In the eternity between the sliver of light entering the room to be replaced with Luna’s muzzle, Twilight thought up at least forty-eight different ways that she could possibly blow her cover. As well as seventeen ways to either run and/or hide, nineteen ways to cause a distraction, and at least seven ways to render the moon princess unconscious long enough for her to escape.

And they all ended with her either banished, captured, dead, exiled, vilified, lost, alone, starving, emaciated, helpless or a combination thereof. ‘Too many options, not enough time...’

‘Okay, it’s just Luna, I can deal with this. She’s still in the dark, right? Right... I think. Just play it cool Twilight, read her as best you can; her actions will say more than her words will, remember what Celestia taught you about court nobles and body language... You can do this. Just. Stay. Calm.’ A gasp nearly escaped Twilight’s lips as the lunar diarch’s head poked into the room. ‘No, that’d be pointless... She’s a princess; worse... She’s got millennia of experience working for her! Even if I was the world’s most social butterfly; which I’m not, I’d be outmatched on that front. Okay, what else do I have?...’

“Twilight Sparkle...?” The gentle sound of hoofbeats echoed through the room with the practiced grace and poise of someone used to treading lightly.

‘Okay, hushed tones, slow approach... concerned about noise level... She doesn’t even know if I’m here... maybe... no, she’d notice magic...’

“Twilight?” The door wedged itself a little wider as Luna entered the room proper. “I’m sorry if I—” The alicorn froze in the doorway as low lit candle-light washed over the interior of Twilight’s room. Ever so gently, the former unicorn tilted her head at the sudden silence, only to watch Luna stepping over scattered books with a concerned look written into her features.

‘What is she doing? She’s just... looking at the mess. There’s nothing to even see th- Why did she gasp? What did she see?! Was it a feather? Did I leave a feather out? Oh my stars... she’s coming this way; whatdoIdowhatdoIdowhatIdo?!’

Before the gap between the two alicorns grew too short, Twilight closed her eyes and tried to appear as peacefully asleep as her pounding heart would allow. Fortune favored her for once as Luna stopped by her bedside and let out a gentle sigh.

“Good evening, my little dreamer... Things don’t seem to be going so well for you... hmm? You need your rest after these last few days; Just let me help you with that...”

‘What does she mean by “that”?! How much does she know? What if she’s working with the others! Wait... What’s that light?’ With very careful effort to remain unnoticed, Twilight cracked open her eyelids to see Luna’s own eyes closed, and her horn fully alight.

‘She’s—’ Twilight’s eyes flew open and dilated as she forced herself silent and motionless. ‘I... I... I don’t want to die... Why is she doing this?... Why would Princess Celestia send her sister to assassinate me? I’ve never hurt anypony, I’ve never done anything to deserve this!

Every muscle in Twilight’s terrified little body tensed as realization dawned. ‘That’s right! I’ve never done anything to deserve this, Celestia would never do this to me... Never, not in a million years. So that means...’

The urge to place a feathery shield between herself and Luna was becoming increasingly hard to control as her train of thought surged onward. ‘She’s going to snap my neck, or set me on fire... I... I’m not dying today!’

The covers to Twilight’s bed shot off as she swiftly rose to her hooves and charged her own horn with a look of fearful determination. For a brief moment she caught a glimpse of the shock in Luna’s eyes.

“Get away from me!”

The tree rattled as Twilight watched the wall give way to the dark blue projectile she had just sent flying. Luna finally came to rest against the wall of the atrium downstairs, amidst a pile of wooden fragments; shaken, but alive.

‘My house!’’ A stunning stillness fell over Twilight as her brain processed the situation. ‘I just shoved Luna through a wall...’ She backpedaled into the shadows as Luna slowly got to her hooves and shook her head groggily. ‘I... I have to get out of here... anywhere.’

Without a second thought, Twilight braced herself and quickly charged her magic for an entirely different spell. The familiar “pop” of displaced air greeted her as she opened her eyes. She quickly threw her gaze all around, panic mounting with every second as she beheld the outside of her library.

‘No! Not now... not now! Come on magic, don’t you turn on me too! Just... Ugh!’ Again her horn lit as she steadied herself. ‘Magic channeled, spell primed... Come on, somewhere safe; think Twilight, think... Rarity’s place? It’s like a highly fashionable bunker... no. She’s in league with Luna, they all are...’

“Twilight?!”

Twilight jerked from her reverie to the sight of Luna standing in the doorway of the library; eyes wide, ears perked, a slight wobble to her step as she ventured into the darkness.

The sight of her attacker a mere twenty feet from herself caused Twilight’s chest to tighten, it was only when Luna stumbled toward her that she let out a startled: “Eeep!”

She and Luna locked eyes for but a moment as both mares’ pupils dilated. Luna sprinted toward Twilight as the lavender alicorn channeled more power into her teleport.

‘Come on...come on! Somewhere safe, please!’

“Twilight Sparkle! We beseech you! Wait!”

‘Like Tartarus I am! Here goes nothing.’

‘So that’s what smells like smoke the cobblestone is scorched.’ Twilight’s ears pinned flat to her skull as her eyes went wide. ‘Wait... dark cobblestone means I’m still in Ponyville, damnit!’ She looked around shiftily and let out a sigh, ‘at least I’m nowhere near Luna, that’s something. But I’m not safe in my own home... So, where do I go? What happens now? She saw my wings...’

The appendages in question flopped loosely to the ground after a single flap. ‘If only I knew how to use these; I could just fly away. I need to get to Canterlot, warn the princess... she’d know what to do.’ Twilight swallowed as the image of Luna hovering over her with her horn lit flashed to mind. ‘I just hope I’m not too late...’

The world silent as Twilight sat on the blackened, still warmed stone. Her gaze listed down toward her wings as her passive expression grew into an angry scowl. ‘I hate you stupid things, I don’t want to fly. I want my Friends back! I want my Life back! It’s because of you that I’m stuck here in an alley running for my life in the middle of the night! Now I have no home, nopony to rely on, and almost no options! I shoved royalty though a wall! I’m a refugee who’s going to be wanted in every town from here to Vanhoover!’

“And it’s all your fault!” Twilight’s teeth rested on the base of her right wing. Tears streamed down her livid features as she clamped around the base of her right wing with her teeth and pulled her head away. Immediately she yelped and spat out the taste of blood as stared at her now bleeding appendage; which, despite her best efforts, was still fully attached.

‘Attacked by Luna... Assaulted by my own body... Stupid wings... Everypony wants me dead.’ For the second time in twenty-four hours, Twilight stared down into a pool of her own blood and tears. ‘And it wasn’t until these things showed up; So what’s the connection? Why is Luna even trying to kill m—’

“Confound it, Twilight Sparkle! Where are you? I swear by the moon, when I get my hooves on you...”

Twilight snuck her head around the corner to see Luna methodically wandering the opposite side of the plaza. ‘Horseapples... She knows I’m around here somewhere. She’s tracking me somehow? I... I have to lose her. Maybe I can just sneak away from h—’

“Twilight Sparkle!” Luna’s wings flared as she utilized the olden royal canterlot voice to rather great effect. “Your princess demands an audience, show yourself!”

Numerous lights flicked on shortly after the Lunar princess’ oratory outburst. ‘Oh great, she’s awakened the whole town... I need to get out of here, now!’ It took a some effort to ignore the dull ache coming from her right wing. But soon enough, Twilight was greeted by the same flash of light and smell of burning... ‘...apples?’

Confident that she could spare at least a few moments to catch her breath. She indulged in a brief respite as she steadied herself and opened her eyes. Twilight loosed a quiet gasp at the hundreds of apples flung out across the small market square. She looked down to her hooves and backpedaled away from the wooden remains of a cart and some barrels, still blackened and smoking. When she finally put some distance between herself and the charred circle she was standing in, she followed her hooves up to the singed fur and feathers that speckled her appearance.

‘Oh, no... no.... Applejack is going to be so angry. As if she wasn’t already, what did I do wrong? Where did I mess up?...’

“—ilight Sparkle! Cease this elusive chara—”

‘She’s still onto me?!’ Twilight’s heart pounded against her chest when she heard murmurs of voices coming from the same direction as Luna’s own. ‘Okay, I have time... Where do I go? I could go live in the everfree, that seemed to work pretty well for Zecora, and it’s largely unexplored.’ Twilight huffed and blew the hair from her tear streaked eyes, ‘No... That won’t work, it’s not where I live: it’s the fact that I live... They won't stop until I’m beyond their reach, but... but it doesn’t have to be permanent. I just need to buy some time to think about where to run next.’

