Discredited

Blue fog, hard ground…a voice.

“I would speak with you once more, Twilight.”

Ugh, not you again.

Twilight picked herself up and turned towards the Outsider with a scowl. I have enough going wrong lately without more eldritch nonsense. As before, the enigmatic Earth pony was floating scant feet above her, the very picture of disinterest. At least Discord had some personality. Get on with it, already.

“Voiceless and hornless, you may be the most broken mare Equestria has ever seen. What good fortune, then, that you escaped into the bosom of those who still consider themselves dear to you. They believe you now, Twilight. They regret turning on you, and wish to help you. Accept them back into your heart, or simply use them as you will use the power I grant you.”

What power? I don’t feel any resonance in the mark like I did in my horn. I can’t shake the feeling that you’re responsible for its loss, too.

“I am not.”

Eep!

The Outsider folded his forelimbs. “You startle too easily for one who has seen and accomplished so much, Twilight Sparkle. It may be part of your charm, endearing, but it will not serve you very well in the days to come. For now, let us remind you of how it felt to be whole. Send your focus to the mark, will yourself across the chasm.” He gestured to a platform behind him, across several yards of thin air. Twilight looked at her hoof, then at her target. Let’s see…. She concentrated on her target, and was rewarded with a fountain of light—blue, like everything Outsider-related it seemed—at the edge of the platform. Hm…shorter range and more deliberate than with horn magic. Will everypony be able to see the designator or is it just me? She released her power as she would via her horn, and found herself precisely where the light-fountain had been. No sound at all, not like the old spell. That should be useful.

Ashes rose from the floor and coalesced into Twilight’s newfound mentor. “As you make your way, seek out these tokens, each one carved from a piece of your old life.” As he said this, a small purple charm shaped like a bit-piece appeared between them. A copy of his mark was etched on each side of it. As Twilight reached for it, it promptly disappeared. “I have spread these runes across Equestria for you to find. They will increase your mastery over the mark, and so help you seek what future you desire. To aid your search, I give you this.” A gyrocompass the size of a watch floated down and attached itself to the pastern of Twilight’s right foreleg. “This compass will reveal the locations of the nearest runes, as well as whisper to you secrets that many may wish hidden. Use the compass. Find a rune.” He scattered once again into a cloud of ash.

Pieces of my old...You sliced up my horn! Twilight wanted to cry, to throw herself into the void. Mostly, she wanted to punch the Outsider into an infuriatingly cryptic smear. I thought I was done being humiliated. Ugh. Twilight looked at her new compass. South and West? She turned and saw a larger mass, a section of street and building frozen in time across another gap. Focus and…. Twilight was unnerved by the silence of her teleportation ability, but it served its purpose. She glanced down at the compass again, and blanched at the glow emanating from it. She looked closer and….

“This Place Has Seen The Endings Of A Million Unwritten Tales.”

“Waagh!”

Each word had bypassed her ears, the sentence pounding itself deep into her brain. Slices of my horn, telepathic compasses, silent spells… I hate this place. Recovering from her shock, Twilight looked up, and saw a glow through a brick wall, pulsing in a rhythm matching that of her compass. Spying a stairwell leading upwards, she hastened into the broken shell of what seemed to be an old apartment complex. Let’s see…the glow is coming from room six. The knob wouldn’t turn, but it yielded to a solid bucking. That was easier than I thought. How could I have gotten stronger after all that time in the caves? I should be as feeble as Granny Smith. Eh, blame it on the mark.

Upon entering the apartment, Twilight promptly left it due to the lack of a floor in the entryway. Agh! This is ridiculous! Thinking quickly, she designated a spot by what looked like the kitchen, and teleported to it before falling too far. Okay, kill the Outsider later. Where’s the rune? She glanced about for the telltale glow, and followed it to a bedroom. On a nightstand, a piece of lavender horn bearing the Outsider’s mark began to buzz, and sprang to Twilight’s head as she reached for it. Oh come on! All I ask is for ONE thing that won’t surprise me. One thing, Luna help me. Smelling smoke, Twilight recovered from her flinch at the rune’s sudden movement and spotted a mirror. The smoke was coming from atop her skull, as the piece of her horn fused itself back to the stump on her head. Great.

