” I said as I got to my hooves.

“Nice to meet you... too,” she she replied slowly, turning her head away.

I looked up to my bandages and poked a hoof at them. They were very expertly applied. she must have had a lot of practice or medical training.

I wonder what her special talent is... Butterflies cutie—

“No, don’t touch it!” Fluttershy gasped. “It will start to bleed again.” she added with concern.

I turned to face her and she shrank down, hiding behind her mane once again. There was a long pause, and an awkward silence. I scanned the area around us for something to talk about.

My eyes fell on the cottage.

“So, um, do you live here?” I asked, gesturing to the cottage.

The yellow pegasus turned her head to look to where I had pointed before nodding. “Yes... I live there; with my animal friends,” Fluttershy answered as she looked back to me. “But most of them are sleeping since it’s winter, so things are pretty quiet right now...” she continued, looking back down to the snow, pawing at it with a hoof.

“Your home is beautiful!” I exclaimed, with a lot more excitement than I intended to, which startled her, causing her to jump. I shrank back slightly with a sheepish smile. “I mean, it looks very peaceful and cozy. There's nothing like that in Manehattan.”

“You’re from Manehattan?” she asked. “And... thank you, I love it down here,” she added as she scanned the trees around us with a warm smile.

Down here...?

It suddenly hit me. She’s a pegasus, living in a cottage... on the ground?’

“Wait, I thought pegasi lived in the clouds?” I asked quizzically.

“They do, but... I prefer it down here, with all my animal friends. They would get lonely if I lived too far away.”

I can relate to that. I don’t think I could live too far from an arts and crafts store.

“So, you really love animals then?” I asked, Fluttershy’s expression perked up immediately at my mention of animals.

“Oh yes, very much so. Caring for them is my special talent,” she answered enthusiastically before looking back to her cutie mark.

That would explain the bandages.

“I love animals too, especially bunnies,” I commented “I have... had a pet bunny until recently...” I added slowly, my expression fading into sadness as I looked down to the snow.

Fluttershy silently took a few steps forward and placed a hoof on my shoulder, likely in an attempt to comfort me. There really was something else about this pony. She was so calm and composed, far kinder than anypony I had ever met before. Being near her actually made me feel better rather quickly.

“I have a bunny. Although, he isn’t too good with strangers...” She mused as she brought her hoof to her muzzle, turning her head aside.

A strong, cold wind blew through us, causing us both to shiver.

“Would you, um, like to come inside? ...If thats okay with you,” Fluttershy offered timidly, gesturing to her cottage. “I was just about to make lunch. You’re welcome to join me, that is, um... if, if you want to.”

I shook my head. “Thank you, but I wouldn’t want to impose, and you already have helped—”

A loud rumbling from the pit of my stomach interrupted me at the thought of “Lunch.” My ears fell back as I shrank down and smiled sheepishly with a small squee.

Wow, I haven’t eaten yet today, have I? ...when was the last time I ate anyways? Days?

As if to be an annoyed reminder, my stomach let out another low rumble. Fluttershy giggled and began to hover in front of me.

“Oh, I insist, and by the sounds of it, you could probably use some lunch too,” she added with a wink.

“Okay... you win,” I sighed before smiling up to her. “I’ll be your guest, and thank you.”

“Oh, wonderful!” Fluttershy exclaimed softly, closing her eyes and doing a little twirl in the air before floating off toward her cottage; I quickly followed after her.

* * * * * * * * * *

The cottage looked far more warm and cozy on the inside, and it was also much bigger than it appeared to be from the outside. Also, although it was winter, the faint aroma of flowers filled my senses as I walked through the door. Fluttershy quickly closed it behind us as she entered.

“Um, do you like tea?” she asked as she hung up her scarf.

My eyes lit up as she said the magic word. “I love tea!” I blurted out with far more enthusiasm than I had intended. I felt a faint blush fill my face. “I mean, yes... I would love some please,” I added while trying to compose myself.

Fluttershy covered a soft giggle before leaving the room.

I took this time to get a good look at interior of the cottage. it was like something out of a children's story book. The first thing I noticed was that the room was filled with many homes for small animals; from birdhouses to tiny mouse holes. The most prominent features were a large stone wood stove and a rather comfortable-looking couch in the corner of the room. I quickly began to envy Fluttershy; this place was like a paradise compared to my former run-down apartment.

That reminds me, where am I going to go? ...what am I going to do?

I lost my train of thought as Fluttershy reentered the room. She carried a kettle of water and placed it on the stove to boil.

“Feel free to make yourself at home, that is, if you want to...” the yellow pony commented, gesturing to my cloak as she walked past me and back to the other room again.

I looked over my shoulder to my cloak. The snow and ice that had encrusted it were now starting to melt, the cloak quickly becoming wet. I stopped and thought for a few moments.

It would be nice to to get this off before it begins to soak... and I’ve had my hood down this whole time, she has yet to say anything... I suppose it can’t hurt to get a little more comfortable...

Nodding to myself in reassurance, I slowly took off my cloak and hung it to dry near Fluttershy’s scarf. The warm air from the fire felt lovely on my damp coat. I had been wearing my cloak for quite some time now, and in the cold winter weather no less. As much as I loved my cloak and the security it brought, I needed a breather from it.

I sat down on my haunches. Reaching back, I loosened and removed my hairband. I gave my head a soft shake, allowing my mane to fall, though carefully, as not to disturb my bandages. I let out a slow, relaxed sigh, rolling my shoulders as my mane came to rest along my right side. With one final adjustment, I turned to my side and unrolled my tail that I had also tied up.

Ahh, much better...

It had been a while since I been able to relax and let my mane down outside of my own home. There was something about Fluttershy’s company and the atmosphere of the cottage. I felt myself able to relax rather easily. Normally, I wouldn’t be nearly so comfortable in somepony else’s home.

Unknown to me, Fluttershy had already returned to the room and was now at the stove with a large pot. I caught the trace movements of her head turning back to the stove when I looked up to her.

Was she, watching me?

“Strange isn’t it?” I asked softly as Fluttershy jumped a little.

“W-what is?” the pegasus replied sheepishly, not looking away from the stove.

I managed a small smile. It was sweet of her to pretend not to notice, but how could anypony not?

“My coat, my mane... my cutie mark,” I responded slowly, looking down to the floor and smiling to myself. “You know, you’re actually the only pony who hasn’t said anything after seeing them in... in a very long time.”

Fluttershy slowly turned to face me. She looked as if she was about to say something, but then quickly turned back to the stove.

“It’s okay, I don’t mind talking about it with you if you’re curious.” I reassured her.

The yellow pony slowly turned to face me again before looking down shyly, and twirling a hoof along the floor.

“I... I wasn’t going to ask, ” Fluttershy replied faintly above a whisper. “ I didn’t want to be rude, but... I’m sorry,” she added, flattening her ears and looking away for a moment.

This pony is really kind, and very polite. Most ponies wouldn’t be so hesitant to ask me about it.

“There's no need to be sorry, you haven’t done anything wrong... If anything you have helped a lot,” I commented, gesturing to my bandages. Fluttershy managed a small smile, which I warmly returned.

The pegasus turned back to the stove and poured two cups of tea before bringing them to the table. She then gently placed one at either end and took a seat. I picked myself up off the floor and joined her at the table. The smell of the tea hit me right away.

Lavender and daisy...

I picked up the cup in my hooves, blowing on it a few times before taking a sip. I closed my eyes as the relaxing warmth of the tea filled me. In that moment, all my worries and troubles seemed to just melt away.

“Somepony likes tea,” Fluttershy commented, muffling a small giggle.

“Sometimes I think its the only thing that gets me through the day,” I stated as sat down my cup. “Anyways, about my... condition. As I’m sure you might have guessed by now, I’m albino. With your love for animals I’m sure you may have heard of it in animals before.”

“Oh yes, I have. I even found a baby albino squirrel once; he was so cute!” Fluttershy cooed, cupping her forehooves together by her face.

Over the next half hour or so, I chatted with Fluttershy over tea about how my condition had affected my growing up, and the reactions ponies have when they would get a good look at me. After finishing our tea, she checked up on lunch. Once she seemed content with the soup, she fetched two bowls from her cupboards, filled them, and laid them out on the table.

“I can’t imagine what it must be like, everypony staring at you... It sounds awful!” she gasped with a nervous look, tucking her forelegs close to her as she took her seat.

“It’s as bad as it sounds... If I were to say otherwise, I would be lying,” I replied, looking at the soup bowl in front of me; it looked and smelled delicious.

I picked up the bowl in my hooves and gave it a few cooling blows before taking a sip. My eyelids shot up in surprise, It tasted twice as delicious as it smelled. What was only meant to be a little sip turned into a few large gulps.

“Careful!” Fluttershy cautioned softly, extending a foreleg to me. “You wouldn’t want to burn yourself...”

I set down the bowl and looked up to her. “This is absolutely delicious!” I exclaimed. “In fact... I think, this may be the best soup I have ever had in my life!” Fluttershy’s cooking was obviously leaps and bounds better than mine.

The yellow pony bashfully turned away. “Thank you... but I’m sure it isn’t that good,” she replied softly. “It’s just something I put together with what I had,” she continued humbly before turning back to me.

I gave her a surprised look. “If this is something quick, I can’t begin to imagine what you could do if you tried.” I said, picking up the bowl and finishing the rest of the delightful contents.

Fluttershy’s face took a faint shade of red before quickly turning away again. “T-thank you,” she replied, fidgeting her hooves together. “So, you mentioned you were from, uh, Manehattan, earlier?” The pegasus asked.

I paused for a few moments as I recalled my words. “Oh! Yes, I lived in Manehattan all my life. That is, until a few days ago...”

“What brings you to Ponyville?” Fluttershy asked as she composed herself.

I brought a hoof to my chin as I took a few moments to collect my thoughts.

I can’t simply tell her about what happened with my apartment and the police... but...

“I needed a change of... scenery.” I answered cautiously. “And I’m also looking for somepony,” I added, nervously fidgeting with the empty soup bowl.

“So, you’re moving here?” Fluttershy asked, sounding a little surprised. “I haven’t heard from Pinkie Pie yet about any new ponies...”

Pinkie Pie?

“I’m... I’m not really sure yet. Something... happened, while I was in town earlier today,” I answered, followed by a long pause.

Fluttershy gave me a curious look. I gestured a hoof to my body and mane, then to my cloak by the door. The pegasus gave a surprised, but understanding look, followed by a nod.

“So, um, how did that go?”

“Awful...” I answered, hanging my head low. “Everypony stopped what they were doing... They were too surprised and shocked at my appearance. They all stared and started to talk about me.”

“Oh, my... I’m sorry I asked,” Fluttershy replied as her ears fell and she donned a guilty expression.

“No, it’s fine!” I commented, quickly forcing myself to cheer up. “You can ask me anything, I don’t mind.” I couldn’t stand to see her with a sad look, it was unbecoming for a kind pony like her.

“Okay... so, um, who are you looking for? That is... if you don’t mind me asking,” Fluttershy asked softly before bringing a hoof to her muzzle. “I may not know everypony in town, but I do know a lot, or have at least heard of them.”

“I’m looking for a unicorn mare named Rarity,” I answered as I sifted positions in my seat nervously. “You wouldn’t happen to know her... would you?”

Fluttershy let out a small giggle. “Oh yes, I do actually. She's my best friend,” she replied, closing her eyes with a warm smile.

My eyes quickly widened in surprise. “Really?!” I exclaimed, jumping out of my seat and slamming my hooves down on the table, knocking over my chair in the process.

Fluttershy jumped in surprise as I quickly realized how much I overreacted. With a sheepish smile, I very slowly picked up my chair, then hastily sat back down. The yellow mare let out a long, soft laugh. I felt really embarrassed.

“Oh yes, I was actually planning to go meet her soon.” Fluttershy commented, turning to look at a large cuckoo clock on the wall. “You can come if you like, I’m sure she won’t mind... at least, I don’t think she will mind,” she added, turning to me expectantly.

My eyes lit up. “I would love to!” I answered excitedly.

“Great, I'll get to introduce her to my new friend!” Fluttershy replied enthusiastically, putting her hooves together with a warm smile and a few flaps of her wings.

I suddenly froze up.

...Friend? She said I’m her... Friend...

I felt my eyes water and lower lip quiver as I tried desperately to hold back the tears.

Fluttershy tilted her head, giving me a curious look. “Are you... oka—”

I quickly dove across the table, knocking off the empty dishes and embraced her in a sudden hug.

“Oh!” she squeaked suddenly with a small jump.

I hugged her tight for a few moments, and nuzzled my face into her coat. Before long, my eyes shot open and I quickly realized what I just did... I slowly pulled away from the embrace, looking her in the face. Her face was frozen with a surprised expression, and quickly went flush there after. I blushed profusely before slowly climbing off the table and sinking to the floor, hiding myself from view behind the table.

“I-I’m... so sorry...” I whispered, flattening my ears and sinking lower to the floor. “It’s just... nopony has called me a, friend before... ever...” Fluttershy poked her head around the table.

“Really?” she asked quizzically.

I slowly nodded. “Please don’t hate me...”

“I don’t hate you... You just surprised me,” the pegasus assured me with a smile. “It’s not everyday that somepony leaps over a table to embrace you in a sudden hug, thats all,” she added with a small laugh.

I managed a faint smile.

“But... is it true?” Fluttershy asked, looking at me expectantly with an expression of clear concern. “About... friends?”

My small smile vanished as I nodded, turning away from her.

“You... you’ve never had a friend before...?” she asked, with even greater concern in her voice.

I slowly shook my head.

“Oh, oh my...” she replied, bringing a hoof to her muzzle.

The yellow pony slowly flew over and landed in front of me. Fluttershy gently put her hooves on either side of my face and turned me to face her.

“Well... now you do,” she stated softly.

She closed her eyes and pulled me into a comforting hug. I felt myself melt on the inside as I let a flood of pent up feelings and emotions go; I quickly broke down and began to sob uncontrollably into her chest.

“Shh... there's no need to cry,” she softly hushed, gently nuzzling me and slowly stroking my mane. “You’re my friend now, and I’m going to help you make even more friends.”

Fluttershy slowly broke the embrace and tilted my head up to face her. Looking me in the eyes, she gave me a warm smile.

“Welcome to Ponyville.”

Chapter 4: The Fashionista

It took some time for everything to sink in. I had just made my first real friend; not an animal, but another pony. I quickly realized just how lucky I was to have met Fluttershy in our chance encounter. Thanks to her, I learned that there really are some accepting ponies out there, and she was about to introduce me to even more.

I may have finished the journey to Ponyville, but my journey into friendship was just beginning.

* * * * * * * * * *

“I suppose we should get going, we don’t want to keep Rarity waiting,” Fluttershy said, walking over to the coat hanger to fetch her scarf.

I nodded and joined her by the door, and began my usual ritual of preparation for going outside. I tied back my mane and tail before throwing on my cloak. The yellow mare watched me with a look of pity.

“It’s a shame you have to do all of that...” she commented while slowly putting on her scarf.

“Well... it may be uncomfortable and tedious, but it keeps everypony’s eyes off of me.”

“I understand.  I don’t like lots of ponies looking at me either; it makes me very nervous... Why, just the thought of everypony watching me makes me nervous!” Fluttershy exclaimed softly as a look of fear adorned her face.

“I’m sure everypony is used to seeing you by now, so I don’t think you have to worry about being stared at.” I looked over Fluttershy, admiring her mane and coat as she adjusted her scarf.

Now that I think about it... She would make the perfect model for a very lovely painting. I wonder if she would let me paint her sometime?

I brought a hoof to my chin. “...And if anypony did stare, it’s probably because of how beautiful you are,” I mused slowly.

Fluttershy froze in place, blushing profusely before looking down to the floor.

“T-thank you...” She stammered out. “Y-you know... you’re very...” Fluttershy trailed off into into an inaudible whisper, turning her head away.

I cocked my head sideways, giving her a curious look. “I’m sorry, what was that?” I asked, leaning in closer to her.

“Oh, n-nothing... nevermind...” Fluttershy dismissed, looking back up to me. “A-anyways... shall we?” The yellow pegasus asked, gesturing to the door.

I nodded and followed as she exited the cottage.

The walk to town was peaceful and passed quickly with conversation. Fluttershy told me how winter was almost over, and soon they would have Winter Wrap Up to usher in spring. The idea of spring in such a peaceful little village excited me. It would be my first spring outside Manehattan. To me, this meant a whole new world of colors to paint. I couldn’t wait to see it.

As we approached Ponyville, I quickly became nervous. So many ponies had already seen me, and it ended up very badly. I didn’t want a repeat of earlier. I slowed my pace as I got lost in thought.

What if somepony from before recognizes me; what will they do? What will they say?

“Just take a deep breath, and try to relax,” Fluttershy instructed, looking to me. “Everything will be okay, and you’re going to meet the pony you have been looking for, remember?”

I managed a small smile at her comforting words.“Thank you, Fluttershy.”

She closed her eyes and beamed me a warm smile before looking back to the town ahead.

The town square was just as busy as before. Everypony went about their business, buying and selling produce, trinkets and other handy items.

“This is very different... Manehattan doesn’t have anything like this. Just large stores and the occasional shop,” I informed her, watching the ponies we passed with great interest.

“It’s... nice... but some ponies can be difficult to buy from if you’re not very assertive,” Fluttershy commented, letting out a soft sigh.

“Oh, I didn’t think about that...” My ears fell back at the thought of dealing with the more assertive sellers.

“It’s not that bad, I promise,” Fluttershy reassured me, slowly coming to a stop.

“Well, here we are,” Fluttershy announced, turning to face me before a large, intricately designed building. “This is Carousel Boutique, Rarity’s home and workplace... She’s a very famous designer, you know.”

I tilted my head as I analyzed the building. It really did look just like a large carousel. The shapes and colors were impeccable.

Whoever designed this must be very meticulous to detail... It’s simply, beautiful.

Fluttershy approached the door and gave it a few soft knocks, barely making any sound. We waited for a few minutes before I turned to her.

“Maybe... you should knock again?”

“Okay.” Fluttershy again knocked softly on the door, barely louder than before. Several minutes went by in silence.

“Maybe... she’s not home?” My ears fell back as I looked to the ground in disappointment.

“That’s weird, she should be expecting—” Before Fluttershy could finish the door flung open and out flew a small white filly with a soft pink and purple mane, crashing into Fluttershy and falling back onto her haunches.

“Ow! …Oh, hey Fluttershy! You looking for my sister?” the young filly asked, getting to her hooves. She glanced over before turning to me.

“Who’s your friend?” the young filly asked, rubbing her chin with a hoof. “…I don’t think I have seen her before?”

Fluttershy turned to me. “Go on... Introduce yourself,” she encouraged me with a smile and a wink.

“O-oh... um, I-I’m... Prism...” I replied shyly.

I felt a bit ridiculous as I forced the words across my lips. I was intimidated and shy over just a small filly of all ponies.

“Nice to meet you, Prism. That’s a very pretty name,” the small unicorn replied enthusiastically. “My name’s Sweetie Belle; Rarity’s my big sister.” Sweetie Bell turned back to Fluttershy.

“I’ll go get her for you.” With that, the filly quickly disappeared back into the carousel home, and returned just as fast as she had left. “She said to come in.” As soon as the filly finished her sentence she zoomed past us and was gone in a flash.

“...Somepony’s in a hurry,” I said, looking over my shoulder in the direction the hyper filly had ran off to.

“She’s probably off to play with the rest of the crusaders. Those girls can be so energetic sometimes...”

“Crusaders?” I asked quizzically, looking back to Fluttershy.

She let out a small laugh. “Two of my friends’ younger sisters and a friend of theirs call themselves The Cutie Mark Crusaders. They do all kinds of things, in hopes of finding their special talent and getting their cutie marks. ...Sometimes dangerous and scary things. Oh, I hope the girls aren’t getting into too much trouble today...” Fluttershy brought a hoof to her muzzle; she looked deep in thought and quite worried.

“I never got along with others when I was a filly, or rather; they didn’t want anything to do with me... But I had my crayons; they were all I needed.”

Fluttershy turned to me with another worried look. “That’s just—”

“Fluttershy, darling, did Sweetie Belle not tell you that you could come inside?” came a proper-sounding voice from the door.

Fluttershy and I both turned to the voice. There stood a unicorn mare that rivaled Fluttershy’s beauty. She had a clean, ivory coat and an elegantly-groomed, curled purple mane. She also wore a large, stylish red pair of... what I guessed must have been reading glasses.

“Oh, hello, Rarity. She did tell us, yes, but I guess we got lost in conversation.”

“We?” the unicorn asked with great interest, raising an eyebrow.

Fluttershy and Rarity both looked to me. I really felt on the spot and very nervous. The pony I came all the way here to see was standing in front of me.

I wonder what she's like? Will she like me? ...What if she doesn’t like me, or thinks I look weird! But, she's Fluttershy’s friend so she can’t be too mean, but what if she is mean! And Fluttershy’s just too nice to mind! Maybe she—

“Ah, how delightful to meet yo—” Rarity cut off into a shrill gasp, looking quite taken aback. “WHAT IS THAT HORRIBLE, WRETCHED THING!?” she hissed, shooting a hoof out pointed directly at me.

At that moment, my whole world came crashing down around me.

Fluttershy’s eyes lit up in horror as she turned back to Rarity. I paused briefly as I absorbed the shock, and then quickly exploded in tears, turning and fleeing in a sorrow-filled panic. Both ponies called out to me, but I didn’t hear them.

She saw right through me! It only took her one look to realize I’m a freak! I hoped that maybe as another artist she would at least give me a chance—but no, she already hates me! Fluttershy was wrong, Rarity is—

I felt my hooves, no, my whole body, slowly lift up off the ground. Still running in place, I looked down to either side of me with a slightly confused expression. I was floating in the air, surrounded in a soft, light blue aura of magic.

I shut my eyes tight and tried to run harder to escape the magic, but it was no use; I was slowly being pulled back to the Boutique. I was turned around to find Fluttershy with an extremely worried look, and Rarity a sheepish, guilty one.

“PUT ME DOWN!” I wailed, trying to squirm free of the unicorn’s magical grasp.

“S-she didn’t—”

“She called me horrible! Wretched!”

“Darling, I didn’t mean—”

“Please... just... just put me down... please...” I softly cried, curling myself into a ball. There was a long pause before she slowly lowered me to the ground and released me from her magic. Fluttershy quickly darted over to me and cupped me in a hug.

“Shh... there, there. She didn’t mean it like—”

Rarity walked up to me and let out a small cough.

“I meant your attire, dear. Not you,” Rarity assured me. “Even so, that was horribly rude of me. I am oh, so, very sorry. I do apologize for my rudeness.”

I wiped some tears from my eyes before poking my head up from my ball of safety. “R-really...?”

“Why, of course, darling. I would never say such a dreadful thing to another pony. Could you find it in you to forgive me?”

I turned my head to Fluttershy with an unsure expression.

“She really didn’t mean it, honest.  She’s the nicest pony I know,” Fluttershy reassured me with a smile before sitting back to her haunches. “Would you feel better if I introduced you?”

I nodded slowly, sinking my head back down to my hooves. Fluttershy stood up next to me and turned to Rarity.

“Rarity, this is my friend Prism. She’s new to Ponyville; she just got here this morning... so, um...”

Rarity looked to me and raised an eyebrow at me. “Why, color me impressed.  Not even here for a day and already friends with Fluttershy? That is no mean feat, dear.” Rarity rubbed her chin with a hoof, looking off into nowhere. “I haven’t heard anything from Pinkie Pie about a new pony.  Frankly, I’m shocked Pinkie didn’t get to you first, but by the looks of things, I’m glad she didn’t.”

There’s that Pinkie Pie again...

“W-who’s... Pinkie Pie?”

Rarity bit her lower lip with a shifty-eyed, concerned look. “Let’s go inside shall we!” the fashionista answered with a forced smile before scanning our surroundings. “Surely you’re uncomfortable lying in the cold snow like that!”

Before I could answer, Rarity pulled me to my hooves and quickly pushed me and Fluttershy inside, closing the door and locking it behind her. She walked over to a window and looked out for a moment before turning to Fluttershy and me.

“Okay! Who wants some tea then?” she asked somewhat frantically, with a hint of nervousness in her voice.

“I would love some!” I blurted out before quickly flattening my ears and shrinking down sheepishly.

Fluttershy glanced over to me briefly, covering a small laugh. “Yes, I would love some too, please.”

“Wonderful! I just so happened to have made some just before you arrived. Oh, you will absolutely love it; it’s red rose and lavender. I just got it from Canterlot yesterday, and it is simply to die for!” Rarity exclaimed with great enthusiasm. “Right this way, dear.”

Rarity and Fluttershy turned towards, and walked up a set over stairs across the room.

I also began for the stairs before pausing halfway, taking a look around the room. My jaw dropped now that I got a good look at it. It was amazing!  Intricately designed clothing lined racks on either side of the door and along a back wall. Elegant mirrors and tapestries could be found covering the walls on all sides of the room. I found myself stunned by the colorful beauty of the place.

“Prism, darling, are you coming?” Rarity called to me from the bottom of the stairs.

“Y-yes, sorry.” I quickly snapped out of my daze and followed her. …Into yet another amazing room. Rarity’s kitchen was just as neat and fashionable as her boutique below. Cabinets and countertops lined the back wall along with a fancy modern oven.

An oven! Oh, I had always wanted an oven, and are those cabinets cherry? ...Rarity must be rather wealthy to afford all this.

“Do take a seat, and feel free to make yourself more... comfortable.” Rarity’s eye twitched as she looked over my cloak.

I looked back to my cloak then to Fluttershy, and back to Rarity.

“I-I... would rather not...” I answered slowly, taking a seat next to Fluttershy at the table.

While Rarity’s home was simply stunning, it didn’t have the same comforting aura as Fluttershy’s cottage, and I found Rarity a bit... intimidating. I turned back to the yellow pony and shrank down in my seat; Rarity also looked to her. Fluttershy gave Rarity a look that seemed to have meant something, judging by the fashionista’s reaction.

“Oh... okay, well that’s fine too. Do as you like, darling,” Rarity replied, turning to a teapot on her kitchen countertop. With her magic, she poured three cups of tea and took a seat at the table across from us. She cleared her throat before looking over to us.

“So, about Pinkie Pie. Pinkie’s, uh... energetic, to say the least. She’s also friends with everypony in town. She knows everypony, and I do mean everypony,” the ivory unicorn answered reluctantly. “Whenever somepony new moves into town, she throws them a welcome party and invites everypony in town.”

My expression slowly crept into horror at her words. “Celestia, no!” I cupped my head with my hooves. “No-no-no-no! I don’t want a welcome party; I don’t even like parties! And everypony in town would be there? By Luna’s moon, no!”

Rarity slowly took a sip of her tea, before looking up to me. “I had a feeling you might not like the idea. You didn’t exactly strike me as the social butterfly, as ‘twere,” she said before turning to Fluttershy. “We simply must find Pinkie Pie before she finds Prism.”

Fluttershy nodded, taking a drink of her tea before pausing. “...I don’t think I have ever had this before,” Fluttershy commented, examining her tea.

“As I said, simply marvelous, is it not?”

“Oh yes, it’s wonderful,” Fluttershy replied before taking another sip.

Rarity turned to me expectantly. I looked down to my tea. it wasn’t like me to ever take my time beginning my tea, but I was quite nervous in the fashionista’s presence. I slowly picked up my cup with both hooves and took a sip. The warm sensation of the lovely tea flooded me over as I let out a small, relaxed sigh. Rarity gave me an odd look as my eyes met with hers.

“Oh, um, it’s fantastic, I love it. Lavender is one of my favorites, and the red rose accents it well.” I took another drink, though reluctantly; Rarity was watching me with great interest.

“Great! I’m very glad you like it. I had quite a bit ordered so I will have it for some time. You’re very welcome to join me anytime you like, darling.” Rarity quickly made a pouty face. “Other than Fluttershy here, the rest of the girls don’t really appreciate a good cup of tea,” she complained, taking another drink of her tea.

“The girls?” I asked.

“She means the rest of our friends.” Fluttershy commented.

“Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and Rainbow Dash,” Rarity continued.

Rainbow Dash...

I thought back to my brief encounter with the rainbow-maned pony earlier this morning. It was a shot in the dark, but I had to ask.

“So, um, this Rainbow Dash... She wouldn’t be a cyan pegasus with a rainbow mane... would she?” I asked sheepishly with a forced smile. Both mares looked to me curiously.

“Oh? So you’ve met Rainbow Dash then?” Rarity asked, looking at me expectantly.

I sank down into my chair as my ears fell back. “Not... exactly...” I answered reluctantly. “I sort of... yelled, at her.” The girls looked on in surprise.

“Goodness, dear, whatever happened?” Rarity asked, setting down her empty teacup.

I sat up in my seat and cleared my throat. “It’s a long story, but...”

I went on to explain my brief encounter with ‘Rainbow Dash’, and what had transpired. I saw it inevitable that I would have to tell Rarity, along with the rest of her friends about me eventually. I decided to inform Rarity about my albinism and how it affected my meeting with Rainbow Dash and what happened in town shortly after.

“...And, well... that’s why I ran off when you yelled, and why I have been so reluctant to take off my cloak... I wasn’t sure what you would think...” I concluded slowly, sinking back down in my seat as I looked up to Rarity.

Her expression was frozen, slack jawed in surprise. Her glasses had all but fallen off her face. She eventually shook herself out of the daze and slowly took off the reading glasses.

“I-I... I don’t know what to say!” Rarity covered a gasp as a look of realization sat in. “I said those horrible things about your cloak, and you thought that I...” The fashionista quickly shot up out of her seat. “Oh my stars, darling! I am, SO, SORRY!”  She quickly trotted across the kitchen, before turning back and trotting up to me.

“This must be addressed at once!” the fashionista declared. “Come with me, darling.”

“W-what...? Wait—”

Rarity pulled me out of my seat, and dragged me along to another room just past the kitchen. Unlike the rest of her home, this room was... a mess.  Cloth, ribbon and gemstones of all kinds and colors were strewn from wall to wall. It looked as if a hurricane blew through the place.

“Wait here, dear,” Rarity instructed as she walked into the middle of the room and started levitating miscellaneous cloths and fabrics. She sorted through different colors, examining them closely.

“No... No... No... Ech! Definitely no!” the fashionista continued to shuffle through fabrics as Fluttershy quietly entered the room.

I turned to the yellow pony nervously “W-What is she doing...?” I asked nervously

“She must have an idea.  Don’t worry,” Fluttershy answered, turning to me. “Once she gets her mind set on something, she has to do it.”

“How about this?” Rarity asked herself, levitating a large lime-green sheet of fabric next to me. She put a hoof to her chin and tilted her head in thought. “Hmm... Green is not your color, dear.” She haphazardly tossed the fabric aside before bringing a large sheet of midnight-blue fabric to me.

“Hmm, yes... Yes! This will do fantastically! Now to...” Rarity looked back and forth between Fluttershy and me with analytical scans. The two of us looked to each other confused, then stared blankly back at her. “The two of you seem to be about the same size...”

She levitated the large piece of fabric to an empty ponnequin and began to shape the cloth with many measurements and snips of scissors. It only took a few moments for her to present the finished product. I was awestruck at the speed and accuracy of Rarity’s handiwork.  I very quickly saw why she was famous; she was extremely talented.

“Do try this on, Dear.” Rarity levitated a new, beautiful midnight-blue cloak before me. I paused for a moment before turning back to Fluttershy with a concerned look.

“Go on, you’ll be fine,” Fluttershy encouraged me warmly with a soft smile.

“Okay...” I slowly pulled off my cloak and laid it on the ground next to me.

Rarity’s eyes lit up. “Oh my... whatever happened to you, darling?!” Rarity exclaimed, examining my bandages before turning to Fluttershy with a concerned look. “Is it bad?”

Fluttershy shrank down a little, sheepishly smiling back. “It’s... not as bad as it looks. She had me really worried at first though. I thought she may have been seriously injured and needed to go to the hospital.”

I covered a small laugh at the comment. The two mares looked back to me confused.

“You reminded me a lot of Mother, right then. She would always worry so much at every little cut or scratch I had as a filly.” I looked back to my coat. “My mane and coat will do that though; they makes every injury look much worse than it really is.”

Rarity walked up to me and stretched a foreleg out next to mine. “Dare I say, you're a far higher contrast of white than even myself,” she commented, comparing our coats side by side.

“It’s not something I am proud of...” I said, slowly looking down to the floor.

Rarity turned to me, looking quite surprised. “Why ever not, Darling? Your pure shade of white is absolutely gorgeous!” Rarity exclaimed. Examining me, her eyes fell on my hair ties. “Oh, but these simply must go!” she declared, removing the ties with her magic. I gave my mane and tail a few shakes, letting them fall freely.

“That is much better. Such fabulous hair should not be hindered by such restraints,” Rarity stated as she circled me, inspecting me closely. “Darling, your coat and mane are simply magnificent! You are quite the natural beauty.”

Rarity thinks I’m beautiful...?

“T-thank you, but... I’m not nearly as beautiful as the two of you...” I blushed faintly and looked away.

Fluttershy’s face turned a faint shade of red, while Rarity sat to her haunches and covered her muzzle with a foreleg.

Rarity waved her other forehoof at me dismissively. “Oh stop, you flatter me!” Rarity looked back up to the cloak she had been levitating this whole time. “Oh, yes!” Rarity quickly wrapped the cloak around me, causing me to jump slightly in surprise. She then brought a large stand up mirror before me.

I moved about, adjusting myself while looking in the mirror. The cloak was a perfect fit. I turned my head, closely examining it. Not only was it comfortable, it looked far nicer than my old brown one.

Wow... She really does have a good eye, and it’s a perfect fit!

“It’s perfect!” I exclaimed, turning to Rarity, but quickly sank down in disappointment. “But... I’m afraid I can’t afford it...”

She raised an eyebrow at me. “Afford it? Darling, it’s yours! Think of it as an apology for earlier.”

I went to say something, but Rarity quickly raised a hoof and hushed me before any words came.

“Ah-ah! ...It’s yours, I will hear nothing more of it!” she exclaimed, bringing her hoof down, and falling into a stubborn stance.

“W-wow... just, wow! Thank you so much, Rarity!” I spun around examining the cloak in the mirror, making an impromptu seductive look to myself.

Fluttershy slowly walked up to Rarity and extended a hoof to her. “Um, Rarity? Is there... anything you think you could do, about that?” Fluttershy asked, gesturing back to my bandages.

Rarity brought a hoof to her chin as she examined them. “Well... I’m not nearly as good at healing magic as Twilight, and I only know one spell...” she mused. “But... I suppose it can’t hurt to try?” She turned to Fluttershy and shrugged.

“Um... I don’t know...” I said, slowly backing up a little.

“It’s just a small, simple healing spell, darling. It’s foal-proof,” Rarity assured me, dismissing my concern with a wave of her hoof. “Unfortunately, it’s only intended for small cuts and bruises. I can’t promise it will heal it, but I think it can at least remove your need for the bandages.”

“I-Is... it safe?” I asked reluctantly, sinking to the floor.

“Oh-ho-ho, Darling~!” Rarity laughed, covering her muzzle with a foreleg. “Why, I use this spell all the time~! What could possibly go wrong?”

Her horn lit up with a soft, light blue glow. The same glow slowly covered my forehead where my cut was. I felt a tingling sensation in my forehead... but I felt something else, something deep down inside me stirring.

“Um, Rarity, I don’t think this is such a good—”

The stirring sensation quickly surged forward and I felt a sharp pain drive up my chest, along my neck, and to my forehead where Rarity’s spell was in effect. I let out a sharp yelp as I winced in pain.

“Rarity, STOP!” Fluttershy cried out uncharacteristically.

Rarity frantically stopped her spell at the pegasus's thundering demand. My forehead was stinging, throbbing. A burning sensation covered the whole of it. Fluttershy let out and covered a sharp gasp as she pointed her other forehoof to my forehead. I turned and looked to the mirror. The sight sent a chill down my spine. A gushing red was quickly covering the clean white bandages.

Blood...

Fluttershy quickly turned to Rarity, wide eyed. “What did you do?!” Fluttershy cried out bewilderedly, before quickly flying over to me.

“I-I... I don’t know!” Rarity stammered. “I just cast the spell like I have every other time!”

I was too stunned to say anything; to do anything. I just stood there, staring into the mirror as the last traces of white in the bandages were engulfed by the sea of crimson.

“We need to get her to the hospital right away!” Fluttershy declared, hoisting me onto her back without hesitation. “Rarity, help me!”

There was another stirring inside me, but this one felt familiar...

“Wait...” I whispered softly.

Fluttershy looked up to me perplexed.

The burning pain suddenly stopped, and was replaced by a cool, soothing sensation. I felt magic run through my forehead, my magic, though only for an instant. The sensation was over as soon as it began. Something felt... different... my curiosity was piqued. I slowly slid off Fluttershy and walked back to the mirror.

“Prism! What in Equestria you doing?! We have to get you to the hospital, right now!” Rarity exclaimed, rushing up to me.

I held out a hoof to her. “Wait...” I breathed softly.

Rarity stopped just before me. Both mares looked at me confused and with great worry. I reached up and slowly began to unravel my bandages.

“No, don’t!” The yellow pony leapt at me and grabbed my foreleg, but not before I unraveled the last wrap. Fluttershy paused, slack-jawed and slowly fell back to her haunches.

“What is it, Darling?” Rarity trotted up to Fluttershy and turned to me. “Oh my...” she covered her muzzle with a hoof.

I examined my reflection in the mirror. My forehead was... fine. In fact, there was not single a trace of blood on me, only on the bandages on the floor. Where the cut had once been was a smooth, unblemished patch of my clean white coat, as if nothing had ever been there. Both mares paused for a time, stunned. Rarity eventually stirred, slowly looking to Fluttershy.

“Twilight will want to hear about this...”

“Y-yeah...” Fluttershy commented, slowly getting to her hooves.

I flattened my ears and slowly sank down to the floor.

“I-I’m sorry I scared you...” I said slowly, looking away from the two.

“I’m sorry I almost killed you!” Rarity suddenly declared, aghast.

Fluttershy walked around in front of me and brushed a hoof over my forehead. “There’s no scar or anything...” Fluttershy commented, and then slowly lifted my head to face her, looking me in the eyes. “...What was that, Prism?” she asked, worry weighing heavy on her words and expression.

“I-I... I don’t know. I just felt ‘something’ inside of me.” I answered slowly. “At first it hurt, really bad, but then it stopped and I felt it soothe the pain away, and then, nothing.”

Rarity sat to her haunches and sheepishly tapped the tips of her front hooves together. “H-Had I known that would have happen—”

I shook my head and quickly interjected. “There's no way you could have known that would happen, Rarity, and besides...” I poked my forehead with a hoof. “Had you not tried, I would still be wearing those bandages, so don’t worry about it, okay?” I beamed her a smile, which she slowly returned.

“You gave us quite the scare, darling,” Rarity commented. “I really thought that I had seriously injured you.” Rarity paused before turning to Fluttershy with a sly smirk.

“She was really worried, she even yelled at me!” Rarity exaggerated, performing an impromptu covered gasp. “Fluttershy really took action when she thought you had been hurt. That’s our Fluttershy for you; always looking out for the well-being of others.” Rarity beamed her an honest smile.

“Rarity...” Fluttershy blushed profusely, taking a step back from me and looking away, hiding her face behind her mane.

“I’m only teasing, Darling.” Rarity covered a laugh.

I couldn’t help but softly smile at the fashionista’s gentle banter. “Thank you, girls.” I took a step towards Fluttershy and peered around to her face. “...And thank you for worrying about me, but I’m fine now. ...Okay?”

“Okay...” Fluttershy replied softly, managing a faint smile.

I suddenly remembered what the girls had said earlier, about Twilight Sparkle.

I looked back to Rarity. “You mentioned that Twilight Sparkle would want to hear about this...?”

“Twilight has a great interest in all things magic,” Fluttershy slowly answered for her.

I glanced back to the yellow pony before Rarity continued for her.

“She is Princess Celestia’s personal pupil after all,” the fashionista added matter-of-factly.

I turned back to, and gave Rarity a curious look. “...Just who are you ponies?” I asked, clearly confused.

“The girls and I represent the six Elements of Harmony. Myself being the Element of Generosity, of course,” Rarity replied enthusiastically before turning to the yellow pegasus. “Fluttershy, the Element of Kindness; Twilight, the Element of Magic; Applejack, the Element of Honesty; Pinkie Pie, the Element of Laughter; and Rainbow Dash, the Element of Loyalty,” Rarity firmly concluded, turning back to me.

I paused for a moment and turned to Fluttershy, deep in thought.

That would explain why Fluttershy is so kind, and Rarity so generous... If Twilight Sparkle is anything like these two, she must know a lot about magic.

“...Yes?” Fluttershy asked, tilting her head and meeting my stare with a curious look.

“Oh, I was just thinking... What are the other girls like?”

“I could introduce you to them... that is, if you want me too,” Fluttershy asked softly.

“I... I would like that.”

“I’m sure the rest would love to meet you too,” Fluttershy commented, walking up to a window. “Oh my, It’s gotten so late, has it really been that long?” I joined Fluttershy at the window; the sun had already almost set.

“Wow, it has gotten pretty late,” I added, looking to Fluttershy.

“I guess we missed our spa visit today. I’m sorry, Rarity,” Fluttershy remarked before turning to her.

“That’s fine, dear, and besides...” Rarity turned to me with an appreciative smile. “Making a wonderful new friend beats any old spa trip, if you ask me.”

“Oh yes, very much so.” Fluttershy nodded before looking to me with a wink.

“So, Darling... If I may ask, where will you be staying?” Rarity asked, looking at me expectantly.

I was afraid this question might come up. I wasn’t quite sure how to tell them how I managed to get here.

“I... um, I don’t know...” I replied, looking down to the floor.

“You don’t know? Whatever do you mean?” Rarity looked at me puzzled.

I grit my teeth nervously. “You see...”

I explained how I had lost my saddlebags in the Everfree Forest in a blizzard a few nights ago, and how what I had on me was all I had with me.

“Oh my stars, Darling!” Rarity gasped. “You mean to tell me that you lost all your belongings?”

I nodded slowly, sinking to the floor.

“You have nothing?” Rarity’s jaw dropped.

I slowly shook my head.

Fluttershy looked at me with great surprise. “Oh my, I didn’t know that...”

“I had a rather... difficult time getting here.” I replied, turning back to the girls. “I hadn’t really thought about what I would do when I got here... or where I would stay.” My ears fell back as I slowly sat down to my haunches.

Fluttershy opened her muzzle as if about to speak, but Rarity quickly stepped forward.

“Well, why didn’t you just say so?” Rarity replied, walking up to me. “You’re welcome to stay here in the guest room until you're on your hooves, darling.”

I looked back to her, wide eyed. “Y-you, you would really let me stay with you?! B-but, you only just met me!” I exclaimed, perplexed by her beyond-generous offer.

Both the girls covered a small laugh.

“Prism, darling, if there’s anything I learned about you today, it’s that you're a good pony,” Rarity commented. “And besides, you came all the way out here to meet me. The very least I can do is accomodate you.”

“B-but—”

“No buts! You will stay here, and that is final,” Rarity stated, raising her snout into the air and turning away. “I’ll go prepare your room.” With that, the fashionista trotted out into the hall.

I turned to Fluttershy with a look of shock. “I-I... I don’t even know what to say...” I felt tears begin to swell in my eyes.

Fluttershy walked over and sat down in front of me. “You don’t have to say anything,” the yellow pegasus assured me with a smile. “Friends help each other in times of need.”

I bit my lower lip as I fought hard to hold back tears, I had done enough crying in front of Fluttershy today.

“All my life I’ve been teased, bullied, avoided... I had gone all these years not finding a single pony that accepted me for who I am...” The tears I had been fighting back quickly won as I began to cry. “I-I've never had somepony I could call a friend before, and in only a day I found not one... but two.” I leapt into Fluttershy and embraced her in a hug.

“I’m scared...” I slowly sobbed, tightening my grip around the yellow pony. “...I really am scared, Fluttershy...”

“Why are you scared? What’s wrong?” Fluttershy asked softly, gently stroking my mane.

I slowly pulled away and rubbed the tears from eyes with my foreleg. I looked Fluttershy in the eyes with fear.

“...I’m scared that this isn’t real... that when I wake up, this will all be gone,” I answered slowly. “Life has been so cruel to me... so why now? Why now does it so suddenly give to me what I had always wanted? C-can... this really be happening?” I felt my lower lip tremble as more tears came.

I jumped slightly in surprise as I felt a pair of hooves wrap around me from behind and hug me tight.

“I assure you, Darling, this is real; we, are real,” Rarity assured me, laying up against my back.

“And when you wake up, this will all still be here,” Fluttershy reassured me. “Tomorrow, the next day, and the day after that.”

“Ponyville isn’t going anywhere, and neither are we,” Rarity stated.

Both mares hugged me tight before breaking away and getting to their hooves.

I paused before slowly turning to face Rarity. “Um, Rarity? ...Can I ask a favor?” I asked slowly, looking to the floor and fidgeting with my tail.

“Anything, Dear,” the fashionista replied, looking at me expectantly.

“...Could I have some more tea?”

Both mares let out a fit of laughter.

“Of course, darling.”

Chapter 5: A Place to Call Home

After another hot cup of tea, I was able to calm down enough to collect myself.

Today had been long, rough, and very emotionally draining. I had fallen to pieces not once, but twice, and both times in front of Fluttershy. I felt bad for her having to deal with such an emotional pony like myself, but it was all just so much to take in, and in such a short span of time. It’s not everyday you go from having nothing to your name and nopony you can even remotely call a friend, to meeting two of the nicest, most caring, and wonderful ponies you have ever encountered in your life.

I thought I was lucky when I had met Fluttershy earlier today, but that was only the beginning. With my stay in Ponyville now secure, my life's painting was already off to a running head start. Brilliant shades of yellow and purple now adorned my canvas.

“Well, I really should get going,” Fluttershy announced as she got up from her seat and retrieved her scarf from the back of the chair. “I have to feed some of the animals still before it gets too late, I wouldn’t want to upset them with a late dinner.”

“Alright, thank you for visiting, darling,” Rarity said before looking to me. “And thank you, for bringing such wonderful company.” she shot me a wink, and I couldn’t help but smile.

“I still don’t know how to thank you girls enough,” I said as I turned to Fluttershy. “And, um, be careful walking home, Fluttershy.”

“Thank you, but don’t worry, I’ll be fine. Besides, I still need to visit the library for a book before heading home,” Fluttershy replied while slowly putting on her scarf. She paused for a moment before turning to me. “Oh, um, Prism?  While I’m there, would you like me to tell Twilight about... you know...” The yellow pony turned her head, bringing a hoof to her muzzle.

“That... would probably be a good idea,” I answered slowly, while fidgeting with my teacup. “I think it’s best if she and the other girls know about me beforehoof. Hopefully, to ease their reactions; and thank you, Fluttershy.”

“You’re welcome,” Fluttershy replied with a warm smile before turning to the stairs. “You two have a good night.”

With that, we said our goodbyes and Fluttershy made her way downstairs and out of the Boutique with the ringing of a bell.  I paused for a moment before suddenly realizing that Fluttershy had been my support up until now, and that I was now alone with the fashionista.

I turned to Rarity, examining her. A nervous chill went up my spine. I still found her a bit intimidating, and wasn’t sure what to say next. I wasn’t used to being around such confident and forward ponies. Although, if I was to be living here for a while, I thought it best that the two of us get to know one another better.

“Yes, Prism?” Rarity asked, looking back at me with curiosity.

“Oh, um, I was just thinking. H-how long have you lived here in Ponyville?”

“All my life; I grew up and went to school here,” Rarity answered, taking a drink from her teacup and pausing for a moment. “Prism, dear, would you like some more tea?”

I looked down to my empty teacup and back to Rarity bashfully with a sheepish smile. Rarity covered a small laugh as she levitated the teapot over and refilled my cup.

“Thank you...” I replied softly, picking up my cup in both hooves and taking a drink.

Rarity watched me intently with a confused look. “Um, Prism, darling...” she began before stopping hesitantly.

I was wondering when she was going to ask.

“I couldn’t help but notice, you’re a unicorn, but you have yet to use your magic since you’ve been here,” Rarity stated, giving me an odd look. “Not to hold your tea, to take off or put on your cloak, to... well, to do anything.” Rarity’s expression quickly shifted from confused to concerned.

“Is there something wrong, dear? Why are you so hesitant to use your magic?” she asked with much concern in her voice.

I tucked my cloak close to me before fidgeting nervously with my teacup again. “I-I, u-um... I... don’t really like to use my, magic.” I stammered out slowly.

Rarity shot me a perplexed look. “Why ever not, darling? Surely, it makes life much more convenient? I don’t think I could possibly go a day without it.”

“Mine’s...  different...” I replied slowly, turning away from her. “... It’s unreliable, and I haven’t really been able to control it since I was a filly, so I’ve learned to live without it.” I sank down into my chair.

Rarity was shocked, mouth agape. “You mean to tell me that you don’t use your magic, at all?”

“Well, I, um... do use it sometimes...” I replied nervously, sinking further in my chair.

“Darling, that, that sounds horrible!” Rarity gasped, and then looked to her teacup she was levitating. “Surely you could use it for something as simple as a teacup, yes?”

“I-I...  u-um, d-do you mind if we stop talking about this?” I asked softly, shifting uncomfortably in my seat.. “...Please?”

Rarity covered her muzzle with a hoof. “I apologize, I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable,” she replied as her ears fell back and a guilty expression adorned her face.

“No, it’s okay,“ I replied, slowly getting out of my seat and pushing it in. I turned back to Rarity, nervously pawing at the floor with a hoof. “I’ll, um, talk more about it when we are with Twilight Sparkle, okay?”

Rarity nodded. “If that is what you wish, I will not press the issue any further,” she acknowledged, levitating the dishes from the table to the sink.

I let out a sigh of relief and smiled back to her. “Thank you for understa—” I began before I suddenly cut myself off with a loud yawn.  I could feel the heat rise up in my cheeks as I blushed slightly in embarrassment.

Rarity looked to me and laughed daintily. “You’ve had quite the day, Darling. You must be simply exhausted,” Rarity commented as she got up from her seat and trotted past me. “Come along, I'll show you to your room,” she motioned for me to follow her with a tilt of her head as she walked around a corner.

I hesitated for a moment, before quickly trotting after her to catch up.

The fashionista turned another corner down the hallway that lead to a second flight of stairs. I followed her up them, but came to a stop before even reaching the top. I found myself at a loss for words as my jaw slackened. Before me lay the most luxurious room I had ever set hoof in.  It looked like something straight out of an ad for a luxury suite in one of Canterlot’s finest hotels.

Brilliant royal-looking purple tapestries covered the walls from view.  They were embroidered with gold trimmings and accented with fine tassels. The furnishings must have been made from aged oak, and in the middle of the room was a was a giant bed, fit for the Princesses themselves. It had beautiful silk sheets that matched the the rooms purple and gold theme, and the most fluffy and comfortable-looking pillows imaginable.

THIS is the “GUEST” room?!

I stood frozen on the stairs, the radiance of the room practically stunning me. My inner artist was dancing in delight. The rich colors of the room flooded my mind with inspiration and ideas.

“Prism...? Prism! Hello?” Rarity waved a hoof in front of my face. “Are you alright, darling?”

“U-um...  yeah...  W-what were you... saying again?” I loosely murmured, still caught in the entrancement of the room.

Rarity clopped her forehooves loudly together in front of my face, which very rudely snapped me back to reality. I covered a gasp as my face turned the deepest shades of red.

“I am so sorry!  It’s...  I, I don’t have the words!” I struggled out, looking up to face Rarity. “This room!  It’s...  Rarity, I can’t stay in here!”

The fashionista covered her muzzle with a hoof, letting out a posh laugh. “Why, of course you can!  You are my guest!” Rarity sang enthusiastically as she slipped past me down the stairs. “Do make yourself comfortable, darling. I’ll be downstairs if you need anything.”

“But I—Wait!” I called out, turning to her and extending a hoof, but it was too late, she had already disappeared out of view.

My ears fell back as I sank down, letting out a small whimper in defeat. After taking a moment, I slowly turned back and ascended the last few steps, fully entering the room. Everything looked so delicate and fine, I was scared to touch anything.

Everything is so expensive...

“Rarity...” I slowly whined the fashionista's name aloud.

I felt guilty; spoiled even. I could buy several sets of the finest paints imaginable with the price of a single piece of furniture in this room.  I didn’t deserve this level of treatment. I was just a simple no-named artist that, technically, should be in jail right now. I had no right to be lavished with such luxuries.

I walked up to the bed and poked the mattress with a hoof. It was so soft and smooth to the touch. I let out another small whimper of guilt.

“I can’t sleep here...” I whispered softly to myself.

looking about the room, I searched for an alternative, but everything was so posh and expensive. After some thought, I decided to go with the only place that I didn’t feel guilty sleeping: the floor.

tucking my cloak close to me, I slowly circled in place until I curled myself into a ball on the floor. I let out a long, relaxed sigh.

This will do.

Today had been a long, eventful and very emotionally draining day. I really was exhausted now that I had thought about it...

I shifted about until I was comfortable, then quickly fell into a dream-filled sleep.

* * * * * * * * * *

Cry...

All I could do is lay there in my room and cry. I wanted nothing more than to just disappear from the world. What was supposed to be the happiest day of my life had been a total disaster, beyond a disaster, it was the worst day ever. The worst day of my life...

I was outside of the school, nervously pacing back and forth. Today was a big day, an important day. It was the very first day of my first year of school. Mother had walked me to the building, but I assured her I would be fine from there... I lied. I just didn’t want her to worry about me.

What will everypony think of me?

I looked over my shoulder to my coat and mane. In a world of so full of color, I was devoid of a single trace of it. I thought back to the words mother had said to me:

“You will be fine, dear, just ignore anypony who stares at you. You are unique, and very special. You have a gift that nopony else does, and if anypony tries to tease or bully you, it’s only because they are jealous of you.”

“I’m unique, special; I have a gift,” I reassured myself aloud before swallowing hard.

I steeled myself as I walked up to the school’s doors.

slowly pushing them open, I peered inside. Young fillies and colts were spread about the hallways speaking to one another, waiting for class to begin. I sank down slowly as I let out a tiny whine; I was extremely nervous.

I took a deep breath before entering, quickly walking down the hall. Much of the talking halted as I approached different groups of the young ponies. I could hear their whispers and giggles from behind me as I walked along. I closed my eyes and clenched my jaw.

Just ignore them, just ignore them, just ignore—

I involuntarily let out a small squeak as I bumped into somepony, falling to my haunches. In front of me stood an older colt with a lime green coat and a short, spiky brown mane. Slowly, I looked up to face him. He looked down to me in surprise for a brief moment, but his expression quickly changed.

“Watch where you’re going!" he snapped, with an angry glare.

“I’m sorry,” I replied back softly.

“Whatever, out of my way, freak.” The colt shoved past me, practically walking through me.

Whispers and murmurs filled the hallway, but I didn’t take the time to listen to what the other ponies were saying. I jumped to my hooves and took off down the halls, to where I remembered my classroom had been from the tour I had taken a few days ago.

Upon reaching my classroom, I hid myself in the doorway, ducking low, in order to keep out of sight from the judging looks and whispers of the ponies in the hallways. It wasn’t until the teacher arrived to open the door that I moved.

The mare paused for a moment as she turned into the doorway, looking down to me with a surprised, almost dumbfounded look. She was a warm yellow unicorn with a long, softer-yellow mane. I sat to my haunches as I looked back up to her. The mare’s expression quickly changed to a cheerful, happy one.

“Well, hello!  Who might you be, dear?” She asked with a warm, infectious smile.

“I’m Prism,” I answered happily, returning with a large smile of my own.

“Well, it’s nice to meet you, Prism!” she replied warmly, before glancing to the door. “Is this your classroom?” she asked, pointing to the door.

“Yes, or at least, that’s what I was told during the tour.” I replied, looking to the door.

“Well, it looks like I’ll be your teacher then! My name is Sunshine,” she stated enthusiastically.

Her horn lit up with a bright orange glow as she opened the door, and walked past me. I caught a glimpse of her cutie mark as she walked past; it was a large sun with a smiling face on it. There was something about her... being near her had quickly cheered me up.  A bright smile crept across my face as I got to my hooves and followed her in.

“It looks like you're the first one here, so choose any seat you like, dear,” she commented as she turned to the chalkboard, writing with her magic ‘Miss Sunshine’ in big bold lettering.

I seized the opportunity to take the seat in the front corner. Despite my debacle earlier, I had a good feeling about this class, especially the teacher.

Over the next few minutes, the rest of the students slowly poured into the classroom. Our class was for first and second-years, so there were a small hoof-full of older fillies and colts that came in and took seats. A total of twenty-two students had filled every desk in the classroom.  Almost everypony had taken a moment to get a look at me once they had noticed me. Some whispered to each other, while others quickly looked away once they made eye contact with me. I sank down in my seat under the pressure of their stares.

“Just ignore them.”

I took a deep breath before I sat up in my seat. Today was the first day of school, and I was going to have fun and make some friends. I wasn’t about to let a few odd looks or whispers bring me down, not today!

I was startled as the bell rang, signaling class was to begin. The teacher cleared her throat as she walked to the front of the class.

“Good morning everypony, and welcome to your first day of school! I’m Miss Sunshine, and I will be your teacher for the rest of the year,” the sunny unicorn announced with great enthusiasm.

“Good morning, Miss Sunshine,” the whole class responded in unison.

“Thank you, everypony! Now let's begin today with class introductions. You will each stand up and tell everypony your name, and something about yourself,” the teacher instructed “I’ll go first, as you all now know, my name is Sunshine, and I love to make ponies smile!” I watched as Miss Sunshine walked up to my desk.

“Okay, now it's your turn,” she announced, looking at me expectantly.

I wasn’t particularly good at speaking in front of a crowd, so I was quite nervous. I fidgeted with my forehooves as I mustered my courage.  The yellow unicorn leaned in close to me.

“Go on, you’ll be just fine, okay?” she whispered into my ear before giving me another of her warm smiles and a wink.

With my nervousness seeming to have vanished into thin air, I stood up from my seat. “I’m Prism, and I love to draw and color!” I exclaimed enthusiastically.

“Too bad you can’t color yourself!” jeered a voice from somepony in the back of the class.

The class quickly erupted into a fit of laughter at my expense as I hastily sank back down into my seat.  Sunshine turned to the class with an unpleasant look.

“That was extremely rude! Whoever said that, apologize right this instant!” she demanded in a commanding tone, punctuating her message with a stomp of her hoof.

…Silence.

Nopony made even the slightest peep as Miss Sunshine skeptically scanned the faces of the other students. Her eyes narrowed into an icy glare that I could swear made the temperature of the room fall several degrees.

“...Fine, but had I better not hear a remark like that again,” she warned in a low tone, before moving on to the next student.

She’s really scary when she’s mad...

For the next half hour or so, everypony introduced themselves and told the class something about themselves. Almost everypony had something different to say; it was very interesting hearing facts about everypony else. After everypony had introduced themselves the teacher returned to the front of the room.

“Great!  Now, today we will be talking about something very important, and very special.  Something that eventually happens for everypony,” Miss Sunshine announced, turning to the chalkboard.

With her magic she unrolled a large sheet of canvas that was rolled above the board. The words ‘Cutie Mark’ were displayed in big bold print, accented by cute little pictures of hearts, flowers and suns.

“So, who here can tell me what a cutie mark is?” the teacher asked, I immediately raised and excitedly waved my hoof. “Yes, Prism.” The yellow pony turned to me expectantly.

“A cutie mark is an image that appears on a pony’s flank when he or she discovers his or her special talent,” I answered proudly.

“Very good, Prism!” Sunshine replied, turning back to the chalkboard. “Now, a cutie mark represents...”

I suddenly felt something hit me in the back of the head.  I looked down to find a wadded-up piece of paper on the floor by my desk. Out of curiosity, I leaned over and picked it up, and then unravelled it:

TEACHER'S PET!

Read the large red letters that had been scrawled out on the paper. I sank down in my seat again as I heard a few small fits of laughter from behind me. I managed to brush the event aside, as I continued to listen to Sunshine’s lecture. I was fascinated to learn more about cutie marks. Mother had told me a bit about them, but she didn’t remember the finer details, school had been so long ago for her.

The hours rolled by as class continued. We learned about Equestria’s ruler, Princess Celestia, and how she raised and lowered the sun and moon every day and night. Techniques to improve our mouth-writing for earth ponies, pegasi and the unicorns who couldn’t use their magic yet. Which happened to be every unicorn in the class, myself included; but what came next had me extremely excited.

“Next I have something very fun for everypony to do,” Sunshine announced, walking over to a box in the corner of the room. “I want everypony to draw their very most favorite thing in the whole world! Then, we will each share with the class what it is, and why it is your favorite thing.” She opened the box with her magic and levitating many smaller boxes of crayons and sheets of paper into the air, placing a box and paper at each pony’s desk.

Wow... she’s good with her magic. That was a lot of stuff at once.

“You may begin whenever you are ready, we will start sharing in an hour, so do your best!” she informed the class before taking a seat at her desk to begin a drawing as well.

My very most favorite thing...? Well, my favorite thing to do is drawing and coloring, but that’s what I am doing right now.  So, my very most favorite thing...

A smile lit up across my face as it came to me. I removed a few crayons from the box and began my drawing. Now, I had done many drawings and lots of coloring before, but this was to be my very most favorite thing in the world, so it had to be extra special; I would accept nothing less than perfection.

Sometime into my drawing, I ran into a problem: I didn’t have a purple crayon. I looked about the room; it seemed everypony else had purple. I turned to the student adjacent to me and let out a small cough to get his attention, then waved a hoof.

“Um, excuse me, but may I borrow your purple crayon?” I asked, gesturing to his crayon box. The colt turned to me and gave me a... strange look.

“I, um... I need it, sorry,” he replied before quickly going back to his drawing.

I looked to his crayon box then back to him. “But you're not using it yet, I only need it for a moment, I promise I’ll give it right back,” I assured the colt, extending a hoof.

He paused for a moment, before quickly taking the purple crayon from the box... and began using it himself. I slowly withdrew my hoof as my ears fell back. I turned back to my drawing, giving it an unsatisfied look, before scratching my head. This wouldn’t do, I needed purple. I looked down to the crayons I had, examining them deep in thought.

Lets see, purple, purple... What colors mixed did Mother say made purple again?

I shut my eyes tight, tapping my forehead with a hoof as I searched my memories. My ears quickly perked up as it hit me.

That's right! Red and blue make purple!

A wide smile crept across my face as I picked up my red crayon, lightly going over the areas where I required purple. I then did the same with the blue crayon, gently brushing it over the red areas I had just highlighted. After repeating the motion a few times, alternating between the colors, I managed a faint shade of purple, but it was just right, exactly the color I needed; and just in time, too.

It was nearing the one hour mark when I was finally satisfied with the drawing. I gave it an approving nod before waiting for the time limit to finish. A few more minutes passed by before Miss Sunshine got up from her desk and walked to the front of the class.

“Time’s up, everypony!” she announced. There were a few whines and some complaints about not being finished yet. “I’m sorry, but you will just have to make do with what you have if you aren't finished.” She walked to her desk, levitating and unfolding a display stand that had been laying on the floor behind it.

“Once again, I’ll go first,” she said as she floated the picture she had been drawing from her desk to the stand.  The picture was of...  something colorful?

The class lit up in a fit of laughter at the teacher’s...  less than perfect drawing.

Miss Sunshine rolled her eyes with a smile. “Yes, I know...  I can’t draw,” she said, stating the obvious. “Anyways, what I drew was you all!  A classroom full of happy students!”

“You mean it’s not a pile of garbage?” asked the confused voice of a young filly elsewhere in the classroom. The class once more erupted into laughter.

Miss Sunshine’s ears flattened as she deadpanned, “No...  It’s not a pile of garbage.”

Her expression immediately perked up as she turned to me.

“Your turn, Prism!  Come show the class what you’ve drawn,” she asked, watching me expectantly.

I got up from my seat and happily trotted to her with my picture in mouth and proudly set it up for display.  My picture was a side profile of a mare. She had a soft pink coat with a very long, flowing white and purple mane and tail. The pony’s flank was adorned with a large canvas with a paintbrush in the center.

“Wow, that’s really good!” exclaimed Miss Sunshine, examining the picture. “You even shaded it!” She turned back to me.

“So why don't you tell us about your very most favorite thing?” the cheerful pony asked.

I turned to the class and spoke loudly, and proudly. “This is my mother, and she is my very most favorite thing in the whole world! Some ponies say she's a really famous painter, but she tells me that she isn’t really that special, she just loves to paint. But I love her, very, very, very much! And I want to be as good as she is someday!” I announced to everypony.

Miss Sunshine paused for a moment with a surprised look of realization before quickly looked back to the drawing.

“You’re the daughter of Canvas?!” She looked to me, taken aback.

I turned to face her, tilting my head confused. “Yes... Why?” I asked, puzzled by her strong reaction.

Sunshine opened her mouth to say something, but was interrupted by a large collection of gasps from the class.

“Her flank!” cried out the voice of a colt from behind me. I paused briefly before looking over my shoulder to my flank. My eyes lit up at the sight.

“She got her cutie mark!” exclaimed a voice of a filly.

Sunshine looked to be quite flustered for a moment before peering around me to my flank.

“...So she has!” she exclaimed. “It’s a, uh...” She rubbed her chin with a confused look. “...Grayscale painter’s palette and brush?” She paused for a moment before her cheerful demeanor quickly returned.

“That’s, that’s great!  Your special talent obviously must be, uh... art! Congratulations!” she announced.

There were a few small cheers and claps from the rest of the classroom.  She looked over my cutie mark again before a look of realization hit her.

“You're the first pony in the class to get their cutie mark... Maybe even the first in the whole school this year,” she mused before rushing over to the door to the hall. “I’ll be right back in a few minutes, those who haven’t finished their drawings may continue.” With that, she quickly exited into the hallway.

I had the biggest smile on my face as I continued to stare at my flank.  I had just got my cutie mark!  First in the class, as well, but I could care less about that, I was just happy to have it.

…Unfortunately, not everypony shared the same enthusiasm, particularly one colt.

“So you got your cutie mark?  Big deal, I would hardly call yours special,” voiced a second-year colt getting out of his seat. “Your special talent is art?  So why doesn’t it have any color then?  Why, I’d say its rushed, not even finished!” He covered his muzzle with a foreleg as he let out a mocking laugh.

This colt had a blue-grey coat with a slightly curled light grey and white mane. I found myself unable to remember his name from introductions earlier.

“It is too finished!” I snapped back at him. “Miss Sunshine said that a pony only gets their cutie mark once they found their special talent!”

The colt slowly walked up to me and circled me a few times. “Even if it is, I would hardly say it’s a quality cutie mark. I mean, you did get it from such a poor drawing,” he snarkily commented with a smug look. I stomped my forehoof.

“It is not poor! I tried my very best to draw Mother! I love her! So, I wouldn’t do anything but my very best to draw her!” I exclaimed. It was then I remembered Mother's words.

“If someone tries to tease or bully you, it's only because they are jealous of you.”

“...You know what? I think you’re just jealous!” I said with a smirk  “Jealous that somepony like me got their cutie mark before somepony like YOU!”

This must have struck a nerve, as he quickly became very angry.

“Jealous?!” he spat, taken aback. “Who would ever be jealous of something like you.”

I grit my teeth as my temper quickly elevated, and took a defensive stance. “What do you mean something like me?!” I yelled back. “I would rather be different, than be a stuck up jerk like you!”

“Well, I would rather be a stuck up jerk any day, than some...  some...  freak!” He growled before pausing for a moment. A sly grin crept across his face. “I feel sorry for your poor mother. Having such a monster for a daughter must be really hard for her.”

The rest of the class, who had been silent up until this point, began whispering to one another.

My eyes widened to saucers at his insult. “Nopony talks about Mother like that!  You take that back!” I demanded, stomping my forehoof down hard. “Or else!”

The colt laughed mockingly at me again. “Or else what? You’re going to go crying home to mommy to come save you? As if she could even do anything, you have no idea who my father is do you?!” he jeered before bursting in laughter.

At that moment, something inside me snapped. I felt myself become far more angry than I had ever been before in my life. I clenched my teeth and growled as I felt a force from deep inside me surge forward. Fueled by my anger, my mane and tail suddenly erupted into magical flames.

Screams and yells of panic came from the the rest of the class as everypony got up from their seats and backed away to the other side of the room.

“She really is a monster!” somepony screamed from the crowd.

I turned my attention to the crowd of students momentarily.

“SHUT UP!” I roared at them as they all cowered away to the back wall.

I turned my attention back to the colt from before. He fell back down to his haunches, eyes wide in horror as he slowly crawled back away from me.

“YOU!” I scowled, taking a step towards him.

“I-I’m sorry, I—”

He didn’t get a chance to finish before I had leapt at him, and tackled him down.  I raised my hoof in the air to strike him, but before I could deliver the blow, a hard ping of pain shot through my head. I winced as I got off the colt and covered my head with my forehooves.

The magic-fueled flames suddenly extinguished themselves as I doubled over and cried out in pain.  Never before had my head hurt so bad. It felt as if somepony had driven a large needle straight through it and out the other side.

The colt perked up as he realized what was happening.  He growled as he got to his hooves.

“Why you little...”

In an instant he was on me. In one swift motion, he lifted me into the air with a forehoof and pulled back his other foreleg with all his might and swung at me. I let out a loud scream as I closed my eyes, bracing myself for the blow...

* * * * * * * * * *

My eyes shot open as I quickly sat to my haunches. My forehead and mane were soaked in a cold sweat, and I had a hard time catching my breath as I panted heavily, looking around my unfamiliar, dark surroundings. The lights of the room suddenly flicked on, followed by a rushed set of hoofsteps ascending the stairs as Rarity entered the room.

“Prism, dear, are you alright?! I heard a scream!” she said, looking to me in worry. “What happened?” She paused as she looked me over.

“Darling... Why are you on the floor?” she asked, looking to the bed, then back to me, covering a gasp. “Don’t tell me you were sleeping there?”

I timidly turned away from her. “...Yes.”

“But, why?” the fashionista asked with a puzzled expression. “You are more than welcome to use the bed, Prism.”

I slowly turned back and looked up at her. “I... I felt, guilty.” I answered softly. “I don’t deserve this kind of treatment...”

Rarity looked perplexed. “Whatever do you mean, darling?” She asked as she walked over and took a seat next to me. “You don’t have to feel guilty about using it.”

I turned to face her with a small frown. “I’m just not used to it,” I replied before looking away again. “I grew up alone with Mother. We never had very many bits, and lived in a rather old building. My apartment when I moved out was even worse.” I sighed hard. “This feels like something meant for nobility, not for...  well, somepony like me.”

Rarity closed her eyes and nodded a few times. “I understand, but, darling, you don’t have to worry about that.  You are more than just my guest, you are my friend, and I only want you to feel welcome in my...” Rarity paused for a moment before correcting herself. “In your home.”

She got up to her hooves and trotted over to the bed. “You're welcome to stay here as long as you need to, so please, consider this your home too, okay dear?”

“O-Okay,” I responded, looking up to her with a faint smile.

“Good, now let me take your cloak, and you get into bed,” she gestured a forehoof to the bed, before looking back to me expectantly.

I slowly got to my hooves and took off my cloak. Rarity promptly retrieved it with her magic as I walked over to the bed. I laid a hoof on it before pausing reluctantly.

“Go on, my dear, it won’t bite,” the fashionista assured me.

I looked back to her with a sheepish smile before climbing under the covers and... “Oh, wow...“ I swooned, snuggling up to the silky soft sheets; they felt amazing.

Rarity gave me a smug look. “There, now isn’t that better than that dreadful floor?” she teased, covering a dainty laugh.

I sank down into the sheets, covering most of my face. “...Yes.”

“Good, now please get some sleep,” she commented as she trotted back to the stairs. “Some restful sleep,” she added turning back to me.

I smiled back sheepishly. Rarity nodded before heading downstairs, once out of sight the lights of the room flicked off. I let out a long sigh.

This really is a lot more comfortable.

I rolled over and quickly fell into a peaceful sleep.

* * * * * * * * * *

I was suddenly jerked awake to the sound of a loud crash and something fragile breaking. I quickly sat up and looked around the room, groggily.

What was that noi—

“SWEETIE BELLE!” boomed a voice from downstairs that shook the entire foundation of the building, rocking me out of bed.

I landed on the floor in a tangle of sheets with a small squeak. “What the hay is going on?” I asked myself aloud sleepily.

I slowly got to my hooves and took a step, only to trip over the sheets and fall flat on my face.  I let out small whimper before rubbing my muzzle. I turned back to the sheets and kicked them off before trying again. Now free of the grip of the bedding, I hastily dashed across the room and down the staircase.

I turned the corner to find a flustered and furious Rarity explode out of her workroom door. The fashionista’s normally neat mane was in shambles, loose strands of hair poked out here and there, and her face was contorted in a sinister snarl.

“Where is she!” she hissed, looking side to side, seeming to not notice me. “Where is that fiIly!” She galloped across the kitchen, down the stairs and out the door with a loud crash and the sound of a bell falling to the floor.  I winced as the door slammed shut.

I stood there, dumbfounded.  After a few long seconds, I shook myself out of the daze and peered into Rarity’s work room from yesterday. I covered a gasp.

The room was originally a mess; however, now a shelf full of supplies lay strewn across the floor, and in the back of the room lay a broken, expensive-looking crystal vase.  I entered slowly, carefully crossing the room to the vase.

“You poor thing...” I said aloud, looking down to the broken piece of artwork. “No wonder Rarity was so upset.”

I couldn’t do much to the room, but I could at least save the vase for Rarity as a small ‘thank you’ for everything she had done for me so far. I began looking about the contents of the floor for some clear glue that may have managed to survive the initial disaster. After a about a minute of searching, I found a bottle. I stopped and listened to the silence of the house; it appeared no pony was home yet.

Good, now let’s see...

I concentrated my focus on the bottle, levitating it to me and the remnants of the vase. I examined the broken pieces. After a few minutes, I had come up with a rough idea of how the vase originally looked, and began the painstaking process of slowly repairing the vase, piece by tiny piece. The whole process took about an hour, but it felt much longer.

I let out a long sigh as fell to my haunches, wiping some sweat from my forehead with a hoof.

“There... good as new, or at least as new as I could get you,” I mused, examining the newly repaired vase. “Now, about these...” I looked over to the empty shelf and all the supplies strewn around on the floor.

Over the next few minutes I walked over to each item, picking it up and placing it back on the shelf in a neatly organized manner. After putting away the last item, I examined the room for anything I had missed.  It was now back to its original messy state that I remembered from last night.

Being an artist myself, and the daughter of a painter, I knew better than to clean a messy workspace. I had learned this the hard way when I decided to clean Mother’s art studio for her. She was... less than thrilled, to say the least.

I gave the room one last approving nod before turning to leave, only to find the fashionista standing in the doorway.  She quickly trotted inside, looking about the floor and then to the shelf.

“What happened in here?” She asked, turning to me with a confused look “Did you do this?”

I shrank down.

Maybe this was a bad Idea...

“I-I’m sorry, Rarity, I won’t come in here again,” I declared, hastily trotting for the door.

The fashionista quickly cut off my escape route. “Oh, no-no-no-no!” She replied, holding out a hoof before me. “ I meant thank you! And...” she turned now to the vase and covered a large gasp.  She quickly ran over to it, and levitated it in the air, examining it closely.

“How?!” She asked frantically, turning to me.

“I, um... put it back together, an—”

“But how?!” she asked again, levitating the vase up to my face. “It looks like nothing ever happened to it!”

I shrank down farther. “I-I, um...  used my m-magic to repair it,” I stammered slowly.

Rarity looked at me, perplexed. “But I thought you said you didn’t like to use your magic, darling?”

“Well, I don’t normally, but this is different,” I replied, looking up to the vase with a smile. “I love art more than anything.  For painting, drawing and crafts I don’t mind it using it if I have too.” I looked back to Rarity.

“I can manage controlling small items, like a brush, pencil or even small pieces of a vase,” I commented, pointing a hoof to the vase. “But anything bigger, heavier or more complicated...”

Rarity nodded. “I think I understand, darling, but what I still don’t understand why you don’t use it for anything else simple,” she said, rubbing her chin with a hoof.

My ears perked up to a faint sound that echoed from down stairs. “What was that?” I asked, looking back to the door.

Rarity rolled her eyes with a sigh. “That would be Fluttershy,” she answered dryly. “Seeing as we can hear her from up here,  she’s probably been out there for a while.”

Rarity returned the vase she had been levitating to its proper place and made her way out the door and downstairs; I quickly followed. Reaching the bottom floor of the boutique, Rarity crossed the room and opened the door with her magic. Sure enough, there stood a butter-yellow pegasus on the other side.

The fashionista let out an exasperated sigh. “Fluttershy, darling, you simply must knock louder than that,” Rarity declared with mild concern and a hint of annoyance. “Anyway, what can I do for you, dear?”

“Is Prism here?” The yellow pony asked softly. “I have a message for her, from Twilight.”

I quickly joined Rarity at the door. “Yes?” I asked, tilting my head.

Rarity looked between the two of us for a moment. “Do come inside, Fluttershy,” Rarity commented, before turning to me. “I’ll prepare us some tea.” She gave me a wink before heading for upstairs.

“Oh, thank you,” Fluttershy said as she entered, watching Rarity disappear up the stairs, before turning to me. “How are you handling everything, Prism?”

“Better than I thought I would, though I had a bad dream last night... Well it was more of a memory,” I replied.

Fluttershy covered her muzzle with a look of concern. “That’s not good, are you feeling better now?”

“Yes, I’m actually really glad to see you,” I replied softly, sitting to my haunches. “I feel a lot more comfortable with you around.”

Fluttershy’s eyes widened a bit as her face flushed with a hint of red. “I-I don’t see why, I’m nopony special...” she replied, looking away shyly.

“You’re special to me,” I commented. “I owe you so much, Fluttershy. I hope I can repay you somehow.”

“Y-you... don’t have—”

“Come on up, girls, tea’s ready!” Rarity sang from atop the stairs.

“Well, shall we?” I asked, gesturing to the stairs.

Fluttershy looked to me and nodded.

The two of us crossed the room and joined Rarity in the kitchen before taking our seats at the table. I took notice that Rarity had also set out some cookies.

“So, Fluttershy, you said that have a message for me from Twilight Sparkle?” I asked, taking a large cookie from the tray.

“Oh yes, I do,” she replied. “I spoke with her last night, and she would really like you come to the library tonight to meet her and rest of the girls, if you wouldn’t mind, that is.”

Rarity took her usual seat across the table before clopping her hooves together excitedly. “That sounds like a wonderful idea!” Rarity commented enthusiastically. “You would get to meet all the girls at once.” She took a sip of her tea before pausing, wide-eyed.

“What about Pinkie?” the fashionista asked, frantically turning her gaze to the yellow mare.

“I, um, talked to Twilight about that, she said she will make sure Pinkie doesn’t try anything,” she answered.

Rarity let out a sigh of relief. “That’s good to know.” She turned to me. “The last thing we want to do is terrify poor Prism with one of Pinkie’s parties her second day in Ponyville.”

Fluttershy covered a small laugh. “It should be calm and quiet,” Fluttershy said before turning to me as well. “So if you don’t mind, and if you want to go, I can give Twilight the go ahead for you.”

“Will you two be coming?” I asked, looking back and forth between the two mares.

Rarity shot me a smug look. “Well of course, darling! You didn’t expect us to simply throw you to the timberwolves alone, did you?”

I managed a slow smile. “Thank you girls.”

* * * * * * * * * *

The three of us conversed for quite some time. Well, it was mostly Rarity talking and Fluttershy commenting, while I just sat quietly and listened. Fluttershy informed us she couldn’t stay too much longer, and shortly left thereafter to give Twilight Sparkle my reply and to go home to do chores.

To my surprise, the rest of the day went by rather quickly. I spent most of my time watching Rarity finish her orders. It really amazed me how talented this mare was. She expertly tailored clothes, like it was second nature to her. She always seemed to know the right cloth to use, the right patterns to match them with and the right gems to accent the outfit with to create a brilliant finish to each piece.

I struck up a conversation with the fashionista about how she came to be a seamstress. She told me how she knew she was destined to be a true fashionista, and followed the statement with the story of how she got her cutie mark. I shared with her the story of my own, minus the more, unnecessary details.

To help pass the time I drew up a few different designs of clothing that came to mind from the inspiration I got from watching her work. I was too embarrassed to show Rarity, though, so I quickly disposed of them before she noticed what I was drawing. Whenever she asked, I just replied with a “nothing special” or a “just some stuff” to which she would either raise an eyebrow or just shrug before going back to work.

As night approached, I wondered what the other girls would be like. After much reassurance from Rarity, I was more or less convinced that the other girls would be delighted to meet me, and that I shouldn’t worry what they think.

“They are good natured ponies, and would never do anything to hurt anypony or their feelings,” she would tell me.

With Fluttershy’s and Rarity’s vouching, I was feeling a lot better about meeting them.  In fact, I was actually a little excited. The idea of making friends was still new to me, but so far, things had gone quite well. It wouldn’t be long now before I was to meet the rest of girls, and to hopefully make even more friends.

My stay in Ponyville was beginning to look brighter and brighter.

Chapter 6: The Elements of Harmony

Any minute now...

I found myself nervously pacing by the door, constantly pausing to look at the clock. Fluttershy was due anytime now, signaling it would be time to go to the library and meet the rest of her friends. Rarity had been in her room ‘sprucing up’ as she put it for over an hour now, so this left me with time to think, time to worry.

I know the two keep saying such good things about the girls, but what if I make a foal out of myself? Say something I shouldn’t, do something I shouldn’t? I don’t want to make a bad first impression, I just want everypony to like me.

I paused my pacing to look up to the clock once more. 6:45pm on the dot. I felt myself begin to sweat a little.

Fluttershy said she would tell Twilight Sparkle about me, and about how I look. I can assume she relayed this to the others as well, but... what if they think it’s weird? And then there's Rainbow Dash, what if she's mad at me for yelling at her! And then there’s—

I was startled by a soft knock at the door, causing me to jump. I turned to the door and opened it slowly.

“H-hello?” I asked, although unnecessarily. As expected, a familiar butter-yellow pegasus was on the other side waiting. She gave me a warm smile.

“Hello, Prism, it’s just me,” Fluttershy replied.

I returned the smile before gesturing inside. She nodded and followed me in. I felt a lot better to see my pegasus friend. Just being around her seemed to put my mind a little at ease.

“Is Rarity ready?” Fluttershy asked, walking across the room to the base of the stairs.

I shrugged. “She's been up there for over an hour, now. I’m beginning to worry something may have happened to her.”

Fluttershy covered a small laugh. “No, thats just Rarity being Rarity. She takes her time getting ready to go out; I’ll go get her,” she replied before disappearing up the stairs. A few minutes passed before the yellow pegasus came back down to the Boutique, pouty fashionista in tow.

“I was almost ready, darling,” Rarity huffed.

“Yes, I know, but I don’t want us to be late, Twilight is expecting us,” Fluttershy commented before turning to me. “Ready to go, Prism?”

I nodded before heading for the door and grabbing my cloak. Throwing it over me, I looked back to it. Rarity was right, it really was a lovely color.

I have used my cloak to hide myself from the world for years, but tonight a whole new group of ponies would see me for what I really was. The idea still had me a little nervous, but turning back to see the reassuring smiles of the two mares helped ease my mind. Fluttershy gestured to follow with a turn of her head, as she and Rarity made their way out the door. I forced a small smile and quickly followed.

Well, here goes nothing.

* * * * * * * * * *

Luna’s moon was out in full tonight, softly illuminating everything as far as the eye could see in a warm white glow. It was nights like this that made it feel as if the ground was alive with magic. The light reflected from the snow and onto the surroundings, making everything surprisingly bright and clear, considering the late hour.

I couldn’t help but slow my pace, taking in the awe-inspiring, wintry night. The view was very different out here, than it was back in the city.

“Beautiful isn’t it?” Fluttershy asked, slowing her pace to match mine.

“Yes, very,” I replied, looking to her. “While I have never cared too much for winter, I can’t deny the beauty the season can bring.”

The yellow pegasus nodded. “Oh yes, winter can be very pretty; but with all my animal friends hibernating it can also get a little lonely...” she replied, looking over to me with a small hint of a frown.

I went to reply, but was distracted by a knocking ahead of us. Apparently we had already arrived, and Rarity had taken it upon herself to make our presence known. I paused and examined the library as we waited. It was... a tree house? Or would it be a house in a tree? Whichever it was, the ‘building’ was a large tree. While I couldn’t make out finer details in the soft lunar lighting, I could see that it had a certain cozy aesthetic appeal, not unlike Fluttershy’s cottage.

“Come in!” called a voice from inside. Rarity’s magic enveloped the door and opened it for us. Fluttershy was the first to enter. I began to follow behind her, but paused in reluctance, just before the door.

“Go on, darling. You haven’t a thing to fear, they won’t bite,” Rarity assured.

I slowly nodded before entering.I didn’t get but a few hoofsteps in the door before two ponies raced up to greet me.

“Hi!-my-name-is-Twilight-Sparkle!” greeted a lavender unicorn mare extremely enthusiastically. She had a frazzled indigo mane with a softer purple and magenta stripe accenting it. She wielded an unnaturally wide smile and had dark bags under her bloodshot eyes.

The very moment she had finished speaking, the pony next to her spoke up.

“And-I’m-Pinkie-Pie!” chimed a bubblegum pink mare with a ‘poofy’ darker pink mane. She also wore an unnaturally large smile. I shrank back a bit from the sudden welcome.

“H-hel-”

I was quickly interrupted by the lavender mare. The two ponies spoke in turns, with no delay in between each other, or their speech.

“Are-you-really-an-albino-unicorn?”

“Do-you-prefer-muffins-or-cupcakes?”

“Does-your-cutie-mark-really-have-no-color-too?”

“I-love-cupcakes-myself-but-muffins-are-great-too-if-you-love-muffins-there's-another-pony-who-also-loves-muffins-here-in-ponyville-would-you-like-to-meet-her?”

“Is-it-true-what-they-say-about-your-magic?”

“Whoa, nelly!” interrupted an orange earth pony, dragging the other two excited ponies away from me. “Give her some room, girls; there will be plenty ah’ time for questions later.” The mare turned to me with an apologetic smile.

“A’might sorry about my friends, they’re just excited. The name’s Applejack, I run Sweet Apple Acres along with my brother Big Macintosh, sister Apple Bloom, and our Granny Smith,” she announced, extending a hoof to me, which I slowly, reluctantly met with my own.

She grasped my hoof with her other forehoof and gave it many strong, friendly shakes. I quickly lost balance and fell to my haunches once she had let go.

“N-nice to meet you, too... Applejack,” I replied softly as I collected myself and got back to my hooves.

The orange mare had a blonde mane tied back in a tail, but her most prominent feature was a large Stetson hat that adorned her head.

“Come on in,” Applejack instructed.

Nodding, I followed her inside beyond the doorway. It opened into a very large, spacious room where rows upon rows of books lined the the walls. Despite the building’s interesting appearance outside, one look on the inside and anypony could instantly tell that this was in fact a library. I paused a moment, scanning the walls of books, deep in thought.

This isn't nearly as big as the Manehattan Public Library, but this is a impressive collection nonetheless, there must be hundreds of books here... I wonder if there are any on painting or scale models?

I made a mental note to visit again later to browse the selection.

“Come say hello, Rainbow,” Applejack called, turning to a cyan pegasus in the corner of the room. The pegasus looked at me before shooting a hint of a glare and looking away.

Applejack gave her a puzzled look. “Uh, well, okay then. Anyway, that there is Rainbow Dash,” the orange earth pony commented, gesturing back to the rainbow pegasus.

My ears fell as I sank down. “N-nice... to m-meet you.. R-rainbow Dash,” I stammered out, watching the cyan pegasus nervously.

“Yeah, nice to meet you too,” she replied flatly, not bothering to look back to me.

“Rainbow Dash! You are being absurdly rude to our guest,” Rarity declared, turning to her. “Apologize to her, at once!”

Rainbow Dash turned to me briefly. “I’m sorry,” she said half-heartedly before quickly looking away.

Rarity shot her a glare before turning to me. “Ignore that brute, she will come around,” the fashionista assured me.

Twilight Sparkle approached me slowly with a sheepish smile. “Eh-heh-heh... uh, sorry about earlier, I guess I got a little excited. My name is Twilight Sparkle, what's your name?” the lavender pony asked, looking to me expectantly. Everypony, with the exception of Rainbow Dash, focused their attention on me, watching me. I felt extremely nervous, and very much in the spotlight.

Fluttershy slowly walked up to me and leaned in close, placing a hoof on my shoulder. “It’s okay, go ahead and introduce yourself.” She gave me a warm smile, which I couldn’t help but return. The yellow pony withdrew her hoof, and joined me at my side.

“I-I’m, P-pri-”

“Prism! You made it!” called out an oddly familiar voice.

Everypony in the room turned to face the sudden outburst. A small purple dragon was entering from a door across the room. I immediately perked up at the sight of the friendly face.

“Spike!” I returned happily, rushing up to greet the small dragon.

Twilight turned to Spike and me with a puzzled look. “You know this pony, Spike?” the lavender mare asked quizzically.

Spike turned to her with an affirmative nod. “Of course! I meet her at the Manehattan train station a few days ago; shes awesome!” Spike exclaimed before turning to me. “I was beginning to worry the cops caught you, and that you were arrested or something.”

There was a long, awkward silence as everypony stared at him blankly.

Spike looked around the room at everypony’s blank expression. “...What?” he asked with an oblivious shrug.

Everypony quickly turned their attention to me.

“Cops?” Applejack asked skeptically, with a mistrusting gaze.

“Arrested!?” Rainbow Dash added, narrowing her eyes at me suspiciously.

My ears fell back as I shrank down to the floor, smiling back sheepishly. “I-it’s, not what you think!” I replied nervously.

“Not what you think?!” Rainbow Dash spouted before flying over and landing in front of me. “What are we supposed to think?” She looked down to me with a mistrusting glare.

“I-it’s... a long, s-story,” I stammered out, almost frightened. I slowly began inching away from the skeptical pegasus.

“We have time...” Applejack added, joining the cyan pony standing before me and looking down to me suspiciously through narrowed eyes.

“Now girls, I’m positive there's a perfectly good explanation,” Rarity cut in, pushing the two skeptical ponies away from me.

“She doesn’t exactly strike me as the criminal type,” Twilight added, raising an eyebrow and tilting her head.

“Prism,” Fluttershy called to me softly before leaning down to me. “Listen, I know you're a good pony, so don’t be afraid to tell us what happened, okay?” She gave me another of her comforting smiles.

I stood back up to my hooves with a long, hard sigh.

“Like I said, it's a really long story, but...”

Everypony formed a half circle around me as I began. I decided to explain the the whole situation to the girls in detail, from the beginning: Fluttershy had fallen into tears at my mention of Mr. Wiggles and his fate, Rarity briefly fainted as I told the story of my paintings’ demise at my hooves on the rooftop, while everypony was extremely worried and concerned at my mention of how I almost ended my life that night shortly thereafter.

I went on to explain my encounter with the firepony and how I had run away. I gestured to Rarity as I told them all how I found Rarity’s dress in Snooty’s shop, and how it inspired me to come and start anew in Ponyville.

Spike helped me tell the story of our encounter at the train station, and how he helped me escape capture. Everypony had gasped at my mention of how I ran into the Everfree Forest that night to evade capture from the two police officers that pursued me. Twilight and Fluttershy added how dangerous it was for me to go into the forest alone, and at night. I once again turned to Rarity at my mention of how I threw away my saddlebags to help me run away.

“So that's how you lost your belongings,” she commented, rubbing her chin with a hoof.

“Yes, they were too heavy for me to run with, so I had to get rid of them,” I replied, nervously pawing at the floor with a hoof. “I was desperate to get away, but when I escaped, I realized how foalish it was to drop them; starting over in a new place with nothing to your name normally doesn’t get you very far, I imagine.”

I managed a small laugh at myself before falling silent for a few moments. “...While in the Everfree, the danger didn’t end with me evading the officers...”

I looked back up to the girls as I told them of the cockatriace I encountered in the forest later that night. Fluttershy looked particularly worried.

“How did you get away?” the yellow pegasus asked with great concern in her voice.

“I didn’t...” I replied slowly, looking to the floor. “It turned me to stone.”

Everypony gasped as their eyes went wide in shock.

“Oh my stars, darling! What happened? How did you get free?” Rarity asked, taking a few steps closer to me.

I managed a warm smile before looking up to meet her. “A zebra named Zecora found me in the forest the next morning. She used some herbal remedies to heal me,” I answered. “She told me I was unconscious for several days thereafter, and that I was very lucky she found me as soon as she did.”

“Well, That would explain why it took you so long to get here,” Spike added matter-of-factly.

“Yes, but I owe her my life. If not for her, I would still be in the forest right now.” I replied with a nod.

Rarity stepped back before waving a hoof at me. “Anyways, sorry for the interruption, darling. Please, do continue.”

I again nodded and continued my tale of how Zecora had escorted me to the outskirts of Ponyville, and how I found my way to the edge of town from there. I turned to Rainbow Dash sheepishly and noted my encounter with her, and how I had yelled at her and ran away.

“I was only trying to say I was sorry,” the cyan mare huffed before turning away, crossing her forelegs as she hovered in place.

“I-I’m really sorry about that Rainbow Dash... I was just so scared that somepony had seen me for what I really was,” I replied shyly in shame. “I was worried that everypony would think I was a monster or a freak if they knew my secret before they got to know me.”

She turned to me with a look that hinted at some guilt. “I didn’t think you were a freak or a monster... I was just, surprised,” she commented, before regaining her composure. “It’s not everyday that somepony white as snow pokes their head out of a snowbank to talk to you, ya know.” She looked away again, forelegs folded and eyes closed.

I sank down a bit. “But... I really am sorry for everything, Rainbow Dash, could you find it in you to please forgive me?” I asked, slowly straightening back up.

The rainbow pony hummed. “Hmmmm, I dunno...” she replied, before opening an eye towards me with a playful smirk. “Well, I suppose I could forgive you, just this once.”

I managed a big smile in return. “Thank you, Rainbow Dash!”

“Ah, don’t mention it.” She dismissed my notion with a wave of a forehoof.

My smile quickly faded as I recalled what happened next. I turned to Fluttershy as I explained my mishap in town, after the encounter with Rainbow Dash. I told how I had planned to return to Manehattan to accept my fate, and how that’s when I bumped into Fluttershy.

She then helped tell my story of our encounter, and relayed what I had told her, about her being my very first friend. Everypony else looked at her, bewildered, as if not believing what the yellow pegasus was saying.

Rainbow Dash held out a hoof before speaking up. “Wait-wait-wait... So what you’re saying is, before meeting you, she has never had any friends before?” she asked quizzically before turning to me.

I slowly shook my head. “Everypony avoided me in school, and those who didn’t, bullied and teased me for being different,” I replied. “After that, I began avoiding contact with other ponies, unless I absolutely had to. ... Eventually I came to hate going outside.”

“Goodness, Darling! Why that's just, just... Horrible!” Rarity exclaimed, taken aback, covering her muzzle with a hoof. She turned to Fluttershy. “Why, that explains so much!”

Fluttershy nodded slowly. “She’s been through a lot,” she added empathetically.

Pinkie Pie, who had been quiet up until now finally spoke up. “Wow, no friends... I can’t imagine what that must be like...”

The pink pony quickly perked up to a cheerful demeanor. “I know! let's throw her a PARTY!” she exclaimed, jumping and hovering unnaturally in the air, while confetti exploded from seemingly nowhere. “It will be a ‘Prism has made lots of friends’ party!”

Twilight Sparkle shot the party-happy pony a stern look before deadpanning. “Pinkie...”

The pink earth pony looked to the lavender mare before quickly fell to the ground, landing on her haunches. “Oh, right...” she replied, visibly disappointed.

Twilight let out a hard sigh before turning to me. “Anyways, go on, Prism.”

I now turned to Rarity, as I explained how Fluttershy and I left the cottage to meet her. I decided the leave out her initial reaction from our meeting for the fashionista’s sake. After all, she didn’t know any better. Rarity helped share the rest of my story. She also made note of our magical mishap in the boutique.

“Twilight, we have something important to discuss with you later, involving Prism’s magic,” Rarity announced.

Twilight nodded before turning to me. “Speaking of her magic, when Fluttershy had told me she was an albino, I was confused. I had never heard of an albino pony before,” she commented. “So, I started doing some research, and was quite fascinated with my findings. I was up all night, reading every piece of material I could find in the library on the subject; which was surprisingly very little. I had to resort to the archived texts in the basement for any definitive answers.”

Rarity approached Twilight hesitantly. “That would explain the...” Rarity paused reluctantly, biting her lower lip while waving a forehoof in circles at the lavender unicorn. “Dreadful, composure.”

Twilight looked up to her hair before looking back to Rarity with a sheepish look and smile.

“What did you learn?” I asked with great interest, taking a few steps forward to the studious mare. “To be honest, I don’t know much about my albinism, only that I am one. Nopony I met in Manehattan seemed to know anything about it either.”

Twilight walked over to a desk across the room and levitated some papers. “That’s probably because the last documented albino pony was over four hundred years ago, seven hundred for the last unicorn, according to the texts I found,” she commented, while looking over her notes.

Everypony else looked to me in shock.

Rarity slowly stepped up to stand before me. “I knew I had never heard of one before, but four hund—no, seven hundred years?” Rarity gasped. She and Fluttershy looked at me bewildered.

Fluttershy joined the fashionista in front of me. “I had no idea the condition in ponies was so... rare,” she added, tilting her head with a perplexed look. “Why is that, Twilight?”

The lavender pony turned to Spike. “Spike, if you would please.”

“Right!” the small dragon ran out of the room and quickly returned with a large stand-up chalkboard.

Twilight sat down her notes and levitated a piece of chalk. She began drawing an image of a pony on the board as she cleared her throat.

“Albinism, as everypony knows, is a condition that causes the host a complete lack of natural pigment,” she informed us.

After finishing drawing the image, she looked to Fluttershy. “Due to our natural affinity to magic, albinism in ponies works differently than it does in other animals.” The lavender pony turned back to, and gestured at her chalkboard. “Here we have a normal earth pony.”

Twilight drew arrows circling along the inside edges of the pony image.

“Everypony has magic within them, and that magic is distributed throughout our entire bodies. This goes for all ponies; earth, pegasi, and unicorns, alike. A pegasus’s magic is focused in their wings, while a unicorn, their horn. They still have the same naturally-occurring flow of magic throughout their entire body; just not as evenly dispersed as an earth pony’s.”

Twilight turned back to face us all. “Everypony follow so far?”

Everyone nodded before she turned back to her chalkboard and continued.

“Well, this natural flow is not only what helps keep us healthy and gives us our strengths, but it’s also what gives a pony’s coat, mane, eyes and cutie mark their color.”

Rainbow Dash held out a hoof. “Okay, so, I get that much, but what makes her so different?” the cyan pegasus asked impatiently, gesturing to me.

Twilight turned to her and held up a hoof. “I was just getting to that,” she replied, turning back to the board, and erasing the circle of arrows within the pony image. “Now, here we have an albino pony, the difference is...”

She drew a very small circle of arrows in the center of the image before turning back to face us.

“The albino pony suffers from a mutation that causes an abnormality in the flow of their magic. In other words, it’s trapped inside them, or bottled up if you will,” she continued. “This lack of magical flow causes a pony to lose all pigment, and the result is...” Twilight turned to me suddenly.

