Interviews With Equestrians

by Jmaster49

First published 14th of August, 2020

A look inside the hidden perspectives of the average pony by your average joe. Starting with the imprisonment of Cozy Glow, this pony sets out to expose the hidden problems of Equestria that its residents have a right to know.

Pale Vestige is an ordinary detective, out to find the truth. To him, there's lots of hidden secrets among the ways of Equestria that deserve to be uncovered. No, nothing magical or ancient. Secrets regarding the actions of those who ran the place. That's right, the princesses themselves. Whether ponykind realizes it or not, they aren't perfect and the public has the right to know that. Whether it be uncovering the secrets of the Crystal Empire, Celestia's hidden desires, or the origins of the Bat Ponies, Pale Vestige is out to find the truth. His main goal however, is correcting the injustice dealt to a child: Cozy Glow.

Subject 1: Schoolteacher

“I don’t understand it. So much right with the world and yet so much so wrong. Is it really the best way to handle things? I wonder…” I sat at my desk, thinking about the state of affairs in Equestria. Several documents laid out before me such as old files from the Mayor’s office and a few books from the library that detailed the creation of different types of magic artifacts. “Dammit. I’m getting nowhere. Maybe I should pack up and head home.”

Me? I was a typical worker in the system, trying to make life easier from the shadows. Earth Pony. Gray coat, black mane, and a killer sense of justice. The name? Pale Vestige.

“Sir! The precinct is all closed down for the day!” A cream-colored mare with a black mane appeared from behind the door to my office, one of my deputies. Quick Draw. “Oh...are you still thinking about that again? You know it’s rather pointless, right? You should get home soon. It’s gonna start raining.”

“I’m aware,” I grabbed a hat and coat from a nearby rack and put it on. It was my usual investigative attire. “But still. A society that’s blind to the actions of its ruler isn’t much of a society is it? I’m just pondering multiple points of view.”

And that set her off. She scoffed, seemingly unfazed by my attempts to persuade her. No matter, she was always stubborn. But that’s what made her so good at her job. “Suit yourself sir. I’ve done my job for the day so I’m gonna be heading home now.” With no further words, she exited the building with a gallant trot. It was a detective agency in the middle of Ponyville. Or rather, hidden under the guise of an antique shop.

I was the last to leave the building that night. Now on my own, I decided to head out on the grassy road. Quiet. Just how I liked it.

“It’s been a while since Cozy Glow was imprisoned along with the rest of the Legion of Doom. Strange name for a team up but whatever. Many of us still think that the filly should’ve been offered a second chance. Yes, she was dangerous and nearly caused mass destruction. And yet many of the princesses’s other enemies in the past did the same. They even extended a hoof to Queen Chrysalis. The tyrant who tried to destroy the entire Crystal Empire and the world on multiple occasions. It just doesn’t add up…”

My mental wheel was spinning. It was hard to think with so much, and yet, so little going on all at once. Maybe Quick Draw was right. Perhaps it was time for me to hang it up--

“Oof!”

I took a tumble. Turns out I had bumped into someone who rounded the corner. “My apologies,” I swiftly rose to my hooves and checked to see if the other pony was alright. A mare, purple with a pink mane. She seemed familiar...ah yes. The teacher at the local schoolhouse.

“Oh no it’s alright,” she got up as well. Thankfully, with not so much as a scratch on her. “A little bump never hurt anyone. We’ve all dealt with far worse, am I right?” She said with a giggle. An attempt to make the best of an awkward moment. Good move on her part.

I decided to indulge in it as well with a laugh of my own. “Haha! Yes...far worse. I’ve been under a lot of stress due to paperwork lately, so forgive me. I should generally be more careful.”

“Ugh, tell me about it. Scribbling down the same signatures and grades over and over and over will make anypony go mad,” she said with her eyes comically spinning around to match her delirious state of agony, “Luckily I already have ways to calm myself down if need be. Clears the mind and readies me for my next set of work.”

Impressive. I didn’t suspect someone like her to have such detailed abilities to manage. Then again, teaching children is one of the most daunting tasks in the world. Almost as hard as saving it. “Hm. Perhaps I could learn a thing or two from you. You seem to have it all figured out.”

She shook her head in a bashful manner, rubbing her left hoof against her right. Seems she wasn’t one to brag about herself. I respected that. “Oh no. I’m nothing special. We teachers have to keep everything in place unless we wanna lose our minds--oh dear. I didn’t introduce myself! My name is Cheerilee. It’s nice to meet you sir.”

Her hoof extended for a hoofshake, so I accepted. Would be rude not to, after all. “Pale Vestige, at your service. And I concur, it’s very nice to meet you too, Ms. Cheerilee.” After the friendly shake, I started on my way again. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to be going.”

“Will you be alright? Looks like quite the storm coming…”

At first, I ignored her concern. “I will be fine, thank you.”

And yet, to my horror, I felt a wet droplet hit the top of my head. Then two, then four, then a dozen. The accident led me to forget my deputy’s words regarding the weather. But no matter. I wouldn’t be deterred. Everything would be fine if I just--

ZAP!

Lightning struck, followed by an admittedly comical sequence of a complete downpour would occur around me. I was immediately drenched from head to hoof, and my home was too far away to deal with these conditions. “...Gah.”

For better or worse, the schoolteacher ran up to me. “I live right nearby! Come in and dry off until it clears!”

“Really I--woah!” Before I could get another word in, she had already grabbed my hoof and practically dragged me to her home. The fellow Earth Pony wouldn’t take no for an answer. Though, I had no room to refuse, given that these weather conditions were atrocious.

She tossed me a towel, so I used it to dry myself off. I flicked my tail to get rid of the rest, “Thank you. You’re too kind…” and I immediately felt guilty for accepting her offer.

“It’s no trouble for a fellow quill pusher. Since you were so kind to apologize after that little tumble, I figured I should return the favor,” she sat down in a rocking chair with a book. Such hospitality was lost on me since I never really took favors. It was made even more awkward when she allowed me to rest. “Well? Don’t just stand there. Take a seat. You must be awfully tired from your work. Would you like some tea?”

Once again, I was beaten by the logic of kindness. True indeed, my late work hours had proved difficult. So I accepted yet again, taking a seat on the couch. “...Thank you very much, ma’am. But I’m okay. You don’t need to go out of your way for me.” As if I needed more arrows of guilt fired into my chest.

“Well, if you’re sure. But don’t be afraid to ask, hm?”

I shut my eyes for a moment. My cases had been rather relaxing lately, and yet there was something on my mind: Cozy Glow. Did she really deserve to be locked away like Tirek and Chrysalis? Was there some other way that could’ve proven better for her? Did they try to reach out to her? Something was--

EEEEEE!

“AH!” I leapt from my seat and assumed a combat stance, prepared to turn any of the objects in the room around me into a weapon. Until I realized that I made a complete dunce of myself. The mare was simply removing the kettle from her stove. “Ugh…” I dropped my stance, completely embarrassed at myself.

Wait a second…

“She deals with kids all the time…” I muttered under my breath. I wonder what exactly her opinion would be on such matters. It’d be a good way to start off my report at the very least. But first, I needed to break the proverbial ice. “Ahem--Ms. Cheerilee? On second thought...maybe I will accept some tea.”

“Oh? Alrighty, then. Would you like extra sugar?”

“Please.”

We sat down for a moment as we sipped tea. I listened to her small rants about her troublesome students, and how she would often feel the desire to physically remove her mane with her own two hooves. I can relate, albeit somewhat.

“...and then don’t even get me started on Snips and Snails. But you know? I appreciate you taking the time to listen. My friend--the Mayor--she’s equally busy as I so we never have the chance to talk like this outside our lunch breaks.”

“I hear that, but now I have a question for you.”

“Oh?”

I took another sip from my warm cup, and placed it on the coffee table. “You are aware of the events regarding the saving of the world? And how multiple high-level fugitives were put to stone?”

“Mm-hmm. Why do you ask, Mr. Vestige?”

“Well…I want your opinion on something. Or rather, someone. Cozy Glow in particular.” As soon as her name left my lips, the teacher’s expression became uncertain. Her eyes slowly leaned towards the left as she sipped her tea.

“Cozy Glow…I remember. The filly…”

“I’m aware the subject matter is sensitive, but I need your honest thoughts: Do you think she deserved imprisonment? To my knowledge, she was never given the opportunity to redeem herself in the ways that Discord and Starlight Glimmer were. I’ve only heard whispers of the punishment being unfair, but never any outward speech.”

I readied my notepad, secretly eager to hear her response. The schoolteacher set her tea down and took a deep exhale. “...She could have easily been a child in my class. That’s what saddens me the most. She was a dangerous, and chaotic filly that deserved to learn a lesson. But to be in stone for eternity? I...do not feel that’s right. At the very least, she should’ve been given the chance to come down and learn to walk the right path. But now she never will…”

Once she finished speaking, she picked up her tea again. My heart felt like it had been removed all the sudden. No beat whatsoever. So it was true that certain people didn’t feel like she had been done justice. “I’m sorry to hear that. But...does this mean you think Twilight and the other princesses made a wrong decision?”

Another heavy exhale from the purple mare. The conversation had already taken a toll on her, and the amount of culpability brewing in my chest was thick enough to scoop like ice cream.

“I do. I don’t think they made the right choice. But as a mere teacher, it’s not my place to question their decisions. They’ve been ruling for as long as we can remember, so I’m sure their intentions are beyond our comprehension.”

“I...understand. And please forgive me for dumping such a heavy load on you at this hour. You don’t deserve such--”

She cut me off with a wave of her hoof, “Shh, shh. It’s fine. I deal with sad stories from time to time, so I don’t mind. I hope that I could help you in your investigation, Mr. Vestige.”

“You have. Very much so. And please, call me Pale. Mr. Vestige was my father.” A classic joke to hopefully lighten the mood.

That got a chuckle out of her, thankfully. “Hehehe. Pale it is.”

At last, the weather had cleared. The night sky was as beautiful as ever with the stars darting against the moonlight. With that in mind, I rose from the couch. “Thank you for your hospitality, Cheerilee. But now that the weather has given me mercy, I shall be taking my leave.”

“Oh, okay! Let’s have another chat sometime, whenever you’re free!”

After all that, I wouldn’t dare turn her down. “Of course. Goodnight ma’am.” I left the house, and headed towards my own. The quiet, fresh night air beaming into my muzzle. It felt good to be out again, knowing that I’d be home in my bed soon. But moreover, knowing that there are people out there who disagree with the teachings of the Princesses made me more inquisitive. Just what else could be improved upon in this vast place we call Equestria?

I smirked, knowing full well what my next move would be.

The game’s ahoof.

Subject 2: Schoolboard Socialite

With the knowledge I gained from the schoolteacher, there had to be other sentiments that ponies were either too afraid or too foolish to express openly. So the very next day, I decided to raise the stakes. Or hay. Whichever sounded cooler. In any case, since I had gotten the opinion of one of the school teachers, my next logical leap would be to pay a visit to the head of the school board herself: Spoiled Rich.

I approached the mansion in the middle of the town. Large hedges on all sides were guarding it with the most pristine front gate made of gold I ever witnessed. They sure weren’t shy about flaunting their wealth were they? But wealth alone didn’t define one’s character. I got closer to the gate, and it seemed to open on its own. Was I being expected?

“Hello?” I called out? No response. I figured I should at least head up to the front door to see if I was being welcomed. Huge risk, I know. But the pursuit of knowledge knew no bounds with me. “Guess they know I’m here,” I shrugged and started to walk up the path. It wasn’t too long, and the yard was well-kept. A fountain, several hedges within that were cut into the shapes of ponies, a massive bed of flowers over to my right. It was as if those living here did this to give something for the visitors to be impressed by on their way to the door.

Well they certainly got me.

By now, the front gate had closed behind me, and I was standing in front of the massive double doors of the estate. “Hmm…” I raised my hoof to knock ever so slightly before the door was promptly answered--much to my eyebrow-raised shock.

“A visitor? During the day from a common pony? This better be worth my time,” the surly mare with an up-turned nose ‘greeted’ me. Well, it was more like a mere acknowledgement than a greeting. “Are you attempting to sell me something?”

The slight wrinkles below her eyes indicated she was either overworked or constantly annoyed. No prizes for guessing which. Even so, I would attempt to be polite with a tip of my hat. “Hello, Madam. My name is Pale Vestige. I’m actually here to ask you a few questions regarding--”

“If it’s insurance, ask my fool of a husband. He’s the one who handles that nonsense.” She couldn’t look more uninterested if she tried, preferring to check the state of her mane. Did she really think I was a debt collector?

“No no, Madam. I’m here about questions regarding the state of affairs in Equestria. As a high profile official of Ponyville, I decided you would be the best choice to speak with next.”

She stared at me for a moment. First with a look of confusion, then a half-lidded gaze of intrigue. “Oh, so that’s what you’re here for, dear boy? Luckily for you, my husband isn’t home and my daughter is at school all day. I have the house to myself. Come with me.” She beckoned me inside with her hoof like a stray cat. I would’ve felt insulted but there was no time for that. I was in, and that’s what mattered. The massive foyer was certainly a sight to behold. “Please be careful and don’t touch anything. Each item in his home costs more than your house.”

As much as I hated to admit it, she looked to be correct. All around me I notice valuable items such as vases, antique teapots, paintings along the walls. Each one alone looked like it would be worth a fortune. Even the velvet carpet beneath our hooves was rather lavish.

“This way, boy,” she led me up a wide flight of stairs that took us out of the foyer and up to the next floor. While I did feel disdain towards the term ‘boy,’ I accepted it, given how old she probably was.

“Yes, Madam,” I answered swiftly as I continued to follow her up. Now the flooring would switch from warm carpeting to prestigious black tile flooring that had bits of infused pearls. I was impressed by the artistry on display. The contractors certainly had their hooves full.

At last, we arrived at a room with doors nearly as massive as the one’s for the front entrance. She pushed it open, and led me to yet another luxurious room. There were two comfortable looking white sofas, more art lining the walls, and a massive coffee table with placemats for an assortment of snacks. This had to be the room where she had private discussions with guests. Made sense. My office was essentially the same.

“Sit,” she commanded me while she took a seat opposite of me. “So you want to discuss important things about society with me?”

“Correct. And to get your opinion on a few things. Is that alright with you?”

The older mare had the smallest of grins. I could tell that, deep down, she really wanted to brandish her knowledge of the upper echelon to a ‘commoner’ such as myself. Her eyes displayed a sense of excitement that only the keenest of eyes could suss out. Yep. I knew it.

“Oh it’s no problem at all, my boy. Please, ask away. Would you like some cider? Oh don’t worry, the regular kind.”

I suppose it couldn’t hurt, “Sure. If it’s not too much trouble.”

To my surprise, she rose from her seat. She then proceeded to enter a nearby mini-fridge and grab the cider as well as a pair of mugs. Quite unexpected. I thought she would’ve had servants to do things like that for her. But I wouldn’t comment on it. At least, not yet. Now wasn’t the time.

“Here you are,” she nudged a fizzy mug towards me, and I would take it with a grateful smile.

“Thank you. Now first, I would like to ask your stance on the way the Princesses rule the land.”

She looked up from her glass and raised an eyebrow. Such a question was lost on her. “My stance? On how they rule? Heh, boy when you’re as busy as me, things like that aren’t on your mind.”

“How so?”

“I’m far too busy handling the funding of the school district to worry about what the eternal alicorns do in their spare time. There’s bills to run, files to manage, and that damn water boy still hasn’t arrived with the cases yet.”

So she truly did have a lot on her plate. I initially pegged her for the type to sit at home all day or go out spending her husband’s money, given that she married into the Rich family. Was I wrong already? Time to change my approach. “Okay that’s fair. However, let me ask you something else. If you could improve the way society is in some manner, what would it be?”

“Hmm…” she looked up for a moment, her hoof tapped the bottom of her chin before it came to her. “That’s quite easy. If it were up to me, I’d fund a special school for Earth Ponies.”

Hang on, Earth Ponies? Given that I was one myself, I was most definitely interested. My eyes beamed with interest, growing wider by the second. “Would you--ahem. Could you elaborate, Madam?”

She took another sip from her mug and began explaining. “Well there’s the School for Gifted Unicorns. You know of it, yes?”

“That I do. It’s the location that Twilight once attended.”

“And you know of the Wonderbolt Academy, yes?”

“Correct. That’s where Rainbow Dash went.”

“And yet nothing like that at all for the Earth Ponies. You catch my drift, boy?”

I blinked once, twice. Then it dawned on me. Yet again the prestigious mare was correct. While there were institutions dedicated to Unicorns and Pegasi, there was no such thing for Earth Ponies in particular. “...Huh. You do make a point. Earth Ponies don’t have any special location to hone their race-specific abilities.”

This was something that clearly annoyed the head of the board. With a roll of her eyes, she lied down on the small couch, resting on her side. “I am no expert on magic or the finer details, but if there were something like that for Earth Ponies, we’d be way more efficient.”

“I see,” my notes were out, that pencil scribbling away with the eraser clenched between my teeth. Then another thought came to me. “Wait a second, just why does this matter to you? I-I mean, from an outsider’s perspective, would this really help things.”

She started to stretch with her back against the cushion. “I quite frankly don’t see why not. Listen, boy. Between you and me, I think that the Earth Ponies and their talents are being wasted.”

“Wasted?”

“Absolutely. Think about all those Unicorns at the school of magic learning to further their variety of spellcasting. And imagine all of those Pegasi flying around and honing their skills to be the best fliers. What do Earth Ponies get? Nothing special. And just so we’re clear, I hold no animosity towards the other races. It’s not their fault that they were given extra special treatment. I just want things to be even, you know?”

I had to think about it for a moment. But the idea of a special Earth Pony institution didn’t sound like a bad idea. However, the main problem arose when I thought about it even more. Just what special abilities did Earth Ponies have compared to the other races? “I wonder...if that’s possible. I have heard that EPs such as ourselves have a closer connection to the earth and are able to grow food more efficiently. Which is exactly how Ponyville was founded.”

“How clever of you. Read up on your history, hm? But there’s more to it than that. My husband’s father started a business selling Zap Apple Jam provided by Granny Smith and her family. That’s pretty much what drew everyone in. And here we are.”

“I see...so is it possible that we have deeper ties to the earth that could allow use to control it?”

That’s where the mare’s knowledge ran thin, “Pegasus control the skies, and Unicorns control the arcane. So it’d stand to reason that we could control the earth. But beyond that, I’m afraid I’ve got nothing else, boy.”

I gave a nod. “Makes sense to me. I’ll pass this onto my fellow crew members.”

Unfortunately, she wasn’t done. She got up again, and went to a nearby bookshelf. “Now where is it...aha!” An old leather book was held in her teeth. Now she sat next to me, showing off the photos inside. The first one was a photo of the Zap Apple stand and its long line of customers on its grand opening. “Here, see? This was the first time it opened. And what led to the founding of this town. It’s annoying at times, but I come across rather entertaining individuals every now and again. Nowadays, I’m mostly making sure my daughter follows what she wants in life.”

“How...inspiring. There’s probably lots of hidden potential in our species that hasn’t yet been discovered. Whether small or large scale.”

“Tch, I can guaran-damn-tee that if the Empire Princess’ baby--what was her name again?”

“Flurry Heart.”

“Her, yeah. If she was an Earth Pony at birth, how much fanfare do you think there would’ve been, boy? Just as much? Little? None at all?.”

I was stumped. That question was literally impossible to answer. No one could know for sure if there was that much of a divide among the races that something like that could occur? “I...can’t answer that--”

Before I could finish my sentence, I felt her hoof around my neck. “Ah, I’m just messing with you, boy. Expecting you to answer something like that would be unrealistic.”

It was awkward, being so close to the mare who was old enough to easily be my own mother. She must’ve got the hint because she let go in a matter of seconds. “Ahem--I see now, heh…”

“So, is there anything else I can answer for you, boy?”

“Yes, one last question: What is your opinion on the imprisonment of one named Cozy Glow?”

A pause, and the mother pony would take a moment to recall the events of how the world was saved not long ago. “Oh her. To be honest when I think of her, I thought of my daughter. Not long ago, the little scamp called me out for being overbearing. She was right. I was getting way too involved in her personal life and taught her how to be nasty. Once I realized that she wasn’t having it anymore, I figured why bother? Maybe that’s what that child dealt with also.”

“You think overbearing parents is what may have caused her to become evil?”

The mare sighed in defeat. “If it made my daughter act that way, who’s to say it wouldn’t make that filly go even further? Now I’m glad I stopped bothering Diamond Tiara. I couldn’t bear it if she ended up like Cozy. And I mean that. I love her. But my teachings were only what my mother taught me, so it was the way I raised my child.”

I was no expert on her side of the family, so I couldn’t very well comment on that. “Well, as long as you learn from your mistakes, then you’ve improved as a pony, Madam.”

She laughed with a bit of a snort. “Ha! A compliment coming from a common boy that isn’t about my appearance? What is the world coming to?”

“Back on the main subject at hoof. So you disagree with the imprisonment of the filly?”

Another laugh. If this was a comedy routine, I’d be making millions right about now. “Haha! Boy, there’s dozens of things in this world that I disagree with. Maybe they should’ve tried to find her parents, if you ask me. They deserve the punishment since they didn’t take care of their child right. I would know. I’ve been there,” her daze turned somber, with feelings of regret brewing in her eyes.

I chose to end the discussion there. The last thing I wanted was a sad mare in my sight. So I gave her a hug, “As I said. As long as you’re improving yourself, there’s no need to fret, Madam.”

I couldn’t see her face, but her expression softened. Her muscles relaxed, and she started to feel comforted by it. The strangest part is that she didn’t really return it until after a few seconds. Almost as if she hadn’t experienced a genuine hug in a while. “...Thank you. Is there anything else you wish to ask?”

“No no, that’s all. I appreciate you taking the time to speak with me, Madam Rich,” I responded before letting go. I didn’t want to make her anymore uncomfortable than I already did.

She got up and put the book away. I could tell from her dropping eyes that she wished for me to stay longer. But alas, I didn’t want my visit to turn into something suspicious.

We went back downstairs and she led me to the door. Before I headed out, she stopped me. “Listen, boy. If you ever need to speak about anything again, don’t be afraid to come back. Like I said earlier, my husband is usually out all day and doesn’t come home until the late evening. And my daughter prefers to spend more time with her friends. It gets boring around here, so if you’re ever free again, don’t be afraid. If you need anything, and I do mean anything, be sure to return,” she said with a wink.

“Yeah, right.” That wasn’t going to happen. Given just how much power she held, the last thing I wanted was to be roped into something I wasn’t prepared for. Despite this, I responded amicably, “Oh. If it’s no trouble, then I suppose I wouldn’t mind.”

“And take this.”

A bag of bits was shoved in my face. She did it so quickly that you’d swear it was second nature. “Um...excuse me?”

“Take it. I’m buying your silence. Opinions such as the ones I shared could prove controversial.”

“Oh no. My reports are always anonymous,” and yet, regardless of my words, she insisted. Yet again, my weakness of guilt was exploited. “...but for you, I’ll accept.” I took the bits. There had to be at least 200 in there. On the bright side, this could allow me to purchase real food for a while instead of pigging out on junk.

I trotted down the steps of the estate, and the mare would snidely comment behind my back. “Good. Now begone, common boy,” and the door was promptly slammed shut. Was that a genuine distaste for who I was? Or was it a show to ensure her status as a snobby older mare was intact? Doesn’t matter. I got free money.

Or was it? Was I just bought? Would this come back to bite me in my flank and my puzzle-piece cutie mark?

“It’s times like this where I wonder just how the world would be different if everyone could be honest,” I mumbled to myself yet again. With the bits and notes all tucked away in my coat, I set off down the road yet again, planning my next course of action.

I need to buy some real food.

Subject 3: Citywide Administrator

The Mayor’s office. This will indeed lead to some progress, I thought. Yet again, the hat and coat was on, but before I headed out, I was stopped.

“Sir! I ran the files. Turns out she did have parents but they went missing years ago!” Another one of my deputies. A young Pegasus stallion by the name of Cathartic Corkscrew. Around here, we call him CC or Cork because that’s much easier. Still a nice name, though. He’s a rookie, but his heart is in the right place, that’s for sure. Burnt orange coat, blue mane, and a pair of glasses over his gray eyes to assist his blindness.

“Any names?”

“None. No idea of their identities or where she was even born. I think something must be locked up somewhere.”

I rubbed the youngster on the head with a hoof, “Now now, young man. Nothing’s ever truly locked. It’s simply misplaced. The key to the truth lies within your capability.”

He pushed me away with both of his hooves, “Yeah I know. You always say that, sir.”

“Because it’s true!”

“Not.” Quick Draw had rounded the corner of the office towards her station. A sarcastic comment made in jest against my efforts as usual. “There’s no way you’re gonna convince the public that Cozy Glow deserves another chance,” she commented while she poured her usual cup of jet black coffee.

“While it may be unlikely,” Cork would speak next, flying over to her, “several other individuals have already been forgiven in the past. If logic stands to reason, then we do have grounds for bringing her back.”

Quick Draw simply scoffed and sat at her desk. No longer even giving us eye contact. “I don’t see why you’re so fixated on this. Nopony ever questions the guidance of the Alicorns. It’s an uphill battle that you can’t win.”

“From one perspective, yes. But I already have a handful of key witness accounts that think negatively of the decision,” I held up some documents, “and they’re gonna be the match that lights this powder keg.”

“...Don’t start a fight that you can’t win, boss,” she had already looked over her notes and rose from her seat again. Guess she already found the assignment. “I’ll see you guys later. And try not to blow the place up.”

Corkscrew made a face behind her back, so I nudged him. “You heard her. Don’t do anything foolish.”

“Right, sir. So you’re off to the Mayor’s office then?”

“That’s right, my friend. I’m going to see if there’s any further details regarding Cozy Glow’s parents that I can find.”

Then he presented an interesting proposition, “What about questioning her?”

“The Mayor? I suppose it wouldn’t be an issue, but given how busy she is, I might be lucky to get three minutes of her time, let alone a whole interview. But who knows?”

The young stallion flashed a smile while holding a set of cards. Magic tricks were always a little pastime of his that I...endured for the sake of his happiness. “You know what they say: Never play your hoof unless you can win? Pick a card, any card! Just one before you go? C’moooon!”

I could feel my eyeballs roll in their sockets. But I refused to disappoint the youngster. So I drew a card with my hoof. “Okay, I got it.”

“Alright…” he was in his ‘concentration’ mode, aiming to guess what card I was holding with his eyes closed and wings fluttering heavily. “Three of Hearts.”

I took a peek at my card, the Ace of Spades. “Nnnnnope.”

“King of Spades!”

“Incorrect,” I headed towards the door, yet he continued to rattle off guess after guess. I had to admit, it was quite amusing.

“Uhh, uhh...Seven of Clubs!”

“Negative.”

“Three of Hearts!”

“Wrong.”

“Three of--”

“No.”

“Two--”

“No.”

“Joker!”

I put my hoof to my forehead, and showed him my card. He reeled back in disappointment but quickly played it off.

“....that was gonna be my next guess I swear!”

“Hahaha, don’t quit your main job, Cork,” I flung the card back to his desk as I exited the door. The bell behind me almost drowned out his final words.

“The expression is DAY job!”

Well, I officially had my laugh for the day. But it was time to get back to work. My next objective was the Mayor’s office. Twas a quiet day in the town. Sure, few ponies were out and about, but nothing too crazy. On my way, I spotted a pair of ponies playing with their child, and I started to think about the possibility of who Cozy Glow’s were, and why they weren’t around for her. I had also wondered what it’d be like to settle down and have a child one day. My workload would increase tenfold, the amount of stress would increase, I would need a wife…

Yeah it wasn’t looking like something for me.

At any rate, the Town Hall was straight ahead. Hopefully the Mayor wouldn’t be too busy to assist me.

I stepped in, “Hello?” and laid eyes on the secretary mare at the front desk who was busy filing papers. “Ah, would the Mayor be free right about now?”

The look of uncertainty on her face said it all, “I’m not sure. But nobody’s with her right now. You can check for yourself,” she gave a swift answer and resumed her work. Admirable to not let anything cause distractions, I say.

“Thank you,” I replied, and trotted down the hall to the Mayor’s office. There was a deafening silence behind those doors, so I decided to knock carefully. “Ahem--Ms. Mayor?”

No response.

But upon the third tap of my hoof, the door would come ajar. It wasn’t locked, but it was left halfway open? Curious. I took a peek into the office and extended my hoof to open the door with a long creak noise. “Oh.” There she was. At her desk, fast asleep. The Mayor was overworked with a load of papers just recently signed. Yet again, I could relate. I didn’t want to disturb her, so I would attempt to close the door again...only for that squeak of the hinges to result in her waking up.

“Hm..huh?” The Mayor stretched from her seat with a yawn. “...Is someone there?”

“Yes, it’s--ahem. Terribly sorry to trouble you, Ms. Mayor. But would you be so kind as to assist me?”

It took her a moment to fully recover from her rest. A stumble out of her back corner of the room followed by a minute or two of her searching for her glasses. “Now where are those troublesome...ah!” Once she had them on, she returned to her jovial self. “There we are. Hello, are you Mr. Vestige?”

I was surprised. I didn’t expect her to say my name so readily, “Yes I am. But how did you?”

“One of your companions let me know ahead of time that you would be visiting. Something about someone’s parents?”

It had to have been Quick Draw. Always thinking two steps ahead. “Yes. I’m looking for information regarding Cozy Glow. I wanted to see if there was any documentation of her parents living here at one point?”

“Ah...her. Unfortunately, I do not. There’s nopony related to her in any of the records. See for yourself,” she pointed me in the direction of the filing cabinets.

I took a crack at it, sifting through each file to no avail. No records of anyone related to Cozy Glow or having a child named Cozy Glow. Just who was she? Why did any of this happen? My head started to ache once more. It had been a full hour of searching only to turn up nothing. Dammit all.

“Seems it’s true. Nothing in here regarding her past, nor any relations. Looks like my trail has run cold…”

I slumped against the cabinet in defeat before I felt a tap on my shoulder. “If you don’t mind me asking, just why are you invested in such a topic? Wasn’t that child evil beyond comprehension?”

“There’s something more than that. Something...deeper. Everyone deserves a second chance. But if they aren’t given that opportunity, then we are no better than they are. I know how it feels...personally.”

While the Mayor seemed to understand my perspective, she kept her inquisitive gaze of doubt, “Forgive me for saying so, but you do realize that the ideals behind such a decision are...unbreakable? The rule of Twilight Sparkle is a fair, but stubborn one. I don’t think she would give up on that so easily. What Cozy did was so...damning that I can’t see her going back on it. You’d have better luck suggesting that to literally every other major official before she would accept that.”

Then it came to me. ‘Everyone else important.’ There it was. My ticket to shut this case down. But first, I had to get something clear. “...I see. Sounds complicated, but doable. Though, my next question, Ms. Mayor is a more direct one: What is your opinion of her imprisonment?”

“Mine? Oh I don’t think she deserved it at all,” the Mayor answered in a rather candid manner. I appreciated that compared to the slower responses I had gotten previously. “It confuses me how Discord gets a second chance and not her. It really is rather confusing if you ask me. But I’m not the princess, so maybe my feelings are invalid.”

My eyes narrowed. I utterly despised the idea of someone doubting themselves over their opinion--especially a rather valid one such as that. I had gotten up from my spot on the floor near the cabinets. “Hey now, don’t say things like that. You have the right to feel however you want about a certain topic. The only way we can make progress is if we’re all open with each other. Even if it is risky.”

“If you say so…” she didn’t seem convinced by what I had said. I didn’t blame her, though. Staying silent on one’s outlook was a fairly common thing. “Regardless, there are some things that I would rather keep to myself for the sake of my sanity. I’ve got too much going through my mind to fret over things like this.” She sat down at her desk, looking over another document, “My apologies if I wasn’t able to help, sir. What shall you do next?”

“I think...I’m going to take a little trip.”

“Oh? Where to?”

I had already started to make my exit. “Someplace crystal clear,” and I left with that vague little anecdote. It was somewhat obvious where I intended to go next, but I liked the idea of sounding ominous.

But in all seriousness, I would need to catch the next train soon. I had something important to take care of.

Subject 4: Jeweled Empress

The train ride was fast, yet bothersome. Loud and obnoxious with dozens of other passengers crowding the cars. Thankfully, I was able to get off without any trouble. This wasn’t my first time in the Crystal Empire. I had been here long ago with my father, but that was far beyond my frame of mind. All I really hoped for was an audience with Cadence. I’ll admit, it was nerve-wracking. Not because she was a princess, though that did play a small part. No, rather, I was wondering whether or not she would take the time to listen to me. My idea was absurd. Convince the Princess of Love to convince the Princess of Friendship to give a filly a second chance.

Was I in my right mind? Maybe Quick Draw was right. But I’m not the type to give up due to one small problem. Not to mention the sights of the Empire itself was something to behold. Beautiful crystalline structures everywhere, true to its name. My memories of this place were cloudier than a rainy day, so I never imagined it would look this grand. The castle itself was far off in the distance. It looked like no more than a 20-minute walk. Suppose it was just long enough to take in some more visuals.

That’s just what I did. On the way, I noticed how differently the culture of the Empire was from Ponyville. The latter was more rugged with a yesteryear aesthetic, but this place had a more modern flair to it that I could get behind. Beautiful colors that lit the Empire up like a rave, even in broad daylight. The road beneath my hooves paved with a shiny texture. The gemstone-like buildings made for perfect structures to adhere to sturdy designs. There was no way that a place like this would be invaded.

At least, that’s what I hoped.

Regardless, my objective was certain. Speak with the Princess of Love, and get her viewpoint. Once that was done, I was certain I could convince her and her fellow Princess to grant Cozy Glow passage of some sort. After all, a child like that was certainly missing some kind of familial love.

“Well I’ll be damned,” the sight of the Crystal Castle left me confused. The guards looked rather bored, and there was absolutely no noise being made from within. Strange. She had been a princess for much longer than Twilight, so I figured her palace would be just as lively--if not more so due to her seniority. “This just makes my job easier, doesn’t it?”

I trotted up the steps. The crystal guards didn’t move or blink, nor did they ask me whether or not I had business with their ruler. I suppose it could have to do with the fact that I had my uniform on, so they didn’t feel the need to ask. Either that or their boredom had kept them from being bothered enough to ask.

“Gentlemen,” I said with a tip of my hat. Their eyes barely moved to acknowledge me. That was odd. But now wasn’t the time for distractions. I made my way through the palace doors. The creaking caused an eerie echo that made my ears twitch. “Gah...is it really that quiet around here?”

No one was there to give me any sort of direction either. So I had to use what knowledge I had of castle layouts and my tracking skills. “Hm…” I tapped the ground with my hoof, once, twice. Based on the flow of the air as well as the echoing sound, the throne room had to be… “This way.”

I travelled up several flights of shining steps, and down a long hallway until I reached a set of enchanting gemstone doors that reached the ceiling. Highly impractical, but this wasn’t the first time I had seen such architecture before. I decided to play it safer this time and knocked, which elicited a shocked sort of shouting from behind the doors.

“Who’s there--?! I mean, ahem--Enter.”

So she was alive. Thank goodness. Given how silent it had been on my way up here, she didn’t respond within three seconds. I would’ve had to alert my contacts under the assumption she had been harmed.

I entered the throne room, the doors making another creaking sound just as the ones did at the entrance. Had no one heard of oiling their hinges? “Greetings, Princess Cadence,” I removed my hat and prepared to take a bow.

“Please don’t do all of that. I’m just glad to see--I mean, you may rise, sir. To whom do I have the pleasure of speaking with?”

Surprising. A princess who didn’t enjoy needless formality? Maybe this would go more simply than I thought. I moved forward along the carpet that led to the throne. The room itself was the largest of all with an abundance of crystalline formations against the walls. Truly a beautiful sight. “Pale Vestige at your service, Princess Cadence. I’ve come to ask a few questions about--”

“Oh? Great! Or rather, that would be nice.”

She put a smile. A fake one. One that hid how much she enjoyed to have the company of someone that wasn’t a fellow noble or businesspony. I could tell from the way her cheeks spread in an unnatural fashion, along with the strain in her eyes to put on this facial expression. It was quite disheartening.

“Listen, I’m nopony special. I’m just a regular guy looking for an opinion. Don’t put on the false act.”

“Oh good. I was about to say the exact same thing,” she looked relieved, choose to relax into the back of her throne.

“Excuse me?”

“Hardly anypony comes to just...talk. I know it sounds strange, but everyone’s out there happily living their daily lives while I’m here either doing some paperwork or signing some new treaty or meeting with some self-important busybody who just wants to put on a mask to make themselves look better in front of thousands of others for the sake of their ego!”

She threw her hooves into the air. That was quite the unexpected rant. Though it didn’t surprise me. “I...can’t say I relate to that. But you have my sympathy.”

“Oh drop the sympathy. I don’t need it. I just needed to vent a little,” she rose from her throne and flew down to properly meet me. “When your husband is the leader of the Empire right with you, he insists on doing everything himself. Including watching our child, and dealing with all sorts of security inspections to make sure his precious wifey and kiddo aren’t in danger. I love that stallion, but he works too hard…”

Now that I could relate to. Minus the child part, of course. “Sounds like you both have a lot on your plate. But if I may be so bold, you didn’t look very busy just a moment ago.”

“That’s because I’m currently on a ten minute break. Mandated by Shining also. He says if I don’t stop for at least a little bit, I could develop loads of different health problems as I get older.”

“But aren’t you an Alicorn--”

That’s when she changed the subject. Now redirecting the proverbial buckball to my side of the field, “Anyway! What did you want to ask me, Mr. Vestige, was it?”

“Yes. A few things, actually. For one, do you think the Crystal Ponies are being given as many opportunities as the other species? What with schooling and learning how to handle their abilities?” My notes were out, my trusty pencil in my teeth as always.

“Well, admittedly, I’ve been working on that. Crystal Ponies have similar attributes to Earth Ponies. In fact, a vast majority of them lack horns or wings,” she started pacing the floor as she explained it to me. She was overjoyed to deal with a subject she had experience with given how her eyes lit up with a spark, “but the main difference is that their powers aren’t tied solely to the earth itself. Rather, they are closely related to the Frozen North portion of the land. Because of that, their abilities range mostly from controlling the foundation of the highly constructed molecules that form them. Which gives them a greater amount of finesse when handling it compared to traditional magic. Do you follow?”

I stopped writing for a moment. “Yes. So the stronger ones have the ability to concentrate their own sort of magic and create objects out of crystals?”

“It’s...possible. We’re still looking into it, but as soon as we have answers, we’ll make it public.”

“Excellent--alright, my next question is a bit more detailed, so I hope you’re prepared.”

The Mare of Love scoffed, looking rather confident in her ability to respond. “I know my home’s history better than the back of my hoof, sir. Try me.”

“This isn’t so much about your home. Rather, the world at large. I’m sure you’re aware of the situation involving Chrysalis, Tirek, Cozy Glow, and--”

“Sombra,” she interrupted me. Referencing the one who devastated her family and home, “he was no king. He was a fool. Too reckless in his desire to overthrow me and ended up banished for it. Rightfully so.”

“I agree--but my question isn’t about him. It’s about Cozy Glow. The filly.”

“Oh? What about her?”

I’d be lying if I told myself I wasn’t afraid of bringing this up to her. I braced myself for the worst as I spoke, “Do you think she deserved to be put to stone like the other two? She was only a child after all.”

Her answer, while understandable, was somewhat trite. “Well, I’m sure Twilight made the right decision. If she was truly evil and working with the others who were trying to harm my family, I can’t say I disagree.”

I decided to prod a bit more, my pounding heart ready to leap from my chest, “Allow me to ask the question in a different way. If that was your daughter--Flurry Heart. If she had been the one to cause trouble, would you put her to stone?”

The question caused her to stop, and take a step back. I knew very well that something of this caliber hadn’t been questioned of her before. She shut her eyes, deep in thought about it for what seemed like ages as I stood there patiently. I waited in complete silence until she finally responded.

“I don’t know what I’d do. I know I would do my best to stop her, and bring her back to reality. And I would take the time to have her understand what she did was wrong so she could improve herself. But Flurry Heart would never do something like that.”

I raised a brow, “But how do you know, Cadence?”

“Because I’m here for her, that’s why!” she snapped back, stomping her hoof, “and not just me, either. Shining Armor, as well. She’s got a whole family that will make sure she walks the right path.”

That’s when I played my card, “Really? Funny thing is, nopony asked that about Cozy Glow?”

Her anger turned to sorrow and confusion, “What?”

“Nopony asked about Cozy Glow’s family. Nopony ever tried to track her parents down and see how she grew up. She was lumped right in with Chrysalis and Tirek--two absolute tyrants who were fully grown and knew the consequences of their actions. Cozy on the other hand was a child. A disturbed one at that. A child who was never properly given a chance, nor understood. Do you think that is just? For someone so young to suffer for actions they likely didn’t understand?”

“...No, I suppose not,” she sighed, “but what does Flurry Heart have to do with it?”

“Nothing at all, really. I simply brought her up because I wanted to have an edge in the conversation. We’re all biased towards our own. That much is certain. But when it comes to another, that changes completely, does it not?”

I could see the look of sympathy on her face. I may have taken it a bit far by bringing up her own child, but it was a necessary card to toss on the table. It was the only way I could get through to her in a reasonable way.

Her eyes turned cold. Full of judgement, and staring through my soul, “Just what made you bring this up to me? Are you brave or foolish?”

“Call it how you will,” I responded with a nonchalant shrug to suppress my fear, “My aim was to get your opinion on the incident regarding the imprisonment of a filly. Nothing more.”

“Ha!” she laughed rather sarcastically, “That can’t possibly be it. I deal with all sorts of ponies on a daily basis who say the wildest things. But that? You can’t have just come here to simply say some words and disappear.”

Perceptive. The Princess of Love was very keen in sensing the true feelings of another. I can’t believe that slipped my mind. Since I was caught in this play, I decided that I may as well go all in, “You got me, Cadence. In truth, the reason I came to you is because I wanted to not only get your opinion, but see if you could convince Twilight to allow the filly passage.”

“Why didn’t you just speak to her yourself?”

“I considered that. But I knew for certain that I would be turned down immediately. I’m a nobody, to be frank. No status, no special magic or skills, no authority. Nothing. I’m just a regular old guy with a regular old job. But you? If you were willing to hear my case, then it’s possible that she could be convinced. Not to mention your relation.”

“Not bad,” she said with the judgemental look in her eyes, “But this all hinges on the assumption that I’ll actually tell Twilight anything. What if I refuse?”

I had prepared for everything. Even if it wouldn’t go as smoothly as planned. “Then I’ll take matters into my own hooves. If you of all ponies won’t help seek redemption for a filly who had no support, then I’ll get the public behind the notion instead.”

“Is that a threat?”

I quickly shook my head. “Oh no, no threats here. The last thing I want as a stallion of law is to damage the credibility of my fellow officers by inciting a national ruler’s wrath. All I intend to do is make the public aware of what...incorrect acts have been done without their knowledge. So many ponies are out there, afraid to speak up for themselves out of fear of persecution.”

Cadence had the slightest frown on her face. I couldn’t tell if she was truly angry or disappointed with me. I was on eggshells waiting for her to grant me a response. “Okay, now let me ask you a question, sir. Is this a hill you’re prepared to fall upon?”

Enough was enough. If there was any moment to expose how I truly felt, now was the time. “Absolutely. I was in her position at one point during my youth. Granted, nothing as serious as threatening the world, but similar even so.”

As of now, she seemed more interested in hearing my own tale, rather than my objective. She took a step towards me, her head tilted to the left out of curiosity. “Please, go on.”

Well it was out now. No point in holding back. “I wasn’t a normal colt. I grew up without my mother. My father was strict. Overbearingly so. They fought all the time and it got so bad that she left one day and never came back. With no one else to turn his rage to, I was the target. He made me get up early every morning to run mile after mile and enforced heavy rules on what I could and couldn’t have. It was the same bland protein mix for dinner day after day. I grew to hate him. I wanted to leave and never return just as my mother did, and--” I stopped myself. Was this really going to change anything? I was probably boring her with my sob story, and my personal matters were getting in the way of my job.

“And…?” Much to my surprise, she didn’t seem bored at all. In fact, she was rather invested in my little tale. I had no idea how to feel now. My work was being disrupted by emotion. Yet, it would be rude to stop now. I had no choice but to finish what I started.

Or it was probably Cadence’s aura. Emotion was a strong thing, and I felt utterly compelled to continue. I gave a sigh of defeat, “I’ll spare you the extreme details. I got into the wrong things. With the wrong group of ponies. It felt good at first, to do what I wanted without giving a damn. But then, things took a turn for the worst. We launched bottle rockets and caused hundreds of bits in property damage to the nearby retirement home. Ponies were hurt. Nearly killed. And I had to accept the reality of the damage I caused.”

Cadence gave me a sympathetic frown. “I did not know that...but how did you change from a troublemaker to a lawpony?”

“The therapist who I saw to treat my crazed actions was also an officer. She kept me with her for a while until I was prepared to go back into the real world. I got a few odd jobs, studied law, and here I am now. All because of intervention. Something that Cozy Glow never got.”

“Ah. So that’s why you’re so passionate about this. I can’t blame you, but not every case is the same. There’s no guarantee that Cozy Glow will have truly changed.”

“I’m aware of that. And that’s why I intend to follow through on it myself. But I can’t do that without support from the public.”

“Passing on what you were taught…” I heard her laugh. Not a sarcastic one. It was more like a, ‘how cute’ sort of giggle. “I respect that. Even if your methods are extreme.”

I shrugged, having put my notes away the moment I went on about my personal life. “I do what’s necessary to keep things balanced in this world. Even if others don’t agree,” with that said, I walked towards her throne room doors, ready to make my exit.

“Wait, you’re leaving already?”

“My apologies. I realize that I’ve said too much. I need...to head home.”

“Oh...alright,” I could hear the sadness in her voice. It was apparent that she wanted me to stay and explain more to her. But anything else could cause irreparable damage. “Have a nice trip home, sir.”

“Thank you. I will, please think about what I said.” I don’t think so. That was a horrible display I just put on. Completely unprofessional. Just how was I going to save the child if I let emotion take over in such ways?

Sadly, once I returned home, things were no better. Quick Draw had already heard about what happened by the time I got there, thanks to my contacts who were stationed in the Empire.

She was not happy.

“Flash Drive and Guttersnipe have already told me everything,” my deputy walked up to my desk, and slammed her hooves down. “ARE YOU INSANE?!” Everything on my desk jumped into the air, and thankfully landed in their exact spots. “You go all the way out to the Crystal Empire and break down in front of the Princess?! Are you just a boulder that rolls down whatever hill it's on?! No! Even a boulder has more sense!”

“Listen I--”

“No look. You need to drop this case. Cozy Glow is locked away for good. There’s nothing you can do about it.”

I hated arguing, but I wasn’t going to stand idle. “How do you know that? Nobody else has even tried to deal with the filly before now. This is a case of injustice against someone who wasn’t completely sane. What child would do such a thing without reason?”

“Grrr…” she was mere inches from my face before she backed off. “I know about your situation, sir. About how some ponies can get another chance. But this is really beyond you. We’re not just talking about a few blow up houses and old folks. We’re talking about a threat to everyone on the planet.”

“Who’s to say I couldn’t have become that very same threat to all things?” I retorted, sharply, “Did you ever think about that? You don’t fix a problem by hiding it. That only breeds deception.”

She grabbed me by my shoulders. “Listen to me! You’re too far rooted in your own issues. You don’t comprehend the level of destruction someone could cause.”

I put my hooves in between hers and pushed them off, “It’s why I have this job in the first place. Otherwise I could be dead right now.”

That’s when the ever valiant Corkscrew came in, flying above both of us. “Uh...hey guys, why don’t we chill out for a bit? I’m making poutine, and then we can relax in the theater room before we head home. I got a great movie to watch. Yak Wars 2!”

“Hmph…” Quick Draw couldn’t resist the smell of fried potatoes with gravy and cheese coming from the kitchen down the hall. “I guess I can stay for a bit. Then after that, I’m headed home.” She left my office to go check on how it was cooking, I bet.

“Whew...that’s good. The last time you two argued, we had to rebuild this place! Hahaha!” His laughter made me smile. I wouldn’t dream of letting him turn out like me. Cold, bitter, alone.

“Heh! Good one, bud.”

He hovered in the air horizontally, “Captain. Don’t get upset with her. She’s just concerned for you.”

“I know, I know,” I got up from my chair and handed him a folder. “Take this.”

“Hm?”

“Insurance. If things aren’t going properly, then I’d like you to submit this to the newspaper. Then the public can form their own opinions.”

He stopped flying. The boy stood on the floor as he skimmed through the documents. “Sir...is this the best idea? If this goes wrong, then…”

I waved my hoof with a smile, “You said it yourself, right? Don’t play your cards unless you know there’s a chance of winning? Well, I’m going for it. If there’s even the slightest chance I can convince Twilight to allow Cozy a take at redemption, then I’m going for it.”

“...You’re going to offer yourself as a potential caretaker?”

“More like a watchpony. To keep her on the right path as she grows up, since we know she has no one else.”

“And if they refuse?”

I chuckled, “Then I’m prepared to expose their entire deck to the public to prove my point until they can’t.”

“I can’t say I completely agree, Captain. But you’re smart. If you know what you’re doing, then I believe in you.”

“Appreciated, CC. Now what’s this poutine stuff you’re making? I’ve never heard of it.”

I followed him out of my office. Tomorrow, things will start to change heavily. Whether or not this would earn me a commendation or lifetime banishment to the stars would be my gamble. A flip of the coin, per se. But I always picked heads. Why? Because I never looked back.

Not then. Not now.

Subject 5: Headmare and Magician

It had been about a week since I visited the Empire. Things were rather silent these past few days. No case requests. No real news or anything. Odd for certain. With Corkscrew having sent my documentation to the Ponyville Press, I expected lots of blowback, but none came. Yet.

Oh well. I was still prepared for the worst as I sipped my morning tea. Yup, tea. That Cheerilee woman had gotten me hooked on the stuff ever since I met her. She said something about coffee staining your teeth, so she quit drinking it also. If that was the case, then I wasn’t about to let my precious pearly whites be affected by it. The Agency’s photos would be ruined!

“Mmm…” You know? Maybe this wasn’t so bad. I had my notes, a warm cup of tea, and my morning donut. Common stereotype among officers, yes. But they were delicious! Regardless, everything was going--

KABLAM!

An explosion went off in my office. Annoying given that the front door was right there. But beyond that, it was startling. I yelled out, “AHH!” and fell out of my chair onto the floor, “Oof!” In a flash, I rose from my position with a freshly sharpened pencil between my teeth. The intent was to make use of it as a self-defense weapon if necessary. “Give up, fool!”

“Ahahaha!” To my utter horror, it wasn’t an attacker after all. Rather, a magician. A blue one. Oh no. I knew where this was going and I did not like it. “Behold the Great and Powerful--also the Guidance Counselor at the School of Friendship--TRRRRIXIE!”

No, no, no. Not this. I was all for fancy tricks, but not from someone like her. Please tell me this was a joke.

“Wha...oh my back,” I relaxed from my position of combat, and readjusted my misplaced spinal cord with a few lateral stretches. Afterwards, I approached the mare, “Ahem--Trixie, is it? Glad to meet you.”

“Thank you! I know it is. I’m here today on behalf of fellow School of Friendship Headmaster Starlight Glimmer with a message!”

“A message?” Curious. I wondered what it could be. I hoped that I didn’t cause any collateral damage to anyone. But if necessary, I would face whatever the problem was. “What is it?”

“...” There was an awkward pause that lingered in the air. It would appear that she focused so much time on her entrance, that she completely forgot the reason she came here. “...One second, if you please.”

“Take your time.”

Her horn lit up, and she started to sift through the confines of her cape for this message. “C’mon you stupid thing where...no…” her light blue magical aura retrieved several objects from within her cape. This included a trick hoof buzzer, a hat with a few sleeping birds inside, a wand, some more of her smoke bombs, and another cape? I had to resist the urge to laugh due to how nonsensical it was.

“Is everything alright?” I asked to avoid an even longer awkward silence.

“No, no! I can handle this!” Normally, that meant the opposite. It would be another five minutes of digging before she retrieved a note. “Aha! Here it is. And now, I shall give you the message--ahem: ‘I want the leader of this Detective Group to come to the School immediately. There’s something urgent we need to discuss.’” And after she read it, she took a bow. Clearly she wasn’t past her showbiz days.

“I see...thank you, Ms. Lulamoon,” I responded while clapping my front hooves together. Being a one-stallion audience wasn’t very easy. “I will attend as soon as I’m able.”

She gave me a questioning gaze with a raised eyebrow. “Oh really? To Trixie, it looks like you’re not busy at all.”

Damn. She had a point. I was found out. No way of escaping this one. Why was it always the mares that caught me in conversation? “Ah...well you’re probably right. I suppose I could head over there now.”

“Excellent! You shall follow Professor Trixie to your meeting!” And she left--thankfully through the door and not with a messy smoke grenade. After taking two steps, she looked back at me over her shoulder with an expectant expression. It was like she was telling me to hurry up.

“Yeah yeah, hang on…” It was too early for this crap. But I didn’t have much of a choice, did I? I put on my coat as always, and left the building to follow the former magician.

“Finally! Starlight Glimmer has a busy schedule you know. It’d do you well to take her more seriously.”

Well that came out of nowhere. I suppose her show-off ponysona is truly just an act. When it came to business, she wasn’t messing around. I respected that. “Apologies. I didn’t have my breakfast yet. I’m not fully cognitive without it.”

“Oh really? If that’s the case, then I’m sorry. I’m sure she can make you something once we get there.”

Yet again, I was being murdered with kindness. All I wanted to do was take care of business, and yet it seemed like hospitality was limitless around here. “That’s quite alright. She doesn’t need to waste her time with that. Really, if her schedule is as busy as it is, then the last thing I’d want is--”

“Are you sure? I mean, there’s an entire snack table for the students if they get hungry. I’m sure she won’t mind.”

Pain. That’s all I felt as I walked with her. My stomach in shambles, I didn’t want to come off as rude for not accepting an offer. “Well, if you’re positive. I’m more concerned about why the message was so urgent.”

“I think I have a hunch as to why that is the case,” Trixie explained, while her horn lit up again. This time, she fetched an item from her cape, and it was the correct one. Thankfully. “The recent newspaper published an article about anonymous opinions from those who think Cozy Glow’s banishment was wrong. Would you happen to know anything about this?” It was a rolled up newspaper that she unfolded with her magic, exposing the front page to me.

“That’s certainly an article, yup.” I would’ve been afraid, had it not been for the fact that I had multiple cover stories. “I read the newspaper same as everyone else.”

“Riiight,” she was not convinced. Rightfully so. I had the plausible deniability card in my hoof. “And I’m sure you also wouldn’t know anything about somepony that visited Princess Cadence last week?”

Shit.

“Oh?”

“Listen, mister. If you’re going to play dumb, then do so at your own risk. But know that we’re not going to stand idly by while you start up a possible city-wide conflict.”

I scoffed, then laughed at the idea. First good laugh I had in awhile, actually. “Pffhahahaha! There’s zero chance of something like that happening. Everyone tends to avoid displaying their opinions in public, especially the unpopular ones. Why? Because of fear. Fear of being ridiculed and judged.”

“Fear, hm? Is that why you went out of your way to conceal the identities of those being questioned?”

“I want no harm to come to them for what they think. Of course I didn’t disclose who they were.”

Her face grew into quite the arrogant smirk. “And yet you still didn’t answer my question regarding Cadence. So are you saying you didn’t go there?”

I mentally groaned. Lying would only make my case look flimsy. “Listen, I had a good reason for it, and--”

“Aha!” she cut me off with a triumphant cackle, “Checkmate! So you did go there!”

I shrugged my shoulders. “Yeah, so?”

Silence. Turns out she didn’t quite comprehend the significance behind my visit to the Empire. The magician mare was just happy to have been proven correct. “So...it means I know more than you as of this instance!” she proudly stomped her hoof on the grass, her eyes shut.

I sighed. How could anyone put up with this for more than an hour? Let alone an entire school day. No way. I continued my relaxed gait towards the School of Friendship. Trixie didn’t notice I had left her behind until she opened one eye, then the other.

“Wha? Hey! You’re under my jurisdiction!” she started running after me.

“Heh,” a younger me would’ve proposed the idea of a race to the destination. But I knew damn well that that would be trouble. I simply allowed her to catch up, only to offer a minor tease instead. “Looks like The Great Counselor Trixie isn’t so perceptive.”

“Silence! Get moving before I put you in detention.”

“With you? Now that sounds like heaven,” I chuckled which only prompted an exasperated groan from the magician/professor. As much as I tried to repress my emotions during my work, it was good to know my sense of humor hadn’t been plucked from my person like a Zap Apple from a tree.

We arrived. Just as I suspected, a race would’ve been foolish. It was a decently-sized castle-like building with a pond out front, and stepping stones on one path that intersected with the main walkway up to the front door. Racing towards something like this would have surely caused a crash into the pond, and possibly the rocks. Not fun.

“Wow,” I said with wide, slightly impressed eyes, “nice architecture. But do you think they could’ve laid off the purple a little?”

“Twilight was the one that opened the place in case you didn’t know,” Trixie clarified the choice of color scheme as she trotted ahead of me, “she’s back in Canterlot now, but this place remains her Modus Operandi.”

“Uh, I think you mean Magnum Opus--but I do think it’s got a nice charm to it.” “Even if the color scheme is off-putting.”

“Well, are you gonna stand there staring all day or are you gonna come?” she looked at me from over her shoulder, her hoof tapped the ground while the door flung open with her magical aura.

“Yes, yes, I’m coming,” I responded and followed her up the path, into the building. The structure was as huge as it was on the inside as it was on the outside. Light blue floors, pale blue walls, long halls, loads of rooms that probably led to different classes. I was in awe over the sheer amount of depth added to make the place look welcoming to any visionary pupil. “...wow. It looks much better in here than it does from out there.”

“Quit it with the sarcastic comments. In here, I am the Counselor!” she boldly stated once more. Much to my lack of paying attention. I was more focused on the area around us. There were no students. Must’ve all been in classes right about now. “Are you listening? I said it’s time for you to get going.”

Her voice snapped me out of my naturally investigative stupor, “Hm? Oh. Which way is the office?”

“Follow me,” and once again, I took off after the blue mare. The office was just at the end of the hall. She pushed the door open for me, and I found the light pink Unicorn sorting through files. “Found him for you!”

“Oh, thank you. Please, have a seat, sir. Pale Vestige, right? I’m Starlight Glimmer.”

I sat at the chair in front of Starlight’s desk. “I’m honored to have been summoned, really. But just--”

However, she wasn’t in the mood for formalities. “I’m just going to cut right to it. We know you visited Cadence in the Empire. She contacted us through a letter, recently. She said she had no idea how to respond to what you told her, and that altering Twilight should be up to us.”

“That being, she and I,” Trixie added, her body leaned against the wall to spectate this little discussion.

“In other words, I’m here to question your intentions,” Starlight leaned forward onto her desk to glare at me, “What are they?”

Well now. I didn’t think such a reaction could be brought out from the Princess of Love. But I suppose I did cause her some mental strain by mentioning her daughter in place of Cozy Glow. Guess that would be something I needed to apologize for later. “Right then, the basis of the interview with the Princess of Love, as well as the articles in the paper is to suss out some things.”

The glare turned more captious, seems the headmaster mare wanted to further question my intent. “Suss out what exactly?”

“Many things. But primarily, the public opinion of Cozy Glow’s imprisonment in stone. I don’t think it was something she deserved.”

Silence filled the air until the mare took a deep breath. “Is that so? You believe that Cozy Glow--someone who betrayed the entire institute, threw away several friendships, allied with the world’s most dangerous enemies, and stole eons worth of powerful magic deserves a second chance?”

“Now wait just a minute,” I wasn’t going down unless it was in a battle of wits, “if I recall correctly, you yourself were the subject of wrongdoing before Twilight extended her hoof to you,” I shot a glance over to Trixie as well, “you were in the same boat too.”

“Uch! I beg your pardon! I didn’t do anything nearly as dangerous as Cozy Glow.”

“Your arrogance brought an Ursa Minor to the town--albeit accidentally--when you first arrived all those years ago, causing loads of property damage. Then you came back and tried to fight Twilight in a duel only to cause more chaos with the Alicorn Amulet. Needless to say, you have skeletons in your closet as well.”

She stammered. Likely aiming to come up with an excuse. “Hey! That Ursa wasn’t entirely my fault--”

Against my better nature, I interrupted her and resumed my rant against Starlight Glimmer. My blood boiled as I rattled off my explanation. “And you. You essentially brought about mind control to a civilization of ponies, forcing them to live how you wanted. You were no better than Tirek or Chrysalis was--even if it was on a smaller scale. You were the worst kind of tyrant. A moral one. One who was so hellbent on fighting an injustice that you forced your ways upon everyone under the guise of freedom. But it wasn’t. So forgive me if I seem judgmental--but Cozy Glow deserves just as much of a chance as the rest of you. Not to mention Discord.”

She sighed in defeat, and leaned back in her chair to put her rear hooves on the table. Yet again, I flew off the handle. The memories of her past definitely weren’t pleasant. I felt a bit errant in my desire to correct things, but to me, it seemed like the only way to get something done. By throwing one’s own sins back in their face. “Listen, I get what you’re saying. But this is very risky. If she were released from her stony prison tomorrow, there would be a host of ponies out there ready to riot over the freedom of one of Equestria’s most diabolical enemies.”

“I know that. That’s why I’m not expecting her to be released tomorrow. Or next week. Or anytime soon for that matter,” I answered confidently to try and repair this mess of a conversation, “It’s going to take time for everyone to warm up to the idea, and I’m prepared to take responsibility for that.”

Starlight sat upright, both surprised and intrigued by my proposition. “Are you sure? Most ponies I’ve come across tend to ramble on and on about what’s wrong with something without bothering to offer a solution. Are you saying you have a way to resolve this?”

“Absolutely. I intend to gather more public opinions--anonymously of course--see what everyone has to say regarding the choice to lock up a child. From there, I’ll go see Twilight in Canterlot myself and see what she has to say.”

Trixie suddenly darted in front of Starlight, which nearly made me jump. “And what if she says no? Are you prepared for that?”

“Woah--ahem. Of course. If she denies me, then it’ll be between her and the public at that point. My job will have been finished.”

Starlight put a hoof over Trixie’s face to push her out of the way, “What do you mean between her and the public?”

“Hey!”

“Well, once I’ve gathered the public consensus regarding her banishment, I’ll go to her. If I’m denied, then the public is going to be aware of the fact that their voices weren’t heard,” I put my hooves up in a half-shrug motion, and laughed to myself, “Heh...at that point, it’ll be out of my hooves. The masses will have their way until things are addressed.”

“Damn. This guy has a complete plan laid out. Is he really who he says he is? How can we believe him at all?” Starlight had her hooves together on the table, she had to be deep in thought right about now. “Gonna have to keep a close eye on him until we know he’s trustworthy.”

“I hope we can hurry this up,” I looked at Trixie. She was leaning against the door once more, likely thinking about what I said as well. “I need to be there for my first class. They have to witness my new ultimate lesson plan!”

“Well then,” Starlight finally broke the silence that filled the room for a good long minute or so. “If you think you can get the honest truth of what ponies think, then I suppose you’re not much of an issue.”

I nodded. “I see. And in case you’re wondering, I don’t intend to cause a ruckus. I’m just an average Earth Pony doing my job. No magic, no crazy tricks. Just searching for clarity. Speaking of which, what do you both think of Cozy being put to stone?”

Another awkward silence with both mares exchanging looks. I didn’t want this to go on for much longer. “Well?”
“If it were up to me, I’d have tried to see what was wrong and why she felt that way,” Starlight admitted. I knew she had to feel something for the child given how close her situation was.

Trixie would speak right after, clearly nervous to be put on the spot for a sensitive subject matter, “Well, foals do crazy things all the time. But nothing as crazy as threatening the whole world. I’m honestly not sure what I would do if it were up to me. The decision of how a pony should be treated for their crimes is a...dubious one.”

“It is. Mainly because this is the first instance of a child getting so far. It’s not easy for any of us to swallow,” I commented on the blue mare’s hesitation, “don’t fret. No one comes to a conclusion overnight. Heck, I didn’t. And I know it’s gonna take a while for everyone to come out about how they feel regarding this incident. Like I said, though, I’m ready to deal with this. This isn’t my first showdown.” I got up from my seat, prepared to take my leave, “Are there any other inquiries from you two?”

“None,” Starlight replied as she went back to sorting through files with her magic. “Thank you for your time Mr--”

“Just Pale is fine, really.”

She smiled at me for the first time since I arrived, “Pale it is. Trixie, would you mind showing him out before heading to your class?”

The blue mare flipped her hair with a dramatic turn of her neck, “Not a problem. This way, Pale!” The overly gallant ponysona returned, as Trixie strutted out of the office.

I looked at Starlight, “Is she...always like this?”

“Yes, but you get used to it. One time I called her down here and she exploded so hard that her messy glitter was all over my room and I. It was sticky as heck and I had to wash my mane for days,” she giggled a bit as she recounted the way her friend acted, “but I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

“Sir, are you coming or what?!” Trixie shouted from down the hall.

“I’d better get going. It was nice speaking to you, Starlight.”

“Yeah, I appreciate you taking the time. Just be mindful, alright?”

I laughed, “Haha. Of course,” with that, I trotted on out, and left the building.

“Listen here, we’re going to know if you do something crazy,” Trixie commented to me as I left, “Don’t be reckless. But have a nice day!”

She waved with her hoof as I left. It’s crazy how she went from stoic to cheerful in a manner of seconds. It was...unnerving to say the least. In any case, I had more notes taken down. Now things were about to get that much more difficult. Who knows how many articles would need to appear in the paper before it got recognized?

“Heh...no matter what it takes.” I said to myself on the way back to my office. But something was amiss as I approached. Someone was trying to knock, apparently looking for services? Or maybe an old brooch. Given that the office was meant to be hidden as an antique store to the average pony, I wondered just what they could want?

I got closer, and it turned out to be a gray mare. An Earth Pony with a musical note cutie mark. A well-known musician, perhaps?

Joyous. Music was not my area of expertise.

Subject 6: Musicians and Studying

“Excuse me?” I walked up to the gray mare.

She looked in my direction, and paused. Then she greeted me in a proper, graceful tone, “Oh, hello there. Are you the owner of this antique establishment? I saw a wonderful looking viola in the window that I would like to add to my collection.”

“Oh right,” I nodded, “yeah, I own this place. Let me just unlock the door.” The way it was set up was simple. My front desk was stationed near the entryway, and to the left would be a door that led to the antique store that we used as a cover to avoid our base being sussed out by our enemies. Similarly, our aforementioned folks in the Crystal Empire--Flash Drive and Guttersnipe--ran their location as a crystal pop-rock candy store. Just how the Agency worked.

After a minute or so, I led the mare into the shop to the left. All kinds of old things here. Some may have had historical value, or not. I don’t know. Corkscrew manages it with things he finds at yard sales and in hidden locations. No idea how that boy managed considering we have a few tribal masks, a jewelry set, and what appears to be an ancient predecessor to the yo-yo up for sale.

“Ah, thank you. My name is Octavia Melody. You may know me from my numerous performances around Equestria,” the lady introduced herself with a smile.

Admittedly, I already knew her. Her music was amazing. I had purchased almost every one of her albums when they released. “Yes, I know you well. I’ve...listened to your music on occasion.”

“Have you now? Which was your favorite?”

“La Cinquette’s Accompaniment.”

“Ah, the ‘The Unplayable Piece’. Took me a while to keep my cello in tune with that pianist. But I managed. My hooves were right blistered afterwards, though.”

While it wasn’t on the same level, I could relate due to how often I was sorting files. Paper cuts were nasty. Octavia started to survey the other pieces of history that were there, but soon, her gaze returned to the viola. I never really knew it had a different name. The only string instruments I really knew were the cello, violin, and fiddle. But this?

“Would you mind telling me the difference between a viola and violin?” I asked and approached it with her.

“Certainly. In laymare's terms--the viola is essentially a larger violin with a deeper sound. Do you mind if I test it?”

“Not at all. Though it doesn’t have a bow.”

“That’s quite alright.” In a bizarre twist, the mare plucked a viola bow directly from her tail with her mouth! I didn’t even want to question how she got it to fit there, let alone stay.

She picked it up and held the instrument with her hoof, and the bow in the other. She started playing a soft, gentle melody of notes that filled the little shop with proud sounds. I could almost feel myself slow-dancing to it, until I heard the loud, raspy voice of another individual from outside.

“TAVEY! YOU IN HERE?!”

“Oh dear,” she stopped playing, and put the viola down. “Terribly sorry, but I must leave immediate--”

“I knew you were here the second I heard that dope music playing! Woah...talk about cool.” A white mare with a blue mane and tail and a peculiar set of shades had bolted into the shop. One good look at her and I instantly recognized her as VInyl Scratch--though apparently she prefers DJ-Pon-3.

“Ahem. Cool? Beg your pardon, but I never pegged you for someone interested in bygones of previous centuries.”

The Unicorn started to closely inspect the shells for each item that was on it. “Whaddya talkin’ about? I’ve always been into these old doo-hickeys. Snow globes too? Yoooo...”

“Could’ve fooled me. Oh, and my dearest apologies good sir,” Octavia said to me, “I didn’t expect my friend to show up.”

I went behind the register, “No harm done. Take as much time as you need before you make a decision.”

“Oh yeah, that reminds me!” I observed as Vinyl retrieved a newspaper from outside with her magic before closing the door, “Taves, look at this. Apparently some ponies are in disagreement with Cozy Glow being put away in stone for so long.”

“Oh?” The gray earth pony read the article with her, “Does it say who exactly says this?”

“Nah-uh. But check it, says they’re looking into defying Twilight over it. Do ya think they’ll win?”

They were right before me so I couldn’t help but eavesdrop, even if it was accidental. Still, to avoid being rude I held a book in front of my face.

“No idea. But sadly I don’t think there’s a chance. If that child really did those awful things, then I’m afraid she’ll be stuck there.”

“Whaaaat? But that’s wack Tavey! We don’t know how bad she had it before she decided to go all bonkers n such. Like, don’t gemme wrong--Chrysalis and Tirek deserved it. They’ve been around a long-flanked time and shoulda stopped way before now. But the kid? Man that’s dubious as heck.”

“I never said I disagreed with you. I just don’t think it’s possible to set her free. At least, not without a massive set of reasons and a fair trial.”

“Come to think of it, how does the judicial system work in this world, anyhow?”

I heard Octavia chortle, “Ohohoho. So you have been studying those old books I gave you. I didn’t think you had it in you.”

“Shh-shh--shuddup!”

“Oh dear, it appears we’ve spent too much time idle. I need to purchase this, and I’ll be right back,” she shoved the newspaper into her friend’s face and grabbed the old string instrument. “How much for this viola, sir?”

Free. Is what I would’ve said. The perspective they had just given me was invaluable. These were two of the top musicians in the world. Even anonymously, they could prove to be an asset. Come to think…

“Yo, bud! You gonna answer my friend or what?” The rowdy one reared her head, and used her magic to forcibly lower the book from my face.

“Oh, forgive me,” I replied, and the mare released the book from her magic aura. “Actually, I overheard what you had to say about that filly. I...may actually know a friend that works with the paper. How would you both like to have your opinions put in the paper--anonymously of course--in exchange, you can have that for no charge.”

“Hm…” She seemed to consider it, until her friend butted in. The force almost knocked her aside. “Hey!”

She was suspicious of me. Rightfully so, I might add, so good on her. “Hold on, bub--what’s your deal? You tryin’a buy her words or somethin’?”

“No, no. I was merely offering her the opportunity to have her voice heard without the fear of ridicule. If she refuses, that’s completely fine.”

“Vinyl you don’t have to be so--” Octavia tried to speak, but was cut off.

“Haaang on a sec,” with her hoof against her chin, she started to look around the room for something she liked. I suppose she figured if her friend was getting something out of this, then she should too. I didn’t blame her. “Ah! Got it!” With her magic, she levitated an item off one of the shelves behind me. A dome ball made out of multiple layers and colors of stained glass. Ah, that one was brought in by Guttersnipe last week from the Empire. “Now let’s say we do decide to help ya out, bub. If she gets the violin--”

“Viola,” Octavia corrected, much to the chagrin of her friend who rolled her eyes.

“Fine. If she can get that viola, then I want this. Then we’ll give ya permission to use our quotes in your buddy’s next article.”

No harm in a simple equivalent exchange. “You ladies have a deal.”

“Haha! Awesome!”

“What do you even plan on using that old thing for, Vy?”

“It’s gonna be a wicked retro disco ball, that’s what! Just needs some TLC. Thanks bro! Now I’m gonna go hook this up for a test run!”

The unicorn mare left the store, followed by an exasperated sigh from the earth pony mare. Her hoof pressed against the top of her forehead in disbelief. “I have to go make sure she washes it before she infects the both of us with a 100-year-old plague from its dust. And please, take this.” She offered me some bits regardless, “And feel free to use our quotations anyways. I’m interested in seeing how the situation plays out.”

“Are you sure?”

“Absolutely. Someone has to help those who can’t help themselves.”

“TAVEY HURRY UP!” that raspy screaming boombe

“I must go. Thank you once more for the items we found today. Oh, and I never got your name.”

That’s right, she didn’t. May as well give her that much, “Pale Vestige. Have a nice day, my lady.”

They both left, and it was a quiet day from then onwards. Nothing else really happened for that day, so I left the shop/base, and headed home. Maybe I could use the break. Things have been crazy this past month or so.

That’s when I happened upon another familiar face. Cheerilee was walking yet again, but this time she was carrying a large load of bags. Why must it be like this? I felt no other option than to help her out.

“Cheerilee, is everything alright?”

“Huh? Oh, yeah, yeah! Just some rough times with these bags here. Don’t worry, I can do it--” I could tell one of them was about to fall off her flank, so I swooped in and grabbed it. “Woah! That was fast...I didn’t even realize that was about to fall.”

It was a bag of fruits. Exotic ones like dragonfruit and coconuts. “Call it an intuition. You’re okay, aren’t you?”

“Of course! Though, sometimes I am a bit jealous of the other ponies. Unicorns can levitate things, pegasi can hold things across their wings, but it’s a bit harder for us earth ponies.”

“I wouldn’t say that,” I started to walk with her, holding the bag with one hoof, “everyone’s got untapped potential, I’d say. We just don’t realize it yet. But I suppose I can let you in on a secret. There was a reason I was able to catch that bag before it fell.”

With her load lightened, the schoolteacher had an easier time balancing three bags on her back instead of four. “Really? Just why is that?”

“Call it an ability I’ve honed over the years. As an investigator your wits need to be quick lest you die due to someone getting the jump on you. That includes hearing, and your reflexes. It’s got a lot more to it, but I don’t wanna bore you with my--”

“Oh no no!” She cut me off to explain how invested she was, her eyes bright as day, “As a fellow earth pony, I’d like to know how to be able to predict the future too!”

We arrived at her home and I followed her inside. I placed one of the bags on her table, “It’s not so much precognition. Rather, it’s got more to do with our connection to the Earth.”

“I see. Please tell me more,” she had already begun to stir the tea kettle. Damn. I would be locked in for another round of hospitality. Oh well.

I took a seat on her couch like last time, “In short, the Earth is where our power comes from. Anything connected to it travels back to us in a manner that allows us to keep track of the aura within living things. Because everything has magic in it, you see.”

Cheerilee sat with me, one cup of hot tea ready for the both of us. “Ah, so it’s more of a sensory thing?”

I took a sip, “Essentially. If you focus hard enough, you can alter your perception until you become almost able to predict what could happen based on the way something is moving. Like that fourth bag of groceries that you tried to balance on your flank. It was tilting too far to one side before you realized, and your fruits would’ve been puree on the grass.”

“Ooh...if I did that, I could predict which direction a paper airplane came from and who threw it in class.”

An idea suddenly came into my head, “Hey, Cheerilee. Have you considered taking a position in the School of Friendship?”

She snorted which devolved into laughter, “Hahaha! Heavens no. I don’t know the first thing about friendship and cultural dependency. I think I’m fine where I am.”

“Are you? I mean, I’m not one to pry, but don’t you think you have potential to...advance?”

Her ears drooped. My heart sank. Did I come across as saying that she wasn’t good enough? “...How so?”

“Well, I mean...your school could become much more. Maybe just as prestigious as the Friendship Academy.”

Then her ears sprang up again, out of shock this time. “What?” Her eyes dilated as if she had seen a spectre, “There’s no way in Tartarus that’s going to happen.”

“Well...maybe not. But what if...you honed your natural earth pony talents and became a specialist teacher? Rebrand as a school for Earth Ponies.”

“Specialist...that sounds...interesting. But I would have to learn more about myself and our race before I decided to do something like that. Beyond extra stamina and durability, I...don’t think we have much special going for us,” she said with a somber expression. There had to be something else bothering her.

“Well, I could help. There are plenty of resources available on earth pony culture. And...there’s more, isn't there?”

Cheerilee sighed, “Ever since the School of Friendship opened, the Ponyville Schoolhouse has lost most of its students. I’m not mad, of course! I’m actually rather happy that so many kids are looking for ways to improve themselves. But I’d be lying if I said I didn’t miss it..most of my old students are fully grown now. The ones I currently teach are for personal tutoring, and not much else…”

Damn. So that was it. The former schoolteacher that gave lessons to the proud Cutie Mark Crusaders had been reduced to a mere background pony. Now I felt especially bad, given that the three had become teachers themselves at the School of Friendship. I knew what it was like to live in the shadows. So that made it all the more reason to compel me to assist her.

“You can get that back,” I said triumphantly as I placed my tea glass down, “Spoiled Rich was discussing something similar with me. Maybe there is a way you can turn your schoolhouse around into something more relevant again.”

“...You spoke with her? I hope that went well. I know how snippy she can get.”

That wasn’t my focus. Right now, I was honed in on making Cheerilee feel like the proud teacher she had always been. “That’s besides the point. I’m sure if you study up and learn the ins and outs of Earth Pony ways, you can open the first EP-centric institute and spread that unknown knowledge to the world.”

“Oh you. That doesn’t sound very likely. But...I suppose it beats being a mere tutor nowadays.” she lazily picked up her teacup again. I could see it in her disappointed eyes, and droopy muzzle. This mare wanted more out of her life than to be forgotten in the background. I would’ve said something else, had it not been for the fact that she changed the subject. “But enough about me. Have you made any progress on your little investigation?” she asked with her cheery expression returned after disappearing for so long.

“Hm? Oh, Cozy Glow. I feel like I’m getting somewhere. But I don’t know if it’s into the light or the pits of Tartarus itself,” I laughed it off, but I knew damn well that things weren’t going to be easy from this point onward.

“Oh-ho, don’t worry. If you’re as smart as you’ve been so far, you won’t have any problems,” Cheerilee comforted me. That felt nice, hearing encouraging words for a change instead of the constant lambasting of Quick Draw. “I’ve seen the paper. So far, you seem to have quite a few ponies who think it was unfair to seal away a child.”

I gave a sigh of relief. “Good. But I have a feeling--a bad one. That feeling is in regards to what the higher powers will think.”

“Tsk, as far as I’m aware, you’ve incited no rebellion,” she put down the notion with a scoff, “what the public chooses to do with information that has been hidden from them is not your fault. However, I do hope it can be resolved peacefully if possible. The last thing we want is a whole ‘nother set of civil disagreements over the treatment of a child. The whole ‘magic first, ask questions later’ mentality is just as bad.”

“I quite agree, miss.”

Magic first, ask questions later. Mentality. That was the main draw of the way the world worked. Everyone was so obsessed with magic and the power used to combat said magic that no one ever stopped to realize if it was a good solution in the first place. They were so focused on whether or not they could, that they didn’t stop to think about whether or not they should.

Where have I heard that before?

In any case, I spent a bit more time with the mare. She even offered me to stay and have dinner with her, but I declined. I didn’t want things to progress in an uncertain direction. Especially with a mare. No offense to her, of course.

“Have a nice evening!” she shouted with a wave as I left for home.

“Indeed. The same for you,” I responded with a tip of my hat. Now back down the road, I traveled towards my house.

Things were starting to indeed look up. Was it possible that Earth Ponies had their own special magic that could rival the other races? Certainly, but they have been untapped by time. Instead, the Unicorns have been given their own special treatment with an entire school of magic dedicated to teaching arts. The Wonderbolts were there to teach Pegasus ponies to become esteemed fliers and combatants with unrivaled skill. Yet no such thing existed for the Earth Ponies.

Maybe if Cheerilee had time to understand herself better, she could give those foals a better understanding of how special they could be, even without wings or horns. It was a daunting task, but nobody else was interested in doing so. So it fell to me.

And of course, I wondered just who would be next on my list of individuals to communicate my ideas with. It would be risky, yes. But it was the only way to seek out justice for the imprisoned filly. Canterlot was the next most obvious choice. Everypony I’ve spoken to so far has had experience being a commoner of sorts. Even Cadence was born a normal Pegasus. Nobility on the other hand? That was a completely different deck.

“Heh…”

Looked like I already knew the set of cards I would play for this next game to turn out in my favor. Yes indeed, it was time for another move. Tomorrow, I would head out to--

“Excuse me.”

I stopped dead in my tracks and turned around.

“Did you happen to speak to my mother a few weeks ago?”

Subject 7: Diamonds and Lilies

“I...did. You must be Diamond Tiara,” I ventured a guess. The mare was nearly fully grown, and had a light shade of pink with a tiara on her head. Was this Spoiled Rich’s child? That begged the question: Just how old was the mother? I had kept this to myself, but Mrs. Rich looked rather fetching for someone her age. But enough about that. “I did speak to her, yes.”

“...What...did you say exactly? She doesn’t get visitors too often.” she asked out of concern, probably worried over what sort of things her mother had to say about her.

“Oh, we were just discussing the state of affairs in Ponyville, specifically the sort of schooling that’s going on.”

And yet, she didn’t seem satisfied with that answer. Persistent in getting more out of me, the young mare took a step closer, “Listen sir, I need to know every last detail. My mother has the tendency to say things she will eventually regret later in her life. I have to make sure she doesn’t do it again.”

“Well now, when you put it like that…” I had to come clean about everything we discussed. Honestly was the name of my game after all. “We also discussed someone named Cozy Gl--”

“Stop,” she interjected, “that’s...what I was looking for. Listen, Mr…?”

She was looking for my name, “Oh, Pale Vestige. But what made you come all the way out here?”

“In a nutshell, I want you to drop what you’re doing. This...case of yours.”

That was not what I had expected. But I wasn’t a stranger to resistance. “I...beg your pardon, Ms. Tiara? Why do you want me to cease? You were in her horseshoes at once point as well--maybe not on the same scale, but...”

“It’s...not that I disagree. But, well look around you sir. Everypony has their own sort of...what’s the word I’m looking for--stagnance. Everyone is stuck in their own little worlds and living happy as can be, but something like this? The moral complexities of this situation is just not something that the masses are ready for.”

It wasn’t good to discuss this outside, lest somepony hear. I decided to invite her inside my humble abode, “Hang on for a moment, this would be a conversation best held indoors. Would you mind coming in?”

“I don’t.”

I led her inside. My house was admittedly quite the mess. Files of papers all over the place. Some related to my work, some not. A recently purchased teapot--thanks to the influence of Cheerilee--was on my stove with several cups with experimental teabags placed in each one. My dinner table was the only relatively spotless area with one seat dedicated to little items such as my writing supplies and a clock I needed to fix.

Damn I’m a procrastinator.

“...You have an interesting home, sir.”

“HA!” I let out a hearty cackle as I closed the door behind us. There was no way that comment was sincere. Given that she lived in a mansion, I was prepared for all sorts of snide comments. “Don’t be afraid of calling me out. I need to get my things in order, I know. But so much of it is in my way. Anyhow, what were you saying?” I removed my vest and hat to place them on one of the chairs at the dinner table.

I took a seat in that same chair, and she sat opposite of me. “Alright, so essentially, I’d prefer it if you quit what you’re doing. Not everypony is going to agree. And the ones that don’t are gonna come after you...with everything they have.”

“I’ve been knocked down before, missy. When your line of work consists of attempting to defend even the most seemingly wretched individuals, you get used to the scrutiny. Don’t worry about me.”

“There’s more than that,” she blurted out, “I heard rumors that the ponies of Canterlot are starting to form their own group to counter what you’re trying to start.”

Ah, there it was. There was going to be some sort of backlash. I’m just glad it’s happened sooner than later. “...really?”

She nodded, “Mm-hmm. My mom said she heard it from some other fancy-schmancy folk who had visited Ponyville last week. If things keep going the way they are, it’s gonna be trouble. If you’re a friend of my mom’s, then I don’t want you to get hurt. She’d be crushed.”

Shocker. Spoiled Rich concerned about someone other than herself? I thought it was all a front. A ponysona if you will. Turns out those feelings were real. “...I am surprised to hear that. I thought she was--”

“Snobby? Obnoxious? Stubborn?” Diamond listed off multiple adjectives that could’ve been used to describe her mother. “Yeah, when I was little, for sure. Nowadays, she’s better. Takes more time to talk with me and lets me live my life the way I want now instead of the way she wants. But enough about that. I just want you to be aware of your actions, and the possible ramifications for them.”

“Don’t worry. My folks and I are ready to deal with anything that comes our way.”

She got up, and headed towards the door. “Well, I hope so. Like I said, I don’t disagree. I can’t imagine how Cozy Glow must’ve felt. What compelled her to do all of that. Maybe she suffered from a not-so-good mother like I did. I don’t know. But I’d like to…”

Not only was there opposition brewing, but she felt almost empathetic for that filly--well, given how many years have passed, Cozy Glow would actually be a mare now. Hot damn. That was not pleasant to imagine.

“One more thing, Ms. Tiara. Before you go: What’s your take on the world? What do you think of it?”

She was caught off-guard by the question. I could see it in the way her ears flicked. “I beg your pardon? The world? You mean, in general?”

“Yes. I want your stance on the world at large. It could be anything.”

After a moment or two, she sighed. “I guess since you were kind enough to explain what I wanted to hear, I can do that for you. Here goes: I think the whole idea that anypony can do anything is somewhat...annoying.”

“Would you mind elaborating?”

“Everyone talks about how we’re not put into a box when we’re born, but as I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized that’s sorta true. Everypony is born as either a unicorn, pegasus, or earth pony. That in itself is a box. What you’re born as dictates what abilities you’ll be able to learn and how useful you’ll be to those around you. Look at me, for example. I can’t fly or use magic spells because I'm an earth pony. That’s not to say I hate it. Not at all, it’s just...the way everyone talks about the Cutie Marks in particular has...well, I’m starting to see reality now.”

I had scribbled down a few of her key opinions, and looked up once she finished her explanation. “And that reality is?”

“Our Cutie Marks do put us in a box of sorts. Once we get them, there’s nothing we can do about them. They’re on our flanks forever. That’s not to say it’s a bad thing, though. That box has loads of different things we can do inside of it. Once again, take me for example: I figured that my tiara mark signified my superiority over others. But as I made friends and stood up to my mother, I realized it’s about how well I can lead others and keep things organized.”

“Exceptional…” I mumbled, my mouth agape which caused my pencil to drop to the floor. “And you came to this conclusion on your own?’

“Well...with the help of Silver Spoon, but yes. We realized that while we can’t truly be anything. we’re more than just one thing. But at the same time, I hope all the other young foals of today are being taught to be moderate in their passions. Because if you go too far in one direction, you’ll...well, you’ll end up like Cozy.”

Heavy hearted, but I couldn’t help but agree. Certain things weren’t entirely taught correctly, and maybe it was time for a bit of restructuring. In any case, I urged the young mare to stay calm, “Don’t worry. One day, I’m sure we’ll find out just what caused her to tick,” I opened the door for her so she could exit, “until then, you won’t hear a thing from me. The folks in Canterlot won’t cause any problems.”

“I’m glad to hear that. Well, I’m off, then. Oh, and if you need me for anything, come by Diamond’s Tiaras. It’s a jewelry store near the town square. We sell watches too.”

Cute pun, but I had no need for all of--wait, did she say watches? “I’ll consider it. Have a good evening.” Once she left, I closed the door and instantly bolted to the back of my house to my bedroom to dig for something from under my bed. “Where is it, where is it?” After some snooping, I grasped it with my teeth. A communication device meant to cover long distances through radio transmission.

Kids these days called them walkie-talkies, but that was pretty infantile for my tastes.

I turned it on with a press of a button, and spoke into it, “Alright, Corkscrew? You there, over?”

It would be a moment before I got a response. The young stallion’s familiar yawn hit my eardrums, “Ahhh...yeah, what’s going on, boss? We’re done for today aren’t we?”

“Of course. But listen, I need you to get me a ticket to Canterlot via train for tomorrow.”

“Why can’t you like...do it yourself, boss?”

“Because, CC. I’m going to be busy gathering up several items I need for my next investigative report tomorrow. The last thing I need is to forget to buy a train ticket. You know how I get with small details!”

I huffed. I lost a bit of my temper there due to anxiety. Corkscrew made a note of this, and started to laugh at my misfortune. “Ha-ha! Sure, boss. Just don’t do anything crazy. Quick Draw will tear you a new one if you do something crazy.”

I could feel my eyes rolling, “Just get it done. I have to prepare.”

“Whaddya goin’ to Canterlot for anyways?”

“An investigation, Cork! Didn’t I mention that?!”

“Yeah, but well--who are you investigating?”

“That’s...I’ll find out once I get there. Now just get it finished!”

“But I--”

I turned off the radio-based communication device and tossed it across the room. Next, I would start packing a suitcase full of essential items. A video camera, a tape recorder, extra notepads, extra pens, and another hat just in case.

“This...will work.”

The next morning, I met Corkscrew at the train station, without my usual vest and hat combination. The young pegasus waited patiently for me--bless his holy wings. “Yo, boss. I got it, right here.”

“Thanks, dear friend,” we did that newfangled sign of respect called a hoof-bump, and I took the ticket, “alright. To give a better explanation, I’m off to see what I can sniff out in Canterlot. Seems like I may encounter some hostile individuals there who don’t share the same opinion regarding this case.”

“Boss...is that a good idea?” He seemed to doubt me. I didn’t blame him for it. “Isn’t everyone kinda off-put by whether or not Cozy Glow should be set free?”

I put my hoof around his neck. “That’s the power of perspectives, dear son. Of course I’m not going to let them realize who I am. I’m going undercover as a spry reporter for the Canterlot newspaper,” I let him go, and stepped onto the loading platform to listen for the train’s arrival, “then, once I get a better understanding of their concerns, I’ll be able to move forward and address them with you both.”

“Alrighty, boss. I’m keeping the walkie-talkies on-hoof just in case you need us.”

“Thanks, old friend. I can count on you for anything.” Did he really prefer the street name of the device? Seriously? No matter. His efforts were appreciated all the same. The train arrived not long after, and I trotted on with my luggage. We waved at each other as it left the station.

This train ride was much more relaxing compared to the one to the Empire. Most of the ponies on board for Canterlot were civilized. Relaxed. Seemed simple enough. I would wait quietly, putting on the guise of an excited young stallion who had never been there before, overly enthused at the idea of meeting ponies who were far more wealthy and prestigious than I.

Now I realized how the average reporter felt.

After a long, bumpy ride up the side of its mountain, the train arrived in Canterlot. I exited carefully to avoid any accidental contact with these high-class ponies who were returning to their homes. So this is the home of the Alicorn princesses? Impressive. Building after building. The city was like a time capsule of sorts that preserved the essence of the old medieval age. Quite the sheer amount of white as well. The paths, while still grassy like Ponyville, were better trimmed and felt like velvet against the hooves to walk upon.

No wonder they loved it so much here. It was like a city for retirees.

My first objective was to find someone worth talking to. Or interviewing, rather. That’s when I noticed a large group of high-class ponies start to gather near the square. Was something going on? I just had to find out. So I did my best to peek over the crowd, but despite my efforts, I got nowhere.

Maybe someone could fill me in on just what was happening. I approached a gray unicorn stallion for answers, “Excuse me sir, would you mind explaining what’s going on?”

“Don’t you know? Fleur-de-Lis is about to make her first appearance of the month!”

Had to sell the act. I was a reporter who was on his first assignment. “Appearance? I mean, of course I know who she is. I just thought she fell out of style, years ago.”

“Nope, her beauty is eternal. You’d better get your camera ready for some good shots. She won’t be around for long. And I don’t think she’ll be taking questions.”

I took a look at the camera around my neck. I had no idea who this Fleur was. But it would be an interesting experience. Yes, it did seem rather superficial. But getting the opinion of a famous model would help paint a picture of what most were led to believe in this city.

“There she is!” A mare with a distinctive blue and white, toothpaste-like mane shouted.

I put a hoof over my eyelids. Camera flashes went off like violent strobe lights from all directions. My eyes were blinded just as much as my ears with the constant yelling.

“Fleur-de-Lis! Over here!”

“Madam Fleur! This way!”

“FDL! FDL! FDL!”

At last, I would lay eyes on just who they were shouting about. A rather thin, beautiful mare with a coat whiter than milk and a mane more sleek than silk strutted down the road to adoration of her numerous fans. I say ‘beautiful’ with massive air-quotes, though. Such a malnourished-looking, stick-like figure didn’t appeal to me. But to each pony their own. She was invaluable to my research, however. She likely knew the way this city operated better than its founders. Having her thoughts were one thing, but her knowledge was a stallion of a different color.

The mare simply walked along the path. Every once in a while, she would acknowledge a fan or two with a wave of her hoof, but kept silent the whole way through.

I decided to follow. Having stayed on this side of the path, it allowed me to watch her from afar. Gained a few tactical photos as well. Things looked like they were going my way until I smacked face-first into the side of a building.

“HAW--” I made an...odd noise of sorts when I slammed into it. Felt like a brick wall. Or a massive rock. Neither. As I rubbed my head, I looked up to see the massive penthouse building. This had to be where the model mare stayed. Newly erected for sure, having taken inspiration from Manehattan’s suites, but still had Canterlot’s medieval flair on the outside. Perfection. Turned out I was right on target.

When the model mare entered the building, I heard something along the lines of only allowing a certain amount of interviews today. Or maybe she said she was inviting everpony? I don’t know. My head still spun from that fall I took just moments ago. I shook my head and magically regained consciousness.

“Yoo-hoo, over here!”

I heard the mare call out to me. I looked around, and pointed a hoof at myself. “Me?”

“Of course, silly. Don’t you want to ask me some questions?” she said with a flip of her mane.

How trivial. I wasn’t at all impressed by the flimsy aesthetics of simple grooming. But of course, my own thoughts were irrelevant. I was a rookie looking for an opportunity to speak with the legendary Fleur. This was it. Even if it was likely out of pity for my small injury.

“Oh, yes ma’am!” I said with rather convincing enthusiasm while I ran up to her, “I have loads of different questions to ask.”

“Patience. You’ll get your turn once I’m done with the others. 25th floor, dear,” she winked at me and turned around. With a flick of her tail, the few other reporters she had allowed to come in with her rode the first elevator up. As they left, I noticed they were all unicorns. Hm.

In any case, I would take the next elevator of the penthouse. It was rather quiet here. I liked it that way. Fancy red carpeting followed by gold trim on the walls with lots of exotic plants around every corner. Not bad. I wish I had time to take a good look at them.

DING!

The elevator opened. Out came a pair of high-class unicorns who turned their nose up at the sight of me. Not very sporting, but I knew just how these types were. Judgy was far too light of a term to describe it.

I went in, and pressed the button for the floor that Fleur was on. 25? Pretty high, but it wasn’t exactly ridiculous. This place was new after all, so it couldn’t take that long, right?

Wrong.

Five whole minutes. Doesn’t sound that long on paper, but wow. You really get a sense of time when you’re standing idle in one spot with nothing to do but stare at lavish gold doors. I took a moment to review my notes, and with another DING!, the doors opened.

I exited. I took a look to the left and found a ‘Do Not Disturb’ sign on a door at the end of the hall. This had to be where Fleur stayed. I rushed over, and raised my hoof to knock, but I held back. I chose to show restraint, and wait as she said.

Another 20 minutes passed before a unicorn stallion left the room to head back to the elevators. Finally. I wasn’t sure what could keep him so long. Unless...no. I wasn’t going to think about that.

“Have a nice day!” She waved to the stallion that departed with an excited giggle, then she laid eyes on me. “Oh, you’re next,” Fleur looked at me with a rather unimpressed expression, “come on in, sir.”

“Thank you, madam,” her room was...new to say the least. Posters of herself all over, a massive vanity with dozens of different types of makeup to try, a silk bed that looked like it cost more than my house. What didn’t she have? “Wow...I’ve never seen this kind of stuff before!”

“I’m sure you haven’t,” she responded with a snappy pace, “So where do you want to begin?” She sat in her vanity chair and looked at me with patient eyes.

“Well, uh, what’s your opinion on the state of Canterlot and its relationship with the other cities? Do you have fans all over?”

“Mm, mostly in Canterlot, but I do have some fans in other places. It’s nice knowing how much everypony adores me.”

I started writing. As nonsense it may have sounded, this stuff could very well aid me in the future. “Even if it’s just for your looks?”

“Tch. It’s a matter of substance, dear boy,” she scoffed and turned around to face her mirror. “Unicorns have to exemplify grace and poise. We are the ones who founded the most illustrious city in Equestria after all.”

Hang on, unicorns in particular? Was there some sort of bias in this mare’s horn that I wasn’t aware of? Time to press the subject. “Oh, really? It’s kinda strange that you’d mention unicorns specifically. Any reason why?”

She ceased her application of painted chemicals to her muzzle, and got up. She took a few steps towards me, and stared me down with a cold set of eyes. “Promise you’ll keep this bit anonymous?”

“Absolutely, Ms. Fleur!” I took a step back. I always hated the way ponies would occasionally forget their sense of personal space.

“Good,” her expression softened, “anyhow. I believe that unicorns represent the highest beauty standards. The horns, the magic. It’s something that the other members of ponykind simply won’t get, dear.”

Now I was confused. Just how and why did she think that Earth ponies and pegasus ponies weren’t as beautiful? “Would you mind explaining in more detail?”

“Think about it. How many beauty magazines do you see for earth ponies and pegasi dear, hm?”

I actually did think about it for a moment. “Not much, I suppose. Compared to the unicorns anyway.”

“There you go. Now you understand. And just to be clear, I have nothing against the other races, dear. But they just simply don’t have the same...poise as we unicorns do. The pegasi control the weather, yes. But all that flying messes up your mane and uch! I don’t want to think about it.”

My thoughts dreaded her opinion on my own kind. Just how would she speak of earth ponies in the presence of one? “And the earth ponies?”

No hesitation. “They’re glorified farmers, dear. Always getting their hooves dirty with the jobs I would never dream of doing. But they’re far from graceful. Always covered in mud and dirty. Completely uncivilized.”

While I would’ve felt insulted, I respected her willingness to be honest right to my face. “Huh. Well if that’s how you--”

“I’m not finished.” But she didn’t stop there. She started to pace her room with several items caught in her pale pink magical aura through levitation. Now brushing her mane, tail, and doing her eyelash all at once. Organized. Not bad. “Without any sort of active magic, they can’t even perform basic tasks needed for maximum beauty.”

“Oh?”

“Well? Look at me.” She struck a pose while the levitated items continued to groom her, “I can take care of myself in dozens of ways without even trying. An earth pony simply can’t do that without magic. It’s unfortunate, but it’s how life is.”

Fascinating. Not in a good way. There were better things for everyone to worry about aside from their appearance. Still, I kept my personal thoughts out of the interview. The last thing I wanted to do was fly off the proverbial handle again. Not this time. “I see...so you think that earth ponies don’t matter as much as unicorns?”

By now, she had turned away from me. Her back facing towards me as I kept writing. “Now, now, I didn’t say that. Everypony’s lives are equal. But there are just...certain things that some ponies are born to do better than others. On average anyways. Tis also why the School for Gifted Unicorns exists. We simply have a better range of abilities to make use of to defend Equestria.”

Another detail I overlooked. How those in Canterlot thought of that school. “Oh?”

She stretched her legs and applied shiny horseshoes to each hoof, “Precisely. Teleportation, fire magic, explosion magic, transmutation spells. Earth ponies unfortunately can’t do what we have the potential to accomplish. For the safety of Equestria, we’re simply more valuable as--”

“SHATTER APART!”

Just then, we heard a wild screaming from outside. Both of us rushed to the nearby window to find something completely unexpected.

A blue stallion rode a spiral of ice into the sky around a massive Timberwolf. It was just far away enough in the forest at the bottom of the mountain to where it wasn’t a threat to Canterlot. But also just close enough to where we could spectate. The Timberwolf had been frozen solid and once the stallion reached the top of the wooden beast, and punched the top of its head. With a single strike of his hoof, the beast turned to nothing but frozen ash.

But the real kicker? He was an earth pony. No horn to cast the magic from what we could see.

“Well now...that was unexpected, wasn’t it?” I almost laughed.

Fleur-de-Lis simply shut her window in annoyance. “I said on average did I not? Not a true 100% generalization.”

I rolled my eyes and made a mental note of getting in touch with that earth pony cryomancer. He was an exceptionally rare case that I had to suss out later. But alas, now I would arrive at my big question.

Fleur went to her closet and started to try on different outfits. “Is there anything else? I have a lot of ponies to see, so if you could kindly hurry it up…”

“Alright, for my final question: What’s your opinion on the banishment of Cozy Glow?”

“She deserved it.”

I rubbed my hoof across my chin, “I see...and why is that?”

“She completely humiliated Chancellor Neighsay and defied his direction. Anypony who makes a fool out of him deserves imprisonment regardless of their age. That’s why she was put in Tartarus.”

Wait...Tartarus? I knew about the stone part, but that detail had not yet been revealed to me. How could I have missed it?! No. Now wasn’t the time to lose it. I had a ponysona to maintain. “But it’s been years since she was put away. Don’t you think she deserves a second chance?”

“No,” she replied with an even more annoyed tone. Guess she wasn’t into questions that had nothing to do with her. “Alright...you have five minutes left. Anything else you want to ask? Anything...related to me?”

She sashayed towards me, but I shook my head. I had exactly what I came here for. “Nope. Have a good day, madam. You look great!” And I hightailed it out of that room. On my way to the elevator, I noticed a line of unicorns outside of her door ready to interview her. Mostly stallions. Odd. But not my concern.

I left that stuffy penthouse and ran back to my suitcase that I had left in an alley behind Restaurant Row. Even these back streets were well kept with nicely cut grass and even some flowers blooming among them. Crazy how hard they worked to maintain their image here. Something neither Ponyville nor the Empire focused on.

In any case, I donned my standard vest and hat yet again. Now that I had a better idea where to go, my next target was the Chancellor of the Equestrian Education Administration. As he apparently had the closest contact to the filly before her banishment all those years ago.

“Heh.”

This’ll certainly be a lesson to remember.

Subject 8: Authority and Hermit

Whew. Back to the old grind. Now the true test begins. The Chancellor was the key to all of this. Up until now, the detail regarding Cozy Glow’s first offense that caused her a sentence to Tartarus completely evaded me. No one had told me that, nor did any of the records in Ponyville explain such a thing. Why? Well I was about to find out.

The exact location of the Equestrian Education Association wasn’t really known to anypony either. Respectable, but suspicious. Why go to such great lengths to hide something that everyone probably openly knows about?

My wheel was spinning again. Alright. The plan was simple. I would need to head to the School for Gifted Unicorns. They were probably located somewhere around there, right? So that’s where I went.

I trotted up the steps and entered the magical academy. It was late in the afternoon, so most of the students were likely off on a lunch break. Which meant the teachers were probably on a break.

Stellar.

I approached the front desk where a secretary stallion was busy filing some papers. “Howdy my good man. I wish to know if Chancellor Neighsay is available.”

“Sorry, he’s on break, and doesn’t wish to be disturbed.”

“This is in regards to Cozy Glow. If he’s available, I think he needs to hear what I have to say.”

That certainly got his attention. Nervous as can be with a sweat drop down the side of his face, he rose from his seat, “I’ll...see what I can do,” and took off.

Just my luck. Seemed like he was here today. Maybe I would get lucky and find out more of the EEA’s juicy secrets regarding their...secrecy. Didn’t sound very epic when spelled out like that, though. Hm.

“Alright, uh...he’ll see you now. But a word of advice...try not to set him off. He’s very tense as of late due to his ahem--age.”

Heh. I’ve seen and dealt with worse. I pat the secretary on the back as I went through the door, “Relax, I’m a professional.” And I was now in the hallway, heading towards the end of it for the office. I could easily see where the inspiration for the School of Friendship came from. Although, the Unicorns school was more rustic in its style with more drab colors in the gray carpeting and cream walls. I appreciated a taste for the older times.

I noticed an office marked for Twilight Sparkle. But obviously, she wasn’t here. I’d be able to sense her enormous...magical presence by now. So I trotted past it until I found the Administrator office. “Aha,” I pushed it open, and found myself in a rather dimly lit room. The windows were shut, and all that provided light was a single candle on a desk.

At that desk was the Unicorn in question that I was looking for. “Are you going to stand there all day? Or are you going to enter?”

“My apologies,” I stepped inside and took a seat across from him at the desk.

“So...you’re here in reference to Cozy Glow, are you?” His nose was buried deep in a book. Every moment or so, his eye would come back to me for a side glance. It was like he expected me to do something, anything wrong. Why the suspicion?

“That’s right. Moreover, I want to ask another question: what was she sent to Tartarus for and why?”

His book shut with the heavy force of his magic. The sound caused an echo across the room. This topic wasn’t something he was fond of discussing. But that wouldn’t deter me. “Cozy Glow was sentenced to imprisonment in Tartarus for the heinous act of stealing and absorbing the magic of Princesses Celestia and Luna.”

Sounded simple enough, but there had to be more. So I pressed on, “Oh, really? Any idea what happened once she got there?”

He leaned forward and put both of his hooves together, “It was later found that Cozy Glow had allied herself with Tirek, Queen Chrysalis and Grogar. Soon after, it was revealed that Grogar was Discord and thus, was not tried.”

Discord? The god of chaos himself was involved?! Just what is going on here?! I was about to lose it. I had to mentally relax. Calm. Okay. First thing’s first. “So...you sent her to Tartarus without questioning her parents?”

“There were no records of her having any relatives at all. She simply showed up one day to the School of Friendship, and was accepted.”

Absolute pony dung. There was no way someone’s parents are that hard to find. Not unless they were killed beforehoof. “I see...so instead of stripping her of her power and attempting to reform her, she was cast to the absolute depths of the underworld?”

“Fool. She expressed no desire to recuperate her losses, nor display any remorse for her actions. The entire Association agreed that she deserved the maximum punishment for someone of her age. A threat that great to Equestria has no right to exist!” The headstallion glared at me, his eyebrows were like heated daggers that threatened to leap from his forehead and skewer me, “Are you questioning the actions of our princesses? Something like that would paint you as an enemy of society. Tell me, what is your name?”

“Sapphire Shores.”

“Hmph,” his response was a half hearted growl mixed with a chuckle, “You had best not toy with me, young man. Should you stick your nose in where it does not belong, your life could be forfeit.”

This gentleman was irritating me. Best to stack things in my favor before I get too deep. “Pale Vestige.”

“Ah yes...now I remember you. You were that vagabond from the streets of Manehattan. Tell me, how do you think the public would react to know their current Detective nearly killed a bunch of innocent elderly ponies in his youth?” He said with a smug, snake-like expression.

Wow. They really knew everything. They wouldn’t be the EEA if they didn’t, I suppose. But Cadence-damn it all. I felt my blood boil just listening to this guy. “Just how much do you know?”

He gave a proper chuckle this time, and used his magic to procure a file from underneath his desk, “The EEA knows everything about every foal enrolled into the education system. No matter where in the world you are. You routinely got into delinquent activities such as property damage, bloody battles, and nearly harming the defenseless elderly. Such a swine you were. And before you ask, the School District Manager of Manehattan reports every incident to me. I don’t recall every detail, but I have not forgotten you. What would your father think?”

“...” It was all laid out by now. So they really did know everything. If that was truly the case, then there truly was no record of Cozy Glow’s parents. My trail was officially cold. I had no hooves to stand on here. “...is that so?”

“Word of advice, child. Don’t try to outsmart the smartest pony in a village. It leads you in circles,” he reopened his book, “and beyond that, if you continue questioning the natural order of the way our ruler has done things, I’ll have no choice but to detain you. Perhaps banish you Tartarus myself, hmhmhm.”

I grimaced. My teeth ground into each other like nails on a chalkboard. The threats made against me in particular were of no power. But the arrogance. The arrogance on this stallion was a foul stench of controlled chaos that knew no bounds. And yet, I had no case. However, there was still one final question up my proverbial sleeve.

“So you’re okay with this? You’re fine with letting Discord roam free after manipulating a filly in Tartarus? A place that she probably shouldn’t have been in in the first place? You’re fine with knowing that there could have been something done to prevent this? And doing nothing about it?”

His book lowered just enough to expose his turquoise eyes, “Child. I know you may often witness ponies randomly break into song and dance to wistfully cast away their problems. But that’s not how it goes all of the time. Only a fool would be delusional enough to think it would be so easy.”

My head hung in defeat. There was nothing left to say. But yet, I felt that there was still hope to be had in my case. “That young ruffian is long gone, sir. You’d do well to acknowledge that,” I got up and turned to leave. Just before I stepped out of the office, the Chancellor would speak one last time.

“Take care and watch your back, Blood Viper. Nopony else is going to watch it for you.”

That was a name I had hoped to never hear again so long as I drew breath. Was that a threat? A declaration of war? Just what was this old stallion planning? I shut the door and ran out of the school, much to the confusion of students returning to class as well as the secretary stallion.

All the sudden, I felt my hooves dragged beneath me by force. “Wh--?!” I was pulled into the bushes by a magic aura that kept itself hidden the entire time. And it seemed that I too, was caught in this suppressive aura. An unfamiliar dull pink one.

“Shh.”

I couldn’t see who had captured me, but I remained quiet. If this was to be where I laid down to rest permanently, it would be too soon. Fortunately, it seems that my captor removed all suspicion of her presence.

“Good. I caught you at the perfect time.”

In a flash, we were both teleported. To a house. One that was far messier than my own. Books all over the place, a mess of quills and ink in one corner near the front door, and a disorganized shelf full of rare items.

“Don’t get used to this,” it was a mare. That was for certain. Her magical aura dropped me like a sack of potatoes. “I’m only doing this to ensure a good result on my research. Don’t get the wrong idea.”

“Ow.” A minor sting upon landing, but I would be fine. I rose to my hooves to see a dull yellow unicorn with a messy mane and tail that had red and two shades of purple. She also wore a pair of glasses that were held together by tape. “I...thank you? But why did you--?”

“Moondancer,” she stated rather abruptly. That must’ve been her name, “And I already know who you are, Vest. Your name’s been churning around the rumor mill lately.”

Rumors? In Canterlot? Typical.

She was at a blackboard and used her magic to write something with chalk as she spoke. “Neighsay thinks what he’s doing is for the good of Equestria. Been that way for the last few years. With the entire EEA on his side, he acts like he has nothing to fear. The geezer.”

I knew it. He likely hid behind the protection of those stronger than he was while he remained in power. Reminded me of those black and white Manehattan gangster movies. “I see, so--”

“Shh,” she interrupted me, “so you...you want to try and find out whether or not you can bring back Cozy Glow, huh?”

“That’s right.”

“You’re an idiot.”

I gave a proud grin, “Thank you--whaaaa?” and my jaw hung out. I didn’t expect that response, that was for certain. “How come?”

“Because, no sane pony is gonna support such a ridiculous idea. If I were you, I’d have given up a long time ago.”

“I see…” She was an odd one for sure. Didn’t like to make eye contact, nor speak more than necessary. I almost liked it. “How come?”

After she finished writing whatever it was on her chalkboard, she lazily flopped down on her living room couch, “I’d have given up because that’s an uphill battle I couldn’t be bothered dealing with. But you? I dunno if you’re brave or just plain foolish for it. But hey, it’ll be cool to see if your name goes down in history or in Tartarus flames, I guess.”

“Listen, there’s a whole lot of things wrong with Equestria that many a pony don’t realize,” I pleaded, and took a seat on the floor. I felt like I would destroy hundreds of hours of work if I took one wrong step.

Moondancer was keen on simply levitating popcorn into her mouth as she read through a book. Both held aloft with her magic. “Uh-huh.”

“If I can somehow just...tap into what’s caused this, I can maybe expose a fatal flaw in the justice system of the world! Don’t you think something like that is worth looking into?”

She stopped. “Tap, huh? Alright...I’ll help you on one condition,” she sat up, and put the book down. Her facial expressions had been rather unamused for the last few moments. But now? Now she had a deranged, twisted grin on her face while looking at me. Like I was food for a hungry griffon.

“A condition…?” I dreaded the thought. “What sort of condition are we talking about?”

“Just a bit of poking and prodding...so I can run some tests on you. Then and only then will I consider helping your sorry flank.”

I was out of options. This mare was my only ticket to escaping this high class city without suspicion. “...fine. How do we begin?”

“Take off that case and that vest for one thing, then follow me.”

That sounded way odder than it needed to be. But I removed my uniform and slipped into the case before I followed her into a deep, dark area of her home. “...You do lots of experiments, huh?”

“You could say that. I’m busy working day after day. When your best friend becomes the Princess of the world, you start to slump back into old habits,” she pushed a door open and it led to a small, round room with many devices, notes on whiteboards, and scattered papers. “Now look. I can sense strange magic within you. In your case, it’s Earth Magic.”

Magic? Me? Despite being an Earth Pony, there was indeed hidden potential we had. I knew it. But hopefully this little experiment didn’t take too long. I had to prioritize Cozy Glow after all. “I see...will this take much time?”

My face turned to a look of subdued horror when I witnessed Moondancer grab a set of what looked like electrical clamps! One red, one black. I could feel my pupils shrink into the back of my head. Maybe it wasn’t too late to try my hoof at running away.

“Oh, don’t look at me like that,” she scoffed and levitated them towards me, “this won’t hurt. Just a minor tickle at most.”

The researcher in me couldn’t resist the idea of finding hidden potential. So I went along with it. “Okay. Go ahead,” I flinched when I heard each clamp grasp my mane and tail. The red for the former, and the black for the latter This felt so foolish. All this time, I didn’t think to see what she had them connected to! My eyes traveled along the wires until they stopped at a device that looked like an analyzer of sorts. It had the appearance of an old printer with a layer of dust, which indicated it hadn’t been used in a while. “Um, what is--”

“Shh. Don’t talk. Just focus on your magic,” she went over to the device. It would appear that she was expecting some results rather quickly. Maybe this wouldn’t be so--

“GEH!” I felt some sort of controlled stimulant enter my body. It didn’t hurt much. Rather, just a minor tickle like she said.

