Rarity opened her eyes to the sound of birds outside, and the first thing she saw was the gold and black spiral design on her bed’s canopy. She sat up with a confused frown, and looked around for a moment before remembering that she was still in the Astras’ villa. She looked over to the other bed in the room, where Octavia lay, eyes open and staring. “Good morning, dear. Did you sleep? Er, well. Did you sleep well?”

Octavia climbed out of bed. “I did not sleep.”

“Darling, we’ve been over this.”

Her voice was dark when she responded. “Yes. Yes, we have.”

Rarity didn’t say anything, instead getting out of bed and going to the door. It took her a moment to remember where the washroom was, and soon, she had left Octavia alone.

When they had both freshened up, Violet found them and brought them to the family dining room for breakfast. They had had dinner with the family the day before, after Pinkie’s party wound down, and were surprised at their hospitality. Mama and Papa Astra had toasted them, and everyone was friendly and conversational—a shocking contrast to the warning Octavia had given on their approach.

When they entered for breakfast, the ponies already there looked at them with docile, cordial expressions. They sat down with Violet and ate.

“I trust all was to your liking?” Mama Astra asked.

“It was wonderful,” Octavia said sincerely.

“Good, good. I’m sorry to start your day speaking of business like this, but there is one thing that I forgot to mention yesterday.”

“What is that?”

“There is half of a strange sigil on our grounds, behind the house.”

“Half?” Rarity repeated.

“On the edge of a split. It’s difficult to tell what it’s for, because we can’t see the whole thing, but it looks like a summoning sigil.”

“For what?”

Mama Astra shook her head. “None of us can identify it. It’s not a design we’ve encountered before.”

“We will have Twilight look at it,” Octavia said, looking unhappily down at the breakfast a servant suit brought. Her head buzzed and her eyes felt dry, worn down from the sleepless night. Eating didn’t sound good to her.

“Fluttershy, I really think you should wait,” Twilight said. She and Fluttershy were alone; the others were outside, helping Vintage gather water from a broken reservoir over the far side of the vineyard.

“Oh, Twilight, I know, but I’d really like it if I could heal you now,” Fluttershy said quietly. She had not fully recovered from Twilight’s outburst the night before, and it showed. She wouldn’t meet the unicorn’s eyes, and when she spoke, her head dipped deferentially and shied away, as if awaiting reproach.

Twilight felt no better; she had dreamed of the Canterlot balcony once again, and her patience, already injured, had drained away as the sun came up. As Fluttershy looked away, thinking, she wanted to spring out of bed and shake her. “I’m sorry, Fluttershy! I’m sorry I yelled, it’s not your fault, it’s me, I’m drowning and none of you seem to even notice it!” She looked away as Fluttershy looked at her.

“Um, Vintage seems to really like you,” Fluttershy said. Banal conversation. Pointless words to mollify her friend, still inexplicably angry.

“I like her too,” she said automatically. She glanced at Fluttershy, who had her eyes closed in concentration. “Thank Celestia.” She didn’t think Fluttershy was ready to use magic, but talking to her was worse.

She felt the familiar prickling sensation in her midsection, deep under her skin, and even then knew that the spell was not right. There was too much discomfort, too much uncertainty; like sandpaper rubbing her bones. Fluttershy had her eyes squeezed tightly shut, and her jaw was clenched as beads of sweat formed under her pink hairline. Only a few moments in to the spell, she began shaking, softly at first, but then in great, worrying tremors as her head bobbed up and down, as if she were panting and retching at the same time.

Twilight watched her for a second before reacting, and when she did, her words sounded hollow and forced in her ears. “Fluttershy? Fluttershy, if this hurts, stop it.”

She paid Twilight no mind as she continued with her spell. Her knees buckled and she fell to the floor, the shock forcing her eyes open with a gasp of breath.

Twilight moved a little to see her better, and the pain in her sides blazed still. “Fluttershy, are you okay?”

She struggled to her hooves and caught her breath. “I’m fine.”

“I take it it was too hard,” Twilight said. Her voice was cool, almost disappointed; secure that her friend was not harmed, she could safely hold on to her frustration.

“Yes. I’m sorry Twilight, but I don’t think I’m ready yet.”

“Great. More time in this stupid bed.” She frowned. “More time with this… pony.”

When the others returned, they crowded the bed and exchanged sympathies over Fluttershy’s unsuccessful spell, each of them neatly avoiding Twilight’s harsh gaze. They knew that something was wrong, but, like Fluttershy, feared investigating it. It was natural for her to be a little grumpy in her condition, anyway.

Octavia and Rarity landed shortly after, and told Twilight about Astra Villa, and the wonders within: the servants, the statues, the friendly ponies, the mechanical crow. Twilight’s eyes lit up as she discussed the magic and technology within the villa’s walls, and for the time, she felt better—until the conversation ended, and she remembered that she was still unable to see it for herself.

The pair of them stayed in her room only a little longer, to keep her company; there was nothing more to do that day. When they left to find the others, Twilight decided to pass the time researching animation magic and, later, the Astra family itself, garnering much historical knowledge, but nothing helpful for their situation. Everyone steadily moved about the house and vineyard, going outside, coming in to check on her, talking with Vintage, who was home nearly all day. The workers, she said, were handling the move well, but with the city and country in the state it was, there was really no point to tending the grapes. She, too, was feeling the strain of boredom.

After dinner, the others retreated into the living room with a deck of cards. They hadn’t had the time to play in a few days, and Twilight envied them their ease and comfort in the unfamiliar situation. Only Vintage stayed behind, to talk to her.

“So… how are you feeling?”

Twilight only grunted. Grateful as she was for the company, she had nothing to say about herself.

Vintage fixed the corner of the sheet a little. “Fluttershy’s really sorry. She wanted me to tell you that.”

“Huh?”

Her voice was low. “She doesn’t know what she did to upset you, but she feels horrible about it. She wanted me to tell you, because she was afraid if she tried, you’d just get angry again.”

Twilight closed her eyes, to shut out Vintage’s curious expression. “I’m not mad.”

“You seemed mad last night.”

“Yeah, then, I was. Not now. Now I’m just guilty.”

Vintage shuffled uncomfortably. “What… um, what happened?”

“I just lost my temper. It’s no big deal.”

“I don’t think I believe that,” Vintage said.

Twilight looked at her, shocked at her forwardness.

“Something’s bothering you, I can tell.”

“Yes, something is bothering me. What would you say if I told you?” Her eyes quivering with unshed tears, she brought the sheets over her head. “Please, don’t.”

“What’s wrong, Twilight? You can tell me, whatever it is. I promise.”

Under the sheets, the light was faded and blurry, comfortable. She was safe. A clattering of metal on marble.

“Please, Twilight? I’m worried too.”

“I… I’m afraid,” she rasped.

“Of what?”

“Everything. I’m afraid of what happened, and I’m afraid of what comes next. I’m afraid…” She sighed shakily. “Celestia, I’m afraid I can’t handle it.”

“What happened?”

The dreaded question. She knew Vintage would eventually ask it; she would have to. It hit her like a cannonball, stunning her into uncomprehending silence while her mind rolled and pitched with panic.

“Twilight?”

“Yeah. I…”

“Is it that bad?”

She gasped and closed her eyes. “Oh, Celestia,” she whispered. “Oh, oh, Celestia, Vintage.” The innocence of the question was more than she could handle. Vintage had no idea the secret she searched for, and her calm, unobtrusive curiosity brought tears to Twilight’s eyes.

“Are you okay?”

“Okay,” Twilight said, opening her eyes and looking back up into the sheet covering her head. She didn’t know what it was in Vintage’s voice that calmed her, but her anger, her impatience, were gone. Vintage had slipped under her defenses. She took a deep breath. “No more self-pity. No more hiding it from yourself.” Still, she hesitated. “This is what happened.” For a time, she didn’t continue. “You’re doing it, Twilight. You’re going to talk about this.” “Sure doesn’t feel like I’m talking about it.”

“I’m right here,” Vintage said.

“I’ve thought about this for a long time.” She stopped, uncertain. She had known, before, that she would eventually relive it to someone; she had played out the conversation in her mind, with each of her friends, and even with a kind stranger. At its beginning, though, she was lost for words. “Start with the context. Easy.” “Canterlot. This is the night of the battle—you know the one?”

“Yes.”

“Yeah. So, me and my friends, we had to go there to help Princess Celestia. She woke me up in the middle of the night to summon us all there. We… have to hurry. We’re needed in Canterlot, but we don’t know why yet.” She took the sheet off her face; Vintage watched solemnly. “So we get there, and the whole area is torn to Tartarus. War. And…” Gooseflesh crawled along her limp body. “This is it.” “Some of us got chased, to the palace. We landed on a… on a… balcony.” She closed her eyes again, and the royal parapet shone in the starlight behind her eyelids. A reflexive flash of magic.

“What happened?” Vintage asked.

“Some… ponies made it up onto the balcony with us. They were going to… well, to kill us.” Her mind went blank, and the next words came out easily. “So we killed them first.”

Both mares were quiet, and Twilight waited, suddenly aware of what she said. Waiting for Vintage’s horrified reaction. When Vintage took a breath to speak, Twilight recoiled inside her mind. “I understand.”

Twilight gave no response. She dared not.

“It’s hard to come back from that. I don’t… you know, know, but I can assume it. Geez, Twilight, I’m so sorry.”

She looked at Vintage. There was no anger or disdain in her expression as she looked back at Twilight. “I’ve been having a hard time getting over it.”

