Chapter Seven: Evasive Action

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Pinkie Pie sat in awe as she tried to reflect on everything she had just witnessed.

So Fluttershy is like Mahara now? Does that mean she’ll get all sizzly if she gets a scrape out in the sun?! Nuh-uh! I won’t let that happen! I’ll make sure you’re safe wherever you go, Fluttershy! And so will she! Yeah! That’s… Huh… Why am I mad all the sudden about that? Mahara is a really cool friend! And she’s Fluttershy’s super best-I’m-gonna-give-you-tongue… There it is again… Come on Pinkie, what’s the deal here?! You just watched Mahara totally come back to life and Fluttershy is really really happy about that! Well, she is now anyway. She hasn’t gotten that mad in a while. It’s like she’s on one of those emotional rollercoasters. Am I on one too? All the sudden, every time I think about the two of them together I get all… cranky pie… I’m sure it’s nothing. Wait, what are they saying down there?

Fluttershy swayed for several moments as she held eye contact with Mahara, her eyelids weighing heavily as her ears splayed. Her lips moved, but she made no sound. The red mare was whispering something, but Pinkie Pie couldn’t quite understand the hushed fragments of words from the top of the stairs. In the darkness of the cottage, however, she could easily see the ghostly flicker of Mahara’s eyes. The glowing intensity was so great that green flames seemed to dance against her face. And then, just like that, Fluttershy tipped onto her side, her head flopping against a pillow. Mahara stayed at her side, running a hoof along the side of her neck, pausing when she brushed the fresh scabs in her coat. Pinkie was about to leave when the red mare turned her head, looking straight at her from the living room.

Oh jeeze she spotted me! Gotta get outta here! I… What the… I can’t move!

The pink earth pony was frozen to the spot; a half formed sound catching in her throat, but failing to produce any actual words. As her neck began to itch, she felt a fluttering in her chest. Mahara stood slowly, holding Pinkie’s gaze, crossing the room to the staircase. Angel spotted Pinkie moments later, tilting his head at her as the red mare ascended. Mahara stopped just shy of the landing, crouching against the steps, eyes level with the blue eyed mare.

“It’s rude to enter without permission, you know.” Mahara propped her head up with her forehooves, smiling. “But, I know that you’re only here because you care about Fluttershy, so I will allow it. I’m guessing you saw everything that just transpired down there, and you have questions. Is that a fair assumption?”

Pinkie nodded rapidly, the curls of her mane bobbing with the motion. The fact that her mane was curly or bobbing at all took her by surprise. She had been so excited to see Mahara alive and Fluttershy happy that she completely failed to notice the retuning buoyancy of her hair. The red mare’s voice brought her back to attention.

“Well, ask away, I suppose.”

Mahara raised a brow as the pink mare took a deep breath. “That was so cool when you killed the hydra how did you even do that and I mean I was really sad when you didn’t get up after that but now you’re totally fine,” Mahara’s pupils shrank as she leaned away from the bubbling mare, “and I’m so glad to see you again because Fluttershy has been so happy since meeting you but she’s going to need to drink blood now and I don’t know how Twilight or anypony else is going to feel about that and I’m a little worried now I guess!”

The red mare blinked, the fiery glow of her eyes completely dissipating. “Okay… Well, as long as I keep a close watch over Fluttershy and walk her through the adjustments, she should be fine. Twilight and the others might be an issue, though… How do you feel about all this?”

“She’s still gonna be Fluttershy, right?” Mahara nodded briefly, and Pinkie donned a wide grin. “So what if she needs to bite a few ponies every now and then?! Heck, I’ll let her bite me all she wants!”

“Well I’m very relieved to hear-”

“What was that part about not sleeping, though? You really don’t sleep? Like, ever? And neither will she?”

Mahara glanced to the side, her brow knitting. “Unfortunately, no. Once her transformation is-”

“Unfortunately?! Do you know how cool that is?!” Mahara receeded again, watching Pinkie with visible concern. “Think about it! Parties that never, ever have to end because nopony gets tired! All the baking I can get done! All the pranks I can plan!”

The red mare shook her head, frowning. “This really isn’t something that should be taken lightly, Pinkie. The consequences of this sort of life outweigh the-”

“Maybe the Princess and Twilight and Zecora are all mean and sour toward you, but I’m an Element bearer! So is Fluttershy! We’re practically her right hoof mares! Well, two of them anyway! I bet if we have a talk with them then we can get everything straightened out and you and Fluttershy won’t have to worry about a thing!”

Mahara sighed, resting her face in a forehoof. “Pinkie… The very last thing I want you to do is tell Celestia or Twilight that you’re willing to help us. It won’t end well for you, regardless of your status as a hero.” She turned her gaze upward again. “Please, trust me, it’s for your own good.”

“Fiiiine. I can keep a secret.” Pinkie got to her hooves as Angel scurried passed her. The sound of a shutting window rang out from behind. “So what are ya gonna do now? Want me to hang out here until it’s time for her to drink?”

“That would be very convenient, actually. I wanted to ask you as soon as you arrived but…” The red mare glanced to Fluttershy as she turned back down the stairs. “I needed to give her my full attention at the time.”

Pinkie followed, again passed by Angel as he slid down the railing. Mahara settled on a pillow behind Fluttershy, watching in silence as the pegasus squirmed for a few moments. Pinkie rested on the rug, trying her hardest to stay quiet as she admired Fluttershy’s tranquil form.

“So you put her in a trance?” she whispered at last.

“More or less.” Mahara stroked the pegasus’s mane, brushing a few stray pink locks from her face. Pinkie felt her stomach tie into a knot as she watched, but she stayed quiet. “She was having a hard time sleeping, so she agreed that it would be a good idea if I helped her along.”

Nodding quietly, the pink mare went back to silent observation. Mahara did not, however.

“I’ve been meaning to ask you… I know that all of you care for her, but the way you look after Fluttershy… This isn’t just because Twilight asked a favor of you, is it?”

At the end of the red mare’s inquiry, her ears perked and swiveled. She quickly got to her hooves, looking around frantically for something that wasn’t there. Pinkie giggled at the display, but found herself with a maw full of red furred forehoof when she tried to give her answer. Mahara shook her head, a tendril hovering to her pursed lips.

“Shhhh...”

Why is she telling me to shhhh? Fluttershy is in a trance, she’s not exactly going to wake up if I make a sound. Oh, but maybe that’s not why! Maybe she hears something! Oh, she’s moving now. Where is she going?

The red mare skittered across the floor like an insect, disappearing into the kitchen. Pinkie leaned to the side in time to watch Mahara peer through a window, ducking down again and just as quickly crawling back into the living room. She blinked as the red mare kept crawling right to her, nearly knocking her over as Mahara put her muzzle to Pinkie’s ear.

“We have to leave, right now. At the very least, I need to get Fluttershy somewhere safe.” Wide eyed, Mahara glanced over her shoulder at the kitchen again. Her whispering tickled, but Pinkie remained attentive. “Someone’s coming, and if it’s who I think it is… I hate to ask this of you, but can you stay behind and try to distract them? If it gets out of hoof, don’t hesitate to run. Your safety comes first.”

Out of the corner of her eye, Pinkie could see Angel standing in the space between them, one long ear turned up toward the whispered conversation. Mahara looked down at him and smiled, giving a nod. “Angel has volunteered his assistance as well. Remember, if things take a turn for the worst, the two of you are to flee.”

Pinkie nodded. She glanced down at Angel as he did the same. Without anything further, Mahara coiled the sleeping pegasus in her noodle like appendages and held Fluttershy tightly against her back, then galloped toward and leaped out of the broken window without making a sound. Pinkie rushed to the windowsill just in time to watch Mahara jump into the stream near the cottage, completely submerging herself, only keeping Fluttershy’s muzzle above the water. The urge to giggle was too much for Pinkie to contain.

No sooner had her brief giggle fit concluded, however, she began to feel nervous excitement, manifesting in a sensation like butterflies in her breast. The side of her neck began to itch.

Was that my Pinkie sense just now? A fluttery chest and an itchy neck? Last time I got itchy neck, Mahara was involved. Mahara just went for a swim with Fluttershy, though, and... she said somepony was coming?

The combo struck her again, filling her with a sense of dread. The pink mare glanced down as she felt a paw against her hind leg. When she turned, she found herself faced with an empty room. Angel pointed frantically in front of her.

For a moment, Pinkie assumed that Angel was pointing to Mahara’s journal, which lay on the rug not far from where they stood, but he seemed to be pointing higher than that.

“At what do you laugh, Pinkie Pie?”

Zecora’s voice emanated from empty space, sounding less than a few noses away, and Pinkie felt her blood run cold. The air seemed to ripple, drawing back to reveal a striped muzzle. The zebra’s eyes glowed a faint turquoise as they emerged from nothing; her pupils were just beginning to take the form of slits.

“On your humor I can always rely.”

Oh my gosh! Mahara must have been talking about Zecora! When did she turn into one of those things, though?! How is she even doing what she’s doing right now?! Jeeze that’s creepy! She asked you a question… Uh… Come on Pinkie, think! What’s funny about a broken window? Oh!

“It panes me to say this, but I think she’s going to need someone to fix that! Get it? Panes?”

Zecora tilted her head, looking to the window, and then back to the pink mare who was smiling as broadly as she could. “Not as funny as what I had in mind, but for humoring me, you are still kind.”

“Zecora, have you looked in a mirror lately?” Pinkie lowered her head a bit, gazing up into the soft glow. “I don’t really know how to say this, but-”

“I am painfully aware of my fate, dear friend.” The zebra looked away, her head bobbing in the air as she passed into the darker side of the room. “She has cursed me, there’s no need to pretend.”

“Are you thirsty? I can help you with that, you know!” Pinkie bounced into the shadows, following the swaying glow of her eyes. “I’m chock full of blood and I’m barely using it!”

“No Pinkie, this is not your burden to bear.” Pinkie felt a hoof against her breast, pushing her back. Zecora vanished once again as a soft rustling drifted to the pink mare’s ears. This time, the zebra’s entire body came into view, a cloak of some sort hanging from her teeth, falling into a heap on the floor. “Leave this place before my restraint starts to tear.”

“What are you gonna do then?” Angel pulled on her foreleg, pointing to the door when she glanced down at him. She nodded, slowly backing away. “Why did you come here?”

“I assume you came here in search of Fluttershy?” Pinkie nodded rapidly. “I came here to destroy, that is no lie.” The zebra leaned against a wall, looking down at the floor. “My intent was to take Mahara to the grave with me, and Fluttershy too, if necessary… So here I shall wait until they return. There’s no hope for me now, in hell I shall burn.”

Jeeze… Fluttershy handled this a lot less dramatically… Zecora isn’t the joking type, though… I better see if I can catch up to Mahara. Maybe she can help! Oh but… Mahara ran away because of Zecora… And Zecora came here to… Oh no. What am I gonna do?!

“Zecora, you don’t have to-”

The zebra shook her head, eyes narrowing.

"Okay, look! I don't want you to do anything coo-coo-crazy so just sit tight. I've got to go, but I can't say where because I don't actually know where I’m going, and I’ve got to talk to someone who I do know who to talk to but I can't tell you because I promised not to say, so stay here while I go somewhere and talk to someone. Can you do that?"

“There is nothing left for me to say.” Zecora’s glowing stare was cold and vacant. Pinkie wasn’t even sure that the zebra was looking at her anymore. “Leave me now and remember this day.”

Saddened, Pinkie Pie turned from the zebra and stepped out into the late afternoon sun. Angel shut the door behind her and slowly shook his head. The pink mare glanced to the stream, but there was no sign of either pony in the water.

Great… No Mahara, no Fluttershy, but plenty of creepy crazy Zecora in the cottage behind me… If I can find Mahara... She’s gotta know what to do. Alright Pinkie sense, don’t fail me now!

With a stoic expression, she nodded down at Angel, and together they started down the road to Ponyville.

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So this is it, then. She doesn’t feel the same way. I blew it.

Rainbow Dash sat in her bedroom, staring out her window. The rest of the weather team had begun the first snow of winter without her. Most of it was imported from Cloudsdale, but she spotted several clearly custom designs in the blanket of drifting white.

And she didn’t care.

The other pegasi could handle it without her. She remembered a time when bringing in the first snow of the season was a joyful activity, one of the few jobs that she was actually eager to perform, but with her mood so bitter, she decided it would be better to just use a sick day.

Her thoughts drifted briefly to Fluttershy. The cyan pegasus was glad that she hadn’t taken rejection so hard as to end up like her friend; she couldn’t really see the point of locking herself in her home and becoming reclusive. However, the pain she felt was certainly affecting her in other ways. Since the unintended confrontation with Applejack, she had been visiting Fluttershy less and less. Dash was at a loss as far as offering support.

What would I say? Oh, your first coltfriend ever cheated on you and dumped you when you confronted him. Well, the first pony I ever tried to share my feelings with told me to take a hike because she didn’t swing that way. I can’t even get my own problems sorted out, how can possibly I help you?