After a moment or so, she had a printout ready for her from the device. The paper had details of just what I had been capable of, and so the clamps were removed from my body with her magic. “Uh-huh. I see…”

I wiped a bit of sweat from my forehead and leaned over her shoulder, “So...what did you find?”

“In a nutshell, your Earth Pony abilities aren’t geared towards plants like someone like Applejack. But rather, towards sensory magic. According to the notes, it says you’re able to sense magic from within the Earth itself and that allows you to not only sense magical buildup, but predict when it’s going to be expelled, and avoid it. This ability even works through walls and can potentially go for miles if you focus hard enough. Fascinating. Unicorns and Pegasi can sense magic as well, but not to this extent.”

Surprising. I always knew I had some sort of skill as a tracker. It was how I landed this job, after all. But as she herself said--not to this extent. I wanted to know more, but now wasn’t the time. “Okay, good. So do you think you can help me now?”

Her muzzle contorted away from a stoic frown to more of a disappointed one. “I was hoping you’d be willing to offer me some samples of your DNA so I could study it more. But a promise is a promise.”

Before I could get another word in, she teleported us both in a flash.

We were now in a remote location. Sprawling open fields with lots of trees all around. We couldn’t be that far from Canterlot, actually. “What are we…” I turned my head left, then right. And finally, I gazed upon something extraordinary with a gasp, “What?!”

The statue itself. Of Cozy Glow with a shocked expression while Chrysalis defiantly reached out and Tirek slumped over the bug Queen in defeat.

“But how...who?”

“Shush,” Moondancer stood in front of me, “If your magic is as strong as I think it is, then you should be able to tap into the petrification spell.”

I shook my head. Her explanation fell on deaf ears. “Wait…’tap into’ the spell? I can’t do anything about that.”

“No. You can’t undo it, nor can you activate it. However, you have a stronger connection to their auras than I. Can you feel them from where you stand?”

I closed my eyes. Yes I could. Their auras were still active and...wait a second. “I can, but...are they still alive? And fully cognitive?!”

“Yes, unfortunately. They can see us, but they can’t hear us. Only their own thoughts and each other. Think of it as an advanced form of solitary confinement or something,” she explained in a rather disgusted tone. It was hard to tell if she was annoyed with the spell, me specifically, or everything in general. Some ponies are just hard to read. “Anyway, if you want to hear Cozy Glow’s thoughts, try using your magic and feeling her aura. Focus on it like it’s the only thing left in the universe.

I nodded, and kept my eyes shut. My hooves firmly planted into the ground, I could sense a rather somber aura of magic. Regretful even. Being stuck in place for so long with nothing to look at but the endless horizon was a level of torture I simply could not fathom.

I vaguely felt the auras of the two tyrants beside her, but I did my best to push those away. My brain was entirely focused on homing in on Cozy Glow’s magic through the ground. Despite my eyes being shut, I could begin to see something. A faded image of the filly, sitting alone in an empty abyss of nothingness.

The harder I focused, the clearer her image became. Was this an illusion? A part of the spell placed on them? I wasn’t entirely sure, but pressed onward.

Then I heard her voice.

“Who...? Go away…”

“...!”

“If...there, don’t...me. No matter...you won’t...trust me. What am I saying...I’m going crazy...nopony there. Forever. With...that. But....too late for me…”

“AGH!” I had gotten a headache from the amount of time I had focused into the spell’s aura. It was powerful alicorn magic, and nearly sent me for a tumble onto the ground. “Whew...hah...how long...did I last?”

Moondancer had been watching me the whole time with a stopwatch, clipboard, and pencil all being levitated. “Five minutes. That was actually pretty long. Longer than I expected from someone like you. Maybe if we worked your muscles a bit more, we could get you to last longer before you’d have to pull out.”

I nodded again, too tired to give a proper response.

“Don’t worry, bud. Your stamina should return pretty quickly. Earth ponies have faster recovery times after vigorous activity than we do.”

Also correct. I started to slowly feel my breath--and my sanity--return to me. I pieced together what I could regarding the filly’s thoughts. “Ah, that’s good. Well, once I focused, I was able to see and hear her for a bit. She seems like she’s regretful but knows she can’t be trusted so easily.”

“Yup, that sounds like an accurate thought process to have after being restrained for so long. Whatcha gonna do about that?”

“Well...I still have to rally support for her case. Now that I know her perspective a little, I think I have an idea of what I should do next. What do you think?”

She raised her eyebrow and looked back at her notes, “I still think you’re out of your mind for trying since she’s a complete nutcase and doesn’t deserve to be brought back. I mean, Discord is still quite the ass if you ask me, so I don’t think she’d be any different.”

“So you think she should stay put?”

“Yup, no hope for her.”

I nodded, “I respect that. Even so, I’ll do my best to prove she does have hope.”

“Great. Mind giving me some of your DNA?”

This mare was really fixated, wasn’t she? Oh well, it couldn’t hurt, could it?

It wasn’t that painful, but there was a decent amount of being poked and stimulated that I did not want to go into detail about.

I took the train back to Ponyville. Between the stressful talk with the Chancellor, magical experimentation, and the focus I had to apply on Cozy’s statue? I was ready to drop to the dirt and never rise. By the time I got off the train, I was ready to simply drop.

“Agh...ow....for Cadence’s sake, my flank feels like it’s gonna explode!” I took a rest at a spot near a river and some scattered trees next to a hill. My stamina would return soon, but I couldn’t bear the thought of what I had just experienced. I needed time to recover.

That’s when I heard a rather strange sound. One that sounded like traditional braying. The language of our ancestors. Was I really about to travel to the afterlife? Not here! Not now!

“Ohmmm...neee-eee-eee…”

No, it was someone else. I was alive, thankfully. I inched my way over and found a secluded area concealed by bushes. A green mare, Earth Pony, was doing some sort of...meditation? I had no clue.

“Yoooo, man,” she addressed me with her eyes closed. Guess she had similar sensory abilities to me? “Your vibes are all over the place. Come and like, chill with me, bro.”

I was in no position to refuse. I needed a moment to loosen up and...think about certain things. So I joined her in those bushes. “...thank you?”

“Peace, man. Just relax and let it aallll out…”

Subject 9: Troubled Investigator and Chillaxed Mare

I sat with the green mare as she made more of her strange meditation noises. They were odd, but I found comfort in them. The wind that blew against the trees made it that much more relaxing. Huh. Come to think of it, when was the last time I had taken a proper break away from everything and just...went somewhere? Yikes. Now I realized just what Quick Draw had told me time and time again.

“Ouch…maybe I do spend a lot of time at the office…”

Out of the corner of my eyes, I saw the green mare perform an odd pose. I turned my head completely. She was doing an inverse tree pose. That is, a pose like a normal tree based on yoga, except she was upside down, standing on her forelegs. “Wow...how do you manage that?”

“You just have to...let go, man. Your struggles are holdin’ ya back. Sometimes it’s best to feeeeeeel…”

Feel. At the moment I felt lots of different things. Pain, confusion, my heart ready to jump out of its chest. Blech. Maybe she had a point. I did need to stop. Think about things. Though I wasn’t sure how great of a conversation partner she’d be.

“Maybe. I’ve just been under so much stress lately what I--woaaahwhatareyoudoing?” I saw the mare make another strange pose. She was bent upside down and crawling like a crab...or a spider. A crab-spider? Anyway, it was just weird.

“My usual stretches,” she answered as mellow as ever. Not the slightest bit bothered by my horrified expression, “it helps get your blood flowin’. Like a river on a calm day…”

I was...interested in just how she managed to pull that off. “How did you…?”

She sat upright, eyes only halfway open. Was she sleepy? “Talk to me. You seem like you need a meditation partner, bro,” she pat the spot on the grass next to her. “If you want, I got snacks.”

No, she seemed fully aware. Just...easygoing. My ears flicked the moment I heard her mention snacks. I hadn’t eaten in...damn how many hours at this point? I was starving. I could eat a--not going there.

“Yeah man, just talk to me. Vent out your bad vibes and let the good ones flow riiight on in,” she nudged a picnic basket towards me. An invitation to peek inside.

I did just that and found...brownies? Interesting. Wasn’t often I met a fellow sweet tooth. “Oh wow, did you make these yourself?”

“Yeah dude, I even put hay in ‘em,” she explained as she leaned back to expose herself to more of the sunlight that appeared through the trees in scattered amounts. “So what’s your deal?”

I had already eaten two by the time she asked me that question. I was a bit embarrassed to say the least, crumbs across my muzzle. How rude. “Um, well. Lots of things,” I wiped my face, “but I wouldn’t want to bore you. You may not be able to comprehend all of it.”

Yet again, she wasn’t bothered nor insulted by my words. Instead she continued to lean back into the sun’s warm rays. “Maybe, maybe not, my man. I won’t know until you tell me, will I?”

True enough. What did I have to lose? Oh well. “Alright. In essence...I’m at a loss. I’m trying to help everyone break free of the shackles that come with social ostracizing of those who share different opinions from each other. And potentially expose ways that earth pony magic could easily rival pegasus and unicorn magic. Among other things…”

“Well that sounds rad, bro. What could be the problem, then?” she asked, eyes still half shut and calm as ever. “Oh and don’t worry. Eat as many of those deals as you want, man. I’ve got plenty more at home.”

I paused and rubbed the back of my head. By now, I had eaten four of those gooey brown cakes. They were delicious. “It’s...not easy. The problem I’m running into has to do with the fact that my enemy knows everything about my past. Something I’ve made the effort of pushing away with all the strength I can muster.”

“Well you can’t run from your own shadow, dude,” she gave me a response that was ever so slightly more serious than before, but it was still hard to tell, “we gotta like, face ourselves at one point. Ya know?”

“Face myself, huh…I’ll face myself...” I nibbled on another brownie. That wasn’t something I had considered until now. I was about to ask her what she meant by that, except...she did just that with no required input from me.

“To be more specific, you gotta come to terms with who you were before, and accept that it was a part of you. Only then can you like, make your way forward in life.”

I swallowed, my eyes fixated upon her with confusion.

“What’s the matter? Do I got something on my face, bro?”

“No, it’s...I didn’t expect you to answer my question before I asked it.”

She gave a hearty laugh, “Hahaaaa, well I guess you could say that’s my special thing, bro. Earth junk and whatnot.”

Oh yes. She also recalled my other little issue regarding us Earth Ponies. “Oh? You have a special ability too?”

“Something like that. I can feel the vibes of all the living things around me,” she pointed up at the trees, “those leaves are happy for the fresh sunlight,” next she would point at birds, “the birds are happy for their new home,” and finally, myself, “and you’re concerned over what ponies will think once you expose controversial junk. Am I right, bro?”

Hot damn. What a lady. She could instantly react to how I felt and put it into words before I could. “That is...exactly correct. You have more skill than you let on, Ms…?”

“Tree Hugger,” she answered and waved her hoof in a dismissive manner, “Pshaw. You’ll make me blush. I just like to feel the vibes of the ponies and other creatures around me. You could say it’s a power, but it’s not for like, fighting or anything. I’m strictly against violence.”

I see. So her ability essentially allowed her to see the feelings of living beings through the earth. A bit different than my target finder ability, but still very similar. “Well now, that’s rather interesting. Do you think that we earth ponies could unlock more potential powers?”

“For sure, man. You just gotta look into yourself and feel the vibes of everything around you. But before you do that, you gotta understand yourself,” she tapped her hoof against my upper chest, “Once you understand yourself, the world around you becomes like...totally clear, ya know? C’mon, try it, man.”

“Worth a shot…” I shut my eyes and sat in silence...

She had a point. Maybe I was a bit fixated too harshly on what others were thinking of myself and my case. I hadn’t taken enough time to remember just what the point of it was. Yes. I wanted justice for Cozy Glow. Or rather, to hear her side of the story. The only perspective I have is the one I’ve been led to believe my whole life: That someone like her was beyond repair. Yet I refused to accept that. At least until I could see it with my own eyes. I never was too fond of taking the word of others as gospel.

Did that mean I had trust issues? Probably. As I grew up in the rugged streets of Manehattan, things weren’t easy for me. My father pushed me to be a ‘real stallion’...

“You’ll never amount to anything if you don’t do better! This is why your mother left. She didn’t want to raise a wimp of a son like you. Now are you gonna let those ingrates take your money again?!”

“N-no…”

“What?!”

“No!”

“What?!”

“NO!”

“Now drop and give me fifty! After that I want this entire house cleaned up from top to bottom. Then you’re gonna run down to the store and get our drinks. Understand? And if you’re not back in time...you know what happens.”

“No! Please! Not that again! I’ll do it!”

I rubbed the sides of my head. The memories were rather vivid. Almost like I rewatched a home movie. This wasn’t normal. But there had to be more to it…

“Yo! It’s the Viper. Got any lunch money for us, punk?”

“Lunch money? HA. Where you’re going, you won’t need money…”

“Wait, I remember now. His dad is a complete deadbeat and can’t even afford it! I hear he eats from the trash!”

The moment I was pushed, I fought back like no other kid there. I back alleys, basketball courts, school after dark. It didn’t matter. Fillies and colts alike would engage in the craziness. Soon, it spread across various schools over the city. With me leading my school in battle against the others...

“This is our turf! If the fools over in Saddle Island wanna give us a fight, we’ll give em one!”

They all cheered like I was their savior. Other kids that I routinely fought with were now going to the childhood version of war with me.

That is, until they came in.

The officers drew us off. Nopony was too badly hurt, and we were all taken into custody. But I managed to sneak off. I wasn’t going down so easily. And a few years later...it happened. A few of my gang members and I were about to fill a retirement home with hundreds of pounds of glitter.

“This’ll be the best prank yet! The old folks are gonna be scared stiff!”

“Huh? KID! STOP!”

Just before I could press the button, the officer ran inside the retirement home and kicked the glitter-filled explosive out of the way. Then I pushed it, not realizing just how powerful it was.

PZZZZT!

In the end, she was covered in painfully hot glitter, and the shockwave sent the old folks for a tumble. Nopony lost their lives, thank goodness, but a few of them were stressed to the point of not waking up for a while. Yeah, it wasn’t pretty. But that mare was a hero.

Ah yes, I remember her now. Miranda Rights. She was the one who prevented me from being locked away, and instead demanded that I be given better treatment.

“If you think I’m gonna stand by and let you toss a child into a holding cell then you’re off your damn rocker! C’mon, kid. I’m taking you to my place…”

And that was it. That is when I realized that I was more than what I forced myself to be on the surface. Blood Viper wasn’t who I was. It was a coping mechanism developed out of hatred for my parents. And once I found out my problem, I owned up to it, and began to work on it. I trained with Ms. Rights for years and focused my ability to track down targets by sensing their magic through the earth itself.

“You’re doing great kid. Someday, you’ll be better than me. And keep a lookout for a special present on your birthday when you finally get old enough to start your career. I think you’ll love it…”

Now I have a well-paying job, wonderful friends, and ponies who care about me for me, rather than how strong I made myself look. And that gift? Well, it’s something I promised I would never use unless I had no other possible option in a given situation. A weapon of...not-so-great power.

So now, here I am, all those years later. And what did I find myself fighting for? Why was I doing all of this? And why did I care? To put it simply, I despised deceit. That was the root of all of my troubles as a colt. My mother tricked me into thinking she would return someday, my father making me believe I was at fault for driving her off, my so-called friends constantly at odds with each other to make each other look bad for the sake of their own egos.

It really put things into perspective. I couldn’t stand...not knowing things. That’s why I’ve devoted myself to exposing as many secrets as I can. Harmful secrets that threaten the well-being of everyone if they aren’t made aware of just how bad things truly are. My actions as a turf leader went under the radar for Cadence knows how long. I was not going to let anypony else suffer in silence.

“...Boop.”

My eyes flickered open. My entire concentration had been broken.The green mare had snuck right beneath me, and tapped my nose with a cup held in her hoof. I sniffed it. There was a red liquid inside with lots of black seeds. Watermelon? “Um, what is this?”

“Oh, just a special drink I was inspired to make. It’s iced tea mixed with fresh melons and squash. It goes great with my special brownies, man. Wanna try some?”

All that thinking had thoroughly dehydrated me. So I accepted. “Thanks Tree Hugger. I think you’ve helped me a lot without even realizing it.”

“Me? Hehe...I didn’t do anything special, brah. I just offered a friend to sit and zoooone out with me, ya feel?” She let out the tiniest of giggles. It was unexpected from someone so laid-back. “That said, some ponies may say I’m weird or give me negative vibes but it doesn’t faze me, dude. You shouldn’t feel that way either. You’re special. We all are. In our own weird ways…”

That’s right. While we couldn’t do absolutely everything we wanted, we could still be the best versions of ourselves.

“Oh yeah, there’s this other thing,” she leaned against me while I finished the drink, “I heard you were like, asking the teacher at the nearby school about making it geared towards Earth Pony stuff. That’s soooo dope, man.”

“You think so?”

“For reals. Earth pony magic is like, totes underrated. There’s all sorts of stuff we can do. I brought it up because I’d be interested in teaching earth foals about their hidden power and junk.”

Of course! Tree Hugger seemed like an expert in nut just nature, but about Earth-related magic as well. She would be the perfect assistant to Cheerilee. But now I was getting involved in something I wasn’t very experienced in. I’m an investigator, not a businessstallion.

“That sounds quite grand. But to be quite honest, I don’t have the greatest sense of familiarity when it comes to rebranding an Academy. I merely offered it as a suggestion for Cheerilee to consider.”

Rather expectedly, she wasn’t deterred by my lack of experience. “That’s alright, brah. So long as we work together, we can figure it out as we go along,” her hooves were suddenly planted on my shoulders, “now chiiiill...you’re tense as rope, man. I could feel your pain, and I feel bad that you had to go through that...”

It was a rather interesting massage. Her hooves were like weighted medicinal pillows that you put around your-- “Ah! So you saw everything, huh? I appreciate the time you took to watch. And...hhnnn…” her hooves traveled up my neck which caused my skin to fold and ripple like layers of cake icing, “what are you doing?”

She pushed down, which flattened my skin out again. “Just helping you get allll your stress out, man. Is there something wrong?”

To be quite frank, it felt rather good. Given that she so graciously offered her food as well as a proper outlet for me to vent, I wasn’t going to deny her this moment if she enjoyed it. “No...not at all. Please, continue.”

“I’m feelin’ your vibe grow. Excellent. And before ya ask, yeah I think that filly could use a second run. A tree doesn’t become a tree overnight, ya feel?”

Very true, but I knew that not everyone would agree with that notion. There had to be a way to get everyone to see past the whims of those who chose to lead us. To be able to think for ourselves and be equal as a community. Yes...maybe, just maybe. Ugh, did those brownies make me extra whimsical today?

All this internal thinking made it extra difficult. I needed to relax.

“Now lie back, my guy,” she gently lowered my head.

“Hm…” Resting on the grass...it was nice. Even if I did feel a bit of a strange twitch due to the nature of those brownies, but eh. I was sure it would pass.

The green mare sat next to me. “How are you feeling, brah?”

I put my hooves behind my head as I gave a hearty exhale. I hadn’t felt this relaxed in forever. “A bit...off, but I’m starting to realize what I should be doing. Maybe things don’t have to be a certain way.”

She slid next to me, and also lied in the grass. “Righteous, man. Since I helped you out, think you could help me?”

“Oh? What is it?”

“Just a physical art project. Body painting,” she explained with a slight smirk, “if you can handle it, that is. It’ll be fun for you too.”

I refused to back down from a challenge. “Alright then, I’ll take you up on that.”

I regretted it immediately.

That art ‘project’ left me sweaty and tired. Sure, I enjoyed it, but didn’t realize somepony so laid-back could have such wild and crazy ideas. Ah well, she said she would offer me more brownies whenever I asked which was a nice way to return the favor I suppose.

“See ya, brah. That was fun. Let’s do that again soon,” she waved at me as we went out separate ways. It was now nightfall. Just how long were we at it?

“Yeah...for sure, sis,” I said back in an awkward fashion. It fit, didn’t it?

It was fun, sure. But now? I just wanted to head home, and drop in my bed to fall asleep. Which is exactly what I did.

And yet I had this nagging feeling as I nodded off. As if something, or someone, was trying to get into my head. Just what could it be this time?

Then I realized...I was in a dream already.

“Rise, young one.”

“Aw shit, dammit not again.”

Subject 10: Alicorn Cakes

“Wait a second...I thought you stepped down years ago!” I looked around at the abyss that surrounded my hooves, and freaked out, “Wah! Oh nonono, god damn I shouldn’t have had those brownies.”

I heard a voice. Disembodied, but familiar. “Calm yourself, young one. You are not inebriated.”

“...If I’m sober then this is hella worse--and wait, who’s there?!”

That’s when she flew in. From...somewhere. A dark blue alicorn. Though she was missing her trademark crown and horseshoes. Instead she had on a casual polo shirt with moons patterned across it.

“Prin--”

“Just Luna,” she stopped me from even uttering that title, “I am no longer the Princess of this vast land. That falls to Princess Twilight Sparkle. Just call me by my name, please?”

I nodded. “Okay...Luna. So you still roam dreams huh?”

“More or less. While I am no longer PRINCESS OF THE NIGHT…” she suddenly shouted with an added echo effect, “ahem--I still watch over the dreams of ponykind. Occasionally turning nightmares into sweet dreams. And--” her cutie mark started flashing. “Excuse me for one second.”

She teleported away. I rubbed my head again. Now Luna was in my dream? Just what the heck was happening anymore? Thankfully, I didn’t have to wait long for an answer since she returned within a minute of leaving.

“Aha. There we go. My apologies--nightmare emergency. Anyhow. I know you well, Mr. Vestige. Top of your game with an investigative team of ponies. But you first got your start as a reserve member of the anti-monster agency that Bon-Bon was a part of. Now you and your own team work to solve dangerous cases,” with a glow of her horn, a list appeared in front of her followed by a pair of reading glasses. “Including but not limited to: Foiling 23 bank robberies, thwarting the smuggling of forbidden potions into Equestria, stopping a rigged explosive on a carriage, and defeating three criminals with a...pencil? A pencil? Just how in Sister’s name did you manage that?”

Hmph. This felt wrong. To hear my most perilous exploits being read off to me as if I were some sort of celebrity. Disgusting. There was nothing worth celebrating about my job. I’m not some child’s fantasy character who can do no wrong and gets the adoration of everyone around them with no effort.

I think there was a term for that, but it currently slipped my mind.

Annoyed, I folded my hooves as I sat in that abyss. “Is there anything else you want to speak of? No offense but I hate it when ponies glorify the harsh reality of such deadly occupations.”

“...I understand. I did many harmful things when I became Nightmare Moon,” she shuddered at the thought of her demonic doppelganger, “I certainly would not want that aspect of my character to be paraded about as if there was nothing wrong with it. So I completely understand your perspective.”

While Nightmare Night sort of did that, it was mainly to scare little foals into giving up their candy, so I would let that detail slide. “Indeed. So what did you want anyway? And more importantly, why am I here?”

The list and glasses disappeared. A series of doors would appear in front of the former princess, “Your name has been thrown about quite vigorously lately, Pale Vestige. You seek to defy the order set in place by my sister and I?”

“In short, yes. Surely you remember. While she didn’t initially regret her actions, I believe that Cozy Glow has been imprisoned long enough to understand the weight of what she pulled off. I think it’s time we extend her a hoof.”

“And you believe this is the best course of action?” Each door would open, and Luna poked her head inside. This must have been how she checked in on the dreams of others. I had to admit, it was impressive for her to balance a workload as she spoke with me, “Alongside the way you’ve gathered support from the public, it would appear you have quite the plan going.”

“Do you disapprove of it?” I asked and trotted over to her, “Not just that, but the entire case itself.”

She closed the 50th door. “While your actions may be admirable, they’re largely folly.”

“Why?”

“I know Twilight well. My sister taught her everything she knows. With a very complicated task such as this, she would often ask herself, ‘what would Celestia do?’”

Is that so? How could she be a ruler if she couldn’t make her own decisions? But I was curious. “Well? What would your sister do when presented with a question like this?”

“Oh, you’d be banished to the moon for suggesting such a thing.”

My face contorted into a guise of fear. My mouth was agape and I felt my eyes blink too many times to count. How could she make light of such horrific trauma?!

“Ahaha!” She laughed. “...Oh come now! It was a jest--joke! A joke! You shouldn’t take everything too literally, as they say.”

I took a sigh of relief. “Thank goodness...but for real this time, what would Celestia do?”

“Let’s simply say she is not fond of the idea. At the time, we both believed that those three were beyond repair. Currently, while I don’t think it is impossible that Cozy Glow may have learned something during her imprisonment, my sister will not budge on the subject.”

Let’s put two and two together. Yup. That means Twilight is likely not to budge on the subject either. Damn. But there had to be more to it than that.

I shrugged, “I see. Well I’ll just try harder.”

That’s when she leaned towards me, just a few inches from my face, “You are playing the game of a fool. Are you willing to drag your reputation to the depths of Tartarus for the actions of a filly from yesteryear?”

“If I wasn’t, then you wouldn’t have appeared in my dreams, now would you?”

She rose, and began to walk down her hall of doors, “Come.”

With no other options, I followed her. “What is it?”

“I wish to show you the current state of affairs regarding your actions.”

A door flung open and we peeked through it. As soon as we did, Luna had a shocked expression on her face, and attempted to conceal it with one of her wings in front of mine. “Wrong door.”

“Wait no, lemme see--” the door was violently shut. And another opened, and Luna granted me my vision again. “Well now…”

When I looked through, I saw Cheerilee’s dream. She was...doing her job. But there was something different. Most of her students were earth ponies she had started to train personally in specific magical arts related to their abilities. One was learning how to grow plants with the power of her voice, a colt was learning to hone his perception and navigate the room with his eyes shut, and a group of them were learning how to concentrate and figure out what an animal needed based on the sound they made. She was considered the best teacher in the world, and had the admiration of all of her students, including former ones such as the grown Cutie Mark Crusaders.

“She looks...happy. Happy that earth ponies like herself can unlock their potential as well as understand her. She just wants to be loved like the old days. I don’t see the problem, Luna--” I turned and she wasn’t there. “Luna?” The dream door was shut, and I looked around. I was somewhat concerned given the fact that I was in the middle of nowhere in a dream that I’m sure I didn’t conjure up on my own.

“Boo!”

“AIE!” I screamed and fell to the...ground? It was an endless nothingness, but I was flat on my back. I gazed up to see the demonic Nightmare Moon in all her viscous glory. “You…”

“AHAHAHA!” She let out a dramatic cackle until she began to cough. “Ack! Oh dear, I have not donned this form in a while. But did I scare thee? Tis practice for Nightmare Night!”

It was just an act? Really? Humorous, but not the time for it. I responded with a mere eyeroll. “What? Pssh. Nope. Not at all.”

“Mm-hmm,” the Nightmare Luna shot me a suggestive smirk. Her smugness rubbed me the wrong way. “Anyhow, I did this to help set the mood. For while there are ponies who are in favor of your ideals. Others...are terrified,” she set another door in front of me to view, and it flung open.

Behind this one was a gruesome sight to behold. Both Diamond Tiara and her best friend Silver Spoon were fighting! Why? Because war had broken out. Ponies on Diamond Tiara’s side felt that Cozy Glow was treated unfairly, while the ponies on Silver Spoon’s side felt the punishment was just. Both sides continued to fight until the Wendigos froze everyone and everything with the pink and gray mares taking their last breaths next to each other in the freezing cold.

“I…” It was only a nightmare, but wow. Was this the true extent of the damage I could cause by trying to see this case through?

“Do you see what you’ve done?” The nightmare princess gazed at me, “while you have instilled hope within some ponies, you have also instilled fear in others.” She turned back into her normal self and zapped the nightmare away with her horn. It turned into a pleasant dream for the mare with having earned the favor of both of her parents. Along with the fact that they spent more time with each other.

“...Thank goodness,” I shut the door myself, and slumped against it. “And look, I get it. My job has its ups and downs. Nothing is going to be perfect,” I mumbled as I sat down completely.

Luna took a seat next to me. “No. They will not. All we can do is strive for our best despite the risks. If that is what you intend to do, I respect it.”

“So...you don’t condemn my actions?”

“Hm...I wouldn’t say you’ve done anything terribly out of line, yet.” She glared at me, her gaze as empty and cold as the night itself, “Be warned, should you raise your hoof in siege against Twilight, there will be no mercy from her or her friends.”

I shook my head. “I won’t. I’m not going to incite a rebellion. I merely want to hear what the public thinks, and make a case for Cozy. Once I do that, I hope to get her released and watch over her until she can be trusted.”

“Hm,” she rose from her spot next to me, and flew into the air, “I can respect a pony with a well-thought out objective. But both sides of time are now revealed to you, young stallion. What will you do?”

I shut my mouth. My eyes darted towards the emptiness of my dreamscape. I couldn’t answer. There were too many variables at play here. All I could do was swallow my pride and say two simple words. “...My best.”

Luna smiled, and turned away as she flew upwards. “Dawn approaches. If you are ever near Silver Shoals, feel free to drop by. We could play games! If Tia doesn’t cheat that is...” I tried to get a good look at where she was headed, but I couldn’t see anything. A blinding light was obstructing my vision.

“AH! Woaahh--agh!” I sat up from my bed, and fell onto the cold wooden floor. Was that a dream? Nightmare? Both? I had no clue. But one thing was for certain: I needed the day off. I opened the window, and took in the sun’s rays.

After breakfast, I grabbed that radio transmitter, and turned it on. “Cork. You with me, over?”

It took a moment, but the tired pegasus stallion answered with yet another yawn, “Ahhh...what’s up, sir? Don’t tell me you need another ticket…”

“Not at all, friend. I would like to request that you and Quick Draw cover for me.”

“Ah, finally! We’ve been trying to get you to take a break for months boss! No cases, no work. Just relax and enjoy yourself. I’ll let QD know, and we’ll open the office ourselves.”

I breathed a sigh of relief. “Appreciated, bud. Have a good one,” I said before I turned the device off.

Just what I needed. A calm, quiet day with a walk. No uniform, no hat. Just a simple day. Maybe I should go back to my old routine. What was it again? “Ah.”

First, I would stop by the local retirement home in Ponyville to drop off some bits as donation again. I was a consistent donor, often bringing in 100 bits per week. The older ponies were so sweet, some even trying to get me to stay and listen to story after story of their grandkids or various wars they took part in. I stayed for a while, and left with far too many memories of harsh times they dealt with.

Next, I stopped at Sugarcube Corner. It’s where we ordered all of our donuts from, but I hadn’t been here in person in...ages. The atmosphere was sweet, calming, yet playful all the same time. A nice break from the constant metallic aroma that filled my office.

Though I did feel the strange sensation that I was being followed. Hm...

As I munched the donut, I continued on my way. Things were starting to look up. My usual mornings were filled with chaos and debates with my colleagues. I had forgotten what it was like to enjoy myself.

I walked in a directionless way for a moment, until I came across. Wait a minute, what? Was that Spoiled Rich and her daughter? They were both laughing and enjoying each other’s company as they went to the nearby horseshoe store. How nice.

But there was more. I saw the Mayor and Cheerilee talking at the town hall. They were both doing some sort of hoof-bump and shake dance. Probably as a ritual of sorts? Whatever the case, I was glad to see them happy together.

And then I saw Octavia and her DJ friend performing a duet in their window. A mix of classical and dubstep to make a sort of odd, yet flavorful mix that I felt my hooves automatically tap to.

I even saw Tree Hugger. She had set up a ‘save the trees’ stand with T shirts for ponies to wear. I locked eyes with her and waved. She returned it with a lazy wave of her own.

Nothing could ruin this day.

Or at least, that’s what I thought.

All the sudden, the laughter and chatter of my fellow townsponies stopped on a dime. In fact, everything did. Time itself seemed to come to a halt around me, with everyone frozen in place.

“Wh-what?! What the hell…” I was about to panic before I realized something. Why was I the only one not frozen? Something was being done on purpose! “Alright, whoever you are, you need to stop this!” I stomped my hoof, and started to sense a great bundle of magic in the air.

It couldn’t be…

“Hey-hey! It’s me!”

Flurry Heart! This was crazy. I knew I was doing a lot, but to see another Alicorn was officially freaking me out. The young mare landed, and started to approach me.

“Oh man...what do you want? And why did you stop everyone?”

“Ugh, you wouldn’t believe the shit I had to pull just to get out here!” She spoke in a rather...aggressive tone that was unbecoming for a princess. “Finally. I’ve been trying to track your flank down for weeks! But my daddy wants me to stay in the Castle for this, watch my mom do that, learn how to become a ruler. Blah blah BLECH!”

While her rant did catch my attention, I was more concerned for the frozen state of everypony around me. “Uhh…”

“Don’t worry. They can’t see or hear us, don’t worry. Everything will resume like it never stopped. We’re actually moving faster than they are. Like way faster.” she cleared her throat, “ahem. Alright. Look, I heard you spoke to my mom a while back, yeah?”

“I...hang on, just what are you doing here without her or your father?!”

She tossed her head back out of annoyance with a huff. “Dughh! You older ponies are so overbearing! I can’t even walk down the steps without mom and dad watching me anymore. Not to mention the entire pony population wooing and applauding at every buckin’ move I make! And then next thing you know there’s 100 articles about a princess having eaten a hayburger and--” she stopped herself, and rubbed her hoof against her forehead. “I’m sorry. Just...I wanna talk to you, that’s all. I activated a hyperspeed spell on the both of us, so it’d allow me to come down here without causing mayhem over my presence. Don’t worry, I told my parents that I was going to see the Cake Twins. So they know where I am.”

Well the explanation sated my concern. For now at least, “Alright. That’s fair. Now what did you want to speak with me about?”

“Cozy Glow, duh,” she snarked at me and trotted towards the frozen Sugarcube Corner. “I wanna tell you that you need to keep fighting for her. Mom was too afraid to speak up, but I’m not.”

I followed her back into the bakery, and realized just how humorous a speed spell could be. One purple pony nearby had slipped on some fallen icing, and I watched as she drunkenly flipped upwards in extremely slow motion. Another was arguing with his date over which dessert they should buy; their faces contorted and warped into grimaces and veiny frowns right before my eyes. How strange.

“So wait...you think she does deserve a chance?”

“For sure. I think it’ll be a hard sell, but you’ve got my vote.” She flew around to observe various slow-motion antics not unlike myself, “If that were me, my mom would’ve fought to save my flank for sure. She’s caring like that. But Cozy? She had nopony! Who’s to say that’s what the problem is?”

She snuck a muffin from the hand of a stallion and replaced it with a sour lemon tart. I’d hate to be on the receiving end of such deeds, but I hoped he liked lemon.

Then I heard a powerful, peppy greeting. “Hi Flurry Heart! Welcome to Sugarcube Corner! Pound Cake finished his chores, and he’s waiting upstairs for you. Lil’ Cheese is with his dad for the weekend, though.”

“Thanks, Pinkie. Can’t wait to see him.”

A certain pink party pony was still moving normally, baking cakes and stirring the batter for cookies. How could this be? Did Flurry Cast a hyperspeed spell on her too? “Wait a second, how is--”

“It’s Pinkie. Don’t question it,” she turned her attention back to the extremely pink mare, “Hey Pinkie. This is...one of my bodyguards. He’s accompanying me today. And I let him come without his armor so he could be casual.”

“Hmm…” she shot me an inquisitive stare before she violently rushed up to me and grabbed my hoof. She gave me a rather extreme hoofshake that shook my entire body! “Okie-dokie-lokI! Any friend of Flurry Heart’s is a friend of mine!”

“Please stop.” I was dazed. My eyes rolled around in their sockets for a moment or two. Once I could see again, I noticed the young princess snicker as she floated there. Such a rapscallion of a child. “Uh...thanks?”

“Okay, that’s enough Pinkie,” she came between us and mercifully stopped the assault on my leg, “we’re here on official...Empire business, ya feel? Make sure nopony bothers us, alri”

She bought it, and gave a salute with her right hoof. “Ooh, business! I’ll make sure nopony disturbs you!”

And just like that, we were allowed right on through and went up the stairs towards the residence of the Cake’s that was connected to the shop. The pink mare smiled at us with an improbably fast wave of her hoof as we left. The speed spell wore off, but I took another peek to be sure.

Yup. The drunk mare fell, the couple finally decided to cinnamon rolls, and the stallion’s mouth swelled as he wasn’t expecting a lemon treat in place of his bitter morning muffin.

“SNRK! Classic!” The young alicorn giggled with a snort as we went up the stairs, out of sight of the other ponies.

“Hey now, don’t do that,” I scolded her, “war isn’t a game, you know.”

“Are you sure life isn’t a game, Mr. Detective?” she teased with a flick of her tail.

I sighed. This was my day off, and I had been roped into some crazy nonsense yet again. “Why did you bring me up here anyways?”

“Well, I figured that you’d want some valuable takes. Surely the Heart Princess--that’s me--and her friends will aid you in your quest to free Cozy Glow with their influential opinions, won’t they?”

I rolled my eyes. I supposed I did have enough of a break and could maybe ask her friends some questions. No way was I going to toss out my most valuable lead. “Bleh. If I must. But I don’t want to bore them.”

She stopped right in front of a door, “Don’t worry! If you were boring, I’d have left you behind a while ago,” and she knocked the door right in, the hinges nearly destroyed. “Oh, Pooounder!”

That’s when I saw a light-gold pegasus stallion, about the same age as Corkscrew, slumped in a beanbag chair. He was playing a...game of some kind with a controller hooked up to what looked like a miniature home movie theater. But there was no film reel? Strange.

“Aw man! I was just about to fire off my ultimate ability but those enemies had to throw in the most broken, overpowered--” he stopped when he noticed the princess and raced over to put a wing around her neck. “Flurry! It’s so good to see ya again. It’s been like...months.”

“I know I know, I was lucky enough to get mom and dad to let me go since I was finished with my princess duties for the day.”

Another mare’s voice came from down the hall, “Hey Bro. I didn’t find your silly comic or whatever and--Flurry! Oh thank Twilight you’re back! Now we can all hang out together!” This mare was a unicorn--a golden one, reminiscent of her father. She levitated herself to Flurry Heart’s other side and gave her a hug.

“And...who’s this guy?” The stallion, Pound, looked at me curiously followed by his sister who did the same.

I took a bow since I had to sell the whole guard ponysona. “I’m one of Flurry Heart’s guards. Nice to meet you both. Don’t mind me.”

“He actually has a few questions for you both,” Flurry pushed the stallion back into his room. “Why don’t you ask Pumpkin here a few questions while my...close friend Pound and I catch up?”

I could already tell what she was trying to do. “Understood,” and the door was promptly shut.

I looked at the unicorn with utter confusion to which she sighed, “Don’t be bothered. They’re just like that because they’re each other’s special somepon-- blech. Can’t even say it without throwing up in my mouth.”

“How funny. Well the question I want to ask is pretty difficult, so prepare yourself.”

“Meh, how hard could it be?” the golden mare gave a confident shrug.

“What’s your opinion of Cozy Glow?”

Her pupils shrank for a second. That was absolutely not a question she was prepared to hear. “Um...you know well uh…”

“Wait a second!” The door to the boy’s room flew open, and Pound came out. Guess he overheard us. “Are you guys talking about that filly that nearly destroyed Equestria when we were little?”

“Ahem...yes, that is the one,” I answered, “I’m trying to gauge whether or not the general population feels her punishment was deserved and if it’s possible she can be redeemed.”

“No. Way. Have you lost your mind, pops?”

‘Pops’? Was I that old compared to these youngling--...dammit.

“Excuse me?”

There was a look of fear and terror in the stallion’s eyes. “Listen to me, okay? Someone like that should never be let out for any reason. If anything happened to my sis or Flurry I’d be...I’d be…”

Pumpkin gave him a friendly nudge with her hoof, “Hearthbroken? Downtrotten?” Seemed like somepony picked up on the pink one’s love of jokes and giggles.

“Hey...shut up! This is serious!” The pegasus blushed, and knocked his sister away with a wing.

“Wah!” She landed in what I could only assume to be her room, given the books of magic mixed with cookbooks strewn about the floor. “Really?”

“Sorry!” He turned his attention back to me, “But for real, if she was capable of doing something crazy like that when she was little, who knows what she could do if she were allowed to grow up like the rest of us? We’d all be six hooves under! Or worse! We could’ve been her slaves!”

All this time, Flurry Heart had made herself busy by playing the stallion’s electronic entertainment system, and we heard her shout, “Oh but you’d be mine wouldn’t ya?”

“Ghhhf!” His wings perked up, and his cheeks became rosy. I did my best to conceal my laughter, but it was rather hilarious. “Quiet you!”

I made a mental note of the fact that he didn’t deny it. But more importantly, I brought the conversation back to its roots, “Ahah...so I see you don’t wish for Cozy Glow to return in any capacity.”

“Buck no, are you stupid?! She’s arguably more dangerous than Chrysalis and Tirek!”

I heard a record scratch followed by an apology from Pinkie from downstairs. “Sorry! My record player broke!”

“Wait...more dangerous?” I folded my hooves. I didn’t expect a youngster to have such an...intricate thought process. “Humor me, son.”

“Well for one thing, Tirek and Chrysalis are old, right? I mean way old. As old as Celestia and Luna themselves probably. At some point, their moves and their plans will become predictable, ya feel? It’s like...playing the same final level 1000 boss in a game over and over. You’re gonna know how to beat it the more you play. You know what I mean, right?”

I was a tad unfamiliar with that last bit, given that I had almost no experience with those devices. At most I could remember a game involving a maze with colored ghosts, another that involved ninjas brutalizing each other with blood everywhere, and one more that involved a massive bear who had taken a princess hostage that you had to jump over barrels to save.

The newer ones were lost on me.

“Erm...somewhat?”

He nodded and continued his explanation, “Okay, meanwhile Cozy Glow is like a brand new boss that suddenly enters the game. They’re not very strong. Only at about level 10, but if you don’t take them out now, they have the potential to become the new strongest level 2000 boss that you have no chance of beating,” he smirked and started to hover in the air. “That’s what I’m talking about. Cozy Glow could’ve been that level 2000 boss that nopony was prepared for.”

“Awww, you’re so smart, Pounder~” Flurry teased from the room which caused the stallion to puff out his chest in a proud manner.

“Huh, guess I am.”

I nodded. I had to respect the kid’s logic, even if I didn’t agree. “Okay, now level with me for a second. What if I told you I had the cheat code to beat that boss before she became so powerful in the first place?”

He landed, his wings folded back, “I’d say I don’t believe you. No offense. I’m sure you’re a cool guy and all, but if the Princesses themselves couldn’t figure out that cheat code, what makes you think you could?” he pointed a judgemental hoof at me.

“Simple, kid. I’ve studied the filly and her case for months. Your princesses tossed her aside within a few days.”

“With good reason, I’d reckon!” He said with an added stomp of that same hoof, “She was too deadly to keep around, and I think she deserves what she got. How about you, Pumper?” he turned to his sister’s doorway, “...Pumper?”

The gold unicorn looked up from what she was reading, a copy of the newspaper. “Hm? Oh sorry, I just found it odd. Apparently the local bookstore’s missing some copies of their animal books. Hehe! Better hope Princess Twilight doesn’t find out, or she’d be down here in a heartbeat.”

“That’s wack. Who robs a bookstore? Probably some eggheads looking to make a quick bit through scalping.”

The look on her face oozed horror. “They...scalp ponies?!”

“No sis, scalping. It’s when you falsify the scarcity of something by buying up loads of an item, thereby increasing the demand of that item while shortening the supply. If you do that, then--”

She threw her hooves in the air, “Get to the point, bro!”

“Oh, well they probably stole them to sell them at a higher price. It’s how they get rich. And how the oldest arcade systems were nearly stolen.”

Missing books from a bookstore? Odd. But the day has been rather slow so I figured why not at least check it out later? Gah. The analytical bone within me had started to stir. I trotted over to Flurry and watched her play that game for a few moments. It was some sort of adventure where the main character had a whip.

“Flurry, I...what the devil is this?”

“Oh? Castlemaneia. Gotta defeat the vampire pony at the top of the castle but his horde of bat ponies stand in my way.”

“Sick!” Pound Cake barreled into the room, “Are you at the part where you get the axe yet?”

There were quite a few things happening on the screen at once. It was enough to make my head spin. “Great, uh...graphics? Anyway, Flurry. I noticed your friend was reading something about a bookstore being possibly robbed? I’m gonna go check it out.”

“Huh? Dammit, I died. Oh and no problem. Go right ahead.”

“But isn’t he your gua--” before the Cake brother could finish that sentence, the Heart princess shoved the controller in his face.

“Pooound. This level is too haaard. Care to help me?”

“Huh? Pfff...gimme that. Let a real stallion show you how the game works.

Perfect distraction, he was back to playing when Flurry nodded at me.

I swiftly left the bakery, and went to the bookstore. Something about it just felt off. Who would rob a bookstore of all things?

Meanwhile…

The Unicorn mare sighed at the two, “Sooo...we’re not gonna follow him or anything? I’m bored up here.”

“Oh yeah, just lemme finish and save this level…”

Subject 11: Hard To Bear

“No, I don’t know why. Those weren’t even our most valuable books. Kinda strange if you ask me. The books come loaded up to the back of the store every night. I have security camera footage if you wanna see. Maybe there’s info there?”

“Very much so, thank you.”

The salespony mare handed me one of the cameras and hit playback. We could both see the books being loaded in on a cart yesterday afternoon. Nothing out of the ordinary so far. But then a dark shadow whizzed past the lens.

My eyes keenly followed the image. “Slow-mo it.”

“Are you sure? I didn’t see anything.”

“Please?”

She shrugged and pushed a button that slowed the footage down. My eyes were metaphorically glued to the image, as it slowed I could visualize the black shadow as it dashed across the camera’s line of sight. I couldn’t make out just what it was, but I could sense something was there.

“Hrm...when’s the next shipment of books set to arrive?”

She put the camera away, and looked at a nearby clock. “In about...20 minutes actually. You gonna try and catch the perp in the act this time?”

“Something like that.”

Meanwhile…

“Sis...why are we doing this again?”

The gold unicorn led her brother through the town, “Because you spend too much time inside all day playing those games and reading comics. Where’s your sense of adventure, bro?”

“For you, that’s more like a sense of death.”

“Don’t make me slug you.”

“Okay, okay, fine! But I don’t understand why we had to bring Flu--I mean Whirlwind?”

Indeed, Flurry Heart had disguised herself as a Pegasus with an illusion spell. To anyone else, she’d appear to lack a horn, and while her color scheme remained the same, she let her hair down so it was a full mane that went down her neck in a messy fashion, and her Cutie Mark changed to a tornado. And for good measure, she had on a pair of glasses. “I can only activate that hyperspeed spell once per day so I figured I’d just change into something a bit more casual. Besides, I know you love it, Pound.”

“W-what makes you say that? And in any case, I don’t see the point in following this guy.”

Pumpkin shot him a deadpan gaze that questioned his sanity. “You’re kidding? He’s obviously not an Empire Guard. I’ve read extensively on their battle tactics, and they wouldn’t simply start talking to other ponies, nor would they run off on their own. I’m just curious as to who he really is since ‘Whirlwind’ here won’t tell me.”

The pink pegasus giggled, “Trust me, this is gonna be fun.”

“Tch...how troublesome. If this lands us in trouble, I am so gonna--”

With Pale...

And so I waited. I napped beneath a tree--mainly for myself. Tree Hugger showed me just how much fun it could be to relax alongside nature. And from within my sleep state, I restricted my magical aura to reduce my presence in the shade. That way, no one would be able to spot me.

I waited…

And waited…

And waited…

It happened. I blinked awake and put my ear to the earth. Not only did I feel an abnormal magic presence, but I heard it as well. Something...strange was headed in this direction. Something I hadn’t encountered before.

“...” I opened one eye and noticed a stallion wheel in a cart of books behind the store. Nothing out of the ordinary there. He was just doing his job. But the abnormal magical signature was still present. Strange.

I opened both eyes and let out a yawn. The next moment that I blinked, I sensed a change in the stallion’s aura. As if his signature had swapped to a different being entirely. Eh, wot? This didn’t make sense. Not unless he had been possessed. And that sort of magic is extremely rare and borderline illegal.

Just what happened to him?

This wouldn’t do. I had to approach him. “Ex…” But before I could say anything, he had already dropped off the books and took off. The magic aura would promptly disappear, but I could still sense traces of it through the ground itself.

Those traces led it directly to the Everfree Forest...where a much bigger magical signature lied in wait. No...this was too powerful. I dreaded the thought. But...I had no choice. I had to make sure whatever it was didn’t get into town.

I rushed back home. And from within the deepest confines of my closet, I grabbed the weapon that Miranda Rights had entrusted to me many years ago alongside a note.

“Kid...one day, I hope you make use of this for the benefit of those who never got a chance. Always remember what I taught ya. No matter what happens to me, keep this. I’ll always be with ya.”

“Looks like it’s time. Or rather, I would hope I don’t need to make use of this. But still…” I grabbed my vest and tucked the item within it. From there, I ran back out and towards the forest. “Everyone! Go back to your homes, stay inside!” That’s when I heard giggling from a nearby bush. I turned to it and snapped, “What the buck are you doing way out here?!”

Those darn twins and Flurry Heart--with a new look? Hm. Guess it was a good way to keep the attention away. The unicorn mare approached me first, “Sorry, sir. We just couldn’t resist! We knew it had to be more than just some boring book theft. C’mon, let’s go--”

“Absolutely not.” I pushed her back with a hoof, much to the delight of her brother.

“Thank you, man!”

“Listen. You kids need to go right on back. I’m sensing something dangerous out there in the forest, and I’m not about to let you three get hurt.”

The disguised Flurry Heart had gotten rid of her horn and donned glasses. I suppose that was all it really took. If it worked for Supermare, then. “Oh please. I’m all-powerful! Sure, mom and dad may have implemented caps on the magic I can perform, but that doesn’t mean I’m useless!”

Pound Cake put his hooves together in a plea. “Please guys, stop. The guy said he doesn’t want any help. So why don’t we just go back…?”

Pumpkin’s eyes shifted to her side, and shot Flurry a wink. “Okaaaay. I guess we can head back home. C’mon, everyone. Looks like there’s nothing to see here!”

I glared at the mare and took a few steps back. “...Don’t sass me. I know all of ya’lls parents, don’t forget,” I turned and made a beeline for the forest.

The unicorn snickered. “We’re still totally following him, aren’t we? I mean, he can’t do this alone, can he?”

“Yup. We’re going.”

“Nope!” Pound would attempt to run away, only to be restrained by the magical aura of his sister. “Hey! Put me down!”

“You’re getting some outdoor activity in, even if it kills you. You don’t wanna end up fat.”

Flurry-Whirlwind giggled as she flew after the two.

Alright. That magical presence was heavy. That was certain. It wasn’t on the level of an alicorn, so that was good. But it was...chaotic. Like a wild beast that was aching to get loose. Concerning. I ran through the forest, but the closer I got to the aura, the farther away it felt. This was not normal. Something was moving beyond my ability to track it.

Which was unreasonable. My sensory skills were highly tuned. This had to be something I hadn’t dealt with before. “Hmmm…” I stopped, and hid with my back against a tree. I looked at the weapon tucked into my vest. Its power meter dropped the more I remained idle. This would aid me if I ever needed it, but I prayed that I would not.

I felt it. Once I ceased movement, the aura became clearer. It wasn’t getting away from me, because it wasn’t really here in the first place. What? What could this mean? This is too much. I was so used to chasing normal pony suspects--maybe the occasional griffon and minotaur--but this? This was hard to comprehend.

“It’s almost time.” Even so, I wouldn’t let that stop me. I noticed there was a lack of smaller creatures in the forest. No hedgehogs, porcupines, squirrels, or even Timberwolves. Something out there had scared off everything. “Okay…” I pressed onward. Moving between each tree with precision to mask my presence.

With the young ponies...

“Sandbar, Rumble, Button Mash and I were gonna practice for the air hockey tournament next week. But nooo,” Pound complained as he walked along the path of the forest, “I have to be stuck with you guys because sis claims I’m not moving enough.”

“Quit your complaining,” his sister urged him as she led their little trio, “I need to see what this guy is planning and you need to move more. Mom and dad wouldn’t want you being a couch potato.”

“Tch. Just be honest, you’re doing all of this for the sake of that silly fanfiction you wanna write.”

“Hey! It’s not silly! And it’s not fiction! My biography is gonna be the single most well-awarded book in Equestria by the time I’m done. So why not live out some exciting moments?”

“Blech. Do you hear this, Fl--Whirlwind?”

The disguised princess looked around the forest in awe. “Ooh...we don’t have lots of trees around the Empire back home. This was actually a pretty good trip!”

Pound Cake slapped his forehead with his hoof.

I arrived at a clearing in the middle of the forest. I felt the magic aura directly beneath my hooves by this point. It was here. Wait a minute. There was something very wrong here. I couldn’t put my hoof on it. But it was like something, or someone was nearby. But my senses were being thrown off. This wasn’t right.

“Ah, over there!” Pumpkin spotted the open area in the middle of the forest surrounded by trees. “This has to be where it’s gonna go down. All the best stories have a showdown in a large field!”

“Ughhh why am I here?” Pound groaned and leaned against one of the trees, filled with disgust.

The pink pegasus smiled at him. “Don’t worry, Pounder. I got this. Like I said, I’m strong enough to handle anything.”

“Wait...don’t tell me you’re about to go out there!”

No. They didn’t. They couldn’t have.

I ran around the edge of the field in the direction of those youngsters. Maybe I could stop before they would do anything--

And I saw Pound chase after his marefriend directly into it. “C’mon! Show yourself, monster!”

“No! Get back you idiots!” I ran to try and jump in front of them, and we all crashed into each other. “...Ow. What the hell are you doing out here?! Didn’t I say stay behind!”

“Listen, sir. I tried to tell Flurry it was a bad idea and then my sis made me follow--”

I sighed. “At least you’re all fine…”

Flurry on the other hand was rather annoyed. “Aw man! There wasn’t even any monster! Some stakeout this was. All that’s here is this silly piece of paper with scribbles on it,” she held the object in her wing.

“Wait...let me see that,” I took it from her and sniffed it. Then I read the contents of the page. It was an animal book. One of the books that had been stolen! Okay, that was good. I got somewhere. But now what. “These strange markings…”

“Eee! Ohmigosh, tell me everything that’s happened so far!” The sister of the Cake Twins had followed us out with a notepad and pencil to write everything down.

Pound Cake flicked her horn, which temporarily disabled her magic, and caused her to drop the items. “Hey! That hurt, bro!”

“That’s for making me come out here!”

The two started to squabble while the princess loomed over my shoulder. “See anything interesting?”

“These aren’t normal scratches,” I flipped the torn page around and was able to ready it more clearly. “They’re...runes of some sort. Hmmm…”

‘...the Bugbear chases its prey for as long as it can until it fires projectile venom from its stinger.”

“...shit.”

“Woah, what’s going on?”

The runes on the paper started to glow and it grew hot to the touch. “Youch!” I let go of it and shook my hoof around to ease the pain. “Aw shit! Get back, ya’ll!”

The twins ceased their physical combat with each other and looked up when I called their attention. They immediately took shelter in the nearby bushes and Flurry Heart joined soon after.

A pillar of light erupted from the paper which pierced the sky. This had to be the work of magic. A summoning spell. Rather advanced. No average pony could make words fly off a page into reality so easily. This had to be the work of a veteran mage.

From that light, an animal came into existence. A multi-armed, black and white bear with a stinger and a vicious hunger for pony meat.

I stood on my hind legs and tried to reason with it. “H-heeey there big guy...I’m just gonna grab this and…” I tried to slink over to the piece of paper to swipe it but the insect monster wasn’t having it. It jumped into my face and let out a mighty roar that swept me off my hooves!

“RAAAAGH!”

“Ah!” I stood firm for a moment, the breath of the monster was nearly enough to make a pony cry on its own. “Woah!” The force of the roar pushed me back and sent me flying. I was tossed into one of the nearby trees with a violent thud. “Oof!” The crash was hard enough to make the pears fall and hit me on the head. “Grrr…”

The youngsters had taken shelter in the bushes next to my impact. Pumpkin Cake in particular was busy scribbling in her notepad again. “‘And she bravely stared down the bugbear…’”

“Meh. I’ve seen scarier,” Pound Cake commented, not at all intimidated by the creature, “Shin Megami Tartarus has loads of creepier monsters.”

“Shin Ma--what?”

“SMT. It’s a monster collecting RPG--you know what, forget it. It'd take way too long to explain right now.”

The only one that was really scared was the princess. “Y-you okay, sir?” Flurry asked, and tried not to look at the beast with her wings over her eyes.

“I...nghh...I’m fine…” I rose to my hooves in a shaky manner. The bear was on all fours now. It prowled with rabid saliva leaking from its mouth. It waited, nay, dared us all to make sudden movements. “Okay...when I count to three. You all run like heck back home. Don’t come back for me.”

“What?! Ha!” The gold unicorn scoffed, “If you think I’m gonna turn down this chance to enhance my next chapter, you’re dead wrong.”

“Sis, maybe he’s right. I mean, I’m not scared but what if you or Flurry got hurt? Mom, dad, and the whole Empire would throw a fit.”

Flurry clapped her hooves. “No wait...I have a plan. We can send this thing back to where it came from and figure out who summoned it if we just--”

“Absolutely not,” I cut her off and reached into my vest. “You three need to get out of here. Now.” Admittedly, I was somewhat afraid, given that I had never been up against such a beast before. Changelings were the extent of my foreign creature combat capability. But even still, I wasn’t going to let these kids get hurt. Over my dead body. “I really really hate to pull this card, but listen to your elder. Get out. Now.”

“Are...you sure? Nopony’s defeated a bugbear on their own before.”

“I am.” With a flick, I brought the weapon out. A custom-made lever-action sound blaster with a wooden stock, and a wide, megaphone like brass barrel. I took a few shots at the bear monster, and ran towards it. “C’mon you honey-loving bastard!”

Pound must’ve been frothy at the mouth from the way I heard him speak. “Yooo...I need to get me one of those.”

The weapon gained more power from motion along the earth. I had to engage in hit-and-run tactics with it or else I’d shoot nothing but air. If I could just distract it long enough to grab that piece of paper and tear it to shreds, that should be enough to dispel it.

Or at least, I hoped.

But the bear monster wasn’t so easily fooled. The very second I attempted to get around it, it hit me with a slash of its four sets of claws.

“Ghh!” I was sent for a tumble, but got right back up. I fired off another blast of sound energy from my weapon, which distracted it for a second. I dove in. My body slid across the dirt to snatch that paper, but it was no use.

“OW!” A slash of the beast’s stinger flung me across the field and back towards the youngsters who still hadn’t left yet despite my direction. I was furious. “I said get out! Why are you still here?!”

“Listen sir,” Flurry Heart started to explain, “it seems like you need some help defeating this thing. You’re alright on your own, but together...we can do this. I know it. I already told these two how it can be done. Right Cakes?”

Pound Cake shrugged, “Meh. Your idea sounded simple enough.”

“Ooh, heheh! I get to be in the middle of the action! It’s gonna be perfect.”

I sighed. I was beaten, and felt a slight swelling from the monster’s stinger. If the princess had an idea, I had no choice but to at least hear it out. “Fine...explain yourself.”

“Okay so here’s the thing. A spell like this has to be maintained within close proximity to the object they’re controlling. The perp is still somewhere around here. So I’m gonna fly up and see if I can’t find them. Pound Cake is gonna help you fight it, and while you both have it distracted, Pumpkin Cake will use her magic to decipher the rune code and reverse it in order to shut it down. Sound good?”

Wow. I didn’t peg her for a tactical strategist. She must’ve gotten that from her father. I stood, and looked at the Twins who nodded in agreement with this plan. I felt like a complete fool. But I really couldn’t accomplish this alone. “Gah...do what you wish.”

“Alright guys, get into our combat formation!” Flurry flew straight into the air.

Pumpkin started working her magic, “If you guys get hurt, I’ll heal your injuries. Just try and distract it so I can steal that paper.”

“One sec,” Pound also flew into the air, but he returned moments later with some clouds in his hooves and caught in the feathers of his wings, “Alright. This’ll work.”

“Clouds? You serious?”

The young stallion suddenly reshaped a cloud into the shape of a hammer. “You’re forgetting we pegasi can control the density of the--”

“Just get on with it!” His sister shouted, to which he rolled his eyes.

“I’ll explain in more detail later. For now...the beast will taste the wrath of Pound Kahn!”

I sighed again. This would either be the death of me or something worse. “Alright, kid. Let’s get this over with…”

We both stared the monster down, ready to attack once more.

Subject 12: Mysterious Bearings and Idle Chatter

“Get behind it,” I readied my blaster to fire again, and the young stallion nodded. I fired a few highly compressed shots of soundwaves at the beast and successfully drew its attention. It started to charge at me.

This would allow Pumpkin to snag the paper via levitation. “Got it. Give me a minute…” Now she would be busy with her job to decipher the runes. I sincerely hoped she was as good as magic as she said she was.

And I also hoped her brother was as dependable. “Hey! Hurry up! This thing is about to have my flank!” I shouted, and ran as fast as I could. The bugbear’s roar like a giant oven that heated the rear side of my body in preparation for consumption.

“I got this. Like a video game…” The stallion swooped in, the hammer made of cloud clenched tightly within his hooves as he rounded for a powerful swing, “I’m playing it!”

CLANG!

Incredible! I didn’t think it was possible, but the hammer made of clouds actually struck as hard as a real one would have. Not only that, but it dazed the bugbear for a moment, its face as flat as the side of the hammer it was struck with.

“Ha! Gottem!”

“...So you can alter the density of clouds and shape them into weapons? How exemplary…”

“Ha! These kinds of clouds are made special from the factory. No need to thank me--wah!” The beast grabbed him with its four arms. I panicked and prepared to charge the animal, but once more, Pound Cake was unafraid, “Don’t hit it! I got this!”

He ‘reloaded’ with another bit of cloud tucked under his wings that he crafted into a baseball bat. “Here it is!”

WHACK!

A vicious smack from the cloud bat resulted in Pound being released from the monster’s grip as it took a tumble.

“Whoo, I’m battin’ a thousand!”

I had no idea what he just said. “Um...whoo?”

“Just gotta hit him like this two more times. It’s how all the bosses work.”

Yet again, I had no clue what he meant. “What?”

“Just lemme take the lead on this one, gramps.”

Meanwhile, Flurry was high in the sky. She observed the ground within a mile’s radius since that was the physical distance limit one would have to constraint themselves to in order to keep this spell active. “Where could you be…”

She cast a force dome around the perimeter. The culprit wouldn’t be able to escape even if they wanted to. However, she had to be careful now. “Okay...that’s two top-tier spells...I only have one more. Stupid magic cap…” She hung her head in disappointment. She blinked. Something moved along the forest floor. “Aha…”

Flurry, now having reverted to her normal form, would land and trot around the trees, using her magic to give them a light shake. “Peek-a-boooo…”

Unbeknownst to her, someone had managed to sneak behind her. They fired off a magic blast!

Luckily, she reflected with an automatic force field that went up to keep her safe. “Ha! Dad’s spell actually came in handy this time! Alright, perp. Show yours--”

They immediately turned tail and ran.

“Oh no you don’t! Get back here!” Her horn activated, and engaged an attraction spell. Gravity, that is. The culprit would be pulled back to her by force with no way of escaping.

Or so she thought.

Until they activated a gravity spell of their own which nullified Flurry’s! The result stunned her for a second. “Damn. That was my last one!” With no other options, she chased the individual down with raw flight.

“Woah!” I leapt out of the way at the last possible second and fired a controlled soundwave into its face, which forced it back a few yards. “Yes. A clean strike.”

Pound used his feathers to fling clouds that were shaped into ninja daggers. “Okay gramps you gotta tell me where you got that.”

“It’s a miniature version of the 115 Thundergun--beyond that, I’m not allowed to say, kid.”

“Pff, figures.” The flurry of cloud knives didn’t do as much damage as the blunt weaponry and only served to agitate the insectoid bear even further. It flew into the air, with its stinger at the ready. “Get down!”

As that one bit of dialogue from the book stated, the bugbear would begin to shoot its projectile venom at us. Globs of purple goo that looked a bit like jelly. But I knew how bad normal bee venom was. This would likely cause swelling, itching, and--that was it!

“Right here!”

“Old man, are you crazy?!”

I slipped my hoof through the lever and cocked it, “Watch this, son,” I assured him right before I fired it. The soundwave sent the bear’s own venom right back at it.

“GRAAAAAGH!” It started to itch and swell from its own venom as it soaked into its fur. Now it would be too busy scratching to properly attack us.

“Yes! How’s that for an old timer?”

Pound shrugged as he hovered in the air, “Not bad.”

That’s when his sister finally spoke up. “Okay! It’s done!” She waved the piece of paper around with her magic, “The runes are all undone. You just need to lead her back into the page!”

“Her?”

“Duh, only girl bees can sting. Didn’t you listen in Biology class, Pound?!”

“I was too busy in Graphic Design for that!”

I clapped my hooves, “Ahem! Let’s go with the plan! And pray to Cadence that your marefriend has found the creep that caused this…”

She was getting closer. “I have you now! You’re not getting away!” The edge of the dome she had erected was in sight. There was no way anypony could break through that. It was an alicorn dome!

“AW, COME ON!”

Except they did just that. Somehow, some way, her enemy had tore a hole through the dome and escaped. But not completely unscathed. Flurry noticed something along the jagged edge of the dome where it had been broken out of.

“A...cloth?” She picked it up with her hoof, and sniffed it. Then she turned it over to find a letter. “...Hmmm…”

“Alright, bro. You got it?” The gold unicorn held the paper aloft like a target, excited as she hopped in place.

“We’re ready...now...run!”

The pegasus and I both ran away from the beast, which made it chase after us directly. Blindly. It was almost a thrill I could enjoy, if it weren’t for the potentially venomous stinger that looked ready to fire at us again.

“Shiiiit!” I screamed as we both dove into the bushes behind Pumpkin.

The bugbear was promptly sucked into the page, right back where it belonged. “Yes! Eeee! I can’t wait to add this to my next chapter!”

“Yeah we’re fine,” Pound groaned as he spat out dirt, “Thanks for askin’.”

“I’m kidding, I’m kidding,” the sister comforted her brother with healing magic. “You know you’ll always be my top priority.”

Meanwhile, I was impressed with the sheer degree of magical prowess she displayed at such a young age. “Pumpkin, was it? Just how did you manage to undo summoning runes? Isn’t that a high-level spell?”

“Hm? Oh I’ve always been a prodigy at magic or whatevs. Mom and dad say they wanna enroll me in the School for Gifted Unicorns but I denied it.”

“How come?”

“There’s three problems with that.” She had conjured a duster to clean her brother off, “For one, it’d be too expensive. They’d have to work extra hard to shave off that debt. Two, mom and dad are getting...errr...aged. They need as much help as they can get around the bakery. Pinkie’s invincible but she works whenever she wants it seems.

I nodded. Twas a shame she couldn’t pursue what she wanted, but noble that she stuck by her family. “And the third?”

“The most important one: Somepony has to keep watch over this nutcase and make sure he does his chores,” she put a hoof around Pound’s neck.

To which he gave a rebuttal, “What she means is that she’d be too stressed out and needs me to help her relax.”

They both took a mean look at each other before it turned into laughter. It was always nice to see two siblings get along for a change.

That’s when Flurry flew back in, “I have good news and bad news.” The twins stopped so they could liste, “Bad news is that our burglar pony got away. Good news is that they left something behind.”

She levitated a piece of fabric into my hoof. It felt like satin and had a gold trim. I flipped it over and saw it had the letter ‘A’ on it. “Hm. Some kinda emblem, maybe?”

“No idea. But I think we scared the perp off. No more books will be taken from here on.”

“That’s good,” Pumpkin commented, “We sure wouldn’t want Princess Twilight to have to come down here.”

“But I wonder what it could mean,” Pound said as he took a look at the piece I held.

“Alright, alright,” I put it in a plastic bag and tucked it into my vest as evidence. “What’s important now is that you two get home before your parents do.”

Flurry agreed with a nod, “Yup. Don’t worry. I’ll shoulder the responsibility. It was my idea to bring them out here anyways. Cakes, you go on ahead. I’ll catch up.”

“Hey wait, I need to know more about that Thundergun!”

Pound’s protests fell on deaf ears when Pumpkin levitated him into the air, “Some other time, bro! Can’t you tell the princess is busy?”

“Aw come on!”

“Don’t you and the guys have a game or something to get to?”

He blinked as he remembered his plans. “Oh yeah! Hey, hurry up!”

I chuckled and waved as they departed, now it was just me and the Heart Princess. “What did you want to speak about.”

“That has to be some kind of insignia,” she explained with a worried look in her eye, “I’m not sure who it could belong to, but it’s entirely possible you were led out here with the intent to harm. I dunno who, but it could be someone against your ideas.”

“I see...well don’t worry. I’ve been knocked down before.”

She smiled, “That’s good. And as thanks for keeping Pound Cake safe, take this,” she pulled something out of her mane. A golden ticket.

An express pass to Silver Shoals Resort.

Surprising for sure. But the only way she could’ve found out about that was…

“Woah...hey wait a minute. Were you able to hijack my dream?!”

“Maaaaybe?” she responded with a half-hearted grin.

A generous offer I couldn’t refuse. This was my only method of getting to meet with the Princess of the Sun in a reasonable way. So I took it. “I...appreciate this, Flurry.”

“Don’t mention it. Seriously. I’ve got enough trouble at home.” She giggled and changed herself back to her disguised Pegasus form with glasses, “Well, I’m headed back. I’ll go tell the pony at the bookstore what happened. See ya!” She took off and waved as she left.

Maybe they weren’t so uptight after all, these alicorns. But I had yet to meet the oldest and biggest--the alicorn of the sun. So I had to reign in my expectations for now. Even so, that cloth with a letter ‘A’ on it was worrying. What could it stand for? What could it mean?

Horse apples. This was meant to be my day off. Why did it have to devolve into more tactical brain usage?

I went back. Once I returned home, I grabbed a lawn chair and placed it in my front yard. I was determined to relax and calm myself down off of the stress I had experienced through all the combat and watching the children. Yeesh, I would not make a good foalsitter.

I flopped, and put some headphones in to listen to music. Unfortunately, I could not get a moment’s rest, as my favorite teacher in the world trotted up to greet me.

“Mr. Pale! Hello!”

I removed the ear buds, “Ah, Ms. C. How are things going?”

“Great, actually. Spoiled Rich and the Mayor both agreed to fund the Earth Pony-centric lessons, and Tree Hugger has offered her services as a teacher! We’re making loads of progress!”

How nice. It was beautiful to witness these ponies try something new for a change. “Well isn’t that nice?”

“Yes! Well, except for one teensy little detail.”

“Hm?”

“We need approval from the Education Association to enact these lessons. As well as Princess Twilight. But well...we’re nervous,” her ears dropped.

“Nervous? Why?”

“Because, something like this has never been opened before. We’re not sure if they would agree.”

I felt that. It was always very scary when you presented new ideas to those above you. I decided to accommodate the schoolteacher like she had done for me many times before. I retrieved a second lawn chair from inside, and placed it next to my own. “Here, Cheerilee. Take a load off with me.”

“Oh, you’re too kind, thank you.” She accepted, and sat on the chair next to me, “So anyway, we’re not really sure how Twilight and the Board would react.”

“Makes sense to have that sort of fear. Ponies naturally fear the unknown or unfamiliar. A new idea like this would take some time,” I put my hooves behind my head. Then I suddenly had an idea. “But what if...we could run the idea by a different princess to get an idea of what Twilight would say?”

She shot me a confused look, “Huh?”

“Maybe if...I could potentially speak to Celestia and run it by her, then it could make things smoother.”

“What?” Her eyes shot open, “Would you do that? I wouldn’t want to trouble you…”

I shrugged. “Hey, I was the one that sorta suggested it to you, didn’t I? If anything, I should bear that responsibility of presenting the new ideas to them.”

“Oh no, no, no!” She waved her hooves back and forth, “There’s no need for that, sir!”

“Relax, Ms. C. She’s the next pony on my list that I intend to talk to anyways.” I thought about that golden ticket that was tucked into my vest. “It’s just another day for me, really.”

Her worried expression turned into a sad, then hopeful one as she heard my words. “I...well, if you’re sure. Thank you so much for your efforts. And I do hope your pleas for Cozy Glow are heard.”

“It ain’t nothing for a stallion of the law such as myself,” I turned to the side of the chair and rose to my hooves, “Would you like some tea? I’ve been brewing it more instead of coffee lately since you’ve got me hooked on the stuff.”

“I know, right?” her face lit up in agreement, “coffee is great and all, but as you get older, it stains and slowly rots your te--”

“..eeth!” I finished her sentence and we both laughed. “I know. I’m getting on in years also. But the last thing I want is my smile to be destroyed. Which kind would you like? I even have the rock tea straight from crystalized Empire leaves.”

“Ooh!” She clapped her hooves, “Let’s try it. And then we can start talking about our newer experiences that we’ve gained as we age!”

A topic like that? This teacher was certainly full of surprises. “What? Did you and the Mayor have that talk, and now you want to hear a stallion rant about his aging problems too?”

I snickered into my hoof as she stuttered out a response, “W--hey! It’s a completely valid topic! I don’t hear what stallions have to say very often.”

“I joke, I joke. I’ll be right back with the tea.”

As much as I wanted to deny it, she was right. The experiences of stallions and mares as they aged were a bit different. And given the sheer amount of mares that were around, I imagined it was hard to have a male friend explain his perspective of life as well as his woes.

So I did, I returned to Cheerilee with hot tea, and we sipped it as we discussed our problems. How much we didn’t understand current generation video games, the trouble understanding the language of younger ponies, and how young stallions felt pressured to find mares by their peers since there were just so many.

“...and don’t even get me started on the high school dance! There were so many of us girls that we had to constantly rotate partners! The Mayor and I felt so awkward.”

“I can feel that. At my school, we simply had a dance-off among the mares and stallions and the winners of both would be named king and queen of the floor.”

She gasped, “Didja win?”

I thought about it for a second, “Nope. I wasn’t much of a dancer. Got four left hooves. But it was fun to stumble around while I did what I thought was dancing.”

We both laughed again.

Huh. This felt good. I needed to do this more frequently.

Subject 13: Vacation With The Sun

A few days later, I surprised my crew with the ticket.

Corkscrew flew into the air. “A vacation? Woo!”

“Waity a Luna-damn minute,” Quick Draw stared me right in the face, “this isn’t a place where we work another one of your damn cases is it? Because if it is, not only am I not going, but I’m gonna stomp your--”

“Relax. This is a chance for us all to get away for awhile. I know you’ve been working hard, so I figured we could head to a resort.”

Quick tilted her head as she read the ticket a bit closer. “Uh...this place is for older ponies.”

I chuckled, “That’s what they want you to think. Turns out it’s a special resort affiliated with the same companies that run Las Pegasus. It’s advertised as a retirement community so foals won’t be interested.”

“What? Yoyoyoyo...no kids?!” Corkscrew started to dance in midair. “That’s the main reason why I don’t go out anymore. I can’t stand kids ruining everything.”

“Pff, you go out?” Quick Draw teased him with a raise of her hoof, “I thought you’d driven off every mare that you’d come in contact with.”

“Like you don’t do the same to every stallion.”

A low grumble came from Quick, but surprisingly, she gave a shrug instead, “Touche.”

“Now now, you two. This is our chance to relax and meet new ponies. Gain new experiences,” I went over to my filing cabinet, “We head out tomorrow. Is that okay with you both?”

Both my partners nodded.

“Sure, why not? Beats patrolling and getting nothing done around this place.”

“Yeah, I’m in!” Corkscrew swooped down, “But who’s gonna watch the place while we’re gone?”

I stood on my hind legs with my forelegs behind my back in a strategic sort of pose, “One step ahead of you, dear lad. You know our friend Flash Drive, stationed in the Empire?”

Quick tilted her head, “Yeah, but isn’t he busy? Like, he never drops his post for anything.”

“Exactly. That’s why I’ve invited his brother--come on out!” I turned around and pointed a hoof at the door with a grandiose expression.
That’s when he came in. A bat pony. Furry ears, fangs, slitted eyes. The works. He was a dull shade of navy blue, a burnt crimson mane, black eyes, and a magnifying glass for a cutie mark. His name?

“Neon Isotope at your service ladies and gents,” he stepped into our office. That Trottingham accent of his was rather smooth on the ears. Though I was surprised to see his front-right hoof had been replaced with a steam-powered prosthetic. A set of brass tubes that bent with hinges at a joint followed by a gold plated horseshoe to keep him balanced. “Old Vestige here said you were in need of my help to keep watch over your little abode.”

“Aw, thanks, sir! I see the Trottingham folks have really worked on their steam-enhanced weapons,” Cork said with admiration as he tapped the bat pony’s fake leg.

And he waved it around for us, “Yes, yes indeed. I can even feel things with it. It’s rather comforting, lads. Even though I lost me leg in the great war, I can still fight with the best of em!”

All the while, Quick Draw stood there with a rather pervasive stare. I suppose she had never seen a bat pony with a prosthetic before.

“Oh my gosh, he’s manly!”

Neon would extend his good off to her, “Good day, miss. We hear you’re one of the top members of the Agency with so many arrests made!”

“Uh...ah...haha, yeah!” She gave his hoof a shake...a rather awkward one, “It’s just...I’ve never seen one of your kind before.”

He retracted his leg, “Yes yes, I know. We fruit-lovers aren’t very common. But we get the job done. Ah, speaking of which--”

I nodded, “Don’t worry. There’s plenty of mangos, melons, and pears in our employee fridge.”

“Ah, wonderful, yes! Now go. All of you. Take some time off and let your superior handle the fort for a while.”

Cork had giggled at Quick’s flustered state for the past few minutes. “Oh, thank you sir. C’mon, QD!”

I gave a tip of my hat to the old-timer. He was fairly old-school in his way of thinking, but I respected it. “We’ll be gone for a few days. Don’t cause any trouble.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it!” he shouted as he waved us off.

And we all left. Out on the train to Silver Shoals. Or Seaward Shoals. The name was interchangeable. It was a simple train ride towards the coast.

We arrived at the small town, and took in the fresh air. Corkscrew flew high into the sky and Quick Draw drew in a big inhalation.

“Huh, not bad,” she said as she carried her bags off, “Maybe we can go for a swim?”

From up high, the pegasus stallion took a look over the horizon. “Ahh...yup. A perfect place to stretch the ol’ wings without having to worry about bumping into somepony.”

As trotted down to the lakeside plaza, I took note of just how quiet things were here compared to Ponyville. It made that little village seem like Manehattan by comparison.

Over near the main building…

“Sister! I have procured our turn to play checkers. Won’t you be so kind and--” Luna nearly dropped the clipboard she carried. “Well...it looks like he’s arrived.”

“Hm?” Celestia had her hair tied down in a bun for a more casual look. No fancy horseshoes or crown either. “Did you say something, Luna? I’m busy admiring myself.”

“The one I spoke of to you not long ago. He and his friends have arrived.”

The sun alicorn buried her face in the magazine she had been reading. “...Horse feathers. Please don’t tell me you want me to speak to him. You know how I get around regular ponies.”

“Tia, relax. It’s just a simple chat between two conflicting parties. If it helps, I will keep his friends distra--er, give them a tour so they can be more familiar. With their little vacation getaway.”

Celestia grumbled, “Hmph. Just how did they land this package anyways?”

“Yes, how indeed,” Luna said with a sassy, wry wink from behind her sister, “Anyhow. No point in dwelling on it. Today is hayburger night!” But her sister wasn’t persuaded. Not yet anyway. “I’ll put extra jalapenos on yours…” The moon princess added with a sing-song sort of tone.

“Hmmm…that does sound delicious. Fine. But only if you promise that we aren’t watching that stupid horror movie, Lunes.”

Luna scoffed and stomped her hoof, “Uh--b--stupid? I beg thy pardon! Mare of The Night on Elk Street is a top tier franchise!”

“How can you even say that? Its sole purpose is to make fun of your profession!” Celestia argued, “Going into ponies dreams to kill them? That’s ridiculous! Not to mention completely impossible.”

Luna simply giggled in response, “That, dear sister is what makes them so entertaining to watch. The acting is hilariously awful and the Mare of The Night herself is such a charismatic villain!”

Celestia rolled her eyes and flicked down a pair of shades. “To each their own, Luna. Now go intercept those Agent ponies.”

With a tiny smile, Luna levitated her sister’s shades away, “You’ll get these back once you speak to the youngling. Don’t get rough with him, now, alright~?” And before the sun pony could respond, she flickered and teleported across the resort.

“And we’re here,” I set our bags down in front of the building. “I suppose not much else to do except wait for--”

And we got a surprise visit from a former princess!

“Ah!”

“Greetings my little ponies! What be the hap? How’s that grind...?” Luna tried to speak like the ponies of today. She should stop. Now.

“Woah, Luna herself?” Cork landed before her and started to gaze around her form, “I’ve always wanted to meet you--outside of a dream that is.”

Quick gave an impressed whistle, “Well now that’s unexpected. I didn’t think Moonbutt would be here. Is Sunbutt here too?”

I shot the mare a look of disgust, and nearly opened my mouth to correct her, and yet, Luna didn’t mind at all. In fact, she laughed?

“Ohoho! Now that is an uncommon one,” her next sentence was spoken in a secretive whisper, “between you and I, her rear is rather large compared to mine. So the terminology is not inaccurate in the slightest. Given how large the sun is compared to the moon, hehehe.”

Well now. Once she had that crown off, Luna was an entirely different pony. And yet, still familiar. I liked that. Her casual demeanor allowed both Cork and Quick to laugh with her for a moment.

“I have taken it upon myself to show you two around this lovely little village.”

“Wait for real?” Cork asked, and looked at me, “But what about our homie Pale?”

“Oh don’t fret. My sister will tend to him, personally,” she looked at me with her nightmarish smirk from the other night. I shuddered at the thought of seeing her do it again. “That won’t be a problem will it, sir?”

I shook my head, “None. You two follow Luna, and we’ll catch up later alright?”

Cork nodded, completely smitten with the idea. That scamp. “Okay! I’ve always wanted to hang with a princess.”

As they followed the mare of the night, Quick would correct him. “She’s not a princess anymore, you nut. But you’re right, it’s so cool.”

I trotted in after them, and took our bags to our respective rooms. Once that was done, I took my time to locate the big white-coated mare with a sun cutie mark. Hopefully it wouldn’t take long--and there she was. Relaxing near the shore of one of the lakes.

Alright, let’s begin. I casually slipped outside and into the seat next to her. “Soo...nice weather we’re having?”

“Hello there,” she said lightly, her nose buried in a magazine, “and yes. The calm breeze and chirping birds are a rather nice combination to listen to.”

I put my hooves behind my head, “Indeed.” I allowed silence to linger between us for a while before I spoke up. “Alright, listen. Celestia. I know you don’t govern the land anymore. But even so, your stance on the matter is invaluable.”

She sighed and put the magazine down. “Why don’t we go for a walk, hm?” she rose from her seat and stretched her legs. Jeez, up close, they were super long. Probably easy to cramp up too.

“Sure, why not?” I shrugged and got up with her. She started to trot along the little dirt trail that surrounded the resort, and I followed after her.

“Pale Vestige...I’m sure you’re aware that Equestria is a place of long history rampant with conflict, right?”

“Yes...from Grogar to the pony races, to Discord to Nightmare Moon--” I stopped myself so that she could continue.

“Only very recently has Equestria known true peace,” she continued to explain, “as a result, many ponies have...fallen back into less than desirable habits. But even so, things are at there best right now.”

I turned my head and looked up at her as we kept moving, “So you want nothing to change? Is that the reason why you don’t want to see Cozy Glow brought back?”

It took her a moment to respond. “...Not quite. A common argument that gets brought up is the fact that individuals such as Trixie, Discord, and Starlight were all reformed. And Sunset as well, given the letters she sends me from her world.”

So she was aware of that? Good. I nodded, “I am. But why is it that you’re willing to extend all of them a helping hoof but not Cozy Glow? A child. Moreover, why was she immediately sent to Tartarus?”

“Somepony who could steal both mine and my sister’s magic is deemed too dangerous to be kept alive on the surface. That may sound harsh to you, but she clearly had no remorse for her actions. Therefore, we had no choice but to send her there.”

“Okay...fine.” I swallowed that pill for the sake of the next card I threw. “But I’m sure you’re aware that Discord was the whole reason she was able to escape, what with the false Grogar persona. It’s due to him and the way he manipulated those villains that they escaped, and how Cozy was able to subsequently work with Tirek and Chrysalis, and become the most powerful being in existence.” I stopped in place, my eyes shot daggers down the alicorn’s face, “How can you live knowing that you accidentally created your worst enemy due to your draconian style?”

She had also stopped. I could tell my words had pierced her skin in some way. Whether it was positive or negative, I had no clue. She shut her eyes. “...I...admit, that was somewhat callous of us. We neglected to consider that someone like Discord could enter Tartarus at will. That, I have no excuse for.”

“And yet you allow him to roam free. He caused all of that nonsense, and he’s still free?”

The alicorn opened her eyes and looked off to the side. There had to be a reason for her actions. I knew it. I waited patiently for her answer. “He is...his actions had reason that not many are aware of.”

WE INTERRUPT THIS TENDER MOMENT TO BRING YOU A SPECIAL MESSAGE!

The entire scene paused like a video playback.

“Cut!” Discord shouted from a director’s chair. “Ahem--yes, that’s me. You’re probably wondering how I ended up in this situation. Turns out Celestia is half-right. There’s actually a bit more that none of you were able to witness,” with a snap of his finger-claws, a memory began to play over the present.

Many years ago…

“Discord...I’m not mad...but what in the fresh flying Tartarus were you thinking?!” Celestia angrily berated the draconequus, her entire body nearly caught her throne ablaze in her rage.

“Calm yourself, Tia...you don’t want to put yourself in the hot seat do you?” Discord’s paw-hand pointed to the throne which began to smoke.

The alicorn’s rage blinded her as she screamed out. “Quiet! What sort of reasoning or excuse could you possibly give for setting loose some of the most dangerous individuals in Equestria?! You should be ashamed of yourself. I should’ve left you in that stone statue when I had the chance...”

It seemed like he was genuinely hurt byu the idea that he hadn’t changed. A dark rain cloud floated above his head. Discord suddenly donned a raincoat to fend off the barrage of droplets. “Hmph, well that’s rather harsh, isn’t it? I was only trying to show them the power of friendship through a lesson.”

Celestia wanted to hear this. Maybe all hope wasn’t lost for him. Yet. “You? Wanted to teach them the power of friendship? By letting them go?”

The chimera monster had an umbrella to compliment the coat to protect him from the rain. “Of course. I figured Twilight and her little friends would be able to get through to those three villains and show them the right path. I’m still rather inexperienced when it comes to this ‘friendship’ stuff. So I figured if I took a risk, it would pay off…” he slumped over with a sigh, “But I suppose it didn’t.”

The sun princess also sighed, and weighed the validity of what Discord said to her. Such a risky move could have benefitted them all if it was played out more tactfully. But it was Discord. Tact wasn’t in his vocabulary.

She zapped the rain cloud away with her magic. “Rise, Discord. Now that I know what your intentions were, I can carry out the next course of action.”

With the rain gone, Discord’s face lit up with sparkles as he gasped. “Ah! It’s true! You understood my plight and are willing to let me go?”

There was a demonic smirk on Celestia’s face. “Ohohoho. When did I ever say that?”

“There you are! You’re in big trouble, mister!”

With a horse-like bray, Discord turned around to see his one and only best, friend at the entrance to the throne room. “F-fluttershy?” She was not happy. In fact, one could say that she was rather annoyed.

“I heard every word,” she stomped over and stared the chaos being in the eyes, “You made a huge mistake enacting such a dangerous plan. What if my friends got hurt? Or worse?!”

His one true weakness. Discord started to stutter through his explanation. “I-I, no, no, no. Listen. I was only doing it for the good of--”

“Enough!” Fluttershy whistled and one of her bear friends came in to grab and restrain Discord. “You and I are going to spend a long time together discussing the nature of your powers, Discord. Just because you can use them in unimaginable ways to help your friends, doesn’t mean you always should.”

Celestia jumped in, “You are hereby under house arrest with Fluttershy for the next year. If you attempt to leave, we’ll know….with this.” With a flicker, a magical beeper device would appear on Discord’s horn.

He huffed, and allowed himself to be held hostage by the bear. There was no point in trying to escape. Fluttershy would just find him later anyway. “What? Just what did I do to deserve--oh, right. And if I refuse?”

“Oh I think Fluttershy will know just how to deal with you…”

The yellow mare was less aggressive now, and spoke with her usual caring tone of voice again. “That’s right. Now come on. We’re going to have a nice long chat over some tea, relax, and play games, then read stories to Angel!”

“Oh...phooey.”

Back to the present…

“And that’s how I learned that maybe some ponies, changelings, and centaurs just can’t change no matter how much friendship you offer them.”

A certain yellow pegasus cleared her throat.

“Ugh...and that my powers aren’t to be abused. Luckily she doesn’t know that I’ve essentially hit pause on the world--”

“I HEARD THAT.”

Discord frantically reached for a remote to engage playback once more. Once he did, he feverishly pressed play. “Eeek! Uh, back to the show, everypony!”

“DISCORRRRRD!”

TRANSMISSION END.

I looked left, then right. What a strange sensation I just felt. No matter. The explanation the princess provided was so...vivid. It was like I was actually there. It caused conflicted feelings within me. “I...so that misguided creature claimed he did it for the sake of friendship...and you believed him?”

“I had no reason to doubt Fluttershy’s knowledge of Discord will aid him in his control of his abilities.”

Something about this didn’t sit right with me. I had to tell it like it was. “And you gave him another chance, even trusted him with one of Twilight’s closest friends. But Cozy? What did she get? I’m sorry, but this smells of bias. Complete, emotion-fueled bias. What kind of leader makes these kinds of decisions?”

She paused. I could tell my words struck a chord with her. I couldn’t tell if she was surprised to hear someone say something like that to her face, or if she was ready to toss me to the moon. “You really think the reason I allow Discord to draw breath is due to emotions?” her voice grew cold, and slowly grew in strength with each word that passed from her lips, “You dare assume that I wouldn’t put the safety of my little ponies above my own desires? Sister and I were the ones who imprisoned him in the first place! And then, when she grew bitter and lost herself to the darkness, I had to send her to the moon for the safety of herself and everyone alive! Followed by Tirek, and all those who continued to threaten the lives of my kin.”

I blinked. Never did I imagine the alicorn princess could get so...aggressive. I pegged her for a passive figurehead that did whatever she pleased on a whim. I suppose I was wrong in this regard. But I stayed silent. I wanted to hear her perspective.

“For those one-thousand years Luna was gone, I had to manage the Sun and Moon all by myself. And continue to orchestrate harmony through Equestria with twice the workload and half the hooves. It was torture,” she sat down in the grass as she further recounted her past, “everypony always assumes living the life of a princess is easy. But it isn’t. Do you have any idea what it’s like to have to put on a false image to maintain the appearance of someone who always knows what they’re doing so everyone’s faith is put at ease?”

What a shocker. I decided to take a seat next to her in the grass, “...Yes. I do, actually.”

“What?”

Damn. What was I doing? I was comparing myself to a being who probably existed for thousands of years longer than I could ever hope. But it was too late to turn back at this point. I couldn’t bear to look at her, though. My face was hidden beneath my hat. “...As a colt, I was rowdy, rambunctious. Regularly acted out to hide myself behind a fake name and fake ponysona of a boar. One who enjoyed violence. I was born into it, molded by it. In the end, I led a small army of kids my age into a street war that nearly destroyed us all. Nobody taught me the ABCs, or how to read, or the powers of friendship. I played on the hard concrete. My entire life was rummaging through trash on the streets for my next meal.”

Aw, shit. Dammit. Not again. My emotions are getting away from me. But I couldn’t stop. I didn’t want to quit not.

“So I think I know very well what it’s like to grow up living with no one to care for my feelings. That’s why I had to harden them over the years. But now...in my line of work, I feel a personal duty to ensure what happened to me doesn’t happen to anyone else. That is why I want to save Cozy Glow.”

A long, awkward silence lingered between the both of us. I had kept my face hidden due to the fact that I shed tears. Something that was both rare and embarrassing for someone like me. I refused to display my vulnerability out of...fear. Dammit. It’s a vicious cycle!

“?” I felt something. Something soft and feathery. Turns out the alicorn used one of her wings to wipe away my tears.

“Pale...I had no idea. I’m actually rather grateful that you would take your time to explain your stance. Now I have a better understanding.”

I didn’t know how to respond to this. She didn’t explicitly state she agreed, however I was happy that she was a compassionate soul. “Uh...thank you?”

“In fact…now that you’ve taken the time to explain your pain,” she rose from her spot on the grass, “Do you wish to understand my true pain?”

I moved my hat out of the way so I could properly look at her. That was a generous offer. Maybe if I did take time to understand Celestia better, she would do the same for me. I imagine that it was hard for someone in her position to be taken seriously by someone who wasn’t her former student.

“Your...pain?”

She nodded, “It’s...a side of myself that I have closed off from everypony out of fear for their safety. But...I think it would present a nice challenge for you.”

A challenge? If that’s what she decided to present me with, so be it. This was a vacation for my two crew members after all. Me? I worked non-stop. “Alright...I accept.”

With a flicker of her horn, she teleported us both to her room in their new home. It was just a short hop away from the main resort. Inside, it was rather massive. Bright red velvet carpeting, sun patterned wallpapers, and curtains of stars. Perfect for somepony as large as she was. The entire room was the half size of a house on its own with a massive bed/throne on one side, a massive TV on the other. Just...massive everything. Her room also had loads of decorations dedicated to musical sensations including Vinyl Scratch and the Ponytones. A messy bookshelf, and a dirty pile of saddles in the laundry.

“Wow I’m impressed…?”

She giggled, “Don’t deny it. I’m a bit of a slob like everypony else can be. It’s fine if you think that way.”

I laughed and scratched the back of my head, “Heh...right. So...what is it that you wanted to show me?”

Her smile turned into a distant frown fairly quickly, “I...in addition to all the weights I have shouldered over the thousands of years I’ve been around. There’s been...something else within me. Something that stirs, and is powered by my unbridled frustration and rage…” she turned around.

“And that would be…?”

The doors suddenly locked, and the room suddenly had a magical barrier around it. “Brace yourself.”

I felt the room start to heat up. Her tail and mane began to smoke. I was concerned, but was ready to brave this challenge.

Outside, at the resort…

“Wow, that Cherry Jubilee lady was super cool!” Corkscrew munched on a few cherry tarts.

“Tch,” Quick Draw gave an annoyed scowl, “I wonder why she gave you so many more.”

“What can I say? Ladies love me. Because I have a winning personality, unlike someone,” he teased as he swallowed another bundle of the treats. The earth pony mare simply growled.

Luna nudged her with a hoof, “Don’t worry. She’s always a bit more sweet on the stallions than the mares. It’s no big deal, really. Now, next stop on our tour will be the small villa that sister and I have--”

A sudden shout from Luna and Celestia’s home, disturbed the former night princess.

“OH YEAH! I’M BACK. And hotter than ever! Come hither, young stallion. Let’s see if you can handle me…”

Luna froze. Her mouth was agape and her cheeks turned a shade of red. Neither Quick Draw nor Corkscrew dared to disturb her.

“....”

After a long and worrisome silence, Luna snapped out of her stupor. “...You two, get back inside. You didn’t hear a thing, under--”

She didn’t have to say anything more. The two ponies raced inside as soon as they were given the order.

“Looks like our buddy Pale’s got himself stuck in a hot pocket, huh?” the pegasus said with a cackle as they ran back inside.

Quick sighed. “I’d slug you...but that was kinda funny. I can’t hate.”

“...Let’s snoop after her. It’s our job, after all.”

“...Gah, I hate it when you make good points and ideas. C’mon…”

Subject 14: Stellar Heatwave

“Well, well, well...my foolish other half finally decided to take a break for a change, didn’t she?” The motherly Celestia was replaced with a razor-toothed, demonic-looking, fiery alicorn. She was hot. No seriously. Her mane and tail were actual fire. “And just who are you?”

Thankfully, Celestia put up a barrier to confine herself to this room. Nothing was going to get in or out.

I sat down and observed the blazing queen. “You...you’re Celestia’s hidden aggression ponified. Daybreaker.”

“Ohoho! More like her hidden potential, young stallion,” she cackled as she sauntered over to me with a flip of her mane, “I’m the stronger, smarter, and more attractive version of that weak-minded simpleton! Haven’t you ever wondered why she let Twilight and her wittle friends handle all the big bad dangers of the world?” she asked in a mocking tone with her hooves pressed against my cheeks.

I swatted them away, and gave an equally mocking answer. “Because it was a valuable lesson in friendship?”

“No you dummy! It was because Tia is afraid. Afraid of suffering, afraid of disappointing her ‘little ponies’, and afraid of losing Twilight and her precious friends because of how much of an asset they are to my rule! Losing Luna for a thousand years made her weak heart even weaker...her stress grew. She knew she’d be too weak to constantly raise and lower both the sun and moon without her help…I offered her a way out, but she refused, ultimately leading in her sister’s safe return.” She turned to the side and flicked her flame tail, her eyes half-lidded, clearly an attempt to charm me, “But I’ll always be there...nagging her head and asking: What if? What if she gave into me sooner? What if she embraced her full potential? What if she never held back?”

It took me a moment to process what she was saying. Was this the true state of being of our former ruler? Someone so broken and haunted by what could be, that she was never able to embrace what should be? Is this the reason for...no way.

“So is that why she trained Twilight so readily?” I tilted my head, “Just in case her weak mind gave in to the flames of rage.”

As I spoke, Daybreaker would attempt to cast spells on the walls, only for them to have no effect. “Heh. Classic Tia. Always closing off the perimeter before she brings me out,” she turned to me again. “And you’re smarter than you look for a hunk of stallion meat. Ahahah! In case Celestia ever truly gave in to me and couldn’t control me, she made Twilight and her friends ready to use the same Elements of Harmony she so readily made use of but couldn’t control. In doing that, she ensured that Equestria would always be safe, even if she mentally wasn’t.”

I started to put my brain on it some more, but my train of thought was interrupted when the overheated alicorn slunk over to me with one of her hooves around my neck, “Um...hey now--”

“Have I ever mentioned that she’s always wanted a special somepony she can talk to as an equal? Someone that doesn’t have a shitty sleep schedule like her sister or a platonic student like Twilight?”

It was awkward to be in such close proximity to the mare while she brought up her relationship problems. “I...see. So she’s also very lonesome?”

“Oh you wouldn’t believe! But between you and me, she’s got a soft spot for Discord, but he’s never returned the sentiment, hmhmhm. Oh how much of a wreck she is!”

That didn’t surprise me at all. I knew the alicorn had some sort of feelings toward the being of chaos, hence why she was willing to give him extra chances. Even still, Daybreaker herself would provide an interesting perspective that would likely be more honest than Celestia.

“Okay then, what’s your--”

She cut me off with even more uncomfortable contact. Now she was nuzzling the side of my cheek with her own, “Can’t you feel it? That burning passion that she’s held back for so long? You of all ponies should be able to sense my troubles, since you’re such a great detective,” she drew a hoof right across my neck as her hot breath hit the side of my face.

Being quite honest, it was a rush, but I hated it. Why did she have to go to such great lengths to prove herself? Regardless, through the contact, I was able to sense her magic. Her aura was rather negative. So negative in fact, that I could feel her frustration. “I...see…”

“Yes, don’t you? But you have an opportunity, Mr. Vestige. You have the chance to become my king--”

“Ahah...no,” I laughed and pushed her away. Such a cliche method of temptation, honestly. “I’m married to my work. I don’t have time for any sort of commitment. More importantly, I’m busy in my pursuit of--”

“Cozy Glow. Yes. I’m aware. But you can’t just solve a problem without breaking a few eggs if you catch my drift.”

“Coming from you, that’s a laugh. Given that all you do is shoot magic and a problem and hope it goes away.”

Her flame grew. Seemed like the idea of her power being challenged was accepted as a more personal attack. She stepped toward me again, “Ooh...a feisty one, I like that about you. Because I am all-powerful, I need not worry about such things like that. Twilight and her little group of friends were always there when I needed them to handle the more intricate work.”

I sighed. Now it seemed like she considered herself and Celestia one and the same for that. “So you bottled up your insecurities due to the fact that you had nopony to turn to to properly discuss your problems.”

“Hmph,” she walked a bit closer and started to circle around me, “once again you prove that the youth of today isn’t lacking intelligence. That is exactly where I came from. Her rage, her passion, everything Tia has expressed but pushed down to avoid hurting others. I am her. She is I.”

The more I thought about it, the more this felt like the opening to one of those poorly done adult movies for mares and stallions. Her tail, while made of fire, was only slightly warm as it trailed beneath my chin. The queen’s gait had a more sensual sort of style now, with emphasis on her swaying...rear. “Uh-huh...and you wish to help her?”

“Naturally. Only by embracing her true power can she even come close to atoning for all of the problems she’s caused with her insecurities. Until then, I’ll be there...constantly in her mind...unless…” she stopped, and her tail flicked at my nose, “a certain somepony can help her?”

“Hmph.”

Meanwhile…

“Ugh! Why did sister insist on owning a place so large?!” Luna groaned as she searched every room in the house. That dominating sort of cackle could have come from anywhere. “I’ve checked the basement, the home theatre, the dining room, living room, kitchen, balconies, game room. All that’s left is the attic and our bedrooms. Oh dear Pale what is sister doing to you…?” She sighed and hurried up the stairs.

In their bedroom…

“Come now, dear boy. You’re wasting the opportunity of a lifetime! A literal goddess is offering herself to you and you ignore her?”

“You know I can relate to you in some ways?”

She scoffed and lied down next to me, “This will be good. Go on, my little detective. Indulge me.”

“The power. Feeling insecure about yourself...wanting to bury those feelings down. But it’s not healthy. You can’t just shy away from them forever.”

“Tch! Easy for you to say, Mr. Everypony. Sit on your ass in a throne for dozens of centuries and then try to have a legitimate companion that doesn’t like you for your status. Not to mention a portion of those centuries without your only sister to properly rely on. You get jaded as shit, kid.”

My head hung down. I couldn’t imagine what it was like to go on living for so long without someone to properly communicate with. To my left, Corkscrew was always there to support me. Even with my craziest ideas, he was always there. As soon as we were freshmen of the Officer’s Academy, he stuck with me, and I by him. He was never bullied while I was around, and I never failed an assignment due to his guidance. To my right, Quick Draw served as my rival in the Academy. She rarely showed her emotions, but she did care for us, even when she constantly scolded me and my plans. It was nice to have someone to keep close by in case things went horns/wings up. She had my flank, and we gave her reasonable outlets to rage at.

And me? I was their leader. A visionary for their lives. I assumed the rank of Squad Leader and became their guide as we opened our investigative studio. Fond memories of us, there were. Heh. I vividly remember the first time Corkscrew busted a set of robbers disguised as old mares. And Quick Draw using her wits to end some not-so-legal gem smuggling.

I looked up. Daybreaker was on her back, stretching. This again? Really? Even so...I started to understand her feelings. “...I think I get it now. Well, not entirely. I haven’t lived as long as you have, so I could never fully understand you. But...I think I want to help.”

One of her ears flicked, then that demonic smile stretched across her face, “Oh? You’re finally willing to help this beautiful goddess? Given that you settled for those regular mares down in Ponyville, you must have rather low standards.” She stood up, “Come with me, then. I’m done playing the subtlety game. I promise I won’t get too rough with you--”

“Excuse me? I’ve settled with nopony.” Standards? Just who was she referring to? I had no relations with anyone so far. “What? No. I’m going to give you something you likely haven’t gotten before: A chance.”

She started to lean against me once more. I began to sweat, but couldn’t really move due to her strong, overbearing...magic. “Mm-hmm...your eyes say no, but I know who you’ve dealt with. The schoolteacher, that rich old mare, that nature-loving yoga case…you settle for them and don’t bother giving me a look?” Her tail flicked, and she glared at me, “A chance for what?”

“I have not interfaced with any of those individuals. What I offer is a chance to work off your stress,” I tilted my head left and right to crick my neck and loosen my joints. “Come at me. We’re the same aren’t we, Daybreak? We should have an equal understanding of each other through combat?”

“Hah! I could squash you like a changeling egg in no time. What makes you think you stand a chance against someone as striking as myself?” she closed her eyes and boasted arrogantly.

I used this as an opportunity to play my most tactical and devastating card yet.

“Your flank is fat.”

“INSOLENT FOOL!”

A blast of heat...fire? Plasma? I had no idea. But a blast of it erupted from her horn. But I managed to dodge it fairly easily. In fact, the timing of her shooting was completely off. Was she losing control? It increased the temperature of the room as well, which made my eyes water. The amount of breathable air was slowly being snuffed out around me.

“HOW DARE YOU? MY FLANK IS NOT FAT IT’S….ROUND!”

“That’s what I mean,” I explained as the blast evaporated harmlessly against the barrier Celestia had put up, “You’re surrounded by those who no longer see you as subjects or you can see as slaves. You’re not the princess anymore. You’re a regular pony like the rest of us.”

“Bah! As if I were to listen to someone who grew up soaked in the blood of the enemies he defeated!”

Ick. That was one part of my past I hoped no one would ever recall, as true as it was. Another heat blast was sent my way, and I ducked beneath it. “Think about Cozy Glow. Think about how you threw a child’s life away simply because her thoughts didn’t align with yours!”

“Idiot! She threw her own life away! Nothing will ever change that!”

“Had it not been for Discord’s manipulation, she could be a fully grown, free mare after serving her time. But instead you want to be blind to your mistakes?!”

“I am perfect! I make no mistakes!”

Hot damn--literally. This was the key. This was the voice in Celestia’s head that kept her going but in the worst possible way. Always assuring that her decisions were correct and serve a greater purpose in the end, even if they seemed crazy and out of left field at first glance.

My eyes were red, my breaths had become labored and I started to cough. I felt like I was being cooked alive, but I had to get through to her somehow.

Blasts in rapid fire succession shot out. One came dangerously close to singing my legs. But again, I knew she wasn’t attacking with intent to kill. This was nothing more than an exercise of stress for her. Something to release her pent up rage upon.

Outside the door…

“Aha! I found--” Luna paused as she heard voices from behind the door.

“Yes! Squirm harder! Faster! Dance for me you fool!”

“Alright then, let’s dance!”

A blush tinged the moon pony’s cheeks. Yelps and grunts were heard and she felt uncomfortable. “Was sister actually...no! Impossible!” She had to take a peek...just one. But as soon as her hoof tapped the doorknob, she retracted it due to a painful shock.

“Ow! A barrier spell?” Her horn lit up, and she attempted to teleport in, but was bounced out rather swiftly. She landed right on her tail. “Gah! Did she know that I would come…?”

More grunting occurred from the other side of the door followed by the sound of furniture that rocked and creaked. Possibly being thrown about.

“Okay...I just need to take a moment and undo the spell…” Her horn lit up once more…

“Come on, you’re almost there!”

“You lowlife mortal! Put more effort in!”

“I should just walk away, right now.”

Inside the room…

“I think I’ve done quite enough,” I stopped moving and blew some ash off my snout, “you know you have loads of ponies here that are willing to treat you as an equal. It’s time to start acting like one.”

“Gah...but how will I face her…” I couldn’t believe it. There was remorse in those fiery, demonic eyes. “Tia...she hates me, wants me gone. Pushes me away...even though I am just as much part of her as Nightmare Moon is to Luna.”

I sat down on the bed. I was slowly coming down from the effects of the smoke and my eyes were returning to their normal color. “I’m no therapist or expert on your situation, but to me...you need to...accept that your past is a part of you and acknowledge your mistakes. That’s the only way I’ve managed to keep this job without going insane for so long.”

The fiery queen plopped next to me. The bed dropped down in her direction. “Just how much have you endured?”

“You don’t wanna know,” I shuddered at the thought of bringing up my darkest exploits, “you may have lived longer than I, but I’ve witnessed just as much bloodshed. At my own hooves and the hooves of others. But it’s not too late for you. You can turn your life around and make real friends...just as I did. Now do you understand my fight for Cozy Glow?”

Silence from the mare as she lied down on her bed. Her fiery mane and tail dissipated along with the barrier. That’s when her younger sister fell through the doorway.

“Ah! Ouch…” she looked up at us both, “Sister...is everything...are you doing...things to this stallion?”

“No, Luna.” She sat up, and dusted herself off, “I was just showing him what my true feelings were, and...I think I learned something.”

“Oh?” This shocked the former princess of the night. I suppose it was rather shocking to hear that she had learned something from someone like me. I was only doing my job. “This ought to be entertaining. Tell me, what did you gain from your chat, sister?”

“For one, that I probably should’ve put Discord under higher security a long time ago.”

Luna rolled her eyes, “Yes. That is very much certain.”

“What? You mean you thought so too?!”

“Pfft. Of course I did. Discord may be nicer now than he was thousands of years ago, but I never thought he was truly on the right path yet. That is why I rejoiced when you announced his house arrest to Fluttershy’s home all those years ago. He’s too much of a--how do the foals say--loose cannon.”

“I see...as for the main topic at hoof, Cozy Glow...I apologize, but I do not have any authority on the matter. We no longer govern this land. That decision will be up to Princess Twilight.”

I nodded. That much was obvious. Aside from that, I still required her opinion on the matter itself. “Understood. But my question to you is: Do you think she deserves forgiveness? Do you think she’s learned something in her banishment? Can she be saved?”

Celestia gave a heavy sigh, unable to even look at me for a moment.

“Please sister, be honest. The stallion is merely doing his job,” Luna persuaded her, “Regardless of your stance on the matter, know that I will not abandon you.”

The princess looked like she was two steps away from sobbing. “I...I don’t know. On one hoof, I genuinely don’t think Cozy Glow will have learned anything if she was so easily influenced by Discord’s trick and plotted with Chrysalis and Tirek to destroy us all. She seemed content to throw away everything she had for the sake of power, and I’m afraid she’ll simply do it once more when she’s released. Something I still don’t understand…it’s very possible she’s been plotting revenge this entire time.”

Okay. That was perfectly reasonable. “And on the other hoof?”

“...I feel like the child could possibly turn over a new leaf if given the opportunity. Luna herself was that troubled child once before…”

“Boo!”

“AH!” I leapt and fell off the bed. She donned that Nightmare appearance for the briefest of seconds. “Really funny…”

Celestia giggled a bit at the joke. A bit of levity never hurt anyone I suppose. But she continued her explanation. “Luna was once in her position as well. So I can understand. There also may have been...hidden demons behind her face. A mask she wore to cover her true intentions and desires...just as I with Daybreaker.”

I got up and shrugged. “Well, it’s obvious Chrysalis was trying to run the hive in her own sick, twisted way that she felt was best for the changelings--even though it wasn’t very good. Tirek wanted to prove that he could be better than his younger brother, Scorpan. Sombra...was just hellbent on taking back the empire out of his burning desire to prove himself and his worth. I dunno...maybe it’s possible that Cozy Glow’s motivations ran deeper than simple power?”

“What makes you say that?” Luna asked.

I turned my back and looked out the window with a somber feeling in my throat. I thought I heard a tapping noise outside, but it must’ve been my imagination. “In my line of work...I’ve found those who claim they have no reason for being the way they are, are lying. There’s always something somewhere that causes an individual to turn into who they are. In my opinion, no one is simply born evil or good. It’s how they’re raised and treated as an individual that determines everything. For example,” I turned back around and pointed at Celestia, “You weren’t born the caring, kind figure you always are. You took care of your sister and that kindness that brewed between the two of you is what led you to lead Equestria and defend it from those such as Discord when he first appeared.”

“That is...one way you could look at it, I suppose.”

I pointed to Luna. “And you...you weren’t born as Nightmare Moon. The darkness inside you brewed as a result of your jealousy. But once you overcame it, you became yourself and returned to who you truly were, right?”

“...Indeed.”

I tapped my hoof on my neck. “And I...well, I’ve already explained my background. But I wasn’t born an investigator, nor a bloodlusted colt. It’s who I decided to become that ultimately mattered. With that in mind, I’m willing to put my cards on the fact that Cozy Glow was not born this way, and she only acted the way she did due to the way her environment treated her. Is that a fair assessment?”

“But by that logic...why not free Chrysalis and Tirek also?” Celestia questioned me.

“Precisely, good guess. They’re fully grown immortal beings who have sunk so far into who they are, that there is no hope left for them. But Cozy? She’s a child. One who has the capacity to come face-to-face with her wrongdoings, and potentially correct them. Is that not also a fair assessment?”

While Celestia hesitated, Luna nodded. Seemed she understood more than her older sister. “Given that the occurrence of Nightmare Moon occurred during my adolescence as an alicorn...I quite agree.”

The sun princess closed her eyes and nodded once. If her sister was in agreement, then it only followed that she would be also. “If...I were to agree, what would be your next course of action, Pale?”

“Bring my case to Twilight. Only she can give the final say in the matter. From there...well, it’s on her.”

Silence between the three of us. It was a rather long and tiresome experience we had dealt with today. That’s when Luna suggested something. “Alright, everypony. Let’s head back to the resort and get some food. You need not make a decision right away, Tia. Pale and his friends will be here for the weekend.”

“That’s right. And for the record, my apologies for the comment about your rear end…”

Celestia laughed, “That’s quite alright. It was funny to see Daybreaker rage at the comment. And it’s partially true…” she blushed.

Luna trotted out of the room in a huff, “You need to make use of the resort’s gym, Tia! It’s there for a reason!”

“Hey hey...I will. Soon,” the sun goddess followed her out, “I’m too caught up in tasting all the food here.”

“That is the exact problem, sister!”

THUNK!

“Huh?” I heard a noise outside of the window, and ran over. There was nothing there at first glance. So I opened it. That’s when I found a gold trim emblem made of satin not unlike the one that Flurry Heart found. It had the letter ‘E’ on it. “...Hmm…” I put the piece in a bag and tucked it into my jacket before I left the room. “Very similar to the other one…”

But before I could get all the way out, I flopped down on the floor like a sack of rocks. As it turned out, the excess heat I endured from being trapped in a sealed room with an individual that was literally on fire caused me to pass out from smoke inhalation. I couldn’t move, it was hard to breathe, and the entire world went black. All I could do was pray that someone noticed.

And that there’d be some food left by the time I came to.

Subject 15: The Setting Sun

I woke up the next day with a rather disturbed gasp in a hospital bed. “AH!” I looked around. Everything seemed to be normal. I was in the Silver Shoals hospital. Okay, that was for certain. I had a breathing device placed over my muzzle to introduce oxygen into my body.

“Calm down, sir,” a voice called out as someone entered the room. A mare, most likely. Indeed, it was Nurse Redheart. But what was she doing here?

“Hm? But you’re…”

“I decided to volunteer and help you out. You’ve endured some rather nasty burns, sir. Something about a fire accident? Try and take it easy. You’ve been here since yesterday.”

