Magical Mysteries

The day was still relatively new, and the streets of Manehattan seemed hauntingly empty in the morning hours.  The past days had been a blur of sheer panic, terror, and utter confusion, as Bright Eyes was now certain that something was wrong in Equestria.  With a rucksack jammed full with books, some food, an arrow she had found, and her blanket, the mare was traveling to Ponyville in search for help.  Why Ponyville?  Bright only knew a few ponies there, but she held on to hope that there would be somepony there she could turn to.

She wasn’t sure where else to begin a search that promised to be arduous and perplexing.  The arrow was her only indication thus far that she should be fearful.  Eyes wide, she likely looked like an insane pony as she trotted down the sidewalk, mind racing endlessly with the possibility - all of which seemed disastrous.

No matter how dark the prospects, Bright Eyes was a mare on a mission.  With no one else to care about their disappearance, it was up to her to find her parents.  Pale blue hooves made soft plodding sounds to announce her presence, but she was otherwise occupied by the worries nagging at her.

"Sign here and here." Aero passed the clipboard over to the store pony before hoisting the last crate off the back of the delivery cart.

The routine delivery had been nothing out of the ordinary. The usual goods for Reign's Cats and Dogs - mostly canned pet food - was always an easy job, and the store folk were friendly enough. As if to demonstrate the point Aero was thinking, a unicorn employee lifted the crate away from the pegasus with his magic, giving him a knowing smile. He simply gave a nod to the shop assistant for his help and took back the signed clipboard.

The cart itself stayed at the store, so Aero was now home free to travel back to Ponyville. He said goodbye to the store and stepped out fully onto the street. Manhattan was always so alive and busy with ponies, in stark contrast to the sleepy town of Ponyville. The pegasus stood complacently still, observing the movement of ponies around him. A mother pushing a baby pram, two business ponies in a heated debate, a young stallion with a guitar slung over his back. So many lives were moving around him.

Aero lost himself in his trance of pony watching, tracking a new subject every few minutes, completely oblivious to the rest of his surroundings.

Bright Eyes was ripped suddenly from her distraction as she turned the corner of the quiet neighborhood block onto a street bustling with activity. The mare was no longer aware of how long she had been walking in circles on the city streets.  In a sleep deprived state, she was rather hopelessly lost.  Dazed, she stopped as the city’s residents hurried around in all directions, like insects.  Suffocating, Manhattan was overwhelming and unmanageable in her current state.

In what felt like a swarm of chaos, Bright Eyes stared off a ways, sharp eyes catching sight of a gray winged figure.  She looked for a lingering moment, unable to trust her senses.  It couldn’t be…

Her heart racing in double-time, the mare began to sprint in Aero’s direction, narrowly dodging several ponies who happened to step in front of her path.  Certain as she was that it was some sort of city mirage, she willed her imagination to be truth, and when she was near enough, she called out his name.  Her voice had lost any semblance of her cheerful self.  "Aero!"

A mare and a stallion, walking closely together. The mare's tail flicked to brush against the stallion's back leg while he gave her occasions glances. A couple it seemed. Aero continued to watch them as they passed him, a spectator in the midst of organised chaos of the city streets.

His attention was suddenly stolen when he heard his name. What he focused on more was the very familiar and much-welcomed voice that spoke it. The pegasus homed in on the source and spotted his target rushing towards him; Bright Eyes. A smile grew on Aero's face as he trotted towards the unicorn.

However, his attentive eyes quickly noticed signs of distress and tiredness. A dishevelled mane, strained eyes, an imbalance to her gait. But the most disturbing thing of all was her tone. Hearing her call back in his head, it had lacked any of her usual cheer or zest. Concern grew in him, forming in the manner of a frown as they two reached each other.

"Hi Bright. How are you doing? Are you okay?" Aero asked, his worry rather apparent in his expression.

She felt a wave of relief to realize that her eyes were not deceiving her, and finding Aero was the only good thing that had happened since visiting Trottingham.  She couldn’t find it in her way to feign a smile and pretend everything was alright.  “Something terrible has happened — at least, I think it has.  It must be terrible, there’s no other explanation, none,” she stammered in a rushed voice.  It occurred to her, briefly, that to be seen in her current state was certainly embarrassing, but that worry was easily pushed to the wayside by more pressing concerns.

