Into the Hedge

by BadWolf9510

First published 11th of December, 2013

A "Divided Rainbow" spinoff. Lero and his herd must venture into the realm of the Fae to save the Cutie Mark Crusaders.

How far would you go to save the ones you love? What would you be willing to sacrifice to correct a mistake you made?

Ever since Twilight Sparkle unwittingly caused her friends to exchange cutie marks, Lero Michealides has had his hands full; helping Swapped Ponies find equilibrium while trying to keep both his family and romantic life from falling apart at the seams.

But when the Cutie Mark Crusaders are kidnapped by his most dreadful enemy, Lero will have to face the horrors from his own forgotten past, and return to the one place he was most desperate to never set foot in again: the world of the Fae.

Join Lero, his loves and their friends as they undertake a journey into the realm of madness and face creatures beyond understanding as they race to save the lives of three innocents.

---

Edited by Mike Teavee

This is a spinoff story of the stories Divided Rainbow and Ask the Swapped Ponies with references pulled from myth and the RPG "Changeling: The Lost". Set within the Xenoverse.

Check out theTvTropes page!

This a non-profit fan fiction. "My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic" is owned and copyrighted by Hasbro. "Changeling: The Lost" is owned by White Wolf Publishing Co.

Prologue: The Silken Harpist

The afternoon sun shined through the sparse holes in the Everfree’s canopy, casting thin beams of light onto the small group of fillies that walked through the ancient forest. The three fillies had spent their Saturday visiting their friend Zecora in an attempt to get their Cutie Marks in potion mixing. At least that had been the plan. Zecora, who well remembered how the “Cutie Pox” fiasco had first come about, had only allowed the girls to handle the more mundane ingredients and tasks. The three fillies had quickly became bored with measuring and looking up ingredients in books and had decided that maybe they were destined for other things.

“A wise choice, my little friends,” Zecora had said. “I think our time is at an end. Hurry to your home and be sure not to roam. The forest is acting strange these days, as if all is in a haze.”

Even though the outing was a bust, Apple Bloom didn’t mind. She always enjoyed spending time with Zecora and sometimes thought that she could be another member of the Apple family. She certainly acted more sisterly than Pinkie Pie did sometimes.

Her thoughts drifted to her pink sister. Ever since Lero dragged Pinkie, kicking and screaming to the hospital, things had improved a bit. Apple Bloom received more respect and Pinkie Pie wasn’t so inept in her farming anymore after she started to follow Apple Bloom’s directions. Though sometimes the elder sister still surprised her (how had she come up with that cannon thing anyways?), things were definitely on the mend between the two. She had left Pinkie with Big Mac that morning so she could spend time with her friends for some long-awaited crusading.

“So what do y’all think we should do next?” asked Apple Bloom.

“Let’s get some lunch then have a sleepover at the clubhouse!” said Sweetie Belle with a small hop.

“Okay. D’ ya think Applejack’ll mind?”

Sweetie rolled her eyes. “I don’t live over there anymore, remember? I’m living full time with my parents again. Not that Applejack would care anyways. She’s gone so completely crazy with her dresses, she can’t even take care of herself anymore!” Sweetie’s ears drooped a little. “It’s actually starting to scare me a little.”

Apple Bloom put a reassuring hoof on her friend’s shoulder. “Ah know how ya feel, Sweetie.” Her expression suddenly lit up. “Hey! Maybe Mr. Lero can help! Ya know, like he did with mah sister!”

Sweetie perked up as well. “Hey yeah! Let’s go ask him when we get back! He can help her while Spike takes care of all the chores!”

The three began to trot along the path with renewed spirits. Before long, Scootaloo stopped and cocked an ear.

“Hey,” she said, “do you guys hear that?”

They all stopped and listened. Very faintly, they could hear soft, gentle notes drifting through the air. Somepony was playing an instrument in the distance and they could hear faint singing.

“Who would be playing music in the middle of the woods?” asked Scootaloo.

“Ah don’t know,” said Apple Bloom. “Sure sounds nice though.”

“It’s coming from over there,” said Sweetie, pointing in a vaguely northern direction off the path.

They stood there and listened to the music some more. It was strange; a harmony they hadn’t heard before. It sounded like something Lyra would come up with, the mint unicorn having traveled far and wide. It was, well, “alien” was the only word Sweetie could use to describe it. The way the notes played off each other in a rhythm that was so strange but produced a beautiful melody all the same. She vaguely wondered if this was what music sounded like from where Lero came from.

Before any of them realized it, they were all walking in the music’s direction. Apple Bloom blinked twice then looked up. The light coming through the trees had taken on a golden tint and was at a harsher angle than before.

‘How long have we been walkin’?’ she thought. She looked ahead to her friends, who were still plodding determinately ahead. “Hey, girls?” she called out. They didn’t stop.

Apple Bloom darted ahead to… what was she doing again? The music was…

Apple Bloom continued to walk, following the music deeper into the woods.

It was sunset when they finally stopped. Scootaloo was the first to come around. They were near the edge of a small clearing. There was a small pond in the center, so perfectly still that it could have been a mirror. Fireflies danced among the flowers and small rocks scattered around the area. This place was the definition of “serene”.

“Huh?” said Sweetie Belle, who was sitting next to her. She had a few twigs in her hair and all of their hooves were caked in mud and dirt. “How-”

“Oh!” came a startled voice. The girls turned and saw the other occupant of the clearing. “I’m sorry, I did not see you come. I was so focused on my music that I must have let my mind wander!”

Sitting next to the pond, wearing flowing silk robes, was a mare. Scootaloo felt the blood rush to her cheeks. The mare was absolutely beautiful. Her coat and mane were the purest white she had ever seen, as if someone had made this pony out of fresh snow. Her eyes were a shining red, reminding the girls of the unicorn DJ that would sometimes visit town. Her hair was pulled back into a bun held together with a pair of long, silver needles, and then cascaded down behind her in a waterfall. The mare’s ears were longer than most ponies’ and ended in a fine point, adding an exoticness to her beauty.

The mare’s robes were layered, red on black, and billowed out around her. Scootaloo thought that if she touched them, she would simply melt into them, they looked so soft and smooth. Sitting in front of the mare was some sort of stringed instrument and, apparently, the source of the music. While the girls had little experience with music, even they could recognize the exotic nature of the instrument.

“Um,” said Sweetie Belle, who had suddenly become very self-conscious of her disheveled state. “Who, um, who are you?”

The mare gave them three girls a gentle smile. “You may call me Silk, if it would please you, little ones,” she said, her voice matching the smoothness of her name. “Now, what are three little girls doing in the middle of forest at this time? It is dangerous to wander around this late in the day.”

“We heard yer music,” said Apple Bloom. Her mind was still a little fuzzy and some annoying, bordering on downright rude, part her was telling to leave. Why should she leave? This lady wasn’t going to hurt them.

“And you came all this way to listen to me?” Silk raised a dainty hoof to her mouth and blushed ever so slightly. “You flatter me, little ladies. My music is very poor and it surprises me to see that it could call you this far into the woods.”

“No!” shouted Scootaloo. She then coughed slightly and tried to regain some composure. Rarity had given her a few pointers on how to behave more politely and she was suddenly very thankful of the unicorn’s lessons. “What I mean to say is your music is very lovely. We wanted to find out who was playing it.”

Silk smiled shyly at the three girls. “Do you really think that?” At their eager nods, she gave a bow. “It gladdens me to hear that, you three.”

“Can… can you play again?” asked Apple Bloom. “Please?”

Silk nodded and placed both her hooves on her instrument. Using a silver band on her right hoof to stroke the strings and her left hoof to manipulate the notes, she began to play another strange but beautiful melody. Soon her voice - ‘Oh, what a beautiful voice,’ thought Sweetie Belle - joined in and all three fillies became enraptured.

Time seemed to not matter to them anymore. Nothing mattered, really. Apple Bloom stopped worrying about getting back home to make sure Pinkie had done the chores. Big Mac was with her anyways. Sweetie Belle stopped worrying about Applejack. She didn’t live with her anymore, why should she care? Even Scootaloo stopped worrying about, well, everything really; flying, her mom, being bullied by those two little snobs… what were their names again?

‘Rarity would love to hear this,’ she thought. The thought of the white unicorn, in all her grace, beauty and awesomeness, brought her back to reality. Silk was still playing and the clearing had become much darker. Somehow, she was laying on the ground. ‘Did I fall asleep?’

She tried to stand up but she couldn’t. When she looked down, she heard screaming. A second later, she realized it was her.

Her body was covered in pale silken webs. Several large spiders, bigger than her hoof worked diligently on her body, wrapping her in the sticky substance. Scootaloo immediately began to struggle against her new bonds, which only served to get more trapped. Looking to her left she could see her friends, both staring ahead, still spellbound by the music as more spiders wrapped them in silk.

“Oh my,” came a voice. “It would appear that you are already awake.” Scootaloo turned to Silk, who looked back at her with a gleam in her eyes. She had seen that look before in some of Rainbow Dash’s hawks and falcons. It was the look of a predator that was eyeing its prey. “It seems I was right before. My music is not very good. But it is so very difficult to play a Gu Zheng with hooves.”

Silk looked down at her hooves. There was a sickening crack and snap as Scootaloo watched in horror as the limbs split. First in halves and then again, Silk flexed the new appendages and gave a sigh in appreciation. Scootaloo recognized the new body parts as hands immediately.

“Now then,” said Silk. “About you three.” Silk tucked her arms to her chest and rose. Up and up till she was taller than most ponies. From underneath the silken robes came a long, pale, chitinous leg. Then another. And another. And another. Scootaloo was thrashing in complete, mind shattering fear as Silk strode forward on six legs and plucked her up into the air.

Silk began to turn her this way and that, stroking Scootaloo’s trembling face with her smooth hands. The pale spiders continued their work, wrapping her neck now.

“Yes,” she said. “I think you three will serve me very well.” A long forked tongue slid out between her lips and licked Scootaloo’s cheek.

“P-p-please,” stuttered Scootaloo. “Please don’t eat me.” She had heard about how spiders eat their prey and remembered how scared she was when Lero had told the story of how the giant tarantula caught him. In the back of her mind, she was screaming for Rarity to come save her too.

“Eat you?” said Silk, who smiled, revealing a pair of long canines. “Sweet child, you have it all wrong. I’m not going to eat you nor your friends.”

“You’re n-n-n-not?”

“No. In fact, I think you will find that you three will be returning home very shortly.” Scootaloo smiled at the faintest, mad hope.

“Look, can’t you see there? You’re already leaving!” Silk turned Scootaloo to face the edge of the clearing.
Scootaloo’s eyes widened. There, on the edge of the clearing, were three little fillies: a yellow earth pony with a red mane, a white unicorn with a two toned pink and violet mane and an orange pegasus with a short, purple mane. The pegasus turned back and stared at Scootaloo with violet eyes and smiled.

Scootaloo screamed into the webbing as the spiders finally finished and wrapped her eyes in darkness.

Hours later, a lone figure entered to the empty clearing. The pond was still there, still as a mirror and fireflies continued to dance in the darkness. The being glided forward, floating just above the ground and stopped the edge of the water.

He reached down and plucked a small, pink ribbon from the web covered grass. A single eye opened on one of his black wings and beheld it. He turned it around in his yellowed, skeletally clawed hands as he examined it.

A smile grew on his cracked lips, revealing sharp teeth.

“Ridire,” he said in a dry voice, “tá tú ag obair le déanamh.”

Author's Notes:

This is the culmination of an effort several months in the making. Many thanks go out to Mike Teavee for writing a wonderful story and to AnonponyDASHIE for the original "Xenophilia". Special mentions go to warpd for his story Xenophilia: Flesh and Thorns, which provided a metric ton of inspiration for this endeavor.

Look for more soon!

Chapter 1: Contracts and Monsters

“...Ridire…”

Lero opened his eyes and his body tensed. The bedroom was silent, save for the gentle breathing of his bedmates. It was dark and felt like the small hours of morning. A quick glance at the clock confirmed his suspicion: 2:15 a.m. Lero let out the breath he had been holding. An outside observer would have noted that Lero’s eyes were slightly different. Nothing radical; they were still the warm hazel color that the girls loved so much. But there was something else in there. A presence that was and wasn’t Lero.

‘He really needs to stop doing this so early,’ thought the human as he rubbed his tired eyes.

Rarity stirred in his arms, sensing the change in her stallion. She nuzzled the underside of his neck and quickly fell still again. Lero gave her a quick kiss on the forehead and carefully extracted himself from the collection of limbs and bodies that filled his large, but admittedly cramped, bed. His absence caused Rarity to unconsciously seek out the nearest warm body and soon she had wrapped herself around Twilight. The violet unicorn gave a quiet mumble before forming a content smile in her sleep.

As he pulled on a pair of jeans and a thick jacket, a tired voice murmured, “...Fingers?” Lero turned back to the bed. Lyra was looking up at him with half-lidded and unfocused eyes. Lero knelt beside the bed and gently stroked her hair. “Wha…”

“Shhh… it’s alright.” Lero ran a finger behind her ear and the mint unicorn slowly closed her eyes. “Go back to sleep.” He stayed a moment and when he heard the Still Way grandmaster’s slow and steady breathing, he gave her a kiss on the forehead. “I won’t be long.”

Lero silently left the bedroom, shut the door behind him, walked to the bottom of the stairs and laced up a pair of boots. Grabbing a day pack and a walking stick next to the door, he left the house and walked into the cold moonlit night.

As he breathed in the crisp, cool air, Lero thought on how his life had certainly taken many strange turns this past month and a half. He had had a good life. The love of three amazing mares, a steady job, and many good friends. This may not have been the life he had intended to build himself all those years ago, in what seemed to him another era, but it was a life he would have never given up for anything.

The Swap had turned his world upside-down. Between Rainbow Dash leaving, Rarity becoming his new lead mare and the rest of the world falling under Discord’s bewitchment, it had all been nearly too much for himself and his family: Twilight’s isolation in her research, watching the other Element Bearers nearly tear themselves apart in their new roles, dealing with Spike’s infatuation (borderline obsession) with Rarity.

He had done what he could. He had helped the Swapped reach equilibrium, a state where they had found some degree of peace with their new lives. Three completely down, two still to go. Lyra had returned and became a pillar of support for him, the stillness he needed in this storm. Together, they helped bring Twilight back to them.

Then there was Rarity. Sweet, beautiful Rarity. Before the Swap, the two had been friends. Not close friends but close enough that he respected her. She was a driven businessmare and a talented tailor. A cynical part of him used to wonder if she was only friendly because of the unique challenge he brought her, designing clothing for a non-pony.

After the Swap, everything had changed. At first, he was resistant to the idea of having Rarity in his bed. His loyalty to Dash had driven him to focus so much on her that he had neglected his real herd. But then, as the weeks marched on, he warmed up to Rarity. She did truly love him. He knew that. It may have been Dash’s cutie mark, along with the new memories she gained from the Swap, but the emotions she had felt were real enough.

After Dash rejected him, Lero felt he was free to pursue Rarity. She held a part of Dash’s soul, the driven part of her, the passion, and the love she had felt for him. And that night he finally realized something himself.

He loved her too. With all his heart.

And when they made love that day, he felt truly free. Free of his burdens and guilt, free of the pressure that had been building for over a month. And later along, when Twilight and Lyra joined them, for the first time in a long time, Lero Michealides was at peace.

Until the next morning, that is.

Lero’s hand suddenly felt stiff, a phantom pain from the burns. He flexed it a few times, then reached down to the forest floor and pulled up a handful of moss. It was cool and he felt the aches in his hand dull.

Spike had not taken it well. The young dragon threw a day-long tantrum, starting with burning Lero’s hand to a crisp. Though things had settled and Lero’s hand healed, there was a newfound tension between the two brothers. As part of a compromise, Lero would focus his efforts on Fluttershy while Spike would help Applejack, who now held half of Rarity’s soul.

Spike’s behavior had become troubling to his family. His crush on the tailor had turned into an obsession… even now that Rainbow Dash the Caretaker had begun dating the herd, his attitude had really not improved.

“She will love me,” the young dragon could often be heard muttering to himself, when he thought the others weren’t listening. Lero hoped that they found either equilibrium or a cure before something drastic happened between Spike and Applejack.

‘A cure,’ he thought as he climbed over a large fallen tree. ‘That is why I am here.’ Lero continued to walk as the dawn finally broke over the horizon.

Twilight had been working hard since day one to find a cure, had driven herself past the point of exhaustion several times. And though Twilight had finally plucked up the courage to enter an ‘experimental phase,’ and begin testing modified versions of Starswirl’s spell in a laboratory setting, they were still a long ways off from finding a cure.

Before, Lero had been desperate and would have given anything to have some higher power take pity and just give him the cure, the way a teacher gave the answer to a question her student was stumped on. He had beseeched the Princesses, Discord, even his friend Doctor Whooves for help. They had all told him the same thing: that it must be Twilight who found the cure.

At first, he had despaired. Then he’d raged. How dare these people do this? His family and friends were not playthings to be toyed with! Who were they to say otherwise!? He had promised himself that he would do anything to help them, he had sworn on his name that he would get a cure.

And that is when It had first whispered to him.

The first time he was contacted, he had blacked out. When he came back to consciousness, he was screaming into a filled tub of water. The second time, he was in his old bedroom. He could remember holding an old glass vial, something was etched on the surface. The next time he was in the kitchen holding a knife. Spike had hold him he was talking to himself.

Days later, he had come back in the town square drenched in sweat and dirt. Rarity had been looking at him worriedly, and had asked him where he disappeared to that day. “I went for a hike,” he had said automatically. “Needed to clear my head.” It happened again a week later but this time he was filled with a strange mixture of foreboding and… hope?

A part of him had wondered what was going on, had wondered where he went and what he did. This was the part of him that everypony knew. Lero Michealides: handyman, ex-masseur, friend of the Elements of Harmony and stallion of Herd Bellerophon.

This was not the part of Lero that was trekking into the Everfree in the small hours of the morning. As far as the world was concerned, that part of him was still in his warm bed surrounded by his herd.

Lero was not a fan of this secrecy. He did not like keeping this side of himself from the others. But he knew that it would only cause problems if they found out. That it would, in all likelihood, lead to the nothing but misery for him, his girls, and Spike.

So he told them nothing. And he told himself nothing. That other part of Lero kept him in the dark on this and many other things.

Many hours later, long after the sun had risen, Lero had arrived at this destination. The large clearing was centered around an oak tree. “Massive” was one word that described it. “Ancient” was another. In front of the tree was a curious thing: a circle of wildflowers and stones.

Normally, such a thing would not seem out of the ordinary to a casual observer. Flowers and stones were scattered all over the place, after all, and if a few should happen to form something that looked like a ring, what of it? But Lero knew better than the casual observer because he had been the one who’d made this ring.

It had told him to make it, two weeks ago.

Lero looked around. The air was alive with energy, foreign and alien to this world, but familiar to Lero. He had felt it before the last time he had visited this place but it was stronger now. The air was silent; gone were the morning calls of birds and insects that had followed him out of Ponyville. The ring he had put together had changed. The flowers were taller and stockier than their brethren, blooming in colors that shined and glimmered in the morning sunlight. The stones seemed to imitate their floral companions and had grown as well, quite impossible under normal circumstances, even in Equestria where rocks were apparently “farmed”. Lero hunched down near one of the impossible stones and saw that shallow patterns had been etched into the surface. Looking closely he could see the pattern slowly grow.

A voice broke the silence. “Admiring your work, Ridire?” it asked. That voice that came from nowhere and everywhere, not a single voice, but rather several. It spoke like shattering glass, a cacophonous choir that sang a single, terrible harmony. Its language was alien and grated on Lero’s ears.

“It is not my handiwork, Messenger,” said Lero, speaking the same tongue. “I just placed the circle. It is you and your magic that changes this place.”

The voice chuckled. “It is as much your work as it is mine. You reap what you sow, Ridire.”

“Enough,” yelled Lero with impatience. “Show yourself!” The Messenger complied.

Lero turned around. There, standing in front of him, was the Lady’s Messenger. The creature was more than a head taller than Lero, bipedal and long-limbed. Its chest was bare, revealing taut, yellowed skin pulled over wiry muscles, tattooed with black designs that shifted and warped with the blink of an eye. It covered its lower half with a black and tattered leather robe that collected around its feet. Several odd trinkets hung from its belt: aged brass tubes, a vial of black ink, a locked tome bound in brown leather, and an intricate hourglass that seemed to ignore the laws of gravity, letting the sand flow through its many chambers in whatever direction it pleased.

The creature's face sent a small shiver down Lero’s spine. Like the rest of it, the creature’s skin looked to be laid over a bare skull. Cracked lips formed a smile that held a set of sharp teeth. It had no eyes, at least not on its face. Lero could see indentations of where eyes should be, but the sockets were simply covered in more yellow, leathery skin. A pair of brown horns rose up from its forehead, swooping back over its bald scalp and then tapering upwards at the end. A pair of black feathered wings rose up behind the creature and it was here the creature beheld Lero. Along its wings, eight golden eyes opened up and stared at him.

“Ridire,” it said in its dry voices, “I bring word from the Lady.”

Lero tensed. “And what does she say?”

The Messenger unclipped a brass tube from his belt and opened it, revealing a piece of parchment. “Her Ladyship accepts your terms.”

Lero unrolled the parchment and read the words, written in a beautiful, flowing script.

"This document hereby does contain the terms of contract between the Seventh Lady of the Winter Court, Queen of the Ivory Towers, Steward on the Far Reaches, She of the Dawn of the Eastern Seas, supreme sovereign of the lands, peoples, creatures and minerals that dwell therein…”

Lero skipped ahead past more names and titles, including his own.

“The second party does, upon signing this document, hereby bind himself in word and Wyrd to the services of the first party in the position of Knight and shall receive all the rights, privileges, and responsibilities that are entailed.

"These services shall begin at midnight on the day of the second party’s eldest daughter’s seventh birthday. The length this service shall last until the death of the second party or until he first party sees fit to terminate the contract.

“In exchange for the aforementioned services, the first party shall release to the second party information that will result in the reversal of the magical affliction known as “The Swap”. Additionally, the first party does swear, on word and Wyrd, that all immediate family and future offspring of the second party shall fall under “The Ban of Hunting” until the end of time. This marks said persons as immune to any potential... ‘recruitment’... by the first party or members of that household.”

Lero looked up at the Messenger with disgust. “‘Recruitment’? That’s what you call it?”

The Messenger waved a hand. “All who are taken serve the Lady in some capacity. What else would you call it?”

“‘Abduction’ for one!” he yelled. "'Enslavement' would be an even more accurate term." Lero turned back to the contract, ignoring the creature’s laugh.

“Should the terms of this contract ever be violated by the first party at any point in time after the signing of this document, the second party shall be free to leave the services and obligations of the first party and will be granted free passage to any destination he desires.”

Lero nodded his head. ‘At least I have a potential way out,’ her thought. ‘Good of her to help sweeten the pot.’

“Should the terms be violated by the second party at any point after the signing of this document, the second party shall be marked as an enemy of the Noble Courts of the Fair Peoples and…”

“‘...be hunted down alongside all kin and allies to the point of annihilation’? ‘Including any territories, lands and governments that grant or have granted him sanctuary’?!” Lero looked up at the Messenger in disbelief. “You would burn Equestria?!”

“A fair exchange, is it not? You hold your end of the bargain, your family gains immunity from the Lady and her people. Break your word and the people of your new home shall see a war the likes of which it has never known. And they’ll have you to thank for it. Recall that these were the terms you first agreed to, Ridire."

Lero glared at the Messenger. The creature was right, of course. The last time they had met, it had said those exact words. Lero was an honorable man and would never willingly break his word… but seeing the terms spelled out before him just brought the whole picture into focus.

At the bottom of the parchment were three lines for three signatures: his, the Lady’s, and the witness. Two of the signatures were already in place, one an elegant, flowing script and the other stout and blocky. He did not recognize that script but assumed it must be the Messenger’s signature.

“I’ll need a pen,” said Lero. The Messenger produced a pen and inkwell. Dipping the pen, Lero took a deep breath and signed the document. “There. It’s done.”

“Almost,” said the Messenger. He snatched the pen back. Moving quicker than Lero could react, the creature jabbed the brass instrument into Lero’s hand and pulled it out just quickly. Lero gave a quick yelp and held his hand. The wound was no more than a short but deep scratch but had started to bleed profusely. Lero knew he would have to get a few stitches for it.

The Messenger held the bloody pen over the contract and allowed a single drop of crimson blood to fall on the human’s signature. The parchment absorbed the liquid and a red stain began to spread across the document. Further and further it spread, absorbing into all of the ink, until the entire parchment was stained crimson.

The Messenger held his hand out and the document float up into the air. “Now it is official.” The parchment warped, ripped, and fractured before Lero’s eyes, as if it was coming apart on an atomic level. As the swirling cloud of particles that was once the contract began to collapse, the Messenger spoke again.

“Bellerophon Michealides,” it said, a note of satisfaction in its dry voice, “you are hereby bound by word, Wyrd, and blood to your promise. You shall have your cure in exchange for your loyalty and servitude to the Lady. Upon the 7th birthday of your eldest daughter, you will enter The Lady’s ranks and serve her dutifully until your dying breath. Thus I, the Messenger, do witness and attest.”

The Messenger closed his fist and the cloud was gone. A smile grew on his face. “But before that, there is something you must know, Ridire.” It leaned down until its face was level with the human’s. “There has already been an incursion.” The Messenger reached into a pouch on his belt and pulled something out. He handed that something Lero, who felt his blood run cold.

It was strip of pink linen, worn from many years of use and dirty from weeks of activity. Lero’s eyes widened. It was just the right size for a child’s bow.

A bow a certain yellow filly wore in her red hair.

Lero’s hand clenched, his nails digging into his palm. “How dare you…” he seethed. “HOW DARE YOU?! You come here speaking of deals and honor, yet you have the NERVE to tell me that someone I love has ALREADY BEEN TAKEN?! I should have expected this from you and that bitch from the start! I should never ha-”

Anything else Lero was going to spout at the creature was suddenly cut off. With a strength that belied such a skinny and sickly-looking limb, the Messenger wrapped its hand around Lero’s throat and lifted him up into the air with no effort. Lero choked in the steel grasp, his eyes bulging slightly.

“Mind your tongue, little thing,” hissed the Messenger. “You are not a knight yet. And even then, you are still beneath me. I will not have you besmirching the Lady so, not in my presence.” It leaned in close and Lero could smell its breath, like dry and ancient paper. “Do I make myself clear?”

Lero nodded as best he could while being held up. The Messenger released him and Lero dropped like a pile of bricks. Gasping for air, he ran his hand along his bruised neck. “You.. *gasp*...” he croaked, “took... her…”

“Them,” corrected the Messenger. “As far as I can tell, there were three that were taken from that clearing.”

Lero’s mind realed. Three?! Oh God… the Crusaders!

“And before you go spouting more of your ignorant noise, no, it was not I nor any other servant of the Lady who took them. And even if it was, it would not violate our arrangement. None of them that were taken are your family, nor are they your offspring, and thus are not protected by the Ban.”

Lero shakingly rose to his feet. “...Then who …?”

“That I cannot say. The question you should be asking is ‘What?’ Look at the ribbon. Tell me what you see.”

Lero held up the ribbon. There, on one of the ends, was something white. When he touched it with his fingertip, the substance began to clump together in a stringy, sticky mass… which brought horrible memories of a giant seven-legged spider back to mind.

“Webs?”

“They are called by many exotic names: Jorogumo, Arachena, Neithians. In the Far Reaches, they are simply called ‘skitterskulks’. I cannot say which Faelord she belongs too, if she does at all. What I can tell you is that the three you worry for were taken into the northern part of the forest. And that what took them left something behind. Three somethings. They wander the town as we speak.”

Lero furrowed his brow in confusion… then felt his stomach drop. Clutching the ribbon tightly, he bolted. Before he could reach the treeline, the Messenger appeared in front of him, causing him to skid to a halt.

“So quick to leave, Ridire,” he said mockingly. “You have not even claimed your reward yet.” The Messenger leaned close to Lero’s ear. “Let me tell you your cure…”

“Alright, class,” said Cheerilee in a chipper voice, “now who can tell me the names of the last rulers of the three pony tribes that went on to become the founders of Equestria?” Miss Cheerilee look out on her classroom at a sea of bored faces and inwardly sighed. Sure she always tried her best to keep the upbeat and positive attitude that made her so popular with the colts and fillies in town, but a smile and cheery voice could only go so far, especially on Wednesdays.

“Now now, class, you should all know this one. Remember the story of Hearth’s Warming Eve?” A few hooves were raised. Twist and Dinky Doo were no surprise. Those two were some of the brightest students in the class. She did note that a white hoof was conspicuously absent. In fact it, and two others, had not moved at all that morning.

Three sets of eyes stared at Cheerilee, unblinking. These three fillies had begun to worry her this past week. They were not exceptional students, by any stretch of the imagination. Sweetie Belle was clever in literature and was good with math but not exactly an “A” student. Scootaloo spent most of the school day nodding off, being only particularly active during recess. Apple Bloom always had a smile on her face and a kind word for her teacher. Cheerilee knew that she had been having some troubles at home recently, but the yellow filly had always pushed through whatever life threw at her. And yes, she knew those three had a knack for causing a lot of trouble around the town but they were three of the sweetest things she had ever known.

Then on Monday, something changed. The three showed up at school on time, as usual, took their seats, and sat quietly. For the entire day. It was odd, sure, but Cheerilee had brushed it off with hardly a second thought. ‘Maybe they just had a very busy weekend.’ She had been a teacher long enough to know that most kids were so tuckered out on Monday that they had hardly any energy for class. She had been no different at that age.

Then Tuesday came and went and she saw the same thing. All three Crusaders, sitting at their desks, perfectly still. Just staring at her.

'Maybe they have finally calmed down?' she had finally thought but wasn't entirely convinced.

Today she was officially worried.

"How about you, Apple Bloom?" she asked, trying her best to keep up that optimism in her voice. "Now I know for sure that you know the answer."

The farm filly blinked her amber eyes once, seemingly for the first time that week. "Ah don' know, Ms. Cheerilee." The voice was monotonous and lacked any of the filly's usual enthusiasm.

Cheerilee's smile faltered. "Now you know that's not true," the teacher countered. "Why, your sister Pinkie played a part in the royal pageant just a few years ago, remember?"

Apple Bloom tilted her head. Cheerilee swore she could see something at work behind those eyes. “Ah don’ know, Ms. Cheerilee.”

There was a mocking huff somewhere in the class. “Well there’s no surprise,” said a snobbish voice. “The little blank flank probably can’t even remember where she left her dirty little farm this morning."

Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon's mocking laughter was cut short. Three sets of unblinking eyes were staring at them. Silver Spoon ducked behind her desk a little, but Diamond Tiara, being a pony of much higher pedigree, played it cool. She grimaced at first, then gave a dainty cough and pretended like nothing was wrong.

Cheerilee watched the whole exchange. She had often wanted to give those two girls a piece of her mind. Not since her high school days had she seen bullies this bad. She had seen first-hoof what bullying could do to ponies. A number of her peers had become introverted due to this kind of harassment, only really coming out of their shells when around a close circle of friends or their herds, if they were ever lucky enough have one. Even Rainbow Dash, the Element of Kindness for Celestia's sake, had suffered from bullies. Now she lived out at the edge of town, alone with her animals.

Cheerilee wanted to stop those two, but she knew who they were and who their parents were. The Riches were one of the reasons Ponyville existed and the Silver Clan was from old earth pony gentry. To do anything to those two would be tantamount to poking a dragon as it slept upon its horde.

Luckily for her, the school's clock was on her side and had just struck 11:30. "Okay, class, time for recess!" This was met with a good deal of cheering and laughter, as the more energetic children rushed out of the doors and into the playgrounds. Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon stalked out, noses held high. The Crusaders were the last to leave. Cheerilee’s eyes lingered on the trio as they left and she let out a sigh. ‘I do hope everything is alright with those girls.’

Meanwhile, the school’s playground was alive with its usual levels of child-induced chaos, a circumstance that a particular entity would sometimes take joy in; after all, what embodied the infinite potential and creativity of chaos better than a child’s mind? There were several games of tag, hide and seek, and hopscotch played alongside games of pretend. The playsets were in full use, with young pegasi launching themselves into the air and earth ponies roughhousing with each other in tests of strength.

The entire area was alive with activity with two exceptions. The first was a trio of fillies that were simply sitting with each in a circle; a strange sight given the group’s reputation for their own breed of chaos. The other was a pair of earth pony fillies that were glaring at the other group with discontempt.

“What a bunch of freaks,” said Diamond Tiara, her scowl reaching what could only be called “professional levels”. “Not only are they a bunch of blank-flanked babies, but looks like they’re about as dumb as them as well.”

“Yeah,” said Silver Spoon, “they have been acting weird lately.” Diamond Tiara had either not heard or completely ignored the slight tone of concern in Silver’s voice. Silver had always followed Diamond’s lead ever since they were little, though sometimes she needed a little coercion to partake in some of the more involved acts of bullying.

“I know! Nothing we’ve said to them all week is getting any kind of rise out of them! We need to try again.”

“But we’ve already called them blank flanks. What else are we going to do?”

Diamond Tiara thought for a bit, then felt a smile spread across her lips. “I think I know exactly what to tell them. Just follow my lead.” The duo walked across the yard towards the Crusaders while doing their best impressions of Canterlot elites looking down on commoners. Diamond Tiara cleared her throat and the Crusaders turned their heads towards her.

“Well, well, well,” she said as she began circling the small group, “would you look what we have here, Silver Spoon?”

“Looks like a bunch of blank flanks, Diamond Tiara,” said Silver, walking in the opposite direction.

“Oh, it’s more than that. What we have here is a little group of freaks.” She gave a mocking smile. “A brave little group of freaks if you ask me. I mean, they would have to be, to show their faces in daylight.” Sweetie Belle tilted her head but did not say anything. Diamond took it as a question and explained. She walked behind Apple Bloom and poked her hind leg. “You have an earth pony farmer who barely even farms.”

Silver caught on and circled over to Sweetie Belle. Mimicking her friend, she poked Sweetie’s horn. “A unicorn who can’t do any kind of magic.”

Diamond finished with a flick to Scootaloo’s wings. “And a pegasus who can’t even fly! Oh but don’t feel too bad, though. Nopony really blames you since you come from such poor families. Between having a drunk and herdless mother and you two having sisters crazier than pair of cuckoo birds, it’s no real surprise that-”

“We don’t like you,” said Scootaloo. Diamond Tiara stopped her tirade and stared at the orange pegasus. Scootaloo had said it so calmly and as-matter-of-factly that the bully had completely lost her train of thought.

“E-excuse me?” she stammered.

“We don’ like ya,” said Apple Bloom, just as calm as Scootaloo. “Ye’re just a bully that can’t do anything yerself, so ya make other ponies feel bad.” Diamond Tiara stared, her mouth hanging open.

“You try to make yourself feel better because you know you’re a fake,” said Sweetie Belle. She pointed at Diamond’s flank. “That’s what your cutie mark really means.”

“You think your tiara and your cutie mark and your money make you better that everypony else,” said Scootaloo, “that you’re like a princess.”

“But yer just a fake princess,” said Apple Bloom.

“As fake as your tiara.”

“Just a toy.”

“One yer parents dress up ta show off ta their rich friends.”

“You’re just a doll.”

“You’re not even a real pony.”

Diamond Tiara was backing up, trembling with every step. They way the girls were speaking, finishing each other’s thoughts, was seriously freaking her out. And what they said, the way they said it, it was like those dark thoughts that somehow always lingered in the back of her-

“SHUT UP!” she screamed. “I don’t have to take this from you FREAKS! You’re just a bunch of worthless blank-flanked peasants-”

CRACK!!

Diamond Tiara suddenly found herself on the ground. She wasn’t sure how she got there, only that she was on the ground, that the side of her face hurt, and that she couldn’t see too well out of her left eye. She looked up and saw Apple Bloom with her right forehoof raised. Something red was dripping down it. Diamond Tiara couldn’t remember the last time she was really afraid. She always laughed off those things. Other times, her daddy would be there for her, ready to protect her and comfort her. She wanted her daddy.

“We don’ like ya,” she said.

Sweetie Belle then came into view. “You’re just a toy,” said the unicorn.

Scootaloo held up a rock. “And toys are meant to be broken,” she said.

The rock came down.

It was a uncommonly known fact in Equestria that humans are natural long-distance runners, a fact that had bewildered many hippologists. “How could something with only two legs be a natural runner?” they would ask. “Having four legs is ideal for running.”

True, Lero had told them, but it was the way humans were built that made them so specialized for running. Lero had recalled a lecture he had heard in an anthropology class on human evolution. Humans were built for long distance running. Their long strides, upright posture and physiology made them ideal runners. When combined with a unique brain capable of higher functions like foresight and long-term planning and the rare honor of being among the only creatures on their planet capable of sweating, humans quickly rose to the position of apex predator on the African plains.

Ancient humans used to run down their prey over great distances. A group of antelope could outrun them in the short term but often had to stop to keep themselves from overheating. A hunting party could keep a steady pace and would continue to chase after the antelope for hours on end, eventually splitting up the herd and isolating a single, tired, and terrified member. Eventually the prey would collapse from exhaustion, sometimes outright heart failure, and the hunters would finish it off with a large stone or the femur of another animal. This last fact usually produced a few queasy looks from the academics, but others, like Twilight, would listen in fascination just as Lero had when he first heard about it.

Though Lero may not have been in as good of shape as his ancestors, he still would have made them proud as he tore through the forest at a full sprint.

Low-hanging branches threatened to take his head off, roots and fallen logs did their best to trip him, and trees tried to clump close together to block him. Lero just ducked, leapt, and sometimes smashed his way through. Between the adrenaline pumping through his veins and the sheer force of his own willpower, nothing was going to get in his way.

In all honesty, Lero wasn’t entirely sure why he was running. He just… came to in the middle of the forest. He had no memory of coming here, why he’d done it, or what had happened. All he knew was that he had to hurry. Somepony was in trouble.

He kept running past small trees, leaping over fallen logs and shallow streams. A thorn bush caught his arm. He cursed, yanking himself free, the thorns digging through his jacket and into-

The thorns cut into him. They were all around him, shredding his running clothes and leaving his back and arms a bloody mess as he was dragged behind something big. He struggled to get off his back, but whatever had its meaty hand around his leg wasn’t letting him up anytime soon. Daylight trickled through the canopy. Things were pulling at his hair. He looked around and saw small winged things, pulling, grabbing, chittering at him through fanged smiles, laughing at him as-

Lero grabbed his head and cried out. He stumbled and fell to his knees-

Lero was thrown to his knees. Blood caked his back and arms. Everything was spinning. He felt dizzy. He tried to look up. He saw white stone that climbed into the sky. Someone was in front of him. They were speaking some language he couldn’t understand. He was propped up. Something grabbed his face, turning his head one way then the next, examining him. Lero looked into the golden eyes that-

Lero screamed again as another bolt of pain shot through his skull. He had to keep moving. He began to crawl on all fours, even as his senses were assaulted. The birds’ chirping turned into piercing screeches, the dirt scarred his hands, the smell of forestry decay assaulted-

Death assaulted his nose as he crawled on the battlefield. That mixture of blood, mud, and shit he’d never forget. The battle raged on around him, sounds of metal on metal, screams, war cries, beastial howls and bellows. Lero found his sword from where he first fell off his mount. He grabbed the hilt, struggled to get to his feet, bellowing his own cry of-

“Oh GOD!!” he screamed. “Make it stop! MAKE IT STOP!!” Lero’s fingernails dug into his scalp, drawing blood. The hurricane in his mind just raged on. Lero stumbled again, spun around-

Lero spun and twirled with his dance partner. She was a vision of flowing, colorful silk and a smile that gave him nightmares. The music played on during the feast, the great hall’s hearth roared and warmed the guests as they laughed and sang and cut into-

“TWILIGHT!!” he screamed. “LYRA!! RARITY!! PLEASE HELP ME!!” They couldn’t hear him of course. His only response was the flapping of fleeing birds and the scurrying of smaller animals. Lero curled into a ball on the forest floor, bloody and screaming. “DASH!! DAAAASSHH!!” He needed her, he needed them all by his side so-

Lero walked through a magnificent bedroom, past a warm fire and a four-poster bed. She was on the balcony. Her gown looked like it could have been made from morning dew. It clung to her body and left so little for the imagination. The moons’ light shined down on her and the breeze caught her flowing pastel hair. She heard him come in. She turned to him, cupping his cheek with a soft hand.

Lero couldn’t see her face but he heard her. That voice that sang and tore apart his soul.

“Mo ridire,” she whispered.

Lero’s eyes snapped open. His face was set in stone. He knew what he had to do now. The fear was gone, replaced with steely and cruel purpose. He got back up, brushed the dirt from his pants, and resumed his running.

“What kind of monsters have you been raising?!” cried Platinum Necklace. “You backwater hicks! I should have had Filthy run you all out town ages ago!” The mare was livid and understandably so. She had been called in from her very important spa treatment only to find out that her daughter had been hospitalized. She hadn’t known what to think until she had come to the school and learned exactly why she had been hospitalized.

“You’re all finished! You hear me?! I’m going to get my lawyers and sue each and every ONE of you country yokels for every bucking bit you have!”

Every member of all the families involved in this sordid business had gathered at Cheerilee’s schoolhouse, with a few exceptions. Filthy Rich was at the hospital waiting for his daughter to get out of surgery, though the doctors said it would be a while.

Their initial diagnosis had been grim: a broken jaw, a fractured skull, several cracked ribs, a compound fracture on one of her legs, countless lacerations… the list just went on. Filthy Rich had just set his jaw and told them, “Make her better, doctors. You make her better.” The doctors had nodded and set themselves to their task.

“And this place?!” continued Platinum. “Well you can say goodbye to your funding and your job, you negligent bitch!”

“Miss Platinum, please!” cried out Cheerilee. She would have been weeping if she hadn’t already cried all her tears earlier. When she had first heard the screaming, she stopped grading papers and rushed outside. At first she had thought it was an accident, that one of the children had fallen off the swing set or something. But then she’d seen Silver Spoon screaming her head off, scrambling to crawl away as she pointed her hoof. When she saw what the Crusaders were doing to Diamond Tiara, every primal instinct that was hard-coded into ponies took over: protect the young ones, stop the threats, stand over the wounded, keep her safe. She wasn’t entirely sure but Cheerilee swore she’d come this close to kicking and biting at the Crusaders.

The ambulance couldn’t have come fast enough. The medics had scooped up a bloody mess that had once been Diamond Tiara into their wagon and sped off to the hospital. Cheerilee had ended school right then and sent all the children away, except for Silver Spoon and the Crusaders.

While the three friends had been locked in the schoolhouse, Cheerilee had done her best to console the hysterical Silver Spoon. The little silver-coated filly had shaken and cried in the teacher’s arms as she gently rocked back and forth, whispering how everything was going to be okay, everything was going to be okay.

It was now late afternoon and all Cheerilee was doing her best to keep from breaking down in front of the parents.

The Silvers were clinging to their little Spoon, who kept a trembling eye on the Crusaders.

The members of the Apple family were bunched together in their own group, as was Magnum and his family. Even Applejack was there, somehow managing to pull herself away from her sewing machines to come to this emergency.

Quickfix, Scootaloo’s mother, was a pile of raw nerves; she simply could not believe what her daughter had done. No one could. Even Lyra, who was acting in her official capacity of auxiliary guard, was shaken by the events. Everypony there was aghast with horror over what happened.

Except for Platinum Necklace. She just felt rage.

“Don’t you “please” me, Cheerilee! They were your students! Your responsibility! I knew I should have sent Diamond to a proper school in Canterlot, but no, Filthy trusted you. Said you were caring and responsible and would never let anything happen to our little girl!’

“Platinum, I don’t- I didn’t-”

“Don’t you dare speak to me!” She marched towards the door beside the Silvers. She spared one last look back at the small crowd that could have melted concrete. “You’re all finished! You hear me?! Finished!!” She slammed the door shut so hard that the door frame cracked.

Quickfix was shaking. This was it. She barely had any money, she’d lose her job, and no pony would ever hire her again. They would take her baby away from her. She’d be all alone. No stallion to protect her, no herd to comfort her, and no pony would ever come near her for the rest of her life. “Not again,” she whispered, “please not again.”

“Girls,” cried Pinkie Pie. “What were y’all thinking?!’ She grabbed Apple Bloom by the shoulders and shook her. The filly hardly gave any reaction. “D’ya even know what y’all done?!”

“Ah broke her jaw,” Apple Bloom answered.

Pinkie Pie gasped and stopped shaking her sister. “Wha…”

“I broke her legs,” said Sweetie Belle, as if she’d been asked “how was the weather?” Her mother clutched her father’s hoof tightly.

“And I made sure she’d never be mean again,” said Scootaloo.

The room was silent, save for Quickfix’s quiet sobbing. Cheerilee felt as though she would be sick all over again.

“You three,” she said, “you are not my students.” Lyra’s ears perked up. “Whatever else you might be, you are not my students anymore.” She pointed towards the door as fresh tears rolled down her eyes. “Get out. You’re expelled from my school.”

The three fillies and their families took this as their signal to leave. In a single, somber line, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, and Apple Bloom were first to out the schoolhouse door. Cheerilee sat with her hoof still pointed to the door. She started slightly when she felt a strong pair of forelegs wrap around her. Cheerilee looked up and saw Big Macintosh just holding her. He had lingered behind. His silent gaze held no anger but gave her a warm comfort in her heart. Unable to hold it back any further, Cheerilee buried her face in the stallion’s chest and wept. Big Mac just held her close and stroked her hair.

The road to the town was an entirely different scene.

“Ah can’t believe this!” Granny Smith yelled at Apple Bloom. “‘n all mah years, Ah have never seen such a thang! Ah know Ah raise ya better than this, child! Wha’ in the name of all that is good ‘n the world possessed ya ta do such a thing?!”

“Oh, this is horrible!” whined Pearl. The plump pink unicorn leaned in close to her stallion. “Oh, they’re going to send my baby upstate! Oh Magnum, what are we going to do?”

“It’ll be okay, Momma,” said Applejack, resting a hoof on her mother’s shoulder. She spared a glance at her own flank where the diamond mark ached. “Ah’ll… Ah’ll be there for y’all.”

It was, at most, a half-hearted gesture. On one hoof, Applejack had always held her sister close to her heart, especially after the brief scare last year when the unicorn had said she didn’t want to be sisters with Applejack anymore. Up until now, there’d never been any trouble when her parents had dropped Sweetie off at the boutique, she’d make sure Sweetie did her homework, went to bed on time, and didn’t get into too much trouble while crusading… but this? This was too much.

Now the fashionista could scarcely bring herself to look at Sweetie Belle Knowing her little sister was capable of such… remorselessness, the idea of letting her into her house didn’t sit well with Applejack. Especially since she could already feel the pull of her muse, calling — no, demanding — that she return to the boutique.

Quickfix, on the other hoof, just kept her head facing the ground. She was repeating the same mantra over and over again. “This isn’t happening, this can’t be happening, this isn’t happening...” A voice from above broke her out of her spiraling thoughts.

“Scootaloo!” Rarity was coming in for a landing on one of her cloud platforms. Lyra also spotted Twilight on the platform next to her. Rarity jumped off the platform before it touched the ground and quickly trotted over to the group.

Lyra noted Quickfix’s hardening glare at her swapped herdmate and quickly moved herself between them. “Rarity, Twilight, what are you two doing here?” she asked.

“Oh, Lyra, I heard about the whole thing from Thunderlane. He had to be pulled off duty when he heard how upset Rumble was over this. The poor dear was in tears when he came home and Cloudchaser found him.”

Twilight nodded. “I heard about this in the market this afternoon. The rumor has floated around the whole town!” Twilight paused and cast a nervous glance back toward the group. “It… it is just a rumor, right? The girls didn’t… didn’t really…?”

Lyra’s silence was all the confirmation she needed. Rarity brought a hoof to her mouth and felt tears in her eyes.

“I… got word from one of the town guards. Apparently since they are sisters to the Element Bearers, the lieutenant is officially calling this a ‘matter of national security’.” Lyra gave a brief snort of disgust. “Honestly I think the old stallion just wanted this whole thing off his hooves. He didn’t want to deal with this. Didn’t want to believe that this could happen.”

Rarity pulled Lyra in for a hug. “Oh, my sweet songbird.” She planted a gentle kiss on Lyra’s cheek and nuzzled her. Twilight mirrored the gesture. “Oh, I wish our prince was here.” The other mares nodded their heads. Lero had been missing all day. The only clue to his disappearance was a cryptic note on the library’s center table saying, ‘Gone for a hike, will be back this evening.’

Rarity looked over Lyra’s should and saw Scootaloo just staring at her. It was the first time she had seen the filly since the weekend. Scootaloo would usually come by the house for some weather lessons on Sundays or when Rarity got to leave work early.

Seeing her now, with that mild expression like nothing had happened, well it hurt the white mare.

Rarity let go of Lyra and walked up to Scootaloo. “Scootaloo,” she said gently, “Are… are you alright, dear?”

“Yes,” Scootaloo stated.

Rarity bit her lip. “I heard you did something today. I heard you and your friends hurt one of your classmates. Can you please tell me why?”

“We didn’t like her. She was a bully and a fake. So we broke her.”

“Scootaloo-”

“Just stop it, you nag!” shouted Quickfix. Everypony was taken aback by the quiet mare’s outburst. “This is all your fault!”

Rarity took a step back. “My fault?! Quickfix, how could you say that?”

“Scootaloo was just fine before she started hanging around you and your, your freakshow of a herd!” The group gasped. “She just played with her friends and was a good filly! Then you came along and… and did something to her! Exposed her to something! How else could you explain this?! You and your weird family and your weird friends did something to my baby and made her into a monster!”

Rarity set her teeth. Insulting her was one thing, but going after her friends and herdmates? That was an act of war. “Well, maybe if you were a better mother, you would have realized something was wrong earlier! Scootaloo and her friends have been bullied by Diamond and Silver for years now! If maybe you’d pay attention and did some decent mothering instead of staring at the world through the bottom of a bottle, she’d have someone to turn too! Someone who could’ve shown her right from wrong before things boiled over to a disaster like this!”

“You nag! I oughtta-”

“Ladies, please!” yelled Lyra. “Fighting with each other will get us nowhere. We have a very serious issue on our hooves, something far bigger than some little schoolyard fight!”

Everypony stared at her. “‘Schoolyard fight’?” Twilight repeated. “Lyra, the girls put somepony in the hospital. She might die!”

“And have you ever known these three to be so violent?”

“No, of course not.” Twilight wasn’t sure where Lyra was going with this.

“And have you ever known them to be this callous and indifferent about somepony else getting hurt? Let alone somepony’s who’s been hurt by their own hooves?”

Twilight spared a glance at the three fillies. They were sitting quietly, just staring at the adults around them. “No. No I haven’t.”

“Jus’ what’re ya gettin’ at, Lyra?” asked Pinkie Pie.

Lyra glanced at her. “I saying we’ve seen this sort of behavior before, haven’t we, girls?” The Element Bearers traded uneasy glances at each other as Lyra gazed pointedly at Twilight. “In Canterlot, on your brother’s wedding day.”

Twilight felt a chill in the air or maybe that was just her blood turning cold. The others felt it too and nervously turned their full attention to the three fillies. Twilight walked up to Apple Bloom. “Apple Bloom, could you hold still for a moment?”

“‘Kay,” came a flat reply.

“Wha’re ya doin’, youngung?” asked Granny Smith, who stood near her youngest grandchild. Pinkie Pie put a hoof on her shoulder and gently ushered the older mare back a few steps.

Twilight nodded her head and charged her horn. The detection spell was developed immediately following the changeling invasion when a wave of security reforms swept across the nation. Celestia had personally tasked Twilight with the challenge of researching the changelings and finding some way of seeing through their disguises.

And so Twilight spent many sleepless nights going over reports from guards, eyewitnesses, coroners, and hippologists to gain a full understanding of changeling biology and thaumaturgy. In the end, it had been Lero and Lyra that focused her back on track and produced a relatively simple detection spell, one that would scan for foreign magic signatures. If foreign magic was detected, the subject would be illuminated in a green aura.

Normally, such a spell would be performed under more official circumstances; a formal investigation, a warrant, and a locked cell. But given the decidedly extraordinary events of the day (and the fact that two of the most powerful unicorns in the country were present) Twilight felt assured that she could safely proceed.

Twilight concentrated and let the spell matrix form in her mind. She secretly hoped that-

“AAARRGH!!” Twilight’s eyes flew open and promptly rolled into the back of her head. Her skull felt like somepony had wrenched her horn clean from her skull and poured acid into the empty socket. She fell onto her back and started to convulse violently.

“Twilight!!” came a collective cry from the crowd. Rarity and Lyra were at her side in a heartbeat, the green unicorn doing her best to hold her down as her body spasmed. Rarity, who had read about such things in her novels, jammed her hoof in Twilight’s mouth and allowed her to bite down on it; this would stop her from choking on her tongue or biting it off. She grimaced as she felt Twilight’s teeth pierce the outermost layer of her hoof. Ten nerve-racking seconds later, Twilight seemed to calm down. Her eyes came back into focus and she blinked away some tears.

Rarity was holding her head and stroking her mane. “Sparkle-kitten? Can you hear me, darling?”

Twilight blinked again but paid her lover no mind. Instead she focused on the yellow filly in front of her. Twilight trembled and tried to back away from her, as if she was some creature that crawled out her nightmares. Then again, she very could be.

“What are you?” she squeaked.

Apple Bloom stared at her, then glanced back at her friends. They all shared a look and, at some unseen signal, all bolted from the throng of adults.

“Bloomy!” cried out Pinkie Pie.

“Sweetie Belle!” cried Applejack.

Twilight raised a shaky hoof and pointed towards the fleeing fillies. “Stop them! Don’t let them get away!”

Lyra looked to Rarity. “Go! I’ll stay with Twilight, just go!” Rarity nodded and took off after the fleeing trio. Pinkie Pie and Applejack quickly joined her, the three of them galloping after the Crusaders.

The chase sped through the town along the western road. The three schoolgirls ignored all calls to them and dodged and weaved away from their elder sisters with speed and nimbleness that was nothing short of astonishing for fillies their age. Even when Rarity tried to magically grab them with her telekinesis, they simply jinked and jived wherever her mental grasp reached to grab for them. The Crusaders lead them through narrow alleyways, under produce carts, and over garbage heaps in an effort to lose their pursuers. Sometimes one of the girls would grab an object, a bit of fruit or a skillet that had been for sale, and would heave it at the trailing mares. Most were dodged or swatted away with a burst of magic, though Pinkie Pie ended up taking an overripe tomato to the face. A trail of mayhem followed the group through the small town, leaving behind a collection of cluttered garbage and angry shopkeepers.

Eventually, the chase lead them all to the eastern edge of town, near the Everfree border. The adults were galloping at a full tilt but the fillies were still pulling ahead. ‘How can they be so fast?’ wondered Rarity.

“Guys!” came a voice from above. Rarity spared an upward glance and saw Rainbow Dash in the air above them. “What’s going on?” It had just occurred to Rarity that her newest herdmate would not have heard about the day’s event, being so isolated from the rest of the town.

“The Crusaders!” called out Rarity. “We have stop them. They’re heading for the forest!”

“What?! Why?!”

“Just stop them! If they make it to the treeline, we may never catch them!” Rainbow hesitated a moment before flying after the Crusaders.

The trio of fillies ran through the field towards the forest as fast as their little legs could carry them, their eyes staring straight forward. They had almost crossed over into the Everfree territory, when something burst from the treeline. It was a large and ragged-looking creature, covered in mud and twigs and reeking of sweat and blood. One hand was clasped around a walking stick, the muscles of its arm tense beneath torn clothes and knuckles that held it had gone white. It looked ready to swing that stick as a club.

When the creature stared the trio down, its hazel eyes boring into them, its jaw set, and sharp teeth revealed behind a scowl, the young ponies scrambled backward. For the first time in many days, Apple Bloom, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle showed an emotion:

Fear.

“Where are they?” the creature seethed.

“Lero!” Dash landed behind the fillies but did not approach. Some animalistic instinct had come to the forefront of her brain. She had know Lero for years as a kind and gentle stallion, one she had fallen in love with over the past few weeks. But this? This wasn’t the same man. Her brain was screaming at her. Run, run, predator, hide, fly, hunter, run, RUN!! It took all of her willpower to stay put. “Lero?” She heard hooves behind her and something white passed her by.

“Lero!” called out Rarity, surprise and concern in her voice. The sight of her stallion in such a frightening state was troubling to say the least.

The fillies turned towards the adults, each mirroring the others’ fear. Apple Bloom was about to say something when it happened. The walking stick came down and struck the yellow filly across her face with a harsh crack, knocking her to the ground before a hand latched itself around her small throat.

“BLOOMY!!” yelled Pinkie. She glared daggers at the human. “Let her go!”

“Where are they?!” Lero bellowed, completely ignoring his pink farmer friend. He put more of his weight on the pinned filly, slowly closing her windpipe. “What did you do with Apple Bloom?!”

Apple Bloom choked out a response. “Ah... *gag* Ah... am-”

Her response only angered the human. He tightened his grip and the filly’s eyes bulged. “Ná bréag dom, bruscar!!” he boomed. Everypony gasped. For the briefest moment, Lero’s eyes turned a brilliant, icy blue color.

A bright light blanketed the area. The girls covered their eyes as a commanding voice spoke to them.

“We doth command thee to stop, Viceroy!” it said. “In the Name of the Princess of the Night, release thine grip upon that foul abomination! Guards, shackle her, and the other two as well! We would have words with these three creatures!”

Author's Notes:

Well this was a long break. I apologize for that, but I've been busy this past month with weddings and holidays and all that rot.

Just to clear something up, this story is taking place between chapters 25 and 26 of "Divided Rainbow" and it shouldn't have too much of an impact on that story.

That said, thanks for sticking with me so far everyone! All of you are awesome and I promise that there will be more to come!

Happy New Year!

Chapter 2: The Lost

“Where are they?!” bellowed Lero. He pressed harder down on Apple Bloom, whose feeble kicks did little to dissuade the mad human. Neither, it seemed, did his friend’s pleas.

“Lero, stop!” cried Rainbow.

“Get away from her!!” screamed Pinkie Pie. The farm mare charged forward but quickly ground to a halt. Princess Luna, in her full combat regalia landed in front of her with enough force to shake the ground. The Diarch of the Night turned to Pinkie Pie, her eyes hard as cold steel.

“Stay back, Pinkamena,” she said in a voice that could have chilled a glacier. Two night guards dropped from the sky and surrounded both Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo. Any attempt the two made to escape were blocked by heavy body checks from the grown stallions.

Both Rarity and Rainbow were torn by the chaos unfolding before them. The white mare was in tears at this point. Her prince had a look in his eyes that she had never seen. She had seen him angry; the memory of the incident with Shimmer and Chuckwagon all those years ago, when the mare pushed Lero into an altercation that resulted in his hand wrapped around the mare’s throat came to mind. He had a look in his eyes that told everypony that he was more than willing to fight to defend his herd.

But now? The look he held was beyond anger, beyond any rage she had thought her prince was capable of. His jaw was set, his sharp teeth were bared, and his eyes were boring into the filly he had pinned to the ground. It all spoke of one thing: hatred. Sheer, unbridled hatred.

“Lero, please,” Rarity half-whimpered, “let Apple Bloom go!”

“Sir Bellerophon,” said Luna, stepping forward, “release it. We shall handle this thing’s capture.”

Rainbow was shocked. ‘It? Thing?’ she thought, looking at Apple Bloom. ‘What the hay’s going on?!’

Lero ignored the dark alicorn. He stood up and lifted Apple Bloom up by the throat until she was dangling off the ground at his eye level. Lero narrowed his eyes.

“Beidh mé ag iarraidh ar an ach aon uair amháin, rud is beag,” he said. His voice was low and harsh, completely alien from the gentle calm they all knew. “Cá bhfuil Apple Bloom?”

The crowd had different reactions. For some, there was confusion and fear; they had never heard Lero speaking another language before, let alone one as strange as this. Luna’s eyes widened and her feathers bristled.

Apple Bloom choked but was able to get out a weak response.

“Tá... tá mé Apple Bloom,” she croaked. “Tá mé an duine is óige de na-” Any further words she was about to say where cut off when Lero’s grip around her throat suddenly tightened like a vice. Rainbow could hear something starting to go “crunch”. Once again, his eyes shifted, turning an icy blue that chilled the soul.

“If you were Apple Bloom, then how could you know that language?” His grip tightened, Apple Bloom’s eyes bulged, that horrible gurgling sound coming from her throat grew more pronounced until-

*SNAP*

Everything stopped. The field outside of town became still and silent. Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and Pinkie could feel their hearts seize in their chests. Even Scootaloo’s and Sweetie Belle’s struggles stopped. Everypony stared wide eyed in horror.

Apple Bloom simply hung from Lero’s grip, her eyes wide and her head lolling unnaturally to one side. With a callousness unseen by anyone before, Lero tossed the body to the side, where it rolled to a stop and stared at the group.

Lero turned his attention to the two remaining fillies, his blue eyes clearly speaking his intentions. But before he could take his first step, a blinding light enveloped the area with a loud bang that left everypony’s ears ringing. As Rarity did her best to blink away the spots in her vision and tried to ignore the bell foundry someone set up between her ears, she saw that Lero was lying on the ground. His eyes were rolled back into his head and he clearly wasn’t moving.

She shouted, “Lero!” then the scene dissolved into total chaos.

“BLOOMY!!” screamed Pinkie. She tried to rush towards the body but was stopped by a pair of night guards.

Rainbow Dash was torn. A desperate part of her was demanding that she run, run away from this monster that just killed a filly. The cooler, more rational part, told her that Lero wouldn’t do something like that. And what had the princess called Apple Bloom earlier? A thing? What was up with that? The two halves of her mind battled for control, leaving the poor mare rooted in place.

A sudden shriek caught Rainbow’s attention. There, at the edge of the chaos, two more thestral night guards had tackled both Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo. The two girls, despite barely coming up to the guards’ knees, seemed to struggle with a strength that was, well given what she had seen that day, unnatural was the only word Rarity could use to describe it.

“Sweetie Belle!” cried out Applejack. The southern belle took a few instinctual steps to help her sister when another thestral stopped her.

“Dame Applejack, you must stay back,” he said. He was a larger example of his tribe, not as large as Big Mac but still a good deal bigger than most of the stallions in the town. The intricate silver designs on his dark armor marked him as an officer of some sort, though Applejack would have been hard pressed to recognize his actual rank.

"That's ma sister!" said Applejack. "Ah have ta help her!" She tried to move forward only to be stopped by an armored hoof.

“Let me go, ya overgrown varmints!” Applejack turned to see that the two other thestrals were doing their best to restrain Pinkie, who was kicking and screaming her head off at the night guards. “Ah’m gonna kill ‘im! Ah’m gonna stomp his skull ‘til there’s nothing left! LET ME GO!!” She thrashed herself against the guards before crashing her head into one guard’s unprotected jaw, then delivered a swift buck to the other, sending that guard flying. Left unimpeded, she charged the downed human.

Pinkie could only see red at this point. The edges of her vision blurred and dissolved into a black inkiness and all the color faded away from her world. Her tunnel vision was focused on one thing and only one thing. It was lying on the ground, just waiting to receive righteous punishment. Her blood pounded in her skull as she got closer to the fallen body. All rational thought had been driven from her mind.

The only thing that mattered to her right then was hitting that sister-killing thing over and over until she was pounding wet chunks of bone into the ground.

A colorful display of sparks blinded her vision and she stumbled to a halt, shaking her head clear of the interference. Sound crept back into her consciousness in the form of a shrill voice.

“...ay away from him!” Pinkie’s vision finally cleared and she saw Rarity standing between her and her prize. The white unicorn’s horn glowed brightly and spitting colorful sparks. “That-That was just a warning shot, Pinkie! If you lay one hoof on his precious head, I’ll swear I’ll-”

“Y’all ‘what’, ya prissy, good-fer-nuttin’ freak?!” shouted Pinkie. “Ah’m gonna do more than jes lay a hoof on that snake-inna-grass! Ah’m gonna pound him ta tiny bits! Y’all have ta bury wha’s lefta him inna soup can!”

“Don’t you dare, you backwater hick!” Rarity’s horn glowed again and a dark storm cloud formed over her, thunder booming from within, ready to unleash a deadly strike on any who dared to harm the unconscious human. “I don’t care what you think we just saw! NOPONY is going to harm my-”

A pair of shrieks drowned out whatever she was going to say next. Both mares turned and felt their jaws drop. The four thestrals wrestling with the other Crusaders had clamped on a pair of metal manacles around the fillies’ necks. The reaction was violent and immediate.

“IT BURNS!!” screamed Sweetie Belle, falling on the ground and writhing in agony. “IT BURNS!!” Sure enough, a hissing sound could be heard and a faint plume of smoke was rising from around both of their collars. Rarity saw red and blistered skin around the edges.

“What’re ya doing?!” screamed Applejack. “Stop it!”

“Stay back!” barked the officer.

“Let me at ‘im!” yelled Pinkie Pie, one hoof scraping the ground.

“Don’t you dare!” screamed Rarity.

“Be still.” The command was final. All activity halted, save for the subdued whimpering of the two fillies. “Captain, see that your comrades fully secure the creatures. Take no chances. Do not listen to any of their words, and no matter how much they plead or beg, do not remove those irons.”

The officer, apparently a Captain, snapped a salute. “Yes, Your Highness,” he said.

The dark alicorn turned to the other mares. “Where is Twilight Sparkle?”

“She-she,” Rarity stammered. “Lyra will have taken Twilight back home. To Golden Oaks Library.”

Luna flared her wings and took off, hovering over the field. “See to your stallion, Dame Rarity. Pinkamena, you shall not lay a hoof upon the human.” Any kind of protest the farm mare might’ve had died in her throat. The alicorn’s teal eyes bored into her and she felt herself lower to the ground in submission. “As for the rest of you, meet Us at the library. Speak of this to no one.”

There was another great flash. Luna, her guards, the two remaining fillies, and the body were gone, leaving the small group alone in the darkening field.

Golden Oaks Library was a very different place tonight. The cheerful home, usually filled with the sounds of lighthearted conversation, the smells of warm meals, and the general air of love, was replaced with something else, something entirely unknown and unwelcome. Confusion and sorrow were the watchwords this evening. A miasma of pain and doubt choked the air surrounding the small group of friends and family. Worry for loved ones injured and loved ones gone clung to everypony like a wet blanket.

Lyra did her best to put on a brave face as she sat next to Twilight at the table. The Still Way had any number of proverbs for a situation like this, but none brought any comfort to the unicorn more than just being near her herd sister. The scholarly unicorn was wrapped in her favorite blanket and held a trembling cup of jasmine tea in her hooves.

When Lyra had brought Twilight home earlier, the other mare was a stammering wreck; whatever she had encountered through the detection spell had nearly cost her her wits.

Lyra, who had little experience with the arcane arts despite her heritage, did what she could, and had held onto her, speaking in soft whispers and stroking Twilight's silky hair. The simple contact had been enough to bring Twilight back down to earth, long enough for her to start weeping. "I'm scared, Lyra," she had kept saying. "I'm so scared." Lyra could only rub her back and mummer that "everything would be okay" into her ear.

She wished she could believe it herself at this point.

Just as Spike had poured a second cup of tea for Lyra, there had come a flash outside, the door had burst open, and in had walked Princess Luna herself, flanked by a pair of thestral night guards dragging Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo in chains. The Night Princess had immediately commanded her guards to bring the small young captives to the basement and keep them securely detained and under watch.

"Be silent," she had told the stammering Lyra and Twilight, "and do not question. Thine answers shalt come with the others."

The fillies were surprisingly quiet and complacent as the guards led them downstairs.

‘The others’ then returned soon after: Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Rarity and Lero, all joining Lyra and Twilight at their table. But Princess Luna kept her silence and the questions remained unanswered. And as the Grandmaster looked around from face to face, only more seemed to spawn in her mind.

The first and foremost was why was Lero unconscious? The human had been one of the last inside; carried into the library on one of Rarity's cloud platforms. He had been immediately floated upstairs to the master bedroom. Both Twilight and Lyra burst out with questions and demands for explanations from everypony around them.

The grim tale their guests shared with them seemed like the ravings of mad mares.

Blue eyes? Strange languages? Apple Bloom dead? By Lero's hands?!

Had the whole world been suddenly turned on its head again? Lyra glanced around the room. Somehow, that last theory didn't seem so far from the truth.

Rarity had secluded herself in the master bedroom with her beloved human stallion, going so far as to ignore a royal "suggestion" from the princess to leave Lero to his bed rest and join them at the table. Lyra had smiled at that, despite the chaos of the situation; she knew that nothing short of the end of the world would get the alabaster mare to leave Lero's side and Lyra had her doubts that even that would make her budge.

Pinkie Pie had remained downstairs with a distant and dead look in her eyes, not touching the tea Twilight had poured for her. Rainbow Dash — 'Bless her sweet heart,' — was doing her best to offer comfort to the poor farm mare.

“It’s… it’s gonna be okay, Pinkie,” the rainbow-maned caretaker insisted, nuzzling her unresponsive farmer friend. “We’re gonna get through this together, you’re not alone…”

Lyra could tell her newest herdmate was just as shaken but admired her for putting others before herself.

Applejack seemed to be torn, from where she sat on the table. She kept shifting her glances between the basement door and the library's front door. The words she murmured to herself kept switching between sisterly concerns and nonsense about different fabrics.

“Ah… ah can’t believe… mah sister... Sweetie Belle’s gonna git locked up in a dungeon, AND we’ll have ta have a funeral fer poor li’l Apple Bloom! This is a nightmare… they ain’t even got their cutie marks and… and jest what’ll Ah wear to the funeral? Mebbe somethin’ made outta vinyl-coated polyester… or buckram! And who says it has ta be black…?”

Every so often, Lyra caught sight of the diamonds on her flanks twitching. She knew that the farmer-turned-fashionista was being pulled apart from the inside. Spike was right at AJ's side, doing his very best to keep the poor mare focused on the here and now.

“There, there,” the young dragon said, standing on his chair and hugging the orange pony around the neck. “This… things will get straightened out, we’ll get to the bottom of this, and Sweetie will be okay. Focus on that, AJ, focus on Sweetie, and how she’ll be okay... you love your sister, and she loves you, don’t think of buckram… buckram’s used for bookbinding anyway…”

“Oh, Sweetie Belle!” the orange mare bawled, sobbing as she hugged Spike back.

'He really is such a little trooper,' thought Lyra.

"Ah don' understand!" said Applejack. "Wha-what's got inta them girls?" She looked again to Princess Luna, who sat at the head of the table. "Please, Princess. Please tell me what's going on!"

Luna kept silent and looked Applejack in the eye with a stony gaze. The Moon Princess had said nothing since her proclamation earlier that evening, choosing instead to remain as quiet as a statue. 'The ones they keep in graveyards,' Lyra mused. 'The silent guardians of the dead.'

A knock at the door was what finally brought Luna out of whatever contemplative state she had been in. “We bid thee enter,” she said.

The door opened and two new ponies entered. The first was the same thestral captain that had been present at the scene of the day’s earlier, horrific events. He strode in, head held high, shoulders squared, looking every bit the part of a military stallion. He half-bowed to Luna, who returned the gesture with the slightest of nods.

The other stallion was… “Doctor Monitor?” said Twilight. Dr. Heart Monitor, a cousin to the Heart siblings who worked at Ponyville General Hospital, gave Twilight a nod. Twilight noted the black bag he carried on his back. A tiny thought poked its head up, then scampered away before she could get a look at it.

The ochre unicorn stallion walked forward and bowed before Princess Luna. “Your Highness,” he greeted.

Luna raised an eyebrow. “An apothecary?” Then she lifted a hoof upward. “Rise, good healer.” Monitor did so. “Tell Us, why hast thou come to this humble abode in the company of mine captain? Hast some new crisis occurred that dost require our attention? And what is this parcel that thou brings?”

Monitor then laid the filly-sized black bag at his hooves. His eyes were sunken and heavy lidded and he spoke with words laiden with an unwelcome load. “My Lady,” he said, “I… I do not know where to begin. This has been a very strange night for me.”

“Then We would have thee start at the beginning.”

The Captain stepped forward. “My Lady,” he said, “as per your instructions, Corporal Shadow Strider and I ferried the body of the filly to the Ponyville Hospital where we made contact with Dr. Monitor. He was the only medical professional on duty at the time and was ordered to carry out the…” The Captain stole a glance at Pinkie Pie. “...examination.” Though it was spoken gently, the poor pink mare cringed and teared up at the word. Rainbow nuzzled her.

Monitor spoke up again. “I have the… well unfortunate duty of coroner here in Ponyville, my Lady. In a town this small and peaceful, despite the strangeness it seems to attract, there are still very few deaths. But this was the first time I have been asked to,” he swallowed the lump in his throat, “perform an autopsy on a child.”

The table was silent and everypony, save the Princess, could feel tears well up in their eyes.

“And what were thine findings, apothecary?”

Heart Monitor took in a deep breath and look the Night Princess directly in the eye. “That I have yet to perform an autopsy for any child, Your Highness.”

A moment passed as the group stared in disbelief and confusion at the doctor’s words.

“...Wha?” said Pinkie dumbly.

“I mean, Miss Pie,” said Monitor, pointing to the black bag, “that whatever they brought to me this evening was not your sister. It was-”

He was interrupted as Pinkie lept out of her seat and ran for the bag, body checking the poor stallion out of the way.

“Pinkie, wait!” cried Rainbow Dash. She was promptly ignored as the farm mare ripped the zipper open, tore open the bag and-

Stood stock still. She reached in and withdrew a hoofful of moss, twigs, and twine.

“...Is,” she stammered, “is this some kinda sick joke?” She violently turned out the bag. Sure enough, it was filled with nothing more that a collection of plant matter and twine. Pinkie spread out the contents over the tabletop, her breathing harsh and rapid, as if she could somehow find her sister buried within the small pile. Pinkie suddenly recoiled when she uncovered a small, reddish-colored object nestled amongst the refuse.

Twilight felt her breath catch. “Is… is that a…?”

“It isn’t equine,” said Heart Monitor. “I can tell you that much. It is far too small and the shape is wrong. It might’ve belonged to a rabbit or some other animal.”

Luna regarded the tiny heart with narrowed eyes. “Tell Us exactly what happened,” she commanded. Her voice had once again taken on that steely quality, so unlike her elder sister’s motherly tone.

The young doctor nearly jumped out of his skin. “Y-yes, my lady- er, Your Highness!” He coughed into his fetlock and took a moment to compose himself. “I began my examination nearly an hour ago, shortly after the Captain and the corporal brought the… er, ‘body’, so to speak. At first, everything seemed routine; I found evidence of asphyxiation by a crushed trachea and a severance of the spinal column in the broken vertebra- ”

“If thou would please,” interrupted Luna, holding a hoof up. Heart Monitor stopped and stared at the gathered mares. At their shared mixed looks of horror and revulsion at his description, the doctor felt a sense of shame come over him.

“Forgive me, ladies,” he said. “I…” He sighed a moment, then put on a more professional demeanor. “Right. I was halfway through the procedure when I turned my back on the body for a moment to write something in my notes. Everything had appeared to be normal at that point; there were no abnormalities in the body and the… ‘she’ seemed to be a normal young filly. That is when I heard a clatter and when I turned back, the body was gone!”

“Gone?” Pinkie Pie repeated in disbelief.

“Or changed, I should say,” continued the doctor. “The clatter came from one of the scales; the weight suddenly snapped upwards and knocked against a tray of tools. The body had just suddenly turned into… well, that!”

Pinkie stared down at the refuse in front of her then back up to the Doctor. She took a few steps forward until she was almost pressed muzzle-to-muzzle with him. After a brief silence, she said, “He ain’t lyin’. Honesty is tellin’ me he ain’t.”

‘Honesty?’ Lyra thought to herself. 'Does she mean… the Element of Honesty told Pinkie that Dr. Monitor wasn't lying?'

The pink mare sat back down in her chair. “So then… whatever it was Lero killed tonight… wasn’t really mah sister, was it…?”

Heart Monitor turned to Twilight. “Ms. Twilight, I do not say this with an undue sense of pride that I hold two doctorates in medicine and medical thaumaturgy. But I am at a complete loss here. This is no mere illusion we are dealing here; nothing could have been that complete nor convincing.” He turned again to Luna. “Your Highness, it may not be my place to ask but-”

“You are right, good healer,” said Luna sternly. “Tis not your place to ask. Nor shall it be your place to question. This evening’s revelations shall remain a secret with thee. I bid thee to return to thine workplace and destroy all documents that mention thy morbid procedures and any record that my Guard did come to your hospice. And should I catch wind that thou hast broken thine silence, I shalt be very cross.” She leaned in close to the trembling physician. “And thou would not like to see me cross.”

Heart Monitor bowed low and closed his eyes. “O-of course, Your Highness,” he said.

“Good. Then be about thy tasks and return to thy patients on the morn.” Heart Monitor bowed again and scrambled to the doorway, slamming it shut behind him.

The library was absolutely silent. Twilight was wracking her massive brain in an attempt to comprehend everything but the more she tried, the deeper the rabbit hole went. She had never seen Luna act like this before. Not once. Even during the Blank Plague, a veritable lifetime ago, she had never seemed so cold and… well she couldn’t find a word to fully describe it.

Finally, after a small eternity, she dared to break the silence. “Princess? What’s going on?”

Luna glared at Twilight Sparkle… then sighed. All the the sternness she had built up that evening melted off her like ice during Winter Wrap Up. “Captain?” she said. The thestral nodded once, then exited the treehouse, leaving Luna alone with the small group. Her horn glowed briefly and a blue shimmer appeared around the front door and the covered windows. Twilight recognized it: a silencing spell.

“What We…” Luna sighed again, “What I have to tell you all must not leave this room. I want you all to swear to me that you will keep this secret. I will not threaten you should you break this vow, for doing so would place all of Equestria in danger. But so would you, should you speak openly of this enemy.”

Everyone gathered at the table shared a look. “Enemy?” Lyra repeated.

“For some weeks, I have sensed that something was amiss in the aether. It began as an uneasiness, as if I was chasing a nightmare in the realm of dreams but could not find the source. Then, on the night of my new moon, I caught wind of a magic that had no right to be here, a scent I had thought long extinct from our realm. It was faint but very powerful and only grew more so over the next few days. And as it became more pronounced, I followed it into the waking world. To here, near the Everfree.

“My Night Guard and I camped in the ruins of my old palace while we hunted our foe. But every time we drew near, it vanished, like mist in my sister’s sunlight. And that is when I felt you, dear Twilight Sparkle.” Twilight felt her eyes widen. “When I felt your magic spike tonight, we came, my guards and I. And when we found those… things... I knew.”

“Knew what?” asked Spike.

“I knew a most ancient and vile enemy had returned.”

The table was silent. The mares and little Spike listened in rapt attention as the lunar princess told them the story.

“But, Princess,” said Twilight, once again breaking the silence. “Who… What are they?”

Luna looked at Twilight and the stern mask fell back into place. “That is for your stallion to tell us, Dame Sparkle.”

Lero slowly came back to reality. It was neither a pleasant journey nor a swift one. He had no warm feelings of half-forgotten dreams, nor the miniature adrenaline spike of a nightmare to greet him. Instead, the first thing he became aware of was that he was in pain. He hurt everywhere. It was not a harsh stabbing pain as though he’d been kicked or had fallen, this was a dull and throbbing ache, starting from the soles of his feet and stretching all the way up his body, before finally culminating in massive headache.

‘I feel like I’ve run a marathon,’ he thought miserably. ‘After a drinking contest.’

Once his nervous system had finally rebooted, his senses decided that now was a good time to come back online. Smell was the first. He allowed himself a brief inhale, despite the rude, but not wholly unjustified, protests of an aching ribcage. Wood, lavender, jasmine, mint, and the faint scent of musk. The warm weight of something soft covered him.

‘Our bed?’ Risking aggravating his already hostile headache, Lero cracked open an eye and was greeted with a wash of muted colors. Blue, some white, and gentle browns. Yep. This was his shared bed.

Touch decided to fully join the party and was swiftly followed by hearing. To his right he could feel the firmness of a body and a slight dampness on his shoulder. Gentle breathing, joined by the occasional sniffle accompanied them.

Rarity had been laying at his side with her hooves draped across his chest. Her head was buried in his shoulder. While he could not see her face, he knew that she had been crying.

Still half-asleep, Lero reached around with right arm and gently stroked her long mane. “Hey you,” he quietly croaked. Lero soundly became aware of how dry his throat was.

Rarity gasped and snapped her head to attention. Her blue eyes were slightly bloodshot, confirming his earlier suspicions. “Lero,” she said. Her bright smile gave him a little grin. Even the littlest things like seeing her smile always made him happy. She moved quickly to lock lips with him. “You’re okay!” She kissed him again before straddling his chest. “Oh my sweet prince, you have.” Another kiss. “No idea.” And another. “How scared.” Once more. “We were.”

Aside from aching pain, so far this was turning out to be a good morning.

“Ow,” he grunted. “Rarity? Princess?”

“What is it, love? Tell me! Do you need water? Oh, of course you do, after such a horrific day!”

“Rarity?”

“Do you need food? Oh, I know I am not much of a cook but I shall try my very best for my stallion-”

“Why do I hurt?”

That was enough to ground the white mare back to reality. Rarity looked down at him and Lero could see fear and confusion creep into her eyes. Finally, she climbed off the him and sat down next to the bed.

“Everything hurts,” he whispered. Straining against the pain, he lifted up the blanket stared bewildered down at himself. “Why am I dressed?” As he gazed down at his body, he caught sight of his hands. They were smudged with dirt and grime, all of his fingernails were filthy and several were broken and bloody. Lero tried to sit up but stopped when a sharp pain pierced his chest.

“Oh darling!” said Rarity as she laid a gentle hoof on him and slowly eased him back down.

“Rarity,” he insisted. “What’s going on?”

Rarity hesitated a moment and stared into his wide, hazel eyes. “Lero,” she said, chewing her lip for a second. “Um… Do you know what happened today?”

Lero just looked all the more confused. “Today?” he said. “Rarity it’s only morning, what are you-” He stopped when he saw the darkened window. The sun had long set and the warm glow of the street lamps drifted into the room. Following his eye, Rarity took a moment to close the curtains with her magic.

‘This isn’t right,’ he thought. ‘This CAN’T be right! I was asleep, here in the bed with-’

Something flashed before Lero’s eyes. It was a vision of him running through the trees, thorns reaching out to grab him, his hands gripping his head as an agonizing pain tore through his skull. Lero mirrored the memory, his own hand coming to his head as the throbbing in his head built up.

“Lero, my sweet prince,” she said gently, sensing her stallion’s growing fear, “I need you to to stay calm-”

“Stay calm?” he said, panic quickly entering his voice. “How can I-”

“Please, Lero!” Rarity took one of his hands in her hooves, not caring about any of the dirt smudging her pristine white coat. Lero felt his heart calm as he looked into her pleading eyes. “I know… I know you’re scared, love. So am I. This day… it’s been so horrible for everypony.” Tears fell down her cheeks. He reached up with his other hand and cupped her cheek, brushing away the tears with a calloused thumb. “But no matter what happens, no matter what comes next, we will face it together. You, me, our sweet songbird, and our Sparkle-Kitten. We’ll face it like we always have. Together.”

Lero suddenly pulled her into a crushing hug, like a drowning man would hold a piece of wreckage. In many ways, she really was saving him; he could feel something pulling at the edges of his sanity, something alien but familiar, but holding her close to him, breathing in her scent, feeling the warm and smoothness of her coat against his face… He felt safe. She had become his harbour in the sea of madness that surrounded his life.

“I love you, Rarity,” he breathed. “I love you so much, my princess.”

Rarity smiled despite her tears. “And I love you, my prince. Now and forever.”

They stayed like that for several minutes or maybe it was hours. Nothing else mattered at that moment.

Eventually, cruel reality began to assert in their little haven. Lero climbed out of bed and went into the bathroom while Rarity excused herself to tell the others that he had awoken. In the bathroom, Lero stared down at his dirty and blood hands before plunging them under the sink’s hot water. He discarded his ripped shirt and examined his bare torso.

Lero’s body was a collection of small scars accumulated from his years of living in Ponyville. From the earliest days when Fluttershy found him, wounded and alone at the edge of the Everfree, to more recent events, every part of him told a story. The healing magic of unicorn doctors used left nothing very disfiguring, but they could not fully hide everything due to Lero’s resistance to magic in general. If somepony looked closely, they would see only the faintest collection of white lines across his body.

Now Lero would have a new set for his growing collection. Lero’s right arm was covered in scratches and dried blood while his left shoulder had been discolored by a large bruise. He took a moment to clip away his damaged fingernails and then removed his shoes. He found several large blisters forming on his feet.

‘How did I get all these?’ he asked himself and as he picked up a warm washcloth, he somehow doubted he wanted to know the answer.

Rarity returned a short while later holding a first aid kit in her telekinetic grip. Lyra, Twilight, and even Rainbow Dash were close behind her. They said nothing as they all shared a few moments together, pressed up against one another and trading gentle, comforting nuzzles. The feeling of soft coats, silky manes, and gentle feathers calmed his mind. Lero allowed himself to be nudged on to a short stool while his mares tended to him.

Rainbow took the wet cloth in her mouth and very gently began to wash the scrapes and scratches along his arm. She was reminded of the day she first found him, scared, hurt and alone, covered in torn rags that could have once been clothes. Dash resisted the urge to cry on the spot. ‘Not now,’ she thought. ‘I need to be strong now. My stallion needs me now.’ She looked up at him with her wide eyes and gave him a reassuring smile. Lero returned the smile and cupped her cheek in his palm. The sheer amount of love she saw shining in his eyes for her made her heart soar.

Lyra took a separate cloth and began to tend to his feet before wrapping his blisters in soft moleskin. Rarity helped Dash tend his arm, using her magic to place little butterfly bandages on each of the cuts. Twilight leaned on his back, wrapping her forelegs around him. Lero could tell that she was shaken up by something. They all were. He leaned his own head back and gave Twilight a gentle nuzzle, placing a soft kiss behind her ear. Lero felt her grip on him tighten slightly.

No words were exchanged but the conversation was still had with simple gestures of affection and quiet glances.

‘We love you,’ the mares said. ‘We’re here for you.’

‘I know,’ the stallion replied. ‘I love you all too.’

Dressed in fresh clothes and surrounded by his mares, Lero exited the master bedroom and descended the stairs.

Gathered around the table were most of the other Element Bearers, Spike, and Princess Luna. The Lunar Princess followed his movements with her eyes, like some predator would watch a deer, as she sat quietly at the head of the table. Lero took an uneasy seat at the opposite end of the table. A nagging voice in the back of his mind was telling him to keep his distance from her.

“Sir Michealides,” said Luna, “it heartens us all to see thee woken.” Lero could only nod his head. “I trust that you have many questions for Us.” Again, Lero nodded. “But first We would have Our own answers. Where did you travel to today?”

“I went for a hike,” he replied monotonously. “Needed to clear my head.” Lero suddenly blinked. “Wait. Wha-”

“Where did you travel to today?” Luna repeated.

“I went for a hike,” he repeated monotonously. “Needed to clear my head.” Lero stopped and stared. His eyes grew wide with fear. “No. No, I… I was… what-” His hands began to shake.

“Lero?” said Rarity.

“Princess,” said Twilight, “What are you-”

“Where did you travel to today?” Luna’s voice took on a steel edge that cut through all objections.

“I-I went for a hike,” sputtered Lero. “I-I-I… oh God. What’s g-going…?”

Rainbow couldn’t take any more of it. She flew up onto the table, placing herself between Lero and Luna, between her stallion and the danger. Dash grabbed Lero’s head and pressed it against her chest. “Ssshh…” she whispered, “It’s okay, big guy. It’s okay.” Lero wrapped his trembling arms around her and Dash felt her heart ache. “I’m here, we’re all here. Ssshh. Everything’s okay. You’re safe.”

“Do not lie to him, Rainbow Dash,” said Luna. “You should know that none of us are safe right now.” She stood from her position and stalked around the table. Her gaze was met with three hostile sets of eyes. Twilight moved around and pressed herself against Lero’s side, while Rarity faced Luna directly. Lyra slowly slid around the other side, her practiced movements flowing like water, eye golden eyes focused solely on Luna. The diarch recognized a combat stance when she saw one.

“If my actions seem cruel, my friends,” said Luna, “it is only because they are out of necessity. Know that I hold you all in the highest regards.” Her voice softened. “Especially you, Sir Bellerophon.” Lero risked a glance at Luna. “You kept my sister and I safe and well-tended, years ago in our time of need. You have proven to be one of the few friends that I can count on in a crisis. And you have offered me an open ear to pour my doubts into when there was nopony else.”

The other mares relaxed a bit, but did not move from their instinctive defensive positions. Luna sat and cast her eyes downward. “So please, my friends,” she said quietly. “Please understand that I do not press you, Lero, out of spite or enmity. I take no pleasure in seeing you afraid. Especially of me. But know that I will do what I must to protect my kingdom and its ponies. Three have already been taken. And I shall not allow another to be abducted.”

Lero stiffened. “Taken?” he whispered. He glanced around and saw the truth reflected in the eyes of those around him. “Then why am I-”

“Because that same creatures that took you from the world of Earth,” said Luna solemnly, “have taken Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo.”

Lero stood straight up, his chair falling to the floor with a clatter. His eyes were wide as he backpedaled to the wall.

“No,” he whimpered. “No. No no no, not them. Please not them.” He pressed his palms to his head and dug his nails into his scalp. “They’ve found me. They’ll take me again. Please not them.”

Lero began to stagger as he hyperventilated. He could feel the blood pounding in his head as the world began spinning around him. His vision swam when something blue flew in front of his eyes.

“Lero!” yelled Rainbow Dash. Lero looked up and stared at her for a moment. In that moment Dash could see sheer, unadulterated terror grip him before his eyes rolled back into his sockets and Lero fainted. “Woah!” she moved forward and hooked her forelegs around his shoulders. Lero’s body became dead weight and was enough to drag her down with him, albeit at a slower pace. Rarity, Twilight, and Lyra quickly gathered around him, helping Rainbow Dash set him on the ground. Twilight grabbed a pillow and shoved it under his head.

“Is-Is he…?” stammered Rainbow Dash. Before anypony could rely, the human began to choke and convulse violently, throwing the pegasus caretaker off of him. His back arched and his limbs smacked the floor with harsh cracks.

“Oh goddesses!” yelled Twilight. “He’s having a seizure!”

“Hold him down!” yelled Rarity. She threw herself on top of Lero’s chest, using her own weight to try and stop the human’s thrashing. Lyra grabbed his head, twisting it to one side. As foam began to leak out of Lero’s mouth, she used psychokinesis to keep his jaws forced open so he wouldn’t choke on his own tongue or bite it off.

Twilight was panicking, her mind racing through half-remembered medical texts and first aid guides on what to do when a pony was having a seizure, hoping it could still be applied to a human. After a moment she just went with her instincts and telekinetically grabbed his limbs, forcing his arms to his sides and his legs apart. Twilight felt her breaths come out in quick and ragged pants.

Rainbow Dash found herself dancing in place. There was nothing she could do. No way she could help. She was just so weak and helpless, just a doormat laid out to be walked over by everypony. Doing nothing while the one who’d saved her, the stallion she loved was right in front of her, writhing in agony!

“LERO!!!” she screamed at the top of her lungs.

And just like that, he stilled. The convulsions, the foaming, all of it stopped. Lero was completely still.

He wasn’t even breathing.

“No,” whispered Rarity. “Oh Sisters, please no.” She clambered off the human and put an ear to his chest. “Please, Lero. Please.”

The Library was dead silent. One second. Two. Three. Four. Then...

*thump-thump*

Rarity let out the breath she hadn’t realized she had been holding. She leaned into Lero’s face.

“Lero?”

Lero’s eyes snapped open. But it wasn’t Lero that was looking back at her. Icy blue eyes set in black orbs stared at Rarity, stared right through her. The white unicorn screamed and scrambled off the creature. Like a marionette being pulled by its strings, the body heaved its torso off the floor, taking in a slow, gasping breath.

The other ponies backpedaled immediately, giving this new entity a wide berth. The thing wearing Lero’s skin turned his head to one side and popped his vertebrae, letting out a satisfied grumble.

Twilight was aghast. She and Lyra had heard the events of the field described to them but this… this was just...

Luna lowered her horn and glared at the human. “Who are you?”

The alien presence now piloting Lero’s body turned toward Luna and raised an eyebrow. “I am Bellerophon Michealides,” he introduced in a calm voice. Lero’s voice.

“Liar!” hissed Luna as she widened her stance. “Speak the truth, foul creature! Who are you?”

The presence laughed. Twilight felt a chill crawl down her spine. It was so unlike Lero’s typical good-natured laugh; a strange sound that almost had no natural right coming out of his mouth.

Rarity grit her teeth. “Now you listen here, you… you brute! You give my sweet prince back to us this instant or-or I’ll…!”

“Easy, princess,” The presence’s voice was genuinely soft and… affectionate-sounding? “It really is me.”

Rarity couldn’t help but still feel wary. The thing looking at her with those blue eyes was not the Lero she knew.

“This is just… well, a different part of me, I suppose.”

“Explain,” ordered Twilight. “Explain right now, Mr. Blue-Eyed...Lero guy!”

“Mr. Blue-Eyed Lero Guy?” The presence chuckled and shook his head. “Oh, that won’t do at all. You can all refer to me as ‘The Lost,’ if it helps to differentiate this side of my psyche from the rest of me.”

“The Lost?” said Rarity, head tilting at the sheer oddity of that moniker. “But… But what are you?! What have you done to my prince?!”

