Sin

by MemoryLane

Rating: teen
Tags: Dark, Original Character, Adventure, Main 6, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
Length: 101060

Lust. Greed. Gluttony. Wrath. Pride. Envy. Sloth. What do they mean?

When a threat looms over Equestria, the key to saving it is an ancient medallion that mysteriously falls into Twilight Sparkle’s possession after an earthquake.

Following its clues, the Elements of Harmony must search Equestria from north to south, east to west, in order to find seven different ponies, each of whom represent one of the Seven Deadly Sins: Lust, Greed, Sloth, Wrath, Envy, Gluttony, and Pride. All seven must be brought together to activate a hidden power, the only power that can put a stop to the imminent war once and for all.

Will Twilight and her friends be able to find their Sins in time? Even if they do, will the ponies that embody each one even want to work together? Or will Equestria fall into darkness and decay at the whim of the Elements’ most dangerous and threatening adversary yet?

*This story is currently undergoing heavy revision and correction. Chapters will be re-uploaded as soon as they are completed and ready*

*Warning: Comments contain spoilers*

*Takes place during season three*

*Art by Candy-Janney on Deviantart!*

*Edited by Cerulean Voice*

Published 2012-12-07 07:10:01 UTC
Last updated 2015-03-02 17:10:19 UTC

Ch. 1: Medallion

It was odd.

It seemed to come from absolutely nowhere.

I jolted upright in my bed in a half-asleep state, only my racing heart clear to me. Everything shook; shelves rattled on the walls, and most of my books fell to the floor. I looked left and right, trying to see as I opened my bleary eyes. Even when I did, darkness was all that greeted me.

My eyes finally adjusted as the shaking stopped. It dawned on me that I could have easily been injured, or worse, for many things adorned my walls that would have been unfortunate to land on my head. One of these things was just above my head: an ornamental clock, both hands pointing toward the ceiling.

Midnight, huh? Well that explains the darkness.

As soon as my legs stopped trembling, I hopped out of my bed and instantly tripped as I landed on one of my books. I flailed on the spot for a second before I faceplanted the hard wooden floor.

I groaned as I lifted my throbbing head. My horn was unlucky enough to take the brunt of my fall. I hissed at the pain before picking myself off the ground; it felt like I had been on the receiving end of one of Applejack’s kicks. It was no way to wake up, but it wasn't as if I had a choice in the matter.

There was a single knock at the downstairs door. Still rubbing the tender base of my horn, I made my way for the stairs.

“Spike!”

Spike usually slept pretty close to the library books at night, so I was understandably surprised at his absence as I made my way down. Thinking more about it served only to increase my paranoia.

“Spike?” I called again, more meekly. The murky library air was beginning to give me the heebie-jeebies.

Another knock at the door. Who could have been at the door at this hour? Maybe I wasn't the only pony to have awoken? Maybe somepony was injured and in desperate need of assistance?

“I'm coming!” I yelled as I trotted up to the door. I used my magic to quickly open it, half-expecting to see something terrible, like a crying family or an injured citizen on the other side. Yet when the door opened and I peered out, much to my astonishment...

Nothing.

“What... but... how...?” I could have sworn I heard knocking!

I walked out the door just to make sure. I looked left and right, but the streets were dead silent. Even the crickets had stopped chirping for an instant.

“Huh.”

I turned around and was about to close the door when a bright flash caught my eye, distracting me.

On the outside of the library door was... a necklace?

I stared at it in awe and bewilderment. It simply hung there on a nail, and I was completely sure that it wasn't there before; who would have any use for a nail on their door?

It was of a bright golden hue. Given the darkness of the night, it flashed impressively under the moonlight. The medallion itself was quite a sight. Looking like an oversized bit, it was like a flat pancake, except a thousand times more fragile; it looked like somepony could break it in half like they would a cookie.

What intrigued me the most was the azure jewel in the middle of it. The more I stared at it, the more queasy I felt. My vision blurred after a few moments, so I decided to look away from the medallion altogether. Surrounding the medallion with my purple glow, I picked it off the door. As tempted as I was to put it on, I didn’t know if it was a good idea. After a few moments of deliberation, however, I gave in.

Despite being quite flat and dainty, it was very heavy; my head dropped towards the ground in a joyride with gravity. I quickly removed the medallion and rubbed my neck, it too now aching.

I levitated the strange medallion again and took it inside, making sure to close the library door behind me. I immediately went to my shelves, searching for a book that might give me some information on what the hay was going on. First, an earthquake, and second, a golden medallion just appearing on my doorstep out of nowhere?

This can't be a coincidence.

“Twilight?”

“Eeep!”

I dropped the medallion on the floor with a mighty crash. As I turned to face the intruder, I was relieved to simply find Spike, clutching a glass of warm milk in both claws.

“Oops! Didn't mean to scare you!”

He let out a loud yawn. Even half asleep, he was still as inquisitive as ever as he stared at the weird necklace on the ground. I followed his gaze and hid the medallion behind my back.

“What was that?” he asked with a sip of his milk. I shrugged, trying my best to play dumb.

“What was what?”

“That thing you just dropped. It looked a little like a record—”

“I… It’s nothing to worry about,” I said, a bit too quickly.

Spike raised an eyebrow. We stared at each other for a few good moments before he yielded and walked back into the kitchen.

“Alrighty then…”

“Hey, Spike?”

He stopped walking and looked at me. A question had popped into my mind, one that I couldn't ignore. “Did you feel all that shaking earlier?”

Spike sleepily shook his head and continued walking into the kitchen. I was almost worried that he would fall asleep standing up.

I sighed. I didn't want anyone finding out about this yet. It could be some sort of rare artifact, or even some sort of supernatural tool. It definitely looked—felt—magical, if not a little… weird. It could be very important for all I knew; I couldn't just go showing it off. Not only that, but Spike’s failure to notice all the earlier shaking had me questioning if I was the only one who felt it. Perhaps he had simply slept through it, but still....

Am I losing my mind?

I continued poking through all my books, ripping them off the shelves, glancing at the covers, and then setting them down in a pile next to me for an easy cleanup. It took way longer than I had originally hoped, and by that time my inner voice was nagging at me to call it quits for the night and resume my research in the morning. While I could hear my heavenly bed calling from upstairs in my mind, I persisted in my task.

My eyes eventually fell upon a promising tome: Ancient Jewelry and Other Fun Findings, it read in big bolded letters.

“Aha!”

I wasted no time flipping the book open and quickly scanning through it. I searched for anything similar to what I had found nailed to my door. Surely there had to be something.

Luck appeared to be on my side, as it didn't take me that long to find it. On page 47, I found a large picture of the exact medallion. I couldn't help but smile and feel a little bit of self-satisfaction. I read the entry out loud, too eager to hesitate.

“The Medallion of Seven Sins…”

Odd name. What are ‘Sins,’ and how did I never learn about them? I frowned, but I continued reading nonetheless. “Long ago, this large golden medallion was crafted and used in many difficult tasks, such as curing the sick, stopping wars, and providing nourishment.”

My eyes flew open. Was I seriously holding a medallion with the ability to end world strife? I continued anxiously.

“It is said that in this world, at any given time, there are seven ordinary ponies, each of whom harness an attribute of the deadly sins and have the ability to control the Medallion's power.”

There is was again. Sins. Seven Deadly Sins. I was quickly forming a headache.

“The attributes include Gluttony—”

The illustration next to it showed a very chunky earth pony munching on some sort of snack, getting drool and food everywhere. His stomach resembled a large marble. He was surrounded by piles upon piles of food and other delicious treats, ones that made my own stomach growl. With all of this excitement, I seemed to have actually forgotten my initial hunger.

I'll worry about that at a less crucial time.

“Greed—”

In the next illustration was a stallion literally surrounded by bags of money, and it seemed to rain from the sky around him, like confetti. His eyes pierced mine with some kind of self-satisfied glint. He reminded me of one of those rich ponies that I'd read in a few history books as a filly.

“Lust—”

The next picture was odd. A mare was shimmering and showing off her long, dazzling mane and tail while giving me what looked like seductive eyes that pierced my very soul. There were tiny hearts scattered throughout the picture like butterflies. I couldn't help but shiver uncomfortably. Whoever had done these pictures did an exceptional job.

“Wrath—”

The next picture was a little more unsettling. It depicted a stallion, completely surrounded by nothing but fire. A wall of flames were at each of his sides. I could feel the heat resonating from the picture.

“Sloth—”

Next was a picture of an earth pony mare just lying on the ground. Glossy yellow eyes stared off into the distance. A stark contrast to the previous illustrations, it was very bland, lacking any signs of effort or detail.

“Pride—”

Next was another mare. Much like the illustration for Lust, she was depicted in spectacular fashion. There were sparkles everywhere. She appeared to be looking in a mirror, a gigantic smile on her face as she lifted a hoof to her mane. I was actually reminded of something that Rarity tended to do by habit.

“—and Envy.”

The last illustration on that page showed a mare with an angry look on her face as she stared at a different pony in the background, who appeared to be laughing with another. It looked like nothing but pure jealousy was coursing through the mare's veins as the mare glared with narrow eyes. Skulls and crossbones were scattered all throughout the picture.

I wasn't sure if I liked where this was going.

“When all these attributes gather around the Medallion, its power will be unlocked.”

I finished reading. Well, I was truly surprised that I didn't know any of this beforehand. The only thing I knew from the beginning was that it was some kind of artifact, and that was proven to be correct.

I closed the book and put it on the shelf just as Spike came back from the kitchen with a fresh glass of milk. I assumed he wanted to go back to sleep, so I stood and made my way for the stairs while levitating the Medallion out of Spike's view.

“Night, Twilight,” he groaned as he plopped into his bed. I just chuckled. I was still groggy myself; my dreams were calling me.

“Actually, it's technically morning,” I corrected. Spike waved me off, obviously too tired to listen to me at this point.

I decided that Spike had the right idea after all. I could research a little more about the Medallion later, when the allure of sleep was not so strong.

A week after finding the Medallion, I was on my way to Canterlot. I had heard from Cadance a few days earlier that Shining’s position in the Royal Guard had become more stressful for him recently. So I thought if I brought him a few of Pinkie Pie's homemade cupcakes, maybe that would have made his day just a little better.

I always enjoyed how quickly I could get to Canterlot. By train, the trip only lasted about thirty minutes, whilst by hoof it would have likely taken all day, if not longer. Even though it did cost quite a bit of money, I usually didn't mind.

By noon, I arrived at Canterlot Castle. Taking in the wondrous breeze and the crisp warm air that surrounded the divine city, I stared up at the sky, and the top of the castle that it and the clouds covered. As I approached the gates, Royal Guards monitoring the castle aimed their various weapons at me, shouting things such as “Who goes there? State your name!” I knew it was standard procedure though, so even after so many visits, I never let it annoy me.

“My name is Twilight Sparkle. I—”

That was all they ever needed to hear, and the wooden doors began to open up for me. I gave a smug grin as I kindly thanked them and walked inside with my container full of pink frosted cupcakes.

Upon entering, I was met with the hallway that lead to Celestia's throne. After King Sombra’s attack, utterly gorgeous new windows had been fitted, the sun's rays gallantly shining through them and into the building. I always smiled at myself every time I saw the window depicting Spike. Oh, it was definitely one of his best moments for sure. Everyone was still calling him a hero after that. But hey, let him soak in all his glory. After all, he earned it as much as the rest of us.

“Shining Armor! Where are—oomph!”

I was suddenly on the ground. I glared up, rubbing my side, and saw a very bulky member of the Royal Guard running down the hallway in a full sprint. Thankfully, I hadn't dropped any of my baked goods, yet I couldn't help but growl angrily to myself as he shouted urgently towards the Princess. That guard better consider himself lucky, I thought as I settled myself next to the great throne room doors.

Celestia simply stared at the Guard from atop her throne.

“Princess! I come bearing news!”

He panted as he knelt in front the Princess, to which Celestia gave a solitary nod. The stallion stood from his position near the ground immediately.

"Yes, Odysseus?” Celestia asked, raising a curious eyebrow. It slowly dawned on me that I was probably listening in on something that I shouldn't.

Too late now.

“Intelligence report about the Changelings!” he shouted, even though Celestia was only fifteen feet away from him. Celestia gave Odysseus a long, firm gaze while he caught his breath.

“Well?” she asked after a few seconds.

“We have learned that they plan on attacking once more. Our scouts report that their army has almost doubled in size, and they have changed their strategy: they plan on taking over all the major cities in Equestria!”

I had to place a hoof over my mouth to keep from making any unwanted noise. The Changeling queen was back? Well... I guess it was only a matter of time. She did seem the persistent type considering she pretended to be Cadence for... who knew how long? The thought still made my blood boil whenever it arose—even now, months after it happened.

“Humph. Stubborn Changelings…”

Celestia shook her head and stared up at the ceiling. I could never tell what was going through her mind when she did that. Perhaps she was pondering our foe’s course of action; then again, she could have simply been daydreaming.

“No matter, my dear Princess!” Odysseus boldly stated, closing his eyes and standing tall with a hoof to his chest. “I'm sure that Prince Armor and Princess Cadance can take them out the same way they did last time!”

Celestia only shook her head at the stallion, her eyes singing an anthem of woe that threatened to crush me.

“No… we can't.”

The green stallion’s confidence instantly dropped. “H-How come, Princess?”

“Cadance and Shining Armor are strong, but they are not going to be able to keep the Changelings at bay. Especially from every major city in Equestria,” she explained.

Odysseus puffed his chest out once again. “Well, with the Prince and Princess, and the Elements of Harmony, they should have more than enough power to take care of it!” he concluded, a prideful smile on his lips.

I couldn’t be sure if it was a trick of the light, but I thought I saw Celestia’s eyes flick towards me for the briefest of instances.

The moment passed; Celestia only shook her head again, causing Odysseus' ears to droop and a frown to adorn his face. “Even still, that power combined would not be enough to protect our entire country,” she said. “We need something more powerful—something that can save the whole nation.

“What we need is a certain Medallion—”

That was enough of a hint for me. At that moment, I knew exactly what I had to do. Leaving the cupcakes on the floor, I set off.

Ch. 2: Genesis

I quickly dashed back out of the open castle doors, past the guards, and down the steps. The cupcakes could stay there for all I cared; I had more pressing matters at hoof to tend to.

I couldn't believe what I’d just heard. The Changelings? Actually coming back? Yes, it was true that they had been convincingly defeated at Cadance and Shining’s wedding. But next time—this time—they would attack mercilessly, strategically plotting against us and our major cities. They had learned what us ponies were capable of, and so adjusted their tactics.

Everything seemed to be in their favor at that point.

I teleported directly back to Canterlot Station and caught the very next southbound train. The world outside whipped by in the usual half-hour, yet it felt like time had slowed and I would never reach home. As soon as the train approached Ponyville Station, I mustered up my power and teleported directly into my bedroom, though not before apologising to the train conductor for my rude departure. I panted slightly and rubbed my horn before stepping out onto my balcony.

In defiance of my mood, it was a gorgeous day in Ponyville as usual. Celestia's sun shone bright as ever, and there wasn't even a cloud in the sky. The birds were singing their daily songs. It seemed so unreal to look at Ponyville for what it was, considering what I had just learned.

I frowned and tried to think about what I should do first. It seemed most logical to gather everyone and explain the situation. But what I really needed to do first was retrieve the medallion in question. I trotted back inside and downstairs into the library; I was greeted first by a cool breath of air, and second by a frowning Spike, across the room with his arms folded.

"Hey, Twilight," he said, raising an eyebrow. "Where did you go?"

It was at that point I realized that I had forgotten to tell Spike where I was going. Then again, Spike wasn't my father. It was more like the other way around. Our relationship was one for the ages.

"Oh, sorry, Spike. I went to give..." I trailed off for a bit as I walked around the room looking for the Medallion. I knew I put it somewhere, but I was having trouble remembering. "Uh, Shining… Armor some of Pinkie's—" I started to look through the bookshelves, eagerly and unnecessarily tossing literature to and fro "—homemade cupcakes."

Spike didn't seem to know how to respond; he was more focused on watching what I was doing than trying to solve his own questions. "All... right?"

Spike shook his head rapidly before glaring at me again. "Twilight, what exactly are you doing?"

I jerked my head up and desperately thought about what I could say, without exactly lying. "Uhm, something important."

I internally facehooved. Real smooth, Twilight.

"Oh. Well, I can help you look for it!" Spike said, puffing out his chest. "I'm great at finding things!"

I groaned internally as he jogged over to me.

"No!" I shouted, louder than I had meant. I glanced at his stunned face and cleared my throat sheepishly. "I mean… no, I'm good. I can find it on my own."

He furrowed his brow at me, lips pulled into a pout.

"You sure? I really wouldn’t mind. I have nothing else to do..."

Suddenly, an idea. I just hoped he'd forgive me for this.

"Fine, Spike. You can help—" Spike laughed before giving me a playful salute “—it’s… um, round. There was some blue on it—flat.”

I hoped I was just vague enough. It always made me uncomfortable to lie to Spike, no matter the situation.

"Don't worry, Twilight! Your Number One Assistant is here to help!" he recited before he, strangely, went into the kitchen to search.

I utilized the priceless opportunity to bolt upstairs. As I thought about it, I could remember taking the artifact upstairs just last week. I ran into my room, frantically trying to recall.

"Think, Twilight, think..." I told myself, hitting my hoof against my head. It didn't seem to work; I continued to stand there totally clueless. I flopped onto my bed with a groan, completely lost in thought. I must have put it somewhere!

I wiggled around in my bed out of frustration, before my head hit something hard. A soft ting accompanied the new pain in the back of my skull. As I rubbed my head, I overturned my pillow only to find the Medallion sitting there. I would have wagered that, if it had a voice, it would be laughing at me.

Why did I think that was a good place for it?

"Gotcha!" I shouted. I quickly grabbed my saddlebag off a hook near my door and placed the medallion inside. The bag was just big enough to fit the whole gold necklace in there, to my amazement.

I walked downstairs to find Spike still searching thoroughly. I considered telling him that I found what I was looking for, but to avoid raising questions I decided not to.

"Don't worry, Twilight! When I find something that looks important, I'll be sure to let you know!" he declared before returning to his excavation of the bookshelf. I smiled sheepishly.

"Thanks, Spike," I said as I quickly exited the library, a small grin forming on my face.

"All right. Priority one: find the girls."

***

I walked down the streets of Ponyville while lost in thought yet again. How was I possibly going to round up all of my friends? I needed to talk to everyone now. Maybe if I found Rainbow Dash, she could do the job much faster than I could. However, the chances of me finding her were already slim; her sleeping pattern was unpredictable at the best of times, as was her chosen resting place.

I walked around town expecting—hoping—to see Rainbow lying on some sort of cloud. But I didn't. She was nowhere to be found. I sighed with the knowledge that I'd have to round everyone up one by one, much to my chagrin.

I was closest to the Carousel Boutique—literally only a few steps away—so I decided to go there first. After looking inside the windows, I quickly knocked on the door of the large white building and waited. Seconds passed yet there was no answer. I knocked again.

“Rarity! Are you home? It’s me, Twilight!”

Still nothing.

I let out a frustrated grunt and walked away from the boutique. I shouldn't have been surprised. Knowing Rarity, she was probably at the spa, or acquiring materials for her newest dress.

With Carousel Boutique a bust, it seemed logical to try Sugarcube Corner next. Quite often, I could find at least one of my friends milling about in there. Still a little drained from my long-range teleport before, I tried to keep a smart, consistently-paced jog so I wouldn't tire out before I got there, but after a few moments of trotting my patience wore thin. Needless to say, I arrived at Sugarcube Corner sweating buckets and wheezing uncontrollably.

By Celestia, I need to get out more, I thought as I pushed through the double swinging doors.

Sugarcube Corner was exactly the same as ever: simply a counter covered in various pastries and goodies, and many tables and booths scattered around for those wishing to eat their cakes sooner rather than later. The walls were white like frosting, complemented by the chocolate-brown floor.

"Hi!"

The voice came out of nowhere. I was too exhausted to scream, but not so tired as to not completely fall over onto my back.

Pinkie Pie gazed over me now looking puzzled. "Are you okay?" she asked.

A familiar blue pegasus jumped into my peripheral vision and pushed Pinkie Pie away from me.

"Pinkie, what did you do?"

"I think I broke her!" Pinkie giggled, holding a hoof up to her mouth and not even registering the shove.

"That ain't nothin' to be proud of."

I could hear Applejack in the background. Pinkie must have either not heard Applejack, or just ignored her completely, because she was still in hysterics as if the funniest thing in the world had just happened.

"Oh, don't worry! She's still breathing!"

"Ya better hope so!"

"Here—” Rainbow Dash’s voice floated in “—help me get her on her hooves."

She grasped my forelegs while Applejack pushed me up from behind. When I found my footing I wobbled around for a second, sick to my stomach. For a moment I thought I might have had to excuse myself to the restroom, but I managed to compose myself.

Rainbow and Applejack ushered me to the bright pink table that all of my friends were sitting at. Rarity took one look at me and my slightly messy mane and her jaw almost hit the floor. Apparently, it was harder than I previous guessed to maintain a perfect mane when you were running so fast that you could feel a heart attack coming on.

"Twilight? What happened to you?" Rarity asked, fawning over my dishevelled appearance. On her right sat Fluttershy, sipping from a glass of water.

"Oh, nothing, really... just almost died running... to get here to talk to you all..."

I exhaled, still trying to catch my breath. Almost everyone each raised an eyebrow at me. Pinkie Pie, for some reason, was nowhere to be found.

"What did ya need, sugar cube?" Applejack drawled, putting a hoof on my shoulder.

I explained how I had found the Medallion, and about what I had read in the strange book about the ‘Deadly Sins.’ I also explained what I had heard Celestia say. I had to tell them not to spill the beans, though; I was positive that Celestia’s meeting with Odysseus was never meant for my ears.

"You were eavesdropping on the Princess?" Rarity questioned after I finished.

"No, no!” I said, waving my forelegs around and shaking my head. “I only ever intended to deliver the cupcakes that Pinkie made to Shining Armor, and apparently I came at a bad time."

“Ah,” Rarity said as she nodded.

“Did somepony say cupcakes?”

I jumped, again having to fight the urge to succumb to heart failure as Pinkie chose that moment to bounce up from under the table and into my immediate view. “Did Shining Armor like them?” she squealed, an oblivious grin on her face.

"This is serious!" I yelled. "We have to find those ponies!" I decided to change my attitude by speaking calmly and directly. I cleared my throat, and felt my irritation fly away. Pinkie Pie didn't seem dejected, but she took her time sitting next to Fluttershy.

"How do ya expect to do that? These special ponies could be anyone!" Applejack replied. "They could be you, or me, or somepony on the other side of Equestria!"

Her words stirred something in my mind. I’d never thought about that. How were we supposed to find them? Yet I felt as if the answer were right in front of me. I had a unique idea.

"Maybe with this?"

I reached into my saddlebag and pulled out the Medallion. Everyone stared in awe at it, but none more than Rarity, who was completely awestruck. I think I actually saw the gem’s reflection in her eyes.

"Oh! That's gorgeous! You must let me try it on!" she stated. She scooted closer and closer to me, to which I promptly pushed her away.

“I’m sorry, Rarity, but now’s not the time for a fashion debut,” I said.

“Humph.” She crossed her forelegs and stuck out her bottom lip.

I played around with it for a moment, something that I had never thought to do previously. Upon touching the gem, it lit up the colour of sunset. The light from the jewel bounced off the ceiling and radiated around the store, as well as in multiple other directions. All my friends and I were mesmerized, eyes wide and full of wonder. It was beautiful, nothing like I'd ever seen before!

"Whoa!" Applejack laughed. "That's impressive!"

I took my hoof away from the jewel, only to have it return to its default azure color.

"What was that all about?" Rarity asked.

I thought for a moment. "I think… maybe it's some sort of tracking device. We can probably use this to find the seven ponies in question," I said, setting the artifact down on the table.

Rainbow Dash spoke up. "Okay, so what if we do find all of these ponies? What are we gonna do? Tie them up and carry them here?"

I looked over at Applejack, who had a very devious smirk on her face. She probably would have enjoyed that. It’d save her time when it came to practicing for one of her lassoing competitions.

"No…” I hesitated, looking around before I continued. “I think we're going to have to split up."

For a moment, nopony spoke. Finally, Fluttershy broke the silence.

"I-I don't think that's a good idea..."

"Me either. There's only one medallion thing." Applejack pointed as she spoke. "How’s that gonna work?"

"Well..." I thought for another moment. I could try to find a spell that would let me clone the artifact. But would it work? I would have to test it out later. "Let me worry about that."

Fluttershy didn't look very reassured. Her eyebrows were upturned and trembling.

"Look, there’s no telling how long we have before the Changelings invade again. It might be a month, a week… a few days..." I explained. "In order to be more efficient, we’ll have to split up. I suggest we split into pairs."

Everypony nodded except for Fluttershy, who was looking genuinely nervous.

Rarity smiled at her. "Don't worry, darling. If you'd like then we can go together!" she offered. Fluttershy bit the inside of her lip before giving a barely noticeable nod.

"Okay," she said in no louder than a half-whisper.

"We can figure out who's going with whom later,” I said, waving a hoof. “We don’t know exactly how long we’re going to be gone. I suggest we rest and pack a few things, perhaps enough supplies for a week on the road. Only a week, and only essentials," I added with a glance at Rarity.

“Oh! Er, yes, of course,” she said. I rolled my eyes with a smirk—I emphasized because otherwise, Rarity would bring her whole Boutique along with her, and she knew it too.

"Awww yeah, this is going to be great!" Rainbow roared, actually jumping out of her seat and hovering in the air, her hoof raised. "We're going to save Equestria again!"

I smiled at my friends. Reasons like this were why I was glad I came to Ponyville in the first place. They give me a reason to keep going. They helped me to go on, and to make myself a better pony. To be quite frank, they were my backbone; I was not sure what I would do without them by my side. I felt my eyes start to water up a little bit, but I managed to suppress my feelings for the sake of the moment.

In two hours, one of the greatest journeys of our lives would begin.

Ch. 3: Beckoning

After a few more minutes of discussion, we had a game plan: follow the Medallion's lead, find the pony that we needed, and bring them back to Ponyville—rinse and repeat until we had all seven. Simple enough, right?

In my mind, I wasn't so sure. I was already thinking up various ways of telling them ‘Hey, we need you to come with us, Equestria needs your help, you’re one of Seven Deadly Sin ponies connected to a magical Medallion that only you can activate.’ But who would believe that? Even to me, there and then, it sounded like something that would happen in a children's book. I just hoped that our search would be easier than I anticipated it being.

As I returned to the Library, I expected to be once again greeted by Spike. But this time he was on the ground curled up, asleep; apparently all the searching had tired him out. He stirred in his sleep when I gave his stomach a gentle nudge.

"Spike! Wake up! I need you!" I said, conscious that I’d just decided to involve him.

Spike's eyes fluttered open and stared up at me. I gave an excited smile.

"Did you find it?" I joked. Spike looked like he wanted to die in a hole a few moments later, so I didn't ask him anymore about it. “Anyway,” I continued, “I need you to take a letter to Celestia for me, please."

Spike uncharacteristically groaned, his sleepiness obviously clouding his inner judgment. With a loud yawn, he reluctantly took the piece of paper and quill that I levitated over from the nearby bench and looked at me expectantly.

"Dear Princess Celestia…” I began, “I have located the Medallion of Seven Sins, and my friends and I have gone to find the seven ponies that we believe are required to activate its dormant power. We will endeavor to be back before the Changeli—" I cut myself off, remembering that no one was really supposed to know about that, not even Spike "—change of events... occur—with these ponies—in approximately seven days."

Spike stopped writing. “What? Change of—”

“I’ll explain later, Spike,” I said with a shake of my head. I continued, "I apologize for not getting you this letter sooner, as I was rounding up the necessary supplies. I hope you understand. Your faithful student, Twilight Sparkle."

I glanced at Spike dramatically. "Did you get all that?"

"Yep." With a sigh, Spike blew a green fire out of his mouth, causing the piece of paper to instantly disappear.

"Good!"

"So, you're going on a trip?" Spike asked, hopping up on my back.

"Yes, Spike. And it's an important, highly confidential mission that nopony needs to know about. Understand?"

Spike let out a sad sigh before hopping off my back.

"Well, that's fair." He crossed his arms. "I'm almost always stuck here, looking after the Library. It's so boring!"

He pouted. Despite his obvious disappointment, all I could think was that it just looked absolutely adorable; I could see why Rarity always called him cute. While my heart ached for him, I knew I couldn't risk putting him in danger.

"Spike, you can't. I don't mean to make you feel excluded, but this is a job for the Elements of Harmony," I told him.

A playful grin suddenly appeared on his face. "Oh, I see, Twilight!” He spoke very slowly, as if he was mocking me. “I think it's just that you're just a teeny tiny bit jealous over my recent feat with the Crystal Kingdom?" He was so smug that even he couldn't help but stifle a laugh at himself. I simply rolled my eyes.

"You wish!"

He closed his eyes and waved me away playfully. "No no, it's fine, Twilight! Go and have your adventure! I would only hog all the spotlight anyway." He couldn't contain himself and exploded into a fit of uproarious laughter

I considered a rebuttal, but I decided to let him have the last laugh as I went up to my room to gather all of my things. His laughter rang out through the entire Library, and even the town for that matter.

***

It didn't take me long to pack my things: some cleaning utensils, a brush, a few books, and of course, the Medallion. As far as I knew—with the possible exception of Rarity—nopony had been further than either Canterlot, Cloudsdale, or Manehattan on more than one occasion, so I also grabbed three maps of Equestria. There was simply no real way of knowing exactly where our travels would take us.

We had all agreed to meet up at the Library by three that afternoon. Alas, the one bad thing about being so well-organised was waiting for everypony else to get ready. Still, I decided that could use the time to memorise some of the more minor locations in Equestria. Ponyville was a small place by Equestrian standards, but there were others that could make it look like an Equestrian capitol by comparison.

While I waited, I finally got a response from Princess Celestia, after Spike had burped it up. It was a good thing the Princess was so understanding:

Dear Twilight Sparkle,

I cannot tell you how pleased I am that you have found the Medallion of Seven Sins. How you came to possess it is sure to make a remarkable tale, for I thought it lost centuries ago, however I will not inquire further about that matter right now. What does matter is that you have it and are already willing to begin searching for those who can unlock its power. I am so proud of you, Twilight; proud that you are willing to shoulder such an enormous responsibility without question. I wish you the best of luck, for the search will not be easy, and time is of the essence. But if there is anypony who can complete this task, it is most definitely you. I have every confidence that you and your friends will be successful.

I believe in you, Twilight Sparkle.

Love, Princess Celestia

PS: I knew you were eavesdropping. Oh, and Odysseus says thanks for the cupcakes.

As Spike read along with me, he burst into a loud, obnoxious laugh at the last part.

"Busted!" he snorted after a few seconds, still trying to suppress his lingering chuckles.

I planted my hoof on his face and gently pushed him away. Wow, Spike has a serious case of the giggles today. How have his lungs not exploded? Did Pinkie force-feed him a bag of sugar masquerading as a muffin?

Rainbow Dash was the first one to show, in her usual way of course; why use the front door when there was a perfectly good window to burst through? She skidded with her momentum and came to a stop after hitting one of the Library’s shelves, spilling books everywhere..

"I'm here!" she shouted, appearing from under the pile of botanical books, her saddlebag wrapped around her in an uncomfortable-looking way. "And I can't breathe..."

She wheezed as her face turned an even paler blue than usual. I tugged her out of the paper avalanche and watched as she took many deep breaths of air. When she had calmed herself down, she looked at the mess she had just made and rubbed the back of her neck, smiling.

"Eheh… sorry..."

I gave a mockingly exasperated sigh, rolled my eyes, and glared at her. "Why can't you use the door like most ponies?"

Apparently, what I had just said sparked something inside of her, and she puffed up her chest. "That's because I'm not like most ponies!"

“Well, unfortunately, my books are like most other books—meaning they can be damaged, Rainbow Dash. You have to be more careful!” I lectured her. Yet as I moved to begin cleaning up the pile, an idea took root.

I abandoned the pile, smiled, and faced Rainbow again. “But you not being like other ponies… well, if you say so."

As I winked at her, Rainbow punched me. I knew she didn't mean to do it that hard, but she did hit the sensitive part of my shoulder.

"And what is that supposed to mean?"

"I think it means that you can be insanely full of yourself sometimes, Dash," I joked, rubbing my shoulder. My short chuckle died in my throat as Dash gave me the most painful stare I had ever witnessed. I immediately waved my hooves back and forth. "I'm kidding! I'm kidding!"

Rainbow Dash frowned for one more second before giving me her own satisfactory grin.

“You are just too easy, Twilight Sparkle,” she said. With that, she flapped away and took a seat at the table, which she immediately started drumming her hooves on.

Rarity and Fluttershy arrived together soon after. I was shocked that Rarity didn't actually bring an entire suitcase with her, but they did both bring saddlebags. I was pleased to find that Rarity had made us each—and brought with her—bags of our own; she had stitched a different patch representing our respective cutie marks on each bag.

"Hello, all!" Rarity announced, placing her saddlebag on the floor. "I brought healthy snacks!" She extracted a few snack bars from her bag and floated them gleefully to Rainbow Dash.

Rainbow took them and pulled a face as she read the names on the packaging. “Ew. ‘Nougat Swirl...’ ‘Pumpernickel Paradise...’ ‘Avocado-and-Raisin Bran’?” She faked a dry heave.

"Dash, you must know that they are good for you!" Rarity said. “These energy bars will prove most invaluable if our supplies start to run low.”

At that moment, Applejack appeared behind Rarity and grabbed the bar that said ‘Apple-Pear-Berry Blitz’. She unwrapped it, tore a large chunk from it with her teeth, and let out a moan of delight.

"Dash, yer missin' out!" she said, the half-chewed bar still in her mouth. Crumbs and pieces of apple fell from her mouth to the floor as she spoke. I glanced around at Fluttershy, who simply sat quietly at the table with a small pouch of her own.

"Well, it seems like everypony's… hold on." I looked around. "Where's Pinkie Pie?"

Everypony looked around and shrugged. At that moment, I heard a rustle of papers behind me; the remnants of the book avalanche were moving. Right where Rainbow Dash had come to a crashing halt minutes earlier, a pink, puffy mane appeared from within the pile.

"Hi, guys! Rainbow, you’re so silly! You sat on me! But it's okay because you’re my friend, and your tushie is soft and felt nice! Hehehehe!" She snorted with laughter, while Rainbow took a few awkward steps away from the pink mare.

"Okay..."

Well, now I know who Rainbow is not partnering with, I thought.

"Everypony, if you would listen to me now, please!”

With all eyes on me—and when Pinkie’s laughter finally subsided—I took a deep breath. “Okay. First things first: I just want to thank you all, from the bottom of my heart, for once again dropping everything and agreeing to help me locate these ‘Sin Ponies.’ It really does mean the world to me—and, well, to the world too I suppose.”

I paused to let them all offer some variation of a “No biggie” or an “Of course, darling,” before I continued.

“Secondly: our journey has the potential to take us anywhere in Equestria. This includes the major cities in every corner, from Manehattan to Las Pegasus or Tall Tale… but you must understand that these ponies could be literally anywhere, even in the smallest towns, possibly living wild.” I stopped to pull up the three maps I had procured. “As such, I have prepared a map for each group, as I don’t expect you all to know Equestria like the back of your hooves.”

Two of the three maps rose off the table and floated, enveloped in purple, towards Rarity and Applejack. They each grasped one and studied it briefly while I kept the third one for myself.

“Thirdly: I hope you have all packed adequately for the trip?” I turned to Fluttershy, on my left.

"I packed flashlights, matches, extra food and water... probably everything that we would need," she purred.

I expected that of Fluttershy. Looking after her critters all day would surely have given her a great sense of self-preservation. While not as out there as Rainbow or Applejack, I knew she spent most of her time outdoors regardless. She could be a very good choice of partner in a basic survival situation, I thought.

"Good to hear! Applejack?"

When everypony had rattled off the contents of their saddlebags, I breathed a sigh of relief.

I lifted up the Medallion with a studious frown upon my face. All eyes fell upon it, flitting back and forth between it and me. I could practically see the unasked question on each of their lips: will the spell work?

"Take your time, dearie," Rarity said. “We don’t want you to hurt yourself.”

With a nod, I narrowed my eyes and focused all my energy on the medallion. I had to get it just right the first time. The spell was more complex than even the wing-growth spell I used on Rarity had been; if I failed, it would be some time before I could recharge and try again. Power flowed from every ley line in my body towards my horn, where it culminated, ready and waiting. The pressure in my horn was immense, like I was trying to use it to manually lift a boulder. I fought the inevitable migraine and concentrated on casting the spell.

With a loud yell, I released my pent-up energy into the Medallion and promptly flew back off my chair in a puff of purple smoke. After a few seconds, I stood, shook my head, and rubbed my aching horn. With my mind relaxing, I looked back at the table where the Medallion—

"Yes!"

I stared in disbelief at the three similar medallions in front of me. The mission was most definitely a go!

"Yee-haw!" Applejack cheered, immediately picking up the artifact nearest her. When she touched the jewel, it didn't turn a dark green like when I had; instead, it turned into a dark, bloody red.

Applejack curiously held it up in front of her. At first nothing happened, but when she turned around and held up the jewel, it began to react. A quiet beeping noise was heard, and the jewel pulsed with a dim flash of light.

"So, it is a tracking device?" I pondered out loud. I turned to my right. “Rarity, try touching yours and see what happens.”

My theory was correct. Rarity picked up the other Medallion, eying up the gorgeous jewel before actually touching it. When she did, it lit up a light green color. Unlike Applejack’s Medallion, the jewel did nothing else, regardless of where Rarity pointed it.

“Hmmm. Nothing,” she said, a little disappointment lacing her voice. “Oh well.” She made to slip it over her neck.

“Rarity, don’t!” I cried with a hoof outstretched. “It’s too—”

“Ah, doesn’t it go just swimmingly with my coat?” Rarity said as she gazed at the giant golden disc.

“—heavy…” I tilted my head. “Huh. Perhaps when I cloned it, the Medallion’s mass got distributed between the three of them… it makes sense, I guess. Somehow.”

"I think yours’ tellin' us we're too far away, Rares," Applejack suggested, putting a hoof to her chin and lifting her brow.

"Then how do we know which way to go?" Rarity whined. Using her magic, she lifted it up as high as she could until the medallion was close to touching the ceiling. She twisted it around in all directions to no avail.

“Well, do they have some kinda settings or something as to which pony we can find?” Rainbow asked. “I don't want to go and find out were all looking for the same one.” She poked Applejack's Medallion.

“I don't think so.” I shook my head. “I think it depends on the pony who touches it. Remember earlier? When I touched the jewel, it turned bright orange. But when Applejack touched it, it turned red. I think... each color represents a different attribute, maybe.”

"Oh Oh Oh!" Pinkie Pie flung up her leg to point at the ceiling. "What if it turns rainbow?"

"Then we're going to have a few problems, Pinkie," Rainbow Dash deadpanned.

"In the meantime—” everypony eyed Rarity “—Fluttershy and I will be traveling together. We have already discussed it beforehand." She smiled at Fluttershy, who smiled back from behind her pink mane.

When I turned around, I saw Rainbow Dash and Applejack high-hoofing each other. As soon as I saw it, I knew those two together had to be a no-brainer.

That just leaves—

"Twilight!" Pinkie screamed as she tackled me to the floor, standing over me with those big cyan eyes of hers. "Looks like we get to be partners! Yay! We can talk and share secrets and sing songs! Oh it'll be so fun!" She bounced off of me, which allowed me to I sit up and rub the back of my head where it had forcefully hit the ground.

"Y’all good to go?" Applejack asked as most of us slipped back on our custom-made saddlebags.

My sides hurt...

Everypony nodded and cheered. Most of the group looked totally psyched to get going.

"Then let's get going!"

Ch. 4: Gallivant

Rarity and I walked out of the Library with our bags and the Medallion in tow. Rarity seemed to be idolizing the object, looking it over, even occasionally whispering to it. It unnerved me a little, but I decided not to let it bother me too much. The Medallion glowed light green in Rarity’s hooves, almost like fresh grass.

"Fluttershy?" she asked unexpectedly.

I immediately snapped to attention. "Yes?"

"Shall we get started?"

Rarity levitated the Medallion in the air again. I meekly nodded. I was not a big fan of our new adventure; in fact, I was not a big fan of adventure in the first place. To be honest, I would much rather have gone home and talked to my critters. They were probably worried sick about me.

Rarity walked around for a moment, trying to get the mysterious artifact to react in some way. I could feel her frustration building as time went on, her efforts in vain. I considered holding the Medallion myself, so we could find another closer pony instead. At least I would have, if I didn’t think it would upset Rarity. She sure did seem enthralled by her shiny new replica Medallion.

"Come on! Darn thing!" Rarity cried, giving the Medallion a few light taps. “Work already!”

After a long time spent walking around Ponyville aimlessly—well, wasting time really, although I’d never hurt Rarity’s feelings by suggesting that—the Medallion finally reacted; it flashed brighter and faster than usual when we faced north.

Rarity beamed. "Finally! It seems to be pointing to..."

She tried to read the map, but ended up dumbly pointing with her hoof. "That way!" she declared, pointing at a trail that lead to the outskirts of town.

"Do you know how long we're going to have to walk?"

I practically felt her heart drop as I spoke the word "walk." She groaned loudly.

"Walk? Well... it seems we have no choice, dear Fluttershy. The jewel only seems to point a direction, not a distance." She pointed again to the nearby trail. "We just have to keep going until we find it. Twilight said the Medallion should bring us straight to her… or him, I suppose. Oh, I do hope my hooves forgive me someday."

I nodded, and we both headed down the trail.

When we set off, I couldn't help noticing it was already sunset. Princess Celestia sure knew how to entertain: it was beautiful, the way the oranges and reds mixed to create something so... unique.

Rarity started to talk as we walked. I simply kept quiet while she went on about various things: the journey ahead, deadlines for her work, and even how she was pondering the idea of enlisting Spike as a helper around the Boutique. I found myself nodding absently for a while.

As we walked, I wondered at first why we didn't just take a train. But thinking about it later, I realized that if we did, we might just pass the pony we were looking for, and then we’d have to backtrack.

The farther behind we left Ponyville, the grassier the trail became. Beyond Ponyville, the countryside seemed completely wild. The vegetation grew however it wanted, the grass looked like it had never been cut, and hills lined our vision as far as we could see. I was tempted to stop and lie down in the grass, because just looking at it made me want to take a nap in it.

Everything was so green. I loved it. It was all so serene and untouched...

"Fluttershy?"

I snapped out of my spell at Rarity’s call. After shaking my head, I noticed that she'd trotted a good ten feet ahead of me; I'd been lagging behind.

"You coming?"

"Oh! Yes," I said, running to catch up.

We walked on for hours, the scenery changing from a grassy prairie to a stony trail. It almost seemed like we were walking near one of the distant mountains. Golden sunlight bounced off the grass around us and the smooth rocks beneath our hooves.

A short time after we hit the rocky road, the sun gave way to the moon, bringing darkness with it. Even though I’d packed flashlights, I definitely had no plans to continue through the night. I’d always disliked the dark, but at least at home I had my bedside lamp. Out here, so far from home, without my animals for company...

"Um, Rarity? Can we set up camp, please? I don't think we can go on," I said, shivering at the night air’s cool touch.

"Why ever not?" Rarity asked. "Fluttershy, there's nothing to be afraid of. Besides, we only have a few days to meet up in Ponyville with these—" she hesitated, wracking her brain "—strangers. We don't have any time to waste."

Sure, keep telling yourself that, I silently mused. I know it’s because you just don’t want to risk getting dirty. Sure enough, I saw Rarity’s uneasy gaze at the dusty ground.

"Everypony else is probably already ahead of us… I think we'll be all right," I said.

Rarity took out a flashlight and hovered it in the air. “Tch. I think we'll be fine. Trust me, darling—we need to keep going. Besides, the thought that everypony else is probably ahead of us only gives us more incentive to continue."

The more I thought about it, the more I reluctantly realized she was right.

"Okay… if you insist."

I took out a bright yellow flashlight from my own bag and clicked it on, shining it defensively out in front of me. I had a feeling it was going to be a very rough night.

Luckily, Luna had blessed us with a full moon; it was much brighter out than usual, to my unrelenting internal glee. I could hear the night critters loudly chittering around me. I listened as owls and crickets spoke to their kin, either of warnings or other things.

Eventually, Rarity began to tire. I could tell that she was struggling to stay awake, as she stumbled and shifted left and right on the path ahead of me, seemingly in a daze.

"Are you all right, Rarity?" I asked. She looks like she could fall asleep any second now...

"I'm not sure..." She stopped and rubbed her temple.

"Um, would you consider taking a rest stop now?"

She glared about me before giving a defeated sigh. "Oh, I suppose if we must. Just let me look for… Aha!"

Her torch fell upon a large patch of heather in the grass, and she rushed over it. Setting her saddlebag on the ground, she opened it up and levitated a tightly rolled, compact foam mattress out from within. After unrolling the mattress and laying it out, a small, thin blanket popped out of its innards and fell neatly upon it. With a sigh, Rarity closed her bag and rested her head on it, using it as a pillow. She glared at the patch of dirt next to her head, but soon wrapped the blanket around herself and closed her eyes anyway.

I followed her example—lying down next to her and using my saddlebag as a pillow—and faced the other way, so we were back to back.

"Goodnight, Fluttershy. We're going to have to..." She yawned. "Get up… pretty early..."

I smiled, even though she couldn't see it. "Yes. I have a feeling that we—"

A soft snore interrupted me. I giggled with a hoof over my mouth before closing my own eyes. "Goodnight, Rarity."

The soft yet mesmerizing sound of Rarity’s snores mixed in with nature’s various calls lulled me to sleep within seconds.

***

"Consarn it, Rainbow! Gimme that thing!" I yelled.

After Rarity and Fluttershy had been the first ones to take off, Rainbow Dash and I engaged in battle for control of our Medallion. She flew at least ten feet above me, waving the Medallion around irresponsibly.

"I say we go after my color first," she said as the jewel turned a dull gray. It almost looked like wet cement had been plastered on the jewel.

"Don't do that!" I shouted. "You could break it!"

"Break what?"

"The Medallion, darnit!"

"Oh, you mean like this?" Rainbow took the Medallion and swung it by the chain, all while doing a giddy midair dance which only annoyed me more. Even with my objections and cursing, Rainbow continued to swing her hips and dance, occasionally waving her flank in my face.

I seethed and gnashed my teeth until I remembered our mission. Did it really matter who we found first? We needed all of them Sin Ponies anyway.

I took a deep breath and gave in. "Fine..."

"Woohoo!"

After her victory cry, Rainbow draped the Medallion around her neck and returned to the ground. I'm not gonna lie: it was a dangerous action on her part, considering I wanted to wring her scrawny little neck.

We both gazed down at the Medallion as Rainbow spun around, trying to make it work. When she turned away from me, it started to blink. Unlike when I had held the Medallion, the gem blinked rapidly, much faster than when I had held it.

Hers must be closer.

"Great!" Rainbow declared, punching the air before pausing. "Er, now what?"

"Rainbow… we need to follow it..."

"But… how are we going to get to wherever we're trying to get?"

"We could take the train?"

"But how will we know when we need to get off?"

While Rainbow hovered in midair scratching her head, I brought a hoof to my face.

"When it starts beepin' and flashin' like crazy!" I yelled. “Honestly, Rainbow, did you not listen to a single word Twilight said?”

"Well, let's go then!"

Rainbow made to dash in the opposite direction to where the Medallion pointed us, but jerked to a halt with a yelp as I clamped down hard on her tail. “Hey, what’s the big deal, AJ?”

“Where th’ hay’re y’ goin’?” I said through gritted teeth, my mouth full of colors. “Y’ headin' th’ wrong way!”

Rainbow scoffed at me and rolled her eyes.

"Uh, duh—to the train station. I'm the only one with wings here, and I’m not going to walk the whole way there."

"Ah. Right.” I spat out her tail. “Er, good idea.”

We made our way towards the train station, Rainbow trying to explain to me the whole walk about how I’d "entered her bubble" when I bit down on her tail. What a load of dragon dung, I thought. Anypony who’s around you for longer than five seconds can tell you ain’t got one at all.

We reached the train station after a five minute trot. As we approached the ticket booth, Rainbow glanced at the Medallion around her neck—still faintly flashing—then turned towards me.

"So, AJ, what train do we get?"

"Well, how ’bout you try pointin’ it in the direction we're s’posed to go, and then find the train that takes us that way?" I proposed.

Rainbow pointed the Medallion behind her again, only for it to continue beeping quietly and flashing slowly. "Well, I think that's northwest..."

We stopped before the the ticket booth and looked up at the dark blue mare behind the counter. "Hi there! How may I help you both today?" she said with a smile.

"Yeah, I’d like a serving of hay fries and—ouch!"

I elbowed Rainbow hard in the flank, making her wince in pain. For the second time, I brought a hoof to my face.

“This ain’t no time to be horsin’ around, Rainbow. We gotta get movin’.” Shaking my head, I turned back to the ticket seller. “We need two tickets to… er, somewhere northwest o’ here, I guess?”

“Northwest? Any particular destination?”

“Ah…” I turned to Rainbow. “D’you wanna pull out your map and see what places we gotta choose from?”

“Gee, I don’t know,” she said. “That kinda hurt—”

“Rainbow!”

“All right, already. Gee, can’t a mare have a little fun?” She unclasped her saddlebag and pulled out her map of Equestria, narrowing her eyes. “Uh, looks like we got Tall Tale, Vanhoover, or Galloping Gorge to pick from. That’s just the major cities, though, and a big ditch. What if none of those are the right place?”

“If you like, you could purchase a ticket to Vanhoover?” the ticket mare suggested. “It covers you to the end of that line, with three major and nine minor stops in between there and Ponyville if you decide to get off earlier.

"Looks like that's where we're headed then!" Rainbow stated, before running over to the waiting area. I sighed and passed a hoofful of bits over.

Puttin’ up with her’s gonna be fun.

After about thirty minutes, the train to Vanhoover finally arrived to both of our pleasures. As the train stopped, many passengers got out, almost running Rainbow and I down before the stampede finally ended. Apparently, the conductor was also used to this, as he carefully peered his head out of the first car before actually taking a step onto the deck.

"All aboard!" he shouted triumphantly.

Rainbow wasted no time getting on the train, so I followed her as she disappeared inside the third car.

Since a trip from Ponyville to Vanhoover would most likely take a day by train, we decided to take the car that actually had beds in it, much like when we traveled to Dodge Junction. Most of the beds were occupied by other ponies, either sleeping already or chatting amongst themselves.

We eventually found a bunk-bed just as the train left the station with a loud toot of its horn. Rainbow jumped on the top bunk, which I made a point of contesting but was silently glad for. I preferred being closer to the ground anyway.

As I lay down on my bed, I was delighted to find that it felt just like my own mattress back at home. I let out a sigh of content. Ahhh, at least I’ll get a good night’s sleep.

"I can't wait ’til we get to Vanhoover!" Rainbow poked her head down from above, facing me upside-down. "I also can't wait to see what kind of pony we're going to meet there. Who knows? They might be a Rainbow Dash fan!" She laughed in that ‘I’m-awesome-and-I-know-it’ way of hers.

"Don't count your cockatrices ’fore they’re hatched, Rainbow,” I said. “We don't even know if this pony lives in Vanhoover. They might be anywhere along this line."

"Whatever. Not like it matters anyway—nopony can resist the awesomeness that is ‘The Dash!’ ”

I groaned. "Just keep an eye on the Medallion and say somethin’ if the beepin’ or flashin’ speeds up.” I rolled over, stroking my pillow. Gosh, that’s mighty soft...

I caught Rainbow’s nod before she vanished from sight. The tinkle of chains and metal sounded from above me.

“You be careful with that Medallion, y’hear?” I said with a light kick upward. “No tellin’ how fragile it is now it’s been split three ways.”

“Stop stressing, AJ. It’ll be fine.”

For the next couple hours, Rainbow Dash and I just sat there and talked, mostly about nothing in particular, but also about occurring events, such as the newest Wonderbolt auditions. Well, that was mainly her actually. The shadows lengthened as the sun started to set; I found myself yawning and frequently closing my eyes as Rainbow drawled on and on.

"Rainbow, I hate to say it, but I'm real tired..."

Rainbow stopped in the middle of gushing over Surprise’s supposed ‘incredible versatility.’

"Aww… but I haven’t gotten to the best part of her routine yet. Seriously, she does this mad quadruple-twist and then—”

"Yeah, I think I'm just gonna hit the hay," I said. I grabbed my blanket and slid under it. The bed rustled above me as I watched the mattress dip a little, Rainbow finally sinking all her weight onto it. A final tinkle sounded.

“Good—” I yawned loudly “—ah, night. Seeya tomorrow mornin'."

"Fine… night, AJ."

“Oh, and Rainbow? You’re payin’ for the next train.”

“Whatever.”

I'd never be sure, but I could swear I heard Rainbow Dash snoring just seconds before I passed out myself.

***

Sweet Celestia. Pinkie sure is impatient sometimes.

Although Rarity, Fluttershy, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash had already left, Pinkie and I remained in the library; there were still a few things to figure out before I felt comfortable with leaving.

"Come on, Twilight!"

Pinkie bounced repeatedly on the spot, eager to get going. She had taken possession of the Medallion, draped around her neck. Unsurprisingly, it had turned a bright pink. It was already beeping in her hooves.

"What-cha do-in’?" Pinkie asked as she looked over my shoulder.

"Trying to figure out where we should start," I said, one hoof supporting my chin. “I don’t mind you bouncing, but make sure you keep looking dead ahead, okay?”

At Pinkie’s vigorous nod and trademark “Okey dokey lokey,’ I took stock of her position and then looked at the map sprawled out on the table.

Pinkie is currently facing Southwest. So that means our first target is somewhere between here and—

My eyes landed on the most possible location.

“—Las Pegasus. Oh, boy…”

"What's wrong, Twi?" Pinkie froze in midair, then zipped to my side.

"Apparently, the pony were looking for could be as far away as Las Pegasus—

Pinkie gasped loudly. "Yay!" She resumed bouncing, cheered, and threw confetti everywhere. "I've always wanted to go there! That's where all the movie stars and celebrities live!"

"You might be excited, Pinkie, but I'm just wondering how we're going to get there and back again as fast as possible," I grumbled, swiping stray confetti from my mane. “I was toying with the possibility of a complex dual-teleportation spell to get us wherever we needed to go. But without knowing exactly what our destination looks like, it’ll be almost impossible.”

"Can't you just read about it in one of your travel guides?" Pinkie inquired as she grasped a book at random from the pile on the floor, flipped it open, and pointed to a photo of what looked like the city’s main street.

I shook my head. “One of these days, Pinkie, you’re going to have to show me how you do that.”

She simply shrugged. “Beats me.”

***

After a final double-check to make sure we had everything, we left the Library. As the door closed behind us—exchanging waves with Spike—I levitated the travel guide out before us. There was still enough sunlight to gain a good view, although the last vestiges were rapidly disappearing.

“Okay, Pinkie. I need you to really concentrate here with me,” I said. When she zipped to my side, I highlighted and pointed to the picture of Main Street. “This dual-teleportation spell will only work if we are both one-hundred percent focused on our destination. It’s hard enough with two unicorns already, let alone one.”

“Don’t worry, Twilight! I can already see it now.”

Her daydreamy voice drew my attention. “I’m not sure I believe you—those stars covering your eyes give me doubts.”

“Huh? Oh, sorry.”

Pinkie shook her head and clenched her eyes shut, dissipating the five-pointers from her vision.

"You ready? I might not be able to pull this off again for a while."

Pinkie nodded and shook her head at the same time… somehow.

I placed the book back into my saddlebag and closed my eyes, foreleg around Pinkie’s shoulder; I felt her return the gesture. I lit my horn. There was the usual outburst of power and bright flash of light, but the brief compacting sensation squeezed me far tighter than normal, with every last gasp of air crushed from my lungs.

As soon as it began, it was over. I heaved, panting heavily as I felt the change in terrain beneath my hooves. I immediately heard the sound of not-so-distant beeping; the Medallion pinged constantly, at a much greater speed than it had back at the Library.

The air seems… warmer here.

I opened my eyes. I could hear Pinkie Pie coughing terribly to my right. When the smoke cleared, the first thing my eyes landed on was the iconic, unmistakable sign on the distant mountain face.

Applewood.

My heart skipped a beat as I also noticed the much smaller sign to my left, which stated in big, bold letters, Welcome to Las Pegasus: Where Dreams Come True!

"You did it!" Pinkie cheered whilst laughing.

"I did! I really did do it!"

I laughed too. Part of me actually wanted to hop around with glee. When I saw Pinkie begin to do it anyway, I gave into the urge. I bounced and cheered to my heart’s content, uncaring of just how foalish I must have looked.

When we both calmed ourselves, we looked down the road that lead into an incredibly bright and exuberant city. Even on the outskirts, I could hear all the commotion coming from within. Although the sign said Welcome, we still stood about a half-mile from the city's borders.

I looked at Pinkie and gave her a slight nod, which she returned. That's when we both reared up and galloped down the strip.

Las Pegasus was calling.

Ch. 5: Premiere

"Fluttershy?"

I felt a tiny poke in my side. I jumped back at the sudden sensation, only to see Rarity staring back at me. She looked terrible; her mane was all over the place, and there were dark bags under her eyes. I watched as she took out a brush and began to run it through her mane.

I looked around. I couldn't tell if we were right outside Ponyville or if we were twenty miles away. I glanced up, hoping to see the bright sun, but it wasn't there. It seemed the pegasi had scheduled an overcast day. Large clouds blocked the sun, making the summer air chilly and dreary. There was no way to tell the time, be it early morn or mid-afternoon, although I guessed it to be not long after sunrise.

"We need to get going. This signal from this thing is starting to get stronger," Rarity said, holding up the Medallion.

I stood up and stretched out my legs, finding I enjoyed the sensation more than usual. The only time I ever slept anywhere other than my bed was on my downstairs couch, close to the other animals I tend to. Although Rarity’s travel mattress had been somewhat soft, even it could not compare to my own bed.

"Did you sleep well, Rarity?" I asked.

"No. I barely got any sleep at all," she grumbled. Pulling a brush from her saddlebag, she closed her eyes and began to run the brush through her bedmane; I saw her cringe whenever she undid a stubborn knot. "I hope we will not have to do anything like that again," she said.

"Oh..." I kept quiet while I watched Rarity finish off her mane with a fancy comb and don her saddlebag, her beautiful curls back to normal. The mattress rolled itself back back, slotting back into Rarity’s bag. I picked up my things as well, put on my bag, and fell into step beside Rarity as we both started down the trail.

"Yes, me too."