She took a deep, steadying breath before trying again.  “I went to visit my mum and dad, and they’re gone.  The house is deserted.  It doesn’t make any sense.  And I don’t know where I am,” she stated, reining in an urge to break down right there in the street.

Aero had hoped that despite her appearance, Bright would instantly bounce back into her usual gleeful behaviour, enthusiasm brimming. Sadly, no such thing occurred. The mare was indeed frazzled, borderline hysteria it seemed, and not without good reason. House deserted? Parents missing? Something terrible?

Aero's eyes grew intense, a deadly seriousness now overtaking him. Any pretence of lightheartedness in his own demeanour instantly faded away. He was focused. Bright was seriously disturbed by something. Her blue eyes seemed panicked and, if he was to guess, on the brink of tears. Worried for his friend, Aero placed a hoof on her shoulder and tilted his head to force eye contact with her.

"Calm down. Take a moment," he instructed, in a firm manner that almost demanded authority. He learnt this kind of voice from a young age. Aero gestured to a bench across the road situated on the edge of a newly renovated park. "Let's take a seat and then you can explain everything to me."

The stallion's cool blue eyes became intense, and the sternness of his tone and touch of his hoof on her shoulder came as a surprise to Bright Eyes.  She blinked hard as she tried to regain her senses, pulling her concentration back from paranoid distraction and to the present - what felt more like a surreal dream with each passing second.

She crossed the road, As Aero had suggest, before pulling herself onto the painted park bench.  The little park was an odd patch of green in the otherwise colourless cityscape.   "I went to Trottingham, but something had happened there.  My parents weren't there.  Half of their equipment had been taken.  They wouldn't just leave," she insisted, eyes locked on the city sidewalk. "Others in the town refused to talk, or were hiding."

She was still deciphering the details, but she was determined:  "I have to find them.  It isn't... It's not right.  I was looking for - well, I was going to Ponyville first." It was presumptuous of her to believe that Aero would be willing or able to help. Bright scarcely had proof that something was wrong.

Aero accompanied his distraught friend to the bench where he took a seat beside her. He listened intently as she explained her situation, from Trottingham to her plan. He wasn't entirely sure what to make of it all, but instinctively he immediately remarked "Don't worry. We'll find them."


Without question, he was obligated to help Bright. She'd been such a positive presence in his day-to-day life over such a short time that he couldn't bare the thought or sight of her so upset. He was inclined to believe Bright, but his usual skepticism weighed heavily on his doubt. Maybe her parents had left on an unexpected trip.

He pondered for a moment in quiet in an attempt to justify her actions. From what time he'd spent with Bright, she wasn't one to make rash decisions. The unicorn was studious and intelligent. If anyone could work out something was wrong, that some kind of disaster had occurred, it would likely be her. So if she claimed her parents, and possibly others, were in trouble, Aero felt he could believe her.

The question that plagued his mind was why. Aero was certainly no detective but he couldn't help but try to work out the logic behind their disappearance. Thinking on what he'd been told, one possible reason stood out to him. "You mentioned equipment. What kinda of equipment would they have? Was it valuable?"

Though the pegasus had spoken only five simple words, his assurance offered a glimpse of hope to Bright Eyes.  Again, she would inhale a deep gulp of air in an attempt to calm down enough to be reasonable, to use the gift of intellect rather than frightened guesses.

When Aero inquired about the value of the missing items, Bright Eyes first began to nod - it was definitely irreplaceable items missing - but then she stopped herself upon further consideration.  “Well, no, the average pony wouldn’t know it was worth anything.  It wasn’t gems, or anything else that a burglar would take.  It would be worthless to anyone but my mother, who invented most of it to help with her work tracking stars, making predictions, and measuring the impact of spells.”

Bright Eyes then seemed to remember something, and with a shudder, the mare reached down toward the rucksack she carried, carefully removing the unusual weapon - the tip of the arrow was encased in glittering glass-like stone.  She set the arrow down on the bench. “I found this nearby.”

The answer was a start. While there was no monetary incentive, any value to the equipment was a lead. Still, Aero felt no closer in solving the issue. He pondered on these thoughts as Bright rummaged in her bag.

