I pored through the belongings of the townsponies in the bunker frantically, searching for what answers I could find about the Heartmender, if any existed. While I worked, what Dusk had said tugged in the back of my mind. He’d gone back and changed time, all of existence had fractured, creating an alternate reality. He’d explained it as a notion known as the multiverse theory. Infinite worlds that existed among infinite timelines.

In this one, my father had died. Perished under the flames of a radioactive dragon. In another, Violet had taken his place, leading Dusk to do what he had done. He had claimed it was because a war had come that was the greatest conflict the world of Equestria had ever known. The final war, he called it. He even said it was still possible that it could happen, despite his efforts to maneuver time to stop it.

I felt used. Betrayed. I wasn’t sure what to think about what was to come, I just wanted my mother back healthy and happy. I wanted to be happy myself. My experience inside my mind with the knife and my father had left me feeling… drained. It felt impossible to express even the barest hint of a smile or extend the slighest bit of empathy. I felt burnt out. Lightning had tried to get me to spend time with the others, but every attempt felt awkward. No matter how much they’d supported me inside my memories, I couldn’t get past the feeling that they still blamed me for what happened, especially Rocky.

Instead, I opted to make the best use of our time left in this place by myself, searching through the bunker that Rocky and Lightning had found the recording from Heartshine in. I’d found nothing here that was significant to me, just but letters, furniture, and foal’s toys. This place was a dumping ground, almost as if the entire town had stuffed all of their sentimental value here in the event that anything bad would happen.

Something bad had happened. The town had been decimated, left in the state that we’d found it in. Something that had been so bad that it prompted Heartshine to leave the town to its fate. I still couldn’t believe that the pony had existed. The picture of her, and I knew which one was her, showed very clearly that she was real. Really really truly real. And she wasn’t even a unicorn! How was it possible that she knew magic? It didn’t make sense.

Nothing made sense though. My entire body still ached from everything that had happened. I glanced across the room and my eyes settled on the knife.

We’d brought it here, Rocky carrying it so that it didn’t affect anypony else, so that it would be buried inside of this bunker when we left. Rocky had managed to get the door system functional so that we could close the doors and then bring down the building on top, sealing it away forever. Nopony would find it.

I found it odd how such an innocuous thing had caused such calamity. The being inside of it was clearly ancient, maybe even older than Equestria itself. It brought to mind many questions about where it came from and what it really wanted with the world. I only knew the pain that it had caused me and my friends.

“Starry?” a voice said, startling me from my thoughts.

I glanced over at the door to the bunker, seeing Velvet Kiss. She waited anxiously for me to respond.

“Velvet. What did you need?” I asked with a sigh.

“Starry, look I… I know that we haven’t gotten a chance to talk much since… well…” she said timidly. “I just… I can feel it you know. What your emotions are doing. It’s not healthy for you to bottle it all up like that.”

“Velvet, I appreciate your concern, but I’m fine,” I said. “There is nothing I can say or do to repay what you did for me.”

“You… You would have done the same for me, I’m sure,” Velvet said. “In fact, you did do the same for me, but… But now… What happened took a lot out of you. I just don’t want you to lose who you are because of it.”

“I’m almost done here. Why don’t you let the others know I’ll be up shortly and we’ll get on our way?” I asked, ignoring her comments. “I don’t think I’m going to find anything else of use here anyways.”

“Alright…” Velvet replied turning away from me. “Just… If you need to talk…”

With that, she left. I turned back to the pile of junk I’d been sorting through. I couldn’t talk about it. Not after everything that had happened. Even though my friends had been instrumental in defeating All’z’reth, I still felt guilty about what had led to that event. I stood, shoving aside the pile and started towards the door when I noticed something shimmering in the next pile over.

I pushed it aside and plucked the shiny object from underneath a table. A memory orb? What is this doing here? I thought with a grimace. I shrugged and placed the orb inside my saddlebag, intending to view it later to see. Maybe it held some clue to Heartshine’s location.

I walked back up the stairs out of the bunker and out of the building it was housed in, seeing the others waiting for me. They were quiet, clearly talking about me while I was not present. I rolled my eyes and stepped forward.

“We can go. I didn’t find much of anything down there,” I said. “Just a memory orb.”

“Well, that’s something at least, right?” Lightning replied. “I mean. Maybe it has some sort of clue on it.”

I shrugged. “Either way, I don’t think staying here any longer is going to help us. We need to move on, continue following the Heartmender’s trail.”

“I agree with Starry,” Coconut said, winking. “This place creeps me the fuck out. Are the charges set?”

“Yes,” Rocky said simply. “I am ready whenever you are.”

“Do it,” Lightning said.

Rocky nodded, lifting a tiny device in his claws. He pressed a button and there was suddenly a loud booming sound as the detonation occurred. The building sunk in on itself, rubble filling every available hole as it covered where the bunker was. I grimaced. It was finished. The knife was gone.

“Let’s get out of here,” I said.

We started walking in the direction set by Heartshine’s message, westward away from the little town with no name. I felt as if a weight had been lifted from my shoulders the farther we got away from the knife and it’s overbearing presence. I hoped and prayed silently that no one would ever find it again.

The walk was silent however, beyond the hushed chatter of Coconut and Lightning. It seemed in my short absence the two had finally resolved something of their feelings for each other, or rather at the very least finally grown closer. I admit, I was happy for Lightning. I was less than happy for myself.

Velvet was spending her time alone, likely trying to figure out how she was going to approach me again. Rocky was also spending time away from me, which had led to my current state of despair. It really drove home what I had done to him. Even though I had been under the knife’s influence, I’d still attacked him, and despite the fact that his arm appeared to be healed I had no doubt in my mind that if I’d been able to, I would have gone farther than that. My experience with Xerves had taught me that much.