Amidst the frantic scrambling for a cohesive plan, Twilight gave her head a quick shake. The peripherals of her vision had begun to blur, albeit irregularly. It almost felt as if the dark parts of her vision; the shadows she couldn’t see, were fighting to swallow her.

‘Luna’s done something to me... What if she can see what I see? Is that how she’s following me? Ugh, Get out of my head! I just want to be left alone!’ Twilight turned and bolted for a nearby alleyway. Or at least, she tried to. When her hooves refused to leave the ground, she looked down to see the shadows themselves stubbornly latched to her legs. She jerked her hooves away, only to hear the faint sound of a pony cantering toward her.

‘No... no!’ Every hoofbeat only made the thumping of Twilight’s heart ring louder in her ears. “Go away! Just leave me alone, I never did anything to you!”

“You fired on me in your house, Twilight Sparkle; I wouldn’t be as bold as to call that ‘nothing.’” A silhouette appeared in the alley that Twilight had just attempted to dive into.

With every second that passed, Twilight could feel her breathing become more shallow and rapid as the shadows around her vision crept forward. “No, no! Stay away from me!” Without second thought, she turned and projected another bolt of telekinetic force at the Lunar Diarch. Twilight could only watch in horror as the lavender bolt skimmed along a translucent surface in front of Luna, and headed right back at her.

The strands of shadow in her vision thrashed wildly as Twilight slammed her eyes shut and gasped for air. Her barrel ached, her vision swam softly, but amongst all the soreness and confusion; Luna’s voice was unmuddled.

“Twilight, that is enough! I only came here to talk, and you attack me as if I were a monster!”

Somehow, between bedraggled breaths, Twilight managed a broken: “And what if you still are?! You can’t... Fool me, You... Were casting a spell over me... As I slept!”

Once more, Twilight’s horn glowed softly as Luna drew closer with a sigh. “A spell, yes. But I... I—” Luna stepped back with her mouth agape. Her brow furrowed as she tilted her head ever so slightly and whispered under her breath. “Twilight... What happ—”

The rest of the Lunar princess’ sentence was lost when Twilight’s world flashed and faded back into the darkness of the night, without a sign of Luna to be found. When the light faded she found herself next to a few flaming shrubs, and standing in a wide circle of ashen grass.

‘Where am I? For that matter, where does that put Luna? Ow... my wing... Wait a second, this... This isn’t Canterlot. Oh stars! Fire!’ The dancing flames quickly found themselves at a losing battle at the hooves of a very frantic Twilight Sparkle. After her short skirmish with the rogue fire, She moved to a decidedly nicer and less charred position on the hilltop.

The town of Ponyville had once again grown dark and silent. Though Twilight knew that dark ambitions still stirred in the streets below, but it was nice to imagine for a moment that it was the same town... nay, the same world she once knew. She grudgingly listed her gaze toward the Apple family farm, the ensuing deluge of memories was matched only by the tears cascading down her muzzle.

‘Why?... Why? Why? Why?! Why?!’ Twilight grit her teeth and picked up a nearby rock in her magic as she turned away from the farm. “Why?! Why?! Why?! Whyyyyy?!’ She screamed as she threw the rock deep into the heart of the Everfree forest, collapsing to her stomach on the grass.

‘Why me, why now, why this, why can’t things go back to how they were? Why can’t I be happy?’ Twilight slowly drew a foreleg across her eyes, still blurred heavily by tendrils of shadow. ‘Go away, Luna... Just leave me be...’

A few minutes passed as Twilight caught her breath and inspected her wing gently. ‘That’s going to leave a mark... And that bolt did me no favors either.’ A gust of wind carried the sigh from Twilight’s lips as closed her eyes with a deep breath. ‘There has to be a way to fix all of this, if I can’t fix it myself. I know Princess Celestia can...’ A bolt of lightning shot down Twilight’s spine as her wings flew outward. ‘The Princess! Is she okay? Does she know what Luna’s doing?! What if she’s hurt...?’

The alicorn rocketed to her hooves and began to quickly prance in place ’I- I need to get to Canterlot, right now! What if... What if she needs my help?’ Twilight quickly spun to face Canterlot, she squinted through the darkness obscuring her vision and locked her legs. A deep breath cleared her mind for a few moments as she pictured herself outside Canterlot Castle. The grass branches swayed around Twilight as the wind near her picked up speed. ‘It’s a long way, but I’ll get there... just gotta focus, nopony’s nearby right now. I’m not rushed... Just breathe. Five, four... Three... Two... One.’

Twilight’s world exploded into deafening noise, unbearable heat, and the distinct suspicion that she didn’t teleport to Canterlot. She would have been upset if she didn’t open her eyes to the sight of a flaming beam come crashing to the ground. “Eeep!” She darted backward from the fiery log of doom, only to watch it hit the ground. Twilight tilted her head a bit, and cautiously approached the fallen chunk of wood. Tentatively, she reached out with her hoof, allowing a small gasp when it passed into the log.

‘What in Eques-’ The world exploded in a different way as Twilight found herself smashed into the ground beneath something very large and very heavy.

It felt like hours before Twilight’s eyes opened again, though part of her wished they hadn’t: all around her was fire. On the walls, on the ceiling, on the very beam she was trapped beneath. Her gaze listed back and forth to the flaming piles of rubble.

‘Nggghh... My head.’ She shook her head a little bit, pausing as a few droplets of blood splattered to the floor. She touched her left ear with a hoof and winced as the pain confirmed her suspicions.

‘I’m lucky it didn’t take my head off... Alright time to get out of here, then I gotta figure out how badly my ear is cut.’

Twilight reached for her magic, but when nothing happened she gave an exasperated sigh. A shower of sparks fell before her in what she could almost imagine was the house’s reply. ‘You know what, forget magic! It’s been more trouble than help!’ Twilight huffed and strained again, this time focusing on the muscles in her legs, using the momentum to heft the column off her back and hurl it into a wall behind her.

Twilight spared no time as she stood and shook out her wings. Part of her mind was freaking out at what she had just done, but another, bigger part was immensely satisfied with the accomplishment.

Smoke curled and congealed around the lavender alicorn’s face as she coughed and shook her head. The darkness that clung to the edge of her vision wasn’t helping her at all as she searched the room for an exit. ‘I have to get out... of—’

Time froze for a moment as Twilight locked eyes with the vaguely familiar face of a mint-green unicorn. She was pinned beneath a wooden beam of her own, but not trying to free herself. She simply stared up at Twilight, eyes wide, shaking. The two mares blinked at each other for a few seconds before Twilight stepped forward over the remains of a table, only to watch the Unicorn shrink away and cover her face defensively.

Part of Twilight’s heart broke as she jerked away from the gesture and turned around. She noted that there was a gaping hole where the wall should have been, but quickly shook it off; it just meant she had a way out. She immediately burst through the veil of smoke and coughed violently as she cleared the smoke from her lungs. Twilight looked back at the flame-engulfed house as she flopped to the ground.

‘Good, at least she won’t come after me.’ She turned to face the amber glow of the house as her brows furrowed.

‘But that poor mare... She looked so scared, I- I have to do something.’

‘Although... she is probably working with the girls... Just like the rest of the town. It might be best to just leave her...’

Twilight shook her head roughly. ‘No. No. No! what am I saying?! There’s somepony in trouble back there, I have to go save her!’

‘But if I save her, my cover is blown... It’ll be easier to disappear without a trace like this.’

‘I can’t just... do that, can I? I set her home on fire! I can’t just leave her to die.’

Twilight grit her teeth and looked to canterlot in the far off distance, then back to the flaming house. .‘But what if saving her gets myself caught? There are going to be ponies arriving on scene soon! They look out for their own, not for me! I can get a head start and make a bre—’

The sight of the right half of the house collapsing in on itself quickly silenced all other options.

Twilight quickly rose and bolted back into the flames, the heat slammed into her like a wall, dropping her to the ground in shock. “Miss! Miss, where are you?!”

‘Even if I do get caught...’

“Hello?!” Twilight sputtered a few coughs as she squinted past the shadows in her eyes and the heavy smoke. “Hello?” Twilight shoved a freshly fallen segment of the ceiling aside and froze.

‘They won't kill me, right? At least... not right away?’

The unicorn lay under the debris from before. Her forelegs covered the tear-matted fur on her muzzle as her body shook with the eerily silent sobs.

