The Hunter Approaches [PRIVATE]

[Partheus]

Partheus laughed heartily, sounding much healthier than last time. "That's... why... I like you... You... are one... sly fella..." Well, he thought, this means I don't have to worry about Rainbow Dash any more. Now, what to do about Twilight... "Well... I hope... this works..." He looked out of the window again. The sun was beginning to set, already producing an orangey hue that illuminated the room. "I... think... it's time... I got... some zeds... See you... in... the morning..." He reached over for the blanket, slowly pulled it over himself, and settled into his bed, making sure not to rub off any of the lotion on his chest.

[NeilWacaster]

Newsworthy smiled, glad that he was actually doing something right for a change. He closed his eyes, hopeful that the next day would bring some good news.

---

The next morning, the first thing Newsworthy heard was the sound of a gentle tapping at the door. At first, he assumed it was Rainbow Dash, but then realized that the knocking was much too quiet for that. Opening the door, he saw that Fluttershy had arrived, her stethoscope and doctor's bag at the ready. "Oh, I'm sorry," she said quietly, seeing that Newsworthy had just woken up. "I just need to check on Partheus and make sure he's OK."

"Sure, come on in. Although, I have to ask. Why did they ask you to take care of him, instead of a regular doctor?"

She smiled. "Well that's easy. The doctors are used to taking care of ponies. I'm the only one nearby who has any experience caring for primates."

After doing a quick check of his lungs and heart with her stethoscope, she looked over his bruises carefully. "The healing lotion has done a good job. Twilight's enchantment on it must have been especially strong. You should be able to resume your training, but you should take it easy today. Maybe some mental training or something. By tomorrow, these should be all cleared up."

[Partheus]

Partheus sat up from his bed, a little sore, but an improvement over yesterday. "Well, I certainly do feel better. Thanks, Fluttershy!" Fluttershy squeed and walked out of the room. "Right, something mental, huh? Hmm..." He thought back to the list of things he had planned. "Oh, I know! Twilight mentioned something about her brother knowing a thing or two about protection magic... Shiny Arms, was it? We'll give that a try today." He stretched his arms painfully, put his shirt back on, put on his satchel, and went to go out of the door. "You coming with me today? Don't let what happened yesterday put you off. Nothing bad could possibly happen."

[NeilWacaster]

Newsworthy laughed heartily. " 'Nothing bad could possibly happen?' I'll believe that when I see it. There's no way I'm letting you out of my sight now. Who knows? Maybe I can learn a thing or two about magic as well, even if I can't use it."

Rainbow Dash was waiting for them at the bottom of the stairs. She had a large tray in her mouth, filled with three large breakfasts. She tried to speak, but had to set her load down first. "Aw, phooey. I wanted to surprise you both with breakfast in bed."

"Don't worry about it, Dash," Newsworthy smiled. "This looks delicious."

They sat at a table on a nearby balcony, with a lovely view of Canterlot and the surrounding countryside. A few pegasi were busily shifting clouds around, indicating a shower coming later in the day, but for now the weather was bright and cool.

"So ..." she turned to Partheus, a question clearly on the tip of her tongue. "What's the word on your training today? Are you ready for more awesome cloud-walking action?"

[Partheus]

Partheus winced slightly. "About that..." He fumbled around with his feed; if Partheus wasn't doing anything with feed besides eating it, clearly there's something amiss. "Fluttershy says I'll have to give the physical training a miss today. Muscles still ache like crazy, and I don't want to risk pulling anything at a time like this. Today, we'll be going through some protection magic with Twilight's brother... Shingle Parma, was it?" Rainbow Dash frowned. "Darn it! You'll be available tomorrow, right?" Partheus nodded. "Awesome! Well, if you need some assistance with your boring old magic training, just give me a shout, okay?" Partheus smiled. "Sure. Mabye if I need someone to use as target practise..." They both laughed.

Partheus turned to Newsworthy. "So, I don't really know where to find this... Shimmer Amore person. Could you take me to him after breakfast?"

[NeilWacaster]

Newsworthy chuckled. "His name is Prince Shining Armor, and you might want to get it right before you meet him. I don't know where he is, but I'm sure one of the butlers or guards could direct us to him."

Turning to Rainbow Dash, he pulled the letter out of his bag. "No need to worry about us. Besides, I think most of your day will be occupied once you see this ..." As soon as she noticed the Wonderbolts logo on the letter, she squealed and snatched it from Newsworthy's hoof. "Ohmygoshohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh, does it say I'm finally a Bolt? After all this time ... dreaming ... waiting ..."

Eagerly, she tore it open and began to read. Her expression softened, and soon she was crying tears of joy. Hugging it to her chest, she leaped into the air, spilling her orange juice all over Newsworthy's plate.

"Later, boys," she said, beaming. "I've got somepony to go see." And she was gone in a streak of rainbow fire.

[Partheus]

Partheus laughed. "Typical Rainbow Dash. She takes it nice and slow with any normal guy... well, slow by her standards anyway..." He watched her fly off into the distance. "...but if he's a Wonderbolt, it's like a moth to a flame. Well, I wish her all the best. Whoever this Soarin' guy is, he's certainly bagged himself a loyal partner." Partheus finished off his feed, drank his orange juice, and sat up from the table. "Right, time to find... Prince Shining..." Newsworthy looked on encouragingly, hoping he'd finally get the name right. "...Armadillo, is it?" Newsworthy facehoofed. "Ah, close enough." He looked around for a butler who could point him in the right direction. "Ah, you there, good sir, in the suit?" Five different butlers rushed to Partheus' aid immediately. They all spoke in unison, "Yes, Master Partheus?", giving each other a strange look.