Looking out a window, Twilight saw a succession of islands strewn about the void, terminating in a final, curtain-covered stage in the distance. Let’s get this over with. Twilight blinked from perch to perch, focusing and releasing, designating and appearing. She stopped on one floating street section halfway to her target. Strange, my body feels fine, but I can’t focus. It’s like I’m sleepwalking now. A hooflocker lay next to some crumbled masonry a few feet to her side, and she opened it to find a soda can. Pony Joe’s Power Cola!!! assaulted her eyes. Well, everything else has had a purpose here so far, even if the purpose was to annoy me. I guess my power is replenished by sugary drinks now? Huh…I can still focus a little bit. I wonder…. Twilight stretched out her hoof and activated the mark like she had before, but instead of willing herself away, she commanded the can to open itself and come to her. To her pleasant surprise, the drink floated out of its container, opened with a hiss, and approached her waiting gullet.

Yesyesyesyesyes! I won’t have to write with my mouth!

Invigorated by the drink, Twilight made her way to her destination, and waited for the Outsider to return. Well? I passed your stupid gauntlet. Any more words of advice? She noticed a subtle, slow drumbeat thundering in the distance, but paid it no mind. Come on…what else do I have to do? She looked around. It wasn’t a stage so much as a bit of floor and a wall covered in purple cloth. No runes, no drinks, no Outsider. A dead end.

Boom

Anything behind this curtain? No. Great.

Boom

What is that noise?

BOOM

Everything went black again.

….

“Quit pokin’ her, Pinkie. Ah think she’s comin’ to.”

“Nngh.”

Twilight opened her eyes, and was rewarded for her effort with the sight of three familiar faces. Applejack was grinning through her own obvious weariness, Rarity fussed with Twilight’s blanket and smiled; Pinkie looked…Pinkie looked tired and worried, though her smile was as wide as ever. My friends…watching me sleep? How long have I been here? For that matter, where…? Twilight looked around. Balloons, sweets-shaped decorations…why am I in Pinkie’s Room?

“Ya gave us a real turn, Twi. We were startin’ to wonder if ya’d ever wake up.”

Pinkie shoved her face in front of Applejack’s. “You were asleep for a whole week! Now we can finally throw a ‘We-Don’t-Have-To-Wipe-Twilight’smrmff!”

Rarity retrieved her hoof from Pinkie’s mouth and wiped it on the carpet. “Darling, let us go downstairs. Fluttershy should be back by now with our dinner. You should eat, dear. We’ll fill you in on what’s transpired since you disappeared.”

“Nnnfine….”

Twilight worked her way out of Pinkie’s bed and, with Applejack’s support, made her way down to the first floor with the others. Look how tense they are. No one wants to point out the draconequus in the room. Fluttershy looked up from the long table where she had been setting plates and flatware. Always somewhat sad-looking, her ears flattened and eyes watered at the sight of Twilight.

“Oh, um…welcome back, Twilight.”

Oh, welcome back, Twilight. You’re just as pathetic as ever.

“nnngh…hey.”

Fluttershy locked eyes with Rarity, who shrugged and pulled a cushion out for Twilight. Gathering around the table, the ponies distributed joyless sandwiches and fruit among themselves, eating slowly and sharing uneasy glances. Tomato on rye, hold the enthusiasm. Twilight took advantage of the silence to have a proper look at her company. None of the girls looked like they had slept in ages. Applejack was stone-faced and grim, Rarity had her “nothing’s wrong” smile on in full force, even as she occasionally wiped her mouth with her sandwich and took bites out of the napkin. Fluttershy refused to look up from her plate, and Pinkie… Pinkie kept taking brief looks at Twilight, and deflating a bit more each time she looked away. In the sixth chair….

“…Dash?”

The ponies shuddered and silently conferred, as if telepathically drawing straws. Finally, Applejack broke the silence.

“Well, Twi, the good news is Dash made it into the Wonderbolts. Bad news is: we ain’t seen hide or hair of her since.”