On the move again, I took a better look at Rarity, sneaking sidelong glances at her every now and then. She had fixed her mane—for all intents and purposes, any passers-by would not know of her rough night—but I could see the slight misstep in her usual gait, and her bloodshot eyes beneath their stylish lashes. I knew I could not appear much better; I shuddered to think what my own mane looked like, and my back ached like I had slept all twisted up.

The further we walked, the more frequently the Medallion flashed. We had to be getting closer to our destination. I sure hoped so; the long trek had started to wear on my hooves, enough for me to consider flying next to Rarity.

A distinct ribbit drew my attention. I looked down, seeing I had almost stepped on a tiny green toad.

"Awww, such a cute little toad!" I exclaimed as I picked it up and happily petted it. “How are you, little fella?”

Wait… toads aren’t supposed to inhabit this area… "Are you lost?"

The toad looked down at the ground as if to confirm my question. I softened my gaze and gave him a small smile. "Don't worry! Just come with me. I can take you home!"

As I said those words, the toad’s throat swelled and it gave another joyful ribbit before literally hopping inside of my saddlebag.

“Um, that’s probably not the best place for your, Mister Toad. You could—”

He croaked at me again, his eyes twinkling.

“Oh, well, if you say so.”

I looked up to find Rarity about thirty feet in front of me. “Hey, Rarity! Wait!”

As we continued through the green fields of overgrown grass, I noticed Canterlot growing larger in the distance; we were much closer to the city than I thought. Still, the Medallion flashed ever so slightly faster.

Could that be where we needed to go the whole time?

"Rarity?" I said. "Do you think the pony we need is in Canterlot?" I pointed to the mountainside city.

“Hmmm?” Rarity rubbed her still-veiny eyes before following my hooves. Her eyes shot open and she giggled loudly, eagerly tightening her saddlebags while I moved behind her and waited, expecting her usual swoon and faint.

"The pony… we need to find… is in Canterlot? The best and most glorious place in all of Equestria?"

“Uh… well…”

I wasn't too sure. The pony might have just been in Canterlot’s general direction; they could have been much further beyond our capitol for all we knew. Still, the Medallion certainly seemed more lively the closer we approached. They might live just outside of it. But I didn't want to rain on Rarity's parade, so I nodded.

She squealed before fainting into my hooves.

Needless to say, it took a minute to rouse her from her swooning state. When she finally came to and—once again—saw Canterlot, I honestly think she would have fainted again had I not been there.

"Um, shall we get go—"

"Yes!" she hollered as she galloped down the trail.

I cringed and did a double take, my left ear ringing from her close range yell. I poked my ear with my hoof to make sure that I wasn't deaf. After confirming that yes, I still had a sense of hearing, I took to the air and followed her.

It dawned on me that we had both somehow failed to notice how close we were to Canterlot, as it only took twenty more minutes to get inside. As we passed the tall outer gates, both Rarity and I turned our heads every which way, marveling at everything. Rarity cast her eyes around more than I did, though. She stared incredulously at the rich ponies as they walked by. She idolized the tall and spacious mansions that lined the cobblestone streets. Everything in town shone, reflecting the sun’s radiance like silver.

"Wow..." I said out loud.

"Isn't Canterlot just fabulous?" Rarity turned to me. "This whole place is like a great living environment!" She let out a blissful sigh.

I looked at the Medallion, floating above her chest in her magical grip. Judging by its rapid flashing and near-constant whine, we seemed to be going in the right direction.

We must be very close.

I shepherded Rarity across town, her head jerking every which way to take in all the beautiful sights. Every so often, I found myself literally dragging her along the street as she stopped to stare at things.

“Um, Rarity... don’t take this the… wrong way, but you’re… not exactly a featherweight,” I puffed after slowly directing her away from a colourful, petite café. “Remember why we’re… here.”

“Yes, yes, of course, darling,” she said for the umpteenth time.

With a sigh, I turned around. I made to continue up the road—

“Oh, yes! That party sure was grand!”

“Indeed. I had a most delightful time. That new fellow in town is a true blessing!”

Curiosity grabbed me. I reached out a hoof and touched Rarity’s shoulder. “Wait.”

“Please make up your mind, Fluttershy. First you urge me on, and now—”

I pressed a hoof to her mouth and inclined my head back toward the café. “I just heard something interesting. Can you… go and ask something for me? I mean, if that’s okay with you.”

I pointed to the two ponies I’d overheard. They looked a smart, well-dressed couple: a blue unicorn in a black top hat and purple vest, and a silver unicorn wearing earrings and a frilly, transparent rosy dress to match her mane. They sat together at a round table, a plate of scones and a pot of tea between them.

“Oh… why, whatever do you wish me to ask them?” Rarity turned her head and leaned in at my beckon, taking in my whispered question. “Yes, okay,” she said. “Leave it all to me. Watch as I deploy my irresistible, sophisticated charm.”

She shrugged her saddlebags off and pointed to them. “Be a dear and watch those for me,” she said. Turning the Medallion over so its jewel faced her barrel, she marched up onto the raised patio and approached the couple’s table. “Excuse me for my rude interruption, Sir and Madame,” she said, prompting them to look up at her with raised eyebrows. “But I could not help overhearing your mention of a grand ‘party’?”

"Young lady, surely you have better manners than to eavesdrop on a mare's conversation? You should be ashamed!" The mare stuck her nose in the air, her beehive mane bouncing slightly.

“But of course,” Rarity said with a small bow. “And I do beg your pardon, but you see, I'm in search of a certain somepony, and I… heard that they might be there. Yes. Could I trouble you to point me in the right direction?" She gave a most polite and sincere smile.

“You don't look like a citizen of Canterlot,” the stallion said. “Hmmm… tell me—” He leaned close to Rarity “—what is your friend’s name?”

“Uh…” Rarity looked around nervously, before she gave the stallion a determined stare. "Well, you see…”

Come on, Rarity.

“... I have no idea, to be quite honest. It's—” her face lit up “—a date. A blind date. He's supposed to be my Prince Charming." She brought a hoof to her cheek and sighed, almost as if she was in her dream world again. "He's supposed to meet me right inside of the party, a single red rose in his mouth..."

Perfect.

The pair stared at Rarity for a few moments, processing what she had just said. Although they retained their sour expressions, the mare finally pointed down the street. “Keep going until you reach the white mansion on your right. Now, please leave us be,” she said as she raised her teacup in her silver glow.

"Thank you most kindly, Madame, Sir!"

While the couple snorted and returned to their tea, Rarity trotted down the café steps. Horn shining, she twisted the Medallion back its proper way and lifted her saddlebags back over her shoulders.

“Nice going, Fluttershy.” She gave me a quick hug and flashed that pearly smile of hers. “Thanks to you, we have a more specific idea of where to search. Now come on!”

As we ran down the street, I noticed that the Medallion flashed faster and faster. Our target had to be at that party.

“You know, Fluttershy,” Rarity said during our gallop, “come to think of it, we could have just caught the train here all along.”

“Um…” I looked away, blushing. “Well, we didn’t know we’d end up here exactly.”

“Oh, I suppose you’re right. Forget it, then.”

To my amazement, it didn't take long to reach the party at all. It was hosted in a huge mansion, three stories high. Its silver and white exterior gleamed in the sunlight, casting short shadows over the lawns on either side of the great front doors. Judging by the amount of windows lining the front walls, it had many rooms. Near the door, seven stone pillars stood up out of the ground in a circle.

"We get to attend a Canterlot party, too? What could be better?" Rarity and I both laughed. I was glad to see that, though she still had her moments, Rarity was capable of controlling herself in Canterlot since our arrival.

We walked through the doors, and our ears were immediately caressed by the sweet sound of a symphony orchestra. There were ponies everywhere we looked, all dressed up in fancy getups and jewelry, and chatting amongst themselves. The foyer’s interior walls matched the outside of the building, sharing the silvery-white finish. The tiled floor glistened a clear sky-blue.

"How do we know who to look for?" I asked.

Rarity just shook her head. She eyed the Medallion, flashing like crazy. "I… I don't know..."

At that moment, I was shoved aside by a large, musclebound stallion as he made his way to the exit. I fell to the floor, spilling the contents of my saddlebag.

“Ough! What rudeness!” Rarity huffed as the stallion exited the foyer. She shook her head, tut-tutting about what happened, then offered a hoof to help me up. “Are you all right, Fluttershy?”

“Yes, I think so,” I said as I hastily repacked my supplies, Rarity aiding with her magic. It was then I remembered—

“Goodness!” A hoof shot to my mouth.

“What is it?”

“Rarity…” My eyes widened. “I never took Mister Toad back home!”

"Oh, good heavens..."

Not far away, one of the party guests let out a blood-curling scream. Everypony turned to look at the mare, pointing in horror at the green toad on the floor. As soon as all the partygoers caught sight of the toad, they started barreling toward the exit; I almost spilled my bags again, and Rarity suffered many minor bumps back and forth. The music stopped.

One little toad had cleared out a high-class party in a matter of seconds.

Rarity shot me a shameful glare, and I blushed.

"Sorry..."

"What the?"

A voice boomed behind me. I turned around to see a chartreuse-coated stallion, his grass colored eyes burning into my own. His short, light green mane was strewn crazily about his head, and his long, similarly colored tail hung expectantly. I couldn't help but notice that for a cutie mark, he had a bag full of green paper money.

The Medallion’s flashing and beeping ceased, its glow fading completely.

"What have you done?" the stallion wailed.

"I...I..." I tried to look for the right words, but nothing came out.

"How dare you ruin my party! Everything's wrecked because of you!" He fixed a steely glare on me; I shrank back, lowering my head.

"Don't yell at her like that!" Rarity stepped out from behind me. "It was an accident!"

The atmosphere immediately changed as soon as Rarity entered the stallion’s clear line of sight. He slowed his breathing, relaxed his eyebrows, tucked his teeth back in, and stood straighter.

“Ah, yes, of course. I can see that now. Please forgive me for my outburst.”

Walking past me, he approached Rarity, still looking at him with narrowed eyes. He picked up her hoof and kissed it, making Rarity's cheek burn a dark crimson. I could see a vein protrude from her forehead.

“What do you think you’re doing?” she squealed, pulling her hoof away.

“Treating a beautiful mare such as yourself how you should be treated.” The stallion realigned himself, and huffed. But soon, that gentlecoltly smile was plastered back on his face.

“Excuse me?”

"You're simply stunning," he murmured, staring into her eyes. “Why, I swear by the Princesses themselves that I’ve not seen any mare so elegant, so… perfect.”

Rarity looked away and blushed; I could almost hear her heart pounding. "Oh... um, thank you?"

"I'm so sorry about getting angry. You understand, since you're probably invited to all the social gatherings—it's never fun when the party comes to a halt.” He widened his grin. “Please, won't you tell me your name?” he whispered to her. “I hope it is a beautiful as your face…”

Rarity stifled a laugh. I didn't know if what she thought the gentlecolt was saying was funny, or if she was just flabbergasted.

"Rarity." She turned to me. "This is Fluttershy—” I nodded as an agreement “—who I think you owe an apology. Other than that, it’s nice to meet you."

"Likewise." He gave a slight bow, then turned to me. “Fluttershy, my sincerest apologies.”

“Oh, it’s okay. It was my toad that scared your guests, after all.”

He gave a chuckle. “Forget about it. Now please allow me to introduce myself. My name is Cashmere, and welcome—” he waved his hoof around and behind him “—to my mansion.”

***

"Pinkie..." I muttered, as the day began to get just a little bit brighter. After spending the night in the cheapest motel we could find, and getting very minimal sleep, I wasn’t in the mood for any of Pinkie’s shenanigans. "I don't think we're going the right way..."

"Sure we are!" Pinkie bounced along beside me, the Medallion around her neck as we walked down one of Las Pegasus' more popular streets. There were ponies everywhere around us, their collective cacophony doing nothing to help my headache.

"Pinkie, the Medallion is flashing slower the further we walk in this direction. That means we're getting farther away from who were looking for."

“Oh. Whoopsie.” She stopped bouncing. “Well at least we can take in some of the sights! I wonder if maybe we can find an amusement park! Or a ice cream shop! Maybe a cupcake factory!"

I shook my head. It seemed like Pinkie wanted to find everything besides what we were there for. I contemplated taking the Medallion and trying to find the pony myself, but the idea was not feasible; we'd have to start another wild goose chase for another pony that lived somewhere else, potentially crazy far away from Las Pegasus. I had no choice but to let Pinkie hold it, at least for the time being.

"Pinkie, please take this seriously," I told her. “At this rate, we aren't going to find anyone. It'll take us a year to find these ponies. We don’t have a year—we have a week if we’re lucky, maybe even just days!”

Pinkie stopped walking immediately, her face downcast. “I’m sorry, Twilight. It’s just that this place is so exciting, and I’ve always wanted to come—”

She gasped and grabbed the Medallion, suddenly flashing bright again. She pointed it at me.

"Oh! Oh! Oh! This way!" she hollered, walking past me back in the direction we had come from.

I knew we were walking in the wrong direction the whole time, I thought. Lovely. I laughed and followed as Pinkie resumed her bouncing, picking up speed.

After about thirty more minutes of walking, Pinkie stopped again.

"What's wrong?" I asked her, looking at the Medallion.

"We're going the wrong way again. Dumb Medallion." She shook it and frowned, giving me a sad look after noticing her mistake.

I smiled at her warmly. Normally it was the other way around; usually Pinkie Pie was always trying to cheer somepony else up, so I found it odd to see her looking so upset.

"Don't worry, Pinkie. Mistakes happen to everypony," I replied. That seemed to cheer her up a little bit. "We must have just passed them. Come on, let's turn around." With a smile and nod, she immediately complied.

Our second reversal of direction took us about twenty minutes down the way. Various ponies gave us us weird looks as they ate their lunch and mingled while we made our way down the street for the third time. I ignored them, however.

"We passed them again!"

“Waaah!” I jumped a foot in the air and leaned back as Pinkie screeched, looking ready to throw the Medallion at the ground in frustration.

"Pinkie, calm down! It's not your fault.” I trotted next to her and pulled her into a hug. “The pony we're looking for is obviously in one of the buildings we passed."

“But…” Pinkie closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths. “Okay, Twilight. Sure. That must be it. Silly pony, hiding in their silly building.” She hiccupped.

As reluctant as I was to start knocking on other ponies doors, I knew that it was better than walking aimlessly up and down the street.

"Come on—time to go knocking," I said, separating. “We’ll find them.”

We spent the rest of the afternoon gingerly knocking on doors, and holding the Medallion up to the buildings’ inhabitants; most of them simply gave a curt shake of the head before they slammed their apartment door on us. This happened many times, to the point that we reached the end of the block where the signal was barely noticeable.

The shadows had lengthened when we returned to the streets. Not a single pony had made the Medallion react in over two hundred attempts… and Las Pegasus’ population was said to be in the tens of thousands…

“They have to be around here somewhere,” I said. “Do you have any other ideas?”

“Pinkie?”

It was unusual of Pinkie to not answer a friend’s question. I looked at her, noting that she seemed engrossed in something further down the street. "Hello? Equestria to Pinkie Pie?"

She didn't look toward me. She just continued to stare down the street. I followed her gaze.

The mare down the street had a pink body—similar to Pinkie's hue, actually— and a long, curly blonde mane that made me think of both Rarity and Cadance at the same time. She walked with the air of one that thought a lot of themselves, seeming to strut with every movement she made. Yet there was something almost… shady about her gait.

But that mane… it’s beautiful.

I saw her look around cautiously before slipping through an alleyway in a full-on sprint.

The Medallion flashed rapidly around Pinkie’s neck.

Wait...

"That must be her! Good eye, Pinkie!" I told her as I sprinted after the blonde pony. We finally had her; I knew from walking past it three times that the alleyway came to naught but a dead end. Next to me, Pinkie wore one of the biggest smiles I’d ever seen on her face as she bounced after me.

I ran into the alleyway, expecting to find our target resting against one of the far walls—

“Huh?”

The alley was deserted, save for a few cats lingering around an old dumpster. It was like she had never entered at all.

But… she can’t have just disappeared. She’s an Earth pony!

"Now what...?" I muttered to myself in anguish, just as Pinkie appeared next to me.

***

I yawned as I awoke from what seemed like an endless sleep. The early morning chill leaked into the train car through our windows, which sent a shiver down my back. I opened my eyes, seeing the wooden slats of the bunk above me. There was a window right near our bunk, through which I could see the heavily overcast sky.

Great. What a beautiful morning.

With a groan, I stretched out my leg and reached into my bag, which was right next to my bed on a strategically placed hook. Finding my prize, I grabbed out a Red Delicious and munched on it.

"Mmmm," I moaned to myself, savoring its sweet crispness. I did my best to keep my chewing quiet, careful not to wake Rainbow Dash. As soon as the thought entered my head, I chuckled softly. Heh, I shouldn't have to worry about that. That pegasus could sleep through an apocalypse.

When I finished my light breakfast, I got out of bed and took aim. With a flick of my hoof, I tossed the core into a nearby garbage can on the other side of the car.

Crack shot, A.J.. If only Rainbow coulda seen that.

I hopped quietly back onto the bed. I considered going back to sleep, but getting up at the crack of dawn every morning to run around doing chores on the farm had gotten me used to early rises. In fact, I was pretty sure I’d slept in later than usual. No, more sleep was out of the question; all I could do was wait out the rest of the trip.

I seriously had nothing to do, so I just sat back, staring out the window at the countryside, the continuous clack of the train’s wheels and gentle rumble coming from below.

***

The pink pony cackled madly, her cyan eyes piercing the darkness of the locomotive engineer’s room. She stared menacingly at the stallion in front of her as she held a thick, metal rod. She crept up on the pony, too late in turning around to confront his assailant. About to cry out, he was cut short as the pink pony brought the rod down on his forehead.

As the engineer collapsed, unconscious, Pinkie Pie took over the controls and slammed on the brakes as hard as she could.

***

I had no idea what happened. One minute I was staring out the window; the next, Rainbow Dash and I went flying as the train came to an abrupt, screeching halt. I smacked hard into one of the railings inside the car.

The next thing I saw when I opened my eyes was Rainbow Dash standing over me, her eyes huge and glistening, Medallion flashing.

"Applejack! Wake up!" she screamed, shoving me as if I were simply taking a nap. "A.J.!"

"What happened?" I mumbled as I rubbed my head. I noticed that my hat was missing.

Rainbow stared at me for a moment before giving me a great big hug. “A.J.! You’re okay!” She breathed a sigh of relief. "I thought you were hurt real bad!"

"I was, and still am," I said, still rubbing my head. "Again, what happened?"

Rainbow Dash just shrugged. "I have no idea. The train just kinda slid to a stop after a whole lot of screeching. Everypony went flying, even those without wings. Luggage went everywhere too."

I scrambled to my hooves, swaying a little from lingering dizziness. I walked a short way and retrieved my hat and saddlebags when I noticed that Rainbow Dash had already donned her own.

"Come on. Let's go check things out!" she said. I nodded and fell into step beside her as we both headed for the engine.

When we got there, we weren't happy at all by what we found: the train driver was on the floor, a nasty bruise on his forehead. Next to him lay a large metal rod. Rainbow Dash tried to wake the driver while I took a look around the cabin.

"Hello?" Rainbow prodded the guy, somewhat gentler than when she’d shook me awake. When that failed to rouse him, she shook him harder. Eventually, she managed to get a response.

"Ugh..." He groaned, cradling his head in a similar way that I held mine earlier.

"Are you okay?" Rainbow Dash asked him as she helped him get to his hooves.

The driver just shook his head. "Are you kidding me? Some fluffy pony just attacked me!"

He looked at his destroyed workstation. Cables and cords were strewn about, emitting dangerous amounts of sparks. He shielded himself as one came unnervingly close to him. He lowered his eyes and turned away, covering his face. "And now the train is stuck here..."

"What?" we exclaimed in unison.

The driver nodded. "Yes, the train's controls are completely destroyed, ladies. Look." He waved his hoof around, pointing to the obvious.

"But we have to get to Van Hoover! There's somepony we need to find there!" Rainbow said. “There’s gotta be something you can do!”

"I'm really sorry. Truly, I am.” The driver hung his head. “But I’m afraid your only options now are to either walk, or wait for help."

"How long d’you reckon that’ll take?" I asked.

"About three hours to walk, about three hours for help,” he said. “We are in the middle of nowhere, after all, and the closest station to where we are is… Tall Tale.”

My jaw dropped for a second before I sighed and stared at the floor. Well, s’not like we have much of a choice.

"Come on, Rainbow. Let's walk," I said, as I made my way for the cabin’s exit.

“Urgh. Walking. Laaaame.” Rainbow rolled her eyes, but followed me toward the door after placing a hoof on the stallion’s shoulder. “You go and get checked out, yeah? That’s a whopper of a bruise you got there,” she said.

“Sure,” he said, wobbling in place. “Thanks for coming to help me, Miss… er…”

“Rainbow Dash.”

“Applejack. And thank you for the info too. Now go on—get yourself patched up already.”

He waved me off as he stared pitifully at his once-beautiful, ruined control station.

We exited the train, only to see dense woods to my left, and a mountain to my right. I realized that Rainbow was still wearing the Medallion, and as she faced down the tracks, it seemed to be flashing even more. I knew what to do.

"C’mon, Rainbow. Let’s make a gallop out of it. Looks like we're takin' the tracks."

Ch. 6: Cascade

“Are we there yet?”

“This is taking forever!”

“How much further?”

Good gravy, is she gonna harp on all day? I groaned and rolled my eyes. Ever since leaving the ruined train behind and setting off northwest along the tracks, Rainbow had been complaining about having to walk alongside me. After checking to make sure all the other passengers were all right, we had started off at a gallop, but the blow to my head from the train slamming to a stop put me in too much pain to tolerate anything faster than a brisk trot.

Why’d the train stop so quick, anyway? The most I could make of it was that the train driver had been attacked. But what does it gain anypony to jam the train on the line? Certainly not the one responsible; they would be just as stuck as the rest of us. But then, what if they didn’t care about getting stuck, so long as some other ponies did too… Something was off about this whole thing, for darn sure.

I shook my head. All that thinking only made my headache worse. Instead, I tried to keep my thoughts on our destination. I could see it in the distance, the faintest outline of tall buildings stretching up to meet the clouds. Van Hoover really was within a few hours walk, just as the driver said.

I looked over to Rainbow Dash. Apart from making annoying complaints every few minutes, she spent most of her time just staring down at the Medallion, a determined look on her face. Its blinking speed had definitely picked up overnight, and the gem itself still shone bright in the lull between flashes. Our target had to be in Van Hoover.

“Look, Rainbow,” I said, “the driver told us it was only a couple hours. I don’t see what your big problem is with that. We ain’t lost too much time at all, really.”

Rainbow let out an exasperated gasp. “Easy for you to say, A.J.. You’re not the one who can normally move about ten times faster. Really wish you had wings right about now.”

“Well, I’m sorry, but I don’t!” I said. “You’re just gonna have to deal with this pace, sugarcube. I can’t move any faster without my head feelin’ like it’s gonna explode. Besides, it’s only three hours.”

“Might as well be three days,” Rainbow grumbled, eyes returning to the Medallion.

And listenin’ to your non-stop complainin’ is only gonna make it longer...

Darn, I’m gettin’ hungry.

About an hour’s walk from the city—the buildings were a lot larger by then—my belly started yelling at me. It was then I realised I had only eaten a single apple all day.

I could hear both our stomachs rumbling, so I sat down, pulled out another apple from my saddlebag, and eagerly munched on it. It was not long before I heard Rainbow Dash let out a depressing groan.

I raised an eyebrow at her. “What's the problem now?”

She looked at me with a sheepish expression. “I just remembered I didn't pack any food.”

“What?” I almost choked on my apple. “How the hay didja think you wouldn't need any food of all things?”

“Uh, I was trying to pack light, so I wouldn't have to carry too much in flight.” She shrugged. “That, and I kiiinda maybe assumed you'd pack enough for both of us. Y’know, you being the strong Earth pony and all.”

Oh, you've gotta be kidding me.

“Consarn it all, Rainbow! You can't just go makin' assumptions like that!” I yelled. I put my face into my hooves. “Now we're gonna run out double time. Why d'you gotta be such an airhead sometimes?”

“Well, how was I supposed to know we'd get stuck walking in the middle of no-questria?” She threw her hooves in the air and spun around. "I figured with this awesome homing beacon—” she tapped the Medallion “—we'd only be gone two days tops!”

“Rainbow…” I punched the ground next to me. “This sorta thing is why you're supposed to plan for more than just the ideal situation, ya big goof!" I sighed and pulled another apple from my bag. “Here! Take this. We'll have to pick up more food once we hit town.”

I tossed the apple her way; she caught it with her mouth, a muffled “Thag yu A-ay,” her response. She downed the apple in two bites and dropped down next to me. I was about to give her another lecture when I found myself wrapped up.

“I’m sorry, A.J.” she said during the hug. “I guess I should have brought at least a little something to snack on.”

I just couldn’t find it in me to stay mad at her. “I’m sorry, too,” I said as I returned the embrace. “I shouldn’ta gone off at you like that.” Still in the hug, I gave her a light tap over the back of the head. “But you’ve gotta start thinkin’ of the important things, especially now, y’hear!”

There in that moment between us, I realised how glad I was for us to be journeying together, and not with anypony else. Now don't get me wrong: I loved all my friends, but for some reason I had a gut feeling that, around Rainbow Dash, everything would turn out all right. She had always been my best friend, ever since arriving from Cloudsdale.

Well, maybe it works the other way around, too. That mare's hopeless without me.

Rainbow broke the hug and cleared her throat before holding the Medallion in her hooves again. “Uhm, so… we just… keep following the tracks, right?”

While she started off again ahead of me, I scratched the back of my head. If I had a mirror, I reckoned my face would have been redder than Apple Bloom's mane. I fought to keep a straight face as I trotted up next to Rainbow.

I just want to get there. I bet all of our other friends are already ahead of us...

“By the way, Rainbow—” she turned back at me as I sidled up against her “—what did you pack for this trip?”

“Uh, well…” She grinned. “Mostly just some Daring Do books… but I did bring some flashlights, and, uh… hold on a second… er, nope, that’s it. Just Daring Do and some flashlights. Oops?”

It took most of my willpower to not clip her behind the ears once again.

An hour later, you could not imagine my unrelenting happiness as Rainbow and I strolled into the outskirts of Vanhoover. During our walk, greenery and various shrubs had grown more plentiful. The city itself seemed alive, to the point where plants were all over the place. Pretty little wildflowers also littered the ground. I sniped a glance at Rainbow Dash; even though I knew she wasn't really one for ‘pretty’ things, I could tell that she was impressed by the gorgeousness of the scenery.

I heard Rainbow chuckling. When she looked at me, I saw a mixture of relief and excitement etched on her face. She fixed her rosy eyes on mine.

“You ready?” She spat on a hoof and held it out.

Matching her grin, I did the same and bumped hers with my own. “Heh. You bet your sweet apple flank I am!”

I’ve never been more ready in all my life.

***

“But… but she was just here!” I exclaimed, slumping down to the ground. “Where did she go?”

Pinkie Pie paid no mind, simply looked around while the Medallion continued to insist we were in the right place. As I watched her zip from under the feline-infested dumpster to the other end of the alley, an idea popped in my head. Pinkie Pie was always good at disappearing; she was technically one of the fastest mares I knew besides Rainbow Dash. Maybe she could figure something out. For a second, I had a small glimmer of hope as I turned to look at her.

“Come on, Pinkie. Let's search the alley. There's no way she just disappeared.”

Pinkie nodded and joined my search through the alley. The only things inside it were the dumpster and two trash cans, but something told me the elusive, gorgeous mare would not choose one of them to hide in.

Think, Twilight! We must be missing something.

We scoured high and low, looking for anything that might have given the mare an escape route. I knew, right as I saw her, that she would lead us to whoever we needed to find. That is, if it even was her in the first place.

No. That mare has to be a Sin. And, judging by the fact that she can get a mare like me even a little warm under the scruff, I think I know which one she is... Wait, did I really just think that?

I derailed that train of thought immediately and focused instead on Pinkie, although that yielded just as few results. She ran around like she had consumed a whole bag of sugar, tapping bricks in the wall at random. Eventually she stopped, panting heavily as she just looked at me with a shrug, the Medallion still going off.

“Aaargh! How can she just disappear?” I screamed as I hit the wall with my forehooves. When I first saw her, she was almost impossible to miss! Bright pink, just like Pinkie, and that… well, exquisite mane. “Gaaah! If she was still hiding here, then I guess we would have found her by now.”

I sighed, taking note of the shadows in our alley; they stretched out far longer than when we'd entered. Although it was impossible to see from between the two buildings, it did not take Princess Celestia to know the sun's location.

“Let's come back later, Pinkie,” I said. “We need to get some sleep. It's pointless to keep looking now.”

“Okey dokey lokey, Twilight! Where are we sleeping? Oh! I saw this really nice hotel on the street over! Or maybe—oh! There's a nice box we can share right there!" She pointed to a small slab of folded cardboard next to the dumpster.

“No, Pinkie,” I deadpanned. “We are not sleeping in a cardboard box.”

“Why not?” She tilted her head. “I've seen Rainbow Dash do it before. And I heard snakes like cardboard boxes too!”

I slapped my forehead. “I don't care, Pinkie. I'm not Rainbow Dash, neither am I a snake. Let's just... check out that hotel instead.”

I opened my saddlebag and floated out my bit bag. Hmmm... only forty bits. That won't last much longer in this city at our current expenditure rate. I looked over at Pinkie. “How much money do you have?”

“Well—” Pinkie rummaged around in her bag with her tongue slightly out, then pulled out the smallest sack I had ever seen “—about this much!”

Please forgive me one day, forehead. “Pinkie, are you—”

I never finished that sentence; when Pinkie turned the bag over, what seemed like a thousand bits pooled onto the dirty alleyway ground, ringing with rapid jingling sounds.

“Pinkie... where did you get so much money?” I asked, my jaw almost touching the ground like the small fortune at her hooves.

Pinkie just giggled. “That's a baker's secret, Twilight!” With that, she quickly swept up the coins and deftly dumped them back into her impossibly small pouch.

“‘Baker's secret,’ huh?” I raised an eyebrow.

“Yepperooni!” she said, her trademark grin stretching ear to ear. “Oh, and the parties too, I guess. I mean, not that I charge anypony for parties—that would be silly. I just love to see everypony happy and smiling, and ponies don't often feel like smiling after spending their bits, but sometimes they really really want me to take their bits so if I didn't take them it would make them upset, because they insist my parties are the absolute bestest best parties in the history of ever—”

“Ooookay, then!” I exclaimed. “Heh heh, that's great, Pinkie, really, but we should really get going before we can't see our hooves in front of our noses.”

As we both cantered out of the alley, I shot a final look over my shoulder and frowned. The lingering, unwelcome thoughts persisted. I shook my head. Focus, Twilight. It's only because you're not used to failure that you're upset. That, and we need her to help stop the invasion. That's it. No other reason.

Absolutely none.

The Hay and Stay Inn, huh? Don’t we have one of those in Ponyville?

Pinkie and I split the cost, which came to a total of sixty bits. Our room was on the second floor—which was fine by me, although Pinkie made a fuss about it not being closer to the pool—and easy to reach. Honestly, my hooves were killing me after being on them all day.

The room itself was… rather average. There were two beds, a television, and a dresser. A very worn coat of white covered the walls, peeling a little in the corners. The far side of the room featured a very large rectangular window, dark green curtains drawn across it. I frowned as I looked at the carpet, a rather drab beige; upon closer inspection, I doubted more and more that was its original color.

“Wow!” Pinkie shouted as she belly-flopped onto the bed nearest the window. The curtain-matching sheets creased and rustled under her weight, shifting as she bounced up and down, cackling like a filly. If she were any other pony I might have rolled my eyes at the immaturity, but Pinkie’s actions just seemed so natural.

“Calm down, Pinkie. It’s not that nice,” I told her as I placed my saddlebags on the bed next to hers. “We're only staying here for one night. We’ve got to find that pony tomorrow—we’ve already wasted a whole day here!”

I'm not sure Pinkie heard me, or if she blatantly ignored me. Nevertheless, when I looked back at her after putting my stuff down, she was wearing water wings, a duck-shaped flotation device, and a snorkel.

“Twilight, come swimming with me and Mister Ducky!” she cheered.

Of all things to pack for a trip, she brought those?

I shook my head a little harder than I meant to. “No, I'm good. I’m just going to sit back here and catch up on my reading for a while,” I said as I pulled out the travel guide and flicked to the Las Pegasus section.

“Awww.” Pinkie Pie frowned. “Suit yourself, but me and Mister Ducky are going to be splashing around for a while, okay? Come join us later!” She squeezed the duck around her waist, generating a loud quack. I couldn't help but giggle as a pink and yellow blur bolted out the door and disappeared.

I’m glad she’s having fun in this place, but we still have to remain vigilant. We can’t afford to forget just why we’re here. I flicked through the book absently for a few moments before letting out an exasperated gasp and closing it.

Urgh… Why does that mare bother me so much?

I looked at my quivering hoof and sighed again, lowering it.

This must be tended to accordingly.

***

“Your name is Cashmere?” Rarity repeated.

The fancy looking stallion nodded. “Yes, that is my name… and this is my beloved mansion!” He raised a hoof, showing off his enormous home; I had to admit, it was rather impressive.

“Wow.” Rarity’s eyes shone as she observed as well. I had to agree: with all of those partygoers crowding the interior earlier all gone, the mansion seemed so much larger and more lavish the more I looked around.

That reminds me: I wonder where that toad went.

“You approve? It’s my pride and joy! I've bought everything you see here with my own bits. It's all mi-i-ine!” Cashmere sang, his eyes shining like diamonds.

I looked down at the Medallion still around Rarity’s neck. Only a few minutes earlier it had been flashing faster than Photo Finish’s photography crew, and yet now, it had completely stopped. Even the sapphire in the centre looked dull and lacklustre.

Could that mean...

“Rarity,” I whispered, pointing out the Medallion to her while Cashmere spun in circles. “I think we’ve found him.”

Her eyes widened as she put the pieces together in her mind. “Darling, I think you might be right.”

“Right about what, my dears?”

We both jumped as Cashmere asked the question rather formally, raising an eyebrow; the resemblance to Fancy Pants was uncanny, minus the monocle.

Rarity looked at me—shared a nod—then back to him with a sigh. “Look, I'll make this short and sweet.”

The Medallion glowed blue and floated up into midair. “This Medallion here holds the key to unlocking unimagineable power. But to activate it, we need seven special ponies together in the same place. An Equestria-wide Changeling invasion has been predicted to occur in the matter of a week—perhaps sooner—so we need to find these special ponies before time runs out.”

The Medallion’s glow faded as it returned to her chest. “You're one of the ponies that we need," she said, pointing at him.

Cashmere seemed to be listening, but his attention was more turned to the Medallion.

“Cashmere? Darling?”

“Hm?” Cashmere looked up. “Oh, right, an invasion, wow.” His eyes flicked back to Rarity’s chest. “Wow… such an exquisite piece…”

While he stood with his mouth partially open—flecks of drool threatened to leak out—I tried to remember what Twilight told us about the attributes of each sin. I creased my brow and thought hard. This would be much easier to figure out if I could remember what each word meant.

“He was angry before when the toad scared his guests… Wrath? Or maybe something with being lazy… Sloth? Hmmm.”

“Yes, I know! It's just gorgeous isn't it?” Rarity’s voice jerked me from my musing as she, too, eyed the Medallion around her neck.

Cashmere walked up to her, his sight never leaving the golden disc; I could see its reflection in his hungry eyes. “Along with you, this would make my collection truly complete,” he said, his voice smooth as silk. “I must have it.”

I raised a hoof to my chin as I continued to wrack my brain. “He’s trying to be seductive... coveting? No…” I should have written it down!

“Well, I can't just give it to you, silly stallion,” Rarity teased, fluttering her eyelashes. She blushed as Cashmere closed to within kissing distance and stared into her eyes.

“Yes, you can. Rarity—” the way he purred Rarity’s name sent shivers down my spine “—I have lots of money, dearie. Give it to me, and I can make all your dreams come true…”

“I, er... well—” Rarity's eyes glossed over as she started to giggle “—we might be able to, er, come to some kind of arrangement… I suppose…”

Wait, is she seriously considering his offer?

“Rarity!” I cried. “We need that Medallion, remember? Really important, world-saving mission?”

What’s wrong with you?

“Give it to me, and let all of your dreams come true,” Cashmere whispered, his voice a sultry whisper.

He really is trying to seduce her! Is he… Lust! That must be it!

Before I could say another word, Cashmere grabbed at the Medallion. As soon as his right hoof made contact with the artifact, it sizzled loudly before he shot his hoof back and let out a pained scream, snapping Rarity out of her dreamy state. The shout scared me unintentionally, and I came close to landing on my back.

“Argh! The damn thing burned me!” Cashmere shouted, nursing his injured hoof; already I could see an angry red welt shining near the bottom of his fetlock.

Rarity shook her head and took a breath, the pink fading from her cheeks. “Well, that is entirely your own fault, Mister Cashmere.”

The stallion scowled before putting his hoof back onto the floor.

"Regardless of the situation, we need you to come with us,” Rarity continued. “Equestria depends on it.”

Cashmere raised an eyebrow before looking around his home, filled entirely with fancy things. He let out a loud chuckle. “No, I don’t believe I want to.”

“What?” Rarity and I exclaimed in unison. “Why not?”

Cashmere sneered. “Canterlot can burn for all I care. I’ll send those Changelings a friendly Welcome to Town postcard. But I’m not leaving my things… any of them.” He began to rub a nearby statue, a dreamy look in his eyes.

If it’s not Lust… what is it? Oh, it’s on the tip of my tongue...

“But we need you,” Rarity said. “We need all seven ponies or else—”

“I don’t care! I’m not leaving my things!”

I trembled at Cashmere’s shout and took cover behind Rarity, who stood her ground. As he stood there and seethed, it came to me: all this stallion seemed to care about was his things… and others ponies’ things.

Wait.

“That it!” I said to Rarity. “One of the Sins Twilight mentioned was Greed!”

Rarity smirked, as did I. There was no doubt about it anymore; before us stood the embodiment of the Sin of Greed.

“We're now more sure than ever that we need you!” Rarity yelled. “You really need to come with us—thousands of lives are at stake!”

“I'm. Not. Leaving.”

While the two stared each other down, their teeth bared, I thought about what Applejack would do in such a situation. I smiled dumbly to myself. She would probably resort to getting out her lasso and tying the stubborn stallion up. The image brought a smile to my face.

“What if we make a deal?” Rarity offered.

Cashmere shook his head. “I don't want that cursed neck-weight anymore!” he boomed, his voice slightly cracking.

“Oh, no, dear. You misunderstand. I can’t let you have this anyway.” She caressed the Medallion for a second. “No, I propose something different. How about—” Rarity reached into her bag and pulled out a small sack with her magic, levitating out a single diamond “—you come with us, and the entire bag is yours. Deal?”

Well played, Rarity. Surely Greed incarnate can’t resist such a treasure.

Cashmere's jaw dropped as he stared at the diamond, floating around his head in Rarity’s blue aura. I silently congratulated Rarity while he blinked a couple of times then closed his mouth. Seconds later, he heaved a great sigh and stepped closer to Rarity, wearing a smug grin on her face as he snatched the sack from midair.

“Deal.”

Ch. 7: Recoil

I awoke the next morning with the side of my face stuck to my travel book. After giving my brain a few seconds to process this information, I reached out with my magic and gently peeled it off—luckily, the page did not tear like I feared it would—then set it aside.

Wow. I must have been more tired than I thought.

I raised my head and looked around the room, which was still very dark and dreary. I looked at the clock on my bedside dresser; by the light of my horn, it read a little after 2am. In the gloomy, silent room, the clock’s precise ticking seemed to pound inside my head. Since I was acutely aware of it, there was no way I would be able to sleep.

Why did I even wake up? No offense, Princess Luna, but I’ve only been asleep for about three hours.

I groaned before lying back on my pillow. In spite of my short sleep, my mind raced. There was no use rolling over and attempting sleep again. I flopped my forelegs out to my side and hung them over the edge of the bed. Careful to not wake Pinkie, I walked slowly and deliberately to the window and parted the curtains with a hoof. Truly, we were in the city that never slept: the majority of windows and light poles were still lit up, and I could see buskers and other street performers down below among the surprisingly large crowd.

If only this city had been around in the early days of the Princesses’ reign. There’s no way Princess Luna would have ever become Nightmare Moon if she had a whole city of ponies enjoying her night like this.

A click from outside our room drew my attention. Ears to the ceiling, I released the curtain and turned to the door as I heard voices.

“Thank you, my dear. I will treasure this night the rest of my life.”

“Of course you will, puppy. Now be a good colt and head back to bed, okay?”

“Yes, but… may I? One final time, please?”

“Hmmm… okay, sure, since you asked so nicely.”

After a few seconds of silence, I trotted quietly up to the door and put my ear to it. The first voice was unremarkable, but the second was excessively sweet, like honey taken straight from the hive above Golden Oaks. As I listened to the rest of their conversation, I felt a mysterious pull in the mare’s sugary tone.

Could it be…

“Goodbye, Miss A.”

“Farewell.”

I heard hoofsteps, and a door closing. I shrank back from the keyhole, my breath bated and my heart racing—wait, heart racing?

That settled it: it had to be… her.

I glanced over at Pinkie Pie, flopped out and sprawled over her bed like she was determined to get her money’s worth from every square inch of the spread. Her mouth was open, a drop of saliva hanging out off the tip of her tongue. A small transparent bubble grew and shrank with each quiet snore she gave. Should I wake her?

My heart began to slow as the hoofsteps faded. No. The mare might be long gone by the time I do. And the Medallion’s noise might give us away. I’m going it alone this time.

“Sorry, Pinkie,” I muttered under my breath. “This is for the mission.”

Using my magic, I grasped one of the keys on the bedside table and brought it over to the door with me. Carefully as I could, I cast a muffling spell on the lock, turned the key in the hole, and peered out. As I looked out to my left, I glimpsed the flick of a curly blonde tail disappearing around a corner. My breath caught in my throat.

It is her.

Thinking quickly, I shot a small particle of magic into the air and concentrated on my target. Seconds later, I felt the magic particle attach to one of the mare’s tail hairs. With my horn still alight, I sensed the direction its unique signal gave off. Wish I’d thought of this when I saw her the first time.

I spent the next five minutes following the mare around corners as she descended two flights of stairs and departed through the hotel’s sliding glass doors. I let her exit before I, too, descended the final flight of stairs. There was no need to draw unnecessary attention from the countermare.

The night air was cool as I stepped outside, easily a good five degrees less than inside the hotel. Were it not for the situation at hoof, I might have enjoyed it. But the magic pinged to me again, from around yet another corner. Still concentrating, I followed the signal and kept my distance. Rounding the corner, I saw the mare slide effortlessly through the crowded street and cross the road.

She’s heading for that same alleyway as before. I’ve got her this—

“Hi!”

“Whoa!” I jumped backward as a beaming stallion appeared in my face. My concentration broke, the spell dissipating. “Hey, you made me lose my focus,” I said, shooting him a glare.

“Oh, sorry to startle you, missy, but I was just wondering if you would consider supporting the Parasprite Equal Treatment Association. We’re a hard-working bunch dedicated to integrating misunderstood parasprites into regular society as garbage disposal—”

“Uh, no thank you,” I said. Looking across the road, I watched that lavish pink body step toward the alleyway “I’m kind of in a hurry—”

“Oh, this won’t take a minute, ma’am,” he pressed. “You see, ponies have always feared the parasprite as a destructive, mindless, selfish beast, but we know they can be domesticated—” the mare vanished off the street “—and trained to only eat garbage scraps—”

“No!” I yelled. “Sorry, but I really have to go!”

I galloped across the road amid the stallion’s protests. Dodging around two carriages, I slowed and stepped carefully up to the corner. Heart pounding, I took a deep breath and chanced a peek around the corner.

Once again, the mare was nowhere to be seen.

“Heya, Sleepy McSleeperson! Time to rise and shiiiine!”

Blinding sunlight pierced my vision as the high voice pierced my eardrums in kind. With a low moan of disdain, I brought a leg over my eyes and rolled over.

“Pinkie… wha… what t—uh-uh—ime is it?” I asked, fighting a huge yawn in the battle for coherence. I creaked open a single sleep-encrusted eye and stared at her, my vision blurring. “It’s got to be right on... sunrise. Why are you awake so early?”

“Oh, Twilight, I'm always up early!” she replied, wiggling her tail from side to side. "I'm always up with Princess Sunny Celestia!”

"Of course you are. Of course you have to be.” I closed my eyes and let gravity take me back to the inviting embrace of my pillow. My muscles ached, and my eyes burned.

“Uh huh!” Pinkie bounced on the spot, her inexplicably proink sounding every second next to me. “Oh yeah, do you know if this place has a complimentary breakfast? I was going to check for myself, but I didn't want to leave you here to starve.” She looked up at me as she lay down on my bed and crossing her hooves over the edge.

"Well—” I felt a familiar gurgle and watched my stomach ripple “—you know, that actually sounds like a wonderful idea. Just… let me wake up first, okay?”

Pinkie nodded then jumped back over to her saddlebags. While she rummaged through their innards, I flopped out of bed and made for the shower. A burst of hot water would do the trick.

After toweling off and fixing my mane with the supplied magic-activated hairdryer, I exited the en suite with a sigh of content, feeling fresh as a daisy. I shook my mane a final time and grasped my saddlebags with my magic, dropping them across my back.

“Ready to go, Pinkie? You’ve remembered everything?”

“Yup yup yup!” Pinkie beamed and ran out the door faster than I could follow, leaving me standing there wearing a dazed expression. A few moments later, Pinkie dashed back through the door—still facing the same way—with an embarrassed smile on her face. “Ehehe… coming?”

I rolled my eyes but smiled as I went to her side. The room door closed behind us while we strolled down the hallway together. Down the two flights of stairs, a stallion stood directing ponies into a mess hall to the right. He tipped his hat to us as we passed a sign that read Breakfast: sunrise until ten (free for overnight patrons only).

Pinkie literally bounced into the mess while I walked in after her, looking around at the offerings; my stomach growled at me again. We both laid eyes on the smorgasbord at the same time: Pinkie let out an ecstatic squee and zoomed right up to the feast.

Tables upon tables of delicious breakfast delicacies greeted us, just begging to be eaten. Toast with butter and various spreads, muffins, oatmeal, some exotic quinoa dish, mixed berries, apples, milk, tea, coffee… only at Canterlot Castle had I seen such a banquet.

While I continued to take stock of the choices, Pinkie immediately dug into some of everything after wading her way through the line of already-waiting patrons, many of whom gave her very dirty stares. Some of them looked at me, making our connection. I felt the heat rise to my cheeks.

“Pinkie!” I hissed. “Stop it! You're making a scene!”

Chewing loudly, Pinkie suddenly appeared right next to me. “Oh come on, Twilight! They don’t really mind. Look! They’ve already forgotten about me.” She waved her hoof back at the line of ponies and bit into a blueberry muffin held in that hoof. How she managed such a feat while standing on two legs—the rest of her plate’s contents wobbling like a tower of jell-o but never falling as she held it with her remaining forehoof—was beyond me.

Forget it, Twilight. It’s just Pinkie’s freaky… whatever it is she does.

I grabbed a bowl of oatmeal topped with blueberries, a glass of apple juice, and a slice of buttered toast then made my way over to the table that Pinkie had already secured. As I approached, I noted how some other patrons moved their chairs around slightly. Cheeks cooling—but still a little warm—I sat down and was about to tuck into my oatmeal… until I felt a particular unwelcome pressure.

“Uh, Pinkie, can you watch my food and stuff please? I'll be right back—I need to use the mare’s room.”

At Pinkie’s nod, I deposited my saddlebags under the table and left the mess hall. Walking back through the entrance hall, I quickly found the bathroom and jogged through the door.

***

A pink pony stood outside the Hay and Stay Hotel, her eyes focused on its interior. As soon as she saw the familiar lavender unicorn step away from her friend, she took her chance, shifting her features to match those of the unicorn. After giving herself a quick once-over, she stepped into the mess hall where Pinkie hummed to herself, taking food off the towering plate at random.

“Gee, Twilight, that was fast!” Pinkie exclaimed, setting down a chocolate chip muffin. “I don’t think even I can manage—”

“Shut up!” Twilight bellowed; all chatter in the mess hall ceased, plunging it into an eerie silence as she commanded the attention of almost everypony in the area.

“Uh, Twilight, are you—”

“I said shut up, you imbecile!”

Twilight seethed while Pinkie frowned and looked at the ground; everypony stared at the pair, all breath bated, casting the room into total silence. “I am sick and tired of you! And we’ve only been on this trip for two days!” she yelled, her usual purple eyes flickering bright green.

“I… I… D-did I do something wrong?” Pinkie stammered, her eyes shining. “I-I didn't mean to—”

“Yes! You did! You joined me on this stupid trip! You just had to be paired with me, didn't you? Why am I always stuck with all the bad luck?” Twilight stamped a hoof on the ground.

Pinkie's head dipped back to the floor. “I-I'm sorr—”

“No you're not! You'll be right back to your old dumb self in minutes!”

Tears flowed freely from Pinkie's eyes.

“You were never my friend,” Twilight spat. “I was only ever being nice to you.”

Ending her rant, Twilight smirked while many onlookers began to murmur amongst themselves. Some of the ponies looked like they might have approached Pinkie to console her, but none got the chance; the floodgates opened as Pinkie let out a choked sob and fled from the hall, geysers from her eyes leaving salty puddles in her wake.

The unicorn grinned as she left the room as well, transforming into a blue mare once out of sight.

***

Whoa. Who muted the volume in here?

When I left the bathroom and returned to the mess hall, I found the angry faces of many ponies greeting me. The entire room seemed fixated on me. I let out a nervous chuckle. This is not right... “Er, can I help any of you? If this is about my friend, please excuse her. She can be—”

“How could you do that to her? She didn't do anything wrong!”

“Are you just that cruel?”

“You can't just lie about friendship like that!”

My eyes darted from pony to pony. Something seems very off... “What? What is going on?” I asked.

A lone stallion wearing an aggressive grimace pointed down the hall. I had just enough time to spy Pinkie sobbing uncontrollably, galloping back up to the room.

“Oh no,” I muttered as I ran after her. “Pinkie! Come back! What happened?”

I reached the hotel room, only to find that Pinkie had locked herself inside. A clever tactic, but it proved faulty when I simply teleported inside.

“Pinkie Pie, what’s gotten into you?” I approached her bed, where she covered herself in pillows and blankets. “And what was with all those ponies down there?”

“G-go away! You don't l-like me! So why are you even here?” Pinkie screamed into one of her pillows. She lay face-down, her hair straight as a cascading waterfall.

“What?” My eyes bulged as I processed the words. “When did I say that? Why would I ever say that?”

Pinkie lowered the pillow just enough for me to see her puffy, bloodshot eyes. “Y-you can’t just stand there and tell me that n-never happened back there!” Her pillow continued to muffle her yells. “Everyp-pony heard those nasty things you said! How you were sick and tired of me… how you’ve never really been my friend at a-all...”

I raised an eyebrow. “Pinkie, honestly, when did any of this happen? One minute I was in the bathroom, and when I came out it was like I walked into the Grand Galloping Gala without an invitation. I have no idea what’s going on—you have to believe me!”

Pinkie slowly lowered the pillow further, but kept quiet. Treading carefully, I approached her, but she shrank away across the bed from my impending touch. With a sigh, I lowered my outstretched hoof. “Please, you're one of my best friends,” I said, circling around the bed to sit before her. “No force in Equestria could ever change that. I may not be Applejack, but that makes my words no less honest. I love everything about you. I could never say anything terrible like those things about you, or any of our friends.”

Pinkie sniffed up a trickle of mucus with a loud, long intake of breath. She ran a hoof across her face and blinked rapidly at me. “So… you really didn’t say anything bad to me? But… then who did? They definitely looked exactly like… like…”

“Exactly like me?”

As the answer hit us, we gasped. Of course! How could we have both missed the obvious?

***

In spite of Rarity’s generous offer of perfectly cut diamonds, and even her promising him more personal gifts further down the line, Cashmere insisted that he get to spend one more night at home in his beloved mansion before joining us. I told Rarity that she could decide what we did, and while I knew we should have been in a hurry, we spent an admittedly comfortable night being treated to a scrumptious dinner before sleeping in one of his lavish princess-sized beds.

Rarity was no-nonsense the next morning, though; as soon as the morning sun glimmered through our drawn blinds, she was up and pounding on Cashmere’s bedroom door. We left Canterlot after a modest yet delicious breakfast, Cashmere occasionally turning back as if to see his home and things still behind him.

It was my turn to wear the Medallion now. After Rarity draped it around my neck, it began to flash again after having been completely dull and silent the entire night. It seemed brightest when I faced toward the northeast, so off we set. It had been two days since we left Ponyville, and already we had found one of our targets.

I hope the others are doing okay, I thought as the three of us headed toward the sunrise. We could either cross over the Unicorn Mountain Range, or weave our way around the mountains. Either way, we hard a hard choice to make: the path through the Unicorn Mountains was undoubtedly faster, but it rose so high into the sky, and ponies had been known to get lost in there for days; on the other hoof, passing around them would easily add an extra day to our travel time, and we still had no idea when the invasion was coming.

All things considered, Cashmere’s complaining began to grate on my nerves. I wanted this whole thing over with and to be back with my animals as soon as I could.

“Why did I ever agree to this?” he moaned for the third time. “I have to go back! I have to know that ponies aren’t stealing all of my treasures!”

“Um, because it’s the right thing to do?” I said.

“But… but my things, my heirlooms… I can hear them calling.” He turned unexpectedly and made to trot back to Canterlot. “Surely I can just check on them, one final time—”

A shining blue aura surrounded him and lifted him off the ground.

“Cashmere, darling, I think you should lead us,” Rarity said smartly.

The spoiled stallion crossed his forelegs in midair. “This is not fair. You unicorns have far too much freedom with your magic.”

“Now, you really should not argue with a lady,” Rarity said before setting Cashmere down in front of her. “Behavior like that is most uncouth.”

“This is feeling more like an abduction with every second,” Cashmere grumbled.

“Abduction? Pardon me, darling, but if I recall, you agreed to come with us under promise of reward. Which I do fully intend to let you keep.” Rarity’s pouch of diamonds floated in front of Cashmere just beyond his reach. “Would you feel better if I let you hold onto them?”

WIthout another word, a thin strip of silk snaked its way from out of her saddlebag. Rarity wove the fabric through and around the pouch’s neck and tied it off, forming a makeshift necklace. “Here you go,” she said as she slipped it over Cashmere’s head. “Now you have something to remind you of our agreement always in plain sight. And remember—there can be a lot more where they came from.”

While Cashmere’s eyes sparkled at the sight of his precious loot, I turned my head to Rarity. “Um, I know it’s for the mission, and… yes it’s all very important to save Equestria—” I hid my face under my mane “—it’s just, well, I’m not very comfortable around strange ponies. And he doesn’t seem to care about anything except treasures. I’m really kind of nervous about all this.”

“Fluttershy, you need not worry about Cashmere—” she dipped her voice “—I have him wrapped completely around my horn.” She winked and then raised her voice. “I'm sure Cashmere is a lovely pony.”

“Rarity!” I hissed. Feeling my cheeks grow hot, I hid behind her while Cashmere laughed.

“Well, of course I can be. I'm not a cruel pony, per se.”

“‘Per se’?” Rarity raised an eyebrow.

“Yes. Everyone has those moments, you know?” Cashmere replied, staring at the scenery as we walked. “I do my best to be a model citizen of course, but we each have a nature about us that makes us… different from others.”

I remembered that I was holding the Medallion, causing it to glow a very dark green. I occasionally caught Cashmere lustfully staring at it—at least until he remembered what happened last time he tried to take it—only to frown to himself soon after.

In the meantime, Rarity and I went over our map; the Medallion flashed brighter when I faced the Northeast.

Manehattan. Could that be it? Is that where we’ll find our second Sin? I groaned internally. It’s so far away from home… and the train is too expensive for such a trip… I thought about voicing my concerns to Rarity, but we had already come this far, so I stayed silent.

“So, Cashmere—” Both he and I turned to Rarity “—tell us about yourself. You seem like an interesting stallion to know.”

Cashmere nonchalantly looked away. "Oh, I'm nothing special. I’ll bet you two are much more interesting than I am.”

“How so? We both come from the humble town of Ponyville. I am but a simple fashion designer there.”

“Oooh!” Cashmere said. “I do have a soft spot for beautiful things.”

“Cashmere, you flatter me, really.” Rarity lifted a hoof to her head and gave an exaggerated swoon. She giggled then looked at me. “Fluttershy, aren’t you going to say something?”

“Yes... um, I-I watch over the critters in P-Ponyville…” I stuttered.

“Oh. Okay then.”

“Now, why don’t you tell us about yourself?” Rarity asked, seeing my expression wilt at his disinterest in my life’s calling.

Cashmere sighed. “Fine, since you two have... I’m a doctor at the Canterlot Local Hospital.”

Rarity automatically snapped to attention. “Wow! Really? That is a most impressive and noble profession!”

“No, it's nothing special really. Anyway, I transferred there from Manehattan a few days ago. That party you interrupted yesterday with your revelations? That was my house-warming.”

I felt a twinge of guilt. Maybe this stallion isn’t as bad as we thought in the beginning. Then again, he did go a little crazy on us.

“But never mind that now. What’s done is done.” Cashmere shook his head. “Where was I? Ah yes. Well, I am a graduate from one of the most prestigious doctoral schools in Equestria. I am also fluent in two languages. I was born in Manehattan on...”

I shot Rarity my best what-have-you-done glare.

***

“Are ya sure this is the place, Rainbow?” I asked. “Don’t look like anypony could be livin’ here. Why, it’s fallin’ to pieces more’n my old barn I had you destroy.”

Rainbow and I stood before a real fixer-upper of a place: it was a stone and moss covered house with a simple chimney and a very bland, wooden door. Nothing about the house really stuck out, except for the fact it looked like nopony had cared for it in many years.

“Uh, yeah, A.J., it is.” Rainbow pointed to her chest, the quickly blinking Medallion backing up her words. “You think I’d ever lead you astray?”

“Well, we did waste all of yesterday ‘cos you just had to insult the leader of the weather team here. What’s it matter if their clouds aren’t as ‘awesome’ as Cloudsdale’s? You didn’t have to flat out tell ’em they sucked at their job.”

“Hey, don’t blame me. I didn’t know comparing talents here was worth a stay in a cell overnight!” Rainbow grinned. “Besides, we got free accommodation. Didn’t have to pay for a place to sleep, right?”

“Rainbow, if we hadn’t gotten locked up in the first place, we coulda been gone from here before dark yesterday… you know what? Forget it.” I pulled my hat down over my head, thankfully giving me less trouble after a day’s rest. “We’re here now—let’s just get this done and move on.”

