Five

by CookieMonstar

Chapters

Chapter 1

“What is it you most dislike?” Stupidity, especially in its nastiest forms of racism and superstition.
― Christopher Hitchens

Journal entry date: Year 2, after Luna's return. Five days until banishment.

We arrived from Canterlot about an hour ago. The others left a few minutes back, and I thought it would probably be best if I started writing this now, what with the experience fresh in my mind, and so that I can get a complete memoir of everything that happens both before and after we...

Anyway. I don't feel like going over what exactly happened at the castle—I fear I might break down and become unstable if I do—so I think I'll talk about what happened afterwards, once we got back to Ponyville. It's not much easier to write about. I do need to write something, though.

Rarity had been the most outspoken of the group, sobbing hysterically and occasionally wailing. Her business is pretty much destroyed now. Everything she had was here in Ponyville, everything each of us had was in this place.

Fluttershy was quite possibly the most heartbroken—looking at her would have made my soul weep, were it possible. I tried not to keep eye contact for fear that I would start crying, too. She and Rarity gave each other comfort, which made it a bit easier on them both.

Rainbow Dash was, surprisingly enough, quiet. She was heartbroken—we all were—but she didn't seem to yell or scream, instead drawing herself in and away. So much for the Wonderbolts.

Applejack was also quiet, but every so often she'd shake with sobs, trying to keep her face hidden with her hat. She had the most to lose, I think—her family and the farm, both extremely important not only to her, but to Ponyville.

Pinkie Pie... She tried. She joked, and talked, and tried her hardest to actually cheer us all up. Every so often though... I could see how much it was hurting her. It was clear on her face. No facade could cover the pain she struggled to hide.

As for me... I couldn't do a thing. Cry or scream or plead. I felt as though I was going to be sick for a bit there after... After what happened, but... I think I separated myself from my emotions. Just thought. Just watched. But not feeling.

It took me quite some time to accept what was happening, and longer yet to calm myself. It was painful, and I tried what I could to change her mind, but as you can see, it obviously didn't work.

After crying for a while, we managed to pull ourselves together long enough to talk about where we would go, and what we would do once we got there. I planned to move north—I heard fascinating things about what could be up there. Apparently, there's this amazing phenomenon that occurs every so often called an aurora borealis, where magic from the sun causes collisions of charged particles in high altitudes!

It's not as exciting as it should be, though, considering I don't have much of a choice.

I should start getting ready, I think—no use holding it off. After all, banishments wait for no mare...

- Twilight Sparkle, former student to Celestia

The restaurant was originally called the Cold Chow Cafeteria. A long life out in the bitter cold, subjected to the elements, had left the sign with several letters missing—most simply called it the 'local eatery.' After all, it was easier to pronounce than the ' o d C ow afet r a.'

Its location in the northern settlement was a prime one, sitting fairly close to the heart of the city, along the only major road that cut its way through without remorse. A slight breeze would occasionally rattle the chained sign in front of the eatery, resulting in a slight creak of its hinges. Such a thing would go unnoticed inside, as evidenced by the sounds of camaraderie from the interior, even if it made its way through the heavily insulated walls which had stood for a lifetime.

Inside, the walls were covered with various decorations—several old signs that had long been replaced or disused, paintings, a few clocks, and in one place, a small statue of a few earth ponies tilling the ground. Booths lined three of the walls, with only a few interruptions in the line—the entrance and bathrooms. Tables were placed around the floor at random. A bar stood in front of the back wall, which itself had a door and hole for the kitchen.

The place was packed.

Most of the booths were occupied, as well as every table, and the entire length of the bar. Both patrons attempting to use the facilities and waiters and waitresses balancing orders of food precariously on their backs filed through the chaos, their footsteps unheard over the hum of conversation. One astute observation could be quickly made about the restaurant, as well as the city—the only species of pony around was earth pony, made obvious by the lack of magic or flying beings.

Well, all earth ponies... but one.

Nopony could tell if they should look; her head had been wrapped in a shawl, and her horn had been cleverly placed amongst the folds of the fabric. A blanket had been wrapped around her thin frame, in an attempt to help battle the cold. She was currently hunched over a book, her teeth holding a quill being directed across the page by her tongue. The scratching would be well covered by the noise naturally made by the restaurant, and for the most part, she could go unnoticed.

Not completely, however; a waiter trotted up to her booth near the back corner (a booth which just so happened to be farthest from the door), a quill behind his ear and a notepad held between his teeth. Placing it gently on the table, he flashed a smile towards the indrawn mare, and politely coughed.

Twilight, surprised, jerked her head up, quill dangling loosely between her lips. Spitting it out, she chuckled and blushed slightly—even here, she was still getting lost between the pages of a book.

Taking the quill from behind his ear and holding it firmly in his hoof (using some sort of innate earth pony magic), the waiter once again smiled at Twilight. "Shall I take your order, ma'am?"

In response, the purple mare shook her head. "I'm waiting for a few friends. They're supposed to be here soon. I hope..." she added softly, her gaze falling towards her book.

The stallion nodded in understanding and placed the quill back behind his ear, and after grabbing his notebook once again, trotted off to take the order of a small family a few tables away. He had barely left the booth when Twilight had her quill in her mouth once more, writing with a determined look on her face.

Journal entry date: Day 12, year 5 of banishment.

This is the fifth day so far—still no sign of them. I shouldn't be so expectant, really. It's been years since we've seen each other. Maybe I should just go back home after this, just forget about them...

As I was writing yesterday, I managed to craft another shawl out of the extra blanket I traded for last week. They get worn down quick, and I still haven't discovered why that is yet. I'll have to make sure to swing by the general store again, buy myself a replacement blanket, and maybe some sweets. It would be nice to indulge.

Still, my mind wanders back to my old friends. Where they would have ended up, how they would make their living. Maybe they moved on... Should I have moved on? I might not have even remembered who they were if it wasn't for this journal. Now, to see them again after all these years...

I don't know why I don't just leave to go look for them. There's nothing really keeping me here, except maybe my job, but it can stay closed for a few—

The sound of another polite cough drew her from her focus, and she looked up to see the same stallion from earlier looking down at her. He was pointing at the clock, and Twilight didn't have to follow his hoof to guess his meaning—closing time. With a sigh, she nosed the book closed, and then pushed it into her saddlebag in one smooth motion, before standing and making her retreat from the premises.

On her way out, she flipped the sign from 'open' to 'closed.'

Twilight slowly scooted into the same booth she had been sitting in only hours before—now, a sunrise was making its way towards its rightful place above the city. The place was much emptier than it was the night prior, but a few hooffulls of ponies were seated at various tables and booths.

Twilight took this time to glance through a small book she had brought with her from the library she had quickly become the caretaker of. It was one she had read many times before—a biography on Star Swirl the Bearded—and she nosed through the pages with a soft smile on her face.

