NeilWacaster

Hello everyone! I just finished the first chapter of a new fanfic idea, and would love to hear what you guys think: Chapter 1 Daring Do walked through the streets of Hoofingon determinedly, a mare on a mission. Her official title was forensic archaeologist with the Equestrian Museum of Archaeology, but everypony knew that she was much more. This, though, was out of her league. She could deal with any predatory animal. Tigers, pythons, manticores - she understood how their minds worked. But these stallions in suits were unpredictable. She didn’t know the rules of their game. It can’t be that difficult, she thought. Just talk them into giving you the authorization to go in and retrieve the artifacts. Easy. As she trotted up a long flight of marble stairs, she was struck by the sickening opulence of these bureaucrats. The city was crumbling around them, but they did nothing to help the ordinary citizens. Their administrative office building stood like a sparkling chandelier in a garbage dump. She stepped through the gigantic glass doors, and spoke briefly with the receptionist. Soon, she was gliding smoothly to the top floor in a cylindrical elevator. Her eyes were treated to a view of the of the metropolis - what little of it could be seen through the blanket of yellow smog. Many of the buildings were abandoned, their windows boarded up. The few structures that showed signs of life appeared to be casinos and brothels. Even now, Hoofington was still a tourist trap, perfect for the wealthy gentlecolt who wanted to enjoy a city with no rules. The elevator doors opened, and she was greeted by a line of sickeningly fake smiles, ponies arranged in a half circle around an enormous meeting table. “Good morning, Miss Do. What a pleasure to finally meet you.” “Likewise, Dr. Brownfield.” She shook his hoof. It was like touching the head of a poisonous snake. “Please, sit. There is much for us to discuss.” The oval room was covered in dark wood paneling, and the only light came from narrow windows. “Look. Just give me the paperwork to sign. I want to get to the artifacts out of that cave before the looters do,” she said, easing into a plush leather chair. “I’m sure you do. But the situation has grown … complicated.” She raised an eyebrow. “You sent me a scroll yesterday that said everything was under control.” He ran a hoof through his mane. “Yes, well. There’s been a bit of a misunderstanding with the rebels. They’ve decided to make matters into their own hooves.” Her mind quickly reviewed all she knew about this situation. The entrance to the cavern had been discovered just three days ago by an amateur archaeologist. Poking around in an abandoned dig a few miles west of the city, he unearthed a small stone door. An inscription stated that it was the entrance to the treasury of King Leonidas II, and that all his wealth was buried within, known to be worth many billions of bits. The amateur had tried to enter, but chickened out when he sprung a protective trap and narrowly missed being decapitated. All would be well if he had kept his big mouth shut. But, like a fool, he had taken the news straight to the press, and soon the entire world knew of the discovery. Despite the military guard posted around the perimeter, the Hoofington government had received a serious threat from the Iron Wings, a local paramilitary organization. They had demanded to be allowed to enter and retrieve the treasure. “So, what happened?” she asked, expecting the worst. “The guards around the cave were ambushed last night by Iron Wing troops. They’ve taken dozens of our soldiers captive, as well as a number of over curious civilians who were nearby when the attack took place. They are using the hostages as leverage. If we attack, their lives are forfeit.” Daring Do’s eyes narrowed. “What have you done to resolve this?” “What can we do? Every one of our available army units is stationed around the perimeter. But, shedding the blood of civilians is not an option. Some of them are just foals. They hold the trump card.” This is going to be much more difficult than I thought, Daring mused. Not that that’s unusual. “Their methods of archaeology are a little more direct than yours, Miss Do,” Dr. Brownfield said, cleaning his monocle with a handkerchief. “Even now, they are using magical energy weapons to blast their way through the traps set to guard the treasure. It’s only a matter of time before they reach their goal. “Officially, the city can do nothing. But unofficially …” he looked at the burnt-yellow pegasus, his narrow eyes reminiscent of a reptile. “I think I understand,” she said. “You want me to go in and get to the treasure before they do. Remove the prize, and their motivation disappears. We negotiate release of the hostages, and nopony gets hurt.” “Precisely. Can you help us?” It was far too dangerous. Her enemies would be armed with tremendous firepower and a license to kill. She had read about the atrocities the Iron Wings had committed in the past. With them, she would be lucky to get a bullet through her skull. But then, her mind turned to the hostages trapped by those monsters. She imagined a group of foals huddled together, cowering in fear from grinning soldiers holding assault rifles. It was simple, really. Those artifacts must be protected, those foals had to be saved, and she was the only pony in the world with the experience to handle such a deadly maze. She had already made her decision. “I’ll do it. How am I going in?” The ponies sitting across from her looked uncomfortable. Brownfield chuckled nervously. “That is the question of the hour, Miss Do.” She was indignant. “You expect me to sneak past an entire army of insurgents, into a cave filled with death traps, past a group of soldiers armed with magical energy weapons, and remove hundreds of pounds of treasure, without being seen? Are you out of your minds?” “The resources of the city are at your disposal …” “You don’t understand. What you’re asking me to do isn’t madness. It’s suicide.” “Be reasonable, Miss Do,” Dr. Brownfield said, lighting a cigar. “Perhaps I didn’t make myself clear. If it’s money you want, name your price.” She stood to her hooves, irate. “What do you take me for, a bounty hunter? I’m not doing this for monetary gain, but for ...” She stopped short. Alright. If that’s the way they work in this town, then I’ll play their little game. “Wait. How much money are we talking about?” The monocled pony smiled, blowing out a cloud of smoke. “Now we’re talking.”