The pegasus fell back against her bed, covering her eyes with her hooves. They were still sore from crying, but the tears had become less about sadness and more about spite. After bearing her heart and soul to the mare she had come to so deeply admire, she received nothing but confusion and aggression. She had seen Applejack since that day, but had nothing to say to her.

As her hooves slid away, her eyes fell upon a poster of Spitfire on her ceiling. Where she could once fantasize for hours about the leader of the Wonderbolts, now the sight only made her feel hollow.

I’m never going to have a chance with Spitfire. And really, I’m okay with that. What do I even have in common with her? She’s famous, and wealthy, and I’m just somepony that can do a neat trick. Applejack, though… she’s… Why did I think that was a good idea? Why didn’t I just keep my mouth shut? She probably hates me now. She probably thinks I was only friends with her because I had a crush on her! Ugh, I’m so stupid!

Dash rolled over, burying her face in a pillow made of clouds. She knew it wasn’t the end of the world. She knew there were plenty of other mares out there. The problem was that none of them were Applejack. The pillow suddenly dissolved, her bed vanishing from under her, replaced with the puffy outline of her front door. She stood in her living room, slowly turning the handle after enduring five minutes of knocking.

The blond mare stood in the doorway, her expression stern, and yet concerned. Dash felt faint at the sight of her, the surprise of seeing her multiplied by the fact that she was standing on the clouds themselves.

“How did you get up-“

“Twilight’s balloon.” The dirigible in question hovered by the edge of the cloud.

“How are you standing on-“

“Twilight’s magic.” Still dumbfounded, Dash nodded, trying to organize her thoughts.

In the process of organizing, she was struck with an odd sensation, as though the words had been spoken before, even though she couldn’t remember where or when.

“Why are…” She paused, expecting Applejack to interrupt again, but the orange mare stayed silent. As the shock wore off, a tremble ran through her. She narrowed her eyes, speaking low and slowly. “Why are you here, Applejack?”

“Ta be totally honest with ya, Ah ain’t perfectly sure mahself… Now, before ya go gettin’ all emotional on me, jus’… just hear me out…” She took a deep breath, looking down and crossing her forelegs. “You’ve been avoidin’ me, an’ Ah don’t blame ya fer that, but… Dash, Ah owe ya an apology. Ah baited ya inta tellin’ me somethin’ I weren’t ready nor expectin’ ta hear. An’ tha way Ah reacted weren’t nowhere near appropriate, neither. Ah’m right sorry ‘bout… Well, ‘bout tha whole thing. Ah made a real ass a’ myself, an… an Ah guess Ah’m here cause Ah don’t wantcha ta hate me fer it…”

They stood in silence, a few snowflakes curling in on the wind. They clung to Applejack’s mane and coat like tiny white flowers.

“Ah know everypony’s real busy tryin’ ta get Fluttershy ta come to her senses, but… Well, Ah know this is mah fault, an’ it ain’t tha same withoutcha… So, Ah’m sorry…”

“You’re sorry?”

“Ah’m sorry.”

Another few uncomfortable minutes passed before the pegasus shifted her weight and managed a reply.

“Why? Why did you flip out on me like that?” She glared, snorting and stomping. “I told you how I really felt and you just spat in my face! How could you do that to me?!”

“Dash, Ah…” The earth pony looked down at her hooves. “It ain’t like Ah didn’t know that some mares like other mares, an’ that don’t bother me, neither. Some folks jus’ have different tastes, Ah guess… It’s jus’… Ya surprised me, Dash! Ah never figured ya felt that way ‘bout me! Lookin’ back now, Ah can kinda see it more clearly, but at tha time, it was a total shock.” She closed her eyes. “Ah… Ah didn’t know how to react. Ah started thinkin’ crazy, like maybe our friendship weren’t real or somethin’… Like you were jus’ usin’ me ta ride me side saddle, an Ah’m sorry fer that… Now Ah know it’s tha complete opposite…”

Applejack stepped forward, into the warmth of Rainbow Dash’s home. The snow in her mane and coat melted to glistening droplets. The cyan pegasus stood there, jaw agape, as she tried to grapple with the rush of emotions that Applejack’s apology carried. She was still furious, but she could feel her defenses weakening. After another minute of silence, Rainbow Dash found the words she was looking for.

“Yeah?” Dash snorted, looking away in an attempt to stay indifferent. “Is that the only reason you came up here? To apologize and explain yourself?”

Applejack milled around awkwardly, stepping from hoof to hoof as though walking in place.

“Well… No… It ain’t tha only reason…” A subtle blush lit up the orange mare’s cheeks. “Ah… Ah been doin’ a whole lotta thinkin’ an talkin’ ta a few folks… Private like, mind you, so don’t getcher tail in a knot. Ah ain’t told none a’ our friends ‘bout whatcha told me. Anyway… Ah been talkin’ an… tha one thing Ah learned… what was most common with tha folks Ah talked with… Havin’ someone special… Bein’ in love… ‘s like havin’ a best friend, ‘cept ‘s more than that... Ah understand that now.”

Rainbow Dash nodded slowly, trying to suppress the fluttering in her heart as Applejack took another step forward, bashfully looking up at the cyan pegasus. The sudden development was almost too much for her to bear. It was getting harder and harder to stay angry at the orange mare, but at the same time, she was relieved by that.

“What Ah’ Ah was tryin’ ta say is… If that’s whatcha want, if ya really trust me that much that ya want our friendship to go a step further…” Her blush had become almost radiant. She slid her forehoof in a slow circle on the floor, ears splaying. “Ah've been thinkin' about you, ya know, tryin' to think about ya... like that.. like as more'n a friend... Ah… Ah ain’t makin’ no promises, understand? This ain’t somethin’ Ah’ve done before, an if it were anypony other than you, Ah wouldn’t give it any thought… but… fer you, Dash… If ya still wanna be with me… If ya wanna forgive me fer bein’ stupid…”

“Applejack… I…” Rainbow felt her lower lip tremble, the dam holding back her emotions finally crumbling. “Yes!” Applejack spread her forelegs, smiling as Dash lunged forward, embracing one another as the pegasus shuddered, fighting back the tears. “And I’m sorry too! I just needed to tell you and I… I didn’t mean to…” She sniffled, her eyes growing damp as she lost that fight.

“Ya don’t gotta apologize fer nothin’, Dash.” She could feel Applejack’s hooves against her back, rubbing in slow, gentle circles, holding her tightly. “Don’t gotta apologize fer nothin’ at all. Ah’m jus’ glad ta have ya back.”

She buried her face in the side of Applejack’s neck, slowly calming, holding onto the earth pony as though her life depended on it. When she finally looked up, her wall melted away, replaced with the evening sky. The sun slowly dipped over the horizon, painting the clouds a myriad of beautiful colors. They were huddled together under a blanket on the Apple family’s front porch. Their breath formed puffy clouds in the air as it curled away from them.

Big Macintosh had taken the news fairly well, even though he didn’t fully understand. Applejack had requested that he keep it to himself, which he agreed to, on the condition that Rainbow help out around the farm, especially during harvest.

“Ah mean, it ain’t a huge deal, Ah guess, but Ah just don’t want nopony askin’ all kinds a’ questions, ya know?”

“No, I totally get it. I don’t really want anypony finding out either. But… you’re not… ashamed, are you?” The cyan mare felt a squeeze, followed by a gentle nuzzle between her ears.

“Naw… You ain’t nothin’ ta be ashamed of. Ah… Ah guess Ah jus’ ain’t ready ta tell anypony. Gimmie’ time ta get used ta this.”

“Is this that different from dating a stallion?”

“In little ways, yes, but that don’t mean Ah love ya any less. Ah jus’ wanna take it nice ‘an slow.”

The earth pony snickered a bit. Dash looked back at her out of the corner of her eye. “Okay, ya gotta understand… ‘fore this, mah family would try an’ set me up with other stallions. They were nice an’ all, usually, but Ah guess you could say Ah jus’ wasn’t interested. ‘s one thing ta get ta know somepony over time an’ come ta realize ya got feelin’s fer ‘em, but to jus’ have a stallion plopped down for me ta suddenly date… It rarely lasted. Ah think tha longest one lasted fer a month. You an’ me have already passed that, Ah think.”

“Yeah, just about.” Dash heaved a happy sigh, leaning back against Applejack, feeling her forehooves gently rub over her sides.

“How come ya… What made ya fall fer me, Dash?”

Rainbow laughed a little, smiling back at Applejack. “Well uh... You’re really pretty, for starters…”

“Aw, yer jus’ sayin that...”

“No, really! You’re... you’re a fox!”  

Applejack cocked a brow. “Ah’m a what now?  What the hay does that mean?”

The pegasus froze up for a moment, “I... don’t actually... Okay let’s back up. What I mean is, I always thought that you were attractive, but I never really... I never really thought of you as a mare I wanted to be with when we first met. I guess I just kinda took it for granted; grass grows, the sun shines, and Applejack’s gorgeous.”

“Well... Ah never really thought a’ mahself as a looker, ta tell tha truth... That ain’t all, is it?”

“It’s totally not just your looks. You don’t have your head in the clouds... You don’t walk away from a challenge... You put everything you’ve got into you your work… You’re a beautiful pony, inside and out. Back before that Iron Pony competition, I just looked at you like... Well, like competition. After that, though… That’s when I started to admire you.”

She felt the orange mare nod, her hooves slowing, just cradling now. Dash rested her forehooves on top of them, smiling.

“And... you’re some things that I’m just not. I could never spend as much time working as you do. I’d go crazy. Your dedication, and your... your spirit… You’re just really... really awesome. Inspiring, even. So, once I started to feel this way… I just watched, and I waited, hoping for a sign, that maybe you’d make the first move… I was going to keep waiting that day, in the leaves, but… Well…”

“Ah’m glad ya told me. If Ah could go back, Ah’d drag it outta you all over again.” Applejack snickered. “Not so much yellin’ though.”

Rainbow Dash turned back toward the sunset, the glowing rim of the sun descending behind the mountains. She sat in silence for some time, enjoying the warmth and feel of the earth pony behind her, until a thought occurred.

“I don’t think I ever said thank you, you know.”

Applejack leaned forward. “Thank you fer what, sugarcube?”

“For giving me a chance.”

“Ya don’t gotta thank me. ‘s one a’ tha best decisions Ah’ve ever made. An really, ah should be thankin’ you…”

The pegasus turned over, her muzzle meeting the side of Applejack’s neck, planting a gentle kiss. The orange mare tilted her head to the side, her eyes half closed as their gazes met. Dash could feel her heart pounding excitedly as Applejack closed her eyes and pursed her lips. The pegasus did the same. She could hardly catch her breath. The room was unbearably hot. Every inch of her body felt sticky. She stared up at the ceiling, squirming in the afterglow of what was likely one of the most blissful experiences of her life.

Applejack gave a happy little gasp beside her, laughing to herself as she held a forehoof to her orange furred breast. Dash glanced to the window, noting all the condensation that had gathered on the glass. Winter Wrap-Up was scheduled in less than five hours, and neither of them had been doing any sleeping.

“So what do you think of being a filly-fooler, by the way?” Dash grinned, still panting softly, gently nudging the orange mare with her knee. “Not so bad after all, right?”

“Ah never said Ah was expectin’ anythin’ bad!” The earth pony rolled over, smiling. “Ya gotta slow down a little fer me. Ah ain’t used ta this, ya know.”

“Slow down? Maybe we haven’t met. My name is Rainbow Dash!”

The orange mare snickered, shaking her head. “Ah hate ta break this to ya, Dashie, but speed ain’t everythin’!”

Something warm spread across the bed by her hind legs. Confused, the pegasus glanced down. Her eyes went wide with horror; Applejack was missing her left leg from the hock down. Her blood was spattering over the sheets. She seemed completely oblivious to her injury, smiling warmly at Dash.

“I… I wasn’t fast enough though…”

The orange mare’s pupils narrowed, her body trembling.

“No,” Applejack whispered, “you weren’t.”

With a gasp, Rainbow Dash bolted upright. Applejack’s foreleg slid limply off of her and onto the sheets. She squirmed in her sleep, mumbled something. A dull beeping and a powder blue curtain reminded her that they were still in the clinic. Slouching forward, the pegasus put a hoof to her forehead and took a deep breath. Her heartbeat steadied. Her weary eyes focused on a clock. It was long past noon, approaching the evening. Applejack’s crippling injury was no less real than it had been when she received it.

The bandages had been changed, and Redheart had done everything in her power to improve the farmer’s condition, but there was nothing she could do to replace or mend a mutilated leg.

Dash sat there for what felt like an eternity, taking in the pristine bandages wrapping the stump of Applejack’s left hock. Part of her wanted to believe that she was still having a nightmare. The hydra had never attacked, and not a single pony had been killed or injured. She would wake up in Applejack’s embrace, and everything would be fine. The pegasus swallowed a sob, not wanting to wake her injured lover.