Nice way to hide the fact that I nearly suffocated to death due to hidden demonic powers of a being that was thousands of years old. But I accepted it. “I see...how long before I get out of here?”

She handed me a mirror, and explained, “Not long. Once you’re able to breathe properly again, you should be fine. No lasting damage occurred. Well, except…”

My coat had been singed in various places which left me a few burn patches. “Ouch…”

“That should also heal soon. Just be more careful next time, alright?”

“Yeah...thanks, Nurse.”

I put the mirror aside and lied down. Thankfully, my vest and hat would hide the extent of the damage, but I would certainly be walking awkwardly for a while.

After a few hours of rest, Quick Draw and Corkscrew were outside of the small hospital. Guess they waited for me. How kind of them.

“Boss!” The pegasus stallion flew over and gave me a hug, “You’re alright. I nearly freaked out…”

Quick was a bit more sympathetic than usual. It scared me. “...I’m sorry about what happened. Wanna go relax together?” she said with an intense blush.

Corkscrew was just as shocked as I was. Our mouths both agape in shock as we looked at each other.

“What? What the hell are the faces for? I care for my friends when it counts ya know!” she snarled, and avoided eye contact with us.

“Sorry, it’s just...rather unexpected. But you’re right, you’re our friend...and I appreciate it,” I went up and gave her a hug. I heard her gasp. I suppose she wasn’t expecting a close embrace from me given how much we butted heads with each other. But I genuinely cared for the mare. She was someone I could always rely on. “Thank you.”

“...” She was hesitant, but eventually she warmed up to it. I felt her hooves wrap around me as well.

“Bring it in, you guys!” Corkscrew joined us, and we all huddled up. “Now that that’s out of the way, we’ve got some...news.”

The group hug broke apart, and I made a mental note of Quick’s disappointment over the fact that the embrace didn’t last longer. How cute. But I needed to listen to what the stallion would say, “What’s the matter, kid?”

“Well, after your conversation with the former princesses, you kinda dropped due to the smoke. Celestia feels pretty bad about it and wants to talk to ya when she gets a chance.”

“Alright...you two take the rest of the time off. No more work-related stuff for either of you. Go have fun.”

“You sure, boss?

“Of course, Cork. Now go, that’s an order.”

“Alrighty, boss. I’ll go and try out the golf course. Tia should be waiting in the bowling alley for ya.”

Quick Draw didn’t say a word. She simply flicked her tail and trotted down the path towards the outdoor arts and crafts table.

They were both so...unflappable in their own unique ways. I loved it.

I made my way down the path near the river, and entered the bowling alley. The sound of crashing pins and balls were murder on my ears. Admittedly, I had never been to one of these places in...how long? I know there was one in Manehattan but...ah, whatever. I trotted up to the lanes. There I found the sun alicorn utilizing her magic to toss the ball with a worried look on her face.

“Surprise. I’m fine.”

“Ah!” She let out a yelp--I didn’t think it was possible to surprise her. In her scare, she flung the ball down with her magic, and it landed as a gutter. “Oh...pardon me. I should’ve been more aware.”

I took minor satisfaction in that bit of revenge through the pins I caused her to miss. “Everything’s fine. I was told to come see you, yes?”

“That’s correct,” she spoke as she levitated the 20-pound ball. Wait, they had 20 pound balls? “Firstly, I wanted to apologize for the damage Daybreaker caused you.”

I laughed it off. “Hahaha. No issues. I’ve been through worse, if you can believe it.”

“Given what your friends told me, I’m perfectly aware,” she flung the ball and eagerly watched it. I couldn’t help but do the same, and the ball crashed into all the pins with a perfect strike. “Yes!”

Hold on, just what did those two say to her while I was incapacitated? Oooh, they would be paying for this later. I was horrified at the thought, but kicked that away for now. “I see...was there anything else you wanted to speak of?”

Her game had finished up with a total of 230 points. “Yes. It’s about your stance on Cozy Glow. Will you sit with me?” She took a seat at one of the nearby waiting chairs.

I did the same. “Listen...there’s no pressure. If you don’t wish to set Cozy Glow free, then I respect your opinion.”

“I spoke with my sister for a while on the subject and the nature of how...new something like this is,” she sighed and tilted her head down, “I have to be honest: I still do not wish for her to be free...yet.”

I couldn’t decide if this was a shock or completely expected, given what we had both endured together a few hours ago. Naturally, I wanted to press her. “I understand, but why?”

“You may call me a coward if you want, but somepony like that strikes fear into my heart. I’m...worried that she’s still upset after being imprisoned for so long and still plots against us to this day. Which is why we immediately cast her to stone just as fast as the others.”

I nearly fell out of my chair. I felt foolish. Of course she was afraid. Who wouldn’t be? The filly nearly stole all magic, then stole alicorn magic and chaos magic to become the most powerful being in existence. That would make anyone shit themselves no matter how strong you were. Even so, there were other avenues to pursue. “One of my teachers at the Officer’s Academy used to preach about how being at peace is the cornerstone of a good agent. And that we should always search for a way to resolve conflicts amicably. But I’ll never forget what a certain student said in response to his teachings.”

“Oh? And what did they say?”

“They said, ‘Sir. If we don’t fight, how will we grow?’”

“I see...and just what happened?”

I leaned back in my seat, “That student would go on to become a squad leader of one of the best groups of investigators that the world never knew about. The point behind what he said is that we can’t grow unless we endure challenges and face hardships. Otherwise we’ll just...deteriorate and fester.”

She closed her eyes, “Wise words indeed. I’m perfectly aware of the truth in that statement. Trust me, I’ve been through a whole lot and still have loads more to deal with on an internal level…”

“That’s right...we all have demons to face. But more importantly, there will be times in which we’re presented challenges that are unfamiliar to us. And we can’t...blast them away and pretend they don’t exist. You not only have to face the world, you have to face yourself as well.”

There was a long silence between us both. I dreaded to think of what she could possibly say next.

At last, she opened her eyes and looked at me. “All of my oldest enemies have proven themselves to be untrustworthy--even Discord has broken that trust on occasion. But...I am aware that times do change, as well as what opinions the public has regarding who deserves friendship or not.” She giggled, “Ponies were extremely hostile towards each other--even now, some individuals think lowly of the other kinds. And Neighsay was quite the ingrate. I wonder if Twilight has allowed him to remain in power...”

I simply rolled my eyes, “Tell me about it.”

“But nowadays? Almost everypony is more accepting of each other. Individuals such as Trixie, Sunset Shimmer, and Starlight Glimmer would’ve been put to stone in an instant thousands of years ago. But now? They were offered another chance at life…”

I nodded, “So do you see where I’m going regarding Cozy Glow? Yes, she nearly ended the world. Yes she seemed disturbed. But I know that if we at least try once more, and give her the opportunity to live among us, she can learn from her mistakes.”

Another giggle. Guess the granny of an alicorn saw amusement in my efforts? “Oho...that’s what I love about the current generation. So willing to defy the old, outdated ways. I even hear you’re looking into starting something for Earth Ponies?”

I slapped my forehead. How could I almost forget? “Yeah! Cheerilee wanted your opinion on--”

“Great idea, get it done.”

“Just...like that?”

“It’s a grand idea, and I’m ashamed I never thought of it myself. Unicorns and Pegasi have their own locations to learn more, so the Earth Ponies should be able to as well,” she said with a smile, “tell Twilight about it. There’s no way she’ll refuse. And tell Cheerilee that she’s a genius for coming up with it. She must be so busy working all alone…”

I thought about it some more, and nodded. “Absolutely. She’s a smart cookie, that mare. As for Cozy...you’re still against me, aren’t you?”

“Pale...I’m not against you. I think you do a good job for the ponies even if they don’t realize it. I’m simply against the idea of setting one of our most dangerous enemies free due to how afraid I am of what further damage she’ll cause. However…”

One of my ears flicked. This ought to be good. “Eh?”

In a surprising display of a carefree nature, the old alicorn leaned back and propped her legs up against the chair next to her. “I will not object to your actions as an individual. Just know that certain ponies and creatures despise going against the status quo, and won’t respect you. Some may even try to hurt you.”

Pfft. That’s already happened. “Yeah, I got that.”

“And if I’m proven wrong, and that young lady is released and able to improve herself...then I will humbly accept that the decision I made all those years ago was foolish and insensitive.”

Was that a challenge? I could never tell with this immortal granny of a mare. Well now I had something else to prove. Obviously I didn’t agree with her, just as she didn’t agree with me. But that didn’t make her a bad pony...just a very questionable ruler. One that I certainly wouldn’t follow. Not without heavy debate. She makes a better conversationalist than a princess. “Alright...if that’s how you feel, I understand.”

“Wait!” She sat upright, almost disappointed to see me leave. Why did everyone act this way? Oh right, the ponies I tended to interview seemed to lack any companions of their own. “...Would you care to bowl with me? Sister prefers more...electronic games…”

In the nearby arcade…

A certain moon horse was dancing to an arcade game that required dance moves to register as button inputs to match what was on the screen as she sang with it. “...dame da ne! Dame yo, dame na no yo...I”

Back to me…

“I suppose I could stay for a round or two…”

Another regret. Why did I subject myself to these sorts of things? At any rate, it wasn’t a bad time. But I lost horribly with a score of 150 to her 200. I hated these types of games that required dexterity. The lane was always oiled with randomized fluids.

Why didn’t more ponies enjoy chess?

Anyhow, I left the bowling alley once we had finished. Tia was content to stay there due to the fact that her sister would quote, ‘royally rage’ against the machines if she were to lose too many times. I could respect that. I knew just what it was like to get mad at something to the point of tossing it out a window.

That’s why I never decided to own a pet.

“So what now?” I wondered. This retirement community/resort was a peaceful one, and I was already at a loss for what to do. Maybe I could join Corkscrew for miniature golf, or see what Quick Draw had decided on making at the art table.

That’s when I was tackled into the grass.

“HA! Gotcha!”

I groaned and grabbed my hat. Just who would do such a rude thing. “Um...I beg your pardon? I do believe you probably have me mixed up for someone else.”

“Nah, fam I don’t. What’s wrong witcha? Don’tcha recognize one’a ya old battle buddies? I was two grades below ya.”

That voice. That accent. That tone. There were two possibilities:

I was being mugged.This was someone from my city, and they knew me.

The sad part is that I had no clue which would actually be worse at this moment.

After I dusted myself off, I turned and stood up. Yup. It was true. One of my old schoolmates had come back to haunt me about my younger days.

She shot me a wide, familiar smirk. “If it isn’t the Blood Vipa--”

I cut her off. “That’s not my name, and you know it. Please refrain from using it while I’m here…if somepony were to recognize it, it’d be awful.”

“Gotcha, gotcha...so, wanna go rough each otha up like old times?”

“I really would rather not--woah!” But it was too late, she had already pulled me on by force. There was no escaping this mare with how strong she was...why was it always the rough ones?

Subject 16: Seedy Encounter

Author's Notes:

Babs' speech is due to her accent. They aren't typos.

Babs Seed. I remember her now. She and I attended the same school in our youth. I was about 3 years older than she was, and I could expressly recall how aggressive she would be towards the fights that routinely broke out among the foals. Back then, she often lashed out. And last I heard of her, she still did.

She was no different even as an adult.

She ran with me until we arrived at an indoor buckball court. This was new to me. I figured they would only have these outside, but one that was located inside? Color me shocked.

“C’mon, Blood Vipa! Let’s play!” the brown mare had already grabbed buckballs in her hooves.

“Wait, wait, wait...Babs hold one one second,” I removed my vest and hat. I set them down on a nearby bench so they wouldn’t get messy. “What are we doing here?”

“The old timas don’t come down here ‘til lata. We got time to practice like the old days, yo.”

“Woah!” I dodged one of the rubber balls. This was not how one played b-ball. But I suppose I could have a bit of fun with myself. So I retaliated, and tossed one back at her. “That still doesn’t explain why you suddenly tackled me!”

She dodged it flawlessly, and gave an arrogant cackle. “Ha! You think I’mma tell ya everythin’?”

“Uh, yes? I believe I have a right to know! Yikes!”

“C’mon, you can do betta than that!”

This was troublesome. After getting my flank handed to me in bowling, I was now being assaulted in a game of dodgeball by somepony I sort of knew from my childhood. By the time it was over, I was lying on the wooden court floor. My breath labored and annoyed.

“Haha, yeh! That was awesome, wasnit?”

I groaned and looked up at the redhead. “Alright...I think you owe me an explanation,” I said as I sat up. I had endured too much strife as it is, and wasn’t in the mood for any extra.

“Alrighty, alrighty, bro, chillax.” She sat down next to me, “I’mma keep it a bit-fifty--I need ya help.”

“My help? Why?”

“I dunno if ya know dis, but I’mma barba now--ya know, mane stylin’ n’ such,” she said with a flick of her own flat, cherry red mane, “but lately I’ve been havin’ some pretty sus folk near muh place. Been hearin’ things about substances n’ junk.”

Sounded awful. And worth investigating. But hang on. I knew full well Manehattan had its own active investigation force. Why would she come out here for me? “Wait wait wait, hold up, friend. Why didn’t you report this to the Manehattan PD?”

She huffed with frustration, “Uh, yeah ya dummy. I did that? Guess what happened? EHHH. Time’s up. Nuttin’. Nuttin’ happened. I hate to think o’dis, but it’s entirely possible that they’s in on it.”

Okay. That made a bit more sense. But there was still something that was missing from her explanation. “...And you came to me because?”

“Okay look...I was actually gonna wait ‘til my vacay with Aunt and Uncle Orange was ova, and come find ya in Ponyville. But since I caught ya here, it’s much easia to explain. I think yous would know ya way ‘round the place betta than anypony else since ya grew up there. And...it’s all I got,” she explained while collecting the balls we used just now, “I can’t trust nopony else.”

Was that all? This would be nothing. “Ha! Don’t you worry yourself, BS.”

“Dope,” she clapped her hooves, “I knew ya’d listen to reason, homie.”

I rolled my eyes. I didn’t have much of a choice in the matter lest I allow my reputation to sink voer refusing a request. Plus...I did intend on visiting home again at some point. I just never thought it would be due to something like this. “Alright...once our respite is over, I shall head down there immediately.”

“Gotcha. We gots just enough time until I head back home.” That’s when I felt her hoof around my neck. It was a surprisingly tight grip, “So whatcha been up to, ya big bloodsucka? I ain’t heard about ya since ya started that turf war--oooh…”

I pushed her off, and hid my face beneath my hat. That was not something I wanted to recount. “I’ve been fine. Just...fine,” I exited the indoor court, and walked outside on the open lakeside trail once more.

“Hol’ up, hol’ up!” Babs raced out after me, “Sorry, I didn’t realize it was a touchy bit for ya. I know what it’s like to be made fun of, trust me.”

I lifted my head with a cheeky sort of smile, “Heh. Is that why you were always the first to rush into fights?”

“W--yeah, ain’t it obvious? When I was a filly, I couldn’t help but prove muhself for the sake of makin’ me look stronger than I was. Then I met muh cousin and her friends. They showed me how I can make friends without havin’ to resort to buckin’.”

“I see...and now?”

She stretched out one of her front legs--her left, “I only buck somepony up when it’s necessary, bro. When ya hit the gym hard like me, ain’t nopony gonna mess witcha.”

Her leg looked just like any other pony appendage at first glance. But I took a closer look. I even felt it through the earth. Babs was jacked. Like, insanely so. Her muscles were overclocked to limits that only an Earth Pony like herself could reach. Blood pumped through her veins at a faster rate than even my own.

It was freaky, yet amazing to witness.

“...Hot damn, BS. No one is ever going to mess with you.”

She put her hoof down and continued to walk, “Yeah, not unless they gots a death wish.”

Quite intriguing. This could help with the research I would conduct for other Earth Ponies like myself. “Inspirational. But with that much exercise, I can’t imagine the sort of diet you need to maintain that form…”

“Pfft. Easy, fam. I gotta eat lots. Protein especially. Love me some protein. Starches too. But I gotta eat constantly to keep muh energy up. Ya neva know when ya gonna need it.”

I could respect someone so dedicated to their craft. “I see. And just what else do you tend to eat?”

“Hayburgas, salads, sweet potaytas, rice, beans, all that good stuff. But I stay the hell away from things like cakes and sweets.”

“Oh? Why is that?”

“Things like chocolate turns to suga and suga turns to bubblin’ fat. Can’t stand it. Yeah gives ya energy at first, but you have to work ya ass off twice as hard just so it won’t go to ya ass. Ya feel me?”

I made a few mental notes. The lunch menu at the school would have to be altered somewhat. But I could manage. “Wow, you have rather keen insight. Do you think--”

I was interrupted by a cartoonish rumbling in the mare’s stomach. “Whoops. Sorry. Looks like I need to get somethin’. Why don’tcha come join me?”

“Oh no I don’t think I…”

“C’mon...ya need to loosen up old man,” she nudged my side with her hoof.

I wasn’t amused. “I’m like, not even four years older than--” but I sighed, and relented. Now wasn’t the time for stress. It was a time to relax. “Sure.”

“Awesome, yo. Come with me, they got this special buffet with all the fixins’--”

Thankfully, she didn’t pull my hoof again. She likely would’ve tore it out of its socket this time.

So we arrived at this special buffet restaurant. I didn’t think Silver Shoals would be experts in more refined tastes, and yet here they were. It was also nice to see lots of older ponies able to relax and eat without the annoying sounds of children.

I sat at a table. The feeling of being in such a lavish diner was nostalgic to me for some reason. I almost felt like I could slip into a monochrome universe of--

PLOP!

“What the devil?”

Babs had returned with two plates piled high with chimichangas. Of course. These delicacies contained most of the foods she mentioned earlier. Rice, beans, and...did I smell jalapenos?

“Eat up, brutha. You gon’ need it to keep ya stamina up,” she munched on one, and licked the sauce off her muzzle. “Now I’ve been thinkin’. Is it true ya tryin’a open up an Earth Pony school in Ponyville?”

I nibbled one of those fried rolls of food, “...No. It’s not my idea. It’s Cheerilee’s. I merely suggested to her. She’s the one following through on it in order to make it a reality.”

“Feh. Betta be careful, yo,” she took a sip from her glass of water.

“Pardon?”

“You know damn well that there’s ponies out there that wanna uphold the natural orda,” she explained with a worried look in her eyes, “lots of ‘em out there live as if the rulas can do no wrong and don’t think for ‘emselves. There be so much about Equestria we can explore that nopony bothas to deal with...shame.”

“That’s right...fear is what keeps us back. Sometimes for the better,” I put my hoof on the table, and rested my cheek on it. I looked outside, up at the clouds in the sky. “And yet, there’s so much potential we have that...if we could just...unlock our power. The future would become clearer…”

“How noble of ya...just be prepped for conflict. Some ponies can’t stand those of us who wanna be diffrent.”

I turned my attention to her again. “‘Us’ you say?”

“Yeah, I mean, lookit me. You think it’s common for a filly to be wrapped up in turf wars? I was always bein’ judged...ain’t had no friends ‘til I met cuz.”

“Your old Crusader friends...do you still chat?”

She had eaten about three more chimichangas in the meantime. Manners seemed to be a word that didn’t exist in her vocabulary. “Oh yeh. I visit way more often now. But I often wonda if I could eva change ponies minds...get them to appreciate me more. Auntie and Uncle O seem like they wanna, but I...eh, forget it.”

“Oh no no, I completely understand. My own parents were...well, let’s just say they didn’t respect who I was.”

“Yo, for real? But ya so respectable lookin’ witcha hat ‘n vest and well-payin’ job. How could anypony’s parents hate that?”

I didn’t respond right away. I wasn’t going to burden a nice mare like her with my troubles. “I...it’s not worth talking about.”

“Uh-huh...well I ain’t gonna force ya to tell me or nuttin’. But what I am gonna say is that Aunt and Uncle O are ridicyalous. They wanted me to become a prissy candy-ass noble pony of class like they. If ya don’t know, they own the largest orange juice factory in Equestria.”

I clapped my hooves. “Ah! The Succulent Orange brand of juices. Those are my favorite. Your aunt and uncle own the whole thing?”

“Meh,” she sipped her water again, “more like a family thing that’s been around fer years. Don’t gemme wrong, I love the stuff. But I ain’t aboutta walk around in some dress in orda to hide how fat muh flank is!”

Yeesh. She was clearly irritated by the idea of inheriting anything to do with her fellow family members. I looked at her cutie mark--the pair of scissors. “Is that why you prefer to be a mane styler?”

“Heck yeah, I mean...I ain't' one for frettin’ about my appearance. But havin’ the right ‘do will keep ya spirits up. Make ya feel prouda, stronga. It’s about bein’ ya best no matta what time’a day it is. When a pony entas my shope, they gonna be welcomed by me and my crew as we take care of ‘em. But Auntie and Unc don’t think so,” she leaned back in her seat and folded her hooves. “Somethin’ about bein’ a stylist bein’ beneath our status as a fam.”

I leaned forward. “Okay. Pray tell, what sort of future do you wish for yourself?”

“Futcha? I...I wanna be famous. I want ponies to be able to walk around and go, ‘yeah lookit dat guy! He had his mane done by Babs!’ ya know? Heck, maybe if I’m fortunate enough, I could open a whole damn gym of my own along with it.”

A gym? Combined with a salon? Wonders never cease. But it was good to hear that this mare was doing her best to better herself. In Manehattan, things were rougher than other cities, but it was also more profitable. Easier to earn a living and thrive there. One must take risks to earn the greatest spoils as they say.

“What about ya?” Babs asked me out of the blue, “I dunno about all the deets of ya past, but maybe you could enlighten me on ya futcha instead?”

Future? Future… “I...want to change the world.”

She flashed me her usual smirk, “Damn, where’dja get that? Out of a fortune cookie?”

I shook my head. “I’m serious. I wish...to bring about a unification of all the lands. One where everyone can be truly aware of each other’s differences and be able to form their own opinions. Equestria has a lot of secrets...secrets that harm its population more than it helps. I intend to uncover those secrets, so that we all can finally understand the truth about who we are…starting with Cozy Glow.”

“I ‘member her...can’t say I feel anythin’ for her, though. But you smart. You can set her free if ya make a good enough case to the princess of friendship or whateva,” Babs finished her water as well as her plate of fried food rolls. I couldn’t tell if she really understood everything I said or not. But it occurred to me that she wished for something similar. “But...I can’t wait to see ya reaction to how things are back in da city,” she was about to get up and go get more food, but she paused in her seat, “In fact...maybe I could use ya.”

“Um...what?”

“Maybe I could get Aunt and Uncle O off muh back if I showed ‘em I had a coltfiend, eh?” she said with a playful nudge from under the table.

My heart skipped a beat. I felt like I passed out for a nanosecond. “...what?!”

“Hahaha! I’m jokin’! I’m jokin’! Now ya betta eat up or else ya won’t unlock ya hidden strength. Next is fruits and veggies!” she got up to get more food.

I watched her closely as she muscled her way to the buffet again. Something about Babs was...deceptive to say the least. As if there were a set of dragon claws she was hiding and waiting to unleash at the right moment. Huh. That sounded rather familiar. Still, I couldn’t wait to see just what she was able to pull off.

We ate and spoke more with each other until it got a bit late in the afternoon. After that, we left the restaurant, and waved at each other as we left. I smiled, “See you next week, yes?”

“Betta not be late, Blood Vipa!”

Gah, that name would never escape me. But it was rather poetic, wasn’t it? The viper is a classification of venomous snakes that stalk their prey and wait for the right time to strike due to the fact that their venom doesn’t take effect right away. It needs time to take effect. The Russell’s Viper in particular caused excess bleeding within the skin of the afflicted area.

“Heh…”

Nah. I wasn’t a philosopher. It was just a silly title with no bearing on how I lived my life.

None…

Meanwhile, from a nearby table with two observers...

“I heard them talking about Manehattan and Cozy Glow...is that the guy we’re looking for?”

“Most likely. We better talk to him before he causes any extra damage.”

“For trying to manipulate my wife? I’ll make sure he doesn’t even if it kills him.”

Subject 17: Protective Gentlecolts

As the night came forth, I decided to hit up one of the nearby golf course to practice my putting. I played a few rounds with Corkscrew before he decided to turn in.

“That was fun, boss. Well, I’m off to bed! Can’t wait to hit that water slide tomorrow morning. This place not having foals allowed in this place is like heaven!”

I made use of the special magnetic horseshoes they provided so non-magical ponies could swing the clubs with their hooves. I putted the ball through a windmill and landed it. “Not bad. And go on, Cork. You’ve done enough. This has been rather...relaxing.”

“Alrrighty! See ya boss!”

And he flew off, back to the hotel room.

I stayed behind at the well-lit course for a while longer. I didn’t feel tired at all. My head was finally clear and as a result, I had loads of energy. Or was it due to what I ate earlier? No matter. I would continue my little game until I felt something through the earth.

“Huh?”

Two signatures. Both unicorns. Strange. But I suppose ponies were out and about at this time. I wouldn’t judge. Except they were both honing in on my position. Not with malicious intent to attack, though. Still, I kept my guard up.

“Ahem…is someone out there?”

A white unicorn with a blue mane emerged from the path that led to the golf course. Followed by an orange one with a reddish mane. The first was a bit more familiar than the second...ah! Cadence’s husband Shining Armor. Both looked rather upset to see me. Or rather, the orange unicorn gave the white unicorn a concerned look while Shining glared at me.

“Is your name Pale Vestige,” the Empire prince asked, “and would you happen to be from Manehattan?”

“Maybe.” I simply went back to playing my round of golf, and trotted to the next hole. This one had a tiny train that circled around a moat to block the ball. “Who’s asking?”

“Uh, Shining...maybe we should--”

“Stand back Sunburst, I’ll handle this,” he followed me. Though I knew it wasn’t with the intent of spectating my amazing golf skills. “You wouldn’t have happened to speak with the ruler of the Crystal Empire and her daughter would you?”

I placed the ball down, and prepared to line up my shot. I kept the guise of being disinterested up to get a feel for the way he spoke. “Maybe. Why? Are you related to them somehow?”

“Enough games,” he turned aggressive. I could sense it. He used his magic to grab my club and toss it aside. How rude. I was this close to beating the train on the course. “That was my wife and kid you spoke to. Something about letting that insane nutcase Cozy Glow go. But I’m onto you. You’re the Fifth Horseman of the Apocalypse.”

“Are you taking the piss?” I raised an eyebrow. I wanted to smack the teeth out of whoever said such a thing. “I’m doing my job.”

“And I’m doing my job as the leader of the Empire and a father. I don’t want someone like you speaking to and manipulating my family.”

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I did a double take and tilted my head out of confusion. “What...why would you think that?”

“Sunburst, show it to him.”

The orange unicorn summoned a newspaper with his magic and levitated it over to me, “Do you recognize anything from the front page?”

I grabbed it, and started to read.

The Dreaded Blood Viper At It Again’

“The term used to describe something sinister among the local gangs has picked up steam recently. Everyone should hurry home by 8PM to avoid whatever dangers may arise at night.”

Impossible! How could they even put my old alias in the paper? I haven’t lived there in years! “Listen...you have to believe me. I have nothing to do with what’s going on over there. Not anymore. Someone is likely using my name in an effort to slander me.”

“And you wanting to set Cozy Glow free is no less chaotic?” the Empire prince questioned me with a stern glare. It was like he was ready to fight me, “She was a plague on this world and has no right to exist. Just like that idiot Sombra. I don’t want my kid growing up in a world where crazy tyrants like them are given a free pass. Or worse--a world where my sister can’t relax because some crazy busybody thought it would be a good idea to let loose some crazed psycho!” he suddenly leaned in close to me, “You may have covered wars, but I’ve fought them. Don’t test me, understand? Your position is easily replaceable.”

Sunburst would jump in. “Easy there, buddy. Let me handle this. Ahem…” he pushed the angry stallion behind him, and addressed me next, “Starlight contacted me about your situation. While I don’t think you’re insane, I’m sorry to say that I just don’t trust you or your judgement to present a case such as this.”

“I see,” I leaned against one of the nearby trees, “and just what makes you say that?”

“Isn’t it obvious? You may be competent, but the mere fact that you’ve experienced a situation comparable to Cozy compromises your judgement,” he adjusted his glasses, “I don’t mean to offend but...just who are you? Why are you doing this? We don’t know anything about you or your motives, and because of that, we don’t think you should present a case to Twilight yet.”

I mentally groaned. These two were so grounded in their overprotective ways that they couldn’t see the forest through the trees. One was a more conservative father while the other seemed like an intellectual. Not bad. “I see...and you believe this little old sheet of gossip print instead of taking it right from the horse’s mouth?” I tossed the newspaper back to his hooves.

“We did more than that. We actually took it upon ourselves to go interview ponies living in Manehattan personally,” he levitated a tape recorder, “You’ll do well to listen to what they have to say.”

He pushed play and multiple voice tracks started to play from the device.

‘Blood Viper? Doesn’t that have to do with some deadly poison substance?’

‘That name? Yeh, I grew up in school with someone using that name. Heard he’s stalking around places to punch people’s lights out.’

‘He’s a shameless flirt who tried to hit on me after I said no several times. Someone so reckless has no right to hang around.’

Those situations sounded familiar, but I wasn’t involved directly. I wonder…

That’s when Shining chose to join back in with an explanation, “We also surveyed the files of the schools in the area. As it turns out, only one had a colt with that nickname. And it turned out to be you,” he pointed at me, “and yet, it seems that--according to our witness accounts, you’ve resumed your habits of stirring up trouble.”

“While what you’re doing isn’t deemed illegal,” Sunburst added, “It presents a major conflict of interest that complicates your intentions whether you like it or not. Unless you can prove that you truly aren’t involved, then I’m going to have to warn you not to go against Twilight with this case.”

I chuckled, “And if I refuse?”

“Then we’re going to expose you for who you really are, Mr. Defective,” Shining commented in a slightly arrogant tone to mock my profession. “So I suggest you leave my sister alone with your ideas of bringing back some crazed lady who nearly destroyed the world.”

“She wasn’t ‘some crazed lady’,” I shot back, “she was a child who lacked guidance, and suffered for it. If that was Flurry Heart, what would you have done, sir?”

Once again, he saw fit to lean into my face with intent to intimidate me, “Don’t you dare utter the name of my child, you fool. She would never turn out that way. And if she somehow did, we’d have stopped her before it got to that,” he backed away. “And I know you asked my wife the same thing. But the truth is, she doesn’t trust you. So you’d do well to stay away from her from now on, got it?”

Sunburst rolled his eyes. I could see that he was slightly annoyed at the way the Empire prince handled the situation. “Listen...what he’s saying is that it’d be highly risky to try and present a case like this without a clean background. And it seems yours is...just too full of holes for us to reasonably let you. Starlight wanted me to let you know whenever I came across you since she’s always busy nowadays. But whether you like it or not, the Blood Viper name is extremely suspicious, and you are connected to it.”

Typical. Always mindful of those who didn’t share the same beliefs. But I suppose it couldn’t be helped. If my background was as dirty as they claimed, then it would be suicide to attempt for me to approach the princess now. I’d look downright suspicious and be thrown into a dungeon, thus ruining the chances of Cozy Glow ever getting a chance at life. I would need to be tactical, and avoid further contact with those individuals.

Not to mention the Empire prince himself here. This could result in an international incident if I played the wrong card. “Alright. I promise I won’t speak to your wife or daughter, sir.”

“Good. As long as you respect that barrier, then you won’t be hearing from me, and you’ll get to keep your job. Let’s go, Sunburst,” he started on his way.

With a nod, the orange stallion would take his leave. “Don’t be crazy, sir...have a nice evening.” I heard the two mumble a bit as they left, “Was that sufficient?”

“Nope. I’m not letting him leave my sight.”

Luna-dammit. This is not what I wanted. However, given Babs and her plea for me to return to my home city, this would be a nice twofold objective that I could accomplish. I simply must avoid Flurry from this point onward. Oh well. Last thing I wanted was a major conflict I couldn’t take hold of to shake down yet. Did he really have the authority to take away my badge? If so, what the buck.

But I had the ace up my sleeve. For now, I’d simply return to my game of golf and attempt to enjoy the rest of my vacation. Tomorrow was our last day here, I wouldn’t waste it on another annoyance.

And so we had fun. Corkscrew and I would spend the first part of the day enjoying the pools and slides. It was a thrill let me tell ya. We spent hours with feeble attempts to race each other. It was like we were the two foolish colts we grew up together as.

Quick would take me out to the archery range. The skill she had to draw a bow with her teeth was astounding. Beyond that, she scored nearly perfect on every shot? Me? I missed the center entirely. I did land a few though. Now, had it been a pencil throwing contest, I would’ve blown her out so hard.

We even took a nature hike with the former alicorn lords. Came into contact with some friendly woodland creatures, too. Although Cork had a harder time due to the fact that he was scared of porcupines. ‘Needled demons,’ he called them. Yet Quick and I didn’t have a problem with them. Probably had to do with our special abilities as earth ponies that let us interact with animals more easily.

Lastly, we shared a meal at the lakeside cafe where they served haycakes fried in fish oil. It was awkward at first, but I came to love the taste over time. The coconut to drink out of was a nice touch also.

It was a lovely time. I could nearly forgo all of my feelings toward work and truly relax for once. We all had fun. Even though I did have to endure some burns at first. But that night, for the first time in forever, I actually felt content. Like I could simply be myself and enjoy who I was. As a result, I slept soundly for the first time in ages.

But unfortunately, it had to be interrupted by something. Or rather, someone.

I was in a dream, but it wasn’t a standard one. It got hijacked fairly quickly.

“Aw come on!”

I found myself standing on a bunch of warm clouds this time. I looked around. They were endless. A literal sea of clouds as far as the eye could gather. Strange.

All the sudden, a certain alicorn of fire would be thrown into the dream. “Ah!”

“Apologize for your overly aggressive actions!”

That must’ve been Luna. Apparently she wanted the alicorn to repent for what she did to my lungs. But I wondered something. “Is this you Celestia?”

She stood, “No. Tia is asleep right now. But I was plucked from her subconscious and thrown in here to apologize for nearly suffocating you to death.” She cricked her neck, and grit her teeth. Was this really that difficult? “I...am...s-sorry...I made a...mistake…” she coughed.

“Are you okay?”

“Shush! I’m apologizing,” she cleared her throat and continued, “...I was wrong to force myself onto you in such a way, and...I was wrong. You clearly have a good understanding of my situation...for a mortal.”

I shrugged, and disregarded the sentiment. “It’s fine. But only you can understand yourself better than anypony. I just hope you can move on and reconcile with Tia--er, yourself. You know what I mean.” As I said before, I wasn’t a therapist or anything. I couldn’t solve everypony’s problems. All I could do was uncover hidden details and make use of them as evidence for my cases. Help others to help themselves, basically.

She looked embarrassed. As if she wanted to ask something else. “...Yeah, sure...no problem.”

I was fed up with this. So I chose to get it over with. I walked up and gave the fiery alicorn a hug.

“...What are you…?” she mumbled in disbelief as if she had never been embraced before.

“When you wake up, try and do this with your sister. Then any other friends you make. Just do it, you’ll feel a whole lot better.” I did this in a vain hope that she would be able to find somepony else to vent her frustrations out on.

“...I will try. But if it doesn’t work, I’m blaming you.”

I laughed and held onto her a bit longer. “Feel free. I don’t know everything. I’m not perfect, and I can admit it.”

I could feel her magic tense up when I said that. All I could do was hope that she’d work on improving herself. Beyond that, it was something I couldn’t control.

The next morning, it would be time to head home. I felt a slight burning sensation within my body, but I ignored it as I limped out of bed. It went away rather quickly, and my sleep was very sound. We went back home, all properly rested and relaxed, and ready to work yet again.

As soon as we entered our office, I saw a stack of the Manehattan newspapers on my desk. The very same ones with the fake alias I used long ago. “Hm…”

“What’s all this, boss?” Corkscrew asked.

“A set of papers, heh, obviously,” Quick Draw answered.

I took a look myself, and knew that someone had been aware of my situation. But who would leave these here? Hm. I felt the presence of my two comrades next to me, their eyes scanned the paper in unison.

Cork looked at me, “...Boss?”

For a moment, I felt a hint of Quick’s sympathetic aura as well. “...Well now. Looks like I’m going to head back home for a bit. But I’m going to need some help. Say, where’s Neon?”

THUD!

The blue bat stallion fell from the ceiling in the nearby employee lounge. Us three raced there to find the dull blue pony snoozing with a mango tucked between his sharp teeth.

“Neon, wake up!” Cork made a mistake when he ran over and tapped him with his hoof.

His mane stood up on end as he let out a terrifying screech. “EEEEE!” He leapt out of his chair, and fell on his back. “Oh...it’s you lot. Are ya’ll finished with your recreation already? Sorta wished I coulda stayed here a bit longa,” he got up and stretched his wings.

Quick rolled her eyes and went back to her desk without a word.

“Sorry, bud...I’ll start cleaning up the place,” Cork grabbed a broom nearby.

“You and me, Neon. I need you for a second,” I beckoned him over and led him out of the employee lounge. We stood in the hallway where it was easier to have a more relaxed conversation. “First off, I need to thank you for watching the place while we were gone.”

“Oh no problem at all old chap, I dare say it was nice working back with you again...even if it wasn’t in the field,” his mechanical hoof shook mine.

I flashed a smile, “Well saddle up. Looks like I need your help.”

He stopped. “You need my help? Well...I’d have to check my schedule.” He pulled out a notepad from beneath his wing. I leaned upwards to be able to see what it said.

‘Rain, rain, rain, rain…’

“...”

I saw the irritation in his eyes. He wanted more from his lame job. He tossed the notes behind his head, “Balderdash! The HQ back home has gotten so boring, I can hear the ants in the walls! Count me in, Captain. I’ll be with you the whole way.”

I let out a chuckle, “Heheh. You accept when you don’t even know what I’m asking? That’s the legendary Isotope family for you. Even made my favorite little weapon.”

“Heh. Too right, mate. Now, what can I help ya with?”

“It has to do with Manehattan. I’m sure you’ve seen the paper,” I pointed to my desk, “but I know for a fact I wasn’t involved. Someone’s using my name. Moreover, there’s a gang that one of my old schoolmates is saying that’s causing trouble...during nightfall.”

When I turned my head to face him again, he had been blowing into a fruit-scented bubble pipe. “Indeed...is it possible these incidents are related?”

“No idea. But if things are going down at night, I’m going to need your help. We’ll leave this evening, and begin our work tomorrow. What do you say?”

The dull blue bat pony chittered with a devious, fanged grin, “Hehehe...why are we waitin’ for? You can’t have a light show without some Neon, baby.”

I rolled my eyes. That joke was terrible. But at least I knew he was ready.

Subject 18: Taking Manehattan

A week had passed, it was time to go.

The train ride to Manehattan was a bit longer than the others. But I knew that going in. Neon and I were already up to date on the differences of the city. Of course, research and physical experience were two different things. But that keen bat-like nose of his and those eyes would assist me greatly.

“We’ll meet up with Babs at her place. That’s where we’ll be stationed.”

He finished his bottle of tomato juice, “Mm. And what will be our first move?”

“Wait until nightfall,” I explained as I read through my notes, “once then, we’ll start scouting for any suspicious individuals.”

“And by we, you mean me,” Neon corrected me with a nudge, “If someone’s foolish enough to dig up your old schoolyard name, then they’re no better than the children down there at the school.”

That dark blue stallion was right. If somepony was trying to use a name I made up for laughs, then what did that make them? Scum. Or something lower than that. Who knows?

My bat friend stuck his head out of the window. “There it is, mate. Your home city,” he pointed to the vast metropolitan zone of skyscrapers and harbors. “Can’t wait to see how much has changed. If anythin’.”

“Pshaw, it’s just another city. Big, loud, obnoxious. Probably no different than Trottingham.”

“Well you’re half right,” he leaned back in his seat, “Queen’s land is rather congested these days. But with lots of rain, it’s hard to get out and have any fun. Still, my family’s factory is still up and runnin’. Our technology revolves around sound and airwaves so it lets us fight our enemies in the dark.”

I clapped my hooves, “So that’s why the Thundergun exists.”

“Essentially. Though the schematics for the Thundergun were originally meant for Pegasi to move clouds around faster. Heh! Turns out it’s much better at blasting away ponies ya dislike, lad.”

I looked into my coat at the lever-action air blaster. “And my weapon...it’s a smaller version, yeah?”

“Now ya gettin’ it, lad. There’s a whole sea of things we can accomplish if ya take time to look,” he yawned, “thing we’re arriving soon? I’m completely knackered.”

I checked my watch. It would be about another ten minutes before we finally arrived. Once there, we exited the station. The dirt roads beneath our hooves were exchanged for rough and tumble pavement and asphalt roads. Metallic and manufactured scents rose through the air and filled my snout. This...this was home.

Neon was just as into it. He turned around multiple times in order to get a good look at everything. “Ahh...what a place to be. A city with no rain and actual space to move around in. I’m positively floored. How could you leave such a place, chap?”

I sighed with a tip of my hat as we walked, “When you grow up here...you start to notice the bad side of things. It’s not docile like Ponyville, Canterlot, or even Trottingham. Kids that grow up here have to harden themselves and become stronger lest they fall through the cracks.”

“Ah, well that doesn’t sound very dandy. But even so, you gotta admit the shoppes ‘ere are much cooler. Like over there!” He put one hoof around my neck and pointed ahead with his mechanical one, “a fruit stand? A clothing store? A comic store? Absolutely maddening!”

I raised an eyebrow. I thought Trottingham had advanced at least a little bit since I had last been there. “You mean you don’t have these sorts of shops back home?”

“Not at all, mate. It’s a very...retro sort of place. Nothing but historic items and the occasional pie stand,” he said with an annoyed scoff. “Freaking bellends won’t budge. I love me home, but they can be so purist at times.”

“Well then, here’s hoping you’re not affected by culture shock. Where we’re going, you can even get your mane done.”

The dark blue stallion screeched at a frequency nopony else could hear due to his excitement. “That sounds completely radical, friend. You must take me there.”

By the magic of luck or supreme editing skills, it turned out we had already arrived. A small, modern-looking barber shop with a bright red and yellow sign.

‘Babs Do’s’

“Pretty simple for a name, eh?” he commented.

“I like it,” I replied as I stepped inside. My hooves met the simplistic black and white tile with a harsh chill compared to the rugged sidewalk. “Rolls off the tongue pretty well.”

Neon was distracted by the swirling cylinder of red, white, and blue for a moment before he followed me in. “Oh right...me nanny used to take care of that for me...didn’t like it one bit.”

“Heheh.” I could only imagine the horrors that befell his foal mane. Now I could see why he kept his red locks in a short cut that only went halfway down his neck.

Now that we were in the shop, we could see ponies working with a few customers on their hair. But I noticed Babs wasn’t around.

Not until she walked out a few moments later from a different section that focused on washing manes. “Alrighty, now take a look at dis,” she gave the mare a mirror and removed the towel. Her mane was now a neatly curled bed of pink and yellow, “how ya like it?”

“Yes!” she shouted, “This is the exact look I wanted for jury duty. My dad’s gonna lose it when he sees how good I look.”

“Business casual, ya know? I’m an expert,” she stated proudly as the mare handed her a bag of bits. “Woah, dis is a lot.”

“Keep it! When my dad loses that case, I’m gonna inherit everything from my grandma anyways.”

Neon and I blinked in unison as we looked at each other. The customer left with a giddy smile. That’s when the brown mare noticed us. “Yooo, ya made it!” she washed her hooves and trotted over to us. “How ya doin’, bud? And who’s ya friend?”

“Quite fine, and yourself? This is…”

He took a bow, “Neon Isotope, at your service, my lady. Allow me to say what a fine establishment you have here.”

“Woah…” Babs was intrigued. Her eyes drifted towards his bat-like wings a few times, not to mention his mechanical limb. I could tell she wanted to know more about him, but she saved it for the time being. “Nice to meetcha too. I’m still workin’ so if ya’ll could come back at like 6-ish? That’d be great.”

“That’s quite fine, we intended on taking a tour so I could see what it was like for ol’ Paley here as he grew up, anyhow.”

Babs giggled, but I shuddered at the thought of revealing all of what made me who I am today. Or maybe it could be a nice learning experience. Yeah, I don’t know.

“Heh. Come back here at six and then I’ll take ya to my place. I live near Aunt and Uncle O in Hooflyn. Pretty nice place.”

Ah, Hooflyn. One of the multiple districts of this fine city. I wonder if Saddle Island had gotten any better since I left. But Neon simply had to say something unexpected.

“Your aunt and uncle? Pray tell, where are your pa--”

I shoved him into a nearby plant. “Whoops! Sorry, bud. My entire side slipped.”

Luckily, Babs didn’t hear him properly. She instead laughed once more, “Hah! Ya’ll are funny. I gotta get back to work. So don’t mess up muh shop.”

I ushered the bat pony out of the salon. “Listen, I know you’re trying to be friendly and all, but try to avoid bringing up her parents. It’s not pleasant for her.”

Neon nodded, “Ah, sorry about that mate. I thought she’d be willing to speak of it. So. Shall we take a tour around your home, then?”

Dammit. The last thing I wanted was to recount every inch of where I grew up. Hopefully it wouldn’t come to that, though.

Sadly, it was a rather mundane tour to be quite honest. I showed him the various parks, buildings, and piers where boats were docked. Compared to Trottingham, Manehattan was a technical marvel ahead in almost every way. Neon was pleased by this, his fanged grin was thrown at just about everything I showed off. Madison Mare Garden in particular had him beside himself with excitement.

It was...nostalgic, but not very entertaining to me. I wasn’t much of a tour guide, and only felt a minimal shred of desire to return to this place. Though...I did have to admit, the movie theater had me invested.

“Hold on, mate. You mean to tell me that ya’ll are able to watch full films in giant rooms?”

“That’s right,” I said as we stopped in front of the theater. “Normally, I would say we should catch a flick, but we’re short on time. Babs is going to meet us within the hour,” I looked up at Neon.

“Hm…” As it would appear, he was looking at the sun. Oh yeah. I remember that bat ponies become more aggressive at night depending on what their sleep schedule was. For the sake of his job, Neon conformed to a normal one--in other words, he was diurnal. Even still, I wondered just how the night would affect him. “Sun’s setting soon. Think we have enough time to visit your old place?”

Another detail I noticed is that Neon rarely took flight during the day. Probably to avoid scaring others with his bat wings? “Um...now isn’t a good time.”

“C’mon, bruv. If it’s close by, we may as well have a gander, yeah?”

He was persistent. I hated that. It might have been a good idea, but we weren’t here to waste time. We were on a mission to expose the hidden problems of this city. “If we happen to pass by it...then sure.”

Neon put his good hoof on my shoulder. “Bruv...if there’s something wrong, don’t be afraid to tell me. I’ve got a lotta problems too, ya know. And when the time’s right...I’ll tell ya all about ‘em.”

I gave a nod of respect. He wasn’t trying to annoy me, and I knew that. I was starting to warm up to the guy, even if I wasn’t familiar with his methods. It was nice.

So we both kept wandering around the city until 6 o’clock came. Like gentlecolts, we made sure to arrive on time for Babs as soon as she got off of work.

“Whew. Tough day, but pretty fun,” she came out with a fur coat on, “ya both ready?”

We nodded, and Babs led us through her city, this time for a slightly more direct route towards the residential area. She actually showed us where she used to live, in a secluded apartment complex near a shady set of alleys.

“This is where you used to live?” Neon asked.

Babs replied as she continued down the sidewalk, “Yeah, muh parents didn’t have much. So I kinda forced my way through the crowds in school.”

I decided to speak next, “And...what did that do for you?”

“Landed me in some trouble a few times, but ain’t nopony messin’ with me now.”

While I didn’t entirely agree with that notion, I was in no position to criticize since I too, grew up with strife and had to also break through the mold in order to get anywhere. Babs was lucky to have other family members to watch out for her, though--her aunt and uncle.

It would be awhile before we arrived at a more suburban area near the edge of the city. Babs had quite the house located on a hill. A simplistic two-story abode with a nice garden separated from the sidewalk. Interesting.

The sun had begun to set. It would be nighttime very soon. I looked at Neon who seemed more content to perch upside-down from a nearby lamppost. “I’ll remain out here. Keep watch over things.”

“Alright, well if ya wanna come inside, I’m right here,” Babs offered before she led me into her home. The inside wasn’t much different from other homes I had been in. Though, Babs’ home was a tad more on the luxurious side due to the culture of Manehattan. Her living room was filled with a shelf of video games, a large TV, a wide angle U-shaped red couch, and multiple lamps. Her kitchen was twice the size of mine. She had a table in the middle of it to sit and eat, a separate fridge and freezer, various appliances including an electric can opener. What?! They had those?! “Here we are. Mi casa is...whateva they say.”

“...What a wonderful abode you have here. Did your Aunt and Uncle assist in--”

“Nah,” she removed her coat and tossed it on a rack near the door. “Worked hard and paid for dis place muhself, bro. But I got a rule.”

“Oh?”

“If ya come in my place afta a long day of work, ya showa,” she pushed me towards the guest bathroom, “just like to keep the place clean. Plus, ya mane could be covered in stuff ya didn’t know existed.”

That was rather forward. I didn’t expect to be offered a chance to bathe in her home. But I wouldn’t deny her. As a guest, it would be rude to not accept her rules. “Alright. I’ll go. What about you?”

“I’mma head upstays and get clean muhself. Gotta keep dis mane conditioned and set a good example for my customas,” she made her way up the stairs to the second floor, “when we done, we’ll discuss our next move. Right?”

“Right.”

The bathroom was exceptional as well. Beautiful black and blue tiles all over the place and the tub was separate from the shower. Lord above, this bathroom was massive. If this was for guests, I couldn’t imagine what it was like in her own master bath.

In any case, I got cleaned up. My vest and hat waited for me outside. Once I was done, I felt like a new stallion. The sheer amount of quality conditioner she had available left me shocked. I didn’t think it was possible for the roughest filly around to grow up and care for her appearance so much.

Once I got out, I saw Babs relaxed on her couch in a bathrobe. “Ah...das betta. Now, once nightfall really hits, you gon’ start to see more activity.”

“Right, our targets...do you know where they’ll attack first?”

“I got myself a hunch. I’ve actually heard some rumas about suspicious activity near my old place. If we can bust ‘em fast, then that’ll be best for my business.”

I gave it some thought. Is it possible that we could find who has taken it upon themselves to make use of my old alias for the sake of dragging me through the mud? “Listen, Babs. There’s something else I’m here for…”

“Oh? What’s dat about?” she responded, still looking at her TV.

“...Someone out there is throwing the Blood Viper name around. I have to find out who it is and put a stop to it.”

She stopped and looked at me, “...wha? That’s...crazy, yo. Heh, they’d gotta be stupid to use such a cheesy name like dat.”

I had to agree. The moniker was rather annoying to listen to. But for now, what mattered was catching these fools. “Yeah...so when do we head out?”

“At about nine,” she explained and pointed at the clock, “things heat up lots by then.”

Made sense to me. So we waited, and talked some more. It was nice to get a better learning experience from someone who had never left this city. She told me about the conditions of Kings and The Flanx. Both were doing relatively well. Hooflyn was the only problem here.

By the time the clock struck nine exactly, we heard a knock at the door. Babs went to answer it, and it turned out to be my friend Neon. But something was different about him.

“Alright, mates. We betta get a move on. I heard some suspicious activity just northwest of ‘ere. About 20 clicks. I’ll take off and start scouting ahead. Quit foolin’ ‘round and let’s go.” And he launched himself into the sky, wings aloft and flapped faster than the eye could follow. It was fully dark outside. Yup, Neon had changed somewhat. I could still tell it was him, but he acted a bit more...strict.

“Wow, dat friend of yours really knows what to do, eh?” Babs commented while she changed out of her bathrobe, and into a leather jacket. “But I wonda how he got that fake leg.”

“Let’s just say, he’s been through a lot…heh,” I put my vest back on, and retrieved my hat. It was time to go hunting.

We worked our way down the streets. Things were quiet. Too quiet. At Babs’ direction, we headed towards the slums by her old apartment building. We got a closer look at the area. It was unkempt and the alleys were full of trash. Graffiti stained the walls of various buildings, and we heard various noises including loud music, arguing, and crying foals. I thought the neighborhood of Harness was bad, but this? This was not very good. I knew ponies were tired after working so hard, but wow. Did nopony care enough to clean up?

“Picking up various frequencies,” Neon said from above us, “If there’s any mention of that name, I’ll know who we’re aimin’ for. Stay quiet,” and he flew even higher to perch atop one of the buildings.

“Was he always dis serious?” Babs said from behind as she followed me.

“Only at night. His bat-ish instincts take over and he becomes a different guy. During the day, he’s more prone to let loose.”

“Sweet. This’ll be easy, then…”

Subject 19: Griffonslaught

We worked our way down the back alley. Around and behind various buildings. Something rubbed me the wrong way about all this. I felt...cold, and distant towards the darkness of these concrete streets. Like a rat back in his old hole that he had left behind years ago.

Compared to Babs who--well, she seemed rather confident as she strutted down the alleyways in her leather jacket. “Man, you’d think the trash ponies woulda done they’s jobs by now.”

“I think they might be afraid to come down here…” I noted as we passed through more buildings. As we did, we heard more couples argue and more loud noises. It was amazing how crass these ponies could be. “I know I would.”

“Feh, no ya ain’t. But I guess das fair. Seein’ as trash duty don’t getcha paid very well. Don’t wanna be a witness to some sorta crime and get ya nuts busted. But I just don’t want folks afraid to come visit my shop is all.”

I sighed and wondered about all of my options for my next move. Hopefully Neon would relay us some information soon, so we could--

“Listen up, chaps.”

Babs and I nearly freaked out at his sudden reappearance. He hung upside-down from a nearby balcony. “Can you please be a little less abrupt?”

“No time for that. I’m picking something up in the middle of the city near Madison Mare Garden. They mentioned Blood Viper.”

Babs perked up, “That’s right where muh hair salon is! We betta get ova there!”

“Halt, Babs,” I suggested, “we need to be tactical about this. This isn’t like our schoolyard brawls from long ago.”

“Hey, ya don’t think I can handle myself or somethin’?”

The mare had a deadly frown on her face. One that hid just how dangerous she could be. “...No. Not at all.”

Neon cleared his throat to get our attention, “If you lot are done bucking around, you can follow me. Let’s move,” and he swooped back into the night sky in the direction of where he heard the voices.

Babs and I ran after him. The cover of all the noise in the surrounding area kept us protected from being spotted. We had to cross a street, and came upon the block that contained Babs’ hair salon. From on high, I caught a glimpse of Neon’s wings.as they flapped seamlessly against the night sky.

At last, he perched on a building at the far end of the block. His ears flicked to and fro, with the occasional use of his sonar. That’s when he found it.

“I think that’s where it is. Babs, get behind me. This could get dangerous…” I commanded her as I slipped into the alley behind this building. It was much quieter over here than it was near her old home.

She followed, and slipped behind me. Once she got a good feel for the building, she tilted her head. “Dinah?”

“You can tell ponies are eating in there?”

“I’ve been to this place before. Horseapplebee’s I think.”

That’s when Neon dropped down to meet us. “What’s the plan, Captain?”

Before I could say anything, Babs gave her suggestion, “I’mma head in dere and see what’s what?”

“...What? Are you mad? That is--”

“Not a bad idea,” the bat stallion interrupted, “Think on it, Captain. If she’s familiar with the place, then they’d accept her more easily.”

“Yeah,” Babs agreed with a flip of her mane, “and I’mma pretty mare. Ain’t nopony gonna resist muh charmin’ style, yo.”

I felt concerned, but given what I knew that she was capable of, I put those concerns to rest. The mare could take care of herself, and she had us nearby in case anything went wrong. So I nodded. “Alright then...get in there and see what you know. But if you hit trouble...we’ll be there.”

“Pfft. Trouble my flank, why don’tcha? I’ll be fine,” she said with a confident strut out of the alley and onto the sidewalk. She turned and left from our line of sight as she rounded the corner to enter the establishment.

Inside...

It was a quiet, and nearly empty place. Only a small handful of stallions were inside. Mostly at the bar to have drinks.

Babs felt no shred of fear as she stepped in. Of course, a well-groomed mare that entered the place at this hour naturally turned some heads, but they all swiftly went back to minding their own business.

She took a seat at the far end of the bar, a hefty smirk across her face as she shot a look to some of the stallions on the other end. Another stallion, the barkeep, approached her.

“What’ll it be, miss?”

“Sparklin’ wata,” she knew it was silly, but Babs refused to consume alcohol. It was bad for her muscles and her appearance.

The unicorn bartender raised an eyebrow, but didn’t question it. With his magic, he poured her a glass and set it before her.

“Thanks, bub,” she responded with payment of a few bits. She sipped the glass and sat casually with her legs crossed.

The other patrons felt a bit awkward all of the sudden. As if Babs’ presence had altered the scene in a way they didn’t like.

“Heh,” she thought to herself, “musta been discussin’ somethin’ that they didn’t want anypony to hear. Let’s see how long it takes before I get kicked out.”

True enough, after a few minutes, one of the stallions--a pegasus came up to her. “Hey, miss. What brings you here so late?”

“Eh, just wanted a drink, yo. Been workin’ like a horse non-stop. Just wanted some relief, ya feel me?”

He chuckled, “Heh, if it’s relief you want, then I think you’re in luck, lady.”

“I hope this is the right way to be flirtin’.” “Aw for real, bro? You think you can help me?” Babs stretched her legs, with her usual cocky expression. “Sorry, but I don’t think ya could handle me.”

Her efforts seemed to work so far. The stallion was certainly entertained. “Hey, we won’t know until I try, right?”

“I just got one teensy, fava,” Babs would put on her best attempt at an eye-flutter.

“Oh? And just what might that be, hun?”

“I needs ya to tell me if ya heard of the Blood Vipa,” she answered with a hint of a plea in her voice, “All the toughest dudes in da city know about him.”

He hesitated, but seemingly went for it, and sat closer to her. “Oh? You know about it, eh? I can do more than just tell you, hun. I can show you….for the right price.”

“Blech,” she threw up mentally at the idea of dating someone so easily fooled, “But hey, if it works, it works…” “What kinda price we talkin’? I’m willin’a pay anything for this hot info.”

Success. Her intimidation capabilities worked perfectly. The pegasus stallion was already willing to listen. His friends nearby took note of the situation, and made eye contact with each other to relay silent messages.

“Why don’t I take you downstairs…” he offered, and walked to a door that led to some steps.

Babs accepted the offer and followed with a bit of an exaggerated sway in her step. She wanted to show she meant business. “Thanks, suga. I’ll be payin’ ya nicely for dis.”

They traveled down the steps to another door. The previous one had been locked behind them now. The stallion shot Babs a smirk as he pushed the door open. Behind it was a room. In that room were various tables in which Griffons were playing card games.

Babs looked around with awe. Griffons? Here? Crazy… “Woah mama...whadda we have here?”

The yellow pegasus trotted ahead, “I’ll go ahead and explain to the boss what you’re here for. Then we can discuss your payment later.”

She nodded and decided to play it cool. The brown earth pony leaned against the wall, and winked at a few of the patrons that did notice her. But they ultimately paid her no mind.

The pegasus would return moments later. Behind him was a rather large griffon with a set of jet black feathers. He had on a white suit with a red tie and a matching white fedora. “And just who might you be?”

“Nopony special,” Babs answered as she studied the appearance of who was likely the boss, “I just wanted to see about joinin’ ya. I can do anythin’ ya ask, big pops.”

“Anything?” The griffon raised an eyebrow, “and just what makes you think we’ll trust you so readily?”

She flicked her mane, “Would an untrustworthy gal come up in here with a poorly done mane? ‘Sides, I got access to lotsa products ya could sell.”

“Oh really? And just what do you have to offer?”

“An empiya,” she walked up to him, and bumped his side with her flank, “an empiya of technical mahvels that ya can’t even comprehend, pops. And maybe somethin’ more...personal if ya catch muh drift.”

“Hm…perhaps we could make use of someone like you. But just what are you after, miss?”

That’s when Babs chose to play her card, “I want in on ya business. Specifically, the Blood Vipa stuff.”

The various conversations happening around the room came to a halt for a few seconds. The secret codeword had been uttered. Idle chatter would resume, and the griffon beckoned her to follow him to another room.

Babs did just that, and observed just how fast everyone’s heads had turned. She was taken to a more secluded office where the griffon had various items on shelves nearby. “What do you know about the griffons, my dear?”

“Admittedly...not much.”

“I see...at any rate, you should know that we’re in dire straits as of late. We heed no ruler or king. And we are at constant odds with each other. Lord Gruff hasn’t done much to keep us together either.”

“Uh..huh. And what’s this gotta do with the bat dudes?”

He sighed, “They offered a way to help us...in exchange for a relic that could bring about the return of our true King, we intend to give the batponies in Hollow Shades a relic that could assist in recovering theirs,” he pulled out a red gemstone that was attached to a necklace he wore beneath the suit.

She nodded, and made mental notes for later, “So what can I do for ya?”

“You? It’s simple...act as a waitress during the day, and hang around for the guys at night. We could really use the extra hooves.”

The mare blushed and started to stutter. “Woah...hold on, pops…I don’t think...” “Oh hell naw...no way am I doin’ that.”

But the griffon insisted. “Oh no, no. Anyone who knows the code word must be in service of the group. It’s how we operate.”

“Yeah...I don’t think this operation is for me,” Babs chuckled nervously. Now was a good time to make her exist and get the help of the guys.

The griffon boss’ eye twitched. The thought of someone leaving him so fast was damning. “...No. No one who has this much knowledge can be allowed to roam freely on the streets. If you don’t wish to comply, then I’ll have no choice but to keep you here by force.”

His words fell on deaf ears. The mare had already exited, and went back to the room with the card tables.

“STOP HER!”

Outside…

I sighed. The wait was brutal. Just what could Babs be going through right now?

“Relax, mate,” Neon comforted me with a nudge as we sat on a bench nearby, “she’s a tough cookie. I could see it in her eyes.”

CRASH!

Neon and I both jumped. The entire wall to the establishment had a hole blown through it by force. Bricks and pieces of the wall flew into the street. Once the dust cleared, I was horrified at what I saw.

Babs had been tossed clear across the street and into a neighboring alley wall. The earth pony mare shook it off rather quickly, I admit. “Heh! Is that all ya got? Boys, get ova here!”

We both rushed to Babs’ side. I’d have checked for injuries, but she seemed as cocky as ever. So more than likely she was fine. From the hole in the wall came more pressing matters, though.

A huge griffon dude, followed by a pair of his griffon bodyguards had appeared. “Get her! She can’t be allowed to escape!”

“Who’s this?” I asked the mare, “A friend of yours?”

“Somethin’ like that. Turns out dis place is full of a buncha pervs!”

The griffon noticed the batpony among them, “What are you doing here? We’re trying to help your kind!”

“Are ya takin’ the piss, mate?” Neon stretched his mechanical limb. Wait a second, was there more to it than just a mere prosthetic? “I’m not sure what you’re talkin’ about.”

The griffon held up a glowing red crystal in his claw, “Your family has promised us a relic that could potentially bring back our king in exchange for this which could bring back theirs. Don’t interfere with our plans,” he put it back in his shirt, and snapped his claw-fingers and the other two griffons pulled out crossbows.

“King...no...that’s too dangerous!”

I looked at Neon, “Just who is he talking about?”

“I’ll explain later, friend. For now, just focus on stealing that crystal.”

Babs cricked her neck, “I’mma head in first. Ya’ll back me up,” she said before she ran towards one of them. With a flying kick, she knocked the crossbow out of the left griffon’s claws, and delivered a devastating punch to his cheek. Guess they weren’t expecting us to actually fight back, and dropped their guard.

I followed her. Before the one on the right could properly shoot her, I charged him. With nothing but the sheer strength of my head, I sent him barreling back into the bar with a painful screech. I turned with a swift pivot and tried to sling a hoof at the boss griffon, but he caught me dead in my tracks with a claw.

“Not bad. Guess you’re not as inexperienced as you look.”

Babs meanwhile, had wrestled the other griffon to the ground, but she wasn’t attacking or beating the guy. Was she trying to reason with him, maybe?

I growled, and would’ve tried to bounce off of him with a kick, but it seemed he already thought of that. He moved back. I came up short in my attempt to land my legs on his chest, and he flung me into the nearby wall.

That’s when Neon would finally show his true colors. His fake leg pointed at the back of the lion-bird’s head, “Take a step, and your internals will hit the pavement.”

As I hit the floor, I took a closer look. Each of the pneumatic tubes that made up his fake appendage started to spin. Wait...was that the design developed by Richer Batling?

The griffon held up his claws, “What are you doing? I’m trying to help you and your kind!”

“Just hand it over, mate. I’ll see for myself if my ‘family’ wants to comply.”

With no other option, the griffon handed over the necklace with the crystal attached. “Gah. Fine. Show them yourself. But if we do not hear any compliance from them in one week, we will show no mercy.” He snapped his claw-fingers once more, and the griffon that I had tackled moments ago threw something at us that clattered to the floor of the diner.

“Flashbang!” Neon shouted as he swiped the gem, “Get down!”

We all covered our eyes as the flash went off. It took a while, but once it finally wore off, we took a look around. The griffons and the other pony patrons had left the place.

I rose to my hooves. First priority was to check and make sure the team was safe. “Is everyone alright?”

“Yeh,” Babs answered, “But I neva expected any griffons to appear here. Let alone runnin’ some kinda operation. And what’s with da crystal, anyways?”

“I’m not sure…but it feels...strangely familiar,” Neon said and gave it a gentle tap with his hoof. “GAh!” He recoiled and dropped it, to which I grabbed before it hit the ground.

“Neon! You okay?”

“I am, bruv. But when I touched that thing, it gave me a weird...sensation.”

Sensation? Strange. I was holding it right then and there, yet I felt nothing. Maybe this could come in handy for later. “Alright, hang on…maybe I can figure this out if I have Cork run some tests on it.” I slipped it into an evidence bag.

“Well, at least they gone for now,” Babs commented, “Looks like muh shop is gonna be safe. And oh yeah, turns out Blood Vipa is they code words for entry into their crew or somethin’. Was pretty weird, but I got through it with muh intimidation skills.”

So that was it. But just what was their angle here? I needed more time to think about this...bah, there’s never any damn time. “Alright...let’s all head back and regroup.”

We all exited the destroyed little diner until two stallions blocked our path. Crystal ones.One red, one green. That’s right...because the Empire was in the North, they managed all of Equestria’s northern cities while the Southern ones were managed by Canterlot. Not many people knew, but it did make sense for Crystal Guards to be stationed here. Though, just why were they following me?

“Ey, can we help ya?” Babs stood in front of us.

The red one spoke first, “Yes. By decree of the highest order from Shining Armor. Pale Vestige is hereby summoned to meet with him tomorrow. If you are not in attendance, he will come retrieve you himself, and you will be placed under arrest. That is all.”

Then the green one, “And bring that red crystal thing with you.”

Babs blinked as they left right after delivering the message. “Wha…?”

I put a hoof on the mare’s shoulder, “Don’t worry. I’m sure it’ll be fine.”

Neon rolled his eyes. I could see it in his face. If it were up to him, he would’ve told them off in an instant. But now wasn’t the time. “Hmph. Let’s just get on home. Me joints are right tuckered.”

The mare stopped us, “Hold up, ya’ll can crash with me for tonight if ya want. This was actually pretty fun, so it’s the least I could do for ya. I got some guest rooms and plenty of food,” she offered with a grin.

I smiled, and tugged on the stoic bat friend of mine. “We appreciate that, BS. C’mon, Isotope.”

“Hm…”

We went back to her place and relaxed for the rest of the night. I couldn’t shake the feeling that it was entirely possible that those Crystal Ponies had been tracking us the entire time for the Prince. No matter. I’m sure he had his reasons as both a leader and a father. But the need for an arrest if I didn’t comply? That was suspicious…

I looked at the crystal I had placed in the evidence bag.

“What are you hiding?”

“Loads of secrets you are not ready to handle.”

Subject 20: Crystal Family

I got up early the next morning and bid Babs goodbye with a promise of a future visit. Now that the area near her salon was safe, things would go more smoothly for her. Neon begged to accompany me on this little trip, but I declined. I wanted him to give the report to both Quick and Cork. Not to mention the shininess of the Empire would distract him from focusing properly.

After the long train ride, I arrived in the crystalline station only to be met with five guards who awaited my arrival.

“Halt!” The Crystal guards pointed their spears at me. I rolled my eyes. Royal Guards were glorified greeters, but I didn’t want to cause a scene. I simply followed without question. No time to take in the sights this time.

“Talk about an audience. Am I that important?” I joked as I was led straight to the castle. The guards had a goalpost formation going so I wouldn’t attempt an escape, but they weren’t amused at the crack I made. Smart. But I didn’t plan on anything. Yet.

In the back of my mind, I wondered if Cadance had been there. Maybe she would be willing to hear me out. Or not. To them, I was still largely a stranger, so who knows? I entered the throne room and to my surprise, only the Prince was there. Huh.

“Greetings, my good man.”

“Save it,” he interjected and rose from his throne, “did you bring what the guards said you had?”

I showed him the crystal that I had contained within an evidence bag, and he levitated it with his magic. “I found this from a griffon in Manehattan. Some kind of gift to the batpony race in Hollow Shades.”

As I expected, he believed none of it. I didn’t blame him though. It sounded as crazy as it was. “...Right. And you expect me to think that you’re telling the truth?” He took the red gem out of the bag, “Do you have any idea what this is?!”

So it would appear that those Crystal Guards appeared at the very tail end of the conflict when the griffons had already made their exit. As a result, the situation painted me in a more negative light, one that I couldn’t easily explain my way out of. Dammit. If only they had gotten there sooner. Such are the complications of my work. “...I do not.”

He shot me a rather annoyed look. “This is an Umbral Shard. This is what created King Sombra! Something like this could bring his spirit back, and you mean to tell me that you somehow have it after stating you want to also bring Cozy Glow back?”

I nearly fell over. The King Sombra? That was news to me. But now, my other work was being tarnished by mere association. “Listen, I have no intention of resurrecting the King.”

“And yet you want to free Cozy Glow, right?”

I couldn’t lie. “Well...yes.”

“And that’s the problem,” He stomped on his way over to me, “The fact remains that you’re in possession of an item that could have devastating effects on my home--and possibly the world while spouting some sort of twisted rhetoric about giving another chance to one of our most dangerous enemies.”

Damn. I couldn’t exactly do much to prove my innocence there. There were no other witnesses outside of Babs and Neon, but to drag the mare into this would possibly get the rest of her family involved. And for my bat friend, well, he had been through enough as it was.

For now, I would have to lose the stronger cards in my hoof to gain an advantage next turn.

“...I don’t have much else to say. If you don’t believe me, there’s nothing I can do to make you understand.”

“I understand alright. You’ve manipulated my wife and kid into thinking Cozy Glow deserves passages, and now you’re carrying around dangerous artifacts that could kill us all,” the unicorn leaned in close to intimidate me, “And then you have the stones to try and think you’re going to convince my sister of anything? You have a lot to learn.”

I wasn’t moved. From what I had heard through the pipeline, Shining was a rather kind and gentle ruler. I guess now that his child has gotten older along with having more responsibilities as a monarch, stress took its toll, and the stallion was more curt as a result. I despised that mentality, but I didn’t blame him. He was only doing his job based on the evidence that had been provided.

Though, I cursed to myself. There had to be a way for me to make this better without causing a scene. “...Nothing. I’ve done nothing wrong, so I have no words for you, sir.”

“In that case, you can stay quiet in one of the holding cells until I decide what’s necessary for you,” he commanded with a stomp of his hoof. Crystal guards rushed in and stood at my sides.

That’s when we heard the entrance swing open.

“We’re home!” the Princess of Love called out.

“I got mom a cookbook so she won’t nuke the kitchen again,” Flurry Heart said with a cackle. Then they both laid eyes on me.

The pink mare spoke first, “...Shining--honey, what’s going on? Did something happen for you to call the Agency?”

So it would appear he summoned me without his wife’s input. Rather interesting.

“I’ll deal with you later,” he grumbled to me under his breath before he approached his family, “We’ve sort of run into a problem. This investigator who wants to set Cozy free came in with this,” with his magic, he showed them the demonic red gemstone I had found.

“Ah!” Both mares gasped.

“I-Is that the stuff that nearly caused the destruction of our home?” the daughter hid behind her mother.

Cadance was not afraid, though. In fact, she even took a closer look at it. “An Umbral Shard. Just where did this come from?”

“He brought it in,” Shining pointed at me, “he made up some story about getting it from some griffon or something. But because of the fact that he’s got nothing to prove his innocence, I don’t believe him. I feel it’s best to keep him here for a while until we really know what he’s doing.”

The Princess of Love shot her husband a look of confusion, and disappointment. “I...don’t understand. I thought you were just trying to get opinions on whether or not Cozy should be set free. Not start a whole war.”

“I have no intention of doing that,” I responded quickly in order to play the situation to my advantage.

“And yet we don’t know you,” Shining countered, “this could all be a plot to topple our home. I can’t take any chances for the sake of my Empire and my family.”

That’s when Flurry cut in, and flew between us, “Stuff it, dad. He protected me.”

“What?”

Wait, what? Did she not tell her parents about the incident with the bugbear?! What in the Luna-damn? I shook my head, “Flurry wait. There’s no need to--”

She turned to look at me, “Shhh, I’m making a heroic sacrifice here. Let me have this,” and she continued, now looking at her parents again, “Mom, dad. On my visit to Ponyville a while ago, I ran into this guy.”

“Yeah...you explained that before,” Shining said with confusion, which quickly faded to concern, “what happened? Did something happen?”

“...Is there something you’re not telling us, kiddo?” Cadance asked.

“Okay…” Flurry would go on to explain how she and her friends followed me into the forest and helped me defeat the bugbear. While it was noble, I feared for the child and how her parents would react once the story was finished. “...but he kept us safe until we beat it. It was our fault for following him.”

“I see…” Cadance let out a sigh as she closed her eyes to give it some thought.

Shining, however, was not so relaxed. “Flurry? What the hoof is wrong with you? Why would you do such a crazy thing?”

“Hey, I wanted to fight something like you and mom used to. It’s the only way I’m gonna get stronger.”

“But following somepony without their permission is ridiculous. What if he was leading you to your death?!”

Flurry took a step back, offended by such a thought, “Um...what?! Mr. Vest would never do that!”

“And how do you know? Alright, look...I don’t have time for this. Just go to your room, Flurry.”

“But--”

To my surprise, Cadance would agree, “Flurry Heart, do as your father says. You aren’t grounded. We just need to take care of business.”

“Fine…” she floated off the ground with a flap of her wings before she teleported out with a shine of her horn.

“And you…” the prince unicorn addressed me, “you had better be lucky I don’t throw you in a dungeon.”

My eyes narrowed to peeved slits, “It was their decision, not mine.”

“I don’t believe a word you say at this point,” he shot back, “how do I know you didn’t purposefully lure her there?”

Damn. Once again, I had nothing to prove my innocence in that respect. It was a massive misunderstanding, but I didn’t hate the Prince for suspecting me. I would’ve done the same if I were in his position.

“Ahem.” Cadance cleared her throat and finally opened her eyes. I could feel her blood rushing. She was...mad, annoyed, frustrated? I couldn’t tell. Her emotions were too conflicting to get a proper read. “So you felt it was necessary to summon him without telling, did you?”

Another surprise. The prince looked a bit nervous now. I suppose the wrath of one’s other half was nothing one should toy with. “Well...I had a good reason for it!”

The pink mare didn’t know what to think by this point. She probably wanted to get this over with fast, so she simply asked me a question. “Pale Vestige?”

“Yes?”

“Do you still wish to set Cozy Glow free?”

“...Yes,” I responded with a droop of my head.

“And did you know just what sort of crystal this was?”

“No.”

I could almost feel her mentally weigh her options. Silence filled the throne room for what felt like forever. “Ugh...you leave me no choice. For now, you will stay in one of our guest rooms until we can make a decision.”

I sighed. There was nothing I could do here other than accept and make it smoother for all of us. “Understood.” The crystal guards escorted me out of the throne room and and to one of the guest rooms upstairs. I was at least grateful to not be sent to a dungeon for now.

One of the guards opened the door and I peeked in. It was a rather...nice looking room to say the least. A carpet, a bed, a desk, and a toilet. It was actually the size of a small bedroom. Looked a bit like one too. Hm. Wonder who had anything to do with that.

In any case, I went in and lied down. This wasn’t the first time I was imprisoned someplace, and I knew it likely wouldn’t be the last. Nothing to do now but wait for them to come to a decision.

How annoying.

Meanwhile…

“Shining, are you sure he’s really trying to hurt us?”

“I’m just doing this until we can figure out just what he’s talking about. I’m tired of risking potential threats to our safety by not taking action first. This will ensure nothing will happen.”

Cadance sighed, “If you think so...but even still, what should we do about Flurry?”

“...Maybe post a guard in Ponyville just in case she ever goes back.”

“Shining…”

“It’s just for safety reasons!” He explained with a nervous smile, “You don’t want anything to happen to her, do you?”

“No...but we need to talk to her. She should at least know what she did wrong so she won’t make the same mistake again.”

They got to her room…

“No way, guys,” Flurry responded indignantly, “You always taught me to look out for my friends. And if one is in trouble, I help. I’m an alicorn with loads of magic, I can handle these things.”

“Listen, kiddo...the rough part about life is understanding that not everypony is your friend.” The unicorn sat on her bed and put a hoof around her, “You’re going to encounter certain...individuals that want to trick you and--”

“Listen, dad. I know what kind of pony that guy is. I could feel it in his heart. He’s not going to hurt anyone.”

Cadance used her magic to levitate her husband away for a moment and took his place next to Flurry. “What your father was trying to say was...you did a good job defending yourself and looking out for somepony else. So we’re not going to punish you...this time.”

“What?!” Shining shouted.

The pink alicorn shot him a mean look.

“I mean...of course. Your mother’s right. We’ll let this one slide today,” he said with a forced smile which hid his defeated huff. “Still not letting him go free just yet.”

“Okay...thanks, I guess,” Flurry said back while she looked through a comic book.

The two rulers of the Empire let their child be and shut the door. Once they did, Flurry began to work her magic…

Meanwhile, in Ponyville…

Cheerilee had finished up her tutoring duties for the day and had some news she wanted to share with Pale. “Well that’s strange…” However, he wasn’t home. So she went to the antique shop/investigation agency to find out more.

“Um...hello?” she tapped on the door, and a batpony answered.

“Top of the mornin’, madam,” It was Neon, “What can I do for you?”

The schoolteacher tilted her head to get a better look. The bat ponies were very rare, and it surprised her to see one out here in the town. But that was beside the point. “Yes, um, is mr. Vestige here? I’d like to speak to him if I can.”

“He’s flat out, mate. Gone to the Empire for some summons or whatever. Don’t know when he’ll be back.”

“I see...well, thank you!” Cheerilee flashed a smile and it quickly faded. She couldn’t help but worry for her new friend.

Then a day passed…

And another…

And another…

Cheerilee was now rightfully concerned. However, she was unable to go all the way to the Empire herself, given that she had to make time for the students. “Oh...come on, Cheery, think. Who has so much time on their hooves that they could go anywhere anytime they wanted?”

That’s when it hit her. She made a beeline for a house at the edge of Ponyville.

“...so I’d like you to go to the Empire. I asked his friends if they could, but they said something along the lines of ‘we have allies stationed there, so they’d contact us if there was something wrong’ since they have another agency in the Empire. Even so, I still want to make sure nothing’s wrong. Can you do that for me?”

The green earth pony mare nodded slowly. “Totally, Teach. I can use it as a chance to expand my home business anyways. I’ll totally head out when I’m done with this next set of brownies. In fact, I might take him some.”

“Oh thank you...I’d appreciate that, Tree Hugger. I’ve been so caught up with teaching, and then I met up with this stallion recently. You might know him actually...” she blushed.

“Oh wow...I hope things work out between you two, sis.”

Cheerilee rolled her eyes. This wouldn’t be the first time. “Yup, so do I, heh…”

In the Empire…

My third day here. I knew things wouldn’t get much worse. Guttersnipe and Flash Drive were both stationed here. If I was truly in danger, they’d have come after me by now. To be quite honest, it wasn’t so bad. I was able to relax here and gather my thoughts for a potential trial hearing if it came to that.

I heard the clopping of hooves outside the door, and found myself face-to-face with the young alicorn princess when she teleported inside the room.

“Fl--”

“Shh.” With a flick of her horn, she teleported a full course meal in front of me on a tray. Vegetable spaghetti with mushrooms, a freshly tossed hay salad, and a mug filled with freshly brewed iced honey tea. “I need a second opinion. Mom and I cooked dinner and I felt like you were being left out.”

“Are you sure this is…” I tilted my head. Just what was her aim here? Did I--oh wow. The food smelled rather delicious. A far cry from the simple three apples I was given. Without hesitation, I stuffed my face. Part of my mind cringed out of embarrassment in front of the young princess, but I didn’t care. I needed some real food. “...Thank you.”

She clapped her hooves, “Yes! I knew you’d like it! But please forgive me for my dad. He’s got this...part of him that feels like he needs to be more in control than before.”

“Before?” I asked, as I finished sipping the mug. Out of nowhere, it refilled itself. Did she sense what I wanted?

She sat down on the floor, “Before I was born...dad used to be at the top of his game. He helped thwart the Changelings and Sombra. Sure, he had help from mom, but he played an important role. But then...I was born. And he slowly faded into the background so to speak. On occasion he’d have a moment of saving me or mom but he was never given the chance to be in the spotlight anymore,” she looked down, “so now that I’m a bit older, and he rules the Empire alongside mom, he feels the need to be more...serious. I understand why, but I wish he wouldn’t...blech. What am I saying?”

“Hm?”

The alicorn giggled, rolled her eyes, and stood up, “Sorry. I’m just talking your ear off with problems that you simply can’t solve. I know I need to talk to him a bit more, so you don’t have to say anything. For now, just...lie low. I’m sure he’ll release you soon.”

I smiled and flopped on the bed after finishing the meal. It was amazing to the point where I felt like I could simply fall asleep and never wake up. “I’m in no rush...your father’s a good stallion and has every right not to trust me. From his perspective, I could easily be a corrupt officer.”

She stood and stomped her hoof, “Bullshit! Don’t say things like that, sir. I can see in your heart that you’re a pure individual.”

“...Well-intentioned? Yes. Pure...I dunno about all that.”

“You know what I mean,” she shot me a smirk and teleported the tray and dirty dishes away, “If I have time, I’ll see ya tomorrow. I have lots of preparations to make for my gala dress.”

“Don’t trip,” I replied with a tired smile.

“Heh, yeah right. Like I’d ever let Pound see that!” And with a flash of her horn, she was gone just as quickly as she had appeared.

I lied down to rest for a while, and soon, the night crept up once more. Darkness consumed the earth, and it was another quiet, uneventful evening.

That is, until I heard a knock outside. I turned on the light in the room.

I looked up and found a box that had been placed there. I opened it to find brownies. Huh. No prizes for guessing who sent these. It was a nice snack so I decided to have about three before bed.

That was a mistake.

I tossed and turned, unable to shake the feeling that something was trying to get inside of my head. But it wasn’t Luna. Not this time. It was something else. I could tell, because the voice in my head was male.

“Face me.”

Subject 21: Advent of A Former King

I felt my subconscious taken over. Something had gotten into my head that I couldn’t control. But just what was it? Those brownies did something to me. Tree Hugger what did you put in here? Was I dreaming? What was going on?!

I felt myself suddenly tossed into the Frozen North. A series of snowstorms blew all around the mounds and mounds of white crystals. Endless as far as the eye could see. Okay. This had to be a dream of some sort. So I chose to walk. That would lead me to something, right?

Well, it did, thankfully. I eventually came across an orphanage with a similar crystalline structure and color scheme of the Empire itself. Everything seemed to be normal inside of it. Foals getting along and playing. Except one…

A gray unicorn sat alone in a corner. Nopony would approach him unless it was to make fun of him or say mean things behind his back. Just what was happening? Was he abnormal in some way? Did the others feel the need to poke fun at him due to where he came from? I had to know more.

I ran around to the back of the orphanage and the dark, snowy night would be replaced with a bright, chilly day. The gray unicorn colt would attempt to make friends, only to be shot down by the other foals.

“...Sombra play?”

“Go away, weirdo.”

“Who even talks like that?”

He was naturally depressed over his rejection. With no one to care for him or to build any bonds with, it’d become harder for him to go on. That is, until a purple unicorn filly would offer her hoof to him. She didn’t care that he spoke differently or that he had a strange name. She just wanted to be his friend.

“What’s your name?”

“S-Sombra…”

“I’m Hope. Wanna be friends?”

“Hope...doesn’t hate Sombra?”

“No, silly! I like you just the way you are.”

I saw that colt smile. But there was something off about it. It wasn’t a genuine smile. It was a broken one that hid away his true feelings. As if he was trying to forcefully reject a part of who he was.

With nowhere left to go, I started to run. This dream was getting too strange for my tastes, and I wanted to hightail it out of here. Luna, if this was your idea of a joke, please cease. But no. I didn’t sense her aura at all…

The snow crunched and crackled beneath my hooves with each step. Until I forced myself to stop. I happened upon another scene with the unicorn colt. He had found a red crystal not unlike the one I had found and touched a while ago. Could this be…

“I am your true mother, Sombra...embrace your destiny.”

No way. Was this how the fearsome and deplorable King Sombra was created? Why was no one allowed to know about this? I had to find out more...but where could I go? I couldn’t move, I couldn’t wake up.

I took a step back and fell off the side of a mountain. I screamed, but could barely hear myself over the sounds of demonic winds. Then I suddenly felt my flank hit the floor. I wasn’t outside anymore. I was in some kind of...library. Bookshelves aplenty, but they looked untouched for centuries.

I was given no direction. I had to find out what the truth was for myself. So I pressed on. I spent what felt like hours looking through the books to try and find something worthwhile. Then I came across something of note.

‘Dangers of the Dark Arts’

I picked up the book and skimmed through it. It contained details of why Dark Magic was considered evil and frowned upon in this world.

‘The spells were often so dangerous that they would cause problems for everyone around them. From something as small as creating a poison to something as large as generating a black hole, Dark Magic has been considered taboo since the early days of Equestria.’

Interesting. Sombra was a practitioner of Dark Magic. Is this why he was shunned constantly with no hope of returning to the world? I needed more information. This wasn’t enough. I kept the book with me, and started to search once more.

This place was rather interesting to be in, as each book contained anecdotes of the history of the Empire. And yet they were all hidden away. Was this possibly a hidden storeroom of old books that had been sealed away from the public? If so...why? I rubbed my head. This was getting cumbersome.

After awhile, I came upon another book.

‘Shadow Creatures and Their Damnation.’

Oh? This could be relevant to just where his powers came from? I flipped through it until I got to the chapter on Umbrums…

‘Umbrums are a species of creature bred to seek and destroy. With no alternate objectives or desires, they only want the suffering of others, primarily the Empire with an army of them hidden beneath it. As such, no Umbrums should be trusted, lest they cause destruction of the world.’

That’s when it hit me. Sombra was an Umbrum. That’s been his objective the entire time, so raise his army, and wreak havoc upon the Empire. But why? Whatever happened to the filly he met so long ago? My head was spinning, and I needed to lie down.

Next to me was a simple, torn page. I tiled my head and picked it up.

‘...transmogrification spell to transform ponies into half-bats requires lots of focus and painful cellular modification. It is advised to execute anyone who tries this.’

I quietly recoiled and let go of the page, but that’s when I finally heard his voice.

“I simply wanted to be accepted...”

“Holy sh--!” I jumped up, ready to fight something, but all I found was a gray unicorn stallion with a red scarf around his neck. Was this who Sombra would’ve been if he had a normal life. “Are you? But I thought you were killed.”

“I was. And yet, my spirit lingers…” he said with a shaky breath of air, “No matter what happens, my spirit can’t fully pass on. I am not like the rest of you. There is no afterlife for me…”

I rubbed my head once more. Was my dream being hijacked by some crazy dark magic or something? How was he here? I had so many questions. “I see…”

The unicorn looked up at the darkness that was the ceiling of the underground storage room. “In case you are wondering, this came about due to the fact that you touched the Umbral Shard. It contained a bit of my spirit that was lost, and as a result, you could say that my ghost came to find you,” he explained in a solemn, defeated manner. “Not nearly enough to bring me back to life, so don’t worry.”

“Okay...so tell me, what was I just experiencing moments ago?”

“My...foalhood, if you will. Things were so peaceful between Radiant Hope and I…” That must’ve been the filly I saw. Okay. Good start. “But a part of me still wanted to embrace who I was. I was not normal. I was an Umbrum. Created by the other shadows as a means to an end to restore our lost family.”

That’s another thing I had never considered. Just why were there so many Umbral Shadow Ponies buried and restrained beneath the Empire? There had to be more to it than simple enslavement. “...and why was your family lost to begin with?”

He sighed, “The...Shadows were banished long ago for being associated with Dark Magic. With nowhere else to turn to, they were sealed beneath the Empire by Princess Amore--the former ruler of the Empire. So in order to come back, I had to enslave the Crystal Ponies…” his eyes watered somewhat. Was it possible that he regretted his actions? “I was so arrogant to think that death could mean so little. And now...she is gone.”

“Who’s gone?”

“...”

His heartbroken face said it all. Radiant Hope was no longer of this earth. It was a touchy subject, but I needed to find out more. “But…how...”

His eyes flared with a bit of dark magic. “Killed in the battle that ensued when I first rose to power. The one that I caused. I should’ve told her to stay away, but she...she told me to stay true to myself. And that’s exactly what I did until the end...”

I nearly passed out. Could that be why she never showed up again and why the King never mentioned her in his final confrontation with the good guys?

“Enraged by my own foolishness, I blamed the rest of the world for her death, and sought...revenge. Which is why I have been so hellbent on taking back the Empire. I felt that if I could...we would be reunited once more.”

Fascinating. This stallion was...was he even truly evil? Or misguided by delusion? “Is that why you refused to ally yourself with the other three Horsemen of the Apocalypse?” It was the street name given to Cozy Glow, Tirek, and Chrysalis as a group. With Sombra being the fourth.

“Indeed. They could not comprehend the internal struggle that I faced. I wanted everypony to witness me for who I truly was instead of hiding away from it. But that...was my greatest mistake. In my pursuit of being true to myself, I caused suffering for countless others, and lost Hope…” he rose and started to walk away. “Don’t feel sympathy for me. I am aware of the deplorable nature of my actions.”

I wouldn’t stand for that. Or well, I did. But I had to follow him. We both slowly stepped away from the underground book room and stepped into a pitch black abyss of nothingness. Except if we looked up, we could see stars above our heads. “If you truly knew what you were doing, I’m sure you would’ve stopped yourself.”

“That...is the lie I told myself all the time. ‘If only I knew,’ as a way to justify my disgusting actions. But now...I will suffer eternally.”

“How so?”

He pointed in the distance and we could both see an amalgamation of shadows with deadly green eyes that was trapped beneath a layer of darkness, unable to move or think for itself. Forever in a vegetative state. “This is a mere representation of what has become of my soul. King Sombra has been destroyed, but the soul lives on. As does my own. We are two parts of the same shattered stallion. Yet we cannot pass on. I will never be able to see Hope in the afterlife…”

I nearly started to sob. The story was too much for a regular pony like me to handle. But I did my best to offer my words. “I see...and what did you learn from your experience?”

“...That the children of this world are the most dangerous of all when they have no one to guide them.” He turned to look at me, “I know why you are here, Pale. I respected Cozy Glow’s resolve, but the child had no one to set her on the right path. And now, her life is over before it could truly begin. Just as mine was. Only...my situation was worse, because I was created to destroy others.” Sombra lied down on the dark, empty ground and hid his face with his hooves. “So while I feel sympathy for her, it will not be so simple to make a case for her.”

“Why do you think that?”

“She was dangerous beyond what you can comprehend. A skillful influencer not unlike myself as a King. But at such a young age...it was scary to behold. Beyond that, the damage she caused with the extreme measures of removal of all magic was far greater than anything King Sombra had accomplished.” There was a hint of disdain in his voice. As if there was no hope for what I had intended to do.

“Really now?” I asked.

“For your own safety...cease while you still have the opportunity to do so,” he pleaded, “In your efforts to do something different, you could very well end up like myself. Ruining everything for everyone around you and not realizing until it’s too late.”

I looked down at the darkness. Was it possible for me to end up like Sombra? Someone so rooted in their ideals that they caused destruction for everyone around them? “Do you think so?”

“Look at me!” He held his hooves up with a defeated cry, “I am a disgrace! In my vain efforts to stay true to what I thought was right, I caused a war, froze an entire civilization and its populace...and caused the death of the one I loved.” He put his hooves on my shoulders with an even more defeated frown, “For your own sake, and those you love. Do not pursue your ideals into a pit of despair.”

“And yet...I think it is possible that she could be properly fixed. It will take a lot of work, but I am prepared for it.”

“Young one...don’t take your life for granted. If she is set free and tricks you all into believing that she has truly changed, she could very well stab you in the back and through the heart. Your life would be forfeit, her life would be forfeit, and and your ideals would be forfeit. Foals would be under heavier scrutiny and suspicion would always be placed upon them.” He let me go and gave me a more cautious look, “Are you prepared to take these risks?”

Was I? I didn’t know for sure. I couldn’t respond, at least, not right away. The implications of causing lasting damage not just to myself, but to Cozy as well as impact the lives of foals everywhere. I didn’t want that. Everything I had built up in my life was in service of those who needed help the most. Ever since that fateful day I cracked my first successful case. But I wouldn’t falter either. It was a rough mountain to climb, and I was willing to do so. Even if it meant risking it all.

I looked straight at the former King’s face.

I didn’t know what to make of it. This was a shattered individual who wanted to stay true to himself, but as a result, he only hurt the people he cared about until he was driven by rage until it consumed him. I felt awful for the stallion. “I…”

“Listen,” he sat up, “it’s too late for me. That much is certain. My spirit will forever be in limbo due to my physical and shadow forms being eradicated. Even now...my curse still lingers. But for you, you have the chance to live a full life of happiness with the individuals that you love. Don’t throw it away for the sake of your ideals.”

He had a point. I didn’t want to go so far into what I thought I wanted to where I bypassed what was truly right. However, a curse? Wait a second, I needed more information. “...What is this curse you speak of?”

His horn shone, and displayed another memory to me. It was of a teenage Sombra studying at a school of magic. “Before I rose to power, I...was interested in the Dark Arts. As an Umbrum, it was my nature to be attached to such things.” In that memory, I witnessed the young unicorn continuously lambasted and ridiculed by his peers and his teachers for daring to study such things.

“Dark Magic is evil!”

“You’ll never amount to anything!”

“Touch the book again, and you’ll be sent to the headmaster’s office so fast your horn will fall off.”

“When I returned to the safety of home, the Umbral Shard would continue to speak to me. It kept saying horrid things such as ‘Do not listen to them’ and ‘show them your real power.’ I felt...determined to prove them wrong. That the Dark Arts can be used for the good of everypony. So...I ran experiments with vampire bats.”

My jaw hit the nonexistent floor. “What in Luna’s name would you do that?!”

He looked away with regret in his eyes, “My aim was to prove that if a pony had the abilities of bats, we could all improve our strength, speed, vision, and dexterity with no issues. I suffered constant pain and agony and watched as other foals endured unspeakable horrors and sicknesses that the orphanage couldn’t afford to handle. So...I used the serum on adult pony volunteers under the guise of it being a prescription to cure any illness. The idea was that...maybe, just maybe, transmogrification could help us break free of the shackles we were born with.”

The memory flickered, and it would show the young stallion pleading with many sick townsponies of a small village not too far from the Empire. They had agreed, and were already lining up for treatment.

I looked down. That was extremely questionable despite having good intentions. “I see…”

“In the end, they became batponies. Feared, and hated by everyone else who had no idea who they were, they were run out of their village with pitchforks and torches. They retreated to Hollow Shades...never to be heard from again.”

The experiments looked painful, though some of the ponies were grateful to not be in a sickly condition anymore. Even still, they were seen as freaks when they tried to go back home, and were indeed, scared off into Hollow Shades.

Holy horseapples. King Sombra was responsible for the creation of the batpony race? Imagine that! But now wasn’t the time for excitement. “Crazy...these days, the batponies aren’t under nearly as much scrutiny. I know. One of my friends is one.”

He shook his head, “This was a very long time ago, young one. During the reign of Princess Amore. The Empire’s first ruler. Back then, individuals were much more...phobic, so to speak.”

“I get it...and you deem the remaining batponies as part of your curse...because you created them?”

“It was...my greatest failure. Even now, they live in Hollow Shades. Isolated because they don’t feel as if they truly belong among the rest of society…”

I remembered the details regarding the artifact that the griffon gave to my friend Neon. “...I have a hunch that some of them still idolize you as their king, and desire your return.”

“What?” His pupils shrank, and he started to shiver. “No...that simply won’t do. I am unfit to be called King…you can’t let them try anything as crazy as bringing me back. Please. I don’t want to cause anymore harm.”

“Understood…” Hold on. That brought up another detail that didn’t occur to me until just now. “Wait a second...just how did you come into power?”

“Once I hit the cusp of becoming a stallion...I forced my way into the throne through sheer power and intimidation. I turned Princess Amore into a crystal statue whose remains are still scattered across Equestria to this very day,” he explained with his voice slowly cracking apart from sadness, “I...forced the Crystal Ponies to follow me as their true ruler with an iron hoof. This was long before Nightmare Moon was even a thing, Mr. Vestige. So please do listen well.”

I nodded, my ears poised to have his full attention. “Ready.”

“Just before the Princess of the Sun and Moon could cast me away, I inflicted one last move of desperation. I struck the Empire with a spell that caused it to disappear for one thousand years.” He gave a broken, empty sort of chuckle. A self-deprecating one. “Heh...I was never the type to give up on anything. Even down to my last breath, I was a spiteful little ingrate. Only after that spell was lifted could the Crystal Ponies break free and Cadance and Shining Armor could rule over their rightful land...which is where we are now.”

“Yikes...but wait...why were there no records of the creation of the bat race in any of the history books?”

“Think with your head, child.” He tapped his horn, “Do you really think anypony wants to know their race came into existence due to the arrogance of a tyrant?” He sighed, “...if that happened, batponies would never be accepted for who they are, and would forever be unfairly judged for being one of my accidental creations. Why do you think Luna only has two of them as guards?” He stood up, and started to trot in a random direction. “Just as well, the reasons for my actions...the bullying, the lack of proper guidance...none of it is detailed in the history books. It’s easier for the average pony to remove certain bits of history for the sake of making it easier to digest. So I cannot blame them.”

I got up and followed. “Wait, hold on...why are you telling me all of this?”

“Isn’t it obvious? You desire to know the truth, so I explained it. What you do with this information going forward, is entirely of your own volition.” Another empty sort of laugh, “Hah. But I suppose the opinion of a several-thousand year old tyrant is meaningless in the present day.”

I put my hoof around him, “You’re not meaningless. At least, not to me. Now that I know the truth behind the way the Empire was run and how you came into power...I have a better understanding of what I should do next. Regarding both this and Cozy.”

“I envy your discipline. Just remember what I said about what she is capable of, and that you shouldn’t pursue your ideals into a pit of darkness.” The unicorn flashed the smallest of smiles before he pushed my hoof away. “And no matter what you do...I have one final request for you.”

“Yes?”

“When you wake up, look beneath the bed on the floor of the cell you are held in. There will be a box filled with bits. Take that box to the orphanage. That will be my final act as Sombra before I return to The Void. Not a King. Just Sombra.” He looked up to the heavens, tears welled up in his eyes, “...this is for you, Hope.”

I nodded. I knew just what it was like to feel indebted to a facility that took care of folks who couldn’t care for themselves. “...Understood. I’ll take care of it.”

“Thank you…”

The next time I blinked, he disappeared from sight, and existence. In fact, it was like he was never there to begin with. I couldn’t even sense his aura anymore. Was it all really a dream? Did Sombra’s ghost get inside my head?

I woke up the next morning with a surprised thud on the floor. I remembered what he said about the boards, so I decided to move the bed over and true indeed, there was a hidden panel that I could flip open.

And as he said, a small chest filled with what I can only assume to be ancient bits that were worth thousands of normal bits for each one. I slipped it into my vest, which somehow magically stayed in place and put both the panel and bed back into their proper spots. “Holy shit he was real…”

Good thing too. Because just as I finished up, I heard someone enter the room. It was Cadance, and she was lacking her usual crown and elegant horseshoes. Instead, she wore a simple sweater for a casual look. “Pale...listen, we deeply apologize for doing this to you. We’ve recently found evidence that proves your innocence. The Crystal Guards took forever to uncover it.”

“Oh?”

She nodded, “That’s right, now get out of there. First things first. I’m going to treat you to a proper meal to make up for holding you captive. Second--”

“Wait, wait...you don’t have to do that.”

“But I want to, sir. If...you’ll let me,” she pleaded with a regretful smile.

Horseapples. I couldn’t dare refuse a soft expression like that. “...Very well.”

“Okay then. Secondly, Shining Armor wants to speak to you. And lastly, we could use your help…”

“With what?”

“Something to do with...griffons.”

Subject 22: Convincing Aegis

I followed the Princess of Love to a different part of the Crystal Castle that contained the areas where her and her family resided. When we went upstairs, it was more akin to a normal house with sleek hardwood floors, a beautiful living room, a wide kitchen, and bedrooms towards the back.

“First thing’s first,” she said to me, “You’re going to relax as our houseguest. But I have something to show you.”

“Hm?” She levitated a piece of gold-trimmed fabric with the letter ‘E’ on it into my hoof.

“One of our crystal guards found it near the place where the griffons were located. I figured you would have an inkling as to what it could mean. I sure don’t.”

I inspected it, and blinked. I knew just what this was and placed it into an evidence bag immediately. The conspiracy was getting thicker. “I...thank you. I think I know just what needs to be done with this.”

“Alrighty. I’ll get started on dinner. Shining is in his personal little garage.”

I raised a brow, “Oh?”

She giggled, “It’s a stallion thing. You’ll understand when you get there.” And she went into the kitchen.

I shrugged and went through the living room. I saw Flurry Heart on the couch playing another one of those strange video games but apparently she was able to talk to people through it?

“Motherbucker! I told you to capture B!”

“Language, Flurry,” her mother warned from the kitchen.

I chuckled and went through a nearby door. It led me to a massive room that was soundproof and filled with a myriad of block-based models and creations. To my left, I could see the Crystal Castle in a replica made entirely out of extremely small toy bricks. Insanity. I couldn’t imagine spending that much time on a project.

Over in the corner at the end of the room, the white unicorn prince was busy. He used his magic to carefully put another block in place. Looked like it was the city of Manehattan he was building. “Wow...you even have Madison Mare Garden done accurately.”

“Ah!” He nearly fell off his seat, “Did Cadance let you in here?”

I nodded. “Yes...is that a problem?”

He sighed. I suppose this room was meant to be a private space that he normally didn’t allow others into. But at the request of his wife, he had no choice. “Not at all. Listen...I want to formally apologize. I’ve been extremely strict with the defensive stance of my home and have been trying to find and stop threats before they can come up,” he turned and resumed work on his miniature brick city. “I initially assumed you were a threat and went too far.”

I couldn’t help but feel a bit of respect for his efforts, even though I disagreed with his methods entirely. “I see...well, you’re certainly not a father who neglects his family, I can say that much.”

“Spare me the compliments, I know that I went overboard,” he said with a roll of his eyes, “to be quite honest I’ve felt...utterly compelled to get something right. To make myself more significant in the eyes of my wife and kid.” He turned to face me again, “Imagine being related to not one, not two, but five extremely powerful alicorns. All of whom have saved the world.”

It took me a moment, but I nearly forgot that Cadance was adopted as Celestia’s niece. Which in turn, did make Shining Armor related to every alicorn that currently existed. On one hoof, I figured that this would be the dream of anypony, but on the other...yeah I could see how that would cause a case of inadequacy within oneself. “Oh...let me guess. You feel rather insignificant by comparison.”

He snorted. “Blunt, but true. I don’t want to simply be seen as ‘the husband of princess Cadance’ or ‘the brother of Twilight Sparkle’. I want to be seen as a stallion that does everything he can to keep his family safe. One that doesn’t simply lie back and rely on the overwhelming power of the alicorns in his family.”

Ouch. I felt that. I couldn’t really relate since I obviously didn’t have alicorns in my family, but it wasn’t that hard to imagine being outclassed in every way by those around you. That’s why I fought like a bloody mess back in the days of my youth--to prove that I was the best. “I get it...so you take the time to defend Equestria whenever you can. Crazy, but I understand the perspective. Although, you really should be more tactical in your approach.”

“Yeah...subtlety is not my strong suit as you can probably tell. But I’m working on improving it. At least with Flurry Heart being a bit older, I can relax and focus on my little projects for a change. Cadance was always saying I needed a hobby…”

I looked around. There were a few more miniature brick models on the nearby shelves. One of himself and his wife, one of his daughter, one of Canterlot Castle, and another of the Everfree Forest. His patience was certainly improving just from what I could see. I wouldn’t last ten minutes in an effort to put together something on that level. “Well you’ve certainly made yourself busy. If there’s nothing else you needed of me, then I’ll leave you be.”

“Wait a second. Before you go, there’s one more thing I need to know...just why do you want to give Cozy Glow another chance?”

I didn’t expect him to bring the topic back up. But given that he was no longer driven by emotion, it would be a much easier conversation to hold. “In short: I feel as though there wasn’t a proper amount of intervention to stop her descent into madness. If someone had been there to show her why her actions were wrong, instead of throwing her aside...she may have learned something.”

His ears dropped, “I see...do you think it’s possible that she could’ve been reformed before she was sent to Tartarus?”

“That, I don’t know. I wasn’t personally there to witness the events so I only have a basic look into her psychology. In short, she exhibited the traits of a sociopath before she was sent away. So easily able to toss away her bonds for the sake of power and not care. However, I believe it’s because she was abandoned.”

“I see...take a seat if you want, sir,” he offered, so I did. I sat on a nearby stool with my notes ready. “And I understand your idea here. But a counterpoint would be that someone like that is unfixable. It’d be a waste of time to try because the capacity for her to do it all over again is too great. Do you get what I’m saying?”

I nodded. “Yes...I’m fully aware.”

He focused hard with his magic as he snapped another brick into place, “It would be extremely difficult to convince Twilight that it’d be a good idea for multiple reasons. For one, a threat to all magic like that caused extreme amounts of damage that took a long time to recover from.”

I had a hunch in regards to what he meant, but I wanted to hear his full thoughts. “Mind elaborating?”

“Well, by getting rid of everyone’s magic, it caused the weather factory where clouds are made to shut down. The weather was extremely hot for days on end without the Pegasus ponies able to regulate the weather. Beyond that, it was harder for Earth Pony farmers to grow food, which resulted in damage to our food supply,” he levitated a bottle of glue, “Then combine that with the inability to defend ourselves from other threats like the Wendigos due to each pony race hating each other, it wouldn’t have been long before a complete war broke out.”

I scribbled my notes down. Shining was a very cordial and well-spoken stallion when it came to military affairs. Made sense as a former Royal Guard Captain, after all. That is, when he wasn’t driven by his protective nature as a family man. “I see…”

“I’m just saying, whether you like it or not, we had reason to put her away. I know it hurts because she was a filly--and trust me, it hurt me too. Had it been my daughter in that position, I…” He closed his eyes momentarily, and was unable to answer his own thought, “Listen...as current standing ruler Empire territory, which was directly affected by Cozy Glow’s actions, I want you to know that you need to present a good case to my sister to even have a chance of listening.”

I stopped writing. “Is that so? Is she not the type to listen to such complicated requests.”

“Oh no. In fact, I think her opinion is going to matter far more than my own. But as Sunburst mentioned, you need to prove that this is something worth pursuing. Because as it is, everypony has put the situation behind them. Moved on with their lives. We’re all living in a time where peace is common instead of the exception. And when you suggest something like this...it’s going to incite the wrath of those who disagree.”

“I’m aware. That’s why I’ve spent lots of time. Researching and studying in order to make a proper case for her.”

“I hope you’re right,” the prince placed his Manehattan model on a nearby shelf, and levitated another box onto the desk in front of him, “Because I’m sure you’re also aware of just how tricky she can be.”

I nodded. “Yes...I’ve read up on what she has done.”

“Enemy or no, her tactics were nothing short of genius for someone so young,” he stopped and put his hoof to his chin as he recounted the details of what the filly accomplished. “She infiltrated the school and gained loads of friends that she quickly turned her back on in order to make Neighsay look worse, then she managed to defeat an entire unit of the Royal Guard, outsmarted the princesses and managed to steal their magic, successfully got Chrysalis and Tirek to work together in order to divide the pony races, tricked them into stealing Discord’s Chaos Code Magic, and became the strongest being in existence…” he turned to face me again, “I’m sure you understand just why we not only sent her to Tartarus initially, but cast her to stone as well later. Someone that dangerous and able to cause a whole war on their own...it’s just impossible.”

I hid my face beneath my hat for a second. The unicorn was correct. She was a warhead just waiting to go off. At this point, I had to accept that her initial punishment was probably justified, as much as I disagreed with it. “Yeah, I see your point.”

“And don’t get me wrong, it’s not like that’s something we wanted to do. It’s something we had to do. In order to protect everyone.”

“Indeed...but is it possible--just humor me for a second,” I looked up, “possible that she may have learned something during her time imprisoned in stone?”

“That, I can’t answer. But if she had the capacity to be just as devious as Tirek and Chrysalis, then I’m afraid I can’t agree with that. It’s possible that, even now, she plots her revenge in order to somehow escape her prison. Or worse--it’s also entirely possible that she’s reliant on the fact that someone will break her out so she can fake her way through a redemption process in order to start up something all over again. Have you ever considered that, Pale?”

“I have,” I answered slowly. There wasn’t much I could offer besides my words as there was no definitive way to prove Cozy had changed. At least, not now. “But I’m afraid, it’s all I have for the moment. I get that the punishment may have been warranted, but...I don’t know. I still feel that there is a chance she’s changed.”

Now he had gotten out the tools to put together a birdhouse. “I respect your opinion, but I don’t think it’s likely. I won’t stop you from thinking that way, but like Sunburst said, just be careful. You don’t want to start a massive conflict over a controversial opinion. That’s happened enough already.”

“Okay...then what would you recommend that I do next?”

“Well, if I were you, I would’ve dropped this a while ago,” he said while he put on some goggles and got a hammer out, “but since you seem so keen on presenting a case, here’s what I would do if I were in your horseshoes: #1. Prove that you can be trusted.”

“Go on?”

“As I said before, I apologize for lashing out at you. The only reason why I did that is because I didn’t know who you were. For all I knew, you could’ve been trying to destroy my family. Though, I can see that’s no longer the case.” He started to work on the nails and hammer in the sides of the birdhouse, “But you need to prove that you’re somepony that can be relied on for his word. Someone who can be trusted to watch over Cozy Glow if she is given a second chance.”

I nodded. That was a good point. Given the...awkward nature of my past. It would be an uphill battle to prove that who I was back then did not define who I was now, and that Cozy Glow could be looked at in the same way. “Understood. Next?”

“#2. Call for a trial. A public gathering would need to take place in order to weigh the consequences of those actions. This goes for both the Empire and the Kingdom. Though, for obvious reasons I recommend letting Twilight watch over the trial since she would be unbiased.”

“Right...anything else?”

“#3. The most important one: Take responsibility. Whatever happens from that moment on will be a result of what you brought forth for the public to hear. You will need to shoulder the weight of those actions to show that you aren’t willing to shy away when things get difficult.”

That was obvious. But very shrewd as well. If the public saw an individual as honest, it would soften the blow should a mistake be made. After all, we were only living beings. None of us were perfect. “Alright...I think I know what I need to do.”

“I’m not done,” he stopped building the birdhouse halfway through. “With all of that aside, I’m going to need your assistance.”

“Oh?”

He pointed to the map of Equestria he had placed on the wall behind him. “You’re aware of how the Crystal Guards came to see you in Manehattan, right? Well, the Empire manages affairs that take place in the Northern regions of Equestria while Canterlot manages the Southern,” he levitated a pointer to tap a specific location on the map, “From what we’ve gathered in Manehattan, something is going to occur in Hollow Shades within three days. Something to do with the griffons and that shard you brought us.”

That was indeed how things went, though not many folks realized due to political classes being the ones that are most often slept through. True story. I gave a nod, “Right. That’s how the management of the territories are split. Hollow Shades is one of those territories...and this map isn’t to scale.”

“Right. Given that you were involved and that my wife has called me out for my actions.”

We heard her voice through the walls, “Ahem.”

He sighed, and added some details. “My foolish and bone-headed actions which include getting mad at you without proper evidence. I’m going to set you free with an objective: Find out what’s going on with the griffons at Hollow Shades. Can you do that for us?”

I shook my head. “Don’t get mad at yourself. If I were you, my reactions would’ve been similar if I were a father.”

Hollow Shades. It was my intention to head to that place at some point. For the sake of Neon especially. What with my position on this proverbial card table, I had to make a play that resulted in the best possible outcome. Not just for myself, but for everyone. “I’m in. With backup ready to roll, I’ll be able to head out soon.”

“Alright, perfect. And one last thing.”

“Hm?”

He put his hooves together and pleaded, “Please for the love of Twilight, do not insult Cadance’s cooking. It’s an acquired taste that you’ll get used to, I swear.”

Right. There was no possible way that the alicorn or anyone else could create a dish that was inedible given that I used to dig through garbage cans on the streets of Manehattan. “...sure, no problem,” I responded with a shrug much to his relief.

I had no clue what his deal was. What his wife made was delicious. Granted, like I mentioned, my standards for what was a quality meal were very skewed, but even so. I couldn’t fathom why he was so afraid of Cadance stepping hoof in the kitchen. It was clear she knew what she was doing and their daughter picked up on it well enough.

“This veggie pasta is amazing!” I proclaimed after the first bite, much to the shock of the prince, “The way the seasonings mix with the white sauce is perfection. The use of penne is a good choice too. Ravioli and fettuccine are so overly commonplace in pasta dishes.”

“Oh?” The pink alicorn tilted her head, “Are you an expert on pastas from Bitaly?”

Ah the land of pasta, amazing art, and that wonderful leaning tower. “Somewhat. Many of the ponies in Manehattan came from there and it was common to come across pasta dishes. I think...isn’t your full name--Amore Cadenza--that’s Bitalian too? Is that why you’ve taken an interest in these dishes lately?”

“Precisely, good guess!” she said with a clap of her hooves. “Would you like some more?”

I nodded, “Yes, please.”

As the alicorn left for the kitchen, her husband whispered to me. “...are your taste buds functional?”

