The view from the balloon was breathtaking. The only thing that matched it was Twist's motion sickness. Despite the double dose of meds she had taken before departure, her stomach still actively rebelled against her. Even music didn't seem to have any effect. And I bought the most expensive headset too, she sighed.

A vacation in the Crystal Empire. A month ago, Twist would have jumped at the opportunity. It was one of the places she had always wanted to go, but circumstances never allowed. Eight times before her plans had been ruined by sickness, unexpected work, and, on one occasion, having to console Apple Bloom after a particularly nasty breakup. Now, however, this was the last place she wanted to be. Everything that threatened her, both physically and in-Web, was in the Empire, and despite Silver Spoon's assurances, Twist felt like an apple rolling towards the cider press.

"Holding up?" Lily asked. Twist just waved a hoof, staring at the horizon. According to the books, this was supposed to help with motion sickness. "Good. We should be there in half an hour."

"Lily." Twist took a deep breath. "I can still see Ponyville." She turned around. Big mistake. Instantly her breakfast cried out for freedom. Bad idea! bad idea! She closed her eyes. This was getting out of control. Once this was over she was so taking up Silver's offer for a full medical check up.

"I know." Twist felt a hoof on her shoulder. "Dad promised to lend a hoof. You sure you don't want something to eat?"

You did that deliberately. It was obvious what Lily was doing: trying to get Twist's mind off the mission. A good, yet misguided notion. As if feeling sick could achieve that. Currently the red mane felt frightened and nauseous. The only saving grace of the whole endeavor was that it was safer that taking the train. At least here it was only the two of them — unless there were pegasi among the cultists.

"You'll like it there," Lily continued. "Everything's sparkly, even the ponies. Mom took me there a few times. Just stay away from the food." Twist felt sick again. Please, stop it... "Will be my first time to the palace, though. Silver said she took care of everything."

Of course she did. Leave it to her to get things moving. One had to admire the ease with which she managed to achieve that. Even when they were fillies, Silver had been surprisingly good at politics. The only thing stopping her in school, ironically, was her closeness to Diamond Tiara. In private, however, she handled more responsibilities a pony could imagine. If Twist were in her shoes, she would never had bothered creating a division in such a hostile environment. Instead, she would have spent her family's money and connections on books, tech, and a life of endless Webbing.

Twist's bracelet began to vibrate, indicating she had received a message. That was another perk of having Silver for a boss — the grey filly always managed to provide Twist with the best prototypes.

"Lil, I'll hop into the Web for a bit." She shuffled to find her saddlebags among the luggage. "Shouldn't take long."

"Okay." The hesitation in Lily's voice was obvious.

"Don't worry." Twist took out her Web gear and started strapping it to her head. "I just need to read a scroll. Probably Silver giving instructions."

Logging in took a bit longer than usual. Not that it mattered. Twist had chosen to connect in a closed sector. Those had the benefit of being sealed off from the general public, while remaining ignored by Starswirl. Definitely a huge advantage, especially since currently there was no telling who she could trust.

Let's see what we have. The mare opened her scrollbox. Over a dozen unread messages stood waiting, most redirects from message boards and observation probes Twist had placed throughout the Web. It wasn't any of those that had set off her bracelet, however. The culprit was a message directed to her personal address, her personal Twist address. It appeared innocent enough, so she opened it.

You are the one who swept me off of my hooves.

I thought I stood a chance, but that never was the case.

Each time you laugh and each time you move,

Melts my heart, then puts it back in place!

I want you! Yes I want you!

The only colt that has set my heart on fire.

I want you! By Celestia, I want you!

Your love, that is what I desire.

You are the one who says we’ll always be together.

As you’ve said to everypony else.

Why don't you see that I want to be your mare?

I don't want to be just another friend.

Wow, that's cheesy! I bet even Sweetie Belle will gag at this. Twist’s first reaction was to think of it as spam. There had been a lot of that in the Web, lately. One thing changed her mind: the message had no sender, neither in the subject nor in the scroll-source logs.