I just… I wish there were something I could do… Some way to take it back… You don’t deserve this. She traced Applejack’s contour from her wounded leg to her face, inching closer to the sleeping earth pony as she lay beside her. But I know you would be strong for me, so I’m going to do the same for you. We’re going to get through this. I’m going to be here for you, and I’m never going to leave your side.

\/ /\ /\ \/

“Is that a new friend for Gummy?”

“Nope! I’m looking after him for Fluttershy, I guess!” Pinkie Pie looked down at Angel, and the rabbit offered a shrug. “I’m sure he’ll get along with Gummy just fine, though. I was looking for a friend of mine, but I can’t find her anywhere… Did anything happen while I was out?”

“Well, we’re all still a little shaken up, but it’s been very quiet otherwise. Actually, that’s not entirely true. Princess Celestia and a whole bunch of her guards arrived in town just before you came home, and that caused quite a fuss. They headed off toward the Everfree Forest, and that was the last I heard of them. I think your friend Ms. Sparkle was with them.”

Mrs. Cake paused, looking almost pained. “Also… Carrot and I just found out about Davenport not too long ago. He’s taking it very hard, so try not to upset him.” She looked down at the counter, taking a deep breath, releasing it as a quiet sigh.

The cyan mare brightened up as she made eye contact again. “Oh, and somepony stopped by not too long ago. I told her we were closed, but she said she was looking for you, so I said she could wait here. I forget what she said her name was…” Mrs. Cake glanced into Sugarcube Corner’s dining area, nodding to herself. “Anyway, she’s in there.”

“Oh! That’s great! Thank you! I’ll bring her upstairs right away.” Pinkie returned Mrs. Cake’s smile before she bounced into the other room.

 Angel followed a short distance behind her, looking around curiously all the while.

Well this turned out alright, then! If there’s anypony that can help Zecora more than Mahara, it’s probably Princess Celestia and Twilight! I can’t wait to tell Mahara the good news! Wait… That’s not Mahara. That’s…

A white unicorn with shocks of blue hair hunched over a table, tapping out a rhythm on the surface with a forehoof. She nodded in time with the rhythm, seemingly oblivious to the approaching pony.

Oh… Oh well. I could use a friend right now, and I did invite her here, so I may as well be a good host while I’m waiting for Mahara to turn up! That, and this is just too perfect to pass up! Okay, little miss DJ, I’m gonna get you this time! I’m not the queen of pranks for nothing! I’m the queen of pranks because I’m the best prankster around!

Pinkie grinned, tip-hoofing across the room. Standing just behind the unicorn, she reared up, taking a deep, silent breath.

“You do know that my career pretty much revolves around my ability to hear, right?” Vinyl Scratch looked back at Pinkie, and even with the goggles obscuring her eyes, her little smile made the smugness of her expression obvious. “Gotta try harder than that, kiddo.”

Pinkie exhaled, dropping back to the floor like a deflating balloon. Frustration and humility mixed as she playfully kicked the unicorn’s chair. “You’re so hard to sneak up on! Oh well. Sorry I’m late. I had to keep a promise I made to a friend.” The earth pony paused. “On top of already being late because of that big dumb hydra!”

“Yeah, that was pretty crazy… Does that kind of thing happen often around here?” Scratch tilted her chair back, swiveling around to face Pinkie. “I mean, I’m not exactly a stranger to these parts but I’ve never seen anything like that happen while I’m in the area.”

“Well there was this one time when a cute little baby Ursa Minor lumbered into town, but that ended a lot less violently…” The pink mare frowned, memories of the battle and subsequent casualties still fresh in her mind. “I don’t think Ponyville has ever seen anything like this before. At least not while I’ve been living here. Thanks for helping out, by the way. I’m not sure Twilight could have handled that on her own.”

“Hey, I was just arriving with my gear and a box full of records when I saw that thing swaggering around a few blocks away.” Scratch brushed some of her mane out of her face and shrugged. “What kind of friend would I be if I got back in the carriage and just high tailed it back to Manehattan?” Her lips pursed as she held up a hoof, shaking it a bit. “What you did with those ice skates, though? Totally sick! You fuckin’ rock!”

Pinkie snickered, glancing back toward the counter and kitchen. “Thanks! We should probably head upstairs though. The Cakes have started a swear jar and I don’t want to toss any more bits into it.”

Vinyl nodded, sliding out of her chair and levitating an enormous duffle bag that protruded at odd angles in several spots. Pinkie smiled down at Angel, and then at Scratch, leading the way through the bakery and up the stairs to her room. The pink mare had amassed every instrument she could find at Vinyl’s request, assembling them into one gigantic contraption. Hundreds of egg cartons clung to the walls by coils of tape. Gummy protruded from the mouth of a tuba, staring off into space. Angel eyed him cautiously, staying close to Pinkie Pie.

The pink mare looked back at Vinyl as a muffled clunk signaled the landing of her bag. “Yeah, just set up wherever you think you’ll get the best quality. I’ve gotta remember how to climb into this thing!”

Gummy tumbled out of the tuba, bouncing across a few bongos and landing in front of Angel. The rabbit bristled, darting toward and then hiding behind Vinyl, who looked up from her equipment bag in confusion.

 “Aw, don’t be afraid! Gummy don’t got no teeth!” Pinkie grinned widely at the tiny alligator, to which the alligator responded by doing the same, displaying bright pink gums. “See?” Gummy snapped at her, his toothless maw clamping down harmlessly on her muzzle, eliciting a giggle from the pink mare.

Angel peered out from behind the unicorn, brow furrowed and frowning. “Yeah, I’m not sure if alligators are supposed to not have teeth.” Vinyl lifted a long black pole from the bag with her magic, screwing an enormous microphone onto the end. “Maybe you should get that checked out?”

A few loud crashes filled the room as Pinkie made several failed attempts to crawl through the maze of musical equipment, grunting under her breath. “I dunno! I- Oof! I asked Fluttershy to take a look at him once and she said he was in perfect health, even without his teeth!” The pink mare tripped with a twang of guitar strings, her muzzle nearly getting stuck in the mouth of a trombone. “She’s the animal expert around here, so that was good enough for me!”

“Hey, isn’t… Fluttershy is the pegasus with the pink mane, right?” Pinkie froze, glancing back at Scratch as best she could with her head between an array of trumpets. “How is she holding up?”

“She’s doing just fine!” Pinkie backed out of the musical labyrinth, putting a forehoof to her chin in thought.

I hope Fluttershy is fine, anyway… I mean, Mahara has gotta be taking good care of her, right? Mahara really cares about her. Course, when I was taking care of her, I never got her into all kinds of trouble! And… and how come she never looked at me like that? I took a whole month off from work to make sure she wasn’t alone! I mean, I’m not saying she’s a little miss ungrateful pants, but hey, I was there first! I just… Urghhh!

Pinkie pounded a drum with her forehoof, heaving a sigh afterwards.

Okay… Okay, calm down, Pinkie. You watched them give each other crazy wet tongueshakes and you didn’t think anything of it at the time, so why is it making you so angry now? Are you jealous because she got hot to trot for Mahara? That never bothered you before. But you didn’t realize how serious it was before, either… Oh, sorry, I was thinking about something. What did you ask me?

“I said, are you sure? Losing a friend has gotta be-”

“I’m sure! Two hundred and thirty six percent absolutely sure that she’s doing fine!” Her eyes casually scanned the plethroa of instruments, locating the chair at the very heart of the construction. “Hey Scratch, what do you know about tongue shakes?”

“What do I know about… What?”

“You know. Two poines put their mouths together and rub tongues. Is that a thing you like to do with friends?”

“Kissing? You’re talking about kissing, right?” Pinkie glanced back at Vinyl Scratch, finding the white horned mare’s jaw agape. “Pinkie, you’re not trying to tell me something, are you? I don’t know what you’ve heard, but you’re gonna have to get me really drunk if you want us to-”

“No no, that’s not…” The pink pony rubbed a hoof against her face. “I’m not talking about you and me! I mean, if you had a friend who would cook for you and sing with you and a friend who would give you sleep hugs and tongue shakes, which would you rather spend time with?”

“Okay, I think I understand. Love is a crazy thing, Pink. I know it sucks when it seems like everypony’s got that special somepony but you and that you can feel left out when a friend gets all lovey-dovey and leaves you on the sidelines. Nopony wants to be in that kinda deal, but they’re not doing it to hurt you.”

“Yeah, I know… Anyway, are ya all set up? I think I remember how to get in there now.”

A boom microphone hovered a few pony lengths from the contraption. There was a recording device and an audio adjuster at Vinyl’s disposal as well. The unicorn adjusted several dials with one hoof, holding the left speaker of her headphones to her ear with the other.

“Yep, ready on this end.” Vinyl set down her headphones, brow weighing heavily against her goggles. “You’re totally sure you don’t wanna talk about this some more, though? I mean, a lot of shit went down today, and it sounds like you’ve got a lot of stuff on your mind… I guess I’m trying to say that I’m here for you if you need me.”

“Scratch, I know you mean well…” Pinkie looked over her shoulder, trying to force a smile. “And I’m really happy that you wanna make me feel better, honest! But… It’s complicated. A lot more complicated than I’m comfortable talking about. I hope you understand. Right now…” Her smile became genuine. “I just wanna make some music!”

Still grinning, though much more wildly, the pink mare crouched low against the floor, and then sprang into the air, turning mid flight so that her hooves touched the ceiling. She rebounded, aiming for an opening in the very center of her device visible only from above. She landed gracefully in the chair, bowing to her guest through the network of pipes and pulleys. Speechless, Vinyl could only stomp her forehooves appreciatively.

“Hot damn!”

Pinkie bowed, grinning, feeling along the levers and switches with her hooves. “Are you ready?!”

“We’re recording! Hit it!”

For all of two minutes, Sugarcube Corner shook with the combined equivalent of an orchestral wind and procession section. At the tail end of those two minutes, Mr. Cake burst into Pinkie’s room, his shouting drowned out by a drum solo.

“Pinkamena Dianne Pie, what in Celestia’s name do you think you’re doing?!”

An oboe made a sad, deflated noise as the pink mare stopped blowing. “I’m…” she cringed a bit as she caught a glimpse of the furious expression on the stallion’s face, “making music?”

Mr. Cake stepped passed Vinyl, who seemed to be trying not to draw any attention to herself. “Today, of all days?  Pinkie, what are you thinking?!”

“Oh!” She sat up straight, grinning nervously. “Well, see, Vinyl Scratch and I met a year ago and sometimes I help her make music by playing for her, so she can sample what I play and mix it into a song! She said she wanted me to build something like what I used to lure the parasprites with, so-”

“Ponyville is in mourning, Pinkie! We lost three good ponies today! Davenport was a close friend ours and your racket is really not helping me deal with this right now!”

Pinkie felt her curls starting to straighten out. “I… I’m sorry…”

“No, no it’s okay Pinkie…” Mr. Cake sighed, subtly shaking his head. “I’m sorry for yelling at you. I think it would be best if you took your friend somewhere else for a few hours, though.” He turned away, trotting back out of the room without shutting the door behind him.

“Welp…” The unicorn began to unplug her equipment, coiling and levitating wires back into her bag.

“Pretty much… Sorry about that, Scratch.” Pinkie slumped forward, accidentally causing a kick drum to pound. She clenched her jaw, eyes darting to the door.

“Nah, it’s alright. I should have said something. That, or I shouldn’t have set up my equipment.” The puffy black cylinder of her boom microphone floated into the duffel bag, followed by the sound of a zipper. “Well, my carriage isn’t going to swing around until sundown. Any bright ideas, or should I just wander around town until then?”

“Whaaaaat? What kind of hostess would I be if I let my friend wander around by herself?” Pinkie slowly and carefully climbed out of the music maker, stretching her legs once she was out in the open again. “How about I introduce you to a friend of mine? She’s great, you’ll love her! She’s actually the reason I have… Hey, where’s Gummy?” Paranoia wormed its way into the pink mare. “Where’s Angel?!”

“Chill. Look.” Vinyl pointed to the corner of the room.

Angel held several cards in his paws, sitting in front of an overturned basket. On the other side of the basket, Gummy had cards of his own, holding them with his mouth.

“Oh.” Pinkie donned a grin, bouncing in place. “Okay, well, let’s get going then!”

Scratch nodded, following the pink mare to the door until Pinkie froze mid air, floating back to the floor and tip-hooving down the stairs. Mrs. Cake nodded to them as they passed through the kitchen, busy with baking. The pink mare snatched a fresh muffin off the counter and kept moving. Once outside, and after closing the front door as gently as she could manage, Pinkie’s breast swelled as she inhaled.

Scratch swiveled around, ears perked. “Did you just gasp? What’s up?”

“Oh, nothing!” The pink mare flashed a cheery smile. “I was just holding my breath.”