HAHAHAHAHA. Now you just have to wait for the second seal of approval, and you'll be free to jump into the crossover section.

That's awesome! Congrats Partheus!

Shining Armor's eyes sparked. "I never turn down an opportunity for swordplay, so consider your challenge accepted." Grinning, he slapped Partheus on the shoulder. "But be forewarned, I won't take it easy on you just because you're a human." Shining Armor and Partheus walked down out of the tower together, and parted ways at the foot of the staircase. --- By midafternoon, Newsworthy had eaten a hearty breakfast and lunch, and had slept soundly for several more hours. His body now just ached all over, and any movement that jostled his wings was painful. The doctor had wrapped his torso so that his wings couldn't move, but even so, he had to walk slowly and carefully. After he signed yet another piece of paperwork, they finally let him free from the hospital. He strolled out into the late afternoon air, and took the route that Twilight had told him about. In about half an hour, he reached a small potion shop on the outskirts of town. The sorceress had had a small apartment just above, and Newsworthy climbed the stairs wearily. Just walking the dozen or so blocks from the hospital had been taxing. He knocked half-heartedly on the door. "Who's there?" Twilight called from inside. "It's me." The door was immediately enveloped in pink magic and swung inward. Twilight sat on the floor, hundreds of books stacked around her in a half moon. She wasn't kidding about the mountain of scrolls, he thought, seeing the enormous stack behind her. The thick dust in the air made it look like she was sitting in a pillar of sunlight, streaming in from a large round window overhead. She looked up at him, smiling. Several dark lines under her eyes showed that she still hadn't slept. "You look almost as tired as I feel," she said, yawning cavernously. "No kidding, although with me it's mostly just soreness, rather than lack of sleep," Newsworthy said, carefully lowering himself to the floor beside her. "So, what did you find?" Reverently, she opened a huge book nearby and searched for the appropriate page. "Aha, here we are." The book was hoof written in a decorative script. It had to be at least several hundred years old to have been made before the advent of the printing press. At the top of the page, the chapter name read, "Advanced Spells for Dragon Hunting." She pointed with a hoof to a mess of notes in the margins. "Look, here. This is the spell that will save Equestria." He squinted at the tiny scrawl. It was barely even readable, and it looked like it had been started and crossed out about a dozen times before the sorceress had gotten it right. Twilight explained that it was an ingenious modification of the classic balefire counterspell, with obscure bits of dissolution and hydrolytics thrown in to deal with the special properties of Sagittarius' magic. "That's ... great," Newsworthy said, mixed emotions churning through him. On the one hoof, she had found the spell that could stop Sagittarius. On the other hoof, if she used it, it was almost certain to end her life. "Now that I have the spell that she used, I've been trying to figure out how to modify it to counter the spell remnants ravaging Manehattan," she said, floating a scroll over. "Of course, I don't need the full effect, and I need it to be dispersed over an extremely wide area. That's going to be difficult, but I think that I've almost got it. I may need Professor Deathwish's help to get it precisely right." "Does that mean we're headed back to Manehattan today?" Newsworthy asked. "Yes, as soon as I finish. It may take another hour or two." she replied. "Alright then. I passed by a chariot station on my way here. I'll go order one to be ready and waiting for us." --- Having nothing better to do while he waited for Twilight to finish her work, Newsworthy took a look inside the potion shop. The walls were packed with shelves holding vials of liquid in every color imaginable. He spent over an hour just going through the wares. There were potions to cure warts, to be able to see through walls, and to clean laundry instantly. There were vials which claimed they could make you forget, make you remember, make you handsome, and make you fall in love. He was standing in front of a rack of protection potions when Twilight popped her head in the door. "The charioteers said I could find you in here. They're helping me carry down the books I need, and then I'm ready to leave." "I'll be right there." He turned back to the vials. One in particular caught his eye. "Stealthy Hooves: Potion renders one pony completely invisible for several minutes." That sounds like it could be useful if I have to run away from Sagittarius, he said to himself, dropping it into his bag. It's not like the unicorn will miss it, poor girl. He walked outside and clambered into the chariot. Soon, Twilight and the two pegasi returned, each laden with a large stack of books and scrolls. They loaded them in the trunk, and the charioteers strapped themselves in. Soon, they were in the air. Almost immediately, Twilight and Newsworthy fell asleep.