Wow, he thought, I'm a master? Wait, doesn't that mean I'm Celestia's... son? Torbolt's beard, these guys must be confused... "Do any of you happen to know where I might find Prince... Shinier... Army?" The butlers looked at each other again strangely before one had an idea and cleared his throat. "Are you referring to Prince Shining Armour, perchance?" Partheus slapped his forehead. "That's the one! Yes, I'm looking for him. Know where he might be?" The butlers all pointed towards the second tallest spire in the palace. "The Equestrian Army barracks, Master Partheus. He's usually there most days, dividing his time evenly between friendly sparring between fellow comrades, practising his barrier spells, or staring longingly into Princess Mi Amore Cadenza's eyes..." The butlers rolled their eyes at the mention of the last activity.

"Thanks for the help, good sirs. Dismissed!" The butlers all stood to attention, and zipped away in a puff of pompous dust. "Wow, I didn't think they'd respond to military commands. Hehehe, oh the antics I could pull off with these guys!" He rubbed his hands together in maleficent glee. "Anyway, Newsworthy. To the barracks?"

[NeilWacaster]

"Indeed, let us be off," he said, wiping the orange juice up with disgust.

They hurried through the castle and up the seemingly never-ending flight of stairs. Newsworthy simply flew up after his legs got tired, but Partheus had no such advantage.

When they neared the top, they heard the sound of weapons clashing. Looking in the open doorway, Newsworthy saw a white unicorn fighting three burly guards. Each had a different weapon, and it must have been extremely challenging for him to keep all three at bay.

"That's him, the one with the blue mane. And his name is Shining Armor, you got that?" Newsworthy whispered menacingly.

Soon, the match was complete. The three guards had accepted defeat, and the unicorn congratulated them on their skill. "It is you who fought well, Sir," one of them said. "I'd say you could best any swordspony in Equestria."

"Go on, here's your chance," Newsworthy said, nudging his friend.

[Partheus]

Partheus gingerly approached the white unicorn. "Uh, hello. Are you..." He furrowed his brow. "...Prince... Shining..." He scratched his chin. "...Twilight's older brother?" The white unicorn laughed out loud. "Yeah, that's me. Hey, if you need to remember my name in future..." The white unicorn jumped into a pose, exposing his chest armour. "...just remember that I'm the one around here who polishes his armour daily." Partheus grinned. "Got it. I have to say, I was rather impressed with your swordplay just then..." Shining Armour chuckled. "Nah, well, it's all part of my daily routine, really... ever since we caught wind of Sagittarius, this is all I have time for nowadays..." He looked up at a giant clock hanging on the wall opposite him. "Oh shoot, it's quarter to eleven! I've got to go see Cadence! Sorry, but can whatever you want from me wait?" There came a voice from above. "No, it's fine, dear. I can wait."

Partheus and Newsworthy looked up to see Princess Cadence, who was standing at the top of a flight of stairs that lead from the arena to what appeared to be Shining Armour and Cadence's living quarters. "Good morning, honey! So, you're finally taking an interest in life in the barracks?" Cadence smirked. "No, I just wanted to tell you that we have a guest who wants to see you..." Out from behind Cadence walked Twilight Sparkle. "Hey bro! Oh hey, Partheus, hey Newsworthy! Didn't see you guys there!" She trotted merrily down the flight of stairs. Oh boy, Partheus thought. Just the unicorn I thought I had rid myself of for a while. She really does have a knack for being there when you least expect it... "So, how did your training go with Rainbow Dash yesterday? She seemed a little reluctant to talk about it. Is it top-secret or something?"

Partheus groaned. Okay, he thought, add to that a knack for asking the most awkward questions at the most awkward times possible. "Well, it was going really well, but I had an accident, and I can't do anything physical until tomorrow..." Twilight gasped. "Oh goodness, that's horrible! But, why didn't Rainbow Dash tell me about it?" Partheus rubbed his shoulder uncomfortably. "Well, she was kinda the cause of the accident, so I guess she felt guilty..." Twilight frowned. "Hmph, I should have seen that one coming, to be fair... anyway, what have you got planned for today?" Partheus approached Shining Armour. "I was wondering if you could teach me a few things about protection spells..."

Shining Armour suddenly jerked back his head. "Oh, of course! You're that... 'human' who Celestia wants to train to get ready for Sagittarius..." His eyes suddenly narrowed, and he pulled Partheus to one side, away from everyone else. "You're also apparently my sister's first boyfriend. Is this true?" Partheus grumbled. Not this again, he thought. "No I'm not. That's just some silly rumour going around, no thanks to one Gabby Gums. I mean, just because we live in the same house doesn't mean we..." Shining Armour began to laugh out loud. "Oh, come on. You aren't fooling anyone. Come on, you can tell me how you really feel. I'm her big brother, it's my job to make sure she's okay." Why is the royalty buying into this garbage, Partheus thought. "There is nothing going on between us, got it? Look, I know you want the best for your little sister and all, but I'm simply not interested." Shining Armour smiled coolly. "That's not what Cadence told me."