“Miss! Please, we...” Twilight looked away and coughed again. “We don’t have much time, I’m going to push this beam on the count of three, and you’re going to help push up, okay?”

The mare simply stared up at Twilight, trembling violently.

‘I guess it doesn’t really matter.’

“One!... Two!... Three!” Twilight planted her shoulder into the beam and her hind legs firmly into the ground. She brought her forelegs up and strained against the wooden beam with her shoulder as hard as she could. The charred wood burned and dug into her coat as she felt the vice grip begin to give. Almost instantly, the pole finally popped free and the mint-green unicorn shot out from beneath the wreckage.

Twilight smiled at the mare, but was returned with a face of abhorrent fear, and the sight of the unicorn stumbling over broken walls and furniture as she bolted for the exit.

‘I'm not going to let anypony die because of me.’

Slowly Twilight sunk to her haunches and fought to keep the smile on her face. But that was a battle swiftly lost. She watched the smoke swirl in the mare’s wake, leaving nothing but a room filled with fire and emptiness.

Twilight curled into a ball on a portion of the unburned floor. ‘The way she looked at me... even after I... saved her...’ She let out a morose sigh and closed her eyes ‘It’s not like I’ve suddenly become some kind of monster. Just because I somehow got wings doesn’t mean that I should be treated like that.’ Twilight shot a blank, empty stare back at the offending appendages as some embers fell from the ceiling around her.

‘Stupid wings, turning everypony against me. I’d actually be worth saving if I didn’t have you stupid things.’ Twilight buried her head in her forelegs as a few more pieces of the room fell around her. ‘I stay away from everypony, they come after me...’ She thought as she sighed. ‘I try to help somepony, she runs away... Why is everything so backw—’

Twilight felt her head being gently jerked to the right, over and over. She blinked a few times, lifted the hooves from her eyes and received a final tug on her ear. She turned and looked up at the force, to see the same mare from before giving her the biggest, most frightened, pleading, golden eyes that Twilight had ever seen.

‘She... came back?’

The mare turned and took a few steps before looking back at Twilight with those same eyes, nodding towards the opening with her head. ‘Why’d she come back? Why doesn’t she say anything?’ Twilight shook her head, thinking about it could wait. Even without words, the message was clear enough; she wanted Twilight to follow. Out of the burning building. Out of here, and back into the upside down world she’d come from.

It was terrifying, what this mare was asking. The world out there wanted Twilight dead. It wanted her gone. It was nothing that she remembered anymore. But something occurred to Twilight as she picked herself off the ground and started after the mint-green unicorn.

The world might have been an upside down place, where nothing made sense anymore, but she knew there was at least one pony she could always count on out there. A small smile played at Twilight’s mouth as she followed the mare up a hill and away from the smoke.

‘...Maybe... Maybe more than one.’

Twilight sat down next to her savior? Saviee? Is that even a word? “So...” she began, “What’s your name?”

‘Great start Twilight, real nice...’

There was no response. The mare just huddled into herself as tears rolled down her face, catching and reflecting the soft amber glow of the burning building in the distance. For a moment, it looked like she might say something, but all the unicorn did was lean forward into her hooves silently.

Twilight fidgeted awkwardly, first the mare had run away, then she’d come back. Now she was crying... ‘Maybe... maybe if I...’ She awkwardly stretched one of her wings and draped it over the mare’s back, remembering how calming it was when Celestia offered the same gesture.

The mare twitched slightly as Twilight’s wing came to bear, pulling her eyes up from her hooves and looking over at Twilight with equal parts confusion and pain. She immediately jerked away once their eyes met, scrambling a few feet away as she buried her face in her hooves once more.

“I’m sorry!” Twilight said— shouted really. She sighed and tucked her wing back against her barrel. ‘So much for that.’ She didn’t dare make a move. Her exhaustion and the smell of fear coming from the mare kept her firmly rooted in place.

Moments passed in nigh-unbearable silence, the world around the two ponies grew slightly less silent as the local fireponies arrived on scene. Voices were heard from down below as a shadow fell over Twilight, followed by the distinct sound of grass being disturbed.

The mint-green unicorn pointed to the engulfed building, then directed her hoof at Twilight before hanging her head.

“I’m sorry,” Twilight replied following the mare’s movements and dipping her head towards the ground.

The unicorn shook her head side to side and put her hoof to her chest. Her eyes dimmed as they welled with tears, but she quickly blinked those away and looked around the hilltop. Without warning, she stood, galloped over to a patch of barren dirt, and began to etch something there with her hoof.

Twilight wasn’t sure what to do; on the one hoof she wanted to see what the mare was doing, but on the other she didn’t want to make any sudden movements and scare off the only pony that wasn’t trying to kill her.

Luckily, she didn’t have to make that choice as sompony gently tugged on her left ear. It hurt even though the touch was light and snapped her gaze toward the mint-green pony, sitting quietly by her etching.

Despite her trepidation, Twilight decided that she’d best follow along, anything had to be better than having this mare be either perpetually afraid of her, or worse, turn against her as well. What she found however, wordlessly dropped her to her haunches.

“I’m sorry.”

“B-but you didn— ...I—I don’t understand... Why?”

The unicorn turned to the dirt, smoothed it out with her hooves and set to work again. She only got as far as the third letter, before huffing without a sound and looking around the base of the trees nearby. Her ears perked as she levitated a stick toward herself and finished the words astonishingly fast.

“Running from you. After you saved me... Thank you.”

Twilight gave her another weak smile upon reading that “You’re welcome, I...” she trailed off into silence, looking at the house which was being doused with great efficiency “I know what it’s like to be scared.” ‘Especially after yesterday...’

The mare cocked her head to the side and reset her makeshift notepad. “I guess we have that much in common at least.”

The flames had begun to die down as the two sat in silence. Twilight looked away from her new friend and just closed her eyes a while. ‘She’s not so bad, but I’ve destroyed everything she has, not only that. But what if she says something about me?’ She turned and looked back at the unicorn as she gave Twilight a small smile and a wave before she turned and cantered towards the center of Ponyville.

‘No! I have to stop her! She’ll ruin everything!”

“Wait! Uh...” I should know her name... Pinkie would know. I just wish she was here... Twilight mulled over her memory, or lack thereof, for a while. She frustratingly came up blank. “W-where are you going?”

Once more the mare tilted her head, lifted her writing utensil and scribbled in the patch of bare earth. “I have to go let everypony know I’m okay, I’m sure my friends are worried sick about me.”

‘Right... friends. But she’s too dangerous... what if she tells them where I’m going? I can’t just leave that to chance. Maybe I could use some magic to knock her out...’

A chill shot through Twilight as the sound of splintering wood and the smell of smoke brought her back to her senses, at least in part. ‘Maybe magic isn’t such a good idea... She’s staring, say something!’

“Uh... Yeah, go ahead.” The unicorn smiled and barreled down the hillside in a dead gallop for the ponies gathered below. Twilight quietly rose to her hooves and backed up into the forest, her eyes solidly fixed on the smouldering remains of the cottage and the ponies standing around it.

‘This was a bad idea. Though, I’ll have a head start at least.’

One final look at the whole of Ponyville later and she set off for Canterlot. Part of her was glad to be finally getting away from it, but as the town shrank into the distance, the back of her mind itched with the simple question...

‘What am I really leaving behind?’

She froze, wincing as she felt her ear being tugged softly. Twilight slowly turned around and saw Lyra standing there with a confused look on her face. But more importantly: she was alone.

“Why are you following me?”

“Where are you going? It’s late, the Everfree is dangerous.”

“I... I know, I just...” For what it was worth, Twilight felt like she’d been caught face first by a cockatrice, again. Her hooves and tongue turned to stone as her mind flailed blindly for an answer. “I— I can’t go back. I don’t have a choice.”

Lyra’s mouth twisted in concern. “Why not?”

‘So many questions... She’s prying for something.’ Twilight took a step back and looked over her shoulder into the forest, her wings gave a short kick as she turned back to face Lyra. “There are some... Who are trying to hurt me. They broke into my home and I had to run from them, which is why I can’t go back home; They’d know where to find me.”

The unicorn frowned a moment, sat down, and closed her eyes with a deep breath. It was almost eerie how still she became, and for a moment, Twilight considered poking her softly to try and wake her.

After about twenty seconds, Lyra’s eyes slowly opened as she etched the ground with her hoof. “So why do you think that running into the forest is a good idea?”

