There would come a time, before it was all over, that I would look back on the early days, the time spent without a care, and envy them. A burden I was learning to come to terms with, the burden of knowledge. I was imperfect, not like the others, but I was becoming like them, more than I could have imagined.

Twilight had offered to help me, when I'd finally broken down, finally told her the truth about my past, what I'd remembered. She'd offered to help me, and offered the help of anyone else she could muster, to figure out this task. To take us all back to the world I'd come from, to find her, to bring her here with me.

It gave me a sense of belonging, when she said that, all the fears, the self depreciating 'truths' I'd been rolling around in my head seemed to evaporate all at once. I was part of this group, maybe I wasn't an important part, maybe I wasn't a powerful part, or a talented, effective part of the group. I'd heard the stories of what they'd done...

But they had accepted me in as one of their own. Like a family? Maybe.

But more than a sense of belonging, I was given a sense of purpose. I had a goal, Twilight was working on a plan, and we were going to make this happen, find my child, bring her back. We'd be together again, and I had to wonder what she'd be like? Would she be an energetic troublemaker? A book worm? An athlete?

Would she be as confused as me?

I shook my head, no. She'd have friends to help her, my friends, the ponies that had looked out for me since I'd gotten here, helped me when they had no reason to other than their own good natures. I couldn't have asked for a better group to help me through this trial.

I took in a deep breath, it was the smell of fresh air, flowers on the breeze. It was the taste of freedom... and, I licked my lips, the taste of something cooking. Thick sugary, almost... peppermint. That was the flavor I was detecting on the air. I quite liked peppermint.

Clip, clop. Clip, clop. My hooves clicked across the wooden floor, my body led by my nose and tongue towards that most pleasant aroma. The kitchen wasn't far, just the other side of the library and then--

The Pink One, perched precariously over a pot. I licked my bottom lip unconsciously. Culinary pursuits awaited, preferably sooner than later I would have whatever was inside of that pink pony's pot inside of my body.

Oh yes.

"Hi Maggie! How are you doing today? I'm making candy because I thought 'you know i bet Maggie would like some candy' and then I decided to come over and make some candy because candy makes you feel better and that's just the best thing, right?" The Pink One said to me.

I felt my ear twitch. No, she was nice, she was trying to be nice, she was very friendly, just energetic. The foals hadn't broken me, This One would not either. Plus, you know, peppermint.

I nonchalantly proceeded into the kitchen, taking careful effort to give the illusion of being aloof. "Well I am... okay. That sure smells like..."I sucked on my lip and tried not to salivate too much, "peppermint."

"Oh yeah! Peppermint is the best! Well, so is lemon, and orange, apple, banana, mint, chocolate... Well really anything sweet is the best. you know?" She asked me with a grin that... almost made me wonder how a mouth could become quite so large. It was almost predatory--

No, peppermint. She has the peppermint. Aloof mode failed.

"I would like the peppermint candy," I asked while nearly rubbing my lip raw with my tongue. A mare has needs.

I hadn't the time nor inclination to react; she'd fired the candy into my mouth via means-unknown. Cold sharp sweet peppermint flooded my senses, cleared my nose. Zero to eleven. Crunch, crunch, crunch couldn't, wouldn't, didn't want to resist chewing and swallowing my guilty pleasure.

There'd been little I'd cared for, so long ago. Little that held much sway but when it came to peppermint candies there was little I wouldn't do.

Candy was the pleasant, if forced, distraction, the short circuit in any planning I might have attempted.

Another candy clicked against my tooth and found purchase on the top of the tip of my tongue and sensory overload repeated anew. Something about The Pink One's iteration of the peppermint candy was somehow entirely more than it had any right.

Such was true of her as well.

Perhaps the most difficult adaptation of my new life, she broke rules that seemed set in stone for any other being alive, even in such a fantastical place as this. A place where even I could find myself with intellect.

Perhaps, she, more than anyone else, would prove critical to the plan.

At the very least...

At the very least, she'd provide ample peppermint respite.