"Say what now?" Shining Amour dragged Partheus far away from everyone else. "Listen, I shouldn't be telling you this, but Cadence told me that you two are interested in one another, but neither of you want to admit it to one another. And trust me, if anybody can spot the budding seeds of love, it's my wife." Partheus suddenly felt very uncomfortable. "Why are you telling me this?" Shining Armour could hear voices calling for them. "Uh, no time to explain. What was your name?" "Partheus, sir." "Partheus, eh? I like that name... anyway, just say we had a pep talk about protection spells, mmmkay?" Partheus nodded in agreement. They regrouped with the others, who all looked a little worried. "No need to worry, just gave Partheus a pep talk on magic use. He's a beginner you see, so he's not very confident in his abilities..." Partheus grunted. Oh I bet he's loving this, he thought.

"Now, Partheus, if you may stand opposite me in the arena..." Partheus walked over to the other side of the arena, facing Shining Armour. "The first thing you need to learn is a basic warding spell. It isn't necessarily a barrier, it's more of a strong, concentrated burst of magical energy that can slow down a projectile or spell." He looked over to Twilight. "Sis! Give me your best fireball!" Twilight aimed her horn at Shining Armour, and fired a ball of flames at him, narrowly missing Newsworthy. Shining Armour then cast a spell that formed what looked like a faint purple half-shell around him, slowing down the oncoming fireball to such a slow speed, that he could blow it out like a candle. "See? No sweat. To cast the spell, you need to search within yourself, find your source of energy, and draw a cushion around you with your mind's eye."

Partheus closed his eyes, and focused. He knew where his power came from; his bottled-up rage at those who wronged him as a child. He focused on his rage, and drew a cushion with his mind's eye, and Shining Armour instructed. Suddenly, a faint red half-shell appeared around Partheus. It remained stable for a few seconds, before fizzling with red lightning and collapsing in on itself, and disappearing completely. "Good first try! If the aura's red, that means you're drawing it from your anger, right?" Partheus, rubbing his head at a sudden migrane, nodded. "That's a very unstable and dangerous emotion, unsuitable for magic. Try using something else, something strong, like friendship!" Partheus closed his eyes, and focused on all of the good times he spent with Twilight and her friends, then drew a cushion with his mind's eye.

A faint white half-shell appeared around Partheus this time. It remained stable for much longer. But then, Partheus had a slew of thoughts about Twilight's secret crush on him, and how others have reacted to their rumoured 'relationship'. The barrier broke and disappeared, much to Shining Armour's confusion. "Hmm? What happened that time?" Partheus couldn't answer him. "Perhaps unwanted thoughts were breaking your concentration? Yeah, that happens a lot with me. You'll get used to focusing after a while. Try again, this time I'll throw a fireball your way."

Partheus whimpered at that, focusing on his friendship, and drawing a cushion with his mind's eye. The warding shell appeared around Partheus, more pronounced and shapely than before. Shining Armour aimed his horn at Partheus and fired a small fireball at Partheus. Partheus shut his eyes, trying not to think about the fireball, and focused on his friendship more. The barrier held out, successfully slowing down the fireball to a slow speed. Partheus opened his eyes to see the fireball lashing at his face. He blew on it, putting it out. "Good job, Partheus. And again!"

Partheus focused on his friendship once more. However, before he could draw the cushion in his mind's eye, he suddenly felt very light-headed, his vision blurring, and his hearing muffled. Before he could ask what was going on, everything went pink momentarily, before going black...

* * *

Partheus awoke in his living quarters, slightly exhausted. Oww, he thought, my head still hurts from that magical training. How did I end up here? He noticed the door to his room was ajar. He also noticed his day clothes and satchel were strewn across the floor. He looked underneath the sheets; he was wearing his pyjamas. He looked around his room, trying to further piece together what happened. This is really starting to freak me out now, he thought. One moment I'm in the barracks training with Shining... Armour, and the next I'm here, sitting in my pyj- "OH MY GOODNESS!"

There, laying next to him in his bed, was Twilight Sparkle, who woke up from her sleep. "Ugh, my head... Where am I? What happ- AHHHHHHH!!!" They both jumped out of the bed and stood at opposite ends, looking scared. "What are you doing in my bed?!" Twilight shrugged her shoulders. "What do you mean, 'what are you doing in my bed'? I don't know either!" As the two were staring at each other with abject fear, there was a polite knock on the ajar door...

[NeilWacaster]

"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!?"

[Partheus]

Partheus looked at Twilight, dumbfounded. "What? I didn't do anything! One moment I'm casting protection spells with your brother, the next I'm in bed with my best friend! Your guess is as good as mine!" They both gave each other a frightful look, neither believing the story of the other. Cadence laughed. "Oh, there's no need to be so scared! It was actually rather beautiful to watch, seeing you two spend so much time together..." Partheus and Twilight shrieked with fear, suddenly realising what had happened. "You cast a love spell on us both, didn't you?" Partheus gasped again. Oh no, he thought. This is what Shining Armour was trying to warn me about earlier! "Just... put us out of our misery, will you? Tell us what happened, from when you cast the spell until now."

