Key Gear

Luminescence waited until both the conductor and the engineer had been away from baggage car for some time. Even then, all that she did was to gently push some of the apples out of the way so she could see the room. If she was in a locked compartment, then that wouldn't be easy to get out of, so she would have to just make herself comfortable in that case. It wasn't a locked compartment, though, so she decided to poke her head just a bit further out of the box to take a look around. Before she could do so, the door to the train engine opened, and the engineer went walking out again. She wondered where he was going; he looked like a pony on a mission. Only her eyes were visible from the apples, but she didn't worry about being seen. Her eyes were as red as the apples. The engineer would have to look hard to see her. Even then, she thought, he would probably think that she was a big worm or something, munching on apples. Now that she was thinking about it, her eyes were red like the conductor's eyes, they were nearly the exact same shade. She bet that he would be good at hiding in a box of apples as well, if he wasn't so horribly big. It was now even more quiet than before. She sighed. Now was an excellent time to explore. The filly carefully poked her head from the box, and looked around. There was nopony in the room, so she decided to mostly abandon caution. As carefully as she could, she extracted herself and her saddlebag from the box. Only a few apples fell out of the box, she took them and placed them carefully in her saddlebag. Apples were fun to eat, especially the shiny ones. After doing this, she made her way down the hall. Despite her young age, she moved with a quiet grace. Every hoofstep she made was with a certain purposefulness of motion, and her hoofsteps were delicate. She moved soundlessly through the hall. Her saddlebag wasn't even rustled by her movement. She held her head high, even as she glanced around, taking in the sight of the train's interior. The Los Pegasus Express was a fancy train, far nicer than any that she had seen before. She hoped that she wouldn't get thrown off. It wouldn't be nice at all to get tossed from a moving train, she thought with a silent chuckle. She was only about 11 or 12 years old. She couldn't remember exactly which one it was, because she couldn't remember her last birthday. She didn't know where her last birthday had been or what it had been. She'd been so tired on that day. She was certain that there had been cake, though, cake and probably ice cream. Maybe marshmallows. She loved marshmallows. She had a few in her pack, along with some cookies and other things. That morning, she'd arrived in Ponyville on a train from Baltimare. She'd done some cleaning for a few local ponies and acquired enough bits to buy some supplies. She had wandered to the nicest looking train in the train station and waited for the right opportunity to sneak aboard. This was how she travelled. She knew that other ponies would think ill of her, but it was a fun way to live, trains were a great way for a filly to see Equestria. She opened the door from the baggage car to the first passenger car by gently standing to her hindhooves and handling the door handle. It was a strange thing to do, and she knew it was. After all, she was a unicorn and it was easily possible for her to use magic. But, she didn't want to. Doing things the long way, without magic, was always more interesting. It took more work, but it allowed for new experiences. Magic was special, she thought, it should be used only for special things, not for things that could be done normally with just hooves. She opened the door cautiously. First cracking it somewhat, and then poking her head around the corner. She saw nothing. Had anything been in the hall, though, they would have seen a unicorn filly with silver fur, a mane of rosewood red, eyes of a deeper red, and an unsmiling face. She only rarely smiled. A smile, it was a special thing. They were not to be wasted on normal activities, but only for special cases. Times of great kindness or perhaps even something funny but not funny enough for a laugh. She needed to find a room. One by one, she tried the passenger doors, but they were all locked. With a sigh of extreme disappointment, she made her way to the next passenger car. She hoped that, when she found a room, nopony was in it. It was always really awkward when she just opened up a door and she found herself standing face to face with a passenger. It didn't help that she liked to say silly things when that happened, and most passengers became confused because she always said silly things very seriously, it increased the amusement for her. If she was thrown off the train, she would have to go back to school. She hated it there. They couldn't teach her anything that she didn't already know, she was smart for her age. It was a waste of her time, and she wouldn't be a filly forever. She had no time to waste. Life was to be enjoyed. To add to her dislike of school, the other young ponies were mean to her. Almost from the first day she started school, the other young ponies had called her the "Firestone Queen". She knew that it was her unsmiling face and graceful movement that had earned her the title of "Queen". She also knew that it was her soft, silvery fur and red eyes, mane, and tail that had earned her the title of "Firestone". She reflected on this as she tried the doors in the second passenger car. It hadn't helped her at all when the other students had discovered that, for some odd reason, she always seemed to be softly aglow. It had started when she was just a small foal. Just a few months after she was born, she started glowing for whatever reason. It wasn't something that was noticeable during the daytime, but at night, it was completely unmistakable. Medical ponies told her parents that it had something to do with the way that her magic. Her horn was always weakly active. It meant that she could get spells off with less of a "warmup time" than other unicorns, but it also meant that she was always wasting magic. Thankfully, it was only a tiny amount, but it was still something that she sometimes worried about. Her parents, both earth ponies, weren't sure what they could have done with that information, so they had just loved her without allowing her strangeness to effect them. She was thankful for this. She had been sad when she had to run away from home, but her parents, they wanted her to stay with them. She loved them, but she knew that she couldn't stay. It had become to boring, and even the things that she used to enjoy were no longer fun. She blamed the other ponies in her school. They weren't nice at all. They would destroy things that she built. Their fun would interfere with her fun. It wasn't fair at all. She had to run away. She tried the door to room 8. Finally, a room that was open. She took a deep breath and worked the door handle to enter. The room... It was completely empty. She had been hoping for a soft bed, at least. Her eyes tremored with disappointment, but she didn't cry. At least, it would be a safe place to sleep, and she could be certain that no other ponies would come in, after all, what was there to see? She huddled in a corner of the room and shut her eyes, nap time. After a few minutes, though, something bothered her. She opened her eyes and looked around. Something was in the room, she was sure of it. It was something dark. She shivered. It wouldn't do to stay in this room, alone. She had to leave. She didn't rush though, and she didn't show fear. She wouldn't show whatever it was that she was afraid. If it was a wild animal, then that might cause it to attack her. That's what her father had told her. He worked in the woods all of the time, even at night. He was fearless. She worried about him, sometimes. She reached the door, and opened it just in time to see the owner of room 7 arrive. It was a good thing, she thought, that her timing had been so perfect. She had completely avoided the passenger. She was going to venture into the next car, but she stopped when she was certain that she heard voices from it. She looked around. There was really nowhere to hide. If the ponies from the next passenger car came into this one, she would be discovered. She thought about the passenger in room 7, a nice earth pony mare. She decided to take a chance. As gently as she could, she knocked on the door to room 7 and huddled herself close to the door. Maybe her timing had not been so perfect after all. She could have squeezed in with the passenger if she had been earlier. In the worst case, she would have been hit when the mare had slammed her door. That might have hurt badly and it would have definitely not been very fun at all. Now, what would she do? What if the passenger was asleep? Her eyes opened wide. What if the thing in room 8 could open doors... She knocked on the door to room 7 with greater urgency and kept knocking. There was no room for gracefulness when danger was possible. She didn't want to be eaten... And, she was terribly afraid of the dark... Kindness... From a stranger... Dawn was surprised... Even Springer hadn't really expressed this kind of kindness, and she had saved his life. She was beginning to think that the sole purpose of her trip on the train was to be punished and pushed to the edge by Lapis and his questions. When the unicorn apologized on behalf of the ponies that had wronger her, Dawn shed another small tear. She wasn't really accepting new patients, but she would happily make an exception for this mare. "Thank you... And, I am accepting..." The unexpected voice of another pony interrupted Dawn's own soft speaking. It was Arcanel. She immediately recognized him from earlier. She had learned his name when she had visited Springer's room earlier in the day, before all of this strangeness started happening. When he admitted that he had been a part of the plan, she was surprised but not surprised. Somehow, she'd known already, just like she'd known Magicon's name before he told her. She shook her head in disbelief as the pegasus told her everything. Why was it her... Why was she the one suspected of anything? They hadn't really accused her? Then, what was it that they'd done? What was Arcanel doing now? Telling her all of this? What did he expect would happen... Dawn breathed slowly. It was happening again, that same feeling. But, she didn't know why. She wouldn't allow herself to get pulled into the darkness for a second time though, she would have to master her thoughts. She wished that she could use her own magic on herself, to calm herself down. Just a little try... She discarded the thought, she was unstable. There was no telling what would happen with her mind in the state that it was in, and this pegasus pouring everything that she already knew right out before her as if... She froze. She did already know everything. Nothing he said was a surprise to her, not even a little bit. In awe of this, she watched Arcanel continuing to ramble onwards with a look of frightened confusion. Somehow, the pegasus changed his tune as he continued rambling. Dawn's confused look became a look of intense interest. Now, this was something that she had not heard before... Her symptoms were the same as Springer's own? She hadn't thought of that, and she hadn't even noticed it at all. Now, she could see... Arcanel was trying to help her. He had gotten off to a poor start, admittedly, but now... She could see. When Arcanel spoke out his feelings on Magicon's attitude towards her, she gained even more faith in him. She was completely mistaken. Now that he had spoken though, her thoughts were again moving against her will. This time, she sensed no ill will in them, so she let them linger. They seemed to have nothing to do with Arcanel, though, instead, they concerned the light. It was back. It as also in Springer's room. Dawn blanched as Arcanel offered to pour all of the train's messiness out for this passenger to see. She didn't think that thiis was necessary, particularly when the passenger had merely wished to comfort her and request her assistance. Speaking to Arcanel in the same way that she had addressed Magicon and Lapis, she cut her words to prevent her inner feelings from leaking out. Her eyes, though, the betrayed all of her thoughts. They leaped, flickered, glimmered, and trembled under the effects of an uncountable number of emotions as she spoke, they were in complete contrast to the calm of her words. "Arcanel, if you excuse me... I appreciate your words, particularly those concerning the similarity of my condition and that of Springer's. I also accept your apology. But... It still does not change the fact that you did something to hurt me. You can undo this though, by helping me to find out what is really happening with Springer. I think... With you in my company, perhaps we could go to investigate the light that I saw in Springer's room... Because, it is back. That was what caused all of this to start, isn't it? If we go back and look, then perhaps we can understand... And... If something tries to harm me, would you help?" She glanced at the blue unicorn that had approached her earlier, though, with total appreciation. "But, before I go... I would like to thank you. And... To let you know... If you have some time later today, then I would be happy to hear your concern. I am, despite my young age, extremely skilled in all forms of healing magic. Hmmm... Actually... I would hate to impose, but... Perhaps you could accompany myself and Arcanel. You see... Well... I went a little, strange when I was last there and I found the light. Arcanel is right... Even Magicon is right. I'm an unstable unicorn." She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. When she opened them again, they were perfectly normal. "I don't even know your name, but I think that, if the worst happened, and I was to go wandering off again, perhaps you could contain my magic? I really am not sure that I should even go, but... There's a light there. It is something that I need to see. I have to. I think that, in addition to caring for Springer, this is a part of what I am supposed to do - my purpose. I'm sorry for asking so much of you, though, and I'd understand if you couldn't help me. Well... I guess we should be formally introduced? My name is Dawn, and you are?" Dawn held out a hoof to the icy unicorn. Vim's face became completely unreadable as he listened carefully to the words that Lapis was saying. Some of what he had heard seemed familiar. The butterfly incident that had affected Dusky so strangely was one of them. Vim nodded grimly and understanding flickered in his fiery eyes. It was interesting, Lapis's assistant had managed to somehow disturb Dusky. Then, something else had happened in the dining car to disturb him further. In fact... Dusky was everywhere and nowhere, it seemed. In nearly everything that Lapis had related to him, Vim could see Dusky's influence. It was greatly concerning. Vim was deep in thought when Lapis left. He had noticed Lapis's departure, but he only acknowledged it with a nod of his head. Now, Lapis was back, with some notes about Dusky's story'. Vim waited to hear what Lapis had to say. In the meantime, he took a look at the notepad that Lapis had given him. He didn't even need to read through it. He recognized the story almost immediately. "Lapis, hold it for a sec... See these notes?" Vim held up the notepad. "I've seen this story before." Vim looked concerned but not agitated as he continued. "It was when I first met Dusky. He was still living with his mother and her folks at that time... Actually, yeah, I think that he still is, but anyways... See, one of the things that I found out was that she was something of an author. I think that it was her talent, but I couldn't tell - she didn't have a cutie mark. It didn't matter, though. She could write, and she could write pretty danged well. I know I may not look the type, but I've always done a lot of reading, myself. I read all kinds of stuff. Well, took a few of her books with me, and I liked them. Over the years, she kept me in the loop by running some things by me... Well, eh. Up until recently." "One of her stories was about the kind of stuff in these notes. It's kinda funny because it wasn't even a finished story. Instead it was one of those manuscripts with a bunch of notes and things in the margins. I read that one straight through, and I remembered it over the years because of how odd it was. Look, you've got to understand. Most ponies don't write about pre-Equestrian society. It's way too hard to figure out how things were back then. You're a researcher, so I bet you already know what I'm saying. Most ponies can't take the danger of going out and looking into this stuff." "That story, though, it was pretty well researched... It even came with a map. Well, you know, I'm always traveling around Equestria, so I decided to check out some of the places on this map. All I have to do is stop a train and go for a trot, right? See, there actually is a place in Equestria where you can see what looks like a place where a dragon destroyed a town. There's a place where you can see what looks like the signs of a massive dragon and some type of monster fighting. These places, Lapis, they're all overgrown with wildlife and stuff, but I've seen them. Heck, one of them is right there in White Tail Woods, which is where we'll be passing through." He caught himself. He'd been reminiscing, but there was a very good reason that he was bringing this up. "Lapis, here's the thing... Dusky told you this story? He said it was written in the margins of another book? That's not exactly right. Like I said, it was a manuscript. It's got nothing to do with Trixie. His mother was a neat pony. She didn't scratch stuff out when she changed it, she just made notes in the margins of the pages. Dusky thinks this book is what Key Gear's after? That doesn't even make any sense. I have the darn thing in my room. It's in the same place it's always been - my little bookshelf." "If I'm remembering it right, and you just went through the book, reading the stuff in the margins, then you'd end up with this same story. You had a couple of endings to choose from though, but I think the ending of these notes matched up with one of those too. I don't know. Maybe that's what Dusky was talking about? If he was, though, then why's he trying to tie it to everything else? Heck... I can't make sense of this. Maybe you can make more sense of it than me? Look, don't tell anypony else for now, I don't want anypony else getting in and messing anything else up. Just keep it calm and let's go do some reading? Are you ok with that?"

