So there we were, facing an adventure whose accomplishment nopony in Ponyville or beyond would have ever deemed possible for two standard mares as utterly conventional as us. After all, there was at least one of us (not me, but one of the two) seemingly always just fading into the background. Someone of whom nopony else would have ever expected any act of greatness. Apart from the ones she already accomplished, but you know...details. So now it was her who would make up about half the most important rescue party in this country's history. A duo to embark on the greatest quest to set full sail for an unknown destiny, plunder lots of precious booty (optional), meet a ton of cutesy friends along the way, and eventually save the world.

Our eyes were gleaming faced with the task lying ahead of us, seeking danger, fun, and all that goes along with it. Only the one thing that truly mattered constantly spurred us on with every beat of our hearts: Reach out beyond anything we could imagine for this greater cause. Up, up, and away! Till we shall meet the one, mythical spot, where heaven and earth touch to become one. The spot at which we could fulfill our destiny and seal this world's fate before any more calamity should strike it.

Shortly put, I had no idea what I was doing.

As we left Fluttershy's cottage behind us for good, the two of us started trotting down the small path leading from it, and headed towards central Ponyville. Our goal was clearly defined. We needed to reach the one place of knowledge and wisdom in our hometown, which also just so happened to be Twilight's home. And here, we expected to find some answers. Or I did, to say the least. I suppose that should be sufficient for starters.

That being said, I quickly started leading the way, while bouncing up and down on the roadside. I couldn't think of any happy tune that I'd usually hum to myself along the way, so that bit needed to be cut from the routine for once. Apart from that little inconvenience though, I kept being my cheerful self as always. And all the while, for some reason, Fluttershy didn't seem to approve. There was no way for me to tell what was off about her, but apparently something still heavily rested on her mind.

She continued to quietly walk the streets in my wake, looking down at the ground most of the time, with a constant frown plastered upon her face. Hadn't it been for the sheer grimness of her expression, I'd have expected her to break into tears at any moment. But as far as I could tell, this wasn't the sad and desperate kind of frown. It made her look more like someone who felt genuinely frustrated with their situation, a sense of annoyance constantly dangling over her head like a small, dark-grayish storm cloud.

I have to admit, even my own enthusiasm wasn't fully genuine the entire time. I had to fake the better part of my current mood, trying to provide an image of myself more positive than I currently was. It didn't exactly comply with any sense of honesty I felt, but then again, I wasn't AJ. And I had my reasons to do so. They were pure and simple. I needed to keep my own positivity radiating around myself, wouldn't I want to see the already established parts of my plan crumble to dust once again. Fluttershy wouldn't buy any of my stories, if Pinkie Pie of all ponies suddenly became just as glum as she herself kept acting. Not that she did believe me in the first place - she'd made that point pretty clear - but I wouldn't want to lessen my chances of ever getting through to her either.

Words can't even describe how much of a relief it had been when I first managed to convince my pegasus friend of coming along to the library. For a few minutes, everything seemed to unfold just wonderfully. I was so shortsighted, as well as drunk on my own joy of success, for a while I didn't even realize how completely ridiculous that entire plan actually sounded. And that probably none of this would work out at all. Basically, we'd go over to Twilight's place...then what? Even if we found a map, I'd never be able to locate some kind of location if I couldn't even get at least an idea without its help. My Pinkie Sense just doesn't work that way.

Then again, hadn't Celestia also described how my senses would just let me know what's up? I usually don't even have to ask my Pinkie Sense about what's going to happen, let alone approach it in any way...if that's a good way to say it. Assuming, for example, a flowerpot falling to the ground somewhere near me, or some sort of similar event that's bound to happen. If anything of the sort ever happened, I wouldn't even have to ask for any concerning information, I'd just know. Immediately. So why didn't it work this time around? I mean, it hadn't before, but something was supposed to be different, now. And yet, I somehow still felt like my old self...pretty much like I always had.

All things considered, there really weren't that many possibilities on why things didn't work out the way I needed them to. My research techniques might not be as effective as the ones Twilight used, mostly because I never really cared for catching up with her on that subject. But if I wasn't mistaken, there were exactly two facts about this entire business that I knew for sure. First: Celestia told me my Pinkie Sense would inevitably lead me to some kind of secret location. Second: It didn't actually do so. That was kind of a problem, if you think about it.