Cadence smiled kindly. "Thankfully, I was following you the entire time, so I can give you a fairly accurate account of what happened. Well, as soon as I cast the spell on you both, you both rushed to each other and stared longingly into one another's eyes, calling each other rather odd names like 'shmoophy-doo' and 'honey-bunny'." Partheus and Twilight wound their necks back out of disgust. "Then, you trotted out of the barracks, and into the palace proper. You greeted Celestia and Luna together, and told them how much you love each other..." Twilight gasped with horror. "Oh no! Now Celestia thinks we're together!" Partheus facepalmed hard. "Oh great, just what I need; the joint rulers of this country are now utterly convinced that I am dating Celestia's best student. Thanks for that, Cadence. Just the 'good' publicity I was looking for!"

Cadence's smile grew wider. "Oh, it gets better. You two then went around Canterlot, doing the classic 'sitting in the cafe sharing a milkshake' thing that lovers always seem to do. You then went into the library and read together, offering one another to turn the next page. After that, you decided to leave Canterlot and catch the next chariot to Ponyville. The driver said he recognised you, Partheus, but he said that he wouldn't charge you 'respect tax' this time around, whatever that meant..." Partheus went bright red with embarrassment. Oh no, he thought, not him. Of all the chariot drivers, why him? "Once you arrived in Ponyville, you waved hello to everyone while holding hands and hooves. You visited all of your friends, Twilight, and told them that you and Partheus were together..." Twilight screamed with terror. "No, not my friends, too! Out of all the things that could have happened, that was the worst possible thing!"

Partheus looked at Twilight, slightly cross. "Now hey, I'm not that bad, am I?" Twilight smiled gingerly. "Hehe, of course not... you're... nice, I guess, but I'm not interested in dating at the moment." Partheus raised an eyebrow out of curiosity. That's something I never thought about, he thought. She actually isn't interested in me. If she really did have feelings for me, she'd be a whole lot more accepting of this situation than she currently is. And, she just said that she wouldn't go out with me. If she did have a crush on me, she'd be acting much more awkwardly than usual. "Well, if it makes you feel any better, I think you're a wonderful mare yourself, but I'm not quite ready to go out with ponies on dates just yet..."

"Well, you two looked rather eager about the idea, so I guess you're as ready as you're ever going to be." Cadence smiled even wider. "After going around Ponyville declaring your love for one another to everyone that passed, affectionately nuzzling one another as you did, the sun was beginning to set. You both headed back to Canterlot by chariot, came to this room... and that's about as much as I know, because I didn't want to intrude on anything too private..." Twilight fainted from shock. Partheus looked down at his feet in complete shame. "...but, the fact that you are still wearing your pyjamas, and the fact that the spell was only a Storgian love spell, not an Erotic or Philiac love spell, it is safe to assume that nothing actually happened."

Partheus sighed with relief. Okay, he thought, that was a close one. We just slept in the same bed, and nothing sexual happened. The End. "So, may I ask what the purpose of this spell was?" Cadence giggled. "Well, I suppose there's no harm in telling you now the deed has been done, but your friend Rainbow Dash told me that you were interested in one another, but were having trouble coming out about it. So, I cast a basic love spell as a trial run, to see how you guys got on with one another. I have to say, the results are highly positive..." Partheus held out his hands. "Woah, woah, woah. Back up. Rainbow Dash set you up for this? As in, the aspiring Wonderbolt and weather pony extraordinaire, Rainbow Dash?"

He began to grow increasingly irate, red lightning forming around him. He clenched his fists, gritted his teeth, and lowered his brow as low as it could go. "That... meddling... moron! How dare she try to set me up like that?" Twilight came to as Partheus began to spark with more red lightning. "Oh, I see how it is! Rainbow Dash makes her move, I say no, so for revenge, she has me and Twilight put under a love spell, knowing I was trying my hardest to avoid her, because I thought she fancied me!" Cadence quickly cast a pink heart on Partheus, calming his nerves to an almost drowsy and merry state. "Partheus! What did my husband tell you? You can't give in to your anger! It's too unstable!"

Partheus happily lulled around to see Twilight, looking at him angrily. "Rainbow Dash tried to make her move on you? When was this?" Partheus smiled. "Well, do you remember when I said there was an accident yesterday?" "Actually, it was the day before. You two lover birds slept through the night..." "Right, the accident I had with Rainbow Dash? It was caused by her making her move on me. She just randomly came on to me out of the blue... no pun intended." Twilight looked shocked. "I... never knew she felt like that! Did you... 'do it' with her?" Partheus shook his head. "Oh, of course not! She undid a few buttons on my shirt, I jumped out of my skin when I realised what she was doing, as I did just now, and I fell through the clouds because I wasn't concentrating on my feet..."

Twilight laughed. "Oh you! You say you don't want to date ponies, yet you've already dated two already! Come on, Partheus, admit it! You like dating ponies as much as any other pony does!" Partheus sighed. Well, he thought, she's got a point. I've somehow managed to date two ponies in two days, both of which required no effort on my part. The date with Rainbow Dash wasn't that bad, apart from the nasty fall I suffered, and now that I've gotten over the initial shock, the date with Twilight doesn't sound that bad. It just sounds like an ordinary day with me and Twilight, just with more love involved... Besides, seeing as how only the humans in Hominopolis are against inter-special dating, the racist fiends, and I want to be nothing like them, I suppose I have no choice... "Alright, you got me. I don't actually mind dating ponies. I was just against the idea at first because that's how people think in Hominopolis. But, I hate the people in Hominopolis, so their thoughts can go burn in Tartarus for all I care."