That left me in the company of Click. The robot scooted along by my side cheerfully, and I idly wondered whether it was really him or if Dusk was secretly watching me for any alterations to the timeline. Regardless, Click wasn’t acknowledging me, so I might as well have been walking alone.

Hours passed, and we soon moved from the rocky red ground we’d grown accustomed to onto what appeared to be fine sand. It stretched out for miles and miles, rising and falling dunes of the stuff. Very little outcroppings of rocks appeared on the horizon. There was one certainty to this place. It was definitely not Equestria.

“There isn’t much shelter out there. We’re going to have to be careful,” Lightning said, stepping forward. “Click and Velvet will watch our backs, while Rocky, Coconut, and Starry will take the core of the group. I will be flying above to scout ahead.”

I merely nodded. It was clear that since I’d been gone that my brother had stepped up a little and was actively taking charge. I wasn’t going to dispute that. I didn’t really have the right to do so, not after what I’d done. I wasn’t sure I would even be trusted to lead.

I fell in line behind Coconut and Rocky, slightly outpacing Velvet and Click while they cautiously took up the rear. Above us, Lightning flittered back and forth in the sky. The sun beat down upon us, bringing with it blistering heat. It was absolutely miserable. As we walked, occasionally Lightning would swoop back down and advise on some rock outcropping he’d seen here or there.

I became acutely aware of Coconut walking beside me after several long moments of silence. I said nothing, knowing that she would likely try to make the first move.

“Hey,” she said, proving my theory true. “You alright?”

“I’m… I’m fine,” I said sullenly. “A little warm, but I’m fine.”

Coconut grimaced and nodded. Silence fell upon us once again. It felt… awkward. Several more moments passed before she spoke again.

“Starry… you know nobody blames you for what happened, right?” she said.

I scowled. “I… I really don’t feel like talking about it, Coco. No offense, but I just… I need space.”

“We’ve given you plenty of space,” Coconut said, frowning. “You act like this is all your fault, but it’s not. That thing, it made you do what it wanted.”

“Coco…” I said. “Please… just… just drop it, alright? It’s not worth discussing any longer.”

Coconut growled under her breath. “Why not? You and I both know you won’t broach the subject. I saw what happened in there. You were happy to see us. What happened to that? We came for you because we care about you.”

“I… I know you did,” I said tersely. “And I really appreciate what… what you did. But, I’m just… I’m not ready yet, Coco. I’m not ready to talk about it all.”

Coconut sighed. “Alright, alright. I’m sorry. But you know… consider it? I’m always here. You know that. I’m not going anywhere. You’re my best friend, after all.”

“I… I know,” I said, trying to crack a smile. It didn’t come. Instead I likely looked like I might throw up.

With that, Coconut merely nodded and went back to her own business. I let a sigh of relief escape under my breath. I didn’t really want to talk about any of this at all, regardless of everyone’s incessant pandering. At the very least, it seemed like I wouldn’t have to worry about Rocky trying to approach me. He seemed content to keep his distance. I didn’t mind.

After what felt like forever, we crawled to a stop. Looking around, it didn’t seem like we’d made any headway whatsoever, despite being in the middle of nowhere without shelter. I felt like I could take two steps backwards and be right back in the Heartmender’s basement. The sun above had waned slightly, reducing the heat to a cool simmer.

“There’s a large outcropping miles out amidst a cluster of smaller rocks along the way, looks safe. Probably at least another day to get to the big one,” Lightning said as he landed next to us. “We’re going to run out of light soon.”

“We can’t keep going in the dark,” Velvet said. “Very few of us can see in the dark, and the light from Click would be enough to attract anything… unfriendly.”

“It’s settled then. We’ll make camp here and then proceed forward in the morning,” Lightning said.

“I’ll take first watch,” I said. “After we get the tent up, of course.”

Lightning nodded. “Alright. We’ll take turns watching camp. Anything happens, don’t hesitate to alert the others.”

I stood and watched the others scurry to unravel the tent from Click’s storage compartment. Apparently they’d found it in that town and taken it with them just in case. Within moments they’d had it set up, thanks to Velvet’s magic. I trotted over and propped myself up along the side of it while the others began setting up for the night.

The sun slowly began to dip further before it finally dissipated on the horizon. The only light came from the soft glow of my PipBuck. Even with it, I couldn’t see much of anything beyond the small circular area directly surrounding our camp. I shivered, pulling over my blanket. Without the sun around, the heat of the desert fled, leaving a night that had cooled down immensely.

Time set in. I sat there, listening and watching for anything, but there wasn’t even any wind blowing. Just… silence. There weren’t even bugs in this place. All I could hear was my own shuffling of my blanket. I wasn’t aware of how long I sat there before the tent rustled.

“You look cold,” Rocky’s gravelly voice echoed from beside me. He stood next to me, glaring out into the desert.

“Well, it is cold out here,” I said. “Probably want to cover up.”

“My internal systems keep my body at a constant temperature,” Rocky replied. “I have no need for covering.”

“I… I see,” I said, standing. I turned to the tent. “I guess I’ll leave you to it then.”

I started to open the cover for the tent before Rocky spoke, breaking the awkward silence that had fallen between us.

“Wait,” he said.

“What?” I asked, glancing back at him. “Did you need something?”

Rocky’s yellow eyes narrowed. He glanced down at the ground. “I owe you an apology. I… I was unaware of your feelings for me. What happened… with you and I… it must have been hard for you because of that.”

“I… I don’t want to talk about it,” I said angrily. “I keep telling everyone that, and nobody seems to want to fucking listen.”

“Just because you don’t want to doesn’t mean you don’t need to,” Rocky replied. “You didn’t deny my statement. You had feelings for me.”

I sighed heavily. “Yes.”

