Twilight Sparkle smiled while looking out her bedroom window from the comfort of her bed. She gazed past the oaken limbs that extended from her tree home and towards the bright, sunny town of Ponyville. She could hear birds chirping in the distance, interrupted by the yells of excitement from a small group of foals chasing a ball. The sun was bright, but not oppressively so, adding just the right amount of illumination to the small hamlet.

The unicorn sighed, breathing in a deep lungful of the relaxing woody scent that permeated her home. She guessed it was around ten in the morning and though a part of her wanted to get moving on her day’s schedule, the temptation to laze about for a few more minutes won out in the end.

Her hooves clopped against the living wood floor until she made her way to the window and threw it open, letting in the surprisingly cool mid-morning breeze. She could feel the last vestige of the cool night air that stubbornly held on. It reminded her of the coming winter and though the reminder was grim, she quickly chastised herself for her negative thoughts. She had nearly two months before winter would arrive, but summer would be back before she knew it. Do not bemoan the summer for its mortality.

Those were words to live by if ever she heard them. She sighed, leaning against the windowsill, and staring out over the town from on high. She could see over most of the single story, simple dwellings of the hamlet with ease, allowing her to look out over the entirety of the settlement. Her gaze lingered over a few colorful shapes that might be friends, family or other ponies she knew, all of which were too far away for her to be certain.

Which was for the best Twilight thought, she was in a dour, introspective mood this morning and didn't want to ruin anyone’s good cheer quite yet. A feeling of foreboding had been growing on her since she awoke, one she could not shake despite all her fervent attempts to distract herself. Inevitably, her eyes were drawn upwards, away from the town’s life and its cheer and towards the looming forest beyond.

Where the burgeoning hamlet was a bustling center of life, prosperity and minor trade, the forest was the opposite in every way. The inhabitants of the wood were savage, powerful and utterly bestial, not capable of prospering for long before being eaten by a bigger predator. She felt the smile she had forced onto her face begin to slip when she noticed two shapes standing at the wood’s edge. Their coats were a burnt orange and pale blue and they both swung gleaming axes at a large stubborn tree that had seemingly grown overnight at the edge of the forest.

She could almost hear the mixture of country-flavored frustration and the harsh, foul language of the former captain as they futile attempt to chop down the tree. She shook her head and sighed, knowing full well what was about to happen.

Sure enough, a few minutes later the pair threw their hopes and their axes aside. The light blue colored one threw her axe into the woods and no doubt cursed while the other ground a straw hat into the dirt angrily, taking her frustrations out on her chapéu.

Twilight pressed her hoof against her forehead and groaned. She had told those two that simply chopping it down wouldn't work and neither would fire, yet here they were again. Maybe Luna was right and the forest truly was unstoppable, but she couldn't just give up, right? Celestia had grandly stated that she would fight it with all she had, but what had that accomplished, other than getting a few squads of guards killed?

Twilight sighed, laying her chin down on the cool window frame and sighing with exhaustion. Her own studies were inconclusive, nonsensical or otherwise baffling. The forest was alive, that much was obvious, but it defied all reason. Trees grew from seeds to full size overnight while others were healthy one day and a withered husk the next, and that wasn't even considering all the bizarre creatures found in the depths of the otherworldly forest!

When she had learned of the timberwolf epidemic, she hadn't slept for several days. The question of just how such a creature could come to exist had driven her late into the night in search of an answer, which ultimately turned out to be a futile effort. The creatures acted like they were alive, but to her spells, they simply weren't. They clearly weren't golems, as they acted without orders and retained their wolf-like characteristics.

She shut her eyes and focused all her attention to the cool breeze rolling through her fur. It couldn't ease her worries completely, but it was nice, soothing even. The questions, curiosities and endless thoughts were pushed aside in favor of simply enjoying the moment.

Do not bemoan the summer for its mortality.

She wasn't sure where she had read it, but it was poignant and something certainly worthy of remembering. Maybe later she would search through her poetry books in order to find where she had heard it first…

A knock on her door broke her train of thought and a small masculine voice shouted through the oaken portal. “Your breakfast is ready, Mom! Are you awake?”

Twilight couldn't help, but smile at the sound of his voice. “Yeah, I’m awake. I’ll be down in a minute.”

When she didn't hear the telltale scampering of footsteps, she turned her gaze towards the door where a rather frantic set of draconic eyes peered at her nervously. The unicorn sighed and trotted over to the door, pushing it open to reveal her adopted son Spike, standing there awkwardly, clutching a wooden spoon in one claw.

“What's wrong, Spike?” she asked in the calm, motherly voice she had copied from her own mother.