Twilight jumped excitedly in the air. "Haha, I knew it! Well, now that you've gotten over your fear of dating ponies..." Twilight approached Partheus and held his hand. "...how about we try this again, this time without the aid of a spell?" Partheus blushed. "B-but... I thought you weren't interested in dating?" Twilight giggled. "Oh, that? It was all an act. I didn't want to tell you how I truly felt, and I was willing to say or do anything to make it look as convincing as possible." She rubbed her chest with her hoof and blew on it. "Not bragging, but back in Filly Kindergarten, I was practically a Thespian in my Drama classes... well, I was a genius in all my other subjects too, but that's not important right now..." She looked into his eyes amorously. "So, what do you think? Shall we date again?"

Partheus thought heavily. Well, he thought, I don't have anything against dating ponies any more, but I'm still not ready to date anybody as of now... hold on... Oh, of course! Why didn't I see this sooner? Twilight's trying to get into a relationship with me because she knows it'll bolster my friendship power! This isn't just a random urge she's having, it's pre-meditated and logical! Oh Twilight, leave it up to you to make love into a science! Well, if it means I become stronger... "You know what? Sure. Let's go on a date." Partheus hastily changed into his clothes in the bathroom, making sure Twilight or Cadence couldn't see him, and came out five minutes later looking more presentable. "Oh, you two? Before you go, aren't you going to have breakfast?" Partheus and Twilight looked at each other and smiled. They took their breakfasts, and walked downstairs to the balcony Partheus and Newsworthy were sitting at the day before.

As they sat down to eat their breakfast, Twilight staring kindly into Partheus' eyes, Partheus noticed Newsworthy sat at another table by himself. "Hey, Newsworthy! Come and join us! We've got some great news to tell you!"

[NeilWacaster]

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?"

[Partheus]

Partheus smiled at Newsworthy as he sat down next to them. "Well, we've been told about what happened yesterday between us. Neither of us can actually remember a single thing about what happened. But, after a brief explanation from Cadence, and after a good chat between the three of us, I think we've come to a sensible conclusion..." Partheus put his arm around Twilight. "We've decided to start dating for real, without some silly spell to make us love each other." Partheus cheerfully grabbed a handful of feed from his bowl and began picking bits from it with his fingers and popping them in his mouth.

"Thing is, Cadence told us that, although what we did while under the influence of the spell was horribly embarrassing, it did in fact confirm her theory that we genuinely loved each other, even thought neither of us wanted to admit it to anyone. And after we overcame our fears and prejudices, that left us both open to start dating." Partheus looked up at the palace, taking in the fresh Canterlot air. "That Cadence has worked some real magic, Newsworthy. I can't thank her enough for what she's done."

Twilight smiled at Newsworthy. "The best part about this whole thing is that now Partheus will be stronger for it. Our love will make his inner power much greater than before, meaning that he now stands a better chance against Sagittarius." She grabbed an apple from her tray, and took a good bite out of it. "And to think he chose not to express himself because of what all the other humans thought about this sort of thing. Well, he's managed to look beyond that, and I think that's what makes him such a good person." Twilight and Partheus then laughed and nuzzled each other affectionately.

[NeilWacaster]

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."

[Partheus]

Partheus finished off his bowl of feed. "Well, that's just the thing, Newsworthy. Sometimes, you've got to let others find their way. We're put on this world to do as we please, to carve our own path, to make our own destinies. What we can't do is try to control other people's destinies. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for helping a friend out if they need it. But, to alter the course of someone's life for personal satisfaction is a little thing known as 'manipulation', which is what leads to places like Hominopolis being the hive of scum and villainy that it is today. There, it's every man for himself, and you can't get anywhere without manipulating someone to achieve something for you. If everyone tries to control everyone else, friendship loses all meaning."

Partheus took a sip from his glass of orange juice. "Take it from someone who's experienced the worst that sort of thinking can lead to; do focus on your own goals, but also help friends get to theirs, no matter their current circumstance. I know it sounds harsh, but you simply can't change what has come to pass. The sooner you accept and embrace change, the better you can adapt to it and reap the benefits." Twilight nodded in agreement. "For example, me and Partheus have come together as a result of Cadence helping us out. She didn't manipulate us into liking each other; the spark was always there. And as a result, we've achieved something together that'll prove wonderful for both of us in more ways than one."

Partheus grinned. "Yeah, like this!" He focused on his friendship, and pointed his hand towards a table nearby. The table began to float upwards, dancing around Partheus, Twilight, and Newsworthy as if it were floating in a vat of silky water. "Wow, Partheus! How are you doing that?" Partheus smirked as he put the table back down where it was. "That's just the basic telekinesis spell you taught me ages ago, remember? The one I could barely lift plant pots with? Well, now I can lift tables with ease, all because of you." Twilight smiled gleefully, and the two shared another affectionate nuzzle. "Speaking of which, I'd better be off. Rainbow Dash is expecting me in Cloudsdale to continue our cloud training, remember? I wonder where she is..."