Aero's eyes locked onto the object, an arrow. It was unusual to see the projectile in the setting of Manehattan but that wasn't the only oddity. He noticed the tip was not just the usual pointed metal but was tipped with a clear lump of that glinted in the light. A crystal? Pages of history books are flooding to the forefront of his mind.

"An enchanted arrow. Not that common nowadays, they're only really used at events like the Equestria games. I bet only someone who uses them a lot would even have them...someone with a talent for archery..."

Strands of ideas and theories banded together to form a new path of thought. Bandits were only ever found around the southern frontier and the Badlands, but there was always the vaguest chance. The real question was why Bright's parents? What if they had been forced to leave? Maybe they had been attacked and forced to abandon home. But that wouldn't the missing equipment, since they wouldn't take it in an emergency and the bandits probably wouldn't take it.

"Did they have any...enemies?" Aero asked, hesitant to use the word. It seemed such an extreme title to give to some pony but under the circumstances it was starting to sound fitting. However, he was so focused in the moment, he wasn't paying attention to how intimidating his intense line of question may have become. "Someone that they stopped working for maybe? Someone who might want to stop their work, or force them to continue it?"

Falling silent, she looked between the unusual arrow and Aero’s features as he examined the find, commenting on how not many ponies used arrows anymore. “I found it in Robin Hoof Square, so I thought maybe a foal had been playing with it, but what mother would allow this as a toy? I’m not even sure how it works.” Even with its sharpened arrowhead sealed within the glassy substance, it looked menacing. Unnatural…. The sort of thing she would have gone to her parents to ask about.

“Enemies?” Her nose wrinkled in distaste at the very thought of it, and she shook her head quickly to dismiss the notion. “No, never. They were well respected in the community, I cannot imagine anypony viewing them as an enemy or - or a threat, or anything like that. But maybe…” Her words tapered off into momentary, thoughtful quiet as an uncomfortable idea seeped into her mind: that her parents were not like the normal village ponies. In the brains lurked years of experience and knowledge that would confuse the average mare or stallion. “Maybe they knew about something. Something that no other ponies in Trottingham did.”

As Bright further explained how she came across the arrow, Aero gave it another glance. It definitely seemed like an enchanted arrow designed to cast spells on impact with their target. He wasn't able to tell much else from it. After all, he was no qualified weapons or history expert despite his interest in the areas. But the unique weapon did suggest something sinister was in play.

It wasn't until Bright voiced an idea that Aero believed he could see the bigger picture more clearly. “Maybe they knew about something. Something that no other ponies in Trottingham did.” Her parents or their equipment weren't valuable apart. But knowledge and skills were valuable. Combine their talents with their equipment, and you had two experts capable of work. All you had to do was bend them to your will.

"I think you're right," he voiced, before asserting himself, "The problem now is where to start? You mentioned Ponyville...?"

The mare’s expression was pensive, considering the limited clues. There wasn’t much to work with, and the possibilities far outnumbered any hint of what had transpired in Trottingham. “Ponyville. Right. I figured - well, it’s a big town, at least compared to some other places. And I don’t know anyone here in Manehattan or who I would ask. Equestria is an enormous place,” she conceded, frown tugging at the corners of her lips. Unable to live up to her moniker, she was not feeling particularly optimistic.

None of the ponies passing by seemed to notice or care about the pair on the bench, with an odd arrow sitting between them. But Bright Eyes looked around suspiciously as she tucked the evidence away again. It was best to be careful. “I believe magic is involved. I thought maybe somepony around may have heard something relevant, or find if similar disappearances have occurred elsewhere.”

Amidst the confusion and fear, the likelihood of finding Aero seemed to register late in her frayed mind. His voice was level, familiar and comforting in the face of the chaos Bright felt. Later, there would be time enough to marvel over the coincidence of it, and time to express how grateful she was to find him, of all ponies. For now, the unicorn mare tried to focus on Aero. He didn't have all the answers, but his mere presence was more than she had expected.

Aero nodded in reflection. Magic made sense given his suspicions of the arrow. He noticed as Bright put it away, seeming conscious of onlookers. Now he too was alert of the passers-by, keeping a watchful eye for trouble. Maybe they would spot someone who could help them or give them a clue. Aero's attention turned to Bright and he couldn't help but frown in concern.