“And now?”

“I… I don’t know how I feel.”

“I see.”

“Look… I know that you guys are just… I know you’re trying to help,” I said, taking a deep breath. “But you can’t help what I did. I hurt you. I hurt the others. I killed Xerves, and even though I knew deep down he was bad and deserved it, he didn’t deserve to be executed by me. He should have been brought to justice for his crime.”

“You feel you are beyond redemption? That we cannot forgive you?” Rocky asked.

“I feel like even though I got rid of that fucking knife, it left its mark on me. I can’t feel anything positive,” I said. “No matter what happens now, that thing will always be a part of me. What I did while it controlled me? I let it do those things. That was me.”

“Are you certain?”

“Am I…? Really? I know what I did, what I let it do,” I said, my eyes widening and my anger rising up into my voice. “And while I appreciate your concern, I’m not worth the effort. Not anymore.”

“You are,” Rocky said softly. “I… admit that I was unaware of your feelings, but that does not mean I did not feel the same for you. Even when you attacked--”

“Don’t,” I said, cutting him off. “Don’t tell me for one second that you loved me, because if you did… it would just hurt more. I’m already in enough pain.”

Rocky paused for a moment, taken aback. “Alright,” he finally said. “What would you have me do then? Sit idly by while a friend is in pain? I thought that our presence in your mind would have allowed you to understand that all of us care about you.”

“I’ve… I’ve regretted it ever since,” I said with a sigh. “Ever since I woke up… I can’t feel love, I can’t feel hope. I rid myself of All’z’reth, but it… it took something from me. I can’t explain it.”

“I see,” Rocky said, his eyes narrowing. “I… I do not have much experience with these things. Believe me when I say, that we are only trying to help you, Starry.”

I grimaced. “I… I know,” I said. “I… I wish you could help me. But I’m not worth it. I’m not worth the effort. Now, I’m going to go get some sleep. If you’ll excuse me.”

I moved to turn to go back into the tent when I heard a noise that was definitively not Rocky moving around. I turned back and glanced at the minotaur. His eyes indicated he’d heard it too.

“What was that?” he asked.

“I don’t know,” I said, peering into the darkness.

The noise occurred again, a skittering sound followed by the desert moving beneath us slightly. My eyes widened as I looked down. Whatever it was, it was massive. I felt the earth shake and shiver all around us.

“Um, I think we should wake the others,” I said.

A dune broke just ten feet away from the tent. A giant creature with far too many skittering legs and giant mandibles rose above us. It was scaled and golden like the color of the desert sand, and its snake-like body extended deep into the ground below it. It roared loudly.

“I think running would be a better option,” Rocky said. “Wake the others, hurry!”

I opened the tent to reveal groggy ponies struggling to gather gear. A second roar made explanation unnecessary as we all piled out of the tent.

“What the hell is that thing?” Lightning said.

“I don’t know, but we need to run,” I said. “In the direction of the rocks, quickly.”

“What about the tent?” Coconut asked.

“Leave it, no time to take it down,” Lightning replied.

I followed the others outside of the tent as the creature lunged at it, smashing it to pieces beside us. It howled almost as if it were frustrated.

“Run! I will hold the creature off!” Rocky shouted. “Go!”

The others began to start off towards the west while the creature began to rise again from having destroyed the tent. I grimaced and started to go with them before stopping and returning to Rocky’s side.

“What are you doing? I said, run!” Rocky yelled at me.

“I’m not letting this thing kill you,” I said. “You… you’re my friend. And you need the help.”

Rocky’s eyes narrowed. “Fine. You can help. Any ideas then on how to kill it?”

Before I could respond the monstrous wurm-like beast lunged towards us, meeting the savage claws of my minotaur friend. Cybernetics clashed against hard carapace as the two beasts fought. The monster latched onto Rocky with its many legs, trying to pull him apart as the two mandibles lowered to clamp down upon him.

“Hey! Let him go!” I shouted, sending a blast of telekinetic energy at the thing’s face, or at least what I assumed was its face.

It roared as the magic struck it, startling it just enough to drop Rocky. The minotaur landed on his feet, jumping back to barely miss getting struck by a lashing leg. The beast shrieked at its failure and shot forward again once more, this time smashing right into a sand dune as Rocky dove out of the way. It emerged once more, rising into the air, but not immediately attacking. Instead it hovered there for a moment, turning back and forth as if listening. I blinked.

It can’t see us, cuz we’re not moving, I thought. It’s blind… An idea formed in my mind.

Rocky snarled and the wurm creature dove at him, once more taking a sand nap as it soared past him and into the ground below.

“We can’t keep dodging it, it doesn’t even seem to be getting tired!” Rocky shouted. “We have to do something!”

“Hold still! I have an idea!” I shouted back.

I glanced around as the form of the massive wurm began to lift out of the sand once more. I grimaced, pulling up the remains of the tent with my magic. I lifted it up and shook it like it was some form of treat, ensuring that the metal shook about to make it noisy and loud.

“Come on, take the bait. Look at it,” I muttered under my breath. “Here boy, here boy!”

The wurm seemed to pause, almost as if it were studying the lump of fabric and metal that had been the tent. It followed it as I levitated it away from us.

“That’s right… go get the treat,” I said, tossing the remains as far as my magic would let me.

The wurm eagerly dove after the crumpled remains of the tent, completely ignoring myself and Rocky in its fervor to devour it. I blinked and glanced at Rocky.

“I think perhaps we should use this opportunity wisely,” I said.

“I think perhaps you are right,” he replied.

We turned and started running, heading in the same direction that the others had gone. In the darkness I couldn’t see where they were or where they were going. I had to trust that Rocky’s vision was good enough to see them.

“Do you think he’s coming back for us yet?” I asked.