“Fine, fine.” Rainbow shrugged and held up the Medallion to the door a final time; I watched it flash so quickly that the gray light almost went fully solid. Dropping the Medallion, Rainbow flew up to the door and knocked as I ran up behind her.

No response.

“Come on, Rainbow,” I said with a smug smile. “Let an Earth pony handle somethin’ like this.” I knocked instead, thumping on the door far harder than Rainbow. “Hey, anypony in there, we needa talk to you!”

Again, still no response.

“Guh!” Rainbow threw her hooves up into the air and flat out rammed the door with her shoulder. “Open up! We need to talk to you!” she yelled as she started banging on the door repeatedly with both forehooves. Still, nopony came to the door. Rainbow even tried simply opening the door so as to barge in, but of course the door was locked.

“Hey! Rainbow, cut it out—Rainbow!”

I grasped her tail in my teeth and pulled her back to the ground. “No point bangin’ on like an enraged buffalo. How about we try somethin’ else?”

Rainbow glared at me and massaged her tailbone. “Like what, then?”

“Uh…” I looked around and spied a window. “There.” I pointed. “Check it out and see if anythin’s there.”

Rainbow rolled her eyes but flew up to the sill. As she peered through it, I saw her expression change: her eyes widened and she recoiled slightly.

“Applejack,” she said slowly and deliberately. “You need to see this.”

I walked over to the nearby window and peered through it. “What’s up, Rain—”

My breath caught in my throat, strangling my question. I saw a sandy colored mare, lying on the floor in a heap in front of a couch. Her alabaster mane was all over the place. I looked at her flank, which depicted some weird black shape I didn’t recognise.

A thick red liquid stained her face and her hooves.

“I’m busting in.”

“Huh?” I looked from the window to Rainbow, who had already backed up several feet in midair. “Waitaminit, Rainbow! We can’t just—”

“I'm coming!”

Rainbow put on a burst of speed and crashed through the locked door before I could do anything. The wood splintered, leaving only half of the door behind to hang loosely off its hinges.

By the sisters, Rainbow Danger Dash! After looking around to check for bystanders, I ran into the house after her, only to see her already standing over the mare.

“What do we do? What do we do?” she said frantically.

“I don’t know! Do I look like a doctor?” I countered. “How ’bout you dash off and find the nearest hospital, and I’ll—”

A small cough interrupted us, both of us looking down; the sandy mare’s eyes fluttered open, revealing two sunflower orbs. She remained on the ground, but shifted her gaze from me to Rainbow Dash. She rubbed her eyes and yawned, stretching out her legs. We just stood there, slack-jawed, as she calmly and casually stretched each leg. When she was all done, she looked us each in the eyes and spoke in a slow, tired voice.

“Excuse me, but what are you doing in my house?”

The Medallion stopped flashing and faded to a dull gray.

Ch. 8: Sanctuary

After finally cheering Pinkie Pie up, and her hair ultimately regaining its unique poofy style, we both began to pack up our things. I still hadn't gotten to eat, but there was no way in Tartarus I was going back to that complimentary breakfast downstairs after what had just happened; I was not game to face everypony’s collective ire they would no doubt be holding for me. Instead, I reached for one of my small sandwiches.

“Ooooh!” Pinkie bounced up behind me having already donned her saddlebags. “What kind of bread is that?”

“Uh, wheat?” I replied.

“Oh, I love wheat! It's so great! I reminds me of a farm! Whenever I eat wheat bread I can just see myself milking cattle and collecting eggs!” Pinkie danced around clucking like a hen, forearms tucked into her armpits. “That reminds me, Twilight—I’ve asked all the others but none of them seem to know—which came first, the chicken or the egg?” She cocked her head as she thought about the answer herself.

I'm glad she asked that. If she hadn't stopped to wait for my response, she could have kept going forever.

“Well, based on various amounts of scientific research and studies, it is most likely that the egg comes first, due to a protein inside the chicken's ovaries called ovocledidin, which speeds up the development of… the shell…” I trailed off as I realized that Pinkie was giving me the most confused expression I had ever seen; I could almost hear the gears grinding in her head.

“My head hurts!”

I couldn't help but sigh, and laugh to myself. “You know what, Pinkie? Never mind. Nopony truly knows anyway.”

Not going to lie—sometimes it’s fun to confuse others. Ponies can make very funny expressions when they’re puzzled.

When we had both gathered up our things, double checking the room to make sure that we didn't forget anything, we made our way for the exit. I kept my head down the entire time, still wary of others who might try to accost me for ‘my’ actions at breakfast. It was a relieving breath of fresh air once we made it out of the hotel. The outside brightness struck immediately in the absence of the hotel’s tinted windows, and I had to raise my hoof over my eyes for a few moments before my eyes could adjust.

“So… where should we start?” I looked at Pinkie, her eyes narrowed as she observed the area.

“How about over there?” Pinkie pointed to a nearby bakery.

I looked at the Medallion as she turned toward the shop; it dulled ever so slightly. “Pinkie, I don’t think that’s the right way. She’s somewhere in the opposite direction.”

“Uh, duh, Twilight. I know that.” Pinkie giggled as she picked me up without warning and ran us into the bakery before I could process what happened. “I also know that you haven’t had breakfast yet, and you’re still hungry—” she plonked me down at a small table with two empty chairs “—So let’s grab some grub and then get that gallivanting gal afterwards!”

I stuttered uselessly for a second before I just stopped trying to talk. Instead, I rubbed my gurgling stomach, smiled at Pinkie and reached over for a hug.

She really is a true friend.

After we both finished downing a huge cheese and tomato bruschetta loaf—my stomach and tongue praising me to high Elysium—we left the bakery and stared out at the bustling city. We walked down the street, always with an eye on the Medallion. But ss we passed shop after shop, pony after pony, everything seemed to blend together into the same thing.

I thought this city would be fantastic to live in, but now I'm not so sure. Everything seems so monotonous. I guess that's how a life of luxury can be sometimes.

We walked to the very end of Main Street when we noticed that the Medallion's flashing had dimmed. I looked over at Pinkie; I could see the frustration on her face, could feel it mirrored on my own.

“Great,” I mumbled.

“I'm sorry, Twilight.”

I sighed and smiled back at Pinkie. “It’s not your fault. Maybe my separation spell didn’t work as well as I hoped. Something must be wrong with it. Let’s just keep trying—it’s all we can do.”

Pinkie nodded before we turned around once again, both sighing. We ended up walking until we got to the same alleyway I had seen the mare vanish into twice now. We were about to pass by it again when Pinkie Pie placed a hoof on my chest.

“What are you—” She put her other hoof over my mouth, her eyes looking to the side. When I stopped speaking, she took her hoof off my mouth and brought it to hers, slowly backing up. She pointed down the alleyway; we poked our heads around the corner, revealing a glimmer of hope.

There she is!

I grinned at Pinkie, also smiling at her discovery. We watched the bright pink mare slowly trot down the alley, a smile etched on all of our faces. Now that we were close enough, I was able to properly appreciate—study!—her mane and tail. They were curly and blonde, and her mane went down to her knees, almost as if it hadn't been trimmed or cut in a long time.

Unluckily for me, I couldn't see her complete face, as her mane blocked it from my angle. But I knew she'd be easy to find again with her looks.

I saw her stop and turn to look at the wall nearest the dumpster. She knocked on the wall, creating a loud and hollow sound.

Hollow? How the heck did we miss that before?

One of the bricks in the wall removed itself. A stallion’s rough and fairly gristly voice reached my ears.

“Password?”

“Magic,” she whispered in a very… seductive tone. Her voice seemed to have a drawl, almost like Rarity's, except definitely more foreign.

The stallion behind the wall covered up the eyehole with the brick. I heard various tumblings of gears before a door hidden in the wall opened up. Muffled party music filled the alleyway as the blonde mare stepped inside, but only for a moment; the blonde tail vanished from sight, the heavy brick door clicked shut, and silence again hung over the now-empty alley.

“So that's why!” I said out loud.

Pinkie and I ran over to where we saw the door, and I knocked on it softly. The brick removed itself and I saw a pair of narrowed, deep-green eyes.

“Password?”

“Um… ‘M-magic’?”

The stallion's eyes slid from me to Pinkie and back again for a moment, while we each gave bright smiles. He scoffed rudely before opening the door, and Pinkie and I dashed inside quickly, the loud party music blaring against our eardrums.

Finally… now we’ve got you, Miss Alluring.

***

“Well, you see, we thought you were dead,” Rainbow Dash said sheepishly, rubbing the back of her neck.

As the sandy mare raised an eyebrow, not even sitting upright from her position on the floor, I glared at Rainbow. “Look, that don't matter, miss. We're here ’cause we need to talk to ya.”

The mare slowly stood up, only to plop herself down on her couch a few moments later. She waved her hoof, as if to tell us to sit down. I looked around and saw two nearby wooden chairs. After sweeping some empty food boxes off them, Rainbow and I pulled them up and sat.

“Who are you?” she asked. She spoke slowly, as if still in a half-asleep daze. Then again, we had just woken her up, so I let it go.

“I'm Applejack,” I said, raising a hoof to my chest before poking Rainbow’s. “This here's Rainbow Dash.”

Rainbow made a face and rubbed her ribs before turning to the mare again. “Yo.”

“Oh,” the mare said, not taking her half-closed eyes off of us.

"We’re here ’cause we think you're the one that we're lookin’ for.”

The mare sighed. “Look, I'm not interested in joining any gaming leagues. I’ve said so a thousand times.” She rolled her eyes.

Urgh! Doesn’t she get it?

“No! We're not here for that!” Rainbow butted in. “We're on a journey looking for seven different ponies that each depict some sort of attribute. At least that's what our friend, Twilight Sparkle, said. This Medallion right here—” Rainbow paused for a moment to hold it up “—brought us straight to you. You're one of them.”

Not bad, Dash.

“Well…” The mare chuckled. “Which ‘attribute’ am I then?”

“Uhh…”

Rainbow shared a glance with me, her head tilted and an eyebrow raised. I shrugged my shoulders. To be honest, I had no idea myself; I had plum forgotten. Judging by Rainbow’s face, she wasn't even paying attention at the time when Twilight explained it to us all.

“Exactly.” She rolled onto her side of the couch. As she did, a upturned can of cherry soda on the carpet caught my eye. So that was the ‘blood’...

“Look, it don't matter right now,” I said while she made to settle into the crook of the couch. “We can figure that out later. Right now we just really need ya to come with us.”

She didn't even seem fazed—just continued to give us that dreamy look of hers. “I don't think so. I'm not going anywhere. You two woke me up, so now I have to start my nap all over again.” She opened her mouth and let rip with one of the loudest yawns I’d ever heard. “Look, there's food in the fridge. Just keep quiet and you can help yourselves, okay? Oh, but don't touch my chips.”

“Awww, yeah!” Rainbow thrust a hoof into the air and dashed out of the living room. The squick of a seal separating came from around the corner. “You know, I kind of like her,” she called out. “We have the same interests. Hey, she has cider in here!”

“This ain't a joke, Dash!” I yelled. “Get yer rump back in here and help me out, would ya?”

“Yeah, yeah, hold your horses, cowpony.” Rainbow flew back in with a small bottle in her hooves. Cracking it open with her teeth, she spit the cap over her shoulder and took to downing it before the cap hit the floor behind the couch. “You know, I'm kinda beat, too,” she said after gulping half of it down. She yawned too and laid on her back against the other side of the couch. “We should really just… ah, chill for a bit.” She closed her eyes.

“Hey!”

My shout instantly startled the two awake, although the mare's eyes remained half-closed. “This is serious, y’all!”

Rainbow Dash jumped off the couch, fumbling with her cider bottle. “All right! Jeez, A.J., calm your farm.” She grumbled something to herself; I could have sworn I heard the word ‘mule’ in there somewhere.

With Rainbow up and alert again, I rounded on the third pony. “Ya know, I think it's time you introduced yerself.”

The mare sighed, before finally sitting up. “Fine. Name’s Ennui,” she stated simply, before letting out another whopping yawn. “Now will you leave me be?”

Where’s a cattle prod when I need one? This gal’s lazier than Rainbow Dash!

Hold on a sec… lazy. Can’t even keep her eyes open, much less hold a conversation.

“That’s it!” I cried. I laughed out loud. “You're the attribute of Sloth!” I slapped a hoof to my face. “Can’t believe I didn't figure it out earlier. You’ve gotta be Sloth, t’aint no bones about it.”

“I'm not lazy. I'm just tired,” Ennui said. She rubbed her eyes and let out a low groan. “You’re not going to let me rest, are you?”

“You know exactly what I meant!” I retorted. “And no, I’m not. We need ya, Ennui. Ya gotta come with us. Ya got no clue how big any o’ this is, do ya?” I looked over at Rainbow. “Well, ya got anythin’ to add, partner?”

“Huh?” Rainbow snorted and sat up, shaking her head. “What? Oh, uh, yeah, come with us. It’s, uh, important, or something.”

Real smooth, Rainbow.

“So what? I'm not moving.” Ennui grinned.

I just stared at her lopsided, dopey face. How could a mare be so darn lazy, she couldn't even string more than two sentences together at a time? Or even change her facial expression? It burned me up inside.

I put my hoof down. Into the floor. Hard. “Yes, ya are!”

“Make me.”

Rainbow Dash coughed, clutched her cider to her chest, and began to slowly back away.

***

Cashmere's lengthy rant finally came to an abrupt halt after Rarity politely cut him off. I thought she was going to explode at first, but she didn't, and broke it to him nicely.

“Look, Cashmere, you're very interesting and all, but we still have a dreadfully long way to go,” she said. “You don’t want to tell us everything all at once, do you?”

Cashmere took the hint, and stopped talking. “Oh, perhaps you’re right, Miss Rarity.”

Rarity took out our map and began to look it over. I shuffled over, noting the way her eyes roved all over it, and the way it tilted and moved in and out in her aura.

“Now, let’s see here…”

“Um, can I see the map?” I asked.

“Of course, darling.” Rarity smiled warmly before beckoning me over. I sidled up next to her and looked it over quickly; it didn't take long for me to figure out where we were.

I pointed at the map. “I think we're near these woods here, and beyond them is Manehattan. So we're not that far.”

“How long do you think it'll take?”

“Can I go back now?”

“No,” Rarity and I said together.

Cashmere groaned loudly. I could see his frustration, but there was no way it could be helped.

“Hey, it could be worse,” I said. “It won't be that bad! We just have a little further to go.”

Rarity lifted one of her hooves and caressed it with the other. “Well, yes I do know that. But, darling—” she held it in front of her and waved it side to side “—this walking takes a toll on one’s complexion after a while. Not to mention my sore hoovsie-woovsies.”

I chuckled. “Think about it this way, Rarity—there’s bound to be some nice places in Manehattan for us to stay at. They might even have a spaaa.” I winked at her.

That did the trick; Rarity's mood seemed to brighten instantly, if her eyes lighting up was any good indicator.

On we walked, the sun gleaming high in the sky, warm, but not unpleasantly so. It was a pretty scenic route if you ask me; every now and then we'd cross a winding, slow-flowing river, with different trees, foliage, and birds after every bend. Every few steps, a new species to look at, new perfumes to smell, different chatter of birds and critters alike. Minutes passed in silence, save for the occasional grumble from Rarity about her hooves chipping.

Oh, no.

A disquieting feeling came over me as I registered the absence of a particular type of white noise. I stopped.

“Rarity… does it seem a bit quiet to you?”

Ahead of me, Rarity also stopped and lifted her eyes. She turned and froze. “Oh dear.”

The chatter of a chartreuse pony was nowhere to be heard.

Ch. 9: Foregone

It took way longer than I had hoped, but Rainbow Dash and I finally managed to convince Ennui into coming along with us. Well, not really convince. More like forced, truthfully; I ended up hogtying the mare, wrapping her forehooves and hind legs together, lying her on her own living room floor.

“Now what? Jeez, you just gonna drag me everywhere? I’ll just sleep through it, you know.” Ennui chuckled softly to herself, before her eyelids drooped again. I thought then that the mare must have had rocks for brains, because she didn’t even grunt as her head hit the ground with a fair solid thud.

Rocks for brains or not, ‘Now what?’ was a good question. I could carry her, but she sure weighed a lot for a little thing. Even if me and Rainbow shared the duty, Rainbow would not be able to last as long as me. Awesome as she liked to think herself, no way could she ever be as strong as me, no matter how athletic and toned she got. Simple biology. Earth pony stock; we got the biggest muscles and the strongest bones.

“I ain’t gonna drag ya, Ennui,” I said over my shoulder as I flicked my mane over the other side of my face. “I don’t like makin’ more work for myself, but you’ve given me no choice. Rainbow, help me get her on my back.”

Ennui sighed as she found herself draped across my back, her legs dangling off my left side.

“Uh, Applejack, we can't just go out in public with her all tied up like that.” Rainbow hovered over me, frowning. “I think we’ve already drawn enough attention to ourselves, and this sorta looks like some kind of foalnapping.”

“Don’tcha mean, you’ve already drawn enough attention to us?” I said, to which she started whistling with her eyes skyward and her eyebrow vanishing into her mane. “Ya got a point, though. I don’t expect such a layabout to try escapin’.”

Ennui just yawned again. “Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere. You’re actually quite comfy.” She wiggled on my back, almost tickling me. “These ropes are chafing my ankles though. You should just untie me. S’all good.”

When Rainbow had finished, Ennui rested her head on the right side of my body. “Much better.” She let out a long breath. “Now, let's get this over with. I have things to do.”

“Uh huh, sure ya do,” I muttered as I started forward. Rainbow opened the front door, shutting it after the three of us walked outside. A sheepish grin appeared on Ennui's face as she saw a few of her neighbors look up from their gardening and watch us with perplexed expressions, some still gripping watering cans or trowels in their teeth.

“’Sup, guys? Just going for a walk. Nothing to worry about.”

At that, the neighbors just shook their heads and returned to work; we might as well have been invisible.

I snorted as Ennui began to snore. Fluttershy told me once about these creatures called sloths, now I think about it, I thought, unsure whether to laugh or cry out with frustration. I’d wager Ennui’d sleep for twenty-three hours a day if she could. Heck, she probably does normally.

I shook my head, and then turned it. “Rainbow, ya still got that Medallion? I need a good ol’ distraction right now. ’Sides, we’ve gotta find the next pony, pronto.”

A few seconds passed, in which a whole lot of nothing happened.

“Uh, Equestria to Rainbow?” I turned over my shoulder. “We need—oh, are you kiddin’ me?” This time I didn’t need to think which emotion I wanted; I cried out in exasperation as Rainbow drifted just above the ground, her hooves dragging and her wings on autopilot as she snored too. I stopped walking until she drifted past the side of my head, her own bowed and eyes shut.

“Rainbow Dash!”

“Whoa!” Rainbow shot three feet into the air, wings a-blur. “What the hell, A.J.? Why… uhhh, did I just pass out?” She slapped herself in the face and quickly shook her head. “Hey, did you want something?”

Somethin’ screwy’s goin’ on here. Rainbow ain’t normally this tired. I wonder...

“Yeah,” I said as I pulled my train of thought into the nearest station. “We gotta find the next pony and get back to Ponyville on the double. I need that Medallion off ya. Reckon ya can manage that without fallin’ asleep again?”

“Gee, I dunno. That seems—” Rainbow lifted a hoof to her mouth and yawned loudly “—like an awful lot of work…” She lifted an eyelid and dropped her hoof. “Heh, just kidding. Lemme grab it.”

She swung her pack off her back and rifled around in it for a couple seconds. Finally, she pulled it out and draped it around my neck. I held it up and peered at the unsettling colour: a deep blood-red, darker than any sunset I’d ever seen. It pulsed slowly, though not anywhere near so slow as it had for Rainbow back in Ponyville.

“’Bout time,” I said. I held up the Medallion and slowly spun on the spot. I didn't get a solid signal until I faced northeast.

“Northeast, huh? What does that mean?” Rainbow shot up into the air above the neighborhood and looked ahead. “Is there even anything further north than Van Hoover?”

“Yeah. There is.” I groaned. “Looks like we’re headin’ over to... the Crystal Mountains. Hoo boy.”

Ma and Pa had told me stories about the Frozen North when I was just a filly, way back before Apple Bloom was even born. One time, their delivery route had taken them to some old, abandoned military training outpost, where a team of researchers were looking for some ancient relics, or city or something. They said there was an everlasting blizzard there, and the ranges were mighty slippery and hard to cross.

No way in Equestria am I carryin’ this slacker the whole way.

“Are you kidding me?” Rainbow asked, throwing her hooves up over her head.

“Good thing I’ve got a ride, then.”

I turned to snarl at the weight on my back; Ennui had a great smirk across her face. From the corner of my eye, I saw Rainbow with her cheeks puffed out, small sounds escaping from her lips as she fought to keep her composure.

“Real funny, ain’t it, Rainbow? How ’bout you carry her up the ranges instead?” I shifted my narrowed eyes back to Ennui. “Don't push ya luck, missy. I ain’t one for takin’ snark.”

“Can we at least get something to eat?” she whined. “You foalnapped me from my house before I had time to eat my second lunch.”

Rainbow's ears perked up at ‘lunch.’ “I'm totally down for that, Ennui! Let's go!” Rainbow zoomed around to my side, grabbed Ennui by the cheeks, and rattled her head back and forth. “You know any good places to get some grub?”

Ennui didn’t even bat an eye. “Sure. Tons. I'll show you my favorite. Never been inside, though—I always get delivery.”

“’Course ya do,” I deadpanned. “All right, but ya actually gotta get off’a my back and show us, then.”

“What if I don’t wanna?” She drooped her head and closed her eyes. “You say you need me so much, so why don’t you carry me?”

“Okay, here’s the deal, sugar cube—” I jumped a few times on the spot, making Ennui flail her legs trying to stay on my back “—you’re the one who wants the food. I can go all day and all night without a bite if I wanna. Now I can, and I will, carry ya all the way to the Crystal Mountains without nary a morsel if ya don’t start cooperatin’ with us. What say ya to that?”

There was a long silence while I tried to ignore my own rumbling stomach. Then...

“Fine.”

Ennui yawned and slid off my back onto the ground. I stretched out a bit while she slowly picked herself up. Swaying a little on the spot, she shook her head and opened her eyes. “This way,” she said as she set off.

As we got moving, I kept finding myself steps in front of Ennui and having to wait until she passed again. The third time this happened, I whistled upward and waved a hoof. “Hey, Rainbow, get down here a sec, will ya?”

“What?” She landed lightly next to me.

I lowered my voice to a whisper. “I can’t believe how slow she is. It’ll take us all day just to get to the place at this rate. Why, my old Granny Smith with her saggy old hip could walk faster’n her.”

“Yeah, no kidding,” Rainbow whispered back. “In a race between her and Tank, I’d put all my savings on my little guy, even without his little flying doohickey that Twilight whipped up.”

“You ain’t got no savin’s.”

“Shhh. That’s beside the point.”

We looked ahead again to see that Ennui had taken a grand total of five steps in the past ten seconds. I facehooved.

“Oh, by all Celestia’s light touches... have it your way then,” I said as I paced up to Ennui and ducked under her belly. With a jerk upward, I flung her over my shoulders and onto my back again.

“Change your mind?” She snuggled into my mane.

Breathe, Applejack. Breathe. Ya can’t kill her. Not yet.

“Just point us where to go then,” I growled.

With the sun a little further across the sky, we followed the streets of Van Hoover—and Ennui’s directions, as hard as it was for her to lift a hoof every now and then—to a little diner, the Giddy-up Galley. To be honest, I was not expecting what I saw when I stepped inside of the diner. Everything was so… retro, like the fancy old diners I’d seen in Manehattan all those years ago. The floor and the walls were evenly tiled blue and red, and the booths all had red-cushioned, circular seats. I could hear one of my favorite old songs playing on a jukebox: “Pub With No Cider,” by Slim Musty. Loads of pics of old famous pony stars lined the walls: Georgie Thoroughbred and the Devastators, The Falcons, The Rolling Boulders, and a whole bunch of others. A heap of old wagon licence plates filled the gaps between portraits.

“Whoa, Nelly,” I muttered while Ennui dropped off my back again. “We’ve got a Hay Burger’s back in Ponyville, and it’s kinda the same on the outside, but it’s way more modern than this joint. None o’ this olden-day stuff. Feels like time just got lazy and kinda stopped movin’ forward in here.” I glared at Ennui, who had already taken a seat at the booth nearest the door. “No wonder it’s ya favorite spot.”

“Come on, let’s get the food already. I'm hungry,” she muttered. Rainbow Dash took a seat next to her as I sat by myself on my own side of the booth, tapping my hoof in tune with the chorus. There were already menus at the table, but I already knew what I wanted; soon as I realised where we were headed, I'd been hankering for it.

While Ennui and Rainbow gazed at their menus, I cleared my throat. “So... Ennui.”

She glanced up at me from over her menu, eyes still drooping. “What?”

“Tell us about yourself.”

She just shrugged and lowered her eyes. “Not much to say.”

“Ya gotta do somethin’ for a livin’, right? Ya have that house—it ain’t like you’re out on the streets.”

Ennui sighed and let her menu fall down on the table. “Fine… I'm a beta-tester for a video gaming company,” she replied, drawing her words out again.

I furrowed my brow. “Uh, beta-what-now?”

“What?” For the first time, I saw Ennui’s eyes widen. “You really don't know what that is?”

“I don't know much at all about these new ‘vidya games,’ to be honest.” I rubbed the back of my neck sheepishly. “I heard my friend’s little sister beggin’ for one, though. They’re pretty darn expensive.”

“Okay. Here goes.” Ennui took a deep breath. “A beta-tester plays through video games before they get released, looking for bugs and various glitches that the game developers might have missed. It’s my job to record any issues I find, and at what point in the software code the issues happen. That’s part of the reason these games can cost hundreds of bits. Lots of long hours go into making them. They pay me pretty well.”

I blinked. Wow, so she does have a talkative side. “Er, all right, then. I s’pose it’s like when I go out on the farm and separate the bad apples from the good, so my customers only get the best, highest quality Sweet Apple Acres stock.”

“Sure.”

And just like that, back to her usual bored self.

Fifteen minutes later, after ordering our meals—Ennui and I shared a giant apple pie, while Rainbow Dash chowed through three sunflower sandwiches—we sat there in that little booth, our tummies finally full. Rainbow let out a large belch before groaning.

“So…” Ennui mumbled, before smirking mischievously. “Who's paying?”

***

“Fluttershy, where did Cashmere go?” Rarity asked.

“I… um… I think we may have left him in the forest… Oh, I’m sorry!” I felt my eyes begin to burn while I dashed back along the path. “I should have been listening out for him, watching him, keeping him in sight and earshot… what if he’s lost? What if something happened to him? What if—”

“Fluttershy, you need to calm down.” Rarity joined me at my side and pulled me tight against herself. “It’s not your fault he’s a royal pain of a gallivant. Besides, I should have been paying attention too. Now, how long do you think he’s been missing?”

“Um, a few minutes maybe?” I suggested as I swept water from the corners of my eyes. “We went over a bridge, and then I got distracted by all the lovely nature around. Next thing I knew, he was gone.”

“So we retrace our steps, darling,” Rarity said, breaking off the hug. “We go back to the bridge. If he’s not there, I can always use my gem-finding spell.” She lit up her horn. “Remember how I gave him that pouch of diamonds? If he’s still wearing it around his neck, I should be able to track him—not that he knows that, of course.” She winked, and despite myself, I giggled. “Come on, let's find him together.”

“Okay, Rarity. Thank you.”

“But of course. What are friends for?” She narrowed her eyes back down the path. “The longer Mister Cashmere keeps me away from Manehattan and my inevitably lovely spa treatment, the harder I’m going to make his life,” she said as we set off. “I’ll have him kissing these dirty, cracked hooves within minutes—you’ll see.”

The Sun continued across the afternoon sky as we returned to the bridge. The first thing I noticed was a flock of small birds in a nearby willow tree on the riverbank. They seemed to be staring at something…

“Hello, little friends!” I called up. “Have any of you seen my not-so-little friend around?”

A Blue Jay male flew down and landed on my shoulder, chirping into my ear.

“You have seen him? Is he okay?”

Blue nodded and flew over the river. He hovered awkwardly in the air as he alternated between flapping both wings and pointing with his right. With a glance at Rarity, I rose into the air and followed Blue’s gestures.

“Oh, my.”

We spotted him in the river—dripping wet—standing on an isolated rock down further from the bridge. The flow was definitely faster than I remembered.

“Fluttershy! H-Help!”

Come to think of it, I had heard a splash as we made our way across the bridge the first time, but I had simply shrugged it off as a fish.

“P-please! Get me out of here!” Cashmere shouted. His mane was drenched and lying lazily over the left side of his face.

“Good heavens!” Rarity gasped. “However did you end up in there, Cashmere?”

“That’s not important! Just get me out—please, I can’t swim!”

Rarity and I exchanged glances and sighed together. “What are we going to do?” I asked. “I’m not strong enough to lift him by myself. I’d get us both dragged into the current.”

“And I can’t lift that much weight with my magic either,” Rarity said, scrutinising Cashmere’s figure. “A few rolls of fabric is one thing, but a full-grown stallion—”

“I’m not that fat, you know.”

“Shush!” we both said, mimicking each other’s motions. We chuckled for a second before falling quiet again.

“What can we do?”

“I’m thinking, dear. Hold on.” Rarity tapped her chin. “Hmmm… Fluttershy, if there are any beavers around, could you ask one of them to gnaw down a tree? Cashmere could climb onto it and cross back to land.”

I shook my head. “Oh, no. I couldn’t do that. It would take the poor dear all afternoon to chew down an entire willow. Besides, I’d feel terrible. I wouldn’t like to be that tree.”

“Then just a branch? We could hold it out to him and pull him out to shore.”

I looked around for anything that we could use to get Cashmere back on dry land. “How about that, Rarity?” I pointed out a long-ish branch from among the willows. I fluttered over to the other bank and grabbed it. “It seems long enough,” I called over the river noise as Cashmere watched on. Every now and then he would shift his footing as the water lapped at his hooves.

“Okay, Cashmere,” Rarity said as I landed back on the bank next to her. “We’re going to hold this out for you to grab onto, okay? Fluttershy will hold you steady against the flow, and I’ll pull the branch back onto shore. Do you understand?”

Cashmere looked at the branch held in Rarity’s aura, and gulped. “Y-you want me to get back in the w-water?”

“Just for a little while,” Rarity said. “We’ll have you out and drying in no time. Fluttershy, you grab beneath his pits and hold tight.”

I looked at the water and swallowed too. It looked even faster up this close… “Okay, Rarity.” I lowered myself down until I could wrap both my forelegs around his barrel. The branch glowed a clear blue as it floated in the water, just in front of us.

“Now, just keep calm, Cashmere, and we’ll get you back on land safely,” I said gently. “Count of three, okay?”

I can’t show him how scared I am. Have to be strong.

“One—”

“But I’m not ready. Don’t make me yet—”

“Two—”

“Please, no, I mean it, seri—”

“Three!”

Cashmere stumbled forward. He screamed and flailed his limbs around, but managed to grab onto the hollowed-out branch. I flapped my wings hard while Rarity strained to pull our combined weight to shore.

“Cashmere, kick your hind legs... against the current!” I yelled, straining with his weight and the river’s force. “Rarity… needs us both to… help her!” I looked him in the eye… and saw nothing but fear. He had completely frozen up. The river pushed harder; Rarity’s grip faltered; my wings began to ache.

“Rarity! I can’t… I’m not strong enough… eeeek!”

The river broke my strength. Still holding onto Cashmere as he and Rarity both lost their grip on the branch, I tumbled through the current. The water flooded over my body, all through my feathers, down my throat—

I felt something grab me and lift my head back above water. Choking and spluttering, I looked around. “Rarity!”

“Just hold onto me, darling! Take a deep breath—I’m going to try something.”

I fought to bring my coughing fit under control. Seconds later, I was being squeezed tighter than even being in one of Harry the Bear’s hugs. All was black, tingling, crushing darkness… and then it was over. Instead of the roaring, tumbling waters, I felt cool, soft mud. Blades of grass tickled my coat. A chill wind blew, rustling my coat and making me shiver.

Panting heavily between coughs, I looked around. My vision was a little blurry, but I could make out a purple and a white shape… or was it green and yellow?

I closed my eyes and held them there until my head stopped spinning. When I opened, Cashmere was standing over Rarity, a hoof on her chest and horn, his ear also close to her horn.

“What are you doing?” I asked as I got to my hooves.

“I’m a doctor, remember? I’m checking her for magical fatigue,” he said simply. “When you rub a unicorn’s horn, sparks should shoot out of it, and it should also hum quietly. They’re the signs of good health. If that doesn’t happen, it means the unicorn might be in danger of falling into a magical coma. That was a powerful teleportation charm she wove to get us all out of that mess. Even fueled by adrenaline, it must have cost her all of her power reserves… and then some. I can’t imagine it being the sort of spell she’d cast on a daily basis.”

He bowed his head. “I’m so sorry. If it weren’t for my selfishness, this would never have happened.”

“W-what do you mean, Cash—I mean, Doctor Cashmere?”

He lifted the hoof off her chest and waved it at me. “Just ‘Cashmere’ is fine. But… you know, I’ve always struggled with my greed. I just can’t help it! I’m so used to getting everything I want, having it all done for me that… well, when you and Miss Rarity came along and actually forced me into this situation, it was a whole new experience for me. I’ve never been challenged before, or pushed to do something against my will. So…”

He looked up at me then. “My greed and selfishness compelled me to jump into the river. I intended to catch it downstream back toward Canterlot. I guessed you would both be too distracted by the nature of this place to notice, at least until I was long gone. But the river was a lot deeper than I thought, and… well, since I never learned to swim, I panicked. Now look at us: drenched, shaking, and possibly in danger. We’re hours from the nearest city. What a stupid plan that was.”

“The most… stupid plan I’ve… ever heard.”

I gasped. “Rarity!” Within a heartbeat I was by her side. “Are you okay? Are you alive? I mean of course you’re alive, but well, guess it doesn’t hurt to make absolutely sure, right?”

“Yes, Fluttershy, I’m alive.” Rarity groaned and sat up, holding a hoof to the base of her horn. She shot Cashmere a poisonous look. “But you… you’re lucky to be. Why, if I could cast any spell right now without splitting my head open, I’d… I’d… I mean, I look absolutely horrid!”

“You… you’re worried about your appearance of all things?” Cashmere’s eyes bulged. “Do you realise that you could have died just now?”

“Oh, never mind that, Doctor,” Rarity snapped. “If I ever was in danger, it was entirely your fault! I’ll be indignified about anything I wish, as is a lady’s right!” She turned her nose away from him; as she clutched at her horn, a short shower of sparks shot out of the tip.

“Um, guys?” I tried to interrupt, but they didn’t hear me over their own raised voices.

“Why didn't you yell or something after you fell in and realised you wanted out of your ridiculous situation?”

“Oh, right, I should have ‘yelled.’ Because it’s so easy to gain attention when trying to shout with buckets of water in my lungs!”

“Rarity? Cashmere?”

“Even still!”

“I don't even have to be here! I could be at home with my things right now!”

“Stop it, both of you!”

Both ponies snapped their attention to me. “Can we please sort this out later when we get moving again? We should still be trying to get to Manehattan by nightfall. Let's just get going, right?”

Both ponies harrumphed before turning away from each other.

“Greedy imbecile.”

“Stupid fashionista.”

***

Pinkie and I crossed through a short dark passageway, with doors in the walls leading Celestia-knew-where. The guard stood behind us in the shadows, once more at his post.

Here we go. Into the depths of Las Pegasus’ underground. No turning back now.

“Well, off we—”

Pinkie whooped and bounced ahead.

“—Go,” I finished. “Be careful in here, Pinkie! And keep an eye out for You-Know-Who!”

“You got it, Twilight!” she called back. “But don’t forget to have fu-un!” She bounced around a corner out of sight, past a couple of ponies standing near a wall.

Ignoring their risque behaviour, I walked past as the sound of music with a pulsing, constant beat filled my ears. As I entered the corner, a stallion wearing dark glasses held up a hoof, and looked me up and down. Evidently satisfied, he nodded and stepped back. Not knowing what else to do, I nodded back and swept into the room, the music growing louder by the second.

There were places like this in Canterlot, but I had never been. Besides, I had no prior interest in such establishments, and it was easy to see why. I squinted against some bright, light-blue strobe lights flashing rapidly, illuminating the white-and-blue dance floor. The music flooded out of ceiling-high speakers; I swore I could see the walls shaking. Ponies of all colors covered the darkened dance floor, bordered by occupied chairs and tables in front of a large bar.

I looked instead to the stage. With a groan and a roll of my eyes, I brought a hoof to my face.

Of course Pinkie would get up on the stage. Still, it is a higher vantage point. Better than trying to sift through this wild herd. I watched as she bounced back behind the sound equipment and sidled up to a white mare wearing glasses, behind a table covered in tabs and switches. Her blue mane rocked and danced to the beat of the music, like a metronome in perfect time to the beat.

Vinyl Scratch? She works here? That mare sure gets around a lot.

I watched Vinyl continue to play, oblivious to Pinkie’s presence until a pair of hooves found their way around her stomach. Vinyl was startled from the touch at first, but peered over her shoulder, lifted her glasses, and promptly threw her own hooves over Pinkie’s shoulders. I didn't really know Vinyl that well, but of course Pinkie would be her friend. She’s everypony’s friend.

I searched the dance floor first for the elusive pink-and-blonde mare. A quick scan over the area revealed nothing, however. Nor did she seem to be sitting at any of the tables. I figured that the only other place where she could be was at the bar, so I trotted over—my ears still ringing—and took a seat, continuing to search over ponies’ heads.

After a few minutes, it was official: no sign of her.

“Great!” I shouted over the music in frustration. Though it left me sitting in a weird position, I leaned forward and held up my head, elbows on the bar, eyes covered. “Why? I finally thought we were onto something, but the trail’s cold yet again!” Fuming into my hooves, I kicked the side of the bar a few times. “darn, darn, darn it all!”

“You after something, miss?”

I looked up at the barkeep as his voice carried over the music. I exhaled slowly and shook my head. “No, sorry. I’m not much of a drinker. Thank you anyway.”

“You sure? You look like you need one.”

I hesitated. “At this time of day? It’s barely afternoon,” I noted. “Isn’t that a little… early?”

Barkeep raised an eyebrow. “You think so? None of them seem to mind.” He pointed past me back to the dance floor.

I bit my lip, then sighed. “Oh, what the heck.” Four bits floated out of my saddlebag and landed on the bartop. “I'll just take a small appletini for now. See how I go.”

Barkeep just shrugged and walked away to grab my drink as I sat there and continued to stew. I had no idea what else to do. I mean, what else could I do? Everything pointed to this spot—this bar right here—but there were no leads! Nothing! How was I supposed to find her in a dance club virtually packed to the rafters? The Medallion had already stopped flashing, like it thought I had already located its target. It couldn’t be any more use to us.

While I pondered my situation, Barkeep came back with a shallow glass, complete with a straw and umbrella. I thanked him and eagerly took a sip. Much to my delight, it was actually rather delicious; it even had frozen cubes of diced apple floating in it instead of ice.

“Appletini, hmmm? Seems rather light. I’d guess you prefer to take things... slow.”

I froze. Could that...?

I turned my head and almost dropped my glass as my breath caught in my throat. There she was, in all her pink and blonde glory, staring at me through darkened eyelashes even longer than Rarity’s. She clutched the handle of a Bloody Marey in one hoof as she leaned her head on the other, fluttering her eyelids slowly at me.

“It’s y-you!”

She smiled, her perfect teeth flashing blue with the strobe lights. Her gorgeous cyan eyes lazed gently over me, holding me in thrall. My chest tightened, and I became aware that I was holding my breath. Her entire body seemed to glow from within. My cheeks burned as my mind began to wander, just like my eyes—

“Yes, it's me.”

Her voice drew my attention right back to her flawless face. “But I'm not here for me—” she leaned over and whispered in my ear “—I'm here for you.”

A giant lump formed in my throat. “U-uh… yeah…” I cleared my throat. “Ahem. I mean, you are?” Gaining stride, I kept up my voice before it could falter again. “Well, why did you keep running away from me?”

She tilted her head and fluttered her eyes at me again. She lifted her glass to her lips, taking a long drink. A sassy smile spread across her face while she drank slowly and deliberately, never breaking eye contact. “Oh, what’s wrong with playing a little ‘hard-to-get’?” she asked after finally setting the glass down, empty. “It was ever so exhilarating, having my own cute little stalker everywhere. Makes a mare feel empowered. And you are quite a cutie…”

Stop it, please… I’m so confused...

“Getting a little flustered, are we?” She purred, and I raised an eyebrow. “You must be new in town—I would have seen a sweetie like you a long time ago if you were local.”

“What makes you say that?”

She chuckled, a hoof over her mouth and her eyes dancing with the strobe lights. “I saw your little stunt at the motel. A lot of ponies were upset about what you did to your poor marefriend back there.” She turned from me—finally, a break from that hypnotic gaze!—and looked over the stage, where Pinkie and Vinyl were both working the decks. “Well, I can only guess that you kissed and made up.”

“Pinkie Pie?” My eyes bulged, and I waved my hooves in front of me; I almost fell off my seat. “No, nonono, we’re not partners! We’re just friends.”

“Is that right…?” The mare once again looked at me, her eyes filled with that unsettling twinkle. “Cutie Pie and Princess Purple are both… free. Intriguing.”

Oh, please, tell me she’s not—

“You know, if either of you need a place to stay in this city…”

She is. Wow. She really is.

The music finally started to quiet down as Vinyl decided to take a break. All the dancers broke into applause and whistles as Vinyl and Pinkie leapt from behind the sound equipment and bowed together. Their gig over, house music began to play again, at a mercifully lower volume.

“I mean it, doll.”

She leaned in very close to me, almost muzzle-to-muzzle, and stared into my eyes; I felt my cheeks burning again. I tried to look anywhere else but her eyes, but they kept pulling me back in. She ran a hoof through my mane, and I whimpered in spite of myself, bringing my forehooves close to my chest like a filly.

“If you ever need a place to stay... talk to me.”

She licked her lips, that same seductive smile back on her face, before she began to walk away. I sat there, dumbfounded. I had no words. The thought never occurred to me to chase her as I stared after her waving hips, her bouncing and swishing curls...

There was no doubt at all now—I had found the embodiment of the Sin of Lust. And Pinkie had brought us to her! Just thinking about that fact made me wonder: who in Tartarus would the Medallion lead me to? What sort of Sin-fixated pony would I find? Would they be dangerous? Lazy? Annoying?

Wait, what am I doing? She’s getting away again!

“Stop!” I called over the music. I pushed through the crowd and caught up to her just as she was about to leave the room. I managed to grab her shoulder, but she grabbed my hoof while turning around, pulling me into her unexpected embrace.

“Hey, what?” This mare has no personal bubble, does she? “Let me go!”

“Oooh! Feisty, are we?” she murmured into my ear, causing me to shiver before breaking the hug. “I like that in a pony. Maybe I was wrong about you taking things slow—”

“No! Look, I need you.”

“I know.”

“You do?” I cocked my head.

“Yes. Come back to my place, and bring your friend, too. I can show you both just how much I need you.”

I groaned. I should have caught that coming.

“Tell me your name…” The tip of her tongue played along her lips, those eyes weaving their spell again.

This time I managed to look away before they could take hold of my senses again. I still began to sweat, though. “My name is Twilight… Twilight Sparkle. And I—”

My eyes crossed as she put a hoof to my lips. “Well, Twilight Sparkle,” she breathed in her sultry, silky tone. “I like you. A lot.”

“But you just met me!”

“A minor detail. But I want to get to know you better, for what that’s worth...”

As her hoof reached for my cheek, I brushed it aside. “Well, if you’ll behave yourself, and tell me your name—” I poked her chest “—maybe we can talk some more later.” I lowered my hoof as she made to grab it. “We—that is to say, my friend and I—are looking for some very special ponies, and… don’t take this the wrong way, but you’re one of them.”

She giggled then, biting her bottom lip. “I’ll be your very special pony if you like.” Before I could reprimand her, she took a step back and flicked her mane, allowing one side of it to fall across her face. “My name is Aphrodite,” she said, a single eye peering at me from the side of the blonde curtain. “But you can call me whatever you'd like, Twilight.”

“Ooookay, great. Glad we got that sorted out. Now, will you please listen? It’s really, super, ultra important. Pinkie and I—” I pointed to Pinkie, still chatting animatedly with Vinyl “—along with some others, are on this mission…”

We sat down at a table away from the dance floor. I explained everything about the mission, the Changelings’ attack, the Medallion, and the Princess’ top-secret order.

“Hmph. Sounds dangerous…” Aphrodite replied after I finished filling her in.

“I know. It really does, but you have to understand that we really need you.” I took a deep breath. “So, will you please come with us?”

“If you two are down for that, then yes!” she replied, those pearly whites on display for the whole club to see.

“Great!” I started to clap… until it clicked. “Wait, I don’t mean—”

“You are easy, Twilight Sparkle,” Aphrodite said. “At least, when it comes to tongue-tying you. Perhaps I could show you how to use that unruly muscle of yours properly sometime…”

I bolted upright from my seat. “I'll meet you outside in ten minutes.”

Aphrodite sighed and walked past me, pausing at my side. She brushed a lock of hair from out of my eyes. “Oh, you certainly will, sweet-cheeks. There's something I need to do first, though…”

She glanced at Vinyl Scratch, who was fiddling with her equipment. Strangely enough, Pinkie wasn't over there anymore.

I nodded and Aphrodite trotted off, her lithe gait more pronounced than before. It was then that I finally noticed her cutie mark: a large, cracked heart, a snake coiled around it, the larger heart surrounded by many smaller hearts.

“Who was that?” a high voice next to me asked.

I just shook my head again as I rubbed my temples. “That, Pinkie, is somepony we're going to be stuck with for the rest of the week.” I sighed. “May the Princesses have mercy on my soul...”

Ch. 10: Perseverance

PLEASE, BEFORE CONTINUING THE STORY, NOTE THE FOLLOWING

THE REST OF THE STORY HAS INDEED BEEN WRITTEN OUT. AS WE KNOW, EVERYTHING PRIOR HAS BEEN UPDATED. HOWEVER, THE REST OF THE STORY STARTING FROM HERE HAS NOT BEEN EDITED. THEREFORE, THERE WILL BE A SEVERE DROP IN QUALITY AS I AM NOT ABLE TO FULLY REWORK THE REST.

SORRY ABOUT THE WAIT, BUT I FEEL THAT RELEASING WHAT'S LEFT, EVEN THOUGH IT'S NOT WRITTEN AS WELL, IS BETTER THAN HAVING AN UNFINISHED STORY.

THANK YOU FOR UNDERSTANDING

-CYNERYK

As Cashmere and Rarity dried off, all three of us made our way towards Manehatten, although the tension between all three of us was getting higher. Cashmere doesn't really trust Rarity after what happened back at the river, and he never liked me in the beginning, due to the fact that I ruined his house warming party at arrival. That being said, I still don't know what happened to that toad....

Also, I'm not sure, but I don't think that Rarity likes Cashmere either, although she tries as hard as physically possible to be polite to him. Even though it can be impossible at some times, due to that fact that he only talks about life back home, and his "Billion Bit Mansion".

I continued to look at the map whilst wearing the Medallion, which seemed to flash brighter as time went on. I knew we were getting closer, and that we might actually reach Manehatten within a few hours, much to my surprise. I didn't really know that we had been walking for that long.

"How much longer?" Cashmere whined, with perfect timing.

"Not too much longer, Cashmere." I told him. He was usually in the back of the group, not really learning from his mistake earlier. I hope it wouldn't come to it, but I was afraid of him getting left behind again. Although I do have to cut him a LITTLE bit of slack, as we probably should have noticed his disappearance earlier. He was probably stranded on that rock for around 45 minutes.

It also seemed that he REALLY didn't like water. Even though Rarity didn't either, but to me, it seemed different than hers. Like a different kind of "dislike". One that I couldn't decipher. He sure did flail around a lot when he was in the water...

"Can you swim? Cashmere?" I asked him, he tried to look everywhere else than at me as we walked and began to shift from side to side.

"Uh..." He mumbled, obviously trying to think of something clever to say. "Oh course I can!"

I deadpanned, as I knew that he was lying. He could barely stay afloat. Either he CAN swim, and he just wants to admit that he isn't very skilled, or he doesn't know how to swim and doesn't want to admit it.

"Tell the truth, darling." Rarity asked, slightly curious as well, and catching onto what I was getting at.

He sighed before staring at the ground. "No...I can't."

***

Meanwhile, a figure appeared to be following closely behind them, but out of sight. It appeared to be a unicorn...
***

Rarity stopped walking. "Then why didn't you say so?" Rarity inquired. It would have saved us from all the fighting earlier if he would had said something.

"It's embarrassing!" He shouted, not wanting to look us in the eye. "And yeah...I'm a little bit hydrophobic." When he said that, he made me feel a little bad. He must've beed scared out of his mind when he was caught in the river... I knew he was sacred just because of the manic look in his eyes, but I never knew it stemmed deeper than that.

"It's alright dear." Rarity gave Cashmere an apologetic hug. "I'm sorry I pushed you in. I didn't know..." She frowned as she realized her almost fatal mistake.

Cashmere smiled back at her, not letting his guard down. It was obvious that he still wasn't sure about this, but he seemed to be getting used to us. "It's fine." He muttered, before continuing to walk in front of us down the path.

A few hours later, (And after much pain, this isn't easy on our feet you know.) we finally reached Manehatten, this is my first time being there in a while, but it looked to be the same as how I left it, very many large, towering buildings and a very bustling city below. I have to think that Canterlot is much better for the eyes, however.

"Finally!" Rarity and Cashmere exclaimed in unison after taking two steps into the city. I couldn't help but smile.

Cashmere looked like he was ready to collapse. He has had a rough day, and it is pretty late out. And to be completely honest, I was pretty tired myself.

"Come on, let's find somewhere to stay for the night..." Rarity stated, before we all began to trot into the city. I think I heard Cashmere mumble something under his breathe, but unfortunately, I couldn't hear him.

I had a gut feeling that this would be another sleepless night...

We found a run down inn in the corner to the city and decided to stay there due to the fact that all three of us where so tired, we frankly didn't care anymore. We rented a room(On the top floor! Even though there were only two...). All three of us immediately regretted the decision when we opened the door to our room. Is was...pretty gross, and bland. Everything lacked color, and the walls were chipped severely. Luckily, there were two beds, and one nightstand. I wondered if this hotel was even structurally sound, actually....

The motel also reeked of mildew.

"You have got to be kidding me!" Cashmere exclaimed when he took one look inside of the room. "There is no way I'm sleeping in there!"

"I agree! Let's find someplace else!"

I didn't really want to stay there either, but we didn't have a choice anymore, we already paid, and we're running low on money. It's either sleep here, or sleep on the streets. I don't think concrete is very soft, anyways...

"It's not so bad. Once you get passed the smell..." I tried to assure, but it seemed to be in vain. Rarity huffed and stepped into the room, truly disgusted. While Cashmere seemed to be more accepting of this situation.

Everypony set their things down next to the beds. I already knew what the sleeping situation was going to be, Rarity and I would have to share a bed, while Cashmere was lucky enough to get a full bed to himself.

Rarity was VERY hesitant to get into bed. "I think I much prefer sleeping on the grass..."

Cashmere only nodded in agreement as he climbed into his own bed.

I grinned when I realized that I was right, it was indeed, going to be a long night for all of us...

***

After I gathered Pinkie, we slowly made our way outside. Thankfully, it was much more quieter outside than it was inside the club, and I was okay with that. I couldn't help but wonder what Aphrodite was doing, she looked so strangely at Vinyl, I hoped that she was okay.

I took the medallion from Pinkie and wrapped it around my own neck, only to find out that it was still unbearably heavy, but I'm going to have to deal with it.

Pinkie seemed to be walking around the alley aimlessly, trying to look for something to do to help her with her boredom, she wasn't a very patient pony, and neither was I. So I really hoped that Aphrodite would hurry...

My prayers were answered as the brick door finally opened, and she strutted out. Sometime between when we had parted, she put on lipstick, eyeshadow, and if I can smell correctly, perfume.

"That's what held you up?" I asked. Aphrodite nearly laughed and put a hoof to her chest.

"Well yes! I have to look decent if I'm going out in public." She seriously reminds me of Rarity, because that is exactly what she would say from time to time.

I ignored her before looking at the Medallion on my neck, which flashed a dim orange. "Hmm.." I observed, before taking out a map. It seemed to get a signal when I faced east... I studied the map, and realized that there were only three places to our east, Hayseed Swamp(Which seemed very unlikely, so I shelved that place for now), Dodge City, or Appleloosa....

"Snazzy..." Aphrodite purred, whilst looking at the Medallion. She looked genuinely intrigued, while Pinkie didn't even seem to be paying attention, as she was munching on another cupcake that she pulled out of her saddlebags.

I just realized something. If we have to find another place to sleep, I'm going to have to share a room with Aphrodite...I felt another lump form in my throat. She seemed a little...rape-y to me.

Even though it was starting to get dark, there was no point leaving town, unless we planned on making a camp somewhere(Dammit! I knew I forgot something!). So I guess there was no choice but to find someplace to stay.

"Uh, anyways..." I told myself, gaining Aphrodite's attention once again. "We need to go to either Appleloosa, or Dodge City...that's where the next pony we need to find is."

"I'd go Appleloosa first. There's way more ponies there than Dodge City!" Pinkie cheered out of nowhere, even causing Aphrodite to jump a little bit, before quickly regaining her composure.

"That'd make the most sense..." Aphrodite added. I'm not sure if she's going to be a good help for us this mission, or completely destroy the mission altogether yet...

"Where are we sleeping? At that nice hotel again?" Pinkie brought up, I facehooved.

Darnit Pinkie...

"Oh, so you two don't have a place to stay? Hmm?" Aphrodite scooted a good six inches closer to me, but I retaliated by scooting away from her.

I decided that there's no way to get around it. Bring on the flirting that is about the commence... "Nope..."

Aphrodite's eyes lit up like a fire, and she winked at me. "Well, you're always welcome to stay at my place...I have LOTS of room..." She breathed.

"Oooh! Sounds like fun!" Pinkie added, closing her eyes. Quite oblivious to the situation.

"Oh, it will be..." She muttered with a cute giggle. I contemplated what we could do.

We could get a hotel room, but even still, Aphrodite would have to stay in the same room, and it would also cost a lot of money to stay another night, especially without a reservation.

Or, we can go to the horny pink mare's house, where the chance of...scary things....happening increasing dramatically. But it's free.

Well either way, Pinkie will be there with me, so I guess it'll be alright...I just hoped that I could get through the night with my virginity...

"Alright...fine." I moaned. This wasn't going to end well...

Aphrodite let out another excited *squee* and put a hoof on my shoulder, a devious smirk on her red lips. "Don't worry, you'll enjoy yourself."

I gulped.

"Follow me..." She told Pinkie and I, at first I didn't want to go, but Pinkie almost had to push me there.

Aphrodite only lived about 20 minutes away, to my relief, as that was how long we had until the sun finally set. From the outside, her house was decently sized, almost the size of Fluttershy's cottage, but upon taking a step inside, I was actually quite impressed.

Evereything was gorgeous, and everything inside of the living room was a beautiful shade of pink, or a pearly white. From the rugs, to the curtains, and even to the couch. I wondered how she was able to afford all this decor, but that was a question that I was truthfully afraid to ask.

"Make yourself at home..." She mewed. "I'm going to get dinner all set..." She stated before trotting into the next room. Pinkie looked entranced at the amount of pink in the room, and so was I.

We waited around in the living room, chatting and sitting on the couch before Aphrodite finally came out with three bowls of salad, beautifully prepared in white porcelain bowls. She gave up our bowls before (unsurprisingly...) taking a seat right next to me.

I took a bite and was my mouth felt like it was hit by a train of flavors. In a good way. "Wow! This is really good!" I commented, causing Aphrodite to wave off the compliment.

"Thank you...I've always been a decent cook." She said, quite normally for once.

"Is this what you do for a living?" I asked, and she shook her head as a no.

"I'm a model."

"Oh..." I wasn't very surprised at all. I looked over to see that Pinkie had already finished her salad, and had placed it on the table nearest her.

"Mhm..." She said, taking a bite.

After a little bit of eating and chatting(and flirting), everyone had finished their meals, and now it was the time that I had very much feared...

"Where do I sleep?" Pinkie asked, grinning while looking around the other pink mare's home.

"I have a pull out couch, and a guest room..." She stated. Great...I'm starting to feel more paranoid that ever. I might be spending the night with a rapist.

"I'll take the couch..." I announced, seeing that I was still sitting on it. Pinkie raised an eyebrow.

"Are you sure, Twilight?" She asked, concerned. True, I didn't want to sleep on the pull out couch, but I felt like I should.

"Yeah I'm sure." I said. At that moment, Aphrodite grabbed Pinkie and pointed her in the direction of the guest room.

"Second room on your left, you can't miss it. Oh, and the lamp doesn't work, I need to get another one..." She said, and Pinkie happily bounced down the hallway. I really hope that these rooms weren't soundproof. I wanted to tell Pinkie to keep her door open, but seeing it was already to late, I groaned and began to pull out the mattress under the couch. Aphrodite disappeared for a moment and returned with a bright pink blanket.

"Here you go..." She spoke, handing me the blanket, I leerily took it and hopped onto the mattress, not taking my eyes off of her. She walked over to the light switch. "Sweet dreams, hun." She muttered before shutting off the lights and walking to her room.

I was left in complete darkness.

I was left alone to myself to do some thinking about what we should do when I wake up. Probably Appleloosa. I wondered if I was going to be able to teleport three ponies there at the same time...

A few moments later, I was fast asleep in mid-thought.

***

Later that night, I felt an odd pressure on the other side of the bed, away where I was facing. I opened my eyes slowly and looked into the kitchen and at the clock. 2:28 AM.

At first I ignored it, too sleepy to be able to think properly. It wasn't until I felt a hoof on my stomach that I realized something wasn't right. My eyes shot open, and I was getting ready to call for Pinkie, until Aphrodite's other hoof wrapped around my mouth. I let out a silent whimper as I tried to figure out what was going on. Her mouth leaned closer to my ear a whispered erotically: "Shh...lie with me...just for a little bit longer..." I once again shivered ferociously. Wait...'longer'? How long has she been in my bed!? "Please?" I could almost HEAR her bat her long eyelashes.

Needless to say, I slept in Pinkie's room for the rest of the night.

***

Ennui scared me for a moment. I was hoping that she herself would pay. That mare sure knows how to push buttons. She eventually paid herself(And also leaving a VERY generous tip for the waitress) and all three of us left the diner. At that point in time, it was dark out and Luna's moon was beginning to poke through the horizon.

"If you guys need a place to sleep, you can crash at my place..." She spoke. Well, our luck is beginning to turn! We actually got a decent meal, and we have a nice little place to crash before our trek tomorrow!