So where was the issue, and why didn't those two facts cooperate properly? All the evidence pointed to some kind of mistake on Celestia's part. But that couldn't be, how would that possibly make any sense? A single flaw staining Celestia's white wings could have a devastating impact on her image and credibility. One, which I simply didn't think possible. Because it would mean the princesses were wrong. And that just didn't sound right.

The princesses don't make mistakes, no matter what state they're currently in. And both of them sounded confident enough with every detail of the task they gave me. Could it be that it was me who took a wrong turn somewhere? But where would that be? I hadn't returned to the land of the living for more than a few hours, and all I did so far was talk to a friend, then take a quick walk across town. Even in case I wasn't supposed to do that, it couldn't possibly get me this far off topic now, could it?

Then again, if the princesses didn't make any mistakes, and I didn't either...there really weren't that many solutions I could still squeeze anything out of. And the most probable one that still remained did in fact scare me more intensely than anything else that happened during these past few days. The option according to which Celestia had actually been lying to me.

That couldn't be it, either. Why would she do that? And for who's own good? The very thought by itself didn't compute. I couldn't possibly believe the princesses would purposefully lead me into a wrong direction, and neither did I want to. I mean, come on. The government wouldn't lie to the ones it's supposed to protect...right?

Lastly, there still remained whatever scenario Fluttershy had tried to convince me of. In her version, Luna and Celestia had died in the explosion, and I never even saw them in their true forms. It was all just some kind of crazy dream to her. Something I came up with while hallucinating due to the boulder dropped on my head. Or did my head drop on the boulder? Some kind of physical impact messing with my thoughts, that much I was sure of.

But I already eliminated that possibility long ago. There are two things in this world which I can definitely tell apart from whether they're real or not. The first ones are smiles, the second ones dreams. Plus probably a ton of other stuff I couldn't think of at that moment, but we're getting off topic.

What matters is that I know a dream when I see one. And hear. And whatever else a pony can do to connect to any given surroundings via their senses. I'd say I, uh...experience them. And when I do, I can always tell whether it's just a dream or something more than that. Reality for instance would be more than a dream, wouldn't it?

With my abilities, you don't need any outside help or tools to determine that. I wouldn't require any reminders of the differences between reality and dreams, whatever object would do the trick. Like some kind of spin-top or something...dunno. Anyhow, the one thing I knew for sure was that my short time with the princesses had not been a dream. I still couldn't tell what exactly it was, but definitely not a dream. Those are different. Dreams tend to have a lot more change in scenery, happening at an amazingly rapid pace. Especially with more cotton candy. Not just stars and invisible grounds and emptiness. I know that from experience. Though I guess everyone has their own experiences and memories surrounding dreams. Since we all fall asleep now and again. Duh.

Long story short, I was still right about everything. Fluttershy made a mistake in her assumptions, which - given her position - wasn't all that surprising. And neither would I blame it on her. Not that I'd ever openly accuse Fluttershy of anything. That's just another one of the points on my not-to-do list. Most of those specify not being a meanie. And I didn't plan on doing that, not towards her nor anyone else. I just had to convince her, is all. And how I'd do that...well, like I said, I had no clue.

Bouncing down one of the town's main roads, I had no intention as not to appear as perfectly cheerful as I normally was. Or how I assumed I'd normally be. Whichever works best. Meaning neither of us ever really changed their approach to our way of walking. To be plain, Fluttershy didn't exactly bounce in the first place. But I already talked about that. And what I didn't talk about appeared like nothing but a few, minor details at the time. It still does now, but it also did back then. And all that. Good thing I've got my priorities in order.

At what exactly remained which still was that uncommon? Well, for example the two of us not even meeting another soul for the first few blocks we walked past. The part of town bordering Fluttershy's cottage, and thus the Everfree Forest was strangely quiet and deserted at this time. Had I seen a bunch of tumbleweed wave past one of the local crossings, it very probably wouldn't even have surprised me.

Was it always that quiet over here? Maybe. If it wasn't for visiting my friend or the woods themselves, I hardly even came through this part of town. And even then did I pay it as little attention as possible. Thinking about it however, a quiet neighborhood around here would make sense, at least considering Fluttershy's choice about where to settle down. She was the right type for quiet neighborhoods, I could tell.

We continued our march on the sunlit, western side of the road, walking down the sunny side of life quite literally. Sunlight shone in from our left, only sometimes interrupted by the shadows cast by the larger buildings. None of which stretched along the ground for a very long distance because the sun still rested extremely high up on the firmament, despite its disputed position. And I suppose I just wanted to be nearer to its warmth and the hope it radiated towards us.