“I’ll say.”

“It’s like I’m drowning, and no one else even sees me. They all got over it already. They… they moved on.”

“And you didn’t.”

“I didn’t.” She sighed. “I… feel like… I don’t think I’ll ever really get over this. And that terrifies me.”

Vintage nodded.

“I want to move on, but I can’t. I… remember it, I dream it, I have flashbacks. It’s classic post-traumatic stress disorder—I’ve done the research. But I can’t get past it.” She rubbed her eyes, suddenly angry with herself. “She doesn’t need this.” “I just can’t get past it.”

“Is there anything I can do? Any way I can help you?”

“I don’t know. I don’t think so.” She sniffed loudly. “Weak, Twilight. Crying for this stranger. You’re not even flashing back this time, and you’re crying. Weak!” “And that terrifies me too,” she whispered.

“Do you… would you like a hug?”

Twilight didn’t look at her; didn’t even think. She nodded, and in a moment, she had Vintage’s forelegs around her as she cried. For the brief, perfect moment, her mind went quiet, and she wept openly. She didn’t care that it was a stranger who comforted her, or that she would have to apologize to Fluttershy, to explain. “I knocked the first one off the balcony. I grabbed her and threw her through the rail.” She breathed unevenly, the details of the encounter sticking in her mind. She could feel memories resurfacing, and cried harder, squeezing Vintage to her. The golem had brought it back.

Vintage held her tightly, cooing in her ear. She rocked Twilight gently in her bed, absorbing the sobs without complaint.

“Celestia, I can still see them,” Twilight whispered.

“You did what you had to do.”

At her words, Twilight shook harder, releasing a fresh wave of tears, stifled sobs, gasps, moans. Vintage could hear the others had gone quiet in the other room, but didn’t look over to see whether anyone was at the door. It wasn’t important to her. She held Twilight for nearly half an hour.

When she had calmed down, she slowly separated, and lay back on the bed. “I’m so sorry, Vintage. You didn’t have to see all this.”

“Nonsense,” Vintage said kindly, smiling warmly at her. “I’m happy to help you, Twilight. Do you feel better?”

Twilight nodded. “Yeah. Yeah, a little.”

“Can you still see them?”

Twilight stared ahead for a minute, eyes still glistening. “Not really.”

“Well, that’s good, isn’t it?”

“I think so.” She sniffed. “Thank you, Vintage. So much. I… I wasn’t expecting to do that. But you really helped, I think.”

“I’m here for you, whenever you need me.”

“I appreciate it.”

“So… do you need to talk some more?”

Twilight gave a small smile. “I think talking would be helpful, yes.”

Thursday night. Spike, Colgate, Allie, Derpy, and her friend, a blue earth stallion named Noteworthy, played poker in the library living room. It was usually a weekend tradition, but Spike couldn’t wait, and most everyone was free for the night: the clear, beautiful, spring Ponyville night. The snow from Cloudsdale was long gone, and the water in town was slowly returning. A crew of ponies had finally been commissioned to work on the pipes and wells, starting with those near the mayor’s office.

“Raise,” Allie said, dropping her bits on the table. “Three bits.” She had the largest pile of money.

“Darn it, Allie,” Spike sighed, putting his cards away. “Fold.”

Colgate, sitting next to him, grunted and folded as well. Since speaking to Spike in the hospital, when she revealed to him the existence of the world-covering, secret subsection of Royal Guards—the Datura—she and he had been socializing more, and though she was not always particularly vocal or excitable, she was fast becoming a stable fixture in his life. Almost as stable as Derpy, on his other side.

Allie smiled smugly. “You’re awfully quiet tonight, Colgate. Is something wrong?”

“Yeah, Colgate, what’s going on?” Derpy asked.

Colgate smiled humorlessly for just a moment, before turning serious again. “I’m upset with you, Allie.”

“What? Me, why?” Allie asked.

She stole a glance at Noteworthy, who watched passively.

“I’ll tell you. Spike asked me recently about what happened to Baltimare.”

Noteworthy’s eyes flickered in recognition, but he remained silent.

“What?” Allie looked at Spike. “You asked her?”

“How could he not?” Colgate said neutrally. “It’s an intriguing piece of history. That, however, is not the problem. I’m more disturbed that he would know to ask me about it at all.”

Allie thought. “I may have mentioned your name, but I didn’t tell him anything.”

“Girls, what is this?” Derpy asked. She looked at Spike. “What’s going on?”

“Colgate, I didn’t do anything,” Allie said. “I was just talking.”

“I just don’t like to be implicated,” Colgate said. “Tell him whatever you want about yourself, but keep me out of it.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t know you’d mind.”

For a moment, it looked like Colgate was going to drop the conversation. “You do know I value my privacy, don’t you?”

“What? Sure—I mean, who doesn’t?”

Colgate sighed, and Spike looked at her. She looked saddened and defeated, and looked back at him unhappily. “Let’s just keep playing.”

They returned uneasily to their game, and Colgate kept stealing looks at Allie and Noteworthy. He made no comments, but Spike could tell he had been affected by the brief exchange.

After the card game, everyone slowly left, except Noteworthy, who told Derpy he would catch up with her. He helped Spike put away the cards and table, still saying little, and when they were done, he sat down in the middle of the library floor. “What did they tell you?” He was young, but his voice and eyes were serious.

“Uh… about what?”

“Allie told you about Baltimare. What did she say?”

Spike thought. “Not a lot. It got destroyed by something, but she didn’t know what. She had her memory wiped.”

Noteworthy nodded professionally. “And Colgate?”

Spike recoiled slightly under his eyes. He remembered her warning not to speak of the Datura to anyone else—a promise he had made, and then broken, to Flitter and Cloudchaser. The thought of telling it to Noteworthy, a stranger, did not sit well with him.

“You’re uncomfortable. I promise I’ll be quick, Spike. Did Colgate mention anything about Tartarus to you?”

He stiffened. “Um… maybe.”

“And Princess Luna?”

“Yeah, I think her name came up.”

Noteworthy nodded. “She has been a pain in my flank for some time. Spike…”

“What’s going on?” Spike blurted. “I’m sorry, I really am, but what is going on here? Are you involved with this too? Are you another one of those super secret Datura ponies or something?”

“Shush!” He looked around warily. “Yes, I am. But unlike Allie and Colgate, I am still active.” He rubbed his temples wearily. “Colgate.”

“So that’s why you care about what they told me. Because I’m not supposed—er, well, you want it to be kept a secret.”

“Everyone wants it to be kept a secret! Everyone, apparently, but Colgate.” He looked at the door. “Listen, Spike, I don’t know if she told you, but it’s of supreme importance that you don’t tell anyone about this. Not your closest friends, not Twilight, no one.” He thought. “I need to go and talk to Colgate. You… just… just don’t tell anyone, okay?”

“Don’t worry, I won’t. I haven’t.”

“Thank Celestia for small miracles, I suppose.” He went to the door. “I’ll be in touch. We need to talk more. But right now, I need to find Colgate.” He left, and Spike stood behind him, confused.

Colgate was just arriving home when Noteworthy appeared, a look of anger on his face. She didn’t say anything as she let him in.

“We need to talk,” he grumbled, sitting on her couch.

“I’m sure we do,” she said evenly, going to the kitchen. She levitated a small bottle of pills off the counter and got a glass of water.

“Spike knows everything.”

She swallowed her third pill of the day and turned back to him with a put-on smile. “Does he? Now, that’s odd; I thought Allie only gave him vague details.”

He glowered at her. “I’m disappointed in you, Colgate. I thought you had more regard for your friends than that.”

She paused, and sat down, thinking. It took a moment for his words to click in her mind, and when they did, her neutral expression turned aggressive. “You will not hurt him, Noteworthy.”

“A young dragon like him, knowing what he knows, is no good for anyone.”

She regarded him thoughtfully. She wasn’t angry, exactly, but her mood had soured, and she felt responsible for Spike. “Do not touch him. Do not threaten, coerce, manipulate, or do anything to him.”

“I would merely wipe his memory. It’s a simple, painless process.”

“I don’t care. Maybe I shouldn’t have told him about it—maybe that was a big mistake. Don’t take it out on him, though. Like you said, he’s a kid. He’ll forget all about us in a month or two.”

“You know I can’t rely on that.”

Colgate thought for a moment. “I won’t let you screw with him.”

He sighed. “Please, Colgate. Be reasonable.”

“Be reasonable, while you threaten to erase his memory over a tiny slip? What does he actually know, Noteworthy? That we exist. That the three of us are associated with it in some way. He doesn’t know any of the bases or storage units you have, none of the important names. He knows no incidents. And he can prove even less. Do you realize how ridiculous he would sound if he tried to out the Datura? He’s just a dumb kid, Noteworthy. He can’t hurt your beloved organization.”

“The protocol states that anyone unassociated with the Datura—”

“Who finds out about it gets wiped, yes, I know. But he doesn’t know anything important. In fact, pretty much everything he knows is stuff he could figure out anyway, through logical inference.”

“You gave him that confirmation, though.”

“So? So did you, just now. That is why you stayed late, right? To interrogate him.”

“I asked him only a couple questions.”

“Wow, some covert Datura you are. Find a potential leak, and address it face-to-face. What if he knew more than you thought?” She smiled hungrily; she liked toying with him. “What if he actually is one of you, and you’re just not allowed to know?”

“Don’t joke about that.”

“Who’s joking?”