For the third time, a polite cough commanded her attention. Startled more at the recognition of the cough than the cough itself, she looked up to see the same waiter from the night before looking down on her, holding the quill inches above the notepad. "Are you going to order this time?" he teased, to which Twilight could only giggle.

"Surprise me," she eventually replied, her eyes never leaving the stallion as he wrote something down and returned to the kitchen. He was kinda cute, and if her quest should fail, maybe there could be something there between them...

She glanced down at her book again, deciding after a few moments to close it and return it to her pack. She knew how it ended anyways. Softly sliding it inside her saddlebag, she took this moment to start rummaging through her provisions.

She began to mumble under her breath, "Journal, yes... the letter, yep... quills and ink, uh-huh..." It was after a few more moments of this that she deemed herself prepared, and not a moment too soon, as the waiter returned with her food.

He placed it down with a smile, which quickly turned into a frown as he saw her reaction. She simply stared at the food, unblinking and unwavering. He was about to check to see if she was okay, but was saved the trouble as Twilight placed money on the table and—waving him away—walked out of the restaurant. After a few moments of contemplation, and a resigned shrug, he sat down to eat the apple pie the mare left behind.

Journal entry date: Day 203 of banishment.

I ran out of food several days ago, and my ink's nearly gone, but I seem to have stumbled upon another form of civilization. Fortunate, too, considering both my dwindling supplies and the cold it seems I'm catching. On top of that, the constant use of my magic to keep me warm is starting to take its toll. I've actually taken to wearing a blanket on my head to help combat the chill in the air as an alternative to the heat spells I had been using up until now.

The town's sign is damaged beyond literacy, so I can't tell what it's called. I also don't think this is part of Equestria, either. No known settlements are recorded to be this far north of the country, if my current position is where I believe it to be, so perhaps this is where I'll stop. It looks nice enough, despite one possible flaw.

I don't think the locals take too kindly to strangers—a unicorn and a pegasus I had seen multiple times on my travels had been run out of town while I consulted my map to see if this place was anywhere on it (I had only noticed the encounter because of several shouts including some very... choice words.) Strangely enough, I hadn't seen any other unicorns or pegasi amongst the crowd.

I don't think I'll end up staying here very long. Just got to get some food and ink. Maybe another blanket.

- Twilight Sparkle, Northern Explorer, former student to Celestia.

Twilight silently pulled the key from the lock, pushing the door against the wall and wedging a rock against it to keep it there. The library was silent, and the impressive bookcases towered over any normal pony like trees in a forest. A desk sat off to the side, with several returned books and simple librarian tools scattered among its surface. Spiral stairs sat behind the desk, leading upstairs into living quarters, not unlike the last place she was librarian at.

Unlike last time, however, her new library was plain on the exterior: a simple thatched-roof building with two floors. Windows lined the lower story at regular intervals, but the upper was more closed—good for her to practice magic in secret, an act she didn’t get to do as often as she would have liked. A few park benches sat beside the front door, and with her placement on a hill, looking down upon the city, it provided a great place for both outdoor reading and meditation.

Placing her saddlebags behind the table with care, Twilight began to rummage through the return pile, silently separating the books to help make returning them to the shelves easier. Without an assistant, Twilight had to take up more of the work—but fortunately, the town was relatively quiet compared to Ponyville (which hadn't been a bustling city to begin with) meaning less work to deal with overall. Most of her job consisted cleaning up her own messes, which had become less frequent, considering she couldn't commence any magical experiments.

It took less than an hour for the first visitors to arrive.

The first was an orange filly with blue hair, who constantly ran about town with as much speed as she could possibly attempt to gain. Most of her escapades were accompanied not only by her two friends walking in after her, but a pair of skates which she had left outside. She certainly learned her lesson last time; cleaning up books she had knocked to the floor when attempting to navigate the library backwards was the equivalent of nightmare fuel to the young pony.

The second filly was white—astoundingly white—in both mane and fur. She was constantly humming, which could be barely heard over the constant tapping of her hooves on any conceivable surface, playing out the rhythm in her heart, or her head. Of course, she tried to dial it down as she entered the library, considering how she nearly gave Twilight a concussion a few weeks ago.

Finally, in came a peach colored colt, wearing a hard hat which was barely hanging on for dear life by a loose-fitting strap around his chin. His spiky brown mane was mostly covered by the hat that was quite a bit too large for him—probably his father's, who had repaired most of the buildings around town. The handy-pony didn't actually have any inherent problems with Twilight, and had actually given her a small plant he grew in his free time as a 'library-warming' present.

Their names were Skate Lane, Tart Drum, and Hard Head, but Twilight sometimes got their names mixed up with another group of fillies she barely remembered from her time in Ponyville.

"Heeeeey, Twilight!" Hard beamed, his smile taking up most of the face that wasn't covered by his constantly moving hat. It was bewilderingly cute.

Twilight smiled in response—not as huge as Hard's, but just as warm. "And what can I do you three for?" she asked, leaning down from behind the desk slightly.

Tart reared up and tapped her hooves against the front of the desk—not a beat off of the rhythm she had been perfectly replicating with her footsteps from before she had entered—and took a deep breath. "We wanted to find out more about the horn-ponies!" she cried out, slightly louder than actually necessary for anypony other than her and her friends. It was one of the traits that had made them infamous amongst the townsfolk.

"You mean the unicorns. Hold on." Twilight's smile dimmed slightly as she said this, turning to help hide the grimace that forcibly made its way onto her face. Of course the young ones would be naturally curious about what they've only heard rumors about, but Twilight would have to be very careful of what she said.

She placed the book into the hooves of the white filly, who jumped with a silent cry of joy at the prospect of more knowledge. "This here is a book about Star Swirl the Bearded, most famous unicorn in Equestria. It's one of my favorites!" This was bound to bite her in the plot, but she felt knowledge outweighed her personal safety when it came to the young.

The fillies and colt gazed upon the book with wonder, and in unison galloped outside, leaving Twilight alone with her books once more. With a half-hearted chuckle, the mare pulled out her journal and quill, taking to writing once again.

Journal entry date: Day 206 of banishment.

I found an old record in the library on a hill at the edge of town from about a decade ago—according to this, a traveling unicorn showmare had apparently swindled most of their food and supplies with an array of cheap tricks. Apparently, they barely survived the winter. It sounds awfully familiar—the name Trixie comes to mind, for some reason—but what's more pressing is the list of unicorns and pegasi driven out beginning right after the event. Apparently, this one mare caused a huge prejudice against any non-earth race ponies. Thankfully, my blanket stayed on my head, and I managed to tie it with the knot concealing the horn. It looks slightly funny, but nopony suspects me to be a unicorn, just a bit odd.

