When Manic arrived back home, saddlebag full of groceries and a stoic android head, she immediately balked and dropped the one bag she was holding in her teeth to the ground. She couldn't believe her eyes. Sitting on the partially burnt sofa and peeling leather chairs on the sides sat White, Candlejack and Zelori. The three were occupied with a friendly discussion and a stomach full of these noodles that Candlejack couldn't help but take an immediate liking too. Slurping some up and smacking his lips, Candlejack beamed.

"Wow, so all you had to do was boil them in water, add the flavor packets and then just stir? These things are incredible!" White chuckled.

"Yeah, it's not much. But it does get us by." He then noticed his sister, making a small squeak from her throat in shock as to what she was seeing. "Oh hey, sis. I hope you don't mind, but I kind of used the last of our ramen reserves." Manic shook her head furiously and her angry expression made them look at her.

"What. The. HELL!!!" She tossed aside the saddlebags and groceries and marched up to her brother, biting down on his ear and dragging him away and out of sight. Hissing in pain, White rubbed his ear when the filly let go and turned on him. "Do you have any idea what you have done!?" White frowned.

"They seem pretty harmless to me." He retorted. Manic waved her hoof to dismiss the comment.

"They are a high risk threat to our community. For goddesses sakes they know zebra fighting styles!! What's to say they don't turn around and use it on us!?" White sighed.

"You know, it's not polite to hold ponies against their wills. Dangerous or not." Manic felt her mind jump and her eye twitch at the response.

"Ha-bu... What kind of logic is that!!?" The siblings remained quiet in the living room as the filly continued on. Aurora quietly studying the confrontation. "I picked up luradiation on them! They are probably mutants for all I know!!" White looked sternly at the filly.

"They told me that you held them in a containment box and cured them of any possible health risks. Do you think they could possibly harm an entire community of adolescents?" The unicorn DJ began pacing. "Let me remind you that both of us bring in money to support one another. In return for that money, we are given protection. The A.S.S. may not show themselves, but they are constantly monitoring our community. Just last week we had a couple of no good bandits trying to steal from us and they swooped in as if from nowhere and dealt with them before anypony could know what was going on." Manic shook her head.

"Buck the A.S.S.! They are just lazy mercs with nothing better to do than prowl at night and confiscate things they have no business with."

"The... 'business' is them taking any relics of our previous history away from us." Manic got low, as if ready to pounce on him like a timberwolf. "You and I both know damn well what the cult has done. It's the reason they disbanded." He stopped himself and sighed in frustration. "Look, we will talk about this later. Right now, we have guests and it's rude to discuss personal matters in front of them." Manic huffed and spat to the side.

"No way! They are going back into that containment grid! I will not let them kill anyone or steal anything!" On the other side, the siblings exchanged glances and nodded to one another.

"Oi, Maniac." Candlejack called.

"It's MANIC!!!" The filly shouted back.

"Whatever. Can you just sit down and enjoy this... what do you call it... ramen?" Zelori nodded. Manic gave a frustrated groan and turned to her brother.

"Fine then. I am going to arm myself in my room. While you are getting your throat slit, I'll be ready to take them out!" White shook his head.

"You are taking this way too out of hoof." He said. But the filly was already cantering furiously up to the stairs. "Manic!! Come on, sis!" The door to the filly's room slid shut and there was silence. White gave a tired sigh before sitting back down and rubbed his ear. "I apologize for my little sister. Like I said, she has trouble trusting ponies." Zelori took a sip from her tea and hummed in thought.

"Perhaps. But the filly isn't wrong either." She said. White took a small slurp of his ramen.

"Oh?" Candlejack folded a wing to himself.

"Well... where should we start? From where we come from, we belong to a group known as P.U.N.K." White rubbed his chin.

"Punk?" he asked. Zelori nodded.

"A title that was bestowed upon for our... 'achievements'." She said, making the word "achievements" sound all too disgusting. Candlejack continued.

"Long story short, a pony I hate gave us the title and now we are stuck with it. And despite us leaving the place, it seems that we continue the 'achievements' in a way that we seem to have no other option of doing." White hummed.

"So... what you're saying is that you've had your fair share of blood spilling." He said. The two nodded.

"We are not pleased by it. But in some situations, we had no choice." Candlejack chuckled a bit.

"You know that android head your sis is carrying around? Well, she basically hired us to help her take out a group of bandits that attacked her town. In fact, I think it was just the other day too." White remained quiet as he listened. However, the moment Candlejack brought up bandits, his look went from interest to shock.

"So... you're bounty hunters?" Candlejack shook his head.

"Nope. Just ponies trying to move on in life." The pegasus looked up to where the filly had disappeared too. "At least, I had hoped. But what can ya' do when a filly with a brain prodding device drills into your head in order to comatose you and give you a full clean bill of health?" White balked.

"She drilled into your heads!?" he exclaimed. Candlejack rubbed his chin.

"Well, it was technically like a pinch of a needle. But yeah, we had our brains poked." White was stunned at how casually the stallion explained it. As if he acted this was everyday ordeals. Zelori spoke after a quick sip of her tea.

"However, while she doesn't trust ponies. She did flush our systems of health risks. For that, I am grateful for." Candlejack sniffed.

"Says you. I miss the comforting smell of garbage on the fur. It's like swimming in a cloud." The pegasus blinked. "Err... well the metaphor would make sense if we knew what a cloud looked like." White cocked a brow.

"Wait. How can you not know what a cloud is? A pegasus should be very familiar with them. Especially if they came from Sanctuary." Candlejack frowned.

"Okay, what is with all this 'Sanctuary' crap? And why do you make it sound like it's heaven on earth?" White blinked once.

"You really don't know?" Candlejack felt his annoyance creep back.

"Just cut the crap and tell me already. I hate being beaten around the bush." White studied the stallion. Realizing the pegasus wasn't joking, he sighed.

"Well, if you must know, 'Sanctuary' is basically what it says in the name. An Elysium where the pegasi live in quiet peace." White leaned forward, and propped his hooves under his chin. "No pony really knows where Sanctuary really stays. It just seems to move on its' own at times. But every now and then, most ponies see pegasi wandering away from the place, stating that they just wanted to find something new in their lives." The unicorn made a motion in the air. "Many ponies had tried their damndest to get into the place, just to see what it had to offer. But the city in the sky sits on top of cloud ballistas and furious turbulence to throw off even the most skillful flyers. And if those don't get you, the Sanctuary's own guards called 'Valkyries' will descend and shoot you out of the air on sight." Candlejack frowned.

"That doesn't sound very sanctuary to me." He said. White shook his head.

"But that's the reason! The pegasi that had left the place state that it is a place where technology, magic and flora coincide! Flora! Do you know what that is!?" Zelori took another quick sip before speaking.

"It's a term we use in respect to Gaia. The very thing mother earth blooms." White nodded.