"Is that you, Clairvoyance?" Twist said out loud. Did you seriously hack my avatar to send me love trash? "This is getting boring, you know."

No answer. Either he had logged off or didn't have anything to say. The former probably. He had made it abundantly clear he didn't want her to get involved. Of course he had done so after telling her about the Sombra virus. Typical for stallions — make a mess and then worry how to clean it up.

"Will you quit it?" Twist was starting to get annoyed. "Nopony else knows who I am, so stop stalking me!" Nothing still. Maybe I've become paranoid? In any event there was no use in remaining here. Although, it wouldn't hurt if she took a peek at a few forums. Just a few entries.

Opening an aether window, the mare input her code and waited. Now to see if this works. At first nothing happened. The forum looked exactly the same as before; there were no new sections, no special status indications, just a standard set of entries. When Twist tapped on one of the entries, however, everything changed.

"Wow," she managed to day as the Everfree forum reconstructed itself in front of her very eyes.

Having Everfree Contributor access certainly offered a new view of things. Reading the entry titles was enough for Twist to feel her mane tingle with excitement. ICE information, ways to bypass the latest Conglomerate defenses, internal Starswirl memos... The place was a treasure trove of information! She could spend weeks analyzing everything written here. Be calm, Twist. Just a glance, remember? Or maybe... Not feeling the least bit guilty, she executed a search for Clairvoyance in the forum. Three results popped up.

Would you look at that? Finally, some good luck. All posts were old, well over six months before all this started. One mentioned something vague about inoperable message protocols, the other two alarmed of the increasing spread of the Sombra virus.

Got you! She opened the top post. Before she had a chance to read it, a warning message popped up in her avatar's HUD.

Manual disconnect initiated!

Logging off in 5 seconds...

"What?!" Twist shouted. Lily, you idiot! Why did you have to disco me now? pressed for time, Twist copied all messages to her scrollbox. There was no way she was losing those. She'd get a chance to read them later. Right now she had to prepare for the log out.

The return to reality hit her like a freight train. Worse than dizziness, worse than nausea, Twist felt as if something her squeezed her stomach. It was a miracle she didn't vomit there and then. Breathing heavily, she reached for her headgear, only to have somepony else remove it.

"Steady, Twist." Lily stood over her. Oh, Lil. If only you knew what you almost did. "You were taking too long. Not good to Web on something moving."

Typical you. "I'll be fine." Twist didn't even bother to stand up. Dealing with two kinds of sickness was the limit of what she could take. "I still don't see why—"

"Heya, Twist," a voice came from outside the balloon basket. "Always the same I see."

No. It can't be! The young mare tried to force herself up. Her legs were wobbly, but with some help she managed to turn around. A wingspan away, shaking her head in disapproval, was a Wonderbolt. The blue and yellow uniform almost glowed in the sunlight. Way better than in the Web, Twist thought. Even in this day and age some things couldn't be replicated.

"Cloudchaser?" she asked in disbelief. "Why are you here?"

* * *

A whole afternoon in a hot air balloon? Twist didn't know what to think. This seemed like a dream come true. She had seen the balloon, of course, everypony at school had, but it was always from afar. Today she would have the chance to try it out. Lily had invited Silver Spoon as well, but the grey filly had refused, preferring to spend the rest of her day with Diamond Tiara.

"Thith ith going to be thuper!" Twist hopped in place. "We thee Ponyville from above. And the Everfree Foretht! And fly to Canterlot!"

"Mom won't let us fly that far," Lily said quietly. She seemed extremely uncomfortable with the whole idea.

"Why?" Twist tilted her head. Is she worried about Timberwolves? They won't attack us if we are fifty paces above ground.

"Because," the other replied.

"But I can explain that there'th no danger." Twist stated. In her mind she she was going through all sorts of arguments and counter arguments. Just like the Web, she thought. As long as my reasoning is sound Lily's mom will—

"Hello, Lilly." A pink blond-maned mare trotted up to them. "Sorry I'm late." Whatever thought went through Twist's mind had totally vanished at the sight of the mare's pilot cap. I want one of those! "Hello, Twist."

