Sometimes it was nice to get out once in a while. Relax, take a break, do what you want. There are times when the soul is soothed when one takes in the scene and slowly, but surely, unwind those tense muscles.

Unfortunately, today was not one of those times.

“Eat me.”

“Bite me.”

“Grr.”

“Rowr.”

Twilight opened the door between carriages and walked in to see Nicodia and Little Hoof at it again.

“You downright cheated!” Nicodia narrowed her eyes.

Little Hoof gave Nicodia a grin that set Nicodia’s teeth on edge.

“Prove it”, Little Hoof taunted, waving the bag of bits.

Nicodia growled, pawing the ground in preparation to charge.

Little Hoof dropped into a defensive pose.

“That. Is. Enough!” Twilight yelled, teleporting across the room to appear between the two.

“Nicodia, you’re a professional for Celestia’s sake, act like one”, Twilight snarled, through gritted teeth.

“But-“

“Little Hoof, you know better to get on the wrong side of a member of the Solar Guard. Now hand over the bits you’ve won from her.”

“Hey I wo-“

“I don’t care whether you won them fair and square, or if you cheated Nicodia out of them. There will be no gambling here, understood?”

She glared at both mares in turn.

Nicodia and Little Hoof continued to glare at each other until Twilight’s horn sparked menacingly. They both turned their gazes to the floor.

“Do I make myself clear?” Twilight asked, her voice laced with barely concealed malice.

“Yes, Twilight”, both answered simultaneously.

Twilight paused for a moment feeling the embers of her anger smoulder and die. She sighed.

“I’m sorry, you’re both grown mares and I’m treating you both like you’re foals.”

Nicodia held up a hoof to stop Little Hoof from interjecting with something insensitive. Little Hoof gave Nicodia an annoyed snort but otherwise remained silent.

“Twilight, we know how stressed you are right now but don’t worry, we may be able to find him yet. We’re still tracking Maellorn but as soon as we find him, we’ll get a lead on our friend.”

Twilight nodded absently as Nicodia stroked Twilight’s withers.

Little Hoof hesitantly approached.

“Yeah, I may not be the most willing mare, but hey I’m doing it for the pay. You can always guarantee that Little Hoof delivers.”

Twilight nodded, working out the stress with some calming breaths.

“You’re right. You’re both right, all we need to do is move forward. Find my friend, make sure he’s safe, get his name and we’ll have a Pinkie party.”

“Get his name?” Little Hoof asked, she paused as the thought just occurred to her. “How do I not know his name? I forgot to ask…”

Twilight looked up at Little Hoof.

“Excuse me for saying this, but why do you even care?” Twilight grunted bluntly.

Little Hoof didn’t snap at Twilight but she came close to saying a few choice words they would both regret.

“I want you to understand, Twilight, that I do have an honour code.”

Nicodia smirked at Little Hoof.

“Does that code involve a bag of bits at the end?”

Little Hoof stared down Nicodia until the flippant attitude fled her face. Little Hoof glared at Nicodia for a moment more before snorting and continuing.

“I always find out my client’s name. Always.”

Twilight tilted her head curiously.

“Why?” Was all she asked.

“I just do!” Little Hoof snapped, causing Twilight and Nicodia to take an involuntary step back.

Little Hoof was breathing fire for a few moments but then her shoulders sagged. She sighed and motioned to the train passenger seats. Twilight and Nicodia reluctantly sat down after a brief moment’s hesitation. Little Hoof’s eyes trailed her hoof as she ran it along the table.

“It started a long time ago but the reason is still fresh in my mind. I don’t like telling anypony about this. In fact, I’ve never told anypony about this before but I figured since I broke my own rule, it’d be a good enough time to tell somepony as any.”

Twilight quickly spoke up, “You don’t have to, Little Hoof, we don’t have to know, if you don’t want to tell us.”

Nicodia jumped in as well.

“Yes, if it’s painful you needn’t burden yourself for our understanding.”