The small green drake frowned and looked down, unable to meet his mother’s gaze. “Some of the townsponies said it was the dragon’s fault for the Everfree growing out of control… That their war with the griffons is making all this bad stuff happen.”

Twilight lowered herself down to the diminutive dragon’s height and picked up his chin with her hoof. “Those ponies are just scared, they are trying to find excuses rather than solutions.” She frowned, noticing the faint buildup of tears at the edges of the dragon’s eyes. “Do I have to get Little Seed to beat some jerks up for you?”

Spike chuckled and wiped away the tears, mumbling a weak, “No.”

“Good. Remember, little flame, it's not your fault.” She fixed him with a semi stern glare. “Got it?”

The dragon smiled back weakly and reached out to hug her, an action she eagerly reciprocated, pulling the tiny dragon close and squeezing him tightly. After a few moments passed and his breathing returned to normal, she gently pushed him back and shot him a wide smile. “Why don't we go eat breakfast and after that, we can even go see if Sterling Gem found anything good this time.”

The little dragon’s eyes sparkled. “Really?”

“Yup! But only if you eat all your other food, dragons who only eat-”

“-gems go to bed with a tummy ache. Yeesh, you say that every time,” Spike finished.

“Well, sometimes the most important lessons need to be repeated.” She stood up only for a sudden weakness to grip her, causing her to crash down to her knees.

Her adopted son scampered up to her with worry in his eyes. “What’s wrong? Are you hurt?”

Twilight gasped, a hoof gripping her chest. “Send a letter to Luna, tell her it's an emergency.” She looked up to the unmoving dragon and pushed him gently. “Go. I’ll be okay.”

Spike looked from her towards the stairs, where the writing supplies were, then back to the mare crumpled on the ground. He nodded and scampered off, eager to relay his mother’s message, leaving Twilight alone, where she breathed a sigh of relief.

Just hold on a little longer, Twilight, we still have work left to do.

Despite her valiant attempts to stay conscious, she knew it was a losing battle. Her last thoughts before the void took her was a whispered apology to Spike for putting him through all this.

Twilight Sparkle awoke with a start, her breathing heavy and her mind a flurry of confusion. “What the?” she whispered, running a hoof across her face.

Was that a dream? If it was, then who were all those strange individuals? She didn't know any of the names, though a few seemed familiar. More off-putting than that was the small dragon she had been holding, she felt like she knew him, but with each passing second she forgot more and more about him until all she was left with was a blurry greenish purple blob and his name, Spike.

She felt something cold crawl down her cheek, confused, she reached a hoof up and brushed away a tear she hadn't known she had shed. She blinked, looking down at her wet hoof, baffled. She wiped her hoof on her blanket and lit her horn, hoping to illuminate the room. However the eerie reverse light did little to illuminate the surroundings, making her frown.

I really need to figure out what the heck that is. Thinking quickly, she cast a quick light spell over her horn, which began to glow the telltale color that her magic used to.

“What in the world?” She gaped, looking around the devastated room in confusion. The paint had peeled off the walls, exposing the now blackened wood beneath. Her bedding had dried to the point that she felt like she was draped in little more than dust, her pillow felt like it was filled with ash, and the wooden bed posts were pitch black.

“How did this happen?” she muttered, looking around to where her pie had been and noticing there was a tiny pile of dust where she had left it. Even the candle that had been next to the bed had been afflicted by the same strange rot, crumpling into a small dry pile.

She got out of bed and stood on the formerly carpeted floors that now seemed to resemble coarse hair rather than carpet. The mare coughed, suddenly aware of all the dust she had kicked up. Covering her mouth, hacking, she stumbled into the next room, only to find it in a similar state of destruction.

In her confusion she forgot to maintain her light spell and her horn flickered and died. Rather than relighting it, she reached out to the rune on the wall. Instantly the same blue lights flickered into being, at least for several seconds anyway, until they flickered and died as well.

Twilight lit her horn and cast the same light spell, this time taking an extra few seconds to infuse it with enough mana to keep it going for a few minutes. With her horn relit, she looked out over the room once more. Barely noticeable over the visible destruction and rot beyond was a small handwritten note crumpled on the ground.

Every piece of wood was black, as if it had been charred, the delicate lace tabletop was little more than dust, the books hadn't fared much better either. Even the magical torches along the wall were nearly destroyed, most were little more than stumps and wherever she looked, the runes were dull and flickering or out entirely, meaning the enchantments had been broken or drained.

She suddenly became aware that all the support beams were wood, and that said wood was black and most likely not as stable as it once was. Quickly, she trotted over to the staircase that was in similar state. She placed a cautious hoof on the bottom step and leaned against it. The wood seemed to hold, but it groaned as it took her weight.