He sighed. “Please don’t make me apply force here, Colgate. Please, please don’t.”

“Force? What kind of force do you have to apply? You don’t control me.”

He stood, his voice low and severe. “Spike poses a plausible threat to my operation, and that’s all there is to it. I will handle him, and you will not interfere.” He looked her in the eyes. “Minuette Colgate, you may have forgotten, but I know why you take those pills so religiously. Stay out of my way, and it can remain a secret between us.”

She looked at him, evenly as ever, even as the blood rushed from her face. It felt like the wind had been knocked out of her. She struggled for a response, but only managed a single word. “Don’t.”

“Do not force my hoof here, Min.”

“Don’t call me that,” she whispered. “Don’t. Just don’t.”

“Stay out of this matter.”

She stared at him. He looked back confidently, and she wetted her lips. “Please don’t hurt him, Noteworthy.”

“Will you interfere?”

“…No. I can’t.”

He nodded. “You’ll be okay, Colgate.”

“You won’t tell anyone?”

“If you keep out of my business, your secret is safe.” He narrowed his eyes. “But do not take me for a sap. One slip, Colgate. One slip, and everyone in town will know you for what you are. No second chances—that’s a concept I know you know very, very well.”

“Please stop.”

He walked to the door. “Good night.” He left, and she stared at the closed door behind him, her mind full of the conversation. She had always disliked him, and he her, but it was the first time he had threatened her so. She knew he was serious—he wasn’t the kind to make empty threats—but still, a part of her insisted that he was just trying to scare her.

She tried to distract herself with a book, but made it only through a single chapter before locking up and crawling into bed. Just a half hour had passed, and her displeasure at his threat had faded. She remembered it well, but his words were not the barbs they were so recently. They were just words, communication, one pony to another. Spike would lose his memory, Noteworthy would be happy, and the Datura would proceed as it always did. Nothing of value would be lost.

Spike and Flitter were in the steam room while Cloudchaser gave another customer a hooficure. He was still unsettled from the night before.

“Do you know Noteworthy?” he asked.

“Uhhh, a little. He comes in for massages every now and again, asks for ‘em extra soft around his flanks.”

“What else?”

“He’s a generous tipper, and very polite. He never hits on me or Cloud.”

“Does that happen?”

“Oh, yeah.” She batted her eyes playfully. “We’re young, pretty, and run the spa. What’s not to like?”

“Well, you’ve got me there.”

“You had him over for cards last night, right?”

“Yeah. He stayed behind to talk to me.” Spike lowered his voice. “About the Datura.”

Flitter gasped loudly—an exaggerated gesture on her part, Spike knew. “Another pony involved with them? Where does it end?”

“I think he knows Colgate told me all that stuff. He ran off after her, said he’d find me later.”

“Ooooh.”

“Yeah. I’m a little nervous, actually. He didn’t seem very nice about it.”

“You said it’s supposed to be a secret, right?”

“Yeah, a big one.”

“Well, there you go. So what are you going to do?”

“I dunno. Promise not to tell anyone, I guess.”

Flitter chuckled.

“And not tell him I told you two, obviously. I don’t wanna get in trouble.”

“You think you will?”

“I might. He seemed pretty upset with Colgate last night.”

“I hope he doesn’t do anything too severe to you. If this is as secret as you say it is, there might be some pretty serious repercussions.”

“Yeah, that’s why I came here, to get my mind off it,” he said.

“Sorry.” She leaned back with a sigh. For a minute, they just enjoyed the steam. “Cloud and I have your back, you know. If he tries to pressure you into something, we’ll help you out.”

“I’d rather you didn’t. If he knows you know, it’ll be a lot worse for everyone. Thanks though.”

Flitter hummed her assent, and they didn’t speak until he got out of the steam room. He had a massage from Cloudchaser, and they talked about other things. News from Canterlot, speculation on Discord, politics. When he was done, he stepped outside, but didn’t get to enjoy the day; Noteworthy was right there, watching the door. Spike gave him a wary smile, and Noteworthy nodded in return. They walked.

“What did you do to Colgate last night?” he asked.

“Don’t worry about that.”

“But she’s my friend. I am worried.”

“We just talked.”

“About what?”

“I’m sure you can guess. Let’s go back to the library.”

They silently walked to the tree house, and Noteworthy stayed by the doorway while Spike made a show of shelving some books—anything to delay their conversation.

“Spike, you’re not allowed to know about the Datura. Period. I’m sorry, but action must be taken.”

He froze. Thoughts of punishment flashed through his head, things he remembered Twilight being afraid of from Celestia. “Uh… what kind of… action?”

Noteworthy, seeming to see Spike’s fear, smiled. “Don’t worry. You won’t be arrested or anything. I would ask only that you drink a simple potion, to wipe your memory.”

“Oh.” He breathed a sigh of relief. “Wait. Wipe my memory? I don’t want that either.”

He nodded. “I understand your reservation, but I must insist.”

Spike looked at him. “Uh, how ‘bout no?” The surprise on Noteworthy’s face spurred him on. “Why should I let you do anything to me? I don’t know you.”

“Spike, please.”

Spike thought of Twilight; he had rarely seen her raise her voice to a stranger. “I’m not gonna let you mess with my memory. I just met you yesterday, for Celestia’s sake. You can’t take away my memory just ‘cause Colgate told me some stuff she shouldn’t have. That’s not my fault.”

“Do you realize the threat your knowledge poses to the Datura?” he hissed.

“Do you realize that I’ve known about this for weeks now, and haven’t said anything to anyone?”

“That doesn’t matter. The fact that you know stands on its own.”

“No it doesn’t! You’re just a big bully.” He crossed his arms. “And I want you out of my house.”

“Spike—”

“Now!”

He hesitated, and for a moment, Spike cringed inside. There was no one around to help, and if Noteworthy decided not to, he doubted he could force him out. Noteworthy, instead, gave a tired smile. “Fine. I can see I’m not wanted here. I’ll give you—”

“I said now,” Spike said.

He backed out of the library. “Okay, okay. I’ll give you some time to cool off and think about it.” He walked out onto the lawn. “You’ll be ready to reconsider soon, I think.”

Spike slammed the door when Noteworthy was out of sight.

“Fluttershy, I really don’t mind if you want to wait another day,” Twilight said insistently. She had apologized to Fluttershy the night before, after talking with Vintage for two hours, but still felt the sting of guilt when Fluttershy looked up at her with her wide, fearful eyes.

“Don’t worry, Twilight. I think I can handle it this time.” Fluttershy slowed her breathing and closed her eyes, standing and putting her hooves on the bed for support as she lowered her head to Twilight’s midsection.

Immediately, Twilight could see the strain the spell put on her. While her body tingled uncomfortably, Fluttershy’s breathing was uneven, and her wings were tight over her sides. Veins stood out over the wing joints, and her feathers strained backwards at the force with which she held her wings down. For minutes, she stood in this way, vibrating slightly as sweat first broke, then trickled down her face; her hooves trembled. The feeling inside Twilight’s chest persisted, and Fluttershy began making small moaning sounds, which slowly became long whines from deep within her chest.

The tingling intensified into needling pain, and Fluttershy gasped, but Twilight didn’t stop her. Watching her friend at her side, torturing herself over a simple healing spell, gave her a perverse satisfaction. “That’s what you get for caring too much.”

Her whining turned into wheezing, then into crying, and still her spell persisted. Her head shook, sweat dripped off her chin in a steady stream, and her breath was ragged, but the pain, so small in comparison to the scene Fluttershy provided her, lessened. Gradually, Fluttershy slowed, and reverted to a deadened, distant concentration as Twilight felt her pain disappear, and with it, the throb of cracked ribs that she had grown to tolerate.

Fluttershy waited a few seconds before letting herself slide onto the floor, where she laid inert for several minutes, her breathing labored. Twilight looked down at her, then at herself. She flexed her back, her legs, her neck, and took a deep breath in. All painless. She climbed out of bed and helped Fluttershy up, and suddenly, the bitterness she felt had evaporated. “Are you okay?”

Fluttershy gave a weak nod as she calmed down. “Are you?”

“I feel great,” Twilight said with a genuine smile. “Your spell worked perfectly.”

The others were in the dining room, to give Twilight and Fluttershy privacy. When they emerged, Fluttershy a walking wreck, everyone got up to tend to her, just as it was when she had woken up from her head injury. Vintage was elsewhere.

When it was two o’ clock, they exited the house and headed to the top of the hill, looking around worriedly for any sign of more of Discord’s creatures. Pinkie ran off into the vineyard to find Vintage and alert her.

“What ever happened to that green pony?” Rainbow asked. “The secret agent.”

“Loose Threads?” Twilight said. “He went back to work after he saw that we didn’t need him. Vintage was enough to take care of us.”

“You spent a lot of time with her, didn’t you, Twilight?” Rarity asked.

“Yeah, well, she kept me company when I was in bed.” Rainbow laughed, and Twilight frowned. “What? What did I say?”

“She kept you company while you were in bed,” she snickered, prompting a blush from Twilight.

“Get yer mind outta the gutter, Rainbow,” Applejack said.

“Hey, she said it.”

“She’s really nice when you get to know her,” Twilight continued.

“Hey, maybe she can come with us too!” Pinkie cried, bursting out of a patch of grape vines in front of them.

“Ah take it she’s been warned?” Applejack said.

“Yup! She’s heading back to the house right now!”

They kept walking. “Why would she want to come with us?” Twilight asked.