Little Hoof nodded but she continued anyway.

Nicodia and Twilight kept silent, staring in rapt attention as Little Hoof wove her tale.

——

I was one of the best guides on the frontier settlements. Never really picked up the accent but it wasn’t hard to fit in. I made a lot of friends there, even met a tribe of bison. They were the friendly sort, I even got my name ‘Little Hoof’ from them.

One day, just like any other, I received a request. A bit unusual but the payment was upfront and it was a pretty sum.

I eagerly accepted the offer.

Two days later we were traipsing along the edge of the world, only barely keeping ourselves alive. The stallion I was guiding was barely a colt. I never asked for his name and he didn’t seem inclined to give it to me. I shrugged it off and never really asked for it. I did take note of his cutie mark, it seemed to be a pair of three pointed tri-stars, one of the strangest cutie marks I had ever seen. I asked him about his special talent but he kept so tight lipped about it.

“Come on, Starry Colt”, Little Hoof cajoled urging the stallion with her hoof. He swayed on his hooves but managed to climb the last few steps, collapsing at the final vantage point.

Starry Colt wasn’t his name of course, but Little Hoof enjoyed calling him that.

“Alright Starry, we’re here”, Little Hoof reminded him. He just groaned in response.

“Alright, suit yourself”, Little Hoof responded, gazing at the waterfall as it swept across the jagged rocks below. Little Hoof took in the splinters of ice that cascaded down sending sparkling mists gleaming in the morning sunshine.

“You have to see this”, she breathed, standing in awe.

Starry finally got himself on his hooves and edged up to stand next to Little Hoof.

“Alright-“ a huff “-I’m here”, he wheezed, looking out at the sight.

His jaw dropped comically and Little Hoof laughed at his wonderfully innocent reaction.

“Starry”, she said. “What are you gawking at? Didn’t you pay to see this?”

Starry was silent for a moment, his fatigue forgotten.

“I’d pay more”, he whispered. ”I’d sell my soul.” He took a deep breath of the crisp, fresh air.

Little Hoof edged herself out further.

“Careful”, he warned, glancing at the ridge. “It doesn’t look too stable.”

Little Hoof snorted.

“I’ll be fine, I’ve done this a million times”, she shot back and crept forward to prove the point.

A crackling noise was the only warning they had before the cliff let out a splintering roar and the rocky cropping beneath Little Hoof’s hooves collapsed.

In a second, Starry was there, grasping her hooves.

Little Hoof glanced below and her eyes were white with fear. Her breathing quickened. Her heart beat violently in her chest.

“Starry, don’t let go, please don’t let go.” She could see the weak muscles under Starry’s fur strain against the inevitable force of gravity.

Starry grunted in pain, the loose rocks underneath his hooves rolled, causing them both to slip a few inches.

Little Hoof let loose a pathetic whimper.

Starry looked into Little Hoof’s eyes, gazes locking as he sent determination and courage through the short intervening space.

“I may be weak, but I’m still an Earth pony, I’ll just have to draw on my inner magic harder!” He growled, giving another heave. For a moment Little Hoof’s hopes soared as they went back the distance they had lost but she could see his forelegs shaking. They slid back again, losing everything they had gained and more. Little Hoof felt her heart pound in her ears. Her heart was in her throat.

Starry gave Little Hoof one look, then looked past her, spotting something she couldn’t see. His eyes widened and his grip relaxed slightly.

“No, no, no!” Little hoof shouted. “Don’t let go!”

Starry gave her a sad smile.

“I won’t”, he said simply.

Then he slid off the cliff with her.

Little Hoof screamed shrilly as they fell, Starry wrapping his hooves around her. After what seemed like both seconds and an eternity, Little Hoof felt a shuddering impact.

Starry stared out at her blankly as she tried to bring her mind to focus.

“Starry?” She whispered, putting a hoof to his face. She touched his muzzle, nudging him.