"Green pastures. Orchard trees. Everything that are practically scarce here are in sheer numbers up there! It's like centuries of stock piling done right!" White pointed to Candlejack's wings. "It's why the pegasi race gets so much hate down here when they leave! Hell, a team of Pseudos tried to bypass their defense systems, but even that didn't work! It's like they have more advancement in technology and are leaving us in the dirt! Somepony who lived through the defense system stated that their systems only attack non-pure bred pegasi.' Candlejack furrowed his brows.

'So that's why they called me "pure wing". Yeesh, and I thought ETG get the brunt end of derogatory terms." Candlejack noticed the unicorn stallion staring at him. "What?" White furrowed his brows.

"So... are you a pure bred?" Candlejack rubbed the back of his mane.

"I'm not sure? I mean, I didn't really ask the folks if I was." While Candlejack slurped up more of the noodles, he couldn't help but catch the slight curiosity in Zelori's eyes. He ignored it and continued. "I mean, I think I am one. But I don't really give two shits about who is and who isn't." Zelori spoke.

"That explains why you keep getting your flank handed too by androids and arcane technology."

"S' not like you don't have the same thing happen to you!" Zelori smirked.

"At least I conserve my healing resources."

"We get a lot of them just by exploring the bunkers!"

"But you quickly go through them because you are so gullible enough to walk into a trap."

"That's what guns are for!"

"Guns mean nothing if you don't have instinct."

"Whatever. I can at least hold my own." Zelori shook her head.

"Probably. But unless you find some way to have a bigger bag to stock pile those stims, it won't matter if you are instinctive or not." Candlejack sighed.

"You're difficult to talk to sometimes."

"You know I love you." White suddenly laughed. The two looked at him with confusion. Taking a moment to collect himself, the unicorn wiped a tear from his eye.

"S-sorry. It's just that you two seem like you have a strong bond in order to argue like that." He sighed. "If only I can say the same with my sister." Zelori finished the rest of her tea and set the cup down.

"Do please explain. I am curious about the young mind." White sighed.

"Well... where should I start?" He took a moment to think. Opening his eyes out of thought, he finally spoke. "Ma petite lumiere." Candlejack arched a brow.

"Come again?" White looked at him.

"It means my little light. It's a term that me and my sis heard often from our mother." He smiled. "Everytime we went to bed or had nightmares that awoke us, she would hold us to her chest and say it over and over again. Of course, being foals, we didn't think what it really meant. Our mother sometimes stayed at home while dad worked the mechanic store." He looked over and his magic levitated a picture of four ponies. The familiar desert background behind them, the four stood in front of what looked to be a poorly built workshop.

"Our dad was a genius when it came to auto chariots and other mechanical things. It's no surprise that that passed onto Manic. As for me... well my mother had a fascination with music. She kept a big collection of vinyl records dating back all the way when Lady Octavia began going gold with her classical albums. She even collected Dj-Pon3's own albums and even the co-op duos that Octavia and Pon3 collaborated in. And not only that, she collected the old time classicals too. Like Beethoofen, Arpeggio, Amodeus, the works." The stallion smiled, brushing a hoof over a gathering of dust on the face of a smiling and very pretty looking unicorn mare.

Her snow white coat and long wavy black mane sported under and over a pre-war Rarity dress. Her sapphire eyes showed kindness that Candlejack didn't even think was possible. Next to her was a purple colored unicorn stallion with a chrome colored mane. He had a leg wrapped around the mare and was giving the camera a tired smile. At the foot of their hooves was a young unicorn colt with a wavy neon black and green stripped mane, smiling confidently while his foreleg was wrapped around a tiny looking filly. Candlejack assumes that the starry eyed filly is Manic.

It looked so surreal. To see this family smiling and looking as if they were ready to take on the world. It must have been nice to have this small moment. Candlejack felt a twinge of envy come back to him. Ignoring the feeling as quickly as it had come, Candlejack rubbed his chin.

"You had a wavy mane back then?" White chuckled.

"Like I said. Mom was into the classics." His smile suddenly shot downward. "And before we knew it, she passed away." Zelori gave the colt a small reassuring smile.

"It must have been hard for you all." She said. White nodded.

"Dad was devastated. After her passing, he spent most of his nights in his workshop. I take it the grief was still very much on his mind and was trying to find a way to get it off of him." He looked up to where Manic had disappeared too. "Manic was no more than four when she passed. Our dad had told her that she had gone to a different place. And for a while, Manic always thought that she would be back one day." Candlejack noticed the stallion's look turn grim. "And then... about four years ago... something terrible happened." The two siblings exchanged glances and then back to the stallion.

"Dad went through a pretty dark time after mom died. Countless nights awake in his workshop. Massive alcohol consumption." He sniffed disgustedly. "Maybe at some point, a little bit of Psi-Co here and there. But in any case, dad was a total utter wreck. Business began slowing down and soon it got to the point where he had to close up shop and left it to be judged by Equestria's weather." The stallion leaned forward, his eyes closed in thought. "With the main source of income no longer flowing, we soon began growing into a state of poor spending. Me and Manic hated seeing dad in the state he was in. So, we took it upon ourselves to try our best to get the bolts back into our hooves. I took up throwing late night raves and gigs and Manic worked countless hours over a bench and created many things I didn't even think dad would have thought of."

The stallion opened his eyes, a serious look and tone replaced the calm exterior. "And then, when we thought that we were getting back into peaceful living. Something... snapped in dad." Zelori furrowed her brows. Candlejack knew what she was thinking. They had seen what was in the backyard. They might now have a good enough answer to her worries. "One day, dad brought home a book and a few other trinkets. We didn't think twice about it due to us being busy with our current situations. However, during the nights, we began to hear these strange chants. Manic one night looked out her window and screamed. I had rushed in and I saw her curling under her bed. I asked her what was wrong and she exclaimed 'Momma was just outside my window!'." The two siblings listened intently.

"I thought she was just having a nightmare. And I went to check the window to reassure her, I noticed something glowing in the small garage shack. A vile and sickly looking green light. After calming Manic and making sure she was safe and sound asleep, I decided to investigate. Making sure my dad had walked out of the shack and locked it, I plucked the key when he wasn't looking and entered into the place." His look darkened and he suddenly began to shiver. Hate displayed across his face now. "What I saw was something I couldn't comprehend at first. But I knew damn well what was going on. Seeing mom in the window wasn't just a nightmare afterall."

"As time went, I began watching every night from my window, seeing dad enter in and out with more trinkets and a weird glow around him made me want to do something to stop this madness. But... I was scared to see what would happen if I did." White leaned forward, suddenly looking exhausted. "More nights later, I noticed that Manic wasn't doing one of her daily all-nighter works. Checking in on her, I noticed she was nowhere to be seen. But seeing out the window and the glowing green hue told me something terrible had happened."