[NeilWacaster]

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!"

[Partheus]

Partheus looked at Rainbow Dash and Soarin' together, and couldn't help but smile. So, he thought, this is Soarin' of the Wonderbolts. Well, as long as he can keep up with her, I think he'll do just fine as her boyfriend. Hey, who knows? Now that she has ties to the Wonderbolts, mabye she'll finally get that dream placement she's always wanted on the team? Only time will tell... "Gosh, not only have I got the infamous Rainbow Dash helping me out, but a member of the Wonderbolts? I feel truly honoured. What could you possibly have in store for me today, then?"

Rainbow Dash grinned delightfully. "Well, now that you can run on clouds, how about we step it up a notch and have you jump from cloud to cloud?" Partheus looked at Rainbow Dash confusedly. "How can I possibly not apply pressure to my feet when I land from a jump?" Rainbow Dash waved her hoof in Partheus' face. "Nu-uh! You know the drill..." Then Rainbow Dash repeated in unison. "No asking questions." Soarin' laughed out loud. "Gosh, you two are like an old couple!" Rainbow Dash and Partheus exchanged an awkward glance. "So, Dashie, are we going?" Rainbow Dash turned around grumpily. "Soarin'! I thought we agreed to never call me that in public!" Soarin' giggled. "We're leaving now. You can ride me there, Partheus." Partheus hopped on to Rainbow Dash's back. "Goodbye, Partheus!" "Goodbye, Twilight! I'll see you later!" And with that, Rainbow Dash, Partheus, and Soarin' flew off to Cloudsdale.

* * *

The sun was shining brightly in Cloudsdale, as it usually did given it's precarious position above the clouds. Pegasi were flying left right and centre, enjoying the sunshine and having a good time. Rainbow Dash, Partheus, and Soarin' flew towards the Wonderbolts training area, where Partheus had his unfortunate accident two days earlier. They landed softly on a flat cloud, Partheus dismounting carefully off of Rainbow Dash, and stepping on to the clouds, getting a feel for them again. He ran around the cloud for a few circuits, before Rainbow Dash beckoned him back. "Alright, you've gotten back into the swing of things already. Good!" Soarin' was busy arranging smaller clouds in a staircase fashion, slowly spiralling around Cloudsdale. "Soarin' over there is busy getting the next activity ready. For now, let me show you how to bounce on a cloud!" Rainbow Dash then hopped around, in a fashion not too dissimilar to Pinkie Pie. She came back to Partheus, who was still rooted to where he was.

"Now, the trick here is to will yourself up. I know that sounds nuts, but as soon as you land, you've got to shift your centre of gravity upwards while still not applying any pressure to your feet. Wanna give it a try?" Rainbow Dash got close to Partheus, whispering, "Don't worry. I promise to catch you if you fall this time, hehehe." Partheus gulped nervously. He bent his knees, trying not to apply any pressure on his feet, and pushed off the cloud, going about two feet in the air, before coming down again. He tried to shift his centre of gravity upwards, while still not applying any pressure to his feet. He landed, but only just; his feet sunk about two inches into the cloud, then slowly rose up again. "Awesome! Now, try jumping in a direction! This is a little trickier, but you'll manage."

He pushed up off the cloud and travelled forwards. He landed, shifting his centre of gravity upwards as he did, only sinking an inch and a half this time around. He tried jumping around a few more times, each time successfully gaining more ground and sinking less and less into the cloud until he could feel the cloud bouncing him upwards, creating additional upwards thrust. Within a few hours, he could jump four, five, six feet in the air without much effort. "Nice job, Partheus! Now, for something a little more advanced..." Rainbow Dash lay on her back on the cloud, looking up at the sky. "I may make it look easy, but it's a lot harder than you think." Partheus tried to bend down and place his seat on the cloud, but he could feel it sinking through. He tried placing his hands on the cloud, but they slipped through as well.

"The trick is to apply no pressure to any part of your body. Just let yourself gently flop on the cloud." She stood up, and held Partheus by the back. "Just let everything hang loose, that's it..." Partheus did as she said, and let every muscle in his body rest. Rainbow Dash then carefully laid him out on the cloud, poring over him. "Now, I'm fairly certain Soarin' won't mind if I do this, but..." She sat on top of Partheus, pinning down his arms and legs. "Right, now you just have to stay here until Soarin' is done, and you're a certified cloud-sitter!" Partheus let out an awkward groan. "Rainbow Dash... why are you... sitting on me?"

"Well, two reasons. One, you need to get used to laying still, so I'm pinning down all of your limbs to help out with that, as well as adding extra weight for you to balance with. Second, and more importantly..." She brought her face right next to Partheus' "...I believe we have some unfinished business to attend to..." She began to nuzzle Partheus on the nose, and undo the buttons on his shirt like she did last time. Partheus wanted to move out of the way, but if he did, he'd fall through the clouds. "Rainbow Dash, what in Torbolt's name do you think you are doing? We've both got someone for ourselves now! You can't just go around romancing whoever you feel like any more!" Rainbow Dash looked at Partheus strangely. "Who, Twilight?" Partheus nervously nodded. "...Nah, she won't mind..."