The presence — or “The Lost,” now — tapped a finger to the side of his head. “Still here,” he said. “Just ‘sleeping’, you could call it. As to what I am? Well, that’s a good deal more complicated.”

“Then you will explain,” said Luna. She telekinetically shoved a chair under the Lost, causing him to fall down into it with a “thud” before bringing him forward to the table. “We have the time.”

The Lost grinned and shrugged his shoulders. “Fair enough,” he said. “I owe my girls that much.” He turned to Spike, who was still clinging to Applejack’s side. “Spike, would you please put the kettle on?” Spike seemed a little taken aback by the request. Out of every possible thing that It could have said, “put the kettle on” didn’t rank very high on that unreasonably long list. He risked a look at Twilight, who gave a single nod of her head.

“Um, sure thing, uh… Lost,” said the young dragon. “How, uh, do you take your-”

“Just the usual, Spike,” said the Lost. “You know how I like it.”

Spike was dumbfounded. In all the comic books he’d ever read, whenever there was a case of split personality or supernatural possession, there’d inevitably be enormously different quirks between the ‘regular’ personality and the ‘trespasser.’ If one was a neat freak, the outsider was pretty much guaranteed to be more slobby. If one was a vegetarian, the other would be a carnivore.

So the fact that this Lost guy liked his tea the exact same way as the real Lero… mind-blowing! In fact, the more this… thing talked, the more he seemed like Lero. Aside from the shift in his eye color, he could have been easily fooled.

“Coming right up,” Spike said quietly and went into the kitchen.

The Lost put both of his hands on the table and laced his fingers together. He took a deep breath through the nose and exhaled through his mouth. “Right,” he said. “Where to begin?” He glanced around at the mixture of hostility and confusion staring back at him. “Well, let me start by saying this: I wasn’t lying when I said I am Bellerophon Michaelides. That much is true. If you want to get technical about it, I’m actually more Lero than the one you see everyday.”

The Lost noted several narrowed eyes glaring in his direction and quickly decided to move on. “I am the part of me — or ‘him’, if you absolutely insist on it —”

“We do,” camed a chorused reply.

The Lost raised an eyebrow before continuing. “Fine. I’m the part of him that repressed itself when he crawled out of that hell, all those years ago.”

Twilight licked her lips. “By ‘that hell,’ you mean…?”

“The world I was abducted to. The world I was stuck in before escaping here, to Equestria.”

Twilight furrowed her eyebrows. “But you’re saying you repressed… yourself?” she asked. “Like a bad memory...”

“More like a nightmare, Twi,” he said, pausing as Spike returned with his tea, prepared just the way he liked it. He drank the whole cup in a single steaming gulp. “I did it to save myself. Or he did it to save himself. Or… no wait.” The Lost put a hand to his chin. “You know, I’m not entirely sure about the syntax for all this.”

Despite herself, Twilight snorted, earning a grin from the human and an irate glare from Rarity. She coughed and quickly composed herself. “Alright then,” the purple unicorn said. “Let’s assume for a moment you’re telling the truth, Mr. Lost. My question is ‘why’? Why do it?”

The Lost’s grin faded. His blue eyes suddenly became very sad and his shoulders slumped as if under some huge weight. “When I was… back there,” he began, “being kept by those creatures, I did things, Twilight. I did things you couldn’t even imagine just to survive. And I was ordered to carry out such atrocities that I-” He stopped, closed his eyes, and took a ragged breath. “I knew that, at the time, I could focus on other things. Like how to escape. But once I did, I couldn’t- I couldn’t-”

A single tear ran down his face and all the members of Lero’s family suddenly felt bad for the poor being.

“How could I call myself a man, a human being even, after doing such unspeakable things?” The Lost clenched his fingers together, trying to find words to explain himself.

“It’s like… you know how there are always soldiers whose minds are scarred by the horrors of war, right? Suffering from shell shock and post-traumatic stress. Physically, they’ve been brought back home, safe and sound. But emotionally… mentally, even... they’ll never actually leave the battlefield. You know what I’m talking about?”

Everyone at the table nodded at him. Though there had been no wars in Celestia’s kingdom in any of their lifetimes, they had heard stories about the conflicts in foreign lands. Sometimes Equestria’s allies called upon them for help and so Guard regiments were sent overseas to aid in the fighting. Sometimes not everypony came back.

“I didn’t want that to be me,” The Lost said. “Even on the deepest levels of my subconscious, I was determined not to be that shell-shocked survivor. If I was going to escape to this new world, I wanted to escape completely: body and soul. To dwell upon memories of that hellhole, even for a minute, would be to sink into a quagmire of guilt, terror, rage, bitterness and despair… those memories would have driven me mad.”

He suddenly gave a joyless scoff. “Maybe they have? I mean, you’re all talking to essentially a split personality right now! Maybe I really did go mad!”

Before she realized it, Rainbow put a hoof on his hand. The Lost stiffened at the unexpected contact, but relaxed when he looked into the pegasus’ eyes. There was pity there and remorse. “Thank you,” he mouthed and gave her a small smile. Rainbow smiled back.

“So,” the Lost continued, “Lero put all it away. Out of sight and out of mind. Literally. For the longest while, Lero had no memory of being kept by Her. As far as he was concerned, one day he woke up on planet Earth, went out for a walk, and somehow ended up here, in Equestria.”

“...Her?” said Rarity.

“The one that kept me,” said the Lost. “She took me and… forgive me, but I’d rather not say, princess. Regardless, that is what I am: the part of Lero that remembers living in Her world.”

“So, y’all are… wait what?” said Applejack. “Are ya like one a them ‘skipso friends’?”

“Schizophrenics, AJ,” corrected Twilight.

The Lost shrugged his shoulders. “Maybe,” he admitted. “Maybe I’m something else entirely.”

“But Lero doesn’t know,” said Lyra, finally speaking. “He has no clue you’re there. At least not entirely.”

“What are you talking about, songbird?” asked Rarity.

“He may not know about you, Lost,” said Lyra, “or remember anything that happened to him in that other world, but he knows enough to be afraid.”

The Lost nodded his head. “In spite of my best efforts, some things are just too powerful to stay buried,” he said. “Every now and then, something will remind Lero of his time back there and that fear will come and rear its ugly head.”

Something clicked in Twilight’s head. “Celestia…” she whispered. “Her mane! Whenever you — I mean, Lero — sees Celestia’s mane, he always becomes so afraid…”

Rarity became very still and her eyes glazed over. A scene played out before her from many years ago.

The tall, regal form of Princess Celestia stepped into the room, her pastel-hued mane wafting on a ghostly, ethereal breeze. The winged unicorn was just as tall as Rarity remembered, looming even over Lero's considerable standing height. The human, tall though he was, came up perhaps to the Princess’s chin, though Rarity had never felt that Celestia's presence was particularly overwhelming. She gave the three occupants of the room a kind smile, her light purple eyes gentle. “Ah, good evening, all of you. I understand that the three of you have been put to considerable inconvenience, and I wanted to apologize personally for it.” She gave Lero a sad smile. “Especially to you, Lero. Twilight Sparkle told me that I'd frightened you far more than I intended to, and I am deeply sorry for that.”

“It's quite all right, Lady. I completely understand.” The human's tone was calm, even, and his gaze at the Princess was level and unflinching. Outwardly, he appeared utterly unruffled.

Rarity knew it was a lie. She'd felt his skin chill, actually chill, when Celestia had entered the room. His back, under her sensitive hooves, had actually dropped in temperature, something she'd never known the human to do before. She could also feel tiny, tiny tremors in his body, both against her side, and his leg under her forehoof was so tense that it shivered. He was terrified, and she regarded him with a certain horrified admiration while a chill coiled in her gut. She'd had no idea he could be this brave; the only time she'd been even close to that scared she'd been curled up in a ball on the ground. Lero, by contrast, was speaking so normally that there was almost no indication as to the degree of fear he was feeling, so intense that Rarity doubted he could move. She felt fear begin to grip her; the human's terror was so intense that it was communicating itself to his lover. Rarity was utterly baffled; she had trouble imagining him acting this way, and the example was right there next to her! It was like she was in some strange, horrible dream, where the rules of reality no longer applied.

She shared an unsettled look with Twilight, and saw the same realization on the other unicorn's face.

“The Lady,” she whispered. The Lost’s eyes suddenly went wide and he stared at her. “That is who Celestia reminds you of. The Lady.”

The Lost narrowed his eyes. The look that came over Lero’s face grew especially alien, especially un-Leroish, and Rarity felt herself become very afraid.

“Never. Speak. That. Name.” he warned. “It only attracts her attention.”

Rarity squeaked and nodded her head. The Lost suddenly blinked his eyes, concern quickly etching itself on his face. “Rarity, I-” he tried to reach out but the white unicorn only scooted away. The human cast his eyes downward. “Forgive me. That was uncalled for, Rarity. I-”

“What can you tell us about the copies? The impostor fillies?” said Luna. The change in subject was a welcome one and tension in the room eased somewhat.

“Yeah!” Pinkie Pie spoke up. “Tell us about them phonies that were passin’ themselves off as our sisters!”

The Lost spared one last apologetic glance back at Rarity, then turned to address the table as a whole. “‘Doppelgänger’ is the name that a certain culture back on Earth had for those two,” he said, “some others would’ve called them ‘changelings’.”

“Changelings?!” Twilight gasped. “Are you saying Queen Chrysalis has a hoof in this?!” The very mention of the insectoid parasites brought up many poor memories for the group, and they shifted anxiously in their seats.

“They’re not like Chrysalis’ brood, no,” said the Lost. “It could be argued that these things are worse.”

Twilight gaped at that. How could these things be possibly worse than those monsters? She had had nightmares of buzzing wings, shape shifting monsters, and foul temptresses stealing her herd for months after Shining Armor’s wedding, and she doubted her friends had fared much better than her. Those creatures had managed to take over all of Canterlot in only an hour, incapacitated the entire royal guard, and their queen had even bested Celestia in one-on-one combat!

But then Twilight remembered the descriptions of what happened to Diamond Tiara and the looks on the faces of the families affected by it. And suddenly the changelings didn’t seem so bad compared to the sheer brutality of that day.

“In… in the hellhole-world I escaped from, they are called ‘fetches’,” continued the Lost. “When the natives of that world intend to kidnap someone, they’ll often leave a fetch to replace whoever it is they take.”

Pinkie raised a hoof, as though she were a student in class. “D’ya think they left a fetch of yew when they stole you from that human-world yew came from?”

The Lost paused. “You know… I never thought about it before. But on reflection, it’s very likely they did.” Then he pressed on before contemplations about his-fetch-self-on-Earth could derail his current train of thought.

“Fetches are really just scraps of junk. They’re made of bits of twine and sticks, or cloth, and a few other things. But then some kinda of dark magic is cast on them: magic that changes them into copies of a real person. Memories, mannerisms, heck even their biology will look the same! I’ve heard of fetches that were so well-crafted, even they didn’t realize that they are fakes and proceeded to live out the original kidnapped victim’s life as if nothing happened. A perfect replacement. But once they’re dead and the magic is broken, fetches turn back into sticks and twine and whatever-else they were cobbled from.”

“That explains why the coroner was so confused,” said Lyra. “Apple Bloom’s body suddenly reverted right in front of him. But these things, these fetches that looked like the girls, they were all wrong. They acted like, like ponies without souls. And their behavior was nothing whatsoever like the girls’.”

The Lost nodded his head. “Poorly-crafted fetches can be like that,” he explained. “They can turn mad or violent, becoming sociopaths. Some badly-made fetches just last a few days then die on their own, and to others, it’ll look like an accident or suicide. They usually revert back to their base forms after a few days, sometimes weeks.”

“Well then, all things considered, Apple Bloom’s fetch must’ve been an especially slipshod job,” Spike piped up. “I mean, it turned back to junk after just a couple hours after its death!”

The Lost shrugged. “Maybe this is the first time one of them tried making pony-fetches and they just messed up. Or maybe…” The Lost stopped. ‘Or maybe the fetches couldn’t handle Discord’s bewitchment. The fake memories were at odds with reality.’

“Or maybe what?” asked Spike.

The Lost shook his head. “Never mind. The point is that if the girls were replaced, then it means that they were taken back to the kidnappers’ home world, just as I was.”

“So, ma sister,” breathed Pinkie Pie, “she… she’s alive?”

The Lost looked at her. Pinkie and Applejack were both sharing that same hopeful expression. He wanted to lie. God, he wanted to lie so badly. Just tell them that their sisters were dead and gone and spare them both the horrible truth of the matter. Just let them remember their sisters as who they were, just a bunch of cheerful fillies trying to get their cutie marks. But…

“Maybe,” he said. “There is a very good chance that all three of them are still alive.”

A moment of silence held sway over the library. Both Pinkie and Applejack looked at each other.

“Alive,” whispered Pinkie Pie. “Ma sister’s still alive.”

“Mine too,” said Applejack with the ghost of a smile.

“Scootaloo,” spoke Rarity, bringing a pale hoof to her mouth. “Hang in there, you brave little filly.”

Twilight spoke up, “So where are they then? How do we find out?”

The Lost looked up to Luna. “Where are the other two fetches?”

“Here,” said Luna. “We had them shackled in irons in the basement.”

“In iron?” Luna nodded. The Lost nodded back at her and stood up. “I will see if I can get some answers from them,” he announced, turning to the rest of the group. “In the meantime, I want you all to go to Sugarcube Corner and wait for me there.”

“Wait?!” said Twilight. She reared up and tried to get the Lost to sit back in his seat. “We can’t just wait! I still have so many questions! Who are these beings? What do they want? Why are they here?! What are they even called?!”

The human simply gripped her forehooves in his large hands, fixing her with his icy blue eyes. “They… they are called…” He turned away for a moment, composing himself. When he looked back at Twilight, the scholar couldn’t see Lero anymore; just an alien presence that bored its gaze into her soul.

“They are called The Fae, Twilight,” he said in a low voice. “They are beyond anything any of you have ever faced or even imagined. Not even in your darkest nightmares. They are beyond all reasoning, all understanding, and all morality. They’re your oldest and greatest fears made flesh. And you all should be very, very afraid.”

Twilight dropped back down to all fours and for a moment, she was afraid. They all were. The grown mares suddenly felt like little fillies again, and Spike felt like a true baby again, listening to their parents and grandparents telling them stories of monsters in the woods. Not of timberwolves or manticores or anything like that. The other kind of monsters. The ones that would come for them if they were bad little fillies. Things with too many teeth that would sneak into their rooms or out from under their beds. Suddenly, every shadow in the room could hold a shape in it again, a glowing pair of eyes that would watch them as they slept, waiting to gobble them up like tasty little treats.

For a brief moment, they all remembered to be afraid of the dark again.

“My guards shall escort you all to Sugarcube Corner,” said Luna, and the spell was suddenly broken. They all traded glances and one by one, left the library, leaving Luna and the Lost alone.

“What do you intend to do, Lost?” asked the dark alicorn.

The Lost looked back at her. “I’m going to ask those two things some questions. Odds are in our favor that they know enough about what they really are that they’ll have some useful information.” He began to walk towards the basement door.

“And if they don’t?”

The Lost paused. “You put up a silencing spell around the library, didn’t you, Princess?”

Luna knew where this was going. “Aye, We did.”

“Put one up on the basement too, if you’d please.” He opened the door. The faint sound of clattering chains came up from the basement. “I may be quite loud when I ask them.” He closed the door behind them. A moment later, Luna’s horn glowed and the door shimmered with a silencing spell.

Luna left the library and did not turn back.

Author's Notes:

Well things are getting into gear for our group, aren't they? There were a few references in this chapter. Can you spot them?

Special thanks go to Anonpony DASHIE for permission to use the quote scene from the original story. And of course to Mike Teavee for editing and helping to set up the TvTropes page. Go find it here.

Be sure to leave a comment! What you liked, didn't like, want to see more of in the future. They help me improve my writing and add fuel to my fire.

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Chapter 3: Best Laid Plans of Ponies and Men

If any stranger was to ask, “Where should I go visit in Ponyville?”, any local of the quaint hamlet would reply with a number of answers. “Visit our town hall,” they could say. “Say hello to the Apple Family at Sweet Apple Acres,” another would say. “Go to the market,” another would encourage, “you will always find something good.” A few,the more obscure ponies, would even recommend the town’s clock tower; over a hundred years old, maintained by a kind, yet sometimes eccentric, tan earth pony, it is still a historic landmark.

But no matter who you ask, everypony would eventually say, “Visit Sugarcube Corner.” The unique bakery was one of the most successful businesses in the town, with ponies lining themselves out the door for an opportunity to sample the owners’ fine sweet treats and freshly ground coffee. True, there was a brief stint when their apprentice had a run of… difficulty, which resulted in some very unhappy customers, but the Cakes have been able to maintain the bakery’s reputation of being the place to be. You could come to Sugarcube Corner and always expect to be greeted with a smile from behind the counter.

Except tonight.

Tonight, the small café was a very somber location, which seemed to be a running theme for the whole town that day. The proprietors had long since retired upstairs for the evening, the married couple deciding to spend the night with their two infant foals. Fluttershy had remained downstairs with the rest of her friends and was doing her best to keep a somewhat chipper mood.

“Oh this just awful,” worried Rarity over a cup of café au lait. Her expression was mirrored by the others at the table, mainly Twilight, Lyra, and Rainbow Dash. The four mares stayed close to each other, reassuring one another that their stallion was going to be okay, but at the same time trying hard to believe it themselves. Applejack and Pinkie Pie were sitting together looking rather downtrodden, the loss of their sisters and the prospect of their abductions weighing heavily on them.

Princess Luna sat at the end of the table. She had said very little since she joined the group two hours ago and was content to simply stare down into her tea, which had long since grown cold.

Finally Fluttershy had had enough. All of her friends had turned into grumps and it was high time for her to do something about it!

“An old stallion lived alone in Mustangia,” she began speaking, and the whole table looked over at her in curiosity. “He wanted to plant his annual tomato garden, but it was very difficult work, as the ground was hard. He was a widower who’d outlived all his wives, and his only son, Red Vine, who used to help him, was serving time in prison. The old stallion wrote a letter to his son and described his predicament:

“Dear Red Vine,

I am feeling pretty sad because it looks like I won't be able to plant my tomato garden this year. I'm just getting too old to be digging up a garden plot. I know if you were here my troubles would be over. I know you would be happy to dig the plot for me, like in the old days.

Love, Papa.

“A few days later he received a letter from his son.

Dear Papa,

Don't dig up that garden.

That's where the moonshine is buried.

Love, Vinnie.

“At 4 a.m. the next morning, the Royal Guards and local police arrived and dug up the entire area without finding a single bottle of the illegal hooch. They apologized to the old stallion and left. That same day, the old stallion received another letter from his son.

Dear Papa,

Go ahead and plant the tomatoes now. That's the best I could do under the circumstances.

Love you, Vinnie.”

The alabaster mare stared at Fluttershy, her mouth hanging open. She was joined by several of the others, all simply staring. Fluttershy was afraid that she screwed up again and began to sink down to floor. Lyra was the first to break. A snort escaped her muzzle and several more threatened to join it. Try as she might, she couldn’t keep the flood of snickers contained and soon she was laughing wholeheartedly. Twilight and Rarity joined her then, the sounds of their laughter filling the bakery.

“That, haha, that was,” said Rarity, wiping away a few tears with her hoof. “Oh good heavens, I needed that. Well done, Fluttershy!” Fluttershy beamed at the praise, not bothering to tell the others that it was, in fact, one of Lero’s jokes; tweaked a bit so ponies could appreciate it. Hearing her friends’ laughter had had done more help for herself than it had done for them.

In truth, the canary pegasus was just as haggard as her companions. She had spent the entire evening being bombarded by questions from three panicking families, all asking a hundred variations of the same question: what was going on? Fluttershy, of course, had been at a total loss.

The baker's day had started out just as any other. She had awoken early to help the Cakes in the kitchen before going to the park to for her comedy lessons. Fluttershy was more than a little disappointed when only Twilight and Lyra had shown up.

"Lero's, um, gone out apparently," Twilight had said.

While she wasn't the smartest pegasus in Ponyville, Fluttershy had noticed the unicorn's worried tone and sad expression. She recalled the sudden, borderline dire, urge to do anything to make her friend smile.

Lyra had been quick to chime in. "But just because he's not here doesn't mean we're gonna quit," she had said with a small smile. "Take it from me, a missed day of practice is a week's worth of catching up."

Fluttershy had nodded with a chipper smile and the lesson proceeded as usual, with Twilight's very academic and structured approach always balanced by Lyra's fluid and carefree attitude. By early afternoon, the little group had gone their separate ways and Fluttershy had returned to the bakery.

Things had remained quiet until the late afternoon when she heard the Cakes whispering fearfully by the back door.

"I can't believe it," said Carrot. "Those three girls have always been so well-behaved, at least around here."

"I know, pudding," said Cup, "but I had just heard it from Flitter. Rose too!"

"So you know it must be just a rumor then! That mare is always exaggerating things, her and her sisters. They had probably heard something else entirely and have just blown things completely out of proportion, as usual." The skinny stallion put a hoof on his wife's shoulder. "You'll see. Those three probably finally got tired of Diamond's teasing and gave her a good shove. This whole thing is just that hoity-toity Canterlot mother of hers overreacting."

"Oh, you're right, dumpling," said Cup with a sigh. "Afterall, this is Apple Bloom and her friends we're talking about. They couldn't hurt anypony. Right?"

Carrot had kissed his wife's forehead and gave her a warm, "Of course not, sugarplum."

Since her banishment from the café's front several weeks ago, Fluttershy hadn't been quite on the up-and-up of town gossip as she had once been. But soon enough, even she had started to hear all the horrible things. Then, by sundown, just as the Cakes were getting ready to close the shop, the door burst open and in poured a small angry mob, all fixated on Fluttershy.

Granny Smith, Magnum and Pearl, and Quickfix had quickly rushed the counter, with Quickfix at the forefront of the group, and assaulted the stunned pegasus with a barrage of questions.

“Just give me a straight answer, Fluttershy!” the pegasus mother had screamed. “I know you Elements are thick as thieves! You do everything together!”

“Well, um,” Fluttershy had whispered from behind the counter. She had lowered herself to the floor in a vain attempt to make herself seem like a smaller target. “We, um, admittedly haven’t been quite as thick lately, though we’re still the best of-”

“Don’t dodge the question! What’s going on around here?! Why has my daughter been acting like a psychopath?! Why did Twilight collapse back at the schoolhouse?! Where did my daughter run off too?! Why are a bunch of Night Guards posted outside of the Library?! WHY WON’T ANYPONY TELL ME WHAT’S GOING ON?!?!”

“That’s quite enough, Ms. Quickfix!” All eyes suddenly turned to the door, where the other Elements of Harmony had entered the small bakery, with Rarity at the head of the group.

“You!” Quickfix closed the distance between the two groups with a single flap of her wings. “You are going to tell me what I want to know right now or so help me, I’ll-”

“We would greatly appreciate you, Dame Quickfix, if thou were to not assault the Lady Rarity,” came a calm and regal voice. Quickfix’s eyes widened and she instinctively dropped into a kneeling position, as did the other families.

Luna raised a hoof and the group rose. “We understand, thy distress and consternation, good ponies,” she had said. “We know that thy hearts art filled with despair and worry, but, pray, heap not thy frustrations upon dear Fluttershy. For she hath naught to do with this day’s events. Instead, thou must find strength for the days to come.”

“Princess,” said Pearl. The plump unicorn mare had hesitantly stepped before the dark alicorn. “What happened to my little girl? Why did Sweetie run from us?”

“All shall be revealed on the morn, good mother,” said Luna as she gently laid a downy wing on the pink mare. “Know that Our best ponies art on the prowl. Thine questions shalt be laid to rest.”

And that had been the end of it. Since it was clear nothing more could be coaxed from the Princess, Magnum had graciously escorted Granny Smith back to her home on the farm, while Quickfix made her own way home, Pearl at her side. This left the Element Bearers and the Princess to wait in the café, where the evening’s extraordinary events had been laid before Fluttershy.

The beating at the schoolhouse, the chase through the town, the revelation of the fetches, the abduction of the Crusaders by the creatures called the Fae.

But it was the existence of The Lost that seemed to shake the group the most.

Fluttershy simply didn’t believe it at first, when she’d heard it. Oh sure, evil creatures beyond all rational thought that lived in a parallel universe and were committed to the enslavement of mortals for their own amusement, that she could believe.

“But Lero?” she had scoffed. “And he killed Apple Bloom?” Fluttershy had given Twilight a tense look. “This… This is a joke, right? You are all trying to teach me a new type of joke. ...Right?”

The cold silence was all the answer she had received.

Hours later, they were all still sitting around Sugar Cube Corner, trading uneasy conversation, as though awaiting the outcome of a high-risk surgery for a friend. Otherwise, the only sounds in the café were the oppressive tick-tock of the clock or the intermittent sigh from one of the mares.

Just as the clock on the wall struck ten o’clock, the bell above the front door gave a cheery ring and everyone turned to the entrance. Lero was standing there, with one hand gripping the doorframe, his other hand on his knee. The mares held their breaths as he looked up... and beheld them with hazel eyes.

"...Girls?" he breathed.

Lero made it all of two steps into the bakery before he was lifted up in a threeway telekinetic grip and pulled into a smothering group of mares.

“Lero!” said Rarity as she showered him in kisses. “Oh my darling sweet prince, you’re back!”

Lero wrapped both his arms around the white unicorn. “Never left, princess,” he said and planted a kiss on her lips.

“What happened?” asked Twilight anxiously. “Did you learn anything?”

Lero furrowed his brow and closed his eyes. “Yes,” he said, “I think? I mean…” The human took a deep breath. “I mean he learned something.” This brought any previous good mood in the room to a sudden and rather fiery end.

“What do you mean?” asked Twilight.

“I... don’t really know how to explain it, Twilight,” said Lero uncomfortably. He was led to their table and took a seat, his large frame looking almost comical in the small pony-sized chairs. “It… it’s like I know these things now, but I don’t remember finding out about any of them. Like I learned facts from a book but I can’t ever remember reading the book in the first place.”

“Fascinating,” said Twilight. Her eyes took on that hungry shine whenever there was something new to learn. “Let me ask you something, Lero… you mentioned ‘he’ learned something. Would you mind telling me just how much awareness you have of this alter ego of yours? This ‘Lost’ person? Are there blackouts? Or are you ‘awake,’ even when he takes control? What’s your relationship with him? Is it a partnership? Is it like passenger and driver, where one can watch and talk to the other while he’s controlling the vehicle? Or is it like a changing of the guard? Like... you take the day shift and he has the night shift, and you only see each other fleetingly when you make the switch?”

Lero shifted uncomfortably under Twilight’s hail of questions. He was about to respond when-

The smell of earth, wood, and oils invaded his nose along the smell of burning hair with a faint, coppery scent. The things in front of him were shouting, pleading, begging for him to take off the irons.

“Please!” one cried out. “We don’t kno-”

“LIAR!!” he bellowed. He brought his hand down again and-

Lero’s forearm twitched. It was so subtle that almost no one else present noticed it save for one. Lyra, ever the observant one, took note of the spasm. Her eyes drifted down his arms, fixing on the bandages now wrapped around his hands. They were bloodied and torn around the knuckles, as if-

“Just impressions, I think,” said Lero as he forced down the contents of his stomach. “I think it’s like… two people trying to write in the same book on the same subject, but one author only has the other’s notes to go off of. He has all the information and just leaves me with what I need to know.”

Twilight stared wide-eyed. While she had no formal training in the many fields of psychology, she felt like she had just struck an academic gold mine. The things the professors in Canterlot and Manehattan could glean from all this! It was a treasure trove of information!

“Oh darling,” said Rarity, leaning her neck against the human’s. “Oh this must simply be dreadful for you.”

Lero returned the gesture. “It’s no walk in the park, I can say that, Rarity.”

Rarity planted a gentle kiss on his lips. “We’re here for you. You know that, right?”

Twilight was suddenly snapped out of her thoughts and felt a great wave of shame. She’d done it again: she’d blithely indulged herself in some self-gratifying academic thought experiment, not caring about how it would affect the feelings of those around her, only the pursuit of knowledge. She leaned into Lero as well, wrapping her slender forearms around his chest and resting her head under his chin.

“Yes,” she said, “all of us are here.” She saw Lyra give her a whisper of a smile out of the corner of her eye. The mint unicorn had read her thoughts perfectly yet again in that strange way she had always done.

The little group quietly held onto each other for a little while longer before a smooth and cultured voice broke the silence. “Lero,” said Princess Luna from her seat at the table. “We would like to know what information has been left for you. All of us would.”

The human nodded his head and took a seat at the opposite head of the table, joining the remaining group. “From what The Lost was able to find out,” he began, “the real Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle were abducted almost four days ago.”

“Four days?!” shouted Pinkie Pie. “Y’all mean ta tell me, that imposta’s been livin’ on ma farm fer four days an’ Ah ain’t known it?!”

“Wait,” said Rarity, “I remember now. I ran into those three at the market on Saturday morning, they were so exuberant and excited...”

“Oh, yes, that’s right,” chimed in Fluttershy. “They stopped by here too… that was the last time I can remember them acting like their sweet old selves! I remember because Mrs. Cake was upstairs taking care of Pound and Pumpkin and Mr. Cake said he needed help at the counter but I said, ‘But I’m not allowed to be at the counter!’ cause I’m not, not since that time I put dirt in the coffee as part of a joke because I wanted ponies to laugh but they didn’t and Mr. Cake said I wasn’t allow-”

“Fluttershy, darling?” Rarity interrupted.

“Oh, right, I’m so sorry,” said the pegasus. “Um, well, I saw the girls come in and they sat over there.” She pointed to a low table in the corner. “They stayed a while then left to go crusading, um, at least I think so.”

“But where?” said Rarity. Twilight’s horn shined and map of the Ponyville and the surrounding province materialized in the air and unrolled itself on the table. A pencil came into existence next.

“Okay, so,” said Twilight, “What time did you see them, Fluttershy?”

“Um, well,” said Fluttershy, “I had just got done making tea for Doctor Whooves and giving Derpy a blueberry muffin and a mint-flavored, sugar-free, double non-fat latte for Colgate… so 8:30? Maybe?”

Twilight circled Sugarcube Corner and wrote down ‘8:30’ next to it. “And when did you see them, Rarity?”

“Shortly afterwards, Twilight,” said Rarity. “8:50, I think it might’ve been.”

Twilight made another note by the marketplace. “Who saw them next?”

“Ah did,” said Pinkie Pie, “Saw ‘em through the window down at Sweet Apple Acres. Them three girls came ta the front porch together, then Apple Bloom came inside alone, while Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo left, prolly ta go to their own homes. But all this t’weren’t ‘til suppertime, which was about around eight, Ah think. Ah was so tuckered by the end o’ the day, Ah jest ate an’ went ta bed.”

“And did you notice anything unusual about Apple Bloom’s behavior?”

“Nope, she was pretty quiet. She jest… sat there…” Pinkie’s eye went wide as the sudden realization dawned on her. “Oh mah stars. It weren’t her, was it?” Rainbow Dash placed a reassuring hoof on her friend’s shoulder.

Twilight simply nodded her head before her pencil circled the farmhouse and wrote “confirmed replaced” next to it. “So,” she said. “We now have a window. From between 8:50 a.m. to 8 p.m. last Saturday, the girls were taken. But the real mystery is where? And when?”

They group sat quietly for a moment before Rarity spoke up. “When they passed by me in the market I heard talking something about… oh what was it? ‘Oceans?’”

‘Oceans? That’s strange. Then again,’ Twilight reasoned, the Cutie Mark Crusaders get involved into so many different things, it was only a matter of time before they developed an interest in oceans. Did they head towards the creek? Maybe the pond. No, wait...’

“Did you see where they were going?” she asked Rarity.

“Well, let’s see. I had just picked up some broccoli from Green Fuzz and was on my way to see Mary Belle about some cream…”

“Mary Belle?” asked Lero.

“The cow, darling,” said Rarity. “You’ve seen her a few times.”

Twilight conjured a mental map of the marketplace. The stall Green Fuzz and the other vegetable farmers used was on the east side of market. If Rarity was walking from there towards the central area where she knew the cow sold her products and she’d pass the girls walking in the opposite direction, then they would have been going east towards the edge of town.

Twilight suddenly connected all of the dots. “Not ‘oceans’. ‘Potions’! They went to see Zecora!”

“No doubt tryin’ ta get their cutie marks again,” said Applejack. Her eye suddenly twitched. “But that does make me think. What if Ah got Zecora to git me a bunch o’ leaves an’ things from the forest! Can y’all just imagine it? ‘All Natural Clothing!’ Ya never have ta throw it out, it jests dries up on ya!” The three diamonds on her flank were twitching and the poor mare began to fidget, her eyes taking on a somewhat — make that very — crazed look. “Palm skirts, vine straps, bark jewelry! Oh, Ah’ll take Manehattan by storm again!”

A firm hand clamped on the fashionista’s shoulder, bringing her out of visions of green and brown dresses and grounded her once more in reality.

“Those are all very interesting ideas, Applejack,” said Lero in a calm and gentle voice, “and you can ask Zecora about all that after. I’m sure Sweetie Belle would love to help you make those dresses.”

“Sweetie Belle?” whispered Applejack. The diamonds stopped twitching and the orange mare sat still again. “Ye-ye’re right, Lero. We need ta get them back. The girls first, the runway later.”

Lero gave her a pat on the shoulder and did his best to ignore the death glare Spike was giving him. Twilight shot Spike a reprimanding glare of her own before marking down a spot in the Everfree with a large question mark.

“So they went to Zecora’s hut,” she said. “Now still leaves us with about eleven hours, since we can’t be sure if they ever made it there or not until we can ask Zecora herself. But it wouldn’t take more than a half hour to reach her hut, so maybe-”

“Can you tell Us of the surrounding area, Twilight Sparkle?” interrupted Luna.

Twilight looked up, almost having forgotten the Night Diarch’s presence at the table. “Well, the Everfree Forest mainly covers the southeastern border to Ponyville, Princess, with a large rock quarry to the east. Zecora has made her home in the forest between the river and the quarry.”

“So then can it be safe to assume that the fillies had disappeared somewhere along this pathway?”

“Unlikely,” said Lero offhandedly. He suddenly became aware of all the eyes on him and shifted uncomfortably in the low seat. “There are… things that lure their prey to them. They lure travelers off of the beaten pathways and deeper into the forests.” He shuddered at a fleeting memory. “That is where they take them. In the old places. The Old Forests.”

Lero clenched his fist. It was like every Grimm fairy tale he had ever heard of and read was now a tale of very real caution. Stories of travelers and children who would wander too close to the woods and away from their parents. Stories of things that would draw men at sea to rocky shores with promise of fair company. Of mad women under full moons that danced in glens, drunk on wine. Of flickering lights in the dark and whispers on the wind, of things with glowing eyes and gnashing teeth and thorns and thorns and thorns and-

Lero’s back was a bloody ruin as he was being dragged along the forest floor. The thorns had shredded his T-shirt and had raked long, bloody trails on his back, neck and upper arms. The thing that was dragging him was huge, with hide that shifted and groaned like old wood in a storm. The massive, gnarled fist held him by his feet as its own lumbering footsteps sounded off in front. Lero could barely make out the sunlight as it strove to penetrate the canopy above but any movement he made on his part to better see his surroundings only caused more cuts, more pain.

There were things crawling over him, flittering in the air above him and around his captor on insect wings. One landed on top of his face. It pulled at his beard with tiny hands, snapped at his skin with disgusting mandibles. It eyed him hungrily with its horrible and misshapen half-face.

It spoke, its voice garbled, unsuited to be coming out of that orifice but doing so anyways. “New meat! New meat!” it cried. The words were taken up by its brethren.

“New meat,” they chanted. “New Meat!”

And then they descended on him, ripping his clothes, scratching him with tiny razors, pulling at him, trying to force open a way for them to crawl into. He couldn’t remember the last time he had screamed so much.

A bellow from the big thing scattered the swarm. “No… touch… this… one…” it spoke in a deep, resonating rasp. “Lady… wants… this… one…” The thing then picked up Lero. It stared at him with vacant and unitelligent eyes. The other hand reached for him and-

“Big guy!” cried Rainbow Dash.

Lero remembered to breathe again.

“I’m okay,” he said shakily. Sweat trickled down from his brow. He looked down at his closed fist. The wounds on his hand had reopened and had stained the bandages. He unclenched his fist with great effort though the hand still trembled. “I’m okay.”

Luna gazed at him. Whether it was with caution or pity, only she could tell. She turned to Twilight.

“If they were indeed lured from the path, then they would have had to been traversing through rough wood, correct?”

Twilight hesitated between her worry for Lero and answering the princess for a moment. “I… yes,” she finally said. “Yes, they would.” Her eyes darted back and forth in contemplation. “And that means they wouldn’t have been able to get very far.”

Her horn flashed again and a compass appeared. “If we assume the average walking speed of an average adult pony, reduce it by a third, it should give us the speed of an average filly. Granted, these are three very active fillies, so they may be faster that most, but they will not have been in any hurry to go to or come back from Zecora’s.”

Twilight placed the compass in the center of the path between the question mark and Ponyville’s forest line.

“Trying to navigate a forest, from any point of view, is always slow going, so if we factor in the time they entered the forest, we can figure when they would have exited to go to Sweet Apple Acres…” She adjusted the compass, giving the device a smaller radius. Starting from the center of the path she traced several circles outward, covering a portion of the forest’s northern region.

“Princess Luna,” she said. “Can you tell us where you felt the strange magic?”

Luna nodded once. “Indeed, Twilight Sparkle,” said the alicorn. She took the pencil in her own magical grasp. “T’was here.”

She circled the furthest eastern border, encompassing a portion of the quarry.

“I had my Night Guard scout the quarry, though they found no evidence of foul play or any sort of entrance. And it has been many years since fair-” she hesitated only a moment. “Since fair Applejack had her run-in with the Diamond Dogs. My sister’s watch ponies have reported no further trouble with them since then, so their tunnels are most likely long abandoned.”

Twilight nodded her head. She recalled the loose and gravelly ground that composed the quarry from her brief adventure into the tunnels. The earth surrounding them could have been dug out with ease but would not have lasted very long; a single, torrential rainstorm would have been enough to flood and collapse the entire network. And there had been several such storms in the past years. That meant that the quarry would have been an unlikely destination.

“Then that means...” Twilight took the pencil and circled the relatively small overlap between her calculations and Luna’s own markings. “Here. This is the most likely place they were taken.”

Luna allowed herself the faintest smile. ‘I commend you, Tia,’ she thought to herself. ‘You have always recognized genius. I wonder, though. Could she truly be the one?’

“That’s still a big area,” commented Lero. “A few square miles of pretty dense forestland.”

“I don’t think we could search the whole thing in any kind of reasonable timeframe,” said Lyra, “even by air. It would take the guard days to find anything.”

“They wouldn’t anyways,” said Lero. “If the girls have been gone for this long… they are well into the Hedge by now.”

“The Hedge?” asked Twilight.

“It’s…a space, I guess,” said Lero. “Not really a proper place. More like a barrier but bigger. The one that exists between our world and…” Lero trailed off for a moment.

“Can you tell us anything else that your other self learned?” asked Luna. Lero nodded.

“The one that took them was something called ‘The Silken Harpist’.” He closed his eyes in concentration. There was something there, at the edge of his memory.

“I cannot say which Faelord she belongs too, if she does at all.”

The memory was gone in an instant. Lero turned back to the others. “The impostors also mentioned another name: ‘The Dollmaker.’”

“So now we have a location to look into and, more importantly, names to investigate,” said Luna. The alicorn thought for a moment, then looked up at the human. “You have been through this ‘Hedge,’ then, Sir Michaelides.” It was not so much a question, but a statement of fact.

Lero nodded his head. “Yes,” he said quietly. “It is how I was taken there. And how I escaped.”

“Then thou shalt lead Us through the Hedge, Sir Bellerophon,” Luna proclaimed.

Lero stared dumbfounded. He could have sworn he had heard Luna, the Princess of the Night, Mistress of the Moon, and Diarch of Equestria, just spew a load of crap out her mouth.

“The hell did you just say?”

“That thou shalt lead Us into the realm beyond the Hedge,” responded the Princess, who was at that moment ignoring all of the looks that the other Elements were giving her, as if she had just declared that King Sombra was the father of her offspring (a theory many now forgotten scholars had postulated before their sudden disappearances). “I intend to travel through this Hedge, retrieve the three kidnapped fillies, and teach a most harsh lesson to whatever creature was foolish enough to trespass into Our kingdom to steal them.”

Silence reigned supreme. Until Lord Lero of Earth challenged its right to rule with all the suave tact befitting a noble aristocrat.

“Are you out of your FUCKING mind?!”

The table gasped. Not even when faced of the prospect of having to reform Discord did any of them stoop to using such words in front of Celestia. They may have been thinking it, (rather loudly in a few cases,) but they would sooner risk an Ursa than voicing such thoughts aloud.

As such, Rarity was rather quick on the uptake. “Lero!” she shouted and gave her stallion a swift hoof to the shoulder. “Language! Manners!”

“Ow! Well I’m sorry, Rarity, but I think it is called for here! She just asked me to lead her on a suicide run! We’ll BOTH be killed! Or worse!!”

“But what about-” started Pinkie Pie.

“No!” shouted Lero. He stood up so quickly that his chair went flying backwards and clattered to the floor. “Absolutely not! None of you have any idea what I had to go through to escape that horrible place! None!”

“Er, well neither do you, sugarcube,” Pinkie pointed out.

“Exactly! I drove myself certifiably bat-shit insane to get away from there! To forget! And now?” He allowed himself a harsh laugh. “Now you want me to go back?!”

“Lero, please,” said Twilight. “Just listen-”

“No, Twilight, you listen, for once!” Lero knelt down until he was level with the unicorn. “This wouldn’t be just some jaunt into the Everfree to get the Elements. It won’t be some half-mad spirit of chaos, some power-hungry bug queen or a disembodied tyrant! This place is a living nightmare. Nothing is as it should be. Nothing makes sense. The are things out there that make everything you have ever heard of seem like one of Dash’s cute little animals! After she tamed them!

"There are things that hunt you, that want to take you, change you, twist you, make you do things you would never do, become things that you could never imagine, turn you into some kind of creature that makes you want to beg just to be put of out your misery, but they won’t because it’s all just for their whim! You exist because they allow it and are thrown away like an old toy when they deem it! They have powers stretching over entire realms, that have control over reality like a child with a playset... like an author has over his surreal horror-fantasy novel... bending and twisting the realms they rule to fit their every petty whim! They are beyond everything we are!”

“And you would invite them here? To Equestria?” Luna’s voice was cool and smooth as glass; it shocked Lero out of his mad ramblings. He was breathing harshly and had tears running down his face.

“Wha…?” he turned to the crowd. Everypony wore a similar look of fear. Pinkie and Applejack were holding onto each other. Rarity stared at him in horror, a pale hoof covering her mouth as tears spilled down her cheeks. Lyra, always so stoic and quick to grin and joke, genuinely looked unnerved. Rainbow Dash was trembling on the spot, her body curled into a tight ball as she shivered. He looked back down to Twilight and he felt his heart break.

She looked up at him and she was afraid. Not just of what he was saying. But of him. She was afraid of him.

And in that moment, he despised himself.

“I-” he tried to say.

“Because that is exactly what you would be doing, Sir Bellerophon,” continued Luna. “To allow this incursion to go unopposed would be tantamount to letting them into our very homes. It would send a message that we are weak, that they may do with our lands and our little ponies as they wish.” Luna stood from her chair and walked around the table until she was inches away from the human.

“So let me tell you this, human: I will not allow some foul abominations to enter into my home and snatch my subjects away to become their playthings! Least of all, the sisters of the mares who saved me from my own darkness!”

Here, she gave very deep and grateful nods, first to Applejack, then Pinkie Pie, then a quick half-nod at Rarity.

“I will go into their lands, into the heart of their power, and make them know that Equestria is off-limits to their schemes! They will know to fear Us and Our power! I will send them a message, one that will last a thousand of their lifetimes, that they may never trespass into Our kingdom and that no incursion of theirs shall ever go unpunished!”

Lero stumbled away, his heart pounding so hard that it threatened to burst from his chest. He turned away covered his mouth and forced his breathing to slow.

‘She’s right,’ he thought to himself. ‘God help me, she’s right. They won’t stop. They never will. Earth had been cursed with them for as long as humans walked its surface. They shaped our legends, our myths and cultures. They made us afraid.’ He glanced back at the table, his friends, his lovers. ‘What kind of man am I if I can’t protect them? I promised...’ Lero’s hand drifted to his head, just behind his left ear. Her felt the two feathers braided in his hair.

Rainbow Dash had given him one years ago. It was a sign of her love, her commitment to him. It was a little piece of her soul that she decided to share with him, one that would last forever.

Lero closed his eyes and felt fresh tears build up.

Since the Swap, Rarity had begun seeing that feather as a white flower, one that she gave him instead of Rainbow. And even though he had held no feelings for the white mare in the beginning, he had fallen in love with her, heart and soul. And now, just a few days ago, Rainbow Dash had given him another of her feathers. Lero and the other girls in his herd took it as sign that they were bound by more than just love. They were all bound by fate.

He loved Rarity.

He loved Twilight.

He loved Lyra.

And he loved Rainbow Dash.

They were his wives. His lovers. His family. And he would move Heaven and Earth to protect them all.

‘Whatever kind of man I may be, that is the man I choose to be.’

“Alright,” he said with determination. “Alright, Princess. I’ll take you there. And you and I… we’ll find those three girls together.”

Luna breathed a sigh of relief. Her eyes softened and then it was her turn to surprise everyone in the room. The dark alicorn wrapped Lero in her soft wings and placed a soft kiss on his cheek. “Thank you,” she whispered, though everyone else heard. “Thank you, my brave, dear friend. You are more noble that the whole of Canterlot.” Luna rested her chin on his shoulder as Lero returned the hug.

“You give me too much credit, Princess,” he said with a small smile.

The alicorn eventually pulled away and offered the shaken human her most sincere smile. “True bravery is not about being fearless, my friend. It is about moving forward in spite of those fears.” Luna gently placed a silver clad hoof on Lero’s chest. “And this heart of yours overflows in such bravery. In all my long lifetime, I have only known a few who were so.”

Lero put his hand over her hoof, feeling the cool silver on his palm. “Thank you, Your Highness,” he whispered. The alicorn’s teal eyes sparkled.

A gentle cough brought the pair back to reality. “Not to interrupt, darlings,” said Rarity, who held a tiny twinkle in her eyes, “but I suppose we will be needing to make plans now, won’t we?”

“‘We’?” Lero repeated. He suddenly had a sinking feeling in his gut.

“Well, you can’t expect I’m just going to let the two of you go gallivanting off to who-knows-where by yourselves.” She took a dainty sip from her cup. She regarded Lero’s dumbstruck look and rolled her eyes. “Oh, come now, my prince, do I really need to spell it out for you? I’m coming too.”

Twilight would later think back on this moment and realize the strange sound she heard at that moment was that of whatever contraption that served as Lero’s brain stripping its gears.

“Bwha?” her stallion said.

“I’m going too,” Twilight announced. Lero turned to her. Twilight was convinced he had completely unhinged his jaw at this point. “I’m not passing this up, Lero. I’ve never been one to back down from a threat to Equestria and I’m not going to start now.”

Lero couldn’t believe what he was hearing. He turned to Lyra. Surely the most level-headed of all his mares would see the sheer insanity in trying to-

“Sorry, Fingers,” the mint unicorn said with her trademark smirk. “Looks like you’re stuck with us.”

Lero’s face remained a study in stupefaction for several moments, to the point where Twilight was starting to genuinely beginning to worry for his mental well-being (as if the long-repressed, alien presence of The Lost wasn’t enough). Finally, Lero grew a scowl on his face and furrowed his eyebrows.

“No,” he said with determination. “Absolutely not!”

“Lero, please,” said Twilight, “you two can’t do this alone! Princess Luna may be very powerful but-”

“The answer is still no, Twilight! I can’t risk losing you! Any of you!”

“Lero, be reasonable,” Lyra pleaded. “Only a fool goes off on a venture like this, all half-cocked without any kind of support.”

“Well, call the two of us fools then, Lyra-”

“Viceroy!” exclaimed Luna, who did not relish having her intelligence impugned.

“-because there is no way in HELL I am letting any of you join me for this one!”

“Lero-”

“I said NO, Twilight! I- As stallion of this herd, I FORBID it and that is fin-”

“Bellerophon Tiberius Michaelides!” shouted Rarity, who projected her voice in a way that gave even Luna pause.

It was a widely known fact among pretty much every sapient creature (and several animals) across the realities, that being called by one’s full name, especially in that tone and especially by one’s wife, was among the single most terrifying experiences one could have this side of an iron maiden.

Lero’s survival instincts took over. His jaw instantly snapped shut, almost taking his tongue off in the process. He didn’t dare flinch as the pale mare’s sapphire eyes bored into him. He could almost physically feel his dignity as it was stripped off his being.

‘How did she know my middle name?!’ he barely had time to wonder to himself. ‘I’ve never told anyone my middle name since coming to this world! Not once! Not even Rainbow Dash before the Swap!’

“If you think, for one bucking second,” Rarity seethed, as she started to stalk towards him like some kind of predator, “that I am going to allow you to go off and fight those creatures alone, even with a demi-goddess at your side, and put this herd’s future in jeopardy, then you have another thing coming, mister!” She punctuated her statement by rearing up and firmly jabbing her hoof square in his chest. Lero stumbled backwards and landed on his rear.

Anger flared in his eyes, even as he looked up at Rarity from where he sat on the floor. “Me jeopardize the herd?!” he yelled and pointed an accusing finger at his lead mare. “You’re the ones who want to join me on this little suicide mission! If anything happens to you girls-”

“So what, you think that gives you permission to go yourself?! I can’t lose you, Lero! Not again!”

Lero’s eyes went wide and any retort died on his lips. Rarity suddenly had tears in her eyes. “That night over Bramblewood, when I saw you fall, when I had seen what that horrid spider did to you, I-” She sobbed and buried her head in Lero’s chest. Lero felt the dampness creep through his shirt. “It- it the most horrifying thing I had ever faced. More than facing Discord, Chrysalis, and even Sombra, the prospect of losing you... I almost didn’t make it in time, and now you’re asking me to not be there for you at all?!”

Rarity wrapped her forelegs around her stallion. “I can’t go through that, not again, Lero,” she whispered. “We survived that ordeal together. We are a herd, Lero.” Lero suddenly became aware of two other bodies pressing up against him as both Twilight and Lyra took up both his sides.

“We stick together,” said Twilight.

“Through everything,” added Lyra.

Rarity looked up into his eyes. The sadness had been drained from her, leaving only pure love. “To love you and cherish you, to have you and to hold you, in sickness and in health, in good times and in bad. For the rest of my days, I will be beside you, both in body and in spirit, and I will honor, respect, and love you, until death parts us.” She looked past Lero, smiling at her herd-sisters. “All of us will.”

Lero’s breath hitched in his throat and he felt tears of his own. He reached up and held Rarity’s cheek. “You realize,” he said, swallowing a lump forming in his throat, “that this will be extremely dangerous.”

“We know,” said Rarity.

“You’ve never faced anything like this before.”

“We never faced anything like our other challenges either,” said Twilight.

“This will probably be a one-way trip.”

“Now you’re just making this sound fun,” said Lyra.

Lero and the others laughed quietly. In truth, Lyra was just as scared, but the Still Way had taught her control. It had taught her discipline, but to also bend and shift like the willow tree in the wind. Her fear would pass over her like water over a stone.

At last, Lero sighed. “Alright, I surrender,” he said. “I know better than try and argue with my girls when I’ve already lost.”

Rarity planted a quick kiss on his lips. “And that is why we love you, my sweet prince,” she said and then rested her forehead against his.

“...I,” came a quiet voice.

The group looked up and saw Rainbow Dash looking back at them. Rainbow had been quietly crying. She didn’t know why but the words Rarity had spoken… those beautiful words… they resonated with her so powerfully. Somewhere, deep in her core, buried under the fears and insecurities, something woke up inside her. Dash realized what those words meant.

It was a promise. One made among that strange little herd, one that signified their devotion to one another, their complete and total commitment to love and protect one another.

In that moment, Rainbow Dash wanted to be a part of those words more than anything in the world.

She stood tall with her chest puffed out, her lithe and athletic body posed in a brave stance. “I’m coming too,” she said. Lero opened his mouth to argue but Dash silenced him with a raised hoof. “Don’t try and talk me out of it, Lero. Every reason Rarity just gave is a reason for me to go too. I… I love you, Lero. And after all you have done to help me these past few months, I wouldn’t be able to face myself in the mirror anymore if it meant bailing on you when you needed all the help you could get. Besides.” Rainbow sat down with a swish of her tail. “I promised you, didn’t I? The day Lyra came home?”

Lero raised his eyebrows, the memory of that day clear to him. When Lyra had first returned from her long sabbatical, and described her adventures with the other Grandmasters, she had talked about facing groups of demon-like creatures that had come through a portal on a small island. Aardvark Island… yes, that had been its name.

That conversation had caused him no small amounts of stress, as impressions and feelings of the Fae had caused him to nearly have a fit. It had been Rainbow Dash that had brought him back down to reality with her suddenly firm promise: “We won’t let them take you! If... if some big meanie tried to steal you away to hurt you, I... I wouldn’t let them! I’d stop them!”

Lero smiled warmly at the memory. He reached out Rainbow and ran his hand through her hair, letting his knuckles rub her behind her ear. “You are still awesome, Dash.” He leaned forward and kissed the pegasus. Dash’s eyes widened at first, then closed as she too leaned in and returned the kiss.

Rarity, Twilight, and Lyra all shared the same smile as they watched their stallion and potential herd sister. For Rarity, it was a welcome sign of her stallion branching out, becoming more comfortable with Equestrian customs. For the other two, it was hope; hope that, one day soon, their herd could be made whole again. That their wayward sister would be fully returned to them. It felt like such a close thing, these days...

But for now, they would all have to be put to the test. And it was Princess Luna that brought cold and cruel reality back into focus. “Then it is settled,” declared the dark alicorn. She spread her wings and raised herself to her full regal height.

“Herd Bellerophon, We, Princess Luna, Diarch of Equestria, Mistress of the Moon, Guardian of the Night, Dream Warden for the Peoples of Equestria, do hereby charge you all with this quest: to accompany Us into the Hedge to rescue the fillies known as the Cutie Mark Crusaders, to return them to the safety of their families, and to ensure the safety of Equestria from the forces that dwell beyond. Do you accept this task, good mares and stallion?”

“Yes, Your Highness,” answered Lero, speaking for them all. As the five of them kneeled before the diarch, a strange sense of déjà vu fell over Lero for a moment.

“Then go and rest,” said Luna. “The morrow shall be a day of preparations for us all. I must away to Canterlot and make arrangements with my sister. On the second morning, at nine-of-the-clock, we shall all gather at the edge of the Everfree and venture forth on our task.” Luna walked to the entrance, her guards saluting her as she approached. She cast one last look back the small gathering. “Rest well, all of you.” She offered a smile and gave a quick wink.

And then she was gone, leaving the Elements and company alone in the empty café.

The roads home were long that night. For everyone. Pinkie had been escorted back to Sweet Apple Acres by one of the night guards that had remained behind, one Sergeant Night Shade. He was older than most of his brethren in the Guard, with piercing golden eyes that glowed in the pale moonlight. The sergeant had volunteered to lead the farm mare safely home, partially out of a sense of chivalry, but mostly under the orders of Princess Luna.

The princess had hinted that there may be extra perils along the country roads that night, but had been vague as to what they might be.

Regardless, the sergeant had approached Pinkie as the group left Sugarcube Corner and offered her his protection. Pinkie nodded and the two left with a short goodbye into the coolness of the autumn night.

Applejack had left for her boutique, still muttering to herself about radical new designs. “Skirts made from spider’s silk...” the fallen fashionista mumbled, “jewelry from bird claws… Can Rainbow spare a few of her friends?” Another member of the Guard quietly walked beside Applejack. Whatever his opinion on her designs were, only he could say.

This left Herd Bellerophon to walk back to the Golden Oaks Library. Two thestrals joined them, each on either side of the small group. No words were spoken as the weight of the day’s events had finally caught up with them. Spike rode on Twilight’s back, already curled up, fast asleep. Rainbow had walked behind them, glancing nervously between the ground and Lero.

“We shall keep watch, Dame Twilight,” said one guard as they arrived. “Some members of the Day Guard shall arrive in the morning.”

“Will you be staying long?” asked Twilight. “In Ponyville, I mean.”

“Until we receive orders otherwise,” replied the other guard. The two thestrals took their positions on either side of the library’s door, as still as statues.

Lyra opened the door and began to lead the family inside when a gentle cough sounded behind them. Rainbow Dash was there, staring at the ground as she anxiously shifted her hooves. “Um, I,” she half-whimpered, “Um. I-I know I’m just dating you guys at this point, so I know that it’s probably not cool- I mean, um, proper, but um, do you think, I mean, if it’s okay-”

“Dash,” said Lero. Rainbow looked up. Lero looked back at her with a warm smile and pushed the front door open wider. He didn’t need to say anything. Rainbow saw equally warm smiles on the faces of the other mares and felt a warmth spreading in her heart.

She followed them into the library as Lero shut the door behind them.

Twilight carried Spike up to his little bedroom and tucked the young drake into his bed. Spike stirred in his sleep and pulled the small blanket closer to his body. Twilight smiled. ‘Pretty soon we’re going to have to get you a bigger blanket, Spike,’ she mused to herself. ‘Maybe even a bigger bed.’ A frown soon crossed her face. ‘That is… if we ever make it back though.’

Twilight gently closed the Spike’s door and headed for the master bedroom. She found Lyra waiting for her by the door. “So,” said Lyra, “when do you think we’ll start courting her?”

“Who?” asked Twilight, looking slightly confused.

“Luna,” said Lyra, who turned into the bedroom. “Given how close those two had gotten back there, I’d say it’s obvious our Lero has caught the royal eye.” Twilight’s jaw dropped slightly, her face turning a shade crimson. Lyra leaned close and went in for the kill. “I’ll bet that it wasn’t the only thing of hers winking.”

“Lyra!” Twilight gasped. “I- You!- She-” Her stammering was cut off when the Grandmaster stole a long kiss from her and Twilight’s train of protests was quickly silenced. When the kiss broke, she couldn’t help but smile at her herd sister. Twilight leaned in and gave her a tender nuzzle. “Thanks, Lyra.”

“Any time, Twilight,” replied the mint unicorn. They both turned to the bed and found Lero undoing his shoelaces.

A morning of hiking and an afternoon of sprinting had physically exhausted Lero while an evening of sanity rocking revelations had mentally exhausted him. Lero was able to muster enough remaining energy to sit on the edge of his large bed and take off a single shoe before collapsing on his back, almost falling asleep on the spot. He struggled to get back up before a pale hoof stilled his movements.

“Sssshhhh,” whispered Rarity. “Just rest, my prince.” Her horn lit up with gentle blue light. Lero’s remaining shoe was removed along with his socks, shirt, and pants, leaving him only clad in his undershorts and his bandages. Twilight floated him above the warm sheets as she pulled back the comforter before laying him gently into bed.

Rarity took up position on his left side and Lero instinctively wrapped an arm around her. Twilight and Lyra went to his right, careful not to disturb his bandages in the process. This left Rainbow at the edge of the bed, her eyes darting back and forth, trying to find a place for herself in the large bed.

“Well, Rainbow Dash?” said Rarity. “We’re waiting, darling.” Rarity motioned with her eyes and Rainbow understood. With a gentle flap of her wings, Dash rose up and settled herself directly on top of Lero. He had forgotten how relatively light she was and reveled in the feel of her fur on his bare skin again. Though he was in no real condition to make love to her (or any of his mares) at that point, the feel of her, the warmth of her body, the smell of her hair, like fresh rain, awoke fond memories for him.

As Dash settled in, her head on top of Lero’s chest, Lero half-wondered if this was a dream. Maybe he was already asleep.

He didn’t care. He was warm and comfortable and surround by his mares. His herd. His family. And though the morning would bring many troubles with it, Lero Michaelides allowed himself the illusion of peace.

If only for a night.

Chapter 4: Departure

“Give those bugs a good stomping, Lero!” shouted Thunderlane from above.

The human offered a half-hearted smile and waved back to the charcoal pegasus. “Still can’t believe how well that cover story is working,” he quietly muttered to Rarity, out of the side of his mouth.

“Well, darling,” said Rarity, who was offering Thunderlane her own much more elegant wave, “the alternative wouldn’t be very productive, now would it?”

“True, Rarity,” said Lero and the two continued through the town.

Ever since the Guard arrived that morning and had made an official announcement, Lero and his herd had been stopped almost every ten steps by the town’s citizens with questions, well-wishes, and occasional gifts. The official statement had been announced in the town square by Mayor Mare and was quickly spread around the town. By noon, the Ponyville Press had printed a special edition covering the day’s extraordinary events.

At that moment, Lero unfolded his copy of the Press, and reread the front-page headline.

=Changelings in Ponyville!=

-Infiltrators Captured in Small Town-

By Ink Spot
PONYVILLE, Everfree Provence - The small town of Ponyville was rocked to its core yesterday afternoon when three changeling infiltrators, impersonating a trio of school-age fillies, (Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle) carried out a savage attack at the local elementary school, critically injuring a student. The victim, Diamond Tiara, 11, was immediately taken to Ponyville General thanks to swift action by the school’s headmistress, Cheerilee. Ms. Tiara remains in intensive care but is stable.

The three infiltrators were exposed by none other than Twilight Sparkle, faithful student of Princess Celestia, and were captured through the valiant efforts of the Elements of Harmony and the Night Guard, under the command of Princess Luna.

In a press conference this morning, Sgt. Night Shade of the Night Guard revealed that the three impostors had in fact foalnapped the fillies whose identities they had assumed, and have taken them somewhere beyond Equestria’s borders.

“We do not believe that this is part of a larger operation by the Swarm, nor is it a prelude to any kind of major attack,” assured Sgt. Shade. “This appears to be an isolated incident carried out by amatuer spies.”

News of this incident comes as a surprise to every official in the government, as their has been no word of the insectile invaders since their dramatic but doomed raid on the capital last spring. That attack, under the command of the villainous Queen Chrysalis, was repelled by Captain Shining Armor of the Royal Guard and his then-fiancée, Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, the currently reigning monarch of the Crystal Empire.

“There is a plan underway to rescue the three fillies and return them safely to their homes and families. Princess Luna has made it clear that no incursion by any evil power shall go unpunished and that any innocents caught in the crossfire shall have the protection of the Crowns.”

Sources in Canterlot have confirmed that the Night Court has assumed full financial support for the victims of the attack, including all medical bills and compensations for the kidnapped fillies’ families.

The next article, also starting on the front page, then continuing onto the second, was just as juicy.

=Daring Rescue Mission Underway!=
-Former Viceroy Promises to Spearhead Efforts In Returning Fillies Home-

[Above both the headlines and a picture of the Cutie Mark Crusaders, Lero saw a photo of himself dressed in very formal attire; a dark red jacket and pants, polished brass buttons, gold braids and lampasas. Pinned to his chest was a Medal of Distinguished Service and the Badge of the Office of Viceroy. He was surrounded by his herd: Twilight, Lyra, and Rainbow Dash, all in very formal dresses meant to complement Lero’s own attire. He recognized it as an older picture taken before the Swap, during the celebration of the ending of the Blank Plague. Discord’s bewitchment would ensure that everyone looking at it would see Rarity in Rainbow Dash’s place.]

[The caption below the picture reads “Viceroy Bellerophon Michaelides and herd during his award ceremony after the events of the Blank Plague. (left to right: Lyra Heartstrings, Grandmaster of the Still Way, Leadmare Rarity, Element of Loyalty, Twilight Sparkle, Element of Magic.)”]

by Hard Copy
PONYVILLE, Everfree Province - Following yesterday’s horrific events, former viceroy to the the Royal Sisters and resident human, Bellerophon Michaelides, will lead a rescue mission to retrieve the three fillies foalnapped by a group of changelings, (Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo.) This news was announced this morning in a press conference given by Sgt. Night Shade of the Night Guard.

Mr. Michaelides will be accompanied by his herd and friends first to the Everfree Forest, then beyond Equestria’s borders to confront the Changeling Swarm. The herd, which has made national headlines in the past for its unique choice of stallion, will be accompanied Rainbow Dash, caretaker for the Ponyville wildlife and Element of Kindness, who has recently started to court the herd.

Concerns for the odds of success for this rescue were put to rest by Sgt. Shade. “Mr. Michaelides has very unique talents and insight that will see this mission through. He will be accompanied by two of the most powerful unicorns in all of Equestria, one with extensive martial arts training, as well as an expert in all wildlife, who has proven herself against a full grown dragon not two years ago.”

The herd and its stallion were unavailable for comment, but it is of the opinion of this reporter that the human, who has selflessly served Equestria so well in the past, will undoubtedly succeed in this dangerous endeavor. We here at the Ponyville Press wish Herd Bellerophon all the best of luck and a swift and safe return home!

Mayor Mare had given instructions not to disturb Lero or the others while they readied themselves for the rescue mission. Her instructions, of course, were promptly ignored by every citizen of the small town she governed over.

“Still,” said Lero, putting the Ponyville Press away, “I guess it’s the most convincing story the princess could come up with on such short notice.”

“Indeed, my prince,” said Rarity. “It also gives us all a more plausible excuse for us all to put our duties on hold." Rarity had spent some time that morning informing her weather supervisor about her imminent departure. Valley Breeze had been fairly critical of Rarity in the recent past, given her old propensity for her more “creative” forms of weather (and the subsequent mountain of complaints) but when news reached her of the Crusaders’ foalnapping, she was all too understanding.

Rarity had made arrangements with Cloudkicker, giving her second-in-command full authority until her return.

“I just hope the dear can handle things on her own,” said Rarity. “Then again, she does have Blossomforth to help her out. Cloudkicker may be an excellent team leader put her paper-working skills leave something to be desired.” She lifted the flap on her saddlebag and pulled out a piece of parchment. “Now then. Dear me, our sweet Sparkle-kitten and her lists. Do you think there is anything she hasn’t put on here?”

Lero took the list from her magical grip and held it up to eye level. The parchment proceeded to unroll down past his waistline. “She does realize that we have to carry all of this, right?”

“Oh don’t be silly,” Rarity laughed as she leaned close. “You’ll be carrying most of it, what with those big strong shoulders of yours.”

Lero smiled and rolled his eyes in an exaggerated manner. He flexed his biceps and spoke in an very laughable Austrian accent. “De puny luggage iz no match for my mighty biceps!” he declared, adopting a muscle builder’s pose, with his arms curled in opposite directions. Rarity laughed and clapped her hooves.

“There he is,” came a voice. Rarity and Lero turned and saw a small group of ponies approaching them. Golden Harvest, Berry Punch, Caramel, and Amethyst Star all came up to the couple.

“Hey, Lero,” said Caramel, “is it true? Are you really going after a bunch a changelings?” The poor stallion looked very nervous, as the mere mention of the insectoid parasites caused him to break into sweat.

From their friendship together, Lero had come to learn that Caramel had a phobia of insects, which was ironic given that one of his mares was a local beekeeper. Lero’s tales of everything he’d gone through on the day of Shining Armor and Princess Cadence’s royal wedding had caused more than a few spilled drinks during their “guys’ nights”, which had lead to many jabs from their other friend, Widescreen.

“Yeah, that’s right, man,” said Lero.

“Wow,” said Caramel in amazement. “Gosh, Lero. I don’t know if I could ever do that.”

Berry Punch giggled and ruffled her stallion’s mane. “That’s cause you’re a big ol’ scaredy-cat, sweet cheeks.” Caramel looked like he was ready for a retort but shut his mouth when Golden Harvest and Amethyst Star stepped forward.

“You mean you’re really going after those monsters?” asked Golden.

“And going to save those foals they took?” said Amethyst. Lero nodded his head firmly. The two mares swooned, then rose back up and came along his sides.

“Oh, what a brave stallion you are!” Golden gushed. “Risking life and limb to save a group of fillies! It’s like something out of a fairy tale!”

“And so big and strong too!” sighed Amethyst, who eyed Lero as though he were a piece of candy ready to be gobbled up. She reached up with a hoof and ran it up and down the human’s leg. “I bet those mean monsters don’t stand a chance against somepony like you.” Lero raised an eyebrow, unsure of how to react to the sudden display of affection.

Rarity cleared her throat in a very conspicuous manner and stalked close. “My prince certainly is that, ladies,” she said, her head held high and her chest puffed out. Overhead, the few clouds in the sky seemed to come together and emit a quiet rumble. “That is exactly why I decided to make him my stallion.” The other two mares backed away at the display of dominance, their heads low and tails tucked. Rarity moved forward next to Lero, placing herself between him and the other mares. Berry Punch openly laughed at the whole show while Caramel quietly chuckled.

“Well, good luck, buddy,” said Caramel with an outraised hoof. Lero smiled, knelt down and hoof-bumped his friend. “The first round’s on me when you get back.” With that short farewell, the group set off down the road, Rarity’s icy glare never leaving Golden Harvest or Amethyst Star. She only stopped when she heard Lero trying to contain his own laughter.

“And what are you laughing about, mister?” said Rarity, her annoyance very clear in her voice.

Lero kneeled down and kissed her on the cheek. “You’re so cute when you get like that,” he said with a wink.

“Hmph! Well if those two little hussies think they act like that around my stallion, I have half a mind to ‘misplace’ some of my paperwork and have snow clouds over their properties for the next month!” Lero only laughed harder.

The two continued along their way, slowly checking off items from Twilight’s list. They carried most of their store-purchased gear on their backs. But some of the other stuff was packed onto cloud platforms and floated off towards Rainbow Dash’s cottage, which had been designated as their meeting point for the next morning, as dictated by Twilight, taskmistress extraordinaire.

They had prearranged that Rainbow Dash would keep an eye out for these platforms, while she was at her cottage. Since Rarity had shaped the cloud platforms all like large, exquisitely-detailed swordfish, they’d be easy for Dash to spot.

Lero smiled to himself and shook his head. That morning had found them all resting comfortably in bed. Lero had half-woken to find himself cocooned in a tangle of legs, wings, and hair. The gentle breathing and sleepy murmurs of his bedmates brought a content smile to his face as he had once again drifted off to peaceful slumber.

Then, suddenly, Twilight happened.

“Wake up, everypony! We have planning to do!”

The rest of the morning, over many, many cups of coffee, had been a whirl of maps, reference books (many of which Lero didn’t have the heart to tell her would be worthless), and lots and lots of lists. Everyone had their own assignments, leaving Twilight at the library to make her own arrangements with the princesses through Spike’s fire mail.

Around noon, Lero and Rarity had stopped at the café for a bit of lunch. Lero set down his share of the load and took a seat at the low mushroom tables with Rarity. They were pleasantly surprised when Haute Cuisine, the owner and head chef for the little restaurant, came to to their table. He was a tan earth pony with a slicked-back black mane and a pencil mustache.

“Ah, Madame Rarity,” he said in his Phrench accent, “Et Monseigneur Lero! Welcome, welcome! Today, I ‘ave a very excellente soupe de jour; Provençal Soupe au Pistou!”

“Oh merci, Monseigneur Cuisine,” said Rarity with a smile. “I think that is just what we will need right now.”

“But of course, mes amis. And you must all come tonight for dinner! I shall prepare you all a grande feast tonight! Sans frais!”

“‘No charge?’” Rarity gawked. “Oh Monseigneur Cuisine, we insist-”

“Non-sens, Madame, j’insiste! Anything for L’Élément de Loyauté and her brave chevalier! I ‘eard the two of you and your ‘erd are going after zose ‘orrible changelings zat took our petites croisés. Zis ‘umble gesture is ze least I can do.”

“That’s very generous of you,” said Lero. “We’d be happy to come. Er… shall I bring my entire herd…?”

“But of course, Monseigneur Lero, but I have a favor to ask.” The earth pony looked around then leaned in conspiratorially, raising his hoof to hide his mouth from Rarity. “Give zose bâtards de merde manger a good thrashing for me, eh?”

Lero knew enough French to get the the general gist. “Consider them thrashed, Monseigneur Cuisine,” he said with a firm nod.

Haute Cuisine laughed, grabbed Lero by the shoulders, then gave him a kiss on each cheek, much to Lero’s surprise and Rarity’s amusement. “Ah très bien, mon frère!” He stepped back and gave the couple a bow. “I shall return with your soup, mes amis!”

Rarity giggled as Lero recovered from his stunned expression. “My dear prince, you seem to be attracting all sorts of attention today.”

“Apparently,” said Lero, absent-mindedly wiping a cheek. “Still it was very nice of him to offer us dinner like that.” He gave a short laugh. “Perhaps we should go on dangerous missions more often. I’m sure we could get free meals at every restaurant from here to the Manehattan.” Rarity laughed again.

Cuisine soon returned and they enjoyed a very well-made vegetable soup together. After a while, Rarity looked up from her bowl, daintily wiping the corner of her mouth with a cloth napkin.

“Lero,” she said, “There’s something I’ve been meaning to ask you.”

“Yes?”

“It’s about last night. About something The Lost said.”

Lero hesitated with his spoon halfway to his mouth. “What about?”

“Well, I was wondering. You... no, I mean he, became very upset when I mentioned something.”

Lero’s eyes widened for moment. “Did he…?”

“Oh no, he didn’t try anything, darling. I mean, he gave me a bit of a fright, that’s true.” Rarity reached across the table and placed her hoof on Lero’s hand reassuringly. He squeezed her soft hoof, running his thumb along her smooth fetlock.

“So, how did you upset him?”

“Well, I asked about… Her.” Rarity admitted hesitantly. “The Lady.”

Lero’s thumb stopped moving.

“He said that she knows when her name is called. He strongly implied that simply speaking, well, the L-A-D-Y word was sure to invite disaster.”

She drew in a breath.

“But how can that be? I’ve used the word ‘lady’ countless times before in casual conversation, all throughout my life! Like ‘the lady who owns the flower shop’ or ‘the lady over there with the tacky earrings’. Even I am often called a lady by others! Me and practically every other girl that’s ever lived, over and over again, and nothing bad has ever happened to any of us. For the most part, we all take pride in being ladies! So why…? Lero?”

Lero’s hand was gripping her hoof very tightly. Rarity looked up at Lero and felt her heart quicken when his eyes flashed an icy blue.

“It is because Her Ladyship knows when she is the one being spoken of,” he said.

Lero screwed his eyes shut and covered his brow with his hand. Sweat trickled down his forehead and his jawline tightened. After a few heart-pounding seconds, his eyes shot back open, hazel and darting.

“Rarity?” he asked, unsure.

“I’m here, Lero,” said the white mare as she moved around the table next to him. “I’m right here. It’s alright now, my prince.” Rarity pressed up against her stallion and nuzzled Lero under his chin. Lero returned the gesture, rubbing his cheek against her and planting a gentle kiss on the top of her ear.

“Thank you,” he whispered.

They two stayed close together for the remainder of the meal.

“Star Light,” said Luna, “I would have you keep record of any petitioners that would come to my court while I am away. Most, if not all, will no doubt seek an audience with my sister after they hear of my absence, but I would have knowledge of names and issues when I return. You are to disregard any who have sought Celestia first and then turned to me in an attempt to curry favor. But please pay special attention to any that sought me first.”

“Yes, Your Highness,” said the major domo. The unicorn mare was trotting close behind her diarch, one of many who followed Luna like a tenuous litter of young following their mother.

“Should I fail to return within a year,” continued Luna, without a glance back, “I have prepared instructions for my Night Guard and for my staff. They are kept within the sealed silver box in my study. Do not break the seal on it until a year and a day after my departure. Distribute the named envelopes accordingly and follow any instructions contained within to the letter.” The Princess of the Night halted and turned on the stunned mare. “Is that clear, Dame Star Light?”

“C-Clear as spring water, Your Highness,” stammered Star Light. “Um, where exactly-”

“Nowhere that need concern you, Star Light,” said Luna. The princess turned back and continued down the hallway. When she reached the winding staircase at the heart of her tower, she turned her attention to one of her thestrals. “Captain Night Song, have you acquired the items I requested from the armory?”

“Yes, Your Highness,” said the officer. “A few were in some state of disrepair but the master of arms has been able to work his magic. They shall be ready for you by dawn.”

“Excellent,” said Luna. “Now, before I depart, I must speak with my sister. Star Light? Be swift and bring word to my sister that I have some important matters to discuss with her.”

The other mare bowed and turned, leaving the small group just as Luna arrived at the main door of the tower. “The rest of you, be about your tasks. I do not wish to be disturbed, lest it is my sister.”

“Yes, Your Highness,” the remaining ponies said with deep bows. With a single flap of her great wings, Luna launched herself upwards, soaring up through the heart of the Night Tower.

Celestia had ordered the tower’s renovation before Luna had ever first set hoof in Canterlot. On the morning after the Summer Sun Celebration, all those years ago, Celestia had sent a dispatch to the castle, commanding that the tower be cleaned spire to foundation and prepped to receive royal occupants. And while the town of Ponyville celebrated the return of Celestia and the defeat of Nightmare Moon, a crew of no less than fifty servants scoured the old tower and had converted it into a living space fit for a Princess.

Before then, the tower had been home to the Royal Astronomical Society, an order dedicated to the study and charting of the night sky and all its heavenly bodies, which, coincidentally, counted one noteworthy duke among its ranks: Lucent Noctis de Smaragdvea, father of Twilight Sparkle. It came to no surprise to Celestia the next day when the head of the Society, a wrinkled crone of an unicorn mare named Nocte Quaesitor, arrived the very next day to submit her full-hearted disapproval for the situation. Celestia had politely listened to the mare’s grievances and, with the practiced grace from more than a millennia of ruling, told the mare that she would “take her objections under consideration”.

That night, Celestia held a small “Welcome Home” dinner for Luna and had completely put the R.A.S. out of her mind.

For the first year, Luna had spent almost all of her time in the Tower, venturing out only to dine with Celestia or to Canterlot Archives to study the history for the past thousand years; catching up on all the major events she had missed during her banishment had consumed her for the first few months.

Luna had also spent a considerable time redecorating the tower to suit her own tastes. The marble walls of the interior had been transmuted into lazulite, the white and gold motifs replaced with dark blues, purples and black that she found more pleasing.

Those were very difficult times for Luna. She felt completely isolated; any friends or lovers, every pony she ever knew were long dead and turned to dust. The world had moved on without her, only remembering her as a scary story to frighten foals with at night, her position fading in the annals of myth and legend. When she had finally felt ready to take on more official roles in court life, the nobility had shunned her, seeing her as either a pretender, a poor, frail copy of Celestia, or as an unrepentant monster that would bring about eternal night at the first possible chance.

After one ill-fated meeting, where several nobles had called for her imprisonment or banishment, and a particularly foul duchess had only referred to her as “Nightmare Moon” or “the Night Mare”, Luna had retreated to the Night Tower and refused to emerge for a whole month.

Celestia had been there, of course, and had reacted as any big sister would: the nobles soon found themselves quite out of the sun princess’s favor and the duchess in question soon took a permanent leave to her Maribbean retreat. Celestia spent the month counseling her sister, spending all of her free time with her.

“They still hate Us, Tia,” Luna had said. “After a thousand years, they still hate us.”

Celestia had suggested that Luna should spend some time in Ponyville with her student and friends, away from the pressures of Canterlot. And so it had finally been Twilight Sparkle’s efforts on Nightmare Night that had fully brought Luna out of her depression. Luna was extremely grateful to her and her friends.

The events of the Blank Plague had brought them closer together, but it was Lero that had truly helped her through the worst of it. While Lero took care of Celestia’s and Cadence’s needs during the day, she had visited him in his dreams to thank him and diminish his anxieties about his duties and his mares, whom were also stricken with the magic-eating plague. After a while, it had been Lero that ended up soothing her own worries, when the pressures of running the struggling country had begun to take their toll on her.

Then, when it was her turn to suffer the fever’s crucible, Lero had cared for her as well, while the other Element Bearers had taken on her aspects and duties. For this, Luna felt she was indebted to the human and the Elements. When Celestia had sent Starswirl’s spellbook to Twilight and the madness of the Swap had come down on the human and his herd, Luna felt another heavy burden on her shoulders; Celestia had forbidden Luna from aiding Twilight in finding a cure.

Luna could only watch as the ponies that redeemed her and the human that was one of her few friends slowly descended into despair and madness. And for this, a new rift had opened between her and her sister.

Even if Twilight did eventually find a cure, Luna did not know if she had it in her to forgive Celestia for putting all of them through this trial.

Her thoughts drifting back to the present, Luna opened the door to her private chambers. She stopped mid-step when she saw another pony sitting at her desk; tall of frame, white of coat, and even more regal than she, herself.

“You’re leaving,” whispered Celestia. It was not a question, more of a statement of fact.

“Indeed, sister,” said Luna tersely, as she walked over to her library and started to reshelve several loose books. “You are no doubt aware of the situation in Ponyville.”

“I received a letter from Twilight first thing this morning, spelling out the real story,” said Celestia. “Can you imagine my surprise when I learned of this plan from her instead of my own sister?”

“I knew your student would inform you and I had to make other preparations.”

“Preparations?” asked the elder alicorn.

“Equipment to ready. Instructions for the servants and the Guard to be carried out when I leave, and the like.”

“And do you have a plan for when you confront… them?”

Her eyes were full of such sisterly caring, it made Luna’s heart ache. Yet, at the same time, those eyes also showed patronization. Lofty underestimation. In those eyes, Luna ranked somewhere above a convicted criminal who’d served her sentence dutifully, and a beloved child with deep-seated socialization issues.

Luna walked over to an ebony boudoir and opened it. There, arranged in ordered splendor, was her battle armor, polished to a mirrored shine. After the Changeling invasion at her niece’s wedding, Luna had commissioned its creation, infusing modern smithing and enchantmenting techniques into the ancient military designs.

It was a thing of beauty, a stunning vision of silver trimming and midnight blue steel, patterned with designs honoring her mighty comets. The centerpiece was a white moonstone as large as a human fist, polished and sculpted to represent her fullest moon, and surrounded by pearl inlay to mirror the moon’s halo. Hanging beside the armor was a pair of shining wing blades, sharp enough to cut through the strongest steels and enchanted to never dull nor break.

Luna lifted the polished helm with her magic and examined her reflection.

“Punishment, dear sister,” said Luna firmly. “The plan is to exact a very harsh punishment on them and their followers.”

Celestia felt her breath catch at something she saw in Luna’s eye. An old spark she had not seen since before the unification wars over a millennium ago. She knew that this wasn’t Princess Luna, the Keeper of the Moon, she was looking at right now.

That cold stare, that steel voice, the features like a statue of living lazulite, no.

This was the mare that humbled the great dragons of the south, the alicorn that sank Marelantis beneath the seas, whose presence sent ripples throughout all of creation.

This was Luna the War Mistress, the Oncoming Night, the Tide Reaver, the Nightbringer, the Dark Death from the Heavens, the Bringer of Eternal-

“You can’t go,” whispered Celestia, planting herself in front of the doorway.

Luna raised an eyebrow. “I beg your pardon, sister?”

Celestia pleaded, “You can’t go! What about your duties? Have you forgotten your responsibilities to your subjects?!”

“I have left instructions. The few who attend my Night Court will be taken care of.”

“What about their dreams? Who will protect them?”

“They have survived for a thousand years without me to guide them through their existential and emotional crises. I think they can survive another brief departure.”

“Would you have me lift the sun and moon by myself for another thousand years?”

“You were always the more powerful one, Celestia, and I have all the faith in the world that you can easily fall back into your old routine.” Celestia was quiet for a moment before approaching Luna.

“Please, sister, hear me out on this,” said Celestia, using the most motherly voice she could muster. She came close to Luna and placed a pale hoof on her sister’s shoulder. Though white alicorn was trying to maintain an air of dignity and calm, her sister could feel the faintest tremors running through her sister’s hoof.

“The world’s different from how it was a thousand years ago,” said Celestia. “Nopony expects you to make a personal appearance on the front lines! We are the rulers of this kingdom. As such, I have access to no end of specialist task forces. Elite organizations whose members are all tough, capable, combat-ready ponies of astonishing intelligence and accomplishment, loyal to the crown, and sworn to safeguard our secrets. Let them send their best agents to accompany Lero in this rescue operation you’re so set upon! I would gladly declassify their personnel files for you, so you could hoof-pick who to send! Should they fail, they are ultimately far more expendable than you, Luna. No three fillies are worth losing my sister over.”

Luna stiffened and pushed the white hoof from her shoulder.

“You would only succeed in giving these interlopers more ponies to turn into toys, sister,” she said. “No pony alive is able to deal with them, save the two of us. And between us, I am by far the more expendable one.” Celestia’s jaw dropped and Luna knew it was time to press the matter home.

“However much they call me ‘princess’ or ‘diarch’, dear sister, this is still very much your kingdom. It always has been. I even dare say that there would be a great many ponies that would celebrate my disappearance.”

Luna stared into her sister’s magenta eyes. She spotted something that could have been tears collecting in their corners. “You speak of me abandoning my duties, dear sister.” She removed the wing blades from the boudoir, allowing the shining metal to catch the light. “This has always been my duty.”

“So what’s left on the list?” Lero asked, as he walked out the restaurant’s front door.

Rarity examined the remainder of the list. “Let’s see,” she mused. “Dried food. Check. Tents. Check. Water jugs. Check. Now all that we need is to pick up the-”

“-aitors!” came a distant voice. “That’s what the two of you are! A couple of monkey-loving traitors!”

Rarity perked her ears up. ‘That voice,’ she thought despondently. ‘There’s only one mare I know that shrieking could possibly belong to.’

Sure enough, further down the street, positively screaming her head off, was Honeydew. She was trailing behind two other mares, a pegasus and another earth pony. Rarity recognized them both. They were Honeydew’s two younger sisters, Honeybee and Honeysuckle.

Honeybee was draping one of her yellow wings over Honeysuckle, who leaned in close to her big sister and kept her head low. Bee cast a very dirty look back at Honeydew.

“Oh sure,” shouted Honeydew, “just try to ignore you big sister and run off to the ape and his nags! I’m sure they’ll be overjoyed to let you join their little freakshow! You’ll get to feel those bald, oversized rat claws of his clinging to the fur of your coats! He’ll disembowel the fattest pig from Sweet Apple Acres, and you can all gorge yourselves on its entrails together! Hey, monkey boy! Honeysuckle likes it when you take her up the-”

“Shut up, Dew!” Honeybee yelled over her shoulder. “I have half a mind to come over there and break your damn jaw!” She turned back to her younger sister, speaking in a soft and comforting voice. “It’s okay, little flower, just ignore her.”

The eldest Honey sister stopped in her tracks. She clenched her jaw tight as she tried desperately to hold in an ear-splitting shriek, then stomped off into a nearby alley. A moment later, a large and partially caved-in trashcan came flying out into the street, followed by a hail of incoherent screaming (except for the occasional “ape” or “bonobo”) and splintering wood. Several onlookers hurried to give the area a wide berth.

Ever since an accident a couple years ago where Lero had saved Honeybee from drowning, the younger Honey sisters had abandoned their habit of harassing his little herd, which in turn had led to a severe falling-out with their eldest sibling. Honeybee went as far as bringing Lero’s family a large package of salmon specially flown in from the coastal city of Typhoon as a sort of peace offering, while Honeysuckle had become quite friendly with the ponies of Herd Bellerophon, though she still acted a little nervous around Lero.

“Oh my, what a surprise,” whispered Rarity. “Honeydew seems to be, ahem, off her tosser again.” Before Lero could respond, Honeybee and Honeysuckle had stopped in front of them.

“Um, hey, Lero,” said Honeybee. “Uh, sorry you guys had to see that.”

Lero raised an eyebrow as something expensive-sounding broke in the distance. “Uh, no worries, Honeybee.” He knelt down and regarded the shaking earth pony in front of him. “Are you okay, Ms. Honeysuckle?” he asked gently.

The trembling mare nodded once then looked up at the human with teary eyes. “I-I’ll be okay,” she whimpered.

“Oh, you poor dear,” soothed Rarity. “I’m so very sorry.”

“Please don’t be,” said Honeysuckle. She stood up a little straighter and wiped her eyes with a forehoof. “After everything we did to you and Mr. Lero, we’re the ones who’re sorry.”

“Hey now,” said Lero. “We all buried that hatchet long ago.” At the confused looks the other two mares gave him, he quickly amended, “Er, I mean it’s all water under the bridge.” Another piercing scream sounded in the distance. “For most of us anyways,” he added under his breath.

Honeysuckle offered a little smile and nod. Honeybee looked up at the couple and said, “We heard about what you guys are doing.” The pegasus pawed the ground. “And, well, I gotta say, that’s pretty damn cool. I hope you all stay safe.”

Lero offered a smile. “Well, thank you, Honeybee.”

“Um,” said Honeysuckle. She reached into a pair of saddlebags and removed a small cloth bag. “‘e ‘ot ou somefing,” she mouthed around the bag.

Honeybee mirrored her sister’s action and placed a small bag of her own in front of Rarity. “Consider it a ‘good luck gift’,” she told them.

Rarity, who was quite surprised by the acts of kindness, said, “Oh! Well, thank you, darling.” She lifted the small sack with her magic and opened the drawstring. Inside was a small bottle of golden honey.

“I know it’s not much, but whenever we used to go out for camping trips, I always brought some honey,” said Honeybee. “It’s the perfect treat in the morning. Plus it won’t spoil! So, um, yeah. From my own beehives.”

Rarity beheld the little bottle and smiled warmly at the pegasus. “Oh thank you, darling.” She moved forward and surprised the pegasus with a gentle hug. Honeybee stiffened a little but smiled nonetheless and returned the gesture.

Lero opened up the sack Honeysuckle gave them. Inside was a small amount of sweet-scented white flowers. Lero picked one out of the bag and recognized it.

“Honeysuckle blossoms?” he said. The earth pony mare kept her gaze down and fidgeted.

“I-I know you, um, don’t eat flowers, L-Lero,” she stuttered quietly. “I-It’s more for, um, Rarity and th-the others.” She closed her eyes tightly. “I’m sorry! I should have gotten something you all would have enjoyed together but I didn’t ‘cause I’m just a dumb-”

“Honeysuckle,” said Lero, his voice low and gentle. A gentle hand on her shoulder snapped the poor mare out of her ramblings and she looked up at the human. “It still means something for me.” At the mares’ confused looks, he continued, “My mother grew these same flowers in her garden.”

This surprised the earth pony. “You’re saying that honeysuckle blossoms also grow in that other world you were born in? The Human World?”

Lero nodded. “I grew up with their smell in my house for years. So, yes, I cannot eat them, but I can still appreciate their fragrance and their beauty. And I know that the girls will enjoy them. They are a very lovely gift.” Lero bowed his head slightly. “Thank you very much, Honeysuckle.”

Honeysuckle genuinely smiled and nodded her head. “Y-You’re welcome!” she beamed. “Good luck, Mr. Lero!”

With that, the two sisters departed, leaving Rarity and Lero on the street corner waving. “That was very kind of you, my prince.”

“She’s really a nice mare,” said Lero. “I just hope she will eventually stop being so nervous around me.”

Rarity rubbed her cheek against Lero’s. “I think, you’ve made a very good impression on her today. Both of them, in fact. It’s a wonderful start.”

“I won’t let you,” came a harsh rasp. Both Rarity and Lero turned and saw Honeydew standing before them. Her breaths were coming out in gasps and sweat matted her mane and coat. She pointed an accusing hoof at the pair.

“I know what you’re doing, you freaks,” she seethed. “You’re looking to corrupt my baby sister, turn her into one of you deviants! Oh yes, I can see through your lies and schemes. Start by acting all sweet and nice, get them both to give you gifts, and then BAM! She’ll be on her fetlocks in front of you, begging for your… your bonobo bits!”

Honeydew slammed both her hooves into the cobblestone street and the ground shook, nearly causing Lero to lose his balance from his crouch. The stonework under the raging mare’s hoof had cracked, webbing outwords a good two feet.

“Well you won’t get to her! You hear me, you freaks?! Not ever!” Honeydew panted and bored her eyes into the couple, as if willing that all of her hate would somehow cause the two to burst into flames. “So is it even really true that you’re going off to ‘rescue’ those three brats?”

“Yes, it is,” Lero told Honeydew, with cold courtesy. “My herd and I will be venturing into wild lands far from the safety of pony civilization to find those girls and bring them back home. We may all very well die.”

Her breath caught at the sincerity in his voice. Intense emotion gleamed in her eyes.

“Well then, here’s my farewell gift to you and your little group of perverts.”

Honeydew drew in a lungful of air.

“I HOPE YOU ALL DIE OUT THERE!! I HOPE NONE OF YOU EVER COME BACK TO PONYVILLE AND YOU ALL JUST DISAPPEAR FOREVER!! AND AS FAR AS I’M CONCERNED, THOSE THREE ROTTEN DELINQUENTS HAD IT COMING TO THEM FOR A LONG TIME! SO DO ME A FAVOR, AND GET YOURSELVES EATEN BY CHANGELINGS AND GET CRAPPED OUT IN THE BADLANDS FOR THE DUNG BEETLES TO STUFF THEIR LITTLE FAT FACES WITH!!”

And with a harsh, hoarse snort, Honeydew then turned and stalked off, ignoring the conspicuous glares and harsh whispers from the surrounding ponies.

“Damn them, damn them, damn them, damn them, damn them, damn them, damn them,” she muttered to herself.

Somewhat stunned by the level of hostility, Rarity took a moment to compose herself.

“Well,” she said as she elegantly coiffed her purple mane back in place with a touch of magic, “that should have been expected.”