I turned my head towards him. “No offense, but growing up in Canterlot and becoming captain of the guard would naturally net you better food than someone born in the messy slums of Manehattan like myself. Imagine having to dig out of the trash for your next meal…”

Oops. Guess I let a personal detail slip. And it was a bit awkward since he didn’t really know how to respond to what I said for a moment. “I...sorry. I didn’t realize it was that bad over there. We should do something about that.”

Flurry suddenly spoke from her end of the table. “Ooh! What if we put some money towards making better homes near the Haylem area. I hear it’s pretty messy down there.”

“That’s...not a bad idea, Flurry. But it’s not so simple. I’d have to speak with your mother, then get the Mayor of Manehattan’s approval, sign the contracts--oh. Sorry, sir. Didn’t mean to ignore you.”

I shook my head, “It’s fine. In fact, I grew up near Haylem. It could certainly use a fix or two. But that aside, yes. Your wife’s cooking is delicious.”

“Maybe your taste buds are going soft, dad,” Flurry poked fun at her father.

“They are not,” he replied, only to feel his tongue with his hoof, “Thee? I can taste just fine!”

Cadance walked back into the room, levitating the pot of pasta. “...Okay what did I just walk into?” she giggled at the sight of Shining as he dumped salt onto his tongue.

He retracted it, and coughed, “Ah! Ahem...nothing, honey. We’re just talking about the state of Manehattan.”

“Oh? Go on?”

It was a nice experience, to understand the Royal Family a bit more. Even if they acted nothing like royals. No servants, no chefs, no ponies that did everything for them. They were just your average family, and I couldn’t help but feel joy at experiencing who they truly were as individuals.

After the meal, I bid them goodbye, but Flurry Heart decided to walk me out. In truth, it was so she could have a chance to speak with me away from her parents.

“Hey, before you go…”

“Hm?”

“I just wanna tell you that if you choose to start a formal trial over Cozy, don’t be concerned.”

I raised an eyebrow. Just what could this youngster have in mind? “Why is that?”

She simply giggled as she opened the door for me, “You’ll see. I don’t care if I get grounded. I know I can help save that girl.”

“Don’t do anything stupid, now.” I replied with a steely gaze, “Your father has good points regarding her imprisonment. They had a valid reason to put her away, as much as I don’t like it. This won’t be an easy battle.”

“I know...but I’m ready to start tackling more complex issues,” she stated in a rather serious tone, “as a princess--nay, as a pony, it’s my duty to find the good in others. Even if they are beyond saving, I know that everyone has a shred of sensitivity in their hearts. We all care about something, no matter who we are. And it’s up to me to pinpoint that aspect of one’s character, and help them help themselves.”

I was surprised. A youngling such as her with such keen insight on the function of the brain and emotions? Yet in a more tactical sense. Clearly these were aspects of her father and mother that were combined. They raised this child well. “Heh...I respect that. You’ll make a fine ruler one day.”

“Thank you, sir. Oh and...was mom’s food okay?”

I laughed, “Haha! It was great. Don’t worry. I wouldn’t tell a lie about that.”

“Oh good...that means her nose still works. One time she put cinnamon instead of pepper in a casserole.”

“Oh no…” I dreaded the thought of such a dish with a shudder.

She gave a similar reaction as well, “Eguuuggh, yeah. But I know that she’s getting better from an outside source now.”

“Glad I could be of help,” I tipped my hat, “I’m going to see my fellow Agent friends that are stationed here in the Empire. Whatever’s going on in Hollow Shades, we’ll handle it.”

“Alrighty. I need to go make sure my dad isn’t throwing up again. Hope he wasn’t mean to you.”

I shook my head, “Nope. He’s a respectable stallion who does his job. Don’t be so hard on him, yeah?” And I took my leave with a wave at the young alicorn.

First, I would deliver that money to the local orphanage. The faces of the young crystal foals were unforgettable as the orphanage’s manager mare opened the chest. It earned me lots of grateful praise that was embarrassing to say the least. It wasn’t my donation at all. However, given that Sombra wasn’t around, I would dutifully shoulder this burden for him. Heh...what an odd feeling.

“Thank you so much, sir!” a colt chirped.

“Someday, I wanna grow up and pay back this act of kindness,” shouted a filly.

“This is the most we’ve ever gotten! We won’t have to worry about food for the next few years!” another filly yelled.

The crystal foals were overjoyed. I simply gave the most awkward smile I could muster. The idea of dealing with children was not something I found pleasant. But for those few moments...I did feel at ease. Even the mare behind the desk was in tears. “Nopony has ever donated this much! Bless you, kind sir!”

I tipped my hat, “It was nothing…really.”

“Oh no, it means everything to us!” the yellow crystal mare with a brown mane said to me, “My family has run this place for generations! But nopony has ever donated this much before!”

“Heh...well, don’t mention it, please--” I said before getting interrupted. The mare behind the counter foisted her hospitality onto me with a gift.

“Here, take this!” she offered me a black T-shirt with the phrase ‘I Heart Crystals’ on it. The heart and crystals were represented by images of the respective items. “What’s your name?”

“...Pale Vestige.” Normally, I’d refuse. But with the foals watching, I knew I couldn’t. It was important to set an example in gratefulness. So I accepted it with a gracious smile. “Uhhh...thank you, miss. Now, I have to get going. I hope you all have a wonderful day, and find homes soon.”

With cheerful smiles, they all bid goodbye as I left. I noticed the mare scribble something down behind her desk, but it wasn’t important. I exhaled as soon as I closed the door. “Whew...they’re so hospitable. It’s almost painful.”

I folded the shirt and tucked it into my vest. I blinked, and saw a familiar gray unicorn stallion out of the corner of my eye. “...Huh?”

“Thank you…”

I knew just who it was, and smiled. “No matter what’s happened these last few thousand years, in these last moments, you were a true King to me.”

The next time I blinked, he would disappear. As if he was never there...but I knew.

Shadows don’t fade away.

With a confident smile, I was on the move. My next stop would be the pop-rock candy store. At least, that’s what the average Crystal Pony knew it as. This is where Flash Drive and Guttersnipe were both located. Surely, they would be able to aid me on my mission. If I succeed here, I will have hopefully ended a conflict and get that much closer to presenting a case to the Princess. But that last patch with the letter ‘E’ on it that Cadance gave me. Could it very well be...

Hmph. No turning back now.

Subject 23: Bats...

The plan was laid out, simple enough. Flash Drive would watch my back from the ground while Guttersnipe would do so from the air. Everything was already in place. However, two days before the griffons were meant to be at Hollow Shades, I ran into Neon once more.

“There you are, mate. Been lookin’ all over for ya,” he said with a huff.

I was seated outside at a Crystal Cafe sipping a latte of sorts. It was quite the explosion of flavors. Much different from the regular stuff we had in Ponyville. “Oh, what’s up Neon?”

“I was sent ‘ere by your two pals back home. They wanted me to join ya. If that’s okay.”

I nodded. “I’d be great to have you. Did Flash and Gutter fill you in on the details?”

“Yeah…I felt it’d be best if I attended with you personally. If we can meet with the other batponies before the griffons do, we can find out just why they wanna bring Sombra back.”

“I have a theory. But from...certain research that may be outdated. Not all of them seek to bring him back. Only certain ones.”

Neon took a seat with me, “Even still, I wonder why? I figured they’d want to establish a better relationship with the other races instead of burning it. I know cuz I certainly don’t want him back.”

I took a deep breath. “Listen, Neon. There’s something I need to explain to you…” In a hushed whisper, I explained to him the true origin of the Bat Pony race and how they came to be.

“No...are you serious?”

“I’ve seen the hidden archives beneath the Empire...there’s no doubt in my mind that that is the reason why certain bat types want to bring him back.”

Neon looked like he didn’t believe me at first. I couldn’t blame him. I just dropped quite the bombshell on him. “...I dunno, mate. I’d like to get it straight from a horse’s mouth if ya don’t mind.”

I nodded. It was always encouraging to see someone desire to find out information for themselves rather than simply believing what others told them. “I respect that. There’s a lot of hidden things about Equestria that you can’t learn from the books. Moreover, there could be a host of topics that the scholars simply won’t allow to be taught. Such as dark magic…”

“I see...the pursuit of knowledge limited only by what the leaders want you to ‘ear. Crazy…”

I was curious about what he had dealt with in his youth. Maybe now was the time to ask. “Is...Trottingham similar perchance?”

Neon rubbed his fake leg, and shut his eyes. “If anyone had acceptance problems, it was those folks. Remember when I told ya I’d explain my problems to ya one day? Well, I wasn’t allowed to hear anything.”

I looked down. “That’s right…”

Years ago…

In a Trottingham schoolhouse.

“What are ya? Some kinda ugly bat creatcha?”

“Ya right, munter! Go suck on a lemon!”

“Me mum caught ill from folks like you! Don’t touch me, ya git!”

“I dare ya to bite me ya gobshite!”

“This was back when I had all of my legs. They could never accept me...thought I was some sort of scary bat monster. Just because I enjoyed partaking in the consumption of insects and had strange eyes,” Neon explained as he recounted the events. “Things looked like they would never turn up, until…”

The blue bat-colt hid away from the other students to avoid upsetting them. His mere existence scored him hatred among the other schoolmates. But he didn’t let that hold him back. Through his best efforts, he became one of the top players of cricket at his school, and even won the heart of one of his fellow schoolmates. A relatively poor filly who had been equally mocked for her lack of wealth.

“I felt like I was on top of the world. I finally earned the respect of the other foals. But then things turned for the worse when the school dance arrived. I’ll never forget that day…”

Neon and his date both attended the dance and managed to score the title of Dance King and Queen. But when they both arrived on stage, a bucket of blue insect blood was dumped on the bat colt. Everyone including his ‘date’ began to laugh at his expense.

“Ahahaha! You honestly thought I was poor? You must be off ya nut!”

The colt began to cry, and amidst his sadness, he gave in to rage. His bat instincts took over, and he flew around the room, hissing at, and scaring everyone with his fangs on full display. “I’ll suck your blood until I feel bone!” His first victim was his so-called date--Holly Waterwheel. He swooped in as she cackled, and his fangs sank deep into her leg, which caused her to cry out.

“AHHHHHH! HE’S GONE RABID! GET THIS WANKER AWAY FROM ME!”

“Turns out it was all a prat. A jest. A hoax. I was conned into believing someone like her could be interested in a hideous being like me. So I showed them how hideous I could be...I still remember the fear on Holly’s face as I showed her her own blood on my teeth.”

I leaned forward as he told the story. “Ouch, man...but that still doesn’t explain how you lost your right foreleg.”

He nodded. “I’m getting to that. In order to spare you the nastier details, I’ll skip right to the cut of the jib.”

The young Neon fled and was chased by his former students as they had decided to fight back. To the ends of the streets and down an alley by the river, they all attacked. One after another, they punched, bucked, and tackled him.

“This is for Holly, you knob!”

“Go back to a cave and stay there!”

He finally opened his slitted, yellow eyes again, “I was...outmatched and outnumbered. Nobody came to save me or see what had led up to this. I was deemed a monster from then on. And in the ensuing battle...I lost me leg.”

I was shellshocked. My jaw quivered as I reached out to him, “...Neon. They really broke your entire leg?”

“Clean off. Luckily, I was given swift medical treatment once the bobbies arrived. But it was too late...they had to get rid of it…”

“I understand...now how did you get the replacement?”

As he was stationed in the hospital, a bat mare would come to see him, and offer him a procedure. An abnormal one.

“Her name was Olive Batling. Heir to the Batling family,” he explained with a smile that returned to his face, “it hurt like the dickens. But I gained a friend, and the ability to walk properly again.”

“Amazing...and that arm serves multiple purposes doesn’t it? Including shooting projectiles?”

I could tell that the topic change made him happy due to the fact that his smile turned into a more proud grin. “Too right. They were the ones who developed the Batling weapons as a means of defense. But in the end, that’s how I got this arm. It’s a part of me now.”

I reached over and gave him a hug. “I never knew...I’m sorry about that, Neon.”

“S’alright, mate. But know that this is why I have a personal investment in this conflict. And I’ll do everything I can to figure out why my kind is trying to bring back that demon…”

“So your idea is that we should try and meet with the batponies early. Before things begin to shake down, yes?”

He nodded, “That’s right. If we find out just what they’re planning, we potentially stop them from making a horrible mistake. And maybe...maybe even…”

“Even what?”

It was something sensitive he tried to hide. “Nothing. A folly of an idea that nopony sane would get behind,” he played it off with a false laugh.

I thought about it a bit longer. Was it possible that his past trauma that occurred to him during that night is what caused the slight shift in his demeanor as a result of the events he suffered so long ago? And just what did he have in mind that he didn’t wish to share? That Neon was troublesome. But I liked that about him.

So just as planned, we would set off for Hollow Shades a day in advance. Or rather, a night in advance. Flash Drive and Guttersnipe would back us up from a distance. Oh? I suppose I haven’t thought about them very much.

Well Flash Drive was a mechanical genius. Mostly on the fixing side, but every now and again, he would develop something actually decent that we could use. For one, the earpieces we used to communicate with were all connected by a closed line through his magic. Sadly, this pony only had one trick up his sleeve, but it was a damn good one. He was a jet black unicorn with a messy gray mane and tail and his cutie mark was a simple electrical cord. Much more laid-back than his strict brother Neon.

Guttersnipe was crazy. Our resident assassin with a fixation for loud and obnoxious ways to destroy the enemy. Though she was a pegasus, her wings were damaged in an accident. Probably one that she herself caused. So she had them enhanced with mechanical augments to allow her to fly properly. This gave her the ability to store things within the metal tubes along the wings such as little bombs to use for later. Her coat was a fiery red color and her mane had streaks of orange and black with a skull for a cutie mark.

Those two were more reliable than they looked at first glance, which is why I was happy to have their assistance.

“Anythin’ for my brotha,” Flash Drive responded to my query about backup. He too sported that smooth Trottingham accent. But I wondered if Drive’s family adopted Neon or if they were somehow biologically related. Curious, but no time for that.

“Thanks, Drive,” Neon put his good hoof around his brother’s neck, “I can always depend on ya.”

Guttersnipe was more than enthused, her wings already loaded. “Let’s get a move on, boogers and gents!”

“Right you are!” Neon replied.

And so we headed out. It wasn’t that long of a train ride to Hollow Shades, but it was rather uncommon since nopony ever actually went there very often. Regardless, we set off and took in the sight of the massive forest. As in, much wider, larger, and thicker than Everfree Forest. The perfect setup to surround and protect a steep valley.

We exited the train. Neon and I took front point while Flash Drive hung back. Our speakers were ready. Guttersnipe had taken shelter upon one of the clouds in the sky as overwatch.

The sun had begun to set, and the evening started to fade into the night. Neon’s personality would change as usual.

“Alright, mate. You ready?” he asked.

I nodded as we crept through the wilderness, “As I’ll ever be. This way, we can begin to understand just what’s going on out here.”

“You sure this isn’t distracting you from your main objective?” he questioned what I was dealing with, “Cozy Glow’s freedom slips further out of reach with each passing glance, you know.”

I chuckled, “Heh. Relax. If I--nay--we all solve a peaceful movement between two quarreling races, they’ll have no reason not to trust me and allow me to have a fair trial to discuss Cozy Glow’s case...”

“I hope so, friend. As long as you know what you’re doin’.”

It was about twenty or so more steps before we stopped. Neon’s batty ears twitched like satellite dishes in order to pick up sounds that only he could hear. “...Hm. They’re here. I know it. About fifty yards out. Loads of families.”

My eyes narrowed so I could get a better look. The ground beneath our hooves would shift to a steady path that hit a downward incline into the very valley we knew of. This was it Hollow Shades was upon us.

Now the question was: How do we approach?

“Alright, what do you recommend?”

“I’ll head in first,” he suggested, “They’ll trust a fellow member of their kin much sooner.”

“Very well,” I said with a nod. It did make sense for Neon to make first contact given that he was one of them. Hopefully they wouldn’t denounce him for being friends with non-bats, though.

And so, he was off. And I waited patiently on the outskirts of the bat-folk’s village. Their architecture wasn’t all that different from ours in Ponyville. From what I could tell, the overarching alleys allowed them to hide away from excess light and live as if they were in caves like their ancestors did. How quaint. It was a very interesting style they had going on.

It didn’t take five minutes for him to make progress.

“Pale.”

“Ah!” I yelped and fell backwards. Neon had returned already, and dropped down from a tree branch to greet me. It gave me quite the scare, I’ll admit. “Ahem...you’re back already?”

He nodded, “Righto. The leader of the group who wants to bring Sombra back has agreed to speak to us.”

“Alright then, let’s--”

But before we could enter, he stopped me, “Hold on.” Neon grabbed a few mangos and tossed them at me, “Eat these. You won’t be as suspicious with fruit on your breath.”

Made sense, I suppose. I gladly consumed the fruits as we trotted down into Hollow Shades itself. And let me be frank, it was quite different than simply observing it. The monolith of the valleys blocked out all moonlight which bathed the bat pony colony in crisp darkness. Thankfully, I was able to see just enough to navigate alongside Neon.

We both kept going until we entered a small wooden building on the very edge of the community. This must have been where the leader of the pro-King faction was stationed.

“Madam Sonar. We are here.”

The room was painted in complete pitch-black, save for the dimly lit table and the bat mare that sat on one end. “Enter.” She was a dark shade of purple with blue eyes and a flowing, green mane and tail.

We both sat down, and the door closed behind us. I spoke up first, “Hello, miss. I came to inquire just why you wish to bring about King Sombra’s return.”

“Isn’t it obvious?” she replied, “The race of bats have been driven out all because the Equestrians don’t accept us. The only one who did was Sombra--the pony that brought about our entire existence.”

Neon would follow up next, “Madam. I understand your plight, but listen. Sombra was a no-good cobble of a stallion who fell into darkness.”

She didn’t accept that answer, “Nonsense! He was driven away for being different too. Because of the fact that he was an Umbrum, nopony could trust him, and that’s why he turned to the darkness. Don’t you know your history?”

My bat friend looked at me. “Did you know this, mate?”

I looked down with a sigh. “...Yes, she’s right. Sombra wasn’t given a fair chance due to the prejudices he faced, and because of that, he tried harder and harder to embrace who he was, only to kill the mare he loved.”

The bat mare blinked in surprise, “...yes. I didn’t expect a non-bat to know that.”

Neon was also just as surprised. “Yeah, how do you know this, mate?”

Would it be easier to just tell them that Sombra’s ghost came into my head a few nights ago? Probably not. Yeah, no. It would be simpler to make something else up, actually. “Call it...my investigative intuition. Hard to explain, but yeah. I’m sure you know that well, Neon…”

He didn’t say anything in response. All he could do was idly rub his fake leg.

I turned to face the bat leader, “And listen...I believe that the batponies can be accepted among the rest of ponykind. Just look at my buddy Neon.” I put a hoof around him and huddled the guy, “We’re like partners.”

“Uh-huh. Can you prove it? Can you prove to them that we are not some bloodsucking race of animals?”

Well now, that was a shock to hear. Then again, these rumors were almost always perpetuated. “You don’t suck blood, eh?”

She shook her head. “No way! That’s utterly gross. We eat fruit and insects...maybe the occasional bird. But pony blood? Nah. That’s an utter myth based on vampire bat behavior.”

Wow. Guess some things were just not true. Made me sad knowing that everypony had such awful preconceived notions. “I see...well in that case, allow me to make a case for your kind. I can convince the other ponies that you are not to be feared despite your origin.”

Sonar had no confidence, and simply shrugged. “Pff. I suppose we have no choice. We’d do it ourselves, but if you think you can somehow convince those ponies up there that we mean no harm, then by all means. We’ll even call off the deal with the griffons.”

Ah yes, the griffons. They wanted to bring their own King back and restore peace to their barren, destroyed landscape. That in itself was another problem entirely.

The bat mare leaned back to put her hooves on the table. “So fine. If you do that, then I suppose everything will be just fine. But I’m not counting on it.”

“Oh don’t worry,” I said with a smirk, “We know just how to handle these types of things.” Then it hit me. I remembered what Flurry Heart said about the upcoming Gala. That event was going to be held tomorrow night in Canterlot. This would be the perfect opportunity to speak with Twilight in a more casual manner. “Neon...I have a plan.”

My bat friend turned to look at me, as stoic as ever, “What’s the sitrep, boss?”

I got up and got ready to leave, “Thank you for being reasonable, Ms. Sonar. We will take our leave now.” I beckoned for Neon to follow. He did, but not before he spoke to his fellow bat mare with a few squeaks I couldn’t quite understand.

In a brisk gallop, we both left the entrance of the valley. “What are you thinking, old chap?”

“Okay, hear me out. The Gala is tomorrow evening, yes?”

His ears dropped immediately at the mention of a public dance. “...I had no idea. What are you getting at?”

“If I met with Twilight there, I could kill multiple birds with one stone.”

I could see it in his eyes. He loathed the idea of heading to another dance. Once again, he rubbed his metal leg. “...You’re not going to make me come along to some silly occasion, are ya?”

I shook my head, and gave him a quick hug. “No way, friend. I can do this on my own. Besides, you’ve done more than enough for me as it is.”

But something about my response unnerved him. I could tell with the uncertain look in his eyes that he did indeed want to help me out. But given his past traumas, there was no way I was about to force him to follow me to such an event. “...Alright, mate. Let’s just get on home so we can regroup and make our next decision.”

“Indeed,” I smiled as we walked out of the forest and back to the train station. Flash Drive and Guttersnipe weren’t too far behind us. It was a crazy idea that I had, but maybe, just maybe it would work.

Hopefully I didn’t have to dance, though.

Subject 24: Extravagant Preparations

At last, I was home in Ponyville. My objective was simple: Head to that event and inquire to Twilight Sparkle. The Grand Galloping Gala had undergone numerous changes since my youth. No longer was it required of you to have an invitation to attend. The entire public was welcome. It was also shifted away from a more strict and formal style to a casual affair. Quite interesting. Twilight herself was sure to be in attendance, given that it took place in her own castle.

“Finally, a plan that doesn’t sound like complete ass,” Quick Draw cracked at my expense, much to my annoyance.

I took a seat at my desk, and Corkscrew flew over. “Hey, it sounds like a fun time. We might even be able to get our groove on for a change. Just need a plus-one. How about it, Quickie?”

The ever-vexed mare rolled her eyes. I could tell she was actually interested, as much as she tried to hide it. “Sure, why not? At least I’ll look good next to someone like you. And what about you, boss? You considered bringing a plus-one?”

“What?”

I paused at the thought. Unfortunately, I wished Neon could be in attendance due to how skillful he was in the art of detection. Especially at night when this event would take place. Alas, I didn’t want him to face his traumas if he wasn’t ready.

No matter. The mission would go just as planned. Although, it would indeed be a shame if I went alone. But who would be up for such a potentially dangerous reason to attend? To not only visit the princess, but to also crack a massive case open regarding a hidden race of bats? It was crazy talk to the average individual. I hadn’t considered the concept of bringing somepony with me. Was it really that big of a deal?

Quick Draw continued her barrage of jests. “Heh. If you ain’t got a plus-one, you’re gonna look weird as heck.”

I raised a brow, “And just why is that?”

“Duh. If you’re there on your own, your enemy is gonna suspect that you’re there to investigate. But if you were there with somepony...well, you’d just be attending the party like anyone else and they would still carry out whatever they had planned.”

I gave it some thought, and rubbed my hoof across my chin. Quick Draw made good points. I would stick out like a sore tail if I were in attendance on my lonesome. Especially to a grandiose event such as this. However, if I were there with somepony, it would make my presence far less damning for those who wish to cause trouble. They would never suspect a thing. “Huh...you may have a point, Quick.”

“Yeah I--wow, you actually agreed,” she replied with a hint of shock which turned into a smug sort of tease. “But I betcha can’t get anyone to go with you.”

I was not so easily challenged to back away. “Oh really? I bet I can!”

“HA! Sure.”

Now just who would I bring with me? Quick and Cork were already going together. Guttersnipe was...no. She was too crazy. Gah, looks like I would have to make use of other sources.

“Where ya goin’, boss?” Cork asked me as I got up to leave.

“Well, I need a plus-one to blend in, yeah? Well, I’m going to see who’d be willing to join me.”

Quick laughed from her seat, “HA! Good luck, Captain Vestige. You could never score a date back at the Officer’s Academy.”

“This isn’t an intent to look for a date. I simply want to see who would be willing to...join in the art of paired dance.”

“Uh-huh…” she shot me an unconvinced smirk, to which I simply rolled my eyes at.

I left through the door. “I won’t be long.”

“I give him five minutes.”

Cork would chastise the mare as I left. “Don’t say that about the Captain! He can handle anyone!”

Alright, so who would be willing to attend the Gala? And for such a ridiculous reason too? Well, first off the top of my head was Cheerilee. Was it possible that she would agree with my reasons to attend? Beyond that, I hoped she would enjoy the idea of having a dance again just like in her youth. So I walked up to her door, and knocked.

“Cheerilee? It’s me, Pale.”

“Oh? Do come in!” she called out from within, so I obliged and entered. Her happy visage greeted me as soon as I stepped hoof inside. “How are you today? Is everything alright? I heard you were stuck in the Empire for a while.”

I closed the door behind myself, and trotted in further. “Oh no, don’t worry. That was simply formal business. Nothing unusual to be stationed near the scene of an incident, you know?”

“Oh, that makes sense,” she nodded, and pointed to her dining room, “I have tea and cookies freshly made...if you’d like to join me.”

“I’d love to.”

We sat down and had our usual sort of chats as always. So nice to be able to speak to someone so casually. A few minutes had passed before I decided to ask my question.

“...so hopefully Limestone Pie will make a good secondary teacher for Earth Pony lessons. Their bodies are super durable from farming rocks.”

“Indeed. I couldn’t imagine anypony better to teach about hoof and head durability,” I said with a grin. “So, if you don’t mind. I actually wanted to ask if you wouldn’t mind being my plus-one for the Gala tomorrow.”

Her eyes shot open wide, and she would’ve spit out her tea if it wasn’t so warm. “Oh? That Gala? I’m so sorry, Mr. Vestige. But I already have plans to go with somepony else. But if I didn’t, I certainly would’ve accepted.”

A shame, but what can you do? Though, I was curious as to who she intended on taking with her, I didn’t want to pry or sound rude. “That’s alright. It was still great to see you.”

“Oh, you too, for sure!”

We chatted for a while longer before I finally took my leave. It was nice to speak with her again, even if she didn’t intend on attending the party with me. No matter. I still had a few options. And I would not grant Quick Draw the satisfaction of her seeing me lose.

I would continue down the main road before I passed by a familiar mansion. I mused at the thought of taking Spoiled Rich, but I knew damn well that that would cause loads of turmoil. Sill a funny concept, though. However, much to my surprise, the mother of a mare was in her garden with tools. Strange. I thought she had servants for everything. Well, I wouldn’t simply stand idle. I approached the gate. “Hello?”

“Hm?” she rose, her mane and tail dripped with sweat from the work she had accomplished. It certainly wasn’t a bad look for the aged mare. “Oh it’s my favorite boy. How are you today?”

“I’m doing fine, ma’am. Actually rather busy searching for somepony to head to the Gala with me tomorrow.”

She came out of the gate and leaned against me, “Ah. Galas...such a wonderful time I had in my youth. Stallions would line up just to have a chance of taking me out,” she eyed me up as if I were some sort of toy in a store window. “Hehehe...if only I were ten years younger…”

Oh Luna no. That was a...strange thought. I was flustered, and gently moved away from her. “Ahem...well, yeah. I can definitely see why, heh. I’m sure you were just as fetching back then as you are now,” I gave her a compliment. She really was visually attractive despite her age, even though I harbored no romantic feelings for the married mare, I still wanted to be truthful.

That honesty earned me another close embrace. Spoiled traced her hoof upwards along my neck. “Oh you...you know, if you ever wanted to be my plus-one in private, I wouldn’t say no. My husband and I have a new system in place for each other to keep things spicy.”

I shivered in place. To outright refuse would be detrimental to her middle-aged self-esteem. I had to play this situation in a subtle manner. “Heh...well if I ever have time, I might take you up on that offer.”

She was happy to hear this, and gave a tiny squeal. “Ooh! Naughty boy. I love that. Since you were so generous to accept my offer, allow me to return the favor.”

“Hm?”

She leaned in and whispered in my ear. “I’ve heard that a certain princess of the night is in search of a companion for such an event…”

Was that possible? Could Luna really be interested in taking somepony to the Gala? And wait a second. “Hold on...just how do you know this?”

The rich mare bumped me as she turned around, “Let’s just say gossip is one of my strong suits, dear. My name is Spoiled for a reason.”

Because she spoils things that others don’t want told? Damn, the naming convention must’ve been on its A-game when her parents were around. But now, I had invaluable information. “Ah...I see. Thanks, Spoiled.”

“Mm-hmm. Have a nice day, investigator boy,” she said with a wink before she returned to her garden.

Sounded convincing enough to me. I certainly wasn’t going to allow Quick Draw to have the last laugh on the matter.

So after work, that evening, I went straight home. Then, after a nice shower, I went to bed as always.

It didn’t take long for the mare of the night to appear before me. She had on a black hoodie and her mane was done up in a ponytail. “Ah! Mr. Vestige! Are you alright?!”

I picked myself up off the boundless floor of the dream world. “Ah...so here I am. Is everything alright, Luna? You seem quite troubled.”

For sure. The blue alicorn was completely out of breath as she ran up to me. “Oh thank Sister’s name you are well. I have been attempting to enter your dreams for the last few days, but instead, I encountered some sort of...blockade.”

“Ah, that must’ve been Sombra--or his ghost, rather.”

Her eyes shot open. “You met Sombra?!” her pupils shrank and they darted around her eyelids in a nervous manner, “Um...h-how was he? Was everything well on his end?”

Oh yes, that’s right. She expressly remembered his banishment. But it sounded like there were other feelings she wanted to hide behind her nervous voice. “...yes. He deeply regrets what he did, and even instructed me to give his last hidden treasure to the orphanage in the Empire,” I chuckled, “Hehe...I got quite the undeserved praise from the kids and the ponies who ran the place.”

Luna had calmed down once I finished my explanation. She closed her eyes, and gave a sigh of relief, “Whew...that is very good to hear. Can you keep a secret? I have to be honest. If Sombra weren’t evil, I would’ve tried to court him back in my time.”

I snickered at the thought, and made a ‘sealing’ motion across my lips with my hoof. “Heh. Don’t worry. That’s safe with me. But more importantly...Spoiled Rich was speaking to me about the fact that you apparently wanted to attend the Gala with somepony tomorrow.”

She stomped her hoof. “Ooh…” “That busybody of a mare. Always in other ponies’ business…” “Yes, tis true. She must have heard me mumbling to myself as I checked in on her dream the other night. And before you ask what her dream was--you especially do not want to know, Pale.”

Oh dear. I had already wagered a few guesses. But that was beside the point. “Anyhow. Would you wanna go? As friends, of course.”

“Given that I have not attended such an event in a long time...not to mention sister’s teasing about my lack of--ahem--’dating’ skills lately,” she made air quotes with her hooves, “I would be delighted to attend with you.”

“Pfft. She’s not one to talk. I don’t think she’s ever been in bed with anypony before.”

Luna almost laughed, but held it behind a hoof, “Ppfbft! Shh, shh! Do not say such savage things, good sir!”

“And I’m sure you’re already aware of why I’m going.”

She nodded. “You wish to speak with Princess Twilight--still not used to saying that--about both the bat ponies and Cozy Glow?”

“Correct, and hey. Didn’t you have two bat pony guards? Whatever happened to them?”

Silence. There was something wrong for sure. “They...they are no longer of this realm. Natural causes. I no longer have any bat-likes in service. Those two were thought to have been in costume. Nopony realized who they truly were,” she trotted over to a nearby dream door, “If they did...panic would have followed.”

“Understandable…” I took a pause out of respect. Then, I thought about something else. “Didn’t Fluttershy become a batpony for a while?”

“That was a result of a failed attempt at casting a spell from Twilight which turned her into a bat-like on accident. Their race has been confined to Hollow Shades for eons due to--”

“The fact that Sombra helped create them on accident,” I finished the explanation for her, “I know. But if they can be properly integrated into society instead of cast out, they could live among us and be a part of our group. Just imagine how cool it would be to have the bat folk in your guard again.”

She trotted across the dreamscape floor. “I do admit, normal ponies can’t see very well at night. The bat-likes would be very nice to have around...but can you really convince Twilight that they’re friendly? In addition to offering Cozy Glow a second chance?”

“It’s a tall order, I admit. But I intend to see these missions through. After all, Shining Armor has put faith in me to help dissolve any further conflict with the griffons as well.”

“Ah yes...do be careful, and please watch out for him.”

“Hm?”

With no doors left, Luna sat down and a small device of sorts. Another video game thing? “He’s...not the stallion he used to be. Underneath all of his fatherly charm lies a bitter stallion who wishes he could be more than he is. Do not allow his methods to get to you.”

I trotted over and leaned over her shoulder to watch. She was playing some sort of game that had a grid like chess with medieval characters on battlefields. “Don’t worry. I’m not concerned about that. All I’m concerned about is how I should dress.”

She looked up from her system, and smirked, “I’ll come by tomorrow morning, and show you how you should dress. I need to finish this level and cure any possible nightmares that may arise.”

“Oh...okay!”

I was both excited and terrified at the thought.

After a nice sleep, I woke up the next morning to a knock at my door. “Agh!” It disturbed me from my sleep, which caused me to hit the floor yet again. “Hang on…”

I approached, and found the moon alicorn on the other side. “Greetings! Loyal sub--friend!”

“Morning, Luna.” I yawned and stepped aside. It was a bit odd that she was so perky this early in the morning, but I didn’t question it. I was more interested in what sort of style we would need for such an event. “Thanks for agreeing to my quest. Didn’t think you’d actually be willing to go back to an event like this.”

She started to style her mane in a full body mirror nearby. Wait, since when did I have one of those? “Are you kidding? Twilight’s Galas are far more enjoyable than the ones that Sister used to throw. Sure, less Canterlot ponies show up, but it’s far more inviting to ponies from all over now!”

Ever the valiant one. All in an effort to unify the world. I could respect that. “I see...in that case, would it make sense to show up wearing--”

Out of the blue, she had on a short, casual dress with a moon and star pattern. “Well? What do you think?”

“Huh...not bad. But if I’m going to go, I should at least--” Before I could finish, Luna activated her horn. I suddenly had on a basic white polo and casual dress shorts that went down my flank. “Hm...okay, I think I can work with this. And you’re cool with taking this regular workhorse as your plus-one?” I said jokingly.

“It suits you very well, Pale.” Luna giggled as she continued to fiddle with her mane in the mirror. “In truth, it has been ages since Sister and I actually had somepony go with us to such an event. Well--a stallion to be more precise.”

I didn’t understand why that was such a big deal. I gave a shrug. “Eh? But there’s dozens upon dozens of devout followers.”

“Not just followers, Mr. Vestige,” she turned to face me with her mane in tattered, wavy dreads, “Actual companions, friends, even dates. These are things that we were not permitted to have as rulers.”

I nodded. It made sense that these sort of things would be inaccessible for those of their level. I even thought about the other, newly minted alicorns. “Ah, that’s right. Cadance snagged Shining, Flurry Heart managed to get Pound Cake pretty easily, and Twilight…”

Luna waved her hoof, “We do not speak of Twilight’s relationship attempts.”

“But--”’ Yikes, was Sentry considered that unspeakable?

“Anyway, there’s also another problem you may not be aware of. The fact that stallions are...rather lesser in number compared to mares.”

Huh. Finally someone else noticed. It wasn’t a huge issue, by any means. The population was still growing. However, I wanted to hear her perspective. “I see. And why is that a problem?”

She faced towards the mirror again. Now she did something to her eyelashes with some sort of styling tool. I could never comprehend mare fashion. “It’s...not necessarily a problem per se. Rather, a nuisance. All of the good stallions were taken by the time Sister and I went searching. Tis quite unfair.”

Ouch. Guess I could understand that. Given the census report of last year, I estimated that there was--at the very least--a three-to-one ratio of mares/fillies to stallions/colts in the major Equestrian cities. As a result, I could very well see where..skirmishes could take place among mares over who could take who out.

That didn’t mean it was all bad, though. “I see. However, I have noticed plenty of couples made up of the same sex. So I don’t think ponies are exactly hurting for relationships.”

“Not on a grand scale, thankfully,” she said as she began to work on her tail. “But when Sister and I were younger...during the...early days of Equestria, anypony we showed interest in had already been taken. The race to find good stallions was a rather annoying one between my she and I.”

I snickered at the thought. Something about the thought of two teenage alicorns in a scuffle on their way into a stallion’s face only to get turned down because he already had somepony else was hilarious. A bit sad, but hilarious. “I see...I wonder if that will have any negative effects on the world at large as we go.”

“I shall fill you in on one secret,” she leaned in close and whispered, “Stallions are highly valued because of this.”

“Is that so? I suppose when there are less of them, they are considered a bit more important, but I wonder why…”

The mare of the moon would laugh once more as she resumed styling her tail. “For someone so keen in the art of investigation, I am surprised you can’t guess why.”

I thought about it for a bit longer, and suddenly realized the exact reason stallions were valued so much to keep society going. “Oh...oh. That’s why. You can’t very well continue the population without--yeah,” my cheeks were red.

“Hehehe! The taboo-ness of such topics is always such an amusing thing to witness among the mortals.”

I stuttered. “H-hey, these are sensitive subjects you’re bringing up!”

“Done! How do I look?”

Her mane was styled to be static in a curl, and the same went for her tail. “Quite amazing.”

Then she put on a pair of glasses in order to cap off her outfit. “Huzzah! We shall be the Investigative Duo!” she proclaimed and put a hoof around my neck.

“Wait what?”

“Nopony is going to recognize me with glasses on. Haven’t you read the Wondermare comics?”

I had to admit, they looked nice on her. Even if she wasn’t correct regarding the exact comic hero who had glasses for a disguise. “That’s Superstallion. Kenthoof?”

"...I prefer Wondermare and Catmare. My apologies," she replied with a sheepish grin.

Argh. This event had better not kill me.

Subject 25: Strategic Celebration Infiltration

And so the mission was simple. The griffons would be looking to arrive tomorrow. But if I could convince Twilight to accept the batponies, then they would have no need to start up any sort of deal between themselves and the griffons. As far as the griffons themselves go, I would do my best to reason with them on their own. If they turned violent, I would deal with them myself. Perhaps even find out just why they lacked stability and had to turn to such a method of destruction.

Crazy, but logical. There was only one thing I could do for now.

Pray I didn’t have to dance.

I looked up at the tall castle that was alight thanks to the moon’s reflective rays. “Wow...Canterlot is way different at night than the day.”

“Isn’t it? The moon looming over everything makes it that much better,” Luna commented as she went ahead of me, “Well? Come now, you don’t want to keep your date waiting do you?”

Why was she like this? I mean, I didn’t dislike it. But did everything have to be a tease? No matter. This was my first and only chance to get closer to my goals. “Coming,” I trotted up with her. “I am curious as to just what Twilight Sparkle has done to alter the Gala system.”

“You are in for a surprise, dear Pale,” Luna continued her brisk walk. She looked like an overly excited schoolfilly ready to show her class the fancy new backpack she purchased.

Wait a second. Was she? Nah, I don’t think she would be the type to do that. “If you say so. You’re going to have to guide me since I’m not too familiar with how the castle is set up.” I knew the basic layout, of course. But being inside the massive castle itself was another thing entirely. “And this event is to celebrate the anniversary of the completion of Canterlot, correct?”

She nodded and led me through the massive main hall. A set of double-doors not unlike the Empire’s was at the end of it. Could this be where the festivities were located? “Indeed. It’s a very important event in Equestrian history and culture. The Royal Garden is also open to the public as well which is a spectacle in itself. There are many rare types of plants outside that you cannot find anywhere else.”

“Quite intriguing,” I responded with confidence. Though, I had to be honest. I was somewhat concerned. I was about to enter a pretty damn prestigious party with a former princess. Would everyone stare at me or would they just go about their business? Time to find out.

“And here we are. First, I think we should do a bit of dancing, then maybe check out the food that is being served, followed by a personal tour of the garden from yours truly, and then--”

“Woah woah.” I cut her off. She was really excited for this, but I had no clue how to approach such an event. I needed to be taken through this slowly before I blew my stack. “Um...sorry. I know you’re hyped up, but one thing at a time, if you don’t mind?”

“Ah, yes. That makes more sense. After all, you need to keep an eye open for Princess Twilight,” Luna said as she triumphantly pushed the doors open with her magic. “Then let our mission commence!”

I sighed. She was absolutely not agent material. That wasn’t a surprise to me, though. What was a surprise, was the sheer nature of the Gala itself. “What the…”

I couldn’t believe my eyes. This was not the same affair I had done research on in my books. Instead of high class ponies waltzing about, the room was filled with ponies from all over Equestria. Not only that, but other races were in attendance also. Griffons, dragons, hippogrifs. Amazing. The lack of batponies would be something I would work to correct, though.

There was also an array of food for the guests. Carrot-dogs, fried corn dogs (made of actual corn cobs), and even special things like gemstones for the dragons. Wait, did I also smell hayburgers? And Applejack’s famous apple pies?!

The music had also undergone some changes. Octavia was still here, but she was accompanied by her boisterous roommate Vinyl Scratch who had electronic music playing to go along with her classical group. It worked and meshed together beautifully. And everyone danced without a care in the world with no regard for form or proper movements.

Was this a Gala or a highschool reunion? “Well now…ah!”

Luna grabbed me up with her magic to pull me to the dance floor, and I immediately regretted every decision I had made in life. “Come on, Mr. Vest! Don’t tell me you forgot how to dance!”

Why? Of all times, why now? Thankfully, no one seemed any wiser at Luna’s disguise. Were the glasses really that effective? Guess the comics were right. “Um…” I stepped left, right. My best efforts were made to follow the music. It was pretty bumpin’ I won’t lie. But I was not a good dancer. I found myself tripping over my own hooves a few times. But Luna was having fun, and that’s what mattered.

“There you go! You are slicing the carpet!”

“It’s...cutting a rug, but thanks?”

To be quite frank, my dancing was horrible. But from within the crowd, we sashayed and wiggled through the crowd to the best of our ability. My real focus was on finding the Princess. She shouldn’t be hard to spot. Last I checked, she had her appearance changed to match that of Celestia’s tall stature to reflect her nature as ruler. Somewhat intimidating to imagine. Celestia was the only pony out there with such huge proportions, so it was intimidating to imagine someone else with similar features.

Strangely enough, I didn’t see her. Not yet anyway. Which was odd on its own. Shouldn’t the princess be present at the Grand Gala? She should stick out fairly easily with a body of that shape. What gives?

We danced until we were tired. Well, more like I was tired, and Luna wanted to give me a break. “That was fun, wasn’t it? Oh, did you spot Twilight yet?”

I shook my head to erase the sense of dizziness I had picked up. “Brrr. No, not yet. Kinda weird isn’t it?”

“I must admit, that is somewhat concerning. Perhaps we should go looking for her?”

“No no...we don’t want to stand out,” I replied, and took a gander around the room to survey the perimeter. “You never know who could be watching.”

Luna mimicked the movements of my eyes, much to her own confusion. “Oh come now, Pale. I think you are too ingrained in your occupation to suspect trouble at an event like this.”

“Didn’t Discord nearly nuke the place with a slime monster a few years ago?”

She held back some laughter. “Pfft--okay, maybe there could be--ooh! Does this make us like the other comic book ponies?”

“No….no--”

“Yes! Batstallion and his sidekick Canary! Ooh, Bruce Mane would attend parties just like these in the movies.”

I nodded with a bit of shame since I knew just what movies she spoke of. “Yes...that is--wait…” I thought about it for a second. She could very well be onto something. Events like this always had somepony dirty that you never expected to appear later on. Mr. Mane met Catmare at such a party in the second--wait, why was I using movie logic too?

“Mmm-hmm…” Luna gazed at me with a smug expression, “Come now, there is no shame in admitting that I have the right mentality here.”

“Gah, you are troublesome. But I have to agree. If someone were to start up something, now is the time. With Twilight missing, things are looking a bit strange right about now. And for the record, I preferred the Power Ponies comics when I was younger. Mistress Mare-velous and High Heel were among my favorites.”

Her eyes were starry. “Ooh! Mine too! I suppose that means you prefer dominant mares, hm? And I’m sure Twilight will turn up soon. Until then, why don’t we dine a little bit?”

Yet again, I had no choice in the matter. The moon mare would forcefully pull me around like I truly was her little sidekick brother or something. I didn’t hate it. I just wish she gave me a warning first. Though the comment in reference to my preference of mare irked me ever so slightly.

“Ah! I’ve always wanted to try fried corn, how about you, Pale?”

She was already stacking her plate high with food, but I couldn’t help but think about the possibility of something happening under our noses. “Huh? Oh right, well--actually I haven’t tried that before,” I replied as we sat at a table. It was pretty far away from the dance floor, so at least I didn’t have to listen to music.

Luna would eat, but I would merely nibble at the items she had gathered for me. “Is something wrong?”

“Nothing! I’m just a bit concerned…”

Our conversation was interrupted by a familiar green mare. “Yooo, it’s the Pale bro.”

“Oh? Do you know her?”

I nodded at Tree Hugger, “Er, somewhat. Are you having a nice evening, T.H.?”

“For sure. By the by, who’s your new friend?” she asked and eyed up what was clearly Princess Luna in a short dress and glasses. “She looks kinda familiar, but I don’t recognize her.”

Wow. Either she was delirious, or played it off for our sake. Luna responded with a giggle. I didn’t know what to believe. “Er...you could say she’s from another plane of reality entirely. But more importantly, have you seen any weird activity happen here so far?”

“Nothing, man. Though I have been getting some weird vibrations from the plants outside. It’s like they’re afraid, yo…”

Luna adjusted her glasses, “Afraid? Of something outside? I wonder…”

“Thanks for the tip, Tree,” I said with a smile.

She laughed, and returned the smile with her usual mellow gaze. “Doooope. Don’t forget, if you ever wanna join me for some more body painting, my house is open,” she waved and left us alone. I didn’t even see if she had a plus-one.

And Luna was just as confused as I. “What an...interesting mare.”

“That’s one way to put it. But what she said, has my attention. The plants outside are afraid...could there be something going on?”

“Ohoho...are you sure your friend isn’t off her rocker?”

“Nope. In fact, she’s completely on it.” I laughed and finished up the food on my plate. I had to admit, it was nice to have a different array of things to eat for a change. I got up from the table. “Now weren’t you going to give me a tour of the outside anyways?”

Luna followed me with a grin on her face, “Oh? Finally taken an interest in the culture I see.”

“Ugh, just teleport us out there.”

She giggled, and with a flick of her horn, we flashed and were suddenly in the back gardens of Canterlot. Several of the more high class ponies had taken shelter out here to avoid the noise of the inside dance floor.

“Oh my, what’s their problem?” Luna asked with a concerned frown as she looked at the ponies who relaxed in the garden.

“Ah they just want some quiet. Let ‘em be, I say. C’mon. I wanna see what special plants you have out here.” And maybe catch a glimpse of Princess Sparkle.

Luna meanwhile seemed much too eager to engage in the subject. She started to dance in place on her hooves, “Eee! I thought you would never ask. Come on! I’ll show you the new spitter plants we’ve acquired!”

I followed the ecstatic alicorn with a steely gaze. Twilight had to be around here somewhere…

For the time being, I was led to a small patch of bulbous flowering plants in the garden. They were green in color with pink stems. “Are these the--”

“Shh! Not so close. These are extremely dangerous...one wrong move…” she picked up a stick with her hoof and tossed it at the plant. It spat up a corrosive magical pollen that burned the stick to ash. “Aha! See? Aren’t they amazing?”

I stopped in my tracks to watch the strange plant at work. Very interesting indeed. “Well now...you have my attention.” These could certainly be utilized for other types of potions and weapons. Oh the possibilities.

Luna would continue to show me around. I thought it would be pointless to roam about out here, but as it turns out, there was a lot to enjoy in the garden. After a while, we sat in a bed of dandelions under the moonlight. Though, I couldn’t help but wonder about what Tree Hugger mentioned to me. Why would the plants be scared? Hmm…

“...so Vestige, do you have a special somepony?”

Wow. Such a casual way to ask the question. But I suppose it was only fair to answer, given that she had explained some of her past relationship troubles to me. I wouldn’t refuse her question. “Well, no. You could say that I’m married to my occupation. I’ve never had the time to court a mare.”

“Ah. I see.” It seemed like she understood what I had meant, but that teasing dream demon had other ideas. “So instead, you wish to meet as many mares as you can so you have a buffet table’s worth of options at your disposal.”

I reacted with a stammer, and a blush. “I w--hey! I’m just doing my job!”

“I kid, I kid!” she replied while she tried to hold back her laughter. “Hehe. I respect that, though. Not all of us are built for such levels of bonding. So we simply make do with what we have...you know what I mean?”

I nodded. While I did sometimes entertain the idea of settling down one day, I simply never...found the perfect match. It was hard to explain. “Yes...my team, my friends. We’re like a family that can’t be broken. I don’t really need a mare for satisfaction in life.”

“Well, as long as you’re sure of yourself. I can respect an individual with drive. However, if you ever come across somepony you do acquire feelings for, don’t push those feelings down deep.” She looked off to the side. Did she speak from experience, perhaps? “If you do, then you will live an eternity of regret once the opportunity passes. I spent many a Hearts & Hooves day in regret.”

As gloomy as her point was, she was right. Letting anything pass me by would be absolutely detrimental to my progress. Not to mention my mental stability as well. The last thing I wanted would be to go through life wishing for ‘what could have been.’ I couldn’t stand...not knowing things.

“Luna, there might be someone that--”

Before I could finish my sentence, our time was cut short. The purple alicorn herself teleported in front of us. I was so absolutely floored by how massive she was that I could feel my pupils shrink as I stared at her.

“Princess Luna--er, Luna. I need your help.”

She removed her glasses, “What is the matter, Princess Twilight?”

Twilight pointed a wing towards the main building. “There’s something going on inside. I could use your help.” I guess she noticed that I was staring by now, “Uh...is your friend okay?”

“Oh that? Uh, hehe--he’s just...surprised to see the current Princess of Equestria in her full glory.”

“Ahem...hello, Princess,” I felt my focus return. That was rather scary.

Twilight gave an exasperated eye roll. “This is why I prefer to stay in my regular-sized form.” With a flash of magic, her body reverted to a much more comfortable-looking, normally sized mare for someone her age. “Alright. Now if there are no more interruptions or scares, Luna I need your help.”

She rose from her spot, “Whatever it is, I’ll do my best to help. Would you mind excusing me for a while, Mr. Vestige?”

“No problem,” I responded with a nod. If there was a conflict that brewed without our knowledge, it would be best to handle it right away. “I wanna stay out here for a while longer anyways.”

“Okay. I’ll see you soon. Now what’s the matter, Twilight?”

The alicorns both left to head back inside.

Now that Luna was gone, I could think more critically about the information I received from Tree Hugger. Just what could she mean by the fact that the plants were...wait.

I felt something. Beneath the earth.

There was something going on. A strange signature of magic that flowed through the ground. The scary part was that it didn’t even feel alive. Though someone like Sombra left behind a limbo signature, this was completely different. “Hmm…”

I stood up, and started to trot through the garden. Everything seemed normal for a moment, until I felt it again. It was powerful, something that I had never dealt with before. There was something wrong here.

“Hugger, if you’re simply off your knob again…” I muttered to myself about what the green mare told me. But to my surprise, she was completely accurate. I stepped into the small hedge maze just behind the castle itself. It took me a while, but I navigated my way to the middle.

Once there, I couldn’t believe my eyes at what I saw in the open area of the maze. “...” I hid behind a hedge and tried to make use of the earpiece that Flash Drive gave me, “Come in. Terminator to Quartermaster...Terminator to--shit!” The magical frequency used to power the device had been disrupted along with everything else in the area!

That’s what I heard someone speak from directly behind me. “Of course a rat like you would stick its nose where it doesn’t belong.”

Subject 26: Light Cuts Through Darkness

The alicorns entered the room, only for things to change drastically.

“Hold...what just happened?” Luna asked.

As it turned out, the magical disruption spell had affected the power of everything inside the ballroom. It was pitch black darkness for a moment.

Twilight scoffed. “Pshaw. It’s just a minor power disruption spell. Nothing I can’t handle. One second…” Her horn flashed, and the effects of the disruption were undone. Once the power was back on, they were aghast at what they saw. “Wait...what?! How could this happen?!”

Everyone in the room had fallen asleep. Luna would inspect their bodies, and found no damages, thankfully. However, their state of sleep was an odd one. “Strange. I cannot enter their dreams,” she explained as she tapped a pony with her hoof, “It’s as if they were placed into a limbic state of being which prevents me from entering their dreams.”

“There’s only one explanation for this: The Sandmare spell,” Twilight explained as she grabbed a book from...somewhere to explain her point. Luna didn’t bother to question it. “A high level magic spell that enforces a deep comatose-like state upon its victims. Huh. I almost feel proud of whoever managed to pull this off.”

Luna was not surprised that the purple alicorn had her nose buried in a book. But she was more concerned about how to reverse it. “Okay...that explains what we are dealing with. Now how do we undo it?”

“Can’t,” she closed the book, “Only the castor can break this spell. It’s a very strong one that requires a lot of preparation and focus. There’s a lot of technical aspects involved, but it needs to be cast long before it needs to go off. Somepony planned this. And they can’t have gone far.”

The mare of the moon stood at the ready. “Understood. What would you have me do, princess?”

Twilight paused for a second. That’s right, she was the ruler now and could give orders to Luna. She hadn’t gotten used to that yet. Though it was exciting. “Oh my gosh, yes! Here’s my chance to prove my leadership skills! Just hold it together...hold it together!”

After some thought, she would give Luna a command. “You can search the area. Find out just who caused this.”

“Got it. And what shall you do?”

“I’m going to attempt to break the spell myself,” she proclaimed with a proud smirk.

This confused the blue alicorn, “...but I thought you said only the castor can undo this particular spell.”

All the sudden, Twilight had jumped into Luna’s face with a hoof wrapped around her neck. “Obviously! But if I can be the first pony in history to undo this spell myself, it’ll be a historic moment in the history of magical...history,” she responded with a sheepish sort of smile.

“Tia, just what did you teach this one while I was away? Oh right, you’re asleep.” Luna gave an awkward sort of laugh, and flew upwards, “Hah...if you say so. But your wish is my command, Princess. I will find out who cast such a spell.” And with that, she flew out of a nearby window while Twilight got out her notes to study the state of each unconscious pony and non-pony.

Outside…

There was a flash of magic in the clearing, but it was a distraction to get my attention.

I turned around and found myself face to face with someone dressed in all black with a hood and no way to discern who they were. All I knew was that they were a unicorn. “What are you talking about?”

“Just walk to the middle of the maze…” I watched as their horn lit up. I had no choice but to comply...for now. “To think, a mere cornered rat would try and fight back against a system you have no chance of winning against.”

I stepped into the empty area of the maze, and watched as the hooded individual walked to the front of me. “Just what are you getting at?”

“Think critically for a moment. Assume you do get Cozy Glow to change, she will need lots of time spent in the educational system to make up for what she’s lost in those many years. Do you honestly think anypony is going to trust her to listen to instruction? Or how about the fact that she may use her gained knowledge and stab someone in the back with it?”

From the way they moved and the sound of their voice, I could tell it was a stallion. But not a stallion I had met previously. This one was young--about my age in fact. Hmm… “I’m aware of how risky it is to teach someone like her. But if the possibility is there for her to break free of her past actions, I’m sure she would take it.”

“And how do you know? How do you know that she won’t use you to get back at her enemies? Manipulate and control you only to toss away everything like she did all those years ago! Chrysalis was offered a hoof of friendship by Starlight and refused, only to return to cause more damage. Is that what you want? Do you want to put all of those other innocent ponies and foals out there to suffer her wrath again?”

I knew it wasn’t going to be easy. Not to trust her or to get others to trust her. And yet, I knew within the confines of my soul that she should be given proper time to adjust. “She won’t...there’s nothing for her to gain by doing something so foolish. She’s smart, so she’ll know not to make the same mistake again.”

This individual was annoying. He crouched down, which meant he was preparing to start something. “Pity, though not unexpected. If you are this constrained by your ideals...then I have no choice but to dispose of you for the sake of everypony else.” They shot a blast of bright white magic at me that I just barely managed to avoid.

“Woah!” It burned several holes through multiple layers of thick hedge before dissipating. “...Insane.”

Meanwhile…

“Shit...no answer after fifteen minutes? Bugger this, I’m headed out,” Neon prepared to leave the confines of the security room in Canterlot Castle. Cameras set up by Flash Drive would show every inch of the dance floor.

His brother Flash Drive stopped him. “...Hold on, Neon. Are you sure this is the right idea? Aren’t you afraid of dealing with another…accident out there?”

“Bruv, Pale is my friend...I need to see if he’s okay.”

“Let me come with ya,” the black unicorn pleaded, “You’ll have a betta time if I’m with ya.”

Neon refused the offer with a shake of his head. “Negative, bruv. I’m countin’ on you and Gutter to keep everything safe on this end. I need your wits to keep the communication line stable. As well as watch over the Princess while she works out what that sleep spell was.”

Guttersnipe had fallen asleep in the security room chair, to which Flash Drive reacted with a hoof against his forehead out of shame.

“...Alright, mate.” Flash Drive gave a reluctant nod and pushed his brother out of the door. “Well? Get on then, ya knob. He isn’t gonna save himself.”

Outside…

“Listen...I’m willing to hear you out, sir. If there’s a way we can compromise, I would gladly take it,” I tried to reason with this individual. The last thing I wanted to do was fight someone I didn’t know. “Let’s be rational, alright?”

But my words only seemed to enrage the guy. I could sense his blood boiling. “Rational...rational?! Let me ask you a question, good sir. Is it rational to sit back knowing that your family is gone thanks to the actions of that child?!”

If I had some water in my mouth, I would’ve spat it out. Holy bull. “Wait...what?!”

“Oh-ho! Now you wanna listen! Because of those three Horsemen of the Apocalypse, my wife left me when the pony races were split.”

“I...I don’t understand...didn’t everyone make up by the end of it?”

The unicorn scoffed. “Oh sure. That’s what everyone usually thinks. But she had already flown off to Cloudsdale to get back with her ex and she married his sorry flank. And took the child we raised back to him. You tell me, does that sound rational to you? But now, everyone thinks everypony is happy. But they don’t ever bother asking about those of us who were affected by this the most.”

Wait, ‘those of us’? Were there other folks out there who were affected by Cozy Glow on an extremely personal level in a similar manner? “I...I’m sorry...but I thought Chrysalis was responsible for that?”

“She was the one who orchestrated the entire plan! Don’t you get it? Because of her, my entire life went down the toilet,” he stomped his hoof and his horn lit up once more, “And you have the gall to attempt to bring her back?! I could never let you do such a thing!”

To think, they would be responsible for not only causing distrust among the ponies, but also destroying relationships and families. I had to know more. Just what else could have happened due to Cozy Glow’s intellectual manipulation on a ground level. “Alright, listen. I would like to speak to you, and the other individuals in your...group? Those who have suffered from Cozy Glow’s tactics in unfixable ways. Let me speak with them.”

“Heh...you really want to look in the darkness huh? Even if it kills ya?”

I nodded, “Absolutely.”

“Then beat me. Prove that I should take you seriously. Otherwise you won’t get jackrabbit shit from me.”

Was violence the only way to reason with someone like this? Why couldn’t things be simple? But no matter. I would do what I can to find out the truth. Even if it meant getting my hooves dirty. “Are you sure you want to do this?”

“Absolutely,” he said with no hesitation.

“Hmph. Fine. Just a scuffle between two angry stallions. Nothing more.” I reached into my vest.

As soon as I did, he fired off another blast of magic at me. I was prepared this time, and started to dodge and roll around to avoid them. And to charge my weapon. If his words were true, then I really did feel sympathy towards the guy. But if I were to undertake the risk of bringing the former filly back to the realm, I had to hear all sides of the argument.

And I guess it didn’t hurt to stretch my legs.

Magic users were fairly common. All with varying degrees of skill and finesse. This guy was a user of more light-based spells. So they were fast, but wouldn’t harm as much. Obviously it was hard to react to every single one. I took a few hits here and there. But once my blaster was charged, I was able to properly react.

I pulled it out and flicked the lever on the weapon. At just the right angle, I activated it and used the pressurized air to reflect one of the light blasts back at his horn.

“Tch!”

Perfect. His magic was disabled for a few seconds, and I was able to move in close. Ranged magic users had a hard time keeping up at short range, so this gave me the opportunity I needed. I ran up behind him, and grabbed his tail between my teeth. With all my might, I swung and let go which flung his body into the thick hedge wall nearby. “Ha!”

“Grr…” he got up, that hood still didn’t move to let me see his face, but that wasn’t the main concern. “Let’s see you dodge this…” His horn lit up, and I braced myself. But instead of a straightforward blast, his magic struck the ground directly. The superheated electrical magic spread across the dirt, and with no escape, I felt an electrical shock against my hooves.

“Ow! Shit! Really?!” I danced around like a fool. It hurt with each step I took. And I wouldn’t last very long unless I could reverse the spell.

The stallion used self-levitation to avoid the harmful effects himself. “If only you could fly or had magic of your own to cancel this out, eh? Then this wouldn’t be a problem for you.” He said with a cackle from above.

As much as I hated it, he was right. I was at a disadvantage due to the inability to close the distance from down here. I couldn’t properly recharge my Blaster since I wasn’t able to run. My only option would be to leap into the air, and strike his horn again.

With his arrogant laughter, he failed to notice when I leapt into the air and kicked his horn, which ended both his levitation and shockwave spells. He fell to the ground like a bag of rocks while I landed on all fours no problem. “Give it up. I don’t want to continue an unnecessary battle. There’s no reason to fight.”

“You ain’t got one…?” he rose to his hooves, “Well I do!” But before he could fire off his next spell, a barrage of what looked like watermelon seeds struck the unicorn from his side like bullets. “Agh! What the--?!” It threw him off balance and prevented him from casting another spell.

“Your lack of skill is obvious.” My bat friend had returned! His fake leg was loaded with fruit seeds that he fired from the rotating barrels. “‘Sup, Pale? Need some help?”

“I’d appreciate it. This guy has lots of high-level magic that I haven’t seen before.”

A pillar of light from the sky was about to come down onto me. “Look out!” Neon flew over and pushed me out of the way just in time. Both of us hit the hedge, relatively unscathed. “You alright, mate?”

“Yeah..but what the shit was that?” We both stood up to face the hooded unicorn.

“Divine arrows...and I have more where that came from,” his horn lit up.

Neon and I looked at each other and nodded. I got up and ran to a hard left. Neon had switched his Batling leg to fire exploding orchid seeds pods. Real thing. It was how some plants produced more offspring faster. But enough about that.

The violent explosions of seeds in his ears caused the unicorn to drop the spell before it could be completed. “Ngh!” This gave me the opening I needed. I leapt up, and sent the guy across the maze’s clearing with a dropkick.

“Hya!” He flew right into the solid hedge wall. “Enough is enough...Neon. Prepare yourself.”

But he simply would not stay down, and activated the electrical floor spell once more. “I don’t think so!”

“REAAAGGH!” Neon screamed. The electricity must have flowed through his metal limb and started to short-circuit his entire body!

I was shocked as well, but I forced myself to endure the pain. “Neon!” I needed to strike the horn again. I charged the unicorn, but was caught by his levitation aura. Someone like this had to have top tier magic control. “Gah...cease this nonsense and let him go!”

“Are you sure? Because I don’t think you’ve been fighting for real. Let me do something to fix that…” he said with a visible, demonic smirk against the moonlight. The intensity of the spell would increase, and Neon’s screams went from yelling to bat-like squeals that we couldn’t hear due to how high-pitched they were.

“....” His eyes were bloodshot, his skin started to ripple, his veins bulged. The electricity was destroying him. He wasn’t even able to cry out for help due to the frequency he put out that wasn’t discernable to non-bats.

I stared at him, and felt my blood boil. Even though I was trapped within this levitation field, I could feel my own magic brewing. Maybe...just maybe…

I shut my eyes.

“What’s the matter? Not going to help your--”

I broke out of the magic field and charged at the assailant like a raging bull, much to his confusion.

“But how?!”

“Simple.” With another kick, I hit his horn, and Neon was released from the electrical shackles. “I timed your magical aura with my internal one, and muscled through it. Earth ponies are known for their resistance, you know.”

Desperate, the unicorn started to cast defensive shock spells and dodged my strikes. “You…”

After a few more missed hits, I pulled out my Blaster and shoved the wide barrel against the tip of his horn. Though I still couldn’t see his face, I could feel his intentions. “Listen...I have had it with you. I have you beat fair and square. So at this point, you had better give up...and I would like to hear your friends’ personal reasons for wanting to keep Cozy Glow put away.” From the corner of my eye, I watched as Neon picked himself up. He had a few frizzles, but was mostly okay.

“Tch...if you want to know...then come find me.”

“What do you mean by that?” I strained my weapon against his horn. He was still charging up some sort of attack. I needed to know what he was about to say, but couldn’t afford to have Neon caught up in this any further. I turned my head, and nodded once.

Reluctant, my bat-like friend flew off. To get help from the princesses or anyone that could quell this crazy guy so we could question him.

But it was too late. “You’ll have a sign once you wake up tomorrow!” He tried to fire off another spell, but I clicked my miniature Thundergun to blast the pressure right back at him.

That was not a good plan on my part.

“SHIT!” Instead of a pillar of light, an entire massive sphere of it would consume the area as well as the rest of the maze. The dastard had to have teleported at the last moment, because I heard rapid hoofsteps clopping off in another direction entirely. I couldn’t escape the ball of light and was overtaken by massive amounts of electric energy that entered my body. It wasn’t enough to kill me, thank the gods. But I would be unable to move for a while.

When it was all over, the maze was no more. Gone. Reduced to atoms. Through all of the fighting and battling, I had gotten tired. But to my left, I saw some gold satin fabric on the ground that was covered in soot. So my suspicions were correct.

“Ova ‘ere!” I heard my bat friend shout. The last thing I remember seeing was the face of the purple and blue alicorns before my eyes shut from passing out.

The next morning, I woke up in a hospital bed. Dammit, again? No matter. I just wanted to make sure that Neon was safe. “Hey...what’s going on?” At least they were kind enough to put my vest and hat on the table beside me. And there...I noticed the gold fabric in an evidence bag in the pocket on my vest. So it was true. The stallion I fought yesterday was part of something bigger.

“Relax, Mr. Vestige,” the doctor unicorn said as he stepped in. “You simply endured some shocks or two. You’ll be out of here by tomorrow.”

“That’s great. And do you know where Neon is?”

He tilted his head, “Who? No one’s been here with a name like that.”

Damn. The guy didn’t even want to get his injuries checked at the regular hospital because he wasn’t comfortable being around regular ponies yet. I respected that. “Nevermind.”

“Ah, one more thing. Princess Twilight left me a message. She wants you to see her as soon as you get out. If I were you, I’d rest as much as possible to be in peak condition for her. Earning a moment with her is rare.”

I nodded. “Understood, doc. Thank you.”

The unicorn stallion left the room.

Well then, I felt like there was a sudden weight that had been pulled right out of me.

So at long last, my big chance was about to arrive. An audience with Twilight herself. Now I would have to prepare myself for everything I set out to do. This would be the moment that would make or break my entire life’s work. I will not--

“Who’s there?”

I felt something beneath my hospital bedsheets, and lo and behold. Tree Hugger had found a way to sneak into someplace with me in it. She had rested against my lower legs and woke up when I removed the covers. “Oh...hey man.”

“...How long have you been here?”

She sat up next to me, ever so casual like it was nothing. “Since I heard you had been taken to the hospital, I couldn’t leave a friend hanging.”

I blinked. Was this mare crazy or just that caring? “And you’ve...been here the whole time with me while I was unconscious...since last night?”

“Yeah, obvs. Am I making you feel uncomfortable?” For the first time since I met her, she dropped the laid-back smile she always carried as her face contorted into a concerned frown. “Because if I am, I’ll leave. Some ponies tend to not feel comfy around me, so I’ve gotten used to it. And Fluttershy hasn’t had time to spend with me lately--so I can only assume that’s why too.”

Damn, that hit me hard. I didn’t want to make her feel like I didn’t appreciate having someone to comfort me through the pain I faced. Not to mention the idea of her lacking any real friends somewhat pained me since I knew what that was like. So I shook my head with a smile.. “Nah. You’re making me feel better already.”

With a squeak-toy sound, she smiled wide, and her more natural facial expressions of mellow returned along with her regular smile. “Righteous…” she responded as she reached a hoof below her bed, and pulled out a basket. “I’ve got brownies, my special drinks, and sandwiches this time so you can feel stronger. And if you need to nap, I’ll meditate over you to give you my relaxing vibes, brah.”

“Heh...I’d like that, thank you, Huggs.”

I couldn’t complain. Someone like this was nice to be around. Plus, I was a bit hungry. So at least I could refuel and have full stamina. After talking to her for a bit longer, and went back to napping, and felt a sudden weight pressed against me. I didn’t mind, though. I figured Tree Hugger knew what she was doing when it came to calming others down.

I knew I’d be prepared when I wanted to talk to Twilight.

I just hoped she was willing to listen to what I had to say.

Subject 27: The Ruler and The Sheltered

And at long last, my opportunity came. Once I got out of the hospital in Canterlot, I would go see Princess Twilight the next day. I had to admit, I felt a bit proud knowing that I had gotten her attention enough to warrant the desire to see me. Could this be my chance to change the world? Or at least the life of one kid?

I entered the throne room, and took a bow.

“Rise,” she said to me. When I did, she was in her normally-proportioned pony form. Thank goodness. I was used to the way Celestia looked, but those longer legs looked absolutely strange on the purple alicorn. “Pale Vestige, right?” she asked my name she was levitating some files in front of her face. I prayed she wouldn’t start talking about my exploits and praise them like they were some noble act. “Agent of Ponyville...stopped an attack on Neighkatomi Towers in Manehattan...busted an illegal Casino in the Manetenegro region near Bitaly...and most recently offered a generous donation to the Crystal Empire Orphanage.”

Holy buckballs, did she really have everything?

“Correct. I’ve actually wanted to see you for multiple reasons.”

She moved the files down so that I could see her face. “The same goes for you as well, sir. You can explain your position first.”

I told her everything. About Cozy Glow, the batponies, the griffons, and the Earth Pony lessons that Cheerilee wanted to teach for good measure. “...and so, that’s where I currently stand. I’d like there to be a trial.”

“Hm…” she thought it over for a second. Her eyes darted between myself and the file with my information on it. Then she put it down, and flew down to meet me. “Alright. First things first. I didn’t even realize that the batponies had an entire colony in Hollow Shades. I always thought they were a race that lived among us.”

I shook my head. “Nope. They’re there. All holed up due to feeling afraid of being outcasts. Is it possible that they could be accepted and Hollow Shades can be fully integrated into society?”

“The area around Hollow Shades is clouded with mystery and hidden secrets,” she explained as she showed me a holographic version of the hidden valley with her magic. “Nopony really knows what the batponies do, or eat, or if they’re even friendly. For all we know, they could suck blood!”

“I spoke to their leader--or at least a high-ranking member of them. She said they don’t suck blood. But if you want to be cautious, I understand. It is a rather...unfamiliar territory.”

“Hmm…” The hologram disappeared. “And the griffons are working with them?”

“Only a small portion of them. Ones who are unsatisfied with the way their lands are ravaged beyond repair. Grifftonstone isn’t the only place where they reside. But beyond that, they still face heavy losses and Lord Gruff is growing weak in his old age. They need a new successor. And fast.”

The purple alicorn gave it some more thought. “He has a grandson named Gallus, but he’s currently a member of the Royal Guard. I wouldn’t want to hurt him by asking him to return home after he finally achieved his dream.”

“Then maybe another griffon can become the leader?”

Her face lit up with a wide grin. I didn’t know whether to be scared or invested. “Aha! I have an idea! We should put them through a set of trials!”

“A...what?”

A notebook appeared along with a pen she started to scribble in, all levitated and done by her magic. “Griffons are naturally greedy and territorial. Not to the same extent as dragons, though. Before Ember came along, dragons forced everyone to follow their leader out of fear since he was the strongest. With griffons, however, it’s a bit more complicated.” She tapped the pen against her chin before continuing to write.

“Makes sense. I know a bit about griffon culture since Manehattan is one of the closer cities to Griffonstone geographically. They’re solitary, and tend to avoid conflict, right?”

“Right. Griffons on average prefer to stay away from each other, rather than collaborate. This is what’s led to the downfall of the territory in recent years. But I never would’ve thought they would decide to consult batponies for help.”

“Well, when you’re down on your luck, you do crazy things to get back what you lost. I know from experience…”

The notebook disappeared, and Twilight would address me directly. “Alright. So, if it’s possible, I’d like you to meet with the griffons that intend to meet the batponies and circumvent their tactics. Try to get them to listen to my idea. If they’re willing to compromise and we help them find the best ruler, then there won’t be anymore biased bickering.”

I nodded. “Alright, I’ll--”

“Well, there’s one other thing. Make sure they know that Gallus is here.” She smirked to herself as if she came up with the greatest plan since...her last one. “Just in case they don’t listen to you, they’ll have the grandson of the current ruler to answer to. Who also just so happens to be a member of my Royal Guard. Great idea, isn’t it?”

I couldn’t deny that it was a very shrewd move on her part. If the grandson of their current leader was in play, then the rebellious gang of griffons would have no choice but to listen. “Indeed.”

“As far as the Earth Pony school lessons go, tell Cheerilee to go right ahead. Celestia’s already told me about it. But now, I would like to discuss the main thing you came here for.”

“That’s right…”

She walked off towards another room. “Follow me.”

I trotted after the mare as we left the main throne room. Were we headed to a more secretive place within the castle? No, we were going up some stairs now. A left, and we entered a small room with a tea table and bookshelves on either side. This must have been one of the rooms where she held meetings. I took a seat.

“Sorry, I just wanted to discuss this little tidbit in private,” she said as she closed the door behind me and took a seat with me. “Never know who could be listening. Now...you want to give Cozy Glow another chance?”

Made sense. Would be rather catastrophic if someone predicted my next move without my awareness. I had to think critically. “Yes. I was in her shoes at one point, and I feel as though she was dealt with...too swiftly. I would like to formally call for a trial.”

“...” Twilight looked as though she was going to say something. But when I mentioned the trial, she closed her mouth and started to think. “I see…” Was it possible that she was going to provide her personal feelings on the matter, only to retract the notion in a swift second? “Shining Armor already informed me of what you want to do. But I wanted to hear it straight from the horse’s mouth.”

“So will you do it? At least offer me the opportunity to hold a trial in her defense.”

She closed her eyes for a moment, and another notebook appeared. Her eyes opened. She looked into it, and started to mumble to herself. Must have been a schedule planner. “Hm...carry the one...okay. I can send out the Royal Summons, and have a trial ready for you by next week. Is that favorable to you?”

I still wanted to know Twilight’s own opinions on the matter. But I showed restraint for now. The time would come for her to state her stance eventually. So no big deal. “Okay then...it gives me an opportunity to take care of the other bits of business first.”

“Yup. Isn’t it great when things fall into place? So you will head to Hollow Shades tomorrow to hopefully stop the griffons from causing trouble. Once you both explain my idea, I will have Gallus meet up with them. Then we can get started on helping them find a ruler among them.”

I nodded. “And for the batponies?”

“Fluttershy used to be one--sort of. And she would be the most accepting of their bat-like features due to her love of animals. So I’ll send her out there along with….hm….” Yet again, the notebook would appear, pages flipped through as she studied it. “Starlight.”

“Oh?”

“I’m sure you’re aware, but Starlight used to have a...tiny village of her own that was separated from society. But now it’s a wonderful little place. If anypony knows how to turn an isolated area around, it’s her.”

Once again, fairly sound logic. I wouldn’t refuse such a notion. Not to mention, this was my chance to prove that I could be trusted to the ruler of the land herself. Once I did that, my case for Cozy Glow would go over much more smoothly. “Understood. I’ll get everything set up.”

“Alrighty, then. And one more thing...I am personally assigning you to find out who caused the destruction of the Garden at the recent Gala. You have my express permission to bring them in on sight. Any questions?”

“None,” I responded with a bow, “Now I know what I need to do. Thank you, Princess Twilight.”

“You’re very welcome. Please. Feel free to come back whenever you like.”

Well. That was rather...unexpected. But still, I knew what must be done. My first move would be to alert Madam Sonar that her race could be accepted and that they would be having visitors. Second, would be to intercept the Griffons and tell them about Twilight’s idea so that they may find a true ruler among them.

But before that, I had to find Neon. Flash Drive and Guttersnipe should have taken him to our Canterlot base near the side of the mountain by now. I left the castle, and headed out of the main city of Canterlot. And surely enough, I saw a campsite set up on the nearby trail at the side of the mountain. I entered one of the llarge command central tents. It was big enough for a dozen people to sleep in at least. There, I found Flash Drive.

“Wassup, friend?” the black unicorn asked.

“Where’s your brother?”

With a hoof, he pointed at a nearby bed where the batpony rested. “The electric aura messed with his head a bit, but he’ll be fine. What didja learn from the Princess?”

“A host of things. But first, I need to go to the batponies and let them know that they will receive visitors in the next few days. Then, intercept the griffons who planned to attack and find a way to convince them to listen to Twilight and Gallus.”

Drive nodded, and levitated some sort of cord with his magic, and went to a workbench. “In that case, I’m goin’ with ya. My bruv is out of commission, and somepony needs to be there on his behalf.”

He started to reshape the wires into something. I couldn’t tell what, though. “...If you’re sure. I could really use the help,” I responded reluctantly.

“Glad you answered so quickly,” he put on some welding goggles, “If ya said no, I would’ve followed ya. And that just would’ve made things awkward later.”

I snickered. “Oh please. When there’s something related to Neon on the line, I know you’re not going to back down.”

“Damn straight.” Sparks started to fly as he worked his magic with the cables. Just what did this guy have in mind? Was he gearing up for a fight. “Gotta stay sharp, lest you wanna get bit. Gutter can take care of Neon the rest of the way.”

“Alright...then we head back there tonight. Don’t be late.”

At last, he showed me what he worked on. A set of chains that were controlled by a magnetic field. “Hah. I’m never late…not unless I’m dead.”

And so, I returned to the Hollow Shades entrance via train. I watched the sunset as I sat beneath a tree. The horizon was consumed by night once more, and the time of the reckoning for the griffons was sure to arrive.

I had a bit of time before I needed to go, so I rested beneath a tree. Though, it was sadly interrupted.

“Excuse me?”

I looked up, and found another hooded pony not unlike the one I faced at the Gala the other night. A pegasus. “...Hello?”

From the voice, I could tell it was a mare. “...you must know one of my friends that spoke to you about what Cozy Glow did to his life, right?”

“Yes?”

“Well, I’m here to explain what her actions caused for me, as well. Are you willing to listen?”

I had to be fair, of course. “Absolutely. Please explain as much as you can.”

“When Cozy Glow stole all the magic of the world, I lost the ability to control the weather. I lost my job at the weather factory, and couldn’t work.”

“I see...but couldn’t you return once magic had been restored?”

The hooded mare shook her head. “It also messed with my ability to fly properly, and I broke my wings that day. Thankfully, it was only a few of us who had this problem, but I suffered hard. I couldn’t go back to work, and had to stay at some awful desk job for Celestia knows how long making minimum wage in some cubicle. All because that brat had to go and ruin my life!” she stomped her hoof.

“I...I understand. I realize now that her actions affected everyone on different levels. Trust me, the last thing I want is for her to do the same thing again.”

The mare snorted. “Hmph. If you say so. I’m aware that other villains were given second chances, but that filly damaged lives on a completely different level. You had better be ready to present a damn good case at that trial.”

“Fair enough…but I recall how Starlight caused similar damage by trying to force the world into different timelines. Consider that, at the trial.” I didn’t have much else to say except--wait. ‘That’ trial? Hold on, how was she aware of the private conversation I had with Twilight. “Wait...hold on a second--” but before I could properly address her, she had flown off into the darkness. “Gah...dammit all. She’s gone.”

“Are you feeling alright, chum?” Flash Drive called out to me as he got off the train. “You were shouting at someone. Did you make contact already?”

Even with context, it wouldn’t make much sense. I decided to spare him the details for now. “It was…nothing. Are you ready?”

“Anythin’ to help my bro. He’s always been there for me. Now it’s Drive-time.”

I snickered and started walking. “Did you get that catchphrase from one of those new-fangled adventure games the foals play?”

“Hey now, they’re damn good, man!” he followed. “But for real. If these guys are willin’ to be friendly, then it spells an easier time for Neon.”

Oh yeah, that reminded me. “I’ve always wanted to ask--just how are you two related?”

“He didn’t tell you?” We both kept to the path that led into the dark valley. “His parents are dead, mate. Gone not long after they were found in Trottingham. My folks and I took him in, raised him like he was our own. Now he’s well off.”

I tipped my hat to hide my sadness. “I...I see...I’ll make extra effort to take care of him.”

“Nah, don’t get like that,” he forced my hat back up with his magic. “He doesn’t need to be coddled like a pansy. He needs his companions. That’s where all of us come in,” he pointed at me, then himself. “Get it?”

Smart guy. I wouldn’t waste this chance. Not with Neon’s name on the line. “Indeed, my friend.”

“Right then. Let’s get on down there…”

I stopped him. “Hold on, we need to eat some of the fruit first.”

He groaned and hung his head, “Aw man...I hate sweet things.”

“Come now, don’t be shy. Fruit breath makes you less hostile. It’s either that or crickets.” I climbed up one of the trees.

“I’ll take the pears.”

Once I had gotten some pears from a nearby tree, we munched them as we trotted down to the dark, sheltered city of bat-kind.

“Well now...I wonder what sort of tech they got ‘ere. How’s anything powered down in a manky place?”

“Come to think of it, I didn’t venture any sort of guess towards it. But I’m sure Madam Sonar will be willing to explain.”

“Right, right…”

I led him to the small abode where I had met the batmare not long ago, and knocked on the door. “Ms. Sonar? Are you available?”

The door was answered in a hurry, the batmare had curlers in her mane, and she looked like she had only recently woken up. “Huh? Wha? Oh it’s you, sir…”

“Yes. We’re here to let you know that two ponies from the princesses’ close circle are going to arrive soon. With them, you can discuss how you can integrate back into pony society along with the others.”

“Oh...that sounds nice…” she yawned, “And what about the griffons?”

Flash Drive spoke up. “We’re gonna handle ‘em ourselves, madam. You just rest and let us deal with that, right Pale?”

“Indeed. We’ll take care of them. Just watch out for your kin.”

“Oh...okay…” The batmare was still not fully cognitive, but she gave her best response with a nod. “I’m gonna go back to bed and...stuff.” She closed the door.

“Well that was rather easy.”

“It ain’t over yet,” I started walking away from the door, and back to the entrance of the valley. “Those bird-cat-folk could show up at any second. We have to be ready to intercept.”

Instead of following close, Drive chose a brisk gallop instead. “You’re too stingy, Captain. Take in the sights while ya can.”

There was no time for that. Now that we’ve given the bats the warning, it was time to act. The griffons would be here any minute now. We returned to the edge of the valley where the fruit orchards were located.

“Alright...keep your wits about you, now,” I said with a steely gaze. “They could be anywhere.”

Flash Drive pointed, “Found ‘em.”

“What?”

Apparently, he thought to bring along his binoculars, and used them to spot the griffons who were about 20 yards away as they flew in. “What should we do, boss?”

“Intercept, obviously,” I stepped out and started waving my hooves around. “Hoi! Over here!”

They landed. A familiar boss griffon stood before us alongside four others. Two on his left and two on his right. “What are you doing here? We’ve come for what we were promised.”

“The deal’s off, buddy,” I said with a tip of my hat. “But you’ll be happy to know that Princess Twilight herself offers a message.”

“Oh really? And what, pray tell, did she want you to say?”

I cleared my throat. “She wants you to meet with Gallus. They will both oversee a sort of...competition to determine who the best griffon ruler is.”

“Lord Gruff’s grandson, eh?” he raised an eyebrow, “And do you honestly think a griffon that lives among ponies will have the best understanding of griffon culture?”

Was he dense? Honestly. “Tch. He’s leading a more successful life than you are right about now, so I’d say so.”

Flash Drive jumped out in front of me and uttered what I can only describe as the single most confusing statement in history. “Ohhhh! Damn man you lot just got shagged harder than a scrubber mare in a public cottage on a red light evening!” he stood on his hind legs with his forelegs crossed in a pose that wouldn’t look out of place on the cover of a Rap CD.

I...I just...whaaa…?

I stared at him in confusion. Complete silence filled the air for at least thirty grueling seconds.

One of the griffons let out an awkward cough.

The boss griffon looked just as confused as I was. “Um...is your friend alright?”

“I have no idea,” I grabbed his tail with my teeth, and forcefully pulled him back next to me. I desperately wanted to smack him, but I would save that for later. “What in the absolute devil did you just--you know what, don’t tell me.”

“Sorry, boss. Just felt appropriate,” he replied with a rightfully embarrassed smile.

I sighed with a hoof over my nose. Then I looked at the griffons once more. “Once you speak with Gallus, the princess will make the details clearer. Is that agreeable?”

“Hm…” The boss griffon rubbed his claw against his chin as he thought about it.

His thoughts along with everyone else’s were interrupted when we heard threatening chitter noises from the trees nearby. In the darkness of the forest, we saw various sets of bat eyes which gazed threateningly at the griffons.

“Wait...what’s going on? Did you set us up?! If you aren’t willing to compromise, we’ll take the relic by force.”

I shook my head. “No! I didn’t...everyone go back to your homes!” I stood between the swarm of bat-ponies that just barely poked their heads out of the dark forest and the griffons, who looked ready to fight.

Just then, Flash Drive would slip next to me with a whisper. “Listen. I have a plan. The perfect plan. Possibly the greatest plan ever.”

I returned the whisper. “What could you possibly be planning?”

“...Dance-off.”

Luna end me now.

Subject 28: Musical Disturbance

All the sudden, Flash Drive tossed the chains from earlier into the air. His horn lit up, and sparks would fly into the sky which bounced off those chains. Those sparks would explode and create an impromptu spotlight above us all. The light shone directly onto the black unicorn who suddenly had a rose clenched between his teeth. Wh-what?!

He stood on his hind legs and clapped his hooves. Music would start to play off the magical chain sparks. He began to do an elegant solo flamenco style dance that originated from the Smane region in the far West. Okay. I knew what he was doing. But the question was why? What was the point of such a stupid--oh.

Distraction. Everyone around us had been caught completely off-guard by Drive’s wonderful hoofwork. Of course.

I turned to the bats that had come to defend their home. “Return. I will deal with--” They weren’t listening. Drive’s distraction dance was too powerful. Now he had started to do elegant spins along with the claps. How does anypony manage to move like that and not fall flat on their face?

No matter, I ran over to one of the mango trees and bucked it. I wasn’t an experienced tree kicker, but I managed to get them down in about two kicks or so. After that, I gathered up the dozen or so mangos and whistled. “Hoi!” The scent had caught the defending bats’ attention, and I chucked the mangos as hard as I could in the direction of their home.

They screeched and all flew after them. I knew they couldn’t let good fruit go to waste by splattering on the ground. So now they were successfully out of the equation. Just in time too.

Flash Drive completed his dance by dropping to his knees and tossing the rose into the dead of night, across the horizon. To my surprise, some of the griffons not only clapped, but cried. What was going on anymore?

“I...can’t believe it,” the boss said with a tissue at his nose. “That dance spoke to me on an emotional level.”

I needed answers. “Flash USB Drive...just what was that?”

He stood, and took a few deep breaths, “Oh, dance is one of my hobbies when I’m not workin’. I figured it’d be a perfect diversion. Now talk to ‘em.”

Hopefully his crazed movements will have made this easier. “Ahem...now that we have your attention. We would like you to speak with Princess Twilight and her loyal Griffon Guard Gallus. They will have the methods you need to find a King without any bloodshed.” I stepped forward, “And I want to apologize for attacking you all on that night. When I saw my old friend Babs sent through the wall, I couldn’t help but defend her.”

The boss griffon had finally stopped crying and put one of his claws around my neck in a tight sort of hug. “No...do not apologize, sir. Between that battle, and your friend’s touching dance. We have newfound respect for you ponies.”

Flash Drive gave a dramatic bow in response.

I was choking due to the sheer muscle mass of the bird-like arm. “That’s...great...choking!”

“Oh. My bad.” He let go, which allowed me to take a deep breath.

This felt...much simpler than I had expected. Too simple. But I wasn’t about to question it. “Now explain to me. Just why do you griffons feel so stressed out?”

“In truth...we don’t like the fact that Lord Gruff is nearing his death while the rest of us are scattered with no sign of peace. We are also annoyed that the dragons and changelings have been more closely allied with the rest of Equestria while we remain...isolated.”

I nodded. “I get you. Since Gruff’s only living relative has chosen a different path, it would be wise to select a new ruler based on different forms of merit. That is what we would like to suggest.”

The boss griffon looked at his fellow crew members. They all nodded in agreement. Good thing too. “Suppose we agree to this...are you absolutely sure that Gallus is impartial?”

“He wouldn’t be a Royal Guard if he was biased, now would he? So with that being said, you need to meet with them at Canterlot Castle tomorrow morning. Savvy?”

“...I suppose. Even if our problems don’t get solved right away, we can at least make progress.”

I sighed with relief. They were way more reasonable than I had initially thought. At least now, they were willing to compromise with us so we could move forward and begin establishing better relations between each other.

“Didn’t I tell ya? Dance speaks to everyone on a soul level, bruv.”

Flash Drive boasted about his talents, to which I only rolled my eyes. “Right...sure it does.” I couldn’t comment since I had no clue how to dance.

Once we discussed the nature of our intention, the gang of griffons were more willing to listen. They agreed to meet Twilight and Gallus the next morning. Good. They flew off without anymore trouble. Hopefully they would understand the princess’ idea and get them to stop fighting among themselves for the betterment of each other.

Drive and I both took the next train out of Hollow Shades that evening. It was a quiet, relaxing ride that only had the occasional rumble of the train itself that disturbed me. Flash Drive slept soundly on the seat in the aisle across from me. But I? I don’t know. Something just didn’t feel right. Yes I was able to send the messages to both the batponies and griffons and the rest was out of my hooves now. Fluttershy and Starlight were to take care of the bat-kin while Gallus would speak to his fellow bird-cat folk.

Everything was being sorted out, right? Then why did I feel so...uneasy?

It was hard to explain. But I felt that it was rather simple to accomplish. Something about it made me uncomfortable. Could it have something to do with the relatively empty train? I mean, it made sense, right? At this hour, hardly anypony was on the express. But it was...eerie to say the least. Absolutely nopony besides myself and Drive were on the train ride back to Ponyville. We told Guttersnipe to meet with us back at the Agency with Neon once he woke up.

However, despite the fact that no one else was seemingly here, I felt...watched. As if someone within the train had been keeping tabs on my every move. The art of tailing was something I was very familiar with. You had to mask your presence in order to send the target into a crazed stupor of whether or not they were being followed. As they say, the fear of death is worse than death itself.

So I countered it. I kept my composure, even through the silent train ride home. By the time we got back, I bid the Trottish brother goodbye. “Alright, FD. I’ll see you in the morning. Say hi to your brother for me.”

“Righto, boss. And hey, don’t stress out. Things are gonna be fine.” He pat me on the neck before he headed on his way, “See ya.”

“Indeed, goodnight.” I watched as he made his way all the way back to our little building. I kept my eyes on him to ensure he wasn’t attacked on his way home. The disturbance I felt on the train was still there, even as it left the station. Something just...wasn’t right. Maybe I was being irrational and needed sleep.

So that’s what I did. I went straight home with no stops. As soon as I got there, I showered and went to bed as always. But...for whatever reason, I couldn’t sleep. I tossed and turned in my bed, but there was some sort of lingering feeling of something uncanny within my midst. Just what was--

CLANK!

I heard a pot fall within my kitchen. But I sensed no magical signature of any kind. No one was in my house. So was it the wind? I trotted slowly through the dark hallway, and snuck into my kitchen. Indeed, a pot was on the floor. But no sign of anypony anywhere. “Hm…” Could it have just been the wind? Or some stupid kids pulling a prank?

I checked the window. It wasn’t open. Okay. That must mean--

WHACK!

I heard a noise from outside. It sounded like something heavy had just hit the ground. I went to my door, and opened it. At my doorstep, I took a look around. Nothing. Just what in the heck was going on here? I closed the door and locked it behind myself. I had to find out just who was causing this.

I heard hoofsteps round the corner, and crouched down. If someone was going to attack me, I’d be ready. “Come on out!”

“Ah!” To my surprise, it was Cheerilee dressed in workout gear. “Oh dear...I was just out for a nighttime run and ran into you by accident. I hope I didn’t scare you, Pale.”

I was relieved to see her familiar purple face. “Oh it’s you...how are you this evening, Cheery?”

“Oh, I’m doing just fine. Well, better than I was a few nights ago.”

That was odd. It wasn’t like her to be so down. I tilted my head, “Oh? What’s wrong?”

She shrugged, “Eh, remember when I said I had a plus-one for the gala? Well, it didn’t go as planned. Party Favor is a nice guy and all, but we just didn’t have much in common so it was hard to hold a conversation with him.”

Hm...oh! I remember him. One of the ponies from Starlight’s old village. “The dude that likes to create crazy balloons?”

“That’s right. I tried my best to get along with him, but it didn’t go anywhere. Though like I said, he’s still a nice friend.” She sighed and hung her head, “I suppose I should be used to this. It’s not the first time I thought a stallion might’ve been a good pick, only for it to fail.”

I felt the need to ask this time. “Oh? What do you mean?”

She rose and looked at me with a forlorn expression. “Ah, just--a long time ago, Big Mac and I were put under a love potion thanks to the Crusaders and it made us go bazonkers over each other.” She giggled as she thought about it, “He said things he would never say. But once it wore off, we decided to actually try and date each other. Buuut that didn’t work out. Though I’m super happy that he found somepony else. Sugar Belle is a great pick for him.”

Her eyes had that pained sort of twitch to go along with her nervous smile. I could see that part of her wished that things did work out between herself and Mac, or anyone else. I felt bad. But I knew there was someone out there. “Hey...don’t give up. Not everything happens right away. You’ll find someone that cares about you on that level.”

“You think so?” she asked, her face looked more relieved. “Well, hearing that from a stallion instead of a mare for once is comforting. Means that I’m not quite over the hill yet, haha!”

I laughed also. “Heh! Yeah, don’t worry. You’ve got the looks and a winning personality to match. Just don’t feel so down on yourself.”

“You’re right, Pale. Although, you shouldn’t overwork yourself.”

“Hm?”

She giggled, “I can see it in your eyes sometimes as you walk home. Wrinkles and a few stress marks. Take more time to yourself and your friends. Life isn’t going anywhere for us anytime soon. We’re young, we’re full of energy! Let’s make the most of it, okay?” To emphasize her point, Cheerilee stretched and flexed her right leg.

I nodded. “That’s right. I hope you do the same.”

“Indeed! Have a nice night, Pale!” And Cheerilee ran off to continue her little exercise routine.

Out of nowhere, I felt something in my neck. I looked down to see a dart...shit. I stumbled down the steps in a delirious state. “H...h…” I reached out with a hoof as I saw Cheerilee run. I couldn’t say anything. Whatever had been in the dart had cut off my ability to speak, and I was left giving a pitiful, hoarse groan. I felt my eyelids shutdown by force. The last thing I saw that night was Cheerilee round the corner, completely out of sight. At least I knew she would be safe. But just what happened to me?

Luckily, I didn’t have to wait long to find out. By the time I woke up, it was the very next morning. So that was comforting to know that I hadn’t been killed. But...I couldn’t move. My back was on something hard...hard as a rock. I leaned my neck up and saw that I was...on a farm? But not just any farm. A rock farm. Okay, but where was I and why?

“I’m sure you’re wondering why you’re here,” a voice said from below. They also wore a hood not unlike the last two individuals I spoke with. Except they weren’t a pony. I could tell by the scaly tail that they were a dragon. “You need to be educated, man.”

“Okay...but why tie me up on a rock?” My hooves were all bound together by ropes.

“So you can understand real pain,” he explained, “Thanks to Cozy Glow, the dragons had to rally together to fight back against her. We had to leave our home defenseless, and in doing so, sacrificed everything in that battle.”

I tilted my head. I knew about the final battle that brought all the races together, but I didn’t know about that little chestnut of information. “Wait...when you left your home to fight in that battle...what exactly happened?”

“Everything we had...stolen by the other monsters that lived just outside of our land. It took years for us to finally get back everything we had collected with Ember’s leadership. But if you bring back Cozy, and if she goes crazy again, we’ll be called to fight her. And we can’t dare risk leaving our home again.”

So it was true. The young mare’s actions had affected more than just the ponies. “I...I see…so the dragons aren’t in a perfect state of affairs either, I take it?”

“No way. We’re still dealing with monsters over in the Dragon Lands to this day. We simply can’t afford to jump up and save you ponies from your own problems at the drop of a hat.” He leaned in, and booped my nose with his claw-finger, “So don’t bring back another one. I just barely managed to get all my jewels back.”

I shook him off. That’s when I realized I was tied down to a massive boulder in the middle of the rock farm. “Okay...I understand your reasoning. But if I can prove that she won’t make the same mistake again, would you be willing to compromise?”

“Fat chance of that happening. I’ll believe it when I see it. For now, you’re gonna see what it feels like to be helpless with impending danger looming over you.” With that, the dragon flew off.

It would be about another half an hour or so before I heard the voice of a gruff, annoyed mare. “HEY! WHAT THE BUCK ARE YOU DOING?!”

I flinched. The sound of her voice was much more powerful than that of my friend Quick Draw.

A bluish-gray mare with a gray mane and tail stormed up to the massive rock I was hogtied upon. “Why in the buck are you on Holder’s Boulder?! Get down right now or I’m gonna turn your stones into sand!” she huffed, steam exited her snout.

“Uh...I can’t. I’m a bit tied up, as you can see,” I explained, given that the ropes tied all of my hooves together.

Sadly, she didn’t believe me. “Get. Off. Now. Jump down or something. I don’t give a damn. Just get off Holder’s Boulder!”

I didn’t want to cause anymore trouble, so I sighed and did my best to wiggle off the side of the rock. It was much bigger than I realized with the distance downward being much greater than I initially anticipated. But I had dealt with worse...hopefully it wouldn’t be so bad.

“I’m gonna count to three,” the mare commented as she tapped her hoof in an impatient manner, “and if you’re not down here by then, I’m gonna make you come. One….two…”

CRASH!

“Oh...mother of shit...my back…” I had fallen and landed directly on my back. Luckily it wasn’t that painful, just a very harsh sting. Like stubbing one’s hoof or stepping on a toy brick block.

The annoyed mare walked right past me, and checked the condition of her massive rock. “Hmph.” She turned to look at me next. “Hm...yup. You’re gonna come with me.”

“Wait...what?” To my surprise, she didn’t free me of my bindings at all. Instead, she leaned down and used her head to lift me up, and put me on her back to carry me like I was some sort of saddlebag. The mare had zero difficulty with me on her back, either. The power of Earth Ponies strikes again. “...Come with...you to where exactly?”

She trotted towards her house that was located right at the heart of the rock farm. “Anypony that touches Holder’s Boulder for any reason is gonna get punished hard.”

“Hold on, you don’t think that I really climbed on top of your rock to tie myself up?”

“Well if that wasn’t it, then what reason could you possibly have for messing with the Boulder?” she questioned me with an annoyed expression as we entered her home. It was rather old-fashioned compared to the modern styles found in Ponyville. But I didn’t get enough time to inspect everything because she dropped me off and right onto the hard wooden floor. “Limestone Pie deals out justice to those who mess with it.”

So that was her name. One of Pinkie’s relatives. Made sense. It was also safe to assume that she was the one who managed the rock farm. “Listen...you have to believe me. I didn’t go there on my own. I was abducted and planted there. Can you at least untie me?”

“Oh really? Fine…” With a pull from her teeth, the rope would be undone, and my hooves were free.

“Oh...thank--” Sadly, this did not make things easier.

Limestone stood over me which prevented me from escaping due to how strong her legs were. I could sense it. Just as durable as Babs Seed despite being far older. It was scary to be up against somepony so experienced. “I’m not done! You still touched Holder’s Boulder. And that’s gonna cost you.”

I sighed. I suppose there truly was no way out of this. “I...apologize. What do you want me to do?”

“Heh…” Her gaze had a threatening aura. I felt as if I could lose my entire soul just from her slasher sort of grin alone. Her cheeks contorted into a threatening sort of smile with her shiny white teeth on full display. “I’ve got just the thing planned for a guy like you. And you better not lose steam halfway through.”

“...Please let this be something gentle.”

Subject 29: Chimeric Wake-Up Call

“You mean you’re an Agent named Pale Vestige and you're the one helping work on that Earth Pony school? Why didn’t you say so to begin with, dummy?!” Limestone scolded me while I helped her push a decently-sized boulder from one end of the farm to another.

“Admittedly, I was still in pain from the fall. Though if you wanted some help with moving a few rocks, I would’ve obliged without the--ahem, pushy dialogue.” Something out of the corner of my eye caught my attention in the distance. Was that a hot air balloon?

She furrowed her brow. “Uh-huh. Sure.” I guess she didn’t want to accept the fact that I would’ve been willing to help. “Right...anyway, if what you’re saying is true, then I may believe you. Holder’s Boulder was found in a dragon’s nest by our great-great--ugh. By our ancestor, Holder Cobblestone. This farm was built around it to bring good luck to our family.”

Now that was something you didn’t hear everyday. Could it be possible that some dragons still held a grudge over the fact that such a legendary rock had been stolen from them by a mere pony? I needed to know more. “Well now...that’s quite the tale.”

Limestone stopped, and suddenly leaned right into my face. “Tale? Are you calling me a liar?” she questioned with her aura of intimidation on full display.

“No, not at all!” I explained quickly, “In fact, I’m...mesmerized.”

“Hmph.” Limestone returned to pulling the stone from the front via a harness. I was at the rear, pushing the large rock. “But anyway, yeah. The fact that a dragon captured you and put you there just to piss me off...not crazy to imagine. But tell me something. Just why would he do that to you? Did you steal something from him?”

I shook my head. “Nope. It’s a rather long story…”

“You may as well spill. Anypony that touches the Boulder has to work in exchange for messing with it. Otherwise, the luck it brings will vanish.”

Given that magic was as common as a blade of grass, I wasn’t about to deny superstition. Nor would I take the chance of messing with it. “I understand. Anyhow…” I explained to Limestone the state of what I had been dealing with lately regarding Cozy Glow and how the dragon, along with a few other hooded individuals were affected by her actions.

By the time I was done with the recap, we had reached the middle of the farm where the rocks were mined. “I see...you’re playing a dangerous ass game, buddy.”

“I know...nothing I haven’t been told before. But now you know my intentions.”

We stopped, and Limestone got out of the harness. Then she handed me a pickaxe. “Start cracking.”

I was surprised to see that she ignored my plight. “You...don’t have an opinion on my actions?” I took the tool between my teeth. I wasn’t too familiar with farming rocks, but I tapped on it to get a good idea of where to start.

The annoyed Pie sister rolled her eyes. “Tch. If I worried about every ounce of political nonsense that goes on in this stupid world, then no work would get done. No offense, but I have more important things to worry about,” she stated with a flick of her tail and started to mine a nearby rock on a stump.

“I see…” The rock farm was actually pretty important. It was where most of Equestria’s building materials for concrete and cement came from as well as pet rocks and rare geodes. I could understand why she was so fixated on it, however I do remember there being more of them here. “Is it just you?”

“Yup,” she responded fairly clearly despite having a pickaxe between her teeth. “Mom and dad are retired in Silver Shoals now. Maud’s started a family with Mudbriar, Pinkie’s got a family with Cheese Sandwich, and Marble’s running a marble factory and has a date now, Double...I forgot his name so I called him Double D.”

Ah, I knew who she meant. “Double Diamond, yeah? The guy that likes to ski?”

“Yeah, that’s him. They hit it off pretty well and...I’m so happy for them.”

And jealous. Very jealous. Or rather, envious and regretful that somepony didn’t treat her the same way. I didn’t normally like to do this, but… “Are you...unsatisfied with the way things are? Living here alone on the farm?”

Silence.

The mare kept pounding away at the rock until she cracked it open. A set of white crystals were hidden inside. After that, she spat out the pickaxe. “I’m not jealous, if that’s what you’re thinking. So don’t think that. I’m perfectly fine the way I am.”

I sighed as I smacked the large rock with the axe she gave me. “I have had...similar issues. Regarding explaining my feelings to others. I just want you to know that if there’s anything--”

But Limestone wasn’t having it. She invaded my personal space once more with her nose against my own. “I. Am. Not. Jealous. Got it? Or do I need to drill it in you again?”

I backed away. “Hey hey now...no need for that. I just wanted to get your opinion is all.” This was going to be one tough rock to break open. But if I had any hopes of returning home, I needed to play my cards right with this one. Hopefully my comrades would consider this as me taking another day off.

We worked around the farm until about noon or so. Things were looking up. I didn’t mind some good old manual labor.

“Alright. Stop.” Limestone commanded, “Get your flank in here,” she said as she opened the door.

I followed her back inside, and there was a plate with what looked like a freshly baked calzone along with some lemonade. “Oh...is that for me?”

“Don’t get the wrong idea or anything,” she tried to deflect any sort of thoughts I may have had, “It’d be unethical to make you work off Holder’s bad luck without giving you food. Now eat.” Without anymore words, she trotted over to the couch and sat down to pick up a comic book.

At this point, I learned to be more accepting of such gifts. So that cheesy bread roll was gone within minutes. “Mm...that was amazing, the addition of hay really complimented the cheese. Where did you learn to make that?”

“Picked up a recipe or two from Pinkie. Glad you like it, or whatever.” She buried her face deeper into the comic book. Clearly, she did not enjoy speaking with others.

But wait...that comic. Was that? No… “...Power Ponies? I used to love reading those as a kid.”

She glared at me with those judgmental, green eyes. “Are you calling me immature?”

“No, not at all. It’s just been a while since I’ve read them. Tell me, which issue is that?”

“Hmph.” She rolled her eyes, and positioned the comic to allow me to view it. “Issue #21. High Heel and Heavy Hoofsteps. It’s the one where she invades the shoe factory and replaces the soles of all the shoes with cement. That way, everypony will have to buy the brand she’s selling so she can make millions.”

“Oh yeah, I loved that one. Heel was always one of my favorites.”

Lime was confused. As if it was abnormal to state such a thing about the character. “Wait...what?”

I nodded, “Oh yeah. I always liked how...commanding she would be. Everypony under her command listened to her because she was just that much fun to follow--even if she was a criminal.”

An odd sort of grin appeared on Limestone’s face. In tandem with her aggressive eyes, she looked as if she had an arrogant smirk going. “Heh...damn right. She’s rough around the edges, but if you know how to deal with her, you can beat her. It’s a matter of knowing how someone like her works.”

“Yup. Even as a villain, it’s nice to see somepony portrayed realistically. I think she even got with Long-face is a later issue, but my memories are fuzzy.”

Her mouth was agape for the shortest of moments. “Shut up. That sounds cool. He’s the only other villain who tries to understand her. Granted, it’s cool to see the Power Ponies take them down, but it’s nice to get another perspective...or whatever.” She bailed from her final point.

I decided to cut right down to it. “...Lime, you feel inferior because your sisters all have courted or are courting somepony while you don’t have anyone, don’t you?”

She sighed. “Look. Don’t tell anypony. But...I might feel a bit annoyed.”

“And why is that?”

“Well, I just haven’t found the right guy who understands me yet. Everypony is so nice to each other all the time that I feel like I just don’t fit in.”

That was true. The average pony was rather friendly no matter where you went. Cranky and mean ones were less common, but they did exist. Granted, I had a decent amount of friends, but I imagined those with more bitter personalities had a harder time in this world. “...I won’t act like I understand. Because I don’t. But know that there’s always going to be something out there for you if you look for it.”

“Bah. Whatever. Keeping the family traditions alive is all I really care about anymore. Even if I don’t find anypony. Holder’s Boulder is more important.”

“That’s completely fair, and I respect that. Just don’t be afraid of trying to hang around others. You’ll be surprised at what you’ll find.”

She remained silent as she went back to reading her comment. It was hard to tell if she did so out of annoyance, or if it was due to the fact that my words had resonated with her in some way.

Regardless, I wouldn’t bother her anymore. I got up, and got ready to leave. But to my surprise, I saw someone out the window had paid a visit to the rock farm in a hot air balloon. They had a cowboy hat on along with a vest and holsters for weapons on each side. Aha! I knew who this was. They were

A sky blue earth pony stallion with a shovel for a cutie mark. About two apples taller than me, and his mane and tail were a slick brown color. One of my other crewmates that was stationed in Appleloosa. They watched over Southern Equestria and managed areas as far as the Badlands.

“Ghost ‘The Hex’ Ambush...what are the odds?” I approached him, but he looked...troubled.

The balloon landed, but he didn’t exit the basket. “Howdy, partner. Ain’t got much time to explain. Appleloosa is under attack. I was sailing on my way towards Ponyville, but I happened to see ya way over here, so I figured I’d drop in since you were closer.”

“Wait a second, what? Who are you?” Limestone had exited from her cottage to see what was going on. “And what are you doing on my farm.”

“So sorry, little lady. But there’s somethin’ bad happenin’ in Appleloosa. Gotta git down there fast.”

I hopped into the balloon’s basket. “Alright, take me back there.”

Ghost nodded, but this left Limestone annoyed. “Hey, wait up, I’m coming too! You can’t hype something up and expect me not to follow.”

The cyan stallion shook his head, “No dice. This is far too dangerous.”

“Don’t worry, Limestone. I’ll come back to visit if I can get another chance. C’mon Hex. Take us up.”

He activated the balloon, and it took us into the air. As we left, I could see the somewhat annoyed mare’s face slowly become saddened. I had to admit, I felt a bit guilty. But there was nothing that could be done.

“I’ll show him...I’ll prove that I’m more than just some rock farmer.”

“What’s going on, Ghost?” I tilted my head as we floated through the air towards the old Western town.

“Something...nopony coulda ever predicted. Chimeras.”

Holy hell. That was dangerous. It was a good thing I left Limestone behind. I would never be able to forgive myself if I let harm fall to an innocent civilian. Moreover, the fact that the town could even be invaded by such beasts seemed illogical. “Wait wait wait...just how did they get there? This doesn’t make sense…”

“Ah don’t get it either, pard. But we’d better git down there fast. Everypony’s holed up in their houses right about now.”

Ghost Ambush was a keen, shrewd sort of guy. Always ready with a strategy or some kind of plan. In particular, the weapons his pockets concealed always lended credence to his skill. There was a reason he earned the nickname ‘the Beast.’

It was about a fifteen-minute ride in the balloon. Once we got close, Ghost lowered the balloon’s pressure so that we would land just outside of the town. Appleloosa had developed lots since I last heard. What was once a small village of cowboys was now a bustling town of folks from all over, including some Bison.

However, the situation regarding the Chimeras had caused things to change. No Ponies or Bison were around at all. Everything was quiet. Too quiet. Your stereotypical tumbleweeds rolled on past us both as we entered the town. More silence…

“Are you sure that--”

“Shh…” He put his hoof out to halt my movements. His tail flicked. Ghost had picked up something. “This way.” With that, he started a brisk gallop towards the town square. I followed. This was very exciting to say the least. I felt like I was in an old cowboy flick.

“Are you sure you know where you’re going?”

That’s when we heard a sudden scream from behind a building. “HELP! SOMEPONY HELP!”

“Sounds like it came from the local tavern! This way, Pale!”

I thought he was insane for a second before we heard that yelp for help. We pulled a sharp corner and ran into the root beer/cider tavern and burst through the doors.

There it was.

The half-tiger, half-goat monster with a snake for a tail. This one was completely feral, and none of the heads said a word. Across the room, we spotted its target. A turquoise mare with a fiery orangish-yellow mane and tail. I had only dealt with these sorts of monsters once. Never did I think I would come across it again.

But before I could do anything proper, Ghost flicked his hoof. In that next moment, I witnessed a vial of liquid crack against the monster of three heads. It suddenly turned to stone, and the earth pony charged at it with all his might, and smashed it to pieces with nothing but his head. After a minute or two, the stone pieces would completely disintegrate. “RAGH! Pitiful creature…” he turned to the mare, “You alright, miss?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. I would’ve handled that thing myself if you hadn’t showed up, but...yeah. Name’s Lightning Dust.”

Oh man! That’s who that was. The mare who had endangered the life of Scootaloo--who was also fully grown now. Yeesh. I couldn’t have imagined what sort of punishment she had endured all these years for such an act. But more importantly…

“Ghost. Just what did you use on that foul creature just now?” I suppose that his moniker of ‘the Hex’ was all the more fitting now that I saw him in action.

“Can’t give ya all the deets, partner. But I will say, that it’s an experiment mah wife and I have been cookin’ up. She’s a skilled potion maker of a zebra. Now let’s git movin’. There’s more of these damn things out there.” He pointed to Lightning, “You.”

“Eh?”

“Lock this joint up and stay inside. Hide in the cellar until we give ya a signal to rise, understand?”

She gave a half-hearted salute with her wing. When she did that, I noticed that her wing had some sort of beeping device attached to it. “Yeah sure, Sheriff….”

“Good. C’mon, Pale. Let’s get moving.” He left through the doors of the tavern, and I would follow right behind him.

“I’m gonna prove that I can still be cool...just you wait.”

As we ran towards the inner part of the town, I had to ask. “Okay...just why is she there? Didn’t she try to endanger the life of a child many years ago?”

“She’s under constrained arrest and is currently a server at that tavern. She’s not allowed to fly more than 20 meters into the air either. If she attempts to, we’ll know.”

Ah, that was what the device was for. Well now that my concern was answered, I had to focus. “Okay...do you see anymore of those hideous beasts?”

“Up ahead,” he called out and started to pick up speed. “Let’s move!”

True indeed, there were two more of the disgusting tiger-goat-snake hybrids. I moved in for the one on our left. “Six o'clock is mine. You tackle three.” I lunged at the beast. It swiped at me with its claws, but I narrowly managed to avoid it. I slid beneath it and came out behind it. I jabbed the snake right in the eye with a pencil. It hissed, and sent a sharp pain through the rest of its body. The goat and tiger started to panic, and turned around.

They charged me in a blind state of fury. I countered with a swift evasion followed by a spinning roundhouse kick that knocked some of the tiger’s teeth out and sent it into a nearby wall. Of a building. “Ha!”