“Starry?” She repeated, she took her hoof away to find a small trace of blood that trickled from his mouth.

She glanced around to find that she was on a small jutting ledge about forty or fifty feet below the cliff’s edge. She looked back down and covered her muzzle with both of her hooves as she sat back against the rough, rocky wall of the cliff.

“No”, she whispered. His body was distended at a warped angle, limbs were splayed in places they weren’t supposed to.

“No.” She shook her head. Her vision began to blur. “Starry, no.”

A scream tore through the forest in pure anguish.

It echoed vacantly against the rocky surrounds.

Hot tears matted her fur as she held the lifeless form of her saviour.

All the while, behind them, a magnificent rainbow bloomed.

——

Little Hoof paused in her recount, taking a shuddering breath.

Silence reigned, save for the gentle clacking of the train wheels on the tracks.

“I carried him back, you know”, she continued softly. “On my back the whole way. I left most of the supplies back but eventually I got out of there and sent his body back to his family. I found out his name, you know?”

She forced a laugh.

“Kind of dorky. It was Glittering Sparks”, she croaked, looking at her hooves. “Couldn’t have been less of a stallion’s name I ever heard.”

Little Hoof fell silent again.

“I would have liked to have known his name from his lips though and not from his folks. Didn’t seem right. It’s why it’s important to me. I can’t believe I brushed it off like that. What’s wrong with me?”

Little Hoof felt a hoof to her cheek. She was surprised to see that it belonged to Nicodia.

Nicodia looked at her hoof and gave Little Hoof a weak smile.

“Well if it’s any consolation I don’t think anypony knows this human’s name. It’s a mystery to us all.”

Twilight nodded.

“I think it has something to do with him being a null being. It’s not your fault”, she consoled gently.

Little Hoof pursed her lips. She sighed.

“Like you said Twilight, we just need to move forward”, she said, giving a small smile. She shifted her hooves awkwardly.

“Sorry for laying that all on you”, she apologised, sinking her head onto the table. Twilight put a hoof on her head.

“Don’t worry about it”, she cooed. “We all have our days, and what’s a friend to do when they’ve also done for you?”

Little Hoof started in surprise.

“Friends?” She said incredulously. She looked at Nicodia.

Nicodia shrugged.

“I don’t hate you, as long as you stop cheating.”

Nicodia looked a little sheepish too,

“I thought you were such a shallow mare, you gave the impression that all you cared about were the bits. After that tale though, you care about the simple things, even knowing somepony’s name. It makes me a little embarrassed that I thought all those bad things about you.”

Little Hoof shrugged.

“I’m used to it”, she replied, then grimaced. “It’s also my fault as well, I don’t give the best first impressions. Or last impressions. Or good impressions for that matter. I think after I saw Twilight so desperately help those guards and you on the train, I was ashamed about the way I acted, thinking only of myself.”

She sighed again.

“Starry would be disappointed”, Little Hoof muttered.

Nicodia shook her head resolutely.

“You’re here with us now, way beyond your agreement. I can safely say that you have gone way past the bits and right into obligation.”

Twilight nodded her head in assent.

“You were really helpful in tracking those foalnappers. Don’t sell yourself short”, she grinned, reaching across the table and giving Little Hoof a light pat on the head.

Little Hoof grinned back. A sudden idea popped into her head.

“Okay, so who’s next to share their past?”

Twilight and Nicodia looked at each other for a moment.

“Nope!” Twilight yelped before Nicodia could open her mouth.

“Dang!” Nicodia cursed, glaring at Twilight. Twilight giggled and gestured for her to begin. Nicodia was silent for a moment but reluctantly started.

“Okay, where to begin?” She sighed as the two settled in.

“My name, I guess, is as good as any place to start. I think Twilight knows this, but my parents are explorers, they named me ‘Nico’ - meaning ‘peace-keeping’ and ‘dia’ - meaning ‘day’…”