A roar in the distance told me that it had probably devoured the remains of the tent and was unsatisfied at the meal.

“If he wasn’t, he is now,” Rocky said. “There is a small outcropping of rocks not far from here. The others are there. I can pick up Lightning’s PipBuck signal from here.”

I glanced back, trying to see anything in the dark desert, but I couldn’t even see if the monstrous wurm was gaining on us yet or not. I turned back as Rocky veered off to the left, a black form settling in my vision. I could see light, a PipBuck light in front of me.

“Over here!” I heard Lightning shout.

We scrambled onto the rock as the creature roared loudly behind us. It burst out of the ground just feet away from the outcropping.

“Turn the light off!” I hissed.

Lightning fumbled with his PipBuck, shutting the light down. The wurm hovered there for several long, agonizing moments before it subsided back into the sand below. I waited for another moment before letting out a sigh.

“Is everyone alright?” Lightning said quietly.

“Shaken, but okay,” Velvet replied in the darkness. “Click is alright too. He’s lucky he’s got treads.”

“I’m fine. How in the heck did you two manage to get away from that thing?” Coconut said, addressing Rocky and me.

“Starry threw the tent,” Rocky said.

“I kind of noticed that it wasn’t attacking when Rocky and I were standing still,” I said. “I guess it can’t see you if you’re not moving.”

“Weird…” Lightning said. “Well, I guess we’ll have to wait out the night here. How are we on supplies? What did we lose in the attack?”

“I managed to grab some medical stuff, but some of the food may have been left behind,” Coconut said, frowning.

“Great…” Lightning said with a sigh. “We’re going to have to make it to that large outcropping in the morning and hope that thing is nocturnal.”

Morning arrived, and none of us felt very happy to see it. With little supplies left and barely any food, combined with the possible threat of giant wurm attack, none of us had slept very well at all. Although we were notably closer to the large outcropping of rock, we knew that we had to make it there that day to have any chance of survival.

The sun wasted no time in swelling up into the sky, the heat pouring from the sky and radiating from the sand as we trudged forward. What little water we had left was divvied up already. We only had hope for what we would find at the rocks.

By mid day I could see the rocks closer on the horizon. My eyes widened. The rock outcropping was much larger than I think Lightning had been able to see. It was almost like a large valley leading upwards into a massive cavern. The desert stretched on for miles around it. The closer we got, the more I felt. I was feeling the opposite of what moving away from the knife. As we drew nearer to the massive stone, I could feel a warm steadiness. I was increasingly confident that something awaited us there that would help us on the rest of our journey.

Hours passed and we finally slowly were feet away from the edge of the rocks. We had thankfully yet to see another of the wurm-like creatures, confirming Lightning’s hypothesis that it or them were nocturnal in nature. As we approached the rock, the heat of the day began to break up slightly, a small breeze washing over us.

“Holy cow…” Velvet said from the rear. “Never thought I’d be so happy to feel the fucking wind.”

“You and me both,” Coconut said, wiping sweat from her brow. She was carrying most of the pieces of power armor that came off her frame strapped to her back to try and cut down on the amount of heat she had been experiencing. Her visor and helmet rode slung along her shoulder. “It’s almost as if the sun was actively trying to murder us.”

“It’s a little odd though that there is suddenly a breeze,” Lightning said. “We should investigate this place and see if there’s any water, or something that we can use to hydrate ourselves.”

We started up the rocky path that led towards the center of the outcropping. As we walked the beating sun dropped away completely, killing the heat entirely. We all breathed sighs of relief as we let the cool breeze wash over us. We emerged out of the path into an incredible sight.

Trees. Trees everywhere. Leafy green trees that were lush and full of life. They stretched out for what seemed like forever across the rocky plateau, creating a natural canopy that repelled the sun above.

“Holy…” Coconut said.

“CLICK.”

“You said it, buddy,” Velvet breathed out next to him. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen so much green.”

“How in the heck could I not see this from the air?” Lightning said, frowning. “I feel like I should have been able to see these.”

“You would not have been able to see our trees, pegasus,” a voice said, causing our attention to divert across the path.

Standing in the clearing was an earth stallion, his crimson body marked by several tribal tattoos. Around him stood several other ponies of various races, each of them also covered in tattoos. The stallion leaned with a staff next to him.

“Who… who are you?” Lightning asked.

“We are but mere pilgrims, here for the Great One, the source of this growth that has become our home,” the stallion replied calmly. “You are travelers through this area, yes?”

“We are,” Coconut said. “Do you have any food? Any water? Our supplies took a massive hit last night. Our camp was attacked by a monster.”

“Yes… the sandwurms. Vicious creatures,” the stallion said. “Of course we can assist you with food and water. Come. I am Kephali, chief of the tribe of the Great One. We live here in this oasis.”

“Who is this Great One?” I asked aloud, raising an eyebrow.

Kephali grinned widely. “I will let him explain that to you. I will take you to meet him once you are fed and hydrated.”

I glanced at Lightning who merely shrugged. He took a step forward and bowed to Kephali.

“We accept your invitation,” he said. “The food and the water and the extra supplies will greatly aid us in our journey.”

“Excellent. Then come. If you wish, you may leave your mechanical here. The coolness of this part of the valley will keep it safe and sound,” Kephali said.

“CLICK!”

“That’s right, big guy. You get to hang out here for a bit,” Velvet said, patting the robot on the side.

We started walking behind Kephali, flanked on each side by the other tribal ponies. I couldn’t help but feel like we had been somehow kidnapped, but yet I couldn’t really feel any negativity from the others. In fact, they seemed friendly enough.

Kephali led us downwards to another section of the oasis, covered with vegetation. As we approached, it became clear that these ponies were actually living here. I could see tiny woven huts, children, gardens. In the center, a great well spring overflowing with cold crisp water.