“I dunno. Maybe she could use some adventure or something.”

“Ah doubt it,” Applejack said. “‘Specially not with all this golem business she went through.”

“Octavia came with us,” Rarity said.

“But Vintage has a life here,” Rainbow said, and everyone looked at her. “What? She said it herself, she doesn’t have any friends or prospects. Right, Octavia?”

“Right,” Octavia said evenly.

“Aw, Octavia, don’t say that! We’re your friends!” Pinkie said.

“Rainbow, could you have possibly worded that any less tactfully?” Rarity said.

“Sorry Octavia,” Rainbow said quickly, giving an unconvincing shrug.

“You need not apologize for stating the truth,” Octavia said quietly.

“Uh, okay.”

No one talked until they reached the top of the hill, where Twilight and Pinkie took their places. The dirt was still stained a sanguine, dark red from the battle they had fought the other day, though the pieces of barrel had vanished. Flies buzzed in small clouds all around, and they picked a spot on the far side of the hilltop to watch the spell’s progress.

“So, Fluttershy, did you make up with Twilight?” Applejack asked in a low voice.

“Yeah, what was up with that?” Rainbow asked.

“Oh, um, yes, we’re fine,” Fluttershy said. “She was just upset because the golem fight triggered another flashback.”

“What? Again? I thought she was over it,” Rarity said.

“She seemed a lot better,” Applejack said.

“Um, not really. She wanted to be, but when it all came back, she wasn’t,” Fluttershy said. “She felt really bad about it.”

“Hang on. Bad? About having a flashback?” Rainbow said.

“She feels guilty.”

“About what?”

“She said we all are doing so well, and she isn’t. She feels bad about being slow to recover.”

“That’s stupid,” Rainbow blustered. “None of us care about that.”

“It’s actually quite common among traumatized ponies,” Rarity said. “They feel that if they need help, it makes them weak. So they bottle it up.”

“Yeah, stupid.”

“Intelligence has nothing to do with it, Rainbow.”

“Clearly.”

“Lay off her, Rainbow,” Applejack said. “Don’t blame the mare fer sufferin’.”

“It’s not that. It’s just she should know better than to hide that stuff from us, you know?”

“It is not always that easy,” Octavia said.

They all looked at her, and in that moment, she knew she had made a mistake.

“I guess you would… know?” Rarity asked.

Octavia sighed. “I suppose I must.”

“C’mon, don’t be like that,” Rainbow said.

“I am sorry. I should have stayed out of it.”

“Are you sure you don’t want to talk?” Rarity asked. “You must have spoken for a reason, dear.”

“I was trying only to illuminate the issue. I do not want to talk about myself.”

“Ah wouldn’t mind talkin’ ‘bout ya,” Applejack said.

“Do not push this, Applejack. I am content where I am.”

Applejack looked at her for a moment, but then shrugged. “Okay, Ah’ll back off. Ah’m curious, y’understand.”

“I do, but I have nothing to say.”

When they got back to Vintage’s house, she was waiting outside with a broad smile. “I knew you’d be undoing the spell, but sweet Celestia, girls, that was outstanding! I’ve never seen such a thing! I was looking out the window and I heard this earthquake sound, and I started to panic for a second, but then remembered what you were doing, and then the pieces just started floating toward each other! I mean, the one between here and your ship came right at me and crushed that little bridge between them! Crushed! The pieces are somewhere underground now!” She ran up to them and embraced Twilight. “You’re awesome, Twilight!”

“Uh, thanks, Vintage,” she said, uncertainly returning the hug while Applejack and Rainbow exchanged incredulous looks.

“Yay! I want in!” Pinkie cried, jumping up and squeezing them both tightly.

“Uh, Pinkie, you’re crushing us,” Vintage said, and Pinkie let up. They went into Vintage’s house. “So, what comes next? Was that the whole town you fixed?”

“No, only half,” Twilight said. “Next, we’re going to the south side. To Astra Villa.”

“Ah, yes. They let you?”

“It took some convincing, but they eventually agreed to let us cast our spell, yes,” Rarity said.

“But before that, I think we ought to try for the aqueducts,” Twilight said. “We’ve waited long enough.”

“Ah agree,” Applejack said. “We can’t rely on that Element to wait forever.”

“Element of Harmony?” Vintage asked.

“Yeah! It’s hiding up in the old aqueducts somewhere!” Pinkie cried. “We’re gonna go find it, and then we’ll be one step closer to stopping that big meanie Discord!”

“Ponies say there’s treasure in the old ruins.”

“Treasure’s cool,” Rainbow said, looking at Applejack with a sneer. “And you know who finds treasure a lot?”

“Oh, shucks, Rainbow, Ah couldn’t even begin to think who you might be talkin’ ‘bout,” Applejack said with a playful roll of her eyes.

“I don’t think Daring Do has ever gone to Trottingham,” Rainbow said, thinking. “She should. It’d be awesome!”

“Rainbow, darling, don’t you think you might be a little, oh, how do I put this lightly? Obsessed, perhaps, with that fictional pegasus of yours?” Rarity said.

“Actually, she’s not fictional,” Twilight said.

“Yeah, the books are based on a real pony,” Rainbow said defensively.

“Archaeologist, right?” Applejack asked.

“Actually, the books are a little vague on that. They always just say she’s an ‘adventurer’. Not sure what it means.”

“Isn’t it obvious, Dashie? It means she goes on adventures all the time!” Pinkie said.

“Well, yeah, but how can that be her job? How does a pony get paid to go on adventures?” Noticing the looks she was getting, she blushed. “I know it’s not a realistic career. I’m not that dumb.”

“Ah didn’t say anythin’,” Applejack said.

“Hey, where’s Octavia?” Pinkie asked. They all looked around, but she was not there. She had been quiet that day, quieter than usual, and her absence cut their conversation short.

“Aw, geez,” Rainbow said. “Uh, we’ll be back, Vintage. We need to find our friend.”

“Don’t let me hold you up,” Vintage said, smiling peacefully. Her eyes lingered on Twilight, who smiled back, and they exited the house, heading for the airship.

Octavia was cleaning the airship’s bathroom when her friends came onto the deck, calling her name. She briefly debated not answering, but went out to them. She knew a reprimand was coming.

“There you are. Why’d you disappear like that?” Applejack asked.

“I was not needed where you were, so I returned to the ship. While I was here, I was able to clean the bathroom. Mostly. I am not finished yet.”

“It’s not like you to walk away without saying anything,” Twilight said.

She resisted the urge to rub her eyes. She was exhausted. “Yes, it is.”

“No it ain’t. It’s like you to stand there like a zombie an’ not say nothin’, not to abandon us when we’re not lookin’,” Applejack said.

“I apologize if I have offended you. I merely thought that I would make myself useful, instead of watching you chat with Vintage.”

They were silent for a moment. “Aw, sheesh. Octavia, is this about me saying you didn’t have any friends earlier?” Rainbow asked.

She paused. “That is irrelevant.”

“Just answer.”

She narrowed her tired eyes, and opened them up again. “I can not get upset at Rainbow for this.” “You did not have to point it out.”

“Look, I’m sorry if that hurt your feelings. I just say stuff like that sometimes; I didn’t mean it.”

“That is irrelevant. It is true, and that is enough.”

“Yeah, but you’ve got friends now!” Pinkie said.

“I know, and I am grateful.”

“You need to stop dwelling on the past,” Twilight said.

Octavia frowned at her. “You are certainly one to talk.” “Yes.”

“Um, okay. So, no hard feelings?” Rainbow said, offering a hoof, which Octavia shook.

“No hard feelings,” she said quietly.

They returned to Vintage’s house, and she politely refrained from asking about why Octavia had left. They thanked her for the hospitality, and for taking care of Twilight and Fluttershy, and after another brief exchange and another long hug for Twilight, they packed up and flew to the other side of town.

There was no place for them to land closer to Sandoz’s settlement, so they settled for the small slab of concrete where they first touched down, and walked up the mountain road. It was early afternoon, and, again, they were surrounded by uneasy silence. The northeast half of Trottingham was complete, but the difference was not as drastic as it was elsewhere. Unlike Manehattan and Canterlot, the city had only been split in but a few places, leaving massive icebergs of land to loom near one another, instead of small shards to clutter the air.

The settlement in the mountains was still, and it took them a few tries to find Sandoz’s house. She invited them in for tea, commenting on, but not pursuing, Twilight’s strangely fast recovery, and they made small talk about the vineyard, the golem, and the villa. They asked about the aqueducts, and she apologized; she could take them only later that day, due to a prior engagement. They reluctantly agreed to get up at dawn to go with her.

Sandoz left an hour later, and they, with nothing to do until the next day, returned to the ship.

Octavia kept watch for the second half of the night, after four hours of restless, unsatisfying sleep, and woke them up at six; the sun was just coming up, and everyone was still tired. She had already prepared breakfast for them: modest plates of greens, with nothing extra. As far as Octavia was concerned, breakfast was just another task, nothing exciting. They ate in sleepy silence, and, finished, left the ship to head for Sandoz’s house.

The walk up the road was long and quiet, still chilly in the dawn. They were all privately excited about finding the first Element of Harmony, but it was too early to talk about it; they only walked, endless hooves plodding on the dust and stone. They passed the park, where they first met Sandoz, four days ago. After the long flight from Cloudsdale, broken only by Discord’s envoy, Vanilla Cream, it felt strange to be making so much progress in the space of only a few days. Half the town restored, and an Element of Harmony but a few hours away—so much faster than the big city.