Shining Armor rushed over to look at Partheus' burns. "I guess I got a little carried away," he said, sheepishly. "I shouldn't have cast something so powerful for your first counterspell practice. You were doing so well with the other new skills that I overestimated your ability. And yes, that will be all for this day." He pulled a medical kit from the wall and opened a package which contained glowing white bandages. He quickly rolled up Partheus' sleeves with a spell and wrapped his arms with the cloths. "There now," he said, smiling kindly. "Firebane bandages. That should make you feel much better. Now, before you come back to see me again, I want you to practice what you have learned. Perhaps you should ask Twilight or one of the other mages to work with you. I'm taking a contingent of soldiers to Appleoosa and checking on their wartime preparations, so I'll be gone until tomorrow night." He glanced down at Partheus' side. "By the way," the unicorn said, "what have you learned about your sword? I'm sure that Celestia's enchantment makes it a very powerful weapon."

Shining Armor looked concerned. "If you're sure you're alright, then yes, there's one more type of magic that I wanted to teach you today. It's by far the most intricate, and takes a lifetime to master. The counterspell." Shining Armor went on to explain that there were four basic types of magical energy attacks, corresponding to the elements of water, air, earth and fire. He continued that each one of these types of energy had a specific incantation to counter it, and explained what parts of the incantation were to be modified depending on the size of the attack and what variant of the type of element being used. "Now, I know that it will take time for you to memorize all four spells, so we'll just concentrate on one of them today. Sagittarius uses balefire, so lets start by countering basic fire attacks. Celestia told me that she has sent Twilight to find a spell to counter the specific type of spell The Hunter uses, but we'll just work on the basics until she returns." He pulled a lever, and three balls of fire shot from a magical energy cannon mounted on the wall. His horn glowed brightly, and a few feet from him the spells exploded in a small, harmless fireworks display. "Alright, now it's your turn," the captain grinned. He shot a large jet of flame toward Partheus.

Shining Armor picked up a huge oak table from across the room and flung it at Partheus. His eyes narrowed. This would be a real test of not only his concentration, but also of his raw power. Few magic users would be strong enough to stop such a projectile.

Shining Armor looked genuinely impressed. "Ah ... yes. Something like that, indeed." He was looking at Partheus curiously. Something had clearly changed since the last time they had met, but what? Before he was an angry, unstable magic user who could barely keep a shield around himself. And now ... but soon enough it would all be clear. "We shall come back and practice all of these different spells, but since you have already mastered that one, lets move on to the next lesson." His horn glowing, he cast a thick pink sphere around himself and Partheus. "Area effect spells, a variant of the shield I taught you last time, are my specialty. The main difference is that area effect spells are relatively permanent and stationary, whereas shields are very short-lived and move with you." He looked at Partheus gravely. "Many times in battle, I have used one of these spells to protect an injured comrade. Unlike a basic shield, it is impervious to almost any ordinary attack, and there are several different types depending on what type of magical energy is being used against you. They are extremely powerful, but come with their cost. It takes a great deal of mental effort to maintain one, making it exceptionally difficult to use other spells simultaneously." He released the spell, and the shield shattered, drifting away in wisps of fog. Shining Armor went on to explain special incantations for different types of area effect spells, depending on what type of energy you were blocking, if you needed to block light or sound with the spell, and if you were inside or outside of the perimeter. "Now, I know that's a lot to take in all at once," the unicorn said as he finished, "but trust me, in time it'll be as natural to you as breathing. Now, cast one around yourself, and I will try to break through."

The unicorn just smiled. "Nay, Partheus. Now that you are on your guard, there is nothing more for me to teach from these games. You should just be praying to Celestia that your foes use a trick as simple as that to break your concentration." "Now," he continued, "I am going to show you one of my favorite magic spells. Twilight said you already know basic levitation, so you should pick this up quickly." He picked up about a dozen daggers, arranging them into a spinning formation around himself. "Attraction spells are especially effective, because they serve as both shield and weapon. They can be performed with a small amount of medium sized objects, as you see here, or a large amount of small items, such as grains of sand or shards of glass." He floated a spear toward himself with a separate spell, acting as if he was an attacker. He blocked and parried with some of the daggers, stabbing the imaginary foe. The daggers broke formation and floated over to Partheus' feet. "Give it a try."