“Come. Drink. Sit at the table and eat. I shall have your provisions stocked while we speak,” Kephali said, motioning to a simple table in front of the well spring.

I shuffled uncomfortably behind the others as we made our way to the table. I sat down, my eyes watching as several of the tribal ponies carted out plates of food for us. Fresh fruit, vegetables, nuts. I eagerly dug in as Kephali sat at the head of the table.

“You have come a long way. Your clothing suggests so,” he said.

“We’re from Equestria,” Lightning replied. “A city there named Chicacolt. Do you know where we are?”

“Equestria? You crossed through the Badlands safely? Many creatures die there,” Kephali said. “I am impressed. This place is known as the Great Desert. It is a place that not much life can thrive in, which is why we are grateful for the Great One and this oasis.”

“This Great One created this place?” Coconut asked.

“Yes, he is responsible for the lush growth, the food we eat, the water we drink. We owe him our lives,” Kephali said.

“How did… How did you even end up out here in the first place?” I asked, speaking up for the first time. “You didn’t come from Equestria, right?”

“No… our home is across the other side of the Great Desert. We were outcasts, exiled from our home. We were on the brink of death when we found this place,” Kephali replied. “As time went on, others joined us. We have become like family. And what of you? Why are you traveling across this place?”

“We’re searching for somepony,” Lightning said, motioning to me. “Somepony who can help our mother. She’s… she’s not well. Only this pony’s magic can save her.”

“Interesting. And you believe this pony came across this desert?” Kephali asked.

“We have a voice recording. It indicated that she was heading west,” I said. “She’s a pegasus named Heartshine.”

“I am sorry, I am not familiar with such a name. If a pony by that name came here, then I would have been aware. However, perhaps the Great One would be able to provide some insight,” Kephali said. “I believe it is time that we met with him. Come.”

He stood, motioning for us to follow him. I glanced down at my plate and took a final bite of my lettuce and strawberries before getting up myself. My body felt… refreshed. It had never really experienced fresh food before. I’d always had the scraps of the pre-war world. It was… good.

Kephali led us down away from the wellspring, delving even further downwards to the center of the oasis. The lush growth was even greater here, nearly eclipsing the path. It led to a massive cave door. Just past it was a grove filled with even more lush foliage, but the centerpiece of the place was the massive tree that sat in the middle.

As we neared the tree, I kept expecting to see a pony of some sort walking around, this Great One they referred to. However, I saw nothing. I glanced up at the tree and my eyes widened.

Embedded in the center of the tree, covered head to hoof in bark and roots was a pony. His eyes flashed open and he looked down at us. His eyes were sullen and dark. His body was withered, decrepit. A ghoul? I thought.

“Kephali?” the pony said, his voice throaty and raw. “Who is this before me?”

“Visitors, Great One. They seek your guidance. They are searching for somepony, perhaps you might be able to help them,” Kephali said.

“Leave us. I will speak to them in private,” the pony said, croaking. “Just the pegasus and the unicorn.”

“As you wish, Great One,” Kephali said. “The rest of you may follow me. We shall make sure your provisions are ready to go.” He moved toward the entrance to the grove.

“You two will be alright?” Coconut said, looking pensive.

“We’ll be fine,” Lightning said. “Go on, go check on our gear. We’ll be there soon.”

Coconut nodded as the others followed behind Kephali. Within moments they had disappeared from the grove.

The pony in the tree wheezed for a few long seconds before adjusting his head to see us better. “You come from Equestria? You come to help me?”

“Help you? We came to get your help?” Lightning said. “What is it you need help with?”

“I… I am trapped. This tree… it wasn’t always like this. My body wasn’t… wasn’t always like this,” the Great One said. “I was a real pony once. My name was Grass Roots.”

“How did… how did this happen?” I asked. “What are you? A ghoul?”

“I… I don’t know. It has been so long, that even I do not recall what led to this state. My friend Orville has been with me for as long as I can possibly remember,” the pony in the tree said. “Perhaps he knows.”

“Orville? Are you… talking about the tree?” Lightning asked.

“Yes… Orville… yes. Always here, always present. Always whispering. He tells me things. He told me about you two. Searching for a way to save your mother,” Grass Roots replied.

“How did…?” I started to ask. “You heard us talking to Kephali.”

“I can see far. My roots let me witness things normal ponies cannot,” Grass Roots wheezed. “I saw and listened to you. I believe you understand me… My plight. In turn… I might be able to help you.”

“Explain,” Lightning said.

“I am… Old. So old. I cannot even remember my old life. I don’t even remember how Orville and I came to be. I know that I have been stuck this way for a very, very long time,” the pony in the tree said. “I beg you to end my suffering. I am in pain. I cannot bear to live, but Orville… he keeps me alive.”

My eyes widened. “You are asking that we… that we kill you.”

“Wait, what? Why would we…? Don’t you provide food for these ponies that live here? Shelter?” Lightning said.

“These ponies… They are misguided. They think I am some great pony. They do not see my pain. They only see what benefits them,” Grass Roots said, coughing. “They are selfish.”

“The plants in this place. The trees. The ponies said you provide them. They all grow from you,” I said, grimacing.

“Yes… a side effect of the mutation…” the tree pony replied. “Once I am dead there would be no more new growth. Everything would die.”

“Why would we even consider doing this? What you’re talking about… It would not only be murder, but it would be genocide,” Lightning said. “There’s nothing you can possibly say that would--”

“I know this pony you seek,” Grass Roots said, interrupting Lightning. “I know this Heartmender. I know where she’s gone.”

“What? You know Heartshine? How?” I said, my eyes widening.