They met Sandoz outside her house, where she played a small, lilting song, thin as the air. She smiled at them and, with only a brief pause in her playing, directed them to follow her.

They walked through the tiny settlement without seeing anyone else, and began the climb up a steep offshoot off the main mountain road. A ground squirrel dove out of a nearby bush, and Fluttershy gasped happily as it shot across the road and into a small, unseen depression. Still, no one spoke, and Sandoz played.

When they paused to rest, the entrance to the aqueducts was in sight, a massive, cracked, black arch, covered in moss and lichen. The smell of standing water filled the air, and clouds of mosquitoes swirled in small patches nearby. Rainbow flew up onto a ridge to look down on the town; from their height, it was a foggy, anonymous model, cracked in places like the shattered shell of a relic. Astra Villa was a dark bookend in the corner, brooding over the emptiness.

They continued on, stopping at the arch, where Sandoz removed the flute from her mouth. “Go straight in and follow the pathway until you reach a large, vaulted chamber. From there, take the path into the mountains. Keep going until you’re inside; it may take a while to find your way. After that… good luck.”

“Thank you, Sandoz,” Rarity said.

“Come see me when you get out, so I can know you’re okay.”

“Of course.”

She nodded and brought the flute back to her lips. She closed her eyes and played, the same sad song they had walked in on days ago, and Octavia took the lead. The music faded as they walked down the dry, stony road, until it was gone entirely, and the entrance had curved away behind them.

They stepped over pieces of masonry and clusters of mold and algae as they walked deeper into the broken down aqueduct. Above, black paths crisscrossed, and in the distance, Trottingham slumbered. The chamber Sandoz mentioned loomed ahead, a tall cylinder attached at the base to several other pathways, branching out like the limbs of an ancient tree.

They climbed a small set of crumbling steps and walked by a crusty grate, then across a wide, soggy basin to the chamber. The dark bricks were hard and rough on their hooves, and the air smelled of decay, deeper and more pungent inside the arched vault. Mold climbed the crumbling, design-inlaid columns, and water stood in a small, fetid pool in the middle of the wide floor. The stones, slick in places and dry in others, resembled mottled, dead shells, or the Everfree Forest from above.

“We want to go that way,” Rarity said, angling her horn toward a tall, narrow archway that framed part of the mountain behind.

“Is it in this mountain, or the next one?” Twilight asked.

“Next.”

“Let us move, then,” Octavia said, walking slowly to the exit. “We cannot take too long here.”

They followed her reluctantly back out onto the uncovered aqueduct. The mountain behind loomed impressively in the near distance, fronted by a confusing, incomplete maze of channels and pillars. The aqueducts resembled less a flat labyrinth for them to navigate, but a shattered wall of black thorns, with support columns on lower waterways and slanting chutes all around. In places, the channels ended abruptly over large reservoirs, but no water flowed through the air.

“Rarity, take the lead,” Octavia said tiredly.

Rarity calmly stepped forward, horn alight with the Element-finding spell. She sighed, and walked on. The sun was still behind the mountaintop, and they walked in the shade of countless miles of stone. There was no one else nearby, but one of them would sometimes point out a sign of civilization. A hammer left by the guardrail, a bit shining in the bottom of a mosquito-clouded pool.

“Ponies use this channel,” Twilight said quietly. “This must be one of the ones they travel to find more water.”

“Sandoz said we need to go into the ruins,” Applejack said. “Twi, you read anythin’ ‘bout them?”

“Actually, yes. While I was injured, I had plenty of time for reading. I read about the ancient aqueducts, the Astra family, and a little about Tartarus creatures, to try to learn more about that Vanilla Cream.”

“Him,” Applejack said bitterly.

“You don’t like him?” Rarity asked.

“Ah don’t trust him. He talks too smooth.”

“You trust Twilight,” Rainbow said.

“She’s smart, not smooth.” She grinned apologetically at Twilight. “No offense, sugarcube.”

“I do not like him either, but I still think that we should take his offer,” Octavia said.

“He made a good point,” Rarity said. “And made it well.”

“Too well,” Applejack said.

“Aw, that’s an excuse,” Rainbow said.

“Well what do ya want me to say?”

“He was really handsome!” Pinkie said.

“Pinkie, you’re not going to have a chance with someone like him,” Rarity said. “I don’t think he’s even equine.”

“He isn’t,” Twilight said. “Almost certainly. I couldn’t find him specifically, but the book said that ponies can’t live in Tartarus. So unless he’s some kind of one-in-a-billion, ultra-powerful or ultra-lucky stallion, who found a way to survive there, he’s not equine.”

“He looked equine,” Pinkie said.

“He probably changed his appearance so as not to frighten us.”

“Well ain’t that nice of him,” Applejack said.

“We are forgetting that we do not have much of a choice in this whole matter,” Octavia said. “He said that he would be vexing us regardless. We cannot get rid of him.”

“That we know of,” Rarity said. “Twilight, is there a way to do that? A banishing spell, or something?”

“We can’t banish him,” Twilight said, “because we didn’t summon him. Only Discord can do that. I could try to break the binding on him, I suppose.” She thought. “But that’s hard enough to do with Gaia magic. Breaking a Tartarus binding spell? I wouldn’t even know where to begin.”

“Ah have a question,” Applejack said. “Everyone keeps talkin’ ‘bout how hard Tartarus magic is, an’ how weird it is to work with, an’ how dangerous it is.”

“Yeah, what’s the big deal?” Rainbow asked. “Tartarus is all fire and brimstone. Its magic can’t be that complex.”

Twilight chuckled, and Rainbow gave her a dirty look. “Sorry, Dash. I’m afraid none of that is correct. First of all, Tartarus isn’t all fire and brimstone. Most of it’s just like the Gaia—you know, oceans, forests, grasslands, mountains, everything. Things live there.” She waved a hoof around her face as they passed through a cloud of gnats over a puddle. They were well into the maze. “That’s one thing ponies get wrong so much. Tartarus is not pony hell, or some kind of sinister prison, or whatever; it’s just a mirror world. That’s literally all it is.”

“That happens to be dangerous to everything in Equestria,” Rarity said.

“Its laws of physics and magic are slightly different; of course it’s dangerous to us. What’s normal for them is crazy for us, and vice-versa.”

“It is not inherently bad, just different,” Octavia said.

“Exactly.”

“An’ the magic?” Applejack said. “What’s so special ‘bout it?”

“Oh, so much,” Twilight said. She chuckled. “How are we doing, Rarity?”

Rarity lit her horn for a moment, and nodded. “Getting closer. But… it’s still a long way to go.”

“If you’re really interested in the differences between Gaia magic and Tartarus magic, I’d be happy to explain,” Twilight said.

“We’ve got a long walk ahead of us,” Applejack said. “Let’s have it.”

Twilight grinned.

“So when a unicorn tries to cast even the simplest Tartarus spell, like telekinesis, for example, she has to consider the aura of the object she’s moving, along with her own, along with the ambient aura of the room. And if it’s a Gaia object, then she has to consider the aura she’s forcing onto the area by using Tartarus magic. Not to mention all the null magic and anti-magic from before,” Twilight said. She paused, and they came to a rest on a dry parapet. “I’m not boring you yet?”

They were at the edge of the mountain. The tangle of aqueducts, up close, was not as daunting as it had appeared, and with a few minor corrections, Rarity was able to lead them out of the maze and to a long, perilous curve of waterways over the mountain’s rocky, southeastern slopes. At the other end was the second mountain, and a smaller maze.

“I think that it is fascinating,” Octavia said, covering a yawn. “I am sorry. I did not sleep well last night.”

“Did you sleep at all?” Rarity asked.

“Yes.” Her voice was impatient.

“Just asking.”

“It’s good to hear you talking again, Twilight,” Pinkie said.

“Yeah, even if it’s way over our heads,” Rainbow said.

“I don’t think it’s over my head,” Fluttershy said shyly.

“It certainly is fer me,” Applejack said. “But go ahead an’ keep goin’.”

“Actually, I need to rest my voice,” Twilight said. She lit her horn for a moment, and a single bag materialized by her side. She dug a canteen of water out of it and took a long drink.

“I do not like the look of these walkways,” Octavia said.

“They still have their supports,” Rarity said. “Most of them, anyway.”

“Yes… I suppose so.”

“You afraid of heights, Octavia?” Rainbow asked.

“Yes. I, and the majority of the earth ponies.”

“Ah’m right there with ya,” Applejack said.

They stood on the precipice of a large outcropping of stone, only a couple feet under their waterway. Past its edge, they would be over sharp rocks thirty or forty feet below, and steadily climbing up, until reaching the other mountain’s edge. Everyone was hesitant to take the first step.

“Come on, then,” Octavia said. The sun was peeking over the mountain’s shoulder. “Standing here does not help.” She walked off onto the unsupported aqueduct, and they followed her. The stones were undecorated and dry, and before long, the walls of the channel had risen to block out their view. They could only catch glimpses of deep, empty sky through cracks between the bricks.

“Are you really interested in magic? Or were you just glad to get me talking again?” Twilight asked.

“For me, it was both,” Octavia said.

“Uh… Ah was more interested in hearin’ you talk,” Applejack said.

“It’s true, dear. Before today, you weren’t exactly… happy,” Rarity said.

Twilight sighed. “I suppose I brought this on myself.”

“What’s that mean?” Rainbow asked.