“Uh, yeah,” said Lero, still a little shaken. Rarity took notice of her stallion’s state.

“Oh don’t you bother with that nag, my sweet prince,” she said. “Come along. We’ll finish up the list, go home and pack, then settle down for a nice dinner at M. Cuisine’s.” Rarity suddenly had a devilish look in her sapphire eyes. “Then afterwards, my dear, sweet prince…”

Rarity brushed her long tail under Lero’s nose, the mischievous look never leaving as she stalked away with her tail still hiked up, giving Lero a very clear look beneath. Lero stared, blinked, then grinned ear to ear.

“Yes, ma’am,” he said, walking off with an extra spring in his step.

“Now, are you sure you have everything you need, Ms. Tenderpaw?” asked Rainbow Dash. “Mr. Wiggums has some very particular issues. You need to-”

“Rainbow Dash,” said a yellow earth mare with a deadpan look. She had sky blue and white mane that was held in a tight bun. Her cutie mark was a trio of a dog, a cat, and a bird. “I didn’t spent six years in veterinary school for my doctorate, and not know how to treat a doberman with high blood pressure.”

The cyan pegasus shrunk a little. “Oh, um, right, sorry Ms.- I mean Dr. Tenderpaw.”

The other mare smiled then playfully hoofed the pegasus in the shoulder. “Ah, don’t sweat it, Dash,” she said. “I know you’re worried about your animals and all. But rest assured, I’ll look after each and every one of them with every ounce of my professionalism!”

Rainbow smiled a little but still nervously tapped her hooves together. The following morning had seen the town vet had arriving at sunrise, exactly on time as requested, to help Rainbow with the animals. Since the caretaker would be gone for some time, she knew that she had to make sure every one of her animals were well tended to in her absence.

“So, um, you’ll take care of all of them, right?” asked Rainbow. The trio of butterflies on her flank began to vibrate. “You have the space? Do you need more money?! I-I’m not saying you can’t or don’t have the resources or anything like that, but, well if you need anything more-” The tirade was suddenly halted by a yellow hoof.

“Dash,” interjected Tenderpaw, “relax. You can trust me. I’m a doctor. And on top of it all, you’re a national hero. Believe me, I’m happy Princess Celestia is paying me to care for your animals while you’re out rescuing fillies from changelings.”

Rainbow Dash nodded her head once and then slowly breathed, mimicking the exercise Twilight had once showed her.

In then out. In… then out.

“Okay,” she finally said. “Thanks, Doctor Tenderpaw.”

The vet smiled. “Anytime, Rainbow Dash.”

The two mares exited the small cottage as Rainbow continued her brief tour, having already shown the vet where everything was stored: all of the food, the staggering amount of supplies, toys, cleaning implements, and other important pet care equipment. Now she was showing Tenderpaw around the cottage’s exterior: the chicken coup, the birdhouses, and some of the dens where the other animals liked to stay.

Just after she had wrapped up and Tenderpaw had said her goodbyes, Rainbow Dash spotted several other ponies coming down the path to her cottage, along with the tall and lumbering silhouette that instantly set her heart aflutter.

“Lero!” she called out. She pushed her wings into motion and instantly sped towards the human, her arms finding themselves around his neck in a heartbeat, though the large backpack he wore made it a little more difficult than she would have liked.

Lero laughed and returned the gesture, planting a kiss on Dash’s cheek. “Good morning, Rainbow Dash,” he said. “Did you sleep well last night?”

“Kinda,” she said, rubbing the back of her head bashfully. “I have to admit, I didn’t get as much sleep as I should have. I’d’ve loved to have slept at your place again, but I was just so nervous last night! I must have packed and repacked my kit a dozen times.” She then looked up at Lero then landed on her hindquarters. “What about you guys? Did any of you get much sleep?”

Now it was Lero’s turn to rub the back of his head. “Well…”

A flashback to a mass of tangled sheets, sweating bodies, lustful moans and seeking tongues came to the forefront of his mind.

“More or less,” he admitted through a blazing blush.

Rainbow tilted her head in confusion, then felt her own cheeks burn and her wings stiffen slightly. “Oh. Oh!” She quickly averted her gaze, failing miserably from picturing herself in that bed right alongside him and the other mares.

Rarity, who had watched the whole exchange with undisguised amusement, moved herself alongside Rainbow, giving the embarrassed pegasus and quick nuzzle on the cheek.

“Oh it’s quite alright, darling,” she said. The white unicorn then moved closer, whispering into her friend’s ear. “There’ll be plenty of time for more of that when we all return.”

Rainbow’s pupils shrank to pinpoints as her wings fully extended with an audible “pomf!”, her cheeks blazing so brightly they matched a part of her mane. Lero used every bit of his willpower to prevent from simultaneously dying of embarrassment and laughing his head off at Dash’s discomfort.

Behind them, Twilight and Lyra both watched the whole thing but did not bother to hide their own amusement, quietly laughing behind raised hooves.

“So, Rainbow,” said Lyra, snorting one last time, “do you have everything you need?”

The question finally caused Rainbow’s brain to reboot from its embarrassment-overload induced crash, and she nodded, “Yeah! We got all the things you guys sent over and everything is all packed up!” She took to the air and led the small group around the side of her house to her backyard.

Lero whistled in amazement. A small army of mice, squirrels, and raccoons crawled around a pile of packed camping bags. Each one contained a supply of dehydrated food, water canteens, and other assorted bits of gear, all expertly packed as only the surprisingly dextrous and intelligent pack of rodents could do.

“Red Tail, there,” said Rainbow, pointing a particularly large squirrel, “has a lot of experience with getting things to fit like that. He helps all the other squirrels out with their own stashes whenever winter comes. He can fit an entire year’s worth of nuts in a single den!”

The squirrel puffed out his little chest at the praise but then quickly shrank back down as Dash leaned forward. “And he knows exactly how important this is for his Momma, don’t you, Red Tail? He knows how important it is that all of these supplies are packed perfectly, right?” The squirrel nodded his head so fast that Lero swore he could hear something rattling before turning back to the other animals, squeaking out fervent commands for them to hurry.

Rainbow nodded once, still proud of how well the animals retained their strict discipline, then turned to the rest of the herd. “Everything is just about ready here,” she said chipperly, completely ignoring the looks of shock the other mares were giving her. “I guess we’re just waiting on the others and Princess Luna now, huh? Hey, have you guys had breakfast yet?”

“Er, some tea would be fine, thanks,” said Twilight, still flabbergasted at the display.

Soon enough, all five members of the not-so-little herd were gathered around Rainbow Dash’s table, sipping rosehip tea and making small talk.

“So,” said Dash, “how long before the others get here?”

“Soon, I think,” said Twilight. “I wanted to get everypony over here to say… goodbye.” Twilight looked down, her ears drooping. “We may never…”

“Oh Twilight,” tutted a voice, “always such a stick in the mud.”

Everyone at the table stared at the unexpected voice. Twilight glanced down at her teacup just in time to see her teacup glance back. The scholar shrieked, and the teacup soared through the air before stopping mid-flight. An eagle talon emerged from the cup and grabbed the handle, tipping the cup down as something poured out of it.

That something formed itself into the familiar, mismatched shape of Discord.

“Only you could make this whole affair sound so dreadfully dismal,” said the chaos god. Discord lounged back in midair as a stream of tea poured out of the still-resting teapot and took a twisting path upwards to his cup. He cast a smug glance over to Lero. “Well, you and Captain Cuckoo over there.”

Lero furrowed his eyebrows and swatted away a tiny bird now circling his head, cheeping “cuckoo! cuckoo!”

“Discord,” he gave the chaos god a smirk. “if anyone here suffers from insanity, it clearly must be you.”

“Be nice, Lero,” Dash implored, (ignorant of how well the draconequus and human already knew each other.) “Discord’s been really helpful! He’s given me a lot of really good advice.” She tapped her hooves together, blushing softly. “On a lot of things,” she mumbled under her breath.

“Indeed, Mr. Human,” said Discord, taking a sizable bite out of the teacup, allowing its newfound caramel center to trail thin strings of sugary deliciousness into his mouth. “Besides, I resent the implication that I am suffer from any sort of mental abnormalities when I am clearly enjoying every moment of them!”

With a hearty laugh, the draconequus popped the remainder of his teacup in his mouth, chewing it obnoxiously before blowing a large porcelain bubble. He then took the mass and affixed to the cottage’s ceiling, turning it into a ceiling lamp with the snap of his fingers.

“Well then,” said Rarity, who was still offput by the reformed spirit’s antics, “why don’t Rainbow and I go see what we can do about getting the rest of the supplies ready, hmm?”

Lero nodded. The two swapped mares then departed, leaving only “exempt” individuals now occupying the room. “So,” said Lero, “come by to see us all off then?”

“Is that sorrow I hear in your voice, ol’ chum? I never took you for one to get all teary-eyed for goodbyes.” Discord shrugged. “Well at least this version of you probably would. That other guy would probably just stalk off into the sunset, acting all mysterious and brooding.”

Then he leaned in closer. “Though, if you ask me, I think he only acts that way because he knows chicks dig tall, dark, and brooding.”

Twilight raised an eyebrow. “Wait a second,‘the other guy’?” She lowered her voice to a whisper. “You know about The Lost?”

“Well, I’ve had my suspicions,” admitted Discord, “though to be perfectly honest, I didn’t imagine it was a whole other personality. What do you think, Lero? Could I borrow him a little? Think of it!” Discord grabbed Lero around the shoulders. As a fedora appeared on the draconequus’ head and a cigar in both his and Lero’s mouths, he waved his lion’s paw out in a sweeping gesture. “Two cats out on the town, tearing up the night, hitting all the scenes-”

His rant was suddenly cut off when Lero’s hand wrapped around his muzzle, closing it with a cartoonish ‘squeak’. “Maybe next time, buddy,” said the human as he pocketed the cigar. His good-natured laugh was only slightly forced.

Suddenly, Discord whirled on him, his yellow manic eyes growing wide and watery. “But what if there is no next time?! You’re all going off to the edge of reality, venturing into the very heart of madness itself! I could never see any of you ever again!”

Lero, Twilight, and Lyra suddenly found themselves in a spine-crushing hug. Doleful violin music was playing in the background. “WHO WILL I BARE MY SOUL TO?!”

A sudden scratching of a record ended the violin strumming, along with Discord’s sorrowful tone. “Well, should you guys ever find yourselves a day’s travel north of the heart of madness, there’s a lovely little cabin by the lake you should stop and visit. I have a timeshare there. Nice view, but the neighbors leave something to desire.”

He pulled a brochure out of nothing and flipped it open, revealing a nondescript log cabin by a picturesque lake with a smiling, (if somewhat creepy-looking), human man standing out front. “For more information, call Stanley” the brochure encouraged, just above its e-mail address. Before Twilight could question how Discord could possibly have such a thing, the brochure snapped out of existence. “Key’s under the the skull by the front door. I however cannot recommend diving in the lake.”

“So what does bring you here then?” asked Lyra, who seemed to be taking it all in stride as only a grandmaster could.

“Aside from the goodbyes?” said Discord. “I came by to ask Twilight for a favor.”

“What?” asked Twilight.

“Since our lovely Rainbow Dash is moving out and has made arrangements for all her little animal friends to stay with the local vet, I was wondering if I could take care of those other critters you’ve been using in your little mad scien- I mean, completely ethical experiments of yours, dear Twilight.”

Discord once again took on his version of the ‘sad puppy eyes’. “Pleeeeeeeaaaaase, Twilight!” he whined. “I’ve always wanted a chicken I could play fetch with!”

Twilight looked away with exasperation. “Well… they need to go somewhere, I guess it’s okay...” Then her eyes lit up with a profound thought, and she turned to face Discord again.

“On one condition: you have to take the whole rest of the cloud house with you as well. All my files, all my research notes, every shred of evidence… no one else can ever find them!” Twilight jabbed a purple hoof into Discord’s chest to emphasize each point. “No one can ever know! No one must ever try to replicate my experiments! Discord, until I’ve come back from this rescue mission and am ready to resume my search for a cure, you have to move that cloud house someplace very far away… completely unreachable by all the Swapped and Bewitched and… and their descendants. In case I should fail to return.”

She licked her lips nervously.

“Oh marvelous!” said Discord, squishing both his paws into his cheeks, causing the three he had just been holding to fall to the floor. “I think that cloud house will look simply smashing next to the graviton fountain in my house!”

“The what fountain?” stammered Lero.

“And DON’T TOUCH ANYTHING in there!” the purple unicorn bellowed. “That place is NOT your playground! When I come back, I want everything INTACT, just the way I left it!”

“Oh Twilight, after all I’ve done for you and your herd, you should know by now that you can trust me,” said Discord, his palms held together as a halo appeared above his head.

“Well, yeah, I guess,” admitted Twilight. “But still!”

Discord blew a raspberry at the purple unicorn. “Oh please! Besides, what’s the worse thing that could happen? I switch places with old sun butt?”

Twilight nearly had a heart attack at the sheer thought of her beloved mentor being swapped with the draconequus. “I’m… I’m going to go help Rainbow and Rarity,” she told the others.

Discord simply laughed.

As Lero made the last adjustments to his backpack, now loaded with a sizeable portion of the supplies, he glanced upwards as a shadow fell over the yard. The heavy beat of great, flapping wings and the impact of a carriage on the ground announced the arrival of Princess Luna, along with several Night Guard sentinels. The thestrals wore fully-covered helms, their eye slits encased with tinted glass which protected their sensitive eyes from the morning sun. Each one was carrying their own personal saddlebags.

As soon as Luna had stepped onto the ground, her guards proceeded to unload several more bags from the black sky carriage.

“Good morning, my friends,” Princess Luna greeted. “Tis good to see you all.”

“Princess Luna!” said Twilight, trotting over to the alicorn, only to stop short. For Luna was no longer wearing her customary regalia.

Her royal ebony chestpiece, her silver shoes, even her crown was missing, allowing the night princess’ mane to flow freely around her. In their place was a new set of accoutrements: a blue steel chestguard with a stone centerpiece, matching gauntlets that protected her legs from fetlock upwards, with similar arrangements made along Luna’s sides and flank. Twilight caught sight of something silvery lining the alicorn’s wings and recognised them as wing blades.

Twilight was unsure how to react. Seeing the princess, whom the scholarly unicorn now counted among her closest friends and confidantes, dressed so… militarily, evoked brief flashbacks to when she had first encountered the dark alicorn as Nightmare Moon.

“My goodness,” spoke Rarity. Twilight looked behind her to see the alabaster unicorn staring at Luna, her eyes positively sparkling. “You look simply fabulous, Your Highness!”

Luna could only raise her eyebrows at the other mare’s praise. “We, er, I thank you, Dame Rarity,” she said in surprise.

“Oh please, Princess Luna,” said Rarity, casually trotting over to Luna, “call me ‘Rarity’, darling. After all, we’re going to be spending so much time on the road together, there’s no need for such formalities.” Rarity took in the sight of Luna in her armor. “I must say, I simply adore your new ensemble. It’s so… so… commanding! It’s like something straight out of a classical saga!”

Luna regained her regal pose. “Quite right, Rarity,” she said. “Equestria was a completely different world, back in the days before my banishment. You’d have loved living in it, I daresay. I had this new armor fashioned in the stylings which were popular back then. I once owned a similar set many centuries ago.”

“What happened to it?”

“Lost to the ravages of time, I fear.”

“Well, it is a great loss, especially if it was half as lovely as this new piece that you are so… very graciously sporting.”

Luna tittered while Twilight could only stare at the surrealness of it all. If not for the Rainbow Mark on her flank, she would’ve sworn that the white mare in front of her was Rarity the Fashionista.

Then again, despite being swapped with Rainbow the Weathermare, Rarity was still Rarity and would always have an eye for the finer things, from clouds to breastplates.

Lyra’s sly remark from two nights ago suddenly came to the forefront of her brain as she continued to watch the two mares... well not quite flirting, but it was pretty darn close.

Wishing to steer their conversation in another direction, Twilight glanced curiously at Luna’s guards. “Are all those things coming with us?” she asked, eyeing the trunks they were continuing to unload.

“No,” said Luna, “not all of them. Most of those are going to remain here with my Night Guards.” She motioned to the half-dozen thestrals around them. “I have instructed them to construct an observation post around our enemy’s gateway in the forest, once we’ve found it.”

Lero looked rather dubious. “Are you sure that’s a good idea, Princess?”

Luna turned her attention to the human. “Indeed, Sir Michaelides,” she said. “I believe that we should have constant vigil on whatever path of incursion these creatures may take. Tis simple military strategy.”

Lero was about to say more when something else caught his attention. Trotting up the path to the cottage was a larger group of ponies. Lero recognized them all immediately: Fluttershy, the Apple Family, Herd Magnum, Spike, Quickfix, and even Cheerilee, who was walking very closely with Big Macintosh.

“Sorry we’re late,” said Spike, hopping down from Applejack’s back and waddling over to Twilight and Lero. “Had a little trouble with somepony.” He whispered, jerking a clawed thumb back towards the shivering pegasus mother. Poor Quickfix looked even more anxious than before; her main was full of split ends, her coat was matted, and her eyes were puffy and bloodshot, all pointing to gigantic amounts of stress and lack of sleep.

“Cut her some slack, Spike,” Lero quietly growled. “Her daughter’s been foalnapped!”

The young drake only crossed his short arms. “Yeah, well, doesn’t mean she has be such a bi-”

“Spike!” hissed Twilight. “That’s enough!”

Spike held onto his petulant look for a moment longer before he sighed exasperatedly. “Right, sorry, it’s just… well, this whole thing sucks.” He looked up at both of his adoptive parents, his demeanor shifting to his usual childishness. “We were just starting to make some real headway! Everything was starting go back to the way it should be.” He gave a quick sniffle. “And now you’re all leaving…”

“Oh Spike...” Any annoyance melted away as Twilight bent forward and pulled the baby dragon into a motherly hug, his stubby arms clinging to her middle. “I’m so sorry about this, but you know I can’t take you with us. It’s far too dangerous.”

Spike gave a muffled sniff from the unicorn’s chest. “I know,” he said.

“But I promise you,” said Twilight, pulling back, “We will be back. We are coming home, mister.” She smiled warmly, but both Lero and Spike knew that Twilight was on the verge of her own tears.

Lero put a heavy hand on the drake’s shoulder. “You’re going to have to hold down the fort for a while, little dude,” he told him. “You’re going to have to take care of both Fluttershy and Applejack while we’re gone. It’s a really big responsibility. We’re all counting on you now.”

Spike nodded his head. “You got it, bro. No matter what happens, I promise I’ll take care of Fluttershy and Applejack until you guys return.”

“And remember,” said Lero, pointing a strict, parental finger, “no wild parties and no girls after 9 pm.” Spike only laughed and the two of them fist-bumped.

All the others were also saying their goodbyes. Lero saw Pearl and Magnum give Rarity a warm hug.

“You take care of yerself, eh?” said Magnum. “Don’t go takin’ any big risks.” The white stallion maintained his trademark fatherly grin as he spoke to the other unicorn. “Yer a nice gal, Rarity. I’d hate to see anything happen to ya, eh?”

“I understand perfectly, Mr. Magnum,” said Rarity, looking from the stallion to his wife. She couldn’t quite fathom why she seemed to feel twice as emotional, whenever she happened to be around these two.

Sure, she had occasionally come across the pair as they stopped in Ponyville during their many, many travels. They seemed like a nice enough couple. She could appreciate why Magnum and Pearl had such a strong connection with the Apple Family, and thus felt a sort familial bond with them, despite not being related to the pair by any sort of blood.

And yet…

“Oh, look at you,” said Pearl, cupping Rarity’s cheeks in her hooves. “I remember when you first came to Ponyville. I looked at Magnum and said, ‘Dear, that there’s a mare whose going places, don’t cha know?’ I said it!”

Rarity laughed. “Oh Pearl,” she said, “you didn’t!”

“I did! I said, ‘That Rarity, she’s going ta do big things!’” The plump unicorn sighed heavily. “Who knew that she’d be off rescuing our little goirl.” Pearl drew Rarity in for one last big hug. “You bring her back, ya hear? You bring my Sweetie Belle back ta us.”

Rarity suddenly felt very overwhelmed. “I-I promise, Mo-” She stopped herself. Why had she-

“But Ah brought mah stuff an’ everythang!” came a sudden whine. Rarity snapped herself back to reality and turned to the source of the disturbance.

Pinkie Pie looked like she had just lost the biggest rodeo of the season. Her eyes and voice, so full of pleading, fell on deaf ears as she stood before Lero and Twilight. Pinkie carried a set of overstuffed saddlebags, amateurly packed to the point that even Rarity could tell she had all of the wrong things with her.

“I’m so sorry, Pinkie,” said Lero, who knelt before the pink farm mare, “but you can’t come with us.”

“But she’s kin!” wailed Pinkie. “She’s mah sister! How can y’all stand there an’ tell me Ah can’t go an’ protect mah sister!”

The trio of apples on her flank were twitching at an alarming pace. It wasn’t that long ago that Lero Michealides was able to show Pinkie how her mark actually represented her love for her family far more than anything farm-related. Now he would have to choose his next words very carefully, otherwise all that might very well blow up in his face, right here and now.

“Because…” He turned his gaze to both Granny Smith and Big Mac. “Because your family needs you here.”

Pinkie’s eyes grew wide.

“Big Mac can’t manage the farm by himself, now can he?” Lero asked. “And Granny Smith needs a lot of help too. How do you think they would feel if they had to deal with two missing Apple girls, huh?” Lero lifted Pinkie’s head with his hand. “They need you, Pinkie. Your family needs you now more than ever.”

“But…” whimpered Pinkie, “But Bloomy…”

“I promise you, Pinkamina Diane Pie,” said Lero, grasping Pinkie’s hoof with both of his hands, “I promise that I will bring Apple Bloom back safely. I swear it.”

Pinkie stayed quiet for a moment then, “Ya swear?”

“I swear.” Lero brought Pinkie’s hoof to his lips and gave it the briefest of kisses. Pinkie couldn’t help but giggle slightly at the feel of the human’s lips on her hoof.

“Ah’ll hold ya to that promise, Lero,” she told him.

Part of him felt guilty. Perhaps if this were a different type of enemy, Lero might well have gone ahead and welcomed Pinkie The Farmer as another companion. Pinkie was a fierce fighter, loyal friend and a fun girl to be around. She was also blessed with an uncanny sixth sense, an astonishing inventiveness, and had grown strong enough to buck apple trees all day alongside Big Macintosh.

Alas, this was the Fae who had kidnapped the Cutie Mark Crusaders. Extra companions translated to extra opportunities for tragedy.

Foreknowledge and familiarity with the Fae’s bizarre world were among the most indispensable traits one could have for surviving it, even if Lero seemed to only glimmer secondhand knowledge from his other half. Then again, the Lost did seem to have the ability to surface whenever the occasion called for it, so maybe there odds weren’t quite as bad. Of the mares who would be accompanying Lero, only Princess Luna seemed to truly understand what they were going up against. That, alone, increased Luna’s survival odds tenfold… even if she’d been an earth pony instead of an alicorn.

Rarity, Twilight, and Lyra... yes, they were courageous and loyal. Yes, they were magical powerhouses. Yes, they were no strangers to adventure, or dangerous enemies. That would all be very, very helpful.

‘Assuming they can adapt,’ whispered a quiet thought.

Otherwise, bringing them into the Fae’s world would be equivalent to finding the three hardest-hitting prizefighters in women’s boxing, and dropping them straight in the heart of a jungle. Or the southernmost part of the South Pole.

And then there was Rainbow Dash. Rainbow Dash the Animal Caretaker. Rainbow Dash the shy and tenderhearted. Rainbow Dash who had once come this close to perishing beneath the paws of her own bunnies.

‘It’ll be okay!’ Lero struggled to assure himself. ‘You just… you just gotta think positive thoughts! Things will work out, you’ll see!’

Unconsciously, Lero felt his hand drift down to his waist and felt something cold. He glanced down and saw the dull shine of a pommel protruding from his belt.

The small knife was among one of yesterday’s acquisitions. When he and Rarity had stopped at Steel Tong’s, the local blacksmith, to build a customized frame for Lero’s backpack, Lero had allowed himself to wander around the shop and take in all of the items for sale. Among the racks of farming and gardening tools, was a large selection of knives. Though ponies didn’t make it a habit of eating red meat, there were enough fish-loving pegasi, (not to mention large-sized foodstuffs) in town to warrant a wide assortment of larger cutlery. Filleting knives, salmon knives, chef’s knives, bread knives, tomato knives…

One knife in particular had caught Lero’s eye. It was rather plain by all accounts, little more than a slightly larger-than-average paring knife. Useful for such culinary tasks as slicing the green tops off of strawberries or peeling apples; it was scarcely half-longer than his palm. But when picking it up, a little voice seemed to speak to him.

He needed this.

“Oh you don’t want that one, sir,” Steel Tong had said. “That shouldn’t even be out on the racks.”

“Why not?” replied Lero.

“Well, that’s just a guide, sir. Just a bit of iron meant to serve as a model meant for proper steel.” Steel Tong then mumbled under his breath, “Where is that colt? I’d ought to have him sweeping the floors for a week for putting trash like that out on the shelves.”

“Did your apprentice make this?”

Steel Tong gave him a questioning look. “Yes, sir. It’s just a bit of practice iron, really. Not fit for customers, I’m afraid. If you’d like, I’d be happy to sell you some-”

“No,” interrupted Lero. His voice had taken on a hardness of its own that threw the stallion for a moment. He then handed the iron knife back to the blacksmith. “While you make the frame for my pack, have him reforge this. I want both sides to hold an edge. And have it sharp too.”

And so when Lero and Rarity arrived later that afternoon, Lero was the proud owner of Ponyville’s first and only biped backpack, (aside from Spike.)

And one iron dagger.

‘When everything else fails,’ came that same voice, ‘it’s always good to have a backup plan.’

Meanwhile, behind the cottage, Rainbow Dash was making her own last adjustments to her packs. Red Tail and the other animals had finished packing all of the supplies they would need for a few weeks of traveling. Twilight had suggested that she could enchant a small cart with the “Make It Move” spell, the same spell she had used on her snow plow during her first Winter-Wrap-Up in Ponyville, which would allow the group to carry more supplies and extend their travelling time. However, the logistics of doing so were more trouble than it was worth; any cart they could have found in a timely manner would have been ill-suited for any sort of rough terrain and given Lero’s description of the Hedge, it seemed like nothing but.

This forced the group to carry all their gear on their backs, a prospect that Rarity had voiced worries about, given that so few of them had any real endurance training or much camping experience.

“I’ve been camping before!” Twilight had objected the night before. “Just, well not in the woods… Okay so I spent a night with Shining and Cadence in a sheet tent in the backyard once. But the principles are still the same!”

She had then proceeded to slip “A Beginner’s Guide to Camping”, “Wilderness Survival 101”, and “I’m a Bookworm, Get Me Out of Here!” into her kit.

‘Don’t know how much those books will help us,’ thought Rainbow, just as she secured the last strap on her saddlebags.

She was just turning as a regal voice spoke out, “Are you prepared, Rainbow Dash?” Dash looked up and saw Princess Luna walking over to her, alongside Captain Night Song.

“Yes, Princess,” said the pegasus with a confident pat on her cyan bags. “Got everything we’ll need and then some!”

“Then perhaps you would be willing to accept one last item.” Luna nodded once to the thestral captain who pulled something from his own saddlebags and laid a wrapped bundle before Dash.

Rainbow felt a strange mix of emotions once she’d unwrapped this bundle and saw its contents: a shining pair of sharpened wingblades.

Part of her was frightened; she knew that these things were meant for harming other ponies, to cause pain and suffering, something that she was so fundamentally against that the mere thought of it would have sent her cowering in a tiny ball. But another part of her — a newly discovered part which enjoyed the Wonderbolts and racing against Lero when he was a stallion — couldn’t help but feel awed by the weapon and marvel at its design.

‘These are so awesome!’ this tiny portion of herself crowed.

“Why, uh,” said Rainbow, “why are you giving me this, Princess?”

“We are about to venture into very dangerous territory, Rainbow Dash,” explained Luna, “so I thought to err on the side of caution and provide you with a suitable means of defense. Since Rarity, Twilight, and Miss Heartstrings are all capable magic users, I thought more mundane means will have to suffice for yourself.”

“But I’ve never used anything like this before,” pleaded Dash, the trio of butterflies on her flank beginning to spasm. “I don’t think I could- I couldn’t possibly...k-ki-”

Luna could read the other mare like an open book. It had been a gamble on her part, offering Rainbow Dash such a weapon. The Moon Princess knew that the true Rainbow would have happily taken these wingblades without a second thought, while the true Fluttershy would have rejected them just as quickly. Luna had wagered that there was enough of Rainbow Dash the Stuntmare still inside, that the Swapped pony would not flat-out refuse the weapon. But in order to appease her Caretaker side, Luna knew she would have to play her cards very carefully.

“I understand, Rainbow,” Luna put a comforting hoof on the shivering pegasus’ shoulder. “And I pray that you never have to use it. But we are all going to a very dangerous place. And there may come a time where you will have to defend yourself.”

“But what if I choke? What if I’m too scared to-?”

Luna tilted her head and gave her gentlest smile. “Sweet Rainbow Dash,” she said softly, “if you must act, I want you to remember this: true courage is not knowing when to take a life. It is knowing when to spare it.”

Rainbow looked back down at the blades, then nodded her head. Luna used her magic to rewrap the blades before securing them on Rainbow’s saddlebags, then draped one of her soft wings over the pegasus mare and steered her towards the rest of the group. “Come now, gentle Rainbow, let us say the rest of our goodbyes.”

The others were all saying there own farewells. Lero had taken time to assure each of the families that he would do his utmost to ensure the Crusaders’ safe return.

“I guess this is goodbye, Big Mac,” said the human, who knelt before his friend. Despite the work horse's reputation for being the largest pony in town, with the exception of Bulk Biceps, the stallion only came to eye level with the kneeling human.

“Eenope,” said the stallion with a friendly but wary smile. “Don’t go makin’ it sound like none o’ y’all are never coming back now.”

Lero gave a chuckle then patted the big stallion on the shoulder. “Guess this means you’re in charge of Guys’ Night, huh, big guy?” He glanced over to Spike, who seemed to be buried under layers of mare as the girls squeezed in around him. “Do me a favor and be sure to keep bringing Spike along with you whenever you guys head out. He needs more stallion friends in his life.”

“O’ course, Lero,” said Mac. “The little guys become one o’ us now. He’ll always have a place at the table. And we’ll keep a chair ready for when ya get back.” Lero smiled and the two of them gave a brotherly hug, roughly patting each other on the back.

Two feet away, Twilight and her friends had gathered around each other.

“Don’t seem right,” said Pinkie as she held onto Twilight. “We always did everythang together.”

“I know,” whispered Twilight, rubbing the other mare’s back. “I really wish you guys could come.”

“So do we, Twi,” said Applejack. “But, well, Ah guess somepony’s gotta hold down the fort.”

“Oh darlings,” said Rarity, wiping away her tears as she held onto Fluttershy, “I shall ever miss you all so dearly.”

“Us too, Rarity,” murmured Fluttershy, who did not bother to hold in her own tears. After breaking the hug, Fluttershy lifted the flaps on a pair of saddlebags she had brought and pulled out a battered old camera.

“I thought,” she began, “well, I thought that we could take some pictures with everypony here.”

The rest of the girls nodded in agreement. First, the Element Bearers grouped together for a picture. Twilight could remember taking a similar picture together with her friends, many years ago when Twilight had first moved to the quiet town and the group had bonded during that fateful Summer Sun Celebration. Twilight had sent a copy to her mentor and had seen the picture proudly framed on Celestia’s desk.

The purple unicorn was doing her best to try not to break down into tears on the spot. Thoughts of how everything had come full circle, that this was the last time she would ever see all of her friends together, that somehow her very doom was lying somewhere beyond that forest in some-

“Twilight?” said Lero. Despite Twilight’s efforts, a silent pair of tears ran down her lavender cheeks.

“Sorry,” said Twilight, as she wiped away some tears, “I guess I just got caught up in the moment.” Lero only gave a gentle smile as he leaned down to tenderly kiss Twilight on each cheek.

Rarity moved in next to her and gave Twilight a reassuring nuzzle. “It’s quite alright, Sparkle-kitten,” she said. “Come now. We should be all smiles for the camera.”

Using her magic, Rarity passed Fluttershy’s camera over to Magnum, whom she knew had lots of experience with taking excellent pictures. He’d even invited her over his house, once, and sat through a vacation slideshow of his.

The six friends gathered around each other, forelegs hooked and smiles bright. Magnum snapped a few pictures, each time fumbling with the camera’s settings and mumbling to Fluttershy how they were all completely off of where they should be for a good photo.

“Okay,” he eventually said, “why don’t we get one o’ just Lero and his herd, eh?”

Lero knelt down and squared his shoulders. He had a sudden, rather random memory, of seeing a picture of Theodore Roosevelt while he was still in elementary school. The image of the stout man, decked out in what could only he could describe as “adventure gear” caused Lero to crack a wide smile as he remember old tales of how the great president hunted Earth’s most dangerous predators through the Rocky Mountains and the darkest depths of Africa. Despite himself, it was enough to suddenly fill Lero with a boyish thirst for adventure, and he suddenly wished for a set of Roosevelt’s trademark hat and boots.

‘Then again,’ thought Lero, ‘I bet even Teddy would think twice about heading where I’m about to go.’

Rarity, who was completely oblivious to her stallion’s internal musings, sat squarely in front of him, allowing his right arm to comfortably rest on her shoulder. Twilight took position to Rarity’s right while Lyra sat to Lero’s left, her front hooves atop Lero’s raised leg.

Just as Magnum was preparing to line up the shot, Spike gave Rainbow Dash a not-so-gentle tug, forcing her to stumble forward into the picture’s field. Dash froze, not sure what to do, but a human hand on her shoulder helped her make the decision. Lero used his left hand to guide her to sit next to Lyra, who smirked knowingly. Spike took his own position next to Twilight and the little family of six smiled brightly.

“Ok then,” said Magnum. “1, 2, 3…”

*click!*

Another picture was taken, this time with the herd and the Element Bearers. As Applejack and Fluttershy settled in by Lero, he couldn’t help but feel guilty; despite two months of hard work, he had not been able to help bring all of the Swapped Five to proper equilibrium.

He had only begun to help Fluttershy and hadn’t even made it to Applejack yet, who he knew was still fairly miserable, despite Spike’s best efforts. Out of all of them, only Pinkie Pie seemed truly and decisively “saved”, the most likely to be guaranteed to enjoy a productive future.

‘Well, one out of five still is better than zero.’

True, Rarity and Rainbow Dash were both helped. But he felt like by dragging them along with him to this place, he would be undoing all his work. And then some.

‘No,’ he thought to himself, ‘this is their choice. They chose to come with me.’ It was a small consolation.

After a few pictures were taken, Magnum suggested that they have one of just the rescuers. Princess Luna, who had been patiently waiting to the side during all of this, hesitated only a moment before nodding. The midnight alicorn walked over, taking up position at Lero’s side. Luna did not smile. She projected an air of power and regality that seemed to permeate the air. Lero straightened his back further and felt similar reactions from the mares around him.

He had a sudden vision of a grainy copy of this photograph they were posing for, appearing on some sort of documentary. The narrator would declare in a deep and academic voiceover, “This image, finally declassified for public viewing after one hundred years, is the last known photograph of Her Majesty, Princess Luna, before disappearing from our world, never to return.”

He shook his head. Now was not the time to let his imagination get the best of him.

With the last of the photos taken, the group broke up to give each other one last round of hugs.

“Don’t you worry, girls,” Spike was telling Rarity and Twilight, thumping a hand over his heart. “I’ll be sure to take care of everything while you’re gone.”

Much to the young drake’s surprise, Magnum came in from behind and swept Spike into a fatherly sort of hug, crushing him against his loud and tacky shirt.

“You’re a real good little guy, ain’t ‘cha, Spike-o?” said the white stallion.

Spike, who had never really had many personal dealings with the stallion, could only give a befuddled response. “Uh, well, I try to be, Mr. Magnum, sir.”

Magnum was, of course, completely oblivious to the dragon’s reservations and continued to speak with fatherly pride. “These days, my Applejack’s always telling me how helpful you are to her.”

The orange mare could only smile and shyly prod the dirt beneath her. “Ain’t nuthin’ but the honest truth, Pa. Thanks ta Spike, Ah’m only up ta mah eyeballs in trouble, ‘stead of drownin’ in the undertow!”

Spike beamed at Applejack’s praise, then turned towards Magnum. “Mr. Magnum...” he started to say.

“‘Mr. Magnum?’” The unicorn gave a hearty laugh. “Oh shucks, you’re gonna make me feel like your landlord or something if’n you call me that, Spike-o!”

“Huh?”

Pearl Necklace placed one of her slightly pudgy hooves on Spike’s shoulders. “Now, of course,” she said, “this isn’t anything permanent, but until your herd comes back to Ponyville safe and sound, Spike, you’ll need a home, so we’d like you to consider yourself part of our family! One of us!”

Magnum matched his wife’s beaming smile. “An honorary member of Herd Magnum!”

Spike was silent for a moment then felt his eyes widen at the implications. “Are you serious?” he asked.

Magnum slung a forearm around Pearl as she said, “Feel free to think of us as your Temporary Mom and Dad!”

Magnum then reached out and pulled Spike into a threeway hug. Lero, who was watching the whole thing out of the corner of his eye, could barely contain his own laughter as Spike’s face displayed a startling range of emotions, from happiness to surprise to mild discomfort.

“Oh, we’ll have such FUN, playing hoofball with each other, going to hoofball games… you can be the son we never got to have!”

Applejack tried to pull down her stetson to hide her own embarrassment at her parents’ actions. “Ma, Pa, yer comin’ on a mite bit strong ta the lil’ guy,” she murmured.

“No!” piped Spike as he shook his oversized head. “No, I’m totally cool with this!” He looked over towards the grownups of his own herd, who already seemed to grinning be in full approval. Maybe this had even been pre-arranged between both herds.

Eventually, Pearl and Magnum, (or would they want him calling them Mom and Dad?) released him from the mushy hug and moved on to say the rest of their goodbyes to the others. Applejack took the opportunity to sit next to him.

“Jest a heads-up, Spike,” she told him, “Ah love mah folks dearly, but Ah know how they are ‘bout thangs. Yew’ll prolly be livin’ with me at the Boutique a lot more than with Ma ‘n’ Pa. It’s how they were with Sweetie Belle, too.”

Spike’s eyes took on a distant, glazed look as he leaned forward against the earth pony, letting his stubby arms hang limp in front of him. “I wouldn’t have it any other way, AJ,” he said dreamily.

Applejack smiled sincerely down at Spike and pulled him into a hug.

Nearby, a different sort of goodbye was taking place. Rainbow Dash had called out all of her animals and lined them up in front of the cottage, forming a set of straight lines that any drill sergeant would have been proud of.

“Now all of you are going to be staying with Dr. Tenderpaw for a while,” said Rainbow Dash, adopting her commanding voice once again. “Now some of you might be thinking that this would a time for you to slack off on your discipline. Well, guess what? That isn’t going to happen! I want you to treat every word that comes out of her mouth like it’s coming straight from me! Got that?!”

Several of the animals stood straighter and seemed to mouth off, “Ma’am, yes, ma’am!” in a cascade of barks, meows, squeaks and chirps.

Rainbow dropped her drill sergeant demeanor and nuzzled several of the closest animals. “I love you guys so much. I’m going to miss all of you.” She received several appreciative nuzzles back before scooping up a particularly confused (borderline terrified) white rabbit. “And I’ll miss you most of all, Angel Bunny. I want you to take care of everyone else, okay?”

The white rabbit nodded, barely containing his dastardly smirk. Soon he would have his chance! Now that the overmare was leaving, he would soon lead his furry army once again! They would rise up in glorious revolution, right while the unsuspecting fools were secure in their victory and-

Then the human knelt in front of him, his eyes gleaming in an insidiously predatory grin. “And remember, Angel Bunny,” Lero showed off his sharp white teeth, in a quiet grin. “Hasenpfeffer.”

This was no idle threat, either. Lero had learned the recipe when he was fifteen. He had rehearsed it countless times in his imagination during the first month of the Swap, whenever he’d come to visit Dash’s cottage.

And so, tragically, all thoughts of glorious revolution died in flames for the rabbit.

Though it was just past noon, very little sunlight seemed to penetrate the forest canopy. The group had set out hours ago, first following the path that led through the forest before veering north. While Lero and his herd were mostly grounded, Luna asked some of her sentinels to take to the air and act as scouts. When they asked what they were looking for, Luna had only responded with, “Anything unusual.”

And so it was that the group wandered the Everfree forest for the entire day until the sky turned a burnt orange. They had switched directions several times, retracing their steps, crossing back over familiar territory trying to follow Twilight’s search strategy. She had taken one of her many maps and assigned a grid to it. She gave copies to the sentinels in the air, asking them to search sections ahead of them in an effort to cover more ground.

Each time the thestrals returned with the same answer: nothing. Each time Twilight crossed of a section of the grid with an “X” and they moved on.

By sunset, the only thing they had to show for their efforts was a map covered in ‘x’es. Twilight buried her nose in her maps, frantically turning from one to the other. “This can’t be right,” she worried aloud. “We should have found something by now! A clue, a portal, just something!”

“Twilight,” said Lyra calmly, who had set her pack down in anticipation of breaking camp, “it’s only been less than eight hours. Canterlot wasn’t built in a day.”

“But Red Handed wrote that the first twenty-four hours are the most important time for looking for a lost foal in his book of ‘Red Handed’s Wrongdoings Made Right’!” Twilight began to hyperventilate. “If we can’t find any trace of them now, we may never find them at all!”

“Still yourself, Twilight Sparkle,” said Princess Luna. “There is still time. I shall order my sentinels to search your maps again while we rest. It has been a long day after all, and I think we’d do well to eat something. It should be interesting to see what ponies eat as field rations these days.” The princess gestured to Sergeant Night Song, who dutifully stood beside his princess.

Twilight danced in place anxiously a few seconds longer before coming down from her near-panic attack. She passed the maps over to Sgt. Night Song, who then went about ordering his fellow thestrals into action. Twilight had just opened up her pack, when something caught her eye.

Lero was just standing there, at the edge of the group, his back turned to them all. He didn’t move, just stared off into the the darkening woods.

“Lero?” Twilight called out to him. The human didn’t respond.

Rainbow Dash also took notice of his behavior. She gingerly trotted up beside him. “Big guy?”

“It’s out there,” said Lero, his voice grown cold. Rainbow’s mouth gaped as his eyes changed. Hazel-in-white was swept away by icy blue-in-black. Without any further warning, the Lost trudged out into the growing gloom.

“Wait, Lero!” called out Twilight. “Or Lost or-!”

“Both work,” he said, without stopping.

“Hey! We need to stick together!”

“Then try not to fall behind, Twi,” The Lost replied, without bothering looking over his shoulder.

Twilight gave an irritated huff and called back to the others. Soon they were all trudging through the dark forest. It amazed the purple unicorn how lively the forest still was at this hour. Bats flew among the trees, feasting on the myriad of insect life that flittered through the air, while a cacophony of frogs, crickets, and other creatures filled the area with their music. Rainbow Dash stayed on the ground, sticking close to Rarity. Nervous though she was, her eyes were sharply peeled, expertly picking out all signs of nocturnal predators.

“I don’t like this,” the pegasus whispered, looking from an old dry bloodstain splattered on a tree trunk, to scraps of shaggy fur caught on some bush branches. “We should definitely not be out in the Everfree at night.”

Rarity pressed herself against Rainbow’s side. “It’s alright, darling,” she soothed. “We’re all here.”

Luna, however, could not share the unicorn’s sentiments. “Lost,” she said, “We demand that thou cease thy wanderings! Thou shalt get us all lost in this wood if we continue this course.”

“Precisely,” said the Lost, making a sudden left turn.

“WHAT?!” screeched Twilight. In a purple flash she teleported herself in front of the Lost, finally causing him to stop. She angrily pointed a hoof at him. “You mean you want us to be lost in the woods at night?!”

“Of course,” said the Lost, as he knelt with an amused look on his face. “How else would you expect to find something that isn’t meant to be found?”

“But- wait, wha-?”

“I get it,” piped up Lyra. All eyes turned toward the mint unicorn, her golden eyes glinting mischieviously. “If you want to find something that can’t be found, then you have to become lost to do so.” She trotted up to Twilight’s bewildered form. “Otherwise anyone could find it.”

Twilight sat heavily down on the ground, steam almost coming out of her ears. “But- that’s- you- what?!” she sputtered.

“Fae logic,” stated the Lost, as if it were the most obvious thing world. He patted Twilight’s shoulder. “Takes a while to get used to. Try not to wrap your mind around it too tightly, though, Twi. You’ll just end up like me.” He stood and continued to walk ahead beside Lyra.

The other unicorn gave the Lost a seething look. “Don’t think that gets you off the hook, Blue Eyes.”

“‘Blue Eyes?’ What happened to ‘Fingers’, Horny?” asked the Lost.

“Lero is ‘Fingers’. And only he gets to call me ‘Horny’.”

“Did I do something wrong?”

Her gaze hardened distrustfully. “I am not too happy that you suddenly hijack my stallion, with no warning. And I especially don’t like when you withhold information from us, especially Lero.”

The Lost dropped any hint of amusement. “I’m not doing this for fun, Lyra. In fact, may I remind you that withholding information from Lero is the whole reason I exist in the first place? I’m the bedrock of ‘your stallion’s’ psychological stability. Believe me, Lyra, I’d love nothing more than for two of us to be one unified whole, like it was in the old days. But it has to be this way. Without me, Lero would be a broken soul.”

That gave Lyra pause. “Maybe so. But it’s still a bitter pill for me to swallow.”

“I’m trying to protect you all,” the Lost reminded her, sounding downright hurt. “That’s what I do, that’s all I have ever done.”

Lyra gave the alter ego one last hard look before falling back towards her herdmates, leaving the Lost alone to lead their group.

They continued like this for many hours. At one point, Luna stopped to raise the moon, perhaps for the last time for a while. Twilight had been trying in vain to keep track of their progress, using the stars they occasionally gleamed through holes in the canopy for navigation, but every time she glanced upward, the stars had seemed to change positions in the sky.

This did not sit well with Luna at all when Twilight pointed it out, if the grinding sound of the alicorn’s teeth was any indication. She eventually called her sentinels to ground level, not wanting to risk them getting separated by whatever sorcery was at hoof.

‘Sorcery’ was an apt description of what Twilight was feeling right now. The hypersensitive unicorn was doing her best to keep her own unease in check as they walked. The air felt wrong here. Some unnatural form of magic permeated the air around them, growing stronger as they moved forward. The last time she felt something like this was when she had cast the detection spell on Apple Bloom’s fetch back in Ponyville. It wasn’t as severe as that had been. But the faint pain she was feeling at the base of her horn was enough to set her on edge.

Meanwhile, Rainbow Dash also grew more nervous as they marched on. The forest, which had once been alive with activity had suddenly fallen quiet. Gone was the nightly symphony of wildlife. The pegasus swerved her sensitive ears in every direction, but no matter how hard she listened, no signs of life could be heard. ‘Where are all the animals?’ she wondered.

The moon had finally passed its zenith when the Lost abruptly stopped. He crouched low, his hand motioning the others to do the same, before slowly moving forward. They all mirrored him, their furry bellies becoming slightly damp from the forest floor.

The Lost parted some bushes and uttered a soft curse. They had arrived at their destination but they were not alone.

In the center of an open meadow, standing impossibly atop a mirror-still pond, was a creature unlike any the ponies had seen. It resembled a human, in that it was bipedal with two arms ending in hands, but that was where the similarities ended. The dark brown horns, the yellowed and mummified skin, the sightless eyes, the great pair of wings that spread out behind it, all spoke of something monstrous, something alien.

Inhuman.

“Wha-what in Equestria is that?” breathed Twilight, trembling at the sight of the creature. Had it sensed their presence?

“Something that has no right being in Equestria,” seethed Luna. The alicorn moved to ready her wingblades, but was halted by a hand from the Lost.

“No,” he told her.

“No?” hissed Luna. “Sir Belle- Lost, it’s one of them! I should smite it solely on principle!”

“Any other day, I would agree with you, Princess Luna, but not this one.” The Lost’s blue eyes mirrored the firmness of his voice.

“Then what should we do?” asked Lyra.

The Lost looked at each one of the ponies, their expressions ranging from fear to anger. Finally, he took a deep breath and set a reassuring hand on Luna’s plated shoulder. “I need you to trust me,” he said at last. “All of you.”

“How-”

“Please, Princess.” Luna looked into the Lost’s pleading eyes for any sign of treachery. Though she saw no hint of deception, she still felt wary.

“Very well, Sir Lost,” she said, folding her wings and the hidden blades. “But know that I shall not tolerate any sort of betrayal. If you put any of us in danger, I will not hesitate to act.”

The Lost smirked. “I wouldn’t have it any other way, Princess Luna.”

“Pray tell, how do you intend to deal with that creature?” the alicorn asked.

“Diplomacy. I can be very persuasive.”

“Are you so sure of that?”

“I got you all to follow me, didn’t I?” With that he stood and walked into the clearing.

As the human strode off, Rainbow Dash looked worryingly up at Luna. “You, um, you weren’t really going to do anything to him, were you, Princess?” she whispered. “It may be the Lost in control right now, but that’s still Lero. You weren’t really going to hurt him, were you?”

Luna only remained silent.

As the Lost drew closer to creature, he moved his coat open and loosened the dagger in its sheath. Diplomacy was only as good as the backup plan.

The creature lifted one of its wings slightly higher above its head, allowing the four golden eyes to open along its length. “It took you long enough, Ridire,” it spoke in its alien language. “I had almost begun to wonder if you would find this place at all.” The Messenger moved atop the still water, not even sending a ripple across its surface. Its feet never seemed to touch the ground as it smoothly glided closer to the Lost.

“It wasn’t easy,” replied the Lost, “but mercifully, we have your stench to thank for leading us here.”

“You sensed the magic in the air and it drew you here,” said the Messenger. The eyes along its other wing opened and turned towards the group hiding at the edge of the clearing. “My, my, it seems we have an audience. I cannot help but wonder what they must think of this little performance. You sparing me from attack, so that we can converse in our own private language. What must we be plotting between ourselves? Can you truly ask them to trust you after this?”

“I trust every one of them with my life, Messenger.” The Lost put a hand on his own chest. “I’d gladly give anything to see them safe. I love them.”

“I wonder, though,” mused the Messenger, his tone mocking, “do they love you? Are any of them truly worth it, Ridire? You do not need to go after those three urchins. You certainly don’t have to bring your… ‘women’ with you on this chase of yours. Not to such an oh-so-very-perilous world as My Lady’s. You have your cure, so why-”

The Lost’s dagger was out of its sheath in an eyeblink. The iron blade hovered a hair’s breadth from the creature’s throat. “Don’t you speak to me of cures, thing. What you ‘gave’ me-”

“Was exactly what you needed,” insisted the Messenger, his smile never wavering. “Not now, not tomorrow, but soon. I gave you exactly what the scholar needs to know. It may not have been what you were expecting, but it is the information you bargained for.”

The Lost hesitated. He knew better than most how the Fae operated. They often played games with mortals, with strategies that sometimes spanned generations. Gifts and rewards were often given at some steep price, but they always did what they were advertised to do, just not always in the way one would expect.

‘So if that little tidbit was supposed to be a cure for the Swap,’ mused the Lost, ‘then how-?’

“You still have not answered my question, Ridire,” said the Messenger. It calmly raised a bony finger to the Lost’s wrist and moved the offending weapon away from its neck. “Are they worth it?”

The Lost didn’t hesitate. “Absolutely.”

“And your wives? Are they worth re-enslavement? Are they worth dying for?”

“You know the answer to that, creature,” spat the Lost. “Why do you persist wasting my time with your asinine questions?”

The Messenger laughed, the sound carrying to the edge of the glen, causing the ponies there to shiver as something cold trickled down their spines. Rarity held onto Rainbow and Twilight while Lyra positioned herself between them and the thing in the clearing.

“Very good, Ridire,” said the Messenger. “You have not lost that sense of chivalry we instilled in you.”

“I was always like this, Messenger! I never lost sight of the man I used to be, not even after all the things you made me do!” The Lost pounded his own chest in emphasis. “This is the kind of man I am!”

The Fae merely laughed again. “Oh Ridire, you truly are ‘The Lost,’ aren’t you?” It leaned forward and the human could smell its breath, like dried and decayed flesh amongst ancient paper. “I told you once before, Ridire: Bellerophon is the mask you wear. But this...” It made a vague gesture to all of the human’s face. “This is your true face.”

Lero’s blue-in-black eyes burned holes in the Messenger’s dried flesh, his knuckles turning white around the dagger’s hilt. Something popped and began to move under his hands’ skin. Something bulged and tried to come to surface as the Lost imagined plunging his weapon into the creature’s chest, ready to carve out whatever shriveled thing served as its heart.

“Now now, little human,” mocked the Messenger. “You would not want to have your women see that, would you?” The Lost held his breath as he cast a sidelong glance back to the group. After a few tense moments, his grip relaxed and he resheathed the dagger.

“There is time enough for that, Ridire,” said the Messenger. “You may have suppressed your true self well enough here, in this world. But nothing ever truly becomes free from Arcadia’s touch. Denial has been you ally here, but time shall be your enemy, once you cross over. The ambient energies of the Hedge will find their way home to your body, like water soaking into dried earth.”

It pointed to the Lost’s distinctive eyes. “The little amounts you have encountered thus far have proven that. Three little fetches and my humble self… and already you are altered so vastly. I wonder how long it will be until your true shape is regained. Won’t that be an interesting sight for your wives to see?”

The Lost felt his teeth grind. “Did you come here just to mock us?” he seethed. “Or is there a point to you befouling this place?”

“Always to business, Ridire,” said the Messenger, shaking its eyeless head. It reached into one of its many pouches and produced a small bronze object. It was an amulet, bearing some strange, eldritch crest upon it, some kind of pale and twisted parody of a sun. The Lost instantly recognized it.

The Lady’s Crest.

“I have come bearing a message and a gift,” said the creature. “The Silken Harpist you seek was last spotted near the Frozen Marshes, close to the hobtown of Gladesrest. This insignia will help you enter the town.”

The Lost studied the crest in his hands very carefully, as though trying to see if it had little fangs anywhere. “If I come bearing the crest of a Faelord to a hobtown, I’m going to be painting a target on my back. And my family’s.”

“Then you will have to rely up your razor wit, now won’t you? If you come within a hundred paces of the walls with no sort of passport, their guards will cut you down.” It motioned to the crest with a skeletal hand. “This will prove that you at least have some purpose being there. The hobs are always willing to do business. Just not with vagabonds.”

The Messenger turned and was gliding back towards the pond when the Lost called out, “Why do this, Messenger? Why help us?”

The creature stopped for a moment, as if trying to come up with an appropriate answer. He turned around and gave a laugh that sounded like dry leaves, his cracked lips widening in a parody of a smile.

“You are mistaken, Ridire,” said the Messenger. He spread his gnarled hands in an encompassing gesture. “I am not doing this to help any of you. I am merely protecting Our Lady’s investments.”

The thing continued to laugh as he faded from view, leaving Lero and his companions in the glen. The Lost cast a look back at the group of ponies at the edge of the clearing. He smiled then closed his eyes. “Alright, buddy,” he whispered, “you get to take it from here.”

His brows furrowed together and he grit his teeth. A piercing pain entered his skull for a moment before Lero snapped open his hazel eyes with a gasp and heaved forward, almost retching on the spot.

“Lero!” called out Rarity, who broke cover and dashed forward into the clearing. Twilight, Lyra, and Rainbow Dash were quick to follow, Twilight disappearing in flash of violet before appearing next to her stallion.

Lero woozily leaned forward, his hands on his knees. “Ugh,” he moaned, “there has got to be an easier way to hand over the keys, man.”

“You okay, Fingers?” asked Lyra.

“Yeah, just dandy, Horny,” said Lero, standing up straight and giving his neck a pop. “I remember most of it.” He looked around the clearing before settling his gaze on the pond. “Yeah, that looks about right.”

“Wait,” said Twilight, “the pond is the portal?”

“Stillwater, middle of a glen, surrounded by carved stones. Yeah, this reeks of Fae magic.”

Luna strode forward, her thestral soldiers coming up behind her. “Can you tell us what the Lost and that thing were speaking of?” she said. “What was that creature?”

Lero squinted then looked down at the bronze object still clutched in his hand. The symbol reflected the moon’s pale light from above. For some reason, Lero felt a heavy sense of dread build within him as he gazed at it. Something was desperately trying to claw its way to the front of his mind, screaming that he should just start running now and never look back.

But just as easily as the feeling had come to him, something else welled within him; a surging confidence that he could face anything that might be thrown at him.

I got your back, it seemed to say.

“I think,” he said, looking back at the pond. “I think that thing just gave us our first clue to find the girls.” He slowly walked over to the pond, slipping the crest into one of his pockets.

Seeming to read his intentions, Rarity chimed in. “Shouldn’t we wait, my prince?” she asked. “We have been walking an awfully long time now.”

“We can set up camp on the other side just as easily,” replied Lero. He squinted at the pond’s reflective surface. Then he knelt a reached forward with his fingertips, causing only the faintest of ripples.

“I dunno, big guy,” Rainbow Dash said dubiously, swirling a hoof in the water. “Looks to me like if we step in there, all we’re gonna do is get wet. In fact, I’m pretty sure I can make out the bottom of the pond. Looks muddy. You sure that’s the way to Fae-land?”

“I… I can open it,” said Lero. “I can open the portal.”

“You can?” asked Twilight bewilderedly. “But… But you have no magic! You always said so yourself! You’ve been subjected to every known thaumalogical test known to ponykind and we never once found any evidence of-”

“Oscail,” said Lero. Twilight was stunned at the alien word, but any further questions were halted at what happened next.

The pond’s surface glowed with a bright, white light that lit up the glen, illuminating the surrounding treetops. Everypony’s eyes grew wide when they looked into the water and found themselves looking up at a colorful evening sky. The tops of white barked trees swayed in an invisible breeze as distant, pink toned clouds caught the last light of a sun.

Luna felt the breath catch in her throat. There, above the clouds, surrounded by unfamiliar stars, were two full moons. The larger was a pale, cerulean blue while its sister satellite was a fiery red. And there, just at the pond’s edge, Luna could spot the misshapen form of a third moon.

Lero leaned forward, his hand sinking passed the surface. When he removed it, he found that his skin and sleeve were completely dry.

Twilight continued to gape. “Tha… that’s… not possible,” she breathed.

“If there’s anything I’ve learned, Twi,” said Lero, “it’s that ‘possible’ is always up for being redefined around us.”

Luna leaned back, whispering to her Captain. “Have your soldiers ascertain this place’s true location, then send word back to those in Ponyville. Bring the supplies here and immediately lay grounds for an observation post. I want this place watched every hour of every day.” She hesitated a moment then added, “Inform the Royal Guard as well.” The thestral commander nodded once, then took to the air with several of his comrades.

Luna looked back at the group. Curious Twilight Sparkle. Gentle Rainbow Dash. Fair Rarity. Enigmatic Lyra Heartstrings.

And Noble Bellerophon.

Lero looked at each of the gathered mares. No words were exchanged but there opinions were stated clearly. Each one nodded with confidence. They were all together now. Nothing would ever get in their way from saving Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo.

Lero leaned forward again until he fell straight into the portal.

Author's Notes:

Well, this was a long time coming. Then again this chapter was twice as much as my usual stuff. Consider it a bonus for the delay!

Special thanks to Mike Teavee for being an awesome editor and for putting up with my shenanigans.

Leave me a comment! Do it! My dried husk is solely sustained through your words!

Chapter 5: Down the Rabbit Hole

Alien.

That was the only word Twilight Sparkle could use to describe this place. She felt, well, she couldn’t quite put it into words. Just being in this place felt so completely strange.

They had all followed Lero through the portal, undergoing a sense of vertigo as they fell downwards only to have gravity reassert itself in the opposite direction once on the other side. Twilight pulled herself over the rim of the pond and tried to take in her new surroundings.

They were surrounded by a ring of stone slabs, each one easily three times Lero’s height and overgrown with black vines. Each stone bore some kind of markings beneath the vines. Twilight could make out thin, geometric patterns. Most were indecipherable, seemingly random patterns that seemed to subtly shift and move, disappearing one moment before reappearing in a new, altered pattern.

The stone ring was on a grassy hilltop that was sparsely covered with tall, white-barked trees with bright, red leaves. A small trail of spring water ran from the pond and down the hillside. The hill’s base terminated in an expanding forest of similar trees — ‘Some kind of birch?’ she mused — that stretched out into the horizon. Her gaze followed upwards and she felt her breath catch as she took in the new sky.

Three moons dominated this alien dusk. The blue giant easily took up two times the space of Equis’ natural satellite, its pocketed surface unfamiliar to her. The blue moon’s light was beginning to dominate the night sky as the sun sank lower and lower in the horizon and the clouds lost their pink hue to take on a pale cerulean glow. Closer by was a smaller moon, this one a fiery red color that seemed to try to outshine its pale sister, casting its own bloody light on a few other clouds. On the distant horizon, a third moon hung in the sky, a tiny misshapen green thing that seemed content in watching its siblings squabble.

Stars shined down, twinkling in constellations that Twilight had never seen before except in half forgotten dreams. She blinked and the stars seemed to rearranged themselves into new patterns, each one more bizarre than the last. There were some that shined many times brighter than back home, and others in colors that would never have been seen on Equis. Amidst them, almost drowning out the typical inky blackness, vast and misty clouds of star dust and nebulae stretched out, a display that Lero and Twilight had only thought visible through radio telescopes.

Twilight’s eye twitched as she tried to work her mouth, tried to voice some kind of coherent thought as her ordered mind seemed to rebel against this… flouting of the natural order of things.

“Beautiful,” came a whisper next to her. Rarity was sitting down, her own gaze locked onto the primordial sky. Tears had gathered in the corners of her eyes, threatening to spill over as the oncoming night held the weathermare’s gaze captive. “It’s… amazing and terrifying but… it’s absolutely beautiful.”

“Thou art correct, Dame Rarity,” whispered Luna, who allowed her own tears to flow freely. The visage above made her slip back into her archaic dialogue. “Never could We have conceived of such a scape for Our nightly canvas, ‘cept only in fevered dreams. Verily, the architect of this must be either a poet of the highest order or a maddened soul. Mayhap they art one in the same…”

Rainbow remained silent, shivering under the vastness of it all. She had felt small before; facing off against the red dragon, fleeing from the swarm of changelings in Canterlot, cowering before King Sombra in his smokey and nebulous form amidst the frozen plains of the Crystal Empire...

But she had never felt like this before.

She had never felt so completely and utterly insignificant. A mere speck of dust among the infinite cosmos. Tiny and alone.

No sooner had the thought crossed her mind, she felt a warm arm wrap around hers. Dash looked to her side and saw Lyra there, her golden eyes watering, but a warm smile spread across her face. The unicorn’s smile seemed to convey all that she needed to know.

She may be small, but she would never be alone.

Lero sat down heavily. His eyes were not trained on the sky as the rest of the group’s were, but fixed on the forest that surrounded them. The evening wind ruffled the red canopy, making the bloody leaves dance in waves. The wood groaned and creaked around them, as if the trees were talking, whispering to each other of these strange invaders. The trees were so overgrown and so tightly packed together, it looked like an impenetrable wall.

Movement caught his eye; the vines entangling the stone slabs moaned and seemed tightened their grip on the grey surface. Large, black thorns bulged out of their dry skin.

The Thorns. They couldn’t go near the thorns.

“I want you all to listen to me,” the man announced, “and do exactly as I say from now on.” His voice was as hard as cold steel and carried the weight of an experienced commander with it.

The ponies turned their heads and the Lost stared back at them, pale blue irises set in black scleras. Both Luna and Twilight narrowed their eyes while Rainbow tightened her grip on Lyra’s arm.

“Make no mistake,” said the Lost, “we have come to an extremely dangerous place. Nothing is what it seems here. Yes, it appears beautiful. The same can be said of tigers and leopards, but you wouldn’t want to be within biting distance of either of them. This place is so dangerous, you should count yourselves lucky if death was the only thing facing you.”

“Now see here, Lost,” Rarity began to protest.

“None of you must ever wander off on your own, off the path and away from the rest of us,” said the Lost, ignoring the white unicorn. “Should you do so, it’s entirely possible you may never find your way back. If you see something in the trees, don’t try to investigate it. Don’t trust anything you see or hear out there. If you spot anything that looks like it might be significant… or threatening… come straight to me or Luna.”

The Lost took a few menacing steps forward and fixed a hard, predatory glare at the five mares around him.

“And above everything else, do not touch the Thorns. Go nowhere near the Thorns. If you all do as I say, and only as I say, you just might make it out of here alive.”

Rarity had become quite fed up. Not only had the Lost hijacked her prince (again!), but now he had the nerve to try and tell her and the rest of her herd, and Luna, herself, what to do? In that tone?!

The unicorn plodded forward and poked the human in the stomach with her hoof.

“Now see here, buster!” she said “I know you’re the big Fae expert and whatnot, but I will not tolerate anyone speaking to either me or my herd like we’re a bunch of scatterbrained nine-year-olds! You will treat us all with respect!”

Luna stood beside Rarity, her dark blue wings raised in a dominating display. “The Lady Rarity speaks truly, Lost,” she said. “We know that you are our guide in this land, but thou shalt not treat any of us like foals! I am the Princess of the Night and I demand-”

“Don’t think you can demand anything of me, Princess,” sneered the Lost, who had leaned down to the alicorn’s eye level, his icy eyes boring into her own. Rarity tried to hold in a small “eep!” and took an instinctive step back, while Luna firmly stood her ground. “I have seen things here that would chill your blood. Things that wouldn’t spare a second thought to rip the living flesh off your bones faster than piranhas. You wanted to come here? Fine! Welcome to The Hedge, ladies! We’re here, so now you’re all going to follow my rules or- or-”

The Lost’s cheek twitched and his brow furrowed. Luna glanced at him dubiously as his face spasmed again. “...Lost?”

Suddenly, the human cried out and fell to one knee, his right hand gripping his brow in pain. His breathing calmed after a few moments before his shakely said, “Rarity? Twilight?”

“Lero!” cried Rarity. She was joined by the other unicorns and Rainbow Dash as they gathered around.

Lero dropped his hand and gazed at them all, putting on a tired smile.

They didn’t smile back. Instead they regarded him with a sense of dread.

“What?” he whispered.

“Lero,” said Lyra, “your eyes. They’re…”

Lero put a shaky hand beneath his eyes. Though he couldn’t see it, his eyes had shifted color. His hazel irises were now set in deep, black scleras, the whites having been completely expunged from his eyes.

“Wha…?” he tried to say.

A sudden vision filled his mind; a creature that spoke in an alien language, its voice like a cacophony of shattering glass. It pointed to his eyes. “The ambient energies of the Hedge will find their way home to your body, like water soaking into dried earth. The little amounts you have encountered thus far have proven that. Three little fetches and my humble self… and already you are altered so vastly. I wonder how long it will be until your true shape is regained. Won’t that be an interesting sight for your wives to see?”

Lero began to hyperventilate. Was this what it meant? How much would his body change here? What would he turn into? What-?

“Big guy?” Dashes words derailed Lero’s train of thought. The pegasus took a hesitant step forward, her rose-colored eyes filled with worry.

Lero took a deep breath and closed his eyes again. In. Out. In. Out. He remembered one of Lyra’s meditative chants. ‘Like water flows over the stone, I let the world wash over me. Yet I remain Still.’ In. Out.

He opened up his eyes again. Still hazel-in-black, but the fear was gone now. “It’s me, Dash,” he said. Rainbow smiled and closed the gap between them, wrapping her forelegs around his broad shoulders and burying her muzzle into his neck. “It’s me,” Lero said again.

“What was that?” said Twilight in bewilderment. “Did… Did you just… hijack the Lost?”

Lero broke the hug and fully sat back. “Yeah,” he said, grinning, “I think I did.”

“How? I mean, this changes everything! If the Lost can be usurped, then maybe we can-”

“I felt angry,” interrupted Lero and Twilight immediately quieted. “I felt his anger. But I somehow knew it was directed at you girls. So I fought and…” Lero paused again. “It was like yelling at myself and… I’m sorry, Twi, but I can’t rightfully explain it.” Lero offered a shrug to the scholar, who, as much as she wanted to, knew better than to press the subject.

“Come now, Sir Lero,” said Luna. “Let us put such matters out of mind until dawn. For now, let us break camp. It has been a very long day for us all.”

Lero slowly nodded his head and savored in the feel of Dash’s warm fur against his skin.

A few minutes later, Lyra, Luna, and Rarity had begun setting up their small camp. Luna had brought along her own tent, a large four-pony sized version that was standard issue for guard regiments and was capable of comfortably housing the alicorn. Lero’s herd had a similar setup, theirs being a high-end civilian version. Rainbow had packed her own, much smaller tent that could only fit two ponies.

Lero’s unique frame would mean that the entire family wouldn’t be able to fit in the tent, so it was quickly agreed that the girls would rotate each night, with one of them sharing a tent with Rainbow. Rarity had reasoned that it would give them a chance to spend more quality time their newest member. Lero had also invited Dash to share the herd’s tent, to which Rainbow replied with flustered mutterings and bright blushes.

As the tents were set up, Lero and Dash started a small fire in the center of the camp, while Twilight continued to question him, her academic mind going into overdrive.

“Do they hurt?” asked Twilight.

“Hmm?” said Lero as he snapped a few dry twigs for kindling.

“Your eyes, do they hurt?”

“Oh, well, no. Not at all.”

“Do they feel different?”

“No, they-”

“Can you see differently out of them?”

“Uh, Twi?”

“Does this mean that you’re mutating? Is it some kind of ailment? Is it contagious?! Maybe I should run some kind of medical scan just in case, oh but what if whatever is affecting you has some sort negative reaction to my magic? What if I’m unable to detect the malady?! What if-"

"Twilight!" shouted Rainbow.

Hearing her friend raise her voice so suddenly snapped Twilight out of her rapidly degrading train of thought. The unicorn blushed and sheepishly prodded the ground. "I did it again," she murmured, "didn't I?"

Rainbow laid a comforting wing upon her friend's back. "It's okay, Twilight," she offered. "I know you're worried and all, but now probably isn't the best time for that kind of thing."

"But-"

"But nothing, Twilight," said Lero. He took a moment to light the small pile of kindling with his firestarter kit, a tiny rod of magnesium and a knife, gently breathing into the small blaze. The flame took and the camp was filled with the reassuring glow and gentle crackle of a fire. "This isn't the kind of place we can afford to freak out in. He may have been overly blunt about it, but the Lost was right. This place will take every chance it can to kill us. Or worse."

Twilight nodded. She then inhaled deeply, bring her hoof to her chest, before exhaling. Cadence’s exercise always seemed to help her whenever the stress became too much.

Soon the group settled in for their first meal on the road, a feast of trail mix, water, dried fruit and vegetables, and canned food.

“Tis strange how field rations have changed since the time before my exile,” said Luna, as she poked and prodded her meal, a tin of mushroom soup and a piece of cornbread.

“How so?” asked Rainbow, who was picking out pieces of canned peaches from her own tin.

“Well,” said Twilight, “in the ancient days, the armed forces would have-”

“The soldiers used to eat salted hay mash that was formed into discs,” interrupted Luna. “And anything and everything we could forage from the environment or loot from the enemy.” The princess poked her diner with a spoon, her face remaining a mask of disinterest.

“Well, yes,” said Twilight, who took this opportunity to go back into lecture mode. “Since those days, Equestria has made massive strides in dehydrated foodstuffs. Now we can enjoy high quality, nutritious, and delicious meals in any environment. All thanks to the wonders of modern science!”

Lero took an opportunity to loudly slurp from his tin plate. “It tastes like beans,” he said, thoroughly unimpressed.

“And?” asked Twilight. “What’s wrong with that?”

Lero held up an empty can, showing her the label. “It’s supposed to be macaroni and cheese.”

She was running through darkened hallways, her breaths coming out in ragged pants, each step echoing on the black basalt stonework pressing in from all sides.

They were all gone. She was the only one left.

The thing was behind her, getting closer and closer until-

“No!” cried out Rarity, sitting straight up.

Cold sweat matted her fur and her breathing was still ragged. Rarity put a hoof to her chest, willing her heart to somehow slow down. The dream quickly faded into oblivion. She looked to either side and saw that Twilight was still asleep.

‘Always the heavy sleeper, Sparkle-Kitten,’ Rarity mused, as Twilight murmured something in her own dream.

Sensing that it was close to her watch, Rarity kissed Twilight on the cheek, to which Twilight gave a happy sigh, and exited the tent. They had all agreed to take three-hour shifts and Lero had volunteered to take first watch.

The night was cool and the fire gave some warmth, even from where she stood. To Rarity’s left stood Rainbow’s small tent, where she knew both the pegasus and her songbird were huddled close together in their sleeping bags. On her other side was Princess Luna’s much larger tent.

And there, sitting on a fallen log by the campfire, was Lero. He held one of the girls’ compact mirrors in hand, examining his eyes, a finger gently prodding the slightly sunken skin underneath them. His face was a mask of… what? DIsgust? Fear? The sight made Rarity’s heart ache.

“My prince,” she whispered.

Lero’s head turned towards her, his eyes widening in surprise. Memories ran through Rarity’s mind: villains and victims of dark sorcery whose eyes shifted to a different color before they leapt to attack. She’d seen it happen all too often in movies and in person.

Lero quickly averted his gaze.

“Rarity,” he said, staring at a twig by his foot. “I… didn’t know it was already time to shift watch.” Lero rubbed the back of his head. “Um… listen, you don’t have to do this tonight. I have another few hours left in me. I’m sure one of the others would-”

A sudden weight pressed up against him stilled Lero’s train of thought. Rarity had come up beside him and wrapped her arms around his neck. Lero momentarily tensed until he felt Rarity gently press her lips against his neck, leaving a trail of soft butterfly kisses against his warm skin.

“Lero,” she whispered into his ear, before taking his lobe between her lips. Lero’s skin instantly flushed, a fire smouldering within him. “Look at me.”

Lero turned away, tightly closing his eyes. He felt the flames inside him dim, replaced with cold shame. “But-” he protested.”

“Look at me,” repeated Rarity. The alabaster unicorn gently placed a smooth hoof on his cheek and turned the human’s head to face her. Lero held his breath and his eyes remained closed. “Open your eyes, my prince.”

Lero hesitated before exhaling shakily. Slowly, he opened his eyes. Hazel irises set in black orbs gazed at Rarity. They were filled with fear and self-doubt. Rarity looked back at Lero with her own sapphire eyes as she stroked his cheek, trying to ignore the tears gathering in the corners of Lero’s altered eyes.

“Rarity,” whispered Lero. “I-” Rarity remained silent but shushed him with a hoof to his lips. She waited a moment then moved forward. She kissed Lero’s cheeks, one soft touch under each eye, before pressing her lips again his.

Lero returned the kiss, feeling the fire in his chest returning, more impassioned than before. His arms reached up under Rarity’s forelegs, pulling her close as he deepened the kiss. Lero’s hands wove their way through the unicorn’s rich purple mane, savoring the sensation of smooth silk against his fingers. Their tongues intertwined with each other, caressing each other in a passionate dance. Rarity moaned gently into his mouth.

Lero broke the kiss and moved his lips along Rarity’s jawline while one hand traveled downwards, trailing the curve of her spine. He let his strong fingers massage the spot just above her tail and Rarity moaned again, arching her back into him. Lero kept his hand pressed against that sensitive spot as he lowered them both down to ground. The fire cast a single shadow on the stone rings and warmed the two lovers. He growled into her neck, running his teeth along her smooth coat. He knew that all the girls secretly found this thrilling, the feel of a predator’s teeth on them. Lero began to instinctively grind his hips into the mare, his pants feeling too constraining against his own arousal.

“Lero,” she whispered huskily, “wait…” Lero halted his ministrations, but still held his lover close. Rarity stole another kiss before saying, “Not here.”

Lero nuzzled her mane, inhaling deeply. God, he loved that scent. The smell of jasmine after a rainstorm. “I want you, princess,” he whispered into her ear. He nipped her with his sharp teeth, eliciting a soft yelp. “I want you so badly.”

“Lero,” Rarity moaned. In truth, Rarity wanted nothing more than to have him take her, right there next to the fire. It was like something straight out of one of her romance novels; the gallant knight-errant and her truehearted prince she was sworn to protect, camping in the wilds while on a quest, making passionate love under a starry night.

‘Not now,’ she scolded herself.

“Lero,” she said. Rarity placed a hoof on his chest and gently pushed his away, her eyes twinkling and her smile loving. “You need to rest, my sweet prince. You have been traveling all day.”

Lero sighed, a grin toying at his lips. “Tease,” he said, sitting up. “You got me all worked up now. How am I supposed to sleep?”

Rarity rested her head against his shoulder. “Then let us talk for now.” She looked up into his eyes, stroking his cheek again. “You should know by now that I love you too much to ever hold your appearance against you. In all honesty, my darling, I think your new eyes look… so exotic. I rather quite like them.” She smiled, her white teeth shining.

Lero did not return the smile, choosing instead to frown. “I don’t.”

“Oh Lero,” she whispered.

“This is just the beginning, Rarity. The longer I stay in this place, the more I will change. I don’t even remember into what.”

Rarity chewed her lip. “Did, well, does he know?”

Lero remained silent, staring into the fire before throwing on another log. It sent up a column of bright sparks, the heat steadily increasing and illuminating the bloody red leaves overhead.

“Undoubtedly,” he said at last. “He knows everything but is refusing to share it.”

“He told us that he is trying to protect you, Lero. That if you really knew everything-”

“That what? I’d go mad?” he scoffed. “I’d become a gibbering fool you’ll have to lock away in a padded room? Maybe Screw Loose and I could become roommates!” He turned his gaze back to the fire. “We all risk that just by coming here, Rarity.”

“I know, Lero,” she said, sensing the coming argument and heading it off at the pass. “You told us that. But we’re all here now and you know that I never leave something half-done.” Rarity sat a little straighter. “What I am really curious about is what you think of all this. Of the Lost, in particular.” Lero looked at her questioningly. “Do you trust him?”

Lero was perplexed. “Do I trust him?”

“Yes.”

Lero looked into the fire. Could he trust the Lost? So far, he knew very little, only that the Lost was supposedly some abandoned fragment of his personality; the part of him that had spent time in the Hedge.

At least, that was how he had introduced himself to the girls that first night… and at the time, Lero had been inclined to take The Lost’s word at face value.

But was it a lie? Could this whole thing be some elaborate trap? Could ‘The Lost’ be nothing more some fiendish, lying specter? One which had been magically planted in his psyche like a time bomb, long ago, by one of Her minions?

But then Lero considered all the Lost’s words and actions up to this point in time. No, he hadn’t lied before. He had certainly held back information, but Lero honestly could say that the Lost had never lied.

‘A lie of omission is still a lie,’ he mused.

But perhaps that was a good thing. Lero recalled reading a few H. P. Lovecraft stories as a teenager, during those years when the Cthulhu mythos was regaining its popularity. A running theme through all those stories was that knowledge was a dangerous thing. The more Lovecraft’s protagonists knew about the hidden truths behind the cosmos, the further it drove them insane. And here he was, living proof that a pulp fiction writer from the 1920s had gotten it right.

If the Lost’s existence truly was saving Lero from madness then perhaps he was a entity that could be trusted. He had harmed none of his friends or loved ones. Yet, he knew that the Lost was capable of great harm, of unbelievable violence. And that’s what worried him.

“I don’t know,” Lero finally said.

Rarity frowned for a moment then smiled. She kissed Lero’s cheek. “Well I know that I can trust you, my prince. Never doubt that.” Lero smiled and kissed her on the lips.

The two huddled together by the fire for some a little while longer, enjoying the warmth it provided and their own body heat. Eventually Lero broke the silence. “I think I know where we need to go.” He pointed off into the horizon. There was a distant orange glow there, but not from one of the distant stars. It was a much softer glow, more artificial. Rarity recognized it from many a night spent in Canterlot, gazing out from a balcony to the surrounding countryside.

“Is that…?” she queried.

“Lights,” finished Lero. “Odds are from a pretty sizable town.”

Rarity became excited. “If there’s a town, then that means there are ponies-”

“People. And I use that term loosely.” Rarity gave him a quizzical look. “They’re called ‘hobs’ or ‘hobgoblins’. Natives to this world who are neither feral nor are they Fae. A different sort of creatures with their own communities. ”

“And they make… towns?”

“Yep.”

“What do they look like? These hobs?”

Lero paused a moment. Images of a menagerie of creatures flashed through his mind; hulking brutes with tusks next to pint-sized, grinning swindlers with wide lips. “They’re not… a species. Not like humans. Or even ponies for that matter. At least you guys have a basic shape and classifiable tribes. Hobs are…” He paused, trying to think of a good term. “... a very… diverse… um, ‘people’? Kinda like how a goopy thing like pudding and a hard stalk of raw broccoli both qualify as ‘food,’ if you get my drift.”

“Are they friendly?”

“Depends.”

“...On?”

“Whether you have something to trade.”

“But… we don’t have anything. We didn’t bring any money.”

“They don’t always want money.”

“Well, we still don’t have much. What could we possibly trade them?”

Lero looked her over, then grinned evilly. “You can trade them the color of your mane, Rarity.”

At that, the white unicorn gasped and grabbed her purple locks protectively. “You wouldn’t dare!” she said, narrowing her eyes.

“Who knows?” Lero teased, running a hand through her mane and giving it an appraising look. “I bet we could get quite a lot for such. And I know that Aloe and Lotus owe me a few favors, so I’m sure we could get some dye to… oof!”

“I’m quite serious!” said Rarity, pulling back her hoof and crossing her forelegs. “I swear, spending so much time with Fluttershy has given you her sense of humor.”

“Oh come on, princess,” said Lero, putting an arm around her shoulders and kissing her temple. “You know I wouldn’t do something like that.” Rarity giggled and leaned into her stallion’s warm embrace.

They enjoyed each other’s company a little while longer before she said, “Come now. Let me take watch for now. I’ll wake Rainbow Dash when the time comes. Go get some sleep, my prince.”

Lero smiled. “I will, my princess.” He stood and ducked into the tent. Rarity inhaled deeply, savoring the smell of smoke and trees, and began her watch.

Three hours into her watch and Rarity was just about ready to fall asleep on the spot. She had caught herself nodding off several times already. The urge to curl up in a warm sleeping bag next to a warmer body was like a siren song to her.

‘Just a little longer,’ she tried to tell herself. ‘I can stay up just a little longer.’

The night sky had gone through its strange motions, uncaring of the creatures below. The misshapen green moon had stuck to the far horizon, not daring to move across the sky and interfere in the ongoing battle between its sisters. Those two satellites continued to battle for dominance in that primal sky. The pale blue giant had become partially eclipsed by its red counterpart, creating the illusion of a giant eye hanging in the sky.

As a girl who’d chosen to make a livelihood out of beautifying the sky, Rarity could certainly appreciate its beauty. But the longer she gazed at it, the more it struck her as a hostile sort of beauty.

A beauty like erupting volcanos, like unforgiving desert dunes or vast stretches of arctic ice, like jungles flowers that were poisonous to the touch.

Rarity felt herself shivering, the thought of being under the watchful gaze of some eldritch cosmic entity setting her nerves affray. ‘I won’t be of much use if I continue to get scared like some little filly,’ she mused her eyes darting around the trees. The shadows seemed to be playing tricks on her, moving and shifting, as if large creatures were just beyond the ring of trees that surrounded their tiny camp. The unicorn’s sensitive ears swiveled in every direction, trying their utmost to pick up on any sound.

Nothing.

‘Oh, I do hope Rainbow Dash is up for watch,’ thought Rarity. ‘She is such a gentle soul, I fear her poor nerves would strain under the weight of this dismal place. Perhaps I should ask Lyra-’’

Her thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a noise. Rarity turned her head, unsure of what she heard. She held her breath; the only other sounds present was the rustle of the high leaves and the thump of her heartbeat, which grew only louder.

Rarity stood and walked to the edge of the camp. She stood silently, straining her ears for the sound. There it was again, coming from the bottom of the hill. It sounded like… sobbing?

Yes, that was it. Somepony was down there and they were sobbing. She strained her eyes, seeking for any sign of activity in the trees. Though the light from the two moons provided a good deal of illumination, she could not penetrate the darkness that permeated the forest below. Rarity knew that she would have to investigate this. She looked back to the camp, hesitantly. The Lost had warned them all about wandering off, that they should all seek either him or Luna if something came up.

A sudden spark of annoyance flared within her, recalling the being’s commanding tone. Who was that… that scoundrelto give her orders like she was some foal on a field trip? She was a grown mare, an Element of Harmony, and savior of Equestria, many times over! She was more than capable of handling herself in such a place as this. It was just a slightly-different Everfree Forest, in the end, after all.

With a determined nod, Rarity began to trot down the hill, making her way to the seemingly impassable wall of trees before her. Upon arriving, she quickly took stock of her surroundings. The trees were shaped like massive oaks, but covered in pale white bark like birch trees. The white bark did a decent job of reflecting the moonlight from above, providing a decent amount of pale blue light. Gazing beyond the trees, she saw that thick black vines covered in thorns grew around and between the trunks and hanged from several branches, creating the illusion of living curtains of plant matter.

The sobbing had grown louder. She was close.

“Rarity!” called a voice from behind her. Rarity gave a loud yelp and jumped into the air, spinning around to face the newcomer.

“Rainbow Dash!” she said, clutching her pounding chest. “You gave me such a fright, darling!”

“Oh gosh, I’m so sorry, Rarity!” said the pegasus, dropping to the ground and folding her wings. “I didn’t mean to! I just woke up for my turn at watch and I saw that you were gone. I got super worried and was going to wake the others but then I saw you down here.” Rainbow looked around. “What are you doing here, anyways?”

“I heard something,” said Rarity. “I was sure I heard somepony crying.”

“Crying?” The thought of somepony in trouble instantly caught Dash’s attention. “Are you sure about that?”

“Positive, darling. Listen.” The stood still, scanning the trees. Sure enough, the gentle sounds of sobbing drifted towards them.

Rainbow’s wings flared instantly. “If somepony is hurt, we have to help them! I’ll go get help!”

“Rainbow, wait!” Dash halted before she even got off the ground.

“You heard what the Lost said! If we find anything suspicious, we’re supposed to tell him or Luna right away!”

“I know what he said, but I think that the two of us are perfectly capable of handling this on our own. Besides, what if that pony is hurt? What if she needs help right now?” Dash hesitated, glancing between her friend, her new herdmate, and the top of the hill, the orange glow of the fire beckoning her. “Besides, we have gone into the Everfree many times before. You even faced down a manticore there, remember?” Rarity placed a reassuring hoof on her friend’s shoulder. “You are a brave mare, Rainbow Dash, and right now there is somepony out there that needs our help.”

Rainbow thought for a moment, then gave Rarity a confident smile. “You’re right, Rarity. Let’s go!” The two ponies walked along the treeline, occasionally calling out to the mysterious pony. They received no response, but the sobbing had grown louder. Judging by the soprano pitch of the weeper’s voice, they could tell that they were definitely looking for a female. It was no time at all before they spotted the poor soul.

Through a gap in the trees and thorny vines, at the base of a larger tree about twenty yards away, was a huddled figure. It was… a human. Both girls’ breathes caught in their throats. The human was crouched over, huddling in the fetal position. Naked and alone.

The darkness made it difficult to determine any details, but the girls could see that the human — the woman — had very pale skin, almost a snowy white, a fan of long black hair spread out in front of her, disappearing into the shadows. Even at this distance, they could tell she was injured; trails of wet scarlet seeped from long gashes along her back.

“Oh my gosh, oh my gosh,” worried Rainbow Dash, before she called out. “Hey! Miss, uh, Miss Girl-Human, ma’am! Can you hear me?”

The woman gave no response, only continuing to cry.

“Excuse us,” called out Rarity. “Can you hear us?”

The woman’s inconsolable sobbing only grew louder.

“I don’t think she can hear us,” said Rainbow Dash, as she shifted from hoof to hoof in anxiety.

“The poor dear is obviously distraught,” said Rarity. “Who knows what she could have faced out here, all alone? That settles it then.” Rarity took a few steps forward and raised her voice again. “Hold on, young miss! We’re coming to help!”

They began to move into the woods, the trees and vines raising up and pressing close around them. Rainbow walked beside Rarity, torn between her growing fear of the darkness surrounding them and the instinctual urge to help the injured woman.

They came closer. “Young miss,” said Rarity, “I don’t want you to be afraid anymore. We’re here to help. My name is Rarity and this is my dear friend Rainbow Dash. You’ll be safe with us both.”

The woman didn’t even turn around to face them, her pale body shaking with each sob as the blood continued to ooze out of the wounds on her back.

A snap of a twig caught Rainbow’s attention. What she saw at the edge of her vision made her blood run cold. “Rarity,” she fearfully whispered, “look!” There, darting between the trees, were dancing pairs of glowing yellow eyes. She had seen them many times before from the safety of her hut. Those burning orbs that eyed her home and her animals’ dens with insatiable hunger.

“Timberwolves,” whispered Rarity. “What in Celestia’s name are they doing here?!”

“I don’t know, but they must have followed the crying! Predators are always attracted by injured prey. We have… to…”

Words failed her as one of the beasts stepped out of the shadows.

What Rainbow and Rarity saw was no mere timberwolf but something much worse.

The nightmare stood bipedally, as a Diamond Dog would, one overly long arm clutching a nearby treetrunk while the other rested in a balled fist on the ground. Long, black, razor-sharp claws cut furrows in the white trunk, causing dark red sap to bleed out of the tree. Its face was a mockery of a wolf. A pair of glowing yellow eyes above a long snout, lips curled back to reveal a jaw filled with dagger-like teeth. Running along its hunching back was a great crest of black fur and jagged black spikes.

Rarity almost screamed when she realized that the spikes were actually long, huge thorns. The creature’s flesh was covered in weeping sores from which more the black vines grew out of the skin, covering the body with a frightening mishmash of fur, claws, and thorns.

Long rivulets of drool ran out of the monster’s mouth as it gazed hungrily at the crying woman, a deep and primal growl emitting from its gullet. Several more beasts emerged from the shadows and soon the two ponies were looking at a whole pack of the monsters.

“Oh Sisters,” whispered Rarity, taking a step back. She turned again to the woman, who remained completely oblivious to the bloodthirsty beasts. Was it possible she was out-and-out deaf? A voice was screaming at her from the back of her mind. Something wasn’t right here. But before Rarity could act, a cyan and rainbow blur shot past her.

Rainbow flew straight ahead, weaving between the trees and hanging vines. The sudden movement caught the monsters’ attention and the pack sprang into action, a fury of snarls and howls. Rarity gave a silent curse under her breath before darting forward as well.

“Hey, lady!” shouted Rainbow as she pumped her wings. “Get up! Move! RUN!!”

The woman continued to sob.

Rainbow easily beat the pack to the woman but the monsters would reach them in no time. She needed to get this girl out of here and fast! But no sooner did she touch her pale skin, did the nightmare get worse. The woman finally turned to face Rainbow, revealing her face to the screaming pony.

The creature’s face looked like a partially melted wax sculpture. Hollow and deformed eye sockets stared emptily at the cyan mare. A gaping and toothless hole that may have been a mouth uttered a completely inhuman howl. The ground around the pegasus erupted in a shower of dead leaves.

Pale flaps of flesh moved to encase Rainbow, who was too terrified to do anything else but scream as the horrifying realization that she was going to be killed consumed her terrified brain. Horrific memories ravaged her mind’s eye; images of another white and globular beast tearing its way through her home and her animal friends, her very sanity eaten piece by piece as each one was consumed and dissolved alive by acid.

Rainbow Dash would have been surely dead had not the first of the wolf-things crashed into the not-woman creature. It tore into the pale, globular flesh with rending tooth and claw, each strike rewarding the wolf-monster with a pained howl from the white blob, which turned its attention to its attacker, trying its best to envelop the snarling beast. A second packmate had found its way to the blob monster, but the semisolid monstrosity had already succeeded in smothering the first wolf-thing. The creature began to envelop the snarling beast and Rainbow, through the fugue that had fallen over her, could hear the pained yelps and snapping bones as the beast was crushed to death.

Then Rainbow felt teeth tugging backward at her tail. “Rainbow Dash!” shouted a distant, clenched voice. Somepony was pulling her away from the nightmare in front of her, but her hooves felt heavy and her muscles felt dead.

“Rainbow, please!” pleaded the voice. “Move!!”

Rainbow blinked and suddenly reality came crashing down around her. The madness in front of her, the cacophony of howling and snarls, was enough to snap her back into focus. She turned beside Rarity and the two ponies ran. A commanding bark sounded behind them, calling the attention of the pack. Abandoning their fallen brother, the wolf-creatures pursued the two fleeing ponies.

Blood pumping in their veins, Rainbow and Rarity ran between the trees and ducked under snagging vines, each obstacle threatening to trip them and lead them to a gruesome fate. The gap they had first entered the woods shone directly in front of them, but the sounds of snapping teeth and fervored barks were drawing closer, the bloodcurdling howls spreading ice through their veins. Still they ran.

Bursting through the hole in the trees, they didn’t stop. The hill was in front of them, the orange glow of the campfire at the top acting like a beacon of hope. They had just begun to climb when two sinewy forms darted in front, blocking their escape. Glowing yellow eyes bored into the ponies as they skidded to a halt. Wet coughs from behind half-formed and fangy smiles greeted them, in a mockery of cruel laughter.