"I rushed outside and before I could get any closer, I heard a scream." His eyes suddenly teared as he kept his silent anger in check. "My heart jumped and I rushed forward, bucking open the door and seeing to my utter horror of my sister." The stallion grit his teeth. "The bastard caged her and had drew blood from her. From the looks of it, he had drawn so much from her that she was as pale as the souls floating around dad. I can remember clearly him turning around and laughing. A laugh of sheer insanity. He stated over and over again 'Look son! Look! I brought her back! We can finally be a family again!'."

The stallion closed his eyes again. There was a long silence. The two siblings remained quiet. They had heard enough to know what was going on. Zelori leaned forward.

"Your father succumbed to Samedi's art. A price he paid dearly with his life." White sighed.

"That he did. I made sure of it myself." He held up his hooves. "And when I did, everything just went silent. Almost as if the souls of the damned retreated back into the book. With my dad no longer alive at my hooves, I dragged Manic out of the place and with the help of Clockwork, we did our best to make sure she was taken care of." White rubbed his temples. "I should have acted a little more sooner... If I had known he would have gone this far, I probably would have saved him." Zelori reached a hoof out and put it on his shoulder. The stallion looked at her, seeing her kind eyes reassure him.

"Your mother's soul is at rest. I can promise you this. As for your father." She adverted her eyes. "I can only say that I hope he has come to terms with his sin and isn't a part of death's entourage." Candlejack suddenly perked up and reached behind him.

"Wait, you mentioned a book. Could it be this one?" He held it up and the stallion immediately stood up.

"Where did you get that!?" he stated quickly. Candlejack motioned to the backyard.

"Found it where you found us. It's weird. Almost as if the sun and heat hadn't scorched it to a crisp." The stallion suddenly batted away the book out of his hoof. It clattered to the side and the stallion was suddenly on top of Candlejack, his hooves locked under the collar of his jumpsuit.

"How much did you read??" he asked. Candlejack shrugged.

"Not sure. It was just a bunch of scribbles." He said. The stallion shook him.

"How... much!!?" Candlejack looked at the stallion, his eyes calm and collected.

"Only one. But I only read the side notes." White tossed him back and hissed.

"One too many!! You shouldn't have even picked it up in the first place!!" The unicorn looked over to the book. "I could have sworn that the sun would burn it alive... how is it still looking brand new!?" Zelori's turn to speak.

"Perhaps a small bit of dark magic encases the book. A ward, in a sense." She rubbed her chin as she studied the book with suspicious eyes. "I'm not sure how to disperse it. I've only been told the steps. Perhaps we should consult an expert." Candlejack nickered.

"And yet you were ranting on about this shit minutes ago." Zelori snapped at him.

"Jack, this is serious! If this place is cursed due to a fool who thought he can play death, then we not only have to worry about this household. But the entire community!" Candlejack sighed and stood up, stretching his wings.

"You know, you make it sound way worse than it should. But if it would get you to stop chanting, then I guess I'm all for looking for an expert." He looked at White. "Any ideas who might be?" White thought for a moment. He then beamed.

"The antiques dealer! He may know exactly what to do!" Zelori nodded and plucked a cane from the wall. The vintage wood hooked the book and she skillfully held it up. White emptied the contents of one of the grocery bags and Zelori plopped the book inside it. With the threat of dark magic contained in a brown plastic bag, the three quickly trotted out of the house and down the hill.

Aurora was amazed at how quickly the young filly worked. She had placed her head back on the pedestal and went over to the bench with her body. Taking a seat and plucking a few tools from the side box, she went straight to work. However, with the confrontation of her brother, she could tell that the filly was really just trying to vent off fumes. Once the filly was done with a few tweaks, she then opened her hoof panel and went straight to work on the programs. Aurora felt a twinge of worry come back to her.

'Maybe I shouldn't have gone through with this.' she thought as she watched the filly work. Aurora then stiffened when she noticed a prompt pop up. It was bizarre to see something being worked around inside her without her control. There were too many prompts coming and going that the android found herself having trouble keeping up.

"There. Done." Manic said suddenly with a huff. Aurora looked over to the filly as she closed her hoof panel and sighed tiredly, propping her head on her hooves.

Is... everything okay?" Aurora asked. Manic took a moment, taking a small deep breath before peeking out from her hoof and looking over to the android head.

"None of your business." she growled. Aurora furrowed her brows worriedly at the filly. She suddenly had a thought. Remembering the android at the complex, she bit her lip before speaking.

"Ummm... if it is not too much of a bother... I would like to know... what inspires you to work so hard on everything?" Manic was quiet, her face buried in her hooves. Thinking that the filly had decided not to answer her, Aurora made a sigh and was about to go back to looking ahead when the filly muttered. "Come again?" Manic sat up and turned to face her in her stool. Her expression solemn.

"Can you... not tell anypony?" she asked. Aurora thought back to Tom again and with a smile, she nodded. Manic opened her mouth to speak, but stopped herself and slumped down tiredly in her stool. "Well... for the longest time, I thought I was just helping in keeping this place around." Aurora cocked her head slightly.

"The town or the home?" she asked.

"Both." Manic slid out of the stool and moved over to her. "I mean, yeah I create things for Aretilla. My work has been sold almost everywhere and the income has been great. But my brother..." she sighed. "I love him. I do. But sometimes, he is a total idiot. I mean, freeing two dangerous ponies that could kill us at anytime and he thinks it's rude to keep them contained? It's not like we live in a place where bandits and pirates are a common thing." Aurora hummed quietly.

"Perhaps your brother has a much better reason?" she asked. Manic picked up the android's head and sighed.

"It's mainly momma." She said. Aurora watched as the filly went from tired to exhausted in a matter of seconds. "She was the one that introduced him to the whole DJ thing. She was a pretty big music collector back in her 'vagabond' days. She had a studio museum where she once lived. She thought that by exposing ponies to the classics that we could remember what we were all about back then." Aurora looked worriedly at the filly. It's no surprise that almost all ponies and creatures living now had forgotten what Equestria was back in the days. And being her creation date as far back as before the Big Bang phenomena and not remember any of it other than the date she was created, it was also another reason why she developed a pique curiosity in exploring ruins.

The thought of adventure and discovery is very exciting and she enjoyed the thrill of finding something new but in reality, pre-war designed. Of course, it wasn't without its' dangers. She had fended off and hidden from residents in most of the ruins she had explored. But in the end, it was well worth the effort. Aurora gave a reassuring look at the tired filly.

"Your mother sounded very adventurous and brave to have to go through all the dangers to find vinyl records." She said. Manic turned her head.

"I guess..." Manic trotted over to the android's upright siting body. Placing the head at the top and twisting, Manic opened the panel, checking to make sure the connection was working. With a pleasant bleep of her panel, she closed it and looked at her. "All finished. I managed to get rid of some programs that served no purpose and replaced them with the ones I deemed beneficial. So it may be a little weird to get used too.” Aurora held up her foreleg and tested to see if everything was working properly.