“I met her long ago. She offered to attempt to heal my condition. Mine is not a condition traditional magic can solve. She was unwilling to assist me in a greater capacity,” Grass Roots said. “She left. This happened before the others arrived.”

I shared a glance with Lightning. A definitive lead to save Mom, right in front of us, and the only way to obtain it was to agree to… To kill this… This thing. A pony who wanted to die, to be granted mercy. I found myself able to somehow sympathize with him. I wanted mercy as well. I wanted to be trusted again, but I knew that it was futile.

Lightning’s gaze told me not to even consider it. I grimaced and looked up at Grass Roots.

“Do we have to decide now?” I asked.

“What? You’re actually considering…” Lightning said.

“We need to rest,” I said. “I say we sleep on it, and discuss it with the others. This is a real legitimate lead to Heartshine. We have to consider our options.”

“I… I can’t believe you’re even…” Lightning said, sighing loudly.

“You do not… Have to decide now,” Grass Roots said. “Rest… And give me your answer later. I beseech you to make the correct decision.”

“Thank you,” I said simply. “For allowing us to stay here and rest. Come on, Lightning. We should return to the others and make sure our supplies are good.”

I strode past my brother, his face contorted in an expression of disappointment. He shook his head and started walking after me. After a few moments he’d caught up to me. Once we had exited the grove, he spoke.

“You can’t be serious,” he whispered. “That… that pony in there is crazy. These ponies depend on this place to live.”

“You heard him. He’s in pain, Lightning. These ponies don’t even see that. They laud him as their Great One, something to be worshipped,” I argued.

“It would be murder,” Lightning hissed. “Did you already forget what happened with Xerves?”

I stopped cold, staring at him. The blood drained out of my face. Of course I hadn’t forgotten. It was still fresh in mind, every time I closed my eyes. I could still see his eyes as I rammed the knife into his skull, feel the blood on my coat as I ran the jagged weapon through his neck. I could see his head lying on the ground.

I turned and kept walking. I heard Lightning curse under his breath.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “I didn’t mean…”

“Didn’t mean to what? Just fucking say it, Lightning,” I said. “I know how you feel about it. You all do it. You all look at me like I’m a fucking monster, that you think I need your help. You don’t think I know how badly I messed up?”

“I... “

“Just… Just leave me alone. We have more important things to deal with, and I don’t really need this shit right now,” I said angrily. “You wanna play like everything is happy and hunky-dory, but you’re too fucking blind to realize that it isn’t. Everyone has tried approaching me already, even Rocky, which surprised the holy living fuck out of me. You all don’t seem to realize that I just want to be left the fuck alone.”

Lightning grimaced. “Alright,” he said softly. “I’m sorry. I was just…”

“So help me Luna if you say you were just trying to help, I will punch you,” I said, taking a deep breath. “I get it, you know. You all care for me, otherwise you wouldn’t have done what you did for me. But… realizing everything I did under All’z’reth’s control? Along with finding out about Dad? That’s gonna take time for me to process, and all you guys are doing is making it worse by continually reminding me of my fuckups.”

Lightning nodded. “We should probably get back to the others then. We’ll talk more about Grass Roots with them.”

He marched past me, hanging his head. I sighed again deeply and followed behind him. I’d understood that he and the others truly did care for me, but I found it harder and harder to feel just about anything. No matter what I did, I just felt… Angry.

We walked in silence as several of the tribal ponies guided us towards where the others were staying. As we approached them, Kephali perked up and noticed us.

“Ah, you have returned,” he said. “Your audience with the Great One went well, I take it?”

“You could say that,” Lightning said, glancing at me furtively. “We are going to stay the night and rest, and then be on our way in the morning.”

“Of course. We have a hut set aside for you,” Kephali said. “I will send for your robot to be brought down to you.”

“Thank you for your kindness. It’s… refreshing,” Lightning said. “Our journey has been long, and you are the first ponies we’ve come across really that haven’t wanted to kill us.”

“You are most welcome,” Kephali said, an eager grin on his face. “Now come, come. I will show you to your hut.”

We followed behind Kephali for another few feet until we found ourselves at a simple hut. It was empty of everything except for several beds that had been shoved inside. Kephali bid us good night and then walked off, his tribal ponies following behind him, while the others entered the hut and began setting up for the night. I went into the corner and began setting up my own bed while the others spoke.

“So… what was the Great One like?” Coconut asked. “You two didn’t say much on the way here.”

Lightning grimaced. “The Great One is a mutation, a pony named Grass Roots. He’s causing the growth here in this place. He says he knows where the Heartmender went.”

“Did he tell you where?” Velvet asked.

“No. He… He had a request that he asked us to fulfill in order to acquire that information,” Lightning said. “But I… I don’t think we can do it.”

“What was it? It can’t be that bad,” Coconut said.

“He asked us to kill him. He claims that his condition is causing him immense pain and that he has lived an incredibly long time like this,” Lightning said. “He’s asking for this in return for the location of Heartshine.”

The others gawked. The first one to speak was Rocky, surprisingly enough.

“What happens if this creature dies?” he asked.

“Likely the plant growth in this place does too, if he’s connected to all of it,” Lightning said. “The ponies that live here would no longer be able to rely on the food, the water that his growth provides.”

“We’d doom them,” Velvet said. “Then what are we going to do? Is there any other way we could get that information? I’m not sure I like the idea of dooming an entire tribe of ponies to starvation and the heat of the desert over this.”

“I… I don’t know,” Lightning said. “I told him we’d have an answer for him before we left. That we would sleep on it and discuss it as a group.”

I grimaced, glancing down at my bed. I slumped into it while the others argued and talked. I had no real place in their discussion. At some point, Click arrived in the care of several tribals, quelling the argument until they left. I sighed and opened my pack. Just inside was the memory orb I’d pulled from the bunker. I glanced back up at the others before igniting my horn and reaching out to it with my magic. The world fell away in a blur.