“What, just now?” Pinkie could imagine the unicorn squinting behind her goggles. “Why?”

“No, when we were leaving, silly! I’m trying to practice not making any noise! You never know who might be listening.”

\/ /\ /\ \/

Seeing Zecora bound like an animal was painful for Twilight, but considering what she had just witnessed, part of her found it entirely appropriate. She wanted to be angry with the zebra. She wanted to hate the zebra, in fact, but above all else was an overwhelming sense of pity. Zecora’s expression was stoic, but the unicorn could see the redness of her eyes, and the damp trails in her fur were obvious when she could bear to look. Twilight had never seen Zecora cry before. She knew full well that the zebra must have shed tears in the past, but something about actually witnessing it was haunting. They made eye contact, holding each other’s gaze for several tense seconds. The unicorn pulled herself away, focusing on the orange sky.

Twilight knew that it wasn’t Zecora’s fault, but she needed somepony or something to pin the blame on. Mahara was a viable option, but as far as anyone knew, she was still dead. The uncertainty was infuriating. The fact that they had found Mahara’s journal lying out in the open when they searched Fluttershy’s cabin seemed proof enough that the red mare was dead.

After going through so much effort to get it from the library, she wouldn’t have just left it behind.

Beneath her mixed feelings about Zecora and her musings about the fate of Mahara, there was a sense of desperation, or even helplessness. She glanced back, past Zecora and the guards surrounding her to the pegasus at the back of the group. The cart that had been used to transport Mahara’s body was now being used to carry the two fallen guards. For the second time that day, she had watched lives come to an end, and she had been too stunned or slow to do anything to prevent it. It seemed that all she could do was watch, powerless in the face of death. Rage began to supersede all other emotions at the unfairness of it all.

Maybe the princess can help me put some of this in perspective.

“Princess Celestia?”

The regal alicorn turned toward Twilight, giving her full attention. “Yes, Twilight?”

“Princess, I’ve seen a lot of troubling things today… I… I think this is the first time I’ve ever seen ponies… I’ve never seen anypony… die… before today.” Celestia nodded slowly. “How do you deal with death? I’m sure that you must have a way of reassuring yourself that they died for a good cause, or something like that.”

The princess hesitated, starting and stopping several times, her lips moving without any actual words behind them. “Princess Celestia? Is something wrong?”

“Twilight… How do you see me? And be honest. I… I don’t really need a student right now.” She lowered her head, a sad smile on her muzzle. “Right now… I need a friend.”

“Princess?” Celestia nodded, her smile fading. Twilight had never seen the princess behave so timidly. She was almost too shocked to form a response. “I… Well, I look up to you. I trust you more than anypony else. I have deep admiration for your magical skill and your ability to lead. But…” Celestia tilted her head as the unicorn tried to find the appropriate phrasing. “I’ve been meaning to ask you… Why did you wait so long before intervening at Fluttershy’s cottage?”

“A lot of ponies, and probably a lot of other creatures, see me as a goddess. While it’s true that I wield immense power and my lifespan is very extensive…” Celestia paused, her gaze drifting low, not quite looking the unicorn in the eyes. “Twilight, at the end of the day, I’m just another pony. If Mahara had been the one to burst out of that cottage, I would have been prepared for that. Instead, we were confronted with Zecora. I… I just froze, Twilight. I panicked.”

The princess took a deep breath, closing her eyes. “To see that Zecora had fallen victim to the same magic that nearly destroyed my kingdom so long ago… It was absolutely horrifying. Mahara is just one mare, but her magic… It spreads, like an infection. I could see my kingdom in bloody chaos again, hunting my own subjects for fear of contamination…” Celestia shuddered violently, her brow knitting with intensity.

“Two ponies are dead because I didn’t act swiftly enough...” She opened her eyes again, glistening with the ghosts of tears. “And what if I had killed Zecora outright? Would that have made me any less guilty of letting an innocent life come to an end? Are the lives of two ponies worth the life of one zebra?”

Twilight glanced back at the zebra in question as she gave that some thought. No matter how she looked at it, Zecora was now very much responsible for two murders, at least physically. The striped mare made a fleeting moment of eye contact before casting her gaze downward.

Celestia may feel guilty for failing to stop the carnage, but what about Zecora? Does she even want me to feel pity or sympathy for her? She was begging for death… She… she wanted Celestia to put her out of her misery… Even if she agreed to help us track down Mahara, is it right to keep her alive when the guilt and shame are making her suffer? It’s already enough that we don’t know what’s become of Fluttershy, but… I can’t bear to think about losing Zecora too!

“Princess Celestia…”

“Twilight, spare me the formalities for now, if you will…”

“Sorry. Celestia, I don’t think the lives of ponies, or any other creatures that can think and feel, should ever be weighed against one another.” The regal alicorn pursed her lips in consideration while Twilight finished her thought. “That said, while you failed to act quickly enough to save two lives at the cottage, think of the destruction Zecora may have caused if she had wandered back into Ponyville… if those guards hadn’t given their lives trying to protect us, and her thirst had gone unquenched…”

“Do you see now why Mahara and her kind pose such a threat to us? Mahara is not by nature an evil pony. In fact, as you saw, under the right circumstances she can be very noble.” The princess furrowed her brow, her expression darkening. “But the very principal of the magic which courses through her veins… Twilight, unrestrained, as we saw with Zecora… The risk of innocent bloodshed is too high. You may think it cruel of me to want to seal her up again, even if she has shown compassion and bravery when it was needed most, but she cannot stay here. I refuse to put my subjects in such peril.”

Twilight nodded. “I understand. So will everyone else, I think.”

I hope, she thought to herself.

 “Even though the decisions you have to make are difficult, I can say with confidence that we trust your judgment, and we are grateful for your leadership.” The unicorn felt conflicted over her last sentence. The words felt hollow and formal. Celestia looked toward Ponyville as they slowly drew nearer, her expression vacant. “And… I believe in you, Celestia. I really do.”

“Thank you, Twilight.” The alicorn glanced back at her student, a warm smile across her lips. It vanished the instant that a dry gasp drifted through the air.

Twilight turned to find that the entire procession had come to a stop. One of the guards was pulling viciously on his rope, causing it to bite into Zecora’s flesh, undoubtedly choking her. The other guards looked at one another, still tightly holding their ropes. The zebra offered no resistance, eyes closed as her body was repeatedly tugged in the direction of the malicious, armored pegasus. Celestia stepped past the unicorn, head held high.

“Cloud Burst! What is the meaning of this?!”

“Your highness; with all due respect, we should be putting this abomination in the ground, not dragging her along with us!” The pegasus coiled another loop of rope around his hoof, pulling tighter. “You should have let me finish her! She killed two of our own! Don’t try and tell me that you don’t want her dead! We all know about you and Kick-”

The princess was at his throat before he could finish, her horn pressing firmly against his windpipe. A line of damp fur ran from the corner of her eye to the underside of her jaw.

“The last thing I will tolerate today is deliberate disobeyal of orders.” Celestia spoke lowly and through gritted teeth, her horn shimmering against his flesh. “My relationship with Kick-Off is irrelevant, and the fact that you are soiling their memory with this act of outright cruelty in their names is nothing short of disgusting. I can say without question that this goes against every ideal which they held dear. Now, you will stand down this instant, or I will make you stand down. Are we clear?”

Cloud Burst nodded, wide eyed and wordless. When the princess withdrew, he held a hoof to his throat, breast heaving.

“Zecora has been tainted by the darkness of our enemy, but make no mistake: she is still our ally, and you will all treat her with the respect and dignity she deserves. I know that none of you have experienced actual combat before, nor have you suffered the loss of your brothers and sisters in arms, but I will not tolerate another instance of such disgraceful behavior. Consider yourselves warned that should you disobey this order, you will be stripped of your rank and punished further as is deemed appropriate.”

Slowly, the procession began to move again under an uncomfortable silence. A sudden thought struck the unicorn as she looked toward the silhouette of town hall.

Twilight Sparkle… defending an unholy abomination… Twilight parted her lips as she remembered Mahara’s words. She would be disappointed, I think…

With some effort, she managed to raise her voice.

“Prin-” the alicorn glanced curiously back at her. “Celestia, after Mahara defeated the hydra, Zecora, and a whole mob of ponies wanted to finish her off. I talked them down, because I thought it was the right thing to do, but she said that you would be disappointed to know that I had protected her when she was vulnerable.”

Twilight cast a quick glance back at Zecora, finding the zebra’s ears perked, but still avoiding eye contact. She returned her attention to the princess. “Did she mean you would be disappointed because I defended a creature like her, or because I was defending her at all?”

“Quite the opposite, I’m very proud of you.” She donned a gentle smile, leaning closer to Twilight as they passed the first row of houses. “You did what you thought was right, even when others felt you were wrong, and that is the most important thing.”

“Why would she say that, then?”

Celestia arched a brow. “She would prefer that I were a tyrant, I’m sure. It would make her look better in the long run.”

Another stretch of silence fell between them as they moved down the street. Curiosity got the better of the purple unicorn.

“Were they close to you, Celestia? The two guards…” Twilight stopped. It felt wrong to call them only by their profession in death. The princess looked down at her without turning her head. “I mean…”

A half formed sound escaped her as she realized that she couldn't remember their names.

They died protecting us… And I don’t even know what their names are… What kind of pony am I?

The injustice of it crushed her.

“Stormy Skies and Kick-Off…” She sighed, but Twilight couldn’t tell if it was fond or mournful. “As princess, the ponies whom I see and speak with the most are the castle staff, and also my guards. Those two…" she stopped, looking toward the orange glow of the horizon. "I’m so very old, Twilight, and I have lost many a good friend, but that does not make this the slightest bit easier to bear.” Twilight couldn’t read her expression. “I’ll miss them dearly, and the world is less without them.”

"Do you think, when we have a moment, you could tell me about them?"

Celestia smiled down at Twilight. "I think I'd like that."

A guard that Twilight had yet to put a name to softly cleared his throat. The unicorn and the alicorn turned their attention to him. “My apologies for interrupting, your highness, but what is our next course of action? We have not accomplished our primary objective. Do we begin our search?”

“As much as I’d like to extend the day to aid us, I cannot stop the sun for one pony.” Celestia paused in an intersection, Sugarcube Corner situated behind her. The sky burned a bright orange as the sun slowly descended behind the mountains. “We will resume operations in the morning. I’m fairly certain that by now, we’ve lost the element of surprise, so the best we can hope to do is learn about Fluttershy’s last location, since she was not at her cottage, according to Zecora.”

“Pinkie Pie was there before me.” Zecora’s voice maintained its powerful presence, even as she kept her eyes on the ground. “I am the one who told her to flee. Rarity accompanied Fluttershy home as well. If our query hides with her, swift action will tell.”

A few ponies were beginning to peer curiously from of their windows and doors. Zecora closed her eyes, a visible shudder passing through her.

“As much as I hate to admit it, Zecora is right.” Twilight folded back her ears, nervously tapping the ground with a forehoof. “Considering the circumstances, Pinkie and Rarity should be considered as potentially involved until we can find evidence otherwise.”

Twilight felt a hoof on her shoulder. She turned to see that it was Celestia’s.

“I know how painful it is to find reason to doubt your friends, but even bearers of the Elements can be misled if the influence is strong enough. I’m sure you remember that lesson quite well.” Celestia’s words were soft and compassionate, almost whispered. “But don’t lose hope. We still aren’t even sure that Fluttershy has done anything wrong, much less Rarity or Pinkie Pie.” The unicorn nodded slowly, and Celestia turned her attention to her entourage.

“Well everypony, as luck would have it, we’ve already arrived at our first destination. I doubt that I need to remind you to exercise discretion. We are acting on suspicion, and until we find probable cause, no force of any kind will be tolerated. Twilight, Nimbus Chaser and Sleet will accompany me. The rest of you, stand guard and be alert.”

For several moments, paranoia struck fear into Twilight’s heart. Déjà vu of approaching Fluttershy’s cottage, only to find a transformed Zecora within, made her stomach turn. She swayed, nearly tumbling to the ground. Again, she felt Celestia’s hoof, steadying her.

“Just relax. Everything is going to be fine.”

The unicorn swallowed, leading the way up the stairs and hesitantly knocking on the door.

\/ /\ /\ \/

“Well we’re closed, obviously.” Rarity glanced anxiously to the door as she whispered in Mahara’s ear. “I don’t know who it could be.”

Fluttershy watched as Rarity paced on the other side of the shop, speaking as lowly as she could. That didn’t matter anymore, though. The pegasus could hear just about everything: the wet sound as Rarity swallowed, the panicked beating of  the unicorn’s heart, Sweetie Belle humming to herself in her bedroom, the sound of fluttering wings outside, the hooves on cobblestone just outside the window, even the slow, calculated, near silent breathing of Mahara.