“YAAAH!” My eyes grew wide. Ghost had absolutely handled the chimera he was attacking. The snake tail was clenched between his teeth and he spun the beast around like it was a casual lasso! Then he let go, and flung it into the same wall where it landed on top of the one I had just dealt with. “Now to finish you disgusting beasts off.” From his pockets, he grabbed another vial. He tossed it directly at the wall above them where it broke and blue liquid soaked into both of them. They were suddenly turned into harmless, mouse-sized versions of themselves and they both ran away in a panic.

“Hot damn...that was stellar. What other sort of curses do you have?”

“I can only carry six at a time,” he explained and showed me the fact his pockets still cradled two more vials on each side. “But when they work, they work. Now we just gotta find the rest of ‘em and bring ‘em to the gallows.”

Unfortunately, as he stood and talked, we were stalked. And eventually surrounded. A grand total of eight. Yes eight chimeras surrounded us on all sides.

The biggest one would speak from its tiger head, “How sweet...fresh stallion meat,” it spoke in a deep, yet feminine tone. “Death by snack-snack to you to both!”

Ghost and I stood, side-to-side. Our options were extremely limited as the eight monsters circled us.

“What should we do, G?”

And yet, he didn’t look intimidated at all, and tapped his hoof as if he was counting to a number. “...Got it all figured out, partner. When I give the signal, ya run like heck.”

“What?”

“3...2…”

“Wait!”

Subject 30: Rock On

“NOW!”

I had no time to react. Ghost picked me up and flung me across the town square. “WHAAAAAA?!” I landed in a stack of hay nearby. But I wasn’t about to leave him behind like that. “What the buck are you doing?!” I shouted, and started to run back towards the middle of the road where the eight Chimeras surrounded him.

But what followed next would be one of the most staggering things I had ever witnessed.

Every door and window to every building in the square would open up. Each one had a cannon or some other barreled weapon pointed towards the square.

“FIRE!” The earth pony shouted, and the cannons would blast off. As it turned out, each one was controlled by an Appleloosan civilian! I was floored. Never would I have expected to see regular ponies actually standing up for themselves. But they did! They fired off dynamite, explosive bombs, flaming pies...everything.

“YEE-HAW! GIT ‘EM YA’LL!” a mare shouted.

“Who wants the first explosion in their face?!” a stallion yelled.

BOOM!

BANG!

CRASH!

Explosion after explosion erupted in the town square. It was so loud that I had to cover my ears. But even with earplugs, I couldn’t get a proper visual of what was happening due to how much dust and dirt each blast kicked up. All I could hear were the ecstatic cries of the Southern ponies while the Chimeras roared in agony.

“Pressure’s on ‘em, ya’ll!”

“Let’s finish ‘em!”

“Hogtie ‘em!”

I heard more voices shout, some were even as young as fillies and colts! Once the dust settled, I was flabbergasted to find that the hybrid monsters had been vaporized by their counterattack. But wait…were my eyes playing tricks on me? In the distance, I saw a two-ledgged figure wearing a hood. Not unlike the dragon that tied me up on Limestone’s rock this morning. But the next time I blinked, they were gone. Was it just an illusion?
Nevermind that. I had to check on Agent Ambush.

“Ghost….Ghost?!” I ran out to the ashes, and looked around. Within a few seconds, the blue earth pony popped out of the mound.

“Yee-haw, ya’ll! We got ‘em good!”

The Appleloosans all ran out of their homes to celebrate their victory with cheers and shouts of joy. However, it seems that we missed one…

“Hold on, ya’ll!” A citizen shouted, and pointed at the very edge of the town where one of Chimeras limped away slowly.

Just then, we saw a massive rock fly across the horizon and land on the unsuspecting beast. It was smashed underneath the Earth, with only its limbs visibly twitching.

“Wha?”

With confused murmurs among the crowd, we all looked in the direction of where the rock had come from. To my shock, somepony who I never would’ve guessed had showed up at the last second.

“I told you that I wasn’t just some rock farmer, dummy.” Limestone proclaimed, now wearing a green and brown military camo jacket with fur trim around the neck. She had a cannon of her own, but it wasn’t like the one her sister had for throwing parties. No. This was a Rock Cannon. “How could you leave me behind like that? Did you think I wasn’t capable of defending myself? Idiot!”

The rest of the Appleloosans started to celebrate once more in lieu of the last chimera’s defeat. Everypony started to dance and holler, as was tradition after a successful battle in this town.

I could hear Ghost’s casual sort of snicker as he came up to meet us both. “Well now, little lady. I didn’t expect ya to git all the way out here to help us. Butcha did! You impressed me fer sure. Why don’tcha join us for a celebratory drink?”

Limestone rolled her eyes, though I could tell she was interested. “Whatever.”

We entered the nearby tavern, and Ghost pulled me aside for a moment. “Listen, Pale. There’s somethin’ goin’ on.”

“Before you speak, I have to say--the tactics you’ve all deployed to fight off monsters are amazing,” I said as I took a seat at one of the stools, Ghost sat next to me. “I never would’ve expected the Appleloosans to be so...trigger happy. Especially Braeburn.”

“Well, ya can’t rely on them princesses fer yer safety all the time,” he explained with a disgusted expression. “Hate how that’s all ponies seem to rely on nowadays. Ya gotta stand up fer yerself, ya know? Them Elements of Harmony ain’t gon do nothin’ fer ya. That’s why we ‘Loosans have started to develop weapons n’ tactics fer fightin’. Explosives, traps, explosive traps. The works.”

I was in agreement. Relying solely on the power of the alicorns and the elements would make us weaker as a populace. If everypony had a weapon, or could stand up for themselves, then monsters simply wouldn’t attack as often. That would be something I needed to mention to Twilight later. “Absolutely. The more capable you are at keeping yourselves safe, the better. Though, I never would’ve thought Chimera would be all the way out here. This is far from the swamp territory where they normally reside.”

“That’s just what I wanted to speak with ya about.”

I nodded. “I’m listening.”

He looked left, then right, then started to whisper. “There’s a snake in our horseshoes. Somepony’s tryin’a destroy the agency from the inside.”

“Really now? What makes you say so?”

He took a massive gulp from his frothy mug of root beer before continuing. “Ah. Listen. The attack that happened just now? It was premeditated, partner. Chimeras ain’t from ‘round these parts by nature. Someone set us up.”

He was right. Those beasts preferred the swamps in the deeper parts of the forests near the Badlands. There was no logical reason for them to have attacked here. Unless… “But how...who?”

“I ain’t got any idea who, but lately some rumors have been churnin’ like cow milk butter.”

I leaned in, desperate to know what he meant. If there was something happening that could potentially jeopardize the safety of all of our crew members, then there was going to be a problem for all of us. “Tell me…”

He downed his second mug. “I’m hearin’ spicions. ‘Spicions that whoever did this was wearin’ a hood.”

Very suspicious indeed. I had already dealt with three individuals who fit that very description. Was it possible that they had not only inserted themselves among our ranks, but also sought to dismantle the very base of the Agency to throw away all credence I had? Scary. “I see...do you have a potential location mapped out of where they’re located?”

“Ya know Starlight Glimmer, yeah?”

I nodded. “Yes?”

“Mah sources been tellin’ me that they run off due north every time they’re questioned. Towards some small village behinds some mountains.”

Village? Mountains? Where Glimmer used to operate many years ago? There was only one location that fit that description.

“Oh yeah, I know that place,” Limestone suddenly injected herself into the discussion. She sipped from a mug of rootbeer. “That’s the place that Marble’s boyfriend is from.”

I nearly spat out my own drink. Limestone had been listening to us the whole time? “Um--huh. Is that so?”

“Yeah, though it’s not really a village anymore. It’s almost like a city now.”

Ghost rolled his eyes. I suppose he was used to being interrupted, and didn’t mind. “Regardless, I can’t leave Appleloosa. Mah Ma’s sick, and I gotta take care of her. Wanna do the honors of findin’ out what’s goin’ on?”

“Of course. This organization is like family to me. If someone’s threatening the safety of all of you, then I’m gonna handle it.”

Limestone cleared her throat. “Ahem. If some wacko’s trying to harm my sister and her stallion, then I’m obligated to go too. And don’t give me any smack talk about how dangerous it is.”

I tilted my head in confusion. “But what about your rock farm? And Holder’s Boulder?”

“I already knew I’d be gone for a while, so I got Maud to stay back and watch it,” she folded her hooves. This mare was not going to budge on the subject, that much was apparent. “Sounds like you’re trying to make up excuses for why I shouldn’t go. Well too bad. I’m going. With or without you.”

I rested my forehead in one of my hooves. “Ah, fine. I wasn’t going to try and convince you to stay behind anyways.”

Ghost laughed. “Bickerin’ like a couple already--”

I suddenly leaned up in his face with a death glare. “Don’t say that. Don’t you say that bull, Hex.”

He laughed, and pushed me down into my seat in a casual manner. “Haha! I’m jokin’ partner. Thanks for takin’ up such an assignment. I know ya can handle it.” With a tip of his hat, he rose from his seat, “see ya, little lady.”

Limestone replied with a tad less irritation than before. “Bye.”

We finished our root beers, and headed to the Appleloosa train station. The walk there was rather quiet, given that Limestone had grabbed a comic book to read from within her coat. Another Power Ponies one. Nice.

We both got on the train, and I took a seat. To my surprise, she sat next to me. Though, still silent.

As the train got moving, I couldn’t help but feel the need to break the silence between us. “So...rock cannon, huh? Pretty cool.”

“Thanks, I guess. Also inspired by Pinkie. Though Maud almost suggested using crystal shards instead. Figured that’d be fluctuating on the draw during midair flight due to wind speed. Boulders are more consistent projectiles.”

“And you just...have it at the ready whenever you want?”

“Yep.”

“Huh.”

I leaned back in my seat, in silence. But out of nowhere, Limestone lowered her comic book. “Look. Don’t get the wrong idea or anything, dummy. I’m only going up to this town to check on my sister Marble. I don’t care about you or your stupid agency. At all.”

Somehow, those words felt empty. I might have been looking too much into them, but it seemed like she was trying to say something else. I was used to aggressive mares like her, but they were hard to read. “Well, hey, that’s fair. We have our separate reasons.”

And yet, she wasn’t satisfied with that response. Her eyes went up to the top-right. “Yeah well...if you happen to run into her before I do, let me know. I don’t want some creepy, corrupt officer damaging her relationship.”

So she didn’t hate me and she did want my help? I couldn’t understand this mare. I sighed. “Look, if I’ve done something to offend you in any way, I’m sorry. But to be honest, I need to focus on my mission. So if you’re going to go with me, I need you to be helpful, got it?”

“...Yeah, sure. Sorry. It’s...it’s not you.”

I could feel the skeptic bone in my body rise. I raised an eyebrow. “Well what is it, then?” Was it really that difficult for her to express herself?

She rolled her eyes, and finally looked at me directly. “You ever know what it’s like to have a big family that’s better than you in every way?”

“No, but go on.”

She put the comic book down. “One of my sisters frequently saves the world on a regular basis, another one is a successful geologist who got a boyfriend, and then married, and now Marble’s got a whole marble company a boyfriend now. Grrh! It’s like I’m always in last place!” she groaned as she threw her hooves into the air, and brought them down, one over each eye.

I blinked, and simply allowed her to talk. I was no therapist, so I couldn’t act as if I had all the answers. Even so, it was an interesting perspective to gain. “I see…”

“When we were little, it always fell on me to clean up after them. I’m the oldest. So the attention I got got smaller and smaller while the responsibilities and chores got bigger and bigger. Mom and dad didn’t have enough time for just me and...gah, I’m shouting into the wind,” she said with an annoyed frown and picked her comic back up. “It’s not gonna solve anything.”

“Well...I can do my best to sympathize. I was an only child, but I did insane things to get the attention of others.”

She brought her comic back up, and didn’t take her eyes off the page. “Hmph. I don’t want your sympathy.”

“Then what do you want? Out of life? In general?”

There was another awkward silence between us both. I suppose she never thought critically about what she truly wanted from her life. Beyond that, I mused that her opinion would aid me in not only understanding her, but the world at large as well. Shining Armor felt insignificant in relation to his family, and so did Limestone. If there was a way to find a commonality among such sentiment, there would be an easier way to break it.

At last, the sour mare would respond. “...comfort, I guess. Somepony who could appreciate me for being me. I’m not your average pony. I’m not all nicey-wicey and crap, nor do I sing at the drop of a hat or spout nonsense about love and tolerance. I’m Limestone Pie. And if nopony can accept me for who I am, that’s their loss.”

Once more, I didn’t know how to respond to that. All my life, I was taught to be nice and show respect to others, even if I didn’t like them. And while Limestone wasn’t exactly mean, she wasn’t exactly a sweetheart either. Would it truly be okay to force somepony to change just to make it easier for yourself? Or was it better to simply let them stay who they were, and never bothered? Maybe there was a common, middle ground one could reach?

Wow, this mare was a complex rock.

“Well...I respect that. For the record, I do enjoy your tough-as-nails, no-nonsense personality. It makes it easy to hold conversations with you.”

She paused. Her eyes went wide. Her face had a blank expression of confusion mixed with embarrassment. It didn’t last very long, though. “Oh...thanks, I guess?” she replied while she rubbed the back of her head. Her expression quickly changed, though not to her default, sour demeanor. Rather, she simply looked at me with a more...neutral face. “But don’t get your hopes up thinking that complimenting me is suddenly gonna make me your friend or anything.”

Maybe I was wrong. I guess I didn’t get through to her. Oh well. While it would make things easier, it wasn’t the priority. “Nah, I’m above that. I don’t waste time with words. Saddle Rager--also known as Spruce Spanner--has the right idea in regards to that.”

“I...yeah, you’re right. She’s pretty cool the way she takes out villains with nothing but raw power. But at the same time, she's an intelligent scientist who doesn't mess around.”

“Right? Though, Mare-velous is great too, as I said before. That lasso is amazing given that she can control it at will. Doesn’t it also force ponies to tell the truth?”

Limestone responded with a smile, though it came off as more of a cocky grin. “Heck yeah. That’s why I love it so much. If you’re gonna mess up, at least own up to it so I can decide you punish--I mean, bring you to justice, or whatever.”

I chuckled. “Hehe. That’s basically my job in a nutshell.”

“You lasso ponies?”

“Ahah. No. I seek out the truth to find the reality that everyone else wants to desperately cover up. It’s the only way we can grow as a society. If we understand how things truly operate, then we can develop more and more. Whether we’re rock farmers, detectives, or alicorns. Knowledge is power, as they say.”

She rolled her eyes. “Normally, I’d be annoyed by a bunch of talk, but you have a point. Uncovering secrets and exposing the mistakes of those who think they’re always right sounds like wicked fun.”

Oh buck no. I was not about to let such an occupation get idolized. I shook my head. “Not for fun. For justice.”

The train finally came to a stop near the entrance to the mountainous region where Starlight’s old village was located. Limestone and I both got off, and started walking. It was about a good ten minutes of hoofing it until we came upon a--

“Cobblestone…” Limestone sniffed the path beneath us. “From at least a few months ago. Guess they’ve done some paving recently? The Town Square also looks pretty nice. A fountain made of casting stone and ceramic…” she pointed ahead. The town was flourishing greatly now with loads of different shops, and even a school as well as a hospital. Gone were the dirt roads, as they were replaced with beautiful stone ones.

“Lots of...color, too. So many beautiful places…” I mused as I walked along. I counted a flower shop, clothing store, grocery store among other things. But now wasn’t the time to sightsee. “Alright, let’s stay focused. Where would a marble store be…”

“Shh.” Limestone sniffed again, and pointed due West. “End of this block here.”

We kept going, and true to her word, Limestone had found her sister’s store. Marble’s Marvelous Marbels. Huh. Cute name with alliteration on the arched sign. In the display window were marbles made of rare rocks and crystals that were hard to find. “Such a quaint little store, eh?”

“Well, don’t just stand there. Let’s go see if she’s there.”

I was surprised to hear that. “Oh? But I thought you didn’t care about my objective?”

She stumbled over her words and avoided eye contact with me. “I uh...don’t get the wrong idea, dummy. I’m just looking out for Marble in case she knows anything so you can go handle it!” she huffed, and walked up to the shop’s door.

At this point, I couldn’t tell if ‘dummy’ carried its weight as an insult, or an alternative way to address me by name. I was no stranger to that sort of thing. There was a term for ponies who had issues expressing their emotions. They came off cold and annoyed on the surface, but secretly cared for those whom they were around.

Sadly, that term escaped me at the moment.

But it wasn’t hard to imagine Limestone was a very protective and reliant sister among the Pie family.

I followed her up to the door, and out of nowhere, I gray shape dashed out and hugged her. “Limestone! You’re here! You’re here!”

The aggressive Pie was hugged by her youngest sister with a look of confusion on her face. She was surprised to see Marble so...excited. “....what?”

Subject 31: Dragon Balls

“It’s so good to see you! Ooh, I’ve missed you so much!”

“Hang on,” Limestone pushed her sister away, “are you...you? You’re a bit more cheery than usual.”

Marble giggled. “That’s because I’ve finally come out of my geode shell. Er, so to speak. Thanks to Diamond...hehe,” she said with a blush. “What brings you here? Oh...hello, Mr. Detective Stallion!” she waved at me, to which I responded with a wave also. “Are you on a date with my sister or is she in trouble? Hehe!”

“No.” Limestone flipped her hair to hide her envy. “Hmph. Since mom’s not here, I guess I’ll be the judge of his character. Where is he?”

“Liiiime, don’t start that, ya kidder!” she nudged her sister in a playful manner with a hoof. “He’s busy at work right now. I just recently opened up shop here so we can live closer to each other.”

She wasn’t having it. “Where. Is. He?”

Marble rolled her eyes, and pointed to a mountain with snow on it at the end of the town. We had to squint, but we could just barely make out the image of a white earth pony stallion training other adult ponies in the art of skiing and snowboarding. Must have been a bootcamp of sorts. Spectacular. “Take a left up the ridge. But if he throws you down the mountain, that’s your fault, not mine.”

The aggressive Pie sister dashed off. I finally stepped forward. “...Is she always this way?”

Marble sighed, “Yup. Though, I think I can venture a guess or two. Mom was always hardest on her, and telling her to ‘go find yourself a nice colt, set an example for your sisters’ and whatnot.” she shrugged with a pained expression of doubt. “It’d make anyone sour. No pun intended.”

“Makes sense.” No surprises there. But I couldn’t get distracted. I had to follow Ghost’s directions. If somepony within the Agency had gone rogue, then there needed to be some consequences laid out for those who crossed us. “By the way, have you come across any...suspicious activity here, lately?”

“Hm?”

“Have you seen anyone possibly in a hoodie sneaking around in a weird fashion?”

“Well, hoods are really in right now,” Marble said as she grabbed something from her saddlebag with her teeth, “It gets very cold up here during winter, so we need to stay comfortable, you know?” It was a slanted sort of hood that covered her ears but allowed her long mane to flow freely. “Sorry if I can’t help, though. It might be better if you ask around.”

“Hold on. Before you go, can I ask your opinion on Cozy Glow?”

“Oh...I’m not sure if I’m the best pony to ask. But I think there’s a chance that every pony can learn a lesson. No matter how evil they seem. Now if you’ll excuse me...I have to go make sure my sister doesn’t kill my future husband--or the reverse.”

As Marble trotted away, I was only able to think to myself about what was going on here. The town as a whole was quite the spectacle to behold. But now, I needed to take a break, and think about what I had dealt with in the past 72 hours.

I was knocked out, kidnapped, and taken to Limestone’s Rock Farm. One of my fellow Agents in Appleloosa needed my help with a mission, and he gave me some info regarding not only who my newest enemies are, but the fact that they may be among us. Impostors. Also the fact that a hooded pegasus apparently somehow knew that she and I had spoken about the idea of holding a trial for Cozy Glow’s case in Twilight’s private book room. I wrote all of this information down, and put it in a letter to mail off to Twilight Sparkle at the castle. I slipped the letter into a nearby mailbox, and returned to my objective.

I followed Ghost’s tip, and started to carefully observe the citizens. None of them were acting out of the ordinary. In fact, all of them were acting fairly normal. I walked along the rocky pathway. Wait a second. Another hooded figure? They were walking on two legs like the figures from before. Could there be a connection to the others?

But I noticed a blue tail. Hm. That looked familiar. They walked right across the street and headed towards Marble’s marble store. There were other ponies that worked there aside from the mare of the same name. Even so, I was skeptical. Time for some good ol’ tailing.

I waited. The upright figure--what I assume to be a dragon due to the scales--exited the marble store, and headed down one of the alleys. With a dutiful glare I tailed them down the path which went behind a few buildings. I hid to make sure they didn’t see me, but then, the figure sprouted their wings and flew up. Directly onto the roof. Sadly for me, there were no ladders or anything to grab onto.

How vexing. But then, an idea hit me.

I ran over, and pulled out my Blaster. After it was charged, I pointed it downwards, and used the blast of compressed air to propel myself upwards. I gracefully landed on that roof, if I did say so myself. “Heh...guess that could come in handy later. Now…” I looked up, and saw...huh. A rather mature, curvaceous female dragon playing with the marbles. A blue one. Wait, I knew who this was. “Ember, correct?”

“Ah!” My voice must have shocked her because she let out some pink fire with that yelp. “Oh it’s you...a pony. Without wings...did you follow me up here?” she clutched the bag of marbles in a protective fashion.

“Ease yourself, Princess. I mean you no harm…”

“Princess? Oh no, not anymore. Smolder was recently crowned Dragon Lord--er, Lady?” She tapped one of her finger-claws against her chin, “Did they ever specify? In any case, I’m kind of free to do what I want now. I only pop back in every now and again as an advisor. And...I’m finally able to pursue my passions.” She reached into the back and picked out a glowing marble. “I mean, look at how cool this is!”

They weren’t my thing, but I had to admit, they looked very nice. “Indeed…” I tipped my hat, Pale Vestige. At your service.”

She snapped her fingers when she heard my name. “Oh yeah...you’re the guy that’s going around talking to ponies about...a certain someone that I won’t say out loud. Never know who could be listening. But…” she leaned over towards me, her claws on her thighs and a very convincing smile to boot, “you wouldn’t mind interviewing a dragon, would you?”

Made sense. Even so, the former Dragon Lord’s opinion will be invaluable. “Well, of course. I’ll try anything at least once. But not skydiving.”

“Ooh! I love diving through the air! It’s how we dragons test our skills,” she chirped with a flex of her wings, eyes shut enthusiastically. She opened them with an embarrassed smile. “Oh, sorry. I’m listening.”

“Thanks. Well, do you think it’s possible that she’s learned something through her punishment? I’m sure that the dragons have constantly fought among themselves and caused suffering?”

“True, though, obviously not on the same level as that filly from those years ago. Still...you know what I think?”

I dreaded the thought, but politely responded. “No, what?”

“If she gets released, she’s going to be put under a heavy amount of judgement. If I were you, I’d ensure she has a nice pony to talk to about her problems as well,” she bent over and started to gather the marbles she had been playing with.

That was my intention. Though, I wanted the perspective of the dragon woman. “Oh? Have the dragons had similar problems?”

“Sort of,” she rose up as she placed the final glass ball in her bag, “before I came along, dragons used to hate sharing their feelings. Instead they just sort of lashed out and fought each other. I couldn’t stand it. So when I rose to power, I made sure everyone understood the importance of communication.”

I wrote down what I heard in my notes. “Makes sense to me. If you do things without thinking...you’re not making the choice, the choice makes you.”

“Exactly. That’s why I thought long and hard about making Smolder the new Lord. But she’s doing a great job. All the dragons love her! And as I said, it gives me more free time to find hobbies.”

“Sounds like a good time. I hope you find what you’re looking for.” The chat with her gave me an idea. If we could all show Cozy Glow some understanding instead of immediately writing her off, it will be easier to communicate with her, and thus, give her the proper treatment she needs.

“I’m actually a bit more free. Do you have any other questions?”

“Yes actually. During the final battle against...you know who three--did you mobilize the dragons?”

Ember nodded. “Mm-hmm. They were considered a threat to the entire world, and the safety of all dragons. We had no choice but to all go and fight back.”

“Alright...and when the battle was over, were your treasures still there when you got back?”

She looked away from me with a load of regret behind those red eyes. “...No. Plenty of them had been stolen by Manticores that lived nearby. I’ll admit, I should’ve told some of them to stay behind, but it was too risky. We needed everyone’s help in that battle, so our home in the Dragon Lands was left unattended. A big mistake that I’ll make sure I never repeat.”

Huh. I thought Dragons were brutish and prideful. But Ember had humility. I respected that. But this unfortunately does confirm that the claim from the hooded dragon that I was abducted by was real. Looks like I would have to overcome that little issue at the trial as well.

I opened my mouth to ask something, but was interrupted by a familiar Lime’s voice. “Hey Detective guy! What’re you doing up there?”

“...Excuse me.” I jumped off the building, and landed in front of the mare. “Hello there. I assume you had a fun time catching up with your sister?”

“Yeah. Real fun,” she said with an eye roll, “But who was that you were talking to?”

That’s when Ember landed. She had more grace than I due to her wings allowing for a soft landing as she flew down. “Me. Is there a problem between you two? I learned a lot about friendship problems from Thorax and Twilight,” she stated with a grin.

“No. I--wait are you Ember?”

“That’s right. In the flesh,” she spread her wings to show off. “You must be one of Pinkie Pie’s sisters.”

Limestone huffed, “Maybe.”

I used this opportunity to ask the question I had intended to state moments ago. “Actually, now that you’re both here, I want to know. Is the legend by Holder’s Boulder real?”

“Holder’s...what now?” Ember had to think about it for a moment.

“He’s asking about my ancestor--Holder Cobblestone,” Limestone answered, “He found a massive boulder in a dragon’s nest.”

Ember snapped her claw-fingers when it came to her. “Oh that one. It’s an old story that gets passed down through the dragons. The fact that a pony was able to strike a deal and take a huge rock from mean dragon was super impressive. We tell that story all the time to prove that ponies aren’t just cuddly little marshmallow creatures.”

Limestone raised an eyebrow, then smirked arrogantly. “Damn right we aren’t. We can take you dragons on any day of the week. Right, Pale?”

“Eh, what?” The fact that she used my name was nice, but in this context? Not so much. “Ahem. I appreciate the lore you provided on the subject, Ember.”

The female dragon didn’t respond. Instead, she simply giggled and looked at us both. Limestone was the first to break the awkward silence. “Um...what the buck are you looking at?”

“Sorry, I just--Twilight’s sister-in-law, Cadance told me all about how pony couples interact with each other. One of the things on my pitcher list,” the dragon showed us a list of things she wanted to do. On it were things such as ‘Eat pony food,’ and ‘find hobbies.’ “Studying pony culture is one of my new favorite things.”

I snickered. “No way. The idea of us,” I pointed at Limestone, then myself, “a couple? That’s hilarious. We barely know each other.”

“Hmph. I agree. He’s not my type whatsoever. Can’t even handle my rocks,” Limestone stated in a cold manner while she avoided eye contact with me.

Ember tilted her head like she was a confused child learning a difficult math problem. “Oh? That’s strange. Whenever I see a mare and a stallion talking together, I usually assume they’re either in a relationship or siblings. But you guys aren’t?”

I shook my head. “Uh-huh.”

“Not a chance in Tartarus,” Limestone replied. “You think seeing a mare and a stallion together automatically means they’re romantically involved? Who thinks like that? That’s some ridiculous logic if I’ve ever seen it.”

I also had to agree. “Yeah it’s kind of annoying. With so many mares around, just talking to others is a challenge if you’re looking to avoid attention.”

To my amazement, Ember wasn’t disappointed or dissatisfied with our answer at all. Nay, she was overjoyed, and clapped her claw-hands. “Oooh! So you are just friends then, eh? I was always curious about pony relationships. Think you could...help me with that? Your entire job is talking to loads of different ponies, so maybe...I could learn a thing or two?”

While the offer was tempting, I had to stay focused. There were still many details to uncover and Cozy Glow’s life was officially in my hooves with the upcoming trial. “I’m...not sure. I’m somewhat busy dealing with my case. Not to mention I have to attend a trial that is going to start within a few days. Not to mention, I’m currently on the hunt for some suspicious, hooded individuals.”

“Oh? I think I might be able to help with that,” Ember replied with a smile as she leaned against me, “I think I may have seen some...weirdos looking like that around the town nearby.”

My eyes shot wide open. “Really? I would appreciate the help. In exchange, I’ll teach you all I know about pony culture.” I made the offer because I couldn’t afford to lose out on any leads. Not this late into the game.

Ember giggled as she gave me a tight, scaly hug. “Oh you don’t need to do that. But if you really want to, I won’t refuse.”

I struggled to breathe against her leathery, yet soft skin. “Ngh...great...can you let me go?” During this moment, I heard Limestone grumble to herself.

“Oh, sorry!” She released me, which caused me to flop to the ground. She leaned over to check on me. “Are you okay? I didn’t hurt you did I?”

I stood up, and fixed my hat. “No harm done. Limestone, is there something you wanted to say?”

“Nah. I’m good,” she started to walk away.

I looked at the former Dragon ruler, “Excuse me for one second,” and I ran up to catch Limestone before she could leave. “Hey, is there anything wrong?”

“No. I’m gonna go out with Marble for a while. If you ain’t got anything else important to say to me, then get back to your case,” she attempted to walk around me, but I stopped her. “What the--?”

I pulled her in for a hug. All I really knew what to do in a scenario such as this. “Listen...I don’t have all the answers. But I’m sure your sisters love you very much for all the things you’ve done for them. You just need to let yourself be more loose. And don’t give up just because they’ve found somepony and you haven’t. You will. I know it. You’re a nice pony to be around.” I pulled back to look at her face, “Alright?”

The lower eyelid of her left eye twitched as she stared at me. “Dummy...you are so lucky that I’m in a good mood or I’d...gah. Whatever. Next time I see you, you better have read the newest Power Ponies comic so we can talk about it. You understand that, don’t you, Pale? Oh and let Cheerilee know I’m gonna be helping with the Earth Pony stuff during the afternoon.”

I had no idea if I played the best or worst move possible. “Heh...of course, Lime. See ya later. Have fun with your sister!” I waved as she walked off with what appeared to be a smile. But it was hard to tell with that mare. I turned back to Ember who was giggling away. I glared at the dragon. “Not a word--don’t even think it.”

“Hehe! I’m not saying anything, I just...found it funny.”

I rolled my eyes. Funny wasn’t the word for mediation. As an investigator, it was only natural for me to be a cunning linguist. Nothing more to it than that, really. “It’s just my job. I talk to folks, and extract information. That’s it.”

She folded her arms, and looked at me with a smug expression. “I see. If that’s the case, you can start working on extracting info out of me next. Then I’ll do the same to you, and we can be extraction buddies.”

I continued walking. “When you put it like that, you make it sound weird. Cease or I’ll cuff you.”

“Now that sounds interesting,” she flew after me, “So where are we going?”

“Nowhere in particular. Just taking a walk so I can absorb the sights of this developed town. I’ll exchange information with you when we’re closer to the outskirts. Sound good?”

The dragon’s wings fluttered in her excitement. “Yes! Finally some pony knowledge! And right from a pony’s mouth too!”

On a nearby cloud…

“There he is. I hope I’m not too late…”

Subject 32: Lesson Planning

“And that’s...basically all I know regarding hooded figures near here. I saw one yesterday, and another this morning.”

I wrote it down in my notes. The appearances of these hooded individuals around these parts lined up properly with Ghost’s suspicions. But the problem that I needed to know just who among my team was capable of such a thing. “Right...I would devote more time to studying what’s going on here, but I need to prepare myself for the trial. Let’s see…”

That’s when a familiar face swooped in with her mechanical wings. “Yo, sir! I bring news and I can serve, sir!” Guttersnipe and her naturally gravelly voice came down to greet us with a salute.

“Snipe? What’s going on?”

Her left wing produced a pocket that she pulled a letter out of, and she offered it to me. “This is from the Mayor of Ponyville, sir! Said it was an important document and both Quick Draw and Corkscrew were busy with other business, so I decided to bring it to you myself, sir!”

One thing I had forgotten was the fact that this explosive mare was that she was an extreme fan of military movies. Every night, she and Flash Drive would watch at least one. Whether it be Saving Private Reins, Full Metal Jockey, or some other thing. That was the reason for the constant use of ‘sir.’ “Thank you, Snipe. You’re more than at ease right now, though,” I took the letter, and opened it up to read it.

‘Pale Vestige. This is the Mayor of Ponyville. We would like you to return as soon as possible. There is something we need to discuss between I, Cheerilee, and Spoiled Rich. Thank you.’

“Huh. Something to do with the Earth Pony school I’d bet. Though I’m not sure why they’d feel the need to ask for me…”

Guttersnipe stood ready to move, hooves pattered the ground beneath. “Gimme an order, sir! C’mon, c’mon! I’ve got your back!”

I tapped my hoof as I thought about it. “Ah. I know the perfect thing you can do. Watch over this town. Report any suspicious activity to Flash Drive and have him come down here. Alright?”

“Ooh, ooh! Perfect! I know Mayor Night Glider, personally. This’ll be easy-peasy-fo’-sheezy.”

“Night Glider? Oh her! Wait, she runs this place now?”

Snipe scoffed, and pointed up to a nearby billboard, “Pff. Didn’tcha see?”

I looked up and saw the blue pegasus mare’s face being advertised as, ‘The Best Leader Our Town Has.’ I chuckled, “Wow. Guess things really have changed these past few years. I suppose I’ll get a move on. You know your objectives, Sniper?”

“Yes sir!” she said with another salute with her hoof. “To the Mayor’s Office!” And she flew off towards a large building at the end of the Town. Must have been Town Hall.

I hadn’t realized that Ember was standing there the whole time and took notes of my interaction with Guttersnipe. “Mm-hmm...show respect...and respond with enthusiasm.”

I blinked once, twice. “Were you...standing there this whole time listening to us?”

“Of course I was,” she said in between scribbling another line down, “I told you I wanted to learn as much as I could about pony culture, didn’t I?”

“Yes...you did. Though now, I have to head back home thanks to this summon from the Mayor. Looks like I’ll need to catch the next train.”

But Ember wasn’t about to have that. “Pff. Is that all? C’mon, let me help you.”

“I don’t think I--”

Before I could say anything else, she grabbed me and flung me onto her back like a schoolkid’s bookbag. “Here ya go. I’ll take you there myself.”

“Um...is this safe?”

With her claws, she grabbed my hooves and placed them upon her pectorals. “Of course! Just hold on tight, and let me do all the work, okay?”

“But wait--yee!” Yet again, I was unable to finish. The dragon had taken off into the air. I held onto her as tight as I could for dear life with my front hooves upon her upper abdomen, and my hind hooves wrapped around her waist. “I was not expecting this at all!”

And yet, she flew without a care in the world. “Hey relax, buddy. I told you, I’d handle everything, didn’t I? Though, I’ve always heard legends about the bigger dragons being ridden by tamers and legendary fighters. And I’ve always wondered what that felt like. So today’s your lucky day!”

“Lucky my ass!” My pupils shrank as I looked at the ground below us and the way it shifted around. Being so high up was...not something I usually did. However, over time, I came to enjoy it. The dragon’s scales were actually much softer along her backside. Maybe this wasn’t so bad… “Hm...I guess.”

“Admittedly I’ve never been ridden before,” Ember explained with a laugh, “So this is actually pretty fun. Maybe I should do this more often. That could be one of my new hobbies; letting pony friends ride me! Hmm…”

I wanted to explain why that wasn’t a very good idea, but it seemed like the former Lord was happy. So I didn’t dare object. Especially not now when we were about dozens of meters into the air.

The flight was terrifying at first, but became more relaxing over time. In fact, it was only about fifteen minutes before we would begin to see Ponyville. I had to admit, it was a bit quicker than the train. But that does not mean I would be willing to do it again.

“Hey Mr. Vest. Is this your home?” she pointed to the town.

I nodded. My hooves still locked onto her upper body as we neared the ground. There was no way I was going to risk taking another fall now. “Yeah.”

“Here we are!” And she finally landed. I let go, and felt the sweet, sweet earth beneath my hooves once more. While the little flight wasn’t a bad thing by any means, I was just glad to not have to be afraid of falling anymore. The dragon looked at me, eyes full of wonder, “So, where are we going first?”

“Well…” I rubbed my head to relax. I felt a bit disoriented from the flight, so I needed a moment to gather myself. “Okay, I need to head to the Mayor’s office. I suppose you can observe more pony interaction there. But please don’t interrupt. We’ll be discussing important things.”

She nodded, and gave a salute. “Don’t worry, sir. You won’t even know I’m there.”

“Uh-huh...watch outside by one of the windows.”

Was she a dragon-shaped sponge? Whatever. I didn’t have time to question her actions. I made my way to the Town Hall, and subsequently into the Mayor’s office. The Mayor herself along with Cheerilee, and Spoiled Rich were all discussing something at a table.

“You called?”

“Ah, there he is now,” the Mayor pointed at me upon entry. “We were just discussing the final details regarding the Earth Pony lessons that Cheerilee plans to teach.”

“Yes! It’s gonna be so much fun!” the teacher exclaimed.

Spoiled had a chocolate candy stick in her mouth as she looked through some files. Was that meant to be an alternative to smoking? “I’m sure everything will be covered by the budget once we start to add the new lessons to the curriculum. Tree Hugger will assist in the lessons for the morning, and Limestone Pie will help with the afternoon ones. If possible, we may have guests appear who are skilled in a particular subject. Such as Applejack for bucking trees.”

Huh. Everything seemed to be going rather well. If that was the case, I wondered just exactly what they needed me for. “Oh wow. Sounds like everything’s falling into place. But if you don’t mind me asking, what did you three need me to show up for?”

The Mayor spoke next. “Well, before anything related to education gets approved, we must first pass it through the Equestrian Education Association. Or EEA.”

“That’s right,” Cheerilee added, “And we wanted the head of the EEA to meet the pony that inspired us with this idea. You!”

Shit.

I smiled and put on a face of excitement. “That’s great!” But in reality, there were two very big problems with this. The first, and least damning was the fact that this wasn’t really my idea. I don’t know. Something about taking credit for something this large when I had the smallest impact...it felt wrong. I didn’t deserve such praise. These three mares made it happen, not me.

The second, and most obvious problem; holy shit the EEA. I had completely forgotten about them in all this time. That could only mean one thing, and one thing alone. The pony that was going to be here was…

“Alright, let us make this quick.” Neighsay. He entered the room, aloof as ever, and took a seat at the meeting table. “What’s this about Earth Pony lessons? Magic? The letter was rather insufficient regarding the subject. Please tell me more.”

I couldn’t tell if he noticed me or not. But that old stallion didn’t drop his stern gaze for a second. He wanted to legitimately listen to their pitch regarding Earth Pony-related lessons and magic.

It was a straightforward process. Cheerilee began with an opening regarding the fact that EP magic was extremely passive. “Only those with keen levels of perception can pick up on it,” she said as she used a pointer to tap a skeletal diagram of an Earth Pony that sat upon an easel. “But what if there was a way to help them unlock these powers and channel them? Earth Ponies make up a great chunk of the population, yet not even a quarter of them realize how much magic they truly have. As a result, many have felt inferior to their Pegasus and Unicorn friends whose magic is much more apparent. However, if we assist them in understanding what kind of magic they have, we’ll have a generation of strong Earth Ponies that can rise up and fight the toughest of monsters like Star Swirl The Bearded used to. Even without horns!”

Spoiled Rich removed the candy stick from her mouth and spoke next. “We’ve already procured the necessary funds to begin the lessons. As well as expert Earth Ponies who understand their own special sort of magic already,” she flipped the diagram over and showed a graph that had bars that increased from left to right. “You can see here that Ponyville isn’t exactly hurting for money. This will barely make a dent in our financial budget.” Well, that was a shock. For as much as she fooled around and flirted with me, Spoiled really knew how to get down to business. I should’ve expected this. But when I witnessed her speak so curtly, I found myself colored rather impressed. That’s what I liked to see.

The Mayor was last. “Chancellor? Is this agreeable to you?”

He tapped his hooves together and weighed what he had just heard. “Hm. Get it done. Either I or other EEA members will be in attendance on random days to ensure the lessons are being taught well.”

“Eee!” the teacher mare cheered for a moment, then quickly quieted herself. “Ahem. Sorry. But one more thing.” She looked at me with a smile. “I just want you to know the name of the pony who helped me achieve this.”

With a mental sigh, I rose from my seat and stood next to her. “Yes, I sorta helped Cheerilee with the idea of establishing Earth Pony lessons in her school. But she deserves most of the credit, not me.”

Neighsay glared at me. His eyes like cold daggers. I knew that look. The look of someone who wanted their target to break under the pressure of intimidation like a submersible that had sunk to the bottom of the ocean. “Oh? Well that’s a fabulous little talent you have there, sir. Able to inspire others with little effort. Almost fantastical...how quaint.”

Savvy. The geezer played it off with a backhoofed sort of compliment. But I ignored it in favor of helping the situation go along more smoothly. “It was nothing, really. Just doing my job.”

The unicorn stallion got up. “Well, if there is nothing else, I shall be on my way. Good day to you all.” And he exited the mare’s office without another word.

Both Cheerilee and the Mayor let out exhales of relief.

“Whew...dear me, that shouldn’t have been so nerve-wracking,” the schoolteacher commented.

The Mayor replied with a grin, “Oh don’t worry. I’ve dealt with these types of ponies for a long time.”

“You both are too stiff all the time,” Spoiled commented, and started to chew on her candy again. “If ya learn how to live loose, you won’t be so nervous.”

Cheerilee looked at me. “And how about you, Pale?”

“Hm?”

“Were you nervous when dealing with Neighsay just now?”

More than she could ever realize. But now was hardly the time to delve into more personal matters. “Nah, not at all.Like I told him, this is just my job. I’m used to dealing with hardflanks like that.”

“Oh good. Hey wait, if you don’t mind...wanna go grab a Hayburger or something?”

I realized I hadn’t eaten in a while so I shrugged. “Sure. It’ll be nice to relax with someone like you. I’ll meet you there in ten minutes, okay?”

Cheerilee nodded. “For sure, Mr. Vestige! Ten minutes it is.”

With a tip of my hat, I walked to the door to leave. “See you, Ms. Mayor. Spoiled.”

“Goodbye!” the Mayor said with a wave.

“See ya, hun,” Spoiled replied with a more casual sort of wave as she read her notes.

I left the Mayor’s office. As soon as the door closed behind me, I was greeted with Neighsay’s familiar, dark aura. “Slick as a snake, aren’t you, Vestige?”

“What do you want?” I asked, quite done with his nonsense. “Can’t you see I’m working here?”

“I can. And you are doing...a rather interesting job. But know that you can’t escape the authority of those who have seen much more damage than you. Come the trial in a few days...we will see just how far your ideals go.”

I raised an eyebrow. “And just how do you know about it?”

He levitated a scroll from his robes. “I was summoned, good sir. As a member of the EEA, it is my sworn duty to appear before the Princess when called,” he explained before he put it away. “You may have all of your friends fooled. But not me or my subordinates. If you are afraid, perhaps it is best you do not show up at all. Someone so young couldn’t possibly pose convincing arguments to those a whole lot wise than himself.”

I wanted to fling this bookbound cur out of the window. Perhaps it was a gross thought, even for someone like me. But I exercised restraint, and gazed at the unicorn with a fleeting smirk. “Heh...you’re not ready for what I intend to bring to the table. A quote from one of my favorite movies is ‘Age doesn’t correlate to efficiency.’ Just because you’re older, and more experienced, doesn’t mean you’re right all the time.”

He scoffed and turned his nose up and away from me. “Hmph. We’ll see if the so-called ‘respect’ you have for your elders will remain true when you try and convince the world that Cozy Glow was innocent.”

“I never said she was innocent,” I countered, “I’m fighting for her to have a second chance. And for the record, I do have respect for my elders. But you’re forgetting one minor detail regarding it.”

“Ha! And what might that be?”

“Respect is not for those who demand it. It’s for those who deserve it. And you are far from respectable in any capacity. I don’t even know how you still have a job,” I replied with a stomp of my hoof.

Neighsay scoffed once more. “Tch. Skill and prowess are what determines one’s worth in a profession. If you can’t comprehend that, then you should hang up your badge and go home with your tail between your legs.” After that little chestnut of a rant, the unicorn started walking towards the exit of the Town Hall. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have more important things to do than lecture a child. Good day to you, sir. And take care to watch your back. Nopony else will do it for you.”

“Good day yourself,” I responded as he left. Such a pathetic old man. Gah. What am I doing? Now wasn’t the time for negativity. I had to prepare myself for that trial that was going to occur in a few days.

I took a few more moments, and left Town Hall. Upon exit, I was greeted with the happy trill of the former dragon lord once more. “Wow, that was amazing!”

“Huh--oof!”

She grabbed me up in another one of her crushing hugs. “The way you held that meeting with the Mayor was so professional. You have to show me more, please?”

So she missed the bit where Neighsay and I had a chat. Good. With that established, I tried to push off of her, but the power of her hug was too strong. “Ngh...can you...look, I have to go meet with Cheerilee at the Hay Burger place soon and--”

“Aha! I’ve always had an interest in pony food. It’ll be perfect!” Her beady eyes looked at me with a pleading gaze as she hugged me closer. “Pleeease? I won’t be in your way. I simply want to...observe.”

I sighed. There was no getting this dragon off my tail. “Fine, fine. Just please try to stay covert.”

At last, she let me go. “Oh, I’ve got the perfect thing.” She suddenly put on a vest and hat that were similar in style to my own, and a pair of glasses for good measure. “Now I’m gonna be super hidden and you won’t even notice me.”

Huh. It wasn’t a bad look. As much as I wanted to deny it. “Okay, okay, you can observe us. Just do it quietly.”

“Yes, sir!” she saluted again before correcting herself with a quieter tone. “I mean...yes sir. Eeee, this is fun!”

I really made a mistake when I decided to wake up this morning.

Subject 33: Detective's Turmoil

“Ah, isn’t this nice?” Cheerilee met up with me at last. I had waited outside of the Hay Burger restaurant for about five minutes before she arrived. “It’s so good to be able to kick back and relax after a hard day at work.”

I held the door open, “Indeed,” and we both went inside. “Do you want anything in particular.”

“Nah...I’m hungry as a--well, you know. Surprise me, okay?”

I nodded, and went to order. Cheerilee took a seat at a table nearby. It was pretty nice to be able to relax and eat casual food. Though, I wondered. What exactly did Cheerilee call me here for? Whatever the case, I sure did enjoy my chats with the teacher.

I received two drink cups, one for each of us, and went to the soda fountain. Though, I looked at one of them. There were words written on the cup. Huh? I peered closely at it. It read:

‘Do not attend the trial.’

Okay...what? This had to be a joke. And in rather poor taste too. Who seriously stoops to writing on a cup for something as goofy as that? Whatever. I wiped the marker off the plastic cup and kept going.

After that, I grabbed our tray of food. Three burgers for each of us and a massive order of fries. I knew the schoolteacher would initially be aghast at such an order, but I knew she was plenty hungry.

“Oh my...did you really pay for all of that?” she asked with a very famished look on her face, “I would’ve gone half if I had known-”

I stopped her as I sat the tray down. “It’s alright, Cheerilee. I’m just happy to spend more time with you. But I’m curious--is there anything in particular you wanted to talk to me about?” I started to unwrap one of the burgers for myself.

“Well, for a few reasons. Partially because I wanted to celebrate the approval of Earth Pony lessons at school,” she said as she tried to hold her composure as she ate. I could tell that she desperately wanted to pig out, but did her best to keep her manners in check. It was adorable, and a bit humorous. “And to...talk to you. The truth is, I’ve been worried about you, Pale.”

“Oh?” I took a bite.

“That’s right. You’re always working so hard, fighting monsters, trying to uncover hidden secrets, and not to mention the efforts to save Cozy Glow...I hear there’s gonna be a trial soon?”

I nodded, and swallowed. “That’s right. I realize it could make or break her life. But as Ms. Rights used to say, ‘the only shot you miss is the one you don’t take.’ So I’m more than ready to face whatever I need to.”

The next time I looked up, Cheerilee had already finished one burger, and started on the next. A portion of the fries were also gone. Her cheeks were covered in a bit of ketchup as well. “Ah, I respect that. A good work ethic is what everypony needs. It’s why the Mayor and I are such good friends.”

“You both seem to get along very well so I’m not surprised.” I smiled, and looked down at the wrapper that my burger came in. It too, contained a message similarly to that of my cup from before.

‘Attend, and her life is forfeit.’

‘Her’ life? Now this was a bit concerning. Just who did that refer to? I had spoken to numerous females thus far, so that was not apt enough of a description to go on by itself.

“...Pale? Pale!”

I ventured a guess that she realized I had been staring off into space. “Uh--wha?”

She giggled, “You’d better finish that thing off before it loses its heat. Something on your mind?”

“I...it’s nothing. You are right, though. It is important to have other things to do on the side away from your work. I’ve considered taking up ziplining as well as camping for one.”

“Ooh! I’ve always wanted to go out in the wilderness. Fending off monsters and roasting marshmallows,” she replied in between sips of her drink, “Hey, I have an idea.”

“Oh?”

She nodded. “No matter what happens after that trial...whether you win or lose, let’s go on a camping trip. Let’s bring the Mayor, Tree Hugger, Mrs. Rich, and Limestone! It’ll be a nice little getaway for all of us. You can even bring your detective buddies.”

That sounded...destructive. But I couldn’t refuse a generous offer like that. “Thanks, though you don’t need to trouble yourself with going. I’m sure you’re plenty busy.”

But Cheerilee was adamant. “Even so, you have lots of good friends who want to look out for you. Myself included. We’re all here for you, okay?”

Yet again, she had me in a tight spot. Unable to refute her kindness. She did have a point though. All of what I had endured so far had begun to wear upon me, as much as I tried to ignore it. Maybe it would be nice to take some time off with my buddies and just be our old selves again. I mean, we couldn’t go back to our academy days, but we always had each other. Quick Draw and Corkscrew always had my back no matter what. And I loved them both like dear siblings for it.

“Huh, what a weird message…” Cheerilee commented.

I looked down. By the time we had finished off the fries, there would be some words inscribed on the bottom of the tray beneath the tubers. She read it aloud.

“‘You will suffer dearly if you don’t listen…’? What an odd thing to say.” Fortunately, the teacher didn’t panic. In fact, she saw it as something akin to text found in a fortune cookie. “I guess I’ll be doing my best to listen to other ponies to avoid that, huh Pale?” she nudged me with a giggle.

“Hehe, for sure!” I said with a forced smile.

Okay, I had to take these more seriously now. Clearly, someone was out there--or maybe in here--doing what they could to cancel out my attempts. If I failed to show up at that trial, it would be nulled and my entire case progress would be for nothing. This couldn’t stand. But I obviously couldn’t let Cheerilee know the true meaning behind this. That would send her into a panic. Damn. I should probably back off. If any enemies of mine out there knew who I was close to, it could result in disaster.

We talked a bit more, discussed our hobbies, plans for the future. Both of us agreed that the idea of having children would be ridiculous, given that we both had endured more than enough of such over the course of our lives. Marriage was also a tricky mistress, and Cheerilee stated that she would only get married if it was absolutely perfect. Divorce was extremely common among couples that married after dating for less than a year after all.

Exercise was also important, as Cheerilee stated she would do at least ten pushups each day to counter the fat from the food she ate. She also despised cosmetics, and stated that health was a cornerstone of diet and a good workout routine.

“When you get to be my age, it’s mandatory.”

I chuckled in response. “Heh. Well, you don’t look any older than those Cake Twins.”

“Oh you charmer, quit spoiling me with compliments,” she laughed it off ever so casually.

“I’m serious. Keep at it. You’ll stay looking pretty forever. Even when you’re retired.”

“Thank you, Pale. But I’m not retiring anytime soon. Somepony has to give these kiddos a proper education around here.”

We both laughed some more. Eventually, we finished our food, cleaned ourselves up, and left the diner together. That sauce was a fickle mistress indeed.

“Ah, that was nice. Well, I’m headed home to start planning more tutoring times for tomorrow. How about you?”

I thought about those threatening messages, but played it off. “Hm...gonna head back to my agency. Speak to my friends for a while before heading home. You have a nice day, Cheerilee. And stay safe, hm?”

“Oho, of course! Don’t worry about me. I’m more than capable of defending myself should the need arise,” she shot me a rare, deadly grin that did not suit her face. Akin to an expression Limestone would make. “That’s why nopony has attacked Ponyville in months!” she stated, her face went back to her usual, cheery smile.

I believed her. No, seriously. An army of angry Earth Ponies that could shrug off magic would be an amazing asset to Equestria. And it would ensure that Ponyville would be safe and recognized as more than just ‘the town where Twilight Sparkle’s friends live.’ “That’s right indeed. Alright, I’ll see you soon, okay Cheerilee? Let’s try this out again, sometime.”

“For sure! Bye now!”

And we went our separate ways. Such a nice mare that deserved far more than she received in life. Even so, I couldn’t really be there to provide it all. Mainly due to the fact that I was spread thin as it is, plus there were other options such as--

“Amazing!”

Oh Luna-damn--

Ember followed me out as she scribbled more notes down. “That was adorable! A textbook example of a pony date in action. I’m getting so much of your culture through these interactions!”

“Heh...yeah. Well, I’m glad I could be of help. How did you like the food we ponies eat.”

“Oh? The hay burgers aren’t my thing. Now a gem burger...that would be interesting. Though, I had to admit, the fries were amazing. Almost addictive even. You ponies must have to work hard to avoid getting fat.”

I couldn’t help but laugh aloud at such a revelation. “Ahah! You could say that. Though, we don’t swim in volcanoes and fight each other like you dragons tend to do. Is there anything else you needed?” Deep within myself, I sincerely hoped the former dragon empress would not take to following me around all day. I had work to do. And being distracted by a voluptuous dragon female was not part of the plan.

“Nope. I think I’m good for now. But if I have any more questions about pony stuff, you’ll help me, won’t you?”

“Um…” I thought about it for a second, but she hit me with those downcast eyes. Not unlike that of a dog that begged for its favorite toy. I sighed, and relented. “Fine...but if I tell you I’m busy, then please don’t bother me.”

“Eee! Yes! And I promise. I don’t wanna overspent any boundaries.”

I let out an exhale of relief. That was one less burden for me to worry about. “Good. I’ll be on my way, then.”

“Okay, see you later!”

Finally, I was able to lose her. To tell one the truth, I didn’t hate the idea that Ember felt the need to shadow me. But I was tired. Not to mention, those words. The cup, the wrapper, the tray. Something...strange was going on. Somepony that worked there saw me and decided to place those not-so-subtle messages. I had to figure out what was going on, and fast. Lest I lose my head over it.

So then, my next objective. I headed back to our antique storefront/detective agency to check up on things one last time. Corkscrew was there, and he sprang up with his usual excited expression.

“Boss! You’re back! Nothing to report!”

“Heh, yes I am, buddy. Where’s Quick Draw?” I took a look around.

He shrugged, “She was just here. Went to get something from downstairs. Anyway, I heard you were getting ready for that trial soon. You feeling confident?”

“Absolutely, son,” I replied and gave him a nudge, “If all goes well, Cozy Glow will be released at last, and we can finally expose Equestria’s misguided methods.”

“Pale. Get your flank in the break room,” Quick suddenly shouted from the doorway that led to the hall. “I need to talk to you.”

I tiled my head. Just what could be the problem that she couldn’t explain in front of Cork? No matter. I’m sure it was something important. Or maybe a plan for his surprise birthday party? No, that was months away. “Coming. Be back in a bit, Cork.”

“Aye-aye!” The pegasus saluted and went back to his desk, as dutiful as ever.

I trotted silently after Quick Draw, and joined her in the break room. “So what’s this about?”

As soon as I did, she locked the door. “Listen, boss...I don’t think you should go through with the trial.”

Odd. But not unexpected given what her opinions on the subject had been in the past. Still, I wanted to know exactly why she thought that way. “Uh-huh. And what makes you say that?”

“It’s...gah, do you need me to spell it out? It’s too risky,” she grumbled, and avoided eye contact with me as she looked off to her left. “I can’t bear the thought of losing you in some case that damages your good name, and your credibility.”

Ah, so that was it. I knew that, deep down, Quick Draw cared dearly for my safety. As well as all of us. She just didn’t want me to do anything crazy, but I had to respectfully decline her words. “That’s quite alright. If anything happens to me, I’m prepared for it. You don’t need to worry.”

Then, something completely unexpected happened. Something I never thought would happen in millions of years.

...She hugged me. Quick Draw hugged me. Her voice devoid of any aggression or sarcasm. She spoke in a candid, earnest manner.

“Okay...I can’t hold it back any longer. Pale...I seriously think you should drop this. You have a long, healthy life ahead of you. Trying to undo the wrongdoings of one pony isn’t worth it if you go down in flames.”

I was choked up. Unable to think of what I wanted to say to the yellow-ish mare. “...you really think that? Why haven’t you told me sooner?”

“I was afraid that...you’d leave me,” she muttered with her voice breaking, “I...I need you, Pale. I can’t bear the idea of you throwing your life away.” A faint blush formed on her cheeks.

“...” I had no idea what to say. This was not like her at all. It must have been very serious for her to have broken her normal routine, and speak to me in a whole new way. Was she right? Was I about to throw away everything and risk hurting those whom I cared for with my actions? This was a lot to take in. “...I see…”

All the sudden, I felt her lips press against my own. My heart nearly burst out of my chest. The embrace lasted for mere seconds, but felt like an eternity. “Please, Pale...don’t do anything crazy…you can stay here with me, and we’ll be happy. No matter what happens.”

My head spun. I suddenly felt like gravity within the room had increased twofold. “...Have you...have you felt this way the whole time?”

She nodded with fervor. “Yes! Ever since we met at the Officer’s Academy, I’ve always taken a shine to you. I made a rival out of you because I had no clue how to talk to you. I bottled up my feelings, became bitter, and for years...watched you from afar, cursing myself for never working up the courage to speak to you.”

My mind imploded. That was the reason why she was so cold to me all the time? I had no idea. I always thought it was her way of horsing around. But to know that her emotions were constrained so harshly...it stung. “I...wow.” I had to sit down. Everything had crashed down upon me at that moment. I needed time to collect my thoughts.

Sadly, I was not offered any time to think. Quick Draw had pushed me down onto the couch, and lied atop me. “Listen...I’m not going to force you to think any particular way. I’m just going to show you my true, and honest feelings that I have withheld from you for so long. Then you can make up your mind.”

I felt her nuzzle my neck, and gently nibble me as well. Followed by her tail swaying back and forth in a peculiar manner.

Wait...was she? No. This was wrong. I was not in the mood for such an activity, and Quick was not being herself. Or was she? I didn’t know. But the aura generated by her actions clouded my judgement. Even so, I refused this. “Waaaait a second.”

“What’s wrong? You don’t feel the same way…?” she replied as her voice continued to break. Tears welled up within her eyes.

I shook my head. “No...I’m sorry I…”

And yet, she didn’t stop. Quick was always stubborn. “But...that’s not possible,” she continued as she wiped tears away. “I could always sense it in your heart whenever you looked at me...I know you’ve been hiding your feelings, too. Please be honest with me, Pale…”

I...I didn’t know. Yes, at one point, I may have had interest in her. But that was a very long time ago. At this point, I saw Quick Draw as a work friend, and nothing more. Now, she started to scare me, and I was unsure of what to say next. “To be honest...I don’t feel comfortable, and you’re starting to intimidate me.”

“Pale, please,” she pleaded with desperation, “just give me this one moment. And if you feel nothing afterwards, we can both walk away and forget that this ever happened…”

I felt my ear flick out of pure anxiety. “What do you mean?”

“Just...let me handle everything…” she begged and started to slide down to my lower body.

I felt my skin tingle. For a split second, I felt unable to move or speak. It was...a nice sort of massage, but one that I did not want. Not here. “Okay, stop.” I gently kicked her off of me. “That’s enough. Stop before I toss you out of the window.”

With a thud, she hit the floor. Her eye twitched, and I swore that I witnessed her teeth grind into each other. Only for her to suddenly play it off with a laugh? What?! “Haha...ha! I...I got you, good. That was...a test, yeah, a test, heh.”

What sort of unholy? You know what, whatever. I was getting too old for this shit. “Oh...haha. Good one.”

“Hehe…” The awkward laughter would only continue. She nudged me with a hoof. “C’mon, boss. I gotta make sure you’re on your game or else you’re gonna lose. And it turns out you still got it, so there’s nothing to worry about!” she said with a wide smile.

My head was still spinning. The amount of hormones in the air combined with the frustration I had built up in tandem with the fact that I wanted none of her advances skewed my perceptions. In short, I wanted to die at that moment. “Right...good. Anyway...we should get back to work.”

She walked towards the door while looking back at me. “Right, boss. Let’s finish the day, strong yeah? Haha! Oof!” In doing so, she ran into the door directly since she didn’t pay attention. “Whoops, hehe…” she opened it, and swiftly left the break room.

What the actual buck just happened?

Subject 34: Trial Preparations

I couldn’t get a wink of sleep that night. The messages I received at the fast food restaurant combined with Quick Draw’s odd behavior threw me for a loop. I needed to make proper preparations for the trial so I could make a case for Cozy Glow. Enough with the distractions.

So for the next two days, all went to plan. No craziness, no insanity. I took both days off to ensure that my mental state would be in proper shape come trial day.

And it finally did.

I was excited, but concerned. As always, I fell out of bed and showered yet again. I put on a decent suit and tie, and got ready to attend the summons. I skipped breakfast with the intent of grabbing a donut from Joe in Canterlot.

But then, there was a knock at my door. “Coming.” I answered it to find a friendly, blue alicorn.

“Huzzah, dear Pale! Today is the day. Are you excited, scared, both?” she beamed at me. Today she had on a blue suit of her own.

“Yes.”

Luna came in, and put a hoof around my neck. “Princess Twilight herself has asked me to accompany you on this trip. She would also like to inform you that she got your letter.”

“Oh? What did she say?”

“That’s just it, my friend. We have to leave earlier. She expressly wants to meet with you in private about the contents of the letter as well as the state of other affairs before the trial begins.”

Damn. Guess that means I had no time for breakfast. “I see...do you think she’ll--”

“She’s preparing a nice breakfast for you as we speak, young one. Do not be afraid. Her cooking is better than it seems.”

Once I had my suit on, I shut my door and locked it tight. “Well shit, let’s get on over there!”

“Oh my…” Luna was surprised to hear my enthusiasm. Why? I had no idea. I just knew that I was hungry.

We got on the train, and thankfully I was able to have an easy time. I didn’t feel any strange sensations or oddities. Well, I was nervous but that much was to be expected, given how much weight this situation carried.

I sat on the train next to the blue alicorn as she read the newspaper. She giggled at the comics section. “Hehehe! I love the ones with the cat that likes lasagna, don’t you?”

I didn’t reply. My mental circuitry was off the wall. I suddenly felt her hoof tap on my shoulder. “Ah! Oh...sorry. I didn’t get much sleep the night before last. But I’m ready.”

“I can tell. Sometimes I may have trouble sleeping as well,” Luna explained as she recounted her moments in life, “Now that I’m retired, the adjustment to a diurnal schedule has been...difficult. But I manage. But beyond that, you are a wise stallion, Pale. Do not be afraid.”

I exhaled. “You’re right. Even so, I can’t help it. If I fail, then it’ll all have been for…”

“Shhh...no matter what happens, know that you did your best. Even I have moments where I wished I could have done more. But in the end, it was something that I had to deal with. My corruption as Nightmare Moon, watching as my subjects feared me for it, fighting alongside Tia, arguing with Tia, the list goes on.”

That put a smile on my face. The image of two alicorn goddesses fighting was still ever so humorous to me. Luna noticed this and snapped back at me.

“Hey now! I am serious. What you must do is believe in yourself. Because no matter what happens...you have dear friends behind you every step of the way.”

“And enemies,” I added with a chuckle, “Don’t forget the enemies. At this point, I must be on several hit lists.”

Luna raised an eyebrow at me. “Oh I am more than knowledgeable in that department. I have had dozens of enemies over the centuries. Even still, I focus on who I have with me to support me. Do not take it so lightly, understand?”

She was right. Life was too important to just throw away. Focus on those who matter most were my top priority. Even if it was hard. That’s how family worked. “Of course, Luna. I wouldn’t dream of wasting all that I have.”

“Excellent!” She raised a hoof with a shout, “We will arrive in Canterlot momentarily. Stay calm, and focused.”

More like, ‘stay focused, stay alive.’

But that was beside the point. We arrived in Canterlot, and Luna escorted me through the castle. It was much...calmer than the night of the Gala. How relaxing. It was much easier to deal with. Even if it was a bit awkward hearing our hooves echo as they clopped.

“Wow...it’s almost alien to be in such a quiet castle.”

“Indeed,” Luna snickered, “Heh. I must admit, I have gotten used to the excitement in Silver Shoals. I will go check to make sure Twilight is ready to see you. Would you mind waiting patiently in the garden outside?”

I was already feeling myself become more jittery. So I gratefully accepted the idea of going outside to wait in the calming garden. “No problem. Take your time, Luna.” So I trotted down and out of the steps of the main hall to the garden.

It was extremely serene. Almost too much. There was a...nice sort of calming sensation as I sat down among the flowers. They almost looked good enough to eat. One of the garden tables was open, so I sat in one of the chairs to gather my thoughts.

“Ahem.”

My thoughts were interrupted by a somewhat aged mare. She was a distinctive burnt orange color. About the same age as Spoiled Rich from what I could tell. But if that number in my head was accurate, then she had aged like the finest wine around. “Yes?”

“Ah, so you’re the stallion who is about to go to the trial that begins in a few hours?” she asked and took a seat with me at the table--right across from me. “I remember now...he was telling me about somepony that wanted to set Cozy Glow free. Is that you?”

So this was Stellar Flare. Sunburst’s mother. The leader of Sire’s Hollow’s Research and Development. In the past few years, the small town had grown to the size of what Ponyville currently is thanks to her actions. She was charismatic, daring, and always up for solving problems with a plan. Planning was key. “Correct. Though there’s a lot more to it than that. The name’s Pale Vestige, but I assume you already know that.”

“Certainly.” She replied with a nod, and shot me a sort of teasing smirk. “I’m Stellar Flare, dear. But I’m sure you already knew that as well, didn’t you?”

What was she getting at? Yeah, there was some time before the hearing would take place, but a distraction was not something that I needed at present. “Yes, I did. Forgive me for speaking so bluntly, but what exactly have you approached me for today, madam?”

“Oh don’t say all of that.” She waved her hoof in a snide fashion. Guess she wanted to be seen as ‘cool.’ “Just call me Stellar. And as for why I came to you today, I wanted to get your opinion on a thing or two. You wouldn’t mind giving this old mare who has political experience her time, would you?” she said with a wink to get my attention.

I had to admit, it worked. I was ready to listen. A nice, calm chat in the middle of the garden is exactly what I needed to ease my nerves. “Alright. Fire away, Stellar.”

“Oh, good.” With her magic, she levitated a piece of rolled-up parchment out, and unfurled it. She read silently, then closed it again. “Ah. Here we go.” The mare leaned forward on the table. Her chin rested on her hooves. “So, first thing’s first. Do you happen to know what your plan is?”

That was a fairly general question. Something that I couldn’t answer out of the blue. “Plan?”

“Oh, come now dear. Everypony needs a plan when they start taking on big and hard jobs. For you, this must be one of your biggest and hardest, I’m sure.” The way she spoke in tandem with her casual, half-lidded expression made me wonder if this was how she spoke to all of the folks she interviewed. It felt strange, but I wasn’t going to question it. “Now just what do you have in mind for Cozy if she is to be released, hm?”

“That? Easy. I intend to watch over her for a while and make sure she adapts to the culture of society once again. It’s going to be rough on her initially, given how many years have passed since her banishment. But I think it’s going to work.” There was much more to my answer, but I didn’t want to display all of my cards to the mare. I had already known that if she was here in attendance for the case, then she would be prepared to listen to everything that I had to say.

Shockingly enough, this savvy mare already knew. “Ah, I see now. You’re holding back on me.”

“Huh?”

“That can’t be the sole point you intend to present to the Court,” she commented, and shot me a domineering sort of smirk with a raised eyebrow. “I can already see it in your eyes and how long it took you to respond. You have far more you intend to say. I like that.”

I wasn’t nervous, but her gaze made me hesitate on my next set of words. “...Huh. Well, thank you, I suppose?”

“I only wanted to ask because I found out that my son, Sunburst had actually spoken to you a while ago regarding the issue. He’s going to be in attendance of the trial today, so I figured that I would observe. After all, something like this affects all of Sire’s Hollow, you know.” Her face changed to more of a snarky sort of grin. As if she challenged me. Was it possible that she was against my stance? Of course, I didn’t expect her to reveal that right away. “And to tell you the truth, I somewhat needed to get away from home.”

How candid. I tilted my head as I listened. “Oh?”

Rather surprisingly, she leaned back in her seat with her hooves behind her head. “My job is so darn boring nowadays, that I needed to not only come see my baby boy, but also involve myself in something. So I figured why not see what this little case is about? Hmhmhm…” she chuckled, a wide smile formed with her shiny teeth on display. “Do you know what that feels like, sir?”

“Hm?”

“To be so bored of your job that you just want to seek out some adventure, some fun,” she listed things off and leaned forward once more. Yet again with that sultry sort of smirk. “Some spice. You know?”

I nodded. Though I wasn’t entirely sure if she had another point to her words compared to the face value of what she stated. A different motive, perhaps? “I can understand that, yeah. Though, probably not to the extent of someone your age--er, experience level.” Never mention how a woman was older than you. It would only cause problems.

Thankfully, Ms. Flare wasn’t so easily disturbed. “Pff. Quit being such a coward, young man. I know I’m a bit over the hill. Ever since Sunburst upped and moved away, I’ve been desperately searching for some sort of...validation, if you can call it that.” Her face turned somber as she spoke about this. “I only want the best for Sunburst...but he insists he’s doing just fine on his own, for instance.”

I remembered back to when he and I spoke. It was brief, but I could gather that he was a calm, collected sort of intellectual. Someone who you would always want close in case things went awry. “Well, for what it’s worth, I believe you raised a wonderful child. You and your husband should be proud.”

The mare let out a tired exhale. The kind you give in response to hearing something you have heard dozens of times. Oh dear. Just what could be the issue?

I had to ask. “Did I say...something wrong?”

She shook her head, and laughed it off. “Ahaha. Don’t fret, dear. My husband and I broke off quite a long time ago. In fact, the last time he visited home, Sunburst wasn’t even concerned over the whereabouts of his father.”

Oh...it all made sense now. Stellar was hung up over the fact that both her son and husband left. Granted, the latter was permanent, but it was very telling. This mare was in a situation that was somewhat similar to Spoiled, except of course, she was not happy. As a result, she seemed to have taken a shine to being overbearing towards her son despite the fact that he has proven himself capable. Heck, he was even the Vice Principal of the School of Friendship in Ponyville alongside Starlight. With Trixie’s assistance, there was no way that stallion hurt for a good life.

“I see...even so, you shouldn’t let that get you down. Your son is living a great life now. As for your husband, well...” I shrugged. That bit of the conversation was something I had walked into without being prepared for it. “I’m sure you’ll recover from that loss someday. You’re a resilient mare. I can sense it.”

The sadness faded, and her sensual sort of smirk returned. “Hm...maybe…”

“Er, maybe what?”

She levitated a pocket watch to get a glance at the time, and put it away. “Would you perhaps like to assist me? It won’t take very long.”

There was about three hours before the trial began. I suppose it couldn’t hurt to assist Stellar with her problems. Though, her overly smug demeanor rubbed me a certain way. “Sure, I’m here until Luna comes to take me to Twilight. So I think I can help. What do you need me to do?”

“Oh just keep talking to me, that’s all. You’ve done a great job already…if this works, then I’ll know I’m still doing well with my magic. Won’t hurt a bit.” I saw her horn light up. Just what was she planning? “Let’s see if this little spell I’ve been dabbling in works out for me.”

I suddenly felt a twitch. Not a painful one, but a spell was cast upon me. Was she using me for some sort of test? I couldn’t sense any malicious intent within her or the spell itself, so I didn’t comment on it for the moment. “Okay then...well, in short. I know what I need to do as well as the case I need to present to the court. Whether you’re in support of me, or against me, I respect your opinions all the same, Stellar.”

She gazed at me with her casual smile. Her horn no longer flashed. “Ah, well it’s not every day you come across somepony who has a different opinion than you but still accepts it. Back in my day, we teenage fillies used to sabotage each other for that. Even our closest friends,” she giggled.

Sabotage? What an odd thing to mention. But given that anyone was capable of obstructing the work of those whom they were close to, it was a very scary thought to have. Especially in my line of work where anyone within could turn on you. “That’s...true, heh. But hopefully...you have friends you can...trust now, right?” Her magic cast a strange feeling upon me. I started to feel loads of hard pressure build up in my muscles. Just what was the purpose behind such a spell? Even so, I’d meet her challenge.

As we talked, the magic she cast would only pick up intensity. I felt the muscles in my legs flex, and relax at will. She worked something upon me that caused me to feel an insane amount of pressure. But I managed to keep a straight face through it all, even as we continued to speak.

At last, once the spell wore off, I felt sweet relief. A massive weight had been removed from my body. It was like heaven. Even if it was a bit messy, I managed to overcome Stellar’s magic, much to her smug enjoyment.

“Oh yes...that’s perfect.”

I cricked my neck. “Ah...okay...mind telling me what the purpose of that was?”

Stellar started to scribble down some notes with her magic. “Let’s just say that a little birdie told me about your special earth pony magic. And I just had to...get a feel for it myself, if you know what I mean, hmhmhm!” The aged mare laughed to herself.

I blinked with a stare. “Oh...that was all?” I scoffed, “All you had to do was ask and I would’ve been more than happy to endure your little experiments. To be honest, it actually felt good. No pain whatsoever.”

“Hm...if you’d like, once this trial is over, I’d be happy to run more tests on you,” she offered with her easygoing smile, “It’s one of my hobbies. I run these sorts of magical theories a lot in my spare time. It’s one of the things I’ve taken to do when I’m not working.”

Good. She had something else to focus on that wasn’t work. If that was the case, then it would be an honor to work with her. Although, I had to remain focused on my goal. “I see. It’s always nice to have hobbies. I tend to enjoy puzzles myself.”

We talked for a few more minutes, and she bid me goodbye. As Stellar walked away, Luna finally re-appeared via teleportation with a bit of a charred mane. “My apologies for taking so long, Pale. Twilight insisted on making pancakes ‘by the book,’” she said with air quotes, “so it took longer than I expected. Oh, I see you have met Sunburst’s mother. Stellar Flare.”

“Yes. She said she’ll be attending the court case, right?”

“Indeed. In fact, many important individuals are going to be present today. I do hope you are prepared.”

I got up from the garden table. “Heh...I’m always prepared.”

Luna escorted me back into the castle, and I went up to the same private reading room that Twilight and I met in before. The purple alicorn waited for me with a plate of pancakes at the tea table and a forced smile. Thankfully, she was in her regular-sized mare form once again.

“Hi! I mean--ahem. Greetings, Pale Vestige. Have a seat,” she greeted me with her forced smile that went away and became all business.

I sat with her. “Salutations. The trial begins in two hours. But you wanted to speak with me, yeah?”

She nodded. “That’s right. Just to go over some things I would like to discuss with you.” That very same notebook from before was levitated into the air with her magic. Pages flipped and turned until she landed on the correct one. “Here we go. Alright. First thing’s first. You’ll be happy to know that both Starlight and Fluttershy talked to the batponies.”

I looked up at her as I bit into the pancakes. I somewhat envied magic users, but stuffing one’s face was still nice. “Oh? What are the results?”

“Long story short, they’ve gotten the batponies to agree to be more sociable and share their fruits. In exchange, we’re all encouraged to see what their culture is like in Hollow Shades. And bats will be treated no different than anypony else.”

Alright, good progress so far. But onto the other matter. “And the griffons?”

More pages flipped. “After a series of tests and tribulations, Gallus and I concluded just who the prime candidate for the griffon’s new leader should be.”

“And that is?”

The purple alicorn smiled in a secretive manner. “You’ll find out soon enough. Lastly. In regards to your letter.” The smile went away. She lowered the notebook and took out the letter I had mailed off a few days ago. “Are you certain this is all true?”

“For sure. If someone is trying to cause destruction for me by eavesdropping, I wanted you to be aware of it.”

“Don’t you worry, Pale. As Princess of Equestria, it’s my job to be fair and impartial with all cases,” she proclaimed with a confident grin, “If somepony is utilizing underhooved tactics in order to gain an advantage, I’ll know, and bring them to justice. You have every right to call for a trial and make a case. If they dare try to attack me or any of my friends over the final decision, it won’t end well for them.” That grin of hers became a stern frown. “Nothing gets past us.”

I appreciated this more active role she took compared to the previous two alicorns. Maybe there was a bright future ahead for all of us yet. “Thank you for listening, and thanks for the pancakes. They were delicious.”

“Oh, you’re welcome. I knew I could do it if I followed the book,” she replied with a smile. “Now, is there anything else you wanted to speak to me about? The trial is set to begin soon. So I hope you’re ready to make your case for Cozy Glow and present it to the jury, Pale. It’s almost time.”

I nodded. That hearing was set to start soon. This was it. My final stand. Everything I had worked for built up to this. It would either make or break the chances of that child having another chance at life. But I was prepared with everything I needed. Nothing would stop me from an attempt to reach for my goals.

“Ready as I’ll ever be, Princess.”

Subject 35: The Trial Begins

I straightened the collar of my suit, and checked the time. Those massive doors beckoned me to enter with as much bravery that I was prepared to muster. No more games, no more dawdling. Time to present my case.

I entered the courtroom. Or rather, it was really just Twilight’s throne room modified into a court, complete with rows of seats for an audience as well as a jury, and a stand for those who wanted to present evidence. The purple alicorn was in her seat at the end of the room. Surprisingly, she chose to remain her regular-sized self. Thank goodness for that. As well as the fact that I was the first to arrive. I took my seat in the front row of the bleachers, and she looked at me with a small smile and a nod.

I nodded in return. It was showtime.

Corkscrew showed up second, and sat beside me. When I asked him where Quick Draw was, he said that she decided to stay home to hold the fort. Made sense. At least I had one of my crew members with me on this case.

When the clock struck twelve, the room filled with ponies, some changelings, a dragon or two, and a few griffons. Wait, there were even some batponies in attendance as well? Nice. A small selection of them were reporters. I could tell from the hats, notebooks, and other items they wore. Others were regular civilians on duty.

One of them in particular, Agent Sweetie Drops--aka Bon Bon--shot me a look, and hid her face beneath her hat. I remembered from my time within her monster hunting team, that that gesture was a code. To signal, ‘if anything goes wrong, I’m here.’ Nice to see she didn’t forget me, even if I didn’t remain there very long. Other familiar faces such as Tree Hugger, Moondancer, Celestia, and Luna were also there. Though, the alicorns were seated far in the rear seats to keep everypony from being distracted by their presence.

Once the congregation seats were filled, the jury would enter their seats in their respective stands. Among them would be relatively important, and noteworthy figures. These included Starlight Glimmer, Sunburst, Chancellor Neighsay, Shining Armor, the former Dragon Lord Ember, Mayor Mare, and a tall, muscular female Griffon. Wait, was that Gilda?

It seems the jury was evenly divided. Three who supported my case, three who were against my case, and a wild card in Gilda who was unbiased. Made sense to me.

Everything was in order, and Twilight spoke. “Thank you all for coming. I know this might be a tad awkward since this is the first trial I’ve held as a princess. Even so, I will do my best to ensure all sides are properly heard and analyzed before a conclusion is reached.” She addressed the audience with a sense of order in her voice. I liked that. The purple alicorn wasn’t as passive as her sunlit predecessor. “We are gathered here today on behalf of an individual who wants to extend a hoof of friendship as well as a second chance to one individual: Cozy Glow.”

Soft murmurs and opinions washed over the crowd once everyone heard the name. They were silenced when Twilight cleared her throat.

“Ahem. In accordance with my new laws, the pony--or creature of another species--who called for the trial shall make his--or her--case first,” she raised her hoof, and pointed directly at me. “Pale Vestige. Please stand up, and make your opening statement to the congregation. After which, counterpoints will be issued by members of the jury, then a short recess. Next, opinions will be given by the court, followed by closing statements from all sides. You may begin.”

I exhaled, and stood up. It was now or never. I opened my vest, and reached into it to grab a little device that Flash Drive made for me. A pop-up easel to present evidence upon. “Fillies and gentlecolts of the world. I ask you. What is the magic of friendship?” I placed a large, ringed binder on the easel for visual aid.

No response, but given that it was rhetorical, I didn’t expect one.

I opened the binder to an image of a certain being of chaos. “Time and time again, there have been countless enemies that have been redeemed into the side of good. Such as Discord, Sunset Shimmer, and even Starlight Glimmer,” I said each name and flipped through the binder to images of each individual that I mentioned. “Not to mention, they have caused nearly as much damage as Cozy Glow did. ‘But Pale,’ I hear many of you ask, ‘didn’t Cozy Glow nearly destroy the entire planet?’ True. Yes. However, she had assistance. On her own, she wasn’t even that much of a threat. But it was thanks to Discord setting her free along with Tirek and Chrysalis, that she was able to take control of Grogar’s Bell, and take away the magic of the alicorns, and Discord himself!”

The ponies in the crowd started to mumble amongst themselves.

“One time!” I heard the draconequus shout from the back.

Fluttershy immediately scolded him with her trademark stare. “Quiet.”

“Ahem,” I cleared my throat to get everyone’s attention once more. “With that being said, it can be argued that if she weren’t banished to Tartarus in the first place, she wouldn’t have been able to ally herself with the other villains, and thus, she wouldn’t have tried to destroy the world.” I pointed to the former alicorns who sat in the back, then Twilight herself. “Except all of you decided to put her there immediately. That is the exact problem with the way things were run in this land. You all shot magic at a problem and just hoped it would go away. Guess what? It didn’t. Instead, you essentially created your own monster by doing so.”

The crowd started to mumble amongst themselves more loudly this time. It was hard to make out just what they were saying, but I could tell I stirred something up. Even Luna and Celestia looked on at me with unfazed expressions. As if to encourage me to continue. To my right, in the jury stands, I noticed Starlight blush at the mention of her past.

“Order!” Twilight used her magic to slam a small wooden hammer against a wooden disk that she placed upon her throne. “Always wanted to do that.” “Continue, Pale.”

I tipped my hat. “Thank you. Now with that being said, I do not condemn everyone for doing what they did. It’s within your nature to react rashly to such powerful enemies. But I am here to explain how we can improve,” I flipped the page to an artistic drawing of a young Sombra. “Sombra was once an individual who lived among the ponies like everyone else. But he was shunned for being different. With nopony else to turn to or to take care of, he lashed out and started an entire war that damned the Crystal Empire for a thousand years. But it all started because nopony gave him a chance. Similarly to Cozy, Sombra had no sign of any parents or any family to be there for him. Radiant Hope was the only one to bother, and in doing so, she lost her life alongside him. We need to be more understanding and take care of each other or else we’ll have yet another self-made apocalypse bringer in the next thousand years. And that starts by showing that everyone has the ability to make amends for their actions. No matter how horrible they may seem on the surface.”

With my statement finished, I returned to my seat in the front row next to Corkscrew. I exhaled, and he gave me a reassuring pat on the back. Twilight would address the congregation next.

“Thank you for your statement, Pale. Now for the counterarguments. Who would like to go first?”

I watched as Starlight got up from her seat. “Alright then...first off. Pale Vestige. Can you please step into the witness stand?”

She wanted to question me. Alright, then. I would do my best to respond to whatever she had to say. I got up, and took my seat in the stand beside Twilight’s throne.

“Okay. Firstly, I would like to express how thoughtful it is for you to do something like this. Nopony else would’ve taken the time to risk debating in favor of one of Equestria’s most dangerous enemies…” she totted towards me with a binder of her own to showcase her own set of evidence. “And I also respect your perspective regarding how Cozy Glow was treated.”

Gah. I hated this approach. Butter the witness/suspect up with a compliment, only to destroy their argument. Effective, but a painful sort of roundabout way of dealing with someone.

“However…”

And there it was. Just get to the point.

“I want to talk about what led up to it,” she opened her binder to show off several images of Cozy at the School of Friendship, “Cozy Glow came to the School as a lonesome student. She earned the trust and friendship of everypony in the class. Chief of which being Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, and Applebloom,” she pointed at the young mares who sat in the congregation together, “And we gave her that trust. But the very moment she tried to take over the School, she burned that trust.” She showed another image of the filly as she attempted to take over the school with the power of the magic of the alicorns she had stolen.

I knew this very well. And already had a counterpoint ready. But I didn’t say a word.

“I get that you take pity on her. But somepony so powerful...she couldn’t be allowed to remain here. Tartarus was the only place that we could reasonably put her at that moment in time.” She sighed, and looked down. “I was in her shoes too once...in a way. Everypony knows about the village that I enslaved for my own selfish actions. And to this day, I regret it. The power of cutie marks was not something to trifle with.”

That was an understatement. But once again, I looked on and watched silently as she made her points.

“But what Cozy Glow did was different. The power of the alicorns was something that nopony had ever come close to damaging. Let alone absorbing. So when she did that, not only did she commit an atrocity of the highest power, but she also threw away all of the friendships she had built up to that point,” she turned to face the congregation. “Not just the Crusaders, but all of the students who had truly desired to be her friend. She readily tossed away everything she had all for nothing but power just like Chrysalis did. I offered her a hoof in friendship, and she denied it outright. So I ask you all, does that sound like somepony that can be trusted? Does this look like somepony that wants to make amends?” On the next page of her binder, Starlight showed off the...admittedly dreadful looking alicorn form that Cozy Glow took when she absorbed power. I couldn’t stand the sight of it myself either.

The audience went mad with mumbles and chatter. To the point where Twilight had to slam her little hammer again. “Order!” After which, she addressed Starlight. “Do you have more to add?”

“Yes, Princess Twilight. I do, in fact,” she answered boldly. “Or rather, Sunburst does. Would you be so kind?” She went and returned to her spot in the jury.

“Not a problem,” the yellow unicorn said with a nod. He rose from his seat, and stepped out in front of the crowd. “Greetings, everypony. As you know, I am the Vice Principal of the School of Friendship alongside Starlight, and--”

A voice rose out of the crowd. “That’s my boy!” Stellar flare waved from her seat.

“Blech.” Sunburst sighed, and continued. “Anyway, in reference to you specifically.” He turned to me, “Pale Vestige. What is your reasoning for this? Just why do you want to give Cozy Glow another chance when nopony else will?”

“Well, it’s simple. I too was nearly a victim of the ‘shoot first, ask questions later’ mentality that plagues this society. Much like Sombra, and Cozy...I felt the need to attack and provoke others to prove myself. I didn’t have anypony significant in my life.” I hated to do this, but now was the time to lay it all out on the table. “My parents separated when I was young. My mother was a deceitful, horrid lady who abused the money my father made. In turn, my father became aggressive, bitter, and they fought frequently to the point of them both leaving. Mother claimed it was because Father was always this way, and Father refused to explain anything. I knew they were both lying to make the other look worse, so there was nothing I could do.”

There was some more mumbling within the crowd, but I didn’t address it. I simply continued to explain how I came to be where I was.

I took a deep breath, and went on. “And so, I grew up in Manehattan with no one to watch out for me. Bullied constantly. Until one day...I snapped. I simply acted out of pure rage, and fought whoever I could. Constantly got into trouble, and did nothing but bring about chaos out of fear.” I laughed to myself a little. “Wasn’t until somepony intervened and saved my life that I was able to turn it around. I want to do the same for Cozy. Pure and simple.”

A few members of the congregation shed tears at my story. This is why I despised bringing it up. It didn’t feel right to make everyone listen to my problems. Sunburst, meanwhile, kept his professionalism.

“Ahem,” he cleared his throat and adjusted his glasses. “That’s...quite the interesting background you have there, sir. Now I see why you’re so passionate about this. However, there’s still another problem.”

I raised an eyebrow. “And that is?”

He looked up to me, speaking with a more focused tone than before. “Do you truly see yourself as qualified enough to watch over somepony such as her? Someone so willing to cast aside everything she had worked up for just to have a chance at watching the world burn? I ask this because--and forgive me for saying so--but just how do you expect to reform somepony like that if Twilight and her friends--who are the Elements of Harmony--couldn’t?”

The crowd started to speak amongst themselves yet again. I suppose that was one strain of context I had not considered. I wasn’t some lucky being blessed with demi-god abilities and able to handle anything that the world throws at me. “...You’re right. I’m not as powerful as they are. But I have complete control over my own skills, and know what I can do.”

“That’s all well and good. And I’m sure you’re very competent at your job. But something like this is simply beyond your...everything. And I don’t mean any personal offense, but I’m trying to get you to understand. You’re biting off far more than you can chew with this, sir.”

Maybe I was. I wouldn’t know until I actually tried, didn’t I? “Possible. But sharks are born swimming, you know.”

“Hmph.” With nothing left to say for the moment, Sunburst backed away. “That is the end of my statement, Princess,” he announced before he went back to his seat.

Twilight sighed from above. I could see that this topic weighed heavily upon her shoulders. It wouldn’t be a problem that could be logically computed like many others. This would take some time before she could give a final word.

She wiped away a bit of sweat from her forehead. “Alright, in accordance with the rules that I have set in place, everypony is now allowed to take five minutes to think about the statements before the trial resumes. Feel free to speak among yourselves.”

And like a classroom without its teacher, the congregation began to lightly chatter among itself.

I seized this opportunity to get some air. I left the courtroom, and exhaled. The quiet of the hallway was calming and helped bring down my nerves. This was stressful. We just started and I was already losing it? No...I can’t. Not here.

“Hey man.”

I physically jumped up, and relaxed when I saw who it was. “Oh...Tree Hugger. Was there something you needed?”

“Nah, I’m good. But I can tell you’re super jazzed out right about now.”

Understatement. I rolled my eyes in response. “Yeah...well, I’m starting to freak out a little. Don’t mind me--” I was cut off.

The green mare cupped my cheeks within both of her hooves. “You just gotta chill, bro. Every little thing is gonna be alright. No matter what happens, I’m here for ya.”

I had to admit, her half-lidded, mellow gaze was very comforting. Even without her brownies, Tree Hugger was a very supportive pony, and I couldn’t thank her enough for it. “Heh...thanks, Tree,” I said as I breathed in and out in a slow fashion. But when I did, I could swear for a fleeting moment that I felt something sneak past us both. Or was my mind playing tricks on me? Hmmm...

“Thaaaat’s it,” she let my cheeks go, and pulled me in for a hug. “We got two minutes until things start up again. Do your best out there, and don’t let anypony jack up your groove. You dig?”

“Yup...I dig, Tree. I most certainly dig.”

With a smile, she left, and re-entered the courtroom. I soon followed, and took my seat next to Corkscrew.

“You okay, boss?”

“More than you know, kiddo. Let’s get this done.”

Twilight slammed her tiny hammer once more to quiet the chatter. “Order! We will now hear the thoughts of the members of the assembly, and move onto the closing statements from all sides before a ruling is made. Who would like to speak first?”

Hang on, was that...I knew it. My instincts were right. Before anyone in the room could say anything...time froze. Everyone around me stopped and was frozen in some sort of magic spell that prevented them from being able to move, speak, or understand anything going on around them.

Everyone except me.

I waved my hoof in front of Corkscrew’s eyes to no reaction. “Huh?” I got up, and looked around. Everyone including the alicorns were stuck in a time-stopping spell.

“I told you that you should have dropped this, Pale.”

My heart sank, and I shut my eyes when I heard that familiar voice. “I wanted to deny this being the truth. I never wanted it to be true. And yet…”

Subject 36: Trial Betrayal

“Quick Draw...why? Why go to such lengths? What good does freezing everyone accomplish?”

The yellow-ish earth pony trotted over to me, pain and sorrow behind those eyes of hers. “You don’t get it do you? If you release her, then you’ll cause an assortment of problems. Even now, plenty of ponies still ache over the damage that Cozy Glow caused. Not to mention other species like the Dragons and Griffons who are deathly afraid of her. Do you think that her being able to walk freely is going to just be sunshine and rainbows?!”

“Of course I don’t!” I snapped back. This had officially gone too far. “Suspicions and judgements don’t just disappear overnight. It takes time to earn trust of others. That’s why I did all of this. So that, upon her return, it will be that much easier for her to have a proper life here.”

She huffed, and shook her head. “You absolute jackass…even now, you have individuals out there that want you imprisoned for life because of what you’re doing. But I won’t let them take you away from me--us! We’ve been through too much together to lose you to something you’re not equipped to handle.”

“Enough.” I scowled. I decided a long time ago that I would follow my ideals. But something I knew I would never do was let someone else control my ideals for me. “Whatever it is you’ve done, undo it right now.”

As expected, Quick remained firm on her stance as well. “I can’t do that. Even now, you run the risk of endangering your life because of this crazy case. Do you honestly think just setting Cozy free will go off without a hitch?” She leaned her head back, and cackled. “Ohohoho! Please! Even if you get approval from Princess Smarty-Pants herself,” she pointed her hoof at the frozen purple alicorn, “you’ll still have enemies. And with that, comes conflict. And with conflict, comes war.”

I took a step back and glared at her. “Just what are you saying?”

“Don’t you get it?! You’d be throwing her back into a system that’s already against her. Her life is at risk. Your life would be at risk. Everypony that you’ve talked to up until this point? All of their lives are at risk!” she pointed at each member of the court as well as the congregation. “Is that what you want? Do you want to risk bringing back someone with such a dangerous reputation who would cause those that think ill of you to attack you? Or Cheerilee? Or Tree Hugger? Or our buddies Corkscrew and Flash Drive? This whole time you’ve thought of no one except yourself and your own selfish philosophies. Did you ever consider the effects it would have on everyone around you?”

My eyes darted back and forth. I shut them as I looked down. “Hm…” I exhaled and shook my head. “Of course I do. That’s why I have so many precautions in place just in case anything were to go wrong. In the end, my life is trivial compared to those around me. I wouldn’t dare let anything befall them. Once I have enough support from the court as well as the public, the ire towards Cozy will recede, and we can start making progress towards giving our children a better tomorrow. Somepony has to end this cycle of the strong trampling the weak!” I stomped my hoof as I looked up at her.

Quick was unamused at my statement. She simply rolled her eyes and looked off to the side. “So that’s it, huh? You think we’re all weak?”

“Yes!” I shouted, “We are all weak creatures. If Twilight and her friends suddenly became evil tomorrow, who would be there to stop them? In addition, there are probably hundreds, if not thousands of fillies and colts out there who are missing parents and are just as troubled as Cozy Glow is. Do you think that the fear through negative reinforcement of being trapped in stone for all of eternity with no way to die or be at peace is acceptable? Do you want your home to become a dictatorship?!”

“It’s not a dictatorship if it’s how things always have been. If the next foal who plans on lashing out thinks about where Cozy Glow has ended up, they’ll stop. They’ll learn how to behave and listen so they won’t be where she is.”

I slapped my forehead with my hoof. That was such a ridiculous ideology to follow due to how destructive it could be. “And how do you know that, huh? How do you know that a truly twisted, and deranged child wouldn’t simply carry out those actions regardless of the punishment. Foals like Cozy Glow had no regard for their own life. Why? Because they were never taught how precious life actually is in the first place!” I walked closer to her. I wanted Quick to listen to everything I had to say and pay close attention. “Don’t you get it? Individuals like Sombra and Cozy were never given proper guidance by any sort of parental figures as children. Because of that, they grew up with the idea that their actions had no consequences since no one was there to guide them. You tell me. Does that sound like a just world to live in? A world where you can be born into an unlucky situation and watch as everypony passes you by because they don’t care? How else would you act?!”

She leaned forward, now more interested in the point I tried to make. Is it possible that my words had finally gotten through to her? “Just what do you mean by that?”

“You were born in a home with the comfortable upbringing of your parents. Corkscrew had the safety of his parents. I was lucky to be rescued by a kind soul after dealing with horrible parents.”

Quick would try to refute my claim. “Oh? Then what about Scootaloo? Her parents are hardly ever around, and her aunts barely watch over her. Yet she turned out just fine. Babs Seed is the same way.”

But I already had a statement ready to pierce through such a point. “That’s because, like me, Scootaloo also got lucky. Far luckier than I was, even. One of the Elements of Harmony herself--Rainbow Dash--took to being what is essentially her older sister. Babs Seed is also related to an Element of Harmony, and has her Aunt and Uncle in Manehattan. Once again, they both lucked out. But even now, as we speak. There are loads of foals out there who don’t have anypony to watch out for them. Taking the time to give Cozy that attention she needs is going to show them that there is hope out there for them, and that they shouldn’t give up. That is what I want to show the world. But you…”

And then it hit me. Ghost’s warning regarding someone inside the agency, the fact that that hooded pegasus somehow knew of this trial before it would even occur…

“What?” she asked. “I never wanted this, but they offered me a chance to bring you down to your senses, so I took it. You’ve gone too far this time. Now you have to stop before I make you.”

I shut my eyes. “Quick Draw...please tell me you haven’t been feeding suspicious individuals information.”

She flashed an arrogant grin as she started to walk around me in a circle. “Well. You finally figured it out. Those folks you talked to with the hoods? I was the one who tipped them off.”

With a pained gaze, I looked at her again. What reason could there have been to sell out everything we worked for in such a way? “But why? Why would you do something like that?!”

“I figured that, if you were smart enough, you would’ve caught the hint and stopped. But I guess it’s too late for that.”

I rubbed the sides of my head with my hooves. This was too much to bear, and I wanted to resolve this case as soon as possible. “Quick Draw...undo whatever time freeze...thing you just cast. Do that for me, and we can discuss all of this later.”

“No!” she responded rashly, “Not until you agree to drop this case. I am not about to let you ruin your life over something like this like some sort of fool!”

I turned away, and looked over my shoulder. “If I’m a fool, then I don’t wish to be as smart as you think you are.”

Desperation filled her eyes. Her pupils darted around for an answer until she had one. With a crazed smile, she grabbed Corkscrew from his seat. The pegasus was still frozen in time like everyone else in the room, so he was unable to react. “If you agree to forfeit the trial, I’ll unfreeze time, and let Cork go. If not...then, you’re going to finally understand what I mean.”

I instantly turned back around, ready to fight. There was no way she could realistically harm another member of our group. It just wasn’t possible. “Quick...this is your final warning. Let the stallion go or else.”

“No! You just don’t get it do you?! Fine then! I’ll show you just exactly what can happen if you continue down this path!” Quick jumped out of one of the nearby open windows and ran with Corkscrew on her back.

As soon as she did, I was already close behind. “Quick Draw! Get back here!” I too, jumped out of the window. She ran through the streets of Canterlot, which were also all frozen in time. Just how powerful was this spell that she cast? No matter. I had to keep going.

I chased her down and out of the city. She stopped right at the edge of a cliff on the side of a mountain with the frozen orange pegasus held tightly in her grip as she stood on her hind legs. There was uncertainty, and pain within her eyes. Pain that I could almost taste.

“Quick...you don’t want to do this…”

Her knees quivered as she neared the edge. She spoke in a broken, heartfelt voice that felt genuine compared to the last time we talked. “I...I don’t...but I don’t want to lose you.”

I sighed. “You just have to accept the fact that, sometimes, we’ll all take risks in life for and around each other. But I am not going to hold back on my word for the feelings of someone else. You constantly act like you’re more mature, but Corkscrew respects my actions. Even if he disagrees, he isn’t going to activate a damn time shutdown spell just because he disagrees with me. No matter how valid his arguments may be.” I pointed at our young team member, “And that is why he has displayed far more excellence than you,” and I pointed at Quick next. “I was going to consider putting in a request to promote you. But this...if this is how you act, then you’ve truly disappointed me. Not as an agent, but as an individual as well.”

At last, my words cut through. She tossed Corkscrew aside. Despite what it looked like, she wasn’t crying. It was more like a quivering frown that a child would wear when they realized they had disappointed their parents. “...Pale...I…”

I walked over to her, and extended my hoof. “Come on. You’re better than this, you know.” She took my hoof.

“I...I’m sorry…” She put a hoof around me as she closed in for a hug.

Maybe I was right. Communicating and proper care towards another can get through to anyone.

Or so I thought.

“He bought it.”

I just barely managed to react to what followed. Her other hoof swung with a knife that cut into my chest a little. Thankfully, I managed to avoid a deadly stab when I flipped her over me. A classic wrestling sort of move. Suplex, I think it was called. The earth pony mare cried out in pain as her back hit the solid ground.

“Gah!”

With a grunt, I put a hoof against her neck. She said nothing, but I heard her sob quietly. I didn’t care about the wound itself, even though it hurt like heck. I was more concerned over why she did this. “And yet you forget that the hoof is quicker than the eye.”

From below me, she coughed due to the pressure I applied to her body. “Ack! Ugh! Hmm...there’s only one way to see this through to the end. Kill me. If you want to go this far for your ideals, then kill me!”

I thought about it, but what good would that do? Show that needless violence and last resort options were always key? No. I would not stoop to her level. “If you truly care for me as you so claim...then you’re going to tell me everything you know. Come on, Quick. You know that I am always here for you. Ever since we were kids. When we first met at the Academy, you shunned me but kept others from picking on me.”

No response. She looked away.

I applied more pressure on her neck. “In our first field operation, we took down a flock of Cockatrices together!”

I heard her mumble, but she still refused to speak. At this point I nearly had her choking.

“At Rank 7 we saved Corkscrew and the rest of our class from a school of Bite-acuda fish in the river!”

I heard her bones buckle under the pressure. But I refused to give up my assault of nostalgia.

“And when we graduated. What promise did we make?”

No response, so I yelled at her to get it.

“What promise did we make?!”

At last, she spoke. “That none of us would die before each other in the field!”

I let her go. “That’s right...so with that being said, you know I will never kill you. So you have no choice but to tell me everything.”

She sat up, and sighed. With no other options, she finally relented. “...Fine. There’s a book near Twilight’s throne that contains the words that lets you undo any enchantment.”

From behind, I hugged her. “Thank you Quick...and you know what else?”

“W..what?”

CLINK!

I slapped some cuffs on her hooves. “You’re under arrest for...well, lots of things. But you’re not going to jail. I have something different in mind…”

She looked at me for a moment, then gave an honest chuckle. “...As expected. If you let me off easy, I would’ve had a problem.”

“Shut it, and get moving.”

We made our way back to the castle where everypony was still frozen in place.

Well, except for one.

“There you are!” Twilight ran up to us both. “It took me a while, but I realized I was in a time-freeze spell. Luckily, I was able to break out. But I can’t seem to find a way to break everypony else out.”

Quick Draw spoke up. “Did you check the book under your throne?”

Twilight slapped her own forehead with her hoof. “Duh! Of course that’s where I left it. How could I forget. But wait, how did you…”

“It’s a long story,” I said, and pointed to the cuffs I had her locked in. “When you unfreeze your guards, take her to one of the therapy cells you have.”

Quick raised an eyebrow. “Therapy...cell?”

Twilight giggled, “Hehehe. Just a little thing I’ve been working on. Instead of banishing ponies, we offer them a chance to correct their mistakes. Fiddling with a little time spell won’t net you that much time.”

“...Hm. I suppose that’s fair. I...do have some unresolved issues.”

“Eee!” The alicorn squealed, and quickly corrected herself. “Ahem--I mean. That is very good. The first step into solving a problem is identifying that you have a problem.” The notebook appeared, and she flipped through it with her magic. “I think I can get you a slot with...Trixie.”

“Sounds...great.”

“And powerful,” I added with a snicker.

Twilight went back to the throne room, and undid the spell. First on her guards so that they were able to escort Quick Draw upstairs. Next, I brought Corkscrew back inside, and placed the frozen pegasus back in his seat among the front row.

On her way back, Twilight took a look at me. “Uh, Pale. You’re bleeding a little.”

I looked down at the scrape that Quick had given me. “Oh...yeah. I had a bit of a fight with her when I confronted her about the magic spell she cast.”

“Don’t worry. I’ve been practicing healing magic too,” Twilight looked at my wound with a predatory expression. She licked her lips, and grit her teeth. Her horn shone a shade of white before I felt a blast of magic hit me.

I flinched and shut my eyes. But when I opened them, I found no harm done. Wow! It worked. “That’s...awesome. Thank you, Twilight.”

“Not a problem. Now, are you ready to resume the trial? Just have to undo this spell…”

I had nearly forgotten. “Oh, and one last thing.”

“Hm?”

“Please question Quick Draw. She knows something about the hooded unicorn that attacked the recent gala.”

She nodded. “Understood. Anything else?”

“That is all, for now. Thank you for listening.” I took my seat next to my pegasus companion. “Ready.”

With an explosion of magic, the time stopping spell was undone, and everypony continued to move like nothing happened. Where were we? Oh yeah. The audience was going to give their opinions on the issue next.

That is, until a new member of the crowd slammed through the doorway.

“Hey-yo! It’s Princess FH in the hizz-ouse!” A wild Flurry appeared. She had a saddlebag on her that was full of files. I knew because I could smell the file paper. “Before you keep going, I have a few things I wanna say.”

I looked over and saw Shining Armor sigh. I don’t know if he was embarrassed, proud, or annoyed. Probably a mix of all three.

Twilight, however, was interested in what the young alicorn had to say. “So be it. Flurry Heart, please make your stance.”

She walked up to the front of the crowd, and winked at me. I didn’t know whether to feel confident or afraid.

Probably a mix of both.

Subject 37: Trial Continuation

“First off. I’ve heard everything that’s been said thus far. And it’s true. Equestria does have a problem regarding how things are handled. I for one, know firsthoof despite being so young.” Flurry Heart stood before the crowd, and levitated a paper in front of her. “Okay...first item on the list: Complacence.”

Oh? This would be interesting to listen to.

“Just why do we princesses act so rashly and fire off magic spells at the first sign of a problem? Because the average citizen is extremely complacent and ignorant of the problems they face. It’s so bad, that the entire Kingdom and Empire are both extremely vulnerable to high level threats.”

From the back of the room, I heard Luna whisper something to her sister. To which, the mare of the sun groaned in response while Luna giggled.

Flurry continued. “Because of that, society is overly-dependent on us alicorns and the Elements of Harmony. This is why nopony is willing to think logically when faced with threats. It’s always impulse.” In a mock sort of fashion, she mushed her hooves against her cheeks as she mimicked a helpless innocent. “‘Oh quick! Let Celestia handle it! Let Luna take care of it! Twilight! Cadance!’ Bleh, bleh, blah!” she put her hooves down when she finished the little charade. I had to admit it was a bit humorous. “Doesn’t everypony realize that despite having immortal god-like powers, they’re still ponies like us. And like us, they can make mistakes. Nopony in this world is perfect. Whether you’re a pony, alicorn, dragon, draconequus, or some other creature. We all have problems.”

I couldn’t believe what I heard. Despite her age, and her tendency to fool around, Flurry was a very well-spoken individual when it came to widespread problems. I was impressed. And so was her father. In the jury stand, Shining now had a look of disbelief on his face, rather than fear. Heh. Guess he never pegged his daughter for the intellectual type.

The young alicorn pointed to the back of the room. “Aunt Celestia. Isn’t it true you felt pain and hate for yourself after you sent Luna away?”

Everyone in the crowd turned their heads to look at her. “Yes. To this day, I still regret that choice.”

Flurry pointed to Luna next. “And Aunt Luna. Isn’t it true you wish you could’ve been there for your subjects instead of hating your sister through the Nightmare facade for a thousand years?”

Luna nodded. “Indeed. I only hope that, in time, everypony can forgive me.”

Celestia nudged her. “They already have.”

“Eh?”

“Oh don’t act like you don’t know. I’ve seen the newspaper and movie ads. Ponies like you way more than me.”

The blue alicorn blushed. Being put on the spot in such a way had to be embarrassing. “I--you--Flurry Heart, continue! Everypony turn around!”

Cork and I had to keep ourselves from laughing. The congregation returned their attention to Flurry Heart.

“Thanks. Now I propose a solution: More schools dedicated to combat. Both offensive and defensive. That way, our foals can grow up learning how to better protect themselves rather than relying on alicorns and Elements that may not always be there.”

The crowd started to mumble amongst themselves for a moment. The reactions were mostly positive as they seemed to like the idea of everypony being able to defend themselves. Twilight especially loved the idea. I saw purple stars in her eyes for a moment. Until she thought of something.

“Oooh...wait a second. Princess Flurry Heart,” she addressed her directly, “I beg your pardon. But this trial has to do with Pale Vestige and his desire to give Cozy Glow another chance. What does that have to do with it?”

“Peh,” Flurry Heart waved her hoof in a dismissive manner, “Relax, relax. I’m getting there.” She turned her attention to the crowd again. “Anyhow. If Equestrians were more capable of defending themselves, we wouldn’t have to worry about more individuals like Cozy Glow rising to power. And if we gave Cozy Glow another chance, it would show the world that we are above those villains, and show unrelenting kindness and understanding. That way, nopony else would consider becoming like her in the first place.”

Suddenly, a familiar, older stallion cried out from within the jury. “Objection!”

“On what grounds, Neighsay?” Twilight questioned his plea.

“On the grounds that Flurry Heart has it easy. Of course she can simply fling out words such as that.”

Twilight nodded. “Go on.”

Neighsay spoke louder so that everyone in the room could hear. “As an alicorn, Princess Flurry is granted many privileges that the average pony does not have. The attendance rate of the most prestigious schools are only a small fraction of the population. Opening more would not only be expensive to maintain, but unrealistic as well. Given how much strain it would put on the Education Association. In the future, please refrain from making claims that you yourself cannot sustain.”

Flurry rolled her eyes, but stood firm on her stance. “Sure, sir. But I’ve already thought about all of that. But I’ll save those details for another time. But if we at least start with giving Cozy another chance, we can prove that Equestrians take care of each other. And not just the almighty.”

“Please,” Neighsay commented from the stand, “Someone as young and inexperienced as yourself could never understand the ways of the world.”

“Shut it.” Shining Armor glared at the older unicorn.

Twilight gave a similar response. “Objection overruled. Ad hominem is not allowed in my court.”

Neighsay sat back in his seat with a quiet scowl.

“As much as I hate to say it, Twilight. He does have a point,” Flurry responded with an unexpected level of maturity. “It’s true. As an alicorn, I am blessed with things the average pony doesn’t get. In truth, I hate it--a little. It’s hard to make friends since I don’t know who’s being true and who isn't. I have all of this OP magical power that I was born with. But I didn’t earn any of it.”

Wow. I absolutely did not expect her to go into a side tangent about that. This had my full attention.

Flurry pointed a hoof at Twilight. “Princess Twilight earned her right to become an alicorn like my mom did. Through test after test. Trial after trial. She achieved the ability to master all forms of pony magic because she worked for it.” She looked at the floor in shame with a hoof against her chest. “But me? I didn’t. I was lucky. Just like Pale said he was. I know it’s totally like, a different ballpark. But even so. We were both lucky to be born into the lives that we have. Cozy Glow...wasn’t. She didn’t win the magical lottery of the game of life and probably suffered constantly. But did anypony ask? Did anypony ever wonder how she ended up that way? No...we didn’t. We cast magic at a problem, hoping it would go away.”

The look on Shining Armor’s face caught my attention above all else. Tears of joy mixed with sorrow as he witnessed his daughter lay down the reality of her life. It was...painful to watch as he sobbed silently.

“In fact...you wanna know how lucky I am?” Flurry Heart gazed at the crowd with a determined, forceful gaze. “My boyfriend is a baker that lives in a regular old town. He loves me for who I am, and I love him back.”

Pound Cake. Flurry had plenty of tact to not make use of his name in such a crowded setting for his safety. Smart mare she was.

She paced the floor as she rattled off her rant. “But here’s the thing. He’s a pegasus while both of his parents are earth ponies. So he’s extremely lucky also, given that he has such a loving household. You may ask why I would bring that up. It’s simple: With how lucky our genetics are, our child is essentially guaranteed to be an alicorn also!” she said with a stomp of her hoof.

“AH!” Everyone in the courtroom gasped. Luna and Celestia didn’t show much of a reaction. Wait, were they completely aware of this? Holy shit!

Shining Armor simply called out, “Ahem.”

Flurry rolled her eyes. “Ugh, if we ever have a child. But you get the point. I am literally the luckiest mare in all of Equestrian history. So when I learned of how Cozy Glow’s life went, I was determined to find out everything for myself so that I may extend a hoof out to her. She was a child. She bucked up hard. But it’s been years since that happened. She’s actually older than I am, and much wiser.” That’s when she looked at me, “So if this regular old guy can have the balls to raise a case like this, then dammit I say we listen to him.”

“Language, Flurry!” her father called out again.

Twilight’s eyes were shot wide open. The speech from the young alicorn left quite the impression upon her it seemed. “I see...thank you for that...detailed analysis, Flurry Heart.”

She gave a salute, and flew back to her seat. “No problem.”

“Okay, does anypony else have a few words they would like to add?”

“I would…” A rather lanky, purple dragon female rose from her seat. She took a deep breath, and flew to the front of the room. “I’ve known Ember for a long time. But her decision to rally every dragon to fight off Cozy Glow was a controversial one to say the least.”

From her spot in the jury, I saw the former dragon lord take the words in stride. She knew that decision would have to come to light at some point.

“I will say, it wasn’t her fault. Tirek, Cozy, and Chrysalis were all very dangerous, so we had no choice but to fight. But in doing so, our home was left unprotected and we lost a fair share of our gemstones.”

Several members of the audience murmured words of sympathy towards the dragons.

“It’s alright now,” she assured us, “we managed to get everything back from those stupid manticores. But we’re just afraid. If someone as crazy and powerful as Cozy Glow gets released again, and starts attacking everything, we don’t want to have to leave our home just to help the ponies with a problem of their own. I’m sorry…” she spoke bravely. But I could tell that those words pained the dragon to say. She didn’t want to come off as mean or rude, but she wanted to act out of the best interest for her home. I respected that.

Another individual, a griffon female rose from her seat. Gray feathers. Was that Gabby? “I have something I want to say also!”

I watched as Gilda sighed from the jury stands, but Twilight was more forgiving. “Alright, Gabby. You may go next.”

The purple dragon took her seat, and the small griffon went before the crowd. “The griffons dealt with a similar problem. Though we kiiinda were worse off afterwards. After that battle, it took us years to get Griffonstone up and running again. Mainly due to the fact that we lacked any real leadership. But all of that changed recently,” she pointed to Gilda. “We elected Gilda as our new leader. We found that she was the strongest, and most capable of returning Griffonstone to its former glory. But it was only thanks to Princess Twilight and her loyal griffon guard Gallus giving us such a great idea from the get-go!”

Gilda blushed at the compliment, but refused to comment on it.

“Yes, it’s hard. But we all share this world,” Gabby continued, “It’s the only world we have. And if we all band together and take care of each other, I’m sure we can all help each other with our problems. Whether dragon, griffon, changeling, or batpony.”