Good enough, she thought darkly, she really didn't want to get trapped down here if one of the steps gave out under her.

Slowly, carefully, she shifted her hooves up the stairs, climbing at a painfully slow pace in order to make sure she never put her full weight on a single step. For a while the only sound was her breathing, which was short, frequent and marred by panic.

Then, when she was about halfway up the stairs, she began to hear voices, they seemed to be coming from above her, but were a great distance away. Confused, she looked up the staircase only to see not a single stray shaft of light from above. Which was understandable, she supposed, but still disconcerting.

A few more minutes passed and she finally made her way to the top of the stairs, where she noticed why there was no light and the voices were oddly distorted: someone had dropped the plate, sealing the underground home. Confused, Twilight reached out and pushed the plate lightly.

The thin metal shifted slightly, indicating she hadn't been barricaded inside. Breathing a sigh of relief, Twilight put a little more force into her push and shoved the plate up and out of the way. The voices stopped, she heard a the distinct sound of hooves just outside and for a moment she stood there, confused and frightened.

“H-hello?” she asked, weakly, edging closer to the top of the plate.

The door was open and the soft light of the moon illuminated a rather intimidating-looking bat pony staring down at her angrily. Her fur was a surprisingly vibrant teal and what little of her mane was visible beneath her the sleek black armor was all colors of the rainbow.

A sudden twinge of fear shot through the bat pony when their eyes met and Twilight shrunk back into the stairwell when the pony’s lips pulled back to reveal a pair of diminutive fangs. The brief bit of fear seemed to pass quickly and the guard flared her wide, leathery wings. “What did you do to Pinkie Pie!” she shouted down at the unicorn.

“What? Who are you-” Twilight tried to ask.

“I’ll be asking the questions here, outsider! What did you do to Pinkie Pie?” Her eyes narrowed dangerously and Twilight became quite aware of the fact that the bat pony’s armor extended up to her wings and ended in a small, but incredibly sharp pair of blades.

“Look, whoever you are, I don't know what you are talking about, but I can assure you I would never hurt Pinkie Pie,” Twilight calmly asserted.

Applejack shook her head and spat, which surprised the unicorn as before than she hadn't even noticed the farmer. “Well then, tell us all how Pinkie Pie went down in there, tryin’ to deliver you an invitation to the party she was organizin’ for yer sorry ass, only to come outta there with one less leg than when she went in?”

Rainbow Dash sputtered and jabbed a hoof at Twilight. “Yeah, what she said!”

Twilight backed up, noticing a small set of retractable blades attached to the hoof armor being pointed at her. “I don't know, honestly. I wanna figure out what happened to Pinkie Pie as well, maybe it would explain why the whole underground house looks like it’s thousand years old all of a sudden.”

Applejack scratched the side of her head and tried to peer past the tall unicorn. “What in tarnation are ya talkin’ about? Looks fine from here.”

The unicorn rolled her eyes. “Inside is where, whatever happened, happened. The wood’s black, the paint has nearly peeled off completely and the whole place looks like it's about ready to crumble at a moment’s notice.”

“Now I know that ain't right. That wood was treated and sealed with this fancy stuff that made that kinda thing impossible,” Applejack replied confidently.

“I noticed, which is why this is so perplexing. Maybe it has to do with what happened to Pinkie-” As Twilight spoke she took a few more steps up, not wanting to test her luck with the rickety stairs any longer.

“Hey!” The rainbow maned bat pony jumped into a hover in order to look Twilight in the eye and fix her with the meanest glare she could muster. “What part about I’m asking the questions don't you get, outsider? Now you are coming with me back to the umbral tower and no funny business, capiche?”

The longer Twilight spent in the company of the strange bat pony, the less she was intimidated by her. “Uh, yeah sure, I’ll be right behind you.”

The bat pony’s slitted eyes narrowed. “You are going to be in front of me, so I can make sure you don't try anything.”

Twilight sighed and rolled her eyes. “I don't know where this umbral tower is.”

“Applejack, would you mind bringing up the lead, then?”

The tree-bound mare shrugged her large shoulders, sending the branches on her tree shaking. “Sure, so long as I’m back on the farm by lunch.”

“Good.” The mare moved out of the way and ushered Twilight forward, to which she obliged.

The unicorn tried to ignore the odd thestral as best as she could but she could almost feel the daggers being stared at her from the bat winged pony. She trotted a little closer to Applejack, who eyed her cautiously, but said nothing.

“Hey uh, Applejack, what happened to Pinkie Pie exactly? She lost a leg somehow?”