There were two muffled heartbeats right on the other side of the door. Both were fairly excited, but one was louder, perhaps larger than the other. She could faintly hear even more in the distance, one of them standing out against all the others. It sounded a great deal like Mahara’s. She shuddered uncomfortably as she realized that it sounded a great deal like her own, as well. The pegasus winced as another burst of knocking crashed through the shop, drowning out the quiet uproar. She whimpered softly, putting her forehooves over her ears as she buried her face in the couch again.

I just want the noise to stop… It’s too much…

The constant, rhythmic booming pounded away at her composure. She curled up as tightly as she could, but she couldn’t keep the sound out.

“We’ll slip out the back if it’s Celestia.” The sound of Mahara’s delicate steps drew nearer, until she felt the warmth of Mahara’s breath and the softness of her muzzle against the back of her neck. “On your hooves. There’s no time to be skittish.”

Fluttershy looked up from the cushion as the knocking resumed, this time accompanied by a voice.

“Rarity,” called Twilight, “this is a matter of royal urgency!”

“Are you sure your friend is at home?” Celestia’s voice was unmistakable. “Perhaps she’s helping others sort through what they salvaged.”

Mahara and Rarity exchanged nervous glances.

“Head west, to Manehattan. I’ll take a train tomorrow morning. A friend of mine has a loft there where we can stay. Try and stay out of trouble until then.” The red mare nodded, and Fluttershy slipped off the couch, following them as they quietly crossed the room.

They paused in the hallway. “No matter what they say,” Mahara warned, “you didn’t see us since this morning and you pricked yourself sewing. If she finds out that you helped us in any way…”

“You’ve made the repercussions I’ll face quite clear, Mahara.” The unicorn turned toward the door, heaving a deep sigh and holding her head proudly. “Good luck,” she whispered as she parted with them, trotting much more loudly toward the front door. “Yes yes. I’m coming, dear! No need to shout!”

The red mare led her down the hall and up the stairs, to Rarity’s room. The pair silently slipped in and shut the door behind them. Fluttershy was relieved to find that the sun had dipped low enough on the horizon that its blinding light had been reduced to an orange glow. She could hear Rarity, Twilight and Celestia talking below, but her mind was so cluttered with questions and concerns that she couldn’t devote the attention necessary actually listen. The pegasus knew that the world hadn’t somehow gotten brighter or louder between when she fell into a hypnosis induced trance and when she was brought out of it. Still the intensity of light and sound she now experienced was, at times, painfully overwhelming. Attempting to adjust to, or at least come to terms with the sensory overload was at the forefront of her thoughts.

Mahara immediately went to the window, then stopped and grabbed a mirror off of Rarity’s vanity table with a tendril. Crouching just beneath the sill, the red mare held up the mirror and angled it toward the window. Fluttershy realized a moment later that she was using it to see who was outside.

“Everypony I didn’t want to run into is here, from the looks of it…” Mahara stepped away from the window and set the mirror back down on the table. “Twilight, Zecora, a slew of guards and Princess Celestia herself… So here’s what’s going to happen now. I’m going to distract them so you can get away. As soon as I open the-”

“Hi Twilight! Whatcha doin?” Fluttershy looked to Mahara, and then crawled toward the opposite window as the red mare waved her hoof in that direction. Pinkie Pie continued to babble at street level. “Is the princess here for a party? Oh! Hi Zecora! I was worried about you, but I’m glad to see that you’re with Twilight and Celestia now! Did you ever find Fluttershy or Mahara? Actually, I know you’re kinda mad at them and all but I really think you should reconsider! All of you!”

Mahara joined her, the red mare putting her hooves to the bottom of the window and opening it as slowly as she could. She pointed outside once it was open, and the pegasus climbed through the frame, stepping out onto the ledge circling the second floor of the boutique. The red mare followed, then came to an abrupt stop as she gazed skyward. Fluttershy also froze in a moment of terror when she noticed several guards circling high above the boutique. However, as they descended toward the other side of the building, it became obvious that they were focusing entirely on Pinkie Pie. Her excited shouts carried across the open.

“Pinkie, this is a serious matter we’re dealing with right now.” The frustration in Twilight’s voice was becoming more evident with every word. “Also we need to ask you about-”

“Twilight, please listen to me! And the rest of you as well!” Fluttershy felt both fearful for her friend, and simultaneously thankful for the risk Pinkie was taking in distracting their would-be pursuers. “It might sound a little crazy, but Mahara isn’t a bad pony!”

Mahara lowered her flank over the side of the ledge, against the roof of the building. Fluttershy watched her for a moment, and then did the same. Her body trembled as she looked down at the ground, seemingly miles below them. When she had jumped from town hall, she was being driven by anger strong enough to overcome fear. Now, she was left to face her phobia, looking to the red earth pony next to her for support.

“Perhaps we should listen to what Pinkie has to say,” Rarity added.

“Pinkie Pie, I know that you’ve seen and heard quite a lot from her, but I ask that you believe me when I say that her presence in our kingdom will bring much more harm than good.” The pegasus felt a twang of guilt as she listened to Celestia. “If you know anything regarding the whereabouts of Fluttershy or Mahara, please, do not withhold any information.”

Together, they let go of the ledge, sliding down the roof and dropping to the grass.

That… That wasn’t so bad…

She hadn’t quite noticed it while inside, but after effortlessly making a landing that would have been difficult -even painful- back when she wasn’t so heavy, Fluttershy felt alien in her own body. She took a moment to ponder that, looking up to the roof, and then at herself. Her appearance hadn’t changed, and yet, she felt lighter. Or perhaps she was just stronger. She came back to reality as Mahara nudged her, motioning to the bushes.

“Well, as I was saying before Pinkie arrived, I’m afraid I’ve been busy processing the hydra scales I salvaged. I haven’t seen Mahara since this morning. I was under the impression that she had passed on, as well...” The red mare held back a branch, allowing Fluttershy to silently slip into the bush. “You mentioned Fluttershy, though. Are you now also looking for her?”

There was a touch of sadness in the princess’s voice as she replied. “Unfortunately, we cannot be sure of her innocence until we locate her. We have been to her cottage and found it empty. Zecora informed us that Pinkie Pie was there looking for Fluttershy when she arrived.”

“The beast and her follower had come and gone.” The pegasus shuddered as she followed Mahara through the brush. “But, I am confident that they cannot hide for long.”

While part of her wanted to stay and listen to the conversation, a much larger part of her wanted to run as far from Ponyville as she could. Fortunately for that majority, that seemed to be exactly Mahara’s plan. As soon as Carousel Boutique was partially obscured by a hill and a few trees, the red mare looked back at her, tilted her head toward the Everfree forest, and broke into a full gallop. While Fluttershy dreaded the thought of running, she found herself speeding up with relative ease. Her hooves pounded the earth, her mane and tail tossed by the breeze, and never once did she find herself short of breath. It wasn’t long before they were crossing the road to Fillydelphia, Sweet Apple Acres lying not far beyond that. Dusk had settled over Equestria by that point, the sun now little more than a fading afterglow. A few stars twinkled in the deep purple sky.

Fluttershy slowed to a trot as they passed through the first few rows of apple trees. The red mare looked back at her, brow cocked, and then circled around to approach her.

“I um… I think you should talk to Applebloom… before we go.”

“Haven’t I done enough to her already?” Mahara looked over her shoulder, snorting softly. “Why should I talk to her again?”

“Why?” The pegasus felt her jaw go slack with disbelief. “Mahara! You owe her an apology!” She stomped, brow furrowed.

“I guess you’re right…” The red mare sighed, turning toward the silhouette of the farm house. Every window was illuminated.

A horrible realization struck Fluttershy as they drew nearer. She had never learned of Applejack’s fate. For all she knew, the Apple family might be in the process of mourning.

Somepony would have said something. It’s been hours since the attack. Rarity would have told me if Applejack… She would have heard gossip… Something! Anything! Oh… I hope she’s alright…

At that moment, she resented Mahara for putting her in such a situation. The pegasus wasn’t even sure who had died in the attack. The very real possibility that ponies she had known might have become casualties, Applejack included, was almost enough to make her break down and cry. She wanted to stop, to try and make sense of everything that had happened, but the circumstances pressed her onward. With some effort, she was able to push her frenzied thoughts into submission by focusing on the present.

Winona was making a racket within the Apple homestead. Big Macintosh slowly moved down the hall, a dry click resonating under the unrelenting barking. Mahara skirted along the wall, pausing under a window as a shadow crept along the grass. Fluttershy flattened against the wall as a pair of metal cylinders inched out of the open window, followed by a red, masculine muzzle. Big Macintosh’s eyes swept across the darkness, the contours of his face illuminated by early twilight, and for once the pegasus was glad that he failed to notice her. Before meeting Lucky, he had been the stallion of her dreams; strong, dependable, noble, and certainly not the sort to cheat. She was almost sad to watch him vanish back into the house.

They rounded the corner, coming to a stop under Applebloom’s window. Mahara hesitated, looking up, then to Shy, and then over her shoulder at the rows of apple trees stretching into the hills behind her. A ladder lay in the grass not far from where they stood. They didn’t quite stand in silence, because the orchard was absolutely teeming with the screeching of crickets and the buzzing of insects, not to mention the rolling waves of rustling leaves. Just the same, Mahara stood there without saying a word for several minutes. Finally, she closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and lifted the ladder, propping it up against the side of the house. She swiftly ascended, peering into the warmth and uncomfortable brightness of the filly’s room.

Immediately, the sound of small hooves scrambling against the floor reached Fluttershy’s ears. “Ah was beginnin’ to think Ah’d never see ya again.” Even at a whisper, the excitement in Applebloom’s voice was nearly tangible. “Didja’ change yer mind? Are ya gonna make me into a Night Child or whatever it was ya called yerself?”

“A Child of Darkness, and no… That’s not why I’m here.” Mahara impulsively glanced back at Fluttershy, the pegasus nodding up at her. Her whispered voice wavered slightly. “I’m… I’m sorry. I’m sorry that I made you offers and promises that I really had no right to make.” The pegasus cleared her throat, and Mahara cringed. “Also I hypnotized you. That wasn’t really appropriate.”

“Ah don’t care if ya hypnotized me. Ya showed me things Ah didn’t even realize about mahself. Like, Ah thought mah sis was just weird fer hangin’ around with Rainbow Dash by herself all the time, but ah get it now. Ah feel the same way ‘bout you.”

Fluttershy’s eyes widened. As those words soaked in, she understood why Mahara had been so reluctant to visit Applebloom.

The red mare’s words replayed in her mind. Doing that just amplified what she already felt, even if she didn’t know she felt it…

“You’re still just a filly. You have your whole life to explore your feelings and find love. Don’t make your decision now, especially not because of me.” She glanced back down at Fluttershy, hind legs shifting uncomfortably on the wooden bars.

“An’ what do ya keep lookin’-” Applebloom popped her head out of the window frame, setting her sights on Fluttershy. The pegasus looked around anxiously, backing up. “Oh. It’s ‘cause a her, ain’t it? Ya don’t wanna be with me cause Ah’m so young.” The filly had stopped whispering, her voice rising with anger as tears glistened in the corners of her eyes. “Ah thought you were different, Seafare. Ah thought ya didn’t care ‘bout how old Ah was! But Ah guess Ah’m jus’ too young fer you, like Ah’m too young fer everythin’ else!”

Mahara slid down the ladder, teeth clenched, tilting her head in the direction of the orchard. The heavy thump of Macintosh’s hooves came crashing up the stairs and down the hall. Applebloom turned to look back into her room as the sound of what could only be a door getting kicked open rang out through the night. Without needing any encouragement, Fluttershy was off like a shot, Mac’s furious shouting only giving her a greater need to run as fast as she could. She could hear Applebloom shouting as well, but it sounded more like pleading than rage. Mahara galloped at her side, eyes forward, ears folded back. A tree to Fluttershy’s right erupted with splinters as they entered the groves, and a sound like thunder split the air behind them.

The pegasus stumbled as a searing pain licked at her right flank. She tried to ignore it, counting the rows of trees as they blurred past on either side, but the pain was quickly occupying her every thought. When she looked back, she found her right flank in bloody tatters, several deep gashes in the flesh just over the joint. Fluttershy tried to swallow, but her mouth had dried up the instant she realized she was wounded. Her limbs locked up and she fell forward, tumbling onto her side. Mahara skidded to a stop, rounding a tree and kneeling beside her in the cloud of dust. Macintosh was still shouting, the sound of his voice gradually getting closer.

“Okay…” the red mare whispered, putting her face to Fluttershy’s, holding her gaze. “Lesson two. Imagine the wound. Imagine it as best you can.”

Considering that the pain was keeping her from thinking about anything else, it was fairly easy for her to do so. She formed a mental image of her bloodied flank, focusing on the bleeding holes in her flesh.

“Now, remember what I did back in your cottage? How strings of muscle and skin reached across the bite that the hydra took out of me, and sort of wove together?”