I wonder if they are direct descendants of the original earth ponies from that Hearth Warming's Eve story. Probably not, but it would certainly be interesting if they were.

Naturally, I would leave, but I think I'm going to stay. They have a great library, which I'm sitting in now, and I've apparently found my way into clearly undocumented terrain (at least, for the map I have). The only trade routes head south back into Equestrian territory. It seems foalish to try to go further blindly without plenty of supplies or a sense of direction.

Plus, maybe... Maybe I should settle down here. It's rustic and charming. It reminds me of home, in a way. I just have to pretend I'm not a unicorn. Shouldn't be tough.

- Twilight Sparkle, Librarian, former student of Celestia.

The sunset marked the end of the work day; which to Twilight simply meant one last sleepless night before she made her way out of yet another home she had come to love. The sounds of ponies moving about their business outside seemed to double, but it was a usual occurrence; most of them just wished to get home faster.

A nice stack of books rest on the desk, along with a note explaining her absence from the library and town which she planned on sticking to the door in the morning.

She shut and locked the door, and, checking to make sure nopony was around, unwrapped the shawl from her head. She took a moment to smooth out her mane, and double-checked the lock with her magic. Satisfied, she turned to walk up the stairs, when a sudden crack of a branch just outside of a window startled her.

Panicking slightly, she ruffled her mane and placed the cloth on her head again, making her way towards the window. A quick glance revealed nothing more than an empty street, just as it had been moments before. Shrugging it off as a freak occurrence, she made her way upstairs, but did not remove the shawl from her head until she was safely in bed.

Twilight was up before the sun broke over the horizon, just as she was every day before for the past four and a half years. She had been going over everything she had one last time, deciding to either add or remove an object from the sacks every few minutes. By the time the warm rays of light hit Twilight, she was almost completely prepared to go, in need of only one item.

Specifically, a book. She had heard the last Daring Do novel had finally shipped its way here (even though the series actually ended years ago) and she was dying to finish reading the epic saga.

After strapping her bags across her back and leaving the library for the last time, she took took the time to wander about the town—with her shawl on, of course—quietly observing and enjoying the town's odd tranquility in the early morning. Every so often, she'd pass by the general store to check if it was open, and at about the fifth or sixth pass, it was. Smiling, she headed inside.

Normally, the general store was a bright, cheery place. It always had no shortage of smiling faces behind the counter and among the aisles, and music playing away in the background to reflect the mood of the patrons. The shop was nearly empty at the moment- not too surprising, given the time of day, but what did stand out was the face the shopkeeper had made starting from the moment she walked in. A face full of rage and hate.

It scared her, frankly, and she quickly backed out of the store and into the street.

Deciding that she would pick up the book somewhere else along her travels, she made her way down the main roadway, passing by the eatery without a second glance. Twilight had not gotten much further down the road when she started to wonder if maybe now would be a good time to start running, which she did, as the general atmosphere was starting to affect her.

She quickly found herself face-to-face with a mob of ponies just inside the city limits.
Most of them held various blunt objects or butter knives in their muzzles. A few in the front held pitchforks and torches, and the man leading the front was somepony Twilight didn't see very often, one of the elder ponies who helped run the town. The glares of hatred and betrayal bore into her eyes, and further down to her psyche, and her legs began to wobble slightly under the intensity of it all.

The elder stallion stepped forward and drew in a breath. "Twilight Sparkle!" he called, pointing an accusatory hoof at her, "You have been charged with espionage and treason! You've deceived us all, using your magic to try to corrupt us! You have defiled our lands, and for that, we demand retribution!"

The crowd began to cheer at his words, and Twilight took a step back, her mouth moving, but her voice not working, as she tried desperately formulate a response. When one proved to be out of reach, the old pony leader continued. "You have poisoned our young with your magic and lies! We shall have the ultimate retribution! You shall pay with your life!"

Twilight continued to stand slack-jawed, trying to come up with a plan or response, or pretty much anything at this point, while the crowd began to shout and advance on her. Her mind was racing at a mile a minute, trying to figure out how this could've happened, what she could do to stop this—

It took both her and the group a few moments to realize what happened; Twilight had pulled down her shawl and teleported past them, ruling out any doubts remaining in the crowd's mind. She was guilty now, and the only course she could see that kept her alive was to run.

Journal entry date: Day 115, Year 2 of banishment.

Apparently, Mr. Fleet was dead.

According to what I've heard, he was mugged—his throat was slit and the bits were gone.

The strangest part was the fact that everyone reacted differently when they found out he was a pegasus.

At first, they were all horrified and shocked, but when a couple of foals pointed out the wings, they instantly became apathetic and actually ignored the body.

Their prejudice must run pretty deep. It's actually quite disturbing...

You know what? Maybe I should keep the shawl on, just in case.

- Twilight Sparkle, Librarian, former student to Celestia.

Twilight stopped to catch her breath, having long outrun the crowd (they lost a lot of their conviction when Twilight began to shoot bolts of magic at them), and turned back towards the settlement she had called home for so long. It wasn't perfect, but long ago, it had become easy to pretend that the hate was never there, nor her underlying fear of being discovered. It had become a place of solace to her, despite the now-apparent murderous tendencies of the ponies that lived there.

And now it was gone.

She could see three small forms huddled together near the front entrance to the small town, one of them wearing a hat much too large for his head, and with a shaky smile, offered up a wave. The figures didn't move, and after a few moments, Twilight turned to leave.

The foals stayed until sundown, hoping to catch another glimpse of the unicorn librarian they had discovered the night before. None came.

Journal entry date: Day 303 of banishment.

I had to get fitted today for a new saddlebag; my old one is nearly destroyed, and I don't think it'll last the week before it just bursts open. As luck would have it, the local seamstress was kind enough to offer a new one, so long as I came in to get fitted.

Of course, I would have preferred Rarity over anyone else, but then again, I would give anything to see her and the others one last time.

She's a strange one, though, the seamstress. I hadn't gotten her name, but she had mine, and I wasn't able to get a word in edgewise the entire fitting (I swear, that pony could've given Pinkie a run for her money). Mostly she talked about her joy at seeing a new face and the library's reopening, and how her husband hasn't been home for days. "The drink and the devil," she had cried, when I asked why he might not be back. A strange mare indeed.

Let's see, what else... Oh. Another delivery; my anonymous book donor apparently hasn't given up yet. Good thing, too, as the library is still a bit bare at the moment.

- Twilight Sparkle, Librarian, former student to Celestia.

Twilight slumped against a tree, taking the time to catch her breath, the sounds of the air flowing in and out of her the only thing audible within the silent forest. She took a moment to make sure, once again, that she had not been followed, while allowing the tranquility of nature to help her relax.