"Hello, Mitheth Berry!" The red mane filly beamed. "Can we fly over the Everfree Foretht? I've read it'th a thpesical view!"

"Err, actually, there won't be any balloon riding this afternoon," Cherry Berry said. Twist felt all her happiness and enthusiasm evaporate. Both ears flopped down, as she looked at the mare. This must be a mistake. The filly's eyes filled with sadness, hoping she had heard wrong. "I spoke to your mother, Twist. She told me you have severe motion sickness."

"Motion sickness?" Lily turned to Twist, surprised.

"Yeth." Twist sniffled. she had never though that could be a problem. She had only gotten slightly sick during the school trip to the lake. It wasn't even so bad. After a few minutes rest she was all right. Surely this couldn't steal her chance to travel on a hot air balloon?

"You shouldn't keep such things secret, Twist," Cherry Berry patted her on the head in an attempt to make the filly better. "If you'd gone on a ride bad things could've happened."

"Mom," Lily sighed. Her expression was a mix of disappointment and embarrassment. "Can't we go up for a little while?"

"Don't make things worse, Lily." Her mother stopped the conversation in its tracks. "What have I told you about responsibility?"

"I've got to know all the facts before I undertake anything," the filly recited.

"And you didn't." An obvious example of tough love. As miserable as Twist felt, she could sense Lily had it far worse. Who knew Cherry Berry was so strict? "If you had checked, you'd have known not to promise anything. You didn't, and look at the result! Your friend's disappointment is entirely your fault!"

"I am not dithapointed, Mitheth Berry." It took Twist all her effort to put a smile on her face. "There are lotth of thingth we could do." The skeptical look she got from Cherry Berry was a clear indication her acting skills needed improvement. "It wath great I got to meet Lily'th cool pilot mother!" To an extent, this was true.

"Good to see you have such nice friends, Lily." Cherry Berry patted Twist on the head again. "In future, though, don't hide things, Twist."

"I won't, Mitheth Berry," the filly said looking at the ground again.

"Glad to hear it." The mare nodded. "I must get back to work. Nice meeting you, Twist. Coming, Lily?"

"No," Lily replied firmly, causing her mother to pull back in surprise. "I'll spend some more time with Twist."

The reaction was unexpected. Both Twist and Lily's mother looked at her in dismay. What just happened? Twist wondered. She had never seen Lily get upset, not even when Diamond Tiara was bullying her. This was an entirely new side of the earth pony. Cherry Berry seemed to be of the same opinion, for she didn't ask any follow up questions. Instead, she simply told her daughter to be home by sunset, kissed her on the cheek, and trotted off with a quick goodbye.

"Let's go." Lily literally dragged Twist along, not even waiting for her mother to disappear from view.

"Where are we going, Lily?" The red mane did her best to keep the pace.

"I promised you'd fly." Simple and clear. It was enough to to make anypony feel warm inside. Unfortunately, for Twist it only brought more questions, and questions lead to other questions.

Maybe I should take her somewhere in the Web? We can get a hot air balloon ride there and it'll be just as much fun! There was merit to that. There was no sickness or disease in the Web, other than viruses. Twist didn't have to worry about motion sickness or anything. She could even go as far as borrow a Starwswirl Pegasus build avatar and fly herself. Yes, I'll talk to her tomorrow after school, right after I finish reading about the new Web protocol updates.

Their trip was short, ending at the Spa. Initially, Twist thought that they had stopped to take a break. When Lily entered, though, new questions emerged.

"Are we going to get hoofacureth?" Twist asked. She had never been to the Spa before. In fact, she had never considered it. "Or our maneth done? Or—"

"No," Lily grumbled. "We're going to see somepony."

See somepony? What would they be doing here? The inside of the Spa was large, spacious and alarmingly empty, quite different from what Twist imagined it would be. From what she'd heard it was supposed to be packed. Not a week would go by without her mother complaining she failed to book a spot.

As they walked further in, Twist noticed a small "Web section" sign hanging on one of the walls. Webbing in a Spa? I got to try that one day!