“Prism, would you mind taking off your cloak for us?” the studious mare asked, watching me expectantly.

I nervously scanned the faces of everypony in the room. All eyes were on me, with eager, curious and interested looks. After a few moments of silence, Fluttershy turned to me, leaning in close.

“It will be fine, Prism. Nopony here will judge you for the way you look, I promise,” she reassured before taking a seat next to me. “I’ll be right here with you.” The yellow pony held out a hoof before giving me a wink. She stole a small smile from me.

What would I do without her.

I slowly leaned down and removed my cloak, passing it to Fluttershy. I untied my restraining hairbands and unrolled my tail, before turning to face the rest of the ponies in the room. There were mixed expressions amongst the new ponies.

Applejack’s eyes were wide in surprise, while Pinkie Pie and Twilight had huge grins. Rainbow Dash had a smug look on her face as she turned to Applejack.

“See, what did I tell ya? White as snow,” Rainbow Dash remarked with a small laugh at Applejack.

Twilight Sparkle excitedly approached me, closely examining my mane and coat with a huge smile.

“This is—this is amazing!” she exclaimed, before looking between myself and Rarity a few times. “You really put Rarity’s coat to shame.”

The fashionista quickly scoffed at the comment. “Well, I try my very best to keep my coat well groomed, but I guess I simply can’t compete with a natural beauty,” she replied with a pouty tone and look.

I shrank down with a small blush at the fashionista’s comment.

Twilight looked to Rarity and deadpanned, “I meant her coat’s contrast, Rarity...”

“Oh, uh, yes, right, of course!” The fashionista smiled back and laughed sheepishly.

Twilight coughed lightly, getting everypony’s attention. “Anyways, as I was saying, the result is a pure white pony with fleshy pink to red eyes, and...” Twilight paused. She looked back to me and gestured for me to turn.

I nodded and did as instructed.

“...a greyscale cutie mark image,” she added, gesturing to my flank.

I went wide eyed, blushing profusely at the realization everypony in the room was now staring at my flank. I quickly turned back around and sat to my haunches. Rainbow Dash and Spike lit up in a fit of laughter before Rarity turned to the two, casting them an icy glare.

“This isn’t funny! This is a serious discussion!” she scolded.

The cyan pegasus and dragon quickly quieted and sat down sheepishly.

Twilight turned back to her chalkboard, levitating a piece of chalk again. “There's more,” she announced, briefly looking back to everypony. “Since their natural flow of magic is obstructed, this also causes adverse effects.” She drew a few more images, one of a pegasus, and another of a unicorn. Twilight turned to face Applejack, and then Pinkie Pie.

“First, an albino earth pony’s constitution is far less than that of an normal earth pony. This leaves them weaker, more frail, and prone to sickness. This rule applies for all three types of albino pony, but more so with the earth pony then the others.”

Applejack took off her hat and rubbed the back of her head with a hoof, while Pinkie Pie simply froze in place.

“Ah can’t imagine being plum tuckered all the time... And gettin’ sick often? Why, working the farm would be out of the question,” Applejack mused.

“Getting sick is no fun. Being sick means you can’t go out and play, or visit your friends, or eat sweets, or—” Pinkie Pie let out an over exaggerated gasp. “Or party!” She fell to her haunches, cupping her head with her hooves as a look of horror pasted to her face.

I took a step forward to Twilight. “That would explain why I get tired so easily, and get sick so often,” I commented before turning to Fluttershy. “It’s large part of why I dislike winter so much.”

Twilight casually gestured a forehoof to me. “A unicorn's immune system is already weak during the cold winter season, and in your case, it would be even worse,” she added matter-of-factly before turning to Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy.

“Anyways, now, an albino pegasus. Because their magic is obstructed, it cannot reach, nor be concentrated in, their wings. This results in the disabling of flight.”

Fluttershy gasped while Rainbow Dash jumped up to her hooves and looked back to her wings, spreading them and giving them each a few flaps.

“You mean they can’t fly?!” Rainbow Dash blurted out in shock. Twilight shook her head. “Oh my gosh! If I couldn’t fly, that would mean... I couldn’t do tricks, I’d never be able to join the Wonderbolts!” Rainbow Dashed cupped her head with her hooves, letting out a worried cry as a look of fear adorned her face.

Fluttershy remained frozen still, eyes wide in shock.

Twilight then turned to Rarity and I. “Lastly, an albino unicorn...” She began pacing back and forth in front of her chalkboard, looking deep in thought. “They are the most fascinating of the three. While their natural flow is obstructed to their horn, yes, unicorns don’t just draw magic from their horn, they draw it from their entire body. This is why we get so exhausted after excessive magic use.” The lavender unicorn paused for a moment before turning to me. “But since an albino unicorn can still use their horn... they can tap directly into this obstructed magic.”

Rarity looked to Twilight, clearly confused. “So they can still use magic just fine, then?” Rarity asked, turning to me. “If so, why does Prism not use hers?”

Twilight looked to the fashionista, utterly perplexed. “Prism doesn’t use her magic?” she asked quizzically before turning back to me.

I shrank down. “I-I... I don’t really like my magic,” I replied slowly.

Twilight rubbed her chin with a forehoof. “Well... now that I think about it... I can venture a guess as to why,” she mused to herself.

Rarity gave her an impatient look. “And why's that? Why in Equestria would a unicorn ever desire to not make use of their magic?”

A smile crept across Twilight’s face. “Prism, would you be willing to show us your magic?”

“I don’t... really want to use it in front of anypony,” I replied slowly.

Rarity gave me a confused look. “Why ever not, Darling? It’s just magic, we have all seen it before,” the fashionista declared.

My ears flattened as I thought about it. “Mine’s different, it scares ponies... I have been teased because of it, bullied, called a monster, an abomination.”

Fluttershy, having broken out of her shock some time ago, turned to me. “Whatever is different about it, I promise nopony here will judge you because of it. Just like nopony judged you because of your appearance,” Fluttershy assured me. “And, um, besides, I am curious too. ...So, um, if it’s not too much to ask, and if it’s alright with you... Would you mind showing us?” Fluttershy took a step back, her ears falling back, as a guilty look overtook her face.

I couldn’t help but smile at her shy, overly-polite antics. I looked up to everypony; they were all looking to me expectantly. Twilight approached me again, asking once more.

“Please?”

I let out a long sigh. “Alright... I’ll do it.”

The lavender pony’s expression instantly exploded into glee as she began to jump around the room. “Yes-yes-yes-yes-yes!” she repeated, excitedly.

Pinkie Pie quickly followed suit, jumping behind the bookworm in equal excitement, repeating every “yes” and jumping in synchronization. Twilight stopped suddenly in place and Pinkie pie consequently crashed into her, toppling the two over. Everypony in the room laughed at the comical scene. Twilight, unfazed by the incident, dragged herself from under the pink earth pony and trotted up to me.

“Thank you, sooo much! As soon as I read about it, I couldn’t wait to see it!” Twilight turned and levitated a sheet of paper to the center of the room. “Will this work?” she asked, looking back to me.

“Yes, that will work fine,” I replied. Twilight let out an excited squeal, setting down the paper for a moment.

Rarity gave her an utterly dumbfounded look. “I still don’t understand what the big deal is,” the fashionista commented flatly.

Twilight quickly turned to her.  “Just watch!” Twilight focused her magic to her horn, suddenly turning out all the lights in the room.

“What the hay!”

“What in tarnation you do that for?”

“Whoa! Who turned out the lights!”

“Relax everypony, just watch!” Twilight assured them, levitating the paper once more. The resulting effect covered the room in a warm, purple glow.

“Ooooo, pretty!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed.

Twilight turned to me. “Okay, go ahead and take it from me when you’re ready.”

I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath to calm my nerves and exhaled; trying to take my mind off everypony watching me. After a few moments I looked up to the paper and focused my magic.

The purple glow around room faded momentarily, before being replaced by an explosion of vibrant colors. My magic’s field engulfed the paper as it illuminated the walls in a shifting sequence of vibrant, colorful light; the magical display creating a dazzling aurora borealis effect that danced along the library’s walls in a sea of every color imaginable.

Several long seconds of silence went by as the spectrum of colors continued to light the previously darkened room. I started to worry.

Did I... scare them?

Several more seconds of silence went by, and I shifted nervously.

I knew this was a bad idea...

I decided that was enough, and quickly let go of the paper. As it gently fell to the floor, I focused my magic to turn back on the lights.

There, stood seven stunned figures, all slack jawed and wide eyed. They remained staring to the center of the room where the paper had previously been levitating. Once again several long seconds of silence went by. My ears fell back as I sank down to the floor.

“I-I... I’m sorry... I won’t ever do it again...” I whimpered.

Rainbow Dash was the first pony to escape from the daze. She turned to me, awestruck.

“That. Was. Totally. AWESOME!” she exclaimed, jumping up to her hind legs and throwing out her forelegs for empathises.

My ears perked up as I slowly stood back up. “...W-what?” I asked, confused by the cyan mare reaction.

“That has got to be one of the most amazing things I have ever seen!” she replied, before pausing briefly and regaining her composure. “...Not quite as cool as my sonic rainboom though, but pretty close.”

Rarity was next to escape the trance. She very slowly turned to me. “Hub, baw, Wha?!” Rarity stammered out confused. She visibly shook herself, regaining her composure. “What in Equestria was THAT?”

“M-my... my magic,” I stammered slowly.

Rarity went starry eyed. “Oh my stars, darling! Why, that was the most beautiful, most amazing, most GORGEOUS display of magic I have ever seen in my life!” she exclaimed before her expression quickly shifted to confusion. “You were ashamed of that? Darling, that was simply magnificent! Why, such fabulous magic should be displayed more proudly!”

Twilight Sparkle and Applejack were next to escape the entrapment. Applejack simply fell to her haunches, while Twilight turned to me with an unbelieving look.

“I read that it was colorful, that it was beautiful, but nothing could have prepared me for THAT!” Twilight exclaimed, walking up to me. “Prism, your magic, it’s simply amazing!”

Applejack visibly and loudly shook herself before looking to me. “Gosh, Prism... that sure was pretty, I ain’t never seen anything like it,” she replied, getting to her hooves. “Honest to goodness, that was truly one of the most amazing thing I have ever—”

“Whoawow!”

There was a loud thud as everypony turned to see Pinkie Pie slowly picking herself up off the floor after having fell on her face. She suddenly jumped to her hooves and leapt across the room to me in a single, physics defying bounce. She slowly kept approaching me as she spoke.

“That-was-so-cool!-Please-tell-me-you-could-do-that-again-I-would-love-to-use-that-as-a-party- trick-at-my-next-party-” Pinkie pie took a huge gasp of air before continuing. “would-you-be-willing-to-do-that-for-me-please?-Would-ya-huh?-huh?-huh?” Pinkie Pie’s forehead was now against mine, and she was staring me eye to eye.

I quickly took a step back in discomfort. “I-I... don’t—”

“That was totally WICKED!” Spike exclaimed, arms stretched as he walked up to me. “I mean, I knew you were cool, Prism, but not that cool! ...Could ya do it again?”

“I...” I looked around at everypony’s faces, they were looking at me expectantly. “...Okay” I focused my magic at the sheet of paper once more and brought it before everypony.

Twilight walked up to it, closely examining my magic’s field. “I can’t even begin to explain it.” She poked the paper with a hoof. “There was so little information on an albino unicorns’ magic other than its visual display, ponies seven hundred years ago just didn’t have the tools or technology to accurately study it...” Twilight paused before quickly turning to me.

“Would you mind letting me study your magic? For science, of course!” the lavender pony asked excitedly.

I covered a laugh at the unicorn. “Yes, Twilight, you may. ...I am actually quite curious myself. It may help me come to a better understanding of myself,” I replied. Twilight grabbed my forehooves in hers and began excitedly jumping up and down in place.

“Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you! You have no idea how much this means to me!”

I withdrew my hooves and shied away from everypony. “This was... unexpected,” I announced, before scanning the faces of everypony. “Nopony has ever been happy to see my magic before. Like I said, I only have ever had negative reactions.”

Applejack approached me before gesturing a hoof to Twilight and Rarity. “While ah may not know much about the fancy-schmancies behind magic like them unicorns, Ah honestly can’t see how your magic would be a bad thing; it’s just different,” she added with a shrug.

I smiled back to her warmly. “That means a lot to me, thank you Applej—” I was rudely interrupted by a loud rumbling from my stomach. I quickly blushed, shrinking back sheepishly as everypony let out a small fit of laughter.

“Using my magic makes me hungry,” I announced, looking up to the sheet of paper I was levitating before setting it back down on the desk across the room.

Rarity rubbed her chin with a hoof. “Now that you mention it, we haven’t eaten yet, have we?”

“No, we haven’t,” I replied, scratching the back of my head with a hoof.

Rarity turned to Spike. “Spike, do be a dear and make the lady something to eat, would you?” the fashionista asked, batting her eyelashes at the dragon.

“Sure thing, Rarity!” Spike exclaimed before quickly disappearing into the next room.

“Isn’t Spikey-wikey just the sweetest thing ever?” the fashionista asked.

I turned to the room the baby dragon disappeared into. “Yeah, and he's just so cute too.” I froze after realizing what I had just said. My face quickly went flush.

Rarity shot me a sly, smug smile. “Oh, I know!” she replied, covering a laugh.

“Come on girls, lets find something to eat,” Twilight announced, heading for the next room.

“Oooh! I wonder if there are any cupcakes left!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed, bouncing across the room after the lavender pony.

The rest of the girls and I followed suit.

We made our way through another room whose walls were also lined with bookshelves before entering the kitchen. Spike had finished preparing a delicious-looking daisy and daffodil garden salad for me. Rarity went on to comment how wonderful It was for Spike to treat a lady so well. Spike’s eyes seemed to swell up at her words. I tilted my head at the baby dragon.

He sure seems to act funny around her.

As I ate my salad, the rest of the girls ate leftover cupcakes from earlier that day; they looked quite delicious. Pinkie Pie informed me that she lived and worked at Sugarcube Corner, and that I really should stop by sometime for some treats. Having finished their food, everypony slowly branched off into conversation with one another, laughing and having a good time.

But all the while, I couldn’t help but feel that we were forgetting something...

Chapter 7: I Just Want to Help...

“Um... girls?” I lifted a hoof, trying to get everypony's attention.

“What is it, darling?” Rarity asked as the rest of the girls and Spike turned to me.

“...Where's Fluttershy?” I asked, looking about the kitchen for my absent pegasus friend.

The girls exchanged blank looks for a few moments before a wave of realization washed over their faces.

“FLUTTERSHY!” chorused everypony at once as they galloped out of the kitchen and back to the library’s lobby.

There, in the corner of the room, stood a frozen, awestruck Fluttershy. Still wide eyed and slack jawed, staring up to the center of the room where I had levitated the paper some forty-five minutes ago. Rainbow Dash approached her, waving a hoof in her face.

“Hey, Fluttershy, wake up!” Rainbow Dash poked her side a few times, but the yellow pony gave no response. The rainbow pony scrunched her face with a frustrated look before taking a deep breath.

“WAAKEE UUUUUP!” Rainbow Dash bellowed, shaking the foundation of the tree house.

There was a loud squeak as the poor yellow pegasus collapsed into a crumpled heap on the library floor.  She hazily lifted her head and looked around to everypony.

“...Wha-what happened?” Fluttershy asked softly, looking clearly confused.

Applejack patted her on the head. “Prism showed us her flashy magic and it sure as sugar stunned ya,” Applejack informed her, gesturing to a clock across the room. “Ya been like that for quite some time.”

Fluttershy let out a small squeak like gasp as she got to her hooves; her face flushed slightly. “I-I’m sorry girls...”

“Oh no-no-no-no, dear. We’re sorry we didn’t notice sooner,” Rarity cut in, gesturing to me. “Prism had noted something was amiss. It was only then we realized you were missing.  Do please forgive us, darling.”

The yellow mare beamed a small smile. “It’s fine girls, don’t worry about it.” Fluttershy looked back to the clock. “Oh my, is it really that late?” Everypony looked to the clock as well; it read just past 11 p.m.

“Oh, wow, I guess between Prism’s story and our later dinner, it has gotten late, hasn’t it?” Twilight commented, gesturing to me.

Applejack trotted across the room to the door and turned back to us. “Well girls, Ah need to hit the hay. There’s lots of work to do to get ready for the new season,” She said before turning to me. “It’s been a real pleasure meeting ya, sugarcube, welcome to Ponyville. Feel free to stop on by the farm anytime.”

On that note, we said our goodbyes as Applejack left. The rest of the girls made note of how they had much to do tomorrow as well. It seemed things got really busy before Winter Wrap Up. I could imagine, though, changing the seasons without magic would be a lot of work. A large part of me was excited to see the change of the season in such a beautiful town, while the other part was worried what I could do to help. Even though I didn’t use my magic hardly at all, I wasn’t particularly good at anything besides painting and arts and crafts.

Maybe they will let me paint the flowers for them? Or something silly like build some bird’s nests.

I let out a small giggle at the thought before being snapped out of my thoughts. Rarity had poked me a few times with a hoof.

“Prism, darling? Are you there?” Rarity asked before waving a hoof in my face. I took a moment to scan the room. Everypony but Rarity, Twilight and myself had already left.

“I-I’m sorry, I... I must have got lost in thought,” I replied sheepishly, blushing slightly in embarrassment.

Twilight let out a small chuckle. “Don’t worry, I do it all the time,” she commented before turning to to Rarity. “So... Rarity, you mentioned before you had something you wanted to talk about?  About Prism’s magic?” Twilight asked curiously.

“Yes, but I’m afraid it would take quite some time to explain, darling,” she replied, looking to the clock. “And I really must be going, I can tell you more about it tomorrow, dear.”

I walked up to her before gesturing to Twilight. “I’ll stay and talk to her about it, you can go on home without me.”

Rarity raised an eyebrow skeptically at me. “Are you sure?  Can you make it back okay?” she asked with a hint of concern.

I smiled back to her and nodded. “Yes, thank you for worrying about me, but I will be fine; it’s not far.”

Rarity gave me a worried look before nodding. “Alright, I’ll leave the door open for you then. Try not to stay out too late, darling.” The fashionista made her way to the door, turning back to say her goodbyes before she left.

I turned to face Twilight, looking her up and down for a moment. Despite her current frazzled appearance, I found myself rather comfortable around the studious unicorn. I envied her vast knowledge and mastery of magic that I had seen so far.

Rarity controlled objects effortlessly with a sense style and grace, yes, but Twilight had a sense of confidence when she used her magic. Like she knew she could do whatever needed to be done without giving it a second thought. I could tell that this was a very powerful unicorn.

“Yes?” Twilight asked, tilting her head at me.

“Oh!  Sorry... I was just thinking,” I replied sheepishly. “You must know just about everything about magic, don’t you?”

“Well, I don’t know everything, but I have studied it for most of my life,” Twilight replied humbly. “Magic is my special talent. That's, um, why I got so excited to learn more about yours.” She paused a moment, looking deep in thought. “Speaking of which, what was Rarity going to say about your magic?  She looked really worried when she brought it up earlier.”

“She was, and it was really... strange, what happened,” I added.

I explained to Twilight about the gash on my forehead I had gotten the previous day, and how Fluttershy had treated it before we went to see Rarity.

“... So Fluttershy asked her if there was any magic she knew to help my cut.  Rarity said that she knew a minor healing spell for small cuts and bruises that she had learned from you,” I informed her, shifting uncomfortably. “She mentioned how it wouldn’t likely do much, but she could try... I had a bad feeling about it though, I have never had magic used on a cut before.”

Twilight gave an affirmative nod. “That might be because healing magic is not only exceptionally difficult, but extremely dangerous if not done properly,” Twilight said matter-of-factly. “Even I only attempt it sparingly, and not for anything major, but some unicorn doctors are extremely skilled and can do amazing feats with healing magic. Then, there's skilled unicorn surgeons that can even...” Twilight paused for a moment, before smiling sheepishly. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to go off on a tangent, go on.”

I covered a small laugh. “Oh no, it’s fine. I find magic really interesting, I love learning more about it,” I replied as I sat down on my haunches. “Anyways, so Rarity assures me it should be fine, she uses it all the time, but shortly after she began the spell, something went wrong.”

Twilight’s brow furrowed at the mention of the spell going wrong.“Healing magic and ‘went wrong’ don’t mix, what exactly happened?” Twilight asked in a stern voice, listening intently.

I told Twilight in great detail how the event had played out. My sensations, the girls’ reactions and how somehow when it was over, my wound had all but vanished.

“Ugh!” Twilight groaned as she facehoofed. “I told Rarity if I taught her that spell she was not to use it on anypony else!  It’s too dangerous!”

I shrank down at the lavender unicorn’s sudden outburst. “P-please don’t be mad at her, she was only t-trying to help,” I pleaded, but Twilight shook her head.

“Still, something could have-did! Go seriously wrong!” Twilight blurted out before she looked me over, cowering before her. The lavender unicorn paused as her eyes widened in realization. She slowly hung her head. “...I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to yell. I... I just didn’t want anypony to get hurt, I warned her about this. Had you been anypony else, something—”

I hushed her, softly covering her mouth with a hoof. “I understand, but if she didn’t try, I wouldn’t be healed right now,” I said with a smile, tapping a hoof to my forehead.

Twilight’s expression changed from frustration to curiosity almost instantly. “Just how did that happen anyway?” she asked, examining my forehead. “A wound magically closing itself, without the caster’s consent?” Twilight mused as she began pacing back and forth. “I have a few theories, but It will take some time. I need to gather more information.” Her horn lit with a purple glow as she levitated a swarm of books from multiple sections of the room’s bookshelves.

I was... impressed to say the least.  I could barely manage maybe one of those books, certainly not one of the bigger tomes, but Twilight levitated the horde of books as if it was second nature.  Twilight quickly began to flip madly through many pages of several books before letting out a loud yawn, which she physically shook off.

“Um, Twilight you really shoul—”

“Just a second, I’m sure I recall something about spontaneous magic somewhere in—”

I walked up to the studious unicorn and laid a hoof on her shoulder.

“Twilight, please... stop,” I requested softly.

Twilight sat down the books she had been cycling through in her levitation and gave me a confused look.  I covered a giggle.  With her obvious lack of sleep look and confused expression, she looked really silly.

“Please don’t run yourself into the ground because of me. You really need to get some sleep, Twilight,” I stated before gesturing to her face. “Besides, I have stolen enough sleep from you.”

Twilight shrank back sheepishly. “I suppose you're right, I probably should get some rest.”

“I appreciate your interest and wanting to know more about my magic, but you can start your search again later. Preferably after a good night's sleep,” I added with a wink.

“Alright, you win,” Twilight declared with a sigh as she straightened up. “If you wouldn’t mind coming back soon, I would love to discuss with you what I find.”

“I would love that too, you can expect me in the near future,” I commented, trotting over to the door before looking back to her. “...But for now, please get some rest, okay?”

Twilight beamed me a soft smile. “Okay, it was nice meeting you, Prism. I hope you enjoy your new life here in Ponyville.”

“Thank you, Twilight.”

On that note and we said our goodbyes, but I didn’t take my eyes off her until she was up stairs. Satisfied she was going to get some sleep, I threw on my cloak before making my way outside.

* * * * * * * * * *

The night air was far colder than earlier this evening. A sudden gust of frosty wind caused me to shiver.

I looked about the night streets, making sure nopony was around before hastily beginning the trip back to Rarity’s boutique. The streets were empty of anypony, or any sound for that matter. A sudden chill went down my spine as I picked up my pace.  I was used to the ambience of the big city at night, the dead silence of the country I found very eerie.

The silence was shattered by the sound of a door being forced open and then immediately slammed shut. I jumped up with a small squeak as I panicked to find someplace to hide, and a conveniently placed bush was just the ticket. I dove behind the bush as I scanned my surroundings for the source of the sound.

My eyes fell on a plum colored earth pony with a magenta mane as she... stumbled? Away from a larger building. After watching her a few moments longer it was very evident this mare was extremelyintoxicated. I couldn’t help but smirk watching this pony’s drunken antics as she passed by my hiding place. The mare’s sudden tripping and falling became too much as I quickly tried to muffle a small snort.

The mare suddenly turned to me and pointed a hoof. “Don’t cha know it’sh rude to laugh at poniesh... dumb bush!” she slurred, flopping her hoof back down to the snow before weakly getting to her hooves. She paused for a moment.  “...I’m talking to a laughing bush?  I think I had a bit too much, Colgate’sh not gonna be happy,” she mused to herself, rubbing her temple with a hoof.

Colgate? Isn’t that some fancy Canterlot brand of toothpaste?

The intoxicated pony shrugged, before wobbly making her way past, heading to wherever she may be going. Once the earth pony was safely out of sight, I sprung to my hooves and galloped the rest of the distance to the Boutique.

Reaching the door I slowly, quietly let myself in. All of the lights in the building seemed to be off as I snuck my way up the stairs to my guest room, careful to not wake anypony up. It wasn’t until I laid my eyes on the majestic bed that I realized just how tired I really was. The past two days had been hectic and very eventful. I approached the edge of the bed before rearing up on my hind legs, and flopping onto it.

“Oh, silky goddess, how I’ve missed you so...” I said quietly to myself as I nuzzled into the soft bedding with a yawn. I rolled up into the comfortable sheets and In a matter of moments I quickly fell into a deep sleep.

* * * * * * * * * *

In contrast to the previous two days being extremely eventful and very busy, the following few had been exceptionally slow and dull. I spent the entirety of them inside the Boutique, which was normal for me, as I often stay indoors for long periods of time. Although, at my apartment I had Mr.Wiggles to talk to and art supplies to keep myself busy. My lack of social interaction and itch to paint were starting to get to me.

“Sooo bored!” I whined aloud, rolling back and forth across the guest room floor.

Thankfully, Fluttershy had stopped by to visit a few times for some tea and conversation, but that entertainment was short lived, as she too was busy with preparations for the change of seasons and couldn’t stay long with each visit.

I tried helping pass the time by seeing if I could help Rarity in some way or another. She had been working night and day on last minute vest orders and concepts for her spring lineup. Though every time I asked if there was any way I could help, all she had me do was hold stuff or ask for opinions. I wanted to actually dosomething to help.

During this time, I also got to know Sweetie Belle a little better. The little filly is such sweetheart, very kind and polite. I learned that she also loves arts and crafts and showed me a few things she had made for her sister, I was quite impressed of the quality of her work for her age. I look forward to seeing a painting done by her. Though, unfortunately she never stayed indoors for too long, she always had ‘crusading’ to do, as she would put it.

“Perhaps I should go out...  Maybe the other girls might need help with something?” I mused, stopping mid-roll on my back, looking up to the ceiling.

I had been reluctant to visit anypony the last few days, because I didn’t want to get in their way or overstay my welcome. The boredom of nothing to do eventually caught and passed my worries of bothering the other girls. My first thought was obviously Fluttershy, but I had spent so much time with her lately, I didn’t want to annoy her or wear out my welcome. So I decided it best if I didn’t bother her for a while.

Twilight Sparkle.

Hmm...  The impression she gave me, is that she’s somepony that overworks herself.  I’m sure there’s something I could do to help her.

With a goal in mind, I hopped up to my hooves and collected my cloak with my usual ritual of tying back my mane and tail. Once satisfied I trotted up to a mirror across the room and struck some impromptu ‘sexy’ poses.

Keep dreaming, Prism...

I rolled my eyes at myself with a small smile before making my way downstairs to find Rarity. Sure enough, she was in her ‘Inspiration Room’ as I had learned it was called. The poor mare had several sewing machines running at once before her as she struggled to finish her workload before tomorrow.

“Um...  Rarity?” I called out to her, lifting a hoof. “I’m going out for a bit, so, um, I’ll be back later.”

Rarity dropped what she was doing to turn to me with an interested look. “Oh? And where might you be off to, darling?” she asked curiously, raising an eyebrow.

“Just to the library, maybe find a book to read, or see if Twilight might need a hoof with something,” I replied before making my way to the door.

“You really don’t go out much, do you, dear?” Rarity commented with a worried look. “You and Twilight certainly do have that in common.”

“Well... I don’t care much to go out during the winter, but I love spring. So, I’ll likely go out more then,” I declared, looking back to her.

Rarity beamed me a smile before turning back to her work. “Do have a good time, darling.”

“Thanks, Rarity.”

I made my way out of the boutique, and into the busy Ponyville streets. Winter Wrap-Up was tomorrow, so everypony seemed to have last minute errands to run before the new season.

Everypony except for me, that is.

Looking to change that, I hastily made my way across the town square towards the library, hoping to get out of the crowds as quickly as possible. I got about halfway there, before the tantalizing aroma of baked goods hit my senses, stopping me dead in my tracks. My stomach suddenly emitted a low rumble as a crude reminder that I had not eaten yet today.

That reminds me, Pinkie had asked If I would stop by Sugarcube Corner sometime for something to eat.

I had a few bits on me from ‘helping’ Rarity yesterday, enough for a small treat. So I figured, what better time than now? I redirected my course to the source of the delicious smells. However, as I about to walk through the door, I paused reluctantly. The place looked really busy... I slowly began backing away from the door.

“HEY!” shouted a hyped-up voice from above.

I jumped with a small squeak at the sudden shock. I looked up to see none other than Pinkie Pie herself waving to me from a window on another floor of the building.

“So you finally decided to stop by, huh?” Pinkie asked, resting her head on her forehooves with a large smile.

“Oh... Um, i-it looks like you’re really busy, so maybe I’ll just come by another time,” I replied slowly, but the pink earth pony had already vanished from the window and reappeared out the door of the bakery in the blink of an eye.

“Don’t be silly! We aren't that busy!” Pinkie Pie declared, rolling her eyes with a big smile.  Although, as if to punctuate her sentence, a light grey pegasus mare with a blonde mane sporting two very large saddlebags overflowing with muffins exited the bakery. Pinkie turned to watch the pony leave before turning back to me.

“Okay so maybe we are, but still! We are never too busy for guests! Come on in!” Pinkie announced, opening the door with a hoof and waving me inside.

I paused reluctantly for a moment before walking inside the bakery and—

Sweet Celestia’s Sun! It smells AMAZING in here!

My train of thought derailed itself completely and exploded twice as my mouth began to water. The sweet aroma of cakes, muffins and other heavenly treats tickled my taste buds. My stomach let out another involuntary growl, a reminder that it was not to be ignored.

“Whoa, somepony’s hungry!” Pinkie stated, trotting past before looking back to me. “Let me get you something, anything you would lik—oo!  How about a muffin?  Or a cupcake!”

I thought for a moment. While I did enjoy the occasional cupcake, I found them to be a bit too sweet for my tastes.

“I would very much love a muffin, please,” I said, scanning the many confections on display.

“Coming right up!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed, hopping up to a particular display case. “Uh-oh...” She paused, bringing a hoof to her chin.

“What’s wrong?” I asked, tilting my head.

Pinkie turned back to me with a worried shrug. “I guess we’re all out of muffins, would cupcakes do?”

“Yes, that would do just fine, Pinkie.”

She quickly hopped across the room before scooping a pair of cupcakes from another display case and placing it in a bag.

“Here you go, on the house!” Pinkie announced, gesturing a hoof to the bag. She watched me expectantly for a few moments before a look of realization struck her. “Oh yeah!”  She picked up the bag in her teeth and brought it to me.

“Herh yugh gow!” she said, muffled through the bag.

I looked at the bag of treats reluctantly then back to her. “Pinkie... I-I couldn’t—”

“I insifft, tafe et!” Pinkie mumbled, bringing the bag closer. “sinff whe din’if haf eny muffens.”

I looked up to the bag again before licking my lips, I was just too hungry to decline any more, and they just smelled so good.

“...Alright,” I sighed defeated, taking the bag from her. “Thanf yew”

I sat the bag down at a nearby table and took a seat before removing the cupcakes. Without a moment's hesitation, I took a large bite out of one, and oh, sweet bliss! This cupcake was perfect!  It was sweet, but not sugary, it was just right.

Now, I have had many cupcakes in the many bakeries of Manehattan, but this cupcake took the cake... so to speak. I gluttonously scarfed down the remainder of the scrumptious delight before quickly inhaling the second. I was distracted by a sudden giggle. I turned to face Pinkie with an embarrassed look, at this point she fell over with hearty laughter. My face went flush out of embarrassment for making a pig of myself.

“Pinkie, those were delicious!” I exclaimed, wiping some frosting from my muzzle with a foreleg and licking it off. “...Did you make these?”

“Fresh this morning!” Pinkie declared, climbing to her hooves. “I help the Cakes on the busier days.”

I looked about the bakery. Two very frantic and flustered ponies were scurrying about the place trying to keep up with the customers and baking demands.

“Well, thank you for stopping by, I would love to talk more, there is just soooo much I want to ask you still!” Pinkie announced before looking back to the two scrambling ponies. “But the Cakes really need my help today. There's just so much to talk about, please stop by again soon!” With that, the pink earth pony turned away and began hopping back to the counter.

I turned to her and held out a forehoof. “Pinkie, wait!” I called out to her. She stopped mid-bounce, hovering in the air, looking back to me with a curious look. “I-is there, um... anything I could to do to... to help?” I asked softly, sheepishly tapping my forehooves together.

Pinkie Pie’s expression lit up as her eyes turned to saucers.  She hit the ground and quickly darted up to me, pulling me from my seat and to my hooves.

“Oh-my-gosh-that-would-be-so-wonderful-it’s-really-busy-today-and-we-could-use-the-extra-hooves!-We-could-bake-more-muffins-since-Derpy-cleaned-out-the-last-of-them-what-do-you-say-want-to-bake-some-muffins-with-me?!” Pinkie’s face was night right up to mine.

I took a step back in discomfort, silently wondering how a pony could possibly say all of that with a single breath of air.

“S-sur-”

“Great! lets get started right away!” Pinkie stated, grabbing my hoof and dragging me across the room, behind the counter and into a back room.

The room turned out to be the kitchen, and a very lovely one at that.  It had everything you would expect from a bakery, many bags of sugar and flour, cooking utensils and ovens.

That's a lot of ovens.

I pulled away from Pinkie and examined an oven. It was not quite as nice as Rarity’s, but it was still very nice quality. It made me think back to the baking Mother used to do with our old wood oven. She wasn’t the greatest cook, but she baked wonderful bread, cakes and pies. I used to tease her how she couldn’t scramble eggs without burning them, but could make the most delicious cakes. I stifled a small giggle at the memories.

“No time to be thinking, it’s time to get baking!” Pinkie exclaimed, pulling me from one end of the room to the other.

I watched as the earth pony quickly collected ingredients for muffins. She must have known the kitchen up and down, as she gathered everything without hesitation and in the blink of an eye. To be honest, I too was a little excited to get started. While I had done most of the cooking at home, I had never really baked before, that was Mother’s specialty.

“Alright, lets do this!” Pinkie exclaimed enthusiastically before turning to me. “Have you ever baked muffins before?” she asked.

I shook my head. “No, but how bad could it be?” I replied with a sheepish smile.

I quickly ate those words...

I found myself having to redo many measurements. Too little or too much throws off the batch, Pinkie said. Then there was mixing, that in itself was a challenge that I struggled through slowly.  All the while, I kept telling myself how magic would make this so much easier, but I pressed on. We whipped up enough batter for several batches of muffins. Pinkie continued to pour the batter into tins, then set them into the ovens to cook.

We passed the baking time with idle chatter; Pinkie really did have a lot of questions for me.  She was a very curious pony when it came to new ponies. I now saw why Rarity and Fluttershy were so worried about her meeting me before they could have a talk with her. I’m not sure how I would have handled a surprise party of the caliber this hyper pony was capable of.

Even her fast paced speech left me a little uncomfortable. I felt as though I couldn’t relax around her, and was very tense most of the time. Pinkie Pie just had too much energy for somepony like me to handle.  Even so, she still got many laughs and smiles out of me. Her enthusiasm and high spirits were quite infectious. It was easy to tell that she was extremely friendly and loved to make others happy. The tile of “Element of Laughter” was a perfect fit for this cheerful pink pony. Our conversation was halted by the sound of a kitchen timer going off, signaling that the muffins were finished.

“Time to get those muffins out!” Pinkie exclaimed as she turned to the ovens and opened all their doors.

The smells were truly divine, and the muffins looked so delicious. I quickly found myself beginning to wonder why this pony’s special talent was not baking. Pinkie grabbed a few oven mitts before quickly turning and passing one towards me.

“Catch!” she called out, though all too late. The mitt ended up slapping me across the face before falling to rest on the floor. ”Uh, well, you almost had it!”

The pink earth pony went about removing trays of muffins from the ovens. I leaned down and picked up the mitt that Pinkie had haphazardly thrown to me, then turned to face a nearby oven.  Despite my great enthusiasm for ovens and the wonders of their baking prowess, I found myself in a bind.

…How am I supposed to get these out?

I tilted my head as I examined the open oven, thinking of the many possible ways I could burn myself in any attempt to remove the tray of sweets. I turned to watch Pinkie for a moment as she removed trays effortlessly with a hoof, without second thought. I figured It couldn’t be that difficult, so I slipped the oven mitt on a hoof and reached in to remove the tray.

Lifting the sheet out, I found that I quickly had lost my grip and watched in horror as gravity snatched away the delicious treats from me. With a loud ‘pang’, the tray bounced off the hard kitchen tile as its contents tumbled out onto the floor, ruined; the muffins had been lost.

It was at that moment that I could have sworn I heard an agonized, “Noooo!” call out from somepony else in the back of my mind.

What was that voice?

Quickly dismissing the thought, I slowly turned to Pinkie as my ears fell back, and my body sank down to meet the floor.

“I-I... I’m sorry. They just, s-slipped out of my hoof,” I stammered out apologetically to Pinkie as she examined the lost muffins.

She looked up to me with a neutral expression and shrugged. “Eh, those muffins were bad luck anyways,” she declared, dismissing the issue with a smile. “We wouldn’t want to give anypony bad luck, would we?”

The mare quickly darted across the room, returning with a small hoofbroom and dustpan. She promptly swept up the poor muffins before disposing of them into a nearby trash can.  My ears perked up as I heard the strange voice again.

Is that... crying?

I looked around the room as I pondered the voice for a moment before eventually shrugging it off as just my imagination.

I spent the remainder of the morning helping Pinkie catch up on baking muffins. They were quite popular and sold fast, frankly I was surprised at how many sold. With muffin levels at a secure amount, Pinkie thanked me for my help. I felt like all I really did was slow her down, she could have got finished much faster without my constant mistakes, but she was grateful for the extra helping hoof nonetheless.

She insisted I be paid for my time, but I promptly declined, and continued to refuse despite her insistence.  As I was leaving Sugarcube Corner, the pink earth pony darted out the door before me, yelling to the Cakes that she would “be back later”.

Somehow, I had a bad feeling about her sudden exit, but I pushed the worry aside as I made my way out to the busy Ponyville streets. The walk to Twilight’s was a bit stressful; I had went way out of my way to avoid passers by.  Everypony was just so busy today, surely Twilight needed an extra hoof with something too.

As I reached the library I could hear noise, lots of noise, coming from inside. I scratched my chin with a hoof as I wondered what Twilight was up to, then approached the door with a soft knock...  The door slowly cracked opened with a touch of my hoof.

It’s open?

I slowly pushed the door open a crack and peered inside. The sight was... terrifying. I thought Rarity’s inspiration room was a mess, but this, this was just ridiculous. Scrolls, charts, lists, books and worn out quills were everywhere, particularly littering the floor around a frazzled, fantic lavender unicorn.

“Um... Twilight?” I called out to the mare, but received no response.

The studious pony simply continued furiously scribbling notes and obsessively going over lists. A very disgruntled and overworked Spike entered the room, carrying a mountain of scrolls. After he sat down his payload, I called out to him, waving a hoof to get his attention. The baby dragon’s mood quickly brightened as he noticed me. He ran up to the door to greet me.

“Oh, hey, Prism. What's up?” Spike asked, opening the door the remainder of the way.

“Oh, um... I was just wondering if maybe Twilight needed some help with—”

“SPIKE!” roared Twilight from across the room.

The baby dragon rolled his eyes before his expression went utter deadpan.  He gestured for me to come inside as he turned back to her.

“Coming...” he replied less-than-enthusiastically before slowly pacing himself across the room to her.

Twilight turned to the baby dragon and blurted out a slew of instructions. “I need you to get Foalgor’s ‘Compendium of Checked Checklists’ for me, while you're at it, I need some more quills and ink, and I’m running low on parchment, and—” Twilight paused as she noticed me. Her face flushed as she smiled to me sheepishly.

“Oh, um, I wasn’t expecting any company,” Twilight stated, glancing down to the mess around her. “I’ve just been so busy trying to get everything in order for tomorrow.” Twilight brushed aside some of her mess with her magic to clear a path to me.

“So, what can I do for you, Prism?” she asked, approaching me.

“I, um, was wondering if maybe you needed help with anything?” I asked, looking around at the floor’s contents. “It looks like you have a lot to do...”

Twilight shook her head. “I’ve got this pretty much handled; thank you for asking, though,” she said before levitating a checklist in front of her. “I’m just organizing everypony’s teams and jobs for tomorrow.” She then levitated what looked to be some sort of a statistics sheet.

“But of course I had to go over which pony would be best for which job, judging by their physique, work ethic, and special talents,” she commented before levitating another sheet of parchment.

“Um, Twi—”

“But not before reviewing their experience from previous Winter Wrap-Ups.” My eyes lit up in horror as she levitated a slew more of papers and continued to ramble on about her research.

“Twilight!” I called out to the entranced mare.

She paused for a moment before turning back to me. “Oh!  Um, sorry,” she replied, scratching the back of her neck sheepishly. “Anyways, I have everything under control, don’t worry about me.” She brought a hoof to her chin, looking deep in thought.

“...Though I’m sure Applejack could use a extra hoof, now that I think about it.”

“A-alright...” I replied, visibly disappointed. I had really hoped I could have at least helped her with something, but at least I knew that another friend needed some help.

“Thank you for coming by to see if I needed help, though; I really appreciate the thought, Prism,” she said before pausing for a moment. Her expression suddenly changed as she looked back to me. “Oh!  I think I may have found something that may shed some light into what happened to you at Rarity’s, but I’ll have to save that for another time, there's so much to do still before tomorrow.”

I nodded. “Alright, well... I’m sorry I couldn’t be of any help, but thank you for the tip,” I replied, turning to open the door. “I’ll stop by another time then. Good luck, Twilight.”

She smiled back to me coyly with a small laugh. “Thanks,” she replied before turning back to her work.

Spike also turned to me and waved me off. “See you later!” he called out as I left.

* * * * * * * * * *

The walk to Sweet Apple Acres was a bit longer than travelling between Twilight’s and Rarity’s.  However, the roads were far less busy, which was a nice change from the hustle and bustle of the town square. As I approached the farm house I became lost in thought, reflecting back on my previous visits.

Rarity didn’t want my help, Twilight didn’t need my help, and all I did was slow Pinkie down...

I let out a hard sigh as I looked down to my hooves as they tread through the powdery white.

Well at least Applejack needs—

I let out an involuntary squeak, having slammed into something solid. My momentum coming to a sudden halt caused me to fall back into the snow with a soft crunch.

I really need to start watching where I am going.

“You alright miss?” asked a deep, soft voice.

I opened my eyes and looked up to see a very large red stallion standing before me. I found myself at a loss of words as I looked him over. He was very muscular, tall and extremely handsome.

“I-I, um, s-s... I-I” I stammered incoherently as my face went flush.

The stallion raised an eyebrow at me before leaning down to meet me at eye level. “...Hello?”

I let out another small squeak as I grabbed the hood of my cloak and pulled it down to hide my face. I felt my face flush even deeper as my heart began to pound. I quickly scooted away.

“S-sorry!” I finally managed to blurt out before quickly jumping to my hooves. “I-I’m, f-fine...”

I quickly bolted past the stallion down the road to the farmhouse, not stopping until I reached the door. I took a few moments to catch my breath as I clutched my chest. I was not very good with talking to stallions, and being placed into an uncomfortable situation with a particularly handsome one didn’t make it any easier.

Who was that...?

I looked back to the road to see the stallion idly looking back to me with a curious expression. I quickly turned away.

Right, I’m here to see Applejack so...  I’ll just, um, knock on the door then. Ignoring the big hunk of a stallion watching me, who probably thinks I’m really weird right now.

I let out a hard sigh. “You’re such a foal, Prism,” I said to myself under my breath before turning to the door and knocking with a few soft taps.

A few moments later, a small filly answered the door. She looked to be about Sweetie Belle’s age.

“Howdy, can Ah help you Ma’am?” the little filly asked with a curious tone, looking me over.  She had an off-yellow, almost tan coat and red mane, but her most prominent feature was the large red bow that she wore in her hair.

“Yes, um... I-Is Applejack home?” The filly’s expression suddenly exploded into a happy smile.

“You must be the pony Sweetie Belle told me about!” she exclaimed excitedly before holding out a hoof. “Ah’m Applebloom, Applejack’s little sister!”

I took a step back at the filly’s sudden outburst, eyeing her hoof skeptically for a moment before meeting it with my own. “N-nice to meet you, Applebloom, I’m... I’m Prism,” I replied softly before idly looking about. “Is Applejack here?”

“Oh yeah!  She’s out in the barn, in the cellar,” Applebloom announced, gesturing to a barn in the distance. “Come with me, I’ll show ya!” The little filly closed the door behind her as she left the farm house and started for the barn. I quickly trotted to catch up to her.

“So—”

Applebloom cut me off excitedly before I could even begin.

“Sweetie Belle told me that you’re great at arts and crafts, oh, and that you’re really nice, and...” Applebloom paused for a moment, stopping in her tracks before turning to me with a guilty look “She also told me you’re quite shy, Ah’m really sorry.”

I covered a small laugh. “No, it’s fine! Don’t worry about it! I’m just not too good with meeting new ponies, that’s all.” I assured her with a smile.

I got the same feeling with Applebloom as I did with Sweetie Belle. She struck me as very friendly and kind, but she was also exceptionally polite and well mannered for a filly. I found it very easy to talk to her as we closed the distance to the nearby barn. She was just like Sweetie Belle, so full of questions. I couldn’t help but smile as I answered them all.

“So, what exactly is your sister doing to get ready for tomorrow?” I asked, looking down to the young earth pony.

“Ah think she's gettin’ the seeds out the cellar.  We plant our crops as soon as we plow the snow off the fields,” Applebloom informed me, gesturing to the snow-covered fields around us.

“I see...” I commented slowly as I looked about at the snowy plains. They stretched for miles in all directions. “That’s... a lot of land. You have to clean up all that snow and plant the seeds tomorrow?  Isn’t that a lot of work?”

“Yeah, it is, but everypony does their part to help!” she exclaimed before she rushed up to the barn door. “Hey sis’ you have a visitor!” A familiar orange earth pony with her trademark stetson exited the barn and gave me a friendly wave.

“Howdy Prism, fancy you stoppin’ by. What can Ah’ do ya for?” the earth pony asked, patting Applebloom on the head as she passed her.

“Um, actually... What can I do for you?” I asked, walking up to meet her. “Do you need any help getting ready for tomorrow?” Applejack adjusted her hat with a hoof, giving me a look of reluctance.

“Well, as much as Ah hate to admit it...  Ah could really use the help.  Ah got to get all these here seeds up from the cellar up to the barn by at least sundown. Gotta get some sleep ya know?” Applejack declared with an affirmative nod. “You up for some heavy liftin’?” The orange pony gave me a curious look.

I returned with a sheepish laugh and smile. “Eh-hehe... Sure,” I replied, less-than-confidently.

Oh, Prism... you’re going to regret this...

“Great! Just come follow me then, I’ll help ya get started.” Applejack stated.

I followed her into the barn and to a small hatch in the back corner and peered inside dubiously. Following Applejack down, I quickly noticed that the air was really stale and dry. The the floor of the cellar was covered in aged straw, only adding to the musty, dry feel. It was clear nopony had been down there in a long time, prior to today.

“Alrighty then, the first thing we need to do is get these here larger bags of seeds upstairs so we can divide them into small bags of seeds,” Applejack declared, gesturing to a large pile of bags.  They closely resembled large bags of flour.

“O-okay,” I replied reluctantly. Applejack kicked up a bag into the air, catching it on her back then proceeded to do the same with a second. My eyes widened as I watched on in disbelief.

Just how strong is this mare?!

“Alright, now you go on and take one,” she instructed, gesturing to the pile.

While I was obviously nowhere near as strong as Applejack, I was sure I could handle at least one at a time, making the job at least a little quicker for her. I approached the pile and tried kicking up a bag in the same manner Applejack had done an—

A loud popping sound emitted from the joints just above my hoof.

“Ow!” I cried out as I withdrew my hoof, shaking it a bit. Applejack let out a small chuckle.

“Maybe you should just try liftin’ them normal-like, instead,” the earth pony commented.

I leaned down, and with a straining groan, pulled on a bag atop the pile with my teeth, but to no avail; it was too heavy. I glared down at the bags in spite as the feeling of not being useful quickly got the better of me. Applejack shot me a concerned look.

“Uh, here, let me help you with that, sugarcube.” Applejack walked up to the pile and kicked up a bag for me to catch.  The bag just about knocked the wind out of me as it landed on my back.

Oh Celestia, that's heavy!

“You... sure... that these are... seeds?” I commented with a few straining goans as I took a few steps forward. “...and not... rocks?” I managed another step before my legs gave out from under me and I fell flat on my stomach.

Applejack’s look of concern heightened as she pulled the bag off me.

“Uh... Sugarcube, maybe this isn’t the best thing for you to—”

“No, I can do this,” I assured her. I clenched my teeth as I got to my hooves. At this point I was becoming very frustrated at my inability to help anypony.

With a stubborn sense of determination, I turned to and focused on the bag with an intense glare.  My horn lit up with its prismatic glow as the same aura covered the bag of seed. I strained hard, using every ounce of willpower and mental focus to will the bag into the air, but still to no avail; it was just too heavy for me to do anything with. Applejack approached me and laid a hoof on my shoulder with a hard sigh.

“Look, Prism, Ah really appreciate your trying, but—”

“I can still do this!” I growled, glaring angrily at the bag.

I let out one more straining groan in a last-ditch effort to lift the bag. Much to my horror, my prismatic field was quickly replaced by a wall of fire as the bag suddenly burst into flames. The fire quickly began to spread along the dry hay, threatening to take the entire cellar and barn with it.

“WHOA-NELLY! WATER, WATER!” Applejack cried out as she scrambled back up the stairs.

I danced about in place in panic as the fire began to spread from the bag and towards the pile containing the others.

“What-do-I-do?! What-do-I-do?!” I cried out in panic as I glanced back and forth between the fire and the storage of seed.

I couldn’t think straight, but I knew I had to do something. I leaped from where I had been standing to the short distance between the fire and the pile and began stamping the fire out. My hooves flared up with sharp pains as I could feel burns begin to set in.

...I’m not gonna to stop it!

Despite my best efforts, I was unable to stop the spreading flames and watched on in horror as the pile of seed quickly erupted into a small inferno. Applejack returned to the cellar with a pail of water, but dropped it in a sudden gasp as she caught sight of the flaming destruction.

My ears perked up at a sudden thundering of hooves from above. I looked to the ceiling and followed the rumbling sound to the staircase. To my surprise, the large red stallion from before quickly flew down them, carrying a large tarp in his mouth. Without a moment's hesitation he kicked the bag I had attempted to lift into the inferno, and threw the tarp over the flaming pile. He quickly threw himself atop the tarp and began rolling across the pile, smothering the flames. After several long moments, and with much effort from the stallion, the fire was extinguished.  The large red pony looked back to us girls as he got to his hooves.

“Everypony okay?” He asked in his soft, deep tone.

I slowly nodded while Applejack stood frozen, wide eyed staring at the destruction caused by the fire. She slowly passed the larger stallion as she approached the charred pile and removed the scorched tarp. I felt an impending doom sink in as I slowly lowered myself to the floor in worry and guilt. A loud sigh escaped her as she removed her hat and scratched her head.

“Well, Ponyville will be short on corn this year...” she said flatly, before turning to the red stallion. “You okay, Big Macintosh?” He nodded to her.

“Eey-nope!” he hissed out as he winced, falling hard to a knee.

I covered a gasp as I got a good look at his injuries. He had horrible, horrible burns along his sides, back and flank.

“Let’s get you to the hospital, those burns must hurt a’might fierce,” Applejack suggested before folding one of Big Macintosh’s forelegs over her shoulder. The two took a step and about stumbled.

I jumped up to my hooves and approached them. “Let me help,” I offered, extending a hoof.

Applejack looked to me and shot me a sharp glare. “Don’t you think you have helped enough for one day?” She scowled. “I swear, you unicorns; Thinking you can just solve everything with your fancy magic. When will y’all learn that some things are just best left to the honest working ponies.”

I felt my lower lip began to tremble as my eyes swelled with tears that I desperately tried to fight back. “I-I... I’m, s-sorry—”

“Well that jus’ makes everything better, now don’t it?” she stated sarcastically, cutting me off.

I quickly exploded into sobs as I bolted for the stairs, climbing them and dashing out the barn.

I’m so useless! When I try to help, I just get in everypony's way!

My thoughts ate at me and my burns stung as I ran. I ran as hard as my legs could carry me away from the farm that I had nearly destroyed. My mind flooded with negative thoughts as my tears refused to stop. I reached the edge of town, not even caring about the crowds of ponies at this point. I had one goal in mind: Get away from everypony and just be alone, somewhere where I wouldn’t slow anypony else down.

Reaching the boutique, I exploded through the door and ran across the room for the stairs.  Rarity jumped at the sudden sound and turned to me.

“Prism?! What—”

Whatever she had tried to say escaped me as I flew up the stairs and through the kitchen, making my way to the guest room. I could hardly see straight through my tears as I quickly passed through the door, slamming it behind me. I winced in sharp pains as I hastily ascended the stairs and—

“SURPRISE!”

I tripped over the last step from the sudden shock, falling flat on my face.

“Um, oops!” Pinkie giggled. “Sorry ‘bout that!”

I weakly picked myself up off the floor on shaky, injured hooves as I turned to face the intruding pony. She gestured at a large object standing next to her. I froze in place as my emotions began to swirl into a hazy mix of uncertainty and confusion.

“What do you think? Do you like it?” She exclaimed enthusiastically, looking at me expectantly.

I stared on in disbelief at the scene before me. A brand new easel with many frames of canvas leaning against it, complimented by several sets of paints, stood next to the earth pony. I let out a idle few sniffles as the sight sunk in. Examining them I quickly recognised just what it was.

It was a professional painter’s easel, but not just any easel, oh no, this was the easel. Top quality and hoof-crafted by none other than Pittura Peindre, an exceptionally famous painter and craftspony. The canvas and paints were of some of the finest quality, clearly imported from Prance judging by the labels. For many years I had wanted one of these easels, but could never even dream of affording it.

“Rarity told me the other day what a boredy-bored pants you had been the past few days, and I had this great idea! Since I couldn’t throw you a welcome party, I would get you a welcome gift instead!” Pinkie Pie announced, bouncing up and down excitedly. “She also told me you loved to paint, but didn’t have anything to paint with! So the two of us got together and bought you some things to get you started!”

I fell onto my haunches as tears quickly came to me again and I broke into sobs. Pinkie’s excited expression quickly vanished.

“...What’s wrong?” she asked, confused, approaching me with a worried look. “...You don’t like it?” Pinkie turned to the sound of rushed hoofsteps as Rarity ascended the stairs.

“Prism, darling, what happened?” the fashionista asked. “...Why are you crying?” She looked down to me with great worry in her expression.

“I don’t think she likes our gift...” Pinkie commented, visibly disappointed and saddened.

“That’s not it!” I cried out, furiously shaking my head. “I don’t deserve it!  I don’t deserve anything from you girls!  I don’t even deserve to be here!”

Before either could respond, I leapt to my hooves with a sharp wince and bolted past Rarity and down the flight of stairs.  I faintly heard both ponies call out to me, but it didn’t matter.  An overwhelming feeling of guilt quickly replaced their voices in my mind. I had done nothing but slow down and hinder ponies today; I didn’t deserve anything special, especially not something as wonderful as that.

At this point, I couldn’t simply be alone right now, no... today had just gone too wrong to ignore.  I needed somepony to talk to, I had to get things off my mind. In times like these, I always had Mr. Wiggles to help me through them, but since his passing, I had found only one other pony I could really open up to comfortably. Against my better judgement and worries of bothering her, I hastily exited the boutique and set out to my last hope.

Fluttershy, I need you...

Chapter 8: It's What Friends are For

The run to Fluttershy’s cottage had been terrible. Negative thoughts of uselessness plagued my mind, and my hooves had gone all but numb from pain at this point.

I felt a small glimmer of relief as I crossed the small bridge over the frozen creek, and followed the path up to her house. I approached the door slowly and gave it a few soft knocks.

Please be home, please be home, please be home...

I turned back towards the path to town and danced in place, in the wake of my anxiety.

“Oh, Prism!” exclaimed a voice softly behind me. “It’s nice of you to visit me.”

I turned to see the smiling face of the one pony who could help me set everything in my head right again. Her happy smile vanished the moment she set eyes on my face.

“What happened? Why were you crying?” the worried pegasus asked before looking me over. Her eyes lit up as she covered a sharp gasp. “Prism, your hooves! You shouldn’t be on them with those burns!”

I tried to speak, but before I could reply, she hoisted me off my hooves and quickly carried me inside. She immediately headed for the green couch in the corner of the room before gently laying me to rest on it. The couch was very soft and comfortable, but that comfort was quickly extinguished as a flare of pain shot up my legs; a sharp reminder of my injuries.

“Okay, you stay right here and don’t move!” Fluttershy frantically instructed. “I’ll be right back!” Again, before I could get a word off she flew out of the room, returning as quickly as she had left, now carrying a familiar first-aid kit in her teeth.

“Now, hold still please,” she instructed as she took a seat on the floor in front of the couch, sitting down the box and popping it open without hesitation. Fluttershy removed a few small packages and quickly opened them.

“This will, um, probably sting a bit...” she warned softly. “But you have been running on those burns, they need to be cleaned before I can properly treat them.”

My ears fell back at her warning as she began to gently wipe down my hooves. I let out a sharp whine of pain and winced as she cleaned my injuries. It was very painful, but it’s what I got for not taking care of myself. She then proceeded to treat with a cream of some sort and dress them; and after finishing, she looked up to me a concerned look.

“Just what happened to you? ...How did you get these burns?” she asked, covering her muzzle with a hoof. I tried to speak, but only some tears and a weak sob followed.

The fact that it appeared she was getting used to this sort of thing weighed heavily on my conscience. I had already burdened Fluttershy enough lately with my problems and emotional stress, and here I was doing it again; I didn’t like it one bit.

I quickly launched myself at her and captured her into a tight hug, earning a small gasp and causing her to jump slightly. She paused for a moment before returning the hug, and shushing me softly.

“Shh... You don’t need to cry, I’m right here,” Fluttershy assured me before breaking the embrace and climbing up onto the couch next to me. “Now... why don’t you tell me what’s wrong?”

“I’m sorry,” I sniffled as I wiped the tears from my eyes. “It’s just... I feel bad, because I keep bothering you with my problems.”

Fluttershy quickly shook her head. “Oh, no! You don’t bother me, not at all!” she reassured me quickly before looking to, and idly fidgeting with her forehooves. “If anything I, um... rather enjoy your company, so, uh, don’t worry about that, okay?”

“But... I  can’t help feeling like I’m taking advantage of your kindness...” I replied, my ears falling back as I turned away in guilt. “You’re just so kind, and seem to care so much... The only other pony to ever care so much about me was Mother.”

“You’re not taking advantage of me, I want to help you,” Fluttershy reassured me once more, slowly looking back up to me. “And I care because you’re a good friend. I feel that if I ever needed somepony to talk to, I could come to you... that is, um, if you wouldn’t mind, and if you're okay with it.”

Her words won a big smile from me. “Of course! You can talk to me anytime about anything,” I stated before pulling her into another hug. “Thank you, Fluttershy.”

she returned the hug with a warm smile. “Oh no, thank you.” the concerned mare paused for a moment before slowly breaking the embrace. “...Um, would you like to have some tea with me? If... If you wouldn’t mind, that is.”

“You already know my answer,” I replied with a small smirk. Fluttershy returned it with a big smile of her own.

* * * * * * * * * *

The two of us passed the time the tea needed to prepare with idle chit-chat. Fluttershy took it upon herself to place a makeshift table, using a stool in front of the couch for us. She insisted I not walk on my hooves, so the table itself was out of the question, and that she would instead bring a table to me. The whole scenario almost felt like breakfast in bed, seeing as back in my apartment all I had to sleep on was my sofa. It brought almost a sense of nostalgia. During this time, Fluttershy had avoided asking any questions about my day until the tea was ready.

“So, um, what exactly happened today? That is, if you don’t mind my asking...” she asked, looking back to me.

“Today has been awful,” I replied flatly with a hard sigh. “The past few days I haven’t had anything to do, so I figured I would go out and see if anypony needed help with anything before tomorrow.”

“Things didn’t work out...  did they?” Fluttershy asked with a touch of concern, covering her muzzle with a hoof.

I slowly shook my head. “Not at all.”

I went on to explain how I visited the girls. How Rarity didn’t want my help, Twilight didn’t need my help, that I only slowed Pinkie down and finally the incident with Applejack.

“...And to make it worse, when I returned home, Pinkie and Rarity had gotten me a surprise welcome gift.  A very expensive one...” I added, resting my head on my forelegs. “I didn’t deserve it, not after I had been no help to anypony, and certainly not after I have done so much damage to Applejack’s farm.” I let a long, drawn out sigh.

“I feel so useless, I couldn’t help anypony, Fluttershy,” I said, sighing again defeatedly.

Fluttershy quietly walked over and poured the two of us some tea before looking to me. “Oh, but you already have,” she commented with a wink, returning to her seat on the sofa next to me. I lifted my head and gave her a confused look.

“W-What do you mean?  Who, where... When?”

The yellow mare covered a small laugh. “Me, here and the moment you arrived,” She replied before looking down to her teacup. “I was, um, feeling a little... lonely...” Fluttershy fidgeted with her teacup a bit before looking back up to me.

“You, um... helped me feel better by visiting me,” She said before looking back down to her tea with a smile.

I let out a mock chuckle. “All I did was unload all my problems and worries on you, I would hardly call that a visit,” I replied flatly before pausing. “... But if you would like, maybe I can make it up to you by making the rest of this a real visit?”

Fluttershy slowly looked back up to me. “I, um... w-would love that, very much... that is, if that's what you really want to do.”

I covered a small giggle.

Sometimes, I really wonder which of us is more self conscious.

* * * * * * * * * *

The next few hours I spent chatting away with Fluttershy, it amazed me how much the two of us had in common. I was quite surprised to learn that she too was teased and bullied as a filly.

“...Oh, yes. You see, when I was a filly, I was a very weak flyer. I had difficulty with even the basics, I couldn’t actually ‘fly’ for more than just a few meters at a time.” Fluttershy paused for a moment before continuing. “...The other colts and fillies would call me names like ‘Klutzershy’ or ‘Can-hardly-fly’.”

I nodded, finishing the remainder of my tea. “I know that feeling. Ponies would tease me and say that I ‘wasn’t finished’, or that I was actually a monster,” I said as my ears fell back. “The worst was when ponies wouldn’t even talk to me at all. If anypony did, they would get teased too.  So everypony just avoided me, either because they thought I was strange, or feared that they too would be teased if seen talking to me.”

Fluttershy covered her muzzle with a hoof in shock. “Why, that's... that’s just, awful!” she exclaimed softly. “Why was everypony so mean to you?”

“Because I was different...  Ponies in Manehattan aren't as friendly or accepting I guess,” I commented, fidgeting with my empty teacup. “Part of it was my fault though, I had an... outburst, the first day of school.”

“An, outburst?” Fluttershy asked, tilting her head

“You see, when I get angry, I mean really angry, I sometimes lose control of my magic.  Raw, uncontrollable magic surges and my mane and tail burst into flames,” I said before looking up to her. “A colt made me very angry on the first day of school. He insulted Mother and it happened in front of the whole class. After that everypony started spreading rumors that I was really a monster, or some kind of freakish abomination.”

Fluttershy quickly shook her head. “That has actually happened to Twilight a few times, so I don’t think that makes you a monster, it's, um, probably a unicorn thing.”

I gave her a curious look. “I’ve never heard of it happening to anypony else before though,” I replied, sitting up. Fluttershy paused for a moment, looking deep in thought.

“...Now that I think about it, I don’t think I have ever seen it happen to Rarity. And she has gotten really angry on a few occasions,” she added before looking up to me. “Maybe, Twilight knows more about it?”

I scratched my chin with a hoof while in thought. “Maybe... I’ll have to ask her.”

* * * * * * * * * *

The hours continued to roll by, while talking with Fluttershy. Before we had even realized it, the sun had already begun to set.

“Has it really gotten that late?” Fluttershy gasped, looking out the window. “Oh, I am so sorry!  I didn’t mean to keep you here so long!”

I stifled a small laugh at her needless worry. “Don’t worry, I enjoyed myself.  It was nice to have somepony to talk to and I... I feel a lot better now, thank you,” I replied before looking to the floor in thought. “Though I probably should get going, I have some apologizing and explaining to do...”

Rarity is probably worried sick about me by now.

My ears flattened as my thoughts shifted to Applejack.

I need to find someway to repay her, I can’t leave things as they are...  I really messed up.

I let a slow sigh before looking back to Fluttershy with a soft smile.

At least I did manage to do something right today...

“Thanks for everything, Fluttershy.” I went to get up from the couch, but stopped dead in my tracks with a wince; a sharp pain shot up my foreleg once I put pressure on my injured hoof.

Fluttershy hopped off the couch and gently pushed me back onto it. “No, you mustn’t walk around until your hooves have healed,” Fluttershy stated. “Let me take you home, I’ll carry you.”

I quickly shook my head. “I couldn’t ask you to do that.”

“W-Well... um, i-if you wanted to, you could always...” The timid pegasus quickly trailed off into an inaudible whisper.

“What was that?” I asked, leaning in closer.

Fluttershy paused for a few moments before trying again. “...Stay here tonight?” she whispered softly before shyly looking away.

I stopped and thought about the situation for a few moments.

Even if I was to stay here tonight, somepony would still have to help me get home tomorrow, and tomorrow is a busy day. Unless I were to stay here for a few days, but I don’t want to get in Fluttershy’s way... So I may as well get it over with now.

“I, um... appreciate the offer, Fluttershy, I really do, but I don’t want to get in your way, and I’m not about to ask you to have to take care of me; and besides, Rarity is probably worried sick about me by now,” I replied, looking down to my hooves. “...So, I guess I’ll take you up on your offer to take me home, I just hope I’m not too heavy.”

Fluttershy let out a soft laugh. “Oh no, you’re not heavy at all, so don’t worry about that,” she reassured me before turning around and sitting in front of the couch. “Now, climb on and, um... wrap your forelegs around my neck.” I paused, hesitating for several moments before slowly scooting off the sofa, and doing as she instructed.

Now, Fluttershy has picked me up and carried me before, twice actually, but this was different. I was climbing onto the yellow pony’s back of my own free will. The first thing I noticed was how warm and soft she was, she obviously took very good care of her coat. Fluttershy’s mane also had a heavenly smell to it, it was almost intoxicating; she smelled like a field of fresh spring flowers.

“Ready?” she asked, looking back to me. Her face was slightly flushed, but then again, so was mine. I felt more than a little embarrassed, but it couldn’t be helped. What's a mare to do when she can’t even walk herself home?

“As I’ll ever be...”

As we left the cottage, it gave witness to the world around us. A brilliant golden hue bathed everything as far as the eye could see. I couldn’t help but watch in awe; the view of the sunset from here was simply breathtaking.

“...It’s so beautiful,” I cooed.

Fluttershy stopped in place before looking back to me. Her vision slowly trailed off to where mine was locked.

“Oh, yes, it is,” she said as she turned us to face the sunset. “I love watching the sunset.”

I nodded. “Me too, and this one is extra special; it's the last sunset of winter. Before the next, the colors of life will have returned to the world,” I commented before leaning in and tilting my head around to her. “You already know why I love spring so much, so tell me... what makes you love spring, Fluttershy?”

She looked back to me with a warm smile. “Spring is a happy time for me. The animals all wake up from their long winter sleep, ready to start new families,” she said, before looking off into the distance briefly. “I’d love to introduce you to all my animal friends... that is, if you want to.”

I looked down to her with a big smile. “Of course! I would love to meet them; I love animals too, remember?” I replied with a wink.

She beamed me giant smile before looking back to the setting sun, and slowly laying us to rest in the snow.

A comfortable silence fell over the two of us as we watched the remainder of the sunset together; neither of us speaking, silently enjoying each others company. I had gained a whole new appreciation for the yellow pegasus today. I learned a lot about her, and she a lot about me. I never would have imagined that I could share, and so openly, with another pony. The traumas of the past, joys of the present and hopes for the future; all comfortably and safely entrusted to this wonderfully kind mare.

“...I’m really glad to have met you,” Fluttershy stated suddenly, her sight still fixated forward. “It’s nice to have somepony that I can really relate to, and that I have so much in common with.”

“You took the words right out of my mouth, and thank you... for taking me home, for introducing me to such wonderful friends, for being there when I need you, for... for everything,” I admitted softly, leaning into her with a hug and nuzzling her mane. “If there is anyway I can repay you please, please let me know.”

Fluttershy covered a small giggle before looking back to me. “You can repay me by simply continuing to be my friend,” Fluttershy replied. Her expression slowly sank as she looked down to the snow. “I, um, love the girls very much, but... when it comes down to it, they really don’t share a lot of the same interests as me. It can be a real challenge to get some of them to do the things I love.”

“Rainbow Dash didn’t exactly strike me as a pony who gets thrilled to go butterfly watching, or Rarity to go bug hunting; especially for worms.”

She suddenly turned back to me with an exaggerated, ‘sophisticated’ look. “Digging for creepy crawlies in the dirt is so... uncouth!” said Fluttershy in an almost perfect impression of Rarity.

The two of us stared blankly at each other for a brief moment before exploding into a shared fit of laughter. After a few long moments of recovery, I looked up to the now starry sky. The moon was out in crescent tonight.

“We probably should get going, but... thank you. I haven’t taken the time to sit and watch the sunset in a very, very long time.” I looked down around me, suddenly realized I had been needlessly laying on her back this whole time. I looked down to her with a sheepish smile.  “And, um... sorry for squishing you this whole time.”

She quickly shook her head. “Oh no, it’s fine!” Fluttershy interjected before fidgeting under me. “Besides... I, um, hardly noticed...”

I let out a small laugh. “Well, If you say so,” I commented, looking to the path into town. “So, shall we?”

Fluttershy gave a soft nod before climbing to her hooves. “Yes. Let’s get you home”

* * * * * * * * * *

Thankfully, it was now dark out and most ponies had returned to their homes. A timid yellow pegasus carrying an injured, mysterious cloaked figure would have raised more than a few eyebrows from passersby. As we made our way across the town square to the boutique, a lingering feeling of guilt hit me once we approached the door.

I could only imagine what Rarity might be thinking. I come home crying, storming straight to my room without a word. Then just as soon as I came, I leave again without a word of explanation as to what's wrong. To top it all off, I end up staying out the rest of the day, again without a word to her.

I really hope she isn’t mad at—

My train of thought suddenly derailed as a white and purple blur nearly tackled the two of us over as we walked through the door. A visibly flustered Rarity quickly bombarded me with a slew of questions before we could recover.

“Prism, darling! I’ve been so worried! What happened? Why were you crying? Where did you go? Where have you been? Are you okay?” The unicorn paused as she examined me, seemingly just realizing my yellow saviour's presence. “Fluttershy, dear, what happened to her hooves?”

“I’ll, um, explain in a moment. Right now we really need to get her to bed,” Fluttershy said, looking back to me.

The fashionista visible shook herself. “Oh! yes, right, of course! Right this way, darling.” Rarity gestured for her to follow.

The walk up to the guest room was silent and the guilt of worrying somepony so much started to really weigh down on me. I very much looked up to Rarity and admired her, the last thing I wanted to do was cause her trouble while staying under her roof.

Reaching the guest room, Fluttershy gently laid me to rest on my silky soft bed before taking my cloak from me and tucking me in soon after. Rarity stepped up to the bed and opened her mouth to speak, but I quickly cut her off.

“I am so sorry for not telling you anything!” I interjected before sitting up. “Today was just so awful, and I was panicked and—Oh, please don’t be mad at me, Rarity! I—”

The fashionista covered my muzzle with a hoof, softly hushing me. “Relax, darling. I’m not angry or upset, I’m simply worried if you are alright,” Rarity commented, removing her hoof. “Now... whatever happened to you, dear? You burst through the door earlier in tears!” Rarity exclaimed, holding a hoof to her muzzle in concern.

I shrank away from her with a guilty look, I felt just awful. While I had been enjoying myself at Fluttershy’s, she had been worrying about me this whole time.

Rarity paused briefly before looking between Fluttershy and me. “Oh, how rude of me! Would you girls like some tea?”

Fluttershy looked to me with a wink before turning to Rarity. “We would love some, if it’s not too much trouble,” she replied. Rarity gave a quick nod and immediately made for the stairs, and down to the kitchen, without another word.

Fluttershy turned to me with a small chuckle. “She will calm down once once she knows what happened. She may not look it at times, but she actually cares very deeply for the wellbeing of her friends,” Fluttershy added before scanning the room.

As I watched her, I ventured a guess that she was looking for someplace to get comfortable.

“Sorry, the room doesn’t really have any extra furniture, but you can sit up here with me if you like,” I offered, gesturing to the unnecessarily large, empty space of bed in front of me.

“A-Are you sure? I, um, wouldn’t want to crowd you...” she replied timidly.

I glanced to the large expanse of excess bed, before giving her a flat look. Fluttershy returned with a sheepish smile and small squee. After a moment of hesitation, she slowly approached the edge of the bed, pawing at the mattress with a hoof, before turning to me with a look of reluctance. I let out a long, slow sigh. Sometimes she was far more polite than she really needed to be.

“I won’t bite, come on up,” I encouraged with a small laugh.

She hopped up before circling about in place a few times and laying down on the bed next to me.

I looked down to my forehooves with a sharp sigh. “Looks like I’ll have to miss out on tomorrow's festivities; and I was really looking forward to it too...” I paused for a moment, bringing a hoof to my muzzle. “I hope the rest of the town won’t be upset that I didn’t help.”

“Oh no, they won’t mind,” Fluttershy assured me. “This won’t be the first time a pony was injured and couldn’t participate, they will understand.”

I looked up to the mare with a small smile. “That makes me feel a little better, but...” I trailed off, looking down to the bedsheets in shame. “I may not be the only pony unable to help tomorrow...”

My thoughts quickly drifted off to the red stallion from Sweet Apple Acres. ‘Big Macintosh’ if I remembered correctly.

Now that I think about it... That was incredibly brave what he did. Acting without hesitation, even throwing himself in harms way without a second thought. Strong, tall, handsome and brave... talk about sexy...

I felt a goofy smile creep across my face as my cheeks began to flush. I covered my face with both hooves and visibly shook the thought away.

“Are you, um, okay, Prism?” Fluttershy asked, tilting her head.

I turned to her with an embarrassed look, while I fidgeted with my forehooves nervously. “Y-Yes, I-I’m... fine,” I replied, taking a deep breath as I composed myself. “Sorry, I, um... got lost in thought.”

She cocked her head further, giving me a confused look before shaking it off. “Anyways, what did you mean by, “I may not be the only pony unable to help tomorrow?””

“Well... Remember when I—”

My attention was quickly distracted as Rarity ascended the stairs levitating a small table, two chairs and a tray of tea cups in her magic field.

“I am terribly sorry, Fluttershy. I had forgotten that there was no extra...” Rarity trailed off, glancing between the yellow pony and I a few times with blank look. Her expression slowly crept into a sly smile. “Oh... Well, nevermind then.” The fashionista covered a small laugh.

Fluttershy and I traded clueless looks before I dismissed the comment with a shrug. Rarity sat the extra chair in the corner of the room before sitting the small table at the edge of the bed. She sat down her own chair and then placed the tea on the table, before taking her seat.

“So, Prism, dear. Did things go bad at Twilight’s?” Rarity asked, levitating her tea and taking a sip. “Pinkie told me you also had helped her this morning.”

I glanced down to my hooves then across the table to my teacup, out of reach. “Not really... Twilight didn’t need my help,” I replied softly, eyeing my tea eagerly. “And I didn’t really help Pinkie, I only managed to slow her down.”

Rarity look back to me confused. “Slow her down? Darling, trust me, you helped speed it along,” she assured me. “You have seen Pinkie’s attention span, dear? Without you there to keep her focused, why, it could very well taken her all day to get all those muffins done. Not to mention the possibility of her getting sidetracked by other things entirely.”

I looked up to her with a small smile. “Y-you... really think so?” I asked softly.

Rarity gave me a flat look. “Darling, I know so,” she stated with a small grin.

Fluttershy reached over and took her teacup in her hooves. “Pinkie Pie is a very hard worker, but she is, um, very easily distracted,” she added. “Just you being around would have helped her stay focused, so you did help her, yes.”

I looked between the two with a warm smile. “Thank you girls, that makes me feel a lot better.” I glanced to my teacup again, and then up to Rarity. She returned the look with an innocent smile.

...She’s plotting something.

Now, my love of tea was no secret to the girls. It can drive me to get overly excited, or do things I normally... wouldn’t...

Oh, I see now... Keeping my teacup out of reach and not offering to pass it to me... You want me to use my magic, don’t you, Rarity? Well, I’m onto you.

“Um, Fluttershy? Would you mind passing me my tea, please?” I asked, turning to her and gesturing a hoof to my teacup. I made a quick glance back to Rarity to stick my tongue out at her playfully.

Prism: 1, Rarity: 0.

“Um... You really shouldn’t be holding anything hot with your burns. You, um... should probably wait for it to cool first... I-If thats okay with you...” Fluttershy replied hesitantly.

What?! Cold tea? That won’t—

I slowly turned to Rarity. She had a smug smile plastered on her face.

Prism: 0, Rarity: Checkmate...

I let out a slow defeated sigh as I focused my magic to my teacup, my prismatic aura enveloping it as I levitated it to me. I took a large sip from it before flattening my ears and giving the fashionista a small glare. She returned with a very satisfied smile and nod.

“So, Prism, darling... Whatever happened to get you so upset anyways?” Rarity asked with a hint of reluctance in her voice.

“Um, it was a mixture of a lot of things, actually.” I answered slowly, sitting down my cup. “You see, everypony has been so nice to me, and I’ve had so little to do. So I wanted to do something to show my appreciation to everypony, to lend a hoof and help out, but...” I trailed off into a heavy sigh.

“Nopony seemed to want or need my help, and those who did I got in their way, or rather thought so in Pinkie’s case.” I fidgeted with my forehooves as my ears fell back.. “But... in Applejacks case, I more than just got in the way... I, um... kind of, sort of... lit her cellar on fire.” I smiled sheepishly, tapping my fore hooves together.

Rarity looked aghast. “You, WHAT?!” she exclaimed, dropping her teacup from her magical grasp.

I shrank down, curling myself into a ball. “I-I was only trying to help, but I wasn’t strong enough to carry the bags!” I replied hastily. “So I figured I would try my magic, but they were too heavy for that too, so I got frustrated, and I tried harder, and—”

“—The bag caught on fire.” Rarity interjected with a knowing look. “It happens to Sweetie Belle all the time, dear. She tries hard, too hard to levitate things and they, more often than not, burst into flames. I have since banned her from using any magic in the house until I have been given the clear from her teachers.”

I covered a sharp gasp, knowing well my magic was equally as hazard prone. “I’m so sorry! I-I won’t use magic inside anymore, I promise!”

Rarity covered a laugh, while Fluttershy turned to me with a confused look.

“Oh-no-no-no-no, darling! You see, the poor dear hasn’t even been to magic kindergarten yet,” Rarity declared, dismissing my concern with a wave. “You at least have the education and some control over your magic.”

I paused before scratching the back of my neck nervously. “Um, y-yeah, you’re right... Anyways, thats why I came home so upset; and why I left again...” I trailed off, looking to the easel across the room.

“I felt really bad. I had done so much wrong today, so when Pinkie told me the two of you had bought me this gift, I... I didn’t know what to think,” I added, shifting uncomfortably. “...I felt I didn’t deserve it, that I didn’t deserve such a wonderful thing when I hadn’t done anything special to earn it.” I quickly looked up to the fashionista with a worried look.

“And why?! Why did you get me such an expensive gift? You haven’t even known me very long. Do you realize how special these are?” I asked gesturing to the easel. “I... had always wanted one, so when the reality of me actually having one set in, I panicked. It was like a dream come true, but... at such an inappropriate time.” I looked down the bed with with guilty expression. “I’m sorry...”

“Prism, darling, you have nothing to be sorry about. If anything, I’m the one who should be sorry,” Rarity replied, biting her lower lip. “You had asked several times if you could do soemthing, anything to help me. But I was being too... finicky, when you were quite capable of doing more than what I asked of you; and for that, I am very sorry.”

“It’s alright, Rarity. I understand how it can be when you are so engrossed into a project, everything else just seems to slip away,” I replied, levitating my cup to me and finishing the remainder of my tea. “I would get so entranced by a flash of inspiration, that I would just have to paint, often for hours. I would easily lose track of the time, but Mr. Wiggles would quickly remind me of mealtime.” I looked down to my teacup with a gentle smile at the memories.

Fluttershy nodded. “Angel bunny never lets me miss meal time, he is very adamant about it.”

“Opalescence too, Celestia forbid I am late to feed her...” Rarity trailed off into a nervous laugh before she quickly composed herself with a cough. “Anyways, darling. About the easel...” she turned to face the object in question before looking back to me. “You love to paint, so it only seemed appropriate to give you something to paint with.”

“Yes, but you didn’t have to get me something so... expensive. Just some simple supplies and a standard easel would have done just fine.”

“Nonsense!” Rarity stated, dismissing my notion with a raise of her snout. “You are my guest, and newly acquired friend. You deserve only the very best my hospitality has to offer; and besides, I am quite curious what masterpieces you will come up with.”

“Oh, me too,” Fluttershy added with a touch of excitement. “I can’t wait to see your paintings, Prism.”

I pulled the bed sheets over my face to hide a heavy blush. “T-Thank you, girls... but I’m really not that good, honest!” I exclaimed, looking between the two mares bashfully.

“Oh, don’t be so humble, darling! I imagine the works of a pony with art as their special talent would be a touch above mediocrity,” Rarity declared.  “I’m certain you are quite the gifted painter, dear”

No longer able to hide my furious blush I quickly threw the covers over my head. This prompted a small fit of laughter from the other two mares.

I felt so embarrassed, but I just wasn’t used to compliments. What's worse, they hadn't even seen anything yet. I was beginning to worry that I might not be able to live up to their expectations.

But I will try my best...

I slowly poked my head out from under the covers. The warm smiles of both mares greeted me, and I couldn’t help but manage a smile in return. It felt so good to have friends, even if they do fluster me a bit from time to time; it is all so very worth it for this feeling right here.

Rarity levitated our empty teacups back to their tray before getting out of her seat. “Well, It has gotten quite late, and I must make a few last minute preparations for tomorrow before I am off to bed,” the fashionista informed us, before levitating the tray. “You girls have a good night.” She turned and made her way to the stairs before stopping and turning back to us.

“Oh, and Fluttershy, darling. Do be a dear and be sure to lock the door on your way out.” she looked directly to her with a sudden, sly smile. “...assuming you intend to leave, of course.” Rarity shot her a wink before turning away and disappearing down the stairs. I

cocked my head aside in confusion for a moment before looking back to Fluttershy. “Oh! You might be staying here tonight?” I asked with a wide smile. “That would be fun!” The yellow pony gave no response, covering her face with both hooves and turning away from me.

“Fluttershy... are you okay?” I asked, getting out from under the covers and crawling up to her.

“Flut—”

“S-Sorr—”

The yellow pegasus suddenly whipped around to face me, resulting in an unintentional, but painful headbutt. I felt the room spin for a brief moment as I tumbled backwards off the edge of the bed. Fluttershy quickly reached out and grabbed me, but my momentum was too great. Resulting in my falling and dragging the pegasus down with me.

I landed with a hard thud on the floor below and was quickly met with the sensation of the mare landing on me, nearly knocked the wind out of me. After a brief moment of recovery I opened my eyes to find a large pair of aquamarine eyes staring down into mine. Our muzzles where all but touching and I could feel her hot breath running along my face; a chill ran down my spine at the sensation.

Deja vu?

I felt my face heat up with a fiery blush, while Fluttershy’s did so as well simultaneously. The two of us laid frozen in place for many long moments of silence, which was abruptly ended by a loud ‘pomf’ sound as her wings had suddenly spread to full extension. Just when I thought the mares blush couldn’t go any deeper, she turned a whole new shade of scarlet.

I tilted my head and examined her right wing. I had never really gotten a good look at a pegasus’s wings up close before. Now that I really looked... Fluttershy’s wings were absolutely beautiful. Her plumes were very clean and well maintained. My curiosity piqued and I found myself extending a forehoof and gently brushing along the underside of her wing, running along the tips of her feathers.

They’re so soft...

Fluttershy let out a sudden soft whine and shifted uncomfortably above me. I quickly withdrew my hoof as she threw herself off me. I hastily sat up, worried that I may have hurt her somehow.

“I-I’m sorry, did that hurt?” I asked while trying to compose myself from the akward moment we just shared.

The yellow pony stammered incoherently for a few moments before hiding her face with both forehooves.

“Are you okay?” I asked, extending a hoof to her. She quickly shook her head before she shot up to her hooves.

“Y-Yes, I’m, um, okay. P-Perfectly fine!” she stammered out, looking back to either side of her at her extended wings. “I-I... I need to, uh, g-go get ready for, um, tomorrow.”

“I’m sorry...” I apologized, my ears falling back as I looked up to her.

Fluttershy again hastily shook her head. “N-No, you’re fine! I-I, um, just need to, uh... go...” the yellow pony replied before dashing towards the staircase. “Goodnight!”

Fluttershy’s right wing clipped the guardrail of the staircase as she began her descent down the stairs. She let out a small yip-like squeak before angling herself so her wings could pass and quickly disappeared down the stairs. I quickly began to retrace the events of the past few minutes in my mind.

I hope she really is okay... And her wings? What was that?

After some thought, I dismissed the thoughts as her reassurances replayed in my mind. Although flustered, she had assured me that she was okay. I slowly crawled back onto the bed with a sharp sigh.

I’ll apologize and ask her about it the next time I—

My train of thought derailed as a long yawn interrupted me.

I looked to the clock on the wall. “11 pm.” I said aloud to myself. “I should probably get some sleep, busy day tomorrow.” I haphazardly threw the covers over me with a lazy groan.

I looked over to the easel and paints across the room before closing my eyes with a smile.

Tomorrow, I will finally paint.

Chapter 9: Winter Wrapped Up

Winter Wrap Up.

A day I looked forward to in hopes to help usher in the new season, but instead of being out and about helping everypony, I was stuck bedridden due to injury. A large part of me not only wanted to help, but wanted to see how everypony changed the season without magic. Changing of the season was a big deal in Manehattan, and took many, many unicorns to clean up. The idea of earth pony, pegasi and unicorn coming together to do all that work without magic amazed me, but unfortunately, I would have to wait until next year to see it for myself.

I was rather upset with myself. If I had admitted defeat and not been so stubborn yesterday, I would be out there helping as well.

I rolled over in bed with a heavy sigh and pout. “Way to go, Prism,” I huffed to myself before rolling back over.

Although, upset as I was, having all this free time gave me an opportunity to do a little something for my friends. I looked over to my new easel and art supplies across the room.

I owe so very much to two ponies in particular, Rarity and Fluttershy. While Fluttershy says I have helped her just by visiting and being her friend, I really haven’t done anything to show my thanks to either mare in a way that I was satisfied with. But, now that I had the tools to paint with, I could do something for them that I would be satisfied with.

I was suddenly struck by a great idea.

Thank you paintings!

The thought brought a huge smile to my face. I would paint the girls both something special as a thank you for everything they have done for me. Fluttershy for being there for me when I needed her, and Rarity for providing me with a place to live and such generous hospitality.

I quickly sat up in bed and turned to the art supplies in the corner of the room. I concentrated as my horn lit up with prismatic magic and slowly, one by one, I levitated the supplies I needed to my bedside. The paints and canvas were easy enough, as they were light and not much too them; the easel however, was tricky. It was larger and heavier than the easel I had at my apartment. I wasn’t about to risk damaging it by attempting to lift it, so I instead used my magic to ‘pull’ it to my bedside. The process was slow, and a little taxing, but it did the trick. After I was happy with its positioning, I wiped a little sweat from my forehead. Taking a few moments to catch my breath, I reflect on how difficult moving the easel had been.

Maybe I should use my magic a little more often, I’m getting out of practice...

Pushing the thought aside for now, I went about setting up a palette to begin with. Just a few simple colors to start, I would mix others as I needed them. Now came the real question.

“What should I paint for them?” I asked myself aloud, scratching my chin with the end of a brush I was levitating.

Rarity loves fashion and style, so something flashy for her...

After a few more moments of thought, it came to me what I would paint for the fashionista. I sat down the brush and palette, and opened a drawer on the nearby dresser with my magic. I removed from it a particular sketch of a dress I had done that I was really happy with, and levitated it over to me. Looking over the sketch, I made note of how I already had mapped out all the colors the day I drew it, so all I had to do now was paint it.

Easy enough. Now, Fluttershy on the other hoof would enjoy something more calm and earthy, like a landscape maybe, or an animal.

My thoughts shifted to memories of previous conversations with the yellow mare. I recalled her mentioning she had a pet bunny, and that she would count the new baby bunnies each spring.

A painting of a bushel of bunnies would be perfect for her!

I felt myself get a little giddy with excitement, seeing how much I loved rabbits myself; this was going to be a very fun painting.

With my plans in place for each painting, I got started on on the first step: Colors. I tinkered with the vibrant paints, mixing the simple colors into the complex shades I desired. Once satisfied, I set to begin the actual painting.

* * * * * * * * * *

Time slipped by meaninglessly as brush met canvas. Lost in the world of my imagination, I brushed away as the images in mind came to life in brilliant colors on the easel before me. Meticulous to detail, I would not budge until every line, every streak, every hue matched exactly where, and how I wanted it. I would accept nothing less than perfection for my special friends.

Several hours had come and gone before I finished the fashionista’s painting; the dress ended up being far more complicated to paint than I originally anticipated. It’s rich lavender base accented the pony model’s soft-pink coat beautifully. The most difficult step was painting the fine details of the floral embroidery, etched in silver that ran along the body and train of the gown.

This was partly in me being as stubborn as I am; I wasn’t about to settle for anything but perfection for Rarity. She had a taste for finer things, so I’m sure she would appreciate the extra effort. With a soft sigh, I gently lifted the finished work and sat it safely across the room for now, and wasted no time in beginning Fluttershy’s piece as I set a fresh canvas to the easel.

This painting was much faster, and far easier. I also found myself with a large smile almost the entirety of its creation. I really did love animals, I admired how they lived so peacefully, free of the social anxiety and status-quo that us ponies had to contend with on a daily basis.

If I was to be born again, I would love to be a bunny. Living happily alongside my other animal friends, without a care in the world... Especially if I had somepony like Fluttershy to look after me.

“Fluttershy...” I mused to myself as my thoughts shifted to the kind pegasus.

She already has looked after me a number of times now. I feel very lucky to know somepony as wonderful as her; to talk to her, to spend time with her, just being around her is such a privilege. ...And watching the sunset with her yesterday was just so wonderful, I had never done that with somepony else before. I would love to do something like that again sometime soo—

At that moment, I felt a sudden warm, fluttering sensation in my chest. I found myself taking a sharp breath as I covered my chest with a forehoof.

...What was that just now?

I pondered the sensation, it was... new. After a few minutes, I eventually shrugged it off before getting back to the task at hoof.

Focus girl, we are painting right now. A very special painting, a painting of adorable bunnies for a good friend.

My smile quickly returned as I continued, humming happily as I finished the final details. Once satisfied with the piece, I levitated it to sit next to Rarity’s painting.

Now came the last step: drying. Normally oil based paintings would take several days to dry and form a skin; but through curiosity, impatience and much trial and error, I had developed a special spell to speed along the process to just a few hours. Though, I avoided using this spell because it was so taxing, but my excitement to give the paintings to the girls quickly outweighed my self concern. Against my better judgement, I turned to the paintings.

I took a deep breath and focused closely on Rarity’s painting as my prismatic magic enveloped it. A small wave of dizziness hit me as I began casting the spell. I felt a few beads of sweat roll down my face as I maintained focus. After several long seconds, I finished my cast and quickly analyzed the painting. The magic had began to take effect, and colors of the paint gave off a warm glow.

“Good... that should be ready for her in a few hours.” I said aloud to myself, rubbing my temple as I looked to the clock on the wall. I looked down to Fluttershy’s painting deep in thought.

I could use the spell again... then both paintings would be ready for the girls this evening.

I imagined the happy face of Fluttershy as the thought of me giving her the painting crossed my mind. The thought left me with a big smile, it would be worth the extra exertion to see her happy reaction today.

I took another deep breath and focused closely on the second painting and began the spell casting once more. I felt a sudden sharp twinge of pain pierce through my head as my focus began to falter. In just a matter of seconds I quickly realized I had bitten off far more than I could chew trying to cast the spell a second time in one day. I began to mildly panic as I felt several beads of sweat pour down my face. I couldn’t stop the spell now, It would ruin the painting, so I no choice but to persevere and hope I could finish the cast.

I let out a straining groan as I grit my teeth, focusing intensely to finish the spell before my will gave way. A few long seconds later, I fell forward onto the bed as I exhaled hard and began to gasp for air. I clutched my chest with a hoof as I fell over onto my side.

The world around me suddenly fell silent and slowly began to fade away...

* * * * * * * * * *

“...What do you mean no?!”  The yellow unicorn said, taken aback in a posh tone. “Surely, my offer is more than generous?”

“I’m sorry Mr. Bit Press, but I don’t sell my personal works,” Mother informed him, holding out a hoof and shaking her head. “Though, I do, do commissions if you're interested.”

A green unicorn approached her and whispered into her ear.

“Canvas! Do you have any idea how much money that is?!” She hissed.

I looked up to Mother and her friend with a confused look. “Is that a lot?” I asked, tilting my head.

Mother leaned down to me with a soft smile. “Yes, dear, it is.”

“So why don’t you sell it?” I asked quizzically, tilting my head.

She reached down and ruffled my mane with a hoof, letting out a small chuckle. “Mommy doesn’t like to sell her special paintings, dear. They are very important to her.”

“This is absurd!” barked the now very agitated Bit Press. “What kind of artist displays their work at a gallery such as this, yet refuses to sell it?!”

The yellow unicorn let out a loud huff before storming off.  Mother’s friend watched him as he stomped away before quickly turning to her.

“That’s the biggest offer you have had yet! With ten thousand bits I could live the rest of my life carefree, never having to work ever again!” The green pony exclaimed.

Mother rolled her eyes at her friend. “You know I get offers all the time, Flora, but my personal paintings are important to me. I won’t sell them,” Mother stated. “I’m beginning to think it’s some sort of a game to them.” She sat to her haunches before throwing up her forehooves and waving them about.

“Let’s see how many bits we can throw at Canvas before she sells her first painting!” Mother exclaimed in mocking voice.

Flora facehooved with a loud groan. “Sure, so you’re famous, but you’re poorer than dirt!  If not for you, do it for Prism, for her future!” She exclaimed, pointing a forehoof at me.

“This isn’t about fame or money,” Mother stated before turning to me with a gentle smile. “... And besides, we are perfectly happy the way we are, aren't we, dear?”

“Yep!” I replied enthusiastically with a small jump, looking up to her with a smile of admiration.

Flora let out a long sigh of defeat. “...I’ll never understand the way you think, Canvas.”

Mother looked at Flora and returned with a playful smile.

* * * * * * * * * *

I groggily awoke to the sound of of a steady beeping and heavy breathing. I opened my eyes only to be met with direct sunlight. I winced at the sudden violation of my senses before covering my eyes with a foreleg. I removed my foreleg from my face as my eyes slowly adjusted to the the light. I found myself... somewhere?

I noticed I was in an unfamiliar bed. It had a very large headboard and lavender sheets, and was far smaller and less comfortable than the princess sized bed I was in before. Also the room’s walls where a deep aquamarine with an olivine green ceiling, certainly not the royal purple themed room I was in before. Where ever I was, it was not the boutique.

I slowly began to sit up and take a good look around me, but I noticed that I had something tugging on my muzzle, preventing me from sitting up any farther. I removed the device with a forehoof before examining it.

An... oxygen mask?

Sitting it aside for now, I began taking the rest of my surroundings. To my left and where curtains, extending from the wall just past the foot of my bed. To my right was a large device with a monitor that kept emitting a beep every so often, I recognized it as a heart monitor.

Why am I connec—

My thoughts were interrupted as I heard a door from elsewhere in the room open and a set of hoofsteps enter; they were heading my way. A few moments later a caramel colored stallion with a light brown mane came into view from around the curtain. He had on a clean white coat and wore a small pair of reading glasses that were fixated on a clipboard that he was levitating. What I found most interesting about this pony was how he wore a stethoscope around his neck.  At that moment it all clicked.

Unfamiliar bed, unfamiliar room, oxygen mask, heart monitor, a pony that’s obviously a doctor... I’m in a hospital, aren't I?

I looked down, examining myself. I had an I.V. attached to my left foreleg, and was wearing a sea-foam green hospital gown. The stallion suddenly looked up from the clipboard to me.

“Oh, good you’re—”

I gasped hard before throwing the bed sheets over me and laying back down in bed.

“—awake...” he continued flatly.

Relax, Prism... it’s only a doctor. You have visited plenty of doctors, you know they won’t judge you.

I slowly poked the top of my head out of the sheets, just enough so I could see over the covers to him; he looked clearly confused. I pulled the rest of the covers from my face and smiled sheepishly back at him.

“S-Sorry... I’m um, just not used to other ponies seeing my...” I paused before slowly sitting up. I gestured a hoof to my chest then to my mane. The doctored closed his eyes and slowly nodded.

“I see... You’re albino, aren’t you?” he asked, tapping a hoof to his chin. I quickly lit up wide eyed.

“You’ve heard of it?!” I asked a bit too frantically.

The stallion covered a small laugh. “I’ve heard of Albinism, yes, but no, I have never seen, nor heard of it in a pony before,” he replied with a smile. “I simply guessed by your appearance.”

My expression slowly deflated. “Oh... okay,” I replied slowly. The doctor gave me a curious look before glancing back to his clipboard.

“Prism, right? I’m Doctor Stable. I’m sure you’re probably curious why you are here?”

I slowly nodded, skeptically watching the doctor as he approached me.

“A friend of yours found you unresponsive in your home and brought you here. You were suffering from fatal magic related asphyxiation.” he said, flipping through his notes before turning to me with a stern look and small frown. “Just what were you doing to get yourself into such a critical state?”

I fidgeted with my forehooves before looking up to him sheepishly. “I was, uh, painti—”

...THE PAINTING!

I quickly ripped off my bedcovers before rolling out of bed and landing on the floor with a hard thud. The I.V attached to my foreleg screamed with a sharp pain as it was pulled down with me, resulting in its stand falling over. Before I could get up to dart away, I felt myself suddenly lifted up into the air.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa! Where’s the fire?” Doctor Stable asked, looking up to me with a rather upset look.

“Let me go!” I demanded, frantically flailing in his magical grip. “I have to check on my painting!”

“I’m sorry, but I would like to keep you overnight for observation,” he declared, narrowing his eyes at me disapprovingly.

