Rainbow's ears felt an annoying buzz as the world reshaped around her. Her body ached, and she flashed back to the most probable cause. She didn't expect to be hit by another Sonic Rainboom, Thunderboom, whatever. It hadn't actually been on her radar and while her whole yellow body ached, she was glad that Lightning Dust hadn't perfected that little trick. If she had, she wondered what would have happened to both the stadium and her head. She blinked awake and the world blurred into focus, shifting from a dull mass of colors into sharp relief as shapes and forms began to be picked out and the loud humming turned to a quiet ache. She tried to roll out of bed, but sensors and an IV drip kept her in place, the feeling of tape tugging at her hair and a tube pumping fluids into her vein coming into her mind and confusing her for just one moment.

Her mouth felt dry as she tried to speak; her body ached as she pulled herself up in a sitting position and a loud, monotonous beep flared off to the right of her. She hated hospitals. It felt like she was in one every few months, and she still hadn't gotten used to the sterile white walls and the pungent smell of disinfectant all over the floor. The harsh lights tried to imitate sunlight, badly if she might add, and the food wasn't much better than the stuff Applejack fed her dog. She gingerly touched her face and shards of pain arced through her mind.

"Great. Now I know what a Rainboom to the face feels like."

She heard movement from her side and she laid there, mostly unable to turn her head correctly due to the heavy bandages keeping her neck stable and the uncomfortable feeling of needles on the cusp of moving out of her skin.

"Dash, you feeling okay?"

She knew that slightly sarcastic voice. "Twilight?" Dash blinked as a haggard looking Twilight edged herself into her view. Honestly, Dash thought she looked worse than she felt, with dark bags under her eyes and an unkempt mane.

"Yeah, it's me, sorry for my- well, look. But I made it as fast as I could with barely any sleep for the last few days. The Cutie Map's been on the fritz. Keeps blaring some worrying light over Canterlot. But that's not important. I mean it is, but having you two out of commission since yesterday put everypony on edge."

Rainbow groaned. "Fine, but how's Shy, I mean I thought I heard her in the stadium."

Twilight floated over some charts and grimaced. "She's fine. I mean falling out of the sky from some- pardon the slip of the tongue- fucking magical blowback I didn't ever think could be possible. I'm just a little shaken is all. Compared to you, her black eye and fragile confidence is what's she's dealing with. I mean she woke up hours ago. I could send-"

Rainbow lifted a forehoof to stop her friend. "Nah, it's cool, just what's the problem cause I feel only slightly like I broke every bone in my face." Rainbow cracked a pained smile.

Twilight sighed. "I mean you should be okay but I had to use a fair bit of magic just so you would heal faster. So I'm sorry for the pain but that's just your previously broken face, misaligned neck, broken rib, and sprained wings all stitching themselves back together. I'd say you take care of your body terribly, but also you did just get hit by a punch that should have killed you."

Rainbow smirked. "Well I guess if I had been in my own body that would have been the case, but I'm not so I guess we can just chalk that up to Fluttershy being all-"

"Anomalous? Outside of parameters? Strange?"

"Well I'd have said something like stronger than she looks, but sure those work too."

Twilight rubbed her eyes and yawned. "Sorry, I'm just a bit testy is all. Just let me bandage you up and we can get this whole mess as far behind us as we can. I've been testing out different hypotheses to get you both back to normal, though with your current aura tests coming back all weird. . .I don't know."

Rainbow cocked her head as far as she could. "Twilight, just stop speaking egghead and talk like a normal pony and I might get what you are saying."

Twilight ran a hoof through her disheveled hair. "I've already ran through this with Fluttershy so at least the awkward bit might be over. But, uh, I was running some tests while you were, well, unconscious and it came back weird." She floated over a large stack of papers and pulled out the one in the middle. Rainbow took one look at the incomprehensible mess and raised her eyebrow.

"Twi, you just repeated yourself and what the hay am I even looking at cause it looks like you got a four year old doodling on your papers again."

The alicorn breathed in and didn't respond to Dash at first. "It's your aura spectra. Had to dust off my spectrometer knowledge, but yours, and Fluttershy's as well, is way out of sync. I mean it's stable six times out of ten and the other four were highly variable. Physical trauma affected both samples in the same exact way. Magic spells affected the samples in extreme ways. Either they worked too well or had zero effect at all. I had to run two tests on how there's love magic in the spell now when I remember the exact formula for my machine and the test having zero love magic. So now I have to account for that possibility that either you two are creating love magic somehow or chaos magic becomes love magic through some sort of magical radiation effect. I actually don't know what's going on and now it's trumped what Pinkie likes calling 'my curiosity factor'. I just want to deal with this and go home."

Rainbow coughed. Her mind was swimming with the idea that even now, Twilight couldn't figure out how to fix this issue. Even if she didn't like to admit it, the purple pony was pretty smart and she usually could solve a problem just by looking at it. Heck, Rainbow wouldn't have even got in the Wonderbolts if Twilight hadn't figured out her memory trick. What was one self created spell but just another problem? "So, uh, where is Fluttershy? And what of Lightning Dust?"

Twilight floated over a cup of black coffee and sighed, quickly draining the cup of its contents. "Fluttershy's out with Rarity. Yes, I know you'd ask 'why' but when you get woken up by a Princess of Dreams yelling about some magical emergency of course she'd wake up the four other ponies that could sort of fix Equestria's problems. And Dust? Look right beside you."

Dash rolled her head slightly to see a silent Dust staring up at the ceiling, unmoving and unblinking. RAinbow felt a chill up her spine as she noticed the metal brace encasing the leg that met her face a few hours or so ago. She didn't even know what time it was and knew the injury still looked rough.

"Sorry about the death glare she's giving off. Celestia and her rather quiet assistant decided to load her up on opium from Saddle Arabia. Wouldn't have been my choice but the little stunt a few ponies performed almost forced an amputation. Celestia dammit, I can see why the princesses are wrecks after this continuous mess. Well at least a future Twilight hasn't come back and cold cocked me for being an idiot. Last time was one time too many."

Rainbow Dash just sat there silently thinking about Twilight's words.

"Darling, now where exactly are we going?" Rarity puffed as she climbed up the hill, her mascara slightly running as the unseasonable heat wave that was scheduled to balance the weather patterns made her sweat with the least amount of effort. "I mean you've been really quiet throughout this whole walk and while I do love some sight seeing, it is a bit awkward to be left to your own devices."

Fluttershy glanced back, her makeup heavier than yesterday due to her having to cover up the splotchy black eye that was on its way to a sickly, yellow hue. She sighed. "Sorry, just thinking about things. What do you want to talk about anyway?"

Rarity stopped for a moment and rubbed her chin. "I have absolutely no clue. I mean I can't really ask how you are holding up in this situation because that would be impolite because of the circumstances."

Fluttershy sighed and set down upon the ground, wincing as she did. She couldn't forget yesterday''s blackout crash, so deciding to limit her time on the ground was just something could rely on- and if anypony asked she could just mention that it was for her to learn how to control her new reflexes. Not some anxiety thing of a ever present danger of falling into the ground from stories upon stories up in the air. "So what about you then? I mean if my current situation is off the table."