‘They’re intelligent,’ came a thought from the last corner of Rarity’s sanity. Utter terror had filled the rest of her psyche. ‘They’re enjoying this!’

Rainbow Dash was shaking too badly, her wings pinned to her sides in fear. Another barking laugh sounded from behind her. The rest of the pack had caught up with them. There were now over a dozen of the monsters, slowly encircling them.

Finally it was too much.

“LEEEEEROOOOOOOO!!!!” screamed Rainbow. She screamed until her lungs burned and her throat was raw.

The alpha wolf in front of them reared up on its hind legs, easily standing over eight feet tall. Spreading all its claws out, it lifted its muzzle upward for a great and mighty howl at the moons, the signal for the rest of the pack to attack.

But instead of a howl, the beast only gave a pained yipe as something tackled it from behind.

“DASH!!” shouted Lero, as both he and the monster tumbled down the hill in a ball of fur and clothes. The alpha gave a pained howl as Lero sank his dagger into its side, all the way to the hilt.

“Foul beasts!” came a booming voice from above. “HAVE AT THEE!” Princess Luna shattered the ground under her as she plummeted like a comet from the sky. One unfortunate wolf soon found himself receiving a powerful buck to the chin, snapping the creature’s head back with a sicken crack and send its carcass flying. Several of its packmates took a few cautious steps back before barking and snapping their jaws at this new foe.

Luna’s wings flared out at her sides, revealing the glimmering forms of her wing blades. A wide smile played across her dark face, her white teeth shining in stark contrast. “Bring thy wrath, you monsters! I shall make fine trophies from thine skulls!” The monsters surged forward and Luna became a blur of dark feathers and silver blades.

Both Rarity and Rainbow were so struck dumb by this turn of events that they hardly noticed when Twilight galloped up beside them. “Girls!” cried out the frightened scholar.

“Oh, Twilight!” said Rarity, latching onto her herd sister.

“Twilight!” sobbed Rainbow Dash.

“Are you hurt?” said Twilight.

“N-no, Twilight. W-we’re okay.”

“Twilight,” shouted Lyra from above, “incoming!”

Twilight saw two of the wolves running towards them, their long claws digging deep furrows in the soft earth. She closed her eyes and poured her magic into her horn, intending to create a shield around her family. But just as she was forming the spell matrix in her mind, her magic violently dissipated and crippling pain shot through her skull.

“Wha-?” she moaned, but her eyes soon widened as the two monsters were upon them.

Or they would have been. A golden light firmly met one of the charging beasts squarely in the chest, causing the monster to come to a full stop. Its mouth poured a small fountain of blood as its ribcage shattered beneath its fur. The other monster was stopped when a mint green hoof slammed directly into the side of its head. Time seemed to slow down and bone cracked and its long tongue lolled out of its mouth leaving behind an arc of bloody drool as its head was twisted around in a full circle. The two monsters flopped dead to the ground.

Lyra Heartstrings landed on all fours in front of her herd, her body swaying lithely in a classic combat stance. “Is everyone okay?” she asked.

“Twilight!” cried Rarity. The white unicorn held onto her scholarly herd sister, worry clearly etched on her face.

“My head,” whimpered the purple unicorn. Her skull hadn’t felt this bad since she had attempted the scan on the Apple Bloom fetch. She tried to run magic through her horn again, attempting to construct another shield spell, but again she was met with crippling pain.

Twilight soon began to shake in fear. ‘My magic isn’t working,’ she thought, gripping onto Rarity in horror.

Meanwhile, at the bottom of the hill, Lero and the alpha had finally come to a stop. Both combatants rolled to their feet and began to circle each other. The alpha was much larger and had a significant reach with its longer arms. But the dagger was still in the alpha’s left side. Amazingly, the cold iron was twisting deeper into the wolf-thing’s flesh on its own, like some determined and carnivorous worm. Lero was moving but became aware that another wolf monster was coming up beside him. There was no way he take on two of them.

No sooner had the thought crossed his mind, the beasts moved forward. And so did Lero. He surged forward towards the alpha and ducked beneath a swinging claw. He lashed out with his left hand, gripping the dagger, and pulled downwards and a spinning motion. Flesh parted and the alpha tumbled, his packmate leaping into the air to avoid a collision.

Lero spun once more thrust both of his hands upwards, plunging the dagger into the leaping wolf-thing and cutting up the monster from gullet to groin. Blood and entrails spilled out like the wet contents of a garbage bag, covering the human’s bare torso in gore.

The alpha had just righted itself and turned to face its prey. Before it could act, Lero had rushed forward and plunged his dagger upwards, slicing through the alpha’s jaw and into its brain. The twitching monster stared downwards, into the cold and icy eyes of the Lost, before its eyes rolled back into its sockets, and then died.

Just up the hill, Rarity had continued to hold onto a shaking Twilight… feeling thoroughly shaken herself. She had done her best to call forth a thundercloud, a lightning storm, anything that would help protect her herd! But every attempt she made to reach out and summon her weather had only been met with sharp pain.

Lyra glanced backward at Twilight, Rarity, and Rainbow, realizing that none of them would be any help in this fight, and switched her tactics. She stayed close to the three mares, her attacks soon devolving into deterrents meant to take attention off them and turn the wolf-things towards Princess Luna, who was able to handle multiple attackers at once.

The Lost had just wrenched out his dagger, eliciting a small fountain of blood from the fatal wound, and turned his attention to the rest of the battle. Luna was fighting three more of the creatures while Lyra had just fended off another that had tried to attack the other three mares.

There were now five of the wolf-creatures between him and his family.

The red moon’s light blanked the base of the hill, painting everything in a pale shade of crimson. The black blood caked the Lost’s pale skin, his icy blue eyes shining in stark contrast. The wolves began to hesitate.

They were afraid.

The Lost held both of his hands out to his side, his dagger dripping gore onto the grass, and bellowed his own challenging howl at the monsters that carried its way up to the top of the hill.

One of the wolves whimpered and moved to run away. Its companions held their ground.

The Lost charged. He easily dodged the first beast’s attack, rolling to the left then pivoting into a low slash. The attack bit into the beast’s leg like warm butter, severing the tendon and causing the monster to collapse to one leg. Lero spun upwards and buried the dagger into the base of the creature’s skull, quickly withdrawing. The beast had already died before it crumpled into a heap on the ground.

The second wolf fared no better. It leaped at the Lost, its black claws stretching out and its teeth bared. The Lost moved fast enough to sidestep the clumsy attack and raked the monster’s side with his weapon. The beast collapsed into a whimpering ball as it bled out.

The third wolf seemed to take a more cautious approach, lashing out in quick strikes, using its superior reach to its advantage. The Lost avoided every attack, expertly ducking and weaving the raking claws. He spun the dagger in his hand jabbed down and to the side. Each cut found their mark, biting into furred flesh and severing tendons under the skin. When the wolf’s right arm dropped, useless, it began to snap into fang filled jaws. Lero dodged these strikes as well, his own teeth shining in a smile as he rode the wave of adrenaline coursing through his veins.

The wolf lunged forward again. The Lost twisted. The dagger buried into the monster’s eye armpit. The monster swung its remaining good arm. The Lost ducked and raked the dagger across its exposed belly. The Lost plunged his free hand inside and pulled, spilling an unnatural tangle of intestines and vines. The monster howled in agony and dropped to its knees. The Lost slashed its throat, silencing the beast, and swiftly kicked its chest, toppling the creature to the ground for good.

“Enough!” came the booming voice. A bright flash of light and a loud bang erupted nearby and the three wolf-things came apart in bloody chunks. Luna stood tall in a smouldering crater.

The remaining beasts, realizing that they were sorely outmatched, quickly cut their losses and ran, yipping loudly with their tails between their legs.

“Huzzah!” shouted Luna triumphantly. “The battle is won!”

The other mares did not share her enthusiasm. They were too busy gawking at the other monster in front of them. The Lost approached them, covered from head to toe in filth and gore, with his dagger firm in hand. One of the wolf-things, the one whose rib cage Lyra had crushed, was still coughing on the ground, still clinging to life. The Lost calmy knelt and placed a hand on its head. He took his dagger and slid it into the creature’s heart.

“Shhh,” he whispered, “it’s over.” The beast whimpered once more, then lay still. The Lost wiped the blade on the grass and then sheathed it, before turning to the group of mares.

Twilight had already fainted and poor Rainbow Dash didn’t look too far behind; the pegasus’ face had somehow simultaneously turned both white and green. Lyra beheld him with a peculiar gaze. There was fear there, and some disgust, but there was something else, something that shone in those deep golden eyes. It took him a moment but the Lost figured it out. It was respect. The kind given from one warrior to another.

Finally the Lost turned towards Rarity. The white mare was freely shedding tears, her body trembled as she clinged to Twilight and Rainbow. The Lost narrowed his eyes.

‘He knows,’ panicked Rarity. ‘Oh stars above, he knows I brought those monsters here.’

The Lost took a few steps forward and reached out with a bloody hand. Rarity’s heart seized in her chest as those bloody fingers came towards her. The Lost gently but firmly grabbed Rarity’s jaw and turned her head, one way, then the next.

“Are you hurt?” he asked, his voice betraying a sense of worry.

“N-n-n-n-o,” she stuttered, tears mixing with the blood that was beginning to stain her coat.

The Lost was silent a moment then dropped his hand and pulled the three of them — herself, Twilight, and Rainbow — into a crushing hug. Rarity was stunned beyond words.

“I thought I lost you,” he whispered through clenched teeth, his own tears flowing down his gore-streaked cheeks. “I thought I lost you both.” He began rocking them back and forth in his arms.

Rarity felt disgusted. Not at the Lost for killing the beasts so savagely nor at the filth that he was now coating her and her herd sisters. She was disgusted at herself. It was her foalsih actions that had nearly cost her her family. And now the Lost, the being she had just earlier that day berated and betrayed, had risked life and limb to protect them all.

All because of her.

“I’m sorry,” whimpered Rarity, wrapping her forelegs around the Lost’s neck and shoulders. “I’m so sorry.” Her own tears fell and the floodgates opened. “I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I’m sorry!!”

The human simply held onto his family, uncaring of the cold or the gore, simply relishing the feeling of being alive.

Dawn broke several hours later. The vision of primal sky was subdued by the sun’s light, the colorful nebulae and shining stars were replaced with a calming azure. The two larger moons were still visible but greatly muted, appearing faint a distant. The green satellite had completely vanished from sight.

It would have been an idyllic morning, had the observer not looked at the base of the hill. The evidence of the previous night’s bloody events. Several corpses dotted the grassy hillside. Most were intact while others looked like the workings of some savage charnel house, little more than piles of fur, thorns, and meat.

The only sounds that morning were the gentle rustling of the trees, the crackle of a fire, and the sound of water on skin and fur.

“Shhh,” hushed Lero, as he cupped a handful of spring water. “It’s alright, Rarity.” Lero let the water run down the white unicorn’s shivering coat. “I know it’s not warm like the spa’s bath water, but it’ll help more than you think.” He then took a damp cloth and applied gentle pressure to the blood stained fur, moving in slow circles. The cloth removed most of the dried blood that had clung to her coat. Nearby, Lyra was performing a similar ritual with Rainbow Dash, while Luna sat down next to Twilight, who shivered as she tried to rationally explain last night’s events to her.

The Lost had put them all to bed the previous night, piling his family into their large tent, and zipping it securely behind them. Princess Luna, still riding an adrenaline surge from the battle, offered to take watch for the rest of the night. The Lost had taken the chance to remove his stained pants and wash the blood and gore from his skin.

“You handled yourself quite skillfully,” Luna had said. She watched the Lost wash himself out of the corner of her eye, subtly taking in the details of his form.

“As did you, Luna,” said the Lost. “Or must I call you ‘Princess’? Seems that I am not allowed to be as familiar with my friends or family as Lero is.”

Luna smiled. “You may call me Luna, if you wish. You have risked your life to defend my friends from mortal danger. You fought honorably tonight. For that, you have my respect, one warrior to another.”

The Lost chuckled darkly. “I am no warrior, Luna. I am a killer.” The human held up a hand, partially clean but with watery trails of blood running down his forearm. “This doesn’t ever really get clean, you know. I’ve killed more beings than I can count. I have been forced to do many cruel and heinous actions. I’ve butchered, burned, tortured and done other things that would break better men. And I did it because I was good at it. People make up words like ‘honor’ and ‘duty’ to try and help them sleep at night. But when you get right down to, fighting is just about who is the better killer. And I was made into an exceptionally excellent one.”

“Tis true, Lost,” said Luna, turning to fully face the human. Normally Lero would have shied away, hiding his naked form from another’s eyes. But the Lost seemed to have no such quoms, choosing instead to stare into alicorn’s eyes. “What makes you more than a simple killer is why you fight, the drive behind your actions. Tonight you didn’t fight under any orders nor did you fight simply for the sake of bloodshed. You fought to protect your family. You risked much to ensure their safety and wellbeing.”

At this, Luna had smiled and bowed her head in deep respect. “And that, my friend, is what makes you an honorable stallion.”

When morning broke, Lero had woken with the knowledge of what his other self had done, but Luna was able to calm his mind before the human could descend into a panic.

Lero had always believed himself capable of defending himself and his family, violently if necessary; images of Mr. 7 and the glufferfork came to mind. But those battles paled in comparison to the sheer brutality he had inflicted last night.

‘And come to think of it,’ he realized, with slight chagrin, ‘I wasn’t even the one who fought Mr. 7, was I? That was all Rarity. Still, I did everything I could, helping the girls battle the flork. And I always put up a good fight against Angel Bunny and the other animals. That’s got to count for something!

All of the girls were extremely shaken, Rarity and Twilight most of all. Both of the unicorns had become withdrawn, shivering messes. And though the spring water was cold, Lero knew that a good bath would be enough to help Rarity out.

He had just finished his gentle cleaning, when the weathermare spoke up. “Lero,” said Rarity, “may I ask a favor?”

Lero gave her a warm smile. “For you? I’d give you the sun and stars.”

“I… I would like to…” Rarity bashfully, almost shamefully, looked down at her hooves. They were clean, thanks to the spring, if slightly chipped. A sign of her recklessness.

Rarity inhaled deeply and tried again. “I would like to speak to the Lost,” she said firmly. “There is something I need to say to him.”

Everypony around her stopped, justifiably stunned at the request. But none so much so as Lero. The human felt a stirring within him, a strange sensation of something moving, just beneath his waking mind. He had a strong feeling what it was, but was unsure of what he should do.

The stern mask Rarity wore was betrayed by the pleading look in her eyes. He had his answer.

Lero nodded his head and stiffened. Rarity had to stop herself from gasping as a deep blackness completely overtook her lover’s eyes, like the richest ink clouding a cup of water. And from the wells of darkness, two icy blue irises rose up to gaze at her. Calculating eyes examined her, scrutinizing her with a razor sharp intelligence.

“Rarity,” said the Lost, nodding his head in respect. “You called?”

For a moment, Rarity had lost herself. Witnessing the transformation first hand had nearly robbed her of her senses and drove the point of the Lost’s alien, near-insidious existence home. But then she steeled her mind and banished those thoughts.

‘That sort of thinking is what brought this whole thing upon us last night,’ she chided herself.

“Lost,” she said, “I know that this may seem… inadequate, given last night’s horrid events, but I would like to say, well, I’m deeply sorry.” Rarity turned and addressed the other ponies around her. “To all of you. I was selfish and very foalish. I should have listened to your warnings yesterday. But I was too stubborn and angry with you, good sir, and I acted so stupidly that I… I…”

The Lost gently reached out and wiped her tears away with a calloused thumb. “Hey now,” he said, “you weren’t-”

“Yes, I was,” interrupted Rarity. “I should have come to you or Luna last night but instead I acted like a selfish little filly, wanting to prove myself to a grown-up. I nearly got us all killed-”

“But you didn’t.”

“But I-”

“But nothing, princess.” The Lost smiled warmly. “What happened last night is in the past and the road ahead is long. If we spend our time looking back at every little mistake we make, we’ll never be able to move forward.” He looked out at the other mares around him. “I want you all to know that I will do whatever I can to keep you safe. No matter what else is thrown at us, I will protect you all.”

Rainbow wiped her eyes and gave him a confident nod, her wings flaring up in a show of bravado. Luna again nodded her head to him in respect, a faint smile playing across her face. Lyra wore her own smile, that enigmatic grin of hers that always gave him a smile of his own.

The only one who wasn’t smiling was Twilight, who still fidgeted nervously. The Lost looked at her curiously, which only made the scholarly mare more nervous.

“Twilight?” asked the Lost.

“I…” she began, “I couldn’t do anything. I couldn’t use my magic.” She began to openly tremble. “I couldn’t cast a simple shield. Why couldn’t I…?”

Twilight’s trembling stopped when she felt Luna come up behind her, resting her chin on top of her head and wrapping her wings around her side.

“Calm yourself, Twilight Sparkle,” said the princess.

“But I don’t understand!” she cried, her body tensing even tighter. “How could my magic just… not work?! I’m Princess Celestia’s student! I’m the Bearer of the Element of Magic, itself! It doesn’t make any sense…!”

Sighing, the Lost placed a hand on her shoulder. “Let me tell you a little something. During my time here, I witnessed my share of other human beings being abducted to this place. Got to watch them spend their first few minutes on this side of the Hedge. Sometimes, they’d happen to have impressive tools or technology on them. Phones more often than not. Remember me telling you about phones, Twilight?”

She nodded dully.

“These poor people would whip out their phones first chance they got, and try to call the police or their homes, only, well, they’d never work the way they were SUPPOSED to. Some phones refused to turn on, even though their owners swore their batteries were fully charged. Other phones did… TRULY weird things that phones were never meant to do.”

He shrugged.

“That’s the kind of place this is. And I hate to say it, but it’s part of the reason I was so firmly against bringing you girls along with me. Things that were powerful and predictable in your world may be completely useless and unreliable on this side of the Hedge. And it looks like the same principle applies to magic as technology. Surprise, surprise.”

“So… so I’m as good as hornless now?!” She shivered, but then stopped at a new thought. “But then… why would it be that my magic and Rarity’s didn’t work, but Luna and Lyra’s did?!”

Lyra shrugged. “I suppose it’s just a crazy, arbitrary place…”

“No!” she shouted, stomping her hooves on the ground. Any fear she held seemed to evaporate under a wave of distemper. “I refuse to just accept ‘crazy’ as an answer! I’ve studied psychology; even madness has a method to it! You just don’t get to say, ‘I’m going to rewrite the laws of reality’ whenever you damn well please!”

“Um, well, Discord can,” Rainbow mumbled to herself.

“Everything has an order! Everything has to follow the rules! That’s how reality works!!” Twilight panted, trying to catch her breath as she finished her small tantrum.

“You’re right, Twilight,” said the Lost. “That is how reality works. But this isn’t reality. This is the Hedge. This is the land of fate and mysticism. Of unreality. Normal rules don’t matter here anymore, the laws of physics can be broken. This whole place, everything here, exists on the Others’ whims. They define the new rules, if they even want any.”

The Lost’s words were enough to make Twilight and the others fully realize the gravity of the situation. This place wasn’t just another Everfree or even another country they were trespassing in. They were now so far off the map, they left the table it was sitting on and the room it was housed in.

“But,” said the Lost, a coy smile on his face, “that doesn't mean we can’t make up a few of our own. This place is psychoreactive. It conforms to the willpower of those within it.”

“As one would a dream,” spoke Luna. All eyes turned to the alicorn. “I had felt a strange sense of familiarity with this place and now I have placed my hoof upon it. This place reminds Us of the astral plane! The Realm of Dreams!” Luna gazed around, her eyes wide, as if seeing everything around them for the very first time. A sudden frown crossed her face. “But, ‘tis strange. It feels so familiar to Us, yet I cannot shape anything.”

The Lost nodded his head. “Because you do not belong here,” he said. “You have no connection to the forces that govern this place. The Others are only able to play around with it because they are so tightly tied to the stuff that makes up this place.” He turned his attention back to Twilight, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. “There are rules here, Twilight. Just… different ones.”

“But… what are they?” asked Twilight desperately.

The Lost winked a blue eye. “We’ll just have to figure that out as we go along, won’t we?”

“But… You…! Gah!!” Twilight threw up her forelegs in frustration. “Why can’t anything ever be simple?!” She proceeded to cross her forelimbs, looking for all the world like a grumpy filly who had been told she couldn’t have her dessert until she ate her dinner.

Rarity couldn’t help herself. Her laughter carried across the little camp, despite her efforts to hide it behind a raised hoof.

“Well, I’ll tell you one thing,” she told the group as a whole, “Even if I’m as good as hornless, I’ve still got my brains, a strong back, and a stronger heart! If I were to just write myself off as worthless because I can’t use magic, it would be an insult to every earth pony friend I have and the prince we all love!”

“Yeah!” cried Rainbow Dash, flying in the air. “Besides, Twilight, you’re super smart! I bet if anypony can figure this place out, it’s gotta be you!”

Lyra sagely nodded her head. “Think of this as a puzzle, Twilight,” she said. “And we all know how much you love to figure out puzzles, love. After all, aren’t you the one who kept complaining that all of the mystery books in the library were far too predictable?”

Twilight couldn’t help but smile. Somehow, Lyra always knew how to improve her mood. “Thanks,” she said, sighing contently. “To everypony. I…I needed that.”

The Lost smiled and closed his eyes, once again relinquishing control to Lero. Minutes later the whole group busied themselves, packing up the camp. As Rarity and Lero were collapsing their big tent, Rarity stole a kiss on his cheek.

Lero smiled. “What was that for?”

“For being you, my prince,” she said. “And I’ve been thinking. About what I asked last night. I think you should trust the Lost.”

“Really?”

“I do.”

Lero looked confused. “Just like that? Why?”

Rarity smiled again. “Because beneath the uncouth demeanor, the stern words, all the violence, he’s you. At his very core, he’s you, Lero, and if I couldn’t trust him, it would mean that I didn’t trust you. And what kind of mare would I be if I didn’t trust the man I love?”

Lero was silent a moment before giving a small smile. She so rarely used that term, ‘man’. He was always a ‘stallion’.

“Okay, princess,” he said. “I’ll trust him too.”

They had just finished packing the last of the gear when the ground shook. Everyone stopped.

Again the ground shook, more violently this time. Rainbow stumbled, dropping a canteen she had been trying to refill. “Woah! What was that?”

Lero looked around, scanning for any sign that might explain what was-

His eyes landed on the stone circle. The linear patterns, the pictograms detailing a rising hill-

“Oh shit,” hissed the Lost, snapping back to the surface. He grabbed his pack and sloppily slung it around his shoulders. “RUN!!”

“What?!” shouted Rainbow, as the ground began to quake underneath them.

“Get off the hill! MOVE IT!!”

The group made a mad scramble to get all of their belongings and dash down the grassy hill. The ground began to crack, a long chasm splitting the surface swallowing up anything too close to it. Several of the dead wolf creatures fell in, buried beneath mounds of moving earth. Trees began to uproot and snap like twigs as the ground surged upwards in some places.

Luna looked back, her jaw dropping, her eyes widening. “By all the stars,” she marveled.

The hill had split open in several places, great chunks of dirt and rock rolling off of it in a destructive avalanche. A gargantuan form began to rise up and an eerie moan sailed through the air.

As the group reached the edge of the treeline, they turned back and stared.

The hill stared back with glowing green eyes.

It was awesome, in every classical sense of the word. The hill had uprooted itself, revealing to be the slumbering form of some kind of titanic creature. Great grey slabs of stone made up its body, all covered in the same linear patterns as the stones that once crested the hill. It raised up a giant three-fingered hand and brought it crashing down, shooting up a fountain of new debris. It used its freed limb to push itself all the way out from the ground.

“What in Tartarus is that?!” shouted Twilight.

“A Garganstone!” shouted back the Lost. The titan continued to struggle out of the ground.

“The portal!” shouted Lyra. The group’s eyes went upwards and their stomachs fell. The top of the hill, on the titan’s back, rose higher and higher. The small pond that was their portal home had spilled off the behemoth’s back like so much rainwater, soaking straight into the dirt at the titan’s feet.

A leg appeared next, and the giant stood completely upright, a full three times taller than the hill that had once covered it. Dirt and rock continuing to slough of it like shelves of snow off a roof. It gave another eerie moan as the last of the debris fell around it in a newly formed crater.

The giant, oblivious to the tiny mortals below, began to move, each mighty step sending great tremors through the ground. It strode straight into the forest, the red-leaved trees crushed into mulch under its stone feet. The giant roamed onward, leaving a swath of destruction in its wake.

No one said anything. What could they say? They had just been shown how uncaring this strange new land was, how insignificant they were, and just how quickly things could change around them.

Their only way home had just been destroyed.

They were trapped.

Author's Notes:

Maybe I've been watching too much Game of Thrones. I think the Hound somehow jumped into the Lost back there.

And here we are introduced to our first examples of wildlife! Introducing the Enticer and the Briar Wolf! And they are just the beginning.

Many thanks go out to Mike Teavee for editing, as well as everyone who has ever commented, liked, and favorited this story. Keep it coming people! I want to hear your thoughts on this, every piece of criticism helps me improve!

'Til next time!

Chapter 6: The Horned Girl

“Cpl. Thunderhead, report,” ordered Night Song.

The large thestral saluted his commanding officer. “Sir,” he said, “Song and Stargazer are back on their hooves and have resumed their usual patrol routes. The herbs provided by Ms. Zecora and Triage seem to be countering the effects of this place and we shouldn’t encounter too many more problems on that front.”

“And the supplies?”

At this, the corporal hesitated. “...Delayed, sir,” he said. “I’ve sent out one of the scouts to help guide them here but, well…”

“This place is hard to find,” finished Night Song. The officer nodded his head. “Carry on, Corporal.”

Thunderhead struck another salute with a firm “Sir!” and went back to his duties.

Night Song took this chance to look out at the small encampment. It had been a full week since his princess departed with the human and his herd. Following his diarch’s instructions, he established a forward base of operations at the mysterious portal. It was not as simple as it should have been. Something about this seemingly innocuous clearing had completely thrown everything for a loop; soldiers were struck with sudden bouts of nausea, to say nothing of the dark dreams they had all begun to have. Whenever one of them left the clearing to go on patrol or even to relieve themselves in the forest, it always took them an hour or more to find the clearing again.

The human’s strange alternate personality’s words echoed in the Captain’s memory. “If you want to find something that can’t be found, then you have to become lost to do so. Otherwise anyone could find it.”

Any further musings were suddenly interrupted by an ear-splitting scream from the nearby medical tent, followed by shouted orders.

“Where is that solvent?!” Night Song recognized Triage’s voice; the veteran field medic possessed a deep baritone.

The next pony that spoke had an exotic rhyming voice, deep but clearly feminine. “I will do this right, though it requires haste,” said the shaman. “If a mistake I make, his mind shall be paste!”

Night Song entered the tent. In the corner was a blue unicorn stallion with a dark chestnut mane thrashing on a medical gurney against several restraints. The stallion’s eye were wide and bloodshot, darting in every direction but unfocused. Triage was next to him, the brown unicorn’s front hooves pressed down on the patient’s barrel. Nearby, the zebra mare Zecora worked a mortar and pestle, furiously grinding some sort of concoction to help the poor stallion.

“Nurse, I need a sedative now!” shouted Triage, doing his best to try and hold the other unicorn down. An earth pony mare darted to a large carrier and withdrew a syringe. Triage took it in his magical grasp, removing the cap and expelling a tiny bit of the fluid within.

The unicorn on the gurney continued to thrash. “Mr. Seeker, I need you to hold still.”

The other unicorn’s eyes finally found focus, zeroing in on Triage. “Hold still?! No!!” he shouted as his escape attempts became more desperate. “We have to get out of here! They’re here! I’ve seen them, they’re coming and we can’t stop them.”

Night Song had had enough. “Triage, shut that madpony up now or I will do it for you!”

The doctor glared daggers at the Captain. “Then help me hold him still!”

Night Song strode forward and roughly grabbed the prone unicorn’s head, twisting it to the side and exposing his neck. Triage quickly stuck the syringe into a large artery and depressed the plunger.

“No!” cried Seeker. “Don’t make me sleep! I see them there! It’s where they live, in those hallways... The angles... Oh gods above, the... angles…”

The unicorn’s eyes rolled into the back of his head and his movements ceased, save for a slow and even breathing.

"How many is that now, Triage?" asked Night Song.

"Afflicted or like Mr. Seeker?" replied the unicorn. "There haven't been any cases like this. Sure, we've had cases of mana fatigue in some of the other unicorns and several cases of night terrors among the other personnel, but nothing like this before." The doctor eyed Night Song with a studious look. "Have you felt anything yourself, sir?"

"No, Triage," replied the captain but the unicorn didn't look too convinced.

"Still, I think all of the officers should come see me soon. Just a precaution, mind you."

Zecora took this moment to bring over the stone bowl she had so furiously been grinding before. Using an ivory-handled brush, she applied a thick red paste over the unconscious unicorn's forehead. Seeker began to murmur something under his breath while sweat broke out around his temples.

"This salve shall his mind protect," said the shaman, setting down the brush. "It is under a malicious attack, I suspect.”

"But... attack from what?" asked the nurse naively.

"In my homeland, there are dark tales. Of monsters that feed on fearful wails. My mother's mother, who taught me my trade, told me those tales, so I would know to be afraid. Of those evil things that exist in the corners of our eyes, always out of sight and hidden in disguise. She refused to speak their name, for it would be an invitation. One that would bring down madness and devastation."

Triage narrowed a glare at the zebra. Had it not been under orders directly from Captain Night Song, he would have never have allowed some foreign mare anywhere near this camp. He knew his medicine, both mundane and magical, and he didn't need some herb-crunching primitive to fill his peers' and patients' ears with nonsense of "bad juju".

That is, until two nights ago.

They had all been sitting in the command tent: himself, Night Song, Sergeants Night Shade and Star Light, as well as Dr. Arcanus, head of the Canterlot University's College of Thaumaturgical Studies, his colleagues, and Professor Bound Volume, head archivist of the University Library’s Special Collections. He had been sent here on special orders from Celestia herself, though Night Song suspected that the reasoning behind those orders were not solely for the benefit of the mission. The only other pony in the tent was Clear Water, Arcanus' grad student and right-hoof mare. She had been working the film projector.

The grainy, black-and-white film had captured the day's events and the unnatural spectre that now seemed to be tormenting their dreams. There was no sound as the film began. The first thing to appear was a piece of parchment with the words "Portal Test 13" written in black ink. The parchment, which had been held up by somepony's magical grip, dropped away, revealing the small pond in the center of the glen. It had been surrounded by several spotlights, all focused on the water's surface.

The film jumped a few frames.

Truth Seeker suddenly appeared on the screen wearing a white lab coat, a medical mask, and a pair of round, tinted goggles.

"The purpose of the experiment," Arcanus had explained to the small group of officers and intellectuals, "was to try and activate the portal. Since it closed four days ago, all other attempts to reopen it have failed. Prof. Seeker theorized that whatever means Mr. Michaelides had used to open it were attributed to a direct application of some foreign magic that we had never encountered before.”

“I’ve written many articles on the human,” said High Tenure, a haughty professor of advanced thaumaturgy. “And I was there to perform several examination on him. The ape doesn’t have a spec of magic about him.”

“That,” said Arcanus, “or perhaps he has a form of magic that is undetectable to us.” He ignored the offended intellectual and returned to the rolling film. “Now, then, based on Captain Song's account of the original event, we believed that we could try a similar tactic using our own magic."

"How so?" Night Shade had asked.

"Previous attempts to open the portal had been based on constructing intricate spell matrixes, all of which failed or collapsed before casting. Seeker attempted to pour as much raw magic into the portal, without the use of a matrix."

"In other words," commented Triage, "applying acute, blunt-force trauma and attempting to smash open the doorway, correct?"

Arcanus puffed up his chest and was about to retort when the film jumped again.

The Seeker on the screen had approached the edge the pool. He had turned back to some off-screen presence, his face mask moving in silent conversation. At some unheard reply, the professor nodded his head and carefully dipped his right forehoof into the water. Though the film showed no color, it was able to catch the pale glow that surrounded the unicorn's horn as he gathered a pool of magical energy.

The spotlights surrounding the pond began to dim before brightening again. Again and again they slowly strobed, as if in tune to some unheard beat. The film began to skip again, sometimes several frames at a time. At places, the camera’s lenses began going in and out of focus.

Suddenly, they simply went out. The film only captured dark silhouettes, dimly highlighted by moonlight and the glow from Seeker's horn. And that was when the seen devolved into chaos.

All of the spotlights suddenly exploded, spewing trails of sparking projectiles that ignited the grass around them. Seeker had reared up on two legs, his spine bending backwards almost to the point of breaking, his front hooves gripped the sides of his head. Nopony present needed sound to tell that the poor unicorn was screaming at the top of his lungs. The magical energy that he had been concentrating in his horn suddenly released in a blinding flash.

The film stopped. When the picture came back, the camera had somehow ended up on its side. Through blades of grass, the small audience caught sight of several ponies, silhouetted by the light from the fires, rushing forward to help their colleague. The film went on only for a few more seconds until it stopped altogether.

After several moments of silence, Captain Night Song had asked, "What in Tartarus happened there, Arcanus?"

Arcanus grimmly crossed his forelegs. "Precisely? I cannot say. I can only postulate. It most most likely some sort of massive feedback effect, one that assaulted Prof. Seeker and caused him to prematurely and explosively release his magic. It may have also been interference of some sort or any number of other things."

“And what is his status now?”

“Still unconscious, Captain.”

The academics in the tent then began to debate the possible causes for the incident while the military ponies discussed options for new security procedures to ensure that an incident like this wouldn’t happen again. It wasn’t until a calm, professional voice had broken the chatter.

“Excuse me, gentlecolts,” said Clear Water, “but there is something else you should see.” The mare, a pale blue unicorn with white hair that was tied in a bun and a shining water droplet for a cutie mark, used her magic to douse the light on the film projector and light up a then-unused slide projector.

“I found this while I was developing the film, professor,” she had said, as she set up the device. “I began to examine the whole thing frame by frame, to try and find some detail that might help us explain what happened to Prof. Seeker.” Clear Water adjusted her thick-framed glasses and proceeded to start the slideshow.

The first frame to come up showed Prof. Seeker as he was dipping his hoof into the pool and had already charged his horn. From there it proceeded just as Clear Water described, a frame by frame breakdown of the film reel. There were a few frames that appeared out of focus as the spotlights in background began to flicker, then several more after they had gone out.

One in particular had caught the room’s attention. It was a single frame, one that shown everything in almost total darkness, save for the tops of the spotlights that were highlighted by the moon’s glow. There was something else there. A large shape, hidden in the darkness, but whose image spoke of an unearthly and terrible presence.

Captain Night Song and Dean Arcanus leaned forward, trying their hardest to discern the nature of the aberration.

“What is that?” asked Arcanus. “Some sort of… imperfection in the film?”

“That’s what I thought at first,” replied Clear Water, “until I took a closer look at the negative.”

The next slide caused the group to simultaneously gasp.

The negative slide, which showed a clearer outline of the strange presence, was mercifully lacking in any concrete detail. But what it did show, sent a chilling signal firing from the depths that cold and base mammalian part of everypony’s brains.

The thing was tall, winged, and horned. It seemed bipedal in nature and had two arms that ended in long fingered hands, both of which seemed to cradle the poor stallion’s head.

The reactions ranged from Arcanus’ gaping horror to Night Song’s restrained sense of discomfort.

“What in Tartarus...?”

“A monster!”

“Impossible! We would have seen it too!”

“By the Sisters, look at it!”

“What could it possibly be?”

The only ponies that showed no fear were Clear Water, (who had seen the shaded horror before while she had discovered its existence but still held a quiet sense of dread,) and Bound Volume. The aged, steel grey and silver-haired stallion only looked at the shadowy form, as though he were confirming something that he had already suspected.

“Enough!” commanded Night Song, his word cutting through the sea of voices like one of his blades. “There is more to this than we can properly ascertain at this point. For now, I want this footage contained and not a word of this is to be spoken to anypony outside this tent.”

As it had turned out, Captain Song’s orders were for naught. The next morning, three members of the camp had come forward to Triage’s tent, each requesting help with their sleep. Apparently all three had suffered night terrors that had prevented them from finding any peace. What had been disconcerting was that all three described a series of eerily similar patterns in their nightmares, each ending with a description of a fell creature that vaguely matched the aberration that appeared in slide.

What was truly worrying was that only one of the afflicted ponies had been present at the previous night’s meeting.

From there rumors had spread throughout the camp. Of something that stalked them out of the corners of their eyes, that waited in the shadows for them all to fall asleep.

That afternoon, Truth Seeker had awoken, screaming mad rants about the “eyeless thing” that stalked his mind.

Several more ponies were awoken in the middle of the night to their comrades waking screams.

This morning, the zebra shaman had appeared at the edge of the camp, offering aid to the afflicted. She had been summoned by Bound Volume, who had said that they would need her skills if they were to remain in the camp.

The zebra’s herb had worked, her teas easing several ponies into a peaceful slumber. And while Triage did seem to resent the mare’s presence among his patients, Night Song was glad to have her with them.

Hoofsteps to his right announced a new arrival. The thestral looked up and saw Clear Water approaching him. She did not look pleased.

“Captain, I must protest!” she exclaimed.

“I would first know what you are protesting again, Ms. Clear Water,” calmly replied Night Song.

“Prof. Bound Volume is ordering that all notes and records of our experiments here be destroyed! He says that it is a matter of national security, but that is a load of horse apples!”

Night Song narrowed his eyes. Why would that unicorn want to destroy such important data?

Night Song’s contemplations were interrupted, as the ground beneath him began to tremble. To his side, Clear Water gave a short but disparaging shriek, her violet eyes squinting tightly in pain.

“Ms. Clear Water?” called out Night Song. “Wha-?”

Similar cries of pain rang out throughout the camp, as almost every unicorn nearly toppled over in pain.

The air around them resonated, as the otherworldly sensation that hung over the glen like some sort of miasmal cloak intensified. Night Song saw several of his thestral brothers and sisters crouch, their wings flared and teeth bared in sort of reactionary and animalistic display, one that was to be a paltry attempt of intimidation to some heretofore unknown predator that menaced their well-being. It took great willpower for the captain to resist succumbing to that same urge, that fight-or-flight instinct that governed all creatures.

But he held on, his pride as an officer in Her Majesty’s Sentinels fighting back against the baser nature to flee whatever horror was about to unfold.

He looked at the portal and saw it.

The pool’s water had begun to rise from the surface, breaking apart into little droplets in some sort of horrid reversal of rainfall. The droplets began to move, forming a helix as they continued to rise into the air. Night Song stared into the the helix and for the briefest, most terrifying instant he saw it.

He would remember that twisted, toothy parody of a smile until the day he died.

The was a sudden and thunderous *BOOM!* and the pond shot upwards like a geyser, a spout of water that was far too much to be contained in a pool that small, which itself began to crumble as large chunks of earth around the edges were pulled into the torrent of water. The air around him roared with the pained shrieks of his fellow ponies, their cries of mercy and help and despair. He wasn’t entirely sure if his voice was among that horrible choir, but he didn’t care.

And then, just as suddenly as it happened, it was over. The water came crashing down, spilling over the edges of the pond, and forming a misting rain that covered the clearing.

The strange sensations of wrongness that had plagued this place lifted.

At his hooves, Clear Water, tearstained and shivering, shakily rose from the ground. She looked around with bleary eyes, as if she had woken from some fleeting dream.

“Are you alright, ma’am?” asked Night Song.

“I-” the mare began, before taking a few steadying breaths, “I’m okay now.” She stared at the portal and her eyes widened. “...gone,” she whispered.

“What?”

“It’s… it’s gone!” she shouted, her voice beginning to border on hysteria. “The portal, it’s been destroyed!”

Night Song’s eyes widened in turn. “If it’s gone, then how are they supposed to-”

Lero opened his eyes, the sun’s new light banishing all remnants of the night’s dreams away. How strange. All the things he could have possibly dreamt about, and his subconscious had opted for Night Song...

To his right, just outside the tent, he heard quiet conversation from his group’s woken members, while to his left, a cyan foreleg gently tightened around his chest and a raspily snoring mare tried to snuggle closer into the warmth of the shared space.

A part of him had almost forgotten what it was like to sleep next to Dash’s snoring, but after so long, he had sorely missed it.

Lero kissed the sleeping mare and did his best to extract himself from the pegasus’s grip. Still wearing the jeans he had fallen asleep in, Lero put on a pair of boots and a long-sleeved shirt, and exited the tent to face his third morning on the road.

Both Rarity and Princess Luna tended their small fire and boiled water for the group’s morning meal. The alicorn prodded the glowing embers and placed a pot of water on top, which would quickly come of a boil and prepare their dehydrated rations.

Off to the side, Lero saw a curious sight; Twilight and Lyra had gathered around a crudely cleaved tree stump upon which rested a single rock. Lyra was chewing on a single, long stalk of some sort of native plant, staring at Twilight with a judging gaze. Twilight, for all her outward appearance, was giving the poor pebble a glare that would have surely melted it into slag.

“Come on,” urged the scholarly mare, as sweat beaded her forehead, “move! Move, darn you!”

“You’re doing it again, Twilight,” said Lyra, her stern tone one of a martial artist sensei speaking to a struggling student. “I told you before: you must clear your mind.”

“I’m trying as hard as I can!”

The statement earned Twilight a quick bop on her head from Lyra’s stalk. “No. ‘Do’ or ‘do not’; there is no ‘try’.”

Again Twilight stared at the pebble and closed her eyes. Lero saw her horn began to glow as Twilight poured magic into it and-

“Ow!” The light suddenly faded and Twilight’s hooves came to her temples. The pebble remained motionless until Twilight brought one of her hooves down on the stump and caused the tiny rock to jump at the impact. “GRRR! This is impossible!”

“It is only impossible because you believe it to be,” said Lyra, her tone betrayed by a slight smirk at the corner of her mouth. “You’re still trying to form a spell matrix and that will not work now anymore than any of your previous attempts.”

“But I can’t just ‘not form’ one! It’s what our magic is built on!”

“The first unicorns had no such concepts. They performed their magic by instinct.”

“But they were subconsciously forming them, even if they didn’t know what they were. Just because they didn’t know about it, doesn’t mean the matrixes weren’t there.”

“But they exercised their will and made it reality. You must do the same here.”

Twilight shook her head. “I can’t just unlearn fifteen years of magical theory!”

Lyra closed her eyes and resumed chewing her stalk. “Then you already admit defeat before the battle begins.”

“Urgh! Could you just for once, Lyra, just once drop the whole ‘grandmaster mystique’ and give me a bucking straight answer?!”

“Okay, ladies, let’s simmer down,” said Lero, who gently interceded between the two mares. The girls quietly backed away from each, their eyes fixed on Lero’s taller form. Lero took a seat behind Twilight and wrapped his arms around her. Twilight pouted but leaned back into him anyways.

“Remember what the Lost said before,” said the human. “This place is all about will. You’re not forming a levitation spell, you’re willing the rock to move.”

“But how-?”

“The very first time you ever performed magic, did you worry about any kind of matrix?” Lyra asked.

Twilight furrowed her brow. “I don’t remember,” she said. “I was only a few months old at the time.”

“Oh?”

“Mom, er, that is,Twilight Velvet, said that I was trying to take back a toy, some stuffed animal that Shining had taken out of my crib. I grabbed it with my magic and brought it back to me.”

“And what do you think was going through your mind at that point?”

Again Twilight furrowed her brows. “Not much. I was only three months old. All you ever think about at that point is sleeping, feeding and pooping.” Twilight paused. “I just… wanted my toy back.”

Lyra and Lero shared a smirk. “Then try and remember that feeling,” the other unicorn advised.

Twilight focused again on the pebble. This time, she tried to recall what it felt like to be a foal again. Her herd family had always told her that she was special, a fact that had gone to her head during her teenage years under Celestia, when she thought that magic was more important than making friends, when the pursuit of knowledge had become paramount for her.

In those earliest days, her herd parents had recognized her as a savant almost immediately; she had developed her telekinesis before she could fully walk, had learned to speak at only six months old, was reading at an elementary level by two, and by the age of four she was already performing basic magic most foals didn’t learn naturally until puberty.

Twilight did remember what it was like. That childish wonder that everything around her inspired. How the world seemed scary outside her family’s mansion but still full of so many incredible things. She remembered what it was like to move things just by thinking it. It drove poor Velvet up the walls, having to always hide things like sweets and such because Twilight would always simply grab a hold of them with her magical grip, no matter how high on the shelf it was placed.

Then one day, shortly after having seen Princess Celestia raise the sun on that fateful summer morning, Twilight had been in her family library and had found a book on spellcraft. She had learned why she had been able to do the things she could do. And just like that, magic wasn’t so “magical” anymore. It had become science.

To most other beings, such a revelation may have been crushing. Among humans, it would have been the equivalent of finding out that there was no Easter Bunny or Santa Claus and that it was the parents all along.

But not for Twilight. Opening that spellbook had opened her eyes to a whole new universe of possibility. It had awakened in her a desire - no, a hunger - for more knowledge, a craving for understanding the world and how it really worked.

And ever after that day, Twilight didn’t see it as “simply wanting to move something”. It was all spell matrixes, applied thaumaturgy, mana channeling, and everything else that made magic work. She saw the world as an intricate piece of clockwork, with a myriad of complex moving mechanisms whose functions interacted with each other in a way that didn’t diminish the majesty of life but enhanced it.

And it was so much a part of her, that she refused to see the world in any other way.

And so the rock remained motionless.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered at last. “I… just can’t.”

Lyra sighed but still held onto that queer smile of hers. “Come on, Twi,” she said, standing up and discarding the stalk. “Let’s grab some breakfast.”

Meanwhile, Rarity and Luna were having their own discussion.

“Dear me,” said Rarity, as she took a hollowed reed and blew through it to coax more life out of the glowing embers, “I haven’t done this in quite a while.”

“‘Roughing it’, as one would say?” asked Luna, who stirred the small pot with their morning’s meal.

“Indeed, Pri- Luna. I confess my father never took me out on such adventures. He was always very busy in Cloudsdale. Even on his off days, he rarely went down to the surface. It was only after moving to Ponyville and becoming friends with Pinkie Pie did I ever get to go camping.” Rarity took a moment to examine her surroundings. “Though I must say, this place is vastly different from Whitetail Woods.”

The group’s little camp was set dead center in a freshly cut swathe of destruction. Ever since the Garganstone had emerged from the hill three days ago (and taking the portal with it), the group had decided to follow the stone giant’s trail through the red-leaved forest. They thanked their lucky stars that creature had headed in a roughly similar direction as the city lights Lero had spotted that first night. Luna truly dreaded the prospect of having to blaze a trail through those thorny woods.

She remembered The Lost’s warning about the thorns.

The giant had long since disappeared, its ridiculously long stride and unrelenting determination to reach its unknown destination having quickly outpaced the tiny troupe. But it left behind a trail of snapped trees and crushed vegetation that, while somewhat difficult to navigate, was indeed “safe” to travel on, at least as far as the Lost had been concerned. And those lights were still visible every evening: lights which Lero insisted belonged to a town of some sort.

Over the next few days, Lero’s alternate personality had taken the reigns of control more and more. The Lost was there for most of the waking hours, during the long marches between campsites and during watch shifts at night. He was always quick to respond to potential dangers that seemed to always lurk at the edge of the trail. Thankfully, not everything he did was so serious or bleak. On several occasions, he was able to point out the otherworldly beauty that surrounded them.

In particular were the strange plants that they came across, either underfoot or just at the edge of their path. Most of them were an odd collection of stalks, leaves and fruits that the Lost had called “goblin fruits”. Twilight seemed especially fascinated with them and had been quick to examine every sample that the Lost picked up. The small camera that she’d brought with her from home had snapped many pictures of the local flora, aided by a makeshift harness Lero had cobbled together out of some rope, branches, and magic from Lyra.

Twilight had even dedicated one of her blank journals to studying them and preserving a few plant samples as pressings.

“This is amazing,” Twilight had said on their second day. “A whole new ecosystem! I wonder what exciting new knowledge we could learn from this place?”

Under different circumstances, Lero and the others might’ve rolled their eyes or even treated her to some mild teasing, and called her a nerdy tree hugger. But in the wake of Twilight’s discovery that she could no longer perform magic in the Hedge, in the wake of having suffered the unicorn equivalent of a human having both his hands paralyzed, they offered nothing but positive encouragements. Twilight distracting herself from her handicap was just what the doctor ordered.

And The Lost offered a lot for her to be distracted by! He regularly picked a variety of fruits, from tiny berries to flavorful leaves to a fruits the size of small gourds. One such example was currently roasting over the fire.

“My, er, ‘good sir’,” said Rarity uneasily, seeing that it was the Lost, not Lero, walking towards the fire pit, his blue eyes glowing slightly in the morning light. “Breakfast will be ready soon.”

The Lost hesitated for moment before nodding his head and smiling politely and said, “Thank you, Ms. Rarity.”

Breakfast in question was another batch of dehydrated food for the girls and a single fruit for the Lost. One of the first things the Lost insisted upon, once he’d secured his companions’ trust, was that his pony companions were forbidden to consume any foodstuffs native to this world. Be it flower, fruit, vegetable, or grass, it was off-limits until they’d eaten through every last scrap of rations from Equestria, and they had no other choice but to eat the local fare. He would even glare suspiciously at fresh water they collected from streams and pools.

“But why?” Rainbow had asked. “I mean, is the food here poisonous to ponies? Would it taste bad?”

“No,” the Lost had said. “On the contrary. I have no doubt that there are some fruits here that you girls would simply find divine. There are teas you can make from certain leaves that can soothe every ache in your body. Some are magical and can grant you incredible luck, while others are so unbelievably nutritious and filling, a single nibble is enough to feed you for an entire day.”

“Then may we not partake?” Luna had asked.

“To do so could ensnare you, like the pomegranate seeds did for Persephone.” At this, Rarity had gasped.

A few weeks ago when they were still in Equestria, Lero had regaled his herd with several of old stories from his childhood. Being the grandchild of a pair of Greek immigrants (who were just a little disappointed their own son had married an American woman, but that is another story), Lero was raised on legends of Zeus, Poseidon and all the rest of the old gods who reigned over the world from Olympus, of great heroes such as Perseus and Theseus and Hercules performing legendary deeds, and of the many monsters that roamed the lands.

Twilight, being the academic, had immediately demanded to know every detail about the old monsters and was amazed at how much of a parallel the legends were to Equis’ own wildlife and peoples. She hadn’t known what to think when Lero described the Minotaur of Crete as a monstrous, man-eating beast, when the minotaurs she knew existed as a republic of good-hearted, if slightly boisterous, civilized beings. But Lero had explained that the legend was more of an analogy; one that gave a face to the animalistic side of mankind.

Rarity, however, had been fascinated with the more romantic tales of Greek mythology. The story of Pygmalion and Galatea had had her laughing merrily at the end. Even the more tragic tales, such as that of Alcyone and Ceyx, still held appeal for her. Lero had retold these stories with a bit a dramatic flair, something Lyra had known he had picked up from spending so much time living with Rarity. By the time he had finished telling the story of Orpheus -- a singer who went down to the Underworld to retrieve his lost love -- all the girls had been in tears.

Of course, Rainbow Dash and Princess Luna hadn’t been present when he’d shared his grandparents’ stories to Lyra, Rarity, and Twilight, so Persephone’s name meant nothing to them. So Lero had sat down and filled them in.

Persephone was a beautiful young goddess, daughter of Demeter, who was the Goddess of the Harvest. Persephone caught the eye of Hades, the Lord of the Dead, who ruled the dark and dreary Underworld. One day, while she was alone in a field, Hades rushed past in his black chariot and kidnapped her, taking her to the Underworld to become his bride. Though Persephone was never mistreated -- indeed, she was lavished in gifts and spent her days in the death god’s immense palace -- she longed to return home to the surface and to her aggrieved mother, who had let the world grew cold in a long winter. While Persephone stayed with Hades, she ate some of the fruit that grew in his palace garden.

Thereafter, Persephone found herself eternally bound to Hades’ realm. For half of every year, Persephone was forced to return to the Underworld, during which time her mother let the world grow as cold as her longing heart.

“Except in our case, girls,” Lero had finished, with a pointed look at the mares. “We wouldn’t have the same luxury Persephone had, and be allowed to return to Equestria every half-year. A single morsel of food might bind you to the Hedge-lands for all time.”

Rainbow Dash had given a gulp. “B-b-but, well, YOU ate the food, here, back when this place was your home. Right, Lero?”

“Right,” said Lero.

“But the food didn’t bind you!” Dash pointed out. “You were able to escape this place and go to Equestria!”

“Yes,” Lero conceded. “But remember; I said the food COULD ensnare you. Not that it was GUARANTEED to. It can be a crapshoot. Or sometimes it just… depends on the person. Kind of like with nuts.”

“Nuts?” asked Twilight.

“Some people can eat nuts like popcorn; others get lethal allergic reactions from them.” His expression turned darker. “But I give you my word: I have seen humans unable to leave the Hedge thanks to ‘Persephone’s curse,’ and it’s a sad sight. I have no idea if the food here will affect ponies in that way, so I’d rather err on the side of caution.”

The girls agreed. Since Lero was clearly immune to ensnarement, he fed himself on goblin fruit, and gladly gave all his share of the rations over to the girls. If only to prolong the time until they too would have to live off the land.

This morning’s meal for the Lost was a bright red fruit, slightly bigger than a typical Red Delicious, yet shaped like a peach. It was currently roasting on a stick over the coals, causing dark red juices to bubble out of it. The Lost inhaled deeply, savoring that unmistakable scent.

‘I hate to admit it,’ he mused to himself, ‘I have missed that smell.’

“What is that?” asked Twilight, who wrinkled her nose at the strange smell. “Bleagh! It’s almost as bad as Lyra’s durians!”

Lyra held back an incredulous remark, as the red fruit’s smell was also unpleasant to her.

“Well,” said the Lost, who suddenly realized that this particular choice may not go over well with his companions, “it’s a, well it’s called a… blood pod.”

“...Why?”

Seeing no use in delaying the inevitable, the Lost picked up his impromptu spigot, and took a large bite out to the roasted fruit. Hot, red, meaty juices ran down his cheeks as he savored the paradoxical taste of grade A Angus beef. It had been so long since he had tasted it, he couldn’t help but give a small moan.

At the mixed looks of disgust, queasiness, and horror his family was giving him, the Lost simply shrugged, thought to himself ‘Totally worth it,’ and went back to enjoying his bloody breakfast.

The next day found the group walking along a canopied path through the forest. The Garganstone’s trail had turned away from their destination, forcing the group to backtrack and lose almost half a day’s worth of traveling. Eventually, they stumbled upon a small pathway just wide enough to allow three ponies to walk side-by-side. Seeing little option, the group elected to follow the Lost into the forest, trusting in his abilities and his promise to keep them all safe.

They broke camp there in that new wood, under a canopy of star-shaped green leaves and hanging moss, huddled close together in their bags. Every one of the mares’ ears swiveled in their sleep, the slightest sounds would cause them to wake in the dead of the night, in fear of another attack. And always there was nothing. Just the moaning of the trees and the rustle of their leaves.

Dawn broke and the girls awoke to a shocked gasp.

Lero had started to change again. Now, after almost a week of traveling in the Hedge, he was showing further signs of metamorphosis. His skin had turned paler than usual, his tanned tones almost completely disappearing. His facial features had also changed, his jawline and nose becoming sharper, his eyes were seemingly slightly off. Most pronounced though, were Lero’s ears, which had suddenly developed a sharp point at the top.

‘More of this?!’ he thought, as a thunderstruck Twilight Sparkle lifted her camera and snapped a picture of him. ‘Just what the hell am I turning into?!’

The rest of the morning was spent in silence, as the girls quietly ate a few ration bars while Lero decided to forgo his morning meal entirely. Luna, however, seemed to be having none of it.

“Sir Lero, you must eat,” the alicorn insisted.

“It’s… it’s fine, Princess Luna,” he mumbled.

“Nay!” said Luna crossly. “I shall not see my friend in such a state! We have a long journey ahead and you need the energy.” Luna then took her own ration bar and snapped it in half with her magic, shoving one portion into Lero’s chest. The human fumbled with it for a second before catching it against his worn shirt.

“You shall stop acting like a moping colt this instant and eat something or I shall force that food down your throat myself!”

Rarity was about to say something in Lero’s defense when she suddenly stopped at the sound of her stallion’s laughter. Lero had leaned back against a tree, one hand over his eyes as he laughed uproariously. “Haha! Okay,” he finally managed. “Okay, Luna. I’ll eat something.” The human looked at her, his eyes speaking his silent thanks as he took a bite of the nutritious treat.

Luna allowed herself a firm nod and a knowing smile. Rarity glanced at the rest of her herd and shared with them her own knowing smile. But before she could share her scheming thoughts, they were all interrupted.

A sudden high-pitched shriek pierced the morning stillness, followed by several more shrill calls. Lero’s eyes shifted to a pale blue and the Lost stood at attention, the ration bar falling forgotten to the ground.

“Ah hell,” he growled before turning to the others. “Quickly! Get packed and ready to run.”

“What is it?” said Luna, who had drawn her wing blades at the Lost’s reaction.

“Nothing good. Now move!”

The camp became a flurry of motion. The fire was quickly extinguished as saddlebags were flung onto backs. The shrieks were drawing closer, followed by the sounds of wings. The Lost had just thrown on his backpack when another sound halted his movements.

It was a scream. A woman’s scream.

The other girls halted too. Rarity and Rainbow looked slightly panicked, memories of the white blob still fresh in their minds. But as the Lost listened again he could hear… shouting?

“Takes it!” came a distant, shrill voice. “Takes it!”

“...away!” came another, softer and definitely feminine.

The Lost turned down the path. “Stay close,” he said and started to move down the trail, low but quickly. Twilight barely gave a sputtered response before she felt a shove from behind by Luna and soon they were all mimicking the Lost.

The sounds of screams and wings grew louder as they hurried, and they soon found the source. There, in a clearing in the trees, was an ambush.

Above them, flapping on black and white wings, were three creatures. They were hideous, a strange mismatch of human and avian parts. One had the head of a sharp-beaked bird, the torso of a man with human arms but wings sprouting from its back, and a feathered lower body that terminated in scaley, taloned legs. Another was mostly bird, but sported a mockery of a human face; its eyes too large, its nose was comically pointed, and the teeth in its too-wide mouth were like a shark’s.

Also, a foul odor was assaulting their nostrils, even from this distance. The winged monsters were absolutely covered in filth; their feathers and skin were stained in putrid browns and greens. The feathers were molting in some places and the skin had lesions in several spots.

The last member of this flock was already diving downward like the bird of prey it was, squawking and shrieking from a curved beak while slashing with long talons on lanky arms.

“C’mere, you fuckin’ tart!” it squawked again. “Gives us yer shinies ‘n we’ll maybe let yez walk away with yer littl’ twat in one piece!”

“Moibye, hur hur hur,” mouthed the shark-toothed monster.

The Lost sneered in disgust. “Fucking Vileshrieks,” he cursed, trying not to gag on the creatures’ foul odor. “I hate these guys.”

“A name well deserved,” said Luna from behind one of her wings.

Lyra suddenly pointed at the center of the clearing. “Look!”

The Lost followed her hoof. But he refused to believe his eyes.

It was a woman. A real woman. She was tall and athletic, with tanned skin and pale hair that peeked out from under her hooded cowl. Her upper body was covered in a grey-green pelt cloak that hooded her head. A dark red high-low skirt around her waist exposed a leg which appeared to be bleeding. One hand clutched at the wound, trying to stem the flow of blood, while the other held tightly onto a large and knotted staff.

One of the other vileshrieks made a pass at her and raked its sharp talons at the woman’s head. She ducked but ended up falling to the ground in her attempt, the hood falling back.

The ponies’ eyes widened. The woman had a pair of curled horns, like a ram’s, growing just above her ears. The ends of her raven-black hair were tipped with shining silver. Her eyes were a glowing amber. But above all else, past the horns and the odd coloration, she was very beautiful.

Lero emerged from his own subconscious, but was stunned into silence. ‘She’s...’

Another one of the creatures made a pass and the woman lashed out with her staff. She snarled at the monsters, revealing a small set of fangs in her mouth. “Piss off!” she shouted. “I don’t have time to deal with you freaks!”

“Oi oi, lookie ‘ere, boyz!” mocked the sharp-beaked monster. “Quite a litt’ mouth on this humie.”

One of the others chuckled darkly, a long, slimy tongue licking at his beak. “I fink I know ‘ow to put that mouth o’ers to betta work.” He lashed out with one of his talons and caught the woman’s staff, trying to wrench it away from her grasp while his two partners egged him on, tossing out more foul taunts.

Lero seethed in his hiding spot. Internally, he was struggling. That woman could be one of Them, but there was also a chance that she wasn’t. What had that thing called her? ‘Humie?’ As in ‘human’? Behind him, he could hear the girls whisper fervently.

“What should we do?” said Twilight. “She needs help!”

“It could be another trick,” worried Rainbow Dash. “What if she’s bait and this is some kind of trap?”

“But look at her!” hissed Rarity. “Those… vile brutes clearly intend to ravish her! We can’t just stand by and do nothing. She looks human!”

“So did that other thing, Rarity, and it… it…” Rainbow suddenly broke out in shivers.

Lyra looked at Lero. “Hey, Fingers… I think I remember you saying humans didn’t have horns… right?”

“Yeah, I did.” Lero then touched the tips of his ears. “But I also said they don’t have pointed ears.”

Lyra looked back the scene in the clearing. The vileshrieks had finally wrestled away the woman’s staff and his partners were making more dives at her. They were obviously toying with her, as cats would with a mouse.

Finally, the ringleader said, “Come on, boyz! Meat’s back onna table!” The sharp-beaked creature dropped down on top of the woman, his arms grabbing her wrists while his talons ripped at her skirt.

The woman screamed and before Lero knew what he was doing, his iron knife was already leaving his hand. The knife hissed through the air before embedding itself into one of sharp-beak’s eyes with a meaty “THWACK!” The vileshriek’s head snapped back, he teetered for a moment, then fell twitching to the side.

The woman wasted no time and scrambled out from under the monster, making her way to the edge of the clearing. The other monsters gaped at the sight of their dead comrade before turning towards the source of the attack.

The Lost was standing up, his arm still pointing forward from the knife throw and a look of surprise clear on his face. “Ah crap,” he muttered, realizing he had just thrown away his only effective weapon.

“OI!” shouted the leader, pointing at the standing human. “That littl’ shite just knoifed ‘im! GUT ’EM!!”

The Lost then dove back into cover just as the two remaining vileshrieks took flight, cursing and squawking on his heels. He turned and ran back down the path, hoping to lead the monsters away from the rest of the girls. The two flying monstrosities made it only around the first bend from the clearing when a dark blur passed in front of them. Shark-tooth managed a surprised gargle as his head suddenly found itself free on his body. Curve-beak turned to look but soon found his head wasn’t able to stop turning at it was twisted around in a full circle by a pale blue aura.

The two bodies crashed into the forest floor, the head continuing to roll a short distance before disappearing into a hollow beneath a tree.

Luna gently set down in front of the Lost, her face barely containing a sense of disgust as she examined her ichor-covered blades. She flicked her bades until she was convinced that the foul substance was gone and then folded her wings.

“Thanks for the save,” said the Lost.

“Thank me later, Sir Lost,” replied Luna. “For now, let go and greet the one whom we rescued.” The Lost nodded and the two walked back the way they came.

Meanwhile, back in the clearing, the four mares remained hidden as they watched the horned woman struggling to get to her feet.

Rainbow leaned up against Rarity. “I… don’t think this is a trap,” she whispered. The other mare nodded. From their hiding spot, the girls watched the woman try to rise again, only to quickly fall down and give a pained yelp. Bright red blood oozed out of the jagged gash on her left leg.

Rainbow’s reaction was instantaneous. “Oh man,” she exclaimed, quickly breaking cover and moving closer to the woman. “Don’t move! I’ll-”

The woman snapped her hand out and a rock sped straight at Dash’s head. “Woah!” The pegasus dropped several feet, allowing the projectile to sail harmless overhead. “Hey! What was that for? I’m just trying-”

“Stay back!” the woman yelled. “You stay the hell away from me!”

“Look, lady, I’m trying to help you! You need to-”

The woman reached behind her and pulled out a long, curved knife. “I said stay the fuck back!” She pointed the weapon at Dash, the sunlight gleaming off the bronze blade even as it shook in the woman’s trembling hand.

Rainbow dropped to the ground. She knew that injured animals would almost always lash out at any perceived danger, so she tried a gentler approach. Dash folded her wings to her sides and made sure not to approach too quickly.

“Easy there,” she said quietly in her gentlest voice. “You’re safe now. Nopony’s going to hurt you.”

“‘Nopony’?” the woman repeated, clearly confused. She wavered a moment before pointing the blade back at Rainbow. “I said stay back!”

“Okay,” said Rainbow, who sat on the ground. “I’ll stay right here, but I just want to help you.” Rainbow eyed the wound worriedly. It was a nasty cut, ragged but not too deep. But judging from the foulness of those monsters, the wound would definitely need disinfecting and quick.

“Look,” said the pegasus, “I know you’ve been through a lot and you’re really scared right now, but you need to treat that wound. I have some first aid with me. I can help.”

The woman laughed bitterly. “Yeah, like I’m going to trust you, a talking horse.” She spat towards Rainbow. “You’re a phouka, aren’t you?”

Dash raised an eyebrow. “A what?”

The horned woman ignored the question. “Taking the shape of some… cutesy-looking horse! Well, you can’t fool me!”

Rainbow fluffed her wings slightly. “Look, uh, ‘Miss’. I’m not a… whatever that is. My name is Rainbow Dash and I’m a pony. We saw you get hurt-”

“‘We’?” Suddenly those amber eyes were darting around the treeline as Dash silently cursed her slip.

“My friends,” she said, her voice still calm. “We saw you were getting hurt by those mean things and now we just want help.”

Rainbow turned back to their hiding place and raised one of her wings. Slowly, three heads poked out from the bushes as Twilight, Lyra, and Rarity all slow emerged, giving the girl encouraging smiles.

“Are those… unicorns?” asked the woman, warily.

“Yep! Those are my friends and we just want to help you.” The other girls nodded their heads, Lyra offering a friendly wave, as the woman tried to process what she was seeing.

Just then, the sound of approaching footsteps broke her thoughts and another being entered the clearing.

The woman’s eyes grew as wide as saucers. “No,” she whispered and the bronze blade dropped from her trembling hand. “No no no no…” Whatever progress Rainbow had made, Lero’s presence had instantly unravelled. The woman began to crawl backwards, her hands desperately trying to find purchase on the muddy ground in an effort to escape the terror in front of her.

“No, please no!” she screamed, frightened tears running from her amber eyes. “Stay away! Don’t take me, please!”

She turned around tried to rise again but quickly stopped when she saw the tall form of Princess Luna hovering just in front of her. The woman screamed in terror, her shrill voice piercing through the air as she emptied her lungs. She then fell back to the ground before quickly curling up into a quivering ball, her arms covering her head. “Please don’t take me back,” she sobbed. “Please don’t take me, please, please, please…”

Luna quickly dropped to the ground, her wings clasped to her side. Her heart felt like it had been stabbed with a cold knife. After spending so much time trying to get her subjects to stop fearing her, to have this poor creature treat her as an object of terror hit too close to home. A quick glance at Lero told her that he felt the same way.

Lero didn’t really know how to approach this. Sure, he had been feared before, at least by ponies, but certainly not like this. So he decided that he would do what he would normally do for a nervous pony: look less intimidating.

Lero approached the girl, getting a better look at her. Caked in spattered mud and underneath the soft leather of her cloak, Lero could spot several trinkets adorning the woman’s waist and neckline. Little bobbles made of wood, bone, glass, and metal; these must have been the “shinies” the vileshrieks had been talking about.

Lero turned his attention back to the woman herself. She appeared to be in her mid-twenties. Like himself, her ears were slightly pointed, with one pierced by three golden rings. The two horns growing from the sides of her head were a deep brown color, one holding a dangling piece of jewelry. Her hair, now dirty with mud and tears, held several more trinkets; red beads and white metal rings held in place with several braids. Lero unconsciously touched his own braid that held two pale blue feathers. The sobbing woman’s hands were smaller than his and smooth, her fingers ending in pointed, black nails.

Satisfied with his examination, Lero quietly knelt beside her, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. The woman flinched but Lero did not removed his hand, instead allowed his warm palm rest against her. Her skin felt hot, and Lero cast another worried look at the wound on her leg.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Lero spoke, “We’re sorry.” The woman flinched again. “We didn’t mean to frighten you.”

The woman opened her eyes, her pupils shrunken to pinpoints as she glanced fearfully up at him. The fear was still there and it seemed fairly justified. Lero knew what he looked like now wasn’t exactly human, but then again neither was she. Lero looked at his companions, letting the woman follow his motions.

“We promise not to hurt you,” he said, offering her a smile. Still trembling, the woman glanced around, seeing more gentle and goodnatured expressions on the strange creatures around her. Even on the large, dark alicorn.

“Y-y-you’re,” she stammered, “you p-p-promise me?”

Lero nodded, “We promise. We want to help you.”

The woman allowed herself to be gently propped upright but still brought her knees to her chest. She gazed around, her amber eyes trying to comprehend what was happening. “You’re n-n-not aes sidhe?” she whispered.

Lero shook his head, as did the others.

Luna bowed her head. “I must apologize, young miss,” she said respectfully. “It was very much not my intention to frighten you.”

“Yeah,” said Rainbow bashfully. “We’re really sorry.”

“Oh you poor dear,” said Rarity, “I’m afraid we gave you such a fright. But when we saw what those vile brutes were going to do-”

“You saved me?” said the woman in disbelief. She turned towards the nearest dead vileshriek, the iron dagger still sticking out of its eye socket, then back to the group. She followed the mares’ knowing eyes and rested her tear-filled gaze on Lero. She hesitated, then reached up with a trembling hand. Lero held still as he allowed her to touch his cheek.

The fear in her eyes seemed to slowly drain away, replaced by something that she had almost forgotten.

Hope.

“Are… are you like me?” she whispered, more to herself than to her audience. “Are you Changed too?”

Lero gave her a small smile and gently nodded his head.

“Them too?” She motioned to the ponies around them.

Lero glanced to his side, his smile never wavering. “It’s… a long story.” He held out a hand. “My name is Lero Michaelides.”

“...Kyria,” she said, taking his hand in her soft, smaller one. “Kyria Ama.”

Lero smiled. “It’s nice to meet you, Kyria,” he said.

The small fire pit warmed the cozy home as the six guests gathered around, sipping some chamomile tea Rarity had brought from home, and discussing their origins. While many might’ve dismissed Kyria’s abode as just a hole in the ground, the young woman still seemed to have turned her “Hollow” into a workable home.

The entire structure was underground, with bare earthen walls and ladder that lead to a camouflaged entrance. The single room was small but not cramped, being a little bigger than the living room in Lero’s old house. A small fire pit in the middle had an ancient-looking brass stove pipe that led to the surface, one that Kyria said was able to hide the smoke it produced.

One wall was dedicated to a menagerie of odd trinkets and tokens, all looking like the world’s strangest collection of baubles the girls had ever seen. Light was provided by a number of glowing luminescent jars, very reminiscent of the lightning bug lamps from Equestria. Several large roots grew along the ceiling, most sporting a suspended glowing lamp or another dangling trinket.

Overall, it definitely wouldn’t win any awards for style. All of the furniture was wooden and very run-down. A nearby low table was supported in one corner by a small stack of books. The earth walls, while at least dry, were pockmarked and had several holes in them. Kyria’s bed was little more than a dried hay mattress with a threadbare blanket on top. The “teacups” were nothing of the sort; just a small collection of cracked ceramics and dented tin cups.

None of the group had ever seen anything like it. Certainly, cities like Manehatten and Fillydelphia had their share of poor neighborhoods, but even they had been aboveground. Lero was put strongly in mind of the National Geographic programs he used to watch, whenever they would do a cultural segment on some remote Third World country.

‘And she’s been living here on her own for how long?’ he thought to himself, staring into his cup of tea.

If Kyria was uncomfortable living here, she hid it well. But then again, that may have been do to her overwhelming confusion at the moment.

“So, wait,” the horned woman said, amber eyes narrow in disbelief, “you and your sister… control the sun and moon?” Then Kyria turned to Rarity. “And you help manage the seasons?”

“Oh yes, darling,” said Rarity with a winning smile, “and let me tell you, scheduling the entire weather cycle for a whole season, even for a little town like Ponyville, is a simply beastly affair. Why, this past spring took me nearly a month to get approved by the central bureau!”

Kyria’s mouth simply hung open and her eyes remained narrow, as if she was unsure if the white mare in front of her was lying or simply delusional.

Convincing the woman that no, the mares were not in fact transformed humans like herself, that no, they weren’t some kind of hob made to look like pastel-colored ponies, and yes, they were in fact from another world entirely, took some time.

And several more promises that they weren’t going to hurt her.

And that Kyria had to put her knife away.

This became especially difficult when the Lost emerged in front of Kyria. But after several very detailed and lengthy explanations of the Lost and how he came to be, Kyria warily decided to trust him.

“I know he seems a little… uncouth, darling,” Rarity had assured the girl, “but trust me when I say that the good sir has more than proved his good intentions. He saved us all at the start of our little adventure and has helped us many times to stay safe in these dreadful woods.”

Kyria Ama only narrowed her eyes and continued to finger the dagger in her belt.

Lero tried to take stock of the situation. Rarity and Luna were currently explaining more about their homeworld, though every new fact seemed to make Kyria more and more skeptical. Lero had to laugh at himself, having gone through the exact same stages of disbelief when he had first arrived on Equis. Though, at the time, he did have the benefit of seeing the greater aspects of pony magic firsthand while Kyria had only gotten to see Lyra levitate her teacup, so far, and was not especially impressed.

“Wait, stop,” she said finally, raising one hand while using the other to pinch her brow. “You must be joking. ‘Manehatten’? ‘Fillydelphia’? ‘Canterlot?’ Next you’ll be telling me that there’s a, a ‘Seaddle’ and a, let’s see, oh ‘Vanhoofer’!”

All the ponies exchanged looks with each other and remained silent.

“Oh you have got to be kidding me,” murmured Kyria, resting her face in her palms. A moment later she suddenly jerked up. “Ow!”

“S’rry,” mumbled Rainbow Dash around a bottle of medicine as she cleaned the girl’s wound.

Rainbow Dash sat next to the horned girl, gently applying a clean linen bandage to the girl’s injured leg. The vileshriek’s attack had indeed threatened to leave the wound infected and when the party had arrived at the Hollow, Kyria had directed them to boil some wine to treat the wound. Rainbow had been horrified at the notion, instead diving into her saddlebags and retrieving a small bottle of peroxide.

“Whoever heard of boiling wine anyways?” said Dash, as she used her dextrous wingtips to tie a bandage in place.

Kyria smirked. “Wouldn’t matter,” she hissed. “Wine’s so wimpy, anyways…”

An offended look flashed over Rarity’s face, but she held her silence.

“…I can’t remember the last time I had real booze. I was kind of hoping you might have some. You don’t wanna know WHAT I’d be willing to do for just a single mouthful of real scotch.”

A bright flash lit up one side of the room and Kyria snapped around, her hand instinctively diving for her belt.

“Oh look at that one!” chirped Twilight excitedly. “That one looks like it was made by a different culture! Gotta take a picture of that one!” Kyria dropped her guard and almost huffed annoyedly.

Standing to one side of the room, Twilight Sparkle darted from one collection of trinkets to another like a school filly at a museum. Lyra was close by, her magical grasp lifting Twilight’s camera.

“Twilight, I think we have enough pictures,” said Lyra calmly. “Why don’t we have a seat by the fire?”

Twilight pouted adorably. “But-but science!” she mewled. “I have to document everything! Everything!”

Before Twilight could descend into full-blown eye twitches, Lyra gently ushered her towards their small circle around the fire. “Now, Twilight,” she said calmly. “It’s rude to our hostess. I’m sure you could find out all about this stuff from her in time.”

Lero allowed his eyes to wander towards the walls, one section in particular catching his gaze. There were several crudely drawn sketches carved into the earthen wall. Most looked like bored doodles, the kind he used to make in his notebooks in high school. A few were things he recognized, familiar plants and animals, and others were simple geometric designs.

One image, however, stood out as a centerpiece.

“Seattle?” he said aloud.

Kyria blinked. There, taking up a good section of the wall, was a crudely drawn depiction of the iconic Space Needle. “Yeah,” she said.

Lero smirked. “Always liked that place,” he said. “I went there once when I was still back in school, but it was awesome. Saw Pike’s Place during the early morning and everything. My family and I went there, had the best pastries I ever tasted.”

‘Not counting Pinkie’s cupcakes.’

“It was a little Russian bakery. Um…” Lero snapped his fingers, trying to remember. “It was called… Pir-”

“Piroshky Piroshky,” whispered Kyria. She was standing now, simply staring at Lero. “I… used to go there. On Sundays. Got a rhubarb roll and some… coffee.”

Tears were falling down her eyes.

“I would swing by sometimes after work during the summer. It was always so hot and the market stank but… the food was worth it.” Kyria walked over to another sketch, her stride favoring her injured leg. The new sketch depicted an odd, two-wheeled thing. “Had a little scooter. Mom got it for me when I graduated high school. She was on the city planning board. Dad was an architect. She was talking about the new changes they were going to make to the Space Needle. They were thinking about adding a restaurant at the top.”

Her hands were trembling.

“I had a fight with them,” she began to sob. “I was angry at them. I wanted to travel. Go backpacking with friends across Europe for a year before college. They told me not to leave… why didn’t I listen?”

Her shaking hands wandered over to another picture. Several columns, with crude branches formed a border line. The center held a ring of dots. Lero could tell they were formed by stabbing the soil, each one more harsh than the next.

“I drove to Discovery Park. I went there sometimes. Smoked pot, drank beer.” She made a sound, something between a laugh, a sob, and a hiccup. “Stupid kid stuff.”

By now her shuddering had reached a crescendo. “I got lost. How do you get lost in such a small area? I’d been going there since I was a little girl.”

Her hands balled into fists.

“And then I saw him. Just standing there in a ring of flowers. He… he was so beautiful.”

Kyria slumped to the floor, her hand moving to the wall and digging into the earth, a vain attempt to destroy the memory. “He held out his hand and… and…”

Anything else she had to say was lost when her voice descended into quiet and pitiful sobs. For a few minutes Kyria’s crying was the only sound that filled the small Hollow. Twilight felt tears run down her own cheeks as she watched the girl cling to herself, gently rocking back and forth in her fetal position.

For once, the lavender unicorn had nothing to say. This girl was a total stranger who had just gone through some horrible ordeal Twilight was only beginning to understand. How could she possibly respond to that?

And then Rainbow -- bless her sweet, gentle soul -- made the decision for her.

Rainbow came up to Kyria’s left and wrapped her cyan forelegs around the crying girl. Her soft blue feathers made a comforting cloak that encircled the weeping girl’s form. Kyria started for a moment then lifted her amber eyes to the pegasus in wonder.

“It’s okay,” Rainbow Dash whispered. “It’s okay. Just let it out.”

And with that, the dam broke. Kyria flung herself full on at Dash, clinging to her tightly as if the pony were a life ring in a storm. The human girl wailed, over and over again.

“Why?”

“Why was I taken?”

“Why me?”

“What did I do to deserve this?”

“Why can’t I go back?”

“Why can’t I go home?”

“I want my mom.”

“I want my dad.”

“I want to see my friends again.”

“I want to go home.”

“I want to go home.”

“I want to go home.”

And after what seemed like a small eternity of tears, crying, and snotty noses, Kyria opened her bloodshot eyes. She found herself no longer in one embrace but several. Rarity and Twilight had joined Rainbow in the hug. Kyria buried her nose into the ponies’ manes. Even though her runny nose, she was still able to take in their smells.

The purple one smell like lavender and old paper.

The white one smelled like jasmine.

But the blue one, the one that first held her and helped treat her wounds, she liked best. She smelled like fresh earth and life, she smelled like flowers and rain.

Kyria held onto the blue pony and breathed deeply, inhaling that scent, allowing it to calm her down.

Lero gazed at Dash with a loving expression. Off to the side, he spotted both Lyra and Luna, each of their faces mirroring his own.

“How… long have you been here, Kyria?” Twilight asked softly into the horned human’s ear.

Kyria sniffed, wiping her nose with the back of her tanned hand. “Can’t really say. A year? Ten years? Maybe thirty?”

“Thirty? Well, I think we can rule out that last one,” said Twilight, nervously pulling away from the hug.

“Not really,” said Kyria. “Things don’t work here like back home.”

“Yeah, no kidding,” said Twilight. “My magic hasn’t worked since the first night we came here four days ago.”

“Four days? Are you sure about that?”

“Yes,” said Luna. “We have seen the sun rise and fall four times since we arrived here.”

“Five if you count this morning,” said Lyra.

Kyria laughed a little, wiping away the last remnants of her tears. “Time doesn’t work here.”

Twilight furrowed her eyebrows. “But… what’s that supposed to mean?”

“Exactly as it sounds,” Kyria told her. “Time doesn’t work here. We are currently ‘outside time’. A day here could be decades back home, or it could be a single heartbeat. It’s just another thing ‘They’ can toy with.”

“But it’s time!” yelled Twilight. The unicorn was beginning to look desperate. “How the flying buck can TIME not exist?! And how in the name of Celestia’s PLOTHOLE-”

Luna’s eyes widened slightly at Twilight colorful use of her sister’s anatomy.

“-can these things control it on a whim?! Nothing can control time!! IT’S MOTHERBUCKING TIME!!!”

“And I’m telling you, it doesn’t work here,” said Kyria. “I know it sounds ridiculous, but that’s what this place is. The scrolls at the Tower-”

Kyria suddenly became very quiet.

“What tower?” said Twilight, her voice still charged with that manic quality her herd learned to be wary of.

Kyria crossed her arms again and suddenly took a deep interest in the dirt floor. Both Rarity and Rainbow felt the changed human tremble beneath their limbs.

“What tower? What scrolls?!” demanded Twilight. “What did they say?!”

“That’s enough, Twilight!” shouted Rarity. “Can’t you see this poor girl is traumatized?!” The lead mare cast a seething glare at the lavender unicorn.

Before the situation could devolve any further, the Lost planted himself firmly in between the two mares, instantly silencing them. His blue eyes darted between both Twilight and Rarity, a gaze that said, ‘We’ll talk about this later.’

The Lost knelt in front of Kyria, the horned girl silently rocking herself, and took her small hand in his own, his large fists giving her a gentle squeeze.

“Kyria,” he said. The girl looked up. Amber eyes met with icy blue. “It’s okay. You can talk to us.”

“...I-” she hesitated.

“It’s alright,” said Lyra. The mint unicorn came up beside her; not close enough to touch, but close enough to reassure her. The gentle clop-clop of another pair of hooves told her that Luna had done the same on her opposite side.

“Please heed my advice, Lady Ama,” said the alicorn. “It is always best not to keep these things to yourself. They will only serve to chain you to the past and rot you from within.”

Kyria looked from one pony to another, each one of their faces showing support and reassurance. After a few moments, she took a shaky breath and steady her voice.

“I… I was eighteen,” she began, “when he took me. My… Keeper. The Archivist.” Kyria pulled her pelt cloak around herself. “He dragged me through the thorns. I… I think I lost something there. Some part of me.”

Lero winced. The recent memory of the giant and the swarm of biting things still held fresh in his mind.

“He took me to his tower. Said, ‘You belong to me now, girl.’ He turned me into his ‘assistant’. I was made to organise everything in his library. Whole continents of shelves. They just kept on going and going and it was never good enough. The Archivist would always yell at me, for every little mistake. Called me, ‘a useless piece of meat’ and then hit me. His hands… they were like pens and needles and scalpels.”

“What did this Archivist… archive?” Twilight hesitantly asked.

“He… It didn’t just collect books, or scrolls. It collected everything. People, plants, animals, hobs… Everything had to be ‘studied’.”

Twilight held a hoof to her mouth.

“Most were kept in cages. Others were thrown together in enclosures, just to see how they would interact with each other. Most of the time, the ‘specimens’ would just tear each other apart. I think he knew this, but just liked to watch it anyways. I… I had to document all of the results. And if I missed a single detail, ‘Useless meat! Next time it will be you in the pit!’

“I saw him do that more than once. There were others he captured, or bought from others like him. And when he learned all he could, he’d either throw them into the pits or… preserve them.”

The ponies in the room shuddered. The Lost did his best to control himself, lest his clenching hand crush the girl’s.

“He made me do that too. I…”

The tears fell.

“One day he called me to the labs. Said that, ‘I have an experiment I wish to perform and a reward to give you.’ Then… then he grabbed me and threw me on the table and strapped me down.

“‘I’m going to add some things to you and see if they hold.’”

Kyria raised a trembling hand to one of her horns. Finally, Luna had enough.

“Tis enough, sweet child,” she whispered, “you may stop-”

“I escaped,” said Kyria suddenly. “He got sloppy. He would lose himself for days in experiments and research and ‘specimen collection,’ and leave me alone in the library. I read. The scrolls, the tomes, the journals, I read them.”

She clasped her hands together tightly.

“I learned. I learned how this place works. I learned about the magic. The Contracts.”

“‘Contracts’?” asked Rarity, drawing Kyria’s gaze.

“There are forces here. Even more ancient than the Others. They say that the oldest and most powerful of the Others, they made bargains with them. That’s how it works here. Everything is a bargain. If you want to get something, you have to give something, see? If you want to do something here, you need to make a contract. Become invisible? Make a deal with Darkness. Speak to animals? Make a bargain with them. Flying? Talk to the Air or the Bird.”

“But what do you give?” asked Twilight.

Kyria looked at her. “Our Glamour,” she said. “The raw stuff of our emotions. It’s how They are able to do everything. All the… the horrors and the beauty and the things that make them the Others, it’s all because of Glamour.”

Kyria leaned forward, whispering conspiratorially. “It’s the main reason why they take us.”

“What?” whispered Rarity.

“Us. People. We are… they can’t make it themselves, you see. They need us. That’s why they always take us. We’re Glamour producers to take and feed off of. Our love, our hate, our fear, our hope, it is all fuel for them and their powers. Eventually, if you’re here long enough, you can learn to feed on Glamour the same way they do.”

Twilight was stunned. An entire race of being dedicated to enslavement for… what? More power?

“How?” she breathed. “How could they do this? Don’t they know what… what kind of suffering they’re inflicting?”

Kyria shook her head. “They don’t care. They’re not like you or me. They are beyond us. They’re…” The horned girl swallowed. “They’re gods. And we’re just little insects to them to be picked up, and collected, and pinned to some board-”

“Kyria,” said the Lost, his words snapping her back to the here and now. “How did you escape?”

Kyria stared for a moment. “I tricked him.” The girl giggled, legitimately giggled, a sound that set the others in the room ever so slightly on edge. “He sent me out to gather some herbs for his next experiment. I had done it thousands of times before, to the point where he stopped sending soldiers of his to chaperone me, and let me go alone.

“I ran. I hid. I used the contracts and my own Glamour to escape!” Again, she giggled. “I tricked him! I escaped!”

“Yes,” said the Lost, nodding his head encouragingly. “You made it out.”

Suddenly, Kyria’s smile dropped. “But I was still lost. I didn’t know how to get home. I couldn’t remember. Still can’t.”

“Remember what?” asked Lyra.

The tears threatened to spill again. “I can’t remember what Mom looks like. I can’t remember what Daddy looks like. It’s… it’s like a dream.”

New laughter started, slow and threatening to descend into full blown hysteria.

“What if it was? What if Seattle was all someone else’s life? What if I’m not real? What if I have always been with the Archivist and Kyria Ama was just some girl he cut up on the operating table and stuck inside me?”

Kyria stared down at her hands. The long, black nails clicked with each other before digging into her palms.

“What if that other place was all just a dream? What if none of it was ever real? What if…?”

Kyria suddenly found her head gripped by two strong hands, forcing her gaze into the Lost’s burning blue eyes.

“Stop,” he commanded. “Don’t think that. Don’t you dare think that. Don’t let this place win.”

Kyria stared wide-eyed at the Lost for several tense moments. Then her amber eyes narrowed into a predatory glare.

There was the faint sound of scraping metal.

“Let go,” she hissed.

The Lost looked down and took note of the large knife that was now pointed at his stomach.

“I refuse to let this place or let those sick fucks get to me.”

The blade twisted ever so slightly, tearing a small hole in the Lost’s shirt. Lyra’s gaze hardened as she took smooth quiet steps, circling around behind the woman. Kyria, followed her out of the corner of her eye, her pointed ear twisting slightly to match.

“And you people still haven’t told me why you’re here.”

“Kyria, please,” implored Rainbow Dash. The cyan pegasus slowly raised her hoof towards the girl’s knife arm. “He didn’t mean to harm you. Didn’t you, Lost?”

“Of course not,” whispered the Lost, his eyes never leaving Kyria’s blade.

“Of course not.” Rainbow repeated. “And none of us want to either. ‘Cause that’s not what friends do, right? They help each other out.”

Kyria’s eyes widened. “...Friends?” she whispered, as though struggling to recall what that word meant.

Rainbow nodded her head. “Uh huh. We’re all friends here. And we need your help now. There are some fillies, three sweet little pony girls from my hometown, and they were kidnapped here. That’s why we came here. To get them back home.”

“Home…” whispered Kyria. The blade slowly lowered itself and the Lost let go of the breath he had been holding.

“Two of them are our dearest friends’ little sisters, darling,” said Rarity, her voice smooth and comforting. “There’s Apple Bloom, with a light yellow coat, and the reddest mane you have ever seen, almost always tied up in a perfect pink bow.”

Rarity took a quick look around at her fellow ponies around her: the two unicorns, the pegasus, and the alicorn, then turned back to Kyria.

“Apple Bloom’s what we call an ‘earth pony,’ meaning she has neither wings nor a horn.” She explained. “She’s a stubborn girl, just like her older sister and all the rest of her family, but is very dedicated to them all and to her friends.”

The horned woman nodded.

“There’s Sweetie Belle. She’s…” Rarity’s voice hitched slightly. “She’s a precious little thing. A unicorn with a snowy white coat and an adorable curly mane. Her parents are two of the biggest-hearted ponies I have ever met… and her elder sister’s a dear friend of mine.

“And then there’s Scootaloo. A pegasus with an orange coat and purple mane.” Rarity smiled with great fondness. “I think you would like her. She’s a little firecracker, that one. She’s… she’s all her mother has. She’s all they ever had. Everyone of them has a family that’s waiting back home for them.”

“Yeah, that’s right,” said Twilight. “And we need your help if we’re going to save them. Right, girls?” A chorus of affirmatives sounded from the rest of the group.

Kyria blinked, her gaze darting from one pony to the next. “What…?”

“We need to go to a place called Gladesrest,” said Luna. “Do you know of it?”

Kyria nodded her head.

Luna stood up to her full height, her great dark wings out at her sides. “Kyria Ama,” she spoke her voice quiet but still full of authority. “I, Luna, Princess of the Moon, Keeper of the Dreamrealm, Guardian of the Night, and Diarch of the Kingdom of Equestria, humbly beseech thee to guide us on our quest to reclaim these three lost souls and see them safely home.” The alicorn then bowed low to the dirt floor, her long horn pointed at Kyria’s bare feet.

Kyria sat in dumb silence as the rest of the group mirrored the action. Even the Lost had kneeled, one fist touching the ground. Suddenly, his eyes shifted from blue to hazel.

“Please, Kyria,” Lero whispered. “It may be too late to spare us from our own fate. But maybe with your help, we can spare them. Please help us.”

No one made a sound.

Finally, Kyria said, “Under one condition.”

Kyria leaned forward and took Lero’s hand. “If... when you find these girls… and you’re ready to bring them home… I want you to promise me one thing.”

“Yes?”

Kyria’s grip tightened. “I want to to swear to me…”

“Yes?”

“...Take me with you.”

All of the girls looked up.

“Take me with you,” Kyria repeated earnestly. “I want… I need to get out of here. And if I can’t go home to Earth… this ‘Equestria’ place sounds like it’d be a pretty sweet alternative. Friendly. Sane. Civilized. I may be able to start over there. Like you did.”

Lero nodded encouragingly. It did his heart good to see real hope emerge in Kyria Ama’s eyes.

“So when this is over, please, take me with you to Equestria.”

“...Okay. I promise.”

“Swear,” pleaded Kyria. Her grip had tightened enough that her nails had pierced Lero’s skin, drawing a single drop of blood. “Please…”

Lero Michealides put his other hand on top of hers.

“I swear on everything I hold dear,” he assured her with his warmest smile.

After nearly a week of traveling on the road, the small troupe relished the chance to sleep with a real roof over their heads. And since they also had no need for a nightly watch (Kyria having assured them that her Hollow had mystical wards put in place to keep away unwanted attention,) the group also enjoyed the opportunity for some very welcome uninterrupted sleep.

Lero, his herd, Princess Luna, and even Kyria all slept together in a large ring around the fireplace. Rarity took her usual place, snuggling close to Lero. Lyra and Twilight were wrapped in each other’s arms, Lyra having done her best to calm the frantic scholar; the new revelation of how time worked (or didn’t work, as the case was) had once again set Twilight’s nerves into overdrive. After nearly an hour of feverish muttering into Lyra’s furry chest and soft, loving ministrations from Lyra’s hooves and lips, Twilight finally descended into a peaceful slumber, their tails intertwined.

Luna had curled up on the opposite side of Lero and Rarity, one eye occasionally drifting to the sleeping man and his mare. Just as she was on the verge of her sleep, an errant thought entered her mind.

For a fleeting moment, she recalled the final days of the Blank Plague, and those nights the two of them spent together.

