Knights of Equestria: part 8

A/N: I own nothing except for the character Yellow Jacket. I make no money from this writing.

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
Knights of Equestria, part 8: The One with a Song in It

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     Celestia's day ended, as Luna's night began. All the little ponies retreated back to their homes, ready for a good book by the fire, or a belated meal with family, or simply an early retreat into bed in preparation of an early morning rise the next day. It had been a long, hard day of work for everyone, even those not directly working to rebuild the town from its recent disaster. There was still much to be rebuilt, many ponies were still homeless and forced to stay with friends, relatives, or complete strangers. In as good and wholesome a town as Ponyville, none had to go without a roof over their head. Even the workers from Canterlot were welcomed with open doors and smiling faces. Many ponies, indeed, felt that in the wake of this upsurge of friendship, perhaps the fire was not so bad.

     But something else ran through the undercurrents of Ponyville other than friendship. All noticed it, and all were afraid to broach it. An unnatural chill filled the air, making every breeze a touch of ice. Every gust of wind carried with it a sound, like a far-off shriek faded through memory. Every light seemed dimmer, vaguer than it should have been, as if seen through a haze that wasn't there. And though the presence of other ponies brought comfort, it also brought fear. Throughout town there were flinches, shudders barely hidden as, for scant seconds, to viewers' eyes those they were looking at took on visages of madness. Smiles snapped into wicked grins before snapping just as quickly back. Eyes seemed to fill with an evil gleams, statements with cruel intentions, and every movement with the intent to grab a knife. Then it would all be gone, and the pony would be left wondering whether or not to keep a knife of his or her own close by. For safety.

     The harmony was dying.

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     At the Ponyville library all the "heroes of Ponyville", and several others, were gathered. Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Ditzy Doo, Rarity, and Spike the dragon all milled about in the main lobby of the library, gathered around the table there, or hung out in the kitchen, fixing themselves something to calm their nerves. It could be said that the feeling that permeated the rest of the town was focused on that building, that room. Whoever said that would be right. Upstairs in Twilight's room rested Twilight Sparkle herself, found unconscious in the Whitetail Woods by Spike and Ditzy. Unbeknownst to the other gathered ponies Trixie was also there, standing at the bedside and watching over her fellow Unicorn.

     In the library's second-floor guest room, other ponies were gathered. An eccentric doctor, a down-to-earth farmpony, and an innocent Pegasus.

     "Be honest, doc. Is she gonna be all right?"

     Doctor Whoof swept the green light of his sonic screwdriver over Fluttershy's body a final time, before deactivating it and sliding it back into his holster. Instead of answering Applejack's question he sighed and looked over Fluttershy with his natural eyes. The poor Pegasus's body had been found by Applejack in her cottage after the call to gather had been sent out, and brought with all haste to the library and Doctor Whoof. With Rarity's help he had cleaned her and bandaged her injuries. Now Fluttershy rested in the guest bedroom, with none but the two of them keeping watch. Everyone else was downstairs or in Twilight's room.

     "Doc, please answer me! Will she be okay?"

     Doctor Whoof dragged his eyes up from Fluttershy to the earth pony at his side. He couldn't meet her eyes. "She has severe internal bleeding, multiple compound fractures all along her rear right leg and a single clean fracture in her front left leg. A broken collarbone, two broken ribs, a broken nose, and a massive bruise on her skull, probably from having her head slammed through something hard, like a kitchen counter. About two dozen shards of glass and wood splinters, pulled from her back and sides with Rarity's magic. And then the wings...what remains of them...it's a bloody miracle she survived this long without medical treatment. She will live, I can tell you that. But she will desperately need her friends when she wakes up."

     Applejack nodded, slowly. Tears that had threatened to break loose throughout her fellow earth pony's description of the injuries now began to flow freely down her cheeks. "O-okay then. Th-thanks for everythin', doc." Her knees trembling, Applejack sat down on the floor and rested her head onto the bed, eyes focused on the unconscious form. "If'n ya don't mind, I'm just gonna...keep her company awhile. In case she wakes up..."