Applejack lifted an eyebrow at that, studying the mare’s face. After a few quiet moments, she snorted. “Just fell right off, was the damndest thing.”

Twilight winced. “What did the wound look like?”

“Ya really didn't do it, did ya?” the farmer asked incredulously.

Twilight rolled her eyes. “Of course not, you, Pinkie, and Fluttershy have been nothing but kind to me. Why would I try and hurt any of you?”

“Couldn't tell ya, Rainbow thinks you are some sort of spy.” The farmer rolled her eyes and glanced back to the bat pony hovering just behind them, ready to swoop in at a moment’s notice.

“Hey! Quit talking to the prisoner! She might use some sort of mind magic on you!” Rainbow Dash physically pulled the two ponies apart, glaring at the unicorn all the while.

Twilight took a step back and sighed. She wanted to correct the bat pony and explain that such magic didn't exist, but she quickly realized that she hadn't believed Celestia would ever want to kill her either and that was apparently a thing. That, and she was pretty sure the nervous thestral would take anything she might say as proof that Twilight was some sort of spy.

So she just shut her mouth and marched silently into town, the guard hovering mere feet behind her. Eventually, the trio made their way to their destination, the farmer guiding them around the town and avoiding most other people that may have been wandering around, something Twilight was immensely thankful for. Only stopping for a moment in order for the farmer to whisper a quick apology for the hostility, which Twilight brushed off. The unicorn could understand the fear and hostility and couldn't help but admit that if the tables were turned, it would have likely turned out much worse.

During most of the walk there, Twilight had used her time to imagine many terrible versions of this umbral tower. Her imagination had run wild with thinking of a great black tower that pierced even the high canopy of the Everfree, splitting the sky like a jagged obsidian scar. What she had not imagined though was a four story tower, which multiple smaller towers budded off from. Though it was a deep black color, this real umbral tower was not nearly as intimidating as the one Twilight’s imagination had come up with. The real tower’s black exterior was dotted with hundreds of stars, making the entire exterior blend in with the night sky seamlessly and was a work of art the likes of which Twilight had never seen before in her life.

It wasn't the least bit intimidating, in fact Twilight felt herself drawn towards the structure, her eyes running up and down the exterior and marveling at the intricacy of the stars. Her starstruck reverie was interrupted when the brash thestral bumped her shoulder and pointed to a door at the base of the tower that was flanked by two guards in similar identical sets of armor.

“Over there and no dawdling, outsider!” The bat pony jabbed Twilight in the flank with her steel clad hoof.

“I’m already walking,” Twilight tiredly replied.

Applejack swatted the thestral’s hoof out of the air. “Cut it out, Dash, she’s not hurting anybody.”

The thestral recoiled her limb and stuck her tongue out at the farmer. Twilight rolled her eyes again and made her way over to the pair of guards by the door. The hovering thestral finally landed and smiled broadly at the pair of waiting guards. “I’ve brought in the spy that assaulted Pinkie Pie.”

The pair exchanged a confused glance, the larger guard leaned to the right, glancing at the farmer and the unicorn. “I am so sorry, ma’am. The night guard wish to extend an official apology for buck Private Rainbow Dash’s actions today.”

“Bwuh?” Rainbow blinked.

Twilight smiled faintly and let out a small sigh. “Oh, thank the stars.”

Applejack snickered. “Lemme guess, you went out and arrested someone before the guard even got a warrant again.”

The larger guard sighed. “Unfortunately. Someone from command is waiting inside to give you new orders. Oh and send out Pinkie Pie while you are in there.”

“But, I... She… Augh.” The mare’s head sunk and she slunk into the tower, defeated.

As she passed by the door, the thestral brushed the smaller guard, who jumped, drawing a crescent sabre and pointing it towards the unicorn. Twilight took a step back, but the older guard didn't even flinch, turning to the smaller guard with barely contained annoyance. “What exactly are you doing, Private Moon Breeze?”

The other guard began to shake hard enough to make her armor rattle. “D-don't you feel it, sir? That… thing exerts some kind of pressure. Like it's trying to crush me.”

The larger guard trotted over and smacked the blade from his subordinate’s hoof. “I will not hoof out two demotions in as many minutes, you will get ahold of yourself or you will be polishing the whole flight’s armor. Am I understood?”

Moon Breeze gulped, slowly picking up and putting away her sabre, but not withdrawing her gaze from the unicorn for a second. Twilight shared a nervous glance with Applejack. “Is everyone usually this twitchy?”

Applejack snorted. “Not usually, seems like you have some damned bad luck.”

“Must be part of my family’s curse,” Twilight added.

