Silence in Equestria

The Sector II - Episode X:

System failure

The night slowly filled the sky with stars. Silence sneaked out after Twilight went to sleep. She flew up high and like some little filly, she started to sort between the houses she'll get her food from. After a while she made her decision. She sneaked in through the window this time, to spare more time. Her next victim was a green unicorn, who probably had nightmares, as she was rolling and shivering on her bed, with the blanket on the floor. That's not good, as Silence needs her victim to stand still. She didn't want the pony to do a quick turn when she's sucking on her neck, making her veins rupture or causing any other serious wounds. Chances were she either calms her down somehow or leaves her. Silence accepted the challenge and with her magic she took up the blanket and covered back the frightened unicorn. Poor, little thing. The fear and stress still covered her emotions. The pegasus took a step forward her and brushed her mane with her hoof, carefully watching out that it won't touch her head. For a bit extra she even sent some subconscious messages to calm her down, despite it seems useless. Eventually, the unicorn grew quiet.

Silence started to begin sucking her blood but after a while she noticed blood drops on the textile. Where did it come from? Silence stopped and as she raised her head she noticed the shed of the problem in the mirror next to her. She was leaking. The blood-holder that is used to backup the system were most likely to be broken. The blood was slowly flowing through the leak, out of the hole in her eye, making her look she's crying bloody tears. Silence began to panic for a moment, but there were no time to waste. She needed a quick yet effective idea. She looked around the room if she can find something useful, while trying to hold the blood back with her hoof. However, the blood started to slowly drool from her other holes, mostly from the ones on her neck and left leg. A little cup lied on the shelf next to her. Perfect. She went back to feed off the pony for a little more, while holding the cup against her cheek. Soon the cup filled with blood and Silence carefully left the house with it.

Now the only thing she needed is to fix that leak. But how? She started to look for the crack with her hoof, but it was too big for her to find it. She truly began to panic now, soaring through the dark sky leaving red drops on the ground, not knowing what to do. Yet when she looked at the cup she held next to herself she got an idea. She grabbed the blood and quickly poured it right into the hole in her eye looking upwards. Then she turned her head down, making all the blood pour back into the cup. This helped her realize how big the problem is. It took a while to the blood to get from A to B so the problem wasn't as big as she thought it is, making the cyborg-pegasus settle down for a bit. She grabbed a leaf from the nearest tree and decided to use it to find the location of the hole. It was in the lower side of the tank.

She flew back to the library and started looking for bandage. The hall was empty of course. Chances were it's either in the bathroom or in Twilight's room. Not taking the risk she headed inside the first one. She opened the door and started to look every little shelf. Or she'd have done so, if she wouldn't have found them in the first place she looked in. The pegasus bandaged the mechanical leak, drank the blood she got and went to wash the rest down. When finished, she was to go back to Twilight's room, but the unicorn waited for her.

"Is everything alright?" she asked.

Silence nodded. Twilight still worried about her though.

"You have nothing to worry about, Twi." told her Silence before they both went back to sleep.

The sun didn't wait this time either. Twilight woke up Silence again, treated her with coffee as usually.

"Well? Are you ready to find a job?" she asked.

"Uhhh... give me a few more hours and I will." the sleepy pegasus replied.

Twilight rolled her eyes. But Silence didn't take her last sentence seriously, she woke up anyway.

"Look, I need to buy a few things at the market. Meanwhile, we can discuss about this." The unicorn said. Silence agreed, since she was quite in lack of ideas. They went out to the street, while Spike stayed at home. As they were chatting a little filly fell into the bush next to them. She was a white unicorn with a light pink, curly mane. They both ran to help her up.

"Are you okay, Sweetie Belle?" asked Twilight.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine." she responded, and stood up like nothing has happened.

"What are you doing?" Silence asked questioning the filly's sanity.

"We're just doing acrobatic stunts, Miss. So we can finally get our cutie marks."

"Shouldn't you help at home with the housework or something?" Twilight asked.

"Nah, we have a bunch of things to do Twilight. Besides, Rarity is doing "that" again." Sweetie stated with a little fed up expression.

"That?" Silence asked Twilight.

"I'm not sure what it means, but it doesn't sound good. Let's go!"

As they arrived at Rarity's boutique the situation sounded even worse. Her crying was heard even from the street, making Silence feel awkward a bit. As they entered there she lied, in the middle of the room on her sofa, with an overly dramatic pose. She cried so loud and so much, she literally cried a river there.

"Is everything okay?" Twilight asked.

"Why? Why? WHYYY?! The orders to these fine dresses are almost done, but in the big rush I forgot the emeralds. How can I even finish them in time when I all out of materials."

"(Well, if you keep whining and don't do anything they surely won't be finished.)" noted Silence in herself with a phlegmatic face.

Twilight looked at her with a suspicious smile and look. Her message was clear. Silence came closer to the fashionista.

"I guess I can help you with this problem, if you don't mind my offer." the pegasus said.

"You can?!" asked Rarity as she stopped crying.

"...for a little payment." Silence continued.

Twilight joined her "Silence is saving up for her new home; she's looking for a job."

"Darling, why didn't you tell me? I'm happy to lend you some bits of mine."

"Oh no, I'd prefer to work for my money." she replied.

"Fine, then. Just give me a few seconds. Also, could you bring my cart, it must be upstairs, thank you." Rarity responded while putting back her sofa to it's place.