He would need to anticipate every possible angle of approach that Vim would take, pick the most likely and then construct an argument to defuse it. His thinking sped up as he followed Lapis out into the hall. Mercifully, Springer thought, Vim was a relatively simple pony. Unfortunately, Vim was also a stubborn, resilient pony. Springer combed through his own thoughts efficiently. Doubtlessly, Vim would chastise the both of them for what had happened. He would need to be quick, but his lack of rest combined with this sudden challenge was beginning to take a toll on things. The conductor waited patiently for both ponies. His patient smile was completely unreadable. Lapis entered first, followed by Springer. The door had barely closed behind them when the pegasus started talking. "Vim, I already know what you're going to say, so I will respond to it before you ask." Vim spoke, with just a hint of irritation, "Springer." His smile wavered as the pegasus rattled on. "Before you exercise summary judgement on the nature of the actions that you just viewed, I should provide an outline of the events. You see, you need to know everything before you can draw any conclusions." "It's efficient to take this approach. The original intention of the plan was merely to question Dawn. This was necessary in order to discern the nature of an unusual occurrence earlier in the day. We found a note in my room. It hadn't been there when we searched earlier. In addition to this, I had been troubled when I tried to sleep. Dawn... We have a source that indicates that she was in my room during the time that nopony else was. It could have been her that caused everything." Vim growled, "Springer", but the pegasus continued, picking up speed. "Lapis was chosen as the questioner because it was efficient. Myself, Magicon, Lapis, and Arcanel all agreed that the plan was ideal. We followed through and executed on the plan with all due speed. There was only one last minute change, which was... Uhh... That I would accompany Lapis instead of... I'm unable to recall who was supposed to accompany Lapis originally. Vim, allow me a moment to regather my thoughts, I believe that I'm tired." Vim nodded, replaced his smile and replied, "Yes, Springer, I believe that you are." "Springer?" Vim asked, because the pegasus suddenly looked quite... Listless. "Yes, Vim?" Springer inquired. Vim eyed him suspiciously before continuing. "Have you even taken a rest break yet? At all? I know you helped with the search... And, you know, I thought that you'd take a break after that? Did you?" Springer nodded. "I'd have to check my journal for the exact time that I slept, but I'm reasonably sure that I had at least 5 minutes of sleep before the nightmare started... Uhh... Actually I forgot to make a note in my journal, another inefficiency." The conductor sighed and tilted his head to the side while raising an eyebrow thoughtfully. "Springer. You know, I've just had a sudden realization. Would you believe that it's about efficiency?" Springer's eyes lit up happily. To see Vim concerned about efficiency was a delightful sight to him. He took a few steps closer to Vim while flapping his wings. Finally, after all this time, Vim was finally beginning to understand efficiency for its own sake. His efforts had not been in vain. All of the arguments and disagreements were worthwhile after all. Vim's face glowed with a friendly grin. "I read some fancy research back when we were in Canterlot! It actually said that for every hour of sleep that you get, your efficiency goes up 20 percent. Only thing is that the size of the bump goes down the more you get sleep. See, that was the problem with the math and stuff, they couldn't figure out how to measure that drop. None of them were efficient enough. They didn't make enough notes and things, you know?" Springer looked confused. He kept up with all of the latest in efficiency research. His confusion wasn't missed, Vim tapped the side of his nose knowingly and explained. "It was for conductors only, Springer." The pegasus was at ease again, and even further delighted as Vim continued. "See, Springer, I need you to help them out. Go write something in your journal. Get as much sleep as you can. Then, whenever you wakeup, you can measure your efficiency. You know, you're probably the only pony that can figure their efficiency without even needed a bunch of researcher ponies, eh?" Vim poked Lapis gently when he mentioned "researcher ponies". Smiling amiably, Vim waved a hoof around. "Why don't ya get on it, Springer? That's an order. Your research could probably increase the efficiency of every pony on the trainline. Heck... I'd even recommend you for a conductor. You'd deserve it! Just think about it... First the trains, then the stations, then all of Equestria. Efficient. Can you see it, Springer?" Springer saw it. "Yes sir!" The pegasus turned around so fast that he nearly fell. After Springer turned, Vim returned to his earlier more neutral expression, and he moved to refocus his attention on Lapis, but the sudden movement of the door caught his eye. Whoever it was, they were in a hurry. With a speed that belied his age, Vim pulled Springer out of the way of the pony that had jerked the door open. It was just in time. Making full use of his stride, Dusky cruised by them at a frightening speed. Vim blinked. The engineer looked agitated. On the inside, Vim wondered... Had Dusky finally met his match? Springer was released by Vim, in front of the door, and the pegasus made his way, efficiently, through the dining car and straight to his room. When he reached his destination, Springer immediately reached under his bed and withdrew a book. He was behind in his entries. So many distractions over the past couple of days. He made a notation, and then fell into bed. Equestria needed his efficiency. The other ponies would... Springer dozed off, completely obvlivious to the fact that something new had been added to his room. After Springer left, Vim took a deep breath. "Riiiiight." He turned to Lapis. "I hate that word. Let me tell you something, Lapis. Real efficiency is working hard, doing what's right, and treating other ponies decently. That's all there is to it. Well, and, working smart. That's pretty tricky though, because you work smart by finding time to not work. That's how you do it. I'm still working on that last one, though." Vim chuckled at his own joke and gave Lapis a hearty slap on the back. "Look Lapis, I'm sorry about all of this song and dance, but Springer was supposed to have gotten some rest. I don't need a crazy pegasus on this train, you know? I already have a crazy unicorn." Vim's expression turned serious. "See, that's why I called you two out here. I didn't like where that discussion was going, and I didn't like the idea of having passengers frying passengers. Dawn's nuts. That's not a surprise to me. I figured she was off because she was always jumping around like a squirrel and talking about those cats." Vim shrugged. "I think you did a good thing by getting her to basically show everypony that she's a loose cannon. Next time, though, if you think a unicorn is about to blast you, you may want to just knock them out. I'm not saying that it's a nice thing to do, but it's easier to apologize than it is to come back from the dead, right?" "And... I think she would have killed you. That look on her face..." He shook his head. "I've seen a lot of things - dragons, manticores, some crazy ponies, and some other crazy things, but I've never seen a pony with a face like that before. You're lucky, Lapis, because I'm not so sure that your assistant would have been able to stop whatever Dawn was preparing for you." Vim suddenly stopped, and a smile reappeared on his face. "But, enough about that! You're not dead, nopony was hurt, and now I'm not the only one on this train that knows Dawn's crazy. That's all good stuff. Job well done, I'd say." His fiery eyes sparkled with enthusiasm. "Now, I need to know a couple of things that I bet you can tell me. Is there something wrong that I need to know about? Is there something that we can do about it? What do you think about taking a look in Dawn's room for anything suspicious?" A devilish grin spread across Vim's face. "That last one's pretty important, so think about it a bit. See, if she catches you in there, that might just be it for you. I can see it now. Glowing horn, then zap. For me, I'm pretty sure I could play dumb. I could say something like, 'I have no idea what he's doing in here. You might want to fry him.' So, yeah, it's up to you. Actually, no it isn't. I'm going. You can follow me if you want? Soo, what do you think?" She'd launched into Dawn Rider with a hug out of strange combination of sympathy, confusion, and self-preservation. Her thoughts rambled over her own reasoning. She had punched the only pony that, in her memory, had ever shown even a semblance of looking up to her. That had demanded more than just a simple "I'm sorry." She was still trying to sort out exactly why or how she'd mistaken him for Electrobolt, and why her reaction would be to smash her brother's face if he had run off. Maybe that was another reason that she hugged him, because she should have hugged Bolt in her fictional scenario. Then, Key knew, from experience, that most ponies with any semblance of athleticism tended to hit back. She also knew that there were a few ways to keep that from happening. In this case, it was obvious that Dawn was much less likely to strike a filly that was hugging and apologizing profusely. He might shove her away, but that wouldn't be as bad as fighting a pegasus in a kitchen full of sharp objects. There was no place for pride in avoiding unnecessary conflict. The thoughts came full circle. If Dawn did hit back, she would have to defend herself, wouldn't she? Key felt strangely reluctant. She'd hit him when he was at a weak point. He had been sharing something that, by all accounts, probably should not have been shared. She had maneuvered him into the revelation, then, when he was looking away and in tears, she had struck him nastily. It had been a viscous attack. He had every right to defend himself, and she wouldn't hold it against him for doing so. She would have to defend herself, though... She hoped it wouldn't come to this. The one thing she didn't expect was to receive a hug in return. He hugged her so gently at first that she hadn't even noticed. Instead, her thoughts and words kept rolling forward. When he tightened the hug, she tensed, not quite sure what it was. But, it was just a hug. He just held her there. Key was somewhat confused. She had expected almost anything besides a hug. A hug... It was something that you gave to a pony that you cared for, wasn't it? She became worried. It didn't make any sense, she had hit him, and he was hugging her? Of course, she'd started the hug, but her motivations had been many. Now, she thought about why. There was the possibility that she had hit him so hard that he no longer remembered who she was or, maybe even, who he himself was. Maybe it was a case of amnesia or mistaken identity or... Her thoughts rambled onwards in confusion until she felt something trickling through her mane. She looked up and saw that Dawn was bleeding. Key winced. Now, she would be a mess. Dawn was already a mess. The whole situation was a mess. He remembered her name. That alone was enough to convince her that he didn't have amnesia. It was a good sign, but the words that he spoke... They were so kind and gentle. He forgave her, he wasn't angry, he declared her to be his friend. Key gave up trying to even understand. It wasn't something that could be understood, she was certain of that. Instead, she just accepted the fact that, through the strangest of ways, she had made a friend, a good friend. Key tightened her own hug and held on for a few seconds. She let the hint of a smile appear. Then, she broke loose. She didn't say anything. She didn't want to say anything, because she was afraid of the words that would come out of her mouth. Instead, with a straight face, she set about looking for some way to clean up the mess. "Dawn Rider, you're bleeding." Key helpfully informed him. She calmly and quickly went back to the sink where she had been washing dishes just a few seconds ago. There were still plenty of unused cloths. She took one of the larger ones and a few others and then returned to Dawn. "I'm really no good at this, but I think that I can figure something out. Just hold still, ok? You'll still need to get something else for this, but at least you won't be spilling yourself all over the place." Using a smaller cloth, she gently cleaned him up as best as she could. Thankfully, it was just his nose that was injured, but it was still a mess. After cleaning things up as best as she could, she surveyed the damage. It didn't look like his nose was broken, but it was still bleeding. There was a possibility that his head didn't feel too good either. She sighed and gave Dawn the larger cloth. "Well. You're not dead. That's a plus. Just hold this on your nose, and try not to talk to much, ok? Look... Thanks for forgiving me, and I'm sorry for hitting you. I know this will sound weird, but I didn't mean to. I... Well. I just thought about my own brother leaving me... Running off. I got angry." "That's why I hit you, I think." Key stopped and smiled sheepishly. "It's also probably part of the reason that I hugged you. Well, that and I did feel bad. I guess you probably think I'm crazy. I'm not though, but I've gone through a lot of things, I guess. And, maybe I care too much about some things." She stopped and thought for a moment. "Or... Maybe I care just right. Dawn, you don't have to tell me. In fact, you could just leave now if you wanted to, since I hit you and made this mess... But... I just want to know. Don't you want to go back? Back to your mother and sist..." Key stopped abruptly. She sighed. "Look... The way I see it... You have a right to run away. Like I said, I've run away plenty of times. It's a great way to keep out of trouble, but there's a catch to it. You always have to go back and finish what you started. It can take a day, a week, or maybe even more. For me, whenever I had to run from a fight, I remembered that pony. I didn't forget them. Eventually, I always got them back. Maybe you can do the same thing, but a bit differently? Just remember your mother and sister? Plan on getting them back? Errr... I mean going back to them." She grinned. "In the meantime, you could hang out with me if you wanted to... See, I kinda think that I need a pegasus pony for what I eventually need to do. You can take a pretty good hit, so I think you're sturdy enough. You could help me out. And... I could help you out, if you'll let me? I could teach you how to deal with what happened to you. Not now, of course, but as time went on... By the way, about that... Don't tell me anything else about it, because you've already told me everything that I need to know. I trust your word on it, and so, I want you to trust mine now." "Here's what I think. It was an accident. Somepony died. But, it really was an accident. Dawn, you're not a pony killer, and you're not a bad pony. Anypony that says otherwise is wrong, and nothing they can tell me will ever change my mind. Just like you didn't judge me just now for what I did, I won't judge you by anything that you do. Instead, we can both be friends, helping each other, not judging each other, and working together? What do you think? Is it a deal? Errr... And, I promise, I'll never hit you again. Unless you tell me to, but that would be weird. Or... Maybe, if I have to hit you in order to keep you from getting hurt or something, but that would be weird too. So, yeah, I can sorta promise. Uhh... Is that good enough?" Key held out a hoof to Dawn. The cook just barely resisted facehoofing, but she managed to keep her good humor intact. In truth, Ambrosia hadn't even thought about connecting Wind Dancer's name and dancing. It seemed obvious now that Bolt had said it though, but still... She thought... It wasn't always the case that pony names had anything to do with their actual talent. Her own name did have something to do with cooking. Dusky was certainly dusky. Springer was certainly wired. Ambrosia's cheerfulness dropped to nothing as she took another glimpse at Wind Dancer's scarred wing. She shivered, but she wasn't willing to believe that Wind Dancer was flightless unless the mare said so directly. It was too horrible of a thought to bear. A pegasus pony that couldn't fly? It wasn't the same as being an earth pony. To have experienced the freedom of flight and then had it harshly taken away. It was a horrible feeling, and it was one that she wouldn't have wished on her worst enemy. Yet, here was Wind Dancer, a sweet pony... She didn't deserve the scar... She certainly didn't deserve a worse fate... Her earlier cheer was now full-blown sorrow. She couldn't believe it. She started to tell Wind Dancer about her feelings, but she stopped immediately. Ambrosia wondered to herself... How many other ponies had told Wind Dancer the same thing? How many other ponies had told her "you poor thing" or "that's so sad" or "I'm so sorry"... Probably, there had been too many. That wasn't what the pegasus needed. Even if she had needed it at one time, Ambrosia was certain that this time was long since past. Instead, now she needed something more meaningful. She didn't just need a friend, she needed a great friend. Ambrosia reached over gently and wrapped a hoof around Wind Dancer, being careful to avoid agitating the injured wing. "Well... I'll tell you what... I don't think that you'd have to be airborne in order to be a stage performer, Wind Dancer, and I'm not just saying that. I know it. I think that we should still check with some of the ponies that I know in Los Pegasus when we get there. It would only take a few moments after we get off the train. The station is pretty much in the center of the town. If we move quick enough, and if you're up to the challenge... Then, I bet that they'd accept you."