I realized that it was to good to be true when we came back to Ennui's house and it was surrounded by yellow tape, and a large "Evicted" sign was plastered on it. Her yard was littered with her things, and I couldn't help but notice that most of it was literally trash, save for a few video games and furniture.

"Uh oh..." I said as I saw the sight. Ennui let out an annoyed grunt, while Rainbow didn't really say anything.

"Well...guess I should have paid those bills, huh?" She admitted. Like I said, I knew it was too good to be true.

"Well yea!" I told her, and she sleepily looked at the ground and yawned. She suddenly gave Rainbow Dash an amused smile.

"What are you so happy about? You just lost your house!" Rainbow Dash announced, gaining a few glances of from the neighbors. Ennui was smiled.

"You think this is my only house?"

Rainbow and I looked at each other before Ennui began to walk down the street, to which we both followed. "You have more than one house?" Rainbow asked her.

"It's not a house, more like a...hideout..."

"What would ya possibly need ah hideout fer?" I asked. She just shrugged, obviously feeling proud of herself for some reason.

She mumbled under her breathe. I did hear the word "case", however.

"In case a' what?"

"In case something like this happened."

"Oh..." I don't think that was what she had originally said, but I decided to drop it for now. It really didn't matter.

She lead us to the outskirts of Vanhoover into the forest. At first I thought that she was just pulling my leg, and that she didn't have anything planned, but I started to reconsider once we came to a small clearing.

"Here we are." She said slowly. For a lazy mare like herself, she sure can be active when she feels like it.

Rainbow Dash and I looked around, only to see nothing but woodland. "Is this some kind of joke? There's nothing here!" Rainbow explained, causing Ennui to roll her yellow eyes.

"Thanks Mrs. Obvious..." She deadpanned before stepping to her right, she swatted away a few leaves and shrubs on the ground to reveal a wooden door hidden in the ground with a single latch. She lifted it up to reveal a set of stairs that lead downwards.

"Welcome to my hideout." She exclaimed, before doing the honors and walking down the stairs. I looked at Rainbow Dash hesitantly, while she looked determined as ever. She practically flew down the stairs, and I galloped quickly behind.

The "hideout" wasn't much. It was actually just a very dusty, and concrete room. I instantly got chills when I got to the bottom of the stairs. There was only one bed, but I did see a few dirty blankets in the corner. There also seemed to be piles of food in the corner opposite the bed, next to the stairs.

"I call bed..." Ennui said, before plopping herself down on the sheets. The room soon echoed with the sounds of her snoring.

I looked at Rainbow Dash, who frowned.

"It could be worse..."

"Not really." Ennui mumbled.

Author's Note

Yay! Another chapter!

Yeah, so Aphrodite gets a little...rape-y. Cashmere spills beans, and Ennui seems to be prepared for a zombie apocalypse. Video games :P

Another chapter will most likely be up tomorrow or later tonight

Unfortunately I have no advice for "CYNERYK'S DUMBASS ADVICE" so I'll just leave on this note.

...kthnxbai

-Cyneryk

Ch. 11: Vain

I awoke on the floor in Pinkie's room, thankful that I actually got through the night(I think...). Last night scared me to no end. I think I was almost raped by Aphrodite, although I don't know if that was her intention. Maybe she was just cuddling? No, I'm sure it was rape. She can't be the attribute for lust if she wasn't.

"Rise and shine!" Aphrodite burst through the door, causing me to jump and almost hide under the bed. Just the sound of her voice. Don't get me wrong, yes she is an attractive mare, and she knows how to...push buttons. But still! It doesn't mean anything. I hope.

Pinkie Pie jumped out of bed and hugged Aphrodite, not even asking what I was doing on the floor. "Hi Aphro!" She cheered. Aphrodite seemed to like her new nickname, as she smiled at Pinkie warmly.

"Morning! I trust you both slept well?" She looked over at me and winked. I felt like slapping her.

"Oh yes! The bed was really comfy!" Pinkie exclaimed. "I felt like I was sleeping on clouds! Oh! I bet Dashie knows how that feels. We should get Dashie here and have her compare the two!"

A spark of hope appeared in Aphrodite's eyes. "You have MORE friends?"

Pinkie, please stop...

By the way she said that, It's kind of obvious that Aphrodite didn't have any friends herself, probably because she couldn't help but flirt with all of them and drive them away. It's not her fault though, per se. I have yet to figure out if Aphrodite was born like this, or if she was given the "attribute" earlier in life, and it made her this way. Eh, I'll figure it out later. I kind of felt bad for her, upon realizing this, however. She must be VERY lonely, so it's probably not best to treat her badly.

As Pinkie bounced towards the kitchen(It would appear that Aphrodite had already made breakfast...) I stopped Aphrodite to talk to her.

"Can we talk?" I asked her, Aphrodite's eyes fell a little bit in both wonder and excitement. I didn't want to know what she was hoping I would say.

"Sure...take a seat." Aphrodite went over to the bed and laid down on it seductively on her side, her flank facing the wall and her fore hoof resting on her cheek. This is not what I meant.

"Aphrodite...I'm not interested in you." I said bluntly. Aphrodite's facial expression immediately fell from a smile, to a sad frown. "I'm straight."

"So am I."

"So I can'- wait what?" I was utterly confused for a second until I figured it out in my head, but Aphrodite cleared it up for me.

"I'm for both teams, hun." Well, I was right about one thing.

"Well, I'm not interested in you like that. But I still think we could be friends if you'd stop hitting on me so much." I sat on the edge of the bed. I didn't mean to be so blunt, but there was no way that I'd be able to tell her seriously. She gave me a sincerely smile.

"I'm sorry..."

Aphrodite wrapped her arms around me to give me a sincere hug, and I returned it, seeing as it wasn't sexual anymore. Until she began to whisper in my ear again.

"Don't worry...you'll give in eventually. Everypony does..." I blushed and before I had a chance to say anything, she got up and walked into the kitchen.

This was going to be a long journey...

***

Everyone was so drained of energy from yesterday's events, that we actually slept in a little later than we'd have hoped. Luckily, I managed to set the alarm clock last night before I fell asleep for 10 AM, just incase. When the time came around, no one was happy about it.

Cashmere was very aggressive hen it came to his sleep. Without even opening his eyes, he took one of his extra pillows and threw it at Rarity, who was closest to him. I was on the other side of the bed. The pillow clocked her in her horn. "Turn it off!" He mumbled, and only receiving an aggravated groan from Rarity. Instead of giving him is pillow back, she kept it for herself and pressed "Snooze" on the alarm clock.

Eventually, the alarm clock rang once again, and we were all up for good.

"Wow, I'm surprised with how well I slept..." Rarity announced, stetting her slender body on the edge of the bed. She was right, I slept pretty good also, and I presume Cashmere did as well.

We immediately got ready for the day, eating various snacks for breakfast that we had brought. I lent some of my food to Cashmere, so he wouldn't go hungry.

I put the Medallion around my neck, was it me or was this thing getting more and more heavy? Anyways, as soon as I put it on, it shown brightly the same dark green as before. Whoever we needed to find, they are VERY close...

We packed up our things and left the crummy hotel, following the Medallion through Manehatten. It was much more different now that it wasn't night time. It seemed...restless.

As we walked down the street, not even 10 minutes later, I had this strange feeling of being watched, so I quickly turned around, only to see something duck away behind a mailbox. Whoever it was, they weren't a very good stalker. "Hello?" I called out over the noise of the city. Cashmere and Rarity both stopped and turned to me.

"What is it?" Cashmere asked, intrigued.

"I think we're being followed..."

Rarity poked me playfully. "Dear, I think you're just a little paranoid..." Rarity started, but I'm not kidding when I say I saw something.

"Hello?" I called again as I walked closer to the mailbox. I saw is shake slightly, and a light green mare pop her head from it. She let out a long sigh and marched over to me, looking me dead in the eyes. Her green ones staring right into mine. Her mane reminded me of party streamers, and it was colored of turquoise and white. Her tail was the exact same way. What I couldn't help but notice was that her tail was shorter than Cashmere's.

Rarity stood beside me just in case something were to happen. "Who are you?" She asked, trying to figure out of our little "stalker" is.

"That is NOT important! The thing is that I know EXACTLY who you are!" She growled, apparently staring into Rarity's soul. "You're the ones plastered over the newspapers every other BUCKING week!"

"Uh..." Rarity was speechless, she didn't know exactly what to say.

"I'm just going to say this...I better not see any of you three around here every again, or they'll be Hell to pay." She steamed, motioning over to Cashmere, who stood awkwardly behind us. With that, she galloped away down the street, grumbling to herself. As she turned away, I couldn't help but notice her cutie mark was a second place ribbon...

"How rude!" Rarity exclaimed. "Can you believe her?!" She asked me. She stared at my chest for a moment, before I actually looked down.

The Medallion was flashing like never before.

"Could that have been...?" I asked, and Rarity nodded, taking off for the mare down the street.

"Come on!" She shouted to Cashmere and I. The stallion looked left and right, as he obviously wasn't paying attention as to what was going on and began to reluctantly follow us down the street.

***

Rainbow Dash and I had awoken from a very rough night on the cold bunker floor. My flank hurt from the position I slept in, and Rainbow couldn't stop complaining about how sore her wing felt.

"Ugh!" She furiously shook her left wing as to "fix" it.

We stood up, only to realize that Ennui was still asleep in the bed. Go figure. I trotted over to her and poked her belly. "Ya alive?"

My only response was a loud snore.

Instead of poking her, this time I decided to shake her, "Wake up!" I mumbled. She simply turned away from me and continued to sleep.

"Rainbow, could ya give me a hoof?" I asked the pegasus, who was gathering her things in her saddlebag. She grinned mischievously and walked over to the Ennui and leaned into her ear, taking a deep breathe.

"WAAAAAAKE UUUP!" She hollered straight into the mare's ear. I had to cover my own, since the sound echoed loudly throughout the room. I thought my ears were going to bleed.

Ennui was still asleep.

Rainbow Dash rubbed her neck, obviously that yell wasn't good for her vocal chords. "Screw it. Let her sleep. I'm going to see what food she ha-"

"The Hell you will!" Ennui jolted her eyes open and glared at Rainbow Dash. Well, now we know for later that threatening her food supply can, and most likely will, wake her up. "Step. Away. From. My. Stash." She deadpanned. Rainbow Dash couldn't help but laugh at the situation.

Ennui got out of bed, only to slide onto the floor. I actually had to help her to her feet she was so gosh-darn lazy.

"Um, where's the bathroom?" I asked her, not wanting to waste any time. I needed to go pretty urgently. To my dismay, Ennui shook her head a smiled sleepily.

"This is none. You're going to have to go in the woods." She chuckled. Most mares would not be okay with that, but it doesn't really bother me much to do it. So I just shrugged. I walked up the stairs to the wooden door. I expected it to push open, but when it didn't I actually smacked my face against it, leaving a nice bruise on my forehead and knocking my hat clean off.

"Ouch!" I exclaimed, causing Rainbow Dash to explode into another fit of laughter, along with Ennui. I picked myself and my hat off the floor, with my dignity intact, and pushed on the door. It didn't budge.

"What the hay?" I said, calling to Ennui. "It's stuck!"

Rainbow Dash immediately stopped laughing and ran over to me. "Stuck?! How can it be stuck?!"

"Let me explain..." Ennui announced, we both turned our attentions to her. "I just love you guys so much-"

"Now is not the time for jokes!" Rainbow yelled, a few seconds before I was going to. "How do we get out of here?"

"The door."

Okay, now she was really pissing me off. "Ennui!"

Ennui lifted up her hooves defensively, that same somnolent look in her eyes. "Look, there's a key around here somewhere." Ennui stated, I raised my eyebrow as I realized something.

"So yer tryin' to tell me, that there is a lock to keep ponies IN, but not to keep ponies OUT?" That made no sense!

"You'll be thanking me when the zombies are chasing you and this is your only option when it comes to safety."

"What!?" Rainbow and I said simultaneously.

"Nevermind. Just start looking..." Ennui rolled her eyes and began to look under the mattress that she was just sleeping on a few moments ago.

Sometimes, I just want to smack her.

Author's Note

Eh, shorter chapter. Will maybe write later tonight or tomorrow.

I'm sorry if this chapter isn't up to par, but...I don't think it's that bad is it?

Nah, it's fine.

Anyways...yeah. For once I actually have nothing to say...

Remember kids...uh...uhhh....

Keep...your pipes...clean?

Yeah. That'll work for now. How's that for something witty?

-Cyneryk

Ch. 12: Mirage

"I think I found it!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed from under a large pile of blankets. Ennui and I quickly snapped to attention. I was very relieved, especially because we've been here way longer than we should have. It wasn't a large room, but still. Ennui wasn't very much help, all she did was look over the bed that she was sleeping on a few times.

Rainbow Dash finally emerged from the pile with a golden colored key in her hooves. I cheered as Rainbow Dash flew over to the door and inserted the key into the lock, opening it.

"Finally!" I cheered, I almost bolted out of the bunker in excitement. I wanted to feel the fresh air so bad it was unbearable. The entire night I kept coughing due to the amount of dust and spider webs that were in there. I don't think Rainbow got much sleep either, I could notice that she was tossing and turning frequently last night. This journey's been hard on all of us...well not Ennui. Yet. I'm a little curious to find out how she's going to get to the Crystal Mountains.

I know she can be pretty active, but she barely ever shows it. She just wants to be lazy, and I think she gets a kick out of watching us go out of our way for her, for example, carrying her around(Which I hope I will not have to do again!)

I was immediately blinded by the bright sun, which shone directly in my eyes. I covered my eyes with my hooves to prevent myself from going blind. Rainbow Dash had the exact same problem and did the same. Ennui didn't seem to care, however. Needless to say, I am not going back inside of that bunker any time soon.

"Ahhh that fresh air..." Ennui muttered, stretching once again and letting the sun hit her body.

"Yeah, because you're Mrs. Outdoors..." Rainbow mumbled under her breathe, not quietly enough.

"Oh, no need to be jealous. I can't help it that even I am more adventurous than you." Ennui said sarcastically, with a smirk. Naturally, I assumed that Rainbow Dash could pick up sarcasm pretty easily since she was Mrs. Sarcasm herself. But I think what Ennui said more offended her to the point where she didn't care if it was sarcasm or not.

"WHAT!?" Rainbow yelled. She looked...hostile. "You can't be serious! I'm the most adventurous pony in these parts! If you'd read the papers you'd know that!"

"I do read the papers,"

I REALLY doubted that. "But I know I'm still more adventurous than you."

Rainbow looked fierce, but softened herself as a silly grin appeared on her face."Prove it. What did YOU do?" She poked Ennui's chest, causing take a step back. She her facial expression didn't seem to change.

"Guys...can we save this for later?" I tried to intrude, but they had none of it.

"Fine!" She exclaimed self-confidently."I'll prove it. I have the highest level barbarian amoung my Dungeons and Dragons group."

Rainbow and I looked at her in disbelief. Ennui inched closer to us, and whispered excitedly.

"Level 20."

I facehoofed, and Rainbow Dash looked furious.

"Seriously? Dungeons and Dragons? How the hay is that 'adventurous'?!"

Ennui smirked. "Play it for yourself. I've taken down a dragon all by myself. What about you?"

Rainbow Dash looked like she was going to explode. Ennui was really good at pushing buttons, no pun intended.

I was done listening to these two bicker, so I broke them up. "Enough!" I yelled, both ponies finally turned their attention to me. "We have a job to do, and ah'm not gonna listen to y'all fight the whole time." I told them, Rainbow Dash sighed, and I think I saw a tiny smile on Ennui's face, although I'm not for certain.

"She's right...let's get going..." Rainbow Dash groaned. I could tell that something was really bothering her now. Maybe what Ennui said actually pierced the pegasi's think skull. She did cheer up after a few more moments.

"Carry me?"

"No."

"Aww..."

Later, we finally exited Vanhoover after gathering our things. I offered to buy Ennui a bag so she can bring a few things along, but she insisted that it didn't matter and that we can hurry up and get this over with. I guess she expects us to give her food now, even though I wasn't too sure that we would have enough, so we stopped at a local market and picked up some snacks before we left.

I wrapped the Medallion around my neck, the weight of it didn't really seem to effect me as much as it did Rainbow Dash. It shone a ruby red, and flashed frequently.

Ennui already looked like she was having difficulties, she was lagging behind most of the time, wheezing occasionally. So much for what I thought about her earlier. She is REALLY not suited to the outdoors. But hey, being lazy is what that'll do to you, and I felt a little glad that I worked on Sweet Apple Acres, it prevents me from being lethargic like that.

"Can...we...take a...break?" Ennui wheezed, as we hiked up a large hill. Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes.

"Oh come on." Rainbow Dash pointed behind her. Everyone looked to see that we could still see Ennui's foreclosed house from where we were. Ennui didn't seem to care, and continued to plead.

"I...can't go on." For a moment I though she was going to collapse, but she stood her ground as she hiked. We had just left town, and it already looked like she was having problems. How are we going to get to the Crystal Mountians when Ennui can't even hike up a hill?

This was going to be an issue...

***

"Come back!" Rarity shouted after the strange green mare that just threatened us a few moments ago. Wow, this pony was fast. Unfortunately, we were the opposite, so we were quickly losing the mare. After a few moments, Cashmere and I had started to significantly slow down. Rarity kept running, trying not to let the mare get away.

I noticed that Rarity's horn had begun to glow, as she was going to try to force the mare to stop, but she was too far away.

"Go Rarity!" I half-yelled, hoping that the unicorn would be able to hear me. She must have, because at that moment she galloped much quicker than I have ever seen her before, it would have almost made Rainbow Dash jealous.

When Rarity was about ten feet behind the mare, her horn fully flowed and the magical aura slowly enveloped itself around the green mare's forelegs. With the momentum from how fast she was running, she was unable to stop properly and ended up going head over hoof, and face planting into the ground.

"Agh!" She yelled, trying to wiggle and shake Rarity's magic off of her to no avail. Rarity, Cashmere and I quickly walked up to the mare, as she wasn't going anywhere anytime soon. Rarity adjusted her mane, as it had gotten rustled up a little bit while she was running. I also noticed that she was sweating, and that she looked visibly angry.

"Ugh! I'm all sweaty and gross!" She exclaimed, taking out the same towel she used to dry herself off earlier manually out of her bag, and began to pat her forehead gingerly. She glared at the pony on the ground, inching closer to her.

"You! What was that all about!? Just look at me! I'm all gross!" Rarity exclaimed. Something about what Rarity said seemed to spark something in the unknown pony, and she angry bared her teeth.

"Haha! Of course! Rarity! Element of FREAKING Generosity!" She growled, not taking her eyes off Rarity. Rarity defensively took a step back, almost in surprise. I hid behind Cashmere for good measure. "You want me to look at you! Fine! You call yourself gross!? HA! You're fricken gorgeous! And all you're doing right now is complaining!"

"I'm not com-"

"Yes you are! It's sickening! A lot of ponies would KILL for your looks!" The mare was almost screaming furiously now. I was starting to get scared of her now. She turned to me now, and I continued to tremble behind Cashmere.

"You! I know you too!" She yelled at me. "Fluttershy! Element of Kindness! Yes! I know all of you and what you're friends do! You guys are in the paper every other damn week!"

I had a feeling that she was totally disregarding Cashmere at this point, and I honestly think that he as getting sick and tired of being ignored.

"Hey! Stop it!" He yelled back at her. "They did nothing to you! You have no right to treat them this way!" Her eyes bled into his, catching him slightly off guard. Her eyes were enough to make anyone off guard, especially me.

Hey, it looks like Cashmere was on our side this whole time. Yay!

"Shut up Cashmere." The pony said. Cashmere seemed very surprised when he heard the pony speak him name. Okay, now I was a little scared. It's understandable that she knows Rarity and I, but how does she know Cashmere? We just met him the other day!

"H-How do you know-"

"It's obvious you greedy little oaf!" The mare furiously tried to get ride herself off her magically chains, banging her hooves on the ground as to break them. But magic didn't work that way. "You have everything you could ever dream of! A Nice house, lots of money! But what do you do with it! Nothing! You hoard it in your mansion in your safe! Don't think I don't know! You have tons of money and you do nothing honorable with it!"

Cashmere, Rarity and I all dropped our jaws simultaneously.

"Now! If it was me! I would do something with it! Help the homeless! Help give foals a good education! Random acts of kindness!" When she uttered the word "kindness" she stared at me angrily. "I have to live on the streets! I have nothing!"

"Just calm down!"

"Leave me be!" She yelled, she stood up to try and run away again, only to fall down due to the magical chains.

"Look. We're only here because we need you. You're one of the ponies that can help us BRING world peace, that can help save lives."

The pony instantly stopped struggling and snapped to attention. "What do you mean?"

Rarity and I both explained our search for the seven ponies, and that she was one of them, most likely representing Envy, as most of...um...words she was spewing were that of pure jealousy.

"Psh. I'm no one special. I'm sure you can find someone better more suited than I am..."

"No, there isn't. This Medallion here brought us right to you. You're the one we need." I purred, holding up the Medallion. The pony stared at it in awe, before letting out a defeated sigh.

"Fine, I'll help. But just this once. And I'm doing it just to help bring peace to Equestria." She stated. Rarity eagerly released the magic locks around the ponies hooves, and let out a relaxed sigh. Using magic for that long for someone like Rarity can't be that easy.

"Good. Now that we have both ponies, we can head back to Ponyville." The turquoise pony stood up and dusted herself off, giving an unamused vibe.

"You never answered my question!" Cashmere exclaimed. "How do you know about my safe?" He questioned, which also reminded me to ask another question of my own.

"And who are you?"

The pony smirked, and brushed her mane out of her eyes. She glared at Cashmere. "That's something you don't need to know!"

Cashmere must have decided that since he knew nothing from his vault was taken, that it really didn't matter. The mare then looked over to me.

"Just call me Covette..."

***

After all of us had gathered our stuff, we met up in Aprodite's living room. Aphrodite didn't bring that big of a bag. When I asked her if she had all she needed, she winked at me and said "and more".

Well then...

"So! We're going to Appleloosa!?" Pinkie cheered. I think she was pretty excited, considering how much fun we had the last time we were there...

"Yes. There is a 50/50 chance that whoever we are searching for is there. So everyone keep you're eyes peeled." Pinkie and Aphrodite both nodded.

This was going to be difficult, teleporting long distances wasn't exactly an easy thing to do, especially when I have to bring two other ponies with me. It should be easier than when I teleported Pinkie and I to Las Pegasus, but I was still a little nervous. After a few minutes of harnessing my energy, I opened my eyes, so see that we were still in Aphrodite's room, and her and Pinkie were staring at me.

"We're still here!" Pinkie stated, causing me to roll my eyes.

"Yes, I know...just give me a second..."

I focused once again, trying as hard as I could. My horn glowed it's usual magenta color, and with a POOF, I felt the ground under me shift once again to that of a desert. When the pink smoke cleared, and I opened my eyes(I knew that I had done something right, because I could hear Aphrodite and Pinkie cough as they must have breathed in the smoke. Never a good thing to do.) I could see that we were at the Appleloosa train station.

"Yes!" Pinkie shouted, both tackling me and hugging me and almost making me lose my balance.

"Impressive." Aphrodite said, taking a look around the train station. I don't think she's ever even been outside of Las Pegasus, if you ask me.

"Thank you." I uttered back to her. Surprisingly, she wasn't very flirty today, I could tell that she was trying very hard to control herself.

I took out the Medallion and began to inspect it. We must have made the right choice, because it was blinking much more than what it was just a little bit ago. Apparently, whoever we're looking for is around here somewhere. The Medallion flashed as I faced my body towards the middle of town. I had to remind myself never to face away from Aphrodite, for obvious reasons.

"This way!"

Author's Note

Okay, I finally got a chance to write this. Yaaaay library.

Anyways. Not much happened with Twilight's group. I'm saving the exciting things for later. Envy has been found. Aaaaand Applejack and Rainbow Dash are having pretty bad complications due to Ennui's...laziness.

I can't tell who I like to write more, Covette, Aphrodite, or Ennui. Eh, they're all still badass.

So, only three left to find. Gluttony, Wrath, and Pride. Let's see how this goes...

Now, CYNERYKS DUMBASS ADVICE OF THE DAY!

*Ahem*

If you're in the country, and excited for July 4th, don't worry! Just pee on an electric fence for a preview of what's to come! SPARKLES!

Aaaanywhore.

kthnxbye

-Cyneryk

Ch. 14: Lovingly

"I'm...a what?" Warble trembled, after I had finished explaining to him what we needed him for, and about the Medallion, and the Changeling invasion. He didn't seem to be very excited about it, and I don't think he wanted to talk to me anymore either.

"You're one of the ponies that we need. You represent Gluttony-" I tried to explain, but Warble wasn't really interested in what I had to say.

He pitifully looked down at his large stomach before pushing away his single piece of pie that was sitting on the table angrily. "I'm not a glutton!" He shouted at me.

"Well, after how much you ate back there..."

I think that was a bad way to word that.

"So what?! I get hungry! It doesn't mean I'm some self-centered, food gobbling, fat ass!" He shouted, almost making a scene. It was obvious that he was in denial.

"The Medallion brought us right to you! You have to be! And I need you to come with us!" I asked politely. Warble was trying to keep himself cool, and I could see tears in his eyes. I'm not sure, but it seems like something is bothering him. Probably the fact that I just called him a glutton(Which he technically is). But I feel it stems from something much more than that.

"I'm not a glutton! Don't you EVER call me one! Got it!?" He threatened, raising a hoof in the air as if he wanted to punch my lights out. Something wasn't right here...

"Warble...are you ok?"

Warble opened his mouth to respond, but was interrupted when Pinkie came running in behind me with Aphrodite. Pinkie still had chunks of apple pie splattered on her face, which she began to furiously lick off, to the point that her face was squeaky clean. I never knew how flexible her tongue was...

"Pinkie! Are you alright?" I asked. After all, I'm pretty sure she just threw up behind the building. She nodded and rubbed her tummy.

"Yep! At first I felt super icky, but then Aphrodite gave me some medicine!" Aphrodite's eyes shifted from left to right nervously. "I feel great now! But my tummy feels a little ting-" Aphrodite took the liberty to shove a hoof into Pinkie's mouth, shutting her up. She smiled nervously.

"Oh! Pinkie! No need to be blathering on about the little details in life..."

I'm starting to get concerned...

Aphrodite looked eager to change the topic, and she looked at Warble. Great. I was going to have to introduce them. I just hoped that Warble wouldn't give in to her constant flirting. "Who's you're friend?"

I poked Warble, and he took a grumpy step away from me. "This is Warble." I pointed at Aphrodite, planning to make a point. "This is Aphrodite. She represents Lust." I explained. Hopefully if he meets Lust, he would feel better that he was Gluttony. I'm not to sure if it worked, however.

"Nice to meet ya." Warble muttered, blushing a little bit. It was obvious that he was already under Aphrodite's control, she just smirked, as if she was thinking "too easy".

"You too..." She smiled seductively at the Warble, and I could of swore I saw him shiver a little bit.

"I take it that's Pinkie?" Warble pointed. Pinkie finally squirmed out from under Aphrodite's grasp, much to her dismay. Pinkie got face to face with the chunky stallion, making him very uncomfortable.

"Yep! You're pretty hungry! You should come to Sugarcube Corner sometime! We make some of the GREATEST, BEST sweets there! Everypony loves them!"

Warble's ears poked up as the mention of sweets, but they quickly ducked back down as he remembered that he was NOT a glutton. "Yeah..."

I looked at Warble with pleading eyes. We needed him to join us, and we needed him one way or another. "Please? Can you just come with us? It won't be for that long..."

Warble's eyes shifted from me, to Aphrodite(Who was still eying him up), and then to Pinkie's, before he sighed. "Fine." He suddenly turned to me, and poked my chest. "But you have the wrong guy. I'm not a glutton..." He said, before he barged passed me, and nearly shoved Aphrodite to the ground.

"He seems like a nice guy!" Pinkie exclaimed, before bouncing out of the door after him. Aphrodite dusted herself off before letting out a lustful sigh.

"Hmm...big boy, isn't he? I like it..."

***

"Are we there yet?"

"No..."

"Are we there yet?"

"No."

"Are we there yet?"

"NO!"

This is what has been going on for the last hour, after Ennui's little speech earlier I'm surprised she hasn't tried to be less provocative. Maybe she actually meant what she said, but I doubt she's really trying to change herself. Someponies never do, but it's not always a bad thing. Rainbow Dash was starting to get annoyed again.

"Ennui, stop askin' that." I called out to the mare in the back of the carriage. She poked her head out through the carriage window and shivered slightly. It was clear that we were getting close to the top of the mountain, as you could see little puddles of melted snow on the ground. And the temperature had begun to drop. Rainbow Dash and I couldn't help but shiver to ourselves. We weren't very used to the cold either. Ennui probably was, since she lived in Vanhoover, and it was known for being pretty chilly there.

"Sorry. I'm just a little impatient." She sighed. It was obvious she was trying to change her tone, but she wasn't doing so well to try and hide it. Her playful smile was still forever on her lips.

Remind you of someone, Applejack?

The more we walked, the colder the temperature got. Rainbow Dash and I were shivering furiously, and it was only getting darker. I considered taking a break and huddling inside of the carriage, but we'd lose even more ground. We only had around...three days? Four? I think I had actually forgotten, but even still, we didn't have any time to waste.

"Come ahn. At this rate, we'll be stuck out 'ere until nightfall." I exclaimed, snapping both mares back to the situation at hand. Rainbow and I continued to pull the heavy carriage down the trail. Eventually, it had even begun to snow, and my teeth began to chatter loudly as the snowflakes stuck to my snout and getting into my eyelashes.

I looked over at Rainbow Dash, and saw that she wasn't doing so good either. She was freezing, and her nose had began to run a little bit. She was shivering so bad that she was almost jumping, and she had begun to go pale. I started to get a little concerned.

"Rainbow" She must've realized that I was still there, and to save face, she lifted up her head with pride in a way to show to me that she was okay. I didn't really fall for it. "Are ya alright?"

"P-Psh! Y-y-ya! I'm-m f-fine!" She said in between shivers.

"Just tell me when ya need to take a break." I replied, and Rainbow simply said nothing, and we both kept walking. It didn't take long for the night to come, and I could almost hear Ennui snoring in the back of the carriage.

This was getting bad. Rainbow wasn't doing good, and neither was I. And not to be mean, but Ennui is doing absolutely nothing to help us out. It was also getting dark and the temperature was dropping dramatically. Also, we didn't have time to stop, and I was starting to get physically exhausted.

The snow was starting to come down harder and harder, to the point where I could barely see two feet in front of me, and the risk of being blinded by the snow was starting to increase.

"R-Rainbow?" I called out to her. I could barely see her, only the lighter colors in her hair, such as red and orange. She didn't respond. "Rainbow?"

I took off my harness that strapped me into the carriage and walked over to her. "Rainbow?"

My fears have come true. As I walked closer to her, I saw that she was almost frozen, and she had fallen into the snow. I couldn't tell if she was breathing.

"Rainbow! Wake up!"

***

"How far away is Ponyville anyways?" Covette asked no one in particular as we made our way down a woodland path. For some strange reason, everyone has been pretty talkative during the walk. I think it's because Covette is just naturally a little bit talkative, and Rarity, Cashmere and I were pretty used to each other by now. This is a nice bonding experience.

"Um...pretty far..." Rarity replied, putting a hoof to her chin as she tried to make an accurate guess. I assume that we'll get there by tomorrow. And that's exactly one day before we're due back anyways. Well, I can definitely say we made good time...

"Oh..." Covette said dejectedly. I could see that she wasn't very patient either.

"You still didn't answer my question..." Cashmere growled. I assume he's still curious about how she knew where he kept his money. To be honest, so was I.

"Oh. Well do you want the cold hard truth? Or do you want me to sugar coat it?" Covette asked in return. Cashmere rolled his eyes, not wanting to play games.

"Just tell me! I'm going to have to find a new place to stash my money after this..." He groaned. I saw that EVERYONE rolled their eyes at that.

"Fine." She stopped dead in her tracks and looked Cashmere in the eyes, face to face. "It's because I don't like you. And the other night, I was planning on stealing some of it." Cashmere let out a large gasp, and so did I. Rarity had a slight smirk on her face. "You know, give it to someone who NEEDS it. But then Rarity and Fluttershy came and intruded, and I was forced to leave."

And just like that, Covette broke their gaze and continued to grumpily walk down the trail with Rarity, who seemed to have taken a likening to the jealous mare. Cashmere's jaw was literally on the floor.

"Steal...from me!?" Cashmere bellowed angrily. He ran up to Covette and jumped in front of her, readying himself to fight her. "No one even ATTEMPTS to steal from me and gets away with it! Nobody!"

"Oh yeah? Well I did. What're ya gonna do about it?" She said smugly, a slight grin finally appearing on her face. Cashmere had reached a boiling point and extended a hoof to punch her, but luckily, she ducked and his hoof went flying over her.

"STOP!" I half-screamed as I jumped in front of them with what little courage I had, and on my hind legs. When both Cashmere and Covette finally stopped talking and arguing, I went back on all fours and back to my usual self. "Uhm, sorry about that..." I mumbled, as all three other ponies stared at me. I hid behind my mane.

***

Meanwhile, a purple unicorn watched the four bicker from behind the brush a little bit up the path. She annoying brushed her dark mane out of her face before letting out an amused smile.

"This is going to be easier than I thought..." She muttered quietly to herself. Fairly certain that the group would not be able to hear her over themselves and their arguing. Before she knew it, she turned from a purple unicorn, to a fairly orange earth pony, with a blonde mane, which she rustled up a little bit to make her look more dirty. She adjusted her cowpony hat before letting out a large scream before jumping out in front of the group.

***

"I agree with Fluttershy. Let's save this for later! We have many other tasks at hand..." Rarity said, taking my side. Before anyone had any time to give any threatening glances to one another, a voice pierced through the forest, causing me to shiver.

Everyone turned their gaze up the path, to see Applejack standing at the end of the path. Wait. APPLEJACK!?

"Applejack! I'm so glad to see you!" I uttered, before I noticed something. Her normal green eyes were...darker than usual, unless it was the lighting playing tricks on me again. Her mane and her body was very dirty, like she had been rolling around in the dirt. Which is almost normal for her, but she looked worse than usual. "Are you-"

"There no time!" She yelled in her usual southern drawl about 20 yards away from us. "Ya guys have ta help me! It's urgent! It's...it's Pinkie!" I noticed Covette roll her eyes again. If she knew Rarity and I, I'm sure that she knows Pinkie as well. And she isn't very surprised. Rarity took a step forward.

"What happened to Pinkie Pie?!" Rarity shouted, but Applejack just shook her head.

"There's no time! Just follow me!" Applejack yelled before running down the path in a flash. Rarity growled before running down the path after her, obviously tired of all this running she's been doing recently.

"Applejack!" She shouted. Covette and Cashmere immediately began to give chase, which prompted me to do so as well. Covette was quick, and had almost caught up with Rarity within moments, while Cashmere and I lagged behind.

I just hoped everything was alright...

***

"Applejack" ran up to a nearby cave, and ducked into the bushes inside of it. She hoped her plan would work, and that they were stupid enough to fall for it. From the bushes, she let out a small chuckle. As soon as they ran into the cave, all she had to do was seal them in, then she can finally stop this stupid wild goose chase...

"Become one with the darkness...heh."

***

Rarity had lost sight of the orange earth pony, panting heavily as she stopped for a moment, giving the other three of us a chance to rest up. "Applejack! Wait!" She shouted, only to receive nothing in response.

Covette was doing much better physically than Rarity, and barely needed to take a break. Cashmere and I, however.

"Where did she go?" Cashmere asked in-between wheezes, looking around. Covette just pointed down the path. When I looked, I saw a very ominous, and scary looking, dark cave. I trembled a little bit, I wasn't a big fan of the dark. At all.

"She probably went in there..." Covette explained.

"Y-you mean w-we have to go i-in there?" I stuttered. Covette sighed at my timidness, and Rarity put a hood on my shoulder, giving me a warm(yet exhausted) smile.

"It'll be fine darling. We'll be in and out before you know it!" Rarity exclaimed. I wasn't too sure. I had a very bad feeling about all of this, like something isn't right.

"I-I don't think we should go in there..." I managed to whisper. Covette groaned again, a little tired.

"Oh come on! Let's just go find what's-her-face and keep going to Ponyville. Get some backbone." She demanded, before walking towards the tunnel. I felt a single tear form in my eye, I didn't like being yelled at, especially for something that I can't help.

"Covette! You apologize!" Rarity shouted. Covette just shook her head.

"Let's go!" She yelled as she eagerly stepped inside of the cave. I looked at Rarity, who whispered to me that it's going to be alright, and the rest of us all walked into the cave, as hesitant as ever.

The cave was freezing cold, and there were puddles all over the ground, making the cavern floor very moist and slippery. I noticed that there were many stalactites and stalagmites all over the place. Pointing at me, almost as if they want to poke me, like the death spike's that they were.

I let out a very nervous squeal.

We were not even 20 feet into the cave, when the light's seem to go out. I turned around to see something that almost made me cry.

Applejack was moving a large boulder in front of the exit.

Ch. 15: Emptiness

"No!" Cashmere screamed, as he had noticed the rock that was being gingerly placed over the exit. He sprinted with the ferocity that I've never seen from him. I could almost hear him lowly growl at the situation, refusing to be toyed with for any longer. Right when the rock was going to leave us imprisoned, Cashmere grabbed the other side of the rock and began to push the rock against Applejack's forces in an attempt to rescue himself. "I will not! Be locked! In a filthy...CAVE!"

As he spoke those words, I realized something: Him and Rarity would make a good match...kind of.

Applejack grunted as Cashmere's forces worked against her, causing her to loudly groan with exertion. I remained there, unmoving. This was all happening too fast!

Cashmere opened an eye and looked at the three of us before yelling through his gritted teeth. "Will someone PLEASE give me a hoof!?" His fore hooves were bulging with ever shove he gave to the rock. Soon he just gave up trying to push the rock out of the way, and changed his goal to just making sure that everyone didn't get imprisoned. Something didn't seem right to me. I've seen Applejack move bigger things by herself...why is this such an issue for her?

Rarity and Covette simultaneously sprinted after Cashmere, reaching the rock within mere moments. Rarity said nothing, and Covette did not stop shouting curse words, ones that I'd rather not repeat. They began to push, and I saw that Applejack was starting to give in to the immense weight.

I stood there, absolutely frozen. I didn't know what to do. My first instinct was to help, but my mind wouldn't let me. Everything almost seemed to stop in place, to the point where the sound of my own breathing was pounding in my ears. I'm not sure if I could take it. My heart was beating so hard that it almost shook my whole body. I began to get lightheaded, and I raised a hoof to it just as I lost feeling in everything else inside of me. I felt myself crash onto the floor, still listening to the sounds of the other three ponies fighting to save themselves.

"F-Fluttershy?" Cashmere asked in a calm voice from somewhere near me. My eyes fluttered open at the sudden voice in shock. I let out a little squeal as I realized that I was belly-up on the floor, and that Cashmere, Rarity and Covette were all standing over me. Everyone having a very concerned look on their face, minus Covette, who looked very annoyed.

"Are you alright darling? You collapsed!" Rarity told me, helping me to my hooves and giving me a big hug, to which I graciously returned. Cashmere smiled at me, obviously resorting to reconcile with me that way. Which only leads to believe that he still doesn't feel comfortable with getting close to me yet. Which is fine in my book. I hope that didn't come off as mean...

Covette huffed loudly as she made her way towards the exit of the cave. While I was passed out, it seemed that they must have succeeded in moving the rock.

"Yes. I'm fine...I see that you all succeede-"

Covette was suddenly in my face, uncomfortably close to me now. "Yeah! No thanks to you!" She shouted at me, causing me to once again squeal and hide behind my mane.

"I-I'm sorry...that happens when I-"

Once again, I was interrupted. I now feel Cashmere's pain, since this is all that happened to him earlier when we first started to travel with him. "WE KNOW! You got 'scared'. What else is knew? Did you hear that Rarity made this SNAZZY dress? Oh! What about Cashmere? Didja hear about his fancy new mansion!?"

I didn't know what to say to defend myself, I really couldn't help it, and when I didn't give a response, Covette was going to walk away again before Rarity stepped up for me again. She stepped in front of Covette and angrily poked her chest, causing her to reel back a bit before regaining her determined posture.

"Look. I do not know what this attitude problem of yours is all about. But you need to fix it! You cannot be getting angry at the things we do, simply because it inconveniences you! Fluttershy could not help what happened back there!" She explained. Covette chuckled to herself before making her way for the exit.

"Fine, if you inconvenience me, then I'll do the same to you. Good luck activating your stupid Medallion without 'Envy'. And good luck explaining to your friends why you failed. I will not be killed because of you idiots." And with that she trotted for the exit. She was only a step out of the door before Cashmere spoke up.

"Ha. You're not going anywhere."

Covette stopped dead in her tracks, and angrily turned her head. A vein in her forehead was visibly throbbing, and I was a little intimidated. Yet Cashmere seemed unfazed, and he actually walked CLOSER to her.

"What?" She spat sharply, turning to face the stallion eye to eye. Cashmere gave her a satisfactory grin.

"You're not going anywhere, and you know it." He muttered. Covette was seething, I had a good idea what her response was going to be, and to my surprise, she said exactly that.

"Oh yeah, Rich Guy? Are you going to stop me? What, are you going to somehow 'greed' me into staying? It's not like your going to offer me anything to stay." She growled, but for some reason, Cashmere remained confident.

"I'm not going to stop you. You are." Covette raised an eyebrow, and so did I. What was that supposed to mean? "You're going to give up a chance to help others. Are you? Otherwise, why are you with us right now?"

Covette had forgotten the reason why she came along for in the first place, and stammered, looking for a good comeback. But Cashmere continued when he decided that she had taken to long. "Exactly." He walked behind Rarity and I and literally SHOVED us over to Covette, eventually shoving her out the cavern was well. "So shut up. Let's get going."

***

"Ennui! Ennui!?" I shouted, not sure of what to do. I was never good with doctor-y type stuff, but what I did know was that she was freezing to death. You don't need a medical expert to be able to figure that out. To my surprise, Ennui was actually awake. She poked her head through the window as usual. As she did, the snow hit her hard, and she had a hard time seeing straight.

"What? What? What is it? I was almost asleep...someone better be dying!" She exclaimed. She probably didn't see, but I gave her the dirtiest glare I could muster. But even if she did see, she probably couldn't tell due to the fact that my face was completely frozen.

"It's Rainbow! Help me! She's frozen solid!" I yelled to her over the sound of the wind. I heard Ennui loudly groan.

"But it's cold out there-"

"ENNUI GIT YER FLANK OUT HERE BEFORE I KICK IT OUT HERE!" I screamed. This was a serious situation, and I needed help. I did not was not in the mood for Ennui's antics. And laziness. And inappropriate attitude. Ennui sighed before closing the window and walking out of the carriage. At first, I had a hard time spotting her, as her mane and her tail blended into the snow, but her sandy body is what helped me find her.

She took one look at the pegasus, poked her flank, and shrugged knowingly. "Hm, hypothermia...you know it's fatal right?"

My heart dropped as I heard her say that. Rainbow Dash can't die! Not out here! I started to wonder how Ennui knew that, but it wasn't important right now. I lied down in the snow next to Rainbow and beckoned over to Ennui, who looked genuinely clueless right about now.

"Hehe...Rainbow flavored popsicles..."

"WHAT?"

"I said...potato...are...t-ticklish. Yeah. That's what I said." I considered bucking her in her mouth, but now wasn't the time for that. I made a mental note to do it later.

"Ennui! Put Rainbow on mah back!" I asked, unsure if she was even capable of doing such a thing. She grunted, and it took a little bit, to my dismay, but she finally succeeded in putting the rainbow mare on my back. I groaned as I stood on my hooves, and made my way for the carriage, which Ennui generously left open. Speaking of her, I have no idea what happened to her, but she must have went to the bathroom or something in the snow, because she definitely didn't follow me. I walked inside, only to be hit with slightly warm air. I set Rainbow down on the hard wooden floor and simply stared at her. My mind was racing with possibilities, with things that I could do to help. But this was a serious condition...I felt entirely useless.

I maneuvered myself so that I was basically hugging her, hoping to warm her up since that was the only thing I could thing to do at this point. Warmth. Just what the doctor(Or...I, is more like it) ordered. I sighed as my mind floated off to imagining if Rainbow wasn't able to get out of this. It would've been my fault. I'm the one who asked her to help me pull the cart. Although I did need help.

It was my fault. There's no getting around it.

Eventually, I feel asleep next to Rainbow Dash. The time seemed to fly by. Strangely enough, I didn't dream. I dreamt almost every night. Ever since I was just a little filly, anyways. It was almost like a tradition, but for some reason, it didn't come. And to be honest, I was a little concerned because of that.

When I awoke, I turned to see that Rainbow had thawed throughout the night, and that she was steadily breathing. Good, that meant I did something right. When I looked to my left, I almost flinched as I was staring right at Ennui. Her eyes stared into mine, and that devious smile of hers was on her face. I jumped up and scooted away from her. Now, I was comfortable being close to Dash, but Ennui was a whole different story.

"Mornin' sexy. Sleep good?" She said as she mockingly placed a hoof on her chin, trying her best to be sexy.

Ugh.

That reminded me.

I reached up and smacked her across the face, making a loud SMACK. The force made her head swing to her left, and she stared up at me broken heartedly.

"Jeez...If I'm bad in bed just say so..." She laughed, rubbing her throbbing cheek.

"That was for the popsicle joke!" I told her, ignoring her pointless words. She sighed and I turned back to Rainbow Dash, and I quietly called her name, only to receive her soft breathing as a reply.

"Do ya think she's going to make it?" I asked. Apparently, Ennui knew more than I did about this type of thing, and anything was better than nothing at this point.

"I think so." She muttered, staring over my shoulder. I felt her warm breathe on the back of my neck, which only got me angry. But I didn't know if she was doing it on purpose or not, so I didn't say anything. "We need to get her someplace more warm."

"But where?" I inquired. We were in the middle of nowhere. Albeit it was daytime now, it was still cold, and snowing like crazy.

"I found a cabin nearby last night. It's pretty nice, and warm. We could see if someone could help us there." She muttered, before opening the carriage door, almost causing me to go blind from the snow, I shielded my eyes for a moment before looking at Rainbow Dash, feeling a tinge of guilt, before facing the facts.

"Show me."

***

It took a little bit, but Warble finally grabbed his things that he planned to take and put them in saddlebags that were snuggly strapped around his back, grumbling loudly. Apparently he was still a little peeved about this situation. But it only raises even more of my suspicions. Being a glutton isn't a BAD thing. I don't know why he jumped to such conclusions like that when I told him what attribute he represents. I didn't call him a "Food gobbling, fat ass". He just put words in my mouth. I might need to talk to him later, but only when we are alone.

"All set?" Aphrodite asked as she looked the stallion up and down wistfully, causing him to shift his eyes nervously. Wow, was she good at making ponies uncomfortable. But it was a good thing this time, because it took his mind off the facts that were currently boiling him inside.

"Yeah. Let's get this over with...you're going to look mighty stupid when we get back to Ponyville only to find out you've got the wrong guy." He deadpanned, and Aphrodite laughed at him.

"Ohh stop being a stick in the mud. It's going to be a grand time." She lifted up a hoof and ran it along the stallions ear, to his chin, making him shiver. "Just you...and me...and-"

Warble suddenly turned to me, his back legs bent nervously and he almost begged to me though his eyes. "Is...is she always like this?" He asked me, and I rolled my eyes. I considered telling him that she almost got her way with me while I slept, but I decided not to. I didn't really want to tell ponies I just met that kind of information.

"Yes." I leaned close to him."Sleep with one eye open..." Warble gasped and turned back to Aphrodite, who simply blew him a kiss.

"Uh...let's go now..." He mumbled. Another thing I noticed is that this must not be easy for him, because right as I met him it was apparent that he was pretty socially awkward. Especially around me, and don't get me started on Aprodite. Albeit he got along with Pinkie Pie pretty well, as she has won his respect after the competition earlier.

It took me just a moment, since I still wasn't used to teleporting this many ponies that far a distance, but I successfully teleported all of us back to the Library back in Ponyville. Unfortunately it was a bad time. Because the first thing every pony saw was Spike. He was lying on his stomach, playing with dolls(Or as he calls them, "action figures").

"Oh...uh...back already?" Spike blushed as he hid the dolls(ACTION FIGURES) behind his back, and whistling nonchalantly.

"Yeah..."

Spike looked at all four of us, before his eyes landed on Aphrodite. I could have swore I saw little hearts form in his eyes at the sight of her, almost similar to what had happened when he first laid eyes on Rarity. "Wow..." Oh boy. This won't be good.

"Spike, I'd like you to meet-" I started, but Pinkie felt the need to intrude.

"This is Warble! He's a friend of mine and he beat me in a pie eating contest!" Pinkie whispered over to Spike, but not quiet enough as to where she was heard by the entire room. "Don't call him a glutton. He doesn't like it!"

Warble seethed at Pinkie, but didn't say a word. Knowing that if he did say something that something bad may slip out. And that he shouldn't be offended, considering he wasn't a glutton anyways. Spike disregarded Warble and pointed at Aphrodite weakly.

"And...who is that?"

"Oh...that's Aprodite." Spike looked like he was starting to get lost in his own fantasies again, but after realizing his mistake(And that Rarity would soon be his anyways) he quickly snapped out of it. Sometimes I wonder about him.

"Oh...cool." He glanced behind the four of us, but he soon furrowed his brow. "Where's everyone else?"

I assumed he meant Rainbow, Applejack, Fluttershy and Rarity. "They're looking for the other ponies. Celestia knows where they are right now..." I replied, and Spike sighed.

"I hope Rarity's alright..."

"I hope they're all okay. Everyone needs to be here within the next three days." I was starting to get just a little bit paranoid, again. What if they didn't make it? What if we fail the Princess? What if the Changelings attack?! "I need a nap..."

"Well, yeah, it is ten o'clock at night." As he said that, I looked at the clock, only to realize that he was right. And to confirm my suspicions, I looked outside, only to see pitch blackess.

I turned back over to everyone else in the room. I felt bad for Warble at the words that were about to come out of my mouth. "I think we should hit the hay."

Warble suddenly looked very frightened. And I was faced with a horrible decision. There is a couch in my room that someone could sleep on, but that pony would have to be Pinkie. Aphrodite is not sleeping ANYWHERE near me tonight, and it'd be very weird to share a room with a male. Especially one I've just met just a few hours ago.

"Sorry Warble, but you're going to have to sleeping in the living room with Spike-"

Aphrodite was now creeping a hoof down Warble's spine sensually, smiling as the stallion took an edgy step away from her. She whispered in his ear. "And me~"

Warble seemed desperate and got down on his knees and almost begged. "Please don't do this to me...I'm saving myself." Aphrodite took that as an invitation, and loudly smacked the stallions flank, causing him to yelp and rub his backside.

"Don't work Big Boy, it won't be that bad...it'll only hurt for the first few minutes. But trust me, it gets better..."

Warble looked like he wanted to cry.

"I'm sorry, but we have to. Don't worry, Spike's rooming with you guys too." I pointed over to the baby dragon, and he puffed up his chest. Warble didn't look to enthused. In fact I think I saw the color flush from his face.

"But...but....but-" He groaned as Spike went and pulled out a few blankets for Aphrodite and Warble. But she stopped him.

"We're only going to need one tonight, hun." She winked. Spike raised an eyebrow, completely oblivious to what the mare was talking about(Thank God...I'm not ready to have that talk with him yet). He went to go put it back, but Warble stopped him and quickly grabbed a blanket.

"NO! We're going to need two...trust me."

Aphrodite sighed sadly and grabbed the other blanket, and Spike went over to his bed as Pinkie and I headed upstairs with another blanket in tow for her. "Good night, see you all in the morning." I called down. I made a mental note that if some sort of noise wakes me up in the night, that I HAD to make sure everything was okay down here. Plus...what if Spike saw if they did...it?

"Night Twilight!" Called Spike.

"Oh, it will be..." Aphrodite moaned, scooting closer to the stallion.

"Help..."

Author's Note

Alright, so I'm late. So what. This shit is hard.

Anyways, I need help. I need your guys' feedback. Lately, I feel this story is...lacking. I need honest feedback on this story. Anything helps. Good feedback OR bad. It'd be really nice to get some.

So...Aphrodite is going to get lucky(Maybe). FINALLY.

Rainbow Dash is seeming to get better as the time goes on. FINALLY.

Oh, and Cashmere finally gets some balls. FINALLY

I liked writing this chapter. Only two left. Pride and Wrath. Let's see how this goes!

Now time for "CYNERYK'S DUMBASS ADVISE OF THE DAY!"

*Puts on a monocle*

Confucius say, virginity is like bubble. One prick and it's all gone."

Have a good one bros!

-Cyneryk

Ch. 16: Vitality

Something in Cashmere seemed to have...sparked. I don't understand. When we first met him, he was pretty timid, and a little cocky. Now he's the opposite. He's trying to lead everyone, which I don't have a problem with per se, I just hope he knows where Ponyville is. Because the rest of us seem to have gotten lost, and the map isn't being much o a help since we're pretty much surrounded by woodland.

Anyways, I feel like Cashmere has changed. Maybe he's finally standing up for himself. True, he has been treated pretty badly ever since we found him, and crashed his party. Right now, he's standing proudly in front of us, leading us on to our destination. I think.

"Do you even know where you're going?" Envy sighed darkly. I could just tell that she was going to instigate something with him. Cashmere huffed haughtily, not even bothering to look in her direction.

"Yes I'm sure. Canterlot is right near Ponyville, so all we have to do is go back to my hometown, and then Ponyville should be right nearby." He explained cleverly.

"But how do you know how to get back to your hometown?" Covette asked, causing Cashmere to sigh.

"Because I live there?" I saw Rarity give Covette an annoyed glance, as if telling her not to start anything, but silently. But Covette didn't seem to care.

"But you just moved there. How do you-"

"Will you please hush so we can can just travel in silence. Hm?" Cashmere asked, politely, but with a tint of anger.

And that's exactly what we did. We travelled the rest of the day in silence, and all night, for that matter. Things have never been so tense between all of us. It seemed like the only thing that I could read from everyone's else's faces was that they all had an extreme dislike for someone else in the group. And it killed me inside, knowing that there was really nothing I could do. Sure, maybe in the end everything will work out between everyone, but there's never a guarantee. Hatred is just another word for contempt, which is just another word for selfishness.

Eventually, we did end up back in Canterlot, but no one was very happy to see us. All the ponies that we passed down the street gave us disgusted glares, all four of us. Rarity was broken hearted, probably thinking that there went her chances of ever living here. And Cashmere was downright embarrassed. I guessed no one had forgotten his party that we ruined. His reputation is now in shambles because of us, and I felt absolutely terrible. I heard some of the insults coming from the classy ponies that we passed on our way through the city.

"Ugh...can you believe them? Them and their...filth?"

"Worst. Party. Ever."

And other such things. I could see Cashmere sadly droop his head in an attempt to not make eye contact with others. Rarity looked like she wanted to shout back at the commentators, but she didn't. It really wouldn't help much. Occasionally, Covette would chuckle at the remarks that others were making towards the stallion.

Cashmere was hurt. He was so cocky and brave earlier, but now...he's back to his old self. And it almost hurt me to see him that way. It's like he's never happy. But having too much money for a long time can do things like that to you. Everything to you is just a material that one can sell and buy. But the things that matter such as love and friendship, not even he can buy.

The sun was starting to go down, so(Much to Cashmere's joy) we decided to stay at his mansion for the night. Although he was a little leery at first, after remembering that Covette had almost robbed him before. So him and Rarity almost threatened her to behave herself. To which she reluctantly agreed.

I knew that the inside of his mansion was quite large, but after exploring past the foyer, I discovered that it is actually very massive. There were enough rooms as that neither of us had to share, and more.

My accommodations were very...roomy. It seemed like it was perfect for me. Most of the room was a bright yellowish color, giving me the kind of childish atmosphere I think Cashmere was going for. The rug, the sheets, the walls, all were very fulvous. Except for the curtains and picture frames hanging up on the walls, which were all a bright pink. At first I wondered how I was going to be able to sleep with all the bright colors in my room, until I realized that the room had no window, which didn't make sense. What if there was a fire? This room would be like a death trap. I just shrugged it off, I didn't think that it would really be an issue since I was only sleeping here one night.

I didn't have a chance to see Rarity or Covettes room, but I bet they suited them as well also. There was a clock on the dresser right next to my bed, which shone a bright red the time: 8:30.

Well...there really wasn't much to do, and my stomach was growling loudly. I would have expected Cashmere to have one of his servants(Who aided us in finding our rooms, and whom are very nice) to map dinner. But they didn't. But it didn't matter to me. I still have a ton of food left that I can nibble on.

I took out a container that I had made before everyone had departed about four or so days earlier. Mmm...salad....I began to happily. But after a few bites, I sighed and set the container on the dresser. The food reminded me of home, which reminded me of my animals. I wondered how they were doing without me...

I wasn't in the mood to eat anymore, so I jumped on my bed and scuttled under the covers. I was exhausted, and we still had another three more days ahead of us. I had to get as much rest as I could. I turned off the lamp that was next to me and watched as the room became overtaken by the dark. I tried not to think about it. About the darkness, and the ominous noises that the mansion made, about the fact that I'm sleeping in a strangers house, and not in my own bed.

I set those unnerving thoughts aside fell asleep mere moments later.

***

CRASH

"AAAH!" A feminine squeal caused me to jolt upright groggily from a deep slumber. I was sleepy, but I was still aware of what was going on. I knew that voice anywhere.

"Rarity?" I whispered to myself. What's happening? I jumped out of bed and ran for the door, only to open it to reveal the darkness that is the hallway. The only light was from what came through the windows. I looked left, and then right, trying to figure out which way the scream had come from. I had to find Rarity's room. My heart started to pound in my chest, and the little voice in my head told me to go back to sleep, and that it was a real issue, let Covette or Cashmere handle it. I almost immediately shook that thought out of my head. There was no way I was going to do that. Come on Fluttershy, you know better than that...

I took a deep breathe and walked out to the hallway very slowly. My worst fears began to plague my mind, what if there was an intruder? Or Rarity had some sort of accident?A part of me wondered where the other three were, and why Covette or Cashmere didn't wake up from the scream. It was fairly loud, and this mansion carries sound pretty well.

"R-R-Rarity?" I called out, only to receive nothing in response. I didn't like this, I didn't like it at all. I felt like something was going to pop out at me any moment now, almost like in a horror film.

I walked down the hallway towards the foyer, the only place that I actually knew the location of. The sound of indistinct chatter finally filled my ears, causing me to let out a small side of relief. When I looked down one the large, curved staircases, I immediately saw Cashmere, Covette, and Rarity all chatting amongst themselves loudly.