With a quiet noise, her hoof claws sprang up and she moved them in a wave like pattern before clenching them and going to the next one. She then accessed her HUD. She immediately saw a difference in her optics. Everything seemed crisp and clearer. Her mini map was actually displaying her cursor and a blue dot representing the filly.

'Wow... she is incredible. But... I have to know...' Manic watched the android scan through her own systems, seeing the worried look displayed

"If you are wondering about the breeding program, I hate to say it but I can't really remove it." Aurora looked at the filly, a look of defeat displayed. "It's part of your base programming. It is also a prototype build and I don't want to touch that part. Unless you want some damages to your system and possible bugs. But... there was one thing I did find that I found strange." Aurora knew what was coming next. The only other strange thing she knew was that command. "I found an encrypted command. It seems to have been installed about a few days prior to your creation." She rubbed her chin. "And from how careful it was installed inside you, it seemed like it was also being hidden. Whoever installed it did it long ago and Troffleton may have missed it."

Aurora sighed. She was bummed that the filly couldn't remove the program. But the command was just as much a mystery to her. Another reason for exploring ruins. What luck would it be if she actually found the place she was created from and the command's point of origin? She was pulled out of a scrap yard by Troffleton, that she could remember. But everything prior to her creation was a blank. Aurora sighed.

"Thanks anyway..." Manic arched a brow.

"I'm more curious as to why you want it gone other than the reasons you gave me." Aurora looked at the filly and held up her hoof.

"For as long as I can remember, the program kept scanning the males that I come across and kept shoving possible 'mates'. The only one that seemed to have a one hundred percent capability is Candlejack." She suddenly found herself turning a touch of red and quickly followed up. "B-but I mean, I just met the pony. I don't really know who he is and what he has done other than that he and Zelori were... escaping something." Manic arched a brow.

"Escaping something? What from?" Aurora shook her head.

"I'm not sure. And I don't want to be rude and ask. But they can't hide those looks." She looked at Manic. "I picked up brain wave patterns being in unstable levels from both of them. Yet they act like reasonable ponies. It's almost like they were running from something." She put a hoof to her chin in thought. "But I can't pick up why and what from." Manic's eyes went wide a little before bowing her head and rubbing her foreleg.

"Running, huh? I think I can understand that." Aurora watched the filly move back to another bench and curled a hoof around a small portrait. It showed two grown ponies, a young colt and a bundle wrapped filly. "It's kind of funny, if that's the case. My brother is over it. But me?" she gave a raspy chuckle. "I still have nightmares about it." Aurora slid off the workbench and over to the filly. Seeing the happy family caught in the still frame, Aurora put a reassuring hoof on the filly's shoulder. Taking a second glance, she noticed that one of the grown pony's face was torn off.

"Is that your father?" she asked. Manic winced before placing it back and sighing.

"Yes and no..." Aurora watched the filly struggle with internal thoughts before facing her. "I... the nightmares I have are about him." She pushed the small portrait away and looked at it as she continued. "Believe it or not, I wasn't all... bitchy. I was happy. My father owned a mechanic shop. Momma played with music. And me and my brother were happily playing with the small toys they made for us. It was a simple time. One that seemed like... I can never have again." She shivered and hugged herself. "When momma passed away, my dad suddenly snapped and fell into a state of depression. With no way of paying the bills, me and my brother decided to use our talents to use and bring back the income. It seemed innocent at first, but we were so busy with work that we didn't realize the... 'things' he was bringing home."

Aurora saw the filly's brainwaves suddenly become unstable. Her heart rate increasing slightly. The filly continued.

"One night, I was taking a break from my work when I began hearing strange whispers. I figured it was just the insomnia playing with me and ignored it. But then the whispers escalated and drew me away from my bed. Then..." Aurora gave a worried look as the filly's breathing began to pick up. "Then before I knew it, some of my things... started moving on their own. I panicked and was backing away when I heard my... my name being called out." The filly shivered more and the breathing continued. Aurora saw the unstable levels increasing more. Aurora wrapped a hoof around the filly.

"Breath, Manic. Take a moment and breath. Don't rush yourself." Manic did as she was told, steadying her breathing and Aurora saw the levels decrease a bit.

"I... I turned around and then I saw... momma..." Aurora rubbed the filly's back as the levels suddenly jumped again. She put her hooves to her head and girt her teeth. "I... I-I couldn't believe what I was seeing. There was momma... outside my window... calling to me. But she looked... different. She... s-she...." The filly squeaked and Aurora had a prompt pop up.

Warning. Individual's psyche level reaching critical. Advise caution.

Ignoring it, Aurora suddenly pulled the filly closer to her, stroking her mane with care. That seemed to work just a little bit. But the filly was now wrapped around the android's chassis and shivering uncontrollably.

"I didn't know what to do... I couldn't say anything... I mean... I thought I heard a scream..." She gripped the android tighter. "I didn't realize it was me screaming until my brother rushed in and started comforting me." Manic shivered more, but the tender caresses of her mane and the comforting hug by the android, Manic seemed to ease a little more. The filly remained quiet for a time until she managed to catch her breath and pull away from Aurora. "The last thing I remember about that time was me blacking out. When I came too I... wasn't sure what I was doing anymore." The filly hugged herself again, her eyes looking away and finding the ground a lot more interesting. "My work schedule was slowed and I couldn't get stuff done in time. I suffered backlashes from my clients and my brother was too busy with his music playing that I eventually got tired of it all."

"And that is how you are today?" Aurora asked. The filly sighed.

"Maybe... I don't know... I mean, the last thing I can recall is that I was waking up inside a metal cage with my dad ranting about something." She rubbed her temple. "I... don't remember anything else after that. But those nightmares I keep having..." she shivered. "My dad was a prick..." Aurora rubbed her chin slightly in thought.

"Perhaps maybe a walk around the town can help? I've found that doing so eases the minds of ponies." Manic looked at the android tiredly.

"Nah. Walks for me only make me contemplate more about these things." More silence. Aurora then stood up and smiled.

"Perhaps I will make dinner tonight." She said. Manic blinked in confusion.

"What?" Aurora trotted over to the door.

"You left the groceries by the front door. I'll pack them away and see what I can get started." Manic opened her mouth to say something, but the android was already walking out of the room and down the stairs. Manic arched a brow.

'This android... is very weird.' A genuine small smile escaped her before she stood up and turned to a clutter workbench. Taking a brief moment to look at the portrait on the other bench, she rubbed her mane and took a seat on the stool. She then rubbed her chin in thought. An idea came to her and replaced the small smile into a mischievous grin.

Candlejack and Zelori were impressed as they traveled through the suburbs. To see the houses renovated into small shops and homes was something they didn't think could be possible up here. Candlejack even felt that twinge of envy come back to him.

'If only New Equestria was like this...' Digressing the thought, he looked back ahead as he and Zelori followed the unicorn DJ down the road and up to a two storied home that had been renovated with sheet metal and tarps.