And just as she drifted off to sleep, she felt a phantasmal sentation of his strong hands running through her starry mane.

A small smile crossed her lips before she entered a pleasant dream.

Kyria and Dash laid together on the girl’s modest bedding. Rainbow had laid down her sleeping bag, fully unzipped, and the two covered themselves in a threadbare blanket and a few soft fur skins. The human girl had become attached to the kindly pegasus; Rainbow had been the first being to show her any kind of true kindness in a long time, a fact that the mare took great pride in.

“What’s it like?” Kyria whispered quietly. It was past midnight and the two had spent some time talking with each other in hushed whispers.

“What’s what like?” asked Rainbow, her rose-colored eyes catching the glowing lamps’ pale light.

“Living in… Ponyville? Living with other ponies, what’s it like?”

“Well, it can be hectic sometimes. I’m almost not the best pony to ask.”

Kyria frowned. “Why not?”

“Well, being in charge of so many animals definitely takes a lot out of you and cuts down on the time you can spend in town,” the pegasus explained. “But still… Ponyville’s great. I have all of my friends there… and, well…” Rainbow Dash blushed in the darkness. “Lero’s there. And he just makes everything… just so much better. All of them do: Rarity, Twilight, and Lyra. Even little Spike. They are so supportive.”

Kyria smiled. “They sound very important to you.”

“Yeah,” Dash sighed. “They’re the best.”

Kyria’s smile faltered. “I… I never had anyone.”

“That’s not true,” Rainbow assured her. “You had your friends and your parents in Seattle, didn’t you?”

“Yes, but… it was not like what you have. I’ve never… been with someone that makes me feel like that. There was someone once. A long time ago. Maybe we… could have been. But he went away.”

Rainbow scooted closer to the girl under the warm blankets, pulling her into a hug.

“Don’t worry about it,” she whispered. “When… when we get back to Equestria, you can come live with me.”

Kyria’s amber eyes lit up. “Really? Just like that?”

“Lero lived with me, when we first found him. And he was all alone too. He stayed with me for a while, then one thing led to another, and he eventually got his own place. Then when he and Rarity got together, and later on when Twilight joined them, they all moved into one big house. Lyra too.”

Kyria closed her eyes and put an arm around Rainbow. “That sounds nice,” she whispered. “I’d like that too, you know. Having people to care about. And who care about me.”

“Tell you what: why not have us all live there, one day?” Rainbow smiled and opened her eyes. “I promise. You can come to Ponyville. You’ll make lots of friends there.” The pegasus yawned, bringing herself closer to the girl. “I promise you’ll never be lonely again.”

And as she drifted off to sleep, Dash felt warm tears wet against her fur and a quiet whisper of, “Thank you…”

“What of this illusion?” A bright flash flooded the room and a dark blue unicorn appeared in the princess’ place.

Kyria shook her head. “I can still sense you,” she told Luna. “Your alienness.”

That morning, they had all come to the conclusion that trotting up to the front gates of Gladesrest as a group of ponies would be an extremely bad idea.

“At least one Fae Lord knows of Equestria,” the Lost had said, “and in my opinion, that is one too many.”

The others had agreed wholeheartedly and so spent the morning trying to form disguises to hide their otherworldly nature. So far, it had been less than productive.

“The problem is that you… well, don’t take this the wrong way, but you all reek,” explained Kyria.

Rarity gasped. “I beg your pardon?!”

“Not like that!” Kyria raised her hands defensively. “It’s your magic!” At their confused looks, she continued. “You all have this… aura about you that just screams ‘I’m not from around here!’ It’s a dead giveaway.”

The Lost nodded his head. “The moment a privateer catches wind of your auras, we’ll be thrown into a cage in the blink of an eye.”

“Privateer?” asked Twilight.

“Slavers,” spat the Lost. “Freelancers that work for Fae Lords, capturing runaways and regular people to be sold off like cattle.”

“A market town like Gladesrest has rules against any kind of violence outside sanctioned events,” explained Kyria. “And the ogres that enforce them beat the tar out of anyone that breaks the market truce.”

“But outside the town,” finished Lyra, having quickly caught on. “We’d be fair game.”

The Lost nodded his head. “And that doesn’t account for any kind of attack that might come from the shadows within the town. Right under the law’s noses.”

“And you don’t want to be captured,” Kyria chimed in. “Not just for your own sakes. Every scrap of knowledge you have of your home world would be as good as theirs. They have ways of making you talk. And Equestria would suffer for it.”

“So then,” said Twilight, “We have to disguise ourselves as something other than ponies, but in such a way that doesn’t use our own magic, and will hide our nature altogether.” She sat and thought for a moment.

Luna took this chance to dispel her own illusion, spreading her wings and stretching her neck. “Tis a most vexing problem,” she said.

The group sat together in contemplation. Twilight and Luna running through their vast knowledge of the arcane, but always coming back to the same conclusion: no matter what spell they might try to hide their own personal signatures, it would still radiate “pony”.

Then, after what seemed like a hour of beating their collective heads against the wall, Lyra came up with a solution.

“Human,” she said, staring at Lero.

All eyes were on her.

“Make us human,” she said, more emphatically.

“What?” asked Twilight.

She and all her fellow ponies peered over at the two humans, especially Kyria... imagining themselves having that sort of shape, skeletal structure, and limbs. Twilight waited for somepony else to raise a vehement objection, but none came. Not so much as a hem or a haw. That probably spoke volumes about what a positive impression Lero had given them of the human race.

“I guess… I guess we could do that,” Twilight said, at last. “Luna, I think I’ve told you about how we’ve changed Lero into a stallion multiple times before-”

“Wait, what?” interrupted Kyria.

“Later,” said the Lost hastily, not quite able to meet the horned woman’s eyes.

Kyria was silent for a moment, looking from mare to mare, then her eyes widened and her cheeks suddenly blossomed scarlet as the implications of such a transformation dawned on her.

Twilight continued talking, oblivious as usual. “Of course, I’m not even capable of casting magic right now, but perhaps if I were to brainstorm with Lyra and Luna for a couple days, we might-”

“No,” said Lyra. “Not with our magic.” Lyra looked at Kyria, her trademark enigmatic grin still wide on her face. “With hers.”

Now it was Kyria’s to be the center of attention. The horned girl blinked once.

“...Me?!” she blurted out. She stood up faster than any of them could blink, her once flushed face now drained. “I-I’ve never done anything like that!”

“But you did, didn’t you?” said Lyra confidently. “When you were escaping from the Archivist.”

“B-b-but that was just on myself! Doing something like that on another person… I don’t know if I can do that!”

“It’s probably our best bet,” the Lost agreed.

“But-but…” Kyria stammered.

“Miss Ama,” Luna said calmly, “simply tell us what you would need.”

Kyria’s gazed darted between the expectant faces of around here, her hands wringing worriedly. She slowly walked across the room and began removing several errant trinkets from one of the tables. Having cleared a large space on the table, Kyria took her left thumb between her sharp fangs and bit down hard, giving a small squeak at the pain.

Rainbow’s wings fluttered in surprise. She was about to speak up, but a raised hand from the Lost stopped her. “Let’s see what she does,” his eyes told her.

Using her bloodied thumb as a brush, the horned girl drew two symbols on the wood’s surface: a simple keyhole and a two-pronged key. Twilight watched the ritual in curiosity, her academic mind spinning at the implications of what was unfolding before her eyes. If not for her good manners, Twilight’s camera would’ve been clicking away like mad.

Kyria tipped her right fingers and thumb with her own blood and then reached down onto the table.

The group gasped as the girl lifted up a red metal, two-pronged key out of the table’s surface.

Twilight’s eye was twitching violently and several hairs threatened to spring upwards away from her styled mane. “How in Equestria…?” she whispered.

“Not Equestria,” said the Lost, his blue eyes never leaving the ritual. “Arcadia.”

Kyria took the key and inserted it into the bloody keyhole, turning it clockwise. The group heard a loud *click* followed by several more as a complex mechanism began to operate. Kyria removed the key in time to watch the table’s surface split. A circle, two feet wide, sank half an inch downwards. The circle split again, dividing into twelve curvilinear triangles.

These smaller shapes then retracted outwards like a camera’s iris, revealing a hidden compartment. “Here,” said Kyria. She reached into the compartment, reaching deeper than what should have been possible for table of that thickness, and withdrew an ornate scroll.

It could easily have been a piece of artwork displayed in Manehatten’s MET. An artifact of intricate metal and jewel work of amethyst and platinum. The handles held together a luxurious piece of papyrus that simultaneously looked brand new and unbelievably ancient.

Kyria took a steadying breath. Using her bloody thumbs, she undid a small chain that locked the two handles together. The chain dipped a little in the air, then hovered in place between the two handles. Kyria took another breath and, with firm hands, unrolled the scroll. Her eyes suddenly flashed, glowing and intense amber and the handles began to move on their own. They rolled one way then the other, images penned in rich black ink dancing across her eyes.

Kyria glowing eyes darted across the pages, much faster than any of the others had seen before. They seemed to moved too fast to do anything useful, but something told the onlookers that those eyes were able to drink in every detail the scroll was showing her.

Kyria’s hair began to dance around her, her lips muttering silently. The black roots of her hair flowed and mixed with the white tips, creating the illusion of white sea water crashing against black rocks.

Twilight watched in abhorrent silence as the scroll moved. There were times when it seemed to zoom in on something, revealing an image to be a vastly detailed diagram, and others when it seemed to somehow impossibly scroll upwards!

Her gaze dared to flicker to the others. They watched not in horror, but in rapt fascination, as the impossible scroll showed Kyria exactly what she needed to know.

‘How are they not screaming?’ she wondered to herself. ‘This isn’t right! This is impossible!!’

“If there’s anything I’ve learned, Twi, it’s that ‘impossible’ is always up for being redefined around us.”

Suddenly, the scroll snapped itself shut and the floating chain secured itself in its rightful place. Kyria’s eyes faded back to their usual hue and rolled upwards. Her legs went limp as she began to fall to the ground.

“Kyria!” shouted Rainbow as she shot forward with a powerful flap of her wings. She was able to catch the falling girl before she could hurt herself.

“I’m okay,” Kyria breathed. “Just… just give me a minute.” She braced herself and stood up again, replacing the strange scroll in its hidden compartment.

Twilight whimpered slightly and had to stop herself from reaching out for it.

“That… that took more out of me that I thought,” she said as she made her way over to another table. This table was covered in jars of all shapes and sizes. Kyria reached for one and withdrew a single red leaf. She took the leaf between her lips and began to chew slowly, savoring the bitter taste.

A moment later she stood up straight and seemed as alert as ever.

“Right then,” she said vigorously before turning to the group. “Who's ready for this?”

An hour later, the group had cleared away a large section of the Hollow’s single room. All of the mares stood in a circle drawn with white chalk, each then connected with its neighbor by a white line. Another concentric ring held a collection of dozens of seemingly random objects that the horned girl had collected in her exile.

Kyria was busy inscribing another ring, this one containing several strange symbols in formulae the others could even begin to comprehend, at the ritual’s outer perimeter.

“Okay,” said Kyria, finishing a white symbol with a small flourish, “that should do it.” She looked down, seemingly satisfied with her work.

“‘Should’?” said the Lost. He stood outside of the rings with his arms crossed. “That’s not a word that exactly instills me with confidence. We’re forcefully infusing them all with Glamour here. Which is pretty much the same process both you and I went through when we were taken, Kyria. ‘Should’ shouldn’t even be in our vocabulary right now.”

“And yet you just said it yourself,” quipped Kyria. “Besides, do you have a better idea for hiding an extradimensional magical signature?”

The Lost narrowed his eyes. “Will it be reversible?”

Kyria examined her work again, her fingers playing with the little piece of chalk.. “Well… it, um, should be.”

The Lost pinched his brow. “This has got to be the worst idea ever. Of all time.”

“Have faith, Sir Lost,” encouraged Luna. “I’m… sure the Lady Ama knows what she is doing.”

“Not really,” said Kyria, taking position in the very center of the ritual space. “I’m just following the instructions here.”

Twilight’s eye twitched again.

“Okay then!” Kyria slapped her hands together and rubbed her palms quickly. “Let’s get this party started.”

Kyria leaned down and picked up a small incense burner. She lifted the lid, cupped her hands and inhaled deeply.

Once…

Twice…

Three times…

The burner clattered to the ground.

Kyria’s head lolled back as her eyes opened. They were completely white. Her lithe arms slowly rose out to her sides as her body soon began to sway back and forth in some unheard rhythm. Her head continued to roll around her shoulders as her body undulated.

The Lost looked down at one of the tables. Several of the glass bottles and odd trinkets began to clatter with each as some unseen force began to pulse through the room.

The mares also took note, Rarity shifting nervously in place. ‘Is this supposed to happen?’ she wondered to herself as-

Something metal clicked, pulling Rarity’s attention back to the center of the ring. Kyria’s hands were at her shoulders, undoing the metal clasps that held her pelt cloak in place. With the flick of a wrist, the pelt dropped to the floor, revealing the woman’s toned bare chest. A similar motion was repeated at her hips, and then Kyria was standing naked before them all.

Rarity blinked. She had seen Lero naked many, many times before and he had drawn a few pictures of what a female human looked like, but she hadn’t really… expected…

Rarity’s thoughts become slow and muddy as her eyes clouded, becoming a pale white.

The other four mares’ eyes did the same.

The Lost watched in fascination as Kyria’s body began to glow and lifted itself off the ground. The five mares soon followed, all hovering a short distance above the floor.

Kyria body continued to undulate, quite erotically, if the Lost was being perfectly honest. The mares’ bodies began to do the same.

The unseen forces swirling around the ritual was reaching a crescendo. Every object in the Hollow began to rattle, several falling off their respective surfaces; one table’s legs broke, spilling its contents across the floor; even the tree roots in the ceiling were moving, swaying back and forth with the bodies below.

Finally, at the very peak of the ritual, Kyria arched her back backwards, her mouth opening in a howling moan that resonated with the five mares.

There was a bright flash of light and suddenly the Lost was knocked off his feet.

Rarity was sore. Everywhere.

She was lying down on hard earth. She knew this was going to get in her mane.

A tired groan escaped her throat.

“But Daddy,” she moaned, “I don’t want to go to school today…”

Wait… that didn’t feel right. Why were her lips so…?

Her tongue moved in her mouth and she felt sharp teeth.

Instantly her eyes snapped open and she brought a hand to her mouth, trying to-

Hand.

Rarity’s eyes widened. She was staring at a pale, slender hand.

Her hand.

A small eep threatened to escape her new lips.

“By all the stars,” whispered Luna. Rarity turned her head and this time she couldn’t contain a gasp. Luna was sitting on the ground, her pale white legs tucked beneath her, as she examined her own hands.

Under the glow of the sole remaining lamp’s light, Luna looked stunning. Her hair retained the starry, ethereal quality of her old pony mane, but now it was so much more detailed, with vast constellations and colorful nebulae painting a sky uncanningly similar to their first night in this world. While her dark blue horn was now missing, she still retained her wings, which had almost tripled in size. The huge limbs hung about her shoulders like a great feathery cloak and sharply contrasted her pale skin, which now matched the powdery white surface of her moon. Luna’s eyes shone brightly in the dim light. They were identical to the Lost’s; pale and icy blue irises set in pitch-black scleras.

Rarity looked down at herself. Her skin seemed to match her old coat, a pale alabaster. Like Luna, her horn had vanished. She moved her feet experimentally and couldn’t help but giggle like a foal at the strange sensation of wiggling her toes. Rarity felt something tingle and she examined her mane… no, hair. The violet locks were now a deep, deep purple that matched the look of a powerful thunderhead cloud. Moreover, there was a curious smoky quality to her hair, as if it were made out of stormcloud. She felt the same sensation behind her eyes and somehow knew that they too had taken on the same look.

“I… I have fingers,” said Lyra. Rarity turned to see the first of her herd sisters. Lyra had somehow seated herself cross-legged. Her new body was slightly toned and a light tan, but it almost seemed to shimmer. There was a glow about her, a strange effect that faintly played about her skin, as if light was shining down upon her through shallow water. Lyra’s short mane held onto its original mint coloration, but now it seemed to move on its own, again looking as if she were submerged in water.

“Fingers,” she said giddily. Lyra raised one of her feet off the ground and a smile spread across her face. “Toes…” She reached up and touched her flat face. “Tiny nose!”

“This… this is amazing,” came Twilight’s voice. Both Lyra and Rarity turned to face her. Twilights new eyes shined from within with a white light as she examined herself. Her lavender skin, a close shade to her original coloration, was covered with strange glowing symbols that danced and shimmered in and out of existence along her smooth skin. Her long hair spilled around her body on the floor, still holding onto her trademark two-toned highlights.

“My wings!” shouted Rainbow Dash. Again, all eyes darted to the pegasus. Except she was no longer a pegasus. A pair of shining diaphanous wings sprouted from her back. She twisted her head around as far back as her neck would allow to watch them folding and unfolding against her toned, athletic body. Rainbow’s multicolored hair matched her old mane but now sported a new addition. The woman reached up and touched the two brightly colored antennae that sprouted from her temples and trailed a full foot behind her head, terminating in a short and fuzzy curl.

Rarity had to blink. Rainbow seemed, well, short. Rarity estimated that her newest herdmate stood a little more than half a head shorter than herself in human form.

Rainbow examined herself. “I’m…” she said before her shoulders visibly slumped. “I’m my cutie mark…” She looked down expectantly at her hip.

Her eyes widened. “My cutie mark!” Her trio of pink butterflies had changed. In its place was a single black symbol that depicted a winged insect. A strange but beautiful linear and knotted design, not unlike a pictogram. Rarity had recalled seeing similar pictogram markings on the large stones near the portal. They were also carved into Kyria’s walls, around them.

All of the mares-turned-women examined their hips, noting how they all now sported similar knotted redesigns of their old cutie marks.

“Perhaps,” said Luna, “This too is part of the disguise?”

“It must be,” said Twilight. “I… I can see…” Her glowing eyes widened. “I can see it!”

“See what?” asked a new voice. All of the women looked to the center to see Kyria slowly sitting herself up, her tan arms slightly trembling. She blinked tiredly, trying to fully comprehend what she was seeing. Finally her amber eyes widened. “Woah,” she whispered. “It… it worked.” Then she smirked. “Cool.”

A deep groan sounded throughout the room. “Ow,” said Lero, as he picked himself up. “Was that supposed to happen?”

Kyria turned her head. “I’m not sure,” she said. “Like I told you I’m only following… directions…”

Then the horned woman’s eyes grew wide and her mouth hung open.

“...What?” said the pale figure in the room. He took several steps forward into the remaining lantern’s light. From head to toe, Lero’s skin had turned completely white, though his hair had become a brilliant red that looked almost like molten rock.

His body was now toned and muscular. His facial features were more angular than before and his pointed ears had grown to resemble curving daggers. His dark eyes, now almost a strange almond shape, stared at the girls uncomprehendingly before he looked down to examine himself. His hands had grown, becoming bulkier, stronger. Clenching his fists experimentally, he felt as if there were something new just beneath the surface, something hard and deadly.

“What the hell?” he exclaimed, turning towards the women. “I wasn’t supposed to change! Why the hell am I-?”

For no explainable reason, Lero suddenly stopped talking and just stared.

Twilight spoke up. “Maybe the ritual somehow accelerated the… Um, Lero?”

Lero was still staring wordlessly.

“My Prince?” asked Rarity, leaning forward. “Are you alright?”

Lero muttered something.

“Fingers?” asked Lyra.

For more than five years, Lero had been living in Equestria. And in those five years, he had known friendship and love unlike anything he had ever experienced back on Earth. He had the love of three wonderful mares, four now after the Swap. He had experienced carnal delights that outshone all of his previous rendezvous.

But always in the back of his mind, there existed that yearning. That one part of every human man’s sexual drive that defied all reason.

Now after five long years, that part of Lero had come surging back to the surface.

“...boobs…” he muttered again.

All of the women were before him were as naked as the day they were born.

And they all were absolutely drop dead gorgeous.

“Lero,” Luna stood up. “Prithee, I beg yooouuuuOOOH!”

The Lunar Princess, quite unused to walking bipedally, found herself falling forwards, her pale arms flailing in front of her. Lero snapped out of his daze long enough to step forward to try and catch her, but only succeeded in bringing them both to the ground...

...with Luna lying naked on top of him and one of his hands now cupping one of her perfectly formed breasts.

Luna instantly recognized the intimacy of their position and felt her cheeks turn a brilliant crimson as she stared in Lero’s hazel eyes.

“Lero,” she whispered, her mouth suddenly dry.

An errant part of Lero’s brain sent a sudden and impulsive signal to his hand, causing it to ever-so-gently squeeze.

It took every iota of Luna’s willpower, but even she could not suppress the small moan as a fire ignited under her skin.

Lero’s own eyes widened as his cheeks reddened in a blush. But before he could completely descend into panic, Rarity spoke.

“My word,” she said. “These… these are marvelous!”

Lero looked up from his prone position. His brain suddenly stripped its gears at the sight in front of him.

Rarity, the mare he had come to love so dearly, was fondling, properly fondling, her D-cup breasts.

“Oh they’re so soft,” she exclaimed. “Oh Lero, why did you never tell us human women were this exquisite?”

Rarity looked down at her stallion and saw his wide gaze and slightly gaping mouth. A sudden -- and let’s be honest, downright evil -- thought entered her mind. Grinning, Rarity leaned forward on her hands, pressing her breasts up against her arms and giving herself an impressive cleavage.

“Something catch your eye, darling?” she asked seductively.

Luna suddenly felt something hard press into her lower body. She pushed off the ground, trying once more to stand up but soon found herself on her rear end with a rather unregal yelp.

“Fascinating,” said Twilight, poking her own breast experimentally with a slender finger. To her, it still felt bizarre that they should be positioned so close to the arms, rather than near the crotch.

“These appear to be fully formed. But none of us are pregnant or the mothers of newborns. So is it normal for human mammaries to be like this? ...Lero?”

Lero, having righted himself into a sitting position, stared blankly ahead, his rapidly deteriorating mind attempting to form some semblance of a cohesive thought.

“Bwah?”

It was close enough.

“Hehe!” giggled Lyra. “They tickle!” Lero turned to the Grandmaster and felt another higher function system in his brain shut down. Lyra was using her new fingers to manipulate her nipples before giving them a quick pinch. “Oooh! Oh yeah, those are still the same.”

“Did you, um,” hesitated Dash. She was staring worriedly down at her own breasts as she easily cupped them in her hands. She looked upwards at Lero, worry clear in her eyes. “Is there something about me that’s wrong?”

“Wrong, darling?” asked Rarity.

“Well,” said Rainbow, “they’re so small...” She held her left breast in a long-fingered hand to emphasize the point; the small mound of flesh barely filled her newfound palm. “Why aren’t mine like theirs? ...Lero?”

Lero sat there, his jaw hanging slack with the barest grin tugging at the corner of his mouth. Dash’s new form, while carrying a few extra appendages for a typical human, looked exactly the part of a physically fit woman; toned and muscled flesh, short cropped hair, and small, perky, athletic breasts.

After a few moments, he finally said, “Nothing.”

“Nothing?” questioned Dash, who cupped her other breast with her hand. “But why-?”

“There is absolutely nothing wrong with having small breasts, Rainbow,” said Lero, who still seemed to be speaking in a dreamy state the girls were more used to seeing from Spike.

In the center of the ring, Kyria blushed but still managed to roll her amber eyes. “Men,” she muttered under her breath, unconsciously covering her own chest with crossed arms.

“Left foot, right foot,” murmured Twilight as she took a few shaky steps forward. Lero held onto her hands as he walked with her. He had told himself that he was going to be respectful about this, that the girls weren’t used to walking on two legs, that he was going to be professional-

And he was staring at her tits again.

“Left foot, right foot, left foot, right foot,” repeated Twilight, her steps appearing to become more natural. A smile soon came to her face. “I’m doing it!”

Most of the afternoon had been going as such. Lero, having mostly recovered his cognitive abilities, and Kyria had both been teaching the girls how to move about with their new bodies. Lyra took to it almost instantly, he muscles somehow retaining her martial artist abilities. In no time at all, she was performing human approximations of her Still Way katas.

“Rivers flow into the sea,” she recited quietly, her palm facing upward before pivoting on the balls of her feet, turning her palm into a fist. Her weightless hair flowed effortly around her head with every move, making it look like she were dancing, even while holding still. “Flow with the river.”

Rarity gazed at her songbird. “It’s almost unfair,” she said. Like Twilight, she was currently being led around the room by Kyria, who was dressed once more in her pelt cloak and high low skirt.

“What is?” asked Kyria, while watching Rarity’s feet, doing her best to focus on Rarity’s leg movements, hoping she wouldn’t unthinkingly drop to all fours. Again. Right now, she just needed to-

‘God dammit, how come she has such great looking tits?’

“That our songbird takes to this so quickly while the rest of us must be helped along like foals learning to walk.” Rarity then raised an eyebrow as she took in Lyra’s smooth movements and smiled sensually. “Though I supposed it’s not all bad.”

“Okay, that’s it!” shouted Kyria. The horned girl suddenly dropped Rarity’s hands, nearly causing the pale woman to stumble before righting herself.

Kyria walked to a large wooden chest and kicked it open. She reached in and pulled out a large collection of clothing and threw it towards the other women.

“Before any of this gets any weirder, you people are going to put some fucking clothes on!”

Twilight Sparkle looked between the garment Kyria had thrown her and Lero with fascination. “So… all the other humans really are as body-shy as you are, Lero?”

Lero tried to work his face into a stern expression. “In a word... yes. Almost all humans consider clothing to be as much an absolute necessity as food and shelter. Frankly, if anyone else -- human or otherwise -- ever saw you girls act unbothered about being stark naked in front of others….it’d raise quite a few red flags.”

“And to think, we always figured he was exaggerating…” Twilight murmured to Lyra, while Kyria gave all the transformed mares a nod of firm agreement.

And so, the newly formed women soon found themselves clothed and covered. For the most part.

“Does anyone have an extra top?” asked Rainbow, who was only sporting a meager skirt. None of the other remaining clothes in Kyria’s pile would fit her body.

Lero went through his pack. “Um, oh! Here,” he said, pulling out one of his sweaters. He brought it over to table and removed his knife. Eyeballing the space needed, he cut two slits into the garment, wide enough for Rainbow’s new wings to fit through. “Try this on.”

Rainbow gingerly took the wool garment and slipped over her head, but soon found herself struggling with the arms. Lero reached up and helped guide her skinny limbs, pulling a hand through each of the sleeves before giving one final tug and popping Rainbow’s head through the top. With a little more help, Rainbow was able to fit her wings through the two slits.

“Um,” she said blinking, blushing slightly at Lero’s closeness. “How… how do I look?” She looked up at him with those rose-colored eyes, her cheeks slightly red. Rainbow brought her arms close, suddenly feeling self-conscious. One hand drifted downwards to tug at the bottom of the sweater.

Lero gave a small noise. He wasn’t quite sure what a heart attack was supposed to feel like, but he was pretty sure he was having one now. His suddenly tentative fingers reached forward shyly, settling upon the back of her human hand. She looked up and her smile was wonderful.

Rarity, now sporting a grey-furred cloak and a red wrap skirt, came alongside Rainbow and pulled her into a warm hug, smushing Rainbow’s head into her new bosom and eliciting a small squeak from the butterfly girl.

“Oh, darling,” she positively squealed, “you’re absolutely adorable!” She looked up at Lero, a sly smirk on her face. “Isn’t that right, my prince?”

Lero could only nod, hoping his heart wouldn’t implode at the sheer amount of cuteness in front of him.

Off to the side, Princess Luna, wearing an appropriately colored midnight blue skirt and a black wolf’s pelt, spoke to Kyria. “We thank you for your hospitality, Miss Ama,” she said.

The horned girl was busy packing several baubles into a large pack. “Oh, no problem, err, Your Highness.”

“Please, call me ‘Luna’.”

Kyria smiled shyly. “Only if you call me ‘Kyria’.”

“It’s a bargain then,” smiled Luna.

Twilight and Lyra were busy examining themselves. Lyra had wrapped her forearms and lower legs in protective white strips while wearing a weather black tank top and a pair of ratty loose pants.

“Hmm,” mused Twilight aloud as she looked over her red robes. “Form-fitting, warm, practical.” She frowned, noting several moth-eaten holes. “Not very durable, though.”

“Well, it’s the best I could scavenge,” said Kyria, clippin a few bottles of powder to her waist. “I’m sure we’ll be able to trade for some better stuff once we get to Gladerest. You can get pretty much anything there.”

“What will we trade with?” asked Lyra. “We didn’t exactly bring any money.”

Kyria smiled and swept her arms across the entire Hollow. “I guess being a pack rat for so many years is finally going to pay off.” She then hefted a large sack across her back. “Come on, help me get all this crap outside.”

“Wait, before we do that,” Lero interrupted. “Before we even think of setting foot in Gladerest… everyone, gather around me. Two things we need to discuss.”

Kyria stamped a foot in impatience as the Equestrian women all circled around Lero, some sitting, some standing.

“From here on out, you must NEVER thoughtlessly refer to yourselves as ‘ponies’ or ‘equines’ or ‘mares’ among the locals. Instead, while we’re in public, you’ll always want to call yourself ‘human’ and ‘woman.’ Otherwise, we’ve defeated much of the purpose of this disguise.”

The girls all looked between themselves. “Fair enough,” said Lyra, turning to her fellow Equestrians. “And on that note, we should also try not to call to our stallion a ‘stallion.’”

Lero nodded.

“Remember; the purpose of these disguises are so you can pass yourselves off as women of Earth. Therefore, we should plan for what happens if we run into people who’ll ask to hear your story of your Earth lives, the way we heard Kyria’s story.’

He grinned at the horned woman from where she stood near the back.

‘They may ask you what your favorite movies from Earth were, or who the President of the United States was when you got captured, or if you still remember the taste of a Bacon McDouble from McDonald’s.” He warned them.

Already, they were giving him blank looks, and looking worriedly between themselves

“Some of these people are bad news: snoops and informants looking to sniff out liars and rat us out to the Fae Lords. Others might be more innocent; homesick souls who’re just hungry to hear news of Earth. Either way, ladies; rather than cook up some convoluted false identities for you to memorize, your cover story boils down to three magical words: I can’t remember.”

Like a comedian he had once seen, Lero turned his body to the left, playacting the part of a questioner. “What did you used to do for a job?”

Then Lero pivoted to the right, answering his own question, “I can’t remember.”

He stepped back to the left. “Are you Jewish? Christian? Atheist?”

Most of the girls’ faces quirked at those weird-sounding words.

“I can’t remember.”

They chuckled at his delivery.

“‘Were you American or Canadian or British or what?’ ‘I can’t remember.’ ‘Are Palestine and Israel still at each others’ throats in the Middle East?’ ‘I can’t remember.’”

But then Lyra raised a hand and asked, “You think they’d really buy that?”

“Absolutely,” he told her, more seriously. Lero’s eyes flashed blue as the Lost took over and continued to explain.

“Believe it or not, I’ve seen captives that had become so absorbed into their changed life that they have genuinely forgotten what it is to actually be human. There was one man, I believe he was made into his lord’s huntsman, that spent all his time walking around on all fours. He barked and snarled and looked too much like a dog. There were others who were turned into living lamps and became the embodiment of fire, or some other element. Those ones are the worst to see.”

The Lost’s voice took on a somber tone. “How can you go back to a normal life after living as a tree? Or a bank of snow?” He sighed. “It’s actually an all-too-common tale around these parts.”

“For real?!” Rarity interrupted, wholly stunned. “T… there are actually Fae Lords who’d force human beings to go about in a four-legged way for so long, they really WOULD forget how to walk upright? And use their hands?”

“I wouldn’t put it past some of them.” Kyria finally spoke up from the back. “The Fae are cruel scumballs. Now, are you going to help me get my crap outside or not?!”

Lyra grabbed a bag and started to head to the ladder that led up to the surface. “No,” said Kyria, “not that way.”

At everyone’s confused look, Kyria moved beside a rickety old cabinet and pulled at a corner. The furniture moved, scraping along the dirt floor, and revealed a hidden tunnel dug right out of the earth wall, just tall enough to walk.

“It pays to have a back door in these parts,” she said. “Now then.” Kyria walked over to Twilight, taking her lavender hands in her own. “I need you to do something for me, okay, hon?”

Twilight blinked. “Um, okay?”

Kyria gave her hands a gentle squeeze. “I know you’re having a really hard time here. You seem like one of those egghead types, what with all the analysing and whatnot, and I can tell this place is really messing with your notions of reality and all that junk.”

Twilight nodded her head slowly. “Yeah, just a bit.”

“That being said, please, please, please promise me something,” asked Kyria, anxiously biting her lip. “Please don’t freak out?”

Twilight eyed her. “Why would-?”

“Just promise, okay?”

“...okay?”

Kyria smiled and gave a small, peppy bounce. “Sweet! Okay, let’s get this load out of here.” And with that, she was off down the tunnel, leaving an increasingly worried Twilight to follow her.

Lero couldn’t exactly say how long the tunnel was. He had tried counting his steps but soon found himself distracted by the glowing fungi or the distant sound of dripping water or the curious chalk symbols the lined some sections of the tunnel. Or especially that he was walking alongside five ladies who’d been ponies, just this morning. Before he realised it, the tunnel had ended and he was outside again.

“...What?” came a small voice from beside him.

The group has suddenly found themselves in the center of a snow covered swamp. They were standing on a small island, under a gigantic willow tree. The tree’s canopy hid most of the island from sight, including a small, crudely constructed dock and barge. Kyria walked to the end of the dock and with a dented old lighter, lit a small glass lantern.

She looked back at the gawking group and smiled. “Welcome to the Frozen Marshes,” she said, holding her arms out wide..

Twilight whimpered slightly and Lero held her hand. But she did not freak out.

Author's Notes:

Hey folks!

Sorry for the delay. I know I said that I would be posting this last week, but that annoying thing called life got in the way again.

A few notes:

- “Piroshky Piroshky” is a real place, right on Pike's Place in Seattle. And yes, it has the best pastries I've ever had. If you're ever in the area, drop by and pick something up.

- "phouka" (poo-ka) is an Irish shape-shifting spirit, usually taking the form of a horse. Looks like Kyria made a pretty sound call.

- "aes sidhe" (aes - shee), literally "the people of the mounds", were another Irish spirit. In my head canon, the aes sidhe are another name for the True Fae, the Lords and Ladies of Arcadia.

So what are your thoughts? Like the girls' new bodies? Most of them were inspired by Changeling, but Twilight's was my own creation. Extra cookies for those of you that can correctly name their new seemings and kiths!

Saw something else you liked? Maybe something you didn't agree with? Leave a comment and let me know! Also, one more thing: you all see that little green thumbs up button? I would greatly appreciate it if you decided to go ahead and give that little guy a click. Just saying.

See you next time!

Chapter 7: The Frozen Marshes

The air was still in the midnight swamp, aside from the distant choir of small creatures that made this frozen environment their home. The only other sound was the gentle lapping of the water as the little barge smoothly glided on the water between the giant frost-encrusted trees.

Rarity marveled at their surroundings. Like its name suggested, the Frozen Marshes was a vast swampland locked in the grip an unnatural winter. The air was freezing, causing every exhale from the travelers to generate a white puff. The water around them was a stygian black punctuated by small sheets of pale blue ice that crumbled under the barge’s bow.

The trees that surrounded them were a strange species of cypress, so tall that their tops were lost in the darkness above. Their branches were covered in a ghostly pale hanging moss, one that resembled the long beard of some ancient scholar. Twilight had tried to gather samples to study, but was frustrated that all of her attempts resulted in the moss melting straight to liquid in her warm hands.

Kyria manned the barge, or “punt” as she called it, and propelled the small craft with a long pole at the stern. While it had seemed makeshift at first glance, it turned out the craft was of sound and sturdy build. It was rectangular in shape, with a squared bow and stern. By Lero’s rough guess, the boat was maybe thirty feet long and wide enough to allow three humanoid passengers to sit comfortably side by side. The stern had a small platform that allowed Kyria to stand squarely while she planted the pole on the swamp’s bottom and push the craft along. The punt had a shallow draft, making it very suitable for navigating the swamp’s shallow water, and seemed stable enough to accommodate the seven passengers and their collection of gear.

Kyria guided the boat expertly through the nocturnal swamp with the aid a peculiar lantern affixed to the bow. At moments, the lantern would shift its color, changing from a warm orange to green or red. Whenever it did so, Kyria would change the craft’s direction, going left or right according to the color until it returned to its usual orange.

Twilight was, of course, both fascinated and frustrated by the object. Kyria had tried to explain that it was something called a Wanderer’s Lantern, a tool she won off an overconfident goblin in a dice game a long time ago; of course the hob had been either too drunk or too stupid (or maybe a combination of both) to realize that the girl had been using a loaded die. If you whispered a location to the lamp and gave it a suitable amount of fuel, the lamp would eventually lead you to that location. Even some vague commands like, “someplace safe” were acceptable, though “safe” was usually very loosely debated.

“One time it nearly lead me through a swarmers’ nest to lead me home,” said Kyria with a dry laugh. “So yeah, it does lead you to where you want, just not always the way you expect. Goblin gadgets are funny like that.”

Twilight, from her seat in front of Lero, said, “But.. wait, how does it know what you are even talking about?”

“It just does,“ casually replied Kyria.

“That doesn’t make any sense!”

This was the fifth time Twilight had said that phrase in the past half-hour, which seemed one too many times for the horned girl. Kyria gave a frustrated stamp of her feet and shouted back, “Look, it’s magic, okay?! Just roll with it!”

This almost set Twilight off in a long rant of the properties of advanced thaumaturgy but Lero was able to diffuse the situation with a much-appreciated shoulder rub.

“So I take it you have experience in dealings with these creatures, Kyria?” Luna asked, while Twilight made soft contented noises. “These ‘hobs’?”

The change in subject seemed to calm the horned girl. “Yeah, hobs are a weird bunch,” said the horned girl as she punted the craft to the the right between two trees, ducking below their branches and ignoring the melting moss on her furs. “There’s no one type. Hob is really just a general term for things that live out here. Like that, right there.”

Kyria pointed to a large-eyed creature that was resting on a nearby branch. It was white furred and looked like a cross between a cat and a monkey. It eyed the punt as it lazily drifted by.

“That’s a hob,” said Kyria. “So were the vileshrieks yesterday. And those briarwolves you fought before that? They’re all hobs.”

“But not all are animal-like, yes?”

“Right. There are a bunch that are like people are called ‘hobgoblins’ or just ‘goblins’. Some of them are humanoid. But others are basically talking animals. I swear, first time I saw a raccoon ask me for directions, I nearly lost my shit.”

Rainbow perked up. “Talking animals?”

“Not surprising,” interjected Lero, who was now on the receiving end of a soothing shoulder rub from Twilight. “Earth’s full of tales and fables of talking animals. The Bremen Town Musicians, Puss In Boots, many of Aesop’s Fables… I’d be surprised if half of them didn’t originally come from here.”

“Or the other way around,” said Kyria, though she seemed to immediately regret saying it.

“What do you mean, darling?” asked Rarity innocently.

Kyria was quit a moment, taking a deep breath. “When I was… back there… some of the scrolls I read were marked by other… ‘assistants’. Of my old Keeper. They wrote their thoughts down in the margins sometimes. One had a theory that this place, the Hedge, was as much influenced by Earth as much as it influenced Earth. Even… even Arcadia might be tied to Earth on some greater level.”

“...Arcadia,” wondered Twilight. She stopped her ministrations and looked at Lero. “You mentioned that word before. I mean, the Lost did. What… what is…?”

“Their home,” said Lero as his eyes shifted to pale blue. “It is where they come from. Their ‘country,’ so to speak.”

“Wait a sec,” said Rainbow. “I thought this place is where the Fae came from?” She noted that both Kyria and the Lost stiffened at the word. “Oh gosh, I’m sorry, I-”

“It-It’s okay, Dash,” said Kyria, gripping the punt pole once more and looking ahead. “You, um, I know you didn’t mean it.” Dash couldn’t help but notice the slight tremble in her hands.

“This place is a barrier,” said the Lost, taking control of the conversation. “The Hedge is the space between our worlds — Equestria and Earth — and their lands.”

“So then, does that mean the girls would have been taken there? To Arcadia?” asked Rarity.

“How do we get there?” asked Rainbow Dash. “Which direction do we go?”

“Direction?” scoffed Kyria. “There is no direction. Arcadia doesn’t have a bearing or a distance. It is both infinite and limited, just like the Hedge.”

“Then how can we get there?” asked Twilight.

“We find someone that can get us there,” spoke up Lyra, causing all heads to turn to her, “and we persuade it to safely guide us. By any means.”

The Lost nodded his head. Hopefully the lead the Messenger gave them at the beginning of this venture would pan out. If this ‘Silken Harpist’ was indeed the one that took the Crusaders, then it probably meant the Harpist served some Gentry now holding them captive. And even if she was a privateer working on some contract, the Lost knew that he would be able to get a reliable lead from her.

‘By any means.’ The words echoed the recesses of the Lost’s mind.

It was times like that he was glad he didn’t share everything with Lero.

“And that is what we will find at this town,” said Luna, giving the Lost a look. “I know that Sir Lost is quite a talented… negotiator. He will help us get what we need.”

The Lost offered a small smile to the Night Princess and nodded his head. Luna gave her own smile and returned the nod.

“And hopefully some supplies too. I’m really hoping we can hawk most of this crap and maybe get you girls some decent gear,” said Kyria, looking at the lost-and-found clothing they were garbed in with a small trace of apology. They were all bundled in additional furs, giving them a very hodge-podge look. “But just… leave the business to me, okay? Gladerest may have a market truce it action, but really it’s the merchants you really have to watch out for. They’ll do their best to cheat you out of everything, so the only way you can make any headway is to cheat them right back.”

“That doesn’t sound very honest, darling,” said Rarity.

“That’s business,” quipped Kyria with a shrug of her slim shoulders. Suddenly, her eyes darted to the left and she smiled. “Look!” she pointed.

Several lights were approaching, darting between the dark shadows of the trees. They glowed an electric blue and swarmed together beneath the water’s surface. Rarity watched wide-eyed as the lights grew closer and revealed themselves to be a school of some sort of fish.

They reminded her of koi, if koi glowed bright blue and trailed long silky fins behind them. The school passed under their boat, uncaring of either the craft or its occupants. The light from their bodies lit up the surrounding area, dancing across the undersides of the branches in a beautiful display of light.

Luna’s eyes travelled upwards and remained fixed as the punt reached the edge of a lagoon. Above them was that primal sky, a heavenly canvas that portrayed all the wonders her night had ever dreamed of. The lagoon was perfectly still as the punt glided into it and she entertained the idea of ships that would traverse her starry domain as easily as they did the seas of Equis.

Lero had once showed of his own peoples’ advances towards this goal in his dream. She had marvelled how a race of beings had traversed the airless void to set foot on their own moon, not in the name of punishment, but in science.

“We come in peace for all mankind.”

She had also seen the artistic visions of starships exploring the vastness of the cosmos in film. Some of these were the creations of the more eccentric fantasists among her little ponies. But she secretly found the ones that Lero recalled in his dreams to be vastly more entertaining.

Luna stole a glance at the human with her new eyes. To think that a people with no magic could accomplish such extraordinary tasks. Humans were truly a marvelous race.

A moment later, she realized that the human did not partake in the wonder of their surroundings but was instead focusing his blue gaze on the water. The Lost’s eyes narrowed.

“Ah crap,” he muttered. Luna tracked his gaze and soon found what he was looking at. There, in the distance, was a shallow trail of ripples leading towards the boat. Something swam just below, something with small spines and leathery skin that just barely broke the water’s surface.

“Kyria,” said the Lost.

“I see it,” replied the girl, never letting go of her pole. She quickly turned to the group, her amber eyes flashing in the pale moons’ lights. “Lyra, that bag there,” she said, pointing, “get me the jar with white stones in it. Quick!” Lyra said nothing and went into motion, gracefully climbing across the punt to the bag in question and opening it.

The Lost didn’t let his attention waver as the swamp creature slowed down and silently broke the water’s surface. A flash of reflective red highlighted a trio of eyes that watched their craft with an appraising look. Though the creature was still too far away to discern any details, the Lost somehow knew that there was some sort of primordial intelligence behind those eyes.

“Kyria,” repeated the Lost, a gnawing sense of unweariness growing in the back of his mind that he couldn’t quite place.

“Give me a minute,” came an annoyed reply. Kyria had navigated the boat to a small cluster of trees, barking for the others to take the ropes and tie off on the branches. She then secured the punting pole to the craft and retrieved her gnarled wooden staff. Lyra handed her a glass mason jar that held several white crystals submerged in a viscous clear liquid.

Kyria kneeled and focused her attention on her staff. Her amber eyes lit up in the dark and a similar glow coursed down her arms through her veins and into the wood. The staff groaned and squealed as it shifted its shape, becoming long and smooth to the touch while both ends flowered into a taloned shape.

Twilight stared in disbelief but knew better than to ask questions. Not that she was going to have the chance to anyways, as she soon found herself being pushed upwards. “Go, climb!” urged Kyria.

“What?” said a bewildered Twilight.

“Into the tree!”

Twilight stared upwards. It took her a few seconds just to remember that, yes, her new upper limbs could allow her to pull herself up into the treetops… just like every single primate that nag Honeydew had ever compared Lero to.

That said, the lowest branch was well out of Twilight’s reach; and even if it wasn’t, this was still her very first day having hands, she was nowhere near experienced enough with her new body to make the climb.

“I can’t get up there! And what in Tartarus is going on? What is that thing out there and what are those rooo-aaaaaah!”

Twilight gave a high pitched shriek as she was lifted straight upwards into the air by her armpits, the sound of great flapping wings in her ears. “Twilight Sparkle,” came Luna’s voice, “I know that your inquisitiveness is a trait my sister finds greatly endearing, but you should really learn when you should not question and simply heed the advice of those around you!”

After she was deposited on a large branch, Twilight turned agape towards the Night Princess. Luna hovered in midair, her great wings flapping to keep her aloft and her starry hair flowing behind her. Her pale blue eyes blazed like twin dwarf stars as her new skirt parted to reveal her pale flesh. Twilight found herself struck dumb by the sight.

“Ack! Woah, okay, I-eeep!” From below came the strangled cries of Rainbow Dash as she tried to mimic Luna and use her new wings to climb into the air, albeit with far less grace than the princess. Her diaphanous wings fluttered furiously, though sometimes sporadically, as she made a meandering path through the air towards Twilight.

“Woah, okay, new wings, I can still doooo thiii-eep!” Rainbow scrambled with her hands and soon found purchase on the tree’s trunk. She gripped the side of the tree, her new fingernails digging into the soft bark. She glanced nervously back to the ripples in the water’s surface. The creature was drawing ever closer to their position, picking up speed.

“Dash!” called Twilight. The former unicorn, tapping some source of bravery, shakily laid down on her branch and held out a hand to her friend. “Take my hand!”

“I’m scared!” whimpered Rainbow. “My wings aren’t working.” She glanced downwards again and saw three glowing eyes approaching.

“Don’t worry, I’ve got you!” said Twilight. “Just give me one good flap and you’ll be here with me!” Twilight stretched out her arm, her fingers splayed, desperately reaching to her herd sister.

Rainbow looked below again. The Lost had drawn his iron knife, but even Rainbow knew that it would be no help against such a huge monster like whatever was approaching them. There was a growing wake in the water as it picked up more speed, betraying the creature’s size, even as it remained hidden beneath the black water.

Luna had descended to the punt in order to help fly Rarity up to safety. She held the transformed unicorn around her waist, pulling her close, before lifting into the air.

‘At this rate, she’ll have to help me too,’ thought Rainbow, before her eyes narrowed. ‘No! I refuse to be a burden to anyone!’

Rainbow gulped down her fear. Coiling her new muscles, she pushed off the tree trunk, spun in the air and forced a single flap of her wings. It was enough and she was propelled upwards and tightly grasped Twilight’s reaching hand. With a secure hold, Rainbow gave a few more sporadic beats of her wings until she was safely on the branch with Twilight.

“You did it!” said Twilight as she pulled her friend into a hug.

Rainbow let go a shaky breath and returned the hug. “I did, didn’t I?”

“You’re nuts!” came a shout from below. Rainbow and Twilight looked down to see three arguing bipeds shout back and forth.

“And you’re an idiot!” retorted Kyria as she opened the jar, revealing about a dozen of the stones suspended in some sort of viscous oil. “Just what the hell do you expect to with that thing anyways? Pick its teeth?” She motioned to the knife the Lost held in his hands. “Now both of you, get your asses up into that tree before I kick them up there!”

“And what about you? You want to take on that thing alone?”

“‘Want to’? Fuck no. Still going to do it though. Lyra, do him a favor and get him out of here!”

“Come on, Blue Eyes,” said Lyra with her trademark smirk. “I think she’s got this.”

The Lost resisted only for a moment, then noted the look in Lyra’s eyes, before they both turned towards the tree. Lero was a little bit rusty; struggling to find fingerholds in the cold, wet bark, but even clumsily, he still managed to scramble up to a safe branch. Lyra, on the other hand, was so naturally, gracefully adept at tree climbing, that the others could only gape at her in awe.

One might’ve thought she’d originally been a squirrel instead of a pony.

Kyria turned her attention back to the water and noted that she had lost track of whatever was hunting them.

‘Amateurish,’ she scolded herself. A change came over the woman. Her body and eyes moved with keen deliberateness. Her eyes scanned the water’s surface, noting any sign of movement. She ignored Lero’s grunting as he made his way up the tree, the sounds of frantic breathing of the women in the branches, and pulsing sound of her blood flowing through her ears. All that mattered was listening to the water and using her nimble hands to fix the white stones to her staff.

Kyria dipped her hands into the viscous oil and retrieved two of the white stones. A flick of her hand and one dripping stone was affixed to the butt of her staff. The other was locked into the opposite end and Kyria took a second to wipe the remaining oil from its surface. Still there was no disturbance around here.

Then, to her left, the water suddenly broke and the creature in the black water tried to clamber onto the boat. It was easily twice her size. The monster resembled a strange blend of a reptile and a fish that someone decided to grant a pair of muscular arms but neglected to give it any legs. Its short face was dominated by a large maw that held rows of sharp teeth, giving it a profile that resembled and angler fish. The head held three glowing red eyes, two on either side and one on the very top, which focused on Kyria. The rest of the body was covered in glistening black scales. The creature’s arms where large, the size of a gorilla’s and ended in massive webbed appendages and black claws. The lower half of the monster was almost all tail, similar to that of a crocodile while a large spined fin ran down the monster’s back.

Rainbow Dash and Twilight each gave a small scream and clinged to each other at the sight of the beast, while Rarity covered her mouth to suppress her own; “Does this place have no end of monstrosities?”

The monster let loose a low, rumbling growl as it eyed Kyria’s crouching form, its red eyes assessing her with that primordial intelligence that all large reptiles seemed to possess. Kyria stared back at it with her amber eyes, her own growl escaping her throat. The monster growled again, opening up it bifurcated maw, and slowly, confidently moved forwards, each step causing the punt to list side to side.

Kyria snapped her staff against the tree trunk and the white stone ignited into a miniature sun, crackling and smoking like a brazier. The creature flinched and Lero nearly gasped at the sight.

‘Is that… WHITE PHOSPHOROUS?!’ he mentally screamed.

The thought that they had been traveling around in a wooden boat with such a volatile substance aboard nearly caused him to have a stroke. Back on Earth, he had seen videos of what the stuff could do; white phosphorous was capable of melting straight through anything, including heavy armor.

‘Wait, then why hasn’t the staff burst into flames?’ Lero looked up to see Twilight with a similar reaction plastered on her face.

Any further musing were halted when the monster let loose a warning growl and began to back off. It took a couple of intimidating snaps at the woman, who replied with a few jabs of the flaring staff. Each time the staff’s end approached, the lizard thing would cry out or snap again, but it always lost ground. It backed up a distance then used its powerful arms to launch itself forwards in howling attack.

Kyria responded by jumping straight into the air, up and over the attacking beast and raked the end of her staff across and monster’s back. The monster howled in agony and the air sizzled with the scent of burning flesh before it crashed into the swamp and disappeared in a flurry of splashes and churning water, its cries of pain echoing throughout the swamp.

The tension that had come over the group washed away as cheers erupted from the tree branches.

“Huzzah,” declared Luna. “A most excellent martial display!”

“Oh marvelous, darling,” clapped Rarity. “You showed that brute-”

Everyone stopped when they saw Kyria hold her palm up in the classic “stop” motion and the tension quickly returned. A low growl sounded nearby and a second creature launched itself out of the water and Kyria, its maw and claws wide and ready to eviscerate the woman. Kyria spun her staff and braced against the treetrunk.

There was a wet crunch as the staff’s end met the inside of the lizard thing’s maw and the creature collapsed into a flailing pile on boat. The small craft bobbed like a bath toy, threatening to capsize and take the woman into the black waters. But the horned girl kept her footing, her body swaying effortlessly in time with the punt’s motions, despite the lizard-things flailing. Kyria gave a feral cry as she heaved the thing towards the edge and yelled, “BURN!”

And the creature did just that. The white stone inside its head ignited and the monster gave an agonized howl as it immolated from the inside out. The head burst into white flames that consumed flesh and skull before separating from the body and dropping into the water, where the stone continued to burn and send up smoke and gas.

The light from below cast Kyria in a black silhouette, her white teeth shining in a feral grin as she planted a foot on the twitching, headless body and stilled it.

This time there was no cheering from above, just a mixed of shocked and awed looks that stared down at her.

“Woah,” said Lero, as he began his descent from the tree. “So… what was that thing?”

Kyria removed her bronze knife and and gave them all a sweet smile. “Dinner!”

As it turned out, lizard-fish-thing wasn’t too bad. Kyria quickly got a fire going with a beat-up Zippo lighter in an equally dented camp stove, and after thirty minutes of roasting, the two natural-born humans dug in with relish.

“Tastes a bit like tuna,” Lero commented, through a well-chewed mouthful of what had used to be a part of a tail.

“Mmm, save the bones,” mouthed Kyria around what may have been back strap, pulling the meat off of thick white bones. “We can use them for broth.”

“Oh, good call. Pass the sauce, please.” Lero lathered a piece of his meat in some dark, thick sauce Kyria had brought with her before popping the morsel into his waiting maw. He slowly chewed it, the taste causing his eyes to roll upwards.

The rest of the body had been skinned and segmented into usable pieces and stored in cloth sacks that would prevent any insects from contaminating the meat. The creature’s skin, under Kyria’s insistence, was strippped of its fat with her knife, salted, then rolled tightly. The claws and spines were also harvested, as well as several organs including the heart and liver.

“Hey, what do you think?” asked Kyria, holding up a string of four-inch claws to her neckline. “Too gauche?”

Lero laughed. “I think they’ll take Canterlot fashion by storm.”

The group had paused on a small island in the swamp for rest and food. It was open enough that they could safely pull the punt onto dry land and they set up a small camp for the time being. Kyria placed several of her odd trinkets around the perimeter, assuring the group that they would keep away unwanted attention for now.

Rainbow Dash and her fellow Equestrians sat in their own circle, watching the humans eat from a little distance away. She was having strangely conflicted feelings. On one hoo… hand, her herbivorous diet, not to mention her animal-caretaker instincts, rose up in protest. Although she could not hold it against the humans for acting on their carnivorous instincts, any more than she could despise the cats or dogs she kept in her cottage. It was common knowledge that humans regularly ate meat, just like gryphons. But to actually see it being done...

On the other hand… that meat they were cooking smelled bizarrely tempting to this new nose of hers. Even as Rainbow watched Lero bite into the red and dripping meat, she felt her own mouth beginning to water. And looking at some of her fellow Equestrians… she wasn’t the only one. Someone’s stomach made a loud gurgling noise and the others all quickly turned back to their rations, digging in and trying to put the humans’ meal out of their minds.

“Kyria?” Rainbow had to ask, watching the horned woman prod another piece of meat on the stove.

“Hmm?”

“Uh… have you, um, ever heard this tale about a human goddess named Persephone? It’s where…”

“Yeah, heard that one,” she cut in. “If you’re asking whether or not I’m afraid of being bound to this place because of food.” Kyria removed the cooked meat and eyed it. “Well, ‘starvation’ is such an ugly word, and I can’t exactly phone Pizza Hut and have them import an extra-large Meat Lover’s where I am, can I? At this point, either I’m immune or I’ve doomed myself a long time ago.”

Kyria took another bite, looking somberly at stove’s flames.

“Been meaning to test out whether I’m immune or not for ages, so I’ll stick with you guys and keep my fingers crossed that I’ll at least make it to the border.”

“Okay,” said Rainbow. “Er… what does crossing your fingers do?” The former pegasus tried doing it right now, interlocking her index finger with its neighbor. Nothing special resulted from it.

Lero gave a small chuckle. “It’s just a phrase, Dash,” he smiled. “It means, ‘hoping for the best’.”

Again, Rainbow looked between her crossed fingers and Lero, not quite making the connection.

“With humans,” Lero explained, “The hand is every bit as expressive as the face is. All humans have what are called ‘hand signals’ which are like a language!”

“Oh yes!” Twilight spoke up; an eager student, once more. “You use hand signals all the time, Lero! Like this...”

Here, Twilight tried lifting her thumb upwards, while curling the rest of her fingers into her palm.

“...Is a sign of approval, right?”

“That’s right!” said Lero.

“And this,” Twilight pointed her thumb down towards the ground, “Signals disapproval, right?”

“You got it!” Kyria said indulgently, and Twilight beamed at the praise.

“Ooh! Ooh! What does THIS mean?” asked Lyra, bending her fingers in a unique way.

“...I think if you were putting on a shadow puppet show, that’d be a dog.”

The group continued to chat idly as the night sky overhead turned.

“Should we get our tents out?” Rarity asked.

“No, this is just a short stop,” Kyria replied, licking her fingers clean of any remaining juices. “We’ll cook what we can, then head on to the real sleeping spot. Our host isn’t exactly a fan of fire.”

“Host?” asked Luna.

Kyria gave them a smile. “Old Mossbeard has one of the only safe spots out here. I’ve stayed there with him before, we can trust him.” She pointed towards the wards that surrounded them. “Those’ll be good for a little while longer, but they won’t last us through a full night’s sleep. Best if we found a safe spot.”

“But it’s already dark and we’ve been travelling for most of the night,” protested Twilight. “Shouldn’t we rest now and wait until morning?”

Kyria gave a small laugh before Lyra spoke up. “Haven’t you noticed, Twilight?” she asked. “Daybreak should have been hours ago.”

Kyria nodded her head. “It’s always night in the Frozen Marshes.”

“...Always?” repeated Luna, as Twilight Sparkle suppressed a groan. Luna looked up at the sky, taking in the swirling nebulae and twinkling stars.

“As far as I know,” said Kyria, who was oblivious to Luna’s wonderment as she doused the flames in the stove and packed the remaining gear back into the punt. “I guess that’s just how it works here.”

The others shared a look as they busied themselves with prepping the boat for launch. Soon enough, the boat slid into the water and they were off once more, following the shifting colors of the Wanderer’s Lantern through the nocturnal swamp. Princess Luna sat at the bow alone and while she tried to listen to the continued discussions of the rest of the group, her eyes continued to stray upwards towards that primeval, beautiful night sky.

“...an eternal night…” whispered Luna, as a ghost of a smile came across her lips.

The dock was not so much a dock as it was a rough pile of logs and planks that someone had thrown together and called “a dock”. At least that someone had the courtesy of putting out a glowing green lantern at the end to let travelers know that it was, in fact, meant for boats to dock at.

“This place is where your friend Mossbeard lives?” Twilight asked. The planks groaned noisily as she stepped onto them, one almost snapping under Lero’s weight. In spite of Kyria’s assurances of safety, she half-expected some new predator to attack them at the sound.

“That’s right,” said the horned woman, tying their boat to a post on the dock.

“What’s the best way to approach him?” Lyra asked Kyria, peering through the forested gloom. “I mean… if this guy’s anything like you, Kyria, I imagine he’d be suspicious of strangers.”

“Well, he knows me,” Kyria said, striding forward, and motioning for the others to follow behind her. “I’ll vouch for you.”

The others fell in line behind the horned woman, who led the way with another of her curious glowing jars. Because they were so tired and sleepy at this point, the walk of a few minutes felt much longer. The dry thudding of the rough hewn planks under their feet was enough to keep them awake for the time being, but even Luna was weary enough that she was struggling to keep her eyes open.

All around them were tall reeds and giant trees. The stars above were blocked out by the canopy, making their glow-jars their only source of light at the moment. They walked further and soon they found themselves under the giant canopy of a great oak tree.

It was massive, a titan whose trunk was as big around as most houses, stretching so far upwards that the top branches were lost in the icy mists. Its branches were illuminated in the warm light of thousands of tiny glowing seeds that floated in the still air, giving it the illusion of a new, artificial sky that seemed no less wondrous than the one above it.

“Woah,” breathed Lyra. “This… this is…”

“Yeah,” said Kyria, shaking her head in wonder. “Come on. Let’s see if we can-”

The sound of a cracking whip and Lero’s shout caught them all by surprise. They turned around just in time to see Lero disappear upwards towards the branches, his arm flailing wildly as he shouted in fear.

“Lero!” yelled Luna as she beat her powerful wings in an attempt to catch him.

Lero continued to thrash as he scrambled to grip whatever it was that had assailed him and wrapped around his legs. Up and up he went, past branches, through snapping twigs and clouds of frozen moss. The forces of his ascent put serious strain on his muscles as he desperately tried to bend towards his ankles. He suddenly stopped, his momentum carrying him just long enough for him to experience weightlessness before something new wrapped around his torso.

Lero looked down to a brown vine that snaked around him, pinning his arms to his side as another vine uncoiled from around his ankles. He tried to reach for his dagger, but a series of smaller vines captured his hands and pinned them to his body. Lero found himself moving forward at great speed through clouds of the glowing seeds and speeding towards the massive trunk.

He shut his eyes, not wanting to see the end coming, but suddenly found himself lurching to stop in front of a wall of bark. He tried to settle his stomach, to calm his breathing and struggle out of his bonds when-

“You~ Dare~ Come~ Here~, Ridire~?” came a booming, drawn out voice.

Lero stopped his struggles as the wall of bark in front of him opened into a mouth, splinters flying out like angry flecks of spittle as dozens of glowing green eyes opened up to stare accusingly at him.

“You~ Dare~ Come~ To~ Me~, Ridire~?” came the voice again and soon Lero found another vine tightening around his throat as the one around his chest began to tighten. “I~ Will~ Crush~ You~ And~ Spill~ Your~ Blood~ Upon~ My~ Roots~, Ridire~.”

“Lero!” Luna came bursting from below, one of her wing blades held awkwardly in her new hands. The transformed princess seemed undeterred as she swung upwards with a shout and cut deeply into the vines. A downward swing severed the vine encircling Lero’s throat, who gasped as he tried to force air into his lungs.

Luna shouted and slashed at more reaching vines that tried to ensnare her as well, but one came from behind and snagged her wing. The disruption was enough and soon other founds their mark and began to trap her the same as the human.

Lero cried out, his eyes going wide as they shifted to icy blue and the Lost assumed control. “Let her go!” he yelled, sacrificing some of his remaining air. Soon the vines had begun to tightened around Luna, ready to-

“MOSSBEARD, STOP!!” The vines loosened slightly and both Luna and the Lost looked down to see Kyria scrambling up the tree along a narrow staircase. The horned girl yelled, “Peace, Mossbeard, peace! These are my friends!”

“Little~ Ama~,” said the voice. The eyes in the trunk began to close, save for two. The area around those eyes bulged and popped as the wood struggled to take on a shape. Soon a new form began to appear, the torso of an ancient, bearded man composed of living wood slowly emerged from the trunk. Grey-green moss made up his sparse hair but heavy beard. His green eyes looked upon Kyria as one would a grandchild and the being reached out a gnarled wooden hand, which Kyria took with both of hers.

“Child~,” groaned the voice, which was no longer booming, but still a deep baritone. “You’ve~ grown~ since~ last~ you~ came~.” The face smiled under the beard and the gnarled hand stroked one of the girl’s locks of hair. The sound of pattering feet announced the arrival of the rest of the Equestrians, who halted in sudden fear and terror at the sight before them. Lyra immediately dropped into a stance, while Rarity grit her teeth and narrowed her sparking eyes, her dark hair rumbling and flashing like a thunderhead. Mossbeard turned towards them, his emerald eyes narrowing as the great trunk began to groan.

“So have you, old man,” said Kyria gently, reaching out with her hand and gently turning the being’s face towards her, bring his attention back to him. “But please, let them go. They are with me and we don’t want to hurt you or yours. We only want to rest here in safety. We will leave afterwards and not trouble you again, I promise.”

The face turned towards the Lost and Luna, the latter still struggling against the vines. Mossbeard’s face shifted from fondness to disappointment. “Do~ you~ know~ who~ he~ is~, child~?” He pointed a gnarled and accusing finger at the Lost. “Killer~.” Mossbeard’s torso extended upwards towards the Lost, the trunk once again groaning in anger. “Murderer~. Burner~ of~ my~ kin~!” Mossbeard’s gnarled hands shook with his fury as the vines tightened once more around the Lost’s chest. “Do~ you~ know~ what~ this~ one~ did~ to~ me~ and~ mine~?”

“He saved my life!” shouted Kyria, whose pleading voice was able to cut through the tree spirit’s anger. “Both of them! They saved me and they are my friends! All of them!” Kyria moved between the spirit and the Lost. “Please, Old Mossbeard. What we did… what we all did before… it was another life for all of us. One we all try to forget.” She looked back at the Lost. “He is not the same as before. I have had this man in my home, as my guest. I have traveled with him as my companion. He is a good man and he is no threat to you.”

The tree spirit slowly looked between the girl and the dangling man, as if trying to decide what to do with either.

“Look, here!” Kyria reached into a bloody cloth sack and retrieved something. The girls recoiled when they realized that it was the bloody heart of the lizard-thing they faced earlier. Mossbeard’s eyes widened with greed. “Look. Your toll. This for our safety and shelter, yes?” The tree spirit moved forward only for Kyria to pull back, the heart in hand. “All of us.”

Mossbeard frowned and seemed to consider the offer. He looked to the Lost and Luna, then to the other women, and finally back to Kyria. “Agreed~,” he said, “but~ the~ Ridire~ will~ not~ have~ my~ branches~ for~ shelter~. Let~ him~ sleep~ at~ the~ dock~.”

“With those monsters out there?!” shouted Rarity. Lightning flashed behind her eyes and cracked amongst her hair, her fury was tangibly radiating from her.

“They~ do~ not~ approach~ me~ or~ mine~, little~ Airtouched~,” said Mossbeard. “He~ will~ be~ safe~ though~ it~ is~ more~ than~ he~ deserves~.” With that, the Lost was promptly dropped to the floor, landing with a thud. Luna was released as well and all rushed to the Lost’s side as he wheezed and hacked, trying to draw breath into his aching ribs.

A wayward vine snatched the bloody heart from Kyria and Mossbeard brought it close, emitting pleased groans as he examined it in his hands. HIs fingers elongated and split as they wrapped and penetrated the heart and its valves. Soon the heart began to convulse before settling into a steady, thumping beat.

Mossbeard seemed satisfied.

“Stay~. Rest~. You~ are~ safe~ now~. You~ have~ my~ word~ as~ a~ Spriggan~,” he said. With that, the torso and the heart retreated into the trunk of the tree, leaving the group in silence.

The Lost clutched his aching ribs and affixed the trunk with a glare. “Prick,” he said under his breath. He accepted one of the red leaves from Kyria and began to breath easier.

“He’s… not so bad?” offered Kyria lamely. “Once you get to know him?”

“Yeah, well, speak for yourself,” said the Lost, who stood up and popped his vertebrae. He grumbled some more as he headed towards the stairway. “I’ll be at the boat.”

With that, the rest of the group hesitantly turned towards the stretching branches, following a path lit by the glowing spores.

“What did he mean?” Rainbow asked Lyra in a whisper as they ascended into the treetops; the former flying, the latter climbing. Six cozy-looking nests were forming in Mossbeard’s boughs; soft, warm, spacious, and inviting-looking. “Did he really… was Lero a-?”

“No,” said Lyra firmly. “Not Lero.” Lyra watched as the Lost disappeared from view.

Lero stared up at the night sky, arms behind his head, as he laid on down in the small boat under a pile of furs. He felt himself sway slightly with the motions of the waters beneath the barge’s hull. The hanging glow-jar at the end of the dock offered little comfort as he laid alone with his thoughts.

He had made it halfway down the path when the Lost had turned over control to stew in whatever recess of their mind he stayed in. His alter ego had been courteous enough to allow him to remember the incident with Mossbeard and make his way to the dock.

Lero scoffed to himself. Allowed him to remember. As if he were just along for the ride.

Just who the hell was this ‘Lost’ guy anyways? Not just a killer, but a full fledged murderer as well? What else was on Mr. ‘Ridire’s’ rap sheet? He certainly wasn’t capable of anything like that...

...was he?

“Hello?” came a voice. Lero was started out of his morose thoughts and sat up, the furs falling to reveal his bare chest. Through the mist, a figure appeared carrying a white glow-jar. The fog parted revealing the cloaked form of Rarity. The glow-jar made her glow in the dark, giving her a halo of white light that made Lero’s breath catch. She looked like an angel.

“Rarity,” he said with a genuine smile. Rarity returned the smile and approached the end of the dock. Lero looked back down the path.

“Just me,” said Rarity, anticipating his question. “Everyone else is asleep. Finally.”

“‘Finally?’ You all pretty much looked like you were going to fall asleep on your feet.”

“After you left, Luna made Kyria wake Mossbeard. The princess had some very choice words for the… Spriggan? Is that what he called himself? Anyways, between that and the others’ worrying, they were slow to fall asleep.”

Lero offered her his hand, which she accepted and gracefully stepped down into the boat with him. He allowed his hands to drift to her thin waist, savoring the smoothness of her skin under her cloak. “So what made you come all the way down here then?” He whispered, leaning close, his lips brushing against her ear.

Rarity smiled, her arms snaking around his broad shoulders. “Now what kind of… woman would I be if I left my lover all alone in the cold?” Her hand ran across his skin and she reveled in the new tactile sensation under her fingertips.

“Well then,” said Lero huskily. He nipped her ear, eliciting a small squeak from the woman. “Why waste any time then?”

He drew back and pressed his lips against hers in a warm and gentle kiss. It was strange, almost. After so many years of making love to Rainbow, Twilight, Lyra, and now Rarity, he had forgotten the sensation of kissing a human woman. It was so different from a pony, with their wider lips and tongue. This felt… well, “natural” wasn’t the right word to use… he didn’t want to demean the relationship he shared with his girls. Instead, he would say it felt…

Nostalgic.

He could scarcely remember the last woman he kissed, before the lost time he spent among the Thorns, or his new life in Equestria. To Lero, it felt like that man, the one he used to be on Earth, was someone else. That his life in Ponyville was the only one for him, at the core of his being.

That this woman in his arms, was the only one that mattered.

At length, the kiss broke. Rarity’s breath fluttered in her chest and her eyes remained shut. She bit her lower lip with her new teeth and savored the warmth spreading through her belly.

“Wow,” she whispered.

“Yeah,” replied Lero.

They wasted no more time. They came together again, mouths opening, tongues dancing, hands desperately undoing clothing, letting it fall to the floor as they sank to their knees on the punt’s deck. The chill air made Rarity’s nipples stand erect and Lero eagerly seized one between his lips.

“Ah!” moaned Rarity. She gripped her lover’s head and ran her fingers through his fiery hair. “Lero!”

Lero sucked and nipped her breast, taking the sensitive piece of flesh delicately between his teeth, flicking it with his tongue.

“Oh, oh, oh! Lero!” Rarity felt like her wonderful new body was on fire as she threw her head back and pushed Lero further into her chest. The storm in her hair renewed, not with fury this time, but with a new energy that was slowly building.

Lero switched to the other breast while his hand kneaded the first. Rarity had straddled one of his legs, and even through his pants, Lero could feel the fire burning between her legs. Soon Rarity began to impatiently grind herself against him, her pleas for release becoming more fevered.

“Please,” she panted, “please, please, Lero, please!”

The cold no longer seemed to affect the lovers. Their bodies steamed in the chilly night and their ragged breaths came out in white puffs of cloud. Lero reached up with his arms and lifted Rarity slightly, locking her with another passionate kiss as his hands roamed her entire body. She felt like lightning barely contained in a bottle, her skin crackled and sparked under his touch and he felt every bit of it run through him. It was one of the most erotic things he ever experienced.

Rarity wrapped her legs around him and began to grind her hips against his. She could feel the bulge his pants were barely containing and the sensation made her own fluids run.

“Lero,” she begged, “please! I want you. I need you, my prince.”

That was all he needed to hear.

With surprising gentleness, he laid her flat against the deck on top of some of the furs. The chill in the air had returned and both lovers worked to undo his pants. The cold air hit his throbbing and sensitive member, causing Lero to grit his teeth and give a small hiss. Rarity gave a small laugh, wrapping her arms around him again.

“Come, my prince,” she whispered. “let me keep you warm.”

“Oh Rarity,” whispered Lero. He lowered himself to her, kissing her once more, one hand absently reaching for the furs and tugging them across his back, insulating the pair against the eternal chill of the marshes.

Under the layers of fur, their passion became an inferno. The lovers’ tongues danced in each others mouths as their hips began to grind together with a burning need. One of Lero’s hand snuck downwards to Rarity’s puffy nethers and were soon slick with juices. The woman moaned into his mouth before Lero broke the kiss to leave a trail of smaller, butterfly kisses along her jawline, leading up to her ear. Lero took her earlobe between his teeth as his fingers continued their ministrations. He easily slipped in a finger, then another, and savored the sensation of her walls gripping his appendages. Lero allowed a rough thumb to barely brush Rarity’s sensitive nub.

Finally, Rarity grabbed Lero by the shoulders and pulled him close. “Please,” she breathed into his neck. “Oh goddesses, Lero, I need this!”

He obliged her. Lero slid himself into Rarity’s waiting pussy, the slick walls enveloping his member.

Rarity’s eye went wide as she saw nothing but white. She can’t remember the last time she orgasmed on entry alone. Honestly, she didn’t think she ever had before; it was one of her many romantic notions that she had always craved. But here she was, breath still in her throat as the world exploded in her ears. Her walls clenched and squirted and gripped Lero like a vice.

“Oooh… fuck,” said Lero, who shuddered at the sensation of his lover’s orgasm, nearly triggering his own release. “Rarity.” The word came out low, beastial and needy. Joined at the hip, both partners revelled in this new sensation.

It felt… it wholly felt like they were two pieces of the same puzzle, fitting together for the first time. It was a sensation that eclipsed all of Rarity’s previous trysts, every lover she had ever had before now was suddenly dropped from her conscious mind. All the stallions she had ever taken into her bed, every one that had come before Lero, the entire gallery was blasted away from her conscious mind as she felt another orgasm build within her.

And she wanted more.

Underneath the furs, Rarity interlocked her ankles behind Lero’s back. “Oh Lero, rut me!” she urged, moving her hips. “Rut me! RUT ME!”

Lero barely needed the prompting. He moved like a man possessed, pulling back only to bottom out on the first thrust. Every time their bodies met, there was a wet and obscene slapping noise but neither cared. The lightning arced openly in Rarity’s hair as she moaned and begged for her lover to go faster. Lero compiled, his own body going on autopilot as his felt the familiar sensation build in his balls.

“Oh fuck, Rarity,” he whispered. “I’m gonna… I’m-”

“Yes! Cum inside me, please! Please!” Rarity added a little swerving to her hips as she rose up to meet his thrusts. That little bit was enough to hit that one spot, that special place all women crave to have attended.

That one spot that sent them both crashing over the edge.

Rarity crushed Lero against her, her teeth sinking into his shoulder as her body spasmed in one of the most instense oragsms she ever experienced. Heat had nothing on this, not even the times Lero spent it with her. Her whole body shook as thought departed from her mind. Her fingernails dug deep into Lero’s back as she slowly raked them downwards, leaving trails of fresh welts on his flesh.

Lero shuddered as he emptied himself into Rarity, his seed mingling with her own juices, spilling out and onto the furs below them.

Finally, he collapsed to his side, mindful of the woman beneath him.

“Wow,” he said raggedly. “That… that was…”

“Unbelievable,” she finished.

A moment passed as they caught their breaths, Rarity’s perfect breasts heaving beneath the furs.

She truly was an angel. She made him feel so blessed. Being in love with a girl as sweet and good unconditionally loving as Rarity felt absolutely soul-cleansing. And that was no small matter in a hell like this.

Hell…

The voice now speaking in Lero’s head wasn’t that of the Lost, nor that of any telepathic ‘outsider.’ The voice was that of Lero’s own self-condemnation.

Hell is for sinners… like you...

But he wasn’t any such thing! He was an innocent victim in all this. His memories of this place might not all be there, but he still knew enough to know that whatever he might’ve done, it had been done under duress, it had only been necessary for survival...

Excuses…

No! He was a-

...Killer… Murderer… what else…? The Lost WAS you. Is STILL you.

Unwelcome grief and shame threatened to flood his heart.

On one hand, there is no denying this fact: when you escaped to Equestria, you did everything in your power to turn over a new leaf. But while your self-induced amnesia may have erased your memories, nothing can erase your deeds. Did a man such as you even DESERVE the luxury of a second chance to begin with?

Equestria was such a funny place. With all its many reversals, The Swap was practically just a drop in the bucket.

A world where magic was a legitimate science. A world where equines were not beasts of burden, but the dominant species. A world where unicorns, pegasi, minotaurs and dragons existed, but men didn’t, (or at least hadn’t for the longest while.)

And then was the matter of the girls acting as valiant bodyguards of the boys. How wholeheartedly his own girls had embraced that role, especially his sweet lead mare! First Rainbow Dash, and then Rarity… each proudly playing ‘knight’ to his ‘princess.’

But… pony or human, male or female… one thing could not be denied: his lead mare made for a far nobler, worthier ‘knight’ than HE ever had. Just ask Old Mossbeard.

Perhaps this is simply karma, finally catching up to you.

“What’s wrong, darling?” asked Rarity, who sensed the gnawing doubt in her lover.

Stung with his own unworthiness, Lero’s cupped Rarity’s breathtaking human face in his hand.

"Rarity, you're just so wonderful and loving to me all the time, and I love you so much!” His breath caught. “I really have tried to always be the best man I can be for you… a good, right-hearted person. I wanted to be proud of myself again, I wanted to be GOOD again, I wanted Equestria to be a clean slate for me…”

“You are a good man,” she assured him, pressing her forehead against his. “We are proud of you…”

He ran his hand under the furs, brushing Rarity along her cutie mark. The woman closed her eyes, lips parting at the aetherial sensation dancing along her skin.

“But I've also kept so much from you, all this time,” he told her. “Hidden so many secrets.” He looked around, at the swamp, at the docks, at the stars. “I’ve got a horrible feeling that here… it’s all going to catch up with me. All my darkest secrets laid bare.”

He hung his head. “I hope you'll find it in your heart to forgive me. You… and all the rest of the girls, too."

Rarity pushed Lero from his side to his back, pressing herself against his side and laying her head on his shoulder. They shared the warmth of their naked bodies beneath the soft furs. She snaked her hand along his arm until their palms met and gently, delicately, interlaced their fingers. Rarity marveled at the sight and the sensation.

A perfect fit.

“Who you were here doesn’t matter to me, she whispered. “And it won’t matter to any of the others either.” Rarity looked up at Lero, into his hazel eyes. “I love you, Bellerophon Michaelides. I always have. And I will never stop loving you, no matter what the past may hold.”

Rarity reached up with her other hand, stroking his smooth hair. “You ask for my forgiveness but, in truth, I have already forgiven you, Lero. When I first opened up my heart to you, I forgave you of everything you may or may not have done in the past. We were all different people in the past.” Her hand rested on his cheek. “This is the man I fell in love with. Now. And forever.”

Tears welled up in his eyes. His heart felt like bursting in his chest. “Rarity,” he whispered and gently pulled her into a kiss.

This time, when they made love, it was not desperate or fevered. It was slow and gentle.

But somehow twice as passionate.

“-so everyone give a big welcome to Nightjar! The newest member of Guys’ Night!”

The stallions gathered in the living room all gave warmhearted clops of their hooves and words of welcome and approval. The newest addition to their weekly gathering was a broad-chested white pegasus with a black mane, glasses, and an acoustic guitar for a cutie mark.

“Thank you, thank you, my friends,” said Nightjar in his thick Speighnish accent. “I would like to thank you all for your warm welcome to your group and to your wonderful town. My little Zippoorwill and I are so grateful for all of your kindness and generosity. I honestly don’t know how I can ever repay you.”

“You hear that, guys?” quipped Widescreen. “First round’s on the new guy!” All of the stallions laughed at the joke.

“Oh shucks,” said Magnum, giving the new pegasus a playful jab in the shoulder, “don’cha go worrin’ ‘bout that, eh? We here in Ponyville love new folks, ain’t that right, fellas?”

“Well I certainly wasn’t expecting such a nice party for us when we arrived,” said Nightjar. “Thank you again for that, Señor Spike.”

“Oh, don’t thank me,” said Spike modestly. “You should be thanking Fluttershy. She’s the resident party planner here in town.”

“Really? I do not recall meeting anypony by that name,” replied Nightjar, tapping his chin in thought.

“Oh, she’s an employee of mine,” said Carrot Cake. “She plans the parties, but still has... a little trouble while attending them. Drop by my shop tomorrow and you can thank her then.”

“Gracias, señor, I shall,” said the pegasus. “It is so nice to finally settle in a town filled with such kind ponies.”

“Hey, you guys in Herd Nightjar aren’t so bad yourselves,” said Caramel.

“Too right,” agreed Doctor Hooves.

“Eeyup,” said Big Mac. “Yew’s some mighty fine folks, alright. Why, Cheerilee told me las’ night that she was jus’ delighted to have that lil’ gal o’ yers in her class.”

“Oh, what’s this?” teased Widescreen. “Has our dear friend Mac fallen off the bachelor wagon and joined the illustrious ranks of the Hitched?”

“Well-”

“About time, if you ask me,” said Spike. “I know you’ve been pining after Cheerilee for ages now. Good on you for acting on it, dude.”

“Here here!” chimed in Caramel and Carrot Cake, who raised their cider mugs.

“Well, come on, lads,” said Doctor Hooves, motioning to the large snack-laden table. “Cards aren’t going to deal themselves now.”

As the stallions began to wander towards the table or to the bar Widescreen had built, Spike waddled alongside Big Mac.

“So, Mac,” he said awkwardly. “How’s, uh, how’s Pinkie doing these days?”

Mac’s smile dropped for a moment before returning, thought it was clearly strained a little. “Oh, uh, fine, jus’ fine, Spike. Thanks fer asking.” Macintosh set down his cider mug in favor of pouring a small measure of his Apple Moonshine.

“And… how are you holding up, man?” asked Spike.

Mac’s hoof hesitated for a moment, causing the clear booze to spill a little. “...’s been a month ‘n no word yet, Spike. Ah try to hang on, but…” This time Mac filled his glass with much more of the drink than before.

“Come on, buddy,” urged Spike. “You can’t give up hope yet. They’ll be back. They promised.”

“Ya know, Mac,” said Magnum, who approach from behind and put his hoof on Spike’s small shoulder. “Ya know ya can always come to us, eh? Pearl n’ I know whatcha goin’ through, big guy.” Magnum smiled and playfully ruffled Spike’s fins. “Lil’ Spike here’s been helping us through this whole time, and my family’s been so glad ta have him, eh?”

Spike pushed away the white hoof in faux embarrassment. “Ah, come on, Magnum,” he said.

“I’m serious, tiger! Between helpin’ out my lil’ AJ with her shop and being there fer Pearl when she gets too blue, why, you’re a regular ol’ gift from Celestia herself, an’ that’s the truth, doncha know.”

Spike sheepishly rubbed the back of his head at the praise.

“Thanks… Pop,” he smiled.

Magnum positively beamed at the words before turning back towards Macintosh. “So doncha worry none, Big Mac. You’ll see: our little girs’ll be back ‘fore ya know it, eh? Now come on, we got cards to play!”

Big Mac smiled. Turning back to the bar, he poured half of his drink into a new glass and offered it to Magnum. “Eeyup.”

The rest of the stallions had gathered around the table and were busy cracking jokes, eating greasy snacks they hid from their wives, and drinking beer or Mac’s shine. The night wore on as it usually did, with all of the stallions able to unwind from the week’s troubles with work and at home. Darts were tossed, pizza was scarfed, and lots of booze was drunk.

Eventually they gathered around the table for a game of poker. Seeing as how there were nine ponies in attendance, the game could only be played with four active players while the rest watched, an act that was its own sport.

“I keep telling you, we could sell tickets to this,” said Widescreen, who watched as Nightjar, Big Mac, Hooves, and Magnum squared off with each other.

“What? You mean, like… making poker a real sport?” asked Caramel incredulously.

“Totally! I mean look at this!” He motioned to the four players, imagining the invisible clash of will playing out in his minds eye.

“Raise,” said Big Mac, who shifted his customary grain stalk to the other side of his mouth.

“Call,” said Magnum, adding a small stack of chips.

“Fold,” said the Doctor, placing his cards on the table.

“Too rich for you, hombre?” quipped Nightjar. The newcomer was surrounded by an ever growing mountain of chips, an outcome that was not anticipated by the group. The pegasus moved a small pile of chips to the center of the table. “I will see your raise, Señor Manzana, and raise you fifty.”

Mac’s eyebrow raised ever so slightly but his voice was as steady as ever. “Yew sure ‘bout that, partner? Way Ah see it, ya ain’t got what it takes.”

“Then call my bluff, niño, and we shall see.” Nightjar’s smile began to resemble that of a timberwolf.

Mac pushed forward his remaining chips, his eyes narrowing. “Call.”

Magnum glanced back and forth between the two players. “Oh geeze, I’m out, boys,” he said, placing his cards on the table and standing up. “Eh, Doc, getcha anudder drink?”

“Right,” said the Doctor who stood up, leaving the two combatants to finish the match.

“So,” said Nightjar, “what you got, niño?”

Mac grinned triumphantly before turning over his cards. “Read ’em ‘n weep! Straight flush!”

“Mi diosa!” cried Nightjar, revealing a full house. “You have bested me this time, Señor Manzana, but I shall win back my chips! But first, another drink!” Nightjar’s reaction had caused the room to burst out into laughter and the tension quickly evaporated.

As the pegasus walked to the bar, he took note of the larger chair that had been placed at the table that evening. The table they were all sharing was large but it was slightly cramped with eight stallions and a young drake sitting around it, so it struck him as odd that they would leave an empty chair there, especially such a large one.

‘It looks very comfortable,’ Nightjar thought to himself. ‘But why would they have it here? Perhaps Widescreen simply forgot to move it.’ And so he took it upon himself to moved the chair to the room’s corner before returning to the game.

“Hey, wait!” Spike suddenly shouted. “Don’t touch that!”

Nightjar was so startled by the outburst that he nearly took to the air. He turned to see that everypony was looking at him, all conversation suddenly dying. The young drake scampered over to the chair and pushed it back into place.

“That’s Lero’s spot,” he said defiantly.

“Lero?” Nightjar repeated.

“Lero the human,” Caramel told him.

“The human?” Realization suddenly dawned on the pegasus. “Oh, si! Señor Bellerophon! El alienígeno! Oh, my little Zipporwill is so interested in him. She was so excited when she heard he lives here in Ponyville. She always says, ‘Papa, when can we see la humana?’” Nightjar laughed, oblivious of the uncomfortable looks being shared by the other stallions. “Why didn’t you tell me he was coming here tonight?”

Silence held the room as Nightjar looked anxiously from pony to pony. Most coughed awkwardly or scuffed the floor.

“He’s... not coming tonight, mate,” said the Doctor.

Nightjar furrowed his eyebrows. A moment later, the bit dropped.

“Oh,” he said, suddenly feeling mortified. “I… I am so sorry, mis amigos. I-I didn’t think-”

“S’alright, Nightjar,” said Widescreen, putting a reassuring hoof on the pegasus’ shoulder. “We should’ve told you about it when the night started.”

“Right!” quipped Caramel, who encouraged similar reactions from the other stallions. “Not your fault, man.”

“So… you leave him a spot?” asked Nightjar.

“Always,” nodded Widescreen.

This time, smiles spread throughout the room. “Lero is actually the one that started all of this,” said Carrot Cake. “Ah heck, most of us are here because of the guy.”

“He sounded like a good friend,” said Nightjar.

“One of the best!” cheered the Doctor.

“Eeyup!”

“He’s off with the rest of my family right now,” said Spike, who hopped up on the table. “They’re doing a really important mission to save a bunch of fillies and they’ll all be back soon!” Spike thumbed at the chair. “We always keep Lero’s chair ready. Ready for when he walks back through that door with stories about his adventure!”

The stallions cheered. Both Big Mac and Magnum shared a knowing look, Magnum beaming with pride at the young dragon’s words.

Spike reached and picked up his glass of soda. “Until then, we hold the fort him and the rest of the girls and keep things ready for their return!” Spike raised his glass high and puffed out his little chest.

“To friends and family gone!” he proposed.

“To friends and family gone!” cheered the stallions.

They all drank heartily.

Author's Notes:

Well, hi again folks! Some of you might have noticed the new tag to the story. That purple one next to "Mature". Well here you go, my first clop scene ever. Hope you enjoy it.

Special thanks go as usual to my friends Mike Teavee and Rikmach for their help editing this. Also, we have broken over 100 favs! That's a pretty big mile marker in my opinion so extra-special thanks go to you guys! You're all awesome.

Be sure to leave a comment with questions, concerns, and (of course) praise, for good karma and fuzzy feelings!

'Til next time!

Chapter 8: Welcome to Gladesrest

All things considered, the night in the punt may have been one of the most restful nights Lero and Rarity ever had. Maybe not the most comfortable, given that the only had a single layer of covers between them and the wooden deck, though the buoyed motions of the boat almost made up for it. The night’s cold air was made bearable because of the layers of fur they laid on top of themselves and their shared body heat. The one surprise they shared was whenever one of them tried to warm their cold feet by pressing them against the other’s, which led to a few shrieking giggles in the night.

But what made it truly restful for Lero and Rarity was the shared intimacy of it. It was just them, nude and sticky from their lovemaking, sharing the fires in their hearts. Lero finally had someone to ease his doubts and fears, a task Rarity happily welcomed. After their second round, the two lovers held each other close and cocooned themselves in the furs, falling into a peaceful slumber.

Lero had been the first to awaken. Since there was no sun in these marshes, it had been his instincts that had done the job for him. He had no wristwatch on his arm (assuming the damn thing would’ve even worked in this place), so he had to just assume that it was “very early morning”. Coming up from a pleasant dream, he sleepily blinked his eyes open.

‘Must be getting homesick,’ he mused, the half-remembered smiling faces of his friends fading back into the realms of dreams. ‘I hope the guys back home really are doing okay.’

“Mmmm,” came a moan beside him. Lero looked down and saw locks of flowing purple hair poking up from underneath the fur blanket. He smiled as Rarity nuzzled into his chest and he felt the warmth and smoothness of her bare cheek.

Rarity stirred awake. She looked up at her prince, her brilliant sapphire eyes peeking out through the wispy strands of her hair. A warm smile crossed her lips.

“Hey, you,” said Lero, idly running his fingertips in her hair. He marveled at how unbelievably silky it all felt, even more so than when she had been a pony. As if he were running his hands through a cloud. Then again, thanks to Kyria’s ritual, perhaps he really was.

“Hello, my prince,” said Rarity. She scooted up and planted a gentle kiss on his lips before snuggling back into the warmth of his neck. Lero brought the furs closer around him to keep the frosty air out.

“Oooh,” moaned Rarity as she stretched a little under the blankets.

“Sore?” asked Lero with a sly smirk.

“It’s these new muscles, darling,” said Rarity as she arched her back, her full bosom pressing tantalizingly upwards. “All that walking yesterday really took it out of me.”

Lero chuckles and ran a rough palm along her belly, eliciting another, deeper moan from the woman. “And here I thought it was my skills from last night.”

Rarity gave him a sultry smile and took his hands in her own. She brought it to her mouth and gently, lovingly kissed each one of his digits. As she took his index finger between her lips and gently began to suck on it, she felt Lero’s excitement press against her thigh. Rarity climbed on top of Lero, straddling his hips and exposing her bare torso. The chilled air instantly caused her nipples to become erect.

Rarity cupped her hair in her hands, lifting the flowing locks up and exposing more of her body. “We still have time before the girls come here, don’t you think?” She gave him a wink as she began to slowly gyrate her pelvis.

Lero returned her look as his hands settled on her hips. “I can think of a few ways to pass the time…”

“I… I don’t know, Lyra,” whispered Twilight shyly.

“Come on, Twi,” said Lyra gently, her fingers entwining with Twilight’s delicate digits. “We’ve done stuff like this before.”

Twilight quickly retracted her hands and held herself. “But this-! It feels… dirty…”

Lyra wasn’t offended. It wasn’t everyday your herd sister proposes something normally outside of your comfort zone. Lyra gently cupped Twilight’s smooth cheek, bringing the violet woman’s eyes to meet her own. “Do you trust me?”

“What?”

“Do you trust me?”

“Of course I do!” Twilight gripped Lyra’s hand, then felt her shyness return. “I’m just… I’ve never-”

“Me neither, Twi. We weren’t human before. So… this will be a first for both of us then, right?”

“Yeah, I suppose.”

“I won’t force you to if-”

“No! I mean… I want this.”

Lyra smiled and her golden eyes twinkled in mischief. “So,” she whispered, leaning in so close that her voice sent shivers down Twilight’s spine, “together then?”