The pegasus nodded. The sound of hooves was fast approaching. She tried to look, but Mahara put her hooves to the sides of Fluttershy’s face, forcing her to look into the red mare’s eyes.

“Focus on your blood. Not the cuts, not the pain. I want you to focus on your blood, and I want you to imagine it stretching across the wound, like lengths of thread. Focus as hard as you can on that image. Believe in it. Make it a reality.”

“What, there’s two a you now?! Don’t matter, put’cher hooves where Ah can see ‘em!” Mahara froze. Fluttershy whimpered. “No funny business or Ah’m gonna blow yer fuckin’ heads off!”

“Keep focusing,” the red mare whispered. “And I apologize in advance.”

“What are you-”

“The princess is looking for us, you know. If you bring us to her alive, I’m pretty sure you’ll be handsomely rewarded.” Mahara turned away before the pegasus could finish her question, her body obscuring most of Mac’s. “But do you really want to hurt Fluttershy?”

“Yer gonna try an’ seduce me again, huh? Ya didn’t learn yer lesson last time? Ah know that ain’t Fluttershy.”

“Ah, but that’s where you’re wrong.” Mahara slowly lifted a hoof to what Fluttershy assumed was her mane, and the surrounding trees took on a flickering green tint. “I know you wouldn’t want to hurt one of your sister’s best friends, so why don’t you put down the gun and we’ll negotiate.”

The stallion reared up, towering over Mahara. “Ya’ll make me sick.” His forehooves cradled a pair of gleaming metal cylinders set in a wooden frame, level with the red mare’s forehead. The green glow of her eyes danced in her warped reflection.

Neither pony moved an inch.

“How is your leg?” Mahara asked after an uncomfortable eternity, remaining perfectly still as she spoke.

Fluttershy had completely forgotten about her wound. As she looked back at her flank, she realized that her wound had forgotten her as well. There were still streaks of dried blood in her fur, but the injury itself had vanished without a trace. The pegasus could feel something under her skin, however. She pressed into her flank with a forehoof, feeling several small objects in her flesh.

“I… I think I’m okay. There’s um… there’s things… inside me….”

“I’ll teach you how to heal yourself more thoroughly later.” Macintosh remained still as a statue, but Mahara shifted her weight, keeping her head turned toward the stallion. “That’s going to have to do for now, though. Can you stand?”

Shakily, the pegasus got to her hooves. The spot was still sore, but the pain was fading fast. She nodded, then realizing that Mahara wasn’t going to turn around, whispered, “Yes. I can stand.”

“Good. Now, do you think you can run?”

“I um…” She stretched her leg, swinging over the ground several times. “I think I can run.”

“Get going, then. I’ll catch up.”

The urge to question Mahara was strong, but she was learning to trust the red mare again. She started off into the darkness, hesitating after several paces and turning around.

“Please, please be careful. And…” She took a cautious step toward the pair, head low. “Don’t hurt him. He’s just trying to protect Applebloom…”

“I promise that I won’t hurt him. He and I are going to have a little chat. I owe him an explanation, I guess. Now get moving. Time isn’t exactly on our side.”

Fluttershy managed to pull herself away from them, focusing on the next hill as her destination. Another bang tore through the sounds of the night no more than a minute after she had started running. She flinched, but she kept moving, galloping as fast as she could.

\/ /\ /\ \/

Ah feel… funny… ‘an not funny ha-ha… Oooh… Why’s everythin’ so bright… Why can’t Ah feel… Ah can’t really feel anythin’… Hold on… What in tarnation is wrong with mah leg?

Applejack lifted a foreleg, finding it behaving more like a noodle than a proper limb. Her senses were fuzzy at best. She could see ponies moving around her, and hear muffled voices, but nothing seemed to be sliding into focus. Her entire body was numb in the same way that a hoof might feel when it fell asleep, but the numbness in her left leg was different. She tried to move her left hoof, but it felt like there was nothing to move.

A wave of paranoia washed over her, bringing a bit of clarity with it.

“She’s been in and out since I brought her here. Redheart said she was in good enough condition to give her pain medication, so she’s been a little on the loopy side on the few occasions when she’s come around before.”

Rainbow Dash’s voice was unmistakable. The dull pressure on her breast was the result of a cyan forehoof, gently sliding along her body. Other figures began to slide into focus behind her.

Twilight Sparkle, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and a fourth face that, while familiar, took several moments to recognize all stood out against the powder blue curtain circling the bed.

“I would like to commemorate her bravery. She is exemplary to all of pony kind for the sacrifice she made today.”

Princess… Celestia? What’s she doin’ here? ‘An where’s Fluttershy?

“Well it looks like she’s awake now! Is there anypony home in there or what?” Pinkie leaned forward, over the edge of the bed, her blurry grin sparking just a bit of relief in the wounded earth pony.

“She’s most certainly in there, dear, but she’s sedated right now.” Rarity kept a respectful distance, caught between watching Pinkie and making eye contact with Applejack. “I doubt she can really make sense of what we’re saying.”

“Ah can...” Everypony gasped, going completely silent. Dash leaned closer, smiling, but with an expression visibly burdened by concern. “Ah can understand ya’ll jus’ fine… Ah feel a mite off ‘s all… Ya didn’t have ta put me in tha damn clinic.”

“Does she know?” Twilight looked to the cyan pegasus, biting her lower lip. “I read that sometimes after going into shock, an injured pony might not remember-”

Rainbow Dash lifted a hoof, silencing her. “Applejack, what do you remember about fighting the hydra?”

“Besides being totally rad,” Pinkie chimed in, immediately hushed by Rarity and Twilight. “Sorry.”

“Ah… Ah remember…”

The orange earth pony replayed the battle in her mind; the blood, the screaming, the slashing and stabbing, the feeling of sailing through the air and the crunch that resonated through her on impacting the hydra’s skull.

The last thing she could recall before her memories became too fuzzy to properly recount was the hydra biting her leg and shaking her around. She couldn’t feel the leg that the hydra had bitten, numbed or otherwise. She made an effort to sit up, but the drugs in her system and the pegasus leaning over her prevented it.

Without needing to see the injury, her paranoia was immediately validated.

“No…”

“Now just calm down… You’re gonna be alright. Redheart has been taking great care of you and you’re expected to make a full recovery.” The cyan pegasus immediately looked away, as did all the other ponies in the room. “Well… Not… Uh… Not a full, full recovery…”

Applejack tried to speak, but there were no words. A half choked sound passed between her lips as she looked to the foot of the bed, taking in what remained of her left leg with her own two eyes.

“I’m sorry…” whispered Rainbow Dash, her voice beginning to waver. “I’m so, so sorry…”

The earth pony’s vision had already begun to cloud with tears, but this was her breaking point. She fell back against the bed, gasping as her fur quickly dampened with the runoff from her eyes. Her chest heaved as she sobbed uncontrollably, bandaged forehooves at her eyes, shaking her head as though denial might somehow undo the damage.

Rainbow Dash had already wrapped her forelegs around the earth pony, holding Applejack tightly as she thrashed weakly against the bed, the pegasus’s muzzle against the side of her neck. “You’re gonna be okay…”

“Ah ain’t gonna be o’ fuckin’ kay! T-that damn hydra took mah… mah…” The orange mare squeezed her eyes shut, screaming in despair and fury.

“I know it’s scary.” The soft scratchiness of Dash’s voice was joined by the warmth of her breath against Applejack’s ear. “But you’re gonna be okay… I’m here for you. We’re all here for you.”

She felt more hooves against her numbed body, opening her eyes to find the others hugging her tightly. Celestia looked on in silence, but her delicate smile spoke volumes. She turned away from the group, a pair of her guards following. In the wake of the princess, her earlier thought resurfaced.

“Where’s Fluttershy?” The combined grip of everypony but Dash was lessened by her question. They exchanged worried looks. “She ain’t here? Is she alright?”

“We don’t know…” Twilight let go completely, taking a step back from the bed. “Pinkie Pie and Rarity were the last ponies to see her today. After the hydra was defeated, they walked her back home, and… That was the last anypony saw of her… Princess Celestia and I searched her cottage, but she’s just… gone…”

Pinkie Pie and Rarity followed Twilight’s example, but Dash remained at her side, holding her close, gently rocking the earth pony in her embrace. She tried to focus on the pegasus, Rainbow’s touch and presence making her loss somewhat bearable.

“I’m told that there was no sign of a struggle, so you needn’t perform any heroics,” Rarity paused, then quietly added, “not that you’re in any condition to gallop off into the countryside looking for her…”

The pink mare nodded. “Yeah, she’s probably just off in a quiet place somewhere! You know how she is. Then again, after what she went through, I’d probably wanna disappear for a little while too!”

“Ah feel like ya’ll ain’t tellin’ me tha whole story…”

“Please, Applejack, just worry about yourself for now, okay?” Dash’s face shifted into her field of view, obscuring the rest of the room. A few damp trails of fur had crossed over her cheeks, slowly drying. “You and me are going to sit this one out.”

“Ah reckon ya told ‘em ‘bout… us?”

“Yeah… But you were right, they’re fine with it. Even Rarity, actually. I guess she had a similar conversation with Fluttershy not too long ago.” The cyan pegasus snickered, nuzzling closer. “Never pegged her for the filly-fooling type…”

“Go figure…” Applejack managed the smallest grin, which seemed to make Rainbow Dash immeasurably happy. “So ya’ll have no idea where she is?”

The cyan pegasus’s cheer immediately vanished. “We’re all gonna go out and look for her tomorrow. Well, they’re gonna go out and look for her, anyway. They’ll have Celestia’s guards to help them search from the sky, so they don’t need me. You need me, I’m staying.”

“Dash, ya don’t have ta…”

“I do. I want to.” She kissed the orange mare on the nose, her smile returning. “I love you, Applejack.”

Somewhere in the room, Pinkie Pie began to coo, her gentle Awwwww making the orange mare feel awkward. She was thankful when Rarity and Twilight said their goodbyes and instructed Pinkie Pie to do the same, the sound of their hooves growing faint, punctuated by a closing door.

Applejack held Rainbow Dash’s gaze, staring deep into the maroon pools of her eyes, the corners still wet with tears. “What do we do now, sugarcube?”

“We do this one day at a time, and we take it nice and slow.”

\/ /\ /\ \/

The moon’s pale glow softly illuminated the countryside by degrees. Fluttershy had left Sweet Apple Acres behind her, slowly navigating the edge of the Everfree forest. Rationality told her that it should have been just barely bright enough to see, and yet, she could focus on the fine details of tree bark or the swaying of individual leaves and blades of grass in the evening breeze. All around her was the sound of movement. Tiny paws scurried across the underbrush, unseen creatures exchanging unintelligible chattering, an endless number of small, rapid heartbeats. These animals were entirely feral, their language completely dissociated from the friendly and gentle creatures she cared for. A worrying thought struck her as she made eye contact with an owl.

What if… what if, because I’m… a monster… the birds… or any of the other animals don’t want to be my friends anymore? They didn’t want anything to do with Mahara. Will they hate me too? The pegasus bit her lower lip, eyes darting as she noticed motion in the corners of her vision. How can this be happening to me? I… I want to tell myself it’s all a bad dream but… Ugh! I don’t know who I should even blame for this! I mean… I know she didn’t do this to me on purpose, but she should have told me the truth! She should have trusted me! And I… I shouldn’t have trusted her… If she hadn’t come into my life... I would still be lonely, but at least I would be safe! That night, I should have just told her to… to…

A mouse scampered into the open several paces ahead of her. The owl from moments before swooped down, catching the mouse in its talons and carrying it off into the night. Her lower lip trembled as its panicked squeaks faded into the distance. The pegasus shut her eyes tightly, trying to dive back into her thoughts.

I just want my life to go back to the way it used to be… I just want to be happy… Is that so much to ask? I don’t want to have to run and hide… Everything is happening so fast that I… I don’t know what to do! I feel like I keep making mistakes, even if I haven’t done anything wrong. It feels like I’m freefalling… I’m so scared…

The sound of snapping twigs cut into her thoughts. She flinched, shivering, expecting to see anything from Big Macintosh to Celestia to the hydra she had condemned to death come back for revenge.

In the very back of her mind, she wondered when she had started to fear the ponies she once admired.

“I didn’t mean to startle you.” Mahara stepped through the brush, green glowing softly. “And I’m sorry for taking so long.”

Several emotions immediately welled up inside her, anger, joy and sadness competing for the right to expression. She settled on a timid smile, feeling awkward about being happy to see her. “It’s um… It’s alright. I heard another bang… Are you okay? What happened?”

“There was another shell chambered. I removed the temptation.”

“You… Did you hurt him?”

“I didn’t break my promise.” The red mare grinned, giving her a sideways glance. “Though that makes two trees with buckshot in them, I suppose.” Her grin faded as she approached Fluttershy. “And on that note, we should probably get the metal out of your flank.”

The pegasus nodded. She wanted to ask more about Big Macintosh, but she settled for looking around the dirt and grass at her hooves. “Should I lie down?”