     Doctor Whoof nodded and turned to go. Trotting as softly as possible he made it to the bedroom door, and then turned to look back at Applejack and Fluttershy. "I'm so, so sorry."

     Applejack gave no response as the door closed, casting the lightless room into total shadow.

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     Doctor Whoof closed the door behind him and trotted over to the stairs to the main floor. From the main floor he could hear several raised voices, though he could not tell who exactly was speaking. One he thought was Rainbow Dash, although it might've been Ditzy.

     Halfway down the stairs, Doctor Whoof met Rarity going up them. He nodded to her and she smiled back, though the smile was weak. "Doctor Whoof, how is she?"

     Doctor Whoof sighed and ran a hoof through his hair. "Well, if she lives through the night, she'll probably be okay. Though she is definitely probably going to be out of commission for quite a while."

     "Oh...okay." Rarity hung her head, her purple bangs hiding her eyes. Whoof sighed again and made to continue on down the stairs when she looked up again. "Doctor, I was just on my way to check on Twilight Sparkle in her room. Will you join me?"

     "Oh, no," Whoof replied, waving her off with a hoof. "She's perfectly fine, just tired and asleep. It wouldn't be appropriate for a doctor to hover around his patient like that."

     Rarity smiled and, taking him by the shoulder, began leading Whoof back up the stairs. "Then don't visit her as a doctor, dear, visit her as the friend you want to be." She looked at him from the corner of her eye. "Besides, I think you could use the company. You seem lonely."

     Whoof didn't reply, merely walking to the door to Twilight's room and opening it a crack. Rarity made to push it open all the way but Whoof held up a hoof to stop her. "Wait, I think somepony's already in there," he whispered.

     Rarity frowned and leaned in close. She wanted to peak through the crack. "Applejack's with Fluttershy. Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Spike, and that Ditzy girl are downstairs, and Big Mac went home to watch Applebloom and Sweetie Belle. Who's that leave?"

     Whoof widened the crack just slightly and peaked in with Rarity. The room past the door was dark, lit only by the moonlight streaming in through its windows. "Well either Yellow Jacket snuck in here, or..." he caught sight of a light blue coat. "Oh right, Trixie."

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     Trixie sat on the stool and looked down at Twilight Sparkle. The purple Unicorn was nestled up deep in her bed, covers pulled tightly over her body to her chin, leaving just her head free to look at. Trixie's eyes were locked on that face, absorbing every little detail of it to memory. It had changed since the last time she had seen it. The pink in her hair had been replaced by jet black, while the slate blue of the hair had gone several shades lighter, until it was almost as light as the hair Trixie had. The strangest changes however were the marks beneath Twilight's closed eyes; a black line, like an elongated tear, stretched from just beneath each eye to halfway down her cheeks.

     "Oh Twilight, I'm so sorry..." Trixie reached down and, being careful not to wake the sleeping Unicorn, brushed a hoof through her mane. "If I had detected the remnants of the horror illusion on Rainbow Dash, I could have removed it. But I didn't, and now you've been hurt. Not physically maybe, Celestia's research suggests that both of us are beyond simple bodily damage. But emotionally...I'm so sorry."

     Twilight shifted in her bed and mumbled, making Trixie pull her hoof away. After several seconds of no further movement from the other Unicorn, Trixie sighed and resumed her gentle stroking. "I hated you, you know, after the Ursa Minor incident. My wagon crushed, all my possessions lost, my pride in tatters, I thought you had ruined my life. I was so full of hate, rage, and despair that I wanted to destroy everything I saw. Then Luna found me. It's so strange how our lives now mirror each other, is it not, Twilight? Both losing control of our powers, both found and saved by the princess sisters, both becoming students of the princesses. Though I followed quite a bit later than you I'm afraid, heh."