She had been trekking for hours now, but the assault of the townspeople had put her on edge, and she repeatedly jumped at what was simply a trick of the light, or a branch falling from a tree. That, coupled with the near-complete silence, pushed her over the edge multiple times, and on each occasion she panicked and ran. Another set of problems had become apparent early on as well—she was either lost, or the townsfolk decided to start hunting her like some dangerous creature, as she repeatedly came across hoof prints in the snow.

She hoped she was lost.

In theory, she could have simply used the sun to navigate her way, but the orb was bright and high in the sky—it was near impossible for her to tell which direction it had risen from, and where it would fall. As such, she decided to make her way 'forwards,' and hope for the best.

The trees soon began to cluster closer together, and every so often, Twilight would have to squeeze between two nearly-intertwined trunks or beneath a low-hanging branch; several cuts and scrapes appeared on her body as time passed. The snow began to dot with blood. For the most part, she could ignore her wounds, but eventually, the pain from the constant abuse her body had taken over the past several hours caused her to eventually slow down outside a strange rock wall that jutted into the growth in a rather unsightly way.

With no immediately recognizable way around, she fell to the ground, curling into a ball, and it quickly became an effort to stay conscious. She had just enough presence of mind to cover herself from the elements with a blanket from her bag, before overexertion took over and her world succumbed to darkness.

Journal entry date: Day 277, Year 2 of banishment.

I told Skate Lane not to bring her roller skates indoors! Why did she feel the need to practice in my library, of all places?!

So apparently she was trying some new trick, and caused every book in the library to fly around randomly—I found A Study of Unicorn Leylines over near the mystery section on the other side of the library. How does that even happen?! Ugh.

I had been outside while she did this, talking to the town's seamstress- apparently, her husband was found in a ditch. The back half of him, anyways. I almost felt like going down there and checking out the body for myself, but that wouldn't help the investigation along, not to mention the fact that I'm easily squeamish. Seems a bit strange, though; just to appear one day, in a ditch, missing half of your body.

Anyways, I better clean up this mess inside. I almost called out to Spike, but I caught myself. I miss the little guy.

- Twilight Sparkle, Librarian, former student to Celestia.

Twilight woke up to the soft rays of a setting sun. Her senses were muddled from having slept so long on the ground, and she brought hooves up to her face to rub her eyes. The feel of a wet face made her stop, and with a lick, realized she must have cried sometime during her run or while she was sleeping.

She tried to levitate her blanket off the ground and onto her shoulders, but her horn wouldn't respond—she assumed it was due to overuse during the incident with the townsfolk. Rubbing her salty fur with one forehoof, she sat on her haunches, shivering softly in the cool breeze.

Something seemed off, though, and Twilight sat for a while, unmoving, curious to see what was wrong. After a while, she finally pegged it to a sound coming from... behind the rock wall she had slept by. Curiosity piqued, Twilight slowly made her way along the wall, and gasped in astonishment at what she found.

Within the rock wall resided a large cave, and inside slept an Ursa Minor, its back to the cave mouth. It snored quite loudly as well, which Twilight deduced must have been what eventually woke her up, and led her here. Strange white rocks lay strewn across the floor; bending over to investigate, Twilight soon realized they were bones—some of them pony—and retched. The sound of her upheaval rattled off the cave walls, like ripples in a pond. The lone pony froze in terror, but the damage was done.

With a rumble, the Ursa flipped over and locked its eyes onto Twilight.

Twilight stared back, over a pile of her own regurgitation.

Neither party moved, or in Twilight's case, breathed, for what felt like an eternity. The moment passed after a long while, however, and the Ursa roared, anger in its face. It jumped after Twilight, who had suddenly darted away, zipping between trees and through bushes in an attempt to lose the beast. Speed was not something she had, so she would resort to agility... which was also not something she had. She was determined to learn, however, since the only other choice presented to her at the moment involved being mauled and eaten by the bear.

For every move Twilight made to lose him, he countered to keep up with her; she darted over some bramble, which he promptly tore right through, she hid behind a tree and doubled back once he passed, and he recovered within a few moments. The Ursa managed to keep time with her perfectly, and it was starting to show; Twilight's breathing became ragged, and every so often she would stumble, losing precious inches to the beast that trailed so closely to her. He was within arm's reach in a manner of minutes, and all it would take was one small swipe of—

Twilight's hooves touched air, and she screamed as she tumbled down the hill. Even without the bear eagerly giving chase, the steep slope would have been impossible to see over the crest that was now moving quickly away from her. Each catastrophic landing jarred her, and sent another wave of pain to her skull, just below the horn. What little breath she had was pushed from her lungs with each impact, and it came a silent and glorious relief when she bottomed out, rolling against something hard.

She would have opted to stay there forever, silently recuperating, had a furious roar not sounded out at that particular moment. She scrambled to her hooves, against the protests of her aching limbs, and scooted backwards into...

A couch.

Without thinking, she slammed the door she had just entered through, and ran back into a back room—the bedroom, by the looks of things. She crawled under the bed, as it could fit her just enough to hide her there, and she waited.

A few tense minutes passed before she dared stick her head out from under the furniture. No footsteps, or roaring, or anything indicating the bear had followed her down here had sounded out, and she eventually assumed it must have turned around and went back to its cave.

Twilight let out a small giggle of irrational giddiness, which fully escalated into guffaws of happiness at the sheer fact that she was alive. The realization that she was in some strange building cut her celebration short, however, and she started investigating her new, strange location.

The first thing that Twilight noticed was that it was very blue: blue curtains hung on the windows, blue bed sheets sat on the bed, and a very plush, soft blue rug laid on the floor, cradling her hooves in the most tender of ways. A white log dresser with a blue cloth draped over the top sat off to one side of the bed, while the other had a doorway into the kitchen. The door back to the living quarters was opposite of the queen-sized bed, and Twilight strolled casually through, her eyes immediately drawn to the fireplace.

Above the mantle, hammered into the wall, was a map unlike most Twilight had seen; a quick inspection revealed that it was one of the surrounding area, going further out in each cardinal direction, leaving blank spaces in the corners for notes and a legend.

Sitting atop the mantle to the fireplace was two brass candlestick holders, both empty, and a photo of a yellow mare sitting in between them. The mare wore a jacket, one hoof on a construction hat sitting below her. Her curly green mane fell in front of one eye, and she was trying to blow it out when the picture had been taken. A small, illegible signature had been scribbled along the bottom left corner.

Turning away, Twilight began to take in details of the rest of the room; a coarsely woven rug lied in front of two plush red chairs, a small end table sitting between them, holding up a candle. The flame on the wick flickered gently, and combined with the curtains covering up the few windows in the room, it created an altogether dim atmosphere.