Shining Armor nodded in approval. "Very good technique. And I hope to Celestia that what you tell me of your morals is true. If you truly have learned from Twilight and her friends, then you have a strong character, indeed." Abruptly, he threw Partheus off his feet and brought a large round shield spinning towards him. We shall see how his concentration holds now.

When Shining Armor drew himself up to his full height, he was almost as tall as the human. "With all you've been through, I have no doubt about your adventuring ability. It's your character that I must judge." He picked up a sword with his magic, and pointed it at Partheus. "But a little toughness never hurt anypony. On your guard!" With that, he swung the blade at Partheus' throat.

Newsworthy awoke to the sound of something beeping near his head. He groaned. Now not only did every muscle hurt, but he had a crushing migraine as well. Wonderful. "Newsworthy! Oh thank Celestia, you're awake!" He squinted at the pony next to him, his vision slowly clearing. "Twilight? What ..." "You should have told me you were so exhausted! I never should have let you carry me so far without resting. I'm so sorry." He began to remember what had happened. "How long was I out?" "About an hour. I had you taken straight to the hospital, of course." "Oh." He tried to think. What was it we're in Fillydelphia for, anyway? Oh. Yes. The counterspell. Right. "Did you find ... what you were looking for?" Twilight looked indignant. "Of course not! I've been sitting here next to you praying to the goddesses that you would recover!" "I'll be fine," he said, unconvincingly. "I did this so you could find that spell. No need to waste this opportunity just for little old me." "You're insane, Newsworthy. I'm going to stay right here until ..." A nurse in a white gown came in, looking irritated. "Visiting hours are over, and your friend needs his rest." "But he has nopony else here to take care of him!" "Are you related to him?" she asked, coldly. "Well no ..." "Only family members and significant others are allowed to stay in a patient's room after visiting hours. So unless you're his fillyfriend, you're technically trespassing on hospital property." Newsworthy winced. If she claimed that he was her coltfriend so she could stay for the night, he would never hear the end of it from Partheus. She sighed deeply. "No, we're just ... friends." The nurse chuckled. "We'll take good care of him, Miss Sparkle, don't worry. Now you go find a room in one of the hotels in town." She turned to Newsworthy with a sharp glare. "And you. Go back to sleep this instant. I can't believe your 'friend' made you carry her nearly ten hours yesterday with no food or water since breakfast. You're lucky to be alive." "Go on, Twilight," Newsworthy said, closing his eyes. "I'll see you ... in the morning ..." --- Newsworthy woke up the next day, feeling a little bit better. He rubbed his eyes and took a good look around him. The sun was still low in the sky, so it was just now early morning. He was hooked up with a number of tubes in his forelegs, administering fluids and medicine, from what he could tell. A doctor came to see him a few minutes later. His prognosis was that the pegasus would be free to leave the hospital later that day, after a few more hours of rest and if he could keep down some food. "Drink plenty of fluids," the doctor commanded. "And no alcohol for a week. You definitely don't need to be imbibing anything that would make you more dehydrated. Finally, absolutely no strenuous activity for at least a couple of days. No flying, no running, no lifting heavy objects. You got that?" Newsworthy nodded, laying back on the pillow. All he wanted was to sleep. Just as he drifted off, he heard hoofsteps galloping up to his room, and burst through the door. "Newsworthy! Are you OK? What did the doctor say? Will you be able to leave today?" "Mmph. Twilight ... the doctor said for me to sleep ..." Too excited to let him finish, she interrupted, "Great! Just great! You'll never guess what I found at the unicorn's house! A Grisvox spell! From before the time of the princesses! I thought every copy in the kingdom had been destroyed!" He smiled feebly. "That's great. So now, Sagittarius has met his match." "What?" she asked. "Are you kidding?" Newsworthy just looked at her in confusion. "Oh, right. You're not a magic user. Silly me." She pulled out a dusty, ancient scroll from her bag and lay it before him. The letters on it shimmered with a magical silver light. "Just look at it! Perfectly preserved, after thousands of years!" "Twilight, it's very nice. But what does it do?" "It grants the caster the ability to transform into any shape. Long ago, it was used to infiltrate a palace and overthrow a queen, making the assassin look just like any normal palace guard. The new king had every copy of the spell destroyed, so that it could never be used against him. This must have been his own personal copy that he saved. I can't believe it, I just can't believe it!" Newsworthy sighed. "So ... this isn't the spell you were looking for." "Of course not. How would me looking like somepony else help me defeat The Hunter?" "Oh, it's fine, Twilight. I just ASSUMED when you came in here all excited that you had found the counterspell." "Heavens no! I've been up all night searching, and I still have over a hundred spell books and a mountain of scrolls to go through. This was just the most interesting one so far." "And you came back here, because ..." Newsworthy gestured, trying to get her to tell him what was going on. "Visiting hours just reopened for the morning, duh." Newsworthy facehoofed. "Alright, listen. I really appreciate you coming to check on me and all, and your new toy is very nice, but the doctor said I need to sleep for a few more hours before I can leave. As much as I'd like to discuss the Grimlax spell, or whatever it was, you have a job to do, and I need to get some more rest." "You're right," she said, a little put out. "When you're finished lazing about in bed, come on down to the unicorn's house. Hopefully I'll have an answer by the time you're discharged." She quickly gave him directions, and bid him farewell. Soon, he drifted into a dreamless sleep. --- The captain of the royal guard was polishing his armor when Partheus arrived. "Ah, good morning, my friend! Partheus, was it?" He quickly put away his polishing rag and began to don his armor. As he did this, attempted to make conversation. "Let me just say, you couldn't have picked a better fillyfriend than my little sis. I'm so happy for her." He looked at Partheus critically. "I look forward to seeing what you're made of. A brother has to watch out for his sister, if you catch my drift."