     Trixie stopped her stroking. A frown crept across her face. "One day your teacher Celestia told me a story, of a pair of Unicorns, a mare and a stallion, who loved each other very much. Her pregnancy was the happiest event of their lives. However, the birth of twins was unexpected. they were young, they already had a son, they couldn't afford to care for two little fillies. So the filly born just a few minutes first was very reluctantly given away to an orphanage in Canterlot, from which she was eventually adopted by a troupe of magicians passing through. And after many years she set off on her own, to make her own way in the world..."

     The door to the bedroom creaked shut behind her, but Trixie didn't notice. Brushing some loose strands of hair from Twilight's face Trixie leaned down and planted a soft kiss on her forehead, just below the horn. "I found you, little sister."

     Trixie pulled away, and as she did a look of calm and contentment spread over Twilight's features. Trixie thought she could see some of the color return to her sister's hair, but it might have been her imagination. Either way, Trixie felt that for the moment there was nothing more for her to do. She hopped off her stool and began trotting to the door, pausing just a moment to glance appreciatively at a piece of authentic Gallopfreyan statuary. Then she was out of the room and shutting the door behind her.

     Twilight Sparkle opened her eyes and looked at the door.

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     "So...crazy day, wasn't it, Hehe..." Rainbow Dash gave a very soft, very weak smile to the pink pony across the library table from her. In response Pinkie Pie sniffled and hung her head lower, her limp mane falling down around her head. Rainbow Dash instantly dropped the smile. "O-okay, maybe crazy isn't the right word..."

     Pinkie Pie sniffled again. "This has been the absolute most horrible, bad, terrible day ever..." Her body, the colors dulled by her grief, shuddered as she held back a sob. "First Rainbow Dash wakes up, then some big meany casts an evil spell on her, then she attacked me, then she was okay and Ditzy fought the big meany, th-then Twilight showed up, then Rainbow Dash attacked her and Twilight made Rainbow Dash faint and then she disappeared, and then the cake I was baking burned, and then I lost the Game, and then we found Twilight collapsed in the woods, and then we found Fluttershy d-dead!"

     Ditzy Doo stood up from her place by Rainbow Dash's side and moved around the table to Pinkie. Sitting down to her left Ditzy wrapped a foreleg around the pink pony's shoulders and pulled her into a hug. "Hey, hey, hush now. Hush now. Fluttershy's not dead yet, and Doctor Whoof's not going to let her go that easily."

     The next moment Dash took Pinkie's right side and joined in the hug. "Come on Pie, Ditzy's right. Now do you really want Fluttershy to wake up and see you breaking your heart like this over her? She wouldn't stop saying 'sorry for making you worry' for a year!"

     "I...I guess..." Pinkie sniffled again, and then looked up at them. "But, that big meanypants who made you attack us is still out there somewhere! And I bet he's the pony who attacked Fluttershy!"

     "Well then," replied Dash, smirking. "We'll just have to kick his rump all the way to Stalliongrad! Ditzy already did it once, and next time he'll have to deal with all of us! Right?"

     "Right!" shouted Doctor Whoof from the stairs. The trio of ponies all jumped and turned in their seats to see Doctor Whoof and Rarity descending the stairs. He beamed down at them. "I'd love to give that Thunder Scream fellow a nice whack on the head! I mean really, what a ridiculous name!"

     "Doctor!" Pinkie Pie shot from Dash's and Ditzy's embrace and tackled her fellow earth pony to the ground. "Is Fluttershy okay? Is she gonna live? Will she be okay? Will she live!? Tell me tell me tell me!"

     "Yes, Fluttershy's going to be okay, Pinkie!" Rarity let out a ladylike giggle at the pink pony's antics. "Now let Doctor Whoof go, it looks like you're choking him!"

     All the color seemed to return to Pinkie Pie's mane and coat as she leapt up off Doctor Whoof and began bouncing around the room. Her giggling, as bright and lively as a Spring day, filled the library, drifting slowly out into the town beyond. Lights began to regain their brightness, colors their richness, and foods their sweetness.