Trotting into the kitchen, she began to open cabinets and drawers, pulling out various food stuffs and placing them on the counter. They all seemed fresh, and the chase from the Ursa left her hungry. Within a few minutes, she had a sandwich prepared, simple hay between slices of bread. She retreated into the living room, and after placing her nourishment delicately on the table, pulled out her journal and flipped over onto a blank page near the back, where she began to sketch the map hanging up on the wall.

Journal entry date: Day 13, Year 3 of banishment.

I headed out to the seamstress this morning, and she was crying. It took her a few hours for her to calm down enough to tell me what was wrong, and I felt a stab of pain when she did.

She had a miscarriage.

I decided to stay there for a while and help her around the store; she seemed rather happy to have my company. It must have been hard enough losing her special somepony... Now this...

Anyways, apparently the town's having some sort of meeting to discuss the Ursa problem. It's gotten worse, from what I can tell. The last trade caravan we got was completely wiped out a little ways outside of town. I think ponies have been talking about relocating the bear, so it'll be interesting to see how this meeting goes.

- Twilight Sparkle, Librarian, former student to Celestia.

Twilight, satisfied, placed the journal back into her saddlebag, and grasped the sandwich with her teeth. Finally, she could take a moment to enjoy a meal and peace and quiet—

The sound of a door opening made her drop her sandwich, and she slowly craned her head towards the door to see a stallion standing there. While he stood there, trying to figure out what was going on, she racked her mind to find where she had seen this pony before, and after a long moment, succeeded.

"You're the waiter from the restaurant!" she cried, pointing a hoof towards him.

"You're that unicorn that ran out of town!" he responded in turn, pointing a hoof towards her.

The awkward moment lasted for several seconds, each one pointing at the other, until the stallion suddenly dashed towards her in an attempt to attack.

Twilight lit up her horn to pull up a shield, but gasped as a sharp pain shot through her head and the spell failed. Her magic was still running low enough to make stronger spells impossible, and it gave the stallion the opportunity he needed to pin her down. He hung over her like a cloud of anger, one forehoof on her chest, the other on her face. "The elders said that they wanted you dead, and then you decided to break into my house." he said, applying pressure to her chest. She gasped in pain, trying to wriggle out of his grasp, but to no avail.

"But... why?" she asked, looking up towards her captor. "Do you even know why they hate unicorns?" When confusion began to cloud his face, she continued, "I'm probably the only unicorn you've ever really had in town. I'm not horrible. Why would you want to kill me?" He stared off into the distance, contemplating this, as she continued staring at him with a look of fear. "Please. Let me go. I won't hurt you, I'll just leave."

He growled, pushing down into her face while he searched around for something to use as a weapon. The wooden candlestick was the only thing within reach, which he grabbed and raised up, intent on ending her here, and she raised her hooves above her head. The sound of sobs caused him to stop, hoof raised and ready to strike, as he stared down at his potential victim.

A few long minutes passed, and Twilight was beginning to cramp up in that position, but eventually he stepped back, pointing towards the door. "Go," he said, with a mask of indifference covering his face.

Twilight didn't need to be told twice; on her way out, she grabbed the sandwich and took a loud bite out of it. The stallion simply watched her leave, pensive about the information he just processed, and what he had just done.

Chapter 2

All wealth is the product of labor.
— John Locke

Twilight sat back on her haunches, raised her hooves to her head, and massaged her temples. She suppressed a groan, slowly dragging her hooves around in large round circles. Her telekinesis failed, dropping her journal into the snow, which caused her to stop and gasp in horror. She dived and grabbed it, viciously wiping off remnant snow and ice particles hanging onto the cover and pages.

She required the map that she had drawn within the book. It wasn't perfect by any means, but the map was the only thing that could give her any chance of finding civilization, and possibly, one of her friends. Not only that, but it was her journal, the only book in her inventory, and her last link to the past.

Giving the book one last shake, she began trotting again, her magic holding up the paper in front of her. It had been several days since she had been run out of town, and slowly her magic had begun to come back. She was able to lift objects, but teleportation and most other advanced magics were still beyond her grasp.

The trees had long thinned out, opening up to a vast, barren snowy plateau. She had liked the forest somewhat better than where she was currently walking, because at least then she could gauge distance somewhat. Now, the only thing guiding her was a rough estimate of her direction. There had been no landmarks for the past few—well, the past however far she had been walking, and even if there had been something off in the distance she doubted she would have been able to see it, as the sunlight glaring off the snow nearly blinded her most of the time.

The map, as expected, had been fairly useless so far, but Twilight kept it out, should she suddenly start seeing landmarks that lined up. She had omitted a large blank spot when she copied it down, for both space constraints and lack of info, and now it was just a matter of waiting for what she had of the map to match up with the world around her.

The day had been harsh; however, the night was not. The moonlight reflected off the snow as well, and being not so blindingly bright, it managed to give the land a strangely ethereal quality. The stars were unobstructed, and each night had a new starry array that would shine beautifully across the heavens. The only downside was the extreme temperature drop, one steep enough to hinder Twilight's progress to a complete halt. Finding a small depression in the ground, she decided to cover up with her modest blanket and hunker down for the coldest part of the night.

The sun had just crested the mountains in the far off distance, signalling for her departure from a night of sleepless rest. Standing once more, she shook her head and neck, causing her mane to whip around, before somehow settling back into the same position it had been moments before. She continued silently, with the exception of the snow crunching beneath her hooves, trying to keep her eyesight nearly level with the horizon to help reduce the amount of light heading into her eyes, as well as taking a break every hour or so; losing her eyesight was a serious worry out here in the middle of nowhere.

As she walked, her mind wandered back to the settlement. It hurt, being run out like that. She had spent so long growing attached, and now it was ripped away from her. Just like Ponyville. Gone.

Several hours of walking and pensive reflection passed uneventfully, until she suddenly saw the crevasse. It was a beast of a tear, heading leftward for as far as she could see, and right for approximately a hundred meters, tapering to a rather unimpressive point. The opening wasn't much more than a meter across at most points, and it went down farther than Twilight would have expected; about 40 meters, give or take, before it became too dark to see. The ground would rumble every so often, and bits and pieces would fall down into the gaping maw, never to be seen again.

Leaning over the edge, Twilight gazed down, placing a hoof on the solid wall of ice leading far down into the earth. A sense of foreboding took over her as she looked, as if it went much farther than it was supposed to. Of course, it was right then that the ground chose to shake again, and the unicorn lost her footing. A lucky swing gave her purchase, and she found herself dangling what could very well have been hundreds of feet into the air, holding on with one hoof. She slowly began to slip, and was faintly able to pick up what sounded like voices on the edge of her hearing. It only took a few more seconds for the ice to break.

She fell, screaming, into the darkness.

Journal entry date: Day 7, Year 2 of banishment.

I stuck around town today, later than I normally do, to watch a couple of ponies start putting up a house. It was fairly impressive to watch them in action, what with their speed and ability; the only things missing by the time I left was a roof, furniture, and the owners.