“Overnight?! But I need to know if they are alright, if my spell worked!”

“Look, there's a lot that could go wrong with your health still, you need to stay here in bed until we are sure you are alright,” he stated firmly.

Realizing there was no winning this, I stopped my thrashing as my ears fell back.

“Now, are you going to calm down?” he asked sternly.

I slowly nodded.

Doctor Stable gave me an affirmative nod before softly laying me back down onto the bed. I sheepishly fidgeted with my fore hooves for a moment as he went about setting back up my IV stand.

“I-I’m sorry, it’s just... I used a spell on a painting, that if failed could potentially ruin it, and I don’t know if it’s okay or not.” I said softly, hinting of guilt.

The doctors expression softened into mild concern. “So that's how you over exerted yourself,” he replied, levitating his clipboard again. “I’m really sorry, but you’ll just have to wait until you’re released to check on it. I do hope it’s alright, though.”

I looked up to the stallion with a small smile. “Thank you, and again, sorry about the outburst.”

The doctor let out a hearty laugh. “Don’t worry about it, I’ve dealt with much worse,” he replied, dismissing my concern with a wave of a hoof. “Anyways, I need to check up on other patients now, so try to relax for now, alright?”

I nodded before I went wide eyed and froze up. “I-Is there, anypony else... i-in this room?” I asked, slowly turned to face the certain to my left.

“Just one, but I’m sure he didn’t mind, he's an easy going fellow,” he assured me with a wink before turning and walking away.

I let out a sigh of relief, but still felt very embarrassed that somepony else heard all that. I watched the doctor walk out of sight and heard him approach the patient on the other side of the certain.

“How you doing, anything I could get you while I am here?”

“E’nope, I’m fine, thank you.” replied a very distinctive deep, soft voice.

My expression collapsed in on itself as I quickly realized just who else was in here with me.

Big Macintosh! And he just heard everything that happened?! If he didn’t already think I was weird before, he must think I’m crazy, now!

I cupped my head in my hooves as my expression melted into horror.

Way to go Prism, you really blew it this time! ...Wait, maybe he doesn’t know it was me, but... there's no way he couldn’t know it was me, he heard my voice and the doctor said my name! ...But what if he wasn’t paying attention? He might not know, but... What if he was! I’m doomed!

The steady ambiance of the heart rate monitor slowly picked up in repetition before exploding into a rapid succession of panicked beeps. I turned to the screen to see the once rhythmic line now frantically pulsing out of control. I began futilely flailing my forelegs at the monitor in some naive hope that it would calm down.

No-no-no-no-no! NO! Please, stop! Shut up! Stupid machine! SHUT—

Time seemed to stop as the sound of the certain opening behind me shattered my panicked mindset.

“You alright, Prism?” asked the concerned voice of Doctor Stable.

Celestia, kill me... Just, just strike me down and get it over with...

I slowly turned to face the voice. The faces of two stallions stared back at me confused.

It’s over! It’s all over! Over before it even began! Big Macintosh has seen me before I got a chance to talk to him about it!

“You okay, Ma’am?” asked Big Macintosh with a hint of concern in his voice.

My mind quickly began to race, desperately trying to devise a plan to rescue the situation from the disaster it already was.

Okay, Prism, think! You can’t escape, the doctor will only catch you and you’ll look even a bigger foal in front of Dreamboat. You can’t hide, he's already seen you and you again will only look like a bigger foal. ...You have to recover some how! Luna’s moon, girl! IMPROVISE! Your future with Studmuffin depends on it!

“I, um, s-saw a... um, bee. Yeah, a bee,” I replied, with the world's most forced smile, and worst poker face imaginable.

The Doctor raised an eyebrow at me. “You saw... a bee... and it caused a panic attack, that nearly gave you a heart attack?” He replied skeptically, his face clearly not buying it.

“O-Oh, I’m, uh, deathly afraid of bees. I’ve, um... had really bad experiences as a filly,” I reiterated, hopefully more convincing than before.

Doctor Stable's expression softened. “I’m sorry to hear that, where is it? I’ll see if I can’t shoo it away,” he asked, looking about the rooms walls and ceiling.”

I frantically waved a hoof, dismissing his notion. “Oh! Um, n-no need! it was on the window, outside, it’s gone now! But thank you.”

Stable gave me a flat look. “Riiiight...” he replied in an utter deadpan as he went back to flipping through his papers. Before long, he looked to the clock across the room.

“Well, I have to get back to checking on other patients. Feel free to use the call button if either of you need anything, and a nurse will come to assist you.” he said, gesturing to a button button between the two beds. “I’ll be back later to check on you. ...so try to relax for now.” He added flatly, looking to me with his last statement.

I watched the door for a few moments before exhaling sharply with a small smile.

Crisis averted...

“You’re a terrible liar, miss,” chuckled the soft voice of Big Macintosh to my left. My expression fell and smile vanished instantly.

Crisis: Critical!

I turned to him before gesturing wildly and stammering incoherently. The stallions chuckle deepened into honest laughter.

Celestia, please, PLEASE just kill me now. Let me die with what little shreds of dignity I have left...

I let out a soft whimper in defeat as my ears fell back and I shrank down into bed.

Big Macintosh’s laughter quickly stopped. “Sorry, miss,” he apologized earnestly.

I turned to him, frantically dismissing his concern with several rapid waves of a forehoof. “O-Oh, No-no-no! D-Don’t worry about it!” I stammered out before sheepishly scratching the back of my neck with a nervous laugh. “I was um, acting like a foal, sorry...”

“It’s fine,” he replied with a small smile.

I slowly extended a hoof, opening my mouth to speak, though reluctantly pausing. A few moments later, having summoned some courage, I tried again.

“H-How... could you tell that I was—that I was lying?” I asked hesitantly before fidgeting with my forehooves.

“My sister can’t lie to save her life, either.”

“Applejack, right?” I asked for the sake of conversation, tilting my head.

“E’yup,” he replied with a small nod.

There was a long pause of silence. It was clear that this stallion wasn’t much of a talker.

The strong silent type, huh? ...He just keeps getting better and better.

I found myself quickly covering an involuntary, goofy smile. I took a few moments to compose myself before I suddenly remembered the accident in the cellar; I covered a sharp gasp.

The fire! I need to apologize!

“Er, um... Big Macintosh, right?” I asked nervously.

“E’yup.”

“S-Sorry...” I said, shrinking down into my bed.

“For?” he asked, turning to me and raising an eyebrow.

“F-For the, um.. fire, and your burns...” I said, my ears falling back as I pulled the covers over my muzzle.

“Don’t worry none about it.” he replied, dismissing my concern with a shake of his head.

My ears perked up as I looked over to him. “Y-you’re not, mad?” I asked curiously, sitting up.

“E’nope” he replied with another shake of his head.

“...Why not?”

“Accidents happen.”

I let out a deep sigh of relief.

Phew, I was worried he might be mad at me about it, but.. I did so much damage, why isn’t he mad?

“B-But, I did so much damage...”

“AJ said it wasn’t as bad as it looked.” he replied, turning to me with a wink.

I felt my face flush hot, and quickly covered it with both hooves.

You’re such a foal, Prism...

* * * * * * * * * *

Over the course of the next few hours, I slowly worked my way into conversation with the stallion. Getting him to say more than a few words or small sentences was a challenge, and it soon became apparent to me that this stallion was not only quiet, but also a little shy.

Eventually, with a bit of wit and clever wording, I managed to start a nice conversation with him. I would ask him questions, or make statements that he couldn’t reply to with short answers. Every time I got him to say more than a sentence at a time, I felt like I had won a small victory.  I actually surprised myself, I was talking openly with a stallion; a stallion! Talking with the girls must have made me more comfortable with conversation than I realized.

Thank you Fluttershy and Rarity!

Being up close to him I was able to see just how muscular he was. I began to wonder if he had the more outgoing mares throwing themselves at his hooves, he sure had the looks for it.

At that moment it hit me.

What if he already has a very special somepony? Surely a stallion like him isn’t single...

I began to wonder, how exactly does a mare ask a stallion if he's single without being too forward about it? This whole romance and dating thing was just so new to me, I was clueless. I decided I best not bring it up for now, I didn’t want to say anything that would make a total foal out of myself. With my level of experience with stallions, I stood about as much a chance as a blind diamond dog in a minefield when it came to the right things to say.

I really should have read more romance novels.

I made a mental note to check out a few from the library and ask Rarity for advice later.

Other than that mental road bump, our conversation was quite nice. I was very fascinated with everything he had to say, and asked him many questions. Also, I gained a whole new respect for Applejack throughout our conversation. When she told me that she ran Sweet Apple Acres I figured they had a lot of ponies working for them, though Big Macintosh informed me otherwise.

“While many ponies help out on Winter Wrap Up planting of the crops, the Apple family handles harvesting themselves; It’s tradition,” he said, a touch of pride in his voice.

I shot him a look as if he was crazy. “Everything?! By yourselves?” I asked bewilderingly.

“E’yup”

“But how? There's just so much!

“Hard work and dedication,” he replied with a small smile. “It’s the Apple family way.”

“All those trees and just two ponies...” I mused, recalling the view from the hilltop when I first came to Ponyville. “...That—That’s amazing!”

“E’yup!” he replied enthusiastically, giving me another wink. I felt my face heat up again and had to look away.

He’s going to make me melt if he keeps doing that!

* * * * * * * * * *

As the hours continued to pass, I found myself in a more casual, and far less forced conversation with the stallion; he seemed to warm up to me a little and spoke a lot more freely. I learned, to my surprise, that Winter Wrap Up was actually four days ago, and that I apparently had been in a coma for over three days.

I let out a long sigh as I looked out the window to the town below.

The girls must be really worried about me. The doctor said I was in pretty bad shape when they brought me in, wait... Just who did find me and bring me here?

Almost as if Celestia herself took it upon her to answer my thoughts; there was a small knock on the room's door before a familiar lavender unicorn toting a pair of saddlebags walked in. She looked to Big Mac and gave him a nod.

“Hello, Big Macintosh,” she greeted the stallion with a hearty smile.

“Howdy, Twilight.”

Twilight’s attention immediately turned to me once she took notice of me. “Prism, you’re awake!” she exclaimed as she trotted over to me. “The girls and I were so worried about you!”

My ears fell back as I looked up to her with a guilty expression. “I-I’m sorry. ...I seem to be doing that a lot lately,” I replied timidly, fidgeting with my forehooves.

The mare before me shook her head. “Don’t worry about it, you’re our friend. What's important is that you’re alright.” Twilight levitated a chair from across the room to her and took a seat next to the bed. “When I found you I was so worried I might have been too late.”

...Twilight found me?

“Was... I really in that bad of shape?” I asked, turning to her slowly.

Twilight’s expression shifted into an uneasy concern. “Visible signs of asphyxia had already set in. Your face had begun to change color, so I tried basic CPR, but you were unresponsive. I knew time was of the essence at that point,” Twilight replied before shifting uncomfortably in her chair. “A few more minutes and you would die... I knew I had to teleport you to the hospital, there was no other way. If... if I hadn't offered Rarity to bring you your lunch, you likely would have... have...”

Twilight didn’t strike me as somepony who got very emotional or cried often, but I could tell that she was on the verge of tears, and was fighting hard against them. I quickly leaned over to her and pulled her into a hug.

“Shh, don’t think that way, just be glad that you did,” I said before pulling away. “And because you did I’m okay, and it’s like you said, that’s all that matters.” I beamed her a smile. “Thank you for saving my life, Twilight.”

Twilight smiled weakly with a hint of an embarrassed blush. “Sorry, I, uh, almost lost it there for a moment, didn’t I?” she replied, scratching the back of her neck sheepishly.

I covered a small laugh. “I lose it all the time. In fact, I feel bad for poor Fluttershy for having to put up with me.”

Twilight expression moved to concern again at my mention of the yellow pegasus. “She was really worried about you,” she stated before beginning to shuffle through her saddlebags. “When she heard what happened, she dropped everything she was doing for Winter Wrap-Up and hurried over here; she’s visited you several times since.”

Fluttershy dropped her duties to come see me?

My ears fell back as I sank back into bed. “I’m always causing her so much trouble.” I said with a sharp sigh.

Twilight covered a small smile. “She said you would probably say something like that if you knew. She also said to tell you that she, ‘Came because she wanted to’, and not to worry about it.” she quoted with a small chuckle.

Twilight paused for a moment before she removed a large sketchbook and some pencils from her bags with her magic and levitated them out to me.

“She also told me to leave these with you, but seeing as you’re awake...”

I looked up to the floating art supplies then back to Twilight timidly.

“Oh! Right, sorry,” she said with an uneasy smile. “I’ll just, uh, leave them over here for you then.” Twilight laid the book and pencils to rest on the nightstand next to my bed before looking back to me.

“That should help you pass the time until you're released. ...Speaking of which, did anypony say when you will be free to go?” Twilight asked, looking at me expectantly.

“Actually, yes. The doctor said I should be fine, but he wants to keep me overnight for observation,” I replied before look down to the bed, folding my forelegs as my ears flattened with a pout. “I’m fine though, I want to go home. I need to check on my paintin—”

Wait! She might know if it’s alright!

“TWILIGHT!” I called out suddenly, quickly turning to her. The studious mare toppled out of her seat at my sudden outburst, landing on the floor with a hard thud. “Uh... sorry.”

I sheepishly let out a small laugh before quickly composing myself.  “Anyways, Twilight! Did you happen to see if my painting was okay?” I asked, leaning over the edge of the bed and looking down to the lavender pony below.

“I saw that you had been painting, but I didn’t get a good look at them before I tried to wake you,” she replied before rolling over and climbing to her hooves. “I don’t recall anything looking out of the ordinary though.” Twilight once again took her seat before looking to me with concern.

“So tell me, Prism. How did you get into such a critical condition from just painting?” she asked, raising an eyebrow at me.

I slowly shook my head. “It wasn’t from the actual painting, it was the spell I used to speed the drying process,” I informed her. “The spell speeds the drying of oil paintings from a few days, down to a few hours, but casting it is a bit taxing on me.”

Twilight looked at me confused. “If it’s so dangerous, then why did you use it?” she asked taking a look around the room. “Has it done this to you before?”

“No, and it’s not actually dangerous, I just had never used it twice in one day before,” I replied, looking down to the bed. “Also, I could have called off the spell and been just fine, but doing so would have ruined the painting, so I held the cast as long as I could, and, well...” I gestured to the room around us. “You know the rest better than I do.”

Twilight nodded. “You need to be more careful, you have ponies who care about you, you can’t be so reckless,” she stated with the hint of a frown.

“I won’t be taking any more risks any time soon, don’t worry.”

Twilight’s expression shifted into a smile as she got up from her seat. “You better not, or I might have to sic Fluttershy on you,” she commented with a small laugh. “And even I couldn’t save you from that lecture.”

My expression lit up to a bright smile as I covered a small laugh. “I’ll be sure to be on my best behavior then,” I replied with a wink.

Twilight looked to the clock on the wall before turning back to me. “Well, I have to get going now. I’m so glad you’re awake and alright, Prism.”

I nodded. “Thanks again, Twilight, for everything.”

She beamed me a warm smile before heading for the door. As she opened it, she paused for a moment before quickly looking back to me.

“Oh! Do you mind stopping by tomorrow? After you’ve been released? I have so much to show and talk to you about!” she said with a giddy smile.

I covered a laugh. “Sure, I’ll stop by. See you then.”

Twilight’s smile widened before she turned back to the door and made her way out of the room.

I laid back down into my bed with a relaxed sigh. Tomorrow was going to be a busy day by the looks of things. I had to check in with the rest of the girls and let them know I was okay, Magic 101 with Twilight Sparkle and check on Fluttershy’s painting. I smiled to myself and rolled over onto my side, but my eyes widened up as I realized something very important.

I quickly sat up and looked to my left. There sat Big Macintosh quietly reading a book.

He heard all that!

I quickly facehooved.

You have such a big mouth, Prism...

“Um, Big Macintosh?” I said, extending a hoof towards the stallion. “...S-Sorry if we were a bit, um, loud.”

“It’s fine,” he said as he closed his book before turning to me. “Sounds to me your friends care quite a bit for ya.”

I looked down to my forehooves with a smile. “Yes, yes they do, but... I have done a lot to worry them lately,” I said before looking to him. “It’s just so hard adjusting since I moved here.”

Big Mac raised an eyebrow at me. “Where ya from?” he asked as he sat his book on his nightstand.

“Manehattan...” I replied softly. “It’s very different here.”

He let out a small chuckle. “Ah reckon a city girl like yourself would have a heap of trouble adjusting to the country life.”

“You could say that again,” I laughed. “...But, I really do like it out here. There’s a lot less ponies and they seem to be a lot more friendly too.”

He nodded. “Ponyville has more than it’s share of good folk.”

I looked to the sketchbook from Fluttershy with a soft smile before turning back to Big Mac. “Yes, yes it does...”

The two of us then branched off into our own activities. He returned to his book he was reading, while I took to my sketchbook. It felt good to have something to do. Not that I didn’t mind talking with Big Mac, I just had to do something that kept my mind busy; drawing was just the ticket.

I opened the large booklet and took a few moments to think. Now that I could draw, what did I want to draw? I picked up a pencil in my teeth, and with no particular goal in mind, I began doodling. Before long I found myself lost in thought.

I hope Fluttershy didn’t get in trouble because of me. Speaking of Fluttershy, I wonder what she's up to right now?

I took a glance out the window, the sun was setting and nightfall was just off in the horizon.

Spring is here, so she must be spending time with her animal friends. I’m happy for her, she won’t be so lonely anymore. I hope she still won’t mind my company though, I would very much love to have some tea with her soon.

Without even realizing it, I found that my doodling had begun to form into a picture of my yellow pegasus friend. I found myself smiling as I continued the drawing. She was a very important pony to me, so I was very meticulous about the details of the picture. As I drew her eyes I thought back to our first meeting. How we had crashed into each other and I found myself atop her, staring down into her big aquamarine eyes.

Her eyes are very beautiful...

My thoughts quickly shifted to the other night. Where we once again found ourselves in the same awkward predicament, except she fell atop of me. The feeling of her laying on top of me, her breath running across my face, and most of all, staring up into those eyes of her; It all felt so, strange.

I looked over the now finished picture of Fluttershy and sat down my pencil before letting out a long relaxed sigh. I sat the sketchbook back on the nightstand and laid down in bed with a large yawn.

I think I’ll go visit her tomorrow.

After much shifting positions and fluffing my pillow trying to get comfortable, I managed to drift off into sleep.

* * * * * * * * * *

The following morning passed rather quickly. It started with breakfast, and the hospital food was just as bad as I remembered it to be. Doctor Stable came to check up on me to make sure I was alright. He gave me the all clear and said I was free to go, but before I could leave, I got an unexpected visitor.

“Howdy, Prism,” came an all too familiar voice from the rooms doorway. I looked up from my doodling to find Applejack leaning against the door frame.

“Oh, um, hey Applejack.” I replied reluctantly.

Applejack tipped her hat to her brother as she trotted up to my bedside. “Look... about the other day,” she said as she took off her hat and scratched the back of her head. “Ah just wanted to say, Ah’m sorry.”

I shook my head. “I would have been surprised if you didn’t get mad, I did quite a bit of damage to your farm and—”

“That’s just the thing,” she interjected, holding out her hoof. “Ya really didn’t. After Ah got a good look at the damages, Ah found that hardly any seeds were lost, the bags took most of the blow.” she closed her eyes and brought her hat to her chest

“Ah was wrong t’ah yell at ya like that, and Ah apologize,” she said sincerely, her ears falling back as she looked up to me a guilty expression. “Could you find it in ya to forgive me?”

I beamed her a big smile. “Of course, Applejack. Don’t worry about it,” I said, dismissing her concern with a shake of my head. “I’m just glad you’re not mad at me. You girls are important ponies to me, the last thing I want is for any of you to be upset with me.”

Her expression quickly brightened. “Ah’m sure glad that’s settled,” she said as she plopped her stetson back atop her head. “I’ve felt something awful the past few days thinking ’bout it.” Applejack paused for a moment before looking to the clock then back to me.

“Say, Ah heard from the doc you’re free t’ah go, so how about you join me for some lunch? My treat,” she asked, followed by a wink.

I turned to Big Mac before looking back her. “What about your brother?”

Applejack turned to him with a shrug. “He will be cleared in another hour or two. Doc says they need to change his bandages still before then he’s free to go.”

“I’m so sorry...” I said softly.

Big Macintosh shook his head. “E’nope, you’re fine. Don’t y’all worry none about me,” he said with a smile. “Ah’ll be back on my hooves here shortly. I’ll meet you back at the farm in a few hours, AJ.”

That reminded me of something I had forgotten about until now.

My hooves!

I bought a forehoof to my face and poked at it with my other forehoof a few times. My face lit up with excitement, and without another moment's hesitation, I quickly hopped out of bed, almost knocking Applejack over.

“Whoa now, girl! I know ya’s excited to get out of here, just don’t go trampling nopony now,” she said with a laugh.

I took a moment to do a big stretch, I felt so stiff from being cooped up in bed for so long. I looked up to Applejack with a smile.

“Oh, and I would love to join you for lunch. Just get me away from this hospital food! Blech!” I said with a mock wretch.

Applejack and Big Mac both let out a hearty fit of laughter.

“Sure thing, Sugarcube. Let’s get going,” she said as she approached the door before turning back to her brother. “Ah’ll be sure Granny Smith has some nice fritters ready, for ya when ya get home.”

“Thanks, AJ,” Big Macintosh replied, before reaching for his book and opening it. “You girls have fun, now.”

I trotted up to Applejack, but paused. I had forgotten I still had the hospital gown on. I quickly took it off me and tossed it back onto the bed. It was at that moment I realized another important detail that I had forgotten...

“I don’t have my cloak!” I said suddenly as a cold chill ran down my spine. Applejack turned to me and raised an eyebrow.

“So? It’s a nice day out, I doubt you would be needing it. Rainbow says there isn’t any rain planned for a least another day or two,” she said with a confused look.

I quickly shook my head. “No, not because of rain, because of me!” I exclaimed, gesturing a hoof to my coat and mane. Applejack took off her hat and scratched the back of her head.

“Sure, you might look a bit different from everypony else, but I honestly don’t think you need to be hiding yourself from nopony,” she said with a shrug. “So why not come on out with me? I’ll show ya.”

I slowly took a step back. “B-But, I—”

“Don’t you worry none about it, just stick close to me. And if anypony has anything to say to you, they’ll have to say it to me first,” she said before raising a hoof threateningly. “And I’ll buck’em one good if they say one peep bad about ya! Okay?”

I paused for a moment, looking down to the floor in deep thought. I hadn’t gone outside without my cloak in a very, very long time; several years in fact. I had gotten so used to it, it was my security blanket that kept me safe and my mind at ease. I’ve been so afraid of everypony looking at me that I refused to go outside without it.

...But Applejack will be there with me.

I bit my lower lip as I brooded over the idea for another moment before caving in with a long sigh.

“A-Alright... but, s-stay close to me, please?” I replied softly as I looked up to her. “I’m not used to having ponies stare at me.”

Applejack nodded. “Sure, Ah reckon you may get some funny looks, but Ah honestly don’t see anypony saying anything negative about ya.” She raised a hoof again. “And remember, if they do...”

I managed a small smile at her reassurance. “Thank you, Applejack.” I looked back to Big Mac and gave a him a small wave farewell. He returned with a nod.

“Don’t you go worrying none about what others think of ya,” he said before bringing a hoof to his chin with a small grin. “Besides... I think you’re a’might pretty myself.”

I felt my face flush hot at his compliment.

Applejack turned to me with a smug smile. “Ya see! You’ve got a stallion vouching for ya already,” she said while nudging me with an elbow, though I hardly noticed.

Big Macintosh thinks I’m... pretty? I’ve never been called pretty by a stallion before...

I found myself struggling to hide a smile as my blush only went deeper. I turned to the door and quickly walked out before further embarrassing myself. Applejack followed me with a small laugh as she trotted to catch up alongside me.

“Alright, Sugarcube. Lets get us some grub, and I know just the place,” she said looking to me with a wink. “They serve the best hayfries, Ah tell ya.”

With that, the two of us made our way to the exit of the hospital. I was really nervous, but at the same time, I was feeling pretty confident after Big Macintosh's compliment. As we reached the exit, I paused for a moment and swallowed hard. This was it.

Time to sink or swim...

Chapter 10: Sometimes, All You Need is a Friend to Show You the Way

As the two of us left the hospital, I quickly scanned my surroundings. Fresh spring colors were visible for as far as the eye could see in every direction. I found myself with a big smile almost instantly as I met with my late welcome to the new season. I was so excited and distracted, I didn’t notice Applejack was still continuing towards town. I was too preoccupied with smelling the flowers, quite literally.

Daffodils, daisies, dandelions and buttercups! So many smells, so many colors!

I stood up tall and took a deep breath of the fresh spring air. Finally, my favorite season had arrived!

“Somepony sure is excited,” Applejack commented with a smile. “You look like you ain't never seen spring before or something.”

I turned to her with a small blush and a large smile. “Well, I have, yes, but never like this!” I exclaimed as I waved a hoof in a wide arch at our surroundings. “Prior to coming here to Ponyville, I had never left the city limits of Manehattan my entire life.” I walked up to a small patch of assorted wildflowers, looking down to them with a smile.

“Spring just isn’t the same in Manehattan. Sure, Center Park is lovely this time of year, but you still had the ambience of the big city all around you,” I said before turning back to face her. “Out here it’s all just so peaceful, I love it. I can’t wait—”

I was interrupted by a loud growl from the pit of my stomach. I sank down with another small blush.

“I guess I can—um—always enjoy the season more a little later,” I said as I trotted back to Applejack.

She reached over and pat me on the head with a hoof. “Girl, you sound just like Fluttershy,” she commented as she started down the path to town. “Ah can see why you two are such good of friends. She must be real happy to have somepony like you around that shares the same interests.”

I trotted to catch up to her pace. “Yes, she says she’s very happy I had come to live here. I’m also excited to know somepony who loves spring as much as I... do...”

I slowly trailed off as I caught sight of another small group of ponies approaching us. I quickly weaved around to the other side of Applejack and shrank down behind her as they passed us by.

The farmpony turned to me with a concerned look. “Sugarcube, you don’t need to be hiding yourself like that. They didn’t even look your way,” she said before facing forward again. “Ah! Here we go, let me show ya what Ah mean.” Applejack trotted towards a pair of mares sitting together on a bench just up ahead.

“No! Wait!” I called out to her, extending a hoof, but it was too late. She was already greeting the two ponies.

Applejack turned to me and waved a hoof, signaling me to come over. I swallowed hard before reluctantly trotting up to her. I shrank down as the two mares looked me over with blank stares before looking back to each other. One was a mint green unicorn with a light cyan mane accented with white stripes, the other a pale cream colored earth pony with a dark blue and pink mane.

Applejack stepped forward and gestured a hoof back to me. “I’d like to introduce my friend, Prism, here. She just moved here to Ponyville from Manehattan not too long ago. She’s a bit shy, so Ah’m helping her meet new ponies ya see.”

The two mares turned to me with a pair of smiles. The cream colored earth pony cleared her throat before sitting up.

“Well, nice to meet you, Prism. My name is Bon Bon, and this is—”

“Hi, I’m Lyra!” the mint green unicorn exclaimed as she waved at me excitedly.

Bon Bon gave her a flat look before turning back to me. “Anyways, I’m surprised I didn’t hear anything about a new pony moving into town recently. Did we miss the welcome party invitations?” she asked, tilting her head and looking at me expectantly.

“T-That’s because, I, um... asked Pinkie not to throw me one,” I replied softly before pawing at the ground with a forehoof. “I-I’m, um... not exactly good with crowds or new ponies.”

Bon Bon covered a small laugh. “You really are a shy one aren’t you?” she asked with a soft smile. “Well don’t worry, we ponies here in Ponyville don’t bite.”

I returned her smile before straightening up. “Thanks, but as you can see...” I began, gesturing a hoof to my mane and coat. “I’m not exactly your average pony.”

Bon Bon raised an eyebrow at me. “While I have never seen a pony so pure white as you, I think your mane and coat are very pretty, right Lyra?” she asked, turning to her friend.

Lyra rubbed her chin with a hoof for a moment, looking me up and down. “Your coloration is a little stran—”

Bon Bon promptly cut her off with an elbow to her side before casting her a sharp glare. Lyra looked back to her with a small frown.

“Ow! That hurt, Bon Bon!” she groaned, rubbing her side with a forehoof before looking back to me. “Anyways, I’ve never seen an all-white pony before either, but I think it’s very beautiful. It makes you look mysterious!” She waved her hooves at me at me slowly, earning another look from her friend.

I sank down with a deep blush at their compliments. “I-I... T-Thank—thank you...” I replied softly before looking away to hide my growing blush.

Applejack turned to me with a smug look. “Ya see! Ponies may give you odd looks, but it’s just because they ain’t never seen anything like ya before. Though, that doesn’t mean they think anything bad about it,” she said walking up to me before laying a hoof on my shoulder. “I wouldn’t have gone out of my way to introduce you if I had any doubts about that.”

I looked up to her with a small smile. “T-Thank you, Applejack,” I said softly before looking to Lyra and Bon Bon. “And thank you, you two.”

Bon Bon nodded. “Don’t mention it, and she’s right you know. When I first saw you I was surprised, yes, but I didn’t think anything negative,” Bon Bon said gesturing a forehoof to me. “You are just very unique, but don’t let that stop you from doing the things you want to do, hon.”

Lyra nodded in agreement. “Yeah, you might just find that ponies actually think you look really cool too; like me!” she said with a wink, pointing a hoof to herself. “Be proud of your uniqueness and don’t sweat the small stuff,” she added with a dismissive wave of her hoof.

I paused before bringing a hoof to my chin as I got lost in thought.

I’ve never really thought about what if somepony liked the way I looked in a long time, not after so many bad experiences... Ponies here are far nicer and more accepting than I imagined...

I turned to Lyra and Bon Bon once more.

“Thank you so much. You’ve given me... a lot to think about...” I said in a half daze, slowly walking towards town again.

Applejack tipped her hat to the two before trotting to catch up to me. “Ya see! Now that wasn’t so bad, now was it?” she asked with a laugh, giving me a nudge with her shoulder.

I slowly looked to her. “No... no it wasn’t.”

“Listen, sugarcube, sometimes you just need somepony to help show ya the things you can’t see for yourself,” she said before looking to me. “Why, I reckon more than half the stallions we meet today will think you’re the prettiest thing they ever saw. ...Like that one over there.”

She gestured to a light-grey stallion across the way that was watching me. He turned his gaze away once I made eye contact with him.

Applejack leaned in close. “Ya know he was checking you out, don’t ya?” She said with a smug look, nudging me with her elbow. “I bet he won’t be the only one, either; you’re a very pretty mare.” She gave me a wink before facing forward again.

“A-Applejack!” I sputtered out, looking away with a blush.

As we entered the town square, I scanned the ponies we passed by. I got a lot strange looks, while others seemed to not really acknowledge me. Either they were too busy to notice or didn’t seem to think anything of me. I noticed most of the stallions I would make eye contact with would either quickly look away or give me a wink. A group of stallions even whistled at us and commented about me. I found myself blushing again as I looked down to my hooves with a smile.

Maybe she really is right? ...Have I been needlessly worrying about what other ponies would think, when I really had nothing to worry about at all? Maybe this—

"Hey, Applejack!” called out a voice from high above, interrupting my thoughts.

A light-grey pegasus flew down and landed in front of us. She had a blonde mane and sported a large satchel at her side. One thing about this pony that struck me as odd was her eyes, they didn’t seem to both focus forward.

“I’m glad I found you, this means I can take an early lunch break!” she exclaimed as she procured a letter from satchel and passed it to Applejack. The farm mare read over the letter with a smile before looking up to the mailmare.

“Why thank you, Derpy, I appreciate you giving this straight to me,” she said with a tip of her hat.

I raised an eyebrow at her as I eyed the letter. “What’s it say?” I asked curiously.

“Oh, it’s just some figures regarding sales, nothing special,” she said as she slipped the letter under her hat. “Say, Derpy. We were about to head over to Horte’s and grab us some grub, care to join us?”

Derpy beamed her a large smile. “Sure, that would be great!” she exclaimed happily. “I’m starving!” She looked over to me. One of her eyes focused on me, while another seemed to trail somewhere far off above me.

“So, who’s your friend Applejack? I don’t think I’ve ever seen her before,” she asked before looking me over with a serious look.

Applejack cleared her throat before gesturing to me. “This here is Prism, she’s new to Ponyville.”

Derpy’s expression quickly softened into a large smile. “Nice to meet you, Prism! I’m Ditzy Doo, though everypony just calls me Derpy. You can call me whatever you like, though,” she said with a giggle as she extended a hoof to me. I met it with my own before she gave it a firm shake.

“Nice to meet you too, Derpy,” I said before pausing for a moment and raising an eyebrow at her. “So, why does everypony call you that?”

She smiled back sheepishly with a small laugh. “It’s because I’m really clumsy, so I’ve just adopted it,” she replied, followed by another dainty laugh.

Applejack trotted past us and continued to our destination. “C'mon girls. We don’t want to waste her lunch break, so let’s hurry along now and get our food.” Derpy took flight after Applejack, while I quickly trotted to catch up to the two.

“Oh, it’s fine Applejack. It’s always nice to meet somepony new,” she said before spinning around to me, flying backwards. “So, what do you think of Ponyville so far?”

I looked up to the her with a big grin. “Oh, I love it here!” I exclaimed with a small spring in my step. “I came from Manehattan. It’s nowhere near as nice as it is out here, and ponies here are far nicer.”

“I’ve been to Manehattan before. My daughter Dinky and I went to see a play there, it was—”

“DERPY LOOK OUT!” Applejack called out to the mailmare, but all too late.

She crashed into a large cart of produce, toppling them over and burying the carts owner in a tsunami of vegetables. The mare popped her head out from the mound and gave Derpy a small glare. She was a light yellow mare with a curly orange mane. Derpy laughed sheepishly as she crossed her forelegs behind her back.

“Uh, oops, my bad... Sorry, Carrot Top,” she apologized before landing and trotting up to the mare. “Here, let me help you with—”

“Oh, n-no it’s fine Derpy, I got it. Don’t worry!” she said with a forced smile as she dug herself out of her vegetable mound. “Thank you, though.”

Derpy brought a hoof to her chin, looking in thought for a moment. “Well, okay then. Again, sorry about that.”

Carrot Top shook her head. “No, it’s fine, just try to be more careful next time, okay? Oh! And here.” She passed Derpy some carrots. “Thanks again for yesterday, it was such a big help!”

Derpy’s expression went serious again as she promptly gave her a salute with a carrot. “No problem, just doing my job!” she exclaimed before flying back over to Applejack and me.

I looked up to her confused. “You crash into her cart, and she pays you?”

“Oh! I helped her deliver some stuff across town yesterday,” Derpy said, gesturing back to the mare with her hoof-full of carrots. “She was really busy gardening and couldn’t get away from it. New season and all, ya know!”

I nodded. “Everypony seems to be pretty busy...”

Hopefully not too busy...

* * * * * * * * * *

The three of us continued the short distance to “Horte Cuisine’s Fine Cuisine and Salad Bar.” It was a very nice restaurant, not too flashy or classy, but certainly nicer than the Dairy Kings that seemed to litter every corner of Manehattan.

Though, they do have great cherry shakes and snowstorms...

Applejack trotted up to a table and pulled out a chair. She took a seat before flipping open a menu laying on the table. It was a nice day out, so we stuck to an outdoor table. It was really refreshing to eat outside, I didn’t do it very often.

Before long the owner and waiter Horte came up and greeted us, thanking us for choosing his establishment to eat. Though, I didn’t get a good look at him as I had my face buried in a menu; everything just sounded so good! Applejack went with a large order of hayfries, while Derpy settled on a garden salad. I was torn between a daisy and daffodil sandwich, and a rhubarb cheese melt. I asked the girls what they thought and the two recommended the cheese melt, so I went with that.

The three of us passed the time while we waited for our food with idle conversation. To my surprise, Derpy was quite the talker. She mentioned her daughter Dinky often and spoke very highly of her. She reminded me of Mother and how she had always spoke so highly of me to her friends. Derpy wasn’t nearly as energetic as Pinkie Pie, but she did have an enthusiastic presence to her and laughed and giggled a lot. She had a very bubbly personality and was a real pleasure to be around, I quickly found that I really enjoyed her company.

Before too long, the waiter brought us our meals, they smelled absolutely delicious. Derpy immediately began to inhale her salad, showing it no mercy whatsoever. I watched on in awe as I ate my melt.

Wow, that girl sure can eat!

After she had finished devouring her salad she looked to me with a puzzled look, bringing a hoof to her chin.

“So, Prism? I’ve been meaning to ask, but I didn’t want to sound rude,” she said, hesitating a little. “But why is your coat and mane both so white? Now, don’t get me wrong, they are very pretty, but I have never seen somepony like you before.”

I faintly blushed at her compliment, sinking down in my seat some. “Ya, I, um, get that a lot. It’s because I’m albino,” I said before looking her over. “Do you um, mind If i ask why your eyes are like that—Not that there’s anything wrong with them! I’m just, uh... curious.”

She closed her eyes and nodded with a rather serious look. “Fair enough, I asked you a question about your condition, you ask me about mine.” she said before gesturing a hoof to her eyes. “I have a rather bad strabismus. My vision is just fine, well for the most part anyways, but my depth perception isn’t exactly the greatest,” she added with a giggle.

My ears fell back as I gestured to her wings. “Wouldn't that... affect your flying?” I asked softly, and rather hesitantly.

She extended her wings, looking back to them before giving them a few flaps. “Yeah... it does, but it’s not too bad,” she said with a shrug. “I’ve had my fair share of crashes, but I manage!”

I nodded, taking a bite from my cheese melt. “I chan ruhlate tuh t’hat,” I said before swallowing and gesturing to my horn. “My albinism affects my magic, making it very difficult to control.”

Derpy covered a small giggle. “A wall-eyed pegasus that has trouble flying and an albino unicorn that has trouble with magic. I guess we are just a pair of weirdos, aren’t we?”

“I guess so.”

The two of us stared blankly at each other before slowly cracking up into a shared fit of laughter. Being around her, I felt comfortable; like I could relax and just be myself without being judged. The two of us continued to converse for several minutes, sharing stories of how our conditions had gotten us into silly or scary situations.

Before long, Applejack pulled a pouch of bits from under her hat and laid a small stack of bits on the table. She signaled for the waiter who promptly retrieved the payment with a silent bow.

“As much as Ah’d love to stay and chat, I have work to do,” she said before looking to me. “I’m mighty glad you found yourself a new friend, Prism.” Applejack began to walk away before pausing and turning back to me.

“Uh... you okay from here, Sugarcube?” she asked before walking up to me. “Ah can walk ya home from here, it’s no trouble.”

I shook my head, dismissing her concern with a wave of my hoof. “I’ll be fine, but thank you Applejack, really... thank you,” I said while tapping the tips of my forehooves with a soft smile. “You helped me realize something very important today.”

Applejack gave a quick nod. “You’re very welcome, Prism. Ah’m mighty glad Ah could help a friend,” she said before tipping her hat to the two of us. “It’s been a real pleasure girls, ya’ll have a good one now, ya hear?” With that, she trotted off.

Derpy also stood up from her seat. “I should probably get back to work myself, it’s been great meeting you, Prism! ...Where are you staying by the way?” she asked, looking at me expectantly.

“I’m staying with Rarity at her Boutique,” I replied before finishing the rest of my melt.

“Alright! I’ll be sure to swing by sometime!” she said before taking flight, hovering in the air.

I looked up to her with a smile. “I’d really like that, Derpy.”

With that the two of us said our goodbyes, and she flew off to wherever she was needed. The poor mare somewhat zig-zagged in fight, weaving a bit as she flew away.

I hope she’ll be okay...

I paused, looking out into the town square.

So many ponies... you’re going to regret this, Prism.

I let out a small whine to myself as I got up from my seat and pushed my chair in.

I had a lot to do today still: I had to go check on my painting, deliver it to Fluttershy and let her know I was alright and visit Twilight later this evening. I figured I should get the painting out of the way first.

I hope she likes it...

* * * * * * * * * *

The walk to Rarity’s was short, and thankfully uneventful. I was really, really nervous walking outside alone without my cloak; it was the first time in many, many years. But as I scanned the faces of ponies passing by I found most would greet and wave at me or look away once I made eye contact. It wasn’t nearly as bad as I thought it would be.

Reaching my destination, I let myself in with the ringing of a bell overhead. Rarity was downstairs sorting some clothing as I entered.

“Welcome to Carousel Boutique, where every garment is chic, unique and mag...”

Rarity trailed off as she turned to face me. Her eyes lit up as she quickly rushed up to me, capturing me in a hug.

“Prism! You’re awake!” she exclaimed before quickly pulling away from me, looking me up and down puzzled. “... And you're naked? Did you walk here like that?”

I looked down to the floor with a smile. “Applejack taught me something very important today,” I said before looking back up to her. “I don’t think I need to worry about wearing my cloak all the time anymore.”

Rarity’s expression exploded into glee. “Why, darling! That’s simply wonderful!” she exclaimed, pulling me into another tight hug. “I’m so proud of you!”

I broke the embrace before pawing uneasily at the floor with a hoof. “It’s going to take me some time to get used to it, but... I’m really happy.”

Rarity promptly nodded. “And I’m very happy for you, this really is something worth celebrating, dear, and I know just the thing!” she said with a wink. “I’ll go prepare us some tea.” She quickly made her way across the room before disappearing up the stairs. I loosely followed before my eyes widened in realization.

The painting!

I hastily galloped up the stairs and through the kitchen and to my guest room. I frantically ascended the staircase before looking about the room. My expression fell flat as I laid eyes on the painting.

“No...” I whispered under my breath, slowly walking up to the painting.

The paint had smeared and the once meticulously shaped imagine of a bushel of bunnies for Fluttershy was now a hideous blur of colors. I felt tears trying to come as I covered my muzzle with a hoof, desperately trying not to cry. I felt just awful, horrible. The painting I had worked so hard on for my dear friend was ruined.

I slowly walked over to the bed on weak hooves before throwing myself onto it. The fit of tears I had been trying to hold back slowly won over me. I broke down into tears as I nuzzled into my bed sheets.

I’m so sorry, Fluttershy... I’m so sorry...

All because I didn’t want to wait, because I wanted to give it to her right away; my attempt to do so not only landed me in the hospital and worried everypony about my well being, it was also all in vain. I went through all of that for nothing, for less than nothing; for disappointment and serious worry from my dear friends.

I’m such a foal, a stupid foal!

I laid there and cried for several minutes before hoofsteps at the stairs distracted me. I turned to face Rarity as she entered the room.

“Prism, darling, tea’s—”

Her eyes went wide as she rushed up to me.

“Prism, what's wrong?!” she asked frantically, looking me over. “Why are you crying, dear?”

I tried to speak, but only managed to choke out a few sobs as I gestured back to the painting across the room. Rarity looked to the painting briefly before turning back with a look of concern. She climbed up onto the bed and cupped me into a hug, quietly sitting with me, as I continued to cry. I continued to do so for another few minutes before I was able to collect myself enough to speak.

“I-I’m so sorry, R-Rarity...” I said with a few sniffles, rubbing my snout with a forehoof as I looked up to her.

She looked back to me perplexed. “You have done nothing to be sorry about, dear,” she said before looking back to the painting once more. “Tell me, what happened, is there something wrong with the painting?”

I felt my lower lip tremble as I struggled to form the words.

“I-It was—It was for, F-Fluttershy... I ruined it, I ruined it!” I cried out, shaking my head. “It was... a painting of some bunnies, I... I made it especially for her.”

I futilely tried to wipe away the stream of tears. “It’s why I was sent to the hospital, because I didn’t want to wait for it to dry. I wanted to give it to her so bad, so I—so I used a spell to dry it faster, and... and...” I felt myself begin to sob again before Rarity softly shushed me.

“Shh... so that’s what happened to you,” Rarity said, pulling away and giving me a warm smile. “You made something special for Fluttershy, naturally you would want to give it to her right away.”

I nodded slowly. “But now it’s ruined... I can’t save it, Rarity,” I said before looking back to the painting and rubbing my eyes with a foreleg. “I also made one for...” I paused before looking about the room.

Where's Rarity’s?!

“Rarity, there was another, what happened to it?” I asked with great concern, still scanning the room.

The fashionista donned a forced smile as she laughed sheepishly. “I, well... I saw it and was just so impressed, I just had to display it for others to see,” she said before shifting into an excited tone. “Prism, your painting, it’s simply marvelous! I was excited to see what you would paint, but that, that took me by surprise!” Her ears fell back as she looked away, frowning in guilt.

“But... it was wrong of me to take it without permission.”

I shook my head. “No, Rarity, it’s yours. I painted it for you,” I said softly.

Rarity looked to me wide eyed. “Really? You... you did that... for me?” she asked, taken aback. I slowly nodded and she went starry eyed, pulling me into another tight hug. “Thank you so much! It’s simply something else! I’ll proudly display it in the Boutique down stairs!”

I managed a small smile at her words of excitement. Despite one of my paintings being a compleat failure, I was really happy that Rarity’s had made her so happy.

I was quickly coming to learn that nothing made me feel better faster, than seeing my friends smile.

* * * * * * * * * *

After I had collected and composed myself, the two of us went downstairs and enjoyed our tea. Rarity was really surprised how I was able to walk around outside without hiding myself. She said that she wanted to take me to the spa with her and Fluttershy tomorrow.

I tried to refuse, but Rarity wasn’t going to hear any of it, she said that I was coming, and that if she had to drag me out the door she would. It made me a little nervous how insistent she was, but it also made me very happy that she was so adamant about me spending time with her and Fluttershy.

It’s good to feel wanted.

I got to thinking back to the hospital and remembered how I fumbled about so much with my conversation with Big Macintosh. Rarity seemed like the right pony to ask for advice when it came to romance; after all, she would often coo about finding the pony of her dreams in our conversations.

“So, um, Rarity... I need your advice on something,” I asked, fidgeting with my teacup nervously.

Rarity raised an eyebrow at me as she sipped her tea before sitting it down. “That was quite the change of tone, darling; is it serious?” she asked, looking a bit concerned.

I quickly waved both hooves at her dismissively. “No, no! Nothing like that. I need some, um...” I softly trailed off as I nervously tapped my teacup with a hoof, struggling to find the words. ”I need, um, romance... advice.” I managed to struggle out before turning away with a sharp blush.

Rarity expression slowly crept into a smug, knowing smile. “Ahh! I see... So, what would you like to know, darling?” she asked, watching me expectantly.

I slowly turned back to her. “Y-You see, there’s this um... stallion I like, and, um...” I quickly covered my face and shook my head in embarrassment. I was not used to talking about this subject, not at all.

Rarity’s expression sank a little. “Oh, a... stallion, dear?” she asked with an unsure smile before quickly perking up. “Yes, right, of course! So you need advice with a stallion, hm? Well, I just so happen to know quite a bit about how to appeal to the gentlecolt, so ask away,” she added covering her muzzle with a foreleg.

I shot her a forced, nervous smile. “So, um... h-how, how do you, um, ask a stallion if he, uh, is single—that is without being too forward about it!” I blurted out before covering my face with a soft squeak.

Rarity let out a dainty laugh. “So that’s what this is about. Well, to ask a stallion if he is single without being too forward about it, you need to ‘beat around the bush’, as it were,” she replied before taking another sip of her tea. “If a stallion is interested in you, and mind you, you are quite beautiful so a stallion would be crazy not to be; he should pick up on hint you might be curious if he is single.”

Rarity sat up in her seat before gesturing to me.

“The best way to do this, is to first compliment them. Perhaps something that is strikingly obvious and attractive about them, but be casual about it, darling, as if it were a well known fact.”

Strikingly obvious and attractive? He’s obviously very handsome, and muscular, and tall, and polite, and... a real dreamboat.

I suddenly covered my face to hide a goofy smile and blush that crept up on me.

Rarity raised an eyebrow, giving me an odd look before continuing. “Then you will want to follow the compliment with something along the lines of how his very special somepony is very lucky. It is a very good chance he will let you know he does not have one if he is single. Perhaps even if he does have one,” she informed me before an uneasy smile played across her face. “Let’s, uh... let’s hope it’s not the latter, for everypony’s sake.”

Rarity paused briefly before suddenly tapping her chin with a forehoof.

“Speaking of which, darling.... Who is this lucky stallion?” she asked, looking at me expectantly.

My ears fell back as I sank into my seat; even further embarrassed. “I-I... I can’t say...” I stammered out, covering my muzzle with both hooves.

Rarity scrunched her face into an obvious pout. “But, darling, that's hardly fair!” she whined softly before looking up to me with pleading puppy dog eyes. “Won’t you please tell me?”

I paused for a moment, slowly sinking further into my seat and shaking my head before blushing even more profusely.

“Please?”

I softly shook my head again.

“Oh, please, please, pleaaasssseeee!”

I let out a soft whimper before sinking down in my seat more, practically under the table.

Rarity stood up and leaned over the table. “Please-please-please, PLEASE, PLLLEEEEEEAAASSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSEEEE!!!” she persisted aggressively.

I let out a soft whine before finally giving in. “...O-Okay... I-I’ll tell you,” I let out a defeated sigh as I sat back up in my seat.

I looked around the room carefully, though needlessly before leaning in close to her.“I-It’s, um... B-Big Macintosh...” I whispered softly.

Rarity went wide-eyed. “Big Macintosh!” she exclaimed with a large smile.

I flailed my hooves at her, hushing her. “Shhh!” I looked around nervously for a moment before turning back to her. “Promise me you won’t tell anypony? Please?”

Rarity closed her eyes with a serious expression and nodded. “You have my word, I won’t tell a soul...” Rarity opened an eye with a sudden playful smile. “...He is quite sexy, isn’t he?”

I stiffened up and blushed profusely. “R-Rarity!”

* * * * * * * * * *

After much gossip and and a fair amount of teasing from Rarity, we finished our tea and headed downstairs to the boutique. I was about to leave when a customer walked in. Curiosity got the better of me, so I decided to stay and see what they wanted.

Little did I know at the time, but that small choice to stay was about to be one of the most life changing decisions I had ever made...

Chapter 11: Bits, Bunnies and Apples.

The pony who entered was an interesting character: He was a middle-aged, light brown stallion with slicked back, dark grey hair. He wore a classy, white collar, accented by a large, red tie with a money symbol embroidered into its end. What I found most peculiar about this pony, however, was his cutie mark: three large money bags.

I wonder what his special talent is?

“Ah, hello Mr. Filthy,” Rarity said, politely greeting the stallion. His expression fell a little at her welcome.

“Rich,” he replied flatly.

“Oh! Right, of course, Mr. Rich,” she corrected herself before walking up to him. “So, what can I do for you today?”

“I have a dinner party with some potential clientele this Sunday and I am in the need of a new suit, in order to make the right impression, of course,” he replied, scanning the apparel Rarity had out on display.

Rarity nodded. “Ah, a new suit, is it? Well, right this way then, Mr. Rich, and we can get you started on some potential designs.” She gestured for him to follow and the two crossed the room to a fitting stand.

He does strike me as quite the business stallion, now that I think about it.

I watched the two of them for another minute. With my curiosity satisfied I turned to leave, but just as I opened the door my ears perked up, having caught wind of a particular word:

“...painting.”

I turned back to find them both standing before the painting I had made for Rarity. My curiosity piqued once more, I decided to postpone my exit for a little bit longer. I very much wanted to know what he had to say about my painting, so I walked closer to the pair of ponies.

Mr. Rich approached the painting, and eyed it closely before quickly turning back to Rarity with a look of shock on his face.

“Where did you get this painting?!” he demanded, quite surprised, before hastily turning back to it. “Why, I would recognise this style anywhere; this work is clearly by Canvas, and it is a self-portrait, no less!”

Rarity walked up to him, waving a hoof dismissively. “Oh, no, no, no. That is not one of Canvas’s works. If it was, I can assure you, it would not be here,” she said, before turning and gesturing towards me. “It was painted by my dear friend Prism, here.”

The stallion turned to me with a rather interested expression. “Oh? Well, you must be quite the fan; I have never seen somepony mirror Canvas’s style so flawlessly before,” he said, sounding quite impressed.

I slowly shook my head. “No, I’m not a fan, I’m, um... actually her daughter,” I said softly, before gesturing to the painting. “I used Mother as a model for the dress in that picture.” Both ponies stared back at me, wide-eyed in shock.

Rarity slowly walked up to me. “You’re the daughter of Canvas? TheCanvas?” she asked, taken aback.

I shrank down a little. “Y-Yes...” I replied hesitantly.

“When you mentioned your mother was a famous painter, I admit, I was curious as to who she might be... But Canvas?” Rarity said again, blinking a few times.

Mr. Rich cleared his throat. “It’s a known fact that she had a daughter, yes, but nopony has seen or heard from her since Canvas’s passing,” he stated matter-of-factly. “Her daughter — as well as all of her paintings — mysteriously vanished without a trace. There's been a lot of speculation as to what happened to them.”

My ears fell back as I looked to the floor. “After Mother passed away, I wanted nothing to do with the world. It took me quite some time to come to terms with my loss. The most important thing in the world to me had been stripped away from my life... And as for the paintings...” I felt myself biting my lip as I fought back tears, before looking up to the two. “C-could we... please not talk about this? ...Please?” I asked weakly, shaking my head. “I-I, I don’t want to remember those times...”

Rarity walked up to me and gave me a comforting hug, while Mr. Rich silently nodded. “Yes, I apologize for bringing up such an uncomfortable topic,” he said before pausing for a moment. “So it’s true then? You really are her daughter, aren’t you?”

I nodded slowly and with a small sniffle. “Mother meant the world to me,” I said, smiling softly. “She taught me everything I know about painting. That’s probably why our styles are so similar.”

“The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, I see,” Rarity stated, while Mr. Rich nodded in agreement.

“Like mother, like daughter,” he added, before glancing back to the painting. “Prism, wasn’t it?”

“Yes?” I asked, tilting my head. He cleared his throat before walking up to me.

“Well, Prism, I would like to buy this,” he said, gesturing back to Rarity’s painting. “How much for it?”

I froze up. I had never had somepony ask to buy a painting from me before; I didn’t know what to say or think. After giving it a moment’s thought, however, I came to a quick conclusion.

“I’m... flattered, really,” I said, turning to Rarity, “but it’s not mine to sell.”

Rarity shook her head. “No darling, it’s yours, do what you want with it,” she said with a soft smile.

Mr. Rich’s mood perked up as he turned back to me. “Well, how about I make you an offer then?” he suggested in a chipper tone. “Two thousand bits. How does that sound?” He smiled as he adjusted his tie with a forehoof.

His offer blew me out of the water — I had expected twenty, maybe fifty bits at the most. My legs felt weak and before I knew it, I found that I had fallen to my haunches. I slowly looked to Rarity, who looked as if she had just seen a ghost. She stood frozen in place, slack-jawed, for several long moments before visibly shaking herself out of the daze.

“T-Two thousands... bits?” she stammered out weakly. The stallion nodded to her before looking back to me expectantly.

I felt conflicted and looked to the floor, deep in thought, for a few moments.

That’s a lot of money... but I painted that for Rarity, as a thank you for everything she has done for me...

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, before looking back up to him.

“I... I’m— I don’t have the words, but... that’s—”

“That’s not enough, hm? What was I thinking!” he interjected, rolling his eyes with a smile. “I mean, you are the daughter of Canvas after all. Three thousand bits.”

Even while sitting, I found that I had somehow managed to lose my balance, and fell over onto my side.

Rarity lost her balance as well and fell to her haunches. “M-M-More?! ...That’s—That’sa lot of money...” she stated in a deep, entranced groan.

I picked myself up off the floor before looking up to Mr. Rich. “I-I’m sorry... but—”

Before I could say any more, Rarity immediately snapped out of her daze and flew across the room, frantically stuffing a hoof in my mouth.

“SOLD!” she shouted, looking back to the business stallion with a nervous smile. He reciprocated with a wide smile of his own.

“Wonderful!” he declared, trotting up to the exit. “I’ll be right back with the payment. We can discuss my suit once I return.”

I removed Rarity’s hoof to oppose. “B-But—”

Again, before I could say any more, Rarity stuffed her hoof back into my mouth. “Great! I’ll see you here shortly then!”

He nodded to the fashionista before trotting out the door. Rarity stepped away from me with a sheepish, guilty look.

“Rarity... why?” I asked, tilting my head in confusion. “That painting was for you...”

Rarity bit her lip nervously. “I know darling,” she started, before her expression turned serious, “but honestly, just the thought of you having made me something so wonderful is more than enough for me.” She walked up to me and rested her forehooves on my shoulders, looking me in the eyes. “Prism, opportunities like this are beyond rare. You do realize just howmuch money three thousands bits is — right?”

I slowly shook my head. “N-Not really... I know it is a lot of money...” I replied with a sheepish smile.

Rarity let out a deep sigh before shaking her head. “Let me give you an example, dear,” she said, before clearing her throat and taking a few steps back. “Although I would very much appreciate it if you kept what I’m about to tell you to yourself.”

I nodded slowly. “I promise.”

Rarity beamed me a smile. “Thank you darling. Anyway...” She gestured a hoof all around her boutique. “An entire season’s collection of mine brings in roughly eight hundred bits profit.” My eyes went wide before blinking a few times.

Rarity gestured to my painting. “Keeping that figure in mind: you just sold your painting for three thousand bits — all of it pure profit, with no costs to speak of. In other words, you just made more in a day than I make in a year.” She walked up to me. “That is why I stopped you from objecting, dear. I wasn’t about to let an opportunity like that pass you by; not for my sake.”

I looked to the floor and brought a forehoof to my muzzle in thought.

Mother was very famous and had many, many opportunities to sell her paintings; apparently for several thousand bits each, no less. If Rarity makes less than that, yet lives this kind of life...

“Prism, darling? Are you alright?” Rarity asked with a touch of concern. I shook my head, quickly looking up to her.

“Oh, sorry, I was just thinking,” I said, before looking to my cutie mark. “Mother was very famous for her paintings and had several offers to sell them, but she declined them all.”

Rarity nodded. “Yes, it is a well-known fact that Canvas never sold any of her paintings,” she added matter-of-factly. Then she brought a hoof to her chin. “Although... rumour has it, she supposedly did sell one...”

My ears fell back at her words.

“Do you know anything about that, Prism?” Rarity looked at me expectantly.

I shook my head. “No... I don’t,” I answered flatly, and looked to the floor.

Rarity blinked a few times. “I’m sorry... I just figured, since she was your mother, maybe you would—”

“I said I don’t know!” I yelled back, looking up to her angrily. I paused for a moment before covering a gasp and sinking down to the floor.

“I-I’m sorry... I-I, I didn’t mean to yell at you like that...” I said slowly.

Rarity shook her head. “No, it’s fine, darling. I shouldn’t have pried.” She cleared her throat with a small cough. “Anyway, let me worry about the details of the sale, dear.” Rarity’s expression crept into a smile.

“Besides, if I’m not mistaken, there's a certain pegasus out there who’s very worried about you, and who would be very happy to know that you're awake and alright,” the fashionista said with a wink.

I returned with a soft smile. “Yes, I was just about to go see her before all of this happened,” I said, looking to the painting. “Three thousand bits...” I brought a hoof to my muzzle, “I don’t even know what I’m going to do with that kind of money...”

Rarity covered a small laugh. “I’m sure you will think of something, darling,” she said before turning away, “though I think you have something more important to worry about right now.” She trotted up to a group of dresses before looking back to me.

“Oh, and when you’re done with her, Prism, could you tell Fluttershy to come see me?” Her expression shifted to a serious one. “It’s very important.”

I nodded. “I will, and, um... thanks, Rarity,” I said, sheepishly twirling a hoof along the floor. “I am grateful for you looking out for me, even if I still feel a little bad about selling your painting...”

Rarity waved a hoof dismissively. “Think nothing of it, darling. Now run along, you have somepony’s day to brighten,” she said with a chuckle before turning back to her work. “See you later, Prism.”

“I’ll be back later.”

With that, I turned for the door and made my way outside the boutique.

* * * * * * * * * *

I found myself lost in thought during the walk to Fluttershy’s cottage. In just a few minutes, I had gone from a mare with nothing to her name — besides the generosity of her friends — to somepony with more bits than most ponies would make in several years. I had absolutely no idea what to do with my newfound wealth. My first thought would have been a new easel and painting supplies, but I had already been given all of that.

I lost my train of thought as Fluttershy’s cottage came into view. It was...

“Beautiful...” I cooed aloud to myself.

During the winter, it had had a warm, comfortable feel to it. Now, with spring here, it was blooming with the colors of life all around it.

I absolutely must paint this place...

I nodded to myself as I crossed the small bridge over the now-flowing creek to her home. Animals of all shapes and sizes could be found along the path up to the cottage. They seemed to regard me with a sense of curiosity, watching me closely as I approached the door and gave it a few soft knocks.

I waited a few minutes, but there was no answer. I knocked again, then spent several more minutes waiting fruitlessly.

I guess she’s not home...

A sudden wave of disappointment wash over me. My visit with Fluttershy would have to be postponed for now.

Well, Twilight’s my next stop then.

I let out a soft sigh before turning back to make my way to Ponyville. When I crossed the little bridge over the stream, however, my ears perked up at a distant sound.

“Prism!” a faint voice called from somewhere behind me.

I turned around just in time to see a yellow and pink blur tackle me. The resulting impact sent the two of us tumbling off the side of the bridge and into the stream below with a large splash. The water was icy cold and the sudden, chilly shock left me gasping for air. That quickly passed, though; the warm sensation of a mare lying atop me, hugging me tightly, swiftly brushed my discomfort away with the passing currents.

“I was so worried about you!” she exclaimed softly, tightening her hug around me. “I thought we were going to lose you!”

I slowly wrapped my forelegs around her, returning the hug. “I’m so sorry to have worried you, Fluttershy,” I said as I began slowly stroking her mane. “I promise, I won’t do anything to scare you like that ever again.”

Eventually, she slowly broke the embrace and sat up on me. Her soaked mane was hanging low, obscuring much of her face from view as she looked down to me. That odd, fluttering sensation I had felt the night before my accident snaked through me again as I looked back up at her. I couldn’t help but notice that her wet hair, hanging like that, was very, very beautiful...

She parted her hair with a hoof and beamed me a weak smile. As she did this I got a good look at her face, and my eyes widened at what I saw. There were horrible dark rings around her eyes, which had heavy bags below them; she looked as if she hadn’t had any sleep for a good while.

“Fluttershy! Have you not been sleeping?” I asked with great concern as I sat up to meet her. “You look awful...”

She shook her head. “Oh no, don’t worry about me,” she replied sleepily, ”I’ve just been, um... working really late.” She let out a small, delicate yawn. “There has just, um, been so much to do, with the new season, I haven’t been able to get much sleep.”

I narrowed my eyes at her; I could tell she wasn’t being honest with me.

“You haven’t been sleeping because you have been worrying about me... haven’t you?” I asked sternly.

“That, um, might be a—uh—small part of the reason, yes,” she replied sheepishly, tapping the tips of her forehooves together with a forced smile.

I let out a hard sigh before scooting out from under her. “You need to get some sleep,” I stated flatly, “and I’m going to make sure you get it.”

Up until now, Fluttershy had looked after me on a number of occasions, and it appeared it was now time for me to return the favor. I walked up to her and hoisted the exhausted pegasus onto my back. She let out a soft squeak in surprise and tried to oppose, but I quickly hushed her. I wasn’t about to let my best friend run herself into the ground any further because of me. She was going to get some sleep, right now.

Much to my surprise, I found that Fluttershy was extremely light for her size. She seemed to weigh next to nothing, so it took little effort to carry her up to the cottage.

She’s really light... I wonder if that’s a pegasus thing? They have to be able to fly after all, it would make sense if they were lighter than the other ponies.

As we entered, I noticed the house seemed almost as if it was alive, compared with my last visit. Small critters were darting to and fro across the floor, while several birds were perched on the many birdhouses that lined the walls and ceiling. I looked back to Fluttershy with a soft smile.

She really does love animals, and they seem to trust her.

I carried her up to her room and asked where I could find a towel for her. She gestured vaguely to a basket of laundry across the room. I gently sat her down in the middle of the room before walking up to the basket to find a towel. With my magic, I levitated it toward her and began drying her mane.

“Oh, I can get it, don’t worry—”

“You’re always worrying and looking out for others, Fluttershy. Sometimes you need to let somepony worry and look out for you,” I interjected as I began to dry to her back and sides. “You were there for me when I was hurt, when I was injured, and when I felt that nopony really understood me. Now it’s my turn,” I added as I finished with her tail.

“Now, get in bed,” I said, nudging her gently, ”and let me know what you still have to do today. I’ll take care of it for you.”

“I couldn’t ask you to—”

“I will not take no for an answer, Fluttershy,” I said with a small smile, before walking up to her and gently bumping my forehead into hers. “Now... get to bed, and let me know what needs to be done.”

Fluttershy paused for a few moments before slowly nodding and climbing into bed. She began to rattle off a surprisingly long list of chores she had left to do. It was going to be a bit of work, but I really wanted to help her so that she could get some rest. With her list in mind, I decided the first thing I should do is feed her animal friends, and so I made my way downstairs. After a few steps, however, I slowed to a stop.

...Where does she keep their food?

I turned back up the stairs and re-entered her room.

“Um, Fluttershy, where do you... keep...” I trailed off when I noticed that Fluttershy had already fallen fast asleep.

She must have been really tired, and now that her worries have been lifted off her shoulders, she probably shut down pretty quickly.

I covered a small laugh.

“Sweet dreams, Fluttershy,” I whispered softly, before heading back downstairs.

* * * * * * * * * *

Over the next two hours or so, I went about doing the chores Fluttershy still had left to do. I was surprised at just how much care she took in the well-being of her animal friends, seeing to it that their every need was met. She made sure they always had food, listened to their problems and gave them advice. Unfortunately, I mostly had to guess at what the animals were trying to communicate to me via pantomime.

Mr. Beaver, for example, wasn’t too happy with me when I assumed he meant for me to push a log, when he had actually intended me for me to pull it. The end result was, of course, me making a giant mess of the section of the dam he was working on, but I made it up to him by cleaning up the mess and helping until his dam was finished. He was grateful — or at least I think he was... It's hard to be sure when you don’t speak beaver.

My favorite part of the chores was when I got to feed all the baby animals; they were sooooooo cute! I quickly saw why spring was so special to Fluttershy: she got to work with these adorable animals every day! No wonder she felt so lonely during the winter, when she was used to all this interaction everyday.

I made my way back into the cottage after finishing with the last item on my mental checklist. I paused in thought for a moment, after walking to the center of the front room.

Rarity wanted me to send Fluttershy her way when I was finished visiting, but....

I looked across the room to the staircase leading up to Fluttershy’s room.

I think I’ll leave her a note instead. She needs her sleep.

Looking around the room, it wasn’t long until I found some parchment and a quill. I set to begin a message for her, but before I could write anything there was the sudden impact of something hard hitting me on the side of the head.

“Ow!” I cried out, rubbing the side of my head with a forehoof.

I turned to face the direction of the attack, only to find a single white rabbit standing in the doorway to the kitchen. I didn’t recognize this rabbit from the bunnies I had been feeding earlier. I looked it over for a moment, before a slideshow of flashbacks replayed in my mind, and I heard Fluttershy’s voice:

“I have a bunny. Although, he isn’t too good with strangers...”

“Angel Bunny ‘never’ lets me miss meal time, he is very adamant about it.”

My ears perked up when I realized just who this rabbit was. “Oh, you must be Angel Bunny, aren’t you?” I asked him with a small smile.

He folded his forelegs with a frown, nodding.

“It’s nice to meet you, Angel. I’m Pris—”

Angel stomped a foot a few times, gesturing first to the clock and then to his open mouth.

I looked at the clock. It read 12:13 PM.

“Oh! You must be hungry. I haven’t fed you yet, have I?” I asked, covering my muzzle with a hoof.

Angel placed his forelegs on his hips, tilting his head and shooting me a colorful look.

“Well, um... wait there for just a moment,” I instructed before trotting past him and into the kitchen.

Let’s see... all rabbits love carrots, and they are good for them.

I walked up to the cabinet which I had discovered held the vegetables earlier, and removed a single carrot from it, before closing it again with a hind leg as I turned around. I quickly trotted back to the bunny and placed the carrot on the floor in front of him.

“There you go little guy, eat up!” I exclaimed softly.

Angel looked down to the carrot briefly, then folded back an ear and raised an eyebrow, looking up to me with a dumbfounded expression. I leaned down and nudged the carrot a little closer to him with my muzzle.

“Go on, no need to be shy.”

He shot me a sharp glare before suddenly punting the carrot straight into my face. I let out a small squeak in surprise as it bounced off my nose with a hard thud.

“Okay, um... so, no carrots then,” I mused, rubbing my snout with a forehoof. My ears perked up when an idea hit me.

Apples! Mr. Wiggles always loved apples.

I stood back up, returned to the pantry, and produced a single Golden Delicious apple before once again closing it behind me.

This should do the trick!

I happily trotted back to the doorway and sat the apple down in front of Angel.

“Here you go! This was my best friend’s very most favorite treat,” I said with much enthusiasm, watching him expectantly. He looked down to the apple before picking it up in his forepaws.

“See, there you go! Eat u—”

I was interrupted by the apple being launched at me, splatting in my face. I let out another soft squeak, shrinking down from the sudden blow and looking back to the bunny with a look of concern.

“You don’t want carrots or apples?” I asked in confusion, as I wiped the remains of the apple off me with a foreleg. “So, what will you eat?”

Angel brought a forepaw to his chin for a moment before his expression lit up. He quickly hopped out of the room, only to return a few moments later carrying a large book. He flipped through the pages before opening the book wide and shoving it in my face. I took a step back and examined the opened page; it featured a large bowl of fruit salad with a cherry on top. The dish looked really tasty, so I couldn’t really blame him for wanting one.

“Um, o-okay... since you’re Fluttershy’s special friend, I’ll make it for you,” I replied hesitantly. Angels expression exploded into glee. He set down the book and happily hopped away.

I looked over the recipe for a few moments. My ears fell back and I let out a hard sigh. “Well, I guess I had better find all of these ingredients first,” I mused, and sauntered over to the kitchen.

The next few minutes I spent rummaging through the kitchen and collecting the wide variety of ingredients needed for the fruit salad. After double-checking the list, though, I realized I was short three apples. I scratched my head with a forehoof.

‘Well, that won’t do... Fluttershy is out of apples.’

I paused for a moment, brooding over my options.

‘Well, I could always make the salad without the apples, but I have this lurking feeling Angel wouldn’t be too happy about that. Plus, Fluttershy would still be out of apples, and I imagine she needs those for other things, as well...’

“I think I’ll go out and buy some,” I said aloud to nopony in particular.

With that goal in mind, I made my way out of the cottage and began the short walk back to town.

I wonder if Rarity finished with Mr. Filthy yet? I don’t have any bits on me; I guess should stop by the boutique to check and see. Something to carry them inwould also be helpful...

* * * * * * * * * *

The walk back to town was quite lovely, I admired the peaceful surroundings of nature during my short trip, before returning to the hustle and bustle of the town square. One thing I was taking note of more and more was the fact that fewer ponies were stopping to stare at me, although quite a few stallions still stole the occasional glance before I took notice of them directly. I couldn’t help but recall Applejack’s mention of how stallions seemed to be checking me out, earlier today, and smiled to myself a little.

I wonder if Big Macintosh thinks of me like that? He did say I was pretty, but just how did he mean that complement?

Having reached the boutique, I let myself in and took a look around. The first thing I noticed was that the painting was now missing.

I guess it’s been sold, which means my bits should be here.

My mind began to wander again for a few moments, the thought of what to do with so much money was still overwhelming. I eventually shook the thought out of my head.

No time for that, I need to find Rarity.

“Hello? Rarity?” I called out, approaching the bottom of the stairs.

“Coming!” the familiar voice of the fashionista sang, before she made her appearance at the top of the stairs. “Oh, Prism! Back so soon?” she asked, descending the stairs to join me in the boutique below.

“Is Fluttershy with you?” she asked, scanning the room before looking back to me. I shook my head.

“No, she’s getting some much-needed rest. You should've seen her, Rarity, she just looked awful,” I replied with a small frown.

Rarity’s expression sank slightly, and she closed her eyes with a nod. “She came by this morning, shortly before you arrived. The poor dear looked as though she was ready to collapse,” she said, bringing a hoof to her chin. “In any case, since you’re back here, I’m going to assume you are done with your errands for the day?”

I shook my head with a soft hum. “Quite the opposite actually,” I replied. ”I plan to do a little shopping for Fluttershy, since she is in need of a few things and I want to let her get as much rest as possible.” I pawed at the floor with a forehoof. “So, I, uh, need some bits, and maybe something to carry groceries in. Think you could let me borrow some saddlebags, Rarity?”

Rarity’s expression quickly lit up. “Actually, darling, I have something for you! Wait right here, if you would,” she said, and trotted off upstairs. She was gone for only a minute or two before she returned to the room, levitating a pair of off-white saddlebags.

“I made these for you the other day. What do you think?” she asked as she rested them on my back.

I turned my head and shifted positions to examine them. Their color was a slightly darker shade of white than my coat. What was really unique about them, however, was the large buckle, in the shape of my cutie mark, on the lid-straps that rested along either side of the bags. I looked back to her with a small frown.

“Rarity, you didn’t hav—”

“Yes, I know, I didn’t have to — but I wanted to!” she exclaimed with a wink. “Since you lost your previous pair, I assumed you would be needing a new pair sometime soon. So I decided to tailor a set for you in my free time.”

My ears fell back, and I let out a loud sigh of defeat. “Alright... well, thank you, Rarity,” I said, but I also gave her a look of concern. “You really need to stop giving me things, though, especially since I have my own money now.”

Rarity promptly waved a dismissive hoof at me and turned away. “Nonsense, darling. You are my friend, and I am more than happy to part with things that you need, without charging you for them.” She paused for a moment, before turning back to me. “Oh, and speaking of which, I left a pouch of fifty bits in your left satchel.”

Looking at said satchel and giving it a small shake, I noticed the extra weight and the small jingle it made.

“Thank you, Rarity,” I said with a smile. “Well, I am off to do some shopping then. I won’t be back until very late tonight, most likely; Twilight and I have a lot to discuss.”

Rarity nodded. “Very well. I’ll be up quite late myself, working on some orders, so I will see you when you get home,” she said, and then trotted over to the stairs. She glanced back at me briefly. “Take care, darling.”

I covered a small laugh before giving her a wink. “I will. And thanks again!”

* * * * * * * * * *

Now having the resources I needed, I exited the boutique and made my way back out into the busy town square. I scanned the assorted stalls, looking over the miscellaneous goods the sellers had to offer. It didn’t take long for me to find what I was looking for. I was surprised to see who was running the stall, but after giving it some thought, it really wasn’t all that surprising. It was a familiar orange earth pony, with her trademark Stetson hat, who stood next to the cart, flagging down ponies passing by.

“Um, hello, Applejack,” I said as I approached the cart.

Applejack turned to me with a look of surprise, which was quickly replaced with a smile. “Well howdy there, Prism! Doin’ some shoppin’?”

“Yes, actually, I’m getting a few things for Fluttershy, she’s, um... out of apples, so...”

Applejack let out a soft chuckle. “Well, you came to the right place then,” she replied with a wink.

“Hey AJ,” came a deep, distinctive baritone voice from behind me, “here’s the rest.”

I quickly turned around to discover Big Macintosh, hauling a large trailer of apples, just inches away. Startled, I lost my balance and fell to my haunches with a small squeak. I felt my face flush slightly as I slowly looked up to him with a forced smile.

You sure have a way of making a foal of of yourself in front of him...

“Oh, h-hello, Big Macintosh,” I managed to force out, nervously tapping my forehooves together.

He looked down to me with a small nod and a smile. “Howdy, Prism,” he said, before unhooking himself from the trailer of apple bushels.

Applejack trotted around the stall and up to me. “You okay there, Sugarcube?”

“Y-Yeah, I’m fine,” I replied as I turned to face her.

Applejack's eyes widened for a brief moment as she looked me over, before her expression crept into a smug smile. “Say... Big Macintosh, since you’re here, mind watchin’ the cart while Ah go on a short break?” she asked her brother before gesturing to me. “Prism here was just about to buy some of these here apples. Mind seeing to her for me?”

The stallion shook his head. “Eenope, go ahead AJ. I’ll watch the cart ‘till you’re back,” he replied, before walking around the stand to where Applejack had been when I had first arrived.

“Thanks, Mac,” she said, glancing at me with a quick wink before trotting off.

I extended a hoof to her. “W-Wait, Applejack!” I called out in desperation, but she simply continued trotting away, obviously ignoring me.

Applejack! YOU TRAITOR!

I swallowed hard, got back onto my hooves, and turned to Big Macintosh. I let out a faint whimper.

Why did you have to leave me alone with him like this?

I steeled myself before taking a few steps closer to the cart. Big Macintosh gave me an acknowledging nod as I approached.

Okay, relax girl, remember what Rarity said: be subtle. Act-casual-act-casual-act-casual.

“What can I do ya for, ma’am?” he asked, looking down at me expectantly.

I fidgeted in place for a few moments while I collected my words. “I, um... w-would like to buy some apples. A, uh, dozen... i-if you would, please,” I stammered out, fumbling with my saddlebags before finally procuring my pouch of bits.

He went about collecting the apples from a nearby bushel while I counted out the coins. I looked to a sign on the stall:

APPLES:

Individual: 1 bit

Dozen: 10 bits

Bushel: 30 bits.

“That’ll be five bits ma’am,” Big Macintosh said in a calm tone.

I paused, studying the sign once again. “B-but, the sign says...” I gestured to it in my confusion.

He let out a soft chuckle. “Don’t y’all worry none, five bits will do,” he said with a quick wink.

I opened my mouth to protest, but no coherent words came, only stammering accompanied by awkward, wild gesturing from my part. I quickly covered my muzzle with a hoof to silence my foalishness, blushing profusely.

“O-okay...” I eventually managed to force out, at a volume just above a whisper, and I placed five bits on the cart’s counter.

By the look on his face, I could tell that Big Macintosh was struggling not to burst out into laughter. I could hardly blame him, though; I could only imagine how silly that must have looked. I was making such a foal of myself...

“T-Thank you,” I said as I collected Fluttershy’s apples and hastily stashed them in my saddlebag. “But, um... you didn’t have to do that for me, I could have paid full price.”

He let out a small chuckle as he shook his head in objection. “Ah couldn’t charge full price to a pretty mare like yourself.”

I froze for a moment, and found myself quickly becoming very flustered by his words. My face flushed hot, and I cursed myself for having such a white coat, because it did absolutely nothing to hide all the blushing. I sat to my haunches and covered my face with both forehooves.

Dear Celestia, girl! You call that subtle? You may as well just be screaming at the top of your lungs at him!

I took a deep breath before parting the hooves in front of my face.

Okay, this is a good opportunity to ask him — don’t blow it!

“Um, t-thank you.... You know, you’re, uh, quite... handsome, yourself,” I said, sheepishly tapping the tips of my forehooves together. “Your very special somepony is, um, very lucky...”

“Why, thank ya kindly. And she would be, I guess; if’n Ah had one...” He chuckled softly.

I did it, I asked him! And he is single!

I could barely contain myself as I looked away, desperately trying to hold back my excitement. Though, as excited as I was, nothing could have prepared me for what came next.

“Ya know, you seem like a real sweet mare... How would you like to join me for some dinner tonight? My treat,” he added with a soft smile.

My excitement — actually, my entireexistence — came to a screeching halt as the trainwreck that had once been my mind tried desperately to comprehend what had just happened.

D-did... did he just ask me out... t-to, dinner?

I replayed the event over and over in my mind, but couldn’t quite grasp it; it was just too good to be true. Big Macintosh, the object of my infatuation, asked me out to dinner.

Does this mean he likesme? ...No, I better not get ahead of myself; it’s just dinner, Prism... But it’s a start!

“S-Sure... I’d, um, I’d love to,” I replied whilst trying my best to hold back my signature goofy smile, which was creeping onto my muzzle again. I paused for a moment before looking to my saddlebags.

Horseapples! Istill have to get back and feed Angel! He’ll be very upset if I make him wait any longer, and I don’t want to upset Fluttershy’s important friend. I wonder if Big Macintosh would be up for dinner tomorrow? I’m going to the spa with Rarity and Fluttershy tomorrow, of course, but I should be free in the evening...

My ears fell back as I let out a soft sigh.

“U-Um, Big Macintosh?” I said hesitantly, looking up to him. “I, um, would very much love to join you tonight, but...” I bit my lower lip as I pieced together the words. “I’m actually running errands for a friend, and have somepony waiting for my return. Would t-tomorrow work?”

I hope he’s not upset I can’t join him toni—

“Eeyup. Don’t you worry none ‘bout me, I don’t want to get in the way of your business. Tomorrow works just fine.”

In my relief, I let out a deep breath that I hadn’t even realized I was holding until now. “Thank you for understanding,” I said, before looking back to my saddlebags again. “I need to get going, but, um, I’ll come by your place at around 6 PM tomorrow then, okay?”

“Eeyup,” he replied with a nod. “I’ll see you then. You have yourself a nice day, Prism.”

“You too.”

I turned and began trotting away. It didn’t take much more than a few moments before the excitement came back. I found myself with a large smile plastered on my face, which just wouldn’t go away.

“Well, Ah reckon you look happier than a worm in an apple tree,” came a familiar accented voice from my left. I turned to see Applejack trotting up to me.

“So, what has you up in such high spirits?” she asked with a smug smile.

I covered my smile with a hoof.

“Oh, um... n-no reason,” I replied, quickly continuing on my way.

“He asked you, didn’t he?”

I froze in mid-step before very slowly looking back to her.

“H-How... how did you know?” I asked, taken aback.

Applejack let out a long chuckle.

“Well, Ah reckoned you were sweet on my brother by the way you was acting at the hospital,” she replied with a wink. “An’ if that weren’t enough, the moment Big Macintosh got back home he had a whole heap’o’questions ‘bout ya for me.”

My expression blanked, and I idly blinked a few times. “R-Really?” I asked dumbfoundedly. “He asked questions... about me?”

Applejack gave a swift nod in response. “He sure as sugar did,” she said, her expression shifting into a rather smug smile. “That’s why Ah left y’all alone together. Ah figured something would happen.” She changed her stance into a more relaxed, leaning posture. “Turns out Ah was right...”

I gave her a small glare. “Applejack, I don’t know if I should be really mad at you right now, or—” I quicked launched myself at her, embracing her tightly. “—thanking you! Oh, thank you so much!”

Applejack braced herself as to not fall over from the sudden addition of my weight.

“Whoa now, sugarcube! I didn’t do anything special,” she said with a laugh, before taking a step back and adjusting her hat. “I simply gave you two the opportunity, and y’all handled it yourselves.”

My ears fell back, and I looked away with a small blush. “A-All I did was make a complete foal of myself. It was your brother and his confidence that did everything.”

Applejack suddenly burst out into sharp laughter. “Confidence?! Why, I’m willin’ to bet ya every apple tree in our orchard that he was shakin’ in his horseshoes the whole time!” She needed a moment to compose herself before she could continue. “Don’t let his calm expressions fool ya none, he gets a’might nervous around mares, ‘specially the ones he likes.”

So Big Macintosh really does ‘like-like’ me! ...but wait, what does Applejack think of this?

“Erm, Applejack?” I began with a nervous smile. “What do you think of, um...this? I mean, he is your brother...”

Her expression suddenly turned rather stern. “Look, Sugarcube... Ah may have jumped the gun on you back there in the cellar, but what happened then don’t mean I think any less of ya as a pony,” she said before her expression softened. “Besides, anypony Fluttershy speaks so highly of can’t be a bad pony. Ah know you have a good heart, Prism.” She adjusted her hat with a soft smile. “And should things between the two of y’all work out well, why, that would be just swell by me; there’s always room for more in the Apple family.” She reached over and rustled my mane with a hoof. “Now, as much as Ah’d love to stay and ask ya ‘bout all the details, Ah gotta get back to work. Them apples won’t sell themselves, ya know.”

I smiled down to my hooves coyly. “Thank you, Applejack,” I said, looking up to her. “Really... thank you.”

She promptly shook her head. “There y’all go, thankin’ me again! Ah told ya Ah didn’t do nothin’ special,” she said, tipping her hat to me. “You have yourself a good one, now, ya hear?”

I smiled and nodded, and Applejack returned the favor before trotting back in the direction of her apple cart.

“You did far more than you could possibly imagine...” I whispered to myself under my breath, before continuing on my way to Fluttershy’s cottage.

It wasn’t long after I had left town that the reality of it truly began to sink in.

Big Macintosh ‘likes’ me, Applejack approves of it, and I have a date with him! ...well, sort of, but it’s close enough!

I found myself slowing to a stop as a giddy wave of excitement washed over me. A very girlish squeal escaped me, and I danced about in place for a moment. Then I paused suddenly and took a good look around the surrounding area.

I hope nopony saw or heard that...

Looking around in embarrassment for a few moments longer, I eventually dismissed my concerns with a small laugh, before quickly trotting off back to Fluttershy’s.

Chapter 12: Overwhelming Circumstances.

The short walk to Fluttershy’s only took a few minutes, and I soon found myself back at the door to the cozy little cottage. I let myself in, only to be immediately greeted by a very upset-looking white rabbit. He shot me a sharp glare, gesturing first to the kitchen and then back to his open mouth. I gave him a sheepish smile.

That, um... did take a lot longer than I expected.

“I’m sorry Angel, I didn’t mean to take... so...” I trailed off as I watched the small rabbit approach me, then walk around behind me.

In one fluid motion, the bunny gave me a swift kick in the flank. I let out a small yip, jumping slightly in place. He once again impatiently gestured to the kitchen.

“O-Okay, I’m going... I’m sorry,” I said hesitantly, before swiftly making my way into the kitchen and laying my saddlebags to rest on the floor.

He’s really upset... I hope the fruit salad will make it up to him though.

The next few minutes passed rather quickly as I put away the remaining apples and prepared Angel’s meal. My tummy rumbled a few times as I made it; it just looked and smelled so delicious, reminding me of the fact that I hadn’t eaten yet today.

I really need to start eating breakfast before I leave in the mornings...

I let out a long sigh at the thought; I didn’t like eating Rarity’s food.

Having finished Angel bunny’s meal, I looked the dish over and nodded to myself—it turned out great! Due to the delicate nature of the dish, I decided to use my magic to levitate the treat into the next room and set it on the table. This proved surprisingly difficult, since it was heavier than I had anticipated.

“There you go Angel, just what you wanted!” I exclaimed exhaustedly, wiping a few beads of sweat from my forehead.

The small rabbit hopped up to the table happily, but paused when he got a good look of the dish. He turned back to me with a cold glare, before hopping off the table and into the kitchen.

“What’s wrong Angel? Don’t you want it?” I asked, tilting my head in confusion.

A few moments later he returned with the cookbook from before and promptly opened it, pointing at the picture alongside the recipe, and then to the actual dessert itself. I looked between the two, scratching the top of my head with a hoof.

“But... I made it just how the book told me—”

I was abruptly cut off with a hard slap, before having the book practically shoved into my face. I let out a loud yip, before taking a step back and examining the image closely, comparing it to the dessert in question. Only then did I see it: it was missing sprinkles.

“I-I’m sorry, but I didn’t think that that would really matt—”

Another hard slap from the small rabbit interrupted me, eliciting yet another loud yip. He stomped his foot a few times before gesturing back to the kitchen.

I nodded slowly. “O-okay...” I replied weakly, slouching as I took a few steps towards the kitchen.

A sleepy voice called out to me. “...Prism?”

My ears perked up, and I turned to the familiar voice to find Fluttershy standing at the bottom of the staircase.

“Are you okay? I heard some noises and I was...” Her words trailed off to a whisper. She quickly trotted up to me and examined me closely. “Prism, what happened to you? Why is your face all red?” She looked me over with great concern, then glanced at the dessert on the table, and finally down at Angel Bunny.

At that moment, something unexpected happened: the kind, sweet and gentle Fluttershy that I had come to know suddenly vanished. She looked back to me with a very stern, upset look. “...Did he ask you to make that for him?” she asked, her tone cold and her eyes narrowed.

“Well, um... yes.” I replied sheepishly, falling to my haunches and slowly tapping the tips of my forehooves together.

Her expression only fell further. “Did he ask you to make it for him?” she repeated herself, slightly louder and with more emphasis than before.

I felt a cold chill run down my spine as she took a step closer; her dominating presence crushing down on me.

“I-I’m... I’m sorry! I tried feeding him a carrot, b-but he wouldn’t take it! Then I tried an apple, and he didn’t want that either! I-I didn’t mean to use so much of your food! I’m so—”

She lifted a hoof, hushing me and shaking her head with a soft smile.

“It’s fine, Prism, don’t worry about that,” she said with her normal, soft demeanor, before turning back to Angel, who was apparently in the process of trying to sneak away.

She trotted up to him and cut off his escape path, and looked down to him with the same soft smile she had given me. Though something was off... Angel Bunny’s expression was slowly slipping into one of sheer horror. Before I could give the scene any more thought, Fluttershy erupted into anger.

“ANGEL BUNNY!” she boomed down to the little rabbit with a sinister sneer, her wings flaring open. “You may be demanding with me, which is fine, and you may be disrespectful to me, which is also fine, but you do NOT, I repeat YOU DO,NOT! DISRESPECT. MY. GUESTS!” she roared at Angel, before leaning in really close to him. “Prism is a very special friend and I will NOTtolerate you disrespecting her EVER again!” she demanded. Turning her head and bringing a eye right up to him, she added: “...You got that?”

Angel stood frozen, looking absolutely mortified. After several long moments he swallowed hard and nodded weakly.

“Good, now you take that carrot she offered you and you go and think about what you’ve done!” Fluttershy said sharply and with a heavy glare, before gesturing a hoof to the front door.

In the blink of an eye, Angel disappeared into the kitchen, only to reappear an instant later toting the carrot I tried to feed him earlier. In one swift motion he hopped up to the door’s handle and opened it, quickly disappearing outside and shutting it behind him.

Fluttershy let out a long, drawn-out sigh, and then slowly turned back to me.

“I’m sorry you had to see that, but I wasn’t about to let him get away with treating you like that...” she said softly, hiding her face behind her mane.

I quickly made a dismissive gesture with my hoof. “N-No, it’s fine! I didn’t mind!” I blurted out with a forced smile.

She looked to me with a gentle, sad expression as she slowly walked up to me. “Please don't be afraid of me,” she said quietly, coyly drawing circles on the floor with a hoof. “I, uh... just really care about you and, um, can’t stand to see you treated that way by anypony—even another friend.”

She paused for a moment,  looking back to the dessert on the table.

“Um, Prism?” she began softly, and gestured to the treat. “Would you like to, um... share that with me? It’s okay if you don’t want to; I could finish the rest later...” She looked away, hiding her face behind her mane again.

It wasn’t hard to tell that guilt weighed heavy on Fluttershy’s words. I couldn’t stand to see her so sad. I felt a sharp pain in my chest as I looked her over and felt compelled to cheer her up, right away.

“I’m not scared of you Fluttershy. I was just surprised, that's all,” I said softly and reassuringly as I trotted up to her. “I could never be afraid of you, or even upset at you...” I brought a hoof to her chin and lifted her head to face me. “And I would absolutely love to share that with you.” I said, indicating the dessert in question with a tilt of my head. “So cheer up, please? I don’t like it when you look so sad.”

Fluttershy managed a weak smile and brushed her hair out of her face. “Thank you, Prism.”

“You’re welcome, Fluttershy,” I replied, pulling her into a soft hug.

It was at that moment that I realized something: I really, really liked hugging Fluttershy. I wasn’t sure why, exactly, but I felt so warm inside whenever I was close to her; it reminded me of when I would hug Mother. It was a feeling that I couldn’t seem to get enough of, and one I hoped I would never lose.

This must be what it’s like to have somepony you’re close to, somepony you can trust... somepony you can call abest friend.

* * * * * * * * * *

It turned out the dessert was even tastier than it looked. I couldn’t help but notice, though, that Fluttershy was unusually quiet today. She was already quiet normally, true, but today was different. She fidgeted a lot, seemed quick to startle, and frequently struggled with words. It wasn’t long before I began to worry that something was bothering her; it wasn’t like her to be so reserved around me.

“Fluttershy...? Are you okay?” I asked with concern, leaning onto the table. “You’re exceptionally quiet today. Is there something on your mind, something that’s bothering you?”

Fluttershy’s ears perked up as she quickly turned to me. “N-No, I’m fine. I’ve just been, um... thinking...” she replied softly, looking down to the table.

“About what?” I asked, while folding back an ear and tilting my head confused. “Talk to me, Fluttershy... I’m worried about you.”

“No, it’s, um, nothing...” Fluttershy said, shaking her head. ”Don’t worry about me.”

I stared at her with a flat look. “You can’t lie to me that easily. I can tell something’s wrong,” I said, gesturing a hoof to my chest. “You know you can talk to me about anything. You listened to me on several occasions, so let me return the favor, okay?”

Fluttershy paused for several long moments, looking like she was deep in thought, before looking back up to me.

“...Okay,” she replied slowly, sitting up in her seat. “You see, I’ve been reading this book... it’s a romance story, and it’s really good, but...” she trailed off, tapping her forehooves together slowly.

“But...?” I said, sitting up as well, and listening intently. “I may not have read many romance stories, nor have I ever really been in love before, but maybe I can relate.”

Fluttershy paused again in thought for several long moments, fidgeting with her mane.

“Well, this story’s protagonist is a, uh, mare, and she eventually comes to realize that she’s in love with another mare. But the other mare doesn’t know...” she said slowly, looking down to the table. “The problem is, that I, uh... really, really like this story, even though it’s, um... about, you know, fillyfoolers.” She paused for another moment before looking back to me. “What's, um... your opinion on that?”she asked, looking at me expectantly. “A mare loving another mare, I mean?”

I looked to the table, bringing a hoof to my chin in thought. “Well, to be honest, I originally thought it might be a little weird, to love another mare.” I looked back up to her. “But I honestly don’t think there is anything really wrong with it. I mean, love is love, right? So why should gender even matter?”

Fluttershy managed a small smile at my words. “So, you, uh, don’t think it’s, um, weird?”

I shook my head. “Well, no, not really.”

Fluttershy’s smile grew a little, but then slowly faded away. “Would you mind if I asked you a, uh... personal question?” Her voice was barely above a whisper.

“Of course. You can ask me anything, Fluttershy,”

Fluttershy opened her mouth as if to say something, but then paused. Many long moments of silence went by before she tried again.

“D-do...  do you think you could, um, ever...” she said, slowly trailing off into an inaudible whisper.

“Take your time,” I said with a small smile, propping my head up on my hoof.

see yourself with another mare?” she asked, reluctantly and in a hushed whisper, before hiding behind her mane again.

I lost my balance, and my head slipped off my hoof and hit the table.

Fluttershy gasped and rushed to my side. “Are you alright?” she asked with great concern.

I sat up and tried to shake it off. “Yes, I’m fine,”  I said with a nervous laugh. ”I, uh, just wasn’t expecting that, thats all...”

Another mare? Well... they would have to be somepony caring, kind, loving, and beautiful... Somepony like...

I glanced over Fluttershy, meeting eyes with her.

Somepony... like Fluttershy...

I felt myself flushing before I could even look away, and I nodded thoughtfully.

“Y-Yes, I, uh, think I could see myself with another mare, yes,” I replied hesitantly. There was a long pause before I felt ready to continue. “What I think matters most is that somepony loves me for who I am.” I took another moment before looking back to Fluttershy. Her worried look had vanished and been replaced by a genuine smile.

“Thank you... I was a little, um, worried that you might have thought it weird—me enjoying a book like that, that is!” she replied hastily, trailing off into another smile and looking away.

I raised an eyebrow at her before letting out a laugh. “Is that what you were so worried about? Of course I don’t! I would never think less of you because of something silly like that,” I said, bonking her on the head with a hoof, which prompted a small squeak from her. “Now, cheer up, okay?”

She looked back to me with one of her signature warm smiles. “Okay.”

* * * * * * * * * *

The two of us conversed for a short while longer while we finished the remainder of our lunch. As much as I loved to stay and spend some more time with Fluttershy, I still had another item on my to-do list to take care of.

“Well, Fluttershy... You know I would love to stay and chat, but I still have some stuff left to do today, so I really should get going,” I said, looking to the clock on the wall and noting that it was already past two in afternoon. “Twilight's expecting me soon.”

“Okay,” she said, standing up.”I don’t want to keep you if you’re busy. Thank you for visiting me though.”

“No need to thank me,” I replied, ”you already know I enjoy your company. Besides... I wanted you to know I was alright.” I stood up with a long stretch. “Now please, be sure to get some sleep tonight, okay?”

Fluttershy covered a small giggle. “Don’t worry, I will,” she said before glancing at the clock. “I still have a few places I need to go, but after that I will go straight to bed, I promise.”

My ears perked up as I remembered Rarity’s message.

“Oh yeah! That reminds me,” I said, turning to her, “Rarity asked me to give you a message.”

“Oh? What did she say?” She looked at me expectantly.

“She said she wants you to come see her as soon as possible, and that it’s really important.” My expression shifted into one of mild concern. “She looked very serious when she said it, too.”

Fluttershy covered her muzzle with a hoof. “Oh, my... Well, I probably should go see her right now, then...”

“Care to walk with me?” I asked, gesturing a hoof to the door. “It’s on the way to the Library anyway.”

Fluttershy’s expression quickly lit up. “Sure, I would love to! Just let me get a few things I’ll need for my errands real quick,” she said as she darted to the stairs, before disappearing up to her room.

This brief moment alone allowed me to reflect on today’s events. So much had happened in only half a day; it was all a bit overwhelming. The first thing that came to mind was my encounter with Big Macintosh at the marketplace, not too long ago.

I still can’t believe that actually happened. According to Applejack, he likes me as much as I like him, apparently... And he made the first move!

One of my signature goofy smiles crept onto my muzzle.

A stallion with confidence, I like that. Although Applejack did say he isn’t really very confident at all, of course... But at least he was confident enough to not just talk to me, but actually ask me out to dinner! That’s more than good enough for me!

I let out a soft, dreamy sigh before my mind drifted off, and I ended up contemplating my newfound wealth once again.

What can I do with all that money? Besides the obvious fancy art supplies, what’s something that I have always wanted, but could never afford...

Sitting down to my haunches, I brought a hoof to my chin in deep thought. I loved arts and crafts, of course; painting had been everything to me before my world came crashing down around me, back in Manehattan.

I would love to get more involved with my painting—and perhaps other some projects—again, but I don’t have anywhere to really... put...every...

My ears perked up and I jumped to my hooves.

“AN ART STUDIO!” I exclaimed in excitement, and I began to trot back and forth in the middle of the room as I considered all the possibilities. “No, wait... I could probably even afford—” I quickly covered my muzzle with with a forehoof, stifling a sharp gasp. “An art gallery...” I said softly to myself, in a shocked whisper, before falling back to my haunches in a daze.

I hardly dared believe the idea was even feasible... When I was a little filly, sure, I had dreamt of owning my own gallery; a place to put all my colorings and show them to the world. But as I got older I quickly realized that that was just a pipedream, something I could never afford...

But now, I can...

My train of thought was interrupted by a mild shaking accompanied by a distant voice.