“With my behavior these last couple days. Yelling at Fluttershy.”

“But you’re better now, right?” Pinkie asked.

“Sure.”

“Darling, you know there’s no shame in needing help getting over a traumatic incident,” Rarity said.

“I suppose I do.” They continued in silence for a time, and when they stopped to rest at a large crack in the aqueduct’s bottom, Twilight spoke again. “That was something else I read about.”

“We’re all here for you,” Rainbow said. “You just gotta let us know.”

“Yeah.” She looked down. “I know. I’m okay now. Maybe later tonight. Nights are… hard.”

Rarity looked at Octavia before speaking. “I know what you mean.”

Twilight nodded and stepped over the crack. “Let’s keep going.”

They followed her, and soon, they were coming up on the second, smaller, maze of aqueducts. Rarity stopped them and cast her spell. “Much closer now, girls.”

They walked up a set of moldering stairs, squeezing past the dislodged top of a support column. Above, a narrow trough sagged, its bottom damp.

“How’s your magic coming along, Octavia?” Fluttershy asked.

“It is developing well. Twilight and I still practice, from time to time, though I have taken to reading her texts at night.”

“Yer really good,” Applejack said.

“I surprised myself, yes. I do not know why, but magic makes sense to me.”

Applejack chuckled. “It’s just a complement, darlin’. No need to explain yerself.”

“I am sorry.”

Applejack chuckled again. “Oh, yer a hoot, Octavia.”

“You’re really good at blowing stuff up,” Rainbow said.

“You really are,” Twilight said. “That kind of spell demands a lot from a pony. They don’t usually start with them.”

Octavia only shrugged. “I do not know. For me, they are not very difficult.”

“Have you tried teleportation yet?” Rarity asked.

“No. I am not looking forward to it, either.”

“I don’t think you’re ready for that,” Twilight said.

“I am interested in expanding my knowledge, though.”

“What kind of spells are you interested in?”

“That is just it. I do not know where to go from here. I can do basic telekinesis, explosions—as we said—and I am practicing shield magic. I am not very good at that yet.”

“What about illumination magic?”

“Ah, yes. I forgot that.”

“I’d say you should keep working on your shield spells, and maybe, when you’re comfortable with that, try… hmm… I’d say advanced telekinesis.”

“What about sigils?”

“Oh, no, those are much too advanced for you right now.”

They walked over a rough grate, and Pinkie stopped for a moment to look down into it. Water trickled far below, and she pressed her face against the metal mesh.

“Pinkie, get away from that,” Rarity said. “You have no idea how filthy that is.”

“It smells like an old salad!” Pinkie cried, bouncing over to them.

“Yeah, I didn’t want to say anything, but these aqueducts really do smell disgusting,” Twilight said.

“Hey, look!” Rainbow said, pointing. Over on the other side of a large gap, two tiny pony shapes moved along. “We’re not alone up here after all.”

“Ah can’t imagine havin’ to come up here every day fer water,” Applejack said. “It’s already noon. What time did we start?”

“We’ve been up here a few hours by now,” Rarity said, shielding her eyes as she looked into the sky.

“But we’re close,” Twilight said, walking on.

When they finally reached a hole in the side of the mountain, the sun was over the mountaintop, and they were happy to be back in the shade. A shaft of light illuminated a corner of aqueduct deeper within the tunnel, but Twilight put up a light spell of her own anyway.

The difference between the outer aqueducts and the ruins was obvious and instant. While the aqueducts outside were large, heavy stone troughs, devoid of personality or color, the mountain interior was alive with pillars, faded carvings, and arches. In Twilight’s light, the space resembled the interior of a decrepit palace.

They passed the curtain of sunlight and bent sharply to the side, going up another large staircase, until stopping at a cracked, circular platform, enclosed by a shattered brick wall. Twilight stood to the side of the platform and aimed her horn at a large stone above them; a bold frieze stared back down at them, carved into the smooth surface by an expert hoof.

“I read about these,” she said reverently. “They’re all over the ruins, starting where the water comes up from the ground. They’re supposed to tell a story.”

“What’s the story?” Pinkie asked. Her voice was extra loud inside the mountain.

“It’s the story of the river, and the ponies that used it to survive.” She traced her eyes across it. From one corner, water flowed in small, gentle spirals, with ponies standing to either side, until it reached a large, dark circle, where it vanished. Inside the circle, there were carved smaller circles and crescents: eyes and claws. “This is the last carving in the story. It depicts where the river flows into a lake near the southern border of Equestria. Back in those days, they called it the Black Lake.” She indicated a small row of lettering. “It says ‘make deeper the deep waters, fill the blackest hole’.”

“That’s kinda creepy,” Rainbow said.

“Why do ancient ponies always have to name stuff so grim an’ depressin’?” Applejack asked. “Why can’t it be the Green Lake? Or Big Fish Lake? Or somethin’.”

“They called it the Black Lake because of its depth,” Twilight said. She looked back at the frieze, and they continued, off the platform and deeper into the mountain.

“I believe that the lake it refers to is now called Creation Lake,” Octavia said.

“Now that’s better,” Applejack said.

“I think you’re right,” Twilight said.

“It is a beautiful place,” Octavia said. “I played there once. It has marvelous acoustics, for being naturally-occurring.”

“Well, Ah look forward to goin’ there,” Applejack said.

They passed another frieze, but Twilight didn’t stop to explain it. They could hear water flowing nearby, and as they continued, the sound disappeared behind them. For a long time, they walked in silence, following Twilight. Trickles of water occasionally slithered in the darkness, and speckles of light winked at them from jagged stones: bioluminescent fungus, Twilight said. There was rarely more than one path to take, and as they wound deeper into the mountain, Rarity periodically stopped to confirm their progress.

They rested on another circular platform, suspended over a dark well of water, and Twilight took the time to examine another wall decoration. “This one is about the rapids in the desert. How the river gains speed and strength as it moves away from pony civilization.”

“What’s the inscription say?” Pinkie asked.

“I don’t remember. I only read a couple in my book.”

“Why is it so clear?” Rainbow asked.

“Huh?”

“Ancient ruins aren’t this easy to read, Twilight.” She stood up and walked to it. She couldn’t reach it from their platform, and flew up to run a hoof over it. “Look at this. No dust, or dirt, or cobwebs, or anything. This is wrong.”

“She’s right,” Rarity said. “I didn’t notice it before.”

“Discord’s been here,” Pinkie said. “What else could it be?”

“His buddy, maybe,” Applejack said.

“Either way, it is not a good sign,” Octavia said. She thought. “Or, perhaps, it is a good sign. It might mean that we are on the right track.”

“We’ll just have to see,” Rarity said. “Twilight, let me take the light spell for a while, darling.” Twilight’s horn dimmed while Rarity’s came to life, and they resumed their walk. Half an hour later, Rarity stopped them. “We’re almost there.” She went to the side of the walkway and looked over it. A wide channel went just below them, leading to a huge, rusted sluice gate. She sighed and pointed to the gate. “It’s that way.”

Octavia looked down at the aqueduct. “I do not want to jump down there.”

“We can carry you,” Rainbow said, looking at Fluttershy. “You too, AJ. Pinkie, you can teleport.”

“Uh, yeah, sure,” Pinkie said nervously.

“What about me?” Rarity asked.

“You can’t teleport? What kind of unicorn are you?” Rainbow said.

“Dash, you should know I can’t teleport. I never could.”

“You did the night of the battle!” Pinkie cried.

Everyone went silent, and Rarity cleared her throat. “Er, I suppose. That was different.”

No one looked at Twilight, and Rainbow went to Octavia. “Right, let’s get you down there.” She and Fluttershy carried Octavia down to the lower waterway, then Applejack, then Rarity. Pinkie and Twilight teleported together. The sluice gate was tilted on one side, and Octavia dislodged it with a simple, strong telekinetic pull. A strong odor of decay wafted from inside, and they reeled back.

“Ugh, he didn’t have to put it in there,” Rarity said.

“Can we get a shield to keep out the smell?” Octavia asked, taking the lead inside.

“No, don’t,” Twilight said. “We might have to fight something inside. Be ready to help us with that instead.”

The roof was low and damp, and the tunnel stretched deep under the stone, its end lost in deep, thick shadow. They had to stoop slightly to move along it, and there was not enough room for Rarity’s light to reach past the first few ponies in the line. For those in the back, there was no seeing how close to the end they were. They splashed through occasional skins of slimy water, but encountered no cracks or pieces of debris as they moved deeper and deeper into the unseen aqueduct filtration system.

“Twilight, did these ancient ponies have the technology to make any, um… turbines, or things?” Rainbow asked.

“Magical ones, I think. But those enchantments should be long dead,” Twilight said.

“Unless Discord reactivated them,” Octavia said.

“Aw, great. Thanks fer that,” Applejack said.

“Quiet. I think I hear something,” Rarity said. They all cocked their ears to listen. Not far away, but muffled by the walls, was a quiet shuffling sound, steadily moving away. “That would be the monster.”

“Whoa, slow down, there. Nopony said anythin’ ‘bout a monster,” Applejack said.

“Well, no, but how could there not be one?”

“I don’t want to fight something all the way down here,” Rainbow said.

“Up here, Dash,” Twilight said. “We’re halfway up the mountain.”

“Oh, right.”

“Keep moving,” Octavia said. “If we must fight, let us try to find a better place for it than this.”