Rarity stuttered. "I-I didn't. No. I meant its just a really awkward thing to- fine." Rarity rubbed her temple. "What do you want to know?"

Fluttershy smirked the best approximation of Rainbow's smirk and chuckled. "I mean you didn't say your love life was off the table."

The white unicorn rubbed her temple. "Can we at least find someplace to eat first?" Rarity noticed the strange look her earliest friend was giving her. "Shy, I know you want to catch up with little, young me. But it's a bit of a mess all things considered."

Fluttershy's smirk faltered; she never was good at keeping the Rainbow Dash brand of cool on her face, and Rarity saying that Ponyville was 'a bit of a mess' registered high on the Rarity scale of annoyances. Her cat? Fine. Rejection and falling fortunes? Worst possible things imaginable. Fluttershy didn't exactly know what fell in between those extreme cases, but she had went with Rarity to prom before and that was really the last time the words 'its a bit of a mess' came out of Rarity's mouth. "Fine, I thought I saw a curry shop a street back, but once we get there and situated you are going to tell me what exactly is going on with you,"

Rarity and Fluttershy booked it down a small side alley. The town of Canterlot was filled with these forgotten pathways to get around the mountain, passing through a dimly lit walkway into yet another street in the Platinum District. Bright light guided their way as the town around them bustled with life. This semi forgotten corner of Canterlot was home to one little establishment that Fluttershy had heard Dash vaguely talk about once when she asked how Wonderbolt training was going.

The Tasty Treat emanated exotic smells and Fluttershy thought it was like the few times she hung out with Tree Hugger, the smell feeling sort of spicy and all encompassing and yet also welcoming. Fluttershy pushed herself into the small restaurant and Rarity cantered on in behind. A small tinkling bell announced their presence.

"Oh, Father, it looks like some customers are here." A orangish unicorn walked out nervously, her bangles and foreign headwear made Rarity feel some ideas brewing in the back corners of her imaginative mind, and the slight accent told the unicorn definitely did not come from any part of Equestria she knew of.

"Well, let them in,"

"Oh yes, of course, now first question, do you want our vegetarian or meat menu. I don't want to presume anything but since we just got here a few months ago from Zorgarth, far, far away from a land such as this, I don't think you are carnivorous. Though the stories I've heard of Canterlot make me a bit- how do you say- confused." The waitress smiled awkwardly.

Fluttershy spoke up first since she noticed Rarity was in one of her spaced out moods- most likely about meeting somepony of a different style and culture bringing up racks of clothes and fabrics that made the unicorn stop in her tracks dead with ideas. "Well, I'll have a meat option, and knowing my friend here she'd most likely want something vegetarian. Uh, chef's choice because it's our first time here and we really don't know what to order." Fluttershy tried to smile. She never was really good at talking to ponies off hoofedly and so it still felt weird to order food in a restaurant without feeling somewhat awkward.

The orangy unicorn nodded. "Oh, well this will betell m a special occasion. I mean the Kshatriya here usually just order the blandest food and they have no taste of home. Father will so ever be surprised to have ponies such as you." The unicorn sped off between the small tables set up and the two ponies were left alone in a weirdly empty room. No ponies graced the restaurant but themselves- it was almost too quiet to be comfortable. Fluttershy led her oblivious friend to a table and sat down.

"So Rarity, we're here. I ordered for both of us and everything. Can you please focus and tell me what has you so spooked?"

Rarity blinked and refocused, her eyes darting around the colorful restaurant as she was almost faced with too many new designs and fabrics to stay in reality. "Yes, oh, well. That's the rub really. Ponyville's. . .complicated right now."

Fluttershy propped herself up with her hooves and leaned in. "Can you be more specific? Rainbow and I have been gonefor days and you pop back up and mention off hoofedly that 'Ponyville is bad right now' and you don't think that might make me just a tad bit worried?"

Rarity winced. She knew Fluttershy's less quiet moods after years of knowing the pegasi more of like another sister than a close friend, but it still usually surprised her due to the fact that it was difficult to get Fluttershy past the normal quiet state. "Darling, I just mean to say it's a delicate situation that I really don't like bringing up in polite company."

"Rarity, can't you just say it? Sure Applejack's not here and Pinkie isn't either, but unless something's wrong with one of those two I'd have expected them to come running to check if we were okay. I'd have dropped almost anything if they got hurt, I mean after all we've been through, it's almost a given. So what's up?"

Rarity sighed. "Too true. Fine. Remember Twilight's new little spell?"

Fluttershy rolled her magenta orbs. "Which one? The one that inadvertently made Rainbow and I switch bodies or the other one? The Pinkie one?"

Rarity blushed profusely. "The second one, yes."

Fluttershy rubbed her temple, gingerly avoiding her eye as it still hurt. "And?"

Rarity muttered something under her breath quickly.

"What was that?"

Rarity slunk down in the booth. "Applejack is, in that way, you know."

"So is it the time of the month again? I'd doubt it due to- oh." What Rarity was hinting at hit Fluttershy once she realized what would get Rarity so worked up and yet also not gossiping like crazy. "Oh. So she's- wait how did that happen? I remember Applejack worrying about it."

The white unicorn laughed. "Well I was going to surprise her with Twilight's spell. I had asked Twilight the basics and she agreed just fine and dandy, after some begging, to show it off and test it. Though what she failed to mention until the deed was already done was that she made the spell both after that Trixie duel where she wondered about the possibilities of well gender swapping and also the numerous medical uses it has." Rarity laid her head in her hooves.

"Twilight wouldn't just forget a side effect like that. I mean pregnancy should have been right at the top of the list."

Rarity waved her hoof. "Yes it positively should have and Twilight, Applejack, and I had multiple discussions about that fact. Twilight's answer as to why was something to the effect of 'Well, I've been distracted trying to juggle both restoring Pinkie back to normal so as to get my normal schedule back in order' and 'I've been also dealing with bringing our friends back to normal.' Et cetera and the like."

"So how's Applejack holding up?"

Rarity smiled. "As best as she could honestly. She hasn't yet told Granny Smith the news. I don't really blame her since from all that I've heard of her from Applejack is that she's very old fashioned and I don't exactly know what that entails. I'd be perfectly okay helping Applejack move out if it turns out she's extremely old fashioned, but that mare's life is her family and I'd rather not be the straw that strained her relationship with her horde of a family. She's angry at me for even doing what I did. And Twilight got an hour of Applejack just berating her for reckless behavior. So Ponyville's bad, not because it's being attacked by some unspeakable evil or having some magical mishap. No, its just I feel awful for deciding to use a mostly untested spell without asking Twilight if there was major consequences."

Fluttershy reached out a blue hoof and gripped Rarity's. "Would that have registered with Twilight? She's in her own little world sometimes and I'd bet that Twilight's list of problems doesn't include pregnancy." Fluttershy winked.

Rarity didn't immediately get the joke until she noticed Fluttershy's slight smile. "Was that a virginity joke? If so that was terrible."

"Well I am trying to act like Dash and as most ponies seem to tell me I'm completely bad at it."

Rarity coughed. "It's not that you are bad per se, you just don't have the humor necessary to pull off her style."