Also, I like Sundays. Sorry.

The first time we actually met anypony else on that day occurred when entering the plaza containing Rarity's boutique. If that square itself even had a name, I'd forgotten about that long ago. With one of us being inanimate, we could neither be friends nor give each other birthday presents, so I couldn't care less about its name. What caught my attention much more quickly was the number of ponies assembled across it. Sure, most of them were likely just passing through, but they still made up a much larger number than usual. I think.

There might have been something I didn't know about at the time, causing all the ruckus. A special market stand offering whatever sounded appealing to them while I couldn't think of it...like that. But I didn't even mind it all that much. I had my own issues to be concerned about, after all. For once, I soon realized that my own paying attention quickly got returned by any bystanders, and a lot of the ponies currently present widened their eyes at my sight. Which, I suppose, was only natural. Most of them were just as familiar with me as I felt around them, but they still hadn't seen their friendly party planner in over a week. From whatever it was they heard about so far, the majority of those ponies probably expected my to have quite a story to tell.

Well then, first of all: Surprise! The super party pony had returned, and she didn't have any idea what to do or why everyone started acting like this all of a sudden. Which was just wonderful. Still, if bathing in the crowd's attention presented itself necessary, I felt more than confident about doing so. Wasn't so different from what I did on every other day, after all. Also, I did suppose these ponies might help me win some more time before reaching the library, thus postponing the point at which I'd have to make some kind of clever explanation. So that was some relief to me. As opposed to Fluttershy, who instantly took a few steps back upon noticing what happened. I'm afraid to say I didn't pay her all that much attention in that particular moment. Though I suppose I should have.

Needless to say, she didn't at all share my enthusiasm for the overall situation. As soon as I happily started leaping towards the first group of ponies that just so happened to catch my attention, she became extraordinarily quick to react. It all went past so quick, I couldn't even recall which of the town's inhabitants those were. And that's gotta mean something. Contrary to anything I had expected from my otherwise timid pegasus friend, Fluttershy suddenly moved out of her comfortable corner. Galloping somewhat faster than I currently moved, she shoved herself past me, trying to approach the concerning group of ponies instead.

I paused my energetic motions for a bit, before quickly coming to a complete halt. All the while, my eyes remained fixated on her with bewilderment. Sure, at the time when we arrived near Carousel Boutique I hadn't given Fluttershy a second's thought, to be fair. And that might have been a tad rude. But I definitely hadn't expected her to just...well, cut me off like that in response

The bearer of the element of kindness didn't spare me another look before addressing the ponies I had originally meant to interact with. Naturally, her voice sounded much too low to be audible for more than a few feet distance, and I was still standing a bit further away, so I didn't exactly catch all her words on first try. Meaning I didn't catch them at all, since I never got a second try. Obviously. The others didn't care to give very detailed replies, either. Which wasn't even surprising, given my friend's somewhat harsh and demanding tone. Because that much I could recognize. If my own surprised confusion was anything to go by, none of them probably had any idea what to say to her.

The only phrases making their way through to myself were something along the lines of 'difficult situation', 'possible explanation', and 'probably later'. I could pretty much pierce the rest together from there on out. It didn't help me feel any more comfortable around her or anyone else around, but apparently it did get Fluttershy what she wanted. Only after a few moments of their somewhat one-sided interaction, everyone eventually stepped aside or continue to move on, minding their own business. And even though a lot of nervous glances kept being cast over to my friend and myself, nopony else seemed much interested in bothering us any further. Our way to the library was cleared out before our hooves, and any excuse I still had for delays pushed out of the way.

Roughly pushed aside by kindness itself. If that doesn't resemble irony in its purest form, I don't even know anymore.

Fluttershy saw to it that we'd be able to keep to ourselves, alright. Only moments later, she looked back at me with another glance. I felt a sternness coming from her eyes, which I certainly didn't expect. The harshness it contained felt almost hostile. And honestly a lot less kind than I felt comfortable with considering whom it came from. She motioned towards the opposite end of the town square just before falling into a light trot, leading the way in a strong sense of determination. And with each passing second, this tender, gentle pegasus mare kept freaking me out more and more. There was no way for me to tell whether Iron Will Fluttershy had returned and made her act this way, but I sure hoped she hadn't. I'd never be able to find a convincing argument for winning over that side of her.