“Yes,” breathed Twilight. Her breath was becoming short in anticipation. She licked her lips, unable to slow the tide of saliva threatening to overflow from her mouth as that feeling in her belly built more upon itself. She could feel Lyra move, but she dared not open her eyes for fear of losing her nerve. She sensed that Lyra had returned, she could feel her closeness as new sensations flooded her senses. She gave herself over to Lyra, knowing completely that her trust was well placed in her lover. She was ready.

Their lips parted…

...and they bit into the piece of cooked meat together.

Twilight’s eyes widened as her mouth exploded into a galaxy of new sensory data. Alien tastes, smells, and textures flooded her brain, threatening to overflow her very consciousness. But what surprised her above everything was a single thought that darted to the front of her brain.

This was delicious.

Twilight allowed herself a pleasured moan as both she and Lyra continued to chew the small morsel between them.

Off to the side, Kyria eyed the two lovers with a deadpanned stare. “You ponies are so fucking weird,” she said.

Luna hid a small smile behind a hand in a very ladylike manner.

“Morning” had come to the group thanks to Luna’s semi-divine internal clock. The princess woke up by herself and instantly knew that an appropriate amount of time had passed for the others to be well-rested. While Luna put on an acceptable facade for the other women, in truth she had not slept soundly last night. Thoughts of what the “Spriggan” had told her and those of home plagued her mind.

‘Lero was once a being of great violence here,’ she mused. ‘If what half of what Mossbeard had said is fact...’ Luna narrowed her eyebrows. ‘...then we should all be thankful that the Lost is truly on our side.’

“Are you sure that’s safe, Kyria?” asked Rainbow unsurely. She was currently sitting across from the horned girl, eating a piece of toast.

“What, the meat?” replied Kyria. “Yeah, I cooked it pretty thoroughly. It should be safe.”

“No, I mean what about Persephone’s-”

“I wouldn’t worry about that, Rainbow. I took it fairly and I gave it fairly.”

“Huh?”

Kyria smiled and chewed some of her own dried meat. “Okay, so I have a theory. I take it Lero told you the story, right? How Persephone took a fruit and was bound to the underworld, right?”

“Yeah…”

“And remember back when you were telling me about your friend, um... Pinkie? The apple farmer?”

“Yes.”

“Okay, so imagine this. Someone is walking down the road next to her farm, hops the fence, and picks some apples. Doesn’t ask permission or anything, doesn’t even know Pinkie. How do you think Pinkie would react?”

Rainbow thought for a moment. The apple farmer had always been very zealous when it came to defending her fields. When a few rabbits got loose there, Rainbow had to come and talk her down when Pinkie caught the poor and hungry things eating just a few apples. So the answer came clear to her.

“Well, I guess she’d be pretty mad,” said Rainbow. “I mean, they would have stolen from her, so Pinkie would make them pay for it, or even work on the farm to make up for it.”

“Exactly. The same goes here. Everything is built around contracts and bargains. If you were to, say, take water from a river without asking for it or giving anything in return, then whatever lived in that river would try to collect its debt from you.” Kyria’s expression suddenly grew hard. “And these things have a really sucky interest rate.”

“So the thing last night…?”

“It tried to kill me, so I was free to kill it back. It would have eaten me, so I had the same right. You are my companions, so I am free to share my food with you.” Kyria looked to the side almost shyly. “And… well, you’re also… my friends. So you don’t have to give anything back.”

Rainbow’s antenna raised up in surprise, just as her old ears would have perked up. A small smile appeared on her face as she reached into one of the bags and began rummaging around. A minute later, she handed something to Kyria.

“Here,” she said. “Something for a friend.” It was half a piece of toast with golden honey scraped thinly across the surface, the same honey that Honeybee had gifted Lero and Rarity the day before they left Ponyville. Kyria blinked in surprise before wordlessly accepting the treat. Rainbow offered no further response as she resumed eating her own breakfast.

Kyria simply smiled in return. It seemed like she had smiled more in the past few days than she had in what felt like a lifetime.

Breakfast continued at a pleasant pace, with all of the women chatting amiably on many subjects. It was later, as they began to pack their equipment, that Kyria saw Luna mulling over a strange metal object.

“What’s that?” she asked.

Luna held one of her wing blades in her pale hands, the light from Mossbeard’s glowing lights, gently reflecting off the polished metal.

“‘Tis a wing blade,” said Luna handing the weapon to the horned girl. “A traditional martial weapon of my home.”

Kyria turned the weapon over in her hands. “Hmm,” she mused, “never seen a design like this before.”

Luna nodded in agreement. “They are designed to be worn on the wings,” she explained. “The most common tactic is to use quick, slashing motions with the blades extended while performing a diving attack or to used as a parrying device for close quarters fighting. There are some schools that deal with more complicated motions with them, but it can often be extremely difficult and impractical.”

“I can see that. Having a duel in midair sounds really cool but if you also need to use your wings to fly, then you’d be wasting a lot of energy.”

“Exactly. The more modern tactics favor the use of blades attached to one’s forehooves, thus freeing the wings.”

“So then why use these instead?”

Luna took a sip of tea. “I have been well trained in their marital use. I dare say that I would give several of the blade schoolmasters a duel they would never forget. Additionally, these blades are enchanted so that they shall never dull nor break. And I may also channel powerful magics through them.” She paused for a moment, a frown crossing her face. “Or… I should be able to to. I have not had time to properly test my abilities in this new form. And these blades will no longer fit my new wings.”

“We can put you body through the works later, Luna,” said Kyria with a smile. “I’m just concerned about you handling this thing like a regular sword. I mean, look at this.” Kyria awkwardly held the weapon in her hands. Luna had found out the previous night that there was no good way to grasp a wingblade with hands. While trying to cut away Mossbeard’s entangling branches, she had nearly taken her own hand off just by gripping the thing. Its hinge was such that she’d risk injuring herself on each of the backswings.

In conclusion, her weapons were completely useless in her current form.

“I… I think I can help with that actually,” said Kyria, while biting her lip.

“Oh?”

“Just, um, just give me a second.” Kyria laid the weapons on the wooden branch and proceeded to examine every part of them. The straps were fashioned from fine material, not quite leather but of comparable quality. The steel gleemed in the lamplight and the edges shined. They seemed like exceptionally high-quality weapons, but Kyria knew it just wouldn’t do.

Lucky for Luna, she had a way to fix that.

Kyria closed her eyes and began to stroke the weapon, treating it as one would a beloved pet. She hummed to herself and let the magic in her veins do the work.

Luna’s eyes widened. The blades began to shift and flow as if the steel had turned to quicksilver. Kyria’s strokes urged the metal to take a new, solid form as the central hinge melded into a single, flawless blade. Using both hands, Kyria motioned the faux-leather straps to unravel themselves. They began to flail like aimless tentacles until they found new purchase at the base of the shifting blade, where they wrapped themselves into knotting cords around a newly formed hilt. Kyria made wider, more circular gestures, like an artist painting on an invisible canvas, and the metal shifted and curved in a long arc.

The whole process took less than five minutes, accomplishing what a master smith would have spent a week doing.

By the end, Kyria set out a long breath and open her eyes to look upon her new work. The reshaped wing blades resembled a pair gleaming curved sickles, each with a dark brown leather grip. The blade was straight for one hand-length before sharply curving downward to form an elongated crescent moon.

“I, uh, I hope that this will work,” the horned woman said hesitantly.

Luna picked up one of the weapons. It felt natural to grip it in her new hand, almost instinctual in a way. It was perfectly balanced, with the blade weighing the same as the hilt. She took a few steps back and gave it a few experimental swing. The steel sang through the air as Luna twirled the blade at the wrist, performing grander and more elegant flourishes. She twirled on her bare feet and slashed at unseen enemies. A smile broadened her face as her wings flared in excitement.

“Mistress Ama, thou art a savant!” she exclaimed. “‘Tis truly a work of art thou hast rendered!”

Kyria raised her hands. “Just a simple alteration contract,” she said sheepishly. “It’s nothing too drastic, just something I… something I picked up, while I was back… there...”

Luna took note of the change in the horned girl’s demeanor and gently laid the weapon back down. “Dear Kyria,” she said fondly, placing a smooth hand on her shoulder. “I am sorry if I-”

“No, it’s fine,” said Kyria. She took a breath to steady herself. “Now, this isn’t permanent. It will last for a maybe day or two. I think I had a good flow back there, but the Contract was never meant to be permanent.”

Luna smiled in appreciation. “Tis enough, Kyria. When we reach this town, perhaps we can find a skilled smith to properly reforge it.”

Kyria nodded her head. “Sure thing, Luna. Maybe we can do the same for some of your other gear too. I don’t think that those saddlebags of yours are working quite as well with the new shoulders.”

“Indeed! It was most uncomfortable last night, hauling them with us from the boat.”

The two chatted amicably as Kyria repeated mystic the process for a few of the saddlebags; not just Luna’s, but the other girls’ as well. Rainbow was reluctant to have her own blades reforged, the gentle pegasus still wary of wielding any kind of weapon. Kyria offered a compromise. She refashioned a single blade into a small dagger, scarcely the length of Rainbow’s small palm.

“This will only be used as a last line of defense,” said Kyria. “You can hide this up your sleeve. If you are ever in trouble, just showing this could be enough to make someone back off.”

“And if they don’t?” asked Rainbow worriedly.

Kyria smiled. “Don’t worry. I’ll show you how to use it safely.”

Finished with their preparations, and bidding a terse goodbye to the Spriggan who had provided them shelter, the small group descended from the tree and began to follow the path back to the dock. As the women of Herd Bellerophon walked behind them, Kyria and Luna lead them through a cold mist with glow lamps in hand.

“You are quite talented with the magics here, Kyria,” said Luna. “Perhaps, when this is all over, you would be interested in my peoples’ own magics?”

Kyria laughed a little. “Luna, when this is over all I want would be to sit down, have a cup of real coffee, and just relax.” She glanced sideways and gave a small smile. “But maybe after that, yeah, you could show me how you ponies do magic.”

Luna offered a smile of her own.

The party continued along the path in relative silence, until Luna spoke again in hushed whispers. “If I may ask, Kyria, what is your opinion of Mossbeard and his reactions to Lero, last night? Are you of the same mind as he?”

Kyria’s smile faltered. “I… well aside from being angry at him almost ripping you and Lero in half… no, I can’t agree with him. We were all…” Kyria’s tanned fist clenched tightly, her knuckles turning white. “No. None of us were the same, back then. Not while They… kept us. The things we did, were made to do… I’m surprised Lero’s this sane.”

She shook her head.

“I know how crazy that sounds. I mean, the guy is running around with someone else in his head. I’m just glad that the Lost is so strong and capable… it could’ve been some kind of scared little child of an alter ego, you know? And I’m more glad that he’s on our side, I mean, what if he’d been like Mr. Hyde?”

Luna nodded, even though she had no notion of whom Mr. Hyde might be. Some particularly nasty denizen of this world, she guessed.

“Still...I… I went through some… some real tough shit back at the tower. I’ll never… I won’t ever be able to forget what happened to me. Ever. But even I think I could keep it all together when we leave.”

She turned and glanced back at Rainbow, who was talking with Lyra and Twilight about something they couldn’t hear. “And… something tells me that I’ll have a lot of help too. Just having someone else to talk to who can understand… you don’t know how much that means to me, just in the here-and-now.”

“All of us are your friends, Lady Ama,” Luna promised. “And when you come to Equestria, there will be many, many more eager to be friends of yours as well.”

When Kyria smiled at Luna, there was a hint of nervousness to it. As though a part of the horned woman feared putting too much faith in such an overoptimistic idea as Equestria.

“But… getting back to the subject at hand,” Kyria said, “for Lero to have had to do that to himself? To go to those extremes? ...What the hell did his Keeper make him do?”

Luna could offer no insight and so the pair continued to walk in silence. Though Luna did note that the air seemed to have grown much colder afterwards.

The Wanderer’s Lantern continued to guide their small craft through the wintery swamp. After a few hours, they saw a warm glow in the distance, accompanied by sounds they had left behind a subjective lifetime ago:

The busied sounds of civilization.

Icy hanging moss parted and they were greeted with an immense wooden palisade. It had to be at least thirty feet tall, made out of the trunks of trees both great and small. The walls stretches outwards into sharp points, which led Lero to assume that the city as a whole would appear to be star-shaped if seen from above.

A sudden image of a stone wall being shattered by cannon fire flashed across Lero’s mind. The odd architecture made sense; an angled wall would be harder to damage with artillery and and siege ladders or towers would find themselves attacked from multiple angles by the neighboring points. The points would also cause any assault of the gates to be funneled into a narrow killing field.

The trunks were bound and nailed together, seemingly haphazardly, and the gaps were filled in with a shiny black substance, most likely some form of tar. Atop the walls were very large and hulking figures, their forms lit by blazing braziers and torches. There was a fair bit of open water between Lero’s group and the water, with more of the surrounding area cleared of trees and anything that might impair the towering watchers’ line of sight.

So it came as little surprise when the passengers of the small boat suddenly heard a bellowing shout in a strange and foreign language. The Lost’s blue eyes flashed in the darkness. “Looks like the locals have spotted us,” he said.

“Indeed,” said Luna, her new hand unconsciously moving towards her reforged sickle blades.

“Well,” said Rarity, “there should be no reason they should be hostile, I suppose. After all we have not done anything to antaga-”

“Shh!” hissed Kyria, who held up a silencing hand. Everyone quieted to hear the sound of low buzzing. Suddenly, something small and hard landed on top of the of the lantern at the bow, which Rainbow gave a startled “eep!” at the sound. All eyes turned to the new arrival.

The new arrival was small, possibly no larger than Lero’s hand. It had a dark blue and black chitinous skin that shined in the lantern’s light. Six limbs sprouted from the body, one of which held onto a short but wicked looking serrated blade. Though the weapon appeared smaller than his little finger, the Lost hazarded that the slick oil coating on the weapon held a deadlier surprise for an opponent.

The creature stood up on long hind legs, while four slender, diaphanous wings buzzed and flicked behind it before settling along its back. The Lost fought down a sense of disgust as the little thing looked up at the seven passengers. Rarity, who had long held a repulsion for creatures with too many limbs and/or were small and disgusting, did her best to hold back a girlish scream.

“It dares to draw close to the Gladerest,” said a high-pitched chittering voice. The creature seemed to be in constant, almost manic, motion. The tiny mandibles clicked and clacked as its head rapidly regarded each of them. Its smaller two forearms fervently rubbed at each other while the other set brandished the blade.

“It will tell us why it has come to the Gladerest or it will be food for us,” threatened the thing.

Rarity balked. “Well, I never,” she sniffed. “You, sir, should learn how to properly address a lady!”

“Uh, Rarity,” said Lyra, “maybe we shouldn’t berate the tiny creature with a poisonous weapon. He’s just doing his job.”

Rarity crossed her arms and lifted her nose in indignation. “Doesn’t make him any less rude.”

“It will stop making useless noises and answer the question,” said the thing, its wings buzzing loudly. Their was now a low hum in the air surrounding the craft.

“We have come to do business with the Masters of the City,” said Kyria.

The little thing instantly darted its vision to the horned girl. “It wants to talk to the Master? And who does it represent?”

The Lost reached into his backpack and retrieved the bronze sigil given to them by the Messenger, holding it up to the miniature gatekeeper. The creature click-clacked as it buzzed forward and examined the carved icon thoroughly before casting a glance to the passengers again, letting its large, mantis-like eyes rest on Kyria. The horned girl returned an amber glare.

“It… has wares to trade?” asked the little thing. It cast a dubious glance at the many sacks held in the boat.

“We do,” said Kyria. The creature regarded Kyria a moment longer before it seemed satisfied.

“Then it will follow us,” said the creature and it took the sky. The air around the punt exploded into a humming mass as hundreds of similar insectile creatures were suddenly flying alongside their boat. Twilight and Rarity let out shrieks and grabbed onto one another as several of the flying creatures came close enough to snatch at their hair.

Kyria seemed undeterred as she pushed on the pole, propelling the craft forwards through the swarm. The buzzing swarm hummed around the small craft with one of its members occasionally depositing itself on the boat to hiss and click at the passengers before taking off again. The Lost had to resist the urge to swat every one of those that tried to pull at one of the girls or at the gear.

They were small, fast, and the Lost knew that he could easily be overwhelmed by the swarm.

The swarm was a whirling cloud of colorful chitin, buzzing wings, and chittering voices. The cloud urged the small craft towards a junction of two of the fortified outcroppings, where a large portcullis waited, illuminated by a pair of lit torches. Twilight hazarded an upwards glance and found herself and her companions under the watchful eyes of several of the towering sentries. One, a large and brutish being gave a low snarl, showing off a jutting lower jaw overflowing with sharp and yellowed teeth. Twilight pressed herself up against Lyra in mild fear.

Kyria continued to guide the craft towards the portcullis, doing her best not to show her own nervousness despite the trickle of sweat running down her temple. One of the buzzing things came too close to her head and tried to snatch one of her many baubles from her hair. She instinctively swatted her hand, sending the would-be thief tumbling through the air with a chittering howl.

A bellow sounded from within the gatehouse and the heavy metal grate slowly lifted into the air with the accompany clanking of massive chains. Kyria guided the craft under the portcullis, its massive spikes ready to descend at a moment’s notice. More shouting could be heard from above as heavy footfalls sounded on the wooden planks. Inside was another heavy gateway, effectively cutting off their path. Flanking them on either side were two wooden platforms, each close enough to allow anyone to easily board the little craft.

As soon as the heavy portcullis closed behind them, two doors on either side of the small channel opened up. Out poured a gang of large, muscular bipeds. Several brandished crudely shaped blades or cudgels while some were armed only with heavy gauntlets. One, a red-skinned and black-eyed brute, shoved his way forward to the head of the group and came within an inch of the Lost’s face.

The Lost didn’t flinched.

The brute gave him the once-over, his breathing wet and heavy, drool dripping from his toothy maw. Kyria tightened her grip on the pole while Luna’s hand drifted subtly towards one of the blades at her hip.

Sniffing the air around the Lost, the brute gave a low growl. “You’re not in the wilds anymore, little man,” he said, in a low and guttural voice. “Inside these walls, we’re the law here. Me and my boys have been aching for a propa’ brawl, you see?” The brute licked its cracked lips with a blackened tongue. “So if you and your whores decide to give us an excuse, ol’ Rutärg is going to flay the lot of ya, and use your skins as his new banner!”

The Lost’s only response was to narrow his eyes and flex his hands. Something popped and bulged underneath the skin, stretching the skin taut and ready to split. A few of the brutes began to bellow challenges and pound their chests with their weapons. Twilight, Rainbow, and Rarity drew close to each other, as the rest of the group readied to defend themselves.

“Come now, gentlemen,” came a low voice that cut through the air. The guards halted their actions and parted for a newcomer. “These are honored guests! We should play the part of gracious hosts, should we not?”

The newcomer was short, scarcely half of Lero’s height and maybe even a little shorter than the average pony. He, or as the ponies assumed it was a “he”, walked on two stubby legs and had a pair of arms that ended in fat, ringed fingers. His face was covered in a leathery green skin, jowly, wrinkled and sporting a few black mols. A pair of long but floppy ears poked out of each side of his bald head. The mouth was almost too wide with that smile of his and sported several long, jutting tusks that curled outwards like a boar’s. The eyes were hidden behind a pair of circular sunglasses, framed in shining gold and flanked by rich, dark leather side guards.

The being wore very fine clothes; a tailored, three-piece suit with gold buttons and a golden pocket watch. Each one of his stubby fingers had a jeweled ring. Even his teeth were bedecked with gold; several of the protruding tusks had golden caps placed on each of them. One hand grasped a polished black cane with a golden pommel. The goblin was almost as wide as he was tall with the luxurious fur coats he was wearing.

Twilight instantly recognized him as a creature of influence. Having grown up in Canterlot and lived for many years in the Royal Palace, she had seen plenty of his type before; wealthy, pompous, bloated individuals who would trample anypony to accomplish their agendas. And always with smiles to distract you from the daggers they hid behind them.

Apparently, some trends were universal.

The goblin looked over each of the newcomers appraisingly before settling his gaze on the Lost. His smile seemed to grow wider as he walked forward.

“Do I have the pleasure of addressing the leader of this lovely company, good sir?” he asked.

The Lost exited the craft, stepping between several of the brutes, crossed his arms and squared his stance. “You do,” he answered neutrally.

The goblin bowed with a flourish of his hand. “Then I bid you good morrow and warm welcomes to the great township of Gladesrest, good sir,” he said. “Allow me to introduce myself. Among friends and partners, I am known Gilded Jack and I have the honorable distinction of bearing the title of Master of the Town.” He rose from his bow and offered a hand to the Lost. “To whom does this humble hob have the pleasure of addressing?”

The Lost offered his own hand. “You may simply call me the Lost.”

“But of course, good sir, an appropriate alias. I realize that men of your profession must keep a low profile. But let me assure you, unlike other, less civilized townships, Gladesrest is very accommodating to those that curry favor among the Gentry and procure merchandise on their behalf.”

“...Of course, Master Jack,” said the Lost.

The goblin turned his gaze back towards the rest of the group. “And shall I assume that these… very lovely visions accompanying you are your…”

“My compatriots, yes,” said the Lost. He positioned himself between them and Jack, forcing the goblin’s attention back on himself. “I must say it is rather curious that the Master of the Town would greet us personally.”

“But of course, good sir, but of course! I can always sense a grand opportunity when one comes across.” Jack tapped his elongated nose with a pudgy finger. “And when one such as you, that is to say, a respectable man of the trade comes to my city, I am always eager to personally greet them.”

The Lost thought for a moment. Then an arrogant smirk crossed his face and he shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly. “I know the feeling, Jack,” he said. “Can’t tell you how many times I’ve had to cross off some pack of punks thinking they can do business without a proper patron. Honestly, it’s bottom feeders like that that give my trade such a dirty reputation!”

As the girls glanced at each other in hidden uncertainty, the goblin burst into laughter. “Indeed, indeed! These so called ‘freelancers’, always thinking they can get one over on their betters. But you, Master Lost, you have the honor of such a distinguished patron. I knew instantly the moment the pixies alerted me that you were a gentleman that I could do business with!”

The Lost shook Jack’s hand again. “You said it, Jack,” he said, then jerked a thumb back at the women behind him. “Now then, we’ve got some good loot to trade and I’m looking for some fresh gear for myself and my crew. We need weapons, supplies, the works. Also some place to put our feet up for a while. None of this flea-infested crap, we want the best you’ve got.” The Lost’s arrogant smile showed off a budding set of sharp teeth that reminded Rainbow of a hungry wolf she once met.

Gilded Jack chuckled and motioned for the to the guards. A pair of brutes moved to a large spoked wheel and began turning it, raising the inner gate. “But of course, Sir,” said Jack. “Allow me to escort you and your companions through the canals. Since this is your first visit to our city, best that I show you where to go. Goodness knows we’ve seen our fair share of travellers get lost in the Market’s waters.”

The inner gate had been raised, revealing another enclosed area. This was a place teeming with more soldiers. Some were more of the large, brutish bipeds, while others were taller and more lithe, their long limbs holding wooden bows or, as the Lost instantly recognized, long muskets. Kyria was allowed to propel the punt forwards and the gate was closed behind them. The Lost followed Gilded Jack along the wooden docks to a spot where a few other, sleeker gondolas were tied off.

The red-skinned leader gave one last growl before stomping off towards the battlements. “Ogres,” commented Gilded Jack. “They are not very bright but they certainly have their uses. Now then, if you would allow one of my guards to accompany your own craft, you would be more than welcome to join me on my own craft. A simple precaution, I can assure you.”

The Lost nodded his head but not before a pair of flapping wings interrupted his thoughts. He turned around to see that Luna had joined them, carrying an air of assurance with her. “It would seem that your soldiers are a touch too large for our vessel,” she said. Luna faced the Lost and bowed her head slightly. “Please allow me to joined you as well, My Lord. I would be a very poor bodyguard indeed, if I were to allow My Lord to go unattended.”

The Lost raised an eyebrow but was again cut off before he could say anything. “But of course, Madame,” said Jack. The sound of buzzing wings heralded the arrival of one of the insectoid pixies, the same black and blue one that first appeared to the party. It landed on Jack’s shoulder and whispered something in his ear. “Please excuse me for a moment, good sir.”

As the goblin walked off and began speaking to a few of his soldiers, the Lost leaned towards Luna. “‘Bodyguard’, huh?” he whispered.

“Well, one would be allowed to freely carry a pair of blades as a bodyguard, wouldn’t she?” Luna responded with a sly smile, her hand drifting down to one of the blades at her hips. “Besides, I do not like the look of that creature. I have seen enough of his kind at the palace to recognize a well-dressed rogue when I see one. Better to have someone with you who knows how to handle a blade, should the cur lead us to a trap.”

The Lost offered a smirk. “A good idea. And the ‘My Lord’ bit was a nice touch. I could get used to being called that.”

This actually caused the disguised alicorn to laugh a little. “Don’t get too far ahead of yourself, Sir Lost,” she said.

The Lost stepped down into the slim craft with a nod to the tall, thin boatman. He turned and offered Luna an outstretched hand, which she gracefully accepted and stepped into his vessel. The craft rocked slightly and the Lost’s arm instantly went to Luna’s waist to steady her, pulling the winged woman close to his body. Luna suddenly found her breath stilled at the contact.

“Careful,” said the Lost, oblivious to the reaction.

Luna only nodded her head and tried to slow down her heart.

‘I shouldn’t be doing this,’ she mused. ‘Becoming flustered like some filly, ‘tis unbefitting for a princess! Remember what this man is. What he is capable of! He isn’t even Lero, why would I-’

“Luna?” The Lost’s voice snapped Luna out of her thoughts. She blinked and found herself looking into the Lost’s eyes. “You should probably sit down.”

And so Luna sat and tried to get her mind onto anything but the being sitting next to her. They were soon joined by Gilded Jack, whose rotund body almost took up the entire bench across from them, small though he was. He raised his right hand and motioned for the guards to open the innermost gate to Gladesrest.

If someone had tried to recreate Venice from almost nothing but wood and a drunken description of what Venice was actually supposed to look like, then it might look something like Gladesrest. If you were also drunk and squinting really hard while you looked at it. And if they were drunk and squinting really hard while they built it.

From the moment they entered, the girls instantly saw the town as a place unlike any built in Equestria. All the buildings were erected on a forest of pylons that sank into the swamp’s murky water. There seemed to be no clear style of construction, as several of the buildings blended into one another, creating whole blocks that looked to be a single structure, sometimes interrupted with a new canal entrance. A few buildings stretched a good five stories into the air.

The blocks were connected by a spectrum of different types of bridges and walkways, some wooden, a few stone, some even were little more that knotted ropes. All around, the city was alive with creatures and beings of all sizes moving about their business. From the water, the visitors saw that the city was built in layers. The lowest layer was composed mostly of docks and more canals travelling underneath the larger blocks. Above that were two, sometimes three, stories, each packed with more merchants, buildings and pedestrians.

The walkways and the canals were alight from the glow of a thousand different lanterns in a wide spectrum of colors. They ranged from hanging oil lamps to the endless strings of paper lanterns that were popular in countries like Neighpon and Xing Ha. Under the eternal night sky, the citizens of Gladesrest lived in their own galaxy of lanterns.

All through the canals were vessels of every type; slim, one-man rowboats, large three-masted xebecs with crews unloading crates, smoke-belching steamboats, their captains cursing and shaking their fists at smaller crafts, demanding they clear a way for them. Rainbow marveled as they passed a tall creature on six stilted legs that walked over them, through the waters, a boxy cabin structure lashed to its back.

And all throughout the city they heard the sounds of merchants, traders, and shopkeepers hawking their wares and barting over prices. Even on the water, several boats were tied to each other as their pilots exchanged goods and haggled with one another.

Some looked like they were floating food carts, offering a wide variety of meals to passersby. Brightly colored goblin fruits, steaming dishes served in small white boxes, paper-wrapped packages of meat, and even one seemed to be selling insects, both live and cooked. Rarity grimaced as she saw one creature pluck a squirming beetle and bite into it with an obnoxiously loud crunch.

Still others seemed to be ferries transporting their passengers all around the city. Some were very large, holding over fifty passengers, while others, such as Master Jack’s own gondola, held only a few.

“As you can see, our town thrives on trade,” said Gilded Jack.

“Yeah, I can see you are doing pretty well for yourselves,” said the Lost, who had once again put on an arrogant facade. “And for the looks of it, I’d say you get a cut of just about every deal made here.”

Jack grinned. “There is just a small tax imposed on the merchants for conducting business here, nothing more. The money is collected for the betterment of the town.” He looked down to examine a few of the jeweled rings adorning his fingers. “I merely procure a small wage for myself, as befitting any humble civil servant.”

“I bet you do,” muttered Luna. Jack only ignored her irritated tone.

“A guy like you probably has his ear to ground on a lot of things,” said the Lost. “Knows where to find things and who to talk to around here. Probably hears a lot too.”

Jack raised a wrinkled eyebrow. “I might be those things and more,” he said. “And what would you be needing from a humble hob like me?”

“What do you say to a meeting first? I have business here that is best discussed behind closed doors.”

“Indeed? I, too, have matters I wish to discuss,” Gilded Jack replied. “Matters concerning a potential agreement with your patroness.”

“Then consider our meeting tomorrow payment for our lodgings and meals. We want a place you would enjoy a comfortable night’s rest in, Master Jack.”

The Lost was careful with his wording. He knew he had to be specific. Dealing with a goblin was never an easy task.

“Don’t forget,” he continued, “it’ll be your town’s future we’ll be discussing. And whether the Fae Lord I represent will make that future bright or dark. So it’d be highly unwise and short-sighted of you to try penny-pinching either myself or any of my crew.”

The goblin’s smile became somewhat strained. Luna could barely hear the sounds of grinding teeth and knew that the Lost had struck a chord somewhere. “Consider it done, good sir,” he said, then looked up to the boatman. “Boy, take us to the Knurly Wyvern.”

The Knurly Wyvern was a moderately sized building. Four stories above the main fairway with another two stories and a dock below, the building looked like it had been plucked straight from an old Chinese waterfront, much like the rest of the surrounding neighborhood. The ridged, tiled roofs, the wooden pillars, the hanging paper lamps... to Lero, it all seemed like he had walked onto the set of some Asian movie.

Their pilot guided the gondola into the docks, where a small group of bipeds waited expectantly. As Gilded Jack stepped out and his cane touched the wooden planks, the party bowed and a woman stepped forward.

The woman stood on a pair of bent equine legs that ended in split hooves. She wore a fine silken dress, much in the style of the Xing Ha. Her skin appeared to be scaled in some places but smooth-skinned in others. Poking out of her styled silver hair were two pairs of antlers. One was larger and curved, the other set of antlers was smaller, and looked like those of a deer.

Luna almost did a double take. Though the form was almost human, there was surely no mistaking it. This was a kirin standing before them, exactly like those those that inhabited the nation of Xing Ha back on Equis. The similarity was another mystery of the Hedge that left her unsettled at the implications.

“Master Jack,” spoke the woman, who warmly took the goblin’s fat hand in her own. “Welcome back. My little birds told me you would be coming here, so I took the liberty of preparing the top suites.”

“Ah, Jasmine,” said Jack, who kissed the kirin’s hand. Luna couldn’t help but notice the faintest revolted shudder pass through the female. “How do your little birds find out such things?”

The kirin gave a good-natured giggle. “Oh but that would be telling, Master Jack.” The woman raised her head and regarded the growing group in front of her. Kyria had just docked her punt and two larger males were helping the passengers disembark and offload the gear.

The kirin stepped forward and bowed. “Welcome to this humble place,” she said. “I am Jasmine, Mistress of the Knurly Wyvern and your hostess within these walls. You are honored guests of the Master of the Town and here as well. As a sign of our hospitality, know that everything offered in these walls is done so without consequence. On this you have my word.” She bowed once more and the taller males followed suit. Jasmine then clapped her hands twice and the two males hefted Kyria’s collection of sacks and the girls’ own packs onto their shoulders before striding off towards a staircase leading upwards.

“Do you wish to dine first? Our chefs are prepared to bring you anything your palettes can desire.”

“Thanks but I think it would best if we were to head straight to the rooms,” said the Lost, who cast a quick glance at the retreating forms carrying the bags. “We’ve been travelling all day and I think some good rest would best right now. Send up some hot vegetable soup and some drinks, though, that much we can ask for.”

Jasmine bowed her head again. “Of course, sir.” She clapped twice again and a small fluttering figure dropped down from the rafters. The new creature appeared to be humanoid woman with a pair of moth wings carrying a tiny paper lantern that glowed blue.

“Mistress!” she called out. Jasmine delicately held out her hand and the pixie landed on it.

“Girl, be a dear and show these guests to the top suites,” she instructed cheerfully.

The pixie bobbed her and fluttered in front of the Lost. “This way, esteemed guest. This one will show the way.”

“Until our meeting on the morrow, Sir Lost,” said Gilded Jack, who gave a flourished bow. “I shall send one of my servants to collect you.”

“Sure thing, Jack,” replied the Lost with cocky wave as he walked beside Luna.

As the group walked past, Kyria gave the kirin a suspicious look, which only garnered a sweet, innocent smile from the innkeeper.

After the Lost and his companions ascended the stairs, Gilded Jack turned to the kirin, a scowl crossing his face.

“I hope you were serious when you said all that, witch,” he said. “I want no funny business from you or your staff, got it?”

“Oh Master Jack,” tittered Jasmine behind a daintily raised fan. “I was being serious. I am but a humble innkeeper. Why, to have you suggest that I would dare do anything untowards my guests…” Jasmine’s gaze suddenly hardened and the air choked with a miasmal weight. “...would be very unwise on your part.”

The goblin gritted his teeth and shook his fist. “Remember your place, witch,” he said. “I run this town and I will not let you or anything else get in my way.” He turned on his heel and walked away. After giving the boatman a quick strike with his cane, Gilded Jack clambered into the gondola.

Jasmine's voice was once again light and good-natured. “Oh I wouldn’t dream of it, Master Jack. Do come again soon!”

But once the gondola departed, Jasmine’s gaze once again became steel. “After all, I know who the man represents. What a curious development this is.”

A fire had already been lit in the small hearth, giving the room a cozy warmth that was a pleasant change from the chill outside. A few of the girls let out sighs of relief as they laid eyes on the furnished sitting room before them.

The walls were hung with scrolled artwork and there were tables with ornate flower decorations. To either side of the room were two sliding wooden doors, each leading to an adjacent bedroom. On a low table in the center of the room, surrounded by comfortable looking and ornately carved and lacquered wooden chairs, was an opulent serving pot and several small bowls. The serving pot gave off a tantalizing aroma. Next to those sat a small platter of fruit and a large ceramic jug with a bowl and several small drinking cups.

“Finally,” said Rarity gratefully. “Civilization at last.”

The pixie flittered to the top of a nearby end table and gave a low bow. “This one shall remain nearby, should the esteemed guests require it,” she said.

“Thank you very much,” said Rarity. “May we have your name?”

The pixie looked around hesitantly. She then leaned forward and whispered, “This one has no name to give. Mistress Jasmine owns it and this one.” Before Rarity could give any response, the pixie once again took flight and dashed out of the room and down the hall.

When she looked ready to follow, the Lost put a hand on her shoulder and shook his head. “The Gentry aren’t the only ones that own others here,” he said with a frown.

Despite the somber words, the group was indeed grateful to have this break from the harshness of traveling. Soon they were gathered around the table, eagerly downing bowls of the hot soup. Lero had once again emerged and was actually enjoying himself. The soup was warm and filling and the drink gave them all a pleasant buzz. Rarity leaned close to her herd sisters, giving a hushed and conspiratorial conversation. Though he couldn’t hear the words, Lero could guess the context from Lyra’s salacious grin and Twilight’s blazing cheeks.

Kyria was eating especially noisily as she gulped down her third bowl and gave a loud belch, adding bits of dried meat from her satchel to absorb the juices. Under normal circumstances, this would have drawn a few choice remarks from Rarity over manners, but an exception could be made here; this was Kyria’s first true meal in who-knew-how long.

“Oh, my God,” sighed Kyria. “This is *urp* amazing.”

Chuckling, Lero reached for the serving ladle. “Up for one more?”

“Nope, but I will take more of that booze. What is it, anyways?”

Lero grabbed the bottle and examined it. Amongst the jug’s intricate detailing were characters in a foreign language he didn’t recognize and written in gold leaf. “Uh… expensive, by the looks of it.”

Rainbow laughed a little. “Wow, if they treat people like us this way, imagine how really important people get treated!”

“I agree,” said Luna as she sipped from a small drinking cup. “This does seem a bit excessive, even if we are representing a Fae Lord.”

Lero placed the jug down and looked up with blue eyes. “Well… not exactly,” said the Lost.

“What do you mean?” asked Luna.

“I mean I may have an idea on what Gilded Jack thinks we are. And it’s not merchants hawking a bunch of trinkets.”

There was a pregnant pause in the conversation. “...no,” said Kyria with wide eyes.

“Yeah…”

“He thinks we’re-?”

“Pretty sure.”

“What?” asked Twilight.

Kyria almost leapt across the table to grab the Lost by his lapels. “What the hell did you get us into?!”

“Just a sit-down meeting!”

“AS A CREW OF PRIVATEERS?!”

“...pretty much, yeah.”

Kyria’s eye twitched dangerously.

“Wait,” said Lyra. “You made him think we’re slavers?”

“Hell, no! He saw the sigil, made the assumption on his own, and I wasn’t suicidal enough to contradict him!”

Twilight looked aghast. “How could you do that?!”

“Why are you blaming me for this?!”

Luna took another sip from her cup. “I admit I had my suspicions, based on your crude manner back at the gatehouse. But I must ask all of you to calm down. If anything, we should all be thankful for this development.”

“Eh?!”

Luna refilled her drink. “Think of it: if the Crusaders have been taken here, where better to look for leads than among folk who traffic in kidnapped individuals?”

The group paused a resumed their seats. Kyria sat back heavily and crossed her arms. “I still don’t like it. I spent years dodging people just like that so I wouldn’t end up in a cage. Now you want me to pretend to be one of those scumbags?”

“You do not have to do any such thing, Kyria,” Luna told her. “Tomorrow, I shall accompany the Lost to this meeting as his bodyguard. I would have you take the others to the market and gather more appropriate equipment for our new forms and listen for any rumors.”

“I will be going with the Lost as well,” said Rarity, which drew more than a few looks. “What? Given my experience with the Weather Bureau back home, I feel I can easily play the part of the Lost’s secretary…”

“‘Scriber’ is what they’re called here,” Kyria muttered, with her face between splayed fingers.

“Scriber, then,” said Rarity. “If The Lost is to negotiate a contract, better to have someone well-versed in bureaucracy, no?”

The Lost thought for a moment and nodded his head. “That actually sounds like a decent plan,” he said. “Yeah, that could work.”

“Then if you would be so kind, good sir,” said Rarity, a hint of annoyance dripping into her voice.

The Lost sighed and casually waved off his hand. “Yeah, yeah, see you all tomorrow.” He blinked his eyes a few times. They returned to Lero’s customary hazel.

Lero furrowed his eyebrows as his brain processed his time spent as the Lost. After a moment, a frown crossed his face and he turned to the rest of the group. “Ah crap,” he said. “We’re screwed, aren’t we?”

“No if we play our cards right, Fingers,” said Lyra reassuringly. The green-haired woman stood up and stretched, interlacing her fingers and cracking her knuckles with a series of satisfying pops. “Oh, wow, I’ve always wanted to do that.” Lyra tilted one way then the next, stretching her muscles as a trained gymnast would. Lero could help but feel this was merely a ploy to show off her curves poking from under her wrappings. Not that he felt like voicing a complaint anytime soon.

Rarity closed the distance between herself and her stallion, leaning against his body and giving Lero a tender kiss on the cheek. “Hello, my prince,” she said, resting her head against Lero’s neck and inhaling deeply. “I missed you,” she whispered.

Lero smiled and rested his own head against hers. “Never left, princess.”

Twilight got up and walked to one of the sliding doors and carefully opened it.

A moment later, a small squeak drifted across the common room.

“Sparkle-kitten?” asked Rarity. “What is it?”

Kyria turned to Luna and mouthed ‘Sparkle-kitten?’ to the princess. The other woman merely gave a noncommittal shrug of her shoulders.

“Girls, look,” whispered Twilight. Everyone rose from their seats and peered into the room. They were all struck dumb by what they saw.

“Is that…?” asked Lero.

“A BATH!!” squealed the women in joyous unison. Sure enough, resting in one corner of the room on a polished stone slab was a large copper bathtub, complete with brass faucets, bottles of shampoo and oils, and four pairs of perfectly white cotton towels and robes. The bathtub looked large enough to hold four people and still have plenty of room. Luna opened the other door, revealing a similar setup in the other room.

Lero walked forward and twisted one of the brass knobs. Water began to pour out of the faucet and he stuck his hand under it. His eyes widened and he looked up to the crowd at the doorway. His face said it all.

They had hot running water.

Rarity sniffed as a single tear of joy threatened to roll down her pale cheek. “Truly fate has smiled upon us this evening.”

Rarity, Lyra, and Twilight immediately gathered their belongings from the common area and planted them in the room, unofficially claiming in in the name of Herd Bellerophon. The three women began to chatter like a small flock of birds as they began to shed their clothing. Luna took this opportunity to close the door, but not before catching an eyeful of Lero without his shirt on.

“Let us adjourn to our own suite, shall we, ladies?” she said to Kyria and Rainbow, both of whom were blushing slightly. They gathered their own belongings and went to the neighboring room.

There they found three beds, one king size and two smaller queen sizes. There was another brass tub waiting to be used and three pairs of towels and robes.

“Oh wow,” said Rainbow. “Real beds!” The smaller woman would have given an excited hop, had she not realized how tired she felt. Instead, she let loose a long sigh and moved to one of the beds.

Kyria stood still, simply staring at the piece of furniture with disbelieving eyes. Rainbow had laid down her pack and sat on the edge of the bed to start undoing her worn boots. As the first one thumped to the floor, Rainbow looked up to see Kyria still staring.

“Kyria?” she asked. Luna paused her own unpacking to look back.

The horned girl finally stepped forward. She reached out a hand but hesitated, as if she thought simply touching the bed would cause it fade back into the dream she surely was experiencing. With a shuddering breath, Kyria reached out again and rested her hand on the down mattress, letting it lay on the soft and downy surface.

“I can’t remember the last time I slept in a bed,” she whispered as she ran her hand across the soft comforter.

Rainbow came up to her and smiled sadly. Her heart went out to the horned girl. Could the simple prospect of sleeping in a real bed be that titanic to someone? Then she realized that after so many years of abuse and living in the wilds among monsters and in poor environments, even a bit of kindness was something alien to her. So the idea of sleeping in bed or taking a bath, actions Rainbow had completely taken for granted back home in her little cottage...

...They must seem unreal to the poor girl.

But Rainbow was the Element of Kindness. She knew that anyone, no matter what horrible things they had faced in their past, could find peace from a simple act of kindness.

So she gently took Kyria’s hand and stood her up. “Come on,” she said. “I’ll wash your back.”

Rarity let loose a positively orgasmic moan as she sank into the water, letting it rise to her jawline. “Oh Sisters,” she sighed, “I have died and gone to the Far Shores.”

The leadmare received similar sounds of agreement fromt the rest of the herd.

They had all stripped bare, scrubbed their bodies and washed their hair, which was its own experience that the girls took immense pleasure in; the sensation of running their fingers through their hair was one they would not forget anytime soon.

Since this was only their second day in human form, there was not much to be done. Lero, on the other hand, had gone the better part of more than a week without so much as a rinse. So it was that the human quickly found himself attacked on three fronts with a barrage of scented soaps and rough brushes.

Lero did not try to protest even in the slightest. And not because he was now being washed by three of the most absolutely gorgeous women he had ever met in his entire life.

More significantly, he was being washed by his women.

Shared time in the shower back at the library was one of the most intimate times among Herd Bellerophon. Before the Swap, Rainbow and Lero shared some of their most intimate moments in the shower; the feel of hot water on fur and bare skin provided the initial spark that the closeness and contact had ignited into many a wonderful inferno.

So Lero simply sat on a small stool and let the clean his body. Rarity hugged him from behind, pressing her large wet breasts against his back, as she lathered up Lero’s hair and gently massaged his scalp. Lyra used a brush to scrub his torso and arms, paying close attention to Lero’s fingers and removing the caked mud from under his fingernails. Twilight had begun to wash his lower body, taking delight at the sight of Lero’s aroused member.

Hardly a word was said as the three women tended to their man. Nothing really needed to be said. Everything was conversed through gentle touches, soft and tender kisses, and gentle moans of contentment. By the time they had all been washed and had climbed into the large tub for a long soak, they were experiencing a unique mixture of excitement and relief, of arousal and of contentment.

It could easily be described as one the most erotic sensations in any of their collective lives.

“Wise master say, ‘The many roads to enlightenment begin within a peaceful mind’,” said Lyra. She stretched out fully within the tub, splaying her fingers and toes and allowing her breasts to breach the surface. “I think just being here right now gets us all halfway there.”

“Yeah,” agreed Lero blissfully.

He knew full well that the world outside of these walls was a place full of madness and new dangers that they would have to face in the morning.

But right there, right then, at that very instant, he felt peace. And he wasn’t going to waste a single moment of it.

Twilight let out a quiet gasp as a hand touched her leg. Lero ran his hand along the underside of her calf with smooth, firm fingers. Twilight felt the heat rise in her cheeks as Lero gently massaged her aching leg. Lero’s masseur skills were one of the many things the girls loved about him. Before he had left his job at the spa to focus on helping the Swapped reach equilibrium, ponies would come from all across Equestria to slot an hour on his table. And they would pay exceptionally well for his services- well, as much as he would let them- Lero was never one to price his service out of the range of the common pony.

So the girls knew that they were very fortunate to not only receive his gifts for free, but that Lero would often include “special services” in his massages that were not open to the public.

Twilight’s lips parted in soft panting as Lero lifted her leg out of the water and began to rub her foot with his strong fingers. She moaned aloud as the new sensations spread through her limb. Lero began to assault her toes, working every joint and stretching out every digit with his thumbs.

The pale symbols that had been appearing on Twilight’s violet skin since her initial transformation began to shimmer and dance. She had tried to document these symbols in her journals, but no avail. Most appeared and vanished too quickly for her to properly copy to paper with these new fingers of hers. Even the symbols she’d successfully managed to record were meaningless; not even Kyria had a clue what they meant. Right now, they were the last thing on her mind as Lero softly kissed her big toe.

“Oh!” moaned Twilight. Her back arched out of the water, exposing her erect nipples. “Oh! Lero!”

Lyra took advantage of Twilight’s weakness and latched her mouth on her right nipple. Twilight cried out loudly as the green-haired woman began to gently suckle, her hand drifting upwards to Lyra’s eternally drifting mint-green hair. Her moans were cut short as a pale hand snaked in behind and gripped her own violet locks.

“Oh, what’s this?” cooed Rarity as she gave a tug, causing Twilight to open her mouth and her tongue to loll out. “Does our Sparkle-kitten have a new fetish?”

“R-Rarity,” panted Twilight. Her thoughts were increasingly becoming muddied as Lyra switched to the other nipple, casually taking it in her teeth and flicking circles around it with her tongue.

“Shh,” shushed Rarity. “I think we can put that mouth of yours to better use.” With that, Rarity locked lips with Twilight, her tongue invading the other woman’s mouth. The two of them shared a moan as they fought for dominance, a fight Twilight quickly began to lose as she felt something brush against her nethers. Rarity was fighting dirty, using her middle finger to brush upwards along Twilight’s lips and end with a gentle caress against her nub. Pretty soon she had given up entirely as her eyes simply rolled backwards.

Rarity broke her kiss with Twilight and drifted downwards, leaving a trail of butterfly pecks across her wet skin, before she latched onto an unattended breast. Twilight jerked her head to the side and bit her lip so hard she was afraid she might break the skin.

Rarity continued to play with Twilight’s submerged cunny as she bit down on her nipple, eliciting a long cry from Twilight. Rarity then met eyes with Lyra and the two stopped the shared teasing to lock lips in a wet and sloppy kiss. Lyra’s other hand drifted back up to Twilight’s face, who eagerly began to suck on the other woman’s thumb. Twilight fumbled with a free hand and began to clumsily massage Lyra’s breast.

Lero had stopped his ministrations (he’d have to try that again with Twi’s hooves next time she was a pony) and simply marvelled at the sight in front of him. His own lust was evidenced by his erect member, which he gently stroked as his women continued to please themselves. Lyra and Rarity shot him smoldering looks as their tongues continued to dance, adding their own moans in an increasingly loud choir of lust.

Finally, Rarity slipped a pale finger into Twilight’s nethers. It took very little prompting for her to reach her peak and cry out loudly as she orgasmed.

“Well,” said Luna, taking a dainty sip of the clear wine from a shallow drinking cup. “It seems things are becoming quite lively over in the next room.”

Twilight Sparkle’s loud moans could be heard through the walls as the three women who weren’t part of Herd Bellerophon sat in their own tub, each new moan causing poor Rainbow Dash to become redder and redder, almost to the point that she matched a portion of her hair. Kyria was trying to keep her own mind elsewhere as she indulged in a cup of her own wine.

The trio’s post-dinner bath had been slow to start. Kyria had seemed somewhat reluctant to get into the bath with the two other women, which both Luna and Dash attributed to humanity’s nudity taboo.

Later, thanks to some gentle coaxing from Rainbow, Kyria was able to disrobe and allowed the smaller woman to carefully clean her back with a washcloth and and wash her hair with some scented soap. Afterwards, the three settled into the large tub to relax and enjoy some pleasant conversation and much-welcomed drink.

And then Twilight’s moaning started.

Rainbow had her knees drawn up to her chest, her small breasts pressed so firmly against her thighs that she gave herself a small cleavage. Her eyes were trained on a single spot of the brass tub under the water, as she desperately tried to force out the mental images of Lero, Twilight, Rarity, and Lyra naked in a bathtub, their bodies entwined with each other, gazing at her with sultry eyes, asking her to-

“Why don’t you join them, Rainbow?” asked Luna casually.

“WHAT?!” screeched Rainbow Dash, her gossamer wings flaring fully erect and sending up a spray of water. Kyria’s mouthful of wine vaporized into a cloud as it left her mouth.

“You are courting them, are you not? It should only be natural that you join them in moments of passion.”

Rainbow Dash gaped like a fish out of water for a few seconds before she returned her gaze to the bottom of the tub. “Oh well, I… eventually, I will but, I only just started courting them. I mean, it’s not like I can just barge in and ask if I could… if I could…” Any further thoughts were lost as Rainbow slid further into the water, her words coming out as incoherent mumbling between a string of bubbles.

Kyria’s gaze darted from Luna to Rainbow Dash and back to the wall where she could hear her travelling companions’ sounds of intimacy. Her eye widened and her face became more flushed as the implications of what her batchmates were saying truly dawned on her.

“This… this really is normal for you?” she stammered. “Everyone has… you all have group sex? All the time?”

Rainbow poked her head fully out of the bath water. She was still blushing furiously but able to reply with, “Well… yeah, absolutely! Er, well, if by ‘everyone’ you mean ‘ponies in general.’ I don’t, but Lero and his herd… they all love each other.”

Now it was Kyria’s turn to stammer. “Well, wouldn’t, I mean, one man and multiple women… wouldn’t there be jealousy?”

Rainbow Dash became genuinely confused. “Uh… no. Why? They’ve all got each other. What would any of them have to be jealous of?”

Luna sat her drink back down on a small floating tray with a knowing smile. “I think I recall Sir Bellerophon once saying that in the land of his birth, there are an equal amount of sta… men as there are women, and that it’s customary for them to join in monogamous pairs?”

“Yes, that’s exactly right,” said Kyria. “One mom and one dad; that’s pretty much the human way. I mean, I’ve heard that some other cultures practiced stuff like harems, but they were only for the kings and sultans and stuff. No one does it like that anymore.”

Luna refilled her drink and poured one for both Kyria and Rainbow Dash. “In my nation and among my people, there has always been and will forever be a vast abundance of ‘women,’ and a lamentable scarcity of ‘men.’ So our practice of polygamy arose out of a biological necessity, at first, and has since grown into the social standard. It is customary for the ‘women’ to form bonds of love between themselves and unite their strength together to protect the ‘men’.”

Kyria laughed at that. “Seriously? Wow, if you said that to some people back home…” Kyria chuckled again as she downed her drink in a single gulp.

Rainbow Dash remained oblivious as to the source of the horned girl’s amusement. “Yeah,” she said, “Herd Bellerophon… I guess you could say they pretty much represent a very typical, healthy, natural family unit where we’re from. And frankly, I’m super-lucky they want me to be part of their herd.”

“Surely, even on your world, there must still exist groups of multiple lovers?” Luna asked the horned girl.

Kyria thought for a moment. “Well, yeah, I guess, but only in threes, at most. And even that… well, aside from it being illegal to marry like that in most places, it never-”

Rainbow looked aghast. “Illegal?!”

“Surely not!” cried Luna.

“Yeah,” nodded Kyria. “Polygamy is illegal back home. Besides… I’ve heard it never works out anyways. Humans are just too… possessive. One always loves another too much or too little and things just break down. Do you ponies never really have that problem?”

Luna didn’t hesitate. “Well, I can’t say that every herd has been perfect. There is such a thing as a lead mare and stallion-”

“Which would be Rarity and Lero,” interjected Rainbow.

“Correct. And, yes, sometimes a herd will be divided for any number of reasons. But, generally, it is as natural to us as monogamous pairings are to you, Kyria. Those that form a herd do so out of love, the stallion to his mares, the mares to their stallion, and the mares amongst themselves.”

Kyria’s eyebrows raised. “You… you all have same-sex…?!”

From the other side of the wall, the three ladies could all hear Lyra and Twilight both excitedly urging each other on.

“Of course. It is love. And our people do their best to embrace it in all its forms.”

Any further commentary was cut off by a renewed set of moaning from the neighboring room.

“Lero! Lero! Leeeeerooooo!!” cried out Rarity as she climaxed against her stallion. Lero had bent her over the edge of the tub and had taken her from behind. One arm wrapped around her torso, a hand clasping at a large breast while the twin came up from Rarity’s sticky nethers. The woman moaned in satisfaction as Lero gave a few shuddering thrusts, spilling his load in her womb. Rarity turned her head and locked lips with her prince, savoring the warm sensation flooding her body as she prolonged their joining with their intimate kiss.

“Oh, my prince,” she whispered. “That… that was…”

“Yeah,” replied Lero, as he deepened the kiss.

“Oh Leeeeerooo,” singsonged Lyra.

Lero looked up and saw both her and Twilight displaying themselves on the room’s single, large bed. Lyra was kneeling with her legs spread wide, showing off a set of swollen and dripping lips while Twilight had laid on her back, one hand pulling her hair back while the other spread her own nethers.

Already, Lero’s blood was stirring to his groin again.

“Why don’t you dry off and join us, Fingers?” asked Lyra. Both of her hands squeezed her smaller, firmer breasts and she arched her back with her words.

Lero helped Rarity out of the tub, who gave him a quick toweling and ushered him to the edge of the bed. Lero kneeled on the bed, his eyes never leaving Lyra’s for a moment as the two wrapped their arms around another and kissed passionately. Rarity laid next to Twilight, a hand gently resting on Twilight’s navel as they both watched their other lovers.

Lero broke the kiss to leave a trail down Lyra’s jawline, his breathing becoming hard as he inhaled her scent. Despite the transformation, she still held onto her original scent. They all did. As Lero revelled in Lyra’s minty smell, his hands ran along Lyra’s smooth back, sending tingling current of pleasure throughout her body. Lyra arched her back under the touch, pulling Lero’s head down to her breasts. Lero planted soft and gentle kisses on the firm mounds.

Lyra’s thoughts swirled in her head under Lero’s expert touch. She felt her skin light ablaze as he took one of her nipples between his lips. But she was never one to simply lay back and let the stallion do all the work. Her hand came between them and Lyra gripped Lero’s erect member, a move that made the man give a low and rumbling moan into her chest. Lyra began to use her new hand to pleasure her stallion. Using her palm to stroke his length, she eventually moved downwards to cup his sack.

“I want you,” whispered Lyra into his ear. Her other arm was wrapped tightly around his broad shoulders. “Now.”

Lero’s hands cupped her rear as he lifted her up slightly and onto himself. The lotus position was the pair’s favorite. As a pony, Lyra had only been successful in using it with other mares, but not stallions; the way their bodies had been built just made it very uncomfortable. Lero’s unique physiology and his skills as a lover, on the other hand, hadn’t just made it comfortable.

It made it divine.

Lyra moved herself up and down on top of Lero’s stiff cock, Lero meeting her with his own slow and short thrusts, their skin slick in sweat as the two looked into each other’s eyes in shared silence. Compared to whenever they made love with Twilight, or Rarity, or Rainbow before her Swap, Lyra and Lero were very quiet with each other, aside from a small squeak or a loud gasp. To most, the act may have seemed boring, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. The shared movements and breathing were some of the most intimate two being could share.

Rarity watched in rapt fascination as the lovers moved subtly, their faces becoming more strained at the approaching shared climax. When the moment did come and the two lovers shared what Lyra called “the big long now”, she felt her own nethers becoming slick again with arousal. Rarity let out a gasp as she felt Twilight’s lips on her sensitive breasts, the violet woman’s eyes looking up at her, half-lidded and foggy with passion. Twilight gave a little whimper as she rubbed her legs together, silently begging for release.

“Why, Sparkle-kitten,” Rarity whispered teasingly, “is there something you need?”

Twilight’s response was to pant heavily and moan, a hand drifting down to her dripping cunny and fingering her engored mound.

“P-please,” she half-whimpered, half-begged. Lero and Lyra had turned to gaze at her, their own eyes drooping in post-coital afterglow.

Rarity reached out to Lero as Lyra slowly pulled herself off of him, letting the evidence of their joining dribble a little onto the bedding. Twilight’s gaze immediately latched onto Lero’s cock, still glistening with Lyra’s juices and his own seed. She got to her hands and knees, allowing Rarity to lead her over to Lero.

Twilight began to eagerly suck without any hesitation. The taste of Lero’s and Lyra’s mixed cum flooded her senses. Lero, who had abandoned all rational thought at this point, simply grabbed onto Twilight’s hair, giving it a firm tug. Twilight moaned loudly around the still-erect penis as Lero’s hand turned her gaze upwards to meet his own. She began to bob her head eagerly, slurping wetly as her tongue ran along the bottom of his shaft, and gagging slightly as the head entered her throat.

“Oh, fuuuuucck,” Lero moaned loudly, as Rarity pulled a panting Twilight off his dick, leaving behind a glistening strand of saliva.

“Does it taste good, Sparkle-kitten?” whispered Rarity. “Did Lyra’s little cunt taste good on our stallion’s cock?”

Twilight offered an incoherent murmur in response. Rarity sat her upright and kissed her, her tongue swirling around Twilight’s mouth, tasting the last remnants of cum.

“Mmmm… that did taste good,” she said, laying Twilight on her back with spread legs. “But I think I know what you want now, Sparkle-kitten.”

“Uhn,” grunted Twilight. Lero had taken up position between her legs, rubbing the head of his throbbing dick at Twilight’s entrance. Twilight responded with a wiggle of her hips, trying to reach herself on top of him, but Rarity held her in place.

“Tell us what you want, Twilight,” said Rarity.

“Ru… rut me,” begged Twilight as Lero continued to tease her.

“No, no,” chastised Rarity, her tone maddeningly sweet. “Use the right words.”

“F-f-fu-fuck…”

“I can’t hear you, darling.”

“Fuck me,” said Twilight. Lero moved forward slightly, using only the tip to open her up before pulling back out. It was too much, and Twilight cried out. “Fuck me, Lero! FUCK ME!!”

Lero surged forward and Twilight suddenly wasn’t there anymore. In her place was a woman who was panting like a dog in heat as Lero drove into her, causing her to sound off in loud pleasured cries as each thrust hit her in that one sensitive spot that all women shared.

“More! More!! Fuck me MORE!!” cried Twilight. Lero grabbed and lifted both of Twilight’s legs, spread them upwards in the air as each of his thrusts became more fevered, filling the room with Twilight’s moaning and the wet slapping sound off their bodies meeting.

Lyra had latched herself onto Rarity, spreading the pale woman onto her back. Lyra was on her side with a hand between Rarity’s legs, lifting it over her own midriff as Lyra teased a supple breast with her tongue. Rarity’s head lolled to one side and gave her own cry as Lyra’s fingers coaxed her tunnel.

“Oh, Lyra!” moaned Rarity. “How -- ah! -- how are you so skilled -- mmmmhm! -- with those, songbird?”

Lyra looked up, grinning her trademark smile while she flicked her tongue in lazy circles around Rarity’s hard nipple.

“Do you have to ask, Rarity?” she responded. Lyra then got up and repositioned herself. Intertwining their legs and pressing their crotches against each other, both women moaned loudly as they began to grind. Their juices pooled in the center between them as they quickly reached a shared climax. As they leaned close for a sloppy kisses, gripping each other as they continued to shudder in ecstasy, a massive shriek drew their attention.

Twilight had somehow managed to get on top and was currently riding their stallion for all he was worth. Lero’s hands were on her hips, his thrusts forceful as he met Twilight’s downward thrusts. Twilight head lolled back, her tongue hanging out as a small stream of drool dribbled down her cheek. The symbols dancing across Twilight’s body glowed brightly, each one becoming distinct.

It happened so fast it took everyone by surprise. The symbols froze in place and flared brightly. Twilight’s eyes filled with a shining white light and-

-everything was blurred, indistinct.

Chains rattled somewhere, but she couldn’t see where.

Three small forms were shoved forward to their knees.

White, spindly legs skittered behind them.

Large, heavy footsteps descended from a black, stone staircase.

An imposing figure, cloaked in shadow reached out with its hand-

-and Twilight blacked out as her body rocked with massive spasms, so strong they drained every ounce of remaining energy from her body. Her body continued to shake as a flood broke from her vagina. Lero brought her close to his body, holding her tight against him until she quieted.

Rarity and Lyra helped them both under the covers. They laid Twilight on her back until her trembling breathes slowed and became steady, then surrounded their herd sister with their warm embrace. Twilight was out cold and they were soon to follow. They all relaxed in the afterglow, hot and sticky from the lovemaking.

As Lero closed his eyes and descended into slumber, he drew in the scent of his women, revelling in the simple fact that they were all together and ready to take on whatever.

“-ness, I must protest!”

“Captain Night Song,” said Celestia, setting down a scroll with her magic. “I would first like to know what-”

“You know damn well what! Classifying my reports is one thing, but having your stooge Bound Volume break into Clear Water’s office is completely out of line!” The two solar guards at the door tensed and fixed the thestral with harsh glares. Celestia waved them off with a wing.

“Come in,” she calmly said. Night Song stood tall and proud as he strode forward into the the Princess’ office. A fire was lit in the hearth, warming the room against the winter’s oncoming chill. Nearby was a large and ornately carved desk piled high with scrolls, small plates and used tea cups. Night Song notice that the only relatively clean area was one that surrounded a single framed photograph, though he could not see what it held from his current angle.

“Captain,” said Celestia, drawing back his attention. “I know these past few months have been… difficult, but-”

“Difficult does not begin to describe it, Your Highness,” he interrupted. “My tribe’s patroness, your own sister and fellow diarch, has gone missing along with half of the Elements of Harmony, yet at every chance I get to gather resources or personnel to look further into the matter, I suddenly find my efforts hindered. Reports have gone missing, ponies are suddenly reassigned, funds are diverted to ‘more pressing matters’. Your sister has vanished from the face of Equis! Why have you not-?”

“Captain,” fumed Celestia, her voice taking on an unnaturally firm tone. “I do not like what you are insinuating-”

“I am ‘insinuating’ nothing, Your Highness. I am laying accusation. I know that that worm Bound Volume answers only directly to you! Ever since you sent him to the Alpha Site, he has made a concentrated effort to suppress everything we tried to accomplish. Classifying the reports is one thing, but completely destroying them and all of the evidence retrieved?”

The truth of the matter was far more extensive. The Department of Internal Affairs had launched investigations on every member of the expedition. The soldiers, the academics, even the doctors and the zebra shamaness. It had been going on for months. When Night Song had begun to put the effort into raising the issue again, every one of the academics suddenly found themselves too busy or unwilling to help. High Tenure even had the gall to say that he couldn’t ever recall going into the Everfree in the first place.

Truth Seeker, the stallion who was involved in the horrible accident at the site, had been placed in a hospital to recover from the ordeal. But just as he had been making progress, enough that he may have even been able to fully describe what happened to him, Night Song found out that he had a sudden breakdown and had been transferred to some government facility that the Captain had never even heard of.

Even among his own Night Guard, he found problems. Night Shade, Hammerfall, all the others that experienced the strange dreams in the aftermath of Truth Seeker’s experiment, were suddenly ordered to go on leave for ‘psychological evaluations’, an order that was instituted by the new Captain of the Royal Guard that went directly over Night Song’s head. Upon returning, they had become extremely tight lipped about the whole experience.

It was only Night Shade, a stallion that Night Song held as close as a brother, told him about the matter. They had all been interviewed by Bound Volume himself. The unicorn pressed them on every detail imaginable from their experiences, writing everything down in a metal-bound book. It had gone on for hours with each interviewee. At the end of it, he had, in no subtle terms, threatened each of them with full discharge from the guard along with evidence that would completely discredit them.

Clear Water, Arcanus’s own assistant, had come to Night Song directly when she found herself being followed. He offered her his protection and the two had begun to investigate on their own. That is until Clear Water found her home and office broken into and all of her materials stolen.

“This is irresponsible, Celestia. Very important ponies have gone missing and may need rescue, yet any effort to do so has been derailed. How do you expect us to open another gateway and find-”

“That’s quite enough, Captain,” said Celestia, her tone carrying the finality of the matter. “I will not risk our world anymore than it already has been by outside forces.” She affixed the thestral with a glare that would have melted concrete. “Since you seem determined to pursue this matter, allow me to make it completely crystal clear to you.” She walked forward and Night Song found himself under her imposing gaze, the weight of it.

“There will be no more interviews, no more research, and no more experiments. I am forbidding any and all investigations into the matter. This not a request. It is my royal decree.”

Captain Night Song tried to muster a proper response but found himself nearly quaking in his armor like a rookie. The only words that came out were, “But she is your sister.”

Celestia’s eyes softened as the imposing mask melted away. “And that is what cuts me most deeply, Captain,” she said. “But for the sake of everypony in Equestria, every being in this world, I must order the investigation closed. We can only pray that they will find their own way back.”

Seeing Celestia like this was not what Night Song had expected. He had been ready to, well, he wasn’t quite sure really. Had he been ready to come in there and face the wrath of the sun? To demand justice and shame a demi-goddess into action? What had he hoped to achieve? Maybe it was just the sight of Clear Water, the unicorn mare alone and scared on his doorstep that prompted him into action.

He wasn’t even sure anymore. Without any further word, Night Song turned and exited the office, leaving the princess alone.

After the door closed behind him, she let out a shuddering breath, the carefully crafted mask dropping as she walked slowly around to behind her desk. With a flash of magic and the click of a hidden mechanism, a slender drawer popped loose, revealing a bottle of aged liquor. Celestia uncorked the bottle and poured a small amount into one of the many tea cups before downing it in a single gulp.

Her eyes drifted to a nearby newspaper. “SEARCH PARTY STILL MISSING; THREE MONTHS AND NO WORD” the headlines proclaimed. Behind it was a single framed photograph. It held the image of group of ponies and a single human, all grouped together with determined looks.

Celestia’s hoof drifted over the stern faced, midnight blue alicorn. “Come home, sister,” she whispered. “Please, come ho-”

Rainbow started awake in a cold sweat. Her chest heaved under her small hand as she tried in vain to slow down her heart. The pair of gossamer wings gently fluttered against her back, a reflex of her agitated state.

‘It was a dream,’ she tried to convince herself. ‘It was just a dream.’

But try as she might, she just couldn’t convince herself of it. The way it lacked the strange surrealness, the clarity of everything around her, the words she read on the newspapers-

‘Wait a minute, have I ever dreamed about reading stuff before? Newspapers and books and stuff? I’m pretty sure the few times I did, the words were either blurred or just… weren’t right. So what was…?’

“No, please,” came a tiny whimper. The voice was enough to snap Rainbow out of her thoughts. She looked around to try and find the source to voice. All the lights had been extinguished, blanketing the bedroom in darkness, save for the muted glow of the lanterns outside through the window blinds. Rainbow spotted Luna’s curved form resting peacefully in her bed, her breathing slow and gentle.

As her eyes wandered to the other bed, she noticed something amiss: it was empty and devoid of the downy comforters.

“No, no, I won’t…” came the whimper again. Something on the bed moved and Rainbow realized that it was the sheets. Something was pulling the sheets to the floor.

Rainbow gingerly got out of her bed and padded over to the third bed, pulling the silken night robes tight to her body. She felt anxious as she neared, as a foalish notion of some monster under the bed popped into her head. But as she rounded the foot of the bed, she saw what is really was.

Kyria was on the floor, curled into a tight ball, her eyes screwed shut as she pulled the sheets down around her. She was shivering and murmuring in her sleep, trapped in some sort of nightmare. Kyria’s black nails dug deeply into the bedding, threatening to tear holes into even the sturdy fabric.

“No, stop,” she cried again in a small voice. Rainbow knelt beside the horned girl. Why would she be on the floor?

“Kyria,” whispered Rainbow. The other woman didn’t respond. Rainbow carefully held her shoulder and began to shake. “Kyria, wake up,” she repeated more loudly.

Kyria’s trembling seemed to be getting worse, her whimpering becoming more fervent. Rainbow became more anxious and grabbed her with both hands and shook her more. “Kyria, wake up!”

Dash was rewarded with an open and wide pair of amber eyes and a hand at her throat. Kyria, still in the grip of the nightmare, stared at Rainbow and breathed harshly, her hand clasped around Dash’s smaller throat. Sweat poured from her brow as her eyes narrowed into a dangerous, predatory glare.

Rainbow had taken care of many animals who had been injured. Whether from abuse, other animals, or a purely natural accident, they could lash out at any given time. The best way to deal with them was with patience and caring. And Rainbow had both in spades.

“Kyria,” Rainbow whispered. She didn’t tense up. She allowed her body to relax, willing her breathing to be easy and her muscles to stay still.

Kyria’s amber eyes softened as the last remnants of the nightmare faded and recognition settled in. “...Rainbow?” she whispered disbelievingly.

Rainbow’s reply was accompanied by a soft smile. “It’s okay, Kyria,” she soothed. “It was just a dream.” She took Kyria’s hand in her own and gently removed it from her throat. As the horned girl looked around, still trying to get her bearings, Rainbow gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. “You’re okay. We’re safe here.”

“But I saw-!”

“It was just a dream, Kyria,” reassured Dash. “Dreams can’t hurt you.”

Kyria raised a hand to her face and realised that twin streak of tears were already running down it. She tried to turn away from the winged girl to wipe her tears with her calloused palms. Rainbow stopped her and calmly took a corner of the sheets with one hand while holding her face steady with the other. Kyria flushed in embarrassment that she had to have her face cleaned up like a child, but she knew that she couldn’t argue with the caretaker. That and…

...it felt good. Just to know that someone cared.

“Why were you on the floor?” asked Rainbow, switching to the other cheek. “Did you fall?”

Kyria looked away. “I… I couldn’t sleep,” she said. “The bed was…” She mumbled something Dash didn’t quite pick up.

“It was what?”

“...it was too soft,” said Kyria. “After all that time sleeping on the ground or some straw or in the furs of monsters I skinned, if I was lucky, I… I can’t be comfortable anywhere else.”

Rainbow felt her heart ache as her earlier suspicions confirmed. The girl had lived for so long in the wilds that even something like a simple bed seemed to be off-putting. She had grown so used to living in hardship that the simple luxuries of civilization had become alien to her.

‘Well, not tonight,’ she resolved.

“Come on, stand up,” she ordered with a smile. Kyria blinked in surprise at the command and found herself being pulled upright by the smaller woman. Rainbow led her by the hand back towards her own bed, doing her best not to wake Luna, who had somehow slept soundly through all of this.

Kyria allowed herself to be seated on the edge of the bed and tucked in like a child would. She blushed again once she felt the residual warmth Rainbow had left behind, providing her with an unfamiliar but not unpleasant sensation through her own silken robes. Giving into an impulse, took a soft inhale of the lingering scent; rain, fresh earth and flowers. Rainbow then walked around to the other side of the bed and pulled back the covers. Kyria held her breath as she realised what Dash intended.

Dash came up close to Kyria, pressing herself into her back as her hands gently, almost shyly, rested on her shoulders. She felt Kyria tensed under her small palms. Under normal circumstances, Dash would probably be a stuttering mess, given the intimacy of their position. She had never had any real relationships before Lero had come along and she knew she was still bent. But these thoughts were ignored as she felt Kyria finally began to relax under her touch.

“Shh, it’s okay,” Rainbow whispered. “You should never have to be afraid of anything when you’re with people you care about. Or who care about you.”

She did not think of this as sexual. This was a different kind of intimacy. The kind shared between two friends in need of comfort.

Kyria shuddered as she turned over to face Rainbow. “Is this real?” she whispered. She was almost on the verge of tears as her hand reached out to touched to the transformed woman’s cheek. “Are you real?”

Rainbow smiled and touched Kyria’s hand. As if guided by her new form’s instincts, she interlaced her delicate little fingers amongst Kyria’s larger calloused digits.

“As real as you are, Kyria,” she whispered.

Kyria smiled but said nothing as she closed her eyes and a happy tear spilled. She pressed her forehead against Rainbow’s and the two women slept soundly in each other’s warm embrace.

Author's Notes:

[Omake: As he laid under the furs, a tiny voice in Lero's head had pondered why they seemingly hadn’t frozen to death the previous night, being nude under a relatively small pile of clothes while frost had formed all around them and sheets of ice floated in the waters below. That same voice found itself punched in the head by cartoonish rendition of Kyria, who promptly screamed, “It’s fucking magic! I ain’t gotta explain shit!”]

Hey everyone! Sorry that this chapter took so long, but hopefully the content will make up for it. Comments, likes, and favs are greatly appreciated!

'Til next time!

Chapter 9: To the Market We Shall Go

Lero awoke to a soreness in his hands. The pain had stirred him from a pleasant slumber and, when he woke, his hands were throbbing with a dull ache. Nothing compared to the aftermath of Spike’s temper tantrum. This felt more like his joints were scraping up against each other.

‘I am way too young to be getting arthritis,’ he mused.

Lero tried to pull his arm out from under the covers, doing his absolute best not to disturb the sleeping forms next to him. Rarity murmured something in her sleep and snuggled into his back, a pale arm wrapping around his waist. Twilight was sandwiched between himself and Lyra, the two women holding onto each as they slept soundly.

Lero had a sudden sense of déjà vu as he quietly extracted himself from the bed and wandered to the wash closest. He saw a glass jar containing a faintly glowing toadstool and gave it an experimental tap. The mushroom shuddered and glowed slightly brighter, enough to coat the small room with gentle blue light. Satisfied, Lero turned on the sink faucet and ran his hands under the hot water. Lero knew from many days of fixing fences, installing cabinets, and giving firm massages, that joint pain could be alleviated with some simple remedies.

The thought made him chuckle. It now seemed like so long ago, when he’d just been a handyman and masseur in Ponyville. So much had changed since then. He had fallen in love. He had been on a few adventures. He had faced the Swap. Now? Now he had returned to a land that no mortal creature should ever see, let alone set foot in. If only the younger man who’d spent his days working odd jobs for a handful of bits could’ve seen himself today…

His musings were halted as his fingertips ran over his knuckles and a sharp pain hit him. He flinched and noticed that the skin had been split open. But there was no blood. Lero brought the glow lamp closer to examine the cut and felt a chill settle into the pit of his stomach.

The skin along his second knuckle had indeed been split open, as if he had punched a concrete wall. But instead of bloody flesh or even white bone, Lero saw something dark and shiny beneath it. This had to be a trick of the light, right? It was just blood. He ran in hand under the water again, rubbing his calloused thumb across the open wound to try was wash it away.

It didn’t hurt. He couldn’t feel anything there.

Lero withdrew his hand and ran his thumb across it again. It was warm and smooth like glass and black like the night. It felt like the whole back of his bulky hand held more of it underneath the pale skin. A horrible sense of morbid curiosity, a mad impulse that defied his rational mind possessed him. He watched as his free hand moved on its own, as if controlled by some invisible puppet strings, and took a piece of the splitting skin between thumb and index finger.

He pulled back his skin, at once horrified and amazed at the lack of pain, as if his skin covering his hands was nothing more than an obsolete coating that was ready to-

“No!” he shouted. Lero let go and the small piece of discarded flesh dropped into the copper sink, where it circled in the water before disappearing down the drain. His face was running wet with sweat and his eyes were wide, staring at his fogged reflection. He looked back down to see two unclenching fists.

Both with split knuckles.

Lero stared at his bulky hands and felt a dawning, maddening realization come over him: he was still changing. Whatever metamorphosis the Messenger had hinted at during the beginning of this whole affair had yet to run its course. And as Lero began to wrap his knuckles in white gauze, he stared down at his forearms and saw that they too had grown larger and thicker and he became fearful of what he may be turning into.

“I know what I saw,” said Twilight, her hands worriedly wringing her long locks. “Which is what scares me the most. This shouldn’t mean anything, but what if it does?” Twilight cast an uneasy glance down at her skin. Strange symbols continued to dance across it.

“Sparkle-kitten, I’m not sure what you mean,” said Rarity.

“Nothing here makes sense, the laws of magic and nature are different here, right? We’ve seen it from the start! So what if… what if divination is real here?”

Rarity had to stop herself from laughing. “Divination? As in seeing the future?” Despite her efforts, a smile threatened to break across her face, so she decided to hide behind her morning cup of tea.

The morning had found them all gathered in the common room for breakfast. No sooner had the first of them sat down at the table, a knock had come to the door. Lero opened it to find the same pixie from the previous night fluttering in front of him on her moth’s wings. Behind her was a small entourage of servants, short in stature and wearing concealing porcelain masks, each carrying steaming tray of food and drinks.

Breakfast was served with hardly a word from the staff, who had shortly departed in silence with a bow. The table had become host to large bowls of rice and noodles, steaming cups of soup, bamboo containers of hot dumplings, and plates of eggs and meat. While some of the food was recognizable by both human and pony standards, a few items were obviously of local tastes. Several brightly colored goblin fruits were served on ornate platters. Some were sliced or dipped in honey, others were served in the steamers alongside the dumplings. One platter held a collection of live grubs, which almost everyone spurned at first look, though Kyria was bold enough to pluck one with her fingers.

“You learn not to be picky in the wilds,” she had said before popping the tiny creature into her mouth. “Plus they’re not half-bad.”

Within just a few bites, it soon became obvious that almost all of the food was similarly strange… including the things which had first seemed normal. The dumplings were filled with an unusual-tasting cooked meat that neither Lero nor Kyria could identify. The eggs didn’t contain any yolk, but held a paradoxically tantalizing amber substance. The soup with filled with unfamiliar vegetables and sliced pieces of meat and tentacles from some form of sea creature.

In the end, Twilight, Rarity and Rainbow Dash resorted to using a few of the group’s Equestrian rations for their breakfast, daring only to drink the tea that was served to them. But when Rarity tried to bite into a bar of pressed hay, she quickly found herself spitting it out and descended into a coughing fit. Apparently, with their new human bodies came the same dietary limitations that Lero had exhibited. This left them chewing on a spoonfuls of mashed oats while the others felt confident enough to partake in the meal.

“Sensei once said, ‘The best way to understand the world is to view it through the stillness of another people’s meal,’” Lyra had said, as she slurped down another mouthful of noodles.

Luna had nodded her head as she gingerly held a spoonful of soup between her fingers. “Indeed, Dame Heartstrings,” she agreed. “Though I must say I find myself curious as to what the food before us might say of our hosts.”

Lero was wholeheartedly downing the food, a sense of nostalgia flooding his taste buds as he bit into the dumplings, fruits, and meats laid before him. A part of him was fearful at what memories the tastes smells could potentially dredge up from that dark pit in his mind the Lost so zealously guarded him from but another part of him simply didn’t care.

Those dumplings were really good, after all.

The meal had continued on in spurts of silence and small talk until Twilight had brought up the topic at hand. She hadn’t spared any of the details of what she saw the night before in her, well, “vision” for lack of a more rational term. And when she first proposed the remote possibility that she had stumbled upon some sort of divination, well, some of the reactions were predictable.

“But of course, there’s no such thing as divination, right?” Twilight was now roughly stroking her hair, the ends of which were threatening to split off as they usually did when she was under duress. “I mean, that’s just a scam carnival swindlers pull on gullible ponies to trick them out of their hard-earned bits. And there have been so many thoroughly-documented accounts of fortune tellers and oracles throughout history that are always debunked and modern science has proven that the future is always in flux because just observing something changes the outcome of it, unless it’s like that one time where I went back in time and things were fixed even though that could be explained by a temporal looping effect because I-”

“Twilight,” said Lero. He had gotten out of his seat and now stood behind the rapidly spiralling woman. A firm pair of hands were now rubbing her tense shoulders. Twilight’s eyes widened at his touch before drooping as she practically melted in her seat.

“Thanks,” she sighed. “I really needed that. But yeah, divination isn’t actually real. So I mean, I was just probably seeing things brought on by a mixture of endorphins from-”

“Let’s not go over that again,” said Kyria, raising one hand and pinching her brow with the other.

Twilight, once again slipping into her academic analysis mode, had been very detailed on the things she’d been busy doing at the time her vision had taken place.

“Right, um, sorry,” whispered Twilight, who blushed slightly.

Rainbow did her best to hide her own blush as she shoveled some of the oatmeal into her mouth with a pair of chopsticks. While Lero had sworn that the utensils were very common on Earth, some of the girls were having a hard time believing any creature would use such a thing. But then both Lero and Kyria aptly demonstrated their own proficiency with their use, which greatly amazed the Equestrian girls.

Lyra, always quick to adapt, then began to use her chopsticks like a pro. Lero had to marvel at her; it was as if she was a human soul reborn into a pony’s body sometimes.

Kyria plucked a dumpling from the steamer with her own chopsticks and began to pull it apart. “But yeah, you’re right, Twilight,” she said, giving her food a quick puff of breath to cool it before popping it in her mouth.

Twilight visibly relaxed. “Oh, thank goodness,” she sighed. “You have know idea how much I wanted to hear that. I mean, the fact that this place actually has something in common with home-”

“Emm, no, I meant-” Kyria swallowed her mouthful of food. “No, I meant the other thing: divination does exist here.”

Twilight just stared at the horned girl like she had grown a second head. “...What?”

“Yeah, it’s totally a thing here. Fortunetelling, oracles, fate, the Wyrd, all that stuff. It’s a huge part of what makes up this place.”

Twilight continued to stare in disbelief, he mouth moving on its own as she tried to fully comprehend the implications of what was being said.

“But… how… no, it’s…”

“Hey, remember what you promised,” came Kyria’s stern reply, undermined by a cheeky smile. “No freaking out!”

“But how-”

“Look, I don’t know exactly how they do it. I know that Fate plays a huge role here. It has to do with promises and contracts and your word. It’s what fuels everything here. When you give your word, you allow the Wyrd, the magic, to manifest and it’s…” Kyria slumped, shaking her head. “...It’s really, really complicated.”

“I don’t understand much more of it, myself,” admitted the Lost, when Twilight turned a pleading look in his direction. He resumed his seat and began to pour himself another cup of tea. “I do know that sometimes the Gentry will keep oracles. Divination has even been known to suddenly manifest in others at random... like they were exposed to some germ in the air. Like a side effect.”

“A ‘side effect’?” said Rarity disbelievingly. “Headaches are a side effect, good sir. An upset stomach is a side effect. I would hardly call the ability to tell the future a ‘side effect’.”

Twilight was staring down at the table, her mind still reeling from the implications being discussed. ‘This isn’t right,’ was her frantic thought. ‘This CAN’T be right! None of this could really be happening, I can’t tell the future or see things like that it’s not right!’ Her heartbeat was becoming more erratic as she started to quietly hyperventilate.

Lyra saw this immediately and reacted. “Twilight,” she said gently, passing her a cup of tea. “You need to calm down. Drink some of this.”

Twilight mutely nodded her head, silently thankful of Lyra’s stillness. She reached across the table to take the offered teacup, her fingers brushing Lyra’s-

The symbols on her skin flared. Her eyes glowed. She saw white, then-

“-rry. I’m sorry. I’m sorry!”

Lyra was curled into a tight ball under the blankets of the hospital bed, the bed sheets doing little to hide her trembling. Lero was crouching down next to her, clasping her hoof between his two hands. Seeing the normally calm or smirking grandmaster in such a state broke his heart.

“Lyra, it’s okay,” he whispered. He ran his thumb in little circles along her fetlock.

“I’m sorry,” whimpered the unicorn.

“It wasn’t your fault. We all knew what might happen if we tried. These… these things happen.”

“I’m sorry…”

Lero climbed into the small bed, ignoring the medical equipment and the bed’s creaking protests to his added weight. The human wrapped his arm around the mare he loved and held onto her. Lyra began to sob louder as she clinged to him like a life raft and buried her head in his chest. Soon enough the shirt he was wearing was soaked through with tears.

She didn’t know how long they stayed like that, holding onto to each other for dear life in the silence of the sterile room. The only other words spoken other than “I’m sorry” were-

“Our baby,” whimpered Twilight. Everything stopped around her.

“...what did you say?” whispered Lyra. Her impassive mask was threatening to shatter.

Twilight, her eyes still completely white, stared down and held a trembling hand to her belly. “I-I lost… the b-ba-”

“Sparkle-kitten?” asked Rarity.

Twilight blinked, a set of tears running her cheeks as her eyes returned to normal. She blinked again as focus returned to her and she was staring up at Lyra.

“Lyra,” she whispered, her voice hitched. “I saw…” When the tears spilled anew, she flung herself forwards, nearly toppling the other woman. “Oh Lyra! I’m sorry! I’m so sorry!” The rest of the group simply stared as Twilight started to sob into Lyra’s shoulder. “It was my fault! I should have done better, I shouldn’t have pushed the issue, I-”

“Twilight, what-?”

“I failed, it’s all my fault I made you lose the baby!”

For a long moment, nobody said anything. Even Kyria was stunned into silence. Lyra was slow to move but eventually wrapped her arms around the crying woman, offering quiet shushes and soothing strokes. Twilight seemed to calm down after a few moments, her trembling form relaxing under Lyra’s gentle touch.

“Twilight,” said Lyra, “what did you see?”

“I saw you,” she said, not bothering to look up, “and Lero. It was that night in the hospital, just after Dr. Heart Monitor…after he told us…”

“Shhh… it’s okay, Twilight. That was a long time ago.”

“But I-”

“No ‘buts’. I knew the risks. We all did. I forgave you a long time ago. Besides, there will be plenty of opportunities to try again when we return.”

Lero felt his heart go out to them. For as long as they all had been a herd, Twilight had been determined to try and find a way for him to conceive children. It was something they had all wanted, even Rarity after the Swap. Lero would catch her eyeing baby shop windows whenever they went into town or she would be extra attentive whenever they passed another family with a foal in a stroller. Everytime they did, Twilight always considered it extra incentive to try and find a means for them to also become parents.

While hybrids were not unheard of in Equestria, their births were almost always assisted by some sort of magic, such as a fertility spell, an ancient artifact, even transmogrification.

Even then, hybrids were exceedingly rare enough that Twilight had needed to dig very deep in the archives for concrete information. But nothing had ever worked on Lero. They could not conceive naturally and his resistance to Equis’ magic had meant that he may never have been able to have children of his own.

But that had not deterred Twilight in the slightest. She had tried several times before to use magic on herself or one of the others. The last attempt seemed to work out and a pregnancy took. But then... inevitably…

“Twilight,” said Lero. Twilight looked up into Lero’s hazel eyes. She felt the warmth behind them and the gentle smile he bore. That warmth spread throughout her heart as she reached out to hold his hand. Her fingertips brushed the bandages around his knuckles to grip-

“-ther for your scalpel, Herr Doktor.”

Lero was strapped down to a bloody operating table, his arms spread-eagled. His clothes, long since shredded by the thorns, had been stripped, leaving him naked and scarred. New wounds, some freshly weeping and others scabbed over, joined the ones on his back and arms. Angry purple bruises spotted along his torso next to long, red marks left by a lover’s fingernails. Spittle foamed up around the leather gag in his mouth as he tried in vain to struggle out of the bonds. The light above him was blinding.

“Zis one certainly has spirit in him, ja?” came another voice.

“It is one of the reasons he caught my sight,” answered the first voice. It belonged to a woman, cultured and graceful, and it carried with it the sound of shattering glass. Lero tried in vain to look towards it. Despite everything, he felt compelled to look upon that beautiful face again. But with the strap holding his head in place and the blinding white light above him, all he could catch a glimpse was her pale hand as it stroked his face.

A fire ignited inside him at her touch and his struggles halted. Then a face appear above him, silhouetted in that harsh light. He saw her hair as it moved around him in a waving, pastel-colored rainbow. She smiled and when she did, he could feel something begin to scrape at the surface of his mind, trying to claw its way in.

“I wonder… are you strong enough?” she whispered. “Will you become my knight?”

And then she was gone, the light once again blinding him.

“You may proceed, Herr Doktor.”

And the fear returned to Lero. Another figure approached. Tall, skeletally thin, its pallid and noseless face covered in a scarlet stained medical mask. The table under his hand began to shift and reform. Lero’s fingers were pierced by metal hooks and spread wide. The tall figure reached upwards with a spindly arm and pulled down some sort of tool from an unseen apparatus. It looked like a syringe connected to a long tube that fed to some sort of quietly roaring container. The tube was filled with some sort of molten and glowing substance that radiated enough heat for Lero to feel even at a distance.

Lero redoubled his efforts but his arm would not move. He began to yell into the gag. The tall figure held the syringe in its spindly hands, secreting a single drop of the substance that landed on the table with an angry hiss. Even with its mask on, Lero knew its face was split with an unnatural smile. It regarded him with empty, black eyes behind its goggles.

“I do so enjoy my vork,” it said, then stabbed the burning needle into Lero’s arm, depressing the plunger. Lero screamed, his body arched as molten fire spread throughout his-

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGHH!!” screamed Twilight.

“Twilight!” shouted Lyra as her lover fell to the floor, screaming while gripping her right forearm. Once again, Twilight’s eyes had gone completely white as they stared in wide horror at her arm. To the rest of the group, there appeared to be nothing wrong with it, but the way Twilight was staring at it and screaming, it might have well been on fire.

“Stop it!” cried the violet woman. “Make it stop!” She began to dig at her skin with her fingernails, trying to remove whatever was lurking beneath the surface and burning her from within.

“Twilight!” shouted Luna, who rushed to her side. “Listen to me! It’s not real! There is nothing wrong!”

“Get it out! Get it OUT!!” cried Twilight again.

“Lero, help us!”

Lero was completely still, a hand gripping his head as a pain shot through his skull. His teeth were grit as his right hand balled into a tight fist. Brief but very intense images flashed through his mind and waves of fear, helplessness, and pain crashed over him like a storm. He could feel the alien presence of the Lost deep within him battling to rise to the surface, to guard his waking mind from the siege of pseudo-memory assailing his sanity.

“Lero!” shouted Rarity.

There was a resounding *pop* that pierced the chaos in the room, followed by more, in rapid succession. Rarity stared in horror as Lero’s forearms began to bulge and shift as something moved under the skin. Lero gripped his arm like a vice as the transformation wracked him, producing a series of gruesome popping and snapping noises, his hand spasming as it too was caught up in the metamorphosis. He fell to his knees from the pain and the images that assaulted his mind in such terrible clarity. The bulging shapes under his skin had grown into something that resembled segmented plates, traveling all the way up his arms to the neck and jawline. The transformation halted just shy of the plates splitting his pale skin.

“Oh sisters,” whimpered Twilight, who was held tightly by both Lyra and Rarity. “I saw… Oh Lero, what did they do to you?”

When his eyes opened again, it was the angry blue eyes of the Lost that stared out at the others. Twilight felt herself flinch under his gaze, aptly reminding her a large predator. The Lost slowly withdrew his hand to take in the latest changes to his body, running a hand along his forearm. The thin layer of flesh did little to hide what was beneath; the affected areas now took on a grayish tone, with particularly thin areas becoming darker. These areas gave him an unnerving corpse-like appearance.

“You saw it, didn’t you?” he asked, voice layered with an undercurrent of anger.

“I-” stammered Twilight. She shifted a little bit, almost trying to hide herself from the Lost.

“You saw how Lero was remade,” said the Lost. He looked her right in the eye and Twilight saw a hurricane building behind those icy orbs.

“It wasn’t her fault,” said Lyra firmly. She repositioned herself so that she stood squarely between Twilight and the Lost, between her herd and the threat. The two squared off against each other, the air between them thick with a choking, miasmal tension.

A loud slam on the table sent several dishes clattering and spilling, shattering the tension and returned everyone to the present.

“Well, then, now that I have your attention,” said Kyria. Both the Lost and Lyra were stunned into silence as Kyria began rummaging through the bag she had just so forcefully placed on the table, loudly and deliberately clicking and clunking its contents as she searched for something. “Let’s see. This?” Kyria pulled out a seeming random object before chucking it over her shoulder. “Nah, that won’t help. This? Nope, it’ll turn someone to stone. Maybe this thing? No. Maybe — oh, I want to save that one!”