Short but sweet. Gabby knew how to make a statement without overstaying its welcome. Very good indeed. A few more individuals made some statements, and at last, we would be nearing the conclusion.

“Members of the jury, given all that has been stated, do you have any further comments?”

Shining Armor spoke first. “On behalf of Cadance and my daughter Flurry Heart, I want to say that we should give Mr. Vestige and his word a chance. He has proven himself to be trustworthy in assisting with the batpony and griffon debacles.”

Yeesh. I always disliked hearing my name thrown around in such context. But it didn’t stop there.

Gilda spoke next. “I heard that he helped find out about those rogue griffons and helped stop ‘em before they caused trouble. He’s cool with me.”

Even Ember had something to say. “I’ve heard the batponies and dragons have been getting along well from Smolder also.”

Ugh. At least my name would be considered more worthy of trust now with the word of those individuals. With the knowledge that I played a part in such affairs, maybe things would be a bit easier for me.

“Even so, I don’t know if he’s qualified for something like this,” Sunburst added.

Starlight was next. “I’m still concerned over whether or not she would deceive us into thinking she’s changed when she really hasn’t.”

Neighsay scoffed. I could tell that he wanted to say a million different things against my name in that moment. After a minute or two, he selected one. “He’s reckless to try such a thing, given the nature of his past.”

I tipped my hat downwards. That was the Achilles’ Hoof that I faced in this mission.

Once she had taken note of all sides, Twilight took a deep breath, and came to a decision. “Okay...I will need until the end of the day to discuss the nature of the measures needed. After which, we will all meet back here and I will give a verdict. Court dismissed.”

And that was that. Time to take a break, I suppose. I left with Corkscrew, and we both took a walk to the far side of Canterlot near the end of the mountain. We sat on the ground and began to discuss what we could.

“Ugh…” I sighed. “I have no idea what could happen from this point.”

“Hey, don’t worry, boss.” The pegasus nudged me. “Everything will be fine.”

Bless him for being so supportive. But even so, I couldn’t shake Quick Draw and her reasoning.

And even he could tell I was troubled. “There’s something else...isn’t there?”

I nodded. “Yes…”

“Well, talk to me, boss. You know I’m here for ya.”

No point in shying away, I thought. Oh well. I told Cork everything. About how time was stopped, and Quick Draw caused it all. As well as her attempts to grab my attention with strange confessions yet attempted to harm me.

“Ah...I think I get it now.”

I tilted my head. “Do you?”

Corkscrew sighed. “Quick’s always...been jealous of you. She’s grown to dislike the fact that she could never be as capable or competent of a leader as you were. So she told me she would start to fake her feelings for you just to get her attention,” he explained and looked away from me.

I was floored once again. This entire time...it wasn’t real? Any of it? What other lies has she told me? “I...I can’t say I completely understand, but I think that paints a better picture.”

“I’m sorry, boss...I should’ve told ya sooner so something like this wouldn’t happen. But I guess now was better than never…”

I put a hoof around his neck. “Don’t fret, son. It’s not your responsibility to manage the feelings of another grown pony. They should be able to sort themselves. Especially in the line of work that she’s in.”

“Yeah, maybe you’re right. For now, I guess we should just relax as we think about our next move.”

I shook my head. “Nah. Put the case out of your mind for now. In fact, why don’t you go get us some crepes from that bakery I saw down the road.”

“Oh okay!” he flew into the air, “Will you be alright all alone, boss?”

“Yes, yes. Now go. You’ll be able to slip through much faster on your own.”

With a grin, he flew off. Just as I suspected, the entire time we had been watched. Cork was safely off on his own, and I could confront that certain someone. “Alright, come on out,” I challenged them.

Neighsay and two other ponies wearing familiar EEA robes--a unicorn mare, and an earth pony stallion--stepped forward. “So, do you think you have a chance at winning?” the old geezer questioned me.

“I reckon I do. But it’s not about ‘winning,’ it’s about principles,” I responded with an eye roll, “What are you doing way out here anyway?”

“Your friend and I had a lovely chat a moment ago…” he said with a snide gaze, “Didn’t have the spine to keep you out of the court, though.”

My eyes shot open. “Wait...you knew about the time freeze? What are you talking about?” Did he play a part in this? He had to. There was no other reason for him to come out and talk to me like this.

The smug dastard played it off casually. “Hmph. As if I would personally stoop to such a level. I simply spoke to your friend about what she did. Very peculiar. I wonder why somepony would go to activating a time spell?” he rubbed his hoof against his arrogant chin, “Don’t you think it means that you should give up? Clearly by keeping this going you are only inviting yourself, and those close to you into more danger.”

“Aheh!” I coughed, and turned it into a laugh. “Yeah, yeah--no. Believe me, I get the whole suspicious thing you’re laying down. But I’m more than capable of dealing with whatever comes my way.” Plausible deniability. A classic pedestal to stand upon when you knowingly caused something. If Neighsay was a part of this in any way, he could simply be dodging the subject right to my face.

“If you say so. I would hope that you would take measures to avoid being ganged up on,” he said with a demonic sort of chuckle. The kind of laugh you made when you were essentially spilling the beans to someone’s face.

So it was true. But how? “You...why don’t we settle this like real stallions used to? If you wanna fight, let’s fight.” I could feel smoke leave my nostrils as I huffed.

The old unicorn simply laughed again. “HA! As if. I haven’t done a thing to you? Whatever reason could you have to fight me for?” His assistants joined in, also laughing with him. “And even if I was involved with such an incident, you have no evidence to support your claim. Such an accusation would discredit your entire stance would it not? You may be prepared to fight a battle. But we are ready to go to war.”

Gah. How annoying. He was correct, though. If I didn’t stack this deck properly, I could find myself having destroyed all of my credibility up to this point. I had to play it smart. “Heh...alright. You got me. I won’t try anything else,” I said with a laid-back smile and lazy eyes.

The laughter stopped, and Neighsay raised an eyebrow at me. A suspicious stare that turned into disinterest. “Hmph. Come. We’re done here.” He and his two cohorts turned and left. I heard distant mumblings, but decided not to bother pursuing. I had enough on my mind at the moment, and needed to focus.

“Boss!” Cork returned with a plate of the folded, fruit-filled pastries. “You gotta try these. These are great!”

“Oh?” I leaned down and bit into one. “Mm! These are good.”

He laughed, and offered me some bottled water which I began to drink swiftly. “Haha! Right? Oh, and I ran into this good-looking dark orange unicorn lady with white hooves on the way out. She said something about hoping to meet you in Ponyville when this is all over.”

“PBBBBBHHT!” I spat out the water in a massive frontal cone off to my right. “What?!”

Subject 38: Trial Conclusion

Once the evening was upon us, we all returned to the courtroom--er, throne room that was modified into a courtroom. Twilight was there on her throne. A steely gaze imprinted upon her eyes. It looked like she was ready to give her new stance on the subject matter at hoof.

“Thank you once again for returning, everypony. After careful deliberation among myself, my friends, and the members of the jury, I am prepared to give my verdict on the matter.”

Everyone looked on with bated breath.

“But first, so that you may hear their thoughts straight from the horse’s mouth,” Twilight pointed down at the front row to my right, “my fellow Elements of Harmony will give their opinion on the situation. Please stand up and give your take, ladies.”

The five would stand before the crowd. Pinkie in particular was excited to go first. “Okay, okay. I know everypony is a teensy bit afraid of what Cozy Glow could do if she was evil again. But come on! Look at Starlight!” the pink mare pointed to the unicorn over in the jury, “she’s learned her lesson and hasn’t tried anything ever since she stole all those cutie marks and created alternate dimensions where we lose to our most dangerous villains!”

The explanation made Starlight blush, and caused the white unicorn who had on a very fashionable coat to interrupt her by pushing her aside with her magical aura. “Ahem. Hehe…” she flashed a sheepish smile to the crowd. “What Pinkie Pie is referring to of course, is the fact that Starlight Glimmer was given lots of care and support. Because of that, she learned the error of her ways. And look at her now! We’re the best of friends.”

Applejack nodded and added her own piece. “That’s right, Rarity. Not to mention the dragons, the changelings, Tempest Shadow, and Discord--sorta. They all earned their rights to friendship once they realized where they made a mistake. Ain’t none of us perfect, that’s for sure. Ain’t that right, Dash?” she nudged the multi-colored pegasus beside her.

“Now yeah, maaaaybe Cozy Glow did try and destroy the world,” Rainbow Dash said with a nervous smile, “but but! If there’s a chance she’s learned something through her time being put in stone, I say we take it. Look at Gilda! She used to be a bully!”

The griffon nodded. “It’s true.”

Rainbow continued, “But now she’s one of my closest friends and the leader of the Griffons. And Lightning Dust...to this day, she’s still trying to work off the damage of what she did to Scootaloo. And while we aren’t the best of friends, I can at least respect the effort she’s putting in. She has an honest job now, and has earned the trust of others in Appleloosa. But if we never gave her that chance, then she wouldn’t have tried. Isn’t that right, Fluttershy?” she turned to her fellow pegasus. “Since Discord lives with you, you of all ponies should know what a good reformation process is like. Right?”

Fluttershy spoke up in quite the confident tone. “That’s right. Discord tried to do whatever he wanted, but he had to learn that good friends don’t mess up the world for everypony else. Though, the most important thing to note is that it took time. Back then, he was still quite the...erm, pain in the flank--”

“Hey! I object to that!” the draconequus cried out from his seat, only to earn the piercing glare of everyone in the room. He fell silent which allowed Fluttershy to continue.

“Ahem. Over the years I’ve learned that kindness is a fickle mistress to maintain. You can’t be kind all of the time and expect somepony to understand what they’ve done wrong. Sometimes you have to put your hoof down and tell it like it is. True kindness is the willingness to be there for someone no matter how hard it gets. With that being said, I believe that Cozy Glow was never shown true kindness, thus she could never learn kindness and spread kindness to others around her.”

Neighsay spoke up. “And yet she claimed she was acting for the good of everypony when she tried to overthrow the school! She clearly had some understanding of emotional value due to how she manipulated them all!”

Much to the surprise of her friends, and my own, Fluttershy stood firm on her stance. “That was falsified kindness. The sort of facade somepony puts on when they truly don’t care for another in order to manipulate them. But the reason why she wasn’t able to truly make friends or hold any emotional attachment to them, is because she was never given any.”

From my seat, I noticed two of her friends whisper.

“Oh my. Fluttershy has come a long way from being...shy, hasn’t she?” Rarity whispered to Rainbow.

“Shhh! This is getting good!” Pinkie loudly ‘whispered’ in return while munching on some popcorn that she had plucked from her mane.

Somehow, she didn’t hear her friend’s comments and kept going.

“So I believe that if this pony,” Fluttershy pointed at me, “Can have the gumption to present such a controversial opinion to the public, we can give him that chance. For the sake of providing a good example for the fillies and colts of tomorrow, I say we give Cozy Glow that opportunity. And even if it doesn’t work, we’ll keep trying. No matter what!” she cleared her throat, and lowered her voice, “If everypony agrees to it, that is.”

Even Twilight Sparkle was stunned to see her ‘shy’ friend speak so candidly. I saw her mouth hang agape for a moment before she closed it and took a deep breath. “Thank you, my friends. You may take your seats.”

The other five Elementals sat back down. I noticed Fluttershy pet the disgruntled Discord on the head as he slumped over in defeat. How nice of her.

“Now, with that all being said. I have come to a decision. We will be giving Cozy Glow a trial period to redeem herself. And if she passes, she will be accepted among us. If she falls back into her old habits, she will be banished for good.”

Everyone in the crowd muttered their opinions on the subject. But Neighsay in particular had an...odd sort of expression. Was he nervous? I saw him sweat a bit followed by him biting his lip. Just what could scare him so much over this?

Twilight slammed the hammer. “Order! Now...in accordance to the laws I have set in place,” Twilight pointed at me, “You, Mr. Vestige will watch over her and make sure she gets the assistance she needs. You’ve made many convincing arguments, and have rightfully earned our trust with your work. Don’t disappoint us.”

I nodded. “I won’t.”

“Good. While you may have gotten what you wanted, don’t get the idea that you’ve won just yet,” she explained in a lecturing tone, “It’s going to be difficult. We have plenty of resources available for her. But ultimately, as the one who started this case, it’s your responsibility. Are you ready for that?”

“Absolutely. I wouldn’t have gone this far to chicken out halfway through. I’m going to do all I can to prove that she deserved better treatment.”

“Alright then. First thing tomorrow morning, I will de-petrify her. You’ll accompany me of course. From there, we will ask her a few questions and proceed to take the next best course of action. Does that sound good to you?”

Another nod. That was the perfect way to begin settling down on how to fix this case. “Absolutely.”

“Good. Court dismissed!”

When that final hammer struck the wood, everyone in the room casually got up and left. It was then followed by loads of excitement and hollering once they were all outside. Man, did I just get time warped back to grade school?

Neighsay was the final one to leave. His anxiety now hidden, but I could tell it was there. All he had to say were a few fleeting words. “You may have won the battle, but the war is all but just begun, rat.” He snorted, and walked on out.

I shrugged. His words meant nothing to me. After all, I had more important things to worry about such as how Cozy Glow would react to being freed, how to best approach somepony like her, and the exact questions that I intended to ask.

With all of that being established, I needed to stay vigilant.

Instead of heading home, I decided to stay in Canterlot. No point in travelling all the way back and forth, right? Luna actually offered me the opportunity to stay in Canterlot Castle for the night given how well she knew Twilight. But I denied the offer. Generous, but I couldn’t accept. Any rumors of favoritism towards me would jeopardize my case.

So I chose to stay in the hotel in Canterlot. The same one that I met Fleur-de-Lis in a while back. Luna was insistent on doing me a favor, so she managed to score me a free night. Bleh. I hated these constant freebies, but I didn’t dare refuse.

“Ugh, must you do this?”

The blue alicorn giggled, “Think of it as a favor. From one normal friend to another.”

“Normal?” I raised an eyebrow.

“Oh come now, Pale. Please allow me to consider you my friend, won’t you? I love the idea of getting to know fun mortals like you,” she said with her eyes alight with stars.

I rolled my eyes. I wasn’t fun. I had a dangerous life with a dangerous job that took a lot of time to handle. Even so, I accepted her offer with a slight smile. “Fair enough. You’re more fun than your sister anyways.”

“I heard that!” Celestia shouted from the nearby pastry table in the hotel lobby, “Don’t act like you didn’t enjoy Daybreaker!” she angrily munched on a cupcake.

Those words confused the few ponies that were nearby since they lacked context. Luna simply giggled. “Oh you are hilarious, sister. In any case, Pale. I sincerely hope you know what you are doing with Cozy. There are still many ponies who do not trust you, I’d imagine.”

I thought back to Neighsay. I didn’t mention him because I didn’t have any evidence to prove his suspicious actions. Regardless, I kept a positive attitude. “Don’t worry about me. If anypony’s out there who want a piece of my flank, they’ll have to die for it.”

That was meant to be serious, but the moon pony simply snickered at my retort. “Heh! Y-yes...too true. Now go! Rest. It’s been quite the long day, and I can hear Twilight raising the moon already.”

Oh yeah, that’s right. We were nearing nightfall now. Luna was right. Between all of that debating and liberation, I had exhausted my mental stamina. It was time for this workhorse to hit the hay. “Goodnight, Luna. Tia.”

“Goodnight to you, Mr. Vestige! Sweet dreams, yes?”

Celestia leaned over Luna’s shoulder. “They better not be of my sister, haha!”

“Tia I swear--!”

They both waved as I left for the elevator. For immortal alicorns who made loads of mistakes under their rule, they were nice individuals. Even if they did bicker.

DING!

I got off the elevator, and went to the room Luna had picked out for me. It had a nice, scenic view of the moon as well as the surrounding forest below Canterlot. Not bad at all. After a while, I went to sleep. Or at least, I tried to. Yet again, I had a hard time sleeping. Why? I was making progress. Everything was going right. What was wrong with me?

Hours passed. I felt my head spin. I walked to the window and lifted it open to get some fresh, crisp night air. “Ah…” I sighed, and looked out the window in a lonesome manner. Part of me still felt afraid. Could I truly change the world? Their perceptions? Could Cozy Glow really change?

“Gah…Pull yourself together, man.” This was ridiculous. I needed to get some rest, but something kept nagging at me in my head. As if I was being...called.

“Help!”

“Somepony help!”

“They’re hurting me!”

Either lack of sleep or lack of food dulled my perceptions. But I could have sworn I heard someone or something yell and cry for help. Something about it was throwing me off. And yet, I couldn’t just ignore it.

“This may be the death of me…but I have to find out.”

Under the cover of night, I ran out of the hotel and into the direction of that cry for help. Down and out of the Canterlot Castle, and into the forest floor below. I ran, and ran. So far and wide across the horizon that I must have done so for hours.

As a resilient earth pony, I didn’t really get tired. But once I worked up a sweat, I stopped to catch my breath.

“Huff...huff...what am I doing?! Every Luna-damn time I run out after something, I always get attacked or trapped or worse! Ugh...I just need sleep…”

My eyes almost shut, but then I realized where I was. I looked up and saw a massive open field in the middle of the valley. A very familiar one. Could it be?

“Oh man…”

The statue of the three horsemen of the apocalypse. How did I get way out here? But more importantly, what was that--

“I’m over here! Help me!”

So I wasn’t crazy. There was someone who was in trouble for real. I couldn’t hold back any longer. It was time for some action. I ran out into the field next to the statue of the stoned villains to find out just what was going on. Nothing. What the hell?

“Bravo, dear Vestige. Bravo.”

Neighsay stepped out of the darkness of the forest nearby along with three familiar hooded figures. The light magic wielding unicorn, the pegasus who had lost her job, and the dragon that tied me to Limestone’s rock. So they were all a part of his little group/gang. Were they mercenaries? Had to be. Twilight never mentioned private contractors for the EEA to make use of.

I stood firm, hooves planted into the earth. “So...you finally show your true colors? You’re one crusty old bastard, you know that?”

“Tch. You’re one to talk. Trying to set free a dangerous criminal! Thankfully my little group of hired hooves have shown you just what awaits.”

“She used to be! But I believe that anyone can change! Why don’t you understand that?! And you three...what the buck did you all do to my friend Quick Draw? What are you planning?!” I huffed, and snorted angrily with my hooves that dug hard into the earth. I was sick and tired of dealing with this geezer already, and wanted him to eat his words. “Twilight is going to nuke you from orbit when she finds out about this!”

The smug bucker cackled. “Ha! Do you really believe she would listen to you about such a thing? I am one of her most loyal advisors. I am working in servitude of her utmost safety. And keeping those three chained up for all of eternity is my goal. I won’t be bossed around by trash like you!” his horn lit up. He was going to fire a spell, but I was more than ready to deal with whatever he had.

But that’s not how things went at all.

The magical blast fired off right in the direction of Cozy Glow’s statue! I had no choice. “What?!” I leapt in front of it to block it with all I could. “NEVER!” I hit the ground with a thud. Instead of being shocked or blown up, I seemed to have absorbed the spell. “Wha...what’s happening…?”

Neighsay trotted up to me. “That, my boy is just what I was counting on. You see, there are far too many ponies out there who disrupt the natural order of how things are. Yes, maybe I was too harsh on other creatures. That aside, I aim to uphold the old ways of our ancestors. That alicorn filly was right. Equestria has become soft. Due to ponies like you!”

I started to feel a sharp pain course through my body. It was like the magic destroyed me from the inside out. “Ponies like me, huh? And just...ngh...what do you mean by that?”

“Those who wish to disrupt the status quo and natural order. Only with the strongest magic and warriors can this land stay safe! Not with thoughts and feelings towards genocidal freaks.” With another flash of his horn, a portal opened up behind me.

That’s when I knew what the purpose of the spell was. It was always intended for me, but he knew I would block it. At that moment, I wish I could’ve kicked myself for it. The portal sucked me toward it. “Wha...what the hell?! Hey!”

“This is for your own good as well as the good of Equestria. Take time to think about your actions.”

As I got sucked in, I grimaced and grit my teeth. I wanted nothing more than to cause unrelenting suffering to that old excuse for a stallion. “You...I will destroy everything you have and make you watch! I will make sure you never set hoof in that EEA office ever again! You hear me you piece of shit?!?”

“Ahaha! Without you, there is no future for this brat! Good riddance, Blood Viper! Ahahaha!”

I screamed as loud as I could against his cackling. That was the last thing I heard before I got sucked into the portal. I lost all sense of myself. I couldn’t feel, see, or hear anything. It was like...I was killed.

Or was I? I still felt my soul intact. So what was going on?

After what felt like forever, I finally felt myself hit solid ground. But my body...it felt different. My hooves...were weirdly misshapen. My forelegs were shorter, and my hind legs were longer. I no longer had a tail. And...OH MY GOD.

“AHHHHHHH!” My hoof! My hoof was divided into five digits! Could this be...yup. I passed out due to shock.

When my eyes opened, I was face to face with a purple...being with glasses. “Are you alright? There’s better places to take a nap than on the ground, you know.”

Subject 39: New World, New Problems

“...so you’re from Equestria, then? So that means someone there must have access to magic that lets them open up to other dimensions.” Twilight Sparkle’s human counterpart explained to me the science behind it all. She had taken me into her house. More specifically up to her bedroom where she had many diagrams and equations on a board.

So this was the Human World. I knew about it a little thanks to Sunset Shimmer’s files back home, but I had never been here. In essence, the culture seemed mostly similar to Manehattan, albeit more focused on adolescent interaction and fun rather than everyone doing their own thing. Interesting.

“I see...listen, I need to get back as soon as possible,” I wobbled a bit on these two legs of mine, and looked in a nearby mirror. “Wow...I look...young.” My vest had turned into a long trenchcoat, I had on jeans, brown tennis shoes, and white tee beneath said coat. My skin, hair, and eye color remained the same. “Huh…”

Except you, know. I was a human now. A rather scrawny-looking one at that.

“You caught me at a good time, Pale,” Twilight had already tapped on a device with a screen. “I’ve already texted Sunset on my phone--oh, it’s a device that lets you communicate with someone far away even if they’re not here--but with text! Pretty revolutionary I know,” she said with a giggle.

Huh. This Twilight was much more...sociable. Made sense given that she wasn’t a princess. It was a nice refreshing take on the same personality. “Fascinating…”

“She said she’s on her way. Until then, do you mind if I ask some more questions,” she took out a pencil and a notepad with a starry gaze in her eyes. She was really excited to get my thoughts.

I figured I may as well indulge the girl. “Fire away.”

“Do you have any idea so to why you might’ve been sent here?”

Oh dear. “Well…” It was a long explanation. But I started from the beginning and worked all the way up to the present. Everything from my case regarding Cozy Glow, to now in which Neighsay had transported me here.

“Hmm…” she tapped the eraser tip of the pencil against her chin, then against her head. “Can’t say I know of a Cozy Glow. But Neighsay...that name does sound familiar.”

“Oh?” I wondered what his human counterpart would be doing in a world like this.

Twilight snapped her fingers, and adjusted her glasses. “Oh yeah! I remember. He’s the head of the State Education Association or SEA. Lame abbreviation if ya ask me. But I’m not gonna judge the government. Anyway, since Sunset is from there and gets journal entries from Princess Me--er Twilight in Equestria, she may be able to help you in both ways.”

I nodded. “Alright, makes sense to me.”

The bedroom door was kicked open. “Twilight!” A human with a distinctive red and yellow hairstyle had arrived. “I came as soon as I could. Is this the guy you texted me about?”

“Mm-hm. Apparently he came here from Equestria. But doesn’t know how he got here,” Twilight explained with a squeal of excitement, “Eee! That means the phenomena of magical portals are only increasing with time. This could aid my research in so many ways!” The purple girl ran to her board and started to scribble upon it with chalk.

I looked at Sunset. “Is she always this way?”

“You’ll get used to it. So...tell me about yourself. What’s your name?”

“The name is Pale Vestige,” I said with a tip of my hat, “My goal is--”

When I said my name, the orange girl blinked once and took off her backpack. “So that’s who you are,” she mumbled to herself as she took out a journal of sorts, “Princess Twilight has told me about you. She said you were trying to set Cozy Glow free.”

That was odd. How could she know if she lived in an entirely separate realm? “Does your knowledge of that fact have anything to do with that book in your hoof--er. Hands?”

Sunset nodded and opened it up. “Precisely, good guess. But that’s to be expected from a detective like yourself.” She flipped through to a specific page. “Here. ‘A pony is trying to make a case for Cozy Glow in order to set her free and give her another chance. As I’m sure you recall, Cozy Glow was one of the three members of a group who tried to destroy my world along with Queen Chrysalis and Lord Tirek. We put them all to stone, despite the fact that she was a filly. It never occurred to us that she may have had other problems that could be solved so I’ll keep you posted.’” She stopped reading, “She keeps me up to date on everything that happens there so you don’t need to provide context.”

Well that was good. I was a fish out of water, but at least I was among other familiar fish. Now what was my next move? “Okay...but I have to get back. The Neighsay in my world sent me here because he doesn’t want me to give Cozy another chance even though I managed to finally convince Twilight to allow me.” Then it hit me. “Speaking of which, what’s your take on the subject?”

“Me?” she asked, pointing to herself, “Well...I was the same way at once point.” With a sigh, she folded her arms, “I nearly tried to destroy this world for the sake of acquiring all of its magic because I was spiteful and wanted to get back at Celestia for not giving me what I thought I wanted…”

Over by the blackboard, Twilight’s scribbling slowly came to a stop. “...I can relate. Though, I didn’t cause it on purpose, I was just as guilty when it came to trying to take magic for selfish reasons.” She turned to face us, “I was just trying to study it. I love studying weird and wacky things, but...I got a bit carried away.”

Sunset giggled. “Heheh. Don’t worry, I was the same way. And we can totally help you get back home, Pale. We just need to find a portal to Equestria that--”

“Already have,” Twilight called out with a smug, confident expression.

Sunset was utterly perplexed. “Whaaaaa? But I thought they were hard to find?”

“Don’t you remember that cruise we took a while back?” Twilight pointed to her board which had a cruise ship drawn on it.

“Yeah, we found a portal to Equestria on an island in international waters,” she audibly shuddered and wiggled her arms, “we found Rainbow Dash on a deserted island and nearly got choked to death by creep tentacle plants!”

Twilight also responded with an equally disgusted groan. “Eeeyech! Don’t remind me! But more importantly, I mapped out a correspondence.” On the next part of the board, she had a drawing of the quicksand portal to Equestria. “Based on my calculations and the angle of which the magic was distributed to cause those plants to get all touchy-feely like something out of one of your video games--”

“Hey!” Sunset protested her purple friend’s jest. Guess it wasn’t a good idea to poke fun at a girl’s games. “Focus on the magic!”

“Hehehe! Sorry. Anyhow. I’ve deduced the next most logical location for another portal to Equestria to appear: About five miles west--at the beach! And if we can find this portal, we can not only send our new friend back home, we can close it so nothing will cause harm to the nearby town!” After she was finished talking, she took a bow, and straightened her glasses once more. “Any questions?”

“Sound good to you, Pale?”

I nodded. If there was a way to not only get back home to my world, but to also help this one, then I’d take it. “Absolutely. But we need to be fast. If I’m not home by the next day, I’ll miss the opportunity to meet with Cozy and the princess.”

“Hmmm…maybe, or maybe not.” Twilight rubbed her chin with her hand, and came close to inspect me. “Mind if I...run a few quick tests?”

“Um--ow!”

The girl had plucked one of my hairs from my head. “Heh, sorry. All for the name of research!” She clutched the hair strand with a wide, crazed sort of giggle as she ran over to her magical testing devices.

Once again, I looked at Sunset. “Is she…”

“Heh, don’t worry about it. There was this one time where she plucked both a strand of my yellow and red hair to see if she could create synthetic bacon.”

I recoiled out of disgust. “WhhhAT?”

Yet again, she laughed it off like it was no big deal. “Don’t worry. It was a pretty neat idea. Though it didn’t exactly work out because--”

“Aha!” Twilight ripped a sheet of scanner paper off her device. “You were hit with a spell that has essentially taken your consciousness and tossed it into another world entirely. Thus causing a time shatter effect that will reduce your…”

I looked on in confusion, and rubbed the back of my head. “In layman’s terms, please?”

Twilight rolled her eyes. “Basically you have about a day to spend here before you miss your deadline. We better hurry and get to the beach fast.”

“Luckily,” Sunset added, “We’re on Summer Break. So we don’t have to worry about school. In fact, why don’t I just invite all our friends? It’ll be a nice getaway from the hustle and bustle of the city,” she pulled out her screen device. A phone. Much different from our version of the telephone back home.

I smirked. Since I grew up in a city not unlike this one, I knew what that was like. “Yeah, I feel you. Manehattan was always full of rowdy and crazy things.”

“Tell me about it,” Sunset said as she tapped the device, “I guess that’s why I wasn’t really allowed to go there. Everyone always said it was full of crazy and rowdy people. Guess that was a biiiit inaccurate. You seem pretty chill.”

“You have to be, in this line of work. Can’t let your emotions take you over lest you lose focus.”

Twilight nodded. “Hm! That’s right. We scientists have to prioritize results over how we feel.”

“Yyyyyeah, so long as you turn into an evil shady scientist lady like the one from Groverwatch.”

Twilight had a crazed expression on her face. “Don’t mention that game! Do not mention that game!”

Sunset snickered at her friend and nudged me. “She’s mad since she keeps losing with her favorite characters.”

“Oh dear, I know what that’s like.”

“I am a lady of science!” Twilight retorted, “I have no time for games! Anyway, we should head out to that beach as soon as possible. Get ready Pale. You’re about to go on an adventure like you’ve never been before!”

The process was rather smooth and painless. Sunset invited her friends via...text. I put my vest and hat in a suitcase Twilight gave me to disguise myself properly as a recent exchange student that would get started once break was over. They all packed their swimming items and placed them in the rear compartment known as the trunk. Sunset, Twilight and I all pooled within her...motorized carriage? No wait, this had to be an automobile not unlike the one High Heel made use of in the Power Ponies comics.

It had a nice purple color and twinkling stars all over. I was intrigued but Sunset had a worried glare on her face. “Uhh...Twilight. You have your driver’s license, right?”

“Mm-hm! And it only took me thirty-seven--”

Sunset corrected her, “Thirty-eight.”

“Thirty-eight attempts on the driving test! Come on, you can trust little ol’ me,” Twilight ran around to the side of her car and opened the door. “Whoo! Carpool time! Beach here we come!” she hopped in.

“Please, please take shotgun,” Sunset pleaded with me. That was a term used for the front seat if I recalled correctly.

I shrugged. “You worry too much, Ms. Shim.” I opened the door, and sat down next to Twilight in the passenger seat. She would nervously enter the rear passenger seat and hooked herself up to both of the seatbelts. “How bad can her driving be?”

With a panicked expression, the orange girl simply said, “Buckle. Up.”

“Yahoo!” Twilight reversed the vehicle out of the driveway with excitement. In no time, we were on the road. To my surprise, she had very good control of it, and kept it steady. I suppose Sunset’s concern was for naught?

I looked behind to see the orange girl huddled up within the seatbelts. “...Are you okay?”

“Yeah! I’m fine...just being careful, hehe…”

“I see…”

“Relax, Sunset,” Twilight assured us as she adjusted the rearview mirror, “On my thirty-ninth attempt, I made sure to utilize flash cards, mental drawings, and brought my least-chewed pencil to take the test. It was simple logic, really. We can literally fire missiles and laser beams that defy the laws of physics. What makes you think I can’t drive?”

Sunset looked down at herself. She must have realized how silly she had been and removed the unnecessary seatbelts. “Hehe...you’re right, you’re right.”

“So, I just had a thought,” I spoke up, “Is it possible that I have a human counterpart here? Since I’m from Equestria and all. Do you know him?”

Twilight answered first. “Hm...I think I heard of a Vestige that acts as an editor for the school newspaper.”

“Oh that’s right! He has his name on loads of different articles and even helps with the blog. The one about the fact that Suri Polomare’s fabric was faulty was genius!” Sunset added.

“Don’t forget about the one that talked about Lightning Dust cheating on her assignments. Her logic on that paper mache volcano was all wrong. I knew she took it from Snips and Snails,” Twilight added.

Oh dear. Just how bad was that? More importantly, it was good to know that I had a counterpart that did work in this world. The more it was kept safe, the better. But for now, we had more pressing matters.

“Okay so these portals...or Gates to Equestria,” I mused aloud as I wrote down some notes, “Is left unchecked is it possible that they could--”

“Destroy the whole entire world as we know it? Essentially.” Twilight explained, “These…’Gates’--hm, yeah rolls off the tongue. These Gates between our worlds are going to cause mayhem and destruction if we don’t close them off. Could you imagine the sheer insanity that would ensue if a Gate opened up near something more destructive than a plant? Like killer dolls? Mechanical mascot bears? Killer mechanical mascot bear dolls?!” her eyes darted to the left, then right, then back to the road.

From behind, I could see that Sunset felt uncomfortable about this topic. She sighed. “The last thing I want is something like that.”

“Whatever do you mean?”

“I was the one who brought the magic here when I first crossed over. So it’s ultimately my responsibility to take care of this world to make sure it’s safe for everyone,” she described her situation in a somber tone. Her guilt was palpable, and I completely understood why she felt that way.

“Hey...don’t get like that. If it wasn’t you, then it sure as hell would’ve been someone else. Plus, if you hadn’t, then who would’ve stopped the Sirens?”

She blinked, and raised her brow. “Wait...you know about them?”

I nodded. “Indeed. Three of the most deadly and seductive creatures in Equestria who used their singing voices to charm sailors and ponies...for power. Am I close?”

“Wow, you really do know. But I guess that’s expected from a detective, heh. But nowadays, they’re more...well, you’ll see.”

I was confused, but I supposed that would indeed find out eventually as she said. We all talked a bit more through the drive. I told Sunset about how Equestria had gotten along in its past few years. In return, she would tell me more about the culture of the Human World. School, shopping, phones, memes? It was all a rush that sounded fairly interesting.

Twilight would also chime in with information regarding their pasts and how they both used to take advantage of magic. But once they learned how to treat it properly, and gain discipline, they were able to use their magic for the force of justice and all that is right in the world. Mighty respectable indeed.

After a while, we finally arrived at the beach. It was a hot, sandy zone with not many other people nearby. The girls had already changed into more appropriate gear for swimming called...swimsuits? They gave me a basic tank and swim trunks to wear to be undercover--I put my other clothes in the suitcase.

“We’re here,” Twilight got out and grabbed her bag from the trunk. “If my estimates are correct, the magic should be coming from the South.”

Sunset grabbed her items and followed. “All of our friends should have arrived before us. So if anything goes wrong, they’ll be here for backup.”

Made sense to me. Though, now wasn’t the time for me to get distracted with overly long introductions to another group of poni--er, people. “Alright, I’ll scout ahead. You both meet up with your friends and explain what’s going on.”

“Here, catch,” Twilight tossed me something.

“Woah!” I barely managed to catch it in my hands. It was some sort of radar device. “Hm?”

“It’ll guide you right to the Gate. I made it myself out of an old calculator and a GPS. A-ya-welcome,” she said with a sassy sort of smirk which made Sunset laugh.

I smiled also. “Thank you, Scientist Twilight.”

“Ooh, I like the sound of that. Hrm...maybe shorten it to Sci-Twi or--ah!”

Sunset had grabbed her arm and pulled her towards the other end of the beach. “C’mon my Science buddy. Let’s meet up with everyone. Good luck, Pale!”

“You can count on me.” I watched as they went down the sandy path to meet up with their friends. I went on alone in the directions that Twilight told me about.

I slid down a sandy hill, tripped over a few rocks, and angered a few kids due to messing up their castle. No problem. This was normal for someone like me. Though, I had to admit that it was fun being out in the field again. Even if it was unfamiliar territory, I still enjoyed sneaking and snooping around like the old days. Felt like my old training sessions with my team.

But beyond that, the safety of my home and everyone in it was critical to this mission. I wouldn’t be able to handle Cozy Glow and all of these loose portals to this strange human world at once. There had to be some sort of…

Wait.

“...magic crap I swear…”

Just around another sand hill, I heard something. Someone was muttering about magic? This could be dangerous. I had to get closer.

So I did, and came upon a more private area of the beach where there were no other people. While there was no visual sign of anyone, I continued to hear mumbling. I kept going until the voice grew loud enough to confirm the fact that I was near someone.

“...can we even do here anymore without magic?”

Aha! I knew it. Someone close by was talking about magic. Now I just needed to find…

“HIYA!”

Someone jumped down from the coconut tree above me. Their thighs wrapped around my neck in an asphyxiation technique. I slowly lost air as I looked to both sides and noticed that the legs were a shade of light purple. “Ack…”

“You pervert. I saw you trying to catch a look at me.” I heard her--whoever she was--speak from above me. With her weight bearing down on my body in combination with her legs around my neck, I couldn’t move. “You have sixty seconds to explain just what the hell you’re doing here or I’m gonna beat your ass.”

Subject 40: Beach Brawl

“Sorry...I didn’t mean to attack you like that. I was just being cautious.”

Aria Blaze. One of the three Sirens from Equestria that were currently living in this world as humans. Here, they were a music group known as The Dazzlings. The sisters seemed to have a rough life here, given the fact that they had to work despite being a relatively young age. I felt for them. Like the other girls, she also wore an outfit called a swimsuit--though her variation only covered her chest and lower body.

“I understand. You were just looking out for yourself. Impressive self-defense you have there. Now what were you saying regarding magic?”

I sat with her beneath a coconut tree. Aria sat with her legs crossed...how strange. “Basically. We’ve been here forever and well, it’s not easy to work without magic. Still it’s...not terrible. We have fans now, and hobbies. So it’s mostly okay. I assume you attend Canterlot High too, right?”

This was probably not the smartest move to make, but I had a reason for it. “I’m...actually from Equestria myself. I’m working with Twilight on a way to get back.”

To my surprise, Aria didn’t look interested in that at all. In fact, she responded with a sigh. “I see...well, hopefully you can make it home.”

“You have no interest in going back?”

“Hell no! That place is the reason we’re stuck here. I’d never wanna go back there, not on my life…” Aria hunched over with regret in her eyes. I could tell that part of her wanted to return to having power, but she wanted to move past that now. “Anyway...what are you here for?”

Ah yes. Maybe she could provide me with insight on what to do, given that her and her sisters essentially became powerless. So, I explained my goal to her and Cozy Glow. Her response was quite the surprising one.

“...Oh man. I remember that name. I heard it being used as a rumor but...anyway. Sounds like what you’re doing is...pretty brave, and pretty dumb. Even if you do save her, the amount of trust she’ll have to regain is monumental.”

I knew that. However… “Are you speaking from experience?”

Aria rolled her eyes. “Ugh, don’t remind me. But yes, I am. Even now, when we’re powerless, it’s hard for the other kids at school to trust us.”

“Do you want to make more friends?”

“Ugh! I do! For the sake of not getting weird looks all the time, sure. It’s a bit hard for me since I have...aggression issues.”

I sensed a theme here. But now wasn’t the time. “Well, you’re not aggressive with me, are you?”

“Pff. That’s because it’s been a while since I’ve chatted with a boy, so I figured why not? Heh. That aside, knowing you’re from Equestria also makes it a little easier I guess. I just wish it was easier...but no one at that school trusts us very well. If you’re trying to do the same for Cozy, it’s going to be a hard battle, even once she’s freed.”

“I’m aware of that, trust me. But before I have to go, is there a chance I can talk with your other sisters?”

Aria stood up. “I guess. Hopefully they aren’t on edge like I was. Our campsite is this way,” she directed me towards the path and we walked. It was only about 20 paces away before we happened upon their little campsite with a fire pit and logs for them to sit around the fire on. A nice place to rest in the sand. “A-dawg. Sonata! Got a dude from Eques who wants to speak to you! Hmph. They should be around...wait here while I look.”

I took a seat on one of the logs. “No problem.” Aria went off in another direction to look for her sisters. When she was gone, I felt a rustling from beneath me within the log. “Hm?” I leaned over and found a blue-skinned girl who hid inside. “Oh. Are you Sonata Dusk?”

“Shhh! Yes I am. But I’m hiding right now. It’s my favorite game to play!” she crawled out of the log and sat on top of it next to me. Sonata’s swimsuit was more modest, being a sort of dress-like variation with tacos patterned all over “I totes heard everything you were saying to Aria. In short, yes. Cozy deserves another chance! And hey, I know Aria said it might be hard, but it’s gonna be fun too.”

I tilted my head. “Really? What makes you think so?”

“Well you’re gonna watch over her to make sure she stays in line, right?”

“Of course.”

“Well, duh. There it is, big guy. See, you gotta just go with the flow and stuff. I mean, look at me. Yeah sometimes I may forget to brush my hair or remember a basic math problem, or maybe sometimes I just don’t understand a joke…” Sonata frowned and I saw her eyes water for a moment. “But that’s okay! Because I’m me! I’m special, I’m wild! Tacos are my thing!”

I giggled. The girl was pretty knowledgeable despite her ditzy demeanor. “And what do you mean by that?”

“Isn’t it obvious? Just be you! Do what you wanna do and don’t let anyone keep you from accomplishing your goals!” She said with a bright smile. “No matter how many times you’re called stupid, air-headed or if they look at you funny. Just keep going.”

Yup. She had the right idea. I couldn’t stop here when I was down. I needed to push forward for a better tomorrow no matter who stands in my way. “Thanks, Sonata. You made some good points.”

She let out a pleased sort of giggle. “Heheh! No problem, fellow Equestrian!”

“Ugh, found her, at last. A-dawg was fishing over by the tide pool in the ocean.”

Adagio Dazzle herself...in fishing gear? That was an unexpected look. “Fishing is an art, Aria. It can’t be rushed. Besides, I caught these three beauties for our campout dinner,” she boasted while she showed off a dozen massive sea bass that were attached to her fishing reel. Come to think, it made sense. Sirens are from the ocean after all. To them, fishing was a mere hobby. “And you are?” the eldest Dazzling looked at me.

I introduced myself and explained how and why I was here. When I mentioned a certain name, it caught Adagio’s attention. “...Neighsay, you say? Hm, that name sounds familiar.”

Sonata loomed over her sister’s shoulder with a rabid drool. “Ohhhh yes...come to mama little fishes.”

“Cool it, Sonata,” Aria pulled her away, “You know how you get when you haven’t had a good fish in a while. Let me cook, A-dawg. Then you’ll be free to talk to this dude or whatever.” She took the bundle of fish off the line, and set them in the icebox nearby. Both she and Sonata went to stoke the fire.

“Hmph. Less work for me,” Adagio said with a shrug, “Aria’s been getting better with cooking lately, so why not?” She started to remove her fishing vest and boots. Once the gear was off, she was down to a simple white tank top and shorts, and then removed that to finally get down to her swimsuit which looked similar to Aria's, but orange instead of purple. “Ughhh!” she groaned as she flopped next to me on the log. “You would not believe how murderous the sun was while I was out in the ocean. So you want my opinion on the whole Cozy Glow thing, I take it?”

I nodded. “Please. Give me your honest opinion.”

The former siren lied down with her body across my lap with a magazine in her hands. The human version of Rarity was on the cover. “Personally, I think you should follow your heart and do what you think is right. Don’t focus so much on the words of others. If you want something, take it.”

I didn’t mind of course. Her hair was soft so it didn’t provide any discomfort for me as she relaxed there. “Oh? You think I should do my own thing?”

“Obviously. It’s your life. Why would you let others dictate how you should live it? If you want to break the status quo, then break it. If you want to take back something that you feel was stolen unjustly--in this case being Cozy’s life--then take it.”

She looked up from her magazine and smiled at her two sisters. Sonata was busy making fish noises and Aria rolled her eyes. The purple siren would then imitate a piranha with hissing noises. Sonata giggled and tackled her, claiming to be a suckerfish now. It escalated into a tickle fight.

“If I was too busy worrying about everything, then I wouldn’t be able to keep those fools smiling. Sometimes it’s better to stay focused on one thing than try to do everything. Or...something like that. Either way, we’re all we have. To this day, we still get odd looks at Canterlot High due to lack of trust. So...if you want to give Cozy a better life, take care of her, help people trust her. No one else is gonna do it for her.”

Of course. That was the part I was missing the entire time. Maybe if...wait...I felt something. Twilight’s radar. I quickly reached into my pocket.

Adagio got off of me and sat up with a concerned look on her face. “Something wrong, hun?”

“Ah. No, I...I have to...sorry, I need to go.” Much to their confusion, I left their campsite. The radar buzzed due to the fact that the magical signature had gotten stronger. And very close too...this was something strong enough to affect the surrounding area for sure.

It was an admittedly rude way to leave them be, but I was lucky. About ten minutes had actually passed, so I didn’t waste too much time. And it was interesting to see a group of former villains actually go through a sort of self-reformation process. From what I could tell, it didn’t seem as if they had that much outside help. To me, it sounded as if they came to the conclusion about how evil they were on their own. It lined up perfectly with what I had imagined. But now wasn’t the time for that.

I came closer and closer to the source of the magic when Sunset appeared next to me. “You felt it too?” she started to jog with me in the direction that the radar pointed us. The hot sand only made us run faster.

“Yeah. Though, beyond that. I actually met the Dazzlings. They have their own campsite just over that hill.”

“Oh? I...hope they didn’t give you any trouble, did they?”

I shook my head. “None at all. They were pretty reasonable and accepting of their fate. I was...actually surprised to find that they all cared for each other so much. But can you recall any of your friends actually helping them?”

“...No, I can’t, actually. When we beat them, they kinda just went off on their own. We didn’t see them again until the night of the PostCrush concert where they were also performing. Aside from that, I don’t remember--Ah!”

We were interrupted by the Scientist Twilight who jumped down from a tree in front of us. “It’s a simple factor. Because of the fact that they no longer have the ability to suck on souls through the magic of their singing for attention, it allows them to be themselves.” She tapped a notepad with her pencil, “This bit is conjecture based on the evidence at hand, but it’s entirely possible that their overwhelming guilt has made them realize just how wrong their actions were. And so, through self-isolation, they have tried to slowly redeem themselves by actually learning how to sing and becoming real artists.” She cleared her throat, adjusted her glasses, and smirked at us, “No need to thank me.”

Sunset couldn’t help but smile. “So that’s what it is. They’ve managed to essentially improve themselves...I’m almost jealous.”

“Hey, Sunny, don’t be,” Twilight put an arm around her friend, “You showed me how to rectify my approach to science and how dangerous magic can be. Just like how your friends did the same for you. Minus the science part, I think.”

“Hehehe! You’re right. But come on. We need to find this Gate, and shut it down before it causes trouble.”

Dammit! Me and my mouth sidetracked us! No matter. We were closer to it now more than ever. It didn’t take us long until the radar Twilight gave me led us to a tide pool near the rocks. Was this the one that Adagio had fished in a bit earlier?

I got down on my knee and inspected the water--wow this felt weird, but I also felt cool doing it. There was nothing too crazy that I could immediately make out--aside from the saltiness of the water. “Hmm…my sensory abilities are a bit dull here…”

Sunset also did the same, and took a knee next to me. “Sensory? What kind of magic do you have?”

“Well, it’s more of an innate thing I’ve trained myself to do over the years. Back home, I’m an earth pony, you see. And with that, came the ability for me to sense things through the earth itself. It’s how I became a detective.”

Behind us, Twilight climbed another coconut tree and looked out at the ocean with her binoculars. Sunset rubbed her chin as she looked at the water. “Hm...there’s definitely magic here. I can feel it. We better get the others in case things get crazy. Come on,” she stood up, and started to walk the other way.

Just then, we felt a violent rumbling beneath the sand. It threw us off-balance, and caused Twilight to fall to the sand from her tree branch. “Wah! Uh, guys! You might wanna get back!”

“Wha?” I held onto my hat, and watched as a giant crab emerged from the water! “Ahhh!” I leapt out of the way just before one of its claws could snap at me. “What kind of crab is this?!”

“This is a European Shore crab!” Twilight helped me up and started to run, “More specifically a red-clawed crab or Carcinus Maenas. They’re native to--”

Sunset cut her off, “Less talking! More running!” But the very second she tried to run down the sandy path, she hit a magic barrier wall and fell to the ground. “Oof! What the--”

The crab continued to follow us with its giant pincers that snapped. It looked ready to cut a tree in two! “Twilight, what’s going on?!”

The purple girl sporadically flipped through her notes. “I don’t know! This is just like what happened with the tentacle plants in the jungle except on a crab?!”

“Yo, FYI!” Sunset rubbed her head as she stood up, “We’re trapped in here! The crab is projecting some sort of magical shell-like barrier that’s keeping us locked in.”

“Eek! Try your phone!”

She took out her device with a screen on it, “Ugh! No reception! The magic is interfering with the signal. Looks like we’re on our own. We have to defeat this crab monster and close that Gate to Equestria before anything else gets magically enhanced.”

“Alright then,” Twilight interlocked her fingers and stretched, “Let’s make fresh gejang out of this creepy crawler.”

Sunset and I both looked at her with silent confusion.

Twilight straightened her glasses, “It’s a crab dish. Soy sauce? From the far east? You guys would like it, trust me.”

“Well, we have no choice,” I proclaimed while I reached into my coat for my trusty weapon, “We’re going to have to fight it ourselves.” When I pulled it out, its appearance had been modified slightly to adapt to the different world it was in. The lever was slimmer, which allowed fingers to slip through, the barrel was longer, and it had blinking lights on top now. Really? Looked like something out of a video game. Hm.

“Cool-looking gun,” Sunset commented, “I feel like I’ve seen that design somewhere before, but I can’t put my finger on it. For now, I have a plan. Twilight--use your telekinesis to forcefully stop the crab’s claws. Pale and I will flank it from both sides and take it down.”

Twilight narrowed her eyes, “That plan sounds preeeetty simple,” and she suddenly grinned, “I love it! Let’s go!” With her hands outstretched, she caught the giant crab’s claws in her purple magical aura which kept them from swiping at us.

We dashed. Sunset and I took to the offensive. She went right, and I went left. For her first move, she conjured a ball of fire in her hands. She charged it until it became as large as a car! “Get steamed, fool!” she proclaimed, and flung it at the crab.

At the same time, I flicked out my gun, and fired a few shots. Instead of compressed air, actual bullets flew out. Made sense since I lost my magical properties--so would the weapon. Now it was a normal rifle.

Unfortunately, the bullets bounced off the crab’s shell like harmless pebbles, and Sunset’s fireball simply dissipated as soon as it came into contact with the beast. “What?! That should’ve fried it!” she complained.

I was also annoyed since I had to actually reload my weapon. “Our attacks have no effect? Then what can we do…?”

Twilight struggled from where she stood. “Ngh! I can’t hold its claws much longer! It’s overpowering me!” Her stance was shaky, arms quaky. It wouldn’t be much longer until she lost her hold entirely.

“New plan! We get up close and personal!” Sunset balled her fist with a crazed smile on her face. The hand lit ablaze, and she ran towards the giant crustacean. “HAAAA!” She leapt into the air, and would strike down at an angle, “VIGOR DUNK!” but the moment her fist came into contact with the struggling crab, the fire went out. The result was nothing more than a harmless tap. “What?! That’s bull! That attack always pierces armor!” she fell to the ground and landed on her rear.

I put my weapon away, and charged in. Maybe I still had my extreme strength? Only one way to find out! “HRHGH!” I attempted to seize control of the massive crab by getting a hold of its legs. Sadly, that didn’t work either. “Grrr! Come on!” I planted my feet in the sand, but nothing happened. Either I lost my strength when I came over, or the crab was too heavy.

“No! Nononono! Gah!” Twilight panicked as she lost her hold on the crab. Its claws were free now, and they took a swipe at Sunset. “Look out!” The purple girl dashed over and tackled her friend out of the way. They were safe, thankfully.

They both needed time to recover and think up a new plan. So I acted quickly. “Hey! Heeeey!” I shouted and waved my hands around to get its attention. The giant crab noticed me, and started to follow. Since it had projected a dome-like shield around the nearby area, I could only run in a circular path to avoid it. “I’ll distract it. You two think up a plan!”

“Ouch, thanks Twi,” Sunset dusted herself off and stood up. “Man, if only Rarity was here. She knows all about fighting giant crabs…”

“No time for that, Sun-buns. We need to come up with another plan,” Twilight pulled out another pencil from her hair as she scribbled in her notes. “Now...what did you feel when you punched it just now?”

Sunset flexed her hand, “Its shell...it was reinforced by magic. That’s why I couldn’t punch through it!”

“Hm...maybe if we ponied up, we could take it down. But without our friends, we can’t really do that…”

“Wait! I got it! Remember what happened when Rainbow overused her super speed?”

“Yeah it...caused all of our powers to--” A lightbulb went off over Twilight’s head, “Oh! I get it! We need to utilize our powers in constant repetition to cause a massive overload in our geodes. Then our friends will feel it too, and come find us!”

Sunset cheered. “That’s right!”

Twilight thought about it a bit more. “But...you know we do run the risk of tiring ourselves out before they get here, right?”

“Beats losing to what should be soup,” Sunsets fists lit up with fire once more, “Come on, let’s roast this thing!”

“Right behind ya!”

I was getting tired. Maybe I did lose my magical properties after all. Back home I could run for miles without even coming close to getting tired. Now? I was already winded after a few minutes of running from the crab. “Whew...damn...this can’t...end here…” But before the beast could snatch me with its pincers, Twilight held it back with her magic. “Oh?”

“C’mon Pale, let’s fight this thing for as long as we can,” she ordered, now breaking a bit of a sweat.

Sunset ran around it, and shot a volley of fireballs at it. Me? All I could do was make use of my gun and the seemingly infinite ammo I found in my vest pockets. None of it did any good anyways. It was all fodder for the red crustacean and barely caused it to flinch.

We fought and fought for about an hour straight until fatigue started to set in. We all stopped attacking, and could only manage to hide behind one of the nearby trees. “Whew...okay...new plan…” I said in between huffs of air.

“There has...to be...some way...we can stop this thing…” Sunset sputtered, just as out of breath as I was.

“We used...our powers...a lot, Sunset. Our friends...should be here...soon…”

With our luck. Someone actually did show up. But it wasn’t the rest of Twilight and Sunset’s friends like I initially imagined. It was...singing?

“Woah-oh-woah-oh...listen to us now…”

“Woah-oh-woah-oh...you are goin’ down....”

“Woah-oh-woah-oh...just leave them alone…”

“Woah-oh-woah-oh...go back to your home…”

Subject 41: Return Home To The Truth

The Dazzlings? Here? Now? Those three sister singers had come to our aid? But why? I thought they only cared about each other. But I guess there was no time for that. I was just glad to not be squashed by giant crab legs. And their voices weren’t half bad either.

“The Dazzlings?” Sunset looked on in confusion as the three teenage sirens sung from outside of the magical dome the crba made. “What are they--”

“Wait! It’s working!” Twilight pointed up at the crab. It had been serenaded by their singing. It even started to dance and shake. “If they distract it long enough, it may give us enough time to--”

I held up my hand to interrupt her. “Nah. I think we should let them have this one…”

Those three continued to sing their sweet song. It was so powerful, that the crab was completely under their control. But what would come next would be just as surprising. I saw Aria nod to Sonata, and the blue siren made an excited squeal of joy.

“MI-MI-MIIIIIIIII~!”

“AGH!” The three of us on the inside of the dome did our best to cover our ears. Sonata sang such a high note so loudly that it caused excruciating pain. Even the crab was staggered. Wait. The crab was staggered!

And no only that, but its magical armor plating had been disrupted by the high note! But we still had to deal with the barrier problem. Or so I thought. Turns out they already thought of what to do next.

Aria grabbed a microphone and spoke into it. “You’re nothing but second-rate crustacean scum. I wouldn’t even wanna eat you for dinner. Lobsters are way more intimidating!” she folded her arms with a snarky smile.

The crab was enraged at the insults. It charged right at the three, and according to plan, it busted right through its own magical dome. With it shut down, the three sirens stepped out of the way. The beast stampeded and ran itself into a nearby rock which dazed it even more.

“Set me up, girls,” Adagio commanded. Sonata gave her sister a baseball, and Aria followed it up with a bat. Adagio threw the ball straight up into the air, and got into a stance to bat it. “Eat THIS!” With a heavy swing, the ball was struck. So hard in fact, that it caught fire and bore a hole straight through the massive crab.

Her sisters watched on in excitement. In fact, so did Twilight, Sunset, and I. We all waited patiently to see what would happen.

Adagio looked at her nails, and smugly counted down the time. “And in three...two….now.”

Right on time with her words, the crab shattered apart like glass before it disappeared in a fiery magic explosion.

“Woohoo!” Sonata cheered, “You both did amazing sisters!”

Aria chuckled, “Yeah, you were pretty good too, Sonata.”

“And now the beast is beaten! Can’t stand up to our power, can it? Hmhmhm!”

I was utterly shocked. I wanted to go up and say something, but Sunset and Twilight beat me to it.

“That was amazing, you guys!” Sunset praised, “I didn’t think you were capable of working together like that.”

Twilight chimed in, “You have to show me the capabilities of the sonic frequency of your voices. How can they control people? How can they disrupt magic?”

“And Adagio...I never would’ve pegged that you were into baseball of all things.”

The yellowish-orange siren blushed and cleared her throat in an attempt to play it off. “Yes, well, ahem. You know...we tend to...yeah.”

Meanwhile, I was near the water. There it was, the Gate to Equestria that allowed magic to leak through. Luckily, no other sea creatures were nearby, so it would be a while before any other messes could occur. “Whew…”

Aria squatted down next to me, “Wow...there it is. A portal to our home…”

I looked at her. “Wanna go back? Genuine question…”

She shook her head. “No...there’s...that world rejected us and we can never show our faces again. Here, we get a completely fresh start.”

“Totally!” Sonata shouted from behind us out of nowhere, “Equestria was fine and all but their laws were way too strict. Here, we can have fun with whoever we want and not be judged! And not to mention tacos are served all the time!”

Adagio stepped forward. She rubbed her chin as she stared at the glowing light beneath the water. She giggled and shook her head, “Nah. All the magic and power in the world is nothing compared to watching over these two anvils,” she put one arm around each of her sisters. Aria rolled her eyes and Sonata giggled. “Besides...I think we have a chance to make more real friends right in front of us…”

Sunset walked over next, “That’s great to head, Adagio. But we need to close this thing up before it gets explosive. Ready to head home, Pale?”

I nodded, and tipped my hat. “Yup. It was fun working with you ladies. But I have a job to take care of back home.”

Twilight handed me the suitcase that contained all of my clothes as well as another device shaped like an arm gauntlet. “When you get back home, slide this onto your hoof. It’ll allow you to shut down any portals back to our world so no more magic will get through.”

“Oh wow, I’ll be sure to make use of this. Okay…hm?” I raised an eyebrow at Sunset who had walked out to one of the rocks. She got ready to dive off into the portal. “Um, what are you…?”

“Rrgh...going with you, silly,” she grunted while she did some stretches. “You’re a pretty hard-working investigator and I think Cozy Glow deserves another shot. Not to mention, I’ll be your evidence against Neighsay to prove he’s abused his power.”

“Oh, um, if you’re sure.”

She nodded, “For sure. I know of a safe portal to use in order to get back home, so don’t worry. Consider it a favor from one friend to another, eh?”

Ah, that was good. Sunset would be a nice asset to have in such a situation. Plus, since I helped her out, I felt less guilt since she simply wanted to help me out in return. “Alrighty then. Guess we’re both off.” I turned to the other four girls, “I’ll be on my way. And if you ever come into contact with the Pale Vestige from this world, don’t be afraid to ask him for help on any sticky situations you need investigated.”

“Ooh, for sure! If his human counterpart is as capable as you are, it could be a great benefit to have!” Twilight scribbled in her notes.

Aria shrugged. “Sure, sure, whatevs. I can think of a few sticky situations A-dawg would want him to look into,” she pointed to her eldest sister.

“Shush you!” Adagio nudged her sister into the sand, “And sure, no problem. If your counterpart in this world is just as understanding as you, then we might have another friend to--ah!”

Sonata giggled and tackled her eldest into the sand. “Ooh, if I see the human Pale, I’ll invite him to my job where we can all eat tacos and be buddies!”

I also couldn’t help but laugh as I watched the three play in the sand together. Twilight used her magic to levitate them. “Okay, that’s enough you guys,” she set them upright, “He has to get going. But if you want, I’m curious as to how you plan to cook this fish.” she pointed to their beach campfire.

Aria was first to go. “Alright, I guess I’ll show you. See ya, Pale.”

Next was Sonata, “Bye-bye! Wait, sis! Lemme help!”

Adagio waved as she walked off. “Do your best, and remember what I said…”

I nodded and waved as they left. Sunset cleared her throat to get my attention.

“Ahem--if you’re done gawking, we should get back and make your case, hm?” she said with a teasing smile. “Don’t worry. When I get back here, I’ll tell your actual human self what’s up so he can pick up the slack for you.”

“Appreciated.” I clutched the suitcase that held my items, “Now let’s get moving.”

With a nod, Sunset jumped into the water. “Woooo!” She dove into the water, and swam into the portal.

With one final wave to the others, I jumped in after her…

Twilight looked to a set of nearby bushes. “Didja get all that on camera, Microchips?”

The bespectacled boy rose from the bushes with a digital camera, phone camera, and two drones at his side. “Absolutely. This is going to be the best article that the Canterlot High Newspaper and Web Blog has ever posted!”

“Nice! Hey, come join us!” Twilight waved her hand to beckon him over.

“Oh, uh...sure!”

We landed back in. I was a pony again! Oh the sweet feeling of four legs never felt better. And the girl had become a unicorn mare. “Alright...now where...ah! Look!” she pointed at the portal we exited. “We’re right in the middle of Canterlot’s flower garden. You got the device Sci-Twi gave you?”

I looked at her and grinned, “Really?”

“Hey...it helps to differentiate, right?”

I put the silver-colored gauntlet on my left hoof. Once it was activated, it fired off a blast of magic that consumed and sealed up the portal. “Woah! It’s like…”

“Magic?” Sunset started to trot towards the castle.

“I mean sort of...hey, wait one more thing,” I caught her attention before she started to walk, “To be able to exist in two worlds with that much skill. I have to give you props in particular. I’m sure your parents are very proud.”

She blushed, “Thanks but...my parents aren’t...nevermind, heh. I appreciate that.”

As we walked around, Sunset ooh’d and ahh’d at the various changes made to the castle. Ah yes, that’s right. She hadn’t been here in a while so of course she would react differently to things. “Wow...all the guards have stronger weapons, the tapestries are purple and…” she sniffed, “Is that lavender? Things really have changed, huh?”

A familiar purple and green dragon came to greet us. “Hey Sunset! And...oh, you’re the guy that Twilight wants to speak to, yeah?”

“Spike?! Holy--you’re huge!”

“Heheh, thanks I know. I’ve been growing a lot since you last saw me.” He looked at me, “But uh, Pale...right?”

“That’s right,” I nodded.

Spike pointed to the throne room. “Twilight’s waiting for you. It’s almost three o’ clock. Better get a move on.”

I sighed with relief. Turns out I wasn’t too late. That was good. It meant we could speak with the princess before things got crazy. “Thank you, Spike,” I said, and started running down the hall. “Sunset, let’s go!”

The unicorn mare was still astonished at Spike’s size for a moment until she shook her head. “Oh, right…coming!”

We dashed through the castle, and arrived at the throne room to see the purple alicorn. “Pale, welcome--and oh, hey Sunset! I mean, ahem--welcome, Sunset.”

“Twilight! There isn’t much time, so I’ll make this quick.”

“Actually, I have a better idea,” I spoke up.

Once my idea was heard, the princess teleported the three of us to Chancellor Neighsay’s office. Once there, both myself and Sunset explained what happened to Twilight. Everything from Neighsay sending me to the human world to the Dazzlings being more friendly now.

“Woah woah woah, okay...first off, I’m happy the sirens have a place they’re comfortable to live in. Secondly….WHAT THE ACTUAL BUCK?!”

“It’s true, Twilight. He put Pale there in an attempt to get rid of him and miss your meeting to un-stone Cozy Glow. There’s probably a host of other things that geezer has done behind your back without your knowledge.”

I nodded. “Please believe me, Twilight.”

“How can I not?!” she shouted to the ceiling, “If Sunset literally had to bring you back here, then something’s very wrong. Now I understand why you requested to be brought here, Pale. Maybe there’s some evidence we can find to further prove what you’re saying. Check everything. Don’t leave a single inch of this room uninspected,” she ordered us.

Sunset and I nodded. We all worked to look through the room for whatever we could find. It was a long, painful search. But something in the back of my mind was nagging at me. The idea that I was not prepared for what I was going to find in this room. My heart pounded, my blood vessels rushed with extreme power. Was there a chance that Neighsay was more powerful than any of us realized?

“Hey, what’s this?” Sunset pulled a book from a shelf.

Twilight tilted her head, “Hm...doesn’t look like anything special to me. Everypony knows that the whole hidden passageway behind a bookshelf thing is a load of--”

A low rumbling noise was heard once the book was removed. Sunset had a smug expression.

“There’s...a hidden passageway behind the bookshelf, isn’t there?” Twilight asked with a hoof to her forehead.

The smug unicorn giggled, and walked on through with a slightly annoyed Twilight that followed. She poked her head out, “Uh, Pale. You coming?”

The whole time, I had been distracted by my fear. I played it off with a nervous laugh. “Oh, hehe...of course.” I followed the mares down the passageway. It led to a staircase. Down the steps we went until we came upon a basement-like room that was pitch black.

“Hang on.” Twilight’s horn lit up, and she tossed a ball of light into the air which illuminated the room around us.

Files. Loads and loads of them. Files all over the place. It wasn’t out of the ordinary for the head of the EEA to have a separate room to keep track of certain things. But why so down deep?

“Odd...this reminds me of the crawlspaces under the castle from when I was little,” Sunset commented as she took a look around.

Twilight inspected the dark room. “Hrm...something’s off here…”

I made use of my sensory abilities. I felt negativity. Powerful black magic was used on something in this room. But what? “I think there’s dark magic here...we better be careful.”

“Dark magic, huh? Hm…” Sunset seemed to lose herself in thought for a moment. Did she have familiarity with the subject?

“Don’t worry, Sunset. If there is dark magic here, I can take care of it no problem,” the princess assured her friend. “Now Pale, can you pinpoint the exact direction it’s coming from?”

I pointed to the corner of the room. “There.”

Twilight trotted over, and used her magic to suss out what the problem was. Her prize was a small chest of sorts that was locked off with dark magic. “Eh? Why would Neighsay lock something off with such dangerous magic?”

“Probably to keep something very secretive hidden away,” Sunset commented with a long scowl, “Let’s open it up.”

I watched carefully as Twilight countered the dark magic with her own. I felt it again. My adrenaline rushed. My blood bumped. My heart raced. Why was I feeling this way? Just what was inside of that damn box?!

POP!

At last, Twilight popped it open. “Ah!” Both of the mares gasped at what they found. Inside were documents detailing information that Twilight read aloud.

“Day 5: Specimen 98 has accepted to be used for the spell. We told her it would give her more energy, but in reality, we are looking to assess the potential of implanting magical abilities into another. It has caused a heated amount of tension between her and her husband, due to the side effects making her more aggressive.”

“Subjects…?” Sunset loomed over and picked out another page for Twilight to read. “What could he be doing?”

“Day 17: Specimen 98 has shown signs of aggression not only to her husband, but her child as well now. She is now delusional due to the effects of the spell provided.”

I tilted my head. This sounded familiar, but I wanted Twilight to read more.

“Day 35: Specimen 98 has left her family about a few weeks ago. The effects of the spell have now taken root. She is now capable of levitating and firing magic blasts despite being an earth pony. However, its effects have taken an abnormal toll on her body.”

“Day 72: Specimen 98 is now a mercenary for hire and takes odd jobs. We shall consider adding her to the group should she remain alive.”

“Day 105: Specimen 98 KIA by rival mercs.”

“Killed in Action...how? So wait, hold up,” Sunset held up a hoof, “You mean to tell me Neighsay has had experiments running this entire time?!”

I felt a cuddling sensation in my throat. As if I could throw up my entire digestive system with a single cough. I spoke weakly, and could barely stand to raise my voice. “What was..that specimen’s name?”

Twilight took another look at the paper. The name was blacked out, but thanks to her skills at writing--and magic--she was able to reverse engineer the text in order to see the letters. “‘Specimen Name: Bright Memento.’”

As soon as I heard that name, I fell to the floor. I felt like a fish with no water. Unable to breathe or think properly. “...That was...my mother.” She had been under the effects of a spell the entire time which caused her to become extra aggressive towards my father. And then, she left me in his abusive care to become a wandering mercenary only to die?! That...no...

“WHAT?!” Both mares shouted aloud.

Sunset took a deep breath, and trotted over to console me. She used her magic to set me upright. “Hey...I got your back. Don’t worry.”

“Um...S-Sunset?”

“What’s wrong, Twilight?”

“...You might...you need to see...this…”

Sunset went back over, and began to read aloud.

“Specimens 24 and 25: The black magic boosters have increased their aptitude. They have both risen highly through the combat tourney that I have placed them in with the other Specimens. They are now set to face off against each other.”

She read the next file.

“Specimens 24 and 25 managed to break free of the spell and have killed each other. One could not live without the other.”

“Check the names…” Twilight mumbled.

When she found the names, Sunset nearly burst into tears. “My...my parents...they were...no...no! Is that why Celestia took me in as her student? Because my parents...Neighsay...did she know about this?!”

Twilight put a hoof around her unicorn friend. “Don’t worry...I’m going to get to the bottom of this as soon as possible. For now, I will be taking this as evidence to use against--”

“Against whom?” the old bastard himself appeared at the top of the steps, “P-princess?” His usual, uptight demeanor was broken as soon as he saw Princess Twilight.

“You…” Sunset ran up the steps and tackled him to the floor. “You sick piece of shit! You were the reason my parents disappeared?! You took everything from me!”

“What the devil are you talking about?” he tried to deflect, “I don’t even know who you are.” He used his magic to levitate Sunset off of him, “Now if you’ll excuse me I--”

Twilight shut all of the doors with her magic. “Neighsay. Explain. Everything. Now.”

At last, I rose from my fetal position, and trotted up the steps back to the office where Sunset and Twilight had cornered the old stallion. “Heh...I’m gonna love watching you see your own blood as you die.”

Subject 42: Hidden Suffering

“Okay okay, listen! A small group of mine has been conducting...trials to make our citizens stronger!” the blowhard of a unicorn sweated bullets, “Is that so wrong?”

“It’s wrong when you drag innocent ponies into it,” Twilight stepped forward, “I have to be honest--I’ve done a poor job as a princess if I can’t maintain those who work beneath me. But that all changes today. Neighsay, you are hereby removed from your position in the EEA and will be sent to the dungeon as you await your public trial.”

“But I--” the old geezer tried to interject, but Twilight had none of it.

Her horn lit up. “My decision is final.” Her magic aura consumed the stallion, which took away his magic, and thus rendered him defenseless. “You are lucky. A thousand years ago, you would’ve been put up for execution immediately. Guards!”

A set of Royal Guards which included Gallus and Flash Sentry entered the room. The griffon spoke first. “Ma’am. What’s the problem?”

“Take Neighsay to his cell. He’s been de-powered, and won’t give you any troubles.”

“On it. Move it, old timer, let’s go,” the light orange pegasus lifted him up to which the griffon assisted. Neighsay was too weakened to move or speak, and gave no protest when dragged off.

Sunset meanwhile, had been lightly sobbing into her hooves the entire time. Me? I cried along with her. I wasn’t above displaying my emotions. “It’s...alright. You have friends in both worlds here to support you,” I tried to put a hoof around her, but she didn’t take. Understandable. This was earth-shattering information that would make anyone uneasy.

She pushed me away, gently. “Sorry, I’m just...I need time to think about this. And I need to see Celestia. Where is she, again?”

Twilight answered. “She and Luna are both retired and living in Silver Shoals. It’s not that far from Canterlot. You can take the train there right now if you want.”

Sunset nodded. “Please...I’d like that,” she looked at me, “And don’t worry Pale. When the trial for Neighsay is held, I’ll be back to testify against him right with you.”

“No trouble at all, miss,” I tipped my hat, “Go. Go on and see your old teacher--she does have quite a bit to explain to you, I’d imagine.”

“She does...yeah. Thanks for showing me the truth, Twilight. It hurts, but now I think I know what I need to do,” she stood up, and gave her alicorn friend a hug.

“Don’t worry Sunset. I’m always here for you, you know that.”

The unicorn mare let go, and to my surprise, she hugged me next. “Good luck with Cozy, okay? I’d like to speak to her too whenever you’re both free.”

I returned the gesture with a hoof around her neck also. “Absolutely. I’ll reserve you a spot in line, Sunset.”

She forced out a laugh, “Heh, thanks. Wait...one more thing.” Her eyes turned a solid white when she embraced me. Was this related to one of her powers? “Your childhood...I can see…”

“It’s...yeah, it’s heavy. But don’t worry. We’ll get through our troubles together.”

“Good, good…” she let go, and started to walk out, “Well, I’m off. See you guys later.”

“Thanks for your help, Sunset,” Twilight replied.

I tipped my hat. “Be seeing ya.”

As soon as the unicorn left, Twilight sighed. “Ugh...I’m sorry about all of that, Pale. I never figured Neighsay would do something like this. He may have had good intentions, but his methods…” That’s when something hit her. She blinked once, twice, and came to a realization. “His methods were flawed...just like…oh no.”

It didn’t take much to understand what she meant. She had compared herself to the former Chancellor. And in a way, she understood just the exact problem she and those before her propagated. “Listen...it’s only a matter of time before we come face to face with our own flaws. The fact that you can do that on your own is what makes you better than scum like Neighsay.”

“I suppose you’re right. Even so, maybe I can make this right. Come on, let’s go to that statue,” she said with newfound vigor. With a flash of her horn, Twilight and I were transported back to the infamous villains’ stone prison. “You ready?”

I had put away the device the other Twilight gave me for use on the portals for later and nodded. “Of course I am.”

Another flash of her horn, and Twilight hit the filly’s statue with a spell to undo her petrification. Except...something happened when she fell to the ground. Cozy Glow wasn’t a small foal anymore.

She was now a young mare--about the same age as the Crusaders were. But something was off. Cozy didn’t move, nor speak. Was she even conscious? “Princess--what’s going on?”

“I...I’m not sure. But I can tell something’s wrong with her.” She trotted over to, and inspected the young mare with her magic. “It...It’s possible that she’s lost her sense of self due to being imprisoned for so many years and stuck in the same body as a filly. Except now, she’s suddenly been thrust into a young adult body and is more or less fully grown...I should’ve known this was a bad idea…”

I walked up to her. “Huh? I don’t quite follow…”

“She’s stuck in a time-lag induced comatose state. It may be awhile before she wakes up...if she does wake up.”

Wait what?! It’s possible that she could die?! No. I won’t let that happen. I had already thought of a plan to see this through. “Twilight. We need to take her to the hospital immediately. And get a message out to Luna right away.”

“Well, that was my intention to take her to the hospital anyways. But why Luna?”

“Because. If she and I can enter her dreams and undo whatever she’s suffering from, it’ll make things a whole lot easier. Then we can finally understand her perspective and why she acted the way she did.”

Twilight nodded without hesitation. I’m glad she saw fit to trust me now. “Okay then, Pale. I gave you full authority on what to do regarding Cozy Glow from this point.”

With another flash of her horn, we were all teleported to the hospital. The light pink pegasus mare was given an immediate room to sleep in so her health could be monitored. After about ten minutes, the doctor came out to us.

“Well..she’s alive, that much is certain. However, she seems to be unable to wake up. Likely due to head trauma. Don’t worry, she shouldn’t be out for long.”

“Thanks, doc,” I responded, “do you mind if we go in there?”

“Go right ahead. She can’t hear anything. Just try not to disturb her body.”

Twilight and I both entered the room. Cozy Glow was still out cold, but hooked up to a heart rate monitor so we could keep tabs on how she was feeling.

“Whew...thank goodness she isn’t in much danger,” Twilight expressed her relief at the mare’s condition. “Okay, Pale. I leave her in your hooves. For now, I’m going to head back to the castle, and send out an express message to Luna via Spike. Then, I’m going to set up Neighsay’s time in court, and what he’ll face for his actions against you, Sunset Shimmer, and anypony else’s lives he’s damaged.”

I nodded. That’s all I could ask of the alicorn, and I was more than grateful for it. “Thank you, Twilight. Do your best, please.”

On her way out, she shot me a smirk. “Heh, I always do my best. Don’t you worry about me. I’ll see you later, Pale.”

“Bye, Twilight. And thanks again for your help.” I waved as she left. With that established, I took a seat in a nearby chair next to Cozy Glow’s hospital bed. My mental wheel began to turn once more. Just what did Neighsay do to affect mine and Sunset’s lives? What was he and his little group out to obtain? I needed answers soon. Hopefully the alicorns would look into whom they had hired in the last few years or so. And Sunset...that mare/girl deserved to know the truth about her life and how things ended up the way they were. And maybe, just maybe...we could find out the truth about Cozy’s origin as well.

Night fell. I had my first good sleep in the last week. At the very least, I could rest easy knowing that the kid was still breathing. Hopefully Luna would arrive soon.

Fortunately, it didn’t take long for me to get my wish. In the outside world, I could barely make out the alicorn’s voice as she called my name. She must have arrived. Soon after, I found myself face to face with her in my dream.

“Pale? Are you alright?”

My dream was sleeping in a comfortable bed. Nice. I got out of it, and approached her. “Luna. You’re here! How’s everything going in the real world?”

“Very...complicated. Sunset Shimmer visited us and inquired to my sister about her past--the time before she became her student.”

Out of respect for her privacy, I didn’t pry. At least, not yet. I’m sure the evidence would be used in the trial against Neighsay very soon. “Makes sense to me. She has the right to know. Now, as for me. Twilight finally--”

Luna interrupted me, and trotted around the dreamscape. “I am aware. Cozy Glow’s state of mind is very fragile from being imprisoned for so many years. It is going to take a minute before she is even capable of dreaming again.”

Damn. Oh well. Guess it was back to the waiting game, then. “Fair enough.”

“Sunset has also spoken to me about the Sirens and what they’re currently dealing with. It sounds to me as if they are making an honest life for themselves in this ‘Human’ world with the Faculty Lot.”

I snickered. That was the lot where teachers would place their motorized vehicles known as cars. Luna thought it was a place of power, so she technically wasn’t wrong. But the Sirens were the main topic of this conversation. “Yeah, they are. They’re actually working jobs and stuff, too. They even saved Sunset and I from this giant crab monster.”

Luna blinked. I guess she wasn’t prepared to hear that. “Wow a...crab monster--ahem. It sounds like you all had fun. If the Sirens can make a better life for themselves, then I don’t see why we can’t give Cozy a proper chance to change this time.”

“Agreed,” I nodded, “It’s unrealistic to expect everyone everywhere to be able to express kindness and be nice. I deal with rowdy customers on a near-daily basis. That’s why I want to support as many different individuals as possible. So when the stronger enemies come, we’ll have a chance to fight back.”

“Sound logic indeed. More allies means more strength. If only it were so simple, then Equestria would know true peace…” she hung her head.

That’s when I had to bring some reality into the scenario. “I’ve been in this job for god knows how long, ma’am. And the fact is: True peace...is not possible to achieve. Even hundreds of years from now when I’m long gone, conflict will still exist.”

Luna raised a brow, eager to hear what I had to say next as she countered. “Oh? Then is striving for peace not a pointless endeavor?”

“I didn’t say that, did I?” I put a hoof around her neck, and pointed to the dream doors, “You of all ponies should know that everyone has a dream. And with those dreams come obstacles. And with those obstacles come conflict. And with conflict, comes development.”

She thought about it for a moment. “Only through conflict do we evolve? Is that what you are saying?”

I let her go, and started trotting around the empty vastness of the scape, “In a nutshell, yeah. The only way we can get better as people--gah--ponies-slash-creatures, is if we face trials and tribulations that contribute to our growth. That is why true peace is impossible. Everyone is always going to disagree with someone on something. And it's within those disagreements that we choose to either live or die. Hence my...efforts towards Cozy Glow.”

Out of nowhere, a new dream door appeared. It matched the color scheme of Cozy’s pink coat and light blue mane. Could this be a dream she was having? Was she still with us? Only one way to find out.

“Hm…” Luna walked up to the door. With a flash of her horn, it flew open. “Strange...this is unlike any other dream I have ever witnessed.”

I followed her. It was a pitch black void of nothingness for as far as the eye could see. Was this even right? Were we truly in Cozy Glow’s head or was this the wrong door?

“No...you’re in the right place,” the pegasus mare appeared between us from within the darkness. “I...there’s a lot to unpack and show you both, so I hope you don’t mind listening…”

Luna shook her head. “My child, you are in a place of absolute solitude. Your true intentions, whether hidden or not, will be on full display for us to witness. I admit, I apologize for not allowing you the chance to speak and tell us why you committed such atrocities,” she said with a bow. “That is why Pale Vestige has fought so hard to set you free.”

The young mare blushed since she didn’t feel comfortable in the presence of a former princess that bowed in front of her. “Uh...you can rise, Luna. Don’t worry. I’ve had...a lot of time to reflect on my life in the last decade or two. And...well, first off, I wanna thank you Pale for trying your best to help me out.”

I nodded. “Not a problem, kid. It’s my job.”

“But...I don’t know if I can be fixed. So many ponies have always pushed me around, or wanted me to never be around them, it’s…” she sighed.

Luna put one of her hooves underneath Cozy’s chin. “Do not be afraid, Cozy. You are not judged within the confines of your own mind. Regardless of whatever you have dealt with in the past, we are going to listen. Isn’t that right, Pale?”

“That’s right, Luna. We’re not here to judge you, kid. In fact, Luna and I were both little bundles of trouble in our youth. So if anything, we’ll understand you best. Won’t we, Luna?”

She blushed, and nodded. “Heh...heh…”

Cozy pushed Luna’s hoof away, and stepped ahead of us. “You both really want to know? The darkness that lies within my heart? Are you prepared to witness my childhood horrors?”

Luna and I looked at each other, nodded, and turned our heads back to the adult Cozy.

“Absolutely,” I said.

“Yes, of course,” Luna added.

With a sigh, Cozy activated her dream. “Alright then...here is the truth.”

Subject 43: Inner Machinations

When the dream turned on, we were able to see into Cozy’s subconscious. The first thing we saw was a newborn pegasus foal born to a pair of ponies whose faces were darkened. As a result, it was impossible to identify who they were. This was likely due to the fact that she had no memory of who they were. Which was understandable. You never were able to remember someone’s face if so many years had passed.

“We can’t let anypony find out.”

“We need to put her up for adoption right away.”

“Don’t you love her?”

“I care about you and your safety more. The child will have to go.”

The details weren’t exactly clear, but we had a better understanding with those words she could recall. Cozy’s parents clearly weren’t ready to handle a child, so they attempted to get rid of her via an orphanage. No records, no paperwork, nothing. They simply left her there one day, and never came back.

Needless to say, I was conflicted.

On the one hoof, I could understand the troubles of dealing with a child that one wasn’t prepared for. It wasn’t a good idea to keep a child in a household that wasn’t fit for them. On the other, I felt annoyed. Was it not possible for them to get any assistance from family? And if they weren’t ready to handle a child, then why would they engage in copulation unsafely? As much as I had sympathy, I had to put blame on the parents for not taking proper care to ensure they would be ready for a child.

From there, things only got worse for the filly. Or better depending on how one would spin the situation. She was bullied constantly and pushed around throughout her early years at the orphanage. The filly wanted nothing more than to escape the place.

“Your parents don’t love you? Nopony will if you don’t take charge!”

“In this place, it’s beat flank or get your flank beat.”

“So what’s it gonna be? Gonna join us or keep crying like a wimp? Nopony’s gonna love ya if you act like that.”

The petty comments of the other foals weren’t enough to sway Cozy on their own. She simply wanted to leave and find her real parents. And that’s just what she did. She snuck out of the orphanage one night at the young and never looked back. All at an extremely young age--not even five or six years old, by my estimate. Cozy Glow roamed the world in search of her real parents, desperate to find out just why they left her there.

I had to admit, the idea of seeing a child be left to fend for themselves in such a way was frightening. I turned and looked at Luna. She did her best to maintain an outward appearance of maturity and understanding. But I could tell that, deep down, she wanted to cry. She felt pain as she saw the events of Cozy’s life unfold before her eyes, and I couldn’t blame her. Luna and Cozy weren’t so different in that respect.

Both the alicorn sisters and Cozy Glow were abandoned by their parents and left to fend for themselves in the world of the unknown. The similarities lied more with Luna in particular. As both of them were troubled souls who lost their ways, and grew bitter.

Or at least, I hoped that my prediction was correct.

Turns out, I wasn’t wrong. We watched the dream unfold ever further. Indeed. In the five years that passed between Cozy’s time at the orphanage, and ending up in Ponyville to join the school of friendship, she had been through a lot. Begging for money on the streets of Las Pegasus, sneaking food away from the Wonderbolt’s Academy in order to survive, and stealing from other ponies in Cloudsdale.

But one day, all of that guilt came to a head. She had stolen a toy glider from a pegasus that couldn’t fly very well. The colt cried and cried because it was all he had to remind him of his grandfather who had passed away. So she made an attempt to return it--even went ahead and admitted to stealing it. Despite this, the parents of the colt were furious, and yelled at her for taking such an item. Instead of showing forgiveness and asking why, they shot first. None of the other pegasus ponies wanted to associate with her from that moment onwards.

She couldn’t believe it. She did the right thing, she owned up to her mistake, but still received vitriol and hatred for her actions despite trying to make amends.

“Go away! Your parents would be ashamed if they found out about what you did!”

“Why would you try and take this from me? No one would ever love you for what you did!”

That was when her world came crashing down upon her. Something snapped within Cozy Glow on that day. If nopony could ever truly love her, then why should she bother? If it was much easier to get ponies to hate her, then that would be way more fun, right?

It started off small. A few small favors here, a few lies there. Her talent for manipulation grew and grew. Soon she was able to pit other ponies against each other in arguments that distracted them long enough for her to take what she wanted. It was all so simple, so slick, so easy.

“I heard your mom said she hates that gift you got for her.”

“Don’t waste your time on that silly dress. Your boyfriend hates it.”

“She’s cheating on you with your sister!”

The rush. The power. It felt so surreal to her to feel this way. Everypony she came across was wrapped around her hoof the minute she opened her mouth. In no time, she earned her cutie mark as well. That chess piece. The stalwart rook.

“And that’s how I ended up at the school of friendship,” she finally spoke once she finished relaying her old thoughts to us, “I felt that if I could be known through being feared, everyone would love me, and I’d be the best pony in the world. But now I’ve gone and made things worse. Nopony would even think about caring about me if they valued their own lives.” She sighed and sat down, “I really messed up. I know that now. But it’s my own fault. There’s nothing I can do to get that trust back. Even now...I could be manipulating you.”

Luna shook her head. “If that were the case, I would have executed you long ago--er, I mean. I know you are a smart pony, Cozy. Too smart to do such a thing a second time. We believe you. Don’t we, Pale?”

I nodded. “That’s right, kid. I was just like you. Sunset was just like you, Sombra, even Cheese Sandwich. There are loads of us who grew up without the guidance of those who were meant to be there. And yet, we all managed to survive one way or another.”

“But I thought King Sombra was dead?”

Oh right. No one else knew about the old King’s resting place aside from me. Well, time to explain that, I suppose. “...and he currently lives in eternal limbo. Wandering the planet out of regret. At least, when I last saw him. And even Cadance grew up with nopony to guide her. In fact, she grew up around Earth Ponies!”

“She...did?” Cozy’s eyes grew wide at this revelation.

Meanwhile Luna raised a brow at me. “And just how do you know that, Pale?”

“Well, the members of my crew have her file--just like everyone else’s. Beyond that, she actually told me about it over the dinner I shared with her family. But yes, she grew up around Earth Ponies in a small village, and was able to reverse a spell that stole love that was created by a mare called Prismia. After that, a magical warp occurred, and she was transported to Celestia where she was adopted as her niece.”

Cozy tilted her head down. “Wow...I wish I could’ve gotten that lucky…”

“Hey, kid. Don’t get like that. As I said, we’re here for you. Even her daughter Flurry Heart wants you to have another chance.”

The young mare’s tail flicked. “Flurry? She always seemed so cool...I wonder how she’s--I mean...it’s whatever.”

“No it’s not,” I protested, “Trust me, kid. As soon as you wake up, you’re going to understand just what I’m talking about in regard to those who are willing to support you.”

“Su...pport?”

Luna smiled at her. “You will see soon, child,” she replied and flew upwards into the sky of the dream, which caused that blinding light to consume everything.

Morning came. Luna and I were the first to awaken. We both slept on the floor, lying down on our stomachs. I suppose somepony at the hospital saw fit to throw a blanket over us. We woke up next to each other.

“Ah...morning. Well this is awkward,” I chuckled, and stood up which tossed the blanket off. “Ah...haven’t slept that well in forever.”

Luna rose from her position also, and stretched. “I must admit, it was very comforting to sleep beside another for a change.”

We both looked at the young mare. She was still asleep. Luckily, the EKG monitor told us that she was breathing steadily. Way more than before. In fact, we were even able to see her chest rise and fall due to the fact that her breaths were more controlled.

“Okay...she’s doing better now,” I said with a sigh of relief.

“Indeed,” Luna responded as she used her magic to fold up the blanket and put it away. “What did you think of our little chat with her?”

I sat down in the nearby chair to think. “Very...interesting to say the least. I never realized someone could go through all of that. I’m personally amazed that she’s still alive given what she had to deal with as she grew up.”

“Agreed. But do you think everypony will be capable of understanding that fact?” she asked, “What if they don’t take the time to understand and still choose to ridicule her? Are you ready for that?”

I shrugged. “I’ve already dealt with plenty of that. At this point, I know everyone more or less stands with me on the subject--just as they stood with you all those years ago.”

She looked outside of the window as she lamented her past. “Yes...I think you have a point.”

“Now we just have to wait for her to--”

Cozy Glow’s eyes slowly opened up. She looked around and when she spotted us, she freaked out a little with a violent shiver, and hid beneath her blankets.

Luna approached her, face as gentle as ever. “It is alright. Nopony is here to hurt you. In fact, nopony will hurt you ever again. Right, Pale?” she smiled at me.

I rose from my seat. “That’s right. I gotcha, kid. You’re gonna be okay. As soon as the doctor lets you leave, we’re going to give you your life back.”

She smiled, and turned over in her bed. I could see that tears formed within her eyes, and that she wanted to hide how she felt in that moment. “...Thank you. But for now, I wanna rest.”

“Um…” Yes, there were a few other things on my mind at that moment, but I didn’t know what to do first. Deal with Quick Draw, deal with Neighsay, go find Sunset and see what she’s found out from Celestia? My wheel spun even as I thought about it.

Luna looked at me. “Pale, listen well. I have a suggestion on what your next move should be.”

“Oh?”

“Both Sister and Twilight have informed me of what has taken place--”

“Wait how do you--”

“Dream communication, son.”

Oh right. Duh. “Sorry. Continue.”

She cleared her throat. “Ahem. Anyway, you should go see the Princess. I shall watch over Cozy until she is allowed to be let go from the hospital.”

Sounded simple enough. “Alright. Thank you, Luna.”

I left the room, and subsequently the hospital. I traveled back to Canterlot Castle. There, I met Spike at the front entrance who told me just where to go. Twilight’s bedroom? And Sunset was already there? Oh no. This was serious.

So I traveled all the way up to the Princess’ room. There, I found the alicorn as she consoled her orange unicorn friend. “You wanted to see me?”

“Yes. We have verified loads of information regarding Sunset’s parents as well as Neighsay’s involvement. Needless to say, there’s something much bigger at play here,” Twilight explained as she pat Sunset on the back. “Apparently her parents joined Neighsay’s cause of their own free will. They weren’t forced into it.”

“I...whatever you guys need to do is fine with me,” Sunset said with a frown. The kind of frown that hid away a secret desire.

“You want to help me fight off the root of the problem, hm?” Even if those long gone ponies joined that crass old man in his efforts, there was still no evidence to suggest that they hadn’t been manipulated. Regardless, I wondered just what sort of cause would get them to join a secret group and abandon their child. There had to be more to this.

To my surprise, Sunset had a stalwart glare. “No. I...well, yes. But to be honest, I don’t want to, for a few reasons. First of which being that I’m...not in the best mental state right now. This still has me kinda...messed up in the head. Second, I can’t afford to stay away from home for too long. My friends at Canterlot High need me. Not to mention the Gates to Equestria that need to be closed.” She pointed at me. “Thanks to Twilight’s persuasion, I’m putting my trust in you.”

I blinked once, then twice. “Me?”

“That’s right,” Sunset walked up to me, “I want you to find out everything you can. Find out who did this to my--no--to our sets of parents so none of it will ever happen to anypony else. We might even find a connection to Cozy Glow--her parents are mysteriously missing also.”

It was a nice feeling to be trusted by someone so powerful. Though, while I wasn’t entirely sure if Cozy was connected or not, I gave a proud smile. “No problem, Sunset. On one condition.”

“What’s that?”

“When you get back home, tell my Human version everything you’ve told me. Get him just as invested in defending your--his home as I am about mine. If he’s anything like me, he should still be just as diligent and capable as I.”

Sunset smiled, and gave a nod. “Heh...after spending this much time with you, I’m actually excited to get back and see what your other self is like. Hopefully he’ll show me his gun collection or whatever,” she said casually with a giggle which prompted a confused look from the princess.

“...I don’t get it.”

I couldn’t help but snicker also. “It’s...a human thing, don’t worry. But thanks, Sunny. I appreciate that.”

“No problem,” she gave me a friendly nudge in the shoulder with her hoof, “we all have things we need to work on in both worlds. The more we can do, the better. Oh and I haven’t forgotten the Dazzlings. I’ll be sure to tell the human Pale to hang around them more. Maybe he can get them to start making more friends? If they don’t spend their time hogging him, heh!”

I choked up, and coughed at the sentiment. Then I gave a silent prayer for my human counterpart in that he would not suffer the same fate of being surrounded by numerous attractive females as I.

I mean, uh, the more the merrier, yeah?

“Heh. Please do. Let the other Twilight know too, okay?”

“I will. Well, I’m off to the portal. Bye, guys. Thanks for helping me find out everything!” Sunset called out to us as she left for the portal to head back to her world.

Twilight and I waved.

“Bye, Sunset!” The princess replied, “Now, Pale. I’m sure you’re aware of what Sunset was talking about. We believe that Neighsay and his group have been preying on ponies in dysfunctional relationships in order to build himself a small army.”

Oh? Wait a minute. “So he’s not solely responsible for the destruction of my parents' lives or Sunset’s? He just takes advantage of what’s already damaged. Still bucked up either way.”

“Oh no, I agree. I feel ashamed as a ruler for not being able to find this out sooner. But I’m going to make this right. Who knows how many ponies within the EEA are just as corrupted as he! With that established. A new trial is going to take place. Ponies v. Neighsay. Next week.”

Made sense. One would have to prepare a massive hearing for what he caused. “Okay. Got it. What would you like me to do until then?”

With her magic, she put a housing deed in my hoof. “This is Cozy Glow’s new address. It’s a home that is near your agency. It will be carefully monitored with security cameras for the sake of both keeping an eye on her actions, and her safety from those who wish to bring her harm. I had it set up a few days ago. I’d recommend you start having her meet with, and apologize to those whom she has wronged in order to help her forge a better relationship with the rest of the populace. Otherwise, she runs the risk of being attacked continuously.”

Oh wow. Another proactive move instead of a reactive move. My respect for the alicorn just went up. “That was always my intent from day one. I know that the opinions of others aren’t gonna simply disappear overnight. But if I can help the kid by any means, then I know I’ll have done one thing right in this world. It’s important to show an individual where they went wrong, rather than simply tell them.”

“Good plan, but there’s more. Agents Lyra Heartstrings and Sweetie Drops will be standing by ready to assist when needed.”

Always good to have more hooves at the ready. I accepted. “Of course. I actually know Sweetie Drops from my old days at the monster agency.”

Twilight giggled. “I know. That’s why I assigned those two to the case. Maybe you can rekindle that friendship at the same time,” she flashed a proud smirk, “a-ya-welcome.”

Dammit, she didn’t have to put it like that. But of course, I accepted. “Heh, of course, Princess.”

“And one last thing.”

“Hm?”

“Get some rest, Pale. You’ve been through a lot these past several months. I know just what it’s like to get super stressed out over stuff and forget sleep,” she flexed her wings as a reminder of her position. “Trust me. Get some sleep. Maybe take a day off or two, and monitor Cozy Glow from nearby. Alright?”

She had a point. I had lost all sense of self in the last...however long its been. From being attacked, transported to a different dimension, fighting a massive ass crab, and learning about a shocking revelation regarding my parents? Yeah, I wanted to sleep for an entire week straight.

“Understood, Princess,” I responded with a tip of my hat, and trotted out of the door, “You take care now.”

“That goes double for you, mister,” she responded with a teasy sort of tone. “Rest well, Pale. See ya!”

Indeed I would. First thing’s first. I met up with Luna once more. She told me that Cozy would be released from the hospital by the evening, and that she would personally escort her to her new home. I wanted to stay there myself, but Luna knew just what Twilight had told me, and she was right. I needed rest to take my mind off things for a while so that I could return to the situation with a clear head.

So I did. I took the first train back to Ponyville. Once I got there, I alerted Corkscrew of what the situation was and who to watch out for. The pegasus accepted my terms, and assured me that he would be on the lookout for Luna late into the evening if need be. Gotta respect that tenacity from someone his age.

With that, I could finally head home. I was ready to drop dead.

Meanwhile, across the road from Pale’s home…

“Ladies, are you sure this is a good idea? I don’t even know if he’d accept me in,” Cheerilee protested.

Both the Mayor and Spoiled Rich hid in a set of bushes. “Don’t worry, my dear,” the Mayor replied, “You need to at least give it a try before you doubt yourself.”

“That’s right,” Spoiled added, “At least take the ride before you decide it’s not worth getting on.”

“And yet, you got Tree Hugger as my wingmare?”

The green earth pony in question was meditating in the middle of the road. “Ohm….neee-eee-eee…”

“It’ll be perfect! You both can handle him at the same time!” the Mayor said with a smile.

Spoiled was just as invested, giving a wide smirk as she filed her hoof. “Heh. It’ll get messy so you two are gonna be perfect. But ya better act now before I take him for myself.”

The purple schoolteacher scoffed. “Uch! Pfft! What? Haha! That won’t happen. Not on your life. Come on, Tree Hugger. We have a friend to pay a visit to.”

“Sweet,” Tree Hugger got up and followed.

Both mares snickered as Cheerilee left. The Mayor commented first. “Heh. Nice play, Spoils.”

They gave each other a hoofbump to signify that they were in agreement. “No worries. I’m interested to see how this will play out as well. Convincing Tree to tag along was a nice touch.”

“Oh please. It was your idea to help her out in the first place.” The Mayor’s ear flicked. “Shh! Here he comes, stay hidden!”

Visitors? Oh wait it’s just Cheerilee. And Tree Hugger? Okay, I could deal with that. I walked up to them as I neared my house. “Oh, hey guys. You looking for me?”

“Pale? Oh, yes! Hah. I just wanted to pay you a visit this time. You’ve always been visiting me so I figured I’d return the favor this time,” she said with a slightly nervous smile.

Tree Hugger seemed content to follow along without a care. I shrugged and unlocked the door to my home. “Why not?” I opened it up, and beckoned them to follow me in, “Come on in. Though I admit, I am a little tired--and stressed out.”

“Oh, we can totally help with that, brah. Right, teach?” Tree Hugger asked as she closed the door behind her.

Cheerilee nodded. “Oh? Sure. I’m always up for helping out a friend.”

Suddenly, Tree had a rare toothy grin on her face, “We can use the same technique I used on him that one time in the hospital, teach.”

“Oh? Are you okay with that, Pale?”

I didn’t recall all of the details. But Cheerilee gave a nod of agreement, so I figured why not. “Sure. If you think it’ll help. Let’s give it a try.”

Subject 44: Opening Move

That was easily the most relaxed I had ever been in a while. Several hours later, I woke up in my bed next to a snoring Cheerilee and Tree Hugger. Wait a minute...did we? Guess we did. I had to admit, it was rather enjoyable. And to see Cheerilee smile like that was worth more than solving any case I could ever hope to crack.

Tree woke up first, and smiled at me. “Hey man. Didja...relax well?”

I blushed, and nodded. “Um...you could say that. So that’s how Cheerilee really felt, huh?”

“She’s just been nervous, brah. I was here to help her feel more comfy before we...ya know.”

“But is she okay with you being…”

She laughed casually. “Hah-hah. I’m all about that free-love style, dude. I’m not quite into you like Teach is, but you’re pretty fun to roll in the weeds with, if ya catch my drift.”

I started to sweat, and I could feel my mouth contort into sort of a smile mixed with an embarrassed frown. “Heh...hah. Well, um--ahem. Glad you were able to...have fun, heh.”

The green mare smiled, and lied back down. “We’re gonna sleep a bit longer if that’s okay. It’s been a while since either of us engaged in such an activity.”

“Okay. Well, if you need anything let me know. When Cheerilee wakes up, I’m going to tell her a few things.”

I looked out of the window at the side of my bedroom. “Hm?” Cozy Glow was there, and getting herself set up in her new home not too far from both where I lived, and the agency where I worked. Perfect. But things weren’t completely hunky-dory just yet. I still had to deal with Neighsay as well. Just what secrets was that stallion hiding?

Everypony had the right to know the truth. No matter how painful.

First thing was first. I took a shower and cleaned myself up after that...um...nap. When I got out, I heard a knock at my door. This time I was cautious. Now more than ever especially. I dried off, and gazed through the peep window, and relaxed when I found out who was standing there. “Okay…” I opened the door to find Lyra Heartstrings--one of the two agents assigned to help me out. “Afternoon, L.”

“P. Great to see you’re still alive after nearly getting stabbed in the back. I know what that feels like, trust me,” she walked in, and sat on the couch. “I bring some news that you may wanna hear.”

I closed the door, and sat with her. “Oh? What’s up?”

She removed her shades, and looked straight at me. “We’ve recently come into some knowledge about Neighsay and his exploits. Turns out Twilight was right. This is bigger than she anticipated.”

Wow, these ladies were impressive. It was about 9AM when I spoke to Twilight, and now it was just 2PM. In that short time, they had already found out more information? Amazing. “Oh? Just what have you found?”

“Essentially, we’ve deduced that Neighsay has been putting ponies under experiments to try and create an army of his own. But that’s not all. He plans to use this army to assert his own power and control Equestria behind Twilight’s back!”

I thought about it for a second, and shook my head. “That’s not exactly an army. That’s a merc group. He’s trying to be a puppet master. Pulling strings from behind the scenes without our knowledge. This would explain the chimera attack on Appleloosa and the Bugbear attack in Ponyville. Someone is trying to fake us out, Lyra.”

“You think he’s not the real one behind this?”

“What do Sunset and I have in common?”

“You lost both of your parents before you could recall?” she answered.

I nodded. “That’s right. Now think about Cozy Glow. Are her parents in any local records? Birth certificates? Citizenship? Burial records?”

“No, no, and no. What are you getting at?” she used her magic to levitate one of the brownies off the coffee table and nibbled it.

Wait, I didn’t make those.

“Cozy may have probably endured something similar. Given just how vengeful her behavior was toward Neighsay. It’s entirely probable.”

“Hm...good point,” she said in between her consumption of another brownie. I sincerely hoped that Tree didn’t put anything strange in this batch. “And you also think that this all is being done for some other greater kind of purpose? Beyond simply forming his own faction?”

I nodded. “Yup. It’s kind of twisted, but I am aiming for something similar. Everypony around the world deserves to have power strong enough to counter their enemies. But through non-consensual experimentation? Doesn’t feel right…”

Lyra put her hooves together and started to think hard. For a seasoned agent, I expected the best tactics one could imagine. “Okay. Here’s what we’re gonna do,” she explained, “You intend to help Cozy get settled and make friends again, right?”

“That’s right.”

“Sweetie Drops and I will watch your back,” Lyra proclaimed with a grin, “Protecting an HVT--that stands for High Value Target--is what we tend to do.”

That was a solid strategy. However, something was still on my mind. “But what about Neighsay?” I asked with a hint of caution, “This particular case is...something that I need to be involved in.”

Lyra gave a deep breath. “I don’t normally do this. But you’re one of the best agents we have. So I’ll see what Commander Sweetie says.”

“Um...what exactly?” I raised a brow. Just what was she referring to? Also, Bon Bon was the leader now? Sick.

“Agents Whooves and Muffins will tail the scene for you. Don’t worry, they’ve been in this position for a long time. They’re capable,” she flashed me a convincing smirk, “I know because they were trained by yours truly.”

As much as I didn’t like the idea of other folks fighting my battles, it would be nice to have some assistance. And I would be damned if I got Corkscrew, Flash Drive, Neon Isotope, or Guttersnipe involved in any of this. Not now, not yet anyways. And Quick Draw...I needed to consult with her. “I see...and what will you have them do?”

“While you’re busy dealing with Cozy, those two will aid Princess Twilight in uncovering more information about Neighsay and what he’s planning. And as soon as you’re free, we’ll call on you for further assistance. Sound good?”

So essentially, they were low-key removing me from the case so that I could watch over the kid. But, I’d be on standby in case anything juicy were to pop up or occur. Fair enough. The last thing I needed to do was have an emotional outburst or something. “Alright...I trust you, Lyra.”

“No problem,” she levitated the plate of brownies, “Mind if I take these? I think Bon Bon would love them.”

I could only imagine what unholiness would take place once they both ate those. But I wasn’t going to deny a fellow agent some hospitality now was I? “Sure, go ahead. Thanks for the tip, Lyra. I’ll be available when you need me.”

She nodded, and got up to leave. I opened the door for her. “Gotcha, Pale. See ya later.” She left, and I closed it.

That’s when Cheerilee must have finally woken up. I heard the shower turn off, and a few minutes later, she joined me downstairs on the couch. “Another meeting with someone from work?”

I felt my cheeks turn rosy when I saw her. “Um...yeah, eheh. Listen. Um...do you…like...”

Cheerilee cut me off with a kiss. One that ignited my very soul. It felt like it lasted forever, even after she pulled back. “Yes, I do. Let’s not make this awkward. But I’d recommend we keep it hidden from the general public.”

At last, the blush went away and I could think more critically. “Good point. My enemies could use you against me if they found out.”

Cheerilee gave an awkward chuckle. “Aha...well, that’s one reason. I just don’t want anypony to start throwing rumors around--for the sake of your work that is. The Crusaders are young adults now, but they’d be all over me as soon as they found out that I found somepony.”

Good old lovely teacher. Always looking out for others. Even so, I would ensure that nothing would ever happen to her. “Thanks, Cheery. Say, you don’t wanna get--”

“Married?” she cut me off and let out a laugh, “Ha! I don’t cotton to the idea of being tied down to somepony forever--not unless I’m absolutely sure. Though ‘Cherilee Vestige’ does sound…” she blushed, and cut herself off with a nervous laugh. “I mean...haha! F-forget I said that. Being...dates? That’s perfect enough for me. If that’s fine for you.”

I couldn’t help but smile. Yeah, she was a few small years above me, but that didn’t bother me. She was a kind, lovely soul that deserved the best. So I...figured I would attempt to be that in any way that I could. “...Absolutely, Cheerilee. I...adore you.”

Another laugh from the purple mare. “Heh! What’s wrong? Can’t say ‘love’ even though we just--?” she shot me a teasing sort of grin.

I couldn’t stand it. Her face made my heart explode. I brought her in for a close hug, and nuzzled the side of her face with my own. I didn’t say anything. No words could convey the emotions I felt in that moment.

She looked at me, and also fell silent. Cheerilee must have known what I felt, and chose not to spoil the embrace with words. We knew exactly what each other wanted without having to say it. That is how we knew we were meant for each other.

At least, I hoped.

Naturally, we were interrupted. By Tree Hugger. “Yooo...you guys finally caught each other’s vibes, didn’tcha? Stellar. Cheery’s friends are happy too.”

Outside through a window, I saw both the Mayor and Spoiled Rich squeal excitedly at each other. They must have noticed me, because they fled immediately after.

Cheerilee giggled. “Oh don’t mind them. They’re just happy that I’ve found somepony. But I’m sure you’re still busy, so I’ll go on ahead and scoot for now,” she said as she got up, and beckoned Tree to follow.

Admittedly, I wanted her to stay. But she was right. We couldn’t let moments like these interfere with our work. “Oh well...would you mind coming back later tonight?”

Tree Hugger gave her usual mellow grin. “Sure man. I’m always free for some fun.”

“Oh, for sure. I’ll definitely be free by then,” Cheerilee replied as she went to the door. “And Pale...thank you. For accepting how I feel.”

I grinned like a giddy little colt that had just found his soulmate. “It’s...no trouble, Cheerilee. Thank you for opening my eyes. You too, Tree. See you both later tonight.”

They waved as they left. It felt...nice to get that tension out of my system. Twilight was right. I did need to relax some more. Maybe I needed to do more. Take my mind off things as I got ready for Cheerilee to return this evening. I got up, and left the house. I started on a casual stroll through Ponyville.

It was nice to be among my usual crowd once again. As usual, I made my rounds to my most common places. The retirement home, the bakery, the bridge near the river at the edge of town. Very calming to be in a place where I could just...exist for a moment.

However, things wouldn’t stay so casual for very long. My walk was interrupted by a familiar pink alicorn that landed before me. “Cadance?”

“Shhh. Yes,” she wore a sunhat and glasses to conceal her identity along with a sweater. She also lacked her crown and special horseshoes so she could blend in. “Aunt Tia told me what happened regarding Sunset Shimmer. And...I think you deserve to know what I dealt with growing up.”

I gave a more serious nod, ready to listen. “Go ahead. Talk to me.”

She sighed, and started her explanation. “I’m sure you know that I was raised by earth ponies when I was a filly, right? No records of my parents whatsoever?”

I nodded, and waited for her to continue.

“Well...I think it’s entirely possible that they too, were involved in whatever Sunset’s parents were involved in.”

I raised an eyebrow. Quite the leap of logic to make. But I wanted to hear her out. “And just what makes you think that, Cadance?”

“Think about it, Pale. Your parents have no records, Sunset’s parents have none. Mine don’t, and neither does Cozy Glow’s. See a pattern here? If they went missing, there would’ve been an investigation conducted as soon as I met Celestia. But...it never happened.”

Well now. This just made the rabbit hole even deeper. Was it possible that Cadance’s biological parents were also taken from her and used for unethical experiments? Given the trend of lack of documentation among those who were affected, it would appear logical.

“I see...thank you for your input, Cadance.”

“No problem. I want to contribute as much evidence that I can against Neighsay. I can’t believe that smug son of a cow was able to sneak past us, past Aunt Tia! It’s insane.”

I nodded with a cold stare at the water that flowed beneath the bridge. “I know...your sister-in-law admits to not being good enough to catch him in his act. But that is in the past now. What we need to focus on, is righting the wrongs that he has caused so no one else can endure whatever he’s done.”

“Agreed. You have my full support, Pale. Also, we’re going to be funding your Earth Pony lessons so that the ponies of Ponyville can start learning how to defend themselves right away. If that’s cool with you…”

Yes. Things were coming along nicely. With that established, I knew it was time to head back and see how the kid was doing. “Absolutely. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to go check on my case.”

She spread her wings. “Understandable. My daughter is here in Ponyville with her coltfriend, so I can’t afford to let her out of my sight for too long anyways,” she said as she flew into the air. “See you later!”

“Bye!” I waved my hoof, and ran back towards the home where Cozy had stayed. As soon as I got there, I knocked on the door. “Kid?”

The young mare opened it up, and flashed me a nervous smile. “Oh...hi, Mr. Vestige. Is something wrong?”

I shook my head. “Not at all. Everything’s great, actually. Are you ready for your first lesson of learning how to hang around others?”

“Oh...um...if you’re sure?”

“Yes. There’s somepony I’d like for you to meet and speak with.”

“Oh really?” she asked with a face that was hopeful, but confused. “Who?”

Subject 45: Ye Old Captain

“Where are we going?” the young mare asked as we trotted along a path towards a hot air balloon.

I tipped my face beneath my hat. “Well, kid….this ain’t gonna be easy so I may as well tell you now so that it stings less later.”

“...What?”

I pointed up to the clouds. “First order of business is gonna be to apologize to the ponies at the weather factory. When you got rid of all magic, you caused a lot of ponies to get hurt as a result of gross negligence.” I explained it to her how it was. Of course I didn’t like being harsh on the kid, but in my line of work, it was important to remain impartial as much as possible. “Are you ready for it?”

I could see the doubts that plagued her mind as she looked at the ground with uncertainty. There were definitely conflicting thoughts that she had, but she knew as well as I that the first step towards redemption is not only identifying your problems, but coming to terms with them as well. “I’ll do it...if you answer a few questions.”

“Sure, kid. I’m all ears.” Nobody else was looking to use the hot air balloon so there was no rush. I sat down on a bench so I could listen to her. “What’s up?”

“First off...why did you do any of this? So many years have passed since then, that I didn’t think anypony cared about me. I thought I was just scum of the earth that got what it deserved.”

That level of self-deprecation was dangerous. I knew exactly what that felt like. “Listen...Cozy, you may have caused lots of problems, but back then, you were a child. A foolish, brazen child who thought their actions had no consequence, right?”

“Well...yeah,” the young mare rubbed her left hoof against her right in a sheepish fashion, “I just wanted to feel...powerful.”

“Why?”

“I...I felt weak my entire life,” she explained with a sigh, “You’ve seen what I’ve been through as a child. That’s why I devoted myself to manipulation and snide tactics. I wasn’t the strongest, or fastest. No, I wasn’t even the smartest. Even so, I made use of my childish charms and wits to overcome whoever stood in my way. And now here we are...so many years later.”

So she did learn a thing or two from being imprisoned for so long. Can’t say I’m surprised. That much time in solitude would likely yield some sort of amount of self-reflection. So my next inquiry was obvious. “Okay, and how do you want to move forward? What sort of goal do you wish to strive for now that you know what you did wrong in the past?”

She looked down with a worried expression. “I...I’m not sure. To start, I would like to fully comprehend the extent of the damage I caused. I’m older now, so my conscience is fully formed and I can think clearly. What I did was...complete shit.”

That was unexpected. I nearly choked up, and coughed once. “Ack! Ahem...language, young lady. And...it’s good that you’ve started to understand what you’ve done wrong on your own. But full comprehension won’t arrive until you witness the results for yourself,” I explained and got off the bench. I went over to the hot air balloon. “Come now. We haven’t a moment to spare.”