Fluttershy giggled. "Well that is true." Fluttershy would have said more but they both fell silent as they noticed the smells emanating from the kitchen as their waitress carried their food to the table.

"Sorry for the wait, my father heard of your chef special idea and ran with it." The unicorn levitated the plates of food and the two ponies were shocked to see the smorgasbord of food in front of them. "If it's your first time here I guess I should list the list of things in front of you." She smiled. "Well first you have the naan bread right on your left followed by a tandoori style salmon. We'd have used chicken but you Equestrian pegasi have this need for fish instead of other meats. Then we have a yellow curry and chickpea battered fritters and a side of cilantro yogurt chutney for your friend here. Also since it's your first time here here's two mango lassi drinks on the house. It's like one of your milkshakes- I think. The last customers started talking about those when they came in."

"Well that just sounds positively divine. Even if I don't know half of what you said." Rarity smiled a weak smile.

Starlight smiled at the arranged ponies. Each performer was at their place and each pony knew exactly what they wanted to do. She knew what she was doing for just eight little artifacts would be perceived as wrong by the greater Equestrian community, but she had her morals and it wasn't like the rich were using their own selves to better the world. Why not play chess a bit and plan a party. Everypony was here- Sapphire Shores, Fleur, random rich idiots from each section of the town, their maids and butlers. . . all for her little self. It would have blown her young mind if she knew exactly how important somepony such as her could be with just a bit of grease and magical ability.

She stretched her limbs and felt a crackle of red energy arc down her fur as she tried to contain her excitement. "Places everypony, I don't want to disappoint our esteemed guests when they arrive and fortunately I sent a rather competent tracker to search for one rainbow in a rock pile. Or whatever you nobles call it." She smiled serenely as she flitted around the party, her presence causing ponies to defer to her immediately.

"Fleur, please tell the nobles to keep notice for the word I provided you when we woke up today." Fleur bowed and cantered away, her model sensibilities still present in the puppet like jerky movements that peppered her walk.

Starlight grabbed a nearby glass of wine and began to sip it as she walked around the party, her slight nerves being numbed as the alcohol began to work on her system. It provided some confidence. She ran through the plan in her head and if everything went according to plan, she could get in and out of this little party without a hitch.

Sugar Belle would be enough to track one little pegasi in a town like Canterlot. Auras were unique and anyway that pony's hair lit up the room like a disco ball. Starlight leaned back and downed the glass of wine. Everything would be fine and if the plan was not perfect due to possible added ponies, she'd just have to deal with it. She did it before.

Rarity felt her taste buds sing as she took another bite of the food in front of her. It was such a magical meal. Though a small part of her brain did say that the feeling of contentment and joy could just be that this food was new to her so the tastes were magnified due to its exotic nature. "I have to say, Flutttershy, this is just so magnificent I'm surprised there aren't more ponies in this restaurant."

"Well it is off the beaten path for Canterlot. If I hadn't heard Rainbow mention it, I really wouldn't have found in between the shops and alleyways and I bet its hard to even see from the sky." Fluttershy took a sip of the cool mango drink in front of her and sighed. "Too bad really because this is a great find. I bet Pinkie would absolutely love it here."

Rarity chuckled. "True, though I'd worry about the owners then. Pinkie's. . .Pinkie. I mean she's a bit hard to get used to."

Fluttershy smiled. "Don't I know it. I mean she came into town on a mission to give everypony smiles at first. Didn't she like try and break down your door when you said you were too busy to party?"

Rarity waved a hoof. "Well she did pay me back after. And honestly you are trying to say I had the worst first introduction to Pinkie? Weren't you the last pony to even get a Pinkie Party just cause that was the year you moved out into your cottage? Pinkie tried to use her cannon to break down your door after she realized she missed one pony."

Fluttershy winced at the thought, the distance in time bringing some humor into a somewhat traumatic event. "I mean I had barricaded myself in my room since I thought it was a robber."

Rarity rolled her eyes. "Oh please, if a robber tried to rob you, I'd think your animal friends and your Stare would take care of them before they even realized what hit them. Not to mention you would have dwarfed most ponies so let's just hypothetically have our little robber versus the statuesque animal caretaker that lived on the edge of the most dangerous and unexplored forest in all of Equestria. Honestly darling, even after so long, I'm positively shocked you aren't just more confident in yourself. I mean who was it who fought a dragon?"

Fluttershy slumped in her seat. "Well it was more of a stern talking to. . ."

"And who was it who stared a cockatrice in the eyes?"

"I mean wouldn't anypony do that? And Sweetie might have embellished the tale when she told you,"

"Do you want me to quote Twilight where she said 'petrification should be categorically impossible to break free of.' or should I mention that Twilight got stoned from the very same thing?"

Fluttershy ran a hoof through her polychromatic hair. "She wasn't an alicorn yet."

Rarity eye twitched. "What I'm saying is that you should be more confident in your abilities. Sure modesty is a good trait in moderation but as my mother always said, 'drinking water is a good thing, but too much leads to drowning' and while I don't get her macabre love for these types of sayings. . .just amp up your confidence level and see the bright side of your little problem. You are in Dash's body, correct?"

Fluttershy looked up at her friend and frowned. "Sure."

"Just imagine this accident as practice for when Twilight brings your body back to normal. Just fake it until you make it. I mean honestly do you think I was born entirely as you see now, full of confidence?"

Fluttershy took a bite of food and sighed, "Rarity, I had to live with you for years. Compared to me, you seemed like a bright light drawing in a moth."

Rarity tapped her hoof on the table. "Well I wasn't. And I've had to learn a sense of purpose. Sure having a Cutie Mark helps in that regard, but I had to figure out what it meant, how to use those skills, and spend years of hard work putting myself out there just schmoozing with everything. And yes I said everything. I'm at least attempting some smaller ventures with other creatures outside of ponies. The world's a big place and while I hate adventure- I do see an opportunity knocking with our little Spiky-Wikey trying to talk to the dragons. Or the gryphons. And I've heard there should be a mission from Yakyakistan any day now. I don't know how those ventures might go, but if I didn't put myself out there confidently I'd have never tried."

Fluttershy pushed her food around, now feeling like she lost her appetite. "And what does that have to do with me exactly?"

Rarity put out her hoof, laying it on her pegasi friend. "I'm just saying I worry about you sometimes just out there in your cottage when I know if you got out of your shell, you could do so much more."

Fluttershy wanted to respond, but the door dinged open first. A silent, pale grey unicorn ambled in. She jerked in front of the two ponies and stopped, staring directly at Fluttershy. "Hello. Rainbow Dash? I have to say. . .you were. . .a hard pony to find. . . for standing out so much. . .I hope you remember the party from yesterday. . .it's today."

Rarity subtly looked at Fluttershy. She really didn't like this. The sheer fact of some random, possibly drugged out pony knowing Fluttershy's 'name' even if it was wrong due to Twilight's magical mishap unnerved her. "Uh, sorry, I don't think we caught your name." Rarity tried to smile, but the noticeable ear to ear grin that the grey pony was sporting was probably once of the most menacing things she'd seen so far. The fact that the pony's eyes were darting around like she was dreaming felt ever more odd.

"I am sorry. . .I forgot protocol for these kinds of situations. . .designation Sugar Belle at your service. . ."