Luna gave the horned girl a subtle smirk, seeing the woman’s distracting tactic clearly.

“Ah hah! Here,” said Kyria. “This should help, I think.” Kyria knelt in front of Twilight with a piece of cloth in her hand.

“What is that?” asked Twilight, eyeing the article with a mixture of curiosity and suspicion.

Kyria smirked. “Your first lesson of Goblin Trinkets 101, egghead,” she said. “You are about to make your very first contract.”

“...with a headband?”

Kyria fixed Twilight with a deadpanned stare. “Just roll with it.” Kyria started to tie the headband in place for her. It was made of a large metal ring, similar to the ones the horned woman wore in her hair, with two strips of cloth sewn to either side. The cloth was covered in more of the curious curvilinear writing Twilight had seen back at Kyria’s hideout and at the circle of stones when they first entered this world. As Kyria tied the cloth strips behind her head, Twilight felt the heavy weight of the ring.

“Is that lead?” she asked.

“This,” explained Kyria, securing the headband with a solid knot, “is something I picked up to help me hide. Well, I had hoped it would help me hide. Turns out it wouldn’t do much for me, seeing how I have nothing to give it.”

“Huh?”

“This is called a ‘blindband’. It’s infused with the ability to blind scryers from using their powers to find you, no matter how strong they are. They’re ‘blind’ to you, so ‘blindband.’”

“It certainly sounds like a useful tool,” commented Rarity, giving the thing a quick once-over. “I can see why you would want such a thing.”

“Well, there’s a catch. To make other diviners blind to you, you have to become blind too. Not literally blind, I mean magically blind. You can’t scry as long as you wear it. And since I can’t actually do any scrying, it became about as useful to me as a souvenir from a Metallica concert. Still looks pretty awesome though.”

“So in a sense, we’re using the downside to our advantage,” said Twilight, nodding her head in understanding.

Kyria gave a sly smile. “No one can break the laws of a contract without some serious shit happening. Doesn’t stop anyone from bending the fuck out of them though.”

“So… is it working?” Twilight wrung her hands nervously.

“Well, no. You have to activate it first.”

“Okay, how do I do that?”

“State the terms and agree to them. It does the rest.”

Twilight sat in the chair with everyone looking at her, feeling like she was on the butt end of a poor prank. She felt ridiculous. Making deals with clothing? It just didn’t make any kind of sense to her rational mind.

“Um… I,” she stammered. “I give up my divination powers? So… make sure that no one can use theirs on me. Um… Please?”

Nothing happened. Aside from her own growing sense of foolishness.

Kyria’s palm met her brow with a small slap. “No, not like that. You need to mean it.”

Twilight nodded her head. “I trade my divination powers to protect me from others’ own powers.” She spoke with a bit more spirit, but it yielded the same result. “Ugh, this is ridiculous. There’s no such thing as-”

“Okay, fine. Have it your way.” Kyria promptly stood up and began to roughly untie the headband, prompting a small cry from Twilight as her hair was being pulled. “Let’s see how far you get in marketplace with that. Oh but I’m sure you’ll do fine, after all, there’s no such thing as divination, or magical objects or-”

“Kyria, please,” begged Rainbow. “She needs this!”

“Well, obviously she doesn’t. Miss Know-It-All here seems to think that none of this is real. Hey, here’s a thought? Maybe it isn’t! Maybe this is all just a dream, and if you click your heels three times, and wish really hard, then-”

“Kyria,” said Rainbow. The horned girl stopped her tirade and gave a sigh. She pinched her brow with her fingers, muttering to herself.

Rainbow came up next to Twilight. “Twilight, this is really important,” she said. “You have to do this.”

“But it doesn’t make-”

“That doesn’t matter,” interrupted Dash. She motioned widely with a free arm and said, “Look around you! We’re in another world! Things are different here, none of the rules are the same! We’re in a swamp that never sees the sun. We walked through a short tunnel to get here from a forest full of monsters. We came to this world through a puddle! We’ve both been transformed into humans, for goodness’ sake!”

“Transmogrification-”

“So what makes you think that a magic headband is so ‘out there?’ Remember Trixie and the Alicorn Amulet? What about the Elements of Harmony?! They’re magical!”

“But you don’t make deals with them!”

“We had to find out our connection to them before they worked. That’s kind of like making a deal.”

Twilight wanted to argue further, but Rainbow’s point had struck a chord with her. It was only after Twilight had accepted her ties with her new friends and their roles with Elements did the artifacts finally manifest themselves. There was some precedence for all this.

“Okay,” she said, defeated. “I’ll… give it another try.”

Rainbow smiled and looked at Kyria. They horned girl stood there, arms crossed, with a displeased look on her face. Rainbow silently mouthed the word, “please”. Kyria rolled her eyes with a loud sigh and began to reaffix the headband onto Twilight, giving her a serious look.

“Are you ready?” she asked.

Twilight nodded her head. “I-”

“I’m being serious here, princess,” Kyria interrupted. She affixed Twilight with a harsh stare, her amber eyes flashing. “This isn’t just some little party trick like the ones you did back home. When I infused you with glamour back at the hollow to hide your old magic, I tied you to the Wyrd. This is the raw stuff of creation here and it ties down to your very core now. So when you say the words, I don’t want to hear any doubt or half-assing. I want to hear it from the bottom of your being. You gotta pull those words from the very core of what makes you you and fucking mean it.”

Twilight nodded hesitantly, greatly intimidated by Kyria’s words.

“So do it.”

Twilight closed her eyes. Taking a page from Lyra and her martial arts mastery, Twilight steadied her breathing. She blotted out everything around her. The sounds in the room dulled to faint background noise. Focusing only on herself, she tried to envision herself connecting with her new power.

It was strange, yet oddly familiar. Before,when she wanted to cast a spell, she would envision the spell and then focus the flow of her mana into her horn. Over the years, it had become second nature to her.

At this moment, she focused not with her mind, but with her heart. She envisioned something deep within her; a presence, a light that was connected to something far greater than herself. It was something that tied her to a great tapestry that wrote its own rules and allowed those tied to it to rewrite reality on a whim. For the briefest moment she envisioned power beyond any she had encountered before, intertwined with others like her a level beyond what any pony could experience.

She spoke the words aloud, not to herself or anyone else in the room, but to that source of power.

“I freely give up my second sight,” she said, her eyes glowing brightly. The words moved past her lips were hers but not her own at the same time. “Take it so that those that would see me with their Sight shall be as blind as I, as long as I wear this band as a sign of this pledge.”

Something moved within Twilight Sparkle and she instinctively knew an agreement had been made.

A Contract had been forged.

The others watching her saw the center ring of the blindband light up and glow a pale green. A ghostly violet eye opened in the center before becoming cloudy and finally disappearing.

Twilight blinked her eyes a few times as her vision returned to her. She was greeted with the stunned looks of her herd and the satisfied grin on Kyria’s face.

“Not bad, princess,” said the horned girl. Twilight let out a long breath and gave everyone a tired smile.

Rarity looked questioningly at Kyria. “Will we have to do something like that as well?”

Kyria shrugged, her grin never leaving her face. “Probably,” she said. “Everyone has a different experience. But you should be very careful. You don’t want to go making promises with anyone or anything just out of the blue. Think of this one as a little demo, just so you all know how contracts go and what’s involved.”

Rarity nodded her head as she idly played with a strand of her misty hair. She thought back to the night they stayed in the frozen swamp because of Old Mossbeard. When she had seen the spriggan dangling both Lero and Luna in its branches, she she been filled with such anger that she would have struck the great tree with one of her lightning bolts. The strange thing was... she had almost felt as if she could. And later on, when she was under Lero’s gentle caresses, it was more than just his touch that sent electricity racing across her skin.

Rarity wondered, with her new form and apparent connection to the Wyrd, had she somehow regained a connection with the weather? Or at least ‘forged’ a new one with Lightning in particular? Without even realizing it? Staring down at her hands, she wondered what she could do. It certainly felt like something was there, a distant but firm connection with a force that was greater than herself.

But that’s what troubled her: that fact that this strange power was already there and no bargain had needed to be made in the first place. Like she had inherited it.

Like it was her right to have it.

‘But what is it?’ she mused.

She looked around at the others. Lyra, whose hair looked as if she were suspended in water. Was that a sign of her potential connection with water? Luna, who retained her wings and starry beauty… could she still be connected to the heavens? And Rainbow Dash, as well, whose antennae twitched subtly as she discussed these possibilities with both Kyria and Twilight excitedly. Did Dash still have a tie to animals?

Rarity’s eyes eventually drifted to her sweet prince, who was examining his own hand. The strange growths under his skin shifted slightly when he opened and closed his hand, the skin growing taut as the slightest move.

What about Lero? His was not truly a new transformation, if the Lost could be believed, but a reversion to an earlier form. He had once been ‘something else’ before escaping to Equestria. He’d had his own, older ties to the Wyrd. Were those ties still binding and valid after such a long absence from this world?

‘And just what had he used to be? This thing he was he changing back into? Mossbeard had called him something. ‘Ridire’? What did it mean?’

There was a sudden knocking at the door followed by a small voice. “Excuse us, honored guests,” it said. Rainbow opened the door and the same pixie girl from the previous night flittered into the room on her moth wings before landing on an end table. She crouched down onto all fours and bowed low, touching her head to the wood. “This one hopes that the honored guests did enjoy their first meal and found the rooms to their liking.”

Rarity smiled. “Of course, my dear,” she said sweetly. “Everything has been delightful.”

The pixie took this as a sign to raise her head. “This one has been bidden to tell you that a boatman has arrived to take the Lost to a meeting with Master of the Town.”

Rarity nodded again. “Then would you please wait outside while we prepare?”

“As the honored guests wish,” said the pixie, and with a flutter of her wings, flew out into the hallway.

Rarity shut the door behind her. “So we all know what we are doing then?”

Kyria nodded. “I’ll take Dash, Lyra, and Twilight to the market,” she said as she slung one of her packs over her shoulder. She then handed Luna one of the reshaped swords. “I redid the enchantment this morning. You should be good until night-cycle. I’ll take the other one and see if we can find a smithy that can do a proper job.”

“My thanks, Kyria,” said Luna, affixing the blade to her hip.

“While we’re in the market,” said Lyra, “we should try to keep an ear open. If anything and everything really is sold here, then that means someone might have some information we need for a price too.”

Twilight gave Lyra a confused look. “How would you know something like that?”

Lyra gave a carefree shrug. “I wasn’t always an upstanding citizen of Equestria, Twi,” she replied with her enigmatic grin.

The Lost chuckled, his deep voice reverberating in his chest. “Right then,” he said. “Luna and Rarity are coming with me to this meeting. Hopefully, this will be just an uneventful sit-down to discuss things and we can coax some information out of Mr. Gilded Jack.”

“Do we have a Plan B in case things get bad?” asked Kyria.

“Make your way back here as quietly and quickly as possible. We plan from there.”

“Why do I get the feeling,” the horned woman sighed, “that we are making this shit up as we go?”

The Lost gave loud bark of a laugh and reached for the door. “Because that’s how the best plans are made!”

It was one of the tallest buildings in the city, a wooden monstrosity that towered over its neighbors. The Lost, Rarity, and Luna spotted it almost immediately when their gondola turned onto the grand canal. It stood out from the rest of the city, a massive white-painted structure that was surrounded by a ring of smaller, under-kept buildings. Rarity had the impression that this placement was intentional, as if to exaggerate the opulence of the structure and its owner’s wealth.

The sentiment was reinforced as their gondola drew closer and Rarity was able to pick out the details in the building’s facade. White marble columns that were ornately carved beyond the skill of any artisan she had heard of, with delicate golden lattices and jewel-encrusted designs covering the outside. From the times she had spent in Canterlot, not even the most decadent of the nobility flaunted their wealth quite like this.

‘I should not be surprised given the way he presented himself yesterday,’ mused Rarity. She recalled the jeweled rings, golden cane, and gold teeth the goblin sported. ‘But seeing this gaudy display is just… disgusting.’

Like the Knurly Wyvern, there was a large, circular dock underneath the main structure, where they were greeted by servant; a biped wearing fine silken clothing, an opulent masquerade mask, and a thick black collar with a golden ring. The being’s bright pink skin showed from between the articles, its green hair tied into ornate braids. Rarity noted the pair of pointed ears.

“Welcome to the house of Master Gilded Jack,” he said with a bow. “My master welcomes you three as guests in this house. Know that no harm shall befall you from the master or the staff while you stay within these walls.”

The Lost nodded in return. “And we three shall perform no ill actions against your master in return,” he said, again adopting the roguish and carefree persona from the gate yesterday. Both Rarity and Luna felt a stirring within them, a surety that they were now bound to this promise the Lost had made.

Had this been what Kyria and Twilight had meant when they said that one’s word bound them to something greater than themselves?

The servant, who seemed satisfied with this response, turned on his heel and led the group to an elevator cage. The cage clinked and clanked its way up on a set of four metal arms that grasped at the bars with sturdy metal hands.

If the exterior was excessive, the interior was a hundred times worse. Polished marble floors, gold leaf paint, and furniture and artwork that would have bankrupted a large province. Luna felt herself grinding her teeth as they were lead along a hallway past more and more pointlessly extravagant rooms; one held nothing save a single vase on a pedestal, another held a pile of gold, and yet another had a collection of statues of humanoids. She felt a shiver run down her spine as one seemed to follow her with its eyes.

On the opposite side of the hallway was a row of windows overlooking the rest of the city, the surrounding slums in particular. The intention was clear. ‘Look at the little insects as they rummage in their garbage heaps. How far above them I am.’

Luna resolved that once they returned to Equestria, she would conduct some serious investigations into the Noble Court. Some trends there were disturbingly universal.

Upon reaching the end of the hallway, the servant knocked as a set of large, ornately carved doors. “Enter,” came the muffled reply, and the doors were opened.

It was an office, just as opulent as the rest of the manor and filled with countless golden and bejeweled objects. The group had a sudden flashback to Kyria’s humble Hollow and her own collection of trinkets.

“Ah, The Lost One!” said Gilded Jack. Setting down a teacup and plate, the goblin rose from behind a desk and waddled over to shake the Lost’s hand. He still wore the same fur coat and sunglasses from the day before. “So good of you to come, sir, and precisely on time! Commendable indeed.”

The Lost gave a toothy grin; his own canines seemingly having grown overnight into small fangs. “Hey, when you deal with my crew, Jack, you get what is promised,” he said.

“Always an excellent trait for someone in our vocation,” spoke another voice.

Rising from one of the plush chairs in front of Jack’s desk was a newcomer. Tall and broad-shouldered, his skin was a dark chestnut. His silver hair was tied into a braided ponytail. Four pointed and bony protrusions sprouted from his forehead, giving the illusion of a crown. He wore a long leather coat that reached down to his knees and fit snuggly on his muscled frame. The man’s eyes, a blazing golden color, focused on the Lost, sizing him up as an opponent.

“Ah, this is Simon Thornewhip,” Jack told the Lost. “He is also here on business. I’m hoping the three of us may come to some mutually beneficial agreements.”

The Lost reached out and shook the man’s hand. That brief moment of contact told him a wealth of information. This man was dangerous. Whatever else he may be, this was also a being of violence. The strength of the grip, even through the white gloves Thornewhip was wearing, told the Lost that he was a skilled combatant. The way his eyes sized up the Lost, taking note of posture and detailed appearance, revealed that he was also experienced in recognizing other threats. And as Thornewhip squeezed his hand, the Lost noted the talons that each of Simons fingers ended in.

‘He appears refined, but not overly so like Jack pretends to be,’ thought the Lost. ‘That comes naturally to him. But that beastial appearance, that killing instinct I sense from him, that confidence… ah, I see. That’s dragon’s blood in those veins.’

“Good to meet you, Lost,” said Simon. His smile was guarded, no doubt coming to his own conclusions about the Lost. A glance to the side shifted that smile to that of a predator. “And who might these lovely visions be?”

He stepped over to Rarity and offered a hand.

'A dragon attracted to Rarity’s beauty…' No. The Lost refused to start seeing similarities between this man and Spike.

“I am… Sophia, Mr. Thornewhip,” Rarity introduced, extending her hand.

“Charmed, my dear,” said Simon, his voice like richly oiled velvet. He bent forward, bringing Rarity’s hand to his lips, his golden slit eyes never leaving hers for a second.

“Oh my,” breathed Rarity, as she felt the blood rise in her pale cheeks.

The Lost clenched his fist so hard that he could feel the skin peeling again at the exposed knuckle.

As Simon Thornewhip turned to Luna, the transformed alicorn looked him over appraisingly.

“And what might this stellar belle be named?” he asked suavely.

Centuries of time on the battlefield and at court had given Luna enough experience that she could reach all the Lost’s deductions at a mere glance. And seeing how he acted with Rarity, Luna had come to her own conclusion about him.

“Astra,” Luna stated, cold as the dark side of the moon. Simon’s smile faltered and he went quiet. Good.

This man was a viper waiting to lure prey to it.

“Oh, Miss Sophia,” gushed Gilded Jack. “I thought I recognized you from yesterday. A pleasure to finally make your acquaintance.” Jack offered his own kiss to her hand, which thoroughly and utterly extinguished any fluster that had risen in Rarity. “Might I inquire as to your presence at this meeting?”

“Oh I am Lord Lost’s representative in negotiations such as these, Master Jack,” she said with a smile. “While he does a fine job leading our band on assignments, he is always sure to leave the trivial matters of the business to me.”

“Oh, a wise man, I see,” said Jack. “I can see why you keep her around, eh?”

The Lost put an arm around Rarity’s waist and pulled her close. “One of many, pal,” he said. The words were to Jack, but the Lost’s glare drifted poignantly at Simon.

The look said one thing. "Mine."

Thornewhip’s grin was a clear reply. “For now.”

“Fine glasses here! All sizes and strengths!”

“Potions! Toxins! From ailments to poisons and everything in between!”

“Fresh dreams and lovely nightmares! Come on, loves, I have waking moments that will leave you all screaming!”

“Junk! Rubbish! Only the finest detritus at my stall!”

Twilight stared agape at the display before her. Merchants hawked their wares; criers called out proclamations of bargains and goods from exotic locales; buyers haggled and bartered over everything from jewelry to garbage. Beings of every shape and size, on two legs or more or none at all, moved about them in a sea of bizarre and otherworldly life.

Dash pressed close to Kyria, unnerved at the great crowd in front of them and the noise permeating the air. “So, uh,” she said nervously, “where to first?”

Kyria patted Dash on the back. “Wherever we need to be,” and with that, she strode forward confidently into the river of foot traffic.

Lyra and Twilight stayed close for fear of getting separated. Kyria navigated the streets with surprising ease, pausing to allow larger beings past and nimbly ducking down alleys to avoid large groups. Every now and then, they would pause at a stall, where the merchants would either chat them up or peer at them disinterestedly.

“Ah, here you go, miss,” said one merchant. He extended a frost-covered arm to Kyria, a bottle of dark liquid in hand. “This little gem was taken from-"

"From the most dangerous corners of the Far Reaches, blah blah blah," finished Kyria. "Look, pal, you're not the first one to try that. I know for a fact that there's a well of this crap nearby, not even out of eyesight of the town."

The merchant's face scrunched up in disapproval, small pieces of ice falling from his frozen eyebrows. "Well, this lot-"

"Are we going to deal or do you just want to keep slinging bullshit around?"

The merchant growled. "Fine. What do you have to trade? I take trinkets, memories, or favors."

"Trinkets," said Kyria. She cleared a small section off the stall's table and overturned one of her smaller bags. An assortment of random objects clattered on the table’s surface. Twilight watched curiously as Kyria arranged them in some order that she couldn't understand.

"Hmm," mumbled the merchant, picking through the piles with an extended finger. Movement caught the ponies' attention as ice formed around his right eye, taking the shape of a jeweler's lens. "I'll trade you the Thorn in the jar, the... oh, is that sphinx hair?"

"You know it is."

"Very well then. That, and this bog stalker's talon."

"I'll throw in a canine and a bicuspid if you also give me that jar of pyron paste."

At this, the merchant raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure? That stuff isn't for children."

"Do I look like some greenhorn to you, pal?"

"Ha! You have spirit, I'll grant you that. Okay, you have a deal." The items were exchanged; trinkets to be bartered and trinkets bought placed in separate bags.

As they continued along down the alley, Twilight came up next to Kyria. "So," said Twilight. "How exactly did that work?"

"Hmm?" hummed the horned girl. "Do you guys not have bartering anymore back where you’re from?"

"Well, we have the Rainbow Falls Traders’ Exchange, which is the closest equivalent we have to this Goblin Market. It's an annual event held by Rainbow Falls where ponies-"

Lyra coughed loudly at the mention of the word. Twilight nodded her head in understand, sending a silent apology to her herd mate.

"Where people gather from all over to trade. No money is involved though. The only rules are that all trades are fair and final."

"Huh, guess some things are universal."

"Constants and variables," chimed in Lyra. "So does it work the same here, Kyria?"

"Depends. What do you guys consider a 'fair trade'?"

"Well," said Rainbow, antennae flittering in thought, "it honestly depends on whatever the two po-people involved consider ‘fair’ to be. You could trade something that would normally be expensive for something that's not."

"So," said Twilight, "is it the same here?"

"Kinda," said Kyria with a shrug. "Sometimes we don't trade objects."

"That merchant said he accepts memories," said Rainbow. "Did he actually mean...?"

Kyria nodded while tapping her head with a finger. "As in your actual memories. I once watched some old geezer trade his memory of the taste of strawberries for a set of enchanted gloves."

"Strawberries?" repeated Twilight in disbelief.

Kyria nodded again. "Sometimes they ask for other things: your first kiss, a cheerful song, a nightmare you once had as a kid, the face of your most or least favorite teacher, stuff like that." She counted off each example on her fingers, Twilight growing more fascinated by the moment.

"So they copy-"

"No, not copy. Take." Kyria's face became suddenly stern, her eyes flashing a glowing amber. "I have few enough memories of my own, good or otherwise. I intend to hold onto them as long as I can. I refuse to give them up for anything."

"So, wait a second," said Twilight, pulling the group into an alley and out of the foot traffic. "Let’s say I were to trade my memory of how strawberries taste to someone else. Isn’t that an easily replaceable commodity, though? I mean, all I’d need to do is just get myself another strawberry, or anything strawberry-flavored for that matter, and I’ve got the memory back!"

Kyria shook her head, a sad smile on her face. "No," she explained, "because you're not just trading the memory of it. You're trading the actual taste of it; your taste of it. Even if you eat a strawberry afterwards, it won't taste like anything. Just a mouthful of bland... stuff. After all, what's the point of trading the memory in the first place if you can just form another? When you trade your memories, you just give up that sensation forever."

"That's why you've collected so many trinkets," said Lyra, with her trademark smile, her golden eyes full of understanding. "Something tells me in a place like this, memories are worth a lot more than a bunch of glass baubles."

While she listened to Kyria, Twilight’s eyes trailed over the merchandise on the counters of the stalls they were passing.

“I’m noticing that the people here are far more willing to market damaged goods. Even for a bartering system, that seems like a bad business move. Like… look at that one!” She pointed at a particular gadget. “I have no idea what that thing even is…!”

“Dehumidifier,” Kyria identified.

“...But even I can tell it’s broken beyond any hope of usability! Couldn’t they at least make an effort to repair some of their stuff? Or is this just some strange cultural insanity at play here?”

Kyria let out a laugh. “Cultural insanity… ha! It doesn’t happen often, but there are times you manage to be downright adorable, princess!” The horned woman finished her laugh, then said, “Yes, there is some ‘cultural insanity’ to this… and a lot of things, as well! But there’s method to the madness too. Follow me.”

She led the Equestria women down a narrow alley, dropped her bag, and started rummaging through it.

“Knew there was a reason I hung onto these,” she muttered to herself, in a low, excited tone. “Perfect object lesson… knew I’d be able to use it on somebody, someday!”

“Uh… Kyria? Are we gonna be alright?” Rainbow asked, anxiously glancing back and forth between Kyria Ama and some hobs just outside the alley, unsure whether to be more nervous about curious onlookers, or whatever Kyria was about to pull out.

“Huh? Oh, yeah, you’re fine!” The horned woman brought out a pair of old wristwatches, holding each by its strap in either hand. “Can you guess which of these is more valuable?” she asked Twilight.

The wristwatches were sized for a regular adult human like Lero, and were of absolutely identical design. But the one in Kyria’s left hand had been very carefully preserved to the point of looking to be in fine condition, in spite of its obvious age. The watch in her right hand had a worn, stained, scratched strap. And the crystal covering over its clock face had several cracks.

“In Equestria or Earth, this one would be worth more money, no contest,” said Twilight, pointing to the watch in Kyria’s left hand. “But I suppose here, this would be more valuable,” she said, pointing to the damaged watch.

“Oooooh, we’d better watch out! She’s learning!” To this, Twilight gave a great eye roll. “Now, can you tell me why it’s more valuable?”

“Cultural insanity.”

Kyria Ama only smiled. “Hold this in your hand and count to ten,” she told Twilight, giving her the undamaged watch.

Twilight did as instructed. Nothing happened and she handed the watch back to Kyria.

“Now the other one,” said Kyria, giving Twilight the other watch.

Twilight Sparkle held the broken timepiece by its clock. Feeling more silly than curious, she counted upward once again.

“...Seven, eight, nine…-”

Yehven Nikanorovich Yefremov glanced at his wristwatch, seeing it was 12:09.

Methodical and systematic man that he was, Yefremov momentarily stopped his current task to go over to his calendar on the wall. First he crossed off the thirty-first date of what was now the previous month before turning the page to the new month they were now in: September of 1935.

Then Yefremov sat back down at his typewriter. Police files on that Trotsky-loving dog, Musabekov, were by his right elbow. He looked back over at the document he had just begun writing.

“I, Gavril Konstantinovich Musabekov, fully confess my guilt for the crime of disseminating seditious, anti-Bolshevik propaganda throughout…”

Yefremov had just typed in the words ‘the village of Kharkiv,’ when a knock came on his door.

“Your coffee, Commissar?” asked that new secretary of his.

“Set it on the table,” Yefremov told her. She moved in and out of his office at a fast pace. Perhaps she’d downed a few cups herself. Some people just couldn’t function without coffee. People like him. Late night work was nothing new to Commissar Yefremov, after all.

He took a long drink of coffee. Minutes later, Yefremov’s stomach was a seething cauldron of agony. It felt like it were about to explode inside him like a child’s balloon.

He fell, and heard a glassy crack as his arm struck the floor. He only had a few seconds to writhe in pain. Yefremov’s last coherent thought was about his secretary. She bore a noticeable facial resemblance to that one Stasova woman, whom he’d written a confession for about three months ago. Why hadn’t he seen it before?

-Twilight Sparkle dropped the damaged wristwatch as though it had given her a mild electrical shock. Kyria snatched it in the air before it could hit the ground.

“So you saw it,” said Kyria.

“Saw it?” breathed Twilight. “I tasted the coffee.”

Rainbow Dash and Lyra were fixing her with curious eyes. She quickly told them about what she had seen, as best she could.

“Is this another prophetic vision of some sort?” Twilight wondered aloud, holding a hand to her forehead and fingering the headband. “Is this ‘Yefremov’ person someone who’ll be important to us?”

Kyria scowled at her; apparently Twilight’s antics had stopped being ‘adorable.’

“He’s just some long-dead Ruskie,” she snapped, “No more ‘important to us’ than Yakov-goddamn-Smirnoff!”

Then Kyria took a deep breath.

“Look, let me try explaining this to you in plain and simple English. When an object’s seen a lot of use, a lot of wear-and-tear, when its owner has been through severe experiences, it picks up ‘memories.’ An object that is either brand-spanking-new, or has been shut in a drawer forever, unused and never even taken out of its plastic packaging… doesn’t pick up memories. With me so far?”

Twilight and all the others nodded in fascination.

“Everyone, everywhere, touched by the Wyrd… me, you, that one-legged wino you don’t remember us walking past… we all have the ability to ‘gain’ these memories from objects by holding them. Memories are a very precious commodity to us. Why? Because of the Thorns.”

Kyria turned away, seeming to gaze out to the vast far yonder.

"You haven’t been here long enough to appreciate just how absolutely choked with Thorns this ‘world’ is. The Thorns try their best to tear pieces off of you. You learn really quickly to hold onto what's yours. You'll never get any of it back, otherwise. But if they do snag you enough times, or pierce you deep enough, if you lose enough of yourself to the Thorns, you’ll want anything to fill the void you’re left with. You’re like someone that is always hungry, always eating, but never ever satisfied.”

Then Kyria Ama laughed a laugh that set all her Equestrian friends’ hair on end.

“The amnesia, alone, is bad enough, but what really makes it hellish is... Twilight, remember we were just talking about losing the ability to remember how strawberries taste, even if you eat a new strawberry? Imagine that applying to all food. Everything you eat tastes like nothing. Imaging taking a big ol’ whiff of the air, and there are no smells. Imagine trying to listen to music or read books…”

“Stop it!” cried Twilight in total horror.

"The Thorns just don't take your memories. They take what makes you you. They take your soul." Kyria put the watches back into the bag and shouldered it. "That's how bad it can get, my friends. Any memories are better than utter, everlasting blankness. Even those of Comrade Yehven Yefremov will do.”

"Would any of you care for some refreshments?" Gilded Jack motioned to a cart carrying a dozen or so glass containers, each one holding a myriad of liquids.

"No thank you, sir," said Rarity, putting on her most winning smile. 'I don't drink green,' she added silently. She also remembered the Lost's warning of accepting food or drink offered to them.

Jack gave her a knowing smile, his golden teeth glinting in the light. "Very well. Let's get down to business." Jack poured himself a drink, some sort of black liquid that filled the air with a foul odor. "I had already filled in Mr. Thornewhip on my intentions." He nodded towards the other man, who raised a metal flask in acknowledgement. "I shall extent the same courtesy to you."

The Lost nodded his own head. "I assume that you wish to make a business arrangement with my patroness," he said.

Thornewhip gave a chuckle. "Well, aren't you a sharp one," he said. "Positively razor-like."

"You are indeed correct, good sir," said Jack. "I intend to foster relationships with both the Lady and Mr. Thornewhip's own patron."

"On what terms?" asked Rarity, assuming the role of scriber.

"I shall provide both with wealth and goods that they would undoubtedly find beneficial to their own agendas, and in exchange-"

"'Agendas'?" interrupted the Lost. "And what could someone like you possibly know about the Gentry's agendas?"

Jack's grip seemed to tighten on his glass. Again, the Lost could hear a faint grinding sound from the goblin. "A poor choice of words," he said. "What I meant to say was... that the arrangement would benefit your patrons in a number of ways-"

"And another thing, what would make you think that the Lady would even be willing to bargain with you?"

"Well, I-"

"Now, now, Lost," Thornewhip chided, sounding amused. “Let’s leave the cross-examinations to the litigators and the heroes of pulp mystery novels, shall we? Such boorish drolleries have no place in such a refined, palatial locale as we find ourselves occupying. Why not listen to what the good hob has to offer?"

"Indeed, my Lord," said Rarity. "Best not to dismiss an offer before the terms are even offered."

The Lost cast her a wayward glance before waving his hand. "Well, you are the one that handles the business side of things."

"Thank you," said Jack, annoyance clear in his voice. "As I was saying, I would offer both your patrons access to high-value wares. Gladesrest lies at a crossroads, making it a key location for trade, as you are no doubt aware." Jack walked behind his desk and sat in a plush chair. "I would offer them prefered access to some of the most valuable and rarest goods the Far Reaches have to offer.

"In exchange, I humbly ask that I have a place amongst their courts."

The Lost raised an eyebrow. This was... surprisingly mundane. After his past experience amongst the Gentry — especially in dealing with the insanity of Fae warfare and the machinations of the Lady's court — to think that the hob wanted a simple trade agreement? He could practically see the goblin drooling over the prospect of new wealth and power. But these were petty — dare he say mortal — wants. This hob was chasing something that was more commonplace among the so-called elites of Canterlot or Earth. A part of him felt... strangely disappointed at this development.

"It pains me to have to interject," said Thornewhip, snapping his fingers to get their attention. "but I'm afraid that such an arrangement would be unacceptable to my Lord."

"Unacceptable?" said Jack, his hairy eyebrows raised. "On what grounds, sir?"

"On the grounds that my Lord would not wish to sully himself with the prospect of having to share his resources with... lesser beings."

"Lesser beings?" repeated Jack.

Simon Thornwhipe cast a long and pointed look towards the Lost. "My Lord would take up your offer, on the condition that the arrangement would grant him exclusive access to your wares."

"So," said the Lost, "you only want in on the deal as long as the girls don't get to play in the sandbox."

"How eloquently articulated, Lost. But, yes, my patron has no interest in such things."

"Mr. Thornewhip," Jack started, attempting a diplomatic smile, "I'm sure we could-"

"I'm afraid that the Ebon Lord does not bargain, hob. If you accept my offer, you shall be rewarded as befitting a creature of your status."

"Why, you pompous-" In his outrage, Gilded Jack knocked his drink over. The black liquid spilled all the way to the center of their table.

"Then, Master Jack, I think that we can come to an agreement," said Rarity. The conversation came to a halt as everyone in the room stared at her.

"What are you inferring, my lady?" inquired Jack.

"It seems to me that a being such as yourself would rather make connections with multiple members of Gentry."

"Indeed."

"Therefore, I propose this,” Rarity reached over and refilled Gilded Jack’s glass herself. “Should you choose to ally yourself with our patroness, you would also grant yourself access to not only her court, but to additional connections with her other allies."

Jack nodded his head in thought. "Very well, my dear Sophia. This offer is indeed tempting."

"Well," said Rarity, "we would first have to see exactly what your town has offer. After all, it would behoove us to enter into such an arrangement without being fully aware of what we stand to gain."

"And you should not be so quick to dismiss my own offer," warned Thornewhip. "I can assure you, that an alliance with my master would be greatly more beneficial than whatever paltry connections you could scrape together in the Lady's court."

"And why would you claim such a thing, Thornewhip?" asked the Lost.

"Because the Ebon Lord is not someone to cross." Simon stood straight, the air around him becoming heavy. Thornewhip's eyes glowed a dull orange, a pair of smoldering embers that precluded an inferno ready to be unleashed.

The Lost stood up, meeting Thornewhip's eyes. His icy orbs roiled with their own power, the knowledge and experience of a thousand battles and the promise of blood spilled. The air itself seemed to spark as the two wills clashed together. Luna found herself reaching for her sword as Jack seemed to edge towards his desk, no doubt to raise some hidden alarm should blood be shed.

"Oh, enough of this," said Rarity who firmly planted herself between the two men. "Now we came here to discuss this like civilized beings, not to quarrel like a rabble of filthy Hedgefolk."

Once again, Rarity's action brought the room to a standstill, the tension in the air dissipating.

"Now then, Mr. Thornewhip, I would hope that you have more to offer than some thinly veiled threats. Many would claim that they ‘should not be crossed,’ but few can back up such words with real power, especially power that can compare with that of our patroness."

She then turned towards Gilded Jack. "And I can assure you, master goblin, that there have been many that have tried to scheme their way into My Lady’s court by vowing to give her the sun, moon, and everything in between. Only once they find themselves at her door, it turns out they have nothing more to show than a pocket full of empty promises."

The goblin found himself sputtering at the accusation. "Empty…?! Why, you air-blooded trollop! I am Master of this town! I control everything here! Do you dare doubt my word?!"

"The only thing I don't doubt here is that you must be grossly exaggerating what you have to offer." She cast a glance back towards Thornewhip. "What either of you have to offer."

Gilded Jack slammed a fatty fist into the desk. "I control the flow of goods throughout this entire city! Artifacts, information, dreams, memories, slaves and more! You would be greatly remiss to reject anything that I have to offer."

Thornewhip seemed to be taken back by her words but quickly composed himself. "And myself and my crew are the most successful privateers in the Far Reaches. And if you would be so bold enough, or just foolish enough, to doubt that my Lord-"

"Oh, what do you or your master have to even offer, drakeling?" spat Jack, looking ready to smash something. "If I had a doubloon for every time one of your kind tried to muscle in on me with threats, I'd be richer than I am three times over and the canals would be choking with their corpses."

At this the Lost stood up and stretched his arms, flexing his fingers with a series of audible cracks and pops. "As entertaining as these theatrics are, Jack, I have to agree with my advisor," he said. "So far all you have to show for it is a bunch of promises that we aren't even sure you can back up. And you, Simon, how do we even know you're any good? What proof do you have?"

Jack set down his glass so sharply that the crystal threatened to break. He took a moment to straighten his fur coat and adjust his sunglasses. "The Lost brings up a fair point. While the reputation of the Lady of the White Spires is well known, I honestly have never heard of this Ebon Lord before and, therefore, I must agree with Madame Sophia. However, I must also concede that perhaps a better showing of what I have to offer the Lady is in order. To that end, I would invite you, Lost One, to accompany me on a tour. To show you exactly what I have to offer."

Thornewhip ground his teeth together, a low growl rumbling deep within his chest. But before he could speak, Rarity once again interceded. "Mr. Thornewhip, I would like to see for myself exactly what you have to offer as well. If Master Jack’s not willing to… ‘play ball,’ shall we say, then perhaps you and I might strike our own deal?" Rarity came close to the privateer, putting on a face that instantly held his attention.

Simon gave a quick glance behind Rarity at the Lost's icy blue eyes, narrowing dangerously. A cocky smirk formed on his own face.

"Milady, your keen business savvy is matched only by your refinement, grace, and beauty. I feel that nothing would delight me more that to enter a mutually beneficial arrangement with you, in a private one-on-one rendezvous.”

When Rarity smiled coquettishly, a bolder thought seemed to strike Simon Thornewhip.

“Then again, must it be one-on-one? Sophia, perhaps you would be also interested in meeting the members of my crew, as well? I assure you, they would all love to make your acquaintance. They are a stout-hearted, stalwart bunch, and would be equally appreciative as myself to learn what assets you bring to the table.”

“I don’t see why not, Mr. Thornewhip,” answered Rarity.

“Please… call me ‘Simon,’ Sophia,” said Simon.

As Simon placed a muscular arm around Rarity's shoulders, there was a subtle *rip* in the room as several of the Lost's blackening knuckles tore through the bandages around his hands.

"Very well," said Jack, rising to his feet and grabbing his cane. "I propose that we adjourn for the time being to cool our heads and take proper stock of the situation. I shall escort the Lost on a tour of the main warehouse, while Mr. Thornewhip escorts Madame Sophia — as well as one of my associates…”

The Lost didn’t miss the brief, small scowl from Simon.

“...to have a look at the Ebon Lord’s wares. Afterwards, we shall reconvene to bring this to a civilized and mutually beneficial conclusion."

Both the Lost and Thornewhip shared a glanced and agreed. As they all left, the Lost took Rarity to the side by her arm.

"Okay, first off, nice work back there," he said. "That was some really skillful diplomacy."

Rarity tittered behind a raised hand. "Oh think nothing of it, darling."

"Second, are you out of your mind?! You want to go off alone with that guy?!"

"You heard Simon’s boasting. 'The most successful privateers in the Far Reaches.' Even if he’s huffing a lot of hot air, he and his lackeys might have some useful information regarding what happened to the girls."

"Indeed, ‘Sophia,’ tis a most risky ploy," said Luna. "I would no further trust that serpent than I could throw him."

Rarity crossed her arms, smiling. "I wouldn't worry, ‘Astra.’ If Kyria's demonstration this morning taught me anything, then we can use the situation to our advantage."

"How so?"

"Recall how we promised not to bring harm to the Master of the House, nor to those inside, and in return, we were promised to be afforded the same. It is safe to assume that everyone who comes through those doors is also made to make that same promise… or at least those that Jack deems to be a potential threat do. Without a doubt, this would include Mr. Thornewhip and his crew.”

Luna and the Lost nodded at Rarity’s logic.

“So, if Mr. Thornewhip were to go against his word, he would find himself at the mercy of our host. And Gilded Jack seems like the sort of fellow that would not stand for violence under his roof, unless he is the one inflicting it." Then she tilted her head in thought. “Come to think of it… Mr. Lost, isn’t it true that in this world, breaking a promise is as good as jinxing yourself?”

“‘Jinxing,’ is putting it mildly,” the Lost told her. “Not living up to your word can result in all sorts of dreadful consequences. Instant death, complete lucklessness, a horrible metamorphosis or some form of living damnation.”

Rarity smiled. “In which case, Gilded Jack will be the least of Simon’s worries.”

The Lost stood there, mouth agape. 'And to think that I thought she would have trouble adapting to how things work here,' he thought.

When Rarity turned to leave, she felt a hand on her arm to turn her around again. She found herself looking into Lero's hazel eyes. "Rarity, wait," he said, his voice hushed. "I still don't trust that guy. I..." He sighed heavily. "I didn't like the way he was looking at you."

Rarity paused a moment before giving a quiet laugh. "My darling prince," she said, "you have nothing to worry about. You know that I have dealt with many a stallion trying to get one thing or another from me long before you found your way into my heart. And do you know what I have learned?"

When Lero shook his head, Rarity leaned in close to kiss him on the cheek, then whispered into his ear, "It's that most men are easier to manipulate that my clouds, my love."

Lyra leaned against a wooden pillar, simply watching the market go by. Despite the otherworldly nature of the people that occupied its streets and stalls, Lyra felt a certain amount of nostalgia. It reminded her of her travels to Equis' other nations, particularly the markets of Saddle Arabia. The city of Baaahrain, where she had studied new meditative techniques, was at the crossroads of several trading routes, creating a mashup of different cultures; from the many tribes that inhabited the vast deserts, to merchants traveling from distant Xin Cha and Neighpon, the Minoan Republic, the Gryphon Empire, or Equestria itself.

The end result was a melting pot, a wonderously chaotic mix of cultures, languages, and foods from around the world. In that regard, Gladesrest reminded her very much of the same.

'Though this place makes Baaahrain's bazaar look like Ponyville’s market in comparison,' mused the grandmaster.

Across from her, a group of rough and muscular looking beings, "ogres" if she remembered correctly, were egging on a comrade who was strapped down to a chair. A bizarre creature, one that seemed to be a man shaped mound of pinkish flesh that was covered in white scales, worked some kind of disturbing ritual. The thing grasped a pair of pliers in a pseudo-tentacle appendage, and with little to no warning, grabbed the prone being and yanked out one of its jutting tusks. The ogre bellowed a howl of pain and anger, much to the amusement of its companions, who were throwing their own jabs in some sort of guttural language.

The white-scaled being then examined the tooth with its eyeless head before burbling some comment Lyra couldn't understand, which prompted a joyful outburst from the whole group. The creature then placed the tusk onto a bare piece of its skin. Lyra realized with a sudden and nauseous understanding that the creature was not covered in scales but rather thousands of teeth.

It then took the same pliers and removed another tooth from its own body. The new tooth, a jagged canine of some sort, was then placed just above the hole in the ogre's mouth. It started to vibrate with an audible hum before leaping out of the pliers’ grip and into the vacant socket. The ogre bellowed again as the new tooth shrank and reshaped itself before finally settling into the socket, its size now that of the ogre's original tusk, giving the ogre a slightly mismatched maw.

The ogre was released from the straps and achingly worked its jaw in discomfort before receiving several slaps on the back from his comrades and good-natured punches to the shoulder. Further words were exchanged between the groups before they parted, the ogres no doubt to buy their comrade a stiff drink to help ease the pain.

Interestingly enough, the whole display was neither the strangest nor the most entertaining thing Lyra had seen that day. No, that right fell to the moment that Twilight discovered a strange book vendor.

“Rainbow, look! Books!” The librarian found a gold mine of them in the form of a small, rundown bookstore just off the main street. Poorly lit and filled with shabby carpets and bookshelves, it would have been easily overlooked save for the few books put on display in the window that caught Twilight’s eye. Once she saw the fantastic covers featuring humans, she was up against the window like a foal in a candy store.

Twilight begged to be let in, much to Kyria’s grumbling, but relented when Kyria saw a nearby stall that held a few items she needed. After fixing Lyra with a firm gaze and a warning of only, “Don’t let her buy anything,” she walked with Rainbow to the other stall, leaving Lyra to wait in the doorway while Twilight gushed over the treasure trove of human literature.

“Wait, I think Lero mentioned some of these authors,” gushed Twilight. She walked along the shelves, her fingers running over the spines of several novels. “Martin, Tolkien, Gaiman, Lewis, Herbert…”

“Find something that catches your fancy, moça?” Twilight gave a short jump at the voice. Behind her, seemingly materializing out of thin air, was a…

“...an ocelot?” she said, mouth agape.

The ocelot in question simply raised an eyebrow from behind his tinted sunglasses. “You were perhaps expecting a parrot?” The ocelot took a lengthy draw on his long, thin tobacco pipe, producing a cloud of blue smoke. Twilight coughed slightly at the potent vapors. The creature was bipedal, a common trend among the city’s residents, standing much shorter than Twilight. He was dressed in thin white robes and adorned with copper jewelry, with a large red woolen belt that covered his midriff.

“I’m sorry,” she said as she waved the cloud away, “I didn’t mean to cause offense.”

“Nenhum tomadas,” said the shopkeeper with a casual wave of a paw. “But perhaps I can help you find something, yes?”

“Oh, I’m just browsing, I’m not really looking for anything-”

“No one ever is, moça, that is why I am here.” He walked behind the front desk and took a seat on a tall stool. "I see you’re interested in fantasy literature."

Twilight raised an eyebrow. "Fantasy literature…?"

Twilight looked back at the bookshelf she’d been glancing through. Many of the covers showed humans riding dragons or fighting them, and robed humans blasting spells from their hands. Yes… Lero had told her, many times, that dragons didn’t exist at all on Earth, nor could any human cast magic.

'At least,' she thought with a shudder, 'not without extensive modification by one of the ‘Gentry.’'

Part of her wanted to ask the shopkeeper to show her his nonfiction section from Earth. She could appreciate a good piece of fiction as much as the next mare, true, but books on politics, history, biology, and philosophy would give her so much more insight into Lero and Kyria’s old world… dithering around in the fantasy section seemed like a criminally wasted opportunity!

And yet she lingered. The colorful covers had caught her eye, she had to confess. Such gorgeous and adventurous-looking men and women! Besides, wouldn’t human mythology be as much a window into their culture as any sociology text? It would probably make for some juicier reading too.

She walked along the aged bookshelves in thought, one hand idly running along the vellum and paper spines. Each of the names were strange and exotically unfamiliar to her: Rowling, Pratchett, Colfer, Feist…

"Are these authors good?" she asked the shopkeeper.

Then, feeling she ought to provide context for her ignorance, she crossed an arm and rubbed it awkwardly, an ashamed looked crossing her face. "I’m sorry, my… my memory isn’t what it should be," she added.

The ocelot was stone faced before giving a sad and tired smile. He removed his glasses and warm eyes greeted her. "Não é nenhum problema, meu caro," he said, sounding for all the world like a grandfather speaking to a worried child. "It is the life we live, no?"

Twilight felt moved by the genuine concern the creature seemed to have for her. While she couldn't quite understand the language, she could infer the meaning behind it. Perhaps, she wondered, not every being here really was out to get them.

The ocelot then replaced his glasses and the smile shifted to the enthusiasm that only a salesman could project. "Yes," he said, "these authors are all good, the most celebrated in their field!" The shopkeeper led her through stacks of books and shelves dedicated to many different authors. At some points, he would mention terms like "rejected drafts" or "creative differences", which at first led Twilight to believe the ocelot sold some exceedingly rare manuscripts. The was, until, he led her a section of the store for less well-known authors.

"But these ones, oh, minha querida," he said, his pipe leaving a trail of blue smoke with each of his hand gestures. "These are my true favorites. These are the ones that almost were leaders, who could have been kings and queens of the pen!"

"Wait a second," said Twilight. "What do you mean by 'almost were'?"

"They never published," said the shopkeeper.

Twilight shook her head. "But they obviously did." She pointed to a book that would have been at home in any major bookstore. "They're sitting right there."

"But they didn't. This one, she died before she even started writing it."

"But then how...?"

The ocelot gave her a most curious glance. "Didn't you read the sign?"

Twilight wandered back towards the door and peeked out at the bookshop’s hanging wooden sign. "Neverwere and Could-Have-Been: Unwritten and Dreamed Works."

Twilight returned back to the shopkeeper. "Not a single one of these books was ever written," he said through another puff of blue smoke. "All of these are books that their authors dreamed up, yet never physically put to paper."

Twilight stood stunned.

“But please do not be so judgmental as to assume that automatically makes them bad books!” the ocelot was quick to say. “I assure you; you’ll find nothing but the highest-quality reads in my store: no half-baked ideas here!”

Twilight’s mouth hung agape. She was struggling to find the words she needed.

The ocelot raised a clawed finger, as if a sudden thought had just occurred to him. "Let me show you one of my personal favorite authors," he said, and led Twilight further into the shop. A small part of Twilight was beginning to wonder exactly how such a large shop seemed to occupy such a small storefront, but that thought was quickly put down; madness lied that way, she was sure.

"Here we are," said the shopkeeper, a nostalgic smile crossing his lips. He held up a novel written by one Dabney U. Greddigoskal. Its beautifully illustrated cover showed a man and a woman, clearly lovers if the sultry gazes and intimate positions were any clue, standing on a platform with a sea of stars and planets behind them. Strange constructs floated in the void, giving the impression of sort sort of ship. Twilight glanced over at where the shopkeeper pulled it from and saw that rows of Greddigoskal novels occupied entire shelves.

Twilight almost whistled at the sight. "He seems like quite a prolific writer," she said, struggling to think of a comparison from Equestria.

The shopkeeper gave a short laugh. "Ha! You couldn’t possibly be more wrong, minha querida," he said jovially. "In reality, Mr. Greddigoskal’s literary career — such as it was — ended the moment his teachers stopped giving him homework. Once his school days were over, he became a full-time sewage maintenance worker. Had a strong aversion to pens, pencils, and even keyboards. He avoided using any of those things as much as humanly possible. His autobiography was very clear on that point."

The ocelot’s whiskers twitched as he gave a small sigh.

"Died young, homem pobre, only thirty-one. I was depressed for a whole week, the day I learned of it.

"No, Mr. Greddigoskal wasn’t a writer. But he still was incredibly imaginative." He replaced the book in its proper spot on the shelf. "And what you see here are all the books he would have authored if he’d had any faith in himself as a storyteller."

Twilight nodded her head, her mind still desperately trying to process this concept. Once again, her rational mind was screaming at her that this was impossible on every conceivable level, that she really should be screaming her head off or running away as fast as her two legs could carry her, or some combination of the two.

She was sorely tempted to give in to her instincts when she spotted it: a small black book nestled at the end of the shelf, its appearance that of any of the books one would find at the kiosks in large train stations. She blinked her eyes in disbelief. Curiosity overrode the panic and she plucked the small book from the shelf. She read the title.

“That One Spy Novel That I Came Up with One Weekend but Forgot About and Never Bothered to Name.”

Written and Illustrated by

Lero Michealides

She began to leaf through it, her eyes darting down the pages.

"Oh, that one," said the shopkeeper with a shrug. "I stopped carrying his books long ago. Don’t know why that one’s still in the shop."

Twilight glanced up. "You stopped? Why?"

The shopkeeper waved his hand dismissively. "He seemed to have had promise at one point, but then his work turned very... poor. It always happens when they are taken."

"Poor?"

"Oh yes." He gave a mirthless laugh. "After all, who wants to read pages and pages of nothing but screaming?"

“Do you think they’ll be okay, Kyria?” asked Rainbow, looking over her shoulder at the bookstore.

Kyria nodded. “I’m sure,” she said. “Lyra seems to have the most sense of you guys. She’ll keep the princess out of trouble.”

Rainbow quirked an antenna. “Why do you keep calling her that? Twilight’s not a princess, Luna is.”

Kyria shrugged. “Yeah, but Luna seems more… I don’t know, less uptight than what I would expect. She’s more like the kind of princess you see on TV charging into battle in a metal bikini than the kind that sits on her ass to be waited on hand and foot. I can tell Twilight grew up rich and has been living most of her life in an ivory tower. You know what I'm saying?”

“...what’s a bikini?”

“...I’ll explain later,” said Kyria, after a double-take.

The pair looked over the stall’s goods in silence, occasionally asking about some item before returning to wander aimlessly within eyesight of the bookstore. Rainbow allowed her ears to listen in on the market sounds; two beings haggling over a broken sword, another pair making a deal over some powdered bone, a nearby cryer inviting patrons to Madame Mantis' to listen to the Pale Siren and some other artists.

After finally gaining the nerve, Rainbow hesitantly asked, “Do, um, do you not like Twilight?”

Kyria stopped browsing to look up at the butterfly girl. “What? No, I didn’t mean it like that!” She pulled Rainbow off to the side and away from idle ears. “I didn’t mean to sound like I don’t like her, Rainbow.”

“Oh, that’s okay, but, well it’s just that you seem to yell at her a lot.”

Kyria sighed. “It’s just that… look, I know that this place, everything around us… I know that it’s strange and weird to her — to all of you — but if she doesn’t try to just… let go and flow with it, then she’s gonna end up under a rock real soon.”

Rainbow’s eyes widened in understanding. “You’re worried about her.”

“I’m terrified for her,” said Kyria, fear and desperation growing in her voice. “You all have the Lost and Luna to protect you guys from some of the things out there in the woods, the big bad wolves and the things in the dark, but the forest itself is something you should be scared of. Hell, the air should being scaring you! There are so many weird rules here and, so far, Twilight’s refused to admit that she’s not even playing the right game! If she keeps on refusing to see the real picture here, she’s going to get herself hurt, me hurt, you hurt, or worse! And I don’t want that!”

Rainbow was silent for a moment. For as long as they had been friends, she had always seen Twilight as a leader, the one with all of the answers to everything and the one to always guide them to safety. But ever since they came here, Twilight hadn’t done much leading.

All she did was worry over trying to make sense of everything and putting everything in its proper place, and just lamenting why nothing was the way it was “supposed” to be. It was like watching a foal try to force a square peg through a circular hole, then cry when it wouldn’t fit through.

Kyria had been a lifesaver. The way she handled the strangeness of the Hedge and how she knew what to do and where to go really made all the difference. And while she could be overly blunt and rude sometimes, Rainbow could tell that she genuinely cared about her friends.

A tiny part of her wondered if this caring was only because Lero promised to take her back home to Equestria with them. But as Rainbow stared into the wide, amber eyes, she saw genuine concern reflected back. Kyria truly didn’t want anyone else to go through the same experiences she did.

Smiling warmly, Rainbow put a comforting hand on Kyria’s shoulder. “Then I’m really happy that you’re here for us, Kyria. Thank you.”

Kyria looked dumbfounded, but Rainbow continued anyways. “I’ll be sure to talk to Twilight about this. Maybe some of the others can do a better job of convincing her than me, but I think what you said is really important. I think she can learn. After all she got over the headband thing this morning, so that’s got to count for something, right?”

“I-I guess,” Kyria replied.

“See? I know that as long as you’re with us, everything is going to be okay!” Rainbow punctuated the statement by giving the horned girl a gentle hug. Kyria, still stunned by what was said, was slow to return the gesture. Rainbow thought she could feel the shudder in her breath and the tremor through her body, but she reasoned that was because it was still cold outside.

“Allow me to introduce my fine crew, Madame Sophia,” said Simon, gesturing to two seated humanoid beings.

After leaving Gilded Jack’s office, Rarity and Simon had exited the main building to walk along the parapets of a tall wooden wall enclosing a large docking basin. Down below were a number of ships and barges unloading cargo to a trio of warehouses. Rarity had spotted both Luna and the Lost on the opposite wall. They appeared to be following the small form of Jack on their own tour.

Simon had lead her and another person — a tall man with glasses and ink-stained fingers whom Gilded Jack had introduced as his representative — down into one of the warehouses, where she now stood face-to-face with Simon Thornewhip’s crew.

The first one to greet them was a woman. “Well, hey der’, capitan,” she said in a thick accent. Rarity often associated such dialect with ponies that lived in the far southeast, along the Hayseed Swamps. Rarity felt a shiver pass through her at the woman’s appearance.

She was just as tall as Rarity, but incredibly thin, almost skeletal. She wore a black coat and pants, a red vest over a purple shirt and tall, high-heeled boots. All of her clothes were aged and decrepit, festooned with missing patches and moth-eaten holes. Her skin was an ashen grey pulled over a pronounced skull with white hair tied in a tangle of dozens of braids. Her eyes were a pale, dead-looking blue. “So wha’s da play? We’s gonna deal, ou non?”

The man next to her snorted and spat oil. “Patience, fraulein,” he said. “Der Kommandant vill tell us. Pheh, no doubt in his usual manner.”

“Oh and what would that be, vous vieux?”

“Vere he takes a hundred words to say five.”

Simon’s other companion was a grizzled-looking old man with a beard like steel wool. Where Simon was tall and commanding, this man looked diminished and hunched. His entire left arm and part of his face were replaced with some sort of fantastic mechanical contraption. Silver and bronze gears clicked and shifted, letting off quiet whistles of steam. His jaw and left eye were the same, both an amalgamation of devices to serve as a replacement for the original.

“Ah, Herr Heinrich,” said Thornewhip, a hint of annoyance in his voice, “perhaps in light of our most prestigious guests, you would do well to address myself in the most appropriate manner.”

“Jawohl, Herr Anführer,” said Heinrich with a lax salute.

The woman gave a laugh before finally taking notice of Rarity. She leaned forward, a predatory smile on her face. “Oh, wha’s dis? Who is dis belle, eh, capitan?”

Simon straightened up further. “My dear Miss Beaumont, I have the esteemed pleasure of introducing Madame Sophia, a representative of The Lost, who is, in turn, a representative of the Lady of White Spires.”

“Dat so?” asked the skeletal woman, eyeing Rarity up and down. “What kinda ‘representative?’

“Madame Sophia is a fellow privateer, a veritable sister-in-arms, if you will.”

Rarity gave a small curtsey, still ill-at-ease under the strange woman’s gaze.

“Ma plaisure, ma sœur,” said the woman with a flourished bow. “Dey call me Clairesse Beaumont, but mes amis call me Claire.”

‘Sœur’… ‘amis’... ‘ou non’... Rarity was somewhat tempted to respond with: ‘Ce est merveilleux de vous rencontrer, Claire. Avez-vous été à l'origine né ici, ou étiez-vous enlevé à un plus jeune âge?’ Just to see how Claire and the others would react.

But then she looked at sly, smiling Simon and thought better about revealing information about herself this man didn’t need to know.

“A… pleasure to make your acquaintance,” Rarity told Claire, returning the bow.

“And this fine, upstanding gentleman is Herr Heinrich Tinkerer, our chief of creative solutions,” Simon introduced.

Heinrich stood tall at Rarity’s gaze, his aged back given several pops as he raised his hand in a crisp salute. “Guttentag,” he said.

‘Guttentag’… so he was Germane. Wait… no, that wasn’t quite right, was it? In the same way the country of ‘France’ was the human version of Prance, there had also been a human equivalent of ‘Germane...’ maddeningly similar-sounding, but for the life of her, Rarity couldn’t remember quite what that word was.

Regardless, she knew a few words of Germane, but it wasn’t a tongue she’d really learned.

Simon was looking around the room, searching for someone else. “It would appear that we are short one member of our merry band.”

“You mean Zazi?” said Claire with a fond smile. “Our petit tahyo is off taking care of de goods. He likes to keep ‘is eye on dese tangs.”

“Ah yes, no finer a watchdog was there ever born than our own dear Zazi,” said Simon.

“Might I inquire as to der young lady’s presence?” asked Heinrich.

At this point, the tall man serving as Gilded Jack’s representative stepped forward. "We are here to conduct an inspection of your goods," he reminded them in a nasally voice. "If the quality is on par with the master's expectations, then he will consider the proposal your captain has made."

"I assured Gilded Jack that our crew can deliver. It is not only our word that is on the line but that of our illustrious employer."

The mention of the word was enough to cause a shift in the privateers' attitudes. Claire's face seemed to lose its levity and the old man’s mechanical eye began to sputter and twitch subtly.

"By all means," said Heinrich, opening his arm invitingly, "let us show you exactly vhat ve are capable of."

Both Rarity and the tall man were lead over to a set of large trunks, which Heinrich opened with a flick of his mechanical hand. Rarity's eyes widened at the contents; gold and jeweled valuables were piled within, enough to buy Ponyville twice over.

"These precious items," explained Simon, "were taken as spoils of war. The hard-won prizes of many long but successful conflicts." He stood proudly and waved towards his two comrades. "My crew has earned a reputation as the finest company of privateers in the Far Reaches, a reputation, I must add, that has been earned through reliability of services rendered and results delivered."

With a flick of her hand, Claire produced two small, richly purple cards, handing them both to Rarity and the tall man. Rarity read the words, printed in silver script: "Thornewhip and Co.: Items Procured, Property Recovered, Obstacles Eradicated."

"What sort of items have you acquired?" asked the tall man.

"Rare and valuable artifacts of great power," bragged Simon. "Our Lord is a bit of a collector, you see, and has always had an eye for the finer things in life."

"I can see that," said Rarity, her eye drifting back to the chest.

They were interrupted by a long piercing wail, one that seemed to cause the tall man a small amount of discomfort.

Rarity instantly recognized the sound for what it was. What it had to be.

Claire scoffed in irritation. "Again? Can dat petit trublion make my work any more difficult?"

As Claire walked to the opposite side of the room, Rarity was compelled by the crying to follow her, driven by an instinct to investigate it for herself. She silently dreaded and hoped for what she would find.

What she did find was Claire leaning over a pile of white cloth, trying desperately to ease the distress of a crying human baby. Rarity felt the breath in her throat hitch. The child, tiny, pink and beautiful, was squirming in its swathing blanket, its tiny arms raised in distress and its face scrunched up as it wailed at the top of its tiny lungs. The sound was so like a newborn foal from her own world, there may as well be no difference between the two whatsoever.

Claire was having great difficulty. "Shh, shh, allons bébé," she shushed in vain. "Be quiet now, be quiet for your nanan."

The baby's only response was to cry louder, much to Claire's growing frustration.

"Fraulein," called out Heinrich, "vas ist der problem?"

"Je'n sais!" responded Claire over the wails. "He will not stop crying!"

Claire stepped away to walk back over to her crew leaving Rarity alone with the crying child. She stood above him, watching in rapt fascination. The baby, sensing a new presence, opened his tiny eyes to look at her. He watched her with gentle grey eyes, staring into Rarity's own sapphire orbs. The crying subsided a little.

To this day, Rarity wasn't truly sure what compelled her. Perhaps it was her maternal instincts, her fascination upon finally seeing a human infant, a mixture of the two, or something else entirely. Regardless, Rarity found herself reaching down to gently wrap the baby back up in the cloth and lift him up into her arms.

The baby boy murmured, still unsure at this strange new person. But she was soft and warm. And he liked the way her eyes looked at him, the way her purple locks flowed around her head. It wasn't like the other lady or the other people around him.

"Hello," she said softly. Rarity cradled him in her arms, letting her body move on its own. Using her left arm to support him, she gently reached out with her right, running a single finger along his cheek. She gasped, taking into the sensation of smooth skin under her sensitive fingertips.

"Hello there," she said again, this time with the most gentle of smiles. The baby seemed to like that and cooed in response. He reached out and grabbed her fingertip with his tiny fist.

"Marvelous, isn't he?" asked Simon, who quietly approached the pair.

"He's beautiful," said Rarity, never taking her eyes off the child.

Simon smiled, a wide grin that would be at home on a wolf. "He is one of ours," he said quietly. "A poor soul we found amidst the most detestable squalor. A father that abandoned his family in favor of drink, dice, and the company of loose women; a mother that could not — nay, would not — provide for him. We liberated this poor innocent as only we could."

Rarity listened to Simon, her heart growing heavy. To think that anyone would willingly abandon their child in such a way! Her thoughts drifted to a certain mare that she had the misfortune of counting amongst her in-laws. How Twilight had ever turned out to be half the mare she was now, with somepony like Star Sparkle in her herd was a miracle.

Then again, it was that nag’s absence for the majority of Twilight Sparkle’s fillyhood, not to mention Twilight Velvet more than ably filling in the void, that had helped shape Twilight into the wonderful mare she loved, instead of a smaller, younger, and possibly more bitter Star.

The right mother made all the difference.

Rarity looked back up to Simon, her voice still gentle in the baby's presence. "What will happen to him?"

"We shall endeavor to find him a new home amongst either the citizenship of this city or amongst the esteemed ranks of the Fair Folk," said Simon.

Rarity's eyes widened. "Among the..."

"To be raised in the presence of gods, my dear Sophia, is the highest honor us mortals can aspire to, save serving them directly."

Before Rarity could respond, there came a sudden crash as a door at the far end of the room was thrown open, followed by a pair of men running through. Barefoot, covered in threadbare rags and filth, they came stumbling through, all-consuming fear in their wide eyes. "RUN!!" one cried out.

No sooner did the man speak, there came an even greater crash as the door, its frame, and a fair section of the wall exploded in a shower of splinters and great and beastial bellow filled the room.

"WAAAGH!"

Rarity could only stare as a giant came bounding through the new hole. Almost three times her height, its skin a bright red, it swung a great and meaty fist, slamming into one of the men and sending him flying sideways into an adjacent wall with a sickening crunch.

The other man, fear and adrenaline forcing his limbs, did not turn back to see his companion's fate but instead spurned onwards.

Fluent movement from Simon caught her eye.

*CRACK!!*

The running man's escape was halted when something suddenly wrapped around his neck. His eyes bulged as he gasped desperately for breath and his hands tried in vain to remove the constricting object. Simon grinned viciously and pulled back on his whip. Rarity felt a chill run through her; the whip more closely resembled one of the thorny vines she had seen in the wilds. It was long and pitch black, the yellow thorns dug into the man's exposed flesh.

"Know your place, scum," hissed Simon gleefully and pulled tighter.

Horror began to fill Rarity as she watched the man's eyelids begin to droop, his arms becoming lax. The color of his skin seemed to fade, going from a flushed red to a dull and lifeless white. The eyes became more sunken as a cowed and stupefied look overcame him. He wasn't dying but at the same time seemed to have the very life force drain out of him. Soon all he was doing was kneeling, a slack look covering his face as his mouth hung open, a dribble of drool falling out of his mouth. Satisfied, Simon gave a flick of wrist, unravelling the whip from the man's neck and returning it to his hip, coiled and ready for use again.

The man continued to remain kneeling, catatonic and unmoving.

Rarity put a hand to her mouth, a last effort to contain the scream clawing its way to escape her throat. The baby had no such reservations, his scared wailing returning in full force.

"Heh heh heh," laughed the giant, his voice low and guttural. "Baka yaro." The giant then tossed the other man onto the floor. Rarity saw that he was miraculously somehow still alive, but the blackened and blue skin and the pained moans told her that it was only by the thinnest of strings.

"Speak for yourself, crétin," said Claire. The woman, indeed the rest of the occupants of the room, seemed to have taken the violence in stride, as if it were just another day at work. "You just cost us two pieces of merchandise!"

The giant grabbed the broken man by his legs and lifted him up. "Oi! This one is still alive," he said. "At least I didn't drain him like Anii-ki did. Those ones are worth even less! Anii-ki should just trade his whip for some other weapon."

"Zazi-san," chided Simon, "how could you forget that sizable percentage of our clientele who actively refrain from the process of breaking their slaves’ will?”

Zazi snorted contemptuously. Simon Thornwhipe nodded.

“My sentiments exactly. Freakier than teetotalers, those lot. But since those squeamish milksops are willing to pay top coin to skip that step of the procedure…”

Here, Simon stroked his namesake thorny whip lovingly. His hand came away from it without the faintest scratch.

“...Who are we to spurn that timeless adage about the customer being ‘always right?” Then Simon’s glibness turned to reproach. “However, no one will pay for any slave so profoundly and irrevocably damaged that they can do little more than moan and eat their meals through straws."

And with dawning horror, Rarity realized that it really was just another day at work for these privateers. They were slavers, flesh peddlers, the very worst that sapient life had to offer. They-

"Shigata ga nai," shrugged the giant and with inhuman callousness, raised the man to his mouth and bit down. With a single crunching bite, Zazi removed the man's head and most of his chest cavity. Crimson blood spilled over his fingers and ran down the dead man's twitching legs. Zazi chewed his mouthful of gore as one might chew a piece of taffy.

Claire gave a disgusted scoff. "Ugh! Do you have to do dat in front of us, tahyo?" Zazi shrugged and took another huge bite out of the dead man. "And now, o' course, we can't make anytang from dis one."

"Waste not, want not," came a reply through a mouthful of flesh.

The tall servant of Gilded Jack ignored the banter, instead choosing to focus on the kneeling man. Through his large, round lenses, he examined the slave, who remained completely unaware of what was happening around him.

"Fascinating," said the tall man, as he peered down his nose. He removed a handkerchief from a breast pocket, using it to turn the man's head one way then the next. The man remained unresponsive. "Are you able to replicate these effects with consistency?"

"I must confess," began Simon, "that what you beheld was not my usual style of administering the whip. Flogging is my preferred method. Many quick lashes at the subject while he or she is tied to a post: that’s Step One. Afterwards, I put the slave to regular work for a period of time to lower his or her psychological guard, before having him or her sent back for more flogging. The idea is to slowly and methodically erode what little will these insects have, insuring complacency and docility. Mind you, this approach is best suited to create menial servants, if such is your wish. Then again, that is all these creatures are good for, isn't it?"

The tall man's only response was an uncaring sniff as he continued to examine the slave. "This stupor you’ve put him in, how long does it last for?”

Simon strode forward confidently, every part a salesman. "I’m afraid this one has passed a point of no return. He’s doomed to remain in this state indefinitely. If a cure exists that can restore him to his former cognizance, it’s unknown to me. Regrettably, I haven’t enough scientific inquiry in my soul to bother to see whether it eventually wears off on its own. I've got my own life to live and an enterprise to run, you understand.”

“Don’t we all,” agreed the tall man. “But what can even be done with slaves who’ve been reduced to this state?”

“I’ve discovered in the majority of these cases, most owners end up bartering such slaves as this off to the meat vendors or to the fighting pits,” continued Simon, drawing closer to the tall man. “You could talk to the beastmasters of the arena. This one’ll make excellent food for their creatures. But my recommendation? There are a few of the Gentry whom I know… moderately reasonable, approachable, and powerful figures... who’d use slaves like this one...”

Here, Simon gave the slave a light kick.

“...In practice hunts. To train their hounds to track and maul their prey. I could put in a few good words for your master with them, if you like. For a price."

"You," whispered Rarity. The others turned their eyes towards the purple-haired woman, now backing towards the door, the baby held protectively in her arms. "You monsters."

Simon only raised an eyebrow. "Well now," he said in a low voice. "Monsters… that is an interesting appellation to bestow upon one of your own. But then again, I had a sneaking suspicion that we could never truly count you among our ranks, Madame. A privateer’s lifestyle is only truly suited for those whose hearts are suffused with a vast superabundance of malignancy."

Then he blew Rarity a kiss. “Though, you kept me guessing from the first moment I laid eyes on you. Your talent as actress is considerable.”

"How can you be so... so cruel?!" shouted Rarity, still backing towards the door. The baby began to wail in her arms. "These are people, thinking, living people! What right do you have to act like this, you... barbarians!"

First, Simon gave her the most baffled look, one that was quickly mirrored by the others in the room, even old Heinrich. Then, as if on cue, they all burst into rancorous laughter, save for Gilded Jack’s tall servant, observing in indifference. Zazi laughed so hard that the corpse he had been eating dropped out of his fist as he clutched his great sides.

Simon was the first to reply. "O-hoho my dear Sophia," he said, wiping at his eye as if to brush away a tear. "You ask us that simple question as if there must be some vast and complex response to it. I, however, am delighted to tell you that there is, in fact, an equally simple answer."

He spread his arms wide and leaned forward, that terrible, feral, fanged-filled grin never once leaving his face.

"We do it because we can."

Rarity took a step backward.

"We do it because we are paid to," said Claire, removing a long and rusted machete from beneath her coat.

Rarity took another step.

"Ve do it because it ist our duty," said Heinrich. His arm clicked and whirred, the forearms converting from a hand and into a pair of menacing looking barrels.

Another step backwards.

"But really," said Zazi, rising to his full height, a wide smile on his face. "We do it because it's fun!"

Rarity took another step. She felt the door at her back. She was out of space.

Before, when they had all been sitting together at Gilded Jack’s table, Simon had been grinning at Rarity the way a wolf would’ve grinned at a pretty she-wolf.

Now Simon was leering at her the way a wolf would leer at a pretty, declawed, muzzled poodle.

Sweat poured from Rarity’s brow, dripping down her cheeks and chin. The tiny droplets found there way onto the baby's swathing clothes. The boy wailed louder, sensing the danger and urging his protector to do something.

Simon fingered the whip on his belt. "Now then," he said. "If you are not a privateer, then I believe it is only safe to assume that neither is your so-called 'leader'. And if that is the case, I fully intend to uncover who you really are. Even if it means extracting the information from you one flayed piece of flesh at a time."

"Can I eat her then, Anii-ki?" asked Zazi. "She looks tasty." His maw was already dripping with a mixture of blood and drool.

"No, I have plans for her. But perhaps after we are finished with the others on her crew... then you can eat your fill, my stout friend."

That was it. That was her trigger.

As if someone had reached into her mind and flipped a switch, Rarity felt her fear and dread change to sudden rage. Her sapphire eyes narrowed, the lightning dancing behind them. Her smokey purple hair flowed around her, the thunder and lightning contained within beginning to rumble and roar with building ferocity.

The smell of ozone began to fill the air.

"You dare," she hissed. The privateers halted their advance. "You dare!"

A rogue spark of electricity jumped between her and a nearby crate, leaving a black scorthmark and almost alighting the netting covering it.

"You dare threaten me? You dare threaten my family?!" The woman's roar was accompanied by a surging of primal force; thunder rolled through her hair and lightning danced across her skin.

“Family?” Thornewhip repeated.

Rarity no longer heeded the fear that had once been present. Now all she could feel was anger. A raging fury continued to build in her, and with it, the return of a strange physical sensation.

The sensation of being tied to something deeper within her, a connection to a great and ancient force. Rarity felt as though she holding the raw power at the heart of a storm in the palm of her hand. She could feel it bridging with her very soul, as if it had been a part of her all along.

The feeling promised her wrath. It promised her destruction, the annihilation of any that dared to stand in front of her. For who could ever stand before the Oncoming Storm and dare hope to face anything apart from their own demise. And all she had to do was let it loose.

And so she did.

It was as if a bomb were set off and Rarity was at the epicenter. A great pulse of rolling lightning sprung forth and swept through the room like a tidal wave. It washed over the privateers, too slow to respond. Even Thornewhip could not grab his weapon in time. The four privateers and Gilded Jack’s tall servant were floored in an instant. A few of them were twitching, especially Heinrich’s mechanical limbs, which were throwing off angry sparks.

None of them were getting back up anytime soon.

Rarity sank to her knees, breathing hard and in disbelief at what she had just done. The storm was subsiding but she could feel the power there, lying dormant and waiting to be used again at a moment's notice.

The baby continued to cry in her arms, frightened by the bright lights and thundering crash. Rarity looked down, relieved to see he was unharmed.

Sparing only a fleeting glance at the prone privateers, Rarity turned and ran from the room.

"Ah, you see there?" Gilded Jack pointed across the small harbor at a group walking along the opposite side of the walls. The Lost spotted Rarity easily, her dark purple hair was like a beacon. Behind her were two men; Simon Thornewhip and another that he did not recognize but assumed was the associate Jack had spoken of back in his office.

The Lost felt his blood simmer at the sight of the two. He did not trust Simon at all, but felt that he should follow Rarity's advice and trust in her instincts.

"Master Jack, sir," came a voice from below them. At the base of the stairs was the same green-haired servant they first met when they came to the goblin's manor. He was holding a small jeweled box resting on a silver tray. "I have the item you requested. Just delivered from Captain Tulpa."

"Ah, thank you, boy," said Jack, who proceeded to waddle down the stairs with a wide grin on his mouth. He took the offered box in his fat, little hands and opened it with glee. Inside was a pair of white marble orbs, polished to a shine and resting in soft velvet. "Very lovely indeed. Tulpa always delivers."

"Shall I take these back to your quarters...?"

"No no. I think I'll enjoy them now." Jack picked them up in one hand and with the other, removed his sunglasses.

The Lost stiffened. Gilded Jack's eye sockets stared back at him, vacant save for the twin rows of tiny, needle-like teeth that squatted where his eyelids should have been. Raising one of the marble orbs to a socket, the teeth sprang into action, opening and snapping at the object. Jack eased the orb in, the teeth wrapping around it before quieting. The only thing that remained was the subtle scraping of the sharp teeth on the smooth surface, the same sound that the Lost had picked up on yesterday in the goblin's gondola.

Gilded Jack repeated the disturbing process with his other eye, relishing in both the Lost's and Luna's discomfort at the sight. Another smug smile blossomed on his wide face. "Ahhh," he sighed in pleasure. "That always makes the difference." He looked upwards, a false expression of worry settling on him. "Oh my, is something the matter, Sir?"

Luna's response was to tighten her grip on her sword, her disgust for the creature almost becoming palatable.

The Lost just crossed his arms. "Just wondering how long are we going to play this game before we get down to brass tacks."

The goblin had a wet laugh. "Hahaho! Good sir, surely you know that the games never truly end." And with that, he turned on his heel and led the pair into the warehouse.

Luna did not loosen her grip. "It will end, filth," she hissed under her breath, "when I separate your miserable head from your bloated carcass."

"Luna," came a quiet warning from the Lost. "Not yet."

A fiery glare was the princess' only response.

Down into the warehouse they went, flanked by a pair of Jack's ogres. They passed by crates of treasures; gold, silver, bolts of fine silk. They passed by gnarled wooden objects, which Jack swore were powerful artifacts. A cane that would always take one home, a goblet that poured limitless wine, a monocle that could reveal hidden secrets.

But there, along the far wall, was something that made the Lost's blood boil.

Stacked in cages, they sat in filth or wailed, calling out for mothers, loved ones, even gods. Some of them came to the bars reaching out to him and Luna, pleas for mercy on their lips and despair in their eyes. Many were injured, either by cruel fists or cold blades. Several more held cowed and vacant looks, their bodies covered in weeping scratches.

"Oh ancestors," breathed Luna.

There had to have been almost two dozen of them.

Human beings. A few looked like they could have been plucked off the street. Others were showing signs of changes forced onto them; pointed ears, discolored eyes, odd skin patterns or growths.

But they were all people.

People that were put into cages like they were sheep and cattle.

"Ah, now let me show you my stock," said Jack, completely unaware of the winged woman's reactions. He waddled up near the cages and lashed out with his cane at the bars. Some of the prisoners retreated, an unlucky few weren't quick enough and found their hands cracked by the heavy canehead.

"Filthy animals!" shouted the goblin. "Get back, the lot of you, or I'll have the Flayer have a go at ya! Your hides are worth just as much to me, even if they aren't attached to your bones!" The prisoners gave a collective cry and cowered in the back of their cages.

All except one. It was a little girl, barefoot and wearing a tattered green sundress, her pale skin covered in dirt. She stared up at Luna in a mixture of wonder and hope, her green eyes pouring tears. A small hand reached through the bars towards her while the other clutched at a battered and stained stuffed rabbit.

"Please, help," she whispered, her voice dry and cracked from her crying. "I'm hungry. I want my mommy..."

Luna's breath hitched in her throat. She found herself reaching out to her, she needed to get her out of there, to get them all-

"No touching!" came a shrill voice. An emaciated hand wrapped itself around Luna's wrist and pulled it back.

Luna stared up at the newcomer. Tall, taller than she was, its gangly form was barechested, revealing a collection of scar tissue and open wounds. Its head was covered in a burlap sack. A single mad eye stared at her out of one hole while another revealed a lipless mouth full of rotting sharp teeth.

"No one touches my pretties," it said in a voice that carried a choir of screams. Its grip tightened on Luna's wrist. "Only Flayer can touch them! Only Flayer does!"

Luna grit teeth as anger built in her. "Let go, you wretch!"

Flayer's response was to give Luna a vicious backhanded blow. "It speaks! Flayer doesn't want it speak! Flayer wants it to scream!"

"Flayer, you daft git!" shouted Gilded Jack. The fat goblin began to stride over, positively rumbling in anger. The Lost, unseen by the goblin, gave a sudden feral smile.

But before Jack could get another reprimanding word in, Flayer removed a curved and wicked looking dagger from his belt. "Flayer will take its skin. Then Flayer will hears its-"

Luna became a blur of motion. In an instant she appeared behind Flayer, her sword drawn. She flicked her wrist and blood splattered the floor. Flayer turned around to face her. He faltered for a single moment.

"Flayer..." he gurgled.

And then Flayer's head tumbled from his shoulders across the floor while his body fell backwards to the cages. Two men grabbed him and the keys he wore on his belt. Soon enough, they burst out of the cage.

"OI!" came a loud bellow and a red giant was soon following them as they dashed across the warehouse.

Another two guards came around the cages and spotted the dead torturer and Luna’s bloody sword. The pair let loose a pair of beastial growls and removed their cludgels.

Luna’s blue eyes narrowed, flashing a sinister teal. “Barbaric scum,” she said, spreading her wide wings and leaping into the air. “Justice demands your punishment!”

Luna felt something powerful stir within her. She could feel as if something enormous was resting its weight against her back. It wasn’t an oppressive weight, as one would experience with a great burden, rather it was what one would feel with an ally; the feel of a comrade in arms as you stood back-to-back with one another in the middle of a battle.

“Trust in my skills,” it said, “and I shall trust in yours for the coming battle.”

And so Luna did.

Sensations surged through her, alien yet familiar to her as the building magic combined with the adrenaline of combat. She could truly envision it now, the elation of handing out justice to those that wronged the innocent, that dared to break the law, her laws, the euphoria of annihilating the unworthy and smiting her enemies!

She was Luna Invictus. The War Mistress. The Tide Reaver. And she had returned.

Luna raised her sword above her, pointed high at the ceiling. Black, sparking energy ran along her arms, culminating in a spinning black sphere above her. The sphere of energy was silent, save for the harsh cracking arc it emitted.

The two guards below her stood stupefied, gawking at their own doom.

Luna gave a great cry from above. “Face the wrath of the Stars!” She then swung her sword and the ball of dark energy surged forward. It flashed in between the pair of guards before halting. Then with a low *thump* it shifted, releasing its energy, not in an explosion, but an implosion. The two guards screamed as they were pulled off their feet towards the ball. When they made contact with the surface, they folded inwards, snapping metal and bone as they were crushed like aluminum cans.

For the Lost, it was like watching a train wreck; part of him was screaming to move back, yet he remained still, affixed and marveling at the scenery unfolding before him.

Finally, after what seemed like hours of carnage, there was a loud bang. The sphere and the two guards were gone from existence, leaving only a black and circular scorch mark on the floor.

Jack sputtered, white spit flying from his wide mouth. He raised a shaking finger, pointing towards Luna. "You- you-!"

"Okay, you know what? Fuck it," decided the Lost.

The Lost slammed his fist into the side of the goblin's head, ringing his bell, before grabbing and twisting his arm. Gilded Jack was soon slammed face-first into a low crate. One of his larger tusks was snapped off in the impact and bounced along the floor. Luna idly picked up the errant denture and pocketed it on a whim.

"This is what’s going to happen, Jack," said the Lost. He applied pressure to Jack's pinned arm, eliciting a cry from the goblin, who slammed his free hand onto the crate. "I'm going to ask some questions and you are going to answer them. Simple, right?"

Gilded Jack, his sunglasses having been knocked off, glared at the Lost with his little fangs. "You treacherous dog! I'll have you pay for-"

With a flick of his hand, the iron dagger came out of the Lost's belt and found a new home imbedded in Jack's wrist. The goblin howled in pain.

"Yeah, that's the thing about wrists," said the Lost calmly, walking around the pinned goblin. "No one ever realizes just how delicate they really are. All those little bones and blood vessels." The Lost gave the dagger a subtle twist, eliciting another scream from the pinned goblin.

“Argh! What do you want?!”

“Well, you said it yourself, Jackie-boy. You control all the trade that comes through here. So you also know who comes through here, isn’t that right?”

The Lost gave the knife the most subtle of turns and the goblin screamed again. “AAAHHH!! Yes! Yes, you’re right!!”

“I’m looking for someone. A skitterskulk. Goes by the name of ‘The Silken Harpist’. Ring any bells?”

Gilded Jack turned his head to get a better look at the Lost. “Uuuunn! Yes! I know her!”

“Keep talking, Jackie.”

“She came here a while back for supplies before leaving again. She said she was working a job for a Fae Lord.”

“Which one?”

“I don’t know-” The knife harshly twisted again. Luna heard tendons and bones popping twisting under the blade and Jack reflected every bit of it with his screams. “ARGH! I don’t know, I swear! I didn’t ask and she didn’t give a name!”

“Where did she go?”

“To see a middleman, I think. I don’t know where, I swear I’m telling the truth!”

“So she’s gone then? Well that’s not very good for you then, isn’t it?”

Panic set into the goblin. “Wait wait wait! She did come back! She’s here! In Gladesrest! I swear to you! She’s staying in the red lantern district!”

“Why did she come back?” asked Luna. She held her curved blade close to Jack’s nose, the cutting edge barely scraping his mottled flesh.

“She likes to stay at Madame Mantis’ after big jobs. To recharge and spend her money, earn a little more on the side.”

“Big jobs?” questioned the Lost. “What was this one?”

“Probably something to do with those hobs she was selling!”

“Hobs?”

“Yeah, three of them. They didn’t look anything too special, but something seemed off about them. They way they… I don’t know they were just off!”

“What’s so special about these three hobs?”

“I don’t know, probably wanted some exotic pets to sell off to some Fae Lords, so they could parade them around at their next bloody soiree.”

Luna looked him square in the eye. “And you are certain that they were hobs?”

“They had to be. Don’t know what corner of the Far Reaches she pulled them from, I’ve never seen phouka like those before.”

Luna quirked an eyebrow. “Describe them,” she ordered.

“They sure did their best to look harmless. All huddled together in their cage and whimpering like a bunch of children. Never seen three sadder-looking foals in all my years.”

Luna withdrew the blade a fraction of an inch. “Foals?”

“Yeah or, I don’t know, whatever the hell you call baby horses!”

The Lost and Luna shared a glance. They had their lead.

The Lost yanked the dagger out of the goblin’s wrist. Black blood began to pour from the wound. “Thanks for the tip, Jack.” He then spun the dagger in his hand and slammed the pommel into Gilded Jack’s temple with a resounding crack. The goblin went limp and fell to the floor, blood still pouring from his wound.

The Lost heard distant shouting from the entryway. More guards would be coming soon. Turning to Luna, the Lost spoke in a low and cool voice. “Now let’s get the hell out of here.”

Luna cast back a last glance at the caged humans, all of them reaching out to her. With a heavy heart, she turned and followed the Lost.

Twilight and Rainbow stared down at the bowls in front of them. Their meal stared back at them.

“Trust me, it’s good!” said Kyria as she slurped up a reddened tentacle. “Just avoid the eyeballs and pretend it’s something else. The spices they use make it totally worth it.”

Lyra meanwhile was taking careful bites out of her own noodle dish. “I have to admit this isn’t half-bad,” she said. “Kind of reminds me of when Lero makes us seafood stew.”

“I’m pretty sure that nothing back home had this many limbs,” whimpered Twilight.

“Then just eat the vegetables and broth. It really is tasty.”

Twilight picked up what appeared to be a batter fried slice of some kind of beet. When a bit of the batter fell away, revealing that it wasn’t a beet but infact a very bloody piece of meat that was still somehow wiggling slightly. Twilight dropped it and the chopsticks back into the bowl, her face taking on a decidedly greenish tint.

Lyra took this as her cue to act. “Okay, love,” she said, standing up and helping Twilight up from her bench. “Let’s get something safe to drink, okay?”

Twilight nodded her head, her hand still covering her mouth.

The two herdmates left, leaving Kyria and Rainbow alone at their table in the corner of the food court.

Rainbow laughed sheepishly. “She’s… getting better?”

Kyria gave a snort before laughing a little. "Heh heh, I have to admit I was half expecting you to be the one who would get all squeamish over the food."

"Oh well, it's not bad. I mean it's... interesting for sure. It's just that... well, I've been having some cravings is all."

Kyria raised an eyebrow. "Cravings?"

Rainbow seemed to grow shyer by the minute as she explained. "Yeah, ever since I saw you and Lero eating that... thing back in the marsh. It... oh, I know it may sound really bad, seeings how I take care of so many animals and all, but it... it smelled really good."

Kyria stared at her friend before she burst into laughter, a joyful and melodious sound that soon infected Rainbow. After a couple of minutes, she wiped the tears from her eyes. "Oh my God," she said, still giggling. "You are so freaking adorable, you know that?"

Rainbow's giggling stifled a little. "Hehehe. Huh?"

"I mean, you are so shy at some points and then you do something like that..." The horned girl descended into another fit of giggles.

Rainbow didn't take offense at all, if her own giggles were anything to go by. Hardly anypony had ever called her adorable or found her to be good company. True, she had her friends and now Lero, but before that, she prefered the company of animals, which most ponies had deemed acceptable and left her to her own devices.

The two continued to pick at their meal as their conversations meandered. Rainbow shared some of her adventures with her friends over the years while Kyria listened enraptured by every word. Rainbow felt herself emboldened as she wove her tales and soon found herself exaggerating her own exploits.

"And the this dragon was like 'rargh!' and they were all 'woah' and then I was, 'No one treats my friends like that!'"

"Wait wait," interrupted Kyria. "You stood up to a freaking dragon?!"

"Yeah, I was pretty awesome!" Then Rainbow's eyes suddenly went wide, the muscles on her hip twitching under her skirt. "I mean, well, I was trying to protect my friends and all. It was nothing special."

Kyria laughed again and poured more drink from a pitcher into their clay cups. "Jesus Christ, girl," she said and passed a cup to Rainbow. "I know who I want to have my back in a fight."

Rainbow accepted the cup and rubbed her arm nervously. "I... wouldn't, if I were you."

"Are you kidding? You have more balls than any of the guys I knew back at school. Half of them would have shit themselves and the other half would have run away while shitting themselves."

Rainbow giggled at that but still had a sad look in her eye. "I mean it. What I didn't mention was that I slowed everyone else down so badly because I was so scared. If we ever get into a real fight..." Rainbow stared into her cup. "I've never hurt anything before. Or anyone. I don't know if I ever can, even if we..."

Rainbow grew silent.

Kyria swirled her own drink slowly, staring into the dark liquid. She picked at the clay with her dark fingernails, lost in thought.

She sighed. "Once upon a time, there was a little girl that lived by the water," she said. "And all she ever wanted to do was play on the stony beaches and in the woods by her house. When she got older, stone beaches and green trees became less important to her. And then she just wanted to spend time with her best friends, go to school, talk about boys, and all the other things that girls that age do."

Kyria reached into one of her bags and pulled out a small necklace. "And she had one friend that was her best friend in the world. They did everything together; she showed her friend her favorite spots on the beaches and the best trees to climb. Her friend showed her how to braid her hair and how to put things in it that would jingle every time she took a step. They went camping in the woods all the time. They were the very best of friends."

Rainbow continued to stare at her as Kyria took a sip of her drink. "Then one day, her friend told her that she was moving away because her dad got a new job. The girl was so sad that she ran out of her house and down to the stony beach to cry. Her friend found her there, sitting on the shore, watching the boats go by. She sat down next to her friend and gave her a necklace like this."

Kyria laid the necklace on the table. It was a very simple piece of jewelry, with a copper chain and circular pendant. The pendant had another one of the knotted designs on it, this one in the shape of a cross. There was a small green stone set in the center.

"It's pretty," said Rainbow.

"So was the other one," said Kyria. She gripped either side of the pendant and pulled it apart. Rainbow almost gasped but saw that the two halves were designed to be taken apart. They even had their own chains.

Kyria looked down at each piece and continued her story. "She gave her friend one half of the necklace. She said that even if they were apart, they would always have something to remind them of each other. No matter how far apart they were. Or how hard things got."

Kyria handed one half of the necklace to Rainbow. Dash held the piece so gently in her hands, as if it were one of her baby animals. She smiled warmly at Kyria, an expression that was returned in kind.

"Kyria, I-"

"I want you to know that if we get into a fight," interrupted Kyria, "I'll have your back, Dash. I promise that. It's the least I could do for everything you’ve done for me. That all of you have done for me. It's the least that I can do."

Rainbow smiled again and slipped her half of the necklace over her head. She fingered the metal as it slowly grew warmer with her body heat.

Rainbow hesitated. "Did... did the girl ever...?"

Kyria shook her head. "The next time the girl saw her friend was at a funeral. She was surrounded by the most beautiful yellow roses." Kyria sniffed. "And then... well, you know the rest of the story."

Rainbow reached across the table and squeezed Kyria's hand. Kyria smiled sadly and squeezed back. They sat quietly sipping their drinks.

"Hey, girls," said Lyra. She had just returned with Twilight by her side, who looked much better and had a smile on her face.

"Hey, you two," said Twilight. "Guess what?"

"What?" asked Rainbow.

"I found someone to develop my film." Twilight reached into her bag, showing them the camera she had brought with her from Equestria. "Isn't that great?"

"Sure, I guess," said Kyria. "But, uh, are you sure...?"

"Twilight was very deliberate in her terms with the vendor," said Lyra, wearing her trademark smile with just a hint of smugness.

Kyria returned the smile. "I'm sure."

"But I have two spare shots left on this reel," said Twilight as she held it up. "Group photo?"

"Shouldn't we wait for the others?"

"I've got more film." She opened up her pack to reveal several small black cylinders.