The guard’s brow lifted. “Are you sure about that? The magical crimes division says curses aren't real. Enchantments and hexes sure, but curses that cling to a blood line? Sounds like a load of nonsense to me.”

Twilight frowned. “I wish it was nonsense, at least then others would stop being scared of me all the time.”

The stallion chuckled. “You, scary?” He gestured towards Applejack. “This pretty tree lady is scarier than you.”

Said tree lady scratched her head awkwardly, blushing slightly. “Thanks, I think.”

The door opened and all idle conversation died. A rather sickly pink troll hobbled out the door, supported by glowering Rainbow Dash. The usually excited pink being was moving oddly slow, her limbs heavy as if she were pushing through a thick mud. Her mane and tail hung loose and her eyes were slightly sullen, distant and lacking the distinct sparkle they had before. She had lost a lot of her color and she wore some fabric around her neck that hung down and obscured the missing limb from view.

Twilight’s heart fell and her jaw clenched with determination. “Pinkie, is that really you?”

The pink being looked up at the unicorn, only to shy away from her gaze. “Hey, Twilight. Sorry I couldn't deliver your invitation, but I started feeling all woozy doozy when I was dropping it off.”

“I don't care about the party, what happened to your leg?” Twilight extended a hoof to peek beneath the fabric, only to have her hoof swatted away by a protective Rainbow Dash.

“You’ve done enough damage, outsider! Keep your hooves to yourself,” she hissed at the unicorn, her lips pulled back to reveal her small fangs.

Twilight winced, pulling back her hoof and taking a step back, not due to the violent reaction of the thestral guard, but rather the terrified look that entered Pinkie’s eyes for a moment. The unicorn had felt as though a knife had been plunged into her heart the moment she had seen her friend, but seeing the fear in her eyes when she was close twisted that knife brutally.

“Pinkie is outside now, are you happy, Shade?” Rainbow snarled.

The guard sighed and turned to the shriveled troll. “Is this the being that attacked you?” He jerked his head towards Twilight, who shrunk under the attention.

“No, I got bit by a snake,” Pinkie Pie muttered.

“What! But you. She… Augh!” Rainbow’s slitted eyes narrowed and she stared at Twilight with unabashed hatred. “I’ll be watching you, outsider. Just because you did something to Pinkie to make her lie will not stop me.”

The guard rolled his eyes so hard it was nearly audible. “Look, Crash, even when she was surrounded by the guard in the most secure place in town and after she had been cleared for possible mind-tampering and drugs, she gave us the same line. Now go back inside and receive your new orders, or did you forget that part, buck Private Rainbow Dash?”

The thestral growled low, but ultimately hung her head in defeat once again. “No sir, just make sure Pinkie doesn't fall over.”

He snorted. “Of course.”

With that, the pair traded places, the guard swiftly switching places and holding up the much larger being with an ease that masked his diminutive stature. “Thanks for helping Dash by the way, Applejack. Give Granny my regards.”

The apple farmer blinked. “Oh uh, yeah sure. Twilight, when you head back to the farm later, make sure to stop in at the house, alright? I reckon we should have a little heart to heart.”

Twilight gulped. “Yes, ma’am.”

The apple farmer snorted. “And none of this ma’am nonsense. Makes me feel old.”

Twilight and the guard watched Applejack quickly disappear into the forest, vanishing around a nearby tree. The guard just shook his head at the sight. “Apples. If they could teach the night guard that trick it would make our jobs a hell of a lot easier. Whelp, we better get you back home in order to heal up. Where am I taking you, miss?”

Pinkie looked down at the small bat winged pony and frowned. “You sure you can manage, Shadey?”

The guard grunted. “Just because I ain't as big as you doesn't mean I can't hold my own and then some,” he said with a wink.

The troll hummed and hawed, only to shrug. “I guess I’ll head back to Zecora’s. You should come too, Twilight.”

“Do you really want to be near me after,” she winced, “all that?”

Pinkie sighed. “It was an accident, my granny Pie always said accidents can hurt, but they can be forgiven.” She smiled suddenly, perking up slightly. “Besides, I got a feeling Zecora’s gonna be home soon and I thiiink she’s gonna wanna talk to you.”

“How do you know that?” Twilight asked.

“Juuuust a feeling.” She winked exaggeratedly at the unicorn.

Twilight considered simply turning and returning to the farm, but a grunt from the small guard doing everything to help the troll along forced her to make up her mind. “I’ll come with you, but first I… I’m sorry Pinkie”

Pinkie smiled faintly and allowed the guard to guide her forward. “I’ll forgive you after you talk to Zecora. Oh oh and you gotta get me a whole pile of shiny rocks!”