"Here we are. The antiques dealer." White said. They trotted up to a door and the unicorn stopped and turned, looking a tad bit sheepish. "Errr... just a head ups. I didn't want to say anything, but... me and the antiques dealer have a... bad history. So, don't be too surprised if he out right refuses our plea." Candlejack and Zelori exchanged glances before nodding to him.

"No worries, we'll come up with something to get him to help." Candlejack said with a smile. White noticed Zelori catch a small suspicious glance from her that was directed to her brother. But as quickly as it came, it vanished. With that being said, White turned and opened the door. As they entered, Candlejack and Zelori wrinkled their noses at the smell of old relics and probably something that had died somewhere in the store. The store, being a little bit cramped for its own good, was still something to marvel at.

The first thing that caught Candlejack's eyes was a display mannequin that was donning a strange looking set of armor. Immediately breaking from the two to go explore, he got a closer look at the plaque:

Armor of the Shogun. Armor worn during the war of the three nations of Neighpon. This armor represented leadership, bravery and the many opponents that have fallen victim to its glorious and intimidating host.

Candlejack rubbed his chin with a small smirk. A little further ahead, White and Zelori reached a counter and the zebra mare tapped a bell. There was no response. Zelori looked at the display cases behind the counter. Small trinkets, accessories and pre-war oddities that stood out if it were brought out into the world of today. But of course, most of these might not even be the real things, but replicas of what was once long lost in the old world.

White studied two wooden masks hanging over head.

"No matter how many times I've came to this place, it always creeped me out." Zelori followed the gaze of the stallion and noticed the masks. She then smiled.

"Ahh... traditional Zebra homeland greetings." She said. White cocked a brow.

"Greeting?" he asked. Zelori nodded and motioned towards the masks.

"From what I have been told and what I have studied, that mask speaks 'hello'. And the other one 'welcome'." White rubbed his chin in thought.

"So, I take it you are from the Zebra lands then?" Zelori hummed in thought.

"It is a pleasant thought indeed. One that I find myself having trouble escaping. However, I do not really come from there." She picked up a small ragdoll of a very poorly made pony and examined it. "My ancestors were, however. My mother and father told me before I set out on my own that the Zebra lands was something as much a miracle as the Manifest Destiny. However, its once beautiful lands now remain a constant reminder of a great war that partook in the country." White balked.

"You don't mean..."

"The Last Migration." A voice said, startling the two. They saw an old zebra buck step out from behind one of the display cases. Zelori narrowed her eyes, seeing the many scars that ran from the zebra's face to his chest and body. One eye glazed over and an abnormal flesh wound on his muzzle revealed a small row of teeth that were yellowed and crooked. The sight was scary to behold if they were probably foals. But Zelori had faced her fair share of "scary" in the many bunkers she and Candlejack had to partake in. White gave a small sheepish smile.

"Err... Mr. Yaba! A pleasant umm... surprise." White cleared his throat. "You uh... seem no worse for wear." The old zebra buck shambled his way over to them, narrowing his eyes at the stallion who shrunk back at the surprisingly tall zebra.

"I thought I told you that if I see you or your family's faces, I will bring the A.S.S. into this." White held up his hooves.

"I know, I know! I'm not here for trouble. I was just showing around a couple of uhh... tourists!" He said as he motioned to Zelori. "You see, she heard about your store and the owner behind it and was wondering what uhh... experience you had during the second expedition." Zelori glanced sideways at the stallion. The zebra buck snorted.

"I doubt one of the blacksheep from the clans decided to hunt me down for my tales." The zebra studied her. "Hmmm, but you aren't really from the clans. Nor are you really from the homelands." The buck leaned forward and sniffed. His nose wrinkling in mock surprise. "A recent sun bath too. I doubt this little filly has seen anything beyond the walls of Aretilla." Zelori frowned, taking that as an insult more than an ignorant assumption.

"You are right." She said coldly. "I am not from the clans or from the homelands. But my ancestors are from the homelands." The buck eyed her challengingly. "I do not come from Aretilla. And I have taken the steps for survival." The buck snorted again.

"Bah, what do you know? You were probably living under a rock for all I know!" White was a little surprised by this.

"Huh... and I thought zebra knew everything." Zelori sighed.

"Only if they are not ignorant of the ways of our ancestors. Wisdom is one thing. Reading the stars and predicting true outcomes of the future? A tall tale." The buck nodded.

"The fool who thought we are sages of the future was probably high on Illusion Herbs." White frowned.

"Well, that's a little disappointing." Zelori put down the ragdoll.

"It is unwise to assume something like that. You'd best rethink your options." White shrunk back a bit.

"O-okay, I get it. Ix nay on the stripe-aye." The buck walked around the counter and propped himself behind it.

"Speaking of. What are you really here for?" the buck frowned. "And I know it isn't about the expeditions."

"Hey Zelori, check this out!" a voice said. The three looked and the buck was in utter shock and horror. There stood a pony, wearing the armor of the shogun and dancing around in it and laughing as he looked at himself in the mirror. "This armor is pretty sick! I almost feel like I can take on the world with this thing!" Zelori knew her brother all too well. Too well, in fact, that the look the antique owner was making made her sigh and step aside.

'You are on your own on this one.' She thought as she moved White to the side.

"You..." the buck rasped. Candlejack adjusted the helm on his head before striking a pose and grinning uncontrollably.

"Look great in this? Yeah, you are right. Buuuut it could do with a bit of polishing. How much do you think it sells for?" The zebra buck was suddenly looming over the pegasus. Candlejack blinked once and turned, flinching at the sheer height of the creature before him. However, he couldn't help but had a small flash of an image of an android of similar proportions pegging him with a strange gun in Heaven's workshop.

"What are you doing!?!" Yaba bellowed. Candlejack shrunk a little.

"Erm... just taking in the sights and view." He grinned weakly. He didn't think a pony this big would actually exist. And he thought Strong Hoof was bigger than anypony else. 'Geez, he even looks like he went through a grinder. Strong Hoof has luck on his side I guess.' Old prison brawler aside, Candlejack took off the helm and casually put it on the dresser. However, Yaba stood up on two legs, increasing the height and making Candlejack feel even more smaller than he should.

With one big curling of a foreleg around the stallion, the zebra held him up and began shaking him.

"You dare touch something you have no power over!?! You ignorant @#$% of a @&#$%!!!" the zebra's bellowing stripped him of the armor and it clattered to the ground. Candlejack was stunned. Such words he has never heard of. And it only increased as the zebra continued. "You @%$#& are always coming in here and strutting your @%#&$ around, ignorant of years of @#$%#@& hard work and risks!!! @$#%& like you need to burn in the fires of Gaia's wrath and @#%& mares to feel like you are just the biggest ass@#$%# in the whole of Equestria!!!"

Candlejack's ears were ringing and his disheveled appearance and mane was something of an unpleasant feeling. And not only that, with every new word Candlejack heard, the grip on the zebra tightened until it was hard to breath. Candlejack struggled to free his hooves.