     "Fluttershy's gonna be okay, Fluttershy's gonna be okay, Fluttershy's gonna be o-oh!" Pinkie Pie paused in mid-bounce and dropped back down to the floor. "We need to through a celebratory party! Ain't no way some big meanypants called Yellow Jacket gonna take us down, nu-uh!"

     At that moment, Rarity looked at Doctor Whoof and smirked. It was an all-too-cheery smirk, the kind of smirk that males of every race in Equestria instinctively feared. "I can think of a sweet little doctor who might like some help getting his crush's attention."

     "Yeah I-wait, what?" Whoof stared in utter shock at Rarity, before slowly dragging his gaze over to Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, and Ditzy Doo. They all had on the same smirk, and were slowly trotting in towards him. "Oh. Oh no, no no no! Not that! Not a-"

     "MAKEOVER!"

     Doctor Whoof lunged for the stairs. Before he made it up two steps he was dragged back down by Rarity's telekinesis. He was forced down into a chair at the table, where he was held down by Ditzy and Dash while Rarity went off somewhere. Desperately he looked at the pair. "C-come on girls, this is silly! I mean, you don't even like frilly frou-frou stuff like this!"

     "Maybe not, doc," replied Rainbow Dash. "But we also don't like security cameras. Know what I mean?"

     "...I do, actually. How about that?"

     Rarity reappeared from wherever she had gone, dragging along behind her an absolutely massive trunk. "I found this in the basement! It looks like it's full of old clothes from the former librarian!"

     Doctor Whoof screamed and renewed his struggles to escape the pony death grip. "H-hey, come on! I-wait, where'd Pinkie Pie get to?" The lights dimmed as, from somewhere, music began to play. "...tell me you aren't."
                    
                      "Shirt by shirt, putting you together
                      Twilight, she deserves somepony fetching
                      Personally I think she could do better
                      But you like her quite a bit
                      So we'll do our best to make you hip
                      As long as you aren't a bore
                      We'll help you Doooctooor!"

     Doctor Whoof sighed. "You are. Ow!" Ditzy grinned at him as she raked a comb through his messy mane. Rarity opened the trunk and began levitating clothes out.

                      "Heart to heart, working out the details
                      A high neckline, don't you think that'd look just fine
                      Make you look like you inspire
                      Remember that Twi' loves formal attire
                      Make sure it all fits your looks
                      Even though she's more concerned with books
                      We're putting you together!"

                      "Matchmaking's not easy, when happiness is on the line,
                      Twilight wants somepony with precision
                      Blend looks and smarts..."

     Rarity took a step back. "How is this decision?"

     "Hmm..." Ditzy looked over the massive coat and scarf combo Doctor Whoof wore. "Looks kinda hot in there."

     "Can't...breathe..."

     Rarity ripped the scarf off and threw it into the corner. "Back to work, girls!"

                      "Something brash, perhaps quite fetching
                      Look at that coat Pinkie Pie, couldn't you simply die?
                      Make sure it fits forehooves and breast
                      Let's add some magic to the rest
                      Even though it hangs low off the shoulder
                      Doc you won't look like a boulder
                      We're putting you together!"

     Doctor Whoof gave himself a little spin, watching as the patchwork coat he wore whipped around. "This is the most ridiculously colorful thing I've ever seen."

     "Hmm, good point." Rarity pulled it off him and levitated it to Pinkie Pie. "Here you go, dear."

     "Ooh, neato! I can wear this while making cupcakes!"

     "Girls, come on!" shouted Rainbow Dash. "We're wasting time!"

                      "Piece by piece, bit by bit

     "Question marks on a shirt? Blegh!"

                      Straighten shoulders, push out hip

     "I love the formality of the outfit, but it just seems off on you..."

                      Shirt by shirt, don't get stressed

     "A leather jacket? How biker-ish!"
                    
                      Heart to heart, it's the best

     "Why would you wear glasses, your eyesight is just fine."

                      And that's the Art of the Dre-er, Vest!"