“Prism! Prism, are you okay?!” Fluttershy cried out to me as she literally shook me back to reality. “I heard you yell and—”

“FLUTTERSHY!” I shouted out, unable to hold back even a single ounce of my excitement as I sprang to my hooves and laid my forehooves on her shoulders. “An art gallery!” I must have had the largest smile in years plastered on my face; I could feel myself beaming with unbridled joy.

Unfortunately, Fluttershy did not quite share the same enthusiasm, given that she had promptly fainted and was now falling limply to the floor. I quickly came to my senses and caught her against me, which, of course, resulted in me falling over, too.

I, uh... I thinkI must have scared her...

“Fluttershy? Fluttershy, wake up!” I called out to her, mildly shaking her. “Wake—”

I was interrupted by a sudden, loud knock at the door. I nervously glanced back and forth between the door and Fluttershy a few times.

Maybe if I ignore them, they will go away? Maybe they’ll think nopony is—

“I know you’re in there, Fluttershy! Open up!” shouted an oddly familiar voice from outside, and the knocking turned into pounding. My ears fell back as I let out a small whimper.

“Fluttershy! Please wake up!” I called out to the unconscious mare as I began to panic, violently shaking her. “I need you!”

There was a loud groan from the door. “That’s it, I’m coming in!” the voice called out, before the door quickly opened to reveal a very agitated-looking Rainbow Dash. “I can’t believe you! You said you would be... there...” She slowly trailed off into stunned silence after her eyes fell upon us.

There was a long moment of awkward silence, and then her cheeks suddenly flared up red. “I-I’m so sorry!” she blurted out, taking a step back.

I raised an eyebrow at her before looking back to Fluttershy, and I felt myself pale. I hadn’t realized it until now, but the two of us were laying atop one another in a rather... suggestive pose, to say the least. The paleness in my face was immediately replaced with a fiery blush. I turned back to Rainbow Dash, wanting to explain, only to be met with a slamming door.

“W-WAIT!” I called out after her, jumping to my hooves.

The effect of this ill-considered act ended up being Fluttershy landing on the floor with a hard thud right next to me. I glanced back to her with a wince, but still made for the door and quickly bolted outside.

I looked frantically around the sky above the cottage, for a brief moment, before taking a deep breath. “COME BAAAAACK!” I cried out as loudly as I could, causing several birds to fly out of the nearby trees in fright.

A few moments of silence passed. I landed on my haunches with a soft whimper.

That was such a horrible misunderstanding! She thought Fluttershy and I were...

My eyes widened at that mental image, and my face flushed hot again; I quickly covered it with both hooves in my embarrassment. I was desperately trying to think of something else, but my mind soon wandered back to that thought, subconsciously toying with it for a minute...

Fluttershy and me. Alone. Laying ever-so-close together, and then—NO!

I swiftly shot up to my hooves and shook the thought out of my head, trying to convince myself it was absurd.

I can’t think that way about her; she’s my best friend! And besides, she's a mare...

I paused for a moment.

“She’s a mare, but...” I softly mused to myself, bringing a hoof to my chin.

Before I could give it any more thought, however, I was distracted by a sudden thud next to me, which startled me and prompted another small jump. I turned to the sound to find a blushing, sheepish-looking Rainbow Dash.

“Oh thank Celestia! You came back!” I cried out in relief. I sighed and began, “Look, I—”

Rainbow Dash held up a hoof, stopping me short. Her expression turned very serious.

“Look, I just wanted to talk to you about Fluttershy,” she said sternly. “Looks like you two are getting a little, uh, close...” She began slowly walking circles around me. “I’ll have you know Fluttershy is a really good friend of mine, and—”

I nervously fell to my haunches and frantically began waving both forehooves at her. “B-But, it’s—”

“Let me finish,” she interjected with a small frown.

I opened my mouth to protest, but Rainbow Dash promptly cut me off again by clearing her throat. Her frown grew and she narrowed her eyes at me slightly. I looked to the ground with a small whimper before slowly nodding.

“Anyways... I’ve known Fluttershy since we were just fillies, and as far as I know, she has never really been close to somepony before—emotionally, I mean. So I’m a little worried about her.” She was still walking while she spoke, but now stopped right in front of me. “She’s delicate, and I just don’t want her to get hurt.”

I quickly shook my head. “We’re not like that!” I blurted out, looking up to her. “We're just friends!”

“Y-You're not?!” Rainbow Dash sputtered, taken aback. “But—I... that...” She just gestured a hoof to Fluttershy’s cottage.

“...was just a big misunderstanding!” I finished for her, shaking my head once more. “Look, here’s what really happened...”

Rainbow Dash paused for a moment, and then nodded.

I let out a long sigh. “Thank you. Um, anyway... how we ended up like, uh... that: I got really excited from an idea I had and suddenly shouted really loudly, and I guess I, um, scared her, because she fainted.” I sat nervously tapping my forehooves together. “And, well, I didn’t want her to get hurt, so I caught her as she fell and she landed right on top of me... It was only a few moments later that you showed up and, well... you know the rest.”

Rainbow Dash stood frozen, slackjawed for several long seconds before turning away and beginning to laugh, sheepishly scratching the back of her neck.

“Oh! Um, eh-hehe... Right.” Her ears fell back as she looked back to me. “Hey... look, I’m sorry about all of this.”

I shook my head with a dismissive hum. “No, it’s fine Rainbow Dash,” I said with a warm smile, ”Fluttershy is a close and important friend of yours; you were just looking out for her.” I beamed at her when I added: “I’m glad she has a good friend like you looking out for her.”

I slowly stood up to my hooves.

“Fluttershy worries and cares so much for others, that she sometimes forgets to take care of herself,” I said, looking back to the cottage.

“...I like you.”

My ears perked up and I turned back to Rainbow Dash, tilting my head confused.

Rainbow Dash let out a small laugh. “I can see why Fluttershy speaks so highly of you. You’re a good pony,” she said, walking up to me. “Anyways, so how you doing? Everypony was worried about you after what happened at Winter Wrap Up...”

“Oh, I’m doing good—great, actually,” I said as a grin crept onto my muzzle. “Today has been a good day so far. Busy, but good. Speaking of which, I was just about to head toward Twilight’s before all of this happened, but now...” I glanced to the cottage for a moment.

“Don’t worry about Fluttershy, I’ll look after her until she wakes up,” she said, trotting up to the cottage door and looking back to me. “I wouldn’t keep Twilight waiting, she’s craaazy serious about keeping schedules.”

I nodded before turning to walk away.

“Thank you!” I called out over my shoulder.

“No problem!”

* * * * * * * * * *

With Rainbow Dash’s words in mind, I hastily made my way into town and headed toward the library. Before I could get there, though, I ended up finding myself in a situation I had never encountered before.

“Hey there gorgeous, what's the rush?” called a voice from above.

I paid the voice no heed, assuming it was addressing somepony else, but a few moments later a stocky, dark brown pegasus stallion landed right in front of me, cutting me off. He was quickly joined by two other stallions who landed on either side of him.

“Well, well, well... what do we have here?” he said to one of his companions, before he began to circle me. “A unicorn mare who’s as white as flour?”

“Uhm...Yeah! Even her mane is white,” chimed in the larger orangish-brown stallion.

“Say, Hoops—hows abouts we show our little friend here a good time, huh?” the obvious leader of this little gang suggested. ”What do you say, Score?” He turned to his second companion: a dark grey stallion, who replied with only a nod.

I shrank down as my ears fell back. “I-I’m, uh, a-actually pretty busy...” I began, taking a few steps back from the trio, “R-right now...”

The stocky brown stallion that had been circling me now stopped at my side, and folded a wing over me.

“Aw, c’mon!” he insisted, leaning in uncomfortably close to me. ”Surely you’re not too busy for, say... some dinner and a movie, right?”

I quickly ducked away from him. “P-please...j-just leave me alone...” I whimpered softly.

I felt myself starting to shake in fear. I’d never had a stallion approach me like this before, let alone a whole group of them! It seemed they wouldn’t take ‘no’ for an answer, and I wasn’t sure what to do...

“Playing hard to get, I see?” the unknown stallion commented while he and his friends slowly began to surround me. “I like that! Now come with us and everything will be juuuust fine... I prom—”

“Y’all best be leaving the little miss alone, if ya know what's good for ya,” a distinctive, deep baritone voice said from behind me.

I turned to see none other than Big Macintosh approaching us with a rather unpleasant look on his face.

The stocky stallion turned to him with a sharp glare. “Mind your own business, buddy! Us and the lady are just having a little chat,” he stated sharply.

Big Macintosh walked right up to the stallion, literally looking down on him due to his massive advantage in size. “Well, ah’m about to make it my business,” he declared. He gestured a hoof to me. “The miss here kindly asked y’all to leave her alone. Now Ah’m gonna ask y’all to do the same. Or else...”

“Or else what!” the stallion spat out, stepping right up to Big Macintosh.

His friend—’Hoops’, I believe it was—leaned in close and whispered to him. I could just barely make out the words: “Uh, dude... look at the size of this guy. I really don't think we should mess with him...” He looked extremely reluctant.

Macintosh stomped down a forehoof with a thunderous clop, immediately gaining the attention of the three (and everypony else in the surrounding area). “Or else the three of ya’ll’re gonna get front-row seats to the biggest flank-kickin’ this town has ever saw!” he said in a confident, commanding tone. “Now, y’all have to the count of three before Ah open up a fresh can’o’whoop-flank on y’all,” he warned the trio, before taking a strong, offensive stance.

“One...”

Hoops swiftly glanced back and forth between his friend and big mac. “Uh, dude? I really think we should—”

“Two...”

“Dude! Dumb-Bell, I’m outta here!” Hoops said hastily, before flying away. The stallion called ‘Score’ seemed to hesitate for a moment, glancing at his seemingly unfazed peer, but then followed suit and flew off as well.

“...Three!”

“Cowards!” Dumb-Bell yelled after them, scowling up at his fleeing friends.

When he turned back to face Macintosh, he was immediately met with a hard buck right to the snout. A loud crack echoed through the streets as the mighty hoof connected with his jaw, and the resulting impact sent the stallion soaring backwards through the air. He landed some forty-odd hooves away, with a hard thud, and actually skipped along the ground several times before finally coming to a crashing halt against the wall of a nearby building. As the dust settled, I spotted the stallion lying in a crumpled heap. He wasn’t stirring; it looked as though he had been knocked out clean.

Big Mac let out a hard snort, but then relaxed his posture and turned to me.

“You okay, Prism?” he asked, his expression softening as he walked over to me.

I stood there frozen, dazed by his display of sheer strength. He had sent that other stallion flying as if he were a sack of potatoes...

After a few long moments, I shook myself out of it and darted up to Macintosh, to nuzzle into his chest. “Oh Macintosh, I was so scared!” I exclaimed, feeling tears come to my eyes. ”I didn’t know what to do! And I don’t even want to think about what would have happened if you hadn’t come along and—”

He softly shushed me, patting my head with a hoof. “Don’t you worry none about that. Ah wasn’t gonna let them goons do anything to ya,” Big Mac said, giving me a wink. “And Ah sure as hay wasn’t ‘bout to let another stallion take you out before Ah got a chance to...”

I let out a sudden gasp and blushed profusely, staring into his gentle eyes for several long moments before shrinking down.

“Um... Big Macintosh?” I said softly, just above a whisper before looking away. He leaned in close to me.

“Eeyu—”

As he leaned in, just close enough for me to reach him, I stood up on my tippy-hooves and planted a quick kiss on his cheek, before taking a few steps back and pawing bashfully at the ground.

“I-I’ll, um, s-see you tomorrow night!” I blurted out, and quickly darted away.

I can’t believe I just did that! I kissed him! Well, on the cheek, sure, but still! A KISS!

I broke into a gallop, and just couldn’t stop grinning from ear to ear for the remainder of my trip to the library.

************************************

Upon reaching my destination, I slowed my pace and tried my best to compose myself as I trotted up to the library. This was only my second time here, and I finally got a good look at the place now that I had daylight to aid me.

It really is a giant tree, isn't it? By the looks of it, the tree was actually hollowed out to house the library, but then... how is it still alive and well?

I pondered that mystery for a few moments, but eventually approached the door to give it a couple of soft knocks. A short while later—much to my surprise—only the top half of the door swung open. Spike quickly filled the open gap.

“Oh hey Prism, what’s up?” he asked as he opened the remainder of the door for me. “Here to see Twilight?”

“Yes, she should be expect—”

Before I could finish that sentence the unicorn in question crashed into Spike from behind, bumping him out of the doorway.

“Prism!” she called out excitedly. “I’m so glad you could make it! I’ve been waiting for you.”

“Hopefully not for too long...” I said with a nervous laugh, while sheepishly scratching the back of my neck.

Twilight shook her head. “No, not very long, and besides, I cleared up the whole day for us,” she said, before turning and walking back inside. “There’s just so much to do!”

I reluctantly followed her inside. “Um, w-what did you have in mind?” I asked quizzically, albeit hesitantly.

Twilight trotted up to her desk, unraveled a very large scroll with her magic, and proceeded to rattle off a rather lengthy list: “Well, first off I would like to get an idea of your magics uniwatt threshold, then I obviously need to check its magnetic polarity, but not before we gauge the average circumference of—”

“Um, Twilight?” I softly called out to her, but she didn’t seem to hear me.

“—because if we don’t know the volatility of your field, we might run the risk of—”

“Twilight?” I repeated, somewhat louder than the first time.

“—and half of Ponyville could go up with us if those levels are off by even the slightest margin, so—”

“TWILIGHT!” Spike suddenly yelled at the top of his lungs, snapping the studious unicorn out of lengthy-discourse-mode.

“Oh, uh... sorry about that,” Twilight responded sheepishly. She let out a nervous laugh, but quickly regained her composure. “So like I said: a lot to do.” She rolled up the scroll still caught in her magic’s field and returned it to the desk.

“Um, Twilight?” I once again softly inquired, figuring she might actually hear me this time.

Twilight stopped mid-stride and turned back to me. “Yes, Prism?” She looked at me expectantly.

“Do you really think you’ll be able to teach me how to better control my magic?” I said hopefully, ”After the incident during Winter Wrap Up and what happened to Fluttershy’s painting, I want to learn to control it more than ever, so something like that doesn’t happen again.”

“The painting didn’t make it then?” Twilight replied with a hint of concern in her voice.

I slowly shook my head. “It was completely ruined...”

Twilight gave me an acknowledging nod. “I would love to help you gain greater control over your magic, Prism, but in order to do that we have to understand it a little better first,” she said, trotting up to the door to the next room. “Your magic is raw, untamed, and unknown; I have no idea how to even begin guiding you, at this point...”

She opened the door and gestured for me to follow. “So let’s get started, shall we?”

I gave a small nod in response and trotted after her. Twilight clearly had a lot planned for us and, nervous as I was, I honestly couldn’t wait to get started either.

Tonight, I would finally get some answers.

Chapter 13: Answers

As we made our way through the library to the basement, I quickly came to realize the place was significantly bigger than I had originally guessed. Twilight’s basement—or ‘laboratory’, as she referred to it—was huge, and had many interesting, complex-looking machines and technological contraptions scattered about. Along the back wall were several cabinets and shelves with flasks, beakers and other miscellaneous alchemical objects.

“This place is amazing!” I called out as I ran up to a random machine, eying the many buttons, knobs and doodads adorning it. “Is this all yours?” I looked back to Twilight expectantly.

“Let’s just say that being the Princess’s personal protege has its perks—lots of research funding and a large allowance being one of them,” she replied as she walked across the room to a small machine situated next to a chair. “Take a seat here, please,” she said as she gestured to the spot next to her.

I trotted over to her and sat down. Twilight then placed a very strange-looking helmet on my head; it was fairly large and looked as though it were made out of copper or brass. It had quite a few lights on it, as well as several large buttons and dials. She detached a small ring from the back of it with her magic and placed it around my horn. It felt really weird, and I found myself shifting uncomfortably as the metal scraped against it.

Twilight must have taken notice of my discomfort, judging by the sympathetic expression on her face. “Sorry if it’s a bit uncomfortable, but this ring is probably the most important part. It sends the readings of your magic back to the helmet and into the machine.”

I shook my head. “It’s alright, I’m just not used to having my horn touched. So it felt a little weird when you put it on there, that’s all...” I replied, looking up to the ring on my horn. “So, what does all of this do?”

“This device is a Uniwatt Calculator; it is used to calculate a unicorn’s uniwattage, or magical power, if you will,” she said, and she began adjusting various dials and knobs on my new headgear. “This will give us a good idea just how strong your magic is.”

I turned to look at her, but she promptly repositioned my head to face forward again.

“Hold still for a moment while I adjust these, please.”

“Sorry... I was just curious. But, um, this ‘uniwattage’ measurement... what exactly does thatmean? What does it stand for? Other than how powerful somepony’s magic is...”

Twilight paused for a moment. “...Well, generally speaking, the higher a unicorn’s measurement is, the more advanced the spells they can potentially cast are. And it also tells us how easily they can cast less advanced spells, of course,” she said, before going back to tinkering with the device on my head.

I looked back up to my horn with a disappointed frown. “My magical ability is very limited; in fact, outside of the ones I use for my painting, I only know a few actual spells,” I said, gesturing to my horn. “All I can really do is levitate light objects, teleport, and do a few other, minor—”

“Wait...you can teleport?!” Twilight interjected, taken aback. “But that's an extremely advanced spell! Not to mention ridiculously rare to even get your hooves on!”

I shrank down in my seat. “Well... I can, but then, at the same time, I really can’t,” I replied, looking back up to her with an uneasy look. “I can’t really pinpoint exactly where I’m going to end up, when I use it. I... had an accident when I was a filly. I teleported into the leg of a chair. The doctors said I was very lucky it missed my vital organs...”

Shifting my position, I gestured to a faint, yet large scar on my side and back.

“They had to saw it off before they could remove it...” I fell silent, nauseated by the mere memory of that horrific experience, and smiled grimly. ”It wasn’t pretty. Since then I have avoided using it except for the most dire situations, and even then I’m hesitant...”

Twilight looked at me, perplexed. “Buthow did you learnit? How did you even GET it?!” she asked, great confusion and concern evident in her voice.

“I found it—well, okay, I stole it from the Manehattan Library when I was a filly.” I smiled sheepishly and tapped my forehooves together.

Twilight shot me a large frown. “While I commend you for your interest in magic at such an early age, I can’t really condone stealing—especially not from a library. I mean, I am a librarian after all,” she said matter-of-factly. The she gave me an inquiring look. “Where is the scroll now?”

I quickly shook my head. “Oh, don’t worry, I secretly returned it.”

Twilight let out a sigh of relief. “Oh, good. Teleportation scrolls are extremely rare, and very valuable.” Twilight paused for a moment, staring off into nowhere before looking back down to me. “They are also generally very well guarded... How exactly did you get ahold of one, anyway?” she asked quizzically.

“It was just a matter of being in the right place at the right time,” I said with a small shrug. “I was browsing a collection of spell scrolls just outside the library’s security vault after school one day, daydreaming about what it would be like to be able to use magic, when somepony wheeling a cart of scrolls and being escorted by four royal guards approached. As she opened the vault to go inside, her cart bumped the edge of the door and several scrolls fell off. One just so happened to roll right up to me and bump into my hoof. They didn’t seem to notice, because they were too busy scrambling to pick up the ones nearby. So I just brushed the scroll behind me while they picked up the rest. Once they were all inside, I picked it up and ran home.”

Twilight stared at me, wide-eyed and slack-jawed for several long moments, before suddenly bursting into hysterical laughter.

I shrank down into my seat again. “Um, what’s wrong?”

“Oh, nothing! Nothing’s wrong at all! It’s not like, despite being the princess’s personal student, I still had to wait sixteen months, fill out hours’ worth of paperwork, and pay a ridiculous security deposit just to get my hooves on one!” She leaned in close to me with a flustered look and a twisted smile. “While somepony else just had one magically fall into their hooves!”

I shrank further into my seat with a small whimper. “I-I... I’m sorry...”

Twilight blinked a few times, then pulled away and recomposed herself. “I’m sorry, it’s just... It was very difficult for me to obtain a scroll when I wanted to study one—to the extent that I despaired of ever being granted the privilege—but that’s no reason for me to blame you for your amazing stroke of luck,” she said apologetically, before bringing a hoof to her chin. “Okay, so now that you had the spell, how did you learn to cast it? Very few unicorns have the magical aptitude to cast such an advanced spell.”

“I, um, taught myself. The idea of being able to teleport was beyond awesome, so, every night, I secretly practiced... and practiced... and practiced. I think it was around... four? Maybe five months later? I finally managed to move myself, though it was only by a few hooves distance. But now that I had managed to successfully cast the spell once, I pushed myself harder and practiced even more.” I slowly looked away, and my ears fell back. “Shortly after that was when I had my... accident. Mother made me promise never to use that spell again. Though I actually did still use it, albeit only on a small hoof-full of occasions... only when I had no other choice.”

“I’m... shocked!” Twilight commented, visibly taken aback. “To teach yourself such an advanced spell... Sure, it may have taken you several months longer than it would have with proper guidance, but you still learned it and were able to cast it... as a filly no less!” She turned to the helmet she had placed on me, seeming lost in thought.

“Now I’m really curious about your magic’s uniwattage,” she finally said, levitating a small hoofstool from across the room and setting it down in front of me. “So let’s give this a try and find out!” Twilight flicked a switch on the machine that was sitting on the floor, then levitated a small quill from a nearby desk over to the stool.

I eyed the quill for a moment, before looking back to her. “So, what exactly do you want me to do? And, um... will this hurt?” I asked reluctantly, dubiously eyeing the machine on the floor.

Twilight let out a small laugh, dismissing my concerns with a wave of her hoof.

“No, of course not!” Twilight reassured me. ”All this machine does is measure the flow of magic from your horn; you won’t feel a thing.” She gestured to the quill. “All I need you to do is levitate that quill and hold it afloat for me while I chart down the numbers the calculator gives me.”

I nodded to her, then resolutely looked back to the quill. “Okay. Well, here goes...”

Focusing my magic, it wasn’t long before I managed to lift the small, feathered quill. Immediately the helmet on my head came alive with flashing lights, beeps, and other strange noises. A few seconds later, the machine on the floor started making a humming noise as well.

Twilight turned to me with a reassuring smile. “See, that wasn’t so bad, now was it? Now just hold that while I write down these...” Twilight’s expression fell as she cocked her neck back, giving the device a puzzled look. “That can’t be right...” She reached over and tapped a hoof on one of the meters of the device a few times.

My ears fell back as I looked over to her. “Is, um... something wrong?” I asked quizzically.

Twilight rubbed her chin with a hoof. “It says your uniwattage is only 26.”

“Is that, um... bad?” I asked sheepishly.

She shook her head in response. “No, it isn’t a matter of good or bad, just whether the number is high or low,” she said, turning back to me with a concerned look, “and yours is extremely low.”

I looked away slowly, frowning slightly. “Oh...” I said in mild disappointment, before looking back to her. “So, what’s normal then? And what's yours?”

“Well, the average unicorn, levitating a trivial object, idles at approximately 180-240 uniwatts,” she replied with a nervous smile.

“And what about you?” I asked, looking at her expectantly.

Twilight laughed sheepishly, scratching the back of her neck with a forehoof. “I idle at, oh... 640 to 680, maybe?” She said hesitantly, trailing off into a nervous laugh.

My eyes went wide, forcing me to blink a few times afterwards.

“Wow, that’s really high, isn’t it?” I asked as I looked to her horn in awe.

“Well, I have been studying magic almost my whole life, and my special talent is magic...” she replied with a small blush. “I really don’t mean to brag...”

I shook my head dismissively. “No, I didn’t think you were bragging, Twilight. You’re right: you are the element of magic, so I would assume your magic would be quite powerful.”

Twilight paused for a moment, glancing between me and the calculator on the floor a few times. “That gives me an idea!” she exclaimed, and trotted over to a large cabinet in the back corner of the room before looking back to me. “What’s the heaviest object you can lift? About how many pounds, would you estimate?”

“Well, um, it varies, really. My magic isn’t very reliable,” I replied, reflecting on my memories. “I think the heaviest object I ever lifted was around... sixty? Maybe seventy pounds? I’ve tried heavier things, yes... but those attempts would either fail miserably, or turn out very badly for the object in question, if I ended up trying too hard.”

Twilight nodded before, with a loud groan, she levitated a massive-looking metal object from the bottom of the cabinet. She slowly walked over to me and placed the large weight on the floor in front of me with an audible thud.

“I’m... going to venture to guess... you probably can’t lift this thing,” she commented exhaustedly, wiping some sweat from her forehead. “It’s a five hundred pound weight.”

I looked at Twilight as if she were crazy. “Are you joking?” I laughed, looking down to the weight. “Of course not! Tartarus would freeze over the day I managed to move that.” I punctuated my statement by kicking the weight with a rear hoof. The impact resulting with a loud thud sound.

Twilight covered a small laugh. “Alright, because something isn’t right,” she replied, levitating her clipboard over to herself. “If you really idle at 26 uniwatts, it should be theoretically impossible for you to even come close to casting a teleportation spell—or anything else really—yet I trust that you aren’t lying to me. So, I suspect there’s some underlying factor here that we aren’t seeing at the moment.”

She gestured to the weight. “I want you to try to lift that with all your might, while I record the numbers the calculator gives,” she instructed, turning to me expectantly.

“I’m, um... not sure if that’s a good idea, Twilight,” I replied hesitantly, shifting uncomfortably in my seat. “Besides, I don’t think it’s safe; you do remember what happened during Winter Wrap Up, right?”

Twilight nodded slowly a few times. “Yes, I do. Don’t worry, I promise I won’t let anything bad happen to you,” she declared with a reassuring smile. “And if anything bad did happen, I can easily teleport us from here to the hospital in just a few seconds’ time!”

I turned to her with a look of reluctance. “I’ve never tried to levitate something I couldn’t hope to lift for very long,” I said nervously to Twilight, before turning back to the weight. “Things tend to just burst into flames if I try too hard, and then, obviously, I would immediately stop. I’ve certainly never considered trying to push past that point before...”

“Oh please, it’s a giant chunk of magically tempered metal, Prism!” she said with a laugh, tapping it a few times with a forehoof. “I’m pretty sure you don’t have to worry about it catching fire.”

I brought a hoof to my chin, brooding over it for a few moments. “Well... okay, I’ll do it, but if something bad does happen to me, I’m telling Fluttershy it was your fault...” I replied with a small laugh of my own.

“I’ll be sure to stop you if I think things are getting too dangerous, then,” she said with a wink before reaching down and switching on the machine again. “Okay, now remember: don’t hold back. Go ahead whenever you’re ready.”

I reluctantly turned back to the large metal weight on the floor in front of me. In any other situation, I would’ve deemed what I was about to do beyond crazy. I mean, intentionally trying to destroy something? Why would I ever do something like that?

A long sigh escaped me as I tried to relax. After a few moments, I focused my magic to my horn, and then aimed it at the weight. As was to be expected, my first attempt to budge the massive objects failed.

Well... here goes nothing.

I clenched my jaw hard while I focused intently on the metal object, summoning up every ounce of willpower I could muster. Thoughts began to race through my mind, habitually cautioning me to stop, telling me that something was going to catch fire or be destroyed... I pushed those thoughts aside and closed my eyes, focusing harder.

Moments later, Twilight began to rattle off numbers. I could hear the disbelief in her voice. “600... 800... 1200... Luna’s moon... 2300!” At this point her voice lost any trace of confusion or concern, all of it being replaced by sheer excitement. “3700! Prism, this is amazing!”

After a few more seconds, I felt a sudden, sharp, pin-prick-like sensation running through my head, as if a tiny needle had passed through it, and I winced. I let out a sharp whine as I fell forward out of my seat and landed to my rear knees and forehooves. The pain was becoming unbearable... I couldn’t take it anymore; I had to stop, or risk something happening to me again. I quickly released my magical hold on the weight and began to gasp for air, having held my breath without even realizing it. I suddenly began to cough, albeit not from the stress of using my magic but due to something else entirely.

...Smoke.

My ears perked up and my eyes shot open as I came to an obvious conclusion: Where there’s smoke, there’s...I looked over to the metal weight to find that it had been disfigured into a red-hot lump of near-molten metal. Worst of all, the floor around it had begun to catch fire.

“FIRE!” I called out in a panic. I threw the testing helmet off my head and scooted away from the growing flames before turning to my unicorn friend. “TWILIGHT!” I called to her, but she didn’t seem to respond. She stood frozen, fixated on the machine.

“Prism? What’s—WHOA!” a familiar voice called out from the staircase.

Without a moments hesitation, Spike disappeared back up the stairs. Within seconds, he returned with a large, red fire extinguisher. Jumping down the last few steps of the staircase, he performed a small tumble and immediately began to hose down the blaze that surrounded the heated chunk of metal. Once he had the flames under control, he turned the nozzle on the cause of the fire itself. Loud hissing and cracking sounds echoed through the room as he persisted in trying to cool the glowing metal. Several long seconds later he stopped, took a few steps back, and examined the mess.

“What the heck happened?!” he yelled, throwing out his arms and turning to Twilight.

She still seemed catatonic, however, failing to even acknowledge Spike’s presence and staring, unbroken, at the instruments before her.

“Twilight, what are you doing?!” He quickly darted over to the mare, and poked her in the side several times with the nozzle of the fire extinguisher. He furrowed his brow when this still didn’t produce a reaction, and finally took a deep breath. “SNAP OUT OFIT!”he yelled at the top of his lungs, right into her ear.

This, at last, prompted an impressive jump and a loud scream from the transfixed unicorn. She landed on her haunches with a thud, and turned to Spike with a bewildered, clueless expression.

“Huh, what?” she replied hazily as she scratched the back of her neck.

Spike gave her a flat look, before pointing a claw to the disaster area in the center of the room.

“Were you trying to burn down the library?” he asked with a look of disapproval. “What happened down here?”

Twilight turned to where Spike was pointing and let out another little scream of surprise. She jumped to her hooves and trotted over to the charred, foam-covered mess, examining it closely. Several seconds later, she looked at me with a perplexed expression but still said nothing.

My ears fell back, and I nervously tapped my forehooves together. “I’m sorry...” I stammered. ”Had I know that this would happen, I never would have—”

“This is incredible!” Twilight exclaimed suddenly, ignoring my heartfelt apology and trotting up to me. “Do you have any idea what this means?!” she said with a large grin.

I nervously looked from side to side, and then to the mutilated floor. “I, um... owe you a new floor?” I replied hesitantly.

Twilight quickly shook her head, before grabbing my hoof in her own and dragging me across the room to the calculator lying on the floor. She closely pointed a hoof to a meter on the device.

“Look!” she exclaimed with great excitement.

After staring at her for a moment longer, I leaned in close to the device and examined the instrument in question. The tiny numbers of the scale beneath it ranged from zero, on the far left, all the way up to ten thousand on the right. Then I noticed the meter’s needle: it seemed to be stuck, frozen in place just past the ten thousand mark. I scratched my head with a hoof before looking back to Twilight.

“You broke it!” she said enthusiastically. “The calculator couldn’t even measure your wattage!”

I shrank down and took a few steps back. “I’m so sorry! I can replace it if—”

“Never mind that!” she quickly interjected, before gesturing back down to the calculator. “Prism! If we could harness this kind of power, and somehow focus it, the possibilities are nearly endless!” She trotted up to me and learned in close to my face. “Theoretical spells, once deemed impossible, could now be possible!” she gushed, leaning in even closer to me. “Long-distance teleportation, mass teleportation, long-distance time travel, indefinite shapeshifting, permanent material transmuta—”

I took a step back and gently covered her muzzle with a hoof, hushing her. “Twilight, calm down,” I replied with a look of concern. “Look, I understand you’re very excited about all of those things, but...” I took my hoof from her muzzle and began nervously pawing at the floor with it, staring at my own fidgeting with downcast eyes. “I just want to understand my magic, and be able to use it like a normal unicorn, for everyday things...” I looked back up to her weakly, trying to make her understand. “I want to control it, not ‘harness’ or ‘focus’ it...”

Twilight just stared at me with her mouth hung open.

My ears fell back, and I turned away. “I’m sorry to disappoint you...”

Twilight shook herself, breaking her trance. “No, I’m sorry,” she said earnestly, ”I, uh, got a little carried away, and failed to take into account your own goals and wishes...” She levitated her clipboard up to eye-level and glanced over it. “I’ve just never seen numbers like this before...”

She looked to the now-deformed lump that was once the neat, rectangular metal weight, and trotted up to it.

“Wow... You really did a number on this thing,” she said whilst tapping it with a forehoof. “I didn’t think it was magically possible to destroy this thing... I mean, sure, I could temporarily shapeshift it into something else, maybe, but to produce enough energy and heat to physically alter it... Incredible.”

Twilight paused, looking deep in thought for a several long moments before turning to me. “Your magic works... in an interesting way,” she said flatly. “It raises slowly to a certain point, and then, beyond that, it just surges wildly; completely out of control, rising in uniwattage at a ridiculous rate...”

She began pacing back and forth across the room. I absentmindedly followed her erratic movements with my eyes, until it started to make me feel a bit dizzy and I had to stop.

“To control it,” Twilight mused, ”we need to somehow prevent that dramatic surge, or at the very least smooth it out somehow...”

“I wouldn’t have a clue how to do that,” I said sadly. “I don’t even know why it happens to begin with...”

Twilight abruptly stopped and turned to me, which startled me a little.

“Well, let’s figure this out. I think I understand, more or less, how your magic currently functions...” She took a moment to collect her thoughts, and then pointed to my chest. “Imagine yourself as a big, pressurized water tank. When you try to use a simple spell,” she explained, gesturing to the feathered quill from before, ”it’s like opening the valve to the tank a tiny crack, just enough to let some of the water escape. However...” She pointed her forehoof to the heap of cooling metal now. “When you attempt to lift a really heavy object, or try to cast a more advanced spell like teleportation, it’s like you’re struggling to open the valve enough to meet the demands—only to have it suddenly open all the way, with all of the water shooting out as fast as it possibly can.”

“Wow...” I murmured, staring blankly at the ruined weight. It hadn’t been reduced to its current state by jets of water, of course—quite the opposite, in fact—but I understood the analogy she was making.

Twilight rubbed her chin with a hoof for a moment before continuing. “Looking at it that way: yes, technically, your magic is really powerful, but it is also extremely limited. It’s just so condensed and bottled up that when you try to really use it, you end up expending all of that energy at an alarming rate. As opposed to, say, your average unicorn, whose magic flows freely and can be slowly tapped into, without ever using more than is needed.”

“That makes perfect sense,” I commented, gesturing a hoof to the feather quill. “It would explain why I can easily levitate small objects, yet have to strain myself to use my magic for anything more than that, and why it can be so painful and taxing for me when I do. It’s because I’m using all of my reserves at once, right?”

Twilight nodded. “That’s exactly what's happening.”

I considered this for a moment, furrowing my brow, but then it hit me, and my expression swiftly changed into one of surprise. “Wait... You concluded all of that... just from this?” I said, indicating the smoldering remains of the metal weight with a nod of my head. “You really are amazing, Twilight...”

The other unicorn faintly blushed, scratching the back of her neck with a hoof. “Well, to be fair, I was watching the meter pretty closely. So when the surge began, I saw it all happen, and monitored its progress,” she said humbly, and quickly recomposed herself. “Anyway, there’s still some more testing to be done! I have a pretty good idea how to go about these further experiments, now that we have the central issue pinpointed...”

* * * * * * * * * *

The next several hours were spent doing all kinds of strange and interesting tests. Even though Twilight explained them all to me, some of them still didn’t really make much sense, since she tended to use a lot magic terminology I had never heard before. I trusted that she knew what she was doing though, so I just went along with everything, even the parts I didn’t understand.

Eventually, her experiments landed us in the uppermost section of the library; the observatory, as she called it. Unlike the laboratory far below, this room was very large and open, easily taking up the majority of the upper half of the building. The decor was also very different. Namely, there was paper everywhere—and I mean everywhere!Documents, notes, maps, graphs, and star charts could be found littering literally every corner. Most of the graphs and charts were positioned on fold-up stands, but the bulk of this vast archive was either resting in stacks, or simply scattered around, that most spacious of storage locations: the floor.

Lastly, the most notable features of the room—ignoring, for a moment, the fact that its paper content could probably run the Manehattan Times for a week— were a number of bookcases along the walls, as well as three large, very-complex-looking telescopes, the most prominent of which was located on a ledge with a small stairwell leading up to it.

Once I had managed to shake the shock of the room’s appearance from my system, Twilight had us do a few quick tests up here, as well. After we had finished, she finally seemed satisfied with the wealth of information she had gathered so far.

“Perfect!” Twilight exclaimed, as she put down her clipboard on a nearby stack of papers. “That should be enough raw data for now... I’ll go over it all later, and see if I can figure out a way to manage your magic’s sudden surging.”

“I really cannot thank you enough, Twilight,” I said, flashing her a grateful smile. “Going through all this trouble for me...”

She turned back to me and shook her head, even though she was grinning. “Don’t mention it, Prism, really... I mean, I’m getting all this fascinating data out of it, and I’m not even entirely sure yet if I can prevent any further, um, incidents...” Her grin faded, only to be replaced by a look of concern. “Speaking of which, I was thinking about what happened at Rarity’s place earlier... I wanted to address this last, because of a theory I had after we measured your uniwattage...”

My ears perked up and I looked to her with alarm. “About what? Is it bad?” I asked softly.

Twilight shook her head dismissively. “No, nothing like that, I just wanted to make sure it would be safe first,” she reassured me, before summoning a large tome from a far-away bookcase over to herself and opening it. “Remember what I said about healing magic?”

“That it can be very dangerous, or even fatal, if it isn’t performed correctly?”

Twilight nodded. “Right, which is why I wanted to gather more information before I tried any healing magic on you,” she replied, while reading over a page in the open book. “But first I would like to do a quick, exploratory investigation of your body’s leylines...” She closed the book in her magic and laid it down on the desk across the room.

I watched the tome’s descent, before turning back to Twilight and tilting my head, looking at her, puzzled.

“...Exploratory investigation?” I asked hesitantly. “Will it, um... hurt?”

Twilight offered me a nervous smile. “I, uh... I’d like to say ‘no’, but given what you told me about the incident at Rarity’s, I can’t be entirely sure whether it will or not,” she replied with a hint of concern. “Anyways, there’s not much to it, really. Just sit down, and I’ll touch my horn to yours and follow the primary leyline of magic to see what I can find.”

I looked at her with an expression of reluctance for a moment, before nodding slowly. “Um, okay...”

Twilight walked right up to me and slowly leaned in, resting the tip of her horn on mine before closing her eyes. The sensation of her horn pressed up against mine was really weird... Before today I’ve only ever had my horn touched on a small hoof-full of occasions. But before I could give it any more thought, Twilight's horn lit up with a soft, purple glow, and a slight tingling sensation began to slowly work its way down my horn. It felt somewhat similar to having a nerve pinched, only it didn’t hurt; it just felt strange.

My eyes fell from Twilight’s horn down to her face after a few moments. She was just mere inches away from me...

You know, now that I get a good look at her... Twilight is really pretty, in that bookish sort of way, isn’t she?

I felt myself beginning to blush slightly, and quickly pushed the thought out of my head.

“Wow...” Twilight suddenly whispered, slowly and under her breath.

“S-Something wrong?” I asked her quizzically, with a hint of concern in my voice.

“I’ve never seen anything like this. It’s so...beautiful,” she mused, pausing for a moment to explain. “You see, a pony’s ley lines are where their magic flows through them. For unicorns, this magic manifests in shades of the same color they project it in. So mine would appear purple, and yours... well...”

“Is prismatic?”

Twilight hummed in agreeance. “The further I go, the more colorful it gets... This is truly amazing, Prism.” She fell silent for several moments before continuing. “I can see many of your other leylines as well, branching off from this one, but they all look almost... dead,” she said hesitantly, sounding almost disturbed. “That leaves only one to follow: the one that originates directly from your horn.”

A few more moments of silence went by, but then Twilight suddenly let out a sharp gasp.

“What’s wrong!?” I asked her with great concern.

“I-I... I don’t know!” she stammered, seeming utterly perturbed. “I don’t even know how to describe what I am looking at right now...” Her brow furrowed, and she looked like she was deep in thought.

“Twilight?” I prompted, getting a little anxious.

“It’s...an anomaly of... light,”she finally answered,“Pure, bright, white light, surrounded by streams of flowing colors...” Twilight fell silent once more before continuing. “...Could this be where your magic is condensing?” It sounded like she was thinking aloud to herself. “I’m going to try to—”

I felt a sudden sting of pain flare up in my chest for a split second, right as Twilight cut off into a loud, obvious cry of pain. She pulled herself away from me and fell to the floor, covering her forehead with both hooves and wincing audibly.

“Twilight!” I called out, getting up and crawling over to her. “Are you okay? What happened?!” I reached out a hoof towards her as she slowly sat back up, still pressing a hoof to her forehead.

“Yes... I’m fine,” she groaned softly, as she began rubbing her head. “Well, what I was going to try was to get a closer look at that anomaly, and possibly find out what’s causing your magic to condense like that. But the moment I cast a new spell intended to analyze it... Well, it was almost like it attacked me.”

She got to her hooves and visibly shook herself. “A massive surge of your magic took hold of my own magic’s stream and instantly followed it up and out, into me.” She looked up to her horn and rubbed it with a small smile. “And it hurt!”

“I, um, felt a sudden, sharp pain in my chest, too, right as you got hurt,” I added matter-of-factly.

Twilight hummed as she stared off into nowhere for a moment or two. “Taking an educated guess as to what happened, I would have say it was probably one of three things,” she said as she began to pace back and forth. “It either: absorbed my magic, whilst simultaneously trying to follow it to its source; repelled my magic, sending it back to where it came from; which was obviously me, or it actually conjoined with my magic and amplified the spell, sending an overload of feedback...” Twilight abruptly stopped in place. “Prism, was Rarity hurt in any way, when she was trying to treat your cut?” she asked quizzically.

I slowly shook my head. “Actually, no. She didn’t even realize what was happening until Fluttershy yelled for her to stop,” I said, slowly getting to my hooves.

Twilight rubbed her chin with a hoof. “Hmm, but... was Rarity physically touching you when she cast that spell?” she asked, looking at me expectantly.

I thought about it, but finally shook my head once more. “No, she was standing several hooves away—at least two meters, if I had to guess.”

Twilight closed her eyes and nodded. “Well, I know how we can rule out the first two hypotheses,” she said, and took a deep breath. “SPIKE!” she bellowed, calling out for the baby dragon.

After several long seconds with no reply, she frowned. “Hmm, he must be asleep,” she mused, before trotting up to the door leading to the stairwell. “Sorry, I need to go get something. I’ll be right back.”

“Alright,” I called back to her, before taking another good look around the room.

This place really is amazing. Twilightis amazing... I really don’t think she gives herself enough credit.

I trotted up the small stairwell to the largest telescope by the window, and casually examined the area around it. A small journal of notes was laying next to the massive instrument, on the window sill. I reached down and flipped open the book to a random page, which contained all kinds of technical drawings and makeshift graphs, as well as quite a number of scientific terms I had never even heard of before.

She really isa genius, isn’t she?

I closed the book and trotted back down into the center of the room to wait for Twilight to return. But the longer I waited, the more I found my mind drifting to all the things the day after this one had in store for me.

That trip to the spa with the girls is tomorrow... I wonder what that will be like? Rarity talks so highly of the place, and all of the comfort and relaxation it brings her... So, a relaxing spa visit with my two best friends?

I smiled to myself at that fact, and I began pacing in circles, still deep in thought.

Yes, I like the sound of that. And best of all, I’ll get to spend some more time with Fluttershy! I’ll admit, I’m a little disappointed I didn’t really get a chance to talk to her today...

A large smile crept across my face as my thoughts shifted to my dinner date, later in the day.

And then there's dinner with Big Macintosh, tomorrow night, too! Oh, I’m so excited! I never would have imagined I’d meet such an amazing stallion... If things go well, maybe he could even become my very special somepony!

I couldn’t help myself: I stopped in place and let out a very fillyish squeal of excitement as my mind lingered on that prospect for a few moments; it was just so perfect!

“Sorry that took so long. I couldn’t find one!” Twilight suddenly called out to me, entering through the doorway and sauntering into the room.

I snapped out of my daze and turned back to her. “Oh, it’s fine, don’t worry. I was just thinking,” I assured her as I trotted up to her. “So... what did you have to find, exactly, and what did you have in mind?” I asked, looking up to the object she was levitating.

Twilight cleared her throat. “Well... the only way to be sure that your magic indeed amplifies the spell and doesn’t just absorb or repel the magic, is to recreate the scenario with physical contact.”

My eyes widened when I realized what she was levitating.

A scalpel...

“W-What do you mean?” I stammered, slowly taking a step back.

Twilight returned with a nervous smile. “To recreate the scenario... we would need to try a healing spell on an actual cut, so...” she trailed off and lowered the scalpel, keeping it close to herself, “We need to make a small incision and then attempt to heal it, while my horn is touching you.”

I slowly started backing away. “S-Surely there is another way... r-right?” I stumbled on my words as I shrank down to the floor.

Twilight let out a soft sigh, followed by a sympathetic look. “Look, I know it’s a lot to ask of you, and that it sounds kind of scary, but trust me, this is the easiest and fastest way to be sure,“ she reassured me while slowly walking up to me. “I promise it will just be a small cut. Judging from the tests we’ve performed so far, your magic shouldn’t react to it much.”

I looked to the floor, lost in thought for several long seconds. I wasn’t good with blood or cuts, even though I knew it wouldn’t be serious, of course. And despite my hesitation, I was confident that if there was anypony who could help me come to a better understanding of how to use my magic, it was Twilight Sparkle; I believed she knew what she was doing.

“...Okay,” I replied weakly, looking up to her, “I’ll do it... but, um, please, just try to be fast?”

Twilight gave me a warm smile. “Thank you for trusting me,” she said, before gesturing to my right foreleg. “The least dangerous and most painless location for a cut of this nature would be on your forelegs, I think.” She levitated the scalpel closer to me. “Now, hold out your leg, and I’ll try to make this as quick as possible,” she instructed as she walked right up to me.

Slowly, reluctantly, I extended my right foreleg for her. She examined it for a brief moment, before quickly sliding the blade of the scalpel across my coat, nicking the tender underlying skin. I felt a sharp pain, although it wasn’t as bad as I expected. I looked to my foreleg to see a small cut, slowly bleeding red crimson from within.

Twilight quickly leaned in again, without hesitation, and pressed her horn up against my foreleg just above the incision. It soon began to glow. “Here we go,” she said with moderate enthusiasm, and her horn’s glow was quickly amplified.

As her horn lit up, I felt a familiar tingling sensation in my foreleg that I had also experienced during Rarity’s spell, and, sure enough, the same sharp sensation in my chest. The pain shot through my body like jolts of electricity, along a very focused path across my chest, up my foreleg, and straight to Twilight’s spell’s focal point. I let out yelp and winced when the skin around area of focus was covered by a stinging, throbbing sensation.

“There it is!” I hissed through clenched teeth. Twilight appeared to be unaffected, focusing intently on her magic. After a second or two I had to pull away my foreleg from her.

“Stop!” I yelled out to her through another whine of pain.

Twilight immediately broke off her spell, took a step back, and examined the patch of skin. Her eyes slowly widened, and her jaw went slack with horror. “Oh no, I’m so sorry!” she cried, before turning away in panic, desperately searching the room for something.

I looked down to the cut on my foreleg and was caught completely off-guard by what I saw. The small cut was now a gaping wound, and bleeding profusely. Large streams of red gushed down my clean, white coat, like a bucket of red paint spilled onto a fresh canvas.

It’s just like last time... it’’s bleeding far worse than it should...

I waited, watching passively as the blood reached the tip of my hoof and began dripping onto the floor. After a few more moments, it came.

“Twilight, wait!” I called out to the panicked mare, as I felt the equally familiar sensation of my magic building up around the wound. “I can feel it... It’s just like before...”

Twilight whipped around to face me and covered her muzzle with a forehoof when she looked down to my leg, looking absolutely mortified. “I’m so sorry!” she said again, ”We have to get you to—”

“No, look!” I pointed to the cut with my other hoof.

I felt the anticipated soothing sensation take effect. The blood on my foreleg quickly began to disappear; it looked almost as if it was being sucked back into my body. In the end all that was left was the gash itself, which also slowly began to close, leaving behind only an unblemished patch of pristine white.

“It’s just like before,” I said as I brought my foreleg to my face and looked it over. “This is exactly what happened with Rarity, Twilight.”

Several seconds went by without any response.

“...Twilight?” I repeated, looking over to the mare.

She stood there, slack-jawed, staring at my foreleg for a few moments longer before walking over to me and taking it into her hooves to examine the location she had originally cut.

“When I first met you, that night, had you told me these were the sort of findings I would come across when studying your magic, I would have probably laughed in your face...” she said, looking up to me slowly. “I knew your magic was foreign, unknown and uncharted, yes. But this... this is absolutely perplexing. Had I not seen it with my own eyes, I would have never believed it.”

I tilted my head, looking at her confused.

Twilight let out a short, sheepish laugh. “Erm, allow me to explain what happened, exactly, or at least what I saw,” Twilight stated, taking a step back and clearing her throat.

“We were right—about the amplification, that is—but first, let me explain a little more about healing magic.” Twilight walked away for a moment before beginning to pace. “You see, healing magic works by using the magic of both theponies involved, actually. The caster of the spell interacts with the passive magic in the host’s body, encouraging it to begin the natural healing process, only at a very rapid pace. This is because it is aided by additional magical energy supplied by the caster.”

Twilight turned to me momentarily, and gestured a hoof to my foreleg.

“This is yet another reason why this type of magic can be so dangerous: should something go wrong, severe tissue damage or hemorrhaging can take place,” she pointed out, before returning to her pacing about the room. “At first, that’s what I thought had happened; that I had made a mistake and caused the spell to further injure you. Fatally, by the looks of it...”

Twilight levitated the same book she had been reading earlier toward her again, and swiftly flipped through its pages.

“But when the actual healing took place, I recognized the effects it had on your body. The spell was working correctly, but it was behaving as though it were a significantly more advanced healing spell than I had actually cast,” she informed me as she continued perusing the pages of her book. “As far as the intense bleeding goes: the spell is supposed to promote blood flow to the wound, to be used in the healing process. All that blood is used to create new tissue, to be exact.”

Twilight covered her muzzle with a forehoof, and looked to me with a concerned expression.

“It was only supposed to draw out a small amount, but since your magic surges so powerfully, it ended up forcing excess amounts of blood to the wound, which, as I’m sure you noticed, made the wound a lot worse and caused it to bleed profusely.” Twilight turned another page, pausing for several seconds before continuing. “The noticeable delay before the actual healing took place was due to the fact that the spell had to transmute all of that extra blood into tissue. This is also why the blood on the exterior of the wound, and even further down your leg, vanished: it was fusing with your skin and being used to close the wound.” Twilight looked to the floor around my hooves and grimaced; there was still a large pool of blood remaining.

“Though unfortunately, the blood that was no longer in contact with your body was not affected, since it had no tissue to fuse with,” she said flatly.

I looked down to the floor with an embarrassed, nervous, and slightly queasy smile. “Maybe I should, uh... clean this up?”

Twilight stifled a small giggle. “Don’t worry about it, I’ll get it later. I don’t have anything up here to properly clean it with, at the moment.” Twilight gestured for me to come over to her.

I nodded, carefully avoiding the pool of scarlet liquid. “Still, I’m sorry about the mess,” I added sheepishly.

“Sometimes science can get a little messy,” she said enthusiastically and with a quick wink. “What we have learned today ismore than worth having to clean up a bit of a mess.”

Twilight magically retrieved her clipboard and quill from the stack of papers she had rested them on earlier, and began to furiously scribble notes.

“I have a fairly good idea, now, not only of how powerful your magic is, but also why it functions in such a bizarre way.” Twilight looked up to me with a warm smile. “Thank you, Prism. You helped me venture into unknown regions of magic and science tonight. I will need to document all of this data. As far as I know, we know more about albino ponies’ magic than anypony else in the world right now!”

Twilight’s smile got even wider, although she hesitated for a few seconds before she asked: “...Um, sometime in the future, would you mind maybe assisting me with a presentation? I would really like to present these finding to the University of Applied Sciences and Magical Theory in Canterlot eventually—with your permission, of course.”

I covered a laugh before nodding. “I would actually very much like that,” I replied, looking down to the floor with a faint smile. “Someday, there might be another unicorn like me... If this information can spare them even half of the frustration, hardship and soul-searching I’ve had to endure, when I was trying to understand myself and my magic as a filly, then, for their sake, I’m willing to give it every ounce of effort I can muster.”

“That’s very noble of you,” Twilight said with an appreciative nod. She returned the papers she was still holding up in her magic to her desk.

“No, it’s not about being noble or anything like that,” I replied, shaking my head dismissively. “I don’t mean to sound dramatic, but...” I scratched the back of my neck with a forehoof. ”I’ve been through a lot because of my magic. I just don’t want anypony else to have to deal with that, growing up. I mean, you remember what I was like before I met you and the rest of the girls...”

Twilight simply nodded.

“Even now I still have a lot to—” I was promptly cut off by a low rumble from the pit of my stomach. There was a long moment of awkward silence, and then I shrank down, sheepishly blushing and letting out a small squee. “I, um... haven’t eaten anything since lunch,” I said with an embarrassed laugh. “Using all that magic probably didn’t help either.”

Twilight followed with a laugh of her own. “It has gotten pretty late, hasn’t it?” she said, glancing at a clock on a far wall. “Wow... um, yeah. Now that I think about it, I haven’t eaten anything either.”

I looked to the clock Twilight had turned to; it was almost ten in the evening.

Twilight trotted past me and gestured for me to follow. “Let’s go find something to eat,” she said, before disappearing out of the room.

I quickly trotted after her.

* * * * * * * * * *

As we made our way down to the kitchen, Twilight informed me that Spike normally prepared her meals for her, so we would have to settle for something simple this time, since she didn’t really know how to cook. She listed a few options of dishes she could make, and we quickly agreed on some daisy-and-daffodil sandwiches.

Famished as we were, the two of us still managed to have something resembling a conversation in between bites, and eventually the subject turned to our favorite books, and the different types of novels out there. I quickly decided that now would be a good time to do some... research.

“So, um, Twilight... speaking of, uh, different genres... I was wondering if maybe...” I trailed off into indistinct whispering for a moment, fidgeting with my forehooves on the kitchen table. “...wondering if maybe you could, you know, recommend any good, uh, romance novels to me?”

Twilight gave me a confused look, quickly followed by a laugh. “You’re asking the wrong pony for romantic reading material, I’m afraid; I haven’t really read any of those types of books from here. In fact, I hardly even pay much attention to their titles during reshelving.” Twilight paused for a moment. “Though now that I think about it, there is this one series Rarity speaks highly of... Oh! And there’s a few books Fluttershy has been reading recently. Those are all probably good.”

Romance books that Rarity recommends? Well, I can’t go wrong there. And novels that Fluttershy has been reading? I wonder what kind of stories she likes?

I looked up to Twilight and nodded. “Alright, I’ll take a book of the series Rarity recommends and one of the books that Fluttershy has been reading.”

Twilight beamed me a large smile. “That’s great! I’m glad to hear you’re interested in reading,” she said with great enthusiasm, as she got up from her seat at the table and trotted over to the next room. “Should you be interested in other genres, I might have some wonderful recommendations, too,” she added before disappearing.

I quickly got up from my seat and followed her.

The two of us returned to the lobby of the library. Twilight trotted up to a specific section and closely examined the many rows of books. Eventually, she picked out a black one and held it out before me with her magic. Its cover featured a pair of hooves holding an apple.

I narrowed my eyes as I closely read the text on the cover out loud. “Dusk. The number 1 Manehattan Times best seller, by Stephonii Mare,” I said. My expression brightened. “Well, that sounds promising!”

Twilight shrugged. “Rarity seemed quite enamored with it, so it can’t be that bad.” She searched the shelves for a moment before procuring a second book, and levitated it over to me.

“Artisan’s Dream, by Jerri Mound,” I said, tilting my head.

“That’s the book Fluttershy has most recently returned. I have no idea what it’s about, but she was acting pretty strange when she was checking it out and bringing it back,” Twilight said with a small look of concern.

“Well, now I’m really curious, so I’ll, uh, take that one too, I guess,” I said with a small shrug.

Twilight nodded and trotted over to the reception desk in the corner of the room. She opened both books and punched a card on the inside of each, before looking back to me. “These will be due back in a week from today. Don’t forget!” she said as her aura snatched up the novels and placed them into a small paper bag. “There. This should make it easier for you to carry.”

I covered a small laugh. “Thank you, and don’t worry. I won’t forget.” I looked out a window and noticed it was getting pretty dark outside. “Speaking of today: it’s getting really late... I should probably head back home.”

“And I should get started on documenting all that data,” Twilight said matter-of-factly. “Thanks again, by the way.”

I beamed her a warm smile. “Oh no, thank you. I hope you learn more once you’ve had time to go over everything.”

Twilight nodded. “Yes, I’ll see what I can do about finding potential ways to help you with your magic, but it will take some time.”

“I would really appreciate it, Twilight,” I said earnestly, before turning and trotting over to the exit of the Library. I stopped at the door and looked over my shoulder. ”You really are a wonderful friend. The other girls are all very lucky to know somepony like you.”

Twilight let out a sheepish laugh, and there was a small hint of a blush on those purple cheeks. “Um, thanks,” she said softly, but she quickly composed herself again. “I’m lucky to know them—and now you, too.”

I beamed Twilight a gigantic smile at her words. Then I hastily trotted back to her desk and retrieved the bag of books I almost forgot. “Haff uh goo’nught, Twi’wight,” I called back to her in muffled speech as I trotted, once again, for the door.

Twilight let out a hearty laugh. “You too, Prism!”

Chapter 14: The Gallery

Leaving the library, I found myself in the all-too-familiar darkness that followed nightfall over Ponyville. I took a moment to look around and take in the scenery. It was very different from the last time I had been alone outside so late at night; the snow and ice were gone and the first signs of spring were all around. Thankfully, the dead silence was also no longer present, having been replaced by the sounds of crickets and other nocturnal wildlife. It was very peaceful. I smiled to myself before starting back to the boutique to drop off my books and hit the hay.

Along the way, however, something caught my eye; something I had never seen before. Something beautiful.

...Lights?

Looking off to the park just beyond the town square, I noticed floating lights—hundreds of them! I paused for a moment, staring and hesitating, but eventually decided that my trip back home could wait a few more minutes. I made my way over to the lights to investigate. As I approached the bridge that led to the park, crossing a little stream, a smile crept up on me. I suddenly realized what the mysterious lights were.

Fireflies!

A wide smile adorned my face as I quickly galloped the rest of the way across the bridge.

Being a city mare, I had never seen them in the flesh before. Sure, I had read about them and seen many pictures of them, but getting to see the real thing was truly a breathtaking experience for me. As I watched the dancing lights I felt myself relax, and my mind began to wander.

Dinner with a stallion... What do I do? What do I say?...What do I wear?

I quickly came to realize I had absolutely no idea what I was doing when it came to dating.

I’ll have to ask Rarity for advice again. But still... it’s almost too good to be true.

Letting out a long, relaxed sigh, I leaned against the cement railing of the bridge, smiling to myself as I drew circles on it with a forehoof.

“Somepony looks really happy,” a familiar voice suddenly called out with a giggle.

My ears perked up and I lifted my head to see my new friend Ditzy Doo approaching from my left.

“Hoh, hay Dherhe,” I replied, muffled by the bag of books. I quickly dropped them on the ground next to me. “What are you doing out so late?” I asked quizzically, pulling myself off the guardrail.

“I could ask you the very same thing, ya know!” she replied with a laugh. “Actually, I’m just now getting off work. I volunteered to stay late and clean up, tonight. I was just flying home and I happened to see you down here.” Derpy gestured a hoof to my coat. “The moonlight reflects off you and makes you very easy to spot from above at night,” she said matter-of-factly. “It also makes you look beautiful and mysterious!” she added in a playful tone.

I scratched the back of my neck with a forehoof sheepishly before looking over my shoulder at my coat. Sure enough, the pure white fur stood out, reflecting the moonlight with a perfectly vivid neon glow. In fact, I almost looked like a beacon of light in comparison to my shadowy, nighttime surroundings.

“You know... I never noticed that,” I replied, turning back to Derpy. “But then again, I never really was one to go out at night.”

“At least you’ll be easy to find if you ever get lost in the dark!” Derpy pointed out with a wink.

I covered a small laugh. “True.”

Derpy trotted up to me, and joined me at my side.

“So, what has you beaming sunshine and rainbows on the bridge to the park at this late hour?” she asked, giving me a playful nudge with her shoulder, followed by a giggle.

“Well, I was walking home when I noticed the fireflies, so I came over here to watch them and then I guess my mind just started to wander..”

Derpy laughed. “Wandered to something nice, by the looks of it,” she said, leaning her back against the bridge’s guardrail. “If it isn’t too personal, do you mind me asking what has you so happy? It’s nice to see a friend smile this much, but it does make me curious.”

“Remember when we had lunch and then went our separate ways?” I replied slowly as I leaned up against the bridge. ”Well, shortly after that I ran into this stallion that I really, really like.”  I fidgeted with my forehooves.

“Bumping into your crush is certainly something to smile about, I’d say!” Derpy said, nodding with a large smile.

I shook my head. “No, that’s not quite it; it gets even better than that!” I replied, my features creeping into a smile. ”When I went to buy some groceries later on, he gave me a discount and complimented my looks, and then he asked me out to dinner. Tomorrow night!”

Derpy beamed me a wide grin. “That’s awesome, Prism!”

“There’s more!” I replied, trying my best to rein in my smile but failing miserably. “When I was on my way to the library, some time after that, some stallions approached me... they wouldn’t leave me alone, and I got really scared. I didn’t know what to do.”

Derpy gave me a curious look. “That sounds bad... so why are you still smiling?”

“Big Macintosh came to save me!” I said excitedly, covering the sides of my muzzle with both hooves. ”He chased them away. Well, two of them anyway; one of them, a pegasus stallion, stayed behind and tried to fight him, but he didn’t even last long enough to serve as a warm-up. One swift buck, and that stallion was out, sailing through the air like he was just a rag doll!”

“So... Big Macintosh, huh?” Derpy said with a smug smile. “He’s a real hunk!”

I buried my face deeper into my hooves. “I know...” I replied faintly, making Derpy break into hearty laughter. “...And I even kissed him, after he saved me,”I added, whispering through my hooves.

Derpy’s laughter came to an abrupt halt, and she covered a loud gasp.

“No!” she said, drawing the word out with a large smile.

I looked to her and hastily nodded. “Yes!”I exclaimed softly.

“Sounds like you had a wonderful day!” she enthused, beaming me an excited smile.

I covered a small laugh. “You have no idea, Derpy. I don’t think I could have asked for a better day.”

Derpy turned and looked out over the water.

“I also have a stallion I really like... We spend a lot of time together, but I don’t think he really knows. He tells me about all these wild adventures he’s been on, in other places and times... I don’t really believe him though.” Her expression suddenly shifted into a distant, dreamy smile. “But he’s really smart, has a crazy imagination, and most of all he’s really cheerful and funny; Dinky absolutely loves him.”

“He sounds like a wonderful stallion.”

Derpy paused for a moment, nodding vaguely, before turning back to me.

“Say... Dinky, Whooves and I are all going to the lake this weekend. Would you like to come?” She looked at me with hopeful, impossible-to-turn-down eyes. ”I would love for you to meet them,” she added with a smile, which I eagerly returned.

“Of course, I would love to!”

“Great!” Derpy exclaimed, doing a small twirl and taking flight, hovering just above the bridge. “Oh! Why don’t you see if Big Macintosh would like to come, too? The more the merrier!”

“That would be nice... I’ll ask him tomorrow!” I replied, looking up to her.

“Well, I’d love to stay and chat a little longer, but I really need to get back to Dinky. We’ll be by the Boutique at noon on Saturday. Expect us!”

I waved to her. “I will. See you then, Ditzy!”

She let out a small giggle before waving back and taking off with her usual, zig-zaggy flying patterns.

I turned back to the stream, watching the fireflies dance about, just above the water, for a few more moments.

Well, I should probably get back, too. A lot to do tomorrow, so I need to get some sleep.

I pushed off the guardrail and back onto all four hooves, before leaning down and retrieving my bag of loaned books.

But first, I need some advice from Rarity. She did say she would be up late... I hope she didn’t decide to turn in early, after all.

I looked to the moon, lost in thought for a moment, before quickly trotting off toward the boutique.

* * * * * * * * * *

Upon arriving, I let myself in, only to find the lights off downstairs. I looked about the room for a moment before trotting to the stairs, figuring that if Rarity was still awake, she would most likely be in her Inspiration Room. I made my way up the stairs and across the kitchen. As I approached the corner of the hallway, I could hear soft humming and the sound of a sewing machine in use. I smiled to myself as I turned the corner and looked into the room.

Sure enough, there was Rarity, humming a soft tune to herself and merrily sewing away at what looked to be a particularly delicate green dress. I slowly walked up to her. It appeared she didn’t notice me, even though I was standing right in front of her work desk. I waited a few more moments before clearing my throat.

“Um, Rarity?” I called out to her softly.

She paused for a brief moment before quickly looking up to me. A look of surprise overtook her expression, followed by a sheepish smile.

“Oh! Prism! I’m so sorry, I, uh, didn’t see you there, darling,” she replied, fumbling with her words a bit, before looking down to the dress she was making and quickly casting it aside onto a nearby poniquin. “So how was your time with Twilight, dear?”

“Wonderful!” I exclaimed excitedly. “Absolutely wonderful! Today in general has been just... wonderful.” I breathed out the last word with a relaxed sigh and smile.

Rarity raised a curious eyebrow, an expression quickly followed by a sly grin. “Oh? Do share!” she enthused, levitating a hidden red velvet couch over from somewhere and taking a seat on it. “So, tell me about this wonderful day of yours, hmm?” She looked to me expectantly.

I climbed up onto the couch next to her, making myself comfortable before bringing a hoof to my chin.

“Well...” Starting with my time with Twilight in her laboratory, I explained, in great detail, about her research and our findings: How my magic seemed to work, what had happened to the weight, and how we had discovered the reason why Rarity’s healing spell had affected my wound in such a terrifying way, a few weeks ago.

Rarity looked positively dumbstruck, as if she couldn’t believe the words I was saying.

“I... knew you’re magic was special, unique... but this?” she replied slowly, covering her muzzle with a hoof. “Twilight must have had quite a field day with you, darling.”

I covered a small laugh. “You have no idea. You should have seen how excited she was!”

Rarity beamed me a small, knowing smile. “Twilight never ceases to amaze me with her magical aptitude and extensive knowledge. Being given an opportunity to explore unknown magic like this? Why, I imagine she must have been positively delighted.”

Rarity paused, shifting uncomfortably in her seat, and looked to the floor.

“And I’m quite relieved to finally come to understand what happened that day, with your cut. It has been eating away at me in the back of my mind for some time now... It could have gone much worse, and what if it had? What if my spell had left a scar? I... I don’t think I would have been able to forgiv—”

Placing a hoof on her shoulder, I cut Rarity off and said, “I already told you, there was no way you could have known that would happen. You did everything right with the casting, my body just reacts differently to healing spells—and other invasive forms of magic, possibly.”

I gave her a quick wink when she looked back up to me.

“So rest easy knowing that you did, in fact, help me. If that wound had healed normally it probably would have left a scar.” I brought a hoof to my forehead for a moment, covering a small laugh at her touching but unnecessary concerns.

Rarity gave me a relieved smile when she replied, “Thank you, Prism. That makes me feel much better,” before dismissing the issue with a small laugh of her own. “So tell me, what else happened during this fabulous day of yours?” Her smile quickly turned slightly smug.

I paused momentarily before my ears perked up. “Oh! I decided what to do with my bits!” I exclaimed, shifting positions to face her. “An art gallery! I’m going to have an art gallery built!”

Quickly going starry-eyed, Rarity exclaimed, “Why, darling! that is a simply magnificent idea! A place to display all your work and paintings... Not to mention the attention it will attract! I’ll have you know, many of the Canterlot elite are very intrigued by fine artwork. So I can assure you that a new art gallery opening its doors in Equestria will cause quite the stir; you could quickly become famous!”

Rarity paused for a moment before covering a sharp gasp.

“And let’s not forget just who you are! You are the daughter of Canvas. The Canvas! That alone is going to turn quite a few heads amongst the nobility of Canterlot, and attract art collectors from all over Equestria.” Rarity grabbed my hooves into hers. “This is an absolutely stupendous idea, Prism! With your talent, you could easily become the next big thing in the art world!”

I quickly shied away from her, blushing profusely. “I-I don’t know about that... I would love the opportunity to share my art with everypony, though. It has been my dream since I was a filly.”

Looking down to my forehooves with a smile, I twirled them together.

Rarity leaned in and wrapped a foreleg around my neck and shoulders. “You are far too talented to aspire to anything less! I will personally see to it that this dream of yours comes true, and I know just the pony to help us do it.” She looked to me with a large smile. “Quick Fix!”

I tilted my head, looking at her puzzled. “Quick Fix? Who’s that?”

Rarity covered a posh laugh. “Why, she’s only the most talented contractor in all of Equestria! She and her team are the ones who built the Carousel Boutique!” She gestured a hoof to the walls all around us. “Clearly, you cannot deny that the quality of her work is absolutely outstanding.”

I paused for several moments, scanning the room with a somewhat surprised expression.

This building is simply amazing; everything is so finely detailed. The same pony that created all of this is going to be building mystudio?

My expression slowly transformed into one of excitement. “Rarity, that would be wonderful!” I said, quickly pulling her into a hug. “Thank you so much!”

Rarity let out a small laugh and pulled away. “It’s no problem at all, darling. I will get a hold of her first thing tomorrow morning. She actually lives right here, in Ponyville!”

“Today has just been too much,” I said, leaning back into the sofa. ”It’s not every day that your entire life gets flipped upside down and you get all of your dreams simply handed to you on a silver platter.”

Rarity covered a small chuckle. “Yes, I daresay you’ve had quite the day indeed.” She paused for a moment. “Oh yes! Fluttershy dropped off your saddlebags when she came by earlier; she said that you forgot them in her kitchen. They are up in your room, dear.”

Rarity got up from the couch and trotted over to her large supply shelf, examining it.

“Now darling, I really do hate to cut this short, but I do still have some work I need to get done before bed. We still have our spa trip planned for tomorrow after lunch, if you’ll recall,” she said as she looked to a clock on her work desk, “and it’s already midnight now.”

I shifted in my seat before standing up.

“Oh, um, just one more thing before I go... I wanted to say ‘thank you’ for the advice you gave me. It really helped,” I said as I looked to the floor, drawing a circle with a hoof while a smile crept up on me.

Rarity looked back to me with a puzzled look, a single eyebrow raised. “Advice?” she asked quizzically.

“With Big Macintosh?” I explained, trotting up to her. ”You gave me some advice on how to talk to him and... Well, like I said, it really helped. So thank you.”

Rarity’s expression fell slightly. “O-oh, um... you’re welcome. How did everything go with... Big Macintosh?” Rarity asked with a somewhat nervous smile.

I returned it with a giant smile of my own.“Wonderful!” I exclaimed loudly, pulling her into a hug. “Thank you so much! I had an opportunity to ask him and right after I did, he really surprised me! He asked me out to dinner tomorrow night!”

Rarity quickly pulled away with a nervous expression.

“O-Oh, um... t-that’s gr—”

“But that’s not all!” I interrupted excitedly, stepping closer to her again. “You see, there was this group of stallions that wouldn’t leave me alone. I asked them to go away, but they wouldn’t! I was starting to get really scared... Then Big Macintosh comes out of nowhere and chases two of them away! The third one tries to fight him, but gets knocked out with a single buck; Big Macintosh didn’t even break a sweat!”

I hadn’t realized it, but I was leaning in right to her face at this point.

“Afterwards he came over to ask if I was okay. After he had protected me like that, letting me see just how strong he really is, I just... lost myself. I had him lean in close and I...” I trailed off, taking a step back from Rarity with a fiery blush. “And I... kissed him!”

I sat to my haunches and quickly covered my face with both hooves.

Rarity took a step back, herself.

“Y-You... KISSED him?!” she repeated, sounding taken aback.

I looked up to her and slowly nodded before pausing. “Well... I didn’t actually kiss him—it was more of a peck on the cheek really—but it was close enough!” I squealed to myself softly.

Rarity looked down to me with an interesting expression, her right eye twitching.

“Um, are you okay, Rarity?” I asked, tilting my head in confusion. “What's wrong?”

She suddenly shook herself, looking quite visibly flustered. “Oh, um, nothing’s wrong, darling. I just, um...” she trailed off and took a few steps backwards toward the door. “I just, um... remembered something very important that I forgot to do today! I’ll be back later, don’t worry. Goodnight!”

Before I could get a word off, she vanished out the doorway. Puzzled, I looked back to the clock on her desk.

What could be so important that she has to run off at midnight to do it?

I brought a hoof to my chin in thought for a few moments, before shrugging the thought off with a sudden yawn.

I reallyshould get to bed...

Leisurely walking out of Rarity’s Inspiration Room, I made my way up to my room. As I crested the stairs, I noticed my saddlebags right away; they were laying on my bed. A warm smile crept up on me as I trotted up to them.

Fluttershy...

As I looked them over I noticed there was something discreetly tucked away beneath the bags, with just a corner of paper visible.

“...A letter?” I mused aloud to myself.

I reached down with a hoof, scooted it out from under the saddlebags and began to read it over:

Dear, Prism.

I’m really sorry about everything that happened today, and that you had to do all that work for me. I know you offered to, but I still feel bad about it. Thank you for giving me a chance to get some rest, though. I guess I needed it more than I thought.

I would also like to apologize for the way Angel Bunny treated you today. He’s not a bad bunny, he just made a bad decision. He’s much nicer once you get to know him. Well, most of the time.

My animal friends told me how much you helped them all today. They had a lot of questions about you, and said you were very nice and helpful. Mr. Beaver told me that you even helped him finish his new dam! He was very grateful and wanted me to tell you how much he appreciated the extra help. He even offered to give you some fish in return by way of thanking you, though I wasn’t sure if you eat fish so I politely turned him down for you.

Oh! And thank you for the apples. I hadn’t even realized that I had run out. You really helped me a lot today and I am very grateful for that. But what I am most grateful for is that you are okay.

When I heard the news on Winter Wrap Up, I was terrified. I honestly thought that we were going to lose you; you were in very, very bad shape when Twilight brought you to the hospital. The doctors didn’t think you were going to make it for the first few hours.

I was so scared. Scared that I was going to lose my special friend, who I had only just had the pleasure of meeting. I found it very difficult to sleep at night, constantly worrying if you were okay, so I checked on you every day to make sure you were doing better. Earlier this morning, I was quite shocked when I went to the hospital and found out that you weren’t there, that you were awake. I flew as fast as I could to the boutique, but Rarity told me you that I had just missed you, and that you had actually left to come see me.

I was so surprised to see you outside without your cloak on. It made me really happy that you are now comfortable enough to go outside without it. I just want you to know that I am very proud of you. You have come a long way from when I first met you. I really admire how you have been able to overcome so much, so quickly.

You’re an amazing pony, Prism. Never let anypony else tell you otherwise. I hope that, one day, I can be as strong as you...

Oh, but listen to me, I’m just rambling now. I’ll stop before this gets too long. Thanks again for the help.

-Your friend forever, Fluttershy

P.S. I forgot to mention: I left a present for you as a little token of gratitude for all your help. It’s nothing special, just something I made really fast before coming over, but I do hope you like it.

“A gift?” I mused as I looked over the saddlebags.

Upon opening them I saw nothing out of the ordinary; they were empty aside from the bag containing my remaining bits. I paused for a moment, before searching a bit more thoroughly around where the bags were sitting, and around my bed itself. Thats when I noticed a large lump beneath the sheets near my pillows. I pulled away the sheets and gasped, smiling widely.

“A pillow!”

But it wasn’t just your standard, all-white pillow: The material was a soft pink and the seams were trimmed in golden silk and yellow lace. Flowers of many colors were embroidered into the frame that bordered the fluffy body of the pillow. And in the very center was an image of my cutie mark, although this version was fully colored, showing a typical wooden palette along with a black-tipped brush. The paints on the palette itself were each a vibrant color of the rainbow. What stuck out the most about the pillow, though, was the word ‘Friends’, embroidered in flowery letters above my cutie mark.

I analyzed the pillow for a little while longer, and then turned it over. The border around the pillow was the same as on the other side, but in the center, instead of my own cutie mark, three pink butterflies were depicted.

Fluttershy's cutie mark...

Below the image was the word ‘Forever’, embroidered in the same style as on the opposite side.

I picked up the pillow with both hooves, continually flipping it over and over again, a giant smile adorning my face.

“Friends forever...” I said aloud to myself, pulling the pillow close and nuzzling into it.

I noticed right away just how soft it was—far more comfortable than even the luxurious pillows Rarity had provided for me. Though that observation was quickly replaced by something else, something far more lovely.

...It smells like fresh spring flowers.

Eager to try my new pillow, I decided it was time for bed and lazily brushed both my saddlebags and the note onto the floor, figuring I could put them away another time. Then I quickly crawled underneath the sheets and nuzzled into Fluttershy’s gift once more, feeling supremely comfortable.

Not having realized just how tired I was, I was asleep in mere moments.

* * * * * * * * * *

“Are you sure you’re going to be alright? Remember that, if things don’t work out, you can always move back home.”

I rolled my eyes at the pink mare’s needless worrying.

“I’ll be fine, Mother. I’ve been planning this and saving up for months,” I replied, turning back to face her.

She had a very worried expression on her face. “Okay. It’s just... I know you’re not good with other ponies and—”

“I won’t have to go out much,” I interjected. ”My work allows me work on orders from home, remember? Plus, I can take care of myself just fine.” I looked down to my hooves, at my faithful black pet rabbit. “And besides, I have Mr. Wiggles with me!” I added. ”So I’ll be alright.”

He replied to my wink with an affirmative nod.

“See?” I said, looking back to my mother. “I will be just fine, so please, stop worrying so much.”

She let out a sigh of defeat. “I just can’t believe my little canvas is all grown up and moving out on her own. I’m your mother you know, it’s my job to worry about my daughter,” she said matter-of-factly, wearing a smug look on her face. “Don’t forget tha—”

She was abruptly cut off by loud fit of coughing.

“Mom!” I cried out, galloping over to her.

She held out a hoof to me as she recovered and composed herself. “I’m... okay. Don’t worry.”

I narrowed my eyes at her. “No, you are not ‘okay!’ I told you to see a doctor about that nasty cough yesterday!”

“It’s probably just a bad chest cold, I think I’ll just—”

“No, you won’t,”  I interrupted her, stomping a forehoof. “You’re going to see a doctor. Today. And by Celestia’s sun, if I have to drag you over there myself, I will.”

She covered a small laugh. “Okay okay, you win. I’ll go after lunch, with Flora and the girls.” Mother brought a hoof to her chin, smiling. “Why don’t you join us dear?”

I gave her a mild glare. “Stop changing the subject, Mother! Doctor. Go. Today.” I pointed a hoof at her. “When I come back for the rest of my painting supplies tomorrow, you had better have a written note from a qualified physician, or I’m going to be very, very unhappy.”

She embraced me in an unexpected hug. “I will, I promise.”

“I love you mom, but you really need to take better care of yourself,” I said, returning the hug. “I can’t so much as sneeze without worrying you. Now it’s my turn to nag.” I laughed, then pulled away and made my way to the door.

“C’mon Wiggie! We’re leaving,” I said as I sat down and began tying back my mane and tail.

Mother trotted up to Wiggles and leaned down close to him. “Now Mr. Wiggles, please make sure that she doesn’t forget to brush her teeth before bed, or to take her vitamins. Also make sure that she—”

“Mom!” I called out, looking back to her with a glare before putting on my cloak.

She let out a sharp laugh, giving my pet bunny a nod. He gave her a quick salute, before hopping across the room and onto my back.

With my passenger secure, I turned back to my mother, giving her a small wave.

“See you tomorrow! Love you Mom!”

* * * * * * * * * * *

I grumbled softly as I rolled over in bed. The faint sound of a voice called out to me, from what seemed like miles away, though it only took a few moments for that soft, distant voice to end up being neither very soft nor very distant, anymore.

“Wake up! It’s time to get up, Prism!”

I felt a set of tiny hooves pressing into my side. After a few more prompts for me to get out of bed, I finally recognised the voice.

“...Sweetie Belle?” I asked groggily, sitting up slowly and with a long yawn.

“Rarity says there’s somepony here to see you! It’s important!” she informed me with much enthusiasm, her voice cracking slightly on the ‘por’ in ‘important.’ I couldn’t help but reach out and pull her into a hug in my still-half-asleep state.

She’s sooooo cute!

“You're...crushing me...” she squeaked, squirming in my grasp.

I quickly let go of her. She hopped onto the floor below before turning back to me.

“Hey, do you think you I could use one of your canvases and some paint for something, later today?” she asked, surprisingly sounding somewhat excited.

One thing I had learned about Sweetie Belle was that, adorable as they were, she and her fillyfriends were a walking disaster just waiting to happen. I had heard the horror stories, and could even give a few first-hoof accounts of their destructive exploits myself, by now.

“I-I, um... I don’t think that is a very good idea,” I replied reluctantly, not wanting to be responsible for supplying the filly with potential weapons of mass destruction.

“Aww...” she replied sadly, visibly deflating.

So adorable!

I let out a sigh of defeat and caved to her cute antics.

“I’ll tell you what: tomorrow afternoon, I’ll let you use some of my stuff if, and only if, you let me come with you. I want to make sure you girls don’t get into any trouble,” I said, giving her now unnaturally large grin a dubious stare.

“You’re the best adult ever, Prism! Thank you!” she exclaimed before trotting to the staircase, only to come to a sudden stop and look back to me. “Oh yeah! There’s some breakfast for you downstairs, too,” she added, before disappearing down the stairs.

I hopped out of bed and, considering I had an unknown visitor, took a brief moment to trot up to the large, standing mirror in the corner of the room and brush my mane. I had a horrible case of bedhead; probably not the best look to come down and greet somepony with.

When my mane had been tamed, I made my way downstairs and headed to the kitchen. Rarity was at the table, sitting across from a red-brown unicorn mare. She had a pure white mane—not too far off, in terms of contrast, from my own—and a what looked like a wrench as a cutie mark.

Rarity noticed me approaching and gestured to me. “Ah, there she is. Sorry to wake you so early, Prism, but Quick Fix here would like to speak to you about your gallery.”

The mare in question turned to face me. At first glance, she cocked her head back and blinked at me a few times, before quickly smiling. “Hi! I’m Quick Fix! Pleased to meet you. Prism, right?”

“Y-Yeah...” I replied softly, slowly walking over and taking a seat next to Rarity. “It’s, um... n-nice to meet you, Quick Fix.”

I let out a soft sigh. Meeting new ponies was getting easier, but something about really energetic and forward ponies still made me feel really nervous and uneasy, at first, and this mare was no exception.

“So, word is you’re looking to build an art gallery?” she said, getting up from her seat. ”When Rarity told me earlier, I was so excited I just had to rush over and get some more information!”

She trotted over to a pair of large saddlebags sitting by the stairs that led down to the boutique.

“So, first off, what kind of budget we looking at?” she looked back to me expectantly.

I fidgeted with my forehooves for a moment. “...U-Um... t-three thousand b-bits?” I replied nervously.

Quick Fix’s eyes went wide for a moment. “Oh, wow... Well, I have a few basic floor plans we can start with! If you would just give me a moment, I think I have one you may like...”

She trailed off as she started shuffling through her saddlebags, pulling out what looked to be blueprints of various sizes and letting them spill onto the floor, scattering them about and letting them roll away. After a few moments of searching, she lifted up a rather sizable scroll in her blue-grey magic aura.

“Alright! Since this is to be an art gallery, a large, open floor plan would be the way to go,” she suggested, gesturing to the levitating scroll. “This one in particular has several columns throughout the main room. I figure you can use those; they provide more surface area to hang paintings on.” She smiled expectantly, letting the scroll float over to me.

A very long, awkward silence fell over the room. Quick Fix’s smile grew large and quite forced, and she made a gesture with her muzzle to the blueprint. A few more seconds passed. I let out a soft whimper and shrank down in my seat. I almost jumped out of it, but then felt Rarity place a hoof on my shoulder.

“It’s fine, dear. Go ahead and take it from her.”

“B-But...” I laid my ears back, giving her a worried look.

“If Twilight does manage to find a way to help you better control your magic, as we’re all hoping, then you’re inevitably going to have to start using it in front of ponies you don’t know,” she said in a soft tone accompanied by a reassuring smile. “You may as well start getting used to it now. And besides, I think she will get a real kick out of it.” She added a playful wink.

Quick Fix tilted her head, looking at me with a puzzled expression. “She’s a unicorn, but she doesn’t like using her magic around others? Why not?” She scanned my face briefly, looking me in the eyes. “Is your magic not pink or something? You know, not everypony’s magic matches their eye color; it’s nothing to be ashamed of.”

Rarity laughed softly. “Not exactly, no,” she said with a smug look before turning back to me. “Go on Prism, I promise she won’t bite.”

I found myself feeling all kinds of nervous as I turned back to the mare contractor. Over the course of my life many, many ponies had seen my appearance, but the number of ponies who had seen my magic were only a small hooffull outside of my mother (and now the girls).

Rarity has a point... I need to get used to the reactions and stares of other ponies.

“S-Shouldn’t we, um... tell her about it first?” I suggested hesitantly.

Rarity covered a sinister smile behind a forehoof. “But darling!Where’s the fun in that?”

Quick Fix scratched the back of her neck, looking utterly perplexed. “Uh... maybe I should just set it down over—”

“No,” I interjected, sitting up. “I’ll take it, just... give me one second.”

I took a deep breath and let out a slow sigh. After a few moments of gathering my resolve, I focused my magic. The blue-grey aura still holding the scroll was quickly replaced by my own prismatic magic when I took the scroll and levitated it toward myself. Quick Fix’s expression turned into one of shock, and she fell back onto her haunches. I let out a small, whimpering squeak as I quickly released my hold on the scroll, letting it fall to the floor.

“W-W-Wha... What was that?!” Quick Fix stammered. She looked aghast, gesturing a shaky hoof to the no-longer-floating scroll.

Rarity sat back with a rather smug expression, obviously trying desperately to hold back her laughter, while I shrank down in my seat.

“T-that... was my, um... m-magic,” I pointed out haltingly, fidgeting with my forehooves.

“H-How is that even possible?! I have never even heard of rainbow magic before...” She turned back to me, looking me over. “I’ll admit I was already a bit surprised by your appearance, but that... That was something else.” She got to her hooves and seemed to hesitate for several seconds. “Could you, um... do it again? I’m sorry I made such a big scene, I just wasn’t expecting it.”

After glaring at Rarity briefly, I slowly nodded, and reluctantly levitated the scroll into the air again.

Her eyes went wide as she started to very slowly walk up to magic’s field. “Wow!” she breathed out in a dream-like daze, hesitantly extending a hoof. She stopped herself briefly, before allowing her hoof to touch the floating paper anyway. “That is just... amazing. It’s so beautiful!”

“I really don’t like the attention it attracts,” I explained, bringing the blueprint over to me and spreading it out over the table. “I don’t like having a bunch of ponies stare at me every time I cast a spell.”

“I guess I can understand that,” Quick Fix said, still blinking.

I glanced over the paper and was... surprised, to say the least; the design was for a rather sizable building. It had a layout reminiscent of Ponyville’s City Hall, except with only one floor and shaped more like an octagon, as far as the walls were concerned. Seven pillars were indicated on the blueprint: three on the east side of the building, three on the west, and one really large specimen in the center.

“If you think the columns are too small or not wide enough, they can be shaped accordingly,” Quick Fix commented, gesturing to the blue print.

I looked over the dimensions of the pillars and brought a hoof to my chin in thought; looking at it again, there were a few issues...

“Hmm... currently they are circular. I think they need to be made rectangular, and probably larger, yes. I won’t have any use for the extra floor space these narrow pillars offer, really. Like you mentioned earlier, it’s mostly surface area that I need.” I gestured to the northern end of the plans. “Also, this open space here, leading to the center pillar... I would like to convert most of it into studio-style living quarters that connect to the back wall. A second, private door on the north side would be great too; that way I don’t have to go through the gallery to get in and out of my home. Is all of that possible?” I looked up to Quick Fix expectantly.

She beamed me a smile and nodded. “Of course! Just give me a moment to make a copy of this with your modifications added in.”

Trotting back to her saddlebags, she levitated and unraveled a blank blueprint, along with a pencil, and began scribbling away furiously.

I couldn’t help but smile as I imagined what my very own gallery would be like when it was finished.

“What do you think, Rarity?” I asked as I turned to face her.

She had a rather surprised look on her face. “I didn’t know you could be so... assertive. I’m impressed, really,” she said, giving me a look that was surprised, but approving. “Anyways, regarding the plans: I think they're wonderful, but you should know you’re free to stay here, if you like. It really is no trouble having you—”

“Thank you, Rarity,”  I interjected, ”but I think I have stayed under your roof long enough. I am extremely grateful for everything you have done for me; nopony could possibly ask for more.” I beamed at her. “You have been such a good friend to me... I don’t think I could ever thank you enough. But I can take care of myself, and would prefer to be out of everypony’s way,” I added with a wink.

Rarity opened her mouth to protest, but I quickly raised a hoof, hushing her.

“You may be the element of generosity, but I’m the element of stubbornness; don’t try to change my mind,” I said, playfully sticking my tongue out at her.

She let out a small chuckle before getting out of her seat. “I’m afraid Applejack has already staked claim to that title, dear,” she teased back. Then she trotted over to the kitchen counter to fetch a plate, and magically set it down in front of me. “Very well darling, if that is what you wish... But do keep in mind that, if you ever need help with anything, you should feel free to ask.”

“I will,” I said as I looked down to my plate. (Eggs and toast, one of my favorites.) “Thank you Rarity. For everything.”

As I went about eating my breakfast, Quick Fix finished up with the new blueprint and directed it over to me. “Alright, all finished! How does this look?” she asked excitedly.

I glanced over the plans. It was as if she had read my mind! The whole thing was laid out exactly the way I had imagined it.

“If’s ferfet!” I exclaimed happily, before giving myself the chance to swallow my toast. “Sorry. It’s perfect! Precisely what I had in mind.”

She smiled at me, but then her expression changed to one of deep thought. “Let’s see, there are only three plots in Ponyville big enough to build something like this: one between the hospital and the park, one just outside of town, along the road to the Everfree Forest, and one between the town square and Sweet Apple Acres.”

The road between town square and Sweet Apple Acres is a bit on the bland side... That leaves the road up to the hospital and the one near the Everfree.

I brought a hoof to my chin as I debated my options. Both roads were beautiful in their own way: the hospital's road had gorgeous grassy plains and lots of flowers, while the road to the Everfree was peaceful and had a lot of trees, wild plants and flowers.

I’m not sure how much I like the idea of living next to a hospital, though... It might bring back some unpleasant memories. Also, settling on the road to the Everfree would mean living a lot closer to Fluttershy... I hope she won’t mind.

“I think I’ll go with the one between Ponyville and the Everfree; that particular road is very pretty and peaceful,” I stated, before finishing the last bite of my breakfast.

“Awesome! One sec.”

Quick Fix trotted back to her saddlebags once more, this time to extract some kind of document. She held the modified blueprint alongside it, and then fell silent for several moments.

“Uh oh,” she suddenly blurted out, frowning deeply, “I think we went a little over budget.”

Walking back to me, she magically held out the papers again and showed me her calculations.

“You see, the building itself, before modification, would be 2100 bits,” she informed me. ”The plot comes down to 600. But then there’s the increased size of the columns; the extra material needed for that, according to my estimates, is probably going to raise their cost to roughly 400 bits. And the addition of living quarters would be 200 more, if you want to include a kitchen and a bathroom.” She let out a nervous laugh. “...Is that. um... still okay?”

My ears fell back and I sighed disappointedly. “We could look at another plan... I can live with something smaller, if need be. I mean, I don’t—”

“No need, darling, it’s perfectly reasonable and still very much within our budget,” Rarity quickly cut me off. “Now, if we can just move along to discussing the specific details...”

I quickly turned to face the fashionista. “Rarity! It’s not—” I was promptly silenced by an invading apple that Rarity had telekinetically snatched from the fruit bowl on the kitchen counter.

“Awesome!” Quick Fix said, raising a brow at our shenanigans. ”I’ll have to go run home real fast and grab my catalogs, though. I, uh, didn’t think I was going to need them yet.” She grinned  sheepishly. “Very unprofessional of me. Very sorry. I’ll be back in a few minutes, okay?”

“That’s quite alright, dear. No rush,” Rarity called out to her, but she was already darting down the staircase.

Rarity turned and trotted up to me with a smug look. “I can be quite stubborn too, Prism,” she said with a laugh, winking at me before making her way down to the boutique below.

I swallowed the offending apple and let out a long sigh.

I just can’t win against her, can I?

* * * * * * * * * *

Before long Quick Fix returned with several booklets containing a variety of different designs for me to choose from (both for the interior and the exterior decor), as well as with a few lists of basic building materials she would be needing and some formal paperwork for me to sign.

Going over all the different options was a lot of fun. Rarity insisted mostly on flashy and eye-popping designs and embellishments, but I prefered a more classical approach. I loved the way stonework looked and eventually decided to go with classic Canterlotian marble. Much to my dismay this turned out to be a little more expensive still, but no matter how hard I tried to go back on my decision and consider something cheaper, Rarity would not let me.

I was quickly learning that she was a mare who almost always got her way. Not because she was inflexible and wouldn’t have it any other way, but simply because she knew how to pull the right strings. The girls really didn’t give her enough credit... Under that mask of vanity lay an exceptionally intelligent and crafty mare.

When everything was said and done, Quick Fix informed me that construction would probably be done in a little over a week. Apparently, the difficulty with erecting stone structures was not the actual shaping of the material, but the transportation. Unicorn magic made manipulating the marble quick and easy, but good old-fashioned earth pony muscle was still needed to move it from the quarries outside Canterlot.

When my new contractor friend was done going over everything and finally took her leave, it was already getting awfully close to the time when Fluttershy was due to arrive. I suggested that we should probably be getting ready, but to my great shock Rarity informed me that there was no need.

“One goes to a spa to get ready, not the other way around,” she delicately put it.

It wasn’t long before there was a knock at the door. A very quiet knock, belonging, of course, to Fluttershy.

Although something seemed different about her today. I couldn’t quite put a hoof on it.

“Well girls, shall we?” Rarity said regally, trotting for the door. The two of us nodded and quickly followed her out.

I was excited—no,elated. A relaxing afternoon trip to the spa, with my two best friends.

What could possibly go wrong?

Chapter 15: The Day Spa

The trip to the spa had been a short one, since it was located in Town Square and so was only minutes away from the boutique.

As soon as we arrived, Rarity opened the door for us with her magic and we made our way inside. Right away, my senses were filled with the soothing scent of soaps and oils, and other delicate fragrances.

The lobby of the day spa was small and simple, yet very comfortable. Several large house plants in finely crafted vases decorated the room, giving it an earthy feel. The only other objects in the room were a few decorative bottles, some green sofas, and lastly a reception booth, which was located directly parallel to the door. Behind the counter stood a cyan earth pony with a pink mane, held back by a white headband.

“Good afternoon, Lotus,” Rarity greeted her, trotting up to the counter. “The usual, please, plus one.”

I let out a slow sigh at the sight of Rarity magically placing a pouch full of bits on the counter. Once again, she was spending her bits on me... As much as I wanted to protest, I knew that it would be a futile gesture, so I simply accepted it for what it was.

The mare named Lotus looked up from the clipboard she had been reviewing and spoke with a heavy foreign accent. “Ah, Miss Rarity, Miss Fluttershy, and...?” Her eyes widened when they fell upon me. “This must be the mare you were telling us about!”

She came out of the small booth and trotted up to me.

“Oh my...” she said softly, looking me over. “Your mane and coat are simply beautiful.” She turned back and yelled out to an archway next to the reception booth, “Aloe! You must come see this!”

A few moments later, a second mare entered the room. Her physical appearance mirrored Lotus’s perfectly, except her coat and mane colors were reversed. While I was curiously examining her, I got a glimpse at her cutie mark: a white lotus flower. I noticed that Lotus’s cutie mark was the same, the only difference being that the colors bordering the flower were, once again, reversed.

I paused for a moment, looking back and forth between the two mares.

Are thesetwo... twins?

Aloe covered a small gasp as she walked up to me. “Oh my...” she said in similar fashion to her sister. “Why, this must be her!” She looked to Lotus, who gave her a nod and a smile in response.

“Miss Prism, yes?” Lotus asked. “Welcome to the Ponyville Day Spa. It is lovely meeting you! I am Lotus, and this is my twin sister, Aloe.” She gestured a hoof to the other spa mare.

I knew it. They looked way too much alike to be anything other than twins.

“It’s, um, nice to meet you,” I replied softly.

Aloe turned to Rarity and gestured a hoof at the three of us. “If you ladies wouldn’t mind waiting a few minutes,” she said with a wink, ”we will get everything prepped for your visit.” She shared a giggle with her sister, who pointed us to the green sofas in the center of the room.

“Please make yourselves comfortable, we will let you know when we are ready.”

“Much appreciated, darlings,” Rarity replied, with a wink of her own, before trotting over to one of the sofas and taking a seat.

Fluttershy and I each did the same, taking a seat together on a sofa adjacent to Rarity’s. Once we were seated, the twin proprietors took their leave.

I adjusted myself in my irresistibly cushy seat and looked over to Rarity. “This place is very nice,” I said, ”it’s so peaceful and relaxing.”

“Isn’t it? Fluttershy and I come here every weekend for our little get-togethers,” she replied, looking to the pegasus next to me. ”Isn’t that right, Fluttershy? Why, I don’t think we could ever do without, at this point!”

“Oh, yes, I just love coming here. It’s a wonderful way to relieve stress,” Fluttershy agreed with a smile.

We passed the next few minutes with idle chit-chat, but the more the time went by, the more impatient Rarity seemed to get. Before long she was tapping a forehoof on the armrest and constantly glancing to the clock on the wall.

“Are you okay Rarity?” I asked with mild concern. ”You seem a little on edge; is something wrong?” Following her eyes to the clock, I ventured a guess. ”Does it normally never take this long?”

Rarity quick shook her head. “No, that’s not it darling, I’m just—”

Before she could finish her sentence, however, the door of the spa flew open, revealing, much to my surprise, a heavily winded Rainbow Dash. She was just about thelast pony I expected to see coming through that door.

“Rarity!” she panted. “I’ve been, uh, looking all over for you!” She threw her forelegs into the air somewhat dramatically.

Rarity raised an eyebrow and smiled at her, looking almost relieved. “Oh? For me? Well, what do you need, dear?”

Rainbow Dash opened her mouth to speak, but then suddenly hesitated. Biting her lower lip, she nervously glanced between me and Fluttershy a few times, before letting out an exasperated sigh. “I need a dress,” she deadpanned, without any enthusiasm in her voice whatsoever. “I, uh, have this, um, thing that I need to go to tonight, but I don’t have anything to wear.”

Rarity ran a hoof along her face, for some reason, and gave her a nervous smile. “O-Oh? Is it important? You know, Fluttershy and I are right in the middle of our weekly spa trip, and we even have Prism tagging along today!”

Rainbow Dash trotted up to Rarity. “It’s super important,” she insisted mechanically. ”I have to have something to wear for tonight. Something...” She trailed off at this point, and seemed to struggle with the next word. “...Formal,” she finally added, with a hint of disgust.