Newsworthy was saddened that his friends flew off and left him without even saying goodbye. I thought they cared more than that. "Hey, you OK?" He looked up, realizing that he was left alone on the balcony with Twilight. Oh no. This isn't going to be awkward at all. "I'll be fine," he sighed. "It sure doesn't sound like it." Twilight looked concerned. "You've had a really rough couple of days, from what I've heard." "I still haven't gotten over almost letting Partheus die." Let's not even get into all these love triangles. Twilight grasped his hoof to get his attention, and looked at him carefully, emphasizing her words. "Look. He didn't die. You can't blame yourself for murder if the murder never took place." Those eyes. She looked so earnest, so pleading. No wonder Partheus had fallen for her. "You know what? You're right. I just need to put everything that's happened these past few days behind me and focus on the future." "That's better!" Twilight smiled broadly. "Now, Celestia told me to go to Manehattan today and see if I can help the other mages counter the balefire spell. I could just use a royal chariot, but I thought you might like to take me." Newsworthy raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Really?" "Sure! You seem like a strong flier. I'm not too heavy to ride you there, am I?" Newsworthy grinned. Now I can't say no, or she'll say I think she's fat. She's good. "I'd love to." "Great! Let me just get my spellbook and we'll be on our way." --- Newsworthy was getting tired after a few hours of flying, so they stopped to rest on a tall hill a few miles away from their destination. A cloud of smoke rose from the pyre that was once Equestria's largest city. Formerly a major center of industry, it stretched before them, charred, barren, broken. Twilight's eyes glistened. "I've never been to Manehattan before, but I've heard about it from Applejack and seen pictures in my books ... a sight like this hasn't been seen in Equestria for millennia. And it should never have happened." Newsworthy nodded. "A tribute to what happens when gods let their anger get the best of them." "Now I know how you feel, Newsy." He looked at her in surprise, as much because she used a pet name for him as that she claimed to know how he felt. "What makes you say that?" "If I had been here, then I might have been able to stop The Hunter." "But nopony knew that would happen! There was no way to know that you needed to be in this spot at that particular time to prevent ..." She just looked at him. "Oh." --- They flew into the city to the makeshift headquarters of the Manehattan Sorcerer's Society. Even their powerful wards had been unable to protect their original building from the balefire malestrom, and so they were making do with an abandoned restaurant. Twilight showed the guards her royal pass. When they questioned if Newsworthy could enter, she just smiled. "He's with me." Wow, that little piece of paper can get you anywhere. I should see if I can procure one. It would make some reporting jobs much easier. Entering the building, they were approached by a grey unicorn in black robes. "Twilight Sparkle. We've been expecting you." "Hello, Professor Deathwish. What a pleasure to see you again." "We are in desperate need of your expertise with dissolution spells, Miss Sparkle. We've tried everything, but can't stop the advance of the spell remnants. Over two-thirds of the city has been completely consumed. If we don't act quickly, the rest is sure to fall." "Dissolution spells? I'm surprised you would ask me, as you're Equestria's resident expert on those magics." She smiled, remembering something. "Why, it seems like just yesterday that you were teaching me to make supersaturated solutions in the School for Gifted Unicorns!" He looked down at her with disdain. "After becoming Head Mage of the Manehattan Sorcerer's Society, I have no time for teaching foals. Please do not speak of that embarrassing blight on my career." She looked down at her hooves, stung by the harsh rebuke. "Well, alright. But why do you need my help?" "The balefire spell used is a peculiar one of supernatural origin. Combining aspects of aquatic dispulsion, consternum, and evocation magic, we have tried using respondium and dissolution techniques to dissipate the ..." Newsworthy had absolutely no idea what was being said. However, Twilight appeared totally engrossed in the conversation, making frequent comments and suggestions. The professor scratched his chin in deep thought, nodding occasionally, but countering every one of Twilights solutions by saying, "We tried that," or "No, that simply won't do ..." Newsworthy sincerely wished that he could just curl up on a nice, soft mattress and sleep while the magicians talked. He had not been getting nearly enough shuteye since the attacks, and even when he did sleep, his dreams were filled with half pony, half human figures with a penchant for murdering his friends. Needless to say, this was not particularly restful. Finally, Twilight seemed to be coming to a solution. She bit her lip, and Newsworthy could see the cogs in her