“If that would be more comfortable for you.”

Fluttershy nodded again, settling in a soft patch of grass under a tree. Mahara followed. Before the red mare could join her, a coyote emerged from the brush, watching them closely. The pegasus recoiled and uttered a frightened squeak, but found Mahara giggling quietly when she made frantic eye contact.

“When you can see and hear everything that hides in shadow, what evil lurks in darkness?” Mahara ran a hoof along the back of Fluttershy’s neck, smiling. With a rustle, the coyote vanished into the night. “There is no reason to fear the dark. Let it embrace and protect you.”

“O-okay… I’m… um… I’m not used to this…” She sniffled, looking down at the moonlit grass. “Any of this. The drinking blood, or  running, or getting injured… I don’t know how much more I can take… I just want to stop, or at least slow down.”

“We can stop or slow down for as long as you like when we get to Manehattan. For right now though, I need you to be strong.” Fluttershy felt the red mare’s forelegs around her neck, hugging her tightly. “Just for a little while longer.”

She’s caused me a lot of trouble, but… She does care. That has to mean something, right?

She relaxed, just enough to feel a bit of relief, managing a fragile smile as she looked back at Mahara. “I’ll try. So… How do I go about doing...” The pegasus circled her forehoof over her right flank, “…This.”

“Alright. So you have an understanding of very basic healing, but to get that buckshot out of you, we’re going to have to move on to lesson three.” The red mare’s back rippled, going still again in the blink of an eye. “Rudimentary transformation is almost like stretching.”

She turned away, allowing the pegasus to see her body in profile.

“You focus on the area of your body you want to change, and then imagine how you want to change it.”

Fluttershy watched in awe when Mahara’s flesh began to distort, as though a pair of tiny forelegs were pushing against her skin. Where she had cut into the red mare’s tendrils earlier, a fresh pair now curled and flexed in the mottled, moon cast shadow. The pegasus tilted her head as the coils of Mahara’s flesh began to intertwine, pressing tightly together in two groups until they were indistinguishable from one another. They folded against themselves, unfolding with a leathery membrane spanning from the base to the tips.

“And for my last act…”

Mahara’s bat like wings folded, clutching against her body as a visible shudder ran from head to tail. A fine red dust was carried away from her by the breeze, but it wasn’t until the red mare was no longer red that Fluttershy realized what she was witnessing. Mahara was shedding her entire coat, replacing it with fur the color of a peach. Her mane and tail began to frizz as well, red hairs giving way to soft curls of lavender. When her wings unfolded, the membrane had been replaced with delicate looking feathers. Smiling, Mahara gave her wings a few flaps, lifting several noses off the ground before landing quietly.

“Tadaaaa!”

The peach pegasus, formerly a red mare, gave a deep bow, grinning. With the exception of her eyes, she looked completely different. She was even a few noses shorter than she had been before the transformation.

“Mahara… What um…” The freshly transformed pegasus took a few steps closer, listening attentively. “What do you really look like? When you’re not transformed, I mean. When you were a red earth pony, was that really you? What you looked like before… um… you know… You promised me and I um… It looks like it’s so easy for you to do that…”

“I know it must be hard to believe me after everything I’ve put you through, but yes, sans the things growing out of my back, and my hairstyle, the red mare you met on the road one fine summer evening is the same red mare that found herself in a world of trouble once upon a time.”

Mahara knelt beside Fluttershy, leaning in for a gentle nuzzle. Fluttershy accepted the gesture half begrudgingly, but also half enjoying it, feeling herself calming, if only marginally. “I’m sorry. I know that you promised.”

“You have every right to be apprehensive. I’ve royally mucked things up for you, but I’m going to make everything better. Just wait and see. For now, focus on the metal in your flank.” She nodded toward the flank in question.  “If pushing doesn’t work, try to imagine pulling it out.”

“Will you tell me about what your life used to be like?”

Mahara raised a brow. “Right now?” The yellow pegasus nodded. “It would be a book in its own right, I’m afraid. A chapter, at the very least.” Fluttershy gave a snort, brow furrowing. “Alright, how about when we get moving again? Manehattan is pretty far from here, if I’m remembering correctly.”

With a grin, she nodded her agreement, then turned her attention to her flank. “I thought you said you’d never been to Manehattan. That um… that’s what you told Rarity… Was that a lie?”

“Yes and no… I’ve seen it plenty of times, but physically, I’ve never set hoof there. Well… I  haven’t, but at the same time, I’ve seen instances where I have…” She rolled her forehoof in the air, ears folding back. “It’s complicated. Anyway, concentrate.”

Despite her best efforts to imagine pulling the buckshot out of her flank, she kept finding herself distracted. The sound of shaking foliage and the constant chatter of animals and insects was a formidable distraction. The sound of her own heartbeat made her uneasy. She looked up from her flank, and back into Mahara’s eyes.

“Is there a way to make it so that I can’t hear everything? Like um… turning down the volume a little, maybe?”

“It’s something that you’ll learn how to control over time, I think. I know that isn’t exactly helpful…”

“Not really, no…” She sighed, turning her attention back to the spot that felt out of place. Her gaze fell to her mane, admiring the soft cyan glow from her eyes as it washed against her silken hair. “Is there a way to make my eyes stop glowing? It probably makes us easy to spot in complete darkness.”

“Yes, actually. It involves transformation though, so you might not be able to do it right away.”

Fluttershy gave a nod, closing her eyes. When she had been shot, it was easy to focus because the pain was so intense. Her mind continued to wander after several failed attempts at controlling her thoughts. The pegasus held her breath until her face went red as she tried to imagine physically shove the metal out of her body. When that proved fruitless, she imagined pulling instead.

Make an incision… Remove with tweezers… Close the wound…

Small beads of metal shifted within her, flesh parting around the steady movement. It was an uncomfortable sensation, not quite painful, but as far from pleasant as she cared to be. Her brow wrinkled as she tried to hold her concentration. The tweezers in her imagination slipped, and the lead lost momentum. She tilted her head forward, lips pursed, craning her neck toward her flank. The buckshot regained momentum, rising to the surface of her skin. When something rolled off of her, she opened her eyes expecting to see blood. Instead, she was greeted with the sight of a glistening metal sphere. Three more were half embedded in her flesh, coming loose as she brushed a hoof over them. They rolled harmlessly down her leg, landing in the grass.

“I… I did it…”

“You most certainly did. I was a little worried that you might not be able to handle it on your first try, but you did an excellent job.” Fluttershy glanced to Mahara, the former red mare’s smile bringing her comfort. “But, we really need to get going. We’re going to have to do most of our traveling at night.”

Fluttershy nodded, getting to her hooves. “I um… I could barely see earlier… I don’t remember daylight being so bright. Can I adjust my vision, maybe?”

“One of the things that I haven’t figured out how to do is adjust my vision…” Mahara took a few steps deeper into the forest, waiting patiently for Fluttershy to follow. “But maybe it’s possible.”

“How do you deal with it, then?”

“I don’t. I’m effectively blind whenever I’m exposed to sunlight.” She smiled, flicking her tail. “But when you can hear so well, it more or less balances out.”

The yellow pegasus sighed softly, trotting beside Mahara as they passed between the trees. The pair moved quietly until a colony of bats fluttered by overhead, swirling off into the night sky. Mahara began to snicker. Fluttershy arched a brow in response, looking at her quizzically, but refraining from asking why. The peach pegasus answered her unasked question anyway.

“We’re both geared for flight, but we’re traveling on hoof instead. I think it’s ironic.”

“Well… I’m um… I’m too… heavy to fly…” Fluttershy began to blush, looking down in shame with splaying ears. “I tried flying earlier, when I jumped from the top floor of town hall, but all I could manage was to slow my fall. I know that I’m stronger now, but that won’t… What I mean is, I don’t think my wings can carry me, even if I have the strength…”

“Well you’re half right. A full body transformation is definitely too advanced for you right now, so making you lighter is out of the question. Your wings can’t carry you.” The timid pegasus wimpered to herself. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Mahara had slowed, and looked up at her out of confusion. “What you need to do is modify them so that they can. Think about it this way; larger birds have a larger wingspan. Celestia too. Her wings are enormous for reasons beyond aesthetics.”

The thought had occurred to her at one point, while feeding a flock of geese that had stopped to rest, but she had completely forgotten about it. Fluttershy had never taken pride in her ability to fly, unlike most pegasi, but upon realizing that she might be able to take to the air again, her spirits began to soar. Mahara smiled when she noticed the suddenly cheerful expression which the timid pegasus had adopted.

“So… transforming my wings is um…” She glanced back as she unfolded her wings, ruffling her feathers with a few gentle strokes, remaining firmly planted on the ground. “Transforming my wings is like… stretching?”

“Yes and no. The tendrils that I had before were just muscle, nerves and skin. A lot like a tongue, actually. When I turned them into wings, I also grew the appropriate bone structure to give them support.” Mahara spread her wings, stepping into profile and coming to a stop. “If your memory of wing anatomy is a little rusty, I can show you how mine are set up.”

Fluttershy stopped to wonder how exactly Mahara would show her the bone structure of her wings, cringing as she imagined the peach pegasus peeling back her skin. “No, that’s um… I remember. How do you know all of this, though?”

“When you’ve spent as much time being a voyeur as I have… It’s surprising how much you can learn watching fragments of other lives.”

“Will this hurt?”

Mahara frowned. “A little. You have to break down existing bones to grow new ones, or at least fracture them. The good news is that the magic in our blood is amazing when it comes to recycling resources. If you have the raw materials in your system, you can transform into just about anything.”

Fluttershy swallowed nervously. “I’ll… I’ll work on it while we’re moving.” Mahara nodded, and they pressed deeper.

The peering yellow eyes that would have made her tremble with fear were much less intimidating when she saw that they belonged to raccoons, possums, foxes and rabbits. Their feral nature still made her uneasy, as they often fell to savagely chasing one another once they had lost interest in Fluttershy and her companion. The coyote that had startled her earlier looked up from a fresh kill, muzzle wet and glistening. She shuddered, seeing herself standing over Rarity.

“Will you tell me about your past now?” Mahara looked back at her, one ear cocked. “Please? I… I need something to take my mind off of... everything, I guess.”

“Alright… Where do I even start?”

Fluttershy watched attentively as Mahara took a deep breath, the soft green glow of her eyes vanishing behind her eyelids.

\/ /\ /\ \/

Seeing Pinkie Pie without hearing Pinkie Pie was a novelty that Rarity wasn’t entirely certain that she liked. Even a pony as cheerful and positive as Pinkie was clearly feeling the stress of recent events. The quiet was welcomed, but it seemed so out of character for the pink earth pony that she was almost inclined to tell her to start making noise.

Almost.

Rarity glanced out the window and into the early night, watching the last armored pegasus disappearing into the softly glowing silhouette Ponyville. Pinkie couldn’t seem to keep her attention focused on anything in the room, her eyes darting, her hooves rubbing together.

The sight of their mutual friend sobbing as she fully realized how life changing her injury would be was an image that continued to haunt the pale unicorn. The lull in their conversation had only allowed her to relive the moment.

“Well…” Rarity softly began, “even though she’ll never quite be the same, Applejack is still alive. That counts for something, doesn’t it?”

“Yeah… I can’t even imagine that. It’d be weird if I could only count to three!” Pinkie flashed a fake looking smile, avoiding eye contact. “Still, I hope she can handle this alright… Maybe I’ll bake her a cake, or… Maybe I’ll write her a song! She likes songs, right?”

“I believe so…” Rarity sighed quietly, resting her head on a forehoof. “I saw your friend Vinyl Scratch during the fight. Why was she in Ponyville, anyway? What were you doing before you wandered into our little gathering?”

 “I was hanging out with her! We were going to do a recording session, buuuut Mr. Cake wasn’t in the best of moods because his friend was one of the ponies that the hydra gobbled up… So we went to visit Ditzy Doo instead.”

“Your mail mare friend, yes?”

“Yep! She and I didn’t exactly get off to a great start, but we’re pretty good friends now, I think. She and Scratch got along just fine, and she even let Scratch record her playing xylophone!” Pinkie’s ears splayed slightly. “She’s still a little shy about her eye, though… I think she still gets all self conscious with ponies she’s just met. Oh and… I heard about Aloe… I’m really sorry. Do you need a hug, maybe?”

“I’m… coming to terms with it… I’ll take a rain check on the hug, but thank you for asking, dear.”

The pink mare nodded, and an awkward silence settled over the room. After several minutes, the sound of clattering and Sweetie Belle’s voice broke the tension.

“So…” Rarity leaned forward in her seat. “You haven’t seen Fluttershy or Mahara, then?”

The pink mare grinned widely, nervously, whipping her head back and forth in a motion that Rarity assumed meant no. Evidently she still needed to clarify. “Nope! Haven’t seen hair or hide or hoof of either of them! No ma’am! How about you?” She immediately resumed fidgeting.