"W-What's going on?" I asked, causing the other three to stop arguing and to turn to me. Covette instantly sighed at my sight, and Rarity looked relieved. I walked down the stairs to talk to them.

"Oh! Fluttershy it's HORRIBLE." She said while dramatically putting a hoof to her forehead, almost hitting one of many green curlers in her hair. You could tell she was just sleeping just by looking at her. I raised an eyebrow.

"There was an intruder." Covette said bluntly. I let out a sharp gasp. My mind immediately jumped to radical conclusions. I'm lucky to be alive!

"W-What? Did they take Cashmere's money?" I asked, looking at Covette. I just wanted to make sure it wasn't her doing again.

"Don't look at me!" Covette gritted. "They only took one thing. And it was that damned Medallion!" Rarity looked at the ground guiltily, feeling bad of herself as to let it get so easily stolen.

"What!?" I whispered. Not really wanting to believe it. "Who would break into a million bit mansion and only take the Medallion?" I questioned. Cashmere shrugged, but was very happy that everything else of his is in order.

"I don't know..." He groaned, running his left temple with his hoof. Rarity sighed.

"I'm sorry. It's my fault..." Rarity started, but I cut her off politely.

"No, it's fine, you couldn't have known." I tried to assure her, but I don't think it worked very well, as she still looked very depressed. Good thing we didn't really need the Medallion as of now. There's still two more, and we have the ponies that we came here to get. So there really isn't an issue. But the only question is mind staggering:

Why?

***

The next morning was very...awkward. Everyone was gathered around the kitchen table, not saying a word as they dug into their pancakes that Spike had generously prepared. Pinkie and I had had a good sleep, that was for sure(Pinkie Pie was talking nonstop about a dream she had. Something about feathers and chocolate...and Pony Joe?). But when I looked at Warble, there were large bags under his eyes, and he was trembling slightly. Either due to anxiety or lack of sleep, I couldn't tell. But he kept nervously looking over at Aphrodite, who had a satisfied grin on her face. Her mane was strewn about sexily, but she didn't seem to mind. She looked like she fought a rhinoceros last night.

I tried not to put the obvious pieces together... But Pinkie did it for me.

"So, how did everyone else sleep?"

Dammit Pinkie...

"Oh I slept pretty good...you know. The usual..." Aphrodite breathed, obviously lost in thought about something. She then quickly excused herself to the restroom. When he had made sure that she was gone, Warble glared at Pinkie, and then me angrily.

"Never. Again." He deadpanned, bringing his shaking down under control. I was going to ask what happened, but he beat me to it. "You wanna know what happened? You don't want to know!"

I didn't reply, but he kept talking anyways.

"At around midnight I woke up and turned over in my bed only to find her staring at me with those....eyes!" Oh, I knew those eyes all too well..."Then, later that night, I think it was two in the morning...I woke up to find her IN MY BED. Before I could freaking scream, she puts a GAG over my mouth! She keeps saying these creepy things that I will NEVER get out of my head. 'Don't worry hun, it won't take long'. What the HELL-"

I had a feeling he was going to rant for a while, but it's best I don't interrupt him. He's having a moment.

"Then she proceeds to take her hoof and put it on-"

"OKAY! I don't need to hear anymore!" I exclaimed, putting my hooves in front of my face. Pinkie had the the most intense look of awe on her face. Intruiged by Warble's story.

"But...but I want to know what happened!" She stuck out her lower lip and I shook my head. What Aphrodite does to ponies in the night is NOT something I want to know. Besides, what she did to Warble, she probably would have done to me the night before. That's not something I want to think about.

"I don't!" I yelled, putting my hooves over my ears now. My poor, poor ears...

About thirty seconds later, Aphrodite returned from the bathroom and sat back down on the table. She took a bite out of her pancakes, only to realize that Warble was still staring at her in fear. She let out a sick laugh, and nuzzled his neck with her head.

"Don't worry. The stinging sensation will go away after a few hours..."

That's it. I pushed my half eaten plate of pancakes away from me into the middle of the table. "Ok. I'm done." And with that, I got up from my seat and made my way for the kitchen. Warble thought it'd be the good idea to do the same.

"I'm not hungry." He mumbled as he got up and left, leaving Pinkie, Aphrodite and Spike still left in the kitchen. Spike turned away from the griddle and licked his paw, and ran it through the green spines on his back, somehow making them slick back. He set one elbow on the kitchen counter, trying to act cool. Or what he thinks is "cool".

"You know. I make these pancakes with love~" He said, looking over at Aphrodite, with a sly grin on his face. The mare just rolled her eyes. I could hear Pinkie giggling from the other room.

***

Ennui had to help me put Rainbow Dash on my back. I wasn't sure if it was a good idea to bring her out into the cold again, but I really didn't have a choice. She could die if she stays in here any longer. I stepped out of the carriage, grunting with each step I took. Ennui didn't really know what to do to help me, so she just stood by me to make sure that I don't accidentally drop her.

Fortunately, the snowstorm had stopped, and it was only snowing small flakes right about now. Unfortunately, we were now dealing with snow that roughly came up to my knees. Ennui and I trudged through the snow, with her a little bit in front of me so she can lead the way. I really hoped that this cabin that she was talking about wasn't very far away. If it was, maybe staying in the carriage wasn't such a bad idea. But it was too late now. We were already outside, and I was already freezing.

"Psh. I feel like more of a frozen one, than a chosen one...or whatever it is." Ennui shivered as she began to high knee through the snow. I chuckled a little bit at her joke, hoping that maybe it would help me warm up a little inside. It barely worked.

It was about a mile later where we finally saw the cabin. By this point, I couldn't feel my hooves, and most of my face was frozen. I predict that it was definitely below zero. I would've packed cold weather gear if I knew I was going to have to travel out this far.

The cabin was fairly small, and from the outside, it was beautifully made. The wood was so fresh it looked like the cabin was made just yesterday. Outside of it, lay a pile of firewood.

"Told ya it wasn't that far." Ennui smirked, quite proud of herself that she helped save everyone's life with her curiosity. I knocked on the door.

"Hel-OMPH" I said as I was pushed face first into the snow, sending Rainbow Dash with me.

"LOOK OUT! I got this." She boasted, taking out a very small and fragile stick and begin to poke it through the small key hole. I shook the snow out of my hair and took a gander at Rainbow, who had begun to shake again.

"What is yer deal!?"

Before I knew it, the door to the cabin was already open, and Ennui was standing there proudly holding the stick in her hoof. "I said I got this." With that, she walked over to help me out of the snow bank.

Sometimes...I just want to strangle her.

Ennui helped me bring Rainbow Dash inside the cabin, which wasn't anything special. It mainly consisted of a bed, a couch, a fireplace, and a stove, along with a few other living appliances that were ideal for living in a place like this. Ennui and I set her down on the couch. I searched around for a comfy blanket, and after I found it, I draped it around her.

I stood by her side, waiting and watching. I was scared, which isn't something that I'm used to. I was scared that I was going to lose one of my best friends. If that happened, I don't know. I wouldn't know how I could possibly live with myself.

"Oh hey! There's food in here!" Ennui announced, as she went though the refrigerator. She squee'd as she took out a large piece of apple pie and forcefully closed the door and took a set on the very old and messy bed. The bed's frame squeaked as she sat down.

"Don't sit on there! Who knows who's been sleepin' there?" I told her, but she just shrugged me off.

"I don't care. A bed's a bed to me." She exclaimed happily as she took a large bite out of her piece of pie. I went back to looking at Rainbow Dash. The blanket seemed to be working, as her shivering had gone down some. I finally felt a glimmer of hope. Maybe things would turn out better than it had seemed they would.

Sure, Rainbow and me didn't get along to well, but there are two kinds of enemies. The first one is the one that you hate. The one that you must beat at all costs. And the second is the one where you're enemy pushes you to your limits to make you a better pony. And that says "good game" whether she wins or loses. Rainbow Dash is the latter, and why I respect her and love her so much.

I heard a creak behind me, and abruptly turned my head.

Ennui was off the bed now, standing on her hind legs in front of the now opened door. Behind her was a stallion. I think. He was a pony that I have never even seen before, and he looked a little bizarre. He was definitely older than me, and maybe a few other ponies I know. His mane and tail was like a flame, almost reaching his shoulders in light and dark streaks. His body was grey like smoke. His cutie mark unsettled me though, albeit I wasn't sure what it was supposed to represent. It was some sort of flaming wooden cross.

I also noticed that he was also holding a survival knife up to Ennui's neck.

"A-Applejack" She wheezed, a fearful tear falling from her eye. She looked like she was actually about to collapse from fright. The stallion shook her and held the knife closer to her neck, making her shriek.

"Shut up!" He yelled with a loud and overpowering voice. It had almost hurt my ears. He turned his gaze from Ennui to me, his evil red eyes staring into my own. His face contorted into sheer anger and hatred, and I was a little nervous about confronting him. One wrong move...

"Who are you and what are you doing breaking into my home!?" He howled, ignoring Ennui's struggling completely. All three of us knew that she wasn't strong enough to be able to escape.

"Whoa! Look, just settle down an' we can talk this o-"

"NO! I will NOT calm down!" With every other word he shook Ennui forcefully, only frightening her even more. "You're trespassing on MY land! That means I have the right to kill all of you!" He said, looking behind me at Rainbow Dash. What he had said sparked a fury of my own, but I struggled to keep it at bay.

"Sir! We were in trouble. Mah friend Rainbow Dash was dying an' we needed to take shelter. This is the only place we found!" I explained truthfully. But I'm not sure that he seemed to even care for our safety. Well, yeah. I could tell just by the fact that he has a knife pinned to Ennui's throat.

"Why should I care! I don't like trespassers!" He shouted, only getting more and more furious.

"Please, don't hurt 'er. She did nothing wrong-"

"Yes she did! She's the one who picked the lock to get in here! I saw her!" He said in a low and gravelly voice. Ennui whimpered, afraid of what was to come if something wasn't done. I looked down in defeat only to notice something.

My Medallion wash flashing repeatedly. That means...

"You...we need you." I uttered.

The stallion furrowed his brow. He changed his position. He put his other foreleg around Ennui's neck and pointed the knife at me, getting ready to threaten me this time. Without even thinking, I yanked off my hat and hurled it at him like a frisbee. Before he had time to react, the hat hit his knife with enough force to knock it out of his grip. He doubled back in surprise, and thus let go of Ennui. She hurriedly ran and hid behind my back instinctively.

"What the-!?" His eye's almost turned a deeper shade or scarlet.

"Look! Please calm down. Ah know rea'ize why we're here. Let us explain. First off, let meh introduce mahself. I'm Applejack." I pointed at the shaking Ennui behind me. "That's Ennui." And lastly I pointed to Rainbow on the couch. "That's Rainbow Dash." I thought that maybe if I introduced myself, maybe it would get him to calm down. Ya know, small talk. "Who are ya?" I concluded.

The stallion was still boiling inside, and he muttered through gritted teeth while standing strong and powerfully. "Kindling! What do you want?!"

Author's Note

I kind of like this chapter. Although I feel like I should add some things, but it's good for now. Will edit and add things later to it.

So...I guess Warble's scarred for life, and Spike...*Shudders* At least he didn't wake up to see it.

Wrath has been found. So that only leaves one pony left: Pride. Jeez, that almost got violent for a second, didn't it?

Oh, and the Medallion is stolen. Greeeeat. At least they didn't really need it anymore. But I wonder who could've done it...

Anyways, thanks for reading, and please comment if you liked it, and what you thought of the chapter and whatnot. Feedback is appreciated!

Anyways, it's time for CYNERYK'S DUMBASS ADVICE OF THE DAY!

Ahem *Puts on a monocle*

There is no "I" in team. But there is in "Intercourse".

Yeah, I dunno, I just make these up on the spot...anyways...

Have a good one bros!

-Cyneryk

PS. Also, first one to find the randomly placed reference wins an internet!(Just kidding. They win my undying affection. And ass)

Ch. 17: Cerulean

Kindling. So, this is obviously Wrath. I'd have to be an idiot to not be able to figure that out. I was a little nervous talking to him, like I stated before, one wrong word and things could get ugly. He definitely seemed like a violent pony, that was for sure. I saw that his left eye was uncontrollably twitching with fury. I was a little clueless right about now.

"Please listen ta me! You're one a' the ponies that we've been lookin' fer." He raised an eyebrow at me, even though the scowl on his face had only grown.

"What are you talking about?" He growled, his eyes piercing into mine. I felt like I was speaking to a live time bomb.

"Look, this Medallion is supposed to bring us to Ah pony that we needed to find." I explained, while holding up the Medallion, which was flashing so brightly that it almost blinded him. It didn't seem to faze him very much, as it only caused him to squint slightly.

"Go on..."

"Mah friends and Ah are on a mission to find some ponies that represent some kinds of attribute. Ennui here represents sloth, while you represent wrath, Ah think."

"Ha." He stated bemusedly, seeming to calm down a little bit. It was apparent that he was trying to humor me. "I don't represent nothin'. You best keep your lies to yourself if you know what's good for you."

Me? Lie? You have to be kidding me.

"Ah'm not lying!" I shouted back at him, forgetting for a moment who I'm even talking to.

"She's not lying, bro!" Ennui shivered behind me, a little shaken after what had almost just happened, but she was beginning to get passed it fairly quickly. Kindling looked at me, and then at Ennui, and grabbed his chest in pain. All that anger isn't good for an older pony like him. He snatched a nearby capsule full of what I guessed was pills and downed a hoof-full of them. As soon as he swallowed, he let out a sigh of relief.

"I'm sorry, I believe you. I just get worked up sometimes." He mumbled to himself, albeit loud enough for everyone in the room to hear. He set the pills on the table that it was just on a moment ago carefully. I walked over to him and put a hoof on his shoulder.

"It's alright." I told him. I explained to him our situation, and our reason for why we were searching for him, and the impending Changeling invasion. He just stood there, slack jawed. He seemed to not like the news at all.

"Dumbass changelings again, hm...?" He grabbed his pills off the table and took a few more. I later learned that the pills he takes help keep him from having a heart attack. Being old and angry do not mix.

"Heh, yeah...sure I'll help." He muttered, taking a seat on his bed, causing it to loudly squeak again. "So, is she going to be alright?" Kindling asked, looking at Rainbow Dash. I hadn't noticed, but she was steadily breathing, and was no longer shaking. She looked like she was just simply taking a nap. I nodded.

"Yeah, she should." I told him. Ennui wasn't too sure what to do right about now. She was almost afraid of Kindling, after all, he did almost kill her. And she didn't really have anyplace to nap. So she improvised and awkwardly lied down in the middle of the floor. I face-hooved and Kindling groaned a little bit.

"She's sloth all right..."

"Tell me about it."

I figured that we had a little bit of time to waste, since Ennui was sleeping, and Rainbow Dash was still recovering. So Kindling and I spent the next hour just talking to each other. I told him about my life back in Ponyville, and Sweet Apple Acres. Which he seemed genuinely interested in. He also seemed to have a liking for apples just like me, which I was glad to hear about. He also told me a little about him. Such as he lives here because he wants to. He's been having trouble keeping his anger under control and almost hurt his wife back home in Vanhoover when he had found out that she was cheating on him. While he hadn't hurt his wife, he did hurt her other lover however, and had almost killed him. Luckily, the stallion didn't press charges, but it killed him inside having to bear with the fact that he almost killed someone(Even though he had just almost killed Ennui), so he moved up here so he could be angry all by himself.

"Wow...Ah'm mighty sorry to hear that." I said sincerely, and he just shrugged me off.

"Nah, it's fine. I'm just happy that I'm going someplace new. Maybe when this is all over, I can start anew in Ponyville. Make new friends and maybe find another special somepony." He told me, and for some reason making me smile.

"I know ya will."

A few moments later, I heard his stomach growl. I offered to give him some of the food I had leftover(Which honestly wasn't much), and he turned me down. He walked over to the refrigerator and rummaged through it. I saw his face turn red once again, and he pulled out his pills again.

"WHO ATE MY PIE!?"

Ennui tried her best to look like she was sleeping through the ruckus that Kindling was making, but I knew for darn sure that she was awake, and didn't want to say anything. She made fake and quant, dainty snoring noises as Kindling swallowed even more pills from the endless capsule.

Rainbow Dash is going to have a ball when she wakes up.

***

The rest of the day for everyone was very lax, not that that was a bad thing. Everyone tended to their own business most of the time. I spent most of my time reading, and Spike just did chores around the library. Pinkie thought it'd be a GREAT idea to introduce Aphrodite(Which seemed like a terrible idea to me at the time, but I couldn't stop her) and Warble to the citizens around town.

About an hour later, she and the other two burst through the for happily, a smile on all their faces.

"Make new friends?" I implied, Warble nodded, and Aphrodite simply grinned.

"Eeyep! I've even formed a little "Welcome To Ponyville" party for them! It actually starts in a few minutes!" Pinkie stated, I raised an eyebrow at her.

"Oh, cool. You'd better get going then. I'll catch up in a minute. Just let me finish reading this." I said before looking back at my book. Good for Aphrodite and Warble, making new friends already. Pinkie obviously knew what she was doing.

"But we're already there." Aphrodite stated before putting a party hat on her head. Once again, I raised an eyebrow.

"What do you-" I didn't even finish the sentence before I heard a large rumbling noise coming from outside. I put the pieces together, and I wasn't very happy after figuring it out.

Not a second later, the door FLEW open, and ponies off all different colors from around Ponyville hustled inside of the library. Many of them had brought party decorations that they immediately hung up on the walls and tables. Some had brought refreshments(I'm sure Warble will appreciate that) and one pony even happened to bring a stereo. The quiet ambience of the library was soon filled up with the sound of loud party music, and chattering ponies.

"P-Pinkie!" I shouted over the music. Aphrodite and Warble went to chat amongst the ponies, while Pinkie walked back over to me. I angrily shut my book using my magic.

"Ohh isn't it great Twilight?" She giggled, proud of her work. I sighed.

"Pinkie, you can't just have a party in a library..." I started. She didn't seem to listen to me over the loud music, so she just bounced over to talk to her friend Ditzy. Great, now how am I going to study...

I looked over at Aphrodite and noticed that she was now talking(Well, more like flirting...)with Big Mac. Oh boy, if Applejack was here she would knock her back to Las Pegasus with one buck. I quickly ran over and jumped in between them. Normally I don't intrude on others when they are trying to chat and mingle with others. But I'm doing Big Mac a big favor.

"Hey! Big Mac! I think, um, Warble wanted to talk to you!" I uttered. Aphrodite glared at me crossly as Big Mac went to go tend to his business. She shoved me back a ways with her hoof.

"Ok, you need to stop getting in my way! I don't meddle in your relationships!" Aphrodite sneered, I angrily shoved her back.

"Yeah well you don't have the right to hit on and potentially rape my friends!" I countered. She shoved me again, harder.

"He enjoyed it!" I shoved her back.

"Says you! You scarred the guy!" She shoved me so hard I almost fell on the floor.

"CAT FIIIGHT!" Spike yelled from nearby, cupping his claws over his mouth. Aphrodite laughed and I (Along with every pony else in the room who had heard him) stared at him disgustedly. I must admit, most of the stallions were pretty fond of the idea, but since the number of stallions at this party was greatly outnumbered, no one said a thing. Spike blushed and scuttled away awkwardly.

"That's it! PINKIE TAKE YOUR PARTY SOMEWHERE ELSE!" I shouted. Within seconds, Pinkie Pie was right by my side, with a slight frown on her face.

"You don't like my party?"

"Pinkie, this is a library!" I told her, she stuck out her lip cutely once again.

"But...but there's no where else! And everyone's having such a good time..." She pointed to the middle of the room, where there was a large group of ponies dancing, and right next to it there was another laughing and talking amongst themselves. A few partygoers next to me agreed with her.

I let out a large sigh, and nodded. "Fine. But please don't let this be a long party..."

Pinkie let out a foalish giggle and took out a microphone. "Woo! Let's get this party started!" She shouted, almost destroying my ear drums. She then pulled out a remote that had a single red button on it. She pushed it, and what happened next...I don't even know anymore.

The large chandelier above us was suddenly replaced with a disco ball. The normal lights dimmed and was replaced by flashing strobe lights. The music began to play even louder, as everypony cheered and began to dance to the music..

What have I done?

***

The next morning, I woke up quite late. I expected this to happen, as I usually don't get up at all through the night, and after what happened last night, I was very tired for some reason. I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes and hopped out of bed. I grabbed a few toiletries from my saddlebag and made left the room, searching high and low for a bathroom.

It took me a moment, but I had finally found one just down the hall, and I must say it was very shiny and clean...

Anyways, I finished up brushing my teeth and my mane. At that point, I was clueless. I had no idea where everyone else was. Needless to say, I wandered around the mansion for a good half hour, passing the room I stayed in at least twice. I was actually starting to get a little scared. What if I was the only one left in the mansion?!

"Fluttershy?" I heard a voice call out behind me. I jumped so high that I swore that I almost hit the ceiling. Covette could not stop laughing.

"Oh, hi Covette..." I mumbled, looking down at the ground. I expected her to say something rude to me, as usual. But to my surprise she didn't say anything. She just stared at me. This was so awkward... "Do you know where Rarity is?"

Covette pointed down the hallway behind her. "Down there with Cashmere. You know, I'm starting to think that Cashmere took the Medallion..." She said as she randomly took out an apple, and began to munch on it. I did a double take at what she had said.

"What!? How can you say that?" I asked her. Covette rolled her eyes again, looking at me as if I was stupid.

"Guy's a greedy bastard. If it's not his, he'll want it. He probably thought the Medallion was nice and shiny, so he took it in the night. Simple as that." She deduced. It made a lot of sense, and I had to give her credit. But that was impossible.

"There's no way Cashmere took it." I told her calmly, and Covette looked a little annoyed at the fact that I was trying to debunk her flawless theory. "Cashmere already tried to take it earlier when we first met him." I explained, thinking back when he had his eyes set on the amulet.

"And..? What else is new?"

"He burnt his hoof as soon as he made contact with it. I think it has something to do with the fact that the attributes can't touch the Medallion themselves. He couldn't have taken it. If he did, then he'd have burns on him. And he's not a unicorn." I explained to her. Covette stared at me angrily, taking another rough bite of her apple.

"Look, that guy is no good. I'm warning you. Something about him seems off." Covette warned. I just simply stared at her in disbelief.

Something was off alright, but it's not with Cashmere. It's with Covette. She never really liked any of us, but she dislikes Cashmere more than anyone. She claims it's because he's selfish, and that he never does anything honorable with his money and riches, but it honestly seemed like that was a lie to me.

"Covette...why do you hate Cashmere so much?" I asked, but as expected, I got the same answer.

"Because he's a greedy pig who never does anything worthwhile. He could help ponies that live on the street, but no, he doesn't." She hollered back, a single tear rolling down her cheek. I knew it was something more, and I must have brought up some bad feelings.

"Covette, tell the truth. I'm not going to judge you." I told her. I didn't really expect it to be that easy, anyways, but she sighed.

"No."

"Please? I won't tell anyone!" I reminded her, her eyes squinted at me irritatedly. She took a deep breathe, and then exhaled.

"You know what? FINE! Just because I'm tired of keeping secrets." I took a seat on the ground and began to listen to her speak.

Turns out, Covette's been living on the street for a LONG time. Ever since she was a filly. She slept in a cardboard box every night in the cold. Usually on one of the less populated street corners of Manehatten. She was never able to take showers, and she had to go through the garbage just to get food. Eventually, she had to tone her cross country running when she resorted to thievery.

When Covette was going through a very rough time in her life, food was short, and terrible weather were constant, Cashmere would occasionally pass her cardboard box on the street on his way to school. Covette would always pop her head out of the box and ask him the same question every single day, only getting weaker and weaker.

"Please...can you lend me some food? I'm really hungry..." She begged. Not caring about her dignity anymore. After going two days without food completely, she didn't care. Every day, Cashmere gave her the same answer, without turning to acknowledge the mare like the "snobby rich kid he was".

"Sorry, can't." And with that, he would walk away, down the street, leaving Covette to starve.

Every day, this would happen. And every day, Covette would get more and more hungry. Until eventually, he stopped passing her box entirely when she found out he changed schools to go to a much more expensive and private school.

"And ever since then, I've hated his guts. HAPPY?!" She screamed in my face. I was too dumbstruck to say anything. And when she didn't get a proper response, she huffed and began to walk down the hallway. "Keep that to yourself. I want him to remember me on his own."

I nodded, and with that, she turned around and walked back down the hall. I just sat there, completely stunned. I never knew, and I'm quite glad that now I did now. I now know where that constant hatred for other's has come from. I now know why she is considered the attribute of "Envy".

It all made sense.

Author's Note

Finally! Anyways, two chapters in one day? SWEET!

Decided to make this chapter about backstories. Which I will do a lot more of later in the story.

Oh and Pinkie throws a party and Twilight looks about ready to strangle her. YAY

Anyways, that's all for today. Will work on the next chapter either tomorrow or tomorrow night.

Anyways, It's now time for "CYNERYK'S DUMBASS ADVICE OF THE DAY"

Ahem *Puts on a monocle*

"Confucius say to reuse a condom, turn it inside out and shake the f*ck out of it "

Yeah. I used google that time. But it made me laugh. Well not really. I just breathed a little louder than I normally would have...

Anyways, have a good one bros!

-Cyneryk

Ch. 18: Tranquil

After my talk with Covette, I followed her instructions and quickly met up with Rarity and Cashmere near the foyer with their things in tow. Apparently they had been ready to go for a long time, and was just waiting on Covette and I.

"Fluttershy!" Rarity exclaimed at the sight of me, rather dramatically. "There you are! We thought you may have gotten lost!" She uttered, making me blush slightly after realizing that she was indeed correct.

"I was for a little bit." I admitted, looking away from them. "But Covette told me where you both were..." I looked over to Cashmere, staring at him a little longer than I had hoped. Was he that heartless of a colt back then? Does he REALLY not remember Covette? One doesn't forget walking passed a starving filly everyday during their childhood. Maybe he's choosing not to remember, kind of like pushing it to the back of his mind, and making himself forget.

Cashmere looked left and right awkwardly, and after realizing how long and hard I've been staring at him, I blushed and turned away. I hope he didn't get the wrong message.

He cleared his throat and spoke up in an attempt to cut through the awkwardness I have just caused. "Anyways. We should leave immediately. If we do, then we can reach Ponyville by later this evening." He announced. Rarity was overjoyed at the fact, and swooned.

"Ah! Finally!" She cheered. To be honest, I was quite happy as well. I know Rarity was excited to take a bath in one of Cashmere's room sized bathtubs, but it never beats home. "I can't wait! Hopefully we didn't keep everyone else waiting!" Rarity thought out loud. I'm really glad that she got over the Medallion and it's disappearance. Perhaps she finally accepted that it wasn't her fault.

Well, at least we didn't need it anymore, and our friends still have two more that we can use.

"We should probably find Covette." Cashmere added, looking around. It was odd. After Covette and I were done talking(I also still wanted to talk to her some more later) she began to walk down the hall towards the foyer a ways in front of me, and now she disappeared. Sometimes I just don't understand her.

Cashmere turned to a servant that happened to be walking by with a plate of dishes and kindly ask that he locate Covette and bring her to them, to which the servant happily accepted.

About 20 minutes later, Covette's angry grunts could be heard. "Let go off me! You stupid excuse for a butler! I will bucking sue you if you don't let me go!" She shouted. The blue maned servant was much stronger than he looked, that was for sure, because he actually brought her here single-hoofedly. He dropped her on the floor in front of Cashmere's feet.

"Morning!" He grinned.

"Shut up."

"Be nice!" Rarity mumbled. I was going to blurt out to Rarity not to say that, because after knowing what I know now it would only infuriate her. But I kept quiet. Covette noticed that I was going to say something, and shut her mouth. She didn't want me to blurt out information either. The green mare mumbled to herself.

Eventually, after everyone had gathered their things, we all left Cashmere's mansion(I think I saw a few tears in his eyes as we walked out through the front door...). I really wanted to talk to Cashmere now about Covette. He must remember her, there's no way he could have just forgotten her like that. But I can't for multiple reasons. I fear that if I talk to Cashmere that Covette might get mad and hurt me.

There wasn't much left of our journey now. We were nearing the ending, and everyone seemed to be very glad. After all, all we wanted to do was relax for once.

The whole way to Ponyville was filled with constant bickering and fighting amongst the other three ponies. I'm not sure about what, but I knew for sure that Covette was the source of it all. I tried my best to ignore the arguing, and soon enough I found myself zoning out as we walked down the woodland trail.

I was daydreaming about home. About when this was all over. I can go home and play with all my critters back at my cottage. I was more than ecstatic. They probably missed me like crazy. I was also hoping that my home wasn't completely destroyed...

I must say, the trip to Ponyville was much shorter than I thought. Either that or I was zoned out for a very long time. But the next thing I knew, all four of us were up on top of a hill overlooking our hometown.

"Finally!" Rarity whined. Like I said, I don't blame her for being excited. We all are. Cashmere smiled at Rarity politely.

"I had a feeling that you two came from a hick town..." Covette mumbled under her breathe. Luckily, I was the only one that heard, but that didn't stop my from dropping my jaw at her. That was just downright rude! But, I just ignored her. I'm trying not to start any more fights than there already are.

"So...now what?" Cashmere suddenly asked, looking at me to answer the question. I did a double take and looked over at Rarity, hoping that she would answer instead. Rarity let out a long sigh.

"We're meeting our other friends, and hopefully the other attributes, at the Library." She said, looking down the hill. You could literally see the large tree that the library resides in from here.

Not too much longer.

Little did I know the ending was just the beginning.

***

About three hours later, the party finally began to draw to a halt. When all the party guests had left, the library was completely TRASHED. Most of the walls had punch on it, and the floor was littered with trash and snacks. I sighed at the huge mess that had accumulated, and at the fact that I was going to have to help pick this up. Normally, Spike would be more than happy to do it, but I'd feel pretty bad. It'll take him all day on his own.

I found Aphrodite passed out on the floor. Which was strange because I could've swore that this party had no alcoholic beverages. At least I didn't see any. I simply shook my head and poked her.

"Aphro?" I asked her. She opened an eye and waved me away, turning her head away from me.

"Go away..." She slurred slightly. Well, I was right, she was a little drunk. Somehow.

I walked over to my bookshelf(Which I made extra sure wasn't touched during the party) and took out one of my spell books. I'm pretty sure I have one that can cure a hangover. It only took me a few moments to find it. I levitated the book over to Aphrodite and set it down. I focused my magic on the mare, and a pink aura surrounded her. It let the magic simmer on her until she finally started to sit up, rubbing her head. When it seemed like the was doing alright, I brought down the magical aura.

"Whoa. You're going to have to teach me how to do that." She spoke, no longer slurring. I grinned. Like THAT was going to happen.

Not to my surprise, Pinkie and Warble were snacking in the kitchen. He still doesn't think he represents Gluttony. But the facts(and his eating habits) prove otherwise. Aphrodite and I quickly met them in the kitchen, both of them with pink frosted cupcakes in their mouth.

Warble stopped dead in his tracks, as if he was just caught in headlights.

"Mmph...hi thwihlit" He said, the cupcake still in his mouth. I smiled and waved at him. And Pinkie couldn't stop laughing at the situation.

Aphrodite took this as a invitation to grab a pink cupcake and take a small bite out of it, and moaned with delight. Quite awkwardly, actually. I took a step away from her.

"Anyone want to help me clean up?" I asked.

"Ehh.."

"No."

"Ihm ghoohd."

I let out a small grunt of frustration and physically pushed everyone out of the kitchen. I was not doing this alone, and neither was Spike. Immediately, everyone got started on cleaning up. Pinkie got started on cleaing up the decorations, Warble took care of the walls, and Spike and I helped to organize the room. Aphrodite had a good time mopping the floor. She happened to bring some sort of maid outfit(That was VERY revealing, might I add.) along with her, and took it upon herself to deem this as a good time to use it.

Eventually, while we were cleaning, there was a knock on the door.

"PARTY'S OVER!" I shouted, a little on edge. To my dismay they walked through the door anyways, only to see two ponies walk in. A mare and a stallion. And behind them was...Rarity and Fluttershy!?

"Should we just come back later?" Rarity smiled, I ran up to her and Fluttershy and gave them a big hug.

"You're back!" I cheered, stating the obvious. I looked over at the mare. She was very...rude. She didn't do anything, but she gave off a very unhappy vibe. Pinkie Pie walked up to her.

"Hi! I'm Pinkie!" She shouted, catching the mare off guard. The scowl on the mare's face only seemed to expand. She obviously had some sort of problem with Pinkie already. That's a record.

"I know. Leave me alone." She growled. Wow. What really confused me was that Rarity and Fluttershy had to retrieve her, and they're both some of the nicest mares in Ponyville. I wonder how they managed to recruit her.

I walked over to the mare and the stallion. The mare stared at me disgustedly, while the chartreuse stallion stared at me kindly. "Hello, I'm Twilight Sparkle." I introduced.

"I'm Cashmere. I'm told I represent Greed..." He stated. Weird, he didn't look very greedy to me. The only thing that might have tipped me off was the fact that his cutie mark was a bag of cash. I looked over at the mare expectedly. She just looked at the ground angrily.

"...And you are?" I asked, the mare continued to say nothing. I looked over at Rarity.

"That's Covette...she's....Envy." She said slowly. Covette slowly raised her head. I had a feeling that she wasn't very happy to be here.

"Well, nice to meet you both!" I said politely, smiling at both of them. Cashmere nodded.

"Likewise."

"Whatever."

Aphrodite and Warble then stepped up. To be honest, I had completely forgotten about them. I could see that this wasn't going to be good. After introducing themselves, Aphrodite (unsurprisingly) had her eyes set on Cashmere now. Much to Warble's undying happiness. He was very kind to her in return, and he was surprisingly formal. He must be from Canterlot, if I could have taken an educated guess.

Meanwhile, Covette wouldn't stop staring at Aphrodite. Her eyes were filled with hatred as she did so. This wasn't going to end well.

Warble was being very shy, and didn't talk to anyone until Fluttershy confronted him. They became friends very quickly, it seems. At least something was going right.

I couldn't help but wonder where Applejack and Rainbow Dash were. I just hoped that they would get here soon. It's been about five days. I also just realized, were is every pony going to sleep? Our sleeping arrangements for last night were already hectic. Now we have double the ponies.

It was a little later when I walked by the kitchen, which I thought was unoccupied. Only to see Aphrodite talking to the new pony, Covette.

"What is your deal?" Aphrodite groaned, a tinge of annoyance in her voice. "All you've been doing is staring at me the whole time since you've gotten here. Either you want me, or you don't like me."

"It's the bucking latter, obviously. Psh, Mrs. Lust. Unlike most ponies, I don't want you. Nor do I want anything to do with you. You disgust me." Covette growled, and Aphrodite's jaw dropped. She looked very hurt and that's when I decided to intrude.

"What's going on?" I asked them both. Covette let out a sharp "Humph" and turned away from me. Aphrodite seemed glad that I had made a sudden appearance.

"It's her! All she's done since she's been here is stare at me, and hate me! I didn't do anything." A wicked smile appeared on her face. "Well, I guess she's just a little enviou-"

"Don't. Go there." She brought the conversation to a brief halt. "I'm not jealous of you. And I never will be. Why would I be jealous of some two-timing rapist slut?" She barked. Aphrodite's and my own eyes widened at what she had just said. Aphrodite suddenly became full of rage, and she looked ready to attack the mare. Tears began to fall down her face. I wasn't sure if it was because if sadness, anger, or realization.

"Just who the Hell do you think you are? Talking to me like that!?" She asked her.

"Someone who doesn't fall for your cheap, sexual tricks." Covette stated, before deciding she's had enough. With that, she trotted out of the kitchen. Aphrodite started to follow her, but she stopped herself, and sat down on the floor. Tears began to freely flow down her face.

I set a hoof on Aphrodite's shoulder and sat next to her on the floor. She buried her head and sobbed into my chest, and I patted her back rather awkwardly. "Are you alright?"

"No..." She sobbed, staining my chest with her tears. "She's right..."

"No, she's not!" I tried to comfort her, but she wouldn't have any of it.

"Yes she is. I'm a slut. A whore. A harlot. There's no denying it..." She spoke. I wanted to tell her that she was wrong, but she wouldn't let me. I felt that it might just be better to listen instead. "I can't help that I'm always like this. I-I don't like this. Do you know what life was like back in Las Pegasus?"

"Su-"

"It was bucking horrible. I spent every night with a new mare, or stallion. I would bring them home and we would...you know..." I tried to get the mental image out of my mind. "And every night I hoped that they wouldn't be like the rest. To just use me, and then leave. But that's how it always turned out. I wake up in my bed, and they're gone. I never hear from them again!" She smacked the ground with her hoof, her frustration rising. "No call!"SMACK "No letters!" SMACK "NOTHING!" SMACK

"It's going to be okay, Aphrodite..." I tried to reconcile her. She looked up at me, her makeup was very much smeared around her eyes from crying, and she had even managed to get some on my coat.

"You want to know something, Twilight?" She asked me as she brought her gaze to the floor. My inner curiosity showed itself once again, and I nodded. "One day, I want to have a family. I want to have a husband...or wife. I don't care. Anyone. I want foals..."

What she had said almost put a tear in my own eye. I felt so bad for her, I never could've guessed. Maybe...she wasn't as bad as I originally thought. I told her the same thing that my parents told me when I was a foal, when I was worried about Celestia's test. It was also the first thing that came to my mind.

"Ask, and you shall receive."

***

"...W-What?" I heard a low voice say behind me. Kindling and I quickly turned around. Rainbow Dash was sitting up and rubbing her head. She had removed the blanket that was on top of her. She looked horrible. Her mane was strewn about. And instead of looking like a perfect rainbow, it looked like someone splattered different colors on a canvas. "Applejack?"

"Rainbow!" I jumped up and hugged her tightly, leaving Kindling on the bed. She happily hugged me back.

"What happened?" She asked, as she finally noticed Kindling on the bed. "Where are we?" She then began to look around the rest of the cabin from the couch.

"Ya got hypothermia. Or somethin'. Ah can't remember. So we brought ya to Kindling here's cabin." I explained. Kindling walked over to her and smiled. Something I wouldn't really expect a "Wrath" to do.

"Hello." He spoke, and Rainbow waved at him awkwardly.

"He's also the pony we've been lookin' fer." I added. Rainbow's eyes widened and let out a happy sigh.

"Which one is he?"

"Wrath."

Rainbow said nothing after thinking about it. She leaned over and whispered to me. "So...we're talking to a live time bomb?" I laughed, because I had just made that comparison earlier. I smiled and nodded, making Rainbow gulp. I decided not to tell her about the whole situation where he almost killed Ennui earlier.

"Don't worry. I'm a nice guy. Just don't piss me off. You didn't touch my pie did you?" Kindling asked playfully.

A loud snore erupted from Ennui on the floor.

"Anyways..." Rainbow Dash set a hoof on the floor, and I helped her get to her feet. She wobbled around for a bit before she finally got her bearings. "Now what?"

I looked over at Kindling and Ennui, and shrugged.

"Well, how many days do we have left?"

I did the math in my head, and gave her a pretty close guess-timate. "Two..." Something finally clicked in my head, and I finally realized what Rainbow was getting at. "There's no way we're going to make it in time..." I groaned, smacking my forehead. There is absolutely no way. It's impossible.

"Great..." Rainbow sighed. Ennui finally woke herself up when she decided that Kindling had finally forgotten about the pie.

"I'm awake. What did I miss?" She yawned. Like usual, her eyes remained the same, half open. When she noticed that Rainbow Dash was awake, a playful smirk appeared on her lips. The kind that entails that she's going to say something she's better off not saying.

"I see the drugs wore off..." She said. Rainbow suddenly looked very nervous.

"Drugs!?" She looked at me, and then Kindling, before realizing that Ennui was joking. Much to her delight. I couldn't help but chuckle. It's fun to see Rainbow Dash freak out sometimes. "Shut up, Ennui."

Ennui grinned.

"But seriously, what're we gonna do?" I asked. Everyone shrugged. Like clockwork, a knock appeared at the door.

"Another visitor? This is the most company I've had in years..." Kindling added. I walked over to the door and slowly opened it. At the door was a member of the royal guard. His body was lime green and his mane blended into the snow, much like Ennui's. Behind him was a royal carriage. The cart was painted beautifully, and had two royal guard member's attached to it. Pegasi, to be precise.

"Can ah help ya?" I asked. The green stallion looked down at a piece of paper in his hoof.

"Applejack and Rainbow Dash?" He asked. Rainbow Dash appeared right next to me at the sound of her name being called.

"The one and only. What do you want?" She asked, rather rudely. She was just almost killed, and she's already back to her old self. I didn't know what I was expecting, really.

"My name is Odysseus." He introduced. "The Princess said you may be in need of assistance." He said. Ennui and Kindling stared at them from behind us, not sure of what to make of this.

"So...you single?" Ennui asked. You done did it now... I saw Kindling's cheeks puff up angrily as he remembered what he did to his cheating ex-wife. He just took a deep breathe and downed some more pills. At this rate, it wouldn't be long before he ran out.

"Yeah..." He sighed.

"Okay. Just wondering." Ennui looked at him.

"Uhm, yeah?" I said. Speaking to Odysseus now. Were they here to help us get back to Ponyville? I sure hope so, because if not, we're kind of screwed. Odysseus looked back at his paper, and then back at me.

"If you would like a ride back to Ponyville, please come with us. Time is of the essence." He said, before walking over to the cart. Rainbow Dash couldn't help but laugh at his last words. 'Time is of the essence.' she mocked, comparing what he just said to something that would be in a bad movie. I elbowed her.

"Be polite. They're trying to help us."

Rainbow and I walked inside, and grabbed our things. Ennui and Kindling picked up on the situation, and they both grabbed their things as well. "Looks like we have a ride after all."

Author's Note

Don't know why, but this was very difficult to write. So..Rainbow Dash woke up, and they most likely have a ride back to Ponyville. Things heat up between Lust and Envy.( I had a lot of fun writing that part.), and I think Warble and Fluttershy is already starting to hit it off. So far so good? Two days until Changeling attack. But wait...six ponies, six sins....where is the last one? Hmm...The answer will come up shortly.

Feedback is greatly appreciated. I mean really. Tell me what you think. What characters you like or dislike, what you think of the story. Either way, good and bad feedback is very much appreciated.

Now, it's time for CYNERYK'S DUMBASS ADVICE OF THE DAY!

Ahem *Puts on a monocle*

"Don't be silly. Cover your willy."

Yeah, I don't know. Either way, thanks for reading!

Have a good one bros!

-Cyneryk

Ch. 19: Centurion

A little while later, after I was able to calm Aphrodite down, things seemed to really cheer up around the library. For the most part, everyone seemed to be getting along pretty well. I told Fluttershy, Rarity and Pinkie about Aphrodite's argument with Covette and asked them to help me make sure they stay away from each other. At least for a little bit. I really don't get what Covette's problem is. What she said to Aphrodite was completely inappropriate. Even though, yes, Aphrodite an be straightforward a lot, and she may be constantly horny. But still, completely unnecessary.

I tried to ask Fluttershy about Covette, and if she's always been like that. But she didn't really give me an answer. She just kind of mumbled something unintelligible under her breathe. I had to keep asking her until I finally gave up. I tried to also ask Rarity, but she said she didn't know anything at all. That that was how they found her.

In the back of my mind, I started to get a little nervous. To be honest, I expected Rainbow and Applejack to get back to the library first. They're definitely more determined, as it's in their nature, and they were faster physically. But even still. Maybe they got unlucky and got stuck trying to find Sloth.

That also reminded me. We only needed three more. I was suddenly ecstatic. Three more until the power of the Medallion was finally unlocked. We can prevent the Changelings from taking over with their army, and we can save Equestria!

It was starting to get late, and there was a horrid nagging in the back of my mind that told me that something was wrong. Maybe they got caught up somewhere. I'm pretty sure I saw them heading for the train station when this whole mess started. Maybe they tried to take the train back, and something happened?

It was night time now, when Spike ran out of the kitchen holding a scroll.

"Twilight! I have a message from the Princess!" He barked. Immediately, my head jolted up. I had almost fallen asleep you know.

I levitated the scroll out of Spike's claw and unravelled it, slowly reading it over.

My Faithful Student,

When you find six of the seven "sins", please come visit me in Canterlot. All of you. I have something that I need to tell you before you find the seventh.

Regards,

Princess Celestia

And that was it. My mind was racing with possible thoughts. What did she want to tell me? And why did she want to tell me when we're almost done with the mission? Why not now? Or when this is all over? I decided not to worry about it, and that I'll learn when Applejack and Rainbow Dash get back with their two "sins".

I kindly asked Spike to write a letter back to the Princess telling her that I had gotten her message and that I would be happy to oblige. He gave me a firm salute before running back into the kitchen. Spike had stopped talking to Aphrodite for some reason. I think he must have over heard her argument with Covette, and decided to lay off. Which is the best thing a pony could do right about now.

I stayed up very late waiting for Applejack and Rainbow Dash. But they didn't come. Everyone else had managed to fall asleep wherever they felt like it. Warble was trying very hard to stay awake with me, resorting to stuffing himself with Pinkie's pastries to make him stay awake. I must tell you, I'm surprised that he didn't get a sugar rush, because he ate a TON of cake, and cupcakes. But he eventually fell asleep when it was obvious that he was incapable of staying awake.

Covette...ugh. She thought it'd be nice to take over MY bed. Not even caring to ask. But I don't really care. I just wish she just would've asked. It's not like I planned on going to sleep or anything tonight anyways. Not with my mind being so scrambled as of recently.

Cashmere, Rarity, Pinkie and Aphrodite(After a massive gab session) all fell asleep in random places around the library. Wow, I never knew how much gossip all four of them knew. I tried to listen in on what they were talking about. First, it was some popular movie, and then 30 seconds later they were talking about some sort of celebrity scandal. I'm not sure, but it was very difficult to follow.

Lastly, that leaves Fluttershy. To be honest, I have no idea where she went. I searched the whole house looking for her, but she seemed to have left. I think she just went to check on her animals. I'm sure she'll be back soon.

It was about three in the morning when there was a knock on the door. I had just fallen asleep, and I was very groggy. But nevertheless, I forced myself to wake up. Forgetting what I was doing before I had even fallen asleep, I slowly walked over to the door and opened it. Only to see Applejack,(With a brown mare on her back...who appeared to be sleeping) Rainbow Dash, and a fiery looking stallion.

"Miss us?" Applejack asked as I gave her a large hug. She chuckled. Before breaking the hug and walking inside. My excited giggles accidentally woke everyone in the library up. Even Covette who was all the way upstairs.

"What's happening?" She asked, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. I pointed to Rainbow Dash and Applejack.

"These are my two other friends. Applejack and Rainbow Dash." Everyone sleepily said their own hellos.

"Nice to meet you all!" Rainbow said, rather formally. Something I never really would have expected her to say quite like that. She looked around the room, and noticed that there were about four unknown ponies in the room with us. "Uhh."

The next twenty minutes was spent introducing each other. I learned that AJ and Dash had found Sloth(It turns out her name of Ennui, or something like that) and Wrath(I think his name is Kindling). Which was great to know.

"Ennui" wasn't very social, or dying to meet the other attributes at all. She almost immediately feel asleep on the middle of the floor, not even caring about the fact that half to the ponies in the room gave her a crazy look. Now I know why they took longer than I would've thought to get here.

I talked to Kindling for a while, and to my surprise he's a pretty nice guy. If you don't make him mad. He has his own special pills that he's supposed to take in case he gets angry, on a count that he's older and has a pretty bad heart. I made a mental note not to make him upset.

Applejack also told me that he almost killed the mare who came along with them. Which made me slightly nervous. But then she told me that he got angry for a good reason, and that they actually broke into his cabin looking for shelter. So it calmed me down quite a bit.

About an hour later, and getting the attention of most of the ponies in the library, I finally spoke up. I announced that we all immediately needed to go to Canterlot. Many ponies groaned, along with some of my own friends( I would have thought Rarity would be excited about that...). I explained the letter to everyone that I had gotten from Celestia just a few hours ago.

Ennui foalishly raised a hoof in the air, as if she was in school. "Can't this wait until later? I barely slept."

"Ennui. Ya slept the whole way 'ere." Applejack replied, rolling her eyes.

"Not really. You try sleeping while flying through the air. I only slept for about 5 minutes. Total!"

"It's a lot easier than it looks." Rainbow Dash smiled.

"We need to go now." I ended their little conversation. There was no way I was going to be able to teleport all twelve ponies to Canterlot. So we are forced to take the train. Good news, it wouldn't take that long to get there. Bad news, it's going to cost a lot of money. Especially since most of my friends, along with a few of the newer ponies, didn't bring any or had all run out.

Everyone gathered their things quickly, as the next train left in about thirty minutes. Rainbow Dash told me about their little accident on the way to Vanhoover, and that the train may still be "broken". I put that thought in the back of my mind. I really hoped that we wouldn't have to resort to walking, or worse, having to wait until the train is fixed.

At around 4:30 AM. We made our departure.

***

Much to my relief, the train was indeed still running, and we all boarded. Well most of us. We were able to stall the train conductor long enough so Rainbow Dash could snatch Fluttershy, who was indeed in her cabin tending to her animals.

With all my cash blown, and all twelve of us on board, the train had departed at around 5 o'clock AM.

I accidentally fell asleep on the train, and I'm pretty sure everyone else did too. Everyone was very exhausted after their own journeys. I couldn't help but overhear Rarity questioning Applejack about something involving attempting to trap them in a cave. To which Applejack continued to deny was her. I wanted to keep on listening, but sleep overtook me yet again.

It was 5:45 when we reached Canterlot, and everyone was very hesitant to get off the train. Including me. But we had no choice. The sun was starting to rise, which signaled that Celestia was up and tending to her duties, as usual. Which was good for me to know, considering I didn't really want to bother her if she was sleeping or something like that.

Most of the newer ponies didn't know exactly where, or how, to get into the castle. A few of them were stopped and searched on the way into the castle. Most of them were let in immediately afterwards.

But, no. Covette had to be difficult again.

Here are some of the things that were found in her saddlebag that the Royal Guards had taken away from her before she entered the castle: A rope, a switchblade, handcuffs(I'm pretty sure she wasn't a police officer...), a lock picking set, and some tools. I could only shake my head, and Covette seemed very angry.

"Did you just see that?! They completely stole all my things!" She complained illogically. Never once did it occur to her why they were taken from her in the first place.

It was very obvious that Cashmere was a little nervous about the fact that she had a lock picking set. Rarity had told me about what she had tried to do to him and his treasures.

All twelve of us gingerly trotted through the hallway. The morning dawn was shining brightly through the painted windows, making the room much more colorful than it actually was. I immediately saw Princess Celestia standing in front of her throne, with Odysseus at her side once again. All twelve of us made our way to her. But something seemed off about her. Usually, she had a kind and gentle smile on her face. But not this time. Her face was full of sadness, and determination.

We all stepped in front of her.

"Princess! You said there was something you needed to tell me?" I asked her. Looking back on it now, I said it rather rudely. Although I didn't mean for it to come off that way.

"Yeah! I was in the middle of my beauty sleep!" Aphrodite frowned. Everyone seemed to hear, except Princess Celestia, much to my happiness. I have no idea how Pinkie and I were able to put up with her for so long.

"Yes. There is..." She sighed slowly. She looked to the ground, as if she was deep in thought. I took another look at her. There were bags under her eyes, and she looked very exhausted. Much more so than usual. It was very obvious when she spoke, as it was slow, and every word seemed to linger on her tongue, almost reminding me of Ennui.

"What is it, Princess?" I replied anxiously. All eleven other ponies kept their mouth shut, knowing not to talk if the Princess isn't talking directly to you.

"I have something to tell you, and most of you won't like it. Especially those whom you traveled far and wide to find." She sighed. All six "sins" suddenly snapped to attention.

All six of them slowly stepped forward, at that moment, Celestia gave a quick nod to Odysseus. He nodded back to her and stood up, shouting past us to the doors of the castle. He brought a hoof to him mouth. "Bring her in!"

Mere seconds later, two guards emerged from outside, slamming the doors as they entered. They seem unfazed as they forcefully dragged a light blue mare inside of the castle. I stared in awe at the spectacle that was unfolding in front of me. The mare thrashed and wiggled, attempting to get out of the guards grasp.

"Let go of me!" She shouted, a little too loud. "You're messing up my mane! I'll kill you for this!"

No...it can't be.

The royal guards dumped her next to the six sins, who were standing in a line. Covette sneered at the mare immediately as she stood up after being thoroughly "harassed".

"Ugh!" She groaned as she quickly took out a mirror and fixed her rosy mane, which was near perfect, in my opinion. She let out frustrated sighs until she finally got it to her liking.

"This, is Pride." Celestia said. I looked over to Odysseus, who was holding one of the Medallions in his hooves now.

"'Ey! That's ours!" Applejack spoke up, causing Odysseus to shrug.

"I borrowed it to find her. Problem?" He raised an eyebrow, making Applejack shut up. "I already explained everything to her, your highness." He spoke to Celestia now. "But she was being...difficult."

"By the way!" She said snootily. "My name is Vanity! Get it right!" She yelled at the Royal Guard. Odysseus rolled her eyes. If she kept talking like that she was going to get in huge trouble. Vanity put the mirror away and Celestia spoke up again.

I saw very many ponies get visibly agitated by Vanity's remarks already, including Celestia. But to my surprise, she said nothing about her.

"Anyways. Know what I'm about to say is true." She said. I saw a few of the sins lean closer to her in anticipation. "All seven of you, are a part of me."

The room was dead silent. A few moments of silence went by before Kindling interrupted it.

"Y-You're kidding right? What's that supposed to mean?!" He growled, his anger rising. He failed to take any pills, however.

Celestia nodded. "This is no joke. Let me tell you a story..." She sighed.

I could not believe what she was saying. She says that she is the one that created the Seven Deadly Sins, because she had to. Long ago, she was told that she was very unfit to be a princess, and that she had many faults that were not very ruler-like. She would get blindingly angry when she didn't get her way as a foal, and she had a ravenous appetite, and so forth. She was distraught when one day she was told that she could not be a princess, and that Luna would have to take both roles as both the sun and the moon bringer.

She decided that the only way to become Princess was to get rid of her faults.

She went to see a very famous magician, what that I had read about very well. Starswirl the Bearded. He told her that it is very much possible to get rid of the faults that she does not wish to have. But not completely. He could not destroy them completely. The only way was to have those ways of thinking leave her body was if physical representations were made of the faults. Celestia didn't understand it either, but at that time she was just a filly, and she really didn't care, like most young ones.

Needless to say, Starswirl the Bearded did as he was told, and at that moment, seven ponies were born all across Equestria, each taking one of Celestia's faults of when she was just a filly.

And from then on, the faults were passed from generation to generation, and now they were passed on to the ponies standing in this here castle. Celestia looked very apologetic as she told us the story. It was obvious that she didn't know what she was getting into as a filly.

"So now, you know. I know this may be a shock, but it's the truth." She finished. All of the ponies in the room(Except her and Odysseus) stood there slack-jawed, not able to even find the words.

It all hit me so hard, I didn't even know what to say. But that's when I realized something. We have all seven ponies. Why wasn't the Medallion reacting?

"Um, Princess..." I tried to inquire, but she beat me to it.

"I know. The Medallion is not what holds immense power." She said.

"But in the book, I read-"

"What the book told you was a falsification." She interrupted, getting slightly irritated. "The Medallion was simply a tracking device to find them in case I needed them for such a time. The power is held within all seven of you. All you need is to activate it.

I saw Kindling's eye twitch out of anger, and he actually CHARGED the Princess. Luckily, Pinkie and Applejack were behind him, and they held him back.

"THIS ISN'T TRUE! WHY!? WHY WOULD YOU PUT MY FAMILY AND I THROUGH THIS!" He screamed. The Princess decided she had had enough and bellowed back to him in the Royal Canterlot Voice.

"BACK DOWN OR I WILL HOLD YOU IN CUSTODY, KINDLING!" And with that, Kindling popped a few of his pills, and sat on the ground, defeated.

Suddenly, a loud horn went off, echoing through the Castle walls, and making a very loud ringing appear in all of our ears.

"What!?" The Princess asked Odysseus. "They're here!? Already?" The Princess suddenly sighed and quickly trotted down one of the side halls that lead to a winding staircase. "Follow me. I need you. All of you." Odysseus waited until we were all traveling up the staircase before he decided to join us.

Author's Note

Well, this sure explained a lot. Turns out Sins were Celestia's doing a few centuries ago. Whoa. I think this is a little redundant, but it looks like Pride has been found, and she reminds me of a teenage girl. Anyways, the Changelings are attacking. Wait, early? This doesn't seem right...

Tune in next time! The story is drawing to a close! Be prepared! Because the next chapter(Much like this one) will blow your mind!

Now it's time for CYNERYK'S DUMBASS ADVICE OF THE DAY!

Ahem *Puts on monocle*

....Agh...fuck it. *Throws his monocle away*

I'll do it later.

Have a good one bros! And if you liked, fav and thumb up if you'd please! Comments are greatly appreciated! And so is feedback!

-Cyneryk

Ch. 20: Learn

All of us huddled up the dark and quite cramped stairs. It was so small that we each had to climb the staircase one by one. The stairs were definitely smaller when you looked at the tower from the outside. I really needed to get in shape, because by the time that we reached the top, I was almost ready to collapse. I noticed that other ponies, such as Cashmere and Ennui, were having troubles as well.

The stairs led to a very tall and bright tower that overlooked Canterlot. I had never been up here before, and I must say that the view was absolutely stunning. The Canterlonian sun shone down on all of the citizens below, who were partially confused by the very sudden and loud use of the sirens. I could hear some of them complaining about it, now that I think about it.

Celestia gawked out yonder, as the rest of the ponies stared out, looking at the streets below. I followed the Princess' gaze only to see my heart drop.

Hundred of thousands of Changelings were headed right for the city.

"But...but they weren't due for another day!" I said out loud. Something wasn't right! Celestia and I both glared at Odysseus, who had apparently given both of us false information. He backed up into a corner, fearing the Princess' wrath.

"B-But that's what I was told by intel! It's true!" He cried, shivering and causing his armor to loudly clang together. Celestia must have believed him, because she turned back to the sight that was the Changelings back to the sight. But I couldn't stop staring at Odysseus. I had to do a double take, but I'm pretty sure I say a grim smile on his lips. And if I'm right, then that really makes me nervous.

But Odysseus is Celestia's right hoof pony. I know for sure he wouldn't do such a thing.

"Quick. We need all seven of you to harness your abilities." Celestia spoke to the Sins now. Warble's head tilted in confusion.

"But I'm not a unicorn. I don't have any abilities." He told her, for once making the Princess smile.

"Yes you do. Everypony has power inside of them. Most just don't know it." She spoke loudly, causing all of the ponies to nod in understanding. Celestia turned to me and my friends now.