head turning maddeningly. She began to speak rapidly, using words that Newsworthy had no hope of understanding. The professor's brow crinkled, the wrinkles on his forehead lumping together. "Yes ..." he finally said, smirking. "Now that is pure genius, Miss Sparkle. Combining an hydrolytic spell with a dissolution enchantment." "Thank you!" she beamed. "It's a pity that I already thought of it." Twilight's face fell. He spoke sternly, "In fact, it's the first type of spell we discussed over an hour ago. You have apparently forgotten that another name for 'hydrolytics' is 'aquatic dispulsion magic.' Somepony needs to brush up on her magic kindergarten vocabulary lessons." He glowered at her, his gaze absolutely terrifying. "I am sorely disappointed in you. I thought Celestia taught you better, but I was mistaken." He turned abruptly and strode out of the room. He paused at the door to call over his shoulder. "Feel free to go back to Canterlot, Miss Sparkle. Clearly, you have nothing to contribute here." Newsworthy's blood boiled. "How DARE he speak to you that way!? Why, if I were you, I'd give him a piece of my ... Twilight?" He looked over at the unicorn. She was sniffling quietly, tears streaming down her cheeks, her head hung low. Newsworthy placed a hoof reassuringly on her shoulder. "Hey. Twilight. Don't cry. It's alright." "No. It's not," she sobbed, barely even able to speak. "He's right. There's nothing I can do to save the city, or Equestria. I'm just not good enough." Newsworthy couldn't bear to see Twilight like this. He tried speak in a light tone, but inside, her anguish was tearing him apart. "Don't feel bad. All the best unicorns in Equestria are working overtime to find a counterspell. Just because you can't find one either doesn't make you a failure." "It's more than that." Twilight looked up at him, her eyes still brimming with tears. "Next to Celestia, Deathwish was my favorite teacher. Sure, his classes were difficult, but that's what I liked about them. He pushed me to my limits. He used to say ... that I was like his little firefly. That I would take the magic he taught me and ... go light the world ..." She broke down. "Twilight. Shhh. You'll be ok." If she didn't stop soon, he was going to start bawling too. --- They sat together in a corner of the restaurant. Twilight had no more tears to shed, and so she simply rested her head on Newsworthy's shoulder. The pegasus had a wing wrapped protectively around her body, as if his feathers were a barrier shielding her from all the world's cruelty. After a few minutes, her breaths grew faster and deeper. Newsworthy looked down at her, and saw that her gaze was fixed with steely determination at the opposite wall. "What is it?" he asked. "I have to find that counterspell." "But is it even possible?" "Yes. I know it is." "Why?" She turned her head to look at him. "Remember that unicorn who killed herself to stop Sagittarius from destroying Fillydelphia?" "Yes ..." "It all makes sense now. As Sagittarius attacked, blasting his fiery wrath toward the city, she used some type of forbidden counterspell. Not only did it stop his magic, but it channeled all of his available energy into herself. The power that entered her was so great that her body simply couldn't handle it, and every atom in her disintegrated." Newsworthy nodded, amazed. It certainly sounded reasonable. "Does that mean that he's permanently weakened?" "No. Balefire is the same type of magic that dragons use to breathe fire. A dragon draws energy from natural elements, such as gemstones, to produce it. The Hunter must biding his time, regaining his strength from some great source of power, which may be as vast as the sky itself." Unwrapping herself from Newsworthy's wing, she hoisted herself onto her hooves. "I have to find out what spell she used, and there's no time to waste. If I'm right about this, his power should be nearly back to its former state by now. Meaning," she ominously intoned, "he could attack at any moment. I have to be ready." "But Twilight," Newsworthy said apprehensively, "You're not planning on using that spell, are you? What if ..." He didn't need to finish. "If It has the same effect as before, then that is the price I pay to protect my country and my friends," she quietly stated. She trotted outside, and looked up at the afternoon sky. "Come on. We have to get to Fillydelphia. Now." --- If Newsworthy thought he was tired before, it was nothing compared to how he felt when they saw the battlements of Fillydelphia in the distance, just as night began to fall. Every muscle in his wings burned painfully, and he had a horrible cramp in his side. He had pushed himself far beyond his limits, his motivation the thought that the clock was ticking in Twilight's quest to save Equestria, and only he could help her complete it. He collapsed onto the pavement in front of the city gates, throwing Twilight off his back with the force of his crash landing. He heard Twilight's voice calling his name, as if at the end of a long tunnel. He smiled weakly. We actually made it. His eyes closed, and he knew no more.