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     "Hmm..." Doctor Whoof looked himself over in the mirror, while several paces to the side Rarity, Ditzy, Rainbow Dash, and Pinkie Pie looked on with sly grins, nearly bouncing with excitement at hearing his opinion. Except Ditzy, who was hovering with excitement.

     "This is some sort of therapy for you girls, isn't it, to cope with the emotional trauma. Oh well, doesn't matter. Well it does, but in the good way. Hmm..." Doctor once more examined his new outfit. It consisted of a plain brown tweed jacket with leather elbow patches, a light brown dress shirt, and a gold wristwatch. His mane meanwhile had been combed and straightened out from its original messy mess, though it was still rather long and curly.

     "Mmhmm..."

     Rarity coughed and took a half-step forward, joining Whoof by the mirror. "Well, what do you think?" In her mind's eyes she was reliving her fashion show experience.

     "Well, it looks great, fantastic. But...it feels like something is missing...aha!" Whoof turned around and trotted to the nearly-empty trunk on the table. He began sifting through its contents. "I know just exactly what I need, there must be one in here. Here we go!" After a few more seconds of messing with whatever he had found, Whoof stepped away from the trunk and turned to Rarity and the others. At his collar was now affixed a burgundy bow tie. "So, what do you think?"

     "I-I..." Rarity's right eye twitched and a few strands sprang loose from her curled mane. "It's a bow tie."

     Doctor Whoof huffed and reached a hoof up to adjust the tie. "Yeah, so, it's cool. Bow ties are cool."

     Rainbow Dash mumbled something under her breathe that made the paint crinkle a few feet around her. Meanwhile, Pinkie Pie started bouncing around. "Ooh, neato! You look just like my old physics professor!"

     "Ah!" Whoof looked back at Rarity and smirked. "Well at least one of you girls has good taste."

     Ditzy Doo hovered over and adjusted the tie for Whoof, all the while giving him her brightest smile. "You look like yourself, Doctor, that's what matters. Also thanks. You were right, this was a much-needed breather."

     The others all nodded their heads and agreed on this, making Whoof blush and smile. "Well in that case, I suppose nearly getting strangled by that scarf was more than worth it!"

     Well away from the group, Spike poked his head out from the kitchen and looked at the ponies. "You're all a bunch of weirdos." He then pulled his head back inside and closed the kitchen door.

     The sound of hoofsteps caught their attention, making the group look over as Trixie descended the stairs to the main level. "The Modest and Humble Trixie has no clue how the four of you can prance around like that, considering the situation."
The small group shared a brief glance, and then Rarity took a step forward. "Well, if you don't mind my asking, Trixie, just what is the situation? We have all gathered together, we have shared everything that has happened to each of us, all that we know, but what is all this nasty business leading to? What is the end-game, as it'were?"

     Trixie nodded at this and started for the table. "That is a very good question. Let's sit and think this through. Doctor Whoof, would you mind going up and watching Twilight? I don't like the idea of leaving her unguarded."

     "Well sure, I don't mind at all." Doctor Whoof trotted to the stairs, as behind him Trixie, Rainbow Dash, Ditzy Doo, and Pinkie Pie all sat down at the table. As he set a hoof down on the first step however he stopped and turned to look back at them. "Just one question, just one. Do you want me guarding her for her protection, or yours?" The others all froze, before as one turning to look at him.

     Doctor Whoof continued. "Don't try to play dumb with me, I know what you're all thinking. Except Pinkie, you're crazy. Rarity started it with her anger and resentment towards Twilight for not showing any concern about her shop. That resentment lessened when Twilight apologized but it's still there, lurking, like Dashie's horror illusion, but subtle. Then Trixie finds Twilight researching sources of massive magic, sources that Yellow Jacket would definitely be interested in so! We have suspicion cast on just what Twilight's been doing to ignore Rarity's plight."