'Have to... get out... before... death...' he thought. He could have sworn he heard something crack somewhere on his body. Finally freeing a hoof, he placed a hoof tip on the joint of the buck and with a few slight twists, the zebra suddenly yelped in the middle of his ever increasing swears, letting go of the stallion and causing more swears to take its place.

Candlejack stumbled as he landed and unfurled his wings out, ready to use the speed to get out of danger. Unfortunately, his wing tipped over a vase and it shattered against the ground. Yaba's eyes widened and his face turned an immediate color of red, his yellowed teeth grinding against one another so loudly that Candlejack had to drop his ears to his head to drown out as much as possible. Not too far from the conflict, White and Zelori watched. White leaned in and whispered.

"Shouldn't you probably help him?" he asked, a look of bewilderment displayed. Zelori found looking at a piece of china to be more interesting

"There is one thing you should know about my brother. He will never learn his lesson unless in conflict." She knew this out of experience with the pony. She saw it mainly when she was teaching him the zebra arts. While she had worried that it would affect him negatively, she found that it was proven fruitful and the colt would just brush it off as if it was nothing. "And besides, at least the owner is taking it out on someone else and not you." White wasn't sure how to respond to this. Candlejack balked and ducked as the buck tried to grab him again.

Crawling out from under the hulking zebra, he quickly bolted over to a display case and hid behind it.

"Uhh, Zelori. A little help, please?" he said as the zebra turned and scrapped a threating hoof on the floor. Zelori sighed.

"Jack. Please explain to the zebra why we are here." Candlejack balked again.

"What!? The guy is trying to kill me!!" he retorted as he shifted his position as the zebra moved towards him.

"Perhaps. But it was your fault for provoking this reaction. So now, it is up to you to fix it." Candlejack slumped a little.

'Right. Problems. Fix it myself. Why is it always me though?'

Because you are a sad pony with nothing better to do than provoke others.

'Thanks moral compass.' Candlejack retreated from his defense to another display case. More colorful swears escaped the zebra as the anger in his eyes remained on the stallion. "Ummm.... Listen, Mister..."

"Yaba." White finished.

"Umm... perhaps we could talk this over?" Candlejack retreated again, using a display mannequin to block the oncoming anger. "Umm... if that is okay with you? I mean, you seem like a pretty decent guy." Candlejack forced a weak smile. The buck kept swearing, as if his entire vocabulary had been replaced. Candlejack looked around, desperate to find a way to stop the buck. His eyes fell on the brown bag next to White. An image of Zelori freaking out about the symbol came back to him and he smirked.

Candlejack shoved the mannequin at the buck, causing him to catch it as he dove for the bag. White and Zelori moved aside as Candlejack reached in and the buck charged. Diving after the pegasus, Yaba extended his hooves, ready to kill. Candlejack felt the cold hard leather. Pulling it out, he held up the book.

"The power of Samedi compels you!!" He shouted. Albeit, it was something he didn't think of himself to ever say, but it did cause a reaction out of the zebra. In fact, a strange one indeed. Candlejack had closed his eyes, waiting for the inevitable. When nothing happened, he peeked out with one eye and noticed the buck in mid pounce and hover there in shock. Landing on his hooves, the buck growled.

"That book... where did you get it...?" he asked coldly. Candlejack stood up, shaking the book lightly.

"That's what we want to know." He said, the sweat forming on his brow. Mr. Yaba looked at the book and then over to White. The unicorn gave him a sheepish grin.

"I err... have been meaning to return it after the incident." He said. Mr. Yaba studied the three. He then sighed and snatched the book from Candlejack, making the stallion flinch and back away. But Mr. Yaba examined the book.

"And after all these years, not a single scratch. Necromancy is powerful indeed." He looked at White. "Your father was a fool to steal this from me. I hope his soul pays the ultimate price for playing with death." White bowed his head shamefully and kicked his hoof.

"I-I know... and I should have done something... but he was my dad... what was I supposed to do?" he asked. Mr. Yaba went behind the counter, placing the book in front of him.

"Prevent it from ever happening. I do not care if you had to hurt your father for it. All I know now is that this monstrosity has been returned to its' rightful place." His look turned grim. "And it appears that the book had been accepted of blood. Your... sister's, if I am not mistaking." White balked. His shock quickly turning to anger.

"How do you..." Mr. Yaba looked at the stallion.

"Your assumption on zebra being gypsies is as farfetched as what I am about to say. We may not predict future outcomes, but our wisdom tells us possible choices. And the possible choices after your mother died was either you or your sister." White took a moment to grasp what he was saying. Candlejack and Zelori exchanged glances as the stallion came to a shocking conclusion in his mind.

"You... knew he was going to use it on Manic?" he rasped. Mr. Yaba looked sternly at the pony.

"You knew where your father was getting his trinkets. Yet, you didn't bother to ask me." White shook his head slowly.

'B-but... you were..." Mr. Yaba shook his head.

"I may have been angry with you destroying my priceless antiques with your music. But after seeing the book gone from my wares and seeing the pony who made off with it, I could only assume the choices he made. And seeing as you were out of the house that fateful day, I could only know the next choice." White grit his teeth and banged on the table, causing Candlejack to duck behind Zelori out of fear of the zebra suddenly rampaging through the store. But when nothing happened and the looks of intent glares at one another proved otherwise, Candlejack eased a little.

"You bastard... You knew!!" White shouted.

"Process of elimination. Something my people are good at." Mr. Yaba sighed. "Your family is cursed and there is nothing I can do for you." White slumped his head.

"So... you are just going to let us suffer then? Let my little sister suffer the torture of having those nightmares? Of seeing mom that night?" He got low and his voice spit poison. "All because I didn't come to you, you are just going to let my sister suffer that fate? She's been secluding herself to her room ever since. I hardly ever get the time to have a proper dinner with her! She spends all day and night working over projects with only thirty minutes of sleep a day!" Mr. Yaba dismissed with a wave of a hoof.

"Then your father shouldn't have played with death. Now get out of my sight. And take the damn pseudo with you." He motioned to Candlejack. "If I ever catch you or your sister within eyesight of this store, I will get the A.S.S. to resolve the matter." White swiped his hoof over the table, knocking over the book and having it clatter to the ground.

"*Visser, vieux baiser!" White shouted. Mr. Yaba arched an unamused brow at the stallion. "My sister has suffered long enough and I need answers now!! Or so help me, the pegasus wearing your armor and breaking a vase will not be the only thing causing more of your flesh to peel off." Candlejack couldn't help but smile at this. An idea had come to him.

"You know, White. You are right. What about a pegasus that can... I don't know... do something el- whoops!" Candlejack purposefully shot out a wing and knocked over another mannequin with a different set of armor in place. A loud metal clatter caused the buck to twitch his eye. "Oh clumsy me. That must have been priceless. Oh well. I guess we aren't welcomed anymore. Let's just- whoa!" Candlejack again purposefully let himself trip over the mannequin and onto a display case, knocking it over and causing a domino effect on a few other antiques.