“I haven’t seen them either, I’m afraid…” Rarity had lost track of the number of times she had checked the window, finding the darkened view of the world beyond the glass completely vacant. “I’m fairly certain that I already know the answer to this question, but Pinkie Pie… Can you keep a secret?”

Pinkie nodded in the same jittery fashion. “Uh-huh! I’m the master of secrets! What about you? I know you can be kinda gossipy! No offense.”

“None taken… And I assure you, my dear, what I’m about to tell you is for your ears only.” Rarity took a deep breath, giving the window one more look. She leaned a little farther forward, so that she could speak at a whisper. “Fluttershy and Mahara were here, but I told them to run when Twilight and Celestia arrived. Also I let both of them drink my blood.” She held up her foreleg, pointing to the freshly reformed scabs.

“I ran back to the cottage after I walked here with you and I saw everything.” Rarity wasn’t sure if she had ever heard Pinkie whisper before. In fact, Pinkie seemed to be even more paranoid than she was, frequently looking over her shoulder. “Mahara heard Zecora coming I guess because she grabbed Fluttershy and jumped out the window. What are we gonna do? Celestia is looking for them and I don’t know where they are and Mahara told me that if I tell her that I saw her or helped her that I would get in a whole lot of trouble. I don’t wanna get in trouble, Rarity. I don’t want anypony to get in trouble.”

The pale mare shook her head. “Nor do I. It would seem that we’re both very much involved in this mess, however, so if we want to continue not being in trouble, we’re going to need to do a little planning. Now, I offered to let them stay at a loft rented by a friend of mine in Manehattan, but obviously I need to be there if they’re going to make any use of it.”

“Oh!” Pinkie brightened up, starting to grin again. “I haven’t been to Manehattan since-”

“I’m sorry to say that you cannot accompany me, Pinkie Pie. It’s bad enough that I’m going to vanish when they’re expecting me to help search for Fluttershy, and… I’ll most likely be missing Aloe’s funeral… but if both of us were to suddenly disappear, that would raise even more suspicion.” The pink mare nodded slowly, sinking back into her chair. “I need someone to keep an eye on Twilight and the princess for me while I’m away. I think you’re the best pony for the job.”

Pinkie’s grin tightened into a pout, crossing her forelegs. “But I promised Twilight that I’d keep Fluttershy safe. I mean I know she and Mahara are joined at the flank now but Mahara isn’t exactly the queen of making good decisions.”

“Then I believe a trade is in order. I’ll make sure Mahara doesn’t do anything foalish while she’s assisting Fluttershy, and you make sure that nopony figures out that the three of us have traveled to Manehattan. If you can, try to lead the search party astray. Make a game out of it if you like. Whatever you do, just try and keep them away from Manehattan, alright?”

“Alright, that does sound kinda fun actually.” She nodded, then immediately perked up again. “What about Sweetie Belle?”

“Sweetie Belle should be quite alright without me. She’s been staying here while our parents are out of town on one of their many vacations…” Rarity sighed softly. “But they should be returning tomorrow, so you need not worry about her.” A fluffy white cat padded into the room and Rarity added to her thought. “If you could take care of Opalescence for me, though, I would be most appreciative. I’ll only be gone for a few days, I think.”

Pinkie tilted her head, her lips twisted with confusion. “Huh… I thought that Sweetie Belle lived with…”

“Sweetie Belle doesn’t live with me, dear, you know that.” Rarity arched a brow. “You look as though this is something you just learned.”

“She’s here so much that I guess I forgot!” The pink mare giggled and shrugged. “Yeah, I don’t mind looking after your kitty. I just hope the Cakes aren’t allergic to cats.”

“I should hope not. Perhaps it would be better if you just came here to feed her and keep her company.” Her horn glowed softly, a key floating out of a nearby purse, hovering in front of the earth pony. “This is a key to the boutique. I’ll write some instructions for you on feeding Opalescence and leave them in the kitchen. Now, I’m going to go pack. I’ll be leaving by train tomorrow morning.” The unicorn turned toward the hallway. “I trust you can see yourself out?”

“Mmhmm! But uh…” Rarity stopped, looking back at Pinkie. “Do you think this is all going to work out? I mean, Mahara is cool and all but if she’s gotta go I guess she’s gotta go… I don’t know what I’ll do if Fluttershy has to go too, though…”

“Neither do I… Let’s hope we don’t have to find out.”

\/ /\ /\ \/

“My name was supposed to be Scarlet Petal.”

Fluttershy nodded, keeping pace with Mahara. The cool shadows of branches yawned across the path before them like fissures. Through the foliage, moonlit mountains loomed over the forest, already much closer then they had been a few hours ago. Her wings were sore from multiple failed attempts to alter them, but every so often, she would spread them as wide as she could, and then try to spread them even wider. Changing something was apparently much more complicated than fixing something.

“That’s what my mother told me, anyway. She and my father supposedly got into a huge argument about what to name me. As members of the royal court, my father believed that my name should be one word, and that it should be regal. He was willing to compromise for Scarlet, but my mother refused to part with Petal, seeing that the family trade was gardening, and my name should reflect such. After about a week of arguing, they consulted a reference book on flowers.

“My name, Mahara, is the name of a very rare, now likely extinct flower that was once native to the kingdom of the Zebra. The flower itself resembles a rose, but its thorns are much sharper, and more importantly, they’re hollow. The Mahara flower has white petals until someone or something pricks themselves on those thorns, at which point the flower draws blood. Once it has drawn blood, the petals turn red, and it is ready to pollinate.

“I don’t believe in fate, but a coincidence on that scale makes it hard to dismiss. While I was sealed away, I tried to look back to see if there were other outcomes to their argument, but I could never focus enough to find out. Perhaps that’s for the best.

“Discounting the prestige surrounding my family, my life was fairly ordinary. Under the loving care of my parents, the royal garden was supposedly a wonder of the world, but to me, it was a just a place to play and learn. I spent my early days pulling beetles off of leaves and learning how to nurture plants of all kinds. I spent almost all of my time there, preferring the songs of birds to the rhymes of other fillies.

“But…”

Mahara slowed, her wings unfolding slightly. Fluttershy cocked her head, watching with curiosity, eager to hear more. In that moment, she stretched her wings, imagining them growing larger, envisioning the necessary changes to bone and tissue structure. She felt them cramp, and whimpered with defeat.

“There was one pony that caught my attention. I didn’t start seeing her until I was older, when I would go around in the early morning with my father to feed and water the garden. The first time I saw her, there was a light mist hanging over the grass and swirling off the leaves. The moon was just vanishing over the horizon, the sun little more than a gentle glow on the opposite end of the sky, and the last stars were bidding their twinkling farewells. She stood out against the fog like a statue of obsidian, with her ethereal mane flowing out behind her. I was in awe, and yet, I was too shy to look this magnificent mare in the eyes as she passed us by, silent as a ghost.

“That’s Princess Luna, my father told me when I finally asked about her. She’s very fond of the garden. I bet she likes to watch the sunrise from here while she’s finished guiding the moon for the evening.

“I had a beautiful name to put to the beautiful mare, and knowing that she was one of the most important ponies in the kingdom and that someday the garden she loved would become my responsibility… I began to take the family trade very seriously after that. I suppose I wanted to impress her, or at least ensure that her favorite place remained special to her.

“The royal garden was massive, but my mother and father managed it all by themselves somehow. I still didn’t have my cutie mark, but I was determined to learn and help them however I could in hopes of attaining their level of skill. My father said that I was still too young to do anything more than watch and learn, but my mother admired my spirit, and gave me a small, vacant plot where they had planned to grow roses.”

“Earth ponies are supposed to be adept at trades involving plants, but for two years, nothing bloomed in that plot. I spent all of my free time trying to change the acidity of the soil and ensure there were enough minerals and enough water, or that there were no parasites that were mysteriously robbing my rose bush of the ability to bloom. My mother told me to keep trying, but I could see that my inability to produce proper roses was troubling to my father. I began to lose hope.

“It was another misty morning on the day that my luck finally changed. Before my father had the cart loaded up, I checked on my plot, and found that somepony was already there. My heart skipped a beat when I realized that Princess Luna was standing beside my failure of a rose bush. She noticed me and smiled, slowly passing through the mist.

“We admit that, for a time, we were concerned that thou did’st lack the skill of thine parents, but now, she said as she looked back at the bush, we can see quite clearly that thou has’t great potential.”

Fluttershy started to giggle, at which point Mahara paused, giving her a grinning, sideways glance. “I’m sorry. It’s just… She didn’t say all this in her royal Canterlot voice, did she? The first time I heard her speak like that, it was terrifying.” The timid pegasus blushed, looking down. “It still is, a little bit.”

“Goodness no. Maybe she was being considerate, or maybe she only used that voice for crowds, but she spoke to me at a tolerable volume.”

Fluttershy nodded, and Mahara turned her attention forward, continuing her story.

“Anyway, I was confused, so I asked her what she meant. She merely smiled, spread her wings, and gave one single flap. The mist yawned away from us, revealing the white roses which had been previously hidden.

“We anticipate great things from thee, and we are confident that thou shalt not disappoint. The talent runs in thy blood.

“And with nothing further but a smile, she left on an air of grace, returning to the palace. I was speechless. She had complimented my work. I was so stunned that I didn’t even notice that I had finally gotten my cutie mark, but my father was quick to bring it to my attention when I had rejoined him.”

“But I haven’t seen your cutie mark,” Fluttershy quietly stated. “What happened to it?”

“As you well know, one cannot simply magic a cutie mark into being. In addition to my eyes, I cannot change the mark on my flanks into whatever I desire. However, it is possible to hide a cutie mark, at least with this sort of transformative magic. I’ve just been keeping it concealed all this time.”

“May I um… May I see it?”

Mahara nodded, her flanks shuddering and going still again in the blink of an eye. A black line was the first shape to fade in against the peach of her coat, topped off by white ovals that overlapped one another. The line became more defined, resembling a stem as small black thorns curled away from it, and the ovals took on the shapes of petals. When the transformation had ceased, a single white rose adorned her flanks.

“It’s very pretty…” The pegasus leaned closer in admiration. “I don’t see why you would want to hide that from anypony.”

“I figured that I would be able to remain undetected for just a bit longer if ponies couldn’t identify me by my mark… I’m sorry that I didn’t show you sooner…”

“I understand. You didn’t want me to see it and then ask where it went if we were in public. ” Fluttershy shook her head with a short, quiet laugh. “You really made things complicated for yourself, you know…”

“Yes, well… I didn’t realize that I could have been upfront about it with you… And I’m still not entirely sure that being honest would have gone as smoothly as you say.”

“You would have had to spend a little time talking me into it, but really, I don’t think I would have told you no. And…” A pleasant chill ran down Fluttershy’s spine, her feathers ruffling impulsively. “After feeling how gentle you were the first time… I would have been much more willing the next time.”

The peach pegasus glanced back at her, a timid smile on her lips, slowing down until she was moving at the same pace, side by side with Fluttershy.

“Do you think I’m a bad pony?” Mahara’s voice was so small that the yellow pegasus scarcely recognized it. “I honestly expected you to seal me back up after you accidentally brought me back to life. I was prepared to accept your punishment. I would have showed you the ritual and everything...”

The blinking green lights of several fireflies hovered lazily around them.

“We all make mistakes. It’s unfortunate that the mistakes you made had very um… very severe consequences, but… I don’t think you’re a bad pony. It was silly of you to try and hide who and what you really are, but I understand why you did what you did. You didn’t want to scare me. You thought that if I knew the truth, I would reject you. I just… I wish you had trusted me, like I trusted you.”

“Do you still trust me?”

“I’m trying to… but I’m angry about how things have come to pass. Everything could have been so much different if you had just opened up to me like I opened up to you… You did save my life, though… And you’ve been doing your best to keep me safe since then… I just want you to try and think things through more carefully before you act, and to stop lying. Your lying is what got us into this mess to begin with.”

“I know… For you, I’ll try.”

“Not just for me. For both of us.”

Mahara nodded in agreement. “For both of us, then. And… I’m sorry.”

“For what?”

“For everything. I should have just stayed away from you.”

Yes… Yes, you should have… Everything that has happened is your fault… So why do I still have these feelings for you? I thought Rarity hated me, I was still coming out of depression… I was desperate and lonely. I needed something then, but now…

What’s holding me to you now? Fear? I’m not afraid of turning myself in to Celestia, I’m only running because you want me to run… Do I just want to avoid hurting your feelings, even if it inconveniences me? It can’t be that simple… I’ve never wanted another mare before I met you. I don’t think I want another mare, either, so what is it about you that I can’t get away from? Is this what I wanted, but I didn’t realize that I wanted it? Something dangerous? Something unpredictable?

“No… No, I’m glad that I met you…” Fluttershy answered after an uncomfortable silence. “I just haven’t quite figured out why…”

\/ /\ /\ \/