"The Sins can't do it all on their own. I need you all to go and retrieve the Elements of Harmony. I must stay here." She looked back out at the impending destruction that was about to take place. All six of us began to run back down the stairs, but Celestia held out a hoof in front of me. "I need you to stay here. I may need you, Twilight." She said regally. I was a little confused, but I obeyed. I didn't know how my friends were going to get to the Elements of Harmony, since I think only Celestia can open it. But I'm sure they'll figure it out. They're smart ponies, and I have faith in them.

I looked back at Odysseus, who looked extremely nervous. One must think that it's due to the Changelings, so I shrugged him off.

Meanwhile, the sins were trying as hard as they could(Well...Ennui was BARELY trying) to reach their inner power that Celestia had put in their veins long ago, with no luck. Most of them closed their eyes, while others loudly grunted with exertion, not really sure how they're supposed to access it in the first place.

The Changelings were getting closer, and at this time, many civilians below us had begun to become aware of the situation, and were beginning to panic. Much to the Princess' dismay.

At this rate, the Changelings would take over the city within minutes.

I heard a low growl.

"What was that!?" I blurted out. Afraid that we might not only have the Changelings to worry about. I looked over to see Warble raise his hoof sheepishly, losing focus for a moment.

"Sorry. I'm a little hungry."

The Changelings were now almost on top of the city, and the Princess was starting to get visibly nervous. I turned back to look over at Odysseus just in time to see his eyes turn a light green, and his body shift into a winged, black, holey creature. It was true.

Odysseus is a Changeling.

"DUCK!" I shouted. Most of the ponies heard me, and ducked. Except for two. Odysseus charged the first one and lifted her off into the air, as she struggled mercilessly. "Vanity?!" I shouted. Before I had time to react, another Changeling dive-bombed from the sky and picked off the other mare that didn't duck in time. Ennui. The Changeling effortlessly hoisted her into the air, following Odysseus(Or what we thought was Odysseus) and Vanity clear over the horizon. I stood there, contemplating what the BUCK just happened.

"O-Odysseus..." Celestia stuttered, obviously a little upset about the fact that her most trusted Royal Guard was a traitor. It made sense now. That's why the Changeling attack is early, because Odysseus and the Changelings wanted to catch us off guard. This must be one of their new strategies that he was talking about. I'm not surprised he told the truth about that.

Another Changeling dive bombed us, heading straight for Cashmere, but Kindling jumped in front of him and punched it right out of the sky, his anger rising once again. When the other Changelings noticed what the brave stallion was doing, they made it their main focus to get him. Kindling noticed this and let out a mighty, and frenetic war cry.

"Come on!" He bashed another Changeling over the head with his strong hooves. "I'm not going down! Without a fight!!" He bellowed. "GO!" He motioned to the rest of us, saying that he will try to hold them off for as long as possible.

"Kindling! You can't do this-" I tried to intervene, but Celestia stopped me.

"Twilight, everyone! Down the stairs!" She spoke, and everyone immediately obeyed. Covette hesitated going down the stairs, not taking her eyes off of Kindling, for some reason. It took various hurried provoking from Aphrodite to get her to move.

"But...we can't just leave him!" I told the Princess, who would have none of what I was saying.

"Kindling is fueled by anger." She explained, looking over to him. "Pain, and loss will do that to a pony. He'll be alright." I let out an understanding sigh and trotted down the stairs with the Princess. I couldn't help but look back at Kindling, who was vigorously fighting off many Changelings at once. I know he had some sort of connection with Ennui. May it be good, or just the fact that they came here together. But I know his adrenaline rush will wear off eventually. He can't stay mad forever. Could he? We have to hurry, because he'll tire out eventually. Unless a heart attack gets him first.

With the morning wind flowing through his mane, and his eyes burning with passion and pain, it looked like the stallion was genuinely on fire.

***

"Uhm, does anypony have an idea on how we can get this door to open?" Fluttershy asked nervously. I noticed that she was trembling behind the rest of us. The Attack must really be taking a toll on her.

"Not really..." Rarity said, looking down at the ground. I couldn't help but notice Fluttershy did the exact same thing, with a saddened sigh.

"Lemme try somethin'" Applejack said, as she positioned herself, her flank facing the doors. She lifted up her hind legs and ferociously bucked the door with all of her might, making a very loud CLANG. But to all of our dismay, the doors remained intact. Which is what to be expected. It's supposed to be burglar proof. It's some of the most powerful artifacts in Equestria. I didn't assume it would be that easy.

"Yeah, good one." Applejack deadpanned, turning away from me to continue searching for something they can use to break down the door. We all had to give up after about 30 minutes, since we looked top to bottom and didn't find a single thing.

"Where's Fluttershy?" Pinkie asked, lying on the ground. She was pretty tired, since she had been the one to run all the way around the castle to search something to use, with similar results as the rest of us. I didn't really expect her to tire out how she did, since she's always the one with the most energy.

I simply pointed to the door. "I dunno, I saw her leave about 35 minutes ago." I told them. They all simultaneously sighed. I did find it odd how she keeps disappearing. But I didn't question it. Must be a "Fluttershy" thing. I felt the ground shake as the Changelings attacked the castle.

"This isn't good..."

"Well, Ah tried." She moped as she returned to the rest of the group.

"Well what are we going to do?" I asked, trying to feel somewhat involved with the situation.

"Rainbow, if we knew that-"

"Yeah, yeah I know..." I waved them off, trying to think of a way. I turned to see Fluttershy wandering off again down the hall, I was going to shout after her, but I decided not to. It's not like she had any good ideas anyways.

"Maybe if we look around we can find something that could help us?" Rarity implied, and I shrugged. Sounded like a good idea to me. So with that, we all roamed around the castle room, trying to find something that could help us.

One of the first thing's that my eyes landed on was a large sculpture of Princess Celestia standing off to the right of the door. The gears in my head turned. If Celestia's horn opened it the other time, then what about a replica? I flew up to the top of the sculpture and swiftly kicked the horn off. When it made a loud CRASH on the ground(Luckily it didn't break or shatter), everyone else turned to look at me.

"Rainbow?! What in tarnation are ya doing!?" Applejack yelled. "That's the Princess' sculpture! She'll hide ya if she find out about that!"

"Not if my plan works she won't!" I boast, picking up the horn and trotting gingerly over to the key hole. I forcefully shoved the horn inside of the hole. To my surprise, it didn't work. I nervously rubbed the back of my head. "Heh heh...nevermind..."

All three other ponies glared at me angrily, and I was quite afraid of what the Princess is going to say about this. I decided not to worry about it. I'm sure the Princess won't care. She can probably just summon someone to make another one for her. I hope.

"Uhm guys?"

"What're we going to do?!" Rarity asked again.

"Ah don't know!" Applejack shot back for the final time.

"Maybe if we got something large enough, we can bust down the door!" I inquired.

"Uhm...guys?"

"Like what? Remember whatever it is we're going to have to lift it!" Rarity shot back at me.

I felt a poking sensation in my side, but I quickly waved it off. "Not now." I said.

"But...but..."

I let out a loud grunt and turned to whatever it was behind me. "What!?" I shouted. I stared surprised at what I saw in front of me. It was Fluttershy, carrying about five red candles.

"I-I found these in the castle armory..." She said, handing them to me.

"Really? Candles? How are these going to help us?" I asked her, getting a little irritated. Applejack forcefully took them away from me, a little too quickly.

"These aren't candles...it's dynamite!"

Author's Note

Well, is your mind not literally BLOWN?(Get it? Dynamite? I wouldn't lie to you :3) So...Kindling is fighting off the Changelings and doing a pretty good job at it, and Covette seemed to take notice. Hmm... Oh and Vanity and Ennui got kidnapped by Odysseus and another Changeling. Cashmere was next, but Kindling saved him. How NIIIIIICE. Because everyone loves Cashmere. Haha, right guys?

Guys?

Anyways, so yes, most of you were correct about Odysseus. Good job on your part. Odysseus=Changeling was known by me from the beginning :3

So yes, I decided to extend the story a little bit, see where it goes. Not sure If I know where it's going yet. But I will. Just gimme a minute. Also, I know this PROBABLY isn't my best chapter, and I apologize for that. It's just that I want to save some of the more exciting things for next chapter.

Anyways, It's time for CYNERYK'S DUMBASS ADVICE OF THE DAY!"

Ahem *Puts on same broken monocle*

"Confucius says, the difference between a dog and a fox is about five drinks"

Well there ya go! Leave a fav or a like if you enjoyed! And comments are greatly appreciated!

Have a good one bros!

-Cyneryk

Ch. 21: Entrapment

My eyes slowly opened, and it took my eyes a few moments to adjust. At first, I tried to rub my head, for I had a very splitting headache, but I couldn't. I fully opened my eyes(Which was only about halfway and looked up. My forelegs were chained and shackled to a wall above my head. I sighed, great... what now?

I felt a slight chill make it's way up my spine as my back touched the cool and jagged wall behind me. I have no idea how long I've been here, but my forelegs were already starting to go sore. I turned my head to get a good look at my surroundings, which wasn't much. I appeared to be in some kind of cave. A very dark and black one, as it was. There were circular holes that lead off into different corridors. The only thing that kept the areas lit were strategically places torches.

I felt like I was in a spiders nest. Ugh. I hate spiders.

I turned my head to left now, only to see that same blue mare from before. I forget her name. But she was hanging away from me, roughly ten feet actually. She was still asleep, however. I let out a bored sigh. I considered going to sleep, but my forelegs were throbbing terribly, so much that I knew that that wasn't going to happen. Maybe I could just...relax. And finally just be with my thoughts.

I love my thoughts. I like being inside of my mind, because frankly, my mind amuses it. It's what keeps me going. It's the only thing that makes me smile on a daily basis. Sure, I have a few friends that I play video games with, but they're just jerks. All they ever do is talk down to me because I'm a mare. Heh. It's kind of pathetic really. I find it hard to play my video games as of recently. I can never talk to other ponies. Stallions think they can talk to others however they want just because there is distance between them.

It kind of makes me sick.

I've never had actual friends. Yeah, I know. I probably sound like your regular teenage mare. Most ponies that say it don't mean it. They have tons of ponies around them that care. They either just don't see it, or they push them away to keep up the charade to gain the unnecessary attention of others. Which also makes me sick.

I try my best to make friends. But it never goes well. I don't have that good of social skills. Which is something that I've known for a very long time. I actually just tried to make friends recently with Applejack and Rainbow Dash. Although I'm pretty sure they hate me. It pains me inside to know that I messed up again.

I can never get it right!

I'm going to spend the rest of my life alone, living in my house, on the couch doing nothing. I'm tired of being called a burden, and a lazy burden on others. Well, that's what my parents and a few of my "friends" told me. Soon enough, I began to believe them.

I don't want to be lazy. But my mind won't let me. The little voice in my head tells me not to do anything. To just remain immobile. Before this, I can't remember the last time I've even left my house.

I wished I could have some kind of friend. I wish I had what Applejack and Rainbow had. Sure, it was almost because of me that they got mad at each other, and I feel terrible about that. But what they have is definitely better than what I've had. By a long shot.

I let out a long sigh as I snapped back to reality. I shook my head. I tried to stay in the moment, and not let my mind take over like that anymore. It only makes me sad when I think about stuff like that. But then again, being in the moment only depresses me also. Knowing that I'm held captive with what I presume to be one of the most annoying mare's in Equestria. I think her name is Vanity. Well, I probably shouldn't jump to conclusions. Everypony has something they don't tell the world. Something they bottle up since. I know I do, and so does Kindling. I was listening in on their conversation back at his cabin. Everyone has something. Maybe if I talk to Vanity, she's going through the same thing that I am.

Psh, what are the chances of that?

I stood there boredly. Sometimes I hated being so short, as my forelegs dangled mere inches away from the floor, where relief would be. I looked over at Vanity, she was lucky. She was taller than me on her hind legs, as her's actually touched the ground. I bet myself five bits that she would be boasting about that later. She is Pride after all. To get that role she must do it 24/7.

I saw her begin to stir in her sleep . As she did, a few Changelings poked their heads through the door. Apparently, we have our own set of guards. Lovely!

"Mornin' sunshine." I chuckled. To be honest, I had no idea what time of day it was. I hoped that it was still morning.

"Hm?" She opened her brown eyes and looked around the room with worry, and eventually at her shackles. The guards thought nothing of it and went back to keeping guard outside of the room.

"What the-!?" She shrieked, wiggling around in her shackles. "Where are we!?" She finally noticed me about ten feet away from her. She looked at me wide eyed, like she had just seen a ghost.

"Narnia." She gave me a cold, hard stare. This is why you don't have any friends. This is EXACTLY why... "I mean, I think we're in the Changeling's nest..." I replied honestly. She struggled, trying to break free of the chains, and she thrashed her hind legs against the wall. If she would have done it any harder she might've started bleeding if you ask me.

"You mean..."

"Yeah. You got nabbed by Odysseus. Or whatever he was." Vanity stuck out her lower lip like she was about to cry.

"But...but then how did you get here?" She asked me, and I chuckled.

"I may be a gamer, but I still have a pretty slow reaction time." I chortled. Vanity raised an eyebrow, and I let out a slow sigh. "I got nabbed by a Changeling right after you." I deadpanned. I wasn't much for talking, but it's better than nothing I guess.

"Oh..." She said, looking around the room. A vast look of confusion spread across her face as she did so. I couldn't help but feel bad for her. She's been harassed and tossed all around the place since we've first found her. I don't want to imagine what they did to her to get her to come to the castle in the first place. My first guess is that she was dragged against her will. But then again, Odysseus did say she was being difficult. But Odysseus was a Changeling...

I tried to introduce myself, because I'm pretty sure she has no idea who I am. "I'm Ennui. You're Vanity right?" As if on cue, she flipped her rosy hair and smiled gorgeously.

"Yes, that is muah!" She grinned. I don't know if now was the time to be...prideful. She was chained up on the wall for god sakes. Well I can't really be talking, because I am as well.

"Well...nice to meet you, I guess." I mumbled the last part so that she couldn't hear me. Luckily, she didn't, as she turned her head to look at the shackled. I did the same, only to feet my heart drops. The chains were very large, and was definitely impossible to bust through. There appeared to be a key hole, but I couldn't reach it. "You got any ideas on how to get out of here?" I asked her. I'm usually the one with the ideas. You can pick up a lot just from playing video games. I really wish I would have paid more attention. I looked down at her, not in a weird way, but because I was curious. I've always been interested in cutie marks for some reason, and deciphering them. I noticed that her's was a magnifying glass surrounded by little sparkles. Well, that's not hard to figure out.

"Nope." She shook her head. "I'm sure the others will save us. I've always wanted to be a damsel in distress, you know! Oh, maybe my knight in shining armor will finally come and save me!" She giggled. I rolled my eyes. She can't be serious. I saw a glint come from one of the Changeling's that was guarding the door. I think one of them had the keys.

"Hey...I think they have the key..." I whispered over to her. She followed my gaze and looked as well, only to see her eyes shimmer.

"But how are we going to get OVER there?" She whispered back to me, a little louder than I would have preferred. Luckily, the guards didn't hear us. I just shook my head.

"So..." I wanted to try and talk to her to pass the time, but I'm not sure if she was up for it.

"Huh?"

"Where do you live?" I asked, thinking of ANYTHING to break the awkward tension between the both of us. Awkwardness is a mare's worst enemy.

"Uh...Fillydephia." She replied. I was a little confused for a second.

"So, a pretty mare like yourself...comes from Fillydelphia?" I had to make sure. I very much doubted that. Fillydelphia, to put it bluntly, wasn't a very nice place. It was full of crime. I know, I've been there once when I was just a little filly. It reeked of pollution. I even saw a young stallion get mugged in the alleyway.

Looking back on it now, I realized how wrong I had phrased what I told her. I don't roll like that. I'm not sure about that one pink mare I saw earlier, but definitely not me.

"Yeah? Is that hard to believe?" She started to get a little agitated, so I decided not to question it further.

"I'm from Vanhoover."

"Well, that explains a lot."

"What?"

"I think one of the guards is leaving..." She said, looking back at the guards. She was right, I overheard that one of them was going on break, and the other one(Who happened to have the keys) was telling him that he'd be fine alone for a little bit. So the other Changeling left.

"This may be our chance..." I said. But, like before, I didn't know what to do. Vanity hung her head, and that's when a thought came to my head.

Vanity had a green hairband, with a little leaf on it.

"Vanity!" I shouted, I immediately shushed my mouth as the guard looked in again after hearing me. I didn't say anything, and I coughed a little bit, pretending to be hungry and tired, and miserable. With a sick smile, we went back to guarding. I whispered over to Vanity. "Is the little leaf on your hair band plastic?" I looked back up at the shackles above me. The key hole had three slots, and strangely enough, her leaf had three points on it as well. Maybe...just maybe...

"Yes...why?"

"Give it to me." I told her, and she frowned.

"But...but my hair!" She grunted. She kind of reminded me of...me.

"Do you want to get out of here!?" I loudly whispered, a little afraid that I'd startled the guard once again. Luckily, I didn't. She sighed as flipped her hair, sending the green hairband into my hoof. Might I tell you, it was pretty impressive accuracy if you ask me.

"Years of hair flips." She winked at me and I grinned. I positioned the leaf so that it would line up with the key hole. At first, it didn't work, and I almost felt like screaming. It was difficult doing this because I couldn't exactly see what I was doing with my hooves in the way.

"Turn it around!" Vanity whispered. I let out a soft sigh and did as she interacted, and to my surprise, the shackles opened, sending me face first on the ground. Unfortunately, the fall also broke the hairband.

I rubbed my head. "Ow..." Great, now I have an even bigger headache. I looked at the door, it appears that the guard wasn't at all alerted. I let out a sigh of relief. It wasn't going to be easy to get the keys. I was going to have to...heh heh take him out. This is just like in one of my favorite video games: "Prison Escape 3"! I looked around for anything that I could use to knock him out. I know that I needed to find something hard and blunt(Heh...I could use Vanity's ego...) because the second he notices that I've escaped, he'll shout for backup. That's for sure.

To my dismay, there didn't appear to be anything. But that's when an idea came to my head. Oh God. I'm so going to go to hell for this. Vanity egged me on silently, telling me to "go for it!" This wasn't going to be easy, now I know why video games usually come with a warning saying "don't do anything you see in this game at home."

But hey, rules were meant to be broken, right?

I snuck up behind the Changeling guard, and grabbed him. First I placed a hoof over his mouth, so he couldn't scream for backup, and I placed my other hoof over his neck.

I had no idea if this was going to work, but I gave it a shot anyways.

My right hoof, I jerked left, while I jerked my other hoof to the right. He let out a muffled cry as he realized what was going on. This is when I noticed the small knife that he had clutched in his hooves(?) before a loud CRACK echoed throughout the corridors. His eyes went glossy as he slumped to the floor.

Did I...Did I just...?

"You...killed him!?" Vanity whispered, still taking into mind that there's still more Changelings around. I stared at his body, trembling.

"I...I..." I felt like vomitting, but I held it in. Be strong Ennui. You did it because you had to. I reached over the guard's body and blindingly grabbed the keys. That's when I realized that I couldn't just leave him there. The other guards would know that something was definitely up. So before I unlocked Vanity, I moved the guards body over to the darkest corner of the room, where you couldn't see him unless you actually walked into the room.

I unlocked Vanity and she hugged me with joy.

"Thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou!" She repeated as she hugged me. I forcefully pushed her away. I wasn't a hero. I was a murderer...

And I always will be.

Please forgive me...

Author's Note

Well....that escalated quickly.

So, Vanity and Ennui get caught and devise a plan to free themselves, which works. But not without scarring Ennui for life(I'm sure she'll get over it).

So, anyways. Not much to say this time around. I really enjoyed writing this chapter, for some reason.

And now it's time for CYNERYK'S DUMBASS ADVICE OF THE DAY!

Ahem *Puts on broken monocle*

The fine line between a wife and a crazy ex-girlfriend is the one that's shown on the pregnancy test

I made that one up myself, and to be honest, I don't know what it means. >_<;

Anyways, have a good one bros! And please fav and like if you enjoyed as I update often! Comments and feedback are also greatly appreciated!

Peace!

-Cyneryk

Ch. 22: Inquire

I'm not very sure what happened. Everything seemed to pass by a mile a minute. I felt like I was taking some bad types of medications really. One's that I weren't really used too. Twilight and the Princess rushed us down the stairs, and we all darted down in the hurry. Well, mostly falling. I'm not sure who, but one of the last ponies to make their way down the staircase had tripped, sending us up tumbling. Luckily, the Princess had already reached the bottom beforehand.

The next thing I know, I had a very large Warble lying on top of me. His large belly pushing my face into the hard floor. It was actually very difficult to breathe. I flails my hooves around to signal to him the predicament the I was in. It took him way longer than it should have to realize that I was pretty much growing in his stomach.

"Where's Cashmere?" I heard him ask, before the vibrations from my muffled yelling finally alerted him, along with my manic flailing. He rolled off of me, and I sat there, dazed. I stood up and cracked my back, and tried to regain all feeling in me. "Heh...sorry." He blushed, embarrassed. I have to say if he's as young as he sounds, he really needs to lose some pounds. He's at risk if you ask me. Obesity is no laughing matter.

"It's alright." I rubbed my head and looked over at all the ponies. Everyone seemed to be alright. But strangely enough, the Princess seemed to have disappeared. I'm sure she'll be back. That's when Aphrodite(I think that's what her name was. Either way it was that crazy mare from before) appeared right in my face. But for once, her face wasn't full of seduction and temptation, it was full of worry.

"Covette is hurt!" She told me as she grabbed me by the hoof and dragged me over by her. I noticed that everyone was standing over her, and I let out a soft and concerned sigh as I looked at her. She was lying on the ground on her side, with a large piece of glass embedded in her stomach, probably some of the shrapnel that had fallen off the castle. It rose and dropped with every breathe she took. Her breathing is also what concerned me, because it was very raspy and painful. I'm not sure, but I think it may had punctured a lung.

I knew that I had to step up and help. "Everyone get back!" I screamed forcefully. Covette opened her eyes to look at me, and scowled. "I'm a doctor!" And with that, everyone took three large steps back away from the injured mare. I surveyed the situation which didn't look good. I tried to touch the piece of glass, I wasn't going to remove it just yet, but I need to see how much is lodged inside of her. Covette tried to scoot away.

"No! Don't bucking touch me!" She screamed in agony. She tried to sit up and prove to everyone that she was fine. But the piece of glass got caught on the floor as she did, embedding it deeper inside of her. She let out a painful and bloodcurdling scream and plopped back down on her side. She closed her eyes, trying to make the pain go away.

She may not want me to help, but dammit I'm helping her anyway. She may have treated me like a pig, ever since I reunited with her over the last few days. Sure, I was a jerk to her when she was a filly on the street, but it's not going to stop me from helping her.

But I was missing my surgical tools. I can't do it without them.

"I-I need my tools!" I groaned. Covette let out a soft, and wheezing sigh. And just like that, Twilight appeared next to me, with...every single one of my tools?! "How did you-"

"Teleported to the hospital. Now help her!" She beckoned. Jeez, that was faster than I imagined. Wait, did he just STEAL surgical equipment? Eh, whatever. I'll ask her about it later.

I put on surgical gloves, and I gave some to Twilight. "I need a hoof." I told her, and she nodded. She put on gloves as well and waited for me to start. I know Twilight was smart, but for once, everyone was listening to me. Waiting for MY mark. It felt great. This is why I became a doctor, I feel empowered.

"We need to remove the glass." I said. I wanted to ask Twilight to put a cloth under Covette, but that would be too painful for her, and it was just plain unnecessary. I asked Twilight to use her magic to hold Covette steady as I removed the glass, I still didn't have anything to help Covette deal with her pain. So she was going to have to deal with it for now.

I slowly began to remove the piece of glass from Covette's stomach, all while she screamed in anguish, her eyes wide. I kept apologizing to her, and I kept telling her that it'll be over soon. Although I'm not sure about how truthful it was. I'm not sure if it actually made her feel better, however.

The piece of glass was definitely larger that I though. Almost a foot long. When the last of the glass slipped out of her, blood came pouring out afterwards, enough to make me thing that if I don't do something, she could die of blood loss. Twilight handed me a soft rag, and I held it to the would to sop up the blood. I like these kinds of rags because frankly they do a good job.

Princess Celestia finally returned at this time. "She's going to be fine. I'm sure of it." She said, and I gave her a determined nod. "Twilight, I need you to go and find Vanity and Ennui. Right now." She said. Twilight gave her a look of disbelief.

"I can't just leave Cashmere and Covette, Princess!" She said, but Celestia instantly shot her down.

"I'm sure Cashmere can handle the rest. I trust that he's been a doctor for quite some time now." I nodded. Actually I've been a doctor for the last four years. But still, it's better than having Twilight do it. She has the knowledge of how to do it. I have history.

"Alright..." Twilight looked at Aphrodite and Warble.

"Intel has told me that Ennui and Vanity have been taken to the Changeling nest." Celestia spoke, and Twilight nodded.

"I know exactly where that is." He motioned over to Aphrodite. "Come on, let's go." Warble frowned and jumped in front of her.

"What?! You take her and not me?" He cried.

"I can only take one pony. Because I have to teleport back with Ennui and Vanity, Warble." Twilight explained. It made a lot of sense. Teleporting isn't a very easy thing to do. But Teleporting others was even more difficult. I may not be a unicorn, but I know that for sure.

"But why her!?" Warble whined. It seemed like he was itching to help, but Twilight still thought Aphrodite was a better choice.

"No offense Warble, but I think you would be better off here helping Cashmere!" Twilight reasoned. Oh God no...

Warble let off a soft sigh, and a nod. I felt bad for the kid. Everyone takes him off as a pony who isn't very much help. Mostly due to the fact that he's pretty clumsy. I take back what I thought earlier. I wouldn't really mind if he help, as long as he didn't get Covette killed. I'm pretty sure I can think of small tasks for him to do. Warble took a seat next to Covette and waited for me to give further instructions. Covette hissed loudly.

"Go, Twilight." Celestia repeated, and with that, her and Aphrodite teleported off to find Ennui and Vanity. I just hope they hurry.

***

GRAGH!

I grunted as I smacked down another Changeling from mid flight. I was angry. I was literally seeing red. The blood in my veins was boiling at a whole different level. I didn't see colors. I only say dark, flying blurs in the sky. Each one I smacked down onto the balcony, with brute force. I may be old, but I'm stronger than most would think.

One by one, the Changelings tried to attack me. Try to bring me down. Try to end my life. NO! I'm not going down like that! I'm not a loser! I'm not a quitter.

My father always told me, when I would sit on his lap as a young colt, the most precious of advice. Advice I now live by every moment of my life.

"Fight until the end, boy." He said as he held a lit cigar to him mouth, giving me a loud grin. "Someone pushes you down, get up, get angry, and get even." He said. When I was younger, I had no idea what it would mean, but now I do, and this is the perfect moment.

My rage has now become my friend. Finally, after all these years, I can be angry, and I don't have to be shunned for it. My anger has always gotten in the way of things. It was why my love left me, why she cheated on me in the first place. Why I almost killed my best friend, whom she cheated on me with. Why I've been alone in a BUCKING CABIN for the last five years. Living my life in solitude. Well no more.

After this, I'm going to be someone. I am going to show my worth. I am going to find someone nice, and live in Ponyville near Applejack. Before I met her...god. She was the first pony I've talked to so far this year. And I gotta say, I'm glad it's her. She was so understanding of me, and she actually tried not to make me angry. Usually, when people tell others not to get me mad, especially young ones, that's their main goal. And most of the time, I end up pissed off.

But no longer. I feel confident in myself that I can meet someone. That I have a reason to keep on going through life. Never again will I be treated like a monster because I tend to get angry.

No more.

I smacked another Changeling out of the sky, sending it hurdling down to the crowded street below with it's other fallen brethren.

When I looked up, my heart dropped. Hundreds of Changelings were staring me dead in the eye. They seemed to be watching me, and I used this moment. I had tossed my saddlebag away from me while I was fighting, but I walked over and rustled through it. I pulled out a purple case, one that my dad gave to me before his passing. I flipped it open, and stared at the brown cigar staring back at me. I grinned and brought it to my lips, where it instantly ignited.

The Changelings let out a war cry and charged at me. I breathed out some smoke, before thinking what I hoped would not be my last thought. "Thank you father."

"COME ON!"

Author's Note

Hmm, so...there we go. I decided to do some chapters from the sins point of view before I wrapped up the story. How does that sound folks?

So Covette hurt herself, and Cashmere is the only one who can possibly help. What could possibly go wrong?

So yeah. Not much to say. I'd like to admit, yes this story is getting...slower. But trust me, it will get better as time goes on.

Now it's time for CYNERYK'S DUMBASS ADVICE OF THE DAY!

Ahem *Puts on same broken monocle*

....Okay. I'm running out of Advice. If you guys have any, please tell me via PM. I'd appreciate it D:

Anyways, have a good one bros, and I enjoy comments and feedback. Tell me what you liked and didn't like. Favs and thumbs up are also appreciated!

PEACE!

-Cyneryk

Ch. 23: Forage

I could literally not fathom what had just happened, really. I'm kind of at a loss for what we should do next. I'm pretty sure this Ennui mare just killed a Changeling by snapping it's neck! I was hoping she would just knock him out! I didn't expect her to have to kill him like that!

I didn't know whether to feel angry, or bad for the Changeling. I doubt it deserved what she did to it. Luckily it was a quick way to die. I've seen worse ways a pony can die with my own eyes.

After Ennui had cleverly hid the body in the darkest corner of the room, we both looked out of the room. There were two corridors. One to the left, and one to the right. Both lead into darkness. I started to assess the situation. Sure, I may be gorgeous, but I'm pretty smart as well. A lot of ponies underestimate me when they shouldn't.

I noticed the other guard say that he was going on break and headed right. So it would make sense that the exit would be left. But you can't be too sure.

I looked over at Ennui, who was looking at the ground, not even trying to help. I felt bad for her, but I also felt bad for the Changeling she kiled. Eh, whatever. It didn't matter now. What's done is done.

I poked her and pointed left, trying to tell her what I was thinking while being as quiet as possible. I'll admit it, I'm not the most quiet pony(I've been told that I'm a loudmouth by MANY ponies. I just don't know what would make them think that though), but this situation calls for it. If the Changelings discover the we have escaped, and killed one of their guards, they'll execute us for sure.

Well, that was my pessimism taking over, but you know what I mean.

I started to tip-toe down the left corridor, while Ennui sighed and followed me. It didn't take me long to figure out that she was Sloth, as it was increasingly obvious just by listening to her talk, as she even did that lazily. She honestly looked like she could pass out any minute, either that or she was extremely depressed, but I decided not to worry about it.

The corridor walls were like a black web, stretching far in wide. I knocked on it, only to realize that it was fairly solid, to my surprise. I don't really understand Changelings at all...

Ennui let out another soft sigh. I looked at her, it's almost as if she was begging to be consoles. Which I'm not good at. I'm used to other ponies give ME attention. I also noticed that Ennui was trying to create small talk with me earlier, which was a first. No one's actually ever tried to talk to me before. I don't have very many friends, and I'm told it's because I boast and that I'm usually full of myself. Which I find untrue. What's wrong with thinking highly of myself?

The compliments I give myself are only to make myself feel better...

"So..." To my shock, Ennui spoke up again. But this time, she wasn't smiling or chuckling. "What do you do for a living?" She asked me. Ha! Excellent question!

"Well! I am an artist! I've created many works of art that have been seen in various museums and art exhibits all over Equestria!" I boasted with a large smile on my face. "I'm sure you've heard of my most recent painting? I named it 'Death by Candlelight'!

"I've never heard of it nor you."

I felt my heart drop a little bit, but I quickly recovered. "Well then what do YOU do?" I asked, poking her side and making her giggle a little bit. Apparently she's ticklish?

"I'm a video game beta tester." She monotoned. She smiled as if she took great pride in that. It didn't make sense to me. Why would she be happy doing something so...low class?

"Oh. I've never heard of you either." I tried to remark snakily, but she just quietly laughed it off.

"I don't expect you too." Something about the way she speaks. Something about her makes me feel...something. It's like a mix of frustration, great confusion, and understanding. I decided not to question it. Now was not to the time to get lost in my thoughts. We still needed to get out of here. "Anyways...I've been wondering. How did you get to the Castle before?" She asked me, and I let out an annoyed groan.

I can tell you this: it wasn't pleasant.

I began to tell her the story about how I was taking a shower when I got a knock on the door. I was in my bathrobes when I opened the door, expecting it to maybe just be a visitor, I just planned on telling them to hold on for just a moment. But no. It wasn't. They pretty much GRABBED me and threw me into their carriage, all the while explaining me about the Changelings and whatnot. To be honest I was barely listening. I spent most of the time trying to thrash and get out of the Royal Guards grip. I didn't tell her this but I was also freaking out when the carriage took flight. I don't like heights. Being up high makes me plain nauseous.

"I guess my story would just piss you off then. It was much simpler and less rugged than yours." She brought a hoof to her chin as she thought. "Nevermind. I just remembered." She looked at me with a funny smile on her face. "You know that fiery stallion?" She asked.

I think I did. He was actually pretty hard to miss. I nodded at her.

"Yeah. He almost slit my throat."

I dropped my jaw and just barely refrained from letting out a loud "WHAT!?"

"Yeah. We broke into his house because we needed somewhere to stay. Dude came back and grabbed me when I wasn't looking." Ennui explained. That's....that's crazy! Is that stallion insane!?

As we moved on down the corridor, it seemed like we were getting nowhere. The hallway just seemed to keep going on and on. I almost felt like stopping, but there's no way that can happen. Ennui suddenly stopped and turned to me.

"Look. I'm just going to come out and ask you, because I'm not good at these types of things." Oh God, she's not going to.... "Wanna be...friends?" Oh.

Friend?

"Uh, well you see, I don't have many friends." I told her, blushing a little bit. Most of the time I would lie and say that I have tons, but right now I have no reason to. I'm assuming she doesn't have many either due to the way she asked me. At first I thought she was going to ask me on a date. That...would have been weird.

"Neither do I. And I'm trying to make some..." Ennui said, sighing. That feeling deep inside of me came up again. I gave her a happy nod, smiling ecstatically.

Finally. A friend. Someone who actually...likes me.

Ennui gave me a hug, and with that, we continued to walk down the corridor, which still seemed never-ending right about now.

***

Fluttershy, you are now officially crazy. Seriously. Dynamite!? That's ludicrous! Well, sure it might work, but it's still crazy! I tried to protest the use of dynamite, saying that there must be another way to break in without using explosive material and possibly bringing the whole castle down on top of us, but Rainbow butted in, speaking up for everyone.

"Chill out Rarity!" She shouted as she set the finally pieces of dynamite outside of the door in a clean and proper row. "There's no harm in trying!"

I scoffed slightly before retaliating. "There's harm if this whole castle falls down on us!" I complained. I was actually a little afraid, but I didn't want to let it show. I was just going to have to suck it up. Rainbow rolled her eyes, not wanting to hear me, she flew over to Applejack, Pinkie, and Fluttershy, who were already taking covered behind a downed pillar on the other side of the room. I looked at the dynamite just in time to see Rainbow light them all. I opened my mouth to tell her to put out the fuses, but she quickly tackled me(Messing up my mane. Again. What else is new...) and almost tossed me behind the pillar, where she gingerly took a seat.

About ten seconds passed, but nothing happened.

"Isn't it supposed to-"

"Shh!"

A minute passed this time, but still nothing happened. Rainbow stood up, agitated by the lack of explosion and action that she was expecting. "Come on!" She threw her hooves in the air.

"You have ta be patient, Dash." Applejack said, holding her cowpony hat firmly.

"Maybe it just needs some lov-" Pinkie started, but she was interrupted as a giant explosion blew shrapnel and other sharp objects through the room like the flying metallic death bringers they were. Luckily enough, Rainbow was able to duck in time as to not get hit with anything. I heard Fluttershy squeak loudly in fear as the blast rang out. My mane was going to be a complete mess after this...

Everyone was very much dazed after the blast, and there was a terrible and deafening ringing in my ears. No matter how I held my ears, it wouldn't go away. Everyone else seemed to have the same ailment, because they were covering their ears in pain as well.

After a few moments, the ringing went away and everyone finally started to stand up to survey the damage. There was good news and bad news. The dynamite had worked, as it had blasted the door open, but unfortunately now the box was lost in a pile of rubble.

"We're gonna have to dig." Applejack stated, with a sigh. "Come on..." She said as she walked over to the rock and forcefully moving the first one out of the way.

This was going to be a long day...

***

So, this is great. Absolutely BUCKING great. First off, I'm accused of being a fat ass, and asked to come to Ponyville with a few other "sins" or whatever. THEN, I have to come all the way to fricken Canterlot, only to fall down the stairs and get told that my whole family line was screwed up because of the Princess being unwilling to change herself. I fall down the damn stairs and almost kill Cashmere.

And finally to top it off, I'm being forced to stay back and assist Cashmere as he tries to save Covette. Great. This is just unfair! I mean, Kindling gets to go fight off Changelings, Twilight and Aphrodite get to go help find Ennui and Vanity, oh, and Fluttershy and her friends get to find the Element of Harmony. Oh...Fluttershy, she was a nice one alright. She reminded me of me in a way. Kind of shy, and not very social. Hey, maybe we could hang out or someth-

Oops, back to my rambling.

But no! I'm stuck here! Everyone treats me like I'm worthless! I tried to contain my anger, but I was appearing to fail at it. Cashmere knew that I was upset, but he didn't say anything about it. He had more important things at hoof, that I understand, but even still.

I'm tired of being treated like I'm worthless. That's all my parents have done to me growing up anyways. They would get angry at me for my appetite. Call me mean things...

I've spent my whole life since then trying to prove them wrong, but as of recently, the more I've started to believe them. Maybe I am no good, and maybe all I ever do it eat.

Maybe I am a glutton...

My thoughts were interrupted as Cashmere asked me to give him the sewing needle. I gingerly passed it over to him.

"We're going to start stitching her up. The bleeding has went down some, so it's now or never..." He muttered under his breathe. I was barely able to hear him. I wasn't very good at these types of things, like handling blood. It always made me a little bit queasy. I watched as he began to stitch her up, poking the needle through her coat right above where she was punctured, bringing the twine with it.

It certainly didn't take long, but it seemed excruciating for Covette. When he was all done, I passed him the gauze, and he wrapped it around her belly, reaching all the way around her back.

"There! All done!" Cashmere exclaimed, taking off his gloves and looking proudly at his work. Covette said nothing, although it was obvious that she was feeling a lot better.

"Good. Now go away." She said, she actually had some strength after all she had been through, and she used it to roll over so she was facing away from Cashmere. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. Cashmere only sighed sorrowfully, as he got up and trotted away. I think he just needed a break from all this. I stared at Covette.

"Are you kidding me?" I said out loud accidentally. I was supposed to be thinking that, but my mouth had other ideas. Covette sneered at me.

"What are you talking about?" She said roughly, trying to get into a comfy position where she could lie down without the chance of opening her wound up again. I started to get a little fed up with her rudeness.

"He pretty much just saved your life, and that's how you treat him?" I shot at her. I'm not one for usually getting angry, but I've had a lot on my mind. Things that won't seem to go away unless I get them out somehow. My inner emotions, the little voices in my head telling me bad things, my conscience. It was driving me over the edge.

"I don't care." She lied her head down on the ground. That's it. I've had enough. I stomped over to her, not caring about how she felt anymore. I stood above her and brought my face down closer to hers to prove my point. For a moment, I saw her eyes widen in fear.

"You should! He just SAVED you! You should be grateful!" I boomed at her, but she refused to back down.

"When I was dying on the street he didn't give a damn! Why would he care now!? He's just a greedy bastard and he always will be!" She screamed, tears were forming in her eyes now. I didn't know if it was due to rage or sadness. It only took a split second to think about what I was going to say next.

"It doesn't matter! If he was such a greedy bastard, then wouldn't he care more about himself than you!?" I hollered at her, almost in her ear. "But nooooo!! He saved you! No one even said anything! He did it because he knew he should! If he was so greedy and he didn't like you, then he would have sat back and watched you suffer! That doesn't sound very greedy to me!"

Tears started to fall down Covette's face now, and her bottom lip was quivering. For the first time in forever, she was speechless. She looked left and right, before she began to fully sob. I stepped off of her, feeling a tinge guilty for making her cry, but it had to be done. I was not going to put up with her anymore if she was going to continue being like that. She rolled back over so she was facing away from me now, quietly sobbing to herself.

If I only knew what she was thinking right about now...

Author's Note

Hmm...well then. It looks like Vanity and Ennui got what they both wanted: A friend. Covette's doing better(After Warble knocked some sense into her. WITH THE POWER OF WORDSES!) aaaaand Dynamite.

Is it me, or does Cashmere appear to be a little more caring towards Covette than he should? Nah....

Don't know why, but this is getting harder and harder to write. I apologize if there is any spelling mistakes beforehand. I will most likely edit later.

Now it's time for CYNERYK'S DUMBASS ADVICE OF THE DAY!

*Puts on broken monocle* Ahem

Naked Twister.

That is all. That is the best advice ever for a ice breaker activity. Especially in elementary school- I mean ya know, with the wife.

Have a good one, if you enjoyed fav and thumb up as I update every day(Or so). Also feedback and comments are VERY much appreciated!

-Cyneryk

Ch. 25: Animosity

I hate everyone.

No really. I hate all of these losers. Heh, this can't get any worse, can it? I don't know. It's just been a long day, and all I want to do is take a damn nap. If I could, I would murder every single one of these ponies. All the other "sins". Twilight. Her friends. They all irritate me, and they don't deserve to live. Me? I deserve to live. At least longer than them, anyways.

I can't help but feel nothing but pity for them. Ha. They humor me so. All the sins have something great in there life that others would literally kill for. Cashmere's money. Aphrodite's looks. Vanity's confidence. Warble's stomach. Ennui's carefree attitude.

But then there's Kindling. Something about him, I just don't know. There's nothing about him to hate, really. There isn't much wrong with him. He just has severe anger issues. But he can't control that. Ugh. I still don't like him either. If I had to hate something about him, I'd have to say his determination and strength. He was(and is still) taking out a Changeling army out there. Yeah, I'll go with that until I think of something better.

There's always something about some pony that pisses me off, for whatever reason. I've always been like that, and I don't expect it to change.

The only reason I'm still here is because of the chance to help others. To give other's a chance who've spent their whole life on the streets. On their own like me. Psh. My parents didn't give a damn about me growing up, I basically left. They didn't care. Didn't spend five minutes searching for me. But it didn't matter. I still grew up, and I did learn everything I should. I would sometimes walk to the nearest school and listen in on some of the lessons from outside the window. Yeah, I wasn't allowed in school without parental permission, so that wasn't happening.

Mainly everything I learned, I learned on my own. No one else.

Ugh. That Warble kid. Who the Hell does he think he is anyways? The way he practically screamed in my face like that. Totally uncalled for.

Never knew the kid had that kind of stuff in him. He always kind of looked like a wuss. And that's what I thought of him as since I've first met him. To be honest, when he screamed in my DAMN face, I hadn't even talked to him before that. Kid's got balls.

So, he thinks that I'm the one being a jerk here. That he was trying to prove me wrong about being a greedy bastard. Even though he is, just because he decided to help me. Everyone knows he was practically forced to help me. Because it would look bad for him if he didn't. Him being the only available doctor and all.

I accidentally let a few things slip while I argued with Warble, but I don't think he even paid attention. Good. He should be minding his own business anyways. You don't see me getting all in his face about Fluttershy. Yeah, I know. It's obvious he likes her. He blushes every time he's near her. Pansy. I think Fluttershy likes him to. Well she enjoys his presence. That's for sure. Eh, whatever. She's probably blind to his feelings anyways. No one really cares about Warble.

I lifted up my head and looked at my surroundings. I tried to hide my pain from my wound. It still hurt like a bitch. I'm going to slaughter whoever was the one who fell on the stairs and caused that avalanche of dumbass' to fall on me. Seriously. Unfortunately, Warble was still in the room, about 10 feet away from me. He was mumbling something to himself as if he was in deep thought. He noticed that I was looking at him and turned away swiftly.

Cashmere was nowhere in sight. Good. I didn't want his greedy little hands on me anyways. It was absolutely disgusting. It took all of my power just to refrain from vomiting on myself and the floor. I was kind of hoping that the glass would kill me so I didn't have to deal with it anymore.

Yeah. I bucking hate the guy.

Not just for what he did to me when I was a child. No! It's that, and the fact that he's rich. Rich! And he always has been! For as long as I could remember! He would literally just buy things for the hell of it, only to throw it in the trash a second later. Sure, sometimes I took the toys out of the trash when no one was looking and played with them. But that was because I was naive back then.

Anyways, I hate him because he never does anything. He just bucking locks it away in his house! Ugh! He could be helping poor family's feed their children! He could be helping out an orphanage! He could fund scientists to help them cure fatal and incurable diseases. But no! He has to go be selfish!

If I was him, if I had all the money, I would do everything in my power to help others get through life. I don't want anyone to go through what I had to go through. It was terrible, dreadful, and life scarring. No one should have to go through that. If I had money, that would be at the top of my list. Not mansions and fancy sculptures and housewarming parties.

Don't get me wrong. I didn't stalk the guy. I just saw him around town. That was before he moved. Again. To Canterlot. I stayed put, because I'd die here on the streets. Everyone here is such rich snobs. I'm sure I'd end up losing my mind with frustration at having to deal with them.

Well. I can just never seem to get away from this guy. Can I? Lucky fricken me. I sighed as I rested my head on the ground. I wanted to go do something useful. I wanted to go help Kindling. He must really be having a hard time, as I assume he hasn't taken any of his pills(I'm pretty sure everyone knows about his situation by now. He made sure that everyone knew incase he flipped out again sometime in the future, we would know what to do). But I'm stuck here, on the dusty and jagged floor. Staring at the bloody, foot long piece of glass that moments ago was just inside of me.

I stared at it wondrously. I'm surprised I'm even alive after that. I could breathe fine. And although the wound did sting, I felt fine. No internal damage...that's good. I'm pretty lucky after all.

I wondered how Twilight and Aphrodite were doing. I started making bets with myself with how many times Aphrodite would sexually assault her before they got back. I'm going with four. Seems about right. It's obvious that she likes Twilight anyways. I'm pretty good at figuring out these types of things. Just the way Aphrodite looks at her gives it away. It's not her normal look of lust. She looks at Twilight with eyes full of...hope.

I don't care. She's still a whore in my book. I heard what she told Twilight after our spat anyways.

Sometimes being a thief and being sneaky really comes in handy for a mare like me. For all the right reasons. I learn things I shouldn't know. And I can turn them around to use them in my favor. Heh. Just have to wait for the opportunity. Then I can get that harlot back for what she said to me the other night.

I was getting increasingly anxious to the point where I couldn't lie down anymore. I had to get up and walk. I didn't really have a choice. What if something came up and I had to move NOW? Say a Changeling broke in? That would be unfortunate. I grunted as I tried to get up, and Warble noticed me.

"Don't try to get up." He muttered at me, not even bothering to look in my direction. I had finished crying. I really didn't know why I got so upset. But I'm fine now, thank God.

"I'm fine." I scowled at him, but he just shrugged.

"No, you're not. You're at risk for opening up your wound again. Sit down. Unless you actually want that to happen and have your guts spill all over the floor." I opened my mouth in disgust. Obviously, I didn't want that to happen, but I really didn't appreciate his attitude.

"Since when did you become a doctor?" I growled, and he just shrugged once again. I tried to stand up again, wobbling a little bit as I held one hoof to my stomach where my wound was. After a moment of regaining my balance and waiting for my stomach to stop throbbing, I threw Warble a successful grin.

"Told you!" I barked, and he just rolled his eyes, not even caring anymore. I panted a little bit, but I tried not to show it. It was actually quite painful. But I'm not really to lose my dignity during all this. I tried to force myself to take a step forward, but as soon as I set my hoof down, it immediately gave out from under me and I plopped back on the ground painfully. I shrieked in pain and held my bandages. The pain was unbearable and I almost felt like vomiting again.

I heard Warble begin to chuckle, making me increasingly angry. "Shut the Hell up!" I screamed.

"I told ya." He giggled. This kid...what the Hell is wrong with him?! I'm not sure, but I think he just did some sort of 360. Ever since I met him he was some kind of pansy. Now...he's laughing at my pain!? Are you kidding me!? "You're hurt. Good. Maybe you'll learn to listen to me." I could only hear his voice, as he was facing away from me.

"What the-" I trailed off, not really wanting to know the answer to my own question. He slowly turned his head, facing me, and causing me to jump. His mane was purposely messy, and a wicked smile was plastered on his face. His eyes were now bloodshot, and dilated to the point where I could barely see them. His eye just slightly twitched. I let out a small gasp.

Something inside of him had snapped.

I have no idea. The stress of all this, the pressure? Maybe he's battling some sort of inner demons? I don't know but it was REALLY freaking me out. I tried to calm him down. Nopony is safe when something inside of them snaps like that.

"Are you alright?"

"Why would you care!?" He suddenly screamed, his tiny pupils staring into my own. "You've never cared about me! Or anyone else!?" I looked around nervously. Cashmere? Princess? Anyone!? I let out a jumpy laugh.

"Okay...jokes over. You can knock it off now..." I muttered, but he just continued to look at me, and stare at me. Almost a minute goes by until he licks his lips playfully. I was starting to actually get a little scared, remembering if something happens that I can't possibly get away in my condition. I heard a low growl, and he giddily looked at his belly before wetting his lips some more and looking back at me.

He watched me psychotically as I tried to slowly back away from him, causing him to only take a step closer. He spoke to me in a monotonous tone. As if he was all void of conscience and emotion.

"I'm hungry, Covette. Real hungry..."

Author's Note

WELL. That escalated quickly!

Also, it took forever to write. My fingers hurt. Anyways, so yeah. Dafuq is happening with Warble? Why is it the bad things always happen to the chunky people when it comes to things like this?! Makes no sense brah.

So yes. Now it's time for "CYNERYK'S DUMBASS ADVICE OF THE DAY!"

Ahem *Puts on broken monocle*

If you stay up until four in the morning writing a chapter about how a chunky pony loses his mind, take some 5-hour energy first.

Well then...

Anyways, thanks for reading! Fav and thumb up if you enjoyed! Comments and feedback are greatly appreciated! Have a good one bros!

-Cyneryk

Ch. 26: Vex

I don't know how long I've been going. And I was starting to get a little nervous. I've never been this angry before. Never in my life. Something inside of me almost shifted, believe it or not. Although I have no idea what. I knew I wasn't running on adrenaline. It felt like something more, something that I can't really explain.

After a while, I started to feel myself weaken immensely. I barely had time to react. I found myself not even attacking the Changelings anymore. I was more dodging their attacks than anything.

I found myself clutching my chest after a while. It was at that point that I realized that I needed to take my pills. I knew and felt that I was just near moments away from a heart attack. I had to calm down. Now. The Changelings mocked me while they were in flight. Only provoking me further. But I stayed calm. I looked for my bag, which held my pills and groaned when I realized that it was right next to the door that led to the stairs.

I had two options. Deal with the pain and have a potentially fatal heart attack. Or make a run for it, grab my bag, and jump inside the castle before the Changeling's can get me.

I tried to calculate a few things in my mind. In my condition, running isn't a very good thing to do. But luckily, my pills are extremely effective on my body. It could take away the pain within mere moments of ingesting them. So maybe I could run for it, and jump inside before the heart attack(I'm 95% sure that running will give me a heart attack. Literally) and take the pills.

Hm, or, I could just lie down and die.

No. That was out of the question. I was never a quitter, and I'm not starting now. My father would be disappointed in me. He maybe not be here, but he would know.

I decided to go for it. I caught the Changelings off guard as I suddenly bolted for the door. My heart was not agreeing with me, and almost handicapped me as I was running. I felt like collapsing, but then I felt the feeling inside of me that I missed and loved so much: adrenaline.

Oh where have you been? My sweet , sweet adrenaline....

I made a beeline for the door, and the Changelings swiftly flew after me, and boy are they fast. I grabbed my bag and opened the door in one swift motion and disappeared inside, slamming the door behind me and pressing my back up against it. I heard a few THUMPS afterwards. I'm pretty sure a few of those dumbass' flew straight into the door. Before doing anything else, I almost jumped inside of my bag and pulled out my pills. I didn't even properly measure how many I needed to take. I just brought the container to my lips and downed as many as I saw fit.

The pain almost immediately went away, and I let out a great sigh of relief. That was a close one. Probably wasn't a good idea to be out there all alone. That Warble kid seems pretty strong. Maybe he could've gave me a hoof, but it's obviously too late now.

I grabbed a piece of wood and broken the door handle so no one could get in, or out, through this door. Which was fine by me. I'm sure the Princess could get some pony to fix it for her for cheap.

The staircase was much more darker than I remembered. It seemed that the power had been cut to this area of the castle. Odd. I made my way down and immediately heard a CRUNCH under my feet. There was glass and debris everywhere. Luckily, the glass didn't pierce through my foot. I was going to have to keep an eye out. I hoped no one else actually got hurt. I'm not sure but I did think I heard a commontion when everyone ran down the stairs. I wasn't really paying attention though.

I noticed that I still had my cigar in my mouth. I blew on it, only making the end shine brighter. Which gave me an idea. I blew into it as hard as I could until, eventually, it began to light up my way. I didn't know that a cigar could light up like this.

I walked down the stairs, which only took a few moments until I reached the door at the bottom of the staircase. I opened it slowly, only to see a...strange sight.

"Stay away from me you fat pig!" I heard a voice squeal. I kept the door cracked a little bit so I could see through it properly. It was Covette. She was on the ground, wearing a large bandage around her stomach. I couldn't help but notice that foot long piece of glass right near her that was stained with blood. Now I know what that commotion was...

Warble was...wait...what?!

The poor boy looked absolutely insane. His face was limp, and he looked like a damn zombie the way he was staring at Covette. He was literally drooling on the floor like a dog.

He let out a small smile, showing what appeared to be...sharp teeth? Since when does a pony have sharp teeth!? I know he wasn't like that before! What the hell is going on here!? Warble was making his way towards Covette, who was incapable of moving.

"Come on, Covette. It won't hurt. Just a bite?" He asked in a sickly playful tone. Covette looked absolutely terrified. A part of me wanted to sit back and watch Warble ...eat her? Is that what he's trying to do? What the hell? Well, Covette does deserve it. She's been a jerk to everyone. And when I say everyone, I mean it.

Warble was almost on top of her now. Covette tried to push him away, but the boy way fairly strong, and heavy. "Get away!" She screamed. I opened the door and screamed at him.

"Warble what are you doing!?" I shouted at him. He jarred his head over in my direction, and grinned.

"Hi Kindling!" He softly rubbed the fleshy part of Covette's neck, making the mare shiver. "You want a bite?"

"Hell no I don't want a bite!" I retorted. Warble just shrugged and, completely disregarding me, lowered his head and licked Covette's cheek, getting a full taste of her. Covette let out a disgusted groan, and I had had enough. I charged him and, using as much might as I could muster, ran into him. I barely fazed the boy. He was very big, and I felt as if I ran into a brick wall. I think I got whiplash...

While my attack hardly moved him, he did lose his balance, and he toppled over off of the mare. I helped her to her feet. She definitely had trouble standing. It only took a few moments for Warble to be back up on his feet, his lips still wet, and his eyes full of longing.

"But Kindling! Haven't you ever want to try it?" He asked me, smiling insanely. I didn't even have to think about the question before I answered it.

"Hell no!" I replied.

He started to walk towards me, baring his....fangs? I still don't understand that. What the hell happened to him?

"Haven't you ever wanted more?" He asked me. I felt Covette snap to attention. Oh God, this has "jealously" written all over it. I just hope that Covette won't go for it. He was trying to trick me. Something I would never expect this kid to do. He was such a nice boy when I had met him earlier. This just wasn't like him.

"Well, who hasn't?" Covette asked. I glared at her, silently telling her to shut up if she wants to get out of here. She rolled her eyes at me rebelliously.

"Exactly." He took another step towards me. "Everyone wants more. More love, " He looked at me, I let my guard down and looked at the ground guiltily. I don't know how, but he was right. "More power, more money and respect." He looked at Covette this time. "More food!" He suddenly screamed. I could hear his stomach rumbling from here. This wasn't going to end well.

"Look, Warble. Just calm down! We'll get you some food!" I replied. I'm currently out, but I don't know about Covette, or Twilight and her friends. Warble just shook his head.

"That's not going to be enough. I need something that's going to fill me up. And more!!" He growled. He kept his eyes locked on Covette as he suddenly charged at us. "GIVE HER TO ME!"

Before I knew what was going on, I pushed Covette out of the way, sending Warble flying over us, and tumbling on the ground. Covette was in pain on the floor. I forgot about the consequences of pushing her, but she's alive isn't she? If Warble would have ran into her he'd have broken her neck just by the force of the tackle. The kid's a damn tank. I would know. I used this opportunity to our advantage and put Covette on my back. She wasn't very happy about it though, as she tried to wiggle out of my grip. Luckily, she couldn't do much and I succeeded in putting her on my back. "Let's go!" I shouted as I ran down the nearest hallway with Covette in tow.

"COME BACK! PLEASE!" He begged desperately as he got up and began to give chase. "I'M SO HUNGRY!" The kid was surprisingly fast, considering his size, and was able to keep a steady pace as he chased after us. I was however having trouble making sure that Covette stayed on my back.

I tried to think quick about what I could do. I doubt I could lose him, even though the castle hallways were like a maze. Warble's so hungry I wouldn't be surprised if he could smell us. I nervously looked left and right, there were many rooms that we could hide in, but I didn't know where to start when it came to choosing one. I heard Warble shouting behind me. "I haven't eaten in SO long! Please!"

Without thinking, I almost tossed Covette into nearest room and closed the door. She yelped as she hit the ground. I hopped into the adjacent room. It appeared to be a bedroom. I hopped under the bed and waited both patiently and silently. My heart pounding, unfortunately I didn't have pills for such an occasion.

I almost stopped breathing as the door opened, and I saw four, cheese colored hooves in the doorway. Warble walked in, and I heard him furiously sniff the air. "I know one of you is in here." He chuckled. I wondered why he said "one of us", but that's when I realize that I probably have Covette's scent on me when I was forced to carry her. He walked to the side of the bed. There were only two other things in this room: A nightstand, and a closet. There was only so many places he could look. If he checked the closet first, I could make a run for the door. Maybe lock him in. But if he checks underneath the bed first...

He hesitated before making his next move, and I was ready to have a different kind of heart attack. He opened the closet door. While he was distracted, I emerged from under the bed and ran for the door.