"Well Sugar Belle, I bet my friend, Rainbow, right here would love to go to a party but you know we just got done with our food and I do think splitting and running off without paying first is against my code of conduct as a mare. So if you give us just a moment, I would love to show support for such a wonderful meal." Rarity dug out a purse of bits and laid it gently on the table. "Oh deary me, I seem to have inexact change. Well it was good food."

"Rarity, what are you doing? Are you insane?" Flutttershy whispered to her longest known friend besides Rainbow. "This really seems like a bad idea to go see why this pony wants to see me."

Rarity shot her friend a look. "You don't think I know that? But let's just humor this pony and see what's going on. If I dropped a business proposition because I thought somepony was insane, I'd have no clients in Canterlot." Rarity turned to see this Sugar Belle standing there, still staring blankly. "Sorry for that, my friend and I were having a little argument." Rarity tried to exude some kind of emotion besides fear as she was led out with Fluttershy to parts unknown and unliked. This was why she hated adventures. She was never one for surprises and this coming one felt inauspicious.

Twilight leafed through one of the books she got off Celestia's assistant. Six Shades of Hay, while interesting plotwise, held no real substance outside of detailed smut and while Twilight sometimes perused her own restricted section in the castle, the idea that a book like this could catch on so readily still baffled her. While there could be a plot between all these characters, it really felt as if there was no chance for it to progress naturally if the main characters got into a relationship immediately. Twilight yawned and pawed idly at her mane to get some of the unfortunate bedhead that still was present under control. "I don't see what Rarity gets from these books." Rarity had recommended it, and while Twilight had this nagging idea that it seemed too similar to her life- it was fine. Maybe the author was a fan of the friendship journals.

She laid back in her chair and sighed, She placed the novel on the side table next to 'Fluttershy' and stretched her wings. She really only came in here to check on Dash 2.0 or that's what she termed this Lightning Dust. Like if Dash was an even bigger egoist with nothing much to speak for it.

"Fuck am I doing here?" A raspy voice pulled Twilight back from the brink of sleep as she jolted upright. Cantering on over towards where the voice was, she came face to face with this Lightning Dust character Spitfire had lovingly told her about.

"Welcome back to the land of the conscious. I hope Luna provided your overnight stay."

Lightning Dust frowned. "Haha, and who are you? The last clown I'd expect to see before entering Tartarus? Maybe if you can stop being a joke, I can get out of here-" Lightning Dust looked down. "What the absolute bitch is this? What is that?"

Twilight smiled. "Oh yeah, that? That's the leg brace we put on to speed your shattered foreleg. I wouldn't suggest moving around too much though. Never know exactly how these things heal even with magic. I mean I'm surprised you even have a leg, though I did once see the prosthetic wing of the Canterlot hospital and it was just an interesting time."

Lightning Dust glared. "Well that's great. I'm stuck in a bed being lectured to by a weirdo."

"Well, I'm an alicorn. As everypony seems to point out, the 'weirdness' seems to come with the territory. I mean it could just be the absolute power coursing through your veins or maybe it's the responsibility, but I do have one question for you and I'll keep you to your devices. And maybe put in some good words for the doctors to give you a little bit of opium again."

"Great I'm now stuck with a pony who could murder me and get away with it. How reassuring. Let me look around and see if I could ask and see if I'm up for questions." Dust glanced around. "Hmm, well it seems like I'm a captive audience so why not."

Twilight slightly rolled her eyes and pulled up a chair. "I see. Now you somehow nearly pulled off the impossible. I mean for all intents and purposes, your little almost a Rainboom is impressive. Almost breaking the idea that it's a fluke of nature."

Lightning Dust scoffed. "What are you even getting at? Honestly I just worked my plot off and studied everything I could from the pictures and films I could find. It isn't like she's truly special anyway. Sure she lights up a room with her Rainboom garbage, but its not like other ponies can't perform it. I mean its just piercing the sound barrier and once you get past the ingrained fear that pegasi are trained at Flight Camp about safety and the science of flight- throw those out the window and have a bit of a grudge and you can pull off anything."

Twilight blinked. "Interesting. I was running with the theory you could be related to Rainbow Dash or something due to a thing like this. I mean genetically and, honestly, temperamentally you two are nearly identical with your hopes and dreams and your egos. Though the gene side is a fluke as well since the races have all interbred at this point, its even moot if it matters." Twilight leaned forward in her chair. "But I guess I was actually mistaken, I mean if any pegasi could perform the move- I wonder why you'd even attempt it."

"I didn't mean it like that."

"Okay, but realize when you look back at this injury that I hope heals right- I've seen Dash fail at that move and go to the hospital with a broken wing or strained muscles or just a broken nose. Sure you added a punch into this sonic boom attempt so that could have thrown off your aerodynamics enough to break your arm, but maybe the move every pegasi could complete as you say, is actually special to her and her alone. I don't know if its her genetics or her work ethic or the bits and pieces I know of her past. Or its every single one of those things. But try and talk about your differences first."

"Well the Wonderbolt captains told me-"

Twilight rubbed her temple. "And if they told you to jump off a cliff? I mean seriously you can just talk about your little ego problem with a pony who, when I got here, asked me if you were okay because she was impressed you could almost pull off a trick like that."

Lightning Dust looked up at the drab ceiling. "She did?"

"Of course she did. She said something about how you are a Wonderbolt and that you sort of fulfilled the Wonderbolt motto I guess. It's been hours and I'm exhausted so sorry I can't recall the exact words." Twilight could vaguely see Dash stare at her with her blue orbs as she finished. And the alicorn knew exactly why Dash was smiling. She had put words in the pegasi's mouth and 95 percent of what she told Dust was false. Though seeing a medical record of the pegasi brought up an awkward thing she'd talk about later. After today, she wanted one day without drama and stress. That could come later. She floated the novel she had put down and cantered out of the room. If Lightning Dust wanted to talk with 'Fluttershy' that was fine. She shut the door quietly and breathed in. Those intimidation techniques Luna had started to teach her sure came in handy.

Fluttershy knew exactly where they were as they walked up to the lavish estate. She noticed Rarity fanning herself with a hoof as they stopped since Sugar Belle had taken some vast liberties with the walk here. They had to sometimes run to keep up with her and had to walk between carts as she sauntered over them, completely focused on some unknown and weird mission. Fluttershy hadn't noticed the complete stop of her new unicorn acquaintance and bumped into her. Sugar Belle did not notice or care. Knocking briefly on the door with a weird tap, she turned away and teleported into the walls.

"I'd say she was rude if I didn't find her to be a terrible messenger. Now dear, I do think this mansion looks familiar, but after that wild goose chase she gave us I'm completely and utterly lost."

Fluttershy ran a hoof through her colorful mane. "This is Fleur's mansion. I was going to check up on her due to some. . .obligations but I couldn't even get past her maid."

The large door creaked open and the white unicorn that owned the mansion stepped out. Her uniform of a frilly black maid outfit did nothing for her figure as it was two sizes too large and baggily hung on her. "Welcome, Rainbow Dash, we have been expecting you."