Twilight giggled. “I think I can do that for you, Pinkie.”

The troll licked her lips and looked off into the distance. “Fool’s gold is my favorite. It's crunchy and poppy and kinda spicy. Oh oh! But if you find any quartz then grab that instead! No wait, rubies!” She scratched her head. “I’ll have to think about this.”

“Oh, what does this fool’s gold taste like?” Twilight asked, her guilt slowly falling to the wayside as her curiosity got the better of her.

“Well…”

And so the trio slowly made their way back to Zecora’s, this time in the capable care of an alert and trained guard, meaning they didn't meet any unexpected resistance. The pair managed to talk about nothing, save for the taste of various rocks and minerals the entire way back, which would have bored the guard to tears if he didn't also have to worry about keeping Pinkie vertical while watching for any sudden movements.

When they drew close to the troll’s hut, he finally relaxed and the conversation shifted suddenly, Twilight having broken the relative silence that had fallen over them. “So uh, I have to ask, but what exactly is Rainbow Dash’s, well…” The unicorn scratched the back of her head awkwardly. “Deal?”

The guard snorted. “Pinkie, do you want to handle this one?”

The troll sighed. “It's complicated. Do you want the short version or the super duper long one?”

“Uh, the short version? We aren't far right?”

Pinkie shook her head. “We are not far now. The short version is well…” She turned to the guard with a pleading look. “Are you suuuure you can't explain this one?”

The guard shook his head. “I don't feel like it’s my place to say. I may be a fellow member of the night guard, but unlike you, I am not her friend.” There was no malice in his voice, rather he was simply stating the fact.

“So, the super short version is that her family got betrayed by some big jerks and she left Sliffsdale with only a hoofful of gems. When she got here, we helped her find a place to stay, a place to work in order to get some gems and some kind beings gave her enough food for her to get by.”

Twilight smiled. “So I’m not the only poor soul this town has helped. Interesting.”

Pinkie smiled faintly. “Yeah, Ponyville has always liked to give to those who just need a little help. Anyway, so after she got back on her hooves, she wanted to give back, so she joined the guard and gave the town the only thing she had left to give, her loyalty.”

The guard snorted. “I didn't know you were so poetic, Pinkie.”

The troll giggled. “You can thank Mistress Zecora for once. When it comes to spinning words, she is second to none.”

The guard and troll both shared a laugh, leaving the unicorn confused. “Is she some kind of poet?”

“No, no, you’ll see when we meet her. If you want to know more, I’d ask Rainbow Dash. She probably wouldn't want me telling just anyone, now that I think about it,” said the blushing troll.

Twilight sighed, now that she knew at least a small part of the story, she couldn't help but feel at least a small part of her annoyance at the thestral begin to disappear. She was being protective of her adoptive home and family and even though Twilight couldn't really sympathize with her completely, even she had to admit that she felt a burgeoning sense of loyalty towards the small town and its peoples. They were so kind, generous and honest that it was difficult to feel overly mad at the mare for her misbegotten sense of loyalty.

The group was silent for the last leg of their journey, the forest was relatively flat and lacked the usual abundance of undergrowth, allowing Shade to relax a little more. Only the near silent plodding of their hooves could be heard above the gentle sound of the forest. The thick, powerful hooves of the troll were thunderous compared to the barely audible sound of the thestral’s light hooves, with Twilight’s somewhat awkward gait bringing up the rear.

It didn't take long to reach the hut from there, but even a few minutes felt like an eternity to the unicorn. In the absence of any distractions, she had been forced to face the fact that whatever had happened to Pinkie had likely been her fault somehow. Logically she didn't have any true evidence for this, but in the ensuing silence, she was forced to face the fact that there were no other suspects.

The creaking of the door mercifully pulled the mare from her thoughts and she glanced up to see the entrance to Zecora’s hut opened wide and the guard and troll just inside. The pair hobbled over to Pinkie’s bed, which she promptly fell into with a content sigh.

Shade brushed off his armor with a leathery wing and turned to the unicorn who still stood outside. “Twilight Sparkle, would you mind if I spoke to you alone for a moment?”

The unicorn blinked. “Oh uh, sure.”

The guard silently slipped outside, shutting the door behind him firmly. With a tired sigh, he slipped off his helmet and placed it on the ground under his hoof. Now free of the helm, his mane fell to the side of his face, obscuring one of his eyes and hanging nearly to his knees. “Look, I know it was you.”

Twilight’s heart instantly began pounding in her chest and she took an awkward step back. “I-”

“But I also know it was an accident.” Shade smiled softly and trotted over to a fallen log and sitting, beckoning for the unicorn to do the same.