Rarity moaned, but kept moving. Where the tunnel ended, they stopped on top of a metal grating, stretching over a steep, stone incline. She angled her light down into the bottom of the stone funnel, where a few large, mossy, stone gears waited. On their edges, like pricks of crystal, more fungus glowed softly.

“We’re right on top of it,” Rarity said. “I think it’s on the other side of this… thing.”

“Should I fly on over there?” Rainbow asked.

“Hang on.” Rarity tilted her head and closed her eyes, and the others followed her example. The shuffling noise from earlier had not returned. “Yes, go ahead. But be quick.”

“You kidding? Quick is my specialty.” She took off, and Rarity trained her beam on her as she crossed the foul, stone chasm. She landed on the other side and looked around, sticking her head in open pipes and flapping up to look behind vents.

As she searched, Octavia activated her own gray light and, with some concentration, sent it down in a weak cone to the bottom of the funnel. Behind the gears was a large opening, dark but for a couple small splotches of light. She narrowed her beam further, and as she set it on the opening, the lights faded back. They did not return when she turned her light off.

She looked up to see Rainbow proudly waving a small, tarnished artifact. “It’s yours, Fluttershy!” She flew back to them and showed off the Element. It was creased with dirt and grime, and its jewel was smudged, but the craftsponyship was not lost on Octavia, who had never seen one before.

Fluttershy looked at it for a moment before putting it on, giving only a small smile as she stuttered out a question. “Um… h-how do I look?”

“Like the best darn thing Ah’ve seen in a long while,” Applejack said.

Rarity stiffened, and they looked at her. “I hear it again.”

Octavia turned her light back on and looked over the grate’s edge, but saw nothing in the hole.

“We need to get out,” Twilight said, backing away and stooping to reenter the tunnel.

They followed behind her quickly, back into the constricting stone passage. The shuffling was louder and nearer, as if its cause was just on the other side of the wall. As they moved, it faded behind them, but did not go quiet as before, even as they emerged back into the waterway. Rainbow turned quickly to look around as they approached the channel above them, looking up unhappily.

Without speaking, Rainbow and Fluttershy helped Applejack, then Rarity, then Octavia back up to the pathway, leaving Twilight and Pinkie to teleport. When they were all on the waterway, they looked around, Rarity lighting the entire cavern. For a few fearful seconds, they saw nothing.

“Below,” Pinkie said quietly, staring. They looked down rapidly, at the narrow passage they had escaped only minutes earlier. An eerie light waxed from within, and the scrabbling, once only near, had loudened into a present, uncovered warning.

“Follow me,” Twilight said, taking off at a jog down the aqueduct path. They followed quickly, Octavia at the back, and the sound passed underneath them.

“Stop,” Octavia said, turning to look down. It moved smoothly and quickly, like flowing water, out of the sluice tunnel. In Twilight’s dimming light, she could make out dull spines over its back, some glowing with the bioluminescent fungus. White flecked its shell in places—barnacles, she recognized. Two large, heavy claws preceded it, thumping the ground menacingly as it skittered. Most striking, however, was the smell: overpowering, acrid salt and decay, as though the monster had been heaved up from the depths of the ocean. It did not look their way, but passed swiftly below their channel, to disappear around a corner.

“Okay, well, there it is,” Rainbow said quietly. The fear was obvious in her voice. “Can we go now?”

“Move, and do not speak; listen for its approach,” Octavia said, hastening to catch up with Twilight.

They jogged in a rough line, looking around anxiously, listening for the monster’s approach. At every corner, they paused, watching Twilight slowly look around it for the creature. At the group’s head, she constantly adjusted her light’s intensity; she dared not make it too bright, but couldn’t keep them completely in the dark either. When they passed the first circular platform, Applejack stopped briefly. The creature glowed on a small plinth across an empty space, some forty feet away.

“Okay, let’s try to rest real quick,” Twilight said, stopping. “It’s all the way over there. It can’t get us.”

“You don’t know that,” Rainbow said.

“What do we do if it comes after us?” Rarity asked.

“We fight it,” Octavia said. “I said that we need to begin rising to the challenge Discord has posed us. Do you remember that?”

“Ah’d really rather run, to be honest,” Applejack said.

“We cannot run from everything.” She looked at the creature, and it slowly sank from its perch. “There will come a time, I am sure, when running will not be possible. We need to be ready.”

“What makes you so sure about this?” Rarity asked.

“Look at what we have already witnessed. Manehattan and Cloudsdale: those were when Equestria was at its best. Discord is building a new army, and we only have one Element.” She sighed. “I am sorry if I am discouraging you all. But things will not be getting better on their own.”

“You’re really negative today,” Pinkie said.

Octavia looked at her emotionlessly, and the water stirred below. In Twilight’s light, the change of illumination was not obvious, but when Applejack looked over the edge and reeled back with a shout of alarm, they all knew what was below.

“Run!” Rainbow cried, taking off down the dry waterway. The others followed behind her, and Octavia growled to herself as she moved to the circle’s edge.

“Cowards,” she said to their retreating forms. She looked down at the water; the monster swam slowly within, its body illuminating the overgrown edges of the reservoir.

“Octavia, get over here!” Twilight yelled, flashing her light briefly to get Octavia’s attention.

She didn’t respond as she studied the creature. Its eyes, tiny beads of white on a thick, plated head, seemed to survey the area with dumb malice as its claws clicked under the water. Its tail waved lazily, and its antennae broke the water’s surface like thin reeds. Her friends were running back to drag her away, and she, without thinking, targeted the circular dais’ center.

As the creature hoisted itself up on its claws, bringing its head only a few feet from the bottom of the platform, she brought her magic into focus in her mind. For her, it was easy: one charge of concentration into the floor, and a separate, parallel thought to twist it from latent energy into a powerful, walkway-rocking explosion.

“Octavia, no!”

It was too late. The cavern flashed brilliantly as the stone cracked and split, flinging dust and pebbles. The entire base of the platform seemed to tip away from her, its corner digging into the monster’s head with a harsh crunch. Both parties sunk, fast and dangerous, into the water. The entire mountain seemed to shake with the impact, and she watched as it struggled, pinned to the bottom of the shallow reservoir. Though it was only faintly illuminated, she could see its thrashing legs and whipping tail, stirring the well into a cauldron of freezing, stained water. Dark blood seeped upwards as its claws moved spastically, and on the other side, where its tail lay flat and crushed, light foam dispersed rapidly in the ripples.

Something groaned and creaked nearby, and her friends shouted her name again, right behind her. She was conscious of them watching the scene as it unfolded, as blood mixed in the water with the creature’s squirming, creamy discharge. Small bits of glowing fungus floated to the top, some still clinging to pieces of sheared shell.

“Oh, Celestia,” Applejack whispered.

“Come on,” Rainbow said angrily, grabbing Octavia by the hoof and yanking her along.

They moved quickly at first, to escape any potential collapses Octavia’s explosion had caused, but then at a slower pace when they were free of the ruins. They followed Twilight out and away from the mountain, not speaking. Octavia could tell they were all unhappy with her; they would look at her, only to look away quickly, and the mood was tense. They traversed the free-hanging curve between mazes, and made it all the way back to the first chamber, where they rested, before she finally spoke. “Are you uncomfortable with the way that I dispatched the threat?”

“A little, yeah,” Twilight said.

“You didn’t have to kill it at all,” Fluttershy said.

“It was horrible, but… you made it worse,” Rarity said, clearly uncomfortable finishing the sentence.

“That white stuff was its eggs,” Fluttershy said quietly. “Um… I’m just saying. It was a mama.”

Octavia looked at them with a bemused expression. “I apologize. I was under the impression that our common goal was to gather the Elements, stop Discord, and undo the spell; I was unaware that you did not want to destroy his creations as well.”

“Don’t make it sound like it’s our fault,” Rainbow said heatedly. “You’re the one who crushed it under the freaking platform! We would have been perfectly content to send it to sleep or something.”

“Realizing, of course, that it would pose a threat to all other ponies passing through. This way, it shall present no danger to anyone.”

“It was so violent, though,” Fluttershy said.

“Yeah, Octavia, I hate to say it, but you couldn’t have picked a more gruesome way to kill that thing,” Twilight said.

“It is true that it was unpleasant to watch, but I believe that my option would have been preferable to a drawn-out battle.”

“How can you talk like that?” Applejack asked. “How can y’all just stand there an’ talk ‘bout killin’ a livin’ creature so coldly? Like it’s a chore or somethin’.”

“I do not attach emotions to my actions. I believe I have said this before.”

“Don’t you feel even a little remorse for killing that thing so violently?” Rarity asked.

“I did what I had to do.”

“Answer the question!” Applejack barked, suddenly angry.

“Very well. No. I feel no contrition for my action.”

Applejack frowned at her. “Yer… yer a psychopath. Killin’ indiscriminately an’ not feelin’ any sort of sorry ‘bout it.”

“Name one instance in which I have killed ‘indiscriminately’.”

“Just now!”

“Are you saying that we were not threatened?”

“Not enough for what you did,” Rainbow said.

“Yeah,” Applejack said. “Ah mean, there’s a line between killin’ somethin’ fer defense, like that thing in the vineyard, an’ killin’ somethin’ fer the hay of it.” She narrowed her eyes. “Ah can’t help but wonder if you might enjoy it a little.”

“You are incorrect,” Octavia said.

“Why not just blow a hole in the reservoir?” Rarity asked. “Drain all the water, so it couldn’t climb out?”