When Dawn Rider started speaking, it was all that Key could do to not pat herself on the back in congratulations. She had managed to get him to trust her enough to divulge his secret. It was something that she had not entirely been certain about being able to do. As his first words tumbled out, though, her sense of accomplishment fell away completely. In its place, was a nascent confusion. Key wondered, what, exactly, she was supposed to do now? Having a random stallion pour their innermost secrets out to her was not something that she was familiar with. Lacking any knowledge of what else to do, Key just stood still and watched, listening as he spoke. She didn't know that he was "drifting" or the exact meaning of the word when applied to a pony, but she supposed that, whatever it was, it was a good description for her own state as well. She blinked when he mentioned that he was responsible for a death, and her eyes narrowed. She had seen dead ponies before, and had, on certain occasions, even borrowed some of their possessions. However, to her knowledge, she had never caused the death of another pony. But, as Dawn continued speaking, a sob working its way into his speech, his words belied his original claim. Key didn't see how it was possible to be responsible for the death of another pony, when it was failure that had resulted in that death. Certainly, she thought, he had done everything in his power to keep it from happening, but it had happened, anyway. He would probably have never shared this story with her if he had held back a hoof to a pony in need. At least, this was what she hoped. His voice increased in volume and the sobbing was now clearly perceptible. Key felt oddly disgusted. Why did the opinions of the other ponies even matter? Was this his only reason for behaving the way that he did? Did they hurt his feelings? Hadn't he told them that he had done his best to save his friend? If so, and they'd held it against him, then they were the ones at fault. Dawn was, in Key's mind, not in the wrong. This perception held solid until he continued again. She choked at his words. He had willingly left his mother and sister? He had abandoned them... He admitted it freely to her... Key felt sick. Dawn was, both in his own estimation and hers, a coward. Her mind attempted to understand what logic or reasoning could ever be used to support the idea of abandoning a family that he had and loved. Nothing made any sense. The feeling that she felt, a combination of anger and sadness, was a familiar one to her. It was the same feeling that she had felt when her own parents had left her - going on an adventure that they would never return from. Just like Dawn... His tears were her tears on the day that they had left her. She could see her own parents now. She wondered if they cried like Dawn cried. She wondered if they called themselves cowards. She shook her head, because it made no sense. Cowards for what? What had they done? If anything, her parents had the opposite issue. They had been too courageous, too eager to face the unknown. They hadn't killed anypony... They had never ran away. They weren't cowards. If she could face them in that moment, she would hardly be able to be disappointed in them for pursuing the unknown. It was their talent, their purpose. Dawn was different. He had made a conscious choice to run away. He himself had said that it had been an accident. He could have stayed. Yet... Rather than facing the problem, rather than attempting to explain what had happened, rather than fighting for what was right, he had run away. He hadn't gone on an adventure to discover the unknown. He was a "drifter". Even now, instead of owning his own actions, he wallowed in his own tears. It was self, Key thought, it was selfish of him to have run away from his family. They had loved him. Surely, that had meant something? She was so wrapped in her own thoughts, that she only subconsciously noticed her brother, Electrobolt, entering the kitchen and exiting several times, carrying plates. Instead, she stood still. She stared at the weeping pegasus for some moments before, finally, a thought overwhelmed her. Key thought about the pain that his mother must have felt when he fled. She thought about the pain that his sister surely felt. How would she cope with losing the pony that was probably the one that she cared more about in the whole world. Her heart was gripped by a horrible agonizing emptiness. What if Electrobolt fled because of something that he thought he had done wrong... She felt like she was dying. She would have to stop him, to find him, and to bring him back. A tear rolled from her eye. She would follow him to the ends of Equestria and beyond. The pain of her abandonment would give her the fuel to press on no matter what obstacle she encountered and no matter how hopeless her quest was. Her blue eyes flamed like shooting stars. She would find him, nopony would be able to stop her. No force would be able to slow her down. When she finally found Electrobolt, she knew exactly what she would do to repay him for abandoning her, for his cowardice, for not trusting her to help him, for being a coward. The fur on the back of her neck stood on end, and she hissed with rage. In the blink of an eye, she had leaped right in front of Dawn Rider. She landed, neatly balanced on her hindhooves. Her right hoof was already pulled back to strike. She hit him, smashing him in the nose with every ounce of her wiry strength. In the moment that her hoof made contact with his nose, she had realized her mistake. Electrobolt hadn't left her, she was not at the end of a long journey to bring him back, and this was, most certainly, not Electrobolt. Not only this, but her own flawed reasoning came back and hit her just as ferociously as she had hit Dawn Rider. How could she hold his cowardice against him when she had just admitted to running away from her own fair share of fights. Dawn Rider had been the one pony to respect her, a potential ally unlike any that she had seen. He had shared his deepest secret with her, and she had paid him back by smashing him in the face. The thoughts had whipped through her head by the time she had pulled back from the strike, and she moved in again, even quicker than before. Like a bolt of blue lightening, Key was right with Dawn Rider. This time, not to hit him. Instead, she wrapped her hooves around him in a wild, haphazard hug, mashing her face into his fur to hide her own look of embarrassment and humiliation. In a strained voice, all she could say was to repeat, "I'm sorry", over and over again. Dusky didn't mind the interruption. In fact, he was appreciative of her enthusiasm. He was used to others simply absorbing his words without much consideration, and while watching him warily. In fact, the previous several days had been punctuated with an overabundance of such failed conversations. Of course, he had owed much of the failure to the topic of conversation, but those ponies... They had held no appreciate for strength, true strength. Instead, the had justified themselves, pathetically attempting to uphold their own flawed ideas. Now, he hoped, that Ice Storm would display more. He was mildly surprised. What type of story did she intend to tell him that demanded so much secrecy that she was afraid of being overheard. He very much hoped that it was not a tale of lawbreaking. The mare in front of him didn't look like the type of pony to be involved in illicit activities. He certainly hoped that this was the case. He needed her help, and it would be impossible for him to obtain if she was a criminal. He would have to leave her with the appropriate authorities. It was weakness to confess a crime to a random stranger anyway. A smile with just a hint of eagerness appeared on Dusky's face at the possibility of unsweetened confections. His passion for superior foods was such that the thought of a pony that shared his variety was encouraging. This was especially important because of the fact that he had always struggled with frozen treats. Without magic, they were a chore to make, and they seemed to require a skill level that was beyond him. He nodded in acknowledgement when Ice Storm mentioned the reason that she had moved in closer. Now that he was certain of her reasoning, he decided to make it even less likely that they would be overheard. Without appearing too awkward, Dusky leaned in a little closer to the icy mare. If there was one thing that he had no intentions of doing, it was allowing a secret innocently conveyed in trust to be overheard. Certainly, this would not happen due to ordinary sloppiness. Dusky had been prepared to hear just about anything. His preparations were not in vain. He didn't even blink at the mare's revelation. In fact, his expression remained calm, attentive, and focused on her words. He could immediately sense where her story would go from there. Seated in front of him was a pony that was very much like those that he had once protected so long ago. Due to an issue that had very little bearing on their total strength, they would be ostracized by society. It was unfortunate, but the truly strong were so often held back by those that were weak but with less obvious flaws. One day, he would fix this problem, the strong would be allowed to flourish and find their way in society unfettered by the judgements of the mediocre. The revelation was beyond brutal. Even with as much as he had seen and heard, it was still a surprise that ponies could be so relentlessly cruel to one another. He felt a sense of irritation. To mindlessly wreak havoc on the young, without rhyme, reason, or purpose. It was something that he was unable to comprehend through rational means. He was unwilling to contemplate irrational means, so he simply comforted himself with a thought. In a society in which the powerful were allowed to reign supreme, those that were still developing their strength would have to be guarded. Otherwise, the nascent strong would be destroyed by the fully developed weak. Her tear distracted him from his abstract thoughts on the nature of social structure in his new world order. He didn't understand why. Just that morning he had been complimenting himself on how he had managed to overcome the weakness of emotions. Now, he felt something, if only slightly. It seemed like sympathy. It was a strange, alien sensation - one that he didn't understand. He had heard so much suffering, and in total honesty, he had, himself, inflicted this same on so many others. Somehow, though, perhaps because of her total disregard of his demeanor, this was different. His eyes, normally half-closed, opened fully when she had mentioned that she had made the journey from Fillydelphia to Canterlot by hooves and that she had been stuck in a blizzard. Once, at a time that seemed like it had been ages ago, he had done a similar thing. Carrying a pony that he had cared deeply about, he had made a lengthy journey in a blinding blizzard. It was one of the things that, early on, had distinguished him from any other guardian - his strength. Thanks to that journey, his strength had become known to both himself and to others. It was, more than anything else, the one moment that he would highlight as the beginning of his own story. Just as Ice Storm had, so to had he discovered his affinity on his long journey. He expected that her tale would end here, but it did not. Instead, she continued to speak. In his mind, he continued to trace the path of her journey. She had risen from a destructive life as a younger pony to make the journey, successfully, from Fillydelphia to Canterlot on hooves. Now, she was homeless in Canterlot, having a horrible time with the locals. Her story sounded familiar, like that of the pony that he had once hoped would be the key to solving the primary problems that plagued him from his earlier failures. He continued to listen. It seemed unnatural that everything this pony said, every single thing, was of some concern to him. Of course, she had to be skilled to some degree with ice magic. Yet, now it seemed as though she was, in fact, a specialist. Dimly, he began to sense a possibility, but it seemed so wild, so impossible that it would