When they put their mind to it, earth ponies can become an extremely well-oiled machine. The house is, from what I gather, going to be the new living place for one of the elders. One of them stepped down last week, after his daughter decided to leave. They'll probably be headed to Equestria. What I wouldn't give to go with them.

In a bit of bad news, the general store manager got pneumonia. Many townsfolk, myself included, are rooting for him. Until then, this really cute stallion will take over the shop.

I think that's it. I should go ahead and get back to work, several ponies are waiting to check out.

-Twilight Sparkle, Librarian, former student to Celestia.

Twilight awoke to the sound of hooves clanking on metal, and the sound of ponies talking to her left. Groaning, she flipped over onto her stomach, and began to bring herself to her hooves, when she was stopped by another pony. "Shhhh, you need to rest," the voice murmured, slowly pushing Twilight back down, who accepted it without resistance.

"Where am I," Twilight groaned, shuffling her limbs into a more comfortable position. With a response not forthcoming, she repeated the question louder.

"Huh. You don't know where you are?" Twilight shook her head in return, and the voice tittered. "You're in the infirmary. The fall took a lot out of you." The unicorn nodded dumbly as she processed this information.

Then it hit her—she should have died. Again, even.

The startling realization woke her almost instantly, and she jumped to her hooves, banging her head on the low-hanging ceiling. She rubbed one hoof against the sore spot, while taking in the room around her.

True to what she was told, she was in some sort of infirmary. Several other beds were lined up in two rows against the walls, many housing ponies with differing injuries. A few nurses and orderlies walked to and from different patients, checking up on them and occasionally replacing bedding or a bag hanging from a pole next to the bed.

"Woah there!" cried the same voice from earlier, and she whipped her head towards the source. The pony backed away a step or two, bumping into the bed behind him. "Calm down! Nobody here's gonna hurt you!" It was a young earth mare—younger than Twilight, by the looks of her—wearing a white hat and matching jacket. The fear was clear on the nurse's face, and it managed to calm the unicorn down somewhat.

Sliding off the table, Twilight flexed her limbs experimentally, then rolled her neck, flashing a smile towards the nurse. "Sorry," she tittered, "kinda freaked out there for a second." She held out a hoof, offering an awkward smile to the still cowering mare. "Twilight Sparkle, northern explorer. And you are?"

The mare bumped hooves with a shaking arm. "I-I'm Nurse Therapy, and, um... You should probably lay back down, you'll overexert yourself."

Twilight merely groaned in response, shaking her head. "Look, how about you go get somepony else, okay? A doctor, maybe?" The younger mare nodded and ran off, leaving the unicorn to slump to the floor with a groan. She wasn't quite comfortable around earth ponies yet, after what had happened about a week ago. She took a moment to get a closer look at the room around her, now that there weren't so many pressing concerns.

To the left of her bedding arrangements were two patients, and to the right three, with no other empty beds. On the other side of the room were five patients, the bed directly opposite of her being empty. Most—in fact all—of the ponies in the room seemed to be earth or pegasi, and—

Pegasi. Twilight hadn't seen a pegasus in... Well, must have been at least two years. In the last nearly five years since she passed Equestria's border, she had only seen a hooffull, and this room had nearly double the amount she had seen during her banishment. It wasn't just patients, either; several nurses hovered above the ground, giving them access to the bags hanging from the poles.

Focus changing, Twilight glanced around the room, and noticed every patient had one of these bags next to them. Scratching at her hoof, she looked over next to her bed, and glanced at the clear bag. A line extended down from it, and she followed it with her eyes, all the way down to her hoof. Scrunching up her face, she peered closer, and saw that it actually went into her limb.

She screamed, earning the glare of nurse, orderly, and patients alike. A pegasus crashed through the doors immediately after, followed by the nurse from earlier, glaring at Twilight. "That was you, huh?" He asked, and the unicorn blushed, rubbing a hoof behind her head. The doctor sighed, floating over and beckoning Twilight to give him her hoof. Complying, he began to undo the drip line, occasionally glancing up to his patient's face. "I guess you're our new visitor, Miss Loud-Mouth," he said, placing the now-removed line onto the bed. He let go of Twilight's hoof—who rubbed the spot on her arm—and waved her over, walking out of the room.

She followed, and her eyes widened at the sight in front of her.

They hadn't been in a room, but a building; all around them were various shacks and houses, and around them, ponies carrying sacks full of lumber or tools walked and floated past. The cobblestone road ran down ahead of them, and far down the way, a large castle, as grand as Canterlot, and perhaps bigger, overlooked the town. The entire city was covered by some sort of dome, and a large jagged spear of light fell through a crack off behind the castle, casting a shadow down on the suburban area she was in.

"Welcome to Sicilia, final bastion of the pony race."

Journal entry date: Day 256 of banishment.

I was digging through the library's inventory again, and I found a book on Windigos and the legends surrounding them. According to this, Windigos are 'keepers of the north.' In fact, there was even a cult based around a legend that says they'll come back one day and flash-freeze the planet. It's pretty crazy. Supposedly, they holed up in some mountains near where the original three tribes of Equestria were founded.

I also got a welcoming gift from the elders. Took them long enough. It's got some paint and tools inside.

You know, the library could do with a touch-up.

-Twilight Sparkle, Librarian, former student of Celestia.

"This... This is..." Twilight gaped at the city surrounding her, her mane whipping around wildly as she studied some of the new details that popped out at her.

The pegasus doctor chuckled, waving a hoof in front of him. "Sicilia. It's been an underground safe haven for generations. Many live their entire lives without seeing the surface. Present company notwithstanding, of course," he added under his breath, watching Twilight look around with childlike wonder. "The nurse said you were 'Twilight Sprinkle,' is that right?"

Twilight stopped reveling in the sights and pointed a confused glance towards the pegasus. "Sparkle. It's... It's Twilight Sparkle. You are?"

The pegasus flew up a bit and spread his forelimbs out, humming a fanfare with gusto. "I'm Flash Point. Use to be a pegasus scout, became a doctor after some severe injuries left me unable to fly for more than thirty minutes." He alighted on the ground directly in front of the unicorn, then held out a hoof. "Niceta meecha, Sprinkles. Want the grand tour?"

"Sparkle. And, yes!" Twilight bounced gaily in her spot, then furrowed her brow as her gaze shifted to the fissure in the dome. "Start with why I'm not dead."

"This is the quarry," Flash yelled, his voice barely cutting in over the noise. "It appeared along with the crevasse up above!"

The quarry was no more than a giant hole in the ground, many ponies moving about to various machines which were drilling at the rock. The sunlight was more concentrated here, and the rocks and metal dazzled. The occasional pegasus would fly by, dragging behind a bag full of stones or gems.