She couldn't help but be nervous and worried for her parents, as any pony would be. He hoped he'd managed to calm Bright down enough so she would feel a bit better. In the moment, he didn't stop to reflect on how he seemed to care more about her feelings and wellbeing than anyone's else's. What he was conscious of was how much he wanted to help sort out this crisis for her. With her.

"Ponyville's as good a place to start as any," he admitted, with no better plan. His gaze looked over Bright as he analyised her state. "It'll be a bit of a journey, might take a few days. You sure your up for it?"

Despite the flurry of horrible feelings churning within her, she spoke with resolve:  “The sooner the searching begins, the better.” Then, a new wave of concern seemed to dawn on her as her imagination conjured up the many mysteries to be solved.  What if it proved to be dangerous?  If the magical arrow was any indication, it would be.  And Aero had no reason to help other than being a friend.  Though friendship was prized throughout Equestria, some things seemed beyond what one should ask of their friends.

As grateful as she was, she had to state, to be certain he knew what it could mean to help this time:  “You know you don’t have to do this.”  Somehow, it seemed a little less daunting with someone to accompany her, but if something bad happened… How could she live with herself?  She didn’t know where the journey would lead, but at least she didn’t have to take it alone, if he meant what he said.

“I can make it to Ponyville.  But, oh, to have wings,” she said with a faint smirk, with just a hint of her usual, joking side peeking through the anxiety, if only for a second or two.

He stopped rather suddenly when Bright attested that he didn't have to help. He was a little stunned to say the least. She was right, of course. She technically hadn't even asked for help but he'd instinctively offered it. While he would often do things for his own benefit, he couldn't help but think of his own mother at a time like this. Himself, a young colt sitting on the carpet at home, looking up at his mother. She recounted tales of wrongs righted and justices served, some that were her stories and some that were histories. In times of serious trouble, Aero felt compelled to step forward. There was no doubt in his mind.

"I know," he replied earnestly, looking her in the eyes. The barest hint of softness was detectable in his usually cold gaze. "But you don't have to do this alone."

Her joke was a great moment of breaking away at some of the tension hanging in the air. Seeing even the faintest of smiles brought to the mare's face was a brilliant sight. Aero returned it with a comforting smile along with a chuckle at the jab of humour. He flapped his wings a little, briefly lifting of the ground by a couple of inches before touching back down.

"They do have their benefits, but I don't think I could carry you. We can see what trains are available?"

The soft look in the pale blue eyes of the stallion seemed to catch Bright Eyes off-guard, momentarily pulling her from her baffled mindset into another similarly confused state, but in an altogether different way.  The unicorn had seen something similar in her friend's expression before, but... If she had the time to analyze it a littler closer, she would have.  For now, however, she could only offer a smile in return, feeling a strange fluttering within her as she stood beside the pegasus.

"Aero, I..." Her words tapered off into silence - what had she been trying to say?  But she shook her head quickly in an attempt to clear her muddled thoughts.  After a second or two or quiet, she offered in a soft, sincere voice:  "Thank you."

When he made mention of the train, there was a silent pause.  Taking the rails would certainly be quicker, and less labor intensive - but Bright Eyes had only so much to spend, and since she hadn't the faintest inkling how long the journey would take, she decided it was better to save.  "Walking is fine.  We might encounter others who are experiencing something similar.  Anypony with answers, anywhere along the way."

That quiet 'thank you' was enough to warm Aero inside. He didn't often help others, unless they were one of the few he actually liked. But when he was able to do right by them, it made him feel worthwhile. To see Bright actually show even a shred of happiness during this time of turmoil for her was a success in his book.

At her suggestion of walking, he had to concede to her point. Trottingham wasn't all too far from Manehatten, so it was entirely possible that other nearby places had been hit with similar problems as her hometown. Any other clues they could find would be a big help in figuring out what was going on.

"Okay, walk it is," agreed Aero, as he began to walk.

The pegasus didn't have much on him, save for a few business papers, some bits, and a light lunch in his single saddlebag. Still, he felt as ready as could ever be. Aero was resourceful and confident in himself, not to mention Bright was incredible smart, knowledgable and quick thinking. Together, there surely wasn't much that could handle.