never be true. He merely needed her assistance with a simple ice spell, one that would reveal the words on the pages of the book so that he would not need to be concerned with whatever mindless trick that Dawn, the odd unicorn, had attempted. Yet, there was, in Ice Storm's words, the hint of something more. At the mention of Luna's name, Dusky could feel his fur tingle. It was all too much. This was impossible. Despite his normally disciplined thoughts, his imagination began to eke forward. He was, after all, an engineer. The understanding of complex systems was a requirement for his work. He had developed the ability to do more than simply understand them though. He could see them, the entire realm of possibilities, stretched out before his eyes like an endless mechanical tapestry. The complexity was a lure for his senses. In this case, his mind began to accept and integrate the information that he was hearing from Ice Storm. With every word she spoke, the machine changed in its size, shape, and function. Infinitum. Such a lovely word for a lover of complexity. It spoke of endless depth, endless breadth. It spoke of power, the raw unfettered substance of which the dreams of so many were made. In this case, it spoke of a power that was tamed, mastered... Not merely this, but a power that was developed into fruition by the one pony in Equestria that he admired above all others. He wondered... How many students had she trained? To his knowledge, the one across from him was the only one. Much as Celestia had her Twilight Sparkle, he mused, could it be that Luna had her Ice Storm. If so, then what twisted conception of random action had brought her before him... Hesitantly, he reached out to acknowledge forces beyond even his conception. The machinery that had been taking shape in his mind for so many years... It began to destroy itself. From the farthest corners of his thoughts to the ones that were closest to where he now sat, it all began to collapse. The pieces, so many that he had so delicately machined, began to fall into an endless space. His mind reeled. His face wanted to smile but he could not. After all... She could be lying. He would be a fool for allowing himself the weakest of emotions - hope. Yet, here it was... Her words... Spoken softly to avoid detection in a room of ponies. What incentive did she have to deceive? If it was deception, he would kill her, surely. If it was not... It couldn't be deception. Deception would never have been able to fuel the words that she now spoke. No mere deception could characterize Luna in this fashion, not without some slight tip of the hoof. No mere deception could understand the nature of fear. To be feared. It was a feeling that he knew. To be abandoned. It was a feeling that he knew. He held nothing against Luna. Her story, in so many ways, was similar to his own. Ice Storm's words were certainly genuine. She understood... It was, truly, ages ago. It was another age and another place, before Canterlot and before the royal sisters. Yet, the result was the same. He had known what needed to be done in order to protect them, all of them, but he was too weak. Unable to fill his role, he had no purpose until he used his magic to give himself purpose. He had returned, triumphant, ready to be their ultimate guardian, but they were blinded by the darkness. It was their fear that had doomed them. If they had only accepted him as their protector, but they abandoned him, attacked him. He had responded in kind, and the darkness had grown. So, it was mere randomness that had brought her to his path. It was nothing more than randomness. The twisting, turning wheels of fate. The madly spinning, madly dancing, madly laughing jester of the machinery. It was, perhaps, some great mockery of him and everything that he had stood for. The machinery that he had so gently laid, it was all useless now. The last of its vastness fell into the darkness. It was all wasted effort. It had all been in vain, all of it. He could have simply sat in Ponyville, waiting in an ice cream shop. She would have come to him there, he was certain. Now, he would never know. It was time to rebuild. This new machine, it would be simpler. There was no need for so much of what the old machine had been comprised of. Instead, he would only need a single primary component, and she sat across from him at that moment, innocently conveying her deepest memories to him, a random stranger. Again, the randomness. What had he asked? What steps had been taken to get the point at which he now found himself? What terrible light had penetrated his darkness, it was blinding. A single tear fell from his dark eyes. Restoration. It would be beautiful. More beautiful than the cold workings of the machine. He looked down at where the tear had fallen. It was like a snowflake, unique. It was like a butterfly, it served some purpose... It would have to remain. He caught himself. The machine. It had to be built anew. There could be no distractions... But... There already was a distraction. Dusky took his glass and looked down into it, seeing his reflection in its depths. His face, it clearly expressed sympathy, sorrow for Ice Storm's plight. The emotions. They had never been mastered. The building of the machine would have to wait for his sanity to return; it would be soon, though, so soon... Everything... Through sheer willpower, he mastered his expression, returning to the look of calm that he had began with. Her weakness. It didn't matter. Her strength. It was everything. His words were the only thing that he had now. His words and Ice Storm's curiosity. Now, he let them flow, smoothly, eloquently, and with a sympathy and comfort that they had never carried for another besides those that he had held most dear to him. This moment, this gift from Luna herself. A dazzling gift, as glorious as it was destructive... His voice, soft, silent, and sonorous, reached across the narrow space that divided them. He would keep his words few, but they would be strong. They would have to be strong. "Ice Storm..." He started, full of intent... Only to trail off as he realized something... Her problem, so seemingly trite, paralleled a problem that he had once faced. His eyes tremored. It was too much. The parallels were too much. But... Now... More than anything... He knew what he had to say. "Ice Storm. I know from experience that sometimes the cure can be... So much worse than the original problem... So much worse that it is not worth attempting. At all. It should not be done. The cost... It would be too high, far too high. The darkness... Ah..." He held a hoof to his head. He needed rest. He wished he could sleep. He couldn't leave, though, not before speaking again. He needed to fulfill the trust that she had placed in him. What she chose to do at that point would be her decision to make. His world was oblivion. His words lacked the grace and purpose that he normally willed them with. "Ice Storm, thank you. Your story has opened my eyes to my own story. As I said before you spoke... It is our origins that shape us. Yours... They parallel my own, I think. It is not an exact parallel, for it is more of an allegory, but even the allegorical parallel is still strong... But... My own story is still ongoing... I need... I cannot share it here, for the same reasons that you spoke in softness, I must speak in secrecy alone. If you wish, then you may find me in the train engine. I need to return to my post." Without another word, he nodded his head as a sign of respect and then left the dining car, blind to everything that was not his destination. Ambrosia's quick eyes had caught sight of the scar. She shuddered. It was a horrible fate to have befallen a pegasus pony. She wondered if the pegasus was capable of normal flight or if her damaged wing prevented it, but she wouldn't dare ask such a callous question. It was something that she would be particularly certain to not do, because this pegasus seemed like such a delicate creature. Ambrosia quickly spoke to allay her concerns. "Oh no no no, don't worry about it, you should see me when I first wake up. I'm falling into everything. The tables are a bit awkwardly placed in here, so nothing to worry about at all." As she spoke, Electrobolt arrived with their sandwiches. Ambrosia snapped up one of her own and took a bite. It was delicious. She beamed with relief. The fillies and Dawn had done an excellent job. "Thank you, Electrobolt!" She chirped. The noise from the pegasus pony's stomach didn't surprise Ambrosia. The poor thing was late to lunch. Ambrosia's soft green eyes looked at her with pity. More than anything, she knew that this pegasus needed something more than food, she needed a friend. When Wind Dancer shared her name, Ambrosia smiled. It was such a pretty name, and she hoped, dearly, that the pegasus pony could still, indeed, dance upon the winds. She listened to Wind Dancer without interrupting, she did not wish to disturb the pegasus pony. And, she didn't wish to disturb the pegasus pony by allowing her attention to focus elsewhere. She paid full attention to Wind Dancer. Dusky and whatever his activities were... They would have to wait. Ambrosia leaned over a bit to look in the direction that Wind Dancer signaled. There, right there, was an icy mare deeply in conversation with Dusky. Whatever it was that she was saying, Dusky looked positively lost in her words. His normally cool expression was tinged by emotion just as Ambrosia's own had been when she pondered Wind Dancer's damaged wing. She stared for a moment longer, before she tore her gaze away. She had never seen him express that emotion before. A random act of kindness... For Wind Dancer... Now she's affected Dusky? What kind of unicorn is this... Her thoughts were ambiguous. She refocused on Wind Dancer just in time to catch the mare's closing remarks. After some hesitation, Ambrosia decided to be gently bold, and she spoke with some trace of her small town accent. "Well... You say that you're a performer? Stage or street, it's all the same to me." She laughed softly, a cheerful laugh. "I think that anypony that can go out and entertain a bunch of other ponies is amazing. It's something that I can't do, but my food can kinda do it for me. The good thing about that is that I don't have to go out, I just put out plates and I can watch reactions from anywhere I want to. For you, though, I think that things are different. You're already used to a certain size of crowd gathering to see you perform... Hey... I have a thought." She smiled as she said the words, but in truth, the thought had sprung into her mind at the moment that Wind Dancer had mentioned that she was a performer. "This train was originally supposed to be carrying Trixie to Los Pegasus for the Applewood Magic Festival. Well, it's a magic festival, but the fact is that they don't even have their main act anymore. Sooo... Maybe this'll be the time for you to go from the street to the stage? How about that? From Ponyville to Los Pegasus... Thanks to a train ride, maybe?" Ambrosia's idea was so distracting, that she didn't notice the quiet movement of the other ponies in the dining car. She was oblivious to Dusky's departure, Dawn's rage and sorrow, and every other thing. Instead, she continued, suddenly aware of the significance of what she was saying. "Hey! It's a magic show, but it's still a show, right? Who cares what the main act is! I bet they wouldn't mind a pegasus performing. It's Los Pegasus, they're always a little crazy. It's less risky to them than having Trixie, and your performance could be a great surprise for the crowd. I actually know a lot of ponies in Los Pegasus from... Uhh... Some of my adventures. I could probably see if I could get you a contact with one of the show's organizers when we arrive? You never know, right? That'd sure be something interesting to do when you get to Los Pegasus? Right, Bolt?" Ambrosia calmed down just a bit, but the gears in her head kept turning. "Well, Wind Dancer, what kind of performance would you put on? I mean, it would be something airborne? They love those in Los Pegasus!" Ambrosia tactfully angled for the answer to her earlier thought, could Wind Dancer fly?