"Thing is, that crevasse—" Flash pointed a hoof at the hole in the ceiling, "—is growing bigger, and the debris sometimes falls down here. It's also good for any pegasi flying above who need a safe crash landing when their wings freeze up. So, in order to keep ponies safe, they made a spell that basically slows down anything falling then slides it over into a ditch. You were nearly frozen when we found you." His hoof slid over to where several ponies were sitting and eating lunch, with a small ditch nestled into the backdrop.

Twilight nodded towards the quarry, directing the pegasus' attention to the machinary. "Okay, but what're those?" she asked, getting a deadpan look in response.

"Steam-powered machines. Don't tell me you don't know what those are?" When the mare gave him a somewhat confused look, Flash sighed. "It's some new-fangled technology. It's stuff ponies use to get jobs done faster. Water is boiled in that there doohickey," he said, pointing at a small compartment on the back of one of the machines closest to them, "it makes the thing drill at the rock, and then steam comes out of the pipe at the top. Dunno how it works beyond that."

Twilight's eyes sparkled with curiosity, mentally adding a note to investigate the technological advances of this place later. "Alright. What else is on the tour?"

"Now, we head to the control center."

Twilight pushed the door closed silently, glancing about the room, brimming with excitement. "Oh, look at all these!" She ran towards a small group of gems arraigned in a pattern, squeezing past a few unicorns to get a closer look. "Wow. This must be the spell matrix," she breathed, taking another look around. "And this room must be a sort of natural energy storage. Explains all the u-unicorns, hahaha!" She began to laugh, skipping about the room and singing nonsensical phrases, excited with seeing another unicorn for the first time in years. All of these new advancements and ideas would certainly be interesting to experiment on back at the libra—

Just like that, she stopped, mood ruined, looking back towards Flash. A new question popped up; "What would happen if the spell failed, for whatever reason?"

Flash furrowed his brow and shifted uncomfortably, his wings twitching slightly. "The, uh, dome would... collapse. A lot of ponies probably wouldn't make it." Silence overtook the room, and Twilight nodded, suddenly somber. "Now, Sprinkles, big question here, fifty points if you guess right: Where are we headed next? I'll give you one hint, it involves a castle."

They immediately headed for the castle, Flash pointing out various things such as a baker, candlestick maker, farmer, and several other simple family businesses, leading her closer and closer to their current destination.

"Now, the reason you were released from the infirmary so quickly was because of the fact that you're not only from the surface, but also a unicorn. It's a rare occurrence, and there have only been, what, three new ponies I can remember who came in the way you did, and maybe one of them unicorn. The royal family called for you, and I told them that if you couldn't rest, you at least needed to be shown around town first, and they agreed, fortunately. . Now here we are." Flash punctuated his monologue with a sudden stop, nodding his head towards double oak doors.

Placing a hoof on the door, she gave Flash a smile, tilting her head slightly. "Thank you," she said, opening the door and walking in.

Journal entry date: Year 2, after Luna's return, four days until banishment.

I packed up as many books as I could and moved them to the basement. Spike was a big help, and I'm really going to miss him.

After we packed up the books, with the exception of the few I'm going to take with me, we went to visit Rarity. I think Spike was going to declare his love, but he wasn't let in. I didn't understand why until I got up to Rarity's room.

Her argument about 'organized chaos' didn't justifiably explain what I saw in there: clothes tossed everywhere, with broken furniture and some of Opal's fur—mysteriously, that cat was missing—scattered about generously in the mix. Rarity was busy trying to dig through her clothes for something; she said she was searching for something to wear when the Princesses get to Ponyville. Such a silly pony.

Anyways, after about an hour of helping her find a dress, we packed up all of her things. She wanted to make me a dress, too, but I decided against it. I still had to visit some others.

She stopped me, though, and told me something interesting. "We'll see each other again, dahr-leeng. Be sure of it."

Okay, she didn't say "dahr-leeng," but you get my point. I doubt we will see each other, but I opted to leave rather than voice my concerns.

Should I have?

Spike's spending the night at Rarity's—she let him in after the mess was gone. I kinda wish he was here. It's so empty now.

-Twilight Sparkle, former student to Celestia.

The room was certainly grand, and Twilight couldn't help but gasp in wonder.

It was nowhere near the level of splendor that was Celestia's palace, which was a feat of ponykind, but it was beautiful in some strange way. A chandelier hung low from the ceiling, casting shadows and light all across the hall. Multiple windows, stretching from floor to ceiling, overlooked the town, some of which were stained to depict scenes from the past similar in manner to the stained glass of Canterlot Castle. Twilight could recognize some of them from old Hearth's Warming Eve tales, but others were alien to her—she guessed they must have been high points in this city's past.

From the door to the thrones ran a beautiful velvet carpet, red with gold filigree somehow sewn into the edges of the carpet. It ended at the base of two thrones, both of which were occupied by unicorns, a blue mare wearing a dress and a white stallion with a suit. Both of them looked to be hoofstitched, and familiar in some way, but Twilight wasn't paying any mind to this for long.

What stole her attention was the table taking up the majority of the room, running lengthwise down the carpet, occupied by a feast fit for a king—fitting, considering present company—and seating well over a hundred unicorns. Food ranged from simple hay and apples to a cake about as large as her, and more was being placed on the table by servants every minute.

The stallion sitting atop the throne stood, and as soon as the sound of his hooves hitting the floor resonated across the room, all eyes turned to him. "Ah. I should hazard a guess that you are our guest of honor." He lifted a hoof towards Twilight, and smiled. "Please, step forward and tell us your name."

Twilight trotted up to the edge of the table, trying not to focus on the fact that all eyes were on her, and spoke past the rising lump in her throat. "My name's Twilight Sparkle... Um... Hi?"

The general response was murmuring, but the crowd fell silent as the stallion stepped down to the table. "I am Royal Chancellor Expellius, current ruler of Sicilia. Welcome to our halls. Please, sit and feast." While the words sounded well-worn, the feeling behind them was genuine, and Twilight found herself readily accepting the offer. It didn't hurt matters that she had worked up an appetite wandering around the city, taking in the sights while trying not to laugh or get annoyed at her accompaniment (if she heard the name Sprinkles one more time, she'd be bound to go crazy).

She sat and glanced at the bounty placed before her, salivating at the sight of the collection of food the size of which she hadn't seen for a long time. She dug her face in without a second thought, and had almost cleaned her plate of hay when she felt the stares boring into her. Glancing up, face still stuffed between mashed potatoes and apple fritters, she chuckled sheepishly and lifted a fork and knife with her magic. "Sorry, hehe," she tittered, lifting her head from among the food.

Several minutes passed in silence after this, until the Chancellor directed his attention towards Twilight. "You know, we don't get many visitors from beyond our little slice of the world. Perhaps you could tell us your story."