My host hurried down the hallway. I recognized it from the last memory orb. It was the same hallway that had belonged to Starlight Glimmer. The familiar door with the equal sign on it sat at the end.

Instead of knocking however, my host frantically pushed open the door and walked in, taking a seat at the empty desk. A blue glow illuminated the room as she turned on her desk lamp and clicked her intercom.

“Miss Belle, I am to have a guest soon. Please make sure she is allowed back to see me,” my host said.

“Of course, Madam Glimmer,” a female pony’s voice echoed from the speaker.

My host clicked off the device and slumped back into her seat. She twiddled her hooves, apparently nervous about something. After several seconds, she sat forward as the intercom clicked on again.

“Miss Belle, also… could you perhaps bring me back some tea? I’m feeling… ill,” she said.

“I’ll have some sent back, Madam,” the female pony replied.

“Thank you. You’re too kind,” my host said.

“So, you like tea, Glim Glam?” a voice said from across the desk.

My host nearly jumped out of her seat as she quickly ascertained that she wasn’t alone in the room. I found myself blinking as well. She had been alone when she entered the office, right? My host’s eyes focused in the darkness on a pink mare sitting in the seat across the desk. A mare whose face I’d seen in numerous advertisements around Theater.

“Pinkie Pie, I’ve been expecting you,” my host said, her voice sickly sweet. “My receptionist didn’t warn me you were already on your way back.”

“She doesn’t know I’m here. I skipped past her,” Pinkie said casually, looking down at an outstretched hoof. “You know why I’m here, don’t you?”

“Crystal Clear,” my host said with a cough.

“Crystal Clear,” Pinkie repeated. “I want to know why you sent her to my Ministry. She’s not a bad pony at all, and yet… We caught her trying to break into a top secret facility that’s only supposed to be known to exist by myself and a select few.”

“Not as select as you’d like it to be,” my host replied. “I’ve had spies in your Ministry from the get go, Pinkie. Didn’t you know this?”

“I was fairly sure I’d weeded them all out,” Pinkie said. “What do you want, Starlight? Why are you trying to get into my facility?”

“Advanced memory transmutation magic,” my host said without skipping a beat. “The ability to overwrite a pony’s memories with whatever you desire. I will admit… That level of power sounds like it would be much more attractive in my hooves than yours.”

“That’s classified information,” Pinkie said. “Why?”

“Equality of course,” my host replied. “When all of Equestria is equalized, then nopony will argue or fight. It will end the war.”

“That sounds like treason,” Pinkie said with a grimace. “Princess Luna would be very interested to know what you’re doing here.”

“Oh pish posh. Princess Luna has far too much on her hooves to even worry about little old me,” my host sad, tittering. “I don’t think she will even listen to the words of a drug-addicted, mentally crazed lunatic such as yourself.”

“I’M NOT CRAZY!” Pinkie shouted angrily. “And Luna will listen. Your pony will give you up. We have ways of making ponies talk.”

“Mmm… Yes I am aware of this. But you won’t get Crystal Clear to do anything against me, because she simply can’t. By signing a contract for Equality Incorporated, she magically signed a binding spell that makes it so she physically cannot speak about the company she works for and her who her employer is,” my host explained. “You have nothing but a domestic terrorist who attempted to break into a secure M.O.M. facility.”

“And what if I tell Luna what you just told me? Huh?”

“Oh, Pinkie Pie. Do you really think I didn’t plan for this eventuality? I wanted you to come see me. So we could discuss the finer details of how you’re going to spin this to the media,” my host said.

Pinkie’s ears contorted, indicating a measure of confusion. “What do you mean?”

“Well, I know you’re on the outs with Twilight, for starters. Public perception is that you’re a psychotic lunatic who’s on witch hunts against innocent lives. But a real valid domestic terrorist? Well, that would certainly put a positive spin on your Ministry, wouldn’t it?”

“I… I guess,” Pinkie replied. “Why? What’s the angle?”

“Mmmm… I figured you would ask that. I want some of that technology you’re developing in that facility,” my host said. “Just a smidge of it. You give me that, you get Crystal Clear and you get a public that doesn’t outright fear you. It’s win win, really.”

“Not so win win for your pony on the inside,” Pinkie Pie said. “I’d have figured you’d have begged for her life to be spared.”

“Oh, please. Execute her if you must. I have her filly in a secure location. She’s already undergoing the reprogramming necessary to become a very effective replacement for her mother,” my host said.

There was a knock at the doorway. My host lifted her hoof and beckoned for the mare to enter. A pale pink unicorn walked inside, carrying a tray of tea and muffins along in the air with her magic.

“Your tea, Madam Glimmer? For you and your guest?”

“Thank you, Sugar Belle. You may set it here and then leave us,” my host said.

The unicorn nodded, setting the tray on the table. She turned and exited the room, closing the door behind her. My host smiled, lifting the two cups of tea and placing one in front of Pinkie Pie.

“Fine,” the pink mare said after taking a long sip of the tea. “But how will we make this exchange?”

“You go on public record, denouncing Crystal Clear’s crimes against society. Show the ponies of Equestria that we will not tolerate zebra sympathizers, and show them the proof that she was working to bring down the regime from within,” my host explained. “My ponies will be in contact with your Ministry to set up the transfer of the technology.”

Pinkie grimaced. “You’re dangerous, Starlight Glimmer.”

“Oh you have no idea.”

I stirred awake out of the memory orb to darkness and silence. It seemed that the others were sleeping already. The coolness of the night’s breeze wafted across me from the window. I shuffled out of bed and made my way outside. There was no sign of the tribal ponies anywhere. They must have gone to sleep as well.