"Lily?" A blue spa pony appeared. Her accent was particularly strange. "What you be doing here? Finally decided to come for some beautifying?"

"Hello, Miss Blossom," Lily sighed with the stubbornness of one having gone through this conversation a hundred times.

"Ah." Lotus Blossom stroke the filly's mane. "You be wasting such fine mane on braids. Take note from mother — beautiful mane, beautiful style."

"I like my mane like this." The filly looked away.

"Nu ladna." The spa pony patted her on the head, much the the filly's obvious annoyance. "You came to see father? Bulk is with client. Maybe thirty minutes. You know how he doesn't want disturbances during work. Why not wait and I could fix mane? Or friend's?" This was the first time she had directed her attention to Twist. "Red mane very nice, very attractive."

"Yeth, please!" Twist felt excited by the prospect. "Can I Web while—" The look on Lily's face was more than clear. We are not here to get our manes done, her eyes said silently. "Maybe thome other time?" Twist asked, hopeful.

"Please, anytime as long as there is space," the spa pony laughed. "Must go welcome customers. You can wait here, just don't disturb. And if you change minds, tell Aloe." With that she left them, humming happily.

Twist struggled to cope with the influx of new information. Lily's mother was a pilot and her father was working at the Spa? Who would have guessed. Maybe it was better Lily kept the second part a secret. Her classmates had been cruel enough regarding her unusual strength and her being born out of wedlock. Learning that her father worked at a Spa, even if it was Bulk Biceps, would end up being just as bad.

"We came to thee your dad?" Twist wondered.

"No," Lily mumbled. There was a long while of hesitation, as she was wondering if it was worth it. You don't have to say it unless you want to, Twist thought. That didn't change the fact that she was curious.

Lily's internal battle continued for several seconds more. Her ears moved up and down one could think she was chasing flies. Finally, her forehoof moved up, as she pointed to somepony relaxing on a chaise-long.

"That," she started with determination, "is Cloudchaser, a Wonderbolt in training... and my father's marefriend."

* * *

"So what crazy scheme are you up to now?" Cloudchaser asked, too amused for Twist's taste. if they were on the ground the young mare would have thought of an appropriate way to respond, but up here she had the constant struggle with her stomach to worry about. "And how upset will it get Cherry?"

"Mom's fine," Lily rolled her eyes. To this day her relationship with the Wonderbolt remained complicated. As Twist had learned, things weren't as simple as Bulk and Lily's mom doing the deed in their final year of school. Cherry and Cloudchaser had known each other and, according to a certain point of view, the pegasus had stolen Bulk from her.

"A vacation in the Crystal Empire?" Cloudchaser took the flight harness Lily gave her, and put it on without missing a flap. "Wild stuff. Was there last month. Place has really changed since the Web came about."

"I didn't know you were into Web stuff," Twist said surprised.

"She isn't." Lily secured both ends of the harness to the basket. "Her sis is."

"Be sure to check out Crystal Valley." The Wonderbolt tugged the balloon gently.

Are you even leading the same conversation? Twist felt a headache coming on. There was no telling whether Lily and Cloudchaser hated each other or not. The way they talked could only be described as a pair of sinusoids of opposite polarity — the common points were few and far between. Watching them, the red mane could only be thankful how fortunate she had been. Not counting the events of last night.

"Ready girls?" Cloudchaser asked loudly. Twist knew the question was mostly rhetorical, but even she didn't expect the pegasus to go full speed the very next second. The moment she opened her mouth to answer, her body was lunged back against the basket.

Celestia, Cloudchaser! You're supposed to be the adult here! Twist felt her stomach moved to her throat. One hoof on her stomach the other covering her mouth, she looked at Lily. The pink mare was standing calmly, looking forward with an almost bored expression. Clearly super strength wasn't the only gift she had.