“Oh! Well, if that’s the case...” Rarity replied, turning back to us. “Well, duty calls! Do you girls mind? It seems like this is a matter of the utmost importance.”

Fluttershy shook her head. “N-No, it’s um... fine. There is always next weekend...”

Rarity waved a hoof at Fluttershy dismissively. “Well, that simply won’t do! You two can still enjoy the spa without me, can you not?”

Just as she finished her sentence, the spa twins re-entered the lobby.

“Oh? You are leaving, Miss Rarity?” Aloe asked with audible disappointment, her eyes wandering wistfully over to me.

“I’m afraid so. Something important has come up! Do be a dear, though, and show these two a good time for me, will you?”

Both of the twins let out a small laugh, and winked simultaneously.

Lotus was the one who answered, “Don’t worry, we will!”

“I do very much appreciate it, you two,” Rarity said, before turning to a seemingly flabbergasted and inexplicably nervous-looking Fluttershy. “Well, I am off then. Do be sure to tell me how it went.” She nodded and then sauntered out the door, with a relieved-looking Rainbow Dash in tow.

“Well... looks like it’s just you and me then,” Fluttershy said, blinking at the door a few times before turning to me with a cautious smile. “But don’t worry, I’m sure you’re going to love it; Aloe and Lotus are very good at what they do.”

“Well, I’m certainly excited. This is my first time at a spa,” I pointed out, tearing my own eyes away from the door through which Rarity had dashed off so suddenly, and turning back to beam at Fluttershy.

The twins gasped in unison. “You mean to say that you have never been to a spa for treatment before?” Aloe asked with a look of complete shock.

Shrinking down in my seat, I slowly shook my head.

“Oh my! Well, let us begin right away, then,” she said urgently, turning away and gesturing with a hoof for us to follow. “Right this way, please.”

Fluttershy and I got up from our seats and followed Aloe through the archway out of the room. It led to a small hallway, which we followed for a short while until Aloe opened a door on the left-hoof side and gestured for us to enter. The two of us followed her inside, and—

Whoa! It’s hot in here!

I was caught completely off-guard by the sudden and drastic change in temperature. But the room didn’t just differ from the rest of the spa by being exceedingly hotter, the interior was also quite a contrast, consisting almost entirely out of wooden planks.

“Is it, um, supposed to be this... hot?” I asked with a nervous smile.

Aloe covered a small laugh. “Well, yes, of course. It is a sauna, after all.”

“What is a sauna?” I asked her quizzically.

She brought a hoof to her chin for a moment, frowning at my shocking lack of spa-related knowledge. “Oh. Well, a sauna is a type of steam bath. It uses high temperatures and water vapor to promote relaxation.”

Aloe decided to simply demonstrate what she was trying to explain, and leaned down to pick up a ladle from a bucket next to her in her teeth, pouring its contents onto some red-hot rocks nearby. The effect of this was a huge cloud of steam that flooded the room, further increasing the heat.

“O-oh, I, um... see,” I said sheepishly.

I turned back to Fluttershy, who was sitting across the room on a bench that ran along the wall. She gestured for me to come over and take a seat beside her. I nodded and quickly joined her.

“Just give it a few minutes, Prism. You won’t even notice the heat once you start to relax,” Fluttershy reassured me with a soft smile.

“I-if you say so... I’m just not too good with extreme temperatures—hot or cold,” I said reluctantly, looking on with wary eyes as the room began filling up with steam.

She covered a small laugh. “Don’t worry, it doesn’t get much worse than it is now.”

“I hope so, I feel a little dizzy,” I replied, rubbing my forehead with a hoof.

“Oh no,” Fluttershy said, frowning. ”Well, if you aren’t feeling well, we could just go on to what's next?”

Under normal circumstances, I would have been out of that room faster than you could say ‘Sugar Cube Corner.’ In short, I wasn’t particularly enjoying myself, but in the end I was more worried about Fluttershy. Since Rarity had to leave, I was all the company she would have here today. I didn’t want to do anything to ruin her good time.

“N-no, I’ll be fine; I just need to get used to it,” I replied sheepishly. “Anyways, how did you sleep last night? I was a bit worried about you.”

“Oh, I slept just fine, thank you. Oh! Did you get my gift?” She smiled and looked at me expectantly.

“Yes, yes I did, and I loved it! I slept with it last night, and I have to say, it’s easily the most comfortable pillow I have ever owned. You made that yourself?” I asked with a puzzled look.

Fluttershy turned away sheepishly. “Oh, it was, um, nothing special. Just something I put together before I came over to see Rarity, that’s all.”

“Nothing special?!” I exclaimed, throwing out my forehooves. “Fluttershy, that pillow was amazing! The designs, the borders... the words...” I trailed off into a distant, soft smile.

“Friends Forever,” Fluttershy quoted softly, while scooting a little closer to me. “Like I said in the letter, ever since you got hurt during Winter Wrap-Up, I’ve been, um, thinking about you... a lot.”

She fell silent for a few moments, and then leaned in a bit more.

“You’re such a strong pony, Prism,” she murmured. ”I really, really, um, admire that about you.”

My face quickly flushed when Fluttershy inched closer to me again, closing the remaining gap, so that our sides were now touching. She had a gentle look in her eyes; one that seemed to call out to me. There was little doubt in my mind that Fluttershy was the most beautiful pony I had ever met. With her looking at me like that, with those captivating eyes, I could feel myself freezing up. In fact, I was even beginning to feel a bit lightheaded.

“F-Fluttershy,” I said hazily as she leaned in closer still. Her face was now mere inches away from my own, and her shy but steady gaze held me frozen in place. “I-I...”

Something didn’t feel right. My head was all fuzzy, and I couldn’t focus. Realizing something was wrong, I moved away from her and slowly stood up on wobbly legs.

“What's wrong!?” Fluttershy called out to me in concern, also getting up from her seat.

“I-I... don’t... Feel so, so...”

Before I could form a coherent sentence, the room began spinning around me, causing me to lose my balance. I was vaguely aware of falling, but after that, everything quickly faded away.

* * * * * * * * * *

When I returned to consciousness and stirred, I slowly became aware of a familiar fragrance: the scent of fresh spring flowers. I groggily opened my eyes, only to find Fluttershy staring down into them. Then I realized I was lying up against her.

“Wha—what happened?” I asked hazily as I lifted my head to take in my surroundings.

We were clearly in another room. It wasn’t so oppressively hot, for one thing, but that wasn’t all. The walls were a dark lavender, and decorated with several vanity mirrors as well as white and gold curtains. It had a similar feel to Rarity’s boutique, only with different colors and a lot more decorative vases rather than clothing-related items.

“You fainted in the sauna, Prism. Aloe and I brought you out here for some fresh air,” Fluttershy replied with a touch of concern in her voice. “I’m so, so sorry—we should have left the moment you said you were feeling a little strange.”

“Don’t apologize; it was my own fault. I wanted you to enjoy yourself. I didn’t want to drag you down by suggesting we leave right away.”

Fluttershy shook her head and pulled me back down against her, supporting me. “It wasn’t worth seeing you get hurt like that. So please... If you ever feel uncomfortable, just let me know. I won’t be upset, I promise.”

I beamed up at her. “Okay. I’m sorry for worrying you. Again. I seem to be getting quite good at that...” I laughed a little—despite the fact that this started to make me feel a little woozy again—but then furrowed my brow, try to fill in the gap in my memory. “Um, how long was I out?” I sat up once more, looking around.

“Just a few minutes, not very long at all,” Fluttershy reassured me, getting to her hooves.

I slowly, carefully followed suit.

“So what's next on our day spa adventure?” I asked, venturing another small laugh.

“Well, the next treatment of Miss Rarity’s usual regimen would be a mud bath,” Lotus answered from my left. ”After that, a pony pedi and a massage, and then you two may wish to finish up with some time spent relaxing in the spa.”

“That doesn’t sound so bad...” I said, grateful that no further extremes of temperature would be involved.

Lotus smiled at me, clearly relieved that I seemed to have fully recovered from my fainting spell. Customers losing consciousness probably wasn’t a routine occurrence...

“Follow me please, ladies.”

She lead us across the room to the section with the mudbath pits. There were four pits in total, but no less than three of them seemed to be closed off, bearing signs that read (respectively):

‘Closed for Maintenance’

‘Closed for Cleaning’

‘Closed for Disinfecting’

I looked over to the sole remaining pool of muck and scratched the back of my head with a hoof.

Lotus cleared her throat. “Oh dear, it would seem that I have completely forgotten about most of our mud baths being currently unavailable,” she said with a hint of disappointment, and averted eyes. ”I am terribly sorry; we could come back and enjoy their many, many benefits later, if you like?”

Fluttershy took a step forward and shook her head. “Oh no, it’s fine, we can share the one,” she said, looking back to me. “That is, um, i-if you don’t mind, Prism?”

“Not at all,” I replied with a nervous chuckle, as I walked to the edge and peered down dubiously into the murky mud below.

Rarity said this stuff is supposed to be wonderful for your coat and skin, but I don’t know... Something about the whole idea of bathing in mud doesn’t seem very logical to me.

Oh, but, look at me, now I’m starting to thinklike Twilight.

I closed my eyes and covered a small laugh.

“What’s so funny?” Fluttershy asked. Her eyes were studying me; it looked as though she was trying to guess at what was going through my head.

“Oh, nothing,” I said quickly, mentally pushing aside my reservations. ”You ready?”

Fluttershy didn’t reply straight away. After a while, she said softly, “Um, Prism? Thank you for continuing. I was a little worried that maybe you wanted to leave after what happened in the sauna.” She looked down to the floor with a small frown.

“What, and lose an opportunity to spend some time with you? Don’t be silly!” I said, rolling my eyes with a smile. “Being here, with you, makes it all worth it.”

Fluttershy took a tentative step towards me. “That, um, makes me really happy... that, that you think that way,” she stammered. “There’s nothing else I would rather be doing right now, either...”

She was giving me that lookagain, and took another small step towards me. I suddenly felt conflicted; part of me wanted nothing more than to reach out to her, to meet that gaze... but another part urged me to back away. Fluttershy was breathtakingly beautiful, of course, but she was also a mare—more than that, she was my best friend.

After the sauna-incident, and now this tender little moment, I was beginning to realize a very important fact about myself. I had been dodging the very notion for a while now, but it seemed like there was simply no use denying it any more...

I’m actually attracted to Fluttershy, aren’t I? Maybe even mares in general...

The way she looked at me; her eyes, her face, her body... Everything about her simply appealed to me, on a level that went much deeper than mere appreciation.

This sudden epiphany hit me like a right hoof to the jaw, leaving me dazed, at a complete loss for words.

She took another step closer.

I tried to speak as she continued to close the distance between us, but no words would come. Instinctively I took a step back, still reeling, but unfortunately I had run fresh out of floor to retreat on. I lost my balance and began to tumble backwards.

Fluttershy called my name in alarm and reached out to me, managing to take hold of my flailing forehooves. The two of us stood at an awkward angle for a few seconds, while Fluttershy tried to use her wings to get some leverage and regain her balance. But it was to no avail; despite the flurry of frantic flapping, the two of us toppled into the pit below with a large splash, sending mud flying everywhere.

I quickly resurfaced, with a groan of disgust. This was not at all how I had planned on getting used to the feel of the mud before I actually got in. After taking a moment to wipe some of the gunk out of my eyes so that I could see again, I found a bedraggled-looking Fluttershy right next to me, sputtering and feebly flapping her drenched wings for a bit before she, too, managed to pry her eyes open from beneath the mask of viscous mud.

The two of us stared at each other for a brief moment.

Then, slowly at first, came the snorts—exceptionally bubbly ones—which eventually exploded into shared laughter. We pretty both looked absolutely ridiculous, of course, but took comfort in the fact that this messy fate had befallen us both.

“Let’s, uh, let’s just pretend that never happened, all right?” I chortled, after pausing to spit out of a muzzleful of nearly-swallowed muck.

“I’m just glad Rarity isn’t here,” Fluttershy giggled, “We might’ve gotten some on her precious mane and never heard the end of it.”

And so, after that—we had decided—completely uneventful descent into the luxurious depths of the mudbath, the two of us tried to relax and enjoy some casual conversation, dutifully ignoring the fact that both our pelts were completely caked with mud.

Fluttershy brought up her animals, and chatted about what she did with her time during the spring. She just had so much to tell me, so many things to talk about, that once she had started she just couldn’t stop. Not that I minded—it was just surprising to see her being so upbeat and talkative. I decided I really liked this side of her. When Fluttershy was genuinely happy and comfortable, her shy demeanor simply melted away; she was a real joy to talk to when she was like this.

After an hour or so, Aloe and Lotus returned to the room to let us know that the treatment was done and that we could move on to our pony pedis. I don’t think they were quite expecting the scene they came across, though. The two of us falling into the mud had made a really big mess; it had literally gotten all over the place. After the initial shock the twins assured us it was all right, but we both still kept apologizing, feeling really bad about the whole thing.

Fluttershy and I were taken to a small side-room that housed a set of showers, allowing us to rinse off the excess mud. As rejuvenating as it was supposed to be, I was still quite glad to be rid of the gunk. After the shower, however, I felt surprisingly refreshed and clean.

I guess that stuff really doeswork; maybe this wasn’t so bad after all?

The twins then led us to another section of the large main spa room, up to two large, flat basins with steps leading up them. Both of them seemed to contain a shallow layer of bubbly water.

“So, what exactly is a pony pedi?” I asked Aloe.

She beamed me a smile in return. “Ah, well, a pony pedi is like a special bath for your hooves, dear!” she replied enthusiastically. ”It deep-cleans and leaves them with a brilliant, sleek shine.” She gestured to the water. “Step inside and try to stand still. The process takes about twenty minutes.” With that, she turned and trotted away.

I looked down into the soapy water and nodded; this treatment seemed relatively painless—fairly pleasant, even. After making my way up the steps and into the shallow pool, I discovered that the water was very oily to the touch, and actually felt rather uncomfortable, however. But at least there was little risk of me passing out from heat exhaustion this time, so I guessed I really couldn’t complain.

“This is my favorite part of the spa,” Fluttershy said suddenly.

“Oh? And why is that?” I asked quizzically, curious as to what she could possibly find enjoyable about the oddly-textured concoction we were standing in.

“Your hooves feel so nice and fresh when this is finished, it’s like you’re walking on clouds!” she replied with a wink. “Trust me, I know what clouds feels like.”

I let out a nervous laugh. “I’ll just have to take your word for it. Right now I can’t honestly say I’m enjoying the feeling of this weird water a whole lot.”

“It feels really oily, doesn't it?” she agreed with an sympathetic tone. “It may be a bit uncomfortable now, but trust me, you’re going to love the results.”

Fluttershy paused for a brief moment, and then, abruptly, her ears perked up and her wings flared out a bit. She tended to do that whenever she realized something, I had noticed.

“Oh! I just remembered, you mentioned something about an art gallery yesterday?” she asked. With a sheepish smile, she added, ”Before I, um... sort of fainted on you?”

“Sorry about scaring you like that,“ I said, smiling uncomfortably. ”But yes, I did say that. I don’t know if Rarity told you, but I ended up selling one of my paintings yesterday. I wasn’t sure what to spend all the bits on, but then, while I was waiting for you, I got to thinking, and it hit me! An art gallery!”

“Oh, that’s just wonderful!” Fluttershy exclaimed softly. “Have you decided on any of the details yet?”

I nodded. “Actually, yes; all of them in fact!” I replied happily. “Rarity called in the same pony who designed the Carousel Boutique to work on my gallery. Her name is Quick Fix and she is extremely talented and prompt. She wasted no time at all in getting the project moving; after just a few short hours of planning, everything was all squared away. Construction will actually begin shortly!”

Fluttershy let out a soft gasp. “You have Quick Fix working for you?” she asked in surprise. “Why, not only has she designed several buildings here in Ponyville, she’s also worked with pegasi contractors in Cloudsdale, mapping out several beautiful buildings up there, too! I’ve seen plenty of examples of just how talented she is...”

“I’m really excited to see what she does with it! The gallery will be constructed in Classic Canterlotian Marble and—”

“Did you just say Canterlotian Marble?” Fluttershy stopped me suddenly. “But... that stuff’s very expensive!” She sounded a little breathless. ”Just how much did you sell your painting for?”

I paused for a moment, my ears falling back. “Um... three thousand bits?” I replied with a sheepish smile.

Her expression went blank and her eyes turned to saucers. “Three thou—but, but that’s so much money!” she gasped. “You sold a painting for that much?”

“My mother’s reputation preceded me, it seems,” I replied, looking down to the soapy water with a small frown. “Originally I wasn’t intending on selling it at all, but Rarity was not about to let that happen. She said opportunities like this are few and far between, and that she wasn’t going to let this one slip away from me.”

“She’s right you know,” Fluttershy commented matter-of-factly. “Sometimes life presents you with an opportunity, and you just, you know, just have to take it.” She looked down at her hooves with a slight frown. “No matter how hesitant or scared you might be...” she added, trailing off and giving me a strange kind of look. “So...So it’s a good thing you sold it! I mean, you’ll have an art gallery of your very own because of it.”

“Yes! I can’t wait for everyone to see it! Quick Fix brought up some really amazing suggestions.”

Fluttershy nodded. “Oh, I bet. I can’t wait to see the end result, either.”

Shortly after Fluttershy finished her sentence, Aloe and Lotus entered the room to inform us that we could step out now.

When I took my first step outside the basin I was quite surprised; Fluttershy had been completely right, I felt incredibly light and comfortable on my hooves.

“Wow... This does feel amazing,” I mused, pressing my forehoof down again and again, fascinated by the effect.

Fluttershy stifled a giggle while watching me. “See? I told you it felt wonderful. But just wait for what's coming next,” she hinted with a wink.

Fluttershy couldn’t have been more right. The twins wasted no time leading us across the room, to a set of massage tables which were facing each other. They were made from a soft, fluffy and pink material which was spongy to the touch, and were supported by sturdy-looking but intricately carved wooden legs.

As I lay down I felt myself just melting into the cushions, they were so incredibly comfortable.

I wonder if this is what laying on a cloud feels like, to a pegasus?

Fluttershy hopped onto the bed across from mine, while Aloe and Lotus branched off from one another and each claimed a table. Aloe was with Fluttershy, and Lotus with me.

“And now we begin the massage treatment,” Lotus informed us, following her statement with a small laugh.

“I’ve never had a massage before, well, at least not—”

I was cut off by my own brain, as I felt myself quickly melting into warm butter beneath Lotus’s skilled hooves.

Oh... oh wow...

Lotus clicked her tongue a few times and shook her head. “This is simply no good, you’re so tense! Have you been under a lot of stress recently?” she asked with mild concern.

I tried to reply, but the only answer my mouth was allowing to pass through was a feeble groan.

Fluttershy covered a small laugh. “I think it’s safe to say she’s pretty relaxed right now, though.”

Over the course of the next few minutes, Lotus worked her magic on my back, shoulders, hind- and forelegs, rendering me an immobile puddle of goo by the time she was finished. I never could have imagined a massage would feel so amazing.

“Lovely, wasn’t it?” Fluttershy said, with just the slightest hint of smugness.

“...Yes,” I finally managed to utter, my body slowly regaining the ability to function. “That was... amazing...”It surprised me how winded I sounded.

Lotus covered a small laugh. “I’m glad you enjoyed it. Now, for some routine hygienic care,” she said, quickly darting away only to return a moment later with a file clenched between her teeth.

“What's that for?” I eyed the tool with curiosity.

She laid the file down on the bed next to me for a moment, in order to reply. “Why, to file your horn of course, dear,” she said with a patient smile, before picking it up again.

“I, um... I don’t know about that. I don’t really like having my horn touched, and I’ve certainly never had it filed before,” I said hesitantly, unable to keep the unmistakable tone of concern from my voice as I nervously eyed the dreaded file once more.

Lotus gasped loudly, dropping the file from her mouth. “You mean to say that you have never had your horn filed before?” she asked, taken aback.

I slowly shook my head. “N-no? Is that, um, bad?” I asked nervously.

She promptly nodded. “It is very unhealthy to leave residue on your horn for too long! It needs to be removed, so that fresh, healthy surface cells can grow back,” she replied, leaning in and closely examining my horn. “Oh my...” she covered her muzzle with a hoof and frowned. “Your horn looks so... neglected. I daresay you don’t use your magic very often, if at all.”

I gave her a perplexed look. “How can you tell that?!”

Lotus brought a hoof to her chin. “The more you use your magic, the more healthy horn growth is promoted”, she explained. ”Think of your horn like a muscle: the more you use it, the stronger it gets. While residue like this doesn’t necessarily affect a unicorn’s ability to perform magic, their horn is still a part of their body and so should be properly maintained and taken care of.” There was clear concern and disapproval in her voice. “You are only given one horn, my dear, you really need to take better care of it.”

She said nothing for a moment, staring off into nowhere, before looking back down to me. “So here is what we are going to do: I am going to remove all this caked-on residue. I must warn you, this might be a bit... uncomfortable,” she said with a small frown. “Afterward, you really ought to use your magic more often, or your horn will just end up like this again.”

Great... Another compelling reason for me to use my magic; Rarity is never going to leave me alone now.

I let out a slow sigh. “Do I have to?”

“Doctor’s orders,” she replied with a wink.

Fluttershy covered a dainty laugh. “The twins are technically doctors, you know; they have degrees in both equine physiology and anatomy,” she stated matter-of-factly. “You really should listen to her advice.”

I let out a long, defeated sigh. “So now I have Rarity, you, and two doctors telling me I need to use my magic more often? There really is no getting out of it, is there?”

Lotus let out a small giggle. “I’m afraid not. Now, shall we begin?” she said, batting her eyelashes at me in a coy manner. I looked down to the file on the floor with a large frown.

“I guess so. But please, be gentle? I’m really not used to having my horn touched,” I requested with a nervous smile.

Lotus nodded and picked up the file.

Aloe cleared her throat to gain Fluttershy’s attention. “Well, that’s going to take a few minutes. Shall I preen your wings in the meantime, Miss?” She gesturing to the yellow pegasus’s wings.

“Oh, that would be wonderful! Thank you very much,” Fluttershy exclaimed softly, flaring out her wings in response.

Meanwhile, I looked on in mild horror as Lotus brought the file to my horn. But I was definitely not prepared for the sensation that followed.

The feeling of the metal file scraping along my horn gave me a strange, discomfiting sensation. I knew that a unicorn's horn was sensitive, and as such tended to avoid having mine touched; I didn’t like how weird it made me feel. But now I found that the constant friction of the file scraping along my horn was strangely... stimulating. The fact that Lotus was constantly filing away at it didn’t make this any less true. In fact, the sensation was growing, quickly escalating into the worst case of the shivers I had ever had in my life. I found myself shifting my hind legs nervously in response.

This is... reallyturning me on...

What I did next was probably one of the worst ideas I had had in a while: I turned my attention to Fluttershy. She was lying on her stomach with her eyes closed, fully relaxed save for her wings, which were standing at full attention while Aloe painstakingly preened them for her.

On any given day, and at any given moment, if you had asked me what I thought of Fluttershy, I would have immediately told you she was the most beautiful and lovely mare I knew. But if you were to have asked me right then and there, I would have stammered something about her being the sexiest thing in all of existence, and perhaps let slip that I was currently fighting a primal urge to leap across the table at her.

Please, please be over soon!I cried out in thought. It was becoming very difficult to control myself and my squirming, but the last thing I wanted was to do something rash and stupid that might terrify my best friend. The only outcome I could foresee would no doubt be disastrous for our friendship

I mean, I don’t know—how would you feel about your best friend coming on to you like a starving manticore presented with fresh slab of meat?

“Phew. There we go, all finished!” Lotus exclaimed. “Sorry Miss Prism, that must’ve been unpleasant. Normally speaking, the procedure wouldn’t have taken quite so long, nor would I have had to use nearly as much pressure. But you had years of neglect for me to smooth away. Now your horn is all nice and clean, ready for healthy surface-cells to start regenerating.” She beamed me a warm, happy smile.

Thank Celestia... I don’t know if I could have controlled myself for much longer.

“T-Thank you,” I replied weakly, still trying to compose myself after that downright erotic experience. “I’ll be sure to take better care of my horn; I do not want to have to go through that again.”

“Don’t worry, so long as you use your magic regularly and come in to have your horn filed every so often, the process will actually only take a few seconds,” Lotus assured me with a wink.

“All finished!” Aloe suddenly proclaimed. “Your feathers are lovely as always, Miss Fluttershy.”

Fluttershy gave her a bashful look and nodded. “Thank you, Aloe.”

Lotus looked back and forth between us, smiling widely at our flushed faces. “Well, are you ladies ready for for the spa?”

“Yes, please,” I replied with a nervous smile. “I could use a little time to unwind after that...” Harrowing. ”...experience.” All three of the other ponies in the room burst into laughter. I quickly felt the familiar warmth of profuse blushing glowing on my cheeks.

Aloe trotted off, leading the way again. Looking back over her shoulder, she said, “Right this way please.”

Fluttershy casually hopped off the massage bed and walked over to her. My own dismount was far less graceful; the massage from earlier had left my body so relaxed that it refused to respond to my brain’s cues for movement correctly. As a result, I ended up rolling off my bed and falling to the floor with a hard thud, landing on my side.

“Goodness, dear! Are you all right?” Lotus cried, reaching down to me.

I nodded to her as I took her hoof. “Yes, I’m fine... That massage was just so amazing, apparently, that my body doesn’t want to get back to work just yet,” I said, masking my wincing with a small laugh when she pulled me back to my hooves. “Thanks again Lotus, that really was wonderful.”

She closed her eyes briefly and beamed at me. “You are very welcome, dear,” she told me, and then gestured toward her sister with a subtle turn of her head. “Now please, follow along with them, I have some cleaning up to do in here! Thank you for coming by. It’s been a real pleasure meeting you, Prism.”

“It was great meeting you, too, Lotus,” I said, before quickly trotting over to the other girls.

Aloe lead us back down the hallway towards the entrance, but before we got there we went through another door on the side, which opened into a large room that housed a sizable spa in its center.

The steamy haze coming off the water looked, and smelled, divine. There were also a few massage beds—much like the one I had become intimately familiar with in the other room—located just in front of the spa itself. Aloe trotted up a small flight of steps that led to the top of the spa, and gestured with a hoof for us to follow.

Once Fluttershy and I had reached the top I looked down at the water—it looked amazing.

“I think I’ll enjoy this a lot more than the sauna,” I said, aloud, without even realizing it. The two other mares chuckled.

Aloe gave me a playful wink. “I do hope so! Just try not to faint during this one. It could become very troublesome,” she said with a small laugh, trotting back down the steps. “You girls are free to go whenever you are finished. Thank you for coming by; it was nice to meet you, Prism!”

“You too, Aloe!” I called out to her as she left the room.

My ears perked up when I heard a small splash. I turned to see Fluttershy easing into the water with a long, relaxed sigh.

I can’t say I cared too much for all the pampering, but here is something I can truly enjoy!

Smiling to myself, I turned around and dipped a hind leg into the water. This tried-and-true method quickly told me that the water was, indeed, lovely. I slowly slid into it, and was unable to resist also letting out a drawn-out, relaxed sigh. I lazily turned around and leaned back against the wall. The warm water simply felt amazing on all my recently-massaged muscles; it was truly a whole new, wonderful experience.

“So, how did you like your first visit to a spa?” Fluttershy asked, turning to me with a wink.

“Well, aside from the sauna, I enjoyed it very much,” I replied, looking down to the water. “Though I’m pretty sure this is my favorite part so far,” I cooed softly.

Fluttershy was giggling into her hoof. “I’m glad you enjoyed it, I was a little worried you might not have.”

The two of us waded around in the warm waters for a while, casually talking about anything that came to mind. I would have loved to have stayed longer, but I felt myself starting to get dizzy again, and I didn’t think Fluttershy would have been too happy about having to save me from drowning if I ended up fainting again. So, with our virgin spa trip coming to a close, we stepped out and dried off before making our way to the lobby, and finally, out the building.

I left feeling like a new mare. It really was an amazing experience, and I found myself hoping to repeat it sometime in the future.

* * * * * * * * * *

Once outside I paused for a moment, examining Fluttershy.

She really is beautiful. Her mane, her eyes, her tail...

Her flank.

I caught myself staring at it, and quickly looked away, blushing.

“Um... Fluttershy?” I called out to her softly. “Are you free for the next few hours?”

She blinked, and brushed a lock of pink mane out of her eyes with a hoof. “I... Yes, I think so. Why do you ask?” She sounded both nervous and excited.

“W-Well... You and I have been friends for a while now, haven’t we? And I’ve had something on my mind for some time now, you see...” I said with a nervous smile, scratching the back of my neck with a hoof.

Fluttershy blinked a few more times, clearly surprised, and came a little closer. “Yes?”

“S-sorry, I’ve, um... just never ever asked anypony this before,” I said, nervously drawing circles on the ground with my forehoof. “I’m not going to lie: you are the most beautiful pony I have ever met in my entire life, and, and I love spending time with you, and so, well...”

Fluttershy silently, eagerly nodded, leaning in expectantly.

“And, um, I was wondering—if it is all right with you, and if you really wanted to—would you like to be my, my, um...” I bit my lower lip, glancing around nervously for a moment.

Fluttershy closed her eyes, for reasons I did not entirely comprehend, and slowly began to lean in even closer to me.

“I-If you would be my, my... my modelfor my next painting?” I added softly and shyly, turning away almost instantly out of sheer bashfulness.

There. I finally said it.

Fluttershy’s eyes popped open. She hastily took a step back, with a flustered, nervous-sounding laugh. “O-oh, right, of course... I’d, um, love to!” she stammered, shaking herself a little. “Yes, I’d love to model for your next painting. That is, if that’s what you really want to do...”

“More than you can imagine... Sorry for keeping you in suspense there, I was just so nervous! I’ve never asked anypony to model for me before.” Now that I had finally made my proposal, my mind turned to the practical details. “Hmm, I’d love to paint you in front of your cottage, but my supplies are all at the boutique...”

“Oh! Well, in that case, you can use some of mine,” she kindly offered. “I do a bit of painting in my free time; I love painting my animal friends.”

Fluttershy paints?!

“I would absolutely love to see your paintings!” I exclaimed excitedly. “Please, could you show them to me?”

Fluttershy smiled modestly. “I’m not very good, I’m afraid... But sure, I’d love to show you,” she said, and began walking away from the day spa. “I’ll have to dig them up first, though; I haven’t really painted in a while.”

“That’s fine,” I said, breaking into a quick trot to to catch up to her. ”I’m so excited to see them, I wouldn’t mind waiting a little bit!” I closed my eyes briefly and beaming her a warm smile, which she returned in similar fashion.

I could barely contain my excitement. I had been wanting to paint Fluttershy and her cottage ever since the day I first arrived in Ponyville!

With that new goal in mind, the two of us navigated through the remainder of Ponyville and quickly made our way to her home.

Chapter 17: Final Hour

My eyes shot open, only to be immediately blinded; they were soon throbbing with a dull pain, induced by the unforgiven light that welcomed them. I let out a small groan and rolled over. To my surprise, I felt myself falling for a split second, before landing on a cold, hard floor.

Ignoring the pain from the fall, I quickly found that I was feeling rather… strange. It was an alien feeling, one which I cannot quite describe. It didn’t really hurt or even feel particularly uncomfortable, it just felt… different.

Pushing those thoughts aside for the moment I tried opening my eyes again, in an attempt to get my bearings.

I found myself in what appeared to be a fairly small and empty room. Upon closer inspection, it looked to be an office of some sort—or perhaps it once was. The only other object in it, besides myself, was a metal-framed cot bolted to the floor.

Where am I?

I took a few moments for me to sift through my memory; I was finding it difficult to focus, everything just felt so hazy. Several minutes passed, but eventually I was able to piece together a few fragmented memories. I recalled walking along the path back to Ponyville, and how something had happened to me along the way. I had tried to scream, but had been muffled by a cloth over my muzzle. I tried to fight back, but to no avail, and then I heard another voice—a soft one.

Fluttershy!

A cold chill ran down my spine as my mind began filling in the missing details. I let out a sharp gasp when realization sank in.

Foalnapped… Fluttershy and I have been foalnapped!

I immediately stumbled to my hooves, alarmed by the fact that my fellow captive wasn’t in the room with me.

I have to find her!

Hastily darting up to the door, I reached out a hoof and tried the handle, but quickly realized that it was locked.

Horseapples! I should have guessed…

Panic started to set in as I desperately tried to think of a way out. After a brief moment, it hit me.

My magic!

Recalling the experiment with Twilight, involving the molten metal weight, I wondered if perhaps I could do the same with the door’s lock. I focused intensely on it, but for some reason I couldn’t summon my magic, no matter how hard I tried. The only thing I felt was a tingling, stirring sensation inside of my chest. After a few more moments I just stopped trying, completely taken aback.

Why is my magic not working?!

Turning back, I looked about the room once more. Unfortunately, the only way in or out of the room was the door behind me. This left me with only two options: to pound on it and try to get somepony to notice me, or to simply wait and see what would happen.

I don’t have time to wait! What if Fluttershy is in trouble? Or hurt? Or worse…

I grit my teeth, and pulled back my right forehoof, slamming it against the door as hard as I could. “Let me out!” I screamed as I began pounding with both forehooves.

A sudden, loud click from the door caused me to jump backwards, just when the door opened and a large, tan-colored earth pony stallion, wearing a forest green flak jacket, stepped into the room. A battered Stetson hat adorned his head, covering most of his short, red mane. He looked down at me with a blank, stoic expression, before turning and leaving without a word, closing the door behind him.

I immediately threw myself up against the door and began pounding again angrily.

“Come back! What’s going on? Where’s Fluttershy? Where am I, and why am I here?” I called out after him, but I received no reply.

Suddenly, there was another weird sensation stirring deep inside of me. This one slowly snaked its way to my forehooves, before dully fading away. This got me a little worried. Falling back to my haunches, I raised my forehooves to my face and examined them apprehensively.

“Just what did these ponies do to me?” I whispered to myself, hearing my own voice tremble with concern.

I didn’t get much time to think about these strange feelings, though, as the lock on the door soon clicked again, startling me out of my moment of introspection. I immediately sprang to my hooves and took a few steps back, watching the door slowly open once more.

A group of four tough-looking stallions—including the one from before—entered the room, spreading out in front of the entrance. Grins and smirks spread across the new faces, while the stallion with the hat maintained his stoic expression.

“Excuse me, boys,” a posh-sounding voice said, coming from a fifth stallion who pushed past the others and came to stand in the front. This smaller, yellow stallion looked very out of place, standing amidst the rough and unkempt males. His white mane was elegantly groomed, and he wore a well-tailored black vest as well as a small pair of reading glasses.

After examining him for a few moments, I suddenly realized that I recognized this stallion from somewhere, but I couldn’t quite recall the time or place.

He started slowly pacing back and forth in front of the others, but his eyes remained fixed on me.

“Well, well, well, if it isn’t my old friend,” he mused, sounding rather chipper. “You’re awake early.

I narrowed my eyes at him. “Who are you?” I growled, taking a defensive stance. “And where is my friend?”

He didn’t reply, but took a look back at the intimidating stallion in the flak jacket, gesturing to me with a nonchalant tilt of his head. The other male simply responded with a small nod of his own, before walking towards me.

My eyes widened and a small chill raced down my spine. I quickly backpedaled away from him, my anger fading into fear.

“S-stay away from me!” I whimpered, pressing myself flat against the back wall.

He gave no response, leisurely continuing to pace towards me. He was just mere hooves away from me now. My fear shifted into mild panic and I focused my magic intensely on him, but again, nothing happened. In my mind, the same thoughts kept repeating, crying out to me...

Why?! Why isn’t it working?! Why can’t—

My thoughts were interrupted by a sudden, hard blow across my muzzle, which caused me to slowly slide down the wall and onto my haunches. I began flailing all of my legs wildly and desperately at my assailant, kicking him as hard as I could. It was futile, though; my blows glanced off him as if they were nothing. He grabbed hold of my mane with his teeth and proceeded to drag me back to the others. I screamed and kicked in protest, but my feeble, female unicorn strength was no match for his male earth pony might. My screaming was abruptly cut off when the hoof of another one of the stallions struck me hard in the left eye.

“Now, now boys, no need to get too rough, she is a mare after all,” noted the yellow stallion, looking me over with an unamused look. “You really don’t remember me, do you?”

I looked up to him weakly, covering my injured eye, and shook my head slowly.

He frowned in disapproval before pompously clearing his throat. “Allow me to reintroduce myself, then: I am Snooty, the proprietor of Snooty’s Finer Fashions.”

I tilted my head with a confused look initially, but then a flood of memories hit me.

"My dear, I haven't got all day. I am verybusy you know."

"Why, Miss Rarity of course. Don't tell me you haven't heard of Miss Rarity?"

"Well, I suppose the easiest way would be by train. The alternative, which I highly advise against, would be traveling through the Everfree Forest. The Everfree is not only simply dreadful, but quite dangerous for a mare such as yourself; for anypony actually."

My eyes lit up when I realized just who he was.

This is the stallion who told me about Rarity, and how to get to Ponyville…

He cracked a small, humorless grin. “Aha, so you do remember. Very good!”

Becoming aware of a warm, wet sensation on the hoof that was covering my eye, I removed it briefly in order to examine it.

Blood…

Feeling somewhat queasy, I looked up to him with a glare. “What’s going on? Why am I here?” I asked, my expression twisting into an angry sneer. “And where is Fluttershy!”

Snooty cocked his head back in mock surprise. “My, my... Such a temper you have,” he commented dryly, bringing a hoof to his chin while he considered whether to answer me or not. “Well… I suppose there is no harm in telling you; it’s not like you’ll have much use for the information, fairly soon, anyway.”

A series of chuckled sounded from the trio of stallions behind him, only serving to intensify my glare.

“First, tell me where Fluttershy is. Is she okay? What did you do to her?!” I demanded, punctuating the final question with a stomp of my forehoof.

The stallion looked down to me with an amused glint in his eyes. “That mare really is very important to you, isn’t she?” he observed with a small smirk. “Well, as far as her current location: she is here with us—in this building, that is. Now, as for whether she is ‘okay?’” His smirk shifted into a wide grin. “I suppose you could call her... okay. A little roughing up never hurt anypony. Well, not permanently, anyway,” he added with a small chuckle.

My eyes immediately widened, shooting him a fierce glare made of daggers. I let out a low growl, taking to my hooves and leaping at him.

I was not about to let anypony harm Fluttershy and get away with it, though in my anger I failed to take into account all of the other stallions who were still in the room with us. The tan-colored stallion who had so easily subdued me before stepped forward, lazily swinging his foreleg at me. The blow connected with me in mid-air, hard,  hitting me just below the chest and cleanly knocking the wind out of me. I fell to the floor, landing on my side and doubling over as a stab of intense, white-hot pain flared up inside of me, leaving me desperately gasping for air.

Snooty shook his head, clicking his tongue several times in disapproval. “My, my, you really must try to keep that temper in check, my dear,” he said with empty pity, before clearing his throat. “Anyway, I am certain you are curious as to the reason why you are here in the first place, yes?” He looked down to me expectantly.

Still unable to catch my breath, I could only reply with faint groans and gasps. Had that not been the case, there would have been far more colorful things I might have answered him with.

Snooty brought a hoof to his chin and hummed to himself. “Hmmm, very well, I’ll just take that as a ‘yes’ then.” He cleared his throat once more. “I’ll just get straight to the point then: The apartment complex you lived in? It was where the headquarters of my little smuggling operation was situated, which supplies contraband to foreign customers from the Zebra Nation all the way to the Griffon Kingdom across the sea.”

I looked up to him weakly, feeling miserable and confused.

Snooty closed his eyes and nodded. “Yes, I know what you’re thinking. I’ll have you know that, while fashion is indeed my passion,” he began, shifting his stance and gesturing to his cutie mark(a ledger with a fleethoof behind it), “my true special talent lies in organizing things, ensuring that shipments get from point A to point B as quickly and quietly as possible.”

My expression shifted into one of surprise. I had heard rumors of crime rings before, from Mother, though as far as she knew nopony had ever been able to truly confirm the existence of one in Equestria; apparently, they hid themselves very well.

“In any case, I’m straying a little off topic here. Let’s get back to business, shall we?” He took a moment to adjust his glasses. ”Your little episode, the night before you ran away? Well, it called for a criminal investigation in a very inconvenient place for me, forcing me to suspend all of my precious shipments for several days. The hassle involved with rerouting them was... considerable.” The expression on his face changed from smug to very upset almost instantly. “I was forced to move my entire operation to a new location. This setback cost me countless bits in lost profits! Not to mention days of travel time to make several lengthy apologies, and to renegotiate the terms with my unsurprisingly disgruntled clientele,” he informed me in cold, measured tones that were seething with suppressed rage. He gave me an icy glare, pointing a forehoof directly at my chest. “You, little mare, made my business go to Tartarus in a hoofbasket in just a few short hours!”

Snooty glanced once more to the Stetson-sporting stallion beside me, and inclined his head at me. Before I could react, another blow struck me hard across the face, knocking me back to the ground. The pain from these merciless, successive hits was quickly becoming unbearable. I rolled over and began to cry softly.

Snooty shook his head in disgust and straightened out his vest, regaining his composure. “Such a shame; I could have used a pretty mare like you. Goods aren't the only thing I have been known to traffic, you know. You'd probably fetch a high price on the market. Yes, truly a pity."

What he was insinuating sent a chill down to my very core. “Y-you… you sell ponies?”

Snooty gave a faint nod, walking up to me and tilting my face up with a forehoof. “Oh yes,” he replied conversationally, ”powerful zebra chieftains and wealthy griffon nobles tend to pay a pretty bit for beautiful mares such as yourself. I might even have made back some of my lost profits!” He circled around to my flank and, without warning, casually lifted up my tail.

I immediately pulled my tail back down, blushing furiously.

“Hmm, yes… A rare albino pony, young and unsullied—top-bit material indeed!”

“You perverted scum!” I snarled out, looking back to him.

“Perverted scum? No, I am but a simple business-stallion, inspecting the quality of potential goods,” he responded with a disingenuous, smug little smile.

Oh, I have sohad enough of this stallion!

Gritting my teeth and using all of the energy I could muster, I leaned forward onto my forehooves and aimed a hard buck at his insufferably smug face. The blow connected with his muzzle with a satisfying crack and caught Snooty completely off-guard, by the looks of it, causing him to stumble backwards and fall to his haunches. All four of his henchmen began to move towards me threateningly, but Snooty quickly held up a hoof. The stallions returned to where they had been standing.

“You…” he growled, climbing back onto his hooves. “Selling you would be too easy! Killing you, easier still!” He turned his head aside and spat. “But luckily, I have devised a much better use for you.” Wiping a trickle of blood from the corner of his mouth, he shot me another one of his nefarious grins.

I narrowed my eyes at him. “What do you mean?” The prospect of being sold or killed truly frightened me, but his mention of having other plans had me feeling both scared and curious at the same time.

Snooty let out a condescending chuckle. “I trust you remember our conversation about Miss Rarity, during our first meeting, yes?”

I slowly nodded in response, giving him a dubious look, since I couldn’t imagine how that could possibly be relevant now.

“Very good! I’ll have you know that Rarity is quickly becoming one of the most eligible bachelorettes in all of Equestria. Her rise to stardom has been swift; another year or two and she will be on top of her game. A fresh, prime fruit for all the noble-stallions’ eyes to feast upon.” He began to pace while he continued talking. “But I have been watching her for some time, I know of her true beauty, elegance and poise! None of those other stallions could ever truly appreciate those qualities in her—they would just want her as a trophy mare, a status symbol! They could never—”

I lost focus, his words all blending into one as he continued to ramble on and on about Rarity. My eyes slowly followed Snooty whilst he moved about the room. I found the fact that he had been monitoring a close friend of mine so minutely extremely disturbing, and wondered if had he been keeping track of me as well.

Snooty stopped his pacing and turned to face me. “—and that’s when my associates reported that they had found you,” he stated firmly, pointing a forehoof at me for emphasis. “At first—given the unforgivable damage you had done to my business—I was simply going to have them kill you...”

A cold chill, followed by a feeling of horror, crept over me as I listened to his icy words.

“But after I had gotten a full report, I learned that you had indeed met up with Rarity. Not only that, you two had appeared to have become quite close. So much so that you were allowed to stay in her guest room.”

My mouth fell open; my fears about being followed were all being realized.

“This intrigued me,” Snooty continued, beginning to pace once more. “So I had you watched for a few days in order to gather some more information. That is when I also learned of your rather, shall we say, close friendship with Rarity’s best friend… Fluttershy, was it?” He looked down to me with a small grin upon finishing his sentence.

How... how does he know all this?!

My stomach sank as, slowly, piece by piece, Snooty began to cheerfully divulge my entire private life to me in great detail, covering the time I had spent with Fluttershy and Rarity practically from the first day I had arrived in ponyville.

“So then I had this wonderful Idea: What if I could use you, little pest that you are, to bring myself closer to my prize? Somehow use your proximity and close ties to my favorite fashionista to my advantage?” he mused to himself in a leisurely sort of way, almost seeming like he had entirely forgotten I was even there. “Then it hit me—a ransom! If I were to foalnap Rarity’s two best friends, she would be worried, panicked even, and obviously fear for their safety. She would likely do almost anything to get them back.”

“Rarity wouldn’t give you a single bit!”

“On the contrary, I’m quite certain she would make any sacrifice necessary to get her beloved friends back.” He let out a chuckle, pensively touching a hoof to his chin. “But what if she didn’t have to give anything at all to get them back? What if somepony were to somehow, say, save her friends from the clutches of those ruthless villains? Why, I imagine her opinion of such a pony would improve quite drastically.”

        “S-save?” There was a glimmer of hope in that part of his convoluted plot, but I hardly dared believe it; I might have been naive, but I was not a foal.

“Hm, yes, I can see it now...” Snooty continued, ignoring me completely. His voice was disturbingly chipper and enthusiastic. “The famous fashionista’s two best friends have been foalnapped! Oh, woe is her. But I, Snooty, justhappen to be making a delivery to the building next door when, coincidentally, you come crawling out of the place where you were cruelly held captive, bruised, battered and, I fear, quite gravely injured all around. You inform me of your dire plight and, with your last breath, request that I save, erm... Fluttershy. Being the gentlecolt that I am, how could I refuse the desperate plea of a dying mare, hm?”

So that is the ignominious part he wants me to play...

”Naturally, I valiantly come to save the day, fight off the bad guys and rescue Rarity’s (remaining) friend. They will no doubt ask about you, of course, but alas... I shall have to shamefully admit to having failed to save the poor, hapless albino mare. At the very least I’ll be able to relay your final words to them; I’ll tell them how you nobly thought of naught but the well-being of your dear friend, literally begging me to come to her aid.”

“I would never—”

Snooty silenced me by raising his hoof threateningly, instinctively making me cringe. But then he merely looked down at me with a sly little smirk. “There will be nopony to say otherwise,” he said, seeming amused by my vehement protests.

I glared at him defiantly nevertheless. What more could he do to me, after all? He was already planning to kill me. “My friends are smarter than that! You’ll never get away with it, Snooty. If you’re very lucky, you might get off with some jail-time for abduction alone. Add murder to your list of crimes, and who knows how you might end up...”

“On the contrary, my dear! It will all end up splendidly. Dead mares tell no tales, after all; all your precious Fluttershy will ever know is the fact that I rescued her. There is no reason for her not to take my word for it. And then, I will be not only be the savior of the Miss Rarity’s best friend, I will also be there for the poor dear as she mourns your untimely passing. I will tell her of your heroic, but ultimately fruitless, attempts to save Fluttershy. Being moved by your bravery, of course it pained me to see such a horrific thing to happen to such an intrepid mare. Despite being a mere passersby, I simply had to help; it was the right thing to do! The grieving fashionista will be putty in the hooves of the selfless knight who was there for her and her friends in their darkest hour. ”

        Whilst I listened silently to Snooty pontificating endlessly about the perfection of his plan, revelling shamelessly in his fantasies about Rarity, I felt angry, helpless tears welling up in my eyes. This psychopathic pony was actually planning to use my death to deceive my friends, to force his way into their lives and ingratiate himself with them under the falsest of pretenses. The very thought of him being with Rarity—or worse, of Fluttershy looking to him as her savior—made me sick to my stomach.

Snooty paused his pacing, breaking into a nefarious cackle. “Oh yes, she will be mine! It’s just too perfect! I get my prize, and my revenge.” He turned to me with a wide grin. “I suppose I should really be thanking you. Because what’s a minor setback, a few thousand bits lost, in comparison to winning the love of your life, hm?”

“She would never fall for scum like you!”

Snooty let out an infuriatingly pompous laugh. “Oh, but she will! In fact…” He paused for a moment, narrowing his eyes at me shrewdly, before flashing me a disturbingly gleeful look that filled me with dread. “My heroics may even win over that pegasus friend of yours as well! I hear herds are becoming quite popular again, nowadays. So really, it’s two for the price of one!”

That taunt was the final straw. That was where I drew the line. Something inside me snapped, and I focused intensely. I strained, wincing and struggling desperately just to feel some kind of connection to the pool of magic inside of me. But the harder I tried, the more the agonizing pain flared up in my chest. I knew I had to stop this malicious stallion from hurting and deceiving my friends, but for some reason, now that it mattered most, I couldn’t...

“Oh, give it up already. You are suffering from the lingering effects of Rohoofnol. While I’m quite impressed that you're awake, at this point, and can even stand, that doesn’t change the fact that your magic will not work for at least another day or two, my dear,” he informed me dryly, clearly unamused by my efforts.

My curiosity pulled me from my state of anger momentarily. “Rohoofnol?” I asked quizzically. If I could get him to explain how he was suppressing my magic, perhaps I could find some way to circumvent it.

Snooty nodded before turning to his stoic, Stetson-wearing henchpony. “Hunter, if you would be so kind?”

The stallion named Hunter nodded mutely, retrieving a small wooden box from his jacket’s pocket. He sauntered over and held it out his boss.

“Thank you very much,” Snooty responded, opening the box.

To my surprise (and great discomfort), Snooty withdrew a small syringe, containing a yellow liquid, from the container. He lightly tapped the needle with his forehoof before pressing on it gently, squirting some of the fluid onto the floor next to me. Unexpectedly, he then returned it to the box Hunter was still holding out for him.

“Yes,” Snooty said, visibly savoring the mixture of terror and confusion in my eyes, ”Rohoofnol is quite a lovely little drug, developed and produced by our zebra friends. We injected you with a small amount after we knocked you out. It suppresses the natural flow of magic to the body’s leylines. The immediate effect is heavy fatigue and drowsiness; as such, it is often used in moderate doses as a sleeping aid. Although,” he added as an afterthought, chuckling softly to himself, ”I’m sure some my clients have other intentions with that particular side-effect.”

The trio of stallions behind him once again chuckled along, flashing each other knowing looks and smiles.

“When used in larger doses, however,” Snooty expounded, gesturing to the syringe box, “the lingering magical suppression can last for several hours or even days after the subject has awakened, making it quite handy when dealing with unicorns and their pesky magic.” He punctuated his messaged by flicking the tip of my horn with his forehoof.

My eyes widened with horror when Snooty turned back to the box and took out a syringe that was far larger than the previous one. He took note of my reactions and smirked triumphantly at me.

“I don’t think I need to tell you what a dosage like this will do...” he said in dulcet tones, before barking, “Hold her down!”

Before I could even leap to my hooves, the three remaining stallions had already made their move. I let out a bloodcurdling scream as I felt the weight of them pushing down on me. Fear and panic quickly took over my mind.

This is it… I’m going to die…

I flailed and fought as best I could, but it was no use—a small mare like myself had no chance of escaping them.

“I would comfort you by saying that you won’t feel a thing, and that it will all be over soon, but then I’d be lying. No, a direct injection of Rohoofnol is actually said to be quite… painful,” he informed me, adding a small laugh. “Now, Hunter, would you like to do the honors?”

Moments later, there was a sharp prick on my left flank, followed by a burning sensation around the injected area which got progressively worse. I winced as the feeling intensified to nigh-unbearable levels; it felt as though molten magma were running through my veins, searing me just below the skin along my sides, across my chest, and straight into my very center. I let out a sharp cry of agony as the fiery burning spread throughout the rest of my body in mere seconds.

With no more need to hold me down, the stallions backed away from me.

“If you have any last regrets, now may be the time to voice them, my dear; you have perhaps twenty to thirty minutes until you black out and your vital organs shut down completely,” Snooty informed me disinterestedly. “In that order, if you’re extremely lucky,” he added, suddenly sporting a sadistic smile and looking rather pleased with his own morbid joke. ”I would tell you to try and savor what little time you have left, but if you’ll recall, in the scenario we sketched you are supposed to be gravely injured during your ill-fated ‘escape attempt’... So I’m afraid you’re not going to be enjoying your last moments very much.” He finished with a chuckle, before turning back to his henchponies. “Well, I’ll leave the rest up to you, boys.”

The three stallions slowly walked towards me, looking me over with leering eyes. “Say boss,” one of the stallions suddenly piped up in a heavy Manehattan accent, “it would be a real shame to waste such a pretty little mare, don’tcha think? How abouts you let us have a little fun with her first? Not like she’s gonna live to regret it.”

This drew a round of raucous laughter from his peers, and much murmuring in agreement.

I was beyond despair now. It wasn’t enough that they were going to murder me, now they wanted to pile on even more abuse?

Didn’t any of you have a mother who loved you? Well, at least I’ll get to see mine again soon...

Snooty brought a hoof to his chin, considering my fate. “Well… normally, I would be against having such a thing done to a poor, defenseless mare,” he said, looking disdainfully at the uncouth stallion who had suggested it, ”but I’m in a good mood today, and you boys have done very well, bringing the two of them here so efficiently.” He gave a small nod. “Very well, do as you will. Just remember: The clock is ticking for our dear little fillyfriend; restrict yourselves to pre-mortem injuries only.”

The trio were all grinning broadly, and the large black stallion hastily assured Snooty, “Don’t worry boss, we’ll be quick.”

Snooty turned to his right-hoof stallion, and pointed at the door. “Hunter, you’re with me. We still have a damsel in distress to save!”

Hunter gave a curt, acknowledging nod to his boss before heading for the door and opening it. Snooty quickly followed, but not before looking back to me with one last, parting smirk. And with that, he was gone. Silence fell over the room after the sharp click of the closing door’s lock.

I was now trapped once again, but my situation was even more dire than before. I was alone with three stallions, all of them with unsavory intentions. There was a drug in my system that was going to kill me in a few minutes. I was horrified, needless to say, and had absolutely no idea what to do at this point.  It was clearly impossible for me to fight them off without my magic, and even then, the immense pain I was going through would have greatly hindered me. It was three against one, and I could barely even move.

It is hopeless…

“I call first dibs for having the guts to ask!”

Snooty will deceive my friends, then ‘rescue’ the mare who only just recently told me she loves me. After all of this time I finally found somepony special, and now she’s going to be taken from me, out of some petty, misguided sense of revenge.

“Hold her down over the cot.”

I felt the eager stallions grabbing me, but I offered no resistance; there was no point. Why fight them when I didn’t stand a chance in Tartarus? If anything, it would only encourage them to hurt me more. I figured I may as well take the abuse and be done with it. There wasn’t much time left, anyway.

I had everything: a life, a dream which was only just starting to become a reality, several good friends, and a pony who loved me… Now it has all been taken away from me. My life now rests firmly in the hooves of these three stallions.

I felt myself being forced down on the cot. The cold metal did little to distract me from my plight, as tears began to run down my cheeks. I didn’t want it to end like this; I wanted to spend more time with those important to me, and share my love with the wonderful mare who had given me a new lease on life.

My thoughts were distracted from a hard smack on my flank.

“The boss was right, this mare sure has some nice assets!” one of the stallions commented from somewhere behind me.

What are they…?

I felt the hot, uncomfortable weight of one of them landing on top of me, just as the realization of what they had been insinuating earlier hit me.

They’re going to rape me!? Rape andkill me!

A panicked flood of thoughts welled up in my mind. My innocence was important to me. I had always dreamed of sharing that first, special, intimate moment with my very special pony—with the love of my life... But now that, too, was going to be taken away from me. I would die with nothing. Not even my dignity.

No… I don’t want to die. Not like this!

I grit my teeth and desperately tried reaching for the magic locked away deep inside of me  again, wincing at the pain this caused me, which began to flare up almost instantly, growing nearly unbearable within moments.

I want to live! I want to experience love, and true happiness! I waited for so long, suffered through endless years of isolation, always telling myself—deceivingmyself—that I was happy, when in fact, deep down, I yearned only for the feeling of somepony close to me.

I let out an animalistic growl and squirmed under the stallion’s weight, trying to throw him off, even as he tried to find his mark.

“Oooh, she’s a fighter! This’s gonna be a lotta fun, boys!”

I love Fluttershy. I want to spend my life with her. I want to hug her, hold her and kiss her. I want to share my first intimate experience with her, not have it be taken forcefully by these monsters!

I felt like I was being turned inside out by the sheer pressure of my trapped magic. Jolts of pain shot through my body, reaching levels of agony I had never experienced before. I could feel my consciousness starting to slip, my mind simply looking for some form of relief.

I won’t let them; I won’t let them take everything away from me!

Time slowed to a halt as the pressure inside my chest suddenly abated, the bubble bursting with an almost audible ‘pop.’ A flood of tingles quickly surged through my entire body. The feeling was similar to what I had experienced when Twilight and Rarity had used healing magic on me, but this time, the feeling was everywhere at once.

A horrifying prod against my inner thighs snapped me out of my daze. At the selfsame moment I became aware of a very familiar feeling in my horn: My magic had returned; it was no longer out of reach!

“No!”I screamed out angrily. A surge of magic punctuated that command, my mane and tail bursting into intense flames.

The sudden, unexpected fire elicited cries of shock and dismay from my would-be rapists; the one already top of me, in particular, yelped in pain and shock and leapt off of me as quickly as possible. Moments later the fire alarm began blaring and the sprinkler system on the ceiling was tripped, raining down a spray of water everywhere. The water, unable to douse my flames, sizzled and hissed as it touched down on my body, rapidly evaporating and forming a small cloud of steam around me.

With no further hesitation, I turned to face my tormentors.

If they want to take my life, they will have to do so after I’ve poured every last dropof magic from my body!

I fixed my gaze on the stallion who had dared to try and defile the innocence I desired to save for my lover. One thought echoed through my mind again and again, getting louder with each repetition.

Revenge.

He wasn’t even looking at me, being far too busy with trying to assess the damage my spontaneous magical combustion might have caused him. I focused my magic upon him. To my surprise, he was immediately hurled up into the air, crashing hard against the ceiling before falling to the ground again in a crumpled heap.

Silence fell over the room for several long seconds. I stared at the knocked-out pony, my jaw slack with disbelief. The flames enveloping my mane and tail slowly died away again.

My levitation spell... it, it worked?

As an experiment, I attempted to lift the unconscious male again. The results were unexpected: I found myself able to lift and move him around with ease, as though the big earth pony were no heavier than a feathered quill. My initial shock at this discovery was quickly replaced by another, unexpected feeling. The corners of my mouth twitched lightly, slowly forming a small smile. I began to chuckle; creepy and disturbing as that sounded, even to my own ears, I couldn’t help it. In fact, the chuckles quickly turned to maniacal laughter.

“Serves him right! Trying to hurt me, trying to take away my happiness—my everything!” I exclaimed to myself elatedly, still basking in the triumph of the successful levitation.

“S-she’s a monster!” one of the other stallions cried out.

Those fearful words snapped me back to reality. My smile fell instantly, and I turned to face the stallion who had spoken them; the one who had dared to call me by an epithet which had haunted me since my fillyhood. I wasn’t going to take it. Not this time; not when I was finally able to do something about it.

“Monster?” I whispered under my breath, keeping an icy glare fixed on the cowering stallion. “I’ll show you a monster...”

I dropped the first stallion from my telekinetic grasp and turned my attention to the other. After effortlessly lifting him into the air, I watched as he flailed helplessly in my magical aura, screaming and kicking out of pure, unadulterated terror.

“My love, my life, my happiness! GIVE IT BACK!” I screamed at him, before slamming him into the wall with but a thought.

He impacted with a loud, sickening thud that actually managed to make the wall crack slightly, and then slid unceremoniously down to the floor, where he rolled over groggily, letting out a pained groan.

A wide smile crested my face again, my expression twisting into one of sadistic glee. I gave in to another irresistible fit of hysterical laughter. An overwhelming sense of euphoria had been washing over me these past few moments. I felt powerful, and I loved it. For once in my life I was firmly in control, I had the strength to take matters into my own hooves.

I turned to the last remaining conscious stallion, who trembled before me and dared not meet my wrathful eyes. “Where is Snooty...?” I demanded in a low, cold tone, glaring at him while my horn lit with my prismatic magic.

He fell to his haunches and scooted back across the wet floor until his flank was pressed up against the wall next to the door. “H-he’s in the p-primary warehouse! He wanted us to meet him there after we—”

I cut him off with a snarl, lowering my horn threateningly, but as much as I wanted to make him to pay for what he did—or had been planning to do—I realized had taller hay to reap.

Walking up to the door, I spun around and gave it a good, hard buck. To my surprise, the door started to cave, creaking under the force of the blow. I paused in shock for a moment, but then my wide smile returned. Without a moment’s hesitation I followed that first attempt up with a second buck, using all my might. This knocked the door clean off its hinges and sent it crashing into the wall across the hallway.

Just as I was about to leave, I remembered something Snooty had said:“I suppose you could call her... okay. A little roughing up never hurt anypony.”

Slowly, I turned back to the stallion next to me. “Which one of you hurt Fluttershy...?” I whispered furiously, glaring down at him.

“It w-wasn't me! I-i-it was Hunter! I was totally against it... Why, I even tried to—”

“LIAR!”

He whimpered in fear as my magic surrounded him, and—

“WHAT IN TARTARUS IS GOING ON OVER HERE?!”

My ears pricked up at the sound of that deep voice, approaching from the hallway. I released my magical hold on the stallion in front of me and turned around, poking my head around the corner to find the stoic, tan-colored stallion galloping down the hallway towards me.

“I-i-it was Hunter!” Those stammered words resounded in my mind.

It was as though my very blood started to boil. I let out a primal grow as I jumped out the doorway, immediately turning to Hunter and charging at him with all the speed I could muster. He had no time to react, since I closed the short distance between us in what felt like only an instant. I lowered my head and rammed it into his chest, vaguely aware of my horn actually impaling his defensively raised foreleg. He stumbled, momentarily staggering from the pain and the sheer force of the collision, which I used to my advantage, forcing the bewildered stallion back at great speed until he crashed into another wall at the end of the hallway. I was treated to a very satisfying crunch from the stallion’s chest. He collapsed onto his side, gasping for air.

Taking a step back, I looked down at the pony who had committed the unforgivable act of hurting the one whom I loved, my heart filling with intense hatred and disgust. I wanted desperately to strike him, to hurt him, but with a punctured leg and, most likely, more than a few broken ribs, he no longer seemed in the mood to attempt to impede me.

“Nopony hurts the ones I love! How DARE you lay a hoof on my Fluttershy?!” I hissed at him.

He looked up weakly, incapable of replying with anything more than a stifled groan. I met his horror-filled eyes with a frown. Briefly I considered sparing him, but I quickly changed my mind when I remembered what he had done. My desire for vengeance wasn’t satisfied yet.

I took a hoof, planted it directly on the wound in his foreleg, and pressed down hard. Hunter twitched as he cried out in pain, and tried to pull the wounded limb away, but I quickly discovered that I was easily able to overpower him with the mysterious strength I now wielded.

“How does itfeel?!” I yelled out, pressing my hoof down a bit more forcefully on his wound, and getting great satisfaction out of each pathetic wail that escaped his muzzle. ”The pain of being tormented by somepony more powerful than you? The knowledge that you are helpless to stop it? How does it, FEEL!?”

Hunter reached out with a shaky hoof, his tearful eyes pleading, but I looked down on him with nothing but contempt and disgust. It was obvious that he was in a lot of pain, but to me, it still wasn’t enough. No amount of suffering on his part could ever weigh up to the pain he had caused Fluttershy.

But just when I was entertaining the thought of inflicting more (well-deserved) pain on him, I suffered a sudden dizzy spell. There was an obnoxious ringing in my ears and I felt disoriented, causing my stance to waver. Although I was still shaking afterward, after a moment or two the sensation faded away. Taking this as a sign that I’d pushed myself far enough, I stepped off Hunter and quickly trotted away, to begin my search for Fluttershy and Snooty.

There might not be much time...

Following the marked signs conveniently dotting the hallways, I eventually came to a small door marked ‘Primary Shipping Warehouse, Level 2.’ Rushing up to it and trying the handle, I quickly discovered that it was locked. With a snort of frustration, I spun around and leaned forward, kicking the door with both hind legs. This resulted in a loud metallic clang, like a huge gong, echoing through the hallway. But the door remained intact, stubbornly refusing to budge, its sturdy metal hinges unfazed by my assault. My temper flared up again, but the same lightheadedness as before forced me to calm down.

I don’t have time for this!

I narrowed my eyes at the obstacle in front of me, focusing all of my magic until the entirety of the door was alight in a prismatic glow. I gritted my teeth, willing the obstinate piece of metal over to me with every fibre of my being. Soon, I was rewarded by the loud groan of metal bending, before the door was simply ripped straight out of the wall, frame, hinges and all. The crumpled-up piece of fresh scrap metal was casually tossed aside. I entered the gaping hole in the wall, advancing into the room beyond.

From where I had entered—a second-floor catwalk—I could already tell that this room was huge; it was easily the largest space I had ever set hoof in. The ceiling was about fifty hooves above me, possibly even higher than that. Cargo crates and other miscellaneous shipping packages and containers littered the floor below, some stacked so high they were level with my current vantage point, some even reach to the ceiling itself.

Scanning the floor below, letting my eyes rove the spaces between the myriad boxes and other pieces of freight, I still could find no clear sign of my target. I really wasn’t in the mood for games, though. If Snooty was in here, I was going to find him.

I hopped down to a crate a few hooves below the catwalk, then carefully descended onto another, smaller package, before finally coming to land on the hard, concrete floor. Looking around to take in my surrounding, it didn’t take me long to realize that this place was so cluttered that it was almost like a maze. This made navigating the room quite a challenge; I took the odd turn here or there, simply trusting to luck, but the longer I was forced to wander aimlessly, the more agitated I became. Naturally, I was losing my patience.

I don’t have time for this nonsense!

Just before I was about to literally scream in frustration, I heard some muffled pieces of conversation coming from somewhere over to my left. I hurried over to the first viable place I could turn left around the current row of crates, and silently made my way closer to the source of the voices. Before long, I found that I could actually make out the words, as I drew closer still.

“It looks like the coast is clear,” came the unmistakable, affected voice of Snooty. ”We have to hurry; the fire alarm will only distract these hoodlums for so long. Follow me, my dear!”

“O-okay,” a small voice squeaked weakly in reply.

Fluttershy...

She sounded tired, perhaps even exhausted. Judging from the growing volume of their voices, it appeared that they were headed straight in my direction. Moments later, this suspicion was confirmed, as Snooty rounded a corner and appeared from behind some crates directly ahead of me. He stopped dead in his tracks when he set sight on me, his eyes widening in shock as he took in my appearance. To my delight, they were soon filled with horror.

“You...” I said in a low growl. “I’m going to—”

I bit my tongue when I caught sight of Fluttershy, who warily rounded the corner only to crash into Snooty with a small squeak and fall to her haunches. She wearily picked herself up again, trembling on her hooves, before curiously turning to face me.

Now that I finally had a chance to get a good look at her, I was left speechless by what I saw.

Fresh bruises littered the mare’s body from tail to snout. Most of the fur along her

muzzle was stained with a mixture of tears and blood, the latter most likely from the many cuts that marred her beautiful face. The ‘roughing up’ Snooty mentioned had apparently been a massive understatement. Judging from the tell-tale injuries, she had to have been thoroughly beaten. He had really wanted this to look convincing—really convincing.

“P-Prism!? I thought you were—”

A savage roar of anger interrupted her, my mane and tail once again ablaze with rage-fueled magic of such intensity that the very air around me began to ripple.

Without giving him even a moment to react, I charged right at the stallion who tried to take away everything I held dear. I saw the fear in his eyes as I quickly closed the distance and leapt at him, knocking him down and pinning him to the floor. He tried to struggle and pull away from me, but I effortlessly overpowered him; I wasn’t going to let him escape me. Never before had I experienced such anger and hatred, never before did I feel so powerful, so completely in control of a situation, as I did in that moment, raising my foreleg to strike Snooty down with all of my righteous fury.

“Prism, stop!”

Fluttershy’s desperate cry snapped me out of my trance. My mane and tail extinguished themselves, and I turned to face her. She looked completely confused and bewildered, as if she wasn’t sure what to feel in that moment. But one thing was very clear: she was definitely crying.

I turned back and looked down at Snooty. His face was a mask of sheer terror. I’m guessing he knew all too well what I wanted to do to him; he could probably see his own untimely demise reflected in my eyes. Anger flared up inside of me the longer I had to look at him. A few short moments passed, with nopony saying anything, before I felt another dizzy spell coming on, far worse than any before.

I’m out of time...

I couldn't stand idly by, knowing what this monster had done to Fluttershy and myself, not to mention what he would have done had I not escaped his henchponies. If Snooty’s drug was going to kill me, then at the very least I was going to take him with me. Fluttershy might never learn the truth that way, but it didn’t really matter. I, at least, would die knowing what really happened this day.

I’m sorry, Fluttershy.

One last time, I summoned all my strength, raising a hoof to land the finishing blow. But before I could smash Snooty’s skull in, I felt something catch my foreleg.

I looked up to find that Fluttershy had latched onto it.

“Puh-please stop.... N-no more violence... please...” Fluttershy sobbed softly, gently nuzzling my foreleg.

“It’s him!” I told her, screaming despite my throbbing headache, and pointing my other foreleg down at Snooty. “He is... the...”

Before I could finish my sentence, the lightheadedness and disorientation returned in full force, making me lose my focus. The ringing in my ears also returned, and my head was spinning. I couldn’t concentrate on anything.

I lost my balance, falling forward onto my forehooves and leaning over Snooty. His expression was in a state of flux, registering confusion for a moment before a look of realization set in. Then his expression slowly shifted into a sinister smirk.

I wanted to wipe that smirk off his face but once again lost my balance, tipping over to my side this time.

“PRISM!” Fluttershy yelled out in fear, catching me before I could hit the floor.

Snooty quickly got to his hooves. “We need to get her out of here!” he stated firmly, a convincing note of concern in his voice. “They could be back any minute and this poor mare clearly needs immediate medical attention. Why, she’s clearly delirious and delusional, attacking us like that; We have no time to waste if we are to save her!”

The ringing in my ears intensified, muting all other sounds. I could vaguely hear Fluttershy panicking. I wanted to comfort her, but my body now refused to move at all, failing to obey even the simplest of my brain’s commands. Faint traces of commotion nearby reached my dulled senses, as an unknown group of blurry, pony-shaped blotches swam into my field of vision.

Although my vision was starting to fail me, I could still make out the bright red uniforms of the fire brigade. Fluttershy was yelling something at them while gesturing wildly at me, but for some reason she sounded really, really far away now, even though she was holding me in her forelegs.

That was the last thing that I could really make out, as my vision had gone completely distorted. The ringing in my ears had stopped, but that just left me in a silent world of blurred colors, all blending together, and strange, shifting lights. The bizarre experience somehow reminded me of the colors of my magic...

I wasn’t sure how long everything stayed that way. Seconds? Minutes? Hours? For all I knew, time could have stopped.

Eventually, though, everything faded away into the expected darkness.

Chapter 18: Oddities and Monsters

I groggily awoke to the sounds of steady beeping and soft breathing. A feeling of déjà vu crept up in the back of my mind as I slowly opened my eyes. It was dark, but I could still make out a faint, steady purple glow, and what appeared to be the brightly colored walls of an otherwise dark room.

...I’m alive?

I tried to sit up, but my body screamed out with myriad dull, throbbing aches and sharp stabs of pain, quickly persuading me to abandon my efforts. Laying back, I became aware of another familiar sensation on my muzzle. With some effort, I managed to bring my left hoof up to my face.

An oxygen mask... I must be in a hospital. So Snooty’s drug didn’t kill me?

My ears perked up at what sounded like the gentle rustling of paper—a page being turned, if I had to venture a guess.

Somepony’s in here with me.

Normally I wouldn’t be in a hurry to get a stranger’s attention, but I wasn’t entirely sure where I was or what had happened. The last thing I remembered was falling onto the warehouse floor. Then there was a lot of commotion, and also fireponies, if I was remembering it correctly.

Lifting my left foreleg, I managed to remove the oxygen mask, allowing me to speak. “H-hello? Is anypony there?” I called out in a dry, raspy voice, as I tried to raise my head once again, only to be met by the selfsame pains of before, particularly when I strained harder.

“Prism?” a suspiciously familiar voice said, sounding rather shocked.

Is that...? No, it couldn't be!

The sounds of a book closing and of hurried hoofsteps followed. A familiar purple face and indigo mane filled my view.

“T-Twilight?” I said, confused as to what was the librarian was doing here. Wherever ‘here’ was, exactly. “Where am I?”

“You’re in the west wing of Manehattan General, Prism,” she informed me. Then she turned away and her horn lit up; its faint glow in the darkness was quickly drowned out when the bright lights of the room were magically flicked on.

I winced, blinking against the unforgiving light, and tried to move my right foreleg to shield my eyes, but to my surprise and dismay I couldn’t move—or even feel—the limb in question.

Twilight glanced back at me with a sheepish smile. “Oh, um, sorry about that.”

I finally managed to lift my head some, and, now that my eyes had adjusted to the light, looked down to assess the extent of the damage done to me. My right foreleg was strapped over my chest in a cast, and my hind legs were suspended in a set of slings, kept slightly elevated.

“What happened to me?” I asked, perplexed by the inexplicable damage my body had somehow sustained during a brief period of unconsciousness. ”I only remember having a few cuts and bruises.”

“The doctors said you were in pretty bad shape when you were brought in,” she said with just a hint of reproach, and more than a mere hint of concern. “You also caused quite the scare among the group of doctors and nurses who had to treat you. What were you doing channeling so much magic?”

I winced at her tone. “I’ll explain everything soon, I promise.” Considering her words about the scare, I came to a conclusion pretty quickly. “I’m going to venture a guess and say that they have never encountered an albino pony before?”

Twilight’s expression shifted into an uneasy smile. “Yeeeahh... Judging by the state of panic and hysteria everypony was in, when I reached the emergency room earlier, I’d say they had no clue what to do with you.” She fell silent, staring off into space for a moment. “Oh yeah! That reminds me, they asked me to inform a doctor when you woke up.”

“Wait!” I called out to her when she made to walk away. She instantly turned back and watched me expectantly. “Um, Twilight? Just how did you find me?”

“It’s kind of a long story. I’ll tell you once the doctor is finished with you,” she said, and then headed for the door again.

“Wait!” I called out to her again.

Twilight glanced over her shoulder and laughed. “Look, Prism, I really need to notify a doctor that you’re awake. It’s standard procedure.” She seemed mildly annoyed, but covered it well. ”What is it?”

“Where’s Fluttershy?” I demanded frantically. ”Is she alright? Is she safe? Is she—”

“Whoa, whoa, she’s fine, relax!” she interjected with a small chuckle. “She’s actually in the next room. I’ll go get her, okay?”

I let out a small sigh of relief. “Thank you, Twilight.”

“Of course. I’ll be right back; you just wait right here,” she instructed, before trotting away. The sound of a door opening and closing quickly followed.

Looking down at my casts, momentarily baffled, I could only shake my head in disbelief. “Like I could go anywhere, Twilight,” I mused quietly, after she had already left.

I used the time alone to reflect on the day before this entire mess had happened, which had started so well but had been cruelly cut short. I knew that I probably had a warrant out for my arrest, so there had to be ponies out there looking for me, but I never expected something like this to happen...

That was when it hit me.

Horseapples! I’m a wanted pony here in Manehattan! And every pony who is brought in here is probably looked into. They will inevitably figure out that I’m a wanted mare and contact the police; in fact, come to think about it, they probably already have!

Breathing hard, I began stressing out over all the laws and codes I had violated, while simultaneously looking over the debilitating injuries I had sustained.

What am I going to do?! There will be no avoiding them, not while I’m like this!

I quickly realized the hopelessness of the situation I was in. I was going to have to face the music and confront the police, whether I wanted to or not. Seeing that there was no way out, I tried to at least remember all the incriminating things Snooty had told me about himself. Powerless as I was, I was still privy to some some very sensitive information—which he had foolishly decided to divulge—that could make life very difficult for him.

If I’m going to have to face my punishment, then at the very least I’m going to spill every last little detail about Snooty’s shady dealings, and hopefully take him down with me.

I reflected briefly on the unspeakable things Snooty was responsible for. Compared to his numerous and heinous crimes, my own mistakes just felt so... insignificant. It got me wondering about the contrast between the two.

Is what I am guilty of really that bad? I mean, yes, I ran away from the police, and I did start a fire, but no realdamage was done...

Prior to this experience, I had never really thought to compare what I had done to the severity of other possible crimes. They were just such a rare occurrence in Equestria that nopony ever really thought about them. What I was guilty of absolutely paled in comparison to Snooty’s evil. I thought back to the morning I had first run away from home. I had been absolutely terrified and completely convinced that what I had done was unforgivable, but now, in hindsight and with something to compare them to, I began to wonder...

And then I had an epiphany.

Am I... am I really even in thatmuch trouble at all?

There had been many things I had learned from starting over in Ponyville: What it was like to have friends. What it was like to accept that I was different. What it was liked to be loved by another. And most of all, what it was like to confront my fears, only to find that they weren't half as scary as I had originally made them out to be.

I’m not really in that much trouble, I just have to explain myself.

I suddenly felt as if a heavy burden had just been lifted off my shoulders, and for the first time in several weeks, I knew that I was going to be alright. I had a special somepony now. I had friends; I had a life. All of these things bolstered my resolve as I came to a long awaited conclusion.

Everything will be okay now.

A stray thought suddenly bubbled up in my mind: If I had just stayed to explain myself in the first place, would I even have been in any trouble with the law?

But then again—as is often the case with the mistakes that we make—if I hadn’t done what I did... If I hadn’t run away, and had instead taken a different, more sensible path... I wouldn’t have everything I do now. I might never have met any of my friends.

Mother did alway tell me that everything happens for a reason. Had the events of that horrible night all just transpired as a way to change the canvas of my life?  If I had simply stayed and confronted the situation, that fateful night would just have been another inky-black splotch on an already very dark and depressing painting.

My thoughts were interrupted by the door opening, followed by a few sets of hooves making an audible entrance. A few moments later, Twilight, Fluttershy, and a fiery-red pegasus mare came into view. The unfamiliar mare wore the trademark long, white doctor’s coat and a stethoscope around her neck.

A female doctor? That’s a first...

I considered this anomaly momentarily, before a rushing flurry of hoofsteps derailed my train of thoughts. Fluttershy’s concerned face suddenly filled my whole field of view. I smiled up at her. “Hey, how are y—”

She leaned down, though, and promptly interrupted me, pressing her muzzle firmly against mine. The sudden display of affection caught me completely off guard, causing my eyes to open wide, at first, only to slowly flutter closed. A warm feeling quickly filled me up inside, not unlike the first time she had kissed me.

I... I could definitely get used to this...

A few seconds of complete muzzle-lock later, Fluttershy pulled away, her eyes meeting mine with a happy—possibly relieved—look. But her expression quickly shifted, her eyes widening and her face flushing bright red. She pulled a tad further away and covered her muzzle with a forehoof. “I-I—Oh Prism, I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to—”

Fluttershy froze mid-sentence, and slowly turned back to the other ponies in the room.

The doctor stifled a small cough and looked away with a faint blush. Twilight, on the other hoof, looked as if we had just broken her. She remained stock-still, just staring at us in a shocked, slack-jawed sort of way for several moments, until she eventually managed to shake herself out of it.

Blushing profusely in embarrassment, she nervously scratched the back of her neck with a forehoof. “W-wow... I, um, I certainly wasn’t expecting that,” Twilight admitted, shifting her weight around and nervously glancing around the room, looking everywhere but at us. “We, uh... maybe we can discuss thatlater; this is hardly the time or the place...”

The doctor loudly cleared her throat and looked down to the clipboard she was holding out in her outstretched wing. “Y-yes, anyway, I am Doctor Ruby Heart.” she said, regarding me curiously over the edge of her clipboard. “You gave everypony quite the scare last night...” The doctor trailed off and narrowed her eyes, a clear look of concern on her face. “In all of our years’ worth of records, I don’t think we’ve ever documented a case quite like yours before.” She briefly studied my medical records, leisurely flipping to another page. “I was hoping to clear a couple matters up, now that you are awake. You came to us with some injuries we just can’t explain. Your friend and fillyfriend here,” Ruby said, gesturing her free wing to Fluttershy and Twilight, ”tell me you’re aren’t actually sure how you came to sustain all this trauma?”

...Fillyfriend?

This assumption made me feel even more embarrassed. Judging from the fact that she looked as though she were about to pass out, I think Fluttershy felt the same way. If her face flushed any harder there might be no blood left for her brain. But no matter how awkward the statement made us feel, neither of us seemed to bother correcting Ruby. The idea of Fluttershy being my fillyfriend was kind of... nice. Perhaps she felt the same way?

After struggling and failing to sit up a little and get a better look at Fluttershy, I looked to Ruby Heart for assistance. “Could you, um... help me up, doctor? I can’t really see all that much.”

“Sure thing,” she replied, reaching down and touching something on the side of my bed. It gave off a soft hum, and the head of the bed slowly folded upwards until I was in a near-sitting position.

I finally got a good look of my surroundings. The room was much nicer than Ponyville’s hospital rooms. The color scheme was similar, though, with green being the main theme of the walls and furniture.

“Wow, that’s neat, thanks! Um... anyways, yes, I knew I was hurt before I blacked out, but it was just some cuts and bruises. I don’t remember it being nearly this bad,” I explained, gesturing a forehoof to my injuries by way of emphasis.

The doctor closed her eyes and nodded a few times. “You were a real mess when you were brought in last night,” she said, taking a deep breath before rattling off the long list of injuries. “Severe fracturing of the third metacarpal in both hind legs; an all-but-shattered proximal phalanx in your right foreleg; a severe fracture of the horn, from the magicus prime all the way up to the magicus major; astonishing amounts of tissue, muscle and nerve damage throughout your entire body; and, most curious of all, an unprecedented, beyond-fatal dose of Rohoofnol in your system.”

Fluttershy tilted her head curiously. “Beyond fatal...?” Her eyes suddenly widened, and she looked back and forth between the doctor and me. “Prism was drugged?!”

Ruby Heart nodded. “It would appear so.” Her expression shifted into one of concern again when she continued. “Everypony was amazed she had even managed to survive for as long as she did. Which brings me to the next point: Rohoofnol’s primary effect is to suppress the flow of a pony’s magic to their leylines. Your magic, on the other hoof, was surging out of control, building up to dangerous levels that threatened to cause permanent damage, or quite possibly kill you.”

I flashed her a sheepish smile, playing dumb and coyly asking her what was likely to be a silly question. “Is that, um... not normal?”

The doctor shook her head. “No, not at all. At first, we had no idea what to do; as said, we have never encountered a symptom like that before. To have an amount of magic of that magnitude flowing through your leylines, you would have had to have taken enough magical stimulants that the side effects alone should have long since killed you. Yet our scans revealed that there wasn’t a trace of any known stimulant in your system—there was only the Rohoofnol.”

Was it the drug? Could that stuff actually have been the very thing that gave me the strength to save my own life?

Ruby let out a mildly frustrated little sigh, rubbing her no-doubt painful forehead with the cusp of a hoof. I instantly felt a pang of sympathy for this mare; she looked like she had had a rough and sleepless night.

“Unless you were actually planning on kill herself,” she said, frowning and looking at me intently, ”would you mind my asking how an overdose like that got into your system?”

I shook my head in response. “No, I don’t mind. I was definitely drugged. My captors injected me with it, under the assumption that it would surely kill me.” I looked over to my two friends with a weary frown. “They never intended for me to survive the ordeal. They wanted me dead.”

Fluttershy covered a sharp gasp, while Twilight raised an eyebrow at me curiously.

“Your foalnappers wanted youdead?” Twilight repeated skeptically, scratching her head. “Weren’t they going to ransom you two?”

Fluttershy gave Twilight sad, doe-eyed look and nodded, “Oh yes, they told me me about the ransom and everything they were planning to do with us. They were actually, um, very... rough with me...” Her words faltered, and she looked down to the floor in silence for a moment, before her expression and ears both quickly perked up. “But that’s when that kind and brave gentlecolt, Snooty, came to rescue me! The building’s fire alarm suddenly went off, and moments later he entered the room and fought off my captors, knocking them all out in the confusion.”

The happiness and an enthusiasm in Fluttershy’s voice made me both angry and very scared at the same time.

Had I not survived, everything would have gone just as Snooty had planned...

I wasn’t about to let him get away with this, but as much as I wanted to reveal the truth and pick Snooty’s carefully fabricated heroic image apart, for the moment, I was more concerned with the here and now. Namely, I wanted to find out how I had become so injured and, more importantly, if I was going to be okay.

I let out a soft sigh. “It’s a really long story, but the whole ransom thing was staged. I’ll explain everything after Doctor Heart here is finished,” I assured my friends, simply wanting to take everything in before discussing anything conflictive.

Twilight and Fluttershy exchanged confused looks, while Ruby merely gave a small nod in acknowledgement and continued. “Given the fact that the Rohoofnol was clearly responsible for your condition, we tried administering some other suppressants, but they only made your condition worse. Time was running out, and we were out of ideas; nothing we tried was working. Stabilizers, neutralizers, nothing!” she exclaimed, turning to face Twilight. “Thankfully, that’s when Ms. Sparkle here showed up.”

Twilight cleared her throat before speaking up. “As I said before, this entire section of the ward was in a state of complete chaos when I walked through the door. Obviously, I wanted to know what was going on, but I only got rushed answers about a mysterious white pony who wasn’t responding to conventional magical treatments, which was completely unheard of. Of course, based on that description, I did have a pretty good idea why the treatments weren’t having their intended effect on this particular pony.” She flashed me a knowing smirk.

I replied with a sheepish smile and a small squee.

Twilight let out a small chuckle before continuing. “So, on a hunch, I followed the rush of ponies to the emergency room, and sure enough, there you were. I was quickly asked to leave, though,” she said indignantly, glaring slightly at Ruby Heart. “In order to get anypony to even listen to me, I sort of had to lie and say that I was your private physician. Only then did they allow me stay and did they tell me what had happened.”

The pegasus physician nodded, turned to me, and continued where Twilight left off. “After we had informed Ms. Sparkle of your situation, she suggested we try some magical stimulants instead, despite the fact that this was, erm, rather counterintuitive, to say the least. I mean, with magic-levels surging as drastically as yours, administering boosters like that would be generally considered a fatal mistake. But Ms. Sparkle pointed out, quite astutely, that if suppressants were actually having the opposite of their intended effect, and stabilizers and neutralizers weren’t doing anything either, then there was a good chance you were having an adverse reaction to the drugs. Which meant a stimulant would probably elicit an adverse reaction as well.”

Twilight was nodding fervently throughout this entire lecture, and beamed proudly in response to the doctor’s compliment.

”We were still reluctant, but decided to go with Ms. Sparkle’s theory in the end, and to everypony’s surprise it worked like a charm. The lethal levels of magic in your leylines started to subside. So we continued to administer a increased dosages until you had returned to stable levels.”

At which point Twilight was no doubt bursting to say ‘I told you so!’

The smug little smile on her lips suggested that my mental image of her telling a whole team of desperate medical specialists what to do was probably accurate. Our eyes met, and I smiled back at her gratefully, knowing now that I probably owed her my life.

Ruby caught on to the brief look of understanding we shared, I think, but continued undeterred. “The levels of magic in your leylines only continued to fall, however, rapidly sinking to dangerously low levels. Just when everypony was about to panic and frantically try to stabilize you again, Ms. Sparkle assured us that this was natural for you. That somehow your body’s leylines didn’t function correctly, as a result of your albinism.” Ruby shook her head. “This made absolutely no sense! The magic coursing through a pony’s leylines is what gives them life; remove that magic, and they slowly wither away. But you... You appeared to be doing perfectly fine even as the last of your magic retreated back inside your very core.

Twilight gestured a forehoof to Ruby, taking over again. “While this amazed everypony else, I kept reassuring them that this isn’t abnormal for you. Your leylines are all nearly vestigial as a direct result of your albinism. After further study of the data we collected, I discovered that your body naturally functions like that of all Equestrian wildlife: without the need for magic to sustain itself, requiring only such basic necessities as food and water.”

I found Twilight’s comparison fascinating and nodded in response to her words, although I did make a mental note to ask her more about what she had learned later. At the moment, I was simply too engrossed by all of the information being provided to think clearly.

“This finding raises many questions,” Twilight continued, seemingly getting caught up in the moment. ”For example, without our natural attunement to magic, would all ponies be devoid of color like Prism? Or would we simply all be the same color as one another? I’ve formulated several hypotheses concerning this... um, this...”

Twilight slowly trailed off, finally having noticed that everypony in the room was staring glassily at her. “Oh, um, sorry,” she said with a sheepish smile. ”Please continue, doctor.”

Ruby Heart did not respond for a moment, simply looking off into nowhere, perhaps because, given her expertise, she had actually been genuinely interested in what Twilight had been saying. “Yes, thank you. Erm... Unfortunately, this atypical reaction to the drugs we gave you wasn’t the close call we had last night, Ms. Prism. After we were reasonably confident that your magic had been stabilized, we proceeded to employ the routine healing spells to some of the more severe cuts and bruises on your face and muzzle.”

Twilight’s expression fell as she interjected, “I tried to warn them, and asked them to let me perform the necessary spells, for their safety reasons. But they assured me that they were experts and that everything would be fine.” I could tell she was having a hard time trying not to sound overly sarcastic.

Ruby’s ears fell back, and she looked downright embarrassed and miserable. “One of our most skilled unicorn surgeons, unfortunately, erm, panicked a little bit when your wounds started to inexplicably worsen and bleed profusely. Thinking that he had somehow made a mistake, he tried the spell again, only for the fresh gashes to develop into gaping wounds, which caused you to lose blood at a catastrophic rate.”

Fluttershy’s ears fell back at this particular part of Ruby Heart’s report. She covered her muzzle with a forehoof, looking rather faint herself. “Oh... Oh my...”

Twilight on the other hoof, ran her hoof over her face, a frustrated groan escaping her lips. “Again! I warned them, but nopony would even listen to me!” Twilight’s face scrunched up with suppressed frustration. “Eventually I actually had to yell at everypony to just stop what they were doing and wait. It took me forever to make them understand that the wounds would heal all by themselves if they would just leave them alone for a second, instead of making things worse.”

Ruby Heart shrank down with a small wince, as if Twilight’s bitter words had literally stung her. “The entire team was arguing over the course of action we should take, while others tried to put pressure on the wounds to at least stop the bleeding,” she explained. ”A few moments later, those tending to your wounds noticed that the bleeding had suddenly stopped, and that your injuries began rapidly healing themselves until it seemed as if they had never been there in the first place.”

She walked up to me and examining my face closely. “You are such a bizarre oddity, Ms. Prism. I mean, no offense intended. It’s just... It was so surprising!” She backed away, still studying my freshly healed body but also letting out a sigh of defeat. “Anyway, that is how you got here.”

Twilight once again continued for her: “As far as the damage to your body goes, that’s all just tissue, muscle, and nerve damage resulting from that insane amount of magic pumping through your leylines. Your body isn’t used to having any magic coursing through it at all. For it to suddenly have to cope with so much of it... well, I’m afraid that it caused a lot of damage,” Twilight said hesitantly, before looking to Ruby, who gave a nod in agreement.

Fluttershy glanced nervously between the two mares. “Will Prism, um, be alright?” she asked, finally resting her eyes on me.

I met her nervous gaze, seeing the concern in her eyes; evidently, she was extremely worried about me.

Glancing at my poor legs, uselessly suspended in their casts, I, too, hesitantly asked Ruby Heart the all-important question: “How bad is it?” A large part of me was scared to hear the answer.  “Is there anything, um... permanent?” The dreadful reality of that word sent a chill down my spine.

The doctor’s expression was hard to interpret, but the frown she was wearing didn’t bode well. “Your hind legs should heal with few debilitating after-effects, though you may experience some stiffness and slight muscle pains from time to time—nothing too extreme. Your right foreleg however...” She pointed a forehoof at a specific area of the leg in question. “The proximal phalanx, as I said, suffered a complex fracture, and the muscles and nerves in that leg were the most severely traumatized.”

I looked down to my right foreleg, trying fruitlessly to move it again. Seeing her words confirmed by my complete inability to control the damaged limb, I broke out in a cold sweat. “W-will... will I ever be able to walk on it again?” I asked her, fearing the worst.

She let out a long, ominous sigh. “Well... the good news is that, yes, you probably will.”

Ruby gave me a moment to process that. I wasn’t in the mood to celebrate just yet, though, since the manner in which she had phrased that suggested some less-than-hopeful news was bound to follow. And sure enough, she added, “The bad news, however... Due to the extensive damage to not just bone and tissue, but nerves as well, you will likely retain only limited dexterity with that particular limb, making usage of the leg for anything other than walking extremely difficult. It is also very likely that you will partially lose feeling in it, and that you will need physical therapy to properly re-tone the muscles, before you are discharged.” She shot me a sympathetic look. “I hope you didn’t have any special plans for anytime soon, because unfortunately, you won’t be able to make them.”

“I-I, I won’t be able to use my right foreleg for anything else?!” I exclaimed, finding this dire news a little difficult to take. While I was relieved that I would at least be able to walk again, the idea of having such limited use of my primary limb was a bit disturbing and very stressful. Without the aid of both my forelegs, I would haveto rely on my magic a lot—something I had never done, outside of my artistic endeavours.

My magic...

“Wait, you mentioned that my horn was damaged too, right?” I asked, looking up to what little I could actually see of it. It also looked to be in some sort of cast. “Won’t that affect my magic?”

“Luckily, a unicorn's horn is very resilient, so even a large crack should not impede the host’s usage of magictoo much. With proper care, you can expect to make a full recovery. However, horns take a very long time to fully heal, so I would lay off any heavy levitation or advanced spells for a few weeks, as they might be a little painful to cast. Oh, and the healing process may leave a slight blemish of discoloration along the site of the damage.”

Involuntarily, I covered a small laugh at the irony of what she was telling me.

The doctor, understandably, gave me a look of confusion. “I give you bad news, and you laugh at it? You’ll have to excuse me, but you certainly are one interesting pony, Ms. Prism,” she commented, her expression shifting into one of concern.

Twilight sighed, and saw fit to explain my inappropriate reaction before I even had a chance to. “She’s probably laughing because she can’t lift heavy objects or cast advanced spells, even if her horn had been in perfect shape. And because her horn has no pigment to be discolored in the first place.” She fixed me with a plain look of disapproval, which made me shrink down a little.

She’s good... It’s kind of scary to be honest.

The doctor raised an eyebrow at Twilight before turning back to me. “Well then, in that case you should be perfectly fine, as far as your magic is concerned.”

All the things Ruby Heart had told me had left me with quite a lot to think about; mostly matters that would take some time to mentally sort out and get used to. My lifestyle was about to go through another big change. Up until this point, I had avoided using my magic whenever possible, but now I was being forced to rely on it more, lest I ended up having to do everything with my teeth and left forehoof, which didn’t seem very practical.

I guess that’s one more fear I will have to face...

Twilight’s expression suddenly eased up and she laughed softly. “By the way Prism, you should have seen the looks of horror on everypony’s faces when I told them who I really was. A few even begged me for forgiveness, pleading with me not to tell the princess of their rude behavior towards me.” She rolled her eyes, albeit with a warm expression and a soft smile this time. “I may have been upset, but you know I would never go out of my way to get somepony in trouble like that. So after a few heartfelt apologies, I did my best to assure them that everything was fine.”

Ruby Heart let out a sheepish laugh, scratching the back of her neck. “Once again, I’m sorry for the trouble we gave you, Ms. Sparkle,” she began, before staring off into nowhere for a moment. “Although you never did explain how you knew all of these details about Ms. Prism’s condition and unique characteristics...” She turned to the studious unicorn expectantly, gesturing a forehoof to me.

Twilight's ears suddenly perked up. “Oh! It’s because Prism here is a good friend of mine, and because the two of us did some research into her physiology and magical aptitude,” she informed her enthusiastically, a hint of pride in her voice. “I plan to present my findings to the University of Applied Sciences and Magical Theory, once I have everything in order.”

“I would very much love to read your paper, once completed, Ms. Sparkle,” Ruby Heart said eagerly. “Prior to this particular case, I’d never even heard of Albinism in ponies before. And I’ve certainly never read anything about it in the scientific literature.”

Her words reminded me of something that had been bugging me for quite some time now. “Um, Twilight?” I said, turning to the lavender mare expectantly.

“Yes?” she replied, seemingly surprised by the sudden interruption.

“How exactly did you find all that information on albino ponies?” I asked curiously, before gesturing to Ruby Heart. “And how is it that you found it so easily, when nopony here in Manehattan seems to even know the first thing about ponies like me?”

Fluttershy, who had remained mostly silent this entire time, also finally spoke up, “I, um, I have been very curious about that, Twilight. That is, if it wouldn’t be too much trouble to ask.”

Doctor Ruby Heart also pitched in: “I would love to hear more about this as well, if you wouldn’t mind divulging your sources, Ms. Sparkle.”

Twilight glanced between us all for a moment, a mild look of surprise on her face. “Well, actually... I have your answer right here with me. I wasn’t sure what I would run into out here, so I figured it was best to come prepared; I even brought a copy of my research notes with me, just in case I needed them.”

Twilight levitated a rather sizable tome out of a pair of saddlebags that were sitting on the floor next to her, and magically held it in front of my face. The book looked to be very, very old; most of the front cover’s text was badly faded, though still legible.

“Magical Oddities in Pony and Zebra Physiology, by Magister Stitches,” I read aloud.

That sounds familiar... Wait, isn’t that the same author as that ominously-titled book Fluttershy had?

Twilight opened it within her magic and flipped over to a specific section. ‘Albinism and Leyline Mutation,’ was the title at the top of the page.

I shook my head in disbelief, giving Twilight a skeptical look. “Wait, so it’s all here in this book? If it was so easy for you to find it, how come nopony else knows about it?” I asked, perplexed by this suspiciously convenient source of information.

Twilight cleared her throat, and levitated the tome back over to herself. “It’s because of this particular author, and this specific book,” she said. “Magister Stitches penned several books in her lifetime, many of which are the ‘go-to guides’ to pony, zebra, griffon, and animal physiology—like the book I gave to Fluttershy.” She gestured a hoof to the silent mare sitting next to her.

I tilted my head, confused. “Okay, so, this Magister Stitches... If she is so important and so well known, and she wrote this, why is there still so much ignorance about Albinism around? Just how obscure is this book?”

Twilight’s expression shifted into one of uneasy concern. “Well, you see... Magister Stitches lived a very, very long life—several centuries long, in fact. She used some, uh, questionable methods to prolong her life span, and also to conduct her research. While her body continued to endure, by virtue of her unnatural experiments, her mortal mind slowly began to descend into madness,” she informed us, pointing to the book she was holding up in her magic. “Her later books have generally been dismissed as nothing more than the ravings of a madmare, as the contents of most of them made absolutely no sense, and much of the information contained within was shown to be false, or inconclusive at best.”