     He held up a hoof in a stopping motion. "Then, Rainbow Dash attacks Twilight because of illusion spell, drives a knife through her chest, but! One fancy light show later and Twilight's back on her hooves and draining Dash of her magic. So, we add in the freaky factor and that Twilight can do something Yellow Jacket would want to do. Finally, Twilight appears at Sweet Apple Acres, gives a crazy rant to a couple of you about doing what she has to do, then vanishes. Finally, you find poor Fluttershy in her cottage, beaten half to death and all of her magic drained. Like Rainbow Dash."

     "Doctor-"

     Doctor Whoof waved a hoof at Rarity. "Shut up, I'm thinking. Plus whatever you have to say doesn't matter. You're all scared of Twilight Sparkle. Maybe each other too. Recent events have thrown fear and suspicion into your lives, fear of each other. You don't have to sit there and try to figure out what the situation is, the answer's plain as day. Intentionally or not, the Elements of Harmony are under attack. Now, would you like to know the real question you should be asking yourselves?"

     Trixie looked up at Doctor Whoof, trying to say something. "What would that be?"

     Doctor Whoof shrugged and began trotting up the stairs. "Who's attacking; Yellow Jacket, or whatever started the Ponyville fire?"

     And then he was up the stairs and out of sight. Silence in the library, until it was broken by Rainbow Dash. "Wait, we aren't blaming Yellow Jacket for the fire?"

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     Doctor Whoof entered Twilight's room to find her sitting up in bed, examining her appearance in the moonlight with a levitated mirror. "Twilight Sparkle, you're awake!"

     Twilight smiled and set the mirror down, before turning to Whoof. "Doctor Whoof, you're...wearing a bow tie."

     "This is going to be a thing for you ponies, isn't it?" Whoof sighed and shook his head, but he smiled all the same. "Well anyways, it's good to see you're okay. You are okay, aren't you?"

     "I'm...not sure." Twilight levitated the mirror back up and looked herself over once again. "I feel different. I feel lighter, as if I could jump up into the air and stay there. But I also feel...irritated. Not at anything in particular, but like I just want to be angry at something, anything. And my mane has changed color, what's up with that?"

     "Hmm..." Whoof stood by the bed, but his eyes were focused on the authentic Gallopfreyan statue in the room. At the sound of the question he turned back to her. "Hm? Oh, I imagine that is somewhat like the tales I've heard of dark emotions affecting Unicorn magic. I think your...friend, Trixie, went through something like that recently by the way that is a very nice statue where did you get it?"

     "Statue?" Twilight looked at the statue that, until right then she had never seen in her room. That meant only one thing. "Jack, stop hiding like that. You know Doctor Whoof is on our side."

     As the Pegasus statue shifted back into the familiar form of Yellow Jacket, Doctor Whoof looked at him and then back at Twilight. "Neat trick, but as far as I knew there were no sides. Why are there sides now, what do we need sides for?"

     "Well, sides might be a...simplistic term for the situation." Twilight rolled into a kneeling position, with a shake of her head making her mane fall to one side, hiding her right eye. "Anyone, pony or otherwise, whoever stands in the way of Jack and I sharing the power of magic with all ponykind...they are not on our side. Anyone who does not seek the future safety and happiness of Equestria and its inhabitants...they are not on our side. Anyone who hurts my friends, physically or emotionally...they are not on MY side."

     Yellow Jacket stirred at this last one, but said nothing. Doctor Whoof coughed and looked Twilight in the eye. "How conveniently black and white. What about Trixie? You know, the Unicorn who was in here a bit ago, confessed to being your older sister?"

     "You're not supposed to know that." Twilight's whisper seethed with annoyance. Around them the room shook, until Twilight reigned in her emotions. She sighed. "About Trixie...if she understood what Jack and I understand, she would side with us. She is just misguided right now."

     Whoof snorted. "Funny, I think she would say the exact same thing about you right now."