“Because I’d be able to remain undetected on my way to Canterlot...”

"You're hurt, that beam sliced off some of your ear... You're bleeding.

"...I heal quickly, and it won't kill me."

“Fine, but that’s still a long way to go on hoof.”

“S-so? I’ll make it, the important thing is that they don’t catch me.”

Lyra’s gaze became level and slightly scary as she responded. “Going into the forest is more dangerous than ponies finding you! You said they got into your house, and you can’t go back because they’ll be waiting, right?”

Twilight’s wings shuffled slightly as she pinned her ears back. “Yeah...”

“So what if you don’t go back to your house? You’ve got friends don’t you?”

Time just seemed to stop on a dime once Lyra finished her question. Twilight flinched back and stared at the ground like it would disappear if she looked away.

...Because the spirits of the Elements of Harmony, are right here!... ...You’re a laugh, Twilight Sparkle; We should hang out sometime!... ...sometimes all they need is a little kindness... ...My stars darling! Out of my hair? What about your hair!?... ...Well shoot! It’s like you’re part of the family already!... ...Everypony’s my friend! And I love to see them smile!...

"No, I don't." Twilight replied with a defeated sigh.

Lyra leaned forward and massaged her temples with her hooves. “I owe you for saving me back there, I can’t just let you go get yourself hurt. What if you stayed somewhere else, and then took the train to Canterlot tomorrow?”

Alarm bells rang violently all across Twilights mind as she read the note and retreated with wide eyes. “Are you crazy?! I’m trying to not get seen! Taking a train... All the ponies...”

A force gently jerked Twilight’s head to face with three words written on the ground. “Hey! Calm down.” Lyra scuffed the message out and finished her thought. “I can’t say that my plan is any more thought out than yours, but it’s way better than sending you blindly into the Everfree at night. Just come with me, I’m sure that whatever we come up with will be better than the Everfree.”

Twilight chewed her lower lip as she threw her gaze back over her shoulder into the darkness between the trees. “And how am I supposed to believe that? What if you’re secretly working with the ponies that are trying to catch me?! What if you’re just leading me into a t—“

Two mint green hooves squished Twilight’s cheeks together as she found her gaze locked with two golden irises. They sat there for a few seconds until Lyra slowly pulled her hooves away.

“Alright, now, are we done freaking out?”

“...My question still stands,” Twilight growled.

Lyra rolled her eyes. “Let’s pretend I do work for... them, whoever they are. Don’t you think burning my own house down, and putting myself in mortal danger, then hoping that you specifically come to my rescue, is a little far fetched for a plan to capture you?”

“No...”

As soon as Twilight finished her response, Lyra slapped a hoof to her face. “Alright, well, I’m going to my friend’s place. I need to get some sleep and be ready for all the stuff I gotta do tomorrow if I’m going to Canterlot. You’re welcome to join me, and we can think of a plan on the way.”

Lyra turned around and started walking back to Ponyville, coming to a stop not three steps later. She looked over her shoulder and scuffed one last message into the ground. “Or you can head into the forest. But I’m not going in there.”

“Uh...” Twilight watched as Lyra turned and headed back toward the town. “Uhm...” She quickly tapped her hoof to her furrowed brow. ‘Come on... Think! The train is faster, but hoofing it is more inconspicuous...’ She looked up at her horn; nothing seemed out of place, but she could just feel that her magic was... wrong, somehow. ‘Teleporting is out of the question too...’ Twilight looked up as Lyra began to disappear back over the crest of the hill.

‘What do I do... What do I do?’

‘...’

Twilight jerked upright, looking around frantically. The softly swaying red curtains, the cheap rumbling wooden walls, the small confined space. It was all so foreign to her, yet oddly familiar.

With a groan, she rubbed her eyes, trying to sort out the slurry of colors with her hooves. Try as she might, she couldn’t help but yawn to the soothing rhythm coming from outside. She tried to place a probable source to the noise, but decided it didn’t matter as she rocked back and forth, then buried her face in the pillow.

It was a bit uncomfortable at first, and a bit firm for her taste, but she let a smile slip anyway; beggars can’t be choosers after all. She poked it with a hoof gently, then lay her head back down as the pillow gently rose and fell.

‘Wait, pillows don’t do that... Where did I get a pillow in the first place? I fell asleep out—’

A soft poke to the nose later, and Twilight’s eyes were peeled open, staring up at an unfamiliar fedora. As she lowered her gaze, she spotted a familiar notepad, and the golden eyes of an equally familiar mare just beyond.

‘Lyra! I thought... no, wait. I left her at her friend’s house. What is she doing here?... Nice hat, though.’ She set that thought to the back burner for a little while as she shifted her focus to the rather elegant and flowing text on the notepad.

“Sorry if I woke you, sleep well?”

“I was asleep?” Twilight mentally crushed her own face with a brick the moment the words left her mouth. “I mean... Why are you sorry?”

“Well, you sort of passed out sitting up, you’ve been snoring into my barrel for the last hour or so.”

“Oh...” Twilight’s brow furrowed for a moment before her eyes shot open. “Where are we?”

Lyra cocked her head to the side with a quizzical expression as she wrote her response. “On the train, just like we planned?”

Twilight was out of her seat at the word: “Train”. The door to their compartment flew open as she stuck her head out and scanned the hallway.

‘Nopony is here... I shouldn’t be here, I’m going to get caught...’ For a moment, Twilight brushed the tugging at her ear aside. ‘How did I even get here?...’

The mint-green and white tail in front of Twilight bobbed gently as she followed it through the dark and barren Ponyville streets. Twilight’s ears twitched aggressively as they jumped at the slightest noise. All around, fingers of darkness cast from streetlights seemed to reach out to Twilight, beckoning her to come closer. She looked away and quelled her fear for a moment with closed eyes, turning her ears to the mare before her, following by sound alone.

Opening her eyes again was an altogether harder job than she would like; The past two days had begun to take their toll, and the lack of sleep was certainly a contributing factor. Another soft crash from an alley drew her gaze and full attention. Twilight shivered and picked up her pace, opting to trot abreast Lyra instead of behind her.

A rather new looking, decently sized house came into view. Twilight could only assume that this was the house Lyra’s friend lived in, judging by the way the unicorn’s expression brightened. Twilight watched Lyra trot up to the front door, pause with her hoof mid-air and turn to face Twilight, as she nodded her head toward the door.

Twilight pondered the motion for a moment. “Oh, no... no thank you, I’d rather not take any chances. I’ll be fine out here.”

Lyra rolled her eyes and walked over to Twilight, etching a few words into the dirt. “She’s not going to bite, I promise.”

“No... No, I’m perfectly fine. You go ahead though...”

Both mares stared at each other awkwardly for a while, before Lyra shrugged and trotted back to the door, knocking gently as Twilight slunk into the shadows of the side yard. A cream-colored Earth pony with a dark-blue and pink mane opened the door while rubbing her foreleg into her eye.

“Mmmhhh... Lyra?!” The unicorn quickly put a hoof to the earth pony’s mouth and scowled. “Oh, you don’t have your notepad, one second.” The mare disappeared back into the house as Lyra shot Twilight one last glance and motioned toward the door with her head. Twilight glared back and mouthed a simple “No” right as the earth pony returned.

Lyra quickly took the paper and pencil with a grateful nod, and returned it after scribbling something down.

The Earth pony scanned the page with an increasingly terrified expression. “Your house?! Oh my goodness, are you okay hun? What am I saying, of course you’re not okay. Please, come inside, it’s cold out there, you’ll need to tell me what ha—”

Twilight watched the door slam shut after both Lyra and the other mare disappeared inside. A few lights flicked on in the house, but the light didn’t offer a lot of illumination outside. She breathed a sigh of relief and snuck to the side of the house, curling up on some grass between two large bushes against the building. It took a little while for her to get comfortable; she never had to try and sleep with a pair of wings. But for all the hassle that they were, they were at least warm.

She softly leaned her head forward onto her forelegs, her eyes closed as she took a deep breath. Her heart slowed, her mind calmed, and she felt herself begin drifting off to sleep. As she exhaled, a soft metallic ping instantly shattered her drowsy state, lifting both her ears and head in the direction of the noise.

‘It’s going to be a long night...’

The door quickly slammed shut as Twilight took her seat once more. She and Lyra engaged in an intense staredown of incredibly awkward nature before Twilight broke the stalemate.

“What are we doing on a train?”