Fluttershy cocked her head. "Uh, thanks." She was unable to come up with much more, as the image of one of the best known models in Equestria acting like a maid was an image she hadn't expected. It almost felt like life was slightly playing a joke as she walked forward with Rarity right behind. The house was empty save for a few quiet ponies just staring with blank expressions as they passed by. The only sounds besides the faint music playing from somewhere in the backyard most likely were of their muffled hooves as they walked along the carpeted expanse and of the faint breathing of each pony they passed.

"So, uh, Fleur. . .nice costume you have on. It does so much for your figure." Rarity tried to make light of the situation the best way she knew how.

"I wanted to try something different. It fit. Right this way."

The walked into the backyard and Fluttershy tried to keep her eyes on the hedges as they passed since the new scene was abnormal. Ponies that she didn't know lay about on the ground without any thread on them. Which for the very vocal aristocrats felt wrong. She thought she could see Sapphire Shores in the distance surrounded by stallions and from how they were moving, Fluttershy knew exactly what they were doing.

"Shy, I want to leave right now. I just saw like ninety percent of my Canterlot clientele participating in some weird swingers paradise and I really, really want to leave." Rarity almost whimpered as she tried to step over wet or dirty clothes scattered about.

"And you don't think I want the same thing? I told you this would be a bad idea and you didn't do anything to stop it."

She heard Rarity draw in a sharp breath. "Dear, I'm not Twilight. I can be a very detail oriented unicorn and Twilight once compared herself to me. I have knowledge of magic, yes. But I'm not going to go in spells blazing like Twilight. And if we're going to be calling out one another, why didn't you? You could have at least attempted some of Rainbow's speed. You didn't. So while I'd love complaining all day about lost opportunities, that isn't getting us out of this situation."

"I'm. . .sorry."

"I know. And I get it. Just let's focus on right now and see who exactly is in this den of iniquity."

Fluttershy did not feel better as the walk continued, the end point clear as a large seat sat firmly in the middle of the yard. A pink pony sat coolly upon it, a smile gracing her lips as the party came closer. And as Fluttershy came closer, she didn't feel better. For the throne, for lack of a better term, was created not from wood or stone, but from unblinking, happy ponies. The throne perceptively moved as each pony took a breath all at the same time.

Fleur stopped and bowed at the pony sitting atop the most on the nose art piece Shy had ever seen.

"I hope your travel went well., Rainbow Dash. You are just so interesting to me." Starlight eased herself off her chair and daintily walked down the steps. "How did my compatriots treat you?"

Rarity spoke up. "I didn't exactly like your first messenger. And whatever this is, is just so gauche."

Starlight smiled. "Oh, this is just me having a bit of a laugh. I'm surprised you don't seem impressed. Just from the way you hold yourself, you seem so theatrical. Now I believe, you want the adults to talk while you stay silent." Starlight smiled as her horn flickered red. "Now where was I? Oh yes, hello."

Fluttershy shivered. "Why are you doing this anyway?"

Starlight laughed and as she laughed, Fluttershy could hear the yard around her erupt in barking laughter. "Right to the point, a mare right after my own heart. Why am I doing this?" Starlight lifted a hoof to survey her work. "Boredom mostly. Do you even realize how difficult it is to care about things when you find a spell that can give you what you want? Oh but that waver in your your denotes fear so I guess you might be worried about me taking over the country or some silly crap like that."

Fluttershy nodded, her breath ragged as she felt a panic attack want to creep out.

"Well don't you mind that issue. I don't even care about taking over a country. Honestly, think of me as a highly effective mayor more than a queen. I can run one measly little town in the middle of absolute nowhere, but a country? Me? After the years of news I heard? I'd be deposed by Changelings or some smoke monster or what about a magic eating centaur. Maybe you want me playing politics with nations. Saddle Arabia and Yakyakistan? Okay, that could work. But what about the Stormlands? I bet having somepony commit a coup would go over so well. So don't worry your well toned plot, I'm not evil."

"But you are mind controlling others. . ."

"Which is light gray magic at best, dark magic at worst. I know. I know. But come on, who hasn't used dark magic once or twice. Heck, I bet the alicorns all have used worse magic." Starlight put a arm around Fluttershy and ruffled her hair. "Evil is subjective anyway. And am I worse or better than the bad guys Equestria blasts with magic on a fairly regular basis. But I'm falling down a philosophical rabbit hole. Oh, I almost forgot. Your friend here said Sugar Belle gave you some. . .issues?"

Fluttershy nodded. "Well I thought she was a bit weird but its fine."

Starlight floated over a glass of wine. "You sure? Cause she seemed pretty adamant about it. You want any refreshments? I do so ever hate being a terrible party host. I mean even if its not really my party, but you get what I mean."

"No, I'm good. I don't want to mix drinking and flying." Fluttershy felt her wings bristle with worry as Starlight hummed a little ditty to herself.

"Your loss. I have to say for how big these snobs are with the social ladder, they can really choose some good alcohol. But yeah, while I totally believe that you didn't have an issue with my messenger, I also am cautious about you. Fleur, can you be a dear and discipline Sugar Belle?" Starlight glanced at her empty wine glass and tossed it aside, the glass shattering among the flowers.

"But I-"

Starlight inched closer to Fluttershy, staring directly into her magenta orbs. "Don't worry, Fleur just has to reapply the spells that make everypony here happy. And Sugar Belle, unfortunately seems to have some issues we need to iron out. She's going to be all fine and dandy. Think of it like a doctor's appointment."

"Um okay, I don't really want to ask, but can you let my friend go and I won't tell anypony whatever's going on." Fluttershy felt her coat dampen with sweat as she just kept noticing how odd it was that Starlight was completely calm and yet she still felt threatened by this pink unicorn.

Starlight yawned. "I only did that to her just so I could get away from what I perceived as a headache. And don't worry, I'm not rooting around her mind like I could. It's just me and you talking. But sure, I promise that I won't hurt a hair on her rather impressive figure. But on one condition."

"Which is?" Fluttershy could swear she could hear some echoed scream coming from the distance. Maybe it was Sugar Belle, but she didn't want to think about that right now.

"Rainbow Dash, you just have to tell me where the archmage is."

Fluttershy tilted her head at that. "What?"

"Just a hunch, but you at least have to know something. There's no possible way that the Want It, Need It spell I've been trying to cast on you hasn't been working. Compared to these ponies all around me, you are both interesting and infuriating." Starlight's horn crackled with red energy. "But just tell me where the archmage is and I'll let you go, no questions asked."

"So you won't kidnap us and hold us for ransom or something?"

Starlight rubbed her temple. "No, I considered it, but no. I just want to know where she is. She has some things of mine that I really wish I had. You know it's weird how you've been acting like I'm a threat to you these last. . .ten minutes? I honestly don't care about you besides you brought an interesting challenge to crack. I haven't yet, but I might. I also don't care about ruling the world, since it'd just be a hassle, but just tell me where she is."

"I don't."

Starlight's demeanor broke. "You do! You totally do. Or someone you know does. I had you followed after you left this place yesterday just cause I didn't trust you and I saw you and your friend being lifted out by Celestia herself. And then there's the new princess who flew in to help you two, Or what about how I've been here for weeks being followed by the one pony I want to talk to and yet, every time I feel her, she just disappears. I send my best unicorns, they are sent back to me with blase notes. I send earth ponies, they fall out of the sky. Pegasi? Same deal. I just want to know where she is!"