Slowly, the mare made her way over and sat next to the guard, who was looking up at the night sky through a break in the trees. “We live in strange times, you know. Over a thousand years ago all they knew was peace.” He frowned, gripping his helmet tightly. “And not just the reluctant peace that falls between conflicts, real actual peace.”

“I thought the frontier was quiet.” The incredulous stare from the bat pony made the unicorn shrivel slightly. “-or so the papers say anyway.”
The guard chuckled darkly. “You know, you are a hard mare to hate. Sol’s forces relentlessly press against any race that is not judged as pure. It is only a matter of time before another offensive and there are a lot of individuals out here hurt directly or indirectly by her. And in the midst of all that, you just wander in, innocent as a babe.”

“I didn't know, the papers talk about conflict and the occasional skirmish as well as attacks by terrorists, but I’ve never left the capital.” She shrunk a little, looking down. “I hardly even left my house.”

“Look, I’m not blaming you, far from it. All I’m saying is that for a lot of folk out here, Sol’s forces are a faceless entity that has hurt them or the folk they know. When they see your face, well… just don't wander too far from Ponyville. Sol’s fury rarely touches anyone this deep in the forest, but others haven't been so lucky.”

“Yeah…” There was a deep weight to the word and Shade instinctively knew that this wayward unicorn had tasted such fury.

He sighed heavily and picked himself up from the log. “I’m not very good with words and I get kinda rambly, but what I’ve been trying to say is that I know you are just someone caught up in bigger things but not everyone’s gonna see it that way.” He dropped his helmet down on his head and spread his wings. “Stay safe.”

Then, he was gone in a surge of wind, vanishing into the night sky.

The unicorn lingered, her eyes drawn upwards towards the stars above, for a moment she sat there, not thinking of anything and merely letting the cool breeze run through her fur. She wanted to go inside, to make things right with Pinkie, but that could wait a minute or two. Right now her eyes were glued to the wide starlit sky peeking out through the branches. Away from the light of the city, the stars were brighter, despite the clinging canopy of the Everfree, or perhaps because of it. Twilight wasn't sure which.

Her gaze lingered and she allowed her mind to wonder about times past. She had always been fascinated by the night sky, but after finding out how much her father loved it, her interest had soured somewhat. Now she wished she had held onto that love, it was beautiful, infinite and mysterious. She remembered reading about the many theories that sought to explain the origin of the stars, the moon and other planets, but they for the most part had always sounded so… boring.

Logically she knew that them simply being balls of burning gas or cold rock way out in the universe was the most likely answer. On the other hoof though, those things would forever be theories, shrouded in mystery. Even if their tools and magic got better, they would never be able to go out there and observe any of these strange other worlds with their own eyes.

In a way she rather liked the now discredited theory that her mother had always talked about. Even at a young age, Twilight knew her mother’s stories of each pony’s destiny being tied to a star were just that, a story. But it was perhaps the most fitting story of the origin of the stars, and was one that could never truly be disproved. She wondered if there was a star up there for her and if she saw it, what would she learn?

She shook her head off such silly thoughts before getting up and making her way back to the hut. She didn't have time to muse on impossible theories and stories of the stars, she had much more pressing concerns than such esoteric subjects. Namely an injured friend, one that had insinuated she may have answers to Twilight’s most pressing questions.

Twilight pushed her way into the hut, warily glancing around and finding the pink mare on her bed, a sparkling, obsidian brick balanced on her sole forehoof. She stared at it for a moment longer before dropping it to the bed and turning to the unicorn.

“Oh hey, Twi. Beautiful night, isn't it?” the troll remarked.

Twilight couldn't help but smile. “Yeah, it sure is something. I could never really appreciate it in Canterlot, too many lights.”

The troll chuckled. “In a city of light, the most difficult thing to find is the stars.”

The unicorn cocked an eye at the pink being. “You sure do have a way with words.”

She rolled her eyes. “Pisha, Mistress Zecora reads so much poetry that it's hard not to pick up a little.”

“Zecora… that's a strange name. Zebrican, right?”

Pinkie winced. “Yeah, but don't bring up her homeland, alright? It's a bit of a sore spot.”

“Oh yeah, sure.”

A lingering silence fell over them and Twilight nervously pawed at the floor, looking at anything other than Pinkie Pie. “So uh… About what happened.”

The troll sighed and fell to her side. “It's going to take a whole lotta rocks to make my leg grow back this time, so how about a trade?”

“A trade?”