Lyra set to her notepad again, ripped the page off, and floated it to Twilight. “Going to my friend in Canterlot.”

Twilight glared dubiously. “ ‘Friend?’ When did I agree to this?”

“Literally this morning.”

Twilight blinked, then blinked again before her mind caught up “What..?”

“Yeah. I got up really early, and you were already up. We talked about it before getting you disguised.”

As much as she hated it, and she would never admit it to anypony. Twilight couldn’t help but feel like her train of thought was about to derail and the conductor couldn’t be bothered to stop. “I don’t remember any of this...”

Lyra cocked an eyebrow skeptically. “Yanno, you passed out really fast once we got in the train. Did you even sleep last night?”

“Of course I did!...” Twilight half-shouted. “It was just, you know... my first night having to sleep with... these.” She said, shuffling her wings softly. “I also have a habit of stargazing, so I did that for a while. But yes, I slept just fine.”

“Makes perfect sense, explains why you passed out the moment you sat down.” Twilight looked up to see another piece of paper hovering in front of two half-lidded golden eyes. “You didn’t sleep, did you?”

Twilight looked up just in time for Lyra to tilt her head down slightly with a cheeky smirk. It was an odd feeling, at first she held her composure, but the veneer of secrecy began to crack and crumble the longer she stared. Desperately she shot her eyes elsewhere in the room, trying to pretend that the unicorn wasn’t boring a hole through her with that cocksure grin. After a while, Twilight succumbed to curiosity, pinned her ears back, and looked back at Lyra’s ever-present smile.

“Okay! I didn’t sleep! What does it matter to you anyway!?” Twilight glowered and crossed her forelegs.

“I suppose it doesn’t. But If you didn’t sleep, it might explain why you’re forgetting things.” Lyra’s smile twisted into a wry scowl as she handed another page to Twilight. “I remember coming down and telling you the train schedule, and that we’d have a little time to prepare before we left.”

Birds. Accursed things.

Twilight held her head in her hooves, staring at a particular tree across the yard. It was your normal tree, the only thing that set it apart were the three dozen birds hidden inside, chirping their little feathered heads off. Needless to say, Twilight was none too pleased with them.

The night before had been spent twitching to face the slightest noise, and jumping at her own shadow. And while she didn’t feel tired, Twilight knew that it was only a matter of time, the crash was coming.

But for now, she softly glared at the tree with her ears pinned back. The chorus of chirps was interrupted by the sound of a door swinging open and the sound of hooves on cobblestone. Twilight shook her head and blew it out of her eyes as she peeked out from behind the bush she hid behind.

Lyra was looking around the yard, slowly, methodically. Twilight shrank back behind the bush, rubbing her temples. ‘Okay, I don’t have to go with her, I can bolt now, leave her behind. I don’t need her help, she’s probably just trying to sweet talk me into a tr—’

Twilight winced at a gentle tug on her left ear, and turned to meet Lyra muzzle to muzzle, three inches apart.

“Wha! You! I...” Twilight slammed against the side of the building with her eyes wide open. You were just over there! I should have heard you or something! You nearly gave me a heart attack!”

Lyra smiled softly as she set to her notepad. “A lifetime of silence teaches you a few things about the concept. I’m sorry I scared you; are you alright?”

“I suppose I’m fine,” Twilight stood and shook herself out and made a rather feeble attempt at stretching her wings. “A little frazzled I suppose, but fine.”

“Good, Bon Bon’s already left for work. The train leaves in two hours, we have until then to figure things out.”

Twilight’s face screwed up into an expression of apprehension. “Well that might be fine for you, but I don’t think I can just go waltzing through town with these.” She said as she flapped her wings.

“Oh, I think you can.” Lyra smirked as she handed Twilight the scrap of paper.

Twilight slapped her ears to her skull and blinked a few times at the page. “What? No, what? That’s crazy... Somepony will notice, and they’ll freak out, and that’ll be it! I’ll be done for!”

Lyra meanwhile had been silently rubbing her hooves together with a maniacal grin on her face. She quickly slashed her pencil across the face of the notepad as she tugged Twilight’s ear toward the house.

Twilight chewed her lip as she slowly made her way toward the door. She looked down to Lyra’s most recent response, and her knees went weak:

“Don’t worry, I’ve got an idea.”

‘Oh... that sounds way too familiar.’ Twilight thought with a quiet gulp. ‘Things never go right when I say that...’

Twilight mulled over the memory for a while. It bothered her, she knew there was more; there was a lot of time left unaccounted for between entering the house and waking up on the train. But she felt a little better that her memory was coming back in bits and pieces.

“So... this ‘plan’ of yours got me on the train?... No trouble?”

Lyra nodded.

Twilight shot back a scowl in response. “You’re absolutely sure? We weren’t followed?”

Again, a nod.

A deep wave of relief washed over Twilight as she sank back into the seat. “Thank goodness... First bit of good luck I’ve had in days.” She sat up, and looked out the window at the rolling plains that flew by. “So... How exactly did we sneak me onto the train without anypony noticing it was... me?”

Lyra flipped the trilby off of her head and levitated it over Twilight’s horn with a smile. “That’s only half of it though. You’re still wearing the other half.”

“Only half?... What?—” In an instant, Twilight was back at the window. She squint her eyes, tilting her head this way and that, and she had to admit; the hat did a great job of hiding her horn. She stared a while longer before her blood froze. Twilight leaned a little closer, blinking at the reflection. Slowly her gaze drifted up to her mane, and the silver stripe where her pink one used to be.

Twilight shoved herself away from the window and for the first time since waking up, looked at her tail; purple, deep blue... and silver.

“You dyed over my pink stripe.”

Lyra nodded furiously. “Clever right?!”

Twilight clenched her teeth and leveled her gaze at Lyra. “How long?”

Lyra could only respond with a quizzical look and a tilt of the head. “How long till we get to Canterlot?”

“No! How long am I stuck with this?”

The pencil flew across the paper as Lyra scooted away. “Two weeks? Why?”

Twilight realised that she was towering over the mare and drew back, letting out a sigh before she went back to looking at her reflection in the window again, “It’s nothing... it just feels... weird.” She looked at her tail again and wondered why it felt like she’d lost something important.

A notepad slid onto the seat, “You know, you told me to do it. You don’t need to get angry with me.”

Twilight looked up just in time to see Lyra’s face as she turned away. Gone was the smile, replaced instead by an annoyed, or... maybe hurt expression. ‘Even if I don’t trust her, she hasn’t done anything to hurt me really. It’s just a couple weeks and a color...’ Twilight gently picked up the notepad and dropped it on the seat next to the now fuzzy mint-green ball.

“Lyra? Look, I’m sorry. I’m just really scared right now and I’m not thinking so clearly... How long until we get to C—”

A hoof flew out of the fuzzy ball and swatted the notepad to the ground, Lyra shuffled softly, very pointedly fixing her gaze on the window and remaining motionless as Twilight returned to her side of the seat

Twilight crossed her forelegs and propped her head on the windowsill with a sigh. With a gentle tug of her magic she pulled the Trilby down to partially cover her eyes as she closed them and lost herself to the rhythmic clack of the rails.

Voices called from the darkness, a thousand taunts, a thousand jeers, from every angle, played from her fears. Twilight pinned her ears back and slammed her eyes shut.

“No! Go away!” Try as she might, her left ear stayed up and drank in the abusive insults. “Leave me alone! Stop it!”

Twilight bolted upright to the sight of Lyra with her horn aglow. One last tug on her left ear confirmed her suspicions as she relaxed her wings and breathed raggedly.

“Are you alright? You started twitching in your sleep and whimpering.”

Twilight looked up into the Lyra’s wide, concerned eyes. “I’m sorry...”

The unicorn shook her head in the negative and smiled. “I understand, I think it’s safe to say that you’re not exactly feeling quite like yourself these days. I’m a little high strung too, let’s just try to relax a bit.”

As awkward as it felt, Twilight couldn’t help but laugh softly as she looked back to her wings. “Yeah, I’d bet that being so strung out won’t do either of us any fa—”

A familiar tug of the ear snapped Twilight’s attention back to the notepad. “First time you’ve laughed since we met. Almost makes you seem normal.” As she finished, she looked up to catch the tail-end of a sly wink from Lyra.

“Seem normal? Are you trying to say I’m not normal?” Twilight glared as she continued. “I’m the only one who’s been trying to act normal these last few days! Everypony else has been going cah-razy!”