"It's a bit scary the first time." Lily turned towards Twist. You don't say. "After a few times it's fun, though." Fun was a strong word. Twist had no idea what it felt like to experience a sonic rainboom, but from her perspective it was just as insane. Lines blurred, ringing filled her ears, only sheer luck kept her from passing out. With every second things for worse and worse, until suddenly everything was gone. No more nausea, anxiety, or discomfort — it was as if the bubble of pain that had been growing for a while now had finally popped.

"What do you think?" Cloudchaser's voice sounded through the ringing. "Is it something or what?"

"I feel alright?" Twist cautiously stood up. Her balance was a bit off, but nothing she couldn't handle. Does speed do that? I've read theories on the matter, but never expected them to actually be true.

"I asked Dad to call Cloudchaser," Lily explained, moving beside her. "He's nice and all, but he's not this fast," she sighed as she said that. "Will give you a bit of calm before we arrive." A bit of calm, Twist thought. At this point that was all she could ask for.

The journey to the Crystal Empire took half an hour. Twist knew because she kept constant track of the time. In truth, it felt far shorter. She hardly had time to start enjoying the wind in her mane when the crystal spires emerged on the horizon. Even at this distance, light bounced off the smooth surfaces, changing colour like rainbow sparks. There was no way in Tartarus that the Web could recreate such beauty. Nevertheless, Starswirl was going to try.

The closer they got, the more apparent it became how the Web had affected the Crystal Empire. Cloudchaser wasn't exaggerated one bit. Aether banners were everywhere — on walls of buildings, between crystal pylons, hanging from miniature blimps, even circling the palace itself! Twist started in amazement at the enormous aether loop projected from the top of the hugest tower. I never thought the Empire would be so technologically advanced.

"Get ready for deceleration," Lily warned. "Might be a bit unpleasant."

'A bit' was an understatement. All the pain, nausea and discomfort Twist had lost at the start of the trip came back with a vengeance. Aching stomach, shaking legs, and extreme dizziness brought her to the floor of the basket. Celestia almighty! The mare didn't even have the strength to scream. Her hooves felt like ice, as her body struggled to return to a state of normality. I can't get through this! Twist wanted to yell, to shout in pain, but her muzzle refused her commands.

"I'm here," a voice said, as Twist felt a pair of warm hooves on her shoulders. It wasn't much, but it managed to calm her down and serve as an anchor. Several long seconds later the freezing sensations started to fade away. Shortly later, so was most of the pain.

Next time, I'm definitely taking more sickness pills. Twist struggled back up to her hoofs. This had been one of the worst experiences ever! Everything considered the thirty minutes joy at super speed wasn't worth it. Not by a long shot.

"You fillies okay?" Cloudchaser approached the basket. "What the hay?!" Her eyes widened in horror at the sight of the still shivering Twist.

"She's fine, Cloudchaser!" Lily tapped Twist on the shoulder. "Don't freak out like Mom."

"One thing we agree with Cherry on is that the sky's no place for surprises!" The pegasus gave her a stern look. "You didn't tell your mother Twist was going, did you?"

"It's none of your business!" Lily snapped. "And I did!"

"Look, kid, you told me Twist was fine nowadays, which she isn't! So don't give me that crap! If something—"

"I'll be all right," Twist interrupted. She was still feeling a bit woozy, but not more than after disconnecting from the Web. "Honest. There's no need to—"

"You're a good filly, Twist, but this won't pass!" Cloudchaser cut her off. "What done is done, but this is the last time I go on a limb for you two. I'm a Wonderbolt, and you aren't fillies anymore. This isn't about vomiting on my wings or in Cherry's balloon! Push this too far and you might never be able to keep your balance. Is that what you want?" Nopony dared give an answer. "Good. I'll cover for you this time, because of Bulk. Never again, got it?"

"Got it, Cloudchaser." Lily looked to the side.

"Good!" The pegasus put a wing on Twist's forehead, then satisfied pulled it back again. "I'll land this thing, then take it back to Cherry Berry. Hopefully, she won't ask too many questions."

"Thanks," Lily mumbled. That marked the end of the conversation. It was clear who had won and who had lost. Of course, Cloudchaser didn't know anything about the present circumstances.