I kept racking my brain, trying to figure out what these memory orbs meant. The two I had seen were both about the same pony, this Starlight Glimmer character. She’d seemed to be evil, but her motives were very unclear. What didn’t make much sense was why a second orb had been in the bunker we’d found Heartshine’s message in. How did it travel that far away from the first one? Were there more?

I became acutely aware of a low humming sound next to me. I looked up to see Click standing next to me, the visage of Dusk in his monitor. I groaned audibly.

“Please don’t tell me you’ve come to try and talk to me about how sorry you are and how much you care about me,” I said.

Dusk chuckled slightly. “No, I’m not here about that. I was slightly wondering how you were holding up, but it seems like that’s a taboo topic.”

“I’m… I’m fine. But can I… Can I ask you something? Do you think it’s possible if All’z’reth did something to me? The others… They’re trying, but they won’t leave me alone and all it’s done is made so incredibly angry. Angrier than I’ve ever felt in my life. I literally shouted down my own brother. I just… I feel broken and wrong.”

“Hard to say,” Dusk replied. “All’z’reth left its mark on you, and left you with memories of nothing but pain, hurt, and regret. Learning how to get past those memories is up to you, really.”

“I… I see,” I said. “So what else did you need?”

“I have been going over my notes on this timeline, and there’s something that doesn’t make sense. That town that you found Xerves in. It existed in the version of the timeline where your father… Survived,” Dusk said. “I found some information on it. Hope Junction. A waypoint for travelers heading back and forth from the Great Desert.”

“So… In our version of the timeline, the town was reduced to rubble,” I said. “Why is that so special?”

“I couldn’t find any information in our notes as to why the town suddenly vanished,” Dusk said. “It… It gives me a bad feeling about all of this. The extent of what all changed in this timeline isn’t readily apparent, but I worry that whatever causes the war... “

“You’re worried that it caused that town to be destroyed? Heartshine’s message said something about raiders,” I said.

“Did that look like anything a raider could or would do to you? There were no disemboweled heads. No spikes. No… That town wasn’t destroyed by raiders,” Dusk replied.

“So what was it destroyed by then?”

“That is the real question, isn’t it? I have my suspicions, but I’m still sorting through my notes to verify them.”

“What causes this war? Who instigates it? You were incredibly vague about that piece,” I said.

Dusk turned grim. “I can’t. It’s… It’s too much to even think about the possibility that it will happen again.”

“But if we know… Then can’t we prevent it from happening?”

“No, that would be impossible,” Dusk said. “If we know too much about our future, time… time figures out a way to make it true.”

“But you know, right? What makes you so special?” I asked.

“I don’t even know my own future, Starry. I only know what I’ve experienced and what I’ve went back to. I don’t know anything past the War. As far as I know, there is nothing past the War,” Dusk said.

I sighed and turned to look back at the lush growth surrounding us. “I have a question,” I said.

“Go on.”

“The ponies here… They extoll the virtues of their Great One. They praise and worship him like he is some sort of god. But he’s not. He’s a pony, just like them. A pony who’s in pain.”

“Yes… I overheard your friends speaking about this,” Dusk said.

“What would you do? The ponies here feel false love for him. They don’t even see the pain he’s in. Is there any amount of empathy in being merciful?” I asked.

“I’m no philosopher, Starry, so I can’t quite tell you what to do here. The others have loosely decided to continue westward in the morning, but if this pony has a location lead on the Heartmender… Perhaps speaking to him again could convince him to part with that information. There’s always a way,” Dusk said.

I grimaced before cracking a tiny smile. “Maybe I will do that. Thanks, Dusk. For you know… Not being crappy. I appreciate it.”

“You’re… You’re welcome,” Dusk replied. “Time heals all wounds. That’s one thing I have learned from all of this. But there are some wounds, time alone cannot heal. Sometimes, we need our friends to heal to. Time will help guide you to that point.”

“I… I hope so. I’m… I’m gonna go speak to the Great One now, I think. Good night, Dusk,” I said, starting down the familiar path heading back to the grove.

“Good night, Starry.”

I turned and began walking, staying quiet as I could as I neared the location of the Great One’s grove. I saw none of the tribal ponies, not even Kephali. Breathing a sigh of relief, I approached the entrance to the grove. I walked down the tunnel, considering what it was I had come to do.

The others were fools. They didn’t see the pain, didn’t understand how it was hurting Grass Roots. The tribal ponies meant well, but they wouldn’t do what was necessary. It was long past time talking about things. Decisive action needed to be taken here.

As I walked, I wasn’t sure why I felt these things. I’d been vastly unable to connect back to the others empathically since my experience with All’z’reth, and yet here I was thinking about Grass Roots in a familiar, almost intimate fashion. Was I really feeling something here?

Are you really? Or are you going to do it just because you want to? I thought to myself.

I grimaced. Had All’z’reth really tainted me in leaving me? A final ‘fuck you’ to really screw me over? When I tried to feel, I felt nothing. But when I had seen Grass Roots… all I felt was disgust. Yes, that is the feeling. I felt disgusted that the tribal ponies would take such advantage of him. But also… I felt disgusted that Grass Roots existed, disgusted that he could speak. In truth, I didn’t feel anything positive towards him at all. All I felt… was hatred.

“Hello…?” the tree pony’s croaking, gravelly voice said. “Who is it?”

“It’s me,” I said softly.

“The unicorn outsider,” Grass Roots replied. “Why are you here?”

I bit my lip. “I’ve come to accept your offer. Tell me where the Heartmender went,” I said.

“I see… and you will hold to your end of this bargain?” Grass Roots said, croaking loudly.

“Yes. I’ll do it,” I said, my horn igniting. A soft grin formed on my face. “I’ll end your pain.”

Author's Notes:

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