Knowing this was a battle I probably lost all along, I followed in her tracks, head hung low. The plaza soon disappeared behind us, rows of standard, two-story buildings once more flanking our path. I hardly even noticed the change in scenery this time around; my eyes kept themselves plastered to the ground below, and the two pink hoofsies dragging along the rest of myself. Even the curious and somewhat distrustful murmuring originating from all sides hardly mattered to me at this point.

Only one thought occurred to me, and I kept pondering it in my head times and again. How in the wide world of Equestria would I find a convincing argument to have Fluttershy help me? Heck, I'd even need to convince the rest of my friends afterwards. And if she didn't believe me, how would the others react? They'd probably take me even less seriously, agreeing that I probably hit my head or something. Especially Twilight tended to be extremely critical towards any theories I kept cooking up. After all, it even took an entire Hydra attack to make her believe in my Pinkie Sense. One that almost got her killed, mind you. And back then, sufficient prove for everything she tried to disprove had been right in front of her muzzle all along.

How much would I need to offer for something she couldn't see?

Think, Pinkie, think. There had to be some way out of this mess. Some convincing response to all the skepticism I'd receive. A...certain combination of words that would make everypony's doubts become no more than dust in the wind. If only I could find one. Unicorns probably have some kind of magic spell for that. And what can I say? I'm happy for them, but none of their fancy horn-lighting would help me with my own issues at this time.

It all came down to gathering my friends in an effort to save the world. Which wasn't so hard a deal. After all, we had done so before. Times and again, actually. And considering that fact made everything about this mess seem much easier. Maybe, I told myself, just maybe this entire persuasion business would turn out a lot simpler than I thought it would. Maybe Fluttershy was just being particularly grumpy for once, and somehow didn't feel like doing what she was...well, doing at the moment. Why she would act that way, I had no idea. But if I was right, she would also get better, and we could finally face this adventure as a team. Always assuming I was right in my assumptions.

And if I wasn't...well, did I really need to go there? If I couldn't convince my friends? I also couldn't just run off on my own, trying to save all those ponies from oblivion. Even if that was the only possible option...

Or actually, that couldn't be. I scratched the thought as soon as it came up. I wasn't the element of loyalty, alright. But I still wouldn't just leave behind everypony who mattered to me so much after all we'd been through. Taking this task entirely on my own was definitely not an option.

Or was it?

Lost in thought, I kept stumbling through the streets of Ponyville. I might have almost run into two or three ponies along the way, all of them evading me just so, and by a few inches, but I hardly took notice. I only made sure to keep my pace, trying my best not to lose track of Fluttershy who kept leading the way in front of me. As for the route itself, that didn't have to be much of a problem. Considering all the times I ever walked, trotted, bounced, or jumped through this town, I didn't even need to pay full attention to the way I was heading. After a while, my brain just kinda goes on autopilot, and I eventually end up where I need to be, anyways. That way, there's simply more time to pay attention to friends and potential friends-to-be around myself. And thus, more opportunities for social interaction. Or a chance to be along with my deep thoughts, as on more difficult days as this one. Simple as that.

In short, I perfectly knew where I was headed, though still not being completely certain about what I was going to do next. And I was also very well aware of the moment at which I knew my time had run out. Said moment being the point in time and space when we did in fact reach the part of town we were headed towards; the Golden Oak library. I didn't even have to raise my view to know about the magnificent tree standing only a few feet away, right in front of myself. I knew the route we took perfectly well. And even every single cobble resting beneath my hooves right now looked perfectly familiar, from all the times I'd stood and stared at them before. I recognized a few from the spot where Dashie had stood before we went off chasing that dragon. Or had it been Rarity, and her place was several more inches to the left? Yikes...memory issues again.

I finally did look up, and what I saw never surprised me in any way. There it was; well, the library. Alongside an increasingly impatient Fluttershy standing at my side, who looked like she wanted an answer at any given moment, just so she could go home and enjoy her tea with Discord. Which apparently was so much more important than saving the world.

She didn't see my point, she just didn't. Stupid Fluttershy.

Oh...oh no, did I just say that? Gosh, I'm so sorry for...I just...

"Sorry for what?"

Also, did I just say that out loud? Fluttershy had that freaky expression again, where she'd raise one eyebrow and look at you all confused. I mean, that's not commonly freaking me out or anything, but she usually never does that. And that's weird. And now I'd probably just become even less credible in her eyes. Great, just great.

