Around the world through laziness and boredom

      More than one day was needed for Sunshine to recover. More than one week. Anyone in her place would break, be traumatised for their whole life, or simply would give up. But this pony held strong enough before the rush of all those hidden memories and emotions. After all, the unicorn knew his sister well, and managed to think of everything. He was ready for this, too.   She spent all her childhood near her brother, she constantly stuck around with him, she lived his life. And the little pony knew him like none other. This exact zeal of his, praised by others, turned into attachment, and it turned into obsession. Obsession, for which he spared none other, even his relatives. Obsession, that nobody wants to see.   The stallion is powerful enough to make Sunshine actually forget about all his unicorn mistakes; he could simply kill her, not spending any of that time that he values so much. However, the stallion made this artefact, using a plant as well, and masked it as a gift, an adornment. What for?   Is all this effort meant to show his cruelty? Or maybe he truly wanted to protect and save the orange pony, in his twisted understanding of those words? Was it simply a proof of his might, as the first unicorn-artoquarian, comparable in strength to a pointy-eared horse?   — He, he..! That bastard..!   — You tell me not to swear, but-   — You don’t understand! What would you do in my place? How would you express yourself if you were constantly locked inside, and forced to take part in those silly experiments?! He refused all my suggestions, he didn’t pay attention to me at all!   — I.. I understand you. You know this perfectly, he-   — ..He beat me up! He made me forget everything bad about him and didn’t let me remember why I ran away! - raging mare stomped her hooves on a table - Let me be angry!         Thankfully, the surrounding atmosphere let the deceived pony rage and blow off steam on furniture and walls - nature drove out previous inhabitants of this abandoned home. Nobody could and would bother new, temporary residents. Except, probably the hunger, thoughts and loneliness.   And if thoughts could somehow be fought alone, hunger was tackled by Gambit. Finding food in such wilderness - a very hard task, knowing that even the common grass may negatively impact the health and emotional venting. But he managed to do his part.   Every time, when the changeling went away from the hut, he, like Sun, thought a lot in solitude. And when he returned, he saw one and only picture - once a happy horse, now lying on the floor and wailing in bitterness. Friends seemingly changed places - the insect experienced so many emotions, while feeling only a single one from this pony - despair.   This truth, that the shapeshifter tried to reach a lot of times prior in their lives, cost too much for both friends. The price could even get higher by many more times in the end - it could become an absence of freedom. In every sense of those words.   — ..I don’t want to go back home! I don’t want to see him at all! - Sunshine stood her ground.   — Then what are we going to do? What are you going to do? - Gambit shivered for real, unable to find a place for himself - ..What do I need to do?   — You want to go back? After everything? After this torture?!   — I did it for you! I wanted to be with you, I want to be with you now! I want to be your friend! - a little more, and the bug seemed to break - ..I just want for everything to be good around us.         Other than looking for a new meaning of life, the team was also held by past problems. If the pegasus did not want to remember anything at such a time, then the changeling simply could not forget about the quiet stalkings, and could not stop thinking about future encounters.   — We can get caught, you realise that? - whiskered insect remained very emotional - Not tomorrow, then later; will catch someone who knows us, then will catch us! It is safer in the mansion!   — Moon always said that, I don’t believe it! No, I don’t want to believe him! Would even murder him..!   — We cannot run forever! Why not tell everything to canterlotians, then? About Moonrise?   — Wait! N-no! - suddenly, Sunshine shed a note of worry - I hate this git, but.. U-urgh! - pony lowered her head and drowned in tears again - ..I don’t want to hurt him! I don’t want to hurt you!   Shapeshifter could not decide on anything. Day after day, every such question, every further minute tore the borders of their perceptions. Coloured horse emotionally exhausted herself and worried about problems more, like Gambit in the past. And he..   He sat, like an overfilled barrel of feelings, ready to burst and drown everything at any moment. His gestures and words - all seemed like that Sun that changeling remembered, during their first moments together. Maybe, this way, he tried to regain what he needed the most?   — D-don't look at me like that! - winged mare tilted her head to the side.   — How should I look at you? - the bug repeated after the little pony, squinting his lower parts of eyes - How do you want me to behave? What should I do, so everything gets good again? ..When do we get home? I want to go home!         Sunshine could not believe her eyes - her friend, previously calm as a rock, now sat on the floor and cried with very real tears. How hard would one need to exhaust the insectoid, for him to lose control over himself in every way? After all, he is a changeling!   Little pony saw herself in the miserable bug’s image. She saw a child that lost its way, one that needed to be hugged immediately. And the hug did help a little - at least, returned the ability to speak back to the bug. Flooded by desperate cries moments prior.   — How? How you live like this? So many em-motions, how you live with them?   — Same as how you live without them. - soft-bodied horse hugged chitin creature harder - I get used to it.   — Why are you so d-difficult? Why everything needs to be so complicated? ..Can we go home?         The horse finally understood and realised everything, in the last possible moment. The truth surrounded her from every corner - Sweet, and bitter. Unreal, and too detailed. Separately, it looked less probable, but one could not deny all the pieces of this hard puzzle anymore.   — It is so hard, that I can’t explain it to you. Please, forgive me for this. - calmed mare petted her bug friend - We will definitely go home, but not now. And I won’t let go of you!   Further signs of affection and kind words near the antennae-ears brought the changeling back completely. Now, his voice trembled not of fear, but of his natural vibrations. Chaotic movements of his delicate body parts also returned, following the natural world sounds. Down with the music of tears!   — ..What now? What are we going to do?   — We will go, as far as possible from home. We can’t expose it - and Moon - to danger. If someone is following us, he already knows too much. - sun pony shook her head - Oh, Curio.. Hope everything’s alright with you.   — She is alright. Most likely. - shapeshifter rapidly liven up and inspired, feeling his friend’s returning mood - How are you feeling? That is more important.   — Better. Thousand times better. - Sunshine quietly laughed at the sweet relieving sensations - Head still feels very heavy, but it’s like, it’s emptied a bit; I don’t know. I will probably not forgive him for these shenanigans, but.. I understand. Understand, why he did this. We will still have time to yell at him! And we’ll do this ourselves, won’t let anyone else do so!         Yes! Need to try and move forward! At least, for relatives, for friends. After all, it is not the end of the world, not the end of their story! And let the artefact still be out there - it would only attract more attention and problems. There are plenty of them already - friends somehow need to evade the chase and escape from the unknown.   And again, like in previous times - the scroll is useless! It will leave a magical trail, which is easy to examine and understand, where the unwanted elements are hiding. In this case, everything will be doomed - old family, and hidden ambitions of dissenters alike. Time to go again, where the head will lead them.   — ..I still cannot understand. - whiskered insect worryingly looked around - How did you calm so fast? Why are you saying you do not believe Moonrise, when you still do something he wants you to?   — Reflecting.   — ..Reflexes?   — Rethinking. - pony badly looked for words that the bug would understand - When you think about yourself and accept, make decisions. This wasn’t easy - if not for new experiences, if not for our adventure - I wouldn’t even try. Just remember what happened around us.. Sometimes, you need to go against your small wishes to do something big.   No matter how improbable and fantastic the dark unicorn’s tales sounded like, they had this big chunk of truth, proven by all the Equestria. Severity of laws is not justifying the results at all - there simply are none. Only one place is jumping through all expectations, and it still mostly exists on its own.   One of the miracles of technology built there, coincidentally, showed itself in the distance - it is impossible to miss. Huge steel machine with many wheels, exhaling clouds of steam and noise - a locomotive. A very real, almost independent and self-moving transport, that the orange pony tried to keep up with. Such a surprise would lead to only something good - to a settlement.