Twilight opened the book, flipping through pages seemingly at random as she continued to tell the tale. “This was one of the last books she wrote before her death. As a result, only four copies were ever created, two of which rest in the Magister Stitches Wing of Canterlot Castle. The third was lost in the Great Fire of Fillydelphia, when their library burned down, roughly two centuries ago. And thefinal copy—” Twilight said, pointing at the book floating before her, “—is here with me. It’s been a part of my private collection for quite a while.”

I smiled uneasily at Twilight; parts of her description of the author worried me quite a bit. “You mentioned... q-questionable methods of research?” I said hesitantly, somewhat unsure if I even wanted to know what that entailed.

Fluttershy, too, stirred with curiosity after I had spoken up. “W-what... what did she do?” she asked, a look of unmistakable apprehension on her face.

Twilight’s already-uneasy expression only fell further at our questions. “Eventually, it was discovered that Stitches had been foalnapping zebras, griffons and ponies for centuries, doing all sorts of horrible experiments on them to collect data. Many of her test subjects either died what must have been gruesome deaths in the process, or were left permanently disfigured and mentally unstable by the ordeal, and then were promptly... disposed of.”

Fluttershy let out a sharp gasp at Twilight’s words. “W-why, that’s just... just horrible!” she exclaimed, uncharacteristically loudly for the normally soft-spoken pegasus.

After a few moments of thought, I came to a sudden, dark realization. “Wait... You said the information about Albino ponies was in this book, and this is one of her later books, right? So that would mean that she...” I trailed off, my eyes widening at the reality of what I was about to say. I covered my muzzle with my left forehoof as a nauseous feeling swam through my stomach, and a cold chill crept down my spine.

Twilight nodded grimly. “I originally didn’t want to tell you about this... but as you may have just guessed, at least one—and possibly more than one—albino pony of each of the three tribes met their fate at the hooves of Stitches, in order for her to obtain the information in this book,” she continued for me, with an uneasy, yet sympathetic look. “This also may be why we know next to nothing about albino ponies outside of this book. It’s a rare condition, after all, and Stitches quite possibly abducted every single one that appeared during her lifetime.”

Fluttershy suddenly jumped up from her seat, her winged flared at full extension. “Why would such a horrible monster have an entire wing dedicated to her at Canterlot Castle?!” she spat out angrily, shocking everypony with her sudden, highly uncharacteristic outburst. “If she had still been alive, she would have probably foalnapped and tortured Prism for her sick experiments, too!”

Twilight stood up from her seat, resting a foreleg on the angry pegasus’s shoulder. “I understand that you're angry Fluttershy, and what you say may very well be true. But the wing that bears her name was constructed long before the atrocities she committed came to light. While they were indeed awful crimes against equinity, we, as rational ponies, cannot simply deny the findings Stitches brought to the world. Many, many ponies’ lives have been saved by the research she did, horrific and unethical as it later turned out to be. Which was why she had that wing dedicated to her in the first place.”

“Ms. Sparkle is correct,” Ruby Heart said, gesturing to Twilight’s book. “As a doctor and a researcher in the medical field myself, I can say with certainty that we use treatments based on Magister Stitches’ original theories and extensive research every day. Countless lives have been saved because of the vast amounts of knowledge she left for posterity.”

Fluttershy opened her mouth to retort, but eventually just sank down onto her haunches instead, her ears and wings drooping in defeat. She silently—almost imperceptibly—nodded her head.

I felt real sympathy for Fluttershy. Her concern for me was heartwarming, but in this case, I had to side with Twilight and Ruby. It would appear that Stitches was a prime example of what one would call a necessary evil. An evil that, perhaps inadvertently, ended up producing a lot of good. Even so, that didn’t make the things she did any less horrible or unjustifiable. Fluttershy had probably been right about one thing: had Stitches still been alive, I likely would not be sitting here right now.

That is truly a frightening thought... A pony who hunted down and performed experiments on ponies just like me.

I stared at the ancient tome, wondering how many albino ponies lost their lives for the information within. “So many ponies, poniesjust like me, had their lives taken for what is inside that book... A book which, you say, many consider to be nothing more than blasphemy, or merely fiction...” I trailed off, both sympathy and sadness evident in my voice.

Twilight brought a hoof to her chin, staring off into nowhere in thought. “This makes me wonder what else Stitches’ later books is actually accurate? Some of the information we have dismissed as blasphemy could in fact be very real, and contain truths that we have thus far overlooked.”

“Before, I felt like I owed it tofuture albino ponies to help you with your research, Twilight. But now... Now I feel that I also owe it to the ponies whose lives were sacrificed for the knowledge in that book, to ensure that their deaths were not in vain.”

Fluttershy’s expression softened, and she managed a small smile at my words. “That is very noble of you, Prism.”

Ruby nodded in agreement.

I shook my head. “That’s not true. It’s like I told Twilight: this is not about being noble, I just feel that it is the right thing to do.” I looked to Twilight, and then Fluttershy. “I mean... How would you two feel if you were in my horseshoes? Knowing what you knew, wouldn’t you want to make sure those ponies didn’t die for nothing?”

Twilight and Fluttershy exchanged glances, but then nodded in agreement.

Fluttershy spoke up first, “You’re right, it would be the right thing to do.”

“I would see to it that the truth came to light, yes,” Twilight added.

I beamed the two a warm smile. “Thank you for understanding.”

Several moments of silence passed, until a minor tidbit from earlier crossed my mind.

“Twilight? You never did tell me how in Equestria you managed to find me,” I reminded her, giving her curious look.

Twilights ears perked up at my question. “Oh yeah, I did say I would tell you about that after the doctor had finished,” Twilight recalled, turning to her saddlebags and telekinetically taking a piece of paper from it. “Rarity found this tacked to her door the morning after your disappearance.”

Twilight levitated the parchment over to me. After taking a moment to examine it, I read the contents aloud:“We have your friends. If you ever want to see them alive again, bring untraceable bonds worth twenty-five thousand bits to Manehattan and deposit them in the recycling bin located on the corner of Mane and Third on Friday at sundown. Then wait in front of the Manehattan Grand Theater for forty-five minutes. Come alone. Do not alert the authorities. We will know.”

I immediately noticed the lock my own white mane, as well as an equally unmistakable yellow feather, taped to the paper below the text. More disturbingly, there were also two splotches of blood at the bottom.

I narrowed my eyes at the paper in disgust.

Snooty! He will pay for this; he will pay for everything he has done to us.

Twilight took the paper back and stuffed it into her bag. “That’s how we knew you were being kept here. So we took the next train to Manehattan and began to investigate.”

My ears perked up at her words. “Wait, we? Who else came with you?” I asked quizzically.

“Everypony! All of the girls, Derpy included, are here in the city,” she informed me matter-of-factly. “We all split up once we arrived: Rarity mingled with the Manehattan elite and kept her ears open for any rumors, Rainbow Dash went to ask the Manehattan Weather Team if they’d spotted any ponies matching your descriptions lately, Pinkie Pie went and did... whatever it is that Pinkie does, Applejack went to check in with the local authorities, and Derpy stayed at the hotel just in case anypony came up with anything. I went to check the hospital, just to be sure, and it just so happened that you were here when I arrived.”

I was shocked, but also very touched, all at the same time. All of them had put their busy lives on hold to come looking for us, even though there had been little hope of ever finding (let alone rescuing) us; even though it might have been extremely dangerous.

I felt tears welling up in my eyes.

“T-thank you... s-so much,” I sniffled, utterly failing to hold back my tears.

Twilight beamed at me, before getting out of her seat and walking up to my bedside. “You're our friend, Prism,” she said fondly. ”Nothing or nopony will ever come between us. We would have searched all of Equestria to find you girls, if we had to!” She leaned in and gave me a tight hug. “I’m just glad you two are safe.”

It felt so good, so reassuring, to be held like this, and to be reminded just how much I had gained since the day I first stumbled into Ponyville. Now I had friends who loved me and cared about me. Who would come to my aid if I needed them; who would search me out and find me, if ever I got lost.

Sadly, this touching little moment was abruptly ended by an unexpected knock at the door. Twilight pulled away from me, and everypony turned to watch two stallions walk into the room.

“Sorry if we’re interrupting,” said the first pony who had entered. He was a grey pegasus stallion wearing a brown trench coat, with a matching fedora perched atop his jet-black mane.

The second stallion was a forest-green earth pony, wearing an outfit that was uncannily similar to the other.

The grey stallion pulled a badge from his pocket with a wing. “I’m Detective Hawkeye of the Manehattan Metro Police Department, and this is my partner, Detective Nitpick.”

Well, here goes nothing...

Hawkeye turned to me. “We would like to ask you a few questions about the foalnapping you were involved in. Specifically, we wanted to discuss some rather disturbing discoveries we’ve made in the upper offices of the crime scene.”

I blinked a few times, curious about what he meant by the latter statement. “Okay. What would you like to know?”

The detective reached into his coat pocket again, retrieving a few papers this time. He placed them on the bed in front of me. “Do any of these ponies look familiar to you?”

Peering at the papers, I quickly found that they were actually copies of photographs, depicting three familiar stallions. There was no mistaking it; I would never forget those sneering faces. They were the abusive trio of cronies from the warehouse.

I looked up to the detective with a nod before looking back to the photo’s. “Yes, these three were the ones who abducted me and my friend, and the very ponies who attempted to kill me,” I informed him. Narrowed my eyes and frowning, I regarded their pictures with utter disgust, idly wondering what other crimes these three had already committed.

Monsters... I let them off easy, I hope they get what is coming to them.

I looked back up to the detective to find him eying me curiously. “So, when was the last time you saw them? If you happen to remember, that is,” he said casually, continuing to watch me with great interest.

Why is he looking at me like that? It’s starting to creep me out. And the way that he’s talking... Like we’re just having a pleasant conversation!

“Well, when last I saw them they were attempting to rape me,” I said sardonically, ”so I think I remember them quite clearly. In order to escape from them I’m afraid I was forced to use my magic. I tossed them around a little, just to make sure they wouldn’t continue to hurt me, and to keep them from following me. After I had incapacitated them, I went to look for Fluttershy.” I concluded my brief tale by gesturing my forehoof across the room at the mare in question. “I don’t know where they went after that because, thankfully, I didn’t run into them again.”

Twilight raised an eyebrow. “Your levitation spell actually worked against those stallions?” she said, sounding rather perplexed.

I turned to her with a nod. “It surprised me, too. I’ve never tried to lift anything that heavy before.”

Detective hawkeye gave a dry, polite little cough, instantly gaining the attention of everypony in the room. “So, all you did was, in your own words, ‘toss them around a little?’” he confirmed pleasantly, though there was something very off about the tone of his words.

“Yes, I never intended to seriously injure them, I just wanted to get away and find Fluttershy,” I reassured him, again gesturing to the yellow mare.

The detectives expression suddenly turned into a scowl. “Come now, do you take me for a foal?”

I blinked several times, taken aback by the sudden change of tone. “N-no sir, I most certainly do not. Why do you ask?”

Hawkeye retrieved another set of photographs from his coat pocket and laid them out on the bed next to the others. I curiously leaned in to inspect them. What I saw sent a chill down my spine and made me sick to my stomach. I reflexively covered a retch and had to look away.

        The other girls curiously walked over to my bed to also examine the photo’s, curious to see what had provoked such a strong reaction from me. Twilight’s face twisted into an utterly disgusted expression, while Fluttershy’s face simply turned green. She, too, quickly turned away and looked like she was going to be sick. Doctor Ruby Heart, being perhaps more used to such horrific sights given her profession, only made some small gestures with a forehoof that looked like a prayer of some kind.

        This second set of photographs were of the same three stallions, except they depicted their broken, bloody, and mutilated corpses.

The detective narrowed his eyes at me, pointing a hoof down to one of the photographs. “Looks like they certainly won’t be coming after you now, does it?” he said coldly. “You must’ve ‘tossed them around’ pretty hard to ‘incapacitate’ them this thoroughly.”

Briefly rendered speechless by this insane accusation, I tried to figure out what in Celestia’s name was going on. “But, but, but,” I stammered, ”when I left the room those stallions were still alive! A little beat up, maybe, but alive! I did not do this to them!”

Hawkeye’s partner took out more photographs as well as some other papers. These were pictures of a lock of delicate, white hairs—clearly originating from my colorless mane—along with a number of documents, each of which contained page upon page of images and notes I didn’t quite understand.

“W-what.... what is all of this?” I asked, more than a little perplexed by the whole situation and the elaborate paperwork in front of me.

Hawkeye sat down on his haunches and folded his forelegs. “You tell me, miss,” he said sternly. ”It’s your hair and residual magic we found scattered all over the crime scene. Not to mention the bodies.” He picked up one of the papers in his forehooves. “We compared the magical residue from our earlier investigation at your apartment with what we found at the crime scene. It was a perfect match.”

I just stared at the reports in shock, unable to process what I was seeing.

Fluttershy stepped forward, wings flared. “Prism would never do something like that! And if she says she didn’t, then she’s innocent!” Fluttershy exclaimed almost aggressively.

Twilight glanced at Fluttershy and nodded in agreement. “She’s right; Prism would never kill anypony.”

Hawkeye turned to glare at them. “The evidence is all there,” he said, pointing a forehoof to the papers on the bed, ”and the case is crystal clear if you ask me; as blatantly obvious as Celestia’s sun in the sky.” He turned back to his partner with a quick nod.

Detective Nitpick stepped forward. “Ms. Prism,” he said sternly and officially, ”you are hereby charged with the murders of Stronghoof, Tiny, and Booster. For the time being, you are to be confined to this room and, if deemed necessary, the surrounding hospital grounds, until such time as you have been declared medically fit for relocation and further processing.”

Chapter 19: Secrets

“WHAT?!” Twilight and Fluttershy exclaimed together in shock, exchanging looks of confusion and panic.

I wanted to say something, anything, but my mind couldn’t form any words. I had just escaped being foalnapped, I had nearly been raped and killed, and now I was being accused of murders I didn’t commit? It didn’t make any sense! I was the victim in all of this; why were they making it sound like I was a...

Murderer. They think I’m a murderer.

I felt a sour feeling swelling up in my stomach as I frantically reviewed the evidence in front of me, unable to grasp the reality of the situation.  “I-I don’t I understand, h-how...? Wha—”

The stress finally got to me and I did what any sane, rational pony would do in this situation: I threw up—or I tried to, anyway. I ended up leaning forward and dry-heaving, my stomach trying to empty its contents even though there were none to be found.

The detectives stepped back, wary that I might still find something in there that might end up splashing on them. Detective Hawkeye snorted in disbelief. “Cut the act, you—”

“Detectives!” the voice of Twilight suddenly boomed.

Everypony in the room turned to look at a very irritated purple unicorn. “I don’t know how you do things in Manehattan, but in therest of Equestria, a pony is presumed innocent until proven guilty!” Twilight cast a hard glare at Detective Hawkeye as she gestured a forehoof to me. “Prism is in no shape to answer any of your questions right now. I would suggest you leave your contact information, so that a proper interview—with legal counsel present—can be conducted. For the time being, however, I am going to have to ask you to leave.”

With a furious sneer on his face, the detective craned his neck, briefly taken aback by Twilight’s words before narrowing his eyes at her intensely. I guessed he wasn’t used to being insulted or disrespected, as he quickly started to advance to her.

“That is quite enough, Mr. Hawkeye!” Ruby Heart suddenly cut in, stepping between the lavender mare and the detective and, holding out a foreleg. “You’re stressing out my patient, and that is thelast thing she needs right now, given the physical and mental stress her body has already endured.” She gestured her forehoof to the door. “Now, I’m going to have to insist you two take your leave this very instant, or I will call security and have you two removed!” She stomped down her foreleg to punctuate her ultimatum.

Twilight regarded the detective coolly. “If you would like to speak to Prism further, you will have to do so through her lawyer. If you two are very lucky, you won’t lose your badges for this gross misconduct.”

Fluttershy quickly followed suit, silently casting the detectives an icy look that caused them both to take a few steps back in fear. She flared out her wings and approached them. “My friend needs her rest,” she stated firmly, taking a few more steps forward towards the stallions. “Now please leave.”

The detectives exchanged nervous glances as they backed away from the slowly advancing yellow mare. “S-sorry for upsetting you, miss!  W-we’ll be taking our leave now!”

Without a moment’s hesitation, the two stallions quickly hurried to the door and made a hasty exit. Fluttershy let out a hard snort before turning back to me. As she made eye contact with me, her expression softened and her face flushed, and she sheepishly shrank down to the floor a little. Despite feeling absolutely awful, I couldn’t help but flash a brief, weak smile at her antics.

Only Fluttershy could manage to be furious one moment, scaring the pants off two full grown stallions, only to go back to being timid and adorable two seconds later.

A short moment of silence passed before Ruby Heart let out a sudden huff. “The nerve of those stallions!” She retrieved her clipboard from the foot of my bed. “Well, it’s been lovely speaking with you all, but I really must be getting back to work. I’m sorry about those two. Thank you for the fascinating information, Ms. Sparkle. I would very much love to see your research notes another time.”

Twilight turned to her with a soft smile. “Thank you, Doctor Ruby Heart.”

The doctor covered a small laugh. “Please, just call me Ruby, it’s what all of my friends call me,” she said with a wink before walking to the door. “I’ll be back to check on you in an hour or two, Prism. Try and calm down a little and get some rest in the meantime.”

Fluttershy walked over to my side, leaning over to me and rubbing the top of my back with a forehoof. “Don’t worry, Ruby; Prism will be all right.”

The doctor looked back to Fluttershy with a sly smirk. “Oh, I’m sure she will,” she cooed in a mildly suggestive tone.

Fluttershy’s movements and expression suddenly froze. Mere moments later a fiery blush lit up her face. Ruby covered a small laugh before quickly making her exit, leaving just me and the other girls.

A short silence passed before Twilight turned to me with a concerned look. “Prism, is any of this actually true?” Twilight asked, sounding perplexed and, raising an eyebrow. “Could you have possibly killed those ponies?”

Fluttershy looked in dismay. “Oh no! There is no possible way—”

“I could have,” I sternly interrupted her. ”Given the state I was in, I felt so powerful. Part of me wanted to go that far, but I didn’t—” I paused to quell the returning tide of nausea. “I didn’t kill them, I simply tossed them around a little; they would have some bruises or maybe a broken bone or two at the... the...” In that moment I suddenly realized I’d missed a very important detail! My eyes lit up in shock as I hastily looked over the papers and photos the two detectives had left behind after their hasty retreat.

Hunter isn’t here! The pony that I actually hurtisn’t—

My train of thought was interrupted when Fluttershy pulled me into a hug. “It’s okay. I know you were hurt and scared, my animals sometimes attack even me when they are afraid and injured. You must have been so frightened in there! It’s a good thing Snooty happened to be there to come and rescue us.”

Enough! I have had enough of Snooty’s games!

I took a deep breath, trying to calm down some. I realized that explaining everything to my friends wasn’t going to be easy. Who knew what deceptions and lies Snooty had already embedded in their minds?

“Look, there are some things you girls need to know about Snooty...” I began with a sigh.

* * * * * * * * * *

It took some time for me to explain everything and convince the girls. At first, they simply didn’t believe me; they couldn’t believe that the kind, polite gentlecolt who had saved us was, in fact, the true mastermind behind it all.  Snooty had already filled their heads with lies, but as I went into greater detail about what he had told me about himself—his real business, and his plans regarding the foalnapping—they quickly came to realize the truth behind my words.

“So this was actually all about Rarity then?” Twilight asked quizzically, looking like she was deep in thought.

I nodded. “Like I said, Snooty only foalnapped us and asked for a ransom to worry and scare Rarity. He never intended to follow through with those staged demands in the first place, it was all just a ploy to get closer to her. And by the looks of things...” I looked to Fluttershy in concern. She shrank down with a guilty look. “Everything would have gone exactly as he planned, had I not survived.”

Twilight gave a small hum in acknowledgement, before bringing a hoof to her chin and staring off into nowhere.

“Oh, I’m so sorry, Prism...” Fluttershy sniffled softly, and rubbed her snout with a forehoof as she stared down at the floor. “I totally would have believed him, too. I’m such a foal...”

I would have run over and given Fluttershy a hug right then, but, being anchored in bed and limited to the use of only one limb, I was forced to settle for the next best thing.

“Fluttershy, would you come here, please?” I asked her softly, patting the left side of my bed.

She looked up to me with a slightly confused look, but eventually got up from her seat and complied.

After she had reached me, I gestured her closer until she was in foreleg’s reach, and then wrapped my left foreleg around her, nuzzling at the side of her face. “You have nothing to be sorry about, Fluttershy,” I whispered softly, holding her tight as best I could with only the one foreleg, before allowing her to pull away. “I would have believed him too if I had been in your horseshoes. What is important is that we are both okay, and that you now know the truth. So don’t worry, all right?” I flashed her a warm smile, which she slowly returned, and we nodded simultaneously.

Twilight broke from her musings and walked up to the other side of my bed, looking over to me with great concern. “We need a plan, Prism. I believe you, of course, but it would seem that all we have right now, in terms of evidence, is your word against his. That’s not going to be enough to convince anypony of anything,” Twilight stated matter-of-factly. “We need somepony to investigate further and find some hard evidence on Snooty. Maybe we could try to find some information on how he tried to frame you as well.”

I turned to her, nodding in agreement. “Yes, Snooty does a lot of shipping of goods, and neat and organized as he is, he undoubtedly keeps records of it all somewhere.”

“Right, which is why I’m going to investigate and try to look into him a bit further, as well as try to ascertain exactly what happened to you girls,” Twilight said, gesturing a hoof between Fluttershy and I.

Fluttershy shifted uneasily. “Are you sure that’s, um, safe, Twilight?”

Twilight closed her eyes, sighing deeply and frowning. “Probably not. But somepony has to do it, and I doubt we could find a private investigator who would be able find anything useful,” she said, opening her eyes and giving me a worried look. “If everything Prism says about Snooty is true, then he must be really good at covering his tracks.”

“Are you sure, Twilight? I don’t want you to get hurt—or worse—because of me. Snooty is a very dangerous pony.” I punctuated my statement by gesturing to my injuries.

“I know, but at least I know the truth about him, so I’ll be sure to careful, and prepared.” Twilight paused for a moment, staring off into nowhere briefly. “Well, we can discuss this more later. Right now I really should get back to the hotel and inform the others that I’ve found you two, and that you’re both all right.”

“Alright. I’m sure they are all very worried and would love to know that we are okay. We can discuss how to handle all of this tomorrow,” I said whilst looking to Fluttershy, who nodded in agreement.

“Oh yes, I, um, don’t want the rest of the girls to worry about us. We'll be fine here, Twilight. Go let them know we are safe,” Fluttershy requested softly.

Twilight nodded and turned to leave. “I’ll be back with the whole gang in the morning. You two should probably get some rest.”

She began to make her way for the door, but paused after a few steps. Her ears perked up a little, and she turned back to us with a hesitant, yet curious look. “So, uh... how long have you two been, um...” Twilight began before trailing off, shifting a foreleg between Fluttershy and I a few times.

Fluttershy let out a small squeak and jumped a little, her face immediately flushing. I, on the other hoof, sank down into my bed sheets, an equally embarrassed blush flaring up on my face.

Twilight waited silently and watched us both expectantly, her curious look only intensifying as time passed.

I have to say something...

To my surprise, however, it was Fluttershy who spoke up first. “We, um... we haven’t really talked about it yet...“ she began, before trailing off and looking to me bashfully. “I just, uh, sort of jumped to conclusions earlier.”

I  dismissively shook my head so quickly that it made me feel a little dizzy afterward. “No! No-no-no! Don’t feel bad about showing me how you feel...” I trailed off, having somewhat forgotten Twilight was still in the room for a moment. I turned to her. “It’s like she said. We, um... haven’t talked about it yet.” I glanced to Fluttershy briefly as a small smile crested my face. “Though I would very much liketo. Here. Shortly.”

My obvious hints caused Twilight to crane her neck back slightly with a small blush, while Fluttershy sat to her haunches, trying fruitlessly to hide a large smile behind her forehooves.

Twilight took a step back with a sheepish laugh. “Well, I, uh, should probably leave you two to discuss matters then! Besides, uh... the girls would love to hear that you two are okay!” she said with a nervous laugh, whilst backing up to the door.

“Um, Twilight...?” Fluttershy began softly, getting to her hooves and turning to face the lavender mare. “What do you, uh... think of all of, um, this?” Fluttershy’s expression fell a bit as she looked about the room nervously. “About us being... f-fillyfoolers?” Her voice trailed off into a reluctant whisper during that last word.

Twilight looked to be quite surprised by Fluttershy’s question, but after a few moments her expression softened a little. “Well, I can’t say I can relate, as I have never been in love before, or even really thought about it. Certainly not with another mare...” she trailed off at that last bit, looking off into nowhere before shaking herself visibly. “Anyway, to be honest, I don’t really see anything particularly wrong with it. I mean, you’re both my friends, so if it makes you happy, then I guess I’m okay with it.”

Fluttershy’s expression lit up with glee for a moment. She quickly covered her muzzle and shrank down sheepishly once more. I couldn't help but cover the small smile which crested my face as I watched her adorable antics. It was little things like that there that reminded me why I felt so strongly for her.

Twilight let out a small laugh at us, before opening the door with her magic. “Well, I’ll give you a little privacy then.” Twilight looked between the two of us once more. “I’ll see you two in the morning. Have a good night.” She slowly made her way out the door and closed it behind her.

There was a long stretch of silence as Fluttershy and I stared nervously at one another.

So much had happened in the past few days; it was unreal. Though it appeared that the majority of the storm had blown over—for now at least. Even so, I felt just awful that Fluttershy had had to go through everything she did because of me. She had been stolen away from her daily life, dragged to a different city, and beaten, all because of past events that had absolutely nothing to do with her.

Fluttershy never asked for this...

“I’m so sorry, Fluttershy,” I spoke up, breaking the tense silence of the room.

The yellow mare’s ears perked up at my words. “Why are you, uh, sorry?” she asked, a confused look on her face. “What’s there to be sorry for?”

“Everything...” I replied, slowly looking away. “Because of me you had to go through everything you did; because of my actions, you got hurt!”

Fluttershy shook her head. “You don’t have to be sorry for that, Prism. There was no way you could have known that this was going to happen.”

“But it still happened! You were hurt—hurt because of me!”

“Prism, look at me,” she requested softly.

I had no choice but to comply.

“Do I look angry or upset to you?”

I scanned the pegasus’s face. Having now gotten a good look at her, I could see the faint remains of several bruises and cuts along her face and muzzle, more than likely remnants of her injuries after being treated with healing magic. It was also evident that she hadn’t been sleeping again. Dark rings encircled her eyes, with small bags under them.

But despite all of this, she wore a warm, happy smile as she stared back at me.

“I’m not upset about what happened,” she declared, taking a step closer to me. “I’m, um, just glad you’re safe. That we’re safe.”

The desire to hug her was becoming almost unbearable. I wanted to be close to her, even closer than she was right now. I cursed myself for being stuck in this bed. Pausing for a moment, I looked about my bed, taking notice of the fact that it was larger than the bed I had occupied back in the Ponyville hospital. This gave me an idea.

“Um, Fluttershy...?” I prompted softly, feeling my face beginning to flush even before I had asked the embarrassing question. “W-would you... would you mind coming up here and um, sitting with me?” I patted the space on the bed to the left of me with my forehoof, before somehow managing to scoot over a bit.

Fluttershy’s eyes widened, while her face flushed a bright crimson. She hesitated for a moment, looking about the room as if somepony may be watching her, before looking back to me and giving a soft nod. Pausing once more, she slowly and nervously climbed onto the bed and settled down next to me.

It was a tight fit, but I was sure neither of us minded being that close to one another. This was the first time the two of us had been this close... With the mutual knowledge of being attracted to one another, at least.

A warm feeling flared up in my chest when Fluttershy’s tension slowly began to ease, and she actually relaxed up against me.

Thinking back to the kiss we had shared the other night, I decided that this was all so very unfair! It was unfair that I hadn’t had the chance to really tell Fluttershy how I felt about her. Sure, I had sort of told her how I felt about her, but I had never gotten to tell her why, or just how much... It was because of her kindness that I had everything I did. Without the kindness she had showed me, that cold winter day, I honestly had no idea where I would be right now.

I certainly wouldn’t be lying next to the most beautiful mare in the world right now...

I closed my eyes, and the two of us sat in calm silence for several long minutes. Neither of felt the need to speak, simply enjoying the closeness of the other's company. It reminded me of that evening we had watched the sunset together.

I wondered for a moment if I was, in fact, dreaming. All that I had ever really desired,  ever since I was a filly, was for somepony to love me. And here I was: sharing a bed with the pony who had proclaimed her love for me only days before.

“Fluttershy?”

“Yes?”

“How long have you, um... had feelings for me?” I asked, trailing off into a whisper as I turned my head to look at her.

She returned the look with a bashful, shy look of her own. “W-well... to be honest, I was already, um, attracted to you when I first met you. I thought you were so beautiful, Prism,” she admitted, shrinking shyly back into herself a bit. “I mean, um, here was this... mysterious snowy white mare who I knew I had never seen before, and who I knew nothing about... I was, uh, actually very curious to learn more about you...”

I blinked absent-mindedly at her a few times; this news surprised me. “You thought I was attractive when you first met me?” I repeated, fishing for confirmation, replaying the words in my head again and again yet failing to truly grasp them.

She nodded hesitantly. “Y-you see... I’ve been, um... attracted to other mares ever since I was a filly, actually,” Fluttershy admitted, shifting uncomfortably for a bit before continuing. “It’s been a secret I was always ashamed to admit to; I was scared of being labeled a fillyfooler, like some of the other fillies at school.” Fluttershy shook her head, her voice picking up in volume and pitch. “But I couldn’t help it. I found myself staring at and admiring other girls. It wasn’t until I was a little older that I felt that admiration change. I soon realized I was actually attracted to these fillies—and soon after that, mares.”

I paused and thought about her words for a moment, comparing them to my own experiences. “I never was really attracted to anypony when I was younger,” I said, a sense of discomfort haunting my words. “Back then I was certain I liked stallions, but I also had a deep appreciation for other mares’ beauty and poise...” I trailed off, briefly looking off into nowhere before focusing my vision back on Fluttershy’s eyes. “It wasn’t until after I had met you, and had gotten to know you, that I started to find that I could also be attracted to mares.”

Fluttershy shifted again, moving her forehooves to cover a smile that the corners of her mouth failed to hide. “Oh, I am so happy that you feel that way. I would have been so disappointed if another mare I really liked hadn’t been interested in mares.” She looked off into nowhere for a moment, with a sad look.

I raised an eyebrow at her, my left ear folding back as I processed her words. “Another mare...?”

Fluttershy’s eyes widened, and she covered her muzzle with both forehooves.

I guessed she had not meant to say that, and quickly shook my head. “Look, you don’t have to talk about it if you don’t—”

“No,” she quickly interjected. “I, um, I think I really should tell you... just in case, um...” she shook herself visibly before steeling herself and looking me straight in the eyes. “Shortly after I had decided to live on the ground and move to Ponyville, I met this... beautiful mare while out shopping for fruit.”

I nodded in acknowledgement, listening intently whilst silently wondering where she was going with her story.

Fluttershy’s expression brightened into a soft smile as she looked down at her forelegs in her lap. “She complimented me on my appearance and called me very beautiful, telling me how she absolutely loved the way I did my mane.” She paused for a moment, letting out a soft chuckle. “I, um, I felt my heart quite literally skip a beat at her words. Sure, I’ve had stallions compliment me on my appearance, but they would intimidate and scare me too much for me to really respond.”

She looked back to me with a warm smile, although something was off; Fluttershy’s eyes looked as if she was fighting back tears.

“This was the first time a mare had ever really complimented me like that before. I was so taken by her; I had to get to know her better.”

I blinked idly at her before asking the inevitable question. “Just who was this mare?”

Fluttershy opened her mouth to speak, but then hesitated, with trembling jaw, obviously struggling as she tried to form words. Tears slowly started to seep from her eyes before she took a deep breath.

“I-it.. it was Rarity...” she breathed softly before looking away from me.

I was stunned. I had had absolutely no idea that Fluttershy was even interested in mares until a few nights ago, and now I learned she had also been interested in Rarity! I found myself speechless, with no idea what to say. I mean, what does a pony say in that kind of situation?

After several long seconds of silence, I asked the only thing I could think of. “S-so, did she, um... know about it?”

Fluttershy nodded weakly before continuing, “I, um... I never told her. She, uh, kind of figured it out herself...” She trailed off before quickly looking back to me. “Oh, I was so embarrassed! She caught me, um, c-c-c...checking her out.” She quickly shook her head again. “While she admitted to being quite flattered that a mare, of all ponies, was interested in her, s-she... s-she...” Fluttershy expression fell into a pained look as her voice trailed off into a silent sob. Tears began streaming down her face.

This is a painful memory for her. She must have had really strong feelings for Rarity, back then... Maybe even now?

While I could not relate to the feeling of rejection, when it came to love, I was no stranger to rejection itself. I had a fair idea of how she was feeling at the moment. Desiring nothing more than to have somepony to love, only to have the pony you felt for most strongly reject you... It was a painful thought. I could only imagine the actual feeling of it.

I pulled Fluttershy into another half-hug as she softly cried into my chest. I could feel the sensation of her warm tears soaking into my coat, but I paid them no heed. Comforting the pony I cared for was far more important, even if her pain was from another love. Although I had to admit to being curious as to how things ended between the two of them.

After several minutes of soft crying, Fluttershy finally managed to compose herself. She looked up to me with a soft sniffle.

“I’m so sorry, Prism,” she said, rubbing her snout with a foreleg. “I just... I just got so caught up in the memory, I, um... I sort of lost myself.”

I shook my head. “It’s fine, Fluttershy. Everypony has painful memories.”

At my mention of such memories, my mind slowly wandered to the deepest reaches of my own mind, and approached a closet I had long since left closed. I quickly shook away the thoughts before I could progress any further.

Some things are best left forgotten...

“It was difficult,” Fluttershy said suddenly, snuggling into my chest again. “Rarity, she... Well, we’d gotten very close by then, and she didn’t want to hurt my feelings... We, um, actually dated for a couple weeks, but she... She tried, but I could tell she was only doing it for me. If I hadn’t said anything, she might even have kissed me just so she wouldn’t make me sad. I finally confronted her about it, and she admitted that she just wasn’t attracted to mares.”

“It sounds like you took it really hard.”

“Oh, yes, I was devastated,” she said, turning her head to look up to me. “She was, too. She said that the very idea of turning me down without trying, after I had opened up to her like that, would have been the ‘Worst Possible Thing.’ She was the first pony I ever truly loved. At least, I think? Well... no, I guess I still love her. Just not in the same way. She’s a really wonderful friend, and she’s been so supportive. She was the one who told me I just needed to go for it. Even if you didn’t feel the same, I needed to show you how I felt...”

I let out a small sigh. “Love is so complicated. I was, uh... really torn when I realized my feelings for you,” I informed her. “On one hoof, I knew I had feelings for Big Macintosh, but on the other, there was you. It took me quite some time to figure everything out in my head.”

I still need to take care of that...

Fluttershy anxiously fidgeted, rubbing her forehooves together and hesitating for several seconds. She looked extremely nervous. “S-so, um... did you decide what, uh, what you want to do?”

I looked down to her confused, “What do you mean?”

Fluttershy again hesitated. “A-about, um... about me and Big Macintosh...” she said softly. Her voice almost trembled as she hid her face behind her mane.

I couldn’t help but crane my neck back in surprise. She was still legitimately worried about what I was going to do and who I was going to choose?

I thought I had made this very clear that night.

“Fluttershy...” I softly said, brushing her mane out of her face with my free forehoof and staring into her eyes.

They say that the eyes are the gateways to the soul, and I could see so much in the gorgeous aquamarine eyes that stared back into mine. I could clearly see a sea of emotion hidden behind them, held back by the subtle worry of rejection. She had obviously been very hurt by it before, and that lurking worry mixed in with the rest of the feelings she held so close to her.

I have made her worry so much since I moved to Ponyville; she has had to endure so much stress because of me...

I wanted that worry to melt away, wanted her to let free the ocean of feelings she was suppressing deep down inside of her. As I continued to stare into her eyes, I felt a sudden urge, an urge I once thought I would never have the chance to fulfill, given the way my life had been unfolding before I had met her.

Taking a deep breath and exhaling slowly, I summoned every ounce of courage I had in me, closing my eyes and slowly leaning in to meet her, my muzzle pressing softly against hers. It was truly an exhilarating experience, unlike anything I had ever done before. My mind raced, countless thoughts flying through it before I could even begin to process them.I had just taken the initiative for the very first time, and kissed somepony. Another moment I had dreamt about during countless nights had just become reality.

The moment seemed to last forever, far longer than when Fluttershy had first kissed me—and I cherished every second of it. Eventually I pulled away, as I had one more thing to do while I still had the momentum of courage going for me.

I leaned in and whispered into her ear, “I love you, Fluttershy.” A fiery warmth filled my chest as I asked her a question, a question that danced with my desires, which had seemed so far out of reach for all these years. “Will you be my very special somepony?”

The yellow mare took in an audible breath at my words. I could hear her voice tremble as she tried to form words, but none came, only rapid, shaky breaths. Eventually, after several moments, Fluttershy finally spoke the words she had been struggling so hard to say.

“I-I...I would love to,” she answered, in a voice just above a whisper, before her tone quickly flipped to one of concern.” T-that is... if, if you’re okay with me...”

I couldn’t help but let out a laugh. Even after all of that, she still kept true to her adorably shy nature. “Yes, I am very okay with you, Fluttershy,” I reassured, tightening the hug around her. “I couldn’t be more okay with anypony else.”

So there it was, Fluttershy and I were now officially together. Thinking back, I never would have imagined my significant other would actually end up being another mare, but that didn’t really matter to me now. Fluttershy had shown me time and time again that she accepted me for who I was, and now, I knew that she also loved me for who I was. That was all that mattered to me; her gender was irrelevant.

I felt a large smile cresting my face as I basked in the afterglow of the moment. But Fluttershy’s voice soon pulled me from my reflections.

“Oh yeah... and, um, to answer your question from before: I first realized my feelings for you the day before Winter Wrap Up,” she admitted, her gaze shifting away from me into a dreamy, distant look. “After all that time we had spent together, and after watching the sunset together, I just couldn’t stop thinking about you. But I was scared that I would be a bother if I came over to see you a bit too often.”

“I would have been absolutely thrilled if you had,” I admitted. “Every day that went by, I wished to spend more time with you, but I was scared that I would wear out my welcome, or that I would bother you.”

Fluttershy quickly shook her head. “Oh no, not at all! I would have actually, um, very much loved it if you had come to visit me more.”

“We both secretly wanted the same thing, yet we were both needlessly afraid of the same thing as well...” I began, trailing off as I met her eyes.

The two of us stared blankly at one another for a moment before slowly sharing a brief fit of giggles and laughter.

After managing to compose myself, I let out a soft, relaxed sigh. “That just makes me wish I would have come to see you sooner, despite my reluctance.”

“Oh yes, me too. I had no idea that you wanted to see me as well. Although, um...  probably a little less desperately,” she said with a small frown. “I mean, I spent a lot of time in my cottage just daydreaming about spending time with you... The real thing would have been so much better.” She let out a sharp, disappointed sigh.

Fluttershy’s mention of her cottage reminded me of a random thought I had had some time ago.

“Fluttershy? How did you end up living in that cottage anyway? I mean, I remember reading that pegasi normally live in the clouds, or at least in cloud homes... How did you end up owning a cottage on the ground?”

The yellow mare stared back blankly. It seemed as if my sudden question had caught her off-guard. A part of me felt a little bad for changing the topic so quickly.

I really need to work on controlling that better...

I shrank into myself a little. “I’m sorry. If you, um, don’t want to talk about—”

“Oh no! That’s not it at all!” Fluttershy quickly interjected, laying a forehoof on mine. “I was just surprised, that’s all. Ponies ask me why I choose to live in my cottage rather than in the clouds all the time, but nopony has really asked how I got my cottage. That’s why I, um, wasn’t expecting that question.”

“Sorry, it is just something I have been wondering about for a while.”

Fluttershy covered a small laugh. “Well, you see, my parents have always been very supportive of me. Just after I had fallen and gotten my cutie mark—and after an instructor had been kind enough to retrieve me from the ground—I went straight home and told my parents about everything I had seen and learned while I had been down here,” she informed me, her expression shifting into a warm smile. “Mother and Father were so pleased by how happy it seemed to make me that they started taking me on trips to the surface almost every day after school, so that I could play with all of my new animal friends.”

I couldn’t help but share Fluttershy’s smile at her tale. “They remind me of Mother, and how she was always there to help me do the things I loved, too. She always made sure I had everything I needed to draw and color, and eventually even paint.”

Fluttershy nodded in agreement. “It was, um, actually my mother and father who bought the cottage for me, as a graduation present. At first I was, uh, really scared about living there all by myself, but mother reassured me that, as long as I had my animals friends, I would never truly be alone.”

“Do you see or hear from your parents often?” I asked, curious as to why she had never brought them up before now.

Fluttershy nodded enthusiastically. “Oh yes! I get letters from them all the time, and they come to visit me at least once a month,” she answered happily, before bashfully concluding: “I’m, um, very close to my parents.”

I covered a small laugh at her shyness in admitting her close relationship with her parents. “That’s a very good thing, Fluttershy. Mother told me that many ponies tend to drift away from their parents after they move away. She would always tell me how glad she was that I stayed close with her, even after I had moved out.”

Fluttershy’s expression froze momentarily. She opened her muzzle to speak, but instead hesitated for a few moments. “You, um... You always speak so highly of your mother, but I don’t recall you ever mentioning your, um, father?” Fluttershy said, her tone quickly turning defensive. “I-I mean, if you don’t want to talk about him, that’s fine. I was, uh, just... curious.”

Father... How long has it been?

It had been some time since I had last thought about my father, let alone talked about him. I saw no harm in doing so now though, given that Mother was no longer around to be hurt by it.

“No, it’s fine. I have just gotten so used to not thinking or talking about him, because of Mother. Father was a very painful topic for her, so after I finally learned more about him, I avoided bringing him up,” I informed her, trying my best to recall what little I could remember of him. “Mother refused to admit he might have passed away, so she would always say he had ‘left’ to go onto bigger things. Soon I started saying the same thing, for her sake.”

Fluttershy’s expression and ears fell as she looked down to her lap. “I-I’m sorry... I didn’t mean to bring it up if it was so painful, I—”

“It’s okay, Fluttershy,” I quickly interjected, hoping to stop her from worrying that she might have done something wrong. “I don’t mind talking about him. While it was painful for Mother, I myself don’t really remember much about him.” I paused for a moment, bringing a hoof to my chin. “Though, what I do remember is that he...”

I trailed off as my ears perked up, having caught the sound of the door to my room opening. I looked towards the entrance to find Ruby Heart entering, clipboard in wing, closely examining her charts. I felt my face quickly heating up in embarrassment. I wasn’t used to being this close to somepony yet, let alone having others see me like this.

Fluttershy left out a soft squeak and immediately flew off the bed, hastily landing next to me. Ruby’s ears perked up as she looked up from her clipboard to the two of us. She paused for a moment, looking back and forth between the two of us before a sly smirk played across her lips.

‘

“Well, I came to check up on you, Prism, but...” she trailed off, looking to Fluttershy smugly. “It would seem you are well taken care of.” Her voice was hinting very suggestively.

Fluttershy’s face flushed as she turned back to face me, staring at me for a moment. She had a certain look of interest in her eyes that I couldn't quite put a hoof on, though her expression quickly shifted into panic as her wings quickly flared out to full extension. She took a flustered step backwards, frantically glancing between her wings while stammering incoherently

I gave her a curious look, while Ruby, on the other hoof, failed to hold back a covered laugh.

This is a lot like how she was behaving that one night in my room...

Fluttershy turned a whole new shade of crimson before quickly heading for the door. “I-I, um, I-I should p-probably get some, uh, s-sleep, i-it’s, um... late!” she finally managed, zipping past the doctor and out the door, likely back to her own room.

Ruby stood still with a large smile, before glancing back to the hallway and letting out another laugh. “I am so sorry, Prism,” she said, turning back to face me with another chuckle. “I didn’t mean to embarrass you two so much.”

“No, it’s fine. I was a little embarrassed, yes, but it’s not a big deal,” I reassured her, before looking to the door with interest. “Though I don’t see why Fluttershy reacted so... strongly.”

Ruby sheepishly scratched the back of her neck with a forehoof. “Well, I can’t say I blame the poor girl; to pop one in front of somepony you don’t know can be extremely embarrassing, especially if it’s another pegasus. I would have likely run away, had I been in her horseshoes, too.”

“Popped one?” I asked quizzically, unsure as to what she meant with that unfamiliar bit of lingo.

Ruby raised an eyebrow at me. “You know! A wingy? Full feather salute? ...Wingboner?” she asked, eyeing me curiously.

I slowly shook my head. I had absolutely no clue what she was insinuating.

The doctor stared blankly at me for a moment before a large smile played across her face. “Your fillyfriend is a pegasus, and you don’t know?” she asked, more in the manner of a statement than an actual question.

“Know what?” I asked, tilting my head cluelessly. “Is it something to do with her wings flaring out like that, just now?”

Ruby Heart hid her smile behind her forehoof. “More than you could possibly imagine.”

I was starting to get a little irritated by her beating around the bush like this. “So what is this ‘wingy’ thing?” I asked, a hint of annoyance in my voice.

The doctors expression hardened as she cleared her throat, her voice shifting to a more serious tone. “Sorry. A ‘wingy’ is a commonly used term for ‘Erogenous Alarum Stiffening.’ It’s a basic display of pegasus body language,“ she informed me, extending her right wing and gesturing a forehoof to it. “As I’m sure you have noticed, a pegasus’s wings respond passively to accommodate their owner’s moods and actions. Now, a ‘wingie’ is when the pegasus’s wings flare out to full extension unwillingly, while in a state where the pegasus is sexually aroused, or ‘turned on,’ if you will.”

I took a moment to absorb her words.

So a wingie is when a pegasus is sexually aroused because of another...

Then it hit me; hit me like a stagecoach screaming downhill, whilst on fire, and loaded full of explosives. To say that I was embarrassed would have been a massive understatement. How does somepony even go without knowing when another pony is sexually aroused by them?

Poor Fluttershy... why did I have to be such a shut-in?

I couldn’t even begin to imagine how embarrassing that must have been for her, to have that happen in front of the pony you like. Not to mention me being absolutely clueless about its meaning... It was no wonder she left the way she did, that one night—and just now.

While I had known that Fluttershy was in love with me, the idea of anything more physical than that hadn’t really crossed my mind. But now I found my thoughts shifting to the yellow mare in a more... provocative light.

Oh... oh, my...

I could feel my innocence quickly slipping away, as images of Fluttershy in such a manner could not be unseen. Not that I wanted them to disappear, I simply couldn’t shake them from my mind. Unfortunately, I didn’t have all day to fantasize; I had almost forgotten I wasn’t alone!

Ruby waved a forehoof in front of my face a few times. “Oh dear... I think I just broke another innocent mind,” she mused to herself in a concerned tone.

I shook myself as my consciousness snapped back to reality. I found myself at a complete loss for words though. My face flushed and I was left stammering incoherently due to the unexpected knowledge that had been revealed to me.

The look of concern and guilt on Ruby Heart’s face was quite clear; it would seem she felt legitimately bad for the teasing she had put myself and Fluttershy through. “I’m really sorry. I didn’t realize you were genuinely unaware of what I meant. I wouldn’t have done that if I—”

“N-no, it’s fine,” I finally managed to interject. “Actually, um... t-thank you. As embarrassed as I am, I’m, uh... actually glad I know.” I paused for a moment,  momentarily staring off into nowhere. “It has giving me a few things to... think about,” I added in a whisper, as I found myself once again beginning to get hazily lost in thought, before shaking myself out again.

The doctor let out an uneasy laugh. “Well, I’m, uh, glad I could help then,” she said, sheepishly scratching the back of her neck with a forehoof. ”Really though, I am sorry about the teasing. I sometimes can get a little too friendly with new ponies. It’s why I generally try my best to come across as strictly professional.”

“It’s fine. I promise, Ruby,” I reassured her, shaking my left forehoof at her dismissively. “I don’t really mi—”

A sudden, loud yawn completely wrecked my train of thought, distracting me from what I was saying.

Why am I suddenly so tired?

I took a moment to shake it off, before yawning again. “Wow, um, sorry about that...” I said, rubbing my muzzle with my left foreleg. “I suddenly feel really... sleepy.”

Ruby paused blankly for a moment before her expression quickly perked up. “Oh! That would be the painkillers,” she informed me, gesturing a forehoof to a small yellow package of liquid attached to my IV. “It’s set to administer doses every few hours. The side-effect is sudden drowsiness, though I suppose that beats being in pain, right?”

I nodded drowsily. “I suppose...” I looked about the room, noticing that everything was starting to get blurry.

Just how strong is this stuff?  I feel... fuzzy...

I could barely make out Ruby’s voice, it sounded very distant. “Well, you’d best get some... then. Ms. Sparkle said your other... will be stopping by in the... to see...”

I felt my head slumping sideways as all sound and vision quickly faded away, my consciousness falling into a deep sleep.

* * * * * * * * * *

“Mom? What was dad like?” I was sitting on the couch, scanning the many photos of Mother and Father that hung on the mint-colored walls of our small living room.

Mother peaked around her canvas from the kitchen to look at me, eyebrow raised. “That’s a very sudden question dear... Why do you ask?”

“Well... Yesterday that one colt mentioned his father being a very important pony. It got me wondering: what was my dad like?” I rubbed the still-ripe bruise around my eye. “I really don’t remember much about him, only that he always stinked like dead fish. Blech!” I let out a small retch at the smelly memories.

Mother covered a small laugh, and put down her paintbrush and palette on the kitchen table before walking across the living room and joining me on the couch. Once comfortable, she brought a hoof to her chin in thought, then looked down to me with a warm smile.

“Your father was a wonderful stallion,” she declared, looking out the window with a dreamy, distant look. “He always treated me wonderfully, and loved us very much.”

I leaped onto Mother’s back and nuzzled into her soft pink coat before bringing a hoof to my chin, thinking back really hard. “I don’t remember him though. What was he like?And why was he always so smelly, anyways?”

Mother let out a hearty laugh. “You were only two back then; I wouldn’t expect you to remember much about him,” she said, looking back to face me. “And why he was smelly? He was the captain of a fishing boat. They would always catch a lot, so he tended to come home smelling like fish.”

“He caught fish? Eeeew!” I replied with an exaggerated cringe before shifting to a confused look. “Wait... Why did he catch fish? Ponies don’t eat fish, right?”

Mother shook her head. “That’s not entirely true, dear. Some ponies do eat fish,” she informed me, gesturing a hoof to her chest. “In fact, I enjoy shrimp on the rare occasions when I can afford it.”

“Shrimp?! That stuff is so smelly! How could anypony eat that stuff?!” I scoffed, grabbing ahold of Mother’s white and purple mane with my forehooves, and scooting closer to her head. “You’re weird, mom!”

Mother slightly narrowed her eyes, cocking her neck back with a smirk. “Weird?! Don’t get me started, Little Miss ‘I’m-a-pony-but-I-don’t-like-hay.”‘

“But hay is gross, mom. It’s so... Blegh!” I declared with a small pout. “Vegetables and flowers are much tastier.”

Mother reached back and rustled my mane with a small chuckle. “At least I don’t have to worry about you eating healthy, rather than binging on fatty junk food.”

“I don’t like hay fries or hay shakes, they’re...” I trailed off before narrowing my eyes at Mother. “Wait... You’re changing the subject again, Mom!”

Mother gave me a sheepish, forced smile. “What do you mean, dear?”

I gave her an unamused look. “We were talking about Dad, Mom,” I stated, gesturing a hoof to a picture of him on the wall. “Where is Dad now, anyways?”

Mothers expression shifted into a very uneasy smile, eyes shifting from side to side. “Well, um... You see... Your dad had to, uh, leave...”

“Leave? Where did he go?” I asked quizzically, tilting my head.

Mother bit her lower lip, pausing for a few moments. “Prism, dear... Let’s talk about this another time, okay? Mommy doesn’t like talking about your daddy...” She suddenly took a deep breath and covered her muzzle with a forehoof.

I shot her a large frown. “But that’s what you always say. You change the subject whenever I bring him up.” I said, looking up to her with the best sad, pleading eyes I could muster; I knew Mother’s weakness. “Pleeaassee?”

Her expression fell as she looked me in the eyes, before letting out a hard sigh of defeat.

Mother suddenly shifted positions and scooped me up in her forelegs. “Like I said, your dad was the captain of a fishing boat, and he was very good at what he did. He would go out to sea for days, sometimes weeks at a time. I would always worry about him, but he always reassured me that he would be fine, that he and his team were some of the finest sailors in Manehattan. And every time he would come back with a big catch, he would absolutely reek of fish.”

Letting out a small sniffle, Mother hugged me a little tighter. “I used to hate that smell, hate it so much... But one day, when he came back home smelling the worst he had ever smelt before, he was wearing a solemn look on his face. He told me that had lost some of his men at sea on that particular trip, and how he had to leave again that night to inform their families of their loss. It was then that I learned that it was actually a good smell... That whenever he smelled like fish, I knew he had made it back home safely.”

Mother let out a short, shaky breath as a tear slowly slipped down her face, and took a moment before continuing. “That night, when he came home, I asked him to quit—to stop going out to sea. But no matter what I said, or how hard I begged or pleaded, he would only say that the sea and the open water were his passion, and that he loved them almost as much as he loved us!”

Mother’s grip around me tightened substantially as tears started streaming down her face.

“Mom... you’re... squishing me...” I wheezed out softly, though she didn't appear to hear me, and only continued.

“I begged him not to go! I was so scared that I might lose him!” Mother let out a sudden sob, choking on her next words. “H-he... he just laughed at me... Assuring me that he would be just fine! But, h-he...h-he...”

Mother trailed off into loud crying and sobs, nuzzling into my mane. I was unsure what to do or say, so I just stayed quiet, nuzzling into her neck while she cried. It was rare for me to ever see her cry. And I’d definitely never seen her like this before. After a while, Mother managed to calm down a bit. I felt guilty, guilty that my questions made her so sad.

“I’m sorry Mom...” I said silently, my ears falling back as I looked away in shame.

“N-no, don’t be sorry dear. You did nothing wrong,” she reassured me, nuzzling my cheek. “It’s only natural that you would want to know about your father.”

I gave a small nod before turning back to her. “So did he... not come back?”

Mother slowly shook her head. “His first mate visited me, a little over a week after he had left for his most recent trip out to sea. I... I knew something was wrong right away; your dad wasn’t with him, and he didn’t smell like fish.” She took a deep breath before exhaling slowly. “He informed me that Captain Swift Sail had been lost while trying to free a crewmember who had gotten caught in a net that the storm had blown loose from its holdings. It dragged the crewmen overboard, and your father dove in after him. The crew grew restless when they couldn’t spot anypony for several long moments.”

“What did they do?” I asked, curiosity getting the better of me.

“The pegasi present tried to fly out and find them, but the wind and rain were too strong. Just as they went to fly back to the ship, the lost crewmember surfaced, and the others quickly grabbed him and brought him back to the ship.”

“What about Dad?” I asked quizzically, looking up to mother expectantly. “Did they not find him?”

She shook her head grimly.

“So what did you do then, mom?” I asked, snuggling up against her and finding a comfortable spot once more. “When he said dad wasn’t coming back?”

Mother paused for a moment as her ears folded back, a solemn look on her face. “Something awful, something just awful, dear...” she said, taking a deep breath with a long sigh. “I blamed him... I blamed him and the rest of the crew for the fact that my husband wasn’t going to be coming back to me.” Mother sank down into herself and rested her head on the couch, facing away from me with another deep sigh.

I rolled off the couch and landed on my hooves, walking around to face her. She was crying again; this time the tears were soft and quiet.

“I was just so angry!I lost control and took it all out on him, even though it wasn’t his fault,” she admitted, her eyes connecting with mine. “I never even got a chance to apologize...”

I closed the distance and caught Mother’s head into a hug. “I’m sure he knew you didn’t mean it. You are, like, the nicest pony ever, mom!” I declared, snuggling into her mane. “So please, don’t feel sad.”

Mother let out a small laugh before reaching out and scooping me up again as she shifted positions. She had caught me completely off-guard, eliciting a small squeak from me.

“Thank you, dear,” she said, kissing my forehead. “I may not have him anymore, but I’ll always have the little unspoiled canvas he left me, to cheer me up when I am down.”

“Yep!”

* * * * * * * * * *

My ears perked up as a sudden click stirred me from my sleep. I let out a groggy groan and stirred again, not wanting to wake up just yet. However, the sound of my room’s door opening, followed by a set of hoofsteps, quickly woke me from my sleepy state. I pulled away the covers and sat up as best I could manage. With a loud yawn, I turned to face the intruding pony.

I couldn’t have been more surprised.

“Derpy?!”

The mailmare flashed me a wide smile. “Hey you!” she returned happily, walking up to my bedside and looking me over. Her happy expression quickly faded. “Twilight wasn’t kidding about you...” Derpy paused for a moment, before quickly leaning in and capturing me in a tight hug. “I’m so glad you're alive and okay; I kinda panicked when I heard that you’d been foalnapped.”

I returned the hug awkwardly, still only having the use of one of my forelegs. “It’s great to see you, Derpy. I’ve missed you,” I said, flashing her a smile as she pulled away. “You came alone?” I looked to the door curiously.

Derpy shook her said. “No, the other girls are actually here, too. In the waiting room. I, um, sorta took off and left them behind in my excitement to see you as soon as visiting hours started,” the mailmare admitted with a sheepish laugh. “They are speaking with an acquaintance of Rarity’s... Some stallion who wants to help you or something; I wasn’t really paying attention.”

I had completely forgotten about the connections Rarity might have. She was a socialite amongst the elite after all. It wouldn’t be all that surprising if she knew some important ponies.

“Oh! And Twilight said she will be coming by a bit later. She had something important to take care of first. She didn’t really say what, though she was in a really big hurry to leave this morning.” Derpy gave an unsure shrug. “That mare is always so busy.”

Twilight must already be planning what to do next.

“So Derpy... Why did you come looking for me all the way out here, anyways? Don’t you have work, and Dinky to take care of?”

The mailmare let out a giggle. “Because you’re my friend, silly!” she declared proudly, beaming me a large smile. “Also, don’t worry about me, I had a ton of paid vacation time saved up! And Carrot Top owed me a few favors, so she is watching Dinky for me.” Her expression softened into an unsure smile. “Besides... while there are many ponies I know, I don’t really have many I can call a friend.”

I let out a soft sigh as I beamed her a gentle smile. “Thank you, Derpy; that means a lot to me, it really does.”

Which was true. Derpy’s friendship was very dear to me. She was the first friend I had made outside of Twilight’s little circle.

Derpy and I did some brief catching up while we waited for the rest of the girls to arrive. It was fun conversing with the mailmare. She was always so happy and positive; I couldn’t help but lighten up a little myself, because of her infectious enthusiasm and cheerfulness.

Her visiting me was a strong reminder of what was waiting for me back in Ponyville...

In the place I now called ‘home.’

Chapter 20: Gambit

There was a click from the door. It swung open and, one by one, the rest of the girls entered. I was very relieved to see them. Judging by the expressions on their faces, the same could be said for them.

Rainbow Dash was the first to step up to my bedside. “Hey girl, how’s it hanging?” she asked, shifting her posture so as to stand in a more relaxed (and unmistakably cool) way.

I looked to my suspended legs. “Well, I am hanging, so I guess, uh, not too bad?”

Applejack trotted up to my bedside next, and looked me over with a critical eye, fixing me with a concerned glance. “Gee, Twi’ wasn’t kiddin’ when she said you tore yourself up somethin’ awful. You sure you’re okay, Prism?”

I covered a small laugh with my left foreleg. “Yes, Applejack. I’ll be just fine once everything heals up.”

I think I’ll leave the right foreleg out of this for now, I don’t want them to worry about me any more than they already are.

Applejack gave gave me a stubborn, skeptical glare. “Well, if you say so...”

“Oh! And once she gets back, we’ll have to throw her a big party!” Pinkie suddenly exclaimed, bouncing over to my bedside. “It’ll be a ‘Prism’s-all-healed-up-and-was-totally-rescued-from-being-foalnapped’ party! I’ll make sure there’ll be lots and lots of tea for you, Prism!” The pink mare said as she continued bouncing. “So don’t you frown and let this get you down!”

The thought of having some tea was beyond wonderful at the moment; it had been far too long since I last had a cup, and I was beginning to feel it, too. “I could really go for a cup of lavender and rose right about now,” I admitted, hesitantly looking over to Pinkie. “But, uh... let’s hold off on that party for now.”

Pinkie visibly deflated and landed on her haunches with a small, defeated sigh. “Okay, well, maybe another time then?”

I nodded. “Yes, of course, Pinkie. I just don’t think I’m really ready for a party just yet. I promise I will be soon; I just need time to prepare myself.”

A large part of me felt really bad, declining Pinkie’s party suggestions like that, but I still just didn’t like the idea of being around lots of other ponies. Attending an actual party would be a social hurdle I’d have to tackle another day.

I looked about the room, taking notice of the fact that my housemate was missing. “Where is Rarity?” I asked, scanning the faces of the others.

“I’m here, darling!” replied Rarity as she trotted through the entrance to the room. “I was just catching up with an old acquaintance over here.” Rarity gestured a forehoof to the door as a another pony entered.

My eyes widened in shock at the yellow stallion who entered the room.

He brushed a hoof over his elegantly-groomed, white mane before adjusting the collar of his well-tailored black vest, and addressed me with a large smile. “Ah, so good to see you awake, my dear!” he replied in a posh tone as he repositioned the small pair of reading glasses perched atop his muzzle. “You gave us quite the scare the other night; your pegasus friend and I weren't sure you were going to make it.”

My surprise was quickly replaced by a flash of anger. “Get out now!” I said in a venomous tone, my face contorting into a furious sneer.

Snooty took a step back in mock-surprise, before raising a forehoof defensively. “It was all just a misunderstan—”

“NOW!” I boomed threateningly, my horn lighting with prismatic magic to punctuate my message.

Unfortunately, my anger was quickly quelled by a spike of excruciating pain which flared up at the base of my horn, causing me to reel back. Doctor Ruby Heart had been wrong about my magic: simply using it at all was actually extremely painful.

Derpy and Rainbow Dash rushed to my side to make sure I was all right, while Rarity and the rest of the girls were utterly taken aback by my sudden outburst.

The Fashionista visibly shook herself. “Prism! That was extremely rude! And to the pony who saved you, no less... You should be—”

“No, it’s not her fault, Ms. Rarity,” Snooty quickly interjected, holding a forehoof out to her. “She clearly doesn’t remember what happened. As I mentioned before, Rohoofnol can affect a pony’s psyche and memory, remember?”

Rarity opened her mouth to retort, but instead let out a soft sigh and nodded.

Snooty nodded back. “It’s like I said before, ladies... When Prism saw I was with Fluttershy, she must have mistaken me for one of her captors and attacked me. Under the influence of the drug, it would seem she had forgotten our prior meeting. Had it not been for Prism, I wouldn’t even have known to seek out her friend in the first place,” he noted, giving me a concerned look. “Unfortunately, she obviously didn’t know any better, and couldn’t control—”

“Liar!” I managed to force out. That accusation was quickly followed by a hard wince. “You are the one—”

“Don’t you think you’re being a mite bit rude, Prism?” Applejack interjected with a clear look of disapproval. “If you would just let him say his piece, you would see he’s tryin’ to help you.”

Snooty turned to her with a hum and a nod before facing me again. “Yes, I spoke with your doctor earlier this morning and heard the news of the accusations. Needless to say, I was absolutely appalled!” he spat out his last words. “A brave mare such as yourself, who sought not help for herself but thought only of her friend, being charged with murder? In an example which anypony in their right mind could clearly see was justified self-defense?” Snooty punctuated his unnervingly convincing act of of concern with a stomp of his forehoof. “I will not stand for it! Not so long as I can do something about it”

Applejack gave a nod of approval to the unknown con artist. “Ya see? He’s here to help y'all with this here heap’o’trouble you’re in.”

Rarity walked up to my bedside. “Snooty here is an exemplary gentlecolt. Why, he has held many charity auctions in benefit of foal hospitals and the like, and those are just the events that I know of,” she informed me, gesturing a hoof back to him. “Now he wishes to aid you with the best lawyers Equestria has to offer.”

Snooty joined Rarity at my bedside. “Indeed, it’s true,” he added enthusiastically. “After all, don’t you find this all a bit suspicious, my dear? The swiftness with which the evidence was unearthed? The speed with which these crimes were pinned on you? I call foul play, and intend to get to the bottom of this.”

I could not believe the magnitude of the manipulation and deception Snooty was weaving right before my very eyes. The worst part of it, it was working, and he knew it. I could just see that insufferably smug face hidden behind the veil of lies; it made me absolutely furious!

“Enough!” I shouted, disregarding a flash of pain that spiked up with my sheer anger. “This stallion—” I pointed my left forehoof directly at Snooty as I looked to Rarity “—is the pony behind everything! The foalnapping, the ransom, the rescue—everything!”

Rarity looked quite flustered, confusion and frustration evident on her face. “W-what?!” she finally managed, taking a step back. “Darling? W-why, that’s... that’s absolutely absurd!”

Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow, looking between Snooty and I. “Wait, what?” The cyan mare pointed a forehoof to Snooty. “You mean to say that the pony who rescued you is also the one behind it all? No offense... but doesn’t that sound a little crazy, Prism?”

Pinkie Pie cut in front of Rainbow Dash, her worried face taking up most of my field of view. “Yeah, wouldn’t that, like, make him the bad guy?” she said with an unsure shrug.

I narrowed my eyes at the pink pony in front of me. “That’s because he is the bad guy! Why would I lie about something like this? He’s the one behind everything! He...”

I trailed off as everypony suddenly looked over to Snooty, who had let out a small chuckle. “Pardon me, my dear, but nopony here thinks that you are lying. Like you said, why would you lie about something this important? Unfortunately, you simply have it all wrong; I don’t think you remember just what happened that night, do you?” he asked, his voice calm and collected and full of false concern. “The hospital staff said that you almost died from a Rohoofnol overdose. The effects of the drug have clouded your mind and memories. Try hard to think back: what is the last thing you remember clearly, my dear?”

I suddenly realized what card he was trying to play.

He’s trying to make it look like I don’t know what I am talking about...

This sudden realization only added fuel to the fire of my anger and hatred for this pony. Fueled by my aggression, I summoned up all my strength and willpower and lunged at Snooty with my left forehoof. The satisfying feeling of my hoof connecting with Snooty’s snout recoiled up my foreleg.

Unfortunately, my momentum worked against me, as my body now screamed out in pain from the sudden, jarring movements. The pain was almost indescribable, as if my upper body had been fed through a woodchipper and then sewn back together again.

But my body’s sacrifice had not been in vain: Snooty fell backwards to the ground from the impact of the sudden blow, landing with a hard thud. Despite the agonizing pain I was in, I felt a large feeling of satisfaction about having shown him that I was not about to play his little game.

However, the rest of the girls did not share that same sense of satisfaction and all spoke up at once.

“Now why in the hay you do that for, Prism?”

“My goodness! Are you alright, Snooty?”

“Hey! That wasn’t very nice!”

“What the hay?”

“Oh wow, what was that for?”

As much as I wanted to explain myself, all I could do was let out a feeble groan in the wake of the pain; I definitely hadn’t thought this one through very well.

Rarity turned from Snooty and cast me a sharp glare. “Why I never! Such disrespect!” she spouted, her glare intensifying. “After everything he has done for you—all he has offered to do for you! For you to so casually throw it back in his face and strike him!”

Snooty visibly shook himself, before picking himself off the floor and dusting off his vest. “No, it’s quite all right Ms. Rarity, she just needs time to—”

“No, it is not all right!” she quickly interjected, spinning to face him with a stomp of her forehoof, before looking back to me. “You were right, I think our dear friend needs some time to cool off and think about what she has done.” Rarity turned back and headed for the door with her snout raised high. “I’m going to go see Fluttershy now. Come along, girls.”

The others, with the exception of Derpy, all paused for a moment, but then slowly followed the fashionista. Rainbow Dash, however, stopped midway across the room, biting her lower lip as she looked back and forth between Rarity and I.

After a moment, her expression eased, and she turned to face me. “Uh, you girls go on ahead. There is something I need to talk to Prism about; I’ll catch up.”

Rarity scrunched up her muzzle, raising an eyebrow for a moment. “Very well then, if that is what you wish, Rainbow Dash,” she said, before opening the door with her cyan magic and making her way out.

The other girls and Snooty also made their way out, leaving only myself, Derpy, and Rainbow Dash.

Rainbow quickly looked back to me with a perplexed look. “What was that all about, Prism?! Isn’t he the stallion who saved you? Why did you hit him?” she asked, approaching my bed and tilting her head as she stared at me.

Derpy hummed to herself as she flew over to join the cyan mare at my side. “So that’s who that was?” she asked, looking to me curiously. “If he was, then why did Prism get so angry and hit him?”

Rainbow scratched her chin with a forehoof before shrugging at the mailmare.

I took a deep breath, trying to calm down some. “Don’t trust a word that comes out of that stallion’s mouth,” I said, looking between the two. “He’s an unnervingly skillful liar and actor. He’s also the pony who did this to me.” I pointed to my injuries for emphasis.

Rainbow eyed me skeptically for a moment. “Snooty warned us that you might not remember much about the rescue because of the Rohoofnol, and that you would probably be angry at him, given that you’d attacked him before,” she pointed out. “I mean, everyponyknows the effects of Rohoofnol overdoses; the memory loss he mentioned made sense.” Rainbow Dash narrowed her eyes at me. “However, I’m not about to take the word of some stranger over that of a friend, not matter how noble he (or anypony else) says he is.”

Derpy looked to her with an affirmative nod. “Right! I mean, I didn’t even hear anything he said to you girls, so I have no idea what happened.”

I looked to Rainbow Dash curiously at Derpy’s mention of Snooty’s lies. “So, just what did he tell you girls before you came in here? What happened?”

“Well, when we first got to the hospital we were pretty early, so we had to wait a little while before visiting hours began and we would be allowed see you. Not too long after we came inside a stallion came up to us,” Rainbow Dash informed me. “He greeted us and seemed to know Rarity from one of those classy parties, or something like that. She was quite happy to see him, so Rarity obviously recognized him as well.”

I furrowed my brow at her words. “Snooty was already here when you arrived?”

She nodded. “Yeah, he said he was waiting to see you.”

He wasn’t waiting to see me, he was waiting for them!

I let out a small growl in annoyance. “What did he say about me? Give me all the details, if you wouldn’t mind,” I asked in a rather serious tone.

“Sure, no problem,” Rainbow replied with a nod, before staring off into nowhere for a moment. “Well, Snooty explained to us how he had just been delivering fabrics to the warehouse next door when you came bursting out the back of the building you were being held in.”

I listened with an obvious look of anger and a frown I made no effort to hide. The girls seemed to pick up on this, as they glanced at each other uneasily before Rainbow Dash continued.

“He said you ran towards him but fell down mid-way, so he quickly closed the distance to see if you were all right. He was shocked at what he found: a white mare who was obviously hysterical and who seemed to have been roughed up pretty good,” she informed me, sitting down on her haunches and getting comfortable before continuing. “He offered to take you to a hospital, but you quickly rejected his aid and instead told him that you and your friend had been foalnapped, and that she was still being held inside.”

At this point I was getting very, very angry. And judging by the looks on the girls’ faces, it showed. Although I was trying, with all my might, to bite my tongue and at least let Rainbow Dash finish before I commented, it was getting very difficult to hold back.

Rainbow Dash let out an uneasy laugh with a forced smile as she continued. “He told you he was going to go get the police, but you objected, saying that there was no time. Your words were becoming difficult to make out and—”

I snapped, despite the great deal of pain caused by my outburst.

“LIES!” I boomed, my face contorting into a furious sneer.

Both girls hopped to their hooves and took a step back from me instinctively, wide-eyed in surprise.

“That’s all a bunch of lies! I never met him outside the building, I never told him anything of the sort, I never—”

A sudden knock at the door of the room distracted me from my angry rant, as the familiar sound of clicking metal followed. The girls and I looked to the door to face the new arrival.

An unfamiliar earth pony mare, with a pale brown coat and long, curly, sandy-blonde mane, entered. She was definitely young, just barely at the age where she would no longer be considered a filly. I got a clear look at her cutie mark as she spun around to close the door behind her: a magnifying glass, with a judge’s gavel in the center of the lens. She paused as she looked us over, noticing the tension and unease in the room.

I regarded her with a sense of irritation; I wasn’t in the mood to deal with anypony new. “Can I help you?” I asked, silently wishing she would just go away.

The mare cleared her throat. “Terribly sorry to bother you, Prism. I’m Detective Surefire,” she informed me, speaking with a strong Manehattan accent. “If you wouldn’t mind, I would like to ask you a few questions.” She revealed a badge to punctuate her request.

Great, more police. This is the last thing I want to deal with.

I narrowed my eyes at the detective. “It would seem to me that you already know everything you need to know,” I stated snarkily, looking away and shooing her with my free forehoof. “Now if you wouldn’t mind, please leave.”

The young mare walked around my bed persistently to face me. “I would like to talk to you about what happened during the kidnapping, and—”

Rainbow Dash flew in front of the detective, causing her to backpedal several steps. “Look missy, she said she doesn’t want to talk to you, so beat it!” she demanded, gesturing a forehoof back to the door behind her.

“About what really happened,” the young detective added just as Rainbow Dash landed and took a step closer to her.

Derpy narrowed her eyes at her, before turning and heading for the door. “I’ll go get security.”

I processed the detective’s words for a moment.

About what reallyhappened... She wants to know the truth?

“Derpy, wait!” I quickly called out, extending my left forehoof after her.

Derpy and Rainbow Dash both stopped what they were doing and turned to me curiously.

I looked to the detective, regarding her curiously yet skeptically. “Just who are you exactly?”

“To be honest, I’m actually just a junior detective for the Manehattan Metro Police department,” she said, before sheepishly admitting, “and I’m, uh, actuallykind of off duty right now.”

“Why are you here if you are off duty?” I asked, curious as to why she would come here in her own free time.

Surefire scratched the back of her neck with an uneasy smile. “You see, I’m not officially assigned to your case, so I had to take some time off to approach you outside of my work hours,” she admitted. “It’s kind of, sort of... well, strictly against department policy to interfere with another detective’s case,” she hesitantly continued. ”Honestly... I could, uh, kind of lose my job for doing this.” She let out a nervous laugh, sitting to her haunches and fidgeting her forelegs together.

I watched her closely for a moment, concerned and confused. “I don’t understand; if it’s such a great risk for you to talk to me, then why are you doing it?”

“Murder is a really big deal here in Equestria, so I decided to take a peek at the case file,” she said, before narrowing his eyes. “Something seemed very... off. This whole case against you... It was just too convenient for Detectives Nitpick and Hawkeye to have already solved everything.”

To my surprise, Derpy spoke up. “Wait, so first you cops accuse her of murder, now you are saying that something is wrong?” the mailmare asked, looking just as confused as I was. “So which is it then?”

Surefire quickly shook her head. “Uh, what I meant was, those two have made a name for themselves as the best Manehattan has to offer, in terms of investigation. They are actually the ponies who inspired me to begin investigating when I was a still a filly,” she stated, glancing back to her cutie mark for a moment before continuing. “However, after I’d gotten a position as an intern and got promoted to junior detective, I started reading up on their cases, to see if I could pick up any tips for myself. It seemed to me that the work they did wasreally good—too good.”

Rainbow cast her a curious look. “Wait... so what you’re basically trying to say is: you think those two are up to something?”

Surefire gave a long, uneasy pause. “I’ve had a strong suspicion about those two ever since then, and secretly asked Internal Affairs to look into them, after I’d brought what I’d found to their attention,” she said, her tone suddenly turning quite serious. “However, the agent investigating was involved in an unfortunate and unrelated carriage crash.”

“Sounds kinda fishy to me,” Derpy commented, rubbing her chin with the tips of her right wing.

Rainbow Dash looked to her and nodded. “Yeah, isn’t that a little suspicious that something bad happened to the pony investigating them?”

Surefire gave an affirmative nod. “Right. Because of that, the department had a few senior teams assigned to the case, and they thoroughly combed through the site of the crash, but nopony found anything linking it to the two of them, so It was written off as just an unfortunate accident.” She shook her head with a frustrated groan. “Now, not even a month later, this happens!” she exclaimed, pointing a forehoof to me.

My ears folded back. I cast her a hard glare, a bit upset by the fact that she was insinuating that I was a bad thing.

The young mare paused for a moment before sinking down a little and letting out a sheepish laugh. “Sorry, I, uh... I didn’t mean for it to sound like that. What I meant by ‘this’ was: this whole case involving you and the homicides,” she reiterated. “Like I said before, murder in equestria is big. For those two to have procured such an extent of evidence and practically claim they’d solved the entire case in... What? Less than twenty-four hours? I’d say that sounds like a load of horse apples, and I intend to get to the bottom of it, even if I have to risk my job to do it.”

Derpy rubbed her chin with her wing tip. “You know... that Snooty guy did say something like that, if I remember correctly.”

Rainbow Dash looked to Derpy with a nod of confirmation. “Yeah, that’s right!” she commented, turning to face me. “You never did tell us just who this Snooty guy is, Prism.”

“Snooty? As in ‘Snooty’s Finer Fashion’ Snooty?” Detective Surefire suddenly asked, raising an eyebrow at me.

“Yes, that’s him. Why do you ask? Do you know him?” I asked, curious as to why she brought it up.

“Of course! He has tipped the department off to a few major criminals hiding behind fronts in the fashion industry,” she said matter-of-factly. “That stallion knows his materials and fabrics, that’s for sure.”

The irony in Surefire's statement was so strong that I couldn’t help but burst into sudden laughter at the ridiculousness of her words, earning me confused looks from the others in the room.

I took a deep breath as I tried compose myself. “Oh, I’m sorry. But that was just so funny, because that is exactly what he is doing, himself,” I said, beaming the detective a quasi-humorous smile.

Surefire cocked her neck back in surprise. “That’s a serious accusation, Prism,” she pointed out, before pausing a moment. “...Isn’t he the pony who rescued you and your friend?”

I was getting sick and tired of hearing about Snooty’s reputation, and all the other lies he had woven. My anger was short-lived though, as the sound of a chime of magic, and the room’s door opening, caused everypony to face the entryway. An all-too-familiar lavender mare, toting a pair of saddlebags, entered.

Twilight regarded us all with a smile as she closed the door behind her. “Hey girls,” she greeted, before glancing to the junior detective with a look of curiosity. “Who’s your guest, Prism?”

“This is Junior Detective Surefire,” I informed her, gesturing my left forehoof to the pony in question.

Twilight raised an eyebrow curiously. “Another detective?” she asked, before turning to the young mare with a stern glare. “Look, I already told those last two gentlecolts that if they wanted to speak to Prism, they would have to do so through—”

“No, it’s okay Twilight, she’s different,” I interjected, waving my left forehoof at her dismissively. “Surefire isn’t here for anything like that.”

“Quite the opposite, actually,” Surefire added with a casual gesture of her forehoof. “As I was just explaining to Prism here, I’m are actually investigating the case itself.”

Twilight blinked idly for a moment, before looking between myself and the detective. “Yesterday, two detectives came in here and accused Prism of murder. Now we have you investigating the case itself? Care to explain what exactly is going on here?”

I let out a sudden, frustrated sigh, tired of having everypony repeating themselves again and again. “Look, there is a lot to discuss... How about we just get Twilight up to speed before anypony asks anymore questions?” Irritation was evident in my tone as I looked to Surefire. “Would you mind helping Twilight catch up first?”

She nodded. “All right”

* * * * * * * * * *

After a few minutes of summarizing what Surefire had just discussed with us to Twilight, the junior detective continued to go into great detail about some of the more questionable cases Nitpick and Hawkeye had been involved in.

To my surprise, Twilight didn’t seem all that surprised.

“I knew it,” Twilight said, opening her saddlebags with her magic and retrieving a clipboard and pencil, to scribble down some quick notes. “Given the facts Surefire has presented, it seems extremely likely that they’ve had outside sources aiding them with their ‘investigations.’” Twilight glanced to me as she continued. “From what Prism has told me about the foalnapping, I have strong cause to believe that one of these sources is, most likely, none other than Snooty himself.”

It was a great relief to hear that Twilight was on the same page as I was in all of this. It would seem that all we had to do was convince Surefire as well.

Surefire tapped her chin with a forehoof, looking deep in thought for a few moments. “Hmm, the official report clearly provides Snooty’s testimony about helping the two of you escape,” she stated matter-of-factly, before holding out her forehoof abruptly. “Although... Given what you two have mentioned, it would seem the current report is a clearly a load of horse apples. Mind shedding some light on the truth, Prism?”

“Well, I can tell you this much already...” I informed her. ”Your suspicions about the case are correct; I’m being framed for those murders. During my escape, I only tossed those three stallions around a little. They should have only gotten some nasty bruises, or maybe a few broken bones, at worst.”

Surefire scratched her head as she processed my words. “Well, normally I would be inclined to question your words. However, given the circumstances, I’m willing to believe that you are telling the truth about all of this.”

Her words were a huge relief to me. Somepony was finally willing to not just listen to me, but to actually believe what I had said. This young mare was proving very reasonable, which was just the thing I needed right now. A reasonable pony in a position of power, who could make good use of not just my knowledge of the true story behind the foalnapping, but of all of the other dirt I had on Snooty as well.

The detective looked to Twilight. “Ms. Sparkle, right? Would you be so kind as to take notes of Prism’s testimony, for future reference?”

“One step ahead of you,” the lavender mare replied, furiously scribbling away on her clipboard.

“Wonderful,” Surefire lightly exclaimed, before turning back to me. “Now, tell me, what really happened that night?”

* * * * * * * * * *

Time simply slipped away as I explained the truth behind the foalnapping in great detail. Considering who I was speaking to, I decided not to leave anything out. This looked to be the one chance to help myself, so I was going to make sure she knew everything I did.

“Sweet Celestia...” Derpy murmured silently after I’d concluded my tale. “You really went through all of that, Prism?” She glanced to my injuries with an uneasy frown. “And that stallion, he almost...” She covered her muzzle with a forehoof.

I looked to the mailmare with a grim nod.

A loud, frustrated growl from Rainbow Dash rang out as she leapt up to her hooves from a sitting position. “That’s it!” she began, taking flight and heading for the door. “I’m going to find that mule Snooty, and when I do, I’m going to... to...” She trailed off when she realized she was actually going nowhere, being trapped in Twilight’s magic.

The lavender mare promptly shook her head. “We can’t just go and confront him like that, Rainbow,” she declared, walking up to the cyan mare caught in her magical grasp. “Look, I don’t like this any more than you do, but we have to play by the rules. If we don’t, we’re no better than he is.”

“Yes we are!” she objected, throwing out her forelegs. “This guy’s done awful things to countless ponies! He deserves just as bad—if not worse!”

Twilight let out a hard sigh. “That may very well be true, but it’s not our job to decide.”

Unfortunately, as much as I agreed with Rainbow Dash and wanted to take immediate action, I knew that Twilight was right. This was now a chess match between Snooty and I. All the pieces seemed to be on the board... The question now was how to play them, and what piece to move first.

Unfortunately, I was never very good at chess, and had already fallen for Snooty’s gambit.

He showed his face just to antagonize me; he wantedme to get angry at him in front of the girls. I played right into his hoof...

I was extremely upset at myself for letting him manipulate me like that. Because of my angry and aggressive reactions, my friends now stood divided in their belief of the truth. I silently cursed myself for having such a bad temper; Snooty had simply used it against me.

“What do you think?” I asked, turning to face Twilight. “Where do we start?”

She brought a hoof to her chin, looking deep in thought for a moment. “Well, we should probably pay Snooty a visit first, to see if we can find any inconsistencies in his answers when we reveal what we know about him, Nitpick and Hawkeye,” she said, before pointing a hoof directly at me. “You, on the other hoof, are going to stay in bed and heal up.”

Surefire looked to her with a nod. “The longer you remain here, the longer the department has to wait to take you into custody. Which means we’ll have more time to investigate.” She glanced over my injuries. “Thankfully for you, your injuries are severe enough that it will take some time for them to heal sufficiently. It’ll be a while before you’ll be medically declared fit enough to leave.”

As bad as that sounded, she did have a point. Hopefully, my injuries would buy enough time for Twilight and Surefire to find something they could use in my defense.

I let out a defeated sigh. “All right, all right... I just wish there was something I could do to help.”

Surefire covered a small laugh. “You already have. We wouldn’t know the entire truth, or where to even start looking for it, without the information you provided, Prism,” she pointed out with a casual gesture of her hoof. “You have done your part; leave the rest to us, for now.” She gave me a quick wink as she turned for the door. “Well, I should probably get going and start looking into Snooty. See if he has any dirt on him I could possibly make use of.”

Twilight nodded. “Right, and I’ll go pay Snooty a visit and ‘thank’ him for saving my friend,” she informed us. “Maybe I can coax something out of him.”

Rainbow Dash extended a forehoof towards the lavender mare. “Um, Twilight? He might not be home right now. He was with the rest of us here just a few hours ago.”

“WHAT?!” Twilight shouted, turning to face Rainbow Dash. “Why didn’t anypony tell me about this sooner? They could be in trouble!” She made a break for the door. “I’m going to look for the rest of the girls!”

Without hesitation, Twilight flung open the door with her magic and ran out. Rainbow Dash quickly flew out after her.

“Hey, wait for me, Twilight!” I heard her calling out from the hallway.

Everypony else remained staring at the open doorway for a few seconds. Then Surefire turned back to face me.

“Well, I guess that’s my cue to get back to work, too,” she said, beaming me a warm smile. “It was nice to meet you Prism. I’m sorry about everything you’ve had to go through.” Her expression hardened and her tone became serious. “We will get to the bottom of this, and prove your innocence. I’d bet my badge on it.”

I returned her smile. “Thank you so much... Really, thank you. You didn’t have to do any of this, yet you are choosing to help. That means a lot to me.”

Surefire shook her head with a small laugh. “I’m just doing what I think is right,” she began, shooting me another wink before she started for the door. “I’ll get back to you soon with an update. You have a good one, Prism.”

“You too, Surefire.”

With that, the junior detective made her way out. I turned to face my remaining company. I took notice of the fact that Derpy had been surprisingly quiet throughout all of this.

“Are you alright, Derpy?” I asked her, concerned about her uncharacteristic behavior. “You have been really quiet.”

She quickly and dismissively waved a hoof at me. “Oh, I’m fine. Don’t worry about me,” she reassured me, crossing the room to take a seat in one of the green chairs along the wall. “This is all just so high above me, ya know?” she continued as she settled into her seat and relaxed. “I mean, I’m just a single mom and a mailmare... Twilight and the rest of these girls are the Elements of Harmony. What could I do to help?”

I brought my hoof to my chin in thought for a moment, before an important task came to me. “Actually, there is something extremely important that you could do to help me,” I informed her. “So important, in fact, that I think it takes precedence over anything else at the moment.”

Derpy sprang to her hooves with a serious expression, saluting me with her right hoof and wing. “Name it and it shall be done!”

“For the love of Celestia, find me some tea.”

Chapter 21: Counterplay

So bored...

Two days had come and gone since my encounter with Surefire and Snooty. While the girls and I had formulated a plan, it didn’t involve me at all, unfortunately. My job in the grand scheme of things was to sit here and do absolutely nothing.

Letting out a lengthy sigh, I shifted my position a bit to get comfortable again. Well, as comfortable as a pony could be with their hind legs in casts, anyway. To make matters worse, I had an awful itch on my hind leg, just above the cast, that I just couldn’t quite reach.

A perfect situation for even magic as weak as mine, and I can’t even use it.

This whole situation really sucked.

I miss Fluttershy...

I thought back to her smiling face, when she had come by to visit me yesterday. She had just been a bundle of joy and enthusiasm since our talk the other night. I never would have guessed that being in love would be this wonderful! Though I didn’t much care for the unbearable feeling of longing whenever she was away. Mother would always say that absence makes the heart grow fonder, but I think I have to disagree: absence of the one you love was, in my humble opinion, just plain awful.

Fluttershy had mentioned that Snooty had come to see her and the rest of the girls shortly after they had visited me. She had demanded that he leave, however, and had simply refused to speak with anypony until he had done so. I was actually quite envious of the way she had handled the situation. Whereas I had gotten hot-headed about seeing him and had lashed out in anger, Fluttershy had handled everything calmly and collectedly. Which was exactly what I should have done in the first place.

My special somepony hadn’t been my only guest in the past two days, however. In fact, I had received visits from just about everypony else as well, with the exception of Rarity. I think she was still angry with me over the fact of me having hit Snooty. Although, come to think of it, the other girls had mentioned that they hadn’t really seen much of her, either...

I dreaded to think that Rarity might have been spending time with Snooty, but, deep down, I knew that this was likely the case. Knowing Snooty’s obsession with the fashionista, he was probably milking his ‘white knight coming to the rescue’ status as much as he could. I could only hope that my dear friend would not make a mistake she would later come regret, when the truth finally came to light.

The truth...

I had faith in Twilight and Surefire; I just knew that they would find something to help me bring the truth of my case to light. But despite that faith there were still some lingering doubts in the back of my mind... What if Snooty really was that good? What if even those two couldn’t find anything solid on him?

I shook the thought from my mind.

I’d rather not think about that.

As the hours continued to pass, I was becoming desperate for something to occupy my racing mind. So desperate that I was actually thinking of asking somepony to retrieve my copy of ‘Dusk’ from the floor so I could read it again.

Okay, so maybe I’m not thatdesperate yet.

Fortunately, there was still one other thing I could do to keep from going mad. I looked over to the stack of ‘evidence’ that had been left behind. After Twilight and Surefire had reviewed all of it yesterday, it had found its way to the nightstand beside my bed. I had generally avoided looking at the pile of papers, ever since the two detectives had forgotten about them during their hasty retreat from the wrath of Fluttershy. They were a cruel reminder of the tragic fate that had befallen three ponies, and of the false crimes and lies that were being pinned on me.

With nothing better to do at that moment, though, my curiosity was piqued. I decided that maybe I should look them over again; perhaps I could find something useful?

The papers being out of reach, I was required to use my magic. I let out a small, preemptive groan, knowing full well what kind of pain awaited me. Using my magic was marginally less painful at this point, but it still hurt.

Steeling myself, I focused my magic on the papers, wincing slightly  at the stinging sensation that inevitably followed. As quickly as I could, I pulled the papers over to me and then dropped them out of my magic’s hold and neatly into my lap.

Looking down at them with a soft hum, I carefully analyzed the cover page. It stated the case number, as well as some other basic information regarding both myself and the detectives working the case. With a bit of struggle—given that I still only had the use of a single forehoof—I flipped over to the first page.

I was immediately met with a picture of myself. It had to have been taken recently, given that I wasn’t wearing my cloak. I couldn’t quite make out the background, however; the photo had been taken in such a way that I was the only thing in clear focus.

But why? Why is the background out of focus?

As I entertained this thought, I realized something: Surefire and Twilight would likely think nothing of seeing a picture of another pony at first glance. What they didn’t know, however, was that I absolutely hated having my picture taken, and generally avoided it at all costs. So I knew exactly when I had last had my picture taken—willingly, at least. It had been by my mother, back when I was still a filly.

So this photo was taken very recently, and without my consent...

Squinting, I studied the fuzzy background more closely. I could barely make out the blurry outline of what looked to be a... a house, maybe? And perhaps a bunch of trees and other greenery.

I examined the imagine for several moments longer.

I don’t have my cloak on, so that can only be Ponyville... A house with lot of vegetation around it...

My eyes widened with sudden realization as the answer hit me.

That’s Fluttershy’s cottage! Why is there a picture of me in front of Fluttershy’s cottage all the way over here in Manehattan? Who took it? When? And how did it get here?

I felt a sudden, cold chill running down my spine as I recalled the words Snooty’s had uttered during my foalnapping:

“And that’s when my associates reported that they had found you. At first—given the unforgivable damage you had done to my business—I was simply going to have them kill you...”

“But after I had gotten a full report, I learned that you had indeed met up with Rarity. Not only that, you two had appeared to have become quite close. So much so that you were allowed to stay in her guest room. ”

“This intrigued me, So I had you watched for a few days in order to gather some more information.”

Things were starting to add up; I was on the verge of discovering something important, but I still couldn’t quite put my hoof on it.

I need to point this out to Surefire and Twilight, maybe they could help me figure this out!

It was clear these documents were never meant for my eyes, or at least not for any kind of close scrutiny. They had just been something to wave about as ‘incontrovertible proof,’ and so rattle my cage.

I felt a sudden wave of empowerment as I quickly flipped to the next page. However, this rush was quickly crushed by the gruesome photos awaiting me on the following page. Horrifying images of the three stallions I had allegedly murdered stared back at me. I looked away, feeling a sudden wave of nausea swelling up inside of me, and tried not to retch. As horrible as these pictures were to look at, though, I had to take a closer look.

Taking a deep breath, I once again steeled myself, before looking at the images again.

This is horrible... How could anypony do this sort of thing to another pony?

I may have hated these three for what they had tried to do to me, but I couldn’t help but feel pity and sympathy for them, after they had suffered such gruesome fates. I wondered if they had left behind families of their own... What if some mare had been made a widow, or a little filly had been left without a father? Surely they didn’t deserve to suffer for their husbands’ or fathers’ mistakes...

My face contorted into an angry sneer at these thoughts. Snooty had so casually sacrificed the lives of three of his own stallions; ponies who had been loyal to him... All just to cover up the mess that he had made.

It was a grim reminder of the type of pony I was dealing with. There was really only one word I could think of to classify Snooty for what he really was, under all the veils of lies and deception...

Monster.

Taking a moment to look at the big picture, my own situation, sucky as it may have seemed, suddenly felt so... insignificant.

Just how long had Snooty been getting away with his crimes? I couldn’t even imagine the number of lives Snooty must have single-hoofedly destroyed to get to where he was today.

I let out a long sigh as I flipped to the next page. Charts and graphs, detailing information that held no meaning for me whatsoever, covered most of the page. They appeared to have something to do with magic, judging by the listing and labels, but I had no clue as to what, exactly.

I really should have gone over these with Twilight and Surefire...

I scratched my head, making several more vain attempts to decipher the cryptic data.

Now I’m really curious. I’ll have to ask Twilight if she knows what all of this means later.

Putting that thought aside, I continued to look over the rest of the evidence. Detailed pictures of the crime scenes, together with small notes, took up the majority of the last few pages.

Without a doubt, those snapshots each told a tale of gruesome murder; all of them murders I did not commit. I took notice of the blood spattered along the walls and the floor, wondering how in Equestria they had ever made it look like I could have possibly done any of this.

Given the bloody mess in this picture, I would have had to have blood all over... me...

My eyes widened as an extremely important detail, which I had completely forgotten to mention, hit me like a brick to the face.

Hunter’s blood! It was all over me! ...It would also have been all over that hallway. How was all of this missed?!

I immediately reached to the side of my bed and slammed the nurse call button. After a few seconds, an unfamiliar nurse entered the room.

“Can I hel—”

“I need you find Doctor Ruby Heart for me right now, it’s extremely important!” I demanded, hoping my tone of voice could convey the deadly-serious nature of my request.

The nurse craned her neck back, blinking in surprise. “O-okay,” she replied, and then quickly left.

Somepony should have documented the blood; Ruby might know more.

I paused for a moment, my ears folding back as I considered this.

But if somepony recorded the data, wouldn’t they have noticed that—

My train of thought was interrupted by the sound of the door flying open. I looked over to find a heavily-winded, ruby red pegasus taking a moment to collect herself.

“What’s... wrong...” Ruby Heart began, taking another deep breath before adding, “Prism?”

“What happened to the blood that was found on me?” I quickly asked, anxiously awaiting her reply.

She was still panting, but now stood up straight and raised an eyebrow at me. “What do you mean?”

“The blood! From the other stallion!” I blurted out as soon as she had finished her reply. ”I know for a fact that some had gotten on me; it must have still been there when I was brought into the hospital... Where is it? What happened to it?”

She blinked a few times in surprise. “I’m afraid I don’t know what you are talking about, Prism,” she replied, her expression shifting into one of concern. “The only blood we found on you when you arrived was your own.”

I tilted my head, utterly perplexed by this response. “But... That makes no sense! I was literally covered in blood! It was from the stallion I was forced to injure in order to get away.”

Ruby Heart scratched her head before shrugging. “I don’t know what to tell you, Prism. I was there when you were brought in. There was very little blood on you at all, and during our analysis it all turned out to be yours.”

Something wasn’t right. Sometime between when I had blacked out in the warehouse and when I had arrived at the hospital, Hunter’s blood had been cleaned off of me.

I slammed the side of my bed with my forehoof. “Horseapples!” I swore, grinding my teeth in frustration at the premature demise of such a promising, potential lead.

“May I ask why you are asking this?” Ruby asked curiously, tilting her head.

“That blood did not belong to the three stallions who were murdered. It was from a fourth stallion, one who is missing from these evidence papers.”

Ruby paused for several moments before her eyes widened. “We need to call the police!” she said, spinning around and starting for the door.

“Wait!” I called out after her, extending my one good forehoof. “Don’t call the police!”

Ruby turned back to me, looking utterly perplexed. “What?”

“It’s complicated. Really... complicated.”

The doctor’s expression softened, and she approached my bed. “Okay... Well, what can I do to help?”

Her offer surprised me. I hadn’t expected her to do anything beyond perhaps retrieving the information regarding the blood. Normally, I would be inclined to decline such an offer from somepony I didn’t really know, but despite these misgivings and my general discomfort around strangers, I knew I had to press forward and take advantage of every resource I had available if I wanted to be of any help to Twilight and Surefire. And, most of all, if I wanted to help myself.

“I need you to locate Twilight Sparkle and Junior Detective Surefire of the Manehattan Metro Police,” I told her. “Tell them it’s important; they will understand.”

“Okay,” she said, quickly spinning back around and exiting the room before I could say anything else.

I sat there in silence for a few moments. I hadn’t been expecting that to go so... smoothly. She hadn’t even asked me why I wanted her to fetch these two ponies or anything.

Does she know more about my situation than I originally thought?

After reflecting on the other mare’s strange reaction for a while, I shrugged it off. Twilight or Surefire had more than likely spoken with her and told her a little about my plight. What really mattered was that I was now back on the game board and busy making my next move.

I looked back to the papers in my lap with a small smirk.

Your pawns have made a big mistake, Snooty.

* * * * * * * * * *

Waiting to get word back from the girls felt like an eternity, the hours crawling by like a snail in the Cloudsdale Olympics.

How would a snail compete anyway? A cloud-walking spell maybe? Would that even work on a snail? Then there is the jumping from the cloud to cloud, how would it pull that off?

As much as I was enjoying my musings on a snail beating the odds and becoming an Olympic gold medalist, a sudden knock at my door, followed by the all-too-familiar click of metal, quickly made me abandon further formulation of my ambitious master plan.

I looked to the door with a relieved smile as Twilight entered, accompanied by the junior detective. Both mares had what looked to be fairly full saddlebags dangling from their sides. I briefly wondered why they had both made it here at the same time, but quickly dismissed the notion; there could, after all, be any number of trivial reasons for it.

“Thanks for coming,” I greeted the pair as they approached my bedside.