“Well, yeah. That is what I’m saying. But it’s not a bad thing really, I hardly qualify for ‘normal’ myself, but I’m proud of it!” Lyra beamed as Twilight lifted her eyes from the page.

“I guess...” Twilight yawned gently and peered out the window. “Shouldn’t be too much longer, I can see Canterlot.” The air in the sleeper cabin hung still for a moment. “So... once we get there, what’s the plan?”

“Well, I was going to go find something to eat, then probably head to my friend’s place. You’re more than welcome to come along, since you never did say what you’re coming to Canterlot for.”

“Oh, I guess I didn’t say, huh?...” Twilight shrank back slightly and lowered her gaze. ‘That, or I got lucky and she doesn't remember. I wish I could remember... I... I need time to think, that’s all. But for now, my best chance is sticking with Lyra, she seems to know her way around things.’ She quickly righted herself and cleared her throat. “Well, I think I’ll just follow you around for a bit, if it’s not too much trouble?”

“No. No trouble at all!” Twilight couldn’t help but reciprocate the beaming expression on Lyra’s face as her gaze listed toward the city in the distance. The cabin fell to a deep contemplative silence, and through the corner of her eye, Twilight saw Lyra’s eyebrows furrow.

“Twilight, I’d like to ask you something, and it might be something you don’t want to answer. Or maybe, you can’t answer. But it’s been bugging me.”

Twilight silently gagged on the imaginary stone that just formed in her throat. She quickly gathered herself and managed to squeak out a simple: “Yes?...”

The irritating ball of worry in Twilight’s stomach grew by the second as Lyra spent what seemed like an eternity scribbling into her notepad.

“What’s with... You? As a whole? The whole ‘alicorn’ thing is neat and all... But, what exactly happened to you? I don’t seem to recall you having wings a few days ago.”

“Yes, well... I... I have my theories...” Twilight muttered under her breath with flattened ears. “But... I don’t understand the ‘how’ exactly. Or why those ponies from before are trying to kill me...”

Lyra cocked an ear once Twilight finished. “ ‘Those ponies’... You know who they are? Why not alert the guard? You’re a princess or whatever now right? They’ll listen to you!”

“What?!” Twilight’s gaze flicked from the notepad to Lyra multiple times in the span of a second or two. “No! I’m not! I’m not a—” A lavender hoof slapped over her mouth as she shrank back into herself. She lowered her voice to a stage whisper as she went on: “I’m not a princess! I might look the part, but I’ve never ruled anypony, I’ve never raised the sun or moon or anything, I’m just me! But those madponies back there think I’m something else... or... something. And it’s apparently enough to try and kill me over! So no! I’m not—

A floating notepad shielded the unicorn’s face from twilight, abruptly halting her rant: “It was just a question. I saw the horn and wings last night and just assumed that you were!”

“I said I’m not a princess!”

Lyra shrank into the seat with a pained glare. “Twilight! Chill out! I’m just trying to help!”

Twilight’s eye twitched violently as the last two days played over in her mind’s eye. “You know what they told me? They said they wanted to help too! And you know what they did? They fed me lies, they pretended to care, and when I needed them most, they turned on me. I got this far on my own and I’ll go the rest of the way if I have to! I don’t need your help. I don’t need anypony’s help!”

Lyra steeled her expression as the fedora gently glowed with a soft mint light, a potent mixture of pain and rage burned through the two holes in her otherwise unreadable gaze. She stood, donned her hat, and quietly marched out the door; stopping only to throw one last glance back at Twilight.

Twilight sat in the cabin with naught but the rhythmic clack of the tracks and her own thoughts to keep her company. She heaved a sigh and muttered to nopony in particular: “Who needs her? I was doing fine by myself.”

She swatted a crumpled note off the bench and scowled, only to let her gaze linger on a neatly stacked pile of paper that she’d been adding to. Twilight picked it up, and slowly began flipping through the written history Lyra left behind.

Moment’s later, Twilight’s eyes went wide as she held the words: “That’s only half of it though. You’re still wearing the other half.” in her hoof.

‘... I do need her, she has that hat! I’m not safe without it...’ Instantly, Twilight was at the door, hoof pressed to the panelling as she grit her teeth and slunk back to her seat. ‘I can’t go out there... I might get seen, I’m trapped in here. It’s just a matter of time.’

She turned to the stack of paper again, continuing her recollection from the beginning.

“You know, you told me to do it. You don’t need to get angry with me.”

“Are you alright? You started twitching in your sleep and whimpering.”

“It was just a question.”

Twilight blinked and wiped a foreleg across her eyes. ‘What happened to me? This isn’t the magic of friendship...’ The crumpled ball of paper levitated from the floor and slowly unfolded before her.”

“Twilight! Chill out! I’m just trying to help!

There were no tears, no sadness, just an overwhelming emptiness that engulfed Twilight when she replaced the last paper in the stack. ‘Why did I do that? Friendship is supposed to be about being grateful for help...’ She sat down with a dull thud and massaged her temple with a hoof. ‘You were scared.’ her mind reminded her ‘That’s no excuse... I... I should apologize. No; I will apologize.’

Twilight rose and pressed her hoof to the door softly, as it slid to the side, she poked her head out and glanced down both directions in the hallway. ‘Coast is clear, no windows on the compartment doors... If I book it, I should be alright; I don’t think anypony will see me.’

She stepped a hoof out of the room before yanking it back in. ‘Which way did she go?...’ Twilight sank her teeth into her lip and flicked her gaze from one end of the hallway to the other. ‘If I was angry... And I wanted some space, I’d go get some fresh air... Yeah, that makes sense... Right?’

After one more cursory check of her surroundings, Twilight shot out of her shelter and barreled toward the back of the train. The door had a small window in it that revealed the caboose’s entry door on the other side. Without hesitation, Twilight was through the doorway and inside the caboose, holding her heart inside her ribcage with a hoof.

‘Oh my gosh... That, was horrifying; I’m never doing that again.’ After the percussive orchestra situated in her chest finally retired for a well deserved intermission. She craned her neck and looked around the room methodically. “Lyra?... Are you in here? Listen... I’m sorry. L- I’m an idiot.” A hoof slapped against her forehead as she sighed. ‘She’s mute Twilight, she’s not going to answer you.’

After the remainder of the search turned up nothing, Twilight turned her attention to the back railing of the caboose itself. ‘I really hope she’s back there...’ She thought as the door swung outward slowly.

The telltale hue of mint-green and white billowing in the backdraft of the railcar brought a breath of relief to Twilight’s lungs. Lyra never once looked at Twilight, never moved, never reacted at all. She simply stood, leaned against the railing with her muzzle buried into crossed forelegs and a pensive expression written into her features.

“Uhm...” Twilight scooted over to the other side of the railing, standing and leaning against it in a similar fashion. “Listen... Lyra... I...” A sharp exhale and a few angry thoughts were all Twilight could muster as she fell to silence.

In the conversational lull, a small slip of paper floated into Twilight’s vision: “What are you waiting for? You don’t need my help, remember? So just fly away already.”

Twilight’s ears fell flat against her head as she turned to face Lyra. “I... I’m sorry... okay? I shouldn’t have said the things I said... Those ‘ponies’ that are after me? The ones trying to kill me? They used to be my friends... and, I took it out on you.”

Lyra slowly lifted her head from her forelegs and blinked at Twilight. The fedora atop her head gently glowed and floated over toward Twilight, before settling over her horn. She quickly scribbled and gave Twilight a note to accompany the headwear. ‘Thank you, but you should fly anyway, it would be faster.

“Don’t you think I would have if I could?! I can’t! It takes all my focus just to keep them folded and in line on the ground, There’s no way I’d actually be able to fly with these things...” Twilight sighed “I’m grounded, stuck...” Twilight gently placed a hoof on Lyra’s shoulder and whimpered. “I can’t trust anypony right now... not even myself. I know I can’t do it alone, but...” Lyra cocked an eyebrow as Twilight took a moment to collect herself and her breath. ‘Please, please don’t make me regret this.’

“I’m going to trust you, Lyra. So please... will you help me?”

Lyra squinted for a moment, tearing a note off and never once breaking her gaze. “I don’t buy it. You seemed pretty adamant that you didn’t need anypony.”

“I know— I know, it was stupid, okay? I was wrong... You’ve helped me get this far, and I’m really actually thankful for it. If you hadn’t suggested the train, I’d... probably be hungry and lost in the middle of the Everfree right about now.”