“Yeah, did y’ever think of that?” Applejack glowered at her bitterly. “Ah think you get pleasure from this, Ah really do. An’ that would explain why yer so reluctant to talk ‘bout yer past.”

“You are wrong on all accounts, Applejack, and I would ask that you please stop accusing me.”

“Why? You gonna kill me too?”

She took a moment to compose herself; the comment hurt more than she wanted them to know. “Do not push me, Applejack.”

“What do y’all think? Ah think she’s bluffin’,” Applejack said, looking smugly at the others. “Well, come on, Octavia. What are ya gonna do?”

“Stand down, Applejack.”

“No way! Ah’m just as much part of this group as you are. Ah have a right to my opinion, an’ Ah’m exercisin’ it.”

“You are accusing me of something for which you have no evidence.”

“You killed that creature by bashin’ its head in, you emotionless nag!”

“Stop it!” Her voice was suddenly huge in the chamber, and they all took a step back. “I will not stand here and allow you to accuse me like this. You are angry and upset at what you saw, and you are taking it out on me.”

“You didn’t have to—”

“I felt that I did!” She glared at them all, and they looked back, as if stricken. “And if you are not comfortable dealing with occasional violence, after this long on our journey, then you are not fit to be on this mission. How many times have I said it now? You took me into your group assuming that I would be your guide, and instead, through your inaction, you have led me to fight for you! Some gratitude this is, then; accused of being a murderess! A psychopath! A heartless killer! You talk about me behind my back, speculate on my mental state.” She looked at Rarity. “And wonder whether I am crazy, and then have the audacity to try to get me to open up to you?” She stopped, and they stared at her.

“You—”

“What would you have done without me?” She looked at each of them. “What would you have done?”

“We… I don’t know,” Twilight said quietly.

“Exactly.” She swept a glare around them, lingering on Applejack and Rarity. “Now walk, and do not speak to me.” It was Twilight who made the first move.

The journey back to Sandoz’s house was silent, and when they finally reached the ship, it was almost four o’ clock. While they prepared to take off, Octavia went directly to her room; Pinkie followed a few minutes behind. When they were sure she was out of earshot, they all looked at each other, none of them wanting to be the first to start the conversation.

“She’s crazy,” Rarity said finally. “That’s all there is to it. Perfectly crazy. Applejack was expressing a legitimate concern, and she just shouted at her.”

“Are you nuts, Rarity? She asked Applejack to stop attacking her like three times,” Twilight said.

“Twilight, you’re not siding with that… that, are you?” Rainbow asked.

“I think she’s right; for being such good, accepting friends, we really don’t understand her.”

“And whose fault is that, darling? She needs to learn to open up more,” Rarity said.

“I think we should learn to be more patient.”

“Oh, um, if you don’t mind, I’d like to say something,” Fluttershy said.

“Go ahead, dear,” Rarity said.

“Um, I agree with Twilight. I mean, she’s done all our dirty work for us. We… we shouldn’t get mad at her for when things get too violent.”

“Fluttershy, Ah thought you were mad at her fer killin’ that thing,” Applejack said.

“Oh, I am; I mean, I kind of am. I mean, I was, but I realize now that she was right. Other ponies could get hurt if they run into it and don’t know it’s there.”

“She didn’t have to kill it so violently, though. There’s still that,” Rainbow said.

“It’s ‘cause it was alive,” Pinkie said, coming onto the deck.

“Pinkie, Ah thought you were down below,” Applejack said.

“She doesn’t want to talk to me.”

“Oh. An’ what do you mean ‘bout it bein’ alive?”

“It was no different from the golem in the vineyard, except that it had blood and guts and stuff inside.”

“So?” Rainbow said.

“So? Are you loco in the coco, Dashie? That stuff is upsetting to see, especially so much of it like that! That’s why we’re all bent out of shape about this, but not the barrel golem. ‘Cause all that had in it was wine.”

“How come yer so full of insight all of a sudden?” Applejack asked.

“Don’t change the subject, AJ; this is important. Octavia’s feeling unwanted and unappreciated, and to be honest, I can see why.”

“Maybe if she did a better job to endear herself to us. It’s not like we asked her to come along.”

“She’s trying her best,” Fluttershy said.

“Maybe that’s why she’s so willing to do all these difficult things,” Twilight said.

“But Applejack’s point still stands,” Rarity said. “She’s so cold and calculating, even when it’s a life that’s on the line; how can we trust someone like that?” “Rarity, we’ve been trusting her the entire time so far,” Rainbow said.

“It’s just how she is,” Twilight said.

“Yeah, it doesn’t make her a bad pony,” Pinkie said.

“I still don’t like her,” Rarity said.

“She doesn’t like you either,” Rainbow mumbled.

“Don’t switch sides on us, Rainbow,” Applejack said.

“Hey, you gotta admit, they make a good point. She’s just different from us; it’s not that big of a deal.”

“I just don’t think I can associate with someone who acts so… inequine,” Rarity said.

“If we all just give her her space, and show her that we trust her to take care of herself, maybe she won’t be so unhappy,” Fluttershy said.

They took a moment to consider, and Pinkie spoke quietly. “Um, she probably won’t like me telling you this, but she’s down there right now doing this thing where she sits there and concentrates on not crying. She’s just as upset about it as us.”

“Ah need to get back to steerin’,” Applejack said abruptly, returning to the wheel.

“We should focus on what we’re going to do at the villa,” Rarity said, eager to change the subject.

“Right,” Twilight said reluctantly. She wanted to continue, but didn’t; remembering her own few days of displeasure, the thought of forcing further attention on Octavia seemed cruel. “You said you found the spot where I should cast the spell, right?”

“Yes, dear. It’s on the second floor, and there’s a huge window, so you can see the entire countryside.”

“Okay, good.” She waited around a little to see that no one had anything more to say, and went to her own room to compose a letter to Princess Luna, informing her on their acquisition of the first Element. Fifteen minutes later, she had sent it, and back out on the deck, they were about to land. Octavia was out and standing at one of the sides, looking at the approaching ground; everyone was ignoring her. “Hey, Octavia,” Twilight said casually as she moved to stand next to her.

Octavia didn’t look at her. “Hello.”

“How are you feeling?”

“Fine.”

“Octavia,” Twilight said, her voice scolding.

“Fine. I am very unhappy, at myself, and at some of you.”

She lowered her voice and scooted closer. “Well, if it makes you feel better, I think you’re right. So does Fluttershy, and Pinkie, and even Rainbow.”

“So only Rarity and Applejack do not see.”

“Rarity’s just upset that you’re so good at keeping control of your emotions,” Twilight said. “And Applejack’s, well, Applejack.”

“Does Rarity honestly believe that I am crazy?”

“It’s hard to tell with her. Look, we’re landing; come on.”

They got off the ship, and Octavia went to the pedestal outside the hedge maze. She announced their arrival, and the gate swung open again. They waited for the statue pony to come and guide them through the maze, and though the mood was still sour, Twilight’s happiness at finally seeing one of the Astras’ creations helped to lighten things.

They followed the statue through the maze, through the courtyard, and to the stairs, where Mama Astra was waiting. She let them in without a fuss, nodding to each of them in turn and shaking Twilight’s hoof. Violet Astra was nearby, and trotted over to greet them.

“Are you ready now?” Mama Astra asked.

“Uh, I guess so,” Twilight said. “I was hoping I could see some of your wonderful villa first. My friends told me about it.”

“You can look around after your spell.” Her tone brooked no argument, and Twilight nodded.

“As you wish.”

“You go ahead. I will socialize with the family,” Octavia said.

They didn’t argue with her, and let Violet lead them up the grand staircase. Octavia looked at Mama Astra, who smiled sagely. “Are you all okay? You seem much more tense than before.”

“We had a fight earlier today. Do not worry.”

“Nonsense. Walk with me, dear.”

Octavia followed her into the house. She didn’t want to talk, but Mama Astra’s bearing was pressuring. She resisted the urge to speak.

“There’s no need to clam up around me, young lady. I only wish to help.”

“I appreciate your offer, but I must decline. It is very personal.”

“Mm, suit yourself.” They entered a small parlor. “Violet told me you liked our pet.”

“Your pet? Oh, the crow. Yes, I thought it was lovely.”

“We’re quite proud of her, you know.”

“You should be.”

Mama Astra sat down, and Octavia followed her example. “What did your unicorn think of our sigil?”

Octavia’s eyes widened. “Oh… I forgot to ask her about it.”

“After you left, one of my grandchildren went to the other side of the chasm, to see if there was a second half.”

“Was there?”

“Yes, identical. The sigil is definitely to summon something. But the complete picture is no more helpful than the half.”

Octavia thought, combing over her memories with the group. Two possibilities stood out to her: Vanilla Cream; and the strange, floating ship. “How did your grandchild reach the other side of the chasm?”

“She rode the crow.”

Octavia raised an eyebrow. “I did not know that a pony could ride that… that.”

“She has a saddle just between her wings for exactly that purpose. The more adventurous of us take her for flights out over the country every now and again. I’m told it’s quite the rush.”

“I can imagine.” Octavia looked out the window. While she was still angry with Applejack and Rarity, speaking to the Astra matriarch was strangely comforting. In the villa, away from the aqueducts and the responsibilities of the ship, she felt freer. “It truly is an astounding piece of machinery.”

“The magic is better than the machinery,” Mama Astra said with a quiet chuckle. “Without her enchantments, she could not even stand on her own.”

“I see.” She looked up anxiously. She knew the spell would be nearing completion.