She doesn't need to know, Twist thought. For one thing, it wasn't something she wanted to discuss. For another, it was only going to make matters worse. If cultists had managed to worm their way into Starswirl, they could have eyes in other places as well. The Wonderbolts were probably an exception, but ponies liked to talk, and there were always those who listened.

"Your father wants to know if you'll be coming to visit once you get back," Cloudchaser said after a while. "Star Strong has been asking as well. You know how much he likes having you around."

Little Starry, Twist hid a giggle. The foal was quite a hoofful. He had inherited the strength of his father and the wild nature of his mother. Five years old and already he was causing as much trouble as the CMC in their early years. Still, he was cute when he wanted to be. Will I ever have a foal of my own? the inevitable question crossed her mind.

"I'll see," Lily evaded the question. "Say hi to Dad. And to Star." She paused for a few moments. "Thanks, Cloudchaser. Won't happen again."

Landing was an experience on its own. The moment Twist felt firm ground under her hooves, she took a deep breath of air. Life suddenly felt so much better. She still felt a bit fuzzy, but nowhere near as before. As far as anypony else was concerned she was completely fine. Now to go to the palace.

"Did Silver arrange for somepony to meet us here?" Twist asked. Behind her, Lily had put all the luggage on her back and was effortlessly carrying it, as it were a sack of feathers.

"She told me she took care of everything." Lily shrugged. "Want to wait for a bit?"

"Hold on." Twist took off her saddlebags. "I'll check if she sent any messa—"

"Starful!" A high pitched scream pierced Twist's ears. "You're Twist, right? Right?"

Ten paces away, next to a massive crystal pegasus, was a pony Twist never expected to see. White-magenta coat, cerise-purple mane, horn, wings... Princess Flurry Heart herself was standing across her, visibly nervous at that. Twist had gone through the file Silver Spoon had prepared, but seeing the Princess in person was an entirely different experience. She had grown into quite the cute filly, very different from the "juvenile pest with an attitude" the file described her to be.

"I am, Your Highness." Twist instantly bent down in a bow.

"Oh, please don't do that cra—" The alicorn began. A loud cough from the crystal pegasus quickly made her stop. "I mean that's not necessary," she grumbled, her anger directed towards the guard. "We aren't big on ceremony here."

"Of course, Your Highness." Twist smiled, rising back up. Rebel streak, definitely.

"Do you really know Sweetie Belle?" The princess rushed to her, all starry eyed. "Aunt Twi said you were in the same class, but..." She stopped gasping for breath. Wow! You really are a big deal in the Empire, Sweetie.

"Actually," Twist carefully took out a cylindrical container from her saddlebag, "I've brought you somethi—"

The roll vanished in a flash of brillian yellow light. By the time Twist's vision had cleared Flurry Heart had whipped out the contents: a poster of the Rainbooms, personally signed to the Princess by all five members. If there ever was a moment Twist thought she could see an alicorn faint, this was it. "There's more, but it's in the luggage," the red mane added.

"So cooooool!" Flurry Heart managed to say, eyes glued on the poster. "Wait till my friends see this! They'll be so jelly!"

"Well, now," Twist chucked. I felt exactly the same way the first time Rara came to visit. "As soon as we get to the palace and unpack, I'll—" Everything around her flashed. Streets and buildings were replaced by crystal walls and fine furniture. Blinking, Twist took a step back.

No mistake, she was currently in a large room, along with Lily and the Princess. Did you teleport us here? Just like that? Without asking?

"What else you got?" Flurry Heart fluttered around eagerly.

Well, Silver, maybe this is a complication you overlooked.

Author's Notes:

Ghost messages - Web-messages that contain no sender or source information. The term was invented by Fancy Pants upon receiving an anonymous Web-message. An investigation quickly found the mail to be a prank sent by Prince Blueblood. The phrase has been in use ever since. All reports of "true ghost messages" have been disproved by Conglomerate specialists as elaborate hoaxes.

Confidential
Triumvirs and Star Chamber executives have the capabilities to send true ghost messages. Any employee which receives such is requested to send a copy of that message to ICE division for analyses.