“Of course. Why wouldn’t we?” Twilight said with a warm smile as she slipped out of her saddlebags. “Ruby said you found something important in the evidence papers, something we had overlooked?”

I nodded. “Yes, I decided to take a look at them, too, and I found a few things that were off.” I shuffled the stack of papers in my lap and returned to the first page. “First off, this picture. It shouldn't be there.”

Surefire leaned in and took a closer look at the picture, before scratching her head. “What makes you say that?”

“I absolutely hate having my picture taken. The last time I begrudgingly allowed it must have been years ago, when I was still a filly. This, however, was clearly taken recently—without my consent.” I passed the photograph to Surefire. “Here. Look closely, particularly at the background.”

She hummed and narrowed her eyes, examining it closely. “It’s all a bit fuzzy... Can’t say I know where this is. Judging from all the green... Uh, Center Park?”

That’s right; so stupid of me! Of course Surefire wouldn’t even consider Ponyville.

“Twilight, why don’t you take a look, too, and tell me what you think,” I said, silently hoping that she, being familiar with Ponyville, would corroborate my own guess.

She approached the detective and leaned in to get a closer look at the image, also narrowing her eyes. She examined it in silence for several seconds, but then her eyes widened.

“That’s outside of Fluttershy’s cottage, isn’t it?” she said, looking over to me in surprise.

I nodded, breathing a sigh of relief. “Yeah. Yeah, that’s what I thought, too.”

Twilight groaned and facehoofed. “How did I miss that?!”

“Well, you couldn’t have known that it had to have been taken very recently, in Ponyville,” I pointed out. “It could’ve been taken anywhere otherwise. I got the feeling I was never intended to get to see this picture, myself, since I’d obviously know of my own aversion to photography and would realize this picture was taken without my noticing.”

Surefire glanced between Twilight and I with a look of confusion, before looking back to the picture in her hoof. “Sorry, I’m a bit confused. Mind filling me in on what the two of you have just deduced, based on this photo?”

“Well, remember when I told you that Snooty was having me watched?” I explained patiently. ”Whoever was watching me must have been the one to who took this photo, when I was visiting my friend Fluttershy in Ponyville.” I tilted my head. “But... If whoever took it was spying on me for Snooty, then how did it end up in here?” I pointed to the documents. “I don’t understand.”

Surefire stared off into nowhere for a few moments before letting out a sudden gasp, the paper slipping off her hoof in the process. “After the investigation of the carriage crash involving the internal affairs agent, Hawkeye and Nitpick both took two weeks off to take a vacation...” Her expression hardened into a heavy glare. “...in Ponyville.”

Her statement frightened me. The dots were starting to connect inside my mind, and judging from Twilight’s expression, she was already way ahead of me.

“That would have been right around the time when Prism had first come to Ponyville,” she said, turning to Surefire with a small frown. “That can’t just be a coincidence.” Twilight looked at me for a moment, and we both nodded in mutual understanding. Then she looked back to the detective. “So, I think we can safely conclude that Snooty ordered them over to Ponyville so as to observe Prism. That would explain how this picture got in here, in these papers, all the way over here in Manehattan. Those two brought it with them.”

I looked to Twilight with a confused expression. “Wait, if they visited Ponyville, wouldn’t Pinkie Pie have eventually thrown a party for them?”

Twilight raised a forehoof. “I was about to get to that, actually. Pinkie did mention something about two stallions who were taking a vacation in Ponyville, a few weeks back. She was rather sad about it, too, worried about the fact that all the new ponies kept rejecting her parties.” Twilight scowled. “I thought nothing of it at the time, and simply told her they were probably vacationing in a quiet town like Ponyville to get away from it all and try to relax.”

Surefire sat down onto her haunches and reached into her saddlebags,quickly retrieving a pencil and notepad. Taking the pad into her hoof and the pencil in her teeth, she began to furiously scribble down some notes. Then she spat out the pencil onto the floor next to her.

“This needs to be looked into right away,” she said, closing her bag and standing up. “We may just be able to use this to derail the entire case against you. I’ll get back to you two soon.” She then spun around and made to leave.

“Surefire, wait!” I called out to her. “That isn’t all I found!”

Surefire turned back to me, sighed, and sat back down on her haunches, retrieving a fresh writing utensil from her saddlebag and looking up to me expectantly.

“The fourth stallion, Hunter—the one I said was missing? When I tackled him in that hallway my horn impaled him, and I was left covered in his blood. I mentioned that, right?”

Surefire nodded, jotting down these details as well. Then she eagerly hopped to her forehooves. “They should have analysed all of the blood found on your pelt when you arrived here at the hospital. I’ll go take a look, see if I can find the file.”

“Wait,” I again called out to the enthusiastic detective. “I already asked Doctor Ruby Heart. She said that they only found samples of my own blood. But also that there wasn’t a lot of it to begin with.”

To my surprise, Surefire nodded. “That’s what the case file said as well,” she said as she closed the distance to me, leaning in close to examine my horn. “However... I think I might know of a way to find out if there was any blood on your horn recently, even if it was cleaned off. I’m going to need a sample of some of your alicorn to be able to perform the test, though.”

Something about the words ‘horn’, ‘alicorn’ and ‘sample’ being in the same sentence didn’t sound too good to me.

“Will it hurt?” I asked, leaning back instinctively

Surefire said nothing for a moment, and flashed me an uneasy smile. “Ehh... I, uh... I have never had to take a sample from a live subject before,” she admitted with a sheepish laugh. “So probably? Well... um, actually, yes, it definitely will.”

My heart sank; given how much I hated simply having my horn touched, this was probably going to be extremely unpleasant. However, reluctant as I was, I knew had little choice in the matter. If this was what was required to prove my innocence, then it had to be done. Even so, not knowing how bad the procedure would hurt beforehoof didn’t exactly make me feel any better about it.

The junior detective slid out from under her saddlebags and proceeded to rummage through their contents. From what I could see, they contained all kinds of small instruments and devices. After a few moments, Surefire retrieved a rather sinister-looking tool. It was a small metal rod with a series of hooks on one end and bladed edges on the other.

What kind of pre-equestrian-era torture device is that?!

“Oh, you have an alicorn pick with you?” Twilight said, seeming quite surprised by sight of the tool the detective was holding in her hoof.

Surefire let out a sheepish laugh. “Well, when Doctor Ruby Heart said Prism found something important and I had no idea what to expect, so I kind of, sort of... brought all of my personal equipment with me.” She looked down her stuffed saddlebags with another, nervous laugh.

Twilight glanced down at her own, equally full saddlebags briefly. “I think I know what you mean,” she admitted with a smile.

Surefire spun to face me. “All right, so I’m going to need you to—”

“You are not bringing that thing anywhere near my horn,” I said, pointing at the ominous device she was holding.

The young mare craned her neck back in surprise at my protests. “But... I need to get a sample for testing.”

“Would you feel better if I were to take the sample, Prism?” Twilight said sympathetically.

Inexperienced junior detective? Or super-genius researcher and scientist? Hmmm...

The choice was pretty obvious.

“Please.”

The tool lit up with a soft purple glow as it levitated over to Twilight. “Now... let’s see if I remember how this goes.”

Surefire raised an eyebrow curiously at the unicorn. “Just how familiar are you with the structure of unicorn horns, Twilight? Have you ever had the opportunity to actually dissect one?” There was a mild hint of irritation to her voice.

I think I might have offended her...

“Well... no, I haven’t,” Twilight retorted somewhat snarkily, ”but I have read a lot of books on unicorn anatomy, so I know just about all there is to know regarding their horns.” She shot the detective a subtle glare.

Suddenly, my relief about Twilight taking the sample evaporated. In fact, now I wasn’t sure if I wanted either of them to do it.

It would probably be better if a doctor did it. Maybe even a surg—

Surefire returned the unicorn’s glare. “If the procedure isn’t done correctly, you could potentially hurt her really, really badly,” she stated matter-of-factly, pointing a forehoof at me, disapproval clearly evident in her voice.

I quickly glanced between the two uneasily. “Um, girls? Maybe we shou—”

“I know what I am doing!” Twilight’s glare at the detective intensified.

“Fine, suit yourself!” Surefire exclaimed, throwing out a forehoof in frustration. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you if she ends up getting hurt.”

My ears fell back as Twilight approached me. I couldn’t help but shrink back when she leaned in to closely examine my horn. After a brief moment’s pause, she brought the tool just inches from my horn.

“Um, Twilight? Maybe we should wait and let an expert do—”

“You’ll be fine, Prism,” she said sternly, attempting to radiate as much confidence as possible but only partly succeeding.

I felt a cold chill run down my spine, a mild panic beginning to well up inside me. I glanced over to Surefire, who was sitting on her haunches a few paces behind Twilight. Her ears were folded back and her forelegs were crossed, and she was still casting a look of irritation at Twilight. Suddenly, however, her expression drastically changed; Surefire’s eyes widened and I saw her scrambling to get to her hooves.

“No, not there!” she cried out, extending a forehoof to Twilight.

But her plea came too late.

I couldn’t sum up the sensation I felt flaring up in my horn with any single word. What I felt could only be described as a horrifying nightmare from the darkest depths of my innermost fears, which had somehow manifested itself into a living reality.

An instant later, everything faded into silence and darkness.

* * * * * * * * * *

“I don’t want to! I won’t do it!” I said with a pout, stubbornly standing my ground in the center of the narrow hallway which led to the front door of our apartment.

Mother let out an exasperated sigh as she leaned up against the open door’s worn frame. “Prism dear, it’s just a picture!”

I took a moment to blow a loose lock of unnecessarily over-styled mane out of my face. “I don’t care, I hate them!” I said obstinately. ”And this dress is so itchy!” I used my forehoof to scratch a particularly itchy patch of snowy fur on my side, hidden beneath the equally white Caterlotian gown that was covering it.

My mother’s expression softened, a look of sympathy in her eyes. She pushed herself off the doorframe and closed the distance between us, leaning down to me. “You’re excited for school, right?”

I paused, not quite sure what that had to do with the horrible experience she was planning to put me through. “...Yes,” I said reluctantly, eyeing her with a mix of curiosity and skepticism.

“Well, you need to have your picture taken for school,” she informed me, before shooting me a quick wink.

This mollified me, but only a little. “Do I really have to, mom?”

She gave an affirmative nod. “I’m afraid so, dear,” she replied. Then a small smile played along her lips. “You can either have it taken now, beforehoof, or on your very first day of school instead, along with all the other little ponies who didn’t want their pictures taken.”

My eyes widened and I let out a gasp. Leaping at her, I latched myself onto my mother’s foreleg. “No! Not that!” I cried out, nuzzling into her leg. “Anything but that...”

Mother covered a small laugh with her free forehoof. “Well, we should go in and have it taken now, then, or you won’t have any choice!” She paused for a moment. “Hey, want to know a secret?”

My ears perked up, and I met her eyes curiously. “What secret?”

Mother’s horn lit up with a soft green glow for a few seconds, and then a book from somewhere in the room behind me floated overhead and landed right in front of me. Looking over the cover, I could tell that it was very old. It also bore a number of multi-colored paint-stains, rendering the scattered bits of visible text printed on it utterly illegible.

I raised an eyebrow as I looked back up to her. “What is this?”

“Something very special to me.” She opened the book with her magic and flipped over to a particular page.

Blinking, I leaned down to the open book, still not really sure what I was looking at—or for. But then a soft-pink forehoof pointed to a photo in the bottom left of the page. It depicted a small, pink filly with a heavily-styled white-and-lavender mane, all dressed up in a white Canterlotian dress that was very similar to mine.

I glanced down at the pristine white gown I was currently wearing, before examining the picture again, a bit more closely this time. Taking another look at the filly in the outfit, I realized she, too, looked awfully familiar...

“Is that...? Is that you in the picture, mom?”

She gave an enthusiastic nod. “Yup, that’s me!” She pointed a hoof at the gown. “And that is the selfsame dress I was wearing. It was for my first school picture.”

“Really?!” I craned my neck around and turned in place, studying the dress. So that’s why I thought it looked exactly like the one in the picture—because it totally was!

This is mom’s dress... She wore this for her own school picture, when she was my age; a long time ago...

I felt a large smile crest my face at the fact that I was wearing something that had belonged to Mother; something that was special to her. A little piece of history, of her life, her past... Being passed down to me. That realization made me feel really happy, for some reason.

“Mom?”

Mother raised an eyebrow at me. “Yes, dear?” she said with a small smirk.

“Can we go now?”

She let out a small laugh before nodding. “Yes dear, let’s get going.”

* * * * * * * * * *

My right ear twitched as the faint sounds of a pen on paper stirred my consciousness awake. I slowly opened my eyes, emitting a soft groan when I finally became aware of where I was. I took a few moments to gather my strength before sitting up as best I could, and then took a look around the room. I immediately noticed Surefire, sitting alone in one of the green chairs in the corner of the room and writing in a small, pink book.

The book was littered with glittery stickers of hearts, suns, and other miscellaneous, cheerful images. Small doodles and lots of filly’ish “X”s and “O”s also decorated the cover, giving it a very personal feel.

Is that... a diary?

I watched the young mare for several seconds longer. As much as I didn’t want to interrupt her, I was intensely curious to know where Twilight had gotten off to, not to mention how long I had been out.

“Um, Surefire?”

The junior detective let out a yelp, nearly jumping out of both her skin and the chair she was sitting in and accidentally launching her book into the air out of sheer surprise. Surefire frantically fumbled to catch it on the way back down, nearly dropping it several times before finally managing to snatch it out of the air with her teeth.

She slowly turned to face me, book still firmly in mouth. I could see her face flushing, and she hastily took the book from her mouth, scrambling to stuff it into a nearby saddlebag. She let out an embarrassed, nervous laugh, and began fidgeting with her forehooves a little.

“Err, sorry about that.” She scratched the back of her head, glancing back at her saddlebags. “You uh, kind of startled me.”

I sank down a little in my bed. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you...”

She shook a forehoof at me dismissively. “No, no, it’s fine! Absolutely fine!” she insisted, her unconvincing reassurances quickly followed by another nervous laugh.

I gave her a curious look, puzzled by her awkward behavior, but then shook my head and decided not to pry. “How long was I asleep?” I asked, looking about the room, still feeling a little dazed and confused. “And where is Twilight?”

“I wouldn’t necessarily call it ‘sleeping,’ but you weren’t out for very long. Maybe about, uh,” she said, glancing at the clock in the room, “thirty, forty minutes? And as for Twilight...” Surefire’s ears fell back, and she frowned deeply. “I, um, kind of, sort of... scolded her for what she did to you. She ran off. She seemed really upset at herself. I hope she’s all right...”

While I wasn’t exactly thrilled about what Twilight had done to me, I still didn’t harbor any ill will towards her.

“Oh... Well, I hope she comes back soon.”

Surefire nodded, her expression sinking. “Me, too... I hope she’ll forgive me.”

“From what I have seen, she isn’t one to hold grudges,” I reassured her with a quick wink. ”I’m sure everything will be fine, once you two get a chance to talk things out.”

The young mare managed a small smile. “Thank you, Prism. I’ll do that.”

“No problem.” I returned with a warm smile of my own.

A few moments of silence passed, but then I started to wonder why Surefire had stuck around this long.

Wasn’t she just about to leave earlier?

“Um, Surefire? Don’t take this the wrong way, but... why are you still here? You didn’t have to wait for me to wake up, you know.”

“True, but after a quick review of my notes I realized I really should go over all of those evidence papers with you before I leave.” She pointed a forehoof to the stack of document on my nightstand. “Since you already found several inconsistencies by yourself, it made me wonder if there’s anything more in there that we could use.”

My ears perked up as I remembered my mental notes from earlier. “Oh right, speaking of which, I did have a few questions about some of the charts and graphs in there.”

“All right, let’s see if I can’t explain those for you.”

Surefire dipped her head into one of her saddlebags and retrieved a small notepad with her teeth before making her way to my bedside.

Excited to get some answers, and without really thinking about it, I looked to the papers and focused my magic. A familiar prismatic aura covered the pages as I lifted them up and brought them over to me. I hadn’t even really been thinking about it, but I immediately noticed that my horn felt really... funny. It didn’t hurt, but it didn’t feel quite right either.

What happened to my—

There was a gasp, then, and the dull sound of something being dropped, derailing my train of thought. I looked over to find Surefire staring at me in wide-eyed disbelief, her notepad most likely having fallen when her jaw dropped.

I stared back at her blankly, blinking idly for a moment before I had the presence of mind to follow her eyes to the stack of papers levitating above me.

She doesn’t know...

I let out a sharp gasp and quickly withdrew my magic from the papers, dropping them on the bed in front of me. I had gotten so used to the fact that the girls all knew about my magic that I had actually gotten reasonably comfortable about using it in front of them. However, I had quite forgotten to inform Surefire about its unique nature, and, by the looks of things, so had Twilight and everypony else.

After a few more moments of awkward silence, Surefire shook herself from her daze, her eyes meeting mine with a look of unadulterated shock.

“What did Twilight do to you?!” she said with alarm, running up to my bedside and closely examining my horn in a state of panic. “The doctor said your horn would be fine—but this is serious! We need to let them know right—”

“Surefire!” I called out to the distressed mare, thankfully managing to garner her attention. “Surefire, relax; this is perfectly normal for—”

“Normal?!” she cried, taken aback. She withdrew a step from my bedside. “I have never seen or, or even heard of, of anything like that before, ever.”

I cowered down a little in my bed, overwhelmed by her rather extreme reaction. It was stuff like this that had always made me so reluctant to use my magic.

As I looked away from the young mare, my eyes caught sight of my damaged right forehoof. I recalled how they had said I might never regain full control of it, and that I would have to start relying on my magic for more mundane activities. This would, of course, mean I’d have to deal with ponies’ reactions to my magic on a daily basis; it would be inescapable.

I decided I’d better get used to it, starting now. Steeling myself, I dug down deep and found the resolve needed to address the still-flabbergasted Surefire. “This is normal for me. My albinism affects my magic in very specific ways, and—”

“But the color! It’s—”

“Prismatic, yes. My natural magical color is just that.”

The junior detective seemed to lose her hoofing, falling back onto her haunches and looking absolutely stunned. I was silently wishing that one of the girls were here to help explain it better, but I knew that was on my own for this one.

“My magic has been like this all my life; no recent injuries have changed it,” I informed her, gesturing to my horn. “I don’t know if you noticed, but I haven’t once used my magic in your company before now. I think you can see why...”

Slowly getting to her hooves, Surefire finally shook herself out of her daze. “I’m really sorry, it’s just... Wow. I mean... wow!” To my surprise she flashed me a wide smile. “That is simply amazing! I mean, prismatic magic? That’s got to be some kind of record or something; it’s definitely super-cool!”

I shrank away bashfully at the unexpected compliments. Even after showing it to all my new friends—and a few other ponies besides—I still wasn’t used to receiving compliments about my magic’s color.

“May I see it again?” Surefire said hopefully. ”I promise I won’t freak out this time.” She let out a sheepish laugh.

I nodded, albeit slowly. Looking to the papers on the bed, I focused, enveloping them in my colorful aura. With a gentle, mental whisk, I got them to float in front of an enraptured Surefire.

She stared wordlessly, as if entranced by the spectrum of colored lights dancing in front of her face.

As for myself, I once again experienced a bizarre feeling in my horn as I struggled to hold my magic steady.

Shouldn’t this be hurting, like before?

“Surefire? Did somepony do something to my horn? Other than Twilight, I mean.”

The junior detective shook herself out of the daze before looking back to me. “Sorry, um... Your doctor applied some sort of numbing-agent to your horn. Creamy stuff. She said you likely won’t feel much for a few hours.”

I reached up and touched my horn with my forehoof. “Well, that explains why I can suddenly use magic without any pain.”

Surefire again looked to the prismatic aura surrounding the papers, smiling vaguely. “I still can’t get over it. I mean, looking at you, all white and colorless and stuff, being an albino and all, one would never in a million years guess that your... magic...” She trailed off. Her expression went blank and eyes grew wide.

“Surefire?” I said, recognizing an epiphany when I saw one. “What is it?”

“They didn’t know either...” she whispered to herself breathlessly.

I tilted my head, still confused. “Surefi—”

“THEY DIDN’T KNOW!” she boomed suddenly, eliciting a small squeak from me and nearly making me jump out of the bed.

Surefire quickly snatched the stack of documents out of mid-air and dropped them to the bed, furiously scanning and then tossing away the top few pages. Then, when she reached a particular page, her already-manic smile only widened further. She promptly picked up the paper and held it out in front me, right up in my face.

“They didn't know about your magic!”

I leaned sideways to look around the paper that was blocking my vision. “Huh? Who? What?”

“Look!” she insisted, barely able to contain her excitement. She brought the paper even closer to my face.

I craned my neck back to get a better view. It was the page with all the mysterious charts and graphs on it. Scratching my head, I dutifully studied its contents once again, but I still wasn’t able to make heads or tails of all the data. Finally, I gave up.

“Um... I don’t really know what I’m looking at?”

Surefire stared blankly at me for a moment before letting out a sheepish laugh, and helpfully set the paper in my lap in front of me. “Sorry, sorry... This graph right here,” she said, impatiently pointing to a small graph in the bottom right corner of the page, “displays three different attributes of your magic. The first line, the blue one, is the frequency with which your magic naturally travels; the second line, the red one, details the volatility of your magic; and finally, the yellow line displays its visible spectrum.”

Being unfamiliar with these concepts, I still had no real idea what all these values meant. “So, what does it say about my magic?”

Surefire flashed me a smirk. “The listing says that your magic’s color is a soft ruby-red; the same color as your eyes. However, as we now both know, that’s totally wrong, and we can prove it!”

I finally understood what she was getting at. “If my magic doesn’t match the description in the evidence papers...”

“Then their validity becomes questionable at best, and will require further review. Which will clearly show that this magical data is definitely not yours!” she said triumphantly, before leaning in close. “This is the weak link, Prism! Between your alicorn sample and this, we can blow the entire case against you wide open!”

The door suddenly swung open, and a familiar ruby-red pony hastily entered. “What’s with all the shouting in here? Is everything all right?” Doctor Ruby Heart frowned at us, and closed the door behind her. “You’re not in any pain, are you Prism?”

I shook my head. “No, I’m fine, it’s just that we found some inconsistencies in these reports, and that got somepony a little excited.” I glanced to Surefire with a small smirk, which she met with a sheepish laugh.

Ruby raised an eyebrow as she approached us. “What did you find?”

Well, that was rather... direct.

I paused for a moment before shaking the thought away. “Oh, we discovered that the description of the color of my magic in the evidence papers does not match its actual color,” I explained.

“Is that so?” she leaned in and looked me directly in the eyes, appearing to be examining them. “You’re not married to another unicorn... are you?” Her expression was one of disapproval.

It took my a moment or two to realize what she was insinuating.

She thinks that Fluttershy and I are have...

I blushed furiously, flailing my left hoof at her dismissively. “N-no! I-It’s nothing like that, no!

“What Prism means,” Surefire cut in, ”is that her magic is actually prismatic in color, rather than the soft ruby-red mentioned in these papers.” She grabbed the page in question from my lap and held it out to the doctor. “I’ve just learned that it’s a, uh, a feature of her albinism, which the pony who compiled this data must not have been aware of, much like myself. So they got it totally wrong, which means at least part of this report has been falsified.”

She took the paper from the detective, holding it up with her right wing whilst she looked it over for a few moments. “I see... So, what’s next?”

“What we need now is a unigram test to record Prism’s actual magical characteristics.”

My ears perked up at Surefire’s words. “Twilight probably already has all of that in her research notes. She did all sorts of tests on me, and she’s extremely thorough.”

Surefire nodded. “I don’t doubt it, but I’m not sure we could get away with using her data.”

I tilted my head curiously. “What do you mean?”

Surefire pointed a forehoof to the report still held in Ruby’s wing. “For data to be considered valid evidence, it has to be an official test performed with the right equipment, by a certified operator.” She closed her eyes, letting out a long sigh as she shifted her weight around on her hooves. “I’m guessing Twilight probably meets those criteria, but I have no idea where she is at the moment. And it’s doubtful that she’d have access to the proper equipment here in Manehattan.”

“I could do it,” Ruby said, raising a forehoof. “I’m certified, and I do believe we have a unigram machine here, in the magical ward.”

Surefire tilted her head, eyeing Ruby Heart skeptically. “A general physician with a unigram operations certification?”

The doctor’s ears folded back as she met the younger mare’s gaze with a small glare. “I’ll have you know that I was also involved with medical research during my internship at Canterlot General,” she said matter-of-factly.

Despite Ruby’s explanation, Surefire’s expression held. “Well, if you would be so kind, Doctor, we could really use your help with this.”

The crimson mare rolled her eyes. “Please, just call me Ruby. And I would be glad to lend you my expertise.” She looked over to me and flashed me a smile. “That way, nopony is going to question the validity of the results.”

Surefire brought a forehoof to her chin with a small hum. “Yes, you have a point, they wouldn’t.”

The doctor returned the evidence paper and made her way to the door, but then looked back over her shoulder as Surefire. “There’s be some paperwork I need you to fill out if this unigram is to be used as official court evidence, detective, so if you would be so kind as to join me, I can begin to prep for Prism’s analysis right away.”

Surefires expression softened, and she smiled. “All right. Thanks for being so prompt, Ruby.”

Ruby covered a small laugh. “Of course! It’s my job to look after my patients.”

With that, the two mares exited the room together, while I was left alone, dumbfounded by this remarkable turn of events. To think that, mere hours ago, I had feared that there was no chance of getting out of this mess. Now however, with knowledge of my magic out in open, it seemed that Surefire held the power to completely destroy the case against me.

As I reveled in this unexpected triumph, a sudden click of the door snapped me out of my contemplations. I briefly wondered who it could be, but I soon got my answer. The new guest turned out to be somepony I certainly wasn’t expecting, and had absolutely no desire to see.

“I thought that little brat would never leave,” said the yellow stallion in a posh tone, as he adjusted the small set of reading glasses perched atop his muzzle.

I narrowed my eyes, shooting an intense glare at my unwelcome guest. “What do you want, Snooty?”

The stallion raised an eyebrow at me curiously. “Why, I don’t want anything, my dear. I’ve simply come to warn you, that is all.” A small smirk played across his face.

I felt a twinge of anger at the sight of that smug, insufferable smile. “Warn me of what?” I asked, irritated by his mere presence.

Snooty’s expression suddenly turned very serious. “I know what you are up to, my dear,” he said as he began pacing in front of my bed. “Your friends have been very busy little bees, these past few days.”

I felt a cold chill running down my spine as I silently watched the stallion walking to and fro, disturbed by his words.

“That little brat detective-friend of yours has been poking her snout where it does not belong. For her sake, and yours, I would advise you to insist that she stop. I really don’t want to have to clean up another mess, if I don’t have to.” He suddenly stopped his pacing and spun to face me. “And do you mares take me for afoal? I know who Twilight Sparkle is; I know of her importance, and the significance of the connections she has. Did you really, honestly think I would not see right through her while she clumsily tried to prod me for information?”

Snooty’s blatant arrogance was grating on my last nerve. “I don’t care what you think you know, Snooty. Just know this: we are on to you. Your corrupt little detective-friends made a huge mistake.” I pointed my left forehoof to the evidence papers on the bed in front of me, conjuring up a little smirk of my own. “They left us this lovely stack of evidence to go through.”

Snooty scoffed at me with complete disregard. “Please. I knew of this; they informed me of that insignificant little oversight right after they became aware of it. The only reason you still have them in your possession is because I knew for a fact that there is nothing in there that could possibly be of any use to you. I have eyes and ears everywhere, my dear.”

Snooty approached the foot of my bed and reached down, picking up a large clipboard which, presumably, contained medical information, before looking at me with a sinister smile.

“Everywhere...”

Has he... Has he been having me watched? Even here?

I felt a wave of nausea swelling up in the pit of my stomach. If this was true then I wasn’t safe in this room, or even this entire hospital.

Snooty took notice of my horrified expression and let out a low, nefarious laugh before returning the clipboard to its original position at the foot of my bed.

What am I going to do...

I suddenly remembered something else I could confront him with. “Hunter! You tried to clean his blood off me, but you couldn’t have gotten it all out of my horn’s alicorn.”

Snooty let out a long sigh, nodding his head a few times in reluctant agreement. “Yes, yes, you are correct, I could not. However, I am not particularly worried about that,” he said with another affirmative nod. “All that will prove is that there was another, unknown stallion involved who was fortunate enough to have survived your vicious attacks. The scene of the crime will show this as well, so in the end, discovering the blood will only delay the inevitable. All of it was a royal pain in the flank to stage, but then again, sometimes one must go above and beyond to keep one’s nose clean, my dear.”

It seemed that no matter what my friends and I did, Snooty was always one step ahead of us. His unfathomable arrogance and confidence left me both furious and terrified at the same time, but I could do little more than sneer at him, for the time being.

The stallion turned to look at the clock. “Well, I would love to stay and chat, but unfortunately my time is short.” He casually adjusted the collar of his vest. “You see, I have an appointment with a certain up-and-coming fashionista which I wouldn’t dare miss.” He punctuated his message with a pompous laugh.

A cold chill crept its way down my spine at his words. I already knew that Rarity had likely been spending time with him, but having my worst fears confirmed like this was beyond unsettling.

Snooty gave a small frown, seemingly dissatisfied with my lack of response to his carefully-crafted taunt. “Well... I’ll be off then. Do have a nice d—”

“Wait!” I called out as he turned to leave.

There’s still one more thing I need to check...

“Before you go,”  I asked politely, ”would you mind telling me what this graph means?” I picked up the page with all the charts from the stack and held it out to Snooty. “The one in the bottom left? I don’t understand it.”

I tried my very best to keep a straight face. I was never very good at lying, but I didn’t want Snooty to catch on to me just yet. Thankfully, my act appeared to be sufficiently convincing, given that his face lit up with a condescending grin.

“Well, I suppose I could at least do that much. It’s really no surprise that an uneducated, home-schooled pony such as yourself is unable to grasp the complexities of this graph.”

I looked daggers at Snooty, deeply insulted by his latest taunt. I took great pride in the fact that Mother had provided my education for me in order to get me out of that horrible school, and knew for a fact that she had done an excellent job.

Snooty feigned a pout. “Oh my, if looks could kill... Did I strike a nerve? What a temper.you still have. Didn’t I warn you about keeping that in check, my dear? You’re really not doing yourself any favors with such continued aggressive behavior.”

I was fighting desperately to restrain myself from furiously exploding at him. “Just... Just tell me what the graph says. Please?”

He shot me another disappointed frown, but then cleared his throat. “This is a unigram diagnostics sheet. It displays three distinct values of your magic: frequency, volatility and spectrum,” he explained in a bored, monotonous drone. “Not that these variables mean anything to you, but since you asked nicely, I suppose I could point out that your magical frequency is quite high. While unusual, it still isn’t particularly special. The volatility values, however, are; they are really quite absurdly high. But then again, with a temper like yours, should we really be all that surprised?”

I hoped that my expression adequately communicated how utterly unamused I was by his constant, petty jabs, without showing any of my giddy excitement. Little did he know, he was playing right into my hooves.

“And the last one?” I inquired, trying to sound casual.

“Ah yes, the aforementioned spectral analysis. Utterly unremarkable. They show a dirty, reddish sort of color, obviously; the same as your eyes. This is the case for every unicorn, as I’m sure you know.”

His voice was dripping with sarcasm, but I held my tongue.

“Really?” I said, feigning interest.

Snooty raised a brow. ”Unless of course they have ever been married to another unicorn, which you, unsurprisingly, have not.”

“Does it really show my magic’s actual color?” I asked, hoping that he would repeat himself and dig his own grave a little deeper still.

Snooty rolled his eyes at me. “I just said so, did I not? A soft ruby-red was the official conclusion, if you must know.”

I fought hard to keep a victorious smile from creeping up the corners of my mouth. “Oh, I heard you, but there’s just one tiny problem with that...”

Snooty snorted impatiently, although I could detect just the slightest hint of doubt in his eyes. “Oh? ...And what would that be, my dear?”

I could no longer hide it; a large, predatory grin appeared on my muzzle. “My magic is not red.”

I would have paid any price for a picture immortalizing the look of flustered confusion on Snooty’s face in that moment.

However, I was not finished just yet.

Taking a deep breath to calm my nerves, I focused on the paper in Snooty’s hoof. In an instant, the prismatic glow of my magic enveloped it. A bright, iridescent glow reflected vividly in the stunned stallion’s eyes as he stared wordlessly at the spectacle before him. I pulled the page from his grasp and made it to levitate right next to me.

Snooty seemed to lose the strength in his legs and dropped to his haunches. He weakly pointed a shaky forehoof at the paper I was holding in the colorful magic he had obviously not been expecting. His face went pale, which I took to mean that the full extent of his folly was fast beginning to dawn on him.

I met his fearful gaze with a victorious smile. After all the trouble he had caused me and my friends, I had finally managed to concoct and play a winning move to finally wipe that arrogant look clean off his face—and I was enjoying every second of it.

“You don’t look too good, Snooty. Is something wrong?” I asked sweetly, shifting positions so that my head was resting on my left forehoof.

“You seem awfully scared...”

Chapter 22: Touch Move

Never before had I seen a pony run as fast as I did just minutes ago.

Snooty had made a lightning-speed exit at the conclusion of my magical display. His reaction to my magic made one thing very clear: he was afraid. With the revealing of my magic, I had put a serious dent in his plan to put me away, and he knew it.

This made me feel a bit more comfortable. I now knew that once Surefire collects the data from my alicorn sample and unigram test, the case against me would crumble like the walls of a sandcastle against the waves of the rising tide.

Although, despite my personal victory over Snooty, I hadn’t thought of the potential consequences of my actions. Surefire however, was quick to point this out.

“What were you thinking, Prism!”

I winced and shrank down at the detectives words. “I-I didn’t think—”

“That’s right, you didn’t think!” she quickly interjected before facehoofing with a loud groan. “It’s bad enough that Snooty knows what Twilight and I have been up to the past few days, but now he knows about your magic as well.”

I felt just awful. I let my anger and spite for Snooty get the better of me again. This time it was not only detrimental to my position, but to my friends’ as well. I made a mental note to work on my temper, as it had gotten me into nothing but trouble and only made situations worse lately.

“I’m sorry, Surefire...” I apologized, my ears falling back as looked down to my bed in shame.

Surefire let out a long sigh before turning to face me. “It’s alright, Prism. This just means that we have to be careful now that the cat’s out of the bag.” She scratched the back of her neck. “And I’m sorry for yelling at you like that.”

I shook my head dismissively. “It’s fine. I really messed this one up.”

“Regardless, I shouldn’t have yelled at you like that,” Surefire admitted, returning to the green chair in the corner of the room and taking a seat. “Anyways, Ruby should be ready soon.”

As if to punctuate her message, a click of metal sounded as the room’s door opened, a red pegasus entering, happily humming to herself. Ruby pushed in front of her a strange metal contraption. It looked to be some kind of a chair on wheels. Further examining the device, I could have sworn it seemed awfully familiar, like I had seen one before, but I couldn’t quite place a name on what it was.

The doctor beamed the two of us a smile. “Everything is prepped and ready for you, Prism.” she announced, walking up to my bedside. “Shall we go then?”

I nodded. “I’m ready, but...” I tilted my head curiously at her. “How exactly am I supposed to get there?”

Ruby looked back to the metal device she brought with her. “Well...”

* * * * * * * * * *

I couldn’t think of a moment in my life where I felt as helpless as I did right then. Requiring both Ruby and Surefire to lift and position me in a device meant for pushing me around was beyond humiliating. The doctor had called it a “Wheelchair” when she and the detective helped me into it a few minutes ago.

I folded my ears back in irritation as Ruby pushed me down the long hallways of Manehattan General.

As the three of us traversed the halls, I couldn’t help but notice that the many hallways of the hospital grounds all looked very much the same. The walls varied different shades of white, holding up a number of corkboards, charts and miscellaneous other pieces information regarding the patients in the rooms we passed. It wasn’t difficult to see how a pony could easily get lost in this building if they were not familiar with it. If not for the many marked signs, it would be downright impossible to navigate the maze.

Surefire bumped my left shoulder with a forehoof. “Oh come on Prism, cheer up! It’s not that bad,” she enthused, sounding quite chipper as she walked along side me.

“Yes it is that bad,” I replied, absolutely no enthusiasm in my voice whatsoever. “It was bad enough I have been glued to that bed for days; now I have to have somepony push me around in this humiliating device for me to go anywhere.”

Ruby let out a small chuckle as she continued to push the chair from behind. “It’s not humiliating. Plenty of ponies have had to use wheelchairs when they had been badly injured,” she informed me as we began to turn down an approaching corner. “Besides, you’re going to be using one until we get you walking again; so you best get used to it now.”

I let out a disgruntled grumble at her words and looked away. “Hooray for me...” I cheered out in utter deadpan.

Our journey through the hospital hallways lasted for several minutes before a sign hanging overhead read, “Magic Ward.”

Passing under it, we came into a rather large and open waiting room. Several unicorns sat waiting, some looked to be in pain or obviously sick; while other miscellaneous tribes of pony sat reading magazines and books. A number of fillies and colts also played with a collection small toys and stationery play devices in the back corner of the room.

Not much has changed since then.

My ears fell back as I sank into my seat with a small sigh.

Surefire sped up ahead, opening a pair of double doors leading out the room and further into the ward.

As we passed her, the young mare caught a good look at my face. “You okay, Prism? You don’t look so good...” she asked, concern weighing heavy in her tone.

I shook my head dismissively. “I’m fine, it’s just... I have a lot of bad memories of this place.”

“You’ve been here before?” she asked, a hint of surprise in her tone as she caught up to walk alongside me again.

“Unfortunately, yes.”

“Oh wow, what were you here for?” Surefire asked as the three of us stopped in front of a seemingly random doorway.

“A nightmare...”

Surefire tilted her head curiously at my response as Ruby opened the room’s door and wheeled me in. The room was surprisingly small, with just enough room to fit a small hoof-full of ponies. it seemed to only serve one purpose, to house a device that I quickly recognized.

It looked a lot like a machine Twilight had in her basement, only much larger, and less crude looking. Seeing as this was a hospital, it was little surprise they would have top of the line equipment.

Surefire leaned up against a wall in the corner, whilst Ruby walked around me and tapped a series of buttons on a dashboard near the front of the machine. A few moments of silence went by before it made a loud beep. The doctor turned to me and leaned in close, seemingly examining my horn.

She rubbed her chin with a forehoof. “Your horn should still be fine from the Unijel coating earlier, but juusst to be safe...” Ruby reached into a pocket of her white doctor’s coat and retrieved a small bottle. “...I’m going to apply another coating; can never be too careful.” she then opened the bottle with the assistance of her right wing, revealing the bottles lid also doubled as an applicator brush.

It impressed me just how dexterous this pegasus was with her wings. I had seen Fluttershy make use of her extra appendages several times, but not nearly to the extent that Ruby Heart relied on them. The doctor happily hummed to herself as she as she brought the applicator to my horn and brushed a large streak down it.

The sensation I felt as her applicator’s brush touched my horn was... weird. A very unnatural cold feel seemed to seep into my horn with each stroke she applied. A few moments later Ruby stepped back, examining my horn from several different angles before nodding to herself.

“That should do it!” she exclaimed with a small smile. “Now we wait about eight to ten minutes while the gel takes its full effect before we get started.”

Surefire pushed herself off the wall and walked up beside me. “In the meantime, would you mind clarifying what you meant earlier by ‘a nightmare’, Prism?”

Ruby glanced to the young mare with a nod. “I am curious myself. Not too many ponies have bad experiences in the magic ward, what exactly happened?”

My ears fell back at the memories their questions raised. “It’s kind of a long story....”

Ruby somewhat frowned. “Well, can you at least give us the gist of it?”

I let out a long, drawn out sigh. “My first experience here was on my third day of Magic Kindergarten; the first time I visibly used my magic.”

“I imagine that would have caused quite the stir,” Surefire commented.

“You have no idea,” I declared before continuing. “I was struggling in class, everypony had been able to summon their magic willingly within the very first day, everypony but me. The teacher was worried that there might have been something wrong with me.”

Ruby brought a hoof to her chin with a humm, “Hmm, most unicorn foals can willingly summon their magic without instruction, long before their first day of Magic Kindergarten.”

I nodded. “Right, which is why she was so concerned with my inability to summon it. When I told her I never had any surges as a baby, she didn’t believe me; not until Mother clarified it the next day anyways.”

Both mares stared back at me in obvious surprise. “You didn’t have any surges as a young foal?” Ruby asked, hesitation evident in her tone.

I shook my head.

Surefire sat to her haunches, folding her forelegs over her chest. “That’s just... bizarre. My little sister had some wild magic surges as a baby,” She informed us. “I clearly remember her levitating my all toys at once, and turning on all the water faucets in the house a few times as well.” The young mare looked over to me. “You didn’t have anything like that happen?”

I again shook my head. “Mother said I was quiet as a mouse when I was a baby; that I was even easier to handle than her friend’s pegasus foal.”

“Of the three tribes, Pegasi are the easiest to look after during foalhood,” Ruby Heart commented. “They lack the strength of earth pony foals, and cannot use magic, or fly.” She paused for a moment before reiterating, “Well... on rare occasions some can fly from the moment they are born, but this is often a sign that the child will be an extremely gifted flyer when they reach adulthood.”

Ruby paused again before smiling sheepishly and laughing. “But I am rambling again, go on, Prism.”

“Like I mentioned the other day, the first time I used magic was my first day of school, but that was not a visible display of my magic, just a use of it,” I informed the two. “However on my third day of magic kindergarten, I had been following my teacher’s advice and instructions carefully and finally felt my magic gather in my horn.” I shifted uncomfortably in my wheelchair. “I was so happy that I finally did it, I thought the colorfulness of my magic was natural, but when I showed the teacher, she panicked. Thinking there was something wrong with me, she had me rushed to this hospital... and...” I trailed off as long buried memories resurfaced; memories I wanted nothing more than to forget.

I steeled myself as I shook the thoughts from my head. “I... I would rather leave it at that for now...”

Surefire nodded. “You—”

“What happened after you got here?” Ruby asked, pointing a hoof down to the floor.

My mental resolve wavered at her question. “A... a lot of things I would rather...”

My ears fell back as I sank down into my seat; I really did not want to think about the experience, let alone talk about it. However, could I really even say no to Ruby’s request? She had been so hopeful to me and asked nothing in return so far. Was it fair for me to dismiss her inquiry?

I don’t think it is...

I bit my lower lip, reluctantly recalling the experience for the doctor. “They had me do tests... lots of tests. They also gave me painful injections, and—”

Surefire placed her hoof on my shoulder and said something, however I had already become too lost in the entrancement of my horrible foalhood memories to really notice her.

I threw out my left hoof in a sweeping arch. “I didn’twant to do them! They said it was for my own good, so they could find out what was wrong; but I was terrified! I had no idea what was going on—or why they wouldn’t let me go home!” I felt my lower lip tremble as I struggled to force out my words. “I-I, I just wanted Mother, but t-they... they did so much—and I... I—” An eruption of tears and sobs cut me off as I found myself unable to speak anymore on the matter.

Surefire turned to Ruby with a heavy glare. “Are you satisfied now, Doctor?” She scrawled at her. “Was it worth making her cry!?”

Ruby’s ears fell back as she winced at the young mare’s sharp words. “I-I’m sorry, It’s just... if we know—.”

“And what is this, we?” The detective narrowed her eyes at the crimson mare, her irritation having clearly spiked in her tone. “Why do you want to be so involved anyways?”

Ruby craned her neck back. “A-are you—are you seriously asking that!?” She sputtered, taken aback at the young mare’s words. “Is it so hard to believe that I care and am worried?” The doctor threw her foreleg back, pointing directly at me. “Look at what’s happened to her—what’s happening to her; It’s unjust and unfair! Do I need more reason to want to help, detective?”

Surefire opened her mouth as if to comment, but hesitated briefly before letting out a sigh. “You’re... You’re right.” The young mare shifted posture, scratching the back of her neck. “I’m sorry for snapping at you, I guess I’ve just really been on edge lately.”

Ruby smiled back to the detective. “It’s fine, but don’t forget; I’m no different than you in this. I’m helping because I want to.”

During this time that the two mares had their exchange, I had managed to calm down and compose myself. “Um, just... just why were you so curious about my experience here, Ruby?” I asked with a small sniffle, rubbing my snout with my free foreleg.

“Well, when you first mentioned you had a bad experience here, I assumed some magic testings were likely involved,” she replied, turning to face me. “If it’s true you had many tests performed on you here, then they should all still be on file here in the archives; the hospital keeps all records of their patients’ treatments and testing indefinitely.”

Surefire turned to Ruby with a brief, absolute dumbfounded expression. “That’s... that’s right!” she suddenly exclaimed with a large smile. “Prism’s previous medical records would have all of her legitimate magic’s data...” The young mares expression suddenly fell to a slightly concerned look. “Assuming Snooty and his goons hadn’t already got to, and tampered with them...”

Ruby shook her head with a small, dismissive hum. “That’s extremely unlikely,” she stated before pointing to me again. “Patient confidentiality is taken very seriously. The only way for anypony besides Prism to retrieve access to them, would be to have Prism herself sign and date a release of information form here in the flesh; This includes all doctors and staff as well; unless in an emergency situation of course.” Ruby looked to me with a smirk. “And I seriously doubt Prism has come here to release her medical information to anyone.”

I returned the doctors smirk with a sheepish laugh. “Yes. You are right, I have never signed a release to anypony; for a number of reasons which I am sure you two could probably guess.”

Surefire nodded to me before turning to the doctor. “So this medical data is safe then?” Ruby nodded back to her. “That’s wonderful!” she excitedly spun to face me. “Between this unigram, alicorn sample and your previous medical records data, we’ll smash Snooty’s false magic evidence on you into tiny pieces; this case is over!” she punctuated her statement with a stomp of a forehoof.

I couldn’t help but manage a smile at the young mares enthusiasm. I never would have guessed in a million years that one of the darkest traumas from my past, would end up being one of my greatest salvations in the future.

It’s funny how fate weaves its web.

Ruby looked to the unigram machine. “Speaking of which, your horn should be ready for us to get started, Prism.”

“Huh?” I looked up to the tip of my horn, noticing I could hardly feel it. “Oh! Right.” I let out a sheepish laugh, having entirely forgotten what we were doing in the first place.

* * * * * * * * * *

The machine seemed to function very much like the one in Twilight’s library, except I could feel a hum vibrating through the metal of the wheelchair I sat in; the larger machine appeared to vibrate the floor as it worked.

The actual test was more or less the same as well, involving me levitating a copper ball with many small brass sensors, and a long cord attached to it. Twilight had made mention that the sensors were what collected the data on the magic, however she neglected to tell me exactly what they recorded back then. Knowing now what a unigram was, I had finally found my answer.

As the test drew to a close, Ruby watched over to the other side of the machine that displayed a number of monitors detailing information that was of meaningless to me. I simply assumed it were results of the testing.

However, the doctor’s reaction was unexpected. Her eyes narrowed as she leaned in close to one of the monitors, before walking around to the other side of the machine and tapping on a number of small gauges a few times each.

“That is just...I, I don’t even know...” She mused aloud to herself.

Surefire’s ears perked up as she pushed herself off the wall she had been leaning up against. “Something wrong, Doctor?”

Ruby gave the detective a perplexed look. “Well, um.. actually I really don’t even know if it is or not.” she turned to me, a look of clear confusion on her face. “I have never seen results like this before.”

I sank down in my seat a bit. “My magic behaves very strangely. Twilight had pointed this out on a number of occasions when she was doing her research on my magic.”

Surefire walked to the opposing side of the machine, and closely studied the display before craning her neck back. “Oh wow. You sure the test was done right?” she asked, looking around the unigram device to Ruby.

The doctor nodded. “Yes, everything was done correctly, these must be the correct figures.”

I glanced back and forth between the two mares, confused as to what they were talking about. “What do they say?”

Surefire brought a hoof to her chin, examining the screen in deep thought. “The frequency result is so... low; it’s ridiculous. The machine barely even seemed to pick it up.”

I tilted my head curiously at the detective. “What does that mean?”

Ruby answered for her, “it means you magic is, um...” the doctor hesitantly fidgeted in place for a moment with a forced smile. “Really, weak.”

I nodded. “Yes, Twilight had made note of this when she first calculated my uniwattage.” I paused for a moment before letting out a small laugh at the memory. “She had thought the machine was broken or something.”

“Well, that would explain the ridiculously low frequency,” Surefire stated, gesturing a hoof to one of the machines monitors. “You magic doesn’t have enough juice to travel any higher.”

“That’s... not entirely true,” I commented. “My magic’s flow is blocked due to my albinism.”

The young mare’s expression quickly perked up. “Oh! That’s right. I recall reading that in Twilight notes the other day.”

Ruby scratched her head, walking around the machine to join the detective at the monitors. “Even so, it sure is bizarre,” she said. “Then there’s the fact your magic’s volatility is practically nonexistent. In other words, you couldn’t harm a fly with it.”

“That’s a good thing though.” Surefire pointed out. “It proves there is no way Prism could have done the damage she supposedly did to the stallions.”

Ruby paused, looking deep in thought for a few moments. “True, that is right; however...” the doctor turned to face me with a worried look. “Prism’s magic functions on two different wavelengths; I just didn’t expect this one to be so... low.”

Surefire shot the doctor a puzzled look. “Huh? ...What do you mean?”

“Twilight Sparkle had mentioned Prism’s magic surges beyond a certain level of forced concentration,” Ruby answered matter-of-factly.

The young mare blinked a few times, staring off into space. “Hmm... I don’t remember her saying anything about that”

Ruby let out a soft chuckle. “That is because this was before you had first come to visit Prism, Detective. Twilight Sparkle had given me a private history lesson on Prism’s magic.”

Well, that would explain why she knows so much about me; Twilight had spoken with her prior.

Ruby cleared her throat. “Anyways, I would like to get a reading of your magic as it surges. The values will be quite different I imagine.”

I bit my lower lip. “I... I don’t think that is such a good idea, Ruby...” I glanced over to the unigram machine. “That machine looks really expensive...”

Ruby looked quite taken aback at my reply before letting out a hearty laugh. “Don’t be silly, you won’t break it.” she declared, tapping the machine with a foreleg. “This machine is designed to withstand some powerful magic.”

She... she has no idea what my magic is capable of, does she? Wouldn’t Twilight have warned her of that?

“Um, Ruby?, Twilight said the same thing about a five hundred pound, magically tempered weight; that I could not destroy it.” I shifted uneasily in the wheelchair. “I ended up melting it and catching her library’s floor on fire...”

Surefire’s eyes went wide in surprise. “Whoa...”

The doctor bit her lip before looking to the unigram machine. “Uh, Twilight failed to mention that little detail... well, on second thought, maybe you are right.” she turned back to me with a nervous laugh. “I’d rather not get fired for destroying expensive hospital equipment.”

Ruby crossed to the other side of the machine, scribbling some notes on her clipboard. “We’ll just leave this bit of detail out, besides.” She glanced to the machine once again. “If nopony could get an official, live reading of your magic at that frequency, it doesn’t matter what your collected residual magic residue says.”

Surefire stomped a forehoof. “That’s right! If they cannot match it, then it’s value as evidence is null,” she stated before looking to Ruby. “It’s a good thing Prism caught this, nopony would have questioned the evidence’s data otherwise; as far as anypony knew, it was classified as official from old records matching that found in her apartment.”

Ruby nodded. “Regardless of what evidence they currently have...” she turned and pressed a button on the unigram machine, causing it to print out a paper covered in graphs and values. “This data here will derail all of it.” She shot me a quick wink.

I let out a long sigh of relief. “That is good to know, I can at least put my mind at ease for now.”

“I’ll hang onto this for now,” Ruby said, collecting the paper from its output tray on the unigram machine and placing it on her clipboard. “Once I have collected Prism archived records, I’ll be sure it all reaches Detectives Surefire hooves.”

Surefire beamed the doctor a small smile. “Thank You Doctor Ruby Heart. I really appreciate your help in all of this.” she sheepishly fidgeted for a moment. “And, um, sorry for doubting you.”

Ruby rolled her eyes with a smile. “Please, just call me Ruby, and again, it’s no problem; it’s the right thing to do.” Ruby spun to face me. “Now, let’s get you back to your room, then I’ll retrieve the forms I’ll need you to sign so Surefire can legally be privileged to view your records, as well as allow myself to retrieve and compile them for you two.”

I nodded. “Thank you, Ruby.”

The mare closed her eyes and beamed me a warm smile, before walking over to the room’s door and opening it. She wasted no time in returning to me and turning my wheelchair and pushing me out the door.

Surefire quickly followed the two of us, closing the room’s door behind her.

* * * * * * * * * *

After a few long minutes of traversing the hospital’s maze-like hallways, we found ourselves back in my room. Once Ruby had me securely back in my bed, she informed us she would return shortly with the release of information forms.

After aiding Ruby in moving me, Surefire had taken a seat in one of the green chairs in the corner of the room. A few moments of silence passed before the young mare let out a small hum, bringing a hoof to her chin.

I ears perked up at the sudden noise. “Something on your mind, Surefire?” I asked, curious as to what the detective was thinking about.

“I was just thinking about Snooty,” she answered, looking to me. “The unigram data and your previous medical records are irrefutable evidence of your innocence in the claims against you. I mean, I’m not one to tempt fate, but just what can he do to you at this point?”

I looked down to my bed, staring off into space for a moment. “I don’t know...” I slowly looked back to the young mare with a worried look. “The only thing I can think of is you.”

The detective raised an eyebrow at me. “What do you mean, Prism?”

“When Snooty warned me earlier, he mentioned how I should tell you to stop what you are doing, that he doesn’t want to clean up another mess if he doesn’t have to.” I nervously rubbed with my right forehoof’s cast. “If he cannot do anything to stop me... his next target is you.”

Surefire scoffed in disregard. “He won’t do anything to me,” she confidently reassured me. “I’m too close to exposing him.”

My expression fell at her words. “Which is exactly why you should be worried, Surefire. Snooty is a very dangerous stallion. If he had ponies follow me all the way to Ponyville just to spy on and have me foalnapped, do you honestly think he’s not going to do something to stop you? a bigger threat to him?”

“Everything will point right at him if he harms me in any way. So don’t worry about me.”

“Just how many other ponies know what you know about Snooty, besides myself and Twilight?” I asked, waiting several seconds for her reply which never came. “Exactly, which is why you should be worried. You hold the power to crush the case against me and begin a paper trail leading right back to him; He knows this.”

Surefire gave an irritated eye roll. “I’ll be fine; I won’t let anything happen to me.” she paused for a moment before giving me a curious look. “Just why are you so worried about me anyways, Prism?”

I blinked a few times, surprised at her question. “Do you really need to ask? You are my friend, Surefire,” I replied. “I’m worried about you. I don’t know what I would do if something bad were to happen to you... ”

My response had seemingly caught the young mare off guard; her posture suddenly shifted as she caught herself from falling out of her chair.

She paused in silence for several seconds as her ears fell back. “It’s... been awhile since somepony has called me a friend.”

I tilted my head curiously, confused by her sudden change in behavior. “What do you mean?”

Surefire hesitantly shifted herself in place. “Well... ever since I first got my cutie mark when I was a filly, I, um... I didn’t really make any time for other ponies,” she admitted with an uneasy, nervous laugh. “I knew what I wanted to be, so I kind of, sort of... engrossed myself in my becoming a detective, and didn’t really slow down to pursue relationships with others.”

“Why not?”

The young mare’s sad expression only sank further. “I would always tell myself that I was too busy, or that I didn’t have time; and when I finally made it... I had come to find that I didn’t have anypony that I could really call a friend anymore...” Surefire trailed off as her lower lip began to tremble. “W-when I realized this, I tried to reconnect with my old friends, but I had hurt them, hurt them so much with all my blatant neglect and blowing them off for my own goals and ambitions; they wanted nothing to do with me!”

At this point the young mare had all but broken down into tears and sniffles as she fought desperately to hold back with all her will. It wasn’t difficult to see that there was a lot of pent up pain she held back by a now crumbling wall of seriousness and forced maturity.

She tried to grow up too fast...

“You have done so much for me and gone so far out of your way with so much to risk and nothing to really gain. If that isn’t at least deserving of my friendship, then I don’t know what is.” I informed her. “You have more than earned my friendship, Surefire. If you ever need somepony, you will always have me.”

To my surprise, Surefire didn’t respond to this. She stood up silently for several long seconds, before slowly, hesitantly walking up to my bedside. She then quickly leaned down and captured me into a sudden, tight hug and quickly exploded into tears and sobs into my mane.

Returning the hug the best I could, I felt a warm smile light up my face as a fleeting thought of irony slipped through my mind. Just weeks ago I had been the one in Surefire’s horseshoes; now here I was, offering my friendship to another pony. It made me feel... warm; happy.

I wonder if this is how Fluttershy felt when she was there for me?

The two of us remained as so for several minutes as the young mare continued to cry. After a time, Surefire finally calmed down enough to speak.

“Thank you for worrying about me, Prism,” she whispered softly into my mane, before squeezing me a little tighter.

I let out a small chuckle. “It’s what friends do, they care about each other.”

And they care a lot...

It was at that moment that I suddenly came to realize how much I had come to learn about friendship since my coming to Ponyville; and just how important making friends was to me. First there was Derpy and now Surefire; I had just made a second friend all on my own, and that was just as important to me.

I’m starting to make more friends.

I smiled to myself at that thought as I stroked Surefire’s mane.

The young mare gave a small nod as she pulled away. “I promise I’ll be careful, thank you for the warning.” she suddenly looked around the room nervously for a moment. “And, um... that, didn’t just happen.”

I tilted my head curiously at her. “What do you mean?”

Surefire again fidgeted uneasily in place as a blush warmed up on her face. “Well, you know... that. What I just said, and did.”

...Is she really embarrassed about that?

I couldn’t help but let out a small laugh at the young mare’s antics. Despite her being at the age to be considered a mare, and her best attempts to be serious and act like an adult; deep down she was still just a little filly on the inside. What I found cute though was just how hard she tried to hide it.

“Alright. Your secret is safe with me,” I agreed, flashing her a quick wink.

Scratching the back of her neck, Sufire let out another sheepish laugh. “Thank—” she cut off at the sound of the door clicking open, and spun to face the entry.

Ruby happily hummed to herself as she entered the room, carrying a clipboard under her right wing. She stopped as she scanned our faces. Likely having sensed the atmosphere she disturbed, she sheepishly smiled.

“Um, sorry if I’m interrupting...”

Surefire shook her head dismissively with a small sniffle. “No, you’re fine, Ruby.”

Ruby trotted across the room to my bedside, taking the clipboard in her forehoof, she held it out to me. “These are the release forms. I’ll need you to sign on the marked lines.”

A quick glance over the paper showed them to be very official looking, with many fine printed details regarding privileges of use for any information given from the forms signer. The party to be distributed permission on this form was Doctor Ruby Heart.

Taking the pencil from the top of the clipboard in my teeth, I proceeded to sign my signature on the highlighted areas.

“Alright, that covers myself.” she declared, flipping to the next page. “Now for Surefire’s.”

I signed once again along the designated areas before returning the pencil to the clipboard. “So, now what?” I asked curiously.

“Now you wait,” she informed me, tucking the clipboard under her wing again. “I’ll collect all your records and contact Surefire once I am finished; which should be by sometime tomorrow afternoon.” The doctor glanced to the room’s clock. “In the meantime I recommend you two get some rest.”

Surefire and I both looked to the clock; it was already almost midnight.

The detective expression turned an uneasy frown. “It sure has gotten late... hasn’t it?” she fidgeted in place for a moment before looking to Ruby. “Say, Ruby... would it be alright if I were to stay in here? Assuming Prism doesn’t mind that is.” she looked back to me. “Right?”

I shook my head. “I don’t mind.”

The doctor scrunched her muzzle into an unsure look. “Well... technically you’re not even supposed to be in here this late in the first place.” A playful smirk crept across Ruby’s muzzle. “However, I’ll just list you as special visiting privileges.” she shot the detective a quick wink.

Surefire returned with a warm smile. “Thanks again, Ruby.”

“No prob—” The doctor cut off into a loud yawn before visibly shaking it off.

Ruby’s yawn triggered a chain reaction in myself and Surefire, causing us both to yawn as well.

Ruby let out a small laugh. “Well I guess that’s my signal to get going. I still have a bit of work to do before I can head home.” she walked across the room to the door before looking back to us. “Have a good night you two.”

We both wished the doctor goodnight before she made her exit. This left me alone with Surefire, and with a question for the young mare.

“So Surefire, not that I mind, but why did you wish to stay here?” I asked curiously.

She let out an uneasy laugh as she looked about the room. “Um, well... a number of reasons actually.”

“Are you worried about what Snooty may try to do to you if you leave?”

Surefire sat to her haunches, fidgeted her forehooves together. “Well, um, that is one reason... I admit I am a little worried about that.”

“If you are worried, you should find Twilight tomorrow. You would be much safer with her than me—not that I don’t mind your company!” I quick reiterated. “I just want you to feel safe.”

The young mare managed a small smile. “Thank you, Prism.” she paused a moment before looking about the room cautiously, seemingly as if to check if anyone was listening. “And, um... as to why I really wanted to stay, I didn’t want to walk home this late to be completely honest...” she paused again before lighting up with a bright, embarrassed blush. “ You see, I’m, um... kind of, sort of... nyctophobic” The young mare quickly buried her flush face in her forehooves.

I tilted my head curiously at the unfamiliar word. “...nyctophobia?”

 “It means I’m afraid of the dark!” she quickly blurted out, burying her flushed face further into her hooves.

 I stared blankly at the young mare for a few moments before covering a small giggle. “That’s nothing to be ashamed of. Many ponies are afraid of the dark.”

Surefire removed her forehooves, revealing a flustered expression. “Yeah, but my age? It’s embarrassing!” she quickly exclaimed.

“Prior to just a few weeks ago I was terrified of other ponies seeing my coat and mane; I still am uncomfortable around new ponies.” I shot her a wink before gesturing my left forehoof to my chest. “A pony my age afraid of other ponies? Now that is embarrassing.”

She paused for a few moments, looking deep in thought, before managing a small smile. “Well, I guess there are worse things I could be afraid of...” Surefire walked over to my bedside and leaned down, giving me a quick hug. “Thanks for making me feel better, Prism”

“No problem, it’s what friends are for.” I glanced to the clock as she pulled away from the embrace. “We really should get to bed though.”

Surefire nodded with a soft yawn. “Yeah, sleep sounds really good right now.” She turned, making her way back to her green chair in the corner of the room. “I have a lot to do tomorrow.” The young mare hopped onto the chair before circling in place several times, and lying in a rather uncomfortable looking position.

“Um... are you sure you’ll be alright there? That doesn’t look very comfortable...”

She shook her head. “It’s not as bad as it looks; besides there isn’t anywhere else to sleep other than the floor,” she stated, gesturing a foreleg to the ground. “And I never could sleep on floors.”

 Surefire shifted position several times, doing a very poor job of convincing me of her being alright. I brought my left hoof to my chin in thought for a few moments before an idea came to mind.

“You know... you could always sleep up here with me,” I offered, managing to scoot myself over, and patting the free side of the bed. “I won’t bite; and you’re not doing a very good job convincing me your fine over there.”

The young mare’s ears perked up at my offer, before rolling over to face me. “Are... are you sure? I mean, I don’t want to interrupt your sleep; you’re the one still recovering,” she hesitated a moment before continuing. “...Is there even enough room for me?”

I closed my eyes briefly, covering a small laugh. “Yes. Fluttershy was able to lay next to me up here; You are quite a bit smaller, you’ll be just fine.”

Surefire slowly crawled out of the chair. “Well... if you really don’t mind, I guess I’ll take you up on the offer.” she glanced back at the chair she had just got up from. “That chair is uncomfortable as all Tartarus.”

“I thought so,” I laughed, as she made herself around the bedside.

The young mare hesitantly crawled into bed next to me, shifting about a few times before settling in with a yawn. “Um, goodnight, Prism.”

I felt a small smile play across my face as I rolled over to face away. “Goodnight, Surefire.”

With a quick flick of my focus, I turned the lights off with a small sting from my magic. However, at the same time I noticed Surefire suddenly tense, moving a little closer to me.

“She... really is afraid of the dark, isn’t she?”

I silently wondered why it bothered her so much. The young mare had opened up and shown me a whole new side of her today. I could feel a sense of trust from her starting to grow. My thoughts were suddenly interrupted by the sensation of Surefire laying right up against my back.

“Thank you for being my friend, Prism,” She whispered softly, “It really means a lot to me.”

I couldn’t help but smile at her confirmation of my thoughts. “You’re very welcome, Surefire.”

As silence began to reign, I found myself quickly drifting off to sleep.

Chapter 23: Friendship and Love

Morning arrived much quicker than I realized; it felt as if all I had done was blink. Using what little magic I did yesterday must have drained me more than I had realized. I slept like a rock. However, upon waking, I noticed a few things were off: First, Surefire appeared to be missing. Further examining the room I saw no visible trace of what she might have been up too, such as a note or message. Secondly, I became aware of a mysterious wet sensation on my right shoulder blade.

Why is my shoulder wet?

Reaching back, I touched the offending patch of fur; it was wet alright. However, examining the bed around me, I found no other sources of the wetness that appeared to only be on my shoulder.

That’s so weird…

After giving the sensation a bit more thought, I eventually dismissed it with a large yawn. Unable to come to a solid conclusion as to how it came to be or what it was from, I pushed the thought aside and began to wonder where my detective friend had run off to so early on her own.

This honestly had me a little worried. Knowing well that Snooty could potentially harm her outside of Twilight’s or my own watch, I was left wishing she didn’t go running off by herself; especially without at least leaving me a note as to what she was doing or where she went.

Reflecting on the irony of the situation, I smiled to myself with a small chuckle.

She’s as stubbornly independent as I am.

I brought a hoof to my chin, reflecting on that thought. The young mare and I had some things in common, and I found myself wanting to get to know her better. Not only for my own curiosity, but I felt it would be good for her to speak freely about herself. If there was anything I learned from the girls, it was talking with your friends really made you feel a lot better.

The sound of the door opening interrupted my thoughts, and much to my relief, my young detective friend entered. She had a rather cheerful look on her face as she turned and closed the door behind her. I noticed right away that she wore a small coin strap, and was toting a drink carrier on her back.

Her smile widened as she turned back and approached me. “Good morning, Prism! I got somethingfor you,” she sang out rather chipper like, reaching back and taking the drink holder into her forehooves as she sat to her haunches. “I wasn’t sure if you liked coffee or tea, so I got both!”

My ears perked up at the magic word that I wanted to hear more than anything at that particular morning moment. “Which is which?” I asked anxiously, far quicker than I intended.

Surefire pointed a hoof to the first cup. “Well, this one is the coffee, and—”

She didn’t even get a chance to finish before I immediately focused my magic on the second cup, levitating it to me. A small sting of pain resonated through my horn at the use of my magic, but I paid it no attention. I had far more important things to focus on, like this delicious cup of tea.

I went to grab the cup with both hooves, but was met with a swift reminder that my right forehoof was still healing. My left met with the cues of movement just fine; however, my other foreleg merely swayed a bit and twitched as I struggled to reach out for the cup in my magic.

This won’t do…

The sting in my horn was quickly amplifying and with my lack of dexterity in my left foreleg, I could not hold the cup in just that hoof. I was forced to take a quick sip before setting it in my lap. Although, before I could even begin to put the tea down, I was immediately met with utter bliss from just the small drink I had taken.

Earl grey with lavender.

The two flavors in this particular cup were masterfully blended, causing me to let out a long, relaxed exhale from the wondrous experience. Completely disregarding the now growing pain in my horn, I took another slow sip, savoring the heavenly taste. There were some things in life worth enduring a bit of pain, and a good cup of tea was easily one of them. Especially one as lovely as this.

Surefire however, didn’t seem to relate with my rational.

“Doesn’t that hurt?” she asked in concern, taking notice of that fact I had started wincing from the growing pain. “You should probably set that down for now. Here, let me take it.” She extended a hoof to me.

After one last stubborn sip, I levitated the cup to meet her hoof, before releasing it from my magical grasp with an audible wince. I took a moment to rub my aching horn, throbbing in pain from its host’s neglect of its warnings.

Surefire let out a small chuckle before shooting me a half smile. “You must really love tea, because that sure looked like it hurt, a lot.”

“Yeah, it did kind of hurt… a lot,” I confirmed with a sheepish laugh, looking up to the tip of my aching horn.

The young mare shook her head with a smile as she crossed the room, placing her drink down on the green chair in the corner before returning to my bedside with my mine.

“Look, if it’s that difficult, I’ll hold it for you,” she offered, holding the cup out to me. “I don’t mind.”

As embarrassed as I was by her offer, it was either her help, take the risk of dropping it with my left hoof, or hurt my already tender horn more. I certainly wasn’t going to risk the wonderful drink being dropped and wasted, nor was I about to let my pride get between me and a delightful cup of tea.

I slowly nodded, leaning into the cup and taking a sip from it as my friend slowly tilted it for me. She carefully pulled the small, white cup away from my lips while I swallowed. “Thank you, Surefire. I’m, uh, very much right hoofed; it’ll be awhile until I use my left forehoof like I did my right, if ever,” I informed her, looking to the hoof in question and flexing its joints a few times.

The muscle memory, it just isn’t there… I don’t know how to use this hoof.

I silently cursed myself for relying on my right hoof so heavily. Now with even more limited use of my magic, and absolutely no use of my right limb in the meantime, I felt truly helpless in any act that required any amount of actual dexterity.

Surefire shot me an understanding smile. “You’re welcome, Prism. I know exactly how you feel by the way. I’m also right hoofed and broke my right foreleg a few years back; it was awful!” she exclaimed rather dramatically, throwing out her free foreleg. “Being an earth pony, I have no wings or magic to rely on and felt like I couldn’t do anything by myself; I absolutely hated it.” Surefire’s expression fell as she scrunched her muzzle in mild contempt. “My dad didn’t make me feel any better about it either.”

I tilted my head aside curiously. “Your dad?”

Surefire stared blankly back at me for a moment before letting out a small chuckle. “Oh nothing, Dad just loves teasing us kids,” she replied, rolling her eyes with a faint smile that she made a failing attempt at hiding. “And with me hobbling around on three legs, he took every opportunity he could to exploit it.”

I covered a small laugh. “He sounds like a nice guy.”

The young mare chuckled. “Yeah, he’s really friendly, alright; too friendly, if you ask me.”

I brought a hoof to my chin in thought. “Mother would always tell me that Father was kind and treated us well, but I was far too young to remember much about him, at least not very well anyways.”

“Whatever happened to your dad?” Surefire asked, sitting to her haunches and making herself more comfortable. “I read about your mother’s fight with tuberculosis, but I don’t recall seeing anything about your father.”

I opened my muzzle to speak, but hesitated as the thoughts of Mother swiftly brushed aside the memories of my father. I tried not to think of or remember her final weeks of life; they were painful memories. However, with Surefire’s reminder of her fate, I found myself seemingly unable to ignore the resurfacing memories.

Surefire quickly caught onto my hesitation, covering a sudden gasp of realization with her free forehoof, and then she promptly apologized. “Oh my gosh! I am so sorry! I didn’t mean to bring that up, I—”

“It’s okay, Surefire, I don’t mind,” I interjected, holding out a hoof, hoping to cease any of her worries. “I just don’t think about it too often, that’s all.”

Despite my reassurance, the young mare’s ears sank back. “From what I read, your mother, she…” Surefire trailed off, biting her lower lip for several moments before hesitantly continuing. “She never really stood a chance… did she?” the young mare quickly shook her head. “I mean, it’s so rare that ponies die from TB, but…”

I shook my head grimly. “I had suspected something was wrong, but by then it had already been too late. What Mother had was a new strain of the disease; a particularly strong one,” I said while looking down to my forehooves as my expression sank at the memories. “Between that and with how much she painted already being hard on her lungs, she was the perfect host for the new strain. Even if she had caught onto it earlier than she did, the doctors said she still wouldn’t have made it.” I let out a long, slow sigh. “The two paired together were a death sentence. I only wish it had been easier for her.”

And less painful…

I trailed off into silence, the sad memories of Mother’s last moments replayed in my mind; my standing by her bedside, watching helplessly as she slipped away from me.

I’m so sorry mom…

A stray tear found its way down my face, quickly followed by several others. Surefire immediately noticed this and abruptly changed the subject.

“Hey, you mentioned yesterday that Fluttershy was supposed to visit you today, right?” she asked, shooting me a smile. “How is she doing? I haven’t had the chance to speak with her since we first met.”

The sudden mention of Fluttershy surprised me, reverberating through my mind as a harsh contrast to the depressing images that had been running rampant prior. It was a bit jarring, but she was right of course. With Fluttershy visiting me later, I couldn’t afford to use up all our time together being depressed; I had to cheer up.

With the images of her smiling face to encourage me onwards, I slowly tucked the memories of Mother away for now, and brought my attention back to the present. I held onto the images as best I could, and the feelings revolving around them.

I took a few moments to rub my eyes, followed by a soft sniffle. “Y-yes, she said she will be by to visit me sometime this morning.”

Surefire’s smile widened. “Well, that is certainly something to look forward to.” She scrunched her muzzle into a mild pout. “I wish I had a coltfriend I could look forward to seeing every day.”

I gave the young mare a soft smile. “You are a wonderful pony, Surefire. Any stallion would be very lucky to have you as their special somepony.”

The detective craned her neck back in surprise, her eyes widening as her face lit up in a soft blush. She sat frozen for a moment before breaking the silence with an uneasy laugh as she closed her eyes, waving a forehoof at me dismissively.

“N-nah, I doubt a good stallion would see anything special in me, I don’t really stand out or—”

The sudden click of the door opening pulled the young mare form her words as the two of us turned to face the entry. Ruby walked into the room toting a file under her right wing, though what I noticed most was the rather chipper expression she wore.

“How is your morning, Prism?” she asked enthusiastically, walking to my bedside as she gave a nod of acknowledgement to Surefire as well.

I cracked a large smile. “I’m looking forward to Fluttershy visiting me.”

The doctor’s smile intensified. “That’s great! I’m glad to hear it,” she said before laying the file on the bed in front of me, and flipping it open. “Though, I might just have some news that may make your morning even better.”

Leaning in and examining the open file, the contents were unmistakably clear.

X-rays, mine obviously.

I looked over the sheets, not quite sure what to make of them beyond them being of my hind legs. I had no idea what any of them meant, so I couldn’t really tell what they said.

Looking up to Ruby, I gave a small shrug. “I’m not sure what I am looking for.”

Ruby let out a small laugh. “These are your X-rays we took yesterday morning,” she informed me, pointing a hoof to a particular bone on both the sheets. “Judging from the healing rate of the third metacarpal from the previous set of X-ray’s, they have healed enough for your hind legs’ casts to come off today.” She looked back to me with a wink. “Looks like you might not need that wheel chair for very long, after all.”

Surefire turned to me, beaming a large smile. “That’s great news, Prism!”

The doctors news certainly did lift my spirits and further brighten my already good mood. The casts I wore were horribly itchy, and to hear that I wouldn’t have to use a wheelchair for too long was also music to my ears.

I hate that stupid chair.

I brought a hoof to my chin before looking back to Ruby. “So what happens now?” I asked, curious what step to take next.

“Now we take those off, and begin your physical therapy on your hind legs this afternoon,” she answered pointing a forehoof to the legs in question. “It shouldn’t requiretoo much therapy to get you back on your hooves again, however…” The doctor’s sight trailed over to my right foreleg.

I followed the doctor’s eyes before looking back up to her expectantly.

She let out a small sigh, bringing a hoof to her chin. “Your right foreleg is still quite a mess,” she stated, reaching down to the file and flipping to another X-ray sheet. “While your proximal phalanx is healing up well, it is not your bone I am particularly worried about; it’s the muscle and tissue damage the leg sustained as well.” She paused for a moment before looking down to me with a small smirk. “Despite your albinism, you have wonderful bone genetics for a unicorn; do you have many pegasi in your family tree?”

I nodded. “A lot. All of my father’s side of the family were pegasi; they were traditionalists from what Mother told me,” I answered, a small smile creeping up the corners of my mouth. “She was the first unicorn in their family.”

Ruby returned my smile. “It’s good to hear that some long standing traditionalist families are becoming more open the other tribes these days.”

“It was expected that I was going to be born a pegasus actually, given both family’s excessive pegasi history,” I commented, reaching up and touching my horn as my smile widened. “Mother was so excited when it was announced I was a unicorn.”

The doctor covered a small laugh. “Well just be grateful you inherited some of that fast bone healing from your pegasi family tree.” She reached down, closing the file and collecting it with her right wing. “Well, I’ll be back momentarily with your favorite chair, then we can get those casts off for you.” She shot me a quick wink as she began for the door.

Surefire glanced to me before covering a small snort.

My expression fell flat at the two’s teasing. “I can barely contain my excitement…” I replied in utter deadpan.

* * * * * * * * * *

The process of removing the cast was a little unsettling. Something about a sharp, saw-like device cutting so close to my leg had me a little uneasy. I braced myself and kept my eyes closed the whole time, but before I even realized it, the work was already finished and the casts were off. Ruby and Surefire ended up laughing at my needless worry, but could anypony really blame me for being nervous?

Having the ability to again move my hind legs was refreshing, but as I quickly discovered, they didn’t respond to my cues of movement very well. Ruby informed me this was because of the muscle damage and their lack of use during the healing process. However, she reassured me that I would have them working correctly in no time, I just needed to exercise them to set the muscle memory straight again.

She also informed me that once my hind legs were in walking shape, my right foreleg’s cast should also be off. However, I would require the support of a brace-like crutch to walk on my own for quite some time. I wasn’t about to complain, though; a crutch was far better than a wheelchair as far as I was concerned.

Once Ruby was finished checking my legs to be sure they had healed properly, she returned me to my room, where I found that I had a guest waiting for me.

“Hey you,” Rainbow Dash greeted me, her eyes wandering to my hind legs as I was wheeled into the room. “You have your casts off!”

I frowned, not wanting any of the girls to see me in the chair of shame “Well, two of them at least.”

Surefire turned to the cyan mare. “Hello again, Ms. Dash,” the young mare politely greeted, extending a hoof to Rainbow, who walked up to and met with her own.

“Hey, how’s it going? Surefire, right?”

The detective nodded.

Rainbow beamed her a quick smile before turning to—and flying over to land next to me—as Ruby wheeled me to my bedside. The cyan mare then proceeded to help the doctor lay me to rest in my bed. I, however, was less than thrilled that not only had Rainbow Dash seen me in the wheelchair, but also had helped me out of it.

Ruby Heart gave the other pegasus a warm smile before silently making her way to the door and leaving the room. Rainbow Dash watched her exit before looking back to me, noticing my disgruntled expression.

“I know exactly how you feel, Prism. When I broke my right wing I was stuck in bed for a while too, and not allowed to leave the hospital. It was sooo lame! All I wanted to do was just go outside and fly the whole time,” she informed me before looking back to her right wing. “Also, I couldn’t wait to get that cast off. It was craaazy itchy!”

Surefire gestured a hoof to Rainbow. “You see? Nopony likes being hindered by casts.”

My expression softened at her ability to also relate with me. “How did you break your wing?” I asked, tilting my head at her curiously.

Rainbow Dash let out a sheepish laugh. “Eh, I was showing off some new tricks to Rarity and Pinkie Pie, and one didn’t go so well,” she informed me, scratching the back of her neck with a foreleg in unease. “I kinda cut my dive a little too steep for the speed I was going, and couldn’t pull up in time before hitting the ground.”

I cringed at the idea of crashing into the ground at fast speed from a high height.

Flying sounds a little scary, no wonder Fluttershy sticks close to the ground.

Rainbow Dash seemed to take notice of my reaction and quickly changed the subject. “Anyways, about why I’m here.” Her expression suddenly turned deadly serious as she sat down on the edge of my bed, turning to face me. “I wanted to talk about you and Fluttershy.”

Rainbow briefly glanced back to Surefire, who gave a knowing nod in return.

“Well, I’ll take this as my cue to leave. I need to check on Ruby’s progress with your records anyways,” she said, beginning for the door. “I’ll see you in a few hours, Prism.”

I gave a small wave to her. “Talk to you soon, Surefire.”

The young mare looked back to me with a smirk. “Good luck,” she began before glancing to Rainbow briefly. “You’ll need it.”

With that, the detective made her exit, leaving me alone with the cyan mare. A long silence followed as Rainbow stared at me, the sheer seriousness of her expression would have been enough to stop a starving manticore dead in its tracks. I quickly felt myself begin to sweat at the intensity of her presence. Her expression and tone had made one thing very clear: she meant business.

“O-okay… so, w-what did you want to talk about?” I managed to force out before swallowing the lump in my throat.

A small smirk played across the cyan mare’s lips briefly. “Look, Prism. We may have got off on the wrong hoof at first, but you have shown me that you really value your friendship with us girls; and that means a lot to me,” she stated. “All of the girls are extremely important ponies to me, but Fluttershy is exceptionally important.” Her brow furrowed with mention of Fluttershy.

I wanted to reply, but I found myself at a total loss for words and unable to speak. Rainbow Dash was extremely intimidating at this point in time, so I simply nodded in acknowledgement.

She nodded back affirmatively before continuing. “Fluttershy is like a sister to me, we’ve been best friends since we were just fillies, and been through a lot together. I’ve since taken it upon myself to look after her over the years. Making sure nopony bullies or teases her, or hurts her in any way.” She put a very strong emphasis on ‘any’ as she stared me down.

The cyan mare paused a moment, seemingly to make sure her words sank in. I again nodded; I had never felt so intimidated in my entire life as I did at that moment. Rainbow had made it crystal clear how special and important the yellow pegasus was to her.

After a moment, she again continued. “Now, this brings me to you,” she said, pointing a forehoof directly at me. “I like you, Prism—I really do. Fluttershy has told me time and time again how wonderful you are, and how much you care about her, and it really makes me happy to see her so cheerful lately.” Rainbow’s expression softened into a small smile. “She has really changed for the better since she met you, ya know.”

I couldn’t help but manage a smile at the cyan mare’s words, though it was short lived as Rainbow abruptly continued.

“However!” she quickly cut in, her expression fading into clear concern. “This also has me very worried for her. She has never grown so attached to another pony like she has with you; and nowhere near as fast either.” Her eyes softened as she paused briefly. “Look… I’ll be straight with you. I am really scared of you hurting her, Prism. Fluttershy is a lot tougher than ponies give her credit for, but when it comes to her emotions, she is very delicate.”

This news didn’t surprise me. I knew Fluttershy was a strong pony, stronger than she led on to be; but I had already guessed that deep down inside, she really was delicate when it came to her feelings.

Rainbow’s voice pulled me from my thoughts. “I just wanted to warn you about what’s at stake here. Fluttershy has attached to you very quickly; she loves you.” Her brow suddenly furrowed as her expression fell into a large frown. “And by Celestia’s Sun, if you ever hurt her, I will NEVER forgive you, Prism.”

I winced and shrank down as the cyan mare’s words cut right through me, like a hot knife through warm butter. After a few moments to absorb the verbal blow, I nodded weakly in acknowledgement at her message.

Rainbow Dash let out a small chuckle as her expression softened into a smile. “I don’t think it will come to that though, you’re a good pony, Prism,” she said as she stood up from the bedside. “So I’m trusting you with my best friend’s heart; please be careful with it, okay?”

“I-I, I will, I promise,” I replied, finally finding my words.

She paused for a moment before crunching her muzzle in disgust. “That line sounded really lame and sappy,” she declared, turning to face me. “I never said that, okay?”

I stared back at her idly for a moment, before covering a small laugh. “Alright, I didn’t hear anything.”

The cyan mare flashed me a small grin. “Thanks.” She stared off into nowhere for a moment before her ear perked up. “Oh yeah! I’m not sure if you heard, but most of us girls are heading back to Ponyville this afternoon.”

This news surprised me at first, I had become so used to them visiting me that I had entirely forgotten that they would have to go home eventually; they all had lives to get back to.

It’s going to be really lonely without the girls here in Manehattan…

My eyes widened as that thought was followed up by a sudden realization.

Fluttershy…

“Is Fluttershy going home as well?” I asked, a bit quicker than I meant to.

Rainbow Dash seemed to pick up on my anxiety, as her expression fell slightly. “Yeah, the only one’s staying are Twilight and Derpy,” she informed me, a bit of hesitation in her tone. “Twilight says she needs to stay to help you; while Derpy is still on vacation for a while longer.”

My ears drooped back at the thought of not being able to see my special somepony for a while. We have had little time to spend together since our confessions that night in front of her cottage, and now it seemed we would have to wait even longer before we could spend more quality time together.

I glanced down to my bed for a brief moment.

Well… I guess wouldn’t call what time we have spent together here ‘quality’. Even so, I’ll settle for whatever I can get with her.

I looked up to find a surprisingly troubled expression on Rainbow Dash’s face, as if she had read my thoughts.

“It’s really not cool how this all happened to you two,” she said, shifting her posture to a relaxed lean. “I mean, confessing to each other, then immediately having all of this happen.” She punctuated her message with a large sweep of a foreleg around the hospital room.

I nodded. “I am really going to miss seeing her…”

Rainbow’s expression shifted to a look of nostalgia before scrunching her muzzle in mild disgust. “Okay, this conversation is getting waaay too sappy for me.” She walked up to me, and bumped my shoulder with a forehoof. “I’m gonna get going now; you hang in there, okay? We’ll be back in time to see how everything goes; so don’t worry, we won’t leave you hanging.” She shot me a quick wink before turning and making for the door.

I couldn’t help but smile at her reassurance. “Thank you Rainbow, I’ll see you then.”

She waved a forehoof without turning back as she opened the door. “Later!” she called to me, before flying out into the hallway.

As the door slowly began to close itself, I caught sound of a distant yell from outside the room.

“Hey! No flying in the hospital hallways!”

I quickly covered a small laugh.

Thanks again Rainbow Dash.

* * * * * * * * * *

Roughly two hours had passed since the cyan speedster’s visit, and I found myself quickly becoming bored. The thought that most of my friends would not be visiting after today left me feeling rather down. It was lonely enough as is just being able to see them a few hours at a time.

A rogue thought quickly came forward.

I used to spend time alone like this all the time… Back then I enjoyed the solitude, but now it just feels so… lonely.

My not so distant past once again continued to provide an important contrast to what bright colors I had recently added onto my canvas today. I would have hated not knowing just what I had, and taking my friends for granted. Part of me was thankful for how everything had played out. It was painful, but I knew just how important what I had now was to me.

I wonder what Mother would think if she could see me now? Her little unspoiled canvas, living day to day with friends, and even a special somepony.

I smiled to myself at the thoughts that followed. However, before long, the all-too-familiar clicking of metal distracted me from my reminiscence of Mother. My smile quickly brightened at the sight of the two ponies that entered.

“Howdy, Prism,” Applejack greeted with a wave of her hoof, as Pinkie Pie bounced past her, right up to my bedside.

“Gooooood afternoon!” the party pony exclaimed, with infectious amounts of excessive enthusiasm.

Normally the pink mare was far too much for me to handle, but at that moment, she was a very welcome presence; I could really use a cheerful smile or two.

Applejack cantered over to join Pinkie Pie at my bedside before glancing down to my hind legs. “Well Ah’ll be! Your casts are off!” she exclaimed with a large grin.

I met her grin with a nod before glancing to my right foreleg. “Well, two of them anyways,” I replied, taking a moment for a much needed stretch of my hind legs. “Though, I am very happy they are off.”

Pinkie Pie quickly began to excitedly bounce up and down in place. “That’s super-duperly awesome, Prism!” she exclaimed, before abruptly stopping with a loud gasp. “I know! We’ll throw you a, ‘Prism is getting bet—’”

“Pinkie…” Applejack cut in, casting the energetic mare a stubble glare. “Now what did Twilight tell ya’ll about that?”

Pinkie Pie froze mid bounce for several physics defying moments before falling down to land on her haunches with a look of utter defeat. “Oh, right…”

Every time I declined one of her parties, the worse and worse I felt about it. They seemed to be really important to her, but I was still nervous about being the center of attention to such a large group of ponies at once.

“I’m so sorry, Pinkie Pie,” I apologized. “I promise, I’ll take you up on a party offer eventually though.”

This reassurance immediately perked her up, as she shot me an unnaturally wide smile with a small squee.

“Oh-oh! And when you do, I’ll make it the biggest and BESTEST party, ever!” she exclaimed excitedly, jumping to her hooves with a bizarre explosion of confetti from seemingly nowhere. “You’re going to love it!”

Applejack let out a small chuckle at her pink friend before looking to me in concern. “You’re really in for it now, Prism; you sure you’re okay with that?” she asked questioningly, gesturing a hoof to a now very excited Pinkie Pie.

I returned with an unsure smile. “I’ll manage when the time comes… I think, I hop—.”

I abruptly cut off at the sound of the door’s metal handle clicking. Both my friends’ ears perked up in mild surprise before they turned to face the entry as well. As the door opened, it revealed my soft-brown friend, Surefire; she was toting a small pair of saddlebags with a rather cheerful look on her face.

A lot of good news today it looks like.

I couldn’t help but smile to myself at the thought.

“Okay! I got the…” the young mare trailed off as she caught sight of my rather confused looking friends. “Oh, um… am I interrupting? I can wait if—”

“You’re fine, Surefire,” I quickly interjected, gesturing my forehoof to the girls. “We were just chatting.”

Pinkie Pie’s eyes lit up at the new face, before she quickly bound across the room in one, gravity defying leap, landing right in front of Surefire. The pink mare wasted no time in firing off a barrage of questions at the detective.

“Hi! I’m Pinkie Pie! What’s your name? How do you know Prism? Are you her friend? Because I’m also her friend, and I love making new friends, and—”

Applejack stopped the endless flow of words with a sharp tug of the party pony’s tail, dragging her away from the frightened young mare.

“You’ll have to excuse her, she can get a little excited meeting new ponies,” Applejack apologized for Pinkie, before tipping her hat. “Anyhow, howdy, the name’s Applejack. Pleasure to meet you…” Applejack trailed off, extending a forehoof to Surefire expectantly.

The young mare reached for the farm-mare’s hoof. “Surefire, Junior Detective of the—” Surefire was abruptly cut off as Applejack grasped Surefire’s forehoof in both of her own; giving the young mare several vigorous shakes of her hoof.

The exceptionally friendly greeting caught Surefire completely off guard, as she struggled to maintain her balance from the polite assault of strong hoofshakes. When Applejack concluded her greeting, Surefire immediately fell forward onto the floor.

“Pleasure to meet you, too… Applejack.” Surefire beamed the farmpony an uneasy smile before picking herself up off the floor, and dusting herself off. “I take you two are also Twilight’s friends, correct?”

Applejack gave an affirmative nod in response. “We sure as sugar are,” she replied, striking a proud pose. “Good friends of hers for some time now, Ah reckon.”

Pinkie gave no reply, but instead walked up to Surefire, examining her with an intense, scrutinizing look. The young mare’s eyes shifted nervously side-to-side as she approached, before locking onto the party ponies own. As Pinkie Pie advanced, she leaned in close and pressed her snout right up against the young detective’s. Surefire cracked a sheepish smile with a small squee before Pinkie Suddenly exploded into a loud gasp.

“I know who you are!” she exclaimed, jumped backing a few steps and pointing a forehoof at the absolutely confused young mare. “You’re the pony Twilight mentioned; the one helping Prism!”

Surefire covered a small cough before nodding. “Yes, I’m about to—”

Pinkie suddenly cut the young mare off by grabbing her forehooves into her own, jumping up and down excitedly. “Thank you so much! That is soooooo nice of you! Hey, I know! How about—”

Applejack once again silenced the excited pony with a tug of her tail, dragging her away. “How about letting her finish first?” she scolded, glancing down to her pink friend with a subtle glare before turning back to Surefire. “Sorry, go on now, Sugarcube.”

Surefire shook her head dismissively. “It’s fine. I was just saying that I’m about to begin building an independent case against the detectives involved in Prism’s case,” she informed us, reaching back into a saddleback and retrieving a large file. “At a glance, the medical records Doctor Ruby Heart provided clearly indicate that the evidence the duo used against Prism have been falsified and fabricated; the crimes pinned on Prism are as good as gone once I am finished with my work.” She concluded her statement with a proud shift of her posture.

Applejack cocked her head back with am impressed smile. “Well, Ah’ll be.” She turned to me with a wink. “Sounds like your mighty well taken care of then, Prism. Seems we can return to Ponyville with peace of mind, too.”

A warm smile crested my face as I turned to and gestured at Surefire. “It’s all thanks to Twilight and my new friend here.”

The young detective closed her eyes with a sheepish smile, scratching the back of her neck. “You have done a lot more for yourself than you realize, Prism; I’m just—”

Surefire cut off as her ears perked up at the sound of the door’s metal handle opening. Everypony turned to face the entry to find the one pony I desired to see more than anyone else.

Fluttershy silently entered the room, taking notice of all eyes on her. “Oh… um, hi…” she greeted softly, shrinking down a little. “If I’m interrupting, I can come back later…” Fluttershy turned back to the door.

“NO!” I yelled out, extending my left forehoof after her, promptly gaining her attention, as well as everypony else in the room. “No, you’re fine Fluttershy.”

Applejack and Pinkie both shared curious looks at my outburst. Surefire on the other hoof, cracked a smirk before turning to the pair of confused mares.

“Applejack and Pinkie Pie, right?” she asked, approaching the two. “How about you two join me for lunch while I discuss the details of what Twilight and I plan to do to help Prism? I know a few wonderful places to eat; my treat.”

Pinkie lit up in a wild smile. “That sounds great!” she exclaimed with a large bounce into the air. “That is really nice of you!”

Applejack brought a hoof to her chin, looking off into nowhere for a moment before smiling. “You know, now that you mention it, Ah am a’might hungry…” She gave an affirmative nod to the young mare. “Alright, we’ll join you Surelight.”

The young mare covered a small laugh. “It’s Surefire, and great! Let’s get going, I’m starving,” she said, walking to the door and opening it for the pair of mares.

Pinkie Pie and Applejack walked over and exited the room, with Surefire turning to do so as well, before suddenly pausing.

“Oh, I forgot something, one moment ladies,” she requested, quickly trotting over to Fluttershy.

The yellow mare gave her a confused look as Surefire leaned in close, lifting her forehoof and seemingly whispering in something in Fluttershy’s ear. Her confused expression was quickly replaced as her eyes slowly widened, and a fiery blush lit up her face.

Surefire took a step back before covering a surprisingly dainty giggle for the young mare’s usually serious character. She trotted over to the door and went to leave; but not before glancing to me with a sinisterly suggestive look and wink.

I was left dumbfounded by the detective’s strange behavior.

What was all that?

My thoughts slowly trailed off as I looked to Fluttershy. She now sat on her haunches with her fiery crimson face buried deep into her hooves. Further examining her, I took notice that her wings now stood at full extension.

It took a moment for it to register, but Ruby’s words quickly entered my mind as I remember what that particular pegasus body language meant. My own eyes went wide as I covered my muzzle with a forehoof, my face quickly matching a comparable shade of the pegasus that sat near my bedside.

A stream of jumbled, thoughts raced through my mind.

Fluttershy is… She thinks…

I quickly found my own thoughts delving into suggestive thoughts of my special somepony. However, I quickly shook them from my head as my mind screamed out at my detective friend for causing this.

Surefire! What did you do?!

A long, awkward silence followed before Fluttershy finally removed her hooves form her face. However once her eyes met with mine, her embarrassed expression shifted into sheer horror at the realization that I appeared to know what her body language was saying.

The two of us tried to speak at the same time, creating a flustered flurry of jumbled, un-interpretable words. I suddenly paused, hoping to let Fluttershy speak, however she seemed as if she had the same idea too, and also went silent.

Several more seconds of uneasy silence passed before Fluttershy suddenly blurted out, “I-I’m so sorry! I-I, I didn’t mean for them to!” She quickly buried her face into her forehooves again. “I-it’s not what, I didn’t, I don’t—” She suddenly cut off into a whimpered squeak, muffle through her hooves.

If not for the extremely awkward situation, I might have thought that to be the most adorable sound I had ever heard. Despite the extreme unease of my nervousness, and the fact that my heart felt as if it were to explode out of my chest at any moment; I found I was actually quite… flattered. The fact that my special somepony thought me attractive enough to think of me in that particular way, actually made me feel… special, really special; a sudden sense of confidence filled me.

Taking a deep breath, I managed to calm my nerves a bit, and began to slowly, carefully piece words together in my mind.

“I-It’s okay, Fluttershy…” I managed to force out as I fidgeted nervously with my right foreleg’s cast. “I, um… don’t mind it.”

Fluttershy lifted her forehooves from her face. While still obviously embarrassed, she had a somewhat curious look on her face.

Before silence could reign over the room again, I continued with the momentum of my sudden courage. “To be totally honest, I’m, um, actually quite flattered that you think about me like… that; so I don’t mind—not at all!” As I processed the words I had just said, I felt a faint smile creep up the corners of my mouth. “I actually like it… a lot.”

The yellow mare craned her neck back, covering her muzzle with both forehooves as her face flushed deeply at my admittance. She then proceeded to stammer and trip over muffled words, trying to reply to me, but seemingly unable to accurately convey her thoughts.

I felt a large smile crest my face at her adorable antics; just another reason I adored her so much. My confidence in my words only grew the more I watched her. I found myself motivated to speak more to her about my feelings. Words that I had previously only ever dreamed of admitting to somepony now danced at the tip of my tongue, begging for me to speak them.

“Look, Fluttershy, I…” I began, but quickly trailed off as Rainbow Dash’s words of warning and concern replayed themselves in my mind.

The yellow mare who sat across the room had, unbeknownst to me, opened her heart, deeply attaching it to my own before I had even realized it. Prior to today, I didn’t know just how close I was to her, or how far she had let me in.

Unfortunately, I knew next to nothing about love or dating, or how the relationship process was supposed to go. I didn’t know what should be done first, or what should be saved for later. If I told Fluttershy what I really felt about her, would I be moving too fast? Was Fluttershy moving too fast? Or was I already moving too slowly for her?

I didn’t know what I was supposed to do next; the whole situation frustrated me deeply. I took a moment to recall the cyan mare’s words once more; about Fluttershy’s feelings for me.

But if that’s how she really feels about me… wouldn’t it be alright If I were to feel the same; about her? That I let her be as close to me as I already am to her?

Hurting Fluttershy was something I did not fear, because I knew I would never do anything to hurt her, I cared too much for her. If she were to wish to keep me close forever, there would be nothing I would ever do to sabotage that.

I mentally tripped over that thought: Forever.

If Fluttershy were to keep loving me, I would stay with her forever.

I felt a small smile play at the corners of my mouth.

Forever… I really like the sound of that.

Right or wrong, too soon or too late; I did not know which or what it was, but I decided what I wanted to do next.

All-in.

Win or lose, I put my inexperienced heart and innermost feelings out onto the table for her to decide.

“Fluttershy… I love you; I really, really, really love you.” I spoke, breaking the long silence of the room with my words from the heart. “If you think about me in that way, then it makes me happy—happy that my special somepony thinks I’m that attractive enough to have such attraction and thoughts about me.”

The yellow mare let out a small gasp at my words, but otherwise remained silent, so I decided to just continue speaking my mind.

“I want you to know, that I think you are the most, beautiful pony I have ever met in my entire life. Your mane, your tail, your wings… just everything about you absolutely screams out to me, begging for me to touch you, for me to hold you; for me to have you close to me.”

I felt as if my chest were on fire in an exhilarating flame, and for some reason or another, my eyes began to tear up. However, I welcomed these sensations with open hooves, as I poured my feelings out for the yellow mare.