A coy grin played at the unicorn’s mouth for a split second. “You’re really truly sorry?”

“Yes...”

“Do you promise to not flip out on me again?”

Twilight sighed softly and shook her head. “I’ll do my best... But I’m not sure I can promise anything...”

Lyra’s horn lit as the paper slapped against Twilight’s left ear softly. “Fair enough. I forgive you. But you need to work on controlling those mood swings, alright?”

“Yeah, alright...” Twilight wavered, “Fair’s fair, I’ll try not to...”

Both mares leaned against the railing, watching the tracks fly by beneath them for a few moments. The serenity of the setting was shattered by the monolithic roar that emanated from Lyra’s stomach shortly after. Twilight jumped away in surprise, blinking from Lyra’s barrel to her face. “I’m hungry too, but my gosh...”

Lyra’s expression fell flat. “Believe me, I’ll be glad when we get to Canterlot, I’m starving.”

The final half hour of the trip proceeded rather uneventfully, barring Twilight's awkward explanation after her shriek when the conductor came to check their cards. For the first time in days, Twilight felt... happy; she finally had some form of support, she was within reach of her goal, and most importantly: she felt safe.

The train gave a gentle lurch as the buildings to either side slowed in their passing. Twilight tugged the fedora down over her head for the upteenth time in the last thirty minutes. “So... First food, then your friend’s place?”

“That’s the plan, yeah. Why? What’s up?”

Twilight nearly fell off of the bench when the PA system overhead blared overhead: “Canterlot! Final stop! Canterlot!” Earning her a smirk and a paper ball from Lyra.

“Haha!”

Twilight’s ears burned as she tossed the note back at Lyra. “Yes, hilarious. Let’s just not go anywhere too crowded, okay?... Maybe something to go?” The mares waited for the hallway to clear before venturing any further. “I’m not sure that being out in the open is such a good idea...”

Both Lyra and Twilight turned to step off the train and into the Canterlot rail center. The pavilion stretched out before them, filled with ponies of every kind. No sooner had Twilight stepped away from the train was she bumped from the side by a stranger, in an instant all security, all joviality was gone and replaced with the all too familiar feeling of worry.

A soft tug at her left ear pulled her head to the side, where she saw her companion bouncing up and down from behind a tourist group with a goofy smile on her face.

“Oh, ‘Scuse me. Pardon me... Sorry! If I could just— Thank you!” Twilight finally managed to push through the crowd and collapsed at Lyra’s hooves. “It’s... really busy here today.”

Her words went unanswered as Lyra took off once more, the gentle tug guiding Twilight all the while. The grand hall of the train station opened up to the grand Canterlot promenade, vendors with their carts set up on the streets, shops and businesses all bustling with activity down the main road. And ponies; literally hundreds of ponies milling about, paying attention to nothing in particular.

Twilight’s chest tightened as she drank in the scene, inside the station was bad. The situation out here borrowed a page from Rarity’s book.

‘This is The. Worst. Possible. Thing. Okay Twilight, stay calm, where’s Ly— Right, follow my ear... There’s so many ponies, this was a mistake, why did I think this was going to work? I just gotta lay low and- There she is!’

Twilight beelined for the peppy unicorn, and as soon as she arrived, Lyra trotted down a side street at a much slower pace than before. The bustle and commotion began to die down as they distanced themselves from the central hub. “That was ridiculous. Last time the station was that busy was when the girls and I came down for the Hearth’s Warming Eve play...”

The businesses gave way to houses, and the large fancy eateries began to be replaced with pizza and tacos and other, “commoner” foods. The entire atmosphere struck Twilight as rather interesting. Despite the amount of time she spent in Canterlot castle, she never really did make a habit of visiting the city proper on a regular basis.

‘I really oughta walk around town once things get settled... This is kinda nice.’ She stewed on the thought for a moment before it was interrupted by two colts as they tore down the road, laughing after a ball. As she turned back around, Lyra was looking over her shoulder, levitating a note in front of Twilight’s nose. She began to reach for the note with her magic before jolting back and softly taking the note with her hooves.

‘That was too close...’

“I’m leading you toward my friend’s place. But there’s a lot of awesome little food joints around here if you wanna get something to eat before heading there.”

Twilight’s head began nodding about halfway through the note, “Yes. Oh my gosh, yes, please... That sounds fantastic, as long as we are quick about it.” Twilight shot a glance over at a small, two-pony patrol of the royal guard trotting down the other side of the street. “I don’t like being exposed like this...”

Lyra waved a hoof dismissively and rolled her eyes. “Puh-lease. You worry too much, this will be quick I swear.”

“Puh-lease? I thought you had better grammar than that, Lyra.” Twilight smirked.

Lyra’s entire expression fell as flat as a two week old opened can of soda. “It’s called written inflection, some of us don’t have voices.’

Twilight’s expression quickly mirrored Lyra’s as she tripped over her words. “I— I... Sorry, I was just being... Well...” A soft shove to Twilight’s shoulder lifted her gaze into Lyra’s smirking face.

“See? You worry too much; now come on! I’m starving!” The unicorn winked cheekily and cantered onward as Twilight quickly fell in line.

Soon, the smell of fresh baked goods and other awesome aromas lay heavy in the air. Twilight’s stomach started to growl, eliciting a knowing smile from Lyra. After a few more blocks, they turned a corner, and beheld a street adorned with pennants and flags, and food vendors everywhere.

Twilight nearly lost her balance as overwhelming hunger swept over her. ‘Geez... when did I last eat? Feels like forever ago.’ She quietly stayed close behind Lyra until her stomach allowed silence no longer. “Lyra? Where are we getting food from? This seems like it’s mphrrhrmpmahllph.”

The note crammed into Twilight’s mouth quickly found itself forcefully expelled into her hooves as Lyra crouched low and began to slink through the crowd toward a vendor.

“Wait here, don’t move till I give you the signal, I need to do something really quick.”

To say that Twilight found the letter alarming would be to make a farce of the reaction; Her pupils dilated, her wings fidgeted, and her heart beat against the inside of her ribs like a wild animal in a cage. ‘She’s meeting with one of the girls... or she’s going to blow my cover, this was a mistake, I should run... I can just meld with the cr- what in Equestria is she doing?’

The plucky unicorn slowly and smoothly weaved her way through the crowd, beelining for a mare standing in line at a sandwich vendor. She dropped lower and lower as she drew closer, popping up at the last second and standing a hair’s breadth away from the oblivious dark haired mare.

It wasn’t until Lyra gently tapped the earth pony’s shoulder, that the mare jumped and appeared to say a few words before smiling and imprisoning Lyra in a warm embrace. Lyra craned her neck, scanning the crowd and beckoned Twilight over once she spotted her.

‘Okay, it’s probably just her friend. There’s no need to freak out just yet... Just be cautious, don’t draw attention...’

“Hey! So you’re Lyra’s newest captive, huh?”

“What.” Twilight wheeled to face Lyra with wide, panicked eyes. “What?!”

“Relax, luv, it was a joke!” the earth pony laughed, a certain airy and natural laugh that twilight couldn’t help but feel nervous at the forward pony. “Ah, don’t worry about the whole captive thing, it’s a bit of an inside joke. More of a jab at Heartstrings here anyway.”

Lyra simply wagged her head dismissively with a light blush and a smile as she handed the Earth pony another note.

“Mhmm... Right, Well, I was just grabbing a bite out here. Didn’t much feel like making something at home, what with Scratch out of town. She’s a much better cook than I am anyway. Just don’t tell her I said that.”

A goofy grin played at Lyra’s mouth as she cocked an eyebrow. “Pretty sure I couldn’t if I wanted to.”

The earth pony chuckled and assaulted Lyra with another hug. “Lyra, never change.” After receiving a nod from the unicorn. The mare turned to face twilight, instantly rendering her as stiff and rigid as the stone she stood on. “ ‘Scuse my manners, luv, I’m Octavia, I’m sorry we didn’t exchange pleasantries from the start. I was a little preoccupied with one of my closest friends apparating from thin air... again.” She leveled an amused glare at Lyra who threw up a defensive shrug almost instantly. “I’m afraid I didn’t catch your name.”

“I— I...” The world lost focus, her surroundings faded to black until all she could see was Octavia’s face repeating: Didn’t catch your name.

‘What do I say?... What do I say?!’

A light bap to the head knocked Twilight momentarily from her panic, as she watched Lyra do the same to Octavia and display the notepad "She’s just shy, her name is: Ladyship, Boppinstick Cumberfinch the third.”