"Uh, nevermind," I answered with a giggle. "Just...y'know. Thoughts drifting elsewhere and stuff..."

"Uh-huh."

Her forehead in wrinkles, Fluttershy gave me a weak nod that could mean just about anything. Or also nothing at all. Both of which worked fine given our situation, I suppose. But at the moment, it was more nothing than everything. Whichever one of the two it was she actually meant. Know what I mean?

"So, let's go inside and get this over with, shall we?" As the words passed her lips, I could see Fluttershy trying to tug the corners of her mouth slightly upwards for a moment. Still, that could hardly convince the element of laughter. Like I said, I can tell a fake smile from a real one. And there wasn't much kidding me at that point. Arguing about it would only make the situation worse though, so I decided not to say anything at all. A simple nod, that was all I gave her in response for now.

And without further ado, I made for the door. I didn't wait for Fluttershy to follow suit, she would probably do so anyway. After all, that pony still did seem concerned about me, judging from the way she wouldn't let me go out on my own, probably even fearing for my well-being. Also, she had her orders to keep an eye on me, I guess. From a princess. Ignoring that won't make the situation any better most of the time...well, whatever.

Fluttershy wouldn't need another request to keep going, judging from the way she initially hurried towards this place. Still, as far as this last bit went, I managed to beat her to it. Rushing forward a little quicker for once, I was the first to reach the heavy oaken door leading straight to everything I needed at this time. That also meant it was me who had to turn the knob and be the first to enter, thereby having to explain our inquiry. Could be worse, I suppose.

We didn't have to search the library for very long in order to find what we needed. Well, what I needed, practically. But Fluttershy decided to make this her business when first coming along, so now we had an extra pair of hooves to help with the search. And that way, looking up the details was nothing but smooth sailing. After all, this place did belong to Twilight. And if there was anypony more organized than her, that pony probably didn't exist. I'm not making sense, I know. I never am.

Once inside the tree, we were met by the two curious eyes darting out towards the two unusually paired appearances by the door. I do suppose Spike was happy to see me though, and I felt more than glad to return the favor. I also managed to quickly, though somewhat rapid and incomprehensibly, explain our situation. Including an approximate description of what we needed. Though I don't think requesting a general map of the country requires going into details all that much. I still did.

Let it be said that Spike has everything to himself one would look for in a perfect library assistant. He was naturally a bit confused about my request at first, but hurried to help us in any way. I did understand his initial perplexity though, considering my sudden inquiries coming pretty much out of nowhere. Or for him that was, at least.

Long story short, it took a good five minutes or so before Fluttershy and me had a detailed map of all of Equestria rolled out on a small table situated in the room's center. The map itself wasn't exactly vast in size, but it still provided us with all the information we'd probably need. Spike himself had some more dishes to tend to, so the two of us were left pretty much on our own account. He didn't seem exactly thrilled about that task of his, but the idea of leaving it unfinished before Twilight came home apparently looked even less appealing to him. In any case, our friend's dragon assistant eventually saw to it that everything which needed to be done, was. He's a good boy, alright.

Of course, Fluttershy was an entirely different matter. Not that I'd call her a bad pony or anything, but she certainly didn't mean to show her support just as unconditionally as Spike did. She never stopped eyeing me as critically as somehow possible, either. Even now, that expression of hers remained pretty solid. Not that any of it surprised me, but it didn't exactly help with calming down or return to a kind of apathetic atmosphere, which I would have appreciated for thinking about what to do next.

"Alright then," she said, glancing over the drawing in front of us. "I'm listening."

So she was getting impatient again. That couldn't be good. I needed something convincing, and I needed it now. And I was sure I could easily manage that, if only I'd manage to focus my own thoughts for a minute. And that was the problem. Even on good days, my concentration gets easily broken by fragments of imagination running off for the next cake. And today was only worse, considering all the issues lasting on my mind that needed just an equal amount of attention.

I needed to push all of this aside for just a moment. It was all but easy, but also not impossible. Trying to get my mind together for once, my eyes soon started wandering over the scheme laid out on the table; it was nothing but a low, wooden coffee table, so I could comfortably see everything I needed from a natural, standing position.