With a sharp exhale, Cozy agreed to the terms I had set. “Alright,” she said, and joined me in the balloon basket.

I drank one of the cloud-walk potions that were stationed near the balloon itself, since I wasn’t a pegasus. After that, we were off. Up in the air we went. Cozy stayed silent as we rose into the sky. The kid was nervous, I could tell that much. But I could also tell that she was willing to face the conflict she herself had created. I had nothing but the utmost respect for the mare.

We landed on the docking cloud above us. Cloudsdale wasn’t too far from Ponyville, after all. We got out, and trotted around on the cloudy roads. The place was actually very spacious and wide open with loads of buildings made of clouds. I always wondered how things functioned up here.

But no. No time for that. What I had in mind was something entirely different. “Cozy, you know about the Weather Factory, yeah?”

She nodded as we made a turn towards the facility. “Yeah. Everypony knows that’s where the clouds are made for the different types of weather we get for the seasons.”

“Well, you remember when you stole all of the world’s magic? Well, that caused the weather factory to shut down. As a result, no clouds could be made, and it was...rather unpleasantly hot for several days on end.”

“Oh…” she mumbled under her breath. When I saw her face break from the sheer amount of guilt that weighed her down, my heart sank. This was only the first of many problems she had caused for the world at large. But she needed to acknowledge her flaws of the past so that she could improve herself for the future. “Take me inside.”

“Are you sure about that?” I asked cautiously.

The young pegasus mare took a deep breath, and held her head high. “You said it yourself, sir. If I want to change, I need to come face to face with myself. Let’s go.”

I wouldn’t stop her. If she was willing to reconcile, I would give her that opportunity. So, we both went into the factory. All around on various conveyor belts were various clouds and weather types sealed within jars and prepared to be shipped out.

The worker Pegasi stopped to take a look at us before their boss ordered them to continue. Who was their boss? Well, the answer surprised me just as much in that moment as it did for anything else.

“Get back to work, ponies! I want new clouds generated hours ago!” Spitfire. Aged somewhat due to her time in the Wonderbolts. I could only assume she was retired since Rainbow Dash was now leading the Pegasus organization. Dropping down to managing the weather like Dash herself used to was a very...amusing thought. Just as amusing as seeing her in a regular Weather Factory uniform and construction helmet. “Hey there. What’s going on?” she walked up to us, and took a step back as soon as she saw the mare next to me. “Oh…”

I spoke up first. “Afternoon, Spitfire. I’m here with Cozy Glow--as her...handler more or less. She wants to say a few things.” I nudged her, “Go on, kid. I’m right here.”

She nodded once, and took a step forward. “I...would like to know the extent of the damages that I caused on the day I got rid of all magic.”

The former Wonderbolt looked at us with a curious expression, and trotted past us towards her office. “Follow me.”

I looked at Cozy, and shrugged. Guess this was our ticket to finding out just what happened. We both followed the older mare into her office. We sat down, and noticed some of her old Wonderbolt memorabilia. A medal or two here, a trophy there, a picture of her and her mother? How sweet.

Spitfire grabbed a book from a shelf between her teeth, and flopped it down in front of us on her desk. She took a seat behind the desk, and opened it up. “Let’s see...how many years ago was that, ah.” After she flipped through a bunch of pages, she came upon the page in question. “Here we are...damages that racked up bits in the hundred-thousands. The weather was forced to a screeching halt, and several ponies were injured due to the cloudwalk spell malfunctioning.”

Cozy Glow looked down at the floor. I suppose now, the reality of what damage she caused had just begun to sink in. “Oh...I...I really helped cause all of that, huh?”

Spitfire shrugged. “Don’t start cryin’ on me, kid. This wasn’t our first showdown with somepony that wanted to destroy the world.”

She looked up with a fearful frown. “It...wasn’t?”

The old Wonderbolt sighed, and leaned back in her seat. “Truth is...it’s kind of our own fault. Looking back, we’ve been attacked time and time again, and haven’t set up any sort of safety precautions. Even the Wonderbolts...nowadays they just put on shows. They’re far from the elite military squad they used to be.”

Ouch. I knew that for a while now. The Wonderbolts weren’t actually very...imposing, let’s say. They had gotten soft over the years, and yet nobody really complained about it or cared. It was a shame. For all their work as showponies, they could’ve put more time into being capable fighters.

Though, it was nice to know that Spitfire was aware of that.

“I see...even still, I’m really sorry for how I acted. If I can do anything to help pay off my--”

The yellow pegasus held up a hoof. “I’m gonna stop you right there. If I’m being honest, I can’t say I hold much of a grudge against you. I barely know you,” she said as she leaned back again. “If you want everypony to accept you for what you really are now, then I recommend you show it through your actions. Don’t just go around and grovel at everypony’s hooves.”

I was impressed to hear something like that from the former Captain. My curiosity was piqued when I heard such sentiment. “What makes you offer that suggestion, ma’am?”

“Ugh, don’t say ma’am. I’ve heard that so many times throughout my career. Makes me feel old. I’m Spitfire to you. And everyone else.” She turned her head to something she had on a shelf, a ‘Participation’ Award she received when she was little. “When you spend time begging for forgiveness instead of working on fixing your mistakes, you get nothing. The only way anypony is gonna trust you is if you start making a better life for yourself, understand?”

Cozy had also looked at the award, and nodded. “Oh um, yes m--I mean...yes Spitfire. I think I know what I should do now.”

“Alright, then kid. Go for it. Show me that you’re more than a Participant.”

Before we would leave, I got up and spoke with the mare. “Spitfire, are you aware of Princess Flurry Heart’s intentions to increase our combat prowess?”

“I say she should have at it. The next generation of Wonderbolts needs to be strong. Hopefully Rainbow Dash agrees. The last thing we need is more Pegasus ponies turning out weak and useless like myself, hehe,” she said with a deprecating giggle.

Normally this is the part where I’d disagree for the sake of making the other individual feel better. But… “Um...well, I agree with you on that.”

She leaned in close to me with a mean glare. “Which part, brother?”

I leaned back. “Uh…”

Spitfire laughed it off. “Ha! I’m joking. I know I’m pretty bad. But Dash has the power to teach those new kids.”

I gave a nervous chuckle, and relaxed. “Heh…” and exhaled with relief. “Glad to hear that.” That’s when I suddenly heard a voice from outside the room.

“Hey get outta here, you!!”

My eyes shot open and I made a horse-like bray. I quickly left the room to find a group of pegasus ponies talking to Cozy.

“You were the one that caused my daughter to fall and hurt herself!” one cried.

“As a fellow pegasus, how could you?!” another shouted.

“She better not stay here too long or else we’ll have to call you-know-who.”

I opened my mouth to say something, but the kid stopped me. She put a hoof in front of me, and shook her head. “I earned this. Let’s go.”

“...Are you sure?”

We both left the place with our heads held high despite the interruption. Behind us, I heard Spitfire urging everyone to get back to work. Cozy took another breath. “You heard what she said. Spending time begging for forgiveness won’t get me anywhere. I need to move forward and let my actions speak for me.”

I respect that notion. Turns out she wasn’t simple-minded despite having lived in stone for so long. To be honest, a small part of me feared that she was falsifying her feelings to skate by. Though, I knew she was smarter than that. She wouldn’t be so gullible to try the same thing twice. “Alrighty. Where to next, kid?”

“Hm…” she put a hoof to her chin, and a small electrical cloud buzzed above her head. “Ah. I know. The hospital down in Ponyville.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Oh?”

“They keep track of all the injuries that take place within various cities. I need to know the further extent of the damage I caused, so that’s where I’m going next.”

I nodded. “I’m with ya, kid. Let’s roll.” Cozy flew ahead of me with an uncertain expression. The doubt in her heart was thick enough to cut through. But if she wanted to face her conflicts head-on, I would oblige.

But before I left, I was interrupted by a mailpony mare. She had a...rather iconic pair of eyes. “Letter for Mr. Pale!”

“Derpy?” I looked left, then right, then whispered. “What’s going on?”

The mare also took a look around herself, and leaned in closer to me. “I have an update regarding the Neighsay situation. It turns out he never forced any of the ponies he used in his experiments to join in.”

“None? Whatsoever? That’s...better, I suppose? But that brings up a new question. Why would they join and for what purpose?”

The mailmare shrugged. “You got me, mister. But Doc and I will do our best to figure out whatever we can!”

I couldn’t help but smile at the cross-eyed mare. The way she acted boldly was so...refreshing to be around. “Thank you. Keep your eyes open, and don’t do anything reckless.”

“Aye-ayr, sir!” she said with a salute, and flew off to deliver more mail...and other messages.

I followed Cozy back to the hot air balloon. I noticed she had been sobbing to herself, but didn’t want to make noise out of fear of causing a scene.

I sighed. The kid was brave, that much was certain. I don’t know if I could ever return home and face the ponies I used to beat up as a foal. Who knew if they were even alive?

Maybe I should consider that for my bucket list once this is all over.

Anyway, next stop: Ponyville Hospital.

Subject 46: Medical Expert

And so the kid and I made our way down from Cloudsdale back to Ponyville. Naturally, I was still suspicious of other individuals and what sort of feelings they could have been hiding towards Cozy. Yes, I know the public was on my side at face value. But the power of a card was always within its hidden face. Such is the way of the tarot.

She and I made our way to the Ponyville hospital. Things were actually fairly quiet in the place today. Very few patients and no serious injuries. Good. This meant we could probably get to see Nurse Redheart.

My prayers were answered. As soon as we entered the hospital, we found the bored white earth pony at her front desk. Her mane was in a bit of a mess, but we could probably attribute that towards stress. I decided to approach her first, as gently as possible.

“Ahem...Nurse Red?”

“YES! PRICK ME WITH THE NEEDLE HARDER BABY--!” The head medical pony woke up in a violent stupor. She looked around, noticed us both, and her cheeks turned red. “Oh...excuse me.”

“Of course.” I internalized my laughter. It was amusing to see such a professional mare lose her temper so quickly. I looked at Cozy, and she was...concerned for the Nurse to say the least.

Redheart had turned around to fix her mane, and faced us once more when she was ready. “Ahem. How may I help you today?”

“Hello, Nurse Red,” I said with a tip of my hat. “We would like to inquire the extent of the damage that was accrued on the day that magic was stripped from the land.”

The earth pony nurse took a look at Cozy Glow. I could see it in her eyes that she felt a mix of sympathy and dread. “Oh...you’d...I see.” She turned around and picked out some files from a nearby drawer. “Alright, here we go. Yeah, quite a few pegasus ponies came in with crippled wings, and a few earth ponies that fell to the ground due to the cloudwalk spell malfunctioning.”

Yikes. The mental image of such a thing made me flinch internally. Cozy’s face scrunched up out of fear and pain that she could taste, I’d imagine. “Ouch…” she muttered under her breath, “I remember being crazy with power and not caring who I hurt in the process when I was little, but now…”

I looked at her with a curious gaze. “Now?”

“Now I...do understand,” she said with a weak sigh. “Perhaps it’s too late, but I think I’m starting to get just what it meant to be a supervillain. Stomping over everypony, taking out my aggression on others, the strong trampling the weak…”

That deadly cycle. I despised it with every fiber of my being. As I said before, ponies--and everyone else who lived on this planet with us--were weak creatures. Of course some may carry more power than others, but we’re all just as flappable on the inside. Over the course of my line of work, I’ve come to learn one simple thing.

Those who appear strong were actually weak in some way, and those who appear weak may have been stronger than anyone ever realized.

That is what separated those who had power from those who earned it. Cozy was somepony that had loads of power...but did she really want that?

Nurse Redheart spoke up. “Well, I can’t say that you’ll be forgiven for what you caused. But know that it wasn’t entirely your fault.”

Cozy shook her head. “No. I want to take responsibility for what I did.”

“Well, you can start by doing charity work,” Redheart suggested and pointed up to a poster. “In fact, we have an event going on right now.”

I looked at the poster. It was for the annual Running of the Leaves in Ponyville. “Oh?” I asked, “What’s this about?”

“Well, we’re trying to raise money for those who have been affected by evil magic,” she tapped her hoof against her chin, “wish we could come up with an acronym for that. Anyway, the Running of the Leaves is starting within a few days, but we need a few more hooves to get everything set up. Generous donations will only be made with good advertising.”

Cozy seized the opportunity the moment it presented itself. “Hey, I think I can help with that. I...have an idea or two that might make donators...donate.”

The nurse was curious as I was. “Oh? What’s this now?” she leaned towards us.

Nervously, Cozy refused to divulge the contents of her idea just yet. “Um...I’ll let you know when I’m ready to set it up.”

“I see…” Redheart sat back in her desk chair. “Well, if either of you can come up with something to help draw in donators, then that would be nice.”

Wait a minute, didn’t one of the most wealthy ponies in the world live here? “Wait a minute, why not consult Filthy Rich about it?”

“We tried that,” the nurse replied with an eye roll and a hoof against her cheek, “He said he didn’t want to give anything if he couldn’t get a ‘return on investment’ or something,” she said with airquotes. “Truth is, it’s a time-honored tradition that some ponies consider obsolete. ‘Do it with magic’ they say.”

I was no businesspony, so I didn’t exactly have the greatest load of knowledge when it came to subjects such as investments. But erasure of a tradition held in high regard by the general population? Why, it was foolish. To my surprise, the kid next to me said something pretty clever.

“Hm...I can understand that.”

“You can?” Nurse Red asked with a raise of her brow.

“It’s simple. He doesn’t want to waste his bits on an event that won’t make his businesses look better,” she explained. “I know he seems pretty greedy for not wanting to donate, but it’s a pretty shrewd decision if you think about it from his perspective. What we need to do is showcase to Filthy Rich and the other potential donors that the Running of the Leaves is worth investing in.”

Huh. The kid had a point. But there was also something she didn’t consider. If she were to actually do this; aid in restoring Ponyville tradition as well as perform an act of recompense for the damage she did in the past, it could very well be her first step towards earning the trust of the public back. Legitimately.

“Wow, really? Did you learn how to file taxes while you were in stone or something, kid?” the nurse replied with a quip that was accidentally insensitive.

I was about to open my mouth, but yet again the kid surprised me. Cozy giggled? “Hehe! Nah...I just learned a thing or two from...watching other ponies do their jobs, let’s say.”

Huh. I suppose it wasn’t out of the question to assume that she had mentally prepared to face comments such as that, and internalized them as jokes rather than insults. Smart kid.

“Well, if you have an idea, I’d like to see it in action. The Mayor is at the end of her rope over it.” Nurse Red put the files away, and looked up at us once more. “Is there anything else I can do to assist you kind folks today?”

I looked at Cozy. It was largely up to her.

The young mare shook her head. Seems like she already knew what her plan was. “Nope. Nothing else, Ms. Red. But I do have an idea in regards to keeping the Running of the Leaves relevant and to make money for those who have suffered.”

The nurse smiled. “Well, if you know what you’re doing. Do your best, kid. But just know that not everypony is going to trust your actions because of…”

“My past? I know...but I refuse to wallow in it any longer. Mr. Vestige. I’m ready to leave and head back home.”

Oh? Where did this newfound confidence come from? I rather liked it. The kid was ready to tackle this problem head-on and I couldn’t be happier. But I wondered just what she would do at home. Hm…

“Alright, kid. Let’s go,” I tipped my hat at the nurse before the both of us left.

Cozy addressed the elephant in the air. “Huh--that’s an odd sight. But more importantly, my do ya keep calling me ‘kid’? You can clearly see I’m an adult now--sorta.”

I snickered. “Well, you’re still about a decade beneath me. But if you’d rather me not, that’s fine.”

She rolled her eyes and shrugged as she kept walking. “Eh. I’ve been called far worse. That’s alright, I guess.”

I felt a smile creep up on my face before it was quickly washed away. Just what other, bad things has she been called before? Not a nice thought to have. But at least she was happy, and had some ideas going. That much was certain. “Got it.”

We walked back towards her home. Cozy got a few odd looks here and there, but other ponies gave her a friendly smile in response. “I forgot how...relaxed everypony acts. It’s refreshing to see.”

“I hate to say it, but the general population...is extremely passive. So long as their ruler agrees with something, they’ll see fit to agree also. I don’t like it, but…”

Cozy shrugged once more. That didn’t seem so bad to her. “Hey, if the general population trusts their ruler enough to agree with most of his/her decisions, I say they’re a good ruler. Without trust, things will break down and society will crumble, resulting in...war.”

Right again. I couldn’t refute such sound logic. Though, no country was truly perfect. After all, the key to--

My thoughts were interrupted.

“Huh? Is that...the Crusaders in front of my house? They look so...mature.”

What? I regained my train of thought, and looked ahead. A yellow earth pony mare, orange pegasus mare, and white unicorn mare were all standing outside of Cozy Glow’s newly created home with some sort of...basket? “Hm...stay behind me. You don’t know what they--kid?”

She didn’t bother waiting for my explanation. Instead, Cozy trotted up to the three young mares herself. “Hello?”

They all turned to face her. Their pupils shrank, their jaws hung open, and they froze in place when they looked at Cozy.

She waved her hoof in front of their faces. “Um...are you three okay?”

Subject 47: The Redemption Crusade

“Cozy...Glow?” They all spoke in unison.

The pink mare rubbed her left hoof against her right. “Um…”

The earth pony mare--Applebloom spoke up first. “So yer back after your trial, huh?”

Cozy nodded in silence.

“And you’re trying to just live life now?” the white unicorn mare asked.

Another nod.

“And you’re worried that it’s going to take forever for anypony to trust you?” the orange pegasus mare asked.

Cozy let out a sigh. “Listen...please. No amount of words will ever make what I did okay or disappear. I know that. And it’s fine if you don’t trust me. I know I wouldn’t.”

“Pfft,” Applebloom scoffed and waved her hoof, “That’s exactly what we used to say about Diamond Tiara. But she’s cool with us now, cuz she earned it. Don’tcha wanna earn it too?”

“Well…”

Sweetie Belle was next. “Besides. When you’re a kid, you make idiotic decisions. I still remember when I nearly went crazy thinking my sister was trying to be better than me at everything so I sabotaged one of her outfits for Sapphire Shores.”

“Hah!” Scootaloo laughed. “Oh man. I still remember the time I nearly let Lightning Dust trick me into doing a stunt that nearly killed me. If I could go back and time and throttle my stupid filly self…”

Cozy tilted her head. “What about you, AB?”

“Two words, sista: Chimera attack,” she said with a shudder, “brrr...I still be gettin’ goosebumps from that delivery and Applejack was mighty ticked.”

“The point is,” Sweetie explained, “when you’re a child, you make dumb decisions. Yeah, some of them aren’t excusable, sure. But as Rarity used to say, ‘hindsight is twenty-twenty, darling,’” she said with a mock of her sister’s accent.

“Exactly. Rainbow Dash usually scolded me when I did something stupid, but it helped me realize what I did wrong so I didn’t repeat the same mistake.” Scootaloo looked down. “I...don’t suppose you had anypony to guide you?”

Cozy shook her head. “No…”

“I can relate,” the orange pegasus mare walked up and put a hoof around her neck. “My parents are so darn busy all the time, and my aunts...ugh. I love them, but they barely watched out for me either. I was super lucky to get Dash watching out for me. So I know what it’s like to have nopony there. If anything...I could’ve easily turned out the same way.”

A scary, but true thought. One could only imagine what the children of this world were capable of doing if left unattended for too long. And Cozy Glow was one of them.

“So come on, then,” Applebloom offered, “If you wanna make up fer whatcha did, I say we letcha.”

“I…” Cozy pushed Scootaloo’s hoof away, and backed off. “Thank you, but no. If you started hanging around me, there could be rumors. I don’t want that for you.”

Sweetie Belle dismissed this immediately. “Pfft. Who gives a hoof? If anything, it’ll make you look better since three of the best young mares in Equestria are willing to hang out with you. Doesn’t that make sense, Mr. Detective sir?” she addressed me.

I wasn’t entirely sure how to answer that. Yes, the logic was sound, but I couldn’t help but wonder if that would solve things any faster. “I...suppose. But right now, Ms. Glow wants to get settled in and work on her efforts to regain public trust naturally. She appreciates the offer, but doesn’t want your reputations impacted.”

Scootaloo, however, wasn’t satisfied with my response. “You serious? We’re teachers at the School of Friendship. We’re more than qualified to teach her in the ways of treating others properly.”

“Oh? You’re offering her a teaching session now?” I looked at Cozy. “Does this make sense to you? Would you like to learn from the best? After all, they were taught by Ms. Cheerilee herself.”

“Hm…” Cozy tapped the ground with her hoof. A worried expression on her face. “I...I’ll consider it. Right now, I’m a bit busy thinking about the Running of the Leaves and--”

The yellow earth pony’s eyes brightened. “Oh yeah! I remember that! It’s been a while since we participated, wasn’t it?”

“But I heard a rumor that Canterlot just wants us to use magic to make it more efficient,” Scootaloo said, “I think that’d be pretty cool, right?”

“To watch, maybe,” Sweetie Belle refuted, “magic can’t solve all your problems, Scoots. Tradition is important too, ya know.”

Cozy wanted to say something, but didn’t want to be rude. “I...may have a few ideas…” she said in a barely audible tone.

“You do?!” All three shouted at once, which caused the pink pegasus to flinch.

“Whew, then that means I don’t have to try any silly stunts to catch attention for the event,” Scootaloo commented which made her friends laugh.

“HA! When’s that ever worked out fer ya, Scoots?”

“Twice, Bloom! Twice!”

Sweetie Belle giggled, and spoke up. “Alright. I think we should give Cozy some space. But think about what we said, okay?”

“Mm-hmm…”

“Granny Smith used to love that ol’ leaf race,” Applebloom said with a sigh as she referenced her deceased grandmother. “She’d be tickled pink if she heard yer idea--whatever it may be.”

“...You think so?”

“Yeah!” Scootaloo chirped, “Yeah! I’m sure you could come up with something that’ll show the folks in Ponyville that the old days still matter!”

Cozy blushed. I suppose that the sheer amount of support she had gotten overwhelmed her. “Well...thanks.”

I spoke up on her behalf. “As she said, she has some ideas. So it would be beneficial if you all gave her some room to breathe. And please, keep your eyes open for anypony that wants to cause her harm.”

All three nodded firmly.

“No problem, sir. C’mon guys. Let’s go get our lesson plans ready for tomorrow,” Sweetie said as they took off.

“Alrighty--we’ll see ya around, Cozy!” Applebloom yelled out.

“We’re here for you if you need us!” Scootaloo cried.

How nice of them. Though, given they were related to half of the current Elements of Harmony, I expected them to be more understanding than the average pony. Even so, it was nice to see somepony that was reasonable.

“What’s your plan, kid?”

Cozy looked up at me, and trotted to her house. “I...have an idea or two to help advertise the Running of the Leaves. But I need to be able to brainstorm it alone...if that’s okay.”

Fair enough. The last thing I wanted was to be overbearing on the kid. Plus, if she worked on it in solitude, there was very little chance she could be interrupted or sabotaged by...unsavory individuals. “Very well. Do your thing, Cozy. I’ll be on my way,” I said with a tip of my hat.

“Okay...and thank you for showing me around today. I have a better idea of what I need to do. Goodbye for now, sir,” she replied before she went into her house.

Well then, now I was on my own. Maybe I could put that out of my mind for a while, and focus more on the suspicious actions of those in charge.

I walked back towards my own house. All the sudden, my thoughts were interrupted by a gray earth pony mare who rounded the corner. “Um...hello. Are you Pale Vestige?”

“Yes,” I turned to face her. She wore glasses, and had a pearl necklace. That cutie mark was familiar...ah, Silver Spoon. “Can I help you?”

“Yeah I...sort of overheard you talking with the Crusaders and Cozy Glow. If possible, can I...meet with her? There’s some things I’d like to explain. Diamond Tiara’s a bit busy so she can’t really do much right now.”

I had to think about it for a moment. It would make sense given how she treated everypony else at that school when they were little. But beyond that, I actually didn’t know much about this one. “I see...well, if you want to speak with her, it’s going to have to wait. She’s somewhat busy with a plan she has to rebuild a proper reputation.”

Her eyes were downcast, and disappointed by my denial. “Oh...okay. Well, whenever she’s not busy, I’d like to talk to her. As for you, I’ve heard some...rumors. About missing parents.”

I took a look around to make sure no one else was listening. “Just what have you heard?”

Silver Spoon went on to explain. “Well...this is just based on rumor mills. But I’ve heard that some ponies have been lured into the idea that they could become stronger if they abandoned their families and underwent certain...procedures. They were fed up with the idea that all they could do was sit back and rely on the Elements Some of them survived, and some didn’t. But...they all thought it was for a just cause,” she looked down at the ground.

Curious indeed. This was a lot of heavy information that I was quite surprised that a young mare such as herself could simply stumble upon. “I see...and just how do you know about this, Ms. Spoon?”

“My dad was one of them.”

Subject 48: Silver and Gold

“You father? Wait a second...what?”

Silver Spoon nodded once. “It’s true. I remember it like it was yesterday. But...if you want this info, I’d like to at least request that you try and get me an audience with Cozy.”

“Hold on, now,” I held up a hoof. “There’s no need for this exchange nonsense. I’ll do my best to see if she’ll speak with you regardless. But I ask that you please divulge whatever you can.”

She sighed, and nodded. “Alright. I’ll tell you what I can. Would it be better if we went inside?”

Obviously. We didn’t want anyone to overhear confidential information. “Sure, come on in.” I invited her inside, and shut the door tightly once she was in. We both sat on the couch, and I let her have the floor to speak. “Okay, what do you know, Ms. Spoon?”

“Well, I don’t remember many details. All I know is that my dad left the family when I was still a filly. It was just my mother and I who were around the house. She always told me that he was off doing work--which I suppose technically wasn’t wrong but…”

To think, Diamond Tiara’s closest friend had issues of her own. It never occurred to me until now. But it made sense. I also never recalled witnessing her parents around her. So this would be an interesting tale to listen to. “I see...please continue?”

She leaned forward, and put her hooves together. “I distinctly remember him saying that he wants to become stronger to protect mom and I. So he decided to join an offshoot branch of the Canterlot Military. Beyond that...I don’t know much else.”

I see. So Neighsay disguised the purpose of his cause as a military faction of sorts? Of course that would draw in loads of young ponies that wanted to prove themselves in the art of combat as well as being able to defend their home. A noble sentiment, yes. But I needed more information beyond conjecture.

“Do you happen to have any...proof? Any sort of documentation that states what your father signed up for?”

With a sigh, she shook her head. “None. Though if I do come across anything at all, I’ll be sure to let you know.”

“Alright, because you can’t have a proper case without evidence. I hope you’re aware of that. A trial against Neighsay is being held soon, so I appreciate whatever you’re able to tell me.”

She nodded. “It’s no problem, sir. The last thing we need is somepony who thinks complete and total control of the world is how things should be handled.”

“Yup, I agree. Is there anything else you wanted to say?”

“No, that’s all. Thanks for listening.”

An unexpected but not unwelcome development in the process. Just what sort of operation has Neighsay and his crew been running this whole time? It was too curious to simply leave it idle. But today was fairly stressful. Once Silver Spoon left, I made sure to take time for myself. Some time away from work.

I rested, cleaned up around my house, and made sure everything was in order. I hadn’t forgotten that Cheerilee did express the desire to return to me this evening. So I couldn’t afford to leave anything just lying around. “Huh.”

When your house was clean, it was a refreshing feeling. This old dump of mine had always been littered with the occasional piece of paper or note that I took. But with that gone, it was easier for me to think. Now I actually felt embarrassed that Cheerilee had visited me earlier with my place in this state. Dammit, Pale.

Oh well, that was neither here nor there. When the purple earth pony returned that evening, she was actually surprised to see the house in a much better state.

“Oh wow,” she said upon entry, “I never expected a stallion to know how to clean!”

I couldn’t help but smile. “Yeah...me neither, heh.”

A very pinpointed joke. In truth, yes. Many stallions were rather messy and didn’t take time to clean up after themselves. Admittedly? Myself included. Many stallions worked hard for the good of this world. It left us tired, ragged. As a result, we often forget the little things--namely how to relax.

Thankfully, Cheerilee was no stranger to relaxation. She stayed with me the entire night in order to help me with it. She joined me on the couch once more for a close hug.

“All you have to do is empty your mind...and you’ll feel fine. After dealing with bratty demons--I mean children for so many years, you sort of develop skills that keep your sanity in check.”

“Tell me about it,” I responded, “Working through all of these cases gave me a new perspective on life. And with you...well, I think things are gonna be even better.”

She giggled. “Hehe! Oh, that reminds me. Are you aware of the upcoming Running of the Leaves?”

How could I not? “Yeah, I know. What’s up?”

“Well...I might be participating this year. I was hoping you would come watch. If...you’re not too busy.”

Was there some sort of otherworldly force in play here? Or was this just a coincidence? Regardless, I happily obliged, “Of course. I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

“Are you sure?” Cheerilee tilted her head with uncertainty. Did she really expect me to deny her outright? “What about watching over Cozy Glow?”

“I think...she’ll be just fine. She’s...going to be involved in the event one way or another.”

“Oh my…” I couldn’t tell if she was afraid or excited by what I had said. “Well, I sincerely hope you both know what you’re doing. I know that any child can turn themselves around and become a respectable adult, no matter how demonic they may seem. Just look at Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon!”

“Haha! Yeah…”

We both laughed it off. Such a funny thought. I knew that there were loads of children out there who were misbehaved by nature--after all I was one of them. But maybe...just maybe Cozy Glow can set a proper example for the rest of them.

It was a relaxing night Cheerilee and I shared. We even slept together upstairs. Though, somehow by all defiance of logic, Tree Hugger had snuck back in to make brownies yet again. You know what? I wasn’t going to complain. I loved spending time with them both.

Days past, and I let the kid have some space. The Running of the Leaves was set to begin today. I got up early, and checked in with Corkscrew on the way towards the path through Ponyville where the marathon was set to begin.

“Sit-rep.”

“Sir! We have reports that a number of surprise guest entries have decided to attend the Running this year.”

I tilted my head. “Who?”

Cork flipped through a list. “Countess Coloratura, Luna, Cadance, and Gabby.”

I raised an eyebrow. Just how did a griffon intend to keep up with the ponies in a running competition when they normally flew? Beyond that, just how did this catch the attention of royalty and a famous musician? What did Cozy do? “I see...any sign of Cozy today?”

“None. Last I checked, she was still at home. She should be here soon, boss. I wouldn’t worry.”

I brushed a hoof against his mane. “Gotcha, bud. Gimme a bird’s eye view from above, alright? Flash Drive’s communication devices should keep us connected even while you’re in the air.”

He pushed my hoof away, and straightened his mane back. Hehe. Always loved messing with him that way. “Yeah, yeah, boss. I’m not gonna go and die on ya,” he flashed me a smirk, and flew into the air.

With that established, now I had other things to worry about. Just where was Cozy? Did she get cold hooves or something?”

Nope, she appeared naught but a few moments after Cork left. “Okay...everything’s ready. I hope it worked,” she said with a loss of breath. Her mane was all tattered and lost its curls, and she had wrinkles under her eyes that represented a lack of sleep. “How are you today, sir?”

“...Kid, you alright? You look half-beaten.”

She gasped, and panted. “I’ve been...up all night...for the past three days...getting the word out. But it’ll all...be worth it...once that race stars, ughhh…”

She was about to fall over, but I caught her. “Kid...you’re not well. Let’s take a seat. The race isn’t set to begin for another two hours.”

“I haven’t eaten in those three days either,” she said with a hoarse groan.

“WHAT?!”

Subject 49: Race To Make The Case

“Okay kid, listen. First thing’s first. We’re gonna get you something to eat, and then--”

But she wasn’t done. She was ready to go further. “Okay fine...but after that, I’m gonna participate. I’m gonna show everypony that I’m not...who I was.”

I fell silent. I liked her idea. Maybe if she did run, she would be seen as somepony who followed through on her plans. But first, I needed her to relax. “Hang on, kid. Let’s take a break.” I took her to a nearby sandwich shop. Corkscrew's family owned it. They had the best pastas and hot sandwiches around. But I decided to get her something a bit...different. We both sat outside at a table with the warm sun that welcomed us.

I set a fresh, steaming bowl of lentil soup in front of her and a glass of lemonade. “Oh...thank you, sir…” she thanked me and started to sip from the bowl.

I was happy to see her eat something, though I wasn’t hungry. When you need to focus on something so important, eating a lot becomes secondary. “No problem. But now...let’s back the scene up a little. Just what all did you do to catch the attention of a famous singer and former alicorns?”

When I looked up, she had finished half of the bowl of soup already. Damn, just how hard had she been working? “Oh um...I put out posters and fliers. Made use of the local newspapers, billboards, and...Twilight.”

I nearly spat out my tea. “All of this in three days?”

Cozy’s response was a silent nod while she avoided eye contact.

Most impressive. Her talent for ‘manipulation’ was rather deceptive. Cozy’s cutie mark was the Rook. A stalwart, strong piece on the board that can only travel vertically or horizontally in a straight path to kill unknowing foes. Stronger than the exclusively-diagonal Bishop and awkward-to-control Knight, this piece is often considered strongest next to the Queen itself.

It originated from the siege tower. A weaponized vehicle that could only roll in a straight line, but tall enough for the individuals hidden within to scale the ramparts of the enemy castle. A trojan of sorts. Military experts reported that the initial designs were laughed off and considered insignificant until they were used to win wars.

Or so they said. I wasn’t a historian.

Regardless, Cozy Glow’s mind was filled with untapped potential. Potential that could either save the world or destroy it. Unfortunately, the latter was attempted and failed. But maybe the former…

“Amazing job, kid,” I put a hoof on her head and ruffled her mane to see how she’d react. A gesture one would make to a younger sibling.

For a split second, I noticed her glare at me, but the expression went away just as fast as it had appeared on her face. She casually swatted my hoof with her own. “No need for any of that, sir. I’m just doing what anypony else would do.” Once she finished eating, and the contents of the glass were empty, Cozy got up from her seat. “Alright, I think I’m ready. The race starts soon so I need to go stretch. Wish me luck.”

“No problem, kid…” I waved at the young mare as she left.

But I wasn’t having it. There was no way I was going to simply let her out of my sight so easily. I officially needed all hooves on deck to watch out for her. If she was going to run this race, then things needed to be kept safe. Especially given the fact that the trial against Neighsay was set to begin the day after tomorrow.

Once everything was set into place, I paced along the trail for the Running of the Leaves. All the way from the finish line to the starting line. Nothing suspicious or out of the ordinary yet. But I refused to lose my cool.

Eventually, on my way back there, I ran into the Mayor.

“Ah, Mr. Vestige,” she greeted me with a smile. She was getting ready to kick off the marathon that was set to begin in just a few minutes. “Here to watch Cozy run with the Leaves?”

I nodded. “Indeed. I’d participate myself, but...well I’m rather past the state of frivolity with my occupation.”

“There’s nothing frivolous about a good run,” she replied, “But most importantly, I sincerely hope whatever little idea she had works out. Ponyville’s Traditions are still dear to us all. But some ponies think they’re not worth keeping around. Can you believe that?”

Of course I could. Someone somewhere always wanted to ruin the fun of someone else. But I wasn’t going to stand for it. “Naturally. But the important thing is doing what makes you happy--assuming it doesn’t harm yourself or others around you of course.” Though I was surprised to hear the Mayor knew of Cozy’s plans, I guess it made sense. One would have to get permission from the political leader to enact anything. “Um...just what did she tell you she would do?”

The Mayor gazed at me with a secretive sort of smile. “Oh...you’ll find out soon. Things are looking up. If you catch my drift, heheh…”

“Up?” I tilted my head towards the sky. What I saw was not something I had expected. Several Pegasus ponies flew in the air with a massive banner that read: ‘RUNNING OF THE LEAVES. THE MOST EPIC HOOFRACE.’

The Mayor grabbed a megaphone and shouted. “All contestants please report to the starting line!”

Crowds started to form. All of the folks that wanted to race started to gather up. Just as Cork reported, Ms. Coloratura was one of the contestants. Though she lacked all of her usual makeup and sported a simple look with her hair tied back and a number on her flank: 70.

Former Princess Luna and Princess Cadance also arrived in casual sports attire--which simply amounted to hoofbands. Luna was number 21 and Cadance was number 69.

“Seriously?” I heard her comment as she looked at the number placed on her flank. “Somepony on the race management team is super immature.”

Luna simply laughed at her expense, which made the slightly annoyed Princess of Love to giggle with her.

To keep things fair, Celestia enchanted the track which disabled all of their special alicorn abilities. Wait, Celestia was here too?

“Celes--”

“Shhh!” she shushed me while she hid behind a tree to mask her presence. Guess she didn’t want to be found out today. Heh.

The last special guest was Gabby, one of the Griffon ambassadors between the two races. I still wondered how well she would do in a race that she wasn’t allowed to fly in. She was numbered 40.

Cozy Glow took her spot in the starting line at the edge away from everyone else. Her eyes were shut. She must have been focusing hard on something. That was what I thought since I saw her exhale, and open her eyes just a few moments later. She was numbered 18.

Once everyone got to their positions, the crowd grew larger and larger. More ponies--and various other creatures--than ever before had arrived for this occasion.

“Well I’ll be…” To say that I was impressed would be an understatement. The kid actually managed to pull this off and bring in more attention to an event that was nearly canceled. However, whether or not we would have any donors was yet to be seen. For now, all we could do was hope that the race would go on without any hitches.

The Mayor’s voice rang out over the crowd through the megaphone once more. “We are gathered here today to kick off the beginning of the Fall and Harvest Season with the Annual Running of the Leaves!”

The crowd let out whoops and cheers of joy. The racers steeled themselves.

“Such an amazing turnout today!” the head of Ponyville continued, “Let’s all have fun out there, and don’t forget: Everypony is a winner no matter where you place! Runners! Are you ready?”

“YEAH!” cried all of those at the start line in unison.

“On your marks...get set…”

HONK!

The Mayor pressed down on an air horn which gave the signal for everyone to begin, They all took off at a brisk, but moderate gallop. After all, it was a marathon, not a sprint. But more importantly, I had eyes above and below to keep tabs on this little race. Yes, Cozy getting the support of donors was the priority, but I had a sneaking...suspicion. A feeling, so to speak.

No, no. Something was up. I knew it. Things were going too smoothly. Call it paranoia, but part of me just couldn’t shake the feeling of...something wrong. Call a detective’s intuition.

“Where are you going?” I heard the Mayor ask from behind me.

“To keep an eye out.” I started a brisk walk on the side of the path in which the Running took place. Beautiful bronze leaves were felled from the trees. A sight that relaxed me somewhat. But even so, something was wrong here. I feared for the kid’s safety.

Turns out my suspicions would be unfortunately rewarded.

I didn’t even pass through one-quarter of the marathon’s pathway before I came across something odd. I could smell something inorganic that came from one of the leaf piles. “Hm?” I stepped onto the empty track, and dug into the pile. From within, I found...an old piece of apple-shaped jewelry? A golden necklace with an apple pendant to be exact. This had to belong to a member of the Apple family. And next to it…

“No…”

Pink pegasus feathers. An exact match to Cozy’s coloration. No. No way. I refused to believe that the kid would do something like this. Someone had to be setting her up. Why? It was simple. Once the marathon was over, pegasus ponies would bring in strong winds to blow the fallen leaves around. When that came to pass, these piles would be uncovered and reveal the stolen items!

“Shit!” That would incriminate Cozy and undo all of the progress she made up to this point! With dread in my stomach, I looked ahead at the rest of the track. Dozens and dozens of leaf piles all laid about from the work of the racers. This was bad. I’d have to go through each one in order to be absolutely certain of what was happening here.

Fortunately, I had an ace up my nonexistent sleeves.

I made use of Flash Drive’s magical communicator that I had placed in my ear. “Cork, Neon, Flash, Gutter. Come in.”

“Sir!” They all sounded off together.

I explained the situation to them, and gave them each an objective. “Cork and Gutter, fly ahead of the racers and see if you can spot anypony suspicious.”

“On it boss!” he said.

“Let’s bring ‘em down! ORA-ORA!” she replied.

“Neon. Stay hidden in the crowd and question anyone you deem suspicious.”

“Right-o, boss. Let’s give ‘em a proper welcome.”

“Flash Drive, I need you here with me to go through these leaf piles and gather evidence.”

“Right then, bruv. I’m with ye.”

“Alright...let’s bust this case up. Eyes wide open, crew. Eyes wide open.”

Subject 50: Grand Theft Awful

“I’m here, mate,” Flash Drive ran up to me with a salute. “Let’s clean up this dreck.” With his magic, he started lifting up the sets of leaves.

“Hey wait!” I stopped him. That wasn’t part of the plan. “The leaves need to stay where they are once they fall before the pegasi blow them around. It’s part of the tradition, you know.”

He paused, and set them down. “I see. Guess I’ll take a more subtle approach.” Instead, he used his magic in a more precise manner to pick out whatever he could from within the leaf piles. “Nothing in this one, I’ll move onto the next.”

I did so also. Drive had the right side of the path while I took the left. For a while, nothing came up. That is, until…

“Boss, over here!”

I ran over. Just what could be buried in these leaves I wondered? I didn’t have to wonder for long. Flash Drive levitated more pink feathers with his magic--same as before. But this time, he also levitated a valuable-looking brooch shaped like a mountain of bits. “Hm…”

“What have you got on your mind?” he asked.

“I remember seeing something like this in Spoiled Rich’s home. This belonged to her.” With that established, I knew exactly what went on in this situation. “Someone is trying to set Cozy up for failure in order to frame her for grand theft.”

The Trottish brother scoffed. “Tch. Absolute wankers, whoever they are. Now what’s the plan, boss?”

I had to think critically. Whoever this was wanted to play this in a tactical sort of way. They wanted to wait until the absolute very end of the race until they could expose Cozy and everyone could see what she ‘did.’ Granted, granted. I was aware that I had no evidence to prove that she didn’t do this. I sincerely hoped to every higher power that she didn’t.

So for the moment, what to do? Well, it was simple. “Continue as we were. Gather up all the stolen items so that whoever caused this will be enraged at the fact that their plan failed. Once we figure out just who caused all of this, find out where they are, take them down, and bring them in for questioning.”

“Makes sense to me, boss. I’m ready when you are.”

As I mentioned, it was simple. All we had to do was gather the items up, and put them into evidence bags. Once we did, we made notes of each item. They included things such as a solid gold lyre that was likely Lyra’s, a heavily damaged scooter that was covered in first-place ribbons--likely Scootaloo’s, and lastly, a heart-shaped gemstone that was blood red. A fire ruby. Rarity’s.

All of the items were carefully bagged and sealed. Okay, that was done. By the time we were finished, we had made our way halfway up the path in which the marathon was held. It would only be a matter of minutes before the race was over.

“What’s our next move, boss? Quite the hoofful of bags we got here,” Flash Drive said as he held everything with his magic.

“Now? We wait. Whoever this was will likely be extremely upset that their handiwork was altered.”

Drive nodded. “Right-o, then. Let’s pick a spot and stake the track out.”

I had to think about it a bit more. “It’s going to be near the end. That’s when they would’ve wanted to expose their deeds and blame Cozy. I’m just curious as to how they managed to pluck her feathers…”

We decided to hide within the confines of bushes near the end of the track.

“Hrm…” Drive looked at the evidence baggie filled with the feathers that we had gathered. Something caught his attention. I could tell because of how sharply he gasped. “...ah!”

“What’s the deal?”

“These feathers were struck with a duplication spell,” he explained as we continued to walk the path, “I doubt she’d be able to do this on her lonesome. It’s someone else for sure.”

Well that was somewhat of a relief? I mean, I knew it wasn’t Cozy that was behind all of this. Then just what was the cause? At any rate, I knew we would find out eventually. Drive and I had taken a long walk all the way down the path. We were close to the finish line so the race had to be over by now.

If anyone was going to strike, it would be now. Then they would see how all of their hard work had been wasted on such a futile attempt to shame somepony who had been doing their damndest to redeem themselves.

Now all we had to do was wait. Any moment now, the race would end, and whoever was trying to cause this trouble would strike. That’s when we heard something.

Bingo.

Drive and I looked out over the hoof-beaten path. Another hooded figure like the ones from before. This one scurried along the path to check over their work. But oh boy would they be in for a surprise.

“Gh! Ugh!” I heard them grunt and yell out in frustration. They were upset at what they had failed to accomplish. Perfect. Now we knew just who the culprit was.

I nudged Flash Drive, and he nodded in response. With his magic, he removed one of the stolen items from its bag with his magic and placed it in the middle of the road.

Within seconds, we heard hoofsteps violently run towards our direction. Like the old fishing line trick, he pulled it with his magic into the bushes we hid in. Hook, line, and sinker. The pony fell for it and tried to run through the bushes.

“Who’s there? AH-!”

I cut them off when I tackled them to the ground. This time, I wasn’t going to let anything slip through the cracks. This pony was going to answer for their actions, whoever they were. I stood above them with my hooves planted firmly in the ground. The culprit lied on their back. I sort of mimicked Limestone’s intimidation stance. “You are hereby held under arrest for grand theft. You will be in contempt of court and given the right to a fair trial when the time comes.”

“Let’s see who this is,” Drive said as he used his magic to forcefully lift up the hood of the pony. It was a mare, one with a shade of light pink and a purple mane--huh, pretty common colors I guess. “Well now...this is a shock. Suri Polomare.”

The ex-professional fashion designer outed for plagiarism against Rarity. Since then, her name essentially disappeared from the fashion world and nopony had even heard of her in the years that followed.

I refused to let her go. I wasn’t going to risk another escape attempt, not this late into the game. “Just what are you doing here? Why have you scattered stolen valuables across the marathon road?”

“V-valuables?” she asked, her eyes darted around her head. “I was just told to put some feathers on the track! Something about keeping track of the wind?”

Okay, not a bad story to start with. But Flash Drive would showcase the evidence that we had gathered in sealed bags. “Oh ya sure about that, mate? Then just what do we have here?”

“What?!” Her eyes grew wide when she saw the precious items. “I...I swear I didn’t know anything about that!”

I raised an eyebrow. “And yet you were wearing a hood. Why? So no one could identify you?”

“Uh--wh--this is a one of a kind!” she sputtered and tapped the fabric, “It’s cold here due to Autumn having started so excuse me for not wanting to get sick!”

“Listen here, madam,” Flash Drive continued, “we believe in innocent until proven guilty, but just be aware that you’re potentially an accessory to a heinous crime that could land you in the depths of Canterlot’s dungeons. I hope that, for your sake, you’re being honest with us.”

Suri put her hooves together and pleaded. “Listen! All I was told to do was scatter some molted pegasus feathers for the Running of the Leaves!” she cried out as her voice broke, “Ever since I tried to steal Rarity’s designs all those years ago, I haven’t been able to find work in the fashion industry and...well, I regret what I did. So I started taking odd jobs here and there to make money. Now I’m just...a washed up fool.”

Dammit. What do I believe? Did she really regret her actions, or not? Had she been manipulated or did she act of her own free will? I had loads of questions but a severe lack of answers.

“Hm…” I would test her intentions by giving her some space. I took a step back but was prepared to chase after her if necessary.

To my surprise, she didn’t try to escape at all. She simply stood up, and dusted herself off. “Thank you for hearing me out…”

“Now hang on,” Flash Drive added, “you aren’t off the bloody hook just yet. We still have to take you in for questioning.”

She sighed and hung her head in shame. Whether she was being reasonable due to really being innocent or to play off her role in the game was anyone’s guess. “Alright, I’ll come with you,” she replied in a dejected tone, “not like I have much else I can do anyways.”

Flash Drive looked at me with a raised eyebrow in such a way that he silently asked, ‘You buying this?’ to which I replied with a shrug of both my hooves. There was no way to truly tell if Polomare was actually telling the truth. Not yet anyway.

All we could do was our job. Standard procedure was to take suspects back to the agency’s holding cell until we could find enough evidence to either incriminate or set them free.

In front of us, we heard ponies laugh and cheer. The Running of the Leaves had concluded. I could see that Cheerilee had actually placed somewhat high among the finishers. Cozy was very tired by the time she was done, but...huh. That purple schoolteacher was talking to her and comforting her? Very nice...that mare was always somepony I could see being a good mother-figure.

In a figurative sense. Completely figurative sense.

Anyway, back to the situation at hoof. “FD. Take point and hold this area down to make sure nopony else causes trouble. I’m going to take Suri back to the agency so Cork and I can question her. Oh, and teleport the evidence bags to the examination room.”

With a flick of his horn, Flash Drive had captured all of our evidence in a magic aura and sent it away. The ebony Trottish unicorn gave a quick glare towards Suri and saluted. “On it, bruv. I’ll question everypony in the race if I have to,” he said before he walked off towards the crowd.

Meanwhile, I began to walk with Ms. Polomare back towards my building. It was a silent trek for the most part. Especially since most of the Ponyvillagers were at the Leaves Marathon to cheer on those who participated.

All of the sudden, I heard her spoke up. “I’m innocent, sir. I have nothing left to live for. My career is over and nopony gives a damn about me. So please...I’ll do anything to prove it.”

I nodded. “Well, we’ll see--”

“I mean it…” She cut me off and grabbed my neck with her hooves. I was caught in an uncomfortably tight hug with Suri’s desperate face inches away from my own. “Anything.”

"Please stop."

Subject 51: Self-Shamed Creator

“Calm down, miss. Once all of the evidence has been gathered, I’ll consider what to do with you next. Just follow me, please.” This process was usually fairly smooth if the individual was innocent. But was she just trying to fake it? That was the question.

Suri nodded and followed me into the agency building. “Alright, alright...but can I at least explain myself to you?”

I closed the door behind her once we were both inside. I ushered her into one of the holding cells and locked her in. “It’s only fair, so feel free to state your piece.”

Once again, she surprised me. She didn’t fight nor make a fuss about it when I put her in the cell for the moment. Instead, she simply took a deep breath, and explained herself. “Well--you’re a detective, officer, etcetera...I’m sure you know who I am.”

I took a seat at my desk across the room and crossed my legs as I listened. “I do,” I replied as I looked into my filing cabinet. “We all do. Suri Polomare of Manehattan--Saddle Island to be exact. You grew up in a pretty well-off area and became a fashion designer at an early age. But you were controlling, and overbearing towards your assistants. You fired...at least 12 of them before you stuck with Coco Pommel.”

Her face contorted to that of shame and embarrassment as she sat on the bed of the cell. But she didn’t stop me from continuing.

“...whom you also drove off with your overbearing ways. She became a success while you...quite literally fell off the face of the planet.” I finished speaking and put the file away. Quite the tale, though of course, it didn’t document absolutely everything. I leaned forward in my seat, and put my hooves together in a contemplative sort of position. “Mind telling me what happened after that?”

Another heavy sigh. “Well you should know what happens to your name when you try and take somepony else’s work. Plagiarism is...no joke. I found out the hard way.”

Indeed. That is something all foals are taught as soon as they get midway through elementary school and begin to write papers for assignments. Taking someone else’s work outed you as a thief, and somepony that couldn’t be trusted. In Suri’s case, it was magnified. Not only was she a fully grown mare that had stolen from another individual, but she worked in the fashion industry. An art-related occupation that one could never recover from if trust was burned in such a way. “Yeah?”

“Nopony trusted me, I couldn’t find work, lost my job, lost my home, and was on the streets for a while. That’s when I realized that I hit rock bottom, kay?”

I nodded, and allowed her to continue.

“Worked a few odd jobs here and there, managed to find a place...sort of. Became a waitress, mailpony, and community service worker for a while. Made a bit of money here and there, spent long, restless nights crying myself to sleep over what I could’ve done differently…”

Yikes, I felt that a little bit. I wasn’t a designer but I knew just what it was like to lose the trust of those who had put faith in you. But moreover, this mare seemed to both acknowledge and understand what she did wrong. Interesting. “If you could go back in time, and change something, what would it be?”

Her answer was quick. “I would’ve never stolen from Rarity to begin with. She was so good that she managed to make new outfits out of hotel items and beat me with the stuff I stole from her. She has true talent...and I don’t. It was a complete waste of time to try and do such a thing because...well…” she leaned forward and rested her cheeks in her hooves, “look at me. I’m a washed-up nobody.”

Hm. Okay, interesting. However, I still wanted clarity on something else. “Do you feel remorse for the way you treated Coco Pommel, or any of the other ponies you hired before her?”

“I...yeah, a lot actually,” she replied slowly, “Seeing her be so successful on her own without me has made me realize I was holding her back. I was being...mean and hateful towards her. I’m happy that she’s doing well on her own now, don’t get me wrong. But part of me wishes that...I could’ve had somepony like her to share that experience with. A friend...or something.”

So it was true. She did feel something as a result of what she did towards Coco, Rarity, and several other ponies she mistreated in the past. Now, if this was a facade, then it was a deceptively good one. But I do think it was possible that she was being honest. Why?

It was a matter of principles. No one with a shred of self-respect would stoop to working on something as...odd and insignificant and laying down feathers. That was never part of the traditional Leaf Run. This next question would make or break whatever trust I intended to place upon the mare.

“Okay. So you were told to put feathers down. By who?”

“Some grayish earth pony with a two-tone pink mane,” Suri replied in an instant, “Can’t remember his name...but he said he would pay me for doing that with the feathers. And before you ask: No. I had no idea about stolen jewelry and those other items. All I did was put the feathers down. Those must have been put there after I left.”

Hm.

Well, the evidence room would be the judge of that. Flash Drive had (hopefully) teleported all of the evidence bags with a flawless snap of his magic from earlier. Long distance-related magic was his specialty after all. It’s how he managed to create devices that allow us to communicate over the wavelengths of his magic. Much stronger than radio waves and not easy to disable.

“Excuse me for one second,” I said to the mare and turned around towards my desk. It would only be a matter of time before Corkscrew would return with the results of whose hoofprints were on these items that Flash and I had gathered.

“Boss!”

Speak of the kiddo and he shall appear. Corkscrew came to me with his lab coat on. Something he always wore when he focused on extracting DNA. “What’s going on, bud?”

He handed me some files that I read over, and announced exactly what I had started to look at. “So the feathers had trace amounts of hair left on them from Suri, but they aren’t Cozy’s at all. In fact, they don’t match any pegasus pony in the entire set of citizenship files.” The youngster could never withhold his enthusiasm because he went on like an untamed rabbit. “And then, and then--hear me out. This is gold. Turns out none of the stolen goods contain anything related to Cozy Glow.”

So it was true then. I could rest easy since I knew the kid had truly moved on from her phase. But would that mean...were the statements of the former fashion mare true? There was only one way to find out. “Alrighty, son, good job. But now, did you come across any evidence that would explain who did steal those valuables and place them there?”

The pegasus stallion used his wings as fingers to show me a baggie he had. “There was one of these tiny little pink hairs left behind at the scene.”

I rubbed my hoof against my chin, and shifted my gaze toward Suri. “Didn’t you say that the pony who hired you also had a pink mane?”

The earth pony mare gazed at the hair from within the confines of her cell. What shocked me was the sheer level of detail she provided in her description. “That’s a pale shade of light-grayish vermillion. Clear as day. A one-to-one comparison of the pony that told me to scatter those feathers around.”

I was impressed. Clearly her talent for picking out different shades of colors hadn’t dulled from her days as a clothing designer. “Well now...with a description like that, it’s too specific to simply leave alone. Just where did you two meet when you accepted that little ‘job’?”

“Just yesterday at the resort hotel in Las Pegasus at around...6 or 7PM? If memory serves, he should be in the same spot as he was, in the food court near the slot machines.”

Well then, I just needed to look at the time. At that very moment, it was only 3PM. If I caught a train, I could very well have a chance to meet with this pony. This would serve several purposes. To not only prove Suri Polomare’s innocence, but find out just who was behind all of this and why they would go to such convoluted lengths to incriminate Cozy Glow. And maybe...just maybe. Could there be a connection between this situation and Quick Draw? She too was also manipulated into thinking she could sabotage something for the sake of what she thought was right. Hm…

“Boss? What are you planning?” Cork asked.

The whole time, I had my hooves folded crossed against my chest. I sat in silence as I thought over the situation, and plotted the best course of action. Neighsay’s trial was set to begin the very next day. If I could find more evidence that exposed his misdeeds, then I knew things would be set straight once and for all.

Why did I think he had something to do with this? It certainly wasn’t out of the question.

I got up from my seat. “Heading out to Las Pegasus. Wanna come with?”

Corkscrew shook his head and backed away immediately. “No way, sir. The last time I went there, I partied so hard that I woke up next to some mare that I didn’t know. Thankfully, all we did was kiss, but still. Not risking that again,” he said with quite the sincere glare in his eyes.

Wow. I couldn’t recall the last time I saw him get so...worked up. But I decided to leave that on the table for now. I shot him a grin. “Heh, no problem, kid. Do me a favor and keep watch over Ms. Polomare until I get back.”

Suri lied down on the cell’s bed and stretched her legs outward. “Eh, I don’t intend to try and escape anyways. This...is actually more comfortable than the things I’ve slept on in the last few years...ahh…” she let out a yawn and turned over to fall sound asleep.

Cork and I looked at each other with expressions of both confusion and pity. We were floored at the idea of somepony being able to rest on a cell bed and immediately fall asleep. Just how rough had this mare’s life been up until this point?

I sighed. Now wasn’t the time for sympathy. It was time for action. With a tip of my hat, I nodded at Cork who saluted in response. We didn’t wish to wake the sleeping earth pony, so we stayed quiet.

I left the agency building and headed for the train station. Las Pegasus was a fancy place filled with all kinds of folks, so I had to be ready for anything.

It was showtime.

Subject 52: Hotel Bros.

The plan was simple. I took the train out of Ponyville and towards Las Pegasus in the West. I’d find out just who had a...mane that was a shade of faded light vermillion. Perhaps it was a bit callous of me to leave so readily on the mare’s account. But someone had to verify that her claims were true. And as I said, I didn’t intend to leave anymore loose ends open. I knew both Corkscrew and Flash Drive were more than capable of keeping that area secured. Both Neon and Guttersnipe were also nearby if they needed help with anything.

So I knew everything would be smooth if I kept a cool head and moved carefully. Hm.

I slipped the pencil back into the metal loops of my notepad. Writing with your mouth was a first-world problem, but it’s a good thing Cheerilee recommended me the flavored eraserhead brand that I currently made use of. It was an invention created by Pinkie Pie when she realized that Unicorns could make use of magic and Pegasi could manipulate objects with their wings like fingers that were similar to griffon claws. Earth Ponies had it the hardest when it came to tool manipulation, so we made use of things like magnetic horseshoes, our tails, and mouths.

Though, if your tail was short and scruffy like mine, then it’d be much harder. Long tails were less common among stallions than mares, so tail-based manipulation was...not very easy for someone like me. I suppose that’s when Pinkie decided to create the flavored eraserheads on pencils. Writing with such a thing in your mouth was disgusting, not to mention could potentially pass on germs if you weren’t careful. But at least this made it more bearable.

Why was I thinking about this? Oh right. Because the suspect that I was looking for was an Earth Pony himself. According to Cork’s notes, the feathers that were used were indeed Pegasus feathers. But they matched nopony in the citizenship records. How was this possible? Well, I had a few theories. First off, the shape and style of the feathers was altered in some way. Secondly, because of the way Earth Ponies interacted with living beings, it’s entirely possible that these feathers were plucked in such a way they left them unidentifiable.

It was like forging one’s signature. Imagine an autograph that doesn’t exist, and being able to fool enough people into thinking that you were someone who had always been in the system of life. Yeesh, what a scary thought. In this particular scenario, I wondered if this earth individual had a talent for craft and deformation of body parts. Not an unusual talent, per se. Chiropractors, physical therapists, biochemists, and even personal trainers all needed to have an extensive knowledge of the pony--or any other creature’s--body. And surprise, a majority of the professional ones were earth ponies according to the records. But just who was this particular one? Was this a case of malpractice or something much deeper?

“Hm…” I looked at the strand of hair in the evidence bag once more. Soon, the train would arrive at the station. Non-unicorns would receive the cloud-walk potion and passage via hot air balloon. This was my chance to find out the truth at last.

Time to begin.

One potion and balloon ride later, I found myself in the massive cloud-based city. Buildings aplenty and...wow. Things certainly have...advanced since I was last here as a youngster. There were electronic screens on some of the buildings, and they showed a bit of a replay of the Running of the Leaves event that had concluded down in Ponyville not long ago.

Damn...just how much advertising did the kid do? I couldn’t help but feel impressed once more. I’d have to let know about that once I got back. For now, I had to head to the resort hotel. The largest one the city had to offer.

A thought came to my head. Just how strong were these clouds if they could hold an entire bricky, metallic, and luxurious city? These had to be one of the highest forms of pegasus magic there is. Probably the highest--or at least the strongest.

Anyhow, it was time to act. I entered the resort and...wow. While not as spacious as Silver Shoals, this place sure made up for it in pure...luxury. Game rooms, an indoor ferris wheel, a massive food court, a roller coaster that was partially inside and outside? What?! “Wild Blue Yonder’? This place was utterly ridiculous. I couldn’t tell if I loved it or hated it. Wait a second, did I spot Lighting Dust as one of the cashiers?! I thought she was on a mandatory arrest within Appleloosa. Did she manage to ascend to a more lenient level of probation? I’d need to look into that a bit later. She even waved at me from where she stood, and I returned it with a wave as well.

The Suite was nearby. So with that in mind, I could find out just who had put Ms. Polomare through something like this. First, I needed to figure out just who matched the color of this bit of hair that we found near the scene. Next, I would tail them and figure out their intentions. Simple.

Thanks to that super long train ride, it was already nearing 5PM. Maybe I could get lucky and find my target early. Heh. If only. Well, I wasn’t simply going to wait around forever. If I could get some answers from those who spent time here, I could get--

“Welcome good sir! Could I interest you in a stay at our lovely resort?”

“Ah!” I yelped and nearly fell on my back. Oh right, I nearly forgot who owned this place. “Oh...it’s you. Wait. Where’s your--”

A mustachioed version of the same yellow unicorn appeared on my opposite side. “We have a two-for-one deal on our passes! Buy one for yourself and get the other at half-price! All you can eat at the food court, skip the lines on rides, and get a stay in our relaxing steam room!”

Flim and Flam. Unicorn twins that weren’t exactly the most trustworthy. They were known for their shady dealings around Equestria. But recently, it seemed as if they did legitimately try to run a proper business in the form of the Las Pegasus resort. If this was true, then I had to respect what they did. The agency didn’t have any problems with them in the last few years, so it was certainly possible that they put that behind them.

“Brother…” I put a hoof against my head out of exasperation. I was not in the mood for foolishness. Not from these two. “Ugh. Listen, I’m actually looking for someone. Grayish earth pony with a vermillion mane that matches this hair,” I took out the small baggie that contained the strand.

Flim--the one with no mustache, took a close look at the evidence. “Hm...doesn’t ring a bell. What do you think, brother?”

Flam took a look as well. “Hmm...you got me, brother. Pray tell, just who are you looking for, good sir?” he asked. Were they genuinely interested in what my mission was? Unexpected.

But of course, I couldn’t reveal everything. I shook my head. “Just following a lead. Don’t mind me.”

I turned in an attempt to walk off in another direction. But Flim stopped me in my tracks. “Wait, wait, wait! Are you sure we can’t interest you in a…” he paused and looked off to the upper left. After a moment, his face lit up with a wide grin, “the world famous poutine being sold in the court?”

“Indeed,” Flam added, “Made with the most pervasive and intricate spices from as far as the Empire to Manehattan! I’m sure you know about that, given that you’re from the big city out East!” he said with quite the knowing grin.

Wait a minute...poutine. The dish that had become a recent favorite within the agency back home. Hang on a damn second. How did they know where I was from? Did these fools really have that much information on me? This was extremely suspicious. Coupled with the fact that Lightning Dust was here, yeah, it made me skeptical.

So I played it cool. I pretended to accept their offer. “Hm...you know what, gents? I think I could find my target more easily if I had a room here.”

I saw the briefest glint of relief in that unicorn’s eyes. “Aha! We knew it! Another satisfied customer, eh, Flam?”

“That’s right Flim!” Flam used his magic to levitate a room key off the wall near the registration desk. “Kind sir, please follow us. We will give you a personal tour and let you find the most luxurious room you’d like!” They both walked ahead of me, into the velvet carpeted hallway.

Gah. Just what were they up to? Meh. I had some time before my suspected target would appear so I decided to play along for now. Even so, if these crazy brothers wanted to play some kind of game, they would have to dance with the best.

We took a few turns and an elevator floor up. On the way there, I saw Babs Seed as well. Was she on another vacation or did she have a job here?

The brothers led the way once the door opened. It looked like a regular hallway and doors that were part of the hotel’s architecture.

“Right this way, sir!” Flim escorted me towards the end of the hall. His brother Flam meanwhile, was looking off to the left and right. As if he made sure that we weren’t followed.

I just couldn’t shake how wrong this was. But if they were in on this, they would have a lot to answer to.

Flim opened the door to the hotel room, and walked in. Somewhat standard with a large bed and a TV on the dresser nearby. “Take a look, sir! Isn’t it amazing?”

I stepped inside. “Hm, quite so.” But I could immediately sense that something was abnormal when Flam entered as well. I heard the door shut behind us.

Time to fight.

But before I did, a magic spell was activated. The entire hotel room changed into an office of sorts. The carpet was replaced with metallic flooring. The bed and amenities were changed out for a desk and file cabinets.

“We apologize for the theatrics, Pale,” Flam said. His usual attire now swapped out for a black suit. Wait what? “We figured Sweetie Drops explained it to you.”

His twin had on one of these suits also. “We would’ve told you who we were,” Flim paused and peered out of the window for a moment before he turned to face me once more, “But well, things would’ve been a tad awkward if everypony in the lobby could see.”

“Hold on, hold on.” I rubbed the sides of my head, “You mean to tell me that you two are…”

They struck an action pose that wouldn’t look out of place on a movie poster as they spoke in unison. “Flim and Flam! Agents of S.M.I.L.E.!”

Well shit. Holy mother of Celestia. Either this was the weirdest fever dream I had ever experienced, or this was real. I heard rumors among the various agency stations, but no one could ever verify it for sure. It was like they had been blacklisted, but they were cool now?!

“I...wha...how?! Word had it that you were both thrown out for misuse of the Reflection Deflections!”

Film chuckled. “Oh that little mishap? Misdirection my dear friend! We’re still very much active.”

“Well, somewhat,” the mustached unicorn twin explained in a more somber tone. “We aren’t allowed to fight monsters like the others. We simply report any suspicious activity to Sweetie Drops--the current head of SMILE.”

“Well...there’s a bit more to it than that alone,” Flim added, “In reality it’s so that she can watch over us and make sure we don’t ‘go rogue’ with schemes again. We hate the constant surveillance, but we’ve earned it.”

“Wait--is that why I saw Lightning Dust working here?” I interjected.

Flim had to think about it for a moment. “Who--oh! The turquoise pegasus mare! Yes. Due to her good behavior in Appleloosa, she was moved up to this job here in Las Pegasus.”

Flam nudged his brother. “But at least we have the authority to stop the truly dreadful ponies. Remember Gladmane?”

“Uch. Don’t remind me. His ideas were utterly idiotic and served no good purpose. We used to be con men, sure, but we have standards to uphold.”

“Indeed. Now Pale, I understand that you’re looking for somepony, yes?”

Their words...all it did was create more questions than answers. But for the moment, I had to focus. If I could get any help, then I would most certainly accept it. “Yeah…”

“We’ll be on the lookout! Right Flam?”

“That’s right, Flim! If somepony is looking to hurt our busin--customers, we’ll put them on ice! What do you say, Pale? Will you let us work with you on this operation?”

These brothers were agents, got kicked out, and somehow managed to remain. I couldn’t tell if it was amazing or completely stupid. Regardless, I didn’t have many options here at the moment. So for now, I would accept their offer.

“Alright...this is your place, so you’d know it better than anypony. Don’t let me down.”

Life was officially too damn crazy.

Subject 53: The Remorseful and The Reject

So, to recap: Flim and Flam were former agents that somehow managed to not only redeem themselves, but are still active within their Las Pegasus resort front in order to watch out for corrupt businessponies who tried to swindle people in the city. I never would’ve expected that. Not in a million years. But you know what? I’ve seen far crazier things happen around this place.

We discussed our plans for a bit longer before we left the room. It was a simple scenario. Flim would watch over the surrounding area from the front desk like usual while Flam observed everything he could through the cameras in the security room.

“This is insane,” I mumbled to myself as I trotted through the massive indoor resort. “I’m actually working with two of the world’s biggest former con artists...what is this life coming to?” No matter. I needed to stay focused.

“If it isn’t the world’s most dangerous detective.” The familiar blue-green pegasus with the fiery orange mane. “What’ll it be, dawg?”

I tilted my head. “...Ms. Dust. So it’s true? You were doing well and they decided to upgrade you?”

The pegasus shrugged and flexed her wings. “More like a transfer,” she invited me to look closer. I could see there were still tracking devices on her wings as well as one on her hoof. “But I like it here. Appleloosa’s too damn loud for me.”

Seriously? This place was just as bad, if not worse! “Um...are you sure?”

“Absolutely. At least here, I can start thinking about what I wanna do next with my life. Being a famous flier...is beyond me now.”

I tilted my head. “Are you sure you want to give that up so readily?”

She raised her hoof and scoffed at the idea. “Peh. You honestly think anypony’s gonna trust me with anymore stunts? My parents are completely ashamed of me as an individual, so I can’t face them. Can’t blame them, honestly…” With her head hung low, she trotted behind the bar where she worked, and sat down on the floor.

I didn’t know how to react. Such a complex topic was beyond my understanding. In truth, she was a lot like Suri, and other people that I came across in my life. When a criminal finally comes to understand and regret their actions--whether it’s something as low as plagiarism, or something and deadly as endangering the life of a foal--when the recognition finally comes to a head...it hurts. Guilt sets in. And once you walk down that divergent path, you will walk it for the rest of your life with no way to return or to figure out how the other path would have turned out.

Heh. Mutual exclusivity was a bitch.

“Well....as long as you understand where you went wrong, you can change the path you currently walk on.”

Lightning burned some scented sticks with a nearby torch that she mainly used for the drinks. Wait, was that legal? I think it was. “Yeah, yeah…” she mumbled while she put the torch away. She took a massive sniff of the scented sticks and the smell slowly filled the air. Pinecones? “Ahhh...that’s better. Anyway, don’t worry about me. I paid the price for what I did. I just hope my parents...gah. What’s the point? They don’t give a damn about me.” She placed her hooves upon the bar counter and rested her head sideways on them.

Oh hell no. I wasn’t going to stand idle and allow another relationship between parents and children go down the drain. “Listen. You may be at rock bottom, but the only place you can go from here is up--or something like that. I don’t know. The point is--if your parents truly care about you, they’d welcome you happily.”

“Ugh, really? I wouldn’t bet on it, but thanks.”

Yeah, that didn’t work. Gah, what was I doing? I had a job to do and I was frolicking with the villagers up in the clouds. Back to the investigation. “No problem. Hey. Have you seen a gray earth pony stallion with a vermillion mane?”

“Verm-what-now?” she asked and lifted her head up.

“Oh, it’s a shade of pink,” I replied, and showed her the hair within the evidence bag. “Recognize it?”

She tapped her chin with her hoof. “Hm...I think I recall....yeah he’s probably one of the regulars. Can’t tell you if he stays in the suite or what, but he’s here.”

Alright. Now I was getting somewhere. The time was just about to line up with the exact moment Suri had described she met the guy. If her words were true, then I would finally find out just who set her up to unknowingly assist in framing Cozy Glow. Part of me felt that I was walking into a sticky situation, but there was still more to it. “I see. Thank you, LD.”

“Yeah yeah, sure. Just be careful…”

With that in mind, I went back to work. I surveyed the area, and even asked around for information from the other patrons. No luck, though a few have managed to catch a glimpse of him, so it wasn’t an entirely lost cause just yet.

Hm...half an hour had passed. Things weren’t exactly looking up for me right about now. If only I could. Wait...aha!

Hook, line, and sinker. The pony that matched the description I was given had shown up. He had on a pair of glasses and a floral polo. But instead of sitting down to eat, he walked right on through the food court and towards the hotel rooms. But somepony had followed him. A Kirin--one of those special pony types with a singular horn and flamboyant tails. A blue one. Huh. I never expected to find one way up here in Las Pegasus. The race had an affinity for silence and this was one of the loudest places in Equestria.

I suppose that’s why this kirin had on a cloth facemask of sorts that kept their mouth from being visible as a way to stay silent. Well now. Turns out that I had two targets to get after at this point.

I decided to wait it out, and focused on the kirin’s magical signature first. Hers was much different from a pony’s due to the kirin’s hidden alter ego--the nirik. I wondered if this one still had the capacity to become one despite not being within her home of Kirin Grove. But that was less important. It was time to act.

So I slipped into the hallways and tracked the trace amounts of aura that the kirin’s hooves left within the carpet. They were pale and a bit hard to read, but I just about was able to make it out. I followed the tracks which led through the hotel hallway and up the stairs. I made a mental note and took the trail upwards to the second floor.

I was led all the way to a door. One of the various spa rooms of the resort. “Hm…” I couldn’t sense much beyond it, so I slowly pushed the door open. A hot tub and pool that overlooked the beautiful mountains below the cloud city. Not a bad look. But just where did that kirin go? No one was in the room.

Once again, my abilities went to work. I closed the door behind me. The room had a somewhat thick sense of confusion within. I could almost taste it. It led me towards a more secluded area around a corner near the window. At the end of that corridor, I found a door that likely led to a steam room. This is where she went. I was sure of it.

I knocked.

No response.

I called out. “Hello?”

No answer.

I pushed the door inwards which caused it to creak ever so slightly.

No reaction.

Well then. That settled it. Either my trail ran cold, or the kirin had masked her presence. I stepped inside and closed that door behind me as well. I guessed correctly. At the far end of the room, the blue kirin mare was on her own in the solitude of the quiet room. No need for the steam since I suppose she had her own fire. But wait, where did the gray stallion with the vermillion mane go?

Well, I was looking for answers wasn’t I? Though, how would I obtain them from a mare whose race preferred silence? Only one way to find out.

I walked up to her. “Excuse me...would you happen to know where a gray earth pony stallion with a pink mane is?”

No answer. In fact, the kirin pony turned away from me. She seemed completely uninterested. With that mask over her face, I couldn’t tell what expression she made, so she was especially hard to read. Still, I wasn’t about to give up so easily.

“Ma’am, this is an important matter of security.” I took another step closer, and continued with a more stern tone than before. “Someone that matches the description I just gave is currently involved with a dangerous incident involving grand theft and defamation of character. If you know anything about him, anything at all--it would be in your best interest to provide any information that you can.”

Still nothing. The kirin’s tail flicked as a warning. I could feel the temperature in the air around the room increase slightly. This subspecies of pony had control over the fiery elements that came along with the emotions of rage and vengeance.

My eyes scanned the room. Okay. I planned multiple escape routes within a manner of seconds. With that established, I continued my interrogation. “Ma’am. Please. Even if you’re not a part of it directly and you’re aware, that makes you an accessory. You don’t want to be involved with something like this if you’re not ready to have your life damaged.”

At last, she turned to face me. The mask now removed, she finally decided to speak. “Leave. Now.” Her lips barely moved, and her voice did not sound like she spoke aloud. It was more along the lines of a hushed whisper from the deepest end of a cave. Her tail lit up with a blue and red flame, which made the air around me even hotter.

Alright. Maybe it was time to get out of here. I didn’t want a fight, and hopefully those unicorn brothers had actually managed to catch as much footage as they could in order for me to use evidence. Yes, I still needed to find my target, but I wasn’t going to do something foolish. Not here.

“My apologies. It seems I’ve made a mistake. I suppose framing someone like Cozy Glow would be beneath you after all,” I said with a tip of my hat, and turned to leave.

But I was stopped dead in my tracks with a flaming blue and red wall--it didn’t burn through the building, but it kept me from crossing the door to leave. The kirin would speak once more with an ethereal voice that sounded like several voices at once with a low echo. “So you do know.” Or rather, she was no longer a kirin, but a Nirik. The antithesis to the race that came out whenever they were upset. “I should have known. You’ll never escape once he gets here.”

I turned around to face the jet-black pony creature. “‘He’?” I asked, “And just who might that be?”

From outside of the steam room, I heard a voice. “Now what in the hay is going on in there?! Open up right now before I call security!”

The flames went away, and the nirik turned back into her kirin form. She ran to the door and flung it open with her magic. “Hun! We got trouble! He’s a narc and he knows our plans!”

As soon as the door opened, I finally saw who I had been looking for. “Ahahahaha! What?! You?! Is this real?” I couldn’t help but laugh aloud. Never in life would I have pegged this individual for a threat. He was a joke to many, and feared by none. One of the most overbearing and unlikable individuals to ever grace Equestria with his controlling, manipulative ways.

Svengallop.

He lacked his suit and simply had a towel around his neck. “Is that so? And just who are you?”

“I’m sorry...ahem,” I cleared my throat, “Pale Vestige. Nice to meet you and what I can only assume to your brother’s girlfriend--not yours.”

She looked at me with utter contempt as she held onto his neck with her hooves around him tightly.

He stepped in front of the kirin mare. “Funny. Really funny. Explain yourself.”

“Well, you see…”

Then again, I certainly did not see this coming. It was always the least threatening ones you had to watch out for. A cornered cat lashes out in its final moments.

Subject 54: Clear Skies and A Battle

“...and that’s what led me to you. You were the one who tried to set Cozy Glow up, didn’t you? And what about Suri Polomare?”

He scoffed with a snarky little grin. “Heh. Guess I’m found out. But you have to admit, it was a pretty damn genius plan. Get the public to hate Cozy Glow, discredit the officer that set her free and get his entire agency disbanded!”

Solid plan, I had to admit. Cozy’s interactions with the general populace was still mostly rocky so it would be super easy to turn her against them. But I had one question. “Why? Once Ms. Coloratura--no. Once Rara tossed you out on your ass, you went into hiding like the disgusting swine you were. Trying to get her to skip out on a charity event for your own warty egotistical dickery. Clearly you’re just jealous that she has a successful life when you’re nothing.”

That struck a chord with him. The veins in his neck bulged, his left eyelid bulged, and his voice turned cold. “Do not mention that complete horse of a name to me. She’s old news. And for the record, I’ve been conducting business of my own without the need for some silly celebrity.” He looked at the kirin mare that held onto him, “Isn’t that right my dear?”

She nuzzled his cheek with her own. I had to admit, I didn’t expect somepony like him could even manage to get into a relationship. “That’s right, Sven baby,” she said in the quiet. Echo-y tone from before, “and for the record, he’s an absolute dream in the sheets--”

“I’m going to stop you right there. No one gives a damn. I thought the kirin were a kind that valued peace. Just what has he done to you, miss?”

“Hah!” The fiery mare scoffed at my words. Her echoing voice became louder as it assaulted my eardrums. “O-ho! So you just assume that we’re all the same, do you? That sounds quite inconsiderate from someone who set free an individual who nearly destroyed the world! My sexy businesspony of a stallion can’t conduct business with shit like that happening!”

So this one wasn’t being manipulated it seemed. She was legitimately attached to the guy.

But wait a second. ‘Business’? So there was more to this that we didn’t quite know about yet. Time to crack this case nut wide open. “Really?” I raised a doubtful eyebrow, “You mean to tell me the washed up and pitiful Svengallop has managed to not only--not only--find himself a mare who puts up with his shit, but found a successful business as well?”

“Oh yes,” he responded with that self-centered grin of his, “I think you’ll come to find that it’s quite the little...riot. Hmhmhm!” Both he and the kirin laughed to themselves. Disgusting. And the fact that they were out to ruin the life of someone else so readily was even more gross. All to protect some business of theirs? Just what even did they have?

Just when I was about to draw my weapon, I heard what could only be the most unexpected voices that hit my ears.

“Oh? What sort of business? We’d love to hear about it. All about it. Isn’t that right, Flam?”

“Mm-hm. Indeed, Flim. Now why don’t both of you exit the room quietly so we can avoid further conflict, yes?”

Those brothers had come to my rescue? I was in disbelief. I was entirely certain that their agency restoration was an elaborate ruse to get me on their good side. But no...it was true. They had come to help, and looked absolutely furious with the essence of daggers that bore right through them.

The kirin mare stuck out her tongue, and a part of her hoof lit ablaze.

Svengallop nudged her, and looked at the twin resort owners. “Ahem, what I meant to say was--”

“Cut the small talk,” Flam interrupted him, “We’ve seen and heard everything you’ve said.”

“You’re about to take a long walk into a short dungeon by the time we’re through with you,” Flim added, his horn lit up.

And yet the stallion with the pink mane didn’t seem to care. “Ha! And just what jurisdiction do you two have? You’re a pair of failed con artists running a hotel!”

“Not anymore…” Flam replied.

Svengallop responded with an inquisitive glare. “Oh?”

The brothers smirked at each other, and ripped off their normal attire and changed into their suits with pairs of shades. Their magic was poised to fire off a spell as they spoke in unison. “We’re ISA Agents of SMILE. And we will not tolerate such vile acts on our property. Cease your actions or be subject to punishment under the justice system of Equestria!”

ISA. Internal Service Affairs. I said it before and I said it again: I found it amazing that these two were actual agents.

But the arrogant stallion didn’t seem afraid. In fact, he was amused. “Heh. Oh la-dee-da. You two aren’t real agents. You’re nothing more than fools that nopony takes seriously! Time and time again the Apple family always bests you at everything. How shameful.”

“Oh really?” Flim raised an eyebrow, “Why don’t you put your money where your mouth is, ingrate!”

“Excellent idea,” Svengallop responded with a clap of his hooves.

The kirin mare giggled. “Ooooh...you’re all in trouuuble….”

This initially confused us all. Just what could a clap accomplish?

CRASH!

From behind the brothers, the door to the hot tub room was kicked open. And a dozen ponies burst through. Most of them stallions, but there were a few mares as well. All of them held some sort of weapon. Crossbows, grenade launchers, knives, magic, their bare hooves--all ready to battle.

“What the hell?!” I shouted, “You’re the leader of the elusive Mogul Mob?! Are you fucking insane?!”

From the corner of my eye, I noticed the yellow unicorn brothers. A small flash went off, and they nodded at each other.

Svengallop simple cackled. “Insane? Ha! True insanity is attempting the same thing over and over and expecting different results. So I stopped trying. I worked my way up through the black market, doing things nopony would ever expect from someone such as myself. Theft, gaslighting, fear mongering, destroying relationships. I did it all!” He said with a stomp of his hoof.

The kirin mare giggled. “Isn’t he just the greatest? I met him when he offered positions to join in his little gang. Turns out his organizational skills are unparalleled!”

“But with you setting that little horse of a mare free, it’s put quite the...damper on my business, we’ll say,” he said with a devilish grin, “But all of that’s going to change once she’s dead!”

“WHAT?!”

From the other room, I could see the brothers were trying their best to figure out how to approach the situation.

“Well? Are we going to stand around all day? Or are we going to fight?” Flam asked while he used his magic to twirl his mustache in a taunting manner.

The nervous Flim swallowed a lump in his throat. “Brother...are you sure this is a good idea? We don’t want to risk the lives of the patrons. Why don’t we take this outside?”

“Inside, outside, doesn’t matter to me,” Svengallop trotted over to his mob of mercenary ponies. “Oh and Freeze Flame, you know what to do.”

The kirin’s face lit up with pure ecstasy. “Ah! You mean…?!”

“Yes. The detective is all yours. Use him however you like.”

On command, she changed into the jet-black, fiery nirik once more. “Oh you better believe I’m going to do exactly what I want with him.”

Flam looked at me. “Pale? Distract that mare. We’ll deal with these lowly thugs. Come, brother! Activate the window trap!”

“Windo--” Before I could ask, something crazy happened.

Flim had pushed a button which forcefully ejected all of them out of the window and into the Las Pegasus square down below!

Everyone screamed. “AAAAAH!” Sven’s mob would all scatter across various areas of the square while the civilians had safely fled to the inside of whatever building they were closest to when the unicorn shouted.

The brothers landed near a fountain with their backs together to cover each other. Flam used his magic to grab a megaphone and shout into it. “Everypony! This is a citywide emergency! Run to the nearest building and stay inside until further--”

He was cut off by one of the mobster ponies that fired a crossbow bolt and knocked the megaphone away from him. “Ha!”

“Son of a--”

“Relax brother,” Flim assured him while he produced a small barrier with his own magic, “You got the message out, now let’s drive these crazy mercs out of here! Stay focused, stay alive.”

Flam used his magic to uncover a secret panel beneath the fountain, and pulled out some sort of shoulder-carried firecracker launcher. “I’m with you! Now who wants some?! The Flim-Flam Brothers stand for fair and honest business!”

I observed the chaos that ensued down below, and then I was tackled by the rage-filled nirik. We were sent tumbling down and out of the other side of the building from the steam room and onto the soft, yet firm cloud ground below us.

“Grrr!” I kicked her off of me.

The nirik mare spun around and landed upright. Now she trotted around in a wide circle like a predator ready to stalk prey.

We were on the southern side of the city away from major buildings. This must have been one of the parks. Interesting. But I had an important question on my mind. “Why Svengallop?” I asked. “What could he possibly have to offer you?!”

“You inconsiderate dingbat! Everything! Let me start from the beginning. You know about us Kirin, yeah? And how we live in Kirin Grove? That place is surrounded by the Peaks of Peril.’

I nodded, “Yeah. I know that much. But that still doesn’t explain--”

Her flame grew stronger. “SILENCE! Now...you must also be aware of the fact that our numbers are somewhat small. The previous generation of kirin only had three males while there were over a dozen females.”

Yikes! That was terrible--or heaven depending on who you asked--but it did explain why I didn’t see too many new kirin around nowadays. “I see...but why ally yourself with someone like Svengallop?”

“I’m getting there. Because of our low numbers, our leader, Rain Shine, has started that polyamorous relationships are encouraged to keep us around. That way, we’ll hopefully give birth to more male kirin and balance things out.”

Ouch. That was just the situation of Equestria but made far worse to the point of threatening their way of life. Even though Svengallop is abhorred by all, I could respect that. “Okay...but why Cozy? Why does Svengallop want Cozy put away so badly? To the point of manipulating others to commit crimes even. Did Suri even know what she was doing?”

“Hah! Of course not!” Freeze Flame threw her head back as she talked down to me, “The population of this world is so damn gullible that they’ll believe anything you tell them. Suri Polomare especially. Such a desperate little horse that’ll do anything for money.” She had a smug little grin and waved her hoof at me, “I’m surprised she didn’t try and beg you, the poor thing.”

So it was true. Suri had no real idea of what happened. But still, there was more I needed to know. “And about Cozy?”

“Hm.” Once more, the flaming pony began to trot in a wide circle while inspecting me to watch for my every move. “He never cared about that pegasus that much. In reality, it was I who wanted Cozy Glow framed for crimes and put back into stone. So I had him pull a few strings and his mob buddies set that whole thing up with that idiot of a pony Suri.” She snorted and giggled like a complete witch. “Heh heh heh! Genius, isn’t it?”

Well now. That was a shock. But it gave me more context. “But why did you want this?”

Her fire grew even more. The mare’s body shook and shivered from her emotions as they overtook her. “All those years ago in the final battle against Cozy, Tirek, and Chrysalis? My parents, my sister and my whole family were killed!”

I took a step back. I knew many injuries were sustained, but never imagined that ponies actually lost their lives. “Wh...how?!”

“I was a filly at the time. And when I heard that my mom, aunt, and sister all died in that battle...I cried. I cried and cried and cried. There was nothing I could do…” her fire went dim as she spoke of this, but her nirik form didn’t change. “So from then on, I vowed that I would never let anyone like them rise to power again. And you are just letting that murderer walk free?!”

Shit...she had every right to be upset. The death of one’s family--a family that cared about you--is not something one can shrug off so easily. “I...I understand. But I assure you, she’s not the same pony she was back th--”

A burst of blue and red fire whizzed passed my head. “LIES! ALL LIES! But no more...I won’t let someone like you cause another set of families to lose their lives to such a crazy pegasus like Cozy. So this is how it’s going down. You can either walk away from this and allow Svengallop to frame her so she gets put back into the stone prison. Or...we fight. And if we fight, one of us leaves this place a dead pony.”

Absolutely insane. That was not how to solve a problem. I shook my head. “There’s no need for that. We can be civil and--”

“If you want to be civil...then let Cozy go back to stone. Otherwise, you’ll be the one that has to die. Are you ready for that? Are you ready to die to ensure the safety of a mare who nearly destroyed the world in her youth?” She stood on her hind legs, flames lit up in both of her hooves.

I also stood on my hind legs, and reached into my vest. I glared at her with eyes of hatred. “I am.”

Meanwhile…

Corkscrew had just arrived to Las Pegasus station on the train. All he had to do now was fly up.

“Thank goodness Flash Drive was able to watch over the agency and Suri,” he thought to himself, “I knew I should’ve went with Pale to begin with. I could just feel that there was something off. But don’t worry buddy. I’m here.”

“This is gonna be the greatest plan.”

Subject 55: The Best Flier's Best Plan

I was at a crossroads. Should I really fault the mare if she lost those close to her in the battle that ensued? Alongside that, the Kirin population has been facing issues when it came to sustaining healthy numbers. The death of her family was utterly detrimental to their development. It was a difficult thing to think about, surely. I completely understood why she would want to keep Cozy Glow imprisoned--dead even.

While she wasn’t the sole reason, she was one of the three individuals that nearly destroyed the world when she was younger, and the cause of the death of her family in the ensuing battle. But the kirin was so buried in her ideals and her rage, that she didn’t want to bother with any sort of compromise. My attempts to convince her that the demonic filly from long ago was now a mare trying to make things right were totally in vain.

“Come on! If you’re ready to die for her, then so be it! Consider it revenge for her killing my family!” the nirik, Freeze Flame, snarled at me from her side of the cloudy park. “No more talking! Fight me!”

Remember when I said I was completely prepared? I wasn’t entirely speaking the truth. Part of me sorely wished that she’d be willing to listen, but I knew she wouldn’t. Not within that level of rage. I supposed that the only polite thing to do would be to at least offer her a chance to relieve some of her aggression.

But despite my words, I had no intention of killing her. The plan was simple. Fight the nirik until she ran out of stamina and had to change back into a kirin. Then and only then could she listen to reason. And if she didn’t listen in her kirin form...then that would be my final stand.

“Fine then. Come at me with everything you have.”

“NO MORE TALKING!”

The nirik charged at me and leapt into the air. Her first attack was initiated poorly--a downward punch that I easily rolled out of the way to avoid. Her hoof hit the cloud-ground and it held solidly. No signs of cracking or damage whatsoever. I guess these pegasi really knew how to make hard structures out of clouds.

But the battle went on. In truth, I was mostly on the defensive. I didn’t want to hurt the mare. I had no reason to.

“RRRRAGH!”

She slammed her hooves into the ground and sent flames my way along the ground. They were impossible to extinguish by normal means so I could do nothing but avoid them.

But that wasn’t all.

Her large horn lit up with a pink aura. From it, she sent flaming spheres at me that flew through the air at me.

“Woah!” I had to both jump and flick my neck to the left and right to avoid the ground flame as well as the projectile ones. They were so hot that I felt the air around my skin boil from the evaporation of the air. Yeesh. This would be a pain in the flank to deal with.

After I dodged those, she sent another set of fireballs my way that I barely managed to dodge. “Gah!” None of them even made contact with my face, but it still hurt. I could hear miniature explosions go off within the ball of fire as it whizzed past my ear. The air around them was simply that hot. “That was a nut hair away from taking my whole damn face off,” I mumbled and straightened the hat on my head.

The nirik stood on her hind legs and put both of her front hooves together. Her horn lit up as well.

“Oh shit.”

Just like something out of Corkscrew’s Japonese comic books, a ball would be superheated in both of her hooves and then her next attack would fire off in a massive laser beam! Fire was a form of plasma, but I never knew that a kirin could transmutate their abilities in such a way.

“Yow!” She flung the beam horizontally which made me duck. She flung it towards my hooves which made me jump. It would be about thirty seconds before she had to stop using it to avoid overexertion. Thank goodness. I had to perform a zig-zag sort of evasion roll just to get close to her. I knew well that unicorn magic could be disrupted if the horn was struck or damaged. Maybe kirins worked the same way?

There was only one way to know for sure.

The next time she sent out fireballs, I was ready. I brought out my trusty blaster gun and fired it, which redirected the heated, condensed explosions away from me and into the air where it went off harmlessly. This Freeze Flame mare was a long-range combatant, so getting in close was my top priority.

I faked going in. I pretended to perform a sliding tackle along the ground only to rise up at the last second in order to strike her horn with a spinning kick. “HA!”

“Ghhh!” Her magic was temporarily disabled so now I could fight her on closer terms. But she wasn’t about to drop so easily. She flung a few punches at me that I just managed to block. Though they hurt like hell due to being lit with her hot rage.

Eventually, we were locked in a struggle, both of our hooves clashed against each other like something out of a swordfighting film. We both tried to overpower each other desperately. And I knew exactly what would give me the edge here. “Not bad, but you’re far too young to waste your talents working with a piece of shit like Svengallop. Why don’t you spend your time doing something productive?” I said with a smirk that hid how nervous I was. Sweat ran down the side of my face. When I spoke, it irked the nirik mare and she increased the intensity of her flames. I couldn’t tell whether or not it was because I insulted her stallion or if it was because of the fact that I continued to speak after she demanded silence.

Either way, it worked. While she angrily increased the power of the flames on her body, she was distracted.

Just long enough.

In a swift motion, I threw one of my hindlegs forward. A straight kick delivered right to her midsection that sent her for a tumble into the nearest wall of a building. “Gah! Grrrr…”

“Ow...shit…” I felt severe burns on my left hoof, but at least I managed to land a hit. But I didn’t allow her time to recover. I ran over and cornered her to that wall. “Listen...I have no reason to kill you. We can end this peacefully, and I can prove to you that Cozy has outgrown herself. She will never do anything like that again?”

From on the ground, she scoffed and spat with a scathing reply. “Feh. Why should I believe you? All you’ve done is bring back the same pony that took my parents magic. Without their magic, they died in that battle. How do you know she won’t do it again?! How do you know anything?!”

I closed my eyes and sighed. It took me a moment, but I had to be honest. “...if she tries it again, I’ll stop her myself. She’s my responsibility.”

The nirik was unsatisfied with my words. With her back against the wall, she lit her horn up and prepared another spell. I could feel it through the clouds beneath me. “And what if she does it again?! And again! And again! Just stopping someone isn’t enough. Sometimes permanent stoning is needed...or even death.”

“There’s another way!” I thought about my options for a moment. Bringing the kirin's parents back, while noble would be deadly. No one should ever mess with those who are no longer with us. However, maybe I could help her with that other problem she and her race faced. “Okay...what if...alright. In order to prove to you that Cozy has changed, I’ll task her with helping the kirin race integrate into society so they can meet other ponies. That way, your race won’t die out.”

I had no idea whether or not she listened. She remained in her nirik form, so it was difficult to tell if she cared. After a moment or two, she finally spoke.

“You...you think you can help us? You think she can help us?”

I nodded. “If it will act as enough recompense for the actions she...somewhat assisted in doing to your family and race, then she will be more than willing to oblige to make things right. I implore you to heed me. She was not the sole reason behind the death of your family. Moreover, she was a child. A lonely, crazed child. She has now aged enough to where she comprehends the damage she caused.” I took off my hat, and leaned down, “Please...allow her that chance to correct her mistakes.” I reached out a hoof to her.

The nirik had solid white eyes, but I could sense the hesitation within them. Did she really understand what I had to say? All I could do was wait in silence for her answer. At last, she took hold of my hoof. No fiery contact this time. Maybe she did truly want to be reasonable?

But that’s not what she gave me.

Instead, I was met with a shockingly painful blaze of fire that nearly consumed my entire hoof!

“AGHHH! Hhh...fff...ow!!” I tried to pull away, but her grip was too strong. Before I knew it, I was flipped over onto the white ground lying on my stomach. I could feel the weight of the kirin on top of me as she forced me into the cloudy surface, my entire body felt like it was being boiled alive. “Why?! I thought you were willing to hear me out?! GAH!!”

“Aw, does it hurt?” she responded in a rather immature, mocking tone as she twisted my hoof more and more, “I bet it hurts reaaaal bad, doesn’t it? It’s just how I felt when I lost everything that mattered to me! You think I’ll let the pony that played a part in my family’s death walk the earth freely?! Never! She’ll pay! And so will you, you disgusting, selfish vermin! Burn! Squeal! Cry! Take the delicious pain!””

“Ngh...dammit...the heat...I’m...roasting alive…” I tried to break free, but the overwhelming pain was too much. I felt my breath leave my body. I felt my skin flake from the sheer amount of pressurized heat applied to me. I could do nothing at this point. I couldn’t move, and I didn’t even know if anyone else had been watching. “...help…”

The haughty nirik cackled at my expense. At this moment, I was sure I was going to die.

That is, until I heard a powerful, rage-induced scream.

“YYYYYAAAAAH!”

BLAM!

Out of nowhere, Corkscrew flew in and struck the nirik with a powerful kick that was enhanced with a gust of spiraling wind that forced her off of me and into another wall nearby. “That’s for Pale and the innocent hotelgoers ya cow!” the pegasus shouted, and turned to offer me a hoof. “Boss! I knew I should’ve come with you. Don’t worry. Flash Drive is back at the agency watching over Suri. But you always protected me back at the Officer’s Academy. So now it’s my turn.”

I weakly stood up, and coughed. “Ugh...well, no need for that. She’s innocent. This mare on the other hoof...it’s a long story…” I felt my sense of breath return slowly. But from the corner of my eye, I saw her prepare another attack. “...Cork...move!”

He blinked, and noticed the mare fire off the blast of flames. I was too weak to dodge it. “Never!” The pegasus stood on his hind legs, hooves and wings outstretched in a defensive stance. “I won’t let you get--!”

In the next moment, he was cut off. The nirik had sent a massive flame ball towards us both, but Corkscrew took the hit for me. The fire lit him ablaze like a burning tree! No!

“AAGH AAAHHH GAAAAAH! IS THAT ALL YOU GOT...AAAAAGAGHHHH!!!” His screams...they were bloody and full of pure terror. I couldn’t imagine what those flames were doing to his body in that moment. He tried to walk towards her, "COME ON! I'M...NOT DEAD YET! YOU CALL THIS HOT?! MMF...ARGH...COME AT ME! QUIT RUNNING AWAY!" but he collapsed to the ground with his body unable to bear the pressure of the flames.

I went into overdrive. “CORK!” I had to think fast. The cloudwalk spell allowed me to use a but of them, so I ripped off a bit of a nearby rain cloud and started to smother Corkscrew’s body with it to consume and get rid of those flames. “Don’t worry! I-I got you...just stay calm...keep it together! You’re gonna be okay!” I couldn’t remember the last time I felt this much anxiety. My best friend was close to being burned to death!

“Aw, how sad,” the bothersome nirik trotted near us, “He got to experience that amazing pain of being set on fire and having your intestines boiled alive. But maybe now you’ll understand the pain I went through, you coward!”

Her words did not register with me. I felt tears well up within my eyes. My voice broke. My heart sank. I just wanted the pegasus to be okay. “C-Cork...speak to me…”

He was covered in burns and ash. I put an ear to his body. His heart was still beating. But just barely. I wasn’t even sure if he would survive. All I could hear him say were five simple words. “It was...worth it...buddy….”

“No...no...no! Listen here, young man! You won’t die on me here! Not now! Your mother would be furious! Come on!” I held him in my hooves. He needed medical attention and he needed it fast. “I NEED A DOCTOR!” I screamed as loud as I could.

“I got him!” Lightning Dust swooped in, and put him on her back. “This time….I’m gonna help save a life. The Las Pegasus hospital is top tier, Pale. He’ll live. I swear on my flank.”

Concerned sobs had leaked out of my eyes for the entire time. I rubbed them, and smiled at the turquoise mare. “...Thank you…”

She glared at the nirik, “You’re gonna pay for what you’ve done…”

“Hah!” Freeze Flame laughed it off, “As if I’m gonna be lectured by some horse who nearly killed a disabled child! How’s it feel to be a laughing stock among fliers, huh Lightning Crust? You're no better than me.”

“Oh I’m gonna…” she shook her head. “No...there’s no time for this.”

I stood up, and walked in front of her. “Go. Get that stallion safe. I’ll handle this mare for all of us.”

Lightning wasted no time, and flew into the air with the charred Corkscrew on her back. I could only hope that he would be safe.

Meanwhile, the nirik trotted around me in a circle. Much closer than before. “Aww...now do you see how it feels? To lose something you care about? How does it feel, huh? HUH?! HOW DOES IT FEEL?! NOW DO YOU GET IT?!”

I hid my face beneath my hat once I got it back. My emotions were immeasurable in that moment. What was this feeling? Anger, desire to kill, the yearn for...revenge. At that point, I felt my body quake. My legs were like gelatin. My blood pumped through my veins at an untraceable rate. But I felt weak, as if I could pass out yet again. Was it due to the smoke and sparks that I inhaled?

“You…”

“Oh? Wanna kill me now?” the nirik mare taunted me with her disgusting smile. A thick cloud of smoke filled the air and cut off my vision. She was trying to snuff me out.

My eyelids grew heavy. I couldn’t even tell if I was fully conscious anymore. But I heard a voice in the back of my head. A familiar broken stallion’s voice…

“Be the king of your own throne.”

Subject 56: Can't Suffocate My Spirit

I lost all forms of consciousness for a moment. I felt like I was back in someplace familiar. Wait, that voice. I knew just who it was.

“Sombra? Hey! What’s going on?! Are you in my head again? What’s with the cryptic message?!” I looked around. I saw nothing, felt nothing, heard nothing. Just what happened to me?

“...You were lucky…” the voice said again. From faded darkness, the gray unicorn with the red scarf appeared once more. “From the limbo realm, this is the only method I have to speak.”

Wait a second, he had somehow invaded my mind again? I thought the effects of the Umbral Shard wore off a long time ago! “Just what’s happening, Sombra? Why are you here?”

The stallion looked at me. “...This is...all I have left before I finally pass on. I foresaw complications just such as these. Are you capable of reigning in your personal feelings in order to be honest?”

I looked down, unable to face him properly. “I...I don’t know. Corkscrew could be dead. I know her family died in the battle but...that doesn’t give her the right to force her will upon someone completely innocent...it makes her no better than those she wants to rally against.”

“And what about you? Can you truly bring yourself to kill her if necessary?”

My eyes drifted left, then right. “I’d like to avoid it if possible but…”

Sombra sat down, and exhaled. “There are times when a king must make difficult decisions for the better of his subjects. I failed to do any of the sort, because I thought only of myself. In the end...I was no king. I was a piece of filth who brought pain and suffering to all…”

I understood what he was saying. In life, there were no absolutes. Morals, desires, conflict, ideologies. It was all based on those who opposed each other. Not a law written in some book or on a scroll. But in this instance...I was unsure. “I...I’m not a king. How can I be so sure?”

“It is not merely our actions that define who we are,” the former king replied, “if you are certain within yourself, then that is all that matters. It is as I said: Be the king of your own throne. I just wanted you to be aware of what I told you regarding your ideals.”

I felt distraught. I knew damn well that my persistence had pushed me this far, and Sombra was telling me just how destructive the situation had become. Now I had enemies all over the place and my best friend was burned half to death. If he died trying to save me, I would never forgive myself. “I know...you told me not to go too far...you’re right. I should’ve back down when I had the chance...now everything is…”

But what he said next quite frankly surprised me. “I said to be moderate in your passions. Not to abandon your ideas. Hold your head high, young stallion. Look at me.”

With no response, I raised my head up, and focused directly on Sombra with unease in my heart. His eyes were cold, unwavering, yet the neutral facial expression on his lips was determined to motivate me.

“Whether or not I, your friends, or the country approve of your actions is only a small part of a larger whole,” he pointed a hoof at me, “that whole, dear Pale, is you. Only you can make things right. Live for what you believe in, above all else. Unlock your hidden potential, and use it for what you desire.”

He was right. I couldn’t stand idle worrying about what others thought. Just like Adagio said. But at the same time, I knew the decisions I would have to make wouldn’t be easy. Chiefly among of them was the nirik mare who fought me to a standstill and charred Corkscrew. Someone who abuses their power in such ways cannot be allowed to roam freely. Cozy was a child when she committed her atrocities, and was completely unaware of what she was capable of alongside the other villains.

But this? This mare knew exactly what she was doing. Her family would be absolutely ashamed of her actions as a kirin. Above all else, I couldn’t let her do whatever she wanted. This world was a place filled with peaceful, loving creatures. But also corruption and unjust suffering. One could not live without the other.

And so, I would come to terms with my doubts. Whether they were right or wrong were no longer relevant. All that mattered was following my brain and my heart in this moment. The laws don’t dictate what should and shouldn’t be done. The ponies that make those laws dictate what should and shouldn’t be done.

That’s the whole reason I founded this agency in the first place. It didn’t have a name, though. I knew what it was for. It didn’t need a label. Also, our enemies would likely find out who we were much easily if we had a proper moniker. But that was besides the point.

With newfound resolve, I looked at Sombra. “Alright...I’m ready to go back. Wait, how long has it been?” I questioned with a raise of my hoof.

“Not long. You will wake up in a few moments…this entire vision I conjured up only lasts for about two minutes in real life time.” He shut his eyes, “Farewell, Mr. Vestige. I do hope that if we meet again...it will be on much better terms.”

Huh. That was awfully convenient. But magic had strange ways of operating in this world. Just like that, Sombra had disappeared from my mind. Was he actually there? Was it an illusion? Was I just crazy? I didn’t know. All I could do was put faith in the fact that he could pass on to be with Radiant Hope in the afterlife.

My consciousness returned within a few moments. I blinked, and felt my eyes open. Everything was as it had been. As it turned out, she had created a thick cloud of smoke that caused me to nearly suffocate.

But not anymore. I was ready to do whatever necessary to put an end to this foolish mare and her antics.

“What? You mean that didn’t knock you out?” she asked with a frustrated scowl, “Gah! What am I going to do with you? Why can’t you just stay down like a good boy and let me have my fun?!”

I rubbed my eyes and stood up. I felt my blood boil with newfound determination. I wasn’t going to fall so easily. Not here, not now. “Fun? You shame yourself and your entire family. You’re a disgrace to the kirin race. Your parents and sisters died in that battle with honor because they chose to. Nopony forced them to do so. But you…” I stepped towards her. My eyes were like daggers as they attempted to cut through her with frozen contempt. “You’re so arrogant and self-absorbed that you wish to put words in the mouths of the dead and claim to do something on their behalf. I am almost certain that they would be happy knowing their lives went towards peace for the entire world. And you refuse to accept that while forcing yourself onto others and abusing your power to cause bodily harm towards other ponies. What do you have to say for yourself?”

The reason why I didn’t immediately come out swinging is because I wanted to talk some sense into her. This would be my final attempt to resolve this conflict in a diplomatic fashion. If not, then all bets would be off. She would have to go.

The nirik snarled at me. “How dare you?! Praising their deaths as if it is something good?! Something necessary?!” She grew furious, her flames burned at what I could only assume to be maximum capacity with flares that reached the sky. “No more words. One of us lives, one of us dies.”

While I didn’t desire it, that is exactly what I was prepared to hear. Someone like this simply can’t be allowed to roam freely if she is going to misuse her abilities for the sake of doing harm to others. So this was the final stand I would make.

I knew how good she was at fighting from afar, so I made expressly sure to close that gap between us. I charged at the nirik mare, but before I could make a move, I was stopped in my tracks.

With a savage growl, she erected a dome of fire in front of her that expanded and tried to push me away. I knew it. This was an attempt to create distance between us once more. But I had to be stalwart.

This would be difficult. But I was ready. My hooves stretched out in front of me so that I could hold the dome off. It burned like hell, but I felt nothing. My sense of pain had taken a backseat in that moment. Why? So that I could focus. I still took damage from the attacks, but I redirected my natural earth pony durability towards my brain so that I could remain focused from this point on. Unflinching even when faced with the most painful burns. Though I did notice my skin flay and peel somewhat.

Heh. I suppose you could say that this is one of those bits of hidden potential Sombra mentioned. But I used it for what I believed in.

She was shocked that her spell didn’t work immediately like she thought it would have. I could tell because of the slight amount of desperation in those solid white nirik eyes. She ground her teeth together, and focused harder. Her horn lit up even more and the dome was slowly transformed into a flaming wall that would try and force me backwards.

Well, I had an ace up my sleeve.

My hooves were already burned to a crisp, but by routing most of my durability to my brain, my process of thought became much clearer. I could not only sense the nirik’s magical aura, but I could see it clear as day, even through the barrier she created. I took a deep breath, and put all my strength into my hooves. “REEAGH!”

I broke through the wall of flames and punched the nirik with a viscous uppercut to her chin which sent her flying upwards.

“GAH!” she yelped and fired off several fireballs from the air. They moved fast, and I wasn't able to dodge them all. But luckily none of them struck my face. My tail and flank were struck but I could deal with the aftermath of that later.

An important thing to note was that nirik abilities, like any active magic, don’t last forever. One does get tired eventually. I knew that Freeze Flame had to be conservative with the rest of the usage of her abilities from this point.

Too bad I wouldn’t let her have the chance of using any more

She glared at me with her hooves pointed downwards. The mare fell towards me with intent to perform a dive bomb attack, but I didn’t move.

From behind my back, I readied my gun. As soon as she got close, I swerved and fired off a blast of air from it which knocked her away from me and towards the edge of the cloud city we stood on.

WHOOSH!

In hindsight, that wasn’t the smartest idea. The gale force created by the compressed air blast from my gun, combined with her flames resulted in a backdraft that blew up in my face. “SHIT!” Thankfully, the flames didn’t consume my entire body like they did with Corkscrew. As a pegasus, he was naturally more frail, but since I was an earth pony, I could at least somewhat walk away from the fiery explosion with injuries that weren’t fatal.

“Ack! Ugh…” I coughed as I emerged from the smoke. Burns all over my body and parts of my flesh consumed by the flames. I’d be in loads of pain later, but for the moment, I needed to focus. I dashed over to the nirik who had transformed back into a kirin.

She was at the very edge of the cloud city. Due to being hundreds of feet in the air, a drop from Las Pegasus was guaranteed to be fatal. Thankfully, most ponies were smart enough to stay near each other where they could be seen by pegasus rescue teams if they did fall.

But this kirin isn’t going to get that luxury.

I grabbed her neck with my hoof and held her near the edge. “This...is the final straw. Cease your actions...and you can still have a chance to live…”

The kirin chuckled breathlessly. She too was tired from exertion of her abilities. “Heh...no way...I can’t go back at this point. You’ll turn me in, and I’ll have to expose everything about Svengallop. And that’s...not gonna happen.”

Her horn lit up once more, and I prepared myself. Unfortunately, I didn’t expect what came next.

“HRK!” A jagged piece of wood impaled my torso. It must have been from the buildings that our battle caused unintentional damage to. “GHH!” I grit my teeth. Her sharp, dragon-like fangs had sunk into my hoof in a final attempt to spite me.

My patience had run out. I would no longer withstand someone so insufferable and allow them to live. Her parents and clan would be ashamed of her actions and would disown her for allying herself with such a sick-minded stallion. If she had the capacity to burn my best friend alive, then who knows what else she had done in the past?

Call it excuses, call it justification. I don’t care. She would leave this world here and now.

“DIE!” I screamed at the top of my lungs as I delivered one final punch to the kirin’s face, which knocked some of her teeth out. I watched with cold eyes as she fell off the cloud city.

She stayed completely silent. Because of that, the rescue crews didn’t even notice her drop from this side of the city. It was a long, fast drop that I watched her take the whole way down until...

SPLAT!

I winced at what I saw. That mare was loyal to the very end, even in her death.

“Shit...shit…piece of shit...” To make matters worse, the pain from all the attacks I had endured began to set in. I felt delirious. My heart rate slowed down. My body was uneasy. I was going to take a fall next unless--

I was saved. “I gotcha buddy…” A familiar brown earth pony mare came to my rescue, and pulled me away from the edge. “You ain’t dyin’ here.” She loaded me onto her back and walked back towards the city.

I could barely mutter her name. “B...ba...babs…?” My eyelids felt heavy. As soon as I was turned around, I could have sworn I saw almost all of the hotelgoers that had formed a crowd. As they tried to watch the aftermath.

Flim and Flam did their best to make a path for us and usher everyone out of the way.

Babs carried me through, and I knew for sure that I heard and saw cameras flashing as well as members of the crowd yelling about what they had just witnessed the kirin do.

After that...I blacked out. Hopefully things would make sense once I woke up.

Subject 57: What's Hidden Can Hurt

I don’t know how long I was out of it, but I knew it must have been severe. One of the perks of being an earth pony allowed me to quite literally muscle through pain and suffering. The only problem is that it came back to bite me in the ass later. But everything came back to me. Svengallop, a mob that he apparently had control over, and a kirin that would rather end her own life than give up any information about him.

And to top it all off, the Flim-Flam brothers were actually doing honest work now. You couldn’t make this crap up, people.

I had a lot to think about. But luckily, I was able to recover thanks to the hospital within Las Pegasus. God, another one? My medical bills would be through the roof. Luckily, this job has the added perk of paying well enough.

My eyes slowly flickered and fluttered open. They felt heavy. As if I had consumed an entire bottle of Applejack Daniels or something. I found myself in quite the soft hospital bed surrounded by loads of medical equipment. As usual, my vest and hat were placed on a coat rack next to me. Barely any burns on them. Hm.

“Ugh...ow…” I had bandages wrapped around my midsection where I was stabbed. I also felt loads of oils and compresses that seeped into my skins to treat the burns. Thank goodness they took time to treat me properly. “Wait…”

Then I came to realize something. Where was Corkscrew?!

“Cork?!” I looked around and saw the privacy screen next to me get pushed aside to reveal a patient in a bed next to me.

He let out a groan of pain. “Right here...boss...aggghhh…” I was utterly relieved to see he had survived. But his condition was worse for wear. The young stallion was covered from head to hoof in bandages. Only his mouth and eyes were exposed. “Heh...told you it was the greatest plan.”

My heart nearly jumped out of my chest. I would’ve reached over and hugged the guy, but my injuries prevented me from doing so. “Holy shit...you’re alive. But what you did was careless, foolish, and most of all...downright amazing. I respect your bravery. But please don’t ever do that again. And...thank you.”

“Understood boss,” he replied with a slow nod. That youngster had guts, but I didn’t want him to start spilling them needlessly. The look in his eyes hid the fact that he was disappointed in himself. He put on a brave face and responded with that innocent, yet broken smile of his. “No matter what, I’ll always be able to depend on you, Pale. Don’t forget that. Or me.”

I nearly teared up. Cork may have been foolish, but his heart and mind were both in the right place. I couldn’t fault him for being himself. “Heh...with how much you shout and care for me, I couldn’t forget you if I tried. Hehehe...oooh…” I tried to laugh, but felt strain in my lower body, so I lied back down.