It only took him a second to realize it was me, and ran after me. Luckily I was more agile, and swiftly ran out of the room, closing the door behind me. The kid furiously beat on the door, trying to get out. I could still hear his stomach growl. "LEMME OUT! I'LL STARVE IN HERE!" He shrieked before resorting to literally ramming the door with his large body. Even though I was on the other side of the door, it wouldn't take very long before the door was busted down. I needed to do something, fast. I considering doing what I did when I ran from the Changelings. I wasn't sure if it would work, because Warble might just break down the door. So, in the end, I said screw it.

I moved away from the door for a moment and kicked off the door handle. Warble screamed in fury as he tried to open the door, but was unable to. Feeling safe, I backed away from the door. He was locked in.

I walked over to the room where I stashed Covette and opened the door, making her shriek. When she realized that it was only me, she huffed in an annoyed matter.

"KINDLING! LET ME OUT! PLEASE!" I heard Warble scream. "JUST ONE BITE"

"I locked him in. We're safe." I told her, and she gave me an approving nod. It's obvious that she was very frightened during the whole ideal, although she didn't want to show it, at all. "Now can you please tell me just what the HELL HAPPENED!?" I yelled, remembering about my anger and swallowing a single pill.

"I don't bucking know!" She cursed, scowling at me. "He was ordered to help Cashmere with my wound. He left me here with him. The bitch laughed at me when I tried to stand up. That's when shit went down alright!?" She screamed. I don't know about her, but I think I'm going deaf with all this constant screaming. It's either Warble, or Covette. I mean really.

I sighed and sat down on the bed.

"PLEASE! I'LL DO ANYTHING! I'LL DIE IN HERE!" Warble's shouts were getting less and less frequent. Maybe that meant he was calming down. I don't know but I hope that was the case.

"Go to Hell..." Covette muttered to herself. I found myself chuckling.

Covette and I sat in there for what seemed like ten minutes before I heard a familiar voice come from the room Warble was in.

"Guys? Hello? Is anyone out there?" The voice asked softly. I raised an eyebrow and jumped off the bed, walking over to his door. I decided to humor him.

"I'm here. And so is Covette." Covette seemed pissed that I mentioned her presence to the stallion who had just tried to eat him, but I really didn't care.

"Why am I in here? Why won't this door open!?" He was starting to freak out as he tried to fiddle with the broken door handle humorously. "Let me out of here!"

I wasn't too sure about this. Was Warble back to his usual self? Or was this another one of his tricks? I took a step away from the door. I'm not stupid. It's obvious that he still wants to eat one of us. This was just plain insane!

Covette looked at me as if I was stupid and pantomimed to me from the adjacent room. "What're you waiting for? Open the damn door!"

Author's Note

WHOA! Warble done lost his shit. Awesome. I really enjoyed this chapter. It reminds me of something that would happen in a scary movie.

Except the villain is a hungry pony.

Anyways, So yeah. Expect an update on the AJ, RD and the gang in the next few chapters. Also, how are Twilight and Aphrodite fairing in the Changeling nest? More to come VERY soon. I will probably release another chapter tonight. Tomorrow's monday. Who needs to be awake for that anyways? Ha. Hahaha... ;-;

Just kidding. Anyways, it's time for CYNERYK'S DUMBASS ADVICE OF THE DAY!

Ahem *Puts on monocle*

"What doesn't kill you makes you stronger. Unless I cut off both of your feet. Then you're a parapalegic."

One million points to the first commenter to tell me who said the advice for this chapter. Here's a hint, this man is a fan of Skrillex.

Have a good one bros!

-Cyneryk

Ch. 27: Clandestine

I was starting to get really nervous. I have no idea where we are right now. Twilight and I seemed to have been wandering this tunnel for what seemed like forever. I desperately needed to use the restroom, but I don't think there were any restrooms nearby, so I reluctantly held it in. I always had the bladder of a filly. I have no idea why I just thought that. It doesn't matter. We needed to get out of here soon.

I was also starting to get a little hungry myself.

For the last few hours, I kept hearing things. Weird things. I can't understand them, it's like they are trying to tell me something. I'm not schizophrenic, so this was really starting to freak me out. Maybe it's just the echo from some of the Changelings conversing. But the thing is I haven't seen any Changelings in here yet. I wonder where they all went...

I had to discard my needle that I used on those two guards outside. When I used them, I really didn't conserve the drug like I was supposed to. I used up all the drug on those two alone. Usually there's enough where I can probably take down two more(I did math. I'm actually pretty good at it), I don't know if those Changelings will wake up, now that I think about it. Part of me hopes so, because I didn't mean to kill them. But the other part of me hopes they stay incapacitated for a little while longer. The moment they wake up, they're going to call their backup and have them scour the place for us. This place is a pigsty of webs and whatnot, but there really isn't anyplace to hide if the time calls for it. I would know since I kept a mental note of all the places where we could. I was starting to get a little paranoid.

I looked over at Twilight Sparkle, a harsh look of determination was on her face. A little bit of sweat glistened on her forehead from walking. It may not seem like it but it's tremendously hot in here. She looked...gorgeous...

Go for it, Aphrodite. I heard the voice inside of me say. She wants it.

I tried to ignore it like usual, but it only seemed to get louder. I grunted to myself so that Twilight wouldn't become concerned. It's not attractive to look crazy in front of someone you have a thing for. Although I think she may already think that. Eheh...

"We should be getting there pretty soon." Twilight stated, looking onwards and scanning almost every inch of the corridor. I could help but stare at her flank as she trotted in front of me to peer inside of another empty room. I caught myself, however, and looked away. So far so good.

"How do you know where we're going?" I inquired, and Twilight just smiled kindly.

"Obviously they took them to some kind of holding cell. What, do you expect them to just be relaxing and eating snacks somewhere?" She chuckled, and I sighed at my stupidity.

Do you see the way she looks at you? She wants you.

Well, yes, I did see that glint in her eye. But I'm sure it was just the lighting. She isn't like that and I know it. Everyone knows it. I have a feeling that she's still a virgin, really. Warble was, that's for sure. Well, it doesn't matter. I won't be doing anything with her anytime soon. Not until I know that the feeling is mutual. I want to ask her straight up what she thinks of me. Where did all my confidence go when I was at the bars? I had oodles. I feel like a child right now with how nervous I am. This was all very, unlike me.

"Twilight?" I said with the very last bit of my courage. Twilight looked at me and raised an eyebrow.

"Yes?"

I was about to ask her what she thought, but I choked up, and instead of looking even more like an idiot, I just uttered a quick "Nevermind" and looked at the ground.

"Alright..." Twilight muttered. I felt like an idiot, but whatever. I'll ask her when the time comes later. We're in the Changeling nest. Now's probably not a good time to talk about things like this anyways.

She's just like the rest! If you want her, take her!

The voices were starting to get louder and harder to ignore. Sure, I want her, both emotionally and sexually. But right now, I can only have one or the other. Not both, unfortunately. Maybe if she likes me back I can have both. But I'm not really sure what those odds are right now...

I looked back over at Twilight. She wiped sweat off her forehead with her hoof. Her mane was soft and wet with sweat. She looked...desirable.

Go on! Take her! Give into your sin!

My sin!? No! I'm not a whore, and I'm not going to do that to her and us!

Do it! Take her!

No!

Use her! Just like every pony else used you!

No! I said I'm not doing it! I'm not...I'm not a harlot!

...Am I?

***

It took forever, but we finally removed all the boulders away from the door. It seemed never-ending and I was all worn out from using my magic to move them all. I may be a unicorn, but I'm no Twilight Sparkle. That's for sure. Applejack was the one who removed the last boulder, leaving us face to face with the box that contained the Elements of Harmony.

"Finally!" I groaned. I was about to crash on the floor for good measure, but I caught myself after considering how dirty the floor was. Rainbow Dash only glanced at me annoyingly.

"Let's get the Elements of Harmony and end this already!" Rainbow Dash announced as she started to fly towards the Elements. Applejack bit onto Rainbows tail, rendering her immobile in midair. "Hey!" Rainbow groaned.

"Not yet! We can't use 'em without Twilight 'member?" Applejack said as she let go of Rainbow's tail. Rainbow had been trying to flap her wings to get out of Applejacks grip. When Applejack let go, Rainbow(unable to stop herself) flew straight into the nearest wall. Everyone in the room, including me, let out a painful "Ooh....", Fluttershy actually closed her eyes so she wouldn't have to see.

After we peeled Rainbow Dash off the nearest wall, Applejack grabbed the box and put it in her saddlebag. Considering that she was the only one who still had hers at the moment. Much to my dismay. Do they not know how long it took me to make those? It doesn't matter. I just hope they didn't actually lose them.

"Now what?" I asked everyone, wiping a little bit of dust off my shoulder.

"Good question." I heard a voice behind me say. I jumped a little bit before everyone turned around, only to see the Princess smiling at us.

"Princess? I hope ya don't mind me askin', but where we ya this whole time?" Applejack politely asked.

"Tending to my duties. I have sent Shining Armor and the rest of the Royal Guard to assist those in need in Canterlot." She suddenly sighed, going back to looking very troubled. "It's getting worse. Places like Manehatten and Las Pegasus aren't doing so well with the amount of Changelings that are appearing there." Celestia explained.

"Well, it seems like the best thing for us to do is wait for the Twilight, Ennui, Vanity and Aphrodite to get back! Yay!" Pinkie announced. It was mighty strange how quiet she's been through all this. Who knows? Maybe she's going through a few things as well.

"I'm going to go find everyone else..." Fluttershy mumbled. Pinkie raised a hoof.

"Can I go? I wanna play with Covette some more!" I was going to say how terrible of an idea that was. But you know, it would be rather hilarious, so I just laughed to myself and smiled.

"Uhm, sure." Fluttershy said. And with that, they both headed up the stairs.

"Celestia, do you need us to help with anything while we wait?" I asked her. She shook her head as a response. "Well, we can't just sit here." I said.

"I can." Rainbow Dash said, as she flew over to a very flat rock and very dramatically pretended to fall asleep. I rolled my eyes at her and looked at the Princess.

"If you want, you three can tour around the Castle for a little bit." Celestia said, before turning around, ready to end the conversation and get back to her royal duties. I sighed and nodded. Maybe we could find something if we looked around. It's not like were hurting anyone.

Rainbow pretended not to hear anything, and also pretended to be asleep so that she wouldn't have to join us. Applejack went up to her and swiftly kicked her off the boulder, making her land on her rump on the floor. "Ouch!"

"Ah dun had enough a' yer laziness. Come ahn." Applejack said, her southern drawl really showing through. Applejack once again grabbed Rainbow's tail and attempted to pull the pegasus along with us.

"The Princess gave me an option. OPTION!" Rainbow struggled as she playfully(But hastily) attempted to grab onto anything to prevent her from going along. But to her misfortune, Applejack was stronger than her. Eventually, Rainbow Dash gave in and finally stood up on her own, mumbling to herself for a little while. I found myself laughing uncontrollably at the whole situation.

And with that, we left to tour the castle.

***

I'm not sure what to expect. We've been touring this Nest forever. And it seemed near never-ending, and it didn't seem like we were getting any closer to our destination. For a moment, I thought we were walking in circles. I knew this place was huge, but not that huge!

I looked over at Aphrodite. She looked..rough. She was deep in thought, and her eye was twitching slightly. She would frequently spasm, messing up her near perfect mane. "Are you alright?" I asked.

"Hm?" Aphrodite snapped back to reality and looked at me for a moment before hurriedly looking away...weird. "Oh, yeah, I'm fine. I just...don't like bugs." She muttered in a low voice. I hope it wasn't a bad idea taking her here with me. If she knew that we were coming to a nest full of half-bug type creatures, why did she agree to come with me then? She wasn't making much sense at this point.

The more we walked, the more...jumpy Aphrodite became. I tried to put a hoof on her shoulder and talk to her, but as soon as I touched her, she yelped and literally jumped away. Her back against the nearest wall.

"What's wrong, Aprodite. Something's up." I told her, but she just shook her head stubbornly.

"Nothing's wrong! Heh heh! I'm fine!" She repeated.

We began to walk for a little bit longer side by side before she suddenly stopped and looked at the floor. I stopped just a little ways ahead of her, furrowing my brow. "Aphrodite?" She didn't respond, she only continued to eerily look at the ground. I'll admit that my curiosity got the best of me, so I decided to walk a little closer to her. But I immediately regret doing so. As soon as I took a step closer to her, her head shot up.

Her eyes...were dilated to the size of peas! Her mane and tail that used to be perfect and sexy is not very unkempt and all over the place. Her makeup was smeared, and she kind of looked like a raccoon. She was smiling at me, eagerly. Her eyes were filled with...lust....

"Uh...Aphrodite!?" I acknowledged. We stood there for a moment. Her kind grin soon turned into one of pure seduction, and her eyes were almost killing me. I wasn't bisexual like she was, but her eyes were to kill for right now.

"Twilight~" She soothed as she took a few steps closer to me. "Twilight there's something I want to let you know. Something I've been keeping inside for a while now..." I wasn't really sure I wanted to know the answer. She continued to get closer to me, and when I didn't answer, she continued to speak. "I love you, Twilight Sparkle." She said in a sultry voice.

W...what? She LOVES me? Since when!? "Uhm...that's flattering, but I'm into stallions..." I tried to explain. The way she was looking at me, her eyes were hypnotizing to me. She giggled cutely, with a tint of madness, the gears in her mind running full speed.

"I want you, Twilight." She purred, I found myself blushing immensely, taking my eyes off of her to look at the ground. I needed somewhere else to look besides her eyes. They were killing me. When I looked up, the mare was just a few centimeters in front of me, scaring me to no end. I tried to remain quiet, remembering that we were still in the Changelings Nest. "I know you want me too, Twilight."

Before I could do ANYTHING, she leaned in and kissed me straight on the lips. I was so stunned that I actually fell down on my flank. I sputtered and repeatedly wiped my mouth. I was just kissed...by a MARE!? "What the hell, Aphro! What's the matter with you!" I tried to stand up, but Aphrodite was standing over me now, she kept a hoof on my shoulder as to make me stay down. I sneered as I looked up at her.

"Twilight~, you don't know how desperately I've wanted this. I've wanted YOU." As she said "you" she pushed her hoof down harder into my shoulder, making me squeal a little bit. She leaned in a closer to me. Our lips were almost touching again.

"Don't touch me!" I shouted, but she put her other hoof over my mouth right after that.

"You've wanted this, Twi. I know you have. Don't make me force you to do this! GIVE INTO YOUR INNER SIN, TWILIGHT!" She screamed at me, in a very low and remorseless tone.

Wait...what?

She reached down and slowly kissed my neck repeatedly. I was overcome by the feeling of pleasure all around my body. I grunted at the inevitable. I knew what was happening.

Aphrodite gave into her sin. She's accessing her power that Celestia was talking about!

But...why now?! She took a hoof off of my shoulder to slide it...down south on me, when I mustered up all of my magic and levitated her into the air. I spat on the ground, trying to get the taste of Aphrodite out of my mouth. She struggled to move as she was being held in air by my magic. She grunted and fought mercilessly, screaming and hollering objectively.

"YOU WANTED IT, TWILIGHT!" She shrieked. I simply shook my head. No, I really didn't, and that was just plain uncalled for, what she just did. "I WILL HAVE YOU! I DON'T CARE WHERE YOU GO! I WILL FIND YOU, AND I WILL TAKE IT FROM YOU!"

I assume she meant my virginity. Well, no way I'm letting her have it. For the third time, I'm not a fillyfooler!

After a few minutes, I assumed that she wasn't going to calm down any time soon. I couldn't let her go, that's for sure, and I definitely can't go on looking for Ennui and Vanity with her screaming like that(If we haven't alerted the guards already), so I did what I had to do. I slammed her telekinetically into the wall before dropping the levitation spell. Her head smacked into the corridor wall, and she slumped onto the floor, knocked out.

Ugh, that was disgusting. I sighed, I really didn't want to have to do that.

I needed to get out of here. Who knows if Ennui, Vanity, Kindling, or the others have accessed their sins yet? Aphrodite was surprisingly strong, even for her being so skinny. If I didn't have my magic, I doubt that I would have been able to save myself. If any of the others sins access their powers, everyone else could be in a ton of danger. I telekinetically lifted Aphrodite's body into the air, and began to walk down the corridor with her.

What? I can't just LEAVE her! If those guards she drugged earlier find her, she's be killed on the spot. Or worse.

I just hope that we find Ennui and Vanity soon, because I have no idea how long she's going to stay asleep. Or if she'll go back to her normal self when she does...

Author's Note

Well then...Aphrodite went full on rapist...kinky :3

Don't worry. I'm not going to show every sin losing their shit. I really don't know how much longer I can keep this story going, but don't worry, I'll try as hard as I can.

Anyways, thank you to HopeMetal for this chapter's segment of CYNERYK'S DUMBASS ADVICE OF THE DAY!

Ahem *Puts on monocle*

It's true alcohol kills people, but how many are born because of it?

I lol'd. Good one bro! Anyways, thanks for reading! Feedback and comments are GREATLY appreciated! Also, if you likey, fav it and give it a thumbs up as I update every day!

Have a good one bros!

-Cyneryk

Ch. 28: Shame

"What happened!?" I exclaimed. Even though Covette was ushering for him to open the door and let me out, he still refused to. He says I need to stay in here for a while to make sure that I'm okay. But it's weird, I feel fine! Well, other than the fact that my mane is a complete mess...

"Kindling! Open the damn door!" Covette shouted at him. I could feel that Kindling had his weight pressed on the door so I couldn't barge through it. I don't know why though, it's not like I would.

"Please let me out!" I begged. It was extremely dark in the room, and I remembered the distinct sound of shattering glass. I'm pretty sure the lightbulb got completely destroyed. I don't like the dark, and my fear began to crawl back into me. "It's dark in here! Come on!" I shouted.

"Like we would do that! You just tried to kill us!" Kindling announced. My jaw hung for a moment as I tried to consider what he had just said. I tried to..murder...them?!

"What are you talking about!?" I shouted, pounding on the door. "No I didn't!"

"The Hell you didn't!" Kindling angrily punched the door back, surprising me and sending me falling on my rump. "You tried to eat Covette!"

"EAT her!? Are you insane!? I'm not a cannibal!" I yelled to him, my anger starting to rise a little bit. This is ridiculous. To be honest, I didn't remember anything that had happened as of recently. The last thing I remember is Covette trying to stand up on her own, disregarding me. Sigh, well, what else is new? I've always been disregarded...

I heard my stomach growl, and I tried to hide it. I'm sure the sound of my stomach won't really help me get out of this situation. I silently shushed my tummy. "Yes you are! You gotta remember something like that!" Kindling shouted back angrily. I heard the clinking of what I assumed was his pills.

"Warble, it's true!" Covette shouted frustratingly. "You went batshit crazy!" She cursed, almost growling again. I could tell just from her tone that she was in pain. I was honestly kind of scared. I wasn't a murderer! I would never try to eat anyone! That's...that's just sick and wrong! Sure, I get really hungry sometimes, but never once have I had the craving for pony flesh! Honest!

I let a few frightened tears fall from my eyes. "Please! I'm not like that! Please open the door! I'm scared!" I shouted, hoping to make them feel just a little bit pitiful. I didn't care, I wanted OUT! The dark has never been my friend, and I've really been frightened of it ever since I was just a colt. When I was younger, I could have swore I saw somepony(Or some MONSTER) in the darkest corner of my room every night. I barely got any sleep as a child until my family and I moved into a different house.

"No! You're going to stay in there until we know for sure you're back to normal!" Kindling announced, making my heart drop, and making me sob just a little bit harder.

"Come on! This isn't funny! I don't like the dark-"

"Well I don't like getting attacked and almost eaten by some maniac pony either!" Kindling angrily shot back, keeping his pills right near him. I can hear them every time he moves.

"What's going on?" Said a new voice, followed by close footsteps. It was a very high and jumpy...

"Did I hear Warble?" Said another softer and more quiet voice. One that I instantly knew.

"Fluttershy! You have to let me out! It's dark in here!" Maybe if I could convince her to open the door, then she can convince Kindling. I doubt she'd be able to do it without convincing him. It'll only make him mad, and violent. I didn't want him getting mad at her.

"W-what's going on?" Fluttershy stuttered cutely.

"I know! Hide and seek?" Pinkie asked, I heard an audible groan come from Covette.

"No! This bastard tried to EAT Covette and I!" Kindling explained. Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie both gasped. I didn't say anything, I didn't really have much to say actually. I would plead my case later. "The kid went crazy! Asking us for 'just one bite'. He chased us until I eventually locked him in here." He knocked on the door. "Never knew you were so fast kid."

But...I'm not? I'm literally one of the slowest and least athletic in my class! Even the mares can run farther than I can. It was actually a little depressing...

"Warble..." Fluttershy walked up to the door, and spoke softly through it. "Is this true?"

"No!" I immediately shouted, but then I gave it some thought. "Well...maybe...I mean...I don't know! I don't remember anything!" I stuttered like an idiot to her. She just let out a soft sigh, and I had the worst feeling in the pit of my stomach. Well, there goes my chances with her. She thinks I'm a monster now. They all do. Just...just what the heck happened?

"Please...let me out..." I said softly. I tried to fix my mane, as to just in case they did open the door, they wouldn't take one look at me and think I just got out of a frenzy. This was all so confusing. I definitely didn't remember a thing. Well, I do remember something talking to me. Some sort of voice. But other than that...

"Let him out, Kindling!" Covette repeated herself, louder this time. With a sigh, he finally did, I flopped on my belly in the hallway excitedly, albeit trying to act sane. I didn't want them to lock me back in there. That was just downright terrifying. Fluttershy looked at me...differently. She didn't see me anymore. She only saw a monster who tried to hurt her new friends, and I knew it.

"Fluttershy, please! Listen to me." I tried to put a hoof on her shoulder, but she quickly backpedalled away. I could tell that she was a little afraid of me. Everypony else looked at me expectingly, like I was about to take a large bite out of her at any second. Of course, I wasn't, so I completely ignored them. "I have no idea what happened...honest! Please, I'm not a monster..." I explained to her, but I don't think it was working, because she kept looking at everyone else but me. "I'm not."

Fluttershy let out a soft sigh, before giving me a small(But slightly unsure) smile. "It's alright, Warble. I believe you." I knew that she still had her doubts, but as long as she forgave me, and that she didn't think of me as a monster, then I figure every things okay. I turned back to Kindling, as well as Covette, who was practically missing everything since Fluttershy and I were just out of her view. I'm pretty sure she's still on the bed in the adjacent room.

"I'm really sorry about what I did..." I looked at the ground apologetically.

"It's cool kid. Just watch it next time." Kindling joked.

"Whatever." Muttered Covette.

"Yay! Friends forever!" Pinkie was suddenly sitting on my back, causing me to do a massive double take. "Wasn't Cashmere with you guys?" Pinkie tilted her head in a ditzy, and confused manner.

Oh yeah. Wonder where he went...

***

I'm so sick of this.

I'm so sick of bring treated this way. Like I never care. Like I'm some rich asshole or something! It's irritating! Everything for me since I ever left my mansion has been nothing but...pain. I get my party destroyed by Rarity and Fluttershy, who then begin to immediately find a dislike for me(I was actually fond of Rarity. She was very pretty), then I get told that my parents passed on bad genes to me, which I shouldn't even have in the first place. All because the Princess was unwilling to change for herself! And I'M the selfish one!?

And lastly, to top it off Covette STILL hates me after what happened long ago. She really knows how to hold a grudge.

I don't know what's wrong with me, but I really wish I hadn't walked away from her back there, when she took my services for granted. Something about her tickles me inside, in a good way. Well, Covette. You want me dead? You want my money? Fine. I'll give it to you some way.

I stared down at the rusty knife that lay in front of me on one of the coffee tables, and pondered.

***

"How long have we been walking?" Vanity asked me nervously. I just shook my head. I had no idea. It seemed like we were walking forever. I was insanely hungry, and I could hear Vanity's stomach from here. I find it almost crazy how many Changeling we didn't see. Isn't this their nest? Where are they?

"Hey Vanity..." I began, after thinking of something. She quickly turned her head towards me. "You're Pride, right?" I asked. Before I could finish asking her the question, she cut me off.

"Yep! Pride! And it's quite fitting too! Of course a pony that was made to be showed off like me was meant to be Pride!" She boasted. I chuckled at her. She was so full of herself it was funny. But I didn't mind. She already answered my question anyways.

I'm not surprised that she doesn't have many friends. I doubt most ponies would want to put up with her anyways. It's funny. It's almost as if we were the same ponies, really. It's kind of awesome if you think about it.

I couldn't seem to get that one Changeling out of my mind. Why did I do that? I could have just...knocked him out or something. I could have banged his head into the wall! I could've done anything else! Why did I resort to that. It was almost killing me inside, knowing that I was a murderer.

"Hey Vanity. About what happened with the guard..." I trailed off, hoping she would get the gist.

"Don't worry, I won't tell anyone." She whispered, smiling slyly at me. I found myself grinning.

After a while of walking, I found myself getting excessively sleepy. That's actually pretty common, but for some strange reason it was more rapid than usual. I'm not sure if Vanity was just muttering things under her breathe, or if it was the echo from some Changelings that we couldn't see, but I swore that I was hearing some voices. I couldn't tell where it was coming from, or if I was even just imagining it.

"Ennui?" A voice called out, one that I knew for sure was real. Vanity and I quickly turned around. "Vanity?" There were two figures behind us.

Vanity stepped in front of me. "Don't come any closer!" She yelled. The first figure walked closer to us, into the light. I noticed that the second figure wasn't even touching the ground...it appeared to be floating.

"Twilight?" I asked out loud. Twilight Sparkle nodded at me happily. The second figure also shone itself when it also appeared in the light. It was Aphrodite! Although she looked like an absolute mess, and she was unconscious... "What happened to her?" I habitually asked. "You guys party too hard or something?"

Twilight gave me a very angry look and sighed. "No! I'll explain later." She spat on the ground, like she had just swallowed a bug. "We need to hurry up and get out of here. You and Vanity aren't safe." She explained. Vanity just shrugged.

"No duh. We're in a freaking CHANGELING NEST!" She announced. Twilight groaned, it was obvious that she was in a hurry. But something in her mind was slowing her down. She was hurriedly trotting in place.

"We need to go!" And before I could take another breath, Twilight's horn glowed even brighter, and we all disappeared in a shining flash of light.

Author's Note

This shit is hard! Really. Anyways, here ya go! This chapter...I'm sure there are going to be a lot of spelling and grammar mistakes, but I really didn't have time to check it because I just wanted to hurry up and upload it really. Well, Vanity and Ennui have been found. Warble gained back Fluttershy's trust. Aaaaand what's Cashmere going to do with that knife? Hmm...what's he plotting? Stay tuned!

I'm going to start wrapping up the story pretty soon. I know some of you say that I should keep it going, but to be honest, I can't. There's really nothing else I can do. But don't worry, there's still going to be plenty more chapters coming out!

Now, it's time for CYNERYK'S DUMBASS ADVICE OF THE DAY!

Ahem *Puts on monocle*

Don't give a woman advice: one should never give a woman anything she can't wear in the evening.

Thanks The Princess Rarity. I'm running out of Dumbass Advice. :3 Yay, sexism!(Please ladies, don't get butthurt over this. It's a joke, and no one actually thinks that)

(Maybe)

Anyways! Thanks for reading! And I hope you all have a great day!

-Cyneryk

Ch. 29: Absolution

I successfully teleported everyone back to the castle. Ennui and Vanity were pretty caught off guard by the action, and immediately stumbled on the floor along with Aphrodite. Who as finally starting to wake up, I noticed that she was stirring a little bit. She finally opened her eyes.

"Ennui, Vanity? Can you two please go fetch everyone else?" I asked. Vanity had to literally drag Ennui by her tail(The smile on her face implied that she didn't mind), but they soon obliged. Aphrodite looked up at me with a confused expression of her face.

"Twilight? What happened?" She asked me, rubbing her head. She looked like she was hungover again. I considered getting angry at her, and hating her. But I know I shouldn't. It won't be the right thing to do, even though she had no right, or control, to do something like that.

"You attacked me in the Changeling Nest." I muttered. Aphrodite immediately stood up, looking as if I just ripped her heart out of her chest.

"W-what? Why? How...?" Aphrodite stuttered, too shocked to say anything worthwhile.

"I'll explain why in a minute when everyone else gets here. But you tried to rape me. Again." I peered at her angrily. She stared into my eyes sadly, and for once, I sensed no traces of seduction in her eyes, just sincereness. I almost felt bad for her, really. She'd been trying pretty hard as of recently to control herself. Just what snapped inside of her mind, I wonder...

"Oh no...I'm really sorry Twilight...I-I..." She sighed, stomping her hoof on the ground frustratingly. She looked really upset with herself. Good. My suspicions are coming more and more true. I just no one else gave into their sins like she did. She looked as if she was about to cry.

"Don't worry, Aphrodite. It's not your fault-" I started, but Aphrodite wanted none of it.

"Yes it is!" She sobbed. This is all really strange. I didn't really expect her to be this upset, because she was trying to get into my bed anyways. "W-What did I say to you?" She looked at me with slightly hopeful eyes. I really didn't want to tell her, because it might just make her upset, but I really didn't have a choice. If I was in her position, I would want to know too. Besides, she spouted some pretty...interesting things.

I let out a soft sigh. "You said that you loved me. And that you wanted me." I paraphrased. Aphrodite was trembling now, looking away from me with a blush. "Then you tried to rape me."

"I-I..."

"But it's strange." I pondered out loud, now that I think about it, something really didn't make sense. Aphrodite tilted her head at me. If she's the embodiment of "lust", well the actual definition is "to have a strong sexual desire". But when she was trying to rape me, she told me that she loves me. Love and lust are two different things. So why did she say that?

Unless that wasn't her sin talking.

Aphrodite was looking at the ground embarrassed, kicking the floor with her hoof nervously. Does...does Aphrodite actually love me?

"Aphro-" I started, but I stopped myself, when Ennui and Vanity came back with everyone else in tow. I saw my friends come up and hug me gingerly, all cheering upon my return. I think they were a little afraid that I wasn't going to come back. A few of the sins gave Aphrodite a welcome back hug as well.

"Mission accomplished." Ennui chuckled as Vanity appeared by her side.

"Everyone, there is no time to waste." I said. I looked around the room cautiously. I wanted to make sure that everyone was here for this. All five of my other friends were here, that's good. The Princess was probably doing something important, so we can exclude her.

I did a mental count on the sins. One, two, three, four, five, six...

"We're missing someone." I uttered, causing everyone to look around. Everyone simultaneously tried to figure out who was missing on their own, with very little order. Covette suddenly broke through the large crowd of ponies. Her wound seemed to be healing quite rapidly. Or that's what it looks like, considering that she's actually upright and walking.

"It's Cashmere." She muttered loud enough for everyone to hear.

"Well? Where is he?" I asked. "We need him here."

"I haven't seen him since he stitched up Covette." Warble added, raising his hoof as if he was in a classroom. He was looking sickly pale, for some reason. I decided not to bother him about it right now.

"I'll go look for him." Covette said, as she began to walk down the nearest hallway. It seemed like she knew where she was going.

"I'll go t-" I started, but she snarled at me like a dog.

"No!" She yelled, before regaining her composure after remembering that everyone was staring at her. "I'm going alone. Everyone else stay here..." She said before turning around and hobbling off down the dark hallway.

***

I know exactly where that dipshit is. Well, kind of. I know for sure he wandered down this here hallway to seclude himself and cause more problems. I don't know why. It's not like I never said anything to him that he didn't already know, or wasn't true. Now we have to go find him. Great.

After I was out of sight of the other group, I began to open all the doors that I came across. I knew that this corridor wasn't very long, and I would find him shortly with this method.

One by one, I opened every door that I came across. My stomach was giving me tons of problems. With almost every move I made I felt like my stitches were going to break, and my stomach was going to pretty much tear open. But I kept on, hoping and praying that it didn't. Cashmere had more surgical tools to help patch me up if that's the case.

When I eventually got to the tenth door, I opened it and expected to see an empty room. I saw a chartreuse blob inside, but by habit I almost closed the door again.

"Cashmere? What are you doing? We're all waiting for you! Twilight and friends are back!" I told him. But he didn't move. He just stared at the coffee table in front of him. I couldn't help but notice that there was an old and rusty knife on the table. His eyes were only half opened as he hypnotically stared at the knife. He seemed to be in some sort of trance.

I was starting to get a little creeped out. I hope he's not going to try and kill me like Warble did. I took a step closer to him. Maybe he's just in deep thought and can't see or hear me? The moment I took a step closer, his lips purled in sadistic and manic smile. One that seemed just a little to big for his face. His mane was still intact, but his eyes dilated at the sight of me. I took a step back, closer to the door, just incase I needed to make an escape.

"Hi Covette!" He breathed loudly through his gritted teeth. Oh no...I was right. He's just like Warble. "I'm SO glad to SEE you..."

"Uh..." I didn't really know what to say. "Thanks?"

I don't do well under emotional pressure, okay!? Cashmere picked up the knife on the table, something that I hoped that he wouldn't do. Crap. He inspected it for a moment, poking the tip to make sure that it was pointy.

"Can you just-"

"Wow. Covette. You have lovely colored eyes..." He monotoned. This isn't going to go over well. The fact that he's holding a knife and complimenting my eyes raises a ton of red flags to me. I took another step closer to the door.

"Okay?" I said, my eyes weren't anything special. Hell, Aphrodite has irresistible ones...

He said monotonously, walking closer to me, the knife pointed in my direction. "You want my riches? My things!?" He screamed at me now. "You try to steal from me!?"

"I-I..."

"Well you can't have it! It's all mine! MINE!" He cackled madly at the sky as he got closer and closer to me. "No one can have it! It's MINE!"

"Cashmere! Calm down!" I shouted back at him, weighing my options. Yep. I was screwed. He would definitely get to me before I could escape through the door. Stupid fricken shard of glass. I was starting to get nervous, I had no choice but to stand up to him. Well, it didn't take much to get Warble to calm down. Just a few minutes alone in the room. Unfortunately, there was no way I was going to be able to lock him in here. Unless I want to lock myself in here as well.

I had no choice but to try to talk to him. Disgusting.

"No! Why should I calm down!? You're a threat to my things!" He stopped walking towards me to speak. To make SURE that I heard him. "Heeheehee. I NEED to kill you! So that you can't get your grubby hooves on my things ever again!" He yelled. I tried to scream for the others, but as soon as I did, I gripped my stomach. Shit, didn't think that one through.

I looked back at him. His eyes...what the Hell!? His pupils were no longer there. Just...dollar signs!? How does he do that!? He continued to howl with laughter at what he was imagining in his mind.

"I-I was kidding!" I tried to lie. "I just said that to make you mad! I didn't try to steal from you!" I argued back at him. I saw him squint at me through his dollar signed pupils. It was actually very difficult to look at, because it's kind of disturbing.

"Liar!" He shouted at me. He was still pretty far away from me, but he lifted the blade anyways. "You admitted it! You told me! You bucking HATE ME! THEY ALL BUCKING HATE ME!" He screamed at the top of his lungs. Well, that didn't work.

In his fury, he tossed the knife at me. Luckily I figured out what he was going to do when I say him bring the knife behind his head, and ducked my head to my right. The knife soared past me, barely missing my face. The knife embedded itself in the door. I stood in awe at the knife in the door, and the fact that it almost just took my life. And the fact that he almost fricken killed me!

While I was slightly distracted, Cashmere slammed into me, almost knocking me unconscious, really. The doctor's got some shoulder! I felt like I got hit by a linebacker. I flew back, my head hitting the door and barely missing the knife. Before I had time to rub my head, Cashmere wrapped a hoof around my knife as I lied on the ground, and squeezed.

"C-Cashmere! Don't do this!" I wheezed. His hooves were practically killing me. His mania induced grin finally got wiped off his face, and turned into one of pure hatred as he pushed down HARD on my neck, causing me to choke. I brought both of my hooves to his, trying to peeling off his hoof so that I can at least get a few good breaths in.

"Oh! I will! I don't care anymore! No one cares about me! I don't care about them! They can all BURN!" He shrieked.

I was running out of breath, and time.

"MINE!" He babbled. "MINE. MINE. IT'S ALL MINE!"

I looked to my left, hoping that there was something that I could use to help me in some way. Nothing. I looked to my right, and grinned to myself.

There was a picture frame on the short dresser next to me. I reached my foreleg up to try and reach it. My foreleg was only about a centimeter away from touching it. I tried to maneuver my body, screaming in excruciating pain as my stomach did not approve.

I tapped the framed, repeatedly, causing it to fall to the floor next to me. The picture, I barely had time to look at. But I remember it clearly. It was two earth ponies. A green stallion, and a blue mare, standing behind a young filly, who was smiling unhappily.

It angered me. It reminded me, of...me.

I took the picture and smacked Cashmere with it on the side of the face. The glass from the picture frame scratched him, making a small and thin scar appear. He let go of me and hobbled back.

"Cashmere! You're not a greedy bastard alright?!" I screamed at him. Maybe that will snap him out of it.

"Hehee! Yes I am! And I'm embracing it!" He said as he felt the scar on the side of his face.

"No you're not! That's what you were told! You're not greedy!" I yelled. The psychotic stallion looked on the ground, and picked up a large piece of glass, and held it in his hoof firmly.

"Yes! YES! I am! And it's all MINE! MINE! MINE!" He repeated dementedly.

"NO! You're not greedy! You helped patched me up when you had the opportunity to save yourself! You tried to save us when Applejack tried to lock us in that damn cave! You let us stay in your mansion when we had no where else to sleep." The memories seemed to be coming back to him, as he dropped the large piece of glass on the floor. He brought a foreleg to his head, and ran it through his mane angrily.

"NO!" He screamed. His head was shaking for left to right, as if he was arguing with his inner self. It was working!

"You're not greedy!"

"YES...I...AM...not?" With every other word, he seemed to be turning back to his original self, and his voice was switching between manic and his normal one. Before I had time to react, he collapsed on the ground.

***

We waited there for what seemed like forever. I was starting to this that Covette was lying to us so that she could have an excuse to leave the group. I was about to go after her, when she finally showed up, with Cashmere(With a strange scar on the right side of his face) behind her. His mane was very messy and untidy.

"I found him."

Author's Note

Well, Cashmere goes greedy. Hehe, this was a fun chapter. Oh, and Aphrodite....I feel bad for her.

Why is Covette always the one that ponies go after when they turn crazy? Hm. Karma anyone?

Anyways! Now, it's time for CYNERYK'S DUMBASS ADVICE OF THE DAY! (Thanks GreenWhisper12131!)

If life gives you lemons, be a true brony and ask for apples instead.

I lol'd. Anyways, thanks for reading everyone! Comments and feedback is GREATLY appreciated!

Have a good one bros!

-Cyneryk

Ch. 30: Gloss

"Wow. What happened to you?" I said, looking at Cashmere. He blushed and looked away from me nervously. He ushered himself closer to the pony that was now nearest him that wasn't Covette. Which happened to be Rarity, who also began to blush slightly and look away.

"Uh..."

Covette surprisingly spoke up for him. "He had an accident. Anyways, get on with what you where saying." Covette sighed irritatingly. I wanted to question this, because I couldn't help but notice the few red dots covering her coats, or why Cashmere keeps squinting, like he had something in both of his eyes. But she was right, I had more important things at hand.

"Right. First off, I want to ask. Has any pony been acting strange lately?" I asked the group, just to make sure. Half of the ponies in the room turned to Warble, to tried to make himself as small as possible.

"I said I was sorry!" He cried, looking at Fluttershy, who have him a gentle smile. I noticed Aphrodite's lips curve unhappily as she tried to reminisce on what she had tried to do earlier. Something that I really wouldn't advise her to do. Strangely enough, Cashmere looked to be a little lightheaded.

"Well I know the reason why, and how to prevent it and access it!" I boasted proudly. Everyone wasn't very amused, they just wanted answers. When I took a half-second longer to respond than Kindling had hoped, he spoke up impatiently.

"Well!?"

"Warble, tell me. What did you do?" I ignored Kindling for the most part. I was trying to make a point, and made sure that everypony was following along. He sighed guiltily.

"I...I tried to eat C-Covette..." He mumbled. A few ponies like Vanity and Applejack gasped, while Covette, just sneered at the pony.

"Exactly as I thought!" I was right! It all made sense. Now, how am I going to explain how I found out without telling the whole group that Aphrodite tried, and nearly succeeded, in raping me?

"What are ya gettin' at Twi?" Applejack asked me, getting a little impatient as well.

"Well you see, it's obvious that Warble simply gave into his sin." I told the group. I must say, I expected a better reaction from everyone, but no one seemed to understand what that had meant.

"Huh?" Everyone said in semi-unison.

I shook my head. "You know when Princess Celestia told you that you all have a part of her inside of you?" I asked the group. I didn't want to talk to them like they were stupid, but I don't think anyone knows exactly how important this is. This could save Equestria, for all we know. The sins looked at each other before all nodding. "Well, by giving into your sin, that's how you access it."

"So...you mean, when I tried to eat her, I was really just accessing my powers?" Warble repeated. I nodded, even though that is EXACTLY what I had just said.

"I can see that. The kid tried to run into Covette, almost broke her neck if he woulda hit her. I rammed the kid also, felt like I just ran into some kind of brick wall." Kindling smacked Warble's side, as if telling him "good job". Warble wasn't really expecting it, and yelped loudly before blushing at the sound he had made.

"Don't worry Warble. You didn't have any control of yourself. Because, like I said, you gave into your sin. It almost took over you." I hated continuously using Warble as an example, but there's no way I'm bringing Aphrodite into this.

A look of relief appeared on Warble's face, and he turned to Kindling, Covette, and Pinkie Pie. "I told you!"

Kindling and Covette looked unimpressed, and Pinkie...well, she was still trying to grasp onto the situation at hand. I saw Cashmere let out a relieved sigh as well. Did something happen back there? I'm going to assume that's what took Covette so long. He's not good at hiding things, especially because he spends a lot of time showing off his piles of stuff.

"So, does this mean we're all going to lose our minds!?" Ennui asked excitedly, making a loud "squee" noise. Applejack just buried her face in her hoof.

"Well, yes and no." I said. I had a plan. Everyone snapped back to attention.

"Sweet! This is going to be just like in 'Attack of the Psychonauts!', where you have to shoot all of these crazy ponies who have escaped from a mental asylum. Oh snap! It was the coolest thing ever! The graphics were amazing! I'm even on the high score list for that game! I'm a real-"

"Anyways," Covette cut in on Ennui's small rant. I think Vanity might've rubbed off on her a little bit back in the Changeling nest. "What does 'yes and no' mean?" She questioned. And I was quiet glad she did.

"Well, here's the deal. If you all can give into your sin at the same time, we can harness the total power, and with it, and the Elements of Harmony, we can silence the Changelings, for good." I concluded.

"But...but I don't want to go crazy..." Vanity added nervously.

"After listening to all your boasting earlier, I think you already have." Covette muttered. Not taking any time to receive Vanity's hate-filled glare, she turned back to me, as if nothing at all had happened.

"How do we give into our sins?" Kindling asked, looking over at Warble. As if he expected him to give them a crash course. Warble just took a nervous step back.

"Don't look at me! I did it on accident! I don't even remember!" He blabbed, and I believed him. That was a good question. How does one give into their sin? I didn't know. Warble was on the right track though. Everypony has sins that they can access. Most of them do it subconsciously, however.

"Well...is it all psychological? Warble was pretty psychotic earlier, if you ask me." Kindling said. Warble wasn't very happy with this statement, but once again he chose to stay quiet.

"It's definitely psychological." Cashmere added. I knew it. He did give in to his sin earlier. "I remember, before I...accessed my 'powers', just a short while ago. I was in deep thoughts. Thinking about my life. Am I really a greedy monster? What am I doing?" He sighed and looked at the ground. He looked like he wished he didn't even start talking in the first place. "Eventually, I just thought to myself: I am a greedy bastard. Then I blacked out. That's when I think I transformed."

Well, there you have it. "So, I just have to call myself lazy, and I become some kind of super pony?" Ennui giggled. She slowly hopped in front of the whole crowd, cackling excitedly to herself. "I dibs first!"

Ennui closed her eyes, and started to think to herself as everyone curiously peered at her. A few moments went by, but nothing happened. I started to get a little concerned. Eventually, five full minutes passed by, and she was still standing there with her eyes closed. Vanity, who simply let out a small sigh, walking over to her and poking her side repeatedly until she got a response.

"Huh? Hm? What?" Her eyes suddenly shot open. Apparently, the mare had fallen asleep standing up. I feel like hitting my head on a wall.

"Ennui!" I shouted at her, this was serious. "Okay, so anyways. I say we all try to access our sins one by one."

Warble raised his hoof. "I'll go first, since I've already done it." He volunteered. Kindling almost grabbed him.

"No!" Kindling and Covette simultaneously shouted. Warble's ears drooped and he gave them a small, dejected frown.

"Yeah, that's not a good idea. We have the ponies that won't be mentally unstable if they transform first." I looked at the ground. Which sin would be the most ineffective and harmful to everyone? Aphrodite, Warble, and Cashmere were out of the question. I have a feeling that Covette will be pretty dangerous. Kindling will kill us all. He'll probably go last...

"Either Ennui, or Vanity will go first." Ennui's hoof shot up into the air. Well, she just tried, and that didn't do any good. "Vanity will go first. Ennui, you stand aside and try some more." I glared at her. "Don't fall asleep."

Ennui simply waved me off sarcastically. "Yeah, yeah, yeah."

Vanity walked in front of everypony proudly. "Of course! The best and the prettiest mare will go first!" Rarity shot her a dirty glance before remembering what sin she represented, and backed down. "Uhm, what do I do?"

"Just...think! Think about you!" I said. I honestly had no idea. I can't see inside of her mind. Not legally, however. Vanity sighed, and closed her eyes

***

Think about...me? That should be easy! Uhm, well...my name is Vanity, I am from Fillydelphia. I am a mare who has been brought here because I represent Pride. Which is ridiculous. Haha. I'm not THAT full of myself. Everyone says I am. But hey? If you got it, flaunt it!

Hm, maybe this is why Ennui is my only friend. Sure, yeah. I know that my constant bragging annoys ponies. But...that makes me wonder. Why don't I do anything about it? Why don't I try to stop talking about myself and calm down? Why can't I make friends?!

Maybe! Maybe it's because their jealous! I know Covette is! Mrs. Envious! She wants this, but she can't have it! They all wish they were me! And I know why! It's because I am amazing! I am stunning! I am PRIDE!

***

About a minute later, when Vanity opened her eyes, she looked...different. She was giggling happily to herself, almost as if she was in a deep state of bliss. She seemed to notice us, but surprisingly, she didn't attack? Isn't that what happened to ponies when they gave into their sin? They get increasingly hostile? Maybe it's just her? A pride thing?

"Wow...what a gorgeous group of ponies!" She hissed to herself. Half of the group watched her in awe. "Too bad they aren't as good looking as ME!" She rested a hoof on her chest dramatically. Rarity was silently chuckling at the mare. "No one is as great as me! Haha!" She actually seemed quite normal, except once and a while she would violently twitch. And her eyes would stray apart from each other.

She turned and stared at Covette, a sick grin on her face. "Especially YOU!" Covette's eye twitched angrily, almost as if she wanted to hit Vanity, who just stood there was a very smug grin. "You'll never be as pretty as ME! As successful as ME! You'll just be some lowlife loser!" She finished. Covette charged at Vanity, ready to take off her head, but luckily, Rarity and Cashmere held her back. She was grunting angrily at herself. To be safe, I used my magic to put a protective forcefield around Vanity, so no one could hear her talk anymore, and that she wouldn't hurt herself or anyone else. I plan on doing this for everyone else too. But theirs won't be soundproof.

Covette was still growing increasingly angry...was she...?

***

I can't believe her! Some stuck up, little knob telling me that I'm not as good as her. Who the Hell does she think she is? Ha! It sickens me. She sickens me. They ALL sicken me. I should destroy her for that! I can be successful! I can! Sure, I've had a tough life. Sure, I'm Envy. But that doesn't mean anything!

I still hate Cashmere. For everything he's done to me. He's the reason why I'm like this. It's all because of HIM. It's disgusting.

But...it would be nice to be like Vanity. To be successful as her. To be as gorgeous as Aphrodite. To have ALL of Cashmere's money. Who am I kidding? I want it! They don't deserve it! I DO!

***

"LET GO OF ME!" Covette screamed at the top of her lungs as she used some sort of immense strength to break free of Rarity and Cashmere's grip. She charged at the square protective shield and repeatedly pounded on it angrily. "I WILL RIP YOUR BUCKING HEAD OFF!" She cried hysterically. Before this went any further, I put another square protective shield around her as well. She continued to try and break free of it, but to no luck. What was good was that I was able to contain them all. As long as they ALL haven't gave into their sins at the same time.

Covette was tripping out. Her face was in a permanent scowl, and she only seemed to get more and more angrier. She definitely seemed to be different from the rest, to say the least. She wasn't going crazy in the way where she was laughing and giggling like Vanity. She was going insane just from anger and such itself. If this was Envy, I was very afraid of what Kindling would do. Definitely saving him for last.

"So...who's next...?" Warble, once again, weakly raised his hand. And I sighed. "Alright." Warble happily jumped in front of everyone proudly. I had a feeling that this was going to be fairly quick.

Warble closed his eyes...

***

Heh heh. This is great! I have some sort of hidden power! Haha! I, Warble, will finally show everyone that I am not a "pansy". I will show everyone my true powers!

If only I could accidentally do it again. Take a deep breath Warble. Focus. Think about your life, and connect it to your sin. Somehow.

I spent my whole life being made fun of for my weight. School was Hell for me when I was younger, and it still was. My parents hated me. They called me names. Fat ass. Worthless. Good for nothing. Everything you can imagine. Just because of my appetite, and my weight. So...when I moved out, I began to do what I love. Eat. I made money through food eating contests. It was quite the income.

But now, that I'm standing here. There's only one other thing on my mind.

I'm so hungry...

***

It only took about 20 seconds for Warble to give into his sin. When he opened his eyes, he gave everyone a large, and very creepy smile. What frightened me the most was that his teeth turned very predator-like. As if they were made to dig into flesh and bone. His eyes landed on Aphrodite, who looked around nervously. His eyes widened, and he began to drool on the floor. His eyes were lacking all remorse.

"Aphrodite. Please. You have to help me..." He said kindly at first, even though he was still smiling insanely. Aphrodite was caught off guard for a moment.

"Don't fall for it!" Kindling shouted, jumping in front of her. But Warble had no trouble pushing him aside. He did so as if Kindling was a leaf.

"I'm so hungry. I need you to feed me..." He barred his teeth at her. Before he had time to take a bite out of one of the ponies that we really needed, I put a square forcefield around him. He hollered and scratched the forcefield in an attempt to break it. Not losing eye contact on his prey.

"NO! NOT AGAIN!" Warble screamed. I had a feeling that he wasn't going to stop screaming, so I made his soundproof as well, like Vanity's.

"I'm next." Cashmere stepped up. Jumping right where Warble once was. "This is only going to take a moment. So please get ready to encase me." He told me, and I gave him a confirmative nod. With that, he closed his eyes.

***

This is it. This is the time. To access my inner power.

I am Cashmere, and I am a greedy son of a bitch. I know that! And there's no denying it. I have tons upon tons of things. I have all the money in the world. But, that's not enough for me.

I want more. I want more things. Things that I can have all to myself. I don't care about anyone else. JUST. ME. EVERYONE ELSE CAN BURN IN HELL. ALL THAT MATTERS IS ME AND MY THING!

***

Cashmere turned almost instantaneously. His eyes opened, and he looked at me expectantly. His eyes...his pupils turned into dollar signs? How does he even do that? He was trembling uncontrollably, looking around the room at all the bright and shiny sculptures and things that have yet to get broken.

I remembered what he had told me. And quickly encased him in another square forcefield. He didn't seem very happy about that, as he tried repeatedly to break out. He looked manic. Almost as if he wanted to kill me. But in a far worse way than Warble would.

I looked back at the three remaining ponies. None of which looked very excited. Ennui looked quite nervous after seeing the other four transform. I think she was starting to have second thoughts. But there was no time. The Changeling attack wasn't letting up. It was only getting worse. They were going to have to get through this just like everyone else had.

"Who's next?"

Author's Note

I was going to include Ennui, Aphroite, and Kindling's(OH LAWDY IM EXCITED FOR THAT) transformation. But then I was like, nah, I'll save it for next chapter. Leave ya guys on a cliffhanger. Trololol.

I hope you guys like this chapter. I was kind of leery about this one, so I hope you all like it! ;-; Don't hate me if you don't!

So, not much longer is left in this story. Well, that's if their powers even work when it comes to taking out the Changelings. So. Yes.

NOW! It's time for CYNERYK's DUMBASS ADVICE OF THE DAY

Ahem *Puts on broken monocle*

Don't waste one ounce of energy on something you aren't passionate about, unless that something wants to kill you.

Thanks Cometandaqua!

Anyways, thanks for reading! And I love you all! Have a good one bros!

-Cyneryk

Ch. 31: Kingdom Qi

"Eheh..." Ennui nervously chuckled. Her, Aphrodite, and Kindling all looked at each other expectantly. "I'll take a raincheck, actually..."

"If anyone, you should go first! You'd probably be the least harmful to everyone, Ennui. You should go next." Aphrodite told her. Ennui looked left and right nervously. She almost knew that in her head. But she didn't want to admit it. She was afraid. She was having severe afterthoughts about this.

"No! I'm good!" Ennui backed away slowly. "I don't wanna end up like Warble!" She said as she looked at the almost ravenous pony captured in one of the magical boxes. He stared at her hungrily. A small pool of drool was forming on the bottom of his box.

"Well, she may be dangerous as well. The actual definition of sloth includes having potential, but wasting it." I informed everyone. Ennui let out a sigh of relief, exceptionally glad that I was taking her side. "She's either turn extremely violent, showing off her full potential, OR she will do the opposite." I said. Aphrodite and Kindling looked at her expectantly. Neither of them wanted to go. Kindling, were saving for last. So... "It's either Aphrodite or Ennui." I concluded.

Aphrodite suddenly looked very afraid. I can relate with her. Fear of the unknown, and what MIGHT happen can make any pony unsettled. "But...but I don't want to attack you again!" Aphrodite whined.

Rainbow Dash was getting impatient. To be honest, all my friends were being so quiet that I forgot they were even here for a moment. "Come on! We're running out of time!" She egged Aphrodite on, who sighed loudly.

"Don't worry. I'll make sure you don't hurt anyone." I assured her, putting a hoof on her shoulder. She looked visibly distressed. The fear of attacking me right there in her mind. I knew that's now what she wanted. I knew that she liked me, in more ways than one. The fear of hurting a loved one. I'm sure that Kindling knows that feeling all to well. Perhaps these ponies have more in common than I actually thought. Maybe it's not entirely random, who these ponies were. Who's ancestors gained their sins a while back that was passed onto them. Maybe it wasn't chance, but destiny.

I looked over at the ponies that were in the boxes. Warble looked absolutely terrifying. He almost looked rabid. I could literally see his stomach growling from here. He was shouting, but luckily, I couldn't hear him. I could read his lips though. He was saying "Just a taste!" Or something like that.

Cashmere was still pounding on the forcefield almost homicidally. The way he tapped on it was so rhythmically sound that he reminded me of a metronome. His dollar signed eyes were staring at me. I think. It's really hard to tell where exactly he's looking.

Covette was lying in the corner of the forcefield. Her back turned away from every pony else in the room. I could hear her mumbling curses and sadistic wishes to herself. Her eyes were both spasmodically twitching, along with her tail. Occasionally, in a fit of rage, she would smack the forcefield with all of her power. Each time, almost breaking it. We were going to need to hurry up...

Vanity was standing triumphantly in her box. Her mouth was moving a mile a minute, although her box was muted as well, thank God. I couldn't hear her, but I noticed that whenever she must've said a certain word, it appeared to literally be floating out of her mouth in some kind of ghostly, black lettering. Some words I noticed where "Best", "Talented", "Amazing," and "Gorgeous". I guess she's fully embracing her sin in there. I hoped she was having fun.

Aphrodite had been following my gaze, which had only made her a little more nervous. "Thanks..." She said. She smiled at me warmly before giving me a kiss on the cheek(I don't think now was a good time to refuse that, so I just dealt with it. She slowly maneuvered in front of the crowd. Everyone was dead silent, save for Covette's muttering.

She slowly closed her eyes.

***

I...I don't know what to do anymore. I know, I am a terrible pony. Most ponies think of me as a whore, and...I think they are right. All I've done with my life...I've tried to use those methods to find someone to care about. But it always ends up the same.

I end up alone and hurt.

But I don't do anything about it. I just keep doing it. I shouldn't be considered Lust! I have good intentions! I...I'm just realizing now that they don't work. Well, I'll always have Twilight to care for me. She didn't even back away when I gave her a kiss on the cheek. Maybe...

Maybe there is a chance? Maybe I can turn everything around. Maybe I have a shot, and I can find true love. Hopefully. But for right now...my name is Aphrodite.

And I AM Lust.

***

A few tears escaped Aphrodite's perfect eyes as she shut them, and they only seemed to cascade further when she started to think. I hated to think about what she was thinking about herself. It probably wasn't nice. She's basically being forced to accept the fact that she's....overly sexual, which is something no pony wants to do.

When she opened her eyes, she did it very suddenly. She giggled cutely as she did so. Her eyes shot me very seductive looks. Her eyes were wet from crying, making they almost glisten in the sun that was pouring throughout the room, almost making them shine dazzlingly. She looked at my friends. As soon Rainbow Dash stared into Aphrodite's eyes, she was completely under her control. I learned that trick already. I can't just box her now. Otherwise, she'll continue to stare at her longer. Lust can make a pony crazy. And it can also drive others to go crazy just by the desire itself.

I didn't think this one completely through completely, maybe Ennui should have gone first...

"Hello, sweetie." Aphrodite purred as she sexily trotted up to Rainbow Dash...I'm pretty sure that she doesn't roll like that. She's had plenty of boyfriends before. Was Lust's power really that strong? "Would you like to play~?"

"Don't look at her, Dash!" I shouted. She didn't seem to hear me. She was focused completely on Aphrodite.

Rainbow Dash blushed immensely. "Hi..." She said meekly, quite lovestruck. Okay, there was no time to think of another idea. I put Aphrodite in a forcefield like the others. Although, she continued to stare at Rainbow Dash. I walked up to Rainbow and shook her harshly, until it got to the point where she couldn't not notice me anymore.

"WHAT!?" Rainbow Dash screamed angrily in my face.

"Stop! Don't look in her eyes!" I repeated myself. Rainbow Dash, being the curious mare she was, almost turned to look back at Aphrodite, but she caught herself. "She can mess with your head that way."

Rainbow Dash looked at the ground, as if she got defeated by a little puppy.

I looked back at Ennui. "You're next." Ennui suddenly gritted her teeth out of fear, and hid behind the nearest pony, which happened to be Kindling, who didn't appreciate that at all. He didn't hesitate to sidestep, so that she was in everyone's full view again.