Partheus and Twilight weren't the only new couple in Equestria to wake up next to one another that morning. Rainbow Dash awoke slowly, wondering where she was. She felt a little sick to her stomach. Ugh. What happened last night? she thought, rubbing her eyes. The sound of slow breathing next to her suddenly brought back a flood of memories. --- "Well, I haven't the foggiest idea," Newsworthy replied sarcastically, chuckling to himself. Just then, they saw Dash approaching, doing loops and twists in the air, obviously showing off for some reason. "Well, she's in a good mood," Twilight said. "What in the world ... who is that pegasus flying with her?" Newsworthy just smiled. It looks like my plan worked. What a surprise. In a moment, the two pegasi landed on the ledge of the balcony. Rainbow Dash was grinning from ear to ear. "Guys, this is Soarin', one of the Wonderbolts. You might have heard of them," she teased. "Very pleased to meet you," he said. Rainbow Dash hopped down and gave Newsworthy a big hug. "I can't believe you figured out he still liked me! You sly dog." Newsworthy could barely breathe. Rainbow Dash was stronger than she looked. "That's ... me ..." he squeaked. Dash bounced over to Partheus excitedly. "I told Soarin' that I was going to train you today, and he offered to help. With us both on your side, you'll be unstoppable!"

Newsworthy still felt extremely uncomfortable around this sort of thing. He closed his eyes and swallowed. "Well, while you two lovebirds were having your little day of fun, I went to visit an old friend of mine from college. After talking all of this out with him, I realized that I have been much too controlling as of late. And that I need to just relax and let you find your own path." This was extremely hard for him to say. As much as he hated to admit it to himself, it was very important to him to keep up his personal pride and dignity. He put that urge aside to speak humbly. "I will do my best to accept what lies ahead, and will try to support your relationship in any way that I can."