Twilight—after she placed the fourth plate onto the newly-acquired table beside her—complied, and wove her tale.

"—and that was when I fell in here."

The group merely stared at her in response, some showing signs of disbelief on their faces, others showing shock and awe. The Chancellor piped up after a moment's thought, asking, "Why is it they wished to kill you?"

Twilight shook her head. "Honestly, I think they were just trying to scare me off. I don't believe they would draw my blood. Then again, the elders were a powerful group..."

"And why did this Ursa stop chasing you? By the sound of things, they are a beast of prey," the Chancellor retorted, stabbing the air with a fork to punctuate his sentence.

"I think it just wanted me to leave. I woke it up. Once I was 'gone'—" she waved her hooves to emphasize her point—"it decided to head back home to sleep. Territorial dispute, nothing more."

"Hmm..." The Chancellor stood, and waved a hoof. "All of you, begone. I wish to speak to the mare alone."

The crowd filed out quickly, leaving her alone with both the Chancellor, who had stood from the table and begun making his way over to Twilight, and the mare who had not moved from her throne the entire time. If she didn't know better, Twilight would've guessed she was dead.

As the Chancellor walked around the table, which was now relatively cleared off, he spoke: "You aren't the first to have found your way here, and neither are you the first to speak of banishments and alicorns." Twilight perked up immediately, standing up. "No no, sit. Allow me speak." When she would not budge, he sighed, and continued regardless. "Very well. Most of the others who spoke of these things had been bards and traveling storytellers who had found their way here. Most of them are quickly found and hidden away; we've had about 20 ponies make their way down here in the last few years.

"About five years ago, however, was a pony who spoke as if she had been in the same predicament as you. I doubted her entire story, but then you show up with something so similar, that I barely managed to keep a straight face. If this is true, then there must be so many other stories that check out. I still doubt the 'everlasting peace,' but that is merely a footnote.

"Now, I suppose you'd like to see this other pony who had told the story you've told us?"

Twilight nodded, and the Chancellor closed the last of the gap between them with a single bound, placing a hoof on her shoulder. He looked torn, and sat there for a few moments, before he seemed to make up his mind. "Then I'm afraid you must leave. You will find her somewhere in the city. Go." Pushing her towards the door with a rather rough shove, he turned his back towards her, and returned to his throne. She turned and left the room, both curious and somewhat annoyed.

"Sprinkles!"

Twilight groaned and brought a hoof to her face, turning to face the instigator. Flash floated down to the ground in front of her, smiling devilishly. "Come on, you wouldn't leave without letting old Flasher know, eh?" When he noticed the annoyance clear on her face, he grew serious. "Okay, what's up, buttercup?"

"One of my friends might be here." Twilight didn't move, but her eyes flickered back and forth between both the pegasus and the castle. "Something's going on though. I don't like it. Do you know where those strangers of yours might be?"

Flash smiled and pointed a hoof at his chest, puffing up a bit. "Do I? Trust me, kid, I know where they keep their spare keys! This way!"

The first stop had been five minutes away, and Twilight began to regale her tour guide with tales of her adventures, answering the occasional question that usually came out of left field.

"—and that's why I became the librarian."

"How come you didn't keep going, Sprinkles?"

She stopped, and sighed, falling onto her haunches. "That was as far as I could go. There was nothing further, and I couldn't go back. The Princesses' enchantments made sure of that."

"Which one?" he asked, wheeling around in the air to face her.

"Both of them. Most matters in Equestria of this caliber of importance require both of them to... To make it official. It's an old by-law." The mare gathered her thoughts and managed to stand up, nodding down the path to the house in front of them. "This the first stop?"

The pegasus beamed, and flew up to the door and knocked. A young filly answered, and gasped in sudden giddiness. "Uncle Doctor Flashie!" she cried, jumping up to wrap a hug around the now-standing stallion, who returned the hug with as much enthusiasm as the little pony holding onto him.

"Hey kiddo," he said after a moment, putting her down, "your mom wouldn't happen to be home, would she?" When the filly breathlessly smiled, he bent down and gave her a quick nuzzle. "Go get her real quick, we need to talk about something." She complied, running back into the house, screaming "Mommy! Mommy, uncle Doctor Flashie's here!"

Twilight trotted up to the house after this, looking over towards the pegasus curiously. "Uncle Doctor Flashie?"

"Sort of an adopted title, really," he admitted, rubbing a hoof behind his head. "I'm more of a godfather than anything."

"I never thought to ask—why'd you become a doctor?" Twilight asked, tilting her head curiously. "Why not a courier or some other job?"

"Oh. Well, when I was diagnosed with some sort of disease thing, I decided to try my hoof at the medical profession. See if I couldn't bring back others the way I was brought back. I could've died, y'know? Plus, being a courier sounds dumb. All you do is take things from one place to another." He glanced into the open doorway, and the smile on his face grew as he directed purple unicorn's attention to the earth mare inside. "Twilight, say hello to Well-Wisher. Well-Wisher, this here's Sprinkles."

After several minutes of meeting and greeting, Twilight found herself seated on a couch in a living room, sipping coffee. The room was pretty bare, save some photos of the mare and her filly, and a single painting that looked as though it was made by the child.

Flash sat beside her, holding the cup using his wing. Across from her sat Well-Wisher, who was holding up a tray with her hooves. "So," began the earth pony, placing the tray on the table softly, "you wanted to know about your friend?"

Twilight nodded, "I know one of them ended up here. I just don't know who. Maybe you would...?" Placing her cup on the table, she leaned forward, hope shining in her eyes. "Please."

Well-Wisher laughed cheerfully, standing up and pointing out the window. "Try the second house on the left. She came here a couple of years ago—just before I did, in fact—and she might at least be able point you to your friend."

With a smile, her attention was stolen by a filly who bounced her way into the room and on top of her mother. "Mommy, mommy! I drew another picture of you!"

Twilight looked towards Flash, whose smile held some strange emotion she couldn't place. Turning back towards Well-Wisher, she sighed, picking up her cup and giving a sip. "I should probably go ahead and go, but, um, I'll come back once I find out more."

The trio said a short goodbye to her, and she took her leave, to the sound of laughter.

Knocking on the door with a hoof, she mentally braced herself, although it didn't stop her from jumping slightly when an old stallion answered the door. "Mmmyes," he asked, looking down black horn-rimmed glasses at the new visitor.

"I'd, um, like to speak to whoever owns this house?" She chuckled, dragging a hoof across the floor nervously.

"MmmI see, I see," he said, closing the door softly. After a few minutes had elapsed, the door reopened and he let the mare in.

After coughing slightly to clear his throat, the old pony spoke in a very proper manner, "Mmmpresenting her Ladyship, Mistress Rarity of Canterlot."