Ooo! I'm here! I have to be here! No way around it! D: Here's Key Gear, my OC (for more pics, check my profile): For the pose, just standing or lying around would be perfect. :3 For who to be around, she'll be hanging with Dawn Rider.

Dawn fumed in the face of Lapis's bitingly direct refusal, and her thoughts suddenly raced at a frenzied pace. Her expression darkened considerably. In fact, she was more furious than she could ever recall being. His words stung. He should have gone to get Magicon; she had told him why and he had refused, merely accentuating her earlier points. Of course, she was defensive. She had every right to defend herself against Lapis's miserable accusations. Not only this, but Lapis had done much more than simply "note a few things". With his words, he had pointed an accusing hoof at her. Worse than this, he had done so while acting as a pawn of another pony. He was nothing more than a mindless pawn, an insect blocking her path. This disgusting insect sat across from her, accusing her from its powerless position. It was weak by itself, yet here it was, facing her with boldness, pathetic. It was an ant most likely. Clearly, it was an ant. She could see it quite distinctly. It was clean and cleaning itself further, grooming its antennae and scrawny legs with its mandibles. It was neat and orderly, maintaining its tunnels with cold precision. It was spineless, nothing more than a pitiful speck of mobile flesh. It was shallow, living only for the purpose of self-proliferation. It had no appreciation for the light, being born from pulsating mucous larvae in the blackness of Magicon's deception. The insect attempted to lie to protect its queen. Dawn knew what needed to be done to insects, all insects. She had seen her cats dispatch many of them before, this one was pathetically unintimidating. It's chattering mandibles continued spewing forth hateful and disgusting attempts at deception. There was no end to it. An ant. A disgusting, sniveling little ant. She would take no more of this abuse. Such a weak creature; she would snuff him out with just a flicker of magic, surgically extracting his life force and casting it in the air. She wondered how it would look. Probably, she thought, it would look like confetti, hundreds of thousands of pieces of shiny confetti. It would be so delightful, and she would throw a tea party to ensure that she could enjoy it completely. A tea party with her cats. The air filled with confetti. The ant's lifeless carcass would make such a wonderful and comfy settee. At least a half dozen cats would be able to enjoy her company, seated on a delightful blue settee. For the tea, most likely, something muted, subtlety tasty. Ah, she chastised herself. There would have to be an appetizer. Crumpets, salad, fruits, vegetables... No, no no... She chastised herself again. It would never do. Her cats required meat, they would never eat the things that ponies ate... That's why they hunted insects. She was sad. She would have to find a new settee. It was such a pity, too. The ant's blue fuzz would have complimented her own fur so nicely - the perfect settee. Now, she would have to turn the settee into something lovely for her cats to eat. How would she do it? It would have to be a quickly cooked meal. She wanted to get it prepared before the confetti had a chance to settle. Ants had such limited life force; the confetti would hardly last forever, even if she threw it as high into the air as it would go. Such a pity, she would have loved to prepare a good meal for her cats, something fancy. Now, she would have to think of a quicker meal. The ant's sickening mandibles had finally stopped their chattering. It was grooming itself again, the filthy hedonistic little monster. Her horn started to dimly glow, and her eyes began to glow with a muted crimson brilliance. Her mouth warped into a wide, toothy grin. She knew just how to cook the ant in a way that was most satisfying for her cats. They would delight in the feast, all of them, gathered around... There would be plenty for them all, she would make certain. She would use her magic. She would crack the creature's putrid form wide open. She would rip its flesh from its shell, discard all the hard parts. Magic would make the cooking easy. Magic always made cooking easy. She could heat it with magic. Her cats would not be served cold meat. She'd dice it with magic too. It would only take an instant. Ripping the soft flesh into pieces and then subdividing them until the pieces were small enough for her cats to nibble delicately on. Confetti would be falling, brilliant sparkling confetti. She would sing a song while she cooked. She had such a pretty voice. There would be some pleasant herbal tea. All of her beautiful kitties. Plenty of meat to go around. Perhaps, she might try some too. Through the feverish thoughts, a phrase echoed. Something the ant had said. It wouldn't stop repeating itself. Her horn stopped glowing, the grin faded. She closed her eyes and held them shut with her hooves. Still the noise kept going. She started to cry and she trembled with the weight of her silent tears. Her head was still in her hooves, but she could still see it. It was such a beautiful vision, her cats would be delighted. That irritating ant. Why did he have to ruin... She took her hooves from her eyes and looked towards the window, desperate for a glimpse of the light. Her breathing was fast, quiet, unsteady. For some time, she continued like this, until the crimson light in her eyes faded into her normal shade. She took a hoof and wiped away her tears. When she spoke, her voice was a whisper. "I 'm sorry. I'm... I'm not sure what came over me... That's what I meant earlier... My problems..." She laughed softly, grimly. "They go beyond missing memories. I have moments when... I don't know quite what's going on around me. When I see things that aren't really there... I'm sorry for everything, really. I'm a useless medical pony." "I'll tell you the answer to your question. When I went into Springer's room, I was looking for a light. I did see something that concerned me. He wasn't well. I could see that he wasn't well... I'm sorry for lying, but I was afraid of it. It was in there... That was the only reason that I had known to go there looking. I... I'm drawn to the light, and it was a light, just a dim light but it was a light. I could sense it. I thought that it was Springer getting better, but it wasn't. It was something else. I was scared... And... Just like I just did... I... I lost control. I ran away. I'm sorry... Springer... Please. Don't hate me." Of all of the tables in the dining car, the one that focused Vim's attention was the one where Lapis, Springer, and Dawn were speaking. Soon, they were joined by Asteria. From where he was, he couldn't quite make out the topic of the conversation, but he could clearly see that Dawn was becoming agitated, very agitated. Her response to whatever Lapis had said seemed strangely cold for the normally friendly unicorn. Vim shook his head. It looked, to him, that the search team was still ongoing, only, this time, they were focused on Dawn. He couldn't imagine what they'd hoped to find. Lapis spoke again. This time, Dawn's reaction was immediate. When Lapis finally stopped speaking, her horn began to glow. She was furious. Actually, judging by the expression on her face, she was insane, but the details didn't matter to Vim. With a sigh, Vim excused himself from his table, thankful that both of the mares were facing away from the brewing storm. He delayed his approach for a moment. He didn't want to disturb Dawn any more than she already was, but he was hardly about to sit idly while she cooked passengers, no matter what had been said. When she quieted down, Vim approached. Springer winced when Lapis's words came forth. In his mind, he could hear Vim's constant recriminations on how to be a decent pony. With his direct refusal, Lapis had done the exact same thing that Springer, himself, would have done at an earlier time. The researcher had cut straight to the point and held nothing back. Springer looked to his left to see Dawn's reaction. The unicorn was frozen, motionless and staring directly at the earth pony across from her. Her pupils were dilated, her gaze unwavering, her eyes unblinking. When Lapis finished talking, her immediate reaction was to begin some type of spell. Her mouth formed an expression that he had never seen on a pony's face, and one that he was certain did not belong there. Springer blinked and prepared for the worst. Lapis had failed. Magicon would be needed to save them all. If Magicon failed as well, then Lapis would probably die. Springer calmly took a sip of his drink while he considered things. Most likely, Springer thought, he would die too. So would Asteria. They were all too close. Death. Ah, such were the wages of inefficiency. So many believed that it was cutting corners that was efficient, but he knew better. To be truly efficient, one could not cut corners. Efficiency without some type of constraint was useless. Lapis was only efficient on the surface. His methods cut even more than corners. Lapis had cut straight through everything. A straight line, Springer thought, was always the quickest way between two points but not when there was a wall in the way. Now, they would die. He pondered if Dawn had selected an efficient method for dispatching them. Something tasteful, he hoped, that would leave the train undamaged... A soft voice interrupted his thoughts. It was Dawn. She was apologizing. Springer nodded. The apology was an obligation. Killing other ponies decreased overall Equestrian efficiency. It was a thing to be avoided at all costs. That she had even appeared to be considering such an option was a sign that her thought processes were anything but efficient. Springer smiled. "Dawn, I see no reason to hate you. You are, I think, a foolish pony, terribly inefficient. However, in this case, you did not follow through on you inefficient thoughts. That was, of course, the right decision to make. Ah... And, you must forgive my friend. Lapis still has much to learn in the ways of efficiency, himself. Speaking of which, Dawn, I could never hate you. Hatred, among the emotions, is the least efficient. However, I would be quite pleased, in fact, if you could recall exactly what it was that..." The sound of a throat being cleared interrupted Springer's conversation. It was Vim. Smiling courteously, he spoke to the ponies at the table. "Excuse me, everypony. Lapis, Springer... I would really like to speak with the two of you out in the hall for a moment. You know, just a friendly little chat." He didn't speak another word. Instead, Vim started walking for the door leading to passenger car three, trusting that both ponies would follow. Springer sank in his seat, at first, but then, dutifully, followed. He spoke to Lapis, when Vim was out of earshot. "For the love of Celestia... Let me do the talking, please... I already know what he's going to say..." Dawn looked sorrowfully around, and then started eating her sandwich. It tasted pretty good, she thought, much better than Lapis would have tasted.