The previous day ... Everything seemed to be going to well. So well. And then that blasted witch had to go and mess with matters she had no business with. As Partheus trained, Newsworthy noticed that Princess Cadence was preparing a spell, her horn glowing brighter with each passing second. The pink hearts were already floating toward Twilight and Partheus before he realized the nature of the enchantment. He cried out, trying to warn his friends ... but it was too late. He watched in horror as they embraced and called each other entirely idiotic pet names. Newsworthy rushed up to them, and tried to get them to snap out of it, but the magic was too strong. It was too much. With all that had happened over the past few days, and now this? His friends were acting completely opposite to their ordinary selves, and just because of a stupid spell. He glared at Cadence, nearly crying. "How could you? How could you!?" Mercifully, the window swung open. Newsworthy leapt out of it, gliding over the city. Losing himself in the thrill of flight. He had tried cider before, and it only made things worse. No, today he would actually deal with this. Like a stallion, not like a drunkard. He sped off towards Stalliongrad. --- I wonder if he even still lives here, Newsworthy thought as he glided down toward a dingy apartment complex. I haven't heard from him in forever. He landed before apartment 42 with a thud, and rapped on the door. "Who is it? This had better be important!" A voice called from inside. The pegasus sighed with relief. Yes, that's definitely him. "It's Newsworthy, I have something important to ..." The door suddenly flew open, and he was being hugged by the forehooves of a white unicorn wearing a smock covered in paint. "Newsworthy! It really has been too long." Returning the hug, he said, "Palétte, it's so good to see you. You're right, we should visit each other more often." "Well, don't just stand there! Come in, come in!" Newsworthy entered the apartment, smiling. It was as cluttered as ever. Paintings covered the walls and lay in haphazard stacks on the floor. The living room had been converted into a studio, art supplies clustered around a rickety easel. Palétte shut the door and rejoined his friend. "So, how has life treated you after university?" "Pretty well, actually. My newspaper in Ponyville is really starting to take off. We should be in the black this year, as strange as that sounds." "Splendid! Well, as you can tell, my art is still waiting to 'take off,' as it were." He sighed. "Nopony appreciates my brilliance." Newsworthy laughed. When they were roommates in college, he had heard this quite often. "Now, I simply must hear everything, but it's not often that I have a live model. I can't waste the opportunity." "What? Me!?" "Yes, you. Sit there on the couch and let me paint you. It'll be just like old times." Newsworthy sat, a little stiffly. Palétte gave him a few pointers on how to look his best for the painting, and soon they continued talking about all that had happened since they had parted at graduation. After about an hour, Newsworthy fell silent. Palétte glanced over his canvas. "Something wrong?" "Well ... yes. You see, as much as I wanted to come see you, the real reason I stopped by was that I really need to talk to somepony about what's been happening over the past couple of days." Palétte smirked. "Don't tell me. You found the mare of your dreams, and everything seemed to be going well, but then she dumps you for another stallion?" Newsworthy blushed. "Not exactly. For one thing, we were never officially dating. I just admired her from afar. And for another, it's not a stallion ..." The artist dropped his brush. He quickly caught it again with a levitation spell. "Really. I never thought you could turn a mare lesbian. I thought only I could be that abrasive." "NO! It's not like that at all!" Newsworthy facehoofed. "Keep still! You're ruining the pose!" "Sorry," he said, returning to his former position. "She's dating a human. If you've heard any news the past couple of weeks, it's that messenger from Hominopolis." "Really? The one you went on the adventure with? I heard all about it on the radio. Exciting stuff. I only wish I had been there to see you using your fountain pen to repel the forest dwellers ..." he laughed. "Priceless. Anyhow, please continue." Newsworthy told him the whole story, sparing no details, from when he had met Partheus in the newspaper office to the little mishap in the tower. Once he finished, he sighed, closing his eyes. "It's like a nightmare. He has two mares all over him but is either oblivious or standoffish, nearly dies because I ran from my problems, and then that stupid princess casts a cheap magic spell on him for Celestia knows what reason. And on top of all of this ridiculous relationship stuff, we've got a monster on the loose out there that may be about to overthrow the princesses and rule Equestria! It's enough to drive me up the wall." He sighed deeply. "Honestly, I just want the best for my friends. And that's why I came to you. I'm at my wits end, Palétte. What should I do?" The artist paused, his brush hanging in the air, wrapped in blue magic. "Only you can say for certain. But I do have some advice." "It sounds to me like the love spell really means nothing. If they actually like each other, then this will just make it come out. If they don't, then they'll just be embarrassed at what happened and move on. Don't even think about being jealous or resentful towards the situation. It's their lives, not yours. You have to accept that and let them make their own decisions apart from your control." Newsworthy looked down at his hooves, trying to take it in. "You're right, my friend. I've meddled altogether too much already. My attempts to help have mostly ended in heartache." Well, except for Rainbow Dash. But that remains to be seen. "Cheer up! I'm sure everything will work out." He squinted critically at his painting. "And I believe this little masterpiece is ready. What do you think?" Newsworthy trotted over to see. He stared in surprise. The painting was technically excellent, but what really struck him was the emotion he had captured in his eyes. Longing. Pain. Regret. But a sense of future hope. "Thank you, Palétte. For everything. I really needed this talk. And I'll try to accept my friends instead of judging them." "Very good." "It's getting late," Newsworthy said, noticing that the moon had risen. "I'd better head back to Canterlot." --- Since it was after midnight when he got back, he decided just to fly into his room. As he descended, he passed by the window to Partheus' chamber. Doing a double take, he saw with horror that Twilight and Partheus were sound asleep next to one another. In the light of a lamp, he could see Partheus' arm around Twilight, and her hoof wrapped around him. No. I won't interfere. I won't judge. I will accept that their relationship is moving ... rather quickly. He unlatched his window and landed inside, yawning. Soon he was in bed, trying his best to fall asleep. --- The next morning, he woke early and went down for breakfast. Sitting at the balcony as before, he munched a bowl of hay quietly, considering what he should say when they inevitably emerged. He was so engrossed in his thoughts that he didn't even see his friends until they called over to him. "Partheus. Twilight. Good morning," he said, trying to smile. After all that had happened, he felt that he would have trouble handling anything else. He brought over his tray and looked down at the ground. This acceptance thing was going to be hard. "So, what is it?"

"Good morning, you two!" a cheery voice called from just outside the door. "I've brought you breakfast." "Cadence?" Twilight said, her eyes still wide with fear. "What are you doing here? And what am I doing here?" "Oh, don't be such a tease, Twi," Cadence joked. "I think we all know." Utterly bewildered, Twilight looked at Partheus. Her eyes narrowed. "OK, look," Twilight growled, "I didn't ask for this, and I insist on an explanation. Partheus? What did you do!?"