"Sure thing." Silence flew upstairs and entered Rarity's room. The little red cart was hiding behind the drwing table, and was filled with plans of beautiful dresses. Silence bent down to grab the handle of the cart, but a sudden voice startled her making the pegasus hit her head at the bottom of the table.

It was just Rarity, though noting the pegasus "One more thing, I left my-" but she stopped when she saw the accident and ran for her help "Sweet Celestia, are you alright?" she asked. Silence felt all dizzy and strange, but she was fine.

"I'm extremely sorry. I didn't mean to..." the unicorn apologized.

"It's okay. I'm fine." Silence said. Rarity pulled out the cart with her magic and put its contains on the table. They both went back to the hall ready for treasure hunting.

"Okay, then. I'll show the way." Rarity said as they headed out. Silence bid farewell to Twilight on the street who continued her way to the market afterwards.

After many quiet minutes, when they were out in the dusty mining field Rarity felt like she has to break the leading silence "So, you're moving from Twilight? Are you moving from town too?".

Silence responded "No, just a few houses away. The one Blossomforth is moving from."

"I see. Here is the plan: I detect the gems in the ground with my magical horn and mark the place you have to dig at."

"Sure thing."

And so Rarity began to "scan" through the ground with her horn looking for gemstones, while humming a song. At times she stopped it though, when she found something. Then she marked the place and continued. Silence didn't have to dig much deep for the treasures. She put the jewels she found all in the cart. After a while, when the unicorn was much before her, she decided to ease on her job. She waited for the moment Rarity didn't look and simply ripped out the gems from the ground under her. But something went wrong. When Silence tried to secretly use her magic to get the gems, she saw her holographic mask from her hoof fading in and out while distorting. While this seemed bad already, she also lost much power. No choice but to do the work by hoof.

However after about ten minutes the unicorn went to her saying "Could you dig out that few more I marked, I have a few more things to prepare."

Ironically, that "few more" was at least a fifty, but Silence got some rest. She waited for Rarity to disappear then after looking around she revealed her true form and started to take the jewelry. It was much easier this time, now that the upholding of her hologram didn't eat up all her energy. It took her much less time now and she filled up the entire cart after a while. The sun was already slowly sliding down.

"Wow, that was fast." Rarity noted as Silence arrived at the boutique. She was still doing those preparations, levitating fabrics and scissors and the measure tape.

The dresses on the mannequins were almost done, but still much was missing from them.

"Was it? Well, thanks." said the gray pony.

"Oh, no. I'm the one who's grateful. Without you I'd be doomed."

"I hope you don't mind if I brought some other gems too. Since your X was really close to it." she asked.

"Not at all, darling. I'm sure I can find a place for those too." the unicorn replied. But in all of a sudden she stopped and put down everything.

"About the payment...." she stepped close to the pegasus. "... I'm only able to give it when I'm done with these." she said pointing at the half-done dresses.

"Sure, take your time." Silence replied with a friendly smile.

"Oh, thank you, thank you." Rarity said.

"I won't bother you, then." said Silence before she left the room.

"See you later."

"See ya."

After they both bid farewell Silence flew back to the library where Twilight was already waiting for her.

"Nah, how was it going?" the unicorn asked.

"Everything went smoothly. I wish we could have chit-chat a little more. I wonder how those clothes will look like."

"As I know her they sure will be wonderful, and that she'll pay your services generously." Twilight said.

Silence didn't respond to this. Yet, the unicorn continued cheerfully "Are you hungry? I did something special for dinner. Special because I cooked it for the first time. But I did everything by the book.".

Silence shrugged and replied "Why not?". Surprisingly, it turned out Twilight is quite good in the kitchen. The sun was about to go down, when Spike began to heave in all of a sudden. Twilight and Silence went there to help, but he only barfed up a letter. It was tied with a red ribbon and a golden seal. Twilight unfolded the scroll with her magic and began to read it.

"My most faithful student, Twilight Sparkle.

Long time we've met with each other in person. Even longer I haven't met my subjects in Ponyville. Unfortunately, until now I had little time to see how life is going outside the castle. I'd love to pay a visit tomorrow in order to break this. Would you mind informing all the citizens of my arrival? I have no doubt in your skills about leadership and organization.

I'm looking forward to meet you all.

Princess Celestia."

Twilight's face filled with joy. She squealed and jumped around from happiness shouting "The princess will come tomorrow, the princess will come tomorrow.". However her happiness suddenly turned into panic "The princess will come tomorrow?!". She started to freak out, pacing up and down.

"We have to make her arrival royal. She can't see the town like THIS?"

Silence looked out the window, she didn't understand why all the fuss "Like what?"

Twilight teleported up to her face and stared deep in her eyes "Like what?! Like this! It's the princess of Equestria we're talking about. She'd expect to see ribbons on the buildings and desert at her arrival, not litter on the street." she said while pointing out to the street.

"That's just a branch on the road."

"What if she thinks I'm lazy to organize a feast to her arrival? What if I disappoint her? She'll send me back to Canterlot to prove I'm still able to be her student."

Silence started to get confused. "Calm down, Twilight. I think she didn't ask you to-" but the unicorn didn't listen. Instead she ran out with the letter to gather the ponies together in order to begin the preparations for the princess' arrival.