He was trapped there, pinned down by Rainbow Dash, as she undid his shirt, button by button. Rainbow Dash was staring amorously into Partheus' eyes, nuzzling his cheek softly while working on his shirt buttons. He was starting to feel more and more uncomfortable with each passing second, hoping that someone would arrive to break the tension and save him. Rainbow Dash eventually finished undoing all of the buttons on his shirt, before moving on to his belt... "Yo honey, I'm done setting up the clouds... am I interrupting anything?"

Rainbow Dash gingerly turned around to see an extremely confused Soarin' standing behind her. "Uh, no babe, just helping Partheus get used to lying down on clouds..." Soarin' was skeptical. "Why do you need to undo his shirt? And why are you holding his belt like that?" Rainbow Dash winced. "I was removing excess weight from him by taking off his clothes. He's currently laying down, so he can't move an inch. So, I was doing the honours..." Soarin' nodded his head in agreement. How gullible can you possibly be, Partheus thought. "Oh, I gotcha. Yeah, you should walk around with no clothes on like we ponies do, Partheus. It definitely makes stuff like this much easier!" Partheus rolled his eyes. With people like Rainbow Dash still following me around, he thought, that's not going to happen any time soon.

Rainbow Dash helped Partheus up off the cloud. Partheus did up the buttons on his shirt, giving Rainbow Dash a disapproving look. "So, what now?" Rainbow Dash sheepishly straightened herself up. "Ahem, well, now that Soarin' has so kindly set the clouds up, now we get to see how much you've really learned! Follow the clouds all the way to the top, and once you reach the highest one, lay on it!" Partheus nodded his head in agreement. He walked over to the edge of the cloud, towards the first smaller cloud, readied himself, and jumped.

He reached a height of about six feet, easily making it on to the second cloud without a hitch. He jumped from cloud to cloud, nimbly dashing across the clear blue skies like a white and brown flash of colour. He slowly gained altitude, and the air became thinner. He found himself starting to tire out, but continued, determined to get to the top of the cloud staircase. His footing began to become increasingly flawed, and he was starting to apply more pressure to his feet, sinking further into the clouds with each jump. He reached the second to last cloud, jumped as high as he could, a good eight or so feet, and let every muscle in his body relax in freefall. He landed on the cloud softly, elasticated slightly from his landing.

Rainbow Dash and Soarin' flew up to see him. Soarin' helped Partheus up and gave him a brohoof. "Good going, Partheus! You've got a knack for learning, you know! It took me weeks to get that right, but you mastered it in two days!" Partheus smiled at Rainbow Dash. "Humans are very fast learners." Soarin' looked at Rainbow Dash, who was running her hoof through her mane. "So, what else you got planned for the prodigy?" Rainbow Dash laughed and spread out her wings. "How about a race? No wings, just running on the clouds. Who's with me?" Partheus and Soarin' cheered. This is going to be interesting, he thought.

* * *

The sun was dipping low in the orangey afternoon sky of Cloudsdale. Soarin' and Rainbow Dash had worked together to build a giant oval racing circuit out of clouds, complete with a hurdles section, and a long jump to the finish. Once they had finished, they airlifted Partheus to the start line, and got themselves into position. A small crowd of passing pegasi had come to see this race. A brown pegasus came around to tie a rope around Soarin' and Rainbow Dash, to stop them using their wings. The brown pegasus walked up to a cloud podium, pulled out a starting pistol, held it up tot he sky, and pulled the trigger... BANG! And they were off, Partheus bursting forth into a sprint, Rainbow Dash off like a bolt, and Soarin' closely following behind. Soarin', not quite used to running fast on clouds, did manage to pick up some momentum, but sadly couldn't keep up with Rainbow Dash, who was in the lead. Partheus was slowly beginning to gain ground on Rainbow Dash, going around the first bend.

They made it to the first straight, Partheus running as fast as his legs could carry him on clouds. Rainbow Dash was giving it her all, too, looking behind her to see Partheus catching up with her. "Oh no you don't!" She kicked the cloud as she ran, kicking up small clouds that flew into Partheus' face, obscuring his vision. He blew them out of the way, and scooped up a handful of cloud from the ground as he ran. He screwed it up into a ball and pelted it at Rainbow Dash, hitting her right in the back of the head. "Oww, that smarts!" They made it to the hurdles section, Rainbow Dash galloping over each one majestically, and Partheus vaulting over them determinedly. The hurdles were beginning to get higher and higher, forcing Rainbow Dash and Partheus to tuck in their legs as they jumped over each one.

As they both made it over the last hurdle, much to Rainbow Dash's surprise, Partheus and her were neck and neck. They looked at each other, and gave one last push to the finish. Rainbow Dash was so focused on beating Partheus, that she forgot to place her good foot at the jump point, causing her to only make it about half the normal distance before falling down the pit and towards the ground below. Partheus put his best foot forward, leaped as high as he could, traversing ten feet, and landed limply on the finish line. The small crowd went wild, not expecting the human to beat Rainbow Dash in a race like that. Soarin' eventually made it across the line as well, and Rainbow Dash was airlifted by the brown pegasus back on to the race track.