Starlight blasted a bolt of red magic right near Fluttershy's face. The blue pegasus could feel the burning arcs of magic dance across her face as it zoomed past her ear. She could hear the air pressure pop back in as her ears acclimated back to normal. Fluttershy did not look back as a wall of heat enveloped the garden for a moment. Sound came back faintly as she could hear wood start to crack. Glancing for just a few moments behind her, she saw the mansion she had just walked through a while ago with a large hole through the west side of the house, glass shards littered the grass and splinters of wood burned with magical fire.

"Sorry about that. I really should have warned about my little anger problem. It just snaps right out of me something fierce. Now, if you don't mind, can you tell me where to find the this town's friendly archmage? I'd really love not having to escalate my plans but after spending at least a few weeks in one town, I'm just getting so antsy."

Fluttershy vaguely nodded. She guessed that was the best course of action when dealing with a pony who was not all there.

"Hey, Yellow."

Dash blinked herself awake, the silence of the last few hours had caused her to slip into a brief slumber, "Yeah?"

Rainbow could here Dust sigh in the next bed over. "I guess I'm sort of sorry for punching you."

"Really?"

"Yeah cause I broke my arm on your face."

Dash rolled her blue eyes. "How nice of you to say."

Dust sputtered out a curt response. "I'm trying to say sorry."

Dash felt an itch form on her nose, but she couldn't reach it. "Fine. I'm sorry too, I guess for being snippy right now, but I wasn't planning on being in the hospital during my sort of relaxing vacation." Dash tried to think of what Fluttershy would say in this case, omitting the rather convoluted sense of confusion that had built around going to Canterlot for a laugh.

"Well that blows. But, uh that really wasn't all my fault. Didn't the captains want to upstage me or something?" Dash heard a pained chuckle from her side.

Dash rolled her eyes. "Yeah. Probably cause you were being a bit of a pain. I mean you did walk in and announce to the whole team of how rad you were."

"Too bad they didn't see my greatness. . .but hey if you are around Manehattan, we could come and hang out sometime."

Dash was taken aback. "Okay, where's this side of you coming from? Cause I literally just met you." Dash fudged a bit there and continued, "I mean we did just try and have a fight. And you don't really seem the type to just let bygones be bygones this quickly."

Dash could here the indecision in the blue green pegasus as she spoke. "I dunno, maybe it's just breaking my arm this badly and being cooped up in the room in some medical coma made me think of some things. Like I'm hot stuff, but this put things into perspective is all."

Rainbow nodded. "Okay, I won't push further. And Dust? I'd love to see Manehattan, though could I bring somepony with me?"

"If you say it's that bitch that almost got me kicked out of the 'Bolts, I'll almost rethink my generous offer."

"Well about that. . ." Dash awkwardly chuckled.

Lightning Dust audibly sighed. "Fine. But tell her to not be a dick. I'm still pissed off I had to spend months being some lowly private after she had her little test of character or whatever."

"Why thank you Rainbow Dash. . ." Fluttershy could hear the mocking tone oozing all over Starlight's voice. "See? That wasn't too difficult."

Fluttershy snapped back to reality as the whole idea of selling out somepony felt wrong to her, but her eyes refocused and she gulped yet again. Every unicorn stood around the pair in a circle, holding up knives and, in some cases, sharpened magic auras to each of their throats.

Oh yes, Fluttershy remembered a bit of the last ten minutes. "Now can you please let them all go?"

Starlight yawned and patted a nearby unicorn, dragging her hoof down their necks, she stopped and prodded at the thin red line that trickled blood down and sighed. "Fine, whatever. I'd have expected something more from you. But sure, ruin the theatricality of what I have achieved through the mystical power of magic and worry about a pony you'd never see again. How noble." Starlight motioned for the unicorns all to disperse and each of them lowered their weapons and went back to what they had been performing for hours.

"So will you let Rarity and me go?"

Starlight mused the thought for a bit. "Well you did tell me where our mutual acquaintance was. And I did say that was the bargain. . .so as a pony of my word and deed, I'll let you and our rather fetching unicorn here go." Starlight smiled and turned away.

Fluttershy was going to say something back to Starlight, but she heard Rarity start to stir out of her trance.

"Fluttershy, what time is it and why does my head feel like I had one of Applejack's special cider concoctions?" Rarity shook her head and stumbled towards her friend.

Fluttershy took a foreleg of her friend and started walking away, but as she turned back, she noticed every unicorn casting the same spell. "Uhm, Rarity, I know you just woke up but after the last hour and a half I've had. . .I hope you forgive me what I'm going to do right now."

"Darling I don't under-"

Fluttershy placed a quick jab to Rarity's jaw. She felt her friend grow slack as her brain registered the hit. Fluttershy had some experience with how anatomy worked and hitting around that area on a pony worked in theory- though with how Fluttershy normally was, she had never tested it. She supposed it was the first time for everything, but if she knew what spell that Starlight would try to cast on a large scale- she didn't want to have to calm down or fight Rarity if it was the one she was thinking about.

Fluttershy could see the green mass of magic from the gathered crowd of unicorns hit some invisible barrier and rain back down upon Canterlot. The green rain made Fluttershy feel cold as it hit her fur, soaking her immediately with worry. Slinging Rarity over her back, she quickly cantered out of the garden, gaining speed as she went zooming past ponies in stages of sheer agony as the magic started affecting them.

She averted her eyes and ran, her blue wings soaked to the bone, making her unsure about how great of a flier she was. Sure she was working with Rainbow's body, but she knew the layout of Canterlot enough to make it back. She had to tell somepony something was going on.

She could hear ponies all around her screaming in pain. Then as she went from street to street, it grew quieter and quieter, once she hit the end of the Clover District, the streets were silent.

She slunk around an alleyway and peered out the silent mob forming nearby. The sound of hooves on cobblestones and a unified in and out breathing pattern hinted at these ponies being present in the moment. Fluttershy held her breath as she waited for the street to clear out as they moved in lockstep towards the place she gave out.

Fluttershy chastised herself and tapped herself lightly on her head. "Ugh, why do I have to be so afraid of everything?" She slumped to the ground. Rarity slid off her back and laying silent beside her. "I mean I could have done something. Anything at all besides telling the obviously evil pony where to get the thing she wanted." She let out a cry of emotion as the day's events finally caught up to her. "If only Rainbow Dash had been here maybe this would've gone a different way."

Fluttershy looked over and noticed that she was near a shop window and the pony staring back at her reflected how she felt inside at that moment. Her mane lay in stringy tangles and her coat was covered in mud and grime. She picked out small splinters in her back as she felt a mix of laughter and tears well up inside her. She looked like a mess, her makeup running over her face in wide streaks like a raccoon mask. Her eye, which after what Twilight called 'a magical mishap due to aural entanglement' was truly black and her eyes were puffy from tears welling up and spilling over her face.