I heard the same from Corkscrew. Laughter followed by a small groan.

A nurse pony entered the room to reprimand us. “Try not to do so much movement, sirs. You’re both in loads of pain, but you’ll be able to leave by tomorrow.”

Wait. Tomorrow. Was this still the same day? I didn’t intend to miss the trial that was being held against Neighsay. “Wait. How long have we been here, ma’am?”

She looked at me, and responded, “Only a few hours, dear. It’s about 9PM. And you have some visitors. Try and get some rest after you speak to them, okay?” she said before she took her leave.

Okay, so I hadn’t missed the trial against Neighsay. Good. I intended to be there tomorrow afternoon. But I wondered just who could have come to visit us at this hour of all times?

To my surprise, Lightning Dust appeared through the door first. “Hi, um...I just wanted to see if you guys were okay.”

I chuckled, “I’ve been through far worse.”

“Yeah,” Cork replied, “Nothing I can’t handle.”

She trotted over to the orange pegasus. “That’s good. But uh, I’d like it if you could show me that move you did?”

He tilted his head. “What move?”

“The thing you did where you swooped in and dropkicked the nirik off of your friend. It’d be sick if you could teach me that.”

“Oh that? I don’t have a name for it but--wait a sec,” he paused for a moment, and pointed weakly at her wing and hoof that had tracking devices placed on them. “Aren’t you still under arrest?”

Lightning shied away, and rubbed her hoof against the floor with a frown. “Yeah...but aren’t you an officer? Can’t you just say you’re watching over me or something?”

I chimed in. “Well now. I see you haven’t given up your desire to fly greatly, have you?”

She shook her head. “Of course not. I still wanna be a great flier despite what I did all those years ago to Dash and Scoots. And I know I’m getting older, but I’m still more than capable of flying,” she said with a proud flex of her wings. “Besides, I think I can offer Equestria something that Dash can’t.”

Cork spoke up. “And what’s that?”

Her wings retracted. “Well...she’s an Element of Harmony and such. She was always going to be faster, stronger, and better than me in every way. I realize now that that’s why I tried so hard to outdo her and show off for Scoots. I was jealous that she was some lucky chosen one and I was a nobody…”

“And yet…?” I asked with a bit of curiosity in my voice.

“Despite that, I wanna be the best version of myself. So I’m looking into flying again once my sentencing is over. Though I’ll be honest, it hasn’t been that bad.” She looked at Cork once more. “So I’d appreciate it if you could show me that move you did along with any others you might have--oh, once you heal from your injuries of course.”

I shrugged. I suppose it wasn’t a bad idea. But it was largely up to him if he wanted to go through with such a thing.

After a moment of thinking, Cork nodded. “Alright. I’ll let you know when we can begin. So long as you don’t quit halfway through.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” she responded with a proud, relieved sort of smile, “thanks--Mister uhh…?”

“Cathartic Corkscrew,” he answered, “But just Corkscrew is fine. That’s what everyone calls me.”

“Corkscrew...alright then. Thanks again. I hope you guys get better soon.” The pegasus mare trotted towards the door, “See ya.”

We both waved as she left.

“Not bad,” I shot a rare smirk at the stallion.

“Huh?”

I couldn’t help but giggle a bit. “Once again, you came to Las Pegasus only to wake up and speak with a mare you barely know.”

He scowled, which only made me laugh harder. “Real funny, old-timer! Real funny!”

“Yes, yes it is. And I’m only 10 years your senior, far from old, dear friend.”

I cherished moments such as these. But not having Quick Draw retort with a snappy comment felt off. I sincerely hoped that her therapy sessions went well these past few days so that she could find herself again. She was a great friend before the fangs of manipulation dug their way into her neck.

But before I could finish that thought, the door to the room we rested in flew open again. This time, the yellow unicorn twins would be our visitors.

I looked up at them both. “Brothers? What’s going on?”

Corkscrew fell silent so he could listen in.

“Well, suffice to say,” Flam explained, “We have good news and bad news.”

Flim nodded. “Let’s start with the bad first. Unfortunately, Svengallop got away. There was no evidence of his retreat either. And...we confirmed that the body of that kirin mare was found dead on the ground below the city.” He closed his eyes and shuddered out of fear and disgust. “Brrr...gives me goosebumps just thinking about it. Sorry...this never gets any easier for me.”

I noted the tension in his eyes as he looked at the floor. Could it be possible that the two brothers had been through a sheer plethora of scenarios that I simply was not privy to? I couldn’t imagine…

Flam comforted his twin by putting a hoof around his shoulder. “It’s alright, brother. Anyhow. That’s all of the bad news. Onto the good news. The good news is that we’ve successfully captured a few of the members of Svengallop’s little group. And...one other thing. We reported to Sweetie Drops about the situation, and she looked into it.”

That certainly caught my attention. “What did you find out?”

“Well…” Flam let go of his brother, and opened up a file with his magic. “These are...the death certificates as well as official wills signed by her parents. They did indeed lose their lives in the final battle against...you know.”

“Excuse me,” Flim choked up, and stepped out of the room. “I...I just need a moment.”

Flam let out a sigh. “This always happens when we look through old files. I can’t blame him. But now isn’t the time for emotional slippage.”

“I see…so there’s proof that her immediate family Is dead then, huh?” I felt my mind drop. I didn’t know whether to feel guilty or relieved in that moment. “Damn…”

“The cause of death is rather unfortunate as well. Apparently, they were leading the kirin’s charge against those villains,” Flam explained as I read the document. His words lined up exactly with what I could see for myself. He continued. “Rain Shine and all of the kirin were surrounded by Tartarus monsters summoned by Tirek. They became niriks in order to fight them off, but they could only hold out for so long. Autumn Blaze wanted to stay and fight, but Freeze Flame’s mother, Winter Flame, held them off just long enough for the rest of the kirin to escape. Freeze Flame’s older sisters were also there.”

I felt an extreme weight on my body when I got to the last line of the certificate. I froze. I didn’t know what to say, so I allowed the yellow unicorn to speak it.

But even he was saddened by it, given the nervous way he rubbed his hoof behind his head. “They...weren’t killed. They fought the monsters off for as long as possible within their nirik forms until they died out. Both figuratively, and literally.”

“I...I didn’t…” My lip quivered, so I bit down to keep myself from losing my emotions. “I didn’t...know that that was possible.”

“Nopony else did either,” Flam said with a sigh, “My brother and I took part in that battle. We were actually the ones to find their bodies. From then on, we decided to be a part of the solution and fight for what was right--so others wouldn’t have to die for us.”

Wow. I couldn’t believe what I heard. These brothers really wanted to keep each other a live, so getting back into SMILE was the best option. I respected the heck out of it. “I see…” But there was something that still confused me. “But she said that they were killed in the battle, didn’t she?”

“...The autopsy report was changed,” he broke eye contact and looked out of the window, “If everypony knew that kirins/niriks could fight forever until they died, that would make the average citizen scared of their power.”

“...and you let this happen?”

Flam turned to face me with a strained expression in his eyes. “I didn’t agree with it. But Celestia didn’t want them to be seen as forceful. Stating that they gave their lives in battle is more noble than revealing the true extent of their power. I didn’t think it was right, but there was nothing I could do to stop it.”

I looked down. As much as it hurt, it made sense to alter the report. Ponies were nowhere near as accepting back then as they were now. But maybe… “Understood.”

Flam nodded. “After we explained the situation, Madam Drops offered us a job. To go down to the Peaks of Peril and assess just how Freeze Flame grew up without her parents as well as the issue regarding their dwindling numbers.”

I could already see where this was headed. “You guys are too busy trying to clean things up here, and you’d rather me go down there instead?”

“Heh, saw right through me did you?” Flam replied with a nervous grin, “Yes, it’s true. Flim and I are going to be rather backed up as we interrogate the members of Svengallop’s gang. If you would be so kind as to investigate the state of affairs with the kirin, we’d appreciate it.”

Hm. I didn’t have a choice. As much as I didn’t like it, I somewhat felt obligated to find out more after what Freeze Flame had told me. I couldn’t simply leave it on the table and not find out more. Plus, maybe I could help them come out to the public so they wouldn’t be demonized for being so strong. Whether they would be accepted was something else, though. “Alright. But not tomorrow. I need to attend the trial against Neighsay and find out more about what his little schemes entail.”

The mustached unicorn nodded with full understanding. “No rush, sir. I’m sure you’re in pain after that battle. Get to it whenever you can. I’ll inform Drops of your….assistance in the matter at hoof.”

“Anything else?”

“That is all,” Flam said as he walked towards the door, and opened it with his magic. “I’ll keep in contact with you in case anything develops. See you later, Pale.”

From outside, I heard Flim sniffle. “Ahem...goodbye, good sir. We have work to do,” he looked back at me one last time before he left with his brother.

Unbelievable.

“Wow...that was a lot to take in,” Cork commented, “Are you gonna be alright, boss?”

I flopped back into the hospital bed. “I will be. We’ve got a long day ahead of us tomorrow...now get some rest. We’ll need it.”

Understatement of the year. Given all those cameras, I had no idea what sort of twist the press would put on this story.

Hopefully they caught my good side in those shots, though.

Subject 58: Slow Redemption

And so the next morning came. I was able to walk out of the hospital with some bandaging around my midsection and some on my left ear as well. Corkscrew left with some of his natural orange coat in a mess, but his burns were still healing. For better or worse, we didn’t stop. No matter how difficult the job became, we stayed on our path until the end.

Though, before I left the city, I was approached by my childhood schoolmate yet again.

“Yo, Pales. Don’tcha start thinkin’ I’mma letcha walk outta here without some backup,” Babs retorted as she walked up next to us. “Ya gots too much to live for.”

Wow. She didn’t call me by my insipid childhood nickname for once. I appreciated that. Oh and the fact that she looked out for me. That was good too. “Thanks. But I’m a professional. This line of work is not to play with, Ms. Seed,” I responded while I trotted into the hot air balloon with Cork.

“Pff.” Babs followed us, and gave me a gentle nudge. “Wanna know somethin’?”

I tilted my head. “What?”

“Grass grows, birds fly, sun shines. And brudda? I’ll hurt somepony if I have to. I’mma force’a nature!” she proclaimed with her hoof raised, “Don’t count me outta nuttin’!”

The balloon was taken down slowly when Cork reduced the amount of hot air that went into it. “Yeah, we wouldn’t want to leave you out, now would we?” he said with a roll of his eyes and a soft chuckle.

I shrugged. “Guess it can’t hurt to have an escort. But aren’t you here with family?”

Babs shook her head. “Nah. I was here with ‘Bloom and we’s gonna have a sleepova at her place. I’m just headin’ back first.”

Applebloom. That’s right. I spoke to the young mare a few days ago along with her other Crusader friends. I recalled that they wanted to speak to Cozy Glow. But she was so focused on making sure the Running of the Leaves went well yesterday, that I couldn’t stand idle. “Ah, makes sense. As long as you’re sure,” I replied with a smile.

It was a nice trip down. Once we got off the hot air balloon, we were able to load onto the train down below. I took one final look up at the cloud city. I had faith that those Brothers knew what they were doing. After all, it had been two decades and they seemed very experienced. That aside, I hoped that they had good methods for when it came to dealing with mobster interrogation. And Svengallop...just what was that bastard doing?

The train ride back was a rather calm one. Cork and I tried to relax and rest our injuries off. Babs meanwhile, kept a lookout for our safety. She went a little overboard, though. She shushed and told other passengers to stay quiet so we could rest. It worked, but I couldn’t help but feel somewhat guilty. I wasn’t used to this.

After the train ride, we were finally back in Ponyville. Babs was the first to initiate conversation.

“Alrighty, ya’ll. I’mma head to the farm and see muh cousin. Will yous be okay from here?”

I looked at Corkscrew, and nodded once. “Yeah...we’ll be fine. Thanks for coming this far with us, Babs.”

“No problem,” she said with a wave as she left, “See ya!”

Corkscrew nearly keeled over. “Agh...I need to lie down.”

“Absolutely. You go on ahead. I need to get ready.”

“Ach...for what, boss?”

“The trial against Neighsay. Or have you forgotten?”

He reeled his head back from disgust. “Gah! For real? Haven’t we been through enough?”

I chuckled and rubbed a hoof against his mane. “No need to worry about me. I’m simply going to attend the event. No monsters, no fighting. And hopefully no complications or anything major happening.”

He flicked his hoof to swat mine away. “Alright, Pale. I hope you’re right. I just need to...keep myself steady.”

“And no more senseless sacrifices. You’ve done more than enough already and you’re far too young to lose your life.”

“Yeah, yeah. Probably coulda planned that better. But I’ll work on it. Thanks, boss.”

I waved as I watched him leave. Once he was gone towards his house, I felt a frown creep up onto my face. My ears drooped, and I let out a depressed exhale. “Huh…” I slowly trotted back to my home. In truth, I was horrified with how disgusting this world could truly be. Nopony tended to look past the books that they were instructed to read. Never did they veer off and try to read the books that they weren’t told to read. Why? They simply never considered it necessary.

Now, I was no stranger to this. I had witnessed exploitation, execution, gaslighting, organized crime, and pillaging for years.

But this? This was something on a completely different level.

I had been knocked down before, but I couldn’t shake this feeling I had in my heart. I wasn’t sure if it was extreme guilt or sympathy, but I knew that the emotion wasn’t positive. Freeze Flame’s parents really did die in that battle, but of their own free will. And yet, the Brothers knew that the truth behind their deaths had been covered up to prevent any uproar or misunderstandings due to how strong the kirins were.

I closed the door behind myself, and went to the kitchen. There was still a few hours before the trial for Neighsay was set to begin this afternoon, so I had to prepare myself. I made myself some tea, and sat down on the couch. I stared at the warm fumes that left the cup as I continued to think.

As Flam said himself, he didn’t agree with Celestia’s decision to hide the truth behind the deaths of those kirin. I didn’t entirely agree with it either, but I understood why. Just like with Sombra, it would’ve resulted in misunderstandings among the masses, so they kept it hidden. It still didn’t sit right with me, though. The idea that someone had enough power to rewrite and alter history the way they saw fit in order to control the thoughts of those beneath them. It was a noble act on paper, but when you really stopped to consider the implications behind it, it became upsetting.

Beyond that, I was upset with myself as well. The kirin had died. And for what? All for some vain attempt at avenging her family? Then why did I feel bad? Well, simply put--I felt like I didn’t do enough. I felt as if I could have saved her. Maybe I didn’t need to kill her. I thought this way due to the fact that I sensed that there was a part of her that may have listened, but ultimately, she was so trapped within her own mind that she refused to listen to anything I said.

And yet, I knew there was no point dwelling on it for long. Why would I? I still needed to focus on the upcoming trial for Neighsay later on today.

And maybe, just maybe I can ensure that Freeze Flame’s death wasn’t a total waste. Visiting the kirins would be my next objective. I may also bring Cozy with me, so she could understand what they were going through. At the same time, I could possibly uncover hidden secrets about them just like I did with the batponies. Though this would be inherently more risky since kirin could become niriks and turn hostile extremely quickly not unlike Freeze Flame did. The batponies were much more docile on the other hoof, so it was easier to deal with them. But I was ready to take that risk for the sake of uncovering the truth.

Thump-thump-thump.

In between sips of my tea, I heard a knock at my door. I guess I could spare a moment or two. The trial wasn’t until 4PM anyways.

I opened the door to find a familiar orange earth pony with a hat and a scarf around her neck that used to belong to her granny. “Oh? Applejack? To what do I owe the pleasure?”

“Well, Ah was just overhearin’ Babs and Applebloom talkin’ ‘bout the Flim-Flam Brothers,” she explained with a raise of her eyebrow, “Know anything ‘bout that?”

I cleared my throat. “Oh? Well, wait a moment? What made you come to me?”

From behind her, she pulled out a newspaper. “I figured ya’ll’d know somethin’ ‘bout this,” she said as she offered it to me.

I accepted the newspaper, and looked at the headline.

‘Heroic Agents Thwart Destructive Kirin! Friends Or Foes???’

The main headline picture was a photo of me being carried by Babs Seed as she took me away from the scene. Flim and Flam could be seen holding back the crowd in the background.

Applejack spoke to me as I read the paper, “So not only are them Flim-Flam Brothers actually stallions in black or whatever--but muh cousin Babs was involved too?” She leaned forward with her eyes narrowed, “Explain yerself, mister.”

I read some of the article. How annoying. It was another glorification piece that inaccurately represented the events in order to prop us up on a pedestal. I hated it. Talk of how amazing and glamorous our actions were and how all ponies should seek to emulate it. Yes, everypony should seek to be strong and capable, I wasn’t going to deny that. I'd honestly rather be shamed so the public could look into my exploits for themselves.

Because at the end of the day, being an officer was nothing more than being an organized hitman.

“I’ll tell you what I can,” I looked up at the farmer pony. I went over everything that I could tell her within reason. The fact that Flim and Flam were actually undercover and assisted me in a case I was working on, and that Babs only came in afterwards to help me out. Nothing more. “...that’s all I can speak of. Everything else is confidential.”

Her expression of suspicion slowly melted away and became one of concern. “Oh...Ah think Ah see now. Thanks. Ah was just curious about what went on yesterday. But Ah can’t believe Flim and Flam are actually bein’ legitimate officer ponies and such.”

“Well, it’s been about hmm...twenty years since the battle Twilight’s coronation. Ponies change. They get older. Some get wiser, some get more hateful. To me, they’ve genuinely turned over a new leaf it seems.”

“Riiiiight…” Understandably, Applejack didn’t quite believe me. Which was fair. She didn’t know me so my word wasn’t very trustworthy to her on its own. Even if I did do lots of work to make the world better, it wasn’t good to put faith in someone so quickly, so I respected her for that. “Guess Ah’ll check on ‘em mahself. Sorry to bother ya, officer. Oh but one more thang. I saw Cozy on mah way here. Ya might wanna go see her before ya head out fer Neighsay’s trial.”

Oh yes. I guess she was also made aware of it too. Makes sense, given that she was one of the Elements. I tipped my hat. “Got it. Thank you very much, Ms. Jack.”

“Just Applejack’s fine, thanks,” she responded with a hat tip of her own before she left my porch.

With a bit of time to spare, I left my house once I finished my tea.

I decided to go see Cozy Glow, and inquire just what she needed help with. I knocked on the door of her home, and as soon as she opened it, I was met with a tight hug.

“...Oh thank Luna you’re okay!” It was a rather swift embrace, as she quickly let go. “I read the paper and everything. Are you alright?”

I looked down at the bandages that my vest concealed. “Heh...perks of the job, kid. Did everyone enjoy the Running of the Leaves.”

“Oh...yeah they did. Everypony was so excited for it and the hospital received a bunch of donations. I never thought I could...make a difference that way. Even Nurse Redheart was impressed.”

I smiled with a content grin. At least I knew something was going right in this world. “Nice job. You’re on your way towards making this better for yourself. Now, I have some business to take care of today. After that, I’ll need your help with something.”

She shuffled her hooves and nervously flapped her wings. “You...need my help?”

“Indeed. In short, I need you to go with me to the Peaks of Peril to see the kirins. I’ll fill you in on the rest later, alright?”

I could almost feel and hear the gears in her head turn. She was putting it together once she thought about the contents of that newspaper article. “...Understood,” she responded with a determined gaze, “Let me know when you’re ready, sir.”

“Good, kid. Maintain that positive attitude. I’ll see you later.” I stepped away from the porch, and waved as I left. Flash Drive would hopefully keep an eye on her.

That reminded me. I needed to let him know that Suri Polomare could be released with light surveillance. She wouldn’t be allowed to leave Ponyville, but we would give her the ability to earn a job and make money. I know. It wasn’t a perfect system. But for somepony who was willing to actually put effort into bettering themselves, I wasn’t going to ignore it.

“Oh...thanks!” she replied with a bit of surprise in her voice. “What’ll I be doing?”

Flash Drive handed her a file via his magic. “Well, we know your talents include sewing and organization. So you’ve earned the right to work with Sandbar and Yona as an intern at Carousel Boutique.” Before she grabbed it, he held it back at the last second, “This is a rare opportunity, mate. Don’t let us down, you hear?”

She grabbed the file in her hoof and sighed. “...Alrighty, kay. I think I can handle it. Thank you both for giving me this chance.”

I shook my head. “Don’t bother. This was all you. You complied well, and are showing that you are capable of remorse. So you have earned this for yourself.”

“Oh...I guess so,” she blushed with a nervous frown. I suppose she didn’t like the idea of bring praised in such a way. “Oh...come to think, where will I be staying?”

Flash spoke up. “Given that Sven’s mob could very well be after you for your involvement, we’re going to be placing you in Witness Protection. You’ll be given a home with constant overwatch and occasional visits from us. It’ll be near Cork’s home here in Ponyville, so you’ll have officers ready at any time.”

“That’s right. Any questions, Ms. Polomare?” I added.

“No. None. I’ll get started right away. Thank you both once again,” she trotted out of the building towards her new home.

“And what about you, bruv?” the black unicorn asked me, “What’ll you be doing?”

“Heading off to Canterlot for the trial. You?”

He looked outside of the window. “I’ll stay here and keep an eye on Polomare until Corkscrew recovers. Once he does, I’m heading off back to the Empire.”

“Alright,” I held out my hoof, and he grabbed it with his own in a sort of twisted hoofshake that we stallions often did. “Take care of yourself, my man.”

“You too, bruv. You too…”

Subject 59: Anarchist's Judgement

Alright. It was time. Neighsay’s trial was set to begin today. I had already gotten on the train to Canterlot. A simple, quiet train ride led me all the way up the mountain city once more. On the way there, I hoped that Celestia would appear. I had a few questions for her, mainly regarding Sunset’s family.

Thankfully, my prayers were answered.

When I got off the train, the first pony I saw was Luna as she greeted everyone that stepped off. I noticed her, and she must have been able to tell exactly who I wanted to see, because I felt her use telepathy on me.

“Sister is inside. Go.”

Well, there was my solution. I raced to the entrance of the castle where I could sense Celestia was standing. She also served as a greeter, but I could tell that she secretly wanted to get this over with as fast as possible what with the unamused expression in her eyes.

“Tia,” I said casually, “I need to speak with you.”

She looked up at a nearby clock. “I’ve got a few minutes to spare. What did you wish to discuss, Pale?”

I started walking, and she followed me off to another corner away from the small crowd that started to pour into the castle to attend the trial. “It’s about Sunset’s parents. Have you been able to find out what happened to them?”

The alicorn sighed, and sat down. “Well, how do I put this? In a nutshell, her parents left her alone at an early age to join the Canterlot military. Neighsay himself was also a part of it, in case you were wondering. They didn’t exactly abandon her, per se. They simply wanted to fight for the safety of Equestria.”

Well that made a bit of sense. Before Twilight came along, the world was rampant with monster attacks. Even after she arrived in Ponvyille, things were still a bit dangerous. It was only after she became a princess, did things sort of appear to calm down--on the surface anyways.

“I see. So they were all part of the same group...did they kick the bucket?”

Another sigh, and the tall alicorn slumped over with her hooves against her cheeks. “I…”

I put a hoof on her shoulder. My blue eyes focused with a gaze that had a mix of adamant, and fear plastered all over them. “Celestia. I am a stallion of the law. I will keep confidentiality. But please. I need to know all that I can. Come on. The time for secrecy has long passed.”

“Alright, alright,” she responded with her eyes shut. “To make a long story short, Neighsay thought of a way he could make them stronger despite the monster attacks. And it worked...somewhat. Ultimately, they went missing and their bodies were never recovered. Until...years later. They were both found dead together in the dragon lands.” Her eyes opened, strained with anger, “That file we looked at...it detailed everything. Had I known about this, I would’ve...gh...rrrgh!”

I flinched. The simple auditory frustration that came from the mare of the sun unnerved me. It was so...unlike her to get this way. But I stayed quiet. The last thing I’d want to do is set her off and burn the entire city down.

After a minute or two, she finally calmed down. She rubbed her horn, and shook her head to relieve what I could only assume to be aching pain. “...Apologies for my outburst. The...compulsive side of me was nagging again.”

I gave a dismissive eyebrow raise. “More like Daybreaker. You really need to come to terms with who you are,” I commented, “Your sister Luna did so a long time ago. You just need to start forgiving yourself before you move on.”

No response for a while. I could tell that my words registered on some level, but now wasn’t the time. Celestia rose from her spot on the floor next to me, and trotted towards the throne room. “It’s almost time to begin, detective. Let’s hope you’re more prepared to comprehend this than I.”

Hmph. I wasn’t out to prove anything to anyone. I just wanted to know the truth above all else. That’s all that mattered to me.

Let’s begin.

I took my seat, and waited silently for Twilight to begin her opening words. The trial for this session had a smaller audience than the last. Mostly pony residents compared to other races. Neighsay himself was seated in a stand that was next to Twilight’s throne with not a shred of remorse on his face. Just what was his intention?

“I’d like to apologize for how abrupt this was,” Twilight stated with a stoic expression towards the audience, “but this had to be done once I found out about it. Our own former Chancellor Neighsay has been exposed for performing experiments on ponies and hiding it away without getting approval from Celestia, Luna, or myself. Neighsay,” she turned her head to look down at the unicorn, “What do you have to say for yourself in front of the public?’

From where I was seated, I could see the unicorn sigh and shut his eyes. It took him a moment, but he finally opened his mouth to give the princess a response. “I did what I did for the sake of Equestria. Too often we have faced threats that only the Elements of Harmony or the alicorn princesses could handle. But I thought: What if everypony could be capable of fighting back against monsters and beings like Tirek and whatnot? So...I looked for volunteers. I sought out anyone who was willing to help, and they joined me of their own free will. I did not manipulate any of them.”

The crowd mumbled and murmured as usual. I myself had to think about this critically. Sombra was also panned for misunderstanding regarding the experiments he tried to conduct. After all, he tried to cure a disease and it worked, only for it to accidentally help create the batpony race. In a way, I could somewhat understand his reasoning. But the key difference between him and Sombra was that Sombra clearly acted out of the desire of his heart to do something good for all while Neighsay’s actions were selfish, and only served to fuel his own ego.

What Twilight said next only supported this thought of mine.

“Is that so?” she asked with quite the air of authority. Daggers glared right at the old unicorn. “If that truly is the case, and you were doing what you’ve been doing to help Equestria, then why did you go out of your way to conceal these acts? The fact that you’ve kept this hidden from the rulers of this land only serves to make you more suspect. So please, Neighsay, explain yourself.”

His explanation was slow and deliberate. As if he was trying to come up with the best way he can get himself out of trouble, rather than provide good reasoning. “You see...I knew none of you would approve of what I had in store, so I specifically made sure to hide my intent. That way, when I showed you the results, they would be irrefutable, and I could start mass production.”

“Production of what?” she questioned. “Just what do your experiments do to these ponies?”

“...In short, the point of it was to overclock their capabilities so that they may become stronger and be able to fight for a longer amount of time. Is that so wrong?”

Twilight levitated some files from behind her throne. “Maybe no by itself, no. But what makes it wrong is when you prey upon parents of small foals who are desperate to protect their children by any means. So while they may have joined of their own free will, you actually lured them in under the guise of being able to keep their kids safer if they listen to you.” Her horn lit up, and she magnified the documents so the members of the court could see. In a huge screen displayed in front of us, it would show the names of many different ponies. These included:

Sunset Shimmer’s parents.

Silver Spoon’s father.

Trixie Lulamoon’s mother.

A pegasus that may have had possible relation to Cadance.

And loads of other ponies who had went missing several decades ago.

This shocked the crowd. Neighsay was silent. I suppose it was hard for him to deny the validity of these claims when the evidence was made public for all to see. Twilight carried on. “Neighsay. Did you or did you not specifically target parents with the intent to exploit the concern they had for their children in order to carry out these experiments?”

“Well...I…”

Twilight teleported off of her throne, and leaned in close to the unicorn’s face with an angry snort. “Answer. The. Question.”

The old bastard shivered in his seat and leaned back. “I...may have...tried to make it a bit more approachable?”

Twilight looked down. From where I sat, I could see quite the creepy, unhinged grin make its way across her face. “Hehe...oh really?” She levitated another document with her magic, and magnified it. “Is that why...you asked my parents to join you at some point?”

The document read:

Night Light and Twilight Velvet: Declined.

Everyone in the crowd around me let out sharp gasps. Rightfully so. This was something not even I was aware of. He had even begged for Twilight’s parents? That was on a completely different level.

Neighsay choked up, and could barely get any words out for a moment. It took a lot of hard stares for him to finally come up with something. “Well...you see...how was I to know that they would eventually give birth to the eventual Princess of Friendship that would be promoted to Princess of Equestria? You...can’t fault me for that.”

“No...but I can fault you for being selfish,” Twilight said in return. “You have undermined everything that Equestria stands for with these actions of yours.” She turned to face us all. “Ponies of the jury and congregation, take a moment to consider the weight of this pony’s actions amongst yourselves. We will continue in a few minutes when we bring in a guest that has suffered directly as a result of his actions.”

I noticed Twilight look at someone. Her eyes lined up with Trixie’s as she shot her a wink. The blue unicorn also winked in return, and teleported out of the courtroom.

Just what were these two planning?

Subject 60: Anarchist's Judgement 2

I waited patiently while the crowd talked amongst themselves. I couldn’t help but wonder just who this guest was that they wanted to bring in for further evidence against him. Part of me was surprised. Not to be self-righteous, but I thought that I would have made a prime candidate to speak some words against the unicorn with the history I had.

Or maybe the individual they had planned was a better choice because of their lack of connections to him? I had no idea. However, when I considered that Trixie was alerted to make her move, I put the numbers together.

“Oh...I know who she’s going for.”

Once those few minutes had passed, Twilight called for silence. “Order!” she slammed a gavel down to catch the attention of everyone in the room. “Our guest speaker has arrived to say a few words about Neighsay and his actions.”

It was true.

Trixie herded Quick Draw into the room and down the aisle between the congregation seats. The yellow earth pony mare took a seat next to her.

“Quick Draw,” Twilight addressed her, “Please stand up and make your case to the ponies of the jury. Don’t worry, you are completely free to speak your mind here. Nothing bad will happen.”

I couldn’t believe it. Quick had quite the fearful expression on her face. Just what was done to her to get her to do all of this? Why was she afraid? I patiently waited to see what she had to say.

Her red eyes glared at the unicorn for a moment before she took a deep breath. Now relaxed, she could finally make her piece. “Alright...to be perfectly honest...my family was barely around when I was younger, so I had it hard. When I got older, they sort of stopped caring about me. So I focused on myself until I became an officer.”

This was somewhat true. Though I never knew that her parents weren’t as supportive as she claimed. That detail was news to me. But the rest was entirely accurate, so I said nothing. I needed to hear her out.

“But before Pale even took this case...N-Neighsay...made me tip him off about everything Pale Vestige and his crew were doing!” she screamed out with a pained, saddened breakage in her voice. “I’m sorry, Pale...you’re my best friend...and I never should’ve betrayed you that way.”

I looked up at her teary, emotionally destroyed face. I had never seen her in such a state before. It made me both equally sad but also furious. I wanted to do unholy, unimaginable things to that geezer of a unicorn, but I reigned in my emotions for the time being.

Twilight spoke up. “And just why did you turn on one of your detective friends?” she asked while she focused her gaze on the rightfully embarrassed Neighsay, “What--or who--made you do such a thing and why?”

Quick Draw sniffled, and dried her tears with a hoof. Her usual, stoic disposition had returned. That’s one thing I could always count on her for: The ability to remain focused. “...I did it because he made me believe that Pale was going to die if he kept down this road. I didn’t want to believe it. But his arguments were too convincing...he said that ponies such as my own parents and everyone I knew could be at risk if what he did went wrong!”

“Neighsay, is this true?” Twilight asked with a curt tone.

The unicorn cleared his throat once he gathered his thoughts. “Ahem--well...I was not lying when I said that. Pale Vestige’s actions could very well have disrupted the natural Equestrian order by opposing the law.”

Twilight continued her barrage of counterpoints. “Awfully hypocritical coming from somepony who chose to conduct experiments on citizens without express permission. Whether they were safe or not isn’t even a factor. The fact that you’re a major figurehead doing these sorts of things behind all of our backs is deplorable!” she shouted as she pointed her hooves to the congregation.

Unfortunately, Neighsay would double down. “As I said before. I had a good reason to keep it hidden. Whether or not you agree with that reason is none of my concern.”

The purple alicorn tilted her head. “Then what is your concern?”

“The results,” the geezer responded, “the methods at which we go about knowledge are secondary to the knowledge itself. You of all ponies must understand that, Princess.”

The crowd silently stared at her as they waited for her rebuttal. From my limited understanding, it was true that Twilight did go about utilizing reckless spells at one point. The Want It-Need It, which caused everypony to go nuts for an old doll, a time travel spell that was entirely unnecessary, attempts to make the Winter Wrap-Up go by faster with magic, not to mention various other spells that she had attempted but were banned from using in the pursuit of knowledge.

After a moment of silence, the purple alicorn would respond. “Yes. It’s true. I did often forgo the safety of those around me in the pursuit of knowledge. I’m not perfect, and I can admit that. Heck, to this day I still diddle around with spells and artifacts of mysterious origin in my spare time.”

The crowd responded with low mumbles of agreement. They were fully aware of Twilight’s antics from her youth.

“But the key difference is that I wised up over the years. I learned from my mistakes. Something you clearly haven’t done despite being far older than me,” she retorted with a deathly glare at the unicorn. “And after I made mistakes, I promised to always let Celestia know of what I intended to do. On the other hoof, you have refused to even get any approval for what you’ve been doing. Yes, your actions had good ideas behind them, but as the old saying goes: The road to Tartarus is paved with ‘good intentions.’ You weren’t thinking of keeping Equestria safe as a whole, you were thinking of your ego and keeping your own name in the history books.”

He scoffed, and rolled his eyes. “You don’t understand. You were privileged enough to grow up with everypony loving you. You had the Princess Celestia by your side and became an Element of Harmony!” he rose from his seat as he shouted at her, “I meanwhile, was never taken seriously by those who hated her as a colt. I meanwhile, thought of ways to improve the lives of our citizens by any means necessary. I meanwhile, fought tooth and nail just to get into the Royal Guard while your brother barely worked for it because of his natural gifted talent for magic. This world is biased towards those who have naturally gifted abilities,” he folded his hooves against his chest and raised his nose upwards with indignance. “All I’m doing is simply levelling the playing field.”

No chatter from the crowd this time. The room was dead silent. The tension in the air was so palpable, that one could very well cut it with a knife.

Finally, after a minute of eerie quiet, Twilight snarled under her breath, “Your words mean nothing.”

Neighsay tilted his head. “Excuse me?”

FLASH!

With a quick spark, Twilight teleported from her throne, and reappeared directly in front of Neighsay with a slam of her hooves on the stand he was in. “Enough. You’re full of pony dung.”

Everyone in the crowd leaned back with wide eyes. Myself included. None of us could believe that Twilight would take such an initiative against somepony. Even Neighsay himself was aghast as he leaned back in his seat with fearful eyes.

“I don’t give a damn as to what your past was like. I mean, I sympathize, don’t get me wrong. But that does not excuse abuse of your position and sending a pony to another dimension via a forbidden banishment spell from Starswirl!” I could hear her whinny in a deep tone to threaten the unicorn, steam exited her nostrils. “You should be ashamed of yourself. To not only try and hold a high position in Equestria, but to abuse it in such a way as well? You have no right to represent the EEA any longer.”

And with that, she teleported back up to her throne. I was impressed. Twilight had truly grown into her position over the years. A far cry from the passive pony she used to be.

“Ponies of the jury,” she spoke out, “the evidence is abundant, and overwhelming. What is your opinion regarding Neighsay’s actions? Should he be given another chance, or is he too far gone?”

From the jury stands, I saw Sunburst and Starlight nod at each other, followed by other members of the court that included Gallus, Flash Sentry, and Spike. They all conversed amongst each other for a moment or two. I almost didn’t even notice Shining Armor sitting there with a total death glare of contempt aimed right at Neighsay. I suppose the idea of one of his experiments being somehow related to his wife did not make him too happy.

What am I saying? He was pissed.

The crowd started to talk within themselves also. I took notes of the situation as I heard everypony’s opinions on it.

All the sudden, Trixie rose from her seat to say a few words, her coat-cape flapped in the non-existent wind. “I would like to offer my two bits on the matter. Trixie herself has endured loads of turmoil and hardship as a filly. She did grow up and cause some trouble, but she understood the error of her ways and learned friendship from Starlight.” She pointed her hoof at the pink-ish unicorn. “Starlight also found the error of her ways and improved herself. Lightning Dust, Diamond Tiara, Gilda, even the pony you utterly despise and banished to the alternate world with your magic--Pale Vestige--!”

When she pointed at me, I hid my face beneath my hat. I didn’t know whether to feel annoyed or embarrassed. Being called out in such a way was a nuisance when everyone with everyone’s stares locked onto me. But I couldn’t fault the counselor-magician for her use of myself as an example.

Trixie continued. “And so, I conclude that you have no excuse for acting the way you do as a fully grown stallion! Even the recently-released Cozy Glow is attempting to better herself as we speak!”

“But how can you be so sure?” Neighsay shot back, “She could be plotting our downfall right now!”

The blue unicorn mare scoffed. “Hmph. Given how much you’ve lied to others over the years. I’d hesitate to believe anything you say at this point,” she commented and looked up at Twilight, “Princess, I think the jury is ready to close this case.”

Twilight looked over at the jury members who nodded their heads. Neighsay himself looked nervous with drops of sweat that ran down his body.

She prepared to give her verdict. “With all the evidence that has been presented. I find Neighsay…”

Subject 61: Case Closed...For now

“...Guilty of treason, underhooved tactics, and insubordination. He will immediately be sentenced to a permanent stay in one of our dungeons. If you show good behaviour, you may be entitled to rehabilitation.”

Much to my surprise, he seemed rather content with this arrangement. Too content if you ask me. “Hmph. Fine. If that’s what you wish to do, then I have no right to object,” he responded ever so casually, “but know that your decision will come to affect you in ways that--”

Twilight was just about done with him as the rest of us in the room. “Silence!” she shouted, “Flash Sentry. Gallus. Take him to his cell.”

“On it,” the pegasus replied.

“Yes ma’am,” said the griffon.

Both of them flew into the air and grabbed a hoof of the unicorn. He was promptly carried out of the courtroom. But before he left, he turned and shot me a threatening glare.

This wasn’t over.

“Dismissed,” Twilight gave the final word, and left her throne.

Everyone started to get up, and leave the room, but before I could do so, my name was called.

“Pale, could you join me for a second?” Twilight said my name as she trotted towards a door that led out of the throne room.

I followed her, curious as to what she could want from me. “What’s going on?”

She didn’t answer right away. Once we entered the door and left the throne room, she silently escorted me through the halls and up a familiar staircase. I remember this one. It would take us to the room where she and I had spoken privately a few times by now.

Once there, she locked the door, and checked the windows. “This is a diversion,” she said as she used her magic to close the blinds.

“Wait, what?”

“Come on, you don’t think I’m a fool, do you?” Twilight said with a smug sort of smile, “I know that once those boys put him away, Neighsay will already be plotting a way to escape.”

I blinked once, twice. “You really think he would defy you so readily.”

The princess merely scoffed it off with a wave of her hoof. “Ya-right. Like he totally hasn’t defied us all as it is.”

“...fair point,” I replied. Couldn’t argue with that logic. “So what did you call me here for?”

“Well, first thing’s first,” she responded and grabbed her notebook with her magic, “Sweetie Drops has informed me that you’ve accepted the task to investigate the Kirin and find out why you were attacked by one.”

Hm? Oh yes. The princess had jurisdiction over the agencies. Although, she rarely got involved with them herself due to the fact that she was busy with princess duties, and she knew that we were more than capable of handling whatever underground conflict occurs.

“That’s correct. Are Flim and Flam really part of SMILE again?”

She nodded. “Absolutely. They’ve given up their lives as swindlers and now own the hotel. After observing their actions for a few years, Sweetie Drops saw fit to let them back in on the condition that they give weekly reports.” The pages of the notebook fluttered as she controlled them with her levitation. “They’re actually extremely well-versed in field skills despite the hokey ponysonas they put on for their customers.”

Heh. Times were officially strange. “I see...thank you for the clarification, Twilight. So...what about Neighsay?”

“Aha!” When she finally found the page she was looking for, she stopped, and tapped it with a pencil. “Yes. I’ve already predicted the fact that Neighsay is going to break out, based on numerous factors. If that happens, you have my full authorization to take him down by any means necessary.”

Hold on a second. Was Princess Twilight actually for real? Not only did she know that Neighsay would already make another move, but she gave me complete authority on the matter as well? This had to be a joke.

“...wait a moment. Does that mean--”

Twilight cut me off, and leaned in close to my face with a stoic expression. “Any. Means. Necessary.” And she leaned back to look in her book once more. “Understand?”

Words could not describe how surprised I was. But what she said made sense. Twilight Sparkle was done being passive, and was now ready to adapt to any given situation with a proactive approach. I both respected, and encouraged it. “Absolutely, Princess. You have my full support. Is there anything else you need from me?”

“Nope,” she replied with a shake of her head, “go on to the Kirin’s Grove whenever you’re ready.”

“Got it. Oh wait--I nearly forgot--have the yellow brothers mentioned any details about Svengallop to you? They apparently have been interrogating some of his gang members.”

She sighed. “Nothing yet. That’s a whole ‘nother can of anchovies that we have to deal with. But you’ll be the first to know about it--alongside SMILE of course. Just make sure Coloratura doesn’t find out about this.”

I felt like I somewhat already knew the answer to the question I was about to ask. But I wanted to hear it straight from the pony’s mouth. “Understandable, but may I ask why?”

“If Rara finds out that her former manager is leading a bunch of gangponies, then she would have a breakdown.” Twilight sat down in one of the nearby bean bag chairs. Her cheeks rested on her hooves. “Dealing with that stallion for so many years was one of the most uncomfortable experiences of her life. If she’s made aware about it, she would start to feel guilty, and blame herself for it. Then Applejack would find out since they talk to each other all the time, and she’d try to go bust them up on her own.”

A very dangerous position to be in. Of course, I thought Twilight would put a bit more faith in one of her best friends. “Would it really be so bad?”

One of her ears flicked, and she sat upright. “Bad! Of course it’d be bad!” she cried out with her hooves pointed upwards while they wiggled like noodles, “Applejack would tear that gang a new one with no regard for herself! We’d have loads of injured, and possibly dead ponies that we couldn’t get any evidence out of. That’s not even mentioning whatever injuries she herself might sustain.which could cause Rara to feel even more guilty and--” she stopped herself mid-ramble, and cleared her throat. Twilight put her hooves down, and sighed once more. “...You kinda get the idea, yeah?”

When it was put like that, it was hard not to. “Absolutely. I will make sure neither of them are made aware of the finer details regarding that investigation. All Applejack knows is that Flim and Flam are officers, and that a Kirin was involved. Nothing more.”

“Good. Let’s keep it that way. I’ll be in contact with you if anything gets any worse. Anything else, Pale?”

I tipped my hat. “Nothing at all. Thank you, Twilight.”

Well that was far more constructive that I initially thought. But now, it was time for me to head back home, and get some rest. I suppose that I could plan ahead and set out for that kirin village in a few days. Of course Cozy would be there with me, but I needed someone to help me keep her safe in the relatively unknown area.

A few ideas already popped into my head, but it was time to relax and head home for the day. I took the train out of Canterlot, and went back to my house in Ponyville.

I stepped through the door, and removed my vest and hat to set them on the rack. I closed the door behind me with a heavy exhale. It was a long ass day.

But it wasn’t over yet.

To my surprise, I had a rather unannounced visitor that was already in my home. I could tell because I could smell something from the kitchen. Hm. Curious. With light hooves, I snuck up to the kitchen and poked my head in to find out just who came here.

“Oh, it’s you.”

That elusive green earth pony mare with dreads had appeared in my house again. Not that I was upset or anything, but it was still odd. “Wassup, man?” she greeted me, “I’m working on dinner for ya.”

“...Huh. There’s no need for that. Please.”

That mellow look in her purple eyes unwavered. “Oh no, I wanna. It’s spaghetti with a red wheatgrass pasta sauce. I made it myself,” she frowned, “But I’m not bothering you am I?”

I shook my head. I guess it couldn’t hurt to simply not worry about a meal for a change. “Not at all. I appreciate it, Tree.”

Her dopey smile returned. “Cooolio. Now sit at the table, brah.”

I left the kitchen, and washed my hooves. I had to admit, I was very interested in what she had made. Though, part of me wondered if Cheerilee had actually put her up to this. Hm.

I took a seat at my dinner table. A massive plate of the pasta covered in red sauce had waited for me. “Huh. This looks good!”

Tree Hugger took a seat next to me with a plate of her own. “Go on. Try it. Be honest about how it tastes.”

Side note--not being able to manipulate forks was annoying. I leaned into the plate, and slurped up a bit of the pasta. The flavors were otherworldly to say the least. “Mmm…” I had never tasted anything like it before. And I was from Manehattan where pasta was a common dish. “This is spectacular. The use of wheatgrass really compliments the mushrooms for an ‘earthy’ sort of bite. And is that...pimentos I taste?”

The whole time, she stared at me to ensure I had an honest bite. The smile on her face grew marginally wider with her eyes lighting up ever so slightly. “Yoooo...ya caught it. I’m glad,” she said before she started to eat from her own plate.

I continued to eat also, but stopped halfway through. “What gives, Tree? What made you wanna surprise me in such a way?”

The mare sighed. “Okay...you like Cheerilee, yeah?”

That was an odd question. I tilted my head. “Romantically? More or less, yes. You were the first one privy to the details, in fact. Why do you ask?”

“Well, I’m like, completely convinced that nopony’s gonna like me like you guys like each other. So I decided to see how well I can at least catch your attention. Cheerilee suggested I make you something other than brownies. So here we are.”

My heart sank at her explanation. Did she really have no self-esteem? I had no idea how to respond at first. “I...see. Well...don’t beat yourself up. I like you for who you are, Tree.”

Her smile didn’t go away. “That’s radical to hear. I don’t have many friends since almost everypony considers me weird or strange. But not you and Cheerilee or Fluttershy. So thanks for that.”

Well that gave me a slight amount of comfort. The knowledge that Tree Hugger had individuals to support her made me happy. Hm, I wondered if she’d do the same in return? “Hey Tree?”

“Yeah? Wassup?”

“Do you think there’s a way we can achieve peace as a society? I ask this because your entire motto is focusing on tranquility and whatnot. But have you ever wondered if it’s possible for everypony to put down their weapons and hear each other out?”

After a moment of thought, she shook her head. “Nah, brah. Tranquility is about finding your own idea of peace. It’s like, impossible for everypony to think like me. Then we’d all be weirdos with no friends, haha.”

That self-deprecation was not going to fly in my house. “Stop that. You have plenty of friends who like you. Don’t you dare change, Tree. Okay?”

“I was pulling your stump, man,” she replied with a smile, “Thanks, though. I’m hoping you and Cheerilee have a good life together. You deserve each other.”

“Thank you.” I couldn’t help but feel flattered. This meal was just what I needed, and Tree Hugger had unknowingly given me some good advice on what I should do next regarding my case.

When I finished eating, I took both of our plates and washed them in the sink. Then I went and laid down on the couch in the living room to relax my mind. It was too early to fall asleep, so I didn’t go to my bed.

And in yet another example of her apparent strangeness, Tree Hugger decided to lie right atop me. But I couldn’t sense any malicious intent within her. No, instead she simply asked, “Mind if I rest with ya, brah? Your energy is all tense and stuff.” The mare rested her ear against my neck.

I was surprised by this, but I didn’t see any harm in it. “Um...no problem?” As weird as it was at first, I could feel my stresses as they slipped away thanks to the humming of Tree Hugger. It was a nice feeling, being able to engage in a sort of dual-meditation.

“Ohhhmmm--neeeee….”

Heh. Very nice indeed.

“Think Cheerilee would mind if we--”

I already knew what she wanted to ask, so I cut her off. “Hey, that’s up to her, not me.”

Subject 62: Red Hot Burning Souls

Alright. The plan was all laid out. Neon was on watch to keep an eye on Neighsay within Canterlot while I had Corkscrew stay at the Ponyville building to make sure Suri did her job. Flash Drive had already gone back home, so I requested the aid of somepony else.

“Ready to go, boss!” the cherry red pegasus saluted with her mechanical wings that flapped elegantly, “But first, check out my skills!”

“Eh, wot?” I had just stepped out of my house, and the pegasus mare did a few flips and loops to show off her capabilities. I chuckled and shook my head. “You always were the one to show off.”

She landed, and her prosthetic wings folded in just like a pair of biological ones. “Uh, doy! Obviously! Of course I have. Everypony always gave me these weird looks when I grew up, so I figured I’d show them what I can do,” she scoffed and waved her hoof, “Peh. You of all ponies should know how I get. So what’s the plan today, boss? Where we headed?”

I took out my notepad. “Well, I’m sure I already made you aware. I came across a kirin that supported a rather….unsavory, pony.” I showed her my notes instead of making a spoken statement. Never knew who listened in, after all. “Our goal is to go meet with the rest of them at the Peaks of Peril and meet with them to see if they knew Freeze Flame and why she would do such a thing.”

The entire time, I had led her to Cozy Glow’s new home. Guttersnipe just now realized this, and pointed a hoof up to the window. “Uh...right. But why are we here again?”

“Simple. We’re going to help her find out the truth so she can face it. Then she can start working with the race to help them out.”

Before I could reach for the door, she stopped me. “Um, are you sure this is a good idea? Bringing her along, I mean. What exactly even are we dealing with?”

“Well, for one thing, the kirin race is in a bit of a problem. Their numbers are slowly on a decline due to the overwhelming number of females and the lack of males. The line of kirin is slowly dwindling, so they need help.”

She shrugged as she hovered in the air. “Why don’t they just start integrating into the rest of society?”

I rolled my eyes. “If it were that easy, the batponies would’ve done so on their own, the dragons would’ve done so on their own, and so would the griffons. But they didn’t. They couldn’t Out of fear. Fear is what drives us to follow our emotions and not our brains. Fear is what drove Celestia to toss her sister Luna onto a rock-like satellite for one thousand years--”

“I thought it was the moon,” Guttersnipe interrupted with a tilt of her head.

“A satellite is an object that orbits another in space,” I gave a quick explanation and got right back on topic, “Anyways! Fear is what drove Sunset Shimmer to leave this world and terrorize another. Fear is what drove Starlight Glimmer to a class-based system in which those who served no value were tossed out in favor of a sick definition of equality. Do you understand now?”

The realization must have hit the pegasus. She slowly reeled her head back as she thought about it. “Ohhhhh. So you’re saying the kirins are too afraid to engage with the rest of us.” She paused mid-sentence, and her eyes went wide. “Wait a sec...does that mean that Freeze Flame was also pushed by fear?”

I nodded. “Ding-ding-ding. You’re on the ball today, Guts. Yes. I believe that she was too ingrained within her own fear to think reasonably, and found herself down a path of hatred that would...burn anyone who stood in her way.” I thought back to it. Her final moments as she fell off the city. Her twitching body as it slowly fell limp and became a lifeless corpse. It was never a pretty thing to hark back to. But her fear...is what led her to this. Ultimately, I decided to at least find out what her kind was dealing with. “And now you know. So are you with me or not, Guts?”

The red mare landed next to me. “Heck yeah I am. Let’s see how the kid’s been doing.”

I knocked on the door.

After a few moments, the young mare answered. “Hello? Oh it’s you, sir. And...who are you?”

“This here is--”

“Guttersnipe Poinsettia! At yo service, sweetums!” she said with a dramatic bow.

Cozy had an awkward smile on her face in response. “Oh, um...hi...you’re ready to take me to see those kirins, huh? And I assume...she’s gonna escort us?”

I took a peek behind her. The house was still in neat condition. She had the occasional piece of paper here and there. Huh. Likely notes that she wanted to throw away, but couldn’t. “That’s right,” I replied, “Guts here, is gonna watch out for us while we have the meeting.”

The pink pegasus gingerly rubbed one hoof against the other. “I see...do you really think this will help them out? Me talking to them, I mean.”

“You have a knack for explanations and getting others to listen to what you have to say,” I explained, “Now it’s time for you to make use of that talent in a way that benefits others and not just yourself.”

She had a doubtful look on her face for a moment. But then she shut her eyes. Cozy finally looked at me with newfound determination. “Alright. Let’s go.”

I looked to my side. “Alright, Guts. Let’s--” I blinked. She was no longer there. “Guts!”

The crimson pegasus had taken it upon herself to inspect the interior of Cozy’s home. Normally we would at least request entry before we barged in. But the kid didn’t seem to mind. “It’s okay,” she assured me, “you have every right to search wherever and whenever you want. I have nothing to hide…”

I almost wanted to hug the young mare, but Guttersnipe stopped everything as she made her final flying lap through the home. “All clear boss. Nothing strange going on.”

“Thank you,” I replied flatly and beckoned her with my hoof to usher her out of the home. “Gah...you…”

“Sorry, hehe…” she said back with a nervous grin as she exited above Cozy through the front door.

The pink mare giggled. “Heehee! I mean…” she quickly abandoned it and cleared her throat. “Sure. I’m ready when you guys are.”

That settled it.

Soon, we were off to the train station. It would be an extremely long ride to the Peaks of Peril, so I had already taken the liberty to pack certain items. Card games, water bottles, a few sandwiches, and of course my notes.

Though, the mares didn’t seem interested. They preferred to pass the time by talking to each other. Something I could get behind. Guttersnipe was utterly demented when in the field, but outside of it, she was akin to a sister of sorts. I could overhear their chatter as I reclined on the sat that was on the opposite end of the aisle from them.

“So what do ya want outta life, kiddo?”

“Um...well...I don’t know,” Cozy replied. “For now...I just want to not be hated anymore as well as do some good for this world.”

Guttersnipe put a hoof around her neck. “Then you’re in luck! See, Equestria’s fallen to loads of corruption in the past few years due to the fact that the Elements of Harmony are...aging a bit. They can’t be expected to be everywhere at once. Ponies like Pale and I are what helps stop that corruption from spreading to the good folks, yo.”

I could just barely make out the stars in the pink mare’s eyes. “W-wow...that sounds nice. Maybe I could...nah. That’s not gonna happen.”

Guttersnipe let her go. “Hey, you never know, kiddo. If ya do well, then we might just let ya help us out from time to time. For now, we need to see what’s going on with these kirins.”

How nice that they were able to speak with each other. It more or less continued the whole way there. The mares played with the cards, I Spy, patty-cake, and even a few guessing games. Wait, was this a mission or a field trip? Meh, I couldn’t say a word, given that I had essentially packed lunches.

It was about another hour or so, and we were finally able to exit the train, dropped off in the desolate wasteland of the desert near the Peaks of Peril.

“Alright,” I said as I trotted off the train and onto the loading platform, “Is everypony ready?”

“Heck yeah!” Guttersnipe shouted, “What about you, Coze?”

The pink mare performed her usual hoof rub when she was nervous. “I...I am. Let’s get this done.”

And so, we were off. We all kept a low profile as we trotted across the desert lands and into the valley that housed Kirin Grove. It was a bit humid, but nothing too crazy since I had packed plenty of water which we all made use of.

We entered the grassy, green forested lands that essentially consumed us. Whew. Thank goodness it was much cooler here. But I could already hear voices in the distance. We must have been getting closer to the Grove.

“You two stay behind me,” I commanded them, “I’ve been here once before, so I’m more familiar with this territory. Kirins don’t like to be surprised or shocked. So I’ll go on ahead. When I give the signal, that’s when it’s okay for you two to follow, alright?”

Guttersnipe gave a silent salute, and Cozy nodded.

I took a few more steps forward. My hooves crackled against the fallen leaves of the forest floor and my body rustled against the leaves. I did my best to stay quiet, though. It didn’t seem like they noticed me just yet. Alright, good. Now if I could just--

“AH!”

SWOOSH!

I had accidentally stepped in a net trap. I was hoisted into the air and stuck in its confines along with a bunch of leaves. “Dammit, dammit--” I covered my mouth. They normally kept quiet so the fact that I spoke is just what could draw them to me. “...shit.”

“Over here!” I heard a female voice shout.

By the time I realized, it was too late. About a dozen kirins--all mares--surrounded me from below with confused looks on their faces.

“A stallion?” one of them asked. “Well now…”

“That’s rare. What should we do with him?” asked another. “Take him home and take turns?”

“Hehehe...I’ve got an idea for sure,” another said while she eyed me up. “He’s gonna be tired by the time we’re done, but I think he’ll manage.”

I was both scared and a bit curious as to what they planned to do. I was going to try and cut myself free with my combat knife, but instead…

“HALT!” I heard another female voice, this one much more powerful and commanding. Who could this be?

Whoever it was, I hoped they didn’t intend on keeping me captive for any weird things they had in mind.

Subject 63: Pain In Flames

The kirin charged her way through the group. She looked like she was the strongest one there due to her increased muscular and physical definition compared to the rest of her kind. Wait a minute, was that?

“Autumn Blaze?” I asked while I put away the knife I was going to use to cut myself loose. “Where’s Rain Shine?”

“Oh...she’s no longer with us.” There was a pause that lingered in the air for a moment before she sporadically waved her hoof around, “Oh no, no, wait. She’s just retired and living in Silver Shoals. She’s not like, dead or anything, hehe.”

I gave a sigh of relief, but that didn’t exactly help me out of my situation. “Whew...alright. Anyway I can be brought down?”

“Oh, yeah--right! Sorry. We just like to have the security,” Autumn clarified as she used her magic to undo the confines of the net and set me free. “Never know who could be trying to crash our parties and such. I see you came with some friends, yeah?”

“Oof.” I hit the dirt, and picked myself up. I used my hat to dust myself off, and put it back on my head. “That’s right. This way, ladies.” I turned to the edge of the forest we came from and called out to them while I waved them over.

Both Guttersnipe and Cozy Glow appeared before the crowd. Or rather, Guttersnipe appeared while Cozy hid directly behind her.

The kirin surrounded her with awe as they gazed at her mechanical wings.

“Where did you get those?!”

“Those are so cool!”

“What happened to your original wings?”

Her answer was hesitant at first. “Um...I’d rather...ahem. We’re here on important business, guys. No time for horsing around.” This surprised me. Normally, she was more than happy to show off. Was there something that troubled her?

Cozy didn’t fare much better since she wanted to stay as quiet as possible until she was addressed.

I decided to break everything up myself. “Anyway. We’re here on business. I’m the leader of a group of ponies affiliated with investigations in and around Equestria. Pale Vestige is the name,” I said with a tip of my hat.

“Ooh!” Autumn’s eyes lit up, “What’s your team called?”

“We don’t particularly have a moniker,” I explained, “It helps prevent us from being tracked down by our enemies.”

She let out a shrill whistle as a sign of being impressed. “Well now. That’s a pretty smart idea,” she tapped a hoof against her left cheek, “I should probably think of something like that for our next play. We could even make use of it for our defensive tactics. Nameless Attacks. Yeah that has a nice ring to it, hehe!” she put her hoof down with a giggle. “Oh, sorry. Went off on a little tangent.

I almost wanted to point out the fact that naming something ‘Nameless’ is a bit of an oxymoron when one considered the fact that you still applied some sort of intangible label to the group or item in question. But that wasn’t important.

“So, since Shine has retired, you are the current leader?”

She nodded. “Have been for the last decade or so!”

Good. This could aid me in my pursuit. I looked over my shoulder, and shot Cozy a glance. I tilted my head towards the kirin leader; A silent way to tell her to follow me. She got the message and slowly flew around to my side.

Guttersnipe meanwhile, had kept the other kirins distracted with her flying augments. Even if she was reluctant to do so. I felt a bit bad for it, but we needed absolute attention from Autumn.

“In a nutshell, we’re here to find out information on a...certain kirin that has caused some trouble recently. Can you help us?”

“Oh, sure! One second,” she paused and looked at her fellow kirin. “Everypony, back it up! This is important business I’m dealing with, okay?”

They caught the hint from their leader. The kirins immediately went back to their usual tasks around the Grove and left us alone. Guttersnipe let out a sigh of relief since she didn’t have to speak about her wings anymore.

Autumn looked at Cozy for a half-second and focused back onto me. “Follow me. We should speak somewhere more...privately.”

We all followed the kirin mare through her village. It was a beautiful, luscious landscape with lots of green plants, fresh water, and their homes were made out of the trees and natural landscape. It was a rather refreshing experience to witness such...naturalistic styles compared to the overly manufactured setting of Manehattan.

Autumn led us to her home, and invited us inside. However, Guttersnipe was content with being a lookout.

“I’ll stay out here and keep watch. You guys go on ahead,” she said with a nod.

“Alright, if you’re sure. C’mon, kid.” I took Cozy inside with me. It was a nice, wooden abode with a log cabin sort of aesthetic. It felt rather, well, cozy. Soft wood floors to walk on, a fireplace, a nice view of the entire village through a window. “Wow…nice isn’t it, kid?”

Cozy nodded with a nervous smile on her face. “...you could say that, yeah.” She pointed a hoof to something above the fireplace, “Check those out.”

I squinted, and saw individual portraits of three kirins, then Rain Shine, then Autumn Blaze. “Oh. These must be the pictures of each leader. Curious. I’d like to know more about the ones that came before Shine.”

“Me too,” the pink pegasus replied.

“Uh, guys. I’m like, waaaaay over here.” Autumn called out to us from what sounded like our right. She was on some stairs that led up to the second floor of her home. “But thanks for admiring what I got. It’s nice knowing that non-kirins appreciate what we kirins do.” Her eyes sparkled, “Oh! You wanna stay by for a show later? We kirins love stand-up!”

I trotted over to the staircase. “...Maybe. But for now, we need to get talking.”

“Oh right, right. Pssh. Silly me. Come right up,” she beckoned us with a hoof.

After we took the steps up, we stopped at her office of sorts. Autumn took us inside and invited us to sit down. Instead of a desk, she had a set of files spread out over various, small tables in the room. Otherwise, it was rather empty, save for a few wooden chairs that she invited us to sit in.

“So, what did you both wanna talk to me about?”

I looked at Cozy, and nodded. I began my explanation. “It has to do with someone known as Freeze Flame. Do you know her?”

“Hm...do I…” Autumn looked up to the ceiling as she tapped one of her lower hooves on the floor. “Oh! Right! She was the kid of one of my friends. Winter Flame.” Her face dropped as she recounted the events that I had been described before. “We...lost her and her oldest daughter in the battle...but she did her best to keep everypony safe. Their sacrifice was not in vain, though. The rest of us have made a pact to live no matter what.”

Heavy topics, but I’m glad she was aware. That would make things go smoothly. “...Do you know of the fact that Freeze Flame had been working for a disgusting stallion and recently...died in her attempts to harm several ponies?”

A pause was held in the air for a moment. Autumn frowned, and got up from her seat. She used her magic to levitate a newspaper off of one of her tables, and brought it over to us. “Yeah...we read the paper. We cast her out a long time ago for being reckless and wanting to do terrible things to other ponies. But we never knew exactly where she went after that.” She unfurled it with her magic and started to read over it again, “Would you mind elaborating?”

“Not at all.” It was only just, after all. This was ultimately her business given that one of her subjects ended up dead at my hooves. So I told her every last detail.

“...so you had to kill her, huh?”

I hid my face beneath my hat. “I...I wish I didn’t have to, but she would have continued to be a danger to the lives of everypony there if I didn’t do something.”

All the sudden, her magic pushed my hat up which exposed my face. “Hey, hey. Chin up. It’s not your fault that she was a complete birch. If it wasn’t you, it would’ve been somepony else. I’m just...ugh. Anyway, we need to stop the stallion who manipulated her and prevent him from doing the same to anypony else.”

“Well, yes. That’s a problem I am going to take care of. But what I mainly wanted to speak with you about was something else that Freeze mentioned.”

Autumn put the paper down and tilted her head at me. “Oh? What is it?”

“Something about...your population problems? Gender imbalance? I noticed a lot of female kirin, but not too many male ones…”

Autumn blinked, and looked outside of her window. I suppose she wanted to check for herself. And it was certain. “Huh...I never noticed. Now that you mention it, we do seem to have a bit of tipped scales among the kirin genders.”

“Doesn’t that concern you at all?” I asked with a raise of my eyebrow, “Without a proper balance, the population could dwindle and eventually, there would be no more kirins left. Especially if you all are monogamous.”

She tilted her head at the last word I said. “Mono…?”

“It means a couple that stays one couple. If the kirin stallions pair up with one kirin mare, then that’s a whole lot of kirin mares who will be rendered unable to have children. No children means no more kirins...you get what I mean, yeah?”

The gears spun in her head, and Autumn’s pupil’s shrank. In a panic, she grabbed ahold of me and started to violently shake me around. “WHAT?! Why didn’t anypony tell me about this?! We need to do something! Okay, stay calm...stay calm…” she started to hyperventilate. Her chest rose and fell in rapid succession. “I mean...I didn’t think that it was possible. I thought it was normal for there to be an abundance of mares in any tribe.”

“Ahem…” After being properly rattled around, I cleared my throat. I gently pushed the kirin leader off of me, and started to speak my piece. “That is the whole reason I’m here--with Cozy Glow.” I pointed at the pink pegasus beside me. “She’s here to explain an idea to help your race.”

In truth, I was afraid. I didn’t know if Autumn would recognize and cast her out for the turmoil she had caused for everypony in that battle. But curiously, she didn’t comment on it yet. Did she forget who Cozy was? Or did she play it tactical and stay quiet just to hear what she had to say?

“Well...the basic idea would be,” Cozy took out a clipboard, “Maybe familiarize the kirins with pony culture so that they can find more mates. Then your race won’t have any issues going forward.”

Autumn grit her teeth and one of her ears flicked. “Yyyyeah. That’s gonna be a small problem.”

“Why?” Cozy asked.

“The kirins as a whole don’t tend to associate with other ponies most of the time. Sure, we’re on good terms with then, but for the most part, we stay separated. And...well,” she rubbed the back of her head, “It’s...not going to be easy to convince them to try.”

“Don’t worry. I have some ideas,” Cozy said with a grin, “We can start by helping the kirin get to know the other ponies. You said you’re into stand-up, right?”

Autumn nodded. “Duh! We all are!”

“Well...how about if they attended the comedy club in Ponyville? It’s not usually very crowded, so it’d be a nice first step where they could meet other ponies without it being all...awkward. You know?”

“Hm...not a bad idea! What do you think, mister?” the kirin leader addressed me next.

It wasn’t the most callous of ideas, but I was hesitant. Mainly due to the fact that I was uncertain whether kirin humor and pony humor would resonate with the members of the opposite race. But there was a first time for everything, as they say. “Huh. I think that could work, Cozy. The exchange of cultural humor might work if done right.”

“Oh good!” she held up her clipboard which showed the schedule for the comedy club tomorrow night. “Because there’s a free slot open and it’s not too busy over there on Sunday’s. It’s perfect!”

Autumn took hold of the clipboard and read it over. She suddenly grinned from ear to ear. “Heehee! Oooh! That sounds great! We’ll be there!”

Good start for sure. The end goal was to help the kirins out in whatever way we could. Though Autumn was very keen on the idea, she didn’t allow me to fully explain the finer details regarding the rebellious kirin mare. However, it was just as plausible that she already very well knew of what transpired between Freeze Flame and the other kirin of this generation, and she simply refused to allow herself to be dragged down by the past. If that’s the case, I had nothing but respect for her.

I just hoped they didn’t turn into niriks upon hearing bad pony jokes.

“Boss! Boss!” Guttersnipe suddenly burst into the room. “We got trouble outside!”

The three of us looked out of the window and saw thick, dark clouds fill the sky.

Autumn tilted her head in confusion. “Well that’s weird. It’s not supposed to rain until tomorrow.”

I squinted my eyes and could just barely make out a sort of symbol within those clouds. “...!” I let out a silent gasp, and scrambled for the door, “Everyone. That’s no normal cloud. We need everypony to get inside of their homes. Now!”

Subject 64: Cast In A Storm Of Strife (Against The Odds)

We ran outside, and witnessed the darkness form overhead. As I suspected. These were not normal clouds whatsoever. They were something more, something sinister.

“Everypony, go back to your homes!” Autumn Blaze cried out, “We’ll handle...whatever the heck this is!”

The kirins did as their leader commanded, and fled to the safety of their abodes.

Guttersnipe flapped her metal wings with that steeled gaze in her eyes. “I’m gonna take off and see what’s going on from the air.” As confident as she looked on the outside, there was something off in the way her eye twitched. “If only Flash Drive were here. He’d know what to do.”

But if she knew what she was doing, I couldn’t fault her. For now, we needed to focus. “Cozy, stay alert. Do you recognize these clouds at all?” I asked her because, as a pegasus, she’d most likely have some expertise on the conflict before us.

“...None. These are completely abnormal. None of the weather factories make use of clouds like these. What should we do?” she looked to me with a face full of fear and confusion.

Ah yes, that’s right. Cozy was an excellent strategist, but when it came to quick thinking on her hooves, she was extremely lacking. That was alright. I could pick up the slack for her as best I could. “No problem. What we need to do is--”

“Boss! We got monsters!” Guttersnipe shouted from above, and pointed to the entrance to the kirin village.

We looked on, and found a monster. But not just any monster. This was...a creature with no definite shape other than billowing smoke and ash. It emerged from the forest just outside of the kirin village. Its body looked to be made of fog? No. There were constant gusts of air that flowed around within it with some sort of weather-based aura.

“A stormy beast…” I mumbled under my breath.

Autumn Blaze yelped. “A stormbeast?! I’ve never seen these before. But…” she paused. On command, she activated her nirik form, and spoke to me in a very casual state. “I think we can totally handle this.”

I took note of it, and realized that there were kirin who could control their powers. Good. Autumn had to easily be the strongest one in her village as leader, so this was perfect. Even still, the kid was in danger. “Cozy. Get back inside Autumn’s home and let us handle this. You’ve done your part already, now it’s my turn.”

I could see it in her pale pink eyes. She desperately wanted to help, but knew this was beyond her--or at least I hoped she did. The last thing I wanted was for her to get hurt. “Okay…” she said before she flew back.

The monster approached us. It generated arms and legs that were close to that of a primate. Except, you know, extremely massive. I took a look at Autumn. “This thing looks powerful, but slow. I’ll distract it, and you can come in for the final strike. Savvy?”

“Sure, sure!” she replied with a wide, fanged grin as she stretched her hooves. “Let’s murderate ‘em! This’ll make a great setup for our next play when we’re done, heheh!”

With the plan laid out, I met the beast in the empty clearing in the middle of the village. It charged at me with what seemed like killer intent and yellow, slitted eyes that were alight amidst the body of darkness. To say this thing was creepy was putting it very lightly.

“Woah!” I managed to dodge one of its smoky fists with a swift roll as it slammed the ground next to me.

Luckily, Autumn Blaze was already on the prowl. She leapt onto the beast’s back, and tried to set it ablaze. “Eat this, buddy!” A roar of blue and red flame rose upon the back of the stormy creature, but sadly, this had no effect whatsoever. “What?!”

Instead, the being casually brushed it off, and blew out the flames. Then, it grabbed ahold of Autumn in its massive hand-like appendage.

“Hrrk! Hey! Let me go!” She wriggled and lashed around in the grasp of the monster. Even as she poured all of her magic into her flaming aura, it caused absolutely no damage to the beast.

Concerning. But first, I had to get Autumn out of this tight spot.

“I gotcha!” I shouted. With a quick action, I pointed my air blaster at the ground, and used it to launch myself upwards. I landed on the beast’s arm, and threw a hoofstrike at its face. “Hya!”

PLAP!

No effect. Yet again. Just what in the devil could be done to this beast?! “...Shit.” There was no time to worry about that for the moment. Those yellow eyes bore through the very essence of my soul, and I could tell it was ready to strike back.

“RRRRRAGH!”

With a mighty roar, the stormbeast flung its free fist--the right--towards me.

“Aie!” I barely managed to avoid the attack, and fell off the gigantic arm. “Oof!” I hit the ground with a brisk thud. But when that happened, I heard the beast cry out from pain.

“AAAARGH!”

As it turned out, when I managed to move out of the way, the beast had struck itself by accident! It stumbled, and its grip on Autumn Blaze was loosened as a result.

“Woah!” She fell, but managed to catch herself just in time via self-levitation.

Sometimes I wished I could do that, but then again, raw durability.

“You alright?” I got up and ran over to check on her condition.

The nirik rose to her hooves in a flash. “Yeah, I’m fine. But what just happened?”

“Let’s see...none of our attacks worked on it so far. But when I inadvertently caused it to strike itself, it seemed to have taken some damage.”

We both looked at it. Even now, the beast was still recovering from the devastating blow it had dealt to itself. Maybe we could use that to our advantage.

“Maybe we can use this to our advantage!” Autumn shouted at the same moment I thought about it. Great minds think similarly I suppose. “We just need to get it to hit itself until it goes down!”

Great plan, but how would we do that, I wondered. “Hmmm--look out!” My thoughts were interrupted when the beast came in for another attack. Both its fists slammed into the earth which caused Autumn and I to dodge in opposite directions. “Dammit. I don’t think it’s gonna fall for the same trick again!”

“Ghh!” Autumn grumbled as she landed in a bush nearby. “What makes you so sure?”

“It’s separated us!” I called out from the other end of the open village field. “We can’t do the same thing again! We need to think carefully!”

Autumn rolled out of the way of an attack once more. “Ah! Hey! Watch it! We don’t want our homes destroyed you big meanie!”

Damn. That was another factor I hadn’t considered. Just how were we going to beat this thing while also avoiding any excess damage to the surrounding area. The kirin’s home was all built into the natural area of the hills and trees itself. Who knows how long it would take to rebuild if a monster destroyed their home?

Come on, Pale. Think.

Meanwhile…

Cozy Glow watched from the inside of Autumn’s home. All the events that had transpired had gotten her to think. “Ooh...I can’t just sit here. They need my help. But just how am I gonna...wait…” With a pencil and a notepad in hoof, she began to draw on it while she came up with a strategy.

“It’s made of storm clouds...pegasi like me can control clouds….maybe…”

Outside…

There was one thing I had just realized.

“Guts! Where are you?!” I shouted as I looked up to the sky.

I realized that Guttersnipe must have fled to a more advantageous position, but that didn’t excuse the lack of communication. I had no idea where that crimson mare went.

POW-POW-POW-POW!

Well, now I did.

“Eat this, ya ugly mug!” I heard her scream from above. The battle cry was followed by dozens of miniature missiles fired off from above which barreled down and exploded in fiery bursts upon the stormy monster.

It didn’t cause major damage, but the beast was forced to use a hand to block most of them, likely due to how much the attack blinded it.

“Mr. Pale, look!” I heard Autumn shout as she pointed a hoof at the beast.

I squinted, and could just barely make out the image of a pony within the smoky creature. Could it be that somepony had been controlling this thing from the inside this whole time? Okay, that was certainly another factor to consider. But it seemed that Guttersnipe’s barrage of explosions had weakened the outer shell of the monster. Maybe...just maybe…

“I can do this. I won’t let you down, sir. Ghh...this hurts like Tartarus, though.” Just out of sight, Cozy Glow had grabbed up a bundle of the clouds, and formed a long spear. When the time was right, she gave a shout. “EVERYPONY BACK UP!”

My ear flicked, and I turned my head. Autumn and I witnessed that pink pegasus grab up an entire mass of the storm clouds that had circled overhead. My mind immediately went into a protective mode. “Kid? What the hell are you doing?!”

The nirik put a gentle, non-flaming hoof on my shoulder. “...I think she has a plan. You know how smart she can get when she has time to think about something. Trust her, sir,” she pleaded with a soft smile.

I shot her the most bewildered look I could muster. “Wh…” My eyes immediately went down, and darted left, then right. With no other alternatives, I closed them with a sigh. “...argh. Fine.”

Part of me wondered just how much Autumn could remember of what Cozy accomplished and whether or not she still held it against the pegasus mare. Even so, this was no time to debate.

“GRRR! RUNNING OUT OF AMMO HERE GUYS!” Guttersnipe yelled out from the sky, “HURRY UP AND DO SOMETHING!”

Dammit. No choice. Whatever Cozy wanted to do, now was the time.

Autumn and I both dove for cover behind some of the bushes nearby. The foggy mass of a monster was still pinned down from the onslaught of miniature rockets. But naturally, Guttersnipe’s ammunition was not infinite. Her attacks had just barely managed to keep the monster at bay long enough for Cozy to enact...whatever the heck she wanted to enact.

“YAAAAA!”

I dragged my hooves down the sides of my face and watched with utter horror as the kid screamed to the top of her lungs as she flew down from the sky. She had crafted some sort of lance made from the same cloudy material that the creature was made of. Wait, did she somehow manage to figure out the creature’s weakness without even having been among us? Exemplary!

Once Guttersnipe’s rocket barrage had ceased, Cozy Glow charged right into the beast and impaled it with the spear of clouds.

“RRRRAUGH!”

It let out a guttural roar as it reeled back. The beast had ultimately been slain by the same material it was made of in one clean, fell swoop!

It disappeared, and the sky became clear once more, which allowed nature’s sunny day to resume as scheduled. All that was left was an unconscious pony from the aftermath.

“Cozy!” I shouted as I leapt from the bushes. I ran up and rubbed a hoof on her mane to check if she was in good condition. “You alright? You’re not hurt are you?”

Her mane was a little frizzy, and she was covered in a bit of soot, but she seemed like she was okay. However, to my surprise, the young mare giggled when it was over. Like usual, she pushed my hoof away with her own, and smiled at me with that bright expression of hers. “Aw, lighten up. It’s like you’re trying to be my dad or something.”

“Oh, uh...right. My apologies.” I immediately retreated, and gave her some space. The last thing I wanted to do was smother her. Dammit, Pale, you’re better than this.

Once the beast was vanquished, Autumn came out of hiding. Her nirik form now gone, and replaced with her usual kirin appearance. “Whew...that was a super sweaty battle,” she wiped some perspiration from her forehead with a hoof, “Everypony alright?”

“Mm-hmm,” Cozy replied with a nod.

“Indeed,” I said.

Guttersnipe landed with an ecstatic grin. “Yeah-yeah, baby! I knew we could do it! But CG--how did ya manage to figure out what its weakness was so fast?”

“I...watched you guys and when I saw it hit itself, I realized I needed to fabricate something made of the same material. So I gathered some of those storm clouds and made a spear out of it. They...kinda hurt a little from how much condensed magic was contained within, but I managed, hehe.”

Autumn Blaze put a hoof on Cozy’s shoulder. “Well I think you did a great job. It took you some time, but you were willing to fight for the safety of a group of kirin that you don’t even know. For that, I’m...super totally grateful, dude!” she squealed and started to violently shake the pink mare’s hoof with two of her own.

Heh. I suppose she couldn’t stand the idea of being so formal for very long.

“Blblblbl!” Cozy tried to speak, but being shaken slurred her words.

“Oh, sorry!” Autumn let go, “I tend to sorta do that sometimes.”

Cozy shook her head around to regain her stability. “Brrr. It’s fine. I’m glad you appreciate my efforts.”

“Hehe!” The kirin leader laughed and pointed at the field, “I’m not the only one…”

We looked out and saw that the other kirins had emerged from the safety of their homes to see what had transpired. After a moment of silence, they all came in and swarmed Cozy Glow with praise.

“You’re awesome!”

“You’re amazing!”

“You’re so cool!”

“Teach me how to do that!”

“Thank you so much for saving us!”

“Oh, hehe…” she blushed and shied away from the words of kindness. “Thank you?”

It was a nice feeling, to watch her be praised for something she did right for a change.

While that occurred, I felt something tap my shoulder. “Hm?”

Guttersnipe beckoned me to follow her. “Take a look at this boss.”

Oh yes. That’s right. The pony body. The one that was left behind after the body of the mysterious beast disappeared. I knelt down to inspect it. It was a grayish pegasus mare with a manestyle that was similar to Twilight’s. The mane itself was two-toned--pink and green. Her cutie mark was that of two flowers.

“Wait a minute...I think I’ve seen this mare before in Ponyville. Blossomforth. A member of the Ponyville weather team. Consistent for the past 20 years or so. But why is…” I had to stop and think. It made sense that a pegasus would be able to control something so volatile, given that they had control over the elements of the sky and the weather. “Hrm…”

All the sudden, a hooded figure emerged from the forest and stepped out to greet us. “I would like to apologize for what has transpired here. I was hunting down that creature myself and it...got away from me.” Their voice sounded feminine and cold, like someone that tended to distance themselves from others as much as possible.

“Hm?” I looked up with complete suspicion aimed at this new character. “And just who are you?”

She pushed the hood down. I was greeted with a dark purple unicorn mare whose horn was missing.

Wait...no way!

“Whoo-doggie!” Guttersnipe chirped aloud, “We never would’ve expected to see somepony like you way out here!”

I noticed Autumn Blaze was also taken aback with a shocked look on her face. But she didn’t speak for the moment. My best guess was that she wanted to let us handle the situation, maybe?

The mare with the damaged horn approached us. “There is...little time. First off, who among you led the fight against this beast?”

The red pegasus pushed me forward without warning. “This guy, right here!”

I shot Guttersnipe an annoyed huff, and rolled my eyes. I looked up at the dark violet mare, and tipped my hat. “Pale Vestige, madam. Nice to meet you.”

She tilted her head to the left, and then to the right as she looked me over. It was like being inspected by a curious foal.

“Ahem...is everything alright?” I asked.

“Hm?” She snapped out of her investigative stupor to answer. “Oh, yes. Of course. It’s just--well, I’m surprised. I’ve been away from Equestria for so long that I wouldn’t expect a stallion to be in charge of something like this,” she explained as she pointed her hoof to the unconscious Blossomforth. “I figured most of them stayed home to simply fix things or pulled heavy weights while the mares did everything else, given that’s what I mostly saw in my time here.”

I couldn’t come up with much of a response other than two words. “...excuse me?”

Subject 65: Past Insecurities (We Choose To Fight)

“Oh no! I didn’t mean any offense by the comment!” “Dammit! You idiot Fizzlepop! You’ve insulted his status as a hard worker! What has isolation done to you?!” A few beads of sweat ran down the side of her face, and she shook her head. “I meant that it was...a nice surprise to see a competent stallion lead a group for a change. I haven’t seen that in...forever.”

I didn’t know how to accept the comment. But I did know that mares tended to have the spotlight most of the time in this world. Thousands of years ago, stallions such as Starswirl, Rockhoof, Clover the Clever, Flash Magnus and many others were important figures. But nowadays? Well, she had a point. Most stallions were content with being construction workers with the odd Royal Guard member here and there with the occasional outlier such as Thorax and Shining Amor.

Meanwhile, mares like the Elements of Harmony, the Mayor, Cheerilee, Spoiled Rich, Starlight Glimmer, Trixie, Ember, and Autumn Blaze and of course the former Princesses--I suppose that mares did fill a majority of the important positions in the world of ponies. I couldn’t blame Ms. Shadow for her surprise, especially since stallions on the whole were way less common than mares these days.

But that was neither here nor there. Who we are mattered more than what we are.

“How...quaint. Thank you, I suppose? I’m just doing my job. No need for that.” I played it off with a casual shrug. “So, here I am. What exactly did you want to speak about?”

Tempest used her magic to levitate the unconscious Blossomforth, and put her onto her back. “I...will explain everything if you follow me. Please excuse the intrusion, Ms. Blaze. I will take things from here.”

The kirin mare took a bow. “Oh no, don’t worry! Go on! Oh but...we’re still good for that comedy club in Ponyville, right?”

I nodded. “Absolutely. Right Cozy?”

The pink pegasus mare had finally gotten free of the kirin crowd that showered her with praise. She nodded and fixed her mane with a nervous smile when she saw Tempest. “...Mm-hmm. I hope the kirins can make it and laugh with the rest of us ponies.”

“Absolutely!” Autumn replied with a smile, “Now go. I’m sure you have business to take care of with Mr. Vestige and Ms. Shadow. But please come back and visit, okay?”

“Of course I will, Autumn. See you all later!”

We bid the kirins goodbye, and followed Tempest out of the forest. Overall, I’d say the meeting with the kirins was mostly a success. We managed to secure a time and day for them to meet with regular ponies. Given that they appreciated the comedic arts, it would be perfect if they could witness and experience what we ponies have to offer in the same field. Granted, there was no guarantee that they would even enjoy the show, but it was very well worth the attempt. And after Cozy took her time to help them out, it was nice of them to return the favor.

For now though, we had to deal with whatever Tempest Shadow wanted to discuss with us. In truth, I was a bit skeptical. I knew she had taken the time to make herself a better pony, but I wondered just how experienced she was with Equestria’s culture if she still thought stallions merely did manual labor and not much else.

Cozy, Guttersnipe, and I all followed her to another part of the forest near the Peaks of Peril. I noticed her gait and hoofsteps were strained. She didn’t look geriatric, but she certainly had an atmosphere of being worn out from constant bouts of combat over the last few years. I felt bad for the mare.

After a bit of walking, we arrived at a secluded location. A cave of sorts that was at the very edge of the Kirin’s Grove.

“Follow me,” she said before she went into the darkness.

Guttersnipe and I exchanged a look of confusion. Cozy was still a bit concerned, but I knew that I would keep her safe no matter what happened.

“It’s alright, Cozy. I’ve got you,” I assured her with a hoof atop her mane. It was like second nature at this point.

For once, she didn’t swat me away, either. Instead, she offered a smile. “...Thanks, Pale. I trust you.” And she walked on, and out of my grip.

Guttersnipe had a weird sort of smirk on her face. “You’re becoming more like a dad with each passing day with her.”

“Faff off. We’re on a mission.” I rolled my eyes and stepped into the cave, Guttersnipe close behind.

ZAP!

In a flash of magic, we were teleported to a room that I saw as familiar. Small, a few boards, magical devices-- wait a minute...

“Is this Moondancer’s place?” I asked as I looked around. Yup, that was the device she used to test on me and extract my DNA. Huh--come to think--I wonder what she did with that stuff I gave her.

“...Correct,” Tempest replied, “She is...easy to work with, given that she tends to avoid conversation.” She turned her head towards the hallway at the end of the lab. “Hey, Moondancer! I have returned with what I was looking for.”

“What?” The unicorn mare responded in a flat tone as she entered the room. Her mane was done up in a bun now, and she had on a vertical tiger-striped sweater instead of her usual one. When she saw who else was in the room, she rolled her eyes. “Hot damn. Bulletproof Detective. Back from the grave. I don’t know how you survived this long.”

Tempest cut her off. “I found her. This was who we’ve been looking for this whole time.” She used her magic to levitate the gray pegasus mare, and the aura changed to Moodancer’s pink when she took hold. I also took note of the fact that Tempest seemed...very strained when she made use of simple spells like levitation. Her knees wobbled ever so slightly, and her heart rate increased by about 50%.

How did I know this? It was due to my perception of her aura and how it interacted with her body as well as her damaged horn. Let me be the one to say it didn’t come across as a pretty thing to witness.

“I see. And you brought them here, why?” Moondancer pointed her left hoof at my group and I.

“...They were the ones that stopped her,” Tempest explained as she broke eye contact from the spectacled mare and looked down. “Believe me. They did their best, and stopped the stormbeast from causing anymore trouble. I think they deserve the right to know the details.” Was she really afraid of disappointing somepony like her? Curious.

The light yellow unicorn paused. “Oh…I guess they do deserve to know, if that’s the case. Come out to the dining room for some tea or whatever. Tempest. Mind getting the tea?”

“Oh...sure! I’d love to.” The purple mare trotted past Moondancer.

“You guys can wait at the table where we can discuss things,” she said as she adjusted her glasses and carried Blossomforth out of the room with her magic. “I’ll be there in a minute, so hang on.” With that, she left and made a right turn down another hallway.

I stepped forward. “Well then, let’s not waste time and keep our host waiting.”

“I’m with you,” Guttersnipe replied as she followed me. “To be honest, I never would’ve expected these two to be working together. How about you, Cozy?”

The pink mare must’ve been distracted. It took her a moment to answer back. “Hm? Oh? I...guess so? I’m not sure. But..I think I’ll go help Tempest with the tea.”

We trotted past the messy living room which had Moondancer’s research strewn about. Huh. Everything was in its exact same place as it was when I was here last time. How daunting. I could respect that level of organization.

Cozy went off to the kitchen. I deduced that she probably desired to speak with the mare, given their similar positions as former threats to Equestria who rejected their past in pursuit of new lives. Hopefully something good could come out of that interaction.

Guttersnipe and I took seats at the table. It had a nice, dark brown finish. Was this oak? Or maple? The lady had class, that was for sure.

“Alright, I’m done with that, for now,” Moondancer announced as she trotted into the room. “So essentially, that was a stormbeast. Or at least, that’s what we call ‘em.” She sat down with us at the table, her cheek rested on her left hoof. “Apparently the Storm King’s magic is still active in small fragments around Equestria, and it possesses whatever it can in order to cause destruction.”

Aha! I knew something was off when those clouds appeared out of nowhere. “So that’s what’s behind all of this. I wonder why they chose to attack us in Kirin Grove…”

Moondancer shrugged. “Beats me. Those things don’t strike me as super intelligent. Then again, I need to do more research on them to have concrete information. The idea that you were attacked on purpose is not impossible.”

“Hrm…” I sat back in my seat as I thought about it. There were always lots of variables in a situation like this. It was at times like these where one should take a minute before they toss their cards on the playing table.

Guttersnipe meanwhile, asked a more forward question. “So...whadda we do if we come in contact with another? Beat it up again, and bring the body back to you?”

“That, or any evidence you find, yes,” the unicorn replied in a simple manner.

“Uh-huuhhh...and you’ve really teamed up with Tempest, huh? How’s that going for ya?” the red pegasus asked.

Moondancer sat upright. “To put it bluntly, she and I are mutual beneficiaries. She works in the shadows and I help her find whatever she wants to take care of. Not much else to it than that.”

“Oh...okay then. Well consider our group on the job as well!” Guttersnipe offered.

“Sure.”

“Hmph.” My friend was put off by the unicorn’s short responses, and gave up on trying to get more out of her. The crimson mare slumped back in her seat as she waited for the tea to arrive.

I knew of her based on some files, and it seemed that Moondancer had a case of self-isolation due to her friend, Twilight Sparkle, abandoning her. Even though she lives in Canterlot now, Twilight is still extremely busy, and is probably unable to meet with her as much as she’d like.

As a result, you get a cold, bitter pony who wanted to speak as little as possible to avoid forming new relationships. Why? Because of their past experiences. Moondancer probably wanted to avoid somepony walking out on her again, so she shut down all attempts at friendship. From that, I could pretty much infer that her companionship with Tempest Shadow was strictly business related. I just hoped that she didn’t have any issues with her mental state.

“Here we go,” Tempest called out as she gingerly levitated the teapot and cups onto the table.

Cozy brought out the tiny dishes that the teacups would sit upon as well as a plate of muffins from the kitchen. “These look great. Dibs on the apricot one!”

We all started to enjoy our little tea party. Cozy and Moondancer had started up a chat at the other end of the table, while Tempest and Guttersnipe conversed near me on my side.

Though, it didn’t remain so casual for long.

I noticed Tempest’s eyes, and the way they took a peek down at the side of Guttersnipe’s body. Unfortunately, I knew exactly what she had been staring at, and knew it wouldn’t have a pretty outcome.

“Your wings…” the purple mare spoke in a low voice, “whatever happened to them?”

As I suspected, Guts didn’t like that. She stopped drinking her tea mid-sip, and tension filled the air. The red pegasus looked away, and seemingly refused to answer. After a moment or two, both Cozy and Moondancer stopped speaking with each other to observe my friend.

All she responded with was four simple words. “Wh...what did you say?”

Subject 66: Winged Wonders

“It’s...alright,” Guts finally responded, thankfully. It had gotten somewhat awkward in here with the palpable level of silence. “Since you were nice enough to help us out, I guess I can provide that in return.”

My eyes grew wide, and I leaned forward in my seat. “Guts…you don’t have to--”

But she cut me off. “Relax, bud. It’s cool. I need to get more comfortable with it anyways. Plus, maybe Tempest could benefit from it as well, since…”

I knew exactly what she meant. Since the old fighter of a mare had lost her horn, and Guttersnipe lost her wings, the red pegasus felt as if she could relate to her. I didn’t try and stop her from continuing.

“Since…?” Tempest tilted her head.

“Well, I guess I should start from the beginning…” she sighed and dipped her muzzle into the cup to drink the rest of her tea. “Ahem…”

The red pegasus filly was always the adventurous one. Never was there a dull moment when she was around her friends. In her youth, most other pegasi foals desired to be amazing fliers like the Wonderbolts or Flash Magnus. Guttersnipe on the other hoof…

“Woo! Come on, guys! The mud is super fresh near the cave!”

“Everypony else wanted to learn all these loops and swoops to impress the Bolts. But me? I just wanted to play around and find bugs. Oh, the scorpions were my favorite! I still remember the day I nearly caught one.”

“Uh...Gutsy, is that a good idea?”

“Aw, lighten up, Tsunami. It’s just a little...darn! It got away!”

“But one day, I...made a really bad decision that changed me forever. One that I’ll never forget.”

The red pegasus filly and her friends all laughed and played near the Everfree Forest as they routinely skilled out on their supposed flying lessons that they told their parents they had taken. But all the sudden, they ventured too far into it, and came upon a lake where they dared each other to take a dive. They all went in, and started to splash around without a care.

“Wow, you were right, Gutters! This place IS way better than that stupid flying training they put us through. Right, UV-Ray?”

“You said it, Tsunami. I already know how to fly! What’s the point of learning it again? Oh look out behind you, Vapor!”

“Yeah right, I’m not falling for--ahh!” Dangit Guttersnipe, that wasn’t funny!”

“Come on, a little water splash never hurt anypony!”

“We thought it was all fun and games until…”

They continued to play around in the lake until one of them was bitten by something beneath the water.

“Ouch! What the--”

“What’s wrong, UV?”

“I felt a…--ow! Something’s biting me!”

“I took a look at my friend UV, and found…”

“BITE-ACUDAS!”

The demonic, winged fish with fangs as long as pencils were in this lake. Nopony knew of course, which is why the fillies and colts were able to play down there with no issue. But today was much different!

Guttersnipe plucked them off of her friend, and they soon latched into her instead. But she refused to let them get hurt.

“OWOWOW! Guys get outta here! Tsunami! Take the girls back to safety and get help, bro!”

“What?! No way! I’m not leaving--”

“Just do it!”

They watched as their friend’s body was preyed upon helplessly by the deadly, razor-toothed fish. Tsunami, the sole colt of the group, took both UV and Vapor and got them out of the lake.

“Come on, come on! Let’s get my dad! He can help!”

“...by the time they found me, I was still alive, but I had bite marks all over my body. Blood seeping through various parts. I think I even had bone exposed. It was crazy. But by the time they got back...my wings were ripped clean off.” Guttersnipe was nearly in tears when she recounted the events. Her lip quivered as she used a hoof to wipe away a bit of eye moisture.

Tempest looked down. “I see...you lost part of your body in an effort to protect your friends...I…”

“Yeah, but it’s cool now,” Guttersnipe shrugged it off as she bit into a muffin. “I actually still keep in touch with them outside of work. We laugh about it now, and they actually like my mechanical wings. I still remember the day I came out of the hospital...”

“Wow, Gutsy! Those are so cool!” cried Tsunami--a sky blue pegasus colt with a red mane.

“Yeah! Super fresh!” UV cheered--a fuschia-colored pegasus filly with a yellow mane.

“Don’t pay attention to anypony at flight school. You’re still our best friend,” Vapor assured her--a white pegasus filly with a brown mane.

“Thanks guys...come here, you!”

They all huddled together for a tight hug.

I watched as the red pegasus chuckled to hide her sniffles of sadness from days long past. “Hehe...so great…”

“I see…” Tempest’s eyes darted a bit nervously. There was a burning question in her heart that she needed to ask. “Um...where did…”

Now more comfortable, Guts decided to show off by flexing her metallic flappers. “These babies? Well, I can’t tell ya everything. But what I will say is that certain ponies dabble in mechanical augmentation around certain parts of the world. My parents nearly forked their life savings into these...so now I work to pay them back.”

“...Inspirational. If possible, could you…?” Tempest raised her hoof as she asked a question. But something made her cease halfway through.

Guttersnipe tilted her head as she finished off the muffin. “...could I what?”

The ragged mare shook her head and rose from the table. “N-never mind. I need a moment. Excuse me, everypony.” With no further words, she left the room.

This left my red friend confused. “What was that about?” she asked with her hooves outstretched as she looked around at the rest of us.

Moondancer sighed. “She saw your mechanical wings and she was curious. When she heard your story, she wanted to know more and see if there was a way she could get her horn fixed up the same way.”

Yup. I knew it. Such a touchy subject, though. But I was glad that Guttersnipe was able to engage in a more grounded sort of conversation for a change.

“I see,” I spoke up after being silent for a while, “I know a little bit of information about her, but tell me, Moons. Does she still feel guilty after losing her horn and causing trouble?”

When I said a shortened version of her name aloud, the yellow unicorn raised an eyebrow for a half-second. “Moons? The heck?” Her expression returned to its default, neutral disposition just as quickly. “Beats me. She doesn’t like to speak about it. If you wanna know more, I recommend not trying.”

Cozy Glow, meanwhile, seemed rather optimistic. The young mare rubbed her hoof against her chin. “Hm...not trying…”

I looked at her. “What’s the matter, Cozy?”

“Nothing, sir. I just...have an idea or two.”

I grew more interested. “Did you both exchange any particular words while you were in the kitchen together?”

Sadly, the pink pegasus had to decline. “I’m...super sorry, but she begged me to not tell anyone about it. Still...I think there’s a way we could help her.”

Moondancer cut us off with a raise of her hoof and a clipboard that was caught in her magical aura. “Hey now. Don’t get distracted. I’m sure you all have a lot of work to do. And if you intend on helping us deal with these stormbeasts, then you’re gonna be even busier. Don’t start trying to pursue a bunch of friendship stuff just because you think it’s convenient or anything. Got it?”

Her tone. It was much more...strident. Even more so than usual. Moondancer clearly abhorred the idea of devoting too much time into building relationships, and I couldn’t blame her, given what she had been through.

But maybe, just maybe. If it was possible to show her that it wasn’t pointless, she could get somewhere again. I knew it was strange when Twilight neglected to mention her.

Nevertheless, I complied for the time being, and made a mental note to figure out how to assist Moondancer later. This mare was extremely hard to read. “Understood. Is there anything else that we should know before we leave?”

Moondancer put the clipboard down, and put both of her hooves together upon the table. A classic ‘scheming’ sort of pose. “Two things. The first, and most important: I’ve deduced that the next magical anomaly will take place at or around Nightmare Night. So be on your guard.”

“N-nightmare...Night?” Cozy responded with a nervous flick of her tail. “But...that’ll make it impossible to tell if it’s some super dangerous magic or some elaborate prank happening!”

“I know,” the unicorn rolled her eyes and straightened her glasses, “But you all are smart. I know you’re capable of weeding out what’s real and what isn’t.”

“Alright, alright. Seems legit,” Guttersnipe answered swiftly to get to the next point, “What’s the other thing?”

“Oh yeah. The other thing,” she grit her teeth and looked off to the side. “Listen. Keep this between us. But I’d like it if you could introduce the rest of your crew to Tempest. It’ll be easier to work with everypony if she knows who they are. But try not to bog her down with a bunch of companionship, got it?”

Yeesh. Her disdain for such endeavors was thick enough to bite through. Even so, I would remain unfurled by the request. “Also understood. We’ll be on our way soon.”

“Good, she’ll follow you out,” Moondancer stated, “If there’s anything else, let me know.”

And that was that, I suppose. The four of us left Canterlot, and went to the train station. It would be an interesting experience to deal with another pony who was seeking forgiveness. But also the meaning behind those storms. Just who or what could’ve caused it. And is it possible that we were attacked on purpose? If so, how does that factor into the other ongoing conflicts?

For one thing, a pegasus pony was being utilized for this attack in order to create a powerful beast of destruction. This could very well be the work of a certain set of ponies who had been conducting experiments. But Neighsay was locked up at the moment. Gah. So many variables, and so little time to factor them into the equation.

“Boss...boss?”

“Hm? Wha?” My deep thought focus was broken by Guttersnipe as she tapped my head with her hoof. “Oh, my apologies. I was just thinking.”

“Okay? Anyways, we need to go see my buddy Flash Drive.”

Tempest leaned forward with vague interest. “Oh? Who’s that?”

Guts replied with a snicker. “Heh heh heh. He’s only the smartest guy on our whole squad! He makes all of our gadgets and devices that we use. And if we’re lucky, we’ll run into his brother Neon--a batpony!”

“Oh wow...that sounds exciting. I haven’t seen one before.”

Those two went on a bit ahead, and Cozy stuck by me. Her face was scrunched up in deep thought somewhat like how I’d be at times.

I leaned over and suddenly spoke near her ear. “Something on your mind, kid?”

“Wah! Hey!” the pegasus whinnied, and huffed at me. I couldn’t help but giggle at her expense. “Save the scares for Nightmare Night.”

“Heheh. Sorry. But you looked pretty flustered just now. What’s wrong?”

Cozy looked at Tempest from behind. “I...see a lot of myself in her. If that makes any sense. I know she’s way olde--er--more experienced than I am. But I feel like...I can relate to her a little.”

“Ah. You think it’s possible for you to find out a way to help her while also helping yourself?”

“...something like that. We’re not so different. We both tried to steal alicorn magic in pursuit of something we thought we wanted. But the whole time, we never realized what we actually had until it was too late.”

I tipped my hat. “Indeed. One doesn’t truly appreciate what they have until it’s stripped away from them. When we take things for granted, it makes us unable to see the forest through the trees.” I teasingly ruffled her mane with my hoof and walked ahead to the loading platform. “But you already knew that, didn’tcha, kid?”

“...shush. Let’s just go see your friend already,” she reacted with a level of maturity and poise. Or at least, she did, until she used her tail to swat me. But I couldn’t help but mess with the kid. She was adorable.

The train ride was rather quick since Canterlot wasn’t that far from the Crystal Empire to the North. Not much of note occurred on the train, though once we arrived, Tempest took some time to gawk at the Empire’s crystalline architecture. It took us a moment, but we finally managed to get her into the crystal pop-rock candy shop.

After some time spent ogling the different candies, we ushered both Tempest and Cozy to a secure back room at the end of the store. Once there, we took an elevator down to a workshop where the jet black unicorn was busy working on something at his desk with goggles on

“Here we are,” I said as I stepped forward, “This is the pinnacle of design when it comes to our special weapons and tactics. But our chief mechanical officer, Flash Drive here, is one of the best.”

His teal magical aura removed his goggles, and Flash Drive rose from his seat. “Dammit, Vestige. I was this close to uncoverin’ somethin’. You’d better have good reason to bring her here before I get cheesed off, mate.”

“Calm yourself, bud. Hey, Guts. Mind heading back topside and running the store while we chat?”

The pegasus shrugged. “Suit yourselves. If you need anything, just holler,” she saluted, and left back up the same elevator we came down.

Cozy decided to quietly observe the dark purple mare.

“We have a new case,” I explained, and took a step back to allow Tempest to have the floor, “She’ll be working with us. This is--”

Drive cut me off, and took a bow. “Tempest Shadow, is it? Charmed. Flash Drive at your service. My brother, Neon Isotope, is lunched out at the moment. But I’d be happy to accommodate you.”

Before she said anything, the mare with the missing horn inspected Flash Drive’s body not unlike how she observed Guttersnipe’s earlier. But what could she glean from this? He had no missing or abnormal body parts, so what was her aim…

“You’re...stockier and a bit taller than most pony stallions,” she commented rather matter-of-factly, “Are you perhaps a half-breed?”

My pupils shrank. How could she ask such a personal question so casually?!

“Heh.” Flash Drive dipped his head down, and nodded once. “Precisely, good guess. I’m actually half-zebra.”

That’s when I heard Cozy Glow add her own two bits to the situation. “Whaaaaaaaaaaaaat?”

Subject 67: Zebrasive

“Half...zebra? That is most curious. Has that affected your life in any major way?”

“Well...for one thing, me mum had to venture out pretty far. She was from Trottingham, just like meself. Loved explorin’. The USB Drive family was one of the first sets of pony explorers to venture outside of Equestria--stands for United Searchers of Betterment. Others included the vikings and such, but that’s not important.”

I noticed Cozy Glow start to take notes. Just what was she after, scribbling away like that? Between every line of dialogue, she looked up to make sure Flash Drive was still talking.

I already knew of my buddy’s life story, so I decided to inspect the table that Flash Drive had been working on. Though my ear was still open.

Tempest had chosen to sit down on the floor as she listened. I was surprised to see that. Nopony tended to hear his long, drawn-out explanations. “Oh? I’ve lived most of my life outside of Equestria. But I never knew that other ponies ventured out in such ways. Tell me more.”

“Alright, then. Listen up, and I’ll tell ya,” the dark-colored unicorn also sat down, and used his magic. The cyan aura reached for and picked up a special book from nearby. His journal. Or rather, his mother’s journal that now belonged to him. He opened up the first page. “So, as I was sayin’, Trottinites were super deep into explorin’. For hundreds of years, the Trottish made their way across various lands in pursuit of knowledge, new foods, new lands, and meeting new ponies--or any other races they could come across. You know of Farasi, yes?”

Tempest nodded. “Yes! That’s one of the Zebra countries, correct? I believe a local Zebra is actually from there.”

“Zecora, yes,” Drive answered, “However, my father was from a different, adjacent Zebra nation: South Zebrica.”

“Oh? I haven’t heard of that one,” Tempest replied with admittance of guilt. For a traveler, I suppose she felt inadequate for not knowing as much as possible. That didn’t stop her from perking up about it, though. “What’s the culture like? How does it differ from Farasi?”

“In a few ways. For one thing, it’s a Zebra land that lacks many of the traditional elements of Zebra culture and goes for a more...melting pot approach. The Trottish and other settlers were accepted by the Southern Zebra tribes. Though...it wasn’t all pretty.”

The purple unicorn tilted her head. “Why not?”

Flash Drive sighed, and turned to another page in his mother’s journal. “...crime. Crime is overly abundant in the lands of the Southern Zebs. The exchange of many valuable resources were a key part in understanding each other. The Zebs offered up potions, hexes, and voodoo inspired texts while the ponies offered knowledge of fishing, industrialization, and landscaping. Soon, both cultures thrived as a result of cooperation.”

“That sounds amazing, but...I don’t quite understand,” Tempest replied with concern in her voice, “From what you’re saying, it sounds as if everypony is getting along well.”

Flash Drive shook his head. “Not entirely. Do you know what happens when two cultures mix together? Its people/creatures/ponies mix together. Resulting in half-breeds like myself.”

“Whatever could be the problem? I think crossbreeding between races shouldn’t matter so long as both parties love each other. You are a living example of it, are you not?”

“I am...but to this day...there are problems among the races. I’ll read you a direct excerpt from my mum’s journal. It follows:...”

“The South Zebrican council is still very pushy to this day. The half-breeds of pony-zebra mixes are still often considered ‘less-than’ by the actual zebras that live here. In response, the half-breeds have started a revolution to fight for equality within the nation. Myself? I don’t know. I love the culture here, and so does my husband, but the constant fighting has made it difficult to raise our child. We’re going to move back to Trottingham in a few days. I hope Zeke likes it there.”

A painful tale to listen to. It never got any easier for me to bear, personally. Conflicts within the Zebra lands, while tame, were still very volatile to the overall culture of the varying nations. I chose to remain silent, and let Flash Drive explain the rest.

“Oh dear…” Tempest was saddened by the explanation that the jet black unicorn gave her. “So...the crimes that are committed…?”

“Organized, madam. Every so often, kidnappings take place in which a half-breed is stolen from their home, only to be sold off to Farasi or other lands. Takes ages to find them--rarely in good condition. Not to mention rioting, theft, slander.” Flash Drive paused for a moment to catch his breath. Honestly, I was proud of him. This was a story that he didn’t share with just anypony. “But it’s gotten better recently...though I fear the idea of going back and meeting the folks on me dad’s side.”

True indeed. Every so often, we had a case in which a pony was taken from their home with hopes of a high price being fetched for them. Time and time again, we come close to these demonic bastions of hatred, but to no avail. We did tend to recover the prisoners...most of the time. Some of which were even children. Sad.

“So...because of where you came from, you tend to shy away from these details with most ponies, I assume.”

Drive levitated the journal back onto its nearby shelf. “Indeed. S’not something I care to share often. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not ashamed of being a half-breed, myself. I’m ashamed of the way my ancestors have chosen to take it upon themselves to stir up conflict, rather than solve it.” He sighed, “Conflict among the races is more quiet, nowadays. Southern Zeb lands are much more open to other kinds. Just have to be careful about who you come across when night falls. Potion makers and voodoo experts are either very helpful or very dangerous.”

“Do you ever wish to return?” Tempest asked.

“No,” he shook his head, “At least, not yet. My mum and dad are living in Trottingham now, and have escaped those little conflicts for whole new ones. But I’d never abandon them.”

She reached out and put a hoof around his neck. “Well I’m sure they’d be very proud of you. I honestly wish I could still see my own parents. But that aside, what’s it like?”

“Erm…” Flash Drive gently removed himself from her grip, and tilted his head. “What’s what like, madam?”

“Being a half-breed!” Tempest suddenly cried out. Now that was unexpected. I never would have pegged her for the researcher type. “Moondancer is helping me catch up on Equestrian culture after having been away for so long. So not only would I be able to learn about half-breeds, but this could be very useful for her studies, and such.”

The unicorn stallion chuckled. “Hah! How inspirational. Sure, I could. But there’s not much to state. Outside of being able to speak and read the Zebra language, I don’t have any other abilities. Though, I guess I do have extra muscle. My father was rather...hefty, if you catch my drift.”

“Really? Are Zebras bigger than ponies?”

“Well…heh…” he had that nervous sort of grin on his face, “It’s...yes. Well, Zebras can grow to be much larger than ponies. Stallions especially. My father easily comes up to Celestia’s chin from stature alone. Even now, the old man isn’t losing his prowess.”

Tempest started to think about it for a moment. Suddenly, a bit of blush appeared on her cheeks. “...Just...just how did your mother manage with…”

Both Cozy and I stopped dead in our tracks to look at Flash Drive. The unicorn stallion had now been put on the spotlight in a rather amusing way. I had been meaning to ask him about that for a while but never actually found a way to do so. He couldn’t refuse somepony like her, right?”

He slapped his hoof against his forehead. “Gah...this is why I don’t tend to tell anypony about this. So, ahem. Right then. I’ll just say like this. My mum had...trained herself to deal with...okay bugger this. Any other questions?”

Both Cozy and I did our best to hide our laughter. Despite being on opposite ends of the room, we both found Flash Drive’s embarrassment a tad funny.

Even Tempest was choked up for a moment. “Oh--ah--right. Makes sense to me. I actually appreciate the time you’ve taken to speak with me, Mr. Drive.”

“Really? What for?”

“Well...your story has given me some hope. Your friend Guttersnipe also told me about her past and...I feel like I can learn from you both. But you shouldn’t hide away from what’s a part of you,” she approached him once more, only for him to decline.

Drive went back to his desk and pushed me out of the way with his magic. “Thank you, but it’d be a bit difficult to express that without puttin’ myself at risk and whatnot,” he replied while he snapped his goggles back into place on his face. “I will say, though. Somepony like you would benefit from a visit to Lady Cadence.”

“The princess of this very Empire?” she asked with a nervous bite of her lip. “Would that be a good idea?”

“For sure,” Drive replied and grabbed a wrench with his magic, as well as a bunch of fake, toy pins. He was...mashing and welding things together with a torch. Was that his Nightmare Night costume? “The first step to being able to love others, is to love yourself. I know a lot about Lady Cadance, given that it’s my station. But I think you could learn a lot from her in particular.”

“Wow...I never thought of that, myself. You might be right.” Tempest replied with a smile, “Oh, and do you mind if I make a recommendation of my own?”

“Sure?”

“I’d recommend you speak with Moondancer,” she suggested, “you both have some things in common with how you approach your research. And I believe you could help her...er...approach others more easily while she helps you with your research in return.”

Now that was an odd thing to mention. I could have sworn that Moondancer was the type to avoid all socialization possible. What made Tempest feel as though that Flash Drive could accomplish anything with her, I wondered? There had to be a reason for her to bring it up.

“I see...in that case, I’ll definitely consider it. If we could all work more closely with each other, it’d be more beneficial.”

They continued to chat in the background and I slunk back to where Cozy had been standing at the end of the workshop. She had gathered an entire page’s worth of notes by now. Even I was impressed by it.

“What’s the deal, kid?”

She slipped the pencil from between her teeth, and into the rings on the notepad. “Simple. I think I’ve calculated just what Tempest is dealing with, and I think I know how we can help her.”

“Oh?” Well, this certainly got more interesting. I peered over to view her notes. “What’s the idea, kid?”

“Basically...she’s suffering from abandonment. Somewhat like Moondancer, but on a much greater scale. No one knows where her parents are, and her friends got into the School for Gifted Unicorns without her...”

Hold on a second. There was no possible way Cozy could know that information. Unless… “Kid...just how do you know that?”

The pink mare looked away from me, and didn’t answer. That pretty much confirmed it. Cozy and Tempest both likely discussed their pasts with each other when they were in the kitchen at Moondancer’s home together. So luckily, I could skip over some of the details.

“I see...well in that case, you two do share some things in common. And it might be possible for you to learn from--” I stopped mid-sentence as I recalled something. Flash Drive had recommended that Tempest go see Cadance. Meanwhile, I had come to realize that Cozy should go see somepony herself. “...Flurry Heart.”

“Huh?”

“She was one of the main ponies that supported your release. If there’s anypony you could all benefit from in terms of a chat, it’s those two.”

Cozy tapped her hooves together in a nervous fashion as she hovered off the ground. “G-golly...that sounds super intimidating, sir.”

I chuckled. “Relax, Coaster. Flurry despises being treated like royalty. It’ll be perfect.”

“Alright...if you’re sure, sir.”

I shot her a confident smile, but then I heard the elevator ding.

DING!

Somepony had come down to the base. However, it wasn’t Guttersnipe.

“Brother. I got the parts ye needed,” a familiar batpony with an artificial right hoof exited the elevator doors, and placed them neatly in a pile nearby. As soon as he spotted us, he addressed the new visitors we had brought down. “Oi. You lot. Guttersnipe said you were conducting business so I came to see for myself.”

Yet again, Tempest felt the need to go up close and personal. This time, she inspected the mechanical hoof that Neon had. Though, by inspect I meant ‘completely awkward and unrelenting stares.’

“Um...madam. Is everything alright?” he tilted his head with a worried expression on his face.

At last, she stopped, and raised her head to face him directly. “...You too, huh?”