"Stop this!! What are you doing!?!" the buck roared. Candlejack smirked and picked himself up off the ground.

"Oh, I'm sorry. How much did that cost? I mean, if it is priceless, it shouldn't be worth anything right? So no harm no foul?" The zebra buck stood up and pointed.

"Don't you even..." Candlejack did. Catching something that seemed high on a pedestal, an old pot with strange slithering serpents for handles, sung harmoniously to him. Trotting over, Candlejack reached out a hoof.

"Wow, so pretty... Since it is priceless, I can go ahead and touch it, yeah?" As he did, Candlejack cheekily tapped the pot, making it tip. The zebra buck roared again.

"Alright, enough!!! What is it that you want!? I'll help you!! Just stop breaking everything you touch!!" Candlejack gave an approving nod and looked to the stunned stallion. Zelori, however, was giving a disapproving shake of her head.

'Oh well, two beats one as they say.' He thought. Backing away from the pot, Candlejack motioned. "Well then, you have his full attention now." White blinked once before turning to the buck.

"Mr. Yaba, please... I need answers. If not for me or my family, then maybe for your own conscience? I know you are just trying to live quietly here and I know that the other adolescents give you trouble every now and then. But please... just help me on this. It's for my sister's sake." Mr. Yaba studied the stallion before looking over to Candlejack. Candlejack yawned and stretched, shifting his wing over to the pot and making it clear. The buck sighed.

"Fine. If you want my help, I must ask something else in return." White nodded.

"Anything for my sis to sleep peacefully again." Mr. Yaba looked at the others.

"Then perhaps you all wouldn't mind a small trip. If you want to know the origin of the book and its contents, I know exactly the place."

Spotlight Glitter trotted up to the house. Her magic projected umbrella shielding her from the rays of the sun. She knocked twice on the door. She waited a good minute before knocking on the door again. Only this time, the silent response was replaced with the sound of somepony talking inside.

"...Relax. It's not that big a deal. If anything, you would be a hit with the teens." The door opened and Manic peeked her head out. She suddenly closed the door when Spotlight gave a small wave, arching a brow at the sudden reaction. Hearing more murmurs from inside, she waited patiently for the door to open again. As she was about to knock on the door again, it opened and Manic leaned against it coolly.

"Hey Spotlight. 'Sup?" she said. Spotlight gave her a smirk in return.

"I appreciate you taking the time to act casual around me. Goddesses knows I can use somepony to just have a simple conversation with." Manic blinked once before looking at her confusedly.

"I err... what?" Spotlight giggled.

"It's nothing. Is your brother here? I had asked him to do some shopping with me and I haven't heard from him." Manic scoffed.

"The idiot is probably out partying with his other friends. Have you checked all the usual places?" Spotlight nodded.

"I have. It is strange. He usually is on time with our shopping dates." Manic sighed.

"Yeah well, I could care less if the idiot is out there trying to act like the hot shot of the town." Spotlight smirked.

"Do I detect a hint of jealousy?" Manic balked and shook her head furiously with a blush.

"N-no way! Me? Jealous of him!? Hah! I don't need to party to get where I am going." Spotlight furrowed her brows.

"And that is... the position in Aretilla, is it not?" Manic opened her mouth to say something, but then closed it.

"Err... well you see..."

"Manic, I know that you are avoiding the position." Manic winced. Hearing that from her idol was indeed a slap across the cheek. Spiritually in a sense. Manic sighed and pushed away from the doorway, allowing Spotlight to enter and dispel her umbrella. Once inside, Spotlight was surprised when another pony she didn't recognize enter in the room, balancing a tea kettle and cups on a tray on her head. Her movements were unusually steady and humming with each step she took.

But that wasn't all that took her by surprise. The outfit the pony was wearing was indeed... peculiar. However, the outfit may seem a little ridiculous, it couldn't hide the fact that this pony was an android. Which caused Spotlight to squee a little.

"Oh, what a cute maid outfit!!" she squealed. Aurora placed the tray down and blushed a little in embarrassment.

'How did I let a filly talk me into this?’ she thought to herself as she began pouring the tea. Manic took a seat in one of the peeling leather chairs. Manic took the cup and sipped. Scrunching her muzzle at the bitter taste, Manic tapped her hoof on the table to grab Aurora's attention.

"Maid! I would like a much better tasting elixir. Perhaps, the ramune in the fridge, if you don't mind." Aurora studied the filly.

"But the tea is-." Manic waved a hoof.

"Is the maid speaking out of line? Go fetch it for me or else I will activate one of the more... 'amusing' programs." Aurora wasn't sure what she meant by it. But the look the filly was giving made her aware that her entire decency is on the line. Aurora found herself crossing her hooves and doing a curtsey in response.

"As you wish." She said. The filly cleared her throat and frowned at her.

"We went over this, maid. What do you say when you address me?" Aurora did her best to ignore the slight nip at her thought process.

"As you wish... madam." She said. Aurora walked steadily out of the room and into the kitchen. Spotlight was amused by this.

"Well, now I am even more curious as to what you have been up too." Manic rubbed the back of her mane in response.

"Well... I am just about done with the order and need to find a way to ship it off. But I also have a few other things I need to work on and I don't have the time to do it. I also want to get to work at that stage design too. So, I have a little help." She motioned to the android in the kitchen. "My own personal maid android. Pretty nifty, if I might add." Unbeknownst to the filly, Aurora had tuned her receiving volume a little bit higher in order to hear what was going on while she worked. Dinner was still in the making and she had almost left the pot boiling more than it should.

"Oh, magnifique! I always dreamed of having my own personal assistant." Manic perked.

"R-really?" she asked. Spotlight nodded.

"Oh yes. I hear that Prance has still maintained its vintage despite the incident. I would love to go there one day." She sighed. "A mare can dream, can't she?" Manic wasn't sure how to respond, so she just nodded. "Anyway, you still haven't answered my question." Manic took a moment before shrugging.

"I really don't know. He probably went to show those two mutants the town." She snorted in disgust. "Fine by me if they just mug him and leave him to rot. Serves him right for being a total idiot." Spotlight frowned.

"Manic, why do you spite your brother? He is only looking out for you." Manic remained quiet. She was hoping to avoid this conversation entirely.

'Dammit, White. You should have gone with her to go shopping.' Spotlight waited for the filly to respond. Seeing as she wasn't getting one, she continued.

"White may be a little... well... clumsy. But his heart is in the right place. He dreams of moving to the city and taking you with him so that way you can live a better lifestyle than what you are currently living in." Manic frowned.

"Pssh, the town is nothing but a death trap. If the mayor can't take the time to fix up all the ramshackle housing and loose metal, that place is waiting to fall down on somepony." Spotlight shook her head.