*peeks in thread* *pony... butts...* Really? Really guiz? Look. Ponies are hot and all, but let's try and stay sane, oks? (And, yeah, if you are talking about a mod action, please open a support ticket.)

Well, that could be a point of conflict! See, my nature doesn't derive from flawlessness, actually, but from something else - something a bit more complex. Sooo, rather than my core fabric being tainted and stained, there's the possibility that it'd work the other way around... Just imagine how screwy it would be (no pun intended)? A conscience for a conscience! Just imagine it... Losing all that you hold dear to join me in boring-land. Maybe this is my plan... =D Now, now, now... Zoopy! Bad Zoopy! Don't make Key Gear get the anti-Zoop orbital cannon. Let's take a look at something... And... A screencap. Just to make certain... Zoop. You have been revealed. You should never have told me your secrets. : ( Well, you would, wouldn't you...

Zooooop. Come on now. I'm not your conscience, how would you know whether I am good or not for such a task? You've seen me around here... You know, I'm a good pony. Maybe not perfect... But the purpose of a conscience is to advise, not to control. ... What do you imply, Zoop? Alsoooo... What makes you so sure that those that want me as their conscience wouldn't be ok with these "terrible things". I mean... Sure... Walls of text... RP posts... Yeah, I'd probably advocate for those, but... Hmmm. Not much else "bad". Anyways, I would take @~Chaotic Discord~. His only downside is that he can't remember that Key Gear is a mare! But, the plusses outweigh the cons: Best pony is Dash. Hottest pony is Spitfire. Best filly is Scootaloo. Discord is best villain. Batman Beyond was SO AWESOME! Power Puff Girlz ROCK! Soooo many other things! It would be like having myself for my own conscience. I would just have to make gender corrections every once in a while.