She wiped her tears and tried to smile and provide herself a pep talk. "Okay, so what if Canterlot is dealing with a giant brainwashing spell. And Starlight would have got to Moondancer anyway, what with her being persistent. So you're just going to pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and get to Twilight cause she knows magic." Fluttershy pushed away the thoughts that her words rang hollow. She had a job to do.

Twilight felt a massive headache come on as she turned the page in Six Shades of Hay. she begrudged the fact that this author had at least some inkling on how to structure a story, but having sex scenes every twenty pages and later devolving into a plot that revved out of nowhere where after the first hundred pages of sex scenes and everyday fun, the final ten pages turned into a final battle that came out of nowhere and was never even hinted at. Twilight dropped the book and sighed. It had been at least an interesting page turner, even though the character she preferred was almost never focused on. Shadow Star, an earth pony able to cast their own magic through sheer force of will and talent.

She stretched her wings and sighed. She could debate herself all night on the merits of this book, but she needed to check on Dash and Lightning Dust, guessing by their injuries and the amount of magic she had infused into them, by her calculations they should at least be able to leave their rooms and stretch their limbs.

Twilight walked briskly into the room as the outside lit up with a sickly green. She would have chalked it up to some magical experiment on the outskirts of the town, until it hit the magical barrier and her mind went off into panic as she felt the magical signature of a certain spell she now forbid herself to use.

"Oh this is bad." She felt the similarity to what her friends still called the Smarty Pants Incident. She would have had more time to speculate how she felt a spell like it and yet she could feel the, well, artistic liberties taken by a magic user that had more than a passing fancy at experimentation.

That was when Lightning Dust's monitor began blaring and flashing loudly. Twilight could see a faint green glow emanate from the pegasus as she showed symptoms of a seizure as her whole body convulsed and shook with each passing second. And then there was nothing but silence.

"Um, well okay, this is definitely outside of my expertise." Twilight sheepishly laughed.

"Twilight, is she okay?"

Twilight snapped out of her stupor when she heard Dash's voice, and deciding between a responsive friend and a pony that was radiating off a spell signature that reminded her of one of her lowest points. . .she went with the former. She noticed Lightning Dust stumble out of bed, her limbs tangling in themselves as she dragged the metal cage that had kept her leg together. She just kept on going without a complaint or a word.

Twilight just started unhooking Dash from her machine, pulling adhesive off her yellow fur and gingerly trying to pull out IVs and needles quickly without too much blood loss. She quickly grabbed a small towel and waved it in front of Rainbow's face. "Dash, just press this against your forehoof for just a minute. I need to find tape."

Dash glanced over at Lightning Dust who was just pounding listlessly at the glass window. "What about her?"

"Don't go near her. That's the best advice I can up with on the fly. Though now I'm wondering how we are unaffected by an altered Want It, Need It spell." Dash couldn't hear much more of Twilight's mumbling technospeak as the alicorn ran through scenarios in her head. "Aha, I got it."

"The tape?"

Twilight rolled her eyes. "Yeah. Now I'd rather not chance our luck." She dragged Dash out of the room with magic and quickly locked the door behind them. "What?"

"I'm just surprised the Princess of Friendship would lock somepony in a room."

Twilight facehoofed. "Rainbow, sometimes you have to do some underhoofed things to get out of situations. So while I definitely don't feel the greatest about leaving her in a locked room, I'd feel like the hospital being empty right now is the main issue right now."

Rainbow cocked her head. "How-"

Twilight flashed her horn's magic. "Quick spell. Nopony's here besides us."

Rainbow ran her hooves through her pink mane and sighed, her hoof felt sore from the IV and she winced before speaking. "So what does that mean? We're in one of those movies Pinkie loves so much?"

"Hardly."

Starlight stared at Moondancer's shop and laughed quietly to herself. After all this time and effort, after weeks of just coasting by and trying to find one measly building in a sea of nondescript buildings, she found it. The little shop looked like any other until you touched the charms hiding its presence from most onlookers. Genius work if she had to at least compliment a pony who had been at least a thorn in her side for a month.

She whistled. Her shrill note echoed through the empty streets and as it bounced through the silence, ponies walked out of the shadows. Starlight was done playing nice. She'd tried finesse and subterfuge- she tried destroying the Wonderbolts cause first of all, she was bored and secondly, she'd never really heard of the Wonderbolts. Finesse failed and gave her a larger and more noticeable presence- if having random ponies show up to her door was any indication. Now she'd try the brute force tactic.

She briskly knocked on the door, the charms dissipating at her touch, sending small golden flecks of magic rain down onto the street as she just waited for at least a reply.

"Who's there?" Starlight could sense the faintest hint of a quaver.

"Just the pony who you've been following for a week or so. I really doubt you have many reasons to have a knock at your door at this time of night, though I don't judge. I knew a fair bit of days where it was just me curled up with a book and plotting revenge on ponies that casually offended me in some way."

Starlight put her ear up to the door and waited. After there was no reply, she motioned her unicorns that had cantered in on a want and a whim and pointed toward the door.

"You know I have to commend you on boarding this place up like a mini fortress. Fifteen protective charms, six spells of warding and a hex array that would put many magic scholars into a conniption fit. All in a self sustaining, enclosed magical field." Starlight let out a low whistle. "Too bad I have to warn you about how volatile closed systems can be if you just prod them a little bit and just throw their whole nicely balanced ratios into a fit." Starlight fired up her horn and felt all the emotions she had been trying to bottle up for a month leak out of her and gather around her horn like a bleeding storm cloud. She aimed every unicorn at the wall, moving them like chess pieces, aiming for the webbed connective tissue that made up this spell and fired.

She could see the spells clash for one second, waves of purple light and red burning small dots into her retinas as the light overwhelmed her senses for one moment. The structure warped and bent in on itself, its magic eating at the boards like a disease as it rent large holes into it and shot off loud explosions as sections of the spell imploded in protest.

Starlight blinked, trying to get the floating purples out of her vision and smiled. She never liked really coming in hot, but it was nice to let off some steam and with no consequences since nopony else was around.

She waited for the walls to come crumbling down, the front wall cracked in half as the top of the building lost its supports and crashed into the floor below. Splinters and dust came raining down on the street and Starlight cantered in. "Knock, knock." Starlight stopped when she saw Moondancer.

Moondancer had been very unlucky in the spell's collapse. The cream unicorn had been standing in the spot a wayward beam had come tumbling down and had speared Moondancer through the back legs. Starlight walked forward and touched the one unicorn who could possibly help her in finding Sunburst. Prodding her neck, Starlight could feel a heartbeat fading in and out and Moondancer's eyes opened and stared daggers at her newest guest.

"I told you to leave me alone." Moondancer sputtered out a short reply, her teeth red with blood.

Starlight thought quickly, glancing at a nearby pendant that she had only ever heard of in musty tomes and half heard whispers. She floated over the large red and black amulet and grimaced at what she had to do.

"If only you had talked this out like a normal pony and stood a foot to the right, I wouldn't have to do this." Starlight aimed her magic at Moondancer's neck and fired her horn. The beam cut into Moondancer's neck, bleeding immediately, the red blood pooling at their hooves and spreading across the floorboards in a blotchy stain. Starlight grasped the amulet in her aura and snapped it in half, the decorative alicorn depiction falling to the floor. She carefully pressed the jewel that was actually the source of the amulet's power, some long forgotten cursed object, its history lost to the sands of time, and pressed it into the wound.