Kyria shrugged. Twilight set the camera on top of her pack on the table and flipped a small switch, activating the camera's timer. The four women crowded around each other, with Twilight and Lyra standing and leaning in towards Rainbow and Kyria, who were seated next to each other on the bench.

"Okay, smiles everyone!"

Despite herself, Kyria gave a genuine smile when she felt Rainbow lean in and rest her head against hers. She felt the warmth as both Twilight and Lyra leaned in as well, their bodies pressed up against hers. Kyria angled her horns so they wouldn't poke her friends and faced the camera. It gave a small click.

"One more," said Lyra. She reached over to the camera, wound the reel and pressed the timer again.

This time Kyria gave a small laugh and put an arm around around Rainbow. The others laughed too and Kyria stuck her tongue out at the camera.

"Okay," said Twilight. She got up and retrieved the camera, winding up the film reel inside. "Anything else we need while we’re still here?"

Kyria stood and swung her pack over her shoulder. "Just a couple of things," she said. "Hammersmith said that the blades would be ready by tomorrow's morning cycle. If you guys want, we have some goods that could probably get some more clothes for you."

Twilight nodded her head and the group set off.

Later, just as the city began its evening cycle, the small group found themselves walking over one of the canals' many bridges. Lyra looked up and spotted something.

"Girls," she said, her voice losing its levity. The others looked across at the opposite side of the canal, and spotted Lero, Luna, and Rarity moving quickly along the walkway through the crowd, not quite running but with definitely moving with determination. Rarity was holding something something in her arms.

Rainbow experienced a sinking feeling in her gut.

"Oh shit," hissed Kyria. They moved and met up with the others at the end of the bridge.

"Lero!" Rainbow moved quickly and hugged Lero, his big arms wrapping around her as he nuzzled the top of her head.

Luna stood to the side, her eyes darting behind them as if looking for something.

"Dash," Lero breathed into her hair. He rubbed her shoulder with his hands, the bandages torn and slightly bloody. Dash had a sinking suspicion that it wasn't Lero's blood.

"Rarity," said Twilight, giving the pale woman a worried hug.

"Oh Sparkle-kitten," she said. "I- oh it was... awful!"

Twilight wasted no time "What happened? Are you guys okay? Where were you?"

"Is that a baby?" asked Lyra. Everyone stopped as the little bundle in Rarity's arms squirmed and gave a scared murmur. Rarity quietly shushed the baby and gave it some gentle bounces.

Kyria strode up Lero and stared him directly in the eyes. His flashed blue. Hers flashed a dangerous amber.

Kyria seethed. Every word dripping with venom. "What. Did. You. Do?"

Author's Notes:

Well here it is folks. 4 months in the making and clocking in at over 25k words.

Wow.

So sorry for the delay, but I sincerely hope that this new chapter makes up for the long wait. I recently got a new job, which somehow allows for more consistent writing (stupid Fae magic), so I can hopefully expect to turn out more chapters.

Special thanks go out to Mike Teavee and Rikmach for being awesome editors. Additional thanks go to everyone that took part in the Market thread a while back for some of the new character. And as always, special uber thanks to everyone that reads, likes, and favs this story. You guys help keep me going.

As usual, please feel free to leave a comment. What you liked, what you didn't like, what works, what doesn't, the usual.

'Til next time!

Chapter 10: An Evening with Madame Mantis

"Quick Fix, you've made bail," said the guard. "You're free to go. Your family is here to pick you up."

The cell door swung open on rusted iron hinges, revealing the wreck of a pony named Quick Fix. Her mane was a rat's nest of split ends, her coat was matted and dirty, and her wings were a mess. She wasn't sure when was the last time she had them preened.

Quick Fix looked up at the guard, her eyes baggy and slightly bloodshot, and said in a tired voice, "I don't have a family anymore."

The guard gave her a sympathetic look. "Well, then you have some really good friends," he said.

Quick Fix was led through Ponyville's very modest guard station. The mare at the front gave her another sympathetic look as she reached below the desk with her magic, a routine that sadly had become all too familiar.

"Here are your belongings, Ms. Quick Fix," she said. She placed a pair of worn saddlebags on the desk along with a clipboard and some forms. "I'm sure you know the routine by now."

"Sure," said Quick Fix emotionlessly.

As she filled out the paperwork, a mare came up behind her wearing a brown jacket and a gold star badge. "Ms. Quick Fix? My name is Marshall Long Runner," the mare introduced herself. Quick Fix looked up from the clipboard. The other mare was an earth pony of slim build with well-defined muscles. She had a short cropped brown mane, a tan coat, and two interlocking horseshoes for a cutie mark. Long Runner looked like she could have easily been a military mare.

Quick Fix's eyes suddenly got wide. "Is it my baby?" she asked, dropping the clipboard. She quickly moved to be directly in front of the other mare. The marshall tensed reflexly, one hoof moving back and ready to fight if necessary. Quick Fix remained oblivious and moved forwards, desperation clear in her voice. "Have you heard anything about my Scootaloo?!"

The marshall, to her credit, spoke in a professional manner but was still ready to act quickly. "I'm afraid not, ma'am," she said. "That's not my department. I'm here for another reason.”

Quick Fix visibly deflated. "So... you haven't...?"

"Ma'am, I'm here to issue you a summons," said Long Runner. She reached into her jacket and retrieved a slip of paper, the provincial seal and the seal of the magistrate emblazoned on top. She passed it to the pegasus mare before continuing. "You been ordered to appear before the magistrate's office to be held accountable for your recent actions."

Quick Fix stared down at the paper, the typed words appearing as a jumble of nonsense to her scanning eyes. She looked back up at the marshall, confusion and disbelief clear on her face. "What?"

"Ma'am, you've been arrested three times in as many months for trespassing and breaking and entering into government buildings. The local judge may have waved the previous charges in light of your recent losses-"

"Don't you say that!!" Quick Fix's wings flared and her eyes narrowed. The summons was thrown to the floor and stamped on by an angry hoof. The other guards in the station were immediately on edge. "My baby is still alive! They promised to bring her back! She's alive, damn you!!"

The marshall was having none of it. "Ma'am, I need you to calm down or else I'm going to have to-"

"That's enough," said a stern voice. Another earth pony mare, this one a mottled grey with a steel tinged mane, stepped between the other mares. "Now I won't be having any of this nonsense in my station, clear?"

The marshal eyed the newcomer. "Captain Steel," she greeted.

"You've done your bit, marshall," said the captain. She bent down to pick up the trodden summons. "Don't you worry. We'll make sure that Ms. Quick Fix gets to the magistrate, no problem."

The marshall spared one last glance back at the pegasus before giving a respectful nod to the elder mare, then turning to leave the station.

The captain sighed and motioned for Quick Fix to follow her to her desk.

"Quick, you've really done it this time," said the captain. She spoke as if she were addressing one of her own fillies that had just been sent to the principal's office. "Breaking into the military records office? What were you thinking?"

"They're lying," mumbled Quick Fix. "Everypony is lying to me."

"What?"

"They said it was the changelings in the Badlands, but there's been no reports of changeling presence there for over a year. They never even made mention of the rescue party crossing the Badlands border. And why would they go into the Everfree Forest first, huh? Why? Because it wasn't changelings, that's why! They lied to all of us and they are hiding the truth!"

Steel pinched her brow. This wasn't the first time she had heard this rant. "Quick, come on now. No pony is lying to you, you know that."

"Something took my little girl and they are all lying to me!"

"We already told you before, Quick, the EUP is on the case. They'll find her."

"It's been five months! Why haven't we heard anything from Canterlot?!"

"Princess Celestia told us that-"

"CELESTIA IS A LYING WHORSE!!"

All activity in the station stopped. The only sound was Quick Fix's heaving breath. Her eyes suddenly widened as if she just suddenly realized what she just said. "I- I mean-"

"Go home, Quick Fix," said Steel. She got up and led the distraught mare towards the station entrance. "Pearl is outside waiting to take you home."

Quick Fix trembled. "I don't have a home..."

Steel nodded, sighing in sympathy. It had been almost four months since the pegasus' house had burned down. The report had said that the fire had been an accident, one caused by Quick Fix's own neglect. Apparently, she’d lit some candles near some window drapes one night, then suddenly left her home for several hours without snuffing them out properly. Magnum and Pearl, whose youngest daughter was among the three foalnapped fillies, had since taken the lone mare into their own home, offering her comfort and companionship. Even little Spike did his best to cheer her up in his own way.

As Quick Fix exited the station, sure enough, there was Pearl and Spike, standing just outside. Their faces lit up and they rushed to meet their friend.

"Oh, honey," said Pearl, nuzzling the other mare affectionately. "Oh, we were all so worried!"

"Don't scare us like that," said Spike, offering a gentle pat on Quick’s shoulders.

Captain Steel took the time to fill them both in on the court summons. The news was upsetting to say the least. Pearl, in all of her good-natured being, refused to budge from Quick's side, doing her best to offer comfort with physical contact. This gesture was neither returned nor acknowledged by the blank-staring pegasus. Steel assured them that she's send a guardsmare to pick up Quick Fix at the appropriate time and that Quick Fix shouldn't try to leave town. Pearl assured the captain that they'd keep an eye on her.

The walk home was punctuated by longs periods of silence, occasionally broken by Spike's juvenile attempts to start a conversation.

"Nice weather we're having," he said, looking up at the sky.

"Un," came a noncommittal grunt.

"Think that there's snow scheduled pretty soon," chimed in Pearl. "Guess it's time to break out the winter wear, eh?"

"Un."

Spike perked up a little more. "Cloud Kicker sure is doing a bang-up job leading the weather team, huh?"

"Un."

The unicorn and the drake frowned. The group lapsed back into silence.

After a while, the trio arrived back at the Magnum household. The modest home looked like any of the countless others that filled Ponyville; two stories tall with a straw-thatched roof and whitewashed walls. It sat next to a small creek with a little dock from which Magnum would occasionally fish. Recently he had started to share the hobby with Spike, a bonding activity which the young drake found very pleasant.

Since Sweetie Belle’s disappearance, the couple had lost their sense of wanderlust. They canceled their upcoming vacations and instead dedicated themselves to helping their eldest daughter Applejack and the rest of the families affected by the tragedy. Magnum had become a staple member of "Guys Night", supporting Big Mac and Spike and receiving their support in turn. Pearl had taken an active role in helping AJ with her boutique, focusing her talents on the business side of things while Spike supported her daughter emotionally.

Things had really improved for the fashionista. Thanks to the newfound support from her family, not to mention some financial support from the Crown, she had even begun to sell some of her clothing again. It became known not for groundbreaking fashion statements, but for graceful simplicity, a trend that was catching on in the rural communities. Applejack seemed happy for this turn of events and Pearl and Magnum were filled with pride for their girl once more.

As the group opened up the front door, they spotted the white mustached stallion in the dining room. Magnum stood from his seat at the table to greet his wife and their friend.

"Oh, thank goodness," he said with a nuzzle, a gesture that the pegasus did not return. "Oh Quicky, ya don't know how much you had us worried."

"Sorry," she murmured and silently turned towards the stairs.

"Hey, hon?" called Pearl called from the bottom of the stairs. "Why don't we all have a pleasant dinner tonight? And just... talk about all this, okay?"

"She's right, don'cha know," agreed Magnum. "It's not good to keep this sorta stuff bottled up, eh?"

Quick Fix paused at the top of the stairs for a moment, but then turned towards her room. The door closed without a word.

A long gaze took in the whole of the room. Like the mare, it was a mess. The bed was constantly unkempt, the floor was covered in discarded clothes and boxes of salvaged belongings, not to mention the collection of empty bottles. Both Pearl and Spike had tried numerous times to get her to clean the room, always with gentle words and worried looks. But their requests either fell on deaf ears or were met with promises of "I'll do it soon," or "I have a system."

On one occasion, while Quick Fix was away, Spike had snuck in to try and at least change the sheets and clean the floor. When the mare arrived home early, she had nearly tossed Spike out of the window, screaming at the top of her lungs. It reached a point where Magnum had to intercede and push her away while Pearl stood over Spike protectively. Afterwards, things were tense between the group, but Quick Fix did eventually apologize.

The little family quickly learned to respect the mare's belongings. Especially her map wall.

Actually, the wall above the mare's bed and desk was more of a tapestry of maps, as well as letters, pictures and notes, all tied together in a mad web of red string. After weeks of no reports from the guard or the Crown, Quick Fix began her own inquiries. She wrote letters to the commander of the guard garrison in the south and to a few old friends who were stationed there. While the commander had written back that he was not allowed to communicate anything that might involve military movements (but that she had her sympathies and hoped for the best), her friends told her that they hadn't even heard of any rescue party heading their way.

More letters were sent to Canterlot, each asking for help and information. The replies came back saying that they were unable to do anything, that they wished Quick Fix the best, and that she should put her faith in Celestia and the rescuers.

Quick Fix's distraught mind soon spiralled to dark places. She became convinced that there was some sort of conspiracy bent on hiding the real truth about what happened to her daughter. When she pried further, she was met with quiet but stern resistance. A week into her investigation, she received a letter from the Crown, saying that special dispensation would be given to the families involved in the changeling attack. It came with a check for 5000 bits, with promises of more to follow for the duration of the "crisis".

Quick Fix felt like it was a bribe to buy her silence. She became determined to get to the bottom of this conspiracy.

And so her wall became a map of interconnecting events. But as she looked it over now, the only thing it showed was her own growing delirium.

A photo taken from a concealing bush: a pair of thestrals speaking with Mayor Mare in front of town hall.

A map of Everfree with 'X' marking one half and question marks all over the other.

A newspaper article extolling the virtues of the members of the rescue party.

A picture of the Night Tower in Canterlot.

A candid shot of a grey unicorn stallion with a cutie mark of a large tome speaking to a Canterlot noble and a guard officer.

The red string led nowhere but in circles and dead ends. She’d started breaking into buildings, scraping for any clue that could lead her somewhere, always finding nothing and only getting thrown in jail for her efforts.

It was clear that the ponies in Canterlot were hiding something.

Something that they could never let the world know.

“But what?”

It was obvious.

“No.”

It was staring her in the face and she’d just been too stupid to realize it.

“Please no.”

Princess Celestia had allowed for her own sister and star pupil to drag along her herd on a pointless rescue mission to save her daughter and friends. And those poor souls had all gotten themselves killed in the attempt.

“But that would mean…”

The news would have shaken faith in Celestia’s rule. Who could ever put their trust in a ruler that had allowed such horrible things to pass to such beloved heroes? To her faithful student? To her long-lost sister?

“They promised…”

So the ponies in charge had done everything they could to cover it up and hoped that society at large would lose interest and move on.

“Please no…”

They paid off the families to keep them quiet.

“My baby…”

Because the real truth was-

“My baby girl.”

-that her daughter had been dead for months.

“Scootaloo.”

Quick Fix curled up onto her bed and wept silently in the dimly lit room.

Hours later, after the sun had passed high noon, Quick Fix remained in bed staring at the map on the wall. At the mess that her life had become.

Her daughter was dead. And there was nothing that she could do about it. No pony was going to help or even avenge her. Whatever had really happened, Princess Celestia had covered it up and made sure no pony would ever know the truth. And she had chased after the lie like the stupid little filly she was.

Now? She had nothing. Even if her daughter returned tomorrow by some miracle, what would she be returning to? A burned-down house that had reeked of liquor and depression. A herdless mother that was going to be sent to prison for years because of her own foolishness. Scootaloo would have been placed in foster care the moment she arrived.

Even earlier, the way Quick Fix was living her life.

So. Quick Fix had no stallion. No herd. No daughter. No home. No job. And she knew it was only a matter of time before Pearl and Magnum got tired of her presence and threw her out. All her other friends had left her a long time ago.

Quick Fix sat up and wiped her eyes.

She got up and walked over to the map. Carefully, so as not to tear away any of the paint, she began to take down the string, the pictures, and the notes she had taped to the wall. She stacked everything neatly into piles before putting them into the trash bin.

Quick Fix looked around the messy room. “I really should have listened to Pearl and Magnum,” she said to no one. The bottles lying on the floor were picked up and added to the bin as well. The bed was straightened and made neat, pillows fluffed, sheets folded and blankets tucked. The windows were opened and the curtains drawn back.

The pegasus paused at the sight of her work. There may have been a stubborn stain or two on the floor but the room was clean again. With the afternoon sun pouring in through the windows, it looked just as homey as the day she moved in. A small smile crossed her muzzle and she let out a contented sigh.

Quick Fix quietly made her way downstairs. Through the front window, she saw Magnum and Spike sitting on the end of the dock, a pair of fishing poles between them. They were talking about something but she couldn’t tell what nor did she really care. She moved into the kitchen, an attempt to slip out the back door.

“Quick Fix?” The pegasus turned and saw Pearl looking through the mail.

She smiled at the unicorn, though it was a hollow gesture. “Just going to get some things in town, Pearl,” she said.

“Oh, alright, hon,” said Pearl with a nod. “Would you like some company?” She had already stood up in anticipation.

“No, that’s okay. I just need to grab a couple of things. I’ll be back in an hour.”

The plump mare looked slightly dejected, but still gave a nod and a smile. “Oh, okay then,” she said, before perking back up. “Say, why don’t we fix something special for dinner tonight? Spike and I can go into town and get some of those crawfish you love so much.”

Quick Fix nodded her head. “That sounds lovely, Pearl. Thank you.”

“Don’t you worry none. A nice hot meal and you’ll be right as rain. Spike is such a talented little cook.”

Quick Fix had already tuned her out by the time she got to the back door. The mare wrapped a ratty old scarf around her neck and muzzle, a memento of older, happier times. The weather had turned brisk, with winter just around the corner. The sky was teeming with weather ponies in preparation for the first snowfall. It was a short walk through the alley to avoid Magnum and Spike, then she was out on the main street.

As she walked, she saw the looks ponies gave her out of the corner of her eye. It was the same looks she had been getting for nearly five months. That mix of pity and sorrow, others of disgust at her unkempt appearance, raised hooves to cover hushed whispers. Occasional slips of “herdless” and “drunk” reached her ears. These looks were nothing new. She had been getting them for years, long since before Scootaloo disappeared.

She reached her first destination: Berry Punch’s Wine and Liquor store.

The little brass bell jingled above her head as she entered the store. The pungent smells of cinnamon, cloves, and oranges clung to the air as ponies came in to purchase the store’s signature mull spice mix. Quick Fix spotted the owner behind the counter, a large ceramic mug gripped in one hoof as she took a long pull.

“Ah,” sighed Berry, smacking her lips in satisfaction. The mauve mare turned back and called out, “That was a great mix, Ruby! Good job!”

“Thanks, mommy,” came a voice from the back room. A cursory glance over the counter revealed a similarly-colored unicorn filly on a stool at a counter, grinding something up with a mortar and pestle. Ruby Pinch’s cheeks were smudged with a dark red powder. Next to her was another mare, this one a pegasus with a black and yellow striped mane. She smiled down at the little filly in a motherly way.

Berry turned and saw Quick Fix for the first time. “Quicky!” The mare walked around the counted to give her a quick hug, one that Quick Fix stumbled into. “We missed ya last week! Off on another hunt for the truth again?”

“Yes, sort of,” mumbled Quick Fix. “I think it was my last one, though.”

“Yeah, I heard they threw you in the pokey last night. Too bad. I know that Steel can be a real hard nag.”

“Hopefully, it will be the last time for that for while too,” called out Honeybee.

Quick Fix turned to the pegasus. “Hey, Honeybee,” she said, her voice still quiet. “I’m… I’m so sorry for your loss. I only just heard a little while ago… while I was, um…”

Honeybee’s eye softened a little, her smile turning sad. “Thanks, Quick,” she said. “I appreciate it.”

The death of the eldest Honey sister had come as a shock to the little town, but there were few that truly mourned her passing. Honeydew’s herd and her sisters held a small funeral, though few came to attend it.

The gossip mill had run rampant with rumors of a gang killing and sordid business surrounding the brusque mare. Honeydew had received a lot of negativity for her outspokenness against the resident human and other non-equines. And the melon seller had only grown louder and more insufferable after the papers published so many sterling articles about Lero soon after he left. But once the reporters caught wind about her bigoted attitudes, things had reached a tipping point.

For not only did Honeydew start receiving more than her usual amounts of scorn from her neighbors… the journalists had apparently begun digging up some fascinating newsworthy nuggets about her.

Honeydew had ended up leaving for Baltimare just a month after Lero’s departure, where she stayed a while before soon turning up murdered in a hotel room.

The guard quickly rounded up the suspects: a small, local gang of some notoriety. Quick Fix vaguely recalled other details about the Baltimare gang’s ringleader claiming they’d been framed, some weird rumors about a diamond dog, and something else about a cheerleading outfit, but it eventually became too hard to tell what was true or not.

Regardless, Honeydew was dead.

“Though to be honest,” Bee continued, snapping Quick Fix back to the present, “for me, Dew really passed away long ago. Especially after the way she’d been treating Honeysuckle.” Even though the words were somewhat callous, Quick Fix still heard the tinge of sadness in the other mare's voice. For whatever Honeydew had become, she was still Bee's big sister.

“So what can I get you, Quicky?” Berry asked, hoping to change the subject. “I still got some of your usual stuff, if that’s what you’re looking for.”

“Oh, uh,” Quick hesitated. For the longest time she had been drowning her sorrows in cheap bourbon and wine. When she could, she would sometimes sneak in some of Macintosh’s moonshine, though the stallion was always hesitant to sell it to her. And ever since he had his trip to the hospital, she had been unable to get any.

Quick Fix glanced around the shop, before her eyes settled on a locked glass case.

“I’ll actually take some of that,” she said pointing to a certain bottle.

Berry followed her gaze. She wasn’t smiling anymore. “Woah,” she breathed in disbelief.

Quick Fix was pointing to a bottle of Gryphon Rare 10-Year-Old bourbon. The bottle was actually closer to fifteen years old now. Berry Punch had bought it when she first opened up the shop, more as a display item than anything else. It had been purchased from a travelling merchant who picked it up from the Aerie it was first distilled in. It had been sitting in that cabinet ever since then.

“Uh, Quicky,” said Berry, “you sure ‘bout that? I mean-”

“Tonight is a special occasion,” said Quick Fix. She put on a genuine smile, one that held held both Berry’s and Honeybee’s attention.

Berry’s eyes widened. “Oh, Quicky,” she said. “I understand.”

Quick Fix raised an eyebrow. “You do?”

“Sure I do,” said the earth pony, sympathy on her face. “I got so nervous my first time in front of the magistrate too.” Quick Fix deflated slightly. “But don’t you worry, sweetie. Things will turn out alright. Tell you what, I give you a special discount on that bottle.”

Another empty smile. “Thanks, Berry,” said Quick Fix.

She ended up paying for only half of the sales price for the bourbon. Quick Fix placed the bottle in her saddlebag and left with a fond farewell.

The poor dear.

Her next stop was Ponyville’s pharmacy, run by another of the Heart sisters, though Quick Fix never remembered which one. Her next item was purchased with little fuss. The pharmacist even said that she looked like she could use it, with how tired she looked. Quick was sure to put it in the bag opposite of the bourbon to avoid suspicion.

Wait, what is she…?

The walk back to Pearl’s home was uneventful. She arrived to an empty house. The couple and the little dragon were still out, no doubt getting the food for tonight's dinner.

It was such a shame. Quick Fix really did love Spike's crawfish soup.

When she reached her clean room, the mare looked into the mirror and saw the dishevelled state she was in. One bath and thorough scrubbing later, all her grime that had been building up was gone. As she allowed her hair to dry, Quick Fix took the time to carefully, meticulously, preen her wings. The ritual was so very different from what it used to be; before there had been another to do it with her, which always led to more intimate things.

Now, freshly washed and preened, Quick Fix sat in front of the mirror and did something she had not done since Scootaloo was still in diapers: she put on makeup.

In a previous life, she had worn it almost everyday. Cannonball had always said that she looked so beautiful with that light touch of blush and eyeshadow. Though it had been years since she had even touched a her old kit, the same kit given to her one Hearts and Hooves Day that lifetime ago, her nimble wings helped her apply the blush and shadow.

Quick Fix, I know what you're thinking. Please don't do it!

The pegasus reached into an old tin box, slightly singed from a fire. There were several items in it; the only things that she saved from the fire. She pulled out two objects. The first was a large, brown feather, a primary feather that once belonged to a pegasus stallion. It was fixed to a brass pin, one that Quick Fix clipped to her ear.

The other item was a old and worn photograph. It depicted three ponies: a stallion, brown in coat and purple-maned, tears threatening to fall but too happy to care; a mare lying in a hospital bed, looking sweaty and tired but with the most blissful smile in the world; and last was a newborn filly, with her mother's coat and her father's mane, her tiny wings as downy and soft as clouds.

It was the only picture of them as a real family.

Oh Sisters, please, somepony do something!

The mirror creaked slightly. Quick Fix ignored it.

She walked over to the bed, resting the photo on the nightstand. After pausing to think for a moment, she took out a pen and paper. The message was a single sentence.

"I'm going to be with my family."

No! Listen to me! She's not dead! She's here! We're close, we can still find her!

The bottle of bourbon was opened. Quick Fix savored the rich aroma. A small sip to steady her nerves.

Quick Fix! Don't do it!

The bottle of sleeping pills came next. A dozen in her mouth, washed down with a long pull of liquor.

NO!

She was feeling woozy. She picked the photograph back up and gave it a kiss. With drooping eyes, she whispered, "I'll see you soon, my loves."

QUICK FIX!!

The mirror cracked. Quick Fix stared at it. For a moment disbelief and sorrow held sway over her.

...Is-is she looking at-?

Tears welled in the dying mare's eyes.

"Rarity," she whimpered. "You promised me."

No, I-

"Why couldn't you save my baby?"

"Quick Fix!!"

Rarity bolted upright in her bed. Sweat plastered her face and the thunder rolled in her hair. Her breathing came in short, panicky breaths as her heart hammered within her chest. Ozone filled the air around her. Through her tear-filled eyes, Rarity caught brief flashes of white light, electrical arcs from her skin dancing around her body.

Slowly, reality started to set back in. She was in the shared bedroom. She had lied down for a moment while the others remained in the common room to discuss what happened. She had been so tired after fleeing from Gilded Jack's manor.

There was no timepiece in the room and her own internal clock was off-kilter. She hadn't known how much time had passed during her nightmare.

"Oh, Quick Fix," she whispered, placing a hand to her mouth as she tried to slow her breathing.

The morning's discussion came back to her. Talk of prophecy and divination. Luna had said, at the beginning of their journey, that this place felt like the realm of dreams.

Were they connected? Were dreams in the Hedge somehow linked to-

"Oh, you silly girl," sniffed Rarity. She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. "Now you are starting to sound like Twilight."

Of course it was nothing. Just a nightmare, albeit an especially horrifying one. After all, Quick Fix saw her. She had looked right at her and called Rarity by her name. There was no way such a thing could’ve happened in reality! She was here, in the Hedge, and the pegasus was safe and alive back in Ponyville.

It was just a dream.

"But it doesn't make it any better," whispered Rarity. They had been here for more than two weeks, but were just now finding concrete clues to the Crusaders’ whereabouts. She had never known the single mother well. Hardly at all, if she were being completely honest. But after seeing how Quick Fix had reacted after Diamond Tiara was attacked, Rarity could only imagine how she must be right now.

"Time doesn't work here."

A cold feeling settled in her stomach as Kyria's words came back to her. It had been two weeks since they started... right?

"It's been five months! Why haven't we heard anything from Canterlot?!"

What if-?

"No," said Rarity, stamping her foot. "Your nerves are just getting to you, that's all. Calm down and focus on the present."

She needed to cement her resolve and focus on her goal: finding the girls. They had set out that morning to find information and they had done so. Now it was time to compare notes.

And through the wall, it sounded like that conversation was still in full swing.

"You unbelievable dipshit!"

"Would you just calm down?"

"Calm down?! I'm exactly as calm as I need to be right now!"

"Kyria, please-"

"'Oh we have nothing to worry about,' you said. 'It's just a sit-down meeting. What could go wrong?' How about being buried under ten different shades of shit avalanches with an extra helping of fucked sideways!"

Needless to say, Kyria had been... upset at the most recent turn of events.

A quieter voice begged, "Kyria just-"

"No, Rainbow, I can't calm down right now!" Something shattered in the other room. "This is exactly what I was afraid would happen! Not only have you people pissed off the head of the town, but an actual band of privateers?!"

"Kyria-"

"They're going to come for me. They're going to take me back and I CAN'T GO BACK!!"

Rarity took this opportunity to open the door and enter the common room. Everyone froze and looked at her. Kyria was gripping the collar of the Lost's shirt, her other hand balled into a fist but held back by Rainbow Dash. Twilight was wringing her hands through her long locks. Luna looked ready to pull her sword out, and Lyra...

A wet crying filled the room.

"Now see what you did?" Lyra gave the two transformed humans a seething glare from her seat by the fireplace. "You woke the baby." She looked back down at the wrapped bundle in her arms and made more soft cooing noises. "Shh, it's okay. It's just a couple of dummies being dumb-heads. Yes they are. Big dumb-dumbs."

The Lost and Kyria's gazes shifted between each other and Lyra, still holding the same position. After a moment, they relaxed. Kyria sat down heavily into a chair and slammed her head into the wooden table, her horns carving two grooves into the lacquered wood. She murmured something that sounded like "Ow."

The Lost mirrored her, while refraining from any actual cranial trauma. Instead he elected to grab a bottle of liquor and pour himself a healthy amount of amber liquid.

Kyria raised her hand onto the table. The Lost slid the bottle to her, which she took with a muffled "thanks".

Rarity strode into the room, her head held high as if she were walking through the park. "I realize that today's events have... complicated things for us, darlings," she said calmly and professionally, as if she were addressing her weather team. "But now is not the time to lose our heads." She strode over and knelt beside Lyra, gently taking the baby into her arms. The boy whined slightly before looking up at Rarity, a spark of recognition in his grey eyes.

Lyra eyed her herd sister. “You okay?”

Rarity waved her hand. “Oh, just a bad dream, my songbird,” she said. “Nothing to worry about.” Lyra left it at that.

Luna eased her grip on her sword. "You speak with great wisdom, Rarity," she said, once again adopting a regal air. "So, instead let us turn our minds to more productive paths. We know the name and the location of where the abductor currently is. Now the challenge shall be to get there."

"Easier said than done," said Kyria. She leveled a glare at both Lero and Luna. "You two have brought so much hell down on our heads, I'm calling it a miracle that we haven't been dragged out of here in chains."

"Oh gosh," said Rainbow, panic setting into her voice. "She's right! Gilded Jack was the guy that put us up here in the first place!" She cast a wide-eyed glare at the door, half-expecting it to be torn off its hinges at any moment.

"I somehow doubt that," said the Lost, taking another swig of liquor. "It's hard to rally the guards and start a manhunt right after you've lost five pints of blood."

The way the Lost so callously stated this caused a few of the girls to flinch. Memories of the first night they spent in the Hedge came back in graphic detail; the howls of the wolf-things, the sound of slicing flesh, the smell of blood. For the most part, they had been able to justify what happened. After all, they had been attacked by monsters and had defended themselves.

But when they heard what the Lost and Luna did...

Kyria breathed a heavy sigh. "You should have just slit his throat."

“Agreed,” said Luna coldly. “While we were able to leave without being spotted, we are at a conspicuous disadvantage.” She turned to one side with an annoyed “tsk” escaping her lips. “I should have kept my word and removed his head when we had the chance.”

Rarity shuddered. The further into the Hedge they seemed to go, the further from civilization — from sanity — they seemed to traverse. She had expected such behavior from the Lost and Kyria, both of them having spent such prolonged time here, but to see Princess Luna act in such a way?

It left her feeling uneasy.

A glance at the baby brought her own events to light. She had not killed Simon and his crew either. But she was completely justified! Those people were kidnappers and flesh peddlers, total scum that would have been locked in Equestria’s darkest dungeons forever.

‘Besides,’ she mused, smiling at the child, ‘I could think of no better reason for such horrid violence than to save an innocent like you.’

The baby cooed and stared at her. Rarity had never known that love at first sight was actually possible. Even her precious Lero had required time. Then fate had delivered this baby to her.

So adorable. So absolutely adorable. She remembered fondly seeing Pound and Pumpkin Cake for the first time in the hospital. Though their bodies were so different, the baby boy held so many similarities with a foal. Both had overly large heads and smaller limbs, very disproportioned to their adult counterparts. But while a newborn foal could be up and walking in a matter of hours, the baby human looked like it would not for a while. His tiny arms and legs looked like they lacked any kind of meaningful mobility.

They needed mothers to help them. He needed her to survive.

The child closed all five of its tiny fingers around Rarity’s larger one. His tiny fist could barely wrap around the tip of her finger.

‘I’m so glad I have fingers,’ Rarity thought, as her mind melted into a sugary puddle, like so much ice cream.

The baby let go of her finger and tried to paw at Rarity’s breast. He murmured and whined when he couldn’t get past the shawl Rarity wore and began to let out a distressed whine.

“Oh, you poor darling,” whispered Rarity. “I know you are hungry. But there is no food there.” This needed to corrected, at the earliest available opportunity. Surely they had to sell some form of milk at the Goblin Market. Or even better, a magical trinket which would cause her breasts to lactate! Then again, the Goblin Market was a dodgy place to deal in. Didn’t Twilight know a spell for lactation? Rarity would need Twilight to teach her it. She’d master it just as thoroughly as all her weather spells.

Rarity would feed this child as any mother should. This precious addition to her family… her son…

Her mind was going a mile a minute. As soon as they were back in Equestria, they’d need to convert one of the rooms to a nursery. They’d need toys, a crib, cute wallpaper with teddy bears, outfits to dress him up in — oh he’d looked so adorable in a little blue onesie — and such.

Once they were back in Equestria, it might even be prudent for her to remain in this human form for at least a few years, until her son was past the stage of infancy. For all she knew, baby humans responded better to human mothers. She’d be drawing all sorts of attention on herself as soon as she set hoof… foot… on Equestria.

All sorts of gawking disbelief from her neighbors. Requests to conduct interviews from the all the same biologists, hippologists, and journalists that kept visiting Lero: Miss Rarity, could you give us a pony’s perspective on what it’s like being human? Especially one of the female persuasion? Not to mention, her co-workers would be put off to see a human girl perform Weather duties alongside them… but she’d do it.

Having a few more years where Lero could cup these breasts of hers with those wonderful hands of his certainly had its appeal. Having hands which could cup him would also be fun.

If they found the Crusaders quickly enough, maybe she could sacrifice a few weeks of maternity leave; and they could all accustom themselves to taking care of this child.

Then again, perhaps Kyria’s strange Hedge magic wouldn’t work outside the Hedge, and her human form would dissolve at once, like an ice sculpture in the desert. She’d still do her best to nurse her son as a pony. Then, when he got to be a certain age, she’d let him ride on her back, just the way she and all her herd-sisters did with little Spike.

Spike and her son… they were going to be the best of brothers; Rarity just knew it! The little drake would be a good role model for him. A big brother to play with and to learn from, someone to share little adventures.

A part of her wondered how the rest of Ponyville would react to him. Having a new human — no wait, two humans! Kyria would be there, of course! — would certainly cause a stir. A bitter frown crossed Rarity’s face. No doubt that horrid nag Honeydew would have a field day. And there were still some others that refused to even look at Lero, let alone talk to him. Would anypony do the same with Kyria and her new son?

‘Not if I have anything to say of it,’ she thought. Anypony that dared to give her son or her friend any sort of mistreatment, even to look at them in a way that displeased her, would find themselves on the business end of a “misplaced” hailstorm.

Rarity somehow doubted that she would need to do much if Kyria ever faced somepony like that; after all, she was quite capable in a fight, though the girls would have to do something about that temper.

‘We’re going to need a bigger house, though,’ she mused. With four ponies, a man and a woman, a baby dragon, and now a newborn, that library — even with Lero’s and possibly Rainbow’s additions — would quickly become very cramped. And what if her lovely new hummingbird brought all her animal friends with her? There would certainly be no room then.

They might even need to moved the whole herd into a new house. A big one, with lots of room for a growing family. Where hopefully more fillies and colts would be raised.

Rarity could see it all clearly in her mind’s eye. She’d enroll him in a good preschool, then a real school. They’d pack little lunches for him and walk him to school. Lero would teach him so many things, maybe even pick up a craft from him. He would start his trade business again.

“Bellerophon & Son.”

Rarity looked around the room. Everyone else was talking about what they found that day, while Kyria passed out little trinkets that she purchased. Seeing them all work together so perfectly, how could there be any doubt that they wouldn’t succeed? That they couldn’t work together to raise this boy?

They would not spoil him. He wouldn’t turn out like that awful prince who had upset her friend Applejack at the Grand Galloping Gala, nor would he be like those bratty fillies that constantly harassed the Crusaders. She and Lero and the other girls would teach him how to stand on his own two feet and how to be every bit as kind and hardworking and resourceful as his father.

She’d read him fairy tales and Daring Do when he was young, and when he was older, she’d get him to appreciate classic literature, romance stories, and the beauty to be found in a raging storm. No doubt Lero would share stories from Earth as well, the same one that she was be growing to love as well.

The best part was knowing that no matter old Rarity grew, she would look upon this son of hers and think, “I saved you.”

'I plucked you out of these savage and uncivilized lands like a sweet kitten from a pack of alley cats. If I had never come to this place, you would’ve grown up a slave here or died young as some monster’s dinner. But I brought you to my world, and shared with you my love, my home… you knew a good life because of me.'

“What kind of names do human princes have?” The question cut through the others’ chatter and all eyes turned to her.

Lero blinked his eyes, thoroughly caught off guard by the random question. “Uh,” he stammered, “Charles? Albert… Alexander… Richard... Edward… George… William…”

“William,” whispered Rarity, her eyes never leaving the wrapped bundle. She smiled and ran a finger along his soft and chubby cheek. “I like that name. Hello, my little William.”

The baby smiled at Rarity and waved his little hands around. Apparently, William approved of his new name.

“...oh shit,” said Kyria, resting her face in her hands. “She’s named it.”

Lero stood up, looking like he was about to say something to Rarity, but started. He glanced at the far side of the room. His eyes narrowed in confusion before they shifted blue.

“Ah crap,” said the Lost.

Everyone present turned and followed his gaze. Where before there had been a wall with two windows and a fireplace, now stood a wall of sliding doors. Rarity gave a small shriek and stood upwards, clutching William to her chest and backing away.

“What is this?!” yelled Twilight. She rapidly looked around to see that the entire room had shifted. The entryways to the side rooms and the hall had all disappeared, leaving either bare sections or replaced with more decorative furniture.

Kyria gave a snarl before brandishing her staff and shoving her bronze dagger into Twilight’s fumbling grip. “Here!”

Twilight looked down at the weapon, completely at a loss. “What am I supposed to do with this?”

“Stick whatever comes through there with the pointy end!”

Luna had drawn her own sword, ready for whatever would come at them.

The doors in the center started to slide open. Lyra tensed, dropping into a balanced stance, one foot forward with her fists raised.

The doors slid all the way open, revealing a pair of kneeling, masked servants. They bowed, their heads touching the straw mat floor.

“Our Mistress Jasmine,” they said in unison, “extends a humble invitation to our honored guests, the Lost and company, to dine with her.”

The Lost gripped his dagger as his eyes peered into the new room. It was twice as long as the common room they now occupied, lit with oil lamps and smelling of freshly cut exotic flowers. Several birdcages hung from the ceiling or stood on brass mounts, each filled with brightly colored birds, giving the occasional chirp but mostly filling the room with sweet singing. A long lacquered table, this one so low to the ground that a guest would have to sit cross-legged, took up the center of the room. Seven silken cushions were placed on opposite sides alongside a small basket, perfectly suitable for an infant.

Mistress Jasmine sat the head of the table, looking every bit as regal and poised as when they first met on the docks. Her silver hair flowed down around her head. Her horns were bedecked with jeweled bands that caught the lamplight and shined. The kirin woman wore a green and white silken dress, almost robe-like in appearance, bound in a sash that was decorated in pearls and the darkest jade any of them had ever seen.

“I trust you would not refuse a lady’s invitation,” she said sweetly, batting her eyes.

The Lost bristled at the word.

Jasmine smiled. “You will find no hidden blades here, my dears,” she said, before taking an offered dish of wine. “This place is quite hidden from prying eyes and ears. I do enjoy dining with good friends in peace.”

No one moved.

Jasmine smirked. “That is, unless, you think you can avoid Gilded Jack’s ogres and make it to Madame Mantis’ on your own.”

The Lost gave a snort and sheathed the iron dagger. The others followed suit and stiffly took the offered seats. Luna and the Lost sat closest to Jasmine, their blades removed and resting at their sides, while Twilight, Rainbow Dash, and Lyra filled out the remaining seats. Kyria sat at the far end, her staff laid down. Rarity placed little William in the offered basket, but pulled it right alongside her. William whined a little but calmed once Rarity placed a pale hand on his chest. He gripped her with his little hands.

“A wise choice,” said Jasmine. She clapped her hands twice. Another pair of sliding doors opened to reveal more servants, this time carrying large platters of food and jugs of wine.

“I do find that violence tends to put off my appetite. Quite the opposite for intrigue though,” she said, while offering the Lost a dish of wine. “It seems to add a certain flavor that one is hard-pressed to find among the spice merchants.”

The Lost eyed the wine with suspicion.

“You have nothing to fear,” said Jasmine, completely unoffended. “My promise from before still stands: everything offered within these walls is done so free of consequence.”

The Lost hesitated only a moment before taking the offered wine. The rest of the group followed his lead, though the tension had become palatable.

One servant knelt beside Rarity and offered her a platter of white and purple flowers. Curious, she picked one up. It felt slightly heavy and when she squeezed it gently, a thin, white substance dripped from its conical center.

"Mother's Bounty," whispered the servant, his voice muffled slightly by the mask he wore. “For the child.”

Rarity smiled. “Thank you,” she whispered back. The platter was set on the table and Rarity lifted William to her chest. “Here you go, little prince.” William tuck the offered flower and started to hungrily suckle it, a little of the milk dripping down his chin.

The others ate and drank in silence.

After a few minutes, Luna broke the silence. “How did you know?”

“Excuse me?” asked Jasmine innocently, a small morsel of food between her chopsticks.

“How did you know what happened today?”

Jasmine tittered in a very ladylike fashion behind a covered hand. “Why my dear, my little birds told me, of course." She glanced up at a few of the cages.

The exotic birds looked down at them all with an unnatural intelligence.

"There is almost nothing that goes on in this city that they do not see or hear.” She took the time to eat her food before continuing. “And they had quite a tale to tell of you, my dears. Slaying the Flayer in cold blood along with two guards? I must say that I am somewhat concerned with your lack of subtlety, but you did pique my curiosity with the style and passion of your deeds.”

Luna visibly bristled, the astral patterns in her hair flaring slightly.

“As I said, a lack of subtlety. But you, good sir,” said Jasmine, beaming at the Lost, “you I found to be very refreshing indeed. Seeing you work on that miserable little weevil filled me with such nostalgia. Though it was not nearly on par with what you showed yourself capable of in your previous conflicts, I am disappointed to say.”

Rainbow felt a chill run through her, as did the other mares. “His previous…?”

“I have long wondered,” continued Jasmine, “how did you ever come up with that fighting style of yours, Ridire? Did the Lady’s warmaster’s teach you or did you develop it yourself? Regardless, I think that you truly came into your own during the siege at Jormun’s Crossing. The way you cut through the defender’s lines-”

“What do you want?” The Lost’s voice was edged like steel. Like a headman’s axe, it ended the dialogue with an almost lethal finality.

Jasmine hummed a bit. “She always said that you were straight to business. Very well then, to business it is.

“The truth is that you absolutely humiliated Gilded Jack today. You walked into the heart of his operation, killed his head torturer and his guards, then proceeded to turn him into a whimpering, sniveling ball of slime with but a twist of your knife.

“For this you have my thanks.”

Twilight blinked at the calmness with which the kirin spoke. She sounded so… magnanimous about it all. It was such an alien thing to her, hearing gratitude for causing the suffering of another. “But… he’s your friend,” she half-whimpered. “How could-”

Jasmine burst straight into laughter this time, nearly spilling her drink in the process. “Ohohoho, my dear child,” she chuckled. “To hear such naïveté from the mouths of babes.” She ignored Twilight’s look of indignation.

“At the very least,” said Lyra, “Gilded Jack was your ruler, correct?”

Jasmine turned an enigmatic smile to her, the same smile that the transformed unicorn so often wore herself. Lyra's hair swayed more excitedly, as if the invisible water it hovered in suddenly became a strong current. The moment lasted only a second.

Jasmine smiled. "Yes... and no," said the kirin. "Gilded Jack fancies himself 'Master of the Town' because of his gold and his ships. In truth, he is one of many players in a great game and this city is the board."

"And you are another player, aren't you?"

"Indeed," said Jasmine, raising her drinking dish. "You are obviously the more perceptive of your sisters."

Luna narrowed her eyes. "Do you intend to use us as pawns in this game of yours?"

Jasmine smiled again. "No no, Your Highness," she said, "I have played this game for too long to not recognize a new player when I see one." Again her gaze went to the Lost. "A piece that has elevated himself to quite a high prominence. I always enjoyed watching Her move you about, then seeing you take command for yourself. You were truly marvelous, Ridire."

"You keep calling him that," said Twilight. A glance among her herd sisters told her that they were thinking the same thing. "What does that word mean?"

Jasmine turned back to her meal, using her delicate hands to pluck a blood red fruit from a platter. She opened her mouth, revealing rows of small, sharp, reptilian teeth, the first time any of them had seen them. Twilight shuddered. They were very different from what she had expected or ever seen before. For Rainbow, the little fangs reminded her of a monitor lizard's, like the one that had once been in her care back in Ponyville.

The little fruit, which the group recognized as a small Blood Pod, was quietly bitten into, a single drop of the dark red juices running down Jasmine's chin. She wiped it up with a clawed finger.

Jasmine didn't take her eyes off her meal. "I believe you should hear that from your lover instead of myself," she said.

The Lost narrowed his eyes at the kirin but his gaze softened under the concerned looks from the other women.

"It is Their language," he said. "Ridire was... my title. While I was in Her keeping."

"The creature in the glen called you the same thing," said Luna. "You and it spoke the language."

The Lost nodded. "It is... a very difficult language to say the least. It took me years to speak it clearly."

"But what does it mean?" interrupted Twilight. “Ridire?”

The Lost looked down, a heavy sigh threatening to escape his lips. He had figured this would eventually happen, that at least some of his past would rear its ugly head. He had hoped that the night with Mossbeard would have been the worst of it. True, the spriggan had come close to fully exposing his past, but thankfully Kyria's intervention had been enough to quell the vengeful spirit.

But now...

"Knight," he translated at last. He could feel their gazes upon him, an almost tangible weight. But at the same time, another weight was beginning to lift itself. "I was Her knight. I was a soldier first. Then eventually a commander. I led Her armies in campaigns that consumed entire continents."

“Continents…?” Twilight repeated in a whisper.

Luna felt a pang of sympathy for him. She too knew what it was like to lead soldiers through the horrors of war. She knew well the sounds of battle and the stench of death.

The sight of dear comrades falling.

Jasmine smirked. "You were more than that," she said with a devious smile. "I know that She took you into Her bed. You were Her Consort."

Rarity gaped. "Consort?" Her reaction was similarly mirrored by the other women in the group.

"I was Her knight, first and foremost," the Lost snapped. "I..." He looked like he wanted to argue further, but sighed instead. Nothing he could say could make it sound any different from the truth.

"Her favorite," continued Jasmine. "Why, when he first went missing, you should have seen Her. The whole of Her domain was scourged in Her efforts to find him. She went into such a state afterwards, the poor dear-" The Lost had to suppress a cruel laugh. "-She was so distraught. Though She tried many a substitute, none were suitable." Jasmine gave the Lost an almost flirtatious look. "Apparently, none could match your... prowess, good sir."

Rarity felt the lightning within her hair rumble. Twilight's skin flared with the dancing symbols. Luna gripped her chopsticks so tightly the wooden utensils actually splintered in her hand. Rainbow stared at the Lost, a mix of horror and betrayal, but with a hint of pity, on her face. Only stoic Lyra seemed to be unfazed.

Twilight felt her eye twitch. "And you were going to tell us this... when exactly?"

"Yes, darling," said Rarity in a sweetly annoyed voice. "When?"

The Lost shot a look to both of them. "Excuse me?"

"When were you going to-"

"Oh yes," said the Lost, anger rising in his voice. "Let me tell you every horror that I was made to perform while I was a slave. Let me tell you of the thousands — literally thousands — of people I've been made to kill. Let's talk about how I was forced to do things that shattered my psyche — or ‘Lero's’ psyche since you're so dead-set on keeping us separate — and was forced on by a... thing that wanted to take my as a 'lover'. Yes, let's all go into that!"

Kyria shuddered, her hands gripping her skirts. "Hey, look, just... back off the guy," she told the Equestrian women, who looked like they were about to argue further. When they all turned their gazes to her, Kyria's amber eyes flash defiantly. "It's not like any of us... I mean he had a real choice in the matter."

“But…!” protested Rarity.

“Like any of you can possibly understand,” seethed Kyria. "You... you can't imagine what it's like. Like someone... reaching into you and taking what made you yourself. To rip out those parts of you that make you human and fill it with... something else. Make you do these things while you can only sit there and watch and hope beyond anything that it's enough to see the next day." Here, the horned girl's voice became bitter. "You come from a place so fucking cheery and shit, with your storybook lives and perfect fucking world. What could you possibly know about real evil?"

Rainbow's eyes widened, her breath catching. "Discord..." she breathed.

Luna also went silent. "By the stars," she whispered.

Everyone stopped, save for Kyria, to whom the name meant nothing. The Equestrians all remembered the Day of Chaos. They recalled that feeling when the draconequus reached into them and drain out all the things that made them good. That cold and icy feeling as control was taken away, and all their kindness, their loyalty, and goodness were all inverted.

Twilight stared at the Lost in a new light. 'It was like living under Discord,' she mused. 'But so many times worse.' It was a horrible and cruel enlightenment that had been forced on them all, one that they knew too well.

Though it had only lasted a single day, the effects of Discord's return were far-reaching and undeniable. When whole towns fell under his sway and the ponies of Equestria became his playthings.

Princess Luna, for her part, knew even better than any of them. She could recall what life was like during the long, tumultuous years when Discord had ruled over her world as an uncontested king. It was true that Sir Michaelides only knew about Discord’s reign from others’ stories, and was lucky that he’d only begun interacting with the draconequus after Fluttershy had reformed him. But in a sense, he’d already experienced all that Discordant chaos firsthand, through The Lady. At the very least, Discord had never made Luna or her sister a Consort of his!

Luna wanted to reach across the table. She wanted to...

Her hand balled into a fist. This was not the time nor place for such things.

Jasmine took their reactions in with all the amused satisfaction of a smug sadist.

"But I think we have allowed ourselves to be distracted for long enough," she said. With a clap of her hands, servants came to clear the plates and trays.

"So Gilded Jack," said the Lost, regaining control of the conversation, "is your opponent. And you wish to see him further humiliated."

"You are most accurate," replied Jasmine. "If you, someone that dealt him this humiliation, were to escape the town directly under his nose, he would lose face. And that would eventually give rise to a situation I would find to be most beneficial."

Kyria furrowed her eyebrows in mistrust. "So you wanna help us, is that it?"

"By helping you, I shall be helping myself in the long term. However, you are the one that is in most need of immediate aid… aid which is of no small risk to myself." Here, the Kirin's eyes narrowed into that primal predatory glare that only reptiles could display. "I will require a fee for this."

Lyra narrowed her look. "What kind of fee?"

Jasmine smiled again. "The babe."

All eyes turned Rarity, who held William in her arms. She gasped as what Jasmine demanded truly sank in.

"No," she said. She clutched William tightly to her breast and stood up, backing away from the woman at the head of the table. "You can't be serious!"

Jasmine was unfazed. "He is the seventh son of a seventh son. His existence is a true rarity among the mortals, one that has long been valued by the peoples of the Hedge. He is my price."

"We refuse!" shouted Rarity. "I will not let you take him!"

"'Let me'? My dear, you have no other choice."

"Why you-"

"Should you refuse my offer, then you will be cast out of this house. It will only be a matter of time before Jack's ogres find you and capture you. Should you rudely refuse me, I will deliver you all to him personally, and the maggot shall owe me a favor. From there, no doubt he shall sell you all off, or simply kill you for being a nuisance to him."

The lamps in the room flared brightly, casting long shadows across the floor and walls. The kirin's own shadow stretched out along the back wall, growing into something large and monstrous. When she spoke, it was no longer held the levity that they all had heard before. This was like listening to a thousand teeth scrape across steel. "And if you try to fight me, little things, I promise you that it will not be long nor valiant. You will lose. And you will suffer."

The wooden beams above them began to moan and creak. The floor mats trembled. Everything screamed at the group that they were not merely in an inn, but in the center of her power.

The Lost's hands twitched, the instinct to reach for the dagger and carve a trench in the kirin's throat compelling him to act. That brief moment gave rise to a new sound, one of moving bodies and brandished blades. His combat senses told him that behind those walls stood at least thirty servants, all with their weapons drawn. They were waiting for him or Luna to make the first move.

Could they win? He had seen Luna fight. And Kyria could take care of herself with little problem. Lyra looked like she could stand alongside them in a fight. How many could they take out before they escaped?

But there were too many variables. Neither Rainbow nor Twilight were capable of fighting. And with Rarity holding the baby...

Their attention would be divided. And Jasmine controlled the shape of the room. She could separate them on a whim with her abilities.

His glance switched to Luna. She gave a subtle shake of her head, no doubt reaching the same conclusion. Another glance to Kyria said the same thing.

This was a fight they could not win.

"Very well," said the Lost. The room quieted, the lamps dimmed, and Jasmine returned to her calm and regal demure.

"Then your answer?" she asked.

"...we accept."

"WHAT?!" shouted Rarity.

Twilight stood up. "LOST, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"

"You can't be serious," whimpered Rainbow Dash.

Lyra looked at him in disbelief. "There has to be another-"

"There is no other way," said Luna, her voice carrying a finality. The other women looked at her, gaping mouths and eyes full of betrayal.

"We cannot fight and we dare not refuse. We are in an unfamiliar territory, outnumbered and hunted." Luna cast a glare at Jasmine, who waited with a patient smile. "And she knows this. It will really be only a matter of time before we are found and captured."

Twilight stared at her, her eyes full of tears. "How- How can you be so cruel?" she whispered. "Celestia would never do something like this."

The words stung her deeply. Luna cast her gaze downward. "...I am not my sister."

To everyone's surprise, especially Luna’s, it was Lyra that spoke next. "You're wrong," she said, her voice low. "Celestia did exactly this every day, when she chose to continue keeping this world sealed off instead of storming it and putting its Lords to the sword."

Twilight was taken aback by the grandmaster's callous words. "What are you talking about!?"

"After all, what did it matter once her citizens were safe? Who cares if they instead preyed upon another people who have no innate magic to defend themselves?" Lyra asked, tilting her head at the Lost.

Twilight shook her head. "Wha- No! Celestia didn't know that!"

"Not until very recently, no, but she probably suspected." Lyra turned to face the Lost. "And a few years ago, thanks to Lero, she knew for certain. And she did nothing."

Twilight was shouting. "That's not fair, Lyra! Besides, this is different! She has a nation to protect, not just a single baby..."

Lyra sighed. "No, it's not fair, but that doesn't matter. And the only difference is, Twilight, that one loss is a tragedy... A million is a statistic."

Twilight's mind was reeling. As the logical part of her warred with the emotional, the part of her that so desperately tried to impose order on her world versus the part of her mind — her whole being — that was dedicated to Celestia, she could feel the cold reality of it settling in her stomach. Tears fell anew. "But... There's no guarantee she'd win..."

"It's the same choice that she had, Twilight," said Lyra. Her voice had a sorrowful note. "We’re faced with atrocities we cannot hope to stop, and even trying would just cost us everything."

In the corner, Rarity started to sob, little William whining and whimpering in her arms. "No," she whispered. "No no no, you cannot do this. I-"

"Rarity," said Lero. Rarity looked up and saw hazel-eyed Lero calmly approaching her. His eyes were soft and so full of guilt. He slowly shook his head. "We cannot take him with us."

Rarity felt like she had been punched in the gut. "How can you say that?"

"We cannot take him with us," repeated Lero. "The wilds are no place for a newborn."

Rarity looked between her lover, her herd, the baby; the words echoed in her mind as the rational part of her brain slowly spoke up but she stubbornly refused to listen. "I-I-I can! We can! Lero, we can do this! We'll feed him and take care of-"

"Are you really prepared to do that? To feed him and diaper him and watch over him for every second, out there in the Frozen Marshes? Babies cry, Rarity. He’ll cry in the daytime, and he’ll cry when we’re desperate for sleep. And even if we’re patient enough to put up with that… his crying will be a dinner bell for all the monsters that are out there. And worse things.”

“I’ll protect my William from anything out there!” she swore.

“And what about the next place we go to? Or the next place? Who knows how long it will be or what we'll face on the roads?"

Lero slowly walked up to her, placing his large hands on Rarity’s shoulders. He could feel her trembling. It took all of his will to not tremble as well. He leaned in, their foreheads touching. "Are you prepared to risk losing him out there?"

Rarity's breathing became ragged. “We… we… we… He’s a HUMAN BEING, Lero! Just like you! I’d think you of all people, would empathize with this poor child’s plight!”

Lero felt his heart crack because the truth was that he really did feel for the baby. What he would have given to have been found by an angel like Rarity, or Rainbow, or any of them, all those years ago. To have found him before the thorns and the bloodshed. And fate had led them to this child. They could have had the chance to take him away.

But they were not destined for that.

"It's too risky," he whispered. "We don't know how much longer it will be before we find... what we came here for. And bringing the baby with us puts all of us at risk." Lero put his hand beneath Rarity's chin, gently raising her head until they were looking in each other's eyes. Rarity saw the hurt there, the pain of that Lero was forcing himself to experience.

Lero spoke in such a hushed whisper that only they could hear. "I know what I am asking is horrible. I can never ask you to forgive me for this, because it truly is unforgivable. And a day won't go by that I won't hate myself for doing this. But... we cannot take this child with us, Rarity. I can't risk losing any of you more than I am now."

Rarity stiffened, tears falling from her eyes. "You're asking me to give him up here, now," she whispered.

Lero nodded. "But you get to set the terms, princess."

A moment later, Rarity's eyes widened in understanding. Lero knew that she had caught on. He gave a nod.

Rarity sniffed and wiped her eyes. William whimpered again, to which Rarity gave him a gentle bounce and a quiet shush. She took a deep breath to compose herself, standing straight and every bit the team leader. She strode towards Jasmine.

The kirin rose to meet her and extended her arms in anticipation.

"Before I agree to this, I have my own terms," said Rarity, looking Jasmine square in the eye. Her voice took on the authoritative air so many of the weather ponies knew so well. "He shall not be harmed. Nor shall he be mistreated in any way. He shall not become one of your faceless, nameless servants. His name is William. And he shall be raised in a manner befitting a prince… a noble, honorable, capable and hardworking prince, not some pampered playboy!"

Jasmine raised an eyebrow. "You would have me do this thing?" Rarity nodded. "You ask much, my dear. I must wonder what you see in a whelp that you have known for less than a day."

"The only thing I do not see, Mistress Jasmine, is you agreeing to the terms I have set. I can assure you that should you take the time to bring this boy up properly, you will gain more than another menial servant. He shall be... an asset of immense value in your game." The words burned her tongue and rolled her stomach.

Jasmine smiled. "Intriguing. You have that much faith in this boy?"

Rarity nodded. "I do. And should I ever find out that you have done otherwise... then I pray that a storm shall wipe everything that you have built for yourself."

Here, the kirin stiffened. The condition was a harsh one. Jasmine thought for a moment. "The seventh son of a seventh son," she reminded herself, looking at the boy with great consideration. "A 'noble, honorable, capable and hardworking’ prince... yes, very useful qualities, I daresay... the payoff would be worth the risk.”

A pulling sensation, deep within her. Rarity had felt it before, once at the entrance of Jack's manor and again with the Storm. This one though, this felt personal. It was... a pledge between her and the kirin. One that she felt was enforced by a power; an ancient, eldritch thing that could and would bring down misfortune on the kirin should she break her word. "I believe... that we have come to an agreement." Again she extended her arms.

Rarity took a long look at William, his wide grey eyes staring up at her. She bent down to kiss his forehead, he lips lingering on his soft skin as she inhaled deeply, forcing her mind to memorize every latent smell and every detail he held.

With great care, Rarity passed the baby to Mistress Jasmine.

Rainbow and Twilight whimpered in the background. Kyria's long nails dug into her staff. Luna's hand began to shake, the sword rattling on her hip.

"In Stillness, we shall find peace," Lyra quietly chanted. "Let Stillness flow through me and bring serenity." Whether the words were for herself or the others, not even she could tell.

Lero's fist clenched. He could feel the skin beneath his clothes grow taunt, the alien plates beneath the skin shifting and grinding as more skin started to peel away beneath the bandages. He felt that cold dagger sink into his heart. And the chill it brought spreading through his limbs until he was numb.

He felt like a piece of him had just died.

Jasmine looked down at the child with a scrutinizing gaze. At last she smiled wide, her reptilian fangs smoothing into a regular woman's pearly white smile. "Yes," she said, more to herself than to the others. "He shall be more than a mere prince. He shall be a Khan." She ignored their questioning looks and turned away.

A pair of sliding doors opened to the side. In stepped a young elf-like woman, clad in similar silks as Jasmine. Unlike the other servants, she wore only a half-mask, revealing pair of painted red lips and powdery white skin. She was slight of build but had large breasts. Jasmine handed her the baby. Without a word, the unnamed woman slipped one out, to which William immediately latched onto and began to noiselly suckle.

Rarity felt a pang of jealousy run through her.

The woman nodded to Jasmine, turned, and went to exit through the door. Rarity's resolve broke down and she moved forward. Lero stepped between them and grabbed hold of the pale woman. "No, no wait, please," Rarity whimpered and pleaded, but Lero held tight, wrapping her in his arms.

The sliding doors closed and disappeared.

Rarity broke down sobbing into Lero's chest. Rainbow held onto Twilight and Lyra as she started to cry loudly. Both Luna and Kyria had turned away in an effort to hide their own tears.

Lero did his best not to cry as well.

Gladesrest was a marvel during its evening cycle. There seemed to be a whole new piece of the population that came out, merchants that would peddle different wares and foods for the “night” crowd to partake in.

At any other point, the girls may have enjoyed themselves. It was not everyday that they rode in such luxury. Mistress Jasmine's gondola was a massive craft, almost three times the size of the little punt they first arrived in. It had lavish red velvet chairs and lounges on which guests could sit or lay, with small tables filled with decanters of wine and trays of succulent fruit. The craft was propelled by four oarsmen, two at each end; all were male kirin, among the few unmasked servants that Jasmine kept in her employ.

The gondola offered its passengers luxury travel and, thanks to a wooden canopy and bamboo blinds, privacy.

The sleek black craft glided through the canals, under the the red glow of the strings of lanterns that ran across the water, past the throngs of citizens that walked along the shores, Lero and the girls sat in silence, all the while Mistress Jasmine sat and sipped her wine. From behind the blinds, Rarity blankly gazed at the passing lights, dimly aware of both Twilight and Lyra on either side. Even Rainbow Dash, bless her heart, stayed by her side; her gossamer wings fluttered in shared anxiety.

The herd sisters said no words between each other. What could they say? What possible words could express how they felt? They had betrayed their own values, everything they stood for in a single decision to sacrifice an innocent to a terrible fate.

Luna and the Lost sat away from the crowd.

"We made the right choice," said Luna, though the words rang hollow.

"No, we didn't," said the Lost. "There was nothing 'right' about it. We just made the best choice in a shitty situation."

Luna nodded. "Starswirl once spoke of the 'Calculus of Leadership'. Rulers need to be able to make a decision for the greater good of their people, even if that choice leads to sorrow."

The Lost cast a glance back at the girls. "They are so lucky," he whispered. Luna quirked her head. The Lost's blue eyes gazed at the huddled group of women with an envious look. "They grew up in a place that had so little hardship. They never had to worry about life or death, never had to make any kind of tough decision like that. They are so sure in their conviction of right and wrong. Everything is so black and white."

Luna nodded her head. "They never had to truly experience how grey things really are."

"...not like us, Luna."

Luna was silent for a moment. She reached down and gave the Lost's hand a firm squeeze. He looked up, blue meeting blue. Her starry eyes were full of understanding. The Lost closed his eyes and leaned forward, their foreheads touching.

"Thank you," he whispered. Only Luna heard him.

"You as well," she replied.

Silence, then, "We have arrived, Mistress."

The gondola came in for a smooth stop. Heavy hoofsteps sounded as two of the other kirin stepped off the craft onto the dock, line in hands to secure the craft. A third moved and raised the bamboo blinds, revealing a large, wooden platform with a ramp leading up to a bustling causeway. The air above was filled with bright red lanterns.

"I shall have my girl show you the way," said Jasmine. There was a flitter of wings and the little pixie hovered outside the gondola cabin. "I suggest you do not tarry. You may be under my protection for now, but that does not mean that there aren't others out there who won't turn you in. Move with purpose. And when you are done, return here straight away. The Wyvern will have moved again by then."

"Moved?" asked Twilight in disbelief.

"If you are being hunted and your hunter knows where you rest, it is best to move one's lair. A simple feat for myself and one that protects us all."

Twilight gaped. The universe, it seemed, kept upping the ante on what "impossible" really meant.

A chill ran through her as she stared at Jasmine, pieces falling into place and forming a terrifying thought. The power to shift reality around her, the unnatural regal beauty and grace, the casual cruelty towards "mortals", the way she spoke with such intimate knowledge of Lero's past...

"I can assure you, my dear, that I am not Her," said Jasmine suddenly. Twilight started; it was as if the kirin had read her thoughts, a terrifying prospect in itself. "It is true that She is known to wear many masks. But let me ask you this: why mask oneself in the guise of what you already are?"

Twilight looked away, the cold feeling in her body refusing to leave.

Jasmine retrieved a sealed black envelope from her sash. "Take this with you," she said. Lyra took her envelope. It bore a single character, from an unfamiliar alphabet. "It will let you enter. Madame Mantis is very particular about who she lets into her establishment."

"Um, what kind of establishment is this, exactly?" asked Rainbow.

Jasmine gave a small laugh. "What kind do you think, silly girl?"

The blinds rolled down, cutting Rainbow off before she could question again.

"This one shall show you the way," said the pixie with a bow. Up the ramp they went and into the sea of flesh.

The Red Light District was an active one. In a town of eternal night, it couldn't be anything but. Sounds of pleasure and debauchery filled the night air. One place was a tavern, its patrons’ hands filled with drink or pleasure companions, usually both. Others held windows showing off the available merchandise: a fine selection of one-night companions. Female, male, a mix of the two, and other... things. Above and through the windows came moaning and cries of passion.

Like the rest of the city, there was no uniformity in the buildings' appearance, with radical changes in the architecture appearing with every passing step. The sole trait they shared in common was that almost every building held a red lantern at its entrance. Even these varied, some being paper lamps and others glass oil lanterns or neon.

The only thing redder than the lanterns was Rainbow's face.

The group stuck close together, though often the girls found themselves doing double-takes at some of the sights. Even Kyria found herself gawking.

"How the hell is he supposed to walk with that thing?" She turned her head, trying to work her mind around the thought.

Rainbow tried to sputter something and failed.

The seven of them followed Jasmine’s pixie through the crowd, eventually leading them to a large and prominent building. It appeared to be several stories tall with swooping overhangs and a facade in the same style as the Knurly Wyvern. The front of the building was meant for display. Behind a row of square wooden bars was a menagerie of beings, all dressed in a manner that spoke of their trade.

They did not appear to be in any discomfort; the floor was mostly padded reed mats that seemed to be commonplace. The walls were clean, and they sat upon small cushions. Any chains they did wear were delicate gold things, clearly not meant for restraining them, though the Lost knew that those services were most likely offered. Some smoked from long metal pipes with contented smiles. A few leaned towards the bars, enticing potential customers with smiles and smoldering looks.

One freckled redhead with attractive twin pigtails was treating the Lost to the sight of a seductive gyration, her eyes lidded and her smile smoking.

"Do come in, sir," she purred, a slim hand teasing at her cleavage. "There are many pleasures inside for you and your... friends."

A low grunt sound to the side. Standing in front of the door was a large being with scabby grey skin and horns. He wore a tailored suit and a heavy chain hung at his hip. "Look but don't touch," he grunted. "If you can't pay, keep moving."

The Lost took note of a few gashes in the wooden bars.

Lyra stepped forward. "We want to come in," she said with a cheeky smile.

The bouncer grunted again, clearly unimpressed. "Special night," he informed them through a mouth of sharp teeth. "Invitation only."

Lyra removed the black envelope and handed it to the guard. He examined it, squinting at the single character. Glancing at each member of the group, which caused Rainbow to shrink behind Twilight and Kyria, he gave another grunt.

"Fine," he said. "No trouble inside. Or you'll have to deal with me." He reached up and pulled a silken rope. A ringing sounded from behind the large wooden door. A moment later, it opened, revealing a low-lit interior.

"Enjoy your stay," said the bouncer with what may have passed with a smile. The Lost and the others entered without further comment.

As the doors closed behind them, Rainbow gaped again. "Oh... my..."

"Welcome to my humble establishment," said a voice. Madame Mantis entered through a beaded doorway. She was a disturbing sight. The body was that of a very buxom woman, with wide hips, a thin waist, and a very generous bust. She wore a tight red dress, one with a slit that ran from her ankle up past her thigh, teasing a glimpse of black laced panties and garter. Around her shoulders was a grey-furred, mink skin shawl. She was every bit the sight of a bombshell harlot.

Until you saw her face.

As her name suggested, her head was that of an emerald green mantis, mandibles and all. Sprouting from her back was a pair of large green pincer arms. On closer examination, all her ‘human’ skin had the faintest green tint to it, with subtle patterns that reminded them all of insect chitin.

Further enhancing the surreality of the creature was that she clearly applied makeup to her insectile face; lipstick carefully applied to mandibles, blush applied along the side of her muzzle, eyeliner and fake eyelashes precisely applied above unblinking compound eyes.

When the creature spoke, it was with the voice of a very cultured woman that came clearly, despite the clicking mandibles she used for a mouth. “It pleases me to see you here this evening,” she said with a bow. “Anyone that has the honor of a personal invite from Mistress Jasmine is most welcome here.”

Luna returned the nod. “But of course,” she said, without even the smallest hint of irony. “The mistress’ generosity knows no bounds.”

The Madame extended an arm to a servant holding a red lacquered box. “Before I allow you into main floor, would you please be so kind as to turn over you weapons? This is a house of pleasure, not violence.” As she spoke the words, two more large brutes appeared in the doorway behind them. They made no aggressive move other than to cross their arms across their broad chests. “Rest assured that you shall have them back at the end of your stay.”

The Lost and Luna shared a look. They obviously did not want a repeat of this afternoon, so they instead chose to comply. Luna removed her blade from her sash, as well as the Lost and Kyria, and the weapons were placed into the box. The servant took Kyria’s staff (which was too large for the box) and attached a tag to it. He then stood and waited patiently for Kyria to do something. The horned woman gave a loud groan and relinquished several more hidden knifes, jars of flammable paste, and other weapons. With a satisfied nod, he closed and locked the box with a silver key. The Lost took the key and pocketed it.

“Now then,” said the Madame. She extended one of her extra limbs, pulling back the beaded curtain. Music wafted through. “Please do enjoy yourselves.”

The Lost and his companions entered the bordello’s main room. It was large, dimly lit, and appropriately seedy. Despite the obvious Asian exterior, this seemed more at place in Prohibition-era Chicago, with its leather horseshoe booths, chandeliers, well-stocked bar, and performance stage. Glancing upwards towards some of the balconies, he saw that there were several thinly-shrouded booths that made him think of an Arabian harem.

It seemed that this place wasn’t made in the style of any single distinctive brothel décor, but the very idea of a brothel, as if this place could become any brothel at a moment’s thought.

The Lost looked at the others. “Okay, now what?”

Lyra scanned the area the pointed, “Look.”

The Lost followed her gaze. Next to the stage, another servant was changing out a pair of signs. One read, “Now On Stage: The Sorrowful Voice of the Pale Siren” in elegant flowing script. Below it, another sign advertised, “Up Next: The Silken Harpist performs her Guzheng.”

“The Silken Harpist,” said Luna. “She is the one the goblin spoke of.”

Twilight read the sign. “She’ll be on stage soon,” she said. “How should we handle this? Should we make our way backstage and confront the Silken Harpist now?”

“No,” said the Lost. “If she’s expected to perform for an audience soon, they’ll wonder what’s up if we barge in and keep her… preoccupied. We’d draw attention to ourselves, and Madame Mantis would summon her guards. No, we should wait until after the Harpist’s performance, when she goes backstage. That’s when we make our move.”

Rarity affixed the Lost with a glare. “Then what do you expect us to do in the meantime?”

The Lost pointed to an empty booth. “Blend in,” he said.

As they walked through the floor, the girls could not help but fully take in the seedy environment. With the exception of Lyra and to an extent Luna, none of them had ever seen a place remotely like this.

Clients sat in booths or at dimly lit tables, sometimes wandering to the bar past workers of all sexes and shapes. Most of the workers were humanoid, possessing that unearthly beauty that seemed so common in this world. Others looked to be a cross between a human and an animal, or even some natural element; one being looked like she was made of living fire, another looked like she had been carved from snow and ice. Others still were more intangible, conveying the sense that they were more of an emotion or a concept than a being of flesh and blood. Most were female, all clad in clothing that left nothing to the imagination or nothing at all.

Some clients would be led by the hand towards the back of the room, where curtained booths offered privacy. Rarity felt her skin crawl as she glanced into one. A man was sitting there, his head back and eyes glazed in bliss. Two women were lavishing him with kisses across his exposed chest.

One of them looked up, the dim light causing her eyes to reflect like a cat’s. She ran a tongue along her blood-soaked lips and fangs before returning to the two puncture wounds on her client’s chest. The man did not seem to notice the wounds nor did he care. The other woman waved her hand and the curtains silently closed.

While the Lost seemed to be drawing a majority of the workers’ attention, with seductive smiles and brushing hands along his shoulders, no shortage of eyes were paying closer attention to the women in the group.

“Oh my,” came a seductive voice, “what have we here?” Rainbow who had been walking at the back of the group, was cut off by one of the workers. The woman looked very much like a cobra; hairless but sporting the reptile’s iconic black and yellow hood. She was bare-breasted with piercings connected by a thin golden chain, a thing that Rainbow had never even heard of. The only thing she wore wash a white silk sash that covered her waist and nethers, but only barely.

“Uh, I, uh,” Rainbow sputtered. The Lost turned back in time to see the snake woman run her scaled hands along Dash’s shoulders. His eyes faded to a hazel as Lero took over.

“Ssso adorable,” hissed the snake, gently tweaking an antenna. “Do you have a name, sssweetie?” She leaned in close to Dash’s pointed ear. “How about I make one up for you?”

“I-I-I-I’m Rainbow Dash,” stuttered the winged woman. She was growing redder with every passing beat of her hammering heart. And had it suddenly become really hot in here?

The hooded cobra woman ran the back of her scaled, speckled hand along Rainbow Dash’s trembling cheek, her slitted eyes becoming more mischievous by the second.

“Oh precioussssss,” she cooed. Even though she had a set of humanoid legs, her upper body still swayed this way and that, as though to a snake charmer’s flute. “You are jussssst my type. Why, you look good enough to eat.”

A two-foot long forked tongue shot out of her mouth and licked Rainbow from chin to navel. Dash let out a high-pitched shriek and quickly retreated to the others in her traveling party before it could delve lower, hiding straight behind Lero.

Not only did Lero feel his cheeks flush with Rainbow Dash’s face pressing up worriedly against his back, he found himself reminded of the days he’d spent at her cottage, helping her get her animals under control. It was almost funny, in its own way. The cottage had been a mad menagerie of pain, while this place was a mad menagerie of pleasure… and Rainbow Dash was just as overwhelmed, either way.

Just to be feeling Dash’s soft palms on his shoulders… God, this place was getting to him a little, wasn’t it?

The cobra woman just laughed. “Don’t be shy, little moth,” she cooed. She leaned forward, blowing a kiss to Dash. “Come sssee me when you and your friendsssss are ready for sssome real fun.”

Dash visibly shuddered.

“Maybe another time,” said Lero, ushering Dash to the booth. Lero looked down at Dash, his arm wrapping around her and pulling her close. “Hey, you okay?”

“Y-yeah,” she stammered. “Thanks for that.” Lero gave her hand a reassuring squeeze.

They sat down next to each other on the leather seats. Rarity had taken the center, flanked by both Twilight and Lyra. She leaned in close to them, her expression still distant and dour, trying to take comfort from being near her other loves.

The sight made Lero’s heart ache painfully. How could he ever make this right? How could he ever even begin to do so? He wanted to shift the blame. He wanted to blame the Lost and Luna for making the decision to give up that baby, to blame Jasmine for giving them no choice, to blame Simon Thornewhip for taking that child in the first place, to blame the True Fae and this horrible realm for imposing itself on mortals’ innocent existence.

He wanted to blame everyone and everything.

He didn’t want to blame himself because Lero knew that, at his core, he wasn’t even capable of making those kinds of choices.

He had just reached out for the drinks menu that had magically appeared in front of him upon sitting down when the lights dimmed save for a single spotlight on the stage. Lero’s attention became drawn to the performer who stepped onstage.

She wasn’t very tall. “Petite” was the word that came to mind. Her body was thin, as befitting a woman that looked just out of her teens, but the way she carried herself and the expression on her face spoke of a weariness one can only get through hardship. Her dark eyes were half-lidded and remorseful. The spotlight illuminated her tight, long dress, catching the red velvet of her shawl against her pale skin. Twin silver pins held her maroon and violet hair in a stylish coiffure behind her head.

Off to the side, a dapper gentleman with a floating jack-o-lantern for a head began playing his piano with great skill.

She started to sing in a low and sorrowful voice that filled the room.

“I hear you buzzing, a fly on the wall…”

Her song commanded that Lero submit his full attention to everything she had to say and he wasn’t alone.

“In through the window and up through the hall…”

Every being present was enraptured, from the patrons to the whores, everyone gave the Pale Siren their complete and undivided attention.

“Flying in circles, just trying to land…”

And as her voice climbed, more instruments joined her from nowhere.

“I see you hurting, I do what I can…”

It was a song of loss and want and spite. She held the tall microphone delicately but firmly in front of her, as if it were a man she could not decide to strangle or make passionate love to.

“But I won’t save you…

“I won’t save you…”

The tears were mirrored by Rarity and some of the others. For Rarity in particular, the words “I won’t save you” tore at her heart and made her almost start sobbing all over again.

“Maybe you’re looking for someone to blame

Fighting for air while you circle the drain,

Never be sorry for your little time

It’s not when you get there, it’s always the climb...”

The music affected everyone, all save for Luna and Kyria, who watched with interest but not the same emotional investment. To Luna, who was more in tune with the surrounding energy, it felt like the very air had become saturated with power.

“But I won’t save you...

I won’t save you…”

Nothing grand or imposing in the way she knew it. This was different; smothering but more like a heavy blanket one slept under. It filled the very air, unseen but present, as the Siren plied her voice to the room.

Higher and higher the Siren’s voice soared into a crescendo and the Siren clasped the mic close to her as black tears fell down her cheeks.

“I won’t save you…

I won’t save you.”

And as the song began to end, Luna felt as though the energy began to flow. With the slow deliberation of an outgoing tide, it moved towards the stage with the Siren as the focus.

‘Ah, so that’s it,’ she mused. ‘The Lost once said that beings of this realm fed on glamour, the emotional energy of others. This is how she feeds herself: using her song and on the sorrow it builds in her audience.’

When the next song began, this one to a single guitar, the Siren stared directly at Lero. There was a flash of recognition, if only for a moment. He felt himself falling into those black eyes. Suddenly it was like she was singing directly to him; a solo performance for an audience of one. It was-

That pressure in the back of his head came back. That same sense of warning that would come up every now and then.

Lero blinked. It was suddenly the end of the show.

The pianist began to wind down his music and the entire room erupted into applause, Lero and the girls included with the exceptions of Luna and Kyria. As the Pale Siren walked off stage, Lero turned his attention back to the group around him.

Rarity, Twilight, and Rainbow were quietly talking, tears still fresh in their eyes. Apparently the performance had truly affected Rarity, judging by the gentle touches she received from her family. On the other hand, Lyra, Luna, and Kyria were having a discussion of another, one that was filled with somber tones and distrustful looks. Before Lero even had a chance to ask about it, the lights overhead dimmed again and another round of applause filled the room.

The spotlight illuminated a single figure on the stage. Like the Siren, her skin was pale, almost a pure white. Red eyes looked back at the audience. Her hair shined like platinum cascading down over her right shoulder, displaying a single pointed ear bejeweled in diamond, onyx, and ruby. She wore luxurious red and black silk robes that billowed out around her kneeling form.

Luna stiffened as she took in the Harpist’s appearance. The Silken Harpist was a creature of grace and horror, of beauty and lethality. Like so many things in this world, her beauty was mirrored only by her inhumanness. The Harpist had six eyes, two were one of expect them and four smaller ones above on her forehead. They were a solid red color, devoid of any features, but were so smooth that they looked almost like set jewels. The Harpist’s hands ended in long claws, black chitin shining under the spotlight, began to pluck the strings of her instrument, filling the room with long, sorrowful notes.

Her voice soon followed and she sang in a language none of them could comprehend, nor cared if they could. It was a foreign, alien piece, filled with notes that spoke of a far away land and of promises of exotic pleasures. The Harpist’s music filled the room, giving rise to a tide of emotions that pushed and pulled at the patrons, stroking their desires, much to the pleasure to the workers and, no doubt, the Madame.

“Well,” said Lyra, “now we have a face to the name.”

“She’s the one that took the girls,” whimpered Rainbow.

Rarity narrowed her eyes, the thunder in her hair rumbling with quiet fury. Her hand clenched into a fist, tightly gripping the cloth napkin in front of her.

Twilight put a hand on her shoulder. “Don’t worry, girls,” she said, her voice full of confidence. “We just need to wait out a little longer. Just… sit and listen for now.”

And so they waited and they listened. They ordered drinks and sipped them lightly, occasionally having to turn down the propositions of a few of the workers who came to their table, offering their services. They always did this with great politeness. After all, they did not want to give offense to the Madame and cause a scene.

Halfway through the Harpist’s performance, a waitress arrived with a silver tray, bending low and offering it to Lero.

It was a note, sealed in red wax. His curiosity outweighing his caution, Lero broke the seal and opened it. Inside was another piece of paper, black and glossy with a single red character on it. Lero turned it over but there was nothing on the back. The envelope had something written on the inside. There, in elegant, flowing script read the words,

Dear Sir,

A little bird sang me an intriguing song about how you were searching for three lost lambs. Why not come see me alone, sir? Conversations with sirens are so much nicer than those with spiders, wouldn’t you agree?

P.S.

Lero froze, his eyes re-reading the words over again.

Three ‘lost lambs.’ Three lost fillies.

And in this case, ‘P.S.’ clearly didn’t stand for ‘postscript.’ He turned the note over, revealing it to the inquisitive gazes of the women around him.

The reactions were mixed. While Rainbow, Twilight and Rarity’s eyes showed surprise and faint glimmers of hope, Luna and Lyra held looks of suspicion. Kyria was outright frowning.

"This reeks," she hissed, drawing glances from the others. "Oh come on, don't tell me you don't see it too. Someone just happens to send us a note promising information on exactly what we are looking for, even though no one else can possibly know what it is save for one?"

"Jasmine," said Lyra. "The Pale Siren may be one of her 'little birds'. She might have sent word ahead and she's passing along information through her."

"Then why not give it to us back at the inn, huh?"

"Because that wasn't part of the bargain," said Luna, a thoughtful look in her eyes. "She only promised to escort us here and then out of the city. Any information that would come now would also come at an additional price."

"And would put us further into her debt," finished Rarity. She shuddered as thoughts of what that vile woman might demand next played across her mind.

The Lost came to focus, his blue eyes narrowing on the note.

‘Why not come see me alone, sir?’ Of the seven people in their group, he was the only ‘sir.’ Him alone, then...

Something teased The Lost’s thoughts, a feeling that this wasn't from the kirin mistress, as Lyra suspected.

"Jasmine mentioned that there are other players," he said. "This may be one of them."

"That is certainly a possibility," Luna muttered.

“Do you mean the Pale Siren, herself, is the player?” asked Twilight. “Or do you think she’s acting as someone else’s messenger girl?”

Lyra shrugged. “Could go either way. The real question is: can they be trusted?"

The Lost pocketed the note and the black card. "Oh, absolutely not," he said, downing his glass. “Then again we’ll get nowhere if we ignore every lead.”

Kyria frowned deeply. "I really don't like this," she said.

"Me neither," said the Lost as he stood up, "but if this checks out, then we can get out of this place with zero chance of causing a scene. I think we can all agree that we need to keep as low a profile as possible."

The rest of the group nodded their heads. Kyria crossed her arms with a "tsk" but gave no further objections.

"Alright then." The Lost scanned the room before his eyes fell onto a black door with the same red character as the card. It was in the back of the room, near the stage and guarded by another bouncer. The card must have been something akin to a backstage pass.

"Okay, here's the plan," he said. "Stay here, blend in and keep your heads low. If this doesn't pan out, then be ready to leave. I'll try and get out of there as soon as I can."

Kyria gave him a look. "And if things go tits-up again?"

"Then just leave," said the Lost. "Try and get out of the city."

Lyra looked at him suspiciously. "And what? Just leave you here?"

"If that's what it takes, then-"

"Nope," said Kyria. "That's a shit plan. Just like your last plan."

The Lost openly gaped. "Hey! My last plan was not shit! It was just fine!"

"Yeah until things went tits-up. You don't have a backup plan."

"My backup plan was to get us out there."

"Did that include torturing the head of the entire town on the way out and forcing us all into hiding?"

"...touché."

Luna took this as a chance to intercede. "While I'm sure we all appreciate the Lost's concerns for our own safety," she said, "I must concede to Kyria's point. It would be most prudent to have a proper plan should things go poorly."

Twilight nodded. "Agreed."

Lyra turned to the horned girl. "So what would you suggest?"

Kyria rummaged through a pouch and palmed something in her hand. "Here," she said, handing him a small silver coin. "Take this."

The Lost ran a thumb over it. "What's this?"

"Dead Man's Coin," replied Kyria, producing an identical coin. "It’ll sense when you're in pain. Whoever holds the other coin will feel the that one's pain. If something goes wrong, you’re getting backup."

"Clever," he said. "But wait, no, why-?"

"Look, smartass," hissed Kyria,her amber eyes flashing, "we need to get out of here and you need to find those girls, and getting out of here is tied to both. And if that means that I may have to put up with some pain to do so, I will. Because I am not going to end up dying here." She leaned back into her seat. "So nut up, and go visit the whore."

It was short work to show the bouncer at the door the card. Nothing was said, just a stern glance at the human, before he was ushered backstage. The hall stretched onwards, past a ramp that lead to up to the main stage and an area dedicated to storing props and maintenance equipment. Lero walked down the hall and around a corner to a series of doors. He stopped at one with the letters “PS” burned into the wood. Reaching for the door, he noted the many locks fixed to the outside of the room.

'This seems more like a prison cell than a dressing room,' he thought. A pang of sadness went through him. He wondered how many others here also stayed in rooms like these. How long had that poor girl been forced to stay in a locked room?

He pushed those thoughts aside. He was here for another reason. With a twist of the knob, he entered the room.

It was not very big, but still spacious enough for an actress' needs. A good portion was dedicated to a large dressing table with a brightly illuminated mirror. Flashy costumes hung in a nearby wardrobe. Further back was a living area with a sizable bed and standing screen shield. Behind the shield, he saw the shadowed silhouette.

“I knew you would be quick,” came a melodious voice. “Just not that quick.”

The silhouette moved and a dress was thrown over the top of the screen.

“With an invitation like that,” said Lero, “can you really blame me?”

A black silk robe was pulled over the screen. “I suppose not,” said the voice.

The woman behind the screen stepped out, revealing the petite body of the Pale Siren. The silk robe scarcely contained her small form, with the hem barely coming below her hips and the valley of her small bust on full display.

The woman's thin arms crossed her chest, her face showing clear worry. One hand was clearly fidgeting. "Welcome," she whispered. Even that small word seemed to carry aetherial music.

Lero gave a small nod in return.

When she looked his way, Lero noticed that she could never quite look at him directly in the eye. At least, that's what he thought; it was difficult to tell when her eyes were solid pools of black, uninterrupted by irises. Like looking into obsidian with a soul.

A quick flash, a momentary look at his own hazel eyes, but then the Siren’s eyes would focus on something else in the room.

She asked, "Are you thirsty? Could I offer you something to drink?" She reached towards a nearby cabinet full of liquor.

"No, thank you," answered Lero.

The woman stopped, as if she was unsure of what to do next.

'It's a routine,' thought Lero with sudden insight. 'She's been treating me like one of her... clients.' A stab of pity went through him.

"Your note," he began. "It seemed... very specific."

The woman nodded. "When I heard you were coming," she said, shakily pouring herself a cognac. "I knew what you would be looking for."

Lero began to slowly walk around in a circle, eyeing the items strewn throughout the room. "And... where did you hear that from?"

"Like I said; a little bird told me."

Lero nodded. "And... are you one of those birds?"

The woman shook her head. "No. But then again, not very many will pay attention to the new girl. I get to hear a lot of things."

Another nod. "So... you know what I am looking for then?"

She twisted the silk sash in her tight grip. "...three little lambs."

Here, Lero stopped his pacing. "And why should I take your word for it? Why not talk with the spider directly?"

She looked up, fear on her face. For a moment, it looked like she wanted to say something more, something desperate. Then her gaze fell down at her feet. Small, trembling hands slowly reached up to the top of her robe. "Like I said," she whispered, giving her robe a tug open, "it's more... pleasant dealing with a siren than a spider."

Her robe opened further. Lero caught the barest tease of a sheet-white nipple, the hint of trimmed nethers, the promise of-

"No," he said firmly. A pair of large hands firmly rested on the Siren's shoulders. She started and looked directly into his eyes. Lero saw fear and more than a little confusion. He looked downward, seeing how her small body shook in his presence.

With a sigh, Lero used his bandaged hands to slowly tug the silk robe back into place, securing the sash with respectful gentleness. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted the bed. It was messy, with stained sheets and scratched bedposts. More black ribbons hung from the headboard.

An image flashed before his mind's eye. Her tied to the bed. Some larger form looming over, a cruel smile on its face. A final tug secured the sash. It might have been a little firmer than he wanted.

"But... I don't understand," she whispered, the melody carrying to his ears. "You don't want to...?"

"I'm... not like those other men," he said, his eyes still downcast. "I know what it's like to... have to do things you don't agree with. Especially in this place." She looked up at him, first with more astonishment, then a hopeful shine in her dark eyes. "I'll listen to what you have to say. And if I believe it, I... I'll see what I can do about getting you out of here."

Her eyes widened and she through her small arms around his broad shoulders. She stood up on her tiptoes and she shakingly whispered "thank you" over and over into his ear.

The melody was sad and sweet at the same time, so much that it made his heart ache. All he could do was fold his own arms around her.

He felt like such a hypocrite. Willing to give up a baby boy to gain an advantage and dodge conflict, but this girl comes along and suddenly he was willing to take her with him, have her join their… what? Their gang? Their squad? Their fellowship? Their motley?

He knew nothing about this pale girl, what she could even contribute to their group. But the moment he had her pegged as another slave, forced to do such degrading things, he suddenly had to do something.

Hearing her whisper in his ear, the melody filling his mind, he wondered if maybe she could be his own penance. He couldn't save the baby. But maybe...?

Words echoed back to him. He was making the best of a shitty situation.

He thought of...

...thought of...

He felt... slow.

Why did... he...?

The melody was...

Blue eyes flashed.

"Ah crap," said the Lost.

He tried to pull back. The Siren met him with an open mouth. A forceful kiss, an invading tongue. He pushed again. She drew a deep breath, her dark eyes boring into his. The Lost felt something essential being drawn out of him. He felt colder.

The Lost gave another shove. It was enough to push her away, but he still became disoriented and stumbled.

She was fast. He didn't even see the thin arm connect with his throat. The Pale Siren ducked and swept the ground with a kick. Now he was on his back, gagging, his head spinning. He saw her straddle him.

Another punch.

Stars.

"He said you would be an easy mark," said the Siren. The melody was replaced with a distant screaming. She grabbed his head and bent low. "Now don’t be shy, Thief. I want to enjoy this."

The Lost swam in darkness as he felt the warmth being drawn from him again.

Author's Notes:

Hey everyone! Well I kept my promise: it didn't take another four months! ...it took only thre- yeah it's still bad when I say it out loud.

This chapter was a tough write. I originally wanted it to longer, but given how long it has been since I last updated and this just seemed like a really good spot to end it, I decided to publish what my editors and I came up with to this point. The good news is that I already have a big chunk of the next chapter already written, so expect a shorter wait and a lot more action next time!

Once again, great many thanks to MikeTeavee and Rikmach for their patience and help editing this thing. Special thanks go out everyone who continues to read, favorite, and like this story. As usual, please comment on what you liked, what you didn't like, and any other thoughts you might have.

"In Circles" was written by Darren Korb and performed by Ashley Barrett. I do no own any rights to this song nor to the Transistor soundtrack though I do encourage you all to go pick it up. Seriously, it's pretty damn awesome. Go support the official release.