Far from being annoyed by Dawn's retort, Key just barely managed to contain her her grin. The exchange had reminded her of almost the same short conversation that she'd had with her brother on the previous day, before they'd known that they were siblings. In her experience, it was rare to find ponies that took her lighthearted ribbing and managed to say something decently amusing in response. To Dawn's credit he managed this, and he earned extra points by actually having return the same wry humor. She neither noticed nor cared that Dawn had trailed off. His answer seemed mundane enough. A penny-ante job at a diner would be the perfect place to pick up some skills in a kitchen, and the weather team occupation was a reasonable enough explanation for his athleticism. She did wonder about him though, because it just seemed to her that both Alex and Flow had seemed far more enthusiastic in describing their occupations on the previous day. They were all pegasus ponies. Key thought that they all loved their work... It was the second time in a row that he had trailed off. Key winced in annoyance and then looked surprised. Her own reaction was perplexing to her. Just a few days earlier, she had been just as awkward as Dawn. Expressing herself wasn't something that had come easily to her, but now, after just a day of getting forced into awkward conversations, Key was beginning to feel much more comfortable with her words and actions. Because of this, she was now becoming easily agitated with ponies that hesitated while speaking. It seemed ironic to her. Key winced again. This time, to her, it seemed as though he had trailed off even more awkwardly than before. She wanted to grab him and shake him until he finished the first sentence. It was almost traumatizing when he continued without saying what or who it was that he had taught. Instead, he offered the more general "others" and then he explained that he was a general flight instructor for young ponies. She didn't buy it, mostly because he'd done such a horrible job selling it that his store was now closed. Her memories of her own failed efforts at being social came back in full force, and she recalled something important. When she had been at her most awkward - trailing off, changing subjects - it was because she had been trying to hide something. Now, watching Dawn, she saw how obvious it must have been to the other passengers onboard the train when she had made use of the same tactic. It was a terribly transparent way to attempt to avoid a subject. Key thought to herself that it was probably better to just outright lie than it was to get stuck looking like a silly pony, which is what Dawn was, unintentionally, looking like right at that moment. She relished the thought of confronting him more than she should have. To her, it was just like she'd been given a chance to confront herself from the previous day. Being deceptive by omission was a terrible tactic. She considered her public confession of being a thief to be one of the best things that she had done since boarding the train. "Huh..." Key was taken off guard. She had been completely ready to continue with the conversation focused on Dawn, but he had managed to switch the focus back to her before she could respond. On the inside, she sighed. She should have seen it coming. Changing the focus of the conversation to the other pony was another tactic that she had used in order to evade personal questions. Now, she was faced with a small dilemma. It wouldn't do her any good to rudely refocus on Dawn. It would be far too obvious that she was snooping. Instead, she decided to take a different approach. Dawn didn't know that Key was a thief... He also didn't know anything else about her. Yet, at that point, this information was common knowledge among the other passenger's on the train. Key figured that she could share this seemingly personal information with him to win social "points" in the conversation. It seemed rather revealing, but the truth was that she had very little to lose by sharing what was already common knowledge to the original passengers. Key had looked away while she had spent the last minute thinking. Now, she allowed the moment to drag out another few seconds before she finally spoke. "Ah, well... Yeah, I guess I'm fairly athletic. It's not really because of any job that I have though. My 'job' at the moment is basically just fixing things when they break and the occasional locksmithing." She stopped and laughed. "Actually, I'd be a fat pony right about now if I wasn't active by nature." It was true, and she had only realized it right then. Her actual occupation didn't really require much moving around, but she had the habit of pacing, going faster than most ponies would, and just being all-around energetic when she was focused on a problem. She also had the habit of missing meals. It was easy for her to do this because her work generally required being able to concentrate for long periods of time, trying to solve problems that could only be solved with slow, steady thought and experimentation. Both habits led to her present appearance. She took a moment to peer at her reflection in a plate nearby. She was definitely more wiry than a normal filly of her age but nowhere near as haggardly as she had been in Manehattan at her worst. She couldn't even imagine how she would have looked after gaining enough weight to make her fat. She snickered again at the mental picture. "Yeah, I'd look pretty silly if I was chubby, like a fish, maybe, because I'm blue and stuff." It wasn't really an attempt at humor, but she hoped it was funny nonetheless. When she continued, she unconsciously became more serious. Her smile dropped from her face. Her statement yesterday had been the first time that she'd ever purposely admitted to her actions to a total strangers. Telling Dawn now was still a task in and of itself, even though it was something that she didn't consider to be majorly important. "Well, probably the real reason that I seem athletic is because, before I started with having a shop, I was actually a thief. I stole stuff... Because I didn't have a home, I needed to eat. I also got in a few fights... Eh... Maybe a lot... I don't even think I won half of them, but I learned how to run away. Now, that's pretty good for getting athletic, I think." Key laughed. While she laughed, she also went back over what she had just said. It seemed like she had revealed just a bit more than she had originally intended to, but she didn't care. Strangely, Key didn't mind Dawn. He just didn't seem like a judgmental pony. Key reflected that it didn't really seem like he was a digger like Lapis, either. Dawn... He had his own secrets to keep, just as she had her own. The realization, the similarity between them, led to a change in her plans. Before she continued speaking, she sat in silence for a few seconds. She thought about Dawn. Compared to the others on the train, he seemed to have a different perspective on her. She hadn't paid much consideration to them at the time, but his earlier words came back to her. He had complimented her leadership... It was an unusual remark, now that she thought about it, and it was the first time that anypony had made it to her. Dawn was, plainly, the older of the two of them, even if it was only by a few years. He also had, if Key was to be the judge, a strong personality. For him to do what she said without questioning and to complement her leadership, she must have really made an impact on him. Now that she'd thought about it, she knew why she felt like changing her approach. Dawn had, just in those few moments shown a surprising amount of loyalty to her. His respect for her as a leader meant that he had considered her a pony to be looked up to. Key decided to take a gamble. Even her brother didn't really consider her as a pony to look up to. Of the two of them, Key was certain that it was her that looked up to him, making it impossible for things to work any other way. A pony that thought that she was a worthwhile leader would be a valuable friend and ally, indeed. Key cleared her throat. "Actually, Dawn... Yeah, well, just now I told you that I stole stuff. Eh... The truth is that I stole a lot of stuff... There was a time in my life where... When I needed to, I might have taken some pretty valuable items from a few places. Every once in a while, I had to do some stuff that I'm not particularly proud of in order to make things work out. I'm only telling you this because... Well... I think that you're a pony that could appreciate the importance of keeping a secret." "See, Dawn... I think that I can tell that you're carrying some kind of burden that you don't want to share. I can tell because I am too, so I can recognize the signs. You trailed off a lot... You didn't finish an important sentence. Then, you turned the conversation back to me. All of that sounds like a pony that is avoiding something, probably because you're afraid of what others would think... Well... I just told you something about me that nopony knows, not even my own brother. Do you think any less of me?" She charged ahead without waiting for an answer, she was certain that she knew it already. "Trading trust... I think that's sort of what it is. You're a pony like me. I think that we could possibly help each other. Earlier, you started to say that you taught somepony something? Then, you changed the subject? So... Who did you really teach? And, what happened? Just like I trusted you enough to tell you something... You should trust me enough to tell me something..." He was dimly aware of the conversation and activities occurring in the other areas of the dining car, but Dusky ignored them. He was here with purpose, with an objective, it made no sense to deviate from his focus to pay heed to the minor concerns of others, concerns that likely had nothing to do with him at all. He was the train's engineer. It was generally Ambrosia that busied herself in sorting out the business of others, not him. The social wellbeing of the passengers was not his problem. Dusky paid careful attention to Ice Storm while she spoke. In her mention of abandonment in Fillydelphia, her words carried with them the hint of a story, a story of endurance, perhaps, because she had managed to make it to where she was today. His curiosity was piqued but he said nothing, allowing Ice Storm to finish completely before he continued speaking. "Frozen Delights?" Despite himself, Dusky was intrigued by the thought of frozen confections. "Hmmm.... Do you have any of these frozen treats that come in unsweetened varieties? I'm not overly fond of sweets myself... I prefer the broader tastes available to the palate." Dusky smiled courteously and waited for Ice to respond before continuing. "It's interesting to me that you mention Fillydelphia. During my time as a train engineer... I've made a few stops there. On one of these occasions, we had some rather severe mechanical issues, similar to the ones encountered by this train, but... More severe. I had to stay in the city for a few days at that time." Dusky shook his head. "I'm not a creature of the big city environment. It is... Fast, thoughtless, harsh. It isn't like a place like Ponyville. In Ponyville, even I may walk, going about my business without other ponies taking note of the fact that... In truth, I am a rather unusual pony." "Fillydelphia was nothing like this. When I was stuck in that place, everywhere I went somepony saw fit to remark on my appearance. I was ostracized. Hmmmm... I suppose that I do look odd. I'm rather tall for a pony, and my color scheme is rather... Gloomy... Drab... I can understand why some would find this unusual. Perhaps, even intimidating when combined with my formal nature? However, I don't believe that I can be held accountable for either factor. My origins are what contributed to making me what I was at that time and the pony that I am today. I see no reason to alter my own nature to please the limited perceptions of others." Dusky took a moment to nibble on his vegetable sandwich. "I think that... Origins are essential to reaching an understanding of oneself. We are all but products of a complex series of events leading up to the present. Even the smallest action or inaction may result in a future event of a size and magnitude that are vastly greater than the original occurrence." Dusky took a hoof and gently tapped the side of his glass. "The things that influence us are like waves, building on themselves, shaping the sands on the beaches of our existences. Tell me, Ice Storm... You say that you were abandoned in Fillydelphia? I can understand if you would prefer to not dwell on such things, but..." He stopped and took a sip of his drink. "I think that the occasional meditation on the past is what allows us to move forward into the future with a full and complete understanding of what truly happened. Besides this... I can tell you... I'm not fond of Fillydelphia. If you have a story to tell, then you will, in me, find a sympathetic ear." Ambrosia was more than happy to welcome Wind Dancer. However, she recognized immediately that the pegasus pony was rather shy. It was all too obvious, so she decided to temper her own response to take this into account. "Oh no, I don't mind at all! I'm the train's cook, actually. And, this is Electrobolt, the train's assistant conductor... Well, one of them anyway. Springer's the other one, and he's right over there." She gestured at the pegasus at the table that was diagonal to their own. "Why don't you sit by me? Electrobolt was just about to go grab some plates for us, so I don't think that he'd mind grabbing one for you too?" Ambrosia beamed at the Electrobolt and winked. Then, she spoke to the pegasus pony as welcomingly as she could. "Ooops! I almost forgot! My name's actually Ambrosia, and it's a pleasure to meet you. What's your name? And... What brings you to the Los Pegasus Express?" Even as she greeted Wind Dancer, she kept an ear on Dusky's activities across the aisle, and she was becomingly increasingly aware of the activities at Springer's table. While Lapis spoke, Springer did his best to maintain a neutral expression. It was his intention that his seating position would prevent an easy escape, but at the same time, he didn't want Dawn to feel as though she was being attacked. Unfortunately, he remained completely unaware of her growing sense of distress while Lapis spoke. Instead, his reaction was reserved for when Lapis mentioned something unexpected. Springer's red eyes flared for a nearly unnoticeable fraction of a second. To his knowledge, Lapis had been tasked with asking questions and asking questions alone. The revelation of any information that was not required for asking these questions was not only inefficient, but it held the potential for destroying the value of any data that they obtained from Dawn. The entire idea in approaching Dawn with just the two of them had been to avoid entanglement with any of Dawn's preconceptions and to avoid the appearance that there were a number of ponies involved in the present action. Now, Magicon's involvement had been clearly illustrated. The subtle nature of Magicon's involvement was now comprimised. Springer had no doubt that Dawn was intelligent enough to make the connection. He frowned and looked off into space as he prepared to listen carefully to Dawn's reaction. Her answer seemed, to Springer, to be lacking in information. He was certain that he had been sleeping extremely poorly. As a medical pony, Dawn should have noticed. There was no reason for her to not be aware of it. Even with his own, rudimentary, training in first aid, he knew enough to recognize the signs of a pony in distress. He was further surprised when she mentioned that she had been having memory problems. He was both surprised and concerned, but he filed his thoughts away until a later time. Springer noted that she seemed to have nearly completely forgotten about his presence directly next to her. In fact, it seemed like she was, herself, a train. Springer knew a lot about trains, they were his purpose and his passion. He knew enough to recognize one when he saw one, and Dawn was reminding him of one in that moment. She was focused, narrowly, only on Lapis. The mare was so unaware of her surroundings that she hadn't even reacted when food was placed right in front of her. Ignoring his food was a luxury that Springer would not indulge in. He, himself, started on both sandwiches as soon as they arrived. He noticed the arrival of Ambrosia and Electrobolt, but chose to ignore it. He only had a limited amount of concentration available. Focusing on his food and Dawn's response was the most efficient course of action. He continued eating at a good pace even as Dawn trailed off. He had no idea of what she was about to say, but he looked at her to make certain that her horn wasn't glowing. When he saw her serious expression, he decided to return to the appearance of neutrality. It was all that Springer could do to resist commenting on the inefficiency of her idea. Keeping him safe was a noble goal, but he was not certain that it was worth her own reputation. He was also not certain that it was worth her sanity. Just as she had focused on Lapis, she now seemed fixated on Magicon. To Springer, it seemed like a dangerous situation. Two powerful unicorns, in an argument, could easily cause harm to themselves or other passengers, and Dawn was now venturing into antagonism. As Dawn's rant continued. Springer looked around, surveying the dining car. His gaze happened upon the cooly watchful eyes of Vim at the table directly in front of his own. He somewhat regretted looking around; the conductor's expression was unreadable. Springer cut in, but stumbled for the words that he needed to say to calm the angry mare. "Ummm... Wait a moment. Magicon... Ummm... Well..." He was already out of his comfort zone, speaking to other ponies without careful consideration was not something that he was skilled at, but he was certain that something needed to be said. He just couldn't find the words to say it. After a moment in contemplation, he finally managed. "Dawn... If you look at the original questions that Lapis asked, I think that you will see that they had nothing to do with Magicon? They were about me... And, no accusations are being made..." He trailed off.