For starters, this was Equestria. Go figure. A very detailed look at the country we were all living in, including a lot more scienc-y stuff and general descriptions of all the different regions depicted on it. There was a lot more to gather from this map than one could recognize just by looking at the land itself. I already had a vague idea about most of the places portrayed here. Quite a few of which I'd already been to myself. Still, the labeling definitely helped wherever my mind decided to reach its own boundaries of knowledge.

Of course, I still had a general idea about most of the things I was looking at. I perfectly recognized these mountain ranges and woodlands, as well as the lawns and acres surrounding them. The streams, lakes, and rivers flowing through this great land, cutting deep into its soil like the impressive ravine that was Ghastly Gorge. I could see towns and cities, major metropolitan centers that hundreds and thousands of ponies could call their home, surrounded by plains, forests, or - in case of Cloudsdale - lots and lots of thin and thick air. It all centered itself towards the (not so much anymore) majestic peak, on whose side the capital of our nation used to reside. Even now, in this simple drawing, a guiding light seemed to emit from the magnificent castle that still stood in this depiction, not having been erased from history, just yet. I could only hope it wouldn't ever be.

Towards its southern edge, and in a freely floating transition, the nation of Equestria gradually turned into the massive, dry region lying to the south. Most of those badlands were either impassible or, which was worse, inhabited by dozens of meanie dragons. I really didn't want to consider that place for longer than a few seconds.

To the north, Equestria stretched as far as the outermost boundaries of the autonomous Crystal Empire would reach, before giving way to another, massive mountain range. Beyond lay the foreign nation of Yakyakistan, and eventually, the mysterious Frozen North. I don't really know much about the latter, probably because nopony's ever actually attempted to go there. There really isn't that much to find up there, safe for...y'know. Snow and stuff.

On the two remaining sides, Equestria became abruptly cut off by wide shorelines, leading the way to two vastly unexplored oceans. In the west, I spotted a coast that had barely been exploited yet, with not many cities or settlements established around its reach. The naturally shaped border to the wide and open sea hosted a few places like Las Pegasus, Seaddle, or Vanhoover. There really wasn't that much to tell about whatever one could find beyond those.

To the east, several urban centers had been established at the seaside for ages. Some ponies say the nation of Equestria even originated from here, but I for once had never seen any actual proof for that theory. Along this coast, civilization gradually started off at the northernmost parts, which contained the averagely dens populated regions of Mane and New Hayshire. From here, the vast, radiant beaches continued their way south, briefly making room for the densely populated peninsula that was Manehattan. Further south, the coast took a few elegant swings, hosting the city of Fillydelphia, before bloating up into the distinctive shape of a horseshoe. The bay that it represented hosted another urban center; the one they call Baltimare. And just as my eyes fell on it, my entire situation suddenly became a lot clearer to myself.

Because hey, south-east. That's were Horseshoe Bay was, seen from our position. Plus, south-east was what I had instinctively said our direction would be when Fluttershy first asked me about it, some time back. Which brought me to another question: Had I really just said that coming from myself? Sure, at that very moment, when asked about where we needed to go, south-east was the first thing that came into my mind, so I just randomly burst it out. But what if that hadn't just been mere intuition? What if my Pinkie Sense had started guiding me back then, after all?

Considering the option a little longer, all the pieces of the puzzle started to come together. Luna and Celestia had sent the ponies away, alright. They didn't know where that was. They could be in Equestria, but the princesses may well have send them beyond its borders. However, all of Equestria was more or less densely populated by...well, ponies. That or some other species intelligent enough to tell whether something strange was happening around them. And a large crowd appearing out of nowhere, just like that? Somepony would have noticed, wouldn't they?

Judging from that logic (which made sense, didn't it?), these Canterlot ponies couldn't be in Equestria anymore. Alright then. So I needed to take this beyond our borders. And there was only one naval city on our country's shores that offered at least a modest range of potential journeys into other parts of the world. Take three wild guesses, and the first two don't count.

Yep, Baltimare. That's where I needed to go. And that entire line of thought cost me, believe it or not, twelve entire seconds. That was two more than ten, my usual maximum. I really needed to get some sugar back into my system. Did Twilight usually keep cookies or cupcakes in her kitchen? I might have needed to check for that. But first and foremost, there was also an impatient pegasus mare to my side, still waiting for an explanation.

Now, if only I could manage to put all this into the proper words... Next Chapter: Chapter 7 - Tea for the Tillerman Estimated time remaining: 3 Hours, 57 Minutes