"I... can't believe it! I lost!" Partheus walked over to Rainbow Dash, who was looking morose, and gave her a firm hug. "Hey, you can fly, can't you? You still have an edge over me." Rainbow Dash looked up at Partheus, smiling. "T-thanks, Partheus..." Soarin' came over to comfort Rainbow Dash, rubbing noses and necks together. "You've done really well today, Partheus. I didn't know you had it in you to beat me and my little Dashie in a race..." Rainbow Dash looked up at Soarin' angrily. "I... told you... not to call me that!" Soarin' laughed. "Hey, if you want me to stop, you'll have to catch me first, hehehe!" Soarin' then flew off into the sunset, Rainbow Dash closely following behind. "Get back here, you!" "Hahaha, come on, Dashie!" "You are so dead!"

* * *

Partheus returned to Canterlot by pegasus, completely exhausted, the night only having just started. He walked into the palace, up the stairs, and into his living quarters. He changed into his pyjamas, slumped into bed, and stared at the ceiling. Why must my life be so complex, he thought. I've got to train in things I've never done before to fight a monster I've never encountered before and will probably die fighting, all the while making sure Newsworthy doesn't lose his apples over the copious stress he's under, and somehow maintain a budding relationship with Twilight, while resisting all attempts by Rainbow Dash to seduce me. Can't life just... be simple like it used to be? His brow was heavy with thoughts as he drifted off into a stifled sleep...

[NeilWacaster]

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]

Partheus woke up the next morning, his mind clear of the thoughts of the previous day. He got out of bed, put his clothes on, went downstairs, grabbed some feed from the breakfast banquet, and sat at his usual spot by the balcony. So, he thought, what shall I do today? Shining Armour still needs to teach me more advanced protection magic, and I still need to sneak in and learn that forbidden spell as a trump card. But, I also have that encumbrance chamber to test out... While he was pondering, Cadence approached him and sat beside him on the table. "Good morning, Partheus! How are you today?"

Partheus snapped out of his deep thinking, his train of thought derailed. "Oh, uh, I'm fine, Cadence, thanks for asking..." Cadence looked over the balcony and smiled. "So, how are things with you and Twilight?" Partheus beamed. "It's going brilliantly so far. Thank you so much for doing what you did, Cadence! Not only have you made both of us happy, but now I have gained newfound strength due to my friendship power expanding tenfold. Who knows? Mabye your contribution will end up being the deciding factor when I defeat Sagittarius?" Cadence rolled her eyes playfully. "The power of love is a curious thing. It can make one mare weep, and another mare sing..."

Partheus finished off his bowl of feed and ran off towards the palace. "Oh Partheus, I nearly forgot to tell you!" Partheus wheeled around, bowl of feed still in his hand. "Yes?" Cadence stood up from the table. "Shining Armour wishes to train you in more advanced magic in private today. I would get going as soon as possible, Partheus. He's obsessive over time-keeping!" Partheus shook his head and smiled. Just like his sister, he thought. She runs a ship so tight, there's hardly any room for the crew... wait, what am I talking about? He slapped his forehead, and ran off to the barracks.

[NeilWacaster]

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."

[Partheus]

Partheus gingerly grinned. "Yeah, I get you. She's my best friend, so it kinda made sense that we would eventually be together. And you have my word; I am the best possible boyfriend for her. We get on like a house on fire, and we both desperately want to learn more about each other's cultures. There's a driving force between us that simply wouldn't be there in any other colt, you know?" Partheus walked over to his side of the arena. "I've travelled across volcanic plains, icy wastelands, thick jungles, and haunted forests. I eat bandits for breakfast, and wash them down with wild monsters. I've even managed to take down a sorceress or two while I've been here." He pumped out his chest and raised his hands, ready to learn. "Trust me, if anyone's ever going to be tough enough to be your sister's boyfriend, it's going to be me."

[NeilWacaster]

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.

[Partheus]

As the sword came towards Partheus, he cast a white half-shell around himself, with greater fluency and speed than before. It slowed down the blade mid-swing, just as it was making it's way to his throat. Partheus then grabbed the handle of the suspended sword and prised it from Shining Armour's magical grip, before twirling it around and throwing it back to Shining Armour to catch. "Well, if it's character you're looking for, I'm as well-aligned morally as I am experienced." He walked back to his position on the arena. "Humans are amoral creatures, only caring about themselves in their brutish and miserable lives. But, thanks to Twilight, I've managed to change my ways for the better." He readied himself for the next round. "Twilight and her friends taught me everything they knew about honesty, generosity, kindness, loyalty, and genuine laughter. And now, I consider myself a reformed man, one fit for the admiration of Celestia's best student, and my best friend."

[NeilWacaster]

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.

[Partheus]

Partheus, not expecting to be swept off his feet like that, saw the spinning shield hurtle towards him as he lay there on his back. He tried to concentrate, but found it more difficult than before under the pressure. He produced a weaker half-shell than last time, that slowed down the shield just long enough for Partheus to roll out of it's way. The shield hit the floor with enough remaining force to cause sparks to fly from metal-on-stone, and slowly ceased to spin like a coin dropped on a flat surface. Partheus stood up, catching his breath. "Well... I wasn't expecting that... phew, you took me by surprise that time..." He composed himself, walked over to his place on the arena, kicked the shield out of the way, and readied himself again. "Alright, I'm ready for more. Bring it!"