"Uh...I'm good. I'll, ya know. Go last. You know, it's 50/50 for me, right?" Ennui tried to use the facts she knew against me. Clever mare.

"Yes, but it's 100 percent for Kindling." I tried to tell her. "The guy took out how many Changelings by himself when he didn't even give in! Imagine what'll happen if he does?" Ennui looked at the ground unwillingly. "Do you really want to be around for that?"

Ennui sighed. "I...I guess not...I'll be honest. I really don't wanna end up like them. I know I'm lazy, but..." I felt bad for her. She didn't want to admit she was scared, I can respect that, but now isn't the time.

"Ennui, please..." Applejack walked over to her to comfort her. "Ah've been traveling and talking to ya for the last week er so. Yer ah strong mare. Ah know ya can do this." She said, getting a small smile from Ennui. "What happened to all that confidence ya had earlier?"

Ennui just shrugged. "It went into the gutter, much like the brains of half the ponies in the room." She grunted as she turned to look at all the ponies in the boxes(Save for Aphrodite, she knew better.)

"Well, now's a good time. Think about this as a game." Fluttershy spoke up. She had the right idea. Ennui tilted her head.

"What kind of game?"

"How about a fantasy game? You're character is the chosen one among a large group of ponies. You are gifted with immense power. And you just leveled up. Now, you have to claim your prize." Fluttershy told her. Everyone in the room(who wasn't crazy) stared at her slack jawed, including Ennui.

Since when did Fluttershy know about Fantasy games? I never even heard her mention those types of games before. I'm just going to assume that she read it in a book, much like me.

"Heh. Sounds interesting." Ennui chuckled, finally getting her confidence back. "Alright! Time for me to LEVEL UP!" Ennui ecstatically jumped in front of everyone, and without skipping a beat, she closed her eyes.

***

Alright, Ennui. Focus. You've got this. Fluttershy's right. It's a game. A game that I have yet to conquer.

All I have to do is think. About what? I don't have much to think about really. Except with all this going on. I can't believe I was this important all along. I'm nothing special. Just some regular mare. Heh, this is kinda cool. I can hear my own echo in my mind! ECHO~

Oops, back to what I'm supposed to be doing. I know I'm lazy. I've been told multiple times. And I don't plan on changing. I like being like this. It makes me feel nice. It gives me joy to be able to kick up my hooves and say "buck it". Now that I think about it, why do I need others in my life? I've done good being alone. I can manage. I don't need friends. I don't need anyone. I am who I am.

Boy, I'm tired...

***

It took Ennui a little bit as well, but after five full minutes, the alabaster maned mare opened her eyes. But only barely. Everyone was as nervous as I was. Would she be violent? Or would she be passive, or something like usual? Ennui just stared at me for a moment. Just me. Her mouth was just slightly open.

"Ennui...?" I called out to her. I was actually slightly scared, I didn't know what to expect. I learned my lesson last time when I tried to get closer to a mare who's gave into her sin. So I made sure to keep my distance.

Before I had any chance to respond. The mare charged at me with some sort of speed that seemed impossible to recreate. She ran into me full force. I slammed into the wall that was about 20 feet away from me at the time. Somehow, I managed to continue using my magic to prevent the boxes from disappearing. I rubbed my back. I felt like I just got hit by a freight train. So, that's it. She's showing us her true potential. And wow, she's stronger than she looks. Well, I doubt it. I bet most of it is Celestia's power.

Before I knew it, she was to the right of me, standing near the door, where a large pillar was located. She gave it a swift, and strong kick. The pillar cracked and wobbled, before it started to fall. It headed right towards me, slowly toppling.

I was already using enough magic at the same time. Multitasking is never a good thing to do. If I tried to teleport, and succeeded, I could risk setting one of the sins in the boxes loose. I was stuck.

I held my hooves in front of my face, waiting to be hit with a strong force. I was. But surprisingly, when I opened my eyes, I was still alive. I looked right next to me. The remains of what was the pillar was now a large pile of stones. Next to it, was Kindling and Rainbow Dash.

"Don't worry. We got your back." Rainbow grinned, obviously excited by the thrill of the moment. A few of my other friends gave out many sighs of relieve at the fact that I was okay.

"Where did she go?" Kindling questioned, looking around. I scanned the room as well. Wow, she was fast. This is getting dangerous. We need to get her in the box now!

"No one move..." I told everyone. It'll be easier to spot her if no one moves an inch. To my right, I heard a loud grunt, and a brown blur headed straight for Pinkie Pie, who seemed oblivious to the situation at the time.

"Look out!" Kindling screamed at Pinkie. It's a wonder how he noticed her before I did, but that didn't matter. Just seconds before impact, I encased Ennui in a forcefield box.

"GRAH! LEMME OUT! I WILL THRASH ALL OF YOU!" She screamed, hitting the forcefield with her hoof, making a large crack appear in it. For the first time since I've met her, her eyes were fully open. And let me tell you, it was pretty creepy.

"Come on Kindling, you're last." I tried to hurry him. He wasted no time. I maneuvered all the boxes of ponies into a straight line.

Kindling jumped at the end of the line. I knew that once he gave into his sin, then all of the forcefields would break. This was it, now or never. In the meantime, my friends each had received their respective Element of Harmony from the box that they had gotten. And Fluttershy was holding mine in her hooves.

"You ready, Kindling?" I grinned at him.

Kindling smiled, and took out his pills. I was going to tell them that there's no use. But before I could, he tossed them to the other side of the room, making a rattling sound as it hit the far wall. He gave me a confirming nod. "More ready than I've ever been."

He closed his eyes, smiling endlessly.

Author's Note

MWAHAHAHAHA! NO KINDLING YET! HAHA! DEAL WITH IT! >:D I'm such an evil genius.

Anyways, Ennui, that was an unexpected turn of events. Who would have known she'd be one of the most powerful sins? And Aphrodite, do I sense some sort of mind control. Oh, Rainbow Dash and you lesbianism accusations :3.

Anyways, it's time for CYNERYK'S DUMBASS ADVICE OF THE DAY!

Ahem *Puts on broken monocle*

"If you study drunk, take the test drunk so you can remember all the answers."

Oh, joy! A+ here I come! Anyways...

Thanks for reading! Comments and feedback is greatly appreciated! Have a good one bros!

-Cyneryk

Ch. 32: Termination

Kindling closed his eyes slowly. Almost as if he was afraid. I had a very bad feeling about this. I prepared myself so that I would be able to quickly and accurately make a forcefield around him when he turned.

I knew little about Kindling. Except that, for an older stallion, he's definitely had a hard life. He spoke about himself to Applejack earlier, but he really didn't say anything else. I wonder what's going through his mind. I'm very curious to know myself.

"You got this, Kindling." I muttered to myself as I slowly felt Kindling slip away.

***

It's time.

It's time to gave into my sin. All I have to do is reflect on the moments in my life that made me angry. When was I the most angry? That was a hard question.

I think it was the incident with my best friend. Ha, Time Turner you were always such a smartass. It was kind of funny. We have been friends for about 20 years, ever since where were just children. I had the best memories with him.

It seemed like any other day. There was a slight overcast that evening, and it was on the verge of drizzling again. I was on my way home. It may not look like it, but I had many jobs throughout my life. I usually find a nice job, and end up moving to a new area with my wife and kid. More often than not we were on the move. I usually end up getting fired after a few weeks, however. Mainly because I get frustrated often, and tend to break things or curse out other employees.

Anyways, I come home. My son is no where to be found, instantly making me a little nervous. I called out for him, and for my wife. But the house was eerily quiet. I slowly walked through the house, scanning every room, calling out for someone. ANYONE. I was actually having bad thoughts in the back of my mind. Maybe something happened to them?

"Hun?" I called out as I opened my bedroom door. Only to see something that I really wish I hadn't.

My wife was in bed with my best friend.

"What the Hell?!" I shouted, causing both of them to snap to attention and stare at me motionlessly, as if they were deer caught in the headlights.

"Look! I can explain!" Time Turner stated, but it was too late. My anger was already rising. He was on top of my wife, so I grabbed him by the waist and tossed him over my shoulder onto the floor.

I stood on top of him and began to repeatedly punch the side of his face. "YOU WERE MY FRIEND. HOW COULD YOU!?" With every syllable I said, I gave his face another hard and merciless punch. I couldn't stop myself, I was too angry. I was blinded by my hatred and rage that I couldn't control my actions.

My wife was screaming at me. "Don't! It was me! I told him too! Just stop!" She begged. I didn't want to talk to her, or even see her right now. She tried to grab onto my forelegs to stop me from punching him. I didn't know what I was doing! I was angry! Without even thinking, I shoved her away. Not realizing that she had hit her head on the nightstand next to the bed. Blood was gushing from her head, and I didn't even notice, or care!

After I had calmed down, Time Turner was lying on the ground in pain after his mauling. The more I stared at him, the more I thought "What have I done?" My wife was sobbing on the ground, cursing me.

I didn't know what to do. I had no options. I grabbed the essentials, such as my pills and some clothes and money, and bolted.

A few hours later, I was apprehended by the police. I was heartbroken when I heard that my wife WAS going to press charges, but Time Turner convoked her not to. I'm surprised he didn't charge me himself. Is that what true friendship was? I'm still not completely sure, but it boggled my mind.

After I was released, I did what I had to. I left my son a note, saying how much I loved him, and taped it to his window, so my ex-wife wouldn't discover it before him. Oh, Charcoal...I love you. I'm sorry, for giving you this accursed sin! If only I had known.

I was dead inside. I didn't deserve to live in this world. I'm surrounded by kindness, and all I do is screw it up because I can't control myself! I had to isolate myself in the mountains for God sakes! I WANT MY LIFE BACK AND I WANT TO LIVE RIGHT!

***

Kindling had begun to growl to himself angrily. I knew that he had just given into his sin. What ever he was just thinking obviously made him extremely mad. I'm not sure if I really want to know.

All seven ponies' boxes were on the ground in the room, in order of when they gave into their sin. Before Kindling could get angry, he stopped. He stood there. Unmoving, staring at whatever was in front of him. My friends and I looked at the rest of the group. Everyone had stopped moving and talking. All the sins seemed to be in some sort of trance. Rarity waved a hoof in front of Vanity, who didn't even acknowledge her. She just kept staring forward, like a soldier.

Pinkie Pie went up and tapped the forcefield that Covette was in. "Is this some new kind of freeze tag?" She asked. I ignored her purposefully.

"The power...it's forming..." I whispered aloud to myself, barely loud enough for everyone to hear me. Before I had a chance to say anything else, all the forcefields simultaneously shattered, sending bits of hardened glass-like material crackling on the ground. All the ponies remained motionless.

My friends and I studied all the ponies in the line. But I noticed something strange, especially Aphrodite. I knew that they were immobile, so I wandered up to her.

Her body seemed to be taken over by a dark shadow. I was right in front of her, but I couldn't see any facial features, just the outline of her face, mane and body. Her eyes turned into that of an excessive pink. Her pupils were now missing. Before I had that much of a chance to get close to her, she exploded in a bright pink, fiery pillar. The pillar had broken a whole through the Castle ceiling. It was bright pink, and if I looked closely, I could see little hearts inside of it, rushing to get to the top of the pillar. I jumped back, before realizing that Aphrodite was alright on the inside of the inferno.

"Uhm...Twilight...?" Fluttershy squealed after taking one look at Aphrodite. Is this supposed to happen? She slowly trotted up to Warble and waved a hoof in front of his face, but to no avail. Without any warning, he was overtaken by the strange shadow, much like Aphrodite. Only his eyes grew a bright, sunset orange instead. "W-Warble?" Fluttershy cried. As she also fell back on her rump from surprise.

"Get back Fluttershy!" Rainbow Dash yelled as she dragged Fluttershy away from Warble. She knew exactly what was going to happen.

Warble erupted in fire. Much like Aphrodite's inferno pillar, except his was different. The flames were a bright orange, breaking through the ceiling also. Instead of hearts, I could see little pictures of random pastries and snacks inside bolting towards the top, even swirling around the inferno itself.

"What's going on Twilight?" Rarity asked, taking a step away from everyone.

Cashmere was next. Rarity seemed heartbroken as Cashmere's body turned into that of a shadow. "But...but..." His eyes were shining the color of wet grass. I couldn't help but notice that with every pillar they keep getting bigger with every pony. His pillar was, unsurprisingly, was a bright green. His icon(That everypony seemed to have, it seemed. Must be a sin thing) was multiple dollar signs. Didn't see that coming.

After Cashmere, was Ennui. I didn't see her turn into a shadow. I was focused just a little too much on Cashmere. By the time I looked over at her, she was already enveloped in her inferno, which seemed to shine brighter, although the flames were very dull and metallic gray. The icon that I saw in her flames were a few Z's.

"Twilight what's going on!?" Applejack repeated Rarity, who was almost freaking out at this moment. I just shook my head.

"I don't know! I think we did it!" I said what I was thinking, something which I've tried to teach myself not to do. It's not going so well, really.

"Ya think?!" Applejack questioned me, and I blushed. To be honest, I had no idea how this was going to work. I guess now we know for later. Applejack just sighed and went back to watching the sins gain their overall power. Something in the back of my mind was bugging me, and I haven't really thought about it until now...

Are they going to be alright?

Kindling's body turned into a shadow next. I'm pretty sure this was in some kind of chronological order that I was previously unknown about. His eyes shone a very dark red. I took a large step back from him, not wanting to take any risk. A large, blood colored inferno surrounded him. The largest one out of all the sins so far. There was no icon in his inferno. But I could of swore I saw blood somehow cascading from the pillar.

"Twilight!" Applejack said, taking my Element and tossing it(rather unsafely) to me. Luckily, I was just fast enough to be able to catch it. My friends put on their necklaces, which eat immediately shone as well. They were all set, all they needed was me.

I turned back to the last pony. Vanity. She looked absolutely frightening. Before I had time to react, her pillar literally exploded in front of me, larger than every other sins was. It sent me flying on my back, landing in a heap on the floor besides me friends.

"Are you okay?" Fluttershy asked repeatedly, her caring nature showing itself once again. I was a little groggy, but I wasted no time getting on my hooves.

Covette's pillar spouted a emerald flame that almost seemed the touch the heavens. The fire swirled around her like a tornado, but with her in the middle of it all. The flames seem to twirl in the air, although I could just faintly see various images of a skull and crossbones that almost seemed to float around her. As if it was dancing in the fire.

Vanity's pillar was a cerulean blue, much like her coat. It was almost double the size of Aphrodite's. I've figured out the order. It appeared that the sins erupted in order of the severity of their sins. Apparently, being prideful of yourself is worse than being sex-crazed. Which I can see. I saw various adjectives in her pillar. "Greatness", "Destined", "Excellence". But there was one word that stuck out to me that I saw in her pillar that I don't think should have.

Fate.

I looked back at my friends, who smiled at me in anticipation. I sighed, not wanting to leave the sins behind, but there was no choice. I hoped that after this, all 13 of us could remain friends. I hoped we all could make it, together.

This wasn't a very easy thing to do. But I turned around so I wouldn't have to hear the agonizing screams from the sins as the pillars burned them. They were being singed by their own flaws, slowly and painfully. Pinkie Pie actually covered Fluttershy's ears so she wouldn't have to hear.

I turned around and gave my friends a confirming nod before I put the crown on my head.

Author's Note

I just want to say thank you so much for taking the time to read all of this, and for sticking with me and dealing with my bullshittery. I just want to say thank you SO MUCH, and I love you all! <3

So, the ending has finally arrived. The sins have disappeared. Reincarnated once again.

Or are they?

Now, it's time for CYNERYK'S DUMBASS ADVICE OF THE DAY!

...You know what? No. This is a sad time. No bullshit today!

*Breaks his monocle and throws it in the trash*

NO!

Anyways, thanks again for reading! And have a great day bros!

-Cyneryk

Epilogue: Endgame

It's been a week since the Changeling attack, and things seem to be getting...better, I guess.

It was a long journey for all of us. Some more than others. We were all exhausted, the first thing we did when we were given the chance to was sleep. Heh, I guess Ennui rubbed off on us a little bit.

I sat in the middle of the library in my usual manner: lying on my belly, my chest resting on an expertly placed pillow, scanning one of my favorite books, and slowly flipping the pages with my magenta-laced magic. I let out an empty sigh. I didn't feel happy. Not like I used to, anyways.

I felt myself void of something. It didn't feel right. Maybe it's just because I can finally relax for the first time in two weeks. Celestia and other ponies, some of whom I don't know very well, helped clean up Equestria. There was excessive damage to the Canterlot castle, and to my never-ending gratitude, the Princess forgave me. She said that my friends and I did what we had to do, and if that involved a little destruction here and there, although she's not a big fan of it, she had no option. If we didn't, the Changeling's probably would have taken over.

When everything was over, I searched high and low for the Sins. None of which I found. They all seemed to disappear into thin air. I haven't seen them since last week, and I miss them already.

The Changeling's pretty much evaporated into black piles of dust after being hit by the Elements of Harmony, and the Deadly Sins' power at the same time. I was glad about that, we weren't going to have to worry about them for a long time. If not ever again.

I felt a few tears hit the book pages in front of me. I couldn't help but release my emotions as I buried my face in my hooves. I've grown so attached to all of them. I felt like I had just lost family, really. I don't know how my friends are holding up, but I felt dead inside.

Unbeknownst to me, Spike was in the doorway, watching me sadly. I could hear his footsteps as be began to approach me. I think I heard some kind of clanging noise as well.

"Twilight, are you going to be alright?" He asked me, as if a mother as speaking to her child. I lifted my head and wiped my tears, trying to have some dignity. When I was convinced that I got most of the tears off my face, I sniffled a bit before giving him a slow nod. Spike sighed sadly and began to rub my back.

"Things get better, Twilight. Trust me." He soothed, I didn't say anything, I just crossed my fore hooves and rested my chin on them. I didn't know how. If anything, things seemed to be at an all time low.

"You don't know that." I mumbled under my breathe, a little too loudly. I couldn't help being so...depressed. I was just really upset. Spike stood up, and grabbed something heavy that was behind them.

"I found this, and I think you may want it..." Spike said, grinning at me happily. I turned my head, only to see something that made me smile.

The Medallion was in his claws, and it was shining a beautiful pinkish hue.

Some more tears fell from my eyes as I looked at it, and I tried to initially look away. I didn't know whether to be happy, or to be upset with this gift, so I just smiled and wrapped my hooves around him gently. He happily returned the hug. He quickly put Medallion over my head, and I watched as it immediately turned a color resembling the sunset.

"Thank you..."

***

Finally...

I've made it to Ponyville.

It was a long journey, and it took me an extremely long time. I walked most of it, since the Changeling's had made it their damn mission to destroy all of the trains, along with the tracks.

I knew what I wanted to do in Ponyville, I just hoped that I had the guts to do it. After what had happened last week when I gave into my sin, I suddenly woke up in my bed back in Appleloosa. I didn't remember much, but there was one thing that I couldn't get out of my head, one of the most amazing mares I've ever met.

I stood outside of the pegasus' cottage, working over what I'm going to say in my mind. I felt like I was going to have a heart attack. I've never really done this before, and I was crazy nervous. I tried to calm myself down. I didn't want to go inside and she notices that I'm trembling.

"Hi! I'm back! How are you, milady?"

No. Too formal.

"Hey! What's up?"

Eh...

"Hi-"

Dammit!

This is going to be way harder than I would have originally thought. It's easy to make promises to yourself in advance, but when the time comes, no one is ever prepared. I took a deep breathe and knocked on the door and patiently waited, doing a little dance to get over my nerves. When I heard a hoof grasp the door handle, I immediately stopped and looked forward.

Fluttershy opened the door.

"Can I help...you...?" She squeaked upon taking a single look at me, and her cerulean eyes widened. A very large and uncharacteristic smile appeared on her face. "Warble?" I politely smirked at her. "Where have you been?" I shrugged.

I tried to find the words, but I kept finding myself nervously stutter. "Ya know...j-just hanging a-around.." I looked inside of her cottage. "D-Do you mind if I-I came in?" I asked her, reminding her about the fact that I was still outside.

"Oh! Yes. Come in!" She said in a voice barely above a whisper. I'm not sure, but I'm pretty sure I saw her blush just slightly. She opened the door a little farther, allowing me to slip inside of her cottage.

It was very quaint, and it smelled heavenly, really. Everything in the home seemed to have the essence of a duller yellow, and pink. Much like her. Fluttershy sat down on a nearby couch, and I sat next to her.

We sat there, unspeaking, for a good moment, and I was getting nervous. Come on you idiot! Say something! "Uhm...so how's it going?" I mentally face hoofed. Fluttershy kindly smiled.

"It's going fine." She whispered. I felt like I was going to die just sitting next to her. She was so gorgeous, and adorable. Quick! Give her a compliment!

"I like your...mane? Yeah! It's so cool!"

Words cannot describe how much I hate myself after saying that.

Fluttershy giggled cutely, before beginning to nervously hide behind said mane. "Oh, um. Thank you..." Alright! That may or may not have worked! Time to reel her in! If you haven't noticed by now, I watched a few dating advice videos before I actually came over. I'm not sure if the advice is working or not...time to bust out some of Warble's charm!

"Look, the r-real reason I'm here is b-because I missed you." I said to her, looking deep in her eyes. It felt really weird, and I resisted the nagging urge to habitually look away. I was never a fan of eye contact.

"I missed you too, Warble."

"Like...REALLY m-missed you." I repeated, Fluttershy blushed a little bit, but put her hoof in front of her mouth in an attempt to cover it up. I think she know's where I'm going with this. "I just wanted to know...if maybe...you know..."

COME ON! DO IT! SAY IT!

"If y-you'd wanna...hang out or something sometime?" I stuttered terribly. Fluttershy was blushing so massively that her hoof was now no longer able to cover it, and she resorted to simply looking away from me.

She let out a small squeak. After a moment, she took a deep breathe, and turned back to look at me. She gave me a shaky reply:

"I would love to."

***

"Ennui! Are you kidding me!?" Vanity shouted at me from the other room.

I have to admit. Things have gotten pretty nice since the whole "Changeling" fiasco. I made a good friend or two. One of which decided to become my roommate. We rented out a nice apartment in Ponyville, so we could be close to the other sins, along with Twilight and her friends. This is going to be fun.

Vanity's going to love my pranks.

Actually, I'm pretty sure she already has.

I was lying on the couch, eating some of my favorite hay-chips when she stumbled in the living room. I took one look at her and erupted into laughter. It looks like she found that bucket of glue that I had placed beside her bed. She was a mess. Her hair was all over the place, and her left hindleg along with her right foreleg where glued together hilariously. She also had the white substance on her coat as well.

"Someone had a little too much fun with the vibrator, huh?" I joked, laughing hysterically. Vanity gasped at what I had said and fumed at me, turning a little red.

"What the Hell Ennui!? It's our first day here and you're already doing stuff like this!?" She screamed. For the love of God, I was laughing so hard I swear that I started to cry a little bit. Oh my sides...."My perfect coat...and my MANE! It's ruined!"

"Ohh it's all in good fun." I said after I had finally calmed myself down. She gave an irritated grunt and stomped the ground angrily, before hopping towards the bathroom to wash off all of the superglue.

Even though, sure, it was a little mean. I know she doesn't hate me. She cares for me more than any pony ever did. She'll get over it soon, she always does.

Maybe I was right.

A little friendship goes a long way.

***

Well, this turned out better than I expected. After I gave into my sin, things have actually been getting better.

The Changelings are all gone, and that's always a good thing. After things were done and over with, I woke up in my bed, back in my mansion in Canterlot. Oh, I was ecstatic. I was so grateful! Finally I could be back with all my beloved things! It was all fun and games, until the next day came around.

My servants all tried to cheer me up. I felt, different. I didn't care anymore. I felt...lonely. This is the first ever time. Usually, all I need is my things to make me cheer up. But for some reason, I couldn't. I missed everyone. Even Covette.

But I didn't want to leave.

I start to wonder what happened to me. Something inside of me seemed to change. This feeling of greatness and power suddenly doesn't seem to suit me any more.

I wanted more!

So, I carefully packed my things. I knew what I was going to do. I was going to move to Ponyville. I was going to be with everyone else. Especially Rarity. I wanted to see her again. She was the only one who cared for me, even though we've had a few fights every now and then. I just couldn't get her out of my mind. She was so beautiful, and I knew that from the moment where she disrupted my party a while back.

I wanted to go back. I was going to build another mansion there, one that's bigger, and better. One that I can call my own.

But, before I did, I made sure that I did a few things. I told my servants that I will no longer be needing their services, and I payed them off generously for their faithful service over all these years. They seemed disappointed, but in the end, they were accepting of my decision.

One more thing. I had all of my things in a moving truck ready to go before I remembered something. I stood outside of my mansion, looking left and right. I didn't see her, but that's alright. I know that she would be here soon. I took out a cardboard box, and stuffed a few things of mine inside, along with a letter that I had written myself.

Before I left, I made sure to label it and leave it on my doorstep: "Covette".

***

Where is he?

I need to find that greedy bastard. I still don't like him! No, I'm not obsessed with him, I'm not a stalker. I'm just persistent. If he takes one step away from his cash, I'm taking it. The stallion still doesn't deserve a single bit of it.

Ever since I woke up back on the streets of Manehatten, I've made it my mission to get back to Canterlot. I'm still not giving up. I know exactly where he is, now that I think about it. He's probably happy to be back, touching and idolizing his things like usual. Some ponies never change, and it's sickening.

"Gotcha!" I said...wait...what?!

There was a moving truck outside of him mansion, that had just began to pull out. I stared in awe. He's leaving? His beloved mansion? What the Hell!?

Cashmere was nowhere to be seen. Ugh, great, I came all this way for nothing!

Wait, what's that? There appeared to be some sort of box on his doorstep. Well then, time to investigate! I hopped out of the bushes, looking both ways to make sure that no one was watching me, before I sprinted for the box. I swiftly grabbed it and, before I had a chance to even inspect it, I made another beeline back for the bushes, cackling to myself. Haha! Easy nab!

I set the box down on the ground, before I noticed something odd about it. My name was on the side.

"What the..." I muttered to myself. I forcefully tore open the box, not caring about how nice and neatly it should have been done. I was so curious that I didn't want to waste a single second. When I opened the box, I felt my heart leap out of my chest.

The box was filled with cash.

"Oh my God..." I exclaimed, cheering a little bit to myself, and for once, letting myself smile. I inspected the money, just to make sure that it was real, and that this wasn't some kind of cruel trick.

When I was rummaging through to make sure that they were real, I noticed that there was a white paper on the bottom of the box. I pulled it out, and it appeared to be a letter once again addressed to me.

I slowly opened it. This was all so insane...

Dear Covette,

Hello. Greetings. I assume you know who this is from. I knew you couldn't resist the chance to take some of my things. I bet you tried to take this sneakily, didn't you? Well, there are camera's all over the place. You don't think a place as lovely as my home wouldn't have 24 hour security?

Anyways, I would like you to take this. It is 40,000 bits. Enough to get you a new home in Ponyville. That's where I'm going. I'm done living my life this way. I want to be surrounded by others, ponies who actually give a damn about me. And I would like it if you joined us. You don't have to live on the streets anymore. You can have a home, maybe even a family if you wanted. Home's in Ponyville are fairly cheap(I'm building my own mansion, so it's different for me), so this should be enough money for you to at least stay in Ponyville for a few years.

I want to apologize for what happened when we were children. I was a greedy jerk, and I'm very sorry. I just hope that this can make up for it.

Highest Regards,

Cashmere

I sat on my rump, in utter shock. So, he did remember me. This...this is amazing. I...I can't believe he did this for me. I stared at the box of money in front of me. What happened to the Cashmere I thought I knew?

"What a dumbass." I smiled happily before picking up the box and putting it on my back.

I was headed to Ponyville, where I can finally have the opportunity to actually live like I should.

***

I almost died that day.

I think. I found myself in my cabin when I had finally woken up, with a full container of my pills clutched in my hoof. It was amazing. I honestly didn't think I would have survived that. It was insane. I hope, when I gave into my sin, that I didn't hurt anyone.

I felt disappointed, back in my cabin. There was nothing for me here. I had ponies who put up with me back then. It was the best experience of my life. No one ran away from me. No one found me to be a monster. I was...a pony again.

It didn't take me long. I knew what I had to do.

I traveled back to Ponyville, back to the ponies who originally cared for me. I didn't want to lose them, and I wanted to make sure that everything wasn't just some kind of sick joke. It took an awful long time, especially since the trains were broken down. I will admit I had to take a few pills for that...

It took almost a week, but it was all for a good cause.

I wanted to see my new best friend. Good thing I knew exactly where she would probably be.

I walked up the road to Sweet Apple Acres, as determined as ever. Happy that for once, I wasn't stepping on snow, and that there were beautifully colored birds flying besides me.

Applejack was out bucking apple trees, like she had told me she does. With one swift kick, she sent a barrage of apples into a cleverly placed bucket. I walked up behind her, unwittingly.

"Hi Appleja-OOMPH!" I shouted as Applejack jumped and habitually bucked me with her very fine toned hind legs. I flew back at least five feet, and landed in a pile on the floor in a painful blur.

"Kindlin'? What are ya doing here!?" She said as she helped me get to my feet. She rubbed the back of her neck, tipping her Stetson hat up a little bit. "Heh...sorry 'bout that..."

I rubbed my nose, somehow, it wasn't broken. I felt a little anger building up in me, but I kept it at bay. I was starting to get a little better with controlling my anger, but slowly.

"It's fine, and yeah. I thought I should pay a visit!" I muttered, and Applejack gave me an excited smile.

Applejack seemed to be my rock. No, we weren't dating, and I don't plan on dating for a long time. I'm way too old for her anyways. She always kept me in check, whether it was reminding me to take my pills, or getting things done around the farm correctly. She introduced me to her family, and they told me that I could stay as long as I wanted, as long as I helped out on the farm. Which I was more than happy to do, I love apples.

I don't care what I'd have to do anyways. I'm just happy. I actually have a new family: her grandmother, her older brother, and younger sister, who reminded me slightly of Charcoal with her hard-headedness.

It was all I ever wanted, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

***

I stared down at the Medallion in front of me, before I heard a knock at my door. I didn't waste any time going to answer it. It was probably just one of my friends wanting to visit. Although, I did have a small feeling inside of me...

I quickly opened the door, and almost have my jaw hit the floor.

"Hey sexy." She purred, giving me her usual seductive look. She batted her eyes lashes a few times.

"Aphrodite?! You're alive? What!?" I almost shrieked in shock. I couldn't believe it! She was alright, does that mean that the others are alright too? Not that Aphrodite isn't a great sight to see. I'm just curious.

"Better than ever." She said, shaking her rump a little bit before she walked inside. I blinked a few times before I shut the door behind her.

"What happened?" I asked her, not wasting any time. She took a seat on the pillow that I had previously been resting my chest on. She smirked at me sensually.

"Nothing much."

"No I mean after you gave into your sin!" I asked her again. "I couldn't find any of you! You all just disappeared!" I was almost freaking out right now. This is unbelievable! I was dying for answers.

"I woke up back in my home in Las Pegasus." She soothed. "I missed you so much that I thought I'd come visit!" She closed her eyes for just a moment, as if she was thinking of something.

"I can't believe this..." I thought out loud. Aphrodite frowned.

"You're not happy to see me?" Her bottom lip quivered. I knew she was faking though, it was pretty obvious. I put my hooves up in front of me defensively.

"Of course I am!" I shouted, a little louder than usual. True, I've missed her. Along with every other sin. But I'm not going to tell her that. I don't want her to get any wrong messages. I'm still straight, and I know she's still probably into me. I don't know why she came to visit me all the way from Las Pegasus if she didn't.

"Good to hear." She looked around the library before staring into my eyes. Even when she hasn't given into her sin, her eyes are still pretty hypnotizing. "So here's the deal...you remember when I let you and your pink friend stay at my house?"

I smiled at her crudely. "You mean the night were you almost raped me?" Aphrodite reeled back, trying to think of a way to respond without making her seem terrible.

"Sorry about that. Anyways, do you think you could repay the favor?" She asked me. I furrowed my brow at her. "I don't have a place to stay, and I really want to live in Ponyville with you and everyone else!" She begged, giving me some sort of puppy dog eyes. I have a feeling she did this on purpose just so she could have a reason to stay with me.

Sure, I cared about her enough. But, I wasn't sure. This didn't seem like a good idea at all. "Come on Twi! It sounds like a great idea!" Spike piped up. Oh, how wrong he was. Although, I didn't have the heart in me to say no to her. I really don't want her to have to sleep on the streets. So I sighed and gave her a slight nod. Aphrodite cheered loudly and gave me a quick hug.

"Thank you! Trust me! This is going to be just like a sleepover! Except I'm going to be staying the night for...a few nights..." She told me, and I rolled my eyes.

"Fine, but here's the rule. No touching me!" I shouted at her, and she gave me an amused nod.

I had a terrible feeling about this, but I was also kind of ecstatic. If Aphrodite was here, I'm sure that the other sins are out an about. This means that it's not over. I have found a new hope, and so has everyone else on this journey. That is something that I know.

This was only the beginning of something beautiful.

END

Author's Note

Well! There ya go! The ACTUAL ending! You're welcome :3

Thank you SOOOO much for reading, and I hoped you enjoyed! Be prepared, there MAY be a sequel coming out soon. (Gotta get the gears a-turning in my head again). But by soon, I mean...kind of soon. I have no idea.

So, looks like most of the ponies got a happy ending, how's that for an epilogue, bitches! >:D

Anyway, it's time for the final CYNERYK'S DUMBASS ADVICE OF THE DAY!

...I don't have my monocle. Eh, fuck it. AHEM!

"There are only two lines that describe love, and remorse. And it's on a pregnancy test."

I dunno, I made that up on the spot. I don't care :3

Thank you for reading again~ I love you all! And feedback on the story is appreciated!

I love you all!

-Cyneryk

Ch. 13: Tiresome

Well, needless to say, I am not in a very good mood.

While Ennui was panting, and almost dying on the top of that mountain(Rainbow Dash and I actually had to PUSH her up the mountain), we went back to town to find something that could assist us. Luckily, there were carriages that we could rent for a while, unfortunately, it wasn't very cheap. But since there was nothing else that we could do, we purchased it anyway. The carriage needed two ponies to pull, so Rainbow and I had to haul it back across town and up the same mountain as before. Trust me, these things weren't light either. They weigh a ton. It shouldn't really be that big of an issue to some pony like me, considering I pull carts full of apples for a living.

Anyways, we haul the cart up the large hill from before, hoping to see Ennui happily and thankfully smiling at us. Well, that's not what happened. At all.

When we got back, Ennui was on the ground, sleeping.

"Can you believe her!?" Rainbow shouted, hoping that while she did so that Ennui would actually wake up. "We go out and get this stupid thing! And she falls asleep!"

I sighed, before doing what should have been done in the first place, as it has been proven that this works pretty well. I took a deep breathe and said in a slightly mocking tone. "Oh! Wow! I wonder if Ennui will mind if we borrow some of her foo-"

"NO!" Ennui's head suddenly shot up, as did the rest of her body. She stood mere inches away from me, and glared at me eye to eye in an attempt to intimidate me and prove her point. I thought it was a little funny, considering that I was taller than her, and she was trying to stare ME down. "DON'T. TOUCH. FOOD."

"Hey! Look who's finally awake!" Rainbow Dash announced, causing Ennui to turn her gaze, and finally notice the cart. She let out a happy sigh.

"Nice ride." She muttered, giving me a playful grin. "Is this for little ol' me?"

Rainbow was really on edge with Ennui recently, and after helping me haul the carriage up a hill, she wasn't in the greatest of moods either.

"Shut up and let's get going." She deadpanned. Ennui sighed and jumped in. As Rainbow Dash and I started to pull the carriage(I was already beat by the time we started), Ennui poked her head through the little window.

"Hey...I'm sorry if I'm annoying you. I don't mean to be rude." She confessed. I was going to accept her apology when Rainbow butted in.

"Whatever. Just do what you do best and go back to sleep!" She yelled. Ennui looked like she was going to say something in a rebuttal, but decided not to. She closed the window and disappeared inside the back of the carriage. I was starting to get a little frustrated with Rainbow Dash now.

"Rainbow knock it off!" I spoke to her, only getting an arrogant flip of her hair as a response.

"Why should I?" She raised her voice to make sure that Ennui could hear her from the back of the carriage. "All she does is piss me off! If anything, she's making this journey more difficult for us!" She admitted. I was going to say otherwise, but that would have been lying. If Ennui was a little more...active, we would probably be half way to our destination by now.

"Well, ya could still be nice to 'er." I yelled back in Ennui's defense. Usually, I hated laziness. And to be frank I still do. "Let's not forget how lazy ya are sometimes!"

Rainbow Dash looked offended and glared at me as we kept walking up the chilly forest trail. "Me!? Lazy? Ha! I'm the opposite of lazy!" I couldn't help but roll my eyes.

"Yer in denial, sugarcube." I drawled. "All ya do half the time is sleep on them darned clouds of yours. And if you're not doing that, yer just flying around aimlessly trying to do some kind of new trick!"

Sometimes, I hated being so bluntly honest. But it's in my nature, just like how laziness is the Rainbow Dash's. What I had said sent Rainbow to a boiling point, and I could almost see her eyes turning a little red.

"WHAT did you just say?" She hollered, very loudly. I heard Ennui stir in the back of the carriage.

"Ya heard me! I never lie!" I countered. Rainbow looked like she wanted to physically fight me.

"For your information I am not flying around aimlessly! I am practicing for when I get accepted into the Wonderbolts!" At that point, I could have said something very rude and hurtful, but I decided to keep my mouth shut to prevent it from accidentally slipping out. "Also! I'm not always sleeping! I'm resting! You should know about that! Flying is just as difficult as apple bucking is sometimes! And don't try to tell me that it's not! Because that would be a lie! And you don't lie now, do you Mrs. Honest!?" Rainbow Dash replied angrily, her words piercing the air like a bloody dagger.

I didn't know what else to say. Rainbow seemed to be all bent out of shape due to this whole adventure. Luckily, Ennui opened the window and poked her head through once again.

"Rainbow-"

"WHAT?!"

"I-I'm sorry. Okay?" She looked over at me, indicating that she was also talking to me as well. "I'm sorry about being like this. About tearing you two apart. I noticed that you two have a great friendship, and I really don't want to come in between you two. A lot of my friendships ended because of the stupid things I do...or couldn't do. And I don't want me to effect someone else's friendship either."

I felt a tinge of sadness as I heard the words that Ennui spoke. She made a lot of sense, and I could notice that Rainbow Dash's angry attitude was beginning to break apart. She sighed and looked at the ground, pondering what to do. I spoke up first.

"Don't ya worry Ennui. Nothing's ever gonna break up Dash and I!" I smiled, getting a sheepish grin in response from Rainbow Dash. "And we consider you our friend too!"

"Really?" For once, Ennui gave us a sincere smile, and not one of her trademark playful ones.

"Heck ya!"

"Thanks." She whispered, before closing the window and disappearing once again into the back of the carriage.

"I'm sorry too...I-" Rainbow Dash started, but I cut her off. I already knew what she was going to say.

"It's fine sugarcube. It's fine."

***

"Do you have any idea where we're going?" Aphrodite asked as she stared at the Medallion, trying to figure out the strange artifact. She had been staring at it the whole time so far, and I don't think she's having much luck.

"Of course I do! We just follow the blinking and it should take us to whomever we're looking for!" I explained, but Aphrodite didn't seem to understand.

"Oh..."

Aphrodite's been acting really strange. Since yesterday she really hasn't been hitting on me as she did when we first met. It's like she's...changed. I know she still represents Lust by the way that she swings her hips, but still.

As we were walking, Pinkie stopped dead in her tracks, her ears perked up like Winona's would and she began to furiously sniff the air.

"Uh...Pinkie...?" I asked, but was interrupted when Pinkie shoved me aside, still sniffing the air. Aphrodite simply raised an eyebrow. Even though she was always horny, it seemed that she wasn't turned on at all by Pinkie. Only by me. What kind of sick joke is this?

"STOP!" Pinkie suddenly shouted, causing me to fall back out of shock, and into Aphrodite's hooves. She gave me her trademark seductive smile.

"Well...what do you know? It's raining angels..."

Well. She's back.

I couldn't help but groan at her crude pick up line. I wasn't in the mood, I looked over at Pinkie Pie once again, who had her nose to the ground know and was still sniffing like a dog.

"I...smell...PIE." She announced, her head bolting upright. She suddenly took off, giggling and laughing down the town streets. I squirmed out of Aphrodite's hooves and chased the pink puffy pony down the street, with Aphrodite soon behind me. I wondered what Pinkie was up to now, and I was a little confused by her actions. But then again, I always am. This isn't anything new, really.

Eventually, Pinkie Pie stopped running as she barged into some sort of banquet hall. Aphrodite and I bolted inside, only to run into a stallion that was at the end of the massive crowd that was huddling around some sort of stage.

"Watch it!" He shouted, before turning his attention back to the stage. I apologized and followed his gaze.

On the stage was an announcer, dressed in a nice suit, standing next to a very long table. The table seated four, but there were only three ponies there.

All three ponies really stuck out to me.

The first one near the announcer was a very skinny pony. He was a cyan blue, and I couldn't see much else of his face, as his black and darker shade of blue mane covered over half of his face. He seemed very nervous to be up there, and I could almost see him trembling.

The second was some pony who I was already familiar with, Braeburn. He wore his cowpony vest as usual, along with his hat, which was very similar to AJ's. You could totally tell that they were related.

The third was a pretty chunky stallion. His fur was like that of melted cheese, and his mane was very short, and almost a ruby red. He was sitting, and you could tell that he had a double chin. He grinned as he stood at his seat, waving to the crowd excitedly. He shouted something to some pony in the crowd, but I couldn't tell. I'm not the best lip reader, but I think he said "Hi mom!"

The announcer walked up the the microphone and finally spoke up. "Hello every pony to Appleloosa's 23rd annual Pie Eating Contest! As you can see we are looking for one-"

"PICK ME! PICK ME!" I heard a very familiar voice shout near the front of the stage. The announcer ignored her.

"Ahem...for one more pony to participate-"

"Come on Mr. Announcer pony! Pick MEEE!"

The announcer was starting to get visibly irritated, and attempted once again to finish his announcement.

"To PARTICIPATE in this here contest, do we have any-"

"MEEEEEE!"

"FINE! LADIES AND GENTLECOLTS WE HAVE A VOLUNTEER!" The announcer said through gritted teeth and he took a step to the side, letting Pinkie Pie onstage.

Wait. Pinkie Pie!?

Pinkie Pie bounced onstage, her usual smile on her face. She happily took a seat near the very chunky pony at the edge of the table. The red maned stallion looked at her and scoffed before nonchalantly talking to her. I have no idea what he said, but I assume it's something like "You don't stand a chance."

Pinkie Pie shrugged at his words. A few helpers brought out a very large cart full of apple pies, it was almost stacked to the ceiling, actually. I stared in awe. They're going to eat ALL that!? That's not even physically possible!

The helpers set a pie in front of each of the contestants. Braeburn looked more ready than ever, and the blue pony looked like he was going to pass out. I could guess that he had stage fright, either that or her really wasn't hungry. I wonder how he got roped into this.

"Alright here are the rules!" The announcer spoke up once again, adjusting the microphone. "You have 10 minutes to eat as many pies as you can. You cannot touch any other opponents pie's other than your own and you may not use your hooves." As soon as the announcer said that, all four ponies put their hooves behind their backs.

I couldn't help but look down as I saw a bright light under me. I looked in astonishment as I noticed that the Medallion was flashing brightly as I faced the stage. That could only mean one thing...

One of the ponies on the stage is the one we're looking for.

I turned to Aphrodite, who must figured it out as well, as she gave me a determined nod.

"I bet it's the cyan one...he's kind of cute..."

"Who isn't cute to you?"

"Touche."

"Aaaand! Begin!" The announcer said before taking a sidestep away from the contenders. Good thing he did, because not even two seconds after he said go, a few chunks of pie landed right where he was standing, as the contenders all buried their faces in their pies.

"Go Pinkie!" I cheered, I looked over at Aphrodite, who watched on in awe.

"Done!" The the chunky third stallion shouted a few mere moments after the contest had even started, his face covered in pie, and his pie plate spotless. Almost immediately, a helper brought out another pie and pushed it in front of him, and he dived into it.

"Done" Pinkie shouted. She was rewarded with another pie as well.

Eventually, Braeburn finished his pie as well, the cyan pony couldn't even finish one. It didn't take long for Braeburn to drop out of the contest either. I think he ate around 5 pies before his belly was bulging.

It was doing to Pinkie and the other chunky pony. Both of their faces were completely COVERED in pie. And I think the Pinkie was having a little trouble. I think she had pie in her eye, but she wasn't aloud to remove her hooves from the back of her seat. So she just dealt with it.

By Pinkie's 15th pie, even she had had enough. She looked very green, and looked like she wanted to vomit. Pinkie was one of the best eaters in Ponyville! This was unbelievable! I looked over a the other chunky pony to see that he was STILL eating, even though Pinkie Pie was through. Eventually, the helpers actually ran out of pies.

"THE WINNER!" The announcer yelled through a microphone, holding up the cheese colored pony's hoof. Pinkie walked off the stage, her belly so full it was almost touching the floor. It was actually a little funny.

"Ugh...I think...I'm going...to take a-" She stopped and put a hoof to her mouth, her cheeks comically bulging out. She muffled something to me before running out of the banquet hall, I head a loud "BLARGH" a second later.

While Aphrodite went and reluctantly comforted Pinkie Pie, I walked over to the winning pony. He had flowers in one hoof, and a trophy in the other that had a large pie on it. No surprise there. It took me a while to get to him, since he was being showered by prizes, and other ponies wanting to take pictures with the winner. Eventually, the crowd thinned out, until it was only me and him.

"Wow! You're pretty good. No one has been able to out eat Pinkie Pie before." I told him. He turned around to face me, staring at me with his light blue colored eyes. He grinned smugly.

"Psh! It was nothing!" To my surprise, he had a very young sounding voice. Apparently he was only a teen, I couldn't really tell because his size made him look so much older. He still seemed like he was in high school. "And I'm still hungry!" With that, he randomly took out another slice of pie, and began to munch on it.

Wow...

"I've been doing this since I was a filly. It's my special talent after all!" He pointed to his flank. I saw that his cutie mark was a single slice of pizza. Seemed fitting, to say the least.

I held out a hoof, and he put down his pie on a nearby table.

"I'm Twilight Sparkle, and I need to talk to you about something important."

"Name's Warble! What can I do for ya?"

***

"Uhm, so where do we go now?" Cashmere asked, and I continued to look at the Medallion. It was very unresponsive now, probably because we just found the pony that we're looking for. I bet that now it must void me, or something.

"I think it's about time we head back to Ponyville. We have who we need. Let's just hope the other's did as well." Rarity exclaimed, pointing down the street to where we entered the city.

"I've never been there before..." Covette added in a monotonous tone. She seemed very unamused at the thought of going, and I knew that the only reason she was going was to help end strife around Equestria, but I couldn't help but feel there was some other reason. I decided to put it off for now.

"Well, let's get going. I can't wait to finally be done walking around..." Cashmere sighed. With that, we all began walking down the street, side by side. It wasn't going to be easy getting back. At all. I had no idea how long it would take. But if I remember correctly, we have three days until it's been a full week from when we started. I think that she should get there by then, but I just worry about the others. What if they're having problems finding whomever their looking for? What if they don't make it on time? What if the Changeling's take over Equestria?

I don't know. I also know that this whole trip back was going to be uneventful. I hope.

Author's Note

A bit proud of this cha- HOLY SHIT PIE EATING CONTEST <3

Yeah. I did it. So what? Wanna fight about it?

So...Gluttony has most likely been found. Every movie has that ONE lovable chunky kid. Who usually dies second(Next to the random black guy)

Sorry about how long it took me to post this, it's getting tough writing these things, you know?

Anyway...CYNERYK'S DUMBASS ADVICE OF THE DAY:

*Ahem*

White Vans. They ALWAYS tell the truth.

Have a great day bros!

-Cyneryk

Ch. 24: Sensuality

Ugh, I always hated having to teleport. It kind of makes me dizzy from time to time, even afterwards. I'm not really sure what the deal with is, but I'll live. I kind of felt bad for Warble back at the castle. Twilight had a choice, to choose me or Warble to help her find Ennui and Vanity. I'm kind of surprised that she actually did choose me, really. I expected her to choose Warble. Mainly because I don't think she likes me. Especially with what I did to her the first night that I met her. I feel really bad about it, but I couldn't help myself.

I just want her so bad! It's unbearable!

I usually always get who I want. Never once have I been denied. But Twilight, no. She has to play hard to get. She'll give in eventually. Like they all do.

I hope...

There's something about her that makes me feel...different. I don't know what it is. Usually when I meet someone, I know what I want from them. I won't get into detail, but take an educated guess. Anyways, but for some reason, she makes me feel like a whole new person. And I just don't understand.

Sure, at first I was trying to get into her bed. And it worked for a little bit(I'm not a rapist! Honest! Just straightforward. I see nothing wrong with that!). But ever since I spilled everything to her last night, and she comforted me. When I felt her warm embrace, something in me ignited.

I'm starting to get afraid. Afraid of doing something that I will undeniably regret. I want her, but not in the way that I'm used to. The way I'm accustomed to, anyways. But, why her? I don't understand and it's tearing my mind in two!

Come on Aphrodite. Keep it together. Maybe you do have a shot. Just...try to keep yourself under control. She obviously doesn't like me otherwise.

We arrived outside of the Changeling Nest, and Twilight and I immediately ducked down into some nearby brush because Twilight made the mistake of appearing right in the middle of the road in front of the damn place. Oh well, none of the many Changeling's outside guarding didn't seem to notice us. I peeked my head out of the brush(Trying not to mess up my mane...), the Nest was really creeping me out. It seemed to be a GIANT dome, and it looked to be completely made out of some sort of black web.

I, for one, wasn't a big fan of bugs. So I was very iffy about having to go in there. Changelings freaked me out anyways.

"There's about ten guarding the entrance..." Twilight had counted. I did the same only to discover that she was right. There were ten.

"How are you going to get passed them?" I asked, turning to her. She glared at me. "I meant we!"

"Not sure. Definitely not through the front..." She thought. I looked at the black webs that coated the trees and bushes surrounding it. I sucked up my fears, and reluctantly poked it. It was actually pretty stretchy, and elastic. I looked back at Twilight, and her horn.

Her sweet...stiff...horn...

Dammit! Calm down! I mentally smacked myself.

"Twilight, can't you use some of your magic to blast a hole through the side of the dome or something?" I asked her, and her head suddenly shot up out of realization.

"Aphrodite that's genius!" She hugged me(I dont think it meant much though...), and I smiled. There were Changelings patrolling the left side of the dome, and monotonously walking around it. They had just passed the front. If we wanted to make a hole, we were going to have to do it now, before those guards made another run around.

Twilight and I stealthily, but quickly, made our way for the side of the dome. As we did, I told her about the two guards and how fast we were going to have to bust through it. She said she had already noticed them and I sighed.

When we reached the dome, the patrolling guards were roughly halfway around the dome. Twilight focused all of her magic and blasted a pony-sized hole into the dome. I smiled, this was easier than I thought. Twilight ushered me to hop in first, and she did right afterwards. That's when we realized that there was another problem.

There was a pony-sized hole in the freaking dome!

Twilight immediately got started on trying to repair it. Somehow, she was having the dome regenerate to it's sticky and disgusting self, but it was going much slower than expected. I could hear the Changelings guards talking as they began to rough the corner.

"Hurry up!" I shouted, Twilight didn't even look at me.

"I'm trying!"

I heard their voices getting louder and louder. My heart started to pound. There was no way it was going to be finished in time. Even Twilight knew that.

"Hold on! I got an idea!" I said spontaneously. I didn't really have a plan. Well kind of. I had a feeling that it would work however. Twilight stopped regenerating the hole and I sneaked through it, right in front of the Changeling guards. They jumped back, startled at my sudden appearance. They held their spears at my necks, and glared at me angrily.

"Tyko! Isn't that one of the sins we were told about?" The one on the right said to the other. "Tyko" nodded.

"You made a bad decision missy." Tyko said, bring the spear closer. Twilight stared on from inside of the dome, and I winked at her. She raised an eyebrow as she ducked down so she couldn't be seen by the guards.

I hope she forgave me for this.

I seductively flipped my hair, and stared at Tyko flirtatiously. I cutely smiled at him, and I saw him blush just a little bit. Ha! Gotcha! No one can deny me!

My motto always was "When in doubt, act sexy". Well not really. But it fits well right about now.

"No! Don't kill me! I-I'm sorry, I must have gotten lost..." I batted my eyelashes as I let some fake tears roll down my face as I looked at the sword that just might pierce my throat and any moment, intentionally smearing my makeup. "There's so many things in life that I haven't gotten to do..." I purred. Tyko's looked at me and then at his friend, before raising up the spear higher.

"Nice try!"

"Please! I didn't mean to intrude! I'm sorry! I'll do anything you ask if you let me go!" I wailed, I think I saw Twilight stifling her laughter at the situation. Tyko arched an eyebrow, lowering his weapon slightly. Tyko's friend obviously saw through my act, and yelled at him.

"Tyko! Come on! You can't honestly be falling for this!"

"Anything?" He asked, staring at me. I saw the gears in his head turning. I looked over at his friend.

"Yes! A-Anything! Y-You're friend too! Just please don't hurt me!" I begged, staring directly into his eyes. I did the same trick I did on Twilight, and I was almost within kissing distance of him. Tyko's friend squinted at me. I rested a hoof on both of their shoulders. They were completely blinded, and I was loving it.

Tyko lowered his spear, and the other Changeling did too after realizing that it was hopeless to get Tyko to change his mind. "Follow us..." Tyko slurred. He definitely looked a little delirious. When his friend looked at my hoof and realized what I had done, he lifted up his spear. But not in time for the drug to kick in. Both him and Tyko slumped to the ground, just missing the blades of their spears.

Twilight stared wide eyed at what I had just did. I picked up both Changeling Guards(ew ew ew ew ew!) and tossed them inside of the dome and jumped in myself. Twilight kicked one of the guards on the ground.

"Are...Are they dead?" She asked me, a little angry. I shook my head.

"Nope!" I picked up my hoof. I had a specially made needle bracelet on my hoof, while was filled with sleep inducing drugs, which is exactly what I told her. She stood there slack jawed, and I smiled triumphantly. "When you're in Las Pegasus, there are a lot of creeps running around. Ones that not even I would get into bed with." I explained, and Twilight chuckled.

"Well, yeah, it sure came in handy. How long do we have until the drugs wear off?" She asked me. To be honest, I wasn't sure. So I just took a guess.

"I'm pretty sure we have about two hours."

Twilight nodded, I would kill(no pun intended) just to know what was going through her head. The plan had worked, we sneaked inside undetected. But not without being flirty and sexual around Twilight. Great. She still thinks of me as the same blonde and horny mare as before.

Great...

It only took Twilight about twenty more seconds to finish bringing the hole back to its gooey and gross self. We seemed to be doing good so far, thanks to me.

I want to know what she's thinking. Is she thinking about me in a good way, or a bad one? I've never known much about love, and I might be going about this all wrong. All I've ever known is one night stands, and hoping and praying that they will be there for me in the morning. Hoping that maybe someone will actually give me a shot. But it's all the same. When I wake up the next morning, the bed is rustled from where they once were, and their stuff was all gone. It was all the same.

But Twilight isn't like that, is she? I really doubted it, she was too nice off a mare for that. I'm not to concerned about her being a good lover anymore. I'm more curious to know if she likes me more than a friend.

I promise to myself daily that I can change. That I can become a better pony. I know that living this was isn't good for me, and that all it can possibly do is hurt me. But I can't resist. I can't help but give into the lust. My mind says no, that I can't be this way, but my body and my lips say otherwise. I can't help but want.

I've always been this way. I was the youngest mare in my school to lose her virginity. I think it was record actually, that I broke. In the beginning, I was proud. I finally felt like an adult. But that was until everyone thought otherwise. They called me a whore, slut, harlot, trollop, everything that you could possibly think of. It was devastating, and eventually, I just didn't let it bother me anymore. I continued to do what I love, which is sex, and it ruined my mindset completely.

Twilight hasn't said anything like that yet. And it really gives me hope. Maybe there is a chance for me to change. Maybe it doesn't have to like this.

Twilight snapped me out of me days when she nudged me with her hoof and looked into my eyes comfortingly. For once making ME blush. She smiled warmly. "It's alright, Aphrodite. Let's get going."

And with that, we began our search for Ennui and Vanity.

***

Meanwhile, a black and hole covered creature was standing in front of her black web covered throne. Her bug-like wings were outstretched gleefully, and her face contorted into an evil smile. Her green hair fell in front of her right, emerald colored, eye. She waited patiently for her subjects to bring in her next prisoner. Her subjects had already captured two of the sins that had the potential to stop her. They also acquired the two Medallions. But that was before it was determined that the Medallion was useless for her quest, and there was still one more.

Eventually, one of her faithful subjects appeared in front of her, rather nervously.

"Cyrano!" She announced, almost making the Changeling jumped, but he refrained. He only nodded. "Any news?"

The small Changeling nodded before looking down at the ground as he began to clue her in on an update. "Yes. We have almost finished our takeover of Canterlot. There have just been a few...complications." He trailed off, thinking about the fiery maned stallion who had already taken out a quarter of the troops sent over to Canterlot with some sort of untamed fury he'd never seen before. The Queen scoffed, barely even concerned.

"Will these complications cause us to fail our mission?" She pondered. The Changeling shook his head.

"No, I think we'll be fine. He'll tire out eventually, either that or his rage will die down soon. I know that's for sure, your highness." He rebottled, emitting a grander smile from the Queen's lips.

"Wonderful. Take out the complication, and proceed with the overtaking." She stood up tall and let out a victorious laugh as Cyrano began to walk out of the dark throne room. "Celestia will fall to me! This time, I will be victorious!"

Author's Note

Oh yay, another chapter! How GRAND! *Evil laughter* So I decided to do some insight on Aphrodite, because YOU KNOW. I GET ALL THE GIRLS AND I GO THROUGH THE SAME THINGS SHE DOES. HAHAHAHA.

I need a girlfriend ;-;

Anyways, yes. I expect on doing more things with the sins in the next chapter. Expect Covette,Kindling(Again) and more Vanity(Again) :3

Anyways, now it's time for CYNERYK'S DUMBASS ADVICE FROM THE DAY!!(THAT HE STOLE- I MEAN BORROWED FROM A READER)

Ahem *Puts on broken monocle*

What's the difference between love, true love and showing off? Spitting, swallowing and gargling.

Thank The Princess Rarity for that one. You say you didn't make it but no one cares about plagiarism anymore. So I guess you did :3

Fav, thumb up if you enjoyed as I update everyday!(Usually) Oh, and feedback and comments are greatly appreciated! Have a good one bros!

-Cyneryk