"No kidding, it's raining nastily out there. The strangest thing about it is that I didn't even see the pegasus ponies move the clouds or anything. The storm just started going crazily. It was just like when I used to live near the Everfree Forest. That place would have weather, strange weather, all of the time. Well... I don't think that there's anything to this storm. Maybe this forest does that sometimes too? I wouldn't know, I've only been here for less than a year. Follow me, and you can meet the other guests." @,@@Starshine, @, She led Chrissie to the living room, where three other guests were gathered, waiting around. "Hello everypony, I would like to introduce Chrissie, and I have some towels if you're soggy. Hmm..." Misty noticed that Winterglade had wandered to an unpopulated area of the room and shook herself dry. She didn't say anything, but she noticed that the mare had shook herself dry in the carpeted area. She placed the towels in a neat stack on a small table to the right of a sofa. Just then, she heard another knock at the door. Misty went over to the door, and mindful of the weather, opened it slowly. Waiting at the door was a tall blue stallion with a dark mane. He was soaking because of the storm. "Oh, my... Please, come in! I have towels right over here! Ummm... This is rather unusual... What brings you out to the forest, friend?" She looked further to her left and saw another blue pony, a mare with a gray mane. "Oh! Both of you come in!" Misty ushered both of the ponies in and shut the door behind them. She had just turned away from the door when another knock was heard. Misty blinked. "Excuse me, everypony!" She opened the door again. This time, there was a unicorn with what seemed to be a grayish coat and a red mane and tail. "Oh my... Come in and dry yourself off! Ummm... Wait... Are there any other ponies outside besides yourself?"

Marrrcooooooo! This signature is awesome! :3 The Key has been doubled, and I am a happy pony. With that said, this has been, without a doubt, one of the most amusing live streams that I've seen. Only thing is... This is bad for my health. I need food and... Less laughing, because, dude, I was really in pain. XD

1101 My ponysona is female. I can do what I want.

Awww, come on. Get Pinkie on this case. What's up with this? I feel CHEATED! D: Let's DO EEET!

Oooo? There's a party!? LINK ME AND I'M DOWN FOR THIS! : o

Your contribution to this discussion is valuable, but I fear that I misunderstand the nature of your argument. I strongly request that you explain yourself in a way that is conducive to further exposition. In a participatory environment, the ability to provide adequate elucidation is valuable for the preservation of civilized society. Now. Let's dance.

That avatar is pure nightmare fuel... o_o Ewww, noooo... Boring color scheme. x_x

Hello Boop! Welcome to the site! I hope that you have a lengthy and wonderful stay with us! Anyways. There is something that you should know. There's a horrible thing that tends to happen when your name ends with "oop", so you may want to change it or you'll end up like this guy or this guy. o_o

Misty nodded considerately, the poor mare was totally drenched. "Oh! I'm sorry about that! I really should have offered. In fact, I think that I should probably bring something for the other guests to dry themselves off with as well. Everypony is completely drenched." She laughed. "It would make a mess of the cottage if everyone just went around soggy. Let's take a detour." She stopped by a hall closet and opened it. It was filled with towels, soap, and other things like that. "This cottage used to be a hotel. It isn't one anymore, but I still keep the supplies in just about the same places. Here you go!" She gave Chrissie a rather large, fluffy blue towel. "And... I'd better bring something for the other guests too." She stacked some other towels on her back. She didn't say anything, but she was happy that Chrissie had reminded her. Soggy furniture was a pain to clean.

"Hello Chrissie! It's nice to meet you!" Misty winced a bit at being called "Myst", the name sounded awkwards, but she wouldn't bother the new pony by commenting on it. She allowed Chrissie a few moments to marvel at the size of the home's interior. In truth, it was remarkably large. The cieling was comfortably tall for Celestia herself to nearly stand on her hind hooves. The area that they had entered was the kitchen. The kitchen was particularly impressive. It had a marble table in it for food preparations and quick meals. The counter space was extensive. There were numerous cabinets and drawers. A large chandelier was suspended in the middle of the room. Though, no lights were on at the moment, and the darkness obscured the room, casting shadows across the floor. Only the periodic lightening from the storm outside illuminated the room. Misty replied to the mare's question. "Oh no, you aren't the only one here!" She smiled welcomingly. "Actually, there are a bunch of ponies in the living room, right now. Would you like to meet them?" Without waiting for a response, she made her way back to the living room, assuming the Chrissie would follow. Key blinked. An attorney? If he was a defense attorney, then that would be good news. If he was a prosecuter, then that might still be good news, depending on how much he liked currency. Despite the rain, Key managed a cheery reply. "Wow, you're an attorney? Hey, that's neat! I thought about being an attorney once, but I didn't have the patience for it... Anyway... My name's Key Gear, and I think we need to get outta this rain!" A bolt of lightening dropped nearby, lighting up the surrounding area, including the unconscious pegasus pony and the two mares off to the side. Key had been too distracted by her own thoughts to notice them earlier. Now that she'd seen them, her only thought was simple. That pegasus stallion is way too pink... (OOC: I'mmmm baaack! :3 Sorry about the second lag. Don't worry. I'm active now.)