     "Then she would be wrong!" Twilight's horn sparked and the window in her room exploded outward, showering the ground below with shards of glass. Whoof and Jack both backed away as Twilight continued. "I mean, what would you have me do, Doctor? What would you have me do? You know as well as I do that fires just like the one here have been happening all across Equestria, and you know that the ONLY reason Ponyville was saved was because of me! Because of the magic I could do! But I can't be everywhere, Doctor, there is only one of me. Only one me, only one Jack, only one Doctor! And even if the fires weren't happening, Jack will die if I don't help him with his research! So what would you have me do, Doctor?"

     Doctor Whoof groaned and rubbed the bridge of his snout. When he looked up again he stared into red eyes. At some point while she was talking, Twilight's eyes had changed color. "Twilight, listen to me, I want to help Jack and anypony else as much as you do, plus this has all been fascinating. But right now, downstairs, your friends sit and think of you. Your sister included. They are scared, and confused, and vulnerable, and you need to be there for them! Fluttershy was almost killed, for Celestia's sake!"

     "Then I will find her attacker and kill them!"

     "Then you should know that Jack-"

     "Twilight."

     Twilight's eyes shifted back to purple as she and Whoof looked to Jack. The Pegasus stood there with his saddlebags strapped on, his traveling cloak once more wrapped over his body. The raised hood cast a shadow over his face, from which his eyes shone. "Twilight, Doctor Whoof is right. Your friends need you. So I'm leaving, tonight."

     "Wh-what? What!?" Twilight shot a shocked look at Whoof, which he returned, and then looked back at Jack. "But you need our help! We promised that we would help you!"

     "And you have, you have." Jack shook his head and gave a small, pained smile. "When I first arrived here in Ponyville, I'll be honest, I had no idea what to do. No direction, just...wandering, surviving however I could and with a holier-than-though attitude to hide my desperation. But then Doctor found me and brought me to you, and I had hope. And now I have direction. I can start researching more into the Knights of Equestria, find the location of Midnight Castle, and use the stored power there to save myself. Bring about a revolution of the ponies to a new, peaceful age and shake things up for Princess Celestia."

     "And if you don't, Jack? What if you're stopped, or killed, or captured by Trixie!?"

     Jack's smile grew more pained. He stepped forward and nuzzled Twilight on the cheek. "Then you will be safe, Twilight. Your reputation with Princess Celestia won't get damaged, you won't get estranged from your friends or...or your sister, for helping me. That's worth the extra chance of failure, I think."

     "Oh, how noble of you," Whoof remarked, but then froze. He stared in numb shock as Twilight Sparkle pulled Jack's hood down and kissed the Pegasus on the lips. An ache formed in Doctor Whoof's chest, as if a dragon's fist had stabbed through and given his heart a squeeze. He closed his eyes and looked away, unwilling to witness the intimate moment.

     "Hey you, Doctor."

     Doctor Whoof sighed and looked back at. Twilight lay sprawled out on the bed, eyes closed and chest steadily rising and falling. Jack had pulled his hood back up, although this failed to hide at all his smirk. "Don't worry, she's just asleep. A thin layer of sleep-inducing lipstick on my lips did the trick, heh."

     Doctor Whoof blinked, looking back and forth between Jack and Twilight. Finally he focused on Jack. "Two things. First, that lipstick thing is just...weird. Blegh. I mean really. Secondly, how could you have possibly known she would kiss you?"

     Jack shrugged. "I didn't know, though I admit to hoping she would." The next moment Jack's smile dropped. He looked down at the sleeping Twilight. "My leaving will be...easier this way. Less chance of her trying to follow me. You will take care of her, won't you Doctor?"

     Doctor Whoof met Yellow Jacket's stare gaze to gaze. "Of course. You have my word as a doctor, and a Gallopfreyan."

     Jack nodded and smiled again. "That's a strong oath you've sworn, Doctor. Careful, I'll hold you to it."

     Then Jack turned from Doctor Whoof to the broken window. Some glass littered the wood floor but most had been blown outwards, leaving a relatively clear path to the window. He sighed. "Well, there is my exit. Goodbye, Doctor. Lose the bow tie."

     Doctor Whoof watched the Pegasus disappear through the window into the night beyond. "Well then, goodbye, Jack."