"He was talking about Aretilla." Manic again remained quiet. "Aretillia is the metropolis of opportunity! He even has gotten into contact with one of his friends there and he agreed to help with the situation. So, why do you think White deserves such spite?" Manic wasn't really liking the way this conversation was going. As much as she admired Spotlight, she hated being questioned on personal matters.

'But what can I do? She's dating my brother and she can see right through me.' Suddenly, a flash of the nightmare shot through her and she quickly shook her head.

"I... I don't really want to leave..." Spotlight looked worriedly at the filly.

"Why not? From the way White described it, you both need a change of space. It is also very healthy for a filly your age to go out and see more of the world."

"And that's just it." Manic retorted. "The world is a living shit hole and everywhere you look, somepony wants you dead or just wants to use you before robbing you of everything. Virginity included!" Spotlight was taken a little aback by the sudden outburst. But standing her ground, she frowned and stomped her hoof.

"While yes, the world is an unsavory place. That is why most ponies keep to the roads in order to prevent themselves from anymore danger! Aretillia is only a few miles east of here and the road is being safe guarded by their security service!" Manic scoffed.

"Like the A.S.S. does any better. They are just out for a good time and could care less about our community." Aurora had to hoof it to the mare. She remained calm and collected, but firm and strong. She continued.

"This pessimism isn't healthy for a filly your age. You need to start accepting the positive sides of things! They vastly outnumber the cons!” Manic sighed.

"Are we done yet? Because I need to get back to work." Manic slid off the seat and stomped over to the stairs. "Maid, I'll be in my room. Just bring dinner to me and leave it by my door. Don't bother knocking either." Aurora sighed.

"As you wish." She said. There was a brief pause. Aurora groaned. "Madam." And with that, the filly entered her room and secluded herself to her work. Spotlight sighed and took a sip of her tea. Aurora turned the timer on and let the solarium stove cook the contents before wiping her hooves on a stained rag and entering the room.

"It's as White claimed it to be. Manic isn't the little filly I once knew." She said. Aurora cocked her head slightly.

"Once knew? You mean you two know each other before the whole pop idol thing?" Spotlight giggled.

"You could say that I was her 'big sister' idol. I attended the same music class with her brother. Seeing his passion for creating it and mine for singing it, we began hanging out a lot more. Their mom was a nice mare. Sweet and caring, but had that little stern sass when it came to trouble. She even tutored me on my vocals." Aurora took a seat across from her.

"You must have looked up to her." She said. Spotlight gave a small nod.

"Of course. And whenever their father would be at work and she would be giving the tour of the musical museum, I would be the one to baby sit them." Aurora couldn't help but smile.

"Baby sit White too?" she asked. Spotlight gave a sly smirk.

"Frankly, he has gotten himself in more trouble than his sister. But the two always went out of the way for one another. It's an unusual relationship with most siblings. Something that is rare nowadays. It makes me jealous to see them get along. I've always been an only child and I hated the attention my parents were giving me." She brushed a hoof on the cup's lip and made a circling motion, causing it to sing a single note. "I guess I kind of envied them for a time. And then, two years later, White finally confessed and we soon became a thing." Aurora propped her hoof under her chin.

"Must be nice to know that one of your favorite idols and best foal sitter is dating your older brother." She said. Spotlight smiled.

"And what about you?" Aurora found the response to not compute with her response list. Well, except for one word.

"What?" Spotlight put the cup down.

"I know that you are an android. But if I can recall, you are considered a second class citizen. You have the same rights as we do. So, I am asking about your own lifestyle. Do you have somepony to admire? To love in return?" Aurora again found the questions to be odd.

"I'm not sure what you are getting at." She casually popped an index claw stub out and tapped her chin in thought. "Hmm... but with admiring, I would have to say my father." Aurora smiled. "He rebuilt me to the best of his abilities. When I was activated, He completely skipped the boot up sequence and immediately began calling me his daughter." She blushed a little. "Although sudden, I think he was under the influence of alcohol. But I didn't mind. He showed me what he does and how to do it. And soon, I began to think that I could have really been his actual daughter. The android's look faltered. "And... just a few days ago... he was murdered by a terrible pony." Spotlight gasped and put a hoof to her chest.

"Oh no... I am so sorry..." she said. Aurora shook her head.

"It's okay. I know he only wanted what was best for me. Even though I am... not really his true daughter." Spotlight blinked.

"Oh?" Aurora bit her lip.

"Well... I... was cleaning one day and I found this recording..." she sighed and shook her head again. "I don't really want to talk about it..." Spotlight smiled reassuringly.

"It's okay. He must have been a great pony to have kept seeing you as one." Aurora nodded.

I hope so as well." There was suddenly a loud banging coming from upstairs. The two stood up quickly and Aurora immediately began scanning the map.

"What was that?" Spotlight asked. Aurora darted her eyes, listening intently for any more sounds. For a brief moment there was nothing. And then... she started hearing whispers.

"Manic..." she said suddenly. Bolting for the stairs, Aurora reached the door tried getting it to open. Spotlight cantered up the stairs.

"Is everything alright? Manic? Can you hear me?” she shouted. Aurora suddenly turned and with as much force she could muster, she bucked the door. Bending under the force, she bucked again and the door flew off its' hinges. A strong gust of wind shot out of the room, almost blowing them off their hooves. Spotlight screamed. Aurora looked inside to see the room in utter chaos.

Bits, scraps and pieces of technology was floating around the room. Creating a small funnel of flying electronics. Aurora saw a prompt pop up:

Anomaly detected. Proceed with caution.

'An anomaly?' she asked herself. This was a first for her. But taking one hoof step inside, she was pegged across the cheek with a wrench. Remaining unmoved other than her head moving with the force of impact, Aurora took another step forward. An eerie glow was coming from inside the torrent of devices. The whispers increasing with each step. Aurora ducked and avoided as much as she could. Finally reaching the source, she gaped in surprise as to what she saw.

In the middle were two ponies. One she recognized as Manic. The filly looking pale and wide eyed in fear and shock, her mouth open as if she was screaming. The other was something that made Aurora's vision static a bit. But she could hear it. The whispers were faint. The distortion quiet. And descending from the ceiling was a pale, pupiless unicorn pony. Her figure almost skeletal and her mane matted and falling apart. The distortion was becoming clearer as her vision began increasing in static. The words reaching her ears:

What have you done to me? Why am I cursed to live like this? This isn't what I wanted... So alone... So scared...

Manic couldn't move. The fear pinning her to her spot. The ghoulish pony took one shambling step forward.

My daughter... why have you done this to me?... Your blood... your... blood...

The pony then suddenly reared back, the devices flinging wildly around Manic's room. A loud piercing scream.

You killed me!!!

The devices clattered together, now a giant ball of fritzing and out of control electronics. With a loud angry scream, the ghoulish pony released the amounts of electronics, Aurora reaching out as the heavy machinery descended on the filly.

Author's Notes:

Visser, vieux baiser

Translation:

"Screw off, old fuck."