Starlight felt anger at having to save the supposedly 'brightest mage in Canterlot' from impalement and certain disability or death, but she had one rule to follow- even after enslaving a town and turning Canterlot into her own pack of hunting dogs for a night. She never was a fan of actually killing ponies. Acting like she would and intimidating ponies since they tended to crack after a few fearful minutes? Sure. Actual death? No.

She found out that limit after some of the residents of Ironhoof had taken her desires too far and pushed back.

Starlight sighed, stitching up her project. Her red anger tainting the fur with red streaks and the alicorn amulet touching that fertile ground with black necrotic looking skin. It wasn't pretty, but she pushed the gem out slightly, to see the massive ruby set directly below her neck. It was definitely not Starlight's best work.

After that difficult work, she cut away the offending spear of wood and angled the piece out, quickly firing up a healing spell and urging Moondancer to at least attempt a healing spell. Even with her anger issues and aptitude with magic, Starlight was still just a unicorn and while she could technically use the battalions of unicorns at her mental whims, this time going in hot was not the best idea. It would be like bringing a boulder to a surgery and expecting to use that to save lives.

While she had to wait to see if the archmage would heal herself, Starlight snapped back to reality and quickly looked around the small shop, stepping over unbroken artifacts since most artifacts were notorious for their invulnerability, the creators of such things were good at what they did. Unless an artifact was an amulet or jewelry, it was usually more work to destroy an artifact than just bury it away in some long forgotten vault.

Jewelry had innate flaws in that the jewels were the things that held magic, not the whole piece. Starlight quietly thanked Sunburst's long and arduous talks about such minute details. Annoying. endearing details.

After a few moments of searching she found the Meadowbrook section, small and out of the way for a pony that was so influential in how spells and potions were used. And an earth pony mage no less. Starlight floated over a knapsack and gathered the eight artifacts that she had been looking for. Putting the dark blue and gold shaman mask on, Starlight walked out with her prize on her back. She picked up Moondancer and floated her out as well.

She glanced back at the remains of the shop and sighed. Not every plan ended in complete perfection. She whistled to her helpers and they brought to her a nondescript and light cart. Starlight knew ponies would be looking for her at some point so dressing down and being frugal helped hide her yet again. She'd of course have to change her accent yet again since the hokey country bumpkin voice would be too suspicious. Maybe a fake Griffonstone accent might work.

Starlight whistled as she cantered away, glancing back at Moondancer, who's closed eyelids leaked red magic. Starlight smiled. Her promise to Sunburst that she would be a pony that didn't kill ponies was still technically okay.

Starlight hummed a tune to herself as she passed through the silent town.

Fluttershy had been dragging Rarity for what felt like an eternity. And she had come to the conclusion that maybe knocking her out hadn't been the smartest idea of hers. She huffed and puffed as the hospital came into view. And from the wide open front door and smashed out windows from what she suspected were ponies trying to escape for Starlight's little parade, rubbed her eyes and glanced at the muddy hoof that came back.

She noticed movement from her left and as she glanced around, she saw herself look back.

"Fluttershy?"

Fluttershy waved back at herself. Even after more than a week, the idea of seeing herself like that still was a bit too surreal. "Hey, Rainbow."

"So how'd Rarity get like that?"

Fluttershy blushed. "I'd rather not talk about it."

Twilight stepped out and rubbed her face. "It's nice to see you two acting so chummy, but seriously will nobody explain to me how a mass mind control spell worked on a city the size of Canterlot, and secondly why now? It's not the Changelings for sure since they work on surprise and this doesn't work like their magic besides the emotional pull of hatred woven deep in this spell."

Rainbow rolled her blue eyes and laughed. "Way to ruin the moment, Twi."

Fluttershy rubbed her polychromatic hair and tried to laugh. "Yeah about that. . ."

Rainbow and Twilight stared directly at the blue pegasus. Twilight spoke up first. "What happened?"

"Well it's a long story."

Twilight sat and waited. "Have you looked around? I think we have all the time in the world."

Fluttershy spilled everything that happened that day. From the good, the bad, and the really ugly. When she finished her story, she looked at Twilight. The alicorn had stayed uncomfortably silent once Moondancer's name had come up and had started tapping her hoof on the stones around her as the story continued.

"And that's that." Fluttershy breathed in a sigh of relief, the feeling of telling somepony about how stressful the day had been lifted a huge weight off her shoulders. And she didn't mean Rarity. Fluttershy stood up and walked towards Twilight. "I know I messed up, but it was the only thing I could do in that situation."

"Moondancer was a friend of mine."

Rainbow stared at Twilight. "Well how was she supposed to know that? You didn't ever mention her and you didn't write down a list of ponies to not sell out to creepy cult leaders. And anyway when we met her, she didn't like even mentioning you so sorry maybe Fluttershy thought it was okay to just blab about a pony she thought wasn't essential to her life."

"Dash don't-"

Twilight yelled at the top of her lungs, the Royal Canterlot voice echoing through the town. "Shut up!" In a fit of rage, she walked up to Fluttershy and punched her in the face. Fluttershy could feel blood rush down her face and pool on her top lip before spilling down her fur again. Fluttershy could hear Rainbow Dash yelling as Twilight continued pummeling her.

"Twilight, what the fuck are you doing!"

Twilight sat and looked at her red and bloody hooves. Tears pooled on her face and came spilling down in loud waves as she let her emotions out. "I don't know. I just-"

"I-it's fine, Dash. I deserved some of this."

Rainbow fumed and quickly breathed in and out. "Go wash up, Twilight, can you at least do that before we all fly off the handle again?"

Twilight wiped her eyes and nodded, her body drooping as she got up. She didn't look at Fluttershy at all before she left and Fluttershy could swear the alicorn looked like she was cradling herself in her own purple wings. Though maybe she was wrong, the pooling blood from her face had made it a little harder to focus.

Dash walked up and knelt down to check on her friend. Shy could hear a faint sound of tape peeling off and Dash audibly winced as Fluttershy felt a cloth press gently into her face. "Sorry for the dried blood on it, I had to improvise."

Fluttershy smiled a pained smiled. "It's okay."

"I mean Moondancer has to be okay, right? I didn't really like talking to her, but everything has to be okay. It usually works out that way, right? We fight the bad guys and everything goes back to normal. We'll just find Starlight and do that. It works. It always-"

Fluttershy just stayed silent as she felt tears pool on her chest. She looked up at the twinkling stars that had started to peek out from the dispersing clouds. She just didn't know for sure; all she could do was hope. Sometimes hoping for the best was the best one could do in bad times. Fluttershy quietly spoke up as she wanted the fill the sad silence with something that could lighten the mood, even if just a little.

"Hey Dash, I just realized we've only been in Canterlot three days. . ."

"What does that have to do with anything?"

Fluttershy coughed. "I mean its so difficult to contain this much awesome that the whole town went crazy."

Fluttershy could hear Dash quietly chuckling. "That's not even a good joke, Shy."

"I know. And Dash? It's probably going to work out okay." Her words still felt hollow, but she wasn't saying it for herself.