“I… I really don’t know much about love, or dating, or well, anything about relationships. What I do know is how Ifeel about you, and how much I want to tell you about it.” I looked down to my cast and began nervously fidgeting. “Rainbow Dash spoke to me earlier… about you.”

Part of me felt as if I were betraying the cyan mare’s trust by mentioning what she had told me about Fluttershy earlier today, but I felt I had to let Fluttershy know what I knew and how I felt about it.

“She told me how she was worried about you, afraid I’ll hurt you because of how close I really am to you,” I informed her with a quick sniffle, rubbing my eyes with my foreleg before looking back to my special somepony.

Fluttershy remained silent, however there was a clear look of fear on her face; as though a big secret of hers had been revealed. I certainly hoped that wasn’t case, I didn’t want her to be upset with Rainbow Dash because of me.

“Please don’t be mad at her for telling me, she was just looking out for you,” I quickly defended the cyan mare, holding out my left forehoof. “Plus I am really, really glad she told me about just how much you cared for me. It meant a lot to me to know my special somepony loves me so much.”

Fluttershy’s expression once again softened at my words, before she tried speaking once more. At first only more jumbled words and hasty stammers came, but I waited silently as she took her time to compose herself.

Fluttershy looked down to the floor in front of her with a soft sigh. “I… I was, um, so worried what you might think if you learned about how much I, um, really felt about you,” she said, shrinking down to the floor and continuing just above a whisper. “And how fast it happened…”

I tilted my head at her, giving the mare a curious look. “Why?” I asked quizzically. “Was it too much, too quickly?”

Fluttershy’s ears fell back as she sank down further. “Because normally ponies don’t get attached that much, so, uh… quickly…” She abruptly looked back to me. “I-I didn’t want to scare you! That I was moving too fast, or getting too close to you; I didn’t want to make you uncomfortable, Prism!”

I craned my neck back in surprise that her worries were actually quite similar to my own. “You were worried about scaring me?” I asked, gesturing my forehoof to my chest. “I… I don’t think you could do that to me with your feelings; no matter how much or how quickly they came.”

Fluttershy looked seemingly dumbfounded at my response. “W-what?”

I paused for a moment, as a sudden feeling of déjà vu hit me.

It’s just like how it was before Winter Wrap Up. We are worried about what each other would think, but we both really want the same thing.

A surge of courage and confidence filled me with the conclusion of that thought. I had nothing to fear from her.

“Fluttershy, the truth is, I am, um, overjoyed that you feel so close to me; because in all honesty, I want you to be that close to me as well,” I admitted, feeling my face beginning flush slightly. “I don’t know if this all is too fast, but it’s clear to me that we love each other, so does it really matter what other ponies’ standards are? This is about us, you and me, and how we feel about each other.”

The warmth in my face intensified the more I spoke my mind.

I can’t believe I’m actually sayingthese things!

My mind squealed in delight, and I quickly found myself lost in the warm elation that I felt telling Fluttershy what I was honestly thinking.

“All I have ever wanted was a pony to love me for who I am. I honestly thought at one point I may never actually find that; that there was no pony for me out there.” I looked down to my forehooves with a soft smile. “But then I found you. Somepony who accepted my differences with open hooves, never once judging me for them.”

Fluttershy bashfully looked away from me, drawing circles on the floor with a forehoof. “I, um, honestly really liked it; that you were so different,” she admitted, much to my surprise. “The pony I was falling in love with was special and unique, a one of a kind pony that I could have all for myself.”

I craned my neck back in surprise; I wasn’t expecting anything like that out of the normally timid mare.

Fluttershy stomped a forehoof down suddenly. “Oh, I felt so greedy, so selfish!” she exclaimed, quickly looking back to me. “Me wanting to keep you all for myself was so unfair, but I wanted to spend more time with you! What we did spend together was never enough for me, I always selfishly wanted more.” Fluttershy’s expression shifted into obvious guilt before she looked away in shame. “I wanted you be next to me all the time…”

I sat, staring back at my special somepony, slack-jawed. This confession of mine had just been completely turned around on me.

I see why Rainbow Dash is worried. She is serious.

Fluttershy let out a sharp sigh before looking back to me. “Oh I’m such a greedy pony! I’ll understand if you are mad at me and don’t want to be with a bad pony like me anymore…”

I quickly shook my head dismissively. “No! No, of course I’m not mad at you!” I promptly replied, hoping to give her some reassurance. “I like this. I like that you want to spend so much time with me, because I feel the exact same way, Fluttershy: that I can never get enough time with you.”

My spirits lifted greatly when I saw that my words invoked an excited smile on the yellow mare’s face.

“Do—do you really mean that, Prism?” she asked, flaring her wings slightly and anxiously taking a step closer to my bedside.

I slowly nodded. “I… I don’t think I could ever get enough of you,” I reassured her, a smile playing across my lips. “The time we spend together is just so, amazing. I always want more of you, you could never give me too much of you.”

Fluttershy froze in place, her wings which had begun to flare ever so slightly, suddenly shot out to full extension; an audible ‘pomf’ sound rang out with them this time as well. Her reaction momentarily surprised me, however, after replaying my words in my head I very quickly realized how… suggestive they had sounded.

Fluttershy looked back to her wings quite flustered, then opened to her mouth to speak, but I quickly cut her off, holding out my left forehoof to her.

“N-no! Y-You're fine! I don’t mind!” I paused for a moment, admiring her figure, before subconsciously continuing. “Besides, you look really sexy like that…”

Fluttershy and I both froze as an awkward silence fell over the room.

Did I reallyjust saythat?! Oh Celestia! That just slipped out on its own!

Words could not describe the intensity of the mortified blush that scorched my face, nor the extreme feeling embarrassment that instantaneously followed, as I buried my face into my left forehoof.

There was a long silence, before the sound of Fluttershy’s hoofsteps filled the room. I quickly looked back up the yellow mare, only to find her now right next to me. She hesitantly shuffled about in place, looking into my eyes and quickly away from me several times as she twirled a forehoof along the floor.

After a few moments, she spoke. “I-If you don’t like any of this, you can, um… stop me at any time, but…”

Fluttershy hesitantly trailed off into a soft whisper, pausing and turning her head away for a few moments before looking back to me. What I found as I locked eyes with her again was a look I had never seen from another pony before. A look that had me entrapped into her large aquamarine eyes.

“If you wouldn’t, um, mind…Please, let me show you how I feel about you.”

Her words mixed with the sound of her hushed voice sent an exhilarating chill down my spine; I met her request with a slow, silent nod. However moments later, my confidence from before shattered into tiny pieces as I felt my heartbeat racing faster the closer she leaned down to me.

Fluttershy’s uncharacteristic forwardness had me trapped in a web of terrified exhilaration and shock that peaked the moment her muzzle reached mine, our lips locking together; causing me a sharp intake of breath through my nostrils. My senses were immediately flooded by the familiar scent of fresh spring flowers, a scent that I had grown to love the more I was met with it.

A relaxing tingle filled my mind as my eyes slowly closed. Fluttershy and I had kissed a few times now, but never like this. Our prior moments of liplock were brief; a fleeting moment of bliss that would tease me, ending just as quickly as it began. This however, was very different.

Our kiss was long, deep and held strong desire behind it. Just as I thought the moment were to end, and Fluttershy pull away, I was then met with a second, equally wonderful kiss; quickly followed by another, and another.

The sensation was absolutely overwhelming, yet I found myself gluttonously desiring more. I moved my left forehoof up to her mane, brushing it aside as I hooked my foreleg around her neck, pulling her closer to me. Her response to this shocked me. Not only did she move closer, but she pushed herself down on top me. I slowly laid back with her until my head met with my pillow below; she, however, did not stop there.

Fluttershy climbed up onto the side of the bed, positioning herself directly over me and resting gently atop me as she began softly gliding her forehooves through my mane.

Our heavenly sequence of kisses lasted several blissful seconds more, before she finally pulled her muzzle away from mine. I opened my eyes to stare deep into her aquamarine irises; Seeing pool of pure devotion and love that stared back into mine. However, there was also something else; a small hint of growing lust showed briefly before she again closed her eyes, leaning down and nuzzling the side of my face.

Heaven. I was in absolute heaven. I could think of nowhere else I would rather be at that moment. The sensation of my special somepony’s warm body atop me, paired with the fragrance of her mane left me drunk in a state of pure euphoria. My overloaded senses hazily pushed me forward with a sense of curiosity and desire. I wanted to touch her, feel her… explore her.

I found my foreleg slowly traveling down her neck and to her shoulders, stopping at the base of her wings. I hesitated for a moment, but my curiosity quickly pushed me right past the reluctance. My forehoof slowly glided up the base of her right wing, surprising me at how muscular the appendage was.

Fluttershy met the touch with a tense twitch of her wing, and a hard nuzzle into my neck. She then pressed her wing into my hoof, seemingly if she were asking me to keep going. I gave no hesitation in obliging, and slid my hoof slowly along the length of her wing span. My special somepony’s nuzzles into my neck quickly turned into hard kisses, eliciting a sharp gasp from me at the sensation they brought.

This… this is really turning me on…

My hind quarters shifted in unrest at the feeling of her suckling kisses. An exhilarating nervousness quickly took hold over me as Fluttershy’s kisses found their way down my neck, and onto my chest. She shifted her position on top of me, moving further down my torso, and continued her trail of kisses. I found myself almost losing control of my rapid, heavy breaths.

This, this is so—

FLOP.

Fluttershy and I nearly jumped out of our skins at the loud sound that interrupted the otherwise silent room. The shock caused the yellow mare to tumble off me and onto the floor below with an audible squeak. I quickly leaned up to search for the invasive sound, however, what I found absolutely mortified me.

A slack-jawed Twilight Sparkle stood silently in the doorway, staring directly at me in utter bewilderment. Looking down in front of her, I saw a rather sizeable file that appeared to be the source of the disruptive sound. A cold sweat covered me as I stared back at the lavender mare with an uneasy smile.

That must have looked so bad!

Something about the thought of walking into a room to find one of your best friends atop of another pony like Fluttershy was, with a wingie, probably wouldn’t do too well for the mind. Judging from the lack of response for several more long seconds, I think it was safe to guess that Fluttershy and I had utterly broken Twilight Sparkle.

Disregarding the malfunctioning mare in the doorway, I leaned over the edge of the bed to find Fluttershy lying on her back, covering her embarrassed face with both forehooves.

“Are you okay?” I asked, examining her closely. “You didn’t hurt your wings or anything did you?”

Fluttershy gave a quick few side-to-side shakes of her head, still shielding her embarrassment.

Looking back to Twilight, I found the corner of her mouth twitching, before she reached up and aggressively rustled her mane with a forehoof; letting out a forced laugh. She stared off into nowhere with an almost demented look on her face.

“Well! It seems you two are busy, so I’ll just come back later!” she exclaimed rather bizarrely, nodding her head a few times before turning back for the hallway. “Later, yes! I’ll just go wait in the lobby for Rarity, and come back… later!” She let out another uneasy laugh as she left, closing the door behind her.

Fluttershy quickly leapt to her hooves. “Oh my, oh no! I-I, I can’t let her talk to Rarity likethat!” she blurted out in a rather flustered manor. “I-I need to stop her!”

Before I could comment, Fluttershy bolted for the door, opening it and went to slip out; but not before slamming her right wing into the doorframe with a whimpered squeak. She tilted her stance to allow her extended wings passage and tried again, quickly exiting the room. I heard a muffled call of Twilight’s name from the yellow mare before the door slowly closed itself.

The sudden calmness and silence of the room felt strange. It was a stark contrast after everything that had just transpired. I was now left alone, embarrassed by the fact one of my best friends just walked in at one of the worst possible moments imaginable, but despite all of that, I felt rather… warm.

I brought my forehoof to my lips, the sensation of Fluttershy’s kisses still fresh in my mind. I could almost still feel Fluttershy’s body atop mine, and her kisses along my neck and body. I brought my hoof to my neck, and slowly trailed it down the path the yellow mare had kissed me, ending at the center of my barrel.

What might have happened if we had not been interrupted? …What would we have done together?

I felt my face flush deeper at the thought, and shielded it with my forehoof as I shook my head with a squeal of girlish delight at all the romantic possibilities; all the while a goofy smile lay plastered on my face.

I really hope to do something like that with her again soon…

Chapter 24: Road to Recovery

As I lay in bed, I found myself still basking in the afterglow of my special moment shared with Fluttershy. It was warm, sensual, and far more romantic than I would have ever imagined it could be. With a large smile on my face, I lost myself in constant daydreams of the yellow mare for several minutes at a time, occasionally twirling my hair or letting out a soft giggle or two at the pleasant thoughts that came and went. I was elated to say the least.

Many times, I had thought of sharing intimate moments with another pony, silently wondering what the experiences would be like. However, the real thing was far better than I could have ever imagined it to be, and I found myself only wanting more after the brief exchange I only just had.

Despite my desire to spend more time close to my special somepony, I knew that she was to go back home to Ponyville this evening. I would again have to wait some time before I would have an opportunity to spend time with her, but at the end of this wait was a lovely promise, a promise that I would be able to spend actual, quality time with her.

I can’t wait to go home.

Judging from Surefire’s news, things were looking really good for me. My innocence was well beyond proven at this point. All I had to do was wait for her to finish building her case, and then the charges against me would be seen as false and removed. I would then be cleared to spend the rest of my recovery period in Ponyville, in my new home.

I brought a hoof to my chin, wondering what it will be like to see my gallery in its finished state. According to the details given to me by Quick Fix, the construction would be completed before I was to return home at the rate things were going. This really excited me, my very own art gallery, all shiny and new would be there to greet me when I returned home.

So much room for so many paintings...

I would have a lot of work ahead of me before I could open the gallery though. I would need to just about fill the place with my paintings first, which I currently had none to my name. However, knowing I had a lot of painting ahead of me was just one more joy to look forward to when I get back from Manehattan.

I remained lost in my musing for several minutes longer before the ever familiar click of the door pulled me away from my thoughts. Looking to the entry, I watched as Fluttershy entered. Lagging behind and hesitantly following the yellow mare inside, was none other than the seemingly missing Rarity.

I felt a blurry haze of emotions as I stared at the fashionista; struggling to decide on what I should feel at that particular moment. After a brief mental sorting, my feelings settled on something I had never really felt before; something until now I never had the chance to experience.

Betrayal.

Part of me was indeed happy to see her, but I felt deeply betrayed by her lack of trust in me. She hadn’t believed me when I so desperately tried to convince her of the truth, and then proceeded to only avoid me thereafter. The look on her face as she approached me showed that she too sensed my uncertainty at her presence.

“Oh, um, hello, darling...” she greeted me, before hesitating for several seconds.

Fluttershy turned to Rarity, softly prompting her to continue. “Go on, Rarity. She will hear you out.” she gave the fashionista a reassuring warm smile.

Rarity bit her lower lip, shifting her posture with unease. “Look... Prism I... I just wanted to say that I am truly, truly sorry.”

Despite her apology being sincere, it only served to further tip the balance of my feelings. “Sorry for what exactly?” I snapped back somewhat angrily. “I think you have a few things to be sorry about.”

I hadn’t intended for my words to be so strong, nor sound so sharp; but as I spoke, I couldn’t help but feel a swelling pain in my chest starting to grow.

Rarity’s expression quickly sank at my response to her apology. “For everything, dear,” she replied, shifting about nervously. “The girls all spoke with me last night, urging me that speak with you about the truth before we all leave this evening.”

I felt a twinge of anger at the reason behind her admittance. “So you’ll believe me once the rest of the girls say so, but my word alone is not good enough for you?”

The fashionista’s ears fell back with a wince, my words seeming to cut through her like a hot knife. “It wasn’t that it was you, darling! Everything Snooty said, it was all just so...” Rarity hesitated briefly before continuing, “…convincing, Prism.”

I pounded the side of my bed with my left forehoof in frustration. “Why?! Why didn’t you believe me in the first place?” I asked with a quick sweep of my foreleg. “Why did you take his word over mine?” I looked to Fluttershy before pointing a hoof to the yellow mare. “Fluttershy even said the same thing as me, did she not?”

My special somepony gave a silent nod before crossing the room to seat herself in one of the green corner chairs.

Rarity quickly shook her head. “It was all over the papers, darling!” the fashionista cried out in return. “The rescue, the details about the foalnapping; everything! Everything Snooty said, it was. All. There!” she punctuated her statement with a frustrated stomp of her forehoof. “What was I supposed to believe, Prism?! That it was all a hoax? Just some lie?”

I let out a frustrated growl at her stubbornness to see the truth. “That is exactly what it was, Rarity! A lie; tailor made just for you!”

My unexpected statement had seemingly caught the fashionista completely off guard. “W-What?!” Rarity sputtered, taken aback. “W-who, what—how?!”

“This is has always been about you; from the very beginning!” I exclaimed, pointing my left foreleg directly at her. “Fluttershy and I were foalnapped with the sole intention of being rescued by Snooty; this whole foalnapping and ransom were all just a ploy by him, just so he could seduce you, Rarity!”

Rarity stared back in obvious shock, looking as if she were trying to speak, but unable to do so.

My expression sank as my mind retraced back to my role in the foalnapping. “That fact that I am even sitting in front of you, able to tell you this is a miracle in of itself...” I informed her silently as my ears fell back. “It was never intended that I survive this long, Rarity. My part in Snooty’s plan was to be a sacrifice; only Fluttershy was supposed to live to be saved, and nopony ever know the truth about what really happened to me...”

I glanced briefly to Fluttershy. Her ears fell back and she looked down to the floor as my eyes met hers. Looking back to the fashionista however, I found her to appear absolutely mortified by my words.

“He... he really tried to kill you?” she asked unbelievably, taking a shaky step back as if to catch her balance.

I nodded grimly. “Yes, but not before giving three of his stallions permission to rape me first,” I informed her, looking away pained; the feelings of my helplessness at the time resurfacing. “The only reason I am here in front of you, is because Snooty hadn’t anticipated the Rohoofnal he had me injected with to an adverse effect. Had it not, I would have been...” I trailed off, shaking the proceeding thoughts from my head.

Rarity covered a shrill gasp of utter horror before continuing with shaky breaths. “P-Prism, I-I... I don’t... is this... truly real, darling? Did this all... really happen to you?” she asked, a sense of dread weighed heavy on her tone before she looked to Fluttershy, as if to ask for confirmation.

The yellow mare’s expression sank into a sad frown. “Prism wouldn’t lie about this, Rarity. If she said this happened, then it must have really happened; I believe her without any doubts.”

I nodded. “Yes, Rarity. This is the real truth of the foalnapping. The truth that Snooty didn’t want you of all ponies to know, or to even believe if I were to tell you; like I tried before, and am now...”

* * * * * * * * * *

I took this opportunity to inform her of the full details of Snooty’s plan. What he did, the things he had said about himself to me so far, and how everything was supposed to play out; had everything gone according to his plan.

During my explanation, Rarity had fallen to her haunches, and tears swelled up in her eyes. The white pony sat in a disturbed silence at the conclusion of the truth she had been unaware of until now. A pained look of guilt and sadness adorned her face as she stared back at me, her bottom lip trembling.

Despite my anger with the fashionista, I couldn’t help feel a bit of pity for her. Knowing what Snooty was capable of, I couldn’t really blame her for being deceived; I only wished she had believed me first, and not him.

I took a slow breath, calming my nerves from my tale. “You see now, Rarity? You played right into his hooves; just as he planned you would.”

Rarity opened her mouth as if to speak, but hesitated briefly as her ears fell back, and she looked shamefully to the floor. “...I was such a foal for believing him,” she muttered, bringing her forehooves to her face. “All this time I had spent with what I thought to an exemplary gentlecolt, I was actually spending with a... monster.” The fashionista’s last word barely slipped out of her mouth, as if she herself could not believe the reality of it.

Several seconds of silence followed before she abruptly looked back up to be. “Prism, darling, I have been such a horrible friend to you recently. I know I truly do not deserve it, but could you ever find it in your heart to forgive me for what I have done?”

While I was upset with her yes, Rarity was after all still my friend. “I forgive you Rarity, however... it will take me some time for me to forget.”

The fashionista shrank down, looking to the floor in shame once again. “I suppose that much is fair...” she let out a small sigh before closing her eyes and straightening her posture, bringing a forehoof to her chest. “I shall do my very best to make this up to you; Celestia be my witness, I swear it!”

I shook my head dismissively. “You don’t have to do anything like that to make up for it, just promise to put more trust in me.”

“Nonsense, darling! I cannot forgive myself until I see this adequately repaired,” She declared with a stubborn shift of her posture as she stood to her hooves. “I must do something to amend this dreadful mistake I have made.”

Her stubbornly insistent antics stole a small laugh from me. “Alright, Rarity. I will leave it to you to do what you see fit; just... don’t go overboard, okay? I’m fine with just our friendship and your trust.”

Rarity gave a small nod in acknowledgement. “Very well,” she replied, turning to face the door. “Now, with that awful matter behind us, I shall see if Twilight has calmed down some.” she paused mid step for a moment before looking back to me curiously. “By the way, whatever happened to get the poor dear that flustered anyway, darling?”

Like two foals with their hooves caught in the cook jar, Fluttershy and I exchanged nervous, embarrassed glances; our faces both immediately flushing red at the immediate knowledge of the truth behind Twilight’s flustered state.  Rarity examined the two of us briefly before her eyes widened. “Oh... Oh my,” she quickly covered her muzzle with a forehoof. “You two didn’t...”

To my surprise, Fluttershy spoke up. “W-We’ll, um, talk this... later.” she looked to me. “That is, um... i-if you don’t mind, and that it’s okay with you, Prism...”

I felt a little hesitant with Rarity knowing the details of what had transpired between Fluttershy and I earlier. However, despite this, I had a few...questions in regards to the nature of the moment the two of us shared. I also figured that if there was any pony to speak to about romance and intimacy, it would likely be Rarity.

Hopefully this will serve as a step to repair our trust in one another, as well as give her a chance to feel better about what happened and let us be friends again.

I finally nodded at my special somepony’s request. “That’s fine, Fluttershy. I don’t mind.”

The fashionista closed her eyes with a nod as well. “We shall speak more on this matter later then, Fluttershy.” she turned and began for the door. “I shall retrieve our dear Twilight and return momentarily.”

Fluttershy and I watched Rarity leave in silence, however as soon as the door closed, my special somepony quickly turned to face me.

“Are you, um, sure that this is alright with you?” she asked again, seemingly to seek reassurance. “I mean, I understand what happened was sort of, uh... private.” she paused, looking away for a moment before quickly back to me. “So If you really don’t want me to speak to her about it, It’s fine, I’ll understand and—”

“It’s fine Fluttershy, relax,” I interjected, hoping to give her reassurance that I did in fact, not mind. “I understand now that you confide in your friends with a lot of things, and I don’t want to get in the way of that.” I looked down to my forehooves, fidgeting with my cast for a moment. “Besides, I, uh... would like to talk to her about everything as well once I am back, if that’s alright with you...”

Fluttershy quickly shook her head dismissively. “Oh no, I don’t mind. Not at all.”

I looked up to her with a small smile. “Then we agree that it’s fine if we both speak to her about it?”

My special somepony’s eyes glanced about the room momentarily before resting on my own, her cheeks flushing slightly as she nodded. “Y-yes.”

No sooner than we have made our agreement, the door to the room clicked open, Rarity entering in a slow trot. Lagging behind her hesitantly was Twilight Sparkle. The studious mare’s appearance still remained somewhat frazzled from before; stray locks of her mane curled in on itself as she looked back and forth between the two of us with a sheepish smile.

“Uh, sorry about before girls,” Twilight quickly apologized. “I sort of overreacted a little...” she admitted sheepishly, before looking about the floor for a moment and finding the file she had dropped early.

“Oh no, it’s fine, Twilight,” Fluttershy reassured, before fidgeting in unease. “We, um, just weren’t expecting any, uh,company for a while...”

Rarity glanced to Twilight with a smug, knowing smirk; who met the look with a roll of her eyes before levitating the folder from the ground.

I eyed the file, curious as to its contents. “What is that by the way, Twilight?” I asked, pointing to the object in question. “I’ve been curious since you left it here.”

Twilight brought the folder to her before clearing her throat. “These are my notes and data regarding my investigations so far,” she answered matter-of-factly. “The reason I came to visit was to update you on our friend, Snooty.”

This got everyponies' attention, particularly Rarity’s. “What did you learn about that fiendish timber wolf in sheep’s clothing?” she asked rather impatiently.

Twilight open the folder in her magic, flipping through the contents. “That his reputation is good, too good.” The studious mare glanced to Rarity, gesturing a forehoof to her. “When you had mentioned how he had held charity auctions, I looked into what other ‘good deeds’ he has done; the list was rather extensive. This got me to wonder: just how does he afford to host all of these on his budget?”

Pulling a paper from the file in her magic, Twilight levitated it to me and dropped it in my lap. I looked down to the page; it held several monetary figures listed in charts, alongside it was another set of figures with much smaller values. Upon further examination, it appeared this was a comparison of spending of some kind.

I looked up from the paper to Twilight. “Just what is this?” I asked curiously.

“It’s Snooty’s expenditures over the past few months,” Twilight said matter-of-factly. “As much as I hated to, I used my name and status to pull some strings, and gained access to his recent sales figures and private banking records.”

Rarity craned her neck in absolute shock at the studious mare’s actions. “Twilight! isn’t that illegal?!”

Twilight let out a sheepish laugh. “Well... yes and no. I did however, play by the rules to get access to them.”

The lavender mare levitated another paper from her folder to Rarity, who grabbed it in her cyan magic before bringing it to her face to read. She narrowed her eyes at it briefly as she read, before her eyes went wide.

“This is a warrant!” She exclaimed, looking up to Twilight in sheer surprise. “How in Equestria did you get this?”

I glanced between Twilight and Rarity confused. “What’s a warrant?”

To my surprise, Fluttershy answered for the two. “A warrant is a legal document giving it’s holder rights to investigate another pony’s or business’s private information, which otherwise would be illegal to do without their permission.”

The fashionista nodded in agreement at my special somepony’s explanation. “They’re very difficult to obtain, dear. A pony has to have a very good reason to be granted one.” she turned back to twilight, raising an eyebrow curiously. “How exactly did you get this?”

“I’ll get to that in just a moment; Rarity,” Twilight stated before walking over to me, and pointing a forehoof to the figures on the left. “Anyway, these here are from his bank records and sales figures. Take careful notice of how high some of the transactions and sales are; especially those from the past few weeks”

I nodded, scanning the list of numbers, and sure enough, some of the amounts were quite high ranging well into hundreds of bits per transaction. The data covering the past few weeks however were significantly higher than those of the previous months on the list.

I looked up to Twilight in surprise. “That’s... a lot of money, Twilight...”

She nodded, pointing her forehoof now to the chart on the right. “Now this here is what I averaged to how much somepony in his line of work would make; in a rather generous profitable span of sales I might add.”

The numbers from Snooty’s expenditures utterly dwarfed the amount he should be able to afford to spend in this time frame. While this was no surprise to me, as I knew well what sort of dealings he’s into; I saw where Twilight was going with this.

“You’re going to use this against him, aren’t you?” I asked, already expecting the answer.

She nodded. “While these figures alone don't particularly prove anything, they will however, serve to back up the claims of his illegal activities. Somepony in his line of work should not be able to spend so much money so frivolously. I’ll also point out that according to records, he has inherited no amount of wealth from any relatives; so the money he spends is his own, however he obtains it.”

Rarity brought a hoof to her chin in thought. “I hadn’t even considered that...” Rarity said, walking over to join twilight at my bedside. “During my time spent with Snooty, we had visited some of Manehattan’s finest eateries, vip sections no less; and then there were the gifts he gave me.” She furrowed her brow. “I cannot believe I didn’t see it, that I didn’t question it. I was an absolute foal, cluelessly blinded by his charms.” The fashionista turned away, uttering several curses under her breath.

Fluttershy timidly spoke up. “Couldn’t you, um, go to the police with what you have, Twilight? Wouldn’t it be enough?”

The librarian shook her head dismissively at my special somepony’s suggestion. “Going directly to the police will do us no good at this point. We know for a fact that Snooty has at least two, likely more ponies in the Manehattan police force under his influence and on his payroll,” she informed Fluttershy. “Our best bet is the independent case Surefire is currently building against the detectives on Prism’s case. Once the corruption of the detectives is exposed, I can then use that influence to form a paper trail back to Snooty himself.”

Rarity gave the studious mare a confused look. “I don’t understand, why not just go to Princess Celestia, darling? Surely she would listen and believe you; especially with what you say you’ve already collected.”

Twilight let out a hard sigh. “I’ve already have,twice,” she stated, looking to me. “The princess told me her hooves are tied, and that long ago she left the law to be handled by her subjects, and that she has faith in the justice system, and told me to collect more solid evidence and have faith in it as well.”

“Even so, surely she has the final say, right? I mean she is the ruler of Equestria,” I promptly pointed out.

Twilight shook her head. “The Princess only told me that it’s her sister is who handles the final say in judicial disputes, should they escalate to that high of a level that is.” Twilight clenched her jaw in obvious frustration. “However when I spoke with Princess Luna, she said that she could not make a special exception for myself, and that it would be unfair if she were to play favorites due to a pony’s social status or position of power.” Twilight stomped her forehoof with a frustrated yell. “Urgh! Why does she have to be so by the book!”

Fluttershy timidly raised a forehoof towards Twilight. “U-Um, maybe... maybe that is why Princess Celestia has Princess Luna handle those sorts of things? Because she is, uh, by the book...”

Twilight tensed, before softening her posture and letting out a long defeated sigh. “I know, Fluttershy...” she said before turning to her. “That is exactly what Princess Celestia said, in fact. That she would let her emotions get in the way, while Princess Luna would remain fair in all matters, regardless of how big or small.”

I tilted my head curiously. “If the princesses refused to help you, how did you get that warrant?” I asked, pointing to her folder once again.

“When the princesses wouldn’t help me, I wasn’t about to just give up there; so I went to my next best bet: my big brother, Prince Shining Armor,” she informed me with a quick wink. “With his new title came a lot of new responsibilities, as well as several new privileges. When I told him about what was going on, he assured me he was more than willing to help in any way possible, and that he was ready to face any repercussions that may come from it.”

A small smirk played across Rarity’s lips. “So that’s what you have been up to; making so many trips back and forth to Canterlot the past few days.”

Twilight let out a sheepish laugh. “Um, yeah, let’s just say I am really tired of trains right about now,” she said, looking off into nowhere for a moment. “I really wish Spike were here, he would have made this so much easier...”

There was a short moment of silence before, to my surprise, a knock sounded at the door.

Well, that’s a first.

“Come in,” I called out to the surprisingly polite visitor.

The door opened to reveal Surefire, along with an entourage of other familiar faces; Applejack, Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash accompanied her. A warm smile quickly lit up my face seeing all my friends together in one place. The girls entering all greeted me before spreading out in the small room.

Once everypony was situated, Surefire turned to Fluttershy. “Well?” she asked, a seemingly expectant look on her face.

My special somepony made eye contact with the young mare, before immediately blushing profusely and covering her face with both forehooves. Her reaction triggered a large grin from the detective, who turned back to me.

“Did something good happen while we were gone?” she asked with an all-too-knowing, sinister smile on her face.

Rather than hiding in embarrassment, I found myself impulsively covering an incriminating goofy smile that crept up my lips; my left forehoof alone doing little to hide it. Surefire’s grin turned to wide smile before she covered a small laugh. The rest the girls with the exception of Twilight looked to her with confused expressions. The studious mare on the other hoof, hid a small tint of pink adorning her cheeks behind a foreleg.

I studied the detective’s smug expression for a moment, when suddenly, it clicked.

Surefire planned on us doing something... didn’t she? That’s why she took the girls away;she staged this!

I wasn’t sure rather to be really upset with her, or grateful. Either way, I made a mental note to ask my special somepony what it was that the young mare had whispered to her to get her so... flustered.

Rainbow dash stepped up to my bedside, pulling me from my thoughts. “Hey, we all just wanted to say our goodbyes before we left. Our train back to Ponyville will be here in just a few hours and we’ll need to go get ready to leave soon.”

Rarity raised an eyebrow at the cyan mare. “You remembered what time the train was coming? Color me impressed.”

Rainbow shot her a flat look. “Hey, I’m not that irresponsible, Rarity,” she declared, her expression softening. “Besides, I really need to check on the rest of the weather team, I’m worried how they are doing without me.”

Applejack nodded. “And Ah’m worried about Big Macintosh. He was a’might worried when he found out you had been foalnapped, Prism,” she informed me, her expression shifting into clear concern. “Why, I imagine he has done every little thing there is to do on the farm by now to keep his mind busy from worrying about you.”

It was in that moment a cold chill shot down my spine as I realized a very important detail.

Applejack doesn’t know about mine and Fluttershy’s relationship yet...

I was not the only pony distraught by Applejack’s words. Rainbow Dash and Rarity exchanged uneasy glances, while Fluttershy sank down a little. Surefire also seemed quite surprised by this sudden mention of a stallion.

Pinkie pie on the other hoof examined the others curiously before looking to Applejack. “She doesn’t know?”

The farm mare raised an eyebrow at the party pony. “Know what?”

Pinkie’s expression shifted into a large smile. “Why, Prism and F—”

The pink mare was promptly silenced by Rainbow Dash and Rarity simultaneously grabbing her, and stuffing hooves over her mouth. The two looked to Applejack sheepishly, who narrowed her eyes suspiciously at the pair.

“Prism and what?” she asked, turning to eye me curiously.

I put on my best forced smile for the farm mare; though thankfully Rarity spoke up for me. “Oh it’s nothing, darling. Just some trivial matter, no need to concern yourself, Applejack, dear.”

Surefire nodded in agreement. “Just something personal I had mentioned about Prism’s past, don’t worry about it,” she explained, covering for me on the fly.

Applejack narrowed her eyes slightly, seemingly unconvinced by their made-up reassurances. “Y’all trying to hide something from me?”

The three mares quickly shook their heads dismissively.

Applejack simply frowned. “Well, if y'all say so...” she said, still reluctant about their behavior.

Despite being temporarily off the hook, I found that I didn’t feel any better about the matter. I didn’t have the first idea about how to explain myself to her.

Oh, by the way Applejack you remember that talk about there always being room in the Apple family for more? Well Fluttershy and I are now dating, so don’t worry about that; I also hope you don’t mind my leading your brother on like I did.”

I mentally groaned to myself. I couldn’t think of any easy way to put it. I had lead her brother on without even realizing it, until it was already too late. Fluttershy’s confession had hit me from out of left field. Prior to that moment, I had no idea she even liked me in that way.

Suddenly, I felt very guilty. I had been clumsily dropping obvious hints to Big Macintosh that I liked him for some time. Then with the knowledge that Fluttershy liked me for less than a day, I chose her love over his.

I didn’t regret my choice, but it didn’t make me feel any better knowing how much he had been worried about me since my no-show that night.

Oh, why couldn’t I at least been given the time to turn him down!

Snooty’s plans sure had a way with complicating things in my life. Then again it’s not like I could have asked his stallions to give me ten more minutes before foalnapping me. Time was just not on my side in that moment, and consequently it made matters with Big Macintosh even worse.

I have to tell him, and tell Applejack about Fluttershy and I.

However, it appeared that once again time was not to be on my side.

“Well, we best be on our way then, we have much packing to do before the train arrives,” Rarity declared, looking to the clock.

The others all nodded in agreement before turning to me. One by one they each gave me their well wishes about me getting better and seeing me again soon. Despite this, my mind was elsewhere, desperately trying to piece together a way to tell Applejack the truth before she left.

I was out of time.

Rarity ushered the girls for the door, reminding them how they needed to hurry. Fluttershy mentioned how she would catch up, and needed to speak with me, no doubt buying her some time with me before she left. Happy as this made me, it still didn’t settle my worries about the dilemma I found myself in.

Down to the wire now, Applejack made her way for the door, and I found myself impulsively calling out to her.

“Applejack, wait!”

The farm mare turned to me expectantly. “What is it, Sugarcube?” she asked, surprised by my sudden change of tone.

What do I say?!

“Um, I... you see...” I fidgeted with my cast as I desperately struggled to find the words. “Well, the truth is...”

Say something, anything!

I paused for several seconds as my mind screamed out to speak, but remained seemingly unable to form the right words. I just didn’t have enough time to think this through. As much as I didn’t want to, it looked like I would have to speak with her and Big Macintosh when I returned from Manehattan.

I let out a sigh of defeat as I looked down to my forehooves. “Never mind Applejack, it’s nothing...”

Now that is a lie if I ever told one...

Applejack seemed to sense my unease, as a look of clear concern quickly adorned the farm pony’s face. “You sure, Sugarcube? You look a mite distraught about something.”

I shook my head. “Don’t worry about it, I’ll be fine.”

The farm mare looked even less convinced, and far more concerned at my reassurance. “Well, if you feel like talking about it later, you know where to find me.”

With a tip of her hat and a small farewell, Applejack followed the rest of the girls out; leaving Fluttershy, Twilight, Surefire and myself in the tense atmosphere of the room. Judging from her expression and body language, Fluttershy looked absolutely ashamed of herself.

Twilight watched the yellow mare for a moment before turning to me with a soft look of concern. “You know you should have told her about you two, right?” She said, stating the obvious I didn’t really want to hear. “You can’t keep going leading them on, Prism.”

My ears fell back as I sank down a little. “I know... but I just didn’t know what to say without it sounding simply awful.” I let out a small sigh of defeat. “I’m such a bad pony, Twilight. I lead her and her brother on, only to end up choosing the love of another instead.”

Twilight glanced between myself and Fluttershy before shaking her head. “You're not a bad pony, Prism.” she brought a hoof to her chin. “Besides, according to Rarity, that was before you knew about Fluttershy’s feelings, correct? You can’t blame yourself for that.”

Fluttershy let out a soft, pitiful whine from across the room. “I’m so sorry, this is all my fault...” she managed to squeak out, just above a whisper.

“This is not your fault, Fluttershy. I’m the one who clumsily dropped him hints; I got myself into this mess.” I refuted, shaking my head.

The yellow mare looked up to me through pained, guilt stricken eyes. “But I’m the one who got in the way of that...” she shamefully looked away, her ears falling back once again. “I’m such a greedy pony. Everything would have been fine if I just hadn’t done anything...”

My eyes widen at her surprising amounts regret. I cursed the fact I couldn’t walk over to her and give my special somepony a reassuring hug, like I oh so desired to do. However, I wasn’t about to be satisfied without doing something.

“Fluttershy, come here please,” I softly requested, beckoning the yellow mare over with a wave of my forehoof.

Fluttershy looked about the floor for a moment before nodding, and slowly getting up from her seat. The way she almost dragged herself to my bedside was pitiful, and painful to watch. I had to fix this; I couldn’t stand to see my special somepony so sad and full of regret. There was no way I was going to let her return back to Ponyville on this note.

As she reached my bedside, I motioned her closer, which she hesitantly complied. Once she was close enough, I immediately reached out grabbed her with my left foreleg, pulling her close against me. The sudden jarring movement elicited a small squeak from the yellow mare. I felt her body immediately heat up, no doubt in a deep blush that I could not see; I was far too busy nuzzling into her.

“Don’t say that,” I spoke softly into her mane. “I’m the one who chose you, Fluttershy. This was mychoice.” I tightened my hug around her. “So please don’t ever say you regret pursuing me... I’m so grateful that you did.”

Fluttershy slowly wrapped her forelegs around me, returning my hug. “I’m so sorry, Prism. I won’t do it anymore, I promise.”

Her warm words of reassurance ignited a warm fuzzy sensation inside of my chest. I found myself unable to resist the urge to act on it, and planted a small kiss on her cheek. I could feel the hairs of her fur stand on end in response to my sudden touch.

I pulled away from my special somepony and beamed her a warm smile of reassurance. “I’ll take care of this once I am back in Ponyville, so don’t worry about it anymore, okay?”

She returned my smile with one of her own, and gave a small nod. “Okay.”

There was a short pause of silence before Surefire voice rang out in a soft coo. “D’aww! That was so sweet!”

I looked to find the detective sitting on her haunches, holding her face with both forehooves. She was absolutely gushing; a dreamy look adorning her features as she stared at the two of us intently. Fluttershy and I immediately blushed in embarrassment, glancing to, and quickly looking away from each other nervously.

Surefire let out a surprisingly dainty laugh. “I don’t know the story about this other stallion, but you two are just so cute together!”

Twilight turned to the detective, giving her a rather shocked look, no doubt at the sudden shift of her normally serious character she had gotten used to. Surefire took notice of her reaction and quickly straightened her posture, clearing her throat.

“Anyways, I really should be on my way. I have a lot to get done before my case is ready to be presented.”

Twilight looked to the room’s clock. “I need get back to work as well,” she said before turning to Fluttershy. “And you need to get ready as well, Fluttershy. I would hate for you to miss your train; I’m sure you are eager to get home after everything that has happened to you.”

The yellow mare’s expression sank a little at Twilights words, before turning to me with a sad look. “As much as I, um, would love to go home, I’m more worried about Prism being out here all alone...”

It was touching just how much my special somepony cared for me, but as much as I would miss her and the other girls, I wouldn’t truly be alone. “Don’t worry about me, Fluttershy. I’ll have Twilight, Derpy and Surefire to keep me company.”

Surefire nodded. “Yeah, don’t worry, we’ll take good care of her; I’ll have her back home to you in no time,” she reassured Fluttershy with a quick wink.

My special somepony blushed a little at the detectives words, but her smile of relief remained. “Thank you, Surefire.”

Twilight let out a small laugh as she began for the door. “Well I’m heading back to the hotel to see the rest of the girls off.” she looked back to Fluttershy with a soft smile. “Don’t be too long Fluttershy.”

“Oh, don’t worry, I’ll be, um, right behind you,” the yellow mare replied softly.

Us three remaining mares said our goodbyes to twilight a she left. After a moment of soft silence, Fluttershy turned to me with a sad frown.

“I really do need to go now too...” she leaned down to me, pulling me into a tight hug. “I’m going to miss you, Prism.”

I returned the hug the best I could. “Hey, don’t be sad. It’s not like we’ll never see each other again,” I replied, softly nuzzling the side of her face. “Besides, when I do get back, we will have all the time in the world to spend together.”

My special somepony pulled away from the embrace a bit, before shuffling in place for a moment. Bashfully shifting her eyes about the room, making eye contact with my own, before quickly looking away again as her face slowly heated into a soft blush.

“I-I, um... I love you,” she barely managed to force out, just above a whisper.

I opened my mouth to reply, but a quick kiss from the yellow mare cut my attempt short. Before I could even comment, she quickly darted to the door, giving me a bashful wave before disappearing out into the hallway. I found myself left simply smiling at her adorable antics.

See you soon, Fluttershy.

“I’m so jealous of you two,” Surefire commented, a clearly envious pout on her face. “I want somepony to love like that too.”

I turned to the detective with a small glare, accented with a playful smirk. “And YOU!” I pointed my left forehoof right at her. “You sneaky, sneaky little filly; just what did you say to her earlier?”

A wide grin crept up Surefire’s face as she took a step back. “Oh, well would you look at the time! I need to be on my way!” She spun in place and bolted for the door.

“Surefire! WAIT!”

Despite my call out to her, she quickly escaped into the hallway, a long series of foalish giggles erupted from outside, slowly fading off into the distance of the hallway. I rolled my eyes with a small smile.

A few short moments passed before Ruby entered through the open doorway, looking back in the same direction Surefire had disappeared to.

“What was that all about?” the doctor asked, looking to me with an eyebrow raised curiously.

I let out a soft laugh, grinning to myself.

“Oh just some silly little filly who pretends she’s a mare, that’s all.”

Chapter 1: When it All Comes Crashing Down

The cold weather sucked the colors of life out of everything as far as the eye could see, leaving only shades of white and grey along the busy streets of Manehattan.

Trudging through the snow, I kept my head down and clutched my cloak tight to my body, doing my best to avoid the eyes of as many ponies as possible as I hurried back to my apartment complex. The supermarket had been just as busy and chaotic as I remembered it to be, but by enduring the sea of ponies, I managed to get everything on my list without drawing too much attention to myself.

Except for when I accidentally knocked over the pillar of canned food with my tail; and when somepony bumped me into the display stand of potato chips. Other than that, it wasn’t too bad... I guess.

Letting out a weak sigh, I watched my hooves sink down into the snow with the weight of each step. The crunching of each hoofstep echoed in my mind, reminding me just how badly I wanted to be home right now.

Just a little further, Prism. Then you can have yourself a nice hot cup of tea and forget about this awful—

My thoughts came to a halt as a sudden impact knocked me back. I landed on my haunches with a soft squeak, spilling much of the produce from my saddlebags.

“Why don’t cha’ watch where you're walk’n, lady!” demanded an angry voice in front of me. I looked up to see a rather irritated orange stallion glaring back down at me.

“I-I’m s-sorr—”

The stallion gave a hard snort before walking right through me, knocking me onto my side and spilling the remainder of my groceries into the snow. I looked around me at the mess of what was once my neatly bagged shopping trip and let out a soft whine of frustration. After collecting the items and bagging them again, I carefully climbed to my hooves and continued on my way.

Not long after, my apartment building came into view. I quickened my pace and approached the door to the building; pushing a few buttons on the panel by the door, I let myself in. It felt nice to feel warm air again and to be out of the icy wasteland outside. Crossing the lobby, I reached the stairs and looked up at them.  My ears flattened and I let out a whimpered squeak; The inevitable climb of thirteen flights of staircases now laid before me. Adding the fact I had the extra weight of my groceries on me, didn’t help bolster my enthusiasm any either.

Stupid elevator.

* * * * * * * * * *

An eternity of wheezing and panting later, I reached the peak of the mountain of steps. Flopping down on my belly, I took a brief moment to catch my breath; before getting up and following the hallway. As I passed the rooms, I read each of the number plates aloud in my head.

Room 1301, 1302, 1303 and... 304!?

A rusty stain of a "1" was left on the door where metal should be. Looking down to the floor in front of my room, I found the absent number. My ears fell back as I sighed in defeat.

It was now official. Today just wasn't my day.

Well, I’m home now, so it can't get much worse... right?

Forcing a weak smile at my reassurance, I leaned down and picked up the metal number in my teeth and let myself inside.

"Hum, shweet hum," I mumbled to myself through my teeth before placing the horrible-tasting metal down on the large package from earlier.

Slowly leaning down to the floor, I grabbed the strap to the bags, lifting them off and resting them on the floor to either side of me. After a brief moment to collect myself, I crawled out from under them, then removed and hung up my cloak, and released my mane and tail from their restraints. Glad to be free of the bags and the chaos of the outside world, I let out a heavy relaxed sigh as I fell back against the large box next to me, slowly sliding down to my haunches.

Pausing for a moment, I decided that putting away the groceries could wait for now. I had more pressing matters to attend to, like a nice hot cup of tea. After being out in the cold and enduring the stress of crowds of ponies, it seemed to be the most appealing thing to me at the time. Jumping up off the floor, I trotted to the kitchen and prepared a kettle of water, before setting it on the stove to boil.

Turning from the stove, I looked up to the clock above my bed: it was almost 8pm.

I hope Wiggles isn't mad that dinner is a little late tonight... speaking of which, where is he?

“Wiggles, you awake?” I called out to the silence.

Scanning over the room, I found no visible signs of him, so I went to check the last place I saw him. Walking over to the sofa, I peered underneath, and sure enough, he was still there napping.

"There you are. Time to wake up, I have something special for you!" I exclaimed as I headed back to the saddlebags. Shuffling through them, I produced a large Golden Delicious apple and returned to the couch, gently placing the fruit on the floor.

Hopefully this will make him a little less upset.

"Look what I got. It’s your favorite!" I sang, drawing out the words enthusiastically.

Pausing briefly, I waited for him to come out before nudging the apple a little closer to the sofa with my muzzle. I waited a few moments longer before I lay down on the floor in front of the sofa. The stubborn bunny hadn't even stirred from the position he was in earlier.

"Look here mister, you've been napping since I left. You need to get up now, and besides it’s dinner time, I’m hungry too.”

I realized I hadn't eaten anything today aside from that bite of apple earlier, so it left me a little stressed. Adding on the fact I had to go out today didn't help my anxiety any either, but even after my statement, the rabbit didn't budge. Something wasn't right. Normally he's really sweet; he never ignores me like this.

"Mr. Wiggles... are you ok?" I asked softly. After once more receiving no response, I stomped a forehoof to the floor with a loud clop to get his attention.

Nothing... a cold chill crept down my spine.

"Mr. Wiggles, wake up! If you keep sleeping you’re going to miss dinner!" I shouted to him, but the bunny still gave no response. Closing my eyes, I focused intensely on the sofa; my horn, letting off a solid glow, enveloped it in magic. I strained myself as I attempted to move it, but it was no good, my bed wouldn’t budge.

Why now? Out of all times, why does my magic have to fail me now!?

"Mr. Wiggles! Wake up!" I screamed under the couch in despair as tears began to swell in my eyes.

I immediately sprang up to my hooves and began pacing back and forth trying to think of what to do. My mind was racing a million miles a minute and panic had fully set in. A sharp whistle from the kettle I left to boil made me jump, and snapped me out my daze. After a few moments, I managed to calm down somewhat and collect myself. I quickly positioned myself by the side of my bed as I reared forward, and with my full adrenaline-fueled strength, bucked the sofa.

The impact of the kick knocked several shards of paint from the wall and sent the sofa soaring into my sunset painting and a pile of art supplies across the room with a loud crash. Ignoring the disaster my bed had just caused, I hastily turned back to check on my friend.

There lay a motionless Mr. Wiggles, unfazed by the chaos around him. I went to take a step forward but fear froze me in my tracks.

This can't really be happening... I mean, I knew he was old, but... no, he can't really be... can he?

Mustering up every ounce of courage and willpower I had, I stepped forward to Mr. Wiggles, giving him a gentle nudge with my hoof. His body gave no protest, and was a bit chilled to the touch. Bringing a hoof to my muzzle I let out a shrill gasp at the horrible reality in front of me. My best friend, my lifelong companion since I was just a foal, lay lifeless before me.

"No... please Celestia, no..." I trembled as tears began to flood and overflow from my eyes. My legs felt wobbly and weak. I could no longer stand and collapsed to the floor. Tucking myself into a ball, I lay there and cried for what seemed like an eternity as doubt plagued my mind.

This can't be real; this is just a bad dream. He can't really be gone, not my Wiggles. I need to wake up, please wake up, you need to wake up right now! So this nightmare can just go away!

But that reality never came. I was still awake, the kettle was still howling, and my friend still lay there lifeless next to me. The cruel fate of my companion slowly sank in, and much as I wanted to deny it, he was really gone. I always knew this day would come, but I just didn't want to believe it was now here. I slowly, shakily got up. The muscles in my side ached from lying on the hard floor for so long. I wobbled back to the stove on weak hooves. I needed that tea more than anything in the world right now.

* * * * * * * * * *

Two days had come and gone since Mr. Wiggles’ passing. I ended up using a majority of my bits I had saved up to have him buried at the Manehatten pet cemetery. I wasn't just going to 'dispose' of him. I couldn't do that to a friend, especially one whom I had known since before I could remember, even if it cost me most of what I had. It was the right thing to do and I would manage, somehow...

Grey and Black.

That's all I saw as I laid my muzzle on the window sill, watching everypony go about their busy day far below, unaware of the tragedy that had befallen me. My eyes stung from so much crying. I cried myself to restless sleeps the past few nights, and eventually, I simply ran out of tears to cry. I felt empty inside, it was almost as if all my emotions had drained away along with them.

The disaster of the other day still plagued the corner of the room. Paints of all colors were splashed about the walls, floor and sofa. The canvas of my oil painting was torn and ruined beyond repair. Not that it mattered; the paint wasn't dry and had smeared from the impact. It was a lost cause to worry about it now.

At that moment, nothing seemed to matter anymore. Without Mr. Wiggles around, I realized for the first time just how alone I really was.

I have nopony I can really call a friend. Nor do I have a very special somepony, and as far as I am aware, I have no living relatives. I really am alone... aren’t I?

"All alone..." I whispered back to myself. The thought brought a cold chill down my spine and a terrible realization; something inside me snapped. Leaning back, I looked about the room at all my paintings, at my life’s work. Then down to my familiar cutie mark.

My special talent is art; well a lot of good that "special talent" did me, didn't it? I was a foal to think I could make it as somepony with my painting and sketches. My mother, my teachers, they were wrong!

"They were all WRONG!" I screamed out as a wave of anger washed over me. Clenching my jaw, I slammed a hoof to the floor as I got up from the window and stomped up to the nearest painting. Reaching up, I ripped it from the wall and threw it across the room. One by one, I tore all the paintings from the walls, throwing them into a pile by the hallway.

There was a sudden pounding at the door followed by some muffled complaints. I yelled back to the door for them to leave me alone, but the pounding only got louder. Seething with fury, my face quickly contorted with rage as I ran up to the door. My mane and tail erupted into magical flames as I threw open the door.

"GO AWAY!" I roared, shaking the walls and blasting back a mob of ponies to the wall across the hallway. Seven terrified ponies stared back at me, each with a look of horror frozen on their face.

"NOW!" I commanded, punctuating my message with a stomp of my forehoof that shattered the floorboards around me. The crowd immediately jumped up and disappeared back to their rooms in the blink of an eye. Turning back to my room, I kicked the door shut with a back leg. Panting for air, my blazing mane and tail extinguished as I slowly began to calm down and the strain of using so much raw magic hit me. I fell back against the door and slid to my haunches.

There really is nothing left for me now, is there? So why do I try so hard? Try to carry on in a world that thinks I’m some kind of freak? They all teased and laughed at me as a filly and called me such mean names, but they were right. I really am a monster; a freak. If there was a place for somepony like me in this world, I wouldn't be here like this. I would be happier; I would have friends, maybe even a family or a very special somepony to call my own.

"I wouldn't be left here all alone," I sobbed as hidden tears from somewhere deep down inside of me began to flow.

Life was meaningless now, with nothing to look forward to but emptiness and loneliness. Looking over to the pile of paintings, I felt a sting of regret. If my special talent would have been something else, maybe I would have had a real life. Others might have been more accepting of me. I would have a life full of happiness and joy, maybe even friends or a family. It all went wrong with this cutie mark.

My special talent was nothing special at all; it was a curse. Something had to be done to remedy this, and I knew just what that was. Peeling myself off the floor, I grabbed my cloak from the coat hanger and slowly put it on before picking up the nearest painting in my teeth. I carried it with me out the door, down the hall, and to the roof.

The air was frigid and cold, and the sun had already begun to set. Ignoring the chilling sensation the air brought, I tucked my cloak closer to my body while I walked across the cold cement rooftop. Reaching the center, I dropped the painting and turned back to get another. Over the course of the next few hours, I carried all my prized paintings and unfinished works to the roof and piled them all together. After finishing with the last one I looked down to the source of my misfortunes and felt my eyes begin to water again. I turned back and returned to my apartment once more to find the tools I needed to fix this mess. Looking about my room, I thought of what I could use, and then it hit me.

A brush; a fitting tool for a fitting end.

Crossing the room, I rummaged about the catastrophe of sofa, paint, and supplies for a large brush and some lacquer that may have survived the crash. Finding a tub, I popped open the lid with my magic and dipped the brush inside. Brush in mouth, I made my way to the stove and hovered the brush over a burner before igniting it.  The brush immediately took to flames.Taking the brush with my magic, I hastily made my way back to the rooftop.

Trotting back to the pile of paintings, I took a moment to admire the tool I had made. The fire of the brush was like a small beacon in the darkness of the night’s sky. Using my magic, I stroked the brush across a painting, then another, and another. The oil-based paints erupted into flames, quickly becoming a small inferno. I looked on emotionlessly as countless days and nights of wasted effort disappeared from my life on a cloud of billowing black smoke.

Tossing the brush into the fire, I turned away slowly, walking to the end of the rooftop and climbing onto the ledge that overlooked the city far below. Tears once again came to me as I slowly followed along the edge to the corner of the building. Looking over, I saw nothing but empty streets dimly illuminated by old street lamps.

Everypony must be home with their friends and families by now. I wonder what that must be like. To have friends and family to return to each day.

The closest thing I ever had to a friend was Mr. Wiggles, but even he has left me. As far as family goes, I have no siblings and I only ever knew my mother. My father left us when I was just a foal.

Staring down to the streets far below, I closed my eyes and steeled myself. Just one more step was all it would take to end this sadness and take me to a world far beyond this terrible existence. A place where I can find peace and happiness.

I’m so sorry mom. I couldn't make it like I said I would. I let you down; I let downeverypony that believed in me.

Tears flooded my eyes once more as I went to take that last step, but my hooves refused to move. I began to cry loudly as I tried even harder, but still my body wouldn't move.

"Why can't I do it? It’s just one more step; then this can all go away," I managed to stammer out through all the tears and sobs. My resolve wavered as I slowly backed up from the ledge.

“I’m pathetic. I can't do anything right. So close to ending all of this and I couldn't even do that right... I’m such a failure.” I cursed myself as I slowly stepped down from the ledge.

Crossing the roof, I walked back to the fire that was still burning bright. I tucked my cloak close, then flopped down into the snow and nuzzled my face into my forelegs. I was exhausted; all I had done the past few days was cry and got very little sleep in between the fits. The heat of the fire was warm and welcoming, and slowly coaxed me into the depths of an uneasy sleep.

* * * * * * * * * *

Where am I? Everything’s dark, cloudy, and fuzzy.

"I hate winter!" huffed the voice of a young filly in the darkness.

Is this a dream?

"You always did like spring best, didn't you?" asked the voice of an older mare.

Wait, I know that voice...

"I love spring! It’s so full of color and life, not like winter where everything is cold and grey," exclaimed the filly

That voice too...

"Winter isn't all bad, dear. It’s needed so spring can come and bring fresh new life to the world," commented the older mare.

That's Mother’s voice.

"But why can't it be spring all year? Then we wouldn't need this gloomy old winter," asked the voice of the young filly.

And that’s mine.

Mother stifled a giggle.

"Think of it like a painting, Dear. Let’s say you had painted a beautiful picture of a field of flowers and now you wanted to paint something new. What would you do?"

This isn't a dream, it’s a memory... From a very long time ago.

"Well, I would change the canvas so I could paint a new picture."

"Right, now think of the seasons. The world begins a beautiful painting with spring and finishes it with autumn, but now it wants to paint a new picture, what does it have to do?"

"It needs to change the canvas?"

"Exactly. Winter is the world changing its canvas so it can paint a brand new spring for the next year."

"I never thought of it that way before..."

"This also applies for life, Dear. You begin your life painting a picture. It has beautiful details of color during the good times, and it has its blemishes or smears during our rough times, but overall it’s a beautiful picture."

"But what if you don't like the way the painting looks?"

"Well, if you truly don't like the way your life has painted its picture for you, it’s never too late to start a new one."

"How do you do that?"

"You just have to change the canvas. By maybe moving to somewhere else, seeing new sights or meeting somepony new. These are all good ways of changing your canvas. From there, you can begin your new painting. Who knows,  you may even like it better than your old one."

"So, what you’re saying is if life gets really bad, I should try and find change?"

"Yes, sometimes change can be a good thing, especially if you’re unhappy, but what’s most important is to never give up. Remember that, ok?"

"Ok Mommy, I will!"

When life gets really bad and you don't like the painting, you can always change the canvas. Find change in someplace or somepony new to start your new painting...

"Hey! Wake..." echoed a faint voice from far away

I need to find change.

"Wake up!" The voice that called out was now louder and sounded closer.

* * * * * * * * * *

It felt as if my head was swimming as I tried to figure out what was going on; I was being violently shaken. I let out a small groan in protest to the gruff voice that called out to me and my rude awakening.

"Miss! Are you okay?"

The shaking stopped as I slowly opened my eyes and looked up to the source of the voice. A large and well-built brown stallion dressed in a heavy black and yellow coat with a matching hat was looking down at me.

A firepony? What’s a firepony doing here, and where am I? Why am I so cold?

"Wait right here, miss. I’ll have a paramedic up here in a jiffy." The firepony turned away and pulled out a small, faintly-glowing black object from his coat and spoke into it. "We need a paramedic on the roof. We found a young mare in the snow. I worry she may be suffering from hypothermia and exposure to the natural elements." The firepony tucked the object back into his coat and turned to me again.

"We got calls saying they saw smoke coming from the top of this building. Miss, do you know what happened here?" the firepony asked with concern in his voice as he looked about the rooftop.

"I-I... I..." was all I could get out between the shivers. He must have noticed I was a bit scattered and shaken, as his tone changed to a more pleasant one of concern.

"I'm sorry, miss. I'll talk with you after the paramedic has checked you out and made sure you’re alright. If you need me I'll be talking to those ponies over there," he commented as he gestured to the crowd of my neighbors that had gathered on the roof.

After a few minutes of collecting myself, I lifted my head and took a look around. The sun had begun to rise and the remains of the fire where just ashes now. My head was pounding while my body felt stiff, and everything seemed a bit fuzzy and unclear. I took a few moments to gather my thoughts as I reflected on last night’s events.

That's right, I was on the roof, and...

I went wide-eyed as my confused expression slowly contorted into horror.

If that firepony finds out what really happened here, I will be fined and thrown in jail! I don't even want to begin to think of how many city codes I broke with last night’s events. There’s no way they will overlook them!’

I decided that staying here any longer would end up very bad, very quickly. Before I could hatch an escape plan, a light pink unicorn mare with a red mane came out to the roof carrying a large medical case in the air with her magic.

"Hey there!" she said cheerfully, setting down her case. "Do you know how long you were out up here?" she asked.

I turned to the mare and slowly shook my head, although in reality I knew all too well and hoped to escape before anypony else found out.

The mare looked me over a moment with a somewhat puzzled look on her face. "You're very lucky you were wearing that cloak. You would likely have froze to death out here otherwise. Now why don't you take it off so I can get a better look at you," the paramedic remarked, reaching out for my hood.

"NO!" I screamed before quickly scooting away from her. The paramedic was taken aback, not expecting my reaction in the slightest.

"But I need to make sure you’re ok."

"I'm fine... just leave me alone, please?"

"But, I—"

"Please..."  I begged the other pony as I began to cry.

"Hey, please don't cry." asked the paramedic softly as she reached a hoof out to me again. I let out a small whimper as I backed farther away from her.

"Will you at least let me get something warm for you to drink?" the paramedic asked with a concerned look on her face.

I slowly nodded back to her and she flashed a smile before turning back to her medical kit. It only took her a moment before she procured two glowing blue packages.

"Here. These are heat packs. Hold them close to warm you up some and wait here, I'll be right back. If you need anything feel free to ask one of those nice stallions over there," she instructed before gesturing a hoof to back to the firepony from earlier.

With that, she turned back and trotted inside. After she left, I looked back to the firepony to find him talking to a few very angry looking neighbors. If I was going to make my escape now was the time, while he was still distracted.

I quickly got up and was hit by a sudden wave of dizziness while my head pounded. Clearly I had stood up way too fast, but there was no time to delay if I wanted to get out of there before the firepony found out what happened last night.

Fighting my dizzy spell, I hastily entered the building and slipped back into my room. The place was a real disaster. The floorboards by the door were shattered and there were paint smears everywhere: on the floor, on the walls, and even a few flecks on the ceiling. Not to mention the sofa was still toppled over in the corner, in a now-dry, vibrant puddle of paints.

The landlord is going to kill me if he see this! I have to get out of Manehattan or I'll be spending the rest of my life in prison!

I quickly darted to the kitchen and opened a cupboard next to the sink, pulling out a small Foalgers Coffee tin. Popping open the tin, I pulled out my hidden stash of bits and began counting out my last month’s rent. I had just enough plus a little extra to hopefully cover a bit of the damages and not land me on the Equestria's Most Wanted list. Turning to another cupboard, I pulled out a small piece of parchment and a quill and hastily scribbled a note:

“Sorry for the short notice, but I will be gone by the time you get this.

Here's my last month's rent and some extra bits to hopefully cover some of the damages.

I'm so sorry about the mess, something really bad happened to me that would take a long time to explain. I didn't mean for things to end up like this, please forgive me.”

-Prism

Looking back to what very few bits I had left, I let out a small whimper. It wasn’t nearly enough to find a new place. It was barely enough for food for a few days, but I was left with few options and staying here to end up in jail wasn't one of them. I left the stack of bits and the letter on the kitchen counter and took the pouch of remaining bits in my teeth as I headed back to the door. Before entering the hallway I looked over my shoulder back to the room.

This had been my home for a little over three years now. It was all I really knew and now I was leaving it for good. I turned to my coat rack and grabbed my cloak. Hastily putting it on, I then opened my saddlebags I had left by the door and stashed away my bag of bits. There was not much else in them by the looks of it, but I didn’t have time to pack, so whatever was in them would have to suffice. Throwing on my saddlebags, I crept up to the door and slowly opened it, poking my head out to check both directions of the hallway.

All clear.

I slowly closed the door behind me and quietly walked to the staircase.

"Hey you," came a rather stern voice from behind. I turned back to see the firepony at the end of the hallway with a rather unhappy look on his face.

Oh Celestia, it’s all over.  He caught me, I’m doomed! I’m going to go to jail and spend the rest of my days behind bars!

I felt myself begin to tremble as the stallion slowly walked up to me.

"Miss, where are you headed?" the stallion asked quizzically as he glanced to my saddle bags.

Come on, think, think! ...The paramedic!

"O-oh.. um.. t-the paramedic checked me out and asked me to meet her outside to have something warm to drink and a closer look at me, I may need to go to the hospital,"  I replied. The stallion narrowed his eyes at me. I smiled back sheepishly with a small squee.

“Right...” Replied the firepony with a look of suspicion on his face. “I need to have a word with you once the paramedic is done with you,” he added with a now stern expression.

"O-okay.. I-I’ll just be downstairs with her then." I answered, trying sound as natural as possible, with no hint of me making a mad dash out of town the moment I left his sight.

The firepony nodded before turning back to the roof again. I slowly slipped down the first flight of stairs. Once out of sight, I rushed down the remaining flight as fast as my hooves would carry me. My heart was pounding from fear and from a serious lack of exercise.

Reaching the bottom of the stairs, I quickly crossed the lobby to the door and peeked out. There was a fire and medical carriage off to the left with a few ponies gathered around them, asking the other fireponies what happened no doubt. Using this distraction, I slipped out the door and took off to the right, down the street and around the corner.

Pressing myself up to the wall I let out a sigh of relief, glad to be away from that mess. I was hardly out of the woods, though. I had to get as far away from here as possible. I galloped down the street without looking back. I ran for what felt like forever before I stopped to catch my breath. Turning back, I saw that I had only gone a few blocks. I let out a small whine. This running away thing was going to be a lot harder than I thought.

Slowing my pace, I turned another corner and thought to myself about what I should do next. I hadn't planned this far ahead.

So now that I am away from the authorities... what do I do now?

I’d never left Manehatten before, and I had so few bits. I needed to think of something quick or I’d starve to death. That is, if I didn't almost freeze to death again first. The idea of another cold night outside made me shiver and tuck my cloak tighter around my body; I really hated the cold. I needed to think of a plan, and fast.

I drifted, lost in thought as I walked the streets, turning corners here and there as I scanned the windows of shops with no real destination in mind yet. It wasn't until my eye caught sight of something amazing that I snapped out of my daze, distracting me from the task at hoof.

I rushed up to a shop's window, and there it was: the most beautiful dress I had ever seen. Now, I had seen many festive and beautiful dresses on mares walking about the city in trips to the grocery and art stores, but nothing like this; this was a work of art. It was a long flowing red dress with black trimming, embroidered with many gemstones. Sapphires, rubies, garnets, the colors and patterns of the gems were simply something else.

I shook my head, snapping out of the entrancement that the dress trapped me in. I didn't have time to admire a dress; I needed to think of what to do next. I began to walk away, but slowly came to a stop and looked back over my shoulder to the dress; it had me truly captivated. Flooding my mind with inspiration, it was almost as if it were calling out to me.

It couldn’t hurt to at least ask about it, and besides... Hiding inside of a store and not out in the open may not be a bad idea now that I think about it...

Having convinced myself, I turned back and paused in front of the door to the store. I knew I wasn't very good at talking to new ponies or entering places I had never been before, but something about the dress tugged at me; I had to know more about that work of art. Who made it? Where did it come from?

Swallowing hard, I slowly opened the door, only to be startled by a bell ringing as I entered. Taking a look around I found that there was a lot of very fancy and expensive looking clothing and bags. This appeared to be a very high class shop.

"Welcome to Snooty’s Finer Fashions! Where only the finest makes from the top designers are found." Came a voice in a very fitting tone for a pony named 'Snooty.’ Judging by this pony’s appearance and tone, I assumed this was the owner.

The yellow stallion had an elegantly-groomed white mane, and wore a well-tailored black vest with a small pair of reading glasses perched upon his snout. He turned to me with his nose held high and looked me over, his expression shifting into that of disgust.

"And how can I help you?" he asked in very snobbish, posh tone.

"I-I.. umm.. was.. w-wond—"

"My dear, I haven't got all day. I am a very busy pony you know," he interrupted before I could finish; he was very intimidating.

I took a deep breath before trying again.

"I-was-wondering-if-you-could-tell-me-more-about-that-red-dress-in-your-window!" I blurted out all at once, followed by a squeak and ducking down to the floor. The snobbish stallion raised an eyebrow at me.

"Judging by your... ensemble... I think it is safe to say it’s well outside your price range, my dear," he returned, quickly dismissing my question and turning to walk away.

"Wait!" I called out to him.

He stopped and turned back to me. "Now what?" he asked in a rather annoyed tone.

"C-could you please... at least tell me about the dress's... d-designer?” I forced out before looking up to him with pleading eyes. His eyes widened after meeting with mine and his attitude took a complete turnaround at my words.

"Well, I suppose I could tell you about her..." he mused in a rather chipper tone.

"Her?" I asked intently, tilting my head aside.

"Why, Miss Rarity of course. Don't tell me you haven't heard of Miss Rarity?" He asked, raising an eyebrow back at me.

I shook my head slowly in response. “W-what can you tell me about her?”

"Well, let me tell you she is only the finest dressmaker in all of Equestria! I had the wonderful pleasure of meeting her in person at a show in Canterlot. She's beautiful, stylish, and a true fashionista in all accounts," he stated in a dreamy tone with slow sigh. “She is also a bearer of one of the six Elements of Harmony. A very important pony without a doubt,” he added as he regained his composure.

"W-where is Rarity from? Canterlot?" I asked quizzically.

"Good guess, my dear, but no. You would think a designer of her caliber would live in a such a grand city, but that is not the case."

"Well, where is she from?" I again asked, listening intently.

"Ponyville," he spat snobbishly, almost as if the word itself was awful to mention.

"U-um, could you tell me... a little, about, uh, Ponyville?"

"Goodness my dear, why would you want to know anything about a dreadful place like that?"

"Please?" I softly begged, looking up to him again with pleading eyes.

He let out a deep sigh. "Very well, I simply can't say no to a mare in distress. Ponyville is a sleepy little farm town outside of Canterlot. Other than Rarity, its only worthy mention is Sweet Apple Acres, which I admit has some of the more delicious apples I have tasted. Even so, farming. Such dirty work." He shuddered at the mention of dirt while wiping his hooves off with a towel.

Ponyville... a small sleepy town. very different from the hustle and bustle of Manehatten. A big change, and that’s exactly what I need right now. ...I should probably ask how to get there first though.

"How do I get to Ponyville from Manehatten?" I quickly asked, looking at him expectantly.

"Well, I suppose the easiest way would be by train. The alternative, which I highly advise against, would be traveling through the Everfree Forest. The Everfree is not only simply dreadful, but quite dangerous for a mare such as yourself; for anypony actually," he answered, giving me a curious look.

Even I have heard stories of the Everfree Forest. Monsters, unnatural weather, and countless dangers all over. It’s a scary sounding place so... I think I’ll just take the nice and safe train.

"T-thank you so much for all the information sir, you’re a real gentlecolt." I smiled and bowed to the stallion.

"Anything for a mare in distress, my dear. Do be safe in your travels," he replied with a smile before turning back to the work he was doing before my interruption.

Turning back myself, I glanced over the dress once more before opening the door and leaving the shop with another ring of the bell. Once outside, I fell onto my haunches with a heavy sigh of relief. Encounters like that have always been very stressful, but curiosity had won over my introversion today. I also now had a plan and a destination: the Manehattan train station, and Ponyville!

I brightened with a smile before getting up and making my way in the direction of the train station.

Chapter 16: The Best Night Ever

“They should be in here somewhere,” Fluttershy mused as she rummaged through the storage closet under her staircase, in which, she had informed me, she kept all of her arts-and-crafts-related things. I was simply amazed by all of the objects she casually pulled out of there, only to shake her head and set them aside, creating a small pile of intricately-crafted, oft-unfinished, hoofsewn creations. Some of their designs would make Rarity green with envy; they were absolutely beautiful.

“Oh, here we are,” Fluttershy said as she began lifting out small tubes of oil paint and carefully laying them on the floor before me, one by one. “I’m sorry, it looks like I don’t have very many colors.”

This was true—she only had eight different colors, two of which were merely different shades of blue. I rubbed my chin with a forehoof whilst I examined the containers.

No, no, this will not do.

I was not about to compromise when it came to painting Fluttershy’s portrait, even if it meant more work.

Time for plan B.

“Do you have any white or black paint?” I said, looking to her expectantly.

Fluttershy considered my request for a moment, blinking a few times.

“I think so... One moment, please.”

Fluttershy walked back into her storage closet. A few moments of (extremely quiet) rustling followed; apparently she had to really dig around. After being startled by a loud clang and a telltale, whispered little ‘ow,’ I was about to poke my head in to see if she was all right—and to ask if perhaps I could be of assistance in locating the elusive tubes—but at that very moment Fluttershy finally came out of the closet. In her mouth, she was carrying a very large tube of paint.

I let out a squee and took it from her, placing it on the ground to examine the large, bold text on the label:

Windsoar and Newtown

Enchanted Mineral Oil

11-0602TPX “Snow White”

A large smile crept across my face.

Perfect!

“Um, will this do?” Fluttershy asked dutifully, even though my expression should have already told her all she needed to know. “I know I still have some black in here somewhere, should you really need it...”

I quickly shook my head. “No, this is perfect, absolutely perfect!” I replied happily, idly scanning the labels on the other tubes. In doing so I noticed something I had overlooked before, and I gave Fluttershy a perplexed expression. “But... These are all high quality enchanted paints! How in Equestria could you ever afford all of these?”

Fluttershy covered a small laugh. “Well... aside from all the food for the animals, and a few morsels for myself, I don’t really spend my bits on much,” she informed me. “I already have everything I need right here,” she added, gesturing a foreleg across the room in a wide, sweeping motion. “Many ponies come to me with their animals when they are sick or hurt. I always tell them that I will help for free, but most of the time they refuse to let me...”

“So, you’re actually a vet then?” I asked quizzically.

Fluttershy shook her head, before walking toward the staircase to her room. “Well, not exactly...” she said, smiling modestly. ”I’m not professionally licensed, if that’s what you mean—but I have done a lot of studying over the years.”

She waved a hoof for me to follow her upstairs.

I nodded and followed after her, while she continued her tale.

“I’ve already read everything related to animal care in the Ponyville library. So now, whenever Rarity makes one of her frequent trips to Canterlot, I ask her to bring back books for me,” she said, pointing to a book shelf on the far wall of her room.

Fluttershy crossed the room, heading toward another small closet, while I trotted up to her impressive collection of literature and began reading the tiles out loud.

“Advanced Studies on the Digestive and Reproductive System of Rodents”

Sounds complicated...

 “Biology of Equestrian Native Wildlife.”

That would explain a lot.

Out of all the books on the shelf there was one in particular that stood out; it dwarfed every other tome on there, even though they were all rather thick books. It also looked very old, the binding so worn and faded that it was difficult to make out even half of the words that were printed on it.

“Something, Bones... Something... Flesh? Com—Compendium, by... Magister Stitches?” I said, confused by the vaguely sinister-sounding, difficult-to-decipher title. I looked over to Fluttershy, hoping for an explanation.

“Oh, that one’s special... It was a birthday gift from Twilight. She said it was from her personalcollection, but that I could probably make more use of it than she ever would. It’s really informative,” she told me, before beckoning me over with a hoof. “Here we are! I haven’t really painted in a while, so I kind of just put everything away.”

She began pulling painting after painting out of her bedroom closet as I sauntered over. The more of her creations she produced, the wider my eyes became.

Fluttershy turned back to me with a soft smile, inclining her head toward the paintings she had lined up along her bedroom wall. “These are my most recent ones,” she said, not without a measure of pride.

I trotted up to the first one and examined it with barely-veiled look of concern.

What isthis?

The thing in the painting appeared to be some manner of brown object; I couldn’t begin to guess what it was actually supposed to represent, given that it looked as though it were painted by a two-year-old foal. Hastily deciding to withhold judgement on that painting in particular, I went on to the next one, and then the next, and so on. As I made my way from one end of the wall to the other, however, looking over all the paintings, my concern (and sense of dread) only grew.

“So, what do you think?” Fluttershy asked with an expectant smile, perhaps interpreting my lack of comment as a simple case of being rendered speechless.

Which wasn’t really that far off the mark.

“T-They are, um... n-nice,” I replied with a forced smile.

Fluttershy’s own smile fell just a little. “Nice?”

I shook my head. “I mean, they're great!” I corrected myself, shifting my eyes nervously.

Fluttershy’s ears fell back slightly, and her smile vanished altogether.

Fluttershy, please don’t make me—

“What do you really think of them, Prism?” she insisted, fixing me with a sad but resolute look as she slowly walked up to me. “I really want to you to give me your honest opinion.”

I paused, frantically trying to think of a distraction, some means of escape out of this unexpected,horrible predicament, before finally letting out an exasperated sigh of defeat.

“If you want to know my honest opinion, then, well...” I took a deep breath, but found myself unable to meet her eyes while I was trying to figure out how to phrase the painful truth. ”I honestly don’t think, uh, that painting is for you. To be frank...” I looked over to the paintings again and winced, only daring to shoot Fluttershy the most fleeting of glances. I was certain that I was going to hurt her feelings, but saw no convincing way to sugarcoat the facts. “I think this is all a big waste of your bits, not to mention some very high-quality paint.”

Fluttershy’s expression sank a little more, getting very close to hitting rock-bottom. “Oh... well, could you, um... maybe show me what I did wrong? That is... if you don’t mind. I would like to get better, like you.”

I reluctantly looked back to the paintings, biting my lower lip. “I don’t know...”

“Please?” she pleaded, ”I really want to know what is wrong so I can, um, get better?” She walked up to me, making an impossible-to-say-no-to face. “Please, Prism?”

That just wasn’t fair...

Exhaling audibly, I steeled myself and looked her in the eye. “All right, if you really want to know...” I paused, taking a deep breath, and then began gesturing to each of her paintings in turn, talking rapidly.

The first one looked more like a still-life of multi-colored mud than anything found in nature. “It looks like you didn’t clean or change your brush often enough when you were making this painting; the colors are all smeared together, creating these discolored hue streaks—”

I gestured to the next one, which consisted mostly of clumped-up and flaking paint. “—whereas with this one over here, well, it looks you just let your paints dry out too much during the process of painting. When working with oil paints, you really have to be quick, or take breaks in between sessions.”

Then I turned to the third, which I think was meant to be a portrait of Angel. “You went over this one section with way too many layers, causing the paint to form large, thick clumps and giving it a overly-textured look.”

I stopped at the next one, which appeared to depict Rainbow Dash. It was hard to tell, given that she really didn’t stand out very much against the sky. “Over here, hmm... You used far too light a hue of cyan for the shading, giving the image a hollow appearance; for a more three dimensional appearance, darker shades are needed—”

Finally I pointed out the last one, which seemed to be a painting of an owl perching on a branch in the midst of night. “—although, on the painting over there, you used colors that are too dark to do the shading. In fact, I’d even say that the shade-lines simply extend out too far, making it appear as though they’re intended to be actual coloring, rather than shading.”

It took a moment for me to catch my breath again, and then I turned back to Fluttershy. “But, you know, they, uh, really aren’t that bad.”

She gaped at me with a dumbfounded look for several seconds, before shaking herself out of her daze.

“W-Wow, you, um... really do know a lot about painting, don’t you?”

I let out a small, sheepish laugh and looked back to the paintings. “Well, I am the daughter of a famous artist. My mother taught me everything I know.”

Fluttershy gasped suddenly. “Oh! Rarity told me about that. She said your mother was Canvas,” she exclaimed softly. Then her expression darkened. “I... heard about what happened to her, and—”

“Fluttershy, please,” I stopped her, holding up a hoof. “Today has been a really good day; I don’t want to taint it with sad memories.” I flashed her a soft smile.

On to happier things—like Fluttershy’s portrait!

“Anyways... you ready?” I gestured to the staircase.

“Oh, right,” she replied, nodding. “Sorry, I just wanted to show you my paintings, since you, um, said you wanted to see them.”

“Thank you for showing me, Fluttershy. If you really want to learn how to paint... Perhaps I could teach you?” I beamed her a smile, which, together with my suggestion, seemed to brighten her mood a little.

“I would love that! That is, if it wouldn’t too much trouble for you. I mean... I’m not very good...” Fluttershy trailed off, looking down to the floor, seemingly embarrassed.

“No, I was just being overly critical,” I said quickly. ”I’m sorry; everypony has to start somewhere. I’d be more than happy to help you, any way I can.” I wrapped my forelegs around her in a quick hug. “So cheer up, okay? We will have you painting masterpieces in no time!” I assured her.

She looked up to me slowly, with a soft smile. “Thank you, Prism.”

I gave her a quick wink. “You’re welcome! Now... let’s go get everything set up, shall we?” I suggested.

“All right,” she replied as she followed me back downstairs.

“So, you said you had a canvas and easel I could use?” I asked her as I stepped down into her front room.

“Oh yes. They're nothing special, but I hope they’re good enough,” she replied, turning from the stairs back to the familiar closet of supplies below them. “Now, they should be riiight... Oh, wait, here we are!”

Fluttershy slowly began pulling out what looked to be a rather sizable fold-up easel from the closet with her teeth. It was kinda fun to watch her; she looked really cute when she struggled.

I simply love all of her little quirks...

As I watched her, a warm feeling welled up in my chest and a soft smile adorned my face. “Do you need a hoof with that?” I asked her casually.

She paused to catch her breath before quickly looking up to me, her mane in complete shambles from the struggle to tug loose the large, unwieldy object.

“N-no... I got it, don’t worry,” she replied, still winded, before returning to her—thus far completely fruitless—battle to remove the easel from its firmly entrenched position.

She closed her eyes and let out a cute little strained groan as she desperately tried once more. I decided to pitch in despite her declining my offer to help, and focused my magic on the easel, attempting to levitate it, however slightly. Through our combined efforts, it finally (and abruptly) gave way, sending Fluttershy sailing backwards. She landed flat on her back with a small squeak, the easel, unfortunately, landing on top of her.

“Ow,” a muffled voice from beneath the easel said.

“Are you okay?” I chuckled, trotting up to her and pulling it off her.

“See...? Told you I had it,” she said, still panting softly but wearing a large smile.

“I guess you did,” I conceded with a wink. Then I looked up to the clock to check the time.

I only have a few hours before dinner with Big Macintosh, which means I don’t have time to paint Fluttershy andthe entire cottage. So...

“Fluttershy? Do you mind if I paint you in here?” I asked her. “Unfortunately, I am running a little short on time, given my dinner plans with Big Macintosh,” I added with a disappointed frown.

Fluttershy’s ears fell back, and she looked away for a moment. “Y-yes, that’s fine...” she replied softly. Her ears suddenly perked back up. “Oh! I just remembered something!”

She rolled over and hopped back onto her hooves. “Wait here for just a moment,” she told me, “I’ll be right back.” With that, she quickly made her way back up stairs.

I stood there simply waiting for a little while, staring after Fluttershy, already envisioning her painted image in my mind. Idly looking over the supplies that lay strewn across the floor, my eyes came across the easel, shaking me from my reverie.

“Well... I guess I’d better start getting things ready, then,” I mused aloud to myself.

I decided the best place to have Fluttershy pose for me would likely be on her couch. Not only did it look lovely, but it would be far more comfortable than having her simply lie down on the floor. I went about collecting both a palette and the tube of white paint from before, and laid them on the couch, before dragging the easel to rest a few hooves away from it, in exactly the right spot.

Whoa. This thing is heavy! No wonder she struggled with it so much.

Once I was satisfied with the preparations I gave a small, approving nod, and continued waiting patiently for my model to return. Several more Fluttershy-less minutes went by, and I found myself wondering what she was doing.

I know I am going to be painting her and everything, but I hope she doesn't think she has go out of her way and get dressed up or anything special like... that...?

My train of thought came to a screeching halt when Fluttershy appeared, gracefully descending the staircase from her room. She wore a strikingly beautiful green dress. It looked vaguely familiar; it took a few moments for it to register, but then I realized where I had seen this dress before.

That is the dress Rarity was working on last night...

“I’m sorry that took so long. I just wanted to, um, look nice for your painting,” she said softly, stepping down into the room and slowly sashaying over to me. “Rarity just made me this and I, uh, wanted to try it on. It’s modeled after my gala outfit.”

I was at a complete loss for words, and openly gawked at her. To say that she was beautiful, or even gorgeous, would absolutely not be doing her justice.

Her outfit was themed around the colors green and white, and accented with decorative, white butterflies. Her hair had been subtly styled, differing from her normal look only in that the long strands of her mane were now complemented by a little bit of curling at the tips. Tiny butterflies had been placed along the length of her hair and tail as well. But perhaps the most eye-catching feature of her outfit were the green, plant-like vines that came up from her shoes. They wrapped around her forelegs several times and crossed the back of her shoulders, only to come together along either side of her neck, their ends attached to a single, large, white butterfly that lay across her chest.

Blushing, I found myself unable to take my eyes off her. She was simply stunning.

“So, um, what do you think?” she asked shyly.

Amazing, beautiful, gorgeous, sexy, breathtaking...

Those were the words I wanted to say, but, sadly, only incoherent, flustered stammering came out. After taking a few moments to compose myself, and recover from the mental trainwreck Fluttershy had left me in, I finally managed to form some words.

“You look... amazing, Fluttershy,” I said hazily, before shaking myself out of my daze. “Yes, the outfit is absolutely gorgeous. Green really is your color!”

Fluttershy blushed and looked away bashfully. “T-thank you.”

I gestured to the sofa with a forehoof. “Anyways, please make yourself comfortable. This will probably take an hour or two—perhaps a little longer,” I said as I levitated the supplies I had put on the sofa over to me.

Opening the tube, I squeezed out twelve little pools of paint onto my palette before putting it down on the floor for the time being.

Fluttershy eyed the palette and then looked up to me, clearly puzzled. “Um, Prism? How are you going to paint me with just white paint?”

“Don’t worry, they won’t be white for long,” I replied with a laugh, glancing up to give her another quick little wink. “I’ve created my own spell that allows me to imbue paint with my magic, so as to change its color.”

“Really? You can do that?” Fluttershy said, sounded impressed.

I nodded. “Yes, as long as the paint is already enchanted,” I explained, before looking back down to the items in question. “White is the easiest color to change into another, which is why I said it was perfect.”

“But, um,” Fluttershy said, frowning a little as she considered the implications, ”wouldn’t that mean that white paint is basically the only thing you’d ever need?”

I hadn’t really considered this, and brought a hoof to my chin in thought. “Well... technically yes,” I told her eventually, ”but it does take a lot of magic to imbue paint with colors. You would be surprised how much is needed just to alter even this small amount,” I added, gesturing to the palette.

Fluttershy brought a hoof to her muzzle, her frown deepening. “Oh no, I can’t have you be straining yourself like that; I don’t want you to get hurt.”

I laughed, waving a hoof at her dismissively. “It won’t hurt me, Fluttershy, don’t worry. Besides, the last thing I want to do is make you mad at me,” I said smugly. “So just relax while I get things ready.”

Fluttershy hesitated for a moment, but then nodded. “O-okay...”

I focused my magic on each individual dab of paint, my prismatic magic slowly changing their color, one by one—butter yellow, soft pink, lime green, a soft white, and aquamarine, for starters. The remaining samples of paint I adjusted to slightly different shades of the aforementioned colors, leaving only two unaltered whites in case I needed to create more colors later.

As I finished adjusting the last color, I felt a dull pain at the base of my horn. Changing a paint’s color was actually a lot harder than I had let it on to be, but I didn’t want Fluttershy to worry about me unnecessarily.

“Hmm...” I hummed aloud as I examined my subject. “Sit up a little higher, arch your back a bit, lower your shoulders, and tilt your muzzle up ever-so-slightly.”

Fluttershy adjusted herself according to my commands, and said, “Like this?”

I nodded. “Yes, very good. Now, try and hold still as best you can. I’ll try to be quick.”

* * * * * * * * * *

Painting Fluttershy was, surprisingly, much easier than I thought it would be. I had never painted with somepony modeling for me before, but my very first model did an excellent job of holding the pose I had asked for. As her image began to take shape on my canvas, I couldn’t help but smile.

She is so beautiful...

Fluttershy was a picture-perfect example of beauty; at times, I caught myself just staring at her dreamily, forgetting my work entirely. There was such a strong feeling swelling in my chest as I painted her. A large part of me just wanted to stop altogether and join her on the sofa, to wrap myself around her. I yearned to be in close physical contact with her.

Is this feeling... love? Am I in love with Fluttershy? Am I in love with Big Macintosh?

I found myself comparing the feelings I had around Fluttershy to those I had around Big Macintosh. They were so similar, yet so different at the same time; It frustrated me.

Around Big Macintosh, I tended to feel weak and flustered. I experienced these exhilarating feelings whenever he spoke to me; his voice made my heart skip many a beat, and my face flush hot. I felt safe whenever he was near me, like I had nothing to fear. He was strong and sexy—the stallion of a mare’s dreams, in all respects.

Around Fluttershy, on the other hoof, I was relaxed and calm. She was like a delicate, beautiful flower which I wanted to protect. Nothing made me happier than seeing her cute smile. I honestly had to suppress the urge to just reach out and hold her close whenever I was near her. I felt warm inside whenever we touched, even if only accidentally; it was a feeling I craved, and one I simply could not get enough of.

Love... such a complicated thing...

I knew Big Macintosh liked me; this had already been confirmed by Applejack. Fluttershy, however, I was still unsure about. How exactly did she feel about me? I was her best friend, I reckoned, and somepony she could really relate to. Would she even want something beyond a close friendship with a pony like me? I couldn’t be sure, though one thing was very clear: I (for one) certainly had feelings for her, but they were complicated by the closeness of our friendship.

Just what do I want? Whose love do I want? I... I don’t even know any more...

* * * * * * * * * *

“Almost finished...” I thought out loud as I filled in the final, finer details on the shading of Fluttershy’s portrait.

I took a step back to examine the painting, glancing back and forth between it and Fluttershy. I was very proud of this piece; in fact, I don’t think I had ever painted anything I was quite so proud of before. I put a lot of thought into each stroke of my brush, meticulously paying attention to every last detail, and accepting nothing less than perfection even if it meant going over a few sections many times in order to get them exactly right. Though in the end, it was all worth it—I was thoroughly satisfied with the result.

“Come take a look,” I said, beckoning her over with a hoof. “Tell me what you think!”

Fluttershy slowly climbed off the sofa and took a moment to enjoy a long, luxurious stretch. I couldn’t blame her, she had been sitting stock-still in that same position for some time now. I had modeled myself once, for Mother, so I knew how difficult and strenuous it could be.

When she had finished ridding herself of some of the stiffness in her limbs, Fluttershy trotted over to me and eagerly examined the painting. She immediately let out a sharp gasp, and took a step back. She stared at my work for several long seconds more, before looking to me in astonishment.

“Prism, this is... I-I, I don’t even know what to say.” She stared dumbfounded at the painting. “It’s like I’m looking at a photograph... It looks so... real.” Fluttershy leaned in, studying the details up-close, and then turned back to me. “I mean, I knew you were a talented artist, and that you're the daughter of a famous painter, but this is...” She trailed off again, apparently struggling for words, her eyes constantly drifting off to glance at the painting. “This is like something you see in museums.”

I let out a sheepish laugh, scratching the back of my neck. “I tried my best, but surely it isn’t that good. Mother was much better than me, you should see her... paintings...” I trailed off slowly, my ears falling back and my eyes downcast.

If there were actually any left...

My thoughts were quickly interrupted by a sudden hug from Fluttershy.

“I’m positive you’re just as good as your mother was. You don’t give yourself enough credit, Prism, this really is amazing,” she said, gesturing a forehoof back to the painting. “I’m honoredthat you chose me as the subject of a painting this wonderful.”

“You see, the truth is, uh... I have been wanting to paint you since the first moment we met,” I confessed with a faint blush, drawing circles on the floor with a forehoof. “You’re, um... very beautiful, and I kind of wanted to capture that beauty on canvas for everypony to see.”

“Prism,” Fluttershy said softly, in a surprisingly serious tone, “there is something I, uh... need to tell you...” She fell silent, pawing at the floor for a few moments. “The truth is that I... um...” She extended a hoof towards me, looking as though she was about to speak, only to hesitate once more.

“Yes?” I prompted breathlessly, watching her expectantly.

Again she opened her muzzle to speak, but again she paused, letting out a small sigh instead. Then she walked up right to me, and looked into my eyes. My heart began to race. I felt lost in that wordlessly pleading gaze; it was as if I were a fly trapped in a spider’s web. We stood there in silence for several long seconds before she slowly began to lean in closer to me. My heart only pounded faster when she closed her eyes and—

“Cuckoo, cuckoo, cuckoo...”

The sudden, loud chime of the cuckoo clock snapped me back to reality; in an instant, I realized just how close Fluttershy was to me. I instinctively took a step back, and looked to the clock.

Six o’clock... Dinner with Big Mac.

My eyes went wide in realization. “I’m late!” I blurted out.

Fluttershy jumped up with a loud squeak at the sudden outburst, and landed on her side, gasping for air.

“I’m so sorry Fluttershy, I didn’t mean to scare you, but I have to go. I’m late for dinner!”

I took a few steps for the door, but then looked back to the painting and bit my lower lip.

“I’ll be back for the painting later. Thank you so much! I’m sorry I have to leave so suddenly...”

With that, I hastily exited through the door.

* * * * * * * * * *

The sun was setting when I stepped outside, the golden hues of dusk only just beginning to paint the landscape around the cottage. Lovely as it was, I had no time to admire it. I took off down the path and across the bridge, setting out on my way back to Ponyville.

“Prism, wait!”

Slowing to a stop, I turned around just in time to see Fluttershy making a nosedive at me, capturing me in a tight hug.

“Fluttershy?! I have to—”

I was abruptly cut off by the sensation of Fluttershy’s muzzle being pressed hard against mine. I reeled back in her clumsy, enthusiastic embrace, my eyes going wide from the shock. Though the warm sensation of her lips, pressed against mine, quickly overtook me, and my eyes fluttered to a close as my defenses crumbled. I slowly wrapped my own forelegs around her and relaxed into her embrace. My chest burned with a warm fire, my stomach was full of butterflies, and the soothing scent of fresh spring flowers flooded my senses.

Time seemed to slow to a stop.

They say your first kiss is a special one—that it should be cherished. I never would have guessed just how true that was. The two of us stood, caught up in each others embrace, for what seemed like an eternity, unwilling to break away from one another.

Though, unfortunately, all good things must come to an end.

Fluttershy slowly pulled away from me. The two of us stood there, our eyes locked together, silent but for our heavy breathing.

I have waited my whole life for this moment... I'm not going let it escape so quickly.

I closed my eyes and slowly leaned in towards her, softly pressing my lips against hers to return the much-welcomed kiss. The same, warm sensation flooded over me again as I gently pulled her close to me. Words could not even begin to express the flood of emotions that coursed through my veins at that moment. Years of locked-away loneliness, pain, and sadness, melting away in a single instant, all thanks to the quiet acceptance of this amazing mare.

Fluttershy again pulled away, this time softly nuzzling the side of my face.

“I love you...”

Three little words. Three little words that, for the longest time, I thought nopony would ever say to me, were whispered into my ear just like that. As shocked as I was, I did not hesitate to reply.

My answer was a simple one.

“I love you, too...”

With that, Fluttershy’s gentle embrace tightened tenfold. I felt her wings slowly glide down my sides, the tips of her plumes coming to rest on my cutie mark. I was not sure why she chose to do that, but there was one thing I was sure of: I wished that time could simply stop, so that I could stay lost in this euphoric moment forever.

Unfortunately, time waits for nopony, and eventually reality caught up to me. I suddenly remembered where I was, what I was doing, and where I had to go.

“Fluttershy?”I whispered, muffled by a mass of pink mane.

“Mhmm?” she hummed back gently.

“I have to go...”

Fluttershy pulled away once more, her shimmering aquamarine eyes growing wide. “Please, don’t go...” she pleaded softly, her voice only barely above a whisper. “Stay with me tonight...”

My cheeks went bright red in response to her unexpected request and uncharacteristic assertiveness.

“I-I.. I can’t...” I stammered, my eyes fixed on the ground. “A-at least, not until I let Big Macintosh know that I can’t go out with him tonight,” I added. Looking up to her cautiously, I hoped she would understand.

A warm smile appeared on her face, and she slowly nodded. “Okay”

“I’ll be back soon, I promise,” I reassured her, before breaking the embrace and taking a step back.

Fluttershy kept on nodding, but her face quickly went flush; her sudden bravery seemed to have vanished.

“I-I’ll... um, s-see you soon...” she replied softly, while backing away in an awkward, self-conscious manner. “Um, h-hurry back, that is... if it’s not too much trouble?”

I laughed softly, glad to see her shy antics had returned. “I will.”

She beamed at me, before quickly turning away and flying back to her cottage.

Once she had disappeared inside, I let out a long sigh. I was not looking forward to what I was about to do.

What I had to do.

To claim one heart, I have to turn away another...

Loath as I was to disappoint him, I wasn’t about to just stand Big Macintosh up, or leave him with a glimmer of false hope, thinking there might still be a chance. Because after the moment Fluttershy and I had just shared, I figured it was safe to say that the two of us were now officially more than best friends.

I steeled myself and turned back in the direction of Ponyville, swiftly setting off for Sweet Apple Acres. After but a few paces, however, I found my grim expression fading, to be replaced by a large smile. Frantic thoughts raced through my mind.

Fluttershy loves me! How long has she felt that way about me? Oh, but what am I going to say to Big Mac? How do I break this news to him? Am I really going to spend the night with Fluttershy? Should I let Rarity know I won’t be coming home toni—

“You’re a tough pony to find, little mare.”

My ears perked up at the deep and gruff voice that suddenly addressed me from somewhere above me. I turned my head, looking up just in time to see a large silhouette come crashing down on top of me, knocking me over and pinning me firmly to the ground.

“LET ME G—”

I was promptly silenced by a large cloth being pressed over my muzzle. A sickly sweet smell immediately flooded my senses.My mind screamed out for me to attempt to levitate my assailant. I grit my teeth, knowing full well what would happen to this stallion if he would not let me go. I focused my magic on him and...

Nothing.

I desperately attempted to summon my magic once more, but again, to no avail. I couldn’t even feel it building up in my horn.

Why can’t I feel it?! Why can’t I cast?!

With every breath I took into the rag, my mind was getting fuzzier; it was becoming very difficult to think clearly.

“What are you doing to my friend?!” a gentle voice suddenly shouted, far, far off in the distance.

...Fluttershy?

“That’s the other one!” another voice called out. ”Don’t let her get away!”

The overwhelming lightheadedness I was feeling quickly became unbearable. I staggered, my body going limp, and soon after, all light slipped away from my view.

Darkness enveloped my world.