Twilight stared quietly at Lyra, who smiled back at her before the unicorn’s expression shifted slowly to a frown before she quickly tacked on an addendum to her note.

‘I was kidding, Tavi.’

Octavia smirked and rolled her eyes. “Coulda fooled me, luv.”

Meanwhile, Twilight remained completely frozen on the outside, and a frantic whirlwind of worry on the inside. ‘Twilight Sparkle... Twilight Sparkle... Dusk... no. Crepuscu... no! Ugh, think Twilight!’

“So you’re Chaser, huh?”

Twilight snapped her attention to Octavia and the paper she held in her hooves. “Huh?”

“Lyra says your real name’s Chaser.”

“Oh... Yeah... Ssssss...Star Chaser. Yeah, Star Chaser!”

Octavia softly smiled and put a hoof to her chin. “... Yeah, I can see it. Pretty name for a pegasus. So Lyra, which group of clouds did you drag her from?”

“Oh, I’m from... uh...” Twilight blinked a few times, smiling awkwardly to break the silence.

“Hey!” A rather grouchy stallion in the line shouted at the three mares while shaking his hoof. “You mind? Some of us are trying to get our orders placed! Lunch breaks don’t last forever you know!”

“Sorry luv.” Octavia smiled as she scooted out of the line. She turned to Lyra and Twilight and sighed. “Well, I suppose it’s a fast line, I don’t mind waiting again. You girls wanna grab something with me, and we can head back to my place?”

Lyra and Twilight locked eyes. Twilight's head frantically shook back and forth in a negative fashion. Lyra countered with a quick elbow to Twilight’s wing and jerked her head toward Octavia. Twilight quietly swallowed, and turned to Octavia with a slow nod.

“Sure... That sounds... great.”

Octavia clapped her hooves together with a beaming smile. “Brilliant! Chaser, you’ve got to get the guacamole alfalfa wrap. It’s to die for, trust me.”

Twilight pinned her ears back and shifted her gaze slightly. “Yeah... Alright.” When she looked back up, Octavia was standing next to Lyra, reading a paper, and casually catching up.

Octavia had been right, the alfalfa wrap did smell delicious. ‘Who am I kidding? The whole marketplace smelled delicious.’ For the last ten minutes, she’d watched the two go back and forth about small, harmless topics that sometimes ended in what Twilight could only assume were inside jokes.

‘I guess Lyra was right, Octavia’s not too bad. She seems nice enough I suppose, still shou—’

“Hey, Chaser. Why so quiet? Something on your mind, luv?”

Twilight jerked her self to attention, the eyes of Lyra and Octavia looked back at her, with expressions of concern and curiosity, respectively. “Hmm? Oh... No. I just... didn’t sleep well.”

The earth pony dug into her saddlebag and fished out a key as she read a softly glowing notepad. “Of course you can crash here for the night, Lyra. Guest bedroom is always open for you.” Octavia faced Twilight with a cheeky smile. “You’re welcome to stay as well, if you like. Can’t promise that it’ll cure your lack of sleep, but it couldn’t hurt.”

“I...” Twilight shot a confused glance at Lyra, who shot back a smile and soft nod. “I’m very grateful... Thank you, Octavia.”

The door-latch clicked gently as it swung inward. “Don’t mention it, luv. Any friend of Lyra here is a friend of mine.” The earth pony trotted inside and waved a hoof across the room. “Welcome to my little house of harmonics, also known as: ‘The dubstep domicile’. or my personal favorite: ‘The wub shack’. Make yourselves at home.” Octavia smiled and flourished a hoof in a sweep of the room.

Twilight could easily tell that the house saw it’s fair share of use. Though, it was surprisingly neat and tidy, not to mention open; save for the web of cables and sound equipment that choked the life out of one of the corners in the living room.

It took all of five seconds for Twilight to make her way to a couch and collapse onto the seat, rubbing her temples. The last few hours were nothing but a blur it seemed. As she was lost in her thoughts, the faint rustling of pen against paper and the quiet gasp that shortly followed skipped her attention.

“The whole house!? Did anything survive?”

‘Great... Just when I was starting to feel good about myself.’ Twilight’s head throbbed between her hooves as the two mares carried on. ‘If I say something, I’m out on the street; exposed... again. Ugh... Best to just keep quiet about it. It was just an accident after all.’

“Not even your Lyre? That won’t do... Hmmm, hold on a moment, I think I have one of your old ones floating around here somewhere.”

Twilight grabbed her food and trotted over to the kitchen where Lyra was sitting. She stared at the alfalfa wrap for a little while as the cogs in her mind churned. ‘Alright, well. I’m in Canterlot, the castle is just up the hill a ways, getting in shouldn’t be too much of a problem. I can only hope that I get to Celestia before Luna does something... Stay positive Twilight. You can do this.’

‘Here you are. Found it next to my old jazz bass.” Octavia nodded as she handed over a rather ornate-looking lyre to the unicorn.

Lyra immediately cradled it in her hooves as the strings lit with a gentle mint glow. She plucked around on the strings, finishing with a happy nod as she tuned the last note.

Octavia grinned and nodded expectantly. “Still good? Well go on, play something Lyra. I’m sure Chaser can’t wait to hear it.”

Lyra paused a moment, flitting her gaze between the lyre and Octavia. Her eyes gently closed as the room filled with soft plucked notes. Twilight put her food down and propped her head on her hoof as she felt the room begin to sway back and forth to the melody of the notes.

Lyra’s eyes never clenched. The tempo, bound by no restraints. It was wild, erratic... hauntingly morose; but beautiful nonetheless. Twilight closed her eyes, a mistake she wished she’d not made.

The sudden flickers in tone turned to tongues of fire. There she sat on the hilltop, next to this heartfelt artist, watching everything the unicorn owned be destroyed note by note. Flame by flame. It was mesmerizing to watch, but it was done so with a heavy and sinking heart. Twilight felt the pain Lyra conveyed as the music reached it’s peak and the roof caved in. She wanted to cry, but knew she couldn’t; she wanted the music to stop, but knew that would only make things worse.

The music began to drift off, and as the flames died down, the horizon began to brighten. And the moment the sun crested the hilltop Twilight’s eyes flew open to the Lyra in the middle of a deep breath, and Octavia softly shaking her head.

“She’s really something, isn’t she? Always takes me to another time and place when she plays. Reminds me of rainy days as a filly.”

Twilight swallowed and nodded. “Yeah... She’s... She’s very talented.”

“You alright, luv?” Octavia asked, turning to Lyra and giving her a heartfelt hug.

The unicorn’s brow furrowed as she set to her notepad. “I am now, I wasn’t back at the house fire. I was scared; I didn’t think I was going to get out alive.”

Octavia looked at slackjawed “What, how? What happened?”

Twilight’s eyes went wide and nearly spat out her food as the notepad fell to the table.

“Star Chaser happened.”

Twilight shrank back as she felt all eyes set upon her in an instant. She squeaked softly and tried to protest, but found herself as mute as the unicorn opposite her.

Octavia merely cocked an eyebrow and blinked. “Alright. Now I’m curious; I want to know everything.”

‘Oh please, no...’

“I got pinned, she fought her way into the house and pushed a beam off me.”

Octavia and Twilight both sighed in relief as the earth pony turned to face the alicorn. “Thank you for saving Lyra... She’s... A close friend, I’d hate to think of what would have happened if you hadn’t been there.”

Twilight smiled a bit and went completely stiff as Octavia threw her arms around her in a grateful embrace. Every muscle in her body locked as her brain fired off a mantra over and over: ‘Don’t touch the hat, don’t touch the hat, don’t touch the hat...’ After a half-second or so, Twilight managed to loosen her forelegs enough to return the hug, albeit warily. “It uh... It was nothing, it’s what anypony would have done. Haha...”

“Yes, but you’re the one who had the courage to do it.” Octavia winked and turned back to Lyra, leaving Twilight to her alfalfa wrap. Twilight took a bite and slowly lifted her eyes to Lyra and Octavia before a small smile played at her lips. Despite everything that happened; for the first time since that bloody afternoon yesterday; she had a plan and ponies she could somewhat trust.

But most importantly.

She felt like she was going to make it.

At least, she did, until she heard a quiet “Oh.” come from the other side of the table.

“Crazier than losing your house?” Octavia cocked an eyebrow and looked back to Lyra, “Do tell.”