“Yeah, I thought of the perfect rocks! All you gotta do is promise to find me more bricks like this one and I’ll forgive you.” The troll extended her foreleg with a smile.

Guilt washed from the mare and she found herself already reaching for the offered hoof, only to stop. “These aren't super rare bricks or something right?”

Pinkie giggled. “Noper doper! You just gotta go by the old castle and grab a bunch. Wouldn't take more than an hour or so and most creatures are scared of that place, so it wouldn't even be too dangerous.”

The unicorn shook the offered hoof quickly, paranoid that she was going to cause whatever happened before to happen again. “I’m curious though, Pinkie, why did you offer a trade? If the rocks were so easy to get?”

Pinkie rolled her eyes. “Would you feel like you earned your forgiveness if I just gave it to you?” Twilight’s smile faded and she was forced to admit that no, she wouldn't have felt worthy of forgiveness. “Exactly! I can tell from the look on your face that you get it.”

“You are one wise troll, you know that?” Twilight remarked with a smile.

Pinkie Pie blushed and covered her face with her forehoof. “Thanks, Twi Twi!” her blush suddenly faded and she rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly. “That was probably one of Zecora’s lessons though.”

“Still, a lesson well learned honors the teacher and the student.”

“Now who's the wisey Mc Wisey Pants!”

The pair giggled, the sense of unease that had settled over them beginning to slip away. As their laughter slowly dwindled, Pinkie got up and patted the empty part of her bed. “Now tell auntie Pinkie about this silly curse business.”

Twilight rolled her eyes but did as the troll asked, plunking herself down beside her friend. “Well, what do you want to know? It’s apparently been around for generations and my father claimed to go as far back as they could remember.”

Pinkie frowned. “Did he ever say why you guys were cursed?”

“No… He just said a shadow hung over this family due to the ‘sins of the long shadow’. He didn't even know what the saying meant, it's just something handed down I guess.”

Pinkie rubbed her chin with her brick, nibbling at it occasionally in short crunchy bursts. “What does the curse do?”

“I overheard my mother whispering about my great aunt, whose presence made flowers die.” Twilight waved her hoof dismissively. “She was an old and strange unicorn though, lived alone with a houseful of plants and more cats than you could count.”

Pinkie’s muzzle scrunched up in thought and she noisily crunched on the brick, biting through chunks of it like it was little more than a loaf of bread. After a few minutes of near silence, she swallowed the last bit of the brick and sighed loudly. “Ahh, that feels good. Nice and spicy.”

“How exactly can a rock be spicy?”

“It's got lots of funny magic in it, makes my tummy all rumbly, but feels really good.” Twilight had more questions, but the expression of utter bliss that crossed the pink troll’s face made her just shake her head and give up.

She would just have to quench her thirst for knowledge when she went to this castle in order to make it up to Pinkie, even though she still wasn't quite sure what she had done. Regardless, there was a small part of her that knew she was at fault somehow and that was enough for the unicorn.

As the unicorn stewed in her grief, Pinkie picked up any pebbles that had broken off her brick and tossed them into her mouth, chewing loudly. Something about eating off the bed irked the unicorn, but she quickly realized that this was a rock-eating troll, if there was something on the bed that may cause her harm, she doubted it would survive past whatever inequine stomach the being had.

Another curiosity to add to the pile, Twilight reluctantly thought. If the pile was a physical thing, it would probably be about the size of an adult pony and something told the unicorn that it was only going to get bigger before she would start getting answers. The unicorn plopped down on the floor next to the troll’s bed, idly wondering if the floor was a part of the tree or if it were made of boards like a normal house.

Pinkie giggled at the strange intensity at which the unicorn stared at the floor, only to stop suddenly, her left ear flopping about. “Oh! Zecora’s home!”

Twilight turned to the mare and then the door, cocking her head slightly. She knew better than to doubt the troll, but still, there was no way her hearing was that good, right? She stared at the door for several long seconds only to sigh and turn to the troll. “Are you-?”

The unicorn found her words stopped dead by a hoof pressed against her lips. “Shh, she's going to make a dramatic entrance.”

The mare merely rolled her eyes and looked over at the door only to find it open with an aged zebra standing in the doorway. Her hair was longer than what Twilight would have imagined and though it may have been a mohawk in her younger days, it was long and frazzled now, sticking out at seemingly random angles.

Her jaw hung open and she stared wide eyed at the increasingly flustered unicorn. “Umm, hello?” Twilight whispered meekly.

“Twilight, is that really you?” the zebra whispered back, the color having drained from her face.

“I told you it would be dramatic! Yipee, story time!” Pinkie clapped her hooves together